Afternoon roundup
Monday, Feb 27, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
When the whistle blows at the Belvidere Assembly Plant on Tuesday, it may signal the end of an era.
For nearly six decades, the massive auto plant has been the economic engine of the small river city near Rockford, churning out everything from the Plymouth Fury and the Chrysler New Yorker to the Dodge Dart.
But after several years of downsizing and dwindling demand for its current product, the Jeep Cherokee, Stellantis is idling the plant “indefinitely,” laying off the last 1,200 workers and perhaps closing it for good.
Statement from the Pritzker administration…
Illinois is focused on supporting workers impacted by the plant’s idling and has been on the ground providing workshops and support services to furloughed workers since receiving notification of the company’s plans in December 2022. In partnership with local leaders, community colleges and workforce partners, the State continues to work diligently to ensure impacted workers have the support they need. At the same time, Illinois continues to work closely with Stellantis as the company works to identify opportunities to repurpose the Belvidere facility to adapt to changes in the automotive market. REV Illinois and the closing fund, combined with our top-ranked infrastructure, abundant workforce and investments in statewide training, make Illinois a turn-key choice for any large company in the clean energy sector.
Not looking good.
* Pew…
Nationwide and in 32 states as of the end of the second quarter of 2022, cumulative tax receipts since the pandemic’s start, adjusted for inflation, were even higher than they would have been if pre-COVID growth trends had continued—despite fallout from the pandemic and a two-month recession. According to Pew estimates, New Mexico led all states, with 17.1% more cumulative tax revenue than it would have collected under its pre-pandemic growth rate. Idaho was second at 16.7% above the trend. Nationally, combined tax revenue at the end of the second quarter of 2022 was 4% above estimates of what might have been collected had the pandemic not occurred.
However, estimates also show that cumulative tax revenue fell short of its pre-COVID growth trend in slightly more than a third of states since the pandemic’s onset. This suggests less extraordinary growth than the recent spate of budget surpluses and the scale and scope of enacted tax cuts might otherwise indicate.
Illinois in orange compared to all 50 states in blue and Ohio in green…
Click here to do your own comparisons.
* Tribune…
The Illinois Supreme Court should reject a “grab-bag of constitutional theories” put forward by prosecutors across the state who are challenging a measure that would eliminate cash bail, the attorney general’s office argued in a final appeal brief filed Monday. […]
The brief said the high court has “no persuasive reason” to side with the prosecutors, and argued that their position would “effectively bar the General Assembly from ever reforming pretrial procedures in the State.” […]
“The clause by its plain language guarantees rights only to crime victims; it cannot reasonably be read to require a system of monetary bail,” the brief said, “and it is easily squared with the pretrial release provisions, which at multiple stages require courts to consider crime victims in making release decisions.”
* Crain’s…
The practice of considering environmental, social and governance, or ESG, risk has gained mainstream traction over the past two decades — in some quarters, it’s almost routine. Is it wise to invest in an oil and gas producer if the market is shifting away from fossil fuels, or in a company that has a record of sexual harassment complaints?
Some Republican officials have decided, however, that they’ve had it with what they call “woke” investing. A dozen states have enacted bills or issued advisories restricting ESG investing for public pension funds and other public money. Other states are considering similar measures.
Florida’s hard-line conservative Gov. Ron DeSantis led a resolution to bar state pension funds from considering ESG factors, and the state pulled about $2 billion in assets managed by investment giant BlackRock, an advocate of socially conscious investing. Texas blacklisted BlackRock and other financial firms it determined divested stocks of fossil fuel companies.
The backlash worries asset owners and managers in Illinois and other blue states. Why would anyone limit the considerations that go into selecting a sound investment strategy, they ask. That could potentially depress the returns of the pension funds or deprive the fund of a superior return because it’s unwilling to consider factors that impact long-term viability.
* Injustice Watch…
Illinois’ state child welfare agency for years has been illegally blocking undocumented survivors of child abuse from seeking a special visa for crime victims that would allow them to remain in the United States, an Injustice Watch investigation has found.
Since 2019, state law has required the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and all law enforcement agencies to make a decision within 90 business days on whether undocumented immigrant applicants who have been victims of certain crimes and are applying for a type of permanent visa called a “U visa” are eligible.
That visa program was set up to help law enforcement gain the trust of undocumented immigrants who might otherwise be reluctant to come forward.
But records show that DCFS so far has taken more than four years to establish a process to review the applications, potentially denying hundreds of families a chance at legal immigration status and keeping others from even trying.
Full statement from DCFS…
The safety, health and welfare of our children are the primary concern of DCFS. The Department has received 7 requests for certification since January 1, 2019 and has signed one certification. The Department has designated a point of contact to review U Visa requests and established a specific email address for individuals to submit a certification form request. The Department is committed to further developing this process to assist individuals who may be eligible for a U Visa. The Department will also reevaluate those requests that were previously submitted to determine whether the requests for a certification can be granted.
* Ralph Martire on the proposed state budget…
However, many of the structural fiscal flaws that created years of deficits remain in place. Which means Illinois decision-makers have the rare opportunity to thoughtfully consider reforming the state’s fiscal system, with an eye toward building the capacity needed to sustain investments in core services over the long haul, rather than just dig out of the crisis du jour. Bottom line: the Pritzker administration should be commended for its responsible stewardship, but there’s still work to do.
…Adding… Illinois Policy Institute sending text messages attacking Brandon Johnson and CTU…
* Isabel’s roundup…
* Inside Climate | Illinois Put a Stop to Local Governments’ Ability to Kill Solar and Wind Projects. Will Other Midwestern States Follow?: Now, officials from places that had restricted development of renewables projects—like Ford County, located in the rural area between Chicago and Champaign-Urbana—are livid about what they view as a power grab by majority Democrats.
* The Grio | White House to meet with historic five Black speakers of state legislatures: Julie Chavez Rodriguez, director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, and Domestic Policy Advisor Susan Rice will welcome Speaker Chris Welch of Illinois, Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross of Maine, Speaker Adrienne Jones of Maryland, Speaker Joe Tate of Michigan and Speaker Carl Heastie of New York.
* NYT | Indian Americans Rapidly Climbing Political Ranks: In retrospect, the watershed appears to have been 2016, just after then-Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana became the first Indian American to run for president. That was also the year Representatives Pramila Jayapal of Washington, Ro Khanna of California and Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois were elected, bringing the number of Indian Americans in the House from one — Representative Ami Bera of California, elected in 2012 — to four. It was also the year Kamala Harris became the first Indian American elected to the Senate.
* CNN | 12 blue states sue FDA, saying it’s too strict in limiting abortion drugs as legal battle over mifepristone heats up: The suit is a possible hedge by states waiting to see how a federal judge in Texas rules in a lawsuit brought by anti-abortion groups seeking to block the FDA’s approval of mifepristone altogether. Conflicting rulings could mean the Supreme Court is asked to sort out the issue.
* Reuters | Dow said it was recycling our shoes. We found them at an Indonesian flea market: U.S. petrochemicals giant Dow Inc and the Singapore government said they were transforming old sneakers into playgrounds and running tracks. Reuters put that promise to the test by planting hidden trackers inside 11 pairs of donated shoes. Most got exported instead.
* Chicago stuff from Isabel…
* Block Club | South Siders Organizing To Help New Migrant Neighbors At School-Turned-Shelter: ‘Woodlawn Is A Welcoming Community’: The short-notice rollout of the Wadsworth School shelter was met with fierce backlash. But neighbors organizing to help the migrants said “it doesn’t have to be an ‘us versus them.’”
* Sun-Times | At final rally, Mayor Lori Lightfoot revs up crucial backers: Black women: Lori Lightfoot ran a longshot race in 2019. This time round, the stakes are higher, and her support from Black women is crucial for her re-election to a second term.
* Tribune | Chicago mayor candidates in final push for every last vote: ‘Don’t stand on the sidelines’: Early voting turnouts suggest interest in the race is relatively high, exceeding both the 2019 and 2015 races. Early vote turnout is the highest in wards known for dense populations of city workers: the 19th Ward on the far South Side, the 41st and 38th on the far Northwest, the 13th on the Southwest Side, and the 11th, centered around Bridgeport and Chinatown.
* Politico | The 9-person stage drama in Chicago that won’t end on Election Day: “It’s possible that somebody gets into the runoff again with less than 20 percent of the vote,” Mixon, the Urban Studies Program director at the school, said. “It’s not the best way to elect people. The whole idea was to get machine politics out of elections but going to ranked-choice voting would be a better idea. We’d save a ton of money and avoid a runoff.”
* Block Club | Older Voters Are Leading The Way In Early Voting For Tuesday’s Election: And so far, it’s older voters who are rushing to the ballot box. Among various age groups, voters 65-74 years old have had the highest turnout, making up 23.42 percent of voters so far, according to an elections board news release. Chicagoans 55-64 are next, making up 18.94 percent of voters.
* Tribune | Ald. Jeanette Taylor aims to fend off rivals to her 20th Ward seat: Four years ago, community activists Jeanette Taylor, Jennifer Maddox and Andre Smith were among a crowded field of candidates vying for the 20th Ward City Council seat, which was vacant following a string of corruption scandals. Now the three are in a rematch for the position. Only this time, Taylor — who easily topped the first-round vote in 2019 and went on to win the seat — brings the benefits of incumbency but also a record to defend.
* CBS Chicago | Candidates for 1st Ward alderperson talk crime, affordability, transparency: Incumbent Daniel La Spata, Attorney Sam Royko and Community Activist Stephen “Andy” Schneider sat down with CBS2 to discuss their positions on issues such as crime and gentrification. Twice, we had an interview set up with former alderperson Proco “Joe” Moreno but ultimately, he answered our questions via email.
* Block Club | O’Hare Travelers Won’t Be Able To Get An Uber Or Lyft From Terminal 5 Starting Monday: Taxi and black car pick-ups will still be available at all terminals, the city said. Lyft riders taking Lux Black and Lux Black XL cars also can still use Terminal 5, Lyft spokesperson Katie Kim said.
* Tribune | Candidates for 19th Ward on the Southwest Side stake out positions on the left, right and the middle: On the right in the 19th Ward race, Fraternal Order of Police-backed former Chicago police Sgt. Mike Cummings is hammering O’Shea, saying he has failed to support cops and take the steps necessary to make area residents and business owners feel safe. And on the left, computer consultant Tim Noonan argues the ward is far more racially, economically and politically diverse than O’Shea and other Southwest Side Democratic machine politicians in charge over the decades have accepted.
* WGN | From Bessie Coleman to the Tuskegee Airmen, African-American aviation history took off in Chicago: A century ago, Americans were fascinated by the new spirit of aviation. And nowhere was this more the case than among the Black community in Chicago. From newspaper reports to aviation schools, many African-Americans saw potential in the freedom of the skies. Unfortunately, the segregation of the times would limit opportunity until WWII created a new chance for Black aviators to prove themselves.
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It’s just a bill
Monday, Feb 27, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Pluribus News…
California enacted the Coogan Act in 1939 to protect child actors. In 2023, state lawmakers in Illinois and Washington State want to protect the children of vloggers — parents who document their lives on video and share it to platforms such as YouTube and TikTok to earn money.
Like the Coogan Act, named after child actor Jackie Coogan of Charlie Chaplin fame, the vlogger bills introduced in both states would require that parents carve off a portion of their earnings for their children. The measures would also give the children of vloggers the right, when they turn 18, to request that video of them be taken offline. […]
While the Washington bill appears dead for now, a virtually identical bill in Illinois, sponsored by Sens. David Koehler (D) and Linda Holmes (D), is still in play.
Koehler said he got the idea from a 15-year-old constituent who contacted his office concerned about the potential for youth who grow up in a vlogging household to be exploited. The bill is modeled on the Washington legislation.
* ABC Chicago…
Since the I-Team first reported on xylazine earlier this month, it has quickly become labeled around the world as the “zombie drug.” The animal tranquilizer, not intended for human use, can cause a stupor-like state and produce raw, open wounds in chronic users. […]
Illinois legislation introduced this month in the Senate would outlaw the manufacturer, delivery or possession of the animal tranquilizer for human use.
However, even laws don’t address the humanity Dr. Poorman said is needed.
“People who use drugs are people who deserve our compassion and love, and that is the only way they are going to get better. If you instead say, you know, they’re the scourge of the earth and we just got to stop, you know, drug use at whatever cost, then the consequence of that is clear. And we’re seeing that right now with the worst overdose crisis in American history,” Dr. Poorman said.
* WGN…
Illinois State Representative Rita Mayfield is sponsoring House Bill1049 which will prevent insurance companies from discriminating against breeds or certain mixes regarding homeowners or renters insurance. And her bill will also prevent landlords or HOA’s from discriminating against certain dog breeds or dogs of a certain size.
* Rep. Barbara Hernandez…
Amends the State Commemorative Dates Act. Provides that the second Monday in October of each year (currently, the last Monday in September) shall be a holiday to be known as Indigenous Peoples Day to be observed throughout the State (currently, not a holiday). Removes Columbus Day as a holiday and a commemorative date. Amends the Election Code, the Illinois Procurement Code, the School Code, and the Promissory Note and Bank Holiday Act to make changes to provide for Indigenous Peoples Day as a State holiday and the removal of Columbus Day as a State holiday. Makes conforming changes.
* WCCU…
State Senator Neil Anderson, (R) IL 47th, reintroduced Senate Bill 2106, and State Senator Andrew Chesney, (R) IL 45th, has since co-sponsored the bill.
The bill would mandate any member of the General Assembly who wants to introduce a bill “pertaining to a firearm” to complete firearm training requirements under the Firearm Concealed Carry Act, range safety officer training, and a basic knowledge test of firearms.
Chesney says that their goal with this bill is to have those from a different perspective understand what they are trying to regulate.
“What we’ve seen when it involves second amendment regulations is that those that are proposing this don’t normally have the training to regulate it,” said Chesney. “So you start to see things that in our view are unconstitutional and maybe out of step with perhaps how the majority of people feel on the particular topic.”
* Rep. Maura Hirschauer‘s HB3238…
Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that, with certain exceptions, it is unlawful for any person within the State to knowingly manufacture, deliver, sell, import, or purchase or cause to be manufactured, delivered, sold, imported, or purchased by another, an armor plate, body armor, or military helmet. Provides that, with certain exceptions, beginning January 1, 2024, it is unlawful for any person within this State to knowingly possess an armor plate, body armor, or military helmet.
Provides that this provision does not apply to a person’s possession of an armor plate, body armor, or military helmet if the person lawfully possessed that armor plate, body armor, or military helmet prohibited by this provision, if the person has provided in an endorsement affidavit, within 6 months after the effective date of the amendatory Act, under oath or affirmation and in the form and manner prescribed by the Illinois State Police: (1) an affirmation that the affiant: (i) possessed an armor plate, body armor, or military helmet before the effective date of the amendatory Act; or (ii) inherited the armor plate, body armor, or military helmet from a person with an endorsement or from a person authorized to possess the armor plate, body armor, or military helmet possessed by the affiant prior to the effective date of the amendatory Act. Provides exemptions. Provides that a violation of these provisions is a Class A misdemeanor for a first offense and a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent offense.
* WQAD…
Illinois State Senator Win Stoller (R) from District 37 is speaking out against Governor J.B. Pritzker’s recently announced child care plan. […]
Stoller agreed that child care is a huge issue that needs addressing, but is concerned because it would be another new program to fund.
“When we look at the things that we could or should be spending money on, we still have K-12 education, we have higher education, healthcare - we gotta be making sure we’re taking care of that,” Stoller said. […]
Stoller recently announced support for Senate Bill 2200 which would give $200 million in rebates to Illinois energy customers affected by increased power bills.
The senator also voiced concerns over the state’s energy production. He is supporting Senate Bill 1548 which would reduce regulations from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.
* SB0085…
Creates the State Beverage Container Recycling Refunds Act. Establishes the Distributor and Importer Responsibility Organization to implement a beverage container recycling redemption refund program to issue redemption refunds to consumers for beverage containers. Provides avenues for redeeming refunds under the Act. Contains labeling requirements. Sets forth performance targets for the Organization. Contains reporting requirements. Requires the Organization to establish an Operations Advisory Committee and an Equity and Access Advisory Committee. Contains provisions concerning reimbursement, enforcement, and administration and other provisions.
* Press release…
Illinois Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza stood with law enforcement and area leaders at Romeoville’s Village Hall Monday seeking support for a bill to ensure timely payments for the families of law enforcement officers, members of the armed forces, firemen, paramedics and other first responders killed in the line of duty.
SB 217/HB 3388 aims to ensure a continuing line of appropriation so that there is no delay for the families.
“Going back to the police memorial this past spring, I was approached by the family of fallen Officer Brian Pierce. Tammy and Brian Pierce asked me for my help in checking on the award payments afforded to families of first responders who die in the line of duty,” Comptroller Mendoza said.
Currently, the Line of Duty Compensation Act provides for a death benefit for claims filed within one year of the death of a law enforcement officer, civil defense worker, civil air patrol member, paramedic, fireman, chaplain, or State employee killed in the line of duty or for claims filed within two years of the death of an armed-forces member. The Line of Duty Compensation Act also provides a burial benefit for fallen law enforcement and firefighters killed in the line of duty.
The total number of claims for the Fiscal Year 2022 was 26, which was 13 more claims than had been budgeted for.
While waiting for the approval of supplemental appropriations, Brian Pierce Jr.’s family was delayed in receiving their son’s line of duty death benefit because of a lack of appropriation authority. Upon further meetings with the family to hear out their concerns, Comptroller Mendoza pledged to help change the way these funds are appropriated.
“I really knew I had to fix this from ever happening again. That is why I’ve asked State Rep. Dave Vella and Sen. Chris Belt to introduce legislation, House Bill 3388 and Senate Bill 217, that would allow these vouchers to come to my office so that I can pay them without any delay,” said Comptroller Mendoza.
“Every day I’m reminded, and I see the amazing heroicness, generosity and compassion people have, and we should share it back to them,” Romeoville Mayor John Noak said about first responders.
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Question of the day
Monday, Feb 27, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sen. Sue Rezin in Crain’s…
As Illinois families and businesses continue to struggle with tightening budgets, lawmakers must prioritize reducing energy costs. There are many factors that play into price increases, including global markets, economic pressures and restrictions of production. However, there is something we can do right now to lower costs — eliminate the state’s arbitrary moratorium that has been restricting the construction of new nuclear power plants for over 35 years.
Illinois is one of just 12 states with such a restriction on the construction of new nuclear power facilities. This restriction has remained in place even though our state has more nuclear power reactors than any other state, which have efficiently and safely produced carbon-free electricity for Illinois residents for roughly four decades. […]
This is why for the past two years I have filed legislation that would delete the language from our books that prohibits construction on any new nuclear power plants, and have advocated that our state take a long and serious look at emerging advanced small modular reactors (SMRs) or so-called “micro nukes.”
“Micro nukes” are small reactors that can be located in small factories, or even inside already existing legacy coal-fired power plants that are scheduled to be decommissioned under Illinois’ Climate & Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA). An important factor is that these smaller nuclear reactors can be placed in pre-existing coal-fired power plants, which means we wouldn’t have to spend as much time and money building new infrastructure as we currently have to for new renewable projects.
* From the US Energy Department…
Advanced Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are a key part of the Department’s goal to develop safe, clean, and affordable nuclear power options. The advanced SMRs currently under development in the United States represent a variety of sizes, technology options, capabilities, and deployment scenarios. These advanced reactors, envisioned to vary in size from tens of megawatts up to hundreds of megawatts, can be used for power generation, process heat, desalination, or other industrial uses. SMR designs may employ light water as a coolant or other non-light water coolants such as a gas, liquid metal, or molten salt.
Advanced SMRs offer many advantages, such as relatively small physical footprints, reduced capital investment, ability to be sited in locations not possible for larger nuclear plants, and provisions for incremental power additions. SMRs also offer distinct safeguards, security and nonproliferation advantages.
* Stanford…
“Our results show that most small modular reactor designs will actually increase the volume of nuclear waste in need of management and disposal, by factors of 2 to 30 for the reactors in our case study,” said study lead author Lindsay Krall, a former MacArthur Postdoctoral Fellow at Stanford University’s Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC). “These findings stand in sharp contrast to the cost and waste reduction benefits that advocates have claimed for advanced nuclear technologies.”
* Environmental Working Group…
There is no realistic prospect that SMRs can make a significant dent in the need to transition rapidly to a carbon-free electricity system. The prospects of timely contributions by even the light water designs, with NuScale being the most advanced in schedule, are dismal. The prospects for reactors of other designs, like those with graphite fuels or sodium cooling, are even more so.
It will be a tough road for SMRs to achieve cost parity with large reactors. And that cost will still be far too high.
* The Question: Should Illinois at least partially lift its no-nuke construction ban to accommodate small modular reactors? Make sure to explain your answer. Thanks.
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Pollapalooza
Monday, Feb 27, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* WTTW…
A new nonpartisan poll from Northwestern University’s Center for the Study of Diversity and Democracy found that among Black voters, crime, cost of living and police accountability are the top concerns when voting for the next mayor of Chicago. The same survey found the vast majority of likely Black voters support more funding for youth programs, more affordable housing and increased funding for all public schools.
Center Square…
Two out of every three voters are dissatisfied with Chicago’s public education system, and some 62% of them support school choice, a new Illinois Policy Institute poll finds.
* Out of a sample size of 1,458…
Then again, according to Frank Calabrese, the 19th Ward now has as many mail and early votes as 12, 14, 15, 22, 28 and 31…
* Illinois is at 70 percent…
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* ALPLM press release…
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (ALPLM) and Google Public Sector today announced plans to digitally transform the visitor experience at the presidential museum, based in Springfield, Ill. The collaboration will use artificial intelligence, extended reality (XR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies hosted on Google Cloud to create accessible, engaging, and interactive experiences for visitors.
ALPLM, which opened to the public in 2005, welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. With this partnership, the museum will use XR to provide additional layers of information about museum exhibits, let visitors choose which topics to explore further, and provide information in languages and formats accessible to more people.
The museum will also explore the possibilities of features like interactive audio-visual guides and video content around displayed artifacts. Google Cloud’s Immersive Stream for XR could also enable an immersive, gamified, and photorealistic experience for the museum’s visitors.
To create more inclusive experiences for museum visitors and digital audiences, ALPLM and Google Public Sector will also create assisted visual guides for people with disabilities and multilingual content for non-English speaking guests. A navigation guide, mapped in AR, could bring historical characters to life, and enable a more accessible user-journey.
Christina Shutt, executive director, ALPLM, said, “The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum pioneered the use of new technology and storytelling tools to bring history to life. We have helped more than five million people connect with Lincoln’s legacy. With Google’s help, we will again bring cutting-edge technology to the museum to share the Lincoln story with more people in more ways.”
Brent Mitchell, managing director, Google Public Sector, U.S. State and Local Government said, “We are proud to partner with ALPLM and help with its mission of bringing American history to life for millions of visitors. Technology has the power to tell stories in fresh, immersive ways, and we look forward to co-creating new digital experiences with ALPLM.”
The first phase of this collaboration will include the implementation of a pilot project, exploring possibilities to build digital experiences for ALPLM. The following phases will involve delivery of advanced experiences like 3D avatars, experiential history lessons and virtual tours, available on ALPLM’s digital platforms.
The Google Cloud Platform’s IaaS and PaaS layers will be the foundation for building and delivering these experiences, giving ALPLM scalability, flexibility and cost benefits. Google Cloud partner Thoughtworks will work with Google Professional Services to deliver this transformation for ALPLM.
* Meanwhile, here’s another Lincoln-related press release…
Like most middle-class women of her time, Mary Lincoln relied on hired help to manage her household. These women worked and sometimes lived in her house, cleaning, cooking, and caring for the children alongside her.
Who were these women? What were their duties? What was their experience like within the household? What were the Lincolns experiences living and working intimately with a cross-section of society that they might never have encountered otherwise?
Anne E. Moseley, the University of Illinois at Springfield’s Sangamon Experience Director and Curator, will examine the nature of domestic service in the Lincoln household in Springfield, Illinois, to attempt to answer these questions by drawing on letters, reminiscences, and county records. In doing so, this program aspires not only to establish a social and cultural context for the Lincolns’ experience but to flesh out the experiences of working-class women who are often on the margins or outright invisible to history.
Viewers can watch and participate in this free, live, online program on this topic entitled ‘Maid of All Work’ on Wednesday, March 1, 2023 at 7 pm on the Looking for Lincoln YouTube and Facebook video channels. Questions can be submitted by viewers during the event. Reservations are not required, and there is no cost to view the program.
“Mr. Lincoln gave [me] an extra dollar each week on condition that she would brave whatever storms might arise, and suffer whatever might arise, and suffer whatever might befall her, without complaint.” -Miss. Mary Johnson
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* My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
Gov. J.B. Pritzker told reporters a few weeks ago that he was concerned about some local school and library board races.
“There are organizations that are anti-LGBTQ, that are racist, they’re anti Muslim, that are supporting candidates for these local boards. And they’re trying to take over at a local level and build up candidates at the local level that they can then run for the state legislature and for other offices.”
Far-right groups like Awake Illinois morphed from fighting school-based COVID mitigations into battling so-called “woke” ideas like Critical Race Theory (which isn’t taught anywhere), sex education and local drag queen story-reading. The group once referred to Pritzker as a “groomer.”
Awake Illinois claimed last week that they’ve identified more than 70 candidates, although the group’s political committee reported having just $100 in cash in January and it often grossly exaggerates its real-life prowess.
But the environment out there is hot right now, with national activists like Charlie Kirk holding local events and stirring up passions. The Illinois Policy Institute has a private “Parents Union” Facebook group that focuses on school board elections and sharing information and ginning people up as much as possible.
Local Republican Party organizations are also jumping into races, including in McLean County, which has become a hotbed of radicalization. Palatine’s high school district is also attracting local GOP assistance, where some residents are up in arms about the local school board adopting sex education standards. “Together we can gain a majority on the board and put a stop to the sexualization of children in our schools,” read one recent door-hanger.
When told of local Republican Party support for some of these candidates and asked what he intended to do about it, Pritzker said, “We are supporting candidates that are standing up for freedom.” But with an April 4 election date looming, that plan hadn’t yet been in plain sight.
The plan is now coming into more focus. The Democratic Party of Illinois began by initially looking at 400-some races and then identifying more than 100 what they call “fringe” candidates in 60 different school board districts. All of those districts and most of those candidates will be targeted in what party officials say will be a “robust” campaign.
“It’s going to be very much a voter education program,” explained a Democratic Party of Illinois official. The state party will be “shedding light on the fact that there are candidates supported by these national extremist groups that are on their ballot.”
“We want to make investments that actually have some real effect at spreading the word about these extremist candidates,” the official said.
The party’s preferred candidates will receive on-the-ground help, like “cutting turf” for door-to-door canvassers. But they’ll also receive assistance with their messaging, plus the state party will sponsor or help with direct mail and digital ads, as well as opposition research.
The state party has been working on this plan for weeks and has reached out to local county parties, state central committeepersons, grassroots groups and unions (mainly the teachers unions and AFSCME), not only for help with candidates and identifying the radicals, but also with knowledge of important issues in the targeted districts.
These races are not partisan in the traditional sense because candidates often run on local slates. So, mailers paid for by the Democratic Party of Illinois could generate a backlash. But DPI is saying that they’ll mainly be communicating “to a base audience” of fellow Democrats. The party also says they’ll be deferring to local “partners” on “where to be involved louder than other areas.”
“A lot of these people, this was their first time running for office,” the party official said. While some have political experience, they are “looking for some guidance on how to structure their campaign, what kind of timeline to follow, how to target voters. So, we’re providing them with that sort of campaign expertise.”
Without intervention, the party official said, “We could easily see ourselves electing numerous extremist folks to these positions that have a ton of power.”
“Our values are on the line,” the official claimed.
This is an unprecedented move, but perhaps we’re in unprecedented times. And it’s exactly the sort of thing the governor has been saying for years that the state party should be focusing on: Building the party up from the bottom and focusing resources on much more than legislative and statewide contests.
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Open thread
Monday, Feb 27, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* I hope y’all had a relaxing weekend! What’s going on? Keep it Illinois-centric please…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Monday, Feb 27, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Here you go…
* Tribune | Jeep plant idling Tuesday will cost 1,200 jobs. Some residents fear it may turn Belvidere from an auto town into a ghost town: For nearly six decades, the massive auto plant has been the economic engine of the small river city near Rockford, churning out everything from the Plymouth Fury and the Chrysler New Yorker to the Dodge Dart. But after several years of downsizing and dwindling demand for its current product, the Jeep Cherokee, Stellantis is idling the plant “indefinitely,” laying off the last 1,200 workers and perhaps closing it for good.
* Sun-Times | DCFS blocking undocumented survivors of child abuse from applying for visas allowing them to stay in U.S.: The Illinois child-welfare agency for years has refused to issue “U visa” certifications to survivors of child abuse despite a law mandating that it must decide whether they qualify within 90 business days after they apply.
* Tribune | A battle simmers in Illinois over plans to pipe in and store millions of tons of planet-warming carbon dioxide underground: But as the fight over Navigator CO2’s pipeline illustrates, battle lines are being drawn, with opponents questioning carbon capture’s very reason for being — its real-world effectiveness in reducing greenhouse gases.
* Daily Herald | Longtime Bears lobbyist who secured Soldier Field financing now trying to do same at Arlington: Roger Bickel, a partner at Chicago-based Freeborn & Peters, is behind the Bears’ latest lobbying effort in Springfield as the NFL franchise seeks legislative approval for a massive property tax break at the 326-acre Arlington Park site it just purchased.
* Kane County Chronicle | In dueling letters, Democratic lawmakers, Kane sheriff trade accusations on police input for gun ban: In a letter “to the people of Kane County,” state Sens. Cristina Castro and Karina Villa joined state Reps. Anna Moeller, Martha Hirschauer and Barbara Hernandez in saying Hain was wrong when he said no law enforcement officers were involved in crafting the law.
* Center for Illinois Politics | Illinois’ Assault Weapons ban: From temporary restraining orders to multiple cases – we break it down: If you look at the text of the bill itself, you’ll notice it’s titled Insurance Code-Public Adjusters. Hmm? This is a prime example of the sausage-making process that often goes on in Springfield, when motivated legislators adopt a beat-the-clock mentality to get around the constitutional requirement of proposed legislation needing a certain number of readings. With just days to go in the January lame-duck session, Democratic Senators removed the components of a bill that had already passed the House, plugged in new language, passed the amended bill, and then sent it back to the House for what’s called concurrence, or final sign off.
* Crain’s Editorial | The table stakes in the EV poker game just got higher : Incentives are worth it if they build a base of decent jobs and renewed vitality to struggling communities — as opposed to, say, helping a professional football team build a new suburban playground — but the cost-benefit analysis is always the tough part. And any incentives deal must also hold the recipient responsible to meet the economic goals of the project and allow for transparency and accountability. But one thing is certain: In the state-by-state EV development poker game, the table stakes are getting higher.
* WBEZ | Chicago is expanding the types of 911 calls that get a mental health response: A pilot program under Mayor Lori Lightfoot aims to curb the police role. The program, Crisis Assistance Response and Engagement, is setting up mobile teams that include paramedics, mental-health clinicians and, in some cases, cops trained in crisis response. The teams aim to de-escalate crises and connect people to the care they need. Since the program’s September 2021 launch, CARE responses have not included any arrests or uses of force.
* Sun-Times | After pollution rules revised, two asphalt makers in lead for city work: Under revised rules, no single bidder can win contracts for more than two areas of the city so that asphalt production isn’t overwhelmingly affecting one neighborhood.
* Daily Herald | Former Arlington Park marketing chief appointed to racing board: Alyssa Ali Murphy, currently director of marketing for @properties, was chosen by Gov. J.B. Pritzker for a spot on the regulatory panel that provides oversight of the horse racing industry and the two remaining racetracks in the state: Hawthorne and Fairmount.
* Reuters | Union Pacific CEO to step down as hedge fund presses for change: The hedge fund said it had a “long-held view that current management is not capable of driving strong operating performance” and saw “a heightened risk of permanent damage to the franchise if left unaddressed.”
* News Week | Full List of Republicans Backing Matt Gaetz’s Resolution to End Ukraine Aid: Florida Representative Matt Gaetz is introducing a House resolution to end U.S. military and financial aid to Ukraine co-sponsored by 10 other House Republicans. … Rep. Mary Miller of Illinois
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Live coverage
Monday, Feb 27, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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* What this means is that brilliant legal mind Tom DeVore has almost assuredly been aced out. From Illinois Review…
On Tuesday, State Rep. Dan Caulkins, Gov. JB Pritzker and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul requested that the Illinois Supreme Court consolidate the three cases brought by former Republican AG candidate Thomas DeVore against Pritzker’s Assault Weapons Ban but keep their case out of it. [Yesterday], the Illinois Supreme Court did just that.
Rep. Caulkins’ lawsuit against the Assault Weapons Ban will proceed on its own in Macon County, with the parties having just filed cross-motions for summary judgment.
As Illinois Review previously reported, those early summary judgment motions are being made in a case having no record as the parties have declined to take any discovery.
DeVore’s three cases will proceed in Effingham County before Judge Joshua Morrison. DeVore has served numerous discovery requests on the defendants, which the defendants have declined to answer and have sought an extension of time to June in which to respond.
Regardless of the outcome of the cross-motions for summary judgment in Rep. Caulkins’ case, there is no doubt that the parties will appeal the outcome. In other words, the Illinois Supreme Court ultimately will be the one to decide whether summary judgment is proper at this early stage of the litigation.
As we’ve already discussed, a divided 5th District Appellate court has ruled that one of Tom DeVore’s counts is valid and the rest are not. The one argument the appellate court narrowly upheld was that the Illinois constitution has a right to bear arms. It’s now up to the Illinois Supreme Court to figure out where to go from there.
DeVore wants to subpoena witnesses and conduct discovery, which would hold things up for weeks and even months. Rep. Caulkins has a seasoned local lawyer who probably figured that discovery was not only unnecessary, since the appellate ruling essentially moves the case past the fact phase to the law phase, but also puts his clients at risk of discovery on themselves. In order to establish legal standing, the state would logically require that his clients disclose their names, addresses and make, model and serial numbers of their outlawed weapons. Such disclosure to the government is exactly what they’re fighting against. That DeVore would put his own plaintiffs in such a position is really weird.
Anyway, DeVore had asked that the Supreme Court stay any further rulings on Caulkins’ case while his consolidated cases proceeded, but the Supremes did not comply.
Attorney General Raoul had come to an agreement with Caulkins’ attorney on summary judgement in order to expedite matters. With DeVore stuck in Effingham and still insisting on discovery, Raoul has no incentive to make any such agreement with DeVore.
So, assuming the Macon County judge agrees next week and the Supreme Court takes the appeal, it’ll very likely be Dan Caulkins v. Pritzker at the top court instead of DeVore’s Darren Bailey v. Pritzker.
Heh.
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Afternoon roundup
Friday, Feb 24, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* This is an oddly worded story from Politico. The filing deadline for school board candidates was December 19th…
The state [Democratic] party is pushing to get more Democratic candidates on down-ballot school and library boards in an effort to push back at Republicans who are recruiting “extremist candidates” for those positions, Hardin said. “We aren’t going to let these extremist groups get away with pushing their agendas.”
Anyway, subscribers know much more and we may be talking about this again next week.
* Some people will complain about literally anything. Here’s Center Square…
Illinois’ credit rating got upgraded from worst in the country to tying with New Jersey for the worst. […]
Democrats have said they’ve managed the state’s finances without the billions of dollars in federal tax funds for COVID-19 relief. Truth In Accounting founder and CEO Sheila Weinberg sees it differently.
“The amount they borrowed from the federal reserve was paid down and some old bills were paid down so that’s the good news, but again, if you get $8 billion you can look pretty good,” Weinberg told The Center Square.
Weinberg notes credit rating agency ratings are not an indication of overall finances.
“It’s just the rating on the risk of whether the bonds will get paid,” she said. “The credit ratings are looking out for the bondholder and if they start running short to pay off the bonds then they’ll go to the taxpayers to pay those off. So the bondholders will get paid but the taxpayers are still on the hook.”
There has never been a time since our credit rating started sinking that the state was in danger of not making its bond payments. They’re first on the list by statute.
Take the win, for crying out loud. Also, for all the cheerleading that the Center Square bosses did for the previous guy’s fiscal armageddon that very nearly put us in junk bond status, maybe sit this one out.
* AG Raoul…
Attorney General Kwame Raoul, with 11 attorneys general, today filed a federal lawsuit against the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) accusing it of singling out one of the two drugs used for medication abortion for excessively burdensome regulations, despite ample evidence proving the drug is safe.
Of the more than 20,000 drugs approved by the FDA, only 60 — including mifepristone — fall under a unique set of restrictions known as Risk Evaluation & Mitigation Strategies (REMS). REMS restrictions typically apply to inherently dangerous drugs such as opioids like fentanyl and high-dose sedatives used by psychiatric patients – not to drugs like mifepristone which have been safely used for over two decades. In the lawsuit, Raoul and the coalition assert the restrictions on prescribing and dispensing mifepristone are burdensome, harmful, unnecessary, and expose providers and patients to unnecessary privacy and safety risks.
* I’m not yet a fan of ranked-choice voting, but how extreme do you have to be to object to it because you might have to rank a candidate last? From the Illinois Opportunity Project…
Why Ranked-Choice Voting Is Bad for Illinois Residents
The politicians and special interests in Chicago and Springfield want to control our elections and bring ranked-choice voting to Illinois. They want more power over who represents you and your family’s values.
Ranked-choice voting is meant to confuse residents and does not ensure that every vote counts.
Proponents of ranked-choice voting claim it is a more democratic system. What’s democratic about forcing you to rank a candidate that you have ZERO policy agreements to ensure your ballot doesn’t get thrown out? Yes, THROWN OUT.
* Daily Herald…
Like many other victims of scams, Patricia Ibarra of Carol Stream feels foolish for being taken.
She’s also ashamed of persuading friends and relatives to join her in investing in a cryptocurrency venture that promised investors returns of 15% to 20%.
Federal authorities now say the purported investment opportunity was really a Ponzi scheme that targeted Latinos.
Ibarra, who lost $27,000 through the scheme, spoke publicly Tuesday about her experience in hopes other victims will step forward to report their dealings with Texas-based CryptoFX LLC to law enforcement.
She was among than 60 people rallying in front of the DuPage County sheriff’s office urging Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin to pursue justice in their cases.
* LaGrange Park native and all-around cretin…
White nationalist Nick Fuentes claimed in 2021 that he was put on the TSA’s No Fly List as a victim of “overt political persecution.” Around the same time, he bragged that the federal government froze one of his bank accounts containing a sum in the “six figures” range.
But the 24-year-old Holocaust denier’s version of events doesn’t hold up to much scrutiny. […]
In court documents, first mentioned by the left-wing news site The Grayzone, the TSA reported they banned Fuentes from flying because he posed a safety risk to crew members and threatened to strangle flight attendants.
* Good news from Crain’s…
A major convention that hasn’t been held in Chicago since 2005 is coming back to McCormick Place, an important win for the city as the local meeting and trade show industry recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rotary International announced yesterday it will hold its 2030 annual international convention at the Near South Side convention center. The Evanston-based service organization’s five-day event is expected to draw more than 40,000 attendees to the city, according to tourism agency Choose Chicago.
* Isabel’s roundup…
* Chalkbeat | School funding, literacy, migrant students: Education issues to watch in the Illinois legislative session: Currently, school districts are allowed to provide either half-day or full-day kindergarten for young learners. Research shows when schools switched from a half-day to full-day program, more children enrolled and attendance improved. Under HB 2396, a bill currently assigned to the House’s Child Care Accessibility & Early Childhood Education Committee, school districts would be required to create full-day kindergarten beginning with the 2023-24 school year.
* Bloomberg | Gov. Pritzker on Jobs, Crime, Credit Upgrade: Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, talks about paying down debt, the state getting a credit upgrade, crime, and Citadel’s Ken Griffin moving his firm out of state.
* NBC Chicago | Illinois Investigating Drugmaker Akorn’s Abrupt Closure as Hundreds Suddenly Laid Off: State labor officials are investigating an Illinois-based pharmaceutical company’s decision to abruptly close all of its operations, including its out-of-state locations in New Jersey, New York and Switzerland, and to lay off hundreds of workers with almost no warning.
* Crain’s | Durbin, Duckworth lead call to pause rail merger after Ohio derailment: In the letter, addressed to Surface Transportation Board (STB) Chairman Martin Oberman — who also represented the 43rd Ward on Chicago’s City Council from 1975 through 1987 and served on Metra’s board — the four lawmakers say they’re seeking the delay to allow further review of what hazardous materials would be moved through the Chicago region and what safety protocols are in place for a derailment similar to the one that occurred in East Palastine, Ohio.
* WBEZ | Illinois governor lays out a roadmap for a ‘transformed’ youth mental health care system: Now, a fragmented, under-resourced system leaves many kids in crisis without enough support. A new report lays out 12 strategies to improve.
* Crain’s | As contract talks continue, Sun-Times union demands board seats: According to a statement from the guild, union members want Chicago Public Media to add four seats to its 25-member board and two to be added to the Chicago Sun-Times’ five-member board. The new members would be appointed by rank-and-file members of the guild. There are currently no working journalists on either board.
* Crain’s | Civic Federation names Sarah Wetmore as interim president: Wetmore’s 17-year tenure with the Civic Federation includes previously serving as a communication director, researcher and research director before being promoted to her current role in 2013. She was also president of the Governmental Research Association from 2020 to 2022.
* AP | US has a teacher shortage. HBCUs are helping to change that: HBCUs play an outsize role in producing teachers of color in the U.S., where only 7% of teachers are Black, compared with 15% of students. Of all Black teachers nationwide, nearly half are graduates of an HBCU.
* NBC Chicago | 20 Illinois Counties at Elevated COVID-19 Community Level as Cases Remain Stable: In the week ending on Feb. 19, Illinois health officials are reporting 11,248 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19, along with 37 deaths.
* WCIA | Illinois State Fair announces new theme days for 2023: Officials said some changes have been made from theme days in past years. County Fairs and Horse Racing Day will kick off the fair on Aug. 10 with gates opening at 7 a.m. The change will provide a full day of horse racing, county fair celebrations, free entertainment, carnival rides, access to fair food, traditional kick-off activities, and the annual Twilight Parade.
* Fortune | Bosses are designing ‘resimercial’ offices that look like your living room to get you back at your desk: Turns out free lunch, dog-friendly policies, and even personal assistants may not be enough to lure remote workers back to the office full-time—at least not voluntarily.
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* Daily Herald…
Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain said he is embarrassed to be a Democrat because of concerns about the state’s new ban on certain firearms. […]
On Wednesday, Hain told the county board’s legislative committee that several lawsuits and opposition from law enforcement could have been avoided if police had a meaningful spot at the table while lawmakers crafted the legislation.
He said it’s a recurring problem that includes the push for COVID crackdowns and the quagmire of the SAFE-T Act, which still is being revised with trailer bills.
“Please remember, I’m an elected Democrat,” Hain said. “I’m pro-no cash bail. If they want to ban any sort of weapon, whatever, we’ll enforce it. But our legislators here in Kane County, especially with the (Democratic) Party next to their names, do not listen to law enforcement. They refuse to communicate with us. They create legislation based on what they read on social media and knee-jerk reactions in the news. I’m tired of having to clean up the pieces and try to figure this out afterward. I’m embarrassed to have a D next to my name.”
* From Kane County Democratic Sens. Cristina Castro and Karina Villa, and Reps. Barbara Hernandez, Maura Hirschauer and Anna Moeller…
Gun violence is a uniquely American public health epidemic; while we know the remedies, public officials like Sheriff Ron Hain refuse to prescribe them. We are fighting every day for those remedies, so on one point we agree with what the Sheriff said in this Daily Herald headline: we are also embarrassed that Sheriff Hain has a “D” by his name.
The Protect Illinois Communities Act is not about politics, it is common sense public safety policy that will keep weapons of war out of neighborhoods and homes. It was publicly discussed at three subject matter hearings in December of 2022. If the Sheriff had cared to pay attention or check his facts he would have seen that several representatives from law enforcement spoke on the record in support of the bill at a hearing on December 20, 2022. But, much to the detriment of the people of Kane County, Sheriff Hain doesn’t care about facts, he prefers to spread misinformation and stoke the flames of controversy.
Families in our community have been loud and clear — enough is enough. There is nothing political about dropping your child off at school and fearing you may never see them again. No Kane County resident should feel unsafe celebrating at a parade, shopping at their local grocery store, or gathering in a park. Legislators in Illinois heeded the calls of our constituents and joined eight other states in banning the sale and possession of assault style weapons. We took action and we stand by our commitment to common sense gun safety.
Gun violence is a complex and multifaceted public health crisis and each piece of the puzzle deserves attention — from sustained investment in community violence intervention programs and, yes, mental health support, to job creation and addressing inequalities in our public schools. But for us to continue to pretend that the mass proliferation of guns isn’t the number one factor contributing to gun violence is to deny both basic common sense and empirical research in a way that is either embarrassingly naive or maliciously disingenuous. We do need a more comprehensive approach to mental health treatment, we need to expand access to opportunity, and we need to bridge political and cultural divides – but no serious approach to gun violence can ignore the ease of access to weapons of war.
Again, we ask Sheriff Hain to step back from public disputes and commit to working together on public safety policies that will benefit the people of Kane County. Our doors are always open for collaboration and he knows where to find us.
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That toddlin’ town roundup
Friday, Feb 24, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
…Adding… The dark money PAC New Leadership for Chicago has reported spending $135,500 on direct mail for Chuy Garcia. That means the group has spent almost all the $400K it has reported raising. It’s just one of several IE committees that are spending in the mayor’s race.
* Nice timing. Press release…
JOINT STATEMENT FROM MAYOR LORI E. LIGHTFOOT AND AFSCME COUNCIL 31 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ROBERTA LYNCH
“Today, we are pleased to announce that negotiators for the City and the union have reached a tentative agreement that will improve the economic security and working lives of thousands of Chicago’s dedicated frontline employees. These workers are critically important to our city and impact every major department of City government. We have all worked together diligently to ensure that their efforts to help keep our city moving forward are recognized and valued. Terms of the agreement will be released after union members have the opportunity to review and vote on its ratification.”
* Heckuva job, Chicago /s…
About one-third of the city’s election day polling places are fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act standards, according to new data.
A WBEZ analysis of new polling place accessibility ratings from the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners shows wide geographic disparities in access to ADA-compliant polling places.
In some wards, more than half of polling places fully meet ADA standards. In other wards, fewer than 20% of polling places are fully compliant. Voters in the 33rd Ward on the Northwest Side have just one fully accessible polling place. […]
In the 37th Ward, which covers parts of Austin and Humboldt Park, just 8% of polling places are fully compliant. Roughly two-thirds of its polling places in that ward are rated “low or no” for accessibility.
By my count, out of 380 precincts rated “low or no” accessibility, 141, or 37 percent, are in Black-majority wards. Black people make up 29 percent of the city’s population.
* Politico…
Mayoral candidate Paul Vallas is taking hits from all sides ahead of Tuesday’s municipal election. He has front-runner status, so it comes with the territory. Vallas is being criticized for his remarks on critical race theory, his social media actions and his latest TV ad.
About CRT: State Sen. Ram Villivalam called Vallas’ comments “the same racist talking points echoed by right-wing demagogues.” And state Rep. Theresa Mah says Vallas is “unfit” to be mayor and owes Chicagoans an apology.
What he said: In 2021, Vallas said, “For white parents, I mean, how are you going to discipline your child when your child comes home and your child has basically been told, you know, that their generation, their race, their parents, their grandparents they have discriminated against others and they have somehow victimized another person’s race.” via Wirepoints. […]
About his new ad: It touts Vallas’ support for the LGBTQ community. But Equality Illinois, LGBTQ Victory Fund and LPAC called the ad offensive, saying it is “a desperate attempt to cover up his anti-equality track record.” They want the ad taken down. Here’s the ad.
* WTTW…
The union representing Chicago Police Department officers paid to send a flyer to voters showcasing that Jessica “Jessie” Fuentes, who is running to represent the 26th Ward on the Chicago City Council, was arrested for battery in September 2008 as a 17-year-old.
The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 7’s political action committee made an in-kind contribution of approximately $10,000 to the campaign of Julian “Jumpin’” Perez, who used those funds to pay for the flyers, said Officer Michael Cosentino, field representative and political director for the union. […]
U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez, state Sen. Cristina Pacione-Zayas and state Rep. Lilian Jimenez, whose districts include the 26th Ward, accused Perez of “using tired Chicago-machine tactics of intimidation and threats.” […]
Perez is one of 26 City Council candidates endorsed by the police union as part of a push to defend its supporters on the City Council from challengers supported by progressive groups and to defeat their opponents.
Five candidates — Ald. Anthony Beale (9th Ward); Ald. Raymond Lopez (15th Ward); Ald. Samantha Nugent (39th Ward); Ald. Jim Gardiner (45th Ward) and 19th Ward candidate Michael Cummings, a police officer, jointly reported approximately $42,000 in contributions from the police union’s political action committee, according to records filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections.
* South Side Weekly…
Over the past few weeks, journalists affiliated with the Chicago Reader and The TRiiBE have been the targets of harassment campaigns on social media for their coverage of a Police District Council candidate and the shooting of a Black man by Paul Vallas’s son. In January, Jim Daley, a former Weekly editor and then-news editor at the Chicago Reader, published a story detailing racist, sexist, and homophobic comments made online and in group chats by Pericles “Perry” Abbasi, an election attorney for the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) and FOP-endorsed candidate for the 25th Police District Council. After the article’s publication, dozens of Abbasi’s supporters began harassing Daley on Twitter, with Abbasi retweeting the harassment.
Daley was hired by The TRiiBE in early February and reported a story on mayoral candidate Paul Vallas’s son being one of three cops who shot and killed a fleeing Black man in Texas last year. When the story was published, The TRiiBE was targeted for racist harassment on social media.
These harassment campaigns, which include threats of violence, make clear the importance of the work these journalists are doing as well as the imperative for fellow journalists to show support and solidarity. Reporting on the powerful always comes with risks, but that doesn’t mean we should accept them as inevitable or do nothing. To show your support, head over to The TRiiBE’s website, subscribe and donate.
* Some apparent landlord-tenant tension…
* Disqualifying?…
* Isabel’s roundup…
* Block Club | Mayor’s Race Could Be Too Close To Call On Election Night, With Mail-In Votes The Deciding Factor: An explosion in people voting by mail and a crowded field in the mayor’s race could leave races too close to call the night of, said Max Bever, spokesperson for the city’s election board.
* NBC Chicago | It’s Not Just the Mayoral Race on Chicago Ballots This Election Day. What Else to Expect: According to the Chicago Board of Elections, advisory referendums, such as the ones that will appear on select ballots on Feb. 28, are designed not to create or approve of laws, but rather “to solicit the opinion of voters on a question of public policy.”
* Sun-Times | Here’s how the 4 mayoral front-runners plan to make the runoff: If the vote total is close to the 556,758 mayoral ballots cast in 2019, the two hopefuls making the runoff are likely to get 20% each. But the four top-polling contenders each have a different formula to reach that benchmark.
* Paul Vallas | Paul’s Plan for Accountable and Transparent Government: Chicago’s chronic challenges – violent crime, burdensome taxes, structural deficits, crushing debt, underfunded pensions, inequitable development practices, empty community engagement and participation mechanisms, lack of transparency, lack of accountability, poor policy decision-making and poor public administration in the implementation of policy – are connected to its system of government.
* Triibe | How has Chicago’s Aldermanic Black Caucus been representing the community?: The CABC is on the brink of a major shakeup this election season, with six of its members either stepping down, retiring or challenging Mayor Lori Lightfoot for her seat. The TRiiBE produced an accountability dashboard that takes a look at the voting records of each Black alder, dating back to former Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s tenure. The dashboard is the first of its kind in Chicago.
* CBS Chicago | Mayoral candidates take lighter questions at forum at The Hideout: The candidates largely had serious answers as Kaufmann asked them what they were thinking in running for such a misery-inducing job as mayor. But a different side of the candidates came out when it came to “lightning rounds” about Chicago bands and iconic sports teams, among other subjects.
* Crain’s | Money and mud flow into the race for the 25th Ward: In recent days, the Get Stuff Done PAC, a business-backed group that says the city needs consensus-minded aldermen, has dropped just under $160,000 into ads and mailed flyers either bashing incumbent Byron Sigcho-Lopez and/or promoting his rival, public school principal Aida Flores.
* WBEZ | Does Chicago need a Black consensus candidate?: Black folk have never been a monolith, despite them being lumped as one community. In this mayoral race, ideas are varied. Candidates are different. Black voters have stark choices when they go to the polls on Feb. 28. The commonality is that they all paint themselves as different from incumbent Lori Lightfoot. The gospel of businessman Willie Wilson contrasts from young activist Ja’Mal Green. The politically active Chicago Teachers Union backs Brandon Johnson. State Rep. Kam Buckner centers the CTA in his platform. Sophia King and Roderick Sawyer — son of Eugene Sawyer — are giving up their city council seats to run for mayor.
* Block Club | Norfolk Southern Derailment Sent Toxic Fumes Into Ohio’s Air. Now, Chicago’s Englewood Neighbors Are Fighting To Keep Their Community Safe: The company has spent years expanding on the South Side, gearing up to run more freight traffic through a dense residential area shouldering decades of environmental burden.
* Sun-Times | Higher education can do more to help our city’s immigrants: It is hard to know whether we will see comprehensive immigration reform in our lifetimes, but there are steps that higher-ed can take, right here and now, to partner with the organizations that serve immigrant communities.
* ABC Chicago | Chicago pays $40 million annually to private firms, same as entire Law Department budget: Through a public records request, the I-Team found that over the past five years Chicago forked over about $40 million a year to private firms instead of hiring more in-house attorneys who would make significantly less money as public employees. We calculated that the entire Law Department budget is about the same as the total amount the city spends annually on outside law firms.
* Sun-Times | Loop sees its population continue to grow during the pandemic, report finds: The area outpaces other areas of downtown in attracting new residents, but affordable housing is in short supply, and there’s a need for open space and outdoor dining.
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It’s just a bill
Friday, Feb 24, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* WGEM…
Illinois may be one step closer to developing an Underground Railroad Task Force.
Senate Bill 1623 would establish the group which would develop a statewide plan to increase awareness.
This plan would include the development of new educational and tourism opportunities while connecting projects relating to the Underground Railroad.
Timothy Jacobs, a volunteer with the Historical Society of Quincy and Adams County said this measure is important given the local connection to the railroad.
* IL Association of Naturopathic Physicians are going to hold a press conference Wednesday…
The Illinois Association of Naturopathic Physicians will have a press conference on Wednesday to call on lawmakers to approve legislation to fully license their members.
House Bill 3721 would create a state license for naturopathic physicians in Illinois. The measure awaits assignment to a legislative committee.
* Chalkbeat…
A bill that would collect data on students with disabilities who are removed from school buildings during the school year has been revived this session after hitting a roadblock last year.
State Rep. Michelle Mussman, a Democrat who serves Schamburg, a northwest suburb of Chicago, has introduced HB 3600 which would require any school removal to be documented with a notice to parents about the reason a student has been removed. The bill would also require the school to hold a meeting with a student’s Individualized Education Program team or Section 504 plan team if the number of days removed exceeds 10 days in a school year.
Special education advocates such as Access Living have advocated for such a bill over the past year because parents of students with disabilities are often called to pick up their child during the school day for informal removals. Since this action isn’t a formal removal — such as a suspension — there may not be a record of how many times a student has been removed from school.
* WBEZ…
Ire is spreading among restaurant workers in several cities, including Chicago, about required food and beverage safety training programs that industry insiders say fund anti-minimum-wage lobbying efforts.
The National Restaurant Association operates and administers a food and beverage safety training program by the name of ServSafe. In Illinois, anyone who works in a restaurant or kitchen must complete certification from a program like ServSafe. Costs range from $15 to upwards of $1,000 for those seeking managerial certifications. […]
The New York Times estimated that 3.6 million workers across the country have paid nearly $25 million in ServSafe training fees that have gone towards lobbying efforts against raising the minimum wage for service industry workers. A class action lawsuit among service workers has been filed in New York. […]
In Springfield, One Fair Wage is seeking the support of House Bill 5139, which would eliminate the subminimum wage by 2025, making room for workers to earn a minimum of $15 per hour plus their tips. State Representative Camille Lilly introduced the bill.
* WTVO…
A bill in the capitol would give educators at public colleges and universities a $500 tax credit. Professors would be able to claim the starting next year if the proposal passes.
The bill’s sponsor said that it can help cut teachers’ overall costs.
“We can do a little do our part to provide a little bit of effort, a little bit of support, a little bit to offset their overall costs when it comes to just trying to be an educator and do their jobs,” said Senator Paul Faraci.
K-12 schools can currently get a tax credit on school supplies. Faraci said that this will help level the playing field.
* WAND…
The Illinois Senate is considering a bill that would require high school students to take a stand-alone personal finance course.
Sen. Kimberly Lightford (D-Maywood) is sponsoring the bill. If passed and signed by the governor, it would require high school students to take a semester-long course during their junior or senior year. The bill would affect the freshman class entering high school in the fall of 2024.
Many financial institutions, including Land of Lincoln Credit Union, are throwing their support behind the bill.
“We have lots of teens, young adults, that come in here that don’t know the basics even about managing a checking account, let alone applying for a loan or budgeting,” said Bev Davis, COO of the credit union. “If it were to be made a requirement, it would sort of level the playing field.”
* Press release…
State Senator Mike Simmons presented a measure that encourages cooperative housing developments to the Senate State Government Committee on Wednesday.
“Too many communities across Illinois are experiencing a severe shortage of affordable housing supply,” said Simmons (D-Chicago). “Cooperative housing provides one piece of the overall supply needed for those who are lower-income and aspire to live in cooperatively owned buildings.”
Senate Bill 1484 creates the Cooperative Housing Fund, which would be used by the Illinois Housing Development Authority to award up to $5,000,000 in grants to organizations developing cooperative housing for residents with an income less than or equal to the median income within the municipality.
This measure will promote cooperative housing, a form of housing where a non-profit entity owns the residential building but its residents are shareholders of the entity. Cooperative housing provides a viable alternative to homeownership for low to middle-income earners who may not be able to buy a home, while adding a key affordable housing option to those who need it.
* Rep. Chris Miller’s HB3946…
Amends the General Assembly Operations Act. Provides that, if a legislator introduces legislation that results in the taking of private land for a project in another legislator’s district, then a project of that same type must be completed in the district of the legislator who introduced the legislation that resulted in the taking of private land.
* CBS Chicago…
For the first time in Illinois, a bill was introduced that could ensure Arab Americans are finally counted in government data. […]
A category has not been created on the federal level. Local governments have pointed to a lack of category on the Census when asked why they have not created their own MENA category. It would also require a new state law to change government databases and systems at the local level.
If passed into law, the bill would add MENA as a racial classification. Whenever a state agency is required by law to compile or report statistical data using racial or ethnic classifications, the law says they must use MENA in addition to white, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander.
The bill was introduced last week and is currently in the Rules committee under HB 3768 and HB 3242. It is waiting to be assigned to the appropriate committee, where it will be presented. There will be an opportunity for testimony. If the bill passes Committee, it will go to the floor of the House for a vote, and then the Senate for a vote.
* HB2963 from Sponser Rep. Bradley Fritts and co-sponsors Robyn Gabel, Ann Williams, Travis Weaver and Randy Frese…
Amends Section 3 of an Act in relation to conservation, approved December 24, 1992, Public Act 87-1243, as amended by Public Act 88-468. Changes a reference to the Department of Conservation to the Department of Natural Resources. Provides that notwithstanding any other provisions in the Act, the Dixon Park District is authorized to install and operate solar panels, to create all necessary ingress and egress, to construct any necessary connections to the electric grid, and to conduct any other necessary activities for the development and operation of a solar electric generation facility. Describes the property authorized for the location of the solar facility. Authorizes the Dixon Park District to develop and operate the solar facility subject to specified requirements. Effective immediately.
* Press release…
State Senator Mike Porfirio has introduced Senate Bill 2422, aimed at increasing the eligibility requirements for the Illinois Veterans Grant Program.
The proposed legislation would revise the eligibility requirements for the grant program, allowing for a wider range of individuals to access it and receive educational assistance.
“Illinois has a long and proud history of supporting our veterans and military personnel,” said Porfirio (D-Lyons Township). “As a veteran myself, I am proud to be a voice for other veterans in our state.”
The expanded eligibility will incentivize those who left Illinois to serve their country to return to their home state while adding eligibility to those who come to Illinois to serve to stay here.
Under the current program guidelines, a person must be an Illinois resident within six months of entering federal active-duty service and must return within six months of leaving federal active-duty service. Porfirio’s measure would expand those times to 18 months.
“Active Duty personnel come to Illinois to serve at Scott Air Force Base, Naval Station Great Lakes, and Rock Island Arsenal along with multiple other recruiting, ROTC, or other commands,” said Porfirio, vice chair of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. “If they end their service in Illinois, we should be trying to incentivize them to stay here and make Illinois their home.”
The legislation would also allow those who end their federal active-duty service in Illinois to be eligible to qualify for the program.
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* During yesterday’s Republican legislator press conference on Choate Developmental Center, they were asked what sort of budgetary commitment the GOP was ready to make. Sen. Terri Bryant responded…
So the money keeps getting appropriated. The problem is, let’s say, you have 80 openings, so that’s roughly what it is at Choate. And DHS, through CMS, posts 15 jobs. The 15 jobs then translate to five people who ultimately show up and at the end of the day, there might be two that are left working. Why are they posting 15 at a time? Just like Representative Meyer said, if we need 80, post 80. Post the jobs.
I’ve been through this before with the governor’s office on another topic that I don’t think ended up here or in the subscriber section. As I recalled when listening to that response today, the state doesn’t need x number of posts to fill x number of the same jobs, but I asked again anyway. Jordan Abudayyeh…
We don’t need 80 posts for the same job to hire 80 people.
* Back to Sen. Bryant…
Senator Tracy and I had a meeting with Director Hou just about a month ago or so and asked that she speak to Governor Pritzker about rescinding the mandate for the vaccine at this point. That’s still active as far as I know at VA, DOC and at mental health facilities. At this point, people who got the vaccine, I mean who wanted it, got it. Those who don’t, they’re never getting it, right? And so that’s hampering a lot of the hiring there.
According to the governor’s office, that vax mandate is now in the union contract. It’s also currently required by the federal government for congregate facilities.
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* House Democrats…
State Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, is postponing a Collinsville constituent coffee event originally scheduled Saturday, Feb. 25 due to violent threats and malicious false misinformation being spread by special interest groups about bathroom privacy and safety legislation.
“We’ve seen how hateful misinformation just like what is now flooding into our community can result in real violence, and I will not put my staff and my constituents in harm’s way,” Stuart said. “I want to be very clear: Out-of-touch special interests are manufacturing controversy where none should be. These actions are inciting violence, and now preventing people from peacefully participating in our democracy. I will reschedule this event when it is safe to do so, and will continue to confront misinformation with truth.”
Extreme special interests have spread misinformation about Stuart’s House Bill 1286, resulting in violent threats directed at Stuart and her office.
In truth, Stuart’s bill establishes privacy, safety, and functionality standards for building developers that choose to offer a bathroom without a posted gender – but only if and when developers choose to include a bathroom without a gender designation. These standards would only apply to new construction. House Bill 1286 does not require gender-neutral bathrooms; builders would choose what bathroom facilities to offer, and would be required to meet appropriate standards for toilet and urinal privacy in the event they choose to build a bathroom without a gender designation. Extremist groups and some politicians have attempted to misrepresent the true purpose of the bill in an attempt to score cheap political points and divide people.
“This bill is about ensuring all bathrooms are private, hygienic, and functional facilities – and if using a bathroom in peace and privacy doesn’t sound like it should be controversial, that’s because the only controversy is one fabricated by the same out-of-touch extremists who have tried time and time again to mislead people for their own political gain,” Stuart said. “The fact is, some developers are choosing to offer bathrooms without a designated gender. It’s also a fact that if they choose to do that, they’ll need to consider privacy, safety, and functionality of these facilities. It’s time for people spreading misinformation and fear to deal in facts instead of lies.”
The bill is here.
* So many lies have been spread about this bill…
Rep. Charlie Meier, R-Okawville, said the bill’s requirements could impose significant costs on the owners of large arenas where plumbing fixtures are already in place.
But Stuart said those facilities would be under no obligation to convert their existing restrooms to all-gender facilities. She said the bill would only allow them to do so if they choose.
Jeanne Ives recently sent her followers the Illinois Family Institute screed I shared with you the other day. And Awake Illinois, along with others, has gone full-on lie mode…
The bill merely says if venues want to construct all-gender restrooms, then they must follow some privacy and safety guidelines. That’s it.
*** UPDATE *** From Equality Illinois and the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, which are both supporters of the bill…
“We denounce the hate, violent threats, and disinformation being perpetrated and spread about HB1286, which would simply give businesses the flexibility to make decisions based on what is best for their individual circumstances. This legislation is not a mandate, but is permissive, meaning businesses have a choice whether to implement it or not. Facts matter.”
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* Pro Publica…
Over a 10-year period ending in 2021, the IDHS Office of the Inspector General fielded more than 1,500 allegations of abuse and neglect at Choate.
* Center Square…
The OIG report shows in 2022 there were 84 reports of physical abuse, nine reports of sexual abuse, 39 reports of mental abuse, two reports of financial exploitation, 25 cases of neglect and three deaths.
That’s right around the previous 10-year average of about 150 reports per year.
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The perennial fight over LGDF continues
Friday, Feb 24, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* A quick history of the Local Government Distributive Fund…
[From 1969] Until January 2011, counties and municipalities received 10% of total state income tax revenues through LGDF. Following a temporary increase in state income tax rates in 2011, the percentage of tax revenue allocated to LGDF for distribution to local counties and municipalities declined to 6%.
In January 2015, the local share of the state income tax increased to 8% when the higher income tax rates declined according to a predetermined schedule established by law.
The state income tax was permanently increased in 2017 and the local government share was reduced to 5.45% for individual income tax collections and 6.16% for corporate income tax collections for State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2018.
The LGDF share was slightly increased within the SFY 2021 state budget and is presently 6.06% for individual income tax collections and 6.845% for corporate income tax collections. This is significantly below the 10% share received by counties and municipalities prior to January 2011.
Yes, but there’s another way of looking at it. The actual dollars local governments currently receive via the 6 percent LGDF share of the state’s approximately 6 percent personal income tax rate is 45 percent higher than the 10 percent of the state income tax’s 2.5 percent rate which locals received in 1969, when the deal was made. Simply put, six percent of a six percent tax results in lots more cash than 10 percent of a 2.5 percent tax. Of course, 10 percent of 6 percent is even more, and that’s what the fight is all about.
* Press release…
As a former mayor, State Senator Don DeWitte (R-St. Charles) is keenly aware of the importance of the Local Government Distributive Fund (LGDF), money that is raised locally through income taxes, sent to the state, with 10% returned to the community of origin. As a Senator, he has now made it a priority to ensure local communities receive the full share of LGDF money they were originally promised.
“Municipalities rely on these funds to help balance their budgets,” said DeWitte. “Several years back an agreement was made that local governments would have 10% of the collected LGDF money returned to them, but in recent years the State of Illinois has been shortchanging communities and sending them lesser amounts. When the Governor sweeps those funds, he places an additional financial strain on local communities, and the ultimate burden falls on property taxpayers.”
Through DeWitte’s Senate Bill 2206, the Illinois Income Tax Act would be amended to ensure that an amount equal to 10% of the net revenue realized from the State income tax each month would be transferred from the State General Fund to the Local Government Distributive Fund. With money transferred monthly, DeWitte feels communities will be better protected from fund sweeps.
“The people I represent in Kane, McHenry, and DuPage Counties already pay some of the highest property taxes in the nation,” added DeWitte. “We need to protect them by enshrining the 10% LGDF promise in our statutes once and for all. By doing so, budgeteers in every Illinois community can have confidence and reliable revenue figures when they work through their local budget processes.”
SB 2206 currently sits in the Senate Assignments Committee.
The legislation would take effect immediately.
* I asked Sen. DeWitte what budget items he would cut to pay for it…
I think the better question may be what state budget issue can be so short funded that it requires the on-going sweep of locally marketed, promoted, and generated sales and income tax revenues being paid by residents of Illinois municipalities and communities into GRF?
The Administration hangs their collective hats on the various new revenues that local governments purportedly now enjoy based on new revenue sources the administration claims to have generated (cannabis, MFT, etc.) but conveniently ignores the fact that the recipient of the highest percentage of those “new” revenue streams is actually the State of Illinois.
These LGDF revenues are one of the few tools that allow local governments to minimize, and potentially reduce, the local property tax burdens that continue to weigh on our residents and businesses. They belong to the local governments that generate them.
The Governor has proposed adding nearly $3 billion in new spending in his 2024 budget proposal. Why doesn’t he fund current obligations before adding new programs?
I don’t think LGDF is a “current obligation” because the 10 percent share negotiated in 1969 is not currently in state statute.
* I pointed out to Sen. DeWitte that 6 percent of a 6 percent rate results in far more money than 10 percent of a 2.5 percent rate. His reply…
The tax rate has increased nearly 60% during that same period, yet the state has continually received the largest piece of that expanding revenue stream, while taking more of the LGDF fund from locals. And don’t forget, the state charges locals an additional 1.5% service fee for the privilege of having their share of sales taxes collected and redistributed back to them.
It’s disingenuous for the Gov to pat himself on the back for “financial stability” while continuing these fundamentally unfair practices of sweeping these funds from local governments.
Cut hell…let the Gov use his “sound financial foundation” to find another rev source to give the locals their own generated revenues. And to repeat, honor existing obligations before spending an available $3 billion on new programs.
Again, it’s not an existing obligation if it’s not in the books. In a perfect world, local municipal governments would receive a full 10 percent cut. But the biggest driver of local property taxes isn’t city and county governments, it’s schools. And schools don’t get a cut of that dough. Also, “another rev source” for local governments? What might that be?
Also too, the decision was made to cut the locals’ share when the tax rates were raised 2 points in 2011 partly because so many mayors (including Daley) publicly slammed the proposal. It was a bit of a snit, for sure. But when you fight hard against raising more revenues during a period of extreme state fiscal peril, it’s kinda hypocritical to then demand your full share of that significantly bigger pie.
…Adding… From the governor’s office…
A critical part of the state financial infrastructure is the operations of local governments. When possible, the State has provided additional funding mechanisms to help local governments, including one-time and permanent revenue supports to minimize the need for local property tax increases. Examples of on-going support, totaling over $1.15 billion annually, enacted since Governor Pritzker took office include:
• An additional $200 million a year in sales taxes from the passage of internet sales tax language following the Wayfair decision, including the Leveling the Playing Field for Illinois Retail Act, to help ensure compliance with state tax laws on internet sales.
• Over $600 million annually in additional motor fuel taxes directed to local governments and transit districts to support needed transportation projects through the passage of Rebuild Illinois.
• Granting $1.5 billion in state transportation bond funds directly to local governments for road and highway project expenditures, saving local governments $110 million annually in debt service costs from not issuing local bonds.
• Authorization of adult-use cannabis, generating an estimated $100 million in additional revenues for local governments.
• Increased allocations through the Local Government Distributive Fund process totaling $46 million annually from business loophole closures included in PA 102-0016.
• Increased tax rates and positions for video gaming operations is expected to generate an additional $77 million a year for local governments.
• Anticipated additional local revenues from the opening of new casinos authorized under the Rebuild Illinois plan.
• Provided $400 million to support local governments during the 12-month suspension of the grocery tax authorized under the Illinois Family Relief Plan.
• Increased the percentage of individual income taxes that state government shares with municipalities and counties from 6.06 to 6.16 percent of total individual income tax collections. This 0.1 percent increase is worth $27 million annually.
Illinois distributed to smaller local governments $250 million from its Coronavirus Relief Fund allocation and established the infrastructure necessary to distribute the $740 million Local Fiscal Recovery Fund payment received pursuant to ARPA. These key sources of funding helped small local governments maintain services during uncertain fiscal times.
As noted above, PA 101-0610 consolidated the assets of local police and fire pension funds into two statewide funds to increase investment returns and lower management costs. Helping lower the pressure on local property taxes, the consolidation is projected to produce additional returns worth billions of dollars over the next 20 years. The higher investment returns from consolidation is expected to translate into fiscal relief for local taxpayers supporting these pension costs.
Finally, in the last few years, local governments have seen an increase in the percentage of income and sales taxes that state government shares with towns, counties and transit districts due to removal of the distribution proration that was put into place during the budget impasse. In fiscal year 2018, these allocations totaled $1.7 billion, but are expected to total $2.7 billion in the fiscal year 2024 budget proposal – a $1 billion, or 59 percent, increase – in annual state support in the last six years.
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* AP…
A mental health crisis among children in Illinois will be fought by streamlining and easing access to necessary treatment and coordinating between six separate state agencies, Gov. J.B. Pritzker plans to announce Friday.
A report examining the capacity and condition of Illinois’ response to behavioral health in young people has been in the works for nearly a year. It sketches avenues to help families understand mental illness, then make it easier for them to get required care without wrangling among disparate state agencies. A copy of the report was obtained in advance by The Associated Press.
* From the report…
In response to a nationwide youth mental health crisis, Governor JB Pritzker launched the Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative (“Transformation Initiative”) in March 2022 to evaluate and redesign the delivery of behavioral health services for children and adolescents in Illinois. The Transformation Initiative builds upon the substantial progress made by Illinois agencies to ensure that every young person experiencing mental or behavioral health problems can access needed services. By identifying and addressing current barriers to delivering efficient and effective care, the Transformation Initiative hopes to improve the State’s ability to offer families a set of streamlined, accessible, and responsive solutions. […]
The Governor empowered the Transformation Initiative to analyze systemic problems and, in collaboration with the six child-serving State agencies, to develop creative, evidence-driven solutions in order to achieve five goals:
1. Adjust capacity—so that there are enough of the services we need
2. Streamline processes—so that services can be easily accessed
3. Intervene earlier—so that acute crises can be prevented
4. Increase accountability—so that there is transparency in service delivery
5. Develop agility—so that systems can be responsive to the changing needs of the youth population
* And here’s the outline of the plan…
1. Create a centralized resource for families seeking services for children with significant and complex needs. This will involve building a more robust intake portal to allow families to more easily access information and help.
2. Improve coordination of service delivery, ensuring more seamless transitions and detecting elevated risk earlier.
3. Centralize oversight of residential beds to reduce duplication and enable the State to more effectively manage
residential treatment resources.
4. Implement resource referral technology to enable families to more easily link to services in their communities.
5. Use regular data analytic review to inform provider capacity adjustments, allowing service availability to be adjusted with agility.
6. Adjust rates, including standardizing rates for similar services across State agencies, to ensure that providers are compensated consistently and that youth can receive the services they need to thrive.
7. Increase capacity to serve more children and families by expanding eligibility for current programs and developing new service types so that Illinois has a full continuum of care.
8. Partner with providers on a standard protocol to encourage consistent and transparent development of new programs to meet emerging needs.
9. Offer universal screening in education and pediatrics to ensure that mental and behavioral health problems are detected and addressed early.
10. Facilitate information sharing across State agencies to improve seamlessness and timeliness of interventions, leveraging previous efforts to integrate data and overcome barriers.
11. Build workforce using paraprofessionals and supporting other roles with incentives and creative approaches to credentialling.
12. Fortify community networks by investing in local communities and parent leadership.
* More…
A phased implementation of recommendations will prioritize the most impactful and feasible changes as well as those necessary to establish a foundation so that subsequent changes can be made. The Blueprint outlines the short-, medium-, and long-term goals for implementing these strategies. In the near term, steps are being taken to develop a robust Intake Portal for parents and families seeking access to residential interventions, to increase the State’s ability to deliver comprehensive and flexible services and supports to stabilize youth, to improve the State’s ability to manage residential treatment resources, and to leverage existing partnerships with advocacy and advisory groups. The next set of changes will involve the development and implementation of technological strategies to speed and improve access to outpatient mental health care and to develop programs that need to be expanded or added. In the long term, the Transformation Initiative aims to institutionalize data-guided capacity adjustments, expand the mental health workforce, and implement strategies to promote equity and trust among youth, families, and provider partners.
* Back to the AP…
Friday’s announcement marks the beginning of work to ready the plan for implementation, a report on which Pritzker expects by October. There’s $22.8 million in the governor’s fiscal 2024 budget proposal to complete the planning. […]
Recognizing problems quickly is critical, Weiner said. The U.S. Surgeon General discovered in a 2021 study that on average, there is an 11-year gap between recognizing a child’s potential mental health issue and that child getting treatment.
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Open thread
Friday, Feb 24, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* It’s Friday! It’s good to be home after a week of session. What’s going on in your part of Illinois today?
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Friday, Feb 24, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Here you go!…
* Bloomberg | Pritzker vows to keep Ken Griffin’s pick for president out of the White House: “It’s very important to me that we elect a Democratic president and that we make sure to keep DeSantis, Trump and the retrograde views that they carry out of the White House,” Pritzker, a longtime Democratic donor, said in an interview Thursday with Bloomberg News in Chicago. “I’ll continue to support Democrats in the best way I can to help them get elected.”
* Tribune | Little Village activists demand action after publication of confidential report on botched Hilco smokestack demolition: “This report confirms what our communities have known to be true — that this administration and Hilco cannot be trusted,” said Kim Wasserman, executive director of the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization at a Thursday morning news conference.
* Crain’s | Election board to probe Dan Proft PAC spending in governor’s race: The Illinois State Board of Elections has taken the first step to probe whether a political spending group run by Chicago political activist and talk radio host Dan Proft illegally colluded with GOP gubernatorial nominee Darren Bailey in last year’s election. At its meeting yesterday, the board agreed with a hearing examiner that “justifiable grounds” exist “with some basis in fact” to believe that Proft coordinated with Bailey’s campaign in efforts to promote Bailey, then a state senator, and bash his Democratic rival, incumbent Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who was re-elected. Read the Board of Elections report below.
* Daily Herald | ‘Embarrassed to have a D next to my name’: Kane sheriff faults fellow Democrats over weapons ban: Hain publicly spoke out against the gun ban this week for the time since he issued a written statement last month. In that statement, Hain said he would not proactively seize weapons from legal gun owners in the absence of some other criminal activity.
* Tribune | GOP lawmakers make proposals for Choate while decrying Pritzker’s handling of troubled downstate mental health center: The proposal from House and Senate Republicans for the Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center in Anna offers fixes that range from additional surveillance cameras to additional employees who are better trained to work with the mentally and developmentally disabled residents of the facility.
* AP | Illinois governor plan targets kids’ mental health crisis: “It’s all really geared toward creating an experience for families, where the boundaries between those different state agencies that are there to serve them are less visible,” said Dana Weiner, whom Pritzker tabbed for the initiative.
* WMAY | Illinois teachers’ unions overwhelmingly supports teaching children about slavery and racism – opposes banning books: But the union’s survey finds that 77% of those surveyed favor teaching students about slavery and its impacts, and 72% support honest discussions of the history of racism in the U.S.
* Crain’s | News group focused on gun crime setting up Chicago bureau: The Trace, a New York-based nonprofit newsroom focused on gun violence, announced that after 18 months of planning they have launched a new local reporting initiative with two local bureaus in Chicago and Philadelphia. The new model will take on a “trauma-informed approach” by centering survivors of gun violence and making their news gathering “more democratic,” according to an announcement made by the news group.
* Tribune | Weeks after Ohio derailment, feds mull merger set to bring more freight trains to the Chicago area: Illinois members of Congress have raised other concerns about the merger, urging federal regulators to pause a final decision until further study of the merger’s effects on the region can be completed. In a Feb. 17 letter, Democratic U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth and U.S. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Delia Ramirez said a recent environmental study “significantly underestimates the impacts of the merger” between the Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern railroads, and relies on disputed data provided by Canadian Pacific.
* Illinois Times | Firefighters push for municipal ambulance service: “We’d like to grow our department,” said Kainan Rinaberger, president of Springfield Fire Fighters Local 37. “We have the resources. We have the people. We have the paramedics on the job, and we want to provide that service because that’s what people expect of us.”
* SJ-R | Here’s what Springfield mayoral candidates said about energy, city’s homeless, livability: On behalf of voters, The State Journal-Register asked candidates for Springfield mayor questions about plans for providing clean and affordable energy, how the city should combat homeless, and the livability and viability of the city. Here are the responses from incumbent Mayor Jim Langfelder and challenger city Treasurer Misty Buscher.
* Daily Herald | Naperville mayoral candidates are prioritizing public safety, but in different ways: Naperville mayoral candidates Scott Wehrli and Benny White have differing views on a shared priority if elected: public safety. White, a Naperville city councilman, and Wehrli, a longtime liquor commission member, both said they’re committed to preserving the city’s status as one of the safest communities in the nation.
* Pantagraph | ISU hopes campus visit encourages Latino student enrollment: “I want my students to know that college is an option,” said Maribel Díaz, teacher of heritage Spanish and English as a Second Language at Joliet West.
* Center Square | Illinois cities looking for pension relief, restoration of income tax share: The plan aims to restore to cities the full 10% of funding through the Local Government Distributive Fund, which comes from state income taxes imposed on individuals and businesses across Illinois. As of 2022, the payback to local governments was just 6.16%.
* Shaw Local | Presidential visits, however brief, become historical markers: Following news of Carter, 98, entering hospice care, I’ve been researching his visits to Illinois. Looking through the American Presidency Project, part of University of California, Santa Barbara, I came across speeches of Carter the candidate: October 1976 remarks at a Pulaski Day dinner in Chicago and later at the Quad Cities airport, one week before the election.
* Sun-Times | This young artist won our student art contest and will have her work turned into a mural you can see at the Salt Shed: Buffalo Grove sixth-grader Lucy Holloway, 11, created the work for a Chicago Sun-Times/WBEZ/Vocalo contest. It will be turned into a sprawling mural at the entertainment venue that took up the old Morton Salt site.
* Tribune | Andrew Vaughn makes the move from the outfield to first base for the Chicago White Sox: “You still have to keep working every day,” Vaughn said Monday of the transition. “You’ve got to get better. I wasn’t at first too much the last couple of years, more in the outfield. Just got to try to do my best in spring and get ready for the boys.
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Live coverage
Friday, Feb 24, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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* Gregory Pratt, Alice Yin and A.D. Quig at the Tribune…
(A) Tribune review of his social media found his Twitter account @paulvallas liked a series of tweets that used racist language, supported controversial police tactics like “stop and frisk” or insulted the mayor in personal terms.
In a statement Thursday, Vallas said he does not “personally manage” the account and was “shocked when this was brought to my attention because this kind of abhorrent and vile rhetoric does not represent me or my views.” […]
Back in April 2022, the Vallas account liked a tweet insinuating Chicago police superintendent David Brown was a diversity hire and calling the mayor a racist.
“He was hired for one reason and one reason only. He was black,” the tweet said. “Other candidates were more qualified, but they weren’t black. Lightfoot is a racist, big news flash.”
Oh, there’s so much more.
Didn’t know anything about Awake Illinois even after appearing with the group twice. Owns a house in the suburbs and says he lives in a Chicago rental unit. And somebody else close enough to him to have access to his personal Twitter account must’ve liked all those nasty tweets because it most certainly wasn’t him. Nope.
* And check out his likes now…
Clean-up on Aisle 5!
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* Greg Hinz…
The Illinois State Board of Elections has taken the first step to probe whether a political spending group run by Chicago political activist and talk radio host Dan Proft illegally colluded with GOP gubernatorial nominee Darren Bailey in last year’s election.
At its meeting yesterday, the board agreed with a hearing examiner that “justifiable grounds” exist “with some basis in fact” to believe that Proft coordinated with Bailey’s campaign in efforts to promote Bailey, then a state senator, and bash his Democratic rival, incumbent Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who was re-elected. […]
The key matter referenced in the board report was a series of interviews Bailey granted to Proft for his radio show during the campaign. Among other things, the two repeatedly suggested that, because of high crime rates under Democratic officials, Chicago “isn’t a safe place to live.” Proft later echoed that theme in his PAC ads, repeatedly blaming Pritzker for letting crime get out of control. […]
In his rebuttal brief, Proft’s attorney asserted that merely appearing on a radio show and discussing issues of importance “doesn’t indicate any kind of control.” All of the items referenced in the TV ads and in stories in faux newspapers published by a Proft firm were based on information that was readily available to the public without any coordination, the attorney said, accusing Democrats in the case of engaging in “a fishing expedition.” Attorneys for Proft and Bailey had sought to have the board dismiss the case.
There’s more.
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Afternoon roundup
Thursday, Feb 23, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Shaw Local News Network…
The owner-operator of the nuclear generating stations at Byron and Braidwood said Tuesday that it will invest $800 million in new equipment to increase the combined output of the plants by approximately 135 megawatts.
Constellation, which made the announcement, said the increase is enough to power the equivalent of 100,000 average homes 24-7 for a year. […]
It’s the carbon-footprint equivalent of removing 171,000 gas-powered vehicles from the road per year, or the equivalent of adding 216 intermittent wind turbines to the grid, according to Environmental Protection Agency data. […]
The company said the state legislature’s Climate and Equitable Jobs Act in 2021 and the congressional Inflation Reduction Act in 2022 paved the way for this investment.
* Hilarious…
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis continued his crusade against the proverbial wokeness infiltrating local governments across the country by taking aim at Illinois and Chicago during his visit to Elmhurst on Monday.
During the invite-only event at the Knights of Columbus hall, DeSantis said Chicago and the state was faced with a crime problem because of “woke” policies and an active effort to “defund the police.”
“I know they slashed police spending for a while here in Illinois and in Chicago,” DeSantis said to the crowd. “We said that that’s totally unacceptable in Florida and yes, we were not going to do that at the state level, of course.”
But a look at police budgets in Illinois, Chicago and two other large cities in the state show funding for police has only grown since 2020. During the last three years, state police funding is up 15%; Chicago police funding is up 11%; Aurora police funding is up 17% and Joliet police funding is up 2%.
Some people just love looking for ways to be angry.
Chart…
* Tina Sfondeles…
In the adjacent 23rd Ward, former Madigan ally Ald. Silvana Tabares faces Eddie Guillen. A West Lawn resident, Guillen is a community organizer, small business owner and former chief of staff for state Rep. Angie Guerrero-Cuellar — who was appointed by Madigan to replace him after his resignation in 2021.
Tabares was initially appointed to her City Council seat by former Mayor Rahm Emanuel when Ald. Mike Zalewski retired in 2018. A state representative at the time, Tabares was a close Madigan ally.
But when Madigan relinquished his Illinois House seat, Tabares called for a “transparent” process in appointing his successor — and she didn’t vote for Madigan’s initial choice for the post.
Asked if she believes Madigan put Guillen up to run against her, Tabares said, “the facts speak for themselves.”
“He was on the payroll, and he has been receiving money from labor groups that are closely aligned with Madigan,” Tabares said.
The whole thing is definitely worth a read.
* Isabel’s roundup…
* Tribune | Chicago boosters for 2024 Democratic Convention using Georgia gun laws to try to edge out Atlanta: With a decision possibly weeks away, officials involved agree that Atlanta and Chicago appear to lead New York, the third of the finalists still under consideration. Union officials have for weeks pressed President Joe Biden and the Democratic National Committee to pick the more union-friendly city; Chicago has 45 unionized hotels, while Atlanta has just two, they say.
* WTWO | U of I wants bigger budget from the state but calls Pritzker’s proposal ‘strong commitment’: “Is this enough? You know, we’re asking for more,” he said. “Our budget request is for 10%. Seven percent is a very strong number. It’s a strong commitment. And we’re delighted to see that and very supportive of Governor Pritzker has value-laden budget.”
* Crain’s | State officials eye Akorn Pharma for laying off 400 amid bankruptcy: Akorn Pharmaceuticals, a Gurnee-based maker of generic drugs, is under investigation by the Illinois Department of Labor after the company filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy this week and abruptly notified about 400 workers that they’re out of a job.
* WGIL | Knox County a “sanctuary county’ for firearms owners. Board debates assault weapons ban: Board members in a 9-5 split vote on Wednesday night approved the resolution that opposes Public Act 102-1116 – also known as HB5471 or the Protect Illinois Communities Act.
* Sun-Times | Police urge Jewish, other religious communities to be vigilant this weekend as neo-Nazi group declares ‘day of hate’: “At this time, there is no actionable intelligence,” according to the Chicago Police Department. “We continue to actively monitor the situation.”
* Daily Herald | Ice storm leaves nearly 100,000 without power, closes schools: In a statement on the company’s outage map site, ComEd officials said “we expect 80% of outages in your region to be restored by Thursday evening and the majority of our remaining outages restored by Saturday evening.”
* Reuters | U.S. groups suing to ban abortion pill lose bid for early trial: A Texas federal judge on Tuesday refused to set an accelerated trial schedule for a lawsuit by anti-abortion groups seeking to end U.S. sales of the abortion pill mifepristone, in a case that could severely disrupt access to medication abortion nationwide.
* Crain’s | Railroads fought to crush rules that Biden aims to revive after Ohio derailment: Our experience is that “the rail industry pushes back hard on both safety and public disclosure rules — and keeps that opposition up long after the public scrutiny of tragic accidents abates,” said Kristen Boyles, managing attorney for the environmental group Earthjustice. “There should be a renewed push for safer trains and safer rail cars following the disaster in Ohio, and that pressure will need to be applied for as long as it takes to get new safety requirements and regulations in place.”
* NPR | NPR announces layoffs as tough financial outlook impacts media industry: Here & Now‘s Scott Tong speaks with NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik about NPR’s plan to cut 10% of the workforce and recent layoffs at other media companies.
* Press release | Illinois churches forgive almost $6 million in medical debt statewide: Thirty three churches and 36 individuals funded the Conference’s primary buy of $41,707 — which wiped out almost $6 million in debt for households in 78 of Illinois’ 102 counties. The donations were sent through the National Setting to UCC partner, RIP Medical Debt, a non-profit which buys up debt on the secondary market for pennies on the dollar.
* Sun-Times | Nearing 100, Artist Laureate of Illinois Kay Smith says her passion for painting keeps her going: Smith was named a laureate along with five other recipients in 1994 by the Lincoln Academy of Illinois, for “contributions to the betterment of humanity that have been accomplished in or on behalf of the State of Illinois.”
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S&P Global upgrades state credit rating
Thursday, Feb 23, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Some pointy heads are gonna explode… again…
Governor JB Pritzker today celebrated S&P Global Ratings’ upgrade of Illinois bonds. This latest action means that Illinois has received a total of seven upgrades in less than two years under Governor Pritzker. This fiscal progress was achieved due to strong fiscal leadership by Gov. Pritzker and Democrats in the General Assembly.
S&P Global Ratings announced a ratings upgrade to A- for Illinois’ General Obligation bonds, its third upgrade of Illinois’ bonds since July 2021. The last time Illinois had an A- rating from S&P was before May of 2016. Fitch Ratings upgraded Illinois’ bonds by two notches last spring, the first Fitch upgrade for Illinois’ General Obligation bonds since June 2000. Illinois received two upgrades from Moody’s Investor Service in two separate actions in April 2022 and June 2021.
“I am thrilled to see our hard work at righting the past fiscal wrongs of our state reflected in today’s action by S&P with another credit rating upgrade—the third such upgrade in just two years,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Our continued fiscal responsibility and smart budgeting will save Illinois taxpayers millions from adjusted interest rates, and my partners in the General Assembly and I look forward to building on that success.”
The upgrade follows unveiling of the Governor Pritzker’s proposed fiscal year 2024 budget which builds on four years of historic progress with balanced budgets, a Budget Stabilization Fund on track to hit $2.3 billion, elimination of the state’s bill backlog and reaching $1 trillion GDP. The proposed spending plan maintains the Governor’s commitment to fiscal responsibility while growing Illinois into an economic powerhouse and makes transformative, generational investments in early childhood education and efforts to fight poverty.
“The upgrade on the GO debt reflects our view that Illinois’ commitment and execution to strengthen its budgetary flexibility and stability, supported by accelerating repayment of its liabilities, rebuilding its Budget Stabilization Fund to decade highs; and a slowing of statutory pension funding growth, will likely continue during the outlook period,” S&P Global stated.
S&P last upgraded the state’s bonds in May 2022 and today’s analysis credited the state’s recent actions in paying longstanding debts, rapid and early repayment debts taken on during the pandemic-induced recession and transparent reporting both from the Comptroller and the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget.
S&P Global upgraded Illinois’ rating on its General Obligation bonds to A- (stable outlook) from BBB+ (stable outlook), and also upgraded Build Illinois sales tax bonds to A (stable outlook) from A- (stable outlook).
The rating of a state’s bonds is a measure of their credit quality. A higher bond rating generally means the state can borrow at a lower interest rate, saving taxpayers millions of dollars.
Between 2015 and 2017, the State of Illinois suffered eight credit rating downgrades and sat at the top of many analysts’ lists of the worst managed states in the nation. At its worst, Illinois’ bill backlog hit nearly $17 billion.
…Adding… The S&P report is here…
The GO rating on Illinois reflects our view of the state’s:
- Deep and diverse economic base;
- Adequate liquidity with access to currently untapped interfund borrowing options, and a growing budget stabilization fund (BSF);
- Expectation that open collective bargaining units will be settled in a timely manner; and
- Transparent reporting both from the comptroller and the governor’s office of management and budget that we expect will be sustained or improve.
Offsetting factors, in our opinion, include:
- High pension and other postemployment benefit (OPEB) liabilities and a pension funding practice where the statutory pension funding is designed to attain a 90% funded status in 2045, which is just part of one of the least conservative funding methodologies in the nation among peers;
- Trend of annual financial audits being released later than in most other states; and
- Population declines that are forecast to continue, and if this accelerates could potentially challenge economic growth.
The stable outlook reflects our view that Illinois’ near-term credit profile has stabilized, given improved liquidity, an economy rebounding from the COVID-19 pandemic-driven recession, and historic levels of direct federal support.
We could lower the rating if a structural deficit were to increase, derived from economic uncertainties; or if increases in pension, OPEB, or other fixed-cost obligations exceed expectations.
If the state continues to improve pension, OPEB, and BSF funding levels, while shrinking the structural deficit that we believe was created by not funding to an actuarially determined contribution level without experiencing meaningful deterioration in other credit factors, we could raise the rating. Although not required for us to consider an upgrade, a return to a more abbreviated audit-release period would be in line with that of higher-rated peers.
…Adding… The governor announced the upgrade during a speech today. Click here for the video.
…Adding… Speaker Welch…
“Less than two years ago we celebrated Illinois’ first credit rating increase in decades. Today, we celebrate our seventh, and a return to A-level credit. This is further affirmation that Democrats are making fiscally responsible decisions that move our state forward. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together, and I look forward to continued progress and success for the people of Illinois.”
…Adding… History time with Hannah…
…Adding… Sen. Elgie Sims, the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Majority Caucus Appropriations Leader…
“Today’s news is yet another sign the years of fiscal responsibility from the General Assembly is paying off. In recent years, we have been able put money back in the pockets of the state’s hardworking families and provide funding for the people who need the most help – all while paying down our bill backlog. Illinois is a standout state when it comes to putting the needs of our residents first, and we do so in a responsible and equitable way.
“S&P Global Ratings’ upgrade of Illinois bonds shows our fiscally responsible budgeting approach is working and is independent proof that our state is headed in the right direction. Our future looks bright and I look forward to continued collaborative efforts during this year’s budget negotiation process to keep the state on this upward economic trajectory.”
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That toddlin’ town roundup
Thursday, Feb 23, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* As I told you yesterday, it’s within the realm of possibility that Paul Vallas will have the field all to himself in the first days or even much longer after Tuesday. NBC 5…
What’s more, mail-in ballots, which are far outpacing any previous mayoral election in Chicago, could be key. Those ballots can be submitted until midnight on Election Day, and so long as they are postmarked by Feb. 28, they can be counted as long as they are received by March 14.
Results in the election are due to be certified by March 21, and if a candidate finishes within 5% of the top-two spots in the race, then they would be legally allowed to request a recount, according to election experts.
That condensed timeframe would not only mean that Chicago voters may not know who will be on their ballots for the runoff until just weeks prior to the vote, but also would mean that candidates wouldn’t have much time to fundraise, run advertisements and push for votes in that limited turnaround time.
* After repeating the “defund the police” mantra for years, Brandon Johnson is trying to walk away from it…
Asked at a Monday campaign stop if he would reduce the $1.94 billion Chicago Police Department budget, Johnson did not say. Nor would he address his past comments on the defund movement. Instead, he implored reporters to “ask better questions,” such as what actually makes communities safer. […]
In a September progressive candidates forum, Johnson was quick to say “absolutely yes” when asked if he will commit to not raising Chicago police funds “any further.” But his statement last week in response to Lightfoot’s ad against him said his safety plan includes “new investments … not cuts to the CPD.”
Asked this week to clarify if he would adjust the Police Department’s $1.94 billion allocation, Johnson evaded the question. He instead pointed out that his safety plan calls for ensuring $150 million in police funds would “be reallocated” by streamlining the amount of department supervisors. He did not answer whether that money would be reinvested within the department or taken out of its budget, but his campaign confirmed Wednesday the plan “reinvests (the $150 million) within the CPD.”
The ol’ having it both ways to avoid any blowups before what could be a very tight race for the second runoff slot. But the earned media hits will immediately turn into paid media hits if he does qualify for the runoff.
* He does seem to be having the most fun of all the candidates, though…
* She has a real knack for getting under reporters’ collective skin…
* Dan and Amy have been having a sad ever since Vallas denounced DeSantis…
* The other take-away from these numbers is that Madigan’s 13th is still cranking…
* Isabel’s roundup…
* Philadelphia Inquirer | Paul Vallas, a front-runner in the Chicago mayor’s race, was a controversial leader of Philly schools: Vallas’ Philadelphia security policies strike a much different tone when viewed with a modern lens — some districts have abolished their school police forces, and even Philadelphia has softened its stance, rebranding its school police as ”security officers” who don’t wear traditional law enforcement uniforms and focus on mentorship and trauma-informed practices as well as keeping order.
* WGN | Mayor Lori Lightfoot on CPS email controversy, working collaboratively, improving public safety, more: Mayor Lightfoot talks about the challenge of running the city through a global pandemic, the CPS email controversy, her recent suggestion that South Side voters who don’t vote for her shouldn’t vote in the race at all, how she will persuade Chicagoans that she will work collaboratively with CPD, CTU, and the business community, and the progress that she’s made tackling violence and improving public safety.
* Crain’s | City worker union ramps up pressure on Lightfoot to strike a deal as Election Day looms: The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Workers, represented by AFSCME Local 131 in Chicago, is at the bargaining table with the Lightfoot Administration in an effort to reach a new deal covering the union’s more than 3,000 city workers in almost every city department.
* CBS Chicago | Two candidates vie to replace indicted Ald. Ed Burke in 14th Ward: Gutiérrez, a staffer to Cook County Commissioner Alma Anaya, will run against Reyes, who works as a staff assistant in the City’s Clerk’s Office. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Reyes helped Burke gather signatures on his nominating petitions to get on the ballot ahead of the 2019 election, and also filed an objection against Burke challenger Tanya Patino.
* Ald. Michael Rodriguez | Size isn’t the City Council’s problem: Crain’s rightly noted that each Chicago alderperson represents fewer people than city councils in every other one of the nation’s 10 biggest cities by stating, “Chicago’s 50 aldermen each represent, on average, 53,931 people . . . and in Los Angeles it’s 256,620 people per council member.” But here it omits a crucial piece of the Los Angeles political landscape: Los Angeles has more than 90 neighborhood councils, each serving about 40,000 individuals.
* Marilyn Katz | Want better government? Strengthen the City Council: We don’t need a complicated process or even a city charter to get this part right. As early as 2010, City Council members recommended simple strengthening measures including an independent budget analyst and parliamentarian and legal counsel of their own. Former Mayor Rahm Emanuel did not respond. Mayor Lori Lightfoot promised to adopt them but has not acted.
* WBEZ | Chicago is expanding the types of 911 calls that get a mental health response: A pilot program under Mayor Lori Lightfoot aims to curb the police role. The program, Crisis Assistance Response and Engagement, is setting up mobile teams that include paramedics, mental-health clinicians and, in some cases, cops trained in crisis response. The teams aim to de-escalate crises and connect people to the care they need. Since the program’s September 2021 launch, CARE responses have not included any arrests or uses of force.
* WGN | Troubles continue for O’Hare Airport train: Three days before Christmas, on the busiest holiday travel day for Chicago’s airports, O’Hare’s automated train system broke. The outage spanned three days and stranded thousands of travelers some of whom missed connecting flights.
* ABC Chicago | Some candidates dismiss Lightfoot’s assertion race is down to her, Vallas: “I think the mayor likes to construe things to put herself as a contender,” Garcia said. “I think she has serious problems. She’s not had a good week, a good week and a half as a matter of fact. She’s trying to hang on for dear life.”
* Tribune | There’s major turnover on the City Council, but aldermen on West Side look to keep things status quo: It’s certain that 16 aldermen who were elected in 2019 will not join the new council in May, thanks to several retirements, a handful opting to run for other offices and one forced out when he was convicted of federal tax crimes. Several other incumbents on the 50-member council are in tough reelection fights.
* WGN | Ja’Mal Green on why his age shouldn’t bother critics: Ja’Mal Green, candidate for Mayor of Chicago, joins Lisa Dent to make a final pitch to voters on why he’s best suited to replace Mayor Lori Lightfoot in next week’s election. Green talks about his plans to make lives better for the working people in Chicago, and how he would help solve the city’s crime problem.
* CBS Chicago | Roderick Sawyer undeterred by steep odds in mayoral race: Sawyer does not have a big campaign war chest, and he is lacking big endorsements that some of his opponents have. But he told CBS 2 Political Investigator Dana Kozlov he is not deterred.
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Question of the day
Thursday, Feb 23, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Background is here if you need it. A group of Republican legislators held a press conference today demanding legislative hearings on the long-troubled Choate Developmental Center. Here’s Assistant House Republican Leader Charlie Meier…
We’re here today because we have a plan and we want to protect these residents. Our first is installing temporary cameras in common areas. … Implement ongoing staff training to include residents’ rights, abuse and neglect definitions, reporting for Office of Investigator General mandatory reporting and documenting as well. Educate staff on past abuse issues experienced at Choate and train them to be aware of the issues to report incidents and how to take appropriate action.
A mass, and I say a mass hiring of qualified staff. We’ve done hirings before because of COVID bringing in a mass hiring so that we have a group of new workers there that won’t feel threatened maybe from a few bad apples of the past workers that threaten to try to cover up abuse. Let’s train them. Let’s get them in there. Let’s not hire two or four or 10 at a time. Let’s bring in a group of 50 workers or more immediately to help take care of the shortage of workers and to bring some new life blood in there and get things turned around.
Track staff incidents by location and trends. By using the data collected to implement changes, monitor staff identified in the tracking and incorporate supervisory management staff to increase overall observances. Number five, increased administrative and security inspections. The center director and assistant center director along with other professional staff must make unannounced visits on all three shifts, morning, noon, Saturdays, Sundays, four in the morning, two in the morning. This is their job, this is what they’re being paid for. They need to be out there walking the halls seeing their residents and should be after sharp while on a first name basis with them. Security staff must report all incidents of improper behavior. Any staff who bullies or intimidates or threatens residents or other staff should be immediately removed from their job station. There must be zero tolerance of staff intimidating other staff or residents.
Six, improve overall accountability of staff performance to include job duties, Investigator General reporting, active treatment and adherence of policies and procedures. This would require accountability from the administration and the professional staff. Seven, remind employees if they see something is wrong, report it. Employees are mandated reporters. Their position is protected under the Whistleblower Act. They don’t have to be revealed who released this but they need to report it. Too much is going on unreported. Increase the amount of active treatment and activities for the residents. Why? Because individuals who are busy and active have much fewer behavioral issues, which should lead to less negative interaction with staff and individuals. And if additional activity staff is needed, then hire them.
Nine, encourage and welcome parents, guardians and visiting their loved ones by telling them ‘be in there.’ They shouldn’t have to call and set up a time when they’re coming. These are their loved ones. They should be able to visit their family members in their family members home whenever they want. Encourage more groups like the grandparents groups, where individuals come and adopt the resident there and act as a grandparent to them. So we have more oversight going in there. More people around to be seen. Staff should continue to be reminded that Choate is home for these individuals and they should be retreated with respect and dignity. Encourage the decorating of the hallways and room. This is a small thing, but the more the homes are clean, well decorated and welcoming the more staff and residents will take pride in their home. Designate a specific phone line for guardians and families to contact that is available all hours and does not go unanswered for days when they’re trying to get a hold of their loved one or tell them that there’s been a medical change that their doctor wants. …
Assign an interim director, assistant director to Choate Development Center. This director should be someone who has previously supervised employees at another center and is well trained on state rules, regulations and expectations. This interim director can monitor and help retrain the president, director and assistant director reevaluate the Office of Inspector General reporting system as it currently operates. Staff who are mandated reporters are not protected or kept anonymous during the investigation process. This turns into cases has a tendency in reporting. The OIG involvement in allegations needs more protection for the employees and the investigators and they need to happen within a month. We have investigations that don’t start till nine or 13 months later. These employees are placed on paid leave. The state of Illinois paying for them, they’re not working. And we’re not finding out what happened to these residents. Put a person in there permanently from the office and let them start and get these investigations done within a month. If they’re found guilty, they need to be fired immediately.
Please pardon all transcription errors.
Leader Meier said bills have been filed and more will be. He pointed to legislation he’s worked on for several years.
From the reporting, it looks like the biggest problem is a tight-knit cover-up culture of really horrible acts. Everybody knows everybody in that little town. Too many people appear to protect each other no matter what. Employees should be required to report misdeeds and should be severely punished if they don’t, or if they perjure themselves. That’s essentially what the IG wants. And it ought to be in more places than Choate.
Also, where are they gonna get the qualified people the Republicans want to hire? It’s easy to snap your fingers and say “Let’s bring in a group of 50 workers or more immediately.” Actually doing that is quite another thing in the current labor market, and particularly in an area where not enough qualified people live.
Leader Meier blamed this on “bad apples.” I’m sure there are some very good employees at Choate, but the bad apples appear to have long ago spoiled the barrel…
That collusion led the inspector general to find Choate itself negligent. The facility, the OIG said, must be held responsible for “failing to prevent the establishment of a culture in which so many employees chose to protect their fellow employees instead of protecting an abused individual and apparently felt comfortable doing so.”
The OIG report concluded: “That so many employees participated in the cover-up of the abuse of [the patient] suggests that this type of conduct may be endemic at Choate.” Previous reporting by the news organizations revealed credible abuse allegations in which the state’s attorney declined to bring charges because he said that employees would not cooperate in determining what happened.
* The Republicans said today that they want to prevent a Choate closure. Here’s Rep. Paul Jacobs…
We cannot and will not accept a blanket policy that throws our hands up in the air in disgust and close down the facility that means so much to residents in my area and in that area. We have not begun the process of trying to fix the problems, let alone exhaust every single solitary legislative and administrative option that we have. We cannot and will not accept the attitude that nothing can be done. So, Governor, we’re asking you to work with us work with us. Work with your Democrat and Republican partners in the legislature.
* I asked the governor’s office this morning to send me a list of things the administration has done at Choate so far…
Increased security and surveillance
• Cameras installed in approved indoor and outdoor areas that do not have a reasonable expectation of privacy (ongoing).
• Increased security staff by 5 positions including one security officer chief.
• Increased internal security staff by 2 positions.
• Increased management presence in living areas and professional staff presence after hours.
Independent, Third-Party review
• Equip for Equality investigation staff conducting chart reviews, staff interviews, and monitoring of unit conditions.
Training and consultation
• New and re-training sessions for all staff
• Illinois Crisis Prevention Network has provided ongoing consultation to develop individualized behavior plans for residents in need of enhanced support.
Visible, physical improvements to Choate living areas and homes.
• Completed a pilot environmental improvement project in 2 homes – Redbud and Dogwood – which are rolling out Center-wide.
Senior Onsite Visitor/Leadership Reporting Liaison:
• Brought retired CMS Assistant Director Steve McCurdy to report to DD Director to perform an on-site, on-the-ground, common-sense, immediate-term review of the Center.
• Met extensively with residents, families/guardians and staff, focusing on the health and safety of these individuals.
Illinois State Police (ISP) Collaboration
• ISP’s Division of Internal Investigation came on-site to conduct an assessment of the Center including a review of security, physical structure needs, etc.
• Supported updates to staff training with a focus on team building and collective accountability.
NASDDDS Technical Assistance:
• Used ICDD funding to receive technical assistance from the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services (NASDDDS) on building additional I/DD community capacity.
• Technical assistance grew from FY22 capacity report – An Evaluation of Community Capacity Barriers and Opportunities for Expansion in Illinois for Adult DD Waiver Services – focusing on support for residents and capacity for SODC system improvements.
…Adding… AFSCME Council 31…
“As the union of Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center employees, we welcome the support and partnership of anyone of good will who wants to work to improve it. Long before the current attention paid to the facility, AFSCME has urged legislators and the Department of Human Services to increase staffing (allowing for more programs and activities), expand staff training and invest in repairing and maintaining the buildings and grounds.
“For some 270 people with multiple challenges that require intensive supports, Choate is home. Its services have no analog elsewhere. That’s why residents’ families value Choate so highly, and it’s a tribute to the dedicated employees who provide compassionate, attentive, round-the-clock care.
“It’s regrettable that it took disturbing media reports of past misconduct to underscore the need for improvements at Choate, but the wrongful actions of a few cannot overshadow the deep commitment of the overwhelming majority of employees to Choate’s residents and to making the facility the best it can be. That must begin with reversing its staff shortage and investing in its physical infrastructure.”
The Question: Do you think Choate Developmental Center is redeemable? Please explain your answer. Thanks.
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More on the new McClain revelations
Thursday, Feb 23, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Isabel had this Tribune story in her morning briefing, but let’s take a closer look…
Less than two weeks before the federal ComEd Four bribery conspiracy trial, prosecutors revealed in a court filing that a confidant of former Speaker Michael Madigan was interviewed twice by federal authorities before the probe became public about his use of code words to refer to the longtime House leader.
The first interview of Michael McClain, the speaker’s friend and ComEd lobbyist, came in August 2014, the same month that Madigan was secretly recorded by an FBI informant at his law firm discussing a desire to secure property tax business with a Chinatown developer, the filing shows.
The other interview, in April 2016, occurred shortly before federal authorities secured the cooperation of then-Ald. Daniel Solis, who later recorded numerous conversations about a Chinatown land deal that was a centerpiece in the bombshell indictment separately filed against Madigan and McClain.
In both interviews, which were revealed for the first time in the filing late Tuesday, McClain was asked about his use of codes for Madigan such as “our friend,” “a friend” and “friend,” a nickname the Tribune first reported in 2019 that McClain used when sending secret fundraising requests to close allies. In those emails, McClain also referred to Madigan as “Himself” and the prospective donors as “most trusted of the trusted.”
* From the government’s filing…
The indictment alleges that, “in order to conceal the nature and purpose of their conduct, conspirators often referred to [Michael Madigan] as ‘our Friend,’ or ‘a Friend of ours,’ rather than using [Michael Madigan’s] true name.” McClain concedes that the phrase “our Friend” was designed to conceal, but claims that he wasn’t intending to conceal anything from the government because he admitted that he used those phrases to the government.10 Specifically, in two interviews in an unrelated investigation, McClain admitted that “our Friend” was a code word for Madigan designed to conceal. In an August 2014 interview,11 McClain admitted that he “referred to MADIGAN as our friend in e-mails and in public conversations because people might be listening to or reading McClain’s conversations.” And in an April 2016 interview, McClain admitted that he referred to Madigan as “our friend” because he “tries not to use names, such as MADIGAN, in conversation. MCCLAIN never knows who’s listening to MCCLAIN’s conversations. MCCLAIN extends this practice to not using names even in email conversations.” These admissions clearly show that McClain did not want any eavesdroppers to know the true subject of his communications and are therefore wholly consistent with the indictment and the government’s evidence at trial: “our Friends” and “a friend of ours” were terms designed to conceal Madigan’s identity.
McClain wrongly argues that these interviews somehow mean that he could not have subsequently used the phrase “Our Friend” with intent to conceal and could not have concealed anything from the government. He cites to cases in the civil securities fraud context for the proposition that someone cannot be said to conceal something they have previously disclosed. But a company’s concealment of information from the market in a securities fraud case, where the market is presumed to absorb all relevant and public information, is easily distinguished from the circumstances present here. See In re Allstate Corp. Sec. Litig., 966 F.3d 595, 600 (7th Cir. 2020) (citing Basic Inc. v. Levinson, 485 U.S. 224, 246-47 (1988)). And McClain’s private conversations, when he was being recorded without his knowledge, are certainly not the same as public securities disclosures.
As the Seventh Circuit observed in another bribery case, United States v. Curescu, 674 F.3d 735 (7th Cir. 2012), “Just as dealers in illegal drugs do not name the drugs in their phone conversations but instead use code words, so parties to other illegal transactions often avoid incriminating terms, knowing they may be overheard electronically.” Id. at 740. That’s exactly what McClain did over and over with respect to his work on behalf of Madigan, as the jury will hear at trial. […]
The government intends to introduce multiple conversations in which McClain referred to Madigan as “our Friend.” Those conversations demonstrate that McClain and the other conspirators commonly used these and other coded language to hide the fact that they were talking about Madigan. […]
In short, McClain’s statements to law enforcement in 2014 and 2016 have no bearing on his intent when he used the terms “Our Friend” and “a friend of ours” in private communications.
To the extent McClain claims he had no intent to conceal, this is a factual question for the jury.
10 The Indictment does not state that McClain’s concealment was specifically intended to shield evidence from law enforcement, as McClain misleadingly indicates in his motion.
11 The government does not intend to rely on these interviews the latter of which was proffer-protected but addresses them because McClain discusses them in his motion.
* I’m not sure why McClain was interviewed the first time (the feds went after Madigan almost too many times to count before finally indicting him), but that second interview was during the federal probe into this scheme…
He was a twenty-something wannabe developer, the son of immigrants from India, and he dreamed of building a $900 million hotel and convention complex near O’Hare Airport.
He assembled a team of political heavyweights, including Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan, and traveled to China to get investors.
Now, the land sits empty, and Anshoo Sethi awaits sentencing, possibly this week, after pleading guilty to wire fraud.
He’s admitted his role in what federal authorities call a scheme to use fraudulent documents to raise $160 million from Chinese investors willing to bankroll his project in exchange for permanent United States residency under the U.S. government’s much-maligned EB-5 visa program. The program grants residency to foreigners who invest in economic development projects. […]
Sethi also hired attorney Michael McClain, a Madigan loyalist who’s one of the top lobbyists in the state capital.
That Sun-Times article was published on December 2, 2016, the morning after McClain revealed he was “retiring,” which he didn’t really do. And then the feds raided his house in May of 2019.
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* From the IEA…
To coincide with the first day of early voting for Illinois school board elections the Illinois Education Association (IEA) is releasing a portion of its bipartisan annual State of Education poll. The poll finds Illinoisans are opposed to fighting and contention at school board meetings and believe our students should get an honest education.
“The vitriol that is infiltrating public education at all levels is like nothing we’ve ever seen in Illinois,” IEA President Kathi Griffin said. “Fake news and disinformation are fueling fears and that’s pitting school communities against one another, often over something that isn’t even true.”
The data show that overall:
• One in five Illinoisans say there has been fighting, yelling or contention at their local school board meeting.
• 44 percent say they have heard about fighting, yelling or contention at a school board meeting.
• 66 percent of Illinoisans say they do not approve of the fighting, yelling and contention at school board meetings.
“These disruptions distract from the real issue, providing the best education for all our students. This has got to stop,” Griffin said. “School board elections are right around the corner, and there are candidates of chaos on the ballot in Illinois. They are fueled and funded by dark money groups. These candidates are looking to further disrupt and dismantle public education at all levels. We are strongly encouraging all Illinoisans to get involved, educate themselves about their local candidates and vote for those who support our students and public education.”
The IEA poll also asked respondents about Critical Race Theory (CRT), which is taught at the college level and not taught in K-12 schools, honest education and book bans.
The bipartisan poll found:
• Half of all Illinoisans oppose a law that bans CRT.
• 77 percent favor teaching about slavery in the United States and its impacts.
• 72 percent favor teaching about racism in the United States and its impacts.
• 75 percent oppose banning books in Illinois school libraries.
“The people of Illinois have made it very clear they support an honest education for all of our students,” Griffin said. “They believe our students should have access to LGBTQ+ books. All of our students should know the truth about the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. They should know the truth about racism as a structure in United States society, history and culture. It is through the understanding of our history that we will be able to move forward successfully and not repeat the mistakes that were made in the past.”
The poll, conducted by Normington-Petts and Next Generation Strategies, surveyed 1,000 Illinoisans between Jan. 19 and 24. It has a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percent with 95 percent confidence.
* From the poll excerpt shared this morning…
Let’s change topics again. Have you or have you not heard anything about fighting, yelling, or other contention at school board meetings in Illinois?
Yes 44%
No 47
(Don’t know) 8
To the best of your knowledge, has there been any fighting, yelling, or other contention at a school board meeting in your community?
Yes 20%
No 50
(Don’t know) 29
And do you strongly approve, somewhat approve, somewhat disapprove, or strongly disapprove of the fighting, yelling, or other contention at school board meetings that has been happening around the country?
Do you strongly favor, somewhat favor, somewhat oppose, or strongly oppose each of the following?
An Illinois state law that bans the teaching of critical race theory in public schools
Teaching Illinois high school students about slavery in the United States and its impacts
Teaching Illinois high school students about racism and its impact in the United States
Banning books from Illinois school libraries
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Here we go again…
Thursday, Feb 23, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Center Square…
Dozens of Illinois schools are failing to meet standards, according to a new report. While the governor’s budget includes hundreds of millions of dollars more for education, one analyst believes that’s a mistake.
The report by Wirepoints shows that 53 schools do not have any student who can do math at their grade level and that at 30 schools no student can read at grade level.
The report uses data from the Illinois State Board of Education and found that 18% of the state’s 3,547 schools have only 1 out of 10 kids who are capable of reading at grade level. […]
The Wirepoints report lists Spry Community Links High School in Chicago and shows that in the 2022 Illinois Report Card, none of the 87 students at the school could read or do math at their grade level.
Spry is in the Little Village neighborhood. Its students are poor and many use English as a second language.
We’ve done this before, but let’s do it again.
* From Jordan Abudayyeh at the governor’s office…
For people who are interested in facts and in supporting Illinois’ students and communities, it’s important to understand that a school’s proficiency rates correlate exactly with the income levels of the students and families they serve. This “report” singles out schools that serve some of the most underresourced families in the state.
These achievement gaps based on family income level are why Governor Pritzker is investing $300 million over the next four years to expand access to high-quality early learning programs to help close gaps in learning and development before students start kindergarten.
Illinois evaluates schools based on multiple measures of performance, including growth, student attendance, climate and culture surveys, and graduation rates. Illinois has among the most rigorous proficiency standards in the nation. Evaluating schools based on growth in addition to proficiency gives us a more holistic understanding of school quality because even if a student starts school below grade level due to living in poverty, a good school can still help that student achieve significant growth.
More…
For decades, Illinois ranked worst in the nation for funding education, and Gov. Pritzker is reversing that travesty. This uninformed article is clearly a politically motivated attack that uses bad data analysis to try to bash Illinois public schools. Looking at proficiency alone, and looking at performance in a vacuum, is an uneducated and uninformed way to examine student achievement and school performance, and most education experts agree that measuring growth in performance is key to understanding school improvement.
Background:
• Illinois’ scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress – the gold standard of the nation’s report card – held steady across all grades and subjects from 2017 to 2019 while 31 states saw their scores drop in 8th grade reading and 17 states saw their scores drop in 4th grade reading.
• Illinois has some of the most rigorous learning standards in the nation: ranking fourth most rigorous for 4th grade reading and fifth most rigorous for 8th grade reading. In Illinois, a student needs to earn a level of 4 or 5 to be considered proficient. In comparison, the rigor of Florida’s standards ranks 39th and 42nd, respectively, and a student only needs to earn a level 3 on the state assessment to be considered proficient.
• Up until 2018, Illinois had the most regressive funding system in the nation, in which the poorest school districts had the least funding to educate their students. Gov. Pritzker has invested more than $1.2 billion into increasing funding for Evidence-Based Funding since taking office.
• The funding gaps prior to Gov. Pritzker taking office were so severe that even with these increases in funding, eight out of 10 students in Illinois still attend underfunded schools.
• In FY 2019, which is the year the author focuses on, the three school districts the author highlights – Decatur, Rockford, and Chicago – were among the least funded school districts in the state. They were all Tier 1 districts – the most starved for resources that respectively had only 64%, 61%, and 64% of the funding they needed to provide a basic standard of education to their students.
• In each of these districts, more than two-thirds of students come from poverty, with learning and development gaps that start in utero. Each of these districts in 2019 achieved student growth in English language arts above the 40th percentile.
I highlighted the proficiency part because the pointy wires crowd doesn’t seem to understand that comparing Illinois’ proficiency numbers to Florida’s isn’t really possible because Florida’s standards are much lower than Illinois’. What’s important is achieving growth.
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Open thread
Thursday, Feb 23, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* What’s going on? Keep it Illinois-centric please…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Thursday, Feb 23, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Here’s the roundup…
* WAND | Pritzker administration optimistic about budget plan targeting homelessness: The Pritzker administration hopes this multi-year plan will help everyone get access to housing. More than $155 million could assist unhoused people looking for shelter and support services while $40 million is set aside for permanent supportive housing. The administration told the House Housing Committee Wednesday that this funding could help develop over 90 new permanent supportive housing units that provide families with long-term rental assistance, case management, and other critical services.
* Sun-Times | Chicago groups scramble to find housing for newly arrived immigrants 6 months after busing began: Community groups and volunteers are stepping up to assist — and sometimes take into their homes — new immigrants seeking refuge around the Chicago area as shelters fill up and temporary housing spaces, including shuttered schools, spark controversy.
* Tribune | Madigan confidant was interviewed twice by FBI in years leading up to bombshell indictments: The first interview of Michael McClain, the speaker’s friend and ComEd lobbyist, came in August 2014, the same month that Madigan was secretly recorded by an FBI informant at his law firm discussing a desire to secure property tax business with a Chinatown developer, the filing shows.
* Daily Herald | ‘All-gender multiple-occupancy’ restrooms bill advances in state House: The text of the bill states its purpose is “to promote the privacy, safety, and gender inclusivity of all Illinois residents and visitors,” and that the measure should be “liberally construed” to carry out its purpose.
* WTTW | Chicago Teachers Union Under Fire From Within for Campaign Spending: A Chicago Teachers Union political action committee has donated more than $1 million to Johnson’s mayoral campaign, and union leadership is all in on Johnson, who is a paid CTU officer and Cook County commissioner.
* Daily Herald | Three school districts select lobbyist to fight Bears legislation: All three school districts whose boundaries include the Chicago Bears’ 326-acre Arlington Park property are now all on board in hiring a joint lobbyist to oppose, or at least amend, legislation that would give the franchise a massive tax break there.
* Baltimore Sun | Standardized exams keep Black social workers out, activists say. These Marylanders want to change that.: Starting in May, Wilkerson, 24, took the exam three times in four months. He spent his summer studying. He sank at least $1,300 into test preparation and fees. He failed each time ― by 10 points, by six points, and then by a single point.
* ABC Chicago | Illinois marijuana industry still falling short on social equity: According to the state’s report, in 2022, Black people made up only 1% of majority dispensary owners, as did Hispanic majority owners. Eighty-eight percent of the state’s dispensaries are white majority owned, and the remaining businesses are majority owned by people of two or more, or other races.
* TSPR | Prison classrooms in Illinois open doors to graduate degrees: Following its initial classes in 2015 blending traditional and incarcerated students for a certificate level program, the school launched the four-year master’s degree in 2018. Offering a master’s degree to men with decades or a lifetime left on their sentences was a key component to the program, said Vickie Reddy, a graduate of the first North Park cohort who now serves as North Park’s director of operations.
* Daily Herald | Charlie Kirk event could draw protests, organizers say schools topic ‘isn’t partisan’: Supporters said they see it as an opportunity to educate and offer solutions to problems in the state’s schooling system. Opponents say they view it as a dog whistle to attack certain groups and raise money.
* Sun-Times | ‘It’s a joke!’ City Council members grill Chicago police officials about extremists in their ranks: Chicago City Council members repeatedly expressed frustration Wednesday as police officials gave conflicting, sometimes puzzling reasons why they have not moved more aggressively against officers tied to far-right groups implicated in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
* Sun-Times | Candidates in neighboring South Side wards aim to build business to reduce crime: Seven candidates in the 21st Ward are pushing alternatives to conventional policing, while in the nearby 18th Ward, only one candidate is challenging incumbent Ald. Derrick Curtis.
* WTTW | How Byproduct From Local Breweries is Helping Clean Our Wastewater: Using the carbon-rich spent yeast to reduce the amount of phosphorus in the water MWRD treats. If there’s too much phosphorus in the water, that can feed microorganisms that can harm waterways.
* News-Gazette | Schnucks VP who worked her way up returning to Champaign for United Way award: Now in her 26th year with Schnucks and vice president of store operations at the company’s headquarters in St. Louis, Brandt will be returning to her hometown of Champaign on Friday to accept an award from the United Way of Champaign County on behalf of Schnucks’ stores in Champaign, Urbana, Savoy and Mahomet.
* SJ-R | Springfield Police, Moving Pillsbury Foward, Public Works, win in city’s 2024 fiscal budget : City council members notably approved an amendment that put $2.3 million into a budget line to boost the salaries of Springfield Police officers.
* Crain’s | Northwestern professor on Biden’s shortlist for Fed vice chair: In the hunt for Lael Brainard’s successor, the White House is “focusing in” on Harvard University professor Karen Dynan, Northwestern University finance professor Janice Eberly and Morgan Stanley Chief Global Economist Seth Carpenter, according to a research note Tuesday from Tobin Marcus, an Evercore analyst who advised Biden on economic policy when he was vice president.
* Daily Beast | Google Just Got a Lot Closer to Unleashing the Power of Quantum Computing: “To our delight, our team was able for the first time to demonstrate in practice that qubits protected by surface code error correction can indeed be scaled to reach lower error rates,” he said. The team published a paper of their findings in the journal Nature on Feb. 22.
* WTVO | Pritzker, lieutenant governor grab funnel cakes in Rockford: Stratton posted pictures to her Facebook page, posing for pictures with Pritzker before they enjoyed some sweet treats. She pointed out the banana pudding and strawberry cheesecake funnel cakes as her favorite.
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Live coverage
Thursday, Feb 23, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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