* My dad has a tattoo on his bicep that says “Little Richard.” I always thought he got that tattoo after I was born. Nope. It was in honor of this guy…
* This undermines the leverage the Bears may have against Arlington Heights, but I suppose it ups the ante with the city, if there’s any true interest in keeping the team there…
Honored to have joined so many amazing reproductive freedom leaders including @SenatorCelina to share our work in IL. Thank you to @WhiteHouse for bringing us together & your partnership in fighting for state level protections while aiming for a national law guaranteeing access. pic.twitter.com/Hd6A2Wxuuy
— Rep. Kelly Cassidy (@RepKellyCassidy) June 16, 2023
* News about choosing Brandon Johnson’s replacement…
Today, Oak Park Democratic Committeeperson and Chair Don Harmon announced the date, time, and location for the Democratic Party’s First District Cook County Board District Committee meeting. The Committee will conduct in-person interviews in the Foxboro Room of The Carleton of Oak Park Hotel to fill the vacancy in the 1st District of the Cook County Board of Commissioners created by the resignation of Mayor Brandon Johnson. The Vice Chair of the Meeting will be Proviso Township Democratic Committeeperson Karen Yarbrough. Doors will open at 6:30PM and the meeting will begin promptly at 7:00PM. There will also be a live stream event for those unable to attend in-person.
The members of the 1st District Cook County Board District Committee will be seated as a panel while they interview six chosen applicants. Those applicants are Rev. Ira Acree of Chicago, Mayor Rory Hoskins of Forest Park, Tommie Johnson of Chicago, Zerlina Smith-Members of Chicago,Tara Stamps of Chicago, and Claiborne Wade of Forest Park. The meeting will conclude upon the completion of the candidate interviews, committee deliberations, and an appointment to fill the vacancy by a majority of the entire weighted vote of the Committeepersons.
Nineteen applications were reviewed and narrowed to the six finalists based on the quality and veracity of the application, record of service to the community, and support from members of the Committee.
“We welcome the public and press to join us Tuesday night as we interview selected applicants from the 1st District,” said Chair Don Harmon. “The committee is looking forward to taking this time to carefully consider each applicant and select a new Cook County Commissioner who will reflect the values and fulfill the needs of the 1st District.”
The members of the 1st District’s election committee include Committeeperson Daniel LaSpata (1st Ward), Committeeperson Tim Egan (2nd Ward), Committeeperson Angie Gonzalez-Rodriguez (26th Ward), Committeeperson Walter Burnett (27th Ward), Committeeperson Jason Ervin (28th Ward), Committeeperson Chris Taliaferro (29th Ward), Committeeperson Scott Waguespack (32nd Ward), Committeeperson Emma Mitts (37th), Committeeperson Don Harmon (Oak Park Township), and Committeeperson Karen Yarbrough (Proviso Township).
* Go Cubs Go! /s…
One day after this legislation was filed in Tallahassee, Joe Ricketts, the billionaire founder of TD Ameritrade whose kids own the Chicago Cubs, gave DeSantis a $1 million donation.
Oh 🦌🦌🦌DEER! A deer broke through a window at Engineering Sciences Building and our folks, along with @UIPD and @uofigrainger, helped secure and release the animal. There were some abrasions and cuts but the deer was deemed OK! 😲Whew - never know what you’re gonna see! pic.twitter.com/uE8frH7VMa
— University of Illinois Facilities & Services (@UofIFS) June 16, 2023
* Isabel’s roundup…
* Axios | Child care costs are overwhelming Illinois parents: In Illinois, $12,470 ($1,039 a month) was the average annual cost for center-based care for one toddler last year, per the report. That’s 37% of a single mother’s median income, or 11% for a married couple.
* Center Square | New Illinois laws set up protections for union strikers: HB2907 prevents striking workers from being sued for unintentional property damage as a result of a strike, while HB3396 provides that any person with the intent of obstructing or interfering with a picket line commits a Class A misdemeanor and a minimum fine of $500.
* Sun-Times | Are guaranteed-income programs working?: Shantá Robinson, who teaches at the University of Chicago, is among the scholars involved with the school’s Inclusive Economy Lab, studying the region’s guaranteed-income pilots. She said an initial look at the data shows that, compared to all Chicagoans who were eligible for the program, participants skewed slightly younger and were more likely to identify as female and have children. They are also more likely to identify as Black or African American.
* Block Club | Northwest Side Alderman Tried To Cancel City Clerk’s Event Where Migrants Get City IDs: Ald. Anthony Napolitano said he opposed because people camped out ahead of similar events. The city program has helped thousands of asylum seekers and refugees access IDs as they start new lives. … Extra officers and staff were at the Thursday event in Norwood Park as a precaution, but no one camped at the park overnight and there were no issues, officials said.
* Crain’s | Alderperson wants Chicago pension funds to invest in real estate developments: Prompted by a Crain’s report on local developer Sterling Bay pitching the Chicago Teachers Pension Fund to become an investor in the Lincoln Yards development, Ald. Gilbert Villegas, 36th, will introduce a resolution at next week’s City Council meeting calling for a hearing in the Committee on Economic, Capital and Technology Development, which he chairs.
* WCBU | Peoria Park District board unanimously approves moratorium on carbon dioxide pipelines: The Peoria Park District Board of Trustees voted unanimously Wednesday night to approve a moratorium on considerations, agreements or requests for carbon dioxide pipelines on or near park district property. The vote came after nearly an hour of presentations from proponents and critics of the pipeline, public comment and questions from the park board to presenters.
* Shaw Local | Arlington Park grandstand demolition to begin today: Almost 34 years to the date the new Arlington Park grandstand rose from the ashes and welcomed back horse racing fans after a devastating fire, the stately building that towers over the shuttered racing oval finally is set to meet the wrecking ball.
* SJ-R | Lincoln Service speeds permitted to reach 110 mph. What to know:: Passenger service has been allowed to reach 110 mph for more than a month in a trial run, but now, effective June 26, the Lincoln Service train schedule will be changed to account for the increased speeds. According to a news release, the change will cut-off approximately 15 minutes from existing 90 mph runtimes and 30 minutes from the initial 79 mph schedule.
* As you are certainly aware, the governor told the General Assembly he needed legislative authority to use specific “tools” to rein in costs of the healthcare program for undocumented immigrants. The administration claimed that costs would rise $1.1 billion next fiscal year without intervention. The idea is to keep the increase to half that amount.
Limiting enrollment and establishing co-pays were two of those tools, and they’re being announced today. In two weeks, enrollment will be limited for the Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults program, which applies to people 42-64. The 65+ population will not yet be limited. From HFS…
The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (the Department) is providing public notice that enrollment in the Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults (HBIA) program will be temporarily paused effective July 1, 2023. This action is being taken through emergency rulemaking, under the authority recently granted to the Department by the Illinois General Assembly in SB 1298, to ensure the program does not exceed the funds available and appropriated in the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Budget.
Anyone who is already enrolled in and remains eligible for coverage through the HBIA program will continue to be covered. Enrollment in the Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors (HBIS) program will remain open at this time.
The emergency rules allowing the Department to close or open enrollment with no later than 14 days calendar notice can be viewed at https://hfs.illinois.gov/info/legal/publicnotices.html. Other program adjustments within the emergency rules to keep HBIA and HBIS program costs from exceeding funds available and appropriated in the FY24 Budget are described below.
Beginning July 1, 2023, providers may collect co-payments and cost sharing on the following services when they do not qualify for federal match under the Emergency Medical for Noncitizens program:
• Inpatient hospitalizations: $250 co-pay
• Hospital emergency room visits: $100 co-pay
• Hospital or Ambulatory Surgical Treatment Center outpatient services set forth at 89 Ill. Adm. Code 148.140(b): 10% of the Department rate
Any large public hospitals, as defined in Section 148.25(a), having received payments in excess of the rates paid to non-large public hospitals shall be required to reimburse the state for any excess payment in a method and amount determined by the Department.
The Department may limit or eliminate backdated medical coverage to keep the cost of the HBIA and HBIS program within the funds available and appropriated.
Thoughts?
…Adding… From HFS…
At this time, enrollment in the Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors program will remain open. However, HBIS enrollment will be temporarily paused for FY24 if the number of individuals enrolled in the program reaches 16,500.
Anyone who is already enrolled in and remains eligible for coverage through the HBIA and HBIS programs will continue to be covered. The Department will not be removing any current enrollees who remain eligible for this coverage, and hopes to resume new enrollments as soon as fiscally possible.
The enrollment changes are necessary to bring program costs within the budgeted amount for State Fiscal Year 2024, which begins July 1. Compared with the traditional Medicaid population, month-over-month enrollment has grown at a higher rate, and per-enrollee costs have tracked higher among the HBIA and HBIS-enrolled populations due to more prevalent, untreated chronic conditions and higher hospital costs.
HFS understands that this program is a vital resource for individuals who would otherwise be eligible for Medicaid but for their immigration status. The Department understands the importance of preserving this nation-leading program for the future. […]
Prior to determining cost-containment actions, HFS sought to maximize available funds for these programs, and will utilize the following to enhance revenues:
• Pursuing methodology to maximize federal reimbursement for emergency medical expenses.
• Pursuing supplemental prescription drug rebates for the covered noncitizen population.
• Transitioning HBIA and HBIS program enrollees to the Medicaid Managed Care program starting January 1, 2024, which will generate additional dollars to fund the programs through taxes the Department collects from the Medicaid Managed Care Organizations.
• Addressing current overpayments to the Cook County Hospital System.
Managed care was another tool discussed.
And Cook County was receiving the same enhanced match it gets for regular Medicaid. Looks like they’re gonna try to claw that back.
*** UPDATE *** Latino Caucus…
The Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus released the following statement Friday in response to the announcement that the state’s Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults program will freeze enrollment July 1 for noncitizens age 42 to 64:
“In 2020, we made history by becoming the first state to offer health care coverage to certain noncitizen age groups. We knew that when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Latino communities were among the most vulnerable, and we stepped up to lay the foundation for a program that would make sure every Illinois resident could get the care they needed.
“This announcement is disappointing but is also a call to action. Come July 1, noncitizen adults will no longer be able to sign up for new health care coverage. This means that noncitizens age 42 to 64 need to enroll now, before July 1, if they have not already. Seniors age 65 or older will still be able to enroll after July 1.
“As we pride ourselves as being a welcoming state, we should not be cutting health benefits and creating barriers to healthcare.”
“We acknowledge the progress we have made in securing resources for noncitizens in recent years. We were proud to fight to make Illinois the first state in the nation to offer Medicaid-like benefits to these communities. However, this backslide is disappointing.
“We will continue to fight for health care for all Illinoisans. Latino Caucus members have not given up – and will pursue closing the gap in coverage until we achieve health care for all residents. The often-disenfranchised communities we represent sent us to Springfield to be their voice; we will never turn our backs on them.”
…Adding… Healthy Illinois Campaign…
Today, the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services published notice that enrollment will be paused for healthcare coverage for Illinois immigrants ages 42-64 under the Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults (HBIA) program. The notices also authorize a host of other changes to the program including co-pays and reduced hospital reimbursements.
Healthy Illinois strongly condemns the decision and calls on Governor Pritzker to reverse his decision immediately and work in good faith with advocates and members of the Illinois General Assembly to ensure that healthcare truly is a right, not a privilege in our state.
By slashing live-saving health coverage for Illinois immigrants, Governor Pritzker is turning his back on the communities he claims Illinois welcomes and aligning himself with anti-immigrant Republicans around the country.
Because of Governor Pritzker’s decision, there are people who will be forced to forgo cancer treatment, diabetes care, mental health care, and countless other kinds of necessary medical treatment. Today’s move is immoral and fiscally short-sighted, as Governor Prizker himself said just last week “We save money when we invest in healthcare for undocumented immigrants…If they don’t get basic healthcare, they end up in an emergency room and we all end up paying for that at a much highest cost than if we have regular care and preventative care for people.”
If you are aged 42 or older and believe you may qualify for health coverage, regardless of your immigration status, apply immediately at https://abe.illinois.gov/abe/access/.
Illinois made history in 2020 and set national precedent when we became the first state to expand coverage to low-income seniors regardless of immigration status. Today, we took a massive step backward by passing anti-immigrant, anti-public health, unjust administrative rules.
It wasn’t quite “where’s the beef?” but when he stepped outside a suburban Wendy’s with a fellow lawmaker on a hot August morning in 2019, then-state Sen. Terry Link asked a question to the same effect as the fast-food giant’s former slogan.
“What’s in it for me, though?” Link asked then-state Rep. Luis Arroyo, who had been pitching him – once again – on sponsoring legislation to regulate so-called sweepstakes machines, a legally murky form of gambling.
The answer to that question became central to the federal government’s case against politically connected businessman James Weiss, which ended Thursday with a jury convicting Weiss on seven counts, including bribery and lying to the FBI.
Federal sentencing guidelines dictate a maximum of 20 years in prison for the most serious of the charges, though those convicted of public corruption have faced wildly different sentences.
The verdict is the second in less than two months to address separate bribery schemes inside the Illinois Capitol. Weiss is a son-in-law of former Cook County Assessor Joseph Berrios.
The jury of seven women and five men deliberated for four hours before finding Weiss guilty of honest services wire and mail fraud, bribery, and lying to the FBI. The bribery scheme involved then-state Rep. Luis Arroyo, who is now in prison, and then-state Sen. Terry Link, who cooperated with the FBI but faces sentencing for his own tax crimes. […]
After the verdict was read, juror Abriana Sutherland-Scienski told reporters it was clear that “Mr. Weiss was not gonna get out of this.” She said some arguments made by his defense attorneys were “insulting to our intelligence.” She specifically cited comments by attorney Ilia Usharovich about “correlation and coincidence” that she called “a pretty grade school-type argument.”
The charges alleged Weiss desperately wanted the state’s gambling expansion bill to include language explicitly legalizing sweepstakes machines, but it was left out of the proposal in the 2019 spring session. Weiss then agreed to pay monthly $2,500 bribes to get a deal done, first to state Rep. Luis Arroyo and later to state Sen. Terry Link, who was a chief sponsor of the gambling bill in the Senate, according to prosecutors.
Arroyo and Weiss didn’t know that Link, a Vernon Hills Democrat, was cooperating with the FBI. Link, who is hoping for a break on his own federal tax conviction in exchange for his cooperation, testified over two days beginning last week about his undercover role.
Weiss’ attorneys argued Weiss was paying Arroyo as a legitimate consultant for his business, and that trying to enlist another politician’s help is not a crime.
They also tried to drag the state’s long history of public corruption into the courtroom by claiming that the video gaming industry, which was vehemently opposed to Weiss’ business, had the rest of the General Assembly in its pocket.
* More…
* Tribune | Trial of Chicago businessman James Weiss: Evidence seen and heard by the jury: Prosecutors rested their case Wednesday after three full days of testimony featuring some 14 witnesses, including former state Sen. Terry Link, who secretly recorded phone calls and meetings with Weiss as well as then-state Rep. Luis Arroyo, who later pleaded guilty to arranging the bribery scheme.
* It’s difficult not to notice this trend of moving from opposing trans rights to openly opposing gay rights. It’s neatly summed up in this Jeanne Ives social media post…
* Earlier this week, I told you that the Will County Board’s June 15 agenda included a list of three honorary resolutions: Recognizing the Juneteenth Holiday; Recognizing June as Pride Month 3 and Recognizing Moms for America. Those three items were quietly removed from the agenda.
Kraulidis also said in the video she was at the rally “making sure that only legal votes were counted.”
While she said in the video she was “not here to debate my Democrat friends,” she repeated the false claim that there was massive voter fraud in the 2020 election.
Kraulidis wasn’t the only Will County Board member in attendance on Jan. 6. Dan Butler was also there…
Some Chicago area-supporters of President Donald Trump who attended the rally in Washington D.C. that quickly turned into a violent mob storming the Capitol building, said the president is not to blame for the violence. […]
Dan Butler and David Wiersma road tripped together to Washington, first attending the rally and then marching to the Capitol. They were impressed by how peaceful everything seemed, even though the crowd got boisterous. […]
“I was just kind of shocked that it was happening because I didn’t know how they were going to plan on dispersing a peaceful demonstration, you know, I mean, we had a right to be there,” Butler said.
Yeah, a rally named “Stop the Steal” turned ugly. Who woulda ever thunk it?
* With that background in mind, let’s now turn to the Daily Southtown’s coverage of this week’s county board meeting and the removal of the three resolutions…
Board member Meta Mueller, a Democrat from Aurora, said her phone blew up last weekend with constituents and members of Pride organizations asking why the board would recognize Moms for America, which has spoken out against the LBGTQ community. […]
“Democrats don’t like Moms for America. They think they are extremist and radical,” [Steve] Balich, the county board’s Republican leader, said. “If you look at Moms for America, they are for families. They are not extremist at all.” […]
The County Board is comprised of 11 Democrats and 11 Republicans.
Balich said he felt the declaration for Pride month could potentially get 11 no votes from Republicans and the declaration for Moms for America could get 11 no votes from Democrats. Balich said he agreed to remove the proclamations along with other board leadership. […]
The Will County Board unanimously approved a proclamation in 2022 recognizing June as Pride month, according to meeting minutes.
Emphasis added for obvious reasons.
By the way, click here to watch board member Balich gleefully spout some racist crud.
* Point being, Will County Republicans were perfectly happy backing a Pride month resolution last year, but when a Republican-backed resolution in praise of an anti-trans group had to be pulled off the agenda because of strong public pushback, they then refused to support the Pride month and the Juneteenth resolutions.
This was a horrible move and further signals a very dangerous trend.
…Adding… Press release…
Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant issued a proclamation today recognizing June 19 as Juneteenth Day of Observance in Will County.
“Will County is proud to celebrate Juneteenth and the history of emancipation in the United States,” said Bertino-Tarrant. “Recognizing this important holiday offers an opportunity for all of us to reflect on our history and commit to work together in becoming a more tolerant society.”
In an Executive Proclamation issued on Friday, June 16, County Executive Bertino-Tarrant called on residents to “celebrate the emancipation of Black Americans and to condemn the history of slavery in the United States of America.”
Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union Army General Gordon Granger’s proclamation ordered the freedom of more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas. Juneteenth has grown to become the oldest nationally-celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States of America.
Juneteenth is a recognized county holiday for Will County government. All county buildings will be closed on the holiday, with the exception of essential county services and public safety operations.
Read the full proclamation at www.WillCountyIllinois.com.
After hedge fund manager and Citadel CEO and co-founder Ken Griffin left Illinois for Florida last year, the door opened for a new wealthiest individual in Illinois.
According to Forbes, Griffin is now the richest individual in Florida, with a net worth of $32.7 billion.
As for Illinois, Lukas Walton, a Walmart heir and grandson of Walmart founder Sam Walton, is now the richest resident in the state, with a net worth of $23.3 billion. Walton is ranked by Forbes as the 71st-wealthiest person in the world.
According to Forbes, Walton inherited his fortune when his father, John, died in a plane crash in 2005, receiving approximately one-third of his estate.
* The Question: What would be the first thing you’d do if you inherited a billion dollars?
Bill Number: HB 3902
Description: Creates the Drones as First Responders Act.
Action: Signed
Effective: Immediately
Bill Number: SB 1298
Description: Annual Medicaid Omnibus. Contains rate increases for various healthcare professions and facilities.
Action: Signed
Effective: Some provisions take effect immediately, some take effect July 1, 2023
That Medicaid omnibus bill allows them to issue emergency rules to keep costs down in the undocumented immigrant healthcare program. Those rules will be filed today as well, I’m told.
…Adding… Press release…
After a mass shooting at Aurora’s Henry Pratt Company in 2019 where five people were killed and six injured, the Aurora Police Department’s drone team began to carefully review how other states use drones to support law enforcement operations, and today the legislation their work led to – the Drones as First Responders Act – was signed into law.
Aurora’s State Senator Linda Holmes brought together that research and the countless months, weeks, and hours of stakeholder involvement from municipal groups, law enforcement personnel, and advocates, along with 50th District State Representative Barb Hernandez. In 2022, legislation was prepared.
“This measure gives police and other first responders critical information in a chaotic situation where lives are at stake,” said Holmes (D-Aurora). “This could spare another community the suffering and trauma we experienced here – it has the potential to prevent more chaos and death.”
Holmes’ personal and policy-centered interest in this effort grew because she knew Aurora police had identified a valid need. Tragically last year, a sniper fired into the Highland Park Fourth of July parade, killing seven and injuring 48. State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield) was walking in the parade with her family at the time. She filed legislation last fall and teamed with Holmes to bring their efforts together this spring.
The Drones as First Responders Act seeks to cover larger crowds and provide additional public safety mechanisms against those trying to harm or hurt multiple people at once.
• Beyond special events, drones will also be able to be utilized in responding to calls, providing real-time information for officers en route to a call. This will not replace the response of an officer, but provide information in advance that will support the officers’ ability to respond in a safe and effective manner as well as secure the scene.
• There are numerous examples of events, large and small, where it is possible that real-time monitoring provided by drones may have prevented or reduced the loss of life that has occurred.
“This may be one of the most important bills I’ve worked on in my Senate career because it can make a difference in how law enforcement and first responders can gather information and take lifesaving actions swiftly,” Holmes said. “Our communities deserve to feel safer as people go about their lives.”
House Bill 3902 takes effect immediately.
* Sun-Times | Businessman James Weiss guilty of bribing 2 state lawmakers, lying to the FBI: The jury of seven women and five men deliberated for four hours before finding Weiss guilty of honest services wire and mail fraud, bribery and lying to the FBI. The bribery scheme involved then-state Rep. Luis Arroyo — who is now in prison — and then-state Sen. Terry Link — who cooperated with the FBI but faces sentencing for his own tax crimes.
* CBS Chicago | IDOT struggles to keep up with graffiti on Chicago area expressways: Now, the Illinois Department of Transportation says when graffiti pops up in the middle of a construction zone, there are times they can’t get to it because it’s too dangerous to remove. But remember, the taggers themselves are getting up there. So IDOT says they will have to wait until the construction is over. But so much of what we’re seeing along the Jane Byrne Interchange and other interstates is in plain view.
* WMAY | Illinois State Representative Coffey wants bills passed during waking hours: He says key legislation, such as the state budget, should not be approved well after midnight, when most people impacted by it are sound asleep. Coffey says he plans to introduce other reform bills, too, including making the General Assembly subject to the state Open Meetings Act.
* Sun-Times | AmeriCorps grants $2.2 million to Chicago, downstate Illinois groups for public health programs: AmeriCorps roots are in the poverty-fighting Volunteers in Service to America — VISTA — program started in 1964. AmeriCorps continued VISTA’s work when it became a federal agency in 1993. Today, the national service agency runs, among other domestic programs, AmeriCorps, AmeriCorps Seniors and Public Health AmeriCorps.
* Shaw Local | OSF awaits Aug. 15 regulatory hearing on Peru hospital: OSF HealthCare has filed the paperwork needed to fully and formally acquire St. Margaret’s Health-Peru (the former Illinois Valley Community Hospital). Fair market value was listed at $38 million. (Scott Anderson)
* WTTW | Will the Bears Stay in Chicago? Open Development Sites Provide Potential Options: Among the potential sites with land large enough to house a stadium are South Works, the site of a former U.S. Steel manufacturing plant; The 78, a 62-acre lot of land; the Lincoln Yards development along the Chicago River; and land just south of Soldier Field including a massive Chicago Park District-owned parking lot and McCormick Place’s Lakeside Center, which the city has discussed tearing down for many years.
* The Civic Federation | Financial Challenges Facing the Chicago Mayor and City Council: Options and Recommendations : Chicago faces a number of social, economic and financial problems in addition to the five key fiscal issues identified above. These include: Public corruption: A lack of affordable housing; Increased costs of sheltering and caring for migrants; Uneven patterns of economic development; Education performance and quality; and Pressing financial issues facing the City’s sister agencies including the Chicago Public Schools, City Colleges of Chicago, the Chicago Park District and Chicago Transit Authority.
* WTTW | As Mayor Johnson Weighs Board of Education Picks, Some Parents, Advocates Concerned About Lack of Engagement: An open letter this week signed by numerous education advocacy groups — including Access Living, Activate Chicago Parents, Families 4 Students & Teachers, Equip for Equality and Illinois Families for Public Schools, as well as a half-dozen local school council members from around the city — expressed concerns over what they feel has been a lack of engagement from Johnson’s administration with families and stakeholders over the next board appointees.
* Tribune | Chicago Police Board fires sergeant for actions in Anjanette Young raid: The Chicago Police Board on Thursday voted to fire a police sergeant for his role in the botched 2019 raid at the home of social worker Anjanette Young. During its monthly meeting at Chicago Police Department headquarters, the board voted 5-3 to fire Sgt. Alex Wolinski.
* Tribune | Cook County prepares to raze most buildings at former Oak Forest Hospital campus: Work to tear down an initial 11 buildings is to begin in September, with another 29 slated to be razed starting next year, and county officials said a series of community meetings, newsletters and a dedicated website will keep residents informed about the project’s status.
* WTHI | Following FBI raid at Paris superintendent’s home, here’s what the Illinois State Board of Education told us: “ISBE conducted a routine audit of the Paris Union school district. Several findings and questioned costs prompted ISBE to conduct further monitoring that identified approximately $3.24 million in questioned costs, unallowable expenditures, and unallowable salaries. The district is required to provide a corrective action plan no later than June 30 addressing each finding in the final report and to repay the questioned costs and unallowable expenses.
#BREAKING Businessman James T. Weiss, a son-in-law of former Cook County Assessor Joseph Berrios, has been found guilty of a scheme to bribe two members of the Illinois General Assembly. pic.twitter.com/cJUDusWXhl
///BREAKING/// A federal jury convicts businessman James Weiss, son-in-law of ex-Cook County Democratic boss Joe Berrios, of scheme to bribe two state legislators. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison on the most serious counts. Details to come pic.twitter.com/hA5YrbbxkL
After a weeklong trial, the jury of seven women and five men deliberated for about four hours before finding James T. Weiss, 44, guilty of bribery, wire fraud, mail fraud and lying to the FBI.
Weiss is the son-in-law of former Cook County Democratic boss Joseph Berrios. The most serious charges carry a maximum of 20 years in prison.
Weiss took a sip from a plastic cup as the first guilty verdict was read in court but showed no outward reaction.
A tentative sentencing date has been set for October 11.
So long…
Weiss and his attorneys leave the Dirksen Federal Courthouse after being found guilty on all seven counts. pic.twitter.com/7XhItJWa9T
"There was some pretty specious arguments," said Sutherland-Scienski, particularly attorney Ilia Usharovich's remarks about the difference between coincidence and correlation. "I found (that) to be a pretty grade-school type argument," she says.
Regarding Luis Arroyo, she said, "Mr. Arroyo’s absence was very plainly felt. I have a lot of questions about him that have not yet been answered." Asked if she would be surprised to know he was in prison, she said, "No not at all." Or that he pleaded guilty? "That seems wise."
“There were some arguments that the defense made that I personally found insulting to our intelligence and to the court at large,” a juror told reporters. "Something about the difference between coincidence and correlation, which I found to be a pretty grade school-type argument”
JUST IN: A verdict has been reached in the trial of businessman James T. Weiss, who is accused of bribing two state lawmakers to push legislation in the Illinois General Assembly. https://t.co/nT11eEpuwC
Illinois is the lowest-ranking state in the country in terms of racial equality for Black wealth and employment, according to a study from WalletHub.
Illinois, which scored 44.82 on a 100-point scale, is ahead of only the District of Columbia, at 16.47. Alaska ranked highest, at 84.05.
Researchers calculated scores based on eight metrics that were weighted differently. The labor-force participation rate, homeownership rate, poverty rate, homelessness rate and share of executives were weighted full. Median annual household income and the unemployment rate were weighted double. The share of unsheltered people experiencing homelessness was weighted half.
Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale and then combined to form a total composite score. States were awarded the maximum number of points when Black people scored equal to or higher than white people.
* Emphasis added…
The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today that the unemployment rate fell -0.1 percentage point to 4.1 percent, while nonfarm payrolls increased by +2,500 in May, based on preliminary data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and released by IDES. The April monthly change in payrolls was revised from the preliminary report, from +8,500 to +8,800 jobs. The April revised unemployment rate was 4.2 percent, unchanged from the preliminary April unemployment rate. The May payroll jobs estimate and unemployment rate reflect activity for the week including the 12th.
In May, the industry sectors with the largest over-the-month job gains included: Government (+2,600), Financial Activities (+1,900), and Leisure and Hospitality (+1,400). The industry sectors with the largest monthly payroll job declines included: Construction (-2,400), Manufacturing (-1,700), and Information (-800). […]
The state’s unemployment rate was +0.4 percentage point higher than the national unemployment rate reported for May, the smallest difference since February 2020. The national unemployment rate was 3.7 percent in May, up +0.3 percentage point from the previous month. The Illinois unemployment rate was down -0.3 percentage point from a year ago when it was at 4.4 percent.
Compared to a year ago, nonfarm payroll jobs increased by +120,300 jobs, with gains across most major industries. The industry groups with the largest jobs increases included: Educational and Health Services (+37,200), Leisure and Hospitality (+34,900) and Government (+30,300). Information (-4,100) and Professional and Business Services (-1,400) reported declines in payroll jobs. In May, total nonfarm payrolls were up +2.0 percent over-the-year in Illinois and up +2.7 percent in the nation.
* It’s been my observation over the years that most financial bigwigs are pretty darned dumb when it comes to politics and government. With that in mind, here’s Wirepoints…
Top executives in the financial world and research reports by financial advisers are saying it’s clearly plausible that Pres. Joe Biden could drop out of the race and be replaced, perhaps, by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker or California Gov. Gavin Newsom, two possibilities mentioned by name.
That’s according to a recent column by Charles Gasparino, veteran financial reporter formerly with the Wall Street Journal and CNBC, known for his connections with Wall Street bigwigs. […]
Surely, however, Pritzker is not the kind of ambitious opportunist who would “do something crazy at the convention or shortly after, bend some rules and stage a do-over for the nomination” as Gasparino imagines. Right?
* Speaker Welch is hosting his second Juneteenth celebration…
On Monday, June 19 from 2pm-6pm, House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch will welcome the community and local officials to Memorial Park [639 N. Wolf Road in Hillside] for his second Annual Juneteenth and Father’s Day Celebration.
“I am always excited to bring the community together,” said Speaker Welch, who serves as the first African-American Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives. “We plan to fellowship, celebrate, and honor our path to progress, freedom, and equality. Juneteenth is a reminder for me of how much each of us are still working to build the American Dream. It’s an opportunity to celebrate our history and all that African-Americans have fought for and achieved. We are inviting community leaders, local businesses, families, and friends, to join us for what is sure to be a fun and action-packed day of celebration.”
This Juneteenth event will feature over 30 local vendors and community service organizations, live performances by Chicago rising star, Nyla XO, the infamous Jesse White Tumblers, the soul-stirring Ayodele Dance and Drum group, the Proviso West High School drumline, and more.
In addition to the 7th District Senator and local Mayors, many statewide officials have also RSVP’d their attendance including: Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, State Comptroller Susana Mendoza, State Treasurer Mike Frerichs, and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin.
The Speaker’s Juneteenth and Father’s Day Celebration is free and open to the public.
* Illinois Answers | Repeat Violators Leave Families Out in the Cold: Miles’ family was just one of 15 tenants at the property at 6725-6733 S. Paxton Ave., who alleged they didn’t have heat when temperatures were as low as minus 1 degree last winter. It’s an apartment complex managed by Catalyst Realty and owned by an Illinois-based LLC.
* Axios | Illinois’ new anti-bullying law gets parents involved sooner: Supporters say the 24-hour notification change will enable parents to intervene more quickly. The bill also creates a fund for cyber-safety education in schools. Chicago Public Schools already had a bullying reporting standard of one school day.
* Crain’s | Furniture makers want to ‘wow’ you back to the office: Tens of thousands of commercial interior design manufacturers, architects and aficionados descended on Chicago this week in a gathering that reflected an office furniture industry grappling with drastic changes in how businesses interact with their physical workspace.
* WTWO | Paris Schools have $3.2M in questionable spending: Recent actions by federal law enforcement at the home of Paris Union School District 95 Superintendent Jeremy Larson have raised questions regarding what sort of investigation may be underway.
* Crain’s | Foul weather may keep Allstate in the red this quarter: The Northbrook-based insurer is on track for a second quarter of claims payments tied to weather catastrophes well above what it experienced in the spring and early summer of last year. Allstate disclosed today that it estimates $893 million in pre-tax catastrophe losses for May. In the first two months of the quarter, Allstate has suffered $1.7 billion in such costs.
* Rockford Register Star | New Hard Rock Casino Rockford images offer detailed look at permanent casino: Hard Rock Casino Rockford officials on Thursday announced it would open in August 2024 and released new images of the more than 187,000-square-foot casino resort under construction on East State Street at the Interstate 90 exit. Located on about 22 acres, the new images display the casino’s close ties to Rockford’s Hall of Fame band Cheap Trick.
* Crain’s | T-Mobile, AT&T ditch the Mag Mile: “While it hurts because it’s more vacancy, it’s good because it allows the more appropriate and on-trend retail categories to come in and highlight what they’re all about,” [retail broker John Vance, principal at Chicago-based Stone Real Estate] said.
* SJ-R | Study finds Springfield race riot site meets criteria to be national park: The National Park Service conducted a years-long study of the 1908 Springfield Race Riot archaeological site and found the area, located near Madison Street and the 10th Street Rail Corridor, met all criteria to be considered eligible. Congressional action or a presidential proclamation could now officially designate the site.
* Press Release | Governor Pritzker Announces $6 Million in Funding for Energy Transition Navigators Program: Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) launched $6 million in funding for the Energy Transition Navigators Program as part of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) this week. The program will establish a network of community-based providers across the state offering community education, outreach, and recruitment services to encourage priority populations to participate in CEJA clean energy workforce and contractor development programs. The Energy Transition Navigators will be selected through a competitive Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) process.
* Tribune | NASCAR street race touts economic benefits for Chicago, but pushback grows over street closures, traffic, access and safety concerns: Aldermen and the community members — including cyclists who protested the NASCAR race outside City Hall on Wednesday morning — have repeatedly raised questions about the event’s impact on traffic and lakefront accessibility, with a rolling schedule of major road closures, parking restrictions and inaccessible sidewalks up to, during and after the July 1 and 2 race and festival for setup and breakdown of the 2.2-mile course around Grant Park.
* Sun-Times | Austin man tries to douse flames after his landmark home catches fire: Jim Bowers, who tried to extinguish the flames on his own by dousing it with water before firefighters got there, said the blaze was mostly confined to the attic of the home known as the Seth P. Warner House in the 600 block of North Central Avenue about 1 a.m.
* SJ-R | Capital Township seeking applicants for vacant board seat: Capital Township announced Tuesday that it would be accepting applications to fill the seat on the Board of Trustees left empty by the departure of Brad Carlson to the Springfield City Council last month.
* NBC Chicago | 2 big strawberry festivals are coming to the Chicago suburbs this month: According to organizers, Windy Acres’ Strawberry Festival takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, with farm gates opening at 9 a.m. and closing at 6 p.m. The festival includes “lots of freshly picked strawberries,” along with other strawberry treats including homemade fresh strawberry shortcake, strawberry rhubarb pie, tars, breads and more.
* Block Club | Chicago’s Lesbian Bars Vanished For Years, But Sapphic Spaces Are Making A Comeback: Chicago’s lesbian bars, clubs and gathering spaces peaked in the 1970s-1980s, creating bonds among women that remain strong decades later. Those spots dwindled in the early aughts. LGBTQ+ identities became more accepted by society as a whole, and queer people started moving into “more mainstream spaces,” LGBTQ+ historian and journalist Tracy Baim said.
* Illinois Times | Did Lincoln ever eat a bagel?: Abraham Lincoln likely never ate a bagel, but you can combine a taste with a visit to some of his haunts if you head to the Mattoon-Charleston area this summer. Outdoor fun and history brought to life also make this area less than 100 miles southeast of Springfield worth a day trip. Mattoon produces more bagels than anywhere in the world, according to Mindy White, the city’s special events coordinator. “And we are home to the world’s largest bagel breakfast,” she says. It is part of a four-day Bagelfest, this year July 18-22.
The Illinois Gaming Board unanimously approved a “determination of preliminary suitability” Thursday for Bally’s Chicago, setting the table to launch the city’s first casino this summer.
The precursor to final licensing will allow Bally’s to open its temporary casino at Medinah Temple, pending a successful practice gaming session. Bally’s is building out and staffing up the landmark River North building, with plans to welcome Chicago gamblers by August.
“We are excited to be part of this historic moment to open the first casino in the city of Chicago,” Bally’s Chairman Soo Kim said at the hearing Thursday. “It’s a pretty weighty thing. And this is going to allow us to keep our many commitments to the city and the community that we’ve made.”
Medinah Temple will serve as a temporary casino for up to three years while the permanent facility is built on the site of the Freedom Center printing plant. The ornate 111-year-old amphitheater is being retrofitted to accommodate more than 800 gaming positions, restaurants and a bar.
The gaming board’s “preliminary suitability” finding allows Bally’s to lay the groundwork for their operations both at Medinah and the $1.7 billion casino complex they’ve envisioned at the site of the Chicago Tribune printing press at Chicago Avenue and Halsted Street, which is expected to open by 2026.
Before the gaming board vote, Illinois Gaming Board Administrator Marcus Fruchter called it “a very significant and important step” but noted that it “is not the final act in this opera.”
The curtain won’t rise until Bally’s meets Fruchter’s final set of regulatory hurdles, including a test run of their slots and table games, before the temporary Medinah site can open — potentially in a matter of weeks.
That would be a quicker turnaround time for vetting by the gaming board compared to five other new casinos introduced elsewhere in Illinois since Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a massive gambling expansion into law in 2019. Bally’s already owns an Illinois casino in Rock Island, in addition to 14 others nationwide.
Bally’s efforts to open a temporary casino at the Medinah Temple in River North took a step forward today as the Illinois Gaming Board approved a preliminary measure giving the company the all-clear to continue hiring staff and buying gaming machines. […]
The gambling company said it is “pleased” with the approval and appreciates “the support and collaboration” of the Gaming Board.
“Bally’s Chicago will create employment opportunities for approximately 700 individuals across various professional fields, including gaming operations, hospitality, security, surveillance, janitorial services, human resources, and finance and accounting,” said a company statement. “Bally’s strictly adheres to all guidelines provided by the Illinois Gaming Board.”
If the casino passes that test and meets other regulatory requirements – such as having an adequate system for transferring cash from tables to the safe – the gaming board administrator alone can issue a temporary permit.
It’s unclear how long that process could take. In Rockford, the process from suitability to permit took about nine months and just two months for a casino in north suburban Waukegan.
A gaming board spokesperson stressed the state was processing numerous casino applications at the time, and that it’s hard to predict the timing for Chicago’s temporary casino opening. State law does not stipulate a timeframe.
On the city side, an application for an amusement license, which the casino also needs to operate, is still pending before the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, a spokeswoman said. That permit does not need council approval, though Reilly said he hopes Mayor Brandon Johnson “looks at this carefully.”
* AP | Instant Pot maker seeks bankruptcy protection as sales go cold: The maker of Pyrex glassware and Instant Pot has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as the company that was already struggling is stung by inflation, with Americans pulling back on spending. According to a filing with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas this week, Instant Brands, based outside of Chicago, has more than $500 million in both assets and liabilities.
The story the company’s chief restructuring officer told in court filings was one pinning the blame on forces outside the company’s control.
There was no mention made of how the $391 million in debt, which Instant Brands owes to non-bank firms whose interest rates tend to be considerably higher than commercial banks, played a role in the company’s current plight.
That tale is familiar. Instant Brands is majority owned by Cornell Capital, a New York-based private-equity firm that engineered the 2019 merger after initially purchasing locally based World Kitchen, the Pyrex and CorningWare company, in 2017. […]
In April 2021, in the midst of that sunny period [of high sales during the pandemic], Instant Brands took on a $450 million term loan, according to the filing. That debt refinanced $294 million in existing debt, including $100 million tied to the 2019 acquisition, and helped support a $245 million dividend to the shareholders, according to a Moody’s rating of the loan in May 2021.
Essentially none of the debt, then, supported investment in the business.
And that unnecessary debt, along with the cash pulled out of the company to pay a dividend to its holding company owners, created an unsustainable situation when demand dropped.
* There’s an important element missing from this “debate” over the new anti-book-ban law. Let’s start with this Center Square story…
As Illinois implements more requirements on local libraries in order to access state tax dollars, some are questioning whether state government is overstepping its boundaries. […]
“This legislation effectively makes it impossible for local library boards to block pornographic material from their shelves. It strips away local control of libraries and continues the war on families in Illinois,” [ Rep. Adam Niemerg, R-Dieterich] said.
Um, no. It’s not stripping away anything. The law merely puts teeth into existing public policy. I’ve posted this before, but the official Illinois Public Library Trustee Manual specifically notes that only library directors and their staff should be selecting library materials, not library boards…
The library’s materials selection policy should include these concepts so the public is clear about how materials are selected for the collection:
● Library directors and their delegated staff are responsible for the selection of library materials. Materials selected by them are considered to be selected by the board
● No library material should be excluded based on political or social views
● Patrons are free to reject for themselves materials that they disapprove of, but they must not use self-censorship to restrict the freedom of others
● No materials will be removed from the library except under court order
What this new law does is provide some punishment (denial of state grants) for library boards which defy longstanding policy.
State Rep. Adam Niemerg, R-Dieterich, told The Center Square that the decision on what books are suitable for children should be left up to the parents.
“This measure encroaches on parents’ rights,” Niemerg said. “In my mind, it’s parents that have an obligation to raise their children, not the public education system, not the government.”
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, whose office manages taxpayer-funded grants for libraries, spoke at the bill signing alongside Pritzker in Chicago and said parents still have the final say on what their children will read.
“Parents still have the right and the responsibility to restrict their children, and only their children’s access to library resources,” Giannoulias said. “In other words, you get to decide what’s right for your children, but you don’t get to make that decision for anyone else.”
* Related…
* As more schools target ‘Maus,’ Art Spiegelman’s fears are deepening: It’s not yet clear what the employees found objectionable. But “Maus” — which illustrates Spiegelman’s parents’ experience of the Holocaust and features Nazis as cats and Jews as mice — graphically depicts his mother naked in a bathtub after taking her own life. “She was sitting in a pool of blood when my father found her,” Spiegelman said of his mother. It is a “rather unsexy image seen from above,” he noted, and “not something I think anybody could describe as a nude woman. She’s a naked corpse.” … The repeated targeting of “Maus” over alleged sexual content, Spiegelman lamented, is a mere pretext. “It was the other things making them uncomfortable, like genocide,” he said. “I just tried to make them clean and understandable, which is the purpose of storytelling with pictures.”
A 2021 report from Animalpatient.com compiled information from each state to determine which pet each state preferred in the dog vs. cat debate.
According to the study, Illinois leans toward dogs in the debate:
• 31% of Illinois households own a dog compared to 21% of households owning cats.
• In Illinois, there are 2.23 million dogs compared to 1.84 million cats.
• In Illinois, 72% of dog/cat health searches on Google are for dogs.
* The Question: [Revised at commenters’ requests] Dog, cat, both, no pet, other? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
The Architect of the Capitol brought political reporters through the construction zone Wednesday afternoon to show the latest work done on the North end of the building, including the Illinois Senate chamber on the third floor.
Andrea Aggertt said this project will help modernize the Capitol to address ADA compliance, security, and preservation of the historic property. […]
Aggertt explained senators should be able to return to their chamber and original offices in the North wing of the building in January 2025.
“For the next nine to ten months preceding that, we will return spaces back slowly,” Aggertt said. “So about every three months, we will open the new entrance, we’ll open the tunnels, we’ll open up the underground conference center.”
She also shared that there will be more green space around the Capitol Complex once the new entrance is finished. Aggertt also addressed rumors that the state could use funding from the Rebuild Illinois capital spending plan to tear down the William G. Stratton office building.
While the architect did not provide specific details or a timeline for that demolition, Aggertt said there will be even more room for green space once the Stratton building is removed sometime in the future.
And finally there were views of parts of the building not previously exposed or angles most people aren’t used to seeing, especially up in attic space pic.twitter.com/wV2GlKuc2i
“We are going to be able to see things that people who originally walked on the floors of this building saw,” Architect of the Capitol Andrea Aggertt told reporters on a tour of the building's north wing renovations. More pictures inside: #twillhttps://t.co/Vc6BF0Ip0y
* WBEZ | The fine print of Illinois’ ban on book bans: “When a book is placed in a library, it doesn’t stay there forever,” said Cynthia Robinson, executive director of the Illinois Library Association. “There’s a process called ‘weeding.’ ”Librarians are “weeding” collections when they assess, for example, whether a title has been checked out in the last five years or whether the information contained within is still accurate. That process will continue, and it’s conceivable that works some find offensive could be weeded out this way. The difference under the new law is libraries cannot remove items because of political or religious disagreements if they want to maintain access to state grant funding.
* Sun-Times | Mulling run for Congress, farmer Bailey sows seeds for support from indicted Trump: ‘It’s an honor to stand with this man’: “What President Trump went through yesterday could happen to anyone [sic] of us for any reason!” Bailey wrote on Wednesday. “We must elect and support men and women who will stand firm in their beliefs and not waiver! [sic]” Badly beaten by Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker in the general election last year, 54.9% to 42.3%, Bailey is once again cozying up to Trump as he considers a run for Congress against Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, whose 12th Congressional District encompasses GOP-friendly territories in southern Illinois.
* Capitol News Illinois | Legislative watchdog Michael McCuskey sees job as educational opportunity: After 15 months as Illinois’ Legislative Inspector General, Judge Michael McCuskey is moving to Springfield. Since he first assumed the role in February 2022 – several months after the high-profile resignation of his predecessor – McCuskey has commuted to his Capitol Complex office from his Peoria home. Now, after he was nearly unanimously approved to a full five-year term in the final weeks of the General Assembly’s spring session, he’s hoping to move at the end of the month.
* Tribune | Second round of interviews complete in search for next CPD superintendent: Anthony Driver Jr., president of the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, said this week that he’s “a billion percent” confident that the commission will “meet or exceed” its July 14 deadline to send three finalists to Mayor Brandon Johnson.
* WAND | Behind the scenes: Illinois Capitol renovations moving along steadily: The Architect of the Capitol brought political reporters through the construction zone Wednesday afternoon to show the latest work done on the North end of the building, including the Illinois Senate chamber on the third floor.
— Hansi Lo Wang (he/him) (@hansilowang) June 14, 2023
* I told you yesterday that the governor seems all-in on increasing traffic, particularly truck traffic. Well…
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker visited the Metro East to attend ribbon cutting ceremonies for some big transportation-related projects in the Bi-State region.
“We’ve got 51,000 vehicles everyday going across the bridge. If we expand the bridge, we’re going to have more. And more is better, on both sides of the river,” Pritzker said. “So, we’ve shared the cost of this. $300 million on the Illinois side, and $200 (million) plus on the Missouri side. When you put that together, you’re replacing one bridge with two.”
* First “Home Illinois Summit” held to discuss homelessness…
Governor JB Pritzker, together with the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) and members of the Interagency Task Force on Homelessness and the Community Advisory Council on Homelessness, hosted the inaugural Home Illinois Summit at Malcolm X College today in Chicago. The summit, which brought together community leaders, and experts to discuss potential solutions and strategies, served as a launch for major next steps in the Home Illinois plan, a multi-year holistic approach to reach “functional zero” homelessness in the state. […]
Since the launch of the Interagency Task Force via executive order in 2021, the Pritzker administration has taken significant steps to address homelessness in Illinois. The Home Illinois plan expands affordable housing options, targeting individuals in high-risk situations (including homeless college students and those leaving medical care), and providing comprehensive support for individuals experiencing homelessness.
The plan also focuses on bolstering the safety net, securing financial stability for clients, and closing the mortality gap all through the lens of racial equity with the goal of correcting the racial disparity among unhoused individuals.
Governor Pritzker’s FY24 budget commits almost $360 million for the initiative, an $85.3 million increase from FY23. These investments include:
• $118 million to support unhoused populations seeking shelter and services, including $40.7 million in the Emergency and Transitional Housing Program.
• $50 million in Rapid ReHousing services for 2,000 households, including short-term rental assistance and targeted support for up to two years.
• $40 million in Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) Capital funds to develop 90+ new PSH units providing long term rental assistance and case management.
• $37 million in Emergency Shelter capital funds to create more than 460 non-congregate shelter units.
• $35 million for supportive housing services, homeless youth services, street outreach, medical respite, re-entry services, access to counsel, and other shelter diversion supports.
• $21.8 million to provide homelessness prevention services to approximately 6,000 more families.
• $30 million for court-based rental assistance.
• $15 million to fund Home Illinois Innovations Pilots.
• $12.5 million to create 500 new scattered site PSH units.
At long last, the state of Illinois appears ready to begin a detailed study of whether the proposed One Central megaproject makes financial sense — a study that, depending on the results, could kill off the South Loop proposal once and for all or clear the way for developer Bob Dunn to get the $6.5 billion state subsidy he wants. […]
(T)he state lawmaker whose district includes the One Central site, Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, is pressing for fast action.
“This study is very important. It’s way overdue,” Buckner said. “This project has been flawed from the beginning,” with open questions about the viability of Dunn’s plan to build $20 billion worth of offices, residences, retail space and a large transportation center on a deck over Metra air rights just west of Soldier Field, Buckner said. A full study should provide some answers.
The Illinois State Fair announced Tuesday that a new promotion for this year’s fair will give fairgoers a way to double their fun this August.
State fair officials said anyone who pays for parking on the Illinois State Fairgrounds on Thursday, August 10, called County Fairs and Horse Racing Day, will receive a voucher. They said the voucher is for free parking to be redeemed on either Tuesday, August 15, Wednesday, August 16, or Thursday, August 17.
The “Double the Fun” promotion is valid on nights REO Speedwagon, Alter Bridge, and Tim McGraw perform at the Illinois Lottery Grandstand, fair officials reported, making fairgoers’ Grandstand concert experience more affordable. Tickets are still available for all shows and can be purchased online or at the Illinois State Fair Box Office.
* Isabel’s roundup…
* WGEM | Local librarians react to statewide measure against book-bans: Director Kathleen Helsabeck said the Quincy Public Library will continue following the ALA’s Library Bill of Rights, and consequently, continue receiving funding. “The ALA’s position has always been to provide a wide variety of materials to all patrons,” Helsabeck said. “The ALA’s position has always been to support libraries and support librarians.”
* WBEZ | Illinois continues to enact abortion protections a year after Roe v. Wade reversal: Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, the abortion battle in Illinois rages on — despite the state previously enacting some of the strongest abortion protections in the country. Since June 2022, Democratic state lawmakers have passed a slew of bills ramping up protections for out-of-state patients and expanding overall access. But a small coalition of GOP legislators has been working to undo many of the abortion-rights bills introduced by their colleagues across the aisle — without much luck.
* Block Club | Cook County Judge Loses Retention Vote: Gregory P. Vazquez, who was set to retire next month, was the only Cook County associate judge not reappointed to a new four-year term. The vote follows Injustice Watch reporting about the judge’s actions inside and outside the courtroom.
* Daily Journal | Kankakee County will soon be debt free: As recently as 2016, the Kankakee County government was nearly $5 million in debt. […] The report showed actual revenues came in higher than projected from sales and use tax, and out-of-county bed rentals at the Jerome Combs Detention Center.
* NPR | Regan Deering launches campaign for Illinois legislature: “I am running because I’m afraid for my children’s future in Pritzker’s Illinois. Families here pay some of the highest taxes in the nation. They struggle to find quality education for their children and live in communities plagued by violence. Extreme Democrats are forcing their radical values into our homes and schools, relentlessly attacking our cherished freedoms, and destroying our jobs and economy.”
* Chalkbeat | Chicago Public Schools proposes flat budget for next year: Roughly half — or $4.8 billion — would go directly to schools. District officials said it’s an additional $240 million compared with last year and about $90 million more than they reported earlier this spring, when they unveiled some preliminary school-level numbers ahead of an appeals process for principals. Roughly half of the increase — $128 million — would pay for additional teachers and support staff dedicated to students with disabilities.
* Tribune | What does it take to afford a 2-bedroom rental in Chicago? New report finds wages still lagging.: The study bases apartment costs on fair market rent values, a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development standard that represents the cost to rent a moderately priced unit in the local housing market. The average fair market values of one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments in Chicago are $1,255 and $1,440, respectively.
* NYT | ‘Shiny Happy People,’ Fundamentalism and the Toxic Quest for Certainty: It was the same cult featured in the current most-watched show on Amazon Prime, a documentary series called “Shiny Happy People.” It’s centered on the Duggar family and the teachings of a man named Bill Gothard. The Duggars, as many readers know, were the focus of a popular 2008 reality television show called “19 Kids and Counting” and its 2015 spinoff, “Counting On.” Gothard — the Duggars’ spiritual mentor — is less famous in secular America but far more consequential across evangelical America, where the influence of his movement continues today.
* Poynter | Why one local newsroom startup in Chicago succeeded where others failed: Last month, Block Club Chicago officially outlasted its predecessor, DNAinfo, a Chicago online news startup that operated for four years and 11 months before billionaire owner Joe Ricketts abruptly shuttered it (and the Gothamist network of sites) in November 2017. Newly lacking funding and employment, DNAinfo editors Shamus Toomey, Jen Sabella and Stephanie Lulay chose to continue their mission and started a new neighborhood news site from scratch, Block Club Chicago, on June 13, 2018, exactly five years ago
* PJ Star | Temporary ban on 4 a.m. bars? Peoria debates new options to cut down on violence: Downtown Peoria has seen pop-up parties and large gathering plague it this spring and summer, which culminated this weekend when two people were shot at a gathering on Main Street and Hamilton Boulevard. The shooting happened around 3:45 a.m. Councilmember Denise Jackson, who represents the 1st District, asked the city attorney if the city would be able to potentially temporarily require downtown Peoria’s 4 a.m. bars close earlier to curb violence.
* Daily Journal | Presentation on links between Lincoln, Kankakee: Kankakee and Alonzo Mack were factors in Lincoln’s two failed quests for the U.S. Senate. By 1859, Mack had become Kankakee’s state representative and was involved in a financial scandal that required Lincoln’s attention just as he was about to vie for the Republican presidential nomination. George recently published his findings in the Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association.
“Our city faces a housing crisis and raising property taxes would only exacerbate that crisis, leading to a death spiral for our city,” Johnson’s financial plan states.
“As mayor, Brandon Johnson will not raise property taxes on Chicago families. Property taxes are already painfully high.”
CPS is also issuing its highest allowed property tax increase of 5%, or about $131 million, to help support its budget. Property taxes are the school system’s largest revenue source with state funding still falling about $1.4 billion short. But CPS-issued increases — a routine yearly occurrence — have often gone under the radar compared to those at the city level. […]
Johnson also vowed on the campaign trail that he would avoid raising property taxes that he claimed were squeezing the middle class out of Chicago. But the district is allowed to raise taxes by the lesser of inflation or 5% — and is again doing just that. Inflation this year was calculated at 6.5%, so CPS will take in a 5% — or $131 million — increase. That falls in line with previous years. CPS has raised property taxes every year for the last decade.
Johnson’s senior adviser Jason Lee portrayed the new mayor as powerless to stop the “tax-to-the-max” increase.
“The mayor didn’t appoint a single person on the school board. These aren’t the mayor’s appointees,” Lee said. “At the end of the day, there’s been a budget process that was operated under a different regime with different assumptions. Now, it’s the 9th inning. … This is the end of the budget process.
“This is not an act of the Johnson administration … All we can do is look forward to the elected school board and whatever intermediary board that we have,” said Lee.
Governor DeSantis supported state laws aimed, at least in part, at limiting access to some reading materials in public schools. Books targeted to be removed have dealt primarily with L.G.B.T.Q. and social justice themes, with some groups objecting to materials on gender and sexuality in books that schoolchildren could read.
Other states, including Georgia and Kentucky, have followed suit with laws that could make it easier to lodge complaints about specific books and influence library or education boards, according to EveryLibrary, a political action committee that advocates for increased public library funding and tracks proposed book regulation laws across the country.
PEN America responded today to the removal of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ acclaimed memoir Between the World and Me from an advanced placement course in South Carolina, calling it “an outrageous act of government censorship.”
As reported, earlier this spring students in the Chapin High School classroom reported a teacher for including Coates’ memoir and two related short videos in her argument essay unit. The unit, designed in preparation for the AP Language test, which is accepted for credit by many colleges, included questions such as: “Do you think racism is a pervasive problem in America? Why or why not?”
Several students wrote to the school board about the class, saying it made them feel “ashamed to be Caucasian” and “in shock that she would do something illegal like that…I am pretty sure a teacher talking about systemic racism is illegal in South Carolina.” South Carolina passed an educational gag order last year that banned “divisive concepts” related to race and sex.
In response, Jeremy C. Young, freedom to learn program director, released the following statement:
“This is an outrageous act of government censorship and a textbook example of how educational gag orders corrupt free inquiry in the classroom.”
Officials with Alachua County Public Schools say they are taking stock of what’s on school library bookshelves over the summer break.
Jackie Johnson, the Alachua County Schools public information officer, said the county is having ongoing meetings to ensure that content abides by state and district standards in preparation for the 2023-2024 school year. […]
While the school board says that it is committed to the education of their students, Gainesville residents, following the actions of the school board, remain weary about the future of censoring books in schools. […]
Brad McClenny’s job as the public relations and marketing manager of the library district is to ensure libraries abide by the American Library Association’s position on censorship of information addressing diversity education standards. […]
“We have had two challenges so far this year,” McClenny said. “A book is in the middle (of being challenged) and a movie was denied to be taken off of shelves. The book is called “Grandad’s Pride.”
Community and board members of the Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau school district discussed a committee’s ban of the book “Queer Ducks” from GET’s middle school library.
No decision was made tonight, and the book is back on middle school shelves.
The book: “Queer Ducks- The Natural World of Animal Sexuality” is a book about the diversity of sexual behavior in the animal world.
The book was pulled from shelves temporarily last week after an instructional resource committee vote.
The removal was canceled after concerns were raised about the vote being done illegally.
At a heated meeting on Tuesday night, the Hanover County School Board voted 5-2 in favor of adopting a new policy over explicit books in school libraries.
The new policy will allow residents to file a challenge to remove books with sexually explicit material, rather than allowing educators to adequately assess the content of the libraries.
In addition, under the new policy, the school board can have sole discretion to remove books.
Following this decision, the school board exercised this new power and went on to remove 19 popular books from circulation, including “Looking for Alaska” and “Water for Elephants.”
That’s the insult Chad Heck remembers, hurled by the people behind him as he testified in the state legislature earlier this year.
Like other Indiana school librarians who spoke against legislation seeking to restrict school bookshelves this session, Heck tried to dispel the notion that he and his colleagues were peddlers of porn — and found himself part of the national culture wars that have pitted some parents who mistrust public education against school leaders and staff.
Ultimately, lawmakers passed a bill that forbids books deemed “obscene” or “harmful to minors” on school library shelves, following hours of heated public comment. House Enrolled Act 1447 also requires school districts to establish procedures to publish their school library catalogs, and to set up a process for a parent or community member to request removal of obscene or harmful material.
Now, Heck and other librarians with the Indiana Library Federation (ILF) who fought against the legislation are learning to live with the law, but they are still trying to clarify misconceptions about it. They stress that the law is not an outright book ban. They also say many districts already post their catalogs online, and already have procedures for challenging books.
New restrictions on Missouri libraries have led one Kansas City-area library system to ban LGBTQ Pride displays in its children’s and teens’ sections.
The Mid-Continent Public Library said the decision was made to comply with Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s new rules, which forbid libraries from having displays of “age-inappropriate” materials in areas designated for teens and children. If libraries don’t comply, they could lose state funding.
The library will also require that all display signs come from its central office or from marketing program LibraryAware, instead of from individual branches. Adult books, including parenting books, are no longer allowed in children’s areas.
The new policies are outlined in the minutes of the library’s May 16 branch managers’ meeting.
In an email to KCUR, the library said it still has Pride displays in common areas and it strives to make its children’s displays “diverse and inclusive.”
The Iowa Library Association is cautioning school librarians to wait for guidance from the state education department before removing books from school libraries to comply with state law.
The law, Senate File 496, signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds May 26, bars from school libraries books that depict or describe sexual acts. Schools are also required to have a policy that allows someone to request removal of any classroom materials.
The law also requires schools to put their library catalog online and allow parents to review certain instructional materials, a practice many schools already have in place. The Iowa City district, for example, has had an electronic catalog — that is accessible to the public — of all school library collections “for decades,” said Kristin Pedersen, Iowa City schools spokeswoman.
Without guidance from the state, librarians are left trying to interpret the law, which is not their role, said Michelle Kruse, director for the Iowa Library Association and past president of the Iowa Association of School Librarians.
“The beautiful thing about a library is that if you find a book that doesn’t speak to you — maybe it doesn’t align with a belief you or your family has — you can close it, return it and move on,” Kruse said. “Now, we have a law that’s going to limit that access.”
There are lawsuits attempting to block a new Arkansas law that bans certain books from the shelves in the children’s section. The Fayetteville Library is one of several plaintiffs involved in one of the lawsuits.
40/29’s Yuna Lee spoke to David Johnson, the Executive Director of the Library, on this week’s edition of On the Record.
“It’s a real challenge to our first amendment rights, to read what we read,” Johnson said. “If they’re going to have a governmental agency, whether it’s a quorum court or a city council or a mayor, to determine what we can and cannot read, what’s next?”
Republican lawmakers rallied with more than one hundred Bible-toting parents and children at Utah’s Capitol on Wednesday to protest a suburban school district’s decision to remove the Bible from middle and elementary school libraries in the wake of a GOP-backed “sensitive materials” law passed two years ago.
Concerned parents and children holding signs that read “The Bible is the original textbook” and “Remove porn, not the Bible,” said they were outraged after northern Utah’s Davis School District announced that a review committee concluded the Bible was too “violent or vulgar” for young children. The committee ruled that it did not qualify as obscene or pornographic under the sensitive materials law, but used its own discretion to remove it from libraries below the high school level. […]
State Rep. Ken Ivory, the sensitive materials law’s Republican sponsor, rebuffed the idea that his law paved the way for the Bible to be banned. Though he defended the review process after the sacred text’s removal, he said on Wednesday that the Davis School District had overstepped its role by removing the Bible from middle and elementary schools because of criteria not in state law.
He said criticism of the review process that led to the banning of the Bible didn’t relinquish the need for oversight from parents and administrators about materials in schools.
* Context is yesterday’s testimony by former Chicago Ald. Pat O’Connor, who was hired as a gaming consultant a month after leaving office, but was almost never consulted…
To recap, the Jim Weiss bribery trial has bestowed upon us a new contender for most Illinoisish quote ever:
“That’s the nature of a consulting contract. I fulfilled my end by being available. He fulfilled his end by paying me.”
This is not confined to Illinois. Attorneys call this a retainer, for example.
It’s also not uncommon for people or companies with big bucks to hire an attorney, lobbyist or consultant solely to ensure that nobody else hires the person.
* The topic came up during the ComEd 4 trial. The defendants were accused of hiring a bunch of do-nothing consultants at the behest of Speaker Madigan. According to investigative recordings, then-ComEd CEO Joe Dominguez said he was “fine” with the arrangement, explaining…
“(I)t’s like the lobbying team itself. You know. There are, at periods of time where people are saying, ‘What the hell are these guys doing? Why are we paying them?’ And then they will do something in the minute, in the magic moment.”
* Upworthy describes itself as a site which “strives to share the best of humanity with the world.” An article on the site today claims that Gov. Pritzker’s Northwestern commencement address was “a lesson in kindness”…
“Over my many years in politics and business, I have found one thing to be universally true—the kindest person in the room is often the smartest,” Pritzker says.
Priztker’s observation may sound nice, but it is rooted in research. Numerous studies have found that people who have lower cognitive abilities—or, as Pritzker and Dwight Schrute would call them, “idiots”—are more likely to harbor bigoted beliefs about people who are different.
Pritzker concluded his speech by summarizing the lessons he learned from watching “The Office.”
“Be more substance than show. Set aside cruelty for kindness. Put one foot in front of the other even when you don’t know your way. And always try and appreciate the good old days when you are actually in them,” Pritzker said. “And remember what Dwight Schrute said, ‘You only live once? False! You live every day! You only die once.’”
* The Question: Agree or disagree with this Upworthy take? Explain.
U.S. Representative Mike Bost (IL-12) formally announced the launch of his reelection campaign at a meet-and-greet with supporters in White County on Saturday.
“Joe Biden and the crazy liberals in Congress are attempting to fundamentally change our way of life. Their woke, radical agenda is causing chaos with our economy, confusion in our schools, and a crisis at our southern border,” said Bost. “I’m honored to run for reelection because Southern Illinoisans deserve a fighter they know and trust to stand up for constitutional conservative values. We’ve got enough show horses in Washington as it is; that’s why I remain laser focused on serving the people and delivering real results for Southern Illinois, the place I’ve proudly called home my entire life.”
During his time in Congress, Bost has compiled a proven, conservative record, previously receiving endorsements from the NRA’s Political Victory Fund, Illinois Right to Life, and Illinois Farm Bureau. He was also endorsed by President Donald Trump the last three election cycles. Bost served as a state representative, small business owner, professional firefighter, and is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran.
ILGOP failed ‘22 nominee for governor Darren Bailey has a front row seat reserved to hear Donald Trump on the day of his arraignment, according to this picture taken at Bedminster. He’s tracking as close to Trump as he can ahead of an expected 2024 run vs. Mike Bost for Congress.
* Chicago Defender | State Rep. Lilly Named Assistant Majority Leader in House Democratic Caucus: State Rep. Camille Y. Lilly, a Democrat from Chicago, has been appointed as an assistant majority leader in the House Democratic Caucus. The nomination is in recognition of her extensive experience and effective leadership in addressing family-related matters, particularly in health and human services.
* WGLT | Dan Brady explores a run for Congress or return to the state legislature: Brady, a Republican from Bloomington, said he’s considering running for Congress next year, or for the state legislature where he served for 20 years before a failed bid for Illinois Secretary of State. “Over the next few weeks, I will be meeting and discussing with voters, donors, and my family the options I have to serve the public once again,” Brady said in a statement.
* NYT | To Fight Book Bans, Illinois Passes a Ban on Book Bans: The law, which takes effect next year, was the Democratic-controlled state’s response to a sharp rise in book-banning efforts across the country, especially in Republican-led states, where lawmakers have made it easier to remove library books that political groups deemed objectionable.
* CBS | South suburban mayors say their municipalities they need revenue and resources: Curry is in the middle of her first term as mayor of Lynwood. She and some other Southland mayors recently met with Gov. JB Pritzker – on the topic of increasing the percentage of the local government distributive fund, or LGDF. “For a village like Lynwood, when our LGDF percentage was lowered over these past years, we’ve lost roughly $6 million in revenue,” said Mayor Curry. “If you hand me $6 million today, I can do some transformative things in my village.”
* Tribune | Chicago Bears: Breaking down the team’s growing number of options in stadium search: The franchise, a founding member of the league, valued at $5.8 billion by Forbes, is looking for a new home. Team officials hadn’t been planning an immediate move from Chicago’s Soldier Field until Arlington International Racecourse went for sale in 2021. They jumped at the chance and closed the deal to buy the property for $197 million this year.
* AP | The Beatles are releasing their ‘last’ record. AI helped make it possible: McCartney, 80, told the BBC that the technology was used to separate the Beatles’ voices from background sounds during the making of director Peter Jackson’s 2021 documentary series, “The Beatles: Get Back.” The “new” song is set to be released later this year, he said.
* Former Rep. Dan Brady says he’s exploring a bid against freshman Democratic US Rep. Eric Sorensen…
I have been honored to serve the people as State Representative, first in the 88th legislative district, then the 105th legislative district. As I continue to explore running for re-election in the newly drawn 88th district, I have also been exploring a run for Congress in the 17th Illinois Congressional district.
Over the next few weeks, I will be meeting and discussing with voters, donors, and my family the options I have to serve the public once again.
I have been successful in my public career because I believe service to others, and not harsh partisan rhetoric, is what our State and Country need. As coroner, I helped to convict murderers, as State Representative I championed college M.A.P. Grants for working families, and as Deputy House Republican Leader I supported and was endorsed by labor and business. Being my own man has provided me the knowledge, experience and dedication needed to be an effective representative, whether in Springfield or Washington, DC.
I look forward to making my decision soon regarding where I can offer my service to do the greatest good.
The 17th is the swingiest of all Democratic districts here, but Biden won it by 7.6 points and Pritzker won it by 9 in 2018. Brady ran for secretary of state last year and lost to Alexi Giannoulias.
* You may recall that Toia has never registered as a Statehouse lobbyist…
Prosecutors in the James Weiss bribery trial have called Sam Toia, the president of the Illinois Restaurant Association. He's expected to testify about sweepstakes machines pic.twitter.com/zyg3nOsIPQ
Toia says is ticking off the advocacy he’s done for the restaurant and food industry.
“We brought Happy Hour back here to the state of Illinois…we got Cocktails-To-Go,” he says. […]
Toia says he’s known Weiss since 2011 and consulted for his business, Collage LLC. “We were out there promoting electronic devices, and sweepstakes machines were electronic devices,” he says. “Sweepstakes are in a gray area but they do get a sticker from the state of Illinois.”
Toia says he was part of Weiss’ team of consultants and lobbyists working to move sweepstakes out of the gray area and get them regulated by the state. “I understand independent restaurants and I wanted to help them so they could pay their income taxes,” he says.
Toia appears to be waffling when asked when he stopped consulting with Weiss. He says it was 2019.
“I, I, I can’t remember the exact date, but I want to say mid-2019,” he says.
Franzblau asks him if he’s aware he’s under oath.
“I am under oath, I understand,” Toia says.
Toia asked about his testimony before the grand jury on Sept. 17, 2020, when he said he was not aware of any sweepstakes related lobbying going on at the city level after the fall of 2018.
That’s different than what he just said on the stand.
Toia’s group has said that Toia isn’t required to register as a Statehouse lobbyist, but they’ve never explained why.
* More proof that every accusation made by these people is a confession…
Real estate agent Libby Andrews contended that Chicago brokerage @properties ruined her business reputation by firing her after she posted pictures of herself at the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection in Washington on social media.
The Illinois Appellate Court ruled today that Andrews’ own social media posts — not @properties’ actions — were the cause of any damage to her reputation.
The company @properties next wrote, “Effective immediately, @properties is terminating this agent,
who acknowledged on social media, that she took part in ‘storming the Capitol.’” … Moreover, it was Andrews who first reported around 3:15 p.m. on her Facebook page that, “After storming the capital a good glass of champagne is needed!”, along with a photo depicting a glass of champagne on a patio
* MidAmerica St. Louis Airport held a grand opening celebration of its expanded terminal today…
Today, Governor JB Pritzker joined state and local officials to announce the grand opening of MidAmerica St. Louis Airport’s expanded terminal – a $31 million multi-year project bolstered by $7 million in grant funding from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) in addition to $24 million in federal dollars. The terminal expansion program supports passenger growth while giving airlines the opportunity to provide additional service.
* The governor seems all-in on increasing traffic, particularly truck traffic…
Today, Governor JB Pritzker joined the departments of transportation in Illinois and Missouri to celebrate the start of construction on the new Interstate 270 Chain of Rocks Bridge over the Mississippi River, part of a combined $531.6 million investment to improve one of the country’s critical freight corridors. The project, made possible by Gov. Pritzker’s historic, bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital program, will improve safety and mobility while creating good-paying jobs in an area experiencing strong industrial and commercial growth. […]
The I-270 loop connects many of the region’s warehouses and distribution parks, ports, airports, and rail yards on both sides of the Mississippi River. Nearly 70% of the region’s industrial tenants occupying large warehouse space in excess of 500,000 square feet are within ten minutes of the interstate. Built in 1966, the existing bridge over the river is two lanes in each direction with narrow, one-foot shoulders that pose safety concerns for vehicle breakdowns and first responders. The bridge accommodates 51,000 vehicles a day, about 20% of which are trucks, and the structure requires frequent maintenance and repairs due to its age.
A $496.2 million joint IDOT-MoDOT project will replace the bridge with two structures that have wider shoulders that can accommodate the eventual expansion of I-270 to three lanes in each direction. A companion $35.4 million Missouri Department of Transportation project will reconstruct the Riverview Drive interchange just west of the bridge.
As the weeds grow taller on the Belvidere Assembly Plant campus, Belvidere Mayor Clint Morris is hopeful that the Belvidere Assembly Plant won’t remain idle.
Not much after that except a lot of hopium.
* Teamsters are now out from under a federal consent decree. Scott Holland…
A federal judge has ended more than four decades of oversight of pension funds associated with The Teamsters by terminating a consent decree installed as a response to evidence that union leaders conspired with organized crime to access the money.
U.S. District Judge Thomas Durkin issued an opinion in the matter June 9 over opposition from the U.S. Department of Labor, which argued the potential for organized crime leaders to influence pension fund investments — nearly $40 billion in assets — is not completely abated. […]
Even without the decrees, Durkin said, the DOL can still enforce ERISA’s fiduciary responsibility requirements through its broad investigatory and subpoena powers. The Internal Revenue Service can investigate plans it believes don’t meet minimum funding requirements and AROPA placed additional obligations on funds that got SFA allocations, such as requirements for annual compliance filings and being subject to PBGC audits.
Citizen Action/Illinois, the state’s largest progressive political coalition, proudly announces the release of its 2023 Legislative Scorecard. The comprehensive scorecard serves as a valuable resource for Illinoisans, shedding light on elected officials’ voting records on crucial issues in the areas of healthcare affordability, worker protections, consumer protections, gun safety, LGBTQ+ rights, immigrant rights and the environment. […]
The following leigslators received scores less than 10%, earning an Abysmal rating from our organization: Representatives Adam Niemerg, Joe Sosnowski, Chris Miller, Blaine Wilhour, Randy Frese and Senator Jason Plummer.
Today, Governor JB Pritzker joined Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton, along with state and local officials at Maplewood School in Cahokia Heights to announce Illinois’ partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. The recently signed FY24 budget allocates $1.6 million to the program, which is dedicated to improving the lives of children by inspiring a love of reading. The initiative includes a book gifting program that mails free, high-quality books to children from birth to age five, no matter a family’s income. […]
The Dollywood Foundation, which supports the Imagination Library Program, is a nonprofit organization founded by Dolly Parton in 1988. The Imagination Library Program was launched in 1995, with books originally being distributed to children living in Sevier County, Tennessee where Dolly grew up. However, it became such a success that in 2000, it was replicated nationally and by 2003, one million books had been mailed to children all over the country.
Numerous studies have found that the first five years of life are critical for young children, with around 90% of brain developing occurring during that time. Through the Imagination Library Program, children have seen a 29% increase in kindergarten readiness.
* Isabel’s roundup…
* Crain’s | GM, Samsung pick northern Indiana for EV battery plant: It’s unknown if the proposed plant was one Illinois officials were hoping to land. Earlier this year, state lawmakers approved a deal-closing fund, meant to help lure EV makers and other manufacturers to the state, that Gov. J.B. Pritzker had asked for.
* Daily Herald | DuPage County chair suggests stripping clerk of election commission control after budget fights: Board members continued to press for misdemeanor criminal charges against Kaczmarek if she goes over budget. Berlin, however, said that likely would not occur until the fall if she overspends on salaries. County officials have estimated the clerk’s office will be over budget on salaries due to increases, some as high as 30%, Kaczmarek gave to some employees.
* Crain’s | Johnson allies to push for phasing out tipped wages: “I look forward to being at the table with the powers that be when an ordinance is ready to be discussed,” Toia told Crain’s last week. “Businesses like to see a plan so they can work it into their business plan, which is usually a five year plan.”
* Crain’s | Climate change and homeowners’ insurance are on a collision course: American International Group Inc., which has already pulled back from new California business, is now set to curb home-insurance sales for affluent customers in around 200 ZIP codes across the US, including New York, Delaware, Florida, Colorado, Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. The decision was first reported in the Wall Street Journal on Thursday, citing people familiar with the company’s plans.
* Pioneer Press | Controversial church leader with Hinsdale ties featured in Amazon docuseries ‘Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets’: The Duggars’ reality TV show was canceled after the allegations against Josh Duggar surfaced that he sexually abused his younger sisters and a babysitter and he apologized. As a teen, Josh Duggar went to a Little Rock, Ark., facility operated by the IBLP following those incidents. The new documentary explores Gothard’s teachings and his connection to the Duggars. In a 2015 interview with the Tribune, Gothard defended the Duggars. “They did the right things.
* Bloomberg | Accenture to double AI workforce three months after massive layoffs: Accenture Plc announced plans to double its AI staff to 80,000, just three months after shedding 19,000 jobs in a cost-cutting effort. The professional-services company will invest $3 billion in its Data & AI practice over the next three years to help companies develop the new strategies they’ll need to capitalize on the boom in artificial intelligence, Accenture said in a statement on Tuesday.
* Daily Herald | IHSA discontinues tournaments for boys gymnastics, debate: Since 2000, boys gymnastics has averaged just over 50 schools participating, but that number shrank to 46 teams in 2022 and 40 teams in 2023, the news release said. The IHSA currently has 817 member high schools.
* Sun-Times | Residents want large festivals out of Douglass Park, say they pose a danger to patients at nearby hospitals: “Mount Sinai is a level-one trauma center, meaning that patients who have experienced acute trauma and may require timely surgical intervention are often brought by EMS crews to this hospital,” said Marcus Paulson, an emergency medical technician. “For these patients, mere minutes can determine their outcome. The obstruction of traffic around the park and stream of low-acuity patients from large festivals has and will clearly affect the capacity of surrounding hospitals.”
* WCIA | Central IL police arrest suspected serial, interstate pickpockets: Brandel said that in recent weeks, the department received multiple reports of a man, believed to be Pribegeanu, approaching women over the age of 50 at the city’s Walmarts and asking for directions to a hospital. The women later discovered after these interactions that their wallets, or items from their wallets like ID, credit and debit cards, or cash, were missing.
* Daily Herald | Once seized by the feds, Rosemont hotel undergoes $35 million transformation: The nine-story, 274-room hotel at the edge of O’Hare International Airport had been seized by the U.S. Marshals Service after the arrest of owner Xiao Hua “Edward” Gong on fraud and money laundering charges in Canada. “It was a bit eerie when we walked through the hotel,” Curto remembers. “In one of the back offices, we saw safes that the U.S. marshals had blown open. We saw lunches that were left. We saw coats that were there. The ballroom was already fitted out for a wedding with name tags. The U.S. marshals had shut down the hotel in 20 minutes and locked it up.”
* Shaw Local | As ticks expand throughout the state, experts say prevention remains key: “Ticks are pretty hardy. It’s difficult to control their population size,” said Alana Bartolai, the ecological services program coordinator at the Lake County Health Department. “We do the monitoring side to understand what is out there and to help our medical providers understand what’s out there as well. But a lot of our communication is geared toward how people can prevent it themselves.”
* Gov. Pritzker was asked by a reporter today to comment on former President Donald Trump’s arrest in Florida on federal charges…
It looks to me like he committed espionage. We’ll have to see how the trial goes. But everybody should be held accountable to the law. it doesn’t matter what position you ever held. The fact is that the law is the law. if you broke the law, you ought to be held accountable.
I’ve tried to avoid this topic, but a comment from the governor puts it in the ballpark. Take two deep breaths before commenting, please. Maybe three.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a bill into law on Friday that strengthens the range of penalties that a state watchdog can mete out for health care employees who conspire to hide abuse or interfere with investigations by the state police or internal oversight bodies.
The legislation was introduced following an investigative series by Capitol News Illinois, Lee Enterprises Midwest and ProPublica into rampant abuses and cover-ups at Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center, a state-run institution in southern Illinois that houses people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and mental illnesses. The new law applies to employees at state-run institutions and at privately operated community agencies for people with developmental disabilities and mental illnesses that operate under the oversight of the Illinois Department of Human Services and its Office of the Inspector General.
The news organizations detailed how employees had lied to investigators, leaked sensitive investigative details, retaliated against people who reported abuse and sought to indoctrinate new workers into the cover-up culture. Employees who engaged in such actions made it difficult to pursue cases of patient abuse, yet they rarely faced serious consequences. IDHS Inspector General Peter Neumer suggested the change in law last year.
The new law allows the OIG to report workers who engage in such misconduct to Illinois’ existing Health Care Worker Registry, which would bar them from working in any health care setting in the state.
The registry identifies any health care worker who has been barred from working with vulnerable populations in any long-term care setting, such as state-operated developmental centers or group homes. Under prior law, workers could be barred because they had been found to have engaged in financial exploitation; neglect that is considered “egregious”; or physical or sexual abuse. The new law adds “material obstruction” of an investigation to the list of findings that can be reported to the registry, which is maintained by the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Pritzker signed the bill on the same day the IDHS inspector general released a 34-page report that recommended a “top to bottom analysis” of all processes related to the reporting of abuse and neglect at Choate “because at the present time there appear to be fundamental problems with all aspects of that system.”
The report says nothing new about Choate: staff repeatedly and systematically covered up their own abuse and neglect of residents, state state is scrambling to try to make things marginally better and ultimately, per the report, “a fundamental overhaul of the system is needed to establish a new culture where the reporting of abuse is automatic and not an act of courage.”
Enacting a zero-tolerance policy for abusing residents shouldn’t be controversial, but apparently we must first clear lower bars.
Unfortunately, the takeaways from Friday are much more broad and less impactful on the people actually suffering in Anna. That DHS made the report so easily accessible is commendable but is more accurately another example of something that simply ought to be standard procedure. Not just at DHS, but at every state agency.
Pulling that thread yields another lesson: administrators in every corner of state government should read the Choate report to identify possible commonalities with their own agencies. What are the systemic vulnerabilities and potential solutions?
* While we’re on the topic of human services, let’s shift gears to to WGLT’s report…
The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is trying a new approach to fill hundreds of jobs.
The child welfare agency hosted an on-the-spot job clinic Monday in Bloomington. It held a similar event in Rockford last week and might schedule additional job fairs in the future, depending on how many positions it can fill. […]
According to data provided by DCFS, the agency handled nearly 98,300 case investigations in 2022 and has managed nearly 47,400 cases so far this year. That marks a 14% increase over pre-pandemic levels (2019). […]
Despite the hiring needs, the agency’s staff levels are currently at a 15-year high with more than 3,100 workers.
Strokosch said the agency offered jobs to nearly 200 applicants at its event in Rockford. A DCFS official said the agency hopes to hire 50 new workers after Monday’s event in Bloomington.
Migrants and volunteers who work on the front lines with them are sounding the alarm on conditions at some of the city’s temporary shelters, saying people are served moldy food, don’t have hot water and aren’t allowed to accept donations from neighbors. […]
Migrants told Block Club the conditions at Leone Beach House, 1222 W. Touhy Ave. in Rogers Park, and the Inn of Chicago Hotel, 162 E. Ohio St. in Streeterville, are concerning.
Two women who have stayed at both shelters said they were given visibly moldy food and insufficient amounts of food, which they photographed. They said they have to shower and bathe their kids with cold water and can’t bring anything given to them by volunteers or anything they’ve bought themselves inside the shelter.
While staying at Leone Beach, the women said they slept on the floor. At the Inn of Chicago, they said there are beds and bunks to fit three families in one hotel room.
People at Inn of Chicago are also restricted to only 20 pieces of clothes per family — meaning a family of four could have five pieces each — and can only have their clothes laundered once a week, the women said.
“The police stations treated us better,” one woman said, who asked to remain anonymous in fear of getting in trouble. “But at the shelters they wont let [volunteers] give us anything.”
Even as City Hall has changed administrations, unhoused individuals continue to be locked out of O’Hare. In late May, four Chicago officers remained stationed outside of the Blue Line station.
A Chicago police officer was seen guiding a man wearing a coat and carrying a small duffel bag back to the train station where a worker for Haymarket Center — which provides services for unhoused individuals — handed out sandwiches to a group of men.
In a statement, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration said Friday that it was evaluating laws and security policies with other airports to guide what happens at O’Hare.
“Mayor Johnson is committed to the safety of all airport passengers and employees and he is working to identify solutions to the City’s housing crisis,” the statement read.
His office also said that Johnson still supports proposed policies like the financial assistance program Bring Chicago Home because he “believes it can deliver real solutions to supporting unsheltered people and reducing homelessness.”
The Chicago Urban League released its 2023 “State of Black Chicago” report, which measures outcomes in health, education, income,and housing for Black Chicagoans as compared to other racial groups.
The findings indicate there is still a lot of work to be done in advancing equity for Black residents. Among the issues highlighted in the research is persistent and overwhelming residential segregation, poverty rates triple that of White Chicagoans, worse educational outcomes for Black Chicago Public Schools students and lower average life expectancy for Black residents. […]
While the nonprofit West Side United works to close the health gap in Chicago, Executive Director Ayesha Jaco said it’s a focus that ends up having much broader implications. […]
Jaco said she hopes the Johnson administration will continue to take cues from Black communities in deciding what solutions will work for improving health outcomes.
“COVID exacerbated what we already knew to be true,” Jaco said. “The same communities that had the higher rates of diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, infant mortality are also the same communities that had the higher rates of COVID mortality and morbidity. And so COVID just blew that out of the water.”
Almost 2 million people in Illinois receive SNAP food assistance, but several hundred thousand are expected to lose access to it at the end of October, after pandemic-related extensions expire.
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimated the debt ceiling agreement would put almost 750,000 adults ages 50 to 54 at risk of losing food assistance because they do not meet the SNAP work reporting requirements.
Steve Erickson, executive director of Feeding Illinois, said most people are not just taking advantage of the system to get food. They have real needs and are often already working. […]
Apart from SNAP changes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children will need an additional $615 million in the coming fiscal year to meet the program’s expanding caseload.
When the FBI confronted businessman James Weiss in October 2019 about $2,500 that had been passed along to then-state Sen. Terry Link, an agent told him bluntly, “This looks like a bribe.”
Weiss insisted that wasn’t his intention. He claimed he’d hired a consultant on behalf of his sweepstakes gaming business, Collage LLC, to help get legislation passed in Springfield. He said he had to hire her “to get Terry Link neutralized with the gaming guys.”
Trouble was, that consultant had been concocted by the FBI amid a bribery investigation that eventually led to charges against Weiss and then-state Rep. Luis Arroyo. […]
The jury also saw a text exchange between Link and Weiss, in which Link asked Weiss, “Did you send me the check?” Weiss allegedly texted Link a picture of a Post-it note featuring Link’s name, phone number and post-office box.
Weiss allegedly wrote, “This is where Lou [Arroyo] told me to send it.”
At the direction of the FBI, Link had told Arroyo to have the checks made out to a purported associate named Katherine Hunter, who didn’t actually exist.
When Weiss was later questioned by agents, he lied and said Hunter was a lobbyist who lived in Winnetka and that he’d spoken to her on the phone, according to a recording of the interview also played for the jury Monday.
Weiss’ attorneys have argued Weiss was paying Arroyo as a legitimate consultant for his business, and that trying to enlist another politician’s help is not a crime.
Near the end of his direct examination Monday, however, Link was asked by prosecutors what he believed the $2,500-a-month offering was for.
“Passing legislation for sweepstakes games,” Link said.
* Jason Meisner…
Usharovich also points out Weiss did not have an attorney present. Heide says Weiss told them, "he was not a rookie and that he could get an attorney but that he would continued to speak with us." Usharovich said asked wasn't that because Weiss had nothing to hide?
The alternate juror will stay on the panel for now while Judge Seeger thinks it over.
Trouble is, there's another juror who apparently has plans to travel to Europe later this week. If the juror with the toothache is excused, the panel could quickly be down to 0 alternates.
The trial is taking its morning break. With the jury out of the courtroom, Judge Seeger says he will excuse the alternate juror dealing with a toothache.
June 12, 2023
Mr. Kevin Warren
President and Chief Executive Officer Chicago Bears Football Club, Inc.
1920 Football Drive
Lake Forest, IL 60045
Dear Mr. Warren:
It has come to my attention that the Chicago Bears are no longer singularly focused on redeveloping Arlington Park as the franchise’s new home. With this knowledge, it is incumbent on me as Mayor of Waukegan to make you aware of the City of Waukegan’s opportunities, advantages, and history with the Bears organization.
The City of Waukegan, located along Lake Michigan, has multiple large parcels, including lakefront property within 20 minutes of the PNC Center at Halas Hall, that could be developed into both the state-of-the-art stadium and entertainment district the team has publicly expressed interest in building. In addition to the availability of land controlled by the City of Waukegan, the City also has excellent transportation infrastructure as Waukegan is located along Interstate 94 and U.S. Route 41, a major stop on Metra’s Union Pacific North Line, and is home to Waukegan National Airport.
The Bears have a rich history in Lake County. In addition to the current PNC Center at Halas Hall, the previous Halas Hall was also located in Lake County at Lake Forest College, a short trip down Sheridan Road. Furthermore, the City of Waukegan was home to the Bears’ winter training facility in the early 1990s. For generations, Bears players have called Lake County their home, including the neighboring towns of Lake Forest, Lake Bluff, Libertyville, Gurnee, Vernon Hills, Mettawa, and others. Some members of the Bears organization currently live in my neighborhood in Waukegan.
Home of NFL Hall of Famer Otta Graham, Jr., Waukegan is known as the City of Progress, and it is the full intention of my administration and our nine elected Alderpersons to ensure we live up to our motto. With over a half billion dollars of economic development projects underway, Waukegan is making unprecedented progress.
Our working class and diverse community is as tough as the 1985 Super Bowl-winning Bears, and our leadership team at Waukegan City Hall is as aggressive as Justin Fields running the ball downfield when it comes to creating economic opportunities for our City, our residents, and the region at large.
Our City’s staff and I invite you and your leadership team to come to Waukegan to learn about the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity our City can offer the Bears. We believe that the Monsters of the Midway deserve the opportunity to continue the tradition of playing along the shores of Lake Michigan, with the market opportunity of having a year-round facility capable of hosting other major events, including the Super Bowl, the Final Four, and other events of an international scale.
Again, I would be pleased to host you and your leadership team to discuss a potential partnership between the Chicago Bears and the City of Waukegan. I can be reached directly by phone at xxx and by email at xxxx.
* The credit ratings agencies also prefer governors who don’t put their own personal crusades ahead of negotiating a reasonably balanced budget for their state. Just sayin…
Rauner also couldn’t stop himself from taking a dig at the Pritzker’s administration’s boasts about how the state has earned several credit rating upgrades in recent years.
“Credit agencies love tax hikes,” Rauner said. “And they love federal bailouts.”
Back in April 2015, less than two months before the impasse started, Rauner suggested he could leverage a state budget crisis to win approval of his economic agenda.
“Crisis creates opportunity,” Rauner told the Chicago Tribune editorial board. “Crisis creates leverage to change … and we’ve got to use that leverage of the crisis to force structural change.”
The Springfield impasse did create a budget crisis, and for two years, Rauner kept Republicans unified.
* And after a bipartisan super-majority in both chambers finally voted to raise the income tax to just under where it had been before Rauner took office, and then Rauner vetoed that bill, we saw this…
With a $6.2 billion annual deficit and $14.7 billion in overdue bills, disaster is around the corner. The United Way predicts the demise of 36 percent of all human-services agencies in Illinois by year’s end. Billions of dollars in road construction work is shutting down. Public universities have been cut to the bone and face a loss of academic accreditation.
No other state has come close to Illinois when it comes to a budget impasse. The standoff entered a third straight year on July 1.
Credit-rating houses have threatened to downgrade the state’s creditworthiness to “junk,” signaling to investors that buying state debt is a highly speculative venture.
Rauner dismissed the possibility of another downgrade for Illinois, which already has the worst credit rating of any U.S. state.
“Don’t listen to Wall Street. Don’t listen to a bunch of politicians who want power,” he said after local business owners talked about rising property taxes and residents going to nearby Indiana to shop and fill up on gas. “Listen to the people of Illinois.”
The Ounce of Prevention Fund, an early childhood education foundation headed by Rauner’s wife Diana, issued a statement Wednesday calling for the House to override the governor’s veto.
“The governor vetoed the bills and the Senate has voted to override that veto,” the statement read. “We strongly urge the House of Representatives to now follow the Senate in voting to override the governor’s veto.”
The state currently has $14.7 billion in unpaid bills and has just entered its third consecutive fiscal year without a budget. Credit monitoring agencies have previously warned that without a budget, the state’s bond rating could fall to “junk” status, which would be a first for any state in the country.
* Capitol News Illinois | Health care workers who cover up patient abuse face stiffer penalties under new law: The registry identifies any health care worker who has been barred from working with vulnerable populations in any long-term care setting, such as state-operated developmental centers or group homes. Under prior law, workers could be barred because they had been found to have engaged in financial exploitation; neglect that is considered “egregious”; or physical or sexual abuse. The new law adds “material obstruction” of an investigation to the list of findings that can be reported to the registry, which is maintained by the Illinois Department of Public Health.
* Tribune | Measure aimed at preventing book bans at public libraries signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker: “Book bans are about censorship, marginalizing people, marginalizing ideas and facts,” Pritzker said before signing the legislation at the Harold Washington Library in Chicago. “Regimes ban books, not democracies. Nazi Germany, fascist Italy, the Taliban’s Afghanistan. We refuse to let the vitriolic strain of white nationalism coursing through our country determine whose histories are told.”
* WTTW | Why Are There So Many Units of Local Government?: In the big ol’ U-S-of-A, Illinois may be 25th in size and sixth in population, but, when it comes to the number of units of local government? We’re No. 1. Depending on how you count, the Land of Lincoln is home to 7,000 to 9,000 units of local government.
* WCCU | Socially disadvantaged farmers await grant money going on 3 years: As for the hold up, the Department of Agriculture says the Governor’s office of Management and Budget needs to sign off before the money is released. We reached out to the governor’s office and they replied with a statement: “The $1 million in the FY24 budget actually can’t go to anyone before July 1st. The $2.5 million is from ARPA funds and the program and grantees have to meet strict requirements because it is federal money that has to be followed according to rules set up by the Treasury Department. The Department of Ag is working with DCEO to help them administer these grants in compliance with federal rules and we look forward to getting this money out soon.”
* The Trace | Violence Interruption Programs Are Receiving Millions. This Initiative Wants to Make Sure They’re Prepared: The biggest benefit of a community-based organization is access to a hard-to-reach population. They can reach individuals that other organizations can’t. The biggest knock is that it’s sometimes not evidence-based or they don’t have business acumen. They know how to do the work, but the business part has been lacking. And that’s why we have had trouble collecting data, doing evaluations, and procuring funding.
* Tribune | King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard isn’t a band, it’s a lifestyle. And a strange one at that.: King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard — which is cool to say, if nothing else — is fun. Like, capital F fun. The same fun once associated with rock. The kind of heady, indulgent fun that leaves me wondering if they’re idiots or geniuses. They are hard to pin down, and that’s the point of KGLW. They’re from Australia. They’ve made 24 albums in 13 years. They look like a bar band full of tech dads. Your friend who pines for the glory days of Rush is super into them. Your friend likes his bands virtuosic, but he’s also a loose canon. If that other fun Aussie import, AC/DC, traded in its caveman clubs for the complete Rush, Steely Dan and Metallica discography, they might approach the alchemy of KGLW. Or maybe KGLW is more like the live equivalent of vibing with friends on a bedroom floor with a stack of vinyl: Listen to this. No, listen to this. You’ve got to hear this part.
* Outdoor News | Feds awaiting Illinois’ signature on carp plan: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is on the cusp of construction on modification of the Brandon Road Lock in the Des Plaines River, 27 miles southwest of Chicago and Lake Michigan. But there’s been a glitch. The project, originally estimated to cost $275 million, is now projected to cost $1.1 billion. The main sticking point is that it requires Illinois to sign an agreement as the non-federal sponsor that the state has so far refused to sign.
