Afternoon roundup
Tuesday, Jul 25, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Press release with most hyperbole excluded…
…Governor JB Pritzker signed House Bill 2204, establishing a tax credit for users of clean hydrogen in the state of Illinois. […]
This legislation creates a tax credit of $10 million per year in 2026 and 2027 for users of clean hydrogen. At the conclusion of the tax credit, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency will run a comprehensive study to evaluate both the emissions impact of the tax credit and the national landscape to recommend additional policy measures to ensure Illinois remains competitive in the clean hydrogen economy and meets the clean energy goals outlined in the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act.
The tax credit was designed to keep pace with the state’s clean energy goals and includes a number of measures to ensure environmental benefit. In addition to the comprehensive study, those measures include:
• Directing funds to eligible uses that have been agreed to by environmental groups and industry to ensure hydrogen investments are made where they can have the greatest impact while also maintaining the state’s electrification goals.
• Ensuring that hydrogen projects have community input via public hearings and requiring 40% of the benefit go to equity investment eligible communities as outlined in CEJA.
The bill also contains workforce provisions in line with the nation-leading standards that were set in CEJA, including requiring a minimum equity standard and requiring Project Labor Agreements.
* Sun-Times this morning…
Major Chicago unions will sign a “Labor Peace Agreement” on Tuesday at McCormick Place, promising not to strike during the Democratic National Convention next year in Chicago.
On April 11, the Democratic National Committee announced that Chicago will host the convention at the United Center on Aug. 19-22, 2024, with other events at the McCormick Place complex. The master contract giving Chicago the convention over New York and Atlanta did not include the labor deal — because negotiations could not take place until the winning city was announced.
DNC Chair Jaime Harrison, in Chicago on Monday to attend a fundraiser headlined by Vice President Kamala Harris, will be at the signing ceremony with Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Mayor Brandon Johnson and Chicago Federation of Labor President Bob Reiter, Other union leaders and stakeholders are also expected.
Jake was there…
* Sun-Times this afternoon…
Gov. J.B. Pritzker expects the 2024 Democratic National Convention to be the “biggest ever,” with fundraising efforts to make that goal well underway, he said Tuesday.
Pritzker’s words came as major Chicago unions signed a “labor peace agreement” on Tuesday at McCormick Place, promising not to strike during the convention, which is being held in Chicago.
“We, on day one, started calling the people that we knew would be the most important to making sure that we were reaching out and raising the proper dollars. We are doing very well so far. Having said that, we are going to be doing that for some many months to come and I’m very, very confident we’ll hit our goal — the necessary goal to put on the best and biggest convention ever,” Pritzker said, speaking at McCormick Place.
* AFSCME Council 31…
AFSCME offers roadmap to reopen clinics, expand public mental health services
Mayor Brandon Johnson’s commitment to reopen the city’s previously closed mental health clinics and begin building a new and better system of public mental health services can be kept in the mayor’s first four-year term, according to a new report from the union that represents clinical employees in the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH).
Click here to view and download an extract of the report from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 31.
“Under Mayor Johnson and the new City Council, Chicago has an opportunity to fix past mistakes, reverse clinic closures and rebuild the strong network of public mental health services our communities need,” AFSCME Council 31 Executive Director Roberta Lynch said. “We offer this report to look at where we’ve been, where we are and most importantly, where we can go together as a city. Our union and our members look forward to working with other stakeholders and elected officials to make the mayor’s vision a reality.”
The report suggests:
• Growing the capacity of the five existing clinics by making sure they are fully staffed.
• Building on existing pilot programs that provide mental health response to emergency calls and mental health services in city libraries.
• Twenty possible community areas that should be considered when sites for the promised 14 new clinics are chosen.
• Opening two new CDPH clinics in the coming 2024 budget year, and phasing in the balance of the 14 new clinics over the subsequent three years, keeping Mayor Johnson’s promise to restore CDPH to 19 clinics by the end of his first term.
AFSCME represents therapists, psychologists and administrative staff in CDPH, which operated 19 clinics until the 1990s and 12 as recently as 2011.
Related…
* Speaker Welch is in DC today…
So is the lieutenant governor…
Today, Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton joined President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris as he signs a National Monument Proclamation to honor the life of Emmett Till and the brave advocacy of his mother Mamie Till-Mobley. As a resident of Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood—the home of the church where Emmett Till’s funeral was held—Lt. Governor Stratton recognizes deeply that we must uplift their legacies as we continue the work to build a better tomorrow.
While states across our country are attempting to erase Black history, we remember Mamie Till-Mobley’s efforts to shine a light on the miscarriage of justice against her son Emmett, with her voice helping to spark the movement for civil rights that endures today.
“I am honored to join President Biden and Vice President Harris to observe the 82nd birthday of Emmett Till. While Emmett’s murder was over 60 years ago, we remember him and the life that was stolen from him, and his mother Mamie Till-Mobley’s bravery and advocacy to shed a light on the injustice,” said Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton. “Far too many lives have been disrupted by prejudice, racism and discrimination across our country. We must not, and will not, sit idle. As a mother and the first Black Lieutenant Governor of Illinois, this proclamation is a major step—because hatred does not belong in our schools, in our communities, or in our future.”
This monument is a step forward in the fight for civil rights and racial justice to repair the harm that has been done by the legal system. It is a recognition that for too long, being a Black person in America has been a death sentence for many – Emmett Till, Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Sandra Bland and many more names who have tragically become headlines in our society. Today will mark a new day in which Emmett Till’s story is told to educate and heal our wounds.
* Meanwhile, Speaker Welch had a nice crowd at Saturday’s Beyoncé show…
* Isabel’s afternoon roundup…
* WGLT | Mental health professionals will join Illinois State University police on 911 calls: “Our officers now will be able to take that clinician or that crisis worker right to the scene, make sure the scene is safe, let that crisis worker deal with the student in crisis and step back,” he said. “If the officer needs to step in, they step in, but for the most part, we’ll just follow the directions of that crisis worker on how we’re going to handle the situation.”
* Block Club | Cops Should Not Respond To Mental Health Emergencies, Experts Say As City Weighs Ordinance: Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez (33rd) introduced her “Treatment Not Trauma” ordinance two years ago. Based in part on Eugene, Oregon’s CAHOOTS program, the alderwoman’s plan would create a network of professionals to respond to mental health emergencies without armed police officers.
* AP | 911 workers say centers are understaffed, struggling to hire and plagued by burnout: The survey conducted by the National Emergency Number Association in conjunction with Carbyne, a cloud technology company focused on emergency services, polled about 850 workers from 911 call centers across the country. It found that many were experiencing burnout, handling more frequent call surges and felt undertrained. The findings show the widespread nature of staffing problems that have been laid bare in some communities in recent years.
* Chalkbeat | Chicago closed 50 schools 10 years ago. What’s happened since then?: Chicago Public Schools would pay an Ohio-based logistics company to manage all the stuff from the shuttered buildings — a contract that would eventually double from $8.9 million to $18.9 million. Years later, metal desks, solid wood chairs, and other relics from the school closings would end up for sale on Craigslist.
* Block Club | Humboldt Park Health Clinic Closing After 9 Years, Leaving Local Patients Scrambling: Officials determined through a “careful evaluation” that the Humboldt Park space isn’t big enough to “accommodate a full range of Mile Square programs,” spokeswoman Sherri McGinnis Gonzalez said. The building’s landlord also plans to sell the Division Street building, McGinnis Gonzalez said.
* Daily Southtown | Nurses union at Ludeman Center in Park Forest fight for a new contract to address unsafe work conditions: Ludeman nurses say they want a contract that ensures safe working environments; safe staffing ratios for nurses, which includes filling seven vacant positions; consistent contract enforcement; proper pay for time worked; proper technology for on-demand access to individual’s health information; and for the facility to follow state guidelines on use of technology in long-term care centers, said Marika Loftman-Davis, a registered nurse and union steward.
* WSPD | Carbondale parents, leaders looking for child care solutions after Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Illinois closes: While the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Illinois organization has said it hopes to find a way to reopen, families like Barlett’s are left to figure out child care. “It’s hurting a lot more people than just the Boys & Girls Club. And just, the kids, they are heartbroken they can’t go anymore. So, it’s sad all the way around,” Barlett said.
* PJ Star | Why a splash pad funded with a fine arts grant is creating controversy in Peoria: The water feature, which includes built-in musical instruments for children to play, is one of two projects being completed in Peoria Public Schools this summer with a fine art grant the district secured late last school year. The Peoria Federation of Teachers Local 780 says the money should have been directed elsewhere because fine art programs in the district are underfunded and teachers in the district are struggling to do their jobs.
* Crain’s | Samir Mayekar takes post at Chicago Fed: The former top aide to Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Samir Mayekar, has landed on his feet, at least for the time being. In a social media post today, Mayekar, who handled the proposed Chicago casino and a host of other business-related items for the former mayor, announced he has accepted a position as a “visiting scholar” at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
* Crain’s | Chicago leads nation in home price growth: Chicago-area single-family home values rose 4.6% in May compared with May 2022, according to new data from the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Indices released this morning.
* Patch | Poor Air Quality, Then 105 Heat Index Possible For Chicago Area: Temperatures could hit the mid-90s by Wednesday and Thursday before climbing to nearly 100 degrees on Friday. A peak afternoon heat index of 95 to 105 degrees is also possible Wednesday through Friday.
* Fox 2 Now | Thousands of huge native sturgeon destined for Illinois waters: Several Illinois fisheries are working to bring more sturgeon back to state lakes. The Jake Wolf Memorial hatchery is located south of Peoria, Illinois. They say that over 10,000 lake sturgeon hatchlings arrived in July from Neosho National Hatchery in Missouri
* Crain’s | Back-to-school spending this year may break records, reports forecast: U.S. families expect to spend $4.6 billion more in back-to-school shopping for grades K-12 and $20 billion more in back-to-college shopping, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation.
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* WAND’s Mike Miletich…
The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services allowed assistants at day care centers to watch children under two for up to three hours per day throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to help address the worker shortage. Now, DCFS is facing scrutiny for trying to reduce the time assistants spend monitoring rooms.
Assistants were allowed to watch children under two for longer periods of time due to an emergency rule filed in 2020. However, DCFS never worked with state lawmakers to make it a permanent rule. The agency wants to cut that time frame down to 90 minutes per day.
“That most vulnerable age group must remain under the supervision of qualified staff at all times,” said Shontée Blankenship, the DCFS Deputy Director of Licensing. “That is nothing new. It’s part of our permanent rule. We have been enforcing it before COVID and we’re still enforcing it today.”
Many day care providers told lawmakers that cutting this option for assistants would create unreasonable and unnecessary costs for their business. The powerful Joint Committee on Administrative Rules suspended the DCFS rule on July 18, stating that the potential change would pose a threat to the public interest and welfare.
“I don’t think you folks belong in this business,” said Rep. Steve Reick (R-Woodstock). “This is not part of your portfolio. Your portfolio is to protect the safety of children, not to license day care centers.”
Um.
* The Flynn Report explains what actually happened…
JCAR objected to and suspended portions of the Department of Children and Family Services’ emergency rule titled Licensing Standards for Day Care Centers because they fail to meet the criteria for emergency rulemaking in 1 Ill. Adm. Code 230.400(a)(1)(C) and (a)(3)(B) and meet the criteria for suspension in 1 Ill. Adm. Code 230.550(a)(3)(A). Suspended portions of the emergency rule include: (1) Section 407.90(e)(3)(A) and (e)(3)(B)(i), (ii), and (iii); (2) provisions in Section 407.90(e)(3) and 407.190(f) that limit early childhood assistants’ supervision of day care center classrooms in the absence of early childhood teachers to classrooms of children age 2 and older, for only the first and last 90 minutes of the center’s licensed program hours; and (3) provisions in Section 407.90(e)(3)(B) that allow no more than 50 percent of licensed classrooms in operation to be supervised by early childhood assistants.
This emergency rule implements previous Department policy, with additional unjustified restrictions, that allowed day care center classrooms to be supervised for up to 3 hours a day by early childhood assistants when an early childhood teacher is not available and this substitution is included in the center’s staffing plan. The Department initially implemented this 3-hour policy in 2020 via emergency rules that were allowed to expire and never adopted companion proposed amendments that would have made this policy permanent. The Department then revived this policy as guidance that was in effect from September 23, 2022, through May 31, 2023. This emergency is agency created because the Department previously implemented the 3-hour policy outside of rule and passed up previous opportunities to adopt this rule despite multiple requests from day care providers. Additionally, this emergency rule imposes new restrictions, without adequate justification, on the use of early childhood assistants that the previous emergency rules and Department guidance did not include. By limiting the times of day when assistants can substitute for teachers and the number and age range of classrooms that can be supervised by assistants, this rule imposes unreasonable and unnecessary economic costs on day care providers, many of whom have relied on this policy for the last 3 years and may be forced to curtail their hours or reduce their number of classrooms as a direct result of this emergency rule. JCAR finds that these specified provisions of this emergency rule pose a threat to the public interest and welfare.
1) The Pritzker administration really needs to up its game with JCAR, and has needed to do so for a very long time. 2) JCAR declaring that a rule limiting assistants’ roles in supervising very young children without a trained teacher around is a “threat to the public interest and welfare” is a bit much.
…Adding… I’m told by a JCAR member that the administration has since circulated a draft that does include the commitment they made in June, which would allow for the same sort of flexibility that existed during the pandemic. The administration and the day care industry are now in talks. “If that goes well, we can lift the suspension in August and allow them to amend the rule with the flexibility language embedded in it,” the member said.
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* WBEZ…
College enrollment for Black students in Illinois has dropped more than a third since 2010, according to the Illinois Board of Higher Education. This decline at two- and four-year colleges comes on the heels of rising tuition costs and student debt.
Nationally, the falloff was 22 percent between 2010 and 2020.
And I don’t see how that trend is going to reverse itself after what the US Supreme Court did…
For example, in the University of California system, Black and Hispanic enrollment dropped by half within two years at the Berkeley and Los Angeles branches after the use of race in admissions was banned in 1996. Today, after the state spent more than half a billion dollars to promote diversity in enrollment, Black undergraduate enrollment is 5% at UCLA and graduate enrollment is 6%. At UC Berkeley, 4% of undergraduates were Black in 2021.
At the University of Michigan, where the use of race was banned in 2006, Black undergraduate student enrollment dropped from about 7% in 2006 to 4.5% in 2022. The school has tried to focus on special preference for socioeconomic status but that has not proven a perfect proxy for race.
More broadly, the average Black-to-white student graduation rate gap at the top 12 public universities that do not use affirmative action was 10.1%, according to research from UCLA. The average gap at the top 12 public universities with affirmative action was 6%.
There are examples of schools where discontinuation of affirmative action has not had a dramatic impact. The University of Oklahoma, which banned the practice in 2012, told the high court that it has seen “no long term severe decline” in minority enrollment. And other schools in California have enrollment demographics that better match their populations.
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* Subscribers were briefed on the tentative deal a few weeks ago. It’s now official…
Governor JB Pritzker’s administration and AFSCME Council 31—the largest union of frontline Illinois state employees—have announced the ratification of a new contract after membership voted overwhelmingly in favor.
The agreement was tentatively reached by negotiators for the state and the union in the early morning hours of July 1. Over the past two weeks, members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 31 attended local union meetings throughout the state to review and vote on its terms. The four-year agreement is now in effect.
“Illinois is a pro-worker state—and when it comes to workers’ rights, my administration is committed to ensuring that every Illinoisan has access to good-paying opportunities,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This contract represents a partnership that won’t just expand our pool of state employees—it will strengthen our state’s workforce and provide opportunity for employees and their families. I’m thankful for a productive negotiation that led to a contract which recognizes the valuable contributions of state employees and makes government more efficient.”
“AFSCME members care deeply about serving their communities. They go above and beyond to meet challenges like the COVID pandemic and staff shortages,” AFSCME Council 31 Executive Director Roberta Lynch said. “This contract helps to address the toll that inflation has taken on state employee incomes and keeps health care affordable.”
The agreement provides for a 4.0% pay increase retroactive to July 1. In all, base wages will rise 17.95% over four years. Other provisions include expanded parental leave to 12 weeks and new joint efforts to improve workplace safety.
The agreement also includes a number of significant actions to expedite the filling of vacancies and improve strategies to recruit, hire, and retain workers, such as:
• Modernizing how vacancies with State agencies are filled by updating the contract language to reflect the state’s transition to an electronic hiring process.
• A commitment to work together to streamline the State’s hiring process to improve the pace at which vacancies are filled.
• Increasing hiring and retention of current employees by forming a joint labor-management committee that will meet to identify roadblocks to hiring.
• Implementing a pilot program for recruitment bonuses for positions that have high vacancy rates.
• Ensuring that employees on Parental Leave may still bid on vacancies during their leave.
AFSCME represents some 35,000 state employees who work to provide the essential public services our communities need in every part of Illinois, every day. They protect children, care for veterans and people with disabilities, help struggling families, keep prisons safe and much more.
*** UPDATE *** Brenden got the numbers…
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Question of the day
Tuesday, Jul 25, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Yeah, sure, why not…
With the Chicago Bears exploring suburban options beyond Arlington Heights as a site for a new stadium, Richton Park is making its pitch to the team.
In a recent letter to Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren, Richton Park Mayor Rick Reinbold touts large expanses of available land and the south suburb’s proximity to highways and the Metra Electric Line.
“I understand how the complexity of completing a stadium deal at the former Arlington Park site can be frustrating,” Reinbold told Warren in the July 21 letter. “Allow me to interest you in greenfield opportunities awaiting the Bears in Richton Park!” […]
This is a developing story. Check back for more details.
* The Question: What other cities should the Bears consider? Explain your answer and snark is heavily encouraged.
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Mapes’ motion denied by federal judge
Tuesday, Jul 25, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Isabel posted this story earlier today…
A judge rejected a bid from Michael Madigan’s former chief of staff to keep mention of his immunity deal out of a trial in which prosecutors allege he failed to keep his end of the deal and lied during grand jury testimony.
Tim Mapes served for years under former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan as the clerk of the Illinois House and as Madigan’s chief of staff. In May 2021, federal prosecutors charged Mapes with lying to a grand jury in a federal probe connected to the longtime former speaker.
U.S. District Judge John Kness denied a motion filed by Mapes’ attorney to keep mention of the immunity deal out of the trial. Mapes had argued that portions of the indictment that referred to the immunity agreement were irrelevant and prejudicial.
* From Judge Kness’ ruling…
As charged in the Indictment, seven of Defendant’s answers regarding Madigan and McClain were knowingly false; as a result, the Indictment alleges that Defendant committed both perjury and obstruction of justice. These charges are based on the following seven question-and-answer segments, which the parties refer to as Episodes 1–7:
[1] Q: Okay. Did [McClain], after he retired, kind of give you any insight into what his interactions with [Madigan] were that you weren’t privy to personally?
A: No, that wouldn’t–that wouldn’t happen.
[2] Q: Okay. And [McClain] didn’t—wouldn’t tell you what he was discussing with [Madigan] or anything that he was doing on behalf of [Madigan] in that ‘17, ‘18, and ‘19 timeframe?
A: No.
[3] Q: Do you have any knowledge about whether or not [McClain] performed any sort of tasks or assignments for [Madigan] in [the] 2017 to 2018 timeframe at all?
A: I don’t recall any.
[4] Q: . . . Do you have any reason to think [McClain] was acting as an agent for [Madigan] after he retired in 2016, that is, doing work for him or carrying out assignments for him?
A: I’m not aware of any. I’m not aware of that activity. Let’s put it that way.
[5] Q: . . . [A]ll these questions are going to be for the 2017 through 2019 timeframe. Do you recall anyone ever describing any work–anyone at all describing any work or assignments [McClain] was performing on [Madigan]’s behalf?
A: I don’t recall that–that I would have been part of any of that dialogue. I don’t know why I would be.
Q: The answer is yes or no to that question. Do you recall?
A: No, I don’t recall any of that.
[6] Q: . . . So one of the things we were trying to figure out, Mr. Defendant, is whether or not–kind of a key issue for us is whether or not [McClain] acted as an agent for [Madigan] in any respect, including that timeframe. We’re talking about the 2017, 2018, 2019 timeframe. Are you aware of any facts that would help us understand whether or not, in fact, [McClain] acted as an agent or performed work for [Madigan] or took direction from [Madigan] in that timeframe?
A: I don’t know who you would go to other than [Madigan] and [McClain]. [Madigan], if he had people do things for him like I did things for him, was—didn’t distribute information freely.
[7] Q: Let’s talk about 2017, 2018 to the present, do you know [McClain] to have acted in any capacity as a messenger for [Madigan] to convey messages to and from him?
A: I’m not aware of any.
Contesting the allegations that these statements constituted perjury and seeking to strike other allegations included in the complaint, Defendant filed the Motion to Strike, Motion for Disclosure, and Motion to Dismiss. Both the Motion to Strike and the Motion to Dismiss are addressed in turn.
* If you click here and scroll down to page 41, you’ll see excerpts from federal recordings which prosecutors say proves their case. A few of them…
GX7. In this call, Mapes tells McClain that the plan is for McClain to meet Madigan and Andrew (Andrew Madigan is Madigan’s son) for dinner. This call thus demonstrates that Mapes knew McClain was meeting with Madigan in 2018. In fact, Mapes was acting as intermediary; by telling McClain of the dinner plans on behalf of Madigan. Mapes told McClain, “So, I, I was gonna give you an update on your life, after you get to Springfield. . . one is, now you’re having dinner at Saputo’s tonight.” GX7-T at 1. It is therefore relevant to the allegation in Count 2 that Mapes testified falsely about whether Madigan gave messages for Mapes to pass along to McClain. Dkt 1., Count 2, ¶ 2(k). The second excerpt involves Mapes telling McClain about something Madigan wanted to discuss with McClain, referring to this as McClain’s “the to do list I had to give you” from Madigan. GX7-T. In the final excerpt, they once again discuss dinner plans with Madigan and McClain says he’ll be there in a half hour. GX7-T. Mapes claims that this call is not admissible because he wasn’t specifically asked about it in the grand jury. R. 66 at 7. But again, Mapes’ lies were much broader, and calls like this one are unquestionably relevant to show that Mapes knew of McClain’s role within Madigan’s orbit in 2018. […]
GX16 (5/30/18 at 9:34 p.m.). In this short follow-up call, Mapes tells McClain that “we’re in the midst of all kind of things going on,” including related to Public Official B. McClain offers to share what he knows, and Mapes says ‘let me put you on with the boss. Okay? . . . so you’re going to inform him what you know and go from there.” This call demonstrates as clear as day that Mapes knew McClain communicated with Madigan in 2018, because Mapes sets up that conversation. It also is an example of McClain working for Madigan, helping get information to him about a brewing sexual harassment scandal. […]
GX17 (5/30/18 at 9:34 p.m.). This is another call on May 30, 2018 concerning the allegations involving Public Official C and other matters. … The conversation then turns to one of McClain’s “assignment[s]” from Madigan related the Chinatown parcel, discussed above. GX17. McClain related that “in my case uh it’s an assignment as you probably know. I’m trying to get some uh legal, um, um, property transferred from the I, CDOT.” … Finally, it is also relevant that this is the third call between the two men on May 30, 2018. The sheer number of calls between these two men on a single day is probative as to Mapes’ testimony about his memory. […]
GX36 (6/21/18). For the bulk of this call, Mapes and McClain discuss matters concerning the Democratic Party of Illinois (“DPI”), including fundraising, personnel issues, and replacing Mapes as executive director of DPI. This call is highly probative. After Mapes’ abrupt resignation, DPI was left without an executive director. This call demonstrates that Mapes knew McClain was helping Madigan with DPI operations and fundraising after Mapes resigned.
There’s lots more.
* Back to Judge Kness’ ruling…
Defendant seeks to strike the following statement from the Indictment: “MAPES provided [McClain] with messages communicated to MAPES by [Madigan], including messages concerning work and assignments [McClain] was performing on behalf of [Madigan] between 2017 and 2018.” Defendant appears to contend that this statement fails to “state the elements” of perjury as required under Vaughn because this allegation does not contradict any of his statements in Episodes 1–7 and so cannot form the basis of a perjury charge. The Court disagrees.
In Episode 4, Defendant stated that he was “not aware of any” “reason to think [McClain] was acting as an agent for [Madigan],” where “acting as an agent” was defined as “doing work for him or carrying out assignments for him.” If Defendant was, in fact, “provid[ing] [McClain] with messages communicated to [him] by [Madigan], including messages concerning work and assignments [McClain] was performing on behalf of [Madigan],” this would directly contradict Defendant’s response to the question in Episode 4. Accordingly, the motion to dismiss this portion of the Indictment is denied.
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Open thread
Tuesday, Jul 25, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Tuesday, Jul 25, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Here you go…
* Center Square | Judge in Mapes case says evidence of immunity deal allowed at trial: A judge rejected a bid from Michael Madigan’s former chief of staff to keep mention of his immunity deal out of a trial in which prosecutors allege he failed to keep his end of the deal and lied during grand jury testimony.
* Crain’s | For their first big post-Madigan fundraiser, Illinois Dems land a star: The party today is announcing that U.S. Sen. Rafael Warnock of Georgia will be the keynote speaker at what’s being billed as the party’s inaugural Illinois Gala in Chicago on Oct. 27. Tickets start at $150 a pop and then go way, way up, with platinum-level individual tickets priced at $10,000 each and corporate and PAC sponsorships available for $13,700 to as much as $68,500, according to promotional materials being sent to potential donors.
* WAND | Top Illinois committee suspends controversial DCFS day care rule amid worker shortage: The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services allowed assistants at day care centers to watch children under two for up to three hours per day throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to help address the worker shortage. Now, DCFS is facing scrutiny for trying to reduce the time assistants spend monitoring rooms.
* WTTW | Media Matters When It Comes to the Public’s Perception of Crime and Violence: “Mainstream media very narrowly defines crime as shootings, homicides and property theft, the most sensational types of crimes that have Black/Brown faces often attached as perpetrators and victims,” says Morgan Elise Johnson, co-founder and publisher of The TRiiBE, a digital media platform reporting on the experiences of Black Chicagoans.
* Tom Kacich | Miller, Budzinski taking different routes to re-election: Rep. Mary Miller, the second-term Republican from Oakland in Coles County, reported nearly $150,000 in campaign contributions for the quarter that ended June 30. Her campaign spent about $155,000 during the period and reported $390,161 on hand on June 30. By contrast, Rep. Nikki Budzinski, a freshman Democrat from Springfield whose district includes Champaign-Urbana, reported nearly $450,000 in campaign contributions with expenditures of about $158,000. Budzinski’s campaign said it had $720,125 on hand on June 30.
* Center Square | Freedom Caucus calls for Illinois public libraries to withdraw from American Library Association: The Freedom Caucus said in April 2022, Emily Drabinski wrote in a Twitter post “I just cannot believe that a Marxist lesbian who believes that collective power is possible to build and can be wielded for a better world is the president-elect of @ALALibrary. I am so excited for what we will do together. Solidarity! And my mom is SO PROUD I love you mom.” State Rep. Jed Davis, R-Newark, said the remarks should raise a red flag about the organization.
* Pioneer Press | State Rep. Canty hears constituents’ concerns, discusses needed legislation over servings of fro-yo: In addition, she said she’s working with a few legislators on reexamining how to manage safety and inspections at carnivals after some recent incidents of injuries on carnival rides. “I want to do everything, I want to help everyone,” Canty said, adding education has been her most recent focus. “But at my heart, I’m truly a generalist.”
* Sun-Times | Mayoral allies lay groundwork for mental health plan dubbed ‘Treatment Not Trauma’: Speakers included psychoanalyst Dr. Eric Reinhart, an anthropologist of policing, prisons and public health. Reinhart is among those being pushed by community advocates as a possible replacement for Dr. Allison Arwady. Reinhart isn’t just urging Johnson and his Council allies to re-open the six mental health clinics famously shuttered by former Mayor Rahm Emanuel. What post-pandemic Chicago really needs, Reinhart said, is to reopen the 19 mental health clinics it had during the 1980s under former Mayor Harold Washington.
* Tribune | Marilyn Mulero — once sent to death row without a trial — sues Chicago after her conviction is overturned: A mother of two young children when initially incarcerated as a 21-year-old in 1992, Mulero joins a growing number of exonerated ex-inmates who have sued former detectives Reynaldo Guevara and Ernest Halvorsen. Her lawsuit accuses the Chicago Police Department of fostering an environment in which the detectives, in framing her for murder, were allowed to fabricate evidence, coerce a false confession through psychological torture, manipulate lineups and violate her civil rights in spite of her innocence.
* Tribune | Vice President Kamala Harris uses Chicago appearance to call for Latinos to act against extremists: Harris stressed the “challenges of the moment we are in” as a result of “extremist so-called leaders.” She referenced recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings that reversed a federal right to an abortion and affirmative action at universities and limited the Voting Rights Act, as well as efforts within states to curb the availability of books and teaching of race in U.S. history.
* Crain’s | Old Post Office developer looks to defy a brutal market with a new project: The New York-based real estate developer is ramping up marketing for Canal Station, a refurbished office building at 801 S. Canal St. with 683,000 square feet of workspace that it aims to have mostly ready for tenants to move into by the end of the year. The $265 million project is breathing new life into a six-story property stretching almost a full city block along Canal Street between Polk and Taylor streets; it was fully leased to Northern Trust from 1990 until the bank’s lease expired in late 2020.
* Crain’s | Crain’s adds reporter to government and politics beat: Before coming to Crain’s, Giangreco worked for several years as a freelance reporter whose work has appeared in The Guardian, Politico Magazine, Bloomberg CityLab, The Washington Post and Pew’s Stateline. Before coming to Chicago, she covered the defense industry in Washington, D.C.
* Crain’s | Back-to-school spending this year may break records, reports forecast: U.S. families expect to spend $4.6 billion more in back-to-school shopping for grades K-12 and $20 billion more in back-to-college shopping, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation.
* NYT | From Twitter to X: Elon Musk Begins Erasing an Iconic Internet Brand: Inside Twitter’s headquarters in San Francisco on Monday, X logos were projected in the cafeteria, while conference rooms were renamed to words with X in them, including “eXposure,” “eXult” and “s3Xy,” according to photos seen by The New York Times. Workers also began removing bird-related paraphernalia, such as a giant blue logo in the cafeteria. Outside the building, workers took off the first six letters of Twitter’s name before the San Francisco Police Department stopped them for performing “unauthorized work,” according to an alert sent by the department.
* Daily Herald | Where does Arlington Park wreckage go? Some bricks to be preserved, other debris being recycled: Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayes said Monday the village is leading an effort to preserve about 1,000 bricks and make them available to the public. Plans for how or when the relics would be distributed are still being formulated.
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Tuesday, Jul 25, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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