* These Morning Consult results are always a bit questionable because their methodology is opaque and they survey over several months, in this case January 1 through March 31, 2022. Anyway…
Across the country, all but eight governors are backed by 50% or more of their state’s voters. And in nearly all cases, the Democrats among them are getting higher approval ratings than Biden, while more often than not drawing more cross-party support than the president and Democratic senators.
But when considering each state, the average GOP governor has a higher approval rating than the average Democratic governor (58% to 51%), boosted by the popularity of a handful of blue-state Republicans.
Thoughts?
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* Christian County? Whew…
State of Illinois, Fourth Judicial Circuit Christian County
Robert Thornton, et al. v. Illinois Department of Corrections, et al.
Plaintiffs argue they cannot be required to vaccinate or test for COVID-19 as a condition of employment without first being afforded the statutory procedures available under Section 2 of the Illinois Department of Public Health Act, 20 ILCS 2305/2.
Plaintiffs also argue that although the vaccination and testing requirements are imposed pursuant to their collective bargaining agreement and the interest arbitration award, they are not bound by the requirements because their union lacks power to waive their rights under the IDPH Act, and the arbitrator lacked jurisdiction to issue the award, under the theory that the requirements are general public health measures, not work safety measures.
Specifically, and in addition, Plaintiffs argued that: “Defendants ask once again for this Court to stay this proceeding in hopes to take it out of the hands of the 5th Appellate District. The Attorney General sets for to this Court the request for stay filed by counsel for Plaintiffs in another matter arguing the case should remain in Sangamon. The suggestion is that this case must be stayed while the Supreme Court is reviewing it because there was a request in another case by Attorney Devore under similar circumstances. First off, that case does not have a TRO pending where emergency relief is being sought. Secondly, and more importantly, that case includes the Governor as a Defendant as it attacks the Governor’s authority. Any case that has included the Governor and his authority to issue executive orders have been transferred to Sangamon County. This case is not such a case as the Governor is not a party.”
Defendants are seeking a stay of the within proceeding, or a dismissal with prejudice of Plaintiff’s Petition: “One day after vigorously opposing a brief stay in this case to allow the Illinois Supreme Court to determine, pursuant to the Department’s Rule 384 motion to transfer whether this case belongs in Sangamon County with dozens of other COVID-related cases, including a case that raises the exact same claim made here, Mr. DeVore admits that this case belongs in Sangamon County. Of course, Defendant’s Rule 384 motion to transfer this case to Sangamon County was necessitated by Mr. DeVore’s decision to file this case in Christian County in the first place, despite his admission that such a filing goes against the clearly expressed intent of the Illinois Supreme Court. In light of Mr. DeVore’s admission, the Court should reconsider its earlier ruling and grant a stay of this case pending the Illinois Supreme Court’s ruling on the Rule 384 motion. In the alternative, the Court should deny the motion for temporary restraining order because the Court lacks subject matter jurisdiction, Plaintiffs’ claims have already been rejected by the Illinois Appellate Court, and Plaintiffs have failed to establish any of the elements necessary for such extraordinary relief.”
This Court, as previously stated, has heard and considered the arguments of esteemed Counsel and finds no need to grant the Motion for Stay. As Plaintiffs’ attorney has cogently argued, the Governor is not a named Party to this cause of action and therefore a transfer to Sangamon County is unnecessary.
Instead, this Court adopts the Defendant’s argument as that argument relates to the prayer for a dismissal. As a result of the prior Fourth District decisions, most recently in Graham v. Pekin Fire Department, 2022 IL App (4th) 220270, issued one day before Plaintiffs filed this case, and in Allen v. Bd. of Educ. of N. Mac Cmty. Unit Sch. Dist. No. 34, 2022 IL App (4th) 220307-U, which was issued on April 20, 2022; this Court is required to follow and adopt the same reasoning stated in those decisions.
The Appellate Court also ruled, three months ago, that the circuit court lacks subject matter jurisdiction over this claim, and that exclusive jurisdiction lies with the Illinois Labor Relations Board because the requirements are terms and conditions of employment negotiated between the State and Plaintiffs’ collective bargaining representative. Glass v. Ill. Dep’t of Corr., 2022 IL App (4th) 210740.
This Court is unable to ignore the reasoning set out in Graham and Glass. Both decisions are binding on this Court, and the persuasive authority most recently provided in Allen is further confirmation that this Court lacks subject matter jurisdiction over Plaintiffs’ claims.
The General Assembly has not conferred subject-matter jurisdiction on this court to review the correctness of the interest arbitration award unless either the employer or the exclusive bargaining representative seeks judicial review pursuant to 5 ILCS 315/14. Glass, 2022 IL App (4th) 210740, ffll 49, 51. For the foregoing reasons the Plaintiff’s Motion for Temporary Restraining Order is denied, and the within cause is dismissed.
DeVore may be trying to get this issue into the more conservative Fifth Appellate District. But the Christian County ruling and the opinion it’s based on were pretty darned cut and dried.
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Campaign notebook
Thursday, Apr 28, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Didn’t somebody tell us this week that Sen. Darren Bailey was supposed to have a sitdown with former President Donald Trump yesterday? Well, Bailey hasn’t yet posted anything online, including any pics. People did post a few from the Mary Miller endorsement event at Mar-a-Lago, including this one from a few rows back…
Looks like I had better seats at the Wilco show. Alas, I didn’t get a sit-down with Jeff Tweedy, either. But I didn’t try. Stay tuned, I suppose.
* Equality Illinois’ 2022 primary endorsement list is out today and, so far, the group is staying out of the Democratic race for secretary of state. Planned Parenthood Illinois Action endorsed Anna Valencia earlier this week.
* Casten…
Today, U.S. Congressman Sean Casten (D-IL) released his first digital ads of the cycle. The ads will run on Facebook, Google, YouTube, and Hulu through Election Day as part of a six-figure digital buy. They are the first in a series of digital ads the campaign will run to highlight Rep. Casten’s work to lower costs for families, fight climate change, and protect a woman’s right to choose.
You can watch the first ad, “Prices”, here.
You can watch the second ad, “Moment”, here.
You can watch the third ad, “Worry”, here.
You can watch the fourth ad, “Marcie, here.
* Levin dropped out of this race earlier in the week…
Speaking of Dordek…
For State House District 13, where LGBTQ+ champion House Majority Leader Greg Harris is retiring, Equality Illinois endorsed out LGBTQ+ candidate Fernando “Sergio” Mojica and super-ally Eileen Dordek.
Planned Parenthood Illinois Action endorsed Dordek as well.
* WHOI…
The press team for GOP gubernatorial candidate Richard Irvin has responded to our requests for comment as to why he wasn’t present during the forum Monday night in Washington.
The Central Illinois 2022 Republicans Gubernatorial Candidate Forum distributed six invitations to remaining candidates, including Senator Darren Bailey, businessman Gary Rabine, state Senator Paul Schimpf, attorney Max Solomon, and businessman Jesse Sullivan. All were in attendance at the event except for Irvin.
In an email, Irvin campaign member Eleni Demertzis says the candidate had a “prior commitment” that evening, adding in a statement:
“As a former prosecutor who put violent criminals behind bars, a mayor who cut spending to lower taxes and the only Republican candidate for governor to take on Mike Madigan and win, Mayor Irvin looks forward to sharing the stage with his opponents which will prove he is the best candidate to roll back the crime, corruption and high taxes we’ve seen under J.B. Pritzker.”
Bailey ain’t buying it…
* Two press releases from the Gary Rabine campaign…
“The Schaumburg Township Republican Organization (STRO) has announced its endorsed candidates for the June 28 Republican primary. Chairman Joe Folisi said “We are very pleased to announce that STRO has endorsed Gary Rabine and Aaron DelMar for governor and lieutenant governor, Kathy Salvi for United States Senator and Dan Brady for Secretary of state. These individuals are of high caliber and will serve Illinois well once elected.”
“Continuing the strong momentum gained over the last couple of weeks, we picked up another township endorsement last night. The Republican Organization of Elk Grove Township endorsed my campaign because I am the conservative candidate that can beat JB Pritzker in November. Thank you to all the members of the Republican Organization of Elk Grove Township for all the hard work they do for Republican candidates every day.”
…Adding… CD17…
Today, Jonathan Logemann, Democratic candidate for Illinois’ 17th Congressional District, announced the endorsement of Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara. Mayor McNamara and Alderman Logemann have served Rockford since 2017 in their respective roles and have worked hand-in-hand to improve their local neighborhoods and strengthen the Rockford region’s economy.
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* SJ-R…
Awake Illinois, a right-leaning political organization focused on education, is attracting some candidates for office in Illinois to sign a pledge promising support for, among other things, school choice, requiring schools to provide parents with annual reports about schools’ curriculum and prohibiting schools from teaching about consent, sexual orientation or gender identity.
“Not only do we stand beside you completely, I look forward to working with you once elected as governor to work to begin to rescind the nonsense,” said gubernatorial candidate state Sen. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia, at a virtual event hosted by Awake Illinois on Sunday. […]
“Our way of life is under attack,” said Bailey in that virtual event with the group’s president and founder, Shannon Adcock. […]
Illinois allows parents to opt their students out of sexual health education classes, according to [Brigid Leahy, vice president of public policy at Planned Parenthood Illinois Action]. In addition to the opt-out, SB 818 also requires that schools provide parents with an opportunity to review the sex education curriculum to be used at their children’s schools.
* The prohibition against teaching “inaccurate and false history” is kind of a tell…
Nice bit about lawyer fees, too. Tom DeVore has also signed on. Click the pic for a better view.
Thoughts?
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* Capitol News Illinois…
Gov. JB Pritzker signed a package of bills Wednesday aimed at easing the state’s shortage of teachers and other education professionals, even as a new report shows Illinois just added a record number of new teachers to its ranks.
Speaking in the library of Springfield High School just blocks from the Capitol, Pritzker said that while the education workforce picture is improving, more work still needs to be done. […]
Pritzker noted that the budget bill he signed into law April 19 increases funding for minority teacher scholarships to $4.2 million. And starting next year, the minimum annual salary for first-year teachers will increase to $40,000 due to a bill he signed in 2019. […]
A survey conducted in 2021 by the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools found 88 percent of local school districts believed they had a teacher shortage problem while 96 percent reported problems finding enough substitute teachers.
* Fox 32…
Illinois has hired more than 5,600 teachers this school year — a figure greater than the number of hires over the more five years combined.,
The state still has about 2,100 unfilled teaching positions across Illinois.
* Tribune…
Those vacancies are “concentrated in hard-to-staff schools and subjects,” disparately affecting low-income, bilingual and special education students, Ayala said. An additional 2,400 paraprofessional openings are also vacant, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.
“As we look forward, we must continue to root our efforts to strengthen the teaching profession in equity,” Ayala said. “Not all schools and not all students are experiencing teacher staffing issues in the same way.”
State Rep. Sue Scherer, a former teacher who sponsored parts of the legislative package, said the new laws will “make a difference” in classrooms even before the current school year ends. The expansion to allow short-term substitutes to spend 15 consecutive days in a classroom, rather than just five, is effective immediately, as is the reduced license reinstatement fee.
“So many politicians will say education is important, but then when you get to the backroom deals and it’s time to finalize the budget, it’s the first thing cut,” said Scherer, a Decatur Democrat. “It’s heartwarming that people are kind of putting their money where their mouth is.”
* WICS…
House Bill 4246
State law currently requires educators to pay a $500 penalty to immediately reinstate a lapsed license. Under House Bill 4246, fees for renewing lapsed educator license will be reduced to $50.
The law is effective immediately.
House Bill 4798
Under current law, substitute teaching candidates must hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. House Bill 4798 allows currently enrolled teaching students to obtain additional classroom training by giving them the option to obtain a substitute teaching license if they have completed 90 credit hours.
The law is effective January 1, 2023.
Senate Bill 3988
Currently, the minimum age requirement is 19 for paraprofessional educators who work with students from pre-K to eighth grade. Senate Bill 3988 lowers this age requirement to 18, providing prospective educators with the chance to start a career earlier.
The law is effective January 1, 2023.
Senate Bill 3907
In the event of a disaster declaration, short term substitute teachers are only able to spend 5 consecutive days in the same classroom. Under Senate Bill 3907, this number is increased to 15.
The law is effective immediately.
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* Patrick Smith at WBEZ…
A new study from University of Chicago researchers raises questions about what exactly has driven the recent surge in carjackings in the city.
Chicago police officials have repeatedly laid the blame at the feet of the city’s young people, saying the violent car thefts are motivated by kids seeking joyrides or looking for a vehicle to use in other crimes. […]
In press conferences over the last 18 months, Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown has highlighted the extremely young age of some of the alleged carjackers they’ve arrested and called for a combination of more services and more “accountability” for young people as a way to stem the tide of carjackings.
At a March 10, 2021 news conference, Brown said the No. 1 motivation for carjackings was joyriding.
“It’s a shame that you’ll hold a gun to someone’s head just to joyride, but that seems to be what our young people are doing that we’re capturing,” Brown said.
The problem is that CPD is only catching a small percentage of carjackers (15 percent in 2020, for instance), and apparently most of those are joyriding young people.
* But Professor Robert Vargas, director of the UChicago Justice Project, saw something interesting in the data. From his study…
If youth joyrides have, in fact, been driving the carjacking spike, then one would expect most cars to be recovered as the point of a joyride is to drive the car and not sell it.
As it turns out, less than 20 percent of carjacked autos are recovered each year. Lately, it’s been closer to 10 percent. And as carjackings have risen, the percentage of recovered autos has decreased…
* Back to the study…
If the majority of carjacking incidents are cases of youth seeking joyrides, these data indicate that something more is happening. Either these cars are being sold for profit, or carjacking offenders are really good at hiding vehicles after their joyride. Figure 3 is a time series graph that attempts to test alternative explanations for changes in carjacking from 2017-2021. One hypothesis put forward by the Chicago Police Department has been that its carjacking taskforce contributed to a decline in carjackings. Another hypothesis is that the stimulus checks dispersed through the COVID relief bill may have reduced economic incentives for carjacking. Figure 3 illustrates no evidence to support either of these alternative explanations, as the timing of the stimulus checks and implementation of the carjacking task force had no visible impact on carjacking trends.
Figure 3 does appear to show that the joyriding (but not carjackings) may have peaked during the early months of 2021…
* Professor Vargas’ conclusion…
These findings are important for several reasons. The percent of recovered vehicles can shed light on the scale at which carjacking may be motivated by economics. As a panel on carjacking organized by Senator Dick Durbin made clear, carjacking is linked to the informal economy and fueled (in part) by the soaring price of used cars brought on by COVID-19 related supply chain issues (Vinicky 2022). Cars are not only stripped for parts and sold, they are also sold out of state. More information is needed to shed light on what is happening to the cars that are not getting recovered.
It is worth noting a few limitations of our analysis. Just because only 20% of carjacked vehicles are recovered, does not mean that all of those cars have been sold in the informal economy. Some may have been abandoned and never found. Others may be sitting on an impound lot. The best source of information to clarify these issues would be car insurance companies whose claims data can bring greater clarity on what happened to each of these vehicles. Our efforts to reach out to Chicago’s largest private car insurance providers for these data have gone without response.
Vargas also rightly complained that this data should be more widely available to the public. “It should not take a FOIA request and over a year’s worth of time to get an answer to a simple question about carjacking,” he wrote.
* From the referenced WTTW story above…
With demand high and supply low for used cars, criminals can make a profit from stolen vehicles.
“Cars are being stolen here in the United States. There’s VIN swaps that are utilized to resell the vehicles so they’re not known that they are stolen. They’re shipped overseas, Middle East criminal enterprises,” said David Glawe, president of the National Insurance Crime Bureau. “And then cars are also shipped to Mexico. We repatriate hundreds of cars a year…after they’re stolen.”
Perpetrators may be looking for an anonymous car to use in another crime, like a drive-by shooting.
Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart points to that as a common motive.
If criminals were only looking for cars to use in another crime, you’d think the police would find lots more of those cars than they are.
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* ProPublica Illinois and the Chicago Tribune…
The courthouse lobby echoed like a crowded school cafeteria. Teenagers in sweatshirts and sneakers gossiped and scrolled on their phones as they clutched the yellow tickets that police had issued them at school.
Abigail, a 16-year-old facing a $200 penalty for truancy, missed school again while she waited hours for a prosecutor to call her name. Sophia, a 14-year-old looking at $175 in fines and fees after school security caught her with a vape pen, sat on her mother’s lap.
A boy named Kameron, who had shoved his friend over a Lipton peach iced tea in the school cafeteria, had been cited for violating East Peoria’s municipal code forbidding “assault, battery, and affray.” He didn’t know what that phrase meant; he was 12 years old.
“He was wrong for what he did, but this is a bit extreme for the first time being in trouble. He isn’t even a teenager yet,” Shannon Poole said as her son signed a plea agreement that came with $250 in fines and fees. They spent three hours at the courthouse as Kameron missed math, social studies and science.
The nearly 30 students summoned to the Tazewell County Courthouse that January morning were not facing criminal charges; they’d received tickets for violating a municipal ordinance while at school. Each was presented with a choice: agree to pay a fine or challenge the ticket at a later hearing. Failing to pay, they were told, could bring adult consequences, from losing their driving privileges to harming their future credit scores.
Across Illinois, police are ticketing thousands of students a year for in-school adolescent behavior once handled only by the principal’s office — for littering, for making loud noises, for using offensive words or gestures, for breaking a soap dish in the bathroom.
Ticketing students violates the intent of an Illinois law that prohibits schools from fining students as a form of discipline. Instead of issuing fines directly, school officials refer students to police, who then ticket them for municipal ordinance violations, an investigation by the Chicago Tribune and ProPublica has found. (Use our interactive database to look up how many and what kinds of tickets have been issued in an Illinois public school or district.)
Another state law prohibits schools from notifying police when students are truant so officers can ticket them. But the investigation found dozens of school districts routinely fail to follow this law.
“Basically schools are using this as a way to have municipalities do their dirty work,” said Jackie Ross, an attorney at Loyola University Chicago’s ChildLaw Clinic who specializes in school discipline. “It’s the next iteration of the school-to-prison pipeline. Schools might be patting themselves on the back and saying it’s just the school-to-municipality pipeline, but it’s the same philosophy.”
At the assembly-line hearings where many of these cases are handled, students have no right to legal representation and little chance to defend themselves against charges that can have long-term consequences. Ticket fines can be hundreds of dollars, presenting an impossible burden for some families, and administrative or court fees of up to $150 are often tacked on.
Unpaid fines are sometimes sent to collections or deducted from parents’ tax refunds. And, unlike records from juvenile court, these cases can’t be expunged under state law.
No government entity tracks student ticketing, either in Illinois or nationally. Though a handful of communities in other states have sought to limit the practice, Illinois has not tried to monitor it, even after lawmakers attempted several years ago to stop schools from fining students as discipline. The Tribune and ProPublica quantified school tickets through more than 500 Freedom of Information Act requests to school districts and police departments, focusing on nearly 200 high-school-only districts and large K-12 districts.
In all, the investigation documented more than 11,800 tickets issued during the last three school years, even though the COVID-19 pandemic kept students out of school for much of that period and even though records show no students were ticketed in the state’s biggest district, the Chicago Public Schools.
The analysis of 199 districts, which together encompass more than 86% of the state’s high school students, found that ticketing occurred in at least 141. In some K-12 districts, tickets were issued to children as young as 8. […]
The chief sponsor of the discipline legislation in the House, Democratic Rep. William Davis, called school-related ticketing “in opposition” to the law. Current House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, also a sponsor, agreed and said legislators should revisit the law.
Emphasis added.
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Open thread
Thursday, Apr 28, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I’m in dire need of more coffee. How are you?
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Question of the day
Wednesday, Apr 27, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Lynn Sweet…
Illinois Democratic officials are poised to make the case to the Democratic National Committee that Illinois should be among the states with the first votes in the presidential primaries, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.
Illinois, if it’s an early primary state starting in 2024, could become a power player in determining a Democratic presidential nominee.
The DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee passed a resolution at its April meeting calling for a 2024 nominating calendar that reflects diversity; helps Democrats win the White House and “contributes to a fair and sound electoral process.”
For a practical matter, Iowa, the state with the traditional kickoff vote for Republicans and Democrats, will most likely lose its special status with Democrats. That’s because Iowa votes Republican in presidential elections; is not diverse; and has a much-criticized caucus voting system. […]
If Iowa is knocked out, the Illinois competition for the Midwest spot will likely be Michigan, Minnesota and Nebraska, a source said.
* The Question: Do you think Illinois should be one of the first states to hold a presidential primary? Explain.
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* Just so we’re clear, somebody other than the pollster and the client leaked me this internal tracking poll today. I’m not sure how this person obtained it, and I didn’t ask. We’ll get to the strong caveats in a moment…
The first takeaway is that spending lots of money works, particularly if it’s spent well, as the Irvin campaign is doing.
Just keep in mind that these were automated landline polls done on the cheap and for internal use only. No mobile phones. No text or online contacts.
The polls were not meant for public consumption, but since I had the results, Cor Strategies and its client decided to confirm their existence.
* Details from the pollster…
Universe: Likely Republican Primary Voters
Field Dates: Monday, April 18 - Thursday, April 21
Method: IVR (automated)
Responses: 536
MoE: ±4.23%
Discuss.
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Pick up the tempo just a little
Wednesday, Apr 27, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* It’s about time more cams went up…
The Illinois State Police (ISP), working with the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and the Chicago Department of Transportation, is currently installing 56 additional Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) on Chicago expressways. In addition to the 99 ISP ALPRs already covering the Dan Ryan Expressway (I-94), the additional ALPRs are being installed on I-90, I-290, I-55, and I-57. ” […]
In February of 2021, ISP received a $12.5 million grant to cover the costs of engineering, permitting, and labor associated with the purchase and installation of readers, controllers, servers/software, electrical power, and communications equipment required to install ALPR systems. In the first phase, ALPRs were installed on the Dan Ryan expressway during the summer and fall of 2021. For the second phase, ALPRs are currently being installed and have an estimated completion date of mid-May 2022 pending weather or other unforeseen delays. For the final phase, ISP is currently working on permits with the target of a total of 300 ALPRs installed for all three phases by the end of June 2022.
The funding and installation of ALPRs stem from the Tamara Clayton Expressway Camera Act (Expressway Camera Act), which was signed into law on July 12, 2019 and became effective on January 1, 2020. [Emphasis added.]
It’s totally understandable why people get so upset at the pace of government. But, hey, at least they’re finally going up.
* Speaking of the pace of government, let’s revisit this WBEZ piece I posted yesterday and look at another angle…
Pritzker’s administration set aside more than $50 million from the COVID stimulus funds for violence prevention in the budget that passed last year. The funding, to be administered through the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, offered a unique opportunity to flood resources into neighborhoods impacted by violence. But with the fiscal year almost over, the state has spent only $56,764, one-tenth of 1% of the money, as Illinois experiences its worst gun violence in decades.
“Normally the argument would be, we just don’t have the money. Now we have the money, and we’re sitting on the money,” said Illinois State Rep. LaShawn Ford (D-Chicago), co-chair of the Public Safety and Violence Prevention Task Force. “Right now, the city of Chicago is on fire with violence, and we have to respond to that … There shouldn’t be a delay … people are dying.” […]
“They claim to be working for the community and the people … yet our government doesn’t see the urgency in getting funding to us so that we can have boots on the ground … to stop the shootings,” said Tyrone Muhammad, executive director of the anti-violence group Ex-Cons for Community and Social Change.
The budget included $500,000 in funding specifically allocated to Muhammad’s organization, but they still haven’t gotten a dime. He said they were planning to spend the ARPA dollars expanding their street intervention teams so they can mediate gang conflicts in more parts of the city.
“How is it possible for [lawmakers] to allocate funding in a line item last year, and we still haven’t received it this year?” Muhammad asked incredulously.
* You may remember this gentleman from last month…
A rally to draw attention to the deaths of two Black transgender Chicago women turned into a chaotic shouting match when another small group of anti-violence advocates crashed the event at Federal Plaza on Monday evening.
As transgender activist Zahara Bassett was pleading for justice for the two women, several members of Ex-Cons for Community and Social Change, including founder Tyrone Muhammad, interrupted the event with bullhorns.
There was no mention of that disruption in WBEZ’s story.
* The ECCSC is fairly visible at the Statehouse partly because they sometimes park one of their special cars between the Capitol and the Stratton Building while they try to speak with legislators…
 
And they make no bones about their approach to things…
Advocating for social change is at the forefront of our approach, as we view the current political system and allocation of resources as corrupt, unhelpful for improvement and unaware of what needs to be done to fix blighted communities.
Rep. Ford, by the way, requested that ECCSC’s line-item be included in the appropriations bill. So, of course he’s pushing hard to get that money released.
* And while there are good reasons for the government to take its time with these grants, another member pointed out to me yesterday there’s no way that anti-violence groups, particularly the small groups, can spend the state money right away. This isn’t just about installing cams on the expressways, after all. It will take a while to stand up new programs or to expand existing programs. By then, the summer could be over. Not cool. We don’t want any big mistakes, but people have the right to expect that stuff gets done.
However, the money mentioned in the WBEZ piece is not the only game in town. From Jordan Abudayyeh at the governor’s office…
The state of Illinois has already sent more than $75 million in violence prevent dollars out the door with another $45 million in various stages of the award process and additional NOFOs ready to go out in the coming days. We have also funded $26 million for a summer expansion initiative to fuel existing providers that are already up and running and doing the work in communities. The bucket of federal funding at ICJIA is just one small part of our comprehensive funding, and that federal funding comes with strict rules and reporting requirements, so it’s taken some time to get organizations up to speed and able to utilize federal dollars.
[Headline explained here.]
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* Steve Daniels…
Households and small businesses that get their power from Commonwealth Edison will be unprotected from commodity price spikes in the high-demand summer months unless state regulators take fast action.
For the first time in the 14 years since the state took over the job from utilities of negotiating with power generators, the Illinois Power Agency was unable to reach an agreement on an electricity price in northern Illinois for the entire months of July and August, as well as part of June. […]
But ComEd customers won’t feel the increase in their wallets, thanks to the way the Pritzker administration structured a separate ratepayer bailout for Illinois nuclear plants now owned by Baltimore-based Constellation Energy Group.
In June, customers would have started paying about $2 extra on their bills to support the plants under the Climate & Equitable Jobs Act, or CEJA, enacted last year. But, with energy prices soaring, the subsidy will instead become a credit beginning next month.
* ICJC…
Today, utility Commonwealth Edison filed new rates with the Illinois Commerce Commission that will provide direct credits of more than $1 billion to customers as a result of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) that was signed into law last fall.
The Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition (ICJC), whose advocacy over several years was instrumental in passing the nation-leading legislation, released the following statement:
“At a time when electricity costs are skyrocketing across the country, Governor Pritzker negotiated protections against price spikes that mean electricity prices for ComEd customers will actually be going DOWN. For families struggling with the high cost of inflation, this is welcome relief. What could have been a nuclear subsidy was smartly negotiated into a billion-dollar bonanza for Illinois consumers.
“The deal shows the wisdom of Illinois’ approach to combat the climate crisis and create good-paying, equitable clean energy jobs, while saving money for consumers. […]
The “Carbon Mitigation Credit” program, created under CEJA, provides revenue certainty to three Illinois nuclear power plants, and was originally expected to potentially cost ComEd customers $700 million over the 5-year life of the program. The deal was structured, however, so that if wholesale electricity prices increased above a certain level, the nuclear plants would owe money instead. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, electricity prices have risen dramatically across the country.
As part of the deal, residential customers will see an average credit of $18/month starting in June through next May, as a separate line item on their bill. ComEd customers have not paid any money to the nuclear plants to date, and current electricity price forecasts show the customer credit will continue for at least the next several years.
* Ameren opted out of the Carbon Mitigation Credit program and its consumers will pay a steep price. Back to Steve’s article…
So central and southern Illinoisans will experience directly the brunt of an even more dramatic power-price spike down there. Their costs for energy will roughly double beginning June 1
* Back to the ICJC’s release…
We wish that Central and Southern Illinois consumers were also receiving this windfall, but Ameren chose not to participate in the Carbon Mitigation Credit program. […]
In a mistake that will cost their customers dearly, Ameren, the utility that serves most of Central and Southern Illinois, refused to join the Carbon Mitigation Credit program. As a result, their customers will see painful hikes in their electricity bills like consumers all over the Midwest.
*** UPDATE *** Ameren…
Ameren Illinois Statement on False Claims About Carbon Mitigation Credit Program
April 27, 2022
The statement issued today by the Clean Jobs Coalition is blatantly false. Ameren Illinois was never involved in the negotiations of the Carbon Mitigation Credit and was never given an option to opt in or out. In fact, throughout the process of negotiating the legislation, it was publicly stated by numerous CEJA members and supporters that the utilities would not be involved in crafting the new law.
This Carbon Mitigation Credit provision was written specifically to subsidize the Exelon nuclear facilities in Chicago, which are in a separate energy market from downstate. Again, the legislation specifically applies to “electric utilities serving at least 3,000,000 retail customers” in the state. Ameren Illinois has 1.2 million customers.
This policy was written specifically to benefit to Exelon nuclear plants in Chicago.
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* WTTW’s Amanda Vinicky…
Despite Bailey’s walkout, lawsuits, and campaign rhetoric, masks have been required for stretches during the pandemic in a downstate area he represents.
Specifically, per documents on file with the federal government, face coverings are required for certain workers at the Bailey Family Farm, where according to Bailey’s campaign website, he grew up. […]
When farms bring on seasonal workers via the federal H-2A Temporary Agricultural Employment of Foreign Workers program, like to aide with a labor-intensive harvest, they have to file employment conditions forms with the U.S. Department of Labor.
The Bailey farm has postings up for jobs that run from early April through June and pay $15.89 an hour.
Those hired will run agricultural equipment, and help in the corn and soybean fields.
The job order, signed by Bailey’s son Zach, specifically states that the Bailey Family Farm will follow Centers for Disease Control, state and local health requirements and that the employer may implement its own additional safety measures.
Employees must “wear a face covering that covers your nose and mouth, always, unless you have received specific instruction otherwise. Stay at least 6 feet away from all other people, always. If a 6-foot distance cannot be maintained, a mask must be worn, even if you are otherwise exempted from that requirement” the form states in a final addendum.
The Baileys use similar language in relation to COVID precautions and masking in a job order that led to the farm hiring migrant workers in the spring and summer of ‘21. […]
The Bailey farm was under no apparent legal obligation to take such strict measures. Other Illinois farms, including another in Xenia, do not list COVID safety requirements. […]
“They farm over 12,000 acres, so social distancing comes naturally. The H2A is a federal program that legally brings migrant workers, and they’re required to abide by federal rules and make available to workers whatever they need,” the [Bailey campaign] statement said. “The Bailey Family Farm employs several local families and continues to advertise jobs locally to fill positions, but no one wants to work.”
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* So, Valencia admits that she’s had to previously prevent her husband from trying to cross an ethical line? Sheesh…
By the way, a Downstate reporter emailed me this morning about a press release he’d received from Chicago Ald. Silvana Tabares announcing she was asking the city’s new inspector general to investigate “recent allegations that City Clerk Anna Valencia inappropriately used her position as an elected citywide office holder to benefit the business interests of her lobbyist husband and his private clients.”
“Explain that one,” the reporter quipped.
Using inspectors general to further the aims of political campaigns will only undermine IGs. More on that topic later today.
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Another day, another lawsuit
Wednesday, Apr 27, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Bloomberg…
The legal marijuana business in Illinois is being controlled by a state-protected “Chicago cartel” that includes companies linked to the wealthy Pritzker, Wrigley and Kovler families, according to a lawsuit filed by a group called True Social Equity in Cannabis.
Marijuana companies Akerna Corp., Green Thumb Industries Inc., Verano Holdings and Surterra Holdings Inc. have successfully monopolized the Illinois-branded marijuana market, from cultivation to manufacturing to retail dispensaries, the plaintiffs said in a complaint filed Monday in Chicago federal court.
* Tribune…
The suit notes that some of the companies sell each other’s products. But Illinois law requires that cannabis dispensaries sell competitors’ products. The complaint also notes that GTI and Verano share a shell company that manages both a GTI Rise dispensary in Effingham and a Verano Zen Leaf store in Charleston.
The suit, filed by attorney Mark Lavery, seeks to stop all the companies from selling marijuana and divest them of all assets. […]
[Edie Moore, a founder and legislative co-chair of Chicago NORML and a cannabis business license applicant] acknowledged that the Illinois cannabis market is restricted by law to 21 licensed growers, but said the solution is for the state to issue pending licenses. Those licenses have been held up in court, primarily hurting Black and Latino “social equity” applicants.
“People who keep suing don’t do anything but slow it down,” she said. “It doesn’t help anyone.”
Akerna, which sells software to track data in the cannabis industry, issued the following statement: “The document has multiple inaccuracies, including but not limited to the fact that we are not a plant-touching operator. As a public company, our shareholders and board of directors are a matter of public record. Our legal team is preparing their response.”
* From the lawsuit…
The “Chicago Cartel” state-protected cannabis operation was started in 2014 as part of a partnership between Michael McClain of the “Madigan Racketeering Enterprise”, Terrance Gainer of the U.S. Capitol Police and heir to the Jim Beam bourbon fortune, Benjamin Kovler.
I did not make that up.
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Today’s quotable
Wednesday, Apr 27, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* WGEM…
The elimination of cash bail is fast approaching for Illinois following the passage of the SAFE-T act in January 2021. Some judges have even begun the transition to no cash bail, but prosecutors are saying no cash bail will make their job a lot harder.
One state’s attorney spoke out against the elimination of cash bail today. He argued in some situations, having an offender out on the street because there was no bail will harm victims and make them afraid.
“It’s not like we lock people up who are innocent, awaiting trial,” Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow said. “I do everything I can to make certain that if I can’t prove a case beyond a reasonable doubt, I dismiss it.”
…Adding… From comments…
Is this the same James Glasgow who sent a police officer to jail for six days on murder charges only to dismiss charges AFTER an investigation proved his alibi, which resulted in Will County having to settle a lawsuit with the wrongfully jailed, innocent cop?
Because if it is the same James Glasgow, he’s literally locked up an innocent person (a cop no less) awaiting a trial that never happened.
References…
* Will County panel OKs settlement over wrongful arrest in ‘honeybee’ case: Will County officials are nearing a settlement with a Lynwood police officer who spent six days in jail on murder charges that were later dropped.
* Another fumble for Will County: “You can’t make the problem, clean it up and then act like a hero,” Carlson said. “He’s the one who charged him. He knew the evidence and now he’s acting like he’s trying to save the world. There’s only one person who charged Brian Dorian, that’s Jim Glasgow. There’s only one person who’s now claiming that he fixed it and that’s Jim Glasgow. He can’t have it both ways.”
…Adding… Want more? Here you go…
* Charges Dropped After Giant Meth Seizure By Will County Sheriffs: A 47-year-old California man who had nearly 23 lbs of methamphetamine seized from his car by the Will County Sheriff’s Office last September was the subject of an illegal and improper search, Will County Judge Vincent Cornelius ruled. On Wednesday morning, Assistant Will County State’s Attorney Tom Bahar appeared in Courtroom 404 informing Cornelius that Henry Duenas is being released from custody at the Will County Jail and his two Class X felonies are being dismissed. Duenas was in the Will County Jail for more than six months, facing a $1 million bail. Last week, Cornelius announced the search was illegal, and the evidence was inadmissible. On Sept. 27, the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office of Jim Glasgow charged Duenas with two Class X felonies, unlawful possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver and unlawful possession of methamphetamine.
* Charges dropped against father in Riley Fox case: Prosecutors had promised to seek the death penalty against Kevin Fox. Now, they are back to where they were almost a year ago, with no named suspects and a development that has stunned even prosecutors. It turns out DNA from the crime scene doesn’t match the man they had in jail. Kevin Fox is free after prosecutors concede there is now considerable doubt about his guilt. “It was a nightmare, and I don’t want to relive it right now. I’m happy. I’m excited,” said Fox. Will County Prosecutor James Glasgow and Sheriff Paul Kaupas dropped the charge, but offered no apology and few answers about why law enforcement was so convinced Fox was their man.
* 1st Degree Murder Charges Dropped For Joliet 19-Year-Old: On Friday morning, an angry Joliet criminal defense attorney Jeff Tomczak raised his voice before Will County Chief Judge Dan Kennedy, insisting that 19-year-old client Rasean Stokes has no criminal culpability in the Feb. 8, 2020 gunshot homicide along Joliet’s Republic Avenue that ended the life of 17-year-old Jeremiah Frazier. Tomczak implored Judge Kennedy reduce his incarcerated client’s bail from $750,000 to $5,000, but the judge was not willing to make a decision on the bail at Friday’s hearing. Instead, Kennedy took the matter under advisement and put the case back on the court docket for Tuesday, Feb. 2. However, the judge did agree to dismiss both first-degree murder counts against Tomczak’s client during Friday’s hearing. As relatives of his client were seated in Will County Courtroom 403, Tomczak was livid, pointing out that Stokes has already spent an entire year in the Will County Jail “on a bad murder charge.”
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Open thread
Wednesday, Apr 27, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Please keep your discussions to Illinois-related topics. Thanks.
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