Thursday, May 16, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Surgo Ventures partnered with Uber Health and local health centers to provide transportation assistance to expectant mothers facing transportation challenges to their prenatal appointments. Across one city, the initiative covered over 30,000 miles, ensuring over 450 participants reached their prenatal appointments without hassle. One participant shared, ‘There were days when I didn’t want to get up from bed. Knowing that someone was going to pick me up… made me feel safer.’ With programs like Rides for Moms, transportation is no longer a barrier for new mothers to access essential medical care. Learn more
The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today that the unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.8 percent, while nonfarm payrolls increased +7,300 in April, based on preliminary data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and released by IDES. The March revised unemployment rate was 4.8 percent, unchanged from the preliminary March unemployment rate. The March monthly change in payrolls was revised from the preliminary report, from +12,700 to +10,000 jobs. The April unemployment rate and payroll jobs estimate reflect activity for the week including the 12th.
In April, the industry sectors with the largest over-the-month job gains included: Professional and Business Services (+4,900), Private Education and Health Services (+3,400), and Leisure and Hospitality (+1,900). The industry sectors with the largest monthly payroll job declines included Financial Activities (-1,300), Government (-1,100), and Manufacturing
(-800).
“Expanded payroll jobs and a stable unemployment rate are both further indications that the Illinois labor market and economy remain strong,” said Deputy Governor Andy Manar. “IDES is committed to continuing to provide jobseekers and employers the resources they need to take advantage of new and expanding workforce opportunities.”
“As payroll jobs steadily increase, DCEO continues to provide resources to support Illinois’ job seekers, workers and employers,” said DCEO Director Kristin Richards. “Illinois’ economy is strong, and the State of Illinois remains committed to investing in its growing world-class workforce.”
The state’s unemployment rate was +0.9 percentage point higher than the national unemployment rate reported for April. The national unemployment rate was 3.9 percent in April, up +0.1 percentage point from the previous month. The Illinois unemployment rate was up +0.6 percentage point from a year ago when it was 4.2 percent.
Compared to a year ago, total nonfarm payroll jobs increased by +37,400 jobs. However, there were losses across most major industries. The industry groups with the largest jobs decreases included: Professional and Business Services (-33,100), Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (-6,900), and Financial Activities (-6,800). The industry groups with the largest jobs increases included: Private Education and Health Services (+29,200), Government (+27,700), and Leisure and Hospitality (+19,600). In April, total nonfarm payrolls were up +0.6 percent over-the-year in Illinois and up +1.8 percent in the nation.
The number of unemployed workers was 313,200, up +0.3 percent from the prior month, and up +17.1 percent over the same month one year ago. The labor force was up +0.1 percent over-the-month and up +1.3 percent over-the-year. The unemployment rate identifies those individuals who are out of work and seeking employment. An individual who exhausts or is ineligible for benefits is still reflected in the unemployment rate if they actively seek work.
IDES helps connect jobseekers to employers who are hiring in a number of ways, including hosting and co-hosting job fairs and hiring events with statewide workforce partners, and through maintaining Illinois JobLink (IJL), the state’s largest job search engine. IJL is a tool used by jobseekers to look for work, and by employers who can post open and available positions for hire and browse resumes. Recently, IJL showed 57,462 posted resumes with 89,988 jobs available.
* Sen. Terri Bryant and Rep. Amy Elik…
At a press conference today in Springfield, Rep. Amy Elik (R-Alton) and Sen. Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) urged the Senate to act on House Bill 4241, which unanimously passed the House last month. The bill, which protects high school students age 18 and older from sexual abuse by an educator, currently sits in Assignments in the Senate. Sen. Erica Harriss (R-Glen Carbon) also attended the press conference and is a chief co-sponsor of the bill.
“We carefully crafted this legislation to anticipate any possible concerns by both the House and Senate,” said Rep. Elik. “This bipartisan bill has no vocal opposition and must move forward this session so students have the necessary protections they deserve. Today it is in the Senate’s hands to push this across the finish line and deliver that promise.”
House Bill 4241 protects students age 18 and older by creating the offense of abuse of power by an educator or authority figure. Any sexual contact by an educator or staff member with a student, even if they are 18 or older, is an abuse of authority. Criminal charges must be levied so that offenders cannot just leave a job and move on to other opportunities where they could prey on children.
HB 4241 states that abuse by an educator or authority figure involving sexual conduct is a Class A misdemeanor for the first offense and a Class 4 felony for a subsequent offense or if there is more than one victim. For acts of sexual penetration, Class 3 and 4 felony charges are applicable.
“Our kids can’t afford to wait any longer for this issue to be addressed,” said Sen. Bryant. “With the passage of House Bill 4241, we can tell every individual within our state that suffered this abuse that their lawmakers heard their cries for help and acted.”
Rep. Elik also called for the passage of a bill she filed last spring, HB 1275. This bill states that no contributory fault may be attributed to a child sexual abuse victim. Rep. Elik will continue to work with fellow lawmakers to get this bill through the General Assembly.
The Justice Department formally started the procedure of classifying marijuana as a less dangerous substance, moving toward a major change in US drug policy.
The agency submitted a rulemaking notice on Thursday to shift marijuana’s legal status to Schedule III from Schedule I, the first step in what could be a lengthy process. A 60-day public comment period will begin, after which the Drug Enforcement Administration and Justice Department will make a final decision whether to remove marijuana from the list of the most-dangerous drugs.
The long-awaited move will mean $70 million to $100 million to the bottom line of Chicago’s cannabis companies, potentially starting this year, which will further boost their value. It represents relief for an industry battered by falling prices, increased competition and steep taxes, as well as inefficiency that comes from a business that operates under a patchwork of rules that vary from state to state. Chicago-based cannabis stocks jumped because of the news, led by Cresco Labs, which rose 12.4% to $2.35 per share. Verano Holdings’ shares rose 9% to $5.89 apiece, and Green Thumb Industries stock climbed 7% to $13.95 per share.
Cresco expects to save $70 million to $80 million a year. Verano is likely to save about $80 million. GTI could save $100 million.
Cannabis Business Association of Illinois…
The Cannabis Business Association of Illinois released the following statement after President Joe Biden announced his administration took a key step forward to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III drug:
“We applaud the Biden administration’s decision to reclassify marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act as it affirms what our group advocates for – safe, legal, and community-building uses of cannabis. We look forward to evaluating the proposed rules, which would reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I drug on par with heroin to a less dangerous Schedule III drug,” said Tiffany Chappell Ingram, Executive Director of the Cannabis Business Association of Illinois. “In the decades since marijuana was erroneously categorized, Black and Brown communities have experienced countless repercussions stemming from the war on drugs. While this decision cannot reverse that damage, it does recognize the medical benefits of cannabis and enhances the viability of marijuana companies, including allowing for the same expense deductions enjoyed by other businesses. This is an important step in the right direction for the cannabis industry and our society at large, and we hope this continues to pave the path towards federal legalization.”
*** Statewide ***
* Illinois Answers | This Coastal State’s Approach to Flooding May Be a Model for Illinois Communities: For decades, local, state and federal governments have worked with residents to buy their properties, tear down structures and turn the land into open space in order to mitigate flooding. Buyouts are a common practice in New Jersey, which faces coastal flooding in addition to riverine and urban flooding. It’s also happening in Illinois, where flooding is the state’s most prominent natural disaster, according to state experts.
* WTTW | The Illinois Governor Who Headed a Landmark Commission on America – and Had a Tragic Fall from Grace: “Our nation is moving toward two societies, one black, one white – separate and unequal.” That was the stark assessment of a landmark National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1967 to investigate the root causes of violent unrest that had swept the Black communities of American cities that summer and in previous years. The group’s report – which was published and became a New York Times bestseller – is known as the Kerner Report, for the Illinois governor Otto Kerner, Jr. who led the commission. It made him a household name for a time, and is the subject of a new American Experience, The Riot Report. Kerner was on a boat on the Mississippi River near the Quad Cities when Johnson called him to ask him to lead the commission. “We are being asked, in a broad sense, to probe into the soul of America,” Kerner said upon accepting. In announcing the commission, he was dwarfed on either side by the towering Johnson and vice-chairman John Lindsay, mayor of New York City. But he was up to the task.
* WGLT | Government, economic leaders push back on state plan to move Logan Correctional Center: The initial announcement did not immediately indicate what would become of LCC, stating only that Stateville would be rebuilt where it was and that plans for LCC were still being determined. “We learned of that announcement 24 hours before it was released — and that’s not okay,” Republican State Sen. Sally Turner said in a virtual town hall Wednesday evening. “…The temporary closure and demolition of [LCC] — we need to know about that immediately and we did not. Our contact with them was minimal.”
* WSJ | Colorado and Illinois Set Their Sights on Becoming the Nation’s Quantum Hub: Colorado and Illinois are both pouring millions of dollars into quantum computing in an effort to position themselves as national leaders in the area and secure coveted federal funding from the $53 billion Chips Act. Calling itself the “Mountain West” hub, Colorado along with New Mexico and Wyoming is seeking $70 million in federal funding under the act to support quantum companies, hardware manufacturing and a talent pipeline.
*** Chicago ***
* The Hill | Chicago mayor ‘confident’ DNC will be safe: The convention this summer will serve as a test for Johnson and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D), as protesters of the Biden administration’s handling of Israel’s war with Hamas already have set their eyes on the event. The Chicago DNC has the potential to draw comparisons to the chaos of the 1968 one, when police in the city battled those protesting the Vietnam War right outside the convention hall.
* NBC Chicago | FBI, Department of Homeland Security issue terror alert regarding Pride Month celebrations: With less than three weeks until the start of Pride Month in Chicago, there is a new warning from the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security that celebrations could be targets of terrorist activity. In a public service announcement released late last week, the agencies warned that “foreign terrorist organizations or supporters may seek to exploit increased gatherings associated with the upcoming June 2024 Pride Month.”
* Tribune | Six months after Yellow Line crash injured more than a dozen, investigation continues: ‘This never should have happened’: Six months after the Nov. 16 crash, which left more than a dozen people injured and closed the Yellow Line for seven weeks, few answers have emerged about what went wrong and how the crash could have been prevented. The National Transportation Safety Board is still investigating and has yet to officially determine the cause, though the agency has said it is gathering information about the signal and braking systems, reviewing CTA practices and examining “organic material” on the tracks. The NTSB also has not issued any urgent safety recommendations to the CTA, which the agency can do during an investigation.
* Sun-Times | Protesters demand alderman withdraw support for Ozinga mining operation on Southeast Side: Protest organizers said they were reacting to what they describe as Chico’s support for the Ozinga family’s plan for the Invert, an underground development that would extend several hundred feet below the surface of a former steel mill site. The Ozingas, who operate the family’s namesake concrete and materials company, have tried to sell the community on the merits of the project over the last three years. The idea seemed to be dead after a city official ruled last year that construction would require mining to dig the space and remove underground stone, a practice that is banned in Chicago.
* Illinois Answers Project | Chatham Flooding Mitigation Program Flounders, But Oak Park Sees Success : RainReady is the brainchild of a local environmental nonprofit group the Center for Neighborhood Technology. The program has had several iterations in Chatham since its development more than 10 years ago by CNT and a group of residents. RainReady works, according to homeowners — including residents in west suburban Oak Park who benefited from the low-cost flood prevention fixes including rain gardens, backflow valves and cisterns. It is so successful that there is a waiting list, officials said.
* Block Club | Chicagoans Doubled Bike Trips In Past 5 Years. The South Side Saw Some Of The Biggest Increases: Bicyclists made 119 percent more weekday trips in spring 2023 than in fall 2019, according to a recent study from analytics company Replica, the Chicago Department of Transportation and transportation firm Sam Schwartz. Analysts reached the estimate through simulations that drew on about three months of anonymized, “very rich” transportation department data in each season, said Steven Turell, Replica’s chief of staff.
*** Cook County and Suburbs ***
* Daily Southtown | Orland Park settles lawsuit filed by former manager against Mayor Keith Pekau: Orland Park’s former village manager will pay $30,000 in settling a lawsuit filed in the wake of an investigation he launched into possible bid rigging by Mayor Keith Pekau. Pekau and a company he owned were ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing, and trustees approved the settlement at a special Village Board meeting Wednesday.
* Daily Herald | Eight new volunteers join CASA Lake County to advocate for the best interest of children in foster care: Eight new volunteers completed their training to become Court Appointed Special Advocates and help advocate for the best interest of children in foster care. Volunteers and their families and friends attended the swearing-in ceremony on April 4, hosted by the Lake County Jenile Court. The new Court Appointed Special Advocates include Charles Ex of Gurnee, Debora Jensen of Lake Forest, Adam Jones of Volo, Jollene Jones of Libertyville, Diane Koester of Barrington, Andrea Mazzetta of Deerfield, Tryna Wade of Waukegan and Maureen Zeller of Northbrook. Nineteenth Judicial Circuit Judge Marni M. Slavin presided over the induction ceremony.
*** Downstate ***
* Madison-St. Clair Record | Fifth District reverses pretrial release for man who fled police in stolen vehicle, drove towards on-coming traffic: Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine said the appellate court’s ruling provides clarification on the application of the SAFE-T Act, or the Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today Act. “As with any new law, the Courts have been tasked with interpreting the SAFE-T Act and making rulings on its application. Prosecutors from across the state have appealed various court decisions regarding the SAFE-T Act’s application, with a goal of making the SAFE-T Act less harmful to law-abiding citizens,” Haine said. “We’re grateful for the State’s Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor’s Office, which has assisted local prosecutors in these appeals. This Appellate Court Opinion, which clarifies one of the many ambiguities in this new law, is an important win for the safety of police officers, motorists, highway workers and pedestrians across Illinois.”
* Lake County News-Sun | Plan outlines goals to reduce Lake County gun violence; ‘Prevention work fulfills our moral duty to help others’: The first of its kind for the county, the Violence Prevention Plan (VPP) consists of goals with outcomes to measure achievement, includes feedback from community stakeholders and offers data on where gun violence is occurring in the county, along with some contributing factors. “Prevention work fulfills our moral duty to help others – whether it is survivors in need of trauma-related services, domestic violence survivors in need of red flag laws, or youth in need of mentoring services,” State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said as part of the plan.
* Rockford Register Star | Rockford Mayor’s Hunger Campaign returns with new partnership: The foundation will collect and process donations for the fundraising campaign that launched Wednesday, May 15. Donations to the Mayor’s Hunger Campaign are equally distributed among nine local pantries that make up the Greater Rockford Pantry Coalition: Rock River Valley Pantry; Christian Unity Pantry; Unity in the Community/Lighthouse Pantry; St. Elizabeth Pantry; Cornucopia Pantry; Salvation Army Pantry; Emmanuel Lutheran Pantry; God’s Glory Pantry; and Soul Harbor Pantry.
*** National ***
* Boston Globe | ‘We need answers.’ Markey, Warren say controversial gunshot detection tech could violate civil rights: Massachusetts’ US senators are calling for a federal probe of ShotSpotter amid new scrutiny of the gunshot detection tool, used by police in cities across the state and country with the aim of speeding response times to shootings. In a letter to the Department of Homeland Security Monday night, Senator Edward J. Markey cited a report based on leaked data that found sensors for the system were placed primarily in Black and Latino sections of cities that use them. He called for an investigation into the use of federal grants that pay for ShotSpotter, and whether its use in minority neighborhoods violates civil rights law. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden, of Oregon, and Massachusetts Representative Ayanna Pressley have signed onto the letter, sent to DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari.
* Crain’s | McDonald’s leans into ‘Grandmacore’ with new McFlurry: McDonald’s newest campaign is about celebrating grandmothers and reaching multicultural audiences with a new Grandma McFlurry. McDonald’s has yet to disclose the flavor, only saying that it features a smoothie syrup and chopped crunchy candy pieces blended into vanilla soft serve. The treat is inspired by the pieces of candy grandmothers might carry in their purses. According to speculation on Reddit, a key ingredient could be butterscotch. The new flavor will be available on May 21.
* AP | 70 years ago, school integration was a dream many believed could actually happen. It hasn’t: Seventy years ago this week, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled separating children in schools by race was unconstitutional. On paper, that decision — the fabled Brown v. Board of Education, taught in most every American classroom — still stands. But for decades, American schools have been re-segregating. The country is more diverse than it ever has been, with students more exposed to classmates from different backgrounds. Still, around 4 out of 10 Black and Hispanic students attend schools where almost every one of their classmates is another student of color.
* NYT | Supreme Court Rejects Challenge to Consumer Watchdog’s Funding: The Supreme Court rejected a challenge on Thursday to the way the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is funded, one that could have hobbled the bureau and advanced a central goal of the conservative legal movement: limiting the power of independent agencies. The vote was 7 to 2, with Justice Clarence Thomas writing the majority opinion.
A new measure being debated in the Illinois General Assembly would create a tax credit for certain news publishers based on the number of reporters they employ.
The proposal from Sen. Steve Stadelman, D-Rockford, is part of a package of policies that he has been working to pass since early this year – although some worry about potential conflicts that could arise from creating new financial relationships between the government and journalists who cover it.
Under Stadelman’s proposal, contained in Senate Bill 3953, the state would offer a tax credit of up to $25,000 for each journalist on a media company’s payroll and up to $30,000 for journalists hired into newly created roles. The credit would only be available to “independently owned” media outlets – making subsidiaries of larger or publicly traded companies ineligible for the credit.
Advocates say it’s a way to prop up an industry that faces existential financial and logistical challenges. In 2022, the General Assembly created a task force to research the state of journalism in Illinois. Their report included research from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism that showed one-third of local outlets have closed since 2005, creating an 86 percent decline in newspaper jobs over that span.
* The Question: Do you support this tax credit concept? Explain.
Thursday, May 16, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
A growing chorus of labor unions, government officials, business and industry voices, and the academic community are speaking up about the critical role that carbon capture and storage (CCS) can play in helping Illinois reach its clean energy goals. The Capture Jobs Now Coalition is supporting legislation (SB3311/HB569) to advance CCS projects in our state while prioritizing jobs and economic development in local communities.
Pat Devaney, Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO, and Mark Denzler, President and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association:
“CCS also presents an incredible opportunity for Illinois’ economy and its highly skilled work force. A recent state-commissioned report by the University of Illinois estimates CCS development has a potential statewide demand of 14,440 jobs. And that’s on top of the thousands more jobs CCS can protect by helping decarbonize important Illinois industries as our state, country and world increasingly embrace a net zero carbon future.” (April 2023)
* Extensive background is here if you need it. I totally agree with Illinois Answers Project reporter Casey Toner…
It’s like if a source has given you bad information over and over and over again for years, but somehow you still manage to make yourself believe that this time they must be right.
Illinois’ population loss hit more than 75% of its cities, towns and villages in 2023. The biggest loser was Chicago, shedding over 8,200 residents.
Population decline in Illinois struck more than 75% of communities throughout the state last year, hitting communities of all sizes. In total, 980 of Illinois’ 1,294 incorporated places lost population from July 2022-July 2023, according to data released May 16 by the U.S. Census Bureau.
There is, as you know, every ten years a census that gets done. That’s where people’s doors get knocked on, people are filling out forms, right. And every ten years, we literally count every single person in the state and then in every year between those 10-year periods, 2010, 2020, 2030.
Between those years, there’s something that’s relatively new in the census world called the American Community Survey. And it’s more like a poll. It’s more sophisticated than a poll, but it’s a poll that tries to determine what the changes are year to year in population. That poll has been inaccurate for the state of Illinois for more than 10 years. How do I know this? Because they’ve been doing this poll during the 2010s, from 2010 to 2020. And I saw the poll data, that information every year, and when I was running even I said, oh my goodness, you know, we’re really losing that kind of population. It’s an emergency. It’s something we need to get on, jump on. What populations are we losing? How do we keep them in the state of Illinois? How do we attract others and so on?
It turns out when we actually counted people in 2020, we weren’t losing hundreds of thousands of people. That was false. We counted every person, so you know that the accuracy is there.
Now the question is, okay, well, if the ACS data is wrong every year, and the actual count is right, and that is true, then and by the way, in addition to the number that we originally counted, it turns out, they do something called a post enumeration survey, which basically checks the work. And the post enumeration survey determined, actually Illinois got under-counted. Even though we try to count every single person some people are homeless and don’t get counted. Some people are just hidden and hard to get to and they didn’t get counted.
So what did they determine from that? Illinois gained population. We have more than 13 million people in the state of Illinois.
Well, then 2021 came in, here came another ACS survey, and it showed another year of population loss, reported the survey that had been inaccurate for the 10 years earlier. That survey hasn’t changed. So we’ve gone to the Census Bureau and told them how inaccurate this clearly is. And they believed us and they went around and looked at the cities in the state that applied. We had a group of cities who kind of went to the Census Bureau and said, This is wrong. We’re seeing more people than you are. And what did they do? They upped the numbers, the population numbers for each of those cities that were part of that application.
So it’s clear there’s something wrong with the ACS data. And I know you guys keep reporting that we’re losing population based upon that inaccurate data… When we count people, it turns out we’re gaining population.
* Set aside what the governor says if you want. Fine by me either way. But I’ve documented this nonsense for years. It’s a proven historical fact that the annual surveys have been a joke. A sample from a 2022 column…
By December 2020, those annual Census estimates showed Illinois had lost about 240,000 people, or 2% of its population.
“Illinois is a deepening population sinkhole flanked by states that are adding people, businesses, jobs,” the Chicago Tribune editorial board opined. “The estimated Illinois population is 12,587,530, down more than 240,000 since the 2010 census. That’s more than Waukegan and Naperville, combined.” […]
When the official 2020 Census count showed those previous estimates were wildly wrong and Illinois’ net population loss was “only” 18,000 people, those same folks either changed the subject or harrumphed that, whatever the case, Illinois was still a net loser and had fallen to the rank of sixth-largest state behind Pennsylvania. […]
As you probably know by now, the Census Bureau admitted last week that it had screwed up Illinois’ decennial headcount, and the state actually grew by about 250,000 people – that’s almost a 500,000-person swing from the December 2020 estimate.
Thursday, May 16, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
“Let’s focus on facts, not optics. This legislation will result in less wages for servers not more. The hospitality industry is already under immense inflationary pressure and this bill will just drive consumer prices up further.”
Brent Schwoerer, Owner / Founder / Brewmaster
Engrained Brewing Company, Springfield
* Background is here if you need it. Rep. Curtis Tarver (D-Chicago) rose to make a point of personal privilege during yesterday’s House session…
This is my first point of personal privilege since my daughter was here five years ago, but I feel compelled to speak.
Yesterday, you may have read in Capitol Fax, and was in the news otherwise, that the Chicago Public Schools paid an expert $40,000 to testify in her deposition… to testify that not all sexual assault is traumatic.
That was taxpayer money. That was approved by the General Counsel CPS. The mayor appoints the board. The mayor ahas the ability to have a conversation with CPS top brass. CPS General Counsel, Ruchi Verma needs to go. Not only did she sign off on this expert, but they filed a motion - I have the motion in limine copy right here - to force this woman to use her real name.
This has been going on for a couple years. It just got to trial. Motion in limine. Now all of a sudden, they want her use her real name instead of Jane Doe. Why do you think that is? Maybe it’s because they had a mediation last week. They put $50,000 on the table and she didn’t take it. So to penalize her, to punish her, to shame her, they want her to use her own name.
So that 37 year old woman now will be known as a person who had sex with a high school damn teacher. It’s shameful! it’s shameful!
Walter Glascoff is a rapist. He’s a rapist. He lied to CPS initially, but ultimately in his deposition he testified he did not have sex with her, he only had oral sex until she was 17. Sex is in the very definition what he said. He then started having sex with her when she was 18 as well. We can’t do anything about that.
But he groomed her. He groomed her and what happened? CPS confronted him, he lied about it. They allowed him to resign. So who do you think pays his pension? We do.
I want to read to you a little bit from what I FOIA’d, so this is public information, so the judge doesn’t get upset.
‘For relevant time periods when you were a teacher at Hubbard high school during the 2001 to 2004 school year, you were involved in a sexual relationship with Jane Doe, a student at the same school, date of birth, between January 31 2002 and January 2003, you engaged in sexual intercourse with Jane Doe during the spring of 2004, sexual intercourse with Jane Doe.’ Took her to Navy Pier, took her to his home, drove her to her home and met her parents. You know what happened between 2012 and 2016? He was transporting other students. All under CPS’ watch.
I don’t have a dog in the race. This ain’t my case. It’s not my daughter. But we should all care. And there’s no way on God’s green earth that a duly licensed attorney who takes the same exact oath we take when we’re sworn in, the same exact oath, should ever put defending a case over what’s right.
Now the mayor came down here and everybody saying Chicago is owed a billion dollars. CPS does need more money, so does the rest of the state. I’m all for public education. That’s not the question.
The question is, what is Jane Doe owed? And I don’t mean financially. We can’t even talk about justice without basic respect. Forcing a woman or male or whoever to use their name in a lawsuit to pressure them, to shame them is unconscionable and is worth - I know the mayor doesn’t discuss personnel issues in the public he says - but this is something that needs to be addressed. And I’ll be wrapping up in just a moment.
Representative EliK had a bill I believe a year or so ago, House Bill 1275. One of the things that it says is that you cannot use comparative fault or contributory negligence with a minor. I don’t know what happened to the bill, it never moved. But I would hope as a chamber on a bipartisan basis we would look at that. Whether it needs an extension or otherwise.
How do you have a defense to suggest that a child, a child is comparatively at fault for their own being raped?
I had a bill. I’m not biased, but I had a bill that said at least in these situations, we should have a process, an administrative process to strip the pension of individuals. You can’t say well, if you rape the kid on Hubbard’s campus, we can take your pension, but if you take her to Navy Pier or to your house, we can’t because it’s off school grounds. So I appreciate you all indulging me I am beyond frustrated.
Rep. Tarver’s voice began to crack and he sat down.
Please pardon all transcription errors.
…Adding… MrJM in comments…
Intentionally or not, in fighting Jane Doe’s lawsuit, CPS is telling its students and parents that if you try to hold them to account for endangering or harming a student in their care, CPS will pay tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars to drag you and your reputation through the mud.
Thursday, May 16, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Retail provides one out of every five Illinois jobs, generates the second largest amount of tax revenue for the state, and is the largest source of revenue for local governments. But retail is also so much more, with retailers serving as the trusted contributors to life’s moments, big and small.
A measure that seeks to ban wildlife hunting contests and penalize hunters participating in them with misdemeanors passed the Illinois House Wednesday.
Wildlife contests generally involve a day- or weekend-long contest promoting coyote, racoon or squirrel population management. The winner with the most killed racoons typically gets a prize. The Squirrel Bowl, a yearly squirrel hunt for all ages, raises funds for various charities. […]
Opponents of the measure said wildlife contests are necessary to control animal populations. Taxpayers already pay $20 million per year in the form of wildlife damage abatement payments to ranchers, farmers and pet owners who have lost livestock or pets to predators like coyotes. The USDA kills over 80,000 coyotes annually.
Moeller said wildlife contests in Illinois are not managed by the Department of Natural Resources and are not recognized as an official means of managing wildlife populations. There’s no scientific basis in these contests having any positive impact on the populations of wildlife, she said.
* President of the political action committee Gun Violence Prevention Kathleen Sances…
As soon as next month, the U.S. Supreme Court is poised to deliver a setback in the work to protect survivors of domestic violence if it rules to allow abusers access to guns. But in Illinois, where state officials, advocates and other committed stakeholders have acted on myriad issues where the court has failed, we have another chance to lead.
This week presents such an opportunity. In the last days of the General Assembly’s spring session, state lawmakers can pass Karina’s Bill and put Illinois at the forefront of protecting the rights of survivors. […]
[S]urvivor advocates reported last week that Illinois is experiencing a dramatic escalation in calls for help to the state’s Domestic Violence Hotline. According to a report by The Network, a gender-based violence awareness advocacy group, the hotline saw a 27% increase in outreach in 2023 over the year before. Last year’s needs represented a stunning 90% increase when compared with pre-pandemic levels.
The surge included a 45% increase in requests for shelter over those in 2022, leading to a critical shortage of shelter options for survivors in Illinois, with the city of Chicago having no beds available for a third of the year in 2023, as reported by the Tribune.
We know the danger these survivors face is exponentially greater when their abusers are armed. The Network has found that the risk of intimate-partner homicide that survivors face increases 500% when an abuser has access to a gun.
Private insurance companies in Illinois can currently limit patients to four rounds of IVF treatment. Although, a bill heading to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk could expand private insurance coverage for all forms of fertility treatment.
State lawmakers removed the cap on infertility coverage for state employees last year. However, this plan could ensure all insurance companies are allowing patients to have more cycles covered. […]
Senate Bill 773 passed out of the House on a 90-17 vote. The measure previously passed out of the Senate on a 50-1 vote. […]
If approved by Pritzker, the legislation would take effect on January 1, 2026.
* Sen. Javier Cervantes…
State Senator Javier Cervantes is moving legislation to limit the discriminatory use of artificial intelligence in decisions related to employment.
“Companies that are using AI to make employment decisions may be using data points that are discriminatory and having adverse effects on our communities,” said Cervantes (D-Chicago). “Creating a model to predict data patterns is fine, but when it’s used to single out and target workers from lower-income communities, Black and Brown communities, and many of the other underserved communities in Illinois, we cannot sit back and allow it to happen.”
Under House Bill 3773, employers would not be allowed to use artificial intelligence to consider demographic information such as race or ZIP code in employment decisions related to recruitment, hiring, promotion, renewal of employment, selection for training or apprenticeship, discharge, discipline, tenure or terms, privileges, or conditions of employment.
Any employer who uses artificial intelligence in a prohibited manner or fails to notify an employee of the employer’s use of artificial intelligence would be in violation of the Illinois Human Rights Act.
“Employment status should not be determined by the click of a button on a machine, and residents are worried that their livelihood and income could be taken away with no human interaction,” said Cervantes. “This legislation is important to support workers and ensure their rights are not violated on the job.”
House Bill 3773 passed the Senate on Wednesday and is one step closer to becoming law.
A plan heading to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk would require school vendors and learning partners to comply with the state’s new comprehensive literacy plan.
Lawmakers and advocates say vendors responsible for English language arts improvement plans should abide by the Literacy and Justice for All Act.
The Illinois State Board of Education introduced framework for the literacy plan in January. However, this plan would ensure schools are not limited by their vendors. […]
House Bill 4902 passed out of the Senate on a 54-1 vote Wednesday. State representatives previously voted 91-19 to approve the plan on April 16.
The Illinois state Senate unanimously passed a bill Wednesday requiring insurance companies cover all colonoscopies deemed medically necessary.
Insurers are currently only required to cover the procedure if it’s part of a follow-up exam recommended by a primary care physician. The bill would require coverage if a patient displays signs or symptoms of colon cancer or has an existing colon condition regardless of age.
“What should not be a barrier is us having access to insurance that will cover it because we know if we catch this disease early, we can save lives, so I encourage the chamber to support this very important measure. It’s common sense. We can save lives,” said state Sen. Willie Preston, D-Chicago, the bill’s Senate sponsor. […]
The Senate did slightly change the bill, adding an amendment to change the effective date to from Jan. 1, 2025 to Jan. 1, 2026. This means the bill has to head back to the House.
* Sen. Kimberly Lightford…
Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford championed a measure to require high school students to learn financial literacy.
“When young people leave high school, they are given the freedom to spend and manage their money how they see fit with little or no guidance beyond what they’ve witnessed at home,” said Lightford (D-Maywood). “By requiring financial literacy instruction, we are equipping our young people with the ability to do things like manage a household budget, save for a home or be aware of financial fraud schemes. These are important life skills that every person can utilize.”
Under Lightford’s measure, high school students would be required to learn about financial literacy. The instruction would focus on basic economics, the principles of supply and demand, how to budget income responsibly, loan repayment, and the cost of high-interest short-term “payday” loans.
According to a 2022 Citizens Bank survey, more than half of teenagers said they were worried and felt unprepared for their financial futures. The research highlighted the need for additional resources to assist them in making financial decisions that impact them over the long term – including proper education on how to set themselves up for success.
“Teens should leave high school with the confidence that they know how to handle the financial decisions of their future,” said Lightford. “Education goes far beyond a textbook – it’s also about learning long-lasting life skills.”
House Bill 1375 passed the Senate Wednesday with bipartisan support.
State Senator Rachel Ventura announced that Senate Bill 3695 has been assigned to the Senate Executive Committee and has bipartisan support.
Senate Bill 3695, also known as the CURE Act – or the Compassionate Use and Research of Entheogens Act – aims to tackle treatment-resistant conditions such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, substance abuse, eating disorders, and other mental health conditions. Additionally, it would facilitate research into the safety and efficacy of psilocybin through medical, psychological, and scientific studies. New Chief Co-Sponsor Senator Craig has researched and considered filing a similar psilocybin bill focused on mental health and medicinal use for more than two years.
“After much discussion with my colleagues, I am proud to see the bipartisanship collaboration on this historic piece of legislation that would aid veterans and those suffering with mental illnesses, PTSD, substance abuse and more,” said Ventura (D-Joliet). “Psilocybin would open new pathways in the brain to help pinpoint things that need to be worked on. Integrated therapy-based sessions following its exposure would create real change in an individual’s life who have exhausted other methods previously.” […]
The bill would also establish the Illinois Psilocybin Advisory Board under the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation which would create a training program, ethical standards, and licensing requirements. Additionally, psychedelic therapies would be administered in controlled, supervised settings to ensure safety and treatment effectiveness. Retail sales of these medicines would be prohibited and could only be used under supervision at designated service centers. […]
The bill has been assigned to the Senate Executive Committee where Senator hopes it will be heard in the following days.
* Rep. Nabeela Syed…
State Rep. Nabeela Syed, D-Palatine, working with a constituent of the 51st District, recently passed groundbreaking legislation to fill gaps in breast cancer screening coverage and ensure that all people who need medically recommended screening can afford it.
“I feel lucky that I live in a community of people so interested in taking part in the lawmaking process and helping build a stronger future for their neighbors. Leslie Yerger, founder and CEO of local nonprofit My Density Matters, came to me as a constituent with lived experience of not receiving the breast cancer screening she needed, resulting in missed breast cancer for nearly a decade,” Syed said. “It’s vital to the health of nearly half of women who have dense breast tissue, that this screening is covered by insurance at no cost-sharing.”
Leslie Ferris Yerger said, “Thank you, Representative Syed, for leading the charge to more accessible breast cancer screening so more women in Illinois will have their breast cancer found early, while still curable. With the passage of HB4180, Illinois may have the most comprehensive supplemental breast cancer screening insurance coverage in the nation.”
Syed filed House Bill 4180 to ensure that more extensive breast cancer screenings for those that need them are covered by all medical insurance. It was backed by Equality Illinois, Illinois National Organization for Women, Rush University Medical Center and Cook County Health. House Bill 4180 passed the House and Senate with strong bipartisan support, and now will go to the governor for signature.
* ICYMI: CPS meeting with Pritzker marked by tension over migrant funding. Crain’s…
- Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez said the request for $55.2 million to support migrant students that made the governor’s team bristle.
- The governor’s office painted a more cordial picture of their meeting with CPS and pointed to $500 million in state support for new arrivals.
-Not on the table at yesterday’s meeting with lawmakers: a contentious bill placing a moratorium on significant changes to Chicago Public Schools’ selective enrollment schools.
Governor Pritzker will be at Enos Elementary School in Springfield at 10:30 to announce new programs to combat child hunger. Click here to watch.
*** Isabel’s top picks ***
* Streetsblog | Silver lining playbook: Could a new transit gig be a graceful way out for apparently doomed CTA chief Dorval Carter Jr.?: We can’t read the mayor’s mind on that subject. But one thing seems clear. Johnson would much prefer if Carter, whose achievements including helping to line up the Red Line Extension, doesn’t leave the job in disgrace, but instead gets a soft landing. Yesterday morning there was hope that such a scenario might materialize, as President Joe Biden was reportedly considering tapping Carter as the next federal Surface Transportation Board chair. A Chicagoland transit advocate spoke positively of that possibility.
* Tribune | More than 112,000 Illinois residents have lost the right to own guns. The state doesn’t know if 84,000 still have them, sheriff says: And despite several deaths at the hands of gunmen with revoked FOID cards, the number of unchecked revokees continues to grow. Between October 2023 and March 2024, the state’s total number of noncompliant revoked gun licenses grew by more than 1,000, according to the study. Felony indictments are the most common reason for a resident’s card to be revoked, followed by mental health concerns and domestic violence-related infractions.
*** Statehouse News ***
* WAND | Illinois bill could allow liquor inside Treasurer’s downtown Springfield office for receptions: Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs has asked lawmakers to pass a plan this spring to allow his downtown office to have liquor delivered, sold or dispensed. Rep. Lisa Hernandez (D-Cicero) said Wednesday the building is an optimal space for hosting receptions due to the large first floor atrium and historic significance as Abraham Lincoln’s bank.
*** Chicago ***
* ABC Chicago | New policy would overhaul long-criticized Chicago Police Dept. traffic stop-and-search tactic: Critics have long labeled the CPD tactic as underhanded and unconstitutional. But the use of routine traffic stops as a way to search vehicles could become history under a new plan now being pushed by outgoing Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx. According to a draft policy document obtained by the I-Team, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office would “decline to prosecute” cases that are “solely the product of a non-public-safety traffic stop.”
* AP | Indigenous consultant accuses Chicago Blackhawks of fraud, sexual harassment: Nina Sanders filed the civil action late Tuesday in Cook County Circuit Court. She alleges in the lawsuit that the Blackhawks were facing intense public pressure to change their name and logo in 2020. The team’s CEO, Dan Wirtz, hired her that year to serve as a tribal liaison. Wirtz promised that he would create positions for American Indians, buy land to give to the Sac and Fox Nation and change the team’s logo if she decided to accept the job, according to the lawsuit. She took the job based on those promises, but Wirtz never followed through on any of it, the lawsuit alleges.
* ABC Chicago | Field Museum explains loud noise of cicada calls amid Illinois emergence: “Only the males sing, and the females, they recognize the specific song of their own species, so they know how to find the males of their own species,” said Dr. Maureen Turcatel, Field Museum Insects Collection Manager. Blame the noise on the men. Dr. Turcatel says to be ready, because billions, or even trillions, of bugs are coming our way, emerging from their longtime lodgings underground this week. The 17-year and 13-year cicada broods are overlapping in some areas downstate.
* Sun-Times | Thompson Center artwork — Where did it all go?: A couple places, it turns out. Per state spokesperson Jayette Bolinski, Hunt’s “Illinois River Landscape” ended up in the Springfield headquarters of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), which administers all art owned by the state, including the pieces in the Thompson Center. Henry’s “Bridgeport” is on joint loan to three Rockford institutions: its Art Museum, Convention & Visitors Bureau and the city itself. Still others are now in the collections of the Illinois State Museum and “successor facilities” to the Thompson Center at 555 W. Monroe and 115 S. LaSalle streets. But the future of “Monument with Standing Beast” is, for now, about as ambiguous as the tangled sculpture itself. Disassembly began several weeks ago and is scheduled to wrap by the end of the month. After that, the work will be transported to a state warehouse, where it will be stored until the state finds “a suitable and prominent home” for the statue, Bolinski said.
*** Cook County and Suburbs ***
* Crain’s | Northbrook leaders have ‘many concerns’ about DuPage Water Commission purchase:
Speaking at the village’s first board of trustees meeting since the water commission paid $80 million on May 6 for the 127-acre former country club and golf course — a step toward the potential redevelopment of the site with a water treatment facility — Northbrook Village President Kathryn Ciesla said local elected officials were blindsided by the property sale and remain worried about its implications.
* CBS | New Cicero, Illinois ordinance bans alcohol sales after midnight: The new measure applies across the board – not only to liquor stores and retailers, as has been in the case in the city of Chicago for the past few years – but also to restaurants and bars. The Town of Cicero said liquor licenses allow for the sale of alcohol until 1 or 2 a.m. at bars and restaurants, but the new ordinance will require them all to stop sales at midnight.
*** Downstate ***
* Shaw Local | Ex-Savanna woman gets 3 years in prison for harassing witness in race-based case: The duo’s alleged harassment is detailed in the state’s first civil hate-crime lawsuit, filed in 2022 by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office, that accuses the Hamptons of lynching an effigy of the neighbor in plain view of his home in order to intimidate him. In addition to accusations that the yard was damaged, the suit also alleged that the pair hung an effigy of their neighbor, bound in chains, in a tree a few feet from his property, hung a Confederate flag, displayed a racial slur in a window facing his home, and painted swastikas on their garage, which also faced his property.
* 25 News Now | Peoria’s Black Business Alliance receives part of $2.5M state grant: Peoria’s Black Business Alliance is among 10 groups awarded a share of $2.5 million from the State of Illinois, part of Gov. JB Pritzker’s goal of helping minority-owned businesses. The local organization is receiving $250,000 in public money, according to a governor’s office release. This initiative aims to provide essential training and resources to entrepreneurs from historically disinvested communities.
* Illinois Times | City launches program to rehab east-side homes: The city of Springfield is launching a pilot program geared toward helping first-time homebuyers by rehabilitating dilapidated properties on the city’s east side. “On the east side of Springfield, we own properties as a city, and we’re not doing enough to revitalize the neighborhoods,” said Ethan Posey, Springfield’s director of community relations. “We own a lot of property, and we’re not selling it and we’re not demolishing it quick enough. So, we came up with the My First Home initiative.”
*** National ***
* Bloomberg | Google’s New Search Engine Is Bad News for the Web Economy: Rolling out in the US this week, and in much of the world by the end of the year, AI Overviews is a troubling development for the wider web economy. Think of Wikipedia as a canary: When Google started sourcing its information directly in search results, traffic plummeted because of what analytics firm SimilarWeb called the “zero click” effect — users obtaining the information they were seeking without needing to click through to the source. Every “zero click” is a blow to web publishers. Already suffering huge drop in traffic from social media companies less interested in carrying current affairs, publishers will be similarly deprioritized by Google as it strives to compete head-on with know-it-all AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity.ai. The outlook is bleak: Gartner predicts a 25% drop in search engine traffic by 2026, an estimate that seems conservative. An SEO expert told the Washington Post that publishers are expecting to be “bludgeoned.”
* Crain’s | Blue Cross Illinois parent expands corporate presence in Texas: Health Care Service Corp., the Chicago-based parent company of five Blue Cross & Blue Shield plans, is expanding its corporate presence in Texas with a new office building in southwest Houston. The 132,000-square-foot office will open as soon as January 2025, according to a statement announcing the expansion. HCSC already has a corporate office in Richardson, Texas.
* This is how I’ll always remember my four brothers. My dad had a side gig delivering Phillips 66 gas to farmers and we posed in front of his truck. The photo was taken in, I think, 1975, when we were preparing to leave Iroquois County because my mom had been hired by the Department of Defense and was being trained at the Savanna Army Depot in northwest Illinois. We eventually ended up living in Utah and Germany. Isabel’s dad, Devin, was a baby then. My dad, Isabel’s grandfather, is holding him in the pic. I’m standing next to Dad wearing my Shaw-Waw-Nas-See 4-H Camp t-shirt…
Thanks to my brother Darian (front row left) for posting the pic. We called him “Toothless” back then.
Thursday, May 16, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
When a patient with suicidal thoughts sought care in an Illinois emergency department (ED), the hospital’s medical staff admitted the patient based on nationally recognized clinical guidelines. Yet, the patient’s Medicaid managed care organization (MCO) would only cover one of the patient’s five days in the hospital, despite the patient remaining suicidal two days after admission.
Prior authorization denials and delays are one of the top challenges to providing healthcare to Medicaid patients, whose access to needed care is unnecessarily bogged down by burdensome MCO administrative processes.
The Illinois Health and Hospital Association (IHA) urges lawmakers to support MCO prior authorization reforms, including permitting ED physicians to admit a patient in need of inpatient care without seeking MCO authorization, providing inpatient coverage for up to 72 hours.
Legislative reforms also address the time clinicians must put toward appeals, the majority of which are later overturned, pulling them away from patient care. IHA’s reforms would exempt physicians and hospitals with historically high prior authorization approvals from the prior authorization process for one year, like several states have adopted.
Vote YES on legislation that fixes harmful prior authorization practices and eliminates barriers to healthcare for Illinois’ most vulnerable populations. Support IHA’s MCO prior authorization reforms.
In the basement of a Centralia funeral home in a dark hallway off the embalming room, tucked inside a nook behind two steel plates and a door, a visitor found three disembodied, neatly wrapped human legs, two of them marked with names and dated to the 1960s.
The discovery stunned property owner Cindy Hansen, who had been cleaning up at the site of the former Moran Queen-Boggs funeral home for weeks. After all, she’d seen her last tenant evicted, his funeral director license suspended for the home’s filthy conditions – which included a dead rat in a stairwell.
But as the shock dissipated on what first appeared to be a grisly find, a more mundane explanation materialized – the legs were likely the result of amputations, stored away decades ago until their owners died and they could be reunited and interred together, said Jay Boulanger, who has operated a funeral home in Highland for decades. […]
The discovery was made at the former funeral home operated by Hugh Moran in recent years, but he surrendered his license in March after state regulators found his facility in deplorable condition. But the hidden nature of the room and the fact that two of the legs were dated decades before Moran operated the facility indicate he was not involved in placing them there. […]
The conditions at Moran’s funeral home became public within months of a discovery that a Carlinville funeral home provided the wrong ashes to at least 80 families, spawning lawsuits and legislation.
* ACLU…
By passing House Bill 4781 (the KIND Act), the Illinois House is making sure that our state’s family regulation system prioritizes the interests of youth in that system. For too long, Illinois policy has failed to recognize the valuable role played by relatives who step in to care for youth when DCFS removes these children from their parents. The KIND Act recognizes the positive role these relatives play in the lives of children – whose lives have been disrupted – and provides the same resources to care for the child made available to foster parents who may well be strangers.
Research shows that placing youth in the family regulation system with relatives, rather than strangers acting as foster parents, is good policy. Staying with a family member lessens trauma of family separation, reduces the number of times a child is moved, enhances permanency options if youth cannot be reunified, results in higher placement satisfaction for youth in care, and delivers better social, behavioral, mental health, and educational outcomes for youth than when they are placed in non-kin foster care.
We thank Representative Marcus Evans for his leadership in securing passage of the KIND Act in the House. We look forward to continuing this momentum in the Senate in the remaining weeks of the session.
*** Statehouse ***
* Guy A. Medaglia | Gov J.B. Pritzker goes after insurance companies. What about the state itself?: Our hospital in 2020 sued the state of Illinois. It wasn’t an easy decision. No one wants to bite the hand that feeds them. But the managed care system is breaking us. The state is fighting our lawsuit at every turn. Fortunately, the courts have stepped in to protect us. A federal appeals court recently ruled that our lawsuit has a right to proceed. The hospital “depends on full, timely Medicaid payments to keep its doors open and provide care to patients,” the ruling judges wrote.
*** Statewide ***
* WBEZ | Planned Parenthood offers abortion pills via app to expand access in Illinois: Patients who are up to 10 weeks pregnant can fill out screening questions on the Planned Parenthood Direct app any time of the day and provide an Illinois address where their medication abortion pills mifepristone and misoprostol would be mailed if they qualify. That could be a house, or a hotel. Some Planned Parenthood affiliates already mail pills to patients, but require at least a virtual visit with a medical provider first.
* ProPublica | Even when a cop is killed with an illegally purchased weapon, the gun store’s name is kept secret: ProPublica has viewed federal filings in both the Northern District of Illinois and the Northern District of Indiana where retailers were named in conjunction with cases against individuals who lied to make gun purchases or later resold the guns illegally in so-called straw sales. One such gun was bought from an Indiana retailer and days later used in a shooting that left two Wisconsin police officers severely injured, ProPublica reported in March. The retailer involved was never charged yet still was named in court records.
* Tribune | State seeks to salvage high-profile conviction in Hadiya Pendleton slaying in arguments before Illinois Supreme Court: More than a decade after the killing of 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton put a national spotlight on Chicago’s entrenched problem with gun violence, Illinois prosecutors worked to salvage a conviction against the alleged shooter before the state’s highest court in Springfield. […] Though Micheail Ward, 30, was convicted of first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated battery following a lengthy jury trial in 2018, an Illinois appeals court last year overturned his convictions and ordered a new trial, finding that Chicago police detectives violated his rights by continuing to question him after he invoked his right to remain silent.
*** Chicago ***
* Crain’s | Advocates tell mayor: Fund transit, not stadiums: In a letter signed by eight Chicago transit groups including the Metropolitan Planning Council, Active Transportation Alliance and Commuters Take Action, the organizations blasted the proposal to use public money to help build a new domed stadium at a time when local transit agencies are facing a $730 million fiscal cliff. A response from the Bears was not returned by press time.
* Block Club | Will Bears Stadium Be ‘For Our Children’? Some Community Leaders Are Skeptical: Educator Andre Russell doubts the new stadium will be built. If it is, he’d like to see the professional sports team offer more programs to kids in the city, prioritizing students from the Near South Side and Bronzeville, he said. The CPS high school teacher said whoever assumes the community liaison role once the stadium is built will have to know the lay of the land to better create programs for the city’s young people.
* Chalkbeat | Organizers of Democratic National Convention in Chicago launch student art competition: Students and graduating seniors from public and private high schools across the Chicago area have until June 10 at 5 p.m. to submit their designs. Original artwork can include drawings, paintings, photography or other two-dimensional media, but must be created by hand and without the help of artificial intelligence.
* Block Club | What’s Inside The Bean? Photos Show Construction Of ‘Cloud Gate’: The stainless steel skin hides an internal skeleton with flexible connectors that allow it to expand and contract in Chicago’s extreme weather. Thirty-three feet high, 42 feet wide and 66 feet long, its cost was a reported $23 million.
*** Cook County and Suburbs ***
* NBC Chicago | Local activist, Dolton trustee Andrew Holmes terminated by Chicago Survivors over assault allegations: Chicago Survivors issued the following statement to NBC Chicago: “Our mission is to provide crime victim services to family members of homicide victims, so our relationships with those families and our community is paramount. Without compromise, there needs to be strong mutual trust and an assumed high level of safety for the adults and children we serve. For those reasons, we terminated his employment in April upon learning of the serious allegations.”
* Naperville Sun | DuPage County state’s attorney’s office to sue county clerk over unpaid bills: The DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office plans to file a civil lawsuit against DuPage County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek and her office over $224,000 in invoices submitted for purchases not properly approved or made without going through a bidding process. Kaczmarek threatened similar action in a May 7 memo to DuPage County Board Chair Deborah Conroy in which she said she’d instruct the state’s attorney to file legal action against the county if invoices submitted by her office were not paid by the county treasurer.
* KFVS | How SIUC researchers transformed waste plastic into food: A team of researchers at Southern Illinois University Carbondale have been working on new food technologies, including processing waste biomass and plastic to create a specialized yeast that can then be converted into proteins. Called µBites, which means “microbites,” the proteins can be 3D-printed into cookies or other foods.
* SJ-R | Mail delivery changes in Springfield halted until 2025: Postmaster General Louis DeJoy in a letter to Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Gary Peters on May 9 confirmed that mail processing facility reviews and planned implemented changes will halt until next year, following a slew of senators sending letters to DeJoy. Until the changes are made however, DeJoy said the investments into current branches will be halted, as well.
* WGLT | ISU trustees to hold special meeting for vote on increasing student fees, housing and dining: At the time, then-interim president Aondover Tarhulesaid the need to increase fees came from rising costs for the university across the board that were outpacing revenue. He added that student financial aid is one of ISU’s fastest-growing expenses, increasing from $25 million a year to about $47 million for the current academic year. That figure had risen, he said then, “with no increase in enrollment or credit hour generation.”
*** National ***
* AP | Survey finds 8,000 women a month got abortion pills despite their states’ bans or restrictions : “People … are using the various mechanisms to get pills that are out there,” Drexel University law professor David Cohen said. This “is not surprising based on what we know throughout human history and across the world: People will find a way to terminate pregnancies they don’t want.” A Pew Research Center poll conducted in April found that Americans are substantially more likely to say that medication abortion should be legal, rather than illegal, in their state.
* NYT | 17% of Voters Blame Biden for the End of Roe: Many voters who held Mr. Biden responsible said they simply didn’t pay close attention to politics or government affairs. For some, the confusion came from the fact that the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision happened while Mr. Biden was president. DeLana Marsh, 30, of Holly Springs, Ga., supports abortion rights and opposes a new Georgia law that bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy: “I don’t think a group of men should be able to decide that for us.”
* HB4848 passed the House 103-0 and cleared the Senate Transportation Committee 13-1. [Adding: The Senate just approved it.] Synopsis…
Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that no person shall operate or cause to be operated, on a highway, a commercial motor vehicle, with the exception of a highway maintenance vehicle, transporting garbage or refuse unless the tailgate on the vehicle is in good working repair, good operating condition, and closes securely, with a cover or tarpaulin of sufficient size attached so as to prevent any load, residue, or other material from escaping. Provides that a violation of the provisions shall be a petty offense punishable by a fine not to exceed $150 (rather than $250). Provides that a person, firm, or corporation convicted of 4 or more violations within a 12-month period shall be fined an additional amount of $150 for the fourth and each subsequent conviction within the 12-month period. Amends the Criminal and Traffic Assessment Act. In provisions concerning conditional assessments, provides for distribution of a conditional assessment for a violation of the provisions.
An example of what this bill is trying to prevent…
* The Question: Have you had experience with garbage trucks spewing garbage as they are driven on a road? Explain.
* M3 Strategies does some Republican work, but its final Chicago mayoral first round poll was extremely close to the result, and an earlier poll showed Brandon Johnson’s surge. Crain’s…
As he flips the calendar on his first year in office today, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson faces an array of challenges, not the least of which is the need to dig out from a net approval rating of -29%.
That’s the top-line finding of a new poll for Crain’s Chicago Business by M3 Strategies, a Chicago political consultancy, which polled 415 likely general election voters in Chicago from April 29 to 30.
Only a combined 28% of likely voters polled said they approve of Johnson’s performance in office, while a majority (57%) disapprove and 41% strongly disapprove.
Wednesday, May 15, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Surgo Ventures partnered with Uber Health and local health centers to provide transportation assistance to expectant mothers facing transportation challenges to their prenatal appointments. Across one city, the initiative covered over 30,000 miles, ensuring over 450 participants reached their prenatal appointments without hassle. One participant shared, ‘There were days when I didn’t want to get up from bed. Knowing that someone was going to pick me up… made me feel safer.’ With programs like Rides for Moms, transportation is no longer a barrier for new mothers to access essential medical care. Learn more
* Governor JB Pritzker’s office sent this letter to legislators on Monday…
Dear Members of the Illinois General Assembly:
My office is thrilled to join the diverse group of stakeholders working in support of the Dignity in Pay Act (HB793). This bill, sponsored by House Leader Theresa Mah and Senate Leader Cristina Castro, represents a significant step forward in expanding opportunities and ensuring fair and equal pay for Illinois workers with disabilities.
House Amendment three to the Dignity in Pay Act is a carefully negotiated compromise supported by an array of organizations. The newest supporters include groups like Special Olympics Illinois, the Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities (IARF), the National Down Syndrome Society, the Illinois Spina Bifida Association, the Institute on Public Policy for People with Disabilities, and dozens of other groups who provide direct service and support to Illinoisans with disabilities.
These groups are joining the fight for fairness alongside long-time backers, including Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago, the Illinois Network of Centers for Independent Living, the National Federation of the Blind of Illinois, and the Shriver Center on Poverty Law.
For too long, a provision in the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act has allowed for Subminimum Wage payment to individuals with disabilities by entities with special authorization, generally referred to as 14(c) certificates. Since the Americans with Disabilities Act passed in 1990, the US Supreme Court ruling in Olmstead in 1999, and numerous other strides made by civil rights leaders, we’ve made extraordinary progress in understanding the unlimited potential contributions, and the many injustices too often experienced, by people with disabilities in our country – especially when it comes to finding a job.
To date, 18 states (and the City of Chicago) have acted to phase out 14(c) and expand programs that increase inclusion and access to competitive integrated employment. A range of employers across Illinois have successfully shifted their focus to Supported Employment and meaningful day program opportunities – including Misericordia, the Arc, MarcFirst, Ray Graham, the Lighthouse for the Blind, Thresholds, and Macon Resources, Inc., among many others.
The Dignity in Pay Act requires the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities, and the Illinois Department of Labor to lead a responsible and gradual 5-year process to increase employment options for people with disabilities and phase out 14(c) subminimum wage authorizations.
The amended bill’s key changes include:
1. Extending the phase-out period to five years (July 1, 2029), allowing for a longer, smoother change ramp for employers and employees.
2. Creating a Transition Program Grant to assist employers and employees with the necessary resources to navigate the phase-out.
3. Requiring an increase to Supported Employment Rates to ensure providers have the resources to effectively support community employment programs.
4. Adding the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities (ICCDD) and an academic partner to bolster research and development efforts for a smart, well supported change in state policy.
The Dignity in Pay Act is one step we can take together to build a more equitable and inclusive Illinois. This legislation fosters a future where all individuals, regardless of ability, can contribute their talents and skills to our workforce and earn a fair wage.
With broad stakeholder compromise and support, I urge the Illinois House and Senate to pass the Dignity in Pay Act so that I can sign it into law.
Here’s where similar legislation has been passed or is pending. From the governor’s office…
Eliminated
1.Alaska
2.Colorado
3.Delaware
4.District of Columbia
5.Hawaii
6.Maine
7.Maryland
8.New Hampshire
9.Oregon
10.Rhode Island
11.Tennessee
12.Vermont
13.Washington
14. West Virginia
Implementing Phase Out
1.California
2.Kansas
3.South Carolina
4.Virginia
Legislation Pending
1.Connecticut
2.Georgia
3.Illinois
4.Minnesota
5.Nevada
6.New York
Rep. Charlie Meier has been dead set against the bill. Here’s an Op-Ed from Meier…
Throughout my time in Springfield serving southern Illinois and portions of the Metro-East, I have worked hard to represent the best interests of the citizens in our state that live in the care of the state, live in Community Integrated Living Arrangements, and for those developmentally disabled individuals that perform light tasks at “14c Workshops” throughout the state.
A well-intentioned, but badly flawed, bill pending in Springfield is threatening to permanently place individuals working in 14c workshops out of a job. The legislation would raise the minimum wage for these jobs to $15 per hour. The concept sounds good. The businesses that are partnering with these 14c’s are more than likely to cut off their financial support. A look at the numbers reveals that the costs associated with participating in these programs would explode to unaffordable levels.
Currently, companies that pay individuals for 10 hours of work per week pay a little over $7.5 million. If HB 793 is passed and signed into law, when the wage paid to 14c employees reaches $15 per hour, the cost explodes to more than $27 million. For companies paying individuals the current rate for 25 hours of work per week, the cost is a little under $19 million. If HB 793 is passed and signed into law, when the wage reaches $15 per hour, those companies will pay a combined whopping total of more than $68.5 million. In addition to higher costs to companies, clients will be forced to pay much higher taxes on their income.
During last year’s Session, I worked to educate my fellow legislators as to the very real pitfalls in increasing the minimum wage at 14c workshops. I was successful, and I believe the programs have continued because the effort failed.
Fast-paced crowded workplaces and strange new people and new places have the tendency to scare and overwhelm certain individuals with profound disabilities.
14c clients and their families know that when they are performing their duties at the workshop that they are safe and cared for and that all of their medical and mental needs are being met. The 14cs provide the best of all worlds for clients, their families, companies, and nonprofits.
This year, advocates for the change have beefed up their messaging efforts and are once again on the cusp of passing HB 793. I’m working once again to stop the bill from passing.
The majority of the workshops I’ve talked to are either neutral or opposed to HB 793. However, they are afraid of negative consequences to their facilities and clients if they speak out.
For the sake of my friends in the developmental disability community, their families, and the dignity that comes with the work and the paycheck they receive at 14c workshops, I would ask my colleagues in the legislature to stop moving HB 793 and work with me and community partners to ensure that 14c workshop opportunities will continue to be able to operate these vital and valuable programs. Save the jobs of my friends in the DD community.
Please vote no on HB 793.
HB793 is currently in the House Rules Committee with a May 31 Third Reading deadline.
A bill in Springfield would end the requirement that prosecutors be notified when a baby is born with controlled substances in his or her system and would no longer necessarily consider that evidence of child abuse.
The hope is that by taking away the threat of losing custody of a baby, mothers would be more likely to seek treatment.
The initiative was prompted by a finding that the leading cause of death in Illinois among expectant or new mothers is drug use. Almost one-third of the 263 such mothers who died in 2018 to 2020 died of substance use, the state Department of Public Health reported.
The proposed change in the law would create a task force to develop a plan for helping infants and mothers exposed to illicit drugs during pregnancy. These family recovery plans would include medical care, recovery support and referrals to community services for the child and caregiver.
During 2018-2020, 5.4% of live births had a maternal substance use disorder recorded by the delivery hospital. Maternal
substance use disorders were recorded by the delivery hospital most often for women who were American Indian (13.1%), younger than 25 years (7.9%), had a high school education or less (10.5%), lived in urban counties outside the Chicago area (10.1%) or rural counties (12.2%), and who had Medicaid insurance (9.9%).
The percentage of live births with a maternal substance use disorder recorded by the delivery hospital varied across counties. During 2018-2020, maternal substance use disorders recorded by the delivery hospital were lowest in DuPage County (1.4%) and highest in Edgar County (24.3%). Twenty-three counties had a maternal substance use disorder recorded for 16% or more of their live births (Alexander, Christian, Clark, Coles, Edgar, Fayette, Fulton, Gallatin, Greene, Hardin, Lawrence, Logan, Mason, Massac, Montgomery, Pike, Pope, Richland, Saline, Scott, Vermilion, Wabash, and White). […]
Crystal’s Story
Crystal was a Black woman in her 30s with a history of substance use disorder, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. She had been raised in foster care due to her parents being incarcerated. Throughout prenatal care there was no documentation of referrals or treatment for her mental health. The medical record notes from providers included undertones of blaming language surrounding her “unwillingness” to quit her substance use and classifying her as a “known drug user.” Around her sixth month of pregnancy, Crystal went to the emergency department with abdominal pain. A hospital social worker told her that DCFS would be contacted due to her positive urine drug test. Crystal became upset and started to cry due to the fear of losing her children and asked to be discharged. She then left the hospital against medical advice. The social worker reported her to DCFS after the hospital stay. In her prenatal care visits after this emergency department visit, there was no documented follow-up for Crystal’s substance use disorder or other mental health conditions. She later gave birth to a full-term healthy baby. From the hospital records available, it seems the infant was not taken into DCFS care after birth. After delivery, there is no record of Crystal receiving a postpartum visit or any other care. She died two months postpartum of a drug overdose from a combination of fentanyl and cocaine.
What can we learn from Crystal’s death?
Women who have substance use disorder can experience stigma and bias related to their substance use, especially during pregnancy. This can result in some women avoiding medical care during or after pregnancy due to the fear of DCFS reporting and the potential to lose custody of their child(ren). Health care providers should seek out training to further understand the impact stigma related to substance use affects care to improve respectful care practices for all patients. While it is currently Illinois law to report positive urine drug screens to DCFS after an infant is born, there is no mandated reporting for drug screenings during pregnancy prior to the baby’s birth. Crystal’s health care providers did not assess her readiness for substance use disorder treatment.
State lawmakers could pass a plan in the final weeks of session to improve procedures for student discipline. This comes as many teachers and administrators across the state have asked for help to address school safety.
The Illinois State Board of Education could be required to draft and publish guidance for development of reciprocal reporting systems between schools and law enforcement.
This measure calls on ISBE to publish guidance for re-engagement of students suspended, expelled or returning from an alternative school setting. […]
Senate Bill 1400 passed unanimously out of the Senate Education Committee Tuesday afternoon. The plan now moves to the Senate floor for further consideration.
House Bill 3908, sponsored by state Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, would allow firefighters to take time off to care for a family member with a serious health condition, or for the birth of a child and caring for the newborn.
They would also be able to use the time to care for a newly-adopted child under 18, a newly-placed foster child under 18, or for a newly-adopted or placed foster child older than 18 if they are unable to care for themselves due to a mental or physical disability.
Firefighters would also have the option to voluntarily waive their right to paid family leave. […]
If the bill passes, Stuart said details of how this would work on a local level will be done through negotiations and collective bargaining agreements between municipalities and the firefighter unions.
The Illinois Municipal League, a lobbying group that advocates on behalf of the state’s cities and towns, opposes the bill, deeming it an unfunded mandate on municipalities and preemption of local government decision-making.
A coalition of environmental and agricultural groups are encouraging state lawmakers to expand the Illinois Fall Covers for Spring Savings Program (FCSS). […]
Farmers who are accepted into the program receive a $5-an-acre subsidy on their next year’s crop insurance for every acre of cover crops they plant. [Eliot Clay, land use programs director with the Illinois Environmental Council] says the groups want to see 3-million dollars allocated to cover 500-thousand acres in the next state budget. […]
This year the program received 660-thousand dollars and covered 100-thousand acres.
* Rep. Margaret Croke…
Yesterday, State Representative Margaret Croke’s legislation to increase insurance coverage of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) treatments passed the Illinois House with bipartisan support, and is headed to Governor JB Pritzker’s desk to be signed into law. The bill removes the current limitation, which requires insurance to only cover four rounds of IVF treatments, and also includes coverage for an annual menopause health visit.
“As reproductive health has been under attack across the country, I’m so proud that Illinois is continuing to prioritize access to care like IVF. I’m thrilled to see this legislation heading to Governor Pritzker’s desk after receiving bipartisan support in both the House and Senate. The previous insurance cap was not based in science, and unfortunately has created financial barriers for individuals hoping to start or grow families,” said State Representative Margaret Croke. “Being a mom has been the most rewarding and incredible experience of my life, and it’s something everyone who wants to should have the opportunity to do. I’m grateful that we’re taking steps to increase access to this care here in Illinois.”
Currently, insurance companies in Illinois are only required to cover four rounds of IVF, but for many families it can take at least six rounds of IVF to result in a successful pregnancy and birth. Once signed, this legislation will ensure that families receive coverage for the fertility treatments they need to start or grow a family. A single round of IVF can cost between $15,000 and $30,000 out of pocket, putting the dream of welcoming a child financially out of reach for many.
Since taking office in 2021, Rep. Croke has been a champion in increasing access to reproductive and fertility care. Her first year in office, Rep. Croke passed HB3709, legislation that expanded insurance coverage of fertility treatments to same-sex couples, women over 35, single women, women who cannot get pregnant naturally due to a medical issue, and others, ensuring that all Illinoisans have equal access to the insurance coverage needed to start a family.
* Rep. Jaime Andrade…
Continuing his efforts to support motorists, state Rep. Jaime Andrade, D-Chicago, passed legislation on Tuesday that allows motorists the chance to recover valuable personal items like medical devices and identification cards from their vehicles.
“Common sense tells you that if someone is unfortunate enough to have their car towed, these companies should allow motorists to get their important IDs, lifesaving medical devices and school textbooks out of their vehicle, free of charge, but that’s not always the case,” Andrade said. “Unfortunately, some tow companies have strong armed motorists, resulting in even more out-of-pocket costs in overdue textbook fees, new prescriptions and renewed documents. This legislation was needed, because too many of Illinois’ families have faced hundreds of dollars in fines and costs because of a glaring loophole. I look forward to seeing the Governor’s signature on this legislation and more discussion on how we can best support motorists in the future.”
Andrade championed Senate Bill 2654 which allows someone to recover personal medical devices, ID cards, college textbooks, and study material from a vehicle that is being held by a towing company without facing penalties or fees.
Andrade’s legislation continues his long support of motorists and safer streets. He recently passed House Bill 4451 which would dedicate funds from speed enforcement cameras to safety improvements at nearby parks and schools.
Senate Bill 2654 passed unanimously out of the House on Tuesday, May 14 and awaits the Governor’s signature.
* Sen. Javier Cervantes…
To make canceling physical fitness services easier for customers, State Senator Javier Cervantes is moving legislation to require these services have easy and simple ways to cancel a contract.
“This is a simple matter of updating business practices to fit with modern times,” said Cervantes (D-Chicago). “Giving consumers simple and efficient methods to cancel their subscription or contract is one way we can ensure residents are not falling victim to automatically renewing payments for services they no longer use.”
Under the new legislation, businesses offering physical fitness services like gym memberships would need to allow customers to cancel their contract either online or by email, instead of only by mail.
The measure would also require contracts for physical fitness services that automatically renew to comply with the Automatic Contract Renewal Act, which ensures businesses give full disclosure of their automatic terms and cancellation policies and do not charge customers without proper consent.
“We have given consumers in Illinois the tools to make canceling their subscriptions with other services easier, and we want to expand those provisions,” said Cervantes. “Residents may go months or even years without knowing if their old gym membership is renewing and charging them, and with these changes we are making the process easier for everyone.”
House Bill 4911 passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday and is one step closer to becoming law.
* Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid…..
Renters will be better protected from flooding under new legislation passed by state Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid, D-Bridgeview, requiring landlords to provide important information about flooding risk and history.
“Even one flooding event can be financially catastrophic to a family,” said Rashid. “With climate change making floods much more common and extreme, this is one important step we can take to protect working families.”
Rashid’s Senate Bill 2601 will ensure that prospective renters know whether the unit they are considering renting has a history of flooding or lies in a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Special Flood Hazard Area. This information will help them make informed decisions about whether to purchase flood insurance. Many renters may not know that flooding protection is not typically included in renter’s insurance.
Under the bill, property owners must inform prospective tenants if their property lies within a high-risk flooding area. Additionally, landlords renting out units on lower levels, including garden, basement, and first floor units, must disclose whether any of these units have experienced flooding within the past decade.
After passing out of the Senate and House, Senate Bill 2601 awaits approval by Gov. JB Pritzker.
“This bill is a crucial step toward ensuring the safety and wellbeing of tenants across the state,” said Senator Mike Porfirio, who introduced the legislation in the Senate. “By requiring landlords to disclose flood hazards, we are arming renters with the knowledge they need to protect themselves and their families from potential harm.”
* The Boat Drink Caucus band performed at the Dave Caucus party last night at Boone’s. The crowd was huge, the music was actually pretty darned good and the beer was cold. Band guitarist Senate President Don Harmon posed for a pic during a break with House Republican Leader Tony McCombie. The pic was taken by one of the party hosts. Note the “Doom Grifter” shirt that was all the rage shortly after Gov. Pritzker coined the phrase during his 2024 State of the State/Budget address. Heh…
* ICYMI: Why has Mayor Brandon Johnson resisted demands to fire CTA President Dorval Carter Jr.? Sun-Times…
- Carter has delivered on the promise then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel made in 2015 — that Carter would win federal funding for major projects. But he has failed at day-to-day operations and customer service, mass transit experts say.
- Nearly half the City Council wants the embattled CTA president to resign his $376,000-a-year job or be fired by Mayor Brandon Johnson.
- “The money for the Red Line is probably one of the leading factors.” Johnson has stuck with Carter said veteran political consultant Delmarie Cobb.
* Capitol News Illinois | House OKs program for student teacher stipends – but not the funding for it: House Bill 4652, by Rep. Barbara Hernandez, D-Aurora, authorizes the Illinois Board of Higher Education to disburse stipends of $10,000 per semester to student teachers working in public schools. That’s the rough equivalent of $15 an hour, based on a standard 40-hour work week. It also authorizes stipends of $2,000 per semester to the teachers who supervise them. But the authority to disburse those funds would be subject to appropriations. And with an estimated annual cost of $68 million to fully fund the program, Hernandez conceded it is unlikely such funding will be included in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year that lawmakers are currently negotiating.
* Capitol News Illinois | Illinois Supreme Court considers expectation of privacy in hospitals: While Cortez Turner was in a hospital room being treated for a gunshot wound to his leg in 2016, police took his clothes. Now, the Illinois Supreme Court is weighing whether that action violated Turner’s expectation of privacy under the Fourth Amendment. The arguments in the case were among several heard by the high court Tuesday, including a case that could change how police handle certain firearms possession violations.
*** Statewide ***
* SJ-R | Illinois voters’ information partially removed by right-wing outlet following judge order: Included on its 20 websites statewide, Local Government Information Services, Inc., has published a series of stories detailing voters’ names, date of birth, home address and whether or not they voted in the 2020 Presidential Election. The articles are still online but with several changes, now showing birth year instead of birthdate and street name instead of home address.
* WGN | Illinois is the ‘most normal’ state in the U.S., new study shows: Recently, the Washington Post used U.S. Census data to determine which U.S. state best represents “normal” America as a whole. […] Illinois most resembled America as a whole based on its population’s racial makeup, broken down into percentages of white, Hispanic, Black, Asian, and Native American residents. The state of Connecticut ranked second behind Illinois, with a racial makeup index score of 98.7 based on Census data.
*** Chicago ***
* Block Club | A Better, Stronger, Safer Chicago? Mayor Brandon Johnson’s First Year: In the lead-up to the anniversary, Block Club reviewed Johnson’s major campaign promises and compared them to his legislative record and management of the city to see if he has served as the mayor he told Chicagoans he’d be. Where is the police department in promoting 200 new detectives, a frequent campaign pledge that Johnson said would begin on day one of his term? Has service and safety improved on the CTA like he promised? Have affordable housing projects and key neighborhood developments broken ground and expanded? Are Chicago children receiving a better education than they were a year ago?
* WBEZ | Chicagoans give CPS a ‘C,’ say students are not learning enough: Despite years of trying to convince Chicagoans that public school students here are making remarkable academic progress, most residents give the schools a grade of C and say students are not learning enough. That’s according to a poll released Tuesday by Public Agenda, a nonpartisan research organization. WBEZ and the Sun-Times collaborated with Public Agenda and the Joyce Foundation, which funded the project.
* Crain’s | Cutting teen unemployment key to lowering Chicago crime rate, study suggests: Young minority Chicagoans were particularly clobbered economically by COVID-19, and their recovery since has been mixed at best, a reality that all of the city is dealing with. So says a new report published today that uses U.S. Census Bureau data to conclude Latino and especially Black Chicago teens and young adults had stunningly high unemployment rates during and after the pandemic — worsening a historic economic gap between the North Side and the South and West sides — and then posits a possible connection between that and soaring COVID-era crime rates.
* WBEZ | Chicago Ethics Board wants fines and suspensions for lobbyists who give money to mayoral candidates: The board unanimously recommended Monday that the City Council update the ethics ordinance to give enforcement teeth to former Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s 2011 executive order that bars lobbyists from donating to a mayor’s political committees. The proposed changes would allow the board to issue a fine three times the amount of a lobbyist’s improper contribution — regardless of whether it was returned — on the first violation. That could escalate to a 90-day suspension of a lobbyist’s registration for any additional violations. The enhanced penalties would extend to entities that a lobbyist has more than 1% ownership in, such as an LLC, and apply to donations made to mayoral candidates — not just the mayor.
* WBEZ | A Chicago woman who helps migrants fights for a chance to stay in the United States: Most mornings, Luisette Kraal directs volunteers via walkie talkie. She makes sure newly arrived migrants line up and wait their turn to receive pants and jackets from the free clothing store she co-founded with her husband in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood. Other times, Kraal is on her phone arranging furniture deliveries or helping migrants communicate with their landlords. Or she is teaching families how to use public transportation in their new city or inviting them to church dinners.
* Crain’s | NASCAR is no Lollapalooza — but it sort of wants to be: The Black Keys are no stranger to performing in Grant Park. Lollapalooza long made a habit out of booking the American rock duo. They played at the debut Chicago festival in 2005; performed again in 2007, 2008 and 2010; and headlined their most recent year in 2012. After a 12-year hiatus, the “Lonely Boy” stars are returning to Chicago’s front yard this summer — but instead of performing at Lollapalooza in August, they will be one of four headliners taking the main stage at the NASCAR Chicago Street Race this Fourth of July weekend.
*** Cook County and Suburbs ***
* Daily Southtown | Dolton trustees approve temporary mayor position, act on garbage pickup payments: Dolton trustees have named a fill-in replacement for Mayor Tiffany Henyard as a “precautionary measure” in the event she is absent from a meeting or otherwise unable to fill her duties, according to Trustee Jason House. The appointment of House to serve as mayor pro tem came at a special Village Board meeting held Monday at a village park district building. Henyard did not attend the meeting.
* Daily Herald | ‘So much time and work and imagination’: Improvements at Lake County’s largest forest preserve taking shape: “I don’t think most people have any idea what goes into transforming this forest preserve,” Commissioner Marah Altenberg said after one of the updates. “It is so much time and work and imagination.” Lakewood improvements involve three separate but related aspects: net-zero maintenance facility; new and rebuilt interior roads, parking lots and toilets for circulation and accessibility; and a nature play area offering varied experiences.
* News-Sun | Waukegan casino’s owner reports record earnings: ‘We look forward to continued growth at American Place’: Producing a 39.6% earnings increase over the first quarter of last year, Full House President and CEO Daniel R. Lee said in a press release the effort was “led by American Place.” It included a best-ever February, topping it in March after opening Feb. 17, 2023. Full House increased its earnings from $50.1 million for the first quarter of 2023 to $69.9 million in the first three months of this year, according to the release. American Place brought in $25.8 million of the total.
* KWQC | Illinois AG intervenes into Rock Island-Milan school district FOIA requests: A private resident and TV6 Investigates both filed requests to see emails regarding a controversial new deputy superintendent job. […] “Rock Island - Milan School District received a letter from the AG Office’s Public Access Bureau on May 3 requesting more information on our FOIA response process, to be provided within 7 business days. The district is currently working with its attorneys to meet that request in a timely manner.
* WSIL | Ferrell Hospital CEO says it could take up to six weeks before Hospital re-opens: Ferrell Hospital in Eldorado remains closed days after heavy rains caused the drainage system to overflow and flood major parts of the hospital. “After we had the water recede and we could take a look at things, we brought in a restoration company that specializes in this type of cleanup and this type of work,” said Ferrell Hospital CEO Tony Keene.
*** National ***
* NYT | Few Chinese Electric Cars Are Sold in U.S., but Industry Fears a Flood: The Biden administration’s new tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles won’t have a huge immediate impact on American consumers or the car market because very few such cars are sold in the United States. But the decision reflects deep concern within the American automotive industry, which has grown increasingly worried about China’s ability to churn out cheap electric vehicles. American automakers welcomed the decision by the Biden administration on Tuesday to impose a 100 percent tariff on electric vehicles from China, saying those vehicles would undercut billions of dollars of investment in electric vehicle and battery factories in the United States.
Isabel- Still a bit under the weather but feeling much better today!
Wednesday, May 15, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Every day, Illinois hospitals provide lifesaving care. To provide that care, hospitals must overcome obstacles from Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs), whose inappropriate denials of prior authorization requests harm patients. There are countless examples of MCOs overriding a physician’s medical determination and of the hurdles hospitals face in providing needed care. Here are a few:
• A rural southern Illinois Critical Access Hospital requested authorization for a patient to have an echocardiogram, a common test to detect heart conditions. The hospital’s credentialing specialist followed up 10 times and finally received approval 20 days later.
• A young child on dialysis was denied authorization for a kidney transplant listing and transplant, which unnecessarily delayed the child’s transplant listing for several weeks, with considerable time spent by the clinical team to appeal.
• Tests showed a patient with back pain had metastatic lesions throughout her body and an unusual appearance to one ovary. Her MCO wouldn’t approve imaging or an oncologist visit. Fearing for the patient’s health, the hospital’s oncology team committed to seeing the patient that week.
The Illinois Health and Hospital Association urges lawmakers to pass legislation addressing harmful prior authorization practices and eliminate barriers to healthcare for Illinois’ most vulnerable populations. Support IHA’s MCO prior authorization reforms.
* Fran Spielman’s story on Mayor Brandon Johnson’s resistance to firing Dorval Carter at the CTA contained this state-related segment…
[Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago] is one of the prime movers behind a proposal to consolidate the four Chicago-area mass transit agencies — the RTA, CTA, Metra and Pace — into one super-agency with beefed-up powers.
“There either needs to be a leadership change or a change in leadership philosophy at CTA,” Buckner said Tuesday.
“The CTA doesn’t have a whole lot more time to get things right. … When you hear the state legislature say what you’re doing isn’t working and you hear the CTA respond by saying, ‘Just give us more money,’ that’s problematic. When you hear the City Council say, ‘What you’re doing is not working’ and you hear CTA respond by saying, ‘It is working. You don’t know what you’re talking about,’ there’s no accountability. The folks who are suffering are the people of Chicago.”
With federal stimulus funds drying up and a combined $730 million fiscal cliff looming, Buckner said: “There will be no new revenue without reform.”
…Adding… Soft landing?…
I'm very selfishly rooting against Melinda Bush, because I think she'd make a great Metra board chair once Chairwoman Brown's term ends later this year. (Also, Romayne Brown would make a terrific CTA president…)
— Star:Line Chicago (@StarLineChicago) May 14, 2024
* Isabel wrote a story for subscribers last month about Rep. Fred Crespo regularly pointing out bills that are subject to appropriations during floor debates. Rep. Crespo did it again yesterday. Capitol News Illinois…
The Illinois House approved a bill Tuesday to allow student teachers to receive stipends while earning their education degree, even though the money needed to fund those stipends is unlikely to be included in next year’s budget.
House Bill 4652, by Rep. Barbara Hernandez, D-Aurora, authorizes the Illinois Board of Higher Education to disburse stipends of $10,000 per semester to student teachers working in public schools. That’s the rough equivalent of $15 an hour, based on a standard 40-hour work week. It also authorizes stipends of $2,000 per semester to the teachers who supervise them.
But the authority to disburse those funds would be subject to appropriations. And with an estimated annual cost of $68 million to fully fund the program, Hernandez conceded it is unlikely such funding will be included in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year that lawmakers are currently negotiating. […]
“Here we go again, folks. We’re passing bills that are subject to appropriations,” said Rep. Fred Crespo, D-Hoffman Estates. “I get the sense that we think it’s like Monopoly money. But you’re creating a line item and you’re putting pressure on the budget. It’s an empty promise that gives people a false sense of hope.”
* Isabel is still under the weather, so I wouldn’t expect a morning briefing today. I’ll start the conversation by pointing to this story by my old pal Sean Crawford…
If you’ve spent much time outside recently, you may have been fighting off swarms of flying insects. Buffalo gnats, also known as black flies, often show up this time of year and can stick around for several weeks. They’ve been very active this spring.
According to the Illinois Department of Agriculture, females bite because they feed on blood to produce their eggs. The bites can produce itching, bleeding and swelling as well as allergic reactions that can be life-threatening.
The flies are attracted to the carbon dioxide exhaled by people and animals, and also to perspiration, fragrances and dark, moving objects. They are most active just after sunrise and before sunset on calm days.
There isn’t a lot you can do to avoid them.
They’re everywhere.
According to IDPH not much repels the creatures and DEET may actually attract them.
Total eclipse, spectacular geomagnetic storms, a double cicada brood event and now ‘very active’ buffalo gnats. Great.
