As Governor Pritzker begins his second term in office, the administration has announced the following personnel appointments to Illinois State Agencies:
Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS)
Raven DeVaughn will serve as the Director of the Illinois Department of Central Management Services.* Prior to taking on this role, DeVaughn served as Assistant Director at CMS where she oversaw the agency’s procurement through the Bureau of Strategic Sourcing (BOSS), promoted minority and women owned participation in CMS contracts; oversaw the Bureau of Administrative Hearings and the Illinois Office of Communications and Information; and served as liaison to the recently created Commission on Equity and Inclusion and the African Descent-Citizens Reparations Commission. Before joining CMS, Raven served as the Director of Economic Development Initiatives within the Office of Civic Engagement at The University of Chicago, where she designed and advanced policies surrounding the University’s community-based economic inclusion efforts on the south side of Chicago. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Howard University and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO)
Kristin Richards will serve as the Director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.* Most recently, Richards was the Director of the Illinois Department of Employment Security where she oversaw the provision of more than $38 billion in unemployment benefits to hard-hit families during the pandemic. With more than 20 years of public service experience, Richards has served under two governors and as Chief of Staff for two senate presidents. In her time with the Illinois Senate, Richards played a critical role in bipartisan negotiations which resulted in Medicaid and pension reform, and later, ending the more than two-year budget impasse. She began her career in public service as a James H. Dunn Fellow in the Governor’s Office in Springfield. Richards earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Millikin University.
Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES)
Ray Marchiori will serve as Temporary Director of the Illinois Department of Employment Security. Marchiori currently serves as the Chief of Staff for the IDES and has more than 25 years of public service experience. He has served in executive-level roles for state, county, and federal agencies. Marchiori received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Northern Illinois University.
Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT)
Brandon Ragle will serve as Temporary Secretary of the Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology. Ragle has worked at DoIT since 2016, where he served as the Assistant Secretary and the Chief of Enterprise Applications. Prior to that, he was Deputy Chief of Enterprise Applications. Ragle brings 30 years of service in state government, serving in various roles supporting the Illinois Department of Corrections, Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and Illinois Department of Insurance. Ragle spent the past two decades in information technology. Ragle served in the Illinois National Guard for seven years and was non-commissioned officer of the year in 1995. Ragle received a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Greenville College and Master of Business Administration from Benedictine University.
* Appointments pending confirmation by the Illinois Senate.
* I don’t think they’ve been assigned their new offices yet, but, yes, this will most likely happen when the newbies come back to town in a couple of weeks and see where they’ve been placed…
Somewhere right now in the Stratton Building, a House staffer is explaining to a freshman lawmaker what they think is their office walk-in closet is in fact their office. Welcome to the Stratton.
I rise today in response to the Speaker’s comments yesterday attacking my wife as well as the Freedom Caucus in Washington for holding firm on their commitments to drain the swamp. I want to thank the 20 conservative patriots in the US House of Representatives for their efforts to stop reckless spending and debt that is crushing our country. Those 20 Members of Congress fought against the status quo to get hard spending caps so that Washington can actually cut spending at a time with record inflation and a $31 trillion debt. And this chamber on both sides of the aisle, we can learn a lesson from their courage. A broken Congress is a Congress that passes a 4,000-page 1.7 trillion omnibus bill that nobody read, passing in the middle of the night on Christmas Eve. That is something that cannot happen again, thanks to these 20 patriots. I’m proud that the Illinois Freedom Caucus is fighting fiscal sanity here in Springfield and my constituents appreciate the bold effort of 20 Freedom Caucus members for doing the same thing in Washington, DC. Thank you very much and God bless you.
“I’m proud that the Illinois Freedom Caucus is fighting fiscal sanity here in Springfield” is not a typo.
Anyway, I asked Rep. Miller what Speaker Welch had said about US Rep. Mary Miller. He wouldn’t say. So, I checked and re-checked Welch’s inaugural speech. The only thing I could find that might be about her was this passage…
We must stand up to the extremists who want to pull us backward – because matters of basic human dignity shouldn’t be subject to the ideologies of politicians and judges.
…Adding… A commenter suggested that this might be it…
I also want to thank and congratulate our new Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias. After what we all watched in Washington last week, you sure made this inauguration look like a model of efficiency.
* Sun-Times | Why Illinois’ new assault weapons ban might not hold up in court: “The constitutional interpretation of the Second Amendment, of course, loomed large in the drafting of this legislation,” state Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Deerfield, said at Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s bill-signing ceremony Tuesday night. “Both chambers took that very seriously,” Morgan said. “We have to make sure that we’re passing laws that will withstand scrutiny. So we took those things into account. And, of course, there are a lot of legal threats that came, and we look forward to being able to take our arguments to court.”
* Journal Star | Jehan Gordon-Booth makes history with new title in state legislature: The selection makes her the first African American and first woman to lead budget negotiations in the House in the history of the state. “When we work together, we can do great things for the people of this state,” Gordon-Booth said in a press release. “Our budget is a reflection of our values, it’s important and necessary that we support essential services that residents depend on.”
* Sun-Times | Illinois Gaming Board OKs gaming license for clout-heavy lawyer James J. Banks in an about-face: Nearly two years ago, the Illinois Gaming Board denied a coveted and potentially lucrative video gambling license sought by James J. Banks, a clout-heavy Chicago lawyer and banker who’d served on the Illinois Tollway board under five governors, saying his “associations” threatened to impugn the gaming industry. But now the gaming board has reversed course, voting 3-0 in December to allow Banks’ Gaming Productions, LLC, to secure what’s called a terminal operator license. That means he can now distribute and draw income from video poker machines and similar devices in businesses such as bars and restaurants in Illinois communities where such gambling is legal.
* AP | US Kindergarten Vaccination Rate Dropped Again, Data Shows: Usually, 94% to 95% of kindergarteners are vaccinated against measles, tetanus and certain other diseases. The vaccination rates dropped below 94% in the 2020-2021 school year, during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study released Thursday found rates dropped again in the 2021-2022 school year, to about 93%.
* WMBD | Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias visits Bloomington in first week of office: Giannoulias said he plans on utilizing new technology to help modernize the DMV experience. “We are looking at digital IDs and digital driver’s licenses. Skip the line program. So new technology will help really decrease wait time and make it easier for people to access government services,” said Giannoulias.
* Chicago Reader | Illinois extends curbside pickup for medical patients to January 31: Dina Rollman, senior vice president of government affairs at Green Thumb Industries, was unsure about why the variance needed to end in the first place. “We have taken steps to try to understand what the purported reason was for ending curbside and we have been unable to discern any basis for it whatsoever,” she said.
* Sun-Times | Looking back at Colleen Callahan’s nearly four years as the first woman director of the IDNR: I was leery when Callahan was appointed because she did not have a background in biology. She came more from the media and communications side, but she helped lead the IDNR back toward competency and its place as a destination job. The IDNR she took over was a skeleton after four years of budget issues under former Gov. Bruce Rauner. The IDNR has a long way to go to full recovery, but it is again a functioning agency. To me, that is her greatest legacy.
* Tribune | Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s signature Invest South/West program is 3 years old. But some of its big projects were already planned when she took office: Some of the largest investments were already on the launchpad when Lightfoot took office. Others were for standard repairs to existing buildings. And many of the projects are still in the conceptual phase and have not even begun to be built. Of the more than $750 million that the city counts as part of the public spend for Invest South/West, more than half has been allocated toward those kinds of expenditures rather than new or groundbreaking projects, the Tribune found.
* Fox 2 | Mystery lemur found in Illinois family’s garage: The Illinois Conservation Police worked with Miller Park Zoo staff to safely capture Julian and transport him to Miller Park Zoo, where he is being cared for by their expert staff. “I greatly appreciate that the family asked for help in recovering this animal,” said Jay Pratte, Miller Park Zoo Director. “We will work with the IDNR on the next steps of King Julian’s journey.”
Gov. JB Pritzker signed a measure Friday shielding reproductive and gender-affirming health care patients and providers from legal action originating across state lines.
Illinois lawmakers on Tuesday approved a measure protecting Illinois’ access to abortion from out-of-state meddling, making the state the latest to pursue such protections since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last June.
The bill will shield reproductive and gender-affirming health care patients and providers from legal action originating across state lines in a post-Roe world where some states are moving swiftly to restrict such procedures.
* From the governor’s press release…
• Shields individuals in Illinois from foreign subpoenas, summons, or extraditions related to lawful reproductive or gender affirming care in Illinois. Requires courts in Illinois to apply Illinois law in cases involving reproductive health care.
• Requires the Department of Public Health to partner with organizations to provide grants for abortion training.
• Clarifies that Advanced Practice Registered Nurses and Physicians Assistants can perform abortions consistent with their training and within their scope of practice.
• Requires local units of government including schools, municipalities, and counties that offer health insurance plans to provide coverage for contraceptives, and if they offer pregnancy-related benefits, abortion.
• Requires abortifacients (i.e., medications administered to terminate a pregnancy), gender-affirming health care medications, and PEP/PrEP medication (i.e., HIV treatment) to be covered by insurers at no-cost to the consumer.
• Prevents insurers from charging higher out-of-pocket costs for certain insurance plans when patients are forced to seek out-of-network provider care due to an in-network provider raising moral objections under the Health Care Right of Conscience Act.
• Expands access to reproductive health care by permitting birth centers in Illinois to provide full spectrum reproductive health care and sexual health care, instead of only childbirth-related needs of pregnant persons and their newborns.
• Allows patients to receive hormonal birth control over the counter from a pharmacist pursuant to a standing order from the Illinois Department of Public Health.
• Establishes a counterclaim for individuals who have a judgement entered against them in another state for reproductive health care that is legal in Illinois.
• Clarifies that no person is subject to civil liability for receiving an abortion under the Wrongful Death Act, clarifies that no hospital personnel shall report an abortion to law enforcement agencies, and clarifies that the statute of limitations under the Reproductive Health Act is 2 years.
• Amends the Parentage Act:
o Allows intended parents or parents to dispose of any cryopreserved fertilized ovum to be governed by the intended parent’s or parent’s most recent informed consent or under a marital settlement agreement.
o Allows for the establishment of a parent-child relationship in the event of gestational surrogacy wherein the intended parent dies; and
o Allows an out-of-state physician to certify the genetic make-up of embryos.
• Adds “assisted reproduction” to the definition of reproductive health care in the Reproductive Health Act. “Assisted Reproduction” means a method of achieving a pregnancy through the handling of human oocytes, sperm, zygotes, or embryos for the purpose of establishing a pregnancy.
• Prevents the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) from taking disciplinary action against any health care professional licensed under the Division of Professional Regulation Acts governed by IDFPR based solely upon the license of the professional being disciplined by any state for providing or participating in any health care that is legal in Illinois, regardless of whether it is legal in the other state.
• Allows IDFPR to establish expedited, temporary licenses for out-of-state healthcare professionals seeking to provide healthcare in Illinois. Allows these licensees to offer telehealth.
• Amends the Wrongful Death Act to prohibit someone from asserting a claim as a result of a lawful abortion.
• Adds additional protections for healthcare providers and facilities from being punished for providing abortions and related services.
* From sponsoring Rep. Kelly Cassidy’s speech today…
When the Supreme Court overturned Roe, I learned an important lesson. Doesn’t matter how long you’ve anticipated a punch in the gut, it still hurts. We all came together on that day too, many of us were together. And as we hugged and cried and consoled each other, I thought about the people who dedicate their time and energy to attacking those least able to defend themselves. Whether that’s an acting bans on reproductive care, attacking the trans community by taking away health care or simply trying to legislate them out of existence, and I resolved to punch those bullies back even harder. I referred to them as bullies in debate on the House floor. They didn’t like it. But that’s exactly what they are. They’re punching down. Well, they got a problem. Folks, this is the first of those punches but certainly not the last. […]
Our mission is clear. If you want to come after people seeking care or their providers, if your mission is to torment trans kids and their families, you’re gonna have to get through all of us first.
* Press release from Rep. Adam Niemerg (R-Dietrich)…
“As I have previously stated, there does not seem to be any restrictions on abortion that the majority party would ever support,” Niemerg said. “This legislation goes far beyond merely allowing abortion to be legal in Illinois. The leaders in the House and the Senate are actively promoting abortion and even taking the extreme position to provide legal immunity to abortion providers. The message we are sending abortion providers is it does not matter what kind of sanctions other states have placed on you and if a woman in your care dies, you can’t be sued. This is not pro-woman. Allowing unqualified medical personnel to perform abortions and protecting abortion doctors from lawsuits does nothing to protect women. Anyone who cares about women’s health should be opposed to this monstrous legislation.”
Q: There’s word that you might be going to Davos for the conference there. If so, what do you plan to do to help the people of Illinois?
Pritzker: Well, I want to promote the state of Illinois. I was very pleased and honored to be invited to go to the World Economic Forum, just as I did last year, as you know, to COP 26 to promote our Climate and Equitable Jobs Act. While I’m in Davos I’ll be talking to, meeting with national leaders here from the the United States but also international leaders and promoting commerce for the state of Illinois, as well as the ideas that have really come forth from the state of Illinois that I think others may want to follow.
Q: Davos is made up of world leaders. Do you one day want to be on that stage as, perhaps, President? [laughter]
Pritzker: We’re the fifth largest state in the United States. We’re already on the world stage. [applause]
Chicago— Governor Pritzker will travel to Davos, Switzerland next week to speak at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting and promote Illinois’ achievements on the world stage. The meeting brings together world leaders across industries to discuss political and social priorities, this year focusing on the theme “Cooperation in a Fragmented World.” The Governor will also visit Germany for business development purposes.
“I’m looking forward to meeting with leaders from across various industries, nonprofits, and business over the course of next week to learn from the cutting edge work they’re doing and to share our own advancements here in Illinois,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Our work on clean energy, our investments in infrastructure, and our dedication to technological innovation and growth are all world-class, and I’m excited to perform my role as Chief Marketing Officer for Illinois on the world stage.”
Governor Pritzker will participate in several forum events over the course of the week, including invitations to speak on panels and join roundtable discussions:
• Tuesday, January 17th
o American (Un)Bound Panel on the American Legislative Landscape
• Wednesday, January 18th
o Gathering of World Leaders: Roundtable on Navigating the New Energy Reality
• Thursday, January 19th
o Joint Governor’s Policy Meeting: Industry Infrastructure
o Gathering of World Leaders: Roundtable on Chartering the Course to COP28
Governor Pritzker will be accompanied by First Lady MK Pritzker, Chief of Staff Anne Caprara, Deputy Governor Andy Manar, and Deputy Governor Christian Mitchell. Governor Pritzker will highlight the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, the Reimagining Electric Vehicles Act and Illinois’ many commitments to clean energy and sustainable power. The Governor will also highlight the Rebuild Illinois Capital plan, one of the largest in the U.S., and our state’s nation leading work on reproductive health and gun violence prevention.
* Well over a thousand bills have already been introduced in the House. Here is a tiny sampling of synopses, starting with Rep. Rita Mayfield’s HR0010…
Declares November 18, 2023 as “A Christmas Story Family Day”.
Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Provides that the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board, police training schools approved by the Board, law enforcement agencies, and units of local government may not initiate, administer, or conduct training programs that include warrior-style training, either directly or through a third party. Provides that the Board may not reimburse a law enforcement agency or unit of local government for any portion of training programs that include warrior-style training. Provides that law enforcement agencies and units of local government may not indemnify or otherwise provide liability protection for a peace officer for liability arising from the use of tactics derived from warrior-style training. Defines “warrior-style” training. Preempts home rule. Amends the Illinois State Police Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois to make conforming changes.
Amends the General Assembly Operations Act. Provides that if a witness slip is filed in either chamber on a bill or amendment, and all of the text of that bill or amendment is subsequently incorporated into another bill or amendment, then that witness slip shall, with the consent of the person filing it, be associated in the database of witness slips maintained by the Legislative Information System with the bill or amendment into which the text is incorporated. Provides that the Legislative Information System shall establish and maintain a database for tracking witness slips.
They shouldn’t even think about doing that until the GA tightens up the requirements for witness slips. Right now, you can put any name on your electronic slip. It’s ridiculous. Some bills are absolutely flooded with highly questionable slips. Back when they only used paper slips, you had to attest, under penalty of perjury, that you were signing your actual name, organization, etc. The slips, as they currently stand, are worthless and many are just a mockery.
* Reps. La Shawn K. Ford and Jehan Gordon-Booth’s HB1…
Creates the Compassionate Use and Research of Entheogens Act. Establishes the Illinois Psilocybin Advisory Board within the Department of Public Health for the purpose of advising and making recommendations to the Department regarding the provision of psilocybin and psilocybin services. Provides that the Department shall begin receiving applications for the licensing of persons to manufacture or test psilocybin products, operate service centers, or facilitate psilocybin services. Contains licensure requirements and prohibitions. Provides that a licensee or licensee representative may manufacture, deliver, or possess a psilocybin product. Provides that the Department may obtain, relinquish, or dispose of psilocybin products to ensure compliance with and enforce the Act and rules adopted under the Act. Creates the Psilocybin Control and Regulation Fund and the Illinois Psilocybin Fund and makes conforming changes in the State Finance Act. Requires the Department of Agriculture, the Illinois Liquor Control Commission, and the Department of Revenue to perform specified duties. Contains provisions concerning rulemaking; taxes; fees; zoning; labeling; and penalties. Preempts home rule powers. Contains other provisions. Amends the Criminal Identification Act. Provides that specified records shall be expunged prior to (i) January 1, 2024 (rather than January 1, 2023) and (ii) January 1, 2026 (rather than January 1, 2025). Provides for expungement of specified records concerning the possession of psilocybin and psilocin. Amends the Illinois Controlled Substances Act. Removes psilocybin and psilocin from the list of Schedule I controlled substances. Amends the Illinois Independent Tax Tribunal Act of 2012. Provides that the Tax Tribunal shall have original jurisdiction over all determinations of the Department of Revenue reflected on specified notices issued under the Compassionate Use and Research of Entheogens Act. Effective immediately.
Amends the Public Community College Act. Provides that the Illinois Community College Board shall develop and maintain a program to provide free tuition at one community college in each R3 Area (designated as such under the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act) using money appropriated from the Cannabis Regulation Fund. Authorizes the Board to adopt any rules necessary. Amends the State Finance Act to make related changes.
Friday, Jan 13, 2023 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
The Illinois Credit Union League is the primary trade association for Illinois credit unions. On behalf of our member credit unions, we offer congratulations to the newly sworn in members of the 103rd General Assembly!
Credit unions are not-for-profit cooperatives that focus on their members and the communities they serve. Credit unions function like other financial institutions in many ways: they offer checking accounts, savings accounts, and credit cards, as well as personal, home, and auto loans, free ATMs, and more. However, credit unions exist as member-owned cooperative institutions. Credit union across Illinois are actively engaged in the communities where they are located. We look forward to working together to provide consumer friendly financial products and services to benefit the communities and constituents you serve!
* From Molly Parker at the Southern Illinoisan a while back…
Illinois’ sex offender registry, which now includes more than 32,000 people — most of them men, though some women, as well — has rapidly expanded since its first iteration in 1986.
Then, it included four qualifying crimes. Today, there are more than 30 crimes that trigger mandatory registration, including some repeat misdemeanor offenses.
In recent years, policy makers and advocates, both for offenders as well as victims, have been raising questions as to whether the registry, and the ever-increasing rules around it, really makes the public safer, or causes more societal harm than it does good.
In 2018, a bipartisan task force recommended Illinois take a far more nuanced approach to its registry, providing for risk assessments that allow law enforcement to focus limited resources on monitoring and more robust treatment options for people who are at high risk of re-offending.
The task force also recommended that those who pose less risk automatically fall off the registry after a set period of time. In fact, one of the key findings of the group is that the registry has not lived up to its mission.
• Illinois law requires people on a public conviction registry who are homeless to report weekly in person to police—compared to annual or quarterly registration for people with housing. […]
• CPD detectives conduct 23,000 re-registrations per year of 450 homeless people alone, collecting and uploading the same forms each week. It is rote paperwork
Whether you agree with registration or not, the City of Chicago’s police department is making a real mess of things.
Victims and their families also say poorly functioning registries are not in their interests. Jennifer Bishop-Jenkins, a victim advocate and director of Marsy’s Law for Illinois, said victims can be retraumatized if the system fails to work as promised “This is a matter of public safety and law. And it is not something that should be a, ‘Oh, only if we feel like it today.’ ” […]
Data from public records show CPD routinely registered more than 1,000 people per month in 2018. By the end of 2022, that number had been cut nearly in half.
The team that registers people is “a unit that for some reason the Chicago Police Department, especially the bureau detectives, who oversee this unit, do not care if it succeeds. And right now it is failing,” said Patty Casey, a former Chicago Police Commander who oversaw the registries until she retired in June 2021.
Casey called the situation inhumane — and said people who are trying to comply with the law should be able to do that.
If they can’t register, they risk arrest for no reason.
CPD refused to answer any and all questions when pressed by WBEZ.
* Mayor Lori Lightfoot was asked about the WBEZ story yesterday. She didn’t have much of a response…
Well, I’m not, I’m not, I was not aware of that. But obviously we need to make sure that we’re abiding by the law. And particularly when it comes to these folks that have to register on a on a regular basis, something I will take up with the superintendent and deal with thatto make sure that they’re able to comply with the law, and that we’re doing what we need to do to make sure that they have the ability to register accordingly.
Last night Governor JB Pritzker signed into law HB5471, the Protect Illinois Communities Act. This act placed restrictions on the ability to possess military-style weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines. The Act goes into effect immediately.
Knox County Sheriff Harlan has issued a statement stating that: 1) He is the chief law enforcement officer of Knox County; 2) That he has decided that the Act is unconstitutional; and 3) he will not enforce the Act or make arrests based on violations of the Act. I disagree with all three of these positions and encourage him to reconsider.
First, while this is largely semantic, Illinois Courts have repeated declared the state’s attorney to be the chief law enforcement officer of the county because he or she decides whether charges are filed. Second, the Protect Illinois Communities Act is presumed constitutional and enforceable until Illinois courts state otherwise. Third, until a court issues such a ruling, a law enforcement officer has an obligation to investigate crimes and enforce the law.
There is a process to address the constitutionality of a newly-enacted law. For example, I joined over 60 state’s attorneys in a law suit seeking that the Pre-Trial Fairness Act be found unconstitutional. A trial court sided with the State’s Attornevs and the issue is now before the Illinois Supreme Court. Until the trial court issued its decision in the last week in December, my office was prepared to enforce the Act starting on its effective date of January 1st. I urge the Sheriff to follow this example.
The sheriffs unilateral approach creates a problematic patchwork of enforcement. Apparently, no arrests or investigations regarding violations of the Act will occur in the county, but can still occur within municipalities like Galesburg, Abingdon, or Knoxville. Further, the Sheriff has pledged not to take into the jail those who are arrested in Galesburg or other cities for violation of this Act. Will those people be then housed in different counties at Knox County’s expense or will they just be released in the community? Furthermore, agree with the statute or not, it does give law enforcement another tool to keep firearms out of the hands of individuals whom we all agree ought not have them. It makes little sense to say that tool will not be used in any circumstance.
As law enforcement officers, our personal convictions regarding a particular act or statute are largely irrelevant. The legislature decides what the law is. The courts decide whether they are constitutional. Its up to the Sheriff and I to enforce the laws.
The Sheriffs conviction regarding the Act should not be allowed to have the effect of law in Knox County. Personally, I agree that the statue has constitutional issues. These need to be decided in a courtroom and not, in the back office of the Sheriffs Department.
The potential for uneven enforcement within counties is a good point. Anyway, discuss.
* Related…
* Sheriffs say they want no role in enforcing state’s assault weapon registry: Dozens of county sheriffs in Illinois — approximately “80-ish,” per Illinois Sheriffs’ Association head Jim Kaitschuck — say they’ll refuse to enforce a provision of a new assault weapons ban that would require owners of such guns to register them with the state. … [Chicago-Kent College of Law professor Harold Krent] contrasted the sheriffs’ move with state’s attorneys’ actions surrounding the cashless bail provision of Illinois’ SAFE-T Act, which was supposed to do away with cash bond in Illinois on Jan. 1. Despite grumbling from dozens of state’s attorneys in Illinois, even the staunchest opponents to the law were at least somewhat prepared to comply with it in the new year, at least until the Illinois Supreme Court stayed the law on Dec. 31, pending a full appeal.
* ADDED: Does Your Sheriff Think He’s More Powerful Than the President?: The Marshall Project collaborated with political scientists Emily Farris and Mirya Holman on a survey of America’s 3,000-plus sheriffs last year. More than 500 responded, and more than a dozen agreed to be interviewed after taking the survey. (Read about our methodology at the end of the accompanying story.) Though only a handful claimed membership in Mack’s group, more than 200 (nearly half of the respondents) agreed with him that their own authority, within their counties, supersedes that of the state or federal government. (Another 132 clicked “neutral.”) More than 300 — which account for one-tenth of America’s roughly 3,000 sheriffs — said they are willing to place themselves between a higher government authority and their constituents, an action they call “interposition.”
*** UPDATE 1 *** Attorney General Kwame Raoul was asked today “what can be done to protect the assault weapons ban and how you continue to address those sheriffs?” His response…
First of all, as Attorney General, I get to weigh in to my legislators as to what our opinion is on pending legislation. Sheriffs have a Sheriffs’ Association. They have an opportunity to do the same.
But once the legislature passes legislation and the governor attaches a signature to it, it’s the law of the land that they have the duty that they’ve sworn an oath to enforce.
I will say also that as law enforcement agencies, there’s overlapping jurisdiction as well. So if they don’t do their jobs, there are other people available to do the job.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Mark Maxwell asked House Republican Leader Tony McCombie a very good question…
Maxwell: During the pandemic and the use of the Governor’s executive pandemic powers, we saw a lot of law enforcement officials say ‘We choose not to recognize this assertion of power because it didn’t go through the legislature.’ They they saw it as executive overreach. Just this week, the legislature wrote new laws banning assault weapons, and the governor signed it into law, going through that proper process. And yet again, we have some law enforcement officials saying they won’t enforce the assault weapons ban. Do you fear that undermines the legitimacy of the legislature?
Leader McCombie: No, I don’t think so. I think that’s the question of the Constitution. In the bill, there’s nothing in there saying how they’re supposed to find these guns, how they’re going to go into people’s homes. Also, I believe the majority of the people believe in the Second Amendment and support the Second Amendment and that’s why they’re not going to do that. This bill will go to the courts for sure. And if it comes out the courts the favor of Second Amendment folks, they will come back and they will try to write another bill. This will be a never ending process. But this still, and we need to be honest, this is not going to do anything, this bill is not going to do anything about the root causes. It’s not going to stop gun crimes in Chicago or anywhere else across the state. And if we don’t get together and start addressing those issues, then this will never stop.
COVID times: We will not enforce this executive order because it didn’t go through the legislature!
* Daily Herald | Bill guaranteeing workers five days of paid leave will head to governor: “Paid leave for all is about the dignity of work,” said Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, a Peoria Democrat and a lead sponsor on the bill. “It’s about humanizing and honoring the realities that we know that adult workers have in our daily lives and providing a space for folks to just do what it is that we all have the luxury and are so blessed to do.”
* Crain’s | Emanuel’s role in ComEd board pick comes to light: A source close to the matter says Emanuel agreed in 2017 to use his influence to help Latino community leader Juan Ochoa get a seat on the Chicago utility’s board. The push—which also involved former U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Chicago, a close Emanuel ally—was successful. The source recalls Emanuel said at the time he’d been able to get Ochoa the ComEd board slot.
* WBEZ | Student mental health emerges as key issue as UIC faculty strike date looms: Faculty union members who are threatening to strike on Tuesday are asking for increased pay in part to compensate for larger workloads they say have resulted from their students’ heightened mental health needs. They are also asking the university to provide free psychological and neuropsychological testing for struggling students.
* Sophia Van Pelt | Better Government Association: How Illinois courts are hidden from FOIA: Statistical information from the courts is subject to open access laws in 27 states, and 15 more have court rules and policies that make the data available. But a quirk in the wording of Illinois’ FOIA – it does not explicitly name the judicial branch – has allowed the courts to interpret the law to mean they are exempt from FOIA. In other words, the judiciary has decided it does not need to be held accountable to the public in the same way other parts of the government are. This is a disservice to the people of Illinois and seems contrary to the original intention of FOIA.
* WTTW | Reflecting on the Road to Death Penalty Abolition in Illinois, 20 Years After Sweeping Clemency: Renaldo Hudson, director of education at the Illinois Prison Project, was one of the 167 people who had his sentence commuted. “It meant I had the opportunity for my humanity to be seen, and not just the act that I committed,” said Hudson, who was given a death sentence for a murder he committed when he was 19 years old.
* KHQA | Pritzker celebrates milestone at Quincy Veterans’ Home: The “Topping Out” ceremony marks a significant milestone in the nearly $300 million renovation and rehabilitation project that will provide a 260,000 square foot residential long-term care facility and 80,000 square foot independent living facility to Illinois veterans.
