Raoul, anti-abortion groups to file proposed agreed order in crisis pregnancy center case
Monday, Dec 11, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Thomas More Society in August…
* From the judge’s injunction…
The bill was essentially written by Attorney General Kwame Raoul and was based on a Connecticut law which had withstood judicial scrutiny. Raoul was its top advocate…
* Well, here’s AG Raoul today…
The proposed order wasn’t included in the release. It won’t actually be filed with the court until tomorrow. But I’ve talked with some pro-choice people this evening who are quite unhappy with this turn of events. Expect reactions tomorrow. …Adding…. Apparently the AG will agree not to pursue legal claims under the new law, but reserves the right to legally challenge under the state’s Consumer Fraud law, which he believes covers the topic. That begs the question of why he pushed so hard and expended the political capital to pass this new law in the first place.
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IDNR removed 750,000 pounds of silver carp from the Illinois River in ten days
Monday, Dec 11, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * This is quite a haul. IDNR press release…
* For comparison, the annual Redneck Fishing Tournament harvested about 20,000 pounds of fish near Bath, Illinois this past summer. But the tournament has some rules which limit their catches…
[Patterson didn’t win a Golden Horseshoe today, but he did get this post.]
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Monday, Dec 11, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller Today’s top stories ProPublica writer Vernal Coleman tells the story of an infamous Indiana gun shop that is linked to hundreds of recovered guns in Chicago. The Belleville News-Democrat reports that U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin and U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski have asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to investigate how decades of flooding and exposure to sewage have affected Cahokia Heights residents’ health. State-wide news * WGLT | A report on nutrient pollution in Illinois’ waterways shows more work is needed: “Nutrient levels in Illinois waterways continued to increase in 2021 and 2022 compared to baseline measurements, and the NLRS partnership anticipates the strategy will likely fall short of its 2025 interim goals, particularly for phosphorus,” the report notes. “This is despite multi-sector investments in resources and practices that support nutrient loss reduction across the state.” * Daily Herald | Are electric vehicle owners paying enough for Illinois roads?: An additional $100 fee charged to electric vehicle owners in Illinois generated more than $8.8 million for the state in the last year. That’s up more than $3.3 million from a year ago, and is earmarked for road construction projects in the state, according to Illinois Secretary of State figures. * Cannabis Business Times | Illinois Governor Signs Bill Waiving Cannabis Transporter Fees: The legislation, Senate Bill 1559, also restricts the Illinois Department of Agriculture from making available or accepting new license applications for cannabis transporters until January 2027. […] “The [multi]-year moratorium on new transporter licenses will allow the current, smaller independent transporters to secure contracts and grow their businesses,” Pritzker said in a press release. “License holders will also have a [multi]-year holiday from paying annual fees to further aid these small businesses as the industry develops.” * Sun-Times | Illinois hunters harvested 76,232 deer during firearm season, down from 2022: For the first modern season where certain rifles were allowed during Illinois’ firearm deer season, the impact appears negligible or minor on harvest totals. Illinois hunters harvested 76,232 deer (preliminary numbers) during the two parts of firearm season, down slightly from 76,854 deer in the 2022 firearm season. The weather being almost too nice first season may have had a bigger impact than use of rifles. * Sun-Times | $40M project highlights pastor’s 25-year effort to bring affordable housing to North Lawndale: Developers of a mixed-income complex in North Lawndale hope to inspire residents to return to a community where a lack of affordable housing has driven people away. The six-story, 65-unit Grace Manor has been spearheaded by the Rev. Marvin Hunter, pastor of the nearby Grace Memorial Baptist Church. SJ-R | Springfield Parks District seeks state OK to install video gaming terminals at golf course: Among them, the Springfield Parks District wants to add video gaming at a local golf club which is pending approval from the Illinois Gaming Board. Executive Director Derek Harms told The State Journal-Register that the district recently applied to install video gaming terminals at the Bunn Golf Course clubhouse. IGB confirmed it had received the application in October and was in the process of reviewing it. * Patch | Long Grove Student Wins Voting Sticker Contest: Lake County: Annika, a seventh-grader at Woodlawn, was the winner of the 6th through 8th grade category and the overall grand prize winner for all ages. “Annika’s exceptional artistry secured the grand prize, earning the honor of having their design transformed into the official Lake County ‘I Voted’ sticker in 2024,” Lake County Clerk Anthony Vega said in a press release. * Press Release | Illinois Beverage Association announces selection of Madeline Norris as Executive Director: Skilled in policy analysis, negotiation, relationship management, and legislative process strategy, Norris previously served as Legislative Director for Illinois House Majority Leader Robyn Gabel. “My team and I are excited to take on this new role as Executive Director of the IBA” stated Norris. “The opportunity to serve the IBA’s bottling, manufacturing, and franchisee members throughout the State of Illinois is a great honor and privilege, every day these members serve Illinois residents by providing the most popular, innovative, non-alcoholic beverage choices of every type in the world.” What’s going on in the Windy City?
* Sun-Times | Near West Side ventures seed growth in Chicago manufacturing: In mHUB’s case, it will cut the ribbon Tuesday on its new home. It has taken over a nearly century-old building with a clock tower at 240 N. Ashland Ave. and given it a new address to suit its purposes, 1623 W. Fulton St. The 80,000 square feet will afford mHUB more space for prototyping and testing compared with its former base on Chicago Avenue. * WTTW | Private Trash Haulers Rarely Face Punishment for Illegal Pickups, City Data Shows: Despite scores of noise complaints from frustrated residents jolted awake by garbage trucks, private trash haulers have been slapped with just five tickets for illegal pickups during quiet hours over the last two years. That’s according to a WTTW News analysis of data obtained from the Chicago Police Department and the city’s 311 nonemergency line. * Tribune | Chicago homicides in 2023: 588 people slain. Here’s how that compares with previous years: After a two-year spike during the pandemic and national outrage over police accountability, Chicago began to see a decline in homicides in 2022. In 2021, 797 people were slain — 25 more than in 2020. * People’s Fabric | Crooked Chicago Cop Crew Seen in Videos Stealing Guns, Drugs, and Cash: Four Calumet District tactical unit officers were stripped of their police powers after filing false reports—in one instance, they even let a man wanted for murder walk away smoking his blunt. News from outside the Land of Lincoln * Chalkbeat | How researchers see AI helping university admissions officers comb through college essays: The possible use of AI in admissions, however, raises questions about how universities would responsibly use it, especially because college admissions officers have said essays might carry more weight in the wake of the Supreme Court decision eliminating the use of race-based admissions. […] To develop the AI tool, D’Mello and researchers from the University of Pennsylvania used more than 300,000 anonymous, 150-word essays submitted to colleges in 2008 and 2009. Those essays focused on extracurricular activities and work experiences. * Reuters | Texas woman who asked court to allow emergency abortion will leave state for care: A woman who had asked a court for an order allowing her to get an abortion under the medical emergency exception to Texas’ near-total ban will leave the state to receive care while the state’s highest court considers her case, her lawyers said in a court filing on Monday. * Metro News | Gubernatorial candidate Mac Warner: ‘The election was stolen, and it was stolen by the CIA’: For Warner, who has served as West Virginia’s Secretary of State since 2017, the claim was a variation on a consistent public position of casting doubt on the presidential election. Warner is now vying to become West Virginia’s chief executive, touting his long record in the U.S. Army and his two terms as the state’s chief elections officer. Polls have shown him running behind some of the other candidates, but he has picked up a key endorsement from the former president’s orbit and hopes for more.
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The DSA and the Eastern Bloc
Monday, Dec 11, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * I noticed something over the weekend and was curious if you saw the same sorts of parallels. Tribune…
* From US Rep. Mary Miller’s endorsement of Darren Bailey…
The rhetoric is quite similar. The difference in this particular case is that Ald. Vasquez easily won reelection this year, but Bost might not do the same in March. Anyway, I’m curious if y’all think this is a fair or even accurate comparison.
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Google can be your friend
Monday, Dec 11, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * The rise in crime in Chicago’s Bucktown area is real and undoubtedly scary. But some folks are lashing out at straw men, and members of the news media have too often amplified their false claims. Here’s a particularly egregious example from Block Club Chicago…
1) The state’s felony theft minimum is set in statute at $500. A five-second Google search (Illinois felony theft law) by the reporter, or Rep. Jawaharial Williams or the two other legislators in attendance would have shown that. 2) Burglary is a different crime and is set in statute as a felony. Again, the Google can be your friend (Illinois burglary law). 3) Robberies are mentioned at the top of the story. Robbery is a felony in Illinois. Again, a five-second Google search (Illinois robbery law) would have cleared that up. 4) It’s not directly mentioned above, but this is not a Pre-Trial Fairness Act issue, either. Robbery, residential burglary and vehicular invasion are all detainable offenses. (Pre-trial Fairness Act). 5) The bottom line is perpetrators can’t even be sentenced if the police don’t catch the alleged criminals. And, yes, the local state’s attorney doesn’t prosecute retail thefts as felonies below $1,000, but people are up in arms about much different crimes. Either way, this is not a sentencing law issue.
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Question of the day: 2023 Golden Horseshoe Awards
Monday, Dec 11, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * The 2023 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Government Spokesperson/Comms goes to Jason Rubin…
A very special shout-out to Henry Haupt, who recently retired. * The 2023 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Statehouse-Related Public Relations Spokesperson is a tie: Monique Garcia…
Congratulations! * On to today’s categories…
Best Republican Illinois State Representative We will also have a lifetime achievement award this year. Make sure to explain your nominations or they won’t count. And please do your utmost to nominate in both categories. Thanks! * We’ve raised almost $52,000 to buy Christmas presents for foster kids in Lutheran Social Services of Illinois’ program. Please click here to help. Thanks so very much!
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Update to today’s edition (Updated numerous times)
Monday, Dec 11, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
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‘Members of the press outnumbered the protesters’
Monday, Dec 11, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * NBC 5 last Thursday morning…
Video is here. * NBC 5 Thursday afternoon…
* But, as Block Club Chicago reported, aside from the news media, hardly anyone actually showed up…
At least Gibbons is finally in his own part of the city for a change. Another “protester,” Anthony Wilson, lives on the South Side. Anyway, good on Block Club for not going out of its way to gin this up. * OK, on to the weekly report. On Friday, the city said 30 buses had arrived during the previous week, but only 575 asylum-seekers were in staging areas, with 399 at police district stations and 176 at O’Hare Airport. That’s an overall drop of 44 percent from the week before, when 1,032 were in staging areas. Two police district stations near St. Bartholomew were literally overrun with asylum-seekers a few weeks ago, with tents set up outside. Those folks have since been moved out, which may be why people in the neighborhood aren’t so concerned about the new shelter. * More from Isabel…
* Tribune | Johnson administration begins filing lawsuits against operators of ‘rogue buses’ of migrants: The city has filed 55 lawsuits since it implemented new rules about when and where buses can arrive in mid-November, the Law Department said. The lawsuits address 77 total buses accused of violating the rules, and public records show at least some cases are seeking fines against the bus companies. … The mayor’s office is now seeking the ability to impound buses that don’t follow the rules and fine owners up to $3,000. Chicago police would write the citation, Jeffrey Levine, deputy corporation counsel for the city, told aldermen at a committee meeting Friday. The city could also cite companies by mail, if the bus information is captured on camera. * CBS 2 | Chicago migrant crisis: Records shed light on contract for tents, city cracks down on buses: We are also keeping tabs on the environmental review for the second proposed migrant tent location in Morgan Park. Sources told us the review was supposed to be completed on Friday. Ald. Ronnie Mosley (21st), whose ward includes the area, told us he has not received anything yet. * Crain’s | City moves to step up enforcement on bus companies bringing migrants: The city is adding impoundment to the list of penalties on private bus operators that don’t obey rules on where and when to drop off migrants they’re bringing to Chicago. The additional penalties were teased last month when Mayor Brandon Johnson announced new rules around how the city will care for asylum-seekers arriving here, including issuing 60-day exit notices to migrants living in city shelters. * Tribune | Waiting in fear: A migrant mother struggles to find health care in Chicago: Migrants interviewed by the Tribune staying at city-run shelters and police stations say they are worried about their health and that of their children. Esperanza said health care was not an option for her in Venezuela. Hospitals were understaffed and treatment was too expensive, she said. “The operation I needed at Hospital Universitario in Maracaibo would have cost me $2,000. That just wasn’t feasible,” Esperanza said. * WGN | St. Sabina Church helps migrants in Chicago with donations: Migrants have been coming to St. Sabina for quite some time now. The giveaway included things like teddy bears, bus cards, clothes and hygiene products. “We are spending somewhere between $12-15,000 a week on coats, cards, McDonalds,” Father Michael Pflegere said. He said the vast majority is from donations but as the group grows, more help is needed. * ABC Chicago | Legal aid clinic helps Venezuelan migrants apply for temporary protected status, work authorization: “We don’t have a Venezuelan consulate, so if they don’t have a passport, it makes things even more complicated,” said immigration attorney Nubia Willman. Dozens of lawyers, law school students, and translators volunteered their time on Saturday to help the native Spanish speakers navigate the process, which includes filing out 31 pages of government forms, all in English. * Chicago Defender | A Venezuelan Exodus: UIC Prof Explains What Helped Fuel Migrant Crisis: Nicole Jeanine Johnson: As this is a recipe for disaster, how have these factors contributed to the country’s mass exodus? Soledad Álvarez Velasco: So the fall of the oil prices in the global economy, commodities, sanctions and the internal collapse of its state has provoked this massive exodus. We haven’t witnessed any exodus of such magnitude in the region ever in the scope of its 14 years. Since 1999, up until the present, [nearly] 8 million Venezuelans have left their country.
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A rethink may be in order here
Monday, Dec 11, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Monday, Dec 11, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Open thread
Monday, Dec 11, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * I hope y’all had a relaxing weekend! What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Monday, Dec 11, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Chicago steps-up enforcement on “rogue” buses that drop off asylum seekers without notifying the city.Tribune…
- 77 total buses are accused of violating the rules. -The rules also require intercity buses to apply for approval from the city to drop off passengers. - The mayor’s office is now seeking the ability to impound buses that don’t follow the rules and fine owners up to $3,000. * Related stories… ∙ Crain’s: City moves to step up enforcement on bus companies bringing migrants ∙ ABC Chicago | ‘Rogue’ buses are trying to dump migrants in Cicero and leave to avoid Chicago fines * Isabel’s top picks… * Capitol News Illinois | Pritzker signs measure allowing new small-scale nuclear technology in Illinois: Gov. JB Pritzker on Friday signed into law a measure that will allow for the limited development of new nuclear power generation technology in the state. […] The measure, House Bill 2473, does not allow new large-scale power generation facilities like the six plants that are already operational in the state, but rather allows for new smaller-scale emergent technology. * Crain’s | Arlington Heights school districts take step in property tax talks with Bears: A spokesman for Arlington Heights school districts 15, 211 and 214 today said in a statement they recently got a pair of appraisals pegging the 326-acre former racetrack property’s value at $160 million. It’s a starting point of sorts in an appeal process the Bears will likely go through after Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi said the property’s 2023 value was $192 million. * Tribune | After controversy in Quincy, advocates question whether Illinois should require judges to undergo training on sexual assault cases: Adrian’s stated reasoning for the reversal raised eyebrows among survivor advocates, who also bristled at comments he made during the January 2022 sentencing hearing. After reversing his ruling, a transcript shows he blamed parents and adults for “having parties for teenagers, and they allow coeds and female people to swim in their underwear in their swimming pool. And, no, underwear is not the same as swimming suits.” * Here’s the rest of your morning roundup… * WCIA | Illinois looking to expand food infrastructure with state grant: The state is funding nearly $2 million in projects to expand local food networks through a new grant approved by the Illinois legislature. Examples of projects under the grant include animal processing, trucking, food hubs and community kitchens. The Illinois Stewardship Alliance is working with the Illinois Department of Agriculture for the first year of the grant. * Tribune | Calling FBI mole Danny Solis to testify could be risky, ‘blow back’ on ex-Ald. Ed Burke’s defense in corruption case, experts say: “It’s a bit of a chess game,” said Nancy DePodesta, a former federal prosecutor now in private practice. “The government made the first move and decided not to call Solis … If the defense doesn’t call Solis then they’re left with the tapes, (and) you don’t get to cross-examine the tapes. * Sun-Times | Feds play recording of call with Gery Chico as they allege Ed Burke used threats over permits ‘to extort benefits’ from businesses: “They’re ok, ok?”Chico said.“They’re not perfect. They’re just pretty naive on this stuff, so we’ve had to drag their asses along the way, but we’ll have a nice event.” Burke replied, “Well, maybe if they don’t have any access to the property because the driveway isn’t legal, they might get the message.” * Chalkbeat | Dual credit courses growing in Illinois, but students of color less likely to take them, report says: Due to recent changes in state law in 2021, Illinois high schools were encouraged to expand their dual credit courses. And the share of students who are taking these advanced classes has been on the rise over the past several years: Participation in dual credit courses grew from 10.2% of high school students in the 2017-18 school year to 14% for 2021-22, according to a recent report from the Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative. * Daily Herald | Is Illinois’ mandatory road test for seniors fair? The 49 other states don’t do it: The law requires drivers aged 79 and 80 to take a road exam if their four-year license renewal is up. For drivers aged 81 to 86, it’s every two years, and for those 87 and older, it’s yearly. But according to a recent study, “statistics show that our senior drivers are among the safest drivers in the state,” Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said. * Sun-Times | New state ID program for Cook County Jail detainees aims to ‘help people reintegrate’: Starting Monday, some detainees leaving jail custody on electronic monitoring will be handed a free state ID, a critical and often elusive stepping-stone that hasn’t been available to former inmates as they try to find housing, jobs and other foundations to rebuild their lives, officials and advocates say. * Tribune | At Stateville maximum security prison, first group of prisoners earns college degrees from Northwestern: ‘A place of second chances’: Last month, 16 men became the first group to graduate from Northwestern’s Prison Education Program, an accomplishment they and their professors hope will lead to a second chance. Experts believe similar educational offerings could reduce recidivism rates and save taxpayers money statewide. “It all hasn’t hit me yet, still. I know it’s a great thing, it’s a great feeling,” one of the graduates, Taurean Decatur, told the Tribune recently at Stateville. “It’s one of the best feelings of my life, like I did it. I wish I could put it on a T-shirt.” * WTTW | Chicago Officials Revise Rules Limiting Access to City Council Meetings After Warning: The new rules, issued Thursday, came several days after the president of the Better Government Association warned Mayor Brandon Johnson that the administration’s efforts to restrict access to meetings of the City Council were “inequitable and likely illegal.” […] “The new rules violate the spirit and likely the letter” of state law and should be reversed, according to a statement from the BGA. * Tribune | Johnson administration begins filing lawsuits against operators of ‘rogue buses’ of migrants: The stepped-up enforcement is the Johnson administration’s latest effort to address the influx of new arrivals, which has become one of the mayor’s most vexing challenges. The care of more than 24,400 migrants who have arrived in Chicago since August 2022 has taken on heightened urgency as winter sets in, and tested the limits of how welcoming the city can be. * WGN | Family, friends ‘outraged’ after mother shot dead during mental health call in Morris; body cam released: The mother who “lived for her kids” had been battling schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder for several years, according to family and friends. That morning while at her new apartment, 911 was called after Schwab informed a case manager in a phone call that she had a knife and was going to hurt herself. That information was relayed to the 911 center, according to the state’s attorney’s office. * Sun-Times | Ex-Chicago cop gets probation for sexually abusing man shackled to hospital bed: Carlyle Calhoun was sentenced to three years of probation with 90 days of home confinement. Calhoun was told he would be required to register as a sex offender for 10 years. * Sun-Times | City Council panel advances new 311 ‘hate incident’ reporting plan: The “Chi vs. Hate” ordinance aims to collect reports of disturbing acts that might fall short of a crime, but hint at more troubling actions to come, as hate crimes spike in Chicago and beyond. * BND | Mother volunteering as treasurer admits to stealing from metro-east girls softball club: Heather Sullivan, 38, of Roodhouse, whose daughter played on one of the teams, pleaded guilty to one count of theft over $10,000 and under $100,000, a Class 2 felony, on Friday in Madison County Circuit Court. Associate Judge Ronald Slemer agreed to dismiss a second count of theft per Sullivan’s plea agreement with the state’s attorney’s office. She could be sentenced to probation or up to five years in prison. * AP | The NRA has a surprising defender in its free speech case before the Supreme Court: the ACLU: “We don’t support the NRA’s mission or its viewpoints on gun rights, and we don’t agree with their goals, strategies, or tactics,” the ACLU in a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter. “But we both know that government officials can’t punish organizations because they disapprove of their views.” The NRA, which reshared the ACLU’s statement on its social media account, wrote in a follow-up post that it was “proud” to stand with the ACLU and others who recognize that “regulatory authority cannot be used to silence political speech.” * NYT | The Guns Were Said to Be Destroyed. Instead, They Were Reborn.: When Flint, Mich., announced in September that 68 assault weapons collected in a gun buyback would be incinerated, the city cited its policy of never reselling firearms.[…] But Flint’s guns were not going to be melted down. Instead, they made their way to a private company that has collected millions of dollars taking firearms from police agencies, destroying a single piece of each weapon stamped with the serial number and selling the rest as nearly complete gun kits. Buyers online can easily replace what’s missing and reconstitute the weapon. * Daily Herald | Bolingbrook CosMc’s opens to long lines, hours of waiting: Maya Wysocki of Romeoville waited in line three hours Friday for a chance to sample CosMc’s, the new McDonald’s spinoff restaurant in Bolingbrook. But the wait for the restaurant, a pilot operation, was worth it to Wysocki, who said she really wanted to try a beverage with a vitamin C or pre-workout “boost.” * SJ-R | Illinois State, Norfolk State erupts over alleged racial slurs: benches clear, fans ejected: According to Norfolk State coach Robert Jones, racial slurs were used and it is why the altercation with Ryan Pedon took place in front of the scorer’s table. The coach took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to explain in his own words what went down during the game. “I’m not letting anybody call my players a racial slur,” Jones said on Twitter. “Those are my kids and I will fight for them. We have come too far in society to be called the ‘N-word’ at a college basketball game.” * Block Club | Olive Harvey College’s Electric Car Apprenticeship Aims To Help Workers In Emerging Green Economy: Apprentices for the Rivian Technical Trades program received a scholarship to cover the full cost of tuition, and they were paid $26 hourly as they did hands-on work learning the latest electric vehicle technologies at the Olive Harvey campus and Rivian’s centers in the West Loop and in downstate Normal. * Les Winkeler | It has been a privilege and an honor: So, after 35 years, there are just 600 words remaining in a newspaper career. It is humbling to be one of those remaining to offer their final words. Thinking of the great journalists that have plied their trade at this newspaper over the years is sobering, selfless men and women worked tirelessly to tell the stories of triumph, the stories of tragedy and just the everyday stories of Southern Illinois residents. * WCIA | ‘Such a force’: Remembering late Champaign state senator Scott Bennett a year after his death: Frerichs described Bennett as one of his closest friends. “We talked or texted most days, we frequently have lunches or dinners together,” the treasurer said. “And it seemed like there was a constant battle to make each other laugh. And Scott clearly won.”
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Live coverage
Monday, Dec 11, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Live coverage is back, sorta. This will be different than the old Scribble Live feed because Twitter broke itself and almost everything else it touched. These new feeds do not update instantly. There’s a bit of posting lagtime, but it’s much better than nothing. We are also limited to just 20 Twitter sources. The service may also not last long. We just can’t give you any guarantees about this. You can still click here or here to follow breaking news the way we’ve done since Twitter stopped Scribble Live from working…
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Live Ed Burke Trial Coverage
Monday, Dec 11, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * These new feeds do not update instantly. There’s a bit of a lagtime and you have to refresh the page every now and then. The service we’re using may also not last long. We just can’t give you any guarantees. You can still click here to follow the Ed Burke trial on Twitter. Posts without a Twitter author name below them are from online news sources via Bing…
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Reader comments closed for the weekend
Friday, Dec 8, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Even though comments are closed, you can continue voting on our two Golden Horseshoe Award categories. I’ll still see them. * Fundraising has definitely slowed to a crawl. This always happens, but I’m still going to remind you at least once every weekday. So, click here if you haven’t yet contributed to our effort to buy Christmas presents for foster kids or if you think you can give just a little bit more. We’ve now gathered enough money to buy presents for 2,053 foster children. But Lutheran Social Services of Illinois serves 2,530 kids. Thanks! * Tomorrow is the one-year anniversary of Sen. Scott Bennett’s unexpected death. Treasurer Michael Frerichs was a longtime friend and he posted his thoughts about the anniversary on Facebook. Excerpt…
* From American Songwriter…
It’s December, and that means we end each week with a holiday song. This one is close enough… Far have I traveled and much have I seen
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New laws (Updated)
Friday, Dec 8, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * The governor signed 17 bills into law today. Click here for the list. Let’s take a look at some press releases. Sen. Glowiak Hilton…
* Sen. Rezin…
* Sen. Belt…
* Sen. Castro…
…Adding… Illinois State Medical Society…
* Sen. Villivalam…
* Sen. Ventura…
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Campaign update: Circling the wagons
Friday, Dec 8, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Friday, Dec 8, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller Some stories of interest * Capitol News Illinois | Chicago utility pushes back against state oversight, asks for further rate increase: In November, the Illinois Commerce Commission forced a yearlong pause on the company’s controversial pipeline replacement program while it investigates whether the program adequately prioritizes replacing high-risk natural gas pipes throughout Chicago, where the utility serves about 875,000 customers. The company alleged in a filing with the ICC last week that a “misunderstanding” in last month’s ruling will prevent the company from conducting emergency repairs and other “critical” work. * Sun-Times | Chicago police Sgt. John Poulos, whose fatal shootings of 2 men led to about $2 million in City Hall payouts, now running for judge: Sgt. John Poulos — whose career as a Chicago cop has been marked by two controversial fatal shootings and a push by the police superintendent to fire him in a misconduct case — is now running for judge in Cook County with the help of a Democratic Party insider and $500,000 in loans from his wife. … Poulos’ campaign committee is chaired by Tim Egan, the chief executive officer of Roseland Community Hospital, who ran two unsuccessful campaigns for the Chicago City Council from the 43rd Ward and now is the 2nd Ward Democratic committeeperson. * Shaw Local | McHenry County sheriff addresses deaths of 4 jail inmates this year: In acknowledging the inmate deaths, the statement said the office “has been fully transparent in providing information in conjunction with McHenry County Sheriff’s Office General Orders, policy and procedures, state laws and the consideration of affected families.” […] Despite its assertions of transparency, the office, led by Sheriff Robb Tadelman, did not proactively release any information about Sabo’s death or his identity at the time it occurred and confirmed it months later only after multiple inquiries by the Northwest Herald. It also remains unclear which agency is heading up that investigation. The McHenry County Major Investigation Assistance Team, or MIAT, is the agency the sheriff’s office cited in its Thursday release as handling the probes into the recent inmate deaths. * IDHS press release…
According to the release, 30 residents and 10 staff were infected at Waukegan’s Kiley Developmental Center. Another 15 residents and 10 staff were infected at Park Forest’s Ludeman Developmental Center. And 12 residents and 12 staff were infect at Kankakee’s Shapiro Developmental Center. More at the link. * Meanwhile…
What’s going on in the Windy City? City Council shared its new seating policy for public meetings which include neededing an ID and a reservation to sit in the main chamber. WBEZ reporter Mariah Woelfel has the story. The city is adding impoundment to the list of penalties on bus companies bringing in asylum seekers. Crain’s reports that this applies to bus operators that don’t obey rules on where and when to drop off migrants they’re bringing to Chicago. Rest of the roundup
* Press release | Illinois Collaboration on Youth Partners with Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s All Children-All Families Initiative: With 1 in every 3 youth in foster and adoption care identifying as LGBTQ+, it has never been more dire for all foster care and adoption agencies to tend to the specific needs of LGBTQ+ youth. Apart from working closely with ICOY, our ACAF program works with over 135 agencies across the country to help them better implement LGBTQ+ inclusive practices and policies. Collectively, these agencies serve more than 1 million clients annually in 36 states and employ more than 26,000 employees. * WGEM | Quincy housing problems described as ‘not good’: The Great Plains Action Society’s itinerary concluded Thursday by attending Quincy’s Human Rights Commission meeting. That’s where they heard about the status of affordable housing in Quincy. Commissioners received updates from both the YWCA and Safe and Livable Housing committee. Representatives from both organizations described the status of affordable, livable and available housing as “not good.” * Daily Herald | Election season is here: Races to watch in Kane and DuPage counties: A three-way race will decide who becomes the Democratic nominee for the recorder position in DuPage. Meanwhile, Democrats in Kane will determine which of the two candidates for recorder moves on to the general election. * Sun-Times | Why youth homelessness is a big problem in Cook County: Young Black men are disproportionately affected by housing instability, and youth in foster care or who have experienced the death of a parent or caregiver are also at high risk, a recent Chapin Hall study found. * Chalkbeat | New data shows hundreds of Chicago Public Schools bus routes with fewer than 10 students: However, the data does not include students who have 504 plans — another type of legal document for students with disabilities — or homeless students, who are also entitled to transportation. District officials said the routes may include those students. One week before the data was captured, the district said it had routed a total of 8,105 students. […] Chalkbeat’s analysis of the route data for 7,350 students with IEPs found: There are an average 6.9 students with IEPs per route. 785 of the more than 1,000 routes have. 10 or fewer children with IEPs. 59 routes — or 5.4% — transport one child with an IEP. * WAND | 240 volunteers needed urgently for Sangamon County Toys for Tots program: Over 200 volunteers are urgently needed for Sangamon County Toys for Tots program. The Toys for Tots warehouse at White Oaks Mall is set up as a store for one day (Dec 15). There are ten tables, five for boys and five for girls, ages 0-2, 3-5, 6-7, 8-10, 11-18. Families who apply and are approved show up at an assigned time slot and get to pick out what toys they want for their children. * Crain’s | Wrigleyville’s oldest dive bar to Malört: Quit stealing our mixology ideas: Nisei’s Malört infusions date back to 2016 when a few employees stumbled upon an old box of candy canes behind the bar and decided it best not to let them go to waste. As any bartender would do, they dropped the peppermints into their favorite bottles of liquor — and so candy cane Malört was born. “It became a bar sensation for us,” Capone said. * Tribune | University of Chicago buys Hyde Park mansion once owned by late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia for $3.4M: Built around 1900, the 5,112-square-foot brick house, at 5725 S. Woodlawn Ave., was designed by the Rapp & Rapp architectural firm, which was widely known for designing movie palaces. The mansion was built for Cora Howland, who was the daughter of onetime Chicago Mayor John A. Roche, and her husband, lawyer and professor George C. Howland, who was part of U. of C.’s original teaching staff and who also wrote editorials for a time for the Tribune, according to Susan O’Connor Davis’ book “Chicago’s Historic Hyde Park.” * NYT | Amazon Is Cracking Down on Union Organizing, Workers Say: In disciplining the employees, Amazon has raised questions about the extent to which they are free to approach co-workers to persuade them to join a union, a federally protected right. The general counsel of the National Labor Relations Board has said Amazon is breaking the law through a policy governing the access that off-duty workers have to its facilities, which Amazon invoked in the recent firing. The board is seeking to overturn the policy at an upcoming trial. * NYT | How Much Can Forests Fight Climate Change? A Sensor in Space Has Answers: Now, high in orbit, a new way of seeing forests is making it clear that, even when under assault, protected areas can still be a crucial buffer against climate change. Scientists are using laser technology to gauge the biomass of forests all around the world, which lets them calculate how much planet-warming carbon the trees are keeping out of Earth’s atmosphere. * AP | FDA approves 2 gene editing therapies that may cure sickle cell disease: In the U.S., an estimated 100,000 people have the disease and about a fifth of them have the severe form. Sickle cell is most common among Black people and 1 in 365 Black babies are born with the disease nationally. Scientists believe being a carrier of the sickle cell trait helps protect against severe malaria, so the disease occurs more often in mosquito-prone regions such as Africa or in people whose ancestors lived in those places.
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Southern Illinoisan newspaper journalists say goodbye to their community after new owner fires all employees
Friday, Dec 8, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Paxton Media Group released this after acquiring the Southern Illinoisian in September…
* Today is the last day for all reporters and photographers at the paper after Paxton announced they would let all union-represented journalists go. From the News Guild in November …
* This week, reporters looked back at their time at the paper and give hints at what’s next for them. From the Southern Illinoisan Editor-in-Chief Jackson Brandhorst…
* Southern Illinoisan Photographer Byron Hetzler…
Click here to see Hetzler’s favorite photos from his time at the Southern. * Sportswriter James Dent… ![]() * I spent about three years sitting on the sidelines of SIUC games with Southern photogs while I was at the Daily Egyptian. It’s a bleak thought that their coverage will no longer continue… ![]()
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Report examines Illinois women’s political power
Friday, Dec 8, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Press release from the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University…
* Chapter two really goes into Illinois, especially the rise of Democratic women representation…
Click here to read the entire report. * Republican women lawmakers voiced how their party is falling behind…
* Here are some comments from women members of the Democratic Party…
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Proposal to save suburban, Chicago public transit transit includes tax on services, parking and raising RTA sales tax
Friday, Dec 8, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Sun-Times…
* From the report…
* Tribune…
* Daily Herald last week…
* WTTW…
* Nationally…
* Bloomberg | Commuters Ditched Public Transit for Work From Home. Now There’s a Crisis: As pandemic aid dwindles, the nation’s biggest transit systems face a roughly $6.6 billion shortfall through fiscal year 2026, according to a Bloomberg tally of the top eight US transportation agencies based on passenger trips. Rising labor costs and inflation are hitting as farebox revenue stagnates after ridership collapsed. Those eight agencies serve regions that combined contribute about $6 trillion annually to the national economy. Local officials are pressing for help. Last month, the California Transit Association asked the state for $5.15 billion over the next five fiscal years. Without more money, transit officials across the country warn that the public can expect steep ticket price increases and drastic cuts to train and bus schedules, while long-planned expansion projects are on the chopping block. That pleading worked for New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority when state lawmakers recently approved a massive bailout. * GovTech | How Important Is Surveillance Tech on Public Transit?: A poll conducted to determine why riders haven’t returned to the service revealed public safety and cleanliness concerns. More than half of 1,000 survey respondents had witnessed or been a victim of a crime on BART. Meanwhile, 85 percent of BART riders who have reduced or eliminated their usage said they would ride the system more often if it was significantly cleaner and safer. In early 2023, BART announced new public safety initiatives, most visibly, doubling the amount of officers on trains.
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AG Raoul, others file antitrust lawsuit against NCAA
Friday, Dec 8, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Crain’s…
* Thursday press release…
The lawsuit is here. Thoughts?
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Question of the day: 2023 Golden Horseshoe Awards
Friday, Dec 8, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * The 2023 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Democratic State House Staff Member is a tie. Kendra Piercy…
* And Kylie Kelly…
Honorable mention is awarded to Taylor Howard. * The 2023 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Republican State House Staff Member goes to Jen Passwater…
Runner-up is Lauren Hund. Honorable mention is awarded to Frank Strauss. Congratulations to everyone! * Today’s categories…
Best Statehouse-Related Public Relations Spokesperson That second category is new, but there are a lot of Statehouse types who run or work for PR firms, so let’s give it a try. As always, make sure to explain your votes or they won’t count. And do your very best to nominate in both categories. Thanks. * We didn’t raise much yesterday to give Christmas presents to foster kids. Still, every little bit helps. We’ve raised enough so far to buy presents for 2,045 foster kids served by Lutheran Social Services of Illinois, but they have 2,530 children in their program. So, please, click here. Thank you so much.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition
Friday, Dec 8, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Friday, Dec 8, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Open thread
Friday, Dec 8, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on in your part of Illinois?
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Friday, Dec 8, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: WCIA’s breakdown of what laws will go into effect in 2024…
- Youthful offenders under 21 can no longer be given a life sentence without the possibility of parole. - An update to the state’s parole system, which incentivizes people on parole to obtain a degree, recommending early termination with a good post-release track record, and expanding remote check-ins with a parole officer. - October will be designated Italian-American Heritage Month. Click here for the full list. * Isabel’s top picks… * Capitol News Illinois | State health plan declares racism a public health crisis: A new state health report pinpoints racism as a public health crisis while also noting Illinois needs to improve in the areas of maternal and infant health, mental health and substance use disorders. The broad goals are laid out in a draft of the State Health Improvement Plan, which will be finalized and presented to the Illinois General Assembly next year. The SHIP is part of Healthy Illinois 2028, a five-year plan outlining the major public health crises the state hopes to address. * Tribune | Recommended changes to transit head to state lawmakers, who could debate expanded sales tax and consolidating agencies: The report, drafted by regional planners after meetings with community organizations, lays out recommendations to address public transit funding, governance and the experience of riding buses and trains, as the region’s three public transit agencies face a looming financial cliff and languishing ridership numbers. Among the options included are additional taxes, such as expanding the sales tax base, and two options to revamp oversight of the region’s separate transit agencies. * Crain’s | Illinois in multistate lawsuit over NCAA transfer rule: Raoul and attorneys general in six other states filed a federal antitrust lawsuit on Thursday, challenging the NCAA’s transfer rules as “an illegal restraint on college athletes’ ability to market their labor and control their education.” * Two SIU athletes are mentioned in the complaint…
* Here’s the rest of your morning roundup… * WTTW | One Agency to Rule Them All? As Fiscal Cliff Looms, CMAP Pitches Bold Plan to Overhaul Chicagoland Public Transit: With CTA, Metra and Pace expected to have a combined $730 million budget deficit starting in 2026, state lawmakers passed a measure charging the regional planning agency CMAP to think big and come up with a plan to improve service, make buses and trains more accessible and make sure all the different bus and train lines effectively link up with one another. The funding gap, which is expected to worsen every year without major action, is largely due to ridership that’s still far below pre-pandemic levels. Federal stimulus money that’s been making up for lost revenue is running out — and advocates say that in any case, transit has been underfunded for years. * WCIA | Illinois Department of Labor explains proposed rules to new paid time off law: The AFL-CIO hosted a webinar Wednesday afternoon with the Illinois Department of Labor explaining their proposed rules of the new policy. “This bill is for the millions of workers in and out of unions, who until now were faced with the impossible choice of either taking time off or keeping their job,” Francis Orenic, the legislative director for the Illinois AFL-CIO, said. * Lake County News-Sun | State pot-shop sales continue flight to record highs: The fourth anniversary of the opening of the first legal marijuana dispensaries in Illinois will be marked Jan. 1, as sales continue at a high rate across the state. With growth continuing, another grassroots pot shop opened this week in Waukegan. * Sun-Times | Defense: ‘Computer mistake,’ not pressure from Ed Burke, caused delays in Burger King work: But Thursday, attorneys for Burke and Andrews grilled the Palatine architect who handled the project — and who apparently benefitted from a City Hall computer glitch that helped him land a building permit without the necessary driveway permit. “If you would have addressed the driveway permit, then none of this would have happened, correct?” Joseph Duffy, one of Burke’s defense attorneys, asked architect Warren Johnson. * Sun-Times | Off-duty Chicago cop strikes, kills pedestrian near House of Blues in River North: Law enforcement sources identified the driver as a police officer. The report shows responding officers didn’t offer her a blood-alcohol test at the scene. * WGN | Chicago officer relieved of police powers after deadly pedestrian accident in River North: According to an employee at a nearby hotel in the city and several Facebook posts, WGN News has learned that there was a Chicago Police Department holiday party at the House of Blues Wednesday night. It is unclear at this time if the officer attended that party. * Daily Southtown | Community solar farm comes to Chicago Heights with promise of lower utility bills and cleaner energy: First activated in Illinois four years ago, this project allows residents and business owners to rely on solar for their energy needs without installing expensive and large solar panels by paying a monthly subscription to a group that manages a solar farm. * Tribune | City Council committee rejects discipline provision in Chicago police contract but OKs pay hikes: The mayor pledged on the campaign trail to not raise CPD’s budget, then pivoted to propose a spending plan that allocated a record $2 billion to the department, including the $60 million in planned bonuses and raises in the new police contract. While the department’s bottom line rose, Johnson reshuffled positions to reduce the number of beat cops and boost civilian positions and those dedicated to fulfilling the department’s consent decree requirements. * Chicago Reader | Johnson administration’s early days marked by lapses in transparency: Since taking office, Johnson moved largely outside public view to erect a now-scrapped tent encampment for newly arriving migrants on contaminated land, he and his Rules Committee chair walled off parts of council chambers—and entire floors of City Hall—from the public, and he has often evaded key questions on the future of surveillance technology he unabashedly rebuked on the campaign trail. * USA Today | Judge allows emergency abortion in Texas in first case of its kind since before Roe v. Wade: On Thursday morning, two days after Cox’s case was filed, Travis County state District Judge Maya Guerra Gamble signed a temporary restraining order, preventing the state, Attorney General Ken Paxton and the Texas Medical Board from enforcing the state’s abortion ban should Cox terminate her pregnancy. The order also protects Cox’s husband, Justin, and her OB/GYN, Dr. Damla Karsan, from prosecution or fines related to any abortion care. * SJ-R | Sangamon County to consider tourism district in first step to expanded convention center: The Dec. 19 meeting also could include a vote that would establish the new district, which would allow local hotels to levy a fee on every night spent in a hotel room throughout the county. The Springfield Metropolitan Exposition and Auditorium Authority, the agency tasked with running the convention center, would use the fee to help with future bond issues funding the new construction. * Slate | “Imagine a Child Gets Stabbed 26 Times”: They gave him bits of information piece by piece. By that night, it was becoming national news out of Chicago that his son had been killed, and the child’s mother, his ex-wife, was hospitalized. “I cried nonstop until that evening,” Odai said. “He left this world and he took our hearts with him.”
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Live Ed Burke Trial Coverage
Friday, Dec 8, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * These new feeds do not update instantly. There’s a bit of a lagtime and you have to refresh the page every now and then. The service we’re using may also not last long. We just can’t give you any guarantees. You can still click here to follow the Ed Burke trial on Twitter. Posts without a Twitter author name below them are from online news sources via Bing…
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Live coverage
Friday, Dec 8, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Live coverage is back, sorta. This will be different than the old Scribble Live feed because Twitter broke itself and almost everything else it touched. These new feeds do not update instantly. There’s a bit of posting lagtime, but it’s much better than nothing. We are also limited to just 20 Twitter sources. The service may also not last long. We just can’t give you any guarantees about this. You can still click here or here to follow breaking news the way we’ve done since Twitter stopped Scribble Live from working…
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