* A year ago, the Simon Poll found that 72 percent favored a graduated income tax and 24 percent opposed, so this has trended slightly downward. Not sure if it’s noise or actual movement, however. Press release…
Illinois voters favor a graduated income tax by a two to one margin according the most recent poll released by the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University.
The Simon Poll was based on a statewide sample of 1,000 registered voters conducted March 11 through March 17. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 percent.
Respondents also endorsed a related proposal for adding a three percent increase to all income over one million dollars per year. Both these proposals are being advocated by Governor J. B. Pritzker as part of his plan for dealing with the chronic structural deficits Illinois has run since the turn of the 21st Century.
Sixty-seven percent of Illinois voters said they favored the graduated tax plan, “… that is, tax rates would be lower for lower-income taxpayers and higher for upper income taxpayers.” Just under one-third, (31 percent) opposed the plan. The plan received high levels of support across all three major geographic divisions of Illinois with the highest level of support coming from Chicago (74 percent). Voters in suburban Cook and the Collar Counties supported the plan by a 68 percent to 31 percent margin, while 60 percent of downstate voters supported and 37 percent opposed the plan.
In the partisan breakdown, 88 percent of Democrats and 65 percent of Independents favored the plan, while 55 percent of Republicans opposed and 43 percent supported the plan. Only ten percent of Democrats opposed and 31 percent of Independents opposed the graduated income tax plan.
When asked a related and more specific plan for increasing the income tax by 3 percent on all incomes over $1 million annually, 71 percent of voters statewide favored and 27 percent opposed the so-called “millionaire’s tax,” while 27 percent opposed.
The 3 percent surtax on million-dollars incomes was favored by majorities of all three geographical regions and of all three partisan groups. Seventy-five percent of Chicago voters favored while 24 percent opposed this proposal; seventy-one percent of suburban voters in Cook and the Collar Counties favored and 27 percent opposed. Downstate, the plan was favored by 70 percent and 29 percent opposed. Democrats favored the tax increase on incomes over one million dollars per year with 90 percent supporting the measure, compared to only 9 percent in opposition, while 69 percent of Independents supported and 27 percent opposed. Somewhat surprisingly, a bare majority (51 percent) of Republicans supported and 47 percent opposed the three percent increase in taxes for the portion of annual income that exceeds $1 million. […]
Aside from depending on the graduated income tax as the governor advocates, there are other routes to raising increased revenue, several of which are being considered this term in the legislature. Those sources would produce immediate revenue increases for the next two fiscal years. The poll also assessed most of those possible sources of new revenue.
At the top of this list is the proposal to legalize recreational marijuana and regulate and tax it like alcohol. This has become a top legislative item for the Pritzker administration. Sixty-six percent of the respondents favored or strongly favored the plan while 32 percent opposed.
The differences in levels of support are not particularly large by region, but they are in the direction we expected. The highest level of support is in the City of Chicago, where three- quarters (75 percent) favored it and 24 percent opposed. The next highest level of support was in suburban Cook and the Collar Counties with 67 percent favoring and 31 percent opposed. The lowest support levels were downstate, but here, too, the support was well above a majority, at 57 percent favoring with 39 percent opposed.
The partisan differences were fairly marked and as we expected. Seventy-nine percent of Democratic respondents favored legalizing and taxing marijuana, and 65 percent of Independents favored it. The Republicans were virtually tied at 49 percent in favor and 48 percent opposed.
“This may be one of those public policy shifts—like gay marriage—whose time comes fairly quickly. Given the solid support it receives across almost all the groups we surveyed, its strong advocacy from the Pritzker Administration, and aversion to higher taxes, the legislature may feel emboldened to legalize and tax marijuana,” said Charlie Leonard, a co-director of the Simon Poll.
There has long been a movement to expand gambling in the state, and the current Simon Poll presented a generic question about it as it has in the past. This proposal received majority support statewide and across both geographic and partisan divisions. Fifty-seven percent of all respondents favored or strongly favored it, with 40 percent opposed or strongly opposed. Support was highest in the City of Chicago (65 percent), next highest in the suburbs at 56 percent, followed closely by downstate voters at 54 percent.
Support for expanding gambling was spread almost evenly across the three major partisan groups with 59 percent of Democrats, 57 percent of Republicans, and 54 percent of Independents favoring it. This is another policy shift which seems to have a good deal of momentum in the General Assembly and widespread support among the public.
A natural extension of the gambling issue is the recent drive to legalize gambling on sporting events. Several states have already legalized or are planning to legalize sports betting due to a recent U. S. Supreme Court decision favoring it. Statewide almost two-thirds (63 percent) favored or strongly favored while one-third (33 percent) opposed legalized gambling on sports events.
This is another proposal which garnered support from substantial majorities across both geographic and partisan divides. Seventy-two percent of Chicago voters favored and only 26 percent opposed it. Comparable levels of support were found in the suburbs with 63 percent supporting and 33 percent opposing and downstate with 57 percent supporting and 37 percent opposing the legalization of sports betting.
Partisan differences were relatively small also with 66 percent of Democratic voters favoring and 60 percent of Republicans favoring the proposal, leaving 60 percent of Independents supporting allowing gambling on sports events. On the negative side, 30 percent of Democrats, 34 percent of Republicans, and 36 percent of Independents opposed sports gambling.
The possibility of expanding the base of service taxes in order to more accurately reflect the realities of a 21st Century service economy has been on the state’s political agenda for several years. Currently Illinois only taxes 17 categories of services compared to the national average of 56 with a total of 168 categories of services taxed across all states combined. So Illinois is a low tax state in terms of taxes on services.
The Simon Poll asked if respondents favored or opposed, “expanding the sales tax to cover the same services as Wisconsin currently taxes such as a sales tax on entertainment tickets, cable and internet services, landscaping and parking, which are not currently taxed?”
Statewide, 36 percent favored or strongly favored this proposal and 61 percent opposed or strongly opposed it. The highest level of support was in Chicago, where 41 percent supported and 56 percent opposed; followed by downstate where 36 percent supported and 60 percent opposed. The suburbs were marginally the lowest on level of support with 34 percent who supported and 63 percent who opposed.
Partisan differences were as expected, with 47 percent of Democrats favoring and 50 percent opposing expanding the service tax base; 30 percent of Republicans favoring and 66 percent opposing; and 29 percent of Independents favoring and 67 percent opposing.
Since the Pritzker Administration assumed office in January, there has been a great deal of discussion of and movement toward a capital plan. A significant number or other states have adopted an infrastructure plan paid for by motor fuel tax increases recently. Illinois has not had a capital plan since 2010, when Governor Pat Quinn instituted one. Multiple reports have touted the need for new infrastructure and repair of what’s already in place. The problem is, of course, how to pay for such a plan. The most common and most likely source is an increase on the motor fuel tax.
Thirty-seven of the respondents favored and 61 percent opposed the gas tax increase. Support and opposition varied both by region and by partisanship. A majority 52 percent of Chicago residents favored the plan; while in the suburbs 34 percent supported it; and downstate 33 percent supported and 65 percent opposed increasing the gas tax.
Two additional questions on potential revenue sources were interrelated. The Simon Poll has consistently asked whether voters favored applying the state income tax to retirement income. The results have generally been negative on this proposition and this year was no exception. Statewide, 73 percent of the respondents said they somewhat opposed or strongly opposed making this change, while a net of only 23 percent either favored or somewhat favored.
Twenty-nine percent of the residents of Chicago favored and 67 percent opposed taxing retirement income such as Social Security. The idea was even less popular in the suburbs and downstate where only 23 percent and 18 percent respectively favored this change.
Twenty-nine percent of Democrats favored and 67 percent opposed; while 18 percent of Independents and Republicans supported with over 70 percent opposed in both groups.
The final question in the search for possible sources of new revenue is a variation on taxing retirement. It tested the proposition of putting a tax on retirement income if the first $100,000 were exempted from the tax. It was only asked of those respondents (N = 732) who had indicated they were opposed to taxing retirement income in the previous question. Here the statewide division was much closer with 36 percent favoring and 34 percent opposed. There were essentially no notable differences by place of residence or partisanship.
Tuesday, Mar 26, 2019 - Posted by Advertising Department
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Would you support an all-rider motorcycle helmet law in Illinois?
Yes 87%
No 13%
ABATE organized to the hilt when John Cullerton was pushing hard every year for a motorcycle helmet mandate. Cullerton eventually backed off because he realized all he was doing with every bill introduction was making the group stronger. But, hey, times change.
* The Question: Would you support an all-rider motorcycle helmet law in Illinois? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please…
* I received a call from someone close to the Preckwinkle campaign yesterday taunting me about how the Sun-Times had scooped me on my own story. Turns out, the person had called the wrong guy. Oops.
In 2004, a home caught fire on the West Side, killing four children.
Almost immediately, neighbors raised questions about whether 911 calls had been botched by dispatchers, delaying the Chicago Fire Department’s response and costing lives.
At the time, mayoral candidate Lori Lightfoot was chief of staff and general counsel for Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications, the arm of city government that runs the 911 center. In that role, she oversaw an internal review into possible mistakes by call-takers.
And after the Rev. Dwayne and Emily Funches — the parents of three of the dead children — filed a lawsuit against the city, Lightfoot became central to the case, with the family’s attorney accusing her of lying, being “extremely evasive” during a deposition and changing her account about what documents she created or had in her possession, according to court records.
The judge overseeing the lawsuit also took aim at Lightfoot, calling into question her “attitude” and portraying her handling of a temporary restraining order that was supposed to preserve 911 evidence as “very, very troubling.” Some of that evidence ended up getting destroyed, records show.
The judge, Lynn Egan, said at one hearing that “we have a record that supports a reasonable argument that the city is deliberately withholding evidence in this case.”
That could be good oppo for Preckwinkle’s TV ads… if Preckwinkle was still running TV ads.
During an October 2007 hearing, she said Lightfoot’s “response to receipt of a temporary restraining order … was so cavalier and inadequate that it comes close to violating her duties as an officer of a court.”
The following January, city attorneys insisted that neither Lightfoot nor OEMC possessed her records on the fire.
The judge responded by scolding them about Lightfoot again.
“That is very problematic given her deposition testimony that she created multiple files,” Egan said. “I just can’t underscore enough how troubled this court is by her approach to this situation.”
“What you just told me,” the judge said, “suggests that there has been destruction of documents.”
“You might want to alert Ms. Lightfoot [that] she may want to retain personal counsel,” Egan warned.
“It’s important to remember that in this 2004 fire, four young people died,” Preckwinkle said during the debate, before acknowledging her campaign shopped the story to reporters.
I have a policy of labeling all opposition research that I decide to run with. That tends to reduce the amount of oppo I receive, but it is what it is.
State Sen. Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods) was joined by members of the Illinois Senate Republican Caucus on Tuesday to unveil a proposal that would protect middle-class residents by giving them a voice in safeguarding their hard-earned money.
Senate Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 12, sponsored by Sen. McConchie, proposes an amendment to Illinois’ Constitution to prohibit the Legislature from imposing or raising a state tax or fee except through legislation approved by a two-thirds super-majority vote in both the Senate and House of Representatives. Currently, legislators only need a simple majority to pass a tax increase or to implement a new tax.
In announcing their Constitutional Amendment, Republicans said taxpayers deserve the option to decide whether a supermajority should be required when the Legislature votes on legislation dealing with taxes, and noted that increasing taxes in Illinois is too easy and is often used as a first resort when dealing with financial issues.
“With all the new taxes being proposed by the super-majority in both chambers, we need to ensure adequate protections are in place to protect those middle-class families already feeling the burden imposed by years of government over-spending and fiscal mismanagement,” said McConchie.
Senate Republicans noted that 15 states impose some kind of super-majority requirement to raise or implement taxes. Also, similar proposals have been introduced by legislators in Illinois in the past.
“California, who is in a financial position similar to Illinois, has implemented this requirement,” said McConchie. “Wisconsin also has this provision in place. In fact, many states are moving toward empowering their residents by offering this protection.”
To put SJRCA 12 on the ballot in 2020, a 3/5 majority is required, and for the amendment to be adopted, voters must approve it on the ballot with a 3/5th of those voting on the question or a majority of those voting in the election.
If placed on the ballot and approved by voters, any new state tax or any state tax increase would need 40 votes in the Senate and 79 votes in the House.
* Chaser…
Think Big Illinois Executive Director Quentin Fulks released the following statement in response to the Illinois Senate GOP’s proposed constitutional amendment to block the implementation of a fair tax:
“Republicans in Springfield are so desperate to keep our current unfair tax system that they are resorting to political stunts in an attempt to ensure a system that disproportionately places the burden on middle and lower-class families stays in place.
“It’s not surprising that Republicans are using every trick in the book to protect the wealthy donors they rely on to fund their campaigns, but Illinois needs a fair tax to modernize our tax code and bring in much-needed revenue, which will go toward helping solve our budget crisis and fund critical programs, including our schools.
“Under Governor Pritzker’s fair tax plan, 97% of Illinoisans will see no state income tax increase, with only those making above $250,000 paying more. That’s the kind of tax system Illinois’ working families deserve, and that’s what Think Big Illinois will continue to fight for.”
…Adding… One more…
The Senate GOP filed a resolution seeking a constitutional amendment to require a two-thirds majority to raise or enact any new taxes. Speaker Madigan’s spokesman responds, “Typically, [Madigan] has not been a big backer of allowing the minority to exercise outsized control.”
Over 60 percent of Illinoisans believe current transportation funding IS NOT adequate to maintain roadways in their current condition, according to a recent AAA Consumer Pulse™ study. Nearly three quarters of Illinois residents rate the quality of roads and bridges in the state as Fair (47 percent) or Poor (26 percent). Although the majority of Illinoisans don’t think funding is adequate, when asked how to increase funding dollars for transportation, no clear consensus emerged.
The poll itself “Utilized a proprietary online research panel,” which makes me a bit skeptical. It was conducted January 28, 2019 through February 8, 2019 of 403 Illinois respondents.
Do you think existing transportation funding is being used appropriately in Illinois?
Yes 26%
No 74%
Do you believe current transportation funding is adequate or not to maintain roadways in their current condition?
Yes, adequate 39%
No, not adequate 61%
Would you be willing to pay more in taxes or fees to improve the transportation system in Illinois?
Yes 26%
No 74%
In an effort to increase transportation funding, which of the following options would you support? (Select all that apply)
Expand gambling to pay for transportation 39%
Selling bonds to raise funds 23%
Charge tolls on new roads and highway lanes 18%
Increase gasoline taxes 15%
Charge tolls on existing toll-free roads and highway lanes 13%
Charge tax based on vehicle miles traveled (e.g., road usage charge) 12%
Increase registration/plate fees 11%
Indexing the gasoline tax based on inflation 9%
Increase other taxes to pay for transportation (sales, income, property taxes) 5%
None, do not support any of the above 32%
Do you favor or oppose adding toll lanes to existing interstates in Illinois based on traffic congestion?
Favor 44%
Oppose 56%
To help fund roads and bridges, would you support changing Illinois’ tax system from a flat tax (where everybody pays the same amount) to a graduated tax where higher earners pay more?
Yes, I would support a graduated tax system 55%
No, I would not support a graduated tax system 45%
If you had to choose between the three options below to increase transportation funding, which would you most prefer?
Pay a toll to drive on certain lanes/roads 67%
Charge for road usage (tax based on number of miles traveled) 17%
Increase gasoline taxes 16%
In order to adequately fund transportation, how much more per gallon, if any, would you be willing to pay in gasoline taxes?
None, would not be willing to pay more in gasoline taxes 62%
5 cents more 24%
10 cents more 9%
20 cents more 3%
30 cents more 2%
Would you be willing to pay more in taxes or fees to support funding for public transportation, such as buses, rail, bike lanes, etc.?
Yes, willing to pay more 31%
No, not willing to pay more 69%
We’ll get to the last question later, but if this poll is accurate it’s abundantly clear that while Illinoisans know the need is there, they are in no mood for a higher gas tax (or really for any higher tax) to pay for it. And they may be so resistant because they don’t believe the government spends the money well now.
Gov. Pritzker has never signed on to a gas tax increase, and now we may know why.
Also, the fact that 39 percent think this can be solved with gaming money alone is interesting. That’s not a very reliable funding source, but whatevs.
* So, that’s why an advertising campaign paid for by a group associated with Local 150 of the Operating Engineers has its work cut out for it. 150 is backing a bill to double the Motor Fuel Tax and increase fees. It’s a good ad, but it’s a hugely difficult task…
* Chicago Republican Party Chairman Chris Cleveland told the Illinois Review that both mayoral candidates sent out feelers asking for his party’s endorsement. This exchange between Cleveland and a Preckwinkle person made me laugh out loud…
The Preckwinkle inquiry was a bit more ham-handed, the Chicago GOP chairman said.
“I received a call this morning from what sounded like a junior staffer,” said Cleveland. “He just asked straight out — would the Chicago GOP endorse Preckwinkle? I said, um, there’s a bit more to the endorsement process than just a phone call. The staffer sounded offended — ‘She’s against tax increases!’ he said. No, she’s not, I said, and don’t you think it’s unlikely that the Republicans would endorse the head of the Cook County Democratic Party?
“‘Well, these are strange times,’ he said before he hung up,” Cleveland said.
It soon could be easier for students to report bullying or hazing activities at Illinois schools.
State Rep. John Cabello, R-Machesney Park, is behind a bill that would allow students younger than 18 to use a statewide toll-free hotline to identify incidents anonymously.
“You might not want to tell a school official, because you might fear it will be let out you were the one who told,” Cabello said. “This gives them an anonymous way of contacting a hotline so that the hotline can contact the school and/or the jurisdiction of police in that area so someone can start looking into it to make sure it stops.”
The hotline is operated by the Department of Children and Family Services and currently is used to report child abuse or neglect.
“There should be no cost involved, at least to the state,” Cabello said. “Everything is already there. It’s just another way of trying to make sure we get these kids the help they need.”
Even today, far too many schools turn a blind eye to this behavior and it has to stop.
State Rep. Larry Walsh Jr., D-Elwood, has introduced legislation aimed at converting a stretch of Interstate 80 east of Morris into a tollway.
The resolution, if approved, would not finalize plans to convert I-80 into a tollway but could start the process. Walsh said the legislation is needed if a $1 billion-plus plan for improvements is ever to get funded.
“My purpose in introducing it is to bring that option to the forefront,” Walsh said. “We all know how bad I-80 is. We’ve been talking about it for I don’t know how many years.” […]
Walsh said as much as $1.5 billion could be needed to complete improvements planned for 16 miles of I-80 between Route 30 in New Lenox and Ridge Road in Minooka. The state is considering a capital bill that would authorize $38 to $40 billion in road and bridge improvements over 10 years, he said.
“To go and ask for a billion and a half (dollars) for just 16 miles is a huge ask,” Walsh said.
* The Tribune gets some guy from California to write an op-ed about an Illinois House bill that was assigned to subcommittee in February…
Imagine an America that prizes the vitality of newborns and joys of parenting more than our nagging penchant for work.
This remarkable shift now gains steam in a dozen states, where governors seek to create or lengthen paid leave for parents after a newborn arrives.
This includes Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who promises to “embrace more robust policies supporting paid parental leave and affordable child care.” He delivered a long-awaited pay raise this past week to 14,000 caregivers and preschool teachers.
But parental leave initiatives threaten to worsen wide disparities in children’s health and early learning, along the chasms of race and class. This inequity reveals the hazards facing well-meaning Democrats, as they promise unbridled entitlements.
The death of a 2-year-old Chicago boy, tragically beaten to death while under the watch of the Department of Children and Family Services, has sparked concern.
Several stakeholders agree that in recent years, DCFS has been violating the terms of a court ordered consent decree that was supposed to bring caseloads down and help protect kids, like the 2-year-old Ja’hir Gibbons who died last week.
It has been 31 years since Ben Wolf, of the Illinois ACLU, brought a class action lawsuit against the Illinois DCFS that led to the consent decree mandating lower caseloads for investigators and increased reporting requirements. […]
As recently as two weeks ago, the ACLU, which monitors the consent decree, testified before state legislators for help.
“Not only was the department broken and chaotic, but it stopped sharing basic information with us,” Wolf said.
It stopped sharing information?
* I checked with the Illinois ACLU for clarification. Here’s Ed Yohnka…
It is an issue with DCFS that has gotten progressively worse over the past few years. Late last year, the federal court overseeing the BH decree approved a special master to facilitate the exchange of information between the ACLU and DCFS. That has helped this process.
But it is not just sharing information with us. There is other information that DCFS used to make publicly available that no longer is produced. We are hopeful it will improve with new leadership.
* So, what other information is not being shared?…
The simplest thing to point to might be the Executive Statistical Summary, which starting in the late 1990s or early 2000s was made public on-line (at the urging of the ACLU, which had always gotten access to it through the litigation). It included a lot of information each month about how many kids were investigated, how many brought into custody and the placement of each child. In the past few years the State stopped putting it online, and when our counsel asked for it they refused to give us most of this information.
My understanding is that we’re still not getting a lot of it.
In 2018, there were eight car accidents involving Illinois State Police officers. So far in 2019, there have been 14.
Governor J.B. Pritzker joined Illinois State Police Acting Director Brendan Kelly and a group of state police officers on Monday to call on the people of Illinois to be more responsible on the roads.
“Our state troopers are putting their lives on the line every single day,” Pritzker said. “They are our heroes and first responders, keeping people safe. No driver needs to get to their destination so quickly that they need to put a trooper’s life at risk. No one’s time or convenience is worth more than the lives of our state’s heroes.”
The increased attention to Scott’s Law violations comes as State Police experience a recent spike in these crashes, one of which led to the January death of Trooper Christopher Lambert, 34, on Interstate 294 near Northbrook. State Police have recorded 14 such crashes just in the first three months of this year. Previous years saw far fewer cases, with eight in 2018, 12 in 2017 and five in 2016.
Pritzker called the statistics staggering and held the news conference, in part, to provide more awareness about the law. He recalled the condolence call he made to Lambert’s family in urging all motorists to do their part to keep troopers safe on the roadway.
“That call to his family that I made is a call that I never want to have to make again,” Pritzker said, flanked by dozens of troopers. “Not for this. Not because a driver was in too big a hurry to obey the law and keep our troopers safe.” […]
In a news release, State Police said that anyone who is issued a violation of Scott’s Law must appear in court and is subject to a fine between $100 and $10,000. Motorists can lose their driver’s licenses if a violation leads to injury.
Seems to me the penalties should be higher than that.
Kelly said police looked at time, date, location and weather and found “no common denominator” in this year’s crashes involving troopers.
“This year is frankly unprecedented when looking at all statistics. So this is an increasingly great risk for the troopers that are on the side for the road just doing their job, doing traffic enforcement, DUI enforcement, doing criminal patrol duty for drugs and guns,” Kelly said. “So, this is a new level of disregard that we’re seeing by some driving members of the public.”
A federal judge on Monday ordered the arrests of two former political operatives of Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan for failing to appear for depositions in a lawsuit filed by Madigan’s opponent in the 2016 election.
Joseph Nasella and Michael Kuba were each found in contempt of court by U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly, who authorized deputy marshals to “use necessary and reasonable force” in making the arrests, court records show. […]
Gonzales’ attorney, Anthony Peraica, said Monday that Nasella and Kuba were each given notice of their depositions by multiple means — including in person, by certified letter, by email and even via Facebook. […]
Once he learns of their arrests, Peraica said, he plans to take their statements under oath while they still are in custody.
Madigan’s personal attorney, Heather Wier Vaught, on Monday said Madigan’s political organization, Friends of Michael J. Madigan, did not employ Kuba. Wier Vaught said Nasella had been paid “small payments” for working for the campaigns of state Rep. Justin Slaughter, D-Chicago, and state Rep. Mary Flowers, D-Chicago, in 2018. She said he had been “dismissed,” but did not disclose why.
Following a study that found some Illinois Lottery players, particularly young ones, had a poor understanding of the nature of gambling — like that you shouldn’t bank a paycheck on the lottery — the state is launching a campaign to help players make more “informed decisions” when playing.
The study found 63.4 percent of players polled — ages 18 to 24 — had a low level of gambling literacy, meaning they didn’t understand that gambling isn’t a good way to make money; that if you gamble more often, it won’t necessarily mean you’ll win more than you lose or that your chances of winning don’t get better after you’ve lost. […]
A $230,000 Illinois Lottery campaign — launching Monday — will feature social media posts, in-store messaging and paid advertising to drive players to the Illinois Lottery’s website. The goal is to teach players about common myths. And the lottery plans to do further research after the campaign to see if it makes a difference in gaming literacy.
Messages will include, “Set a limit, Stick to it,” as well as “Play for fun. Not funds,” and “Remember, it’s a game of chance.”
The lottery website will also dispel some myths like that there’s no such thing as a “lucky touch,” and winnings are completely random, with no guaranteed rate on a ticket.
Grieving family members say they’ve waited and waited to hear from police about the crime lab analysis of their relatives’ murders.
At a state Senate hearing, they focused their frustration on detectives who did not keep them informed about the progress of their case, and the long delays in getting DNA evidence tested.
Latonya Moore’s daughter, 26-year-old Shantieya Smith, went missing last May in Chicago. She was was found dead in June.
“I haven’t even found out how my daughter was murdered,” Moore told senators. She says she’s called police to ask about the status of her daughter’s case, and been frustrated when return calls are promised but never happen.
“West side and south side — when it come to us, we get swept under the rug. But when it come up north side or somebody else happen, it’s like a racist thing,” Moore said. “Everybody should be treated equal.”
The Senate Public Health and Criminal Law committees held a joint hearing in Chicago Monday on the state’s nearly 700 murder cases still awaiting evidence testing.
“The backlog in murder DNA processing at the state crime lab is unacceptable,” state Sen. Patricia Van Pelt (D-Chicago) said. “Technology exists to test DNA in under two hours, yet DNA from nearly 700 murder cases from the past few years is still backlogged. Law enforcement needs to be taking advantage of this technology. There are 700 families waiting for answers. They deserve closure.”
Thousands of other cases are also awaiting testing in the state backlog. The committee heard testimony from the families of murder victims, the Illinois State Police, representatives from ANDE, a Colorado DNA testing firm, and the Murder Accountability Project, which tracks unsolved homicide cases.
“During my time as a prosecutor assigned to the Violent Crimes Unit for the Madison County State’s Attorney’s office, I saw firsthand the consequences of this state’s mismanagement of DNA evidence,” said state Sen. Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon). “Violent crime cases are extremely time sensitive and most of the time rely solely on DNA evidence. To ensure justice for these victims and their families, we must make the timeliness of these test results a priority. I support the plan to invest in more technicians to combat the thousands of unfinished DNA tests dating back several years.”
* In a move that was likely not a coincidence, the Illinois State Police issued a statement on Sunday evening outlining its plans ahead of Monday’s hearing…
Illinois State Police officials said Monday it will take up to two years to make significant progress in clearing a backlog of more than 5,000 cases — including 658 unsolved homicides — awaiting DNA testing at state crime labs.
Delays in DNA testing at the state police forensics labs have been a periodic problem in Illinois for more than a decade, but the current backlog is a result of understaffing caused by the protracted budget standoff between previous Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and the legislature, Robin Woolery, assistant deputy director of forensic services for the state police, testified to a Senate committee.
“Our staffing dropped significantly, and we’re doing everything we can now to rectify that situation,” Woolery said.
The ISP hired eight new trainees in December for the section that handles DNA testing, and the agency plans to hire 10 more by the end of this year.
* Sunday press release…
Illinois State Police (ISP) Acting Director Brendan Kelly vows to work towards fulfilling the recommendations set forth by the Sexual Assault Tracking Submissions Commission. “Survivors of sexual assault or violent crime shouldn’t be left in the dark while their kit makes its way through a system that can seem cold and indifferent,” said Kelly. “They should know that hospitals, police, forensic scientists, and prosecutors care about their case and transparency is the best way to make sure that happens.”
The Illinois State Police Division of Forensic Services (DFS) has been directed to implement an online sexual assault tracking system by the end of the year. Kelly has directed the current laboratory IT vendor to begin development of the online system immediately using a special exemption under the state’s procurement code.
Once implemented, the sexual assault tracking system will allow survivors of sexual assault to monitor their evidence online throughout the entire process, from collection at the hospital, through law enforcement pick-up and submission to the forensic lab, and lastly to the State’s Attorney’s office where final results are received. The tracking of sexual assault kits allow survivors to check on the status of their evidence without compromising their privacy. To ensure privacy, the system will use unique case numbers and passwords to limit access to survivors and law enforcement. However, the ISP can only do so much to afford the maximum amount of privacy for the victims. That is why a statutory exemption to 5 ILCS 140/7.5 that all information contained and tracked in any uniform statewide sexual assault evidence tracking system be exempt from Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, and (b) referred to the FOIA exemption in any statute authorizing or governing the tracking system.
JUST IN: Federal judge orders the arrest of two operatives of House Speaker Michael Madigan's political organization, saying they're in contempt for failing to appear for depositions in a civil lawsuit over an alleged sham candidate scheme.
* One of those being sought is Joe Nasella, who circulated petitions for the alleged put-up candidate Grasiela Rodriguez in the 2016 Democratic primary. Jason Gonzales finished second in that primary and he’s now suing Madigan’s organization.
Nasella has proved to be elusive. From last month…
Two of the people named on nominating petitions as gathering signatures for Rodriguez, Frank Glass and Joseph Nasella, have been paid by Madigan-controlled political funds, state records show. […]
Gonzales’ attorneys have sought Nasella’s deposition, according to court records. So far, he has not sat for questioning, though Peraica told the Tribune that Nasella was served with a request after several months of failed attempts.
* The other person being sought is Mike Kuba, who also apparently circulated petitions for Rodriguez. From the order of contempt and body attachment…
To effectuate this order, the United States Marshal is authorized to use necessary and reasonable force in entering and searching the premises in which Michael Kuba may be found.
Upon the arrest of Michael Kuba, the United States Marshal shall provide him with a copy of this order and bring him immediately before a United States district or magistrate judge in the district or districts in which he has been taken into custody. If Michael Kuba is found within the Northern District of Illinois he is to be brought before this court. The United States Marshal finally shall, to the extent feasible, notify the attorneys for the Plaintiff of the time and place that the Michael Kuba will be brought before the district or magistrate judge. Upon receipt of said notice, Plaintiff’s counsel is directed to immediately notify counsel for all Defendants by email.
Harsh.
Neither are apparently current members of the 13th Ward Organization. Nasella was a member, but was “dismissed” a “year or so ago,” I’m told by the Madigan camp.
Some potholes on Interstate 255 in Cahokia are so bad, drivers got flat tires Monday morning.
Illinois Department of Transportation crews are on the scene to make a fix. They’ve closed the far right lane of northbound I-255 just south of Illinois 157.
The road has crumbled away so much, the metal grid is visible in one of the largest potholes, and you can look down into the hole.
IDOT called it a ‘full-depth failure of the roadway.’ The agency said it’s not known how long they’ll need to keep the lane closed to fix the problem.
As state comptroller, I warned Governor Blagojevich about overspending, but he wouldn’t listen. That governor’s gone, but our problems aren’t. Pat Quinn thinks the answer is to pass a 50 percent tax increase on every Illinois family. I’m running for governor because I have a better plan. We can balance the budget by cutting waste line by line and only raising income taxes on people making more than $200,000. We can fix this mess and protect the middle class.
Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes launched his campaign for governor Wednesday by proposing a ‘progressive’ income tax that would more than double the rate paid by millionaires. Hynes’ plan would change the state’s income tax from a flat 3 percent to one that tops out at 7 percent. … Hynes laid out a six-step plan to fix Illinois’ finances. The first leg raises the income tax on only 3 percent of the state’s residents, those making more than $200,000 a year, he said.
So, 97 percent wouldn’t get a tax hike, eh? Sound familiar? Hynes is now JB Pritzker’s deputy governor and Pritzker has proposed that very same framework, although the governor’s new plan starts out at $250,000 and rates top out at 7.95 percent.
Hynes said he’s proposing to cut the state budget back to 2005 levels.
Considering the state of the economy at that time, I seriously doubt he could’ve pulled that off. Still, maybe Hynes could go back to his old notes and give the new governor some advice.
Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza’s office on Monday launched its Public Accountability Report, which houses 15 years worth of spending data on various categories and state agencies.
For the category “Human Services,” the state spent $21 billion in Fiscal Year 2007. For all spending, including federal dollars, the state spent $52.4 billion in ‘07. In Fiscal Year 2017, the state spent $26 billion in “Human Services.” For all spending, including federal funds, the state spent $73.9 billion.
For the category “Higher Education,” the state spent $2.4 billion in 2007. It spent about $100 million less ten years later, or a total of $2.3 billion.
That Human Services category includes Medicaid and medical costs always outpace inflation. Also, if you factor in CPI, level spending on $2.4 billion for higher education in 2007 would be $2.82 billion in 2017 - half a billion less than what it got.
* We’ve already discussed the TRS statement in question, but this is a new story from the Illinois News Network…
In a statement, the entire board of the Teachers Retirement System of Illinois, which manages the retirement funds for all public teachers except those in Chicago, condemned Pritzker’s proposal to short the accounts by hundreds of millions of dollars in the coming fiscal year.
“The system is at a growing risk of insolvency in the event of an economic downturn,” it read. “This danger is the direct result of eight decades of state contributions that always have fallen far short of actuarially based funding. TRS long-term investment returns consistently exceed the system’s expectations; but investment income alone will not be enough to prevent insolvency.”
State Rep. Steve Reick, R-Woodstock, told lawmakers on the House Floor that they’re ignoring the problem and need to begin examining where state money is sent in lieu of properly funding pensions.
“This is the first time any of our pension systems have ever used that word,” he said, referring to the use of the term “insolvency” by TRS. “Where are the audits of outside vendors to show that the money that we’re giving them is actually being spent wisely? Before we raise one dime in taxes, we owe the people of Illinois the privilege of knowing how we spend their money.”
Some lawmakers applauded. No official action was taken.
* A search of the TRS website shows the pension fund has actually been using a version of the word “insolvent” for over 6 years…
December 19, 2012
Dear TRS Members:
This report summarizes the financial condition, investments, actuarial conclusions and statistical information about members, school districts, revenues and benefits for TRS during the past fiscal year. […]
Our members and Illinois taxpayers deserve a solution that puts TRS on permanently sound financial footing. There are no magic answers awaiting discovery, only tough choices. In response to this situation, the TRS Board of Trustees in 2012 approved a resolution that acknowledged the threat of insolvency due to these fiscal challenges.
“The changes enacted this year in the pension funding formula move TRS further away from financial stability and continue to kick the can down the road. Period,” said Dick Ingram, executive director of TRS. “Cutting the state’s contribution only increases our concern that TRS will eventually become insolvent.”
The TRS unfunded liability in FY 2012 was 40.6 percent. It was 40.2 percent in Fiscal Year 2017.
And now you may see why some folks say using the word “crisis” when talking about the pension issue can be counter-productive and force the General Assembly to take hasty action that doesn’t really do much. Also, crying “Wolf!” might do more harm than good. It certainly hasn’t done much good so far.
* To be clear here, this is a very real and truly vexing problem. And skipping almost $900 million in pension payments for seven years, as the governor proposes doing, is only gonna make it worse.
What we need to do is pay into the freaking system and stop the gimmicks and the scare tactics. Neither are getting us anywhere. You wanna help? Find $2 billion a year. Auditing state contractors ain’t gonna do that.
With just a week to go until voters head to the polls, former federal prosecutor Lori Lightfoot holds a commanding lead in the race for mayor, according to results of a Temkin/Harris poll, conducted in partnership with Crain’s and WTTW.
But there’s trouble ahead for whoever is elected on one of the top issues they’ll have to face: fiscal pressures. An eyebrow-raising 40 percent of those surveyed say they oppose raising taxes to pay for pensions for city workers and Chicago Public School teachers—something that the new mayor almost certainly will have to do. […]
The survey asked voters which programs they would be willing to support with higher taxes. Better roads and other infrastructure fixes got the highest support, 71 percent, followed by mental health and public schools at 69 percent each and more police at 60 percent. Taxes for pensions got the lowest support, 57 percent. It also got the highest “disagree” figure, with 29 percent of voters saying they strongly disagree with more taxes for pensions and another 11 percent indicating they somewhat disagree.
After all the screaming over lo these many years by the pundits about the high cost of public pensions, the fact that 57 percent of Chicagoans say funding the pensions of city workers and public school teachers is “something you personally would be willing to pay higher taxes to get” strikes me as pretty darned good, particularly if a popular mayor is behind the push.
Also, infrastructure, mental health treatment and schools always score high. Everybody wants that stuff. Nobody supposedly wants to make pension payments. That’s usually seen as forcing an unwillling populace to ingest bitter medicine. The fact that 57 percent said they could stomach that medicine is, in this context, surprising to me.
* What also jumped out at me was that, after a decade of wall-to-wall reporting about Chicago’s crime problem, fewer Chicagoans, 29 percent, said they “strongly” support higher taxes for “more police officers patrolling city neighborhoods” than the 31 percent who said the same about pensions. Seems counter-intuitive, but numbers is numbers.
In the end, though, the 57 percent who backed higher taxes for pensions was within the +/- 4.4 percent margin of error of the 60 percent overall who supported more money for cops. Same goes for the strongly support and strongly oppose numbers for both categories, and for the overall opposition (40 percent for pensions, 38 percent for more police).
Gov. Bruce Rauner said Wednesday the state is taking “aggressive action” to keep residents safe at the Quincy Veterans’ Home, but declined to say if he bears any moral responsibility after more cases of Legionnaires’ disease were found at the facility following a 2015 outbreak that left a dozen people dead. […]
On Wednesday, Rauner said the state is following all recommended procedures from the CDC and that it was due to increased testing for the bacteria that new cases have been identified, not necessarily because of remediation failures involving some pipes at the facility that are more than a century old.
In December 2015, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended point-of-use filter installation on all fixtures fed from the potable hot-water system. Filters were not installed on all fixtures other than the showers until after the February 2018 outbreak, in April 2018.
That would be four months after Rauner claimed that the state was doing everything the CDC said it should do.
9:52 AM 1st confirmed case of legionellosis from the Quincy Veterans’ Home (IVHQ).
Hot water tank number 2 has been out of service since the beginning of July due to a valve issue. The tank is unheated and was cycled back into service on this day.
That’s the hot water tank which pumped a “broth of Legionella” into the facility, but nobody realized it at the time.
A second legionellosis case was identified on August 21st. Officials determined the following day that the two cases weren’t related and they appeared to relax a little…
IDPH Director emails the IDVA Director stating: “While this situation is serious because it involves lives, it is not unprecedented or atypical. Legionella is a risk in any situation of this sort. You may have seen that the City of New York has been grappling with a major outbreak. Even in Illinois, we are dealing with another set of cases at a prison facility. Fortunately, Legionella is a disease we know how to diagnose and treat. And from an epidemiology standpoint, we know how to track it down.”
The next day, however, 3 more residents tested positive. And 3 more tested positive the following day. By the morning off August 25th, 10 residents were in the hospital. By early afternoon, 11 residents were in the hospital, with 3 of those in ICU. On August 26th, they finally began to suspect the water heater, with 18 people now in the hospital. But no conclusive evidence is found until September 2nd. By then, 7 people had died and 45 confirmed cases had been identified.
IDPH did not go on-site at Quincy Veterans’ Home until midday on Monday, August 24. That was nearly 3 days (approximately 67 hours) after the 2nd case was confirmed late in the afternoon on August 21st. […]
Based on our review of communications between IDPH and the Quincy Veterans’ Home, auditors determined that there was limited communication between IDPH management and the Quincy Veterans’ Home staff. As identified in our timeline in Chapter 2, IDPH officials often did not know the seriousness of the problem at the Quincy Veterans’ Home
Additionally, more than a week after multiple Legionnaires’ cases were confirmed, former state Public Health Director Nirav Shah concluded that he did not “think it’s necessary right now” to call in the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to assist in the 2015 outbreak, according to the audit.
At that point, Aug. 28, 2015, two people had died from Legionnaires’, and 29 residents and staff had tested positive for Legionella. By the end of the next day, Shah reversed course and recommended that the CDC be brought in to assist the state, the report said.
Since 2015, 66 residents and eight staff members were sickened in rolling Legionnaires’ outbreaks at the facility, with 13 deaths directly attributable to the pneumonia-like illness tied to Legionnaires’. Another resident died in 2018, several months after being sickened by Legionnaires’.
* Gov. JB Pritzker has used variations on the word “stability” a lot since taking office, and he has often cited his graduated income tax proposal as part of that road to what I would concur is much-needed stability for the state…
Pritzker is expecting the state to take in $3.4 billion in additional revenue through this system and says it will provide a climate of stability for skittish business owners.
“The most important thing we are accomplishing is stabilizing the finances of the state,” Pritzker said.
But does his graduated income tax proposal do that? Revenues from the flat tax, some contend, are more stable and predictable. But why?
* Well, the Civic Federation took a look at the latest information released by Gov. Pritzker’s office and found that it contains a “heavy reliance on volatile high incomes.” From the report…
While the top income band [$500,001 or more] had the highest growth [8.45 percent average annual growth], it also swung from a maximum of over 39% in 2012 to loss of almost 18% the following year. The reason for this volatility is that upper incomes depend more on investment and business income, which varies with stock market performance and the business cycle. Lower income ranges, which rely more heavily on labor income, are more stable from year to year. In a recent analysis of Illinois’ economic outlook, Moody’s Analytics pointed to the State’s current above-average reliance on non-wage income such as dividends and interest and its vulnerability to a downturn in the stock market.
Upper-income volatility has important implications for the Governor’s plan, which concentrates its tax increases on the highest earners. While a top-heavy tax structure will lead to higher revenues on average, it will also increase their variance, as explained in a 2014 study by the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability. As the General Assembly weighs the Governor’s proposal it should consider the impact on revenue volatility and make appropriate plans, such as building up a rainy day fund.
* I woke up Sunday morning, logged on to the Twitter machine and saw this…
Police were called to a loud party in the 4500 block of N. Damen at 10:50 p.m. last night. Officers were informed that @JBPritzker and other politicians were present and their party WILL continue until 2 a.m. #Chicago#PartyClout
Chicago police officers responded late Saturday to a call of a loud residential party with city officials in attendance.
Officers were called about 10:32 p.m. to the residence in the 4500 block of North Damen Avenue, Chicago police said. City officials were confirmed to be present at the gathering, but police declined to confirm their identities.
Officers coded the call after responding, police said, meaning that no paperwork was submitted to document the incident. City ordinances state that officers can’t issue citations for noise complaints before 11 p.m. on weekends, police said.
Officers later responded to two more calls of a loud party at a different address in the same block, and those responses were also coded, police said. When police arrived at the location they found no one there, police said.
Not even sure why the coppers showed up the first time if they couldn’t issue a citation. Better safe than sorry, I suppose. Anyway, at that point I moved on to deal with more newsworthy issues.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker officiated the wedding of friends Ron Huberman and Darren DeJong on Saturday. The small, intimate gathering included the couple’s children and close friends.
Huberman is the former chief of staff to Mayor Richard M. Daley and held jobs at Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Transit Authority before making the leap into the private sector. He’s now CEO of Benchmark Analytics, a company that provides analytics software to police departments.
He and DeJong have been partners for about 15 years and have been talking about tying the knot ever since Illinois passed the marriage equality law back in 2013.
Small as it was, the wedding party was boisterous enough to prompt a complaint to police about noise. That was at about 10:30 p.m. — after Pritzker had departed. Officers didn’t file paperwork on the call given they’re not required to issue citations about noise before 11 p.m. Besides — it was a wedding!
During his first six weeks in office, Pritzker’s appointment calendar includes 70 “attire” recommendations for events as varied as bill signings, a state police officer’s funeral, a White House dinner, surveying flood damage, and cocktails with legislators at the Illinois Governor’s Mansion.
Pritzker, among the nation’s 400 richest people, needs sartorial suggestions?
He’s not alone. Joseph Rosenfeld, a fashion and personal style strategist in New York who’s from the Illinois city of Buffalo Grove, maps out wardrobes with all his C-Suite executives. “It comes back to one basic premise: relatability,” he said.
Pritzker spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh said staff members get suggestions from organizers of the governor’s events, but the governor ultimately decides what to wear.
Fifty-five of the recommendations on the calendar, disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act, were simply, “Business: suit and tie.” Khakis, “button-down and pullover,” and “polo with Columbia jacket” also make the mix. The Democrat was advised to forgo neckwear when he hosted dinner for union leaders, but “Bring extra tie options” was the note on Feb. 9, the day of his official portrait.
Despite his girth, Pritzker keeps his ties at a proper length, avoiding the long necktie look that President Donald Trump favors.
Despite his girth?
* I checked with a pal who worked for Gov. Rauner to see if they ever recommended attire…
Yes, we had a dress code… so we would just put business casual, formal, no tie, casual, and if there was a specific thing like a color for an ethnic event, we would note that too.
He also ignored it half the time.
I mean, do you honestly think our team would have told him to wear some of that God-awful [stuff] he wore?
Heh. True. The dude was often inappropriately attired. And he occasionally caught heck for it.
* This may be a revelation to the average person, but all advance teams do a version of this. Advance teams, by definition, make sure that their principals are as prepared for an event as much as an event is prepared for their principals. It’s pretty simple and basic, really. Normal, even.
But, this’ll probably stick because it’s an easy way to make fun of the governor. He actually has to be told what to wear? Really?!
Such is life. He wanted the job. And when you put these suggestions into a FOIA-able document, this can happen.
* Former Sen. Rickey Hendon will tell you until his dying day that he did more to elect Pat Quinn governor in 2010 than anything or anyone else. You may recall that Hendon called Quinn’s Republican opponent Sen. Bill Brady an “idiotic racist” while introducing Gov. Quinn at a campaign event.
The resulting uproar was huge and Hendon claims it broke through the clutter and allowed black folks to hear it loud and clear.
Much of Chicago’s African-American political establishment united around mayoral candidate Toni Preckwinkle at a raucous South Side campaign rally Saturday that aimed to convince the city’s black voters that her opponent, Lori Lightfoot, wouldn’t look out for their best interests. […]
The most fiery speech of the day came from [Congressman Bobby Rush], the 72-year-old South Side congressman and former Black Panther leader. He repeatedly dismissed Lightfoot’s campaign for change, referring to her as “symbolic change,” “counterfeit change” and “chump change” in comparison with Preckwinkle, who he said represented “real change.”
Rush said he considered Lightfoot “chump change,” because she has the backing of 19th Ward Ald. Matt O’Shea and, by extension, the city’s police officers, many of whom live in those predominantly white Southwest Side neighborhoods. Rush also told the crowd that Lightfoot wouldn’t demand strong changes as part of the federal consent decree, in which a federal judge will oversee reforms in the Chicago Police Department following a civil rights investigation that found widespread excessive force and misconduct by officers against the city’s minority residents. […]
“The opposing candidate is representing the FOP,” Rush said as the crowd booed. “If you want the FOP, then you’ll vote for Lori.”
Contact: Rev Emma Lozano, 773/xxx-xxxx, Sara Walker 773/xxx-xxxx
TONI PRECKWINKLE: CANDIDATE OF AN HISTORIC MOVEMENT
Congressman Bobbly Rush and Congressman Danny K Davis will join Rev Emma Lozano to endorse Toni Preckwinkle for mayor in the upcoming election. “We are here in front of the Rudy Lozano Library,” said Rev Lozano, to remember and to revive the historic coalition my brother, Rodolfo Lozano, began with now Congressman Danny K Davis to launch the Harold Washington Campaign.
That Black/Latino Coalition turned the City back towards its neighborhoods – and towards our Latino community. It began the policies that have made Chicago a sanctuary city and brought new respect to the Latino community.
Toni Preckwinkle is the right person to lead that movement back to City Hall. She is a fighter, a machine buster – and a consistent friend of our community.
Lozano concluded, “Politics sometimes get people confused. Don’t worry, Toni. WE ARE ALL COMING HOME!
So, they’re gonna do it again.
* Preckwinkle is not spending a dime on TV ads and Lightfoot’s lead looks insurmountable…
Half of Chicagoans believe the city is “on the wrong track,” according to a new poll of registered voters, which also indicates that Lori Lightfoot will win the charge of getting the city on the right track as Chicago’s next mayor.
Lightfoot leads Toni Preckwinkle by a whopping margin of 53 percent to 17 percent, according to the results of a WTTW/Crain’s Temkin/Harris poll, released Monday.
But with another 29 percent still undecided in the runoff race for mayor, Preckwinkle stands to gain ground enough that Lightfoot won’t necessarily cruise to a 36-point victory.
“The 29 percent of voters who say they are undecided are more likely to be black or under age 50,” pollster Jill Normington said via email. “Both of those groups are stronger supporters of Preckwinkle than the overall electorate indicating that she has more room to grow among the votes that are left.”
Should proponents of legalizing cannabis in Illinois be worried about Rep. Marty Moylan’s, D-Des Plaines, House resolution?
The resolution, HR157, urges legislators “to slow the process of legalizing recreational marijuana in Illinois.”
Moylan’s resolution now has 60 sponsors and co-sponsors, which is a majority of the House’s 118 members. In theory, anyway, it has enough votes to pass.
One of Moylan’s newest co-sponsors is Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Urbana, who has her own, very liberal legalization bill (HB902). Ammons noted last week that her own legislation hasn’t moved (she currently has no co-sponsors) and wants assurances that some concerns are addressed before the main bill starts to advance. Those concerns include a social justice component that would do things like expunge criminal records.
The Chicago chapter of NORML is arguing for things like “social consumption without police harassment.” But public consumption seems somewhat unlikely at this point because of heavy opposition from the police, among others. Without that, however, tourists will have no way of legally smoking or vaping the product because most hotels will likely (if Colorado is any guide) ban its usage.
Frankly, my own opinion is we should be treating cannabis somewhat the same way that we treat other legal and regulated substances. We allow cigar bars, so we should allow at least some licensed weed-smoking establishments. Everybody’s always talking about how we don’t have enough jobs in this state, so create some jobs, already.
Left-leaning groups are also legitimately concerned that the industry will be overrun by rich people and huge corporations, crowding out people who live in poor areas and minorities in general. Big companies are dumping huge amounts of money into this industry. I’m all for people making money, but the wealth needs to be spread around on this one, particularly since the folks living in those neighborhoods have borne the brunt of the misguided and over-zealous “war” on drugs.
Moylan’s resolution has been assigned to the House Judiciary-Criminal Committee. Just one of Moylan’s Democratic co-sponsors (Rockford Rep. Maurice West) sits on that committee. So, it seems unlikely to pass. However, Moylan could press to have the resolution discharged from committee to the House floor, which will require 60 signatures.
Would it pass if it did get to the floor? Well, I do know that at least some Republicans signed on as co-sponsors to send a message to Gov. Pritzker. They didn’t like how the governor steamrolled his minimum wage increase bill through the General Assembly and they want to make extra sure he knows he shouldn’t try to do it again with cannabis. It’s a good point, and one I would echo.
While legalization should not ever be considered any sort of be-all, end-all state fiscal solution, it is an integral part of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s budget proposal, so you can probably expect Democratic legislative leadership to weigh in on this eventually and quietly slow down the slow-downers.
After years of remaining coy, House Speaker Michael Madigan finally came out for legalization shortly after Pritzker was elected last year. Some even believe that Pritzker’s election convinced Madigan to get with the program.
Rep. Moylan has never made any bones about being a Madigan guy. Well, except for that time during last year’s campaign when he denied taking Madigan’s money when he had. The opposition ran a TV ad last year that included video of Moylan joyfully leading cheers for Madigan at a Springfield event.
Because of that, folks have been wondering ever since Moylan started this quest whether he was “really” doing Madigan some sort of favor. Is he trying, for instance, to force the governor into bending to Madigan somehow?
It’s more likely that Moylan is simply doing what he always likes to do: Get publicity for himself. The man, like many folks in Springfield, is a bit of a media hound. He works very hard at that. And keep in mind that both Chicago newspapers have published editorials this year asking that the process be slowed down, so that’s perfect for him during endorsement time if he picks up another challenger next year. We’ll just have to wait and see if and/or when Madigan ever yanks his chain.
But the whole idea that this process has moved too fast is just ridiculous on its face. Negotiations between legislators and stakeholders began about two years ago. And the governor’s office only began convening meetings a couple of weeks ago.
If people want their issues addressed, they should get themselves to the bargaining table.
Though State Rep. Marty Moylan (D-Des Plaines) last week received enough co-sponsors to pass a resolution to urge a “slowdown” on the legalization effort, support for the issue is stronger than opposition to it
* Background is here if you need it. Gov. JB Pritzker was asked today at an unrelated event about the apparent murder of 2-year-old Ja’hir Gibbons by her mother’s boyfriend. The child was supposed to be under the protection of DCFS…
First, let me say that this is a tragedy. A tragedy that could be prevented. But, as you have seen, when you don’t invest in caseworkers, when you don’t invest in reducing the case load, when you don’t invest in the social services that are so necessary for the families, and you’re not recruiting foster parents enough, then you’ve got a system that’s overloaded and where children can fall through the cracks.
Now, the additional issue here is that there’s an individual and an agency that have made gross mistakes. And the investigation that’s ongoing now is intended to make transparent what those challenges were and how we should address them.
In terms of how I am going forward, not just on this case and on the previous case that were a result of this underfunding and the terrible condition that the state agencies have been left in, hollowed out, is I’ve tried to put back into the budget in the coming year 126 new DCFS case workers, so that we can reduce the case backlog and we can make sure we’ve got fewer cases being handled by any individual in DCFS.
And then we’ve got to look into the agencies that are being handed cases to follow to make sure that there’s oversight and that we don’t have contracts with agencies that are not following through on their responsibilities.
The safety and security of children under the care of the state of Illinois is paramount to me. These are the most at-risk of the most at-risk kids. The kids who need us to watch everything for them, to keep them safe. And that’s going to be my responsibility, that is what my responsibility is today.
I spent 20 years, more than that now, in early childhood focused on at-risk kids. And I just feel that the state for too many years, with 12 agency heads over 10 years, the turnover has been terrible. And add to that the underfunding, the lack of resources that came from two years of a budget crisis and two more budgets that really didn’t put it back. We have got to make a big change in the way state government treats our children. And it’s not just those kids who need foster care and who need to be watched by DCFS, but also in everything that effects the families. Job availability, skills training, the social services that they need. And that’s what I’m focused on.
* Pritzker was then asked how these ongoing DCFS tragedies made him feel as a father, or as a person…
I’m outraged. I’m outraged first that the children have this situation where they have no parent who can responsibly care for them. Then the situation of they’re left in the care of the state of Illinois and for years, neglected.
And here we have people who are responsible being irresponsible. Maybe even filing false reports.
These children are our children, they are our state’s children. And we should be standing up for them like we do for our own children.
He talks a very good talk. Better than any governor I’ve ever covered when it comes to this particular topic. But talking is just… talk. We’ll see how he governs as the months go by.
I have met with caseworkers just in the last couple of weeks. They are inundated. They have got cases that they almost can’t manage. They are doing the very best that they can. The people that I spoke with are working overtime, they’re doing everything that they can with fewer resources than ever before.
* He said other governors tell him this is the most challenging thing that governors do and said the private agency that handled Ja’hir Gibbons’ case is now “under review”…
Agencies that are not fulfilling on their responsibility, on their contractual responsibility, on their moral responsibility, on their legal responsibility will not get contracts with DCFS going forward. […]
It is intolerable to me that someone is able to file a false report, is able to change a report after they’ve already reported on a situation to go back and try and change it, to cover their tracks. And that’s something that we’ve got to go back and look at all of the files to make sure we’re finding where anybody has ever done that… We have got to make changes in the way we oversee these agencies, these outside agencies.
* Meanwhile, DCFS issued a timeline about its own involvement in the case. Click here for that.
A Lake County judge blocked north suburban Deerfield’s ban on assault weapons with a ruling on Friday.
Last April, the Deerfield Village Board voted unanimously to ban some semi-automatic firearms. The amendment to the village’s gun ordinance would restrict firearms that village leaders define as assault weapons, such as AR-15s. The ordinance would also prohibits high-capacity magazines.
Citing a spate of recent mass shootings with high death counts, Deerfield trustees voted in April 2018 to ban possession of certain firearms such as the AR-15, AK-47 and Uzi under their home rule authority to protect public health, safety, morals and welfare.
Local gun owners and gun-rights groups were quick to file lawsuits claiming the village had missed its opportunity to ban assault weapons in 2013. The Illinois legislature had given municipalities until July 19 of that year to regulate assault weapons before a new Illinois Concealed Carry Act and an amended Firearm Owner’s Identification Card Act eliminated their ability to do so.
Deerfield officials said their 2018 ban was an amendment to an ordinance pertaining to assault weapons enacted within the permitted time frame. That ordinance defined assault weapons and required safe storage and transportation within the village.
In the ruling, Berrones found Deerfield’s measure to be a new ordinance and therefore preempted by state statute.
* Illinois State Rifle Association Executive Director Richard Pearson…
“This is a big win for the 2nd Amendment,” Pearson said. “The Village of Deerfield had an opportunity to pass a ban in 2013 and failed to do so. Their ordinance is a clear violation of Illinois’ concealed carry law which was passed into law precisely because of the Supreme Court’s ruling on what municipalities could and could not do in terms of establishing their own gun laws. Today’s ruling reaffirms the US Supreme Court’s ruling and makes it clear that communities do not have the authority to enact more onerous gun laws than what is already codified in state statute. This is a very good day for those of us who put a premium on the 2nd Amendment freedoms afforded to us in the Constitution.”
* NRA…
“The NRA is proud to have supported this challenge to Deerfield’s ban on commonly owned firearms and magazines,” said Chris W. Cox, executive director of NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action. “This ruling affirms that every law-abiding Deerfield resident has the right to protect themselves, their homes, and their loved ones with the firearm that best suits their needs.”
The court found that Deerfield’s attempt to amend an existing firearm ordinance was a violation of state law. The ordinance would have allowed local authorities to confiscate and destroy semi-automatic rifles and standard capacity magazines possessed within village limits.
The challenge was originally filed in 2018 by Guns Save Life with support from the NRA.
“Deerfield’s senseless ban on popular firearms and magazines imposed a major burden on the right of law-abiding Illinois citizens to defend themselves but did nothing to disarm criminals,” said John Boch, Executive Director of Guns Save Life. “We are relieved that under today’s ruling, Deerfield residents will continue to be able to keep their firearms and magazines at home.”
“The Illinois General Assembly was very clear that it would not allow local governments to adopt a confusing patchwork of gun regulations under the guise of banning so-called ‘assault weapons,’ ” said David H. Thompson of Cooper & Kirk, PLLC, an attorney for the plaintiffs. “Deerfield’s ordinance plainly violates Illinois law, and we are pleased that the Court agreed.”
The Village of Deerfield and our legal team are closely reviewing the ruling entered today and all options available, including the right to appeal the decision to the Illinois Appellate Court. On the positive side, the judge denied the plaintiff’s claims of a takings violation and of a wildlife statute violation.
With respect to the remainder of the decision, it appears that the judge focused less on Deerfield’s actions and more on the actions of the Illinois State Legislature back in 2013. The judge took issue with the way in which the State Legislature drafted the State statute, and he read into the statute a complete preemption of home rule authority to regulate assault weapons. This unprecedented interpretation of State legislative action and intent make this case ripe for appeal.
* Do you think Illinois marijuana legalization is moving too fast, too slow or just about right? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please…
The SIU Board of Trustees will see five new faces after Gov. JB Pritzker chose to not reappoint trustees Randal Thomas, Shirley Portwood and Joel Sambursky. Pritzker has also dismissed trustees Marsha Ryan and Tom Britton, who were never formally approved through the Illinois Senate.
Filling the five trustee positions, upon Senate confirmation, are Subhash Sharma, Roger Tedrick, Edgar J. Curtis, Ed Hightower and John Simmons. […]
Simmons is a chairman of the national law firm Simmons Hanly Conroy. He is a 1991 graduate of SIUE, receiving his degree in political science. The namesake for SIUE’s Simmons Baseball Complex, Simmons worked to send SIUE Athletics to full NCAA Division I status. He previously served as a member of the SIU Board of Trustees from 2004 to 2013.
Hightower’s and Simmons’ appointment raises concerns to some after Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Collinsville, introduced legislation in 2013 attempting to split the system.
Then-president Glenn Poshard said then-Gov. Pat Quinn’s choice to not reappoint three Metro East trustees – John Simmons, Ed Hightower and Mark Hinrichs, “caused the feelings of separation to reignite, saying SIU Edwardsville is well loved and some feel the campus is not getting the respect it deserves.”
Tedrick, an SIU Carbondale graduate, is the president of Tedrick Insurance, based in Mount Vernon. He was raised in Carbondale and has served on the boards of the SIUC Alumni Association and SIU Foundation. He served on the board of trustees from 2004 to 2011, including as board chairman. […]
Ed Curtis, a newcomer to the board, is the president and chief executive officer of Memorial Health System of Springfield, a network of Springfield-area hospitals that works closely with the SIU School of Medicine.
Curtis received his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from SIU Edwardsville, and began his career as a registered nurse, according to his executive biography. […]
Another newcomer to the board, Subash Sharma received his doctorate degree in statistics from the University of Kentucky in 1983, then began a long career as a professor in the SIU Carbondale Department of Economics. He became chair of the department in 2010 and is now listed as an emeritus faculty member on the department’s website.
So, SIUC loyalists appear to be Sharma and Tedrick. SIUE folks are Simmons and Hightower. Curtis is a SIU Springfield person from SIUE.
* The Tribune editorial board recently expressed some disappointment that Elon Musk’s O’Hare to downtown tunnel project appeared doomed…
From the start, skepticism has hounded Elon Musk’s bid to build a subterranean superhighway that would connect downtown Chicago with O’Hare International Airport. A vision dismissed by many as a pipe dream now appears to be a dashed dream.
Neither contender in the April 2 mayoral runoff election, former federal prosecutor Lori Lightfoot nor Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, is a fan of Musk’s $1 billion plan to create a high-speed transit link between the Loop and O’Hare. We’ll admit, the idea has some eye-catching sparkle. The billionaire innovator said he could develop technology that would send passenger pods zooming through tunnels at speeds of up to 150 mph. A one-way trip would take as little as 12 minutes. […]
The ride, which would be called “the X,” would be pitched to business travelers willing to pay a bit more to get to O’Hare faster and more comfortably. The anticipated price would be $20 to $25, about the cost of a ride-share cab. The Blue Line gets you from downtown to O’Hare on a $2.50 fare, and from O’Hare to downtown for $5. Would enough travelers switch over to “the X” to make it worthwhile?
With Mayor Lightfoot or Mayor Preckwinkle, maybe we’ll never know. We like the bold spirit of innovation that suffuses Musk’s vision. In this cutthroat global economy, cities that distinguish themselves by making business easier to conduct — travel improvements included — stand to profit.
Virginia transit officials flew out to California earlier this year to check out a tunnel dug by Elon Musk’s Boring Company and, well, they think the state should stick with traditional railways and roads for now.
“It’s a car in a very small tunnel,” Michael McLaughlin, Virginia’s chief of rail transportation, told members of the Commonwealth Transportation Board’s public transit subcommittee on Wednesday. […]
“I think there’s a lot of show going on here,” said Scott Kasprowicz, a Commonwealth Transportation Board member who made the trip with McLaughlin and public transit chief Jennifer Mitchell.
“I don’t mean to suggest that they don’t have a serious plan in mind, but I don’t consider the steps they’ve taken to date to be substantive. They’ve purchased a used boring machine. They’ve put a bore in the neighborhood where they developed the SpaceX product, and they’ve taken a Model 3 and put guidewheels on it and they’re running it through the tunnel at 60 miles per hour.
“None of that, I think, is really significant from a standpoint of moving this process forward.”
It’s a car in a very small tunnel is both a rote, factually accurate description of what the tunnel is and also one of the sickest burns of the entire Boring Company hubris to date.
Here’s the critical question: What will the rest of us do? Will we follow in the footsteps of the average German citizen during WWII? Most of them shut their eyes, closed their ears, and sang a little louder in church when the cattle cars full of Jews on their way to the concentration camps rolled by. Will we do the same? Will we simply allow this to blow over in a few weeks, or will we learn something from history and resist?
The Democrats have crossed a terrible line. They should hear us roar. Will they?
Quote ‘o’ the Day from lesbian and feticidal maniac State Rep. Kelly Cassidy in response to an IFA article suggesting some points of correspondence between the Democrat-endorsed holocaust and the Nazi Holocaust:
“[IFI]is a group promoting violence and hate speech and they have people on the payroll wearing badges bypassing security [at the Capitol] walking in and out of this building every day. And I think that should be examined.”
A maniac is “a person who has an excessive enthusiasm or desire for something.” Cassidy has a clearly demonstrated and arguably excessive enthusiasm and desire to promote the legal right of women to exterminate their unborn children (i.e., feticide) without restriction.
I checked with the Secretary of State’s office and was told they have no legal authority to force a registered lobbyist to pass through Statehouse metal detectors. And the statute doesn’t appear to address this sort of thing.
…Adding… Actually, they do have the authority to search anyone they want. From the Illinois Register…
All persons and vehicles entering into the Capitol Complex and its buildings may be subject to search, including, but not limited to, inspection of vehicles, trunks, parcels and packages, metal detector screening, X-Ray scans and inspection of bulky personal items brought into the Capitol Complex. […]
Public access to any building or area of the grounds may be restricted, if it is determined by the Director of the Department of Police that a situation has arisen that threatens the security of persons and buildings within the Capitol Complex.
* Press release…
Members of the Illinois Legislature’s Jewish caucus are demanding action in response to a pattern of hate speech and imagery posted by Illinois Family Action and its parent organization, Illinois Family Institute, on its website and social media pages.
On March 20th, Illinois Family Action posted an article comparing Democrats to Nazis. Under pressure to remove the post from its website, a second post appeared the next day, with even more hateful language comparing reproductive rights to the Holocaust. A third social media post unleashed a vicious attack on state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, a member of the Jewish caucus, and an openly gay state representative who is a strong supporter of a women’s right to choose.
“We consider an attempt to use Nazi imagery and a genocidal equation on matters regarding a legal right to health care service, clear cut hate speech,” said state Rep. Sara Feigenholtz. “This pattern of hateful actions are exactly what ignites a call to action for violence.”
“We call on the Illinois State Police to do a full investigation of these incidents,” said state Rep. Jonathan Carroll. “These two organizations maintain full credentials as lobbyists to freely move throughout the Capitol complex.”
“We can’t ignore the horrors of recent synagogue and mosque shootings. They are fresh in our minds,” said state Sen. Laura Fine. “Words matter. Words such as these incite hate speech and lead to violence.”
“Dr. Barnett Slepian was murdered in cold blood in his home by sniper fire while celebrating the Sabbath with his children and wife,” said state Rep. Yehiel Kalish. “He was gunned down because he provided a full range of reproductive health care to his patients.”
The Jewish caucus will be filing a joint resolution to make clear the Illinois General Assembly objection to this hate speech and encourage an investigation.
The members of the Jewish caucus in the House are Jonathan Carroll, Kelly Cassidy, Daniel Didech, Sara Feigenholtz, Robyn Gabel, Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, Will Guzzardi, Yehiel Kalish, and Bob Morgan. The caucus also includes state Senator Laura Fine.
The group’s executive director David Smith called Cassidy’s reaction “predictable,” while accusing progressive of using “unethical efforts to enjoin the force of government – to silence the expression of political views and moral assumptions with which they agree.”
Smith called calls for the Illinois State Police to investigate “nothing short of intimidation and harassment.” Smith said the group’s freedom of speech is guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.
Last weekend, a caseworker visited Brittany Hyc to make sure her two small boys were doing all right in a home where there had been repeated allegations of abuse and neglect.
The worker, on contract with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, reported back that 2-year-old Ja’hir Gibbons and his 5-year-old brother were both safe, according to the agency.
Two days later, Ja’hir was brutally beaten to death. The following day, the worker filed another report saying only the older brother was at the Chicago home at the time of the visit and that the worker never saw the 2-year-old at all, the agency disclosed late Thursday.
The caseworker has been barred from having any contact with children or families the agency serves as the conflicting reports are investigated.
“Falsifying records will not be tolerated,” DCFS Interim Director Debra Dyer-Webster said in a statement. “DCFS will pursue all available discipline, including termination, if records were falsified.” [Emphasis added.]
“The victim’s abdomen, torso and arms were covered in new and old bruises,” said Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy. “The victim’s face was covered with bruises and abrasions. The victim also had bruising on his forehead, hindquarters, and legs. ” […]
“He got mad at the victim and struck him multiple times with his hands and a rolled up shirt,” Murphy said. “Defendant Waters said that after striking the victim, the victim began foaming at the mouth.” […]
“There are certainly a lot of red flags in this case,” said Charles Golbert, the acting Cook County Public Guardian. “They were not doing a very thorough or aggressive job.”
The toddler’s body was covered with new and old bruises when he was brought to Comer Children’s Hospital on Monday, according to authorities. […]
An autopsy found Ja’hir had rib fractures that were at various stages of healing and a new wrist fracture, Murphy said. Ja’hir had also suffered lacerations to his liver and a contusion to the lung. To suffer those injuries, the boy would have been subjected to “significant blunt force trauma,” Murphy added. […]
DCFS has been involved with the family since 2010 due to allegations of neglect and abuse of Ja’hir siblings, according to agency spokesman Jimmie Whitelow. Prosecutors said DCFS was most recently in contact with the family following an incident in August.
Hyc had taken Ja’hir to a doctor for a possible bite mark to his abdomen and doctors found additional bruising on the boy, which Hyc blamed on the boy’s daycare facility. In October, a DCFS worker went to the home and heard what they believed was Waters striking the boy. The worker called the Child Abuse Hotline and another agency employee was assigned to follow up, prosecutors said.
Police were called to the home in February after a neighbor reported a possible domestic disturbance. Hyc told officers at that time that everything was fine, but the same neighbor later noticed Ja’hir walking with a limp, prosecutors said. [Emphasis added.]
Um, why does a DCFS worker have to call a child abuse hotline?
* Related…
* On Camera: Governor responds to DCFS deaths: “Governor, kids are dying in DCFS care. What are you doing to stop it, governor? Governor, kids are dying in DCFS care, what are you going to do to stop that governor,” Reporter Ana Espinosa asked. “We have to work hard to not only change the leadership at DCFS but also to focus on the safety and security of these children. That’s our job in the state government,” Governor Pritzker said. “What are 126 caseworkers going to do?” Espinosa asked. “We have to go,” said Governor Pritzker’s press secretary, Jordan Abudayyeh. “It is just the beginning. It’s absolutely just a beginning,” Governor Pritzker said. “Can you promise me there is going to be change for these children?” Espinosa asked.
Local government leaders testified Thursday in favor of legislation that would help them raise money through a variety of sources, including a tax on streaming and satellite services.
Conrad Kiebles, village administrator of suburban Orland Hills, appeared before the House Revenue and Finance Committee in support of House Bill 3359, which would impose a tax on video services delivered through the internet and satellites, much like how local governments already get a piece of residents’ television cable bills.
The tax would amount to 5 percent of a video provider’s gross revenues from its subscribers.
“It offers the most equitable way to add an additional $200 million in revenue into our coffers and adds parity to competing services in our local communities,” Kiebles said. “With a 50-50 split between local governments and the state, we could each collect $100 million for charging a fee for these three competitive services.”
A measure one Illinois lawmaker says will give non-home rule communities the ability to pay for storm sewer maintenance is being called a rain tax by another.
State Rep. Anthony DeLuca, D-Chicago Heights, said House Bill 825 is a natural extension of existing state law.
“What it would allow is non-home rule municipalities the ability to charge a fee to maintain their stormwater sewer system,” DeLuca said.
The measure passed a House committee this week.
State Rep. Allen Skillicorn, R-East Dundee, said the measure would allow rain to be taxed by, as the bill states, allowing “stormwater utility charges to offset the cost of owning, maintaining, and improving local stormwater infrastructure.”
“And it’s a fee, so it’s not tax deductible,” Skillicorn said. “It’s also something a church would have to pay, businesses; it’s also unlimited, so this theoretically, ten, fifteen years from now could be the biggest tax hike Illinois has ever seen.” […]
DeLuca said Skillicorn misrepresented the bill. He said that right now home-rule municipalities can charge a fee to maintain stormwater sewer systems. He said his bill would allow non-home rule governments to do the same.
State Rep Theresa Mah is pushing a plan to end sub-minimum wage pay for disabled workers in the state. Mah said about a dozen other states have already made the change.
“It’s important that we take a proactive step,” Mah said. “Rather than be forced to do it under a consent decree or some kind of lawsuit.”
State law allows some companies to pay disabled workers less as a way to get more disabled people working.
But advocates say that law, which allows for 14(c) certificate, sometimes pays disabled workers less than a dollar-per-hour.
* Illinois lawmakers debate consolidating downstate pensions: IMRF Executive Director Brian Collins also urged lawmakers proceed with caution. “IMRF is one of the highest funded plans in the country,” he said. “It got that way for a lot of reasons. There’s a very delicate balance. When I think of a large consolidation that would happen, I immediately worry we could throw any of those things out of balance.”
It will cost an estimated $501 million to bail out what at the end of the day was a relatively small-scale effort, begun in the late 1990s, to help parents pay for college at what was designed to be no cost to taxpayers, according to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, which has administered the program since its inception. ISAC officials have struck a deal with state lawmakers to bail out the program while closing it to future participants.
More than 73,000 have been or are beneficiaries of contracts to attend state schools since College Illinois was launched, according to ISAC documents.
The $727 million fund backing the contracts is projected to begin running out of money in 2026. Without taxpayer help, more than 2,000 contract beneficiaries would be at risk of being stiffed.
Technically, the bills don’t start coming due for the state until then. But, ISAC spokeswoman Lynne Baker emails, “We have suggested to policymakers that it would be best to start funding the obligation sooner rather than later.”
What had been a $308 million unfunded liability now has mushroomed to more than $500 million thanks to the decision to end the program for all but existing contract holders. The need to more quickly liquidate the fund will reduce the return ISAC can hope to achieve from its investments, draining the fund more quickly, according to a December actuarial update.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker pledged during a visit Thursday at Richland Community College in Decatur that his proposed budget will lead to more funding for Illinois career technical education programs like the ones offered at the college.
More investment in higher education was a key aspect of the budget plan he proposed in February. He said faculty members have left Illinois universities for other states because of a 10-year lack of proper funding and students worry about uncertain financial aid.
“My grandfather once said ‘It takes a lifetime to build a reputation and about five minutes to screw it up,’” said Pritzker during a meeting with The Pantagraph’s editorial board. “In the last four years in Illinois, I would argue that our colleges’ and universities’ reputations got damaged significantly … If you want to fix that problem, you’ve got to make the investment in universities and community colleges.”
Pritzker’s proposed budget unveiled Feb. 20 calls for adding $375 million to the school funding formula — $25 million more than the state is required to fund. It also proposes a 5 percent increase in funding for public universities and community colleges and a boost to the Monetary Award Program that assists low- and moderate-income students.
New testing by the U.S EPA shows there’s been a rapid drop in a cancer-causing chemical days after the closure of the Sterigenics plant in DuPage County.
The medical supply sterilization company, which has been in Willowbrook since 1984, was forced to shut down last month after testing showed dangerous levels of ethylene oxide in the air in a radius around the Sterigenics plant. […]
Since then, the most recent tests show ethylene oxide levels were at least 50 to 90 percent lower after the shutdown.
Thursday, Sterigenics released a statement claiming the results also prove there are other sources emitting ethylene oxide besides its facility. […]
However, Congressman Dan Lipinski’s (IL-3) office also issued a release Thursday stating “Sterigenics is clearly the culprit,” and persists the plant remain shut down.
Average levels of ethylene oxide after the shutdown were at least 50 percent lower at each of the 10 monitors, the documents show, and more than 90 percent lower at the testing locations closest to Sterigenics.
“We’re seeing a pretty rapid drop since the seal order,” Lewis Weinstock, an EPA official overseeing the agency’s testing, told residents Thursday during an online seminar, referring to the legal term for the action taken by the Pritzker administration.
Federal officials plan to keep collecting samples through the end of March, in part because unexplained concentrations of ethylene oxide continue to be detected at some locations even though Sterigenics isn’t releasing it into the air. Possible sources include other upwind facilities or lingering emissions from Sterigenics, Mike Koerber, associate director for policy at the EPA’s Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, said during the seminar.
Based on information the agency already has collected, Koerber said, EPA scientists are conducting a more detailed evaluation of cancer risks in Willowbrook and surrounding suburbs — a document expected to be released to the public before a community forum in late May.
* As the Tribune reports today, Rep. Marty Moylan’s resolution calling on the General Assembly to “slow the process of legalizing recreational marijuana in Illinois” now has 60 sponsors and co-sponsor, giving it a majority…
Tim McAnarney, lobbyist for Healthy & Productive Illinois, a nonprofit group opposed to legalization, said sponsors thought they could rush it through while potential tax revenue from marijuana is already being “promised 10 times over.”
“They thought it was a slam-dunk, but it’s not,” McAnarney said. “They need to slow down.”
But state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, a Chicago Democrat and chief sponsor of legalization in the chamber, said the issue has been debated for years, with four public hearings, 11 town hall meetings, more than 100 stakeholder meetings, with many more to come. Sponsors recently began meeting with the staff of Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who supports legalization, to hash out details of the issue.
“There’s nothing rushed about this at all,” Cassidy said. “This has gotten way more attention and scrutiny than pretty much anything I’ve ever seen worked on here.”
In reality, McAnarney doesn’t want it slowed down, he wants it stopped, as do many of Moylan’s co-sponsors.
The opposition is using a “go slow” argument when nothing whatsoever has been fast about this bill’s process.
The state of Illinois is not a left-leaning state. It just happens that we have Chicago, who mixes in with our votes when it comes to statewide elections. This state is middle- to right-leaning.
I’m not trying to pick on Bryant here because this is a common thing said by others.
But the reality is that Downstate, particularly the southern region, is now the outlier in Illinois. They are the odd ducks, if you will, who are skewing the state’s politics.
* Take a look at the poll results released so far by the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute. The poll found that 81 percent of Chicagoans support a $15 minimum wage, as did 71 percent of suburbanites, while just 48 of Downstaters supported the plan.
President Donald Trump’s job disapproval rating is 76 percent in Chicago and 60 percent in the suburbs, but more Downstaters approve than disapprove, 50-46.
Sen. Dick Durbin’s job approval numbers are above water in Chicago and the suburbs, but he’s underwater Downstate, 42-48.
* Downstate no longer has a powerful suburban ally like it did when DuPage County’s Chicago-bashing conservative Pate Philip ran the Illinois Senate. DuPage now has just one Republican state Senator. Few suburban Republican legislators openly bash Chicago these days.
Lake County’s board has a Democratic majority for the first time ever.
An African-American woman named Lauren Underwood not only defeated incumbent Republican Congressman Randy Hultgren, but beat Hultgren in McHenry County, of all places.
Since this law went into effect, the incidence of abortions among minors has dropped 57 percent in Illinois.
Why would anybody vote for legislation that effectively removes parents and guardians of minors from a major decision that is known to have significant physical and mental after effects?
Current law makes it illegal for minors in Illinois to use an indoor tanning bed; buy cigarettes, alcohol or lottery tickets; or vote in an election. Are we to believe abortion is somehow less consequential than getting a tan?
Supporters of the law often point out that parental consent is required for most major medical procedures performed on minors, from appendectomies to nose jobs. And that abortion is a more profound procedure than routine surgeries.
But childbirth is also profound, and it’s about 14 times riskier than abortion. Yet minors aren’t required to inform their parents when receiving obstetric care.
Sexual activity is also profound. Yet, as I’ve noted, minors aren’t required to inform their parents when obtaining birth control.
Supporters also point out that when girls with unwanted pregnancies come from dysfunctional or abusive families, the law allows them to petition a judge to waive the notification requirement. […]
What’s particularly telling is that of the 400 pregnant girls who have petitioned for the waiver in Illinois since 2013, only one has been denied, according to the ACLU, which cited attorney-client confidentiality in declining to disclose details of that case.
Discuss, but be respectful of others or you’ll be banned for life or worse. I’m not gonna tolerate any over the top nonsense today like we had earlier this week.
* So, the Preckwinkle campaign itself ginned up the possibility of an Obama endorsement without knowing for sure it was going to happen? Oh, man, that’s silly…
After pulling one rabbit out of the hat — from Chance the Rapper — Toni Preckwinkle was trying desperately to secure two more endorsements that could have been game-changers: Barack and Michelle Obama.
But the former president and first lady decided to remain on the sidelines and avoid alienating a mayor whose support they need to deliver the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park.
Thursday’s announcement by Obama’s office is another blow to Preckwinkle, who yanked her television commercials off the air for at least part of the crucial home stretch. […]
On Thursday, before the Obamas declared their intention to stay out of it, a Preckwinkle strategist was asked whether he considered the Chance the Rapper endorsement to be a game-changer.
“No. But the next two will be.” Asked if he was referring to the Obamas, the strategist said: “I hope so.”
For her part, Preckwinkle used Chance’s endorsement to deflect questions about her campaign’s viability as it has stopped airing television ads during the final two weeks before the April 2 runoff election.
Moderator Phil Ponce opened the debate by asking Preckwinkle about her lack of presence on the airwaves.
“This has been a really good day,” Preckwinkle said, immediately changing the subject. “I’m grateful for the support that I received from Chance this morning.”
Preckwinkle ducked the question when Ponce asked it once more, noting she’s received endorsements from West Side aldermen, including Walter Burnett and Jason Ervin. Asked about it a third time, she said, “TV ads aren’t all there are to campaigns. We’re working hard to meet voters at their doors and in their homes” to talk about important issues.
When Phil decides to press a topic, Phil does not easily give up.
…Adding… I didn’t realize that Preckwinkle wasn’t even at the Chance presser. How does that even happen?…
At the end of the presser, someone asks where's Toni Preckwinkle. She's not present at the presser. Why isn't she by your side.
"I don't know where she is."@chancetherapper says he hasn't talked to her yet, but plans to this week.
* Lightfoot, Preckwinkle Clash on Campaign Cash: The back-and-forth was the latest in a series of contentious public appearances between the two runoff candidates, though the tone Thursday was more civil. Both candidates agreed on many policy points, including a push to create a civilian police oversight agency that would have the power to hire and fire the police superintendent. Both said they support a version of the Grassroots Alliance for Police Accountability (GAPA) ordinance that would create such a commission.
* Lightfoot to Preckwinkle: Put donors’ money where your mouth is: “President Preckwinkle, I’m really surprised you keep going down this path,” Lightfoot said on WTTW’s “Chicago Tonight” program, noting that Preckwinkle’s campaign has accepted $19,000 in donations from Lightfoot’s law partners, as well as $1,000 from Lightfoot herself. “If you’re so offended by that, give the money back. Give it back. I’ll give you the address,” said Lightfoot, then gave an address as the two candidates started shouting over each other. “Give the money back.”
A national adult film actress known for alleging an affair with the president of the United States will be in the state’s capital city Friday, when she’s expected to protest a surcharge on strip club entries.
Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, will be at adult entertainment venue Deja Vu in Springfield to sign books Friday afternoon, and she is expected to perform that evening.
Before that Daniels’ is expected to take part in an event at the state capitol protesting the Live Adult Entertainment Facility Surcharge Act.
The originator of the tax in 2014, state Sen. Toi Hutchinson, said the revenue is meant to help centers for battered women. Hutchinson, D-Olympia Fields, said it doesn’t suppose that everyone going to a strip club abuses women, just as everyone who goes to a casino doesn’t have a gambling problem. […]
Duane Patterson, general manager of Deja Vu in Springfield, said he fears the money that is being collected isn’t being appropriated correctly, worrying most is going into administration costs.
“It’s a good cause but it was not done the right way,” Patterson said.
* As often happens with these state taxes/fees, the law allows for a small two-percent skim of the tax revenues for administration, but that’s hardly “most” of the money.
The Department of Human Services distributes money collected from the tax. I reached out to DHS yesterday and asked if any of the money is used for administration purposes. The department’s response…
IDHS has a $600,000 appropriation from the Sexual Assault Services and Prevention Fund and all of the appropriation goes directly to the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault (ICASA). None of these funds are used for IDHS administrative costs.
But what about ICASA?
* From Carrie Ward at the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault…
ICASA’s DHS contract includes $600,000 from fees resulting from the Live Adult Entertainment Facility Surcharge Act. The Act was effective 1/1/13; however, it took some time for funds to begin to accumulate in the account. ICASA began allocating funds in FY15. Contrary to Mr. Patterson’s statement, the funds are being appropriated correctly and are not used predominately for administration. Approximately 85% of contracted funds are allocated to ICASA rape crisis centers throughout the state of Illinois for the purpose of providing prevention and crisis intervention services; 15% is retained by the ICASA Administrative Office for training and administration.
Though there will be $600,000 in the fund to meet this year’s budget, this has not been the case every year. While ICASA is contracted to receive a maximum of $600,000 each year, the actual amount we receive is dependent on funds collected. If less than $600,000 is collected, we receive the lesser amount.
These funds are essential to ICASA’s provision of statewide rape crisis services and are consistently used as designated in the act for the purpose of providing community-based assistance to victims of sexual assault and for activities concerning the prevention of sexual assault.
We reached out to Stormy Daniels’ representatives earlier this week in hopes of providing information on how funds are used in Illinois to support rape crisis centers, but we were unable to connect with them.
*** UPDATE *** The tax is an entrance tax, not a tax on performers…
Today I'm protesting at the state capitol in Springfield, Illinois, against the "pole tax" that unjustly targets strippers. We support funding rape crisis centers. We oppose a tax that foists the responsibility to fund them solely on the hardworking adult entertainers of Illinois
