Afternoon roundup
Tuesday, May 16, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* All branches of government have revolving door issues, including the US Attorney’s office…
John Lausch, who stepped down as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois in March, is headed to Kirkland & Ellis, the law firm announced today.
Lausch began his legal career at Kirkland in 1997 as an associate and will return to the firm as a partner in the government, regulatory and internal investigations practice group.
* Civic Federation…
SB1629 would change the calculation of final average salary [for Chicago firefighters] from the highest 8 consecutive years within the last 10 years of service to the highest 4 consecutive years during the last 10 years of service. SB1630 would change the limitation on pensionable salary to one that increases based on inflation from one that changes by the lesser of 3% or [deleted because of an amendment] the inflation rate. The legislative sponsors and supporters of these proposals argue that the benefit enhancements are needed to preemptively solve the concerns about Tier 2 benefits failing to meet Safe Harbor rules. But there has been no comprehensive, statewide evaluation done to determine if or when Tier 2 benefits will violate Safe Harbor rules.
SB1629 passed the Senate 55-0, but hasn’t yet received a House floor vote. SB1630 also passed the Senate 55-0, and cleared the House today 88-24-2. The Tribune editorial board has railed against both bills, to no avail. Mayor Lori Lightfoot was opposed to the bills, but Sen. Cristina Pacione-Zayas, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s new deputy chief of staff, is a co-sponsor of both bills.
* A last-minute move to add punitive damages to the Wrongful Death Act is criticized…
A coalition of business groups has issued the following statement in opposition to HB219, which will add punitive damages to select court cases and stifle job creation and growth in Illinois:
“Two years ago, in the waning hours of the lame duck session, Democrats in the General Assembly imposed pre-judgement interest on lawsuits adding immense pressure to defendants to settle cases regardless of the merits of the case. And now, with only days remaining in the spring legislative session, it’s déjà vu with a last-minute amendment adding punitive damages to certain, select court cases. Lawmakers should not upend decades of legal precedent in order to tilt the playing field even more in favor of wealthy trial attorneys. This will further solidify Illinois’ reputation as a poor place to do business and make job creators take a second look at expanding or investing in Illinois.”
The measure is scheduled to be heard this morning in the House Judiciary-Civil Committee. The groups opposing the measure include:
Illinois Manufacturers’ Association
Illinois Retail Merchants Association
Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce
Illinois Chamber of Commerce
National Federation of Independent Business Illinois
Illinois Railroad Association
Illinois Life & Health Insurance Council
Mid-West Truckers Association
American Property Casualty Insurance Association
Illinois Trucking Association
Illinois Movers and Warehousemen’s Association
Chemical Industry Council of Illinois
National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies
Rockford Mutual Insurance Company
Allstate
Zurich North America
* Rep. Ammons will run for reelection instead of vying for the Senate…
Discretion is the better part of valor. Look before you leap.
Those thoughts, among others, must have been running through state Rep. Carol Ammons’ mind as she contemplated following through with her January announcement that she would challenge appointed state Sen. Paul Faraci for the Democratic nomination for the Illinois Senate’s 52nd District seat.
After weighing the pros and cons, Ammons filed papers Monday with the Illinois State Board of Elections amending a previous filing declaring her Senate run. The new filing by the Friends of Carol Ammons stated her intent to seek “re-election to the 103rd Illinois House seat that comprises Champaign-Urbana.” […]
Faraci accepted the news with equanimity.
“I really do look forward to working with Representative Ammons,” he said. “This (decision) allows us to focus on that, and I think it’s great.”
Her new D-1 is here.
…Adding… From what I was told, Tracy won a super-majority…
Attendees of the Illinois Republican Party took a vote Saturday on whether they had confidence in GOP Leader Don Tracy.
It happened at a regular meeting of the Illinois Republican Party State Central Committee in Edwardsville.
At Issue: Republican state Sen. Jason Plummer, who represents the 55th District, and a few others called for new leadership. There are concerns about where the party is headed, that the party isn’t raising more money and that the Illinois GOP isn’t doing more to expand its reach.
Tracy ultimately received a majority of support, according to two people in the room. But divisions within the party remain.
It has always been thus within that state party. Always.
* Press release excerpt…
Today, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced that, thanks to a partnership with Cook County Health (CCH), the Housing Authority of Cook County (HACC) has added behavioral health care coordinators to 18 HACC public housing communities. Thanks to federal funding provided by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), HACC behavioral health care coordinators will play a proactive role in ensuring that Housing Authority residents receive resources that foster mental health, physical health, and will also provide referrals to other healthcare resources when necessary. This includes case management, therapy/counseling, housing stability support and workforce development.
* SoS…
Fulfilling a campaign promise, Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias has established the first-ever Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Officer position in the Secretary of State’s office.
Dr. Margaret “Margie” Lawler, who joins the office today, will fill this important inaugural role, Giannoulias announced.
Dr. Lawler brings significant experience, most recently serving as Blackburn College’s inaugural DEI Officer. She has been engaged in diversity, equity and inclusion efforts for over 12 years at institutions of higher learning, including key roles at Illinois Central College and the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. She also brings private sector experience from her years with Caterpillar, Inc. in Peoria. […]
In addition to serving as DEI Officer, Dr. Lawler will serve as deputy director for training in the Secretary of State Springfield Personnel Office. In this capacity, she will revive and refresh the office training for all employees, especially managers.
* Crain’s…
Co-working company Industrious owes its former West Loop landlord more than $2.3 million for walking out on its lease in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, a Cook County judge ruled last week.
In what will likely be seen as a win for all landlords that have leased space to major shared-office providers in recent years, the court found New York-based Industrious committed fraud and violated its contract with Stockbridge Capital Group, the San Francisco-based investor that used to own the building at 600 W. Jackson Blvd. where Industrious closed a location in 2020, court records show. Stockbridge alleged in a 2020 lawsuit that Industrious stopped paying rent in April 2020 and was abandoning the $4 million in remaining rent payments on a lease that runs until 2030.
* Yesterday…
Tomorrow, lawmakers will sport their suits and sneakers to show their support for those touched by cancer in the state, those lost to cancer and cancer control policies in Illinois. This year, 74,580 individuals are estimated to be diagnosed with cancer in Illinois and an estimated 23,730 will die from the disease.
Illinois has made great strides over the years to reduce the cancer burden through policies to prevent cancer and access to care legislation, including being the first state in the nation to pass legislation to improve access to biomarker testing.
The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) thanks Rep. Marcus Evans for his continued dedication to being a champion for those affected by cancer and leading this suit and sneakers effort. ACS CAN also thanks Rep. Camille Lilly for championing tobacco control measures, including adding e-cigarettes to the Smoke-Free Illinois Act this year, as well as Rep. LaShawn Ford, Rep. Joyce Mason, Rep. Laura Faver Dias and all the other dedicated legislators who have joined us in our fight against cancer.
Today…
* Isabel’s roundup…
* Jim Dey | On second thought, Ammons files for re-election in House: It’s quite a flip-flop, but one that makes political sense both for her and her party. “I think Carol is doing the right thing by herself, by the party and by the electorate,” said Champaign County Auditor George Danos, a fellow Democrat. “By avoiding a risky state senate primary, she maintains experienced representation for us in Springfield as well as her own tenure in the House.”
* Sun-Times | Electrical grid power play: Utilities take control of coming boom in transmission lines: In the world of energy regulation, the shorthand for what utilities want is ROFR — the right of first refusal. The companies have persuaded legislatures in 12 states— Illinois isn’t one of them, but Indiana, Michigan and Iowa are — to pass laws that codify this as a right regarding new transmission lines.
* WCMY | House bill considers making corn starch ethanol an advanced biofuel: The Fuels Parity Act introduced by Representatives Nikki Budzinski and Eric Sorensen of Illinois, Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa, Stephanie Bice of Oklahoma and Wesley Hunt of Texas would allow ethanol from corn starch to be classified as an advanced biofuel.
* Sun-Times | No ‘slam-dunk’ in potential precedent-setting case against Highland Park shooting suspect’s father, experts say: The success or failure of the case against Robert Crimo Jr. will tell other prosecutors about the court’s appetite for holding parents responsible for the acts of their children.
* Lake County News-Sun | Reaction mixed to Highland Park’s guide to compassionately communicating about parade shooting: But its circulation has also prompted some discussion among residents, some who say they don’t appreciate being told how to speak about what happened. Others do not agree with the city’s prompting of people to move away from using certain terms such as “mass shooting” to refer to the tragedy, and the phrase “Highland Park Strong” and “Fuerza Highland Park,” which were printed on numerous shirts, stickers and other items as the community rallied last summer.
* Arlington Heights Post | Arlington Heights considering Bears’ demolition request because town ‘does not have any authority’ not to, mayor says: “The village does not have any authority to withhold approval of demolition for any reason if the application is complete and the property owners’ demolition plans comply with the village code,” Hayes said at the meeting. He and other Village Board members said the village is “100% committed” to transparency as the village and team navigate the early stages of what could be a behemoth project at the old racetrack.
* SJ-R | Moredock named city’s corporation counsel; mayor selects other directors: Moredock has been with the IML since November. Prior to that, he was in private law practice. […] James Sullivan was named director of the city’s information systems division and had been manager of technical support and has been with the city since 2004.
* Labor Tribune | Illinois AFL-CIO salutes legislators for their support of Organized Labor: Margaret Blackshere, a Metro East legislative and Labor leader, fought during most of her adult life for women’s rights and better working conditions for women. Blackshere, who died almost four years ago at age 78, would have been proud of an Illinois state representative who recently was awarded an Illinois AFL-CIO Labor Salutes award that was named after Blackshere, speakers at the ceremony in Springfield said.
* WBEZ | Scabby the Rat gives bite to union protests, but is he at the tail end of his relevancy?: “It’s kind of unfortunate, changing times, older members of the public know exactly what the rat is for,” said James Smith, union activity administrator for the NYC District Council of Carpenters. “The newer generation sometimes doesn’t — one person thought that we were protesting a building that needed an exterminator.”
* 217 Today | U of I professor argues college debt is making jobs and care less accessible: Kevin Leicht, a sociology professor at UI, published a book about the declining respect for professional jobs. Titled “Crisis in the Professions: The New Dark Age,” the book discussed how college debt forces professionals to pursue higher-paying jobs.
* WCIA | Former Champaign deputy chief expected to take over U of I police academy: The University of Illinois Board of Trustees will vote with Thursday on whether to appoint Joe Gallo as the director of the U of I Police Training Institute. Gallo has been serving as interim director if the institute since May 1.
* NBC Chicago | ‘Pneumonia Front’ to Drop Temps More Than 20 Degrees in Matter of Minutes Tuesday: Temperatures are expected to reach into the low-80s across much of the area, but as the front passes through, temperatures will drop into the mid-50s in areas east of Interstate 355, with many locations seeing temps plunge more than 20 degrees within a matter of minutes, according to officials.
* NBC Chicago | Tim McGraw Added as Headliner in 2023 Illinois State Fair Grandstand Lineup: The country music star and three-time Grammy winner is slated to perform with Landon Parker at the fair on Aug. 17, with tickets going on sale Friday.
* Sun-Times | Foo Fighters, The Cure among Riot Fest 2023 lineup at Douglass Park festival: Foo Fighters, The Cure, The Postal Service, Death Cab for Cutie and Queens of the Stone Age will headline the 2023 edition of Riot Fest, it was announced Tuesday, along with the full lineup of bands set for the event this fall.
* Far Out | Hacked, looted and burned to the ground: the worst festival of all time: Where did this spiritual successor to Woodstock take place? On Bull Island, near Griffin, Indiana. It’s a strange chunk of land technically in Illinois, but on the Indiana side of the Wabash River, something that would play a role in how this disaster panned out.
* NYT | Why Some Companies Are Saying ‘Diversity and Belonging’ Instead of ‘Diversity and Inclusion’: Ms. Foster said companies must address racism, sexism, homophobia and antisemitism in the workplace. But she believes that an overemphasis on identity groups and a tendency to reduce people to “victim or villain” can strip agency from and alienate everyone — including employees of color. She says her approach allows everyone “to make mistakes, say the wrong thing sometimes and be able to correct it.”
* Dame Magazine | Men Are Killing Thousands of Women a Year for Saying No: For every mass shooting on the national news, there are countless smaller gun-related murders the media overlooks perpetrated by angry men who can’t bear rejection.
* Tribune | ‘It’s hard to open up … you don’t know how people are going to react.’ Chicago White Sox speak out about mental health awareness.: Burger and teammates Lucas Giolito and Michael Kopech discussed the importance of mental health awareness in a video the Sox released Monday. “It’s great seeing a professional sports team relay this message and bring awareness to how important it is,” Giolito told the Tribune. “Some things require help and I’m glad that we’re sending that message.
* The Athletic | The base-stealing technique that has Yankees looking ‘like Usain Bolt,’ and others following: The numbers jumped out at him. Aaron Judge is known far more for hitting home runs than stealing bases. But when he noticed the high stolen-base totals of several Yankees minor leaguers in 2021, it piqued his curiosity and sparked his competitive fire. “Guys I’m faster than had more stolen bases than me,” the Yankees’ 6-foot-7, 282-pound slugger said. “I wanted to know why.”
* Donna Vickroy | No need to seek out distant places when there’s so much to see in Illinois, author of new travel book says : Wine trails, a national forest, a treehouse resort and — not one, but two — state fairs are just a few of the highlights in “100 Things To Do in Illinois Before You Die,” a newly released entry in the Reedy Press nationwide line of travel books.
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* No surprise…
The sponsor of the latest proposal to subsidize the Chicago Bears’ move to a new stadium in Arlington Heights says he’s punting the issue until at least the Legislature’s fall session, giving him more time to refine a measure that has begun to attract some backing but probably not enough to pass.
In a phone interview, Rep. Marty Moylan, D-Des Plaines, said he still intends to call for a hearing tomorrow on his bill to freeze property taxes on the former horse racing track the Bears are eyeing for a stadium. The measure also proposes sharing sales tax and other proceeds with surrounding towns and imposing a $3 surcharge on Bears’ tickets to help recompense Chicago for the loss of revenue from the team no longer playing at Soldier Field. […]
“Those things,” Moylan said, could include shunting more money for infrastructure improvements to Palatine and other towns that would be affected by traffic from the stadium and a related entertainment complex the team hopes to build on the site of the former Arlington International Racecourse. And more might be done for Chicago, where newly installed Mayor Brandon Johnson’s team has been briefed on the proposed legislation.
Moylan said the Bears “have not said no.” An email to Crain’s from Bears’ Senior Vice President Scott Hagel seemed to confirm that. Hagel said the team is aware of tomorrow’s House Executive Committee hearing, but declined to take a position on the bill.
It’s probably gonna need a significant increase in money for Chicago.
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It’s almost a law
Tuesday, May 16, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* WCIA…
A bill to lower the cost of a lifesaving medication is headed to the governor’s desk.
The proposal, which passed the General Assembly, would cap the cost of a twin pack of EpiPens at $60.
Families who need them say it would make a huge difference.
“You shouldn’t have to go, ‘Am I going to pay a bill or am I going to make sure that my child has this medication,’” Tiffany Mathis, the CEO and executive director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Illinois, said.
* Shaw Local…
The community solar farm in Meadows Park will be moving forward following legislation by state Rep. Brad Fritts, R-Dixon.
House Bill 2963 amends the contract the Dixon Park District entered into with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources in 1992. The contract restricts development on land given by the department in Meadows Park, where the district partnered with a company to build a solar farm. […]
Other recently passed Fritts’ legislation, HB 2582, removes a duplicate test in place for motorcycle license applicants younger than 18. Both tests are identical and incur a fee.
“Both of these bills are local initiatives brought to me by my constituents,” Fritts said in a news release. “I am in Springfield to be a voice for the people of my district and to advocate for legislation that will have a positive impact on their lives. I am proud to say that both of these bills accomplish that, and I am thankful that I was able to make a difference in my own community.”
* Vermilion County First…
State Representative Mike Marron (R-Fithian) has seen his legislation dealing with county auditors approved in the Illinois Senate. HB1153, amends the Officers and Employees Article of the Counties Code. The bill decreases the minimum number of inhabitants that must reside in a county for the county to be required to create the office of county auditor from 75,000 inhabitants to 70,000 inhabitants.
The measure was an initiative of the County Auditors Association and Vermilion County as Vermilion County’s population has dropped below 75,000, as determined by census, and they wanted to maintain an Auditor.
Marron said it was important to get the bill passed and keep an independent watch-dog for the taxpayers of Vermilion County.
The measure was approved in the Senate on a 56-0 vote after being unanimously approved in the House. The legislation now heads to the governor’s desk.
* Capitol News Illinois…
[A] bipartisan bill designed to make transferring to a public university in Illinois from a community college an easier and more cost-effective path will soon be sent to Gov. JB Pritzker for his signature.
Democrats in the Illinois Senate last week approved a measure that would require employers to list a pay scale and expected benefits for any position listed on a job posting. It would also create a regulatory structure for the Department of Labor to investigate violations of the proposed law. […]
Pacione-Zayas said the bill would prompt employers to interrogate potential “unjustified disparities” between employees’ pay based on things like race, ethnicity, gender or language.
House Bill 3129 passed with a 35-19 vote. Because it was amended in the Senate, it now goes back to the House for consideration.
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Meanwhile, in Opposite Land…
Tuesday, May 16, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Tennessee…
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has signed off on additional protections for gun and ammunition dealers, manufacturers and sellers against lawsuits within a bill that lawmakers passed after a deadly school shooting in March.
The Republican governor quietly signed the legislation Thursday. Its provisions kick in on July 1.
The state Senate gave final passage to the bill in mid-April, just weeks after the March 27 shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville that killed six people, including three 9-year-olds. The House had passed it before the shooting.
Lee’s choice to sign the bill comes as he keeps pushing for the same Republican lawmakers, who hold supermajorities in the House and Senate, to pass a proposal that aims to keep guns away from people who could harm themselves or others. Lee plans to call lawmakers back into an August special session that aims “to strengthen public safety and preserve constitutional rights” after they adjourned last month without taking up his “temporary mental health order of protection” proposal. His office hasn’t released the parameters of what version of that proposal, or others, will be considered in the session yet.
The expansion of civil immunity for gun companies was hardly in doubt after lawmakers passed it. Lee has never issued a veto, which lawmakers would have the numbers to override. However, he occasionally has allowed bills to take effect without his signature to signal his concerns or disapproval of a policy.
* Florida…
A Florida teacher under a state investigation for showing a Disney movie featuring a gay character said she wasn’t aware the state’s controversial law banning instruction about certain LGBTQ topics had been recently expanded to apply to her grade level.
The legislation was first passed in March 2022 and initially applied to kindergarten through third grade. Last month, Florida’s state education board voted to expand the law’s scope to include all grades through high school. Teachers who violate the state policy can be suspended or have their teaching licenses revoked.
“I just found out today that they increased it to my level,” the fifth-grade teacher, Jenna Barbee told CNN’s Alisyn Camerota Monday night. “I had no idea whatsoever that this was such a big deal.”
Barbee says she played the 2022 animated Disney movie “Strange World” to a classroom of fifth graders while their peers were finishing some standardized testing.
* Florida…
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law Monday banning the state’s public colleges and universities from spending money on diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
“If you look at the way this has actually been implemented across the country, DEI is better viewed as standing for discrimination, exclusion and indoctrination,” DeSantis said during a news conference at New College of Florida in Sarasota. “And that has no place in our public institutions.”
Many institutions across the U.S. have DEI offices aimed at diversifying staff and to promote inclusivity for faculty and students.
The location of the bill signing is notable as DeSantis has targeted New College of Florida to put it in a more conservative direction. Earlier this year, he appointed six new members to the school’s board of trustees, putting conservative allies in control of the board. He accused the school’s leadership of overemphasizing DEI, critical race theory and gender ideology, which he characterized as not “what a liberal arts education should be.”
* DeSantis…
* Texas…
Texas has taken a major step toward banning transgender minors from getting puberty blockers and hormone therapy — care that medical groups say is vital to their mental health — after the state House approved Senate Bill 14 on Monday.
Trans Texans and LGBTQ advocates consider the bill one of the most consequential pieces of legislation in this year’s legislative session. It would ban trans people younger than 18 from getting certain transition-related care. Kids already accessing treatments would have to be “weaned off” in a “medically appropriate” manner, the bill says. It also would ban transition-related surgeries, though those are rarely performed on kids.
The House formally approved the bill in a 87-56 vote Monday largely on party lines, though some Democrats once again defected to vote in favor of the bill. They include state Reps. Harold Dutton of Houston, Tracy King of Batesville, Shawn Thierry of Houston and Abel Herrero of Robstown. The bill will now return to the Senate, which has already passed a version of the legislation that mandates an abrupt cutoff in treatments instead of a tapering-off process. The Senate can now ask for a conference committee to iron out the difference — or accept the House’s changes and send the bill to Gov. Greg Abbott.
As SB 14 advances, Texas — home to one of the largest trans communities in the country — is moving ever closer to joining over a dozen states in restricting transition-related care for minors. The American Civil Liberties Union and Lambda Legal have already raised legal challenges against several of them.
* Nebraska…
Nebraska lawmakers are set to take up debate late Tuesday on a plan that would tack on a proposed 12-week abortion ban to a bill that would ban gender-affirming care for transgender minors.
The combination of the two highly contentious measures sets up what could be one of the most volatile debates of the session.
Technically, lawmakers are slated to take up the final round of debate on the trans health bill, which has already advanced from the first two of three rounds it must survive to pass and go to Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen’s desk. But because legislative rules don’t allow amendments to be attached to bills in the final round, lawmakers will debate whether to send the bill back for a second round of debate in order to add the abortion amendment to it.
Opponents of the move plan to filibuster for the entire two hours of debate allowed in the final reading of a bill. Conservatives in the unique single-chamber, officially nonpartisan legislature will need 33 of the body’s 49 senators to vote to end debate before the plan to merge the two issues can move forward. If they fail, both the abortion and trans health measures will be shelved for the year.
* Nebraska…
The trans health bill has been the most contentious this session, prompting Omaha Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh to follow through on a promise to filibuster every single bill before the body — even ones she supports — unless conservative supporters pull it. Her efforts greatly slowed the work of the Legislature this year, forcing lawmakers to package bills together and endure grueling 12-hour and sometimes 15-hour days to pass legislation.
Omaha Sen. Megan Hunt joined Cavanaugh’s effort when the bill advanced from the first round of debate in March, revealing during the debate that her 12-year-old son is transgender.
The proposed abortion restrictions have drawn fierce pushback from those who argue that the state already limits abortion to 20 weeks of pregnancy and that restricting access further violates women’s rights to have autonomy over their own bodies.
The six-week ban was derailed last month when Riepe withheld his vote to end a filibuster over it. Riepe was an original cosigner of the bill, but later worried that six weeks wouldn’t give women enough time to even know they’re pregnant. Since then, he has been praised by abortion rights proponents, but he’s also endured calls from fellow Republicans for his resignation and censure.
Sen. Cavanaugh is related to Statehouse lobbyist John Amdor.
* Kansas…
Kansas’ Democratic governor vetoed state funding on Monday for a project long advocated by a Democratic lawmaker who broke ranks to override the governor’s vetoes and give Republicans crucial support for laws restricting abortion and rolling back transgender rights.
Apparently, Rep. Marvin Robinson’s decision had consequences.
Gov. Laura Kelly axed $250,000 in the next state budget for drafting a state plan to develop the Quindaro Ruins in Kansas City, Kansas, which Robinson represents. Quindaro was a short-lived town and a station on the Underground Railroad that helped enslaved people escape to Canada. A proposal to build a landfill there in the 1980s led to an investigation of the site and the discovery of multiple buildings’ foundations.
Robinson, who is Black, advocated for the site’s restoration and development as a national historic landmark for several decades before he won an open House seat last year. Democratic leaders called on him to resign after he voted to override Kelly’s veto of a measure banning transgender female athletes from girls’ and women’s sports, giving Republicans the supermajoirty they needed.
* Virginia…
The Virginia Department of Elections maintains a Twitter account that primarily shares updates on upcoming elections and info on how to vote — but for at least a few hours on Thursday, May 4, it was following an election-denying conspiracy theorist.
The official account — with a little over 12,000 followers — normally doesn’t follow anyone, but on May 4, it followed Ivan Raiklin, bringing the number of accounts it followed to one.
Raiklin is a conservative best known for promoting the conspiracy theory that Mike Pence could overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Raiklin, who ran in the Republican primary for Tim Kaine’s senate seat in 2018, wrote a memo in December 2020 — retweeted and apparently endorsed by Donald Trump — claiming that Vice President Mike Pence could block certification of the 2020 election results on January 6, 2021.
* North Carolina…
The president of the North Carolina Bar Association faced immense backlash from the group’s committee for LGBTQ+ equality this week, after he canceled a planned drag trivia night and suggested that the committee “present both sides” of the debate about drag culture instead.
That way, NCBA president Clayton Morgan said, the committee wouldn’t be “perceived as trying to advance just your agenda on the world,” according to a recording of his remarks shared with The Daily Beast on the condition of anonymity.
The trivia night was in the works for many months, but the political stakes for progressives in North Carolina have recently escalated. In April, a Democratic state representative switched parties, thereby giving Republicans a veto-proof majority in both the state House and Senate. Later that month, Republican legislators proposed a new bill that would criminalize hosting drag shows on public property.
The bar association’s committee on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity had scheduled their drag trivia night for June 8, but on May 5, the group’s members received an email from Morgan telling them that the event was off.
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Nice work if you can get it
Tuesday, May 16, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From 2019…
Anne Pramaggiore, the longtime Exelon executive who suddenly retired amid a federal probe of Illinois political corruption that has embroiled the politically connected company, will receive $7.7 million in benefits she’s entitled to, a company spokesman confirmed.
Pramaggiore, 61, is in line for an $885,000 cash payout and $6.8 million in previously unvested stock awards that accelerate upon retirement, according to a Securities & Exchange Commission filing.
The retirement payout substantially exceeds the $3.7 million she was entitled to receive when she was CEO of Exelon-owned Commonwealth Edison, according to a separate SEC filing. But her promotion last year to senior executive vice president and CEO of all of Exelon’s utilities—including companies in Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C., as well as ComEd—more than doubled the value of her retirement package.
* WBEZ today…
Exelon has been paying the legal fees for two now-convicted former Commonwealth Edison executives who were part of a conspiracy to bribe former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, WBEZ has learned.
The move has created an unusual dynamic where, on one hand, the company’s subsidiary, ComEd, is cooperating with federal investigators under a deferred prosecution agreement and paid a $200 million fine for attempting to “influence and reward” Madigan in a long-running bribery scheme.
But on the other, the Exelon-financed legal teams for former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore and former ComEd executive vice president John Hooker spent close to two months telling a federal judge and jury that their clients — and the power company — had done nothing illegal.
Past criminal defendants in Chicago’s federal courthouse have faced multimillion-dollar legal tabs for their defense lawyers. The pro-bono costs associated with former Illinois Gov. George Ryan’s legal defense, for example, have been estimated as high as $20 million.
Pramaggiore and Hooker, at least for the moment, are being spared that burden under an indemnity guarantee spelled out in Exelon’s bylaws, a ComEd spokeswoman told WBEZ.
The company wouldn’t divulge how much it has paid to Pramaggiore and Hooker’s legal teams, which comprised at least five attorneys apiece based on federal court filings. ComEd maintains that no ratepayer dollars are being used for the expense. […]
Though the company statement alluded to the possibility of seeking repayment from Pramaggiore and Hooker, [ComEd spokesperson Shannon Breymaier] declined to answer whether the company, in fact, would pursue reimbursement from the pair.
* Recent Sun-Times OpEd by ComEd CEO Gil Quiniones…
After headline-making trial of former CEO, ComEd is focused on the future
We have seen the headlines about the federal criminal trial of a former ComEd CEO and others. The conduct at the center of the trial is not a proud chapter in our company’s history, but it is one that we own. We’ve enacted strong new ethics policies, enhanced oversight and implemented more rigorous employee training aimed at preventing the prior conduct from happening again.
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* Here you go…
* Crain’s | Read the full text of Brandon Johnson’s inauguration speech
* Tribune | Brandon Johnson sworn in as Chicago mayor: ‘Our best and brighter days are ahead of us’: Johnson began his sweeping remarks by shouting out the greatness of Chicago: the “beauty” of Lake Michigan, its “boundary-breaking” arts and cultural scene and even the signature Italian beef. And, ever eager to reference his former profession as a social studies teacher, he shouted out the unique history of Black Chicago, starting from its founder, the Haitian voyager Jean Baptiste Point DuSable, before broadening to the city’s tapestry of immigrants who hail from all corners of the earth.
* Sun-Times | ‘Soul’ searching: Johnson takes office, says ‘a brand new Chicago is in front of us’: By drawing on the “soul of Chicago,” a phrase he used more than a dozen times during the 40-minute speech, we can “write the story of our children’s and grandchildren’s futures,” he said. “And what will that story say? That Chicago with its sturdy shoulders and its diverse economy and the legacy of all of our generosity was too afraid to stand up? … No. That won’t be our story. Not on my watch,” Johnson said.
* Block Club | Brandon Johnson Pledges To Reopen Mental Health Clinics, Push Progressive Change At Inaugural Address: On Monday, he committed to reopening Chicago’s shuttered mental health clinics, which were closed in 2012 by Mayor Rahm Emanuel and have since become a rallying cry for progressives in recent years. “I want to make sure that no one ever has to suffer because they do not have access to mental health services,” Johnson said in his speech.
* Tribune | Mayor Brandon Johnson to new City Council: Congrats, now let’s collaborate: The people of Chicago “are counting on us to work together to collaborate to make their lives better every day,” Johnson said at the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Credit Union 1 Arena. “Now, we won’t always agree. But I won’t ever question your motives or your commitment. And I’ll always do my part to find common ground.”
* WBEZ | History, humility, hope — and a few hugs — mark swearing in of younger, more diverse City Council: Unlike four years ago, when Mayor Lori Lightfoot shamed Council members into standing and applauding for reform in their ranks, Johnson turned to face the alderpersons, telling them: “You deserve recognition,” leading the crowd in applause. “This is your day, too. … The people of Chicago are counting on us to work together.”
* AP | New Chicago mayor pledges commitment to progressive strategy, asks for unity: “Let’s show the world, Chicago, where our heart is,” Johnson said in his inaugural address before a cheering crowd. “Let’s build a Chicago that is the economic marvel of our the state, the Midwest and this nation. Let’s build a Chicago that means our economy gets to grow by rerouting the rivers of prosperity to the base of disinvestment. So that no one goes thirsty.”
* Greg Hinz | In inaugural speech, Johnson reaches for heaven, but hard realities await: Chicago now will find out if Johnson is the person to reconcile those views. On a warm and sunny day, I want to say he can. But in Chicago, nice weather never lasts long. In his favor, Johnson already in this transition period has shown himself to be something predecessor Lori Lightfoot never was: a politician. That’s good. Whatever else a mayor of Chicago is, he or she must be a politician who can work with other politicians to get the resources and backing that they don’t command on their own.
* WTTW | Brandon Johnson Sworn in As Chicago’s 57th Mayor: ‘There Is Something Special About This City’: Johnson said he would work to bridge the divisions separating Chicagoans, adding that he would highlight what those who love Chicago have in common, while working to make Chicago a safer place for everyone. “Many people who love our city deeply have radically different ideas about how to confront the shared challenges we face,” Johnson said, adding that was “marveling” at how much Chicagoans nevertheless have in common.
* The Hill | Chicago City Council now leads US in LGBTQ members: Lesbian, gay and bisexual alderpeople now account for close to a fifth of the 50-member city council, a historic high, according to the LGBTQ Victory Fund, an organization committed to increasing the number of openly LGBTQ people elected to public office. No openly transgender or nonbinary people have yet been elected to Chicago’s city council.
* The Triibe | After inauguration, Chicagoans give advice to Mayor Brandon Johnson: Nadia Dawson’s first piece of advice to Johnson is to stick to the morals that got him in office: listening to the people who are doing the work on the ground, to help find solutions to some of the city’s most challenging problems. “Don’t allow outside people to corrupt you,” said Dawson, a coordinator with Access Living, a disability services and advocacy nonprofit. “I don’t need somebody who is going to feed me things I want to hear. I would prefer to understand what’s going on, and why solutions aren’t working, [and] who’s stopping those solutions from working, and how we can get back on track.”
* Sun-Times | Meet the mayor: Hundreds line up to shake hands with Johnson, who vows ‘the fifth floor belongs to the people’: Some wanted to congratulate him. Others to get a look at him. And still others just to wish him well — whether they voted for him or not. “I want to see what he can do differently for Chicago’s youth,” said Eric Bynum, 21, a West Side resident who said he had high hopes for Mayor Brandon Johnson even though he didn’t vote for him.
* WTTW | From Accessible Gathering Spaces to Educational Opportunities, Young Chicagoans Share Their Hopes for Brandon Johnson’s Administration: Chase Ervin, 20, is a prevention specialist with BUILD Chicago and an Austin resident. He said the people in his community are looking forward to something new from this administration, and seeing Johnson following through on his campaign promises. “I grew up in Chicago all my life, all I’ve been hearing is that we want to see change,” Ervin said. “We would love to see the commitment that you really want to honor these people’s words and create change.”
* Crain’s | Hours after being sworn in as mayor, Johnson signs his own batch of executive orders: Just two hours after taking the oath of office, Mayor Brandon Johnson signed four executive orders inside his new fifth floor office. With supporters and the organizers that crafted the orders surrounding him at City Hall, Johnson’s first acts as mayor created three new deputy mayor positions and ordered the administration to scrape the city’s budget in an effort to find funding to pay for a youth hiring and enrichment program.
* NBC Chicago | Brandon Johnson Signs Executive Orders on First Day in Office. Here’s a Breakdown: The first of four orders seeks to boost youth employment by instructing the city’s Office of Budget and Management to analyze resources in the fiscal year 2023 budget that are available to fund youth empoyment and enrichment programs. The order also instructs the Mayor’s Office to coordinate youth employment and enrichment activities among city sister agencies and city departments for summer internships and community service opportunities, according to the news release.
* ABC Chicago | Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson to spend 1st full day in office Tuesday: The second order, EO 2023-16, establishes a Deputy Mayor for Immigrant, Migrant and Refugee Rights, who will coordinate and communicate between city departments and officials to support newly arrived migrants, refugees and immigrants. This includes immediate needs and long-standing policy and goals.
* WTTW | As Brandon Johnson Takes Control of Chicago City Hall, Massive Challenges Await: Johnson had just 41 days to put together his administration and lay the foundation for an ambitious agenda — the shortest mayoral transition in Chicago history. To complicate matters, that six-week period was studded with difficult moments: unrest on spring’s first warm weekend, the resignation of the city’s interim top cop and fraught negotiations with members of the Chicago City Council. “It would have been better to have more time,” Johnson told WTTW News Friday. “But we’ll be ready.” Because of the short transition period, Johnson’s administration will be staffed with holdovers picked by Mayor Lori Lightfoot for at least the first few months, including Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Allison Arwady, whom Johnson vowed to fire during the campaign.
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[The following is a paid advertisement.]
An editorial in the Daily Herald on Saturday made the case for passing Senate Bill 1763, which would help financially struggling hospitals “called on to serve” individuals of Illinois’ Medicaid program, which covered one in 10 Illinoisans in 1995 and covers one in three today.
The editorial notes that SB 1763 would deliver “the state’s first increase in Medicaid reimbursement rates to hospitals from the General Revenue Fund since 1995” and highlights the “true bi-partisan coalition” of over 27 bill co-sponsors.
Sponsored by Arlington Heights Democrat Ann Gillespie and Rockford Republican Dave Syverson, SB 1763 would raise hospital Medicaid base rates by 20%, addressing the gap between cost and reimbursement, currently less than 80 cents per $1.
The editorial—“Hospitals make a valid case for first Medicaid rate increase in 28 years”—says failing to pass SB 1763 would result in “generally unpleasant” alternatives for hospitals: “reduce or eliminate some important specialized services or, in dire cases that are already occurring in underserved and low-population areas, shut down altogether.”
“Key to the foundation of this care are the hospitals and medical professionals who provide it. It is only reasonable that keeping that foundation strong remain among the priorities of state funding,” the editorial concludes. Discover the facts to learn more.
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Question of the day
Tuesday, May 16, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Center Square…
Whether Illinois legislators save the Invest in Kids Tax Credit Scholarship Program that is set to expire at the end of this year is still unknown.
Under a five-year trial period, the Invest in Kids Tax program has provided tuition money for working class and low-income families who want to send their children to Illinois private schools. The initiative is set to expire at the end of 2023, unless the state legislature acts to extend it. Lawmakers are in session through May 19.
Anthony Holter is president of Empower Illinois, a research and advocacy organization that promotes the program and raises scholarship funds. Holter said 9,700 students received scholarships for the 2022-2023 school year. Twenty-two thousand students were wait-listed for scholarships when the $75 million in donated funds was used up. The program is capped at $100 million in donations.
“We love pilot programs, because we know unequivocally that this program works,” Holter told The Center Square. “Over $330 million has been raised in the past five years and almost 41,000 scholarships have been issued.” […]
Two-thirds of scholarship recipients have an average family household income of $45,046, or 170% of the federal poverty level. Seventy percent of scholarship recipients meet federal guidelines to be eligible for the free and reduced lunch program. The upper income limit cutoff for the program is $90,000 a year for a family of four.
Taxpayers who donate to a Children Benefit from Education Scholarship Organization can apply online at Tax.Illinois.gov to receive the 75% tax credit in return for their donation. For a $1,000 donation, the taxpayer receives a $750 tax credit.
That $330 million raised through the program cost the state $247.5 million in revenue via the tax credits. Using the figures supplied in the article, the average scholarship is about $800.
* From an Illinois Families for Public Schools one-pager…
Voucher programs like Illinois’ tax credit scholarship program divert resources from our under-funded public schools and don’t improve academic outcomes for voucher recipients. ILGA passed the Invest in Kids Act in 2017 with the intent for it to sunset after five years.
Why is this important?
• Vouchers reduce funding for public schools: The Invest in Kids program diverts up to $75M/year in tax revenue funding vouchers. Meanwhile, 80% of Illinois public schools are not adequately funded. Every dollar diverted to private schools via the Invest in Kids Act is one that could be used to increase state funding of the Evidence-Based Funding Formula, which is still short ~$4B. At the current rate of increasing funding, the state won’t reach full funding until 2051.
• Vouchers allow the use of taxpayer public funds for religious schools: The vast majority of voucher recipients (~94%) in Illinois are attending religiously-affiliated schools. Using tax credits to pay for religious schools is a violation of one of the fundamental principles the US was founded on—separation of church and state.
• Vouchers do not improve academic outcomes: Advocates argue that vouchers provide access to high quality private education for poor children. In fact, decades of studies of voucher programs across the country have not found evidence that voucher students outperform their demographically-matched public school counterparts. More recent long-term studies of programs, including those in DC, IN, LA and OH, have found that students who participate in voucher programs fare substantially worse academically (e.g. based on graduation rates and test scores) than students educated in public schools.
• Vouchers decrease equity: The ~900,000 low-income students in IL public schools will not be helped by diverting funds to a privatized system that could be used instead to provide funding needed for smaller class sizes, enriched curriculum, better professional development and wraparound services and supports. Vouchers instead concentrate the highest need children in public schools while decreasing resources for those same schools.
• Vouchers decrease accountability and transparency: Private schools are not held to the same standards of accountability as public schools. They are not required to disclose how much money they spend on faculty, resources, or materials. Private schools don’t have to make their academic standards public or reveal what their curriculum is. To date, there is no public information about the performance of Illinois’ voucher students.
• Vouchers put students at risk of discrimination: Private schools receiving vouchers in Illinois must follow state and federal anti-discrimination laws, but there is little oversight, and there are no mechanisms for enforcement or compliance. Discrimination on the basis of religion, disability status and sexual orientation in admissions and other school policies is a significant issue in the schools receiving Invest in Kids’ vouchers.
• Vouchers don’t have to provide a broad education: Schools receiving vouchers don’t have to comply with the full Illinois School Code, including curriculum requirements designed to educate well-rounded citizens of a multicultural, multiracial democracy.
* The Question: End it or extend it? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
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It’s just a bill
Tuesday, May 16, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* ABC Chicago…
There’s a public hearing set for Tuesday over the Chicago Bears’ plan to relocate to Arlington Heights.
A House committee will hear revised legislation in support of the team’s move. It includes a $3 admission tax to help pay off debt from renovating Soldier Field two decades ago.
Even though racing season is well underway, the race track at Arlington Park remained quiet this spring, awaiting a new sport from the new owners. The Bears are apparently still working on the details with community leaders and lawmakers.
“As the Bears work out details, one of the chief concerns for all sides is how the property will be taxed so that the communities will be able build infrastructure needed to support an NFL team,” said Jon Ridler with the Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce. “The latest proposal, lawmakers will unveil in a hearing in Springfield tomorrow, would freeze the current property tax assessment on the property. It would establish a $3 admission tax on tickets, which would be used to pay off the city’s debt for renovations to Soldier Field 20 years ago. It would also determine how the communities would divide revenue from sales, hotel, liquor taxes.”
* NRDC…
Illinois should invest in a transportation system that is equitable and increases access to vital services, cleaner air, public transit, and lower-cost transportation options than car ownership—not in widening roads or highways.
Unfortunately, the Illinois Legislature is considering a proposal that would add multiple managed toll lanes to Interstate 55 (I-55) leading into Chicago, a project that threatens to exacerbate existing air quality issues and environmental injustices.
Our transportation system has major implications for climate, health, and equity. As the threat to our climate and our health from fossil fuel burning power plants has decreased, transportation has emerged as the top source of greenhouse gas emissions in Illinois.
Vehicles also emit dangerous air pollutants like particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide linked to increased illness and death. Pollution from diesel engines alone is projected to cause 400 early deaths, nearly 200 heart attacks and thousands of respiratory illnesses this year in Illinois.
* CBS Chicago…
More than 800 moms from across Illinois are getting ready for a fight at the state Capitol.
The moms are part of a coalition that is setting its sights on gun safety legislation. They are on buses from Union Station to rally on Tuesday in Springfield for gun safety legislation. […]
“We want to talk to our reps and senators about things like safe gun storage,” Harper said. “We want to make sure that there’s a priority around the gun industry to be sued.”
Another bill that the group will be backing would prohibit convicted domestic abusers from owning a firearm.
* WICS…
The most dangerous time for a survivor of a domestic violence relationship is when they leave their abuser, according to The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence. Survivors of domestic violence that involved a gun have a 500% higher likelihood of being murdered by their abuser.
Currently a domestic violence survivor has to file for an emergency order of protection and for their abuser’s firearms to be taken away separately. And if their abuser’s firearms are seized, there are loopholes where the abuser could still have access to their guns even after they have been confiscated. Illinois House Bill 676 is looking to change that. […]
If passed, this loophole would be closed and firearms would have to be given directly to law enforcement. It would also allow law enforcement to take the guns when they serve the order of protection. […]
The bill has passed the House and is waiting in the Senate for a vote. The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence and other supporters of the bill are hoping the Senate takes up the bill this year to hopefully decrease the number of domestic violence homicides.
* Effingham Radio…
With unanimous support, the Illinois Legislature has passed a measure that will make it safer for students to get on and off school buses across the state. SB2340 allows Illinois school districts to install a well-lit additional extended stop arm that further obstructs the roadway from passing traffic when a school bus is stopped to pick up or drop off students.
“There is no greater priority we as leaders can have than safety for our children. That includes giving school districts the ability to make the commute to and from school safer and I believe this legislation does that,” said Senator Doris Turner (D-Springfield), one of four senate chief co-sponsors.
While the bill does not require districts to do so, the legislation gives Illinois school buses the option to be fitted with up to two additional safety arms.
“More than 17 million incidents of vehicles driving around stopped school buses are reported each year in the US. These extended arms provide a more visible and physical warning to motorists to stop before a tragedy happens,” said State Rep. Janet Yang Rohr (D-Naperville), a chief-co sponsor of the bill in the house.
* Journal Courier…
House Bill 2 would establish the creation of “overdose prevention sites” in Illinois. If the bill passed, these places, also known as safe injection sites or supervised consumption sites, would provide a hygienic location in which those struggling with addiction could take pre-obtained substances such as opiates or heroin.
The bill also mandates these sites would have certain features, like an on-hand supply of the overdose-reversal drug naloxone, safe hypodermic needle and syringe disposal, and staff trained to administer first aid. […]
The bill was filed in December by Rep. La Shawn Ford, D-Chicago, and has picked up 17 co-sponsors — all Democrats from the Chicagoland area and collar counties — through two readings.
Under federal law, overdose prevention sites are prohibited, though one already has opened in the U.S. and other states are considering them. The federal government also has sounded more favorable toward the sites. The Justice Department hinted last year that it would be open to them and, more recently, the government pledged $5 million toward a study looking into their effectiveness.
* Sen. Sue Rezin…
Illinois is one step closer to officially recognizing the Honor and Remember Flag after legislation sponsored by Illinois Deputy Minority Leader Sue Rezin (R-Morris) passed out of the Senate on Thursday, May 11.
“The Honor and Remember Flag is a powerful symbol of the sacrifices made by our men and women of our armed forces,” said Sen. Rezin. “So often, gold star family members want assurance that their loved one’s sacrifice wasn’t in vain and that our nation will never forget that sacrifice. By officially recognizing this flag and what it means, we can help ensure that no gold star family member has to ever wonder about that.”
Senate Bill 1072 designates the Honor and Remember Flag as the official State symbol of concern for and commitment to honoring and remembering the lives of all members of the United States armed forces who have lost their lives while serving or as a result of service and their families.
“The Honor and Remember Flag began its story after Cpl. George ‘Tony’ Lutz II was killed in action while on patrol in Fallujah, Iraq. While coping with this traumatic loss, Tony’s father sought to create a symbol that specifically acknowledged American service men and women who lost their life while in the line of duty that could be easily displayed and recognized by anyone, at any time or at any place,” continued Sen. Rezin. “In that effort, the Honor and Remember Flag was born. This flag was quickly adopted by the gold star family community and has become the unofficial symbol for our nation’s fallen heroes.”
Senate Bill 1072 received unanimous support in the Illinois Senate, and now heads to the Illinois House of Representatives for further consideration.
* Rep. Jackie Haas…
On Monday, a resolution introduced by State Representative Jackie Haas (R-Kankakee) to declare September as River Clean Up Month in Illinois was adopted in the House of Representatives. House Resolution 169 is a bipartisan resolution to encourage chambers of commerce, visitors bureaus, and other area groups to coordinate local cleanup activities along portions of rivers and waterways in their area.
“Illinois rivers are intrinsic to our ecosystems and our state culture,” said Rep. Haas. “However, when trash is disposed of in our beautiful waterways it damages the visual aesthetic and biological qualities of these critical bodies of water. I am proud to have bipartisan support on this resolution to promote citizen participation in keeping our communities and natural habitats clean and healthy.”
HR 169 declares September as River Clean Up Month because water levels are usually low, temperatures are warm, and schools are in session. This presents an educational opportunity to involve area youth and highlight the importance of clean rivers and waterways.
“Whether you’re in a church group, community organization, or leading Scout troops, everyone can chip in to safely organize river clean ups in their communities,” Rep. Haas continued. “Knowing how important the Kankakee River is to the 79th District, we can extend this across Illinois and connect as a state in preserving our phenomenal natural resources.”
* Press release…
To restore dignity and honor to families by carrying out their last wishes, State Senator Adriane Johnson led a measure to allow people with previous felony convictions to serve as an executor of someone else’s estate if expressly named.
Johnson will be joined by a number of advocates at a press conference Tuesday to further discuss the bill.
WHO:
· State Senator Adriane Johnson
· State Representative Lakesia Collins
· Marlon Chamberlain, Fully Free Campaign Manager
· Harry Pena, Fully Free Coalition Manager
· Greg Chambers, Policy and Organizer for Live Free
· Avalon Betts Gaston, Project Manager for the Alliance for Reentry and Justice
WHAT: Press conference on measure to allow formerly incarcerated individuals to serve as executors of someone else’s estate
WHEN: Tuesday, May 16 at 10:30 a.m.
WHERE: Blue Room, Illinois State Capitol and live on BlueRoomStream.com
* Bus Gates press release…
Springfield, IL (May 15, 2023) With unanimous support, the Illinois Legislature has passed a measure that will make it safer for students to get on and off school buses across the state. SB2340 allows Illinois school districts to install a well-lit additional extended stop arm that further obstructs the roadway from passing traffic when a school bus is stopped to pick up or drop off students.
“There is no greater priority we as leaders can have than safety for our children. That includes giving school districts the ability to make the commute to and from school safer and I believe this legislation does that,” said Senator Doris Turner (D-Springfield), one of four senate chief co-sponsors.
While the bill does not require districts to do so, the legislation gives Illinois school buses the option to be fitted with up to two additional safety arms.
“More than 17 million incidents of vehicles driving around stopped school buses are reported each year in the US. These extended arms provide a more visible and physical warning to motorists to stop before a tragedy happens,” said State Rep. Janet Yang Rohr (D-Naperville), a chief-co sponsor of the bill in the house.
A 2019 study conducted by the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation (NASDPTS) found that in a single day, more than 95,000 motorists had illegally passed stopped school buses displaying flashing red lights and traditional stop arms.
Across the U.S. an estimated 17 million drivers will illegally pass school buses while their current stop arms are deployed this year a statistic making extended stop arms an increasingly popular option for school districts to install these.
“With driver distraction levels at all-time highs the current warning systems, which haven’t changed in 30 years, simply aren’t enough. We felt compelled to design a simple and cost-effective way to increase the visibility of buses, reduce the liability of motorists, and decrease these tragedies and close calls,” said Illinois-based Bus Gates co-founder Jeff Stauffer.
Under the bill, the front side extension to the required stop arm must extend no more than 78 inches from the side of the bus with the rear side arm not extending more than 32 inches.
Illinois joins a growing list of progressive states to modernize warning systems on school buses. States allowing Bus Gates and other stop-arm extensions including Texas, Montana, Virginia and West Virginia. Bus Gates is federally approved.
“Since installing Bus Gates stop arm extensions, we’ve seen a 95% drop in stop arm passing violations,” said Alvarado, Texas Public Schools Transportation Manager, Terry Woods.
* Capitol News Illinois…
Victims of “deepfake porn” and “doxing” would have a legal pathway to sue their perpetrators in Illinois under a pair of digital privacy measures that have so far received unanimous support in the General Assembly.
House Bill 2954, which would allow victims of “doxing” to pursue civil litigation, needs only a signature from the governor to become law after clearing both chambers of the General Assembly unanimously.
Doxing, as defined by HB 2954, occurs when an individual intentionally publishes another person’s personal information without their consent. For an offense to qualify as doxing, the person publishing the information must have acted with intent to “harm or harass” the victim with “knowledge or reckless disregard” that it could lead to “death, bodily injury, or stalking.”
Additionally, the published information must have caused the victim harm in some way, including economic injury or emotional distress. A person found by a court to have suffered from doxing would be eligible to recover damages and other relief such as attorney’s fees.
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Do better
Tuesday, May 16, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* One year ago in the Sun-Times…
The Chicago police closed exactly 400 murder cases in 2021, well above the average solved during each of the last several years. That’s nearly 50 more cases closed than in 2020 and well above the average of 250 in each of the five previous years.
Based on the department’s official total of 797 murders in 2021, that amounted to a “clearance rate” of better than 50% last year.
But that doesn’t mean many more people are being brought to justice, a Chicago Sun-Times analysis finds.
Half of those cases — 199 — were closed “exceptionally,” meaning no one was charged. Under departmental policy, detectives are allowed to clear a case when the suspect is dead, prosecutors refuse to make a charge or police believe they know who did it but don’t make an arrest.
What’s more, one of every seven cases taken off CPD’s books last year was actually committed more than 10 years ago, including one that happened a half-century ago, which CPD attributed to providing extra resources to the department’s Cold Case team. Since those cases were officially cleared in 2021, they are counted against the 797 murder total, further improving last year’s clearance rate even though they happened years before.
* Last fall on WGN…
CPD records obtained and reviewed by WGN Investigates show that, between 2013 and 2021, CPD detectives cleared 2,068 murder cases. Of those, nearly 10% — 202 cases — were cleared via “death of offender.” In that span of time, Chicago recorded more than 5,400 murders.
What’s more: almost a quarter of all “death of offender” clearances in that time period — 49 — were recorded in 2021. Thirty-seven of those 49 “death of offender” clearances were in murder cases that originated before 2021, WGN Investigates found. Between 2013 and 2019, CPD detectives recorded no more than 25 “death of offender” clearances in a given year.
* Also from WGN…
There are three categories by which a murder case can be cleared:
• A suspect is charged in the killing. The murder will remain “cleared” regardless of how the suspect’s criminal case is adjudicated
• Police present evidence to prosecutors who then decline to bring charges, a “bar to prosecute” clearance
• Police determine that the suspect in a killing has died, a clearance known as “death of offender”
* And, as far as I can tell, nobody has yet answered this question posed by the Sun-Times editorial board last year…
Some of the difference can be laid at the door of Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office, which, as Grimm found, has refused to bring charges in what is likely a record number of murder cases brought to the office by police. […]
A spokesperson for Foxx cites state laws that raised the bar for evidence in murder cases as the reason why prosecutors last year turned down the most cases ever in Foxx’s six-year tenure. Which begs the question: Is the same happening in other state’s attorney’s offices across Illinois?
* OK, let’s move along to this recent Tribune report…
Of the 2,956 homicides that were cleared between 2012 and 2022, about two-thirds — 1,854 — resulted in criminal charges being filed. In a quarter of those clearances, prosecutors declined to bring charges after reviewing evidence from detectives. The rest of the clearances — 372 killings — were blamed on suspects who were dead, police data show.
Also from that Tribune story…
Via the Freedom of Information Act, the Tribune has obtained a list of every homicide case that was “cleared” by CPD detectives between Jan. 1, 2012, and Dec. 31, 2022. Over those 11 years — a period that spans two mayors, two state’s attorneys and three police superintendents — Chicago recorded 6,718 homicides, according to the city’s public data portal. In that same time, CPD detectives cleared 2,956 killings.
CPD’s clearance rate in that time frame, the number of cases solved divided by the number of cases initiated, was 44%.
Police in New York City say their homicide clearance rate was 78% last year, when 433 killings were recorded in the country’s largest city, according to The New York Times.
Meanwhile, 382 homicides occurred in Los Angeles in 2022, when the LAPD reported a clearance rate of 76%.
“When looking at the city’s 22 police districts, the data show that detectives solved homicide cases in white neighborhoods at a far greater rate than Black neighborhoods in 2022″…
Click the pic and scroll down for an interactive map.
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Open thread
Tuesday, May 16, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Tuesday, May 16, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Here you go…
* Bloomberg | CME Group CEO Duffy says exchange is prepared to leave Chicago ‘if we had to’: CME Group is prepared to leave Chicago if the city and state take steps that are perceived as “ill-conceived,” Chief Executive Officer Terry Duffy said in an interview. Duffy’s remarks, made in an episode of the Odd Lots podcast, come as Mayor Brandon Johnson is being sworn into office after proposing additional taxes, including one on financial transactions, to help boost the city’s revenue. That plan was fiercely opposed by Chicago’s exchanges and investment firms. A higher levy would also require state approval to pass.
* WBEZ | Exelon is paying the legal tab for two former executives convicted in ComEd bribery scheme: But on the other, the Exelon-financed legal teams for former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore and former ComEd executive vice president John Hooker spent close to two months telling a federal judge and jury that their clients — and the power company — had done nothing illegal.
* WAND | Springfield senators share priorities going into final scheduled week of session: “When we had a lot of federal money coming in, there were lots of programs that were going to be continuous programs that were new programs that the governor decided to fund,” said Sen. Steve McClure (R-Springfield). “Well, what happens when the federal money dries out? These big bills are still there, but unfortunately we don’t have the money to pay for them.”
* AP | State revenue drops nearly $2B in April, but budget-makers at the Capitol aren’t panicking: “It’s actually a lower revenue estimate that was put into my budget than we actually thought. We wanted to make sure that we were being conservative,” Pritzker said. “If we pass the budget as it is, that budget would be balanced and we would have a surplus.”
* Sun-Times | Not a game when business owner with old mob ties gets a gambling license: Szaflarski “routinely collected money from the machines” he gave Bertucci and “divvied up the proceeds,” the Sun-Times reported at the time. Bertucci, who testified that he illegally paid out winnings from the gaming machines and split his take with the Szaflarski, also acknowledged in open court that he got some machines from a company owned by Outfit boss James Marcello.
* Hyde Park Herald | Neely Du Buclet appointed state representative for 5th District: Kimberly Neely Du Buclet, a commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD), was selected to replace Lamont Robinson as representative of the Illinois General Assembly’s 5th District. A former state house appointee for the 26th District, Neely Du Buclet was again appointed to the legislature by local democratic committeepeople last Saturday.
* Center Square | Future uncertain for Illinois’ tax credit scholarship program for private school tuition: Under a five-year trial period, the Invest in Kids Tax program has provided tuition money for working class and low-income families who want to send their children to Illinois private schools. The initiative is set to expire at the end of 2023, unless the state legislature acts to extend it. Lawmakers are in session through May 19.
* Tribune Editorial | The book ban movement grows. Illinois is right to fight back.: “Fahrenheit 451″ is fiction, but America’s dangerous dalliance with censorship reminiscent of Ray Bradbury’s novel is becoming increasingly precarious.
* Tribune | State Treasurer Mike Frerichs buys $1.4M Lakeview home: “I got remarried last year, and my wife has a job in Chicago and we have a growing family,” Frerichs told Elite Street in a phone interview. “So we were looking for a new house and we really liked the (Lakeview) neighborhood. I’ve been commuting (to Chicago) for the last few years, and we got engaged, and my wife had a nice place in West Town, but it was not big enough for the growing family. It had an awful lot of stairs, which gave us a great view of the city, but which are not conducive to having a growing family.”
* NBC Chicago | Brandon Johnson Signs Executive Orders on First Day in Office. Here’s a Breakdown: The first of four orders seeks to boost youth employment by instructing the city’s Office of Budget and Management to analyze resources in the fiscal year 2023 budget that are available to fund youth empoyment and enrichment programs. The order also instructs the Mayor’s Office to coordinate youth employment and enrichment activities among city sister agencies and city departments for summer internships and community service opportunities, according to the news release.
* Sun-Times | History, humility, hope — and a few hugs — mark swearing in of younger, more diverse City Council: ‘We need a fresh start’: New members said they were moved by Mayor Brandon Johnson’s inaugural address and caught up in the excitement of taking the oath of office. “It’s a new day in the city of Chicago,” said freshman Ald. Lamont Robinson (4th).
* Chalkbeat | Chicago’s principals association plans to file for union recognition: A group representing Chicago’s school leaders said it plans to file a petition today to form a union, several months after state lawmakers changed the law to allow that.
* Sun-Times | Program is ‘one stop shop’ for navigating life after prison: The Supportive Reentry Network Collaborative connects returning citizens to whatever they need, from completing parole mandates to finding health care and a job. Leaders say they’ve had a successful first year, but need to grow.
* SJ-R | Lincoln Library director fired: While Beck-Griffith confirmed her firing to The State Journal-Register, she did not offer further comment.
* Illinois Times | Springfield in the spotlight: Public television viewers across the country will soon learn what Springfield has to offer, thanks to a television feature hosted by actor Dennis Quaid.
* Tribune | Museum of Broadcast Communications exits River North home: Museum officials aren’t saying yet where the museum, which is home to the nation’s only Radio Hall of Fame, is headed. However, the museum’s exhibits have been removed, and its doors are closed in its longtime 62,000-square-foot building at Kinzie and State streets.
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Tuesday, May 16, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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