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.”
* 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.”
* 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.
* 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.
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.
* 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.
(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?
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?
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.]
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.
* 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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
* 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.
* 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.”
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.
* 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.
* 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.
* I had never heard of Poi Dog Pondering when I first moved to Chicago in 2000. But some of my city friends quickly educated me. They seemed to play everywhere back then. Here’s the Tribune…
The rock and soul band Poi Dog Pondering will perform at 8 p.m. Aug. 17 at RiverEdge Park in Aurora, park officials announced Wednesday.
The band is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. “Poi Dog Pondering: A Celebration of 40 Years of Life, Love and Music” is a one-night-only show, RiverEdge officials said.
A recreation director was fired by the Park District of Highland Park while on leave for the post-traumatic stress disorder he has experienced since the mass shooting during the suburb’s 2022 Fourth of July Parade. […]
As director of recreation, Maliszewski was co-chair of the 2022 Fourth of July Parade and was one of the first Park District employees to arrive at work that morning.
At the time of the shooting, he was at the start of the parade route, just north of where a gunman fired into the crowd from a rooftop. The mass shooting left seven people dead and dozens injured. […]
For at least nine months, Maliszewski has been receiving treatment for anxiety, insomnia and post-traumatic stress disorder related to the parade massacre. He said he never suffered from any mental health problems before the incident. He was on leave from the Park District for part of that time.
Maliszewski has a pending workers’ compensation case related to the psychological injury he sustained in the wake of the parade shooting. His case began while he was on leave from his Park District job through the Family and Medical Leave Act.
* Press release…
The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today that the unemployment rate increased +0.1 percentage point to 4.8 percent, while nonfarm payrolls increased +1,200 in December, based on preliminary data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and released by IDES. The November revised unemployment rate was 4.7 percent, unchanged from the preliminary November unemployment rate. The November monthly change in payrolls was revised from the preliminary report, from +6,800 to +4,400 jobs. The December unemployment rate and payroll jobs estimate reflect activity for the week including the 12th.
In December, the industry sectors with the largest over-the-month job gains included: Leisure and Hospitality (+3,300), Educational and Health Services (+1,700), and Government (+1,100). The industry sectors with the largest monthly payroll job declines included: Trade, Transportation and Utilities (-4,900), Information (-1,200), and Other Services (-400).
“Today’s report adds the finishing touches on a year of strong, consistent job growth and continued accomplishments surrounding the stabilization of the state’s labor market,” said Deputy Governor Andy Manar. “As we head into the new year, IDES remains committed to the services provided for workforce and employer opportunities and bridging the two together.”
Update: As reported by @AVHndz in @BlockClubCHI, the Chicago Rat Hole has been restored to its former glory after local residents braved the cold and icy conditions to scrape out the plaster-like substance from the Rat Hole. This is what community is all about. #twillhttps://t.co/bZjdEKY9vC
* USA Today | Unemployment claims in Illinois declined last week: Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Illinois dropped last week compared with the week prior, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday. New jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, fell to 12,701 in the week ending Jan. 13, down from 12,890 the week before, the Labor Department said. U.S. unemployment claims dropped to 187,000 last week, down 16,000 claims from 203,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.
* Sun-Times | With end of cash bail, ‘dramatic increase’ in appeals from people ordered held in jail or told to submit to restrictions to be released: Illinois appellate courts have been hit with a “dramatic increase” in appeals since the elimination of cash bail from people challenging orders keeping them in jail or imposing conditions like electronic monitoring for their release. The state’s high court announced Tuesday it is creating a task force of appellate court justices to study the issue. The task force is slated to hold its first meeting in the next two weeks and is expected to give a report to the Supreme Court within 45 days.
* Tribune | Lockport student alleges District 205 failed to monitor student in alleged sexual assault: A Lockport Township High School District 205 student and her parents filed a lawsuit against the district alleging she was sexually assaulted by a junior varsity basketball player and former student in December 2022. The lawsuit, filed Jan. 8 against the district, names Superintendent Robert McBride and Anthony Cundari, assistant superintendent for personnel.
* Sun-Times | Firm tied to former Chicago top cop David Brown back at police academy after being dumped over cost: A Texas firm with ties to former Supt. David Brown is back training officers at the police academy after being dumped by the Chicago Police Department over cost concerns after Brown left the department. Last May 19, then-interim police Supt. Fred Waller told police reform chief Tina Skahill to notify Professional Law Enforcement Training that “CPD will no longer need their services as of June 1,” citing the “significant cost.”
* Patch | ‘Condescending’: DuPage Officials Disagree Over Night Meetings: Two Democratic DuPage County Board members differed over whether to hold a night board meeting this year. One accused the other of being “condescending.”In October, member Dawn DeSart, who represents Naperville-based District 5, proposed two night meetings, as opposed to the usual daytime sessions.
* Crain’s | UChicago grad union adds pressure to university’s poor financial position: Graduate Students United, or GSU, which represents some 3,000 graduate students at the university, told Crain’s that UChicago officials are now using its recent public debt issues and a $239 million budget deficit as reasons not to meet the union’s financial demands.
* SJ-R. | Sangamon County State’s Attorney appoints a new top lieutenant: Mary Beth Rodgers, chief of the office’s felony division, was named First Assistant State’s Attorney Thursday by John Milhiser, who returned to the State’s Attorney office in November after serving as U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois during the Donald Trump presidency.
* Daily-Journal | Will County declares emergency, announces opening of nuclear plant warm water siphons into Kankakee River: The Will County Emergency Management Agency has coordinated with Constellation Energy to activate all three siphons of warm water from the Dresden Energy Center cooling lake to accelerate the melting of ice on the Kankakee River. This decision follows a declaration of emergency by county executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant due to the historic flood levels and ice jams along the Kankakee River.
* Center Square | Illinois pays hefty sum to participate in Rose Parade: According to documents obtained by The Center Square, the cost of constructing the Enjoy Illinois float, the performances and the entry fee cost taxpayers $560,000. The 24-foot-tall float took three months to build using about 22,000 volunteer hours and featured 30,000 flowers. The state hired the vocal group Straight No Chaser to ride and sing on the float.
* Sun-Times | Soldier who sold guns used by Chicago gang members in 2 mass shootings pleads guilty: Brandon Miller told investigators he joined the Army to escape the mean streets of Chicago, where he said he was going to “funeral after funeral after funeral.” He was in the field artillery at Fort Campbell on the Kentucky-Tennessee border, where he specialized in operating the computers that guide artillery and missiles.
* Daily Herald | Authorities: Glendale Heights village president pushed police chief : According to the charge, Khokhar shoved Glendale Heights Police Chief George Pappas with both hands as Pappas stood in front of him on Oct. 25. The misdemeanor battery charge was added Friday to Khokhar’s disorderly conduct case, in which he is accused of making a false report to police.
* Daily Herald | Six state police vehicles hit in a week serves as reminder of Scott’s Law: The good news is that none of the state troopers suffered life-threatening injuries. The bad? State police say at least three of the drivers who hit the squads were violating Scott’s Law, aka the Move Over Law, when the crashes occurred. Another is accused of driving under the influence.
* Block Club | White Sox Should Stay In Bridgeport, Alderperson Says As Team Eyes South Loop Stadium: Prominent developer Related Midwest owns the land, which was also floated as a casino site before Bally’s won the contract to build it in River West. Ald. Pat Dowell (3rd), whose ward includes the site named for what could be the city’s 78th official community area, said in a statement she will “meet soon” with Related Midwest “to discuss the possibility of a stadium being built for the Chicago White Sox.”
* Tribune | The ‘Chicago Rat Hole’ draws devoted fans bringing gifts for the city’s new tourist attraction: Neighbors in the area told Dumaine the spot has been there for nearly 20 years and that the mark was actually left by a squirrel, not a rat. But the rodent-inspired name has endured. “Chicago prides itself on all of the things that make Chicago difficult, and no matter how much Chicago hates rats, they love rats. It’s a part of our culture,” Dumaine said.
* The American Prospect | How Boeing Ruined the JetBlue-Spirit Merger: This week, the sixth-largest and seventh-largest U.S. airlines, JetBlue and Spirit, were denied the opportunity to merge. Stripped from context, it doesn’t sound like an earth-shattering development. But the ruling by Judge William Young, a Reagan appointee, signals the end of four decades of unstoppable waves of airline consolidation that have damaged passengers, workers, smaller communities, and commerce. More broadly, it’s another victory for the Biden Justice Department’s aggressive antitrust enforcers, who are drawing the line at additional concentration.
* Daily Herald | Coyotes are more active this time of year. Here’s how to keep your pets safe: The police department post recommends that residents keep unattended dogs and cats indoors or in enclosed areas if they have to be outside, especially at night. It also implored people to keep their dogs on short leashes while walking them outside, preferably six feet or less.
Kullgren said Mayor Johnson saw the alleged incident.
“The mayor gave no indication he didn’t want to talk to me until his staffer started shoving me. He saw the whole thing happen and didn’t intervene,” Kullgren told Fox News Digital via email when asked for additional comment. […]
Two west suburban Catholic grade schools will close this summer, the Archdiocese of Chicago announced Thursday.
St. Frances of Rome School in Cicero and St. Odilo School in Berwyn will close their doors in June after the conclusion of the academic year.
School and church leaders said the expiration of the Invest in Kids tax credit scholarship program in the fall left the schools facing a financial cliff with more than half of students at the schools relying on the program to attend.
The program expired in November after state lawmakers adjourned during the final week of the General Assembly’s last session without taking up a proposal to extend it beyond Dec. 31.
* During the 2022-23 school year, St. Frances of Rome had just 13 Invest in Kids participants. But, according to the PR firm which oversaw the Invest in Kids push, that number jumped to 104 students during the current school year after a major local effort.
St. Odilo went from 27 IIK students during the 2022-23 school year to 60 this year, according to a press release.
Raw data is here. Both of those schools have experienced enrollment declines.
* From that Mac Strategies press release…
“Empower Illinois stands in solidarity with the parents, students, teachers, and communities of St. Frances of Rome and St. Odilo. Without this life-changing scholarship program many of those families simply could not afford to attend the school, forcing its closure,” said Bobby Sylvester, executive director of Empower Illinois. “Sadly, we know that these are unlikely to be the last schools to close unless our legislators act this spring to renew the program. We call on all Illinois General Assembly members to re-engage in the vital work of providing educational opportunities to low-income students through this program by passing an extension this spring.”
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Invest in Kids proponents should’ve tried to broker a phase-out compromise that would’ve at least continued funding for students currently in the program. Those two schools were obviously hoping to keep their doors open with a big effort to enroll students in IIK, even though people at the top knew it was quite likely that the program would be allowed to expire at the end of December. They could’ve tried to lock in those gains, but went for an extension instead.
If one Oklahoma representative gets his way, children who act like dogs and cats during school hours could be punished by — animal control. Yes, parents might soon have to collect their erstwhile kids from the pound — if Rep. Justin Humphrey’s bill makes it to the finish line as it stands today. That is, of course, if kids acting like animals at school is really that widespread a problem, which is up for debate.
Humphrey’s bill, which was filed Wednesday, seeks to put in place a law whereby “students who purport to be an imaginary animal or animal species, or who engage in anthropomorphic behavior commonly known as furries at school shall not be allowed to participate in school. … The parent or guardian of a student in violation of this section shall pick up the student from school, or animal control services shall be contacted to remove the student.”
Humphrey tells Rolling Stone he was inspired to write the bill after hearing several reports of students disrupting school while engaging in animal-like behavior. He cites two such alleged incidents in which a grandchild of a friend took to crawling down the hallway while wearing a leash, and another where a student distracted classmates by meowing like a cat. He seemed most concerned, however, with the idea of students requesting litter boxes in the classroom, a favored talking point among right-wing politicians that has been debunked. Similar bills have been introduced in the past as well, but none have included the “animal control” language.
Humphrey says he’s heard “reports” of such instances but did not cite a specific incident. “Why are we going to bring in a litter box and put it in a room? Are they allowing those kids to actually use litter boxes?” he asks, incredulous. “If you think that you’re an animal, that’s a mental health issue, and we need to get you mental health assistance. Some people are going to say, ‘Well, they’re being artistic.’ There’s nothing artistic about mental illness.”
An Oklahoma bill has stirred controversy in the state Legislature for seeking to label Hispanic people who are gang members as terrorists. No other racial or ethnic group is singled out in the legislation.
The bill, written by Republican state Rep. Justin Humphrey, proposes that any person who “is of Hispanic descent living within the state of Oklahoma,” is a member of a gang and has been convicted of “gang-related offenses” would be deemed a terrorist. Humphrey has since apologized for zeroing in on Hispanic people and plans to change the language in the bill to “undocumented.”
Humphrey told NBC News that the bill was meant to focus on “those people who are here illegally and who are coming across the border and trying to do harm to America and to Oklahoma.” […]
“I don’t believe that the Mexican cartel, the Hispanic gangs, are the only bad actors … I don’t really say, ‘I made a mistake’ or that it was racial, because it wasn’t, but it was an oversight and it could be made much, much better by expanding that to say, ‘any undocumented person,’” Humphrey said, adding that he spoke with Hispanic friends who told him they were somewhat offended by the bill.
Humphrey has also said that “Chinese nationals” are contributing to the fentanyl crisis, but did not explicitly mention that group in the bill. There were 3,547 unintentional drug overdose deaths in the state between 2017 to 2021, according to data from the Oklahoma State Department of Health. Fentanyl was involved in 579 of those deaths.
🚨🚨Oklahoma introduces a FELONY BAN on VIEWING pornography.
This is 100% straight out of the Project 2025 playbook. It appears to me with the bills I've read out of Oklahoma that representatives there are testing the waters for Project 2025. pic.twitter.com/sMIPlFmwaP
An Oklahoma lawmaker proposed a bill that would require students to take a gun course at school.
State Sen. Nathan Dahm filed Senate Bill 1699, which would require courses focusing on gun safety, the history of gun confiscation and the dangers of gun confiscation throughout history.
According to Senate Bill 1699, the Oklahoma State Department of Education would develop resources related to implementing gun courses with grade-appropriate instruction and high-quality professional learning opportunities for gun course teachers.
Transgender children who need an adoptive or foster parent could be placed in homes that don’t support their gender identity if a new bill gets signed into law.
Senate Bill 1677, authored by Sen. Julie Daniels, would prohibit the Oklahoma Department of Human Services from requiring a condition for potential foster and adoptive parents that they support a child’s sexual orientation or gender identity if it conflicts with the prospective parents “sincerely held religious or moral beliefs”.
The bill would also prohibit DHS from denying a prospective parent adoption or fostering a child based in part on their religious beliefs regarding sexual orientation or gender identity.
If a parent is denied adoption or fostering a child based on their religious belief, they would be able to seek injunctive relief and damages.
A former state legislator has formed a group that is launching a statewide effort to put parents’ rights on Illinois’ November 2024 ballot.
The Parents Matter Coalition has said that minor children in Illinois should require the guidance of their parents when faced with life-altering medical decisions like abortions or gender identity procedures. The group, in response, has launched a petition seeking to ask voters if parents should have more control over such decisions.
“Shall the written consent from a minor’s parent or guardian be required before any entity, person, clinic or school can provide a minor (under the age of 18 years) any nonemergency medical procedure, medication, pharmaceutical, or any gender modification procedure, gender identification counseling or gender therapy?” the question asks.
Jeanne Ives, a former state representative, said Thursday petitioners hope to get the advisory question on the November ballot.
“We want it on the 2024 ballot, that means we need petition signatures,” Ives told The Center Square. “Our goal is 500,000 signatures. We need less than that, but we are aiming for 500,000, and we would like to collect those by the end of March.” […]
The initiative is just a ballot question and will not change state law regardless of the final vote outcome. However, Ives said this can put pressure on those making the laws.
Matt Dietrich at the Illinois State Board of Elections said the circulators must collect 328,371 valid signatures of registered voters and submit them by May 6. So, 500,000 may not be enough.
State law limits the number of referenda to no more than three at a time. The General Assembly could decide to crowd out the Ives effort (if it’s even successful) by voting to put their own questions on the ballot, including a constitutional amendment.
In an unsurprising decision, the Illinois Supreme Court today ruled unanimously to uphold the 2019 downstate police and firefighter pension fund consolidation law after certain members sued claiming their voting power was diluted. My story from November: https://t.co/YtJZO3lRT7pic.twitter.com/Q9nzhauvCQ
Governor JB Pritzker released the following statement on the Illinois Supreme Court’s ruling on local pension consolidation:
“The Illinois Supreme Court upholding the constitutionality of this landmark, bi-partisan pension reform law today is confirmation that smart, thoughtful pension reform can be accomplished in Illinois. After 70 years of attempts, my partners in the General Assembly and I were able to accomplish meaningful reform during my first term in office. We ushered in a new era of responsible fiscal management, one aspect of which has been consolidating over 600 local pension systems to increase returns and lower fees, reducing the burden on taxpayers and keeping another campaign promise. Today’s Supreme Court ruling is a victory for Illinois taxpayers, local governments and first responders.”
THE ARLINGTON HEIGHTS POLICE PENSION FUND et al., Appellants, v. JAY ROBERT “J.B.” PRITZKER, Governor, et al., Appellees […]
Plaintiffs filed a complaint against defendants in the circuit court of Kane County seeking, inter alia, a finding that Public Act 101-610 (eff. Jan. 1, 2020) (Act), which amended portions of the Illinois Pension Code (40 ILCS 5/1-101 et. seq. (West 2020)), violated article XIII, section 5, of the Illinois Constitution (Ill. Const. 1970, art. XIII, § 5), commonly known as the pension protection clause, and/or article I, section 15, of the Illinois Constitution (Ill. Const. 1970, art. I, § 15), commonly known as the takings clause. The circuit court granted summary judgment in favor of defendants. The appellate court affirmed. 2023 IL App (2d) 220198, ¶ 20. For the following reasons, we also affirm. […]
It is axiomatic that, if plaintiffs have no constitutional right in how their local pension funds are funded or the adequacy of that funding, they similarly have no constitutional right regarding who invests local fund assets. The Act does not change plaintiffs’ right to elect members of their local funds’ boards or the local boards’ authority to determine the amount of benefits plaintiffs are entitled to receive. It only changes the local boards’ power to invest the assets of the local funds. Simply put, the 2020 amendment to the Pension Code has no impact on plaintiffs receiving their promised monetary benefits. […]
Plaintiffs have failed to identify any property right under Illinois law that is affected by the 2020 amendment to the Pension Code. It is undisputed that the Act does not impact the pension payments that plaintiffs are entitled to receive. Additionally, as defendants recognize, plaintiffs’ takings claim must also fail because even if they had a property right in the local funds’ assets, which they do not, the Act would not constitute a taking of that property for the government’s use. The Act simply changes how local fund assets are managed and invested without affecting the ultimate use of those assets to pay the benefits of local fund members
The Illinois Municipal League and the Associated Firefighters of Illinois supported the state’s position.
…Adding… House Speaker Chris Welch…
Today’s ruling shows that smart decision making can produce real savings for taxpayers, while protecting what workers have earned. By advancing commonsense reforms, collaborating with stakeholders, and delivering fiscally and socially responsible budgets, we’re continuing to rebuild Illinois’ fiscal house and move our state forward.
Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Changes the names of the offenses of unlawful use of weapons, unlawful use of weapons by felons or persons in the custody of the Department of Corrections facilities, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, being an armed habitual criminal, unlawful use of firearm projectiles, and unlawful use of a firearm in the shape of a wireless telephone to unlawful possession of weapons, unlawful possession of weapons by felons or persons in the custody of the Department of Corrections facilities, aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon, persistent unlawful possession of a weapon, unlawful possession of firearm projectiles, and unlawful possession of a firearm in the shape of a wireless telephone. Provides that if any person before the effective date of the amendatory Act has been arrested, charged, prosecuted, convicted, or sentenced for unlawful use of weapons, unlawful use or possession of weapons by felons or persons in the custody of the Department of Corrections facilities, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, being an armed habitual criminal, unlawful use of firearm projectiles, or unlawful use of a firearm in the shape of a wireless telephone, the changes of the names and the defendants to unlawful possession of weapons, unlawful possession of weapons by felons or persons in the custody of the Department of Corrections facilities, aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon, persistent unlawful possession of a weapon, unlawful possession of firearm projectiles, and unlawful possession of a firearm in the shape of a wireless telephone, shall retroactively be made in any criminal background records maintained by the Illinois State Police, law enforcement agencies, clerks of the circuit court, and any other State agencies providing criminal background information to the public under specified timelines. Amends various Acts to make conforming changes. Effective January 1, 2025.
Amends the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act. Provides that within 90 days after the Restore, Reinvest, and Renew Areas have been designated by the Restore, Reinvest, and Renew Program Board, the Board chair shall appoint 8 public officials of municipal or county (rather than municipal) geographic jurisdictions in the State that include a Restore, Reinvest, and Renew Area to the Board.
Amends the Department of Natural Resources Act. Makes legislative findings concerning the growth of American white pelican populations and their impacts on recreational fish populations in the Upper Mississippi River System. Directs the Department of Natural Resources to collaborate with an accredited university or college in the State to conduct a study of the American white pelican communities that reside, during their migration, in Pool 13 of the Upper Mississippi River System in order to: (1) evaluate the movements and foraging activities of those communities; (2) assess how the migration of those communities impacts fish populations in the Upper Mississippi River System; and (3) collect the data necessary to develop trophic models of the Upper Mississippi River System that incorporate impacts of piscivorous birds, such as the American white pelican. Requires the Department to report the findings of its study to the General Assembly by no later than December 31, 2025. Effective immediately.
Amends the Child Care Act of 1969. Provides that, on or before January 1, 2025, the Department of Children and Family Services shall require each licensed day care center to maintain a video security system and maintain video surveillance of all public areas within the premises of the day care center, including, but not limited to, hallways, entrances, play areas, common rooms, and eating areas. Provides that video surveillance shall not take place in private areas within the day care center, including, but not limited to, bathrooms and changing areas. Provides that, if a video security system is deemed inadequate by the Department, the day care center shall have 30 days to correct the inadequacy. Provides that each licensed day care center must notify all parents of children attending the day care center that public areas are under video surveillance and must post a sign at the entrance of the day care center that informs visitors that the area is under video surveillance. Provides that the minimum standards for licensing shall require that each child care institution, maternity center, day care center, group home, day care home, and group day care home require that every staff member involved in the direct care of children be certified in first aid, in the Heimlich maneuver, and in cardiopulmonary resuscitation(rather than have on its premises during its hours of operation at least one staff member certified in first aid, in the Heimlich maneuver, and in cardiopulmonary resuscitation).
State Senator Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) has taken an important step in ensuring the safety and wellbeing of Illinois students by filing legislation aimed at preventing inappropriate relationships between teachers and students.
Senate Bill 2823 makes it illegal for any teacher to engage in sexual activity, whether consensual or nonconsensual, with a high school student even if that student is 18 or older.
“It is our responsibility to create an educational environment that protects students from potential harm and fosters trust,” said Sen. Bryant. “Individuals with custodial authority in other areas of work, like corrections, face criminal charges for the abuse of that authority, no matter the age of the victim. The same should apply in our school system.”
Senate Bil 2823 builds upon existing Illinois law to further protect students from potential abuse of power. Teachers who violate the proposed law would face a Class 3 felony for their first offense and a Class 2 felony for subsequent offenses or if multiple victims are involved. Additionally, Senate Bill 2823 mandates the inclusion of individuals who violate the law in both the sexual predator and sex offender database, ensuring public awareness and continued monitoring.
For years, the media could listen to police scanners in real time to keep track of what’s going on in Chicago neighborhoods.
However, the City of Chicago recently began encrypting transmissions, putting them on a 30-minute delay.
In response, State Representative LaShawn Ford has introduced a bill that would require accredited newspapers and FCC licensed broadcasters, like ABC7 Chicago, to have access to real-time scanners.
Ford spoke to ABC7 about what prompted the bill.
“The police are not the only people that have to help protect individuals as it relates to public safety,” Ford said. “They need partners. It’s all hands on deck.”
Amends the Notice By Publication Act and the Newspaper Legal Notice Act. Provides, in both of the Acts, that the term “newspaper” also includes any digital publication that (1) is posted on a public-facing website, web application, or digital application, including, but not limited to, a social network, ad network, or search engine, that has 3,000 or more unique monthly United States visitors or users with at least 50% of those visitors from the geographic area for which the notice is required to be published during the immediately preceding 12 months; (2) regularly gathers, prepares, collects, photographs, records, writes, edits, reports, investigates, or publishes news or information that concerns local, national, or international events or other matter of public interest for dissemination to the public; and (3) is paid for by subscribers to the digital publication.
Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Provides that specified in-servicing training for law enforcement officers must be completed every 2 years (rather than 3 years) and must include at least 30 hours of training.
* ICYMI: Funny messages on Illinois highway signs to be banned, feds say. NBC Chicago…
- The U.S. Federal Highway Administration has given states two years to implement changes outlined in a new manual released last month.
- Overhead electronic signs with obscure meanings, pop culture references or those intended to be funny will be banned in 2026 because they can be “misunderstood or distracting to drivers,”
- Some examples of IDOT signs include “No Texting, No Speeding, No Ketchup” and “OMG, Are you texting? I can’t even.”
* CNI | Smart Start preschool expansion ahead of schedule in first fiscal year: The Smart Start program passed last May as part of the state’s operating budget, which allocated $250 million to expand early childhood education programs, including wage support for child care workers, early intervention programs and home visiting programs. It also included a goal of adding 5,000 pre-k spots in areas where access was lacking – and the state has exceeded that number by over 800 seats.
* Our Quad Cities | Local law enforcement reacts to new Illinois law allowing non-citizens to become police officers: “There’s certain steps to becoming a police officer,” said Sheriff John Booker with the Whiteside County Sheriff’s Office. “It’s not just, ‘Okay, today I’m going to be a police officer,’ take a test and you’re hired tomorrow. It’s a long process.” The Whiteside County Sheriff explained only part of the process to becoming a police officer that takes more than three months to complete.
* Crain’s | Bally’s casino workers vote to unionize: Three groups of workers at the temporary Bally’s casino in River North have voted to unionize. The votes were certified this week and affect hundreds of workers at the company’s temporary casino at the Medinah Temple.
* Wes-Gazette | Casino payout: Pension funds, riverfront among early beneficiaries: Funding for riverfront development, city sewer upgrades, construction of an addition to the Boys and Girls Club and paying down city fire and police pensions: Those will all benefit as a result of the opening of Danville’s Golden Nugget Casino. Planning for some of the projects is underway, while others, like the start of the pension paydown, are ongoing endeavors.
* Daily Southtown. | Two solar energy facililties get green light in Monee Township: Nexamp has proposed a 5-megawatt solar farm on about 44.26 acres of land at 26845 S. Will Center Road in Monee, about 0.2 miles from South Will Center Road and West Pauling Road. The company has also proposed a 2-megawatt solar farm to be built on about 19 acres of a 29.26 acre parcel of land on the northwest corner of South Will Center Road and West Pauling Road.
* WLPO | State AFL-CIO Endorses Candidates, But Not in Every Race: Of 127 candidates backed by the union giant, 126 are Democrats. The lone Republican is Brad Stephens, a candidate for State Representative who’s a union member and the Village President of the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, adjacent to O’Hare. The union has not endorsed a candidate in the 76th District, where three Democrats and two Republicans are vying for the seat being vacated by Democrat and union champion Lance Yednock.
* WBEZ | Black parents are caught in the middle of Chicago’s school choice debate: Blackburn and Presswood are two Black mothers in the middle of an intensifying debate about school choice, the system that allows Chicago parents to send their children to charters, magnets and selective enrollment schools, rather than be tethered to the school in their attendance boundary.
* Daily Egyptian | FAFSA complications causing distress for Southern Illinois families: The old FAFSA would require potential students, or their parents, to fill out a long, complicated form that would feature roughly a hundred questions regarding the family’s living situation.
The goal of the new FAFSA was to simplify the process, with only around 50 questions. The new application was designed to make it much easier for the government to provide benefits to families in need. However, it has been proven to be a more tenuous process, at least in the beginning.
* Sun-Times | Two downstate men accused of trying to break window with flag poles during Jan. 6 Capitol riot: Two men from southern Illinois have been arrested and are facing criminal charges for allegedly trying to break a window at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, joining the Jan. 6, 2021, attack by supporters of former President Donald Trump. Justin LaGesse, 37, and Theodore Middendorf, 36, both of McLeansboro, about 300 miles south of Chicago, are charged with felony destruction of property, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court.
* NBC | Capitol Police investigated more than 8,000 threats against lawmakers last year: U.S. Capitol Police investigated 8,008 threats against members of Congress last year, according to new case numbers released Thursday. Last year’s tally marked an increase from a figure released for 2022, but it’s below the 9,625 cases the agency investigated in 2021 when the Jan. 6 riot occurred.
* NPR | How social media algorithms ‘flatten’ our culture by making decisions for us: “[There] are equations that measure what you’re doing, surveil the data of all the users on these platforms and then try to predict what each person is most likely to engage with,” New Yorker writer Kyle Chayka explains. “So rather than having this neat, ordered feed, you have this feed that’s constantly trying to guess what you’re going to click on, what you’re going to read, what you’re going to watch or listen to.”
* SJ-R | How some superintendents decide on closing schools or E-learning days in bad weather: Students can sometimes be on a bus for 40 minutes to get to their schools, Superintendent Fred Lamkey said. If a bus breaks down or loses heat in the middle of the country, it can take 25 to 40 minutes to get a substitute out. That’s just one of the scenarios Lamkey and other superintendents had to consider when deciding whether to implement an emergency day or an e-learning or remote learning day, as they did on Tuesday because of the extreme cold.
* Sun-Times | University of Illinois system freezes in-state tuition at all 3 of its campuses for 2024-25 school year: The Board of Trustees approved tuition rates for the 2024-25 academic year Thursday. Rates will remain unchanged for the seventh year of the last 10 years, the school said in a press release. “I want to thank our trustees for their vote to freeze tuition for in-state undergraduates again,” University of Illinois System President Tim Killeen said. “This decision maintains our ironclad commitment to affordability. Few things we can do have a more positive impact on the working families of Illinois than holding down the cost of a life-changing college education.”
