*** UPDATED x1 *** Question of the day
Thursday, Jun 27, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Greg Hinz…
Gov. Pritzker has promised not to be partisan in the upcoming remap, and a reform group, Change Illinois, today called on him to honor that pledge, saying in a statement that “we deserve competitive elections and an equitable democracy in Illinois.”
But if you really think Pritzker, who may have national political ambitions, is going to throw away the Democratic edge here while Republicans in states such as Indiana work to screw Democrats, you don’t know politics. I’m not sure how he’ll wiggle out of this one. But wiggle he will.
* This is the question I asked Pritzker and the other gubernatorial candidates before the primary…
Will you pledge as governor to veto any state legislative redistricting map proposal that is in any way drafted or created by legislators, political party leaders and/or their staffs or allies? The exception, of course, would be the final official draft by LRB.
Pritzker’s response…
Yes, I will pledge to veto. We should amend the constitution to create an independent commission to draw legislative maps, but in the meantime, I would urge Democrats and Republicans to agree to an independent commission to handle creating a new legislative map. That designated body should reflect the gender, racial, and geographic diversity of the state and look to preserve the Voting Rights Act decisions to ensure racial and language minorities are fully represented in the electoral process.
* The Question: Do you agree with Greg that Pritzker will wiggle out of his commitment to veto a state legislative district remap that isn’t independently drawn? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please…
bike trails
*** UPDATE *** Jordan Abudayyeh…
The governor believes it is important that all communities are represented in government and that truly competitive elections are essential for our democracy. The governor has pledged he will veto an unfair map.
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* Subscribers have the governor’s full schedule. Finke…
Gov. J.B. Pritzker will sign the gambling expansion and capital construction bills during a ceremony in Springfield Friday.
The signings will be part of a three-day trip around the state for the governor to promote both bills.
Pritzker will sign the legislation Friday morning at the Lincoln Depot historic site, on Monroe Street near the 10th Street railroad tracks.
The gambling bill authorizes a massive expansion of gambling in Illinois, including five new casinos, slot machines at horse racing tracks, sports betting and the addition of video gaming terminals at the Illinois State Fair.
The bill also increases a number of taxes that are part of the state’s financial plan, including a $1-per-pack increase in the state cigarette tax. The plan also places a tax on the wholesale price of e-cigarettes.
* Joe Bustos at the BND…
East St. Louis is slated to be the start of a tour for the governor on Friday when he touts a massive state infrastructure program.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday plans to sign the state’s $45 billion Rebuild Illinois Capital plan, a six-year program aimed at fixing roads and state facilities, among other things, according to sources with knowledge of the governor’s tentative schedule.
The governor’s office has yet to confirm the East St. Louis stop, but said it is planning events across the state.
The sources said an event is tentatively planned to take place in East St. Louis, which is slated to receive millions of dollars from the capital bill. Among the appropriations are $1 million for capital improvements in the East Side Health District in East St. Louis for urban farming and clinic services, and $2 million for East St. Louis for demolition of derelict buildings and abandoned properties.
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* Background is here if you need it. Susan Garrett at the Center for Illinois Politics…
Capitol Fax’s Rich Miller did us all a favor when he highlighted part of an NBC Chicago clip covering Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s trips to Washington, D.C. and other political destinations funded by his campaign committee.
No laws were broken here. I readily acknowledge that, but also noted in the clip that “It’s never been done before in Illinois.”
I want to put that statement into further context, as some might be scratching their heads over the fact that Pritzker’s predecessor frequently made headlines for using his own personal wealth to supplement political activities.
But Pritzker takes things a step further. I was speaking to the record-breaking $170 million that he contributed to his own campaign, and more on top of that to supplement the salaries of his top lieutenants. Add in the private jet travel, and it’s fair to say that we are watching the governor continue to keep his campaign fund flush with personal cash and use it to subsidize executive branch expenses.
But as his personal funds seep into areas of government operations, we should ask whether private wealth has a role in funding public service?
Ultra wealthy governors using private funds has become a new reality in Illinois, as predecessor Bruce Rauner also used his own money in some similar ways. But Pritzker’s practice amplifies the trend - as the use of personal funds continues to grow to higher and higher levels with more money and more ways to spend it within our state government.
Some say that subsidizing the Governor’s office with personal funds is great because taxpayers are not footing the bill for these expenses. That brings us to the question: Is there a point where we draw the line on the amount of personal wealth the state’s highest elected official uses to cover state employee salaries, luxury travel and standard operations that have, in the past, always been paid for by the taxpayers of the state?
The Center for Illinois Politics is a nonpartisan, nonprofit data-driven organization that I recently founded with former state Sen. John Millner. We are interested in taking the public debate a step further and, as indicated by the responses to the Capitol Fax blog, there are differing and strong views on this topic. We would like to take this opportunity to openly discuss this important topic by hosting a public forum in the coming weeks.
We hope you’ll join us.
Susan Garrett
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Durkin to Sterigenics: Nope
Thursday, Jun 27, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Press release…
Sterigenics, a leading provider of mission-critical sterilization services, today announced that it has applied for permits with the Illinois EPA (IL EPA) to install additional control measures at its Willowbrook facility. The control measures are consistent with upgrades proposed by Sterigenics to the IL EPA over the past several months and prior to the Seal Order which shut down operations at the facility. These upgrades would also allow the facility to comply with the new Illinois legislation for ethylene oxide (EO) emissions and would establish the Willowbrook facility as the highest emissions control environment for EO sterilization facilities in the United States.
The application seeks permits to install new equipment which would establish a permanent total enclosure through the use of negative pressure, increase the number of emission control stages, and combine existing emissions stacks into one common stack at the facility. Based on preliminary modeling, the installation of new emissions controls will further reduce the 0.1% of remaining emissions at the Willowbrook facility to minimal levels.
“By implementing these new controls, our Willowbrook facility will outperform the requirements in the recent Illinois EO law. Additionally, Willowbrook will operate with the highest control level for EO emissions in Illinois and in the country, once again demonstrating our commitment to go beyond regulatory requirements,” said Sterigenics President, Philip Macnabb. “Our focus is on acting in the best interest of the community, our employees, our customers and the patients and hospitals we serve every day. We are taking these additional steps to reassure the public while moving toward a solution which enables us to resume the critical work of sterilizing vital medical products and devices in Willowbrook for patients in Illinois and beyond.”
Sterigenics remains in compliance with legal obligations and is taking all appropriate legal actions to resume operations at Willowbrook.
* Joint statement from House Republican Leader Jim Durkin, Rep. Deanne Mazzochi and Senator John Curran…
Our legislation created the toughest restrictions and regulations on ethylene oxide emissions in the nation. Sterigenics’ poor past performance should guarantee no future permit. We do not see how Sterigenics can comply with the new law’s strict requirements to ever open its Willowbrook doors again.
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* Press release…
The Illinois State Police today announced public safety, training, and enforcement efforts, as well as implementation of expungement and regulation requirements of the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act. “Whether it’s misconduct regarding alcohol or cannabis, public safety and the enforcement of the law will always remain our top priorities,” stated ISP Acting Director Brendan F. Kelly. “As the laws of the state of Illinois change, the ISP will ensure our officers, forensic scientists, telecommunicators, and support staff have the necessary training and tools needed to continue to enforce the laws in place and perform their respective duties,” he concluded. Under the Act, the ISP will chair the DUI Cannabis Task Force, which is being created to improve enforcement and education regarding driving under the influence of cannabis. The DUI Cannabis Task Force will be made up of public safety partners, subject matter experts, and stakeholders, and all parties will work together to study and address concerns surrounding driving under the influence of cannabis and make recommendations to policy makers to protect public safety.
TRAINING
Illinois State Police Academy Cadets and Recruits receive training in Criminal Law, Illinois Vehicle Code (IVC), Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST), and Drug Enforcement and Identification, which includes scenario based training. Incoming Fast Track Cadets will also be provided with Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) training.
A large number of state police personnel are currently ARIDE certified; the ISP will work towards increasing the number of ARIDE certified and Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) certified sworn employees currently on patrol. Sworn employees will also receive additional training regarding oral fluid testing and case law when this becomes a testing mechanism utilized by the ISP.
ENFORCEMENT
The aforementioned ARIDE and DRE training courses will equip sworn patrol officers with additional tools to assist them in identifying impaired drivers who are under the influence of any drug or alcohol.
The ISP is currently researching oral fluid (saliva based) testing. The ISP is gathering and reviewing feedback from other states that have legalized the adult use of recreational cannabis and are currently conducting oral fluid testing. Several states have implemented technology that has shown promise and could be effective here in Illinois. The Act provides for similar penalties for drivers refusing to submit to such tests as in the case of a driver refusing to submit to an alcohol breathalyzer. The ISP is working to implement this technology to identify driving under the influence of all drugs including opioids as soon as possible.
The ISP Forensic Laboratory System has acquired instrumentation and validated procedures to quantify blood THC levels in support of efforts to enforce DUI-Cannabis laws. This service is currently provided at the Springfield Forensic Science Laboratory. The ISP is in the process of procuring instrumentation to expand this service to the Forensic Science Center at Chicago.
EXPUNGEMENT OF ELIGIBLE RECORDS
The ISP Bureau of Identification (BOI) is currently evaluating the official state criminal history repository to identify the minor cannabis offense records that are subject to automatic expungement, or further analysis by the Prisoner Review Board. Once these records are identified, the ISP will comply with the processing and notification requirements of the Act.
ISP’s REGULATORY ROLE
The Illinois State Police currently has a Medical Marijuana Unit (MMU) which oversees and regulates the Medical Cannabis program, and was originally designed as a pilot program. The MMU will now assume the ISP’s regulatory duties for all of the cannabis programs, combining both the medical and the adult recreational use programs. The adult recreational use program will maintain the strict regulatory elements that have made the medical program a success.
The ISP provides regulatory guidance to both cannabis cultivation centers and dispensaries by inspecting all 21 cultivation centers and 55 dispensaries currently in existence on a monthly basis. Further, the ISP also inspects the transportation of medical cannabis products between cultivation centers and dispensaries on a random basis. In addition, the ISP helps safeguard the medical cannabis program by providing criminal investigation of diversion and other allegations of crimes. The legalization of the adult use of recreational cannabis will result in an expansion of duties with the addition of more cultivation centers and dispensaries, the new categories of craft growers, independent transportation providers, cannabis infusion centers (cannabis infused edibles among other items), and community college horticulture programs.
With the new law going into effect immediately, the ISP will expand the MMU to provide the same level of quality and regulation that has made the Medical Cannabis Pilot Program (MCPP) successful thus far. The ISP will develop inspection regulations for the new entities in the program and provide personnel with additional training on physical security in order to provide the proper oversight for the new cannabis entities. The ISP will also provide personnel with analytical support for the large expansion of the program, to ensure the safety and welfare of not only the patients and users of the program, but also, the citizens of Illinois and guests traveling to or through Illinois.
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* AP…
The Supreme Court says federal courts have no role to play in policing political districts drawn for partisan gain. The decision could embolden political line-drawing for partisan gain when state lawmakers undertake the next round of redistricting following the 2020 census.
The justices said by a 5-4 vote on Thursday that claims of partisan gerrymandering do not belong in federal court. The court’s conservative, Republican-appointed majority says that voters and elected officials should be the arbiters of what is a political dispute.
The court rejected challenges to Republican-drawn congressional districts in North Carolina and a Democratic district in Maryland. […]
Chief Justice John Roberts said for the majority that the districting plans “are highly partisan by any measure.” But he said courts are the wrong place to settle these disputes.
* New York Times…
The drafters of the Constitution, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote for the majority, understood that politics would play a role in drawing election districts when they gave the task to state legislatures. Judges, the chief justice said, are not entitled to second-guess lawmakers’ judgments.
* WaPo…
Justice Elena Kagan dissented for the court’s liberals. “For the first time ever, this court refuses to remedy a constitutional violation because it thinks the task beyond judicial capabilities,” she wrote.
Kagan underscored her disagreement by reading a lengthy excerpt of her dissent from the bench.
While the Supreme Court regularly scrutinizes electoral districts for racial gerrymandering, the justices have never found a state’s redistricting map so infected with politics that it violates the Constitution. Such a decision would have marked a dramatic change for how the nation’s political maps are drawn.
More here.
…Adding… Tribune…
Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker, in his 2018 campaign pledged to veto a gerrymandered map if he received one from the Democratic-controlled legislature. He also cited his support for an independent map process and even donated $50,000 to a citizens’ initiative movement in 2014.
But with veto-proof supermajorities of Democrats in the Illinois House and Senate, Republicans were skeptical about potential action by the majority party following the high court’s ruling Thursday.
State Rep. Tom Demmer of Dixon, the House deputy GOP leader, issued a tweet that said, “Only ‘big decision’ here is whether the House and Senate Democrats will override Gov. Pritzker’s veto of a partisan gerrymandered map — which he publicly pledged to veto.”
CHANGE Illinois, which had been a leading proponent of the citizens’ initiative remap effort, issued a statement calling the court’s decision “disheartening” and looked to Pritzker to “live up” to his pledge for fair representation.
I was asked at my City Club speech last December how long I expected the honeymoon to last between Gov. Pritzker and Speaker Madigan. If I recall correctly, I said that Madigan’s spokesman Steve Brown told me he figured it would last until it was time to draw the new maps.
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Slow down, Speed Racer
Thursday, Jun 27, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* As the owner of a putt-putt pontoon boat, speeding boaters is one of my pet peeves…
Earlier this month, Gov. J.B. Pritzker received a warning for speeding during a weekend boating trip on Geneva Lake in Wisconsin, according to his press secretary.
On the evening of June 7, Pritzker was in a boat on Williams Bay, “enjoying a weekend at the lake with his family,” said Jordan Abudayyeh in an email response to questions.
It was still light out, she wrote, and the governor was traveling at 41 mph. At 8:30 p.m., Pritzker was given a warning for his speed, she wrote, but she did not include any other details about the stop. […]
However, during weekends, which begin Friday at noon, boats are prohibited from operating on Geneva Lake at speeds higher than 35 mph during the day, according to the Village of Williams Bay boating regulations. Additionally, boats must not operate at speeds higher than 15 mph from sunset to sunrise.
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Unclear on the concept
Thursday, Jun 27, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* As you probably know, appointed Rep. Mark Kalish (D-Chicago) had pledged to be pro-choice when he took retired Rep. Lou Lang’s place. Kalish said he was planning to vote for the Reproductive Health Act and even helped organize on its behalf, only to flip-flop and vote “Present” when the bill hit the floor. Rep. Kalish held a town hall meeting this week and addressed his change of heart…
“The bill contains lots of good, in terms of what the law will do for health care providers, medical professionals, insurance companies and, of course, the women in need,” Kalish said, adding that he had worked with sponsors to correct unspecified issues with the bill.
“But as the legislation was developed, it became clear to me that my Orthodox Jewish values and beliefs were not aligned with some core components of the legislation, I had to make a personal decision based on my conscience,” said Kalish, the first rabbi in the Illinois state legislature.
* And then…
When asked his position on what’s likely to be the next abortion rights issue, elimination of the requirement that girls under 18 must inform a parent or a judge they seek an abortion, he said he expected to support such a bill.
“I’m in favor of the right of the teenager,” Kalish said.
“And we can trust this?” he was asked.
“You’ll see. I don’t know,” he said.
I’m thinking that last bit isn’t gonna go over too well.
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Tribune: FBI raids Kevin Quinn’s house
Wednesday, Jun 26, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Big scoop…
Federal agents have raided the Far South Side home of Kevin Quinn, a former top political operative for House Speaker Michael Madigan and brother of the 13th Ward alderman, the Tribune has learned.
The FBI executed a search warrant in mid-May at Quinn’s home in the 10300 block of South California Avenue in the West Beverly neighborhood, according to three sources familiar with the investigation.
It’s unclear what information the agents were seeking or whether the raid stemmed from Quinn’s past work with Madigan’s powerful political organization. One source, however, told the Tribune federal agents had shown interest in computers and electronic equipment.
No charges have been filed against Quinn, 43, who could not be reached Wednesday. Messages left for Madigan’s spokesman and lawyer were not returned.
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Question of the day
Wednesday, Jun 26, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* We talked the other day about the advice various folks gave new Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot via the Center for Illinois Politics. They were also asked about their own personal “mantras” while they were serving in public office. Here’s DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin’s mantra…
I try to figure out how we can advance a cause every day, and so I try to put aside the politics and the pettiness and the personalities which can be very hard. I try to keep my eye on the ball and make sure we’re moving down the field.
* Former AG Lisa Madigan…
Use your power for good. And always remember that you are a public servant.
* Former Cook County Assessor Jim Houlihan…
What would my mother think?
* The Question: What’s your personal “mantra”?
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How the expungement/pardon process will work
Wednesday, Jun 26, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
He emphasized that the law provides for automatic expungement of arrests for marijuana possession under 30 grams, and that he will pardon those with convictions for possession up to 30 grams.
Individuals and prosecutors may go to court to seek expungement of cases involving up to 500 grams.
“Today we are giving hundreds of thousands of people the chance at a better life,” Pritzker said.
The governor noted that no one with a violent crime conviction will be eligible for expungement or pardon.
* Excellent story from Hannah Meisel…
Expungements and pardons will available under the new law for approximately 700,000 arrest and conviction records belonging to approximately 315,000 people. […]
In the next 180 days, the state police will identify all eligible convictions based on criminal history records within the state police’s database and provide the convictions to the Prisoner Review Board, which will review the records for eligibility to ensure that the convictions in the dataset are indeed eligible for pardon and not associated with a violent crime.
After that, the board will notify local state’s attorneys of felony convictions being considered for clemency, and those county prosecutors will get 60 days to file a written objection to a pardon based on evidence that the conviction record is ineligible for clemency. The board will then provide the group of convictions eligible for clemency to the governor, who will then be able to pardon them all at once.
From there, Attorney General Kwame Raoul will file petitions with each individual circuit court around the state to expunge the records of those who were pardoned.
“We wrote in the law an expedited process,” [Deputy Gov. Christian Mitchell] said of the Prison Review Board’s role in expungement. “I’m circumspect to give you a date now because I just don’t know. This is a new thing, it’s a rather large-scale thing. It’s going to take time, but it’s going to take much less time than it was otherwise.”
The Prison Review Board, a 15-member board responsible for hearing the pleas fromr incarcerated people to get out of prison earlier than their sentence dictates either on parole or for good behavior, usually takes time with their decisions. Mitchell compared that intensive fact-finding mission with the board’s responsibility in marijuana clemency, and said board’s role here will take much less time.
* Background…
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* NBC 5…
Gov. J.B. Pritzker has made four out-of-state trips for official business since taking office in January. Each time, he has traveled on private chartered jets but he has not charged taxpayers, according to documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.
On Feb. 21, Pritzker, a Democrat, headed to the National Governor’s conference and a black-tie dinner at the White House. At Chicago Executive Airport in Wheeling, he and his wife M.K. boarded a private jet en route to Washington’s Dulles Airport. Four staffers plus a member of the governor’s security detail also boarded a G200 private jet along with a three person flight crew for the two-and-a-half hour flight, according to travel documents obtained in a public records request.
In all, Pritzker has made three official trips to Washington and one to New York.
The governor’s office in a written response noted “The Governor does not charge his travel expenses to the state of Illinois” and said personal and campaign funds were used to rent the jets. […]
When asked about the privately funded trips, Susan Garrett, a co-founder of the Center for Illinois Politics, said “it’s never been done before in Illinois.”
A former Democratic state senator, Garrett acknowledges the unusual move saves taxpayers money, but she said, “There’s something to be said for public servants who have to work within budgets and rules and guidelines.”
It’s never been done before? Really?…
Gov. Bruce Rauner used a helicopter, apparently owned by a campaign donor, to get him to a public event on Friday.
“He covered the cost personally, so it would not be at the taxpayers’ expense,” said Rauner spokeswoman Laurel Patrick.
The helicopter landed at Aurora University so Rauner could go to an assessment of flood damaged areas in nearby Lake County. Federal and state emergency management agencies and the Small Business Administration were involved.
That took all of three seconds to find on Google.
…Adding… As noted by commenters, using campaign money to pay governmental and public policy travel is perfectly legal in this state…
10 ILCS 5/9-8.10)
Sec. 9-8.10. Use of political committee and other reporting organization funds.
(a) A political committee shall not make expenditures:
(6) For the travel expenses of any person unless the travel is necessary for fulfillment of political, governmental, or public policy duties, activities, or purposes.
That was done to help cut down on governmental travel expenditures. It was, in other words, a reform.
*** UPDATE *** Back in 2003, then Sen. Susan Garrett was the chief sponsor of a bill that, in part, did this…
Nothing in this Section prohibits the expenditure of funds of (i) a political committee controlled by an officeholder or by a candidate or (ii) an organization subject to Section 9-7.5 to defray the ordinary and necessary expenses of an officeholder in connection with the performance of governmental duties.
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Our sorry state
Wednesday, Jun 26, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Right of Center Square…
Illinois is the only state in America that has yet to release its official report from fiscal year 2018 and state officials don’t yet know when it will be released.
Every state, most cities, and other forms of government must have a comprehensive annual financial report, or CAFR, done as a way for not only citizens to better understand their local government finances, but also to give officials a better idea on the baseline costs for upcoming budgets.
Illinois is often one of the last states to finish its report and this year, state officials have yet to do it, making it the latest since 2011 when Comptroller-turned Deputy Gov. Dan Hynes released it on June 30, 2012, a full year after the fiscal year ended. […]
A 2011 report from the Governmental Accounting Standards Board, which dictates best practices for many functions in public governance, found the average amount of time it took for a state to release a CAFR was less than 7 months.
In surveys, GASB found that the information released via these reports “diminishes quickly” in value after six months. Bondholders often use the information found in CAFRs to gauge the creditworthiness of a unit of government before bidding on an offering, which Illinois plans to do soon.
According to the Auditor General’s office, the latest a CAFR was ever released was August 24, 2006, for the previous fiscal year that ended June 30, 2005. The CAFR for fiscal years 2008, 2009 and 2010 were all issued in July of the following years. So, as mentioned above, this isn’t new.
* Comptroller Mendoza…
State Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza Wednesday declared her continued displeasure with the pace of release of the State’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR). Monday marks the beginning of a new fiscal year, and we are still without the fiscal year 2018 CAFR.
The Illinois Office of Comptroller compiles the CAFR from reports submitted to the Office from individual state agencies that are required to be audited by the Illinois Auditor General. If any of those audits are not complete, the Comptroller cannot publish the CAFR.
The timeliness of the issuance of the CAFR has been an issue that spans back since fiscal year 1999, marking the last time the report met its reporting date. In six of the last 12 years, the CAFR has come out in June or later, a year after the end of the fiscal year. In 2009, it came out in July. The state appears on-track to match or beat that dubious record this year.
The lateness this year does not fall on the Comptroller’s Office, the Auditor General or the current leadership of the state agencies. It appears there are issues from this audit period dating from the previous administration’s management. The current administration and leadership of those agencies are working to resolve them and account for them in their reports to the Auditor General.
The Comptroller’s Office stands ready, as it has been since December, to publish the CAFR as soon as the remaining audits are completed.
“My first year in office, we got the CAFR out in February. Last year, the CAFR was issued in early March,” Mendoza said. “I am highly concerned and disappointed that this process is taking so long. My hands are tied until we get the final audited reports from the Auditor General.” [Emphasis added.]
CAFRs are hugely important, but Illinois, as usual, is so backwards that we lag behind the rest of the country. We are the only state that doesn’t have a single financial reporting system. And despite hundreds of millions of dollars spent on new systems, way too many agency systems are one-offs that can’t communicate with anyone else.
The auditor general has to put together an audited financial report by going through each individual agency, and if some big agencies are found not to be in compliance, that can really mess things up.
Auditor General Frank Mautino told me today that these problems are especially acute “when you have dysfunctional government, dysfunctional agencies.” He couldn’t be more specific because the audit process is confidential.
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*** UPDATED x1 *** Fun with numbers
Wednesday, Jun 26, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* John Tillman on the Fox News website…
Many public-sector workers in Illinois have indicated they don’t want to continue paying dues. In fact, more than 8,000 public employees stopped sending money to AFSCME Council 31 – that’s at least 12 percent of employees represented by AFSCME, the largest and most powerful government union in the state.
Each of those 8,000 workers had their own reasons for choosing to stop paying the union. Maybe they wanted to keep more of their hard-earned money to spend on their family. Maybe they didn’t like the union’s demands on taxpayers. Or maybe they didn’t like the union’s politics.
Notice that clever use of the phrase “stopped sending money to AFSCME Council 31.” He didn’t claim that 8,000 union members had dropped out. What he’s mainly talking about here are former fair share fee payers who are no longer required to pay their, um, fair share.
The union suspects Tillman’s 8,000 figure was derived from a January federal filing about December union membership which was incomplete due to a paperwork snafu with one of its largest employers. That filing made its membership look about 3,000 smaller than it actually was at the time. AFSCME says it had about 5,000 fair share fee payers at the time of the Janus ruling.
“Despite IPI’s direct-mail and paid advertising campaigns, only a relative handful of former members has dropped out,” a union official said.
And, according to AFSCME, the union has added 1,100 members since the Janus ruling and another 800 new signups are in the pipeline.
Keep in mind that former Gov. Bruce Rauner believed union members would leave AFSCME in droves after Janus. That apparently hasn’t happened even though the Policy Institute has been mailing members urging them to drop out of the union.
I asked the Policy Institute for a response an hour ago and didn’t hear back.
*** UPDATE *** From the Institute…
The number is based on the 2018 and 2017 LM-2s (comparing membership numbers between the two years). The 2018 LM-2 covers the preceding fiscal year (which runs Jan 1 - Dec 31 for AFSCME Council 31) and was filed with the federal government on April 1, 2019. That was the second filing for 2018 (AFSCME also filed one on March 27, then re-filed this on on April 1 with the same membership numbers).
I can’t speak to the ’snafu’, but AFSCME didn’t correct it in its April 1 re-filing of its LM-2 (attached).
The 2017 LM-2 showed AFSCME had 57,995 members. The latest 2018 form showed 57,000 members.
* And here’s a bit of news I missed…
The U. S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to review a petition from Illinois home health workers seeking to recover “fair share fees” they once paid to cover the costs of collective bargaining. That leaves in place a Seventh Circuit decision not to certify the proposed class of more than 80,000 health workers who want the roughly $32 million they’ve paid in fair share fees to the Service Employees International Union Healthcare Illinois & Indiana since 2008 to be repaid in full.
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What’s next for cannabis?
Wednesday, Jun 26, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tom Schuba takes a look at the future of cannabis legalization here. As the sponsors noted yesterday, the General Assembly has passed new laws related to alcohol just about every year since Prohibition ended and cannabis will likely be the same…
Anyone over the age of 21 can already order up pot products for delivery in California, Nevada and Oregon, according to O’Keefe.
Deliveries of recreational marijuana will also kick off when sales start next year in Michigan, the first state in the midwest to legalize recreational pot, as well as the following year in Colorado, O’Keefe said. Meanwhile, the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission delayed voting last month on regulations related to the delivery and social consumption of weed, according to The Republican.
While home cannabis deliveries came up during Illinois’ last legislative session, Cassidy said she and fellow lawmakers wanted to wait until the initial legalization bill had passed to address those types of sales.
“That opens up a layer of issues that I don’t think we were prepared to address,” said Cassidy, who was deterred by reports of medical marijuana delivery drivers being robbed in Michigan. “That’s something that is likely another bill for another time.”
Dan Linn, executive director of the Illinois chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, echoed some of Cassidy’s safety concerns but also noted that the delivery business would likely be easier to crack into than other aspects of the legal pot industry that require hefty, non-refundable application fees and other barriers to entry.
They have smart phone apps for weed delivery service in California. You can be sitting at an outdoor cafe sipping on a pink lemonade and, poof, just like that, the delivery person arrives with your order.
…Adding… I somehow forgot to include this…
* Related…
* Pot to be legal here in 2020: On Tuesday, Rep. David Welter, a Morris Republican, applauded legalization. “Today is an affirmation of individual liberty. Adult use of cannabis should be a personal choice,” he said. “Beyond that, I am proud of our commitment that 20 percent of the revenue generated by legalization will go toward funding for mental health and substance-abuse services in Illinois. An additional 10 percent will go to pay down the state’s backlog of unpaid bills, which directly benefits hospitals, health care, and social-service providers in every community across the state.”
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President Preckwinkle wants another term
Wednesday, Jun 26, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Rachel Hinton …
Nearly three months after a blowout loss to Lori Lightfoot in the April mayoral election, Preckwinkle on Tuesday kicked wide open the door to seeking another term as Cook County Board president.
“Yes, she’s running again,” Scott Kastrup, Preckwinkle’s political director, said at a fundraiser held at the Chicago Cultural Center. “We’re pleased to be doing this [fundraiser] again, and she’s definitely running for re-election for the County Board.”
Tuesday’s event left little doubt that that was the plan.
A jazz band played tunes such as Dave Brubeck’s classic “Take Five” as supporters filed into the room. At the sign-in tables, donors were encouraged to take buttons emblazoned with Preckwinkle’s face.
The messaging was simple: Re-elect Toni Preckwinkle President of Cook County Board.”
* Tribune…
Preckwinkle, who is chair of the Cook County Democratic Party, previously said this would be her last term.
But she backed off the idea in an April interview with the Tribune, saying she was thinking about running for re-election in 2022.
“I think there’s a lot to do,” she said at the time, “and in particular, frankly, we’ve got to do something about what’s happening in the south suburbs.”
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