Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Wednesday, Jan 24, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Oops…
…Adding… Welp…
* Politico…
— NEW AD: The Bring Chicago Home campaign is launching its first ad encouraging voters to check yes for the Ballot Measure 1. The ad features all the buzz words that voters might be drawn to, including “cutting taxes” and “ensuring the rich pay their fair share.” And it addresses the main point: helping homeless get out of the cold and into homes. That ad has already started appearing on Hulu, YouTube and other digital platforms. Watch it here
— TWO-FER: Congressmen Sean Casten (IL-06) and Bill Foster (IL-11) are scheduled to take part in a combined candidate forum along with primary challengers to their reelection bids. Details here
— Vidal Vasquez will remain on the ballot for the Democratic primary in the 21st House District, according to the Board of Elections. He’s challenging incumbent state Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid.
* Rockford Register Star…
Winnebago County Juvenile Detention Center officials have implemented a new disciplinary system, made major staffing changes, hired therapists and altered policies in the wake of an alarming June inspection that raised concerns about excessive confinement.
Some of the measures had already been in progress and others were accelerated by the annual audit conducted by the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice.
It found youth detainees at the 48-bed Winnebago County facility in Rockford at 5350 Northrock Drive were locked in their cells for hours at a time, many weren’t getting access to required education and that some had access to water cut off when misbehaving juveniles flooded their rooms.
Although the Department of Juvenile Justice has no authority to enforce its findings, 17th Circuit Court Director of Court Services Debbie Jarvis said it was taken seriously.
Some corrections — like ending the practice of shutting off water to cells of misbehaving youth who clogged their toilets with sheets, clothes or books — were taken in response to the report.
* Tribune…
If you stop by the Field Museum right now and find yourself in the Alsdorf Hall of Northwest Coast and Arctic Peoples, or the Robert R. McCormick Halls of the Ancient Americas, you will notice something about the display cases: Several are covered up.
That in itself is not unusual — who hasn’t been to a museum and seen a display case displaying nothing? What’s unusual is the reason: On Jan. 12, federal regulations concerning the exhibition and study of Native American remains and sacred artifacts were tightened, to bring teeth and clarity to a set of rules that languished for decades.
The revised regulations are sweeping: They demand museums speed up the process of repatriating Native American “human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects or objects of cultural patrimony,” establishing ownership and lineage between museum collections and Native American descendants, returning anything requested. Museums must update their inventories of Native American remains and funerary objects within five years. Also, curators can no longer categorize such items as “culturally unidentifiable,” thereby holding them indefinitely. Tribal knowledge and traditions must be deferred to.
Moreover, institutions must get “free, prior and informed consent” from Native tribes before the exhibition or research of sacred artifacts. According to a Field Museum statement, the covered displays hold “cultural items that could be subject to these regulations,” and will stay covered “pending consultation with the represented (tribal) communities.” (The Field also noted it does not have any human remains on display.)
* Here’s the rest…
* McLean Chronicle | Decatur’s Deering versus Bloomington’s Erickson in 88th House primary: With the district a solidly red enclave politically, the primary election will determine the next state representative, as no Democrat filed nominating petitions. Deering is endorsed by the retiring Caulkins, and Erickson is endorsed by retired State Sen. Dan Brady, a longtime political force in the Bloomington-Normal area.
* WBEZ | Army Corps plans $1 billion barricade to deter invasive carp at Illinois and Des Plaines Rivers: Invasive carp is shorthand for a family of giant fish that can out-eat, out-grow and out-reproduce native fish. In parts of the Illinois river, researchers say there’s more carp than anywhere else on the planet. The furthest upstream populations of the carp are approximately 14 miles downstream. But Whitney and other scientists worry that there’s increasingly an opportunity for the carp to make it through and disrupt the food web inside the Great Lakes. Carp could decimate the entire recreational and commercial fishing industry that has sprung up around the lakes that’s valued at $7 billion annually.
* Post-Tribune | BP tank leak spreads chemical odor across Indiana, Illinois communities: In the days following the incident, residents of nearby communities in Indiana and Illinois — including Crete, Steger, Tinley Park, Oak Forest and Posen — took to social media and contacted 911 to complain of an odor they described as strong and gas-like.
* Crain’s | Measure to ban natural gas in new buildings stumbles out of the gate: Ald. Brendan Reilly, 42nd, and Ald. Anthony Napolitano, 41st, sent the ordinance to the Rules Committee when it was introduced, meaning the supporters of the measure will have to take a vote to redirect it to a joint-committee of the Environmental Protection Committee and Zoning Committee where it can be put up for a vote.
* Tribune | National Endowment for the Arts gives more than $1.6 million in grants for art projects in Illinois: The grants include funding for art projects, research awards, literature fellowships, and Challenge America grants, which seek to reach historically underserved communities.
* WSPY | Sugar Grove Trustee Gets Deal from Kane State’s Attorney for Forgery Charges: Under the deal, Michels will only have to pay just over $1,500 in fines, complete a theft awareness program, and avoid arrest. If he abides by the agreement, which includes conditions such as not breaking any Illinois laws, the state’s attorney’s office will dismiss charges against him. The deal also appeared to stipulate Community Service to be performed. No documents were found in the court records explaining the extent of the community service. WSPY asked the Kane County States Attorney for comment on what the extent of community service would be and the Kane County States Attorney’s Office refused to respond.
* DE | The state of SIU’s buildings a cause for concern: The maintenance log, obtained under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, shows the types of concerns that have prompted students and faculty to call campus maintenance. They include dozens of instances of plumbing troubles, water damage, heating and cooling issues, mold, insects and more spanning from 2019 to 2022. In total, facilities management fielded 16,384 different requests over that time frame.
* Block Club | Residents Of Humboldt Park Tent Encampment Are Finding Homes, But More Help Is Needed: Officials with the city’s Department of Family & Support Services and the Department of Housing have hosted three accelerated moving events since May to get residents enrolled in a rapid rehousing program, leaders said. Fifty-six people have found permanent housing, and another 30 are finding new apartments or are in negotiations with providers, city officials said at a community meeting this month hosted by Ald. Jessie Fuentes (26th).
* Shaw Local | Marengo, Harvard enact laws to deter surprise migrant drop-offs: The ordinance is about ensuring safety, and is not meant to be punitive, city leaders said. “The city of Marengo hasn’t had any issues in regard to this, but we want to be prepared just in case,” Radcliffe said. “Better safe than sorry. We don’t envision getting this, but just in case, we have something in place to cover this.”
* Sun-Times | Council’s Budget Committee chair wants to fire head of financial analysis office: The stand-off began on July 14, when Williams said he was summoned to Ervin’s office and told the newly-appointed Budget chair was “going in a different direction and I’m putting you on administrative leave” with pay. “He took all my credentials and access away. I would love to come to work. I wasn’t allowed to come to work,” Williams, 50, said Wednesday.
* Daily Herald | Mount Prospect resumes effort to shut down source of bad odors: Prestige Feed Products, 431 Lakeview Court, recently installed equipment intended to mitigate odors coming from the factory. But village attorney Allen Wall told Cook County Judge Clare Quish that neighboring businesses and residents continue to file complaints. The village has requested a preliminary injunction requiring Prestige to halt operations until it can get the odors under control.
* Tribune | All things grow: Justin Peck is transforming Sufjan Stevens’ album into ‘Illinoise,’ a different kind of stage musical: Somewhere after the turn of the millennium, Stevens (who declined to be interviewed for this piece) came up with the idea of recording an album for every state in the union — an organizing principal, you might say, akin to August Wilson writing a play for every decade in the 20th century. But he only ever recorded two entries in his Fifty States project, later dismissing the whole enterprise: “Michigan,” a 2003 album with tracks about Detroit and the Upper Peninsula, but also Flint, Romulus (home of the Detroit airport) and Holland (Stevens went to Hope College). Not that he restricted himself to cities: there’s also “Wolverine” and the melancholic “Vito’s Ordination Song” about a friend of his, the Rev. Thomas Vito Aiuto, who became a minister.
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How’s that ‘abundance’ talk working out?
Wednesday, Jan 24, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s transition report last June…
Goal #1: Strengthen and invest in Chicago’s infrastructure to be inclusive of migrant and refugee communities to make Chicago a true Welcoming City.
VISION:
Chicago leads the nation in ensuring that all immigrants regardless of race, color, language, gender, status, or disability feel safe, invested in, and cared for. Through deep collaboration, alignment, and relationship building across communities, the city, and other layers of government, Chicagoans are able to live in abundance by having all their needs met regardless of their language, race, color, gender, or immigration status.
The word “abundance” was tossed around a lot before the election.
* December 14th…
About 300 migrants who have been waiting for shelter are expected to move into the former convent and one of the former school buildings on the St. Bartholomew campus at Addison Street and Lavergne Avenue. […]
“St. Bartholomew’s was the first that we landed on primarily because it was the quickest,” [Eric Wollan, the chief capital assets officer in the archdiocese’s real estate department] said. “Our hope is that we’ll be in a position to offer more sites.”
* Local Ald. Ruth Cruz put in the work to help make it all happen…
Cruz said that she talked with 16th District commander Heather Daniel and that the commander said the district already had experience dealing with migrant housing at Wright. She said the commander told her that safety for the neighborhood and migrants should not to be a problem.
Cruz said that she has also inquired out about medical and other resources from the county for the migrants and talked to the Chicago Public Schools, which she said expressed confidence migrant children could be brought into area schools without negatively impacting resources for existing students.
Cruz plans to distribute fliers explaining the housing plan to area homes and hold an informational session for residents.
And then Mayor Brandon Johnson pulled the rug out from under the plan (and his own transition report) when he confirmed this month that the city will not stand up any more shelters.
* The mayor’s decision to kill a shelter which was literally days away from opening and his decision not to open any new shelters has had some consequences, of course. Just one example…
Residents who live near a makeshift shelter for migrants in Edgewater are pushing back against the city about asylum-seekers being housed in their neighborhood for six months. […]
Pat Sharkey, a convener of the Coalition of Edgewater Block Clubs and Residents’ Associations, helped author the report for the city and said she plans to send it to a handful of officials Wednesday morning. Sharkey said the city closed 54 classes and programs at the armory when it decided to house migrants. 18 were relocated to other parks.
But Sharkey said many residents can’t or don’t want to go elsewhere in the city for their park programming — sports such as basketball, floor hockey and gymnastics. She said it has significantly affected families in her community. The study shows that enrollment in programs has decreased by 73%.
“There were 1,200 people using the armory in fall of 2022 and there are no classes being held there now,” she said. “It’s heartbreaking.”
And just wait until April, when the city will exhaust its appropriations authority because the mayor deliberately underfunded migrant-related spending.
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Just FYI
Wednesday, Jan 24, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The usual suspects have really been out in force this week…
The replies are bristling with people blaming the killer’s release on the SAFE-T Act. And that’s just a very tiny taste of what’s out there.
The facts are that Nance was released on cash bail last year, before cash bail was formally eliminated in September. And he was able to bail out in a county where State’s Attorney Jim Glasgow led the charge against eliminating cash bail and warned, “The intent of this law is to destroy the criminal justice system in Illinois.”
* To the Joliet Herald-News…
Although a Will County judge had denied the reduction of a $100,000 bond on assault and weapons charges last year for a Joliet man recently linked to the fatal shooting of eight people, someone identifying herself as his sister came up with the money to free him from jail, court records show.
On Jan. 26, 2023, Romeo Nance, 23, of Joliet, was taken to the Will County jail on a $100,000 bond warrant for his arrest on charges of aggravated discharge of a firearm, aggravated assault, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and reckless discharge of a firearm.
Those charges concerned a Jan. 3, 2023, incident unrelated to the recent deaths linked to Nance. On Monday, authorities said Nance was a suspect in the shooting deaths of eight people in the Joliet area and a non-fatal shooting of a ninth person.
Nance shot and killed himself in Texas following a confrontation with law enforcement there, according to Joliet police officials.
Under the SAFE-T Act, aggravated discharge of a firearm, reckless discharge of a firearm and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon are all detainable offenses.
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It’s just a bill
Wednesday, Jan 24, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* HB4567 from Rep. Anne Stava-Murray…
Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Includes in offense of threatening a public official or human service provider, threatening a library employee. Provides that the threat to a public official, human service provider, or library employee includes a threat made electronically or via social media. Defines “library employee”. In the offense of threatening a public official, human service provider, or library employee, includes in the definition of “public official” an employee of any State of Illinois constitutional office, State agency, or the General Assembly. Provides that the offense of disorderly conduct includes transmitting or causing to be transmitted threats or false reports electronically or via social media. Provides that disorderly conduct includes the knowing transmission of or causing to be transmitted in any manner, including electronically or via social media, a lewd, lascivious, indecent, or obscene message to a public official. Provides that making a terrorist threat or falsely making a terrorist threat includes making a terrorist threat or falsely making a terrorist threat by any means of communication, including electronically or via social media. Makes other changes.
* WIFR…
House Bill 4431 would amend the Illinois Vehicle Code, ending requirements for drivers over the age of 75 to retake a driving test to renew their driver’s license.
According to data from the National Safety Council, after age 34 the number of drivers involved in fatal crashes decreases as the age of the driver increases.
While many may have preconceived notions about older drivers causing more car accidents, State Representative Jeff Keicher says the facts show seniors are actually the safest drivers on the road.
“Illinois is the only state in the United States that does this, I think it’s time we trust our seniors,” Keicher said.
According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, in 2022, 24.39 out of every 1,000 Illinois drivers over the age of 75 have gotten in a crash, the lowest crash rate for every range of drivers between 16 and 69 years old.
* WLPO…
Municipalities would be given back their voice in the placement of solar farms under a new measure sponsored by State Senator Sue Rezin.
The Morris Republican has introduced a bill allowing cities, towns and villages to weigh in on the placement of solar-energy facilities in unincorporated areas that are within three miles of town.
Rezin says she’s backing the bill to help fix a mistake she says was made in the fall. That’s when another bill was pushed through the veto session. That measure allows the state to automatically approve placement of a wind or solar project, provided it meets what Rezin says are watered-down site requirements. While the law does allow cities to approve or deny nearby wind farms, it doesn’t allow an official local voice over the placement of solar farms.
Rezin’s new proposal is waiting to be assigned to a Senate Committee for consideration in Springfield.
* Lake & McHenry County Scanner…
A local lawmaker has filed a bill to ban people from possessing African serval cats after one escaped from its owners in a Vernon Hills neighborhood in November and died when it was captured.
Illinois State Rep. Daniel Didech (D-Buffalo Grove) introduced the legislation during the first week of the 2024 legislative session.
Didech said Tuesday the bill proposes a ban on the possession of African serval cats throughout Illinois. […]
State law currently prohibits individuals from possessing lions, tigers, leopards, ocelots, jaguars, cheetahs, margay, mountain lions, lynx, bobcats, jaguarundis, bears, hyenas, wolves, coyotes and nonhuman primates.
* HB4566 from Rep. Camille Lilly…
Amends the Business Corporation Act of 1983. Creates the Diversity and Inclusion in Business Organizations Leadership Task Force within the Office of the Secretary of State. Provides that the purpose of the Task Force is to identify ways to increase diversity in business organization leadership and to make recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly to achieve that goal. Provides that the Task Force shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly by January 1, 2026. Sets forth provisions concerning duties, membership, and administrative support. Repeals the provision that creates the Task Force and dissolves the Task Force on January 1, 2027. Effective immediately.
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Asylum-seeker coverage roundup
Wednesday, Jan 24, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Injustice Watch…
A monthslong feud between a Woodlawn landlord and his tenants over allegations of unlivable conditions reached a boiling point last week, when a skeptical judge threatened to jail tenants he found to be lying. […]
“This is a nightmare,” said one tenant, a 23-year-old whose first name is Esdras. His family moved to the $1,827-per-month apartment in September as part of a state-sponsored emergency rental program for asylum-seekers. […]
Chicago housing advocates interviewed by Injustice Watch say they know of other instances in which newly arrived asylum-seekers were housed in buildings the city has taken to housing court for building code violations.
A spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Human Services, one of two agencies administering the program, did not respond to an Injustice Watch question about why the state would place a family in a building being sued by the city for poor conditions.
…Adding… From the Illinois Department of Human Services…
The rental assistance program has a call center which tenants/landlords can access to ask questions or bring up issues with the program. Tenants also have access to legal aid clinics and/or community agencies that can help tenants with any apartment issues. Please note that all units are viewed by tenants prior to moving in and services are connected prior to move-in. Any issues brought to our attention are investigated and properly addressed.
* Press release…
Today, the City of Chicago and the Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) are announcing the conclusion of the Request for Proposals (RFP) process to find a new food service provider for city-run shelters for New Arrivals. DFSS is pleased to announce that two local agencies, Seventy-Seven Communities and 14 Parish, were selected.
Seventy-Seven Communities will serve as the food provider for shelters in the North Region of Chicago and 14 Parish will serve as the food provider for the New Arrivals shelters in the South Region. Both local agencies have participated in a rigorous and multi-step request for proposal review and evaluation process. They each were able to demonstrate their understanding of the target population and the ability to meet logistical needs of this mission as well as preparation and delivery capacities.
“We know that the New Arrivals Mission is very complex and being able to provide healthy, nutritious, and culturally relevant meals at a time when we know people need our help the most is an important part of this work,” said DFSS Commissioner Brandie Knazze.
Seventy-Seven Communities has been delivering quality meals around Chicagoland for decades and has experience creating specific menus for groups with complex needs, such as Chicago Public Schools (CPS) students. […]
The goals of this RFP were to increase food quality for all New Arrivals shelters and to decrease the cost of the Meals Program for the City. Both Seventy-Seven Communities and 14 Parish have demonstrated that they can provide high quality and culturally congruent meal service to all shelters for $15-$17 per person per day. This is a significant decrease from the $21-$23 the City has been spending on food per person per day prior to this contract. Additionally, both agencies have demonstrated that they have many partnerships with local and minority-owned restaurants, including local Venezuelan restaurants, who will be assisting in creating menus and preparing food that fit both the nutritious and cultural needs of shelter residents.
* ABC Chicago…
North Side residents plan to be at City Hall for Wednesday’s Council meeting, as they push for a migrant shelter to be returned to the community. […]
“It is hard for us to repurpose space, but it’s the time we’re living in now where we need to repurpose space,” [Deputy Mayor of Immigrant, Migrant, and Refugee Rights] Beatriz Ponce de Leon said back in July.
At that time, the city promised to reevaluate in six months, which will be on Feb. 1. […]
Edgewater residents are asking the Chicago Park District once again to make space for community programs and migrants inside the Broadway Armory.
“Nobody wants anybody out on the street,” [block club President Pat Sharkey] said. “But what we do want is a commitment for a date by which they will have unwound this facility and we can restart park programs.”
* Oak Park Journal…
Oak Park’s village board of trustees unanimously approved the submission of a grant application for more than $1.94 million to provide aid to asylum seekers in the village.
Of that, $11 million in Supporting Municipalities for Asylum Seekers Services funds is available to exclusively to municipalities outside of Chicago that such people, according to an Illinois Department of Human Services news release. The funds cannot be used, however, to transport the migrants to another municipality. […]
An approval of this grant funding would be expected within five days, said Kira Tchang, human resources director and assistant village manager. Village staff intends to submit the application Wednesday.
City of Chicago officials have said it would be best for migrants in Oak Park to remain where they are rather than being transported to Chicago’s “landing zone,” Tchang said.
“Last time we spoke with representatives from Chicago, they indicated that shelters were full,” she said.
* Shaw Local…
La Salle County’s Committee on Appointment and Legislation and Rules is expected to review the county’s migrant resolution 11 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 25.
The Insurance Trust Committee discussed the resolution Jan. 18 and the county’s insurance consultants said they saw no red flags with the resolution, which added language to assist migrants in a humanitarian manner.
The La Salle County Board began discussion Jan. 11 on coming up with a plan if a bus initially en route to Chicago were to abandon migrants within the county, as had occurred recently in suburbs around Chicago. At this time, there have not been any migrants dropped off by buses in La Salle County.
A resolution modeled after Grundy County was sent from the full County Board on Jan. 11 to the Committee on Appointment, Legislation and Rules, which met Jan. 16 and decided to send the item to the Insurance Trust Committee to make sure the county was not overlooking any liability.
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Open thread
Wednesday, Jan 24, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Wednesday, Jan 24, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* ICYMI: Alaska Airlines CEO: We found ‘many’ loose bolts on our Max 9 planes. NBC…
- The CEO’s interview was the first since a door plug on an Alaska Airlines-owned 737 MAX 9 carrying 177 people lost a door plug in the skies over Oregon during a flight to California on Jan. 5, forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing.
- Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci said that a new in-house inspection of the Boeing model in the fleet has uncovered that “many” of the planes had loose bolts.
- United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said in an interview he is contemplating a future for its fleet without the Boeing 737 Max 10, a newer version of the jet.
* Related stories…
* Isabel’s top picks…
* CNI | Pritzker touts climate investments despite renewables lagging state goals: But the Illinois Power Agency – which handles energy procurement for the state’s utilities – reports that the state is lagging far behind its goals. In its current long-term plan for renewable purchasing, which was published in May, the agency projected that by the 2025 delivery year, only 8.1 percent of electricity will come from sources that qualify as renewable under state law. “Achieving these goals would require a substantial increase in new renewable energy generation,” according to the agency’s report.
* Tribune | Paul Vallas facing $10,500 fine from city’s ethics board: The board found Vallas’ campaign committee accepted a $5,000 contribution from an unnamed entity, over and above the $1,500 cap on contributions to candidates for city office, and issued the fine this week. Asked about the fine, Vallas said he had not yet heard from the board about it, and that he donated past excess contributions to charity rather than refunding them to the donor.
* Here’s the rest of your morning roundup…
* WLPO | Candidates To Replace Yednock In Springfield Square Off Tonight At IVCC: Those expected to give their stances this evening include: Democrats Amy Briel of Ottawa; Cohen Barnes of DeKalb; and Carolyn Zasada also of DeKalb. Republicans going after the House seat are Crystal Loughran of Peru and Liz Bishop of La Salle.
* Gov Pritzker, Sens Durbin and Duckworth | Illinois has the tools and talent to power America’s next stage of AI: Leading the discovery of quantum supercomputing and next-generation AI will be what keeps America competitive on the global stage. The future strength of our economy depends on America leading and maximizing these discoveries.
* WTTW | Illinois Officials Look to ‘Knock the Dominoes Down’ and Ban Some Additives, Dye Used in Ultra-Processed Foods: State Sen. Willie Preston has a goal: To ensure that when Illinois residents go to the grocery store, they can be confident they’re not buying food “laced with poison.” But that description doesn’t sit well with Illinois manufacturers who say the ingredients are safe. Preston, a Chicago Democrat, is the sponsor of a proposal (SB2637) that would ban a handful of common additives in food made and sold in Illinois starting in 2027.
* WBEZ | Chicago charter schools are in a fight for a future in the city: All are guaranteed to be renewed when the board votes on Thursday because there’s a ban on closing schools in Chicago until next year. But most have fought for new deals to stay open up to another 10 years, arguing that would offer stability for their students. Instead, Chicago Public Schools staff are recommending four years or less for all of them, continuing a trend in recent years of short contact renewals.
* WTTW | Battle Begins to Ban Natural Gas in New Chicago Homes and Businesses to Fight Climate Change: Ald. Maria Hadden (49th Ward), the chair of the Environmental Protection and Energy Committee, said the proposal, dubbed the Clean and Affordable Buildings ordinance, was “the first step in a managed, planned process to move away from dirty, expensive gas and embrace a cheaper, cleaner energy future for all Chicagoans.”
* Crain’s | O’Hare slipped further behind Atlanta airport last year: Hartsfield-Jackson handled the most flights last year, at 775,818, according to new data from the Federal Aviation Administration. O’Hare was No. 2 at 720,582. But the distance between them is growing: Hartsfield-Jackson had 8% more flights last year than O’Hare, up from a 2% gap in 2022, according to FAA data. A year ago, O’Hare appeared to be closing the gap. A big reason for the change is that fewer but bigger planes are flying in and out of O’Hare.
* Crain’s | Wrigley Field sportsbook still awaiting gambling approval: report: “The state moves a lot more slowly than we hoped, but there are signs that they’re moving and we’ll get the license soon,” Cubs President of Business Operations Crane Kenney told the Tribune. “Their inquiries have nothing to do with our connection to a baseball stadium.”
* South Side Weekly | WVON Celebrates Sixty Years Of Community-Driven Content: station began its journey in 1963 when it was purchased by brothers Leonard and Phil Chess of Chess Records—the legendary record label that distributed the work of Chicago’s great blues musicians. WVON was born as a music station featuring jazz, blues, gospel, and more. However, since its original purchase, the station has gone through changes in ownership, frequency, and format.
* RFT | St. Louis Slumlord Got Federal COVID Relief Funds, Tenants Say: On and off since 2014, Danielle Hopkins has rented from Dara Daugherty, the St. Louis slumlord who was hit last week with a lawsuit from the city accusing her of operating “illegal rooming houses” in 39 condemned houses across south city.
* WCBU | DCFS bringing a push to expand its workforce to central Illinois event: Stephanie Ward, a DCFS employment recruiter, says the agency’s staffing level is already the highest it’s been in more than 15 years. “We have over 3,400 employees currently. But we’re constantly seeking new employees to work in the central Illinois area in addition to statewide in Illinois,” Ward said. “There will always be a need for investigators and caseworkers and support staff, so we’re always looking for new employees.”
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Live coverage
Wednesday, Jan 24, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* You can also click here or here to follow breaking news…
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Tuesday, Jan 23, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Governor Pritzker spoke at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Unlimited Potential DCFS Women’s Transitional House in Blue Island this morning. No reporters showed up to ask questions. Press release…
Governor JB Pritzker joined Unlimited Potential House (“UP House”) and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) today to announce the grand opening of UP House’s new campus and its transitional living facility, “Logan’s Place,” that offers housing, education, and support services for young women in the care of DCFS as they begin their journey toward independent living.
“This is exactly the kind of facility — and organization — that young women in DCFS care deserve as they embark on a new chapter of their lives,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “The funding the state is providing to UP House builds on DCFS’ critical work to add capacity throughout the system, work we will continue to prioritize, so every Illinois youth gets the support they need and deserve.”
The new campus, located on the grounds of the former Mother of Sorrows Convent in Blue Island, will provide a safe, enriching, and supportive environment fostering personal growth and well-being for up to 50 young women aged 17½ to 21. Staff will offer mentorship and individualized attention. Once all 21 currently available beds at the facility are occupied, DCFS will invest $3M/year to pay for the costs of room and board and program fees. This funding from DCFS is an appropriation for external organizations that aid in the transition of DCFS youth from foster care to transitional living to provide support and prevent homelessness among those who age out.
Logan’s Place is a residential facility equipped with a rec room, theater, art room and resident lounge, and serves as the entry-level program for all young women served by UP House. Each young woman will be paired with a mentor who will provide guidance and life skills support. Residents will also have access to educational resources through partnerships with Moraine Valley and South Suburban College; and participate in job readiness training and vocational programs to explore various career paths.
After developing skills at Logan’s Place, the residential program participants will have the opportunity to continue their development at UP House by transitioning to Kumari’s Place. With a residential capacity of 21 young women, Kumari’s place represents the pinnacle of UP House’s transitional living program. This fully outfitted building combines the independence of collegiate dormitory-style living with access to support resources. Residents at Kumari’s Place have access to communal and educational spaces, as well as thoughtfully curated living quarters.
* Sen. Linda Holmes…
State Senator Linda Holmes sponsors legislation on a variety of topics each year, and it isn’t unusual for her animal welfare bills to gain media attention. That has risen to a new level this month as her “bear selfie” law has been featured in National Geographic.
“Throughout my career in the Illinois Senate, I have championed laws that address how wild and domestic animals are confined and used for profit, often in dangerous and unhealthy conditions,” said Holmes (D-Aurora). “The Wild Animal Public Safety Act addresses concerns with roadside zoos and traveling exhibitions by prohibiting close public contact with all primates and bears.”
The new law took effect Jan. 1, 2024, making it a Class B misdemeanor for any person to allow any member of the public, except for certain exempted people, to encounter a bear or primate. The National Geographic story added that Holmes’ 2017 law made Illinois the first state to prohibit using captive elephants in traveling circuses.
* WBEZ…
Ford Heights hasn’t had a real, standalone library in about 30 years. Public records show the south suburb has collected more than $100,000 in taxpayer money over the past decade, although it’s a mystery as to where the money is going and why volunteers instead created a makeshift library the size of a dining room.
Records requested by WBEZ show the Ford Heights Public Library District has requested $842,724 in levies from its residents between 2011 and 2021. And over that time, the Cook County Treasurer has distributed more than $121,522 to the Ford Heights Public Library District.
[Ladell Jones, president of the Ford Heights volunteer library board] was listed in documents from the Cook County Clerk’s Office as the public library president for the first time in 2017, and intermittently held that title throughout the subsequent years. He was most recently the president in 2022. WBEZ reached out to Ford Heights officials to get an explanation about where the money is going, but they did not return phone calls.
Since Ford Heights technically has a library district, its residents cannot get full-access cards at other libraries. The majority-Black suburb has 1,800 residents, and 39% of them earn less than $25,000 a year. According to the Cook County Treasurer, Ford Heights has the lowest property tax collection rate in the county – 29.3% vs. the countywide rate of 96%.
* Block Club…
There is a “total loss of privacy, especially for ground floor tenants,” one Roscoe Village resident posted on Reddit in a public plea for the end to rat hole madness. […]
“This past weekend was absolute hell for me and my neighbors,” they wrote. “We have always liked the rat (or squirrel) — it was a cute, quirky little thing in our neighborhood. People would smile and laugh as they walked by, and that was it. It’s been there at least 20 years.
“But now the internet has learned about it, and taken things waaaaay too far. What was once a fun little quirk has become a trashy, cheap marketing ploy.” […]
“Let me reiterate that we don’t want to fill in or otherwise destroy the rat hole. I’m glad that it has brought people joy,” rat-hole-neighbor wrote. “But we need you all to chill out. Please.”
* Here’s the rest…
* Center Square | Nonprofit lauds impact of Illinois’ Predatory Loan Prevention Act: Woodstock Institute is highlighting the positive impact of Illinois’ Predatory Loan Prevention Act (PLPA) which capped interest rates at 36%. Illinois passed the PLPA in January 2021 and Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed it into law later that year. The report found that most lenders stopped making predatory loans, saving consumers more than $600 million in interest and fees.
* CNI | State Police report fewer deaths on Illinois highways in 2023: Illinois State Police report the declines came at the same time troopers were beefing up their enforcement on the state’s transportation arteries. Arrests were up 3 percent, gun recoveries up 12 percent, and vehicle recoveries were up 7 percent.
* The Bond Buyer | Moody’s revises Chicago’s rating outlook to positive: Moody’s Investors Service revised Chicago’s outlook up to positive Friday and affirmed the city’s bond ratings. The rating agency cited stronger pension contribution practices and upward movement in the city’s financial position. It also said it expects the city’s reserves will stay stable to growing going forward.
* WGEM | New Illinois law expands tenants rights if radon found in home: State lawmakers also recently took action. A new law, which took effect Jan. 1, requires landlords tell prospective tenants whether radon is present and let them know their rights. Tenants have 90 days to test for radon. If it comes back positive, the landlord must cover at least half the mitigation costs. The tenant can also end the lease if radon levels exceed IEMA’s safety standard. Tenants can test after 90 days but the law would not automatically allow them to void their lease if the test comes back positive.
* Crain’s | Natural gas ban on new construction and renovations heads to City Council: The proposal would limit the use of carbon-emitting gas in both new buildings and on any additions that increase the square footage of an existing building by more than 10,000 square feet or by 25% of the existing floorspace. The ordinance would take effect one year after passage and would apply to those buildings, with the exception of some including hospitals, crematoriums and some commercial kitchens.
* Crain’s | Here’s who will pay how much if the transfer tax proposal passes: This house on West 63rd Place in Clearing sold in December for $310,000, the median price of homes sold that month in the city. Included in the revised structure Johnson endorsed in August was something that hadn’t been in previous plans to boost the transfer tax: a cut for anyone paying less than $1 million for a property. If the referendum passes, the transfer tax on those sales will drop from 0.0075% to 0.0060%. In December, the buyers of this house paid $2,325 in transfer taxes, or $463 more than they would pay in the new structure.
* WTTW | Effort to Crack Down on New Dollar Stores in Chicago Advances: At one point, 47 alderpeople signed on as a co-sponsor of the measure, introduced back in October. But several of those City Council members said they would vote against it — and O’Shea blamed an intense lobbying effort by Dollar Tree for swaying his colleagues.
* Daily-Herald | Most suburban residents are worried about climate change, but we’re still not talking about it, study says: While some trends are rising, other questions of interest such as whether people “discuss global warming at least occasionally” are stagnant. “People are still not talking about it. It’s only 36% (nationwide) who say they talk about this issue, at least occasionally. And people are still not hearing about it in the media – that’s only 32%,” senior research scientist Jennifer Marlon said. “We’re not talking about it more, and if anything, we’re talking about it a little bit less in some states, which to me was really shocking.”
* SJ-R | Criticism and ovation surround Terrence Shannon in return to Illinois basketball team: Steve Greenberg of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote about Shannon’s return. “Some were outraged by his presence. … Many others — Illini fans, naturally — have piled in to defend Shannon’s due process,” he wrote. “Some of these folks even are going so far as to proclaim Shannon’s innocence, despite the tiny fact they have utterly no idea what’s true or isn’t.”.
* Sun-Times | City announces 50 finalists for snowplow naming contest, including ‘Chance the Scraper’ and ‘Casimir Plowaski’: The six names with the most votes will be featured on a snowplow in each of the city’s six snow districts, joining the named snowplows announced last year. Those who submitted winning names will get the chance to take a photo with the plow they named.
* LexisNexis | Gender-Affirming Care Continues to Occupy—and Divide—State Lawmakers: In the past few years the legislative trend associated with gender-affirming care that has drawn the most media attention is the passage, mostly in Republican-governed states, of laws banning such care for minors. The bans typically cover the prescription of puberty blockers and hormones, as well as the performance of gender transition surgeries, on minors up to the age of 18. As of September 2023, 22 states had enacted such bans. A handful of those laws make the provision of such care a felony.
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* Among all the talk about apparent mass non-compliance with the assault weapons owner registry, the points made by GPAC CEO Kathleen Sances have been pretty much lost in the coverage…
One year ago, the Protect Illinois Communities Act effectively and immediately stopped the sale of assault weapons in the state.
There was no sunset, no grace period. Just an immediate halt to the manufacturing and sale of assault weapons that have increased the number of mass shootings across the country; high-capacity magazines that fire multiple rounds in quick succession without taking the time to reload; and, switches that convert legal handguns into military-style assault weapons.
And here’s how you measure the success of that law on the heels of its one-year anniversary: Our analysis of data from the Gun Violence Archive shows 10% fewer mass shootings in Illinois between 2022 and 2023; gun dealers haven’t sold assault weapons in Illinois in the past 12 months and there isn’t any evidence of violations by dealers.
Gun dealers are complying with the ban, and that’s evidenced by their complaints about the loss of sales, collectively costing dealers millions of dollars, and saving an untold number of lives. In fact, when assault weapons or high-capacity magazines are used in shootings, 155% more people are shot and 47% more people are killed.
* And about that gun registry…
In their response to a Fifth Amendment challenge to the state’s gun ban and registry in the Southern District of Illinois federal court, attorneys for the state say the right against self-incrimination isn’t violated by the registry.
The state’s lawyers argue the registration is a “voluntary benefit that exempts owners of certain” firearms from “otherwise applicable criminal penalties.” They also argue the “government has no authority to impose” penalties on those that don’t register and the idea someone would be prosecuted for what they file is “not real.”
“[T]he fanciful chain of events they have dreamed up has no serious chance of coming to fruition,” the filing said.
Discuss.
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* Yesterday, the FAA told airlines to check panels on yet another Boeing plane. New York Times…
The Federal Aviation Administration recommended late Sunday night that airlines begin visual inspections of door plugs installed on Boeing 737-900ER planes, the second Boeing model to come under scrutiny this month.
The F.A.A. said the plane had the same door plug design as the company’s newer 737 Max 9. The agency grounded about 170 Max 9 jets after a door panel blew off one of the planes shortly after an Alaska Airlines flight left Portland, Ore., on Jan. 5, forcing an emergency landing.
The door plugs are placed as a panel where an emergency door would otherwise be if a plane was configured with more seats. […]
Alaska Airlines and United Airlines, which both use the 737-900ER, said in statements that they had already started inspecting their planes of that model. Delta Air Lines, which also flies the aircraft, said it had “elected to take proactive measures to inspect our 737-900ER fleet.” None of the airlines expected any disruptions to their operations.
* Today from the NYT…
What Boeing has missed, as it tried to dump costs and speed production, was the chance to ensure that safety was a cultural core and a competitive advantage. Corporations can choose to push back against the Wall Street-driven notion that safety equals cost, and thus lower profits. In the late 1980s and ’90s, the aluminum giant Alcoa, under its chief executive Paul O’Neill, made safety the top priority demonstrating that a culture built around safety can actually be efficient, because accidents and defects decrease when employees know the company cares about their well-being. While assembling an airframe isn’t as dangerous as working with molten metal, when employees know they’ll be supported in building the safest possible aircraft as opposed to the cheapest, the end product will benefit — and buyers will have more confidence.
Choices made by Boeing’s leaders also had consequences. In 2011, the chief executive at the time, W. James McNerney Jr., made what became a fateful decision by greenlighting the 737 Max, rather than investing billions in developing a new short-haul aircraft. His decision wasn’t necessarily a bad one — there was looming competition from the Airbus A320neo — but it committed Boeing to a flight path the company proved unable to navigate.
Mr. McNerney’s decision meant rushing development of the 737 Max while at the same time managing the Federal Aviation Administration so that the certification of redesigned jet — whose engines had been physically moved forward — would not require retraining of pilots, thus saving customers time and money. Being good at managing the agency charged with ensuring your product’s safety can put the whole process at cross purposes. That combined with the decline in the company’s other competencies contributed to the two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 that prompted the 737 Max’s grounding for nearly two years. And even before the Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 incident, Boeing had been having significant problems assembling its 787 Dreamliner on its South Carolina production line.
And just when Boeing needed experienced employees the most, it suffered a brain drain. In late 2022, many Boeing engineers started heading for the door to lock in pension payouts (which could be hurt by rising interest rates) they had accumulated. When full airframe production returned after the pandemic, a lot of the talent didn’t.
* AP…
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby says he is “disappointed” in ongoing manufacturing problems at Boeing that have led to the grounding of dozens of United jetliners, and the airline will consider alternatives to buying a future, larger version of the Boeing 737 Max.
Kirby said Tuesday that Boeing needs “real action” to restore its previous reputation for quality.
His comments came one day after United disclosed that it expects to lose money in the first three months of this year because of the grounding of its Boeing 737 Max 9 jets.
United has 79 of those planes, which federal regulators grounded more than two weeks ago after a panel blew out of an Alaska Airlines Max 9 in midflight, leaving a gaping hole in the plane. Investigators are probing whether bolts that help hold the panel in place were missing or broke off.
Kirby said on CNBC that he believes that the Max 9s could be cleared to fly again soon, “but I’m disappointed that the manufacturing challenges do keep happening at Boeing.”
* Business Insider…
“The Max 9 grounding is probably the straw that broke the camel’s back for us,” Scott Kirby said. “We’re gonna build an alternative plan that just doesn’t have the Max 10 in it.” [..]
Kirby told CNBC he believes the best case for 737 Max 10 deliveries is still five years behind schedule.
* The Hill…
Scott Kirby said Boeing needs “real action” to restore its reputation and that he has spoken with Dave Calhoun, Boeing’s CEO, to express his frustration.
“Well, look, you know, we’re Boeing’s biggest customer in the world. They’re our biggest partner in the world,” Kirby said in an interview with CBNC. “We need Boeing to succeed … but they’ve been having these consistent manufacturing challenges and they need to take action together.”
* CNN…
Boeing has had a series of quality issues that have dogged the aircraft maker for the last five years, ever since two fatal crashes of the 737 Max 8 in late 2018 and early 2019 led to a 20-month grounding of the jet.
* An Atlantic article from 2019…
The isolation [of the headquarters in Chicago] was deliberate. “When the headquarters is located in proximity to a principal business—as ours was in Seattle—the corporate center is inevitably drawn into day-to-day business operations,” Condit explained at the time. And that statement, more than anything, captures a cardinal truth about the aerospace giant. The present 737 Max disaster can be traced back two decades—to the moment Boeing’s leadership decided to divorce itself from the firm’s own culture.
For about 80 years, Boeing basically functioned as an association of engineers. Its executives held patents, designed wings, spoke the language of engineering and safety as a mother tongue. Finance wasn’t a primary language. Even Boeing’s bean counters didn’t act the part. As late as the mid-’90s, the company’s chief financial officer had minimal contact with Wall Street and answered colleagues’ requests for basic financial data with a curt “Tell them not to worry.”
By the time I visited the company—for Fortune, in 2000—that had begun to change. In Condit’s office, overlooking Boeing Field, were 54 white roses to celebrate the day’s closing stock price. The shift had started three years earlier, with Boeing’s “reverse takeover” of McDonnell Douglas—so-called because it was McDonnell executives who perversely ended up in charge of the combined entity, and it was McDonnell’s culture that became ascendant.
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* The sample size of this “brush fire” poll conducted January 16-18 for the Darren Bailey campaign is only 300 likely Republican primary voters, and has a margin of error of +/- 5.66 percent. So, take it for the small snapshot that it is…
Undecideds were 8 percent, compared to 11 percent in the earlier poll.
According to this poll, the race appears to be tightening since August. But, again, small sample size and high MoE.
* Fox News is doing its thing…
Check out how low the crime issue polls with southern Illinois Republicans.
* No real surprise, considering…
There’s more, so click here.
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* Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago) writes in the Tribune about asylum-seekers, housing issues and the 2024 Democratic National Convention…
The influx of new arrivals entering Chicago has not and will not break us, but what it has done is reveal to us what is already broken. The housing issue didn’t begin when the first bus was sent from Texas. Tens of thousands of housing-insecure people in Chicago have waited for an answer to this issue for decades, but a sufficient one hasn’t been provided. Even in our political platforms, we have roundly ignored the issues of housing for the poor. The parlance we’ve adopted has generally included only the “middle class” — promising them a better existence — and the “ultrawealthy” — asking them to pay their fair share. But in a country with 43 million people living below the poverty line, we can’t keep pretending that poor and unhoused people don’t exist. […]
The Constitution grants the federal government exclusive power to regulate immigration. The federal government also must deal with housing insecurity in America. These are federal issues. […]
As Democrats prepare to showcase our big, broad, diverse coalition to the world, in this big, broad, diverse city, there is an opportunity to deliver on the promises that are embedded in our platforms. Federal resources need to begin to flow immediately, and the convention should be the impetus to do that. But, if the federal government cannot adequately deal with the housing issue for tenured Chicagoans and our new arrivals, then Chicago and Illinois should be prepared to rescind the offer to host the DNC.
In the coming weeks, I will be working with the Rev. Michael Pfleger and a contingent of concerned Chicagoans from St. Sabina Catholic Church who share these concerns and have begun to mobilize behind them.
I realize this is a bold and unprecedented suggestion, but our situation is also unprecedented. And we must act with that in mind. I am excited about the DNC. I am voting for Joe Biden; I believe the future of our democracy depends on it. I am even running to be a convention delegate. I am elated about having three rock star Black women, Minyon Moore, Christy George and Keiana Barrett, in positions of power to execute this convention for a party under the leadership of its second elected Black chair and a presidential ticket with a Black woman returning as vice president. To me, this is all the more reason for the convention not to be just a party but also proof that the values we espouse matter. At this moment, the full weight of the federal government is required.
I would suggest that Rep. Buckner is not wrong. Your own thoughts?
…Adding… From Natalie Edelstein, the spokesperson for the host committee/convention…
“The Democratic National Convention provides an unparalleled opportunity to invest in communities across Chicago. Previous host cities have enjoyed major economic benefits––upwards of $150 million––in addition to supporting good-paying, local jobs. We look forward to continuing to work with our partners at the city, state, and federal levels to ensure a safe and successful event for all of Chicago’s residents and visiting attendees.”
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It’s just a bill
Tuesday, Jan 23, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Sun-Times…
Five potentially harmful ingredients commonly found in food and drinks would be banned from retail sales in Illinois under proposed legislation that goes further than California’s first-in-the-nation ban on additives.
Senate Bill 2637, introduced by state Sen. Willie Preston, D-Chicago, and backed by Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, would ban brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propylparaben and red dye No. 3 — four additives that California outlawed in October.
Preston said he’ll amend the bill, which was filed in November, to also ban titanium dioxide from foods and beverages. […]
The Illinois measure also would take effect in 2027, but it would exempt manufacturers and instead focus on retail sales.
Giannoulias, a father of three, said it’s “enormously important” for children to steer clear of harmful chemicals in food and beverages. He says he took an interest in the legislation as the official in charge of Illinois’ organ donation registry.
…Adding… The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association…
The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA) released the following statement regarding SB2637, which sets a dangerous precedent for food regulation:
“Manufacturers oppose this well-intentioned legislation as it would set a dangerous precedent by usurping the role of scientists and experts at the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, which reviews and approves food additives to ensure they are safe,” said Mark Denzler, President & CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “This measure would create a confusing and costly patchwork of regulations for food manufacturing, which is the single largest segment of Illinois’ manufacturing economy, generating more than $135 billion in economic impact each year.”
* Rep. Margaret Croke filed HB4550 yesterday…
Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Increases from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class 4 felony the penalty for a first violation of the provisions that prohibit the knowing possession, transportation, purchase, or receipt of an unfinished frame or receiver of a firearm unless: (1) the party possessing or receiving the unfinished frame or receiver is a federal firearms importer or federal firearms manufacturer; (2) the unfinished frame or receiver is possessed or transported by a person for transfer to a federal firearms importer or federal firearms manufacturer; or (3) the unfinished frame or receiver has been imprinted with a serial number issued by a federal firearms importer or federal firearms manufacturer.
* HB4539 from Rep. Debbie Meyers-Martin…
Amends the Credit Services Organizations Act. Expands the list of prohibitions imposed on a credit services organization to include: (i) charging or receiving any money or other valuable consideration before providing services listed in the contract (rather than charging or receiving any money or other valuable consideration prior to full and complete performance of the services the credit services organization has agreed to perform); (ii) making a guarantee that a buyer’s credit score or credit report will be improved through that buyer contracting with the credit services organization; (iii) adding an authorized user to a credit card account for payment of money or other valuable consideration; (iv) seeking an investigation by a third party of a trade line on a credit report without the authorization of the buyer; (v) failing to allow the buyer to cancel a contract with the credit services organization by phone call, email, text message, or a website; and other prohibitions as specified. In a provision concerning written statements a credit services organization must provide to a buyer before executing a contract or other agreement with the buyer, provides that, if a credit services organization agrees to provide services on a periodic basis, the organization must provide a detailed written description of those services that explains how the buyer will be billed in substantially equal periodic payments at fixed time intervals. In a provision requiring each written contract to include certain statements and information, provides that: (i) a statement alerting the buyer of the cancellation notice form attached to the contract must be written in at least 10-point boldface type; and (ii) the written contract must include a complete and detailed description of the services to be performed by the credit services organization and the total cost to the buyer for such services, including a detailed description on how a buyer will be billed for services provided by the credit services organization on a periodic basis. Requires a credit services organization to obtain a surety bond and adhere to certain procedures. Provides that the surety bond shall be maintained for a period of 5 (rather than 2) years after the date that the credit services organization ceases operations. Makes a change to the definition of “credit services organization”.
* HB4543 from Rep. Jackie Haas…
Amends the Tax Increment Allocation Redevelopment Act of the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that, if an ordinance is adopted after the effective date of the amendatory Act creating a redevelopment project area, the redevelopment project area will expire the 23rd year after the year in which the first project started using the moneys from the special tax allocation fund (rather than expire the 23rd year after the year in which the ordinance approving the redevelopment project area was adopted if the ordinance). Provides that the start of the 23 years for ordinances adopted after the effective date of the amendatory Act commences no later than 10 years after the year in which the ordinance approving the redevelopment project area was adopted even if no projects have been started using the moneys from the special tax allocation fund. Makes a conforming change in provisions extending the expiration of a redevelopment project area to the 35th calendar year. Provides that no more extensions of redevelopment project areas to the 47th calendar year may occur after January 8, 2025 unless added by a Public Act of the 103rd General Assembly. Effective immediately.
* Rep. Lance Yednock filed HB4551…
Amends the Counties Code. Provides that a county may deny a permit for a commercial solar energy facility or commercial wind energy facility, including the modification or improvement to an existing facility, if the work requested to be performed under the permit is not being performed under a project labor agreement with building trades located in the area where construction, modification, or improvements are to be made.
* Rep. Anna Moeller’s HB4549…
Amends the Illinois Plumbing License Law. Provides that, beginning on July 1, 2024, food service establishments with less than 2,000 square feet may provide one unisex, readily accessible restroom facility for the public. Effective immediately.
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* Politico…
There’s friction between Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson’s teams about how to manage the migrant crisis — though both sides agree on one thing: More help is needed from the federal government.
What’s causing the split: The city’s plan to stop building new shelters, which we reported Monday, drew a sharp response from Pritzker. “I’m deeply concerned. We do not have enough shelter as it is in the city of Chicago,” he told reporters during a press gaggle.
* WTTW…
In a statement, Johnson spokesman Ronnie Reese indicated that if Pritzker’s so concerned, he could pull the levers at his disposal as the state’s chief executive.
“There are 1,300 municipalities in the State of Illinois, of which Chicago is one. The State has the authority to fund, stand up and operate a shelter in any one of those municipalities at any time that it chooses, including the City of Chicago,” Reese wrote. “Thus far, the City of Chicago has carried the entire weight of the new arrival mission, sheltering nearly every asylum seeker sent to Illinois. We remain committed, however, to ensuring that asylum seekers are housed while also fulfilling our fiduciary responsibilities to the people of Chicago.”
A Pritzker official said that Illinois has taken on responsibilities ranging from wraparound supports to six months of paying for food in shelters, plus allocating the majority of grant funding to Chicago.
“The idea that they are shouldering all of this on their own is ridiculous,” the official said.
The official also pushed back that the state has the authority to build a shelter anywhere it pleases.
* Tribune…
Asked whether the state would be providing additional funding to address the state’s migration crisis this year, Pritzker said he has encouraged state legislators to ensure they can fulfill the $160 million in additional funding the state has committed to address the issue.
“If you think this problem is going to end when the temperature warms up, it’s not,” he said. “We still need shelter for people.”
Pritzker came up with the $160 million largely by moving money around within the existing Illinois Department of Human Service budget but wants lawmakers to approve using surplus revenue to replenish those line items. Senate President Don Harmon, an Oak Park Democrat, has expressed a reluctance to address migrant funding as a stand-alone issue.
* More…
* WGN | Pritzker critical of Chicago’s plan to handle reduced shelter space for migrants: A tweak to Chicago’s plan for migrants. In closed-door briefings, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson informed officials that the city would no longer set up new shelter space. Sources say last Friday, a group of City Council members were told that the city does not plan to add new shelter beds. As residents leave, new arrivals will fill the beds.
* Axios | More migrants receive permits to legally work in Chicago: Nearly 1,000 new arrivals in Chicago have obtained work permits roughly four months after the Biden administration expanded eligibility to nearly a half-million more Venezuelans.
* NYT | 9 Democratic Governors Push Biden and Congress to Address Migrant Crisis: The governors, led by Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York, asked in a letter to the White House and Congress for “a serious commitment” to overhauling the immigration system that would include federal coordination on a strategy to relieve pressure on the southern and northern borders, as well as for more funds for states. “It is clear our national immigration system is outdated and unprepared to respond to this unprecedented global migration,” reads the letter, which is signed by Ms. Hochul and the governors of Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, New Mexico, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Maryland.
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Open thread
Tuesday, Jan 23, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* What’s going on? Keep it Illinois-centric please…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Tuesday, Jan 23, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* ICYMI: Staffing agencies not exempted from antitrust law, state Supreme Court rules. Capitol News Illinois…
-The decision comes 3 ½ years after Attorney General Kwame Raoul sued a trio of staffing agencies, alleging they used their mutual client to coordinate no-poach agreements, which created a secondary agreement to pay temp staffers less than the market rate.
-In a unanimous 20-page opinion published Friday, the justices quoted a 1979 U.S. Supreme Court opinion that said some agreements “are so plainly anticompetitive that they are conclusively presumed illegal without further examination under the rule of reason generally applied in (antitrust law) cases.”
* Isabel’s top picks…
* Sun-Times | Pritzker joins Democratic governors asking Biden, Congress for migrant aid and to fix ‘outdated’ immigration system: Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday joined the Democratic governors of eight other states in asking President Joe Biden and Congress to “quickly negotiate” a border security agreement that includes funding for states and cities that are receiving thousands of migrants. “As Governors representing over 100 million Americans, we write to call on Washington to work together to solve what has become a humanitarian crisis,” the letter, led by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, reads.
* Chronicle | Petition challenge withdrawn, Greenwood vs. Schmidt rematch back on track: There was no such fanfare in January, however, when objector Wavey T. Lester, a former state senate candidate from Milstadt, backed down and withdrew the objection. In order for the objection to have been sustained, an Illinois State Board of Elections hearing officer would have had to have found that fully two-thirds of the more than 1,600 signatures Greenwood had submitted were fraudulent or otherwise legally defective.
Governor Pritzker will be in Blue Island at 10 am for a ribbon cutting for the new Unlimited Potential DCFS Women’s Transitional House. Click here to watch.
* Here’s the rest of your morning roundup…
* WICS | Illinois private institutions receive $400 million in capital grants from the IBHE: The Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) has awarded $400 million in grants through the Independent Colleges Capital Investment Grant Program to 45 institutions of higher education in Illinois in partnership with the Illinois Capital Development Board.
* Vermillion County First | Schweizer Touched by Friendliness of Fellow Legislators During First Week in Springfield: I just kind of assumed it was, like in high school you had your own cliques that you were hanging out with. But, it was not that. Everybody there was really nice. I spoke with a lot of folks on the other side of the aisle, great individuals. And I really look forward to getting back down there, and introducing my own legislation that fits into by own core values.
* IPM | One in 10 students skips or reduces meals to save money. Some Illinois lawmakers want to help: Champaign-Urbana State Representative Carol Ammons says she’s trying to free up state funding for students who can’t afford their meal plans. “They would have a gift card for that store down the street from the campus. We’re trying to shape this to make it flexible enough so students have a way to access these dollars,” Ammons said.
* Crain’s | Johnson in no hurry to replace Ramirez-Rosa as zoning chair: The committee’s vice-chair, freshman Ald. Bennett Lawson, 44th, has chaired two meetings of the body in his place and will run a third on Jan. 23. The City Council must vote on a new chair, so the position is going to remain vacant until at least the February meeting of the body.
* Crain’s | Feds order city to promote, pay Midway whistleblower: The U.S. Department of Labor found that Michael Conway, an airfield-operations employee, was protected by whistleblower rules six years ago when he complained that a supervisor wrongly pressured him to report that a runway was dry, rather than wet, at the request of Southwest Airlines.
* Tribune | Mayor Brandon Johnson’s ‘better deal’ with NASCAR is a handshake agreement to pay city an extra $2 million: The additional $2 million is still short of the more than $3.5 million in overtime and construction costs various city departments spent on the inaugural race last summer. Those costs included $2.16 million from the city’s Transportation Department on road improvements and extra pay, $1.4 million in police OT and $50,000 in OT for city emergency management workers.
* Daily-Journal | Schroeder, former Iroquois Co. board chair, dies: Schroeder died Jan. 10 at Loyola University Medical Center following an extended illness. He was 80. The former 24-year Iroquois County Board member, who represented the Papineau Township region, which bumped up against the Kankakee County line, also served the final nearly 11 years as board chairman.
* WREX | Rockford kicks off Barbershop Project offering free haircuts and mental health talks: Organized by Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara’s Office of Domestic and Community Violence Prevention, the Barbershop Project kicked off its support for community mental health. The project utilizes local barbers and beauticians trained by the city for mental health conversations by the city. Helpers like Jermane Robinson packed the Comprehensive Community Solutions building for the free haircut event.
* Pantagraph | Seasoned meats, seafood and Southern hospitality at Wesley’s Grill: Owned by head chef Wesley Knight, the restaurant began offering carryout and delivery in February 2021 before expanding to dine-in service in November. “I think customers enjoy the experience and the hospitality; they know I’m trying to take care of them,” Knight said. “I want to make them happy and give them an experience they haven’t had before.”
* Tribune | Suspect wanted in fatal shooting of 8 in Joliet found dead after confrontation with US Marshals in Texas, police say: Medina County Sheriff officials received a call that Romeo Nance was heading into their county, according to a post on their social media page around 10 p.m. After a standoff at Chubby’s gas station in Natalia, Nance sustained “self inflicted gunshot wounds,” officials wrote in the post. He died around 8:30 p.m., Joliet police said.
* Daily Herald | Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg says he has metastatic prostate cancer: The 64-year-old Sandberg said Monday in a release put out by the Baseball Hall of Fame that he has started treatment. “I am surrounded by my loving wife Margaret, our incredibly supportive family, the best medical care team, and our dear friends,” Sandberg said. “We will continue to be positive, strong, and fight to beat this. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time for me and my family.”
* Crain’s | ‘Great Lakes Fish Pledge’ pushes companies to grow revenue, reduce waste: Kendall College culinary students spent an afternoon turning Great Lakes walleye into the kind of fare you might find at a fancy restaurant rather than at a church basement fish fry. They served up walleye fish cakes, walleye croquettes and walleye served with rice pilaf and coconut curry. These dishes were on the menu during a Jan. 22 cook-off challenge designed to come up with creative uses for the whole fish — head to tail. Student chefs couldn’t use filets and were encouraged to use the 60% of the fish that’s usually discarded or used for cheap animal feed. The event promoted reducing waste and wringing more revenue from each fish caught in the Great Lakes.
* Daily-Journal | Quakes alive: Frost quakes grab attention from Limestone to St. Anne: The recent extreme cold led to what was likely a series of frost quakes in the Kankakee County region. Unique weather and ground conditions cause some to hear extreme loud booming sounds one week ago.
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Monday, Jan 22, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Press release…
Today, Governor JB Pritzker, Nexamp, and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) joined local leaders and partners to announce that Chicago will serve as Nexamp’s second national headquarters. As the nation’s largest community solar provider, Nexamp’s expansion in Illinois will create 50 new jobs as part of more than $2 billion in planned investments in the state through its existing projects and development pipeline.
“Illinois’s commitment to sustainable energy wouldn’t be possible without innovative companies like Nexamp—and their decision to open a Chicago headquarters underscores the role Illinois is playing in the national solar conversation,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “As solar energy companies like Nexamp expand throughout the Midwest, we see a ripple effect of job creation and skills-building that, just like clean energy itself, will benefit communities and generations for years to come.”
The Pritzker Administration’s landmark Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) served as a catalyst for Nexamp to choose Illinois for its second headquarters location. With more than 30 Fortune 500 company headquarters in Illinois, the State of Illinois is no stranger to welcoming companies from near and far that are ready to call Illinois their home.
“Thanks to Governor Pritzker’s leadership in securing the passage of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act in 2021, Illinois is our fastest growing market,” said Nexamp CEO Zaid Ashai. “But the state is far more than just an attractive market for solar generation—for Nexamp, it’s a state which shares our vision of a cleaner, more equitable energy future powered by a diverse, equitable, and skilled workforce. As we sought a location for a second headquarters, Illinois was the natural choice because of our mutual interest in seeing clean energy work for - and do right by - everyone.”
* Campaign news…
Bailey was endorsed by the IFB in 2018 and in 2020.
* Here’s the rest…
* WBEZ | After caring for little ones, Illinois’ home-based child care providers often make minimum wage — or less: Despite her love for the job, Vance said she has struggled with keeping the business afloat over the years. She has had to take side jobs and use credit cards to make ends meet. After paying utilities, staff, taxes and other expenses, she said she only takes home a couple of thousand dollars monthly.
* Sun-Times | Clean energy firm Nexamp to build second headquarters in Chicago: The Boston company’s addition to Chicago marks the latest clean energy company to come to Illinois. Gotion, a Chinese electric vehicle battery manufacturer in September announced plans for a $2 billion lithium battery plant in Manteno on the site of a former Kmart distribution center, a factory that should create 2,600 jobs.
* ABC Chicago | Chicago migrants: Brandon Johnson to discuss crisis in special meeting with 25 suburban mayors: The meeting is set for Monday afternoon, and the mayors will discuss the current state of the area’s new arrival mission and coordination effort. Burr Ridge Mayor Gary Grasso will be in that special meeting at 4 p.m., and he spoke with ABC7 on Monday morning. “I think all mayors want to be sure that their residents are safe and the migrants are safe, and that we have an understanding of how the process is going to work when migrants come,” Grasso said.
* WTTW | Repeated Police Misconduct by 141 Officers Cost Chicago Taxpayers $142.8M Over 4 Years: In 2022 alone, the city spent $51.5 million to resolve lawsuits that named 286 officers whose alleged misconduct more than once cost Chicago taxpayers money. The total for all officers in was 2022 nearly as much as the city spent to resolve lawsuits naming officers more than once between 2019 and 2020, according to the data.
* Sun-Times | Gaza cease-fire resolution vote to be postponed in City Council: In what she called the “interest of collaboration,” mayoral ally Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez (33rd) has agreed to the demand by more than two dozen colleagues to postpone Wednesday’s City Council vote on a resolution demanding a cease-fire in the war between Israel and Hamas.
* Crain’s | Mayor appoints insurance exec to key post on World Business Chicago board: Mayor Brandon Johnson is elevating insurance executive Charles Smith to replace Mellody Hobson as vice-chair of World Business Chicago. Smith is the founder and CEO of CS Insurance Strategies. His appointment was announced Monday and is expected to be approved by the WBC board at its first-quarter meeting.
* Journal-Courier | Governor’s Mansion opening for tours of Illinois artwork: The mansion in Springfield will host art tours of Illinois-based artworks starting Sunday. The artwork on display has been curated by first lady M.K. Pritzker, the Illinois State Museum and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.
* LA Times | Malls have rebounded thanks to an unlikely source: Gen Z: Retail experts say these young shoppers have helped malls bounce back after the downturn brought on by the pandemic, in part because the digital space has turned Gen Z into a generation that expects instant gratification. The immediacy of touching, trying out and buying products may be the thing driving them to physical stores.
* Sun-Times | Common hopes his wellness book can fuel a movement toward healthier living: Over the course of 209 pages broken out into four sections (food, body, mind and soul), there are words of wisdom he’s gleaned from many sources, like his integrative physician, Dr. Tracey Rico. He also offers practical ways forward — including plant-based recipes, workouts for all levels and even playlists of the tracks he listens to in the gym to get motivated — for anyone who wants to join what he hopes will become a movement.
* SJ-R | SJ-R’s Leisa Richardson named executive editor of two South Carolina newspapers: “My time in Springfield has been among the most rewarding of my career professionally and personally – thank you. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished,” Richardson said. “The State Journal-Register and journalism play vital roles in this community. Please continue to support the work and the journalists who produce it.”
* NBC | Billions of cicadas will emerge in the U.S. this year in a rare double-brood event: This year’s dual emergence is a once-in-a-lifetime event. While any given 13-year brood and 17-year brood can occasionally emerge at the same time, each specific pair will see their cycles aligned only once every 221 years. What’s more, this year’s cicada groups, known as Brood XIII and Brood XIX, happened to make their homes adjacent to one another, with a narrow overlap in central Illinois.
* Texas Monthly | Houston Is Now Less Affordable Than New York City: For decades, Houston has been a city with one of the nation’s most pragmatic sales pitches: Move here for big-city opportunities at a small-city price. Not a fan of swarming mosquitoes, punishing hurricanes, and soul-melting moisture? What if I told you that you could barricade yourself away from all three inside a sprawling single-family home on one acre near good schools and golf courses for under $200k? Still not sold? Two words: “backyard grotto.”
* Tribune | Chicago-area man who sued women for badmouthing him on dating site convicted days later of tax fraud involving mob-connected sweepstakes kiosks: According to trial testimony, D’Ambrosio’s boss was Anthony DeMarco, of River Grove, who owns a company called Mac-T LLC specializing in sweepstakes machines, the quasi-legal gaming kiosks that critics say are designed skirt city laws banning video poker.
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* First some background from a column I wrote in December…
Three of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s appointees to the Illinois Commerce Commission have not yet been confirmed by the Illinois Senate, including the chair, Doug Scott.
All three unconfirmed appointees have recently voted against the stated interests of trade unions.
Senate President Don Harmon has assiduously courted trade union support and has raised millions of campaign dollars from them.
So, right off the bat, the legislative math is pretty clear, even though Harmon’s office opted not to comment for this column.
Operating Engineers Union Local 150 is one of the most politically engaged trade unions in Illinois. The union blasted an ICC vote in November that “paused” $265 million in natural gas pipeline replacement work next year by Peoples Gas, calling it “a troubling example of political overreach” by “unconfirmed appointees” who are “playing games with peoples’ jobs, heat, and safety as we head toward the holidays and the cold of winter.” […]
Mark Poulos, Local 150’s top lobbyist, told me last week the ICC’s decision will cost his union members 1.5 million person-hours of work next year, and he’s furiously warning the ICC commissioners’ confirmation hearings might not go so well in the Senate.
* From a Friday press release…
Gov. Pritzker Announces Eighteen Appointments to Boards and Commissions […]
Doug Scott will continue to serve as Member and Chair of the Illinois Commerce Commission.* Before being appointed to the Commission, Scott served as the Vice-President for Energy Systems at the Great Plains Institute (GPI). In this role, he addressed climate strategy and regulatory response as well as issues involving the changing utility business model. Before joining GPI, Scott served as Chairman of the Illinois Commerce Commission, and prior to that, as Director of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Scott’s public service also includes a term as Mayor of Rockford, Illinois; three terms as an Illinois State Representative; and ten years as an attorney for the City of Rockford. Scott earned a Bachelor of Arts with honors from the University of Tulsa and a Juris Doctor with honors from Marquette University. […]
* Appointments pending confirmation by the Illinois Senate.
* Gov. Pritzker was asked today if he was worried about Chair Scott’s confirmation. Pritzker didn’t directly answer the question…
Well, he’s not alone in making those decisions. As you know, it’s a bipartisan commission. And all of the commissioners have participated in the decisions that have been made over the last few months that have been great for clean energy, that have been good for consumers, making sure that we’re trying to keep the rates that they’re paying as low as possible. So I’m very pleased with the work that they’re doing. And and I look forward to them being confirmed by the state Senate.
Thoughts?
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* Governor Pritzker during a Q&A following a Roe v. Wade anniversary roundtable…
Number one, we want to make sure that we are securing women’s rights for as long and as broadly as we can.
Second, we know that women are seeking those rights coming across the border from places like Missouri and Wisconsin and Indiana. We want to provide the services to them as well, if they should need it. The providers that were here today, many of them are seeing many more patients as a result of that. Again, these are refugees from other states. This is a vitally important fundamental reason that many of us are engaged in the fight for freedom.
I will say that, personally, I believe that we need to continue this battle to figure out how we can do a better job of providing the right kinds of services. It isn’t just a question of the old thinking that it was a single mom who got pregnant, a single woman who got pregnant and is seeking an abortion and has never had a child before. We’re talking about families now. Women who are in Missouri or in Indiana, who have an ectopic pregnancy or have some other challenge with their health care related to reproductive health. And their lives are on the line. And we need to make sure that we are the ones here in Illinois that are helping to save their lives.
* Megan Jeyifo, executive director of the Chicago Abortion Fund, also spoke to reporters today…
At [the Chicago Abortion Fund] we’ve seen a 92 percent increase in support requests post-Dobbs. And that highlights Illinois, as the crucial search state that we are. Recent research released by the Guttmacher Institute and the Society of Family Planning shows that Illinois had the largest increase in abortions in the country post-Dobbs with Florida right behind.
We anticipate a ruling in Florida any day now that will immediately impact Illinois. As we know people are traveling throughout the southeast. They’re already coming to Illinois, and Florida is also sharing that burden and if we lose Florida, we will see an influx that affects our state immediately right away.
* Related…
* Tribune | Roe v. Wade anniversary: Two activist families fight contrasting abortion battles in Illinois, Indiana: Miller is a third-generation anti-abortion activist, the granddaughter of the late Joseph Scheidler, who founded the Chicago-based Pro-Life Action League and was widely known across the country as the “godfather of pro-life activism.” The teen is now carrying on his legacy through her own work opposing abortion in Illinois, a longtime stronghold for reproductive rights in the Midwest. Just over the state line in northwest Indiana, another family is fighting a diametrically opposite battle to restore reproductive freedoms in a part of the country where they’ve recently been stripped.
* NYT | What to Know About the Federal Law at the Heart of the Latest Supreme Court Abortion Case: One of the newest battlefields in the abortion debate is a decades-old federal law called the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, known by doctors and health policymakers as EMTALA. The issue involves whether the law requires hospital emergency rooms to provide abortions in urgent circumstances, including when a woman’s health is threatened by continuing her pregnancy. But, as with many abortion-related arguments, this one could have broader implications. Some legal experts say it could potentially determine how restrictive state abortion laws are allowed to be and whether states can prevent emergency rooms from providing other types of medical care, such as gender-affirming treatments.
* AP | Missouri abortion-rights campaign backs proposal to enshrine access but allow late-term restrictions: Missourians for Constitutional Freedom said it is committing to a proposal, one of 11 versions, that would let lawmakers regulate or ban abortion after what’s called viability, with an exception for the protection of the life and physical and mental health of the woman.
* KSHB | Community weighs in on Missourians for Constitutional Freedom launching ballot initiative: “Most of these patients, if not all, would have their rights restored by a fetal viability standard, and this would put us on par in terms of language of laws with a state like Illinois,” said Dr. Iman Alsaden, chief medical officer at Planned Parenthood Great Plains. “And certainly no one thinks of Illinois as a restrictive abortion state.”
* KOMU | Missouri Democrats reveal abortion rights legislation: Abortion has been illegal in Missouri in nearly all circumstances including rape or incest, under a state law enacted in 2019 and signed into law in 2022. […] HB 2038 and 2040, both sponsored by state Rep. Emily Weber (D-Kansas City) would “protect the right to an abortion prior to the point of fetal viability when necessary to protect the life or health of the mother.” It would also specify that an ectopic pregnancy should be considered a medical emergency, allowing an abortion to legally be performed.
* NPR | Why Vice President Harris is going to Wisconsin today to talk about abortion: In Wisconsin, Harris plans to lay blame for the restrictions with former President Donald Trump, the frontrunner in the Republican presidential race. “The former president hand-picked three Supreme Court justices because he intended for them to overturn Roe. He made a decision to take your freedoms,” Harris will say, according to excerpts released by the White House.
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* First, some historical background…
(B)ack in 2008, when Rod Blagojevich was nearing his fateful end, the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute found that 75% of Illinoisans believed Illinois was heading in the wrong direction, while 12.4% believed it was going in the right direction.
In 2010, the Simon Institute had the wrong/right track result at 81%-11%. In 2011, the Institute poll pegged the numbers at 75%-15% wrong/right, and it stayed there for a while. The Simon poll’s 2012 wrong/right results were 70%-20%. The 2013 Simon poll had it at 75%-16%.
In early 2015, shortly after Republican Bruce Rauner was sworn in as governor, Illinoisans’ mood improved a little. “Only” 63% said the state was headed in the wrong direction, while 22% said it was moving in the right direction.
By 2016, after all heck had broken loose in Springfield amid Rauner’s refusal to negotiate a budget until he won his war with organized labor, things got even worse. The Simon poll found a whopping 84% of the state’s voters believed Illinois was off on the wrong track, while only 10% thought it was following the right path. The Simon poll numbers were essentially unchanged two years later (84%-9%) as Rauner was finishing up his first and only term.
By October of 2022, an Emerson College poll found that 52 percent thought Illinois was on the wrong track, while 48 percent thought the state was heading in the right direction.
* Gov. Pritzker was asked today about national polling which shows that, despite lower inflation and a stronger economy, people are still pessimistic about economic conditions. His response…
Well, we’re actually solving problems and actually making things better. And in the end, it’s good policy that makes good politics.
And so whether there’s a lag between the time that people feel the benefit of an economy where earners are earning, outpacing inflation, and therefore their income levels are rising. They may not recognize it at the beginning. But I think they’re beginning to recognize it now.
I’d like to say I just read a Republican poll in Illinois that shows that, in Illinois anyway, that more than 50 percent of the people of Illinois are optimistic about the economy in Illinois and only 42 percent are not optimistic. That’s different than the polls that you’re citing, right? And that’s a recent poll by a Republican organization. And it shows that I think there’s progress and, certainly in Illinois, there is more optimism.
* I asked his spokesperson what poll he was talking about and was pointed to this result…
That’s actually a better result than Pritzker portrayed. Just 20 percent are pessimistic? And less than one percent are very pessimistic? In Illinois?
Empower to Win is a project of Cor Strategies, which is a Republican consulting group. The poll was featured in their latest video presentation.
…Adding… From the Empower to Win response to Pritzker’s comments…
This latest tracking poll shows a huge challenge for Illinois Republicans in 2024. How do you craft an economic message when a majority of voters are optimistic about the economy, yet still cite the economy as one of their top issues and want to leave the state?
More from the poll…
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* Politico…
Behind closed doors: [Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson] met privately with small groups of aldermen Friday — keeping groups small avoids the pesky open meeting rules — to brief them on how the city will no longer set up new shelter space because the costs are too high. That means it won’t build industrial tents for migrants, either. Here’s a copy of the briefing report obtained by Playbook.
New strategy: The city will work with churches and private individuals to find beds for asylum seekers. And as individuals leave any of the current shelters, beds will open for the next wave of migrants. And while the cold snap continues, the Harold Washington Library will serve as a warming center for some asylum seekers as well as for the already unhoused.
The goal: Get asylum seekers into regular housing as soon as possible or send them back to the landing area, which is a shelter of sorts until beds open up in the current shelters. Getting folks out of shelters and into housing will be easier now that the state has staffed up case managers in nearly all of the city’s 28 shelters, the aldermen were told.
[From Rich: The landing area is not a “shelter of sorts.” Heated buses ain’t shelters. This “plan” is not a plan. Instead, it’s the mayor deciding that reality will not intrude on his other priorities. Also, his budget deliberately underfunded this effort and the money will run out in April. What’s the city gonna do then?]
*** UPDATE 1 *** Gov. Pritzker was asked about this report today…
We do not have enough shelter as it is in the city of Chicago. The city has not told the state where they would like us to put our resources to build new shelters or help them build new shelters. So we can’t help if they don’t identify those locations. And we need to make sure that we’re not ending shelter capacity as the city is now planning to do at the end of winter. If you think this problem is going to end when the temperature warms up, it’s not. We still need shelter for people. So I’m deeply concerned and I’m hoping that at least the plan that I read this morning actually in your column is not one that they will end up carrying out.
…Adding… From comments…
this reminds me of the line in Band Of Brothers about a lieutenant: “He wasn’t a bad leader because he made bad decisions. He was a bad leader because he made no decisions.”
*** UPDATE 2 *** Um, this statement from the city ignores the approximately $600 million spent by the state. The city has not “carried the entire of weight”…
There are 1,300 municipalities in the State of Illinois, of which Chicago is one. The State has the authority to fund, stand up and operate a shelter in any one of those municipalities at any time that it chooses, including the City of Chicago. When announcing additional funding for the mission on November 16, 2023, the State reduced the length of rental assistance from six to three months for all residents in shelter. The 60-day shelter policy was announced in conjunction with State investments to accelerate outmigration and resettlement.
Our goal is to manage the immediate humanitarian crisis while providing the necessary resources for asylum seekers to achieve independence and self-sufficiency. The City of Chicago has taken in nearly 35,000 new arrivals since the mission began, and currently houses 14,000 new arrivals in 28 City-run shelters. Outmigration and resettlement services have been expanded significantly to create more open beds within the shelter system.
We continue to partner with the County and the State to provide asylum seekers with temporary shelter, food services, medical care and case management, and will support the State in fulfilling its promise of 2,200 shelter beds made back in November. Thus far, the City of Chicago has carried the entire of weight of the new arrival mission, sheltering nearly every asylum seeker sent to Illinois. We remain committed, however, to ensuring that asylum seekers are housed while also fulfilling our fiduciary responsibilities to the people of Chicago.
Also, resettlement is being handled by the state, not the city.
And this once again begs the question: Is the progressive mayor just going to dump migrants into the street when his woefully inadequate budget runs out of appropriations authority?
[ *** End Of Updates *** ]
* Block Club…
Migrants and volunteers told Block Club that the changing deadline for leaving shelters has created “panic,” with communication from the city limited to single-page eviction notices in Spanish, often passed out just a day or two before shelter stays are said to be up.
Some migrants still have outdated eviction notices penned for Jan. 22, when the deadline was first extended, said volunteer Erika Villegas, who has been receiving frantic messages from families with pictures of the notices. […]
Mayoral spokesperson Ronnie Reese said plans are still in flux.
“We are currently finalizing changes to the 60-day policy and will have more information in the coming weeks,” Reese said in an email.
[From Rich: More info in “the coming weeks”? Their evictions were scheduled for today.]
* ABC Chicago…
New numbers Friday show the cost Texas paid to fly migrants to Illinois last month.
Two flights were chartered by the Texas state government late last year. One flew from El Paso and landed at O’Hare Airport. The other was from San Antonio and landed in Rockford. […]
The Texas Division of Emergency Management spent $135,000 on the flight that landed at O’Hare and more than $235,000 on the flight to Rockford.
The flight from El Paso carried more than 120 migrants to Chicago, which means at least $1,000 was spent per migrant. There were more than 300 asylum seekers on the flight to Rockford.
* More…
* Sun-Times | What New York’s migrant shelter limits could mean for Chicago: ‘Expect utter chaos’: “Be aware that this move is gonna throw away that tiny bit of stability that the families have had since coming here,” Mahmoodi warned in a phone interview from New York. “These are children who started school and are making friends — all those small things are ‘poof’, out the window.”
* The Hill | Texas company sues Chicago over penalties on buses dropping of migrants: The suit argues Chicago’s penalties are a violation of the interstate commerce clause, and the equal rights and due process of the company and the migrants on buses. “Rather than welcoming migrants and giving them sanctuary, Chicago is turning its back on those wishing to travel here by enacting an ordinance that targets the transportation companies that transport migrants from our southern border to their desired destination — Chicago. — in violation of Plaintiff’s constitutional rights,” the suit stated.
* NPR | Chicago mayor talks immigration as city shelters reach breaking point: Mayors from all over the country are meeting in Washington D.C. this week to discuss immigration and other pressing issues in their cities. We get the latest from Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.
* Rockford Register Star | What happened the night a plane filled with asylum seekers landed in Rockford?: With temperatures dipping to 30 degrees in the early morning hours of New Year’s Eve, migrant families who went to Texas seeking asylum, found themselves exiting an Eastern Airlines charter plane in Rockford. Most of the 355 people were children, officials say, and they were wearing t-shirts, shorts and flip flops.
* The Record | Wilmette steps up for arriving migrants, leading Village to expand donation drive: The Village started an impromptu winter-clothing drive to support migrants by placing donation boxes inside the town’s Metra station, 722 Green Bay Road. It didn’t take long for community members to respond. “The response was incredible,” Village Manager Mike Braiman said. “The station was filled wall to wall with donations within a couple of days.”
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Watch your costs, please
Monday, Jan 22, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
* My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
One of the bigger state budget expansion fights we could see play out in Springfield this spring is the creation of a permanent $300 Child Income Tax Credit.
The new proposal has been scaled back from last year’s $700 per child tax credit bill, which went nowhere in the House after it was introduced in February and ultimately had 15 sponsors and co-sponsors. But proponents say even the downsized version would make a major difference.
The problem, of course, is the cost, pegged at about $300 million per year. As I’ve told you before, numbers crunchers with the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget are saying Illinois could face a budget deficit of $891 million next fiscal year, which begins July 1. That deficit could rise to $1.4 billion in fiscal year 2026 and $1.66 billion in FY27.
But this issue has real potential to take off in the General Assembly.
“We have the data that shows roughly 60% of the recipients of this benefit across the state would be Black and Brown households,” state Rep. Mary Beth Canty, D-Arlington Heights, said recently on WTTW’s Chicago Tonight program. “We’re talking about being able to make a difference in the lives of about a million and a half children across Illinois. That is a game-changer for families.”
The idea is framed as a partial replacement for the now-expired but massive 2021 expansion of the federal child tax credit.
“Monthly checks of up to $3,600 offered parents reliable resources to pay for basic goods, like formula, diapers and school supplies, and basic necessities like shelter, utilities and food,” wrote Natalie Foster in a recent Crain’s Chicago Business op-ed. “The expanded federal CTC slashed child poverty in half, decreased food insecurity and improved educational outcomes.”
“This is something that has to be dealt with at the federal level,” Canty admitted last week. Efforts are indeed being made in Washington, D.C., to revive a scaled-down version of the federal tax credit program. A bipartisan agreement has been announced, but D.C. being D.C., nobody can be certain it can actually pass.
So the states, Canty said, “have a real opportunity to make a difference. There are 14 other states that are running programs like this.”
Asked how she would pay for the new tax credit program, Canty said, “Where there is a will there’s a way,” which is not exactly an answer. “We always talk about a budget being a moral document,” Canty said, “So when you talk about your policies, those are the things that you want people to know, but what we fund is where your morals really are. Those are your real values.”
All true, of course, but, unless he goes along with it, this could be one of the most interesting challenges to the governor’s effort to tamp down attempts to add permanent costs to the budget in the face of possible future deficits.
Keep in mind that more than half of all current House Democrats never served under then-Gov. Bruce Rauner’s budget disasters, and the budget crunch during the pandemic’s early stage was beyond anyone’s control and was dealt with in just a few session days, so the newbies really have no idea what it’s like to try and manage a possible deficit year.
Meanwhile, Capitol News Illinois reported in December on the Commission on Equitable Public University Funding, which is “tasked with developing a new model for funding higher education.”
The news service reported that “some draft meeting materials presented at the board’s November meeting suggest it would require as much as an overall $14,000 per-student increase in state appropriations to fully fund higher education. With 130,000 undergraduates and 56,000 graduate students enrolled at state universities this year, these numbers suggest the needed funding increase could reach into the billions.”
Not included in the article was the arithmetic, which would total $2.6 billion in spending. That’s per year, by the way.
There’s just no possible way the state can pay for that. But it could be in the realm of possibility for another spending “ramp,” something along the line of what the state did with pension funding and with gradually bringing all K-12 schools up to adequate funding levels.
Anyway, just add that potential cost to the pile.
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It’s just a bill
Monday, Jan 22, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* SB2834 from Sen. Steve McClure…
Amends the Carbon Dioxide Transportation and Sequestration Act. Provides that a certificate of authority does not grant an owner or operator of a carbon dioxide pipeline the authority to take and acquire an easement in any property or interest in property for the construction, maintenance, or operation of a carbon dioxide pipeline through the exercise of the power of eminent domain. Removes corresponding provisions concerning eminent domain. Repeals a provision that provides procedures for acquiring easements.
* HB4531 from Rep. David Friess…
Creates the Classification by Biological Sex Act. Sets forth findings. Provides that any public school or school district and any State, local agency, department or office that collects vital statistics for the purpose of complying with antidiscrimination laws or for the purpose of gathering accurate public health, crime, economic, or other data shall classify each individual who is part of the collected data set as either male or female at birth. Amends the Statute on Statutes. Sets forth the meaning of the following terms as used in any statute or any rule or regulation: a person’s sex; female and male; woman and girl; man and boy; and mother and father.
* Press release…
In an effort to prioritize educators, State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel introduced a measure that would guarantee teachers have classroom planning time built into each school day.
“During my 15 years in the classroom, I experienced firsthand the struggle many teachers face when trying to find time to plan,” said Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood). “Teachers are often forced to plan lessons before or after school. By providing time during the school day, we can ensure better quality plans while avoiding extensive hours outside the classroom for educators.”
Senate Bill 2721 would guarantee that every teacher receives at least 45 minutes of continuous, uninterrupted individual classroom planning time per day. The requirement would apply to all public school districts in Illinois.
Currently, there is no law that protects a teacher’s ability to have time set aside during the school day to plan their lessons. Under Loughran Cappel’s measure, an educator would be able to choose to substitute or attend meetings, trainings or conferences during their designated planning time.
“When we prioritize our teachers, we ensure students are given the best educational opportunities,” said Loughran Cappel. “We must continue putting education at the forefront of our priorities.”
Senate Bill 2721 awaits committee assignment in the Illinois Senate.
* WBEZ…
Congress is nearing a January deadline to expand the national child tax credit, but Illinois lawmakers say they’re pushing forward on a state-level credit that would give working and low-income families financial relief regardless of what happens in Washington, D.C. […]
“The time has come for Illinois to put those dollars back in the pockets of parents who continue to struggle,” state Sen. Mike Simmons said. “I’m confident that we’re going to get this included in the budget ASAP.” […]
Simmons introduced a bill in the state Senate last year still under consideration that would award parents a credit of up to $700 per child. A similar bill introduced in the state House of Representatives has been gaining sponsors this month.
A recent analysis by the Illinois Economic Policy Institute found the proposal would slash childhood poverty in the state by 7.6%. According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, 15.7% of Illinois children live in poverty.
* Sen. Andrew Chesney filed SB2831…
Amends the Election Code. Provides that a person is ineligible to hold the position of committeeperson in any specified committee or any other elected or appointed committee position, including, but not limited to, local, county, or State chairperson, if he or she has ever been convicted of a felony, unless he or she has received a pardon for the offense from the Governor or the President of the United States. Provides that when a committeeperson or a person holding any other elected or appointed committee position (rather than a committeeperson) is convicted of a felony, the position occupied by that committeeperson shall automatically become vacant. Amends the Unified Code of Corrections to make a conforming change. Effective immediately.
* Sen. Steve McClure filed SB2824…
Amends the School Boards Article of the School Code. Provides that a school district shall waive tuition costs for a non-resident pupil who was previously a resident of the district if the pupil submits a letter stating that the pupil no longer resides in the district because the pupil has made allegations of domestic violence, abuse, or sexual abuse against the pupil’s parent or guardian and the Department of Children and Family Services has removed the pupil from the parent’s or guardian’s home.
* SB2820 from Sen. Lakesia Collins…
Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Redefines the term “children” to include persons under the age of 23 (rather than 21) who were committed to the Department of Children and Family Services pursuant to the Juvenile Court Act or the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 and who continue under the jurisdiction of the court. Requires the Department to provide or authorize child welfare services, aimed at assisting minors to achieve sustainable self-sufficiency as independent adults, for any minor eligible for the reinstatement to wardship pursuant to the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, whether or not such reinstatement is sought or allowed, provided that the minor consents to such services and has not yet attained the age of 23 (rather than 21). Makes conforming changes in the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, the Illinois Identification Card Act, and the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code.
* HB4532 from Rep. Mason…
Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Creates the Pet Insurance Article of the Code. Defines terms. Requires a pet insurer to disclose coverage exclusions, limitations, waiting periods, and other information. Provides that pet insurance applicants shall have the right to examine and return the policy, certificate, or rider to the company or an agent or insurance producer of the company within 30 days of its receipt and to have the premium refunded if, after examination of the policy, certificate, or rider, the applicant is not satisfied for any reason. Provides that a pet insurer may issue policies that exclude coverage on the basis of one or more preexisting conditions with appropriate disclosure to the consumer. Provides that a pet insurer may issue policies that impose waiting periods upon effectuation of the policy that do not exceed 30 days for illnesses or orthopedic conditions not resulting from an accident. Prohibits waiting periods for accidents. Provides that no pet insurer or insurance producer shall market a wellness program as pet insurance. Sets forth provisions concerning wellness programs sold by a pet insurer or insurance producer.
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Open thread
Monday, Jan 22, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Monday, Jan 22, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* ICYMI: White Sox and Related Midwest stadium pitch shows how a new neighborhood could be built. Crain’s…
- The developer, Related Midwest said the shift in the vision for The 78 will not abandon plans to create a new $7 billion neighborhood from scratch.
-The stadium would be surrounded by a hotel and thousands of units of housing, 20% set aside at affordable rates.
-The White Sox say that even if they abandon their century-long stay on 35th Street that the neighborhood won’t be left behind.
* Related stories…
* Isabel’s top picks…
Governor Pritzker will be at the Nexamp Illinois offices on Wacker Drive at 10:30 am for a business development announcement. At noon, Pritzker will hold press availability following Roe v. Wade anniversary roundtable. Click here to watch.
* Here’s the rest of your morning roundup…
* Sun-Times | Chicago’s FBI boss preparing for threats in unusual election year that brings Democratic convention to town: “It’s just not good enough based on the new, the evolving, the breadth of the challenges, and the threats that we face nationally, globally, but specifically for Chicago,” Wheeler told the Chicago Sun-Times. “I feel like we have a more-than-our-fair-share of threat.”
* Crain’s | Will a nuclear reactor spring up on the U of I campus?: U of I, which has one of the nation’s top nuclear-engineering programs, operated a research reactor on campus for nearly 40 years until the late 1990s. It’s now one of a handful of universities and national labs that want to build next-generation small modular reactors — also called microreactors — for research and test purposes. If successful, their work could create new interest in nuclear energy for the first time in decades and keep Illinois at the forefront of the industry.
* AP | Illinois high court hands lawmakers a rare pension-overhaul victory: The court’s unanimous opinion rejected claims by three dozen working and retired police officers and firefighters from across the state that the merger of 649 separate systems into two statewide accounts violated the state constitution’s guarantee that benefits “shall not be diminished or impaired.”
* WCIA | State to make cuts to care for developmentally disabled in Illinois: Service providers across the state are bracing for an 8.7 percent reduction in hours covered by the state. The money the state allocates to pay for those hours goes towards employee salaries, and without state funding, providers will have to find new ways to cover those costs, or reduce care hours.
* Pantagraph | Lt. Gov. Stratton launches ‘We Thrive’ initiative in Bloomington, empowering minority women in business: Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton gathered with 25 minority women who own businesses Thursday in her first “We Chat” listening session held in Bloomington.
* WTAX | Educator. Doodler.: The superintendent of the Illinois State Board of Education, Tony Sanders, has a plan to address underperforming schools, as designated by the state’s annual Report Card. “We’ve been working on rethinking our statewide system of support for the school districts that are really struggling the most,” Sanders said Thursday, “so we’ll be announcing in the next few months some strategies that we’re going to be taking at the state board level to really rethink how we are supporting schools and school districts that are either in targeted or comprehensive status.”
* Daily Herald | State liquor tax revenues dropped last year. Will lawmakers raise tax rates?: For the first time in at least a decade, annual liquor tax revenue in Illinois declined. The modest 0.3% drop from $318.9 million in fiscal year 2022 to $318.1 million in fiscal year 2023 also ends a five-year run where the state saw annual off-premise liquor tax collections increase by at least $2 million a year.
* Tribune | ‘Locked in’: Chicagoans who use wheelchairs, mobility aids struggle to navigate city’s sidewalks during snowstorm: Some Chicagoans who use wheelchairs and mobility aids say it’s challenging to navigate the city’s sidewalks when extreme weather grips the region, like last week. Wind chills descended to nearly minus 30 degrees on Tuesday, while the city saw 1.5 inches of snow Friday morning. Disability and transit advocacy organizations are calling on the city to improve conditions, referencing a program that could require the city to clear some sidewalks in winter.
* WIFR | Despite new federal standards, Minnesota says funny and quirky traffic signs are here to stay: According to their statement, there is some leeway to what can be displayed on signs. Additionally, officials said they are aware of the new guide guidelines and that “we do not anticipate they will change the way MnDot shares creative highway safety messages.” The Federal Highway Administration also denied a request for an interview but did release a statement.
* Casino | Golden Nugget Danville Casino Already Helping Charities, Public Pensions: While the city forecast $2 million in yearly receipts in casino revenue alone, the Golden Nugget delivered $1.332 million in just six months of operation, indicating the venue could surpass prior estimates for Danvile revenue.
* The Guardian | Half of recent US inflation due to high corporate profits, report finds: Prices for consumers rose by 3.4% over the past year, but input costs for producers increased by just 1%, according to the authors’ calculations, which were based on data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis and National Income and Products Accounts.
* Sun-Times | ‘Chicago rat hole’ mysteriously filled in, then restored by neighbors — ‘Chicago takes care of its own’: Residents of the building next to the rat hole — who asked not to be identified for fear of “ratribution” from those who filled the hole — worked Friday afternoon to scrub away at what was left after some dedicated fans had scraped out most of what had briefly filled the hole.
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