* Robert Herguth, Mark Brown and Jon Seidel at the Sun-Times…
Federal agents who blitzed several southwest suburban towns last week were asking questions about a politically connected red-light camera company, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned. […]
As part of the wide-ranging investigation, the feds executed search warrants at the village halls of McCook and Lyons last week as well as the insurance agency office of Lyons Mayor Chris Getty. The feds also interviewed the mayors of Summit and Crestwood, which has not been previously reported.
SafeSpeed’s CEO is Nikki Zollar, a former high-ranking state government official. One of the company’s paid consultants is Patrick Doherty, who is the chief of staff to Cook County Commissioner Jeff Tobolski. Tobolski doubles as the mayor of McCook. […]
The feds interviewed Summit Mayor Sergio Rodriguez about SafeSpeed last week, sources said. Summit has an arrangement with the company to operate two red-light cameras at a single intersection in town. Rodriguez did not return phone messages seeking comment.
Go read it all.
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* If you look at the federal warrant served on Sen. Martin Sandoval’s Statehouse office last week, you’ll see they were looking for: “Evidence and instrumentalities concerning violation of Title 18, United States Code.”
Here’s the list of the sections the feds listed in the warrant with a brief explanation of each one from the US Department of Justice and other sources. Click the individual section links for more info…
* 371 - The operative language is the so-called “defraud clause,” that prohibits conspiracies to defraud the United States. This clause creates a separate offense from the “offense clause” in Section 371. Both offenses require the traditional elements of Section 371 conspiracy, including an illegal agreement, criminal intent, and proof of an overt act.
* 666 - Section 666(b) requires that the organization, government or agency must have received, in any one year period, “benefits in excess of $10,000 under a Federal program involving a grant, contract, subsidy, loan, guarantee, insurance, or other form of Federal assistance.”
* 1341 - Mail fraud.
* 1343 - Wire fraud
* 1346 - Definition of “scheme or artifice to defraud”
* 1349 - “Any person who attempts or conspires to commit any offense under this chapter shall be subject to the same penalties as those prescribed for the offense, the commission of which was the object of the attempt or conspiracy.”
* 1951 - Interference with commerce by threats or violence
That last one is pretty chilling.
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* Sun-Times…
A search warrant executed on State Sen. Martin Sandoval’s Capitol office last week shows federal authorities were looking into “items related to any official action taken in exchange for a benefit.”
Items included those related to five unnamed Illinois Department of Transportation employees, a highway company, several unnamed lobbyists, “any business owned and controlled by Martin Sandoval,” several municipalities and a political organization, among other entities. Names were redacted by state officials after the Sun-Times filed a Freedom of Information Act request last week to the office of the Illinois Senate Democrats.
Officials obtained several items from Sandoval’s office, including several iPhones, a laptop computer and an Apple computer, as well as a “Friends of Martin Sandoval” spreadsheet from December 2017, filed labeled “IDOT,” USB drives and shredded paper. They also seized a statement of economic and documents referencing the town of Cicero. Sandoval has had a lucrative contract for years with the town to provide translation services for the town newsletter.
* This is one gigantic probe…
* I transcribed the search warrant because it’s pretty interesting…
1. Items related to [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] Official A, [redacted] Official B, any business or partner related to any of those individuals, [redacted] Inc., [redacted] Official A’s company, [redacted] any employee, officer or representative of [redacted] [redacted] a [redacted] lounge, and/or any issue or supported by any of those businesses or individuals, including but not limited to [redacted] [redacted] .
2. Items related to [redacted] Lobbyist A, and or Lobbyist B.
3. Items related to [redacted] Inc., [redacted] Inc., any business owned or controlled by Martin Sandoval, any client of such business, any person or entity that has made payment to or agreed to make payment to any such business, any official action related to such businesses, Municipality 7 Attorney, Municipality 7 President, Municipality 7 President’s Political Organization, Municipality 7 Attorney’s law firm, and/or Political Action Committee 1.
4. Items related to [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] and/or Concrete Company A.
5. Items related to [redacted], [redacted], any employee officer, partner, representative, or business related to either of those individuals, [redacted] [redacted] Inc. [redacted], any employee officer, partner or representative of those businesses, [redacted] and/or any issue or supported by any of those businesses or individuals, including but not limited to [redacted].
6. Items related to [redacted], any employee officer, partner, representative, or business related to [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] LLC [redacted] Corporation, any employee, officer or representative of any of those businesses, and/or any issue or supported by any of those businesses or individuals.
7. Items related to Construction Company A Official 1, Highway Company A Official 1, Highway Company A Official 2, any employee, officer, partner, representative, or business related to either of those individuals, Construction Company A, Highway Company A, any employee, officer or representative of any of those businesses, and/or any issue or supported by any of those businesses or individuals.
8. Items related to [redacted], [redacted], [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted], [redacted] Associate A, [redacted] Associate B, [redacted] Associate C, any employee officer, partner or representative of those businesses related to any of those individuals, [redacted] Corporation, [redacted][redacted] LLC, [redacted] Corporation, [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] Inc., [redacted] Club, the [redacted] [redacted] Foundation, [redacted] Corporation, [redacted] Companies, [redacted] Ltd., [redacted][redacted] Associate A’s Company, any employee, officer or representative of any of those businesses, and/or any issue or supported by any of those businesses or individuals, including but not limited to [redacted].
9. Items related to [redacted] [redacted] any employee, officer or representative of any of those businesses, [redacted] Official A, [redacted] Official B, [redacted] Official C, [redacted] Official D, and/or any issue or supported by any of those businesses or individuals, including but not limited to [redacted].
10. Items related to IDOT Official A, IDOT Official B, IDOT Official D, IDOT Official E, and/or IDOT Official F.
11. Items related to any official action taken in exchange for a benefit.
Whew.
Wonder what the dealio is with IDOT Official C.
…Adding… Here’s the list of seized items…
He had five mobile phones in his office?
*** UPDATE *** Jordan Abudayyeh at the Governor’s office…
This administration expects public servants to be held to the highest ethical standards, and it is unconscionable to use elected office for monetary gain in any way. State agencies will fully cooperate with any investigation. Corruption and self-dealing will not be tolerated, and employees who have fallen short of these ethical standards will be disciplined, up to and including termination, and should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.
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* Kankakee Daily Journal…
Kankakee Mayor Chasity Wells-Armstrong is passing up the opportunity to apply for the soon-to-be-vacant Senate seat held by Democrat Toi Hutchinson.
Meanwhile, state Rep. Anthony DeLuca says he is interested in the position.
By state law, Democratic Party leaders in Hutchinson’s 40th District get to choose her replacement. She announced last week she was resigning to take a state job.
…Adding… Great point by Hannah…
Out of about 71 thousand votes Hutchinson received in 2016, Will County provided a not inconsequential 17 thousand of them.
* Man, there will be a lot of races in Will County next year, both in the primary and the general. Here’s Ted Slowik at the Daily Southtown…
Former state Sen. Larry Walsh Sr., 71, a Democrat from Elwood, announced in August that he would not seek a fifth term as Will County executive. Walsh, who first won the countywide office in 2004, said he plans to serve out his term. Walsh, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2014, has said he plans to focus on his health. […]
On the Democratic side, Walsh supports Nick Palmer, of Joliet, his longtime chief of staff. Palmer faces a primary challenge from 49th District state Sen. Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant, of Shorewood.
Three Republicans and a Democrat are already vying to replace Margo McDermed, of Mokena, as state representative for the 37th District. McDermed, 69, who was first elected to the seat in 2014, announced in July she would not seek another term. The district covers parts of Frankfort, Homer Glen, Joliet, Lockport, Mokena, New Lenox, Orland Park and Tinley Park. […]
Also last week, Democrat Pat McGuire, of Joliet, announced he would not seek reelection as state senator representing the 43rd District. McGuire previously served as Will County treasurer and on the Joliet Township High School District Board of Education.
So, that’s Hutchinson, the elder Walsh, Bertino-Tarant, McDermed and McGuire. Sen. Sue Rezin is running for Congress, so if she wins that seat will open up (and while the congressional race will mainly be focused elsewhere, Will County will still be important). And Rep. Grant Wehrli (R-Naperville) could find himself in the general election fight of his life next year (about 15 thousand total votes were cast in the Will County portion last year). There were less than 2,000 votes in freshman Rep. Anne M. Stava-Murray’s district within Will County last year, but every vote will matter in that district next year.
…Adding… I forgot to mention that people are lining up to run against GOP Rep. Mark Batinick as well, including Plainfield Trustee and ironworker Harry Benton. There were about 35 thousand votes cast in the Will County part of the district last year. And, of course, Rep. John Connor is running for Sen. McGuire’s seat, which opens up that House district.
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Question of the day
Tuesday, Oct 1, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Four more reasons why this state needed a capital bill…
* The Question: What are the problematic state roads/bridges/etc. in your area that urgently need repair?
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New laws
Tuesday, Oct 1, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
Illinois companies can no longer ask job applicants or their previous employers about their pay history under a law that took effect Sunday. Supporters say the measure will help close the pay gap between women and men.
Sarah Labadie, associate director of policy for Women Employed, a nonprofit advocating for equal pay for women in the workforce, said the main goal of the law is to restructure how companies pay their workers so that pay discrepancies aren’t perpetuated.
Rep. Anna Moeller, D-Elgin, who co-sponsored the legislation signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, said she hopes the new law will even the playing field.
“Women tend to make less than their male counterparts. If (a company is) basing it off past wages, it causes them to continue to get paid less. Employers will no longer be able to make wage offers by using previous wage history,” Moeller said.
The paper goes on to detail the new law.
* Progressive Railroading…
Indiana Rail Road Co., the Association of American Railroads and the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association have asked a federal judge to stop Illinois from enforcing a new law that requires a minimum of two crew members on trains.
In a lawsuit filed in Chicago federal court yesterday against the Illinois Commerce Commission, the railroad and associations argue that federal regulations preempt the crew-size law that Illinois Gov. J. B. Pritzker signed in August. The law is set to take effect Jan. 1, 2020.
Pritzker signed the law three months after the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) determined that “no regulation of train-crew staffing is necessary or appropriate” for railroads to operate safely, according to the lawsuit.
“In recent decades, technological breakthroughs have allowed railroads to gradually decrease average crew sizes —from about five in the 1960s to just two today — while compiling an ever-improving record of safety,” the court filing states. “Now, the nation’s railroads are poised to deliver even safer and more efficient service.”
The lawsuit is here.
* Rep. Jeff Keicher (R-Sycamore)…
Every October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month across the nation, but this year especially, we have reason to take notice of this cause here in our own community. Local breast cancer screening rates have fallen below the state and national average. DeKalb County’s breast cancer screening rate is 65%. The statewide average is 78%, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
My family, like so many others in our community, has been impacted by women battling breast cancer. As a husband and father of a college age daughter, women’s health issues are a kitchen table issue in my house, just as I’m sure it is in homes across the State of Illinois. To help make a difference, I sponsored a bill this spring to broaden the availability of mammogram screening, SB 162.
On August 26, Governor Pritzker came to DeKalb to sign my bill into law at Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital, which just last week celebrated the opening of their new Breast Health Center. Our new law requires both private insurance and Medicaid to cover several preventative measures to help women detect breast cancer. Mammograms, ultrasounds and MRIs will now be covered when deemed medically necessary by a physician, advanced practice nurse or physician assistant, effective January 1, 2020.
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, upwards of ten thousand women in Illinois are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. With the new law increasing access to preventative care, early detection and treatment can help save lives.
My bill, which is now Public Act 101-0580, passed both the House of Representatives and State Senate unanimously this spring, making it a bipartisan achievement we can all be proud of. I would like to thank the breast cancer survivors and advocates whose support was pivotal in getting this new law passed. Together we will continue to make major strides to prevent breast cancer and ensure that women have access to the screenings and life-saving care they need.
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It’s just a bill
Tuesday, Oct 1, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Center Square…
After California did so, Illinois lawmakers are now racing each other to get legislation to Gov. J.B. Pritzker to allow college athletes to be paid for their name, image, and likeness, something the NCAA has long prohibited. […]
In just five days, two bills have been filed in the Illinois House of Representatives that would do the same in Illinois.
Wow. Two bills. Quite the race.
* Capitol News Illinois…
Rep. Daniel Didech, from Buffalo Grove, proposed legislation Thursday that would prohibit the state from requiring staff to travel to states with laws effectively banning abortion or requiring investigations into the cause of a miscarriage. It would also bar the government from reimbursing an employee for travel to one of those states.
In the first six months of 2019, 12 states passed some form of a law restricting access to abortion. Those states surround Illinois to the east and southwest, and cut a swath south to the Gulf of Mexico. They include neighboring Indiana, Missouri and Kentucky.
“What these other states are doing is, to me, very dangerous. To a large extent, yes, abortion is a big part of it, but it’s not entirely about abortion,” Didech said. “As a member of the Legislature, I have the responsibility to protect our state employees.”
State government staffers travel for a number of reasons, including conferences, litigation and training as required by a grant or license. The bill includes exclusions to allow for some of those trips to continue in extenuating circumstances.
The bill is here.
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* Kaiser Health News…
Patricia Powers went a few years without health insurance and was unable to afford regular doctor visits. So the Missouri resident, who lives near St. Louis, had no idea that cancerous tumors were silently growing in both of her breasts.
If Powers lived just across the Mississippi River in neighboring Illinois, she would have qualified for Medicaid, the federal-state health insurance program for low-income residents that 36 states and the District of Columbia decided to expand under the Affordable Care Act. But Missouri politicians chose not to expand it — a decision some groups are trying to reverse by getting signatures to put the option on the 2020 ballot.
Powers’ predicament reflects an odd twist in the way the health care law has played out: State borders have become arbitrary dividing lines between Medicaid’s haves and have-nots, with Americans in similar financial straits facing vastly different health care fortunes. This affects everything from whether diseases are caught early to whether people can stay well enough to work. […]
A recent University of Michigan study found Medicaid expansion substantially reduced mortality rates from 2014 to 2017. The researchers said Illinois averted 345 deaths annually while Missouri had 194 additional deaths each year. The same trends held for other side-by-side states such as Kentucky (did expand) and Tennessee (did not), New Mexico (did) and Texas (did not).
And it’s not just the averted deaths. It’s also the averted debilitating impacts of untreated or partially treated illnesses and injuries and the crushing debts which often lead to bankruptcies and the inability to work or be productive citizens…
In neighboring Illinois, getting Medicaid through the expansion helped Matt Bednarowicz avoid debilitating medical debt after a motorcycle crash.
The wreck crushed his left foot, requiring doctors to insert pins. Without Medicaid, he would have faced thousands of dollars in medical bills.
“The debt would have been greater than I could comprehend overcoming,” says Bednarowicz, who is now 29.
His Medicaid kicked in “just in the nick of time” to cover the surgery, Bednarowicz says. It also allowed him to get psychiatric help for depression. More than a year later, he’s able to get around well — even jog — and works as a caregiver for an elderly man.
Having insurance helps people like Bednarowicz stay productive, says Riopedre.
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Anecdotes vs. data
Tuesday, Oct 1, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Chicago Tribune editorial…
Homebuilder Jerry James, president of Glenview-based Edward R. James Partners, doesn’t need to study statistics to grasp the sluggishness of the local housing market. He lives it. “This is the toughest I’ve seen it, and I’ve been in the business since 1985,” James says.
Catering to empty nesters, James sees the investment losses homeowners are experiencing when they downsize. Why is it happening? “Increasing taxes on property as a result of the pension situation is it in a nutshell. People’s homes aren’t appreciating, and tax bills are going up. It’s a bad combination that doesn’t feel good to anybody.”
Stagnant and depreciating home values throughout Illinois have become an offshoot of what we’ve been calling the “Illinois Exodus.” Last year’s estimated net reduction of residents hit 45,116, the worst of five straight years of population decline.
* Chicago Civic Federation…
The full market value of real estate in Cook County was approximately $585.8 billion in tax assessment year 2017. Tax year 2017 is the most recent year for which data are available. The 2017 total value estimate represents an increase of $26.1 billion, or 4.7%, from the 2016 estimated full value. … The 2017 estimates represent the fifth year in a row in which real estate values in Cook County increased after six straight years of decline. […]
Readers should note that the trends identified in this report do not necessarily apply to individual properties. This is because: 1) they are estimates; and 2) they reflect medians, which by their nature do not represent the individual experience of every property.
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* From the U of I’s Institute of Government and Public Affairs…
The University of Illinois Flash Index registered an unexpected gain to 105.5 in September from its 105.1 level in August.
“Despite numerous reports of slowing U. S. and global economies, Illinois appears to be doing well,” said University of Illinois economist J. Fred Giertz, who compiles the monthly index for the Institute of Government and Public Affairs.
However, Giertz said a word of caution is in order. “A large one-month change in the index can be the result of unusual variations in tax receipts patterns rather than true economic impacts,” he said.
The jump in the index comes after it had hit its lowest level so far for the year in August. See the full Flash Index archive.
Two of the three components of the Flash Index, individual income and corporate tax receipts, were up around 10 percent from the same month last year after adjusting for inflation and rate changes. Sales tax receipts were down slightly.
The unemployment rate in Illinois fell slightly to 4.0 percent, the lowest in many decades. In addition, the Illinois rate was only three-tenths of a percentage point above the national rate.
The Flash Index is a weighted average of Illinois growth rates in corporate earnings, consumer spending and personal income as estimated from receipts for corporate income, personal income and retail sales taxes. These are adjusted for inflation before growth rates are calculated. The growth rate for each component is then calculated for the 12-month period using data through September 30, 2019. An index reading above 100 denotes growth.
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Some hiring progress at DCFS
Tuesday, Oct 1, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Hannah Meisel at the Daily Line…
In recent years, the volume of calls coming into DCFS’ hotline — 800-25-ABUSE — has risen precipitously, and hotline staffers have not been able to keep up with the increase in calls. A May audit from Auditor General Frank Mautino’s office found that timeliness for completing investigations declined significantly between 2015 and 2017, both the focus of the biennial audit and the timeframe in which the state went without an operating budget for two years. […]
In the wake of media attention and increased legislative scrutiny on the troubled agency throughout 2019, DCFS last month told lawmakers it plans to hire 20 more workers for the hotline as part of an overall plan to add dozens more people to DCFS’ payroll, including 71 more child protection investigators.
In order to hire the 20 additional hotline workers as fast as possible, a unit within AFSCME Council 31, the umbrella union that represents most state employees, has waived a provision in its contract that requires internal candidates — who are also covered by AFSCME’s contract — to get the first chance at those jobs.
The overarching AFSCME contract for state workers normally requires job vacancies to be first posted internally bidding for at least 10 working days to give internal candidates the first shot at openings.
AFSCME Council 31 spokesperson Anders Lindall said it’s not unusual for individual units within AFSCME Council 31, including the unit that covers DCFS workers in Springfield, where the hotline is located, to negotiate certain waivers in a supplemental agreement in order to achieve a goal — in this case, reducing call volumes for overwhelmed workers.
But there’s another potential contract-related issue, so go read the rest.
* More progress reported by Justin Carter at WICS TV…
A few weeks ago, we told you DCFS is struggling to hire bilingual employees.
It’s state law to have at least 194 on board.
As of July, there are 189 bilingual employees on DCFS staff. […]
In June 2018, under the Rauner administration, DCFS only had 158 bilingual employees on staff.
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* Steve Stein…
Illinois Senate Minority Leader Bill Brady knows his back is to the wall in the Senate.
There are 40 Democratic senators. Brady is one of only 19 Republican senators.
“But that doesn’t mean we can’t get things done,” Brady said Monday during a stop at Morton Industries.
“This state has liberal financial tendencies,” he said. “We (Republican lawmakers) can be the voice of fiscal responsibility. Government has to spend money, but it needs to be efficient, effective spending, and spending that people can afford.
“We can either be disruptive or find common ground with the Democrats. We’re looking to find common ground.”
Brady did talk about areas of sharp disagreement, including the minimum wage law. But when you’re that outnumbered you basically have two choices: 1) Scream your opposition and likely change nothing; or 2) Sit at the table and try to change bills a little more to your liking. The Republicans (particularly in the House) got more accomplished in the General Assembly this year than they did in four years partnering with a brick-throwing GOP governor.
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Um, no
Tuesday, Oct 1, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Um…
Another pressure point is CTU’s demand to increase the number of social workers to a recommended one-per-220 students over three years. The cost would be an unfeasible $800 million, according to the city
* No…
* Um…
* No…
Martin Sandoval, C.P.A., will serve as a Business Administration Expert on the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum Board of Trustees. With over 25 years of experience in business, strategic planning and financial management, Sandoval is the founding partner of Compass Associates. He previously was a Director of Corporate Development of Sara Lee Corporation and did similar work for organizations such as the McDonald’s Corporation and Arthur Andersen.
We discussed this yesterday. It’s a different Martin Sandoval.
Also, that hiring story is odd. RTA Chairman Kirk Dillard called Pace on the plaintiff’s behalf to recommend him for a job and Sen. Sandoval’s son got it instead. According to claims made in the story, no hard evidence has yet surfaced to directly establish that Sen. Sandoval actively helped his kid get the gig.
…Adding… Um…
Citing ‘unpredictable legislative and regulatory landscape,’ Sterigenics won’t reopen
Sterigenics, the company that owns a shuttered medical sterilization facility that’s been in the crosshairs of lawmakers and activists for its history of releasing a cancer-causing chemical into the Willowbrook area, will not reopen that facility.
Citing what the company called an “unpredictable legislative and regulatory landscape in Illinois,” it announced Monday that it would exit its sterilization operations in Willowbrook.
Nowhere is this highly important fact mentioned…
Sterigenics also said it was unable to reach an agreement to renew the lease on the building it uses on Quincy Street in Willowbrook.
Forget about the regulatory environment. No lease, no business.
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Reefer madness is definitely still a thing
Tuesday, Oct 1, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Last night’s Decatur City Council meeting was quite something. Aldermen voted to ban the sale of cannabis and even voted not to allow the construction of growing and processing centers…
“What I heard unequivocally from law enforcement was, ‘You will never get enough money to cover the problems this will bring,’” [Decatur Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe] said, speaking before the vote. “I went to health officials, ER doctors, those that work with overdose patients every day, and they said, ‘Don’t do this.’”
1) Lots of people in Decatur are already consuming cannabis. They’re just doing it illegally. The city has now sided with the black market. And every “study” that purports to show unusually large increases in police costs has been thoroughly debunked.
2) Maybe those ER doctors thought the mayor was asking about opioid overdoses, because nobody has ever died after ingesting too much weed.
The council even rejected an opportunity to see what their constituents really believe…
[Ald. Bill Faber] unsuccessfully attempted to amend the ordinance to attach a referendum, effectively asking the question of the public on the next election’s ballot. “My aim is to get the issue decided by the community,” he said.
You get the distinct feeling from reading the article that the city council doesn’t want to know what the public actually thinks.
* Meanwhile, leave it to the folks at Center Square to come up with a negative Illinois-related spin…
A federal measure that would allow marijuana business access to banks could mean a boom in investment, but it could put a dent in Illinois’ budding cannabis revenue projections.
For years, the business of medical and recreational cannabis has been “cash-only” due to federal banking laws forbidding access to banks. The SAFE Act, passed the U.S. House of Representatives last Wednesday using a parliamentary procedure but with bipartisan support nonetheless. It would remove the federal prohibition on FDIC-insured banking institutions doing business with a company that sells medical or recreational cannabis.
The nonprofit Tax Foundation said the purveyors of pot are likely jumping for joy over the prospect, but states who charge an excise tax on the monetary value of the product could see tax revenues fall short.
“With the access to financial services, greater competition could occur because a lot more startups who can then get access to startup loans to finance can get into the market to make it more competitive and drive down prices,” said Ulrik Boesen, senior policy analyst.
Illinois will become the 12th state to legalize recreational cannabis in 2020.
This theoretical business boom, Boesen said, would increase the availability of choices for consumers, making competition for Illinois’ cannabis connoisseurs intensify.
That could result in lower sale prices, Boesen predicted, meaning less money for Illinois and the local governments.
“If prices go down and your tax system is tied to these prices, your revenue goes down,” Boesen said, adding that predicting revenue on a high-volatility market like cannabis is difficult.
More entrepreneurship, more innovation and more competition would all be good things, regardless of the possibly nominal impact on tax revenues.
…Adding… Not to mention that this state limits the number of license-holders, which the out of state dude probably didn’t comprehend. That article is so awful on so many levels.
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Open thread
Tuesday, Oct 1, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I’m having trouble deciding what to post at the moment. It could just be that I’ve spread myself too thin…
Anyway, keep it Illinois-centric and be nice to each other, please. Thanks.
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* Register Star…
[Rockford] Mayor Tom McNamara said that he recommended to the City Council Monday that Hard Rock Casino should receive the city’s only casino license.
McNamara said Forest City Casino’s application for a far east side casino has uncertainties and Gorman and Co. had no casino operator for a downtown site.
Hard Rock Casino Rockford will be located at the former Clock Tower Resort property on 25 acres at 7801 E. State St. Giovanni’s Restaurant & Convention Center, 610 N. Bell School Road, would house a temporary casino until the Hard Rock Casino is built.
Hard Rock International is proposing a casino with 1,500 slot machines and 55 table games, a Hard Rock Café and 1,600-seat Hard Rock Live entertainment venue at the I-90 exit. […]
“It’s going to be cool,” [Cheap Trick’s Rick Nielsen, an investor in the Hard Rock Casino Rockford project] said.
Hard Rock has pledged a minimum $7 million payment to the city every year. The Illinois Gaming Board still has to sign off.
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Wait. What? Oh. Nevermind. Carry on, carry on
Monday, Sep 30, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* So, I was skimming through this press release today…
Building on a strong team of diverse experts in their fields, Governor JB Pritzker announced the following individuals have agreed to serve in his administration:
ABRAHAM LINCOLN PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Nothing really stood out at first. And then I scrolled down to the fifth name on the list…
Martin Sandoval
I almost choked. What the heck? Are they insane???
* Then I kept reading…
Martin Sandoval, C.P.A., will serve as a Business Administration Expert on the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum Board of Trustees. With over 25 years of experience in business, strategic planning and financial management, Sandoval is the founding partner of Compass Associates. He previously was a Director of Corporate Development of Sara Lee Corporation and did similar work for organizations such as the McDonald’s Corporation and Arthur Andersen. Sandoval is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Illinois CPA Society, and he has also served as Vice President for the National Museum of Mexican Art, Treasurer of the Little Village Chamber of Commerce and Vice Chair of the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement. Sandoval earned his Master of Science in Business Administration and Bachelor of Science in Commerce from DePaul University.
Anyway, if you want to see the latest ALPLM Board appointees and a couple of new WIU trustees, click here.
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Sterigenics to close plant
Monday, Sep 30, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* This will be cause for rejoicing in some circles…
* Press release…
House Republican Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) released the following statement on the news of Sterigenics not re-opening their Willowbrook facility:
“Sterigenics got the message that we were never going to let them reopen their doors and poison our communities again.”
Earlier this year, Leader Durkin introduced the Matt Haller Act which created the strongest restrictions on ethylene oxide in the nation.
When the courts approved the consent decree on September 20 to allow Sterigenics to re-open, Leader Durkin introduced House Bill 3885 that would authorize any municipality in the state of Illinois to implement a local ban of the use of ethylene oxide within its boundaries. If a local municipality chooses to adopt this authority, any sterilizing companies would be prohibited from using ethylene oxide. This bill has the support of the village of Willowbrook.
More…
* Press release…
Sen. Curran statement on Sterigenics leaving Willowbrook
“This is tremendous news for the people of Willowbrook and the surrounding communities. The risks involved with this facility re-opening were simply too great to the public health. This announcement from Sterigenics is the direct result of the tireless advocacy of Stop Sterigenics and other community organizations who have proven once again that when we all work together, we will not be stopped. Now it is our job to remain vigilant in continuing to protect the health of those we serve,” said State Senator John Curran (R-Downers Grove).
* Congressman Dan Lipinski…
Today’s news marks a victory for everyone who lives in the vicinity of Sterigenics!
This decision by Sterigenics to shut down their Willowbrook plant shows what can happen when public officials on all levels work together along with concerned citizens to protect the health and safety of our communities. This fight has been going on for more than a year and has taken a tremendous amount of work by scores of people, but it was worth it to protect families from further exposure to this dangerous cancer-causing agent. Although this particular fight is over, I will continue to press for a strong federal ethylene oxide standard to protect the health and safety of those who live near EtO-emitting facilities around the country.
* Congressman Bill Foster…
Sterigenics’ decision to permanently close its Willowbrook facility is best for all concerned. From the beginning, the company’s handling of this situation has been insufficiently respectful of the sincere concerns raised by people who live and work in Willowbrook and the surrounding communities. I will continue to work in Congress to make sure the EPA has the resources it needs to protect the health and well-being of all our communities.
* Important point in the Daily Herald story…
The company also was unable to reach an agreement to renew the lease on the building it uses on Quincy Street in Willowbrook.
* U.S. Representative Sean Casten…
Illinoisans should have confidence that the air they are breathing is safe. Unfortunately, the actions of Sterigenics made it impossible for those who live and work in Willowbrook and the surrounding communities to have that peace of mind. For that reason, I support Sterigenics’ decision to close their Willowbrook facility. It is a credit to the hard work of the community for coming together to voice their opinion. Moving forward, I will continue to urge the U.S. EPA to do their job and communicate about the potential risks posed by ethylene oxide emissions, as well as the FDA to ensure a robust medical supply chain that will not endanger patient safety.
* Rep. Deanne Mazzochi (R-Elmhurst)…
The Matt Haller Act recognized that ethylene oxide sterilization involves a chemical process requiring the utmost care and trust to control emissions. Sterigenics’ behavior these many months destroyed that trust. We also had to repeatedly fight the Illinois EPA’s rubber-stamp approach and efforts to denigrate community members who just wanted truthful answers from the agency who by its very name is supposed to protect them. When legislators and community activists repeatedly found flaws in the scientific evidence; permit standards and other building requirements, the Administration and Illinois EPA repeatedly ignored them to favor Sterigenics. While today’s announcement can be viewed as a solid victory for residents of Willowbrook and surrounding communities, we are prepared to go further to make sure the Illinois EPA ends these lax oversight practices. The state as a whole will benefit from an Illinois EPA that does its job correctly to ensure that the air we breathe is safe.
* Rep. Sam Yingling (D-Grayslake)…
The closing of the Willowbrook Sterigenics facility is long overdue. Sterigenics finally saw the writing on the wall that we in Illinois place the health of our citizens over the profits of greedy corporations. I will always fight companies that look to harm our communities for their own financial gain, and today was a significant step in moving towards that goal.
With Sterigenics finally closed, we must now turn our attention to the two factories in Lake County that continue to poison our residents for their own profit. There is still more work to be done when it comes to keeping our air clean from toxic chemicals such as ethylene oxide, and going forward, companies need to prioritize the health of our communities over profits.
* Jen Walling, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council…
Companies that give people cancer should be put on notice that Illinois is not a welcoming business environment. While it does not cure those who have been made sick due to exposure to ethylene oxide, those living and raising families in the Willowbrook area will finally have peace of mind going forward now that Sterigenics is ceasing operations. This announcement marks a victory for this particular community and the surrounding areas, but more must be done to protect other communities still threatened by ethylene oxide emissions.
The Illinois General Assembly must take action to protect all communities across the state from this cancer-causing chemical. We are hopeful that with the continued leadership of Gov. JB Pritzker and those in the legislature, House Bill 3888 will pass during the upcoming veto session and be signed into law in short order.
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Open thread
Monday, Sep 30, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I have some important errands to run today. I should be back late this afternoon. In the meantime, please be nice to each other and, in these trying national times, do your utmost to keep the conversation as Illinois-centric as humanly possible. Thanks.
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Question of the day
Monday, Sep 30, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* AP…
Defying the NCAA, California’s governor signed a first-in-the-nation law Monday that will let college athletes hire agents and make money from endorsements — a move that could upend amateur sports in the U.S. and trigger a legal challenge.
Under the law, which takes effect in 2023, students at public and private universities in the state will be allowed to sign deals with sneaker companies, soft drink makers or other advertisers and profit from their images, names or likenesses, just like the pros. […]
The new law applies to all sports, though the big money to be made is in football and basketball. It bars schools from kicking athletes off the team if they get paid. It does not apply to community colleges and prohibits athletes from accepting endorsement deals that conflict with their schools’ existing contracts.
The NCAA, which had asked Newsom to veto the bill, responded by saying it will consider its “next steps” while also moving forward with “efforts to make adjustments to NCAA name, image and likeness rules that are both realistic in modern society and tied to higher education.”
Rep. Chris Welch filed a similar bill today.
* The Question: Should Illinois pass a similar law to California’s? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please…
bike tracks
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Here we go again with more IDOT excuses
Monday, Sep 30, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* We’ve talked a couple of times about Rep. Jaime Andrade’s futile effort to shoo the multitude of pigeons and their giant piles of guano out of the CTA’s Irving Park Blue Line station. We’ve discussed how a local woman is making things more difficult by feeding the pigeons. But there’s a jurisdictional issue and some bureaucratic resistance as well…
Complicating any clean-up effort is the CTA station’s location under the Kennedy Expressway, which is controlled by the Illinois Department of Transportation. The sidewalk, however, is controlled by the Chicago Department of Transportation. So responsibility is divided among different agencies with their own budgets and approaches to the problem. […]
CTA riders interviewed outside the Irving Park station described the pigeon situation as “gross” and “terrible” and wondered why more netting couldn’t be put up in more areas of the bridge. Illinois Department of Transportation spokesman Guy Tridgell said the agency can’t do this because it needs to have the area open for inspections and other maintenance.
“We’re happy to continue discussing and meeting with all interested parties to see if there’s some solution,” Tridgell said.
Andrade disagreed with IDOT’s explanation, saying netting could easily be removed for inspections. “The problem comes down to who is going to pay,” he said.
It seems like IDOT is always explaining why it can’t do something, or why it’s taking so much time to do something. The whole place needs an attitude adjustment.
This is a public health hazard, for crying out loud. Find a way to fix it. Then move on to the next problem.
I mean, seriously, do they expect me to believe that if Acting Transportation Secretary Omer Osman used that CTA stop every day this would be allowed to continue? No way.
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Gone in 30 seconds
Monday, Sep 30, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Pretty sure we’ve discussed this before, but it’s worth repeating every now and then. From Finke’s column…
The National Conference of State Legislatures recently took a look at rainy day funds, money state’s put aside to help cushion the blow in the event of an economic downturn.
The organization said only two states don’t have an official rainy day fund, although one of them, Colorado, has a “required reserve” fund. That leaves only Illinois without one, NCSL said.
That’s a bit misleading. Illinois has a “Budget Stabilization Fund,” which is essentially a rainy day fund under a different name. Right now, it has $60,000 in it, which the comptroller’s office said will pay less than 30 seconds worth of state bills.
Rest easy.
*Hard sigh*
…Adding… As noted in comments, it makes little sense to establish a large rainy day fund while the state has so much debt. However, building in a bit of fiscal flexibility would still be a decent idea.
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* NBC 5…
One day after Chicago Teachers Union members announced they voted to authorize a strike, union leaders began bargaining sessions with the Chicago Board of Education in an effort to keep teachers from walking off their jobs.
Negotiations began around 10 a.m. Friday, continuing for several hours before coming to an end before 4 p.m.
The CTU said negotiations were expected to resume Tuesday. The union is calling for more staffing and a cap in class sizes.
“It’s almost as if they’re daring us to strike over these issues,” CTU President Jesse Sharkey said in a press conference Friday.
Except, a state law passed in 1995 makes things like class size and staffing levels optional bargaining items for CPS. Union members cannot strike over the topics.
* From the statute…
If, after a reasonable period of bargaining, a dispute or impasse exists between the educational employer and the exclusive representative, the dispute or impasse shall be resolved exclusively as set forth in subsection (b) of Section 12 of this Act in lieu of a strike under Section 13 of this Act. [Emphasis added.]
* The union’s public position seems to be that the law is unjust and shouldn’t be followed…
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* Heather Cherone at the Daily Line…
On his way to a ninth-place finish in the race for Chicago mayor, Paul Vallas racked up bills totaling $885,357 sending unsolicited text messages to Chicagoans touting his campaign, according to documents filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections.
In addition, when the former Chicago Public Schools CEO closed his Paul Vallas for All Chicago campaign committee on Sept. 11, he still owed Link2Tek — the Asheville, North Carolina-based firm that sent the messages — $535,357 after paying the firm $350,000, according to state records.
Along with the outstanding debt, Vallas’s defunct campaign committee faces an ongoing lawsuit that claims the text messages violated federal law. […]
The class-action lawsuit, filed by attorney James Vlahakis on behalf of Chicagoans Jake Campbell and Jeff Klueh, alleges the system used by Link2Tek is an autodialer “dressed in sheep’s clothing.”
I just never did understand what he was trying to accomplish with the over-reliance on text messaging. I’m pretty sure he didn’t, either.
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The Statehouse doors don’t open by themselves
Monday, Sep 30, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* We’ve discussed this issue before. Mayor Lightfoot hasn’t yet filled in state legislators about what she wants in the fast-approaching veto session. Here’s Team Tribune…
State Rep. Mike Zalewski, a Riverside Democrat who chairs the House Revenue Committee, said Lightfoot has “been pretty forthright and honest about the challenges she faces.” Nevertheless, lawmakers don’t want to wait until her budget speech to find out what she wants from Springfield, Zalewski said. […]
“Something that everyone will have to take into consideration is just what the appetite is for more major actions,” said House Democratic leader Greg Harris of Chicago. Harris said he hasn’t met with the mayor’s office or seen any specific requests. […]
Senate Republican leader Bill Brady hasn’t heard from Lightfoot’s office about proposals that would help address Chicago’s budget deficit, spokesman Jason Gerwig said Wednesday. […]
“The governor wants every city in Illinois to succeed, and he is committed to helping them thrive,” Bittner said in a statement. “The administration continues to have productive conversations with the mayor’s office, and we are hopeful that her requests will receive a warm welcome in the General Assembly.”
Part of the problem here is that the mayor hasn’t yet settled on what she wants.
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EIU’s enrollment comeback isn’t all it seems
Monday, Sep 30, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Eastern Illinois University posted a 10 percent enrollment increase last year and a 4 percent increase this year. But, as Gabriel Neely-Streit reports, there’s a catch…
Over at least the past two years, the university has begun to include high schoolers enrolled in dual credit courses and dual enrollment programs in its total enrollment count.
The young programs have been very popular, adding over a thousand students to EIU’s overall headcount, and helping the university build strong relationships with high schoolers across the state.
They have also allowed EIU to claim enrollment increases despite a declining on-campus population, possibly muddying the true picture of the university’s size and health. […]
The “dual enrollment” courses are taught by EIU faculty over videochat and online learning platforms at 10 high schools within 60 miles of the university, explained Professor Rebecca Throneburg, Chair of EIU’s Department of Communication Disorders and Sciences, who co-led the university’s early dual credit efforts. […]
Dual credit students don’t pay full EIU prices, she said, yet the university must pay faculty salaries.
Go read the whole thing.
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Sandoval’s the one under the gun now
Monday, Sep 30, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
At about the same time last week, Chicago-based investigators with the FBI and the IRS swooped into Democratic Sen. Marty Sandoval’s district office, Statehouse office and home residence, removing boxes of documents and seizing computers.
Last November, the feds launched a simultaneous raid of super-powerful Chicago Ald. Ed Burke’s city and ward offices, but they didn’t raid the man’s house.
So, yeah, this is definitely serious stuff. Imagine the evidence the feds had to provide to the Justice Department headquarters and to a federal judge in order to pursue and then obtain a sweeping warrant like that one. You don’t get permission to do all that for a simple fishing expedition, or because the target’s kid got a job or merely to convince the dude to flip on somebody else.
The Tribune reported that Sandoval may have steered business to “at least one company in exchange for kickbacks.” The coordinated federal raids didn’t exactly surprise many Statehouse types. One lobbyist said he was with seven colleagues the day of the raid, and they all claimed to have an unsavory Marty Sandoval story. Another was with 17 colleagues, and all but two had a story about Sandoval, um, “asking” them for various things in exchange for helping them with their legislative agendas.
Officials with the Senate Democrats and the Illinois Secretary of State said they did not have copies of federal warrants, which would be helpful to figure out what the feds were after. That’s somewhat surprising because the Secretary of State controls the Statehouse and the Senate Democrats control their own office suites. Senators themselves do not technically control their offices. The federal agents reportedly showed their warrant to the SoS police when they arrived at the north entrance and then presented it to an employee near or in Sandoval’s unlocked, open office, but no copy was apparently kept.
Nobody knows whether the raids were an outgrowth of current investigations or whether somebody flipped on him or if an irate civilian lodged a complaint. Ald. Burke, for example, got in trouble partly because he allegedly tried to shake down a regular guy who took umbrage.
Sandoval is not only the Senate Transportation Committee chairman, but he is also a member of leadership as the majority caucus whip.
Senate President John Cullerton has refused to remove Sandoval from either position. He’s even said nobody is sure whether the feds are really after Sandoval (which is kind of preposterous because, while the feds can definitely display a mean streak, they’re not gonna raid an elected official’s offices and home because they’re going after another person).
Sandoval hasn’t been charged with anything yet, and we don’t even know what the feds were really after here. They’ve since raided or visited three small towns in Sandoval’s district.
But Cullerton’s stance is not going over well with several members of his caucus. Cullerton has elected as many suburban PTA types as he could over the years, and those folks tend to be squeaky clean people who ran for office to do squeaky clean things. They most definitely did not come to Springfield to defend this kind of stuff.
Sandoval has been on the outs with House Speaker Michael Madigan and his team for years. The feud reached a fever pitch last year when Madigan sided with Congressman Chuy Garcia’s organization and successfully backed Alma Anaya against Sandoval’s daughter Angie for Garcia’s Cook County Board seat.
Madigan’s “general,” 13th Ward Ald. Marty Quinn, reportedly wanted to take Sandoval himself out, but that plan was nixed. Even so, after last year’s conflict and the resulting extreme bad blood, people close to Madigan’s organization figured Sen. Sandoval would eventually be placed on the Garcia/Madigan hit list.
Sandoval prepared for that impending battle partly by raising lots of money and launching a massive play for publicity.
Among other things, Sandoval placed himself at the center of this spring’s effort to pass an infrastructure bill, holding high-profile hearings around the state and making impossible-to-ignore comments to locals about how they needed to get behind specific tax hikes if they wanted their project money. He’s reported raising $263K in campaign contributions since July 1. But a recent fundraiser got him more publicity than he bargained for when a photo was posted online of an attendee “shooting” a tequila “gun” at a person dressed as President Trump.
And now he’s the one under the gun.
* Related…
* Editorial: Before Illinois spends $45 billion on highways and bridges, Sandoval should hit the road
* Here a raid, there a raid, everywhere there’s a fed raid
* Investigations begin to touch Illinois House Speaker Madigan’s confidants
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[Bumped up from late Friday afternoon for visibility and comments opened for discussion.]
* I heard several credible reports about this last night, but then the Chicago FBI refused to confirm this morning, so I figured people closer to the scene would eventually figure it out. Here’s WBEZ…
Federal investigators have raided the northwest suburban offices of a politically connected company headed by a longtime, major campaign contributor to state Sen. Martin Sandoval, WBEZ has learned.
Multiple sources said the raid took place Tuesday at the Bartlett offices of Bluff City Materials Inc., one of several companies owned by Michael Vondra, a construction and asphalt magnate with deep political ties in state government.
For decades, Vondra has been one of the biggest players in Illinois’ asphalt and construction industries.
The law enforcement activity in Bartlett came on the same day FBI agents raided the Cicero and Springfield offices of Sandoval, a high-ranking Democrat who has been a state senator since 2003 and is chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee. […]
But the sources who spoke to WBEZ on the condition of anonymity said that Bluff City Materials was among multiple non-governmental locations also raided during one of the most dramatic weeks in the recent, corruption-riddled history of Illinois.
Vondra has quarries in McCook and Lyons, towns which were both raided yesterday. He also plays a major role in Sen. Sandoval’s annual golf outing. The two men are very close allies.
(Headline explained here.)
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[Bumped up from late Friday afternoon for visibility and comments opened for discussion.]
* The directors of DCFS and the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services sent a letter late this afternoon to the Child Welfare Medicaid Managed Care Implementation Advisory Workgroup. Excerpt…
The Department of Healthcare and Family Services and the Department of Children and Family Services are committed to ensuring that our state’s most vulnerable children and young adults have access to high quality healthcare. They and the families who care for them deserve coordinated, whole-person healthcare and wrap-around services to help them navigate a complex system and lead them to healthy adulthood.
There is nothing more important to us than getting this transition right, and after listening to stakeholders across the state, HFS and DCFS have decided to extend the start date for these programs from November 1, 2019 to February 1, 2020. This delay will help ensure a smooth transition and allow HFS and DCFS to engage further with families, providers and other stakeholders and to monitor the managed care organizations more closely.
This decision comes in the wake of Cook County Public Guardian Charles Golbert’s harsh criticism of the transition, which will impact 36,000 kids. Legislators and stakeholders have also sharply criticized the move.
*** UPDATE *** Heidi Dalenberg, Director of the Institutional Reform Project, ACLU of Illinois…
We welcome the decision by DCFS to delay the process of forcing the children under their care - our clients - into managed health care. But make no mistake, the announcement of February as a new target date for beginning this process remains arbitrary and aspirational.
Rather than focusing on a date certain, we encourage – and will be making this case directly to State officials – that the emphasis be on assuring that children in the care of DCFS do not suffer disruptions and terminations of critical health care services as the providers and insurance companies figure out this process.
Let’s make sure that we have the process in place and then roll out the launch. There is a long way to go and we are not convinced, based on careful analysis, that it is possible to be fully prepared by February.
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