* Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) just told me that four nursing homes in her 49th Ward (where she is the Democratic committeeperson) have backed out of serving as polling places for next month’s primary over concerns about COVID-19. The Chicago Elections Board called her today to ask her for alternative site suggestions, Cassidy said.
This reluctance could easily spread to other sorts of facilities, including senior centers and schools. Hold on to your hats.
I’ve asked the Chicago Elections Board for comment. I’ll let you know.
*** UPDATE *** Chicago Elections Board…
Hi Rich,
In response to calls the Chicago Election Board has received from nursing homes, the Board will not be using any nursing homes that were previously designated to serve as Election Day polling places.
We are preparing mailings and emails to voters in the affected precincts to encourage use of Early Voting and Vote By Mail.
Replacement Election Day polling places for the affected precincts are not yet determined. We will be providing more information in the coming week.
Regards,
Jim
*** UPDATE 4 *** Jim Allen at the Chicago Elections Board…
There are no other categories of polling places that are affected.
Allen also told me the board met with the CPS CEO yesterday and two officials from Chicago Archdiocese, as well as the Park District and the Chicago Public Library.
“Right now, our biggest fear is fear itself,” Allen said.
*** UPDATE 5 *** Jim Allen at the Chicago Elections Board…
Hi Rich,
Am writing to update the information provided late Friday.
The Chicago Election Board has modified the pre-Election Day nursing-home voting program, so that is entirely Vote By Mail.
We will not necessarily be changing all Election Day precincts that are in building complexes that include nursing-home components. There are locations with nursing home components in one building, but senior living in other areas, where the residents may want to continue to vote in a polling place in that building instead of going elsewhere to vote. Thus, Election Day precinct polling places are being evaluated individually and changed as needed.
Chicago voters may check their polling place information at chicagoelections.gov/info
Nursing homes are a perfect-storm environment for the coronavirus, pairing residents at greater risk of serious illness with facilities that may be ill-equipped to prevent the spread of infection within their walls and beyond.
Seventy-five percent of U.S. nursing homes have been cited for failing to properly monitor and control infections in the last three years — a higher proportion than previously known, according to a USA TODAY analysis of federal inspection data. Those citations have been as mild as a paperwork problem, and as serious as a nursing home not telling state officials about an outbreak as unmonitored workers spread disease to patients.
Oregon, situated between the California and Washington hot spots, can test only about 40 people a day. Texas has 16 positive cases, according to media reports, but the health department’s website still lists only three cases. The Texas Tribune has reported that the state can test approximately 30 people a day.
Other states can test even fewer. Hawaii can test fewer than 20 people a day, though it could double that number in an emergency, an official told us. Iowa has supplies to test about 500 patients a day. Arkansas, though not near a current known outbreak, is able to test only four or five patients a day.
On the East Coast, testing capacity varies significantly. New York State has 22 positive cases, including several cases of community transmission in Manhattan and Brooklyn. It can test 100 to 200 people a day. Neighboring New Jersey and Connecticut have not shared any information about how many tests they have run, or about their daily testing capacity.
Pennsylvania can test only about a dozen people a day, and Delaware can test about 50 people, our survey found. An official in Massachusetts, where two of 20 tests have come back positive, said that she did not know the Bay State’s daily capacity, but that its health department “currently [has] an adequate supply of test kits.”
I’ve asked the governor’s office how many people can be tested every day in Illinois and am still waiting for a response. I will update if they get back to me.
*** UPDATE *** Uh-oh…
From AIPAC. "We have confirmed that at least two Policy Conference attendees from New York have tested positive for the Coronavirus." Numerous Congressional staff and lawmakers attended the conference
* Fifth Coronavirus Patient in Illinois Speaks Out From Hospital Bed: “I’m feeling a lot better,” he said in a phone interview with NBC 5’s Christian Farr. “I feel safe. I don’t want anybody to be alarmed or be too worried because obviously, it’s hard when you see case number five on the news, you don’t really know what that means.”
* Health officials urge commmon sense regarding the coronavirus: “Of course, a virus absolutely is scary, but there’s a very simple way to take care of it. In the U.S., as I understand it, the people who passed away from it just ignored the symptoms, and by the time they checked it out, it was too late.
* First Responders Are ‘Trying To Stay Ahead’ Of Coronavirus: Around the country EMS departments are preparing. One concern they share is a looming shortage of masks. State EMS directors are worried agencies could run out “in the next couple weeks,” says Leslee Stein-Spencer, a program advisor at the National Association of State EMS Officials. The shortage will have significant consequences, Stein-Spencer says. When workers get sick, it gets harder to keep ambulance services running. “If it comes to that point, you would look at alternate staffing measures, and you would look at, you know, triaging,” she says. “The sickest patients would come to the hospital and the others would not get an ambulance.”
S&P Global Ratings considers the Illinois governor’s fiscal 2021 budget proposal a step toward improving structural balance, building liquidity, and addressing pension liabilities, although it is a very small step. The proposed $42 billion fiscal 2021 budget calls for recurring revenues to fund recurring expenditures, assuming voters pass a graduated income tax constitutional-amendment ballot initiative in November, and the budget includes measures to attain balance if the vote fails. The largest step taken is toward attaining current-year structural stability without budget gimmicks or the use of one-time revenues, while applying reasonable economic assumptions. However, we do not consider the budget balanced, because the pension funding is statutorily set and is not at a level supported by a third-party actuary. In addition, the annual pension funding proposed still does not meet our static funding calculation.
The $1.4 billion budgeted to be received from the graduated income tax will be held back, and will only be distributed to the budgeted line items beginning Jan. 1, 2021, should the measure be passed. Should the graduated income tax measure not pass in November, the state would alter the budget by withholding $1.4 billion in proposed budgetary reserves (see details below).
Proposing a budget with this level of revenue uncertainty raises credit risks, but the passage of the graduated income tax is the administration’s primary goal. The new tax structure, if approved, would net about $3.6 billion in additional annual general fund revenues, enabling the state to address its lingering structural imbalance to some extent. We would view the successful passage of the proposed constitutional amendment as a further step toward fiscal progress, absent large expenditure reductions, since the full $3.6 billion would be incorporated into the fiscal 2022 budget. However, even with this additional money, the state will only make partial progress toward reducing the approximately $7 billion outstanding bill backlog as of Dec. 31, 2019. The bill backlog peaked at $16.7 billion in fiscal 2018 and has been reduced by almost $1 billion over the past year. However, since the backlog totals over 16% of the proposed budget’s general fund, these obligations greatly limit Illinois’ budget options.
Even with this outstanding backlog, the administration expects to request a $50 million deposit into the rainy day fund in fiscal 2020 and then another $50 million in fiscal 2021; the second is contingent on the passage of the graduated income tax amendment. We have cited the lack of reserves as a limiting credit factor in the past, and so while still a very small potential offset to revenue declines, these actions are mildly positive. The last notable step toward fiscal stability is a $100 million deposit in fiscal 2021 to improve the state’s pension position. Although this is a move in the right direction, the amount is still not meaningfully above the statutory (not actuarially recommended) level being funded and keeps the target funded ratio at 90% by 2045, considerably slower than that of higher-rated peers.
Another positive is that the state’s fiscal 2020 year-to-date revenues and expenditures are projected to result in a current-year operating surplus at fiscal year-end (June 30). While we anticipate stability in the near term, we do not expect the current or proposed budgets will materially improve the state’s credit profile, as the overall liquidity position and funding of pension and other post-employment benefit obligations remain below those of higher-rated peers, and the bill backlog remains significant.
“I’ve never said that we would solve all the problems in one year’s budget,” Pritzker said. “But I have said that it’s important that we are consistent and persistent at addressing the challenges that we have in the state.”
S&P also noted that there has been no word from a task force Pritzker created more than a year ago to recommend state assets that could be sold or transferred to infuse cash into the five statewide pension systems.
Pritzker said the group is still working on crafting legislation that would allow those transfers to take place.
“It isn’t the case today that you could just take an asset and move it into the five pension systems,” he said.
* I’ve been watching Lakesia Collins’ fundraising with amazement. She’s running in a crowded Democratic primary to replace retiring Rep. Art Turner (D-Chicago). After ending last year with $105K in the bank, Collins has raised $188K since January 1. Tina Sfondeles and Lauren FitzPatrick took a look at how some of that money wound up in Collins’ account…
• On Nov. 20, SEIU Healthcare Illinois Indiana gave $5,000 to Josina Morita, a Metropolitan Water Reclamation District commissioner who’s not facing reelection until 2022. On Dec. 13, Morita gave $5,000 to Collins. SEIU Healthcare Illinois Indiana has an ownership stake in the Sun-Times.
• On Jan. 28, the union gave $25,000 to Ald. Jeanette Taylor (20th), whose term runs out in 2023. On Feb. 7, Taylor gave $25,000 to Collins.
• On Feb. 1, the union gave $20,000 to Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th), who then gave Collins the same amount on Feb. 22.
• On Dec. 18, the union gave $15,000 to [Cook County Board Commissioner Brandon Johnson], who then gave the same amount to Collins on Jan. 23.
SEIU Healthcare contributed $33,000 to Collins’ campaign. What they did above is only illegal if you can prove that SEIU Healthcare, where Collins is an employee, intended those contributions to others to wind up in Collins’ account in order to get around the state’s contribution caps. I mean, it looks that way, but proof is another matter. And then you have to convince a majority of the State Board of Elections to concur, and the board is evenly divided along partisan lines, so lots of stuff never gets resolved. And therein lies the rub.
* The Question: Should the State Board of Elections have an odd number of members to avoid partisan tie votes? Make sure to explain how that additional member would be chosen.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot is scheduled to announce her presidential endorsement at a 1:30 p.m. press conference today, and it looks like U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin will join her in endorsing former Vice President Joe Biden.
A Lightfoot press advisory says only that the mayor and Durbin, D-Ill., will endorse a candidate for president. But it also says they’ll be joined by U.S. Reps. including Robin Kelly, Mike Quigley and Bill Foster, all of which are with Biden.
* The CTU is not amused, but the union itself has taken a pass on an endorsement so far…
January 2020: “I’m certainly not endorsing somebody that has never bothered to reach out. So the other person that I haven’t heard from directly is Biden,” Lightfoot said.
We need a leader who will use his power and influence to heal the divides and bring us together. That’s why I am proud to endorse Joe Biden for President.
As I have said from my first day as a candidate for this office, equity and inclusion must be our north star. Unfortunately, for the last three years we have seen these values completely trampled. Our Department of Justice is in a state of crisis, with fealty to the president more important to some than fairness or the rule of law.
By contrast, Joe Biden has a plan to strengthen our criminal justice system by reducing incarceration rates and rooting out racial and gender-based disparities.
I know President Biden will make Chicago a partner, not an adversary.
Joe is committed to rebuilding our middle class and expanding access to affordable health care, and I know he shares our vision for a stronger country where poverty is eradicated.
I believe that he can build a coalition – from small towns like Massillon, Ohio, where I grew up, to big cities like Chicago – that will unite people who want a better path forward. I believe he can win.
While our primary continues, I hope we’ll all be focused on the ultimate goal - victory in November. Because as Senator Sanders himself has said, “Donald Trump is the most dangerous President in American history.” And in the end, our party is united in understanding that threat.
I urge Democrats everywhere to join Joe Biden’s campaign and sign up at joebiden.com. I urge Independents and even Republicans to support Joe Biden for President. This election is about the future of our country and we don’t have a moment to waste.
Thank you,
Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot
…Adding… IEA…
Today Jill Biden, Ph.D., wife of Presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden (D), talked with education leaders from across the state at the Illinois Education Association (IEA) Representative Assembly (RA). The IEA RA is the largest gathering of teachers, higher education faculty and support staff, education support staff, student educators and retired educators in the state.
“Public education matters. The primary in Illinois is a little more than a week away, and our educators are serious about voting for candidates who support public education,” IEA President Kathi Griffin said. “Our vote is our voice.”
More than 1200 educators are wearing red today in support of #RedforEd day at the IEA RA. #RedforEd is a grassroots movement that is inspiring large groups of educators to wear red in support of their students, schools and public education. All the democratic presidential candidates were invited to speak or send a surrogate to the IEA RA. After Biden addressed members during the official IEA RA, she, along with Griffin, visited with small groups of educators from across the state.
“There is nothing more important to our Democracy or the future of our nation than giving our children the kind of quality schools they deserve,” Biden said. “Educators, we are on the frontlines every day. We know what our kids need to grow, to be creative and inspired, to become the best versions of themselves.”
“Nearly everything that happens in our schools and on our college campuses is determined by a decision made outside of it,” Griffin said. “Our advocacy for our students can’t end with our work in the classroom. We need to make sure all our elected officials from school boards to the White House are people who support, value and advocate for the needs of public educators and our students.”
Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr., founder and President of Rainbow PUSH Politician will join supporters at St. John AME Cathedral of Grace in Aurora, IL today at 3:00pm to denounce the racist and insensitive campaign tactics of appointed State Representative Barbara Hernandez, (D-83rd). Ms. Hernandez’s campaign has sent out multiple pieces of literature darkening the face of her Democratic Primary opponent, Juan Thomas, and other mailers photo-shopping a MAGA Hat (Make America Great Again) on his head.
“I am truly saddened and disappointed that Ms. Hernandez would allow her campaign to be run by people who would use racist and insensitive tactics to try to create an image of me that distorts my image and lies about my background. What is even more troubling is that Ms. Hernandez has not taken any responsibility for these actions and even went so far as to accuse me of darkening my own face in a recent Facebook post,” said Thomas. In support of Thomas, Rev. Jackson said, “We must win on a fair playing field. We must win with grace and lose and maintain your dignity. We must all be against racial, religious, gender bias or demeaning images.”
“The 83rd District, which includes Aurora and North Aurora, is a very diverse community of Latinos, African Americans, Asians, and whites. Aurora deserves leadership at every level that will work to bring our community together and not play into historical fears of the “scary black man” or fall prey to color-ism,” Thomas continued.
“I wish my opponent and I could debate our ideas for how we will work to improve the quality of life for all of the residents of the 83rd District. Our children are watching and they deserve better than this,” Thomas stated.
I want to address a false accusation that my opponent posted about me on social media.
Mr. Thomas used Photoshop to darken this entire campaign mailer and create a fake narrative to distract from his own record and the right-wing Republicans behind his campaign.
People in our community face real racism on a daily basis and these lies are an insult to their experiences. If Mr. Thomas is willing to lie about something as serious as this, what else will he lie about?
As the daughter of immigrants, I have spent my life standing up for minorities in the face of adversity. I will continue to be a strong voice for minority communities and work to lift us up, not tear us down.
Friday, Mar 6, 2020 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
To highlight the needs of those suffering from kidney failure, organizations from across the state have come together to create the Illinois Kidney Care Alliance (IKCA), a coalition of health advocates and professionals, community and patient groups, providers, and businesses. IKCA is focused on raising awareness of the needs of people who suffer from kidney failure.
IKCA is proud to count U.S. Renal Care among its inaugural members. As providers, U.S. Renal Care partners with nephrologists to provide quality service to patients who are living with chronic and acute renal disease.
In Illinois, more than 30,000 people suffer from kidney failure and over 100,000 Americans await a kidney transplant. IKCA’s goal is to protect the most vulnerable – those currently on life-sustaining dialysis and their families. For more information, please visit our website.
A pair of controversial new campaign ads from Republican U.S. Senate candidate Jim Oberweis has enraged immigrant rights advocates, who contend the message decrying illegal immigration is racist and relies on misleading data. […]
“Illegal aliens are coming here to take American workers’ jobs, drive down wages and take advantage of government benefits such as free health care, and you pay,” Oberweis says in one of the spots. “How many? Ten thousand illegal aliens a day. Enough to fill Soldier Field every single week.”
When asked about the ad, Oberweis said: “It was a mistake. I wish that I hadn’t (done the ad), yes…it was poorly done.” But he believes he can get past it.
Democratic presidential debate moderator: Raise your hand if your government plan would provide coverage for undocumented immigrants.
Oberweis 2020: Unbelievable. They all support using your tax dollars to give you illegal aliens free healthcare. I predicted this could happen.
Oberweis 2004: Aliens are coming here but make advantage of government benefits but your free health care. You pay.
Oberweis 2020: I was right on this issue then, and I’m right now. Send me to Congress and I’ll stand with President Trump to make sure our tax dollars are used to help Americans, not illegal aliens. I’m Jim oberweis, and I approve this message.
* Meanwhile, Ogden & Fry has a new poll of 535 likely voters which shows the race is tighter than some believed. This pollster uses robocalls and only polls people who’ve already voted in GOP primaries, so keep that in mind. Click the pic for full results…
Cook County Commissioner Jeffrey Tobolski is resigning from office later this month, he said in a letter dated Friday.
Tobolski’s resignation letter addressed to Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle did not give a reason for his pending departure. His resignation takes effect March 31.
FBI agents raided the village headquarters of suburban McCook, where he is mayor, on Sept. 26. The raid came on the same day as federal law enforcement authorities descended on the Village Hall in nearby Lyons and two days after raids on the offices and home of state Sen. Martin Sandoval, a Chicago Democrat whose district includes both towns.
Cook County Commissioner Sean Morrison, R-Palos Park, said he was “surprised” by the decision and “as a human being, I feel for him and his family.”
“As a colleague I wish him well and I hope he’ll be able to use the time to address whatever issues he’s struggling with,” Morrison said. “I wish him well in addressing them. In light of the reported stories, it’s probably for the best for his constituents in the 16th District.”
Friday, Mar 6, 2020 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Across Illinois, communities are struggling to stay above water. Meanwhile, clean energy jobs in our state are growing faster than the rest of our economy. The question now is, who will benefit?
Hundreds of low-income and people of color are already in good-paying jobs because the state is funding training programs that make sure everyone shares in the new clean energy economy. The popularity of these programs and the demand for clean energy jobs continues to grow.
This spring, Gov. Pritzker and the General Assembly can choose to double down on equity in our energy economy by passing transformative legislation that will create good jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities in communities of color and communities too often left behind.
The Clean Energy Jobs Act is the only comprehensive, equitable energy bill that puts Illinois on a path to 100% renewable energy, lowers electricity costs, and reduces transportation pollution.
We need to take bold action on climate and create economic opportunities in communities that need them the most.
It’s time to pass CEJA now! Visit ilcleanjobs.org to learn more.
Friday, Mar 6, 2020 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
In addition to supporting the state’s economy with more than 246,000 jobs across Illinois, biopharmaceutical innovators support policies to help ensure Illinoisans can afford and access their medicines. Our companies are committed to being part of the solution and support commonsense measures to lower what patients are paying at the pharmacy counter. We also want to serve as a resource for people who may be struggling by providing resources they can use now while legislators work toward addressing growing health care costs.
PhRMA’s Medicine Assistance Tool (MAT) is a free online platform that connects eligible patients and caregivers with information about 900+ public and private assistance programs designed to help them afford their medicines. Visit mat.org to see what help might be available.
Friday, Mar 6, 2020 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Mike Bloomberg has always valued philanthropy. So, Cap Fax commenters, for your awareness and consideration, here are some charities we care deeply about:
* Woke up with an eye stye and I’ve been miserable ever since. Trying to read and write with one eye closed is no fun, either. So, I’m giving up and going back to bed. You’re on your own for a couple two/tree hours. Be nice to each other and please keep the discussion Illinois-centric. Thanks.
Rep. Yoni Pizer on Thursday released his first television ad ahead of the March 17 Democratic primary election. The ad, “Light,” which features Mayor Lightfoot, one of Pizer’s early endorsers, will appear on targeted local cable television channels through the election.
The script for “Light” is as follows:
Mayor Lightfoot: “I’m Mayor Lightfoot, and I’m here to tell you why I’m supporting my friend, Yoni Pizer, for State Rep. Whether it’s on equality issues, the environment, or making sure our government stands for ethics, Yoni is on the right side of all these issues.
And plus, he’s a really nice guy.
Rep. Pizer: Thank you Mayor, and I’m grateful for your support. I look forward to bringing the light to Springfield, fighting for meaningful ethics reform, protecting the right to choose, and promoting clean energy legislation.
In addition to the endorsement of Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Rep. Pizer has been endorsed by Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, Congressman Mike Quigley, Senator Sara Feigenholtz, Alderman Tom Tunney, Alderman Michele Smith, Personal PAC, Equality Illinois, and others.
In addition to serving as Congressman Quigley’s community liaison and running two small businesses, Rep. Pizer has been a grassroots organizer for Democratic candidates for several decades. Rep. Pizer lives with his husband, Brad Lippitz, in East Lakeview, where they have raised their two sons. Rep. Pizer is the first openly gay representative of Illinois’ 12th District, which includes the neighborhoods of the Gold Coast, Near North, Old Town, Lincoln Park, Lakeview, and Buena Park.
William Helm, the former deputy commissioner of the Chicago Department of Aviation and a Chicago political insider, was facing federal charges Thursday claiming that he bribed former state Sen. Martin Sandoval.
An indictment handed down on Thursday accuses Helm and his consulting company of offering the bribes in exchange for state approval for a development project in East Dundee.
A two-page indictment Thursday said Helm and his consulting company were hired by “Construction Company A” to try to get the Illinois Department of Transportation to approve roadwork that Company A wanted to do in East Dundee.
Helm allegedly bribed Martin Sandoval, then chairman of the Illinois Senate Transportation Committee, to push IDOT to give Company A the approval it wanted.
According to the indictment, Helm was retained in 2018 by a construction company that was seeking IDOT approval for a signalization and road construction project in East Dundee.
At the time, Sandoval was the head of the influential Senate Transportation Committee.
The indictment alleged Helm paid bribes of at least $5,000 to Sandoval between July and November 2018 in exchange for the senator’s influence in helping the project gain IDOT approval.
The company was referred to in the indictment only as Company A. Helm’s consulting company also was not identified, but records show he owns WAH Consulting LLC, which has a principal address in Schaumburg.
Helm could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday evening. But his name has previously surfaced in search warrants relating to the feds’ ongoing investigations, records show. One was used when the FBI searched Sandoval’s Springfield offices in September. Another came a short time later, when the feds hit the tiny southwest suburb of McCook and the offices of its mayor, Jeff Tobolski, who is also a Cook County commissioner.
A source said Helm and Tobolski “are very close, political allies.” Helm is also a longtime friend of Tobolski’s top county aide, Patrick Doherty.
The feds charged Doherty last month with three bribery counts related to his work as a paid consultant for the red-light camera company SafeSpeed LLC. His indictment alleges he conspired in 2017 with another sales agent and someone with an interest in SafeSpeed to pay off a relative of an Oak Lawn trustee to support the installation of cameras. […]
Helm also worked as a paid sales representative for SafeSpeed while on the city payroll, the Chicago Sun-Times has reported. The company paid him a commission on red-light tickets written in Matteson and Glendale Heights, records show.
SafeSpeed has officially denied any involvement, of course.
Helm isn’t well known, like some of the politicians he works for. But for decades, he’s been a old-school Chicago operator who has marshaled “volunteers” — often city employees — to circulate petitions and get out the vote for politicians. He also has used his contacts with bar and restaurant owners to hold fundraisers for campaigns, sources say.
He has gotten one plum government job after another, despite a history of disciplinary actions taken against him. In his latest job, at O’Hare, he got into trouble after being accused of allowing one of his workers to bring his wedding party onto the airfield for photos — without security clearance. In August, Helm abruptly resigned from that post, which paid him more than $125,000 a year.
Helm, 55, who hasn’t been charged with any crime, has deep ties to politicians as well as business owners who need friends in government — some of who’ve drawn the interest of the FBI and the IRS. […]
Helm is a longtime friend of Rick Heidner, a video-gaming magnate who was named in search warrants as part of the investigation. Heidner hasn’t been charged with any crime and says he’s done nothing wrong.
Helm is part of former Ald. Patrick O’Connor’s North Side political operation, but O’Connor said recently he doesn’t know what’s going on with Helm, only that he stopped working for the city in recent months. […]
Helm — who formerly worked at the Illinois Department of Transportation and resigned after being accused of having 41 hours of personal conversations on his phone during work hours — wouldn’t say whether federal agents have approached him.
When drivers get red-light camera tickets in Matteson, a portion of their fines has been going to a recently retired deputy Chicago city aviation commissioner who’s at the center of a political corruption investigation, records obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times show.
Bill Helm — a $125,000-a-year deputy aviation commissioner overseeing airfield maintenance at O’Hare Airport until he quit in August — also was a paid sales representative for SafeSpeed, LLC, while on the city payroll, the records show.
SafeSpeed paid Helm, who’d held the city aviation post since 2014, a commission on red-light tickets written in Matteson and also Glendale Heights, the records show. Glendale Heights ended its affiliation with the red-light camera operator in 2018, officials said. […]
Helm didn’t disclose the outside work to City Hall, as required for any “secondary employment,” a spokesman said. Nor did he inform the Chicago Board of Ethics of outside income.
Matteson and Glendale Heights officials told the Sun-Times they knew nothing about nothing.
Today, Marie Newman’s campaign released its second television advertisement highlighting the contrasts between Marie and Dan Lipinski’s views on health care. The ad, “A Clear Choice for IL-03,” reminds voters about Lipinski’s vote against the Affordable Care Act and how that would have allowed insurance companies to deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions. In contrast, Marie believes that health care is a right and is fighting to expand health care coverage.
The ad also highlights the Chicago Sun-Times’ endorsement of Marie Newman, because she “leaves no doubt that she will stand up for health care, Dreamers and women’s rights.”
People concerned about health care can’t trust Dan Lipinski.
Dan Lipinski voted against Obamacare which means Lipinski would deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions.
Democrats have a clear choice – Marie Newman.
Marie’s believes that health care is a right because she knows what it’s like to have gone without health insurance. Unlike Dan Lipinski, Marie is the only Democrat who will fight to expand health care to everyone.
The Sun Times endorsed Marie saying there’s “no doubt she will stand up for health care.
Sales of marijuana fell in the second month of legalization in Illinois.
Revenue was $34.8 million in February, down from $39.2 million in January, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation said today. Those figures do not include tax.
Total February sales were down 11 percent. Average daily sales were off 5 percent after accounting for fewer days in the month.
Out-of-state buyers accounted for 26 percent of sales in February, up from 22 percent in January.
Probably to be expected, considering the initial novelty, the resulting lack of product (growers really need to step up) and the lack of personnel to deal with the long lines (retailers really need to hire more people). But, one month is not a trend and this is gonna be legal in perpetuity, so I generally take the long view.
* The Question: Have you visited or do you plan to visit an adult-use dispensary? If so, tell us about your experience. If not, explain why.
A bill to ban all red-light cameras in the state could advance in Springfield.
Last week, state Rep. David McSweeney, R-Barrington Hills, got House Bill 322 passed in the House with bipartisan support. That measure would ban red-light cameras in non-home rule municipalities, or municipalities with fewer than 25,000 residents. […]
“My bill to ban all red-light cameras made it out of the [House] Rules Committee,” McSweeney said. “So I can’t call it today. I hope to call it in the next few weeks.”
House Bill 323 was assigned to the House Transportation: Vehicles & Safety Committee. A hearing date for the bill has yet to be scheduled.
When the partial ban passed the House last week, some opponents said they wanted to see a full ban. McSweeney said once the full ban bill comes up for a vote, the results would be telling.
“We’re going to see who’s for real,” McSweeney said. “We’re going to see who’s for real if I get that bill to the floor. We have people who on principle oppose that, and I respect that, and we’ll see the people, and I hope they do. I certainly believe that they’re people of their word. If I get this voted, it’ll take a supermajority. I’ll have to work hard. [House Minority Leader] Jim Durkin and [red light camera company] SafeSpeed are working against me.” […]
A spokesperson for Durkin said he would support a ban on all red-light cameras in Illinois. As to campaign contributions Durkin got from SafeSpeed, Durkin’s spokesperson said he donated the money to charity right after it was revealed the indictment against former Senator Martin Sandoval, D-Cicero, identified Company A as SafeSpeed.
For the second time in two years, a bill that set up a way to cap some prescription drug costs failed to advance in the House.
The House Prescription Drug Affordability and Accessibility Committee voted 8-5 against sending House Bill 3493 to the full House for a vote.
The bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Will Guzzardi, D-Chicago, said he would continue to try passing the legislation.
Under the bill, a five-member board appointed by the governor would have had the authority to review prescription drug costs and set upper limits of what could be paid for the drug. Not all drugs would be reviewed. A brand name product that costs over $30,000 or has a price increase of $3,000 a year or more would be reviewed as would a bio-similar drug that wasn’t at least 15% cheaper than the drug it replicates.
Guzzardi said Maryland uses this approach and 15 other states are considering something similar.
Lawmakers in the Illinois General Assembly recently introduced HB 4138, which would create the Phase Out Corporate Giveaways Interstate Compact. This compact would serve as an agreement between member states to refrain from participating in the practice of corporate subsidies. Corporate subsides manifest in the form of tax incentives or grants, in an attempt to attract businesses.
Typically, these subsidies are handed out for the purpose of creating jobs, hosting manufacturing facilities, building development offices, as well as the relocation of headquarter offices. The Phase Out Corporate Giveaways Interstate Compact holds that any state and the District of Columbia may become a member of this compact by passing the compact through their legislature. The overall goal of this compact is to reduce corporate welfare.
Rep. Bob Morgan (D-Highwood) introduced the bill, which is a good first step in ending the practice of corporate welfare. In general, corporate subsidies overwhelmingly benefit large corporations. The bill defines “corporate giveaways” as any company-specific grant or company-specific tax incentive. A “company-specific grant” means any disbursement of funds via property, cash, or differed tax liability by the state government to a particular company. “Company-specific tax incentive” means any change in the general tax rate or valuation offered or presented to a specific company that is not available to other companies.
A panel of state senators Tuesday approved legislation requiring public colleges and universities to add mental health contact information to the back of student identification cards.
As a parent of a first-year college student, Villa Park Democratic Sen. Tom Cullerton said it is a “trying and stressful time,” as with any other parent who misses their child. But he said such situations are also difficult for the student, who may be away from home for the first time.
His initiative would ensure phone numbers for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, Crisis Text Line and the school’s mental health counseling center are published on each student’s identification card.
If an institution of higher education does not have such cards, the bill requires that information be published on its website instead.
A Kankakee girl took her fight to Springfield on Tuesday to help kids sell lemonade.
“Everyone is sick and tired of all of us getting shut down for our lemonade stands, and I think it’s time to make a change,” said Hayli Martenez.
Last summer, Kankakee County shut down Hayli’s old-fashioned lemonade stand because the family did not have water and sewer service.
Hayli’s mother, Iva Martenez, was unemployed and behind in the water and sewer bills. Iva said although the faucet was off, she and Hayli used bottled water.
Hayli, 11, gave her views to a public health committee with Sen. Patrick Joyce, D-Essex, next to her. Joyce is sponsoring Senate Bill 3459, which is referred to as Hayli’s Law.
“I am ready to make a change for little people, like little girls and boys, who have lemonade stands,” Hayli said. […]
“My lemonade stand is a dream I shared with my grandma before she passed away. She always told me to make lemonade out of lemons, so I did,” Hayli said. “When my lemonade stand was shut down I became very upset. I asked myself, ‘Why me?’ I didn’t do anything wrong.”
The bill passed the Public Health Committee and now goes before the full Senate. If passed by both the Senate and House, it would go to Gov. JB Pritzker. If signed into law, it would go into effect immediately.
The kid is not only savvy and smart, but she has a million-dollar smile…
President Donald Trump pushed aside his acting director of national intelligence, Joseph Maguire, because he was angry about a briefing to lawmakers that said Russia is interfering in the 2020 election to aid his re-election, current and former intelligence officials briefed on the matter told NBC News.
At issue was an election briefing to House members last week by Shelby Pierson, the DNI’s election security czar. The news was first reported by The New York Times.
The fast-moving developments have caused serious concern among intelligence officials.
* The very next day, Gov. Pritzker sent President Trump a letter and cc’d the state’s Republican delegation. The governor cited reports like the NBC story above and pointed out the “widely confirmed” reports that Russia targeted Illinois’ election infrastructure during the 2016 election.
Pritzker then requested that DNI outline “all known threats to election systems so that Illinois can be as prepared as possible to ensure our election is protected from all hazards including foreign interference.” He did not, as far as I know, release the letter to the news media until I requested it this afternoon.
Reporter: Republican congressmen say you’ve sent a letter to the president… They say that you got some facts wrong there, but they’re also saying that you need to focus on Illinois and [automatic voter registration] problems that are happening. Can you address that?
Pritzker: Well, they would like me not to focus on the fact that the President fired his DNI for telling the truth to Congress. These are republican congressmen that are speaking. What I’ve written a letter to the President about is to make sure that I get fully briefed on any kind of potential Russian hacking, or interference with our elections. I’ve been focused on this since before I took office. And Day One and in office I gathered people in my administration who are in charge of securing our elections to make sure we’re doing everything we can. But we need to get proper information from the intelligence community from the federal government. And it appears when the President is firing his DNI for telling the truth about Russian interference, that we’re not getting all of the information we need. So I insisted that we get that.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot plans to make an announcement in the next day or so, and although sources close to her aren’t officially confirming anything, all indications are that she will back former Vice President Joe Biden.
Lightfoot and Biden connected by phone earlier this week, right after he won most of the big Super Tuesday primaries.
* Press release…
Congressman Sean Casten announced today that he is endorsing Joe Biden for President.
“As a freshman member I am keenly aware of the power of strong, diverse coalitions. For that reason, I am proud to announce my support for Joe Biden. Joe has the empathy and the heart to unite our party, our country — and he has experience and the tenacity to get it done.” - Congressman Sean Casten
* Local 881 of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) is endorsing Biden…
In announcing the support of the 34,000-member Union, Steven M. Powell, President of Local 881 and UFCW International Vice President, stated:
“Another four years of the Trump Administration would be a disaster for working people. It is critical that our next President be a friend to workers and an advocate for Unions. We believe Joe Biden is the best candidate to help our members and lead our nation. Joe Biden has been an advocate for our Local Union, has a great track record of putting working families first, and is committed to strengthening the rights of Union workers. He has developed a specific plan to help increase unionization, prevent employers from hindering the organizing efforts of workers, and protect collective bargaining rights. We strongly believe that Joe Biden is the best candidate to defeat Trump and will provide leadership that puts workers first. We are proud to give him our endorsement.”
* Treasurer Mike Frerichs…
Given today’s unfortunate news regarding the suspension of Elizabeth Warren’s campaign for President of the United States, I wanted to share my thoughts with those of you who, like myself, were inspired by her performance and disappointed by the headlines this morning.
I had the honor of working alongside Senator Warren while advocating for her candidacy and can attest to the fact that she is an extraordinary person; I know that she would have been an excellent President. She showed that you can advocate passionately for progressive ideas without being divisive. Her campaign demonstrated a sincere objective to be helpful and kind, even in the face of harassment and bullying.
While I am disappointed that she has ended her campaign, I have no regrets for supporting her. I think she has furthered the debate of ideas and has left the Democratic Party stronger because of her campaign.
I am heartened that she is still a fierce fighter in the US Senate for the fundamental change our country needs.
The one thing I am certain of is that we haven’t heard the last from Elizabeth Warren.
Joe Biden, who jolted Democrats by capturing victories in 10 states (Maine wasn’t declared for Biden until midday Wednesday), has queued up a combined $228,000 in ad buys on three Chicago stations: CB2/2, ABC/7 and WGN/9.
To put this into perspective, the House and Senate Democrats spent about a million dollars a week on Chicago broadcast to help put each of their 2018 candidates over the top. $228K is a drop in the bucket, but it’s better than nothing, I suppose. And he didn’t need any air cover on Super Tuesday (or a field operation, for that matter). We’ll see how he does in the next debate against Sanders.
Sanders to hold rally in Grant Park on Saturday, another in Rockford Tuesday: The presidential candidate will hold a 2:30 p.m. rally at Petrillo Music Shell, in Grant Park.
As always with national politics, take a deep breath before commenting, and try not to infect comments with cable teevee talking points.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and Cook County Department of Public Health (CDPH) today announced a fifth Illinois resident has tested positive at the IDPH laboratory for coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The specimens have been sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for confirmatory testing. The fifth individual is a Cook County resident in his 20s who flew into Chicago O’Hare Airport earlier this month after traveling to Italy. The individual acquired the infection while in Italy and is hospitalized at Rush University Medical Center in isolation. Public health officials are identifying and contacting all close contacts.
“The state of Illinois is working around the clock to contain COVID-19 and educate the public,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Public health officials anticipated there would be additional cases and we will continue to implement robust measures to contain the virus while also preparing for further transmission. The risk of COVID-19 to the general public in Illinois remains low, but we encourage the public to be vigilant and take extra care with the normal precautions you should take during flu season.”
The CDC has confirmed one of the recent presumptive positive cases and we are still awaiting results on the other case. Both remain in home isolation and are doing well. At this time, the exposure route for the third and fourth cases is not known. Both individuals recently traveled to another state, but health officials have not been able to link them to a COVID-19 confirmed case in Illinois or the other state. Therefore, because IDPH has been unable to identify a point of exposure for these two cases, IDPH believes it is possible these cases may be due to community transmission in Illinois.
“While we expect to see additional cases, we are not seeing widespread transmission of the virus in Illinois and we believe the risk to the general public remains low,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike.
We know, irrefutably, one thing about the coronavirus in the United States: The number of cases reported in every chart and table is far too low.
The data are untrustworthy because the processes we used to get them were flawed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s testing procedures missed the bulk of the cases. They focused exclusively on travelers, rather than testing more broadly, because that seemed like the best way to catch cases entering the country.
Just days ago, it was not clear that the virus had spread solely from domestic contact at all. But then cases began popping up with no known international connection. What public-health experts call “community spread” had arrived in the United States. The virus would not be stopped by tight borders, because it was already propagating domestically. Trevor Bedford’s lab at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, which studies viral evolution, concluded there is “firm evidence” that, at least in Washington State, the coronavirus had been spreading undetected for weeks. Now different projections estimate that 20 to 1,500 people have already been infected in the greater Seattle area. In California, too, the disease appears to be spreading, although the limited testing means that no one is quite sure how far.
In total, fewer than 500 people have been tested across the country (although the CDC has stopped reporting that number in its summary of the outbreak). As a result, the current “official” case count inside the United States stood at 43 as of this morning (excluding cruise-ship cases). This number is wrong, yet it’s still constantly printed and quoted. In other contexts, we’d call this what it is: a subtle form of misinformation.
This artificially low number means that for the past few weeks, we’ve seen massive state action abroad and only simmering unease domestically.
The Trump administration won’t be able to meet its promised timeline of having a million coronavirus tests available by the end of the week, senators said after a briefing Thursday from health officials.
“There won’t be a million people to get a test by the end of the week,” Republican Senator Rick Scott of Florida said. “It’s way smaller than that. And still, at this point, it’s still through public health departments.”
Scott and other lawmakers said the government is “in the process” of sending test kits out and people still need to be trained on how to use them. The entire process could take days or weeks, they said.
* Only two people tested in Sangamon County so far…
Two Sangamon County patients tested negative for coronavirus over the weekend, public health officials confirmed.
Sangamon County Public Health Director Gail O’Neill said that two people exhibited fairly standard respiratory symptoms and had either recently traveled outside the country or been in close contact with someone who had. But the tests came back negative.
Though others have been monitored for symptoms, O’Neill said those have been the only two test administered in the county thus far.
* And if/when the virus does catch hold, it’s not pretty…
Parents keep their children inside. Few people shake hands anymore. More than two dozen firefighters remain in quarantine. Restaurants and hair salons are close to empty.
Such is life in Kirkland, Wash., the suburb just east of Seattle known for its folksy downtown and spectacular lakefront views, but now above all as the U.S. epicenter of COVID-19.
Of the 11 U.S. deaths from the coronavirus epidemic, eight were residents of a local nursing home that is struggling to care for others who may have been infected. An additional death occurred at a Kirkland hospital. […]
On Monday, the city reported that two police officers and 27 firefighters — a quarter of its Fire Department — had been placed in quarantine after being exposed to patients from the nursing home.
Students are now out of school in South Korea, Iran, Japan, France, Pakistan and elsewhere — some for only a few days, others for weeks on end. In India on Thursday, all public and private schools through the fifth grade were ordered closed through March in the capital, New Delhi, affecting more than two million children.
In Italy, suffering one of the deadliest outbreaks outside China, officials said Wednesday that they would extend school closures beyond the north, where the government has imposed a lockdown on several towns, to the entire nation. All schools and universities will remain closed until March 15, officials said.
On the West Coast of the United States, the region with the most American infections so far, Los Angeles declared a state of emergency on Wednesday, advising parents to steel themselves for school closures in the nation’s second-largest public school district. Washington State, which has reported at least 10 deaths from the outbreak, has closed some schools, while on the other side of the country in New York, newly diagnosed cases have led to the closure of several schools as well.
The speed and scale of the educational tumult — which now affects 290.5 million students worldwide, the United Nations says — has little parallel in modern history, educators and economists contend. Schools provide structure and support for families, communities and entire economies. The effect of closing them for days, weeks and sometimes even months could have untold repercussions for children and societies at large.
State and city health units are in line to get some help dealing with the coronavirus epidemic—financial help that is.
A deal reached [yesterday] between Congress and President Donald Trump will deliver at least $14.7 million to the Illinois Department of Public Health, with an additional $8.7 million headed to the Chicago Department of Public Health. […]
In a separate action, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released another $2.75 million to the state and $1.75 million to the city for coronavirus surveillance and infection control.
* And the state’s new sentinel surveillance program should help us figure out what’s going on…
Starting today or Friday, Carle Foundation Hospital will begin screening as part of a new sentinel surveillance program that could indicate whether the virus is present in local communities among people who don’t have an apparent connection — for example, due to their travel history.
And since the hospital serves patients from 41 counties, the surveillance has the potential to signal the presence of the virus in more than just the Champaign-Urbana area.
There are already “a handful” of possible Champaign County coronavirus cases under investigation by the Illinois Department of Public Health, according to Champaign-Urbana Public Health District Administrator Julie Pryde.
But the best way to be prepared for a community spread of the virus is to collect more data, and as early as possible, she said.
HANNITY: We have a report today the global death rate at 3.4%, and a report that the Olympics could be delayed. Your reaction to that?
TRUMP: Well, I think the 3.4% is really a false number. Now, this is just my hunch, and — but based on a lot of conversations with a lot of people that do this, because a lot of people will have this, and it’s very mild.
* Glencoe Public Works Employee Under Voluntary Quarantine After Exposure to Coronavirus: The employee “was exposed to a different individual, who was subsequently confirmed to be infected with coronavirus,” the statement said, but was not showing any signs of the virus and was self-monitoring under voluntary quarantine at home. The employee was also in contact with their healthcare professional, officials said.
* Spreading coronavirus infects city’s economy, mayor’s budget: The mayor is also counting on $163 million from raising ambulance fees paid by private insurers and getting federal approval for reimbursements administered by the state for ambulance transports for low-income patients on Medicaid. That hasn’t happened yet — nearly five months after the mayor said that approval was “imminent.” Lightfoot has said repeatedly she remains “very confident” the feds will green-light the ambulance plan, despite her repeated attacks on President Donald Trump.
* WIU prepares for coronavirus outbreak: He said the McDonough County Health Department is working alongside them, to screen anyone who has traveled to an infected area.
* Coronavirus is testing CEOs everywhere: Unlike past crises, this one is rooted not in familiar economic factors such as a credit bubble, but in epidemiological forces beyond the ken of the average CEO. Few, if any, are qualified to make judgments about how many people are likely to be infected, how many will die, or when the virus will subside. Without answers to those questions, predicting economic consequences becomes all but impossible.
* Washington state urges patience as Covid-19 test delays stoke anger: “We have had patients presenting here, angry that they cannot be tested for COVID-19, yelling, cussing, throwing their dirty mask at us and even spitting their secretions on the floor and walls on their way out,” Ruedebusch, who works at an urgent care clinic in the Seattle suburb of Monroe, wrote on Facebook.
Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) joined the United Way in releasing their report on Illinois ALICE households – asset-limited, income-constrained and employed.
The report focuses on families living above the federal poverty level, but below the threshold of a basic survival budget of $57,144 for a family of four and $19,212 for a single adult.
“People all over Illinois are struggling to get ahead. We know this intuitively, and we see it in our communities. I see it every day in my west side and west suburban district,” Lightford said. “ALICE allows us to put some real data behind that intuition.”
In Lightford’s district, only 18% of households fall below the poverty line, but many more people than that are unable to afford an unexpected car repair or be able to put anything aside for the future. Those households are much more represented in the more than 47% of households in the 4th Senate District that are ALICE households.
Lawmakers will use the data to help better understand the needs of Illinoisans as they make public policy decisions to help struggling families.
Researchers found 36 percent of Illinois households didn’t earn enough to cover that basic survival budget in 2017, the most recent year for which data was available. That included 12 percent of households at or below the poverty level and another 24 percent above the poverty line but still below the survival budget thresholds.
While Illinois households in the ALICE category earned significantly more than the federal poverty level of $24,600 for a family of four and $12,060 for a single adult, they still didn’t earn enough to cover the cost of housing, child care, food, transportation, health care and technology, researchers found.
• The extent of hardship: Of Illinois’ 4.8 million households, 12 percent lived in poverty in 2017 and twice as many — another 24 percent — were ALICE households. Combined, 36 percent (1,758,032 households) had income below the ALICE Threshold, an increase of 20 percent since 2007.
• The basic cost of living: The cost of basic household expenses in Illinois increased steadily to $57,144 for a family of four (two adults with one infant and one preschooler) and $19,212 for a single adult — significantly higher than the FPL of $24,600 for a family of four and $12,060 for a single adult. The cost of the family budget increased by 38 percent from 2007 to 2017, driven primarily by increases in the cost of housing, health care, and child care, and by the addition of a basic smartphone plan to the budget.
• Low wages: Low-wage jobs continued to dominate the landscape in Illinois, with 56 percent of all jobs paying less than $20 per hour. Although unemployment rates fell during this period, wages remained low for many occupations. With more contract work and on-demand jobs, job instability also increased, making it difficult for ALICE workers to meet regular monthly expenses or to save. In addition, gaps in wages varied based on the type of employer as well as the gender, education, and race/ethnicity of workers.
• The role of public assistance: Public and private assistance continued to provide support to many households living in poverty or earning slightly above the FPL, but it provided less support to ALICE households whose income was above eligibility levels. Spending on health care and health insurance outpaced spending in other budget areas; there remained large gaps in other types of assistance, especially in housing and child care.
• The changing American household — Shifting demographics, including the rise of millennials, the aging of baby boomers, and domestic and foreign migration patterns, are having an impact on who is living together in households and where and how people work. These changes, in turn, influence the demand for goods and services, ranging from the location of housing to the provision of caregiving.
• Increasing vulnerability of workers — Within a global economy, economic disruptions, natural disasters, and technological advances in other parts of the world trigger rapid change in supply and demand for U.S. industries. Increasingly, this risk has been shifted from companies to workers. In addition to the often-disruptive effects of technology on jobs and the workplace, ALICE workers have low wages and increasingly face income volatility.
• Growing health inequality — As health costs rise, disparities in health increase, especially according to income. Expensive medical and technological advances that are out of reach of lower-income households will only further this divide. The societal costs of having large numbers of U.S. residents in poor health will also grow.
Click here for the summary and click here for the full report. Click here for an interactive county map. Lots of poverty in southern Illinois.
Perennial candidate Jim Oberweis was caught red-handed in an illegal scheme breaking federal campaign finance law to illegally funnel “soft” money from his state campaign account to his federal campaign for Congress.
Simply stated, this was a campaign money laundering scheme to violate federal campaign finance laws.
Federal campaigns for Congress and U.S. Senate are much more restricted than Illinois state campaigns in terms of the contributions they may receive and the sources from which they may receive them. Federal law not only prohibits the corporate contributions permitted under Illinois law, but also places limits significantly lower than Illinois’ on contributions from individuals and political committees. Because of these inconsistencies, federal law generally prohibits a candidate’s use of state campaign funds for his or her federal campaign.
Numerous Republican candidates have told Sue Rezin for months that Jim Oberweis called them and asked for a contribution from them to his campaign for Congress in exchange for a contribution from him of greater value (almost always double the amount) to their respective campaign committees. This was Oberweis’ way of using funds in his state campaign account for his federal campaign —and it is illegal. It would still be illegal if he wasn’t offering contributions of “greater value” than those he was soliciting for his campaign for Congress, but the “greater value” offers demonstrate the lengths he is going to illegally convert “soft” state campaign funds into “hard” federal campaign funds.
This has gone on for many months. None of the state and local candidates knew this was illegal and were a bit puzzled as to why Oberweis wanted to do this. But none were willing to go on record about Oberweis’ request. They didn’t want to make waves.
Until, at the beginning of February, Jim Oberweis had an agent of his campaign, Keith Becker, contact LaSalle County State’s Attorney Karen Donnelly via Facebook message saying: “State Senator Jim Oberweis said he would make a reciprocal donation of greater value for a donation to his campaign.” Becker then followed up with an email to State’s Attorney Donnelly with Jim Oberweis’ personal cell phone number letting her know that Oberweis was expecting her call.
No part of LaSalle County falls within either the 14th Congressional District or Oberweis’ state senate district, but Oberweis’ scheme was spreading to any Republican willing to accept a larger donation from Oberweis’ state campaign in exchange for a smaller contribution to his congressional campaign.
Donnelly proceeded to call Oberweis, who personally reiterated the offer. He then sent Donnelly a contribution check from his state campaign fund, which she still has. She then contacted the Rezin campaign about the incident and signed a sworn affidavit attesting to what exactly had transpired. The Rezin campaign has submitted that affidavit as Exhibit I in its complaint today to the Federal Elections Commission (FEC).
Jim Oberweis has been caught red-handed, exposed by an affidavit from the LaSalle County State’s Attorney herself. Yes, Jim Oberweis actually solicited a State’s Attorney in his illegal scheme.
The full FEC complaint and the affidavit are here. Rezin has filed two additional FEC complaints against Oberweis, which you can read more about by clicking here.
I’ve checked in with the Oberweis campaign and I’ll let you know if they respond.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Oberweis campaign (updated with latest draft)…
In a desperate last-minute effort to try to gain some traction on her failing campaign, Sue Rezin’s campaign has resorted to dirty smear tactics in her attacks against Jim Oberweis. These allegations are simply not true.
The truth is Jim Oberweis has donated to Republican candidates for his entire adult life. He has put in over five hundred thousand dollars of his own money to beat Lauren Underwood, and he is the only Republican with the resources to do so. The campaign has followed, and will continue to follow, both the letter and spirit of the Federal Campaign Contribution and Disclosure laws.
Thursday, Mar 5, 2020 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Credit unions exist to help people, not make a profit. It is this motto of ‘People Helping People’ that sets credit unions apart. Credit unions exist as member owned, not-for- profit financial institutions that have a strong sense of community. Credit union staff collaborate with civic and local organizations and volunteer their time and talents to give back to their communities. Credit union staff across Illinois have volunteered over 16,500 hours per year in recent years to assist local causes and make an impact in the communities they serve. If you are not yet a credit union member, go to ASmarterChoice.org to discover all the advantages that membership holds. Help to strengthen our communities from the inside out by becoming a credit union member today!
Still reeling from a national embarrassment two years ago, the Illinois Republican Party is launching a late primary five-figure ad blitz against Holocaust denier Arthur Jones in the Southwest Side and suburban 3rd Congressional District, targeting the avowed anti-Semite with robocalls, mailers, digital ads and face-to-face warnings to voters.
The five-member Illinois Republican Congressional delegation is also endorsing Will County Board Member Mike Fricilone for the GOP nomination, calling him a “very clear choice” and an antidote to Jones, whom they call a “fake Republican.” […]
While attention has centered on the Democratic primary and whether U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski can cling to victory over challengers Marie Newman and Rush Darwish, political observers are also curious just how many votes Jones may get in the March 17 primary.
In 2018, Jones caught the GOP by surprise and wound up running unopposed in the primary after party leaders failed to field an alternative candidate in the heavily Democratic congressional district. […]
“We have plans to spend upwards of $50,000, and as more money is raised, that money will go directly to defeating Nazi Arthur Jones,” party spokesman Joe Hackler said.
* No TV ads, though. Here’s one of the digital ads…
* Press release…
Will County Board Member Mike Fricilone today announced he has received the endorsement of the entire Illinois Republican Congressional Delegation in his bid to secure the Republican nomination for Congress. Fricilone is running for Congress in Illinois’ 3rd Congressional District. His opponent is Arthur Jones, a former leader of the American Nazi Party and Holocaust denier.
The delegation is made up of Republican Congressmen Mike Bost (IL-12), Rodney Davis (IL-13), Adam Kinzinger (IL-16), Darin LaHood (IL-18) and John Shimkus (IL-15).
Joint Statement from Illinois Republican Congressional Delegation
Republicans in Illinois’ 3rd Congressional District have a very clear choice in the race for the GOP nomination for Congress. Mike Fricilone is our choice in the upcoming Primary Election. Mike is running on a platform with fresh, bold and conservative ideas that would help the people of the 3rd District as well as our nation.
We also in the strongest terms condemn the candidacy of fake Republican and former American Nazi Party leader Arthur Jones. His hateful rhetoric has no place in the Republican Party or our nation.
Quote from Will County Board Member Mike Fricilone
“I am deeply honored and humbled by the Primary Election endorsements of Congressmen Bost, Davis, Kinzinger, LaHood and Shimkus. During my time on the Will County Board, both as Republican Leader and Finance Chairman, I have worked to ensure that we always had an agenda that would move our community forward with conservative ideas. I am running for Congress on a record of actual accomplishment, while my opponent is running for Congress to have a platform to spread hate and deny the Holocaust. I stand strongly with the Republican Members of Congress from Illinois who seek out common sense conservative solutions to improve the lives of families throughout the State of Illinois.”
The ILGOP is also holding a press conference today in the city.
Wednesday, Mar 4, 2020 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Your high schooler is ready to graduate and move on to an exciting phase in life. You have provided them with the resources and tools to succeed in life, but have you overlooked an important part of their education? Financial literacy is a key component to the future success of our students. Lack of financial education jeopardizes and limits economic opportunities for all consumers. Credit unions address this often overlooked topic of financial literacy for teens and young professionals by offering workshops and training sessions. Credit unions are committed to providing financial education to help ensure a future success for the leaders of tomorrow. Visit ASmarterChoice.org for more information on the credit union difference.
Wednesday, Mar 4, 2020 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
March is National Kidney Month, a time when people across the country come together to raise awareness about kidney disease. Join the Illinois Kidney Care Alliance (IKCA) this month as we get the word out.
An estimated 30 million Americans live with kidney disease, and one in three U.S. adults is at risk. Over 30,000 people in Illinois suffer from kidney disease, and when it progresses to kidney failure, patients are faced with two treatment options: life-sustaining dialysis three times per week or undergoing a kidney transplant.
The Illinois Kidney Care Alliance consists of community groups, advocates, health professionals, and businesses from across Illinois striving to educate the public about the challenges that people with kidney disease experience every day. People who have the disease feel a mental, physical, and financial burden — and their families suffer, as well. IKCA is here to tell their story. For more information, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, or visit our website.
The internal bleeding a 4-year-old East Peoria boy suffered last week was so severe it caused cardiac arrest and led to unconsciousness, a condition from which he never awoke.
That’s the message from a one-page probable-cause statement filed Friday in Tazewell County Circuit Court by prosecutors in support of murder charges against a woman who was dating the boy’s father.
Lesli Jett, 33, faces three counts of first-degree murder and one count of aggravated battery. Her bond was set at $3 million on the charges during a hearing Friday afternoon.
Cook County Public Guardian Charles Golbert said DCFS isn’t being transparent about its potential involvement with the family of a 4-year-old East Peoria boy who died last month.
“The response has been crickets,” said Golbert. “And of course that raises my suspicion antennas even higher.”
Golbert said his office requested a timeline of agency involvement in Tate Thurman’s life last week, but still hasn’t received that information. In other recent high-profile child death cases like the A.J. Freund case in Crystal Lake, he said the agency has released that information readily.
“If, in fact, this was another case where DCFS had warning after warning, and red flag after red flag, and a child ended up dying because of very poor judgment and social work practices, that would need to be exposed,” he said.
Director Smith and DCFS staff at every level are completely devastated by the sudden loss of Tate Thurman, who was just 4 years old when he died two weeks ago. The tragic incident that led to his death is heartbreaking and DCFS is fully cooperating with law enforcement as we investigate what took place. Our department is committed to being as transparent as possible as this investigation moves forward, while also protecting the privacy of Tate’s siblings and family. We serve families in times of extreme crisis and our top priority will always be protecting them and ensuring they have the support they need to recover.
* DCFS timeline…
DCFS’ involvement with Tate’s family began in 2011 when the department investigated his mother for an unsafe sleep environment that led to the death of her newborn child.
DCFS conducted a total of seven investigations involving the household over the next six years. Tate’s mother lost guardianship of her children a number of times during those years.
Following the death of his mother in 2017, Tate and one of his siblings were returned home by the Tazewell County Court to live with their father, Jeremy Thurman. Following the closing of the case in 2018, DCFS had no further contact or hotline reports involving this family.
On February 18, 2020, DCFS received a hotline report when Tate was brought into OSF St. Francis Hospital with abdominal injuries and internal bleeding. Following Tate’s death, the girlfriend of his father, Lesli Jett, was charged with three counts of first-degree murder and one count of aggravated battery.
Tate’s older sibling and an unrelated child in the household have been removed from the home and have been placed with relatives.
DCFS is investigating allegations of abuse and neglect related to Tate’s death and is working closely with law enforcement to fully investigate what happened in this case.
There is no prior history of DCFS involvement with Leslie Jett or with the other unrelated child removed from the home.
By almost three-to-one, voters are in favor of redistricting reform, which has been the subject of two ultimately unsuccessful statewide petition drives. More than six in ten (64 percent) favor having “legislative district maps created and recommended by a commission that is independent of the elected representatives.” Four in ten (40 percent) strongly favored redistricting reform, with 24 percent favoring it somewhat. Two in ten respondents (22 percent) were opposed.
Voters across partisan and regional groupings were in favor of the redistricting commission idea: 67 percent of Chicago city voters, 66 percent of suburban Chicago voters, and 58 percent of Downstate voters in support. Likewise, the redistricting commission was supported by 68 percent of Democrats, 67 percent of Independents, and 60 percent of Republicans.
“The proposal for redistricting by an independent commission is now quite popular as it has been in all of our earlier Simon polls. There seems to be a very active grassroots movement supporting a change, and this year there is an unusual number of legislators from both parties who have signed on,” noted John S. Jackson, one of the co-directors of the poll.
Lobbying Reform
Concern over influence-peddling in Springfield may be driving support for lobbying reform proposals. By a wide margin (85 percent in favor, only 11 percent opposed), voters support a so- called “revolving door” proposal that would force lawmakers “to wait at least one year after leaving office before accepting jobs with firms that lobby their state legislatures.” Support is uniformly robust—in the mid- to high 80 percent range across demographic and geographic categories.
Six in ten (61 percent) support a ban on state legislators being paid for lobbying local governments—46 percent strongly in favor and 15 percent somewhat in favor. A third (33 percent) oppose the proposal. As in the “revolving door” question, there is little meaningful variation according to party or region, with support approaching or exceeding 60 percent throughout.
Redistricting reform, by the way, has about the same level of support as the graduated income tax in this poll (65 percent). Fewer people opposed remap reform than opposed the graduated tax, however (32 percent).
It has been proposed that Illinois ban state legislators from lobbying for local governments if they get paid for the lobbying. Would you favor or oppose this proposal?
Favor 61%
Strongly favor 46%
Somewhat favor 15%
Oppose 33%
Somewhat oppose 11%
Strongly oppose 22%
Other/don’t know 6%
Most states surrounding Illinois require lawmakers to wait at least one year after leaving office before accepting jobs with firms that lobby their state legislatures after leaving office. Illinois does not. Should Illinois require lawmakers to wait at least a year before registering as a lobbyist?
The artist LL Cool J will no longer appear at the 2020 Illinois State Fair Grandstand, according to social media posts by the fair.
A statement on the fair’s Facebook page and the Grandstand’s web page Monday evening said, “LL Cool J is no longer able to perform at the 2020 Illinois State Fair. The Department of Agriculture will announce another performer in the weeks ahead and looks forward to welcoming popular artists like Toby Keith, Chris Young and Kane Brown to the Grandstand this August.”
The performance was announced Jan. 31 and scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 19. Tickets had not yet gone on sale. The event was still listed under “concert dates” on the artist’s Facebook page Monday night. No further information was available.
* The Question: Your suggestion for a replacement artist/band? Explain.
Wednesday, Mar 4, 2020 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Three months ago, Mike entered the race for President to defeat Donald Trump. Today, Mike is leaving the race for the same reason: to defeat Donald Trump – because it is clear that staying in would make achieving that goal more difficult.
Defeating Donald Trump starts with uniting behind the candidate with the best shot to do it. After yesterday’s vote, it is clear that candidate is Joe Biden, who is decent, honest and committed to the issues that are so important to this country.
We made our campaign slogan a clear, simple promise: Mike will get it done. Now and through November, we will get it done together - not for Mike, but for our Country.
* Unlike the cancellation of the International Housewares Association event (56,000 people) this is a somewhat smallish event (5,500 attendees), but it’s the second convention cancellation in a few days and is therefore a worrisome development. Crain’s…
Software giant Oracle today announced it will shift an upcoming conference scheduled at McCormick Place to an online-only format amid coronavirus concerns, becoming the second event this week to cancel its trip to the Near South Side convention because of the outbreak.
“Due to increasing concerns about the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, and to help protect the health and safety of our customers, employees, partners, and everyone who helps host the event, Oracle is postponing the in-person component of our upcoming Oracle Modern Business Experience conference,” the Bay Area-based company said on its website. The conference had been slated for later this month. […]
The cancellations deal a blow to the convention center and the many hotels and businesses that thrive on its event visitors. Tourism bureau Choose Chicago estimated the nine major events scheduled there over the next 90 days would account for more than $460 million of spending.
…Adding… Good news…
The National School Boards Association (NSBA) is closely monitoring the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation as it relates to the upcoming NSBA Annual Conference in Chicago on April 4-6.
We want to assure conference participants and attendees that your health and safety are of utmost concern and our top priority. We are in close communication with Choose Chicago (the Chicago Convention and Visitor Bureau) and McCormick Place authorities. In addition, we are seeking guidance from the local health, public safety, and transportation authorities to make sure that appropriate disease prevention, monitoring, and response protocols are in place for the conference.
Based on the information currently available, NSBA’s current plan is to proceed with the conference as scheduled. We look forward to seeing you in Chicago.
Public health leaders in the state are getting ready to make their way to Washington D.C. They will update Congress about the local impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus). Before heading there, the director of the state’s department of public health updated state lawmakers about the need for more resources to continue fighting the virus.
“The risks to the Illinois public still remains low but we still want people to pay attention to what’s going on around the world and to prepare,” said Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Illinois Department of Public Health director.
Dr. Ezike said the state will need more testing supplies to combat the novel coronavirus. “We are using them daily, I know at last count was about 2,200 so we are requesting for the CDC to send additional reagents so that when this runs out, there won’t be any pause and we will continue to test.” […]
Ezike said the agency is considering drive-thru style testing where people can pull up and be tested in their cars, eliminating the risk of spreading the virus. For now, new labs in Springfield and Carbondale are open in addition to the original testing lab in Chicago.
While 22 people in Illinois are awaiting test results, Ezike said 116 people have been tested for the virus in total. Only four people have been diagnosed with the illness, no one has died of the aliment in Illinois yet.
A state and city that have had trouble paying their bills even in good times are facing a potentially budget body blow as the coronavirus begins to infect the local economy.
Fiscal experts and some officials are warning that a region that serves as a logistics and meetings center and as a major international exporter is particularly vulnerable to disruption from the spreading virus. That means less tax receipts at a time when government needs more. […]
“We don’t have any reserves. We don’t have any unrestricted funds that are being held in abeyance,” either at the state or city level, warns Laurence Msall, president of the watchdog Civic Federation.
“It is reasonable to forecast tens of millions of dollars of revenue impact for the city and hundreds of millions for the state, depending on how long a possible recession continues,” he added. Both state and city officials should be doing the same thing now, in his view: “They should be refreshing their Plans B and preparing alternatives.”
* Coronavirus fears cause Illinois college to cancel basketball games: The Chicago State University men’s basketball team will not travel for two regularly scheduled Western Athletic Conference games this week, and its women’s team will not host two games, the school said late Tuesday, citing the spread of the coronavirus.
* Worst of coronavirus is yet to come for U.S. factories - Unlike retailers or airlines that feel the immediate hit of missed lattes and canceled flights, the supply-chain pain wrought by the coronavirus takes more time to manifest.
* Coronavirus shakes hotel industry—including Hyatt - The Chicago-based hotel operator said new corporate travel restrictions in North America and Europe would hurt results and make it difficult to forecast the rest of the year.
* Kendall County Health Department chief provides update on coronavirus spread: Dr. Amaal Tokars, executive director for the Kendall County Health Department, said during the Tuesday, March 3 County Board meeting that health officials have been working with community members as the spread of the coronavirus continues. She said local health officials aren’t aware of any cases in the county currently. “And I say those words very carefully,” Tokars said. “We don’t know of a case, because you can see cases coming up in the country where people don’t know where those originated from.”
Wednesday, Mar 4, 2020 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
The Healthy Youth Act builds upon the current requirement that instruction be medically accurate, developmentally and age appropriate to include instruction that is also culturally and linguistically appropriate and adapted for students with disabilities and non-English speaking students for grades K-12.
It also removes outdated, stigmatizing language and updates the current 6-12 standards for health and sexual health education courses by including information on healthy relationships and decision making; STIs including HIV; puberty, growth, and adolescent development; gender identity, gender expression; and sexual orientation; personal safety; and pregnancy and reproduction.
Navigating the criminal justice system can be confusing and scary. Testifying in court and retelling a painful story of abuse or violence can cause victims to relive those traumatic experiences.
— State’s Attorney Kim Foxx (@SAKimFoxx) March 3, 2020
Victims are the center of our work, and we will keep working to expand trauma-informed approaches in Cook County’s criminal justice system. Thank you to @RepEdlyAllen for sponsoring HB5580 and championing this work!
— State’s Attorney Kim Foxx (@SAKimFoxx) March 3, 2020
* This bill was put on hold last year after Republicans demanded it be stalled for a year to win their votes on the budget and other end-of-session legislation…
The Illinois Farm Bureau is joining the Illinois Associated Builders and Contractors in opposing a measure to require prevailing wage for entry-level laborers working in refineries.
Illinois Farm Bureau President Richard Guebert said at Tuesday’s Ag Breakfast in Springfield that for agriculture to thrive in Illinois, it needs four things: “Great trade agreements” and exports, growth in the livestock industry, and “a renewable fuel industry that works well.”
“[Ethanol] provides another opportunity for us to market the goods that we so well raise here in this state and that’s corn or soybeans made into biodiesel,” Guebert said.
He urged the room full of farmers to oppose Senate Bill 1407. He said it would limit future markets for corn and soybeans.
“Forty-two percent of Illinois corn goes through an ethanol plant. Twenty percent of the distillers’ grains are fed to livestock in the state of Illinois,” Guebert said.
The builder’s group previously said Senate Bill 1407 will hurt its apprenticeship programs.
One of the co-sponsors of the bill in the Senate, state Sen. Ram Villivalam, D-Chicago, said he wanted to see how negotiations on the bill go in the House.
“I would like to look at the information again on what’s been taking place in the House in terms of negotiations,” Villivalam said.
A 2013 state law allowing utilities to tack natural gas surcharges onto consumer bills for the purpose of funding infrastructure improvements is under scrutiny at the Capitol.
At a Statehouse news conference Tuesday, lawmakers and consumer advocates called for ending that state law on Jan. 1, 2021, three years earlier than its Dec. 31, 2023, statutory sunset date.
They claim allowing the surcharges “helps major utilities sidestep the regulatory process, automatically raise heating bills, and force many customers into financial crisis to cover billions of dollars in reckless utility spending.”
Sen. Ram Villivalam, D-Chicago, said his Senate Bill 3497 and its companion House Bill 5247 are aimed at starting “a conversation centered on the accountability, the safety, and the affordability of utility bill increases that our families are facing in the state of Illinois.”
* Press release…
State Representatives Mike Marron (R-Fithian), Charlie Meier (R-Okawville), Patrick Windhorst (R-Metropolis), and Assistant Minority Leader Dan Brady (R-Bloomington) held a press conference in Springfield Wednesday alongside fellow Republican legislators and 2nd Amendment supporters to discuss solutions to end delays in FOID card processing, and discussed their shared 2nd Amendment focused legislative agenda. The lawmakers expressed their concerns that fund sweeps of $28 million from the Illinois State Police fund have led to delays in processing FOID card applications and renewals.
Marron says his office is overwhelmed every week with calls from constituents experiencing long delays for FOID renewals.
“My office receives dozens of constituent calls regarding FOID renewals every month,” Marron said. “There has been a steady increase of approval delays leading to many frustrated citizens unable to speak with a live person when checking on their FOID renewal and approval status. The delays are not due to a lack of funding, but because money that was supposed to be used to provide service to Illinois’ two million FOID cardholders was used for spending in other areas.”
Rep. Charlie Meier says the fund sweeps have led to long delays for gun owners to get their FOID cards renewed.
“The FOID program has been used as a piggy bank to fund other programs,” Meier said. “If the State is going to require the fee, and require the FOID, then we owe it to our citizens to run an efficient and effective program. If we can’t do that, the program should be eliminated.”
Rep. Patrick Windhorst said he is sponsoring a legislative package that would eliminate the FOID altogether (HB 913). Barring its passage, Windhorst says his agenda reduces costs and regulations for law-abiding citizens.
“Illinois is one of only four States that still requires a Firearm Owner’s Identification Card (FOID),” Windhorst said. “Though I believe the FOID card is unconstitutional, that issue will ultimately be decided by the courts. Until the courts decide, there are steps we can take as a legislature to address FOID renewal delays and decrease high costs and burdensome regulations on law-abiding gun owners.”
Windhorst says his legislative package aims to reduce fees, eliminate long waiting periods, and allows for automatic FOID renewal if a concealed carry license is still in effect.
“We are here to say, either void the unconstitutional FOID card, or stop the fund sweeps and pass our legislative package to ease the burden on law-abiding gun owners, reduce costs, and improve renewal times,” Windhorst said.
Multiple House Republican members are sponsoring legislation that would reduce costs and regulations for law-abiding gun owners and protect FOID and CCL funding.
HB 4391 would ban local government units from imposing taxes or fees on firearms and ammunition.
HB 4392 would eliminate the 72-hour waiting period for individuals that have been granted a valid license to carry a concealed handgun under the Firearm Concealed Carry Act.
HB 4393 would lower the fee to obtain a concealed carry license from $150 to $100.
HB 4397 grants exclusive power to the State of Illinois in regard to the regulation of the ownership and possession of firearms and invalidates existing and future local ordinances or resolutions that require local registration, or local reporting of the sale or transfer of a firearm, and bans municipalities from maintaining any kind of firearm registry.
HB 4398 allows any individual that has received a permit to conceal carry a firearm to do so on public transportation.
HB 4447 states that any renewal application shall be accepted by the Illinois State Police if submitted within 180 days before the expiration of the applicant’s FOID card or concealed carry license.
HB 4448 would require the Illinois State Police to automatically renew any concealed carry license holder’s FOID card as long as their conceal carry license is in good standing until the time that the concealed carry license expires.
HB 4450 spells out the process by which any appeal of the denial of a FOID card or concealed carry license must be handled and provides specific guidelines for the State Police in regard to the time it takes to process any such appeal.
HJRCA 40 would amend the Illinois Constitution to place fees collected from FOID and CCL applicants in a ‘lock box’ fund that would be protected from future fund sweeps.
*** UPDATE *** ISP…
Sweeps of the firearms services funds by previous administrations prevented long-term planning and improvements to firearm services for years.
Now that the firearms services fund has been stabilized under the Governor’s bi-partisan budget, the Illinois State Police is implementing a multi-year plan for hiring and technology upgrades to provide the customer service that firearms owners should expect. We currently have 35 positions available.
However, the ISP needs the help of the legislature to streamline and improve the FOID and CCL process and welcomes the chance to work with Rep. Windhorst and others to shorten and standardize appeals, consolidate FOID and CCL functions, and reduce costs.
This is separate and apart from the need for enforcement resources for state, county and local law enforcement.
* Related…
* FFA members participate in 50th annual Illinois Agriculture Legislative Day: High school agriculture students get to meet with their local lawmakers and address the importance of agriculture across the state. They bring their lawmakers baskets with unique items produced in Illinois along with a lunch they prepare in the morning.
This morning, Jeanne Ives, candidate for Congress (IL-06), released her first television ad of the 20202 cycle.
The :30 second spot, All In For Ives, is focused on her success in uniting Republicans behind her campaign for Congress, and features the endorsements of national conservative leaders Senator Ted Cruz, Economist Stephen Moore, and Congressmen Jim Jordan and Mark Meadows.
Republicans are unifying behind Jeanne Ives’ Congressional bid, as she has also been formally endorsed by every GOP organization in the Sixth District that endorses, including Lake County Republican Party, Cook County Republican Party, Lyons Township Republicans, Palatine Township Republicans, Barrington Township Republicans, Hanover Township Republicans and Winfield Township Republicans. Ives has also received the endorsement of former IL-06 Congressman Peter Roskam, Republican National Committeewoman Demetra Demonte, Chicago GOP Chairman Chris Cleveland, ILGOP Vice Chairwoman Char Foss-Eggemann, Cook County Republican Party Chair Sean Morrison, DuPage Conservatives (chaired by Frank Napalitano), Club for Growth, the House Freedom Fund, FreedomWorks, Susan B. Anthony List, and United Hellenic Voters of America,
Rich Porter, Illinois Republican National Committeeman has also thrown support behind Ives in her 2020 race. And the entire Illinois’ Republican Congressional Delegation were recently joined by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy in hosting a fundraiser for Ives in Washington DC.
Illinois House Republicans called on the Democratic majority Tuesday to hold fair hearings on measures to reduce property taxes in Illinois, which has the second-highest property taxes in the nation.
State Rep. Deanne Mozzachi, R-Elmhurst, said since the Property Tax Relief Task Force was created in the fall and wrapped up their work in late December without producing a final report, property taxes across the state continue to increase.
“Again increased bills while another Democrat lead blue-ribbon task force has failed to deliver,” Mozzachi said.
Republicans on Tuesday used a statehouse news conference to call the Illinois Property Tax Relief Task Force a “sham,” a “failure,” a “facade” and an effort to push for increased sales and income taxes rather than property tax relief. They say Democrats need to act.
Task force member, state Rep. Jonathan Carroll, D-Northbrook, responded.
“I don’t know what they want us to do differently and if they have any good ideas then we’ll support them but where are their ideas and when are we going to start seeing those,” Carroll said. […]
House Republicans say they’ve filed 23 bills, all of which are in the House Rules Committee they called a “graveyard” controlled by Democrats.
Task force member, state Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Humboldt Park, understood Republican’s frustrations.
“I can see there’s skepticism, there always is, but I do know that the pressure we feel strongly, at least this Democrat here, feels really strongly that we have to do something, and we have to do something now,” Ramirez said.
One idea that republicans said they would really like to see gain traction is a measure that would allow the district to end certain mandates if the state does not cover the cost for it. “It’s really disrespectful to teachers and I do believe that teachers should have control over the curriculum they want to teach in the classroom,” said Representative Deanne Mazzochi (R-Westmont). “I do believe that teachers have the best interests of their students at heart and we as Springfield legislators are so far removed and Illinois is such a diverse state. It’s really troubling that we are not willing to just respect teachers and trust they are going to do the best for out students.” Mazzochi said when she tried to get this bill some momentum, Democratic Representative Michelle Mussman said she loves mandates and sees no problems with mandates.
When asked for comment, Mussman said she was digesting the information presented from republicans and would send over a comment if she had one. A comment has not been sent.
Republicans need to tread carefully on this topic, particularly targets like Rep. Mazzochi. The House Democrats routinely point to quite popular unfunded mandates to attack Republican candidates who call for an end to them. For instance, background checks to prevent hiring sexual predators. That’s been a “winner” issue for several cycles.
Also, Rep. Mussman might want to explain why she loves unfunded mandates.
Meanwhile, Republicans have said they have introduced numerous bills they believe would provide property tax relief, including bills calling for overhaul of public pension benefits, limiting workers compensation awards, repealing what Republicans call “unfunded mandates” on school districts and expanding property tax exemptions for seniors.
“We want these bills that we’ve proposed, that were suggested at the property tax committee level, but then we’ve introduced in bill form, to have their opportunity to be heard in committee and voted on,” Rep. Joe Sosnowski, R-Rockford, said during the news conference. “The taxpayers of Illinois deserve this, and we call on the House Democratic leadership to let that happen.”
Rep. Michael Zalewski, D-Riverside, who chairs the House Revenue Committee, did not immediately respond to the Republicans’ charges but said through a spokesperson that he would make a statement later in the week after that committee has met.
But other Democrats have said the GOP’s chief proposal, for further pension reform, is off the table. They note that Illinois passed significant pension reform in 2013 when it established the “Tier 2” system for newly-hired employees. That package included reduced cost of living increases, higher retirement ages, and limited the amount of salary that was covered by pensions.
As memories of the Leap Day Tornado that hit Harrisburg eight years ago resurface, and as images of the Tuesday morning Nashville, Tennessee tornado flood the news, Illinois’ state climatologist says the area known as Tornado Alley is shifting east.
Many who grew up in the region recall talks in school about the infamous portion of the United States where tornadoes were commonplace. However, Trent Ford, Illinois state climatologist with the State Water Survey at the University of Illinois, said Tuesday that this zone has shifted east. Where once the majority of tornado activity was relegated to places like Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, he said, tornado activity has shifted over to Southern Illinois and northern Mississippi.
Ford said several studies over the last decade have confirmed the shift. Research also shows the storms aren’t just one-and-done systems. Researchers are seeing an increase in the region in tornado outbreaks — systems that spawn more than one tornado. […]
Ford said while research is still being conducted, it is not alarmist to attribute some of the shift to climate change. He said with increasing temperatures, it does make it more likely that the region will have conditions that are conducive to severe weather earlier in the spring.
The Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) has repeatedly violated the state’s Freedom of Information Act and abused the FOIA process by improperly releasing and withholding certain information to the detriment of a licensed terminal operator, according to a new lawsuit. The plaintiffs, Gold Rush Amusements, Inc., and its executive, Rick Heidner, allege the IGB has abused FOIA to publicize negative information about them, while also denying their legitimate FOIA requests as part of an orchestrated campaign.
The new lawsuit against the IGB comes three weeks after Gold Rush and Mr. Heidner filed a different lawsuit against the agency, alleging that an IGB employee intentionally and illegally leaked their personal and sensitive financial information as part of a data breach. The new lawsuit alleges that the IGB willfully and intentionally violated FOIA by failing to produce all non-exempt public records relating to three requests Gold Rush and Mr. Heidner submitted for information about the data breach and the IGB’s unequal treatment of them compared to other licensees. The case was filed yesterday in Cook County Circuit Court.
“The IGB has used FOIA as a sword to quickly disseminate harmful information about Gold Rush and Mr. Heidner, yet it hides behind the shield of extensions and thin assertions of exemptions when Gold Rush and Mr. Heidner seek legitimate information from the IGB via FOIA,” the lawsuit states.
According to the complaint, the IGB has engaged in a pattern of targeted actions against Gold Rush and Mr. Heidner, including unfairly contributing to negative media coverage of them, treating them differently compared to other licensees, and illegally disclosing sensitive personal information belonging to Mr. Heidner, his family, and business associates.
In December 2019, the suit alleges, the IGB responded to a FOIA request by the Chicago Tribune by providing a copy of a disciplinary complaint against Gold Rush, which was not otherwise publicly available, “a mere 33 minutes” after the reporter’s FOIA request was submitted. This occurred immediately after an IGB official allegedly tipped-off the reporter about the existence of the disciplinary complaint. The tip prompted the reporter to submit a FOIA request, followed by a text message to the official, confirming that the FOIA was submitted. The tip-off, the Tribune’s FOIA request, and the IGB’s response all occurred in rapid succession the day after the IGB initiated its disciplinary complaint. That unfounded complaint against Gold Rush seeks the severe penalty of revoking Gold Rush’s license despite its well-established record of compliance. By inviting the Tribune’s FOIA request, the IGB was complicit in ensuring that its disciplinary complaint quickly made news, and its conduct appears to conflict with its own policies governing investigation documents and media inquiries, according to the lawsuit.
Less than a week later, counsel for Gold Rush and Mr. Heidner submitted a FOIA request for communications between the IGB and the Tribune to learn how information relating to the disciplinary complaint was shared, as well as communications between the IGB and five specific individuals with the Office of Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker. However, that FOIA request did not receive the same expedited review and response by the IGB as the Tribune’s request did the previous week.
The IGB’s slower, incomplete, and cavalier responses to the plaintiffs’ FOIA requests have hindered the plaintiffs’ ability to defend their reputations and Gold Rush’s terminal operator license. “When the IGB ignores the mandates of FOIA, public access, government transparency, and accountability to the citizens of Illinois―the core principles of FOIA―are the real victims,” the suit states.
As part of its unfair treatment of Gold Rush and Mr. Heidner, the IGB has consistently responded to their legitimate FOIA requests by delaying responses, asserting inapplicable exemptions, and making incomplete productions. Two of the alleged FOIA violations relate to Gold Rush and Mr. Heidner’s legitimate requests for information about how the IGB reviewed and handled a sale transaction involving one of its competitors. According to the lawsuit, the IGB responded by invoking an inapplicable exemption and refusing to provide any documents to the plaintiffs.
In December 2019, Gold Rush reported to the IGB that a competitor had engaged in a sale transaction that constituted an illegal inducement under Illinois gaming laws and regulations. According to the lawsuit, Gold Rush had confirmed that a November 2018 deal involving Laredo Hospitality Ventures, LLC, a chain of video gaming establishments; Illinois Café and Service Company, LLC, another chain of establishments; and Midwest SRO, LLC, a competing video gaming terminal operator, was structured to facilitate Midwest’s payment of millions of dollars to gaming establishment owners to become the terminal operator for their establishments.
The lawsuit seeks a declaration that the IGB has violated FOIA, an injunction prohibiting the agency from withholding responsive public documents, an order directing the IGB to immediately produce responsive documents, as well as civil penalties and reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs.
Wednesday, Mar 4, 2020 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Across Illinois, communities are struggling to stay above water. Meanwhile, clean energy jobs in our state are growing faster than the rest of our economy. The question now is, who will benefit?
Hundreds of low-income and people of color are already in good-paying jobs because the state is funding training programs that make sure everyone shares in the new clean energy economy. The popularity of these programs and the demand for clean energy jobs continues to grow.
This spring, Gov. Pritzker and the General Assembly can choose to double down on equity in our energy economy by passing transformative legislation that will create good jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities in communities of color and communities too often left behind.
The Clean Energy Jobs Act is the only comprehensive, equitable energy bill that puts Illinois on a path to 100% renewable energy, lowers electricity costs, and reduces transportation pollution.
We need to take bold action on climate and create economic opportunities in communities that need them the most.
It’s time to pass CEJA now! Visit ilcleanjobs.org to learn more.
Wednesday, Mar 4, 2020 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
In addition to supporting the state’s economy with more than 246,000 jobs across Illinois, biopharmaceutical innovators support policies to help ensure Illinoisans can afford and access their medicines. Our companies are committed to being part of the solution and support commonsense measures to lower what patients are paying at the pharmacy counter. We also want to serve as a resource for people who may be struggling by providing resources they can use now while legislators work toward addressing growing health care costs.
PhRMA’s Medicine Assistance Tool (MAT) is a free online platform that connects eligible patients and caregivers with information about 900+ public and private assistance programs designed to help them afford their medicines. Visit mat.org to see what help might be available.
* I know Super Tuesday is of great interest, but do try to keep your discussion as Illinois-centric as possible and most definitely be nice to each other. Thanks.
The day after his Super Tuesday success, former Vice President Joe Biden picked up the endorsements of three Illinois U.S. House members, his campaign announced Wednesday.
U.S. Reps. Bill Foster, Robin Kelly and Mike Quigley are all backing Biden. The surging Democratic contender continues to pick up support among Illinois’ elected officials ahead of the state’s March 17 primary.
“In Chicago, we know something about toughness and resilience, and nobody embodies that spirit more than Joe Biden,” Quigley said in a release. “On all the issues that matter most in our community, Joe has been fighting beside us for decades.” […]
The three House members follow Illinois U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth and Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White in throwing their support to Biden in recent days. He also has the backing of U.S. Reps. Danny Davis and Brad Schneider.
…Adding… My own take last night…
I think I'd probably better deposit that Bloomberg ad check soonish.
Michael Bloomberg, who spent hundreds of millions of dollars to self-fund his 2020 presidential run, announced Wednesday that he is suspending his campaign after a poor performance on Super Tuesday, according to a source familiar.
He’s endorsing Biden.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Press release…
The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) President Jesse Sharkey and Vice President Stacy Davis Gates today announced their personal endorsement of Sen. Bernie Sanders’ candidacy for president of the United States.
“Educators in Chicago’s public schools fight for their students, and their students’ families and communities. No other candidate has put forth a better plan to make that fight a reality than Bernie Sanders,” CTU President Jesse Sharkey said. “Not only will Bernie fight for our students and their families, but he reflects the core values and mission of our union. Bernie is part of a movement that is putting students and working families above the interests of millionaires and billionaires, and that is something we should all be fighting for. On March 17, I plan on voting for Sen. Sanders, and I urge every Illinois voter to do the same.”
“The Chicago Teachers Union has always fought to make big changes,” said CTU Vice President Stacy Davis Gates. “Collectively, we have fought against racial and economic disparities, attempts to close and privatize our public schools, and powerful special interests. And now, our fight for high-quality schools and thriving neighborhoods takes us to the ballot box. And let’s be real, our nation needs a political revolution. Black mothers and educators like me need a candidate that will fight for all our students and ensure they live in a society where student loan debt isn’t a burden and access to health care is a human right. For these reasons and so many more, I’m happy to say that I’m part of the revolution, and I urge my fellow educators to stand with Senator Bernie Sanders for the Democratic primary nomination.”
In May 2019, Sanders unveiled his Thurgood Marshall Plan for Public Education, which will reinvest in our nation’s schools and modernize our education system.
