Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Wednesday, Mar 13, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Alice Yin…
* Tribune…
Mayor Brandon Johnson said Wednesday the city will move ahead with evicting an unknown amount of migrants from city shelters for the first time, rejecting the latest outcry from a group of aldermen opposed to the policy.
Johnson told reporters at an unrelated West Side event an unspecified number of the thousands of migrant shelter residents who were issued 60-day notices to vacate by Saturday will receive “exemptions.” However, others without those privileges will be forced to leave and restart the process for temporary shelter. […]
It was unclear how many migrants previously required to exit will qualify for city-issued exemptions allowing them to instead stay. Johnson’s administration previously estimated as many as 5,600 could be removed, but exceptions will be made for those in the process of securing housing or out-migrating, as well as people with extenuating health circumstances, including pregnancy, he added. […]
Ald. Andre Vasquez, 40th, began circulating a letter among aldermen calling on the mayor to replace the “60 Day Eviction Policy” with a policy that addresses shelter stays on a case-by-case basis. The majority of shelter residents are not allowed to work because of their asylum seeker immigration status or cannot access rental assistance, he wrote in the letter.
* Riverfront Times…
Jeffrey Ricker and his partner Michael Wallerstein lived happily in the City of St. Louis for 18 years. […]
In February of 2022, Ricker and Wallerstein moved from their home in Botanical Heights across the river to Collinsville, Illinois. […]
Some of the reasons for the move were mundane, Ricker says: Houses are more affordable on the other side of the river and they wanted to escape the hustle and bustle of the city as they grew older. But the tipping point was the Missouri legislature and its regressive actions. […]
Ricker and Wallerstein represent just one example among many couples, families and activists who are making the decision to leave red states in pursuit of a place where they have more political safety. Nearly half (47 percent) of respondents to a 2022 survey by the National Center for Transgender Equality considered or were considering leaving their state because of laws targeting the transgender community. […]
The good news is that, unlike many other residents of deep blue cities stranded in red states, for St. Louisans, fleeing is relatively simple: You can leave the state without even leaving the metro area. And Illinois could not offer a greater contrast to Missouri.
* Loyola Chicago Center for Criminal Justice…
Statewide, pretrial jail bookings fell 17.5% between summer 2023 (i.e., pre-PFA) and fall 2023 (i.e., post-PFA); based on historical patterns, we would have expected them to fall roughly 11.5% during this period. Thus, pretrial jail bookings fell 6 percentage points more after the PFA than we would have expected, which translates to roughly 3,000 fewer people admitted to jails statewide in the three months from October to December 2023.
These decreases were evident across different types of counties: the decrease in Cook County was 3 percentage points larger than would have been expected; other urban jails experienced a decrease that was 6 percentage points larger than expected; Illinois’ rural jails collectively saw a decrease that was 8 percentage points larger than expected.
A more substantial decrease potentially attributable to the PFA was evident when changes in the pretrial jail ADPs were examined. Statewide, pretrial jail ADPs in Illinois fell 14% from summer 2023 (i.e., pre-PFA) to fall 2023 (i.e., post-PFA); historically, we would have expected them to only fall an average of 3% during this period. Thus, pretrial jail populations fell 11 percentage points more after the PFA than we would have expected . Based on these patterns, it is estimated that the pretrial jail ADP across all counties in Illinois combined decreased by roughly 1,500 individuals due to the PFA. In other words, it is estimated that the statewide pretrial jail ADP in Illinois was roughly 12,200 in the fall of 2023 but would have been roughly 13,700 without the PFA.
* Here’s the rest…
* Tri States Public Radio | West Prairie policy change raises ‘scary thought’ about possible book bans: But board member Honey Zimmerman suggested several changes, which included striking a line about complying with rules set by the Illinois State Board of Education. Zimmerman said she’s concerned about an outside agency such as ISBE telling the district what to do.
* Press release | Illinois Farm Bureau ACTIVATOR endorses State Representative Adam Niemerg: Illinois Farm Bureau ACTIVATOR issued the following statement of support for Representative Adam Niemerg. “State Representative Adam Niemerg elevates local voices from the 102nd district in Springfield. As the grandson of a farmer, he understands the needs of Illinois’ agriculture community. Choose Niemerg on March 19th.”
* Daily Herald | Two seek Democratic nomination for DuPage County coroner: “It’s a totality of issues with the current coroner,” said Jeffrey Jacobson of Downers Grove. He is running against Judith Lukas of Winfield. […] Jacobson and Lukas both spoke about using information to try to prevent death, particularly suicides and drug overdoses. Preventing death is not listed as one of the duties of a coroner in state law.
* WGLT | County Board to vote on contentious grant for Bloomington rape crisis center: A Bloomington-based rape crisis center’s request for shared sales tax dollars reserved for mental health will go to the McLean County Board for a vote Thursday. This, despite questions surrounding the request for $100,000 in stopgap funds and whether it should have been brought to the county in the first place.
* WGLT | McLean County behavioral health council meetings suspended indefinitely for not fulfilling their ‘mission’: The BHCC is the advisory board created in 2016 in conjunction with the Mental Health Action Plan (MHAP). Members — including Bloomington-Normal area social service and health stakeholders — meet quarterly to discuss how to spend shared sales tax dollars dedicated to mental health and public safety. At the meeting, County Administrator Cassy Taylor said reserves in the fund total around $3 million. [Chair Catherine Metsker] said at the meeting that the purpose of the BHCC is to “improve the behavioral health of McLean County residents and create systemic change through innovative programming and strategies.” Currently, she added, it’s failing.
* WCIA | Former Springfield charity treasurer pleads guilty to defrauding own organization: Federal prosecutors said LeAnn Shirley, 57, pleaded guilty to wire fraud relating to funds from the Illinois State Police Heritage Foundation. The Heritage Foundation is a 501(c) charity committed to preserving the history of the Illinois State Police and Shirley was its Treasurer when the fraud occurred in 2019.
* Crain’s | CPD eyes DNC security funds to purchase new helicopter, but there’s a catch: Though CPD says it can get an expedited order in, it remains unclear if a new helicopter could even arrive before the convention this August. If the helicopter doesn’t arrive in time, CPD wouldn’t be able to access those federal funds, according to the Department of Justice.
* Chalkbeat Chicago | Chicago Public Schools wants ideas for how to improve outcomes for Black students: The public meetings are part of the district’s new Black Student Success Working Group, which CPS created in the fall to provide district leaders with recommendations for its upcoming “Black Student Success Plan.” That blueprint will then be folded into the district’s overall five-year strategic plan, which is expected to be finalized this summer.
* Tribune | Visa program allows Mexican grandparents to visit Lake County-area relatives: ‘I couldn’t believe she was in my arms’: Alvarez and Aguirre were two of 16 grandparents participating in an Abuelitas family reunification celebration Sunday at Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep in Waukegan, where they met the two men primarily responsible for the short-term visa program. Originally started in 2005 by former U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Highland Park, when he represented the 10th Congressional District, Abuelitas — the Spanish word for “grandmothers” — was restarted this year by U.S. Rep Brad Schneider, D-Highland Park, with the help of Kirk and officials on both sides of the border.
* Crain’s | City files response to building owners’ appeal on ‘Bring Chicago Home’: In a March 12 response to that appeal, the city’s deputy corporation counsel urged the Illinois Supreme Court to deny BOMA’s emergency motion for expedited consideration of its petition for leave to appeal. “There is no emergency,” Myriam Zreczny Kasper wrote in the response. “In the only paragraph of their motion that purports to explain why expedited consideration is necessary, plaintiffs assert that their challenge to a referendum concerns issues ‘that apply to the process itself and must be considered before the March 19 election.’ That is not a valid reason.”
* Sun-Times | Civic Federation questions volatility, structure, fairness of ‘Bring Chicago Home’ referendum: The 25-page analysis doesn’t comment on the legality of the binding referendum on Tuesday’s ballot — though the question of whether those votes will be counted is now before the Illinois Supreme Court. But the Civic Federation is raising questions similar to the ad campaign real estate interests are waging to defeat the referendum, which asks voters to support a graduated tax on property sales.
* WTTW | Chicago Architect John Ronan Selected to Design First National Memorial in D.C. Dedicated to Fallen Journalists: The local design firm John Ronan Architects, led by architect John Ronan, will be working to establish a final design proposal to be presented to various agencies over the coming months, according to a Wednesday news release from the Fallen Journalists Memorial Foundation, tasked with establishing the memorial. “It deals with what I think is a global issue, freedom of the press, not just an American issue,” Ronan told WTTW News. “The role of the journalist has never been more important, and the ideals of a free press never more consequential than it is today.”
* Crain’s | WBEZ eyes younger, more diverse audience in shift toward digital programming: WBEZ rolled out a new lineup of midday programs on March 4, days after announcing it would cut its two-hour local news talk show, “Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons,” to one hour. The change would allow the National Public Radio affiliate to focus on its digital audience, it said. But the new lineup does not have the local focus that “Reset” brings. It includes two one-hour nationally syndicated NPR programs: news magazine “Here & Now” and “Fresh Air,” co-hosted by Terry Gross and Tonya Mosley. In trimming “Reset,” the station seems less focused on local programming, but Tracy Brown, chief content officer for Chicago Public Media, says that’s not the case.
* Tribune | Illinois will soon be cicada central when 2 broods converge on state in historic emergence: In the United States, there are 15 broods of periodical cicadas, each of which dig their way out from underground on different 13-year or 17-year cycles. Other broods have emerged at the same time in the past decade but not in the same place. Experts consider this year unusual because two broods are co-emerging in neighboring areas in Illinois for the first time in more than two centuries. “This contact area will see all seven species at once,” said Martha Weiss, a professor of biology at Georgetown University who researches cicadas with Lill. “So evolutionary biologists are going to be very interested to be at this zone of contact because that happens very rarely.”
* Crain’s | Illinois craft breweries venture into murky waters of THC: “Consumption of beer has been declining. . . .(We) have to continue to find different channels of revenue or innovation,” said Mike Condon, co-owner of Noon Whistle Brewing. “We’re all looking at it as untapped potential — a new beverage space, if you will.” The potential reward comes with risks. The often-effervescent drinks are not part of the state’s recreational marijuana economy because the THC added into them does not come from weed. It is extracted from hemp, which is less regulated in Illinois than its more potent cousin.
* Crain’s | Bike trail connecting Chicago to Michigan gets another green light: Construction on the Marquette Greenway Trail’s Michigan strip, which will span 4 miles from the northern Indiana border to downtown New Buffalo, Mich., is slated to begin early next month. A groundbreaking celebration is set for April 3 at the eastern terminus of the trail.
* NBC | Nearly 30% of Gen Z women identify as LGBTQ, Gallup survey finds: Parsing each generation, the gender story gets more interesting. In the three younger generations surveyed — Generation Z, millennials and Generation X — women are more likely than men to identify as LGBTQ. However, in the two oldest generations — baby boomers and the Silent Generation — it is reversed. (The gender breakdown does not account for nonbinary respondents, who represented about 1% of those surveyed.)
* Sun-Times | 2024 Pitchfork Music Festival lineup features Alanis Morissette, Carly Rae Jepsen: Black Pumas, Jai Paul and 100 Gecs lead the schedule for Friday, which also includes artists such as Jeff Rosenstock, Yaeji and Sudan Archives. […] The festival will wrap up Sunday with a headlining set from Morissette, the Canadian-American songwriter best known for her 1995 hit album “Jagged Little Pill.”
7 Comments  
|
|
Comments Off
|
* Breaking news…
From Crain’s yesterday…
In a March 12 response to that appeal, the city’s deputy corporation counsel urged the Illinois Supreme Court to deny BOMA’s emergency motion for expedited consideration of its petition for leave to appeal.
“There is no emergency,” Myriam Zreczny Kasper wrote in the response. “In the only paragraph of their motion that purports to explain why expedited consideration is necessary, plaintiffs assert that their challenge to a referendum concerns issues ‘that apply to the process itself and must be considered before the March 19 election.’ That is not a valid reason.”
Kasper argued that the referendum itself would not change the law since the City Council must enact the tax if the referendum passes.
…Adding… WBEZ…
“As the Illinois Supreme Court refused to hear this appeal, it is confirmed: all votes cast for the citywide referendum question will be counted and reported by the Chicago Board of Elections on Election Night, March 19th,” Chicago Board of Elections spokesman Max Bever said.
6 Comments
|
* Press release…
Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) and Chairman Mike Gallagher (R-WI) of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party issued the below statement following the overwhelming passage of the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act.
“Today, a bipartisan group of members came together to address the grave national security risk posed by TikTok. We speak with one voice and carry the same message as the Directors of the DIA, FBI, CIA, NSA, and the head of U.S. Cyber Command — TikTok cannot continue to operate in the United States under its current ownership structure. We look forward to working with our colleagues in the Senate to pass this critical, bipartisan legislation and deliver it to the President’s desk.”
* From Krishnamoorthi’s floor remarks…
First, this bill is not a ban, and it’s not about TikTok. It’s about ByteDance. Let me tell you about ByteDance. ByteDance is a 100 percent owner of TikTok. ByteDance is controlled by the Chinese Communist Party. In fact, the editor in chief of ByteDance is the Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party cell embedded at the very highest ranks of the company. And he has been charged with making sure that TikTok and all products of ByteDance adhere to quote, correct political direction. This particular bill ensures that ByteDance divests itself of the vast majority of the ownership of TikTok. Our intention is for TikTok to continue to operate, but not under the control of the Chinese Communist Party.
Secondly, this divestment requirement is not new. It’s not without precedent. When the app Grindr, a popular LGBTQ app, was acquired by a Chinese company, and the United States government determined that sensitive data of LGBTQ members of the military and US government officials got into the hands of the Chinese Communist Party, they required divestment. This happened quickly. Why? Because Grindr was a very valuable social media company. The same is true with regard to TikTok, and there will be no disruption to users just as there was with Grindr.
Third point. Unfortunately, when Tiktok has appeared before Congress, whether it’s before the House Energy and Commerce Committee or otherwise, it has not been candid, my friends, it has not been candid. First, TikTok said its data is not accessible to China-based ByteDance employees. False. China-based employees routinely access this data, even unbeknownst to employees of TikTok USA. In addition, TikTok said its data will not be weaponized and has not been weaponized against American citizens. Again, false. Published reports have shown that TikTok data geolocation data has been used to surveil American journalists who reported on problems with Chinese-based employees having access to American user data.
Finally. Last week, under the leadership leadership of the Chairwoman and the ranking member, they brought up for consideration our bill before the House Energy and Commerce Committee. On the morning of that vote TikTok delivered a push notification and a pop-up to thousands of users across the country. They used geolocation data targeting minor children to then force them to call congressional offices in order to continue using the app. And in doing so, these children called and they asked the question, ‘What is Congress and what is a congressman?’ This influence campaign illustrates the need for this bill.
Please pardon any transcription errors.
* US Rep. Chuy García…
Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04) released the following statement after voting NO on H.R. 7521, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act:
“I voted NO on H.R. 7521, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act for three main reasons.
“First, I believe the process was incredibly rushed. It’s very rare for legislation to only take four days to get from committee to the House Floor for a vote, and that shortened timeline meant important stakeholders were sidelined as this legislation took shape.
“Second, I have serious First Amendment concerns about this legislation. This bill would functionally ban the distribution of TikTok in the United States, stripping millions of people in this country—and many young people in my district— of a venue for free expression, information, and community. This legislation also grants the President broad new powers to ban other social media platforms, which invites abuse by future administrations.
“Third, I believe this politicized, piecemeal approach inadequately addresses the numerous national security and data privacy concerns about many different social media companies. I’m an enthusiastic supporter of data privacy legislation that comprehensively addresses those concerns, and I will continue to advocate for legislation that adequately responds to them.”
Thoughts?
27 Comments
|
* From Gov. Pritzker’s press conference today…
Q: Your reaction to seeing the Chicago Bears planning to put in $2 billion to what would be a publicly owned stadium. Are you at all leaving the door open to any public funding should the Bears make such an investment that would potentially fund the majority of the project?
Pritzker: You know, saying that you’re going to put private money, I think we all assumed that they were going to put private money. If they weren’t, then there’s no chance. And so that’s a good first step. But I haven’t heard a proposal that goes along with that $2 billion private investment that says that the state should be involved in anything. I want to say it one more time: We’re prioritizing the use of dollars here for people who need it, those dollars. Wealthy owners of sports teams - I respect that they run private businesses, they want them to be profitable, and they want constantly to provide better facilities for their customers - but I don’t think that should be the highest priority for the state of Illinois. And instead, I’m willing to listen to whatever it is that they’re proposing. But my number one concern is prioritizing the dollars and making sure that the taxpayers are getting a return on their investment.
Thoughts?
35 Comments
|
* As we discussed yesterday, 20th Senate District Senate candidate Graciela Guzman was endorsed by Bernie Sanders. Sen. Natalie Toro has appeared to counter that with this blast text…
* Isabel asked Gov. Pritzker about the photo at a press conference today…
Pritzker: You know, I take pictures virtually every day at events, something like this, where there are elected officials in attendance. And I’m always happy to do that with people who are there. Sometimes I take it with people I don’t know who come up and ask to take pictures. But it’s not an indication necessarily of support or lack thereof. It’s just something that happens at these events.
Q: Do you plan to endorse?
Pritzker: I am not endorsing, haven’t been engaged in an endorsement in that race. And I’ve seen other people using my picture here and there. I’m flattered that people think that might help them in their reelection, but, no, I’m not engaged in that.
…Adding… Guzmán campaign…
Yesterday, photos circulated of a blast text message to voters that falsely implied Gov. JB Pritzker is supporting Natalie Toro’s campaign in the Illinois 20th District State Senate primary race. Today, the governor confirmed he has not endorsed any candidate in the contest.
Caitlin Brady, campaign manager for 20th District State Senate candidate Graciela Guzmán, released the following statement:
“Misleading voters is wrong, period. Natalie Toro should apologize for her latest attempt to deceive voters and retract this dishonest text message. Our campaign is proud to be endorsed by progressive champions including Senator Bernie Sanders, Congresswoman Delia Ramirez, State Rep. Will Guzzardi, and many other local leaders. In the final days of this campaign, we encourage all candidates in this race to stick to the facts and reject this kind of desperate tactic.”
3 Comments
|
Today’s quotable
Wednesday, Mar 13, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Center Square…
Illinois Republican state legislators continue to push for policy changes to address what they see as a poor business climate.
The credit rating assigned to Illinois by Fitch Ratings, A- in November 2023, is far below the ratings given to most of the 50 states. As of early 2024, most states have AA or AAA credit ratings, and can borrow money at much lower expense to taxpayers than can Illinois.
In a news conference Tuesday at the state capitol in Springfield, state Rep. Dan Ugaste, R-Geneva, said Democrats are promoting a narrative that “all is well.” He wants a property tax relief plan. […]
Ugaste said he’s glad Illinois has had the credit increases.
“I am glad those budgets brought those about but if you look at why Illinois’ economy is doing so much better and our revenue has increased so much, it is in large part due to inflation,” Ugaste said. “Our costs stayed what they were but inflation ticked everything up. So while we benefited from it, our people aren’t benefiting because their wages haven’t kept up.”
wut
25 Comments
|
It’s just a bill
Wednesday, Mar 13, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* WAND…
Sen. Doris Turner (D-Springfield) hopes to expand the Illinois grocery initiative by allowing the state to provide grants for farmer-owned grocery stores and markets. […]
Sen. Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) is also sponsoring a measure to require the Illinois Department of Agriculture to enhance local food processing, collection and distribution through a new grant program. The local food infrastructure grants could be used for production, packaging equipment, refrigerated trucks and processing equipment among other needs. Koehler believes his plan would only cost the state $2 million. […]
A separate bill could require the state to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students attending public and private K-12 schools. Lawmakers passed a bipartisan plan to provide free school meals last year, but they did not appropriate funding for the plan in the Fiscal Year 2024 budget. Sen. Laura Ellman (D-Naperville) said she’s committed to getting $209 million approved for the program this year. […]
Another plan would establish a grant program to provide $7,500 per school to provide breakfast options after the school day has started. Sen. Christopher Belt (D-Swansea) noted that research has proven that children who eat breakfast have significantly higher scores in math, spelling and reading.
* WTVO…
A new bill circulating through the Illinois General Assembly would make it illegal for employers to require their workers to implant microchips in their bodies.
Senate Bill 3105 looks to head off implications present in the field of biotechnology. […]
In Sweden, thousands of people have had microchips inserted into their hands, according to NPR. The devices are designed to speed up users’ daily routines by swiping their hands against digital readers. […]
The Illinois law, if passed, would protect employees from being forced to implant a device beneath the skin. However, it does allow for employees to voluntarily undergo an implant.
* WAND…
Many Illinois doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers are concerned about losing their jobs due to continued delays from the state agency responsible for approving and renewing their licenses.
State lawmakers passed a bipartisan plan last fall to create a faster and more competitive bid process for software to process the licenses. Although, House Republicans argue that the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation is still failing these workers as many people have waited nearly a year without answers.
House GOP Leader Tony McCombie (R-Savanna) said most health care providers are forced to write a check to pay for their license and send it in the mail or take it directly to an IDFPR office in Springfield or Chicago. […]
[Rep. Bill Hauter (R-Morton)] has filed House Bill 1572 to allow the Secretary of Financial and Professional Regulation to issue licenses and temporary licenses to healthcare professionals on an expedited basis. Gov. JB Pritzker allowed IDFPR to issue expedited licenses throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Hauter noted that the process ended and providers now wait months for approval or renewal.
* Press release…
A coalition of business groups has issued the following statement regarding SB 2979, which contains changes to the state’s Biometric Information Privacy Act:
“We thank Senate President Pro Tempore Bill Cunningham for his tireless and patient leadership in attempting to negotiate needed changes to the state’s ambiguous and outdated Biometric Information Privacy Act. Our goal throughout this process was to provide compliance clarity for entities operating in Illinois and allow for the regulated use of modern security technologies while maintaining strong privacy protections for individuals.
Though SB 2979 will place some limits on financial exposure for companies that have yet to be targeted for business-ending judgements under the existing law, it is not retroactive and therefore fails to help the thousands of businesses still fighting against massive judgements even though there is no proof that harm ever occurred. Meanwhile, businesses will still be denied the ability to deploy proven and reliable technology for security and protection purposes, such as managing access to controlled substances, limiting entry to sensitive facilities, preventing violent crime and ensuring roadway safety. For these reasons, we are unable to support this legislation in its current form.”
The coalition includes the following organizations: the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, Illinois Chamber of Commerce, Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association, Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, Illinois Railroad Association, Illinois Retail Merchants Association, Illinois Trucking Association, and the National Federation of Independent Business Illinois.
* WBEZ…
It’s been nearly a year since Ventura hired the first incarcerated intern, Lynn Green. At the time, Green was an undergraduate student at Northwestern University and serving a 50-year sentence. Green has since earned his bachelor’s. Much of Green’s internship was spent figuring out the logistics of running such a program behind bars. Ventura, for instance, learned that using paper clips could prevent documents from getting to the interns for weeks because of security concerns. […]
Green’s work primarily focused on juvenile justice reform. Last year, Ventura filed a bill that would have shut down county juvenile detention facilities and transferred their authority to the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice. The bill was an attempt to provide oversight to county detention centers, including one that was shut down by the courts at the end of 2023 for failure to meet state standards for care of youth in custody.
Ventura wanted to take a different approach in a new juvenile justice bill, so she had Green scour through inspection reports of county youth detention facilities to catalog the most egregious breaches of state standards and identify solutions such as alternative sentencing and wraparound services. Green did his work in a parking space sized cell with the constant din of feet plodding up stairs to the upper tiers of his cell block. He often felt isolated. He kept going because, above all, he didn’t want to let the senator down. […]
Ventura also recently filed a bill Dole wrote last year that would remove a provision in the Illinois corrections code that increases sentences as a way to “deter others from committing the same crime.” Currently, that provision can be used to increase how long someone has to serve, but the way those sentences are calculated is extremely complicated and opaque, Ventura said.
* WAND…
A proposal moving in Springfield could require Illinois to establish data collection standards to save lives, promote equitable health outcomes and ensure quality healthcare for all.
Sen. Mike Simmons (D-Chicago) wants to create a new state board to review and report data on illnesses, treatments and causes of death in Illinois.
Simmons told the Senate Public Health Committee Tuesday it is important for Illinois to see health outcomes broken down by race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity and language.[…]
Senate Bill 3751 passed out of the Senate Public Health Committee on a 6-2 vote. The plan now heads to the Senate floor for further consideration.
* ABC Chicago…
Brian Beals is still getting used to walking freely on public sidewalks.
He is celebrating 90 days since being released from prison after being exonerated for a 1988 shooting that killed a 6-year-old boy and injured his mother in Englewood. […]
He walked out of the Robinson Correctional Center in December, greeted by family, carrying a box with all his worldly possessions. He could be eligible for compensation from the state, but limited to a maximum of $200,000.
Beals visited Springfield to lobby for a bill that would increase that maximum to $2 million. […]
The bill that would increase compensation already passed the House unanimously and is now in a Senate committee. Beals’ attorneys said they are waiting to see what happens with the bill before filing for his certificate of innocence.
* Sen. Robert Peters…
State Senator Robert Peters passed legislation through the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday to help more survivors of domestic and sexual violence know their rights and options for safe housing.
“This legislation will help more survivors understand their housing rights in Illinois,” said Peters (D-Chicago). “By ensuring tenants are aware of their rights, we are empowering them to access the support they need.”
Senate Bill 3652 requires the Illinois Department of Human Rights to create a summary outlining the rights and courses of action for tenants and their household members who are survivors of domestic or sexual violence. This includes their rights to end a lease early, change locks for safety reasons and to access relevant housing protections.
This summary of rights would be given to every tenant when they sign a lease, ensuring all survivors and their families have easily accessible and timely notification of their rights. Landlords who fail to provide the summary face fines up to $2,000. […]
Senate Bill 3652 now heads to the full Senate for further consideration.
* WAND…
Lawmakers approved legislation last year to require Medicaid coverage for holistic services before, during and one year after birth. Now, Sen. Lakesia Collins (D-Chicago) and Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton are advocating for a bill to require private insurance companies to cover services provided by midwives, doulas and lactation consultants. […]
Stratton told the Senate Insurance Committee Tuesday night that the governor’s birth equity initiative is a promise to women that Illinois will honor their bodies and value their lives as much as the ones they birth. […]
The Illinois Health and Life Insurance Council currently opposes the plan. Although, Laura Minzer noted that the bill is well-intended.
“Our opposition is not to the merits of the bill,” Minzer said. “It never is. When we look at holistically around eliminating the cost share for certain services, it creates cost pressures elsewhere.” […]
A House Committee approved the proposal Tuesday night, but the Senate Insurance Committee only held a subject matter on the plan.
* Sen. Mary Edly-Allen…
State Senator Mary Edly-Allen introduced new legislation that would protect artists and music labels from situations where a third-party creates music using AI and replicates their voice without permission.
“Deepfakes can falsely and convincingly portray anyone saying anything, creating confusion and eroding public trust. This raises serious implications in a world already struggling with rampant misinformation and social media manipulation,” said Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville). “We need strong regulations and protections in place to protect artists from the ever-changing world of AI that intends to steal their work and pass it off as their own.”
Last year, a song, “Heart on My Sleeve,” purportedly by Drake and The Weeknd landed on TikTok and Spotify and quickly spread across the internet. The song was created using AI by a TikTok user, who had trained AI on Drake and The Weeknd’s works and generated the new song, which perfectly mimicked the artists’ voices, lyrics, and musical styles. Within days, his video, which had gained over 9 million views, was removed from TikTok, Spotify, and other platforms in response to claims by the artists’ record label, UMG.
Under Senate Bill 3225, music studios and labels like UMG in this situation could bring a lawsuit in state court on behalf of an Illinois artist since they own the rights of their own voice, and the likeness of their voice was used for commercial purposes without permission. […]
Senate Bill 3325 passed the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday and now heads to the full Senate for further consideration.
* Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association…
The Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association (IHLA) today announced a legislative proposal that could raise much-needed revenue for the state by closing a loophole used by third-party booking websites that allows them to pay lower taxes when travelers book rooms online.
When hotels have a surplus room inventory, they sell rooms to third-party booking websites known as Online Travel Agencies (OTA) at a discounted rate. These third-party agencies then sell those surplus rooms to guests at a marked-up rate. However, the tax collected for that room is only on the original discounted rates, which can be significantly lower than the rates at which OTAs sell the room for. This loophole allows tens of millions of potential hotel tax dollars to go unrealized by the state.
SB 3496/HB 5144, led by the IHLA and sponsored by Sen. Cristina Castro and Rep. Marcus Evans, will close this loophole, allowing the state to collect tens of millions of dollars in additional revenue.
Closing this loophole will not only level the playing field between hotels and third-party websites, but it would also increase Illinois’ competitiveness. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, states across the country have doubled down on their efforts to increase travel and tourism to their states. By closing this loophole, Illinois can generate more revenue for tourism promotion, which will help attract more business to the state, further bolstering Illinois’ economy and tax revenue.
“Until we close this online travel agency loophole, the state will continue to lose tens of millions of dollars each year that could be used to fund important state programs,” said Michael Jacobson, President and CEO of the Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association. “That includes tourism promotion, which is more important than ever as we seek to return Illinois tourism to pre-pandemic levels to grow our state’s economy.”
11 Comments
|
What the heck?
Wednesday, Mar 13, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Michael Loria at the Sun-Times…
While Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration scoured the city for sites to house newly arrived migrants over the past year, offers for rent-free space from one of the city’s largest private property owners went unheeded.
The Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago has space in more than 60 shuttered churches, schools and other buildings listed for sale or for lease. The church also has other unused spaces from waves of closures in recent years.
Church officials offered up more than dozen of these locations to the city, emails reviewed by the Sun-Times show. […]
City Hall, on the other hand, has yet to agree on any such offers from the archdiocese, instead renting private shelter spaces at high costs. […]
As charges for privately owned shelters mount, the closest the city came to accepting the archdiocese’s free-rent offer was at St. Bartholomew’s, a Northwest Side parish that Wollan offered to the city in October.
A shelter was supposed to open there in January, but the deal never happened.
41 Comments
|
Isabel’s morning briefing
Wednesday, Mar 13, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* ICYMI: Paying millions to house migrants, Chicago failed to take Catholic archdiocese up on offers of free rent. Sun-Times…
- The Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago has space in more than 60 shuttered churches, schools and other buildings listed for sale or for lease.
- Church officials offered up more than dozen of these locations to the city, emails reviewed by the Sun-Times show.
- In the emails city officials appear largely unresponsive to the offers, aside from one partially redacted email from Cristina Pacione-Zayas, who visited one site, but didn’t find it large enough.
* Related stories…
* Isabel’s top picks…
* Capitol News Illinois | With recession fears subsiding, new state economic forecast expects ‘firm but steady growth’: COGFA’s revised revenue estimates expect the current fiscal year to end with $52.6 billion in revenue, or about $2 billion ahead of what lawmakers budgeted for last May. That estimate tracks closely with the revenue estimate released by the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget in February. The GOMB estimate was about 0.7 percent, or $374 million, below COGFA’s updated projection.
* WTTW | CTA Continues to Rely on Bus and Train Operator Overtime — But Fails to Provide Detailed Information Within Required Time Frame: Illegally delayed responses are a chronic problem with the CTA’s FOIA office. Other news organizations and advocacy groups, including Block Club Chicago and Commuters Take Action, have also dinged the agency for its FOIA transparency failures. […] Budget data provided to WTTW News shows bus operations came in nearly $600,000 under budget last year. But the CTA still spent $2.4 million more on bus overtime in 2023 than in 2019. The agency’s highest paid operator in 2023, a bus driver, earned $212,232 — more than two and a half times the standard yearly rate.
Governor Pritzker will be at the Governor’s Ceremonial Office in the State Capitol at 10:30 standing with sponsors to outline proposed health insurance reform initiatives. Click here to watch.
* Jason Misener…
* Here’s the rest…
* Landmark | Rashid faces challenge from former cop in Democratic primary: Two years after Abdelnasser Rashid knocked longtime incumbent State Rep. Mike Zalewski out of the Democratic primary to set him on a path to the General Assembly, he’s now facing a challenge of his own. He’s defending his seat from former Chicago police detective Vidal Vasquez the 21st District, which covers much of Riverside and the southern portion of Brookfield.
* Tribune | Change to immigrant health care programs in Illinois will cause up to 6,000 to lose benefits: The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services projects that as many as 6,000 people will lose coverage by next month when the state stops offering the programs’ benefits to those who have green cards but have not completed a five-year waiting period in the U.S.
* Sun-Times | Abortion, other reproductive health info would be shielded in court documents under pioneering proposal:
The initiative would automatically seal or redact details about someone’s reproductive health in court documents, Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Iris Martinez announced Tuesday. “In these uncertain times, we must ensure reproductive health remains a private matter and the details discussed in courtrooms around Cook County may never be held against any woman criminally or civilly,” Martinez told reporters at her Daley Center office.
* Fox Chicago | Illinois, Indiana programs spread awareness on baby surrender options: “I’m very, very passionate about it because I think there’s nothing more important in the world than human life, and especially babies,” said Chief John Moriarty of the Carmel, Indiana Fire Department. Moriarty has been with the department for 42 years and the Safe Haven Baby Box at Station 345 is perhaps the part of his professional career that he is most passionate about.
* WTTW | Many Illinois Companies Will Soon Be Required to List Pay Scales, Benefits in Job Postings: By the end of Tuesday — more than three months into the year — the average American woman will have at last earned what the average U.S. man earned by the end of 2023, a salary lag that has led March 12 to be recognized as Equal Pay Day.
* WCIA | Schools stare down deadline as COVID-19 relief funds set to expire: Over the pandemic, Congress gave schools almost $200 billion in three rounds of funds referred to as Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief (ESSER). Schools have used the funds on everything from building upgrades and sanitation methods to summer enrichment opportunities meant to help counter learning loss. But experts say districts face a monumental strain for how to keep up these new programs with the funding expiring at the beginning of September.
* NY Mag | Can Democrats Make 2024 the Abortion Election?: That summer, Ohioans were organizing ballot measures to protect abortion rights, and he sent them $750,000. By October, sensing momentum, he scaled up, both founding and funding a group called Think Big America that promptly sent the organizers another $250,000. He duplicated that donation in Virginia, earmarking the cash for the state Democratic party and legislative candidates who sought to prevent Republicans from passing a 15-week abortion ban. Democrats took back the state house, and Ohioans voted to protect abortion access by a large margin.
* Daily Southtown | Former Flossmoor police Chief Jerel Jones alleges racial discrimination in firing: While a Thursday email from Mayor Michelle Nelson said his dismissal was triggered by “administrative lapses,” the suit, filed Monday against the village and its manager, alleges the firing was because Jones complained Oct. 5, 2023, about experiencing “disparate treatment” from village manager Bridgette Wachtel.
* CBS News | Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Cook Co. Clerk Iris Martinez unveil Women’s Right to Privacy initiative: On Tuesday, former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot joined Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County Iris Martinez to announce a new initiative to safeguard women’s reproductive health and fertility treatment information. The Women’s Right to Privacy initiative is meant to protect the information in court case files, which are currently public records.
* WaPo | U.S. courts require random judge assignments to avoid ‘judge shopping’: The Judicial Conference of the United States, the policymaking body for the federal courts, said district courts may continue to assign cases to a single-judge division if those cases don’t seek to bar or mandate state or federal actions through declaratory judgment or injunctive relief.
* Tribune | Bally’s weighing buyout offer amid funding concerns for Chicago casino: Standard General, which owns 23% of Rhode Island-based Bally’s, submitted an offer Monday to buy out the rest of the stockholders at $15 per share, valuing the company at about $648 million. That represents a premium to the current share price, but is less than 40% of what Standard General was willing to pay two years ago in an unsuccessful bid to buy the company.
* Sun-Times | Bally’s chairman tries to take company private as it searches for $800M in Chicago casino financing: Bally’s on Tuesday formed a special committee to evaluate a bid from New York hedge fund Standard General, which already owns about a quarter of the company, to buy out shareholders at $15 per share. That marks a premium over Bally’s Tuesday afternoon price of $13.88 — but it’s less than half the value offered two years ago by the hedge fund and its founding partner, Soo Kim, who is Bally’s chairman.
* WIFR | First look inside the Hard Rock Casino Rockford’s construction process: “We’re targeting a late August opening,” said Hard Rock Casino Rockford President Geno Iafrate. “We intend to start putting tickets on sale for our hard rock live concert venue, probably mid-May.” More than a thousand slot machines, a sportsbook, and dozens of table games will bring in guests, but Iafrate says the 13,000 square-foot concert venue will keep them coming back.
* Naperville Sun | Fate of Naperville’s Magic Rock unknown as new owner makes plan to demolish house on the site: For more than a decade and a half, people have marveled at the Magic Rock of Naperville. A local landmark of sorts, the display is as nonsensical as it sounds: it’s a rock — or rather, a few — on which toys, knickknacks and trinkets have been added over time to form a mini menagerie made by and for the community. […] Lately, however, the future of the well-established treasure trove has been up in the air as redevelopment plans for the residential property get underway.
* Daily Beast | $500K Sand Dune Designed to Protect Coastal Homes Washes Away in Just 3 Days: fter being completed last week, the barrier made from 14,000 tons of sand lasted just 72 hours before it was completely washed away, according to WCVB. “We got hit with three storms—two in January, one now—at the highest astronomical tides possible,” Rick Rigoli, who oversaw the dune project, told the station.
* WTTW | The Solar Eclipse Is a Month Away, But the Time to Get Your Viewing Glasses — and Smartphone Filters — Is NOW: And because we live in an age where everything needs to be photographed, take note: Smartphone cameras will need a filter too. That also goes for regular cameras, telescopes, binoculars or other devices. These filters are already beginning to sell out, and plenty of counterfeits are flooding the marketplace.
* WGN | Frontier Airlines’ new option: Guaranteed empty middle seat: “Many consumers strongly prefer a seating option that offers extra space when flying,” Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle said. “Frontier is all about choice and giving consumers the flexibility to customize their travel to suit their individual needs and preferences. UpFront Plus is a great option for those who want expanded personal space and extra comfort.”
* WTTW | Illinois DCFS, Other State Agencies to Hold Job Fair Thursday at UIC: DCFS is hiring for positions including child protection specialists, child welfare specialists, daycare licensing representatives, office associates, paralegal assistants, reimbursement officers and public service administrators, according to a news release.
* Sun-Times | Thomas ‘TNT’ Todd, trailblazing attorney, civil rights activist and co-founder of Operation PUSH, dies at 85: He co-founded Operation PUSH in 1971. He was one of the city’s first Black federal prosecutors. And he was the first full-time Black professor hired at Northwestern University’s law school. Mr. Todd, known as “Tom,” came up with the name PUSH — People United to Serve Humanity — and served as its first vice president under the Rev. Jesse Jackson and as acting president from 1983-1984 when Jackson ran for president.
12 Comments
|
|
Comments Off
|
Live coverage
Wednesday, Mar 13, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* You can click here or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.
Comments Off
|
Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Tuesday, Mar 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* WTTW…
The Chicago Board of Ethics canceled its meeting set for Monday, leaving the ethics probe into City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin in limbo a week before she is set to face voters in her bid to unseat U.S. Rep. Danny Davis. […]
A majority of the Ethics Board was unable to attend the meeting set for 3 p.m. Monday in person, forcing the cancellation, Board Chair William Conlon told WTTW News. One seat on the seven-member board has been vacant since July 2022, while another has been vacant since March 2023, Conlon said.
Mayor Brandon Johnson should “quickly” nominate Chicagoans to fill those vacancies, which occurred under former Mayor Lori Lightfoot, and ask the Chicago City Council to swiftly confirm his picks, Conlon said.[…]
The cancellation of the Ethics Board meeting leaves the pending probe against Conyears-Ervin up in the air, four months after the Ethics Board ratified Inspector General Deborah Witzburg’s determination that Conyears-Ervin fired two city employees after they warned her she was violating the city’s government ethics ordinance by using city resources to host a prayer service.
Each violation of the law could trigger a fine of $20,000.
* Here’s the rest…
* SJ-R | Statewide election referendums beginning to take shape: State statute protects access to abortion in Illinois, however, a future with a Republican-led legislature could reverse those protections. Passage of an amendment would prevent that by codifying abortion into the constitution. The House Reproductive Health and Dobbs Decision Working Group is engaging in those conversations currently. Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago, leads that working group and previously told The State Journal-Register it is unlikely a ballot question will come before voters this year.
* Journal Courier | Prison reform advocates deliver letters to Springfield: House Bill 2045, known as the Elder Parole Bill, is sponsored by Rep. Justin Slaughter, D-Chicago, and would make incarcerated people over the age of 55 who have served at least 25 years in prison eligible for parole. Letters in support of HB 2045 were delivered to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and the state legislature.
* Daily Herald | Mount Prospect sets limits on stays at hotels, motels Mount Prospect sets limits on stays at hotels, motels: The village board last week passed the new restrictions as amendments to the zoning code. The board also adopted new regulations for extended stay hotels, defined as places where people stay longer than 30 days but not longer than 90.
* Daily Herald | Moderate vs. conservative: Kane County’s GOP faces a defining county board primary: GOP incumbents Bill Roth (District 12), Mark Davoust (District 14) and Mike Kenyon (District 16) all face opponents from the more conservative ranks of the Kane County GOP. Their opponents, Michelle Geen (District 12), Jonathan Gripe (District 14) and Eric Stare (District 16), all either echo the concerns of the conservative public commenters from the past four years or say they’ve been recruited to run for office by some of those commenters. In addition to local election reform, including the use of hand-counted paper ballots, the three opponents stand against a new facility for the county health department, relocating or selling the existing county government center, and they want the county to actively oppose migrant busing into the area.
* Daily Herald | ‘We must restore the community’s trust’: Medical center regains trauma center designation: The Illinois Department of Public Health on Monday reached an agreement with Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan to restore the hospital’s Level II Trauma Center status. The move allows emergency medical service providers to resume taking some trauma patients to the medical center rather than other facilities farther away. The designation had been revoked Feb. 2 due to a lack of essential services, including a blood bank, anesthesia, neurology, urology, and a full-time trauma coordinator.
* WTTW | Chicago Spent $524M on Overtime in 2023, Including $293M for Police, Setting New Records: The Chicago Police Department spent $293 million on overtime last year, 40% more than in 2022 and nearly three times the $100 million earmarked for police overtime set by the Chicago City Council as part of the city’s 2023 budget, according to data obtained by WTTW News through a Freedom of Information Act request.
* Tribune | Cook County expected to pay $17 million in Burge-connected Jackie Wilson case: Cook County commissioners are scheduled to vote on the deal this week, which would bring a quiet end to a civil rights lawsuit filed against former Cook County state’s attorneys accused of railroading Jackie Wilson for murders committed by his older brother.
* Injustice Watch | In A Hyper-local Judicial Race, Questions About What Counts As Community Representation: Vega Samuel and Demitro are running for a judicial seat in Cook County’s 14th Subcircuit, a majority Latinx district that was recently redrawn into a shape vaguely resembling the number seven, uniting portions of Hermosa, Logan Square, and Humboldt Park on the Northwest Side with Pilsen, McKinley Park, and Back of the Yards on the Southwest Side. The two candidates’ backgrounds are a Venn diagram with a significant overlap, and they share the life experiences of many 14th Subcircuit residents. Both grew up in working-class immigrant households with parents who spoke little to no English. They were the first college graduates and the first lawyers in their families. Both reported raising just $2,000 this election cycle as of the beginning of March, and both were found qualified for judge by bar associations.
* Block Club | Ward Committeepeople Are On The Ballot This March. What Exactly Do They Do?: Endorsing candidates through the Cook County Democratic Party is one of the most high-profile duties committeepeople are tasked with. Ahead of every election, the party holds its slating process, where committeepeople meet and hear out candidates running for countywide office. They then issue official party-backed endorsements.
* Crain’s | Bears sued over alleged racial bias in diversity fellow hiring: The Bears, the lawsuit alleges, “engaged in intentional race and sex discrimination when creating and circulating a job posting which by its very nature excludes Caucasian men as viable applicants . . . depriving plaintiff of his rights to contract on the basis of his race.” The complaint says the Bears learned of the plaintiff’s race and sex after viewing his LinkedIn profile, which “contains a photograph of himself . . . (displaying) his race, Caucasian, and his sex, male.”
* WBEZ | An AI cyborg and an orchestra are about to collide onstage in Chicago: The work is unlike most things you would imagine unfolding onstage with a full orchestra. Assad describes it as part orchestral suite, part performance art piece. Onstage, Assad portrays a humanoid AI, armed with an electronic drum, a wearable MIDI ring that creates sound when she moves her hand, like a theremin, and a futuristic-looking jumpsuit. She fastidiously observes the orchestra as they play, roving around the stage to absorb their sounds and motions.
* SJ-R | Is steak still on the menu? Fine dining industry changing amid rising costs: According to President of Mercedes Restaurants Ron Helms, which owned Alexander’s Steakhouse, poor customer retention and inflation of service costs caused the restaurant to gouge money for three years. “We were losing money in Springfield year after year and we were making money in Peoria year after year,” Helms said. “The Peoria store has been covering the expenses of the Springfield store for the past three years … you can’t really downsize when this is our smallest location already.”
* WCIA | ‘This is for everybody back home’: Springfield native reflects on Oscar win: The Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film went to “War is Over! Inspired By The Music of John and Yoko!” The 11-minute short’s producer, Brad Booker, is from Springfield. […] “It really was the most surreal thing I’ve ever experienced in my life,” he told WCIA Monday. “You know, it’s in the same ballpark as when I had my two kids, but it’s even weirder.”
* Tribune | Statue honoring WWII glider pilot who landed on D-Day approved for Niles: “High Flight” is designed as a stainless steel, 10-foot tall abstract sculpture of a WACO CG-4A glider, the most widely used U.S. troop/cargo glider of World War II, according to the National Museum of the United States Air Force. The village’s Public Arts and Culture Advisory Council wanted a sculpture in remembrance of Wojtaszek, who served in the U.S. Army, 82nd Airborne Division and flew a glider during the war, according to Johnson.
* SJ-R | Ready for the Saint Patrick’s Day parade in Springfield? Here’s what to know: Adults 21 and older may buy a wristband allowing them to enjoy adult beverages outside of a licensed beverage establishment between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday. Wristbands cost $1 with proceeds benefiting the St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee.
3 Comments
|
* Not sure what’s going on yet, but there are police with long guns outside the Capitol Building right now.
…Adding… I’m told by the secretary of state’s office that someone called in a threat saying they were bringing a gun into the Statehouse.
Pics…
…Adding… Giannoulias…
…Adding… From the Secretary of State’s office…
Outside has been cleared. They are sweeping the inside
* Good point…
…Adding… Please be careful about spreading rumors. Thanks. Most of what I’ve heard from legitimately concerned folks so far has not turned out to be true.
…Adding… Capitol basement…
…Adding… An “all clear” has been given.
…Adding… From SoS Giannoulias…
Earlier this afternoon, Secretary of State Police received notice of a threat involving the State Capitol Building. Out of an abundance of caution, a building lockdown order was issued and Secretary of State Police and Springfield Police conducted a sweep of the capitol grounds, which revealed no evidence of a credible threat and no imminent danger was identified. The lockdown was lifted at approximately 3 p.m.
25 Comments
|
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Illinois ranks #9 in the U.S. for reported gas leaks, shows a study conducted in June 2022 on methane gas leaks. Frequent leaks are resulting in death, injury, and other damage to our health and environment. Pausing critical replacement of our aging natural gas lines is dangerous for everyone.
When Governor Pritzker’s appointees on the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) shut down the natural gas line Safety Modernization Program in Chicago, it not only wiped out 1,000 jobs, but also subjected residents and business owners to the unnecessary danger of aged gas infrastructure that is no longer allowed to be replaced.
Tell Gov. Pritzker and the ICC to restart the program, lives are at risk. Transitioning to electric without a plan will cost homeowners thousands of dollars. We need to fix our dangerous natural gas lines for our safety.
Click on the links to view our ads: Ticking Time Bomb & Real Change.
To learn more and help fight back, visit us online at Fight Back Fund.
Paid for by Fight Back Fund
Comments Off
|
IEA’s annual State of Education poll released
Tuesday, Mar 12, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Click here for the full poll. From the IEA…
The Illinois Education Association (IEA) will release its sixth annual IEA State of Education report on Tues., March 12, the only bipartisan poll monitoring Illinoisans’ views on all aspects of public schools. The findings will be shared during a news conference today on Zoom at 10 a.m.
The poll results show Illinoisans believe all students have a right to a public education and support public schools, but they also acknowledge teaching has grown increasingly difficult and support solutions to address the problems. […]
Other key findings from the State of Education report include:
• 76% of people think teaching has become harder over the last few years;
• 79% of the public say they are very worried about the teacher shortage;
• 74% believe funding for public schools should increase;
• 58% believe teachers are underpaid;
• 71% of people say education support staff are underpaid;
• 87% of the public would support changes to make schools safer;
• 91% of Illinoisans believe that students have a right to a public education;
• 80% of residents believe more money should be spent combatting mental health issues among college students.
[…] The poll, conducted by both a democrat polling firm, Normington Petts, and a republican pollster, Next Generation Strategies, surveyed 1,000 Illinoisans Jan. 22-25. It has a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percent with 95 percent confidence.
* One of the first questions asked by the pollster was: “Now, I am going to read you a list of priorities for Illinois. Please tell me how important each one is to you, personally, on a scale of zero to ten where a zero means not a priority at all and ten means it is your top priority. You can choose any number from zero to ten. The first one is:”
Note that pension reform is far down the list, and has fallen 12 points since 2019.
* And despite the fact that lowering taxes is a high priority, respondents also said they want more spending…
Do you think funding for public schools in Illinois should increase, decrease, or stay about the same?
Increase ….. 65%
Decrease ….. 9
Stay the same ….. 20
(Don’t know) ….. 6
As you may know, 80% of Illinois public schools are not funded at the level required by the evidence-based model. This funding model was designed to prioritize state funding for students with the most need and school districts with the lowest local funding, allocating resources based on research-based best practices in education. Right now, just 20% of schools are fully funded. Having heard that, do you think funding for public schools in Illinois should increase, decrease, or stay about the same?
Increase ….. 74%
Decrease ….. 8
Stay the same ….. 14
(Don’t know) ….. 5
Do you think that public school teachers in your community are paid too little, too much, or about right?
Too little ….. 58%
Too much ….. 10
About right ….. 24
(Don’t know) ….. 8
As you may know, public schools in Illinois have support staff in classrooms called paraprofessionals. These paraprofessionals work with students with disabilities and behavior challenges. They get paid an average of $15 an hour. Do you think that paraprofessionals in your community are paid too little, too much or about right?
Too little ….. 71%
Too much ….. 3
About right ….. 20
(Don’t know) ….. 6
As you may know, teachers in Illinois do not pay into Social Security and therefore do not collect when they retire. Do you think that Illinois teachers should receive their full pension, see their pensions cut some, or see their pensions eliminated?
Full pension ….. 72%
Cut some ….. 12
Eliminated ….. 6
(Don’t know) ….. 10
Right now, the teacher pension system in Illinois in divided into two tiers. Tier One is for teachers hired before 2011 and Tier Two is for those who began working as teachers in 2011 or more recently. Tier One teachers are eligible for their full pension at age 60 or at age 55 if they have been teachers for 35 years. Tier Two teachers are required to work until the age of 67 to get their full pension benefits. All teachers pay 9% of their salary into the pension system. Would you strongly favor, somewhat favor, somewhat oppose, or strongly oppose changes to the teacher pension system that would allow Tier Two teachers to retire before age 67 and still receive their full benefits?
* And this is probably a big reason why they believe more spending is needed…
Thinking about public school teachers in Illinois over the last few years or so, do you think that teaching has been much easier, somewhat easier, somewhat harder, or much harder for teachers compared to before that?
* One more…
Six percent of Democrats, 21 percent of independents and 38 percent of Republicans oppose “Teaching Illinois high school students about racism and its impact in the United States.”
Five percent of Democrats, 15 percent of independents and 20 percent of Republicans oppose “Teaching Illinois high school students about slavery in the United States and its impacts.”
Keep in mind that subgroups will have higher margins of error.
* Methodology…
The following is a tabular report of a live interviewer on both mobiles and landlines (28%), text to web (15%), and online panel (57%) survey among 1,000 adults in Illinois. The survey was conducted from January 22-25, 2024, by trained, professional interviewers following procedures established by Normington, Petts & Associates. All polls are subject to errors caused by interviewing a sample of persons, rather than the entire population. In 95 cases out of 100, the responses to this survey should fall within ±3.1 percentage points of those that would have been obtained from interviewing the entire population of adults in Illinois. The sampling error for subgroups of the survey will be greater.
9 Comments
|
* The Commission on Government Forecasting & Accountability has released its revised revenue projections. Here’s the bottom line for this fiscal year…
• In February 2024, the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget (GOMB) released their revised outlook for FY 2024 General Funds in the FY 2024 Budget Book, with a FY 2024 total of $52.216 billion. This figure is $1.605 billion above the FY 2024 Enacted Budget’s assumed revenue figure of $50.611 billion and $199 million above their November 2023 estimate of $52.017 billion.
• The Commission’s March 2024 estimate of $52.590 billion is $374 million above GOMB’s February 2024 revised forecast for FY 2024.
* FY25…
• In the FY 2025 Budget Book, GOMB projects a FY 2025 General Funds revenue total of $52.993 billion. The Commission’s FY 2025 estimate of $52.077 billion is $916 million lower than this figure.
• However, it should be stressed the Commission’s revenue estimate is based on current law. The FY 2025 revenue projection from GOMB includes a number of revenue adjustments in its calculation that would require changes to State law. The net value of these revenue adjustments is approximately $1.098 billion.
If you remove the proposed changes to state law (essentially the tax hikes), CGFA’s estimate is actually $182 million higher than the governor’s budget office. From CGFA’s Executive Director Clayton Klenke: “That is a small difference given the $52 billion base and can mostly be explained by the fact that we had access to the February receipts which showed a pretty solid month and also a $100 million transfer in related to the Income Tax rebates that was transferred back to GRF in January.”
Lots more here.
Comments Off
|
* 20th Senate District…
Today, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) announced his endorsement of Graciela Guzmán in her candidacy for the Democratic nomination in Illinois’ 20th State Senate District. Sanders’s endorsement, coming just a week before Election Day in the primary race, provides a major boost for Guzmán’s campaign in one of the most progressive state senate districts in the state.
“Graciela will stand up to the political and economic establishment, fight for housing justice, and serve as a fierce ally of the working class,” said Senator Bernie Sanders. “From fighting for health care as a human right, to demanding that the wealthy pay their fair share, Graciela has the courage to challenge the status quo. I hope that the people of Illinois’ 20th district will join me in supporting her.”
“I am so proud to have the endorsement of a progressive icon like Sen. Sanders,” said Graciela Guzmán. “The 20th State Senate District deserves a fighter who will advocate for justice for our communities without being beholden to party leaders or corporate donors. Bernie’s endorsement sends a clear signal to 20th District voters about who the true and proven progressive champion is in this race. I look forward to joining Sen. Sanders and progressives in Illinois and across the country as we fight for healthcare for all, affordable housing, increased community investment, and more.”
Graciela Guzmán is the most progressive candidate in the 20th District race and is proud to have earned the endorsement of the Chicago Teachers Union, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Planned Parenthood, the Sierra Club, and more. Guzmán faces three challengers in the race, including one candidate who has taken millions of dollars from Springfield insiders and corporate PACs and another who has dumped hundreds of thousands of dollars of his own wealth into his campaign. Election Day is March 19.
The incumbent is appointed Sen. Natalie Toro (D-Chicago). Sanders has consistently performed quite well in that part of the world.
* Speaking of the 20th…
That’s so bizarre. A friends and family program apparently without any actual friends or family members.
* I’m not sure this will mean much of anything because it’s very late and the group isn’t exactly flush with cash and not well known. But Spyropoulos is up against a Latina incumbent, Iris Martinez, and the Latino Leadership Council is also backing Sen. Natalie Toro, Martinez’s 20th Senate District candidate, so that makes it mentionable here…
Cook County Circuit Court Clerk candidate, Mariyana Spyropoulos, has received the endorsement of the Latino Leadership Council. The organization, which is made up of Latino elected officials, business and community leaders, was formed in 2018 to get more Latinos involved in the political process from running for office, running campaigns fundraising and voting.
A three term incumbent on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, this is Commissioner Spyropoulos’ first time running for Cook County Circuit Court Clerk. The office is one of the largest unified court systems in the United States.
“Our slating process first and foremost considers the track record and qualifications of individuals seeking elected office,” says LLC spokesperson Jocelyn Nevarez. “Commissioner Spyropoulos is a clear choice for Clerk of the Circuit Court.”
Currently, the clerk’s office has 1,400 employees and an operating budget of $130 million.
“I believe my background as former president of the MWRD and as an attorney gives me the understanding of how to run a large agency and what is needed for users of our court system to navigate it efficiently and effectively,” says Spyropoulos.”
Last week, Spyropoulos was endorsed by U.S. Representative Delia Ramirez (3rd CD) along with other progressive elected officials from Chicago’s Northwest Side.
* Politico…
— In IL-07, Kina Collins is holding a presser today to push back against super PAC efforts to push back against her campaign. United Democracy Project, affiliated with AIPAC, has spent $44,000 on mailers opposing Collin. …. Nikhil Bhatia remains on the ballot in the race after the Board of Elections voted unanimously to keep him on. It concludes what Bhatia calls “frivolous challenges” by City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin, the third candidate trying to unseat veteran Congressman Danny Davis.
— In IL-17, Joe McGraw has been endorsed by U.S. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana. McGraw is running against Scott Crowl in the GOP primary.
* A few more stories…
* Candidates make final push in Illinois Supreme Court race that raised diversity issues: Cunningham, who declined to be interviewed, is backed by Cook County Democrats and several unions who have rallied around her as a proven justice who is in tune with Democratic values.
* 2022 rematch, see who’s competing in the 105th statehouse seat in the 2024 GOP primary: Rientz cited several aspects of illegal immigration and asylum-seeking as a key issue and wants the repeal of Public Act 103-035 (a bill Tipsword served as co-sponsor) which allows for non-citizens to serve as members of law enforcement. He calls for public education reform to encourage economic success and a more light-handed approach to governance.
* Very few voters often decide fate of tax referendums, report finds: A new report from Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas — whose office mails out property tax bills — found that in 75 binding property tax-related referendums put on ballots between 2020 and 2023, the average turnout was 32% of all registered voters. That number always fell below the overall election turnout, meaning that some voters skipped those questions entirely. In all, 70% of the referendums were approved.
12 Comments
|
* Background is here if you need it. From yesterday…
Today, Illinois Appellate Court Justice Jesse Reyes made the following statement about the Illinois Supreme Court’s inability to decide on the suspension of convicted Edward Burke’s law license.
“The Illinois Supreme Court’s inability to render a decision on the suspension of convicted felon Edward Burke’s law license exposes long-standing conflicts in our judiciary. For years, Ed Burke, in his own words on FBI tape, admitted that he controlled the judicial appointment process, and my opponent was the beneficiary of this insider appointment process.
“In this instance, a recusal by a Supreme Court Justice is effectively a vote in favor of Ed Burke keeping his law license, after he was convicted of public corruption by a federal jury.
“My opponent is now asking the voters to elect her for the next ten years. She needs to let the voters know where she stands, whether or not she has recused herself, and the reasons why.
“Convicted felons should not be practicing law in the state of Illinois, period. If the Supreme Court cannot make a decision because of conflicts of interest, the Court should appoint elected Appellate Justices to fill-in so that a decision can be made, without delay. It’s a travesty of justice that a convicted felon can keep his law license, just because half the court is conflicted.”
* I tried asking appointed Supreme Court Justice Joy Cunningham’s campaign how she voted on Burke, but got nothing. Same goes for Dave McKinney…
“My opponent is now asking the voters to elect her for the next 10 years,” Reyes said. “She needs to let the voters know where she stands, whether or not she has recused herself, and the reasons why.”
Multiple times Monday, WBEZ asked Cunningham’s campaign whether she had done just that, what her view was on the court’s paralysis involving Burke’s license and whether there were any remedies to the situation.
A campaign spokesman declined to answer those questions, directing them instead to a spokesman with the Illinois Supreme Court, who also has declined multiple times to identify which justices chose not to act on suspending Burke’s law license and their reasons why.
A Supreme Court rule allows state judges publicly to disclose conflicts that may require their disqualification from a case.
I assume Justice Cunningham recused herself because she was basically brought to the high court by Burke’s spouse, former Chief Justice Anne Burke. Even so, she needs to be transparent.
* OK, now let’s go back to the original WBEZ/Sun-Times story…
Court spokesman Christopher Bonjean did not respond to a WBEZ request to identify any of the recused justices or the reasonings behind their recusals but in brief emailed remarks, he noted the court’s hands were tied.
“I believe some state constitutions allow for substitution of other judges (say from the appellate court) in certain instances,” he told WBEZ, “but the Illinois Constitution does not have a provision for that.”
So, I asked Justice Reyes how he reconciled that statement from the court’s spokesperson to his demand that elected appellate justices be brought up to vote on Burke’s law license…
Because the Illinois Constitution and statutes are silent on matters of attorney discipline, the procedures to be followed are entirely within the discretion of the Supreme Court. Under these circumstances, where there are conflicts of interest and the appearance of impropriety, due process and substantial justice mandate that the Court exercise its administrative powers and appoint substitutes for those Justices that have conflicts. The Court should order the replacement of conflicted Justices with alternates selected from the elected Appellate Judges.
Has that ever happened before?…
To my knowledge, no. I am unaware of any Supreme Court in our history that has been unable or unwilling to convene a quorum in an attorney disciplinary proceeding.
This is a unique circumstance involving discipline of a powerful attorney who was convicted by a federal jury of official misconduct. He controlled judicial slate-making for decades, admitted in FBI tapes that he could even influence the decision of the father of a judge that he “got elected,” and has a spouse who was a Supreme Court Justice, the colleague of many who are still on the Supreme Court.
There is simply no precedent for this situation. But even without precedent, the Supreme Court needs to preserve the integrity of our court system and must dive into uncomfortable and uncharted waters to ensure that convicted felons are never permitted to practice law in the State of Illinois, even if he was responsible for appointment of those judges.
The Illinois Constitution provides guidance in matters involving Supreme Court conflicts of interest. Specifically, in disciplinary proceedings involving a Supreme Court Justice, the Constitution mandates that an Appellate Justice must replace a sitting Supreme Court Justice. See, Illinois Constitution, Article VI, Section 15(h), mandating that if there is a misconduct proceeding against a Supreme Court Justice, then there shall be no Supreme Court Judge permitted to hear the matter and “[i]nstead, an alternate Appellate Court Judge not from the same Judicial District as the subject Supreme Court Judge shall replace the subject Supreme Court Judge.
Your thoughts?
25 Comments
|
* Illinois State Fair…
* NBC Chicago…
The 2024 Illinois State Fair’s Grandstand headliners lineup just got even bigger.
According to an announcement posted to the Illinois State Fair Facebook page, the Jonas Brothers have been added to the grandstand lineup of headliners.
The show is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 15, with tickets expected to go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, the post added. Tickets start at $85.
21 Comments
|
It’s just a bill
Tuesday, Mar 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Chalkbeat…
Illinois state lawmakers filed two bills last week aimed at reversing the Chicago Board of Education’s decisions to rethink school choice policies and remove school resource officers from campuses.
The bills focus on board moves that have drawn both support and sharp pushback in recent months from school communities and elected officials. Those decisions include a plan to reconsider the district’s system of school choice — including charter, selective enrollment, magnet, and gifted schools — and to create a new school safety plan that bans the use of school resource officers, or on-campus police. […]
Both bills have gathered support from other Chicago-based state lawmakers and powerful allies, including House Speaker Chris Welch. […]
One of the state bills, House Bill 5008, would allow local school councils to contract with the Chicago Police Department for school resource officers. It would counteract a board vote two weeks ago to create a new school safety policy by June 27 that would end the use of school resource officers, effectively removing officers from 39 schools that currently have them, by next year. […]
The second bill, House Bill 5766, would prevent the closure of any school with selective admissions criteria — such as the city’s 11 selective high schools — until Feb. 1, 2027. The bill also calls for a halt to any changes to admissions criteria for selective schools or any decrease in funding to selective schools until 2027.
* Sun-Times…
Annoying “junk” fees added to your purchases are the target of proposed legislation in Springfield, an effort that mirrors a national campaign to rein in surprise charges and increase transparency in pricing.
The legislation by state Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Deerfield, and state Sen. Omar Aquino, D-Chicago, would mandate upfront disclosures of the total price of goods or services for a wide range of industries, from entertainment to housing. It would also give the attorney general’s office more power to go after companies that add surprise fees.
A hearing is expected to be held Tuesday before the Illinois House Consumer Protection Committee. […]
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul supports the legislation, saying in a statement that junk fees are responsible for “decreasing trust in the marketplace and putting honest businesses at a disadvantage.” […]
The legislation dovetails with President Joe Biden’s effort to curtail junk fees. Such surprise fees cost Americans “tens of billions of dollars per year,” according to the Federal Trade Commission.
* WAND…
Illinois state lawmakers could help many survivors of gun violence by passing plans this year to re-open cold cases and provide more transparency on homicide investigations. Advocates argue this policy could finally give their families closure.
Black Illinoisans are 37 times more likely to die from gun violence than white residents. Black murders are also 23% less likely to be solved than murders of white people, according to Everytown for Gun Safety. […]
[Rep. Kam Buckner] and other Democratic lawmakers hope to pass a plan allowing immediate family members to petition law enforcement to review unsolved murder cases after three years of inactivity. Advocates told the House Judiciary-Criminal Committee Monday that families cannot properly heal unless they receive frequent updates from police that potentially lead to arrest. […]
A separate bill could require every law enforcement agency in Illinois to publish monthly data on homicides, arrests of alleged perpetrators, and the status of homicide investigations. Law enforcement would be tasked with submitting the information to Illinois State Police and their official website for the public to view.
* WGEM…
Illinois lawmakers are looking at a proposal that could remove an affirmative defense for someone accused of hazing.
Sponsored by state Sen. Steve Stadelman, D-Rockford, the bill would remove the defense for someone accused of hazing that their victim agreed to participate in a hazardous situation.
Stadelman said it means someone agreeing to be somewhere hazing could happen isn’t a defense for the person accused of hazing them.
“It just strengthens the state’s law,” Stadelman said. “It’ll just encourage more people to come forward and not have to be put on a witness stand and try to explain why they were at the event in the first place or in a situation in the first place when the situation was not their fault to begin with.”
The bill has already passed out of the Senate Special Committee on Criminal Law and Public Safety. It now heads to the Senate floor.
* HB5563 is assigned to tomorrow’s Labor and Commerce Committee…
Creates the Child Labor Law of 2024. Reinserts provisions of the Child Labor Law. Sets forth additional provisions concerning definitions; exemptions; employer requirements; restrictions on employment of minors; employment certificates; civil penalties; and criminal penalties. Repeals the Child Labor Law. Amends various Acts to make conforming changes. Effective January 1, 2025, except provisions concerning minors featured in vlogs and trust funds are effective July 1, 2024.
* Sen. Natalie Toro…
State Senator Natalie Toro is leading a measure to make work permits more accessible and attainable to new arrivals.
“Filling out a lengthy work permit application alone, in a language you may not be fluent in, while in a crowded, noisy shelter, can be very difficult for new arrivals to complete accurately,” said Toro (D-Chicago). “This legislation will ensure new arrivals have expert support in the confusing application process, so that they are able to join the workforce more seamlessly.”
Senate Bill 3296 would create a grant program for community-based organizations to receive funding to help them provide free assistance to newly arrived immigrants going through the work permit application process. By establishing this program and providing grants to local organizations, Toro hopes new arrivals would be able to receive support more quickly so they can start their career and settle in the city sooner.
Nearly 5,000 immigrants in Chicago shelters qualify for work permits, but only 30% of those who qualify are currently employed. That’s because while many qualify, the process of applying and securing a work permit is largely inaccessible for new arrivals. The process is time-consuming and complex, and is more difficult with a long portion completely in English. For new arrivals who may not fully understand English and are experiencing a lot of instability, tackling the application process can seem insurmountable. […]
Senate Bill 3296 has been assigned to the Senate Appropriations – Health and Human Services Committee.
* Illinois Education Association’s fact sheet for HB4652 and SB3215…
Background
Student teaching is an important experience that gives students the opportunity to apply what they’ve learned in their teacher preparation programs. Not unlike internships in other professions, student teaching prepares candidates to assume the responsibilities of their chosen profession. However, unlike other professions where paid internships are now standard, student teaching remains unpaid.
Issue
Student teaching requires candidates to do the work of a full-time teacher which severely limits their ability to stay gainfully employed. Student teaching is a significant financial stressor which deters many students from pursuing a degree in education.
Illinois statute allows for paid student teaching, but few school districts or institutes of higher education can financially support these programs. The Illinois Education Association (IEA) believes that student teachers should receive compensation during this important practicum experience.
Paid student teaching significantly reduces the financial stress of pursuing a degree in education and will encourage more students to enter the teaching profession. States such as Oklahoma, Michigan, Colorado, and Maryland provide their candidates with a student teaching stipend.
Rationale for Support
Illinois’ student teachers deserve compensation. This bill will strengthen and diversify our teacher pipeline – ensuring that all student teachers receive fair compensation for their labor.
* House Republican Press release…
Who: House Minority Leader Tony McCombie, State Representative Bill Hauter, and State Representative Dave Severin
What: Leader McCombie and House Republican members will discuss the ongoing issues at the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and new legislation filed to provide solutions.
When: 11:15 AM on Tuesday, March 12, 2024
Where: Capitol Blueroom in Springfield (event will also be streamed on Blueroom Stream)
3 Comments
|
* An ARDC administrator has laid out her case against Tom DeVore. The harshest potential penalty is disbarment. The least is a reprimand…
Lea S. Gutierrez, Administrator of the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (“ARDC”), by her attorney, Rachel C. Miller, pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 753(b), complains of Respondent, Thomas Guy DeVore (”Respondent”), who was licensed to practice law in Illinois on November 10, 2011, and alleges that Respondent has engaged in the following conduct which subjects him to discipline pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 770
* And here we go…
COUNT I: Conflict of Interest – Inappropriate Sexual Relationship with a Client […]
By reason of the conduct described above, Respondent has engaged in the following misconduct:
a. representing a client, Riley Craig, when there is a significant risk that the representation of the client will be materially limited by a personal interest of the lawyer, specifically, Respondent’s fiduciary duties to Riley Craig as a client while engaging in a sexual relationship with her, in violation of Rule 1.7(a)(2) of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct (2010); and
b. having sexual relations with a client after the client-lawyer relationship commenced, by conduct including initiating a sexual relationship with his client, Riley Craig, after the client-lawyer relationship commenced, in violation of Rule 1.8(j) of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct (2010).
COUNT II: Conflict of Interest – Improper Business Transaction with a Client […]
By reason of the conduct described above, Respondent has engaged in the following misconduct:
a. entering into a business transaction with a client, by conduct including entering into an operating agreement in which Respondent and Riley Craig were each members and which formed the basis for Riley Craig and Respondent entering into a loan agreement for $601,829 on behalf of Future You, without 1) informing Riley Craig that she had the right to seek advice from independent counsel; and 2) obtaining the informed consent of Riley Craig, in a writing signed by Riley Craig, to the essential terms of the operating agreement, in violation of Rule 1.8(a) of the Rules of Professional Conduct (2010).
COUNT III: Using Means for No Other Purpose than to Embarrass, Burden, or Delay a Third Person and Filing Frivolous Litigation […]
By the reason of the conduct described above, Respondent has engaged in the following misconduct:
a. bringing a proceeding without a basis in law and fact for doing so that is not frivolous, by conduct including filing 2023 CH 3 in Bond County despite Respondent knowing that an automatic stay was entered in Riley Craig’s bankruptcy, in violation of Rule 3.1 of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct (2010);
b. knowingly disobeying an obligation under a tribunal, by conduct including filing 2023 CH 3 in Bond County, which constituted violating the automatic stay in Riley Craig’s bankruptcy, in violation of Rule 3.4(c) of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct (2010); and
c. engaging in conduct, while representing a client, that has no substantial purpose other than to embarrass, delay, or burden a third person, by conduct including engaging in litigation, contact, or communication, as described in paragraphs 46, 48, and 49, above, while representing Future You, in violation of Rule 4.4(a) of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct (2010).
COUNT IV: Using Means for No Other Purpose than to Embarrass, Burden, or Delay a Third Person and Filing Frivolous Litigation) […]
By the reason of the conduct described above, Respondent has engaged in the following misconduct:
a. bringing a proceeding without a basis in law and fact for doing so that is not frivolous, by conduct including filing 2023 OP 55, based on Future You business issues, in Bond County despite Respondent knowing that an automatic stay was entered in Riley Craig’s bankruptcy, in violation of Rule 3.1 of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct (2010);
b. knowingly disobeying an obligation under a tribunal, by conduct including filing 2023 OP 55, based on Future You business issues, in Bond County, which constituted violating the automatic stay in Riley Craig’s bankruptcy, in violation of Rule 3.4(c) of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct (2010); and
c. engaging in conduct, while representing a client, that has no substantial purpose other than to embarrass, delay, or burden a third person, by conduct including engaging in litigation, contact, or communication, as described in paragraph 59, above, in violation of Rule 4.4(a) of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct (2010).
COUNT V: Conduct Prejudicial to the Administration of Justice […]
By reason of the conduct described above, Respondent has engaged in the following misconduct:
a. bringing a proceeding without a basis in law and fact for doing so that is not frivolous, by conduct including filing 2023 CH 3 in Bond County despite Respondent knowing that an automatic stay was entered in Riley Craig’s bankruptcy, and for filing 2023 OP 55 in Bond County despite knowing that Respondent had no good faith basis for an order of protection against Riley Criag, in violation of Rule 3.1 of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct (2010);
b. knowingly disobeying an obligation under a tribunal, by conduct including filing 2023 CH 3 and 2023 OP 55, which constituted violating the automatic stay in Riley Craig’s bankruptcy, in violation of Rule 3.4(c) of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct (2010); and
c. engaging in conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice, by conduct including violating the automatic stay in Riley Craig’s bankruptcy case by filing and being sanctioned in an order and opinion by Judge Mary P. Gorman, in violation of Rule 8.4(d) of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct (2010).
COUNT VI: Contacting an Individual the Attorney Knows to be Represented by Counsel […]
By reason of the conduct described above, Respondent has engaged in the following misconduct:
a. in the course of representing a client, communicating about the subject of the representation with a person the lawyer knows to be represented by another lawyer in the matter, without the consent of the other lawyer or without authorization to do so by law or a court order, by conduct including emailing Riley Craig about her bankruptcy in the emails described in paragraphs 74 and 76, above, despite knowing Riley Craig was represented by counsel, and without the consent from Riley Craig’s attorney or the authority under law or court order, in violation of Rule 4.2 of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct (2010); and
b. engaging in conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice, by conduct including violating the automatic stay in Riley Craig’s bankruptcy case and being sanctioned in an order and opinion by Judge Mary P. Gorman, in violation of Rule 8.4(d) of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct (2010).
WHEREFORE, the Administrator respectfully requests that this matter be assigned to a panel of the Hearing Board, that a hearing be held, and that the panel make findings of fact, conclusions of fact and law, and a recommendation for such discipline as is warranted.
Respectfully submitted,
Lea S. Gutierrez, Administrator
Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission
Go read the whole thing. It’s quite something and it’s been a very long time since a former Illinois attorney general candidate faced such accusations.
*** UPDATE *** Response…
45 Comments
|
Open thread
Tuesday, Mar 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
4 Comments
|
Isabel’s morning briefing
Tuesday, Mar 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* ICYMI: Mayor Johnson outlines what he’ll need to sign off on Bears’ lakefront stadium plan. Crain’s…
- Johnson said his parameters for signing off include that the project provides a “public benefit and public use” of the stadium with a “365-day operation.”
-The team has been meeting with members of Johnson’s administration — including a Jan. 30 meeting between Johnson and Bears CEO Kevin Warren.
- The mayor would not say how much public funding of the development he anticipates is necessary.
* Related stories…
* Isabel’s top picks…
Governor Pritzker will join a sustainability panel at Aspen Ideas Climate Summit 4:15 pm CT. Click here to watch (join Evening Plenary: 5:00-6:30 pm ET.”)
* Here’s the rest…
* N’DIGO | Q&A – Mary Flowers – Illinois State Representative: What is your brand of politics?: I don’t deal with titles. I advocate on behalf of people, as they can be lifted. That could be babies, senior citizens, education, etc.; I don’t like being tainted as a brand. I go where I am needed and support people on a need basis.
* Sun-Times | Illinois ‘junk’ fee legislation calling for price transparency, from airline or concert tickets to rent: The legislation, by state Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Deerfield, and state Sen. Omar Aquino, D-Chicago, would mandate upfront disclosures of the total price of goods or services for a wide range of industries from entertainment to housing. It would also give the attorney general’s office more power to go after companies that add surprise fees. A hearing is expected to be held Tuesday before the Illinois House Consumer Protection Committee.
* WMBD | 2022 rematch, see who’s competing in the 105th statehouse seat in the 2024 GOP primary: State Rep. Dennis Tipsword seeks re-election to the 105th statehouse seat and for the second election cycle is being challenged by Donald Ray Rients in the Republican primary. Tipsword and Rients were part of a four-way primary race in 2022 that also included Mike Kirkton of Gridley – who is running for the state senate this time around – and Kyle Ham of Bloomington.
* WMBD | Lt. Gov. Stratton comments on proposed grocery tax removal: “Viewing that as a regressive tax, the governor’s proposal makes it clear that was not something he wanted to continue,” she said. Stratton added that local municipalities can enforce their own taxes if they would like to.
* Tribune | O’Neill Burke rips Foxx in speech days before state’s attorney primary: Without naming her, O’Neill Burke had some of her harshest assessments yet for the current top prosecutor, Kim Foxx, who O’Neill Burke said “doesn’t believe in accountability.” She repeated criticism that Foxx is to blame for a staffing shortage and poor office morale and said the office’s working relationship with the Chicago Police Department “doesn’t exist right now.”
* Tribune | Candidates make final push in Illinois Supreme Court race that raised diversity issues: Supporters of both Cunningham and Appellate Judge Jesse Reyes say choosing an experienced voice for the seat is especially important at a time when state courts could be faced with questions on issues like abortion, criminal justice and immigration. Given Cunningham’s party backing in the Cook County district race, Reyes’ supporters are also framing him as a candidate free of the party’s control.
* Injustice Watch | A perennial candidate pins her hopes on her sixth run for judge: Baumann, 55, says she has door-knocked at least 100 times over her more than a decade long effort to become a Cook County judge. She carefully guides me around the block, introducing me to residents who are conveniently home and, coincidentally, her supporters. To many in the area, Baumann is familiar. In recent years, the West Side has become the focus of her judicial campaigns and her pro bono legal work. One resident, Shirley Fields, tells me she’s supporting Baumann because of her work in the community.
* NBC Chicago | Several Dolton trustees call on mayor, unnamed trustee to resign: NBC Chicago obtained copies of complaints accusing Mayor Tiffany Henyard and an unnamed Dolton trustee of sexual harassment, retaliation and discrimination. The Illinois Department of Human Rights told NBC Chicago’s Regina Waldroup that it’s investigating. At the center is a trip they took last year to Las Vegas and a sexual encounter one woman says was not consensual.
* Block Club | Fifth Measles Case Found In Chicago As Officials Ramp Up Vaccination Efforts: Health officials confirmed the two newest cases in adults at the city-run shelter for migrants in Pilsen. Two children at the shelter were previously found to have the highly contagious disease. […] In addition to the vaccination clinics at the Pilsen shelter, the Office of Emergency Management and Communications is now coordinating with the city’s health department to start assessing and vaccinating new arrivals at the landing zone as part of the intake process, according to the news release.
* Sun-Times | City shuts down work on wooden ‘tiny house’ structure at Dan Ryan homeless encampment: “It is the most heartbreaking thing ever, a veteran, a senior veteran dying in a tent,” McLuckie said. “That’s what I want to avoid in the future. Nobody should have to die in a tent, especially somebody who served our country.” The group planned to finish construction of the shelter over the weekend, but the Department of Buildings placed an off limits/do not enter sticker and a stop work order on a structure, “because it was built without plans or permits,” according to a department spokesman.
* WBEZ | CTA announces spring cleaning for rail and bus stations: These renovations are part of the CTA’s Refresh & Renew program. The program will spend about $6.5 million repairing and improving 13 rail stations and three bus turnarounds through the end of May. These changes include painting and power-washing at all locations, as well as lighting upgrades, improved platform amenities and removal of outdated fixtures and equipment.
* Will County Forest Preserve District | Migration watch: Monarch butterflies have landed in the U.S.: Spring is creeping in ever so slowly all around us, and here’s another exciting indication that warmer temperatures are right around the corner: Monarch butterflies are winging their way toward us. In the eastern portion of the United States, they’ve been spotted as far north as Marietta, Georgia.
* Tribune | Strike averted after nurses and UChicago Medicine reach agreement: “Our decision to call a strike forced management to address a number of our outstanding demands at the bargaining table,” said Stephanie Gamboa, a nurse in the dermatology clinic and a bargaining team member, in a news release. “We’re looking forward to ratifying our new contract, which will improve working conditions for nurses and health care for our patients.”
* NYT | Trump Aides, Taking Over R.N.C., Order Mass Layoffs: Days after allies took over the Republican National Committee, Donald J. Trump’s advisers are imposing mass layoffs on the party, with more than 60 officials, including senior staff members, laid off or asked to resign and then reapply for their jobs, according to two people familiar with the matter.
* CBS | 3 children, 2 adults killed in school bus crash in Illinois: The crash happened around 11:30 a.m. local time in Schuyler County near Rushville, about 230 miles southwest of Chicago and 57 miles northwest of the state capital of Springfield. The school bus crossed over into oncoming traffic “for unknown reasons” in front of the truck, which was hauling sand, police said. Both vehicles were “engulfed in flames,” police said.
8 Comments
|
|
Comments Off
|
|
Comments Off
|
Live coverage
Tuesday, Mar 12, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
* You can click here or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.
Comments Off
|
|
Support CapitolFax.com
Visit our advertisers...
...............
...............
...............
...............
...............
|
   
|
Hosted by MCS
SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax
Advertise Here
Mobile Version
Contact Rich Miller
|
