Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax credit for each individual taxpayer who (i) is a healthcare provider who, for the purpose of providing lawful health care services in this State, permanently relocates during the taxable year to this State from a State with more restrictive abortion laws or more restrictive laws concerning access to other lawful health care, (ii) is a patient or the parent or guardian of a patient who, for the purpose of receiving those health care services in this State, permanently relocates during the taxable year to this State from a State with more restrictive abortion laws or more restrictive laws concerning the access to lawful health care, or (iii) is a qualified cohabitant of a person described in item (i) or (ii). Provides that the credit is in the amount of $500. Creates an income tax credit in the amount of $500 for taxpayers who are public school teachers or qualifying cohabitants of public school teachers who permanently relocate to the State from any other State as a result of content-based restrictions on educational materials imposed by the taxpayer’s state of origin. Effective immediately.
Rep. Cassidy said she does not yet have a cost estimate for her proposal. But she said it’s “certainly much less than the benefit of new tax paying residents, not to mention additional health care providers and teachers.”
* Press release…
Rep. Kelly Cassidy has introduced HB5152 which seeks to assist people who are forced to relocate to Illinois as a result of attacks on health care access and free speech in their home states. Under the bill, any taxpayer who relocates to Illinois as a patient or household member of a patient is eligible for a $500 tax credit. The bill also provides the same credit for licensed healthcare providers or teachers and their households.
Since the Dobbs decision reversed decades of legal precedence protecting the right to choose granted under Roe v. Wade, states across the country have jumped at the opportunity to pass bills including bans on reproductive care, criminalizing assisting patients, prohibiting gender-affirming care, banning books, and attacking teachers. Countless families in these states are facing an impossible choice between remaining in their home state or accessing health care for themselves or their children.
“When I left Florida in 1991 seeking a place that was more accepting of the LGBTQ community, it took months of planning and expenses. When I imagine a family with a trans kid being forced to flee their home just to access care for their child, or a couple facing a devastating pregnancy outcome realizing they’re simply not safe where they’ve made their home needing to act immediately, it’s just overwhelming to contemplate,” said Rep. Cassidy who grew up in Florida and still has family there, “And as someone with 3 siblings who have retired from the Florida public school system in the last couple of years as teachers face relentless attacks on their ability to teach their students without fear, I am all too aware of the struggles they face.”
“Ron DeSantis is inflicting deep and lasting damage on Florida with his war on freedom that bans books, censor’s curriculum, whitewashes history, blocks healthcare and replaces facts and science with extremist propaganda,” said Equality Florida Executive Director Nadine Smith. “We Floridians will be repairing the damage long after he has left the governor’s mansion. Conferences are canceling, talent is fleeing and the best and the brightest are abandoning our universities as he guts academic freedom. We are grateful that other state leaders are not only rejecting DeSantis’ extremist agenda, they are seeking ways to provide support for those who have relocated to safety as we rebuild a Florida that embraces inclusivity and dignity for all.”
“The nation is facing a war on people and their reproductive health care, as other states further strip away their rights. It is essential that Illinois keeps setting the standard as to what it means to be a safe haven state,” said State Senator Celina Villanueva (D – Chicago). “If we don’t step up, people will suffer and die because of the heinous ramifications of the downfall of Roe.”
“We thank Representative Kelly Cassidy for recognizing the hardships our patients are facing as they are fleeing their home states for essential health care,” said Jennifer Welch, Planned Parenthood of Illinois President and CEO. “We are in favor of any legislative tool that continues to support Illinois as a haven state for sexual and reproductive health care, including abortion and gender-affirming care.”
“LGBTQ+ people and families in anti-equality, anti-family states are making deeply personal decisions, under cruel conditions, about their futures. Illinois must do what she can to support these families, especially to help offset the economic burdens that LGBTQ+ people and their families already disproportionately experience,” said Mike Ziri, Equality Illinois Director of Public Policy. Thank you to Rep. Cassidy for leading on this innovative pro-equality, pro-family initiative.”
The tax credit would be the first of its kind in the country and in addition to providing assistance to new residents of Illinois, it will provide an incentive to licensed health care providers and teachers to make their home in Illinois and help address shortages in those professions.
* From the governor’s office…
The governor will thoroughly review all the bills that pass the General Assembly and make their way to his desk.
U.S. Representative Mike Bost (IL-12) today announced that his 2024 re-election campaign has been endorsed by the National Rifle Association’s Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF). Bost has now been endorsed by the largest gun rights and pro-life advocacy groups in America, along with the top organizations representing Illinois’ farmers, law enforcement, and firefighters.
“As Chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, you are leading the effort to protect veterans from being deprived of their Second Amendment rights without due process of law. We thank you for your continued opposition to the Hakeem Jeffries and Joe Biden gun control agenda of banning lawfully-owned firearms, ammunition, and magazines,” said Randy Kozuch, Chairman of the NRA-PFV. “Thank you for defending NRA members and law-abiding gun owners in Illinois and throughout the country. Congratulations on your endorsement and thank you for your support of the Second Amendment.”
* Sen. Julie Morrison…
State Senator Julie Morrison is leading a measure that would require insurance to cover preventative cancer screenings and genetic testing for individuals with a family history of cancer.
“Early diagnosis is the best way to tackle the deadly effects of cancer,” said Morrison (D-Lake Forest). “Sadly, due to the lack of preventable screenings, many people aren’t diagnosed until it’s too late.”
Morrison’s measure would provide coverage for evidence-based cancer imaging for patients with an increased risk of cancer. Additionally, insurance would be required to cover genetic testing for an inherited gene mutation for individuals with a family history of cancer.
Currently cancer screening for certain types of cancer are covered as long as the patient meets the age requirement. Senate Bill 2697 would expand that coverage to include prevention and susceptibility cancer screenings for all types of cancer for people who have a family member affected by the deadly disease.
The March primary election will be another record-breakingly uncompetitive one for seats on the Cook County Circuit Court, with 62 candidates running for 40 vacant seats on the court — more than a third unopposed in countywide and subcircuit races.
Observers had flagged the previous primary in 2022 as a historically uncompetitive one, blaming a shifted election schedule in which candidates were forced outside to collect nominating petition signatures in the cold of winter while the Covid-19 pendermic was still in full swing.
But in that June 2022 primary, 64 candidates were vying for 25 open seats, a ratio of 2.5 candidates per seat. This year’s primary ballot shakes out to 1.5 candidates per seat. […]
[Election lawyers, campaign workers, consultants, candidates, and politicians] cited overlapping factors, including the rising costs of running campaigns, political fatigue, an Illinois Supreme Court that this year was unusually slow to formalize vacancies, a redrawing of the map of judicial subcircuits, and a Cook County Democratic Party that says it is focused more on endorsing candidates with hard-to-beat credentials.
* Speaking of judicial candidates, any thoughts on this campaign video for Liam Kelly?…
* PJ Star | Campaign donations, quest for new power generation fueled new Illinois nuclear power law: Both Republicans and Democrats backed the new law, which was originally vetoed by the governor. Energy companies lobbied for the bill and donated tens of thousands of dollars to House and Senate leadership and politicians on both sides of the aisle during the bill’s lifespan in Springfield, according to campaign finance reports and witness slips signed by proponents.
* Naperville Sun | Naperville residents lambast McBroom for his migrant sign-up sheet proposal, calling it politically motivated and ‘self-serving’: More than half of the public comment portion of Tuesday’s City Council meeting was taken up by people who wanted to chastise McBroom for his suggestion that the city create a registry for Naperville people who want to house migrants — an idea he has acknowledged was intentionally “provactive.” City Manager Doug Krieger ultimately directed staff to abandon research on the idea after it was learned other agencies were doing similar work, but not before the idea sparked national attention. In addition to social media posts that incited hundreds of comments, McBroom was interviewed by several news media outlets, including The New York Times and Fox News.
* Patch | Romeo Nance’s Girlfriend Hides Her Face Leaving Courthouse: The mass murders of eight people in Joliet were carried out on Jan. 21 by her 23-year-old boyfriend, Romeo Nance, according to Joliet police. Not only did Cleveland attend at least two of the murders, according to sources, but Will County prosecutors say Cleveland withheld information about Nance’s whereabouts, and she lied to the Joliet police detectives as they were trying to find Nance after he fled Joliet.
* WGN | Cook County offering up to $400 for poll workers: The clerk’s office is encouraging high school and college students to apply. A 3.0 GPA is required if you’re a student applying. Election judges will greet voters, sign them in and work together to ensure the polling place is running smoothly. Polling place technicians work with the election judges to check supplies and equipment.
* NBC Chicago | Northern Illinois University dramatically expands no-tuition program for incoming students: The “AIM HIGH Program” has helped nearly 3,500 students, according to university officials, and now NIU is going to step up the availability of the funding for new students. […] According to a press release, students who have an overall GPA of 3.0 or above, and whose families have an adjusted gross income of $100,000 or less qualify for the program. Previously, the income cutoff was $75,000, according to the press release.
* Tribune | Amid controversy, Cook County prosecutors drop charges against students accused of distributing fake Daily Northwestern page: Cook County prosecutors on Wednesday dropped charges against two Northwestern students amid controversy over the decision to pursue a criminal case against them for allegedly circulating a fake page of the student newspaper to protest the school stance on the crisis in Gaza and Israel. The charging decision, as well as the newspaper’s parent company’s pursuit of a complaint, attracted harsh criticism from students, professors and community members, who blasted the move as an example of over-policing of Black students and an effort to silence pro-Palestinian voices that disproportionately affect people of color.
* The Hill | FAFSA problems pile up, leaving students and parents scrambling: The forms already got a late start — launched in late December and not October. When they were finally released online, there were complications that led to the forms getting taken down multiple times and families being unable to fix mistakes they put in them. Now, officials say information from the FAFSA forms won’t actually be given to schools until March, leading families to tell The Hill they are riddled with concerns over missing scholarship deadlines and if they will get final offers from schools before their student has to decide if they want to attend.
* Crain’s | Winnetka passes lakefront ordinance despite threat of lawsuits: Winnetka’s village council approved an ordinance limiting what lakefront homeowners can build on their table land and bluffs, despite warnings that passing it would trigger at least two lawsuits from residents. The motion to adopt the ordinance passed Feb. 6 after Village President Chris Rintz urged the council to first work with the 30 residents whose attorneys at Baker McKenzie had informed village officials that they would “vigorously pursue all legal rights and remedies” if it was approved.
* Shaw Local | McHenry open-container entertainment district for downtown rejected by City Council: First proposed in October, the entertainment district plan called for allowing open alcohol from noon to 9 p.m. seven days a week from May 1 through Nov. 1. The ordinance would allow people to walk – with branded cups – on designated sidewalks and the riverwalk, as well as Main Street from Route 31 to the railroad tracks.
* Chicago Mag | The Illinois-Indiana Border Separates Two Worlds: The straight line that demarcates Indiana and Illinois runs 159.359, from Lake Michigan to the Wabash River, which forms the border the rest of the way. I set out to follow the first few miles, specifically, Chicago’s border with Indiana. It’s not easy to follow. In fact, in most places, it’s impossible. Directly south of the marker, it runs through a field of reeds, then across the South Shore Line tracks, which lie between fences topped with barbed wire. I rented a Divvy in Cal Park, and pedaled it to 106th Street, which meets State Line Road just past the Crow Bar, the ironworkers tavern that once sued the disco Crobar for stealing its name. Staring at me was a sign reading “More Discover. Indiana (™). Est. 1816.” Two years before Illinois, if you’re counting.
* Sun-Times | Keith Urban, The Black Keys among headliners for NASCAR Chicago Weekend 2024: The Black Keys — aka singer-guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney — will kick things off on July 6 following the conclusion of the NASCAR Xfinity Series Loop 110. Closing out the day’s events will be The Chainsmokers, making a return to the fest after stormy weather forced the cancellation of their set at the racing extravaganza last year as well as wiping out concerts by Miranda Lambert and Charlie Crockett at the 2023 fest.
* Chicago Reader | Veteran sound scrutinizer Kevin Drumm plays his first local show in five years: Kevin Drumm’s work over the past quarter century has variously aligned with noise, experimental, ambient, and improvised music, but it remains very much a realm unto itself. He begins with sounds sourced from analog and digital electronics, field recordings, and tabletop guitar, then distills them to obtain extremes of gaseous insubstantiality, pulverizing harshness, and textural variety. His pieces are often long and slow-moving, but if you match the pace of your listening to the pace of their progress, the superficially static tones prove to be teeming with mesmerizing activity.
* WTTW | ‘Illinoise,’ a Unique and Brilliantly Realized Interpretation of Music by Sufjan Stevens: The show is an absolute stunner in which the song lyrics have inspired a multifaceted storyline devised by director/choreographer Justin Peck (resident choreographer of the New York City Ballet) and playwright Jackie Sibblies Drury. Aside from Stevens’ lyrics there is no dialogue, so the strongest “language” that vividly drives the show is dance. And the various stories that unfold over the course of the show’s 90 compelling minutes are stunningly enacted by a remarkably expressive ensemble of 12 dancers who ideally capture a slew of different personalities and sexual relationships as they travel through various parts of Illinois, and, at some moments, New York.
* WGN | Friends, amateur hikers aim to hit every Illinois State Park: It’s been three years since two Chicago gals set out to hit every park in the state. The duo and their “Fresh Air Friendship” have a goal of doing a trailhead at every state park in Illinois. It doesn’t sound too menacing until you realize there’s a whopping 132 of them in the state.
On February 7, 2024, members of the Teamsters union represented by Locals 26, 50, 371, 525, 627, 705, 722, and 916 employed by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) voted by 95% to authorize a strike.
This vote follows ongoing contract negotiations with the state which began after the previous contract expired on July 1, 2023. […]
The Illinois Department of Transportation has released the following statement:
“The safety of the traveling public always has been and always will be the Illinois Department of Transportation’s top priority. The department values its hard-working staff and employees, and looks forward to continuing a successful partnership with all of its collective bargaining units now and into the future.”
“Our members, who have been leading the way during this contract fight, have grown tired of the state’s unwillingness to value their hard work,” said Thomas Stiede, President of Joint Council 25. “Their overwhelming strike authorization sends a clear message, and we will do whatever it takes to get them the contract they deserve.”
The strike authorization vote comes after months of negotiations with the state of Illinois for a new contract. The most recent contract expired on July 1, 2023.
“Illinois has a highway budget that is bigger and better than ever, so there is clearly plenty of money there to pay us fair wages and allow us to remain on our preferred health insurance,” said Cale Shonk, a permits supervisor at IDOT in District 5 and member of Local 916. “The state has applauded us for the great work we do but refuses to pay us what we are worth. It is beyond ridiculous we are being treated like this.”
One of the two men now charged in a shoot-out in the south suburbs was free on electronic monitoring while awaiting trial for murder, WGN Investigates has learned. […]
[Torrey Lewis] was arrested in 2018 and charged in the murder of a paralyzed man in a wheelchair outside a Country Club Hills movie theater the previous year. He was locked-up until Cook County Judge Carl Boyd lowered his bond in 2020 allowing Lewis to be released on electronic monitoring after posting $30,000 bond. Cook County sheriff’s deputies clamped an ankle monitor on Lewis and he left the jail.
“Home monitoring was meant for people with less serious offenses, certainly not attempt murder or murder charges… and I was ignored on that,” Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart told WGN Investigates. Dart said his calls to clamp down on the use of electronic monitoring in violent cases have gone unheard by lawmakers.
Lewis was also able to take advantage of a little-known provision of the SAFE-T Act that went into effect in 2022 that gives people on electronic monitoring more freedom. It’s meant to allow them to take care of basic necessities without being tracked in real-time.
Defendants are still required to wear their ankle bracelets on their two days of free movement; but law enforcement isn’t alerted if they stray from home, work or other pre-approved destinations. […]
“If this person was on home monitoring, being monitored the way we used to monitor people, the second he left his house we would have been alerted and started looking for him,” Dart said. “Say he had ability to go to work that day, the second he wasn’t there, we would’ve been alerted and we would’ve gone after him.”
* Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice…
We are incredibly disappointed to see Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart once again exploiting community safety concerns to spread misinformation about the electronic monitoring provisions of the Pretrial Fairness Act. The Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice wants to reduce gun violence and create safe communities for everyone, and the Sheriff’s desperate search for and elevation of outlier cases does not help us reach that goal. Instead, stories of isolated incidents are designed to change the law governing tens of thousands of people’s rights while awaiting trial — all while avoiding engagement with data that shows the vast majority of people on electronic monitoring return to court and are not rearrested while awaiting trial. These cynical attempts to blame pretrial reforms are only a distraction from evidence-based efforts to reduce gun violence.
The Pretrial Fairness Act requires that people subject to house arrest under electronic monitoring be given permission to leave their homes to take care of basic needs such as buying food and doing laundry. Each electronic monitoring program in the state can choose how to implement that requirement. The Cook County Sheriff’s Office chose to implement this law by allowing each person two, eight-hour periods of time per week to take care of their essential needs. Other programs allow people on EM to simply contact their supervising officer and request permission for individual trips to the grocery store or laundromat.
For years, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office denied people on electronic monitoring the ability to contribute to their households, perform life-affirming tasks, and even access healthcare. The electronic monitoring reforms in the Pretrial Fairness Act are intentionally designed to correct that history. Even under the new law, current Sheriff’s Office policy prevents people in apartment buildings from doing laundry or checking their mail in common areas of the building without the kind of movement permission the Sheriff is now attacking.
Since taking effect in 2022, the electronic monitoring provisions of the Pretrial Fairness Act have been incredibly successful. Ensuring people on electronic monitoring are able to go grocery shopping, attend doctor’s appointments, and apply for jobs increases community safety. Removing these provisions would violate basic human rights principles by returning to a system that locked people in their homes with no way to access food or other necessities.
Mr. Lewis’ Case
● Mr. Lewis was originally incarcerated in Cook County Jail on a no-bond order. He was only given a $300,000 D-bond in May 2020, during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time period, stakeholders were working together to dramatically reduce the number of people in Cook County Jail to prevent the loss of life and stop the community spread of COVID. Mr. Lewis was considered vulnerable for complications from COVID-19 due to his asthma and psoriasis, a condition impacting the immune system.
● According to public court documents filed by his attorney, Mr. Lewis is being charged with murder because he was allegedly in a car with other people who are accused of shooting someone. There is no evidence that he participated in the shooting in his underlying case, and no identification of him by any witness.
Facts on Pretrial Fairness Provisions
● Nothing in the Pretrial Fairness Act or any other law requires the Cook County Sheriff’s Office not to track people during the time they are on essential movement. Every person on Sheriff’s EM is on a GPS ankle monitor, and those GPS monitors continue to record people’s exact location the entire time they are outside of their home. You can read the provision of the Pretrial Fairness Act that authorizes essential movement at 730 ILCS 5/5-8A-4(A-1).
● Before these reforms were implemented, the lack of movement caused immense harm to people on Cook County Sheriff’s electronic monitoring, as detailed in a report submitted to the Cook County board by CGL Industries and Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts. (See page 47 here for discussion of harms of lack of movement.)
General Information on Pretrial Release
● Between January 2016 and June 2020, 91% of people on electronic monitoring in Chicago were not re-arrested for any crime. Only 1.75% of people were re-arrested for a serious felony (Class 2 or higher). People with the charges highlighted in the story are arrested at an even lower rate: Between September 2017 and September 2018, of the 2,811 people were released (EM or not) with these charges, only 1% — 29 people — were rearrested for a violent felony.
● The WGN story drew attention to the fact that 708 people on Sheriff’s electronic monitoring are currently accused of attempted murder, murder, armed habitual criminal, possession of a weapon by a felon, or unlawful use of a weapon (“UUW”). By conflating simple gun possession charges with murder, the Sheriff’s Office is artificially inflating these numbers. Most cases of “armed habitual criminal” are accusations that someone possessed — but did not use — a gun without a license and with certain past convictions.
○ In addition, the most common UUW charge is a class 4 felony. Far from being “a serious gun charge,” unlicensed possession of a gun is the least serious class of felony in Illinois law.
● People on electronic monitoring are not disproportionately connected to incidents of gun violence. The University of Chicago Crime Lab found that in 2021, there were just three arrests of individuals on electronic monitoring for allegedly committing a homicide or shootings—out of almost 4,500 homicides and shootings that year.
New renderings of a White Sox stadium at Related Midwest’s The 78 megadevelopment in the South Loop have surfaced, showing the ballpark as part of a vision for a new Chicago neighborhood.
The development would include thousands of units of housing, a hotel, entertainment options and a 4,000-car parking garage, sources familiar with the proposal recently told Crain’s. […]
In addition, the renderings floated tonight contemplate the future of the area around the team’s existing home, Guaranteed Rate Field.
“While we do not own the land at 35th & Shields . . . we knew there would be questions about 35th Street use,” a Related spokeswoman tells Crain’s. “So we put together conceptual ideas, understanding there would a robust community process to determine the best use for this land.
The development would generate a $9 billion investment, $4 billion in annual stabilized economic impact, and $200 million in annual tax revenue, according to the developer’s projections, which were not publicly substantiated. Those projections include buildout of Discovery Partners Institute, a state proposal for a technology and research center.
The plans also include a housing complex and a soccer stadium in and around the site of the Sox’s current stadium, Guaranteed Rate Field.
The proposal so far is speculative, with no way identified to pay for the new park. Public financing would require action by lawmakers. Gov. J.B. Pritzker has expressed his general opposition to taxpayers funding private development, beyond typical infrastructure costs. […]
The new plans call for 5 million annual visitors — about triple what the Sox drew in attendance last year — plus 1,000 affordable residential units, and 1,300 new housing units at the current Sox home near Bridgeport, redeveloped in the drawings to a smaller size with a soccer field.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell avoided picking sides as the Bears weigh the options of building a new stadium in Arlington Heights or Chicago, but said Monday either option would present a “great opportunity” for the Chicago area to host other major events.
Based on the league’s history of awarding Super Bowls to markets that build a new stadium, it’s likely the Chicago area would be in consideration if it had a sparkling new indoor facility. Goodell did not directly address the question of whether that would be likely.
“It’s important to the Chicago Bears and their fans, [and] it’s also important to that community,” Goodell said. “As we’ve seen [in Las Vegas], a great stadium can host additional events. That’s true in Chicago.” […]
The Bears don’t appear to be ready move on that project anytime soon as they explore a site just south of Soldier Field and the 326-acre lot that used to hold Arlington International Racecourse.
A Northwest Indiana lawmaker isn’t giving up his dream of luring a professional sports team across the state line from Illinois, even though his enabling legislation failed to advance prior to a key deadline this year at the Indiana Statehouse.
House Bill 1174, sponsored by state Rep. Earl Harris Jr., D-East Chicago, did not move out of the House Ways and Means Committee during the first half of the Indiana legislative session. […]
“House Bill 1174 not moving forward yet is not an end to our push to get the Chicago Bears and other sports teams to move to Northwest Indiana. This sports development commission is a long-term goal — one started by my father while he was in the state legislature — and I look forward to continuing the work in coming sessions,” Harris said.
Harris’ legislation would have established a 19-member Northwest Indiana Professional Sports Development Commission tasked with studying the possibility of attracting a professional sports team to the Region, along with developing a master plan for doing so.
* Sun-Times | White Sox spring broadcast schedule includes six televised games, 10 on radio: All six games will be called by new play-by-play announcer John Schriffen, alongside analyst Steve Stone. NBC Sports Chicago — the Sox’ exclusive television home — and ESPN Chicago (1000-AM) announced the team’s schedule Wednesday. Pitchers and catchers report to spring training next Wednesday.
* ABC Chicago | Chicago Bears news: Season ticket prices to increase by average of 8% in 2024: “With careful thought and analysis, our 2024 season ticket package price will increase on average by 8.0%, with increases ranging from 6.2% to 11.3%,” the letter said. [President and CEO Kevin Warren] also announced discounts for season ticket holders at concessions will increase to 20% for non-club and 30% Club accounts.
* NBC Chicago | Kevin Warren confirms details about the Bears stadium project: It’s also important that Warren said “fixed roof,” meaning the Bears will not have a retractable roof for their stadium that can accommodate inside and outside events. Without knowing the reason for a fixed roof, retractable ones are much more expensive.
* Crain’s | A prominent architect hopes his blue-sky stadium idea will keep the Bears in Chicago: “Keep them in Chicago,” says Booth, the eminent architect who’s been practicing in the city since the 1960s, designing dozens of new buildings and renovations of old ones, as well as more in the suburbs and farther afield. As such, Booth is uniquely qualified to spitball a blue-sky vision of what an ambitious, state-of-the-art stadium could look like within city limits — though he hasn’t been in any formal talks with the Bears organization about making his vision a reality.
Members of the state Senate Democratic Caucus introduced three bills Wednesday aimed at increasing access to infertility treatments and fertility preservation. […]
Senate Bill 2572 would require insurance coverage of procedures used to diagnose and treat infertility, as well as injectable medications used to treat prediabetes, gestational diabetes and obesity – all of which can make it harder to conceive and carry a baby to term.
Senate Bill 2623 would require insurers to cover the freezing of an individual’s reproductive cells without restriction or exclusion.
Another measure, Senate Bill 2639, would prevent insurance companies from denying infertility treatment coverage when recommended by a physician.
Creates the Digital Forgeries in Politics Act. Provides that an individual depicted in a digital forgery who is an Illinois resident and a candidate for office in this State has a cause of action against any person who knowingly distributes, or enters into an agreement with another person to distribute, a digital forgery if: (1) the distribution occurs within 90 days before a regular election; and (2) the distribution is reasonably likely to harm the reputation or electoral prospects of a candidate in an election. Sets forth exceptions. Allows a court to issue a temporary restraining order, preliminary injunction, or permanent injunction ordering the defendant to cease the display or distribution of the digital forgery. Includes additional awards to a prevailing plaintiff.
Watch for state Rep. Maurice West of Rockford and state Sen. Laura Ellman of Naperville, both Democrats, to file bills today pushing for more funds for Illinois students to receive free breakfast and lunch at schools. They are urging the state to find $209 million to the Healthy School Meals campaign that the General Assembly passed last year — but didn’t appropriate money behind it. The program would address children in the suburbs, exurbs and downstate. California and Michigan are among states already serving two hot meals a day to students.
Creates the Neighborhood Concert Tax Act. Provides for a 2% tax on admission tickets to organized for-profit concerts in public parks. Establishes the Neighborhood Concert Tax Fund to be a repository for the tax proceeds. Provides for disbursement of 100% of the proceeds to the park district that hosted the concert to subsidize programs of the park district that ordinarily require a fee for participation. Defines terms. Makes corresponding additions to the State Finance Act. Effective immediately.
Amends the Ticket Sale and Resale Act. Provides that the resale of specified tickets that are otherwise not covered by the Act shall not exceed 40% of the price printed on the face of the ticket or 40% of the price of the ticket at the box office, whichever is less. Provides that the Attorney General shall enforce the provision and may issue fines and penalties to operators who violate the provisions. Provides that the Office of the Attorney General shall adopt rules to enforce the provision, including the amount of fines for each violation and other financial penalties. Provides that the provision is operative 2 years after the effective date of the amendatory Act.
On Feb. 5, state Rep. Kam Buckner introduced the Single-Family Zoning Ban Act, which would prohibit zoning areas exclusively for single-family residential use. The bill would phase in that ban, applying to cities with a population between 100,000 and 500,000 by June 1, 2025, and cities with more than 500,000 residents by June 1, 2026. The Illinois Association of Realtors is reviewing the legislation, a spokesperson told Crain’s.
“This is obviously not a final piece of legislation; this is a first salvo into this space,” said Buckner, a one-time mayoral hopeful who has often appealed to a progressive base with legislation focusing on public transit. “One thing we’re seeing for sure with the migrant situation in Chicago and around the Chicagoland area is that the state needs to be a little bit more aggressive in the way that we talk about housing.”
The measure would require that property zoned for residential use allows “middle housing.” Buckner has not yet defined what middle housing will entail, but said there would be room to negotiate that language. The National Conference of State Legislatures defines middle housing as the “middle ground between large-lot, single-family homes and large apartment complexes and is missing from the available housing stock.” In Chicago, some could interpret middle housing to mean two-flats, three-flats or additional dwelling units, Buckner said. Those conversations will likely consider another bill in the state House that would prohibit any unit of local government from banning ADUs on a residential property. That bill, introduced in November by Buckner, was originally proposed in 2020 by Rep. Robyn Gabel, D-Evanston, who now serves as the House majority leader. […]
Buckner argues the bill is not a swipe at aldermanic prerogative but instead makes way for more density in the state’s largest cities.
Amends the Burial of Dead Bodies Act. Provides that, until July 1, 2026, a green burial shall not be performed in this State unless the green burial is performed in a cemetery that permits green burials and at which green burials are permitted by all applicable ordinances and regulations. Provides that the Director of Public Health shall study the environmental and health impacts of green burials and natural organic reduction and develop recommendations for the performance of green burials and natural organic reduction to prevent environmental harm, including contamination of groundwater and surface water, and to protect the health of workers performing green burials and natural organic reduction, mourners, and the public. Details topics that the study may address. Requires the Director of Public Health to submit the study and recommendations, including any statutory changes needed to implement the recommendations, to the General Assembly by February 1, 2026. Defines terms. Effective July 1, 2024.
Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Deletes language prohibiting a peace officer, or any other person acting under the color of law, from discharging kinetic impact projectiles and all other non-lethal or less-lethal projectiles in a manner that targets the back.
Currently, commercial solar energy facilities can be located within 50 feet of a home and 150 feet from a multi-family residence, but proposed legislation would increase that to 500 feet.
State Rep. Anthony DeLuca, D-Chicago Heights, sponsors House Bill 4135 and said many residents in his district don’t want to live next door to a solar farm.
“We don’t know what the health concerns might be of a solar farm, we don’t like the way they look, we’re concerned about how it might impact property values,” DeLuca said. “Those are the three most common concerns I would hear.”
During a House Energy and Environment Committee hearing this week, Michael Morthland with the group American Clean Power Association said changing current Illinois law would set the state back in its clean energy goals.
Creates the Accessible Electric Vehicle Charging Station Act. Requires the Department of Transportation to ensure that charging stations in the State are sufficiently accessible to allow independent use by drivers with disabilities, including people who have limited or no hand dexterity, limb differences, or upper extremity amputations and use adaptive driving controls. Requires chargers designed to serve people who use mobility devices to be located on an accessible route. Provides that the Department shall adopt the technical requirements for accessible routes established under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and the federal Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 (ABA) including walking surfaces, curb ramps, and ramps. Establishes that a charging space with mobility features must provide a vehicle space with a minimum width of at least 11 feet and a minimum length of at least 20 feet. Requires chargers to provide a clear floor or ground space. Requires clear floor or ground spaces to meet ADA requirements for ground and floor surfaces, including criteria for firmness, stability, and slip resistance. Provides that a reasonable number of chargers, as determined by the Department, shall comply with ADA operable parts requirements, including technical requirements for clear floor or ground space, reach ranges, and operation. Provides that a connector must allow operation with one hand and no tight grasping, pinching, or twisting of the wrist, and with no more than 5 pounds of force. Provides that all chargers operated or maintained by any entity within the State must comply with the technical requirements for hardware under the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Grants rulemaking authority. Defines terms.
Amends the Wildlife Code. Deletes provisions that require a meat processor to be a member of the Illinois Sportsmen Against Hunger program in order for the meat processor to donate deer meat that the meat processor has processed. Provides that if a properly tagged deer is processed at a licensed meat processing facility and if the owner of the deer (i) fails to claim the processed deer within a reasonable time or (ii) notifies the licensed meat processing facility that the owner no longer wants the processed deer or wishes to donate the deer, then the deer meat may be given away by the licensed meat processor to another person or donated to a charitable organization or community food bank that receives wild game meat. Requires meat processors who donate deer meat to a charitable organization or community food bank that receives wild game meat to keep written records of all deer received.
* ICYMI: Day in court postponed for former lawmaker who checked into hospital on eve of corruption trial. Hannah Meisel…
- U.S. District Judge Colleen Lawless postponed the trial until next week, opting to forgo more incremental status hearings like the five that had already taken place since McCann failed to show up for his trial on Monday morning.
-Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Bass said by delaying the trial further, it would “reward” McCann.
- Lawless said she understood Bass’ position that a delay in the trial was the outcome McCann wanted but said she didn’t believe it was “in the interest of justice” to force McCann to show up to trial beginning Thursday after having been in the hospital.
* Isabel’s top picks…
* Capitol News Illinois | In crisis, she went to an Illinois facility. Two years later, she still isn’t able to leave: With few viable options for intervention, she moved into Kiley Developmental Center in Waukegan, a much larger facility. There, she says she has fewer freedoms and almost nothing to do, and was placed in a unit with six other residents, all of whom are unable to speak. Although the stay was meant to be short term, she’s been there for two years. The predicament facing Rogers and others like her is proof, advocates say, that the state is failing to live up to the promise it made in a 13-year-old federal consent decree to serve people in the community.
* SJ-R | Illinois lawmakers call for statewide child tax credit to help thousands of families: State Rep. Marcus C. Evans, Jr., D-Chicago, filed the most recent proposal Wednesday. House Bill 4917 sets a lower threshold at $300 per child starting in 2025 and then have an inflation-adjusted amount in subsequent years. Illinois would become the 14th state to pass a statewide child tax credit, which its supporters say will assist thousands of low-income families particularly those of color. The price tag, however, is estimated to run the state $300 million.
* WBEZ | The Cook County Jail population has shrunk dramatically, but costs have not. Why?: Jail detainee numbers last month averaged 4,675, a 58% drop since the population peaked at 11,248 in September 2013. But inflation-adjusted operating expenditures for the jail and the sheriff’s electronic monitoring program fell just 18% from 2013 to 2023. The funds spent last fiscal year, which ended Nov. 30, totaled more than $412 million.
* SJ-R | Running as a political outsider, Virden Republican seeks Congressional District 13 seat: His story, he asserts, is different from incumbent Democrat U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski, who he hopes to face in November. Loyd points out that Budzinski, then working as chief of staff of the federal Office of Management and Budget, had to move to Springfield to run for Congress in 2022. While true, Loyd also listed Carbondale — a town in the 12th Congressional District — as his home on his federal statement of candidacy last March. His November filing with the Illinois State Board of Elections now notes Virden as home. Congressional candidates only have to live in the state, not the district, to be eligible to hold office.
* WTAX | Allege funding disparities: Black legislators and advocates celebrated Black HIV / AIDS Awareness Day Wednesday by ripping into the Illinois Department of Public Health, accusing the state of inequitable funding, even when Blacks have a disproportionate share of the cases. […] The Illinois Department of Public Health issued a response: The Illinois Department of Public Health appreciates the advocacy and commitment of its community-based partners who serve historically underserved communities. IDPH has worked diligently to ensure that HIV/AIDS grant funding goes to where it is needed the most, especially to address the disparities in HIV rates and access to testing and care in communities of color.
* Northwest Herald | 88 apartments proposed for downtown McHenry; developer seeks millions of dollars in city incentives: To make it work, company President David Patzelt said, Shodeen needs $6 million in public assistance from Tax Increment Financing, and an additional $2 million. […] But it wouldn’t be the TIF district the building is currently in. To make the project work, the company is asking McHenry to pull the property – the former city hall site – out of the existing TIF district and create a new one. That would restart the clock, giving the site 23 years of benefit from a new district.
* Chalkbeat | The Illinois State Board of Education finalized a literacy plan. What’s next?: Advocates are pushing lawmakers to increase the state’s education budget and an increase of $550 million for the state’s evidence-based funding formula that supports public schools. Literacy advocates hope that the state board will set aside money to implement the literacy plan. The state board has recommended $3 million for fiscal year 2025 to implement the literacy plan, but advocates hope for $45 million.
* VF Press | Westchester Hires Law Firm To Spur Economic Development: The village of Westchester has tapped Ancel Glink, a Chicago law firm that specializes in municipal law, to represent the suburb in negotiations with JD Realty, a firm that’s trying to redevelop several acres of village-owned land at the northeast corner of Mannheim and Roosevelt roads. But the agreement didn’t happen without some board members questioning the law firm’s ties to Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch.
* Shaw Local | State asks to end Chester Weger’s exoneration bid in Starved Rock murder case: Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow filed a 78-page pleading Tuesday in La Salle County Circuit Court. In it, Glasgow argued that Weger, who is soon to be 85 years old, was in fact guilty of killing Lillian Oetting, one of three women found bludgeoned to death at the state park. “[Weger’s] repeated insistence that the ‘false confession’ was the only evidence against him is simply not true,” Glasgow assistant Colleen Griffin wrote.
* Tribune | Bally’s Chicago bucks trend with casino revenue gains in January, while new hotel plan remains under review: In January, revenue at the temporary Medinah Temple casino grew 9.1% to $9.3 million in adjusted gross receipts, according to monthly data released Wednesday by the Illinois Gaming Board. Bally’s Chicago passed Harrah’s Joliet to rank third in revenue among the state’s 15 casinos. Admissions at Bally’s Chicago declined 11.5% to 88,313 in January, but the casino nonetheless held its ranking as the second busiest in the state.
* Crain’s | Barnes & Noble opening store at Walgreens’ former Wicker Park flagship: “We generally want a bookstore everywhere. Every community, we think, needs a bookstore,” Barnes & Noble senior director of store planning and design Janine Flanigan told Crain’s, adding that “we were really missing the Chicago market” with no stores within city limits for several years.
* Tribune | Brittany Howard opens her national tour with spirited concert at Thalia Hall: Occupying her own private universe, Howard anchored an emotional outpouring that stretched sonic borders and asked as many questions as it answered. Songs avoided direct routes. Frustration, hesitancy and cautious hopefulness manifested in the forms of syncopated beats and off-kilter rhythms. Tempos halted and fluctuated. Vintage fusion, hip-hop, disco and club elements cross-pollinated with contemporary soul and dance grooves in ways that encouraged both introspection and movement.
* Lake County News-Sun | Experience Johnny Cash in unique show at Waukegan’s Genesee: Thanks to state-of-the-art projection, audiences will see clips of Cash performing on his TV show, which from 1969 to 1971, with his vocals extracted. […] The show progresses through Cash’s life, he said, with the six-piece band performing along with his image.
* NBC Chicago | Need an Illinois driver’s license or REAL ID? You can get one without an appointment here: There are plenty of reasons to head to the 2024 Chicago Auto Show, which begins this weekend — but one of them may be something you hadn’t considered. According to an announcement from Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, the Secretary of State’s Office will be on-hand at the two-week event beginning Friday, providing variety of services — from Illinois driver’s license renewals to applying for a REAL ID.
* ABC Chicago | Renderings of possible new Chicago White Sox stadium in South Loop released: The renderings show an open-aired, half translucent ballpark, which would add to Chicago’s historic skyline. This new ballpark would move the Sox from their longtime Bridgeport home to a more than 60-acre plot of land in Chicago’s newest neighborhood known as “The 78.” The developer’s images imagined riverfront baseball nestled between Roosevelt Road and 18th Street.
* Sun-Times | Pritzker Military Museum & Library closing Chicago location, retreats to Wisconsin: The Pritzker Military Museum & Library announced Wednesday it is closing its downtown location and moving to an archives center in Wisconsin later this year. The museum’s Monroe Building, at Monroe Street and Michigan Avenue, will shut its doors July 27 when the current exhibit, “War of 1812: Countering Peril on the High Seas and at Home,” closes.
