Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) is endorsing Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL) for reelection in Illinois’ 15th district, highlighting her devotion to securing the border and protecting both life and the Second Amendment, Breitbart News has learned.
Rep. Miller is facing off against fellow Republican Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL) due to redistricting in the state, with portions of both of their districts (31 percent for Miller and 27 percent for Rodney) comprising the new 15th district. […]
“I’m proud to endorse Mary Miller for Congress in Illinois’ 15th Congressional District, and I ask my fellow patriots to support her,” Cruz said in a statement, describing Miler as “the kind of fighter we need in Congress who works every day to secure our border, protect life, and protect the Second Amendment.”
Notably, Miller has also earned the endorsement of former President Donald Trump who won the 15th district in 2020 with nearly 70 percent of the vote. He deemed her a “champion of our American First Agenda” […]
“Grassroots conservatives across the country follow Senator Cruz’s lead because he is an unapologetic conservative, and he is not afraid to take on the corrupt DC establishment of both parties to save America from the radical left,” Miller added.
They have been dubbed “The Griffin Slate,” based on the expectation that the Republicans running together for some of the state’s top offices will enjoy the financial backing of Ken Griffin, the richest person in Illinois.
But other than GOP candidate for governor Richard Irvin, none of the others on the slate has reported receiving any contributions from the hedge-fund billionaire — or many large donations from anyone else in the two months they’ve been running for statewide office. […]
Milhiser is the only one who has reported receiving any individual contributions of $1,000 or more since kicking off his campaign. He reported nine donations ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 made on two days in early March, totaling $28,654.48.
Kim, in his second bid for attorney general, hasn’t reported a contribution of $1,000 or more since 2013. At the end of last year, the Deerfield attorney reported a campaign fund balance of just $41.93.
Comptroller candidate Teresi had even less than that in her campaign account, with $35.40 on hand at the end of 2021. Records show her committee has never reported receiving a contribution of $1,000.
Former Congressman Dan Lipinski is getting involved in the competitive 1st Congressional District race to replace Rep. Bobby Rush.
Lipinski, an anti-abortion rights Democrat who was defeated by Rep. Marie Newman in 2020 in the 3rd District Democratic primary, is backing Chris Butler, a little-known South Side pastor who is campaigning as an anti-abortion rights Democrat. It’s Lipinski’s first foray “so far” into the 2022 contests, a spokeswoman told Playbook.
“I have not endorsed anyone else this year,” Lipinski said in a statement to Playbook. He said he’s backing Butler because of his “core commitment to families and working class values. He believes there is too much bickering and division today and he wants to bring people together to improve everyone’s everyday lives.”
After his 2020 Democratic primary loss, Lipinski said he was “pilloried in millions of dollars of TV ads and mailers” because of his anti-abortion views. Now the former congressman sees Butler as “part of a new generation of leaders in the Democratic Party.” […]
Lipinski is headlining a fundraiser Thursday for Butler [who has just $18,000 cash on hand]. Also on the invite: Benjamin Watson, a former NFL player who has become an anti-abortion advocate, Catholic women’s advocate Mary FioRito, anti-abortion Democrats Kristen Day and Nic Costello, and Illinois pastor Charlie Dates.
Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs will stand with workers and employers who participate in Secure Choice, the innovative plan that created a mobile retirement savings account that travels with the worker.
Frerichs spearheaded the Secure Choice retirement savings program to combat the retirement savings crisis in Illinois and across the country. Illinois is a national leader in offering an auto‑enroll IRA program.
WHO: Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs and Central Illinois workers and employers.
WHAT: Employees, employers and advocates will explain how Secure Choice works, how it combats the retirement savings crisis gripping the nation, and why it can save taxpayers money.
More than 100,000 workers and 6,400 employers participate in Secure Choice, with $82 million already saved.
WHEN: 10:30 a.m. on Monday, March 21, 2022.
WHERE: Capitol Blue Room in Springfield.
Chef Michael Higgins from Maldaner’s was one of the press conference participants and he talked about how he wishes he’d had something like this available when he was younger and about the benefits for his workers.
* About a half an hour before the press conference…
Republican State Representative Tom Demmer issued the following statement in advance of Treasurer Frerichs’ press conference on Illinois’ Secure Choice Retirement Program.
“Two years ago, Treasurer Frerichs joined with Governor Pritzker to support a radical tax increase plan on Illinois families. Frerichs even took the measure a step further by saying it could be ultimately used to tax retirement income—including pensions and 401ks—like Secure Choice. Thankfully voters rejected Frerichs’ call for taxing retirement income. However, with Frerichs continuously advocating for tax increases—even taxing retirement income—Illinois families and retirees have anything but secure choices for their hard-earned income and savings.”
In addition, over the last 8 years Frerichs has accepted over $275,000 from former indicted Speaker Michael Madigan’s run political action committees. To date, Frerichs has not returned any of these questionable contributions.
My first thought was that Demmer wants Frerichs to help pay Madigan’s legal expenses by refunding contributions.
* Frerichs was asked about both topics in his press conference. First up, taxing retirement income…
Q: Right around the time I sat down in this chair, I got an email from your opponent’s campaign saying ‘Retirement savings? Well, retirement income is just what Treasurer Frerichs wants to tax.’ What is it you want to do? And how are you going to drive away from this, I don’t know if you want to call it an albatross or some other sort of winged or assorted animal, is this going to continue?
A: This is only gonna continue because my opponent continues to talk about something that’s not an issue. I have stated clearly, time and time again in front of the media that I don’t support a retirement tax, I’ve proposed no retirement tax, I’m not going to propose any sort of retirement tax. My opponent keeps talking about this because he doesn’t want to talk about the real issues of retirement. His numerous votes to reduce retirement benefits. His vote against creation of Illinois Secure Choice, something that’s going to give people a better retirement.
Q: Your opponent also in the email he sent out before your news conference talked about 275,000 you got from Madigan-linked political campaign funds. Do you just plan on giving that back somehow? What’s your reaction to this?
A: My opponent’s not reached out, I’ve not seen this. I don’t know what he’s referring to or how many [crosstalk, restating the question]
A: I think the justice system is working right now. Indictments have been filed. There’ll be a trial. And I think that we need to do, especially root out corruption in the state of Illinois. We need to have greater transparency and greater ethics to make sure that we don’t have corruption in our state.
Q: What about the campaign funds that you may have gotten from DPI under Madigan’s control? What should happen with those dollars?
A: I’m not aware of the funds he’s talking about.
* ILGOP press release after the press conference…
Illinois Treasurer Mike Frerichs was a deer in headlights today when asked if he would return over $275,000 in tainted campaign contributions from the former Madigan-run Democratic Party of Illinois over his tenure, claiming he now doesn’t recall one of his largest campaign donors.
Frerichs said he was unclear what the sources of campaign cash were, so let’s look at the most recent Madigan contributions to Frerichs’ campaigns for Treasurer:
• On October 17, 2014 Frerichs reported $38,712.96 from Madigan’s DPI Committee.
• On October 24, 2014 Frerichs reported $37,363.40 from Madigan’s DPI Committee.
• On October 27, 2014 Frerichs reported $73,632.24 from Madigan’s DPI Committee
• On November 24, 2014 Frerichs reported $40,000 from Madigan’s DPI Committee
• On October 31, 2018 Frerichs reported $55,400 from Madigan’s DPI Committee
• On November 15, 2018 Frerichs reported $30,000 from Madigan’s DPI Committee.
During his 15 years in Springfield, Frerichs has accepted over $275,000 in contributions from former indicted Speaker Michael Madigan’s run political action committees. To date, Frerichs has not returned any of these questionable contributions.
“It’s incredibly clear that Mike Frerichs has a Mike Madigan problem. Madigan was one of Frerichs’ largest donors in his campaigns for Treasurer, but now Frerichs says he doesn’t remember those contributions. Unbelievable, but true,” said Shaun McCabe, Executive Director of the ILGOP. “Frerichs needs to own up to his past support for and from Madigan and tell taxpayers what he intends to do with the over quarter of a million dollars in tainted contributions.”
DPI contributions are often pass-throughs from other sources so the candidates can obtain postage discounts. More than half of the above-mentioned DPI contributions were in-kinds for mailers.
…Adding… From Rep. Stephanie Kifowit (D-Oswego)…
My son who is in the Navy currently participates in an auto enroll type IRA. He has quite the nest egg already at 20 years old. I wish the military would have had that when I was in.
…Adding… Frerichs press release…
The innovative plan to create a mobile retirement savings account that travels with the worker topped the 100,000 enrollment milestone, Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs said today.
Frerichs set up the Secure Choice retirement savings program to combat the retirement savings crisis in Illinois and across the country. Illinois is a national leader in offering an auto enroll IRA program. Workers in Illinois began saving in July, 2018.
“A retirement savings tool that can travel from job-to-job with the worker makes it easier to save, allows a worker to retire with dignity, and saves taxpayer money by reducing the need for publicly funded safety net programs,” Frerichs said.
Today, more than 100,000 workers and 6,400 employers participate in Secure Choice, with $82 million already saved. None of this was possible without Secure Choice. The 100,000 milestone was surpassed in the first quarter of this year.
“I chose to enroll in Illinois Secure Choice to increase my retirement options,” said Sam Hall, a father of three children who works as the program director for DREAAM in Champaign, the Rantoul Division, a social services organization helping boys and young men between the ages of 5 and 24. “The enrollment process was easy, and I feel more secure knowing I have a plan for retirement.”
DREAAM stands for Driven to Reach Excellence and Academic Achievement for Males. Tracy D. Dace is the Founder. “As a CEO, I was impressed with the ongoing support from the Illinois Secure Choice team to establish an account, enroll employees, and manage the administration of the deductions,” Dace said. “The built-in support indicated a commitment to excellent customer service and overall program quality.”
The General Assembly required employers to either offer a retirement savings plan or participate in Secure Choice, which is overseen by a seven-person board chaired by Frerichs. Secure Choice investments are managed by a private-sector financial services firm and kept in a trust outside of state government and its finances.
Key to passing legislation that created Secure Choice was the assurance that employers would not be financially liable for plan administration and would not be legally liable for investment changes. Employees can opt-out of the program at any time.
“I supported the expansion of Secure Choice as a state legislators because we need to be able to do more for our workers and small businesses,” said Mike Murphy, a former Republican lawmaker from Springfield and current President and CEO of the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce.
Enrollment began in 2018 with companies at least two years old and with 500 or more employees. Smaller companies enrolled in phases thereafter to ensure a smooth transition. The success was so strong that most business groups initially neutral or opposed to Secure Choice did not oppose the legislation passed by the General Assembly in 2021 to expand the program. That legislation requires employers with at least five employees to provide a retirement vehicle, or access to Secure Choice, by November, 2023.
The access is critical:
• Nearly half of all working-age families have nothing saved for retirement.
• Although Social Security is not intended to be the sole source of retirement income, 23 percent of Illinois retirees rely on Social Security for at least 90 percent of their retirement income.
• Workers are 15 times more likely to save for retirement if they can do so at work.
• However, 40 percent of Illinois private-sector employees work for a business that does not offer a retirement savings plan.
About Illinois Secure Choice
Illinois Secure Choice is managed by Ascensus, a private-sector financial services firm responsible for all recordkeeping and day-to-day aspects. Fund options include BlackRock, Charles Schwab, and State Street Global Advisors. Participants are enrolled in a default target-date Roth IRA with a five percent contribution rate. Participants can choose to change their contribution level or fund option at any time. More information can be found at www.ilsecurechoice.com.
* Gov. Pritzker’s prepared remarks at an unrelated press conference today…
Before I take questions, I want to address the BA.2 Omicron subvariant, which is 30-50% more transmissible than the original Omicron and is causing surges in COVID caseloads in some places around the world. BA.2 was first detected in Illinois in January.
To be clear up front: Illinois is currently in a good place. The number of admissions and COVID patients in hospitals continues to stabilize and drop across the state – that is what I look at most closely.
That said, IDPH is watching the trend of this subvariant very closely. The virus is very much still here, and it isn’t going away. But with vaccines, the existing variants are manageable. However we’ve seen other countries impose new mitigations because of their experiences with this more transmissible subvariant.
With cases and hospitalizations low here, and with COVID threats seemingly off in the distance, the last few weeks has given us time to make sure we are prepared for a potentialnext wave – whether it’s BA.2 or any other variant.
Our state stockpile is nearly fully replenished. We have more 1.5 million rapid tests on hand, with a half a million more on the way in the coming weeks. I’m also calling on all schools to consider their current testing capacity and make sure they are prepared with a strong testing plan in place if we experience another surge. Testing allows you to monitor the prevalence of infection, which will help keep children in classrooms and keep educators and staff safe.
We are also talking to pharmacies and healthcare providers about increasing their inventory of the various FDA-approved oral BA.2 treatments in case you test positive. These COVID-19 medications are available with a prescription at most Walgreens and Walmarts in Illinois. However, for the pills to work, you must use them within 5 days of getting sick. Talk to your healthcare provider now to make sure they can get you the medication in a timely manner if you DO test positive.
It’s estimated that about 25% of current cases in Illinois are from the BA.2 variant, and although that percentage has been steadily rising, we have not seen a commensurate rise in cases or hospitalizations. In other countries, we’ve seen greater challenges from BA.2, which is why we are closely monitoring it. The world seems smaller and more connected because of COVID, so what’s happening elsewhere could possibly affect us here. For now though, things in Illinois are improving. If conditions here change, I’ll address the people of Illinois with needed actions. If you want to know about the current COVID-19 risk level in your community, the CDC produces a county-by-county transmission map for the public to stay informed. Just go to CDC.gov and you can enter your county to get more information. If you or your loved ones are considered “high risk” for Covid-19,protect them and yourself with masks and social distancing in public places, no matter what the community transmission level may be.
And of course: if you haven’t gotten vaccinated yet, this is a great time to do so. That includes staying up-to-date with your booster.
We also know that boosters work for this Omicron subvariant to reduce the likelihood of hospitalizations and deaths, particularly for seniors. The key is: actually getting vaccinated and boosted. So go to vaccines.gov to find a first shot, a second shot, or a booster shot near you.
The most maddening thing about the last omicron surge was not being able to find rapid tests. Hopefully, that won’t happen again.
At local, state and federal levels, the nation has been relaxing restrictions and trying to restore a semblance of normalcy. Encouraging Americans to return to prepandemic routines, officials are lifting mask and vaccine mandates and showing no inclination of closing down offices, restaurants or theaters.
But scientists are warning that the United States isn’t doing enough to prevent a new surge from endangering vulnerable Americans and potentially upending life again.
New pills can treat infections, but federal efforts to buy more of them are in limbo. An aid package in Congress is stalled, even as agencies run out of money for tests and therapeutics. Though less than one-third of the population has the booster shots needed for high levels of protection, the daily vaccination rate has fallen to a low.
Always bet on Congress to do stupid things like blocking that funding package.
Key COVID metrics such as cases, hospitalizations and deaths continue to drop almost every day, and are hovering around levels last seen in July before the delta variant surge.
Daily reported deaths have ranged from 1,685 to 2,076 daily in March after deaths of 3,000 or more daily for much of January and February.
The plummeting metrics have led to the lifting of state mask mandates—in schools and public buildings—in what officials consider a return to normalcy.
On Thursday, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said he expects cases to rise in the state due to surges seen in parts of Asia and Europe. But he said he doesn’t expect to reinstate “universal statewide mandated protective measures.”
Republican candidate for governor Paul Schimpf says it’s time to shift the balance of power away from politicians and bureaucrats and back into the hands of individuals and working families. Today, Schimpf released his “A New Start for Illinois” plan which will put Illinois back on a path for economic success after failed leadership has led to higher taxes, slower wage growth, and increased overreach on our businesses and families.
“If the disease is powerful and corrupt politicians, then the cure is to limit the politicians and empower the people of Illinois,” Schimpf said. “My ‘New Start for Illinois’ plan begins with the premise that politicians are often the problem, not the solution. We have a state constitution that includes a bill of rights, but politicians have eroded those rights. Legislation that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago is now passing the Illinois General Assembly. I’m focused on limiting the government overreach that is hurting Illinois families and businesses.”
Schimpf’s “A New Start for Illinois” plan calls for:
• “No Tax On Tax” Constitutional Amendment that would prohibit governments from charging sales tax (or any percentage-based tax) on taxes and fees.
• A constitutional amendment clarifying that parents, not the government, determine their children’s education and healthcare.
• Make “Curriculum Transparency” is a requirement for any receipt of state P-12 education funding.
• Law enforcement (including corrections officers) and first responders are a protected class under Illinois Hate Crimes Law.
• Emergency administrative regulations and any administrative regulations that increase or create fees and penalties require an affirmative 7-member approval vote from JCAR in order to become effective.
• Assessors may only increase property value assessments upon legal transfer of the property or a change in the property’s zoning.
“This all comes back to fixing and regrowing Illinois’ economy to the powerhouse it can, and should, be,” Schimpf said. “Safer communities mean people will be more willing to go out and spend money without the fear of crime, eliminating Illinois’ excessive tax increases—from adding tax to taxes or the never ending property tax fight—means businesses, recent graduates, and families will want to stay here long-term, and weeding out corruption and government overreach will put trust back in our state leadership again.”
“A New Start for Illinois” also calls for additional first responders as a protected class to the Illinois Hate Crimes law and guaranteeing parental rights in determining education and healthcare decisions for their own children. “We need curriculum transparency because parents deserve to know what material is being presented to their children,” Schimpf said.
A group of Illinois congressmen is urging Gov. J.B. Pritzker to focus on such things as racial equity, climate change and maintaining existing roads, rather than building new ones, in spending the tens of billions of new transportation dollars the state will get under the big federal infrastructure plan that was enacted this year.
In a letter, the eight reps—all Democrats, and all but one whose districts include part of the city of Chicago—assert that the state must do business in a different way if it is to thrive.
But while the call for change has the support of groups, such as the Active Transportation Alliance, which favor more money for bike paths and bus lanes, it may not receive much applause in downstate and suburban areas. And some Democratic congressmen whose districts are wholly suburban did not sign. […]
In the letter, the eight reps contend that Illinois’ transportation system now produces “the most greenhouse gasses of any sector in the state” and subjects Latino and Black communities to excess pollution.
“These challenges are why the U.S. Department of Transportation encourages state and local governments to invest the funds…..in ways that mitigate climate change, improve safety—especially for disadvantaged communities—address racial equity and remake our transportation system so it is accessible to all users,” the letter states.
Invest in Maintenance and Modernization - Not Expansion: Years of experience in the Chicago region and metro areas across the country shows highway expansion fails to achieve long-term congestion relief but instead, increases pollution and further isolates people who can’t afford or aren’t physically able to drive. The policy framework from the Federal Highways Administration (FHWA) for implementing the BIL calls for states to prioritize projects that fix existing infrastructure and improve our transportation corridors so they safely move more people - not vehicles -above projects that expand road capacity. It’s critical Illinois take this guidance to heart and reevaluate planned road expansion projects in IDOT’s Multi-Year Plan (MYP), transparently analyze the costs and benefits, and shift investment towards more efficient and effective projects.
Robin Kelly, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Bill Foster, Lauren Underwood and Cheri Bustos did not sign.
* From a Daily Herald interview with new Illinois Tollway chair Dorothy Abreu…
Q: Which construction project has caught your interest?
A: The most exciting one is the tollway (I-490) that we’re building that’s just going to wrap itself around O’Hare International Airport and create access from the western point that will relieve a ton of congestion.
Illinois is among the states considering lowering the State Gas Tax. Right now, drivers in the Land of Lincoln pay about 39 cents on a gallon after the tax doubled in 2019.
Earlier Friday, Gov. JB Pritzker signaled that he’s willing to make a change.
“We are looking at ways we can reduce the gas tax across the State of Illinois, because we recognize, even since I introduced my budget, that war has broken out and the result of that war is that oil prices have gone through the roof,” he said.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker proposed freezes on raising the gas tax and grocery tax in his budget for the next year. However, Reps. Tom Demmer (R-Dixon), Patrick Windhorst (R-Metropolis), Mark Luft (R-Pekin), and Amy Elik (R-Alton) argue more should be done sooner.
Even since the governor’s address in January, gas prices have risen. The average price a month ago was $3.68 per gallon; now it’s nearly a dollar more at $4.54 a gallon, according to AAA. Inflation is at the highest rate it’s been in 40 years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
They argue these policies would help relieve struggling Illinois residents from rising costs. Representatives on border districts say it’s no secret that residents cross state lines to get fuel and food in a state where the taxes are cheaper.
“Across the river from my district is St Louis. It is not uncommon to see gas prices in Missouri anywhere from 50 cents to 70 cents a gallon cheaper than Illinois on a given day,” Elik said.
In terms of exploring other ways to ease financially struggling families, such as raising the minimum wage, Demmer said they wanted to focus on tax relief.
A crude oil spill from a broken pipeline has triggered a cleanup in and along a Madison County waterway for more than a week, with thousands of barrels of oil discharged next to a Mississippi River tributary.
A cause of the spill is still under investigation. Recent history, though, shows pipeline incidents in Missouri and Illinois are most often caused by the failure of their own materials and equipment, according to government records.
Hundreds of such issues have arisen over the past two decades amid the web of pipelines that crisscross the St. Louis region.
“Those can be preventable, within reason,” said Richard Kuprewicz, president of a business called Accufacts Inc., and a specialist in pipeline investigations, auditing, risk management and other related matters.
In almost 50 years of investigative work, he has “never seen a failure by a true accident,” he said. Many pipeline spills happen, he said, because of something going wrong with their operation, maintenance, or even the quality of the pipe.
Illinois’ attorney general filed a lawsuit against Marathon Pipe Line LLC, alleging the company created a substantial danger to the environment and public health during a crude oil spill near Edwardsville last week.
Attorney General Kwame Raoul filed the suit Friday in Madison County. An estimated 165,000 gallons of crude oil leaked from the pipeline, according to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Some of the oil reached the nearby Cahokia Creek.
Raoul alleges Marathon violated the Illinois Environmental Protection Act by causing or allowing the oil to leak in an area that includes residential neighborhoods, commercial properties, agricultural properties, forested areas, and a wetland.
When Illinois lawmakers decided last year to ban most coal-burning power plants by 2030, it was because their harmful effects are well known.
The emissions they spew into the air are a leading cause of death, illness and climate change.
For now, though, the new law hasn’t slowed the plants at all. Last year, Illinois’ coal-burning power plants burned more coal than the year before, stepping up production by 39% — the biggest percentage increase among the top 10 coal-burning states, according to federal data.
Faced with the coming deadline that will require most of them to shut down, 10 of the state’s 13 coal-burning electric plants boosted production in 2021.
Part of that 2021 increase may have been due to the availability of vaccines and more people returning to work.
For the first time ever, the Illinois Department of Insurance (IDOI) announced today fines totaling $339,000 for Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), the parent company of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, for violating the material change notice requirement in the state’s Network Adequacy and Transparency Act.
Network adequacy filings are an important tool to help ensure that consumers have access to a network of providers that meets proper time and distance standards. This is critical to ensuring that patients have access to care that they need.
The Department found that the company did not properly file updated network adequacy filings following the termination of its contract with Springfield Clinic which serves approximately 100,000 consumers in Central Illinois. After months of delay, the Department finally received BCBS’s final filing for its network adequacy review on Thursday. The Department determined that the filings were 244 days late and 95 days late, accumulating a total fine of $339,000. Late fees are $1,000 per day.
“Insurance companies must be able to show that they have adequate provider networks, so that Illinois consumers have access to the medical care and providers that they pay for,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This fine should serve as notice that we will require insurers to maintain adequate provider networks and uphold all consumer protections under the law.”
Although the Department reviews every plan’s network for adequacy when the plan is filed, the law recognizes that a plan’s network may change mid-plan year. In anticipation of these potential changes, there is a provision that if there is a “material change” in the network, the company must submit updated network adequacy filings to demonstrate that the change has not rendered the network inadequate. Under state law, insurers are required to report to the Director any material change to an approved network plan within 15 days after the change occurs.
“This is the first time the Department has issued a fine for the material change filing requirement in the Network Adequacy Transparency Act,” said IDOI Director Dana Popish Severinghaus. “We’re disappointed that the company continues to evade acknowledging this material change. Under Illinois law, the removal of a major health system, like Springfield Clinic, is a material change that could render a network, or parts of a network, inadequate. We are committed to exercising the Department’s full authority to protect consumers from being harmed in a corporate contract dispute.”
Blue Cross Blue Shield must pay the fine immediately, and the company has 10 days to contest the fine. The Department will continue its review of the network adequacy filing for compliance with applicable state and federal laws.
The Notice of Apparent Liability for late filing of Network Adequacy can be found here.
* Last week, Richard Irvin’s campaign suggested imposing those daily fines, among other things…
• Swiftly investigate Blue Cross Blue Shield’s compliance with the state’s network adequacy requirements, and impose fines for every day it is in violation.
• Order Blue Cross Blue Shield to provide true continuity of care coverage as required by state law and re-adjudicate previous claims that should have been considered in-network.
• Consider capping Blue Cross Blue Shield’s enrollment if the company does not swiftly come into compliance with provider network adequacy requirements.
Now that the government has network adequacy requirement data, it can take a look at what’s actually going on. But the Department of Insurance dropped the ball here. No way should it have allowed BCBSI to not file those reports for so long, particularly since this impacts a hundred thousand people in central Illinois.
And though I doubt BCBSI would even notice a grand a day, the company is taking increasing Statehouse heat, including a recent call to strip its state tax-exempt status. Big Blue has stayed relatively mum so far, but they’re now starting to engage.
…Adding… A top official in the Pritzker administration says BCBSI is not a not for profit corporation, despite reporting to the contrary. “There is no tax exemption for BCBS in IL,” the official texted.
* From Harmony Harrington, Vice President, Government, Communications and Community Engagement at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois…
“Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois has been working closely with the Illinois Department of Insurance since contract negotiations first began with Springfield Clinic last May. Though we had a reasonable and well-informed opinion that Springfield Clinic’s decision to leave our network did not trigger any network change filing, when the Department requested one within the past few weeks, we promptly complied. As we evaluate the Department’s decision, we will continue to work collaboratively and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations while ensuring access, affordability and quality in health care for the more than 8 million Illinoisans we cover.”
The insurance company has claimed that Springfield Clinic is demanding a 75 percent increase in what they claim is an already high reimbursement rate. As a Blue Cross policyholder and a Springfield Clinic patient, I want this to end now. I don’t know what the state can do if the clinic is indeed making outrageous demands, but if BCBSI is to be believed, they’re not totally at fault here and Springfield Clinic needs to get to the table with reasonable expectations. /rant
* A Republican operative joked last week that they should probably be required to report Foxx as an in-kind contribution. From the Richard Irvin campaign…
In yet another example of his pro-criminal, anti- police positioning, J.B. Pritzker last year signed a law allowing far-left State’s Attorney Kim Foxx to petition for sentence reductions for violent criminals. Naturally, despite skyrocketing crime in Chicago and Cook County, Foxx announced that this week she will begin petitioning the courts to release violent criminals from prison early.
Thanks to Pritzker’s enabling, Foxx’s resentencing initiative will potentially grant early release to criminals serving long sentences for violent crimes. Foxx will present three resentencing motions as early as this week with more planned for later this month. In total, Foxx’s office anticipates the early release of as many as 25 people by the end of the year. This is the latest affront to crime victims, in addition to her support for ending cash bail and her call to allow Jussie Smollet to escape paying for his crimes.
“Whether via pardon or commutation, signing his anti-police crime bill or enabling Kim Foxx to push for lighter sentencing for criminals, J.B. Pritzker always sides with criminals over police and community safety,” said Irvin for Illinois Spokesperson Eleni Demertzis.
Three men are slated for possible resentencing next week, the first to potentially benefit from a new state law allowing prosecutors to petition for shorter sentences ”if the original sentence no longer advances the interests of justice.” […]
The office is first reviewing cases of people who have served at least 10 years for a drug, theft, robbery or burglary conviction; people 65 or older who have served at least 20 years for a case not related to a sex crime or homicide; and people who have served at least 15 years for a case other than a sex crime or homicide and who were younger than 21 when they committed the offense. […]
Victims in each case will be notified “at different steps of the resentencing process,” and will have a chance to submit statements to the judge to consider at sentencing, the office stated.
Foxx did not offer an estimate of how many cases may be eligible for resentencing under those criteria. But prosecutors are scheduled to present their first three resentencing requests in court [this] week, according to Foxx’s office.
Larry Frazier, 63, is one of the men hoping to shave significant time off his sentence when his case goes back before a judge Wednesday.
Frazier was 40 when he was given 60 years in prison for a home invasion that took place in Calumet Park when he was 36, according to court records.
At the time he was sentenced in 1999, Frazier was given an extended sentence because the victim was 62 — only a year younger than Frazier is now, documents show. Details of the case were not immediately available, but other charges Frazier faced included weapons offenses and unlawful restraint.
By that time, Frazier had already amassed a significant criminal record of charges, including theft and armed robbery, going back to the early 1980s, state records show.
In their motion, prosecutors noted the victim wasn’t hurt physically in the home invasion and argued that since being locked up, Frazier “has taken substantial steps toward rehabilitation,” though no details were provided. […]
Ed Wojcicki, executive director of the Illinois Chiefs of Police Association, said he finds the idea of resentencing inmates for the crimes they were convicted of fundamentally unfair.
“The rules are what they were when they were sentenced,” he said when reached by phone Friday. Wojcicki said he worries about the impact the resentencing hearings will have on crime victims.
The small number of cases means the initial impact could be small, but the effort carries significant political risks for Foxx because it turns the conventional understanding of America’s adversarial court system on its head, putting prosecutors and defense attorneys on the same side, pushing for leniency and forgiveness.
Foxx said they are embarking with caution, seeking to prove to the people of Cook County that the early releases will not endanger public safety before expanding the effort. Ultimately, it will be up to judges whether they will grant the motions and what kinds of sentences will be handed out.
Still, the county’s controversial top prosecutor is taking up the initiative at a time when her office is already under fire because of a perception that Foxx is going easy on criminals during a surge in violence.
“I think we have to show people that it works … There are segments of our population who believe, ‘you’ve done the crime you do the time, even if you wouldn’t get that same time today,’ ” Foxx said. “So I think the initial foray into this is to show people what it looks like, to de-stigmatize what the process looks like, to demonstrate that this is actually good public policy and it’s actually good for us as a community.” […]
“I’m always expecting backlash because it’s different than what we’ve normally done,” Foxx said. “Here in Cook County, we have been very much entrenched in a culture with our justice system that had been very punitive, that … the way to fight crime was to just lock everybody up.”
Foxx is firing back: “As a former and longtime defense attorney, Mayor Irvin knows all too well, of the evolution in sentencing laws, which he has used to advocate for the criminal defendants whom he represented,” her office said in a statement. “The resentencing initiative recognizes that the sentences previously imposed would be less if imposed today. The purpose of the law is to address that discrepancy.”
The Pritzker folks took aim at both Foxx and Irvin.
“The governor had hoped prosecutors would’ve first prioritized those who committed non-violent offenses,” they said in a statement. “This decision sends the wrong message at this moment in time.”
Still, they added, “As we continue to put forth good-faith solutions to both reduce crime and reform our criminal justice system, we will not be lectured by Republicans who see crime as yet another issue to exploit for cheap political shots. Richard Irvin can’t seem to decide what side of his mouth he wants to talk out of today and while he continues to ignore his long career profiting off of keeping violent criminals out of jail and free from accountability.”
The state’s most powerful politician once explained that while mulling a tough decision, he’d often glance across his desk at a photo of the late Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley “and just ask myself, ‘What would he do?’ It’s very helpful.”
Michael Madigan’s fealty to the man both lauded and lambasted as “the Boss,” who died nearly a half-century ago, is understandable. Madigan, who made a hobby of collecting and consolidating power in nearly four decades as speaker of the Illinois House, owed his career to Daley, who halfway into his 21-year iron rule of Chicago took the young law school graduate under his wing.
But the anecdote in “The House that Madigan Built: The Record Run of Illinois’ Velvet Hammer,” by Chicago Tribune investigative reporter Ray Long, due for release Tuesday by the University of Illinois Press, hints at the 79-year-old Madigan’s undoing. His endurance flowed from his agility to change with attitudes and times — a young Catholic conservative who came to embrace abortion rights, same-sex marriage and recreational marijuana. But the attitudes and times ultimately outlasted his allegiance to the old ways. […]
To Madigan, who declined Long’s request to be interviewed, democracy and its institutions are a fulcrum to elevate the working class. An added bonus was fueling his power “by helping people through the government maze, and particularly the people who helped him with elections,” said Long, a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist.
“I cannot imagine seeing a plea deal in this case,” said Nancy DePodesta, a former federal prosecutor and current white-collar criminal defense lawyer at Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr. “I also think that you’re going to see a significant delay before this case goes to trial.” […]
In defending himself, Madigan could argue, DePodesta said, that much of what the government describes as racketeering isn’t that far beyond the parameters of what would be expected from anyone in a powerful office such as speaker of the House.
“So I think that if I’m the defense, I certainly want to try to minimize some of the statements, point to some of the things that perhaps the speaker did not say,” she said. “Certainly, explain what it means to be the speaker of the House, and what are some of the functions that are expected in in that capacity.” […]
“The government is not limited to the evidence that it has on the date of indictment,” she said. “In fact, it is very common for the government’s case to improve and become an even stronger case, as they continue to investigate and prepare for trial.”
* St. Patrick’s day fundraising email from the ILGOP…
Friend,
From Madigan’s indictment to Pritzker’s corrupt administration falling apart, corrupt Illinois Democrats have had a very UNLUCKY month. Perhaps that’s why Pritzker has dumped a whole pot of gold into his Facebook ad campaign.
Give some gold to our FIRE PRITZKER fund
Pritzker and his corrupt Democrat allies are ready to dump even more gold into clearing their names and deflecting from answering for their deeds. That’s why we’re asking you to chip in $17 to make sure Democrats’ luck RUNS DRY!
This St. Patrick’s Day, Illinoisans can raise a glass to the wheels of justice finally beginning to spin, but we can’t get complacent. There’s still lots of Springfield corruption that needs to be cleaned out.
We know we can count on you to take back Illinois. A truly LUCKY campaign season starts with your generous contribution.
Sincerely,
Illinois Republican Party
CONTRIBUTE
* Former one-term Democratic state Rep. Diane Pappas was recently appointed to the vacancy created when Sen. Tom Cullerton resigned. Maria Gardner at the Daily Herald caught up with her…
Pappas said her background as a Poland-born immigrant who moved to the United States with her family at the age of 10 has affected her point of view on a key question facing Democrats — the future influence of former House Speaker Michael Madigan,
Madigan, who resigned from the House after failing to win the speakership last year, was charged in federal court last week with 22 counts of corruption. He remains state central committeeman for the 3rd Congressional District, and party leaders have called for him to resign. Pappas, however, said she sees that decision as a personal choice for the former House speaker, who she said should be considered innocent until proven guilty.
In communist Poland where she grew up, “the presumption of innocence, if it even existed, was in name only,” she said
“You shouldn’t have to give up the things you’ve worked hard for just because you’ve been accused of something,” she said. “We have a judicial system because we thought that would be a fair way to determine these kinds of outcomes.”
The Chicago Fraternal Order of Police’s top campaign priority this spring is defeating Sen. Robert Martwick (D-Chicago) in the Democratic primary. The police group is backing Chicago police detective Erin Jones, who not long ago was described as a “loyal member” of the Northwest Side GOP Club.
The previous practice in that area of fielding Republican candidates against Democrats in the general election has simply not worked. In 2018, then-Rep. Martwick defeated Republican Ammie Kessem, a Chicago police sergeant and the current 41st Ward Republican committeeperson, by 21 points. Lindsey LaPointe was appointed to Martwick’s seat when Martwick was appointed to the Senate in 2019, and she buried Republican police detective Jeff Muehlfelder by 20 points in the 2020 general election. The failed Republican push in both years, and even long before that, was a project of GOP operative Dan Proft and folks affiliated with the Illinois Policy Institute.
Republicans have also run in Democratic primaries in that part of the world with disastrous results, but they’re going to try again with Detective Jones.
In addition to the Martwick vs. Jones race, LaPointe faces famed 911 dispatch operator Keith Thornton, who managed the radio response to Officer Ella French’s fatal shooting, and realtor Tina Wallace in the June 28 primary. Rep. Sonya Harper (D-Chicago) is up against Carolynn Crump, a cop with a PhD in business administration, as well as Steven Williams.
As noted above, Martwick is at the very tippity top of the FOP’s hit list. FOP President John Catanzara made it clear to his members last week that any politician who endorses or helps Martwick will feel the fiery wrath of his union.
Martwick, LaPointe and Harper all voted for the SAFE-T Act, the police and criminal justice reform bill that Catanzara said on a Facebook video last week was backed by the “Black Caucus and a ridiculously left-leaning agenda, radical Democrats in Springfield.” The Chicago FOP, Catanzara said, “has been very clear none of those members who voted for that [bill] will get any support from the FOP. Period.” Harper chairs the Legislative Black Caucus.
Catanzara also said in the video message that he told three Northwest Side alderpersons, who are loyal to the Chicago Firefighters Union, that if they back Martwick in the primary there will be consequences when they run for reelection next year. They and any others could introduce or even pass all the police-friendly ordinances they wanted, but it wouldn’t matter if they stood with Martwick over the cops, he warned.
Martwick himself has taken tremendous media heat for sponsoring a pension sweetener bill for the Chicago police, but the police union doesn’t care. They want that man gone, end of story.
Martwick is also absolutely despised by the charter school lobby, and those folks may wind up spending significantly more against him than the FOP, which recently boosted dues for its political push against its enemies.
I think LaPointe could be viewed as collateral damage. The cops definitely don’t like her, yet they don’t hate her with the intensity that they hate Martwick. But she represents half of Martwick’s district, so they might as well take both shots while they’re mucking around in Martwick’s neighborhood. Same goes for the charter schools.
One issue for the FOP is that LaPointe’s other opponent Tina Wallace will likely not bow out in favor of 911 dispatcher Thornton, who reportedly has district residency issues and has an opposition research file that’s like five miles deep. The general rule of thumb for incumbents when it comes to primary opponents is ‘The more the merrier,’ because multiple opponents can split the opposing vote into smaller fragments. But Wallace will undoubtedly want a clear shot at a majority-wins, two-way primary and will likely try to kick Thornton off the ballot.
The Illinois Association of Realtors is almost always supportive of any member, like Wallace, who runs for office. Coincidentally, the Illinois Network of Charter Schools hired the Realtors’ top political person away from them not long ago, so the two groups now have a lot in common.
Meanwhile, Crump will be “fully supported” by the FOP against Harper, who had real trouble gathering candidate petitions.
A gigantic question remains whether the FOP, INCS and the Realtors can convince enough conservative Chicagoans to take Democratic ballots to vote against liberal Democratic incumbents in liberal districts, instead of voting Republican. It’s not an easy ask and it almost never works, despite all the money that’s about to be dumped into these races.
It pretty much goes without saying that if the FOP loses these primaries, it’ll be tough to make the case to city council members that they need to be obeyed.
* Cases are down 12 percent from last week, test positivity remains the same, hospitalizations fell by 22 percent, ICU usage declined by 18.5 percent, ventilator usage fell by 31 percent, deaths are down 17.5 percent…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 7,467 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including an increase of 123 deaths since March 11, 2022.
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 3,053,185 cases, including 33,198 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Since March 11, 2022, laboratories have reported 596,385 specimens for a total of 56,328,379. As of last night, 528 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 88 patients were in the ICU and 35 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from March 11-17, 2022 is 1.3%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from March 11-17, 2022 is 1.2%.
A total of 21,273,924 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 8,104 doses. Since March 11, 2022, 56,726 doses were reported administered in Illinois. Of Illinois’ total population, more than 76% has received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, 68% of Illinois’ total population is fully vaccinated, and more than 49% boosted according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
All data are provisional and will change. Additional information and COVID-19 data can be found at https://dph.illinois.gov/covid19.html.
Vaccination is the key to ending this pandemic. To find a COVID-19 vaccination location near you, go to www.vaccines.gov.
The average daily dose rate also continues its spiral, down 15 percent from last week’s average.
More than 250 city employees across several departments are asking a downstate judge to block Chicago’s vaccine requirement.
The motion is the latest chapter in the ongoing fight over the mandate. The request for a temporary restraining order was filed by Tom DeVore, the same attorney who used the same downstate court to grant a restraining order against the state of Illinois’ school mask mandate.
ABC7 legal analyst Gil Soffer pointed out that previous efforts by Chicago police and firefighters have failed, and said the city still has a lot of authority to deal with a situation like COVID.
“Since this is not an order that applies to all citizens of the city or the state, but to employees of the city, the courts are inclined to say the city has the right to condition further employment by its employees on their willingness to have this vaccine,” he said.
* Gov. Pritzker was named in the lawsuit and was asked about the legal maneuver today…
There’s so little that I can say about these lawsuits that have been filed, the vast majority of which have failed. The ones that where judges have ruled temporarily in favor of the plaintiff go to appellate court, get overturned. So, I don’t believe that any of this will be upheld, that is that these lawsuits will stand. There are people that wanted to tear down the system of mitigations that we’ve put in place since the very beginning. They’re continuing to do it today. They were wrong then and they’re wrong now.
* Related…
* America’s Flu-Shot Problem Is Also Its Next COVID-Shot Problem: Flu is highly contagious and highly dangerous, a staggering burden on public health; and for years and years and years, Americans, even those trained in disease control and prevention, have almost entirely ceased to care. Vaccines capable of curbing flu’s annual toll have existed since the 1940s. Close to a century later, some 50 to 60 percent of Americans adults still do not bother with the yearly shot. The crux of the uptake shortfall “is this normalization of death,” Poland told me. He predicts this pattern will play on repeat, and at higher volume, with SARS-CoV-2—another devastating respiratory virus that’s tough to durably thwart with shots.
* America Is Zooming Through the Pandemic Panic-Neglect Cycle: Third, many of the measures that would make a difference against COVID—better ventilation, paid sick leave, equitable health care, a stronger public-health infrastructure—would also protect people from other diseases and health problems. In this respect, even the $15 billion that the White House asked for (and now won’t get) is insufficient. And to consider such money as “COVID funding” is part of the problem—a misguided approach of tackling health problems one by one, instead of fixing the inequities that underlie them all.
Committee Hearings
With the exception of Executive Appointments, all Senate committees next week will be conducted in-person only. Members, staff, and witnesses will need to be physically present in committees.
Staff Testing
COVID Testing will remain in place for Members, staff, lobbyists, and members of the public. A PCR test taken within 72 hours or a SHIELD Test will be necessary for entry. SHIELD Testing is strongly encouraged for efficiency. […]
· PCR TESTS taken by local health care professionals or pharmacies (not rapid tests) will be accepted, provided they are taken within the prior 72 hours.
o Please be mindful of the time it takes to receive results; Friday is the best option for Monday entrance; Saturday is the best option for Tuesday entrance; Sunday is the best option for Wednesday entrance.
Updated Protocols: Senate Reopening Phase Two
A negative COVID PCR or SHIELD test and wristband is still required for any person entering into Senate committees, galleries, or offices. Lobbyists and members of the public must obtain wristbands at the North Entrance desk for entry. The following changes will apply:
· The Senate elevators will be unlocked.
· People are allowed in committees with wristbands.
· The galleries with remain at 50% capacity, with wristbands.
· Lobbyists will be allowed on the benches outside the chamber, with wristbands.
· Those without wristbands should be directed to the check-in point at the North Entrance.
· For people in our areas with wristbands, masking is strongly encouraged.
COVID Guidance & Reminders
Face masks, which cover the nose and mouth, are strongly encouraged but not required for all persons in Senate areas of the Capitol. Please take care and respect in approaching or meeting with another person within 6ft as to their preference on mask-wearing. Social distancing remains strongly encouraged.
If at any time, you feel uncomfortable or you are aware of individuals not following COVID protocols, please contact xxxxxxxxxxxx and we will assist you.
If a you test positive, please immediately contact xxxxxxxx, conduct contact tracing, and follow Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines. Full CDC guidance and COVID-19 information can be found here.
We are continuously monitoring the virus and guidance from health organizations and will update our policies as necessary.
I strongly support the idea of in-person hearings and opening up access.
However, remote testimony by people who can’t make it to Springfield definitely found its place in the past couple of years. People who were never able to testify before the pandemic were suddenly able to have their voices heard. It was a very positive thing. The Senate doesn’t currently have the technology to accept remote testimony during in-person hearings, but I’m told they have invested in that tech and will have it implemented as soon as they can.
* Related…
* A bit more normal, Illinois lawmakers welcome in-person guests for first time in two years
Building on the administration’s funding increases for child welfare and wellbeing, today Governor Pritzker announced the Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative to evaluate and redesign the delivery of behavioral health services for children and adolescents in the State of Illinois.
The Governor tasked the Initiative with building a coordinated, inter-agency approach to ensure young people with significant behavioral health needs receive the community and residential services they need to thrive while providing parents, guardians, and family members with transparency and clarity in the process. The initiative will provide a transformation blueprint by the end of 2022. The Governor also named Chapin Hall child welfare expert Dana Weiner, PhD, as Director of the Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative.
“I’m launching the Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative to evaluate and redesign the systems that support our most vulnerable kids and adolescents – so that down the line, Illinois families will be better able to access holistic, wraparound support for children in need,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Under the leadership of nationally recognized child welfare expert Dana Weiner, PhD, and six state agency heads, this Initiative will deliver a transformative blueprint by the end of the year.” […]
Governor Pritzker has increased funding for DCFS from $1.2 billion in FY2019 to $1.55 billion in FY2022 with a proposed additional increase to $1.8 billion this coming fiscal year. The Governor’s proposed fiscal year 2023 budget provides a new investment of $7 million for a completely redesigned independent living program which will better support youth transitioning out of DCFS’ care.
Additionally, the Pritzker Administration recently launched an $86 million effort to support local efforts to develop comprehensive school systems grounded in mental health and trauma.
The FY2023 budget also includes $150 million to fully implement the Pathways to Success program at DHFS, which helps Medicaid-enrolled children under age 21 who have complex behavioral health needs and require intensive services and support. The program will begin upon federal CMS approval without any additional implementation action from the GA. […]
At Governor Pritzker’s direction, HFS, DHS, DCFS, ISBE, DPH and DJJ have put together an interagency working group to better support children in need of behavioral health services and their families, whether they access services in their community, at their school, or through a residential program. The Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative turns that collaboration into a formal, step-by-step review of existing systems in order to better support Illinois children and families.
The Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative will examine:
• Needs of children requiring behavioral health services
• Allocation of resources to meet needs within existing programs
• Pathways for accessing needed services
• Eligibility requirements for levels of care
• Decision-making practices for allocation of resources
• Alignment of policies, rules, regulations to support transparent, efficient, and effective service delivery
• Barriers to effective interagency coordination
• Infrastructure needs to support new pathways and existing programs
• Best practices from other comparable child-serving systems across the country
The pandemic has only made the need for improvements more urgent. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that the proportion of children’s mental health-related emergency department (ED) visits among all pediatric ED visits increased and remained elevated through October 2020. Compared with 2019, the proportion of mental health-related visits for children aged 5-11 and 12-17 years increased 24 percent and 31 percent, respectively.
* Gov. Pritzker was asked about the connection of this plan to the latest DCFS crises that we’ve already been discussing here today…
Well, that’s precisely what this is about, right, to make sure that we’re coordinating systems and services so that people don’t have to sit for 117 days or, as we heard, for sometimes longer and without getting the services they need. And parents, of course, are desperately need. Foster parents and others. And so, look, we’ve put tremendous resources in already to try to staff up, to make sure that we’re serving these kids, to make sure that we’re, at DCFS for example, hiring up to standards here. And then very importantly, creating residential beds that got destroyed under the prior administration. 500 residential beds went away. And I think everybody here that’s been involved in the system of providing these services knows that these don’t come back, like, with the snap of a finger. It takes literally years to go build back up those. And that’s why we all are committed to the consistency of systems.
Thoughts?
*** UPDATE 1 *** Cook County Public Guardian Charles Golbert…
This is a positive, albeit long overdue, step for children and families. Of course, the devil is in the details, and I look forward seeing the comprehensive blueprint promised by the end of the year.
It must be noted that this is not an answer to DCFS’s placement crisis. And children in DCFS care don’t have months and years to wait for the placements and services they need.
Just yesterday a Cook County Juvenile Court judge held DCFS Director Marc Smith in contempt of court for the seventh time this year for failing to place children appropriately in violation of court orders. This most recent contempt finding involved a boy DCFS has kept in a shelter for more than a year, in violation of court orders, because DCFS doesn’t have a placement for him. This youth doesn’t have another year to wait for more studies.
I hope that this initiative will be implemented in a robust manner with the sense of urgency needed.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Kyle Hillman with the National Association of Social Workers, Illinois Chapter…
We join other advocates in support of this new initiative Governor Pritzker is embarking on (in his fourth year of office) to address the mental health crisis children have been facing. While we are still unsure how this new initiative will work differently than groups like the Illinois Children’s Mental Health Partnership, any new effort is always welcomed. We do hope this new blueprint initiative though doesn’t delay efforts to address a mental health crisis both within DCFS and within our schools that need an immediate response and a sense of urgency that has been greatly lacking.
Low-income families in Illinois who receive TANF benefits could get an extra boost thanks to a proposal in Springfield.
Rep. Marcus Evans (D-Chicago) said the Illinois Department of Human Services should increase grant amounts for temporary assistance for needy families. The state currently provides 30% of the federal poverty guidelines for each family size. Evans would like to see that raised to 50%.
His bill could help a family of three currently receiving $549 per month from TANF get $915 in benefits. Evans said his plan also allows dollars for child support to go directly to parents or guardians instead of the current system where some of the money is dispersed by the state.
Maxica Williams is a mother of three in Cook County who helped make this change a possibility. As a member of the TANF Research Advisory Board, Williams worked to eliminate barriers to the benefits for those most in need. With TANF payments so low, Williams said surviving and meeting basic needs is challenging.
* Gonna invoke Charlie Wheeler here and remind folks to read bills like this before writing about them…
The Illinois General Assembly will consider a bill condemning and sanctioning Russia, three weeks into Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Democrat state Rep. Lindsey LaPointe, D-Chicago, said it is time for Illinois to act.
“This is not a situation where we can sit back and ignore what’s happening as countries around the world are imposing tough sanctions on Russia. It is now time for us to do what we can here in Illinois,” said LaPointe.
LaPointe filed a bill Thursday for Illinois to divest from the Russian economy. LaPointe said she put the widespread condemnation of Russia into legislation after three weeks of continued support by Illinoisans for Ukraine during the invasion.
(b) For these reasons, the General Assembly urges:
(1) the pension funds and retirement systems established under the Illinois Pension Code to divest their holdings in any companies that are domiciled in Russia or Belarus and that are on the list of restricted companies developed by the Illinois Investment Policy Board
Not saying it’s a bad bill at all. Just saying that the word “urges” is much different than the word “shall.” (And, yes, the bill forbids the state treasurer from investing/depositing money in Russian or Belarusian banks, but that’s not the same as divestment.)
…Adding… Ha! I failed to take my own advice. The bill does call for divestiture…
As soon as practicable after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly, but not later than 9 months after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly, each retirement system, as that term is defined in Section 1-110.16 of this Code, shall instruct its investment advisors to sell, redeem, divest, or withdraw all direct holdings of Russian or Belarusian sovereign debt, Russian or Belarusian government-backed securities, investment instruments issued by an entity that is domiciled or has its principal place of [etc.]
All apologies. I’m gonna get some more coffee now.
…Adding… Press release…
In response to Russian’s deadly invasion of Ukraine, Governor JB Pritzker, Senate President Don Harmon, and House Speaker Chris Welch issued the following joint statement:
As Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine escalates, it threatens everyone around the world. We are unified in our belief that Putin must be stopped. Working together, our offices will advance legislation to remove any Russian companies from Illinois’ pension assets and prohibit contracting with any companies based in Russia. Beyond these financial consequences, we will also join national efforts to assist with this heartbreaking refugee crisis. We are hopeful that negotiations can bring about an end to this violence, but until then Illinois must stand strong for democracy and support the brave men and women of Ukraine in defending their country.
State Rep. Mike Halpin, D-Rock Island, is pushing for passage of the Manufacturing Illinois Chips for Real Opportunity, or MICRO Act.
“I think it’s time for a change and try to bring back some of those supply lines here to the United States, so what this MICRO Act does is provide a very similar series of tax incentives that we applied to the electric vehicle industry,” Halpin said.
The proposal would provide qualifying manufacturers an enhanced version of the EDGE tax incentive over 15 years. Employers would receive a tax break on 75% of income tax withholdings attributable to new employees, which would increase to 100% if a production facility is located in an underserved area. Additional credit is available for employee training costs.
* Press release…
A rally and press conference in support of a proposal to expand Illinois’ Earned Income Credit (EIC) and create a statewide Child Tax Credit (CTC), which would benefit over 4.8 million no-, low-, and middle-income earners at moment when federal pandemic relief has expired and household costs are rising.
Leaders from the Illinois General Assembly, nonprofit advocacy groups, organized labor, and the community will come together to demonstrate the diverse and unified support for the proposal.
WHEN: Monday March 21, 2022, 10:00am Central
WHERE: Daley Plaza
50 W. Washington St. Chicago, IL
(Live stream is also available at Facebook.com/ICIRR)
WHO: Advocates, legislators, labor leaders, and community members advocating for a more fair state tax system, including:
Advocate and Statewide Coalition Manager Amber Wilson of Economic Security for Illinois
State Senator Omar Aquino (D-Chicago)
State Representative Carol Ammons (D-Urbana)
State Representative Michael Zalewski (D- Riverside)
State Representative Kam Buckner (D- Chicago)
State Senator Mike Simmons (D- Chicago)
State Representative Anna Moeller (D- Elgin)
State Senator Ram Villivalam (D- Chicago)
State Representative Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz (D- Skokie)
State Senator Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago)
State Representative Delia Ramirez (D- Chicago)
Erica Bland-Duroshimi, SEIU Healthcare Illinois/Indiana Executive Vice President
Community members Krystal Peters, Teresa Campa, Dexter Liggins, Alejandro Lopez, and Barbara Beltran who would be impacted by the bill
In attendance will also be dozens of members and community leaders from the Illinois Cost-of-Living Coalition representing over 40 organizations, including: Economic Security for Illinois, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, Workers Center for Racial Justice, Community Organizing and Family Issues, Young Invincibles, Chicago Votes, UpTogether, United Food and Commercial Workers - Local 881, SEIU - Local 1, SEIU- Local 73, SEIU Healthcare, Children’s Home and Aid, Grassroots Collaborative, and more
* Press release…
State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart testified before the House Appropriations-General Services Committee on Wednesday night, via zoom, for a subject matter hearing. State’s Attorney Rinehart was there to explain the need for his proposed pilot program to automatically text victims and witnesses about upcoming court dates in Lake County. State Representative Joyce Mason (D-Gurnee) introduced the measure in the House and is shepherding it through the legislative process in Springfield.
The bill would appropriate $50,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office for the 2-year pilot program.
“Victims and surviving family members deserve the same notice of court dates that perpetrators receive. This pilot program will ensure that those who have been victimized are aware of upcoming hearings so they can be involved in the process,” Representative Mason said. “I am happy to be partnering with Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart to stand up for crime victims and look forward to seeing this program take effect.”
“I am so grateful that we have strong victim advocates, like Representative Mason, among our Lake County delegation in Springfield who are pushing to ensure our victims receive all the support they need,” said State’s Attorney Rinehart.
* Press release…
STATEMENT: Illinois House of Representatives Adopts Resolution in Support of Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation’s Efforts to Reclaim Reservation in Northern Illinois
Houses, state park now sit on a 1,000+ acre Reservation
SPRINGFIELD, ILL. – The following is a statement from Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Chairman Joseph Rupnick following the news that legislators in the Illinois House of Representatives voted yesterday to adopt House Resolution 504, which supports Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation’s efforts to build on its history as an original part of the DeKalb County community and encourages the U.S. Congress to pass legislation that would allow the Nation to secure 1,151 acres of land near Shabbona State Park in the southern part of DeKalb County:
“This milestone sends a strong and supportive message to Washington that Illinois legislators understand the importance of righting historical wrongs. It’s been 170 years since the U.S. government illegally sold our land in DeKalb County when my great grandfather, four generations removed, went to visit family in Kansas. Today, 170 years worth of loss and broken community has transformed into deep gratitude for the members of the Illinois House of Representatives who took this step to help put us on a path toward justice.”
A similar resolution sponsored by state Sen. Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago) is currently making its way through the Illinois Senate.
* Press release…
I’m pleased to invite you to join us next week for panel discussion titled “The Power of Sport in Illinois” where you can hear from State Legislators, former professional athletes, and sports-based youth development alumni and staff about the role that sport has played in each of their lives, the challenges that prevent young people from accessing or staying in sports programs, and the role that government can play to address some of these challenges. We’re hosting this conversation in the midst of working with the Illinois State Legislator to promote the inclusion of House Bill 4602 / Senate Bill 3994, which call for a 5M appropriation for grants to expand equity and opportunity in youth development-based sports initiatives in the 2023 Illinois State Budget. Event details below:
The Power of Sport in Illinois
• Date and Time: Friday, March 18th from 9-10am CT
• Information and Registration: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_a7iMud-yQ7SRBhZO7tgU_A
• Panelists:
• Luol Deng, former Chicago Bull
• Michael Johnson, Laureus USA Board Member and Olympic Champion
• Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas, Lead Sponsor of SB 2994 and Member of Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus
• Representative Kam Buckner, Lead Sponsor of HB 4602 and Chair of Illinois House Black Caucus
• Merary Flores, America SCORES Chicago Alumni and Current Program Assistant
• Amy Mummery, Executive Director of America SCORES Chicago
A Cook County judge ordered Illinois Department of Children and Family Services Director Marc Smith held in contempt of court for a seventh time Thursday for failing to place a child appropriately.
The order was issued by Juvenile Court Judge and former county Public Guardian Patrick Murphy.
Current Cook County Public Guardian Charles Golbert noted that this was the seventh time Smith has been held in contempt in the past 10 weeks. In this case, the subject of the order is a 16-year-old boy who has spent more than 375 days – almost the whole time he has been in DCFS custody – in a shelter that does not have the resources to support his needs given his intellectual and cognitive disabilities, the Public Guardian’s office said. […]
While she has been locked in the facility, she has not received services such as speech therapy. She also has not been allowed to go outdoors, and she has barely received an education.
For nearly a year now, the girl has received just one hour a day of schooling.
The Governor and Director Smith share the judge’s frustration and DCFS is working hard to find placements for these vulnerable children with special needs. Tragically, when Governor Rauner decimated social services, we were warned that it would be much easier to lose the 500 beds he destroyed than to recreate them again. Advocates warned that these services weren’t like a light switch that could be turned on and off with ease.
Since taking office, the Governor increased DCFS’ budget by over $340 million with DCFS launching aggressive hiring efforts to bring on 860 additional staff. The administration inherited a DCFS with outdated technology and inadequate trainings. Since then, technology has been overhauled and trainings and retrainings have taken place for every DCFS staff member. The DCFS hotline was backlogged with over 50% of calls requiring call backs in 2019. That’s down to under 1% now. The agency is working just as hard to create the needed placements for children.
DCFS’s placement shortage crisis has existed for at least the past seven years, when DCFS abolished 500 residential and group home beds. DCFS has not replaced these beds in all these years. DCFS’s placement shortage crisis has become so extreme that, for the first time in the more than three decades that I’ve been practicing in Juvenile Court, the court created a special consolidated docket where one judge is now hearing all of the cases with kids stuck in locked psychiatric hospitals, “temporary” shelters, offices, and the like. This docket has become known as the “placement crisis docket” and is sometimes also referred to as the “stuck kids call.” Judge Patrick T. Murphy presides over this consolidated call, and entered all six of the contempt orders against Smith. Holding a state agency director in contempt of court is extraordinarily rare. In the more than 30 years that I’ve been practicing in Juvenile Court, I cannot recall a single prior instance where a judge held the DCFS director in contempt. And now it’s happened six times in eight weeks.
The Department of Children and Family Services is dedicated to keeping children safe and strengthening families. We are working aggressively addressing the decades-long challenge of a lack of community resources and facilities for children with complex behavioral health needs, which has been exacerbated by an increased demand in social services in recent years. Every single day, DCFS works with its network of providers and foster parents in an ongoing effort to place these children in settings that can provide the appropriate level of care and in which the children can grow and flourish.
…Adding… The Richard Irvin campaign throws the kitchen sink at Pritzker…
The common theme of failure across the various agencies under Pritzker’s watch grows stronger as news today of yet another contempt of court order issued for Department of Children and Family Services agency director Marc Smith. This is the seventh contempt citation against Smith and DCFS to date.
Due to the failures of the Pritzker Administration to manage this agency, the courts have been forced to step in to address problems at the agency. Kids who were placed in the state’s care have not received necessary services, including housing, healthcare and more. Just yesterday, it was revealed there was a boy who had been living in a temporary shelter for over a year.
This is yet another massive failure in the Pritzker Administration. Earlier this week, we saw the families of veterans who tragically lost their lives due to the negligence and incompetence at the LaSalle Veterans Home seek justice. Pritzker’s Department of Insurance is also stalling in taking action against Blue Cross Blue Shield for restricting access to healthcare for central Illinoisans. And just last week, we found out that the Department of Employment Security knowingly gave funds to scammers that belonged to families and residents who were struggling during the pandemic.
“This now marks yet another state agency riddled with issues due to Governor Pritzker’s inaction, and the kids in the state’s care are paying the price. This is truly disgraceful,” said Irvin for Illinois spokesperson Eleni Demertzis. “It’s the Governor’s job to own these problems and swiftly correct them, but all we’ve seen is deflection and inaction from the administration. It seems like the only time Governor Pritzker cares about DCFS is when he’s profiting from their insurance plans.”
Personal PAC Board of Directors announces longtime President and CEO Terry Cosgrove will be retiring from his post after the November 2022 election. The Board is extraordinarily grateful to Terry for his 33 years of leadership and his lifelong dedication to protecting reproductive rights for people in Illinois.
Under his guidance, Personal PAC has surpassed the vision of its founders and has delivered upon its mission of improving access to reproductive healthcare, transforming Illinois into a 100 percent pro-choice state. Terry’s tireless political work and advocacy led to the passage of bills such as HB40 and the Reproductive Health Act, the repeal of the parental notification law, and the election of countless pro-choice elected officials, including Gov. J.B. Pritzker. This work has expanded low-income people’s access to healthcare and enshrined the protections of Roe v. Wade into Illinois law.
Personal PAC’s work is not done. Reproductive rights have been severely curtailed in states across the country, and as soon as this summer, the U.S. Supreme Court is poised to remove the constitutional protection on the right to safe and legal abortion care guaranteed by Roe. The leadership transition at Personal PAC will not distract us from the critical work ahead–ensuring that we elect pro-choice candidates to state and local office in the 2022 election is more important than ever and is critical to Illinois remaining the safe haven for reproductive healthcare in the Midwest.
Terry adds, “It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as President and CEO of Personal PAC for the past 33 years and to be able to devote my life to protecting the reproductive rights and the ability of all women to shape their lives, dreams and aspirations in the same manner as men. Reproductive rights are fundamental human rights, without which we cannot claim to be a real democracy.” Click here to read his full personal note.
On behalf of Personal PAC’s Board of Directors, we thank Terry for his exemplary stewardship. We will miss his leadership, strength, tenacity, and vision, and we hope to honor his legacy by building upon the standard of excellence in advocacy he has established. We look forward to continuing to ensure that every person in Illinois can access the reproductive healthcare they need.
He took occasional heat for his tactics, but Cosgrove did more to advance that cause than any single Illinoisan I know. The House and Senate weren’t always pro-choice bodies, even with Democratic majorities, until Cosgrove started working races.
Cheryl Bruce, campaign manager for Secretary of State candidate Anna Valencia, released the following statement after Alexi Giannoulias released a new video “re-introducing” himself to Illinois voters after a 12-year absence:
“We noticed a few key pieces were left on the cutting room floor, so allow us to fill in the gaps: Alexi Giannoulias was senior loan officer for a bank that loaned money to convicted mobsters, he engaged in reckless lending practices that led authorities to seize his family bank, and he lost millions of dollars in college savings for thousands of Illinois families. Illinoisans rejected Alexi when he lost Barack Obama’s Senate seat to an opponent plagued by scandal. Now, Alexi on the ballot risks losing Jesse White’s Secretary of State office, too. Alexi’s ‘re-introduction’ video is a sorry attempt to paper over his checkered history in which Illinois families lost big when he served our state. As Jay-Z says, ‘this is all fact, I’ll never change.’
“Now, Alexi is refusing to be transparent with Illinois voters about what he’s been up to over the last twelve years while he worked as a Wall Street banker, including for a big bank with close ties to gun manufacturers, coal companies and even North Korea. While Anna — who was raised by working class parents in a union household and has delivered bold and innovative ideas as Chicago City Clerk — was fighting for our communities during the Rauner and Trump administrations, Alexi helped rich people get richer. His commitment to transparency and accountability is worth nothing as long as he refuses to come clean about his clients and investments from the last decade-plus. Illinois voters are waiting.”
