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Friday, Feb 14, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Turn the lights down, flip on this song and have a sweet dance with the one you love, courtesy of Etta and Satchmo

All my wildest dreams
Came true

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Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Friday, Feb 14, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Capitol News Illinois

Gia Biagi made her name building parks. Now, she’s leading the department that oversees more than 145,000 miles of roads, 7,000 miles of railways, 1,000 miles of waterways and 26,000 bridges.

Biagi indicated she wants to increase the speed – and day-to-day impacts – of the thousands of projects [the Illinois Department of Transportation] will approve.

“It’s our job, not only to get that money spent, to get shovels in the ground, get hands on those shovels, get people into jobs, get the work done and get it done as fast as possible,” Biagi said. “One of my goals is to really think as creatively as possible about how we can deliver faster and more. That does mean more disruption, but it’s maybe a good kind of disruption.”

Part of that approach, she said, is to find projects that will improve local communities, both by reducing the “friction” of travel and by creating jobs.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Tribune | Lobbyist sues environmental advocacy group alleging pregnancy discrimination: “These false allegations, filed by a disgruntled former employee, are without merit,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “Our organization, and our leaders, prioritize providing a professional and respectful environment that supports our employees in their advocacy for clean water, air and energy policies across Illinois.” The lawsuit alleges the IEC’s executive director, Jennifer Walling, made comments that showed her “antipathy toward pregnancy” both before and after Koerner announced she was pregnant.

* From the comptroller…

*** Statewide ***

* STLPR | Carnegie Foundation gives top research nod to 11 universities in Missouri and Illinois: The R1 status demonstrates that a university is doing research at an impactful level and is good at training students and developing workforces while also developing technologies and generally innovation, Borrok said. Getting that kind of recognition can snowball, leading to more accolades and more money for research, while being helpful for recruiting students, especially international students, said Mushtaq Gunja, executive director of the Carnegie College Classification Systems.

* Sun-Times | Joann closing 26 stores in Illinois amid Chapter 11 bankruptcy: Struggling fabric and crafts seller Joann plans to close about 500 of its stores across the U.S. — or more than half of its current nationwide footprint — as well as 26 stores in Illinois. The move, announced Wednesday, arrives amid a tumultuous time for Joann. Last month, the Hudson, Ohio-based retailer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the second time within a year, with the company pointing to issues like sluggish consumer demand and inventory shortages.

* Press Release | IDNR and ICF award 26 youth habitat enhancement projects through the Illinois Schoolyard Habitat Grant Program: “The Illinois Schoolyard Habitat Action Grant program provides students and educators with opportunities to create native habitat in their schoolyards and increase the use of native plants in Illinois landscapes while benefitting wildlife species,” said IDNR Director Natalie Phelps Finnie. “By participating in these projects, students learn that their efforts can make a positive difference in the world, and they gain experience in problem-based learning by planning, developing, and maintaining the habitat.” The Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Foundation is the major sponsor of this program. Nearly $394,000 in Illinois Schoolyard Habitat Action Grant funding has been distributed since the program’s inception.

*** Chicago ***

* WBEZ | Remnant of 143-year-old Chicago Stock Exchange is bound for Texas: The New York Stock Exchange owns what’s left of the equities marketplace. The NYSE has announced it will move it to Dallas and reincorporate it as the NYSE Texas. The NYSE bought the Chicago exchange in 2018 and rebranded it to NYSE Chicago. For years, it has been a fully electronic trading center, without the need for a raucous floor that used to define such daily dealing.

* Crain’s | Lurie keeps pause on gender-affirming surgeries despite halt on Trump order: A small number of patients are being affected by the surgery pause, Lurie said, and the children’s hospital is still accepting new patients to its broader gender-affirming care program. The pause is catching the ire of at least one local group. Indivisible Chicago Alliance, a progressive advocacy organization, is planning to protest Lurie’s decision tomorrow at Seneca Park outside of Lurie’s Streeterville facility. The group calls Lurie’s surgery hold a “harmful elimination of life-saving, trans-affirming care.”

* WBEZ | Thousands of counterfeit Forever postage stamps are seized in Chicago: Return to sender! (But make sure you do it legally.) This reminder comes after Customs and Border Protection agents in Chicago seized nearly 162,000 counterfeit U.S. Forever stamps this past week, shipped from China. The stamps were spread over eight different shipments, and had they been real, would have been worth over $118,000, according to CBP.

* Block Club | Want To Train Your Dog To Hunt Rats? This Ravenswood Workshop Teaches The Art Of Ratting: Urban Pooch, 5400 N. Damen Ave. — which regularly offers grooming, doggie daycare and pet supplies to neighborhood dog owners — is hosting its inaugural ratting workshop on March 16. The two-hour, $75 class will focus on developing a dog’s scent and communication skills by having the pup hunt for rats. At this writing the 9 a.m. class is sold out, but the noon and 3 p.m. classes still have spots available.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Yikes

* NBC Chicago | Old Orchard Mall closed due to water main break impacting multiple Chicago suburbs: The mall posted on social media Friday afternoon that “due to a loss of water pressure caused by the water main break earlier this morning, and out of an abundance of caution for our retailers, restaurants, and customers; Westfield Old Orchard will be closed for the remainder of today.”

* Tribune | Water main break causes Skokie and Evanston boil orders, flooding and students to be sent home: “I don’t want to want to even check (for damages),” Elvir Dizdarevic, a Skokie handyman and resident of the 9200 block of Ewing Avenue, said inside his flooded and frozen-over garage. Dizdarevic said at its height, flooding was knee high. He said he was concerned for his neighbors who hadn’t opened their garage doors. Freezing temperatures are expected to continue, forming ice, Dizdarevic said, and could make it difficult for his neighbors to open their garages.

* Tribune | Skokie will likely revamp its ‘Welcoming City’ ordinance: Trustee Khem Khoeun asked Mayor George Van Dusen if the village needed to update its welcoming village ordinance given recent immigration enforcement raids and the anxiety that some people in Skokie’s immigrant community are dealing with. “I know that for a segment of our community, they don’t feel safe right now. They are scared,” Khouen said.

* Daily Herald | Celebrity chef considering long vacant Fritzl’s restaurant in Lake Zurich for next venture: Celebrity chef and restaurateur Fabio Viviani and partner Romeo Kapudija are exploring plans for a new restaurant in the former Fritzl’s European Restaurant & Pub, which closed in 2021 after 36 years. […] Fabio operates 40 restaurant concepts nationally including Giostra by Fabio Viviani, which opened last fall at the Arboretum of South Barrington.

*** Downstate ***

* Sun-Times | Sonya Massey’s father discusses $10 million settlement: ‘She would have been 37 years old today’: “He should have never been hired,” Wilburn said, referring to Sangamon County, the Sheriff’s Office and the five other police departments in central Illinois where Grayson had worked. None flagged his misconduct. […] It’s the largest legal settlement in the Sangamon County history, representing roughly 17% of the county’s yearly operating budget of $60 million.

* WSIL | Carbondale based business awarded more than $70,000 in Innovation Voucher Grants: It’s part of a $2.3 million innovation voucher grants awarded which were announced by Governor JB Pritzker on Friday. This grant funding will support research and development projects with universities. A total of 35 awards were announced through the program. One of those was for Thermaquatica in Carbondale through SIU. They were awarded $74,975.

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Cost containment reduces projected immigrant healthcare spending by almost half

Friday, Feb 14, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* A good catch by CNI’s Ben Szalinski in his pretty darned good budget backgrounder story

Two specific programs that have drawn Republican ire provide health benefits for noncitizens regardless of legal residency status. The Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults and Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors provide Medicaid-style benefits to noncitizens age 42 and older.

The programs unexpectedly stretched the state budget in spring 2023 when costs were projected to potentially reach $1 billion. Lawmakers enacted new restrictions, including giving the governor authority to pause enrollment, and projected program costs are now at $558 million in the current fiscal year. Enrollment in the programs, meanwhile, has remained paused.

Click here for the info source.

* More

The state also spent hundreds of millions of dollars in recent years on migrants arriving on buses sent by Texas and other Republican-led states, but that problem appeared to largely subside in 2024. […]

Revenue is set to remain relatively flat next year, in part because one-time sources are disappearing. Federal pandemic aid has ended, and the Department of Revenue underwent a “true-up” process to fix a miscalculation of “overpayments” to local governments, which ended up boosting current year revenues that won’t carry over to next year.

GOMB’s report also reflected spending increases that are required by law in FY26, such as $350 million more to K-12 education, $440 million more for pensions, $1.1 billion more for health care as one-time federal reimbursements expire, and general spending increases throughout state government.

Those migrant costs will likely go down in the new budget. And I would expect that at least some programs which were benefiting from one-time federal reimbursements will be discontinued or scaled back.

As we all learned during the Rauner budget impasse, parts of the budget cannot be controlled by the state. But some can.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Session update

Friday, Feb 14, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Carol Marin named Lincoln Laureate

Friday, Feb 14, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* I love me some Carol Marin. From the governor

Governor JB Pritzker today announced the 2025 recipients of the Order of Lincoln, the state’s highest honor for professional achievement and public service. This year’s Lincon Laureates will be honored at the upcoming 61st Annual Convocation at 5:30 p.m. on May 3, 2025, at the Krannert Center for the Arts located on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Established in 1964, the Order of Lincoln recognizes individuals who have made remarkable contributions to the betterment of humanity in or on behalf of the State of Illinois. The six recipients join more than 350 distinguished Illinois residents who have joined the Order of Lincoln over the last five decades.

“With world-renowned achievements in athletics, literature, architecture, education, journalism and history, the 2025 class of Lincoln Laureates embody the very best that Illinois has to offer,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I am proud to uplift their incredible contributions and to award these talented men and women our state’s highest honor.”

This year’s recipients are: […]

Carol Marin, esteemed journalist and Emmy Award-winning reporter. She is a native Illinoisan and University of Illinois graduate. Her career affiliations include WMAQ-TV Chicago, CBS News, “60 Minutes,” and the Evening News with Dan Rather. She also served as a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times and was a regular contributor to “Chicago Tonight” on WTTW, a public broadcast station. In 1997, Marin was awarded the prestigious Peabody Award for her body of work. She received another Peabody Award, along with producer Don Moseley, in 1998 for their documentary on the facially disfigured. She is the recipient of national Emmy awards in 1989 and 1998, as well as two Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Awards in 1986 and 1998, for exceptional reporting. The American Women in Radio & Television presented her with the coveted Gracie Award in 2002. Marin Corp Productions, her independent documentary company, began an association with DePaul University in 2003, where, along with Moseley, produced programs for CNN and The New York Times/Discovery Channel. ​ Marin returned to WMAQ in 2004, and two years later, became the station’s political editor. Her outstanding journalism once again culminated in industry recognition, this time earning her a third Peabody Award for investigative reporting in 2015 on the police shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. In 2016, DePaul University launched the Center for Journalism Integrity & Excellence with Marin as co-director, where she continues to help guide students as they prepare for a career in journalism. […]

The May 3 ceremony is free and open to the public and will be livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube. A ticketed reception and dinner will immediately follow the ceremony, and tickets must be purchased in advance by April 1.

For further information or to attend the upcoming gala, contact Executive Director Leanne Barnhart at 217-493-0047 or visit www.LincolnAcademyIllinois.org.

Other recipients are Bonnie Blair, Sandra Cisneros, Jeanne Gang, Janice K. Jackson and Julieanna L. Richardson.

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It’s just a bill

Friday, Feb 14, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* House Minority Leader Tony McCombie

Illinois House Minority Leader Tony McCombie has filed a package of new legislation to fund initiatives encouraging young women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math through mentorships and scholarships. STEM is the acronym used to refer to the four distinct but related technical disciplines in education.
Leader McCombie’s legislation includes:

HB 2801 – Directs the Illinois State Board of Education to create a resource for K-12 STEM teachers to inform young women pursuing STEM careers about externship/volunteer opportunities with Illinois organizations in STEM.

HB 2802 – Allows girls in STEM classes to have one school day long absence per school year to pursue STEM externships if approved by school administration.

HB 2806 – Adds women to the list of demographics eligible for the STEM higher education scholarship program (currently only racial minorities are eligible).

* Restore Justice…

On Friday, February 7, Representative Theresa Mah introduced House Bill 3332. The bill would create a limited opportunity for people under 20 and younger at the time of their offense to petition the court for their sentence to be reviewed.

Restore Justice recently released a report, More Than a Conviction: Stories of Children Sentenced to Life Without Parole in Illinois. This report highlights firsthand journeys of transformation and success, underscoring the urgent need for reform. It concludes that sentencing should be about changing people, not just punishing them. Everyone is more than their worst mistake; people can change and successfully reintegrate into the community.
Currently, people serving life or extremely long sentences have few meaningful opportunities to have their cases reviewed since Illinois abolished parole in 1978 and enacted so-called “truth-in sentencing” in 1998, limiting opportunities for people to earn reentry or time off their sentence.

“I have met a number of people incarcerated in our Department of Corrections from a young age who have genuinely become mature, educated, completely rehabilitated people who could be contributing members of society if given an opportunity,” said Representative Mah. “The current system is in need of reform, especially in light of what we know now about brain development and also the fact that our system of “corrections” really does not afford many opportunities for rehabilitated people to be considered for release.”

HB 3332 would build on recent bipartisan reforms recognizing children’s and young people’s brain development and unique capacity to mature and change. Data shows extremely low recidivism rates for people convicted as youth and released as adults. This bill would create a pathway for people sentenced as children and young adults to show that they have been rehabilitated and return home to give back to the community.

“No one should be defined for their whole life by one mistake. Illinois needs this retroactive reform because people deserve a chance to show who they have become,” said Restore Justice Policy Manager James Swansey. Swansey originally received a life without parole sentence at the age of 17. He received a new sentence after U.S. Supreme Court decisions.

HB 3332 is a fair, cost-effective, age-appropriate way to ensure children and young adults are held accountable for the harm they have caused while offering them an opportunity to redeem themselves.

* HB3061 from Rep. Sonya Harper

Creates the On-Premise Cannabis Consumption Act. Provides that a county or municipality may issue licenses for temporary events and cannabis hospitality venues that will allow for the consumption of cannabis or cannabis-infused products and for the sale of cannabis paraphernalia at such temporary events or venues. Requires ordinances with specified requirements for such temporary events and cannabis hospitality venues before any licenses are issued. Limits home rule powers. Makes conforming changes in the Smoke Free Illinois Act. Effective immediately.

* HB3780 from Rep. Barbara Hernandez

Creates the Illinois Universal Health Care Act. Provides that all individuals residing in the State are covered under the Illinois Health Services Program for health insurance. Sets forth the health coverage benefits that participants are entitled to under the Program. Sets forth the qualification requirements for participating health providers. Sets forth standards for provider reimbursement. Provides that it is unlawful for private health insurers to sell health insurance coverage that duplicates the coverage of the Program. Provides that investor-ownership of health delivery facilities is unlawful. Provides that the State shall establish the Illinois Health Services Trust to provide financing for the Program. Sets forth the requirements for claims billing under the Program. Provides that the Program shall include funding for long-term care services and mental health services. Provides that the Program shall establish a single prescription drug formulary and list of approved durable medical goods and supplies. Creates the Pharmaceutical and Durable Medical Goods Committee to negotiate the prices of pharmaceuticals and durable medical goods with suppliers or manufacturers on an open bid competitive basis. Sets forth provisions concerning patients’ rights. Provides that the employees of the Program shall be compensated in accordance with the current pay scale for State employees and as deemed professionally appropriate by the General Assembly.

* Sens. David Koehler and Doris Turner filed SB1607 earlier this month

Creates the Illinois Freedom Trails Commission Act. Establishes the Illinois Freedom Trails Commission. Provides that the purpose of the Commission shall be to explore, research, and commemorate the journeys of freedom seekers and the sites and landmarks in the State that became the networks of the Underground Railroad. Provides that the Commission shall implement educational, landmark preservation, and grant programs. Sets forth provisions concerning membership; terms; compensation; administrative support; and staff. Provides that the Commission shall submit an annual report to the Governor and the General Assembly. Effective immediately.

* Scott Holland

If the current legislative session hasn’t ginned up enough controversy for your liking, pay attention to House Bill 2827.

The plan, from state Rep. Terra Costa Howard, D-Glen Ellyn, would create The Homeschool Act. The State Board of Education would create a declaration form any homeschool parent or administrator would submit to the local public school district office. Failure to do so would result in truancy penalties, which at present do not generally apply to kids not enrolled in school. […]

Enter The Caucus Blog, a digital arm of House Republicans, with a post headlined “Democrats take aim at homeschool families.” They labeled HB 2827 a legislative overreach and government expansion that would “impact thousands of Illinois families who have lawfully chosen to homeschool their children” in contravention of the 1950 Illinois Supreme Court opinion People v. Levisen.

A specific concern is the bill’s reference to an “educational portfolio.” The bill doesn’t directly require homeschoolers to keep such a document – basically a record of progress and assessment – but functionally mandates doing so by empowering state and local school officials to request portfolios “as evidence that the homeschool administrator’s homeschool program provides a course of instruction that is sufficient to satisfy the education requirements set forth in Sections 26-1 and 27-1 of the School Code and that is at least commensurate with the standards prescribed for public schools.”

* SB1685 from Sen. Christopher Belt

Creates the Debt Resolution Services Act. Provides that no person shall provide or offer to provide debt resolution services without a debt resolution services license. Defines “debt resolution services” as a program or service represented, directly or by implication, to renegotiate, settle, or in any way alter the terms of payment or other terms of the debt between a consumer and one or more unsecured creditors. Sets forth requirements for a debt resolution services license. Sets forth the process for obtaining a debt resolution services license. Provides that specified persons are exempt under the Act. Provides the prerequisites and permitted practices for providing debt resolution services. Provides the requirements for a contract between a licensee and a consumer for debt resolution services. Provides that a consumer may terminate a contract to provide debt resolution services at any time without any penalty. Provides that a licensee may terminate a contract to provide debt resolution services if specified conditions are satisfied. Includes provisions concerning the powers of the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation; prohibited activities under the Act, including prohibitions against false or misleading advertising; annual reports filed by a licensee; fees for debt resolution services; information a licensee must provide to a consumer; records a licensee is required to keep; penalties for violating the Act; and transactions entered into before the effective date of the Act. Repeals the Debt Settlement Consumer Protection Act. Amends various Acts to replace references to the Debt Settlement Consumer Protection Act to the Debt Resolution Services Act. Effective January 9, 2026.

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There’s No End To Credit Card Swipe Fee Greed

Friday, Feb 14, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Credit card companies collect more than $172 billion in swipe fees from customers and businesses each year, but it’s not enough to satisfy their greed. As consumers and retailers continue to grapple with inflation, Visa raised swipe fees on January 1.

Gov. JB Pritzker, Senate President Don Harmon, House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch and the General Assembly took a stand against swipe fee greed by passing the Interchange Fee Prohibition Act, which limits swipe fees from being charged on the sales tax and tip portion of transactions. This law will provide tangible relief to Illinois families and retailers of all sizes.

While Visa and Mastercard fight to protect their unchecked duopoly in court, Illinois policymakers have sent a clear message that enough is enough.

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Open thread

Friday, Feb 14, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* To celebrate Valentine’s Day, here’s Adele covering Bob Dylan

How’ve you been?

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Isabel’s morning briefing

Friday, Feb 14, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Ex-Speaker Michael Madigan’s state pension suspended following conviction. Tribune

    - Former Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan’s $158,000 annual state of Illinois pension is being halted following his high-profile corruption conviction.
    - Illinois law bars elected officials in the legislative pension plan from collecting payments once they are convicted or enter a guilty plea in a felony tied to their government job.
    - Timothy Blair, executive secretary of the Illinois General Assembly Retirement System, said Madigan will receive his nearly $13,170 pension check for February because that has already been processed.

* Related stories…

* FYI it’s the last day to vote in the state flag redesign contest.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Bloomberg | Top U.S. grid wins speedy review of power plants to feed AI boom: PJM Interconnection LLC, which manages a network from the East Coast to Chicago, won federal approval to fast-track the review of up to 50 new projects. The studies will focus on boosting grid reliability starting in April to help avoid potential shortages toward the end of this decade, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said in an order issued late Tuesday.

* JB Pritzker Press Secretary Alex Gough: We’re encouraged that PJM and FERC both recognize that interconnection queue delays are contributing to the power grid’s lack of capacity. As this initiative is implemented, we believe resources should not be diverted from addressing underlying problems with the power grid interconnection queues, and we hope the initiative leverages clean resources like nuclear and battery storage.

* AP | Illinois data shows inmates with violent records from shuttered prison sent to medium-security sites: Among the approximately 400 inmates transferred when Illinois’ decrepit Stateville prison closed over the summer, 278 were convicted of murder and 100 more are serving time for other violent offenses. Yet, nearly four in five of the offenders formerly housed at the suburban Chicago lockup were not shipped to top-level maximum-security prisons, where the toughest criminals, troublemakers and escape risks are housed. Instead, they went to mid-level medium-security facilities, according to an Associated Press analysis of Illinois Department of Corrections data.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Sun-Times | Trump, pensions, health care among pressure points as Gov. JB Pritzker crafts state budget:
Pritzker will outline his budgetary priorities in an address on Feb. 19 at the Illinois State Capitol. So far, he has hinted that raising taxes to balance the budget is a last-resort proposition. But things could change. “It’s very important that we live within our means in this state, and that we not resort to tax increases as a way to, you know, to balance the budget,” Pritzker said last month.

* Center Square | Illinois lawmakers zoom in on budget ahead of governor’s address : State Rep. Barbara Hernandez, D-Aurora, proposed several fee increases. One involved quadrupling the cost of judicial transcripts. “Right now it’s at 70 cents per page and it hasn’t been changed since 1980, so we’re just adjusting that because of inflation to maybe $3 a page,” Hernandez told The Center Square.

*** Statewide ***

* 25News Now | Illinois is short 100 court reporters, but a free training program could be the fix: Spradlin said half of the staff are age 55 or older. Longtime court reporter and training program instructor Melissa Clagg is one of them. “We have such a shortage right now. We are kind of in dire straits,” Clagg said. “We’re retiring right and left. It’s putting more of an impact, more of a strain because we’re covering more courts, more hours in court, and trying to get through the volume of cases.” To boost interest in the career, the state started offering a tuition-free training program in 2024. It features guaranteed job placement and requires a two-year employment contract.

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | Aviation, COPA chiefs out after Johnson vows to purge disloyal staff: The Sun-Times reported Mayor Johnson’s warning that he was ready to send people packing. On Thursday, Aviation Commissioner Jamie Rhee and Civilian Office of Police Accountability chief Andrea Kersten retired. Jose Tirado, director of the city’s Office of Emergency Management & Communications, is leaving to take a job with the Cook County state’s attorney.

* BGA | Alleging Obstruction, Chicago’s Inspector General Turns to City Council for Stronger Laws: In a memo sent Friday to the Chicago City Council’s ethics committee, city Inspector General Deborah Witzburg laid out a series of what her office characterizes as obstructions by the city’s law department and sought new legislation to buttress the OIG’s independence. In unusually strong language for a council memo, the document alleges that the city’s Department of Law “selectively acts in opposition to OIG’s investigative work when OIG’s work may result in embarrassment or political consequences to City leaders.”

* Tribune | City watchdog: Mayor Brandon Johnson’s Law Department hindering probes over fear of political embarrassment: In a scathing 14-page letter sent late last week to the head of the City Council’s Ethics Committee, Inspector General Deborah Witzburg said the law departments for Johnson and other mayors selectively impeded investigations by withholding records, slow-walking compliance with inspector general’s office subpoenas and demanding top mayoral lawyers be allowed to attend confidential investigative interviews. “It is not, and cannot be, within Corporation Counsel’s authority to unilaterally choose which City actors may be meaningfully investigated by (the inspector general’s office),” Witzburg wrote.

* Block Club | Snow Returns Friday Night, Followed By ‘Really, Really Cold’ Week Ahead: The silver lining is a warmup arriving Friday, with temperatures in the upper 20s and potentially reaching the mid-30s by Saturday, said National Weather Service Meteorologist Gino Izzi.

* Sun-Times | ‘I ain’t got nothing to lose,’ says ex-White Sox star Tim Anderson, who’s trying to save his career in Angels camp: It’s a different-looking Anderson this spring. He’s sporting a thick, black beard and wearing No. 77 in red. When a player’s number goes up by 70, it’s usually not the best sign, a visitor from the Sun-Times pointed out. “That’s true,” Anderson said, laughing easily, “but I’m just thankful to be here, grateful all the way down. I got another shot at it. It’s just a little challenge, and I ain’t got nothing to lose.”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Tribune | In absence of state regulation, some suburbs are banning hemp products that get users high: In a family-friendly suburb northwest of Chicago, local officials were worried about a proliferation of shops selling hemp products that can get users high. One smoke shop in Rolling Meadows moved in next to a Dunkin’ Donuts. Two more are down the street from a middle school. […] Citing safety concerns, particularly for kids, Mayor Lara Sanoica and the City Council approved a ban on the retail sale of products containing hemp-derived THC, a psychoactive compound that gets users high. The ban took effect this month.

* Daily Herald | ‘This is a safe environment’: Amid fears of deportation sweeps, schools work to protect students: While many suburban school districts say they have not had any interaction with immigration authorities in recent weeks, President Donald Trump’s stepped up enforcement efforts have led to widespread concern. Many districts have sent home letters to parents reassuring them that they will provide a safe environment for students to learn.

* Evanston Now | A step toward zero waste?: In 2018, the City of Evanston passed a Climate Action and Resilience Plan, calling for the city to achieve zero waste by 2050. While the goal may seem lofty, a community-led grassroots effort to make it a reality took a step forward Thursday night with a presentation of a roadmap to the city’s Environment Board.

* Tribune | Actor Steve Carell tapped as Northwestern University’s Commencement speaker: “I’m thrilled to be speaking at Northwestern’s Commencement this year,” Carell told Northwestern. “My speech’s theme will be ‘The Importance of Lowering Expectations,’ which for these graduates, should start with my speech.” Carell’s comedy career got started in Chicago, according to the university, when he joined The Second City beginning in 1987. While there, he worked with Stephen Colbert, a Northwestern alum, and both did Dana Carvey’s short-lived sketch comedy show before Carell joined “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.”

*** Downstate ***

* WCIA | Urbana Mayor candidates making final pushes before primary: There’s less than two weeks until the Urbana Democratic primary on Feb. 25. That’s when Deshawn Williams will face off against Annie Feldmeier-Adams for the right to replace current Mayor Diane Marlin. “We’re feeling strong as we finish out,” Feldmeier-Adams said.

* BND | Belleville mayor’s former advisers endorse her challenger as campaign ramps up: Two of Belleville Mayor Patty Gregory’s closest former advisers are throwing their support behind her challenger in the mayoral race. Gigi Dowling Urban, who worked as administrative liaison to the mayor from the beginning of Gregory’s term in 2021 until she resigned last month, endorsed City Clerk Jenny Gain Meyer in a Facebook post this week. “When I consider honestly which candidates will represent our citizens with hard work, honesty, and integrity, there really is no other choice,” wrote Urban, who also is running for Ward 2 alderperson in the April 1 consolidated election.

*** National ***

* NBC Chicago | This obscure law is one reason Trump’s agenda keeps losing in court: Lawyers challenging President Donald Trump’s aggressive use of executive power in the courts are turning to a familiar weapon in their armory: an obscure but routinely invoked federal law called the Administrative Procedure Act. While lawsuits challenging such provocative plans as ending birthright citizenship and dismantling federal agencies raise weighty constitutional issues, they also claim Trump failed to follow the correct procedures as required under the wonky 1946 statute.

* Nieman Lab | Trump wants news outlets to get on board with “Gulf of America” — or else. Will they?: You know what else is political? The language that news organizations choose to use. “Illegal immigrants” vs. “undocumented people,” “estate tax” vs. “death tax,” “rebels” vs. “freedom fighters,” “racist” vs. “racially charged” — each choice tells readers something about the underlying assumptions of the writer or publication. Language choices can either lend legitimacy or withhold it. So it’s not surprising that the tension between these two forces — a government changing a familiar place name and journalists deciding whether to go along — has become a political flashpoint.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)

Friday, Feb 14, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Live coverage

Friday, Feb 14, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. Hopefully, enough reporters and news outlets migrate to BlueSky so we can hopefully resume live-posting.

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Selected press releases (Live updates)

Friday, Feb 14, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Thursday, Feb 13, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Bloomberg

The New York Stock Exchange plans to move its Chicago equities exchange to Texas, the latest firm seeking a slice of the financial services industry in a state where the taxes are lower and regulation looser.

NYSE said it will reincorporate its NYSE Chicago operations in Texas and will launch the fully electronic exchange in Dallas, pending regulatory filings. The exchange will serve companies from Texas and around the world, it said. NYSE Chicago is the successor to the Chicago Stock Exchange, founded in 1882.

NYSE’s move underscores the heightened allure of Texas for corporations and financial firms seeking to benefit from a more relaxed regulatory environment than blue states like New York and California. Dallas is host to the Texas Stock Exchange, which counts BlackRock Inc. and Citadel Securities among its backers and plans to begin trading in early 2026. Nasdaq last year reorganized its listings business into three regional divisions including Texas.

“As the state with the largest number of NYSE listings, representing over $3.7 trillion in market value for our community, Texas is a market leader in fostering a pro-business atmosphere,” NYSE President Lynn Martin said in a statement.

* Illinois Department of Agriculture

The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) is issuing a 30-day suspension, effective today, Tuesday, February 11, 2025, on the exhibition or sale of poultry at swap meets, exhibitions, flea markets, and auction markets in response to the ongoing threat of H5N1 avian flu. The move is intended to reduce and prevent the spread of the disease, which has been detected in commercial and backyard flocks in Illinois.

“Prevention is our most effective tool to mitigate the spread of avian flu. By being proactive in biosecurity and limiting poultry movement and exposure, we are protecting the public as well as the poultry industry,” said Dr. Mark Ernst, IDOA State Veterinarian.

Avian flu is caused by an influenza type A virus which can infect poultry (such as chickens, turkeys, pheasants, quail, domestic ducks, geese, and guinea fowl) and wild birds (especially waterfowl). Avian flu virus strains are extremely infectious, often fatal to chickens, and can spread rapidly from flock to flock. […]

Everyone is reminded not to handle or attempt to capture wild waterfowl or other birds displaying signs of illness. Due to risk of infection to other animals, dogs, cats and other pets should be kept away from the carcasses of birds that may have died from avian flu.

*** Madigan Trial ***

* WTTW | After Madigan’s Conviction, Lawmakers Ask: Has Illinois Done Enough to Root Out Corruption?: “The time to start cleaning up Illinois government was many years ago,” House Minority Floor Leader Patrick Windhorst (R- Harrisburg) said. “That work should begin in earnest now.” Some Democrats say with Madigan four years out of the speaker’s chair, that change has already happened. In a statement, Gov. J.B. Pritzker called the verdict an “important message to anyone in government” that “if you choose corruption you will be found out, and you will be punished.”

* If you need a refresher


*** Statehouse News ***

* WAND | Attorney General Raoul joins coalition proving guidance for businesses on diversity and inclusion: The guidance comes in response to a Trump Administration executive order that targets “illegal DEI and DEIA policies.” The coalition’s guidance informs companies that efforts to seek and support diverse, equitable, inclusive and accessible workplaces are not illegal, and the federal government cannot prohibit these efforts in the private sector through an executive order, Raoul said.

*** Chicago ***

* WTTW | Chicagoans Dissatisfied With CPD, Have No Confidence in Reform Push: Federal Court Monitor Survey: The third community survey from the monitoring team charged with enforcing the federal court order known as the consent decree found that Chicagoans’ confidence in CPD and the reform effort is exceedingly low, despite a reform push that is slated to cost Chicago taxpayers $208.8 million in 2025 alone. The survey’s results are the latest indication that CPD has so far failed to address the decades of brutality and civil rights violations that led to the consent decree, even as that binding federal court order prepares to mark its sixth anniversary.

* Block Club | Heartland Alliance Health Clinics, Food Pantries Will Close This Month, Earlier Than Planned: Heartland Alliance Health will abruptly close its clinics and food pantries in less than two weeks, far sooner than what employees were initially told last week. The community health care nonprofit will close its three food pantries Feb. 22 and its Uptown and Englewood clinics Feb. 26 due to financial issues, according to Michael Brieschke, chair of the union representing many Heartland workers.

* Sun-Times | After Sun-Times inquiries, Tara Stamps says she’ll step down as Mayor Johnson’s campaign chair : Cook County Commissioner Tara Stamps says she’s stepping down as chairperson of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s campaign fund, after facing questions about whether it was appropriate for her to be overseeing it at the same time that she’s on the payroll for the Chicago Teachers Union. “It just made sense,” Stamps said this week. “For all parties involved.” A Chicago Sun-Times reporter asked Stamps and Johnson’s aides earlier this month whether her employment with the CTU — which is in the midst of contract talks with Chicago Public Schools — presents a conflict of interest.

* The Newberry | Newly Digitized: E. Winston and Ina D. Williams NAACP papers: The Newberry has launched a new digital collection featuring photographs, brochures, correspondence, and more documenting the Chicago chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The E. Winston and Ina D. Williams NAACP papers—made up of over 1,000 individual items—are the latest of the Newberry’s holdings to be made freely available online for study and re-use by researchers worldwide.

* Block Club | Isadore Channels, 1920s Trailblazing Athlete, Was ‘Queen’ Of The Courts: In Chicago, Channels began a new era as another kind of pioneer, clinching titles and setting records on the basketball and tennis courts before quietly retiring from sports to become a nurse. Channels “may have been Chicago’s first trash-talker, pre-dating Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan by more than 50 years,” according to the Black Fives Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the history of Blacks in basketball. Yet, Channels’ story and legacy as “one of the greats” has gone largely unrecognized, Pruter said.

* WBEZ | Chicago History Museum workers want to join an arts industry unionization wave: About two dozen workers at the Chicago History Museum have signed a letter saying they plan to unionize. In the letter, issued Wednesday morning, the employees said they are seeking clear communication from management and competitive wages. The move is one in a wave of similar organizing efforts at other Chicago cultural institutions. The workers are organizing with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, or AFSCME Council 31. Workers from the Art Institute of Chicago, the Field Museum and Newberry Library, among others, have joined that same union in recent years.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald | Elgin moves to ban sale of THC products: Saying they couldn’t wait any longer for the state to provide guidance, Elgin City Council members on Wednesday granted preliminary approval of a citywide ban on sales of synthetically derived THC products. The ordinance, which needs final approval during an upcoming city council meeting, would ban the advertisement, display, sale and delivery of Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, products without a state license.

* WBEZ | Ravinia announces a $75 million renovation plan for the Highland Park venue: The Ravinia Festival in Highland Park will undergo a $75 million, multi-year transformation of its 36-acre music campus over the course of the next several years, leading up to the outdoor venue’s 125th anniversary in 2029, it was announced Thursday. This marks the first such all-encompassing renovation since the iconic park, with its Prairie School architecture and sprawling lawn/picnic areas, opened in 1904 as a summertime “high-end amusement park” and music-venue escape from the congestion of Chicago at the turn of the century.

* Shaw Local | Plainfield playground dedicated to Muslim child killed in alleged hate crime: On Wednesday, the Plainfield Park District’s Board of Commissioners passed a resolution honoring the memory of Wadee Alfayoumi, 6, by naming a sensory playground at Van Horn Woods in his remembrance. […] In a statement, Carlo Capalbo, executive director of the park district, said the district is “honored to dedicate this playground to Wadee’s memory.” “Our hope is that it will serve as a space where all children, regardless of ability, can experience the joy of play,” Capalbo said.

*** Downstate ***

* CBS | Residents describe interactions with Illinois sheriff’s office tied to Sonya Massey’s death: “I was terrified”: When Billie Greer saw the video of Massey, her reaction was that she thought it could have happened to her. In 2022, Greer got a knock on her door by a different Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy than the one who shot Massey. When she declined to accept court paperwork for a relative, she said a longtime deputy followed her to an elderly neighbor’s home where she was delivering food and arrested her.

* Press Release | Southern Illinois University Carbondale officially among top research schools in the U.S.: Southern Illinois University Carbondale today (Feb. 13) has officially entered the ranks of the top research universities in the nation: It has been designated Research 1, or R1, in the Carnegie Classifications of Institutions of Higher Education. The prestigious designation by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching confirms SIU Carbondale is in the same league as elite private and flagship universities across the country. Less than 5% of the nearly 4,000 classified institutions are designated Research 1: Very High Spending and Doctorate Production.

* WCIA | Popular true crime Netflix show filming in Kankakee Co.: The third season of “Monster” has taken over downtown Momence. And, according to the Momence Police Department, crews were filming on Wednesday, beginning around 9 a.m. The scene took place on Washington St. and involved a large number of men, armed with rubber/plastic prop firearms. The firearms are “non-operational” according to police. But, for safety reasons, police inspected the weapons before filming.

* WJBD | Lincoln Unlocked brings new digital experiences to presidential library: Museum visitors can point their phones at exhibits to see historic figures spring to life. They can take themed tours to dive into the roles of women and African Americans during Lincoln’s life. And they can hear “Lincoln” deliver the Gettysburg Address or listen to a music box owned by Mary Lincoln. It’s also an accessibility aide, offering content in six languages and enriching visits for people who are Deaf or visually impaired.

* News-Gazette | After 12 years of work, it’s showtime for Hoopeston’s Lorraine Theatre: When the lights go down today for the first showing of the new film “Captain America: Brave New World” at the Lorraine Theatre, the president of the Save the Lorraine Foundation will be thinking about all the volunteers, hours of work and donors and community members who made it a reality. Alex Houmes said reaching this historic night has involved more than 12 years of fundraising, renovations and equipment upgrades at the more-than-100-year-old theater at 324 E. Main St., Hoopeston.

*** National ***

* Chalkbeat | Linda McMahon invested in dozens of bonds funding public school projects across the US: Based on her holdings, it’s likely McMahon earns at least $900,000 a year in interest payments from investing in those public education-related bonds in two dozen states, a Chalkbeat analysis found. That’s based on the minimum value of the bonds and assumes a conservative 2.5% yield on the investments. […] A representative for McMahon could not be reached for comment. But McMahon has said she would divest from 78 bonds that fund public education projects, the ethics forms show, including 64 bonds issued to K-12 school districts or agencies.

* WaPo | Animal owners used these chips to track pets. Then the company went dark: For years, animal shelters and veterinary clinics have implanted grain-of-rice-size microchips in cats and dogs meant to help reunite them with their owners. Clinics scan the implant to get its unique number and call the chip company to find a lost pet’s family. But what happens when the microchip company disappears, taking its pet-owner information with it? That’s the situation facing potentially thousands of pet owners who used devices from pet-chip maker Save This Life, which has stopped responding to all entreaties even as its data has disappeared, according to animal shelters and others in the industry.

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What is a Credit Union?

Thursday, Feb 13, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

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The jury reached a partial verdict. Now what?

Thursday, Feb 13, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Click here to check out yesterday’s coverage. US Attorney’s Office

A federal jury in Chicago [yesterday] convicted former Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives MICHAEL J. MADIGAN on conspiracy and bribery charges for using his official position to corruptly solicit and receive personal financial rewards for himself and his associates. […]

A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled. Each wire fraud count is punishable by a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, while each bribery count is punishable by up to ten years. The maximum for conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States and each count of using interstate facilities to promote unlawful activity is five years.

* Tribune Court Reporter Jason Meisner


* ABC Chicago explained what will happen in the forfeiture hearing

While Madigan’s defense team will undoubtedly appeal the verdict, he still faces a forfeiture hearing during which the judge will determine how much money he will need to fork over to the federal government.

And then, there is the sentencing. That is likely still several months away, but it is expected the judge will sentence him to serving at least some time in prison. How much will depend on a variety of factors, including how much of an example the government wants to make of him, but also his age. […]

He remains free on bond pending sentencing.

Yesterday when Madigan attorney Todd Pugh was asked about a potential appeal he said it was “too soon.”

* Courthouse News Service

Acting U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual said “no decision has been made” on whether prosecutors would try to retry Madigan or McClain over the jury’s deadlock.

Presiding U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey, a Barack Obama appointee, in his own comments to attorneys prior to the verdict, said prosecutors could “let the dust settle” on the deadlocked counts before deciding if it’s worth it to retry them.

“Maybe it isn’t,” the judge quipped.

* Tribune

In addition to deciding whether to retry Madigan on the deadlocked counts, prosecutors are scheduled to retry a related case against former AT&T Illinois boss Paul La Schiazza in June, after a different jury also failed to reach a verdict in his trial last year.

Also, a decision on whether the “ComEd Four” defendants — which includes McClain — will get a new trial is expected to come down any day.

  48 Comments      


AG Raoul says more attorneys needed for Trump admin lawsuits

Thursday, Feb 13, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* WBEZ on Monday

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul is suing to block President Donald Trump’s administration from cutting off billions of dollars in federal funding to medical and public health institutions nationwide, a move that Chicago experts warn would have “catastrophic effects” on critical research.

Raoul announced the lawsuit Monday along with 21 other Democratic attorneys general who argue “cutting-edge work to cure and treat human disease will grind to a halt” if courts allow the Trump-led National Institutes of Health and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to slash grant funding. […]

The University of Illinois system relies on about $67 million in NIH funding annually — dollars that last year helped develop an updated drug to treat blood cancer in children, Raoul said. NIH grants “have led to innumerable scientific breakthroughs,” their lawsuit states.

This is the fourth multi-state lawsuit Raoul has joined since President Trump’s inauguration.

* Rich dug into Raoul’s lawsuit against the federal government’s funding freeze last month

Last Monday night, the White House announced a sweeping new policy that would’ve at least temporarily defunded trillions of dollars of government spending on everything from the national school lunch program to Head Start to cancer and sleep disorders research, and on and on through 50 small-print pages. […]

The White House withdrew the order, but then the White House press secretary insisted that the cuts would still happen even without the directive. Another lawsuit, filed by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and several colleagues from across the country, began to move forward.

That process came to a head on Friday when a federal judge issued a sweeping temporary restraining order blocking the Trump administration from doing anything that could reduce spending already approved by Congress. Judge John J. McConnell even quoted a ruling that Trump-appointed Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh handed down when he was a circuit court judge, “even the President does not have unilateral authority to refuse to spend the funds.”

The state could similarly be in for years of court fights over this current federal-spending battle, and likely more in the future, while, as under Rauner, the institutions and people down below try to survive.

There’s no way that this state government can adequately plan for what might happen next because nobody knows what will happen next. I mean, who could’ve predicted perhaps the most aggressive challenge ever to the U.S. Congress’ constitutional-appropriations powers would be launched last week?

* On Monday, Peter Hancock asked Raoul how his office is handling the surge of lawsuits

And while Raoul admits the cost of those cases is stretching the resources of his office, he said he is not yet ready to ask lawmakers for additional funding to cover those costs. […]

In an interview with Capitol News Illinois, Raoul said the volume of litigation has become so intense, he would like to add new attorneys who would focus solely on litigation battling the Trump administration.

“The role of state attorneys general has expanded from what it used to be. It has happened on both sides of the aisle,” Raoul said. “There’s been more involvement of state attorneys general, like during the Obama administration. Republican state attorneys general were very active trying to respond to the administration’s executive orders and suing over the Affordable Care Act and numerous other things. So during Trump’s first term, likewise, Democrat attorneys general were involved in trying to protect against federal executive branch overreach.”

Raoul noted that his office’s budget has grown since he was first elected attorney general in 2018. According to the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, it has more than doubled in six years to just under $194 million in the current fiscal year.

Thoughts?

  31 Comments      


It’s just a bill

Thursday, Feb 13, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Crain’s

Illinois, whose notoriously high property taxes are a constant source of grief for property owners, should look into abandoning the concept and relying more on income taxes for revenue, according to a bill introduced in Springfield last week.

It’s an ambitious five-year plan. Research should start forthwith to “determine the feasibility of eliminating, by no later than January 1, 2030, the property tax system in the state,” says HB3338, introduced Feb. 7 by Rep. Thaddeus Jones, 29th-Calumet City. […]

The Jones bill is more specific about the direction the state should go than a law passed by both houses last year and signed by Gov. JB Pritzker in August. That measure requires the Department of Revenue to undertake a “comprehensive review” of the property tax system, but doesn’t mention shutting it all down.

The 2024 law is similar to a law Pritzker signed in August 2019 creating a property tax relief task force. The report that resulted recommended reforming the assessment process, reorganizing school funding and other measures, but didn’t call for ending the state’s property tax system that dates to the early 1900s.

* WAND

Illinois House Democrats have a new bill that would allow migrants with federal work permits to become firefighters.

Under current law, anyone applying to become a firefighter has to be a U.S. citizen.

State Rep. Barbara Hernandez (D-Aurora) said she wants to be clear that undocumented immigrants will not be allowed to take the job.

“They automatically think I’m helping undocumented individuals or I’m allowing them to be firefighters. That is not the case,” Hernandez said. “This is only for individuals that have federal approval to work here.”

Migrants that apply for the job will still have to go through the same recruitment and training process that is required of every firefighter.

* Rep. Kam Buckner filed HB3256 earlier this month

Creates the People Over Parking Act. Provides that, except as otherwise provided in the Act, a unit of local government may not impose or enforce any minimum automobile parking requirements on a development project if the project is located within one-half mile of a public transportation hub. Limits the concurrent exercise of home rule powers. Defines terms. Effective June 1, 2025.

* WICA

Illinois judicial campaigns have become very expensive, with interest groups and wealthy donors throwing around lots of cash to get their favorite judge on the bench. This has raised questions about the fairness of the election and money’s influence on the campaign.

Sen. Rachel Ventura (D-Joliet) filed a bill looking to reduce the influence of private donors in Supreme Court and Appellate Court races. This will allow candidates to use public funds instead of interest group funds. She filed the bill in response to the record-breaking amount of money spent in the 2022 Illinois Supreme Court Elections. […]

“The goal is to allow all judges to have the same opportunity, “ Ventura said. “And to get rid of that kind of off-putting feeling that someone is donating to a judge who may then later be making decisions that harm or hurt them or help them.” […]

The bill proposes a public financing program for Supreme Court and Appellate Court candidates through the Judicial Election Democracy Trust Fund.

* SB1874 from Sen. Patrick Joyce

Amends the Public Utilities Act. In provisions regarding a certificate of public convenience and necessity, makes changes to the limitations on the construction of a nuclear power reactor. Provides that, beginning January 1, 2026, construction may commence on an advanced nuclear reactor (rather than a new nuclear power reactor with a nameplate capacity of 300 megawatts of electricity or less) within the State under specified conditions. Defines “advanced nuclear reactor”. Makes other changes.

* Rep. Jed Davis…

State Representative Jed Davis (R-Yorkville) recently filed three bills aimed at supporting students with disabilities, offering more resources to their parents, and promoting new disability training for teachers, staff, and administrators in Illinois schools.

“These bills are a game-changer – giving students with disabilities, their families, and educators the real support they deserve,” said Rep. Davis.

    - House Bill 1097 allows parents or guardians to record audio during meetings regarding their child’s individualized education program (IEP).
    - House Bill 1106 lets school districts create volunteer Special Education Advisory Committees when parents request them.
    - House Bill 1107 requires school staff training to better understand and support students with disabilities.

Rep. Davis concluded, “These bills tackle multiple weak spots in current Illinois law addressing students with disabilities. Together, we can create a framework for children, parents, and educators to ensure all Illinois students succeed.”

These are three of the twelve bills included in Rep. Davis’ Protecting Kids Bill Package.

* Meanwhile… In Indiana. The Post-Tribune

A bill aimed at attracting the Chicago Bears, or another sports franchise, to Northwest Indiana passed out of the Indiana House Ways and Means committee Tuesday with two amendments.

House Bill 1292 would establish a Northwest Indiana professional sports development commission, which would study plans to attract one or more professional sports franchises.

The commission would be tasked with creating a comprehensive master plan for building the facilities needed to attract one or more professional sports franchises in the region.

The House Ways and Means Committee amended the bill Tuesday to remove language about paying any state employee on the commission travel expenses and non-state employee commissioners the minimum salary per diem and reimbursement for travel outlined in state code.

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RETAIL: The Largest Employer In Illinois

Thursday, Feb 13, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Retail creates more jobs in Illinois than any other private sector employer, with one out of every four workers employed by the retail sector. Importantly, retail is an industry in which everyone, regardless of credentials, can find a viable career path.

Retailers, like Andrea and Fran enrich our economy and strengthen our communities. We Are Retail and IRMA showcase the retailers who make Illinois work.

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Open thread

Thursday, Feb 13, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Alabama Shakes is reuniting and playing at the Salt Shed on July 16. Isabel and I have tickets. Anyone want to join us? We could make it a blog group outing.

From a long time ago when they were still doing party barge shows

Anyway, what’s happening by you?

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Isabel’s morning briefing

Thursday, Feb 13, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Jury foreman grew up thinking Madigan was ‘good person,’ but in the end was convinced of his guilt. Sun-Times

    - Jury foreman Timothy Nessner and other jurors interviewed by the Sun-Times said the jury managed to keep its cool as they reviewed months of testimony and evidence, including video secretly recorded by the FBI.
    - “We re-listened to the tapes over and over, ad nauseam,” one juror, a 44-year-old suburban educator, said.
    - Another juror said she was “shocked” when Madigan was called to the stand, but in her eyes, it “really humanized him” in both a “good and bad way.”

* Subscribers received more details about the trial this morning.

* Related stories…

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* NYT | A Lost Silent Film About Lincoln Was Unearthed by an Intern: Standing in the vault during the final week of his internship last August, Martin could have picked his next stack of films from any number of shelves. The one he happened to select included a remarkable discovery: five film cans containing 16-millimeter film of “The Heart of Lincoln,” a 1922 picture that was one of more than 7,000 silent films considered lost by the Library of Congress.

* WIRED | The GSA Plans to Sell Hundreds of Its Federal Government Buildings: According to the list, the buildings destined for the block include the John C. Kluczynski Federal Building in Chicago, which houses satellite offices for the Department of Labor, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, a probation office, and offices for Democratic Illinois senators Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin. The building also has broader cultural significance—it was designed by renowned architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and features an iconic Alexander Calder sculpture. … Many of the federal buildings on the list of non-core real estate are fully occupied, sources tell WIRED. This includes buildings like the Senator Paul Simon Federal Building in Carbondale, Illinois, which houses offices for the Federal Aviation Administration, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Social Security Administration

* WCIA | IL Manufacturers’ Association hosting 6th Annual ‘Makers Madness’ contest: Nominations for “The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois” are now being accepted at makersmadnessil.com. Voting will also take place here, beginning March 4. Any product that is manufactured in Illinois can be nominated for the tournament. Additionally, while qualifying products must be made in Illinois, the manufacturers’ headquarters don’t have to be in the state.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Naperville Sun | Man charged after allegedly threatening to ‘blow up’ Naperville-based state rep: A Downers Grove man has been charged with threatening to “blow up” state Rep. Anne Stava Murray in a phone message he allegedly left for the Naperville Democrat. William Dzadon, 71, of the 100 block of 55th Street, turned himself in to the Illinois State Police Tuesday after an arrest warrant on two counts of threatening a public official was issued Feb. 7, a news release from DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly said.

* Daily Herald | Transit funding crisis coming to a head in Springfield: “We’re really at a critical point,” RTA Executive Director Leanne Redden said at a Transit is the Answer Coalition meeting. “If the General Assembly does not find a funding solution for the fiscal cliff by the end of May” it will result in a budget gap and 40% service cuts to Metra, Pace and the CTA, Redden cautioned.

*** Statewide ***

* Illinois Times | Student MAP grants lower than expected: College students who receive Monetary Awards Program grants are seeing an 8% cut in their spring semester assistance after a higher-than-expected number of eligible students enrolled in classes this school year. The cuts represent a $12 to $336, or 8%, reduction compared to students’ previously estimated MAP grants, according to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, which administers the grant program.

*** Chicago ***

* WTTW | Acting CTA President Pledges Outreach, Engagement as Agency Works to Tackle Budget Gap and Draw Back Passengers: A key way for the CTA to learn about rider priorities is the agency’s chatbot launched last spring, which allows people to submit complaints about issues on the system. Leerhsen said she asked the team behind the chatbot to look for trends, and that baseline things like cleanliness and smoking quickly emerged as common themes. “The smoking issue does come up as a primary complaint,” Leerhsen said. “Not all rule violations are created equal, and I think smoking really has an ability to really set a tone for a rider that is not indicative of what we want them to see.”

* Block Club | Mayor’s Office Releases ‘Gift Room’ Log, Video Following Inspector General Investigation: A dedicated city webpage now hosts the full log of gifts received by the city dating back to when Johnson took office in May 2023. The city has also posted a brief video of the room to YouTube, which it plans to update quarterly. The protocols now require all gifts be logged within 10 days of receipt and reported to the city’s Board of Ethics and comptroller. The gifts will be posted on the city’s website and will include a description of the gift, the date it was received and the name of the donor “to the extent provided,” among other criteria.

* WBEZ | Parents demand answers on the fate of Acero charter schools: Nearly two months after the Chicago Board of Education voted to save five of the seven Acero charter schools slated for closure, Chicago Public Schools officials and the schools’ private operator still have not landed an agreement for the schools to remain open. School board members joined Acero teachers and parents in asking for the status of those talks at a board meeting Wednesday and voicing their impatience at the lack of clarity on the future of the privately managed, publicly funded charter schools.

* Chalkbeat Chicago | Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez one of six candidates for superintendent job in Clark County, Nevada: The school board voted to fire Martinez without cause in December after growing hostility with Mayor Brandon Johnson. His contract allows him to stay on as CEO until June and he is currently suing the Chicago Board of Education. But according to an agenda for a special meeting posted online, Martinez was one of 46 people to apply for the job leading the Nevada district, which is the fifth largest in the nation after CPS. The Clark County Board of School Trustees will meet Feb. 18 to discuss the slate of six candidates vying to be the next superintendent.

* Block Club | ‘The Bear’ Looking For Babies, Chefs And Average Chicagoans To Be Extras In New Season: Filming starts as soon as Feb. 25, according to local casting agency 4 Star Casting, which posted a call for extras on social media. That includes a 2- or 3-year-old body double for Richard “Richie” Jerimovich’s (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) daughter, Eva. There’s also a 4 Star Casting call for an infant under six months old for March, according to the agency’s Facebook.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald | Hayes endorses Tinaglia to succeed him as Arlington Heights mayor: After initial reluctance to make an endorsement, Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayes Wednesday threw his support behind Trustee Jim Tinaglia to succeed him in the village’s top elected post. At the same, Trustee Robin LaBedz — Hayes’ president pro tem — backed Trustee Tom Schwingbeck to be the next mayor.

* Daily Herald | Supervisor Tiffany Henyard absent from Thornton Township Board, trustees push back budget vote: From her Thornton Township office, Henyard recorded and posted a live video at around the time of the meeting where she said she chose not to attend due to security concerns. Tuesday marked the first regularly scheduled meeting since a brawl broke out Jan. 28 involving Henyard, her boyfriend, community activists and others. “I was not going to be in jeopardy of being attacked or anything of that nature,” Henyard said in the video. She claimed trustees changed the layout of the board meeting last minute, “which was very concerning and alarming.”

* Daily Herald | Schaumburg trustees approve village’s first residential conversion of office building: The project’s anticipated 16- to18-month time frame includes replacing the original facade with an aluminum surface with a wood appearance. The interior work will carve out a mixture of 19 studio, 63 one-bedroom, and 16 two-bedroom apartments. Each unit will have its own balcony, laundry machines and temperature control.

*** Downstate ***

* The Southern | ‘This is our moonshot:’ Marion approves issuing first STAR bonds: It was then that the Marion city council voted unanimously to pass an ordinance approving the issuance of series 2025 STAR bonds, the first such bonds issued by the city since legislation was passed in 2010 allowing Marion to do so. In short, STAR bonds, short for sales tax and revenue, uses the state and local sales tax generated in a specific area to pay for projects developed in that area.

* WAND | UIS hosts ‘Hackathon’ to solve real-world challenges using tech: “The goal is they work in these teams and they really begin to see how what they’re learning in the classroom can be used to for real world problems for populations that maybe many aren’t thinking about or aren’t thinking about how technology can be the solution,” said Travis Bland, interim dean of the College of Health, Science and Technology.

*** National ***

* Mediaite| ‘Costs And Chaos!’ Ford CEO Warns Trump Tariffs Will ‘Blow A Hole’ In Auto Industry: Ford CEO Jim Farley warned that President Donald Trump’s tariff threats will “blow a hole” in the auto industry and manufacturers faced a spike in “costs” and “chaos.” Speaking at a Wolfe Research conference on Tuesday, according to Axios, Farley warned that Trump’s tariff-heavy trade tactics, whether targeting neighbors like Canada and Mexico or raw materials like steel and aluminum, are poised to wreak havoc on his industry.

  18 Comments      


Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)

Thursday, Feb 13, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

This post is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:

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Live coverage

Thursday, Feb 13, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. Hopefully, enough reporters and news outlets migrate to BlueSky so we can hopefully resume live-posting.

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Selected press releases (Live updates)

Thursday, Feb 13, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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« NEWER POSTS PREVIOUS POSTS »
* Selected react to budget reconciliation bill passage (Updated x3)
* Reader comments closed for Independence Day
* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Some fiscal news
* Isabel’s afternoon roundup (Updated)
* RETAIL: Strengthening Communities Across Illinois
* Groups warn about plan that doesn't appear to be in the works
* SB 328: Separating Lies From Truth
* Campaign news: Big Raja money; Benton over-shares; Rashid's large cash pile; Jeffries to speak at IDCCA brunch
* Rep. Hoan Huynh jumps into packed race for Schakowsky’s seat (Updated)
* Roundup: Pritzker taps Christian Mitchell for LG
* Open thread
* Isabel’s morning briefing
* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition (Updated)
* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today's edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
* Selected press releases (Live updates)
* Live coverage
* Trump admin freezes $240 million in grants for Illinois K-12 schools
* Yesterday's stories

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