A few dozen inmates who remain locked up in Cook County Jail because they’re too poor to post their relatively low bonds may be out soon under a new program State’s Attorney Kim Foxx announced for indigent, nonviolent offenders Wednesday.
After the Cook County Sheriff’s Office singled out 50 cases of those who were “languishing” in jail for several months because of their inability to post $1,000 or less, the State’s Attorney and Public Defender’s offices came together to identify those inmates who would be better served outside jail, Foxx said. […]
Foxx said most of those who qualify for the bond reform initiative are in for drug offenses, property crimes or retail theft. […]
While awaiting trial outside jail, those needing treatment for drugs or mental health would be required to get help as part of conditions of their release, the top prosecutor said.
It costs $163 a day to house an inmate, so taxpayers will be saving money through the initiative, Foxx said.
The county will save some money (food, meds, etc. - as long as those slots remain empty) but unless they plan to lay off jail employees, this won’t actually save $163 per day.
However, due to the tornadoes that tragically tore through Illinois, Rauner canceled his meeting with Chance. Rightfully and understandably so. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those families who were affected. But as of now it appears the Governor has no plans to reschedule his meeting with Chance, where Chance planned to discuss funding for education in Chicago — a very serious issue.
Not true, I’m told. The governor’s people reached out to Chance’s people about setting a new date.
* From Eleni Demertzis at the governor’s office…
The Governor is traveling the state to survey the damage of the deadly tornados that hit this week. He is meeting with families who lost their homes and thanking first responders for their service. He looks forward to hearing from Chance and we have reached out to his team to reschedule our meeting.
*** UPDATE *** And now all is well…
Update: The Governor and I are now scheduled to meet Friday morning, I'm more than appreciative of him taking time to discuss funding CPS https://t.co/gjCXe6Vs8Q
— Lil Chano From 79th (@chancetherapper) March 2, 2017
Federal officials executed a search warrant at three Caterpillar, Inc. facilities in the Tri-County Area — including the corporate headquarters — Thursday morning.
Company officials confirmed the presence in a statement without specifying which agency was performing the search or what the search was in regard to. A spokeswoman declined by email to provide further details.
“Caterpillar is cooperating,” the brief statement said.
At least some of the agents entering the headquarters building wore jackets bearing an Internal Revenue Service logo, others appeared to be from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Others simply denoted that they were federal agents. A placard in the window of one of the federal vehicles noted it was used by police from the U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security Office of Export Enforcement.
IRS, FDIC and the Security Office of Export Enforcement? This doesn’t look good.
* Video…
Fed agents outside of Caterpillar World HQ. IRS agents and others wearing bulletproof vests. @pjstarhttps://t.co/tnAEKG9y9T
The Ameya Pawar for Governor campaign announced today its launch of a new website and brand reflecting Pawar’s bold and progressive vision for Illinois. In the true spirit of a grassroots volunteer-driven campaign, the website, logo and branding were created by a team of digital professionals inspired by Pawar’s message. The website and logo - worth tens of thousands of dollars - was in-kinded to the campaign.
The Ameya Pawar for Governor design uses inspiration from the New Deal era to convey a sense of power, strength and progress. The logo features the candidate’s name in bold-faced navy blue type with a red-orange wing darting off to the left. The wing symbolizes the American eagle and a rising phoenix, and is influenced by the vintage aerospace-inspired design of the 1930s and ‘40s. The color palette of navy, red-orange, teal and white is simple, American and modern.
“It is amazing. A team of digital professionals who had never worked together but share a belief in Ameya’s message, created a brand and world-class website in less than 30 days,” said John Telford, Volunteer Digital Director. “Our team has grown to more than 60 people, across all digital disciplines — and there is room for more.”
“I am overwhelmed by the support of so many who have volunteered with my campaign,” Pawar said. “They have spent countless hours working during lunch breaks, nights, and weekends. Their dedication is inspiring. Together we are leading a grassroots movement to bring the vision of a ‘New Deal’ across Illinois.”
Ameya’s campaign platform, A New Deal for Illinois, is modeled in the spirit of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s economic and social policies, which turned around the nation as it struggled to recover from the Great Depression. Like Roosevelt’s New Deal, Ameya’s platform aims to reinvigorate Illinois’ economy at a time when the state has a backlog of $12 billion in unpaid bills and is now more than 20 months without a budget.
If there gonna say the design was worth “tens of thousands of dollars,” then they need to report it as such. The campaign has already admitted to the Board of Elections that it filed some disclosures after the legal deadline “in violation of the Illinois Campaign Financing Act.”
Thank you for posting our announcement on Capitol Fax. We have already collected the in-kind contribution forms from the volunteers who designed our website and logo. We will be filing the A-1s later today and will be in compliance with the campaign finance disclosure requirements as outlined by the State Board of Elections.
Gov. Bruce Rauner surveyed the damage from Wednesday’s tornadoes in North Central Illinois.
At least one person was killed and 14 were injured in Tuesday evening’s severe storms.
76-year-old Wayne Tuntland was killed in Ottawa by a falling tree, local police confirm, and Saint Elizabeth Medical Center reports they received 14 patients as a result of the storm with injuries to the head, knee and arm areas.
Rauner talked with victims and emergency responders while looking over homes and businesses in Ottawa and Naplate.
Rauner promised to offer state assistance and urged insurance companies to move quickly to help victims.
Early Tuesday evening Gov. Rauner activated the State Emergency Operations Center in Springfield to ensure state personnel and equipment would be ready to be quickly deployed if needed.
“Fortunately there was a good warning system and people knew that the storms were developing and they were coming,” Rauner said.
Two people were killed in Illinois and more than a dozen others were injured. Another person also died in Missouri while the violent storm system tore across many areas of the upper Midwest. […]
“It could have been a lot worse,” Gov. Rauner said Wednesday. “We have to count our blessings.”
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner planned to survey storm damage Thursday in White County, which was among the areas hit hard by Midwest storms that spawned tornadoes.
Rauner’s visit to Southern Illinois on Thursday follows a tour on Wednesday of storm damage in central Illinois including Ottawa, where an uprooted tree killed 76-year-old Wayne Tuntland. […]
Rauner was scheduled to attend a briefing with officials at 11 a.m. in Carmi, which is in southeast Illinois, then survey damage in Elkville, which is on U.S. 51 south of Du Quoin.
* The video got a bunch of positive comments like this one…
Thank you Governor Rauner for touring the towns that were affected by the severe storms. You’re the most compassionate governor and you actually care for downstate.
The man truly knows how to use social media. That video was very well done. But maybe it’s just a little too well done, too tightly edited and too melodramatic with that somber music. He did good work yesterday. He’s doing good work today. Do we really need something like this?
The Chicago Teachers Union issued a statement on Monday that again accused Emanuel and CPS of playing politics instead of turning to solutions to help schools such as raising taxes.
“The mayor behaving as if he has zero solutions is incredibly irresponsible,” CTU President Karen Lewis said in the statement. “Rahm wants us to let him off the hook for under-funding our schools and instead wait for the Bad Bargain to pass the Senate or Rauner’s cold, cold heart to melt and provide fair funds.”
After the Senate Democrat and Republican leaders announced a suspension of work on the “Grand Bargain” budget deal, state Sen. Kyle McCarter, R-Lebanon, released this statement:
That’s the question many 12th District voters have been asking after Rep. Bost did not schedule an in-person town hall meeting during the time he was back in the district last week.
The general premise behind the campaign, which gained traction on Facebook, brought protesters to Bost’s Carbondale and Belleville offices, and inspired many Letters to the Editor, is that constituents want to have an honest conversation with Bost and the rest of the community. […]
A statement last week from Bost’s office said town halls “have been derailed across the country in an effort to disrupt the honest conversation that representatives need to have with their constituents. Rep. Bost wants to ensure that conversation continues unimpeded and is open to receiving feedback — both positive and negative — from the constituents he represents. That is why this week he met with health care professionals at two Southern Illinois hospitals in three locations, hosted an Agricultural Advisory Board meeting with local farmers, spoke with students at Murphysboro High School, and had 12 individual constituent meetings. Among the constituents he met with were protesters who demonstrated outside of his Belleville office. Additionally, Rep. Bost recently hosted a telephone town hall meeting, which reached over 85,000 Democrats, Republicans, and Independents in Southern Illinois. Constituents who would like to participate in the next telephone town hall are welcome to sign up at bost.house.gov.” […]
“The amount of time that I have at home is minimal, I need to make sure that it’s productive,” Bost said Friday. “You know the cleansing that the Orientals used to do where you’d put one person out in front and 900 people yell at them? That’s not what we need. We need to have meetings with people that are productive.”
…Adding… From comments…
For a man famous for shouting, he seems to fear the shouting of others.
Yep. A guy who used an epic scream at the opposing party to get himself elected to higher office now says nobody should yell at him.
Thursday, Mar 2, 2017 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
As our state moves into its second year without a budget, we need to look for taxes that balance spending and also benefit communities.
Taxes proposed in the budget are more than just revenue; they can be creative options that ensure a healthier future for Illinois. One option has been overwhelmingly supported by voters in a recent poll: a tax on sugary drinks.
As the number one source of added sugar in the American diet, sugary drinks have been directly linked to chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease as well as the healthcare costs that follow. Sugary drink taxes work by keeping people healthier and lowering state healthcare costs that harm the economy.
People can opt out simply by choosing other drink options not included in the tax, like diet drinks, milk, unsweetened teas, coffee, water, and 100% juice.
American Heart Association supports a tax on sugary drinks as a smarter choice for the Illinois budget. We all deserve to live in a state where the healthier choice is also the easier one.
As J.B. Pritzker nears a decision on whether to run for governor, the Chicago businessman would have to deal with past family political contributions to a group that pushed to cut back on state worker pensions.
I don’t see any signs that the donations from Pritzker and his wife, M.K. Pritzker, would poison his bid to win backing from organized labor. But with a potentially huge field of Democrats vying to take on GOP incumbent Bruce Rauner, the gifts definitely are getting some attention.
The donations—$10,000 each—came in December 2011 and went to the We Mean Business PAC, a group formed by Civic Committee President Ty Fahner to pressure state lawmakers to enact pension changes over union opposition.
The group ended up doing just that, giving large donations to several candidates opposed by labor—though one $10,000 check ironically went to House Speaker Mike Madigan, who enacted pension changes that later were tossed out by the Illinois Supreme Court. […]
“This was about trying to raise awareness of a problem during a time of tremendous crisis facing our state,” says the spokeswoman. “Unfortunately, we’re still facing this crisis today because Gov. Rauner has turned this into an ideological issue when it instead deserves actual leadership. Illinois needs a governor who will work with everyone, especially labor, to stabilize our pension funds and protect workers’ retirement.”
One union leader I spoke with, who asked not to be named, said he doubted the donations would be a major factor when it makes an endorsement. Pritzker’s backing for a $15 minimum wage “is a much bigger deal for us,” that source said.
Ironically enough, Bruce and Diana Rauner also gave $10K each to that Fahner PAC about ten months after the Pritzker contributions.
Aside from Madigan, the PAC also contributed to Democratic Reps. Christian Mitchell (five times), Elaine Nekrtiz (thrice), Carol Sente and John Bradley (twice). Sen. Daniel Biss, a possible progressive candidate for governor, received two contributions.
So, I dunno. But it’s a fun little bit of oppo a year before the primary.
The top Democrat in the Illinois Senate abruptly canceled key votes Wednesday on a plan to end the state’s historic budget stalemate, accusing Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner of sabotaging a compromise that had been months in the making.
Senate President John Cullerton of Chicago ditched his earlier vow to call votes on key parts of the so-called “grand bargain,” including an income-tax increase and property tax-freeze.
After the Senate clocked out, Cullerton questioned the first-term governor’s sincerity in meeting legislative Democrats halfway to end the nation’s longest budget stalemate in nearly a century.
“He’s got to grow up,” Cullerton said about Rauner. […]
“The governor injected himself into the process and doesn’t want this approved in this form,” Cullerton said before the Senate adjourned for the day without taking action on the plan. “Situation is not getting any better. We need to work together to solve this. I had hoped it would be today.”
Republicans dismissed the allegations as scapegoating for a plan that’s not ready for prime time. The public drama unfolded after a long day of behind-the-scenes negotiations, as Senate leaders had hoped for a vote on some of the more controversial portions of the multipart plan. That effort has struggled to get off the ground amid broad opposition from unions, the business community and conservative groups alike. […]
While Cullerton declined to detail how he believed Rauner derailed talks, his No. 2 accused the governor of threatening Republicans who planned to vote in favor of the legislation. Republicans already were the target of attacks from conservative groups aligned with Rauner.
“We’ve been told that (Rauner) has called them into his office one by one and threatened them if they voted on this grand bargain,” said Sen. Don Harmon, D-Oak Park. “This is really difficult here because my Republican colleagues who have been working in good faith have been undermined by a governor who does not want this deal to cross the finish line.”
A Rauner aide called the allegations “outrageous,” and said the governor and his staff frequently meet with lawmakers on a variety of issues.
HARMON: “I would ask the Republican members on the other end of that conversation how they felt, because whether the governor thinks he and his team threatened them or not, the reports that we’ve gotten from our Republican colleagues are that they were threatened.”
I tried to ask about this with Republican Sen. Chris Nybo, from Elmhurst. He’d voted for a couple of the grand bargain bills passed the day before. That made him just the sort of Republican that Democrats say the governor was targeting.
But as I stood in the doorway to his Capitol office, Nybo said he did not want to talk about the grand bargain.
MACKEY: “Answer uh — I mean Democrats are saying Republicans were called in and threatened by the governor today — is that …”
NYBO (off mic): “No comment.”
MACKEY: “OK, thank you.”
Whatever happened in those private conversations, something changed.
Top Senate Republicans dismissed the idea that Rauner called them off “aye” votes. Deputy Republican Leader Bill Brady of Bloomington reiterated one of Rauner’s main complaints in recent days that the GOP won’t accept a permanent income-tax increase if Democrats insist on limiting their cherished local property tax freeze to two years.
“More work is needed to achieve a good deal for taxpayers,” Rauner spokeswoman Catherine Kelly said. “We encourage senators to keep working.” […]
In remarks on the floor, Radogno didn’t dispute Cullerton’s assertion about Rauner’s involvement but urged continued work.
“I have no question in my mind that we’re going to bring this thing in for a landing,” Radogno said. “There’s enough good will in this building. I know the governor will be joining us in trying to get that done.”
DEMOCRATS — A breathless, angered state Sen. Heather Steans, a Democrat, urged Republicans to stand up to Rauner so the state could finally have a budget. (Remind you of anything?) “I think what’s happened is that the governor has been clearly interjecting himself in these negotiations and really today I believe we have real evidence that he undermined and killed this today,” Steans said at a news conference. “The governor keeps killing it every time we’re close.”
State Sen. Andy Manar: “I drove to Springfield with the absolute belief that there was a bipartisan agreement on school funding. The only thing that changed from the time I left … is the element of Bruce Rauner being injected into the conversation.”
REPUBLICANS — State Sen. Bill Brady: “The governor is the chief elected official in the state of Illinois. At the end of the day, he needs to be involved … there’s no question in our minds that the governor’s input is valuable.”
State Sen. Karen McConnaughay — “I talked to the governor, this morning, extensively,” she said. “I thought he was very engaged and very supportive. No threats at all.”
State Sen. Jason Barickman: “I was not threatened with anything or provided with any ultimatums or like that. I’ve had lots of discussions with the governor and his staff over the last two years, including over the last few weeks.” In a subsequent interview, Barickman said he believed a deal was still within reach.
“The governor has got to realize that this is as good as it’s going to get,” Cullerton said. “He’s got to grow up and get this solved. He’s the governor.” […]
Cullerton did not say what the next step will be.
“It’s not my move,” he said. “Assuming that’s what happened here, that the governor pulled the votes off, we should find out why the governor did that. Apparently, he wants to change the items that have been negotiated. That’s what he’s failed to do for two years.” […]
“As soon as we get word that there’s Republican support for this bipartisan plan, we’ll be ready to vote,” he said.
Everybody needs to take a deep breath here.
The Democrats need to finally understand that they can’t pass what they want to pass without the Republicans and the governor. And Gov. Rauner needs to realize that the Democrats are out of patience with the endless talks.
It can still be done, but, man, everybody has to calm down a bit first.
The Commercial Club of Chicago announced today that Ty Fahner will step down from his role as President of the Civic Committee and Club after serving in the position for just over five years. Kelly R. Welsh will succeed Fahner as president, effective April 2017.
Fahner, a member of the Commercial Club since 1992 and a member of the Civic Committee since 1998, will remain a member of the Civic Committee.
Under Fahner’s leadership, the Civic Committee worked to address the State’s and City of Chicago’s enormous pension debt, continued to support charter schools and worked to improve school quality, while achieving sustained member growth. Through the Civic Consulting Alliance, the organization led strategic initiatives such as the Police Accountability Task Force.
“There is not a larger issue facing Illinois than our dire financial condition. Ty has addressed this challenge with incredible energy, integrity and focus,” said Civic Committee Chairman Frederick H. “Rick” Waddell. […]
Kelly Welsh is a Chicago attorney who most recently served as General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Commerce, from 2014 to 2017.
Prior to joining the Commerce Department, Welsh was Executive Vice President and General Counsel at Northern Trust and held the same role at Ameritech Corporation. Previously, he was Corporation Counsel for the City of Chicago and began his legal career as a law clerk to a Federal Judge and then went on to practice at the law firm of Mayer Brown.
“We are thankful that an individual like Kelly Welsh has taken on this responsibility and know that he will provide a strong leadership voice to the organization,” said Waddell.
Welsh has been an active participant in civic affairs. He has served as Chairman of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, Trustee of the University of Chicago Medical Center and the Field Museum of Natural History, and as a Board Member at Navy Pier, Inc. and the Institute of Judicial Administration at New York University Law School. Welsh received his AB cum laude from Harvard College in 1974 and his JD magna cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1978.
Fahner’s main Statehouse-related contribution was pushing the General Assembly into passing what turned out to be an unconstitutional pension reform law.
Fahner was paid a base salary of $408,000, with other benefits bringing his total compensation to about $450,000, according to the most recent Internal Revenue Service disclosures available.
* Frankly, I didn’t even know this group existed. A Google search produced precisely one result and there’s no contact information on the press release, which was sent by John Rednour of Du Quoin. But I heard about this vote last night (without a group’s actual name attached), so here’s the release…
On the 28th of February, 2017 a special meeting of the Southern Illinois Democratic County Chairman’s Association was called. The resulting proclamation of the Association follows:
The madness of politics in Illinois must stop. The middle class, those struggling to achieve the middle class, and the most in need are being held hostage. Instead of seeking compromise and progress, unfathomable resources are spent to win the daily news cycle. Rather than looking inward, politicians spend their energy creating bogeymen to blame. Now is a time for action—a time for new leadership. Now is a time for Chris Kennedy’s vision of every Illinois citizen having the opportunity to achieve the American Dream.
Too often in state-wide politics, the values of Southern Illinoisans are overlooked by both Democrats and Republicans. However, when Chris Kennedy was invited to Southern Illinois, he cleared his schedule and came. He listened. He asked questions. He came back.
The SIDCCA insists the number one priority for Southern Illinois should be increasing economic opportunity. Chris Kennedy’s commitment is to putting people back to work and he has a lifetime of experience upon which to draw. Southern Illinois needs a candidate committed to an “all of the above” approach to revitalizing the economy. In a time when the future of our economic engine, Southern Illinois University, seems uncertain, we need a resolve for increased investments in our universities. Southern Illinois needs a candidate that: understands the importance of agriculture and the livestock industry to the area; that refuses to throw his hands in the air and declare the death of coal, but rather, is committed to the promotion and marketing of Southern Illinois Coal; that knows the region’s location and labor force must be promoted to attract new industry; that is a friend of labor; that respects the state worker and the promises that have been made to them; and that sees the limitless potential of tourism and region specific industries in Southern Illinois. On these issues, we believe Chris Kennedy is the candidate for Southern Illinois.
Southern Illinois needs a candidate that knows educational and training opportunities are fundamental to increased economic opportunity; a candidate committed to ensuring John A. Logan College and Rend Lake college and their students thrive; a candidate who believes in parity of spending on k-12 throughout the state. On these issues, we believe Chris Kennedy is the candidate for Southern Illinois on these issues.
The Kennedy legacy of commitment to civil rights, social justice and public service is at the core of Chris Kennedy’s character. His message reminds us that at the foundation of the American dream is the God given dignity of work—that each person should have the opportunity for work; that each able-bodied person should seek work. We stand with the belief that service to community, state, and country is not a passive thought, but rather, something to which we should each strive. In short, Chris Kennedy reminds us why we joined the Democratic Party in the first place.
The Southern Illinois Democratic County Chairman’s Association hereby endorses Christopher G. Kennedy to be the next elected Governor of the State of Illinois.
Respectfully, Southern Illinois Democratic Chairman’s Association
*The Members of the Southern Illinois Democratic Chairman’s Association include the Chairmen of the following counties: Alexander, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Massac, Monroe, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Randolph, Saline, St. Clair, Union, Washington, White, and Williamson.
St. Clair is a good get for sure. The rest won’t hurt, either.
…Adding… I’m told that St. Clair County wasn’t represented at the meeting and will do its own separate endorsement.
*** UPDATE *** I’ve been told that the vote was 10-5 last night, which isn’t even a majority of the counties in the group. Odd.
* I can see some unintended consequences of this (people who regularly heap praise on celebrities and politicians they love), but it’s an interesting development…
Today, Twitter announced that it will start relying on algorithms to identify and restrict accounts for engaging in “abusive behavior,” which the company defines as either “repeatedly Tweeting without solicitation at non-followers” or violating the Twitter terms of service. The update has been in place for a few weeks now, but the company made it public today. The change goes beyond what some thought would be simple keyword policing (read: swear words) by also considering the relationships between users when determining abuse.
Penalties may include making an account’s tweets only visible to its followers for 12 hours or more, or being forced to verify a phone or email address associated with the account. In a statement about the changes, the company’s vice president of engineering, Ed Ho, wrote, “Our platform supports the freedom to share any viewpoint, but if an account continues to repeatedly violate the Twitter Rules, we will consider taking further action.” […]
Twitter will also allow you to filter out notifications from accounts that do not have a profile photo or that list an unverified email addresses or phone number, which are sometimes signs that an account was created specifically to abuse others anonymously. You’ll also be able to decide how long you want to mute accounts, conversations, and keywords. These features resemble the quality filter and notifications settings that verified users have had for some time now.
Also, as I’ve mentioned before, the number of people directly tweeting angry stuff at Gov. Rauner has skyrocketed since the election. And my Twitter feeds are full of people screaming all day and all night at President Trump. If Speaker Madigan had an account, I can only imagine what those tweets would look like. Pretty sure there wouldn’t be a lot of pics of kittens and pink ponies.
Anyway, they might wanna consider exempting politicians from that plan. Your thoughts?
* Counties in this state employ about 60,000 people both full and part time, so the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform took a look at employee wages…
Cook County has the highest average employee salary at $64,378, which is nearly double the average salary for all 102 counties at $34,167. This number includes both full-time and part-time employees. Payroll information does not necessarily include matching pension payments, healthcare, or other benefits.
Cook’s top ranking is followed closely by most suburban counties, plus a handful of Downstate counties like Randolph, Madison and Boone.
On average, each Illinois county pays their employees about $224 per capita (the number of residents in the county) each year. It is important to note that significant portions of county payroll can be funded by sources other than tax revenue. County payroll budgets can sometimes include county-run nursing homes, hospitals, parks, or other public services. While total payroll per capita does not directly indicate the cost of county government for individual taxpayers, it provides a useful measure of the cost of county employees compared to the local population.
Based on total payroll per capita, the size of county government ranges widely. Pulaski County pays the most, relative to their population, with a per-capita payroll cost of $649 per year, while Mercer County pays the least at $80 a year. Cook County spends more than average, at $307 a year.
You asked for a chart comparing key elements of the terms Governor Rauner is demanding of AFSCME members versus those to which other unions have agreed. The governor and his administration often claim, falsely, that the two are one and the same.
In reality, half a dozen unions have no contract agreement with the state—including nurses, state troopers, child care workers and others—while those unions that have settled contracts have done so on very different, more favorable terms not offered to our union.
For example, those other unions have accepted either a wage freeze or a 100% hike in employee health care costs, but Rauner is trying to force AFSCME members to swallow both. See chart for detail.
* According to AFSCME, four of the 18 contracts they examined did not hike health insurance costs by 100 percent. The construction trades did agree to a 100 percent hike, but their contracts say that if AFSCME negotiates a better deal, they will get the same terms.
Twelve unions didn’t agree to a four-year freeze on wages and step increases, with the construction trades even retaining their prevailing wage increases, AFSCME’s analysis claims.
None of the contracts changed overtime pay rules, the union claims. AFSCME, of course, has been whacked because its members are paid overtime after less than 40 hours per week.
And only seven unions agreed to implement the governor’s merit pay program. The construction trades’ agreements say that the merit pay program cannot be implemented until CMS and the specific unions agree to terms on process and procedures.
*** UPDATE *** From Eleni Demertzis at the governor’s office…
The twenty other unions our Administration reached agreements with were not demanding guaranteed wage increases, platinum health insurance at bargain prices, or overtime starting after 37.5 hours. These other unions recognized the State’s dire financial circumstances and had begun working with the state to come to a reasonable solution. Instead of continuing to spread misinformation, it would be helpful if AFSCME leadership would work with our Administration to implement these common sense proposals agreed to by other unions.
Statement by on the “grand bargain” before the Illinois Senate:
The truth about the so-called grand bargain is, to paraphrase Voltaire, it is neither grand nor is it a bargain.
It is the same old power politics presenting the same false choices to keep the same false prophets atop their very real perches of privilege.
Chicago Democrat bosses Madigan and Cullerton don’t need to learn new tricks as long as Republicans continue to fall for their old ones.
If the Chicago Democrat bosses pass a structural tax hike with the votes of a handful of a pliable Republicans, they present Governor Rauner with this choice:
(1) sign the tax hike immediately becoming the majority owner of it thus giving lie to your campaign promise to provide tax relief to Illinois families and businesses thereby destroying your brand as an outsider, maverick willing to take on the craven political establishment of both parties to set Illinois on a growth track; or,
(2) veto the tax hike and be attacked as someone who won’t compromise with Democrats and even moderate Republicans to do a budget deal.
If Governor Rauner chooses the first option, he destroys his base and likely precludes his re-election as a result.
If Governor Rauner chooses the second option, he preserves his base party support with an existent opportunity to work to the middle for victory as he successfully did in the 2014 election.
Democrat bosses got previous Republican Governors Thompson and Edgar to choose the first option. Those decisions by those Republican governors began the descent of the ILGOP into superminority status and of IL to its designation as the worst governed state in the nation.
GOP State Senators who vote for the not grand non-bargain are in effect saying they want Chicago Democrat bosses to continue to run this state and run it into the ground for their benefit.
GOP State Senators who vote for this not grand non-bargain are in effect saying they do not want Gov. Rauner re-elected.
Our position at Liberty Principles PAC is that GOP State Senators who vote for this not grand non-bargain are actually in effect saying they don’t want to be re-elected.
*** UPDATE 1 *** From the Illinois Policy Institute…
Illinois lawmakers have begun voting on the components of a “grand bargain” budget proposal, and voting is expected to continue today. Illinois Policy CEO John Tillman released the following statement:
“This entire budget package is a weak charade meant to convince Republicans to provide Democrats cover on yet another tax increase. Don’t take the bait. Stand up for the people and vote against any proposal that forces Illinoisans to pay more before the state enacts real reform.
“Furthermore, this is not the budget Illinois needs. This is not a reform package. Lawmakers must vote no.
“Illinois cannot weather another tax increase. The state is on the brink of an economic collapse. Moody’s Investors Service has said Illinois is facing economic deterioration. But don’t just take Moody’s word for it. Look around: People are leaving. Businesses are shutting down or packing up and fleeing. The state’s revenue is declining. Raising taxes to prop up a broken and dysfunctional state government will not change that – it will escalate Illinois’ decline. If the tax increases in the Senate’s so-called ‘grand bargain’ are enacted, taxpayers will be crushed and the state’s economy may not recover for decades.
“A multibillion-dollar tax hike would destroy what little recovery has been made since the recession. At the end of 2016, Illinois had the worst jobs growth rate in the region. Nearly 1 in 5 homes are deeply underwater on their mortgages, and Illinois is the only state in the region with a shrinking population. Bloomington, Carbondale, Peoria and the Quad Cities are currently in recession, according to Moody’s, and Elgin, Danville, Decatur and Kankakee are on the brink of recession.
“Illinoisans dutifully paid more than $31 billion in higher taxes after the tax increase of 2011. They were told the revenue would be used to strengthen the state’s economy, pay off the backlog of bills, and get Illinois back in fiscal shape. They were told that a spending cap enacted with the tax increase would prevent the state from this type of crisis ever occurring again. Illinoisans were lied to. Now, policymakers in Springfield are lying to them again. If this deal passes, overburdened taxpayers will be forced to sacrifice again – and even more people will throw up their hands in disgust and decide to leave. More families and jobs will cross the border, and the downward economic spiral will continue.”
*** UPDATE 2 *** Yep…
On attacks on GOP by Proft, Policy Institute on voting for budget package, Radogno says "it says more about them than it does about me.”
Arlington Park and others finally might have come up with a way to boost the lagging horse-racing business in Illinois, and it’ll require the tracks and regulators to pony up.
The plan would call for the Illinois Racing Board to tighten its belt and contribute up to $500,000 — about 18 percent of its budget — toward bigger purses for winning races next year.
The Illinois Racing Board Feb. 28 conditionally approved transferring $500,000 of its “surplus” operating funds to bolster purses at the state’s three remaining tracks. […]
The ensuing lengthy discussion prompted IRB chairman Jeffrey Brincat to reiterate, “I never thought it would be so hard to give away a half-a-million dollars.” […]
Representatives of the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association and the Illinois Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Foundation both said they support the idea of hiking purses. But they urged the money be used to fund races written for Illinois-bred horses, which carry awards for owners and breeders.
And the ITHA, echoing sentiments expressed by the harness horsemen’s group, said its members need further assurance that the redistribution of IRB funds will not result in a demand for more detailed scrutiny of their internal finances. […]
The ITHA and harness horsemen again raised fears that switching funding from the IRB operating account to horsemen’s purses might open their organization to demands for internal records. Board staff said there is no intent to do that and nothing in the proposal that would trigger expanded oversight.
OK, but now I kinda want to see what’s in those internal books. /snark
Legislation to enable the IRB to distribute the cash has been filed and is awaiting a Senate hearing.
*** UPDATE *** A spokesman for the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association sent me a statement which includes this…
Hello, Rich.
Please see below for the text of a statement read into the Illinois Racing Board record yesterday by an attorney for the ITHA.
As you will see, the statement references the practice of “recapture.” For more on that, please click here.
Regarding the ITHA budget, the ITHA publishes on its website a synopsis of its audited financial statements (click here) and also makes those statements available to ITHA members upon request.
* Whenever a major Illinois-based corporation feels serious pain, I always wonder if they’ll start demanding something from the state. I have no idea what State Farm will do and I’m not suggesting that something will actually happen, but it’s worth keeping an eye on because rumors have swirled for quite a long time that they’ve been looking to get outta here…
State Farm Insurance lost more money insuring cars last year than it ever has in its 95-year history.
The Bloomington-based giant, by far the largest U.S. auto insurer, incurred $35.8 billion in claims and loss adjustment expenses. When combined with the costs of running its auto insurance business, State Farm lost $7 billion for the year in that segment.
That was 63 percent higher than its $4.4 billion auto underwriting loss in 2015.
State Farm’s staggering auto insurance loss is the most visible sign yet of how distracted driving and rising repair and medical costs are hammering car insurers. Many are hiking rates at levels not seen in years to try to keep pace with the claims payouts.
Overall, the company reported a profit of $400 million, down from $6.2 billion in 2015.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel and World Business Chicago (WBC) today announced that for the fourth consecutive year, Chicago ranked as the “Top Metro” in the United States for corporate investment by Site Selection Magazine. In 2016, the Chicago metro area saw more new and expanding corporate locations than any other area in the country.
“This is the fourth straight year the city of Chicago has been America’s number one city for corporate investment, a testament to both our talent and the investments we are making in our future,” Mayor Emanuel said. “Leading the country in corporate investment means more jobs and opportunities throughout Chicago. The city of Chicago has a bright future, and it is clear that businesses from across the country and around the world want to be part of what we are building here.”
The progress is continuing in 2017 - this past week alone, KPMG and GE Healthcare announced they are adding more than 1,000 jobs to Chicago. Today Mayor Emanuel joined Hickory Farms to announce the company is relocating its corporate headquarters to Chicago from Ohio.
In 2016, WBC tracked a record 350 business expansions and relocations in the Chicago metro. These projects accounted for more than $2.8 billion in investment and nearly 14,000 new jobs. Major relocations and expansions last year included: Beam Suntory, Mars Wrigley, McDonald’s, Wilson Sporting Goods and Motorola Solutions.
“When corporations choose Chicago, they join a tightly knit corporate community in a global city of talent and innovation, a city with engaged business and civic leaders,” WBC President & CEO Jeff Malehorn said. “We have global markets; our economy is diverse; our talent is diverse and we have unmatched assets. All of this serves up Chicago to be top of mind for companies making location and expansion decisions.”
“The Chicago area is a frequent first place finisher in our ranking of metros according to new and expanding projects announced the previous year,” Mark Arend, editor of Site Selection said. “This means corporate facility planners seeking a large metro location are finding in Chicago the location assets they most require.”
A key source for the corporate relocation community, Site Selection Magazine focuses on new corporate facility projects with significant impact, such as headquarters, manufacturing plants, R&D and logistics sites. In order to be considered, new facilities and expansions must meet at least one of three Site Selection criteria: (a) capital investment of at least $1 million, (b) create at least 20 new jobs or (c) add at least 20,000 square feet of new floor area. Site Selection is published by Conway Inc., which is headquartered in Atlanta, Ga.
There’s no doubt that part of the city is doing very well. Other parts are doing horribly, however.
President Donald Trump briefly returned to a favorite target during his first address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night, assailing gun violence in Chicago while pressing support for law enforcement to ensure public safety.
Trump said it was essential to “break the cycle of poverty” by also breaking “the cycle of violence.”
“In Chicago, more than 4,000 people were shot last year alone — and the murder rate so far this year has been even higher. This is not acceptable in our society,” Trump said to applause.
“Every American child should be able to grow up in a safe community, to attend a great school, and to have access to a high-paying job. But to create this future, we must work with — not against, not against — the men and women of law enforcement,” he said.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Tuesday publicly acknowledged he plans to build a high school in Englewood as part of his “holistic” strategy to fight crime by rebuilding long-neglected neighborhoods.
The mayor let the cat out of the bag during an appearance at the vacant site of the old Kennedy-King College.
The purpose of the news conference was to highlight a previously announced plan to sell 18 acres of city-owned land at North and Throop to private developers and rebuild the outdated vehicle maintenance facility on the Englewood site.
The project will bring 200 jobs to the impoverished Englewood community. In conjunction with the move by the city’s Department of Fleet and Facilities Management, the city is marketing a 4.9-acre property across the street for retail development.
* Related…
* Emanuel may go it alone — without feds — to push police reforms: Although the mayor has signed an “agreement in principle” to negotiate a consent decree that may never happen, he promised once again to implement the reforms without or without court oversight. “I don’t want to do what Ferguson, Cleveland or Baltimore have done. We’re not gonna do it to officers. We are gonna listen to what officers need and actually give them the support so they can be professional and pro-active,” the mayor said.
Illinois senators took another shot at the “grand bargain” Tuesday, approving several of the less-controversial components along with an expansion of gambling.
However, once again a pension reform bill failed to pass and the Senate postponed until Wednesday some of the stickier issues, including workers’ compensation, revamped school funding and a package of tax hikes intended to balance the budget.
Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, used a parliamentary tool to keep the pension reform bill alive for another vote, possibly yet this week. The Senate plans to vote Wednesday on other controversial components, including the tax hikes and school funding reform. The legislation is structured so that all of the dozen bills in the package have to be passed by both the Senate and House and signed by Gov. Bruce Rauner before any of them can become law.
The package was negotiated between Cullerton and Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno of Lemont. Radogno said recently that the package had to be approved by Tuesday, the final day of February, or the Senate should just cede control of the process to House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago.
After Tuesday’s votes, Radogno said there were “very few” loose ends that still needed to be resolved. She said the votes were pretty much what she expected.
Sen. Toi Hutchinson, an Olympia Fields Democrat who leads the revenue committee, said a permanent freeze may be too difficult to pass, noting it would hit schools and towns that rely on that money for day-to-day operations. Instead, lawmakers may pass a two-year freeze and let local voters decide whether to extend it for a few years beyond that.
Despite the fits and starts, Democrats eager for movement sought to paint the day as progress while at the same time warning that both parties will have to vote for something they don’t like if there’s ever going to be an end to the stalemate. They also note any action in the Senate is just a first step, as the House would have its say before the plan could reach the governor’s desk.
“People just have to understand this is, this is a classic compromise,” said Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago. “So you get as much as you can and you don’t overestimate how much you think you’re entitled to. So that’s what we are trying to do.”
Democratic Senate President John Cullerton also will call for a do-over on his pension overhaul plan, years in the making, which failed Tuesday. Cullerton was unfazed despite the roll call on a plan even Republicans agree has Rauner’s backing.
“Hopefully, overnight, people can reflect on what’s at stake here,” Cullerton said. […]
The Senate’s GOP still showed reticence Tuesday to climb aboard, arguing there shouldn’t be votes on any part of the plan until it’s all worked out behind closed doors. But their fears should be tempered by knowing Cullerton has tied all the pieces together, said Assistant Republican Leader Dave Syverson of Rockford. If one fails, none of them moves forward.
“Some members thought that maybe by holding off on doing this today, it would put pressure on the leadership to get the rest of it finalized,” Syverson said. “But the fact that all the bills are tied together — everything that passed today is useless unless the rest of it passes.”
“If 4.99 percent sounds high, let’s look at the level if you have $20 billion in debt,” a figure the state could reach by mid-2018, said Sen. Toi Hutchinson, D-Olympia Fields, chairman of the Senate Revenue Committee.
“What disturbs me is the people who don’t feel any pressure” to do something about that, she added.
The revenue bill also would expand the state’s earned-income tax credit by half.
The pension bill was supposed to have been approved yesterday. But with Democrats not wanting to offend labor groups, and some Republicans wanting bigger changes, the measure got only 26 votes before it was placed on postponed consideration, a parliamentary maneuver that will allow a second vote later.
Sources close to Radogno and Cullerton both said they believe that’s doable.
Linda Chapa LaVia Nonpartisan 2,821 25.6%
Richard Guzman Nonpartisan 3,131 28.4%
Richard Irvin Nonpartisan 3,502 31.8%
Michael Saville Nonpartisan 1,566 14.2%
* Subscribers know a big reason why this happened. It’s the anti-Madigan meme…
This mailer on the #Aurora Mayor's race is correct because Linda Chapa-LaVia is running for the political mafia of Chicago and Springfield. pic.twitter.com/v8tEo9uSMO
* A handful of the grand bargain bills passed today, including an appropriations bill, the gaming bill, a bill to give CPS its pension parity cash, a procurement reform bill and a local government consolidation bill. But the pension reform bill came up short and will have to be voted on again tomorrow. Another bill (click here for background) was pulled out of the record.
Soon after, senators failed to pass the pension reform bill, once again, with a 26-27 vote. A motion to reconsider allows the bill to be called for a vote once again. On Feb. 8, the pension reform bill garnered just 18 votes — showing there’s a clear effort to garner the votes needed to pass the bill.
The bill would create savings by allowing public sector employees to choose whether their benefits are related to raises they may get or to annual cost of living adjustments to their pensions during retirement. It covers university employees, public school teachers, General Assembly members and Chicago teachers. Retirees and judges are not covered. And other state employees are currently not part of the plan because of ongoing legal action with their contract. It also eliminates the retirement system for future for future lawmakers.
“It’s just a matter of convincing people that it’s part of the grand bargain. If they are reluctant to vote for this individual bill, they should have gotten a broader view of it,” Cullerton said after session. “They all go down if this goes down.”
The Senate president blamed union opposition for some Democratic no votes. But he still posed some optimism about the package.
“People just have to understand this is the classic compromise. So you get as much as you can and you don’t overestimate how much you think you’re entitled to,” Cullerton said. “And that’s what we’re trying to do.”
Cullerton appealed for support on the pension bill.
“If you don’t like a bill that’s in the package, then vote ‘no.’ If you like a bill in the package, then vote ‘yes’. It’s not that complicated,” he said. “Sure, if one of them doesn’t pass then they all fail. You would win then, if that’s what you wanted to do.”
State Sen. Jim Oberweis, R-Sugar Grove, said before the session that the total package of bills isn’t a good deal for taxpayers.
“There’s too much increasing in taxes and not enough true reforms and spending cuts,” he said. “It’s important that we have enough spending cuts to say to the taxpayers of Illinois, ‘If we’re going to have to accept a tax increase, there’s a reasonable justification for it.”
Chicago Public Schools upped the stakes of its legal challenge to state education funding on Monday, warning that the school year could end nearly three weeks early and summer school programs could be cut if the district doesn’t get a quick and favorable ruling.
But shortening the school year on top of four previously imposed furlough days may not even fully close the budget gap. In court documents, CPS estimated saving $91 million, and an additional $5 million from canceling summer school for elementary and middle-school general education students. Claypool called those estimates “conservative.”
Chopping off 13 days will push CPS’ school year below the state’s legal threshold, meaning that some state aid will be jeopardized, too. ISBE requires 180 class days for full funding and counts CPS as having four more days than required.
Claypool said CPS attorneys believe they have even more wiggle room.
Do they really have wiggle room and how much will shutting down early cost CPS?
* From the Illinois State Board of Education…
School districts need to code in 185 days to ensure they get a minimum of 176 student attendance days, which can include two full-day parent teacher conferences. (The 185 days will include 4 Teacher Institutes and 5 emergency days. Districts can lower the student attendance days to 174 by adding a max of 2 Full Day Parent Teacher Conferences.)
(105 ILCS 5/10-19) (from Ch. 122, par. 10-19)
Sec. 10-19. Length of school term - experimental programs. Each school board shall annually prepare a calendar for the school term, specifying the opening and closing dates and providing a minimum term of at least 185 days to insure 176 days of actual pupil attendance,
If a district decides to have fewer days than the required minimum, then for every day below the minimum, their General State Aid would decrease by 1/176. The GSA reduction would be based on and assessed on the Fiscal Year 2018 GSA claim.
From the School Code:
Except as otherwise provided in this Section, if any school district fails to provide the minimum school term specified in Section 10-19, the State aid claim for that year shall be reduced by the State Superintendent of Education in an amount equivalent to 1/176 or .56818% for each day less than the number of days required by this Code.
Districts can petition the General Assembly for a waiver from the minimum number of attendance days. However, historically, the General Assembly has not approved such requests. The General Assembly received the Spring waiver report today. Therefore, the next opportunity for a district to apply for a waiver would be in August 2017 for consideration in October 2017.
So, it may be too late for CPS to get a waiver. They’d better try, though. Read on.
* Being nine days short of the state minimum would cost CPS about 5 percent of its GSA entitlement claim (.56818% x 9 days = 5.11%).
According to the Illinois State Board of Education, CPS’ FY17 GSA entitlement claim was $890,528,630. That’s based on its 2015-2016 attendance. They don’t know what the current year’s attendance will be, of course, but assuming it’s the same as last year then CPS would lose a bit under $5.1 million for each of those nine days, for a total of around $45.5 million, which is about half of what CPS says it’ll save by closing schools early.
That reduction to CPS funding won’t come until next fiscal year, but that means next year’s hole just got bigger.
President Donald Trump met Tuesday with a group of states’ attorneys general at the White House.
In all, about two dozen attended, but Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan declined the president’s invitation.
In a statement, Madigan told NBC 5, she “declined his invitation on behalf of the many Americans harmed by his actions.”
“This President has threatened our civil rights and civil liberties in a way we haven’t seen in decades,” the statement read. “He has put Wall Street bankers in the administration to protect the greed that brought our country to financial collapse.”
The president posed for a group photo with the attorneys general calling them “great people.” Those attending the White House meeting included Florida, Idaho and Georgia’s Attorney General.
Champions of self-driving cars are embarking on a journey through one of the state’s most winding and hazardous passageways — the Illinois General Assembly.
Recently, state legislation was introduced that seeks to regulate use of this emerging technology by imposing tighter auto safety standards on cars using automated driving systems. It argues this is best accomplished by restricting the operation of self-driving cars to companies that make their own vehicles and have a track record for safety.
It’s a controversial bill that’s perceived as a sop to legacy automaker General Motors, which was instrumental in pushing the measure introduced this month by Rep. Mike Zalewski, D-Riverside. It’s strongly opposed by a coalition of driverless technology players, including Google, Uber Technologies, Ford and Volvo; the companies claim GM wants to ace them out of the self-driving auto market or, at the very least, slow them down.
Yet while this impending legislative fight is being framed as a marketplace tussle of old versus new ideas, Zalewski’s bill does raise another important question: Are these new self-driving vehicles being properly tested and will the public be safe in them once these vehicles are marketed en masse?
Last December, Uber’s self-driving cars hit the rain-slicked streets of San Francisco with much fanfare. It was meant to be a watershed moment — the upstart ride-hail company bringing autonomous driving to its city of origin, years before most experts predicted we’d begin to see self-driving cars en masse.
But it turned out to be a total flop. A week after Uber’s fleet of 16 luxury Volvo XC90 SUVs started picking up passengers, the program was brought to a grinding halt. The California Department of Motor Vehicles revoked Uber’s vehicle registrations after Uber refused to obtain a $150 permit authorizing it to test driverless cars in the state. And rather than correct what on the surface seemed like a clerical error, Uber refused to get licensed, instead shipping its autonomous fleet to Arizona where it could test its self-driving cars with less public scrutiny. […]
Why did Uber launch the self-driving in pilot in San Francisco if it knew it was in violation of the law? A likely scenario was that Uber didn’t want to disclose its disengagement rate — the number of times the vehicle forced the human driver to take control because it couldn’t safely navigate the conditions on the road — or any accidents to the DMV, and by extension the public. […]
A few days after it launched its unauthorized experiment in San Francisco, a self-driving Uber was caught on video running a red light. Uber claimed the car was under manual control at the time. “These incidents were due to human error,” a spokesperson told The Verge.
But that turned out to be false: the car had actually driven itself through the light, sources told The New York Times. In fact, Uber’s self-driving cars failed to recognize five other traffic lights around the city. Had it signed up for the permit, Uber would have had to report that infraction to the DMV.
We don’t want people testing cars that are going through red lights on public streets. And we shouldn’t be dedicating infrastructure spending to these vehicles. If they’re self-driving, then they should be using the roads with everyone else. If that can’t be done, why should we create special lanes or zones for them? Isn’t traffic already a big enough problem in places like Cook County?
After falling behind in self-driving cars, GM has unleashed its powerful lobbying team to cultivate relationships with statehouses. The largest U.S. vehicle maker by sales has a long history of backing legislation to preserve its interests, including a bill in Indiana last year that would stop electric-vehicle maker Tesla Inc. (TSLA) from operating its own stores there.
GM denied it is trying to keep tech companies out of the market for autonomous vehicles, noting that ultimately the lawmakers make the decision on what’s filed and that the company has worked with policy makers who have different views on the degree of legislation they want to support. On Thursday, the auto maker said it has been having discussions with Uber and Waymo, a unit of Google owner Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL), on language that everyone can support.
And we shouldn’t be passing legislation to favor one company over others in this early stage of the game.
Chicago Ald. Ameya Pawar hasn’t generated much media respect or money in his long-shot bid for governor. But the North Side Democrat may be about to change that with a very interesting hire.
Joining Pawar’s campaign as chief strategist will be Washington-based consultant Joe Trippi, Pawar’s campaign tells me. Team Pawar also has begun using the slogan “a new deal for Illinois,” a clear reference to Franklin D. Roosevelt and his national leadership during the Depression and World War II.
Trippi is on anyone’s national A list of advisers a candidate would want on their side.
Best known for being former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean’s campaign manager for president in 2004—Dean actually led for a while, until sort of imploding on TV—Trippi also ran Jerry Brown’s comeback bid to again be elected governor of California and a variety of successful congressional campaigns.
Pawar has reported raising $30K for both of his campaign committees since the start of the new year.
A new proposal by the Illinois State Commission on Criminal Justice and Sentencing Reform has been met with multiple opponents.
Right now, any theft valuing over $300 will land you a felony charge in Illinois. An Illinois criminal justice reform group has asked lawmakers to raise that thievery threshold to $2,000, in an attempt to combat prison overcrowding.
Executive Director Amy Looten of the Quincy Chamber of Commerce said on Monday that there are many reasons to oppose it. […]
“This sends a message to potential shoplifters that well you know it’s not that big of a deal.” Looten said. “The punishment’s not going to be that big, and we just think that’s the wrong message to send.” […]
“If you take away the punishment side of it, and you’re just going to slap them on the hand, they’re more likely to come back, and there’s more people that are going to try it for the first time.” [Quincy Menard’s Assistant General Manager Scott Warner] said.
Under current law, a theft where the property was not taken from a person is a felony if any of the following conditions are present:
* Theft of goods worth more than $500 is a Class 3 Felony. If the goods are worth $500 or less the defendant is guilty of a Class 4 felony if he has previously been convicted of any type of theft.
* Theft from a school or a place of worship, or theft of government property, is a Class 2 felony if the value of the items taken is more than $500. If the value of the goods taken from these places is worth less than $500, it is a Class 4 felony.
* Retail theft where the value of the items taken is greater than $300 is a Class 3 felony. If the stolen items are worth $300 or less, the defendant is guilty of a Class 4 felony if he has previously been convicted of any type of theft.
Processing non-violent theft offenders puts a significant strain on the prison system. In 2015, for example, there were 2,630 offenders sentenced to IDOC for the Class 3 or Class 4 felonies of retail theft or theft not from a person. Typically these inmates have short and unproductive terms of incarceration; in 2015, nearly half (49 percent) of those who were sentenced to prison for a Class 3 felony theft received the minimum sentence of two years.
Theft of all types is a serious problem, but treating those who steal relatively small amounts (a single laptop or smartphone, for example) the same as those who steal on a large scale seems disproportionate, and does not make the best use of prison resources. Before theft not from a person becomes a Class 3 felony, the value of property taken should be greater than $2,000. Theft of items worth less than $2,000 should be a Class A misdemeanor. Similarly, before retail theft becomes a Class 3 felony, the value of the property taken should be greater than $2,000. Retail theft of property worth less than this amount should be a Class A misdemeanor.
Thoughts?
*** UPDATE *** From Rob Karr, president and CEO of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association…
“We can all agree that non-violent offenders, particularly first-time offenders, should not necessarily be sitting in prison. That is why IRMA has proudly been a part of solutions already enacted to address those situations. But the answer is not to diminish the seriousness of retail theft and erode the sales tax base. Any suggestion that retail theft is a victimless crime is simply wrong — $2 billion in losses to business and government has consequences.”
*** UPDATE *** We’re having a bit of trouble with the ScribbleLive feeds today, but hopefully it’ll be fixed soon. I’m working on it. Here’s a temporary feed…
* From the Illinois Policy Institute’s news service…
One portion of the state senate’s “grand bargain” would force many Illinois cities to place banks ahead of vital local services should an Illinois city go bankrupt.
Senate President John Cullerton introduced Senate Bill 10 as something to help cities borrow more for less.
“It’ll allow them to borrow at lower interest rates and help them save money,” Cullerton said.
But Mark Glennon, founder of the Illinois financial news service website WirePoints, warned that the bill forces any home-rule municipality to give lenders priority on any money it has, or will receive from the state, should it become insolvent.
A number of Illinois cities, including Chicago, are very close to insolvency due to out of control pension contributions, Glennon said. The bill would put banks ahead of the vital local services that are meant to be protected in the event that a city goes bankrupt. he said.
“This is like going to your bank and saying ‘Give me a bigger home loan at a lower rate, and I will give you ownership of all my future income,’” Glennon said.
If you’re in favor of squeezing Chicago and changing the law to allow municipal bankruptcies, then you’re definitely opposed to the bill. But if you think ratings agencies may be going overboard with downgrades of entities that can’t declare bankruptcy without special permission and you believe creditors should be paid, then you support it.
The state itself does this with Build Illinois bonds, which are directly tied to the sales tax and have therefore avoided some of the nasty downgrades suffered by general obligation bonds.
Under the legislation, a home rule municipality could enter into an agreement assigning a set amount of revenue it receives from the state to a special entity such as a public corporation or trust-like fund established for the “limited purpose of issuing obligations” for the municipality. The dedicated revenue would bypass a municipality’s general fund.
For example, the home rule municipality and an issuing entity would enter an assignment agreement for, say 0.25% of that municipality’s share of sales tax revenues. The home rule municipality would need to approve the agreement by ordinance. Bonds would be sold and all revenue from the 0.25% of dedicated sales tax revenues would go directly to special purpose entity for bond repayment.
The structure, by making the revenues owned by a special entity, is designed to shield the bonds from the threat of being dragged into a bankruptcy proceeding, and insulate them from a municipality’s general credit to obtain better ratings.
“It provides another mechanism of structured financing for a municipality which is intended to remove any bankruptcy risks as other states have provided,” said James Spiotto, a municipal restructuring expert and co-publisher of MuniNet Guide. “This type of securitization-like structure has had the effect of providing greater liquidity and better credit acceptance so you can reduce borrowing costs.” […]
Variations are in place in California, New York, and Rhode Island. It’s also a similar concept to Michigan’s state aid-backed bonds. Revenues used to repay debt issued under the program flow to the Michigan Finance Authority, not the municipality.
Earlier today, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office was notified that inmate Garrett Glover, DOB 12/13/1987, had been released from the Illinois Department of Corrections (”IDOC”). Glover was sentenced on February 23, 2017 to four years IDOC on a 2014 attempted armed robbery case. In 2015, Glover was charged with murder in connection with a September 5, 2012 shooting that occurred on southbound I-94. Glover should have been returned to custody of the Cook County Jail on the other case.
The Sheriff’s Office is investigating the circumstances surrounding his release, and all efforts are being made to secure his apprehension.
Anyone with information about Glover’s whereabouts should immediately contact the Cook County Sheriff’s Command Center at 773-674-0169. The public is reminded that aiding a fugitive is a Class 4 felony, punishable by 1-3 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
The Illinois Department of Corrections says a man accused in a 2012 Chicago expressway killing was released on parole in an unrelated case because the department wasn’t informed he should be held.
The Department of Corrections released Garrett Glover on Friday after he was sentenced Thursday to four years in prison for an attempted armed robbery in 2014. Glover had been in custody since 2014.
Glover was supposed to be returned to the custody of the Cook County sheriff’s department, but the Department of Corrections says it didn’t get documentation from Cook County saying he should be held.
Two Illinois government employees have filed an appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit to continue their case challenging the constitutionality of government union officials forced-dues privileges. The workers, all employed by the State of Illinois are currently required to pay union dues or fees to a union as a condition of their employment.
A District Judge recently dismissed the case, Janus v. AFSCME, and the two employees, who are receiving free legal assistance from staff attorneys with the National Right to Work Foundation and the Illinois Policy Institute’s Liberty Justice Center, have now formally filed their appeal of that dismissal.
National Right to Work Foundation President Mark Mix issued the following statement regarding the latest development in the case:
“No citizen should be forced to pay union dues or fees just to work for their own government. This is a fundamental violation of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution and the violation is especially egregious for public servants who are currently required to pay dues to a private organization just to work for their own government. We are hopeful that the United States Supreme Court will soon outlaw this unjust practice for every public employee across the country.”
You gotta wonder if the Illinois Policy Institute would support a bill allowing all customers to eat at restaurants without paying a dime.
…Adding… OK, so, I misread an e-mail with the above press release attached. The case was appealed a few months ago and oral arguments are tomorrow. Sorry for any confusion.
* Reporters asked Gov. Rauner yesterday why he skipped a White House gathering attended by 46 other governors and who he’s met with in the Trump administration…
On Monday, the most Rauner revealed is he’s been in “communication” with members of the “Trump administration” on “violence issues.”
“The folks who are developing the policy — different from, you know, media discussion — the policy that we’re actually going to implement, we’re in conversations, I’m personally in conversations with folks developing that,” Rauner told reporters Monday when asked to respond to the perception that he’s been distancing himself from Trump.
The governor did not give specifics about what policy was being considered, nor did he say whom he was talking with from Trump’s administration. Pressed on whether he was avoiding Trump, Rauner said he’d “meet with the president any time.”
On Monday — as governors met with Trump at the White House — Rauner was asked several times why he hasn’t met personally with Trump. The two have only shared a private phone conversation shortly after the election.
Rauner said he spent his weekend speaking with governors and members of the Trump administration about Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act — saying he pushed for “moving slowly and thoughtfully” and fixing the “broken” insurance market on the exchange. He said he also spoke to the Trump administration about coordinating to help deal with Chicago’s gun violence problem.
The governor said he met with members of Trump’s administration — “the folks that are developing the policy” — about a federal policy dealing with violent crime across the country. He declined to discuss specifics of that potential policy change.
“It’s different from, you know, media discussion. A policy that we’re actually going to implement. We’re in conversations,” he said.
Let’s stipulate right up front that there is zero doubt that much of this is about that horribly over-used word “optics.” He has to win the suburbs to be reelected, and Trump did horribly in the ‘burbs.
* But the governor also said this yesterday…
The folks who are driving the policy are the folks who are going to make the difference.
Which seems to indicate that he doesn’t believe that talking to the president will make much difference.
(T)he stock market might be rising because investors are paying more attention to the people surrounding Trump than to the president, himself. The federal government looks mostly like a conventionally conservative pro-business institution, if you ignore the idiosyncrasies of the Oval Office. Republicans have promised to cut taxes, particularly for rich Americans and business, and there is broad agreement among the GOP to deregulate the financial and energy industries, including rolling back Dodd-Frank. […]
To oversimplify slightly, you could say that the divide between the apoplectic Main Street and cheery Wall Street is the difference between a Big Trump hypothesis and a Little Trump hypothesis. The Big Trump hypothesis says that the president is a vindictive demagogue and a unique threat to Americans norms and institutions, with the potential to wreak havoc on the country’s politics, economics, and culture.
The Little Trump hypothesis regards these fears and declares: “meh.” Instead, it posits that the president will be a loud yet minor figure, sound and fury signifying nothing; a wannabe superhero hemmed in by the limited powers of the executive branch. Rather than rule like a populist demagogue, he will mostly sign bills written by his pro-business staffers and approved by a pro-business Congress. There are extremely smart people who believe in each hypothesis. But the theories are mutually exclusive. They cannot both be true. No matter what happens in the next few years, a lot of people are already wrong about Donald Trump.
* Our good friend Steve Schnorf passed away last night. This is from his official biography…
In his distinguished governmental career, he has held the positions of:
* Director, Illinois Bureau of the Budget (1997-2002);
* Director of Policy for Governor Jim Edgar (1994-1997);
* Director, Illinois Department of Central Management Services (1991-1994, 2002);
* Director of Drivers Services, Office of the Secretary of State (1983-1990); and
* Administrator of the Senior Citizens Division, Office of the Secretary of State (1981-1983).
…In his various capacities in Illinois state government, Schnorf played lead negotiating roles on many key legislative initiatives, including: Illinois welfare reform (1995); Chicago school reform (1996); reorganization of the Department of Human Services (1997); Illinois FIRST (1999); and Soldiers Field renovations (2001).
He participated in all meetings of the Governor and four legislative leaders for five years, affording him broad exposure to the interactions between the executive and legislative branches. Schnorf’s governmental experience includes:
* contract negotiations with the state’s largest employee union;
* developing five state budgets, each totaling approximately $50 billion;
* supervising all state bond sales for five years (consisting of some 40–50 sales totaling more than $10 billion); and
* serving as the Governor’s key liaison, on a variety of issues, with business and labor interest groups, as well as political leaders.
He also chaired the Procurement Policy Board of Illinois (1997-2002); chaired the Illinois Debt Collection Board (1991-1994, 2002); and served as a member of the State Employee Retirement Systems Board of Trustees (1997-2002).
Prior to beginning his state governmental career, Schnorf served people with disabilities on behalf of several not-for-profit organizations and associations (1969-1981) and taught History and Social Studies at Robinson High School (1966-1969).
Schnorf received his Bachelor’s and Masters degrees in Education from Eastern Illinois University. Schnorf resides in Springfield, Illinois.
He was also instrumental in passing landmark legislation to reform the state’s adoption process. He and his wife Jane are adoptive parents.
Steve was my friend, but he was also one of my most valued mentors and advisors. And a lot of folks can say the very same thing about him. We’re all better off for having known that man.
* From his daughter Rebecca…
Last night I had to say goodbye to the man who has been the most constant presence in my life over the past 32.5 years; to the man who has stood by me and supported me through every struggle and who has been there to celebrate every success; and to the man who, when we started the wild ride called parenthood 8.5 years ago, completely rearranged his life, without being asked, to step in as another primary caregiver for our kids. My family’s grief over the past 2.5 months since this terrible disease called cancer entered our lives has been immense, but today it feels particularly overwhelming. My kids miss their pop pop.
He was a heck of a good grandfather and he loved being involved in their lives. I wish I was half the man he was.
* One last photo before we say our goodbyes to one of our most valued and respected commenters…
Steve didn’t want a funeral, but he did want a “celebration of life.” He and I talked about it for a while, and it’ll probably be held later this month or early April, depending on family schedules. I’ll make sure you know as soon as I know.
The Rauner Administration announced today as part of its ongoing AFSCME strike preparation that it has launched a new website called Working for a Better Illinois. The website is a simple way for job seekers to apply for jobs in Illinois government.
“We genuinely hope AFSCME leadership will choose not to strike against taxpayers and work with us on implementing common-sense proposals like overtime after 40 hours, not 37.5,” Rauner General Counsel Dennis Murashko said. “However, we must be prepared to continue government operations and provide services that citizens deserve and expect,” Murashko said.
Every year the state receives tens of thousands of applications from Illinois residents interested in state government. This website streamlines the job application process by allowing citizens to provide basic information about the location and type of work they would be interested in performing. For citizens interested in applying for specific job titles, the existing job application process remains in place.
This website is part of the Rauner Administration’s on-going attempt to modernize the state’s technology services to better serve taxpayers, as well as to prepare for a possible strike against taxpayers by AFSCME.
Submissions to the website would provide a way for state agencies to efficiently identify those who could work on a temporary basis. Although individuals would be hired on a temporary basis in response to the strike, the State would then begin taking the steps necessary to fill positions permanently.
The Rauner Administration has signed labor agreements with 20 unions. The Administration’s proposal includes earning overtime after 40 hours instead of 37.5, pay based on performance rather than seniority, reasonable testing of drug and alcohol use if suspected on the job and allowing volunteerism at state facilities like state parks.
Illinois citizens interested in working for the State should visit: https://statejobs.illinois.gov.
The website, statejobs.illinois.gov, is basic. It only asks for contact information, a preference for what counties a person wants to work in and what job category they’d be interested in filling. It also asks if applicants are interested in temporary work, permanent jobs or both. People who want to apply for specific state jobs should continue to use the existing job application process, which includes listings at work.illinois.gov.
*** UPDATE *** AFSCME Council 31…
“Governor Rauner’s refusal to negotiate has left public service workers with no choice but to consider a strike. Rauner’s unreasonable demands include a 100% hike in employee costs for health care that would cut worker pay by $10,000, and an end to safeguards against reckless privatization.
“AFSCME members investigate child abuse, care for veterans and the disabled, respond to emergencies and more. These jobs require years of experience and training. For Governor Rauner to seek temporary strikebreakers in place of skilled and dedicated professionals is a recipe for disaster for the people of Illinois.
“Instead of trying to intimidate workers with illegal threats, Bruce Rauner should simply do his job: Negotiate with us toward a compromise that’s fair to all.”
