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Reader comments closed for the weekend
Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * This song popped up on a music feed the other night and, man, I almost forgot how much I love this stuff… Drink some mellow wine
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Friday news dump! Pritzker releases tax returns
Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Nothing like a Friday news dump during crazy times. From the Pritzker campaign…
Will be a fun weekend going through all this. Click here for the federal return and click here for the state return.
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Attorney general files lawsuit against CWLP over massive 2021 coal ash release
Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * The lawsuit is here. From Sierra Club Illinois…
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Afternoon roundup
Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * More back and forth…
* Speaking of Congress…
* Press release…
* I asked Mark Denzler with the IMA if he rode the bus for this entire 8-day, 2,000-mile trip. Yep, he said. Mad props to him and everyone else…
* Hope this doesn’t happen in Illinois with the dreaded Copi…
* Isabel’s afternoon roundup…
* WTWO | How a rural Illinois town is growing through diversity: “When we moved in years ago from Mexico, [it was for] only one reason, to bring family and get a better life and we make it, we [made] it happen,” Jesus Garza, Mayor of Arcola, said. Garza has been the Mayor of Arcola for 2 1/2 years and is the first immigrant to lead the city. * Daily Herald | How Kane County is helping the public track cashless bail: The circuit court this month debuted a daily updated dashboard, showing how many cases police departments have sent to first-appearance court, the charges involved, how many petitions for pretrial detention prosecutors have filed, and whether those petitions were granted or denied. * WCBU | ‘How can I tell if these books are good or bad?’: New Moms for Liberty chapter starts in Tazewell County: Virg Cihla, Dee Fogal and Suzette Swift make up the board of the new chapter in Central Illinois. […] None of them have children currently in school, though Cihla does have a granddaughter in a Tazewell County district and Fogal grew up in Pekin. * WTVO | Illinois State Police releases response to homelessness guidebook: “Law enforcement officers respond to all types of emergencies and social-service related calls among all populations, including people experiencing homelessness,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “Because of these interactions, officers are in a position to provide information about resources and programs available in communities, and help connect individuals to longer-term solutions to prevent and end homelessness.” * Shaw Local | La Salle County Jail to house Cook County inmates for $70 per inmate per day: Thursday, the La Salle County Board approved an intergovernmental agreement with Cook County that permits inmate transfers (no more than 50) from Chicago to be housed at the jail in Ottawa. Cook County will pay $70 per inmate per day. Worried about the county taking high-risk transfers from Chicago? Sheriff Adam Diss said there is no cause for concern. * WCIA | Flex-N-Gate workers stunned as Effingham plant lays off employees: The company announced it is shutting its doors in Effingham because of the United Auto Workers strike in Kentucky. Nearly 9,000 employees left their jobs at Ford’s Kentucky truck plant in Louisville Wednesday night. The news came nearly four weeks after the union began walkouts against Ford, General Motors and Stellantis on Sept. 15. * WTTW | Chicago Police Officer Who Threatened to Kill Romantic Partner and Their Family Won’t Be Fired: Watchdog: Instead, the officer, who was not identified in the report released by Inspector General Deborah Witzburg in keeping with the city’s rules, was suspended for two months, according to the watchdog’s quarterly report. * Tribune | Chicago Fire Department’s 2nd-ranking official gets mild punishment after sexual harassment violations: In addition to violating sexual harassment policies, Sheridan failed to cooperate with the investigation, according to the memo. It stated that Sheridan refused to sign a document prepared by human resources summarizing their interview and instead submitted her own statement. She also left a second interview with her lawyer and declined to answer more questions. * Les Winkeler | IDNR deserves increased funding: As a young adult, I was vaguely aware of what was then the Illinois Department of Conservation. I knew the agency had game wardens to enforce hunting and fishing regulations. I knew the department was responsible for the operation of state parks. However, until I assumed the role as the outdoors writer for The Southern Illinoisan in the late 1980s, I was woefully under-informed about the breadth and scope of the agency. * NBC Chicago | Synagogues, schools, daycares increase security Friday in Chicago area as precautions: Synagogues, schools and daycares in parts of the Chicago area increased security measures Friday amid reports of “increased threats of violence,” and though officials said no credible threats have been identified, authorities are paying “special attention.” * Daily Herald | Two years after public uproar, Mount Prospect police choose new patch: The village board voted 4-3 in August 2021 the remove the previous patch over its “thin blue line” imagery. During several board meetings and hours of public comment, along with protests and counter-protests outside village hall, critics of the patch said the imagery had been co-opted by extremist groups and its use was intimidating to people of color. * Sun-Times | More than 1,000 COVID relief loans went to city of Chicago employees — and many look fraudulent, watchdog says: Deborah Witzburg, inspector general for the city, said her office examined more than 350,000 federal COVID loans approved in the Chicago area. Of them, she found more than 1,000 loans that city employees got from the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan program. * Daily Southtown | Spiders get some love and a temporary zoo at Will County program designed to demystify arachnids: A group of youngsters ages 3 to 5 used headlamps and flashlights one evening last week during a free Nature Play Day After Hours to spot the reflections from spiders’ eyes on the grounds outside of the nature center in Crete Township. Occasionally, a parent offered a caution not to get so close, but most simply embraced the excitement instilled by Heather Van Zyl, an interpretive naturalist for the Forest Preserve District of Will County, who enjoyed the outing just as much as the kids. * WCIA | A brief history of Champaign on its birthday: Champaign was founded in 1855 when the Illinois Central Railroad placed its tracks two miles west of downtown Urbana. The town was initially named “West Urbana” before adopting its permanent name five years later with the acquisition of a city charter. The document provided rights and privileges to create a new governance system. * Crain’s | Professional cricket has come to the U.S. and Chicago is ready to host a team: “There are definitely some really strong markets for cricket in the U.S. that we don’t currently have a team for, and Chicago is certainly high on that list given the size of the market and the demographics,” said Tom Dunmore, MLC’s vice president of marketing. “Chicago certainly has a lot of the strong characteristics for a major-league cricket team in the future. It’s a really good potential market; all the metrics support it.” * Block Club | Could The Douglas Neighborhood Get A New Name — Douglass?: The area is named for Democratic senator Stephen Douglas, who had a complicated stance on slavery. Ald. Lamont Robinson wants to rename it in honor of abolitionist Frederick Douglass.
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Illinois a ‘key player’ in $1 billion federal project to develop hydrogen energy hubs
Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Crain’s…
* From the Biden administration…
* Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen…
* Sen. Sue Rezin…
* Sen. Dave Koehler…
* US Rep. Nikki Budzinski…
Thoughts?
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Republicans, Democrats, And Independents Agree – NO ROFR In House Bill 3445
Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] A statewide survey in Illinois shows that voters are overwhelmingly against the higher electricity costs that would result from “Right of First Refusal” (ROFR) legislation. Opposed to ROFR:
• 81% Democrats • 75% Independents Voters know that ROFR leads to higher electricity costs. As one woman told her representative on Facebook: “Kindly vote no for higher prices on electricity. We already are paying high prices on everything else!” ROFR is widely referred to as “crony capitalism” that kills competition, leading to rate hikes for consumers. ROFR has been found to be unconstitutional in some states – one reason why Illinois voters also believe passage would lead to wasteful spending on lawyers and lawsuits. The Illinois Commerce Commission explains the benefits of competition: “…competition among transmission developers spurs innovative results and helps control costs.” Transmission construction projects cost billions of dollars, and competition can deliver savings of 20-30%. Illinois ratepayers deserve affordable and reliable electricity. A vote for ROFR is a vote for higher electricity prices for consumers and a weaker grid. Vote NO on ROFR! See the survey results: https://www.fairenergyprices.org/il-rofr-survey
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Man charged with making bomb threats in Cook County now charged with bomb threats in Kane County
Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Wednesday…
* This morning…
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*** UPDATED x2 *** No way to run a railroad
Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Tribune…
1) Their “assignment”? That’s an interesting choice of words, particularly after what we discussed here yesterday. 2) CPZ, who I had great respect for when she was in the Senate, basically acknowledged that the city is reducing its appropriation by $50 million to put pressure on the state. I just don’t see how that’s gonna do anything but backfire. I went through some other aspects of the Trib story with subscribers earlier today, so I’ll just leave it at that. *** UPDATE 1 *** It’s actually worse than we thought…
*** UPDATE 2 *** At least they finally got the message. Maybe they can figure out an actual ask by next May… 
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Sorry, not buying it
Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * The Wisconsin-based PAC referenced here, McHenry County Citizens for Lower Taxes, was funded solely by Republican congressional candidate Catalina Lauf…
* School board president Andy Bittman received the most money from the PAC. From the Northwest Herald story…
Wait. Let’s stop right there. According to a spokesperson for Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, the grant “has nothing to do with the internet.” * Back to the story…
Sure. Also, according to the secretary of state’s office, this round of grants is exempt from the state’s new law. Hey, they’re free to turn down the state money. But they do need to be called out on their “reasoning.” [Isabel Miller contributed to this post.]
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Best. Meteorologist. Ever.
Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Not only has Tom Skilling been perhaps the nation’s most influential TV meteorologist (he’s a god to Chicago’s agriculture exchange markets), he also comes across as a truly nice and decent man. I don’t think I speak only for myself when I say that while I’ve never met him, I feel like I know him and I really like him. Block Club Chicago…
* Tribune…
* Watch his announcement…
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Do The Right Thing – Extend The Tax Credit Scholarship
Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] If the General Assembly fails to take action to save the Tax Credit Scholarship Program, then over 9,500 students from low-income families will lose their scholarships, causing many to leave their best-fit schools. The kids who stand to lose opportunities are 20% Black and 30% Hispanic – proportions considerably higher than demographic populations in Illinois — and 100% of these students are from families with demonstrated financial need. Additionally, 26,000 more students from low-income and working-class families sit anxiously on the waitlist hoping to receive the same opportunities as some of their peers. This program is an investment in poverty reduction and economic acceleration, so lawmakers should do the right thing: Extend the Tax Credit Scholarship Program.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Open thread
Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * It’s Friday! How are y’all doing today?…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Illinois’ shortage of teachers have improved, John O’Connor from the AP writes…
- The report also revealed there are enough teachers in the state who could become principals. But those teachers are not distributed equally. - However, special education teachers and bilingual education are still declining. * Related stories… ∙ Capitol News Illinois: Illinois’ educator workforce weathered pandemic, but persistent issues remain ∙ Fox 32: Chicago-based nonprofit addresses Illinois teacher shortage with policy report * Isabel’s top picks… * Tribune | Illinois leaders tepid about more quick funding for Chicago’s migrant crisis: During an appearance with Gov. J.B. Pritzker, House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch said Chicago will not see a state grant for asylum-seekers in the fall veto session, when Springfield will have the option of designating additional funding for the fiscal year that ends June 30. That means the state might not provide more substantial financial help on migrants until legislators reconvene in the spring. * Tribune | Stuck in red tape: A Venezuelan migrant’s labyrinthine pursuit of the American dream for her US-born son: She had just received her son’s Social Security card, and was hoping to use it to apply for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. But, after waiting all day with her newborn, she was told she was at the wrong office. She needed to go somewhere else. Meanwhile, authorities still haven’t released her son’s birth certificate to her because she doesn’t have the right documents. “I’m really sad because if I want to bring Derick home, he needs a passport. And in order to get a passport, he needs his birth certificate,” she said in Spanish. “It’s all impossible.” * Sun-Times | ‘Karina’s Bill’ advocates aim to take guns from those accused of domestic violence : “I’m here today because two of my constituents, Karina Gonzalez and her daughter, were shot and killed just a few blocks away from my district office,” state Sen. Celina Villanueva, D-Chicago, said at a press conference Thursday. […] Currently, an order of protection revokes a person’s FOID card but “does nothing to get guns out of the hands of those causing harm,” said Amanda Pyron, executive director of the Network, a collection of domestic violence prevention groups. * Here’s the rest of your morning roundup… * WREX | Governor Pritzker announces paid trainee program for state’s tech workforces: Trainees will receive a minimum yearly salary of $54,000 from DoIT while learning in one of five high-need concentration areas. * Sun-Times | Crooked Bridgeport bank used these people’s CDs to fuel embezzlement scheme — ‘We were all victims,’ says woman, 83: Most depositors have gotten back all of their money from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., which paid $140 million to cover as much as $250,000 for each person on an account. But four dozen customers — including several who since have died — lost as much as $312,525 each because their accounts exceeded the FDIC’s insurance guarantee limit. * Shaw Local | A library grant tied to Illinois’ anti-book-ban law raises red flags for Huntley District 158 school board: Board President Andy Bittman, who called the law “political popcorn” at a Thursday evening board meeting, said he was concerned about the strings attached to the funding, particularly whether they would limit the district’s ability to restrict what students can access on the internet. * Illinois Times | Marijuana money mistakes: A member of the city’s staff called a few months ago to say a $40,000 grant that would have helped L&M Gymnastics & Kids Inc. expand would be withdrawn, she said. The reason given for the withdrawal, she said, was that the gymnastics school she and her husband, Leroy, have operated for 46 years – currently in rented space at 2717 S. 11th St. – hadn’t yet moved into the part of Springfield’s east side designated to benefit from the business grant program. * Sun-Times | What do recent Illinois corruption trials have in common? State Rep. Bob Rita as a witness.: Rita, D-Blue Island, hasn’t found out yet whether he’ll be asked to testify in a fourth trial — that of former Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan, who Rita said in one court appearance ruled through “fear and intimidation.” Unlike some witnesses in the trials, Rita has neither been charged with any crime nor compelled to testify under a grant of immunity from prosecution. He has been subpoenaed to testify at the request of federal prosecutors about the Illinois General Assembly’s inner workings and Madigan’s inner circle. * Tribune | Mayor Brandon Johnson and nearly every alderman will see pay hikes next year: At 2.24%, the across-the-board hike is a more modest bump than the 9.6% raise aldermen were able to accept at this time last year just before facing voters at the ballot box. Still, it also comes as the mayor and the council dig into a budget that attempts to close an estimated $538 million gap. * Crain’s | Johnson budget raises concern over fate of LaSalle Street plan: In total, the five selected projects requested $307 million in TIF money from the LaSalle Central TIF district, with one project, from Chicago-based Riverside Investment & Development at 135 S. LaSalle St., requesting a $115 million subsidy to deliver 430 apartments. But Johnson has not committed to LaSalle Street Reimagined. * WBEZ | Chicago is moving to an elected school board but half of voters aren’t aware, poll finds: About a half of eligible voters do not know Chicago Public Schools is on the precipice of electing school board members for the first time, according to a poll of eligible voters commissioned by Kids First Chicago, a nonprofit education advocacy organization. “Awareness is not extremely high, even among parents who had kids in public schools,” said José Pacas, chief of data science and research for Kids First. * Crain’s | Stellantis chooses Indiana over Michigan for EV battery plant — again: The companies announced Wednesday that their joint venture StarPlus Energy would invest $3.2 billion to co-locate a new battery plant with one under construction. Combined, the plants come with $6.3 billion in investment, 2,800 new jobs and 67 gigawatt hours of capacity. * Tribune | A suburban Chicago insurance agent won a contest 40 years ago to make the first commercial cellular call. He’s still on the phone: “This was part of my 15 minutes of fame,” said Meilahn, 74. “Everybody thought it was really a neat novelty that I became the first cellular phone call. But it wasn’t as important the first year as it is today. It’s just part of every person’s life.” * Sun-Times | Tom Skilling, longtime WGN weather forecaster, to retire in February: “If you had told young Tom Skilling that he would go on to have a career in weather spanning seven decades, working in Chicago, with some truly wonderful people, I think he would be overjoyed,” Skilling said in a statement. “And that’s how I feel today. Overjoyed at the colleagues I’ve worked with, the viewers I’ve met, the stories I’ve covered. Overjoyed and grateful. I wouldn’t trade a single minute of it for anything.” * Block Club | Open House Chicago Returns This Weekend With 33 New Sites: This year’s festival spans over 20 neighborhoods across the city. More than 30 newly added sites include the family home and birthplace of Walt Disney, a cottage in Hermosa built by the entertainment tycoon’s father in 1893. * Tribune | 26 marathon runner couples tie the knot: Runner couples get married at the Wrigley Building in River North on Oct. 7, 2023, the day before the 2023 Chicago Marathon. The 26 couples who wed agreed that at least one person of each pair would run the Chicago Marathon. * Sun-Times | Jeannine M. Baker, matriarch of Chicago blues dynasty, longtime IRS manager, dies at 82: “She was the glue. She held it down when my dad was on the road. She was sweet, but tough, and pushed all of us to be better,” Ronnie Baker Brooks said. * The Petersburg Observer | The shoebox saga lives on: October 10 marked the anniversary of the sudden passing of Illinois Secretary of State Paul Powell, which sparked one of the biggest scandals in state political history. Three days after his death on Oct. 10, 1970, over $800,000 in cash was discovered in his Springfield hotel room and office, some of it stuffed in a shoebox. The infamous shoebox has since become symbolic of the sordid political history of Illinois, and begs the question of where the money came from – which has never been completely answered.
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Live coverage
Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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