Today Governor JB Pritzker signed the historic Unemployment Insurance (UI) Agreement, finalizing a bipartisan plan to pay down $1.36 billion in UI loan debt remaining from the COVID-19 pandemic. The agreement will save taxpayers an estimated $20 million in interest costs that would be due next September and preserves hundreds of millions of dollars in future federal tax credits for Illinois employers, without decreasing benefits for employees.
“Today, I signed historic, bipartisan legislation to eliminate pandemic-induced UI Trust Fund debt, replenish the fund for the future, protect benefits for working families, and further fuel Illinois’ strong economic trajectory,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “We are delivering an investment of $1.8 billion—$1.36 billion of which will pay off the remaining balance of federal advances and $450 million of which will serve as an interest-free loan to the Unemployment Trust Fund. This bipartisan agreement eliminates the final portion of the $4.5 billion debt forced upon our state during the pandemic. It will save Illinois businesses hundreds of millions of dollars over the next decade, and it will save taxpayers $20 million in interest costs that would otherwise have been due next September.”
The bill, negotiated by representatives from business, labor, bipartisan members of the General Assembly, and the state, will contribute more than $1.8 billion in state funds to the unemployment insurance trust fund, which includes the payment of the remaining $1.3 billion federal loan balance borrowed under Title XII of the Social Security Act. The remaining $450 million will be placed into the trust fund from state funds as an interest-free loan. As the loan is repaid over the next ten years, funds will be deposited directly into the state’s Rainy-Day Fund, also known as the Budget Stabilization Fund.
“This agreement makes history and makes financial sense,” said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. “It is a collaborative effort by stakeholders and members of both sides of the aisle to save taxpayers’ money while protecting the rights of workers. Illinois continues to make fiscally responsible decisions that strengthen our economy and puts families first.”
“With this measure, we continue our work of rebuilding Illinois’ fiscal house and laying the foundation for a stronger future,” said House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch (D-Chicag0). “This was a difficult process, but is an example of how good policy gets made. I want to thank those who pulled up a seat at the negotiating table and made a true effort to find common ground and reach a solution.”
“In my time as leader of the Senate, what I’m most proud of is the work we’ve done to restore fiscal stability to the state after years of mismanagement,” said Senate President Don Harmon (D- Oak Park). “This agreement is yet another step forward. I applaud everyone involved for coming to the table and working together to find practical solutions and keep our state moving forward.”
“We thank Gov. JB Pritzker for swiftly signing this historic agreement into law. While the problems facing Illinois’ unemployment system were not unique in the wake of the pandemic, how we went about solving these challenges was. Through careful and deliberate negotiations via the tried and true ‘agreed bill’ process, we have chartered a path forward that will resolve this debt, save businesses more than $900 million in taxes they would otherwise have paid, and secure benefits for laid off workers,” said Rob Karr, President and CEO of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association. “We extend our gratitude to our partners in organized labor, Governor Pritzker and his team led by Deputy Governor Andy Manar, as well as the bi-partisan legislative negotiators including Senators Bill Cunningham, Linda Holmes, Sue Rezin, and Win Stoller, and Representatives Marcus Evans, Jay Hoffman, Mike Marron, and Dan Ugaste. We also appreciate the hard work of Illinois Department of Employment Security Director Kristin Richards and her staff for their valuable assistance through the agreed bill process, as well as their vital services every day.”
“Every day, more Illinoisans are finding quality employment opportunities, but it’s still vital that we work together to ensure that if workers fall on tough times there’s a strong safety net for them,” said Pat Devaney, Illinois AFL-CIO Secretary Treasurer. “We have a historic opportunity to protect the benefits of workers while also repaying a debt and continuing to keep Illinois on the right financial path. I’m thankful to Governor Pritzker for his continued commitment to the success of working families in Illinois.”
“As we approach another month of low unemployment claims and continue our pattern of responsible bill-paying and financial prudence, we find ourselves in a position to once again make an investment in Illinois’s future,” said State Senator Bill Cunningham (D-Chicago). “Thanks to the collective work of so many on both sides of the aisle, our budgets are balanced and we have the opportunity to fully pay down our debt in a timely manner, saving real taxpayer dollars.”
“This signing, and the agreement it ratifies, is just the latest building block in our efforts to improve the financial status of our state,” said State Senator Linda Holmes (D-Aurora). “It’s why we’ve received these credit upgrades and why Illinois continues to grow to a bright financial future.”
“I’m proud of the long hours negotiators on both sides have put into creating this agreement,” said State Senator Sue Rezin (R-Morris). “It’s good to know we’re working together to pay off debt and even better to know that the funds previously allocated to paying down that debt will now go to shoring up the state’s Rainy Day Fund.”
“The UI system helps the people who I care about in my community and are struggling daily to make ends meet,” said State Representative Marcus Evans (D-Chicago). “Together, we did what we were obligated to do for those in need by creating a safety net for these challenging times. Thank you, Governor Pritzker, for prioritizing fiscal responsibility today, thus; creating the opportunity to help the people I care about and serve tomorrow.”
“This bipartisan measure represents real action to support working families and underscores the significant value of putting aside differences to work together,” said Assistant Majority Leader Jay Hoffman (D-Swansea). “This plan protects benefits, saves employers money, improves our state’s financial outlook and provides long-term security for workers across Illinois. I am appreciative of those who negotiated on behalf of labor and business, and am optimistic that we can continue to work together in good faith to prioritize working families.”
“A deal was reached by the bi-partisan Unemployment Insurance working group that will reduce taxes on job creators protecting all our Illinois workers by maintaining benefits and avoiding unnecessary taxes,” State Representative Mike Marron (R-Fithian) said. “This successful negotiation brought all levels of government, business, and labor to the table to achieve a good deal for the people of Illinois. I am always willing to work across the aisle to collaborate in good faith on the real issues facing our constituents and I would like to thank everyone involved in this process for their candor and leadership.”
“Under the leadership of Governor Pritzker, this historic bipartisan agreement will fund a vital state resource benefiting both employers and workers,” said IDES Director Kristin Richards. “IDES is proud to have taken part in the agreed bill process that has led to SB1698, and thanks the four legislative caucuses for their support.”
This is the third significant contribution to the outstanding loan balance, which increased significantly after the fund was forced to borrow $4.5 billion in federal funds to provide relief to workers unemployed due to COVID-19. In March of 2022, Governor Pritzker signed legislation which provided an historic $2.7 billion contribution to assist the state’s unemployment trust fund via one-time federal ARPA dollars; in September of 2022, another $450 million payment was made toward the loan balance from the fund itself due to months-long historically low unemployment claims.
Governor Pritzker has also previously invested over $1 billion in the state’s Rainy-Day Fund during his first term. The fund had previously dipped as low as $60,000. Major investments in the Fund are a key reason for Illinois’s six recent credit upgrades. S&P Global Ratings and Fitch Ratings both cited the fund’s improvement in their decision to increase its rating, as well as responsible payments to pension funds and up-to-date bill payments.
Hospitals are more full than they’ve been throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a CNN analysis of data from the US Department of Health and Human Services. But as respiratory virus season surges across the US, it’s much more than Covid that’s filling beds this year.
More than 80% of hospital beds are in use nationwide, jumping 8 percentage points in the past two weeks.
Hospitals have been required to report capacity information since mid-2020 as part of a federal effort to track the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Hospitals have been more than 70% full for the vast majority of that time. But they’ve been 80% full at only one other point: in January, during the height of the Omicron surge in the US.
The broader respiratory virus season is in full swing across the US. All but six states are experiencing “high” or “very high” respiratory virus as seasonal flu activity remains “high and continues to increase,” according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
On that same day in January, just 260 intensive care beds were available. Today, that number is 403.
…Adding… By the way, the governor’s executive orders that the IPI and pointy wires constantly complain about allow IDFPR to approve out of state and inactive healthcare professionals to work in Illinois at a time when hospitals are still bleeding workers.
Illinois’s debt to its employee retirement funds rose as the pensions were hammered by investment losses, erasing some of the bull-market gains that briefly chipped away at the state’s obligations.
The unfunded pension liability across Illinois’s five retirement systems rose 7.5% to $139.7 billion in the fiscal year that ended in June, based on the market value of their assets, according to a report from the Illinois Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability on Thursday.
At the end of FY 2021, the aggregate unfunded liability based on the actuarial value of assets was approximately $139.9 billion. A year later, it stood at $139.0 billion as of FY 2022. The combined unfunded liability dropped by $848.4 million during FY 2022, a 0.6% decrease, compared to FY 2021.
As shown in Chart 4, the primary contributor to this decrease was due to positive actuarial investment returns. Although all five systems reported negative rates of return on market value investments, through statutorily- required asset smoothing, actuarial values of investment returns resulted in overall gains for each retirement system. This actuarial gain is equivalent to approximately $787 million in investment returns for FY 2022. Other factors in the overall decrease in aggregate actuarial unfunded liability included a $511 million actuarial gain from changes in actuarial assumptions, a $232 million gain in changes in demographics and other factors, and a $256.3 million gain from the effect of the buyout provisions pursuant to P.A. 100 -0587.
SERS experienced an actuarial gain of $877 million in FY 2022 due to actuarial assumption changes tied to their statutorily-mandated experience study for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021. The following assumptions were modified as a result of the experience study: salary increase assumptions, mortality assumptions, and other demographic factors, including normal retirement rates, early retirement rates, and turnover rates, among other factors. SERS reported a $176.0 million actuarial gain from the buyout programs. The system also reported an actuarial gain of $304 million due to favorable demographic factors.
* And state payments are scheduled to go down again next fiscal year…
FY 2024 estimated State contributions were certified by the Boards of trustees of the five systems. FY 2023 State contributions to the five systems were $10.98 billion. The FY 2024 State contributions are estimated to be $10.94 billion, a decrease of $39.6 million or 0.04% over FY 2023.
* Also, if you look at the report, the state pension payment is at 49.4 percent of payroll in this fiscal year. It’s projected to be 48.4 percent in ten years and then go up to 51.5 percent, where it will essentially remain until 2045.
U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after being unanimously re-elected as the Senate’s second-highest ranking Democrat, the Senate Democratic Whip, for the 118th Congress by his Senate Democratic colleagues this morning. Durbin has served in the number two role in the caucus since 2005. Durbin will also continue in his role as Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“I am honored to continue to serve the Senate Democratic Caucus as Whip and Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The midterm elections showed that Americans support the vision Senate Democrats, along with President Biden and Vice President Harris, have for the nation. And we will continue our work for the American people.”
Only five other Illinoisans have served as leaders for their parties in the Senate. Shelby Moore Cullom served as Republican Conference Chairman from 1911-1913; J. Hamilton Lewis became the first Democratic Whip of the Senate in 1913, and was again elected Whip in 1931; Scott W. Lucas served as Democratic Whip from 1947 to 1949 and Majority Leader from 1949 to 1951; Everett McKinley Dirksen was elected Republican Whip in 1957 and Minority Leader in 1959, a position he held for ten years; and Alan Dixon served as Chief Deputy Whip from November 1988-January 1993, the chamber’s third-ranking Democrat.
* Hmm…
Outgoing Rep. Rodney Davis was the only Illinois Republican to vote yes on protecting same-sex marriage.
I joined MSNBC to discuss my efforts urging Elon Musk to address possible manipulation of information by the Chinese Communist Party. "We are asking Mr. Musk… what are we going to do to prevent this from happening going forward?" Full interview: https://t.co/w1RhSdNZ4i
Illinois State Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) joined roughly 50 Democratic lawmakers from 31 states at the White House this week to discuss top issues for the 2023 legislative session.
Biden administration policy experts organized discussion panels to allow lawmakers to collaborate and better align on strategies to protect the rights of all Americans. On Wednesday, Rep. Cassidy was the only legislator to participate in all three sessions which included gender equity and economic justice, reproductive freedom, and LGBTQI+ issues.
“I am thankful to have this opportunity to meet with my peers from across the country as we begin the very serious task of protecting and preserving rights that many conservative lawmakers are working to take away,” said Rep. Cassidy. “During these strategy sessions, I was able to relay the work of our Reproductive Health Working Group and what Illinois is considering to address the devastating impact of the Dobbs decision.”
”Our working group and staff continue to work tirelessly to ensure we can protect and expand reproductive health care. We recognize the importance of the task ahead and this meeting at the White House allowed for an opportunity to collaborate with other policymakers and get a better understanding of the national landscape.
“We are at the precipice of what we have set out to accomplish since the Supreme Court overturned Roe and it’s imperative we leave no stone unturned. After my visit to the White House, I am even more motivated and energized to make sure that Illinois remains a safe haven for reproductive freedom.”
In addition to the panels on Wednesday, Rep. Cassidy will also participate in discussions on Thursday.
* News…
The Illinois Supreme Court announced today the creation of the Supreme Court Committee on Domestic Violence. The Committee is tasked with reviewing and making recommendations on matters affecting domestic violence, human trafficking, and the court system. https://t.co/oKBXOjhhRf
* They’ve been asking that I post this, so here you go…
* I occasionally get emails from companies asking me to include links to old stories, but this is the very first time I’ve received a corporate request to add a link to a post about a federal criminal investigation of a major corporation…
Should I add it?
* Isabel’s roundup…
* Patch | U.S. House Passes Respect For Marriage Bill: How Illinois Reps Voted: On Thursday, 39 Republicans joined all Democrats in favor of the bill a week after Republicans also voted on the bill during last week’s Senate vote. Illinois Republicans Rodney Davis (Taylorville) was among the Republicans who voted in favor of the bill on Thursday while Darin LaHood (R-Peoria), Mike Bost (R-Murphysboro), and Mary Miller (R-Oakland) voted against the measure.
* Sun-Times | Nearly 2,000 granted U.S. citizenship in largest Chicago ceremony ever: ‘I consider this my home’: When Svjetlana Kiponjic left Bosnia nine years ago, she was looking for a better life. She got a green card, worked a cleaning job, then met the love of her life. They married six years ago and had a child, David, now 2. On Wednesday, she clutched a bouquet of flag-themed balloons minutes before she was granted U.S. citizenship in the largest naturalization ceremony ever held in Chicago.
* WSIL | What is in the proposed bill to ban assault weapons in Illinois?: The proposed legislation, HB 5855 or the “Protect Illinois Communities Act,” would not only ban the future sale of assault weapons, but also high capacity-magazines. It would also raise the minimum age to purchase or own a weapon.
* KPVI | Gun bill vote could come sooner; property tax board wants more space; first social equity dispensary opens: State Rep. Bob Morgan expects to get his proposed bill banning future sales of certain types of semi-automatic firearms and magazines passed when lawmakers return for the lame-duck session starting Jan. 4. Morgan told WMAY his goal is to pass the measure, which also restricts anyone younger than 21 from getting a Firearm Owner’s Identification Card unless they are enlisted in the military or National Guard, by Jan. 10. Gun rights groups have promised lawsuits if the measure passes.
* Sun-Times | Police don’t need unfettered right to surveil First Amendment-protected gatherings with drones: Privacy on the ground is receding more quickly than a drone speeding through the air. The Legislature should step in to protect Illinoisans. Most recently, we’re told an effort is underway in Illinois to weaken an almost decade-old law that governs how police may use drones, which are aerial vehicles that can fly without a human pilot aboard. The proposal being pushed by law enforcement would expand the ability of police to use drones in a variety of settings, including mass gatherings that could include protests, rallies and other types of First Amendment-protected activity.
* Crain’s | NLRB: Weed shop violated labor law by refusing to bargain with unionized Chicago workers:Curaleaf Holdings Inc. (CSE: CURA) (OTCQX: CURLF) violated labor law by refusing to bargain with unionized workers at its Chicago location, the U.S. National Labor Relations Board ruled Tuesday. A three-member panel said that the company, GHG Management LLC, which oversees Windy City Cannabis and Curaleaf Weed Street, must recognize and bargain with workers within 21 days of receiving the notice from the NLRB, Law360 first reported.
* Daily Herald | Funerals are changing. One McHenry funeral home wants liquor license to adapt to those changes: “With the growing shift to cremation as (the) method of disposition, we have more and more families wanting to have a celebration of life, … a short service not necessarily religious but mainly a gathering with some beer and wine and appetizers,” [Robert Justen, owner of Justen Funeral Home] wrote on his liquor license application.
* IL Lottery paid $2.2B to winners last fiscal year. Where does the remaining money go?: Illinois Lottery officials say it’s a “common misconception” the lottery was created with the intention of fully funding education in the state. That said, 25% of Illinois Lottery proceeds went to fund education and other specialty causes in fiscal year 2022, officials report.
* Sun-Times | School of the Art Institute rescinds Ye’s honorary degree: “The School of the Art Institute of Chicago condemns and repudiates Kanye West’s (now known as Ye) anti-Black, antisemitic, racist, and dangerous statements, particularly those directed at Black and Jewish communities. Ye’s actions do not align with SAIC’s mission and values, and we’ve rescinded his honorary degree,” SAIC officials said in a statement.
* Florida Politics | Author of ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill Indicted for Money Laundering: The indictment alleges that between Dec. 1, 2020 and March 1, 2021, Harding committed two acts of wire fraud through a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration (SBA) and by obtaining COVID-19-related small business loans through false and fraudulent pretenses.
* The Conversation | Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s pending promotion sheds new light on his overlooked fight for equal rights after the Civil War: Tucked away in an amendment to the FY2023 U.S. defense authorization bill is a rare instance of congressional bipartisanship and a tribute to U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant. If approved, the measure would posthumously promote Grant to the rank of General of the Armies of the U.S., making him only the third person – along with John J. Pershing and George Washington – to be awarded the nation’s highest military honor
* Washington Post | She founded Moms Demand Action for gun reform. 140 of its volunteers won office.:Shannon Watts spent midterm election night glued to her phone, tweeting as Nabeela Syed won in Illinois. And Erin Maye Quade in Minnesota. Then Jennifer Boylan in Rhode Island. In total, up to 140 candidates who were volunteers with the organization she founded, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, and its newly formed arm, Demand A Seat, were elected to office. In Rhode Island alone, seven of the eight Moms Demand Action volunteers running won. Sixteen won in Illinois. Seats were flipped in previously Republican-held districts.
State Sen. Scott Bennett, D-Champaign was taken to Carle Foundation Hospital early Thursday morning.
A spokeswoman for the Illinois Senate Democrats relayed information from Bennett’s wife, Stacy, confirming that he is receiving medical attention for an undisclosed problem, but his condition was not available.
First responders were called to the couple’s Champaign home just before 3 a.m.
Hoping for nothing but the best for both Senator and Mrs. Bennett.
You’ll know more when I do.
…Adding… Gov. Pritzker…
In response to the hospitalization of state Sen. Scott Bennett (D-Champaign), Governor JB Pritzker released the following statement:
“Scott Bennett is genuine, kind and dedicated to serving his constituents. MK and I are keeping Scott, Stacy and his entire family and community in our prayers.”
* Excerpted polling memo from pollster Global Strategy Group on behalf of gun law reform organization Everytown…
A majority [of Illinois registered voters polled] support the passage of an assault weapons ban (58%), with nearly half (46%) strongly supporting the ban. Establishing an anti-gun trafficking unit (80%), increasing resources for red-flag laws (74%), and increasing the minimum age to obtain a FOID card to 21 (66%) all enjoy widespread support in the state.
A majority of voters (58%) support an assault weapons ban, most of which with high intensity - nearly half (46%) of voters stating they strongly support a ban in the state. Support spans across communities with 60% of Hispanic voters, 64% of Black voters, and 56% of white voters supporting an assault weapons ban in Illinois. Even a majority (58%) of independents support it. The ban has strong support among voters in the Chicago media market, but still enjoys net-positive support in the southern part of the state (55%) and near- even support (47%) among those in the far northwest and central regions.
There is broad support for measures to prevent gun violence in Illinois. Illinois voters strongly support policies aimed at restricting who may access weapons – two-thirds of voters (66%) support increasing the minimum age to obtain a FOID card from 18 to 21 years old, with the majority (55%) strongly supporting the policy. This includes 59% of independents. Measures to increase resources for red-flag law implementation enjoy even higher levels of support with three-quarters (74%) of voters backing the policy.
The vast majority (80%) of voters also support establishing an anti-gun-trafficking unit to stem the flow of illegal guns, with broad support across racial lines with 78% of white voters, 86% of Black voters, and 86% Hispanic voters supporting the measure.
A majority of voters (52%) believe gun laws in the state of Illinois should be stronger, including nearly three-quarters (72%) of Black voters and 56% of Hispanic voters. Conversely, there are few who think gun laws should be weaker – indicating that legislative action on gun violence prevention thus far has been well-received. Fewer than one-in-five (18%) believe gun laws should be weaker in the state. Support for stronger gun laws statewide is buoyed by especially high support in Chicagoland - 64% of Chicago residents and 61% of voters in the rest of Cook County want stronger gun laws.
Global Strategy Group conducted a survey of 1,010 registered voters in Illinois between October 20th and October 27th, 2022, including an oversample of 210 additional Black and Hispanic voters. The margin of error is +/- 2.6% for this survey. Interviews were conducted over the phone and with text to web invitation. Care has been taken to ensure the geographic and demographic divisions of the populations of likely voters are properly represented.
Over 300 people gathered Sunday on the North Side to push for better city infrastructure that protects bicyclists and pedestrians after drivers hit and killed toddlers Raphael “Rafi” Cardenas and Elizabeth “Lily” Grace Shambrook this month.
Families, elected officials and bike safety advocates gathered for the “Walk and Roll for Safe Streets” event organized by Better Streets Chicago and Chicago Family Biking. The group held moments of silence to honor Rafi and Lily, chalked messages on the streets to alert drivers to pedestrians and bicyclists, and marched from the Lincoln Square intersection in where Rafi was killed June 2, to the Uptown corner where Lily was killed Thursday.
This past June, [Peter Paquette] marched alongside hundreds of Chicagoans demanding safer streets following a spate of pedestrian deaths, including two toddlers killed by drivers in the same month. Later that day, Paquette joined Illinois Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker, state representatives and Chicago aldermen for an early vote rally at O’Donovan’s, a nearby bar on Irving Park Road.
He never made it home.
Leaving the gathering at O’Donovan’s, Paquette and his wife were crossing Irving Park Road when a driver struck him in the middle of a marked crosswalk. He was thrown into the air, and though bystanders jumped in to help, he was pronounced dead a half hour after the accident, recalled Alderman Matt Martin, who represents the 47th Ward.
Local politicians and residents had flagged the four-lane state road, which bisects a residential neighborhood with three schools, two older adult living facilities and an L train station, as a hazard for pedestrians. In fact, Martin had pushed for safety improvements such as pedestrian refuge islands and curb extensions near the area where Paquette was struck.
Of the 30 sites with the most crashes in Chicago, all but one included a state road, according to Islam’s analysis. One state road, Stony Island, runs down the South Side of Chicago and counts two of its intersections, at 79th and 95th, among sites with the most crashes in the city. That danger isn’t surprising to Courtney Cobbs, co-founder of Better Streets Chicago.
“This has been known for decades,” Cobbs said. “And there has been no movement to change that, unfortunately.”
Her transit advocacy peers argue the Illinois Department of Transportation is not only slow to respond to pedestrian deaths but also is a huge barrier to any type of traffic safety improvements.
“A lot of these roadways are controlled by the state, and they have traditionally been much more backward-looking, honestly, in terms of the types of roadway improvement designs they’re willing to consider,” said Jim Merrell, managing director of advocacy for the Active Transportation Alliance, a nonprofit pedestrian and public transportation advocacy group.
Even when pedestrian safety advocates have the support of local aldermen or the Chicago Department of Transportation, IDOT often is reluctant to approve of changes such as physical barriers between car traffic and pedestrians or bicyclists that could protect more vulnerable roadway users, he said. The current state law requires IDOT to give full consideration to bicycle and pedestrian ways in urban areas during a project’s planning phase; however, the IDOT secretary can make an exception for resurfacing projects or what might be deemed as safety issues, excessive cost or absence of need.
“We talk to IDOT all the time and have engaged with the secretary, with the local districts, with the General Assembly and the governor’s office, and it’s clear we have a really big structural issue with the state Department of Transportation and just how it’s set up,” Merrell said. “It’s not set up to build streets for the 21st century.”
Again, emphasis added.
* This, as always, is an issue of leadership, which appears to be sorely lacking at IDOT and CDOT…
In Illinois, a major sticking point is that IDOT and the Chicago Department of Transportation fail to coordinate with each other, said Illinois state Rep. Kam Buckner, a Democrat who represents a district on the South Side of Chicago.
“What I usually hear is that CDOT says, ‘We can’t do anything because IDOT won’t, this is an IDOT space.’ And then they just leave it there,” Buckner said. “But if you ask IDOT, often they’ll say, ‘We’re happy to work together to figure it out if they ask us.’ The advocates are talking to both sides, but both sides aren’t talking to each other.”
Buckner is working on legislation for the upcoming legislative session that would lower speed limits in cities. Another bill would give municipal transportation agencies the ability to implement traffic calming and pedestrian safety work on state roads within a jurisdiction that has a population of more than 2 million people, he said. Buckner stressed that any new law would not only require buy-in from IDOT, but the city as well.
If the governor and the mayor made this issue a priority, there might not be a need for legislation.
* The 2022 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Best Illinois State Representative - Democrat goes to Rep. Mike Zalewski (D-Riverside)…
His bipartisanship, consensus building, common sense, attention to detail, and collegiality are rare in the Capitol. His experience and institutional knowledge will be missed more than others. Hate to see you go, Z.
Same.
* The 2022 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Best Illinois State Representative - Republican goes to Rep. Tom Bennett (R-Gibson City)…
One of the best human beings you will ever meet. Conservative but reasonable. Works his district like a pro. Plow horse mentality. Did I mention he is just an incredible and decent man?
As subscribers know, Rep. Bennett is hoping for an appointment to the Senate, so he could eventually wind up with an exacta one day.
Congratulations to both!
* Today’s categories…
Best Illinois State Senator - Democrat
Best Illinois State Senator - Republican
Please vote in both categories and make sure to explain your votes or they won’t count. Thanks.
* And, after you vote, please click here and help raise money to buy presents for foster kids. Lutheran Social Services of Illinois does a great job with these kids, but it costs money to buy them presents every year and we’re a big part of that. Actually, we’re a bigger part of that than at any time except when I threw a 50th birthday party and helped raise a bunch of dough for LSSI…
Thanks to House Speaker @RepChrisWelch's generous $2,500 contribution, and to many other contributors large and small, Lutheran Social Services of Illinois has now raised $34,523 to give presents to foster kids https://t.co/7iN15PU5wH
Two candidates in the upcoming mayoral election for Decatur are facing a pair of objections that could result in them being left off the ballot in April.
The petitions of Abeer Motan and Mary Williams are being challenged by two people from Decatur who said they were invalid for several reasons. Chief among them is that the petitions supposedly have signatures from unregistered voters.
City Clerk Kim Althoff said that each petition requires 85 signatures to be valid. Motan and Williams submitted 95 and 87 signatures, respectively, but the objectors claim that there are enough signatures from nonregistered voters to push Motan and Williams under the required 85.
Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe’s petitions, containing about 150 signatures, were not challenged. If Motan and Williams’ petitions are rejected, it would leave Wolfe running unopposed.
Three candidates who filed to run for the Macomb city council are having their nominating petitions challenged.
In one case, at large city council member Tammie Leigh Brown-Edwards filed a challenge to the paperwork submitted by A.J. Bauser. Brown-Edwards said it contains invalid signatures, the notary sections are blank, and the sheets are not numbered as required.
Bauser filed to run against Brown-Edwards.
The other candidate planning to run against Brown-Edwards, Don Wynn, had his petitions challenged by former McDonough County Voice Editor Michelle Langhout.
And in the third ward, new county board member Dana Walker is challenging the petitions submitted by Byron Oden-Shabazz.
In both of those cases, the complainants said the sheets are not numbered and stapled together as required.
Naperville mayoral candidate Tiffany Stephens could be kept off the April 4 election ballot if an allegation that she does not meet the residency requirement is found to be valid.
Arian Ahmadpour, finance chair of the Will County Young Democrats, filed a challenge to Stephens’ nominating petitions this week as well as those submitted by Naperville City Council candidate Derek McDaniel.
In addition, Naperville council candidate Nag Jaiswal’s petitions are being challenged by Naperville resident Elizabeth Zega.
Naperville Electoral Board hearings for all three objections will start at 9 a.m. Monday in the Naperville Municipal Center council chambers.
A challenger running for the Crystal Lake City Council filed objections Monday to three other candidate petitions, including Mayor Haig Haleblian’s, arguing that they had several omissions and errors. […]
“When I first heard, I was confused: What did I do wrong?” Haleblian said. “But lo and behold, I left a critical piece of paper out of my packet. He [Kountz] got me. I’m going to have to work a little bit harder and different than I thought [to win the election] but that’s OK.”
Haleblian omitted a statement of candidacy and a receipt for filing a statement of economic interests, Kountz said. He also argued that Hopkins cited an “ambiguous office,” writing City Council as opposed to council member or mayor, on his signature petition, and said Brady wrote the primary date, rather than the regular election date, on her statement of candidacy.
Haleblian said in the likely event the objection is sustained, he will run as a write-in candidate for the mayoral election and “teach people how to spell my name.”
Outside legal counsel retained by the Town of Normal in recent weeks said three petitions of candidacy filed for nonexistent or appointed offices within the municipality cannot legally be certified for the 2023 election.
Normal officials retained Chicago-based Michael Kasper of Kasper and Nottage to review petitions filed by residents Robert Shoraga, Charles Sila and Amy Conklin.
Shoraga and Sila filed petitions of candidacy Nov. 28 for the currently nonexistent offices of town supervisor and town collector and Conklin filed to run for clerk, a position that has historically been appointed.
Town spokesperson Cathy Oloffson said Nov. 29 the town had turned over the petitions for a review of their “legal conformity,” saying once that review was complete, the town would “take appropriate action under the state Election Code.”
In letters mailed to each of the three candidates late last week, Kasper wrote that none of the three petitions conform with legal requirements, meaning “the Town cannot certify your name to the County Clerk for inclusion on the 2023 municipal ballot for election to an office that is not an elective office under the Town Code, and your name will not appear on the ballot.”
Normal City Councilmember Stan Nord has issued the following statement after Normal’s Deputy Clerk Jodi Pomis told the council Nord acted unprofessionally and with the intent to intimidate during Monday’s council meeting.
Nord shared the following statement with WMBD.
Normal has told residents that they cannot have district representation nor can they have the elected representatives that are spelled out in state law for “each,” “every”, and “all” incorporated towns. I apologize to anyone who misinterpreted my group email. It is long past due for the incorporated town of Normal to comply with state laws and act as an incorporated town.
Pomis has filed a grievance against Nord for the email she said was unethical.
Tuesday, five other council members and the mayor continued to condemn Nord’s email and are now looking into what, if anything can be done about the incident.
Newly elected Champaign County Board members held their organizational meeting Monday night. The meeting opened with Champaign County Clerk Aaron Ammons swearing in the assembled board members, which include six new Democrats replacing four Democrats and two Republicans.
After losing two seats in the November election, Republicans have just six of their own on the 22-member county board. That’s the smallest Republican minority since Democrats gained majority status in 2000.
Former Champaign County Board member Jennifer Putman was part of both the minority and the majority on the board.
The 74-year-old Putman attended Monday’s organizational meeting and addressed the county board, with advice for the minority party, based on her own experience serving on the board in the 1980s, when Republicans outnumbered Democrats 21-6.
“So, what do you do when you’re in the minority?” said Putman. “You make common cause, you build relationships and you serve the people of Champaign County. And that’s what we did.”
It’s early — really early — but Urbana City Council member James Quisenberry is letting it be known that he’s interested in running for mayor in 2025.
Two-term Mayor Diane Marlin said she probably won’t run again.
“At this point, I do not plan to run for mayor,” she said. “I also think it’s crazy that people are starting this early. But that’s just my opinion.”
Quisenberry, a former Champaign County Board member who is now the Ward 7 alderman in Urbana, doesn’t disagree.
“It is a long way away, politically,” he said. “It feels like a long time away. But I’m interested in it. I’m planning like that is what I’m going to do. I’m going to reach out to other people and talk to them.”
With Ald. Sophia King (4th) challenging Mayor Lori Lightfoot in the mayoral election next year, up to seven candidates — including King’s longtime aide — are trying to fill her seat at City Council.
Appointed by then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel to replace former Ald. Will Burns in 2016, King won a special election in 2017. She won again in 2019 against challenger Ebony Lucas, getting 66 percent of the vote. She announced her bid for mayor in August.
The 4th Ward — which includes Kenwood, Oakland and parts of Bronzeville — is one of the city’s more progressive communities. It is home to Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, who served as alderperson for 19 years before her election to the board in 2010.
The election is Feb. 28. If no one candidate receives at least 50 percent of the vote, the top two finishers will go to a runoff April 4.
A push to place a referendum on the April 4 general election ballot to change Waukegan’s form of government — to one run by a city manager rather than a mayor — is accelerating, pending action by the City Council and an independent petition drive.
A pair of council committees discussed four potential referendums for the April 4 election prior to Monday’s council meeting. Three are related to a managerial form of government, and the fourth would make elections for city officials nonpartisan.
Only three referendums can be placed on a general election ballot for a municipality, either by a petition circulated by voters or legislative action, according to Illinois law.
The City Council plans to vote whether to place any, or potentially three referendums on the April 4 ballot at 7 p.m. Dec. 19 at City Hall in Waukegan to determine the future of the city’s government and how its voters choose their elected officials.
* Press release…
Chicago Conservative activist Patrick Gibbons was assaulted yesterday while boarding Pace Bus #223 at approximately 5pm at the Rosemont Blueline station. During the assault, the perpetrator used a sharp object to slice Gibbons’ hand. Gibbons stated that the suspect “was acting strangely and appeared to be under the influence of narcotics.”
The suspect also attempted to choke Gibbons on the bus before a good samaritan was able to get between Gibbons and the suspect. Rosemont PD responded. The police report is #202200019334. Gibbons is offering a $5,000 reward for the arrest and conviction of his attacker and is voicing his belief that the community needs additional police patrols and greater security on the CTA and Pace Platforms to deal with the increased number of violent assaults on Chicago-area mass transit in the past year.
Gibbons has also filed as an Aldermanic candidate in the 31st Ward (Belmont-Cragin).
One of the great Houdini achievements of the gay rights campaign has been to take an issue all about sexual behavior and turn it into a discussion about everything but sexual behavior.
The premise, which was not at all new at the time, was to push back on gay rights by injecting the “Yuck Factor” into the debate. Most people, it was believed, saw the physical act of gay sex as yucky. And activists could use that mental image as a wedge between the majority and formalizing civil rights.
Seventy-one percent of Americans say they support legal same-sex marriage, which exceeds the previous high of 70% recorded in 2021 by one percentage point. […]
When Gallup first polled about same-sex marriage in 1996, barely a quarter of the public (27%) supported legalizing such unions. It would take another 15 years, until 2011, for support to reach the majority level. Then in 2015, just one month before the U.S. Supreme Court’s Obergefell v. Hodges decision, public support for legalizing gay marriage cracked the 60% level, and last year it reached the 70% mark for the first time. […]
Rising national support for legal same-sex marriage reflects steady increases among most subgroups of the population, even those who have traditionally been the most resistant to gay marriage. Adults aged 65 and older, for example, became mostly supportive in 2016 — as did Protestants in 2017 and Republicans in 2021.
Americans who report that they attend church weekly remain the primary demographic holdout against gay marriage, with 40% in favor and 58% opposed.
Ives calls for Wheaton principal to be fired over ’sex tree’ for middle schoolers
Jeanne Ives is calling for the firing of Edison Middle School Principal Rachel Bednar.
The call for Bednar’s termination comes after a “Gay Pride” Christmas tree was spotted on school grounds.
Ives, a former state representative who is now CEO of Breakthrough Ideas, also referenced the school’s poor academic performance in her call to dismiss Bednar.
“If you let this stand, you are just as morally depraved as the principal,” Ives told the Community Unity School District 200 board and Superintendent Jeff Schuler in an email. “Bednar should be fired for destroying the innocence of young children, promoting racist programs, and failing to educate kids.”
Imagine the sort of mind that sees a rainbow-colored Gay Pride tree as a “sex tree.”
It turns out, most normal people aren’t all that interested in what consenting adults do. And they also want their kids to not judge people lest they be judged. And they really don’t like people who cannot separate private, personal matters from overall public issues. That’s the very real “Yuck Factor” in most Americans’ lives these days.
* Poll results are here. Cor Strategies conducted a post-election poll from Nov. 15-18. It’s a Republican outfit, so the object was to find out what went wrong for the GOP and where it could improve. One big point is that Republicans are not viewed as the “governing party” and that has to change…
It doesn’t help that the last time voters gave our party the opportunity to govern, Bruce Rauner and his administration spent four years trying desperately to convince voters our party had no idea what we were doing.
By contrast, Governor Pritzker has focused on getting state government running smoothly, and it’s worked. A 47% to 47% split in the right direction vs wrong track question may not seem great until you look at the trendline and realize this is the best IL has been viewed by voters in this category (by far) over the past decade.
The Republican strategy of screaming “the sky is falling” and “all is lost” is clearly not working. The voters in this state aren’t hyper-partisans or idealogues. They just want things to get done—they’re not interested in the drama and hyperbole. I can’t remember the last time Republicans proposed any sort of productive plan, policy, or initiative that would make people’s lives better in this state, other than simply saying no to bad ideas.
As a result, in Illinois, Republicans are decidedly not viewed as governing material. Voters trust Democrats to govern 49% to 34%. The numbers are worse with moderates, who trust Democrats over Republicans 56% to 21%. Among minorities, the numbers are even worse: African Americans (71% to 15%), Hispanics (56% to 17%), and Asians (51% to 6%).
Throughout the Illinois suburbs and beyond, there are conservative and Republican mayors earning high praise in their communities for leading, as clients in one village put it, by putting “people over politics.” Their communities are thriving and people are moving there to live, work, and raise their families. These are governing Republicans. That’s the model of a winning Republican candidate.
Where Republicans failed (including us) was in making crime THE issue instead of a gateway issue to voters’ real concerns. Crime was never THE issue: it was the 4th most important issue among even conservatives, let alone moderates and independents. But it could’ve served as an excellent emotional issue to gain attention to then paint Democrats as extreme, position Republicans as the more mainstream governing party, and address voters’ economic concerns. We didn’t do that.
By contrast, Illinois Democrats did it right: they used their emotional issue, abortion, to get voters’ attention and then flowed right into their most persuasive issue, painting Republicans as too extreme and a threat to democracy.
When asked which party is most extreme, nearly as many Illinois voters said Democrats were extreme (42%) as Republicans (43%). All saying Democrats are more extreme: Hispanics (42% to 39%), Whites (44% to 40%), independents (44% to 35%), and even suburban voters (42% to 41%).
That’s right—even after millions of dollars were spent painting Republicans as extremists while Republicans barely (if at all) fought back, voters are still nearly as likely to believe that Democrats are just as bad.
Independents tell this story best. When asked which party they trusted more to govern, they couldn’t choose between Republicans and Democrats (tied at 29%)—instead, they chose neither (37%). They overwhelmingly believe Illinois is on the wrong track (56% compared to 30% right direction).
Instead of constantly playing defense, it’s time to go on offense. Illinois Democrats hold extreme positions on many hot-button issues, yet Republicans seem to enjoy the Rocky strategy of getting pummeled round after round—without the Hollywood happy ending. And with the Democrats’ elected ranks moving further and further leftward, and their politicians feeling emboldened by record majorities in Springfield, Chicago, and many suburban counties, Republicans are sure to have excellent opportunities to paint our opposition as extreme, which by definition, makes us mainstream. We must capitalize on these opportunities.
This is essentially the same argument put forward by longtime hardcore Republican commenter “Lucky Pierre,” although LP is also a major proponent of the “sky is falling” argument.
Today, Lightfoot for Chicago released “Movie Night Delivery,” the third and final installment of its digital ad campaign with “Oscar” and “Felix,” the two Chicago “experts” who discuss Mayor Lightfoot’s track record for the city.
“Movie Night Delivery” features the two men talking about the Mayor’s progressive accomplishments over her time in office, including:
Felix: Progress. Chicago needs someone to be a truly progressive mayor. [Oscar grabs remote and pauses movie] Hey, what did you do that for?
Oscar: Mayor Lightfoot has literally raised minimum wage to $15, made Chicago a safe haven for abortion, and has made record investments in affordable housing.
Felix: I don’t know. Sounds pretty suspect.
Oscar: [Turns to Mayor Lightfoot] Mayor! Can you?
Mayor Lightfoot: You’re right. Chicago did need someone to clean up the mess and pass a progressive agenda.
Oscar: [to Felix, handing him Lightfoot’s agenda] It’s all in here, dude. Lightfoot delivers.
Mayor Lightfoot: [to Oscar] Does he read?
Oscar: About as much as he cleans!
The ads kinda sneak up on you when you’re watching TV. I don’t mean that in a bad way. It’s just, you’re watching what looks like a normal ad, and then, boom, there’s the mayor.
Winnebago County State’s Attorney J. Hanley said he may no longer be part of a multi-county lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the SAFE-T Act.
Hanley told the Rockford Register Star Tuesday he is considering withdrawing his name from the suit after Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed a series of amendments to the SAFE-T Act.
“It would be irresponsible of me,” he said, “not to monitor or to continue to think about the advisability of continuing litigation.”
Hanley also said he regrets if any of his comments leading up to the Nov. 8 elections contributed to the “hysteria” over the elimination of the cash bail system on Jan. 1, 2023.
* Tribune | Gov. J.B. Pritzker aims to get assault weapon ban proposal ‘done in the first half of the year’: “I favor the legislation that he’s put forward,” Pritzker said of Morgan’s bill, while the governor added the caveat that “the legislative process can be a grinding one that requires a lengthier look at each piece” of a proposal. Lawmakers could take up the plan as early as next month during the lame-duck session, when legislators return to Springfield for their final session days before the newly elected General Assembly is seated Jan. 11.
* Dispatch Argus | What two Illinois GOP lawmakers’ post-election resignations mean: In Butler’s case, one replacement will serve the final days of his current term and another will serve the entirety of the new two-year term that begins Jan. 11. That latter choice will largely be left up to Sangamon County Republican Party chair Diane Barghouti Hardwick, who has more than 90% of the weighted vote needed to appoint.
* WGLT | Union pickets over ‘crisis’ staffing shortage at Pontiac prison: Officers at the Pontiac Correctional Center staged a picket Wednesday to call attention to what they say is a dire lack of security at the maximum-security prison. A corrections sergeant was stabbed in the neck last month by an inmate at Pontiac. A second officer also was injured in the attack.
* Brian Costin and Joe Sosnowski | New legislation would end the Illinois corporate welfare civil war: Under this legislation, Illinois lawmakers and businesses would both refocus their energies on the state’s economic, education, law enforcement and infrastructure policies to put the state’s economy to work for everyone, not just the privileged few. Anti-poaching legislation will make Illinois’ economy as competitive as any state in the country, all year round.
* Crain’s | Who has final say over election rules? Illinois files a brief with Supreme Court.: Illinois is taking the lead among a coalition of blue states arguing against the theory, which arises out of a North Carolina redistricting dispute in the case of Moore v. Harper. Earlier this year, the North Carolina Supreme Court struck down the redrawn congressional district map approved by the state’s Republican-led state legislature, citing it as gerrymandered and, therefore, unconstitutional.
* Crain’s | Key city, state pension funds say they have no crypto exposure: Representatives of key retirement funds that cover teachers in Chicago, the suburbs and downstate say the financial collapse of the FTX exchange and other setbacks do not directly impact them because they did not invest in such assets. City of Chicago officials report the same for its four retirement systems.
* ABC 20 | Memorial Health seeing increase in flu: The hospitals collectively have seen 104 patients hospitalized with influenza, compared to four at this time last year. “This year’s strains of influenza are proving to be highly contagious,” said Raj Govindaiah, MD, Memorial Health senior vice president and chief physician executive. “We don’t like to see this kind of increase this early in the flu season. We strongly encourage people to be proactive about protecting themselves and others from contracting the flu right now. People who are young, elderly and immunocompromised are especially at risk for dangerous complications.”
* Chicago Reporter | Culture Is Key In Treating Mental Health Concerns: Due to higher rates of deaths, unemployment, college dropout, homelessness, and access to quality health care, the community is more prone to developing symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder. Systemic barriers to mental health support have worsened for the community — at a time when getting timely help has never been more critical.
* Tribune | Chicago attracting a healthy amount of investment, but all neighborhoods aren’t equal: Together, public and mission-driven investors poured $9 billion into Chicago neighborhoods over the decade, compared with nearly $200 billion spent by private investors on the city’s single-family homes and in the nonresidential sector. But if public and mission-driven investors can show new business and homes can thrive, it may convince private investors to set aside more funds for deprived areas.
* WSIL | New 730 area code coming to southern Illinois: The new 730 area code will “overlay” the existing 618 area code to “address the depletion of prefixes available for assignment within the region.” The first prefix in the new area code will not be introduced until after July 7, 2023.
* Crain’s | Carol Ross Barney wins one of architecture’s top prizes: The American Institute of Architects has given its Gold Medal award to Carol Ross Barney. One of the industry’s top prizes, the award puts Barney, 73, in the company of past winners including Frank Lloyd Wright, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Frank Gehry and Santiago Calatrava. In fact, Mies van der Rohe was the last winner from Chicago, in 1960.
* Crain’s | The biggest brand fails of 2022: This past year saw plenty of mistakes from brands—Ad Age even keeps track of such flubs in a weekly Marketing Winners and Losers column—but some fails were worse than others. As consumers increasingly pay attention and become more willing to cry foul on social media, marketers are constantly under the microscope of public opinion. Below, we track some of the biggest bungles of the year.
* Time Out | Check out the inaugural lineup for The Salt Shed’s new indoor venue: The venue’s initial lineup kicks off on February 17 with a performance from Scandi-pop artist Tove Lo and “Mine” singer Slayyyter. Other notable shows this season include a performance from punk icon Iggy Pop (March 10), the first Bikini Kill appearance in Chicago since the group reunited in 2019 (April 22) and the Flaming Lips celebrating the 20th anniversary of Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (May 5). More concerts are expected to be announced in the coming months.
* A little too cloudy where I was, so I didn’t get a chance to see this…
This is the moment Mars peeked out from behind our moon after being hidden for an hour. This shot was captured using my largest telescope and a special high-speed camera. Seeing another planet rising on the horizon of our moon was such a surreal experience. pic.twitter.com/8IctbVXuUM
