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Campaign notebook
Monday, Apr 11, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Richard Irvin campaign…
A significant list of pressing issues facing the State of Illinois was left largely unaddressed by JB Pritzker and Springfield Democrats as they closed out the legislative session early Saturday morning, showing just how skewed their priorities are: one-time election year gimmicks rule all.
Richard Irvin, Mayor of Aurora and candidate for governor, commented on the outstanding issues JB Pritzker refused to address:
“Instead of committing to real solutions to combat crime and deliver permanent tax cuts, J.B. Pritzker pushed election year gimmicks that don’t reverse his anti-police, pro-criminal policies but do set up his campaign to permanently raise taxes after the election. The people of Illinois are paying a steep price for a governor who will do anything to win re-election, even if it means mailing checks to voters right before hitting them with the largest income tax hike in state history. It’s time to take back our state.”
That’s pretty darned bold to predict that this budget sets up “the largest income tax hike in state history.” I’d love to see the numbers. In fact, I asked for them. I didn’t get anything specific except for a comment that Pritzker is growing spending while revenues will decrease next fiscal year. But revised projected spending for this fiscal year (including tax cuts and debt paydown) is $49.119 billion; and projected spending for next fiscal year is $46.541 billion. Discretionary spending will rise $2.6 billion over the originally budgeted amount, but revenues are rising $2.2 billion over the originally budgeted amount. So, again, even if money will be tight, I do not see how this budget is setting the stage for “the largest income tax hike in state history.”
But, hey, this is the same campaign which is claiming that Darren Bailey, of all people, is a Trump-hating liberal…
Yeah. So, please tell me more about a candidate who is willing to “do anything” to win a race.
* Meanwhile, I’m kinda curious how much of this cash is from our own governor as the DGA ramps up its anti-Irvin and pro-Bailey spending…
* Not a campaign release, but it might as well be since she’s running for Congress…
On the heels of State Senator Jacqueline Y. Collins (D-Chicago) passing a plan to ban the production and distribution of ghost guns, President Joe Biden is set to unveil national policy to address the issue.
“Although I’m proud to see this threatening issue be taken to the national stage, Illinois must act quickly to enact my legislation to ban the production and distribution of ghost guns.” Collins said. “We cannot allow fatal gun violence to continue to run rampant in our communities. HB 4383 tackles these issues at their source.”
With the alarming rise of gun violence in a number of Illinois communities, the existence of untraceable firearms has become a pressing public safety concern. Ghost guns are firearms that lack serial identification, and they are growing in popularity because of their ease of accessibility. Not only can they be ordered online, but they can also be purchased absent a background check or a FOID card, which is required to carry either a firearm or ammunition in Illinois.
House Bill 4383, an initiative introduced by Senator Collins, would require all firearms –including 3D printed guns –to be serialized, effectively prohibiting the creation and sale of these weapons. Unserialized guns prevent law enforcement from thoroughly conducting their criminal investigations, which hinders their efforts to address the violence in our state. Illinois law enforcement has seen a 400% increase in these types of weapons in just the last five years.
The federal rule, however, is expected to only regulate gun companies and not individuals who possess an existing stock of ghost guns. Collins’ legislation will require individuals who currently possess ghost guns to go get them serialized as well.
“Enacting a nation-wide policy that protects our most vulnerable populations is a positive first step,” Collins said. “Although I would like to see a national policy that addresses individuals who possess ghost guns as well as dealers, I am pleased we are moving in the right direction.”
HB 4383 passed the General Assembly Friday and goes to the governor for final approval.
* More stories…
* Illinois’ newest Latino congressional district brings heavy competition, divided Democratic visions: Both the Ramirez and Villegas campaigns said they expect more than 70% of the votes in the Democratic primary will come from Chicagoans. That’s despite the fact that the 3rd District stretches about 30 miles from the city’s Avondale neighborhood on the east to West Chicago on the western edge of DuPage County.
* IL-11 UPDATED: Mark Carroll Invites Viewers for Monday Night Interview while Taking Shot at Opponents on Campaign Web Page: “Sure, a pretty face is great but it does not write legislation. Being unapologetic has its place but skillful negotiation and work ethic are key to garnering support for what is right!”
* ‘I love the job’: Morrison cites family as reason for not seeking reelection to state House: “So, that’s the crux of it,” Morrison said. “I love the job, I love the people of our area, I love the issues, but the capital is 200 miles away.”
* Mayor Lori Lightfoot is ramping up her expected re-election campaign with three new political hires: Eric Adelstein is media consultant. He’s founder of Chicago-based political media firms AL Media Strategy and Adelstein & Associates. He was 27 when he served as Illinois state director for the 1992 Clinton/Gore campaign, consulted for President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign and has advised the Democratic National Committee, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and the Democratic Governors Association. He and his firm also have advised Georgia Democrats, including Stacey Abrams and Raphael Warnock. Deborah Cosey-Lane is political coordinator. She recently served as the financial secretary/ treasurer of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 308. She has been a member of her union for 31 years. Last year, Cosey-Lane was elected as the first woman president of ATU Illinois Joint Council. She also is advising Jonathan Jackson in his bid for the 1st Congressional District. Valerie Martin is general consultant. Martin co-founded Silversmith Strategies, a national political consulting and media firm that creates TV and digital advertising and develops campaign plans. She previously helped elect Congressman Brad Schneider and Congresswoman Robin Kelly, as well as managed out-of-state U.S. Senate races and fundraising for Claire McCaskill’s 2006 upset victory in Missouri.
* Willie Wilson joins 2023 race for Chicago mayor
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Feds whack a mole
Monday, Apr 11, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Jon Seidel…
Three years after his secret cooperation with federal investigators became public knowledge, turning him into “Alderman A,” federal prosecutors have finally filed a criminal charge against former longtime Chicago Ald. Danny Solis (25th).
The bribery count leveled against Solis in a one-page, lightly detailed document at least confirms that Solis will face public charges. A lengthy investigation into his own alleged misdeeds prompted him to turn on some of the state’s most powerful politicians.
Federal prosecutors have used evidence gathered by Solis, 72, to secure racketeering indictments against Ald. Edward M. Burke (14th) and, more recently, former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. […]
The charge against Solis alleges he agreed to accept campaign contributions between July and September 2015 in exchange for amendments to a zoning ordinance sought by an unnamed developer.
A litany of alleged misconduct by Solis was revealed in a bombshell FBI affidavit first obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times in January 2019. The document, filed in federal court in May 2016, alleged that Solis, once the Council’s powerful zoning chair, “received a flow of private benefits” from people in exchange for official action.
* WTTW…
In an August 2020 court filing, lawyers for Burke revealed Solis had entered into a deferred prosecution agreement that will likely mean Solis will not spend even one day in jail — and keep his city pension — in return for his extraordinary role in the prosecution of both Burke and Madigan.
That agreement has not been confirmed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Solis flipped and agreed to help investigators after he was accused by federal agents of accepting sex acts, Viagra, free weekend use of an Indiana farm once owned by Oprah Winfrey and a steady stream of campaign contributions in return for City Council actions, as first reported by the Chicago Sun-Times.
Ald. Byron Sigcho Lopez (25th Ward), who replaced Solis, said his predecessor should have been held accountable years ago.
* Tribune…
The deferred prosecution agreement means Solis will not only escape any jail time — he’s likely not going to be prosecuted for the crime at all. What’s more, the deal could allow the 72-year-old Solis to keep collecting his nearly $100,000 annual city pension, which could easily bring in a sizable sum from the taxpayer-funded system over the remainder of his lifetime.
Last, year, the Tribune interviewed nearly a dozen longtime members of the city’s legal community, including several who worked on public corruption cases for the U.S. attorney’s office, and none could remember such an arrangement being made for a public official caught abusing their office.
Solis’ work as an FBI mole began in mid-2016, when he was confronted by investigators who had secretly listened in on hundreds of his phone calls over the course of nearly a year, including conversations where the alderman solicited everything from campaign donations to sexual services at a massage parlor, court records show.
[Hat tip to @ChicagoBars for the headline idea]
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Little-noticed budget-related items
Monday, Apr 11, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Jewish Caucus…
Illinois Legislative Jewish Caucus Helps Pass Balanced Budget, Secures Funding to Protect Houses of Worship from Terrorism
Springfield, IL – As part of their efforts to pass a fiscally-responsible state budget that prioritizes providing resources to public safety initiatives, the Illinois Legislative Jewish Caucus (ILJC) secured $20 million in new funds for the Non-Profit Security Grant Program (NSPG), which provides resources to non-profits that are at high risk of terrorist attacks.
“Over the past few years, we have seen an alarming rise in the number of crimes targeting minority communities in their houses of worship,” Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Highwood, said. “No one, regardless of their background, should be made to feel unsafe, and investing in the Non-Profit Security Grant Program is an important step toward that goal.”
In response to the rise in attacks targeting religious, ethnic, and racial minorities in communities across the state, the ILJC worked to include $20 million in funding for the NSPG in the state’s budget. The NSPG provides grants to non-profit organizations, including houses of worship, to keep them protected by purchasing equipment such as bulletproof glass and reinforced doors, offering safety training and planning for staff, and even hiring security professionals.
“Today’s action brings needed investment to communities looking to protect themselves,” said Sen. Sara Feigenholtz, D-Chicago. “This funding is the result of vulnerable communities across our state joining together and keeping each other safe. Not only will this help to save the lives of Jews who have faced devastating attacks in recent years, but of people of all different backgrounds across our state.”
“With many Illinoisans facing increased threats of violence due to bigotry, we must do everything in our power to provide the necessary tools to keep everyone safe,” said Sen. Ram Villivalam. “We cannot allow those who are blinded by their hate to intimidate residents and make them live in fear. I look forward to continuing to work with my fellow ILJC members to stamp out hatred and keep Illinois a welcoming home for all people.”
* Press release…
Illinois House and Senate overwhelmingly passed the Mychal Moultry Jr. Funeral and Burial Assistance Act. The State of Illinois will now pay funeral and burial service providers up to $10,000 for respectable funerals and burials of children under the age of 17 who are murdered by gun violence if their family’s income is within 150% of the federal poverty level ($40,000 for a family of 4 in 2021).
Recent statistics:
• 45 children were murdered by gun violence under the age of 17 in Chicago, IL (2021). 14 already in 2022, on pace for 60 in 2022, a 33% increase than 2021
• 5 children were murdered by gun violence under the age of 17 in Peoria, IL (2021)
• 7 children were murdered by gun violence under the age of 17 in East St. Louis, IL (2021)
• The average cost for a funeral with burial in 2021=$9,420
(Source: National Association of Funeral Directors)
All direct payments to funeral and burial service providers are intended to alleviate some of the pain of families who are experiencing trauma and financial hardship following the loss of their child due to gun violence. Illinois currently reimburses families of murder victims for up to $10,000 in burial expenses. While helpful, many families have to take on tremendous debt or raise funds in a short time period to bury their children. Families may wait months or years for reimbursement. Now, families no longer are forced to take on debt or raise funds in a short period of time to bury their murdered child.
* Press release…
State Rep. Anna Moeller has championed new legislation to expand the amounts of savings and income spouses of nursing home residents can keep to care for themselves and their families.
For the past 10 years, federal guidelines have increased what community spouses of nursing home residents can keep of their own money. But Illinois has kept that level flat, with no increases to account for inflation.
Rep. Moeller’s legislation will increase the amount community spouses can keep each year for the next 10 years, until Illinois has reached the federal rates.
“It is critically important that we recognize the needs of our seniors in our community when their spouses need nursing home care,” said Moeller, D-Elgin. “In this time of rampant inflation, our seniors need help. By allowing them to keep more of their own hard-earned income and assets, without jeopardizing the standard of care of their spouses in nursing homes, we are showing them the respect that our seniors and their loved ones deserve.”
The measure has the strong support of AARP Illinois, the Illinois State Bar Association and the National Association of Elder Law Attorneys.
* Center Square…
During debate, Sims noted there is no language in the budget implementation bill that blocks the cost of living increase for state lawmakers, something that is estimated to cost taxpayers $485,400. That would be about $2,742 extra for lawmakers, if split evenly, though senators get higher pay than representatives. […]
The grocery tax of 1% will be zeroed out for a year and retailers must note that on receipts “to the extent feasible.”
The message on receipts from grocery stores must say “From July 1, 2022 through July 1, 2023, the State of Illinois sales tax on groceries is 0%.” The legislation says “if it is not feasible for the retailer to include the statement on any cash register tape, receipt, invoice, or sales ticket issued to customers, then the retailer shall post the statement on a sign that is clearly visible to customers. The sign shall be no smaller than 4 inches by 8 inches.”
* Politico…
Page 281 of the budget says the state will fund costs of a feasibility study of “projects under the Public-Private Partnership for Civic and Transit Infrastructure Project Act.” That may include one of the casino projects being considered in Chicago.
It’s a half-million dollar approp.
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“Bad stench of racism”?
Monday, Apr 11, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
The House passed clarifications to provisions that dealt with electronic monitoring of criminal suspects and other measures within the Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today (or SAFE-T) Act that was signed by Pritzker last year with the aim of making the criminal justice system more equitable.
Republicans over the last few months have tried to use the justice package, which includes an end to cash bail in 2023 for nonviolent offenses, as a way to paint Democrats as being weak on crime issues going into the election.
“Safety now? We want safety now. This bill doesn’t give us safety now. Vote ‘no,’” state Rep. Patrick Windhorst, a Republican from Metropolis, said, drawing applause from his fellow GOP members.
State Rep. Justin Slaughter, a Chicago Democrat, offered a loud and impassioned rebuttal to the Republicans, saying there is a “bad stench of racism” from the GOP side of the House.
“In the Black community, it’s been a state of emergency for a really long time now,” Slaughter said. “But as long as crime and violence is contained in the hood, it was OK. As long as my folks terrorize other people of color, it was fine. But now, Chiraq is in your communities. And now, it’s a state of emergency.”
Slaughter’s remarks drew an equally angry response from several GOP members.
“That’s wrong! That’s wrong!” said Durkin, the House GOP leader. “You know that’s wrong!”
* From early Saturday morning…
* I told subscribers about some recent Republican State Leadership Committee mailers on behalf of Leader Durkin. Someone’s tweet reminded me of that effort. Here’s one of the mailers…
The RSLC appears to be spending money in order to bust the campaign contribution caps for Durkin. Leader Durkin has no control over the independent expenditure.
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* Lynn Sweet…
Delicate discussions among top Democrats in Illinois have been taking place since a Jan. 17 meeting about the control and structure of a coordinated campaign for the 2022 ticket.
Accounts of what happened at that meeting vary regarding the views of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s political team on the role of Democratic Party of Illinois Chair Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., on the coordinated campaign. […]
“I think we can be a lot further along. We need more cooperation,” Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., told the Chicago Sun-Times on Friday.“We’re moving in the right direction but too slowly.”
What’s at issue?“There are a lot of personalities tied up in this. We got to put them aside for the duration of the campaign. We got to focus on November and focus on victory and do it together,” Durbin said.
Is this about control? “I don’t know if that is the reason. It could be something else. But whatever it is, it’s unacceptable,” Durbin said.
I dunno. I mean, I do get his point, but Sen. Durbin opposed the governor and seized control of the state party and now he’s publicly whining that the billionaire won’t fund his apparatus, which might not even be constructed to be fully in compliance with federal election laws. That might be seen in some quarters as a bit on the presumptuous side. Just sayin, Dick.
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Pearson’s end of session deep dive
Monday, Apr 11, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Read the whole thing if you can…
Republican state lawmakers, outnumbered and looking to boost their relevance, had one goal for the election-year legislative session — to paint majority Democrats as soft-on-crime and anti-police.
Democrats, sensing political vulnerability, knew they had to counter by passing some pro-police, anti-crime legislation that didn’t weaken their larger equity-based criminal justice goals.
They also sought to change the subject, pushing election-year tax relief for families amid public concerns over inflation.
Crime and inflation became the watch words as the final hours of the truncated spring legislative session played out early Saturday. Those two themes, brought from the national stage to the local statehouse, are likely to be struck repeatedly in TV ads and campaign literature as the June 28 primary and Nov. 8 general election grow closer.
How do you think the Dems did?
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* Tracy Swartz, Dan Petrella and Karen Ann Cullotta at the Tribune…
The state of Illinois will distribute $87.5 million to hundreds of school districts that were underpaid because of a “coding error” — while seeking repayment from Chicago Public Schools, which mistakenly got the funds.
The appropriation is part of the $46.5 billion spending plan lawmakers passed Saturday. The Illinois State Board of Education said a contractor made a “coding error” in the spring of 2018 during the initial implementation of a new state school funding formula.
As a result, 14 school systems are owed between $1 million and $5 million, while 565 are due up to $100,000 according to ISBE. In total, 762 school systems were underpaid over the past four years.
Meanwhile, the state is trying to recoup the $87 million it mistakenly paid CPS, its largest school district. ISBE said 52 other school systems were overpaid by a total of $3,396 during the affected period, and it will try to recover funds from districts that received at least $10 more than they should have.
$10? It’ll cost more to process those collections.
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Pritzker highlights budget accomplishments
Saturday, Apr 9, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The governor’s remarks as prepared for delivery…
Thank you for joining us this morning. It’s a terrific day.
We end this legislative session with enormous and historic victories for the people of Illinois:
Gas, grocery, and property tax relief, more support for local government than ever before, a massive improvement in staffing for our nursing home residents, short and long term debt reduction, and a balanced budget for the fourth year in a row.
We’ve achieved our state’s strongest fiscal position in generations, and we prioritized the education, public safety, health, and welfare of the residents of Illinois. Just a few years ago some people said what we’ve achieved was impossible. But it’s true. Our bill backlog is paid off. Our pension liabilities are reduced. Our rainy day fund is recovering. And we are delivering $1.8 billion of direct tax relief to the people we serve.
This budget is for all those who are worried about the rising cost of groceries, which seem ever more expensive each time you go to the store.
It’s for those who can only put $10 at a time into your gas tank, because filling up the whole tank stretches you too thin.
It’s for those who have been straining under the weight of property taxes, only to see them increase without a break.
It’s for our teachers, who have taken on so much these past two years of the pandemic — and who have volunteered to help students in need by spending their own money on them.
It’s for the 97 percent of income tax filers who will receive a direct check to help pay their monthly bills.
This budget – and its $1.8 billion in tax relief – is for you, the people of Illinois.
I have always believed state government ought to, first and foremost, lift up the working families of Illinois and those who have too often been left out and left behind. This budget prioritizes them.
We’ve accomplished a lot in this budget, and I want to thank some of my partners in the General Assembly:
Speaker Chris Welch and President Don Harmon; House budget leaders Greg Harris, Will Davis, Lisa Hernandez, and Mike Zalewski, and Elgie Sims and Bill Cunningham in the Senate, and their staffs; and I want to express my gratitude to the members in the General Assembly who have once again joined me in the unglamorous but vital work of righting our fiscal ship and serving the best interests of the people of Illinois.
For the fourth straight year, I’ll sign into law another balanced budget that continues to reverse the damage inflicted by decades of fiscal mismanagement. Responsible budgeting in Illinois is now the rule, not the exception.
Let me tell you what that looks like:
We’re improving our schools and our classrooms by investing in our teachers and our children. With this budget, Illinois school districts will see an extra $518 million with full support for Evidence Based Funding and paying for textbooks, classroom upgrades, counseling staff and teachers.
We’re making childcare more affordable than ever before, and we’re providing scholarships for college as well as career and technical education for more than 155,000 students.
We’re making it more attractive and affordable for small businesses in Illinois by revitalizing commercial corridors and creating jobs by extending our incredibly popular Main Street Grants program — helping small cities and towns up and down the state. We’re suspending licensing fees for bars and restaurants and giving them grants to assist in their recovery. Our hospitality industry is bolstered with its own grants program. And we’re investing in employer training and renewing tax credits to attract and grow new businesses while providing new benefits to startups.
This budget will make this a safer state for all who call Illinois home. We’re hiring the largest state police cadet class in history, funding the Gang Crime Witness Protection Program, and providing mental health support for police across the state. Through our Reimagine Public Safety program, we’re tackling the root causes of violence with an expansion of our successful youth summer jobs initiative and proven violence intervention programs. Illinois has never seen an effort this robust to fight and solve crime.
On the day I was sworn into this office, I said that we are going to restore fiscal responsibility to this state.
Because of the foundation we’ve laid over the past three years, we’re able to put unprecedented one billion dollars into the state’s Rainy Day Fund, and put an extra $500 million into our pensions — saving taxpayers nearly two billion dollars. And most importantly, we can do all of this AND return 1.8 billion dollars in tax relief to the families who need it most.
I want to end this morning on a success that got lost in the flurry of news over the past two weeks.
Not long ago, interest payments to cover our state employee health insurance surpassed $274 million – not the debt itself, but the interest alone — the consequences of kicking the can down the road for decades.
This legislative session, Democrats teamed up to pay off that lingering liability. That frees up more than a quarter of a billion in taxpayer dollars every year for priorities we all care about, like tax relief, and school funding, and mental health care, and addiction treatment, and public safety.
Lots of politicians talk about getting rid of waste; the people standing here today are actually doing it.
Today, in Illinois, we’re using state resources as they should be: not sending hundreds of millions of dollars to creditors for interest, but instead supporting schools and roads and public safety. To make our residents’ lives better. To make our future brighter.
Before I turn things over, I want to take a moment to express my profound appreciation for Leader Greg Harris. The State of Illinois is unquestionably stronger because of his service. This is the last full budget he will have negotiated before he retires, and what a testament to his years of hard work, dedication and focus on the most vulnerable people of our state. Greg, we couldn’t have done this without you.
* Pritzker was asked about the process of passing a budget late at night on the last day of session…
Well, first of all, there have been hearings for months on all of the various aspects of this budget. I introduced the budget back on February 3, when I held the state of the state and budget address. That is the fundamental underpinning of the budget that passed. The basics of this budget have been known by everybody, Republicans and Democrats since then. There have been hearings that have quizzed various agency heads about their needs at their departments. We’ve had people from outside organizations coming in to talk about new programs like EIC to make sure that families, working class families, families that really need help, are addressed in this budget. This has been known for quite some time. So this false idea that there’s some, you know, 3000-page budget that got introduced late at night, that’s just, it’s ridiculous. Everybody knows that each section of that budget has been reviewed by committees for months now.
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More budget react
Saturday, Apr 9, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Additional react is here if you missed it. Posted in the order received…
Senate President Don Harmon D-Oak Park, issued the following statement after the Senate voted to pass a balanced budget that pays down debts, invests in education and police, and provides nearly $2 billion in tax relief for Illinoisans:
“This budget continues our practice of responsible budgeting and providing strength through stability. It pays our bills, sets extra aside and provides billions in relief for those who need it the most.
This is a great budget that reflects the needs and priorities of the people of this great state.”
* ACEC-IL…
The American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois (ACEC-IL) released the following statement regarding the preservation of gas tax revenues for infrastructure projects included in the state’s budget:
“We applaud Governor Pritzker and the legislature for passing a budget that provides a solution to the motor fuel tax issue that maintains the state’s commitment to prioritize infrastructure projects throughout Illinois,” said Kevin Artl, president and CEO of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois. “It’s important to strike a balance for consumers who are feeling pain at the pump, while also keeping the state on track to revitalizing our bridges, roads and highways. Engineers across the state applaud Illinois policymakers for their thoughtful leadership on this issue.”
* IML…
The Illinois Municipal League (IML) issued the following statement after the General Assembly approved a State Fiscal Year 2023 budget that includes an increase to the Local Government Distributive Fund, from the current distribution rate of 6.06% of individual income tax collections to a rate of 6.16%, which will provide additional funding to cities, villages and towns:
“We thank the governor and leaders in the House and Senate for prioritizing this investment in our cities, villages and towns. Years of revenue cuts from the state have placed great pressure on local budgets, forcing many municipalities to consider tax and fee increases, service cuts and even layoffs as they struggle to make ends meet,” said Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe of Decatur, IML President. “This additional funding will help ease some of those burdens so communities can better meet the needs of our residents.”
“It’s important to note that while municipalities received federal COVID relief dollars, their use was restricted to water, sewer and broadband projects and could not be used for purposes such as personnel, pension payments or debt payments. The funds provided through LGDF can be used on a much broader array of items, including public safety,” Brad Cole, IML Executive Director. “While there remains a long way to go before LGDF funding is fully restored, this is a step in the right direction.”
* Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association…
The Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association has released the following statement after the General Assembly approved the Fiscal Year 2023 state budget, in which hotels are set to receive $75 million in aid to assist with pandemic recovery efforts:
“As a vital component of Illinois’ economy, the pandemic decimated our state’s hotel industry, with record low occupancy rates and sustained losses due to the massive decline in conventions and tourism. This $75 million in aid is an important lifeline for our industry, allowing hotels to rehire workers and fully re-open their doors as travel begins to rebound,” said Michael Jacobson, president & CEO, Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association. “We appreciate the support of the legislative leaders and the members who championed our cause, especially House Majority Leader Greg Harris, House Republican Leader Jim Durkin, Rep. Kam Buckner, Rep. Terra Costa Howard, and Rep. Lamont Robinson as well as Sen. Elgie Sims, Sen. Bill Cunningham, and Sen. Sara Feigenholtz. As the industry rebuilds, we look forward to welcoming travelers back to Illinois and helping to lead the economic recovery of our state and local communities.”
* IFRA…
Josh Sharp, CEO of the IL Fuel and Retail Association, is issuing the following statement on actions taken by the Illinois Legislature to authorize two gas tax increases for 2023 and require fuel retailers to post signs at their own expense.
“By delaying, instead of simply eliminating, the annual gas tax increase for six months, the Legislature is guaranteeing two gas tax increases for next year; one in January and another in July. That is not relief for Illinois taxpayers, that is conveniently kicking the can down the road until after an election.”
In addition to the two gas taxes now coming in 2023, the Legislature also approved legislation requiring gas stations to post a 4X8 sign on pumps to inform motorists about the six-month “suspension” of the gas tax increase that was slated for July 1st. Gas stations will have to post the signs or face criminal penalties and fines of up to $500 per-day.
“The idea that fuel retailers would have to reach into their own pockets to tell their customers about legislation approved in Springfield and then face heavy fines if they don’t is completely absurd.
There is no Constitutional authority for the State of Illinois to make these ridiculous requirements and if the Governor signs this bill into law, we plan to challenge this requirement in court. It is not the job of our members to run free political advertising for lawmakers who want to pat themselves on the back for simply delaying a tax increase six months.
Voters need to know that the taxes Illinois imposes on a gallon of gas aren’t changing, they’re not being lowered. On July 1 when this new state budget takes effect, the motor fuel tax will remain exactly what it is today. That’s Springfield’s definition of “relief” – taxing you more but doing it later and hoping that no one notices until after an election.”
* AARP Illinois…
At the close of the 2022 Spring Legislative Session, AARP Illinois commends the General Assembly for passing several measures that will significantly enhance the lives of older adults and their loved ones across the state.
For decades, nursing home residents have experienced a severe crisis in quality of care with abuse and neglect.
This is why we fought so hard for reforms to increase staffing and improve quality of care to ensure nursing home residents’ safety and well-being. We are thrilled to see the passage of the Nursing Home Compromise Reform Bill, which invests in and retains quality frontline line staff who provide critical care to Illinois Medicaid nursing home residents. The measure also requires greater transparency of nursing home ownership and revenue.
On behalf of our 1.7 million members and all older adults in Illinois, AARP Illinois also spent four years leading an “Enough is Enough” campaign to pressure lawmakers to address the state’s decades-long fiscal crisis. That is why we are pleased to see a balanced budget this year that takes steps to improve the state’s fiscal health, including a $500 million pension payment, $1 billion for the rainy day fund, and nearly $900 million for the group health insurance bill backlog.
The budget fully funds the state’s Community Care Program, adds an additional $4 million for caregiving and includes property tax rebates and expands the earned income tax credit to those who are 65 and older.
Several measures passed this session will give Illinois residents the equity they deserve and ability to care better for the people they love. SB3490 ensures that LGBTQ voices are represented in state programming and policymaking. The increase in the Community Spouse Asset Allowance means people won’t have to feel forced to give up their belongings when a spouse enters a nursing home and uses Medicaid. And SB 1405 makes sure no one in a nursing home will ever have to die alone again.
And finally, HB 2775 is a triumphant end to housing discrimination that has persisted for years. This bill ensures that renters can no longer be turned away for using Social Security, veteran’s housing benefits or other sources of income if they are otherwise qualified.
With these important measures approved, AARP is committed to making Illinois affordable for those 50+ by working diligently for consumers on pocketbook issues, including efforts to lower the cost of Rx drugs, improve opportunities to keep more of your hard-earned income and assets, expand home and community-based services and keep utility bills in check.
We urge Governor Pritzker to sign these bills into law so that older adults and their families can begin feeling the impact as soon as possible.
* The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence…
After over a decade of largely stagnant funding following recession budget cuts, Illinois made a historic investment today in allocating $70.9 million in general revenue funds for domestic violence services. This increase demonstrates the power of the community of survivors and service providers who passionately advocated for survivors’ needs. We thank Representative Kelly Cassidy, Senator Peters, Representative Mussman, Representative Barbara Hernandez, the Women’s Caucus, and the Latino Caucus for their leadership in championing the needs of domestic violence survivors.
This investment will help address the growing need for services seen throughout the state, amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline was contacted by more than 32,000 individuals seeking assistance. These contacts mark over an eight percent increase in communication from 2020, in turn a record-breaking year. With the state’s investment, community-based service providers will be better equipped to meet the growing needs of survivors, particularly around housing, legal advocacy, counseling, and violence-prevention.
State funds will help expand community outreach and provide life-saving education on domestic violence resources. Service providers will be able to start addressing unmet needs for services, particularly shelter and housing. Survivors will have a stronger safety net to meet basic needs as well as the enduring emotional, financial, and legal needs stemming from survivorship. Lastly, these funds will help providers pay their staff the thriving wage they have earned in working as essential workers throughout the pandemic.
Domestic violence programs remained open throughout the pandemic, providing a critical safety net for survivors. With limited funding, service providers struggled to maintain an adequate and equipped staff. With this investment, service providers will be able to sustain and increase their capacity to continue providing essential quality services.
The Network is grateful to the Illinois Legislature for making this investment towards addressing and ending gender-based violence. The Network looks forward to seeing this investment in gender-based violence services continue through legislation in future sessions to help support survivors and service providers. The Network and the gender-based violence community will continue to advocate alongside survivors to push for improved community safety and resources.
* Americans For Prosperity - Illinois…
AFP-IL State Director Jason Heffley released the following statement in response to the budget’s passage:
“At AFP-IL, we fight to break down barriers Illinois families face to reach their potential, and despite the rhetoric, this budget fails to remove any barriers families face in this state. Relying on one-time federal money to ‘balance’ the budget, calling temporary tax freezes tax relief, and failing to address the systemic problems the state’s bloated government has created is not a way to build a state budget. Our activists will continue to call for greater accountability from state government, starting with permanent tax relief for families in the state with the highest tax burden in America.”
* Illinois Council of Convention & Visitor Bureaus…
“Tourism is one of Illinois’ largest and most critically important industries, and destination organizations throughout the state continue to drive economic recovery during the most challenging circumstances we’ve ever faced. The approved budget builds on last year’s strong budget for tourism and is another necessary step to providing the stability we need to attract visitors and business to Illinois–which, in turn, brings customers for our local small businesses and economic security for our communities. Visitors are future residents and talent and we must continually invest in tourism and destination marketing to maintain a competitive position.
“ICCVB is grateful to Governor Pritzker, his Administration, and the State Legislature for their continued support as this budget makes clear that funding for tourism and destination marketing efforts by the Illinois Council of Convention & Visitor Bureaus (ICCVB) and its partners is essential to our State’s broader economic recovery. The Governor and legislators have listened to the hard-hit travel & tourism industry and have helped put the industry on the path to economic recovery from COVID-19. This investment is the necessary fuel we need to drive growth now and with urgency. Our elected leaders are listening and have responded.
“In addition to the state’s investment in tourism marketing, the budget includes a combined $140 million that has been appropriated from the State Coronavirus Urgent Remediation Emergency Fund to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for the Tourism Attraction Development Grant Program ($15 million), the Hotel Jobs Recovery Grant Program ($75 million) and Restaurant Employment and Stabilization Grant Program ($50 million). This level of support is critical to important sectors and partners that have been decimated by the pandemic. We are especially grateful to our champions, Senate Tourism Committee Chair Sara Feigenholtz and House Tourism Committee Chair Lamont Robinson for their continued leadership. They haven’t just supported our requests, they are our strategic partners and understand the value that tourism brings to the entire State of Illinois.
“We have a long road ahead of us but the continued commitment to tourism and the promotion of Illinois is vital to get us back on track and to our pre-pandemic levels. Every $1 spent on tourism promotion results in $11 for our state, which is why we need leisure travel, meetings & conventions, group business, and sports tourism to thrive and to stay competitive against other states on a national level and as we compete on a global stage.”
* Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy…
“Instead of permanent solutions for working families like real tax cuts and reduced spending, Democrats passed temporary election-year gimmicks, a massive increase in spending, and pay raises for politicians. In the face of record inflation and a crushing tax burden, Democrats gave taxpayers a handful of candy and told them to suck it up. They failed to provide real relief to taxpayers and all but guaranteed tax increases when the federal bailout money goes away.”
* Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights…
As the Illinois General Assembly session ended early Saturday morning, immigrant leaders in Illinois celebrated major wins while committing to continue the fight for community resources.
“This year ICIRR members ratified and advocated for a state platform that brings our communities closer to FULL CITIZENSHIP - that means going beyond immigration papers and pushing for policies at all levels of government that allow our families and neighbors to live lives with dignity and respect,” said Lawrence Benito, Executive Director of ICIRR. “Today we’re celebrating landmark wins for ITIN filers receiving tax relief and expanded healthcare to low-income residents aged 42-and-up regardless of immigration status. At the same time, we advocated for $53 million in funding for the Immigrant Services Line Item, and that final number came in under our demand. We will continue to organize with our 100+ statewide members to ensure that this funding source, which has provided tens of thousands of undocumented Illinoisans with direct assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic, is made whole.”
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* Press release…
As the spring legislative session ends, negotiators representing organized labor today announced agreement on delaying temporary employer tax increases and worker benefit reductions, but an impasse in discussions to address a historic deficit in the state fund that provides unemployment insurance benefits to workers.
Representatives of five key labor organizations announced that negotiations among labor, business, legislators and Gov. Pritzker’s administration over solutions to eliminate what remains of the state’s Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund deficit of $4.5 billion had reached an impasse.
Negotiators announced support for stop-gap action delaying temporary triggers in state law that will increase costs for businesses and decrease benefits for workers. However, if no action had been taken by the end of the year, the so-called “speed bumps” in the unemployment insurance law would drive up costs in the system by $409 million in tax increases on employers, and $318 million in benefits for jobless workers.
“We just saw the Legislature and Governor provide $2.7 billion in federal pandemic relief funding to the unemployment insurance program,” said Pat Devaney, Secretary-Treasurer with the Illinois AFL-CIO. “But without an agreement on structural reform to protect workers, employers and taxpayers, Illinois’ unemployment fund will be bankrupt again in a couple of years.
All parties need to get back to the bargaining table and find a real solution that protects workers and taxpayers, gives businesses stability and certainty and finally gets honest about the revenue needed to support our unemployment system.”
This is the third time Illinois has faced a multi-billion-dollar hole in its unemployment trust fund in the past 18 years, but the $4.5 billion debt is the state’s largest ever – initiated by widespread unemployment from the pandemic economic shutdown, but cemented by a revenue structure that has seen little change since 1980.
Labor negotiators have urged all involved to focus on more than just providing relief to businesses through federal ARPA funding. Because the system is chronically underfunded, economic crisis events create large deficits – and too often, workers and taxpayers are expected to bear the burden of bailing out the system. The labor groups will urge negotiations focus on ending the historic underfunding of the UI system that results in huge debt challenges during economic slowdowns.
The state had already delayed the automatic “speed bumps” (benefit cuts and tax increase) that would take effect without a deal until July 3rd. An amendment to SB157, which cleared both chambers early this morning, delays that action until January 1, safely after the November election.
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Quick end of session wrap-up
Saturday, Apr 9, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* WBEZ…
Wrapping up their spring session, lawmakers staged an all-nighter – a rarely seen 20-hour behemoth of a day in Springfield filled with bluster, brief naps at their desks, and long speeches that resulted in a finalized, $46 billion-plus spending plan as sunrise approached Saturday.
Unlike Congress, the state legislature doesn’t have the filibuster. But that effectively is what Republicans resorted to before an audience of sleeping Illinoisans in trying to slow down a budget plan that drew praise from Wall Street and, in the end, Republican votes for parts of the package.
But in the end, Democrats – with their House and Senate supermajorities – muscled through a plan put together by Gov. JB Pritzker, Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, and House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside. The timestamp on the final budget vote was 5:52 a.m Saturday.
“Boy, you guys hate that we’re balancing the budget and paying our debts, don’t you?” House Majority Leader Greg Harris, D-Chicago, said, needling the cast of House Republicans who sacrificed their REM sleep to blast the plan in speech after speech after speech.
* Capitol News Illinois…
The Fiscal Year 2023 spending plan also provides for the statutorily required $350 million in additional funding for public schools through the Evidence Based Funding formula that was originally adopted in 2017. Higher education would see increases as well.
The portion of the state’s income tax going to local governments would increase from 6.06 percent to 6.16 percent. […]
Rep. Tom Demmer, R-Dixon, who is running for treasurer, said the pandemic-related revenue windfalls have allowed Democrats to grow funding faster than year-after-year revenues.
“And when this one-time revenue dries up, the only thing you’ll know how to do is go back and raise taxes yet again,” he said.
As long as they didn’t put too many new items into the spending base or permanently subtract too much money from the revenue stream, Demmer would be wrong.
* Tribune…
The GOP dismissed the majority party’s tax relief plan as an election-year gimmick. […]
Loathe to vote against tax breaks before facing voters later this year, however, Republicans nearly all voted in favor the proposal.
Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie said Democrats were trying to “buy” votes, and then participated in this alleged bribery scheme by voting for the tax cuts.
* That was not confined to the budget…
Another bill sponsored by Delgado received bipartisan support. It would codify that victims of carjacking or vehicle theft wouldn’t have to pay for tows, speeding tickets and other fees that accumulate on their vehicles after they’re stolen.
Republicans contended that owners of stolen vehicles already have ways to avoid paying such fines, and the bill does nothing to go after perpetrators.
“This, as presented on the floor, does nothing to bring down crime, does nothing to promote public safety and, in fact, is not holding the (criminals) accountable for the laws that they broke along the way. This is absurd. This is not what we need to do to bring down crime,” said state Rep. Avery Bourne, a Republican from Morrisonville who is running for lieutenant governor in the June 28 primary.
Not mentioned anywhere in the story is that, after blasting Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado’s “absurd” bill, Rep. Bourne voted for it. Indeed, not a single Republican voted against it.
* Back to WBEZ…
In another development during the legislature’s final session day of the spring, Democrats also voted to curtail fundraising in judicial races — a vote that took a not-so-subtle swipe at GOP mega-donor Kenneth Griffin by moving to complicate any attempt he may harbor to funnel millions of dollars into judicial campaigns.
The measure’s sponsor, state Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Collinsville, described his legislation as a campaign-finance step designed to keep dark money out of Supreme Court races and other judicial elections.
Contributions from a single source to independent expenditure committees — political funds unaffiliated with individual candidates that can spend on their behalf — would be capped at $500,000 per election cycle.
Republicans were quick to point out that independent expenditure committees were crucial in the 2020 defeat of Democratic state Supreme Court Justice Thomas Kilbride. One of those funds, Citizens for Judicial Fairness, spent millions of dollars against Kilbride’s retention on the high court.
State campaign records show $4.5 million of the group’s receipts came from one source over two days in October 2020: Chicago hedge fund manager Kenneth Griffin, who also is bankrolling Irvin’s Republican gubernatorial campaign to unseat Pritzker this fall.
State Rep. Deanne Mazzochi, R-Elmhurst, who voted against the measure, said the legislation wasn’t truly about protecting the integrity of the judiciary but rather about preventing a replay of Kilbride’s defeat, particularly when control of the Supreme Court is up for grabs this fall.
“This is once again in Illinois the political machine that’s in power is trying to protect its own,” she said.
Mazzochi is right. But her party’s opposition is based on preserving the influence and power of the state’s wealthiest resident, who is also her party’s single largest financial benefactor.
…Adding… Comptroller Mendoza…
llinois Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza applauds the legislature for passing a FY ’23 budget that saves for the future, utilizes extra revenue to support working families, and addresses the pension shortfall and other structural issues.
“I am very pleased and thankful to see an infusion of $1 billion into the state’s Rainy Day Fund,” said Comptroller Mendoza. “We know this is an important signal to the credit rating agencies that Illinois is getting its fiscal house in order and planning for the future.” Illinois celebrated two credit upgrades last year – the first upgrades in more than 20 years.
The budget also mandates an extra $45 million a year to be placed in the Rainy Day Fund starting in FY ’23. The budget expands the Earned Income Tax Credit for low- and moderate-income taxpayers.
The budget includes an additional $200 million pension payment, which brings the total pension payment beyond what is required, to $500 million dollars. This will save taxpayers more than $1.8 billion.
Comptroller Mendoza recently announced that her office had paid down the bill backlog to what is now “accounts payable.” Illinois has been paying its bills in about 15 business days since July 1, 2021 – down from a crushing 210-business-day bill payment cycle in Nov. 2017 – a result of the 2015-2017 budget impasse.
The shortened General Revenue Fund bill payment cycle, along with the two credit upgrades, happened before the state received ARPA federal stimulus payments.
“Overall, I believe this budget adds greatly to the momentum we have built toward further credit upgrades, which will mean further savings for taxpayers,” said Comptroller Mendoza.
Comptroller Mendoza thanks Gov. JB Pritzker as well as Sen. Michael Hastings, Rep. Michael Halpin, Sen. Elgie Sims, Illinois House Majority Leader Greg Harris, Rep. Michael Zalewski and all the legislators who supported reviving the Rainy Day Fund.
She looks forward to working with legislators to continue strengthening the Rainy Day Fund and Pension Stabilization Fund through further legislation.
...Adding… Irvin campaign…
As Springfield Democrats proudly closed out the end of legislative session with a number of significant issues left unresolved, Aurora Mayor and gubernatorial candidate Richard Irvin released the following statement:
“Instead of committing to real solutions to combat crime and deliver permanent tax cuts, J.B. Pritzker pushed election year gimmicks that don’t reverse his anti-police, pro-criminal policies but do set up his campaign to permanently raise taxes after the election. The people of Illinois are paying a steep price for a governor who will do anything to win re-election, even if it means mailing checks to voters right before hitting them with the largest income tax hike in state history. It’s time to take back our state.”
The remaining issues left unanswered by Governor Pritzker include the following:
• No reversal from Pritzker’s anti-police, pro-criminal policies while crime surges throughout the state;
• No permanent tax cuts for Illinois residents (instead quite the opposite: increases in state spending to push for higher taxes when the federal money runs out);
• No comprehensive ethics reform to root out corruption from Mike Madigan’s criminal enterprise;
• No substantive changes to the Department of Children and Family Services after the director has been found in contempt of court eight times and vulnerable children are put in danger; and
• No plan to fully replenish the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund, forcing tax hikes and benefit cuts.
* IFT…
Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) President Dan Montgomery issued this statement today after the state legislature passed a Fiscal Year 2023 budget.
“The FY23 budget passed today is further proof that Governor Pritzker prioritizes public education at every level. Budgeting for the annual $350 million increase to the evidence-based funding model puts our state one year closer to achieving equitable funding and eliminating disparities in districts statewide. Budget increases for community colleges and universities are an important step towards the much-needed reinvestment in public higher education and making college more affordable.
“We applaud the governor and lawmakers for crafting a budget that invests in public schools and vital services and provides relief for Illinois families. The pandemic will have a lasting impact on students, educators, school staff, and our communities. But by expanding the earned income tax credit, cutting grocery and gas taxes, and offering property tax rebates, this budget will provide the economic support that families desperately need right now.
“The IFT looks forward to continuing our work with Governor Pritzker as he focuses on the state’s economic recovery.”
…Adding… Responsible Budget Coalition…
The Responsible Budget Coalition issued the following statement in response to the FY 2023 state budget approved by the General Assembly.
As a coalition of the state’s leading advocacy, human service, community and labor organizations, we judge any budget by these principles: It must contain adequate revenue, fairly raised, and it must avoid cuts to vital programs and services.
The FY 2023 General Fund Budget passed by the General Assembly increases year-to-year spending on Education, Healthcare, Human Services, and Public Safety–which collectively account for over 95 cents of every dollar Illinois spends on public services through its General Fund. That is a welcome development, given that Illinois has been cutting its spending on those core services in real, inflation-adjusted terms for over two decades. We also applaud an important step towards tax fairness, a more than $100 million dollar expansion of the Illinois Earned Income Credit which will cover older and younger workers as well as undocumented immigrants who pay taxes, and provide more money to all credit recipients. For these reasons, the budget passed by the General Assembly and supported by Governor Pritzker is a major step in the right direction, and we urge the governor to sign it.
But for the state to continue playing a positive role in making Illinois more equitable —whether addressing short term challenges like those caused by the pandemic, or long-term challenges, like poverty or structural racism–it needs the ongoing fiscal capacity to do so. Creating that fiscal capacity must remain a priority in the coming fiscal years, especially as federal pandemic relief funding expires.
As we look towards next year, we hope to re-engage the General Assembly in a broader conversation about Illinois’ still unfair tax system, one that does not provide willing political leaders with the financial resources to make the change we all seek for people in our state who are struggling the most. Until then, we appreciate a budget that takes important steps to help people in need.
* Illinois Pork Producers Association…
This week, leadership from IL Pork, IL Beef, IL Corn, IL Soybeans and IL Farm Bureau worked to increase the Illinois State budget request by $750,000 from the General Assembly’s FY23 budget toward the IL Dept of Agriculture (IDOA). These funds would be used to provide additional field veterinarians and proactive foreign animal disease prevention measures necessary to protect Illinois agriculture in the event of looming foreign animal disease outbreaks.
“With the recent announcement by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service confirming the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza in a small backyard flock in Mclean County, the need for these funds is immediate,” says Illinois Pork Producer Association’s Executive Director, Jennifer Tirey. “This recent outbreak proves that a foreign animal disease does not discriminate based on the size of a livestock farm. The devastation could impact the smallest backyard hobby farms, farmers that sell their product at a farmers’ market, small meat processors or our larger producers. We’re also concerned about the potential of an African Swine Fever outbreak in Illinois swine herds. The impact of any of these animal disease outbreaks to Illinois agriculture would be detrimental and being underprepared would only worsen the impact.”
Today, IDOA only has one field veterinarian on staff to serve the entire state of Illinois. Adding veterinarians could mean regionally-defined service areas, even allowing field staff to support vet work on specific species-related issues.
“We believe the collaborative response from our five groups empowered our request,” says Tirey. “We are incredibly grateful to the legislators who stand for the best interests of Illinois agriculture and Illinois farmers.”
Adds Josh St. Peters, Executive Vice President, Illinois Beef Association, “Earlier this winter the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) expressed this issue as a concern to our organizations and we are happy to see the funding secured and look forward to working with the department to protect the ag industry from potential foreign animal disease outbreaks,” he says. “Director Costello, IDOA leadership, Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Patrick Joyce (D-Essex), Senator Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) and Senator Bill Cunningham (D-Chicago) are greatly appreciated by the Illinois ag community for their partnership.”
…Adding… Press release…
The Illinois General Assembly approved a state budget that includes $2.5 million in funding for the Illinois Higher Education Savings Program, otherwise known as Children’s Savings Accounts. Parent leaders and advocates of the Financial Inclusion for All Illinois coalition have long called for an investment in the future of Illinois’ children and families. Advocates celebrate that the program, which was signed into law in 2019, will finally be funded in 2023.
After the budget is signed into law, all children born or adopted after December 31, 2022, will receive a $50 seed deposit in a Bright Start 529 college savings account. However, parents must claim this seed deposit by their child’s 10th birthday. Advocates warn that only 30% of Illinois families will be able to claim the deposit without further investment and effort by state officials to make the program more robust, accessible, and equitable. The statewide CSA program will be managed by the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office.
“I have advocated for a statewide Children’s Savings Account program for nearly a decade. In 2019, when the program was signed into law by the Governor, we thought our fight was over. But the pandemic hit, and the program was never funded. We are glad to see this appropriation so that the program can finally get started. It will also take more funding in future years to ensure that all families who could benefit will be able to participate.”
– Rosazlia Grillier, Co-President Emeritus of POWER-PAC IL
Children’s Savings Accounts (CSAs) are proven to boost hope for the future, especially among children who may not already have college-going aspirations. They are also proven to reduce maternal depression, improve early childhood outcomes, and, with the right features, promote equitable access to higher education. The savings accounts can be used for books, computers, college or university tuition, and at other post-secondary institutions like trade schools.
“As a parent of three children, I have spent years advocating for a CSA program. I didn’t go to college, but my son was lucky enough to receive a scholarship. Once the CSA program is fully funded, we will be sure that more families like mine will have hope for the future and an investment in their children’s potential early on. Thank you to our legislative champions, Senator Pacione-Zayas and Representative Collins!”
– Liliana Olayo, Co-President of POWER-PAC IL
During the Illinois General Assembly’s legislative session, Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas and Representative Lakesia Collins, champions for the statewide CSA program, also passed a bill to prioritize equity in the program implementation. Once signed into law, the measure requires the State Treasurer’s Office to collect socioeconomic, geographic, racial and ethnic data on program participants to understand whether the program is reaching community members who face systemic barriers to wealth-building and would most benefit from a jump-start in their college savings. It also gives the Treasurer’s Office the option to provide automatic bonus deposits in the accounts of children from financially insecure households.
“Thank you to the Illinois General Assembly for ensuring that this program can kick-off in 2023. The pandemic has caused many families to lose hope – but this CSA program restores some of that hope for children across Illinois. Our coalition urges legislative leaders to continue to invest in this crucial program over the long-haul.” –
Amy Eisenstein, Financial Inclusion for All Illinois Coalition Manager with Heartland Alliance
Financial Inclusion for All Illinois is a coalition committed to expanding access to the tools Illinois families need to build financially secure futures. Its Children’s Savings Account Committee includes leaders from Community Organizing and Family Issues (COFI), POWER-PAC IL, Woodstock Institute, YWCA Metro Chicago, VOCEL, Start Early, Legal Action Chicago, Chicago Urban League, I-PROMOTE IL, Children’s Home and Aid, and Heartland Alliance.
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Organized retail crime bill clears Senate
Saturday, Apr 9, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sen. Glowiak Hilton…
To support retailers, update prosecuting resources and promote statewide economic growth, the Illinois Senate adopted a measure led by State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs) to curb organized retail crime and hold ringleaders accountable.
“Organized retail crimes across the state have disturbed residents, wreaked havoc on businesses and stunted growth within local economies,” Glowiak Hilton said. “By advancing the Organized Retail Crime Act, Illinois has an opportunity to enact one of the most comprehensive crime-curbing efforts in the nation.”
In partnership with the Illinois Retail Merchants Association and the office of the attorney general, Glowiak Hilton’s initiative defines organized retail crime as a criminal charge and gives prosecutors additional resources to charge crime ringleaders. Specifically, the measure codifies ORC as the theft of retail merchandise with the intent to sell.
Under the proposal, prosecutors would have new opportunities to bring charges against offenders regardless of where the crimes takes place. For example, if the conspiracy, theft and selling occurred in different jurisdictions, each jurisdiction would have the ability to prosecute the entire crime. The Illinois attorney general would also have the ability to prosecute via a statewide grand jury.
“The measure targets individuals stealing for profit, not anyone engaging in petty shoplifting,” Glowiak Hilton said. “Deterring retail crime starts with supporting law enforcement, holding criminals responsible and making it tougher to resell stolen goods.”
To prevent stolen goods from being sold online, the measure also creates the Integrity, Notification and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces for Consumers Act, or the INFORM Act, to require third-party sellers to verify users’ identity with bank account numbers or other personal identifying information. Sellers who do not comply may be suspended.
As amended, House Bill 1091 moves for concurrence consideration in the House.
* IRMA…
On behalf of retailers across the state, the Illinois Retail Merchants Association (IRMA) applauds lawmakers in the Senate for their bipartisan support and passage of HB1091, a comprehensive proposal to combat organized retail crime that has plagued neighborhoods across Chicago and communities throughout the state.
Crafted by IRMA in partnership with Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, the measure represents one of the most sweeping efforts in the nation to combat organized retail crime by addressing the problem from multiple angles. This includes providing prosecutors with more tools to hold criminals accountable, dedicating state funds to investigate and prosecute the criminal rings carrying out these brazen thefts, requiring more oversight of third-party marketplaces where stolen goods are sold, stronger rights for victims of organized retail crime and the creation of a statewide intelligence gathering and sharing platform to allow retailers and law enforcement agencies to better coordinate.
“Organized retail crime robs our communities of tax dollars, threatens the safety of employees and customers, and puts our communities at risk of further crime including illegal firearm purchases, human trafficking and terrorism. By passing this measure, Illinois lawmakers are sending a message to criminals that these brazen thefts will not be tolerated and they will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” said Rob Karr, president & CEO, IRMA. “I want to personally thank Attorney General Raoul for his partnership and tireless work on this issue and offer our appreciation to Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton and Rep. Kam Buckner for their leadership as well as every lawmaker who voted in favor of this important measure.”
The bill creates and defines the violation of organized retail crime, providing the emphasis and focus required to combat this dangerous form of retail theft, which is performed by criminal groups with the goal of reselling stolen items to fund illicit activities. The legislation specifically targets those organizing these crimes, which is defined as an individual who knowingly recruits, organizes, supervises, manages, finances or otherwise directs others to commit organized retail crime, which includes smash and grab robberies as well as the looting of supply chain vehicles. Prosecutors would be given wider discretion to bring charges regardless of where the crime takes place. For instance, if the conspiracy, theft and selling all occurred in different jurisdictions, each jurisdiction would have the ability to prosecute the whole crime.
In addition, organized retail crime could be prosecuted by the Attorney General via the Statewide Grand Jury. This would give law enforcement officials another avenue by which to hold leaders of criminal rings accountable. Further, victims of organized retail crime must be given at least seven days’ notice of all court proceedings, which must be sent to the establishment where the crime occurred as well as any persons the victims designate.
To support these efforts, the proposal calls for earmarking state funds on an annual basis to create new positions in the Attorney General’s office and various State’s Attorneys offices dedicated to investigating and prosecuting retail theft and illicit trade.
“Organized retail crime is committed by sophisticated criminal enterprises that harm our communities in ways that extend beyond lost revenue and stolen products. These complex operations rely on theft and resale of stolen products to fund and perpetuate the cycle of violence through even more dangerous illegal activities like trafficking drugs and firearms,” Raoul said. “The Organized Retail Crime Act will give my office and other law enforcement agencies the additional tools needed to continue to disrupt these criminal enterprises and combat the rise in organized retail crime. I appreciate Senator Glowiak Hilton’s leadership on this matter and the bipartisan support for this effort.”
The legislation builds on the work of the Attorney General’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force, which is designed to investigate these crimes and trace them to their source. In December, the task force and the Chicago Police Department Force recovered stolen goods worth millions of dollars during a sting operation. IRMA also works with the United to Safeguard America from Illicit Trade (USA-IT) Coalition, which aims to address organized retail crime at the national level.
Increasingly, goods stolen during the execution of organized retail crime are often sold on third party electronic marketplaces. The proposal would require these online marketplaces to verify the identity of high-volume sellers using bank account numbers, taxpayer IDs or other information. Those sellers would be required to provide valid contact information, and marketplaces would be required to suspend the activity of third-party sellers for non-compliance. This is a vital public safety component as these sales are used to fund illegal activity including drug trade, weapons smuggling, human trafficking and terrorism. The proposal is identical to the agreed proposal being sponsored in Washington, D.C. by U.S. Senator Dick Durbin and Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky.
A recent study by the Retail Industry Leaders Association found that as much as $68.9 billion in products were stolen from retailers nationwide in 2019, with retail crime resulting in $125.7 billion in lost economic activity and 658,375 fewer jobs. It’s estimated that retail theft costs federal and state governments nearly $15 billion in personal and business tax revenues, not including sales tax losses. These are conservative estimates as some jurisdictions discourage organized retail theft complaints and prosecutions.
* Chicagoland Chamber…
The Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce released the following statement after the Illinois Senate passed HB1091, a comprehensive proposal to combat organized retail crime:
“The impact of violent crime has been felt across the Chicago area, including the suburbs, and addressing it remains a top priority of the business community as both an economic and social imperative. Doing so requires bold action by our lawmakers, which is why we applaud the bipartisan legislation put forth by the Illinois Retail Merchants Association and the Attorney General’s office to combat organized retail crime and illicit trade. By providing the tools and resources needed to hold these criminals accountable, we can establish stronger protections for those impacted by organized retail crime, including Chicago’s retail, tourism, and hospitality sectors that have been particularly affected. The additional investment enables law enforcement to investigate these particular cases efficiently and effectively so we can better safeguard our communities and prevent further crime that threatens jobs and economic opportunity,” said Jack Lavin, president & CEO, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce.
* IRMA dot points…
Focuses on Organized Retail Crime The proposal creates and specifically defines a violation of organized retail crime (ORC). ORC is usually committed by two or more individualswho work together to steal merchandise with value over the current retail theft threshold and resell the item(s) for profit to fund other illegal activities such as gun, drug, and human trafficking.
Deters Smash-and-Grab Thefts Smash-and-grab thefts occur when a group of individuals rush into a retailer and destroy retail property or threaten retail team members while stealing a great amount of inventory in a short period of time. This sometimes involves the use of vehicles and other tools to gain entry into the retailer or to the merchandise.
Deters Supply Chain Thefts Individuals are increasingly involved in stealing merchandise while it is in transit between the manufacture and distributor and the retailer. This involves raiding delivery trucks and cargo containers on trains.
Reduces Criminals’ Ability to Avoid Prosecution The proposal provides jurisdiction to any state’s attorney where any element of ORC takes place to prosecute the whole crime. For instance, if the conspiracy, theft, and selling all occurred in different jurisdictions, each jurisdiction would have the ability to prosecute the whole crime. It also provides the Attorney General the use of the statewide grand jury to prosecute ORC.
Provides Dedicated Enforcement ResourcesThe proposal seeks to provide annual funds to the Office of the Attorney General for additional investigators and attorneys to focus exclusively on ORC. It also provides grant money to states attorneys across Illinois whose communities tend to be the focus of ORC. This grant money will be used to add additional states attorneys dedicated exclusively to ORC.
Addresses Online Fencing ORC rings increasingly use technology and the anonymity of online third-party marketplaces to sell their stolen goods. The proposal requires online third-party marketplaces to verify the seller and the goods offered for sale and the seller to provide contact information. This action will help police outlets used to monetize stolen merchandise, which often funds other illicit activities including gun, drug and human trafficking. The proposal mirrors an agreement that was reached on the federal level by stakeholders and currently sponsored by U.S. Senator Dick Durbin and Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky.
Enhances Public and Private CoordinationThe proposal calls for a formal collaboration of all stakeholders involved in addressing ORC. The collaboration is designed to provide real-time information and intelligence-sharing and collaboration between asset protection investigators and federal, state, and local law enforcement partners involved in combating ORC related issues at the local, regional, and national levels
Requires Timely and Proper Notice The proposal requires timely and accurate notice of court proceeding to retailers that are victims of ORC, ensuring they can participate in the legal process.
The following changes were made at the request of stakeholders
• Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) provisions were removed;
• A threshold was included for ORC which is consistent with retail theft;
• ORC only applies to two or more individuals rather than one individual; and
• The legislation specifically targets those organizing these crimes, which is defined as an individual who knowingly recruits, organizes, supervises, manages, finances or otherwise directs others to commit ORC.
…Adding…. IRMA…
Moments ago, the IL House passed the ORC legislation by a vote of 96-5. Earlier this morning the IL Senate passed the legislation by a vote of 42-10.
…Adding… AG Raoul…
Attorney General Kwame Raoul today applauded the Illinois General Assembly’s bipartisan passage of legislation to combat the rise in organized retail crime and disrupt the criminal enterprises that engage in and profit from organized retail theft.
Attorney General Raoul initiated House Bill (HB) 1091 to address organized retail crime in partnership with the Illinois Retail Merchants Association (IRMA). The legislation closes gaps in current Illinois law that criminals exploit and provides law enforcement with more tools to address organized retail crimes.
“Organized retail crime is committed by sophisticated criminal enterprises that harm our communities in ways that extend beyond lost revenue and stolen products. These complex operations rely on theft and resale of stolen products to fund and perpetuate the cycle of violence through even more dangerous illegal activities like trafficking drugs and firearms,” Raoul said. “House Bill 1091 will give my office and other law enforcement agencies the additional tools needed to continue to disrupt these criminal enterprises and combat the rise in organized retail crime. I appreciate Senator Glowiak Hilton and Representative Kam Buckner’s leadership on this matter and the bipartisan support for this effort.”
“Organized retail crime threatens our local economies and public safety,” Glowiak Hilton said. “HB 1091 gives prosecutors additional resources to hold perpetrators accountable and expands the comprehensive approach to help stop the rise in organized retail crime across the state. I am proud to work with Attorney General Raoul and our other partners on this effort.”
“By obstructing these criminal networks at their core, we are going after the individuals who are behind this growing public safety issue,” Buckner said. “I would like to thank Attorney General Raoul for his work in making the passage of this proposal today a reality.”
“Organized retail crime robs our communities of tax dollars, threatens the safety of employees and customers, and puts our communities at risk of further crime including illegal firearm purchases, human trafficking and terrorism. By passing this measure, Illinois lawmakers are sending a message to criminals that these brazen thefts will not be tolerated and they will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” Rob Karr, President & CEO of IRMA said. “I want to personally thank Attorney General Raoul for his partnership and tireless work on this issue and offer our appreciation to Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton, Sen. John Curran and Rep. Kam Buckner for their leadership as well as every lawmaker who voted in favor of this important measure.”
House Bill 1091 creates and, for the first time, specifically defines organized retail crime in state law. Organized retail crime and retail fraud are often mistakenly viewed as being isolated incidents, however, organized crime rings are often behind these acts. Organized criminal enterprises connected to the drug trade, human trafficking and other criminal activities target big box stores, pharmacies, hardware stores, auto dealerships and other retailers to carry out sophisticated theft operations, and these operations cross county and state borders. Enterprises use boosters and mules to coordinate thefts of large amounts of merchandise, which is then resold below market value using online marketplaces in order to fund the enterprise’s other illegal activities.
The legislation puts in place stronger oversight of those taking advantage of these online marketplaces and creates a statewide intelligence platform to help retailers and law enforcement agencies better coordinate their enforcement efforts. Additionally, the legislation requires online marketplaces to verify the identity of high-volume sellers. This will help police outlets used to monetize stolen merchandise, which often funds other illicit activities including gun, drug and human trafficking.
The proposal also aims to reduce a criminal’s ability to avoid prosecution for organized retail crime. House Bill 1091 would allow any state’s attorney where any element of organized retail crime takes place to prosecute the whole crime. Those participating in smash and grab robberies, as well as looting of supply chain vehicles such as trains and cargo trucks, could also be prosecuted for organized retail crime. Additionally, the legislation would provide the Attorney General’s office to utilize the statewide grand jury to prosecute organized retail crime. In addition, the legislature appropriated $5 million to the Attorney General’s office to allow the office to award grants to State’s attorney’s offices and law enforcement agencies that investigate and prosecute organized retail crime.
House Bill 1091 builds on the work of Attorney General Raoul’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force. The Organized Retail Crime Task Force is the first statewide, public-private collaboration of its kind in Illinois and is designed to foster cooperation among retailers, online marketplaces, law enforcement agencies and state’s attorneys dedicated to targeting organized retail crime enterprises. The task force allows Raoul’s office to utilize data and tips provided by retailers and partner across jurisdictions with law enforcement agencies to investigate organized retail crimes and trace thefts to the source. For example, the Organized Retail Crime Task Force, with support from Chicago law enforcement recovered more than $1 million worth of stolen goods from several Chicago-area storage units during December 2021. Raoul’s goal in establishing the task force is to continue to improve communication among public and private entities and utilize a multifaceted approach to combatting organized retail theft and related criminal activity.
House Bill 1091 passed the Illinois Senate and House today on bipartisan votes. The legislation will now head to the governor for his approval.
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