* From the Executive Inspector General…
The Executive Ethics Commission (EEC) recently issued a decision in which it fined former Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) employee Mark Doyle $154,056.10 for violating the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act’s revolving door prohibition. This is the largest fine ever assessed by the EEC for a violation of the Ethics Act.
Mr. Doyle had been responsible for overseeing the closure of State-operated developmental disability and psychiatric care centers and for moving the residents of these centers to community-based settings. To assist with these closures and transitions, IDHS had contracted with Community Resource Associates, Inc. (CRA). CRA was controlled by the same person as CRA Consulting (CRA-C), which had entered into a contract with the State of Georgia to perform similar services.
CRA-C offered Mr. Doyle an opportunity to work on the Georgia contract, but the OEIG restricted Mr. Doyle from accepting that job opportunity in a revolving door determination. The EEC affirmed the OEIG’s restricted determination based on Mr. Doyle’s personal and substantial participation in the award of the contract to CRA, which the EEC determined was essentially the same entity as CRA-C. In re: Mark Doyle (15-EEC-007).
About a month later, Mr. Doyle submitted a revolving door determination request to the OEIG to provide consulting work for another different entity called BennBrook, Inc. However, he did not disclose to the OEIG that BennBrook was contracting with CRA-C to do the same work in Georgia that the OEIG and EEC had previously found to be restricted. In this latest case, the EEC found that BennBrook was acting merely as a “pass through” organization or conduit for the improper compensation from CRA-C to Mr. Doyle, and thus violated the revolving door prohibition.
The $154,056 fine represents the amount Mr. Doyle billed to BennBrook for the year after he left State service. The Ethics Act provides that an employee may be fined up to 3 times the total annual compensation that was or would have been obtained in violation of the revolving door prohibition. The prior largest financial outcome in a case before the EEC also involved a revolving door case in which the former director of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services agreed to pay $100,000 to settle the matter.
Doyle started working for IDHS in 2011, but he was detailed to Gov. Quinn’s staff via an intergovernmental agreement. He left in 2015. The EEC decision is here.
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Question of the day
Friday, May 10, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sun-Times editorial…
As part of an effort to build political support for a graduated income tax in Illinois, state Senate President John Cullerton has proposed repealing the state’s estate tax. His hope is that some Republicans and Downstate and suburban Democrats —who loathe a graduated income tax because it taxes wealthier people at higher rates — might warm to it in return for ending the estate tax, which they also loathe.
We think this is a bad idea.
At a time when our state and nation are threatened by historical levels of inequality, where the richest 1 percent hold 40 percent of the wealth, we can’t see the wisdom in eliminating one of the few direct ways to check this dangerously un-American trend.
There’s an argument for revising Illinois’ estate tax to make it less of a burden on, say, family farmers, by increasing the threshold at which it kicks in and pegging it to the rate of inflation. Since 2013, the graduated tax has been levied on estates valued at $4 million more. The first $40,000 to $90,000 is taxed at .8 percent, while values above $10.04 million are taxed at the highest rate, 16 percent.
Some Chicago Democrats also pushed for the bill after feedback from their constituents.
* The Question: Abolish, modify or keep the estate tax as it is? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please…
online polls
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Unclear on the concept
Friday, May 10, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Her dear friends would know how to spell Baar…
Also, her dear friends might’ve thought to invite some of her former staff to the ceremony.
…Adding… They deleted the tweet, but I figured they would so I saved it.
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* Illinois Policy Institute…
A small county in southwest Illinois is facing big pension obligations and the possibility that it won’t make payroll in late May.
Perry County faces a $1 million shortfall that is threatening its employees’ second payday in May. County leaders May 13 will consider recommendations to hike property taxes and fees, to curb spending, to lay off employees and to shorten their workweek.
“We basically need $1 million in the month of May just to meet payroll and to pay what bills we have left,” Perry County Treasurer Mary Jane Craft told WPSD-TV. “If we just meet payroll and not our bills, we still need $400,000.”
How did the county fall into crisis? Shrinking revenue and growing pension demands appear to be at the heart of the crisis.
Maybe we could address some of these problems by consolidating some of Illinois’ 102 counties. We talk about eliminating townships all the time, but counties spend real money and they’re all required by law to elect their own state’s attorneys, clerks, etc.
Tiny little Perry County has only 22,350 residents. That’s not even half a Chicago ward. Putnam County, the state’s smallest, has just 6,006 people.
The General Assembly could step in and redraw boundaries, but there is another way.
* From the Illinois Counties Code…
Sec. 1-4001. Petition to unite counties. Whenever any number of legal voters, not less than two hundred, one-half of such number being owners or life tenants of real estate, residing in any county in this State, shall petition the county board of their own county, for leave to have their own county united and annexed to any adjoining county, and shall also petition the county board of the adjoining county, to which they desire their county to be united and annexed, for leave to have their own county united and annexed to such adjoining county, it shall be the duty of the several county boards so petitioned, to order that the propositions provided for in this Division shall be submitted to the legal voters of their respective counties. The several county boards shall certify the propositions to the proper election officials who shall submit the question at a general election in accordance with the general election law. … Provided, that such proposition shall not be submitted or voted upon more often than once in 5 years.
Life tenants are defined here. The procedure for handling the mergers if approved by voters is here.
If nothing else, it would be fun to watch the hostile takeover attempts.
…Adding… The land-owning requirement probably isn’t constitutional for obvious reasons, but somebody ought to see if this could work.
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* Tim Novak…
A diamond engagement ring that former Gov. Pat Quinn’s campaign manager bought for Quinn’s press secretary has become part of the federal investigation that’s resulted in extortion charges against longtime Chicago Teamsters boss John Coli Sr., the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.
The FBI is trying to determine who paid for the ring, which former Quinn press secretary Brooke Anderson got nearly four years ago from her husband Lou Bertuca, the governor’s 2014 campaign manager.
The key witness against Coli, Alexander S. Pissios, whose Cinespace Chicago Film Studios got millions of dollars in state grants under Quinn’s administration, has told the FBI he contributed $500 towards the purchase of the ring.
Pissios, president of the West Side studio where TV shows including “Chicago P.D.” and “Chicago Fire” are shot, secretly agreed to cooperate with federal investigators to avoid being charged with bankruptcy fraud. He has an unusual “non-prosecution” deal in return for his cooperation.
Pissios told the FBI that he helped pay for the ring at the suggestion of his lobbyist Frank Cortese, who helped convince the Quinn administration to award Cinespace state grants totaling $27.3 million. […]
But the new governor forced Pissios to give back the [last $10 million grant] after the Sun-Times reported that the land Cinespace said in its grant application it needed the money to buy wasn’t for sale. […]
The federal grand jury that indicted Coli issued subpoenas to the governor’s office last August, seeking personnel files for Bertuca, Anderson and John D’Alessandro, another former Quinn official. Pissios has told authorities D’Alessandro was helpful in securing the state grants.
Gov. Quinn denies any knowledge of the alleged gift and nobody else would talk. Background on some of these characters from four years ago is here.
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* Press release…
After conducting a national search to continue building a strong team of diverse experts in their fields, Governor JB Pritzker announced the following appointment:
Rob Jeffreys will serve as Director of the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC). Jeffreys is a nationally-recognized criminal justice expert with correctional experience spanning more than two decades. He spent 21 of his 24 years in corrections management at the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections.
Jeffreys currently serves as the agency’s chief of staff and directs its Information Technology and Strategic Initiatives bureaus as well as the Office of Human Resources that supports more than 12,000 employees. Previously as ODRC’s Regional Director, he managed the operations of eight adult prisons and the Adult Parole Authority across 20 counties, oversaw 25,000 offenders and 3700 staff and managed an annual budget of $340 million.
As Bureau Chief of Classification and Reception at ODRC, Jeffreys provided population management for over 50,000 offenders based on trends, research, and data analysis variables. From 2007 to 2010, he was sent on a special assignment under the Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) as a National Prison Security Program Coordinator with the National Institute of Corrections in Washington D.C., developing programs and assessments for over 26 federal and state agencies in the areas of security operations, security audit training, staffing analysis, emergency preparedness, prison management, and technical assistance.
He also served as Warden for correctional institutions in Chillicothe and Marion, Deputy Warden in Toledo and in various positions at ODRC’s St. Clairsville facility. He began his career as a corrections class specialist in ODRC’s Bureau of Research. Jeffreys received both his Master of Science and Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia.
His LinkedIn page is here. Impressive.
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* Grant Morgan…
If the state of Illinois wants more revenue from video gambling, one gaming industry executive said Thursday, lawmakers should loosen betting restrictions rather than raise video gambling tax rates.
Ivan Hernandez, who heads the Illinois Gaming Machine Operators Association, offered that proposal to the state House Executive Committee, which is considering several alternatives for increasing state revenue from video gambling. […]
Video gambling machines are taxed at 30%, with the remaining money split evenly between the machine operator and the establishment housing the machines. Pritzker’s plan would increase the state’s tax rate to 50%, resulting in more than $100 million in new revenue for state and local governments. […]
Elements of Hernandez’s proposal include raising the bet limit on single plays from $2 to $4, increasing the maximum winnings on a single play from $500 to $1,199, allowing games with higher jackpots, and increasing the number of gambling terminals allowed at one location from five to six.
Those measures, Hernandez said, would create $210 million in new tax revenue the first two years, without changing the tax rates.
I dunno. Maybe they can combine the two ideas somehow, while exempting small establishments from an increase and then give local governments a bigger share of the take for property tax relief or something.
As with sports betting, cannabis, etc. I think the more they’re talking about details, the better the prospects are. But only up to a certain point. May 31st is three weeks from today. That’s almost an eternity in General Assembly World, but it’s still just 21 days away.
…Adding… It’s Ivan Fernandez, not Ivan Hernandez. Hannah Meisel got the name right and has this context…
Along with the revenue enhancements, video gaming operators also floated the idea of allowing the state to use additional revenues to plug budget holes for the first two years, and assuming a progressive income tax passes — Pritzker’s number one priority — the money could then be funneled to “vertical” infrastructure projects, like building and maintenance of new construction projects around the state.
Those vertical projects are being pushed hard by colleges and universities, who point to old buildings as evidence the state hasn’t properly invested in every aspect of higher education.
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Garbage in, garbage out
Friday, May 10, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Anybody see any problems with this question in a poll sponsored by an anti-legalization group?…
QUESTION: Currently, possessing 10 grams of marijuana – enough for about 30 joints - is not a crime in Illinois. Instead, it is a civil violation like a traffic ticket. Many people call this policy “decriminalization.” Medical marijuana use is also legal in Illinois. Knowing that personal marijuana possession is already decriminalized in Illinois, which one of the following marijuana policies do you prefer:
- Keep the current policy of decriminalization and medical marijuana
-Keep the current policy of decriminalization and medical marijuana but also allow for past misdemeanor marijuana convictions to be expunged
-Change the current policy of decriminalization by legalizing commercial production, use and sale of marijuana for recreational use
-Make all marijuana use illegal
Allow me to try.
1) Thirty “joints” in ten grams (about three-eighths of an ounce)? I haven’t rolled one of those in a very long time, but that seems like a lot. I checked the Google and California retail establishments sell pre-rolled joints of 1 gram each. So 10 grams would produce 10 California pre-rolls. I did see some articles about how joints are as small as .33 grams, but I think those would be what are commonly known as “pinners.”
2) That’s a pretty darned detailed setup question, but it doesn’t mention that decriminalization leaves the current criminal growing and distribution network in place. Maybe I’m just asking too much on this one, though.
3) Decrim and medical are explained in the setup, but not legalization. This is truly a classic push question.
4) As far as I know, nobody has introduced a stand-alone exoneration bill, so I’m not sure why that was even tossed in there.
5) Exonerations are included in the legalization bill, but that isn’t mentioned for some mysterious reasons only known by the pollster and its anti-legalization sponsor. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ And no mention of tax and fee income and new jobs from legalization even though everybody knows the state needs more revenue and employment?
Yeah. Totally reliable. The pollster is good, the question is most definitely not.
Also, they didn’t release their other questions, so we don’t know what came before that one. Some polls intended for media consumption ask highly leading questions before dropping the big one on respondents.
Also too, collar county respondents were more in favor of legalization than Cook County respondents? I have difficulty believing that.
And support has suddenly plunged?…
Just under half (47%) of those under 50 favored legalization, while a little over a third (36%) of those over 50 supported it. Both Democrats and independents were more likely to favor legalization than Republicans. The favorability was almost evenly split between white and African-American respondents, with 41% of white voters saying they support it, and 44% of black voters saying they support it. But there were more white respondents polled than African American — 74% to 16%.
The favorability rating is down from a poll of 1,000 registered voters conducted in March by the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. In that poll, the highest level of support for legalizing marijuana came from Chicago, where 75% favored it, and 24% were opposed. Statewide, 66% of respondents favored or strongly favored legalization, while 32% opposed it, the Simon institute poll found.
Different pollster, much different questions, hugely different reasons for the two polls, so you cannot compare the two.
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Vaccinate your kids!
Friday, May 10, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
Researchers who in 2015 correctly predicted where the Zika outbreak would strike in the U.S. say they think the country’s next big measles outbreak is most likely to happen in Cook County.
A research project spearheaded by Sahotra Sarkar, a University of Chicago-educated professor at the University of Texas at Austin, revealed the 25 counties most at-risk for a widespread measles outbreak, like those seen in Washington, Oregon and New York. Sarkar and his former student, Lauren Gardner of Johns Hopkins University, determined Cook County was the most at-risk for an outbreak. That’s based largely on the number of airplane flights to Chicago from global destinations where parents increasingly don’t have their children vaccinated, he said.
“Cook County turns out to be as important as it is, mainly because of the presence of O’Hare Airport,” Sarkar said.
The study was published Thursday in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. The research took about six months to complete, using risk assessment models similar to one Sarkar and Gardner used when they determined Zika, a mosquito-carried virus that can cause serious birth defects, would first affect Texas and Florida when it emerged as a global threat to pregnant women.
Rachel Rubin, a senior medical officer with the Cook County Health Department, wasn’t surprised by the study’s findings. The seven measles cases reported in Illinois this year likely stemmed from one person who was infected overseas and traveled back to Illinois, she said.
The top 25 counties are here. The study is here.
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* The governor’s decision to use all of the projected FY20 revenue growth resulting from the unexpected April revenue spike to make the state’s full statutory pension payment and not short it by $900 million is going over well in New York, reports Karen Pierog at Reuters…
Carol Spain, an analyst at S&P Global Ratings, which rates Illinois BBB-minus, said the stronger revenue projections and the decision not to extend the pension amortization period “increases the likelihood of near-term credit stability.”
“However, the state still faces rising pension costs beyond fiscal 2020, and we expect that the state will continue to struggle to structurally balance its budget while making progress on its bill backlog absent any significant revenue increase or cuts,” she added.
Ted Hampton, an analyst at Moody’s Investors Service, which rates Illinois Baa3, said, “putting more money into Illinois’ pensions sooner, in our view, would prove better for the state’s credit than any form of financial engineering that reduces near-term contributions.”
Eric Kim, an analyst at Fitch Ratings, which rates Illinois BBB with a negative outlook, said that lowering or delaying payments under the current inadequate pension schedule “was going to be negative from our perspective.” Suspending the plan for at least a year “is a good step,” he added. He also welcomed news that the higher April revenue will help address a $1.6 billion deficit in the state’s current budget.
Illinois is nowhere near out of the woods yet. But credit where credit is due (pun intended).
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* Background is here. From the IHDWC…
“The House Democratic Women’s Caucus (IHDWC) has decided that owners of professional sports teams, and their leagues, should not monetarily benefit from the revenues created from a gaming expansion package being considered by the Illinois General Assembly that includes sports betting.
“The IHDWC believes that billionaires should not profit from people who are betting on their teams. Instead, the caucus is pushing for the state revenues created from the gaming expansion to be dedicated to community re-investment, mental health and addiction services.
“If women of diverse backgrounds had been at the negotiating table, we would have made community re-investment, mental health and addiction services the priorities, not the billionaires who own the professional sports teams. Women can no longer be ignored and side-stepped in the legislative process.
“The mission of the IHDWC is to promote the leadership of women elected to the Illinois House of Representatives and to create inclusive and collaborative policy outcomes for the state. It is our opinion that the gaming bill that is being discussed was not created in an inclusive environment and is not a collaborative effort.
“At this time, the women of the Illinois House Democratic Women’s Caucus will not support the proposed gaming bill until drafters remove language that allows any state revenues collected to be given to sports team owners and their respective leagues.”
That probably kills that idea.
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Question of the day (second try)
Thursday, May 9, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Let’s try this again, shall we? Press release as sent…
State Representatives Norine Hammond (R-Macomb) and Tom Demmer (R-) today called attention to the heavy handed tactics Governor Pritzker has used to handle dissent from pending board appointees. Hammond and Demmer spoke out against the public actions taken against board members who act against his wishes.
“Board members need to know they have the ability to do their job and make tough decisions without fear of reprisal from the Governor’s Office,” said Hammond, who represents Western Illinois University, whose board members remain unconfirmed in the Senate.
Governor Pritzker withdrew the nominations of two members to the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board after they voted against delaying the closure of Westlake Hospital. The board vote was unanimous, but because their appointments were not yet confirmed, Governor Pritzker was able to take retributive action. Pritzker also recently removed two members from the Teacher’s Retirement System Board. Both members had raised opposition to the Governor’s controversial decision to shortchange the pension systems.
“The Governor’s decision to rescind the appointments of qualified candidates can only be seen as an act of political retribution,” Rep. Demmer said. “The Governor is able to make appointments as he sees fit, but they are not meant to be rubber stamps for the Governor. Pending nominees should be qualified individuals who can make decisions independent of fear of their nomination status.”
There are over 150 appointments still pending in the Senate with just 14 days left in session. Many of these will likely not be dealt with before the end of session, leaving these tenuously appointed members on uncertain grounds.
“The issue is not just the Senate’s inaction, it is the Governor’s public actions to withdraw nominations based on a single decision,” Hammond continued. “I have a tough time believing the Western Illinois board will be able to operate independently and for the betterment of University, not the Governor’s office.”
In case you’re wondering, Rep. Demmer lives in Dixon.
* The Question: Do you agree with the Republicans or with Gov. Pritzker on this point? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please…
survey services
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* Reitz is the son of former Rep. Dan Reitz…
Following his swearing in to the Illinois House of Representative, new state Rep. Nathan Reitz, D-Steelville, released the following statement:
“As a lifelong Southern Illinoisan, I know that our community deserves a representative who will continue fighting every day for Southern Illinois and our values. Having spent my career in the energy industry, I am determined to help grow our local economy and making the decisions that help create new jobs. As state representative, I will fight every day to protect our Second Amendment rights, provide tax relief and responsible budget making, and make sure that Southern Illinois always has a strong voice in Springfield. There is a lot to accomplish, and I look forward to working together with my colleagues, both Republican and Democrat, to make Southern Illinois and our state a better place to live and work in.”
I’m told he’ll be running in next year’s election. No word yet where he is on a graduated income tax (Costello was opposed), cannabis legalization or the other major issues the governor is pushing right now.
…Adding… Press release…
Statement from Ideas Illinois Chairman Greg Baise on appointment of Nathan Reitz as state representative:
“Nathan Reitz’s first big decision as a new representative will be to decide whether he stands with middle class families in his district by opposing the unfair Jobs Tax or be just another Springfield politician bought and paid for by JB Pritzker and Speaker Madigan.”
Background:
Former State Representative Jerry Costello was on record opposing the unfair Jobs Tax.
President Trump carried the 116th District with 66% of the vote in 2016.
…Adding… ILGOP…
“The fix is in. One of the last votes Nathan Reitz’s father, former State Rep. Dan Reitz, took was Mike Madigan’s 2011 tax hike. Now, Pritzker and Madigan want one of the first votes of Nathan Reitz to be yet another tax hike on Illinois families and small businesses. Tax-hiking is the Reitz family business. Reitz must follow Jerry Costello’s lead and oppose the Pritzker-Madigan-backed graduated income tax. If Reitz supports the tax hike, voters and taxpayers will make Reitz’s tenure in the General Assembly a short one.” - Illinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider
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[The following is a paid advertisement.]
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* Sen. Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington) told me earlier this week that he would wait and see the cannabis legalization bill before deciding what to do. Barickman has said in the past that he viewed legalization as inevitable and wanted to work on a compromise. But for now he’s off…
Barickman said the governor “very controversially” proposed to expunge offenses that remain illegal even after legalization. In the proposal, it would be legal to possess up to 30 grams of cannabis but offenses for up to 500 grams would be eligible for expungement.
State Sen. Heather Steans (D-Chicago) said that doesn’t really paint a clear picture, because while legal possession is up to 30 grams, dispensaries will be allowed to possess cannabis in much greater quantities. […]
Barickman also took issue with the way the revenue from the program would be allocated, specifically with the creation of a new grant that would be eligible to communities disproportionately harmed by the war on drugs. Twenty-five percent of revenues from the recreational program would fund this grant. […]
Barickman said he was “supportive of the initiative” but felt the money could be better spent paying down Illinois’ bill backlog. […]
[Deputy Gov. Christian Mitchell] said he believed that characterization to be “inaccurate.” In fact, he said the 10 percent of funding going toward the bill backlog was a Republican request. Mitchell said the way the tax structure is written is the result of a bipartisan effort.
“This is not a final product and the Governor’s Office is very open to negotiations,” said Mitchell. “But there are other voices that matter in this other than the Republican caucus.”
You can’t get enough Democratic votes without expungement.
* But Mitchell is right that this is not a final product. I’m expecting to see a new draft in the next day or so…
[Sen. Toi Hutchinson, a Democrat from Olympia Fields] predicted there may be a compromise on home-grown plants, for instance to allow them only for patients with medical marijuana licenses.
But she was adamant about expungement of lower level marijuana crimes, saying, “People in suits will make millions of dollars off selling cannabis, while people are sitting in jail for the exact same activity? That’s fundamentally wrong.”
Not happy with the home grow change, but the object here is 60-30-signature.
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Andigo Credit Union Scholarship Program
Thursday, May 9, 2019 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
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*** UPDATED x1 *** Question of the day
Thursday, May 9, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
*** UPDATE *** For the second time this week I’ve had to walk back a post because of significant problems with the underlying Capitol News Illinois story. From DCFS’ Director of Communications Jassen Strokosch…
Rich, I realize you are quoting this from a story, but this is inaccurate information. Representative Scherer approached the department about helping her be more responsive to families asking her for help with DCFS. That meeting came up in the hearing yesterday and we shared that we asked the Representative to refer all futures questions to the Advocacy Hotline. The advocacy center already exists and serves an important role for any family needing assistance resolving an issue with the department.
We also let all the members present in the meeting know they should refer their concerns to the same advocacy hotline. This is not a new service that was setup for legislators.
Thanks,
Jassen
The question and my commentary have been deleted.
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* Let’s go back to DCFS, which has come up with a novel way to maybe placate some state legislators…
During the meeting, it was reported DCFS had already made changes following discussions held April 30, including adding a phone line lawmakers can now call to receive updates about any constituent who approaches them about his or her case.
“I think it’s important for us to be responsive in a way we haven’t before,” Smith said.
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* I lease a hybrid, so I’m not sure if this fee would apply to me, but even if it doesn’t this $1,000 fee to register an electric car every year is just goofy. That ridiculously punitive fee is in Sen. Marty Sandoval’s proposal to fund $2.4 billion in capital projects. Hannah Meisel moved the story forward…
“Everyone that uses the roads, whether you’re a car or you’re a truck, should pay their fair share,” Sandoval said. “And electric vehicles — I understand about being environmental and I understand about saving the ozone layer and protecting the ozone layer, but you know what? If you use the roads, you should pay into the road fund.” […]
But environmental groups are opposed to any sort of increase in electric vehicle registration, and criticized existing capital plans for not addressing electric vehicle infrastructure.
Jen Walling, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council, told The Daily LineWednesday that a $1,000 fee is “shocking.”
“We definitely shouldn’t be penalizing electric vehicles right now,” she said.
Instead, Walling touted the benefits of electric cars, and said Illinois should be doing what it can to get electric vehicle usage in the state up to 15 percent market share of cars on the road.
“They can serve almost as batteries…at the times when most people are charging their vehicles,” Walling said. “Most people are charging their vehicles at night and it can work to stabilize the grid, lower electricity prices, really help everybody.”
The ozone layer?
* The national average for miles driven every year is 13,476. The average national fuel economy was 22 miles per gallon in 2017. That works out to 613 gallons of gas per year. Multiply that by 45 cents per gallon (Sandoval’s proposed Motor Fuel Tax) and you get $275.85. Add in the proposed $148 registration fee for gas-powered cars and that’s $423.80 - less than half what electric car owners would pay.
And if that $1,000 fee applies to hybrids, people are really gonna get hosed. Mine, for instance, will go about 30 miles before the gas-powered engine kicks in. That’s fine around town. I can go back and forth to the Statehouse without needing to run the gas motor. But when people take their hybrids on long trips they pay for motor fuel like everyone else.
* By the way, the House Revenue Committee passed an identical bill to Sandoval’s this morning (HB391, Amendment 1). I asked the governor’s press office for a response. Here’s Jordan Abudayyeh…
The administration appreciates contributions and ideas from lawmakers who agree the state is long past due for critical upgrades to infrastructure. Negotiations are ongoing over a comprehensive capital plan that addresses the needs for roads and bridges, as well as vertical infrastructure like universities and schools.
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* What people have the most difficult time understanding about some (not all) elected officials is their ability to set aside the past and make peace with the same folks who bashed them hard during the campaign…
Lightfoot sidestepped questions about U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush, who wasn’t present for her talk before the black caucus and who has been critical of her in the past. […]
Rush arrived just as Lightfoot was leaving and missed her presentation. During the campaign, Rush said Lightfoot voters would “have the blood of the next young black man or black woman” killed by the police on their hands — an incendiary remark that drew widespread criticism. Rush told reporters Wednesday he hasn’t spoken with Lightfoot since she won but wishes her well.
“I would be so overjoyed, very much overjoyed, if she became the best and most successful mayor that Chicago’s ever had,” Rush said, calling his past remarks about her “old news.” When asked if he would apologize for those past remarks, Rush did not directly answer.
“If she asks me to do it, then we’ll discuss it,” Rush said.
Lightfoot later shrugged off any suggestion of an apology from Rush, saying she intended to focus on the future.
She’ll need Rush and he’ll need Lightfoot.
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* In normal times under a more normal governor, few would care too much about a $24 million debt. It’s a rounding error on a rounding error and money could likely be found to pay the bill, or at least pay down the bill enough to keep moving forward. It’s for childrens’ vaccines, after all. But those weren’t normal times and that wasn’t a normal governor…
The Illinois Department of Public Health owes the federal government an estimated $24 million for debt that piled up from a complicated state program to vaccinate poor kids, WBEZ has learned.
The revelation adds another layer to Illinois’ byzantine effort to get vaccines for roughly 130,000 low-income children. The state had been using free vaccines from the federal government for kids in the Children’s Health Insurance Program, known as CHIP.
But then the feds called for states including Illinois to pay for those doses. So former Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner stopped the financial bleeding with a major policy shift that led some doctors to stop vaccinating low-income children. Dozens of physicians have told Illinois public health officials this “could lead to a public health crisis with disastrous consequences” in light of the nationwide measles outbreak.
Now, the new administration under Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker is hustling to potentially unwind his predecessor’s efforts while negotiating with the feds on how to pay down the state’s big debt. […]
Illinois doctors say they thought they were allowed to use the free vaccine for patients on CHIP. In fact, Illinois was supposed to reimburse the CDC for those shots. To complicate matters, the state didn’t have a good system to track when doctors used the free vaccine for kids on CHIP.
So the debt swelled, reaching an estimated $24 million.
Concerned about this climbing IOU, Rauner’s administration hit the brakes in 2016. The state public health department stopped providing free vaccines to doctors for CHIP patients. The providers would have to pay out of their own pockets to buy vaccines instead from manufacturers, then wait for private insurers that contract with the Illinois Medicaid program to reimburse them.
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* As I told subscribers this morning, Tulchin Research is a reliable firm and is used heavily by Speaker Madigan and his organization during campaign season. He craves good numbers. So, yeah, while a gun reform group sponsored the poll, the pollster is pretty good. From a press release…
A new poll released [yesterday], finds that two-thirds of Illinois voters support legislation that addresses loopholes in the state’s existing gun licensing system that were brought to light following the tragic shooting that took five lives on February 15, 2019 in Aurora, Illinois.
The poll, released by the Illinois Gun Violence Prevention PAC (G-PAC), shows major support from across the state for HB 96, the Fix the FOID Act, which addresses gaps in the Firearms Owners Identification (FOID) system by ensuring that people with criminal histories, who are prohibited from gun possession, are not able to easily evade the law and purchase guns.
“Five innocent lives in Aurora, Illinois were lost because a system that should have prevented a known felon from having access to guns failed,” said Kathleen Sances, president and CEO of G-PAC. “Now, residents from across the state are uniting behind legislation that would put a stop to preventable tragedies, like this one, in Illinois.”
The poll also shows that Illinois voters are more likely to support state lawmakers who support the bill, by a margin of nearly 2-to-1.
“In Illinois, voters want to know their legislators are committed to making sure criminals can’t get their hands on a gun,” said Robin Lloyd, managing director of Giffords, the gun violence prevention organization founded by former Representative Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, Captain Mark Kelly. “The results of this poll shouldn’t come as a surprise. Illinois residents want to live in a state free from the dangers of everyday gun violence, and HB 96 addresses loopholes that contribute to this growing crisis. We look forward to the legislators continuing to work to protect Illinoisans from gun violence and will do all we can to help swiftly move this bill through the legislature.”
“I know what it’s like to lose a child to gun violence. It’s something no parent or guardian should ever have to go through,” said Tom Vanden Berk, founder of G-PAC and CEO Emeritus of UCAN, a social services agency. “This legislation would strengthen existing laws to protect Illinois families from experiencing the pain of losing a loved one.”
Under current Illinois law, individuals seeking to buy a gun must first obtain a Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) Card from the Department of State Police. Voters overwhelmingly support the Act’s three key provisions:
81 percent support a provision that would require a background check for all gun sales, including those by a private seller.
75 percent support a provision that would reduce the FOID Card duration from 10 years to 5 years.
73 percent support a provision that would require applicants for FOID Cards to apply in person with the State Police and submit fingerprints as part of their application
Fix the FOID Act would also mandate the State Police take action to remove guns once a FOID Card is revoked.
Support for the bill comes from across the state and is favored by 77 percent, roughly three-quarters of voters in the City of Chicago; 74 percent of voters in suburban Cook County; 75 percent of voters in the “collar counties” of DuPage, Kane, McHenry and Will; as well as 48 percent, nearly half of voters in Downstate Illinois.
Support is broad-based, as this proposal attracts support from across the state and across the political spectrum, and comes notably from the following:
84 percent of Democrats, 60 percent of independents, nearly half of Republicans;
70 percent of women and 61 percent of men;
64 percent of voters age 18-54 and 67 percent of those age 55 and older; and
82 percent of black voters, 65 percent of white voters and 61 percent of Latino voters.
The poll was conducted by Tulchin Research on behalf of the Gun Violence Prevention Action Committee. The survey was comprised of 600 likely November 2020 voters in Illinois between April 25-30 of 2019.
The polling memo is here.
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Opposition
Thursday, May 9, 2019 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
A bipartisan group of nearly 50 state and local leaders across Illinois have united against the elimination of Illinois’ flat income tax protection.
Read the open letter to Gov. J.B. Pritzker opposing the progressive income tax amendment here.
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Sports betting details
Thursday, May 9, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* This is a very detailed, quote-filled account of yesterday’s House committee hearing on sports betting. I recommend you read the whole thing if you’re at all interested in this topic…
It would likely be fair to say that the only people who left Wednesday’s Illinois sports betting hearing truly happy were representatives of the professional sports leagues. And even they wanted more.
Three hours before the subcommittee hearing was set to start, torch-bearer Mike Zalewski (D-District 23) filed two amendments — both with a 25 percent tax rate on operator gross sports wagering revenue, and one decidedly professional league-friendly. Zalewski’s proposed Amendment 2 not only limits the number of sports betting licenses for both physical and online sportsbooks, it calls for a “royalty” to the professional leagues, mandates the purchase of official league data, and imposes a stunning $20 million licensing fee for online sportsbooks. Zalewski filed both as amendments to HB 1260, which appears will be the latest sports betting vehicle. The previous bill, HB 3308, wasn’t referenced.
Needless to say, stakeholders at the two-hour hearing pushed back hard while representatives from Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association attempted to convince the room that only if the leagues are cut into profits, will sports betting reach its potential in Illinois, the sixth most populous state in the U.S. […]
“The tax rate is extremely high,” said Tom Swoik, executive director of the Illinois Casino Gaming Association. “And we are opposed to being forced to do something with the leagues.” […]
Swoik also pointed out that two of Illinois’ key border states, Indiana and Iowa, were on the cusp of legalizing — Indiana’s governor signed sports betting into law Wednesday, possibly during the hearing — both with tax rates below 10 percent, much more reasonable licensing fees and no nod to the professional leagues. Yet lawmakers pushed him and Paul Gaynor of Midwest Entertainment to admit that Illinois’ bigger market would mitigate the proposed high cost of doing business.
“If we’re paying four or five times the taxes, our odds aren’t going to be as good,” Swoik said. Zalewski went on to say that he felt it was wise to start with higher, rather than lower tax rate, but Seoul reminded him that taxes on casino gaming has been changed multiple times.
* This one is also pretty good and includes dot-points of the proposed amendments…
The professional sports leagues used to call their ask for a percentage of all bets placed on their games an integrity fee to be used to ensure the integrity of their games. They have long since changed the name to royalty.
At Wednesday’s hearing, they rebranded the royalty as a partnership that would give them a financial incentive to drive up the amount of money bet in Illinois. They also really like pie metaphors.
“I think there’s a lot we can do in terms of opening up the levers of marketing, helping consumers in Illinois understand what are legal sportsbooks versus illegal sportsbooks and encouraging them to bet legally,” said Bryan Seely of Major League Baseball. I think there’s a number of things we can do to try to grow the pie for everyone.”
Scott Kaufman-Ross, representing the NBA, warned that it’s better for all operators to be required to use official league data so that the league will have an incentive to grow revenue for everyone.
“If we were in a situation where we only had a partnership with one operator, then we’d only be incentivized to grow their revenue,” Kaufman-Ross said. “Having a royalty that applies to all sports betting in the state will incentivize the leagues to lean in and grow the pie for everyone.”
* Related…
* Pro leagues to get royalties under proposed Illinois sports betting measure
* Should sports gambling become legal in Illinois, will you be able to wager on Illini, Wildcats or Huskies? Don’t bet on it.
* Gambling expansion, sports betting on collision course as end of Illinois’ legislative session nears
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Our sorry state
Thursday, May 9, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* A scary and disgusting number…
* 112 dead during this fiscal year so far…
DCFS inspector general Meryl Paniak on Wednesday identified four starting points for making improvements in protecting children in cases the agency is investigating.
They are safety assessments, training, supervision and manageable caseloads, Paniak told lawmakers in the House Adoptions and Child Welfare Committee.
Supervision is “key,” she said, but it will require updated, recurring training.
“We need to look into the complex need of the families,” Paniak said. “We need to start by asking staff what they need to do their job.”
She said there are 60 job vacancies in DCFS child protection statewide, and 400 of the 1,200 active cases have gone more than 90 days without agency intervention.
* But that’s about average, which is maddening…
An average of 100 children die each year despite Illinois Department of Children and Family Services involvement with their families, even after pledges to make improvements in the aftermath of tragedies.
“This consistent number of child deaths shows that the State of Illinois is failing to improve and ensure the protection of children, even when it knows they are at risk,” Meryl Paniak, the acting inspector general of DCFS, wrote last week to state officials. […]
agency needs increased staffing to take care of Illinois’ most vulnerable kids. Now, the request for the budget year that starts in July includes the largest increase the agency has seen in 20 years and a plan to add 126 employees.
Marc Smith, DCFS’ new director, said it will give investigators smaller caseloads and better oversight with more supervisors. […]
But some lawmakers and child advocates think the state should be investing in the foster care and adoption systems. They recently questioned caseworkers’ judgments to keep children like Liam, Kane, Matthew and, most recently, AJ Freund with their parents when there were multiple reports of abuse in some cases.
* More…
Two lawmakers told DCFS officials that community providers have told them they’re reluctant in many instances to report to the agency; they fear it could actually be more dangerous for the child.
Rep. Michelle Mussman, D-Schaumburg, said providers are concerned about the chaos in the department, including the rotation of case managers and falsifying of records.
“When people report and don’t see action being taken, it undermines the idea that there is value in reporting,” she said. “We need to work on that culture of trust and believability.”
Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, D-Chicago, said communities do not think DCFS is helping families.
“Many of them think that DCFS (is) killing our kids,” she said. “That is a problem. That has to change.”
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Reps. Yingling, Carroll jump ship
Thursday, May 9, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I went over this pretty thoroughly with subscribers today, so let’s start here with Politico…
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s plan to shore up the state’s financial woes by swapping out our flat income tax structure with a graduated tax after 2020 sailed through the state Senate last week. But the battle in the lower chamber is just starting to warm up, where two House Democrats tell Playbook they’d vote “no” on the new tax system as it is currently written.
“My constituents are concerned that their taxes will go up without essential property-tax relief,” says Rep. Jonathan Carroll, whose 57th District covers Buffalo Grove, Northbrook, and parts of Glenview. “We’re talking about changing a constitutional amendment. It needs to be done right.”
Rep. Sam Yingling recalled how his grandmother worked as a receptionist up until she was 90, just months before she died, to afford her property tax payments. Like Carroll, he wants property tax relief included in the graduated income tax measure. “There’s a growing contingent of colleagues who think this should be included,” said Yingling, whose 62nd District encompasses Lake County. He called for lawmakers to spend “a few months” hashing out what language to include in the legislation.
Neither Carroll nor Yingling has spoken directly to Pritzker about their concerns but say they’ve voiced them during meetings with the governor’s staff.
Somebody needs to pick up the phone.
* This mini revolt kicked off yesterday with a letter to the editor from Yingling…
For the first time since the adoption of the state constitution, the General Assembly is debating Illinois’ tax structure. While adoption of a progressive income tax might be a logical step toward achieving a fairer and more equitable overall income tax system here, we cannot address the inequities in the tax system without addressing the entire system, both income taxes and property taxes.
The House must take time to fully deliberate the issues over the next several months with constituents, and make sure that the system we adopt takes everyone into consideration so that people like my grandmother can afford to stay in their homes.
The current proposals do not adequately address the crushing burden that our property tax system places on homeowners. I will be a “no” vote unless adoption of a progressive income tax ends the state’s regressive and abusive property tax system.
* Illinois Policy Institute press release in response to Yingling’s LTE…
We applaud Rep. Yingling’s courage and commitment to protect his district from a higher tax burden through his pledged ‘no’ vote. The current progressive income tax proposals offer no serious or long-lasting relief from Illinois’ property taxes, the tax burden most significantly crushing Illinois’ working and middle class. The Illinois Policy Institute remains committed to defeating the progressive income tax and advocating for tax relief. And the only true way to help Illinoisans while fixing state finances is through meaningful pension reform that starts with a constitutional amendment to protect already earned benefits while allowing reductions in the future accrual rate of benefits
* More…
* The governor’s office sent this response…
Under Governor Pritzker’s approach, 97 percent of Illinoisans would pay the same or less in income taxes – making our current system far more fair to the middle class and those striving to get there. Those who oppose this plan are siding with millionaires and the very wealthy against everyday Illinoisans, and they need to offer an alternative that will fix our state’s long-standing fiscal challenges. The administration put forward its ideas on property tax relief as a part of that package, and we will continue to listen to members of the General Assembly about their ideas for property tax relief.
* More from the Illinois News Network…
“Personally, I like a flat tax, that’s just my personal opinion,” [Rep. Rita Mayfield, D-Waukegan] said. “I do understand the need for a graduated tax, but if we’re going to do it, we need to do it right and not just push through something that is not going to benefit the taxpayers.”
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* Hannah Meisel at the Daily Line…
A bill that would give the Cook County Assessor’s office — and other offices statewide — the ability to collect operating income and expense data from commercial properties ran into road blocks in the House this week, with members doubting the efficacy of the bill after opposition from powerful real estate interests surfaced.
Kaegi, who has been working on the bill since the summer, months before officially being sworn in as assessor, says SB 1379 will lead to more accurate assessments by giving his office — and county assessors statewide — as much income and leasing data as possible directly from property owners, rather than relying on third-party data.
But business interests have lined up against the bill, including the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, Illinois Chamber of Commerce, Illinois Retail Merchants Association and the National Federation of Independent Business. […]
State Rep. Marcus Evans (D-Chicago) told The Daily Line Wednesday that he still has a lot of questions for Kaegi, especially given the district he represents, which overlaps both the southeastern-most part Chicago and stretches down to south suburban Calumet City and Lynwood, which border Indiana.
Kaegi said his bill is designed to help stabilize property taxes in areas like the struggling south suburbs by giving him more information to assess commercial properties at their true valuation.
* Tribune editorial…
On Thursday, the House Revenue Committee is scheduled to consider a bill that would require certain income-producing properties to disclose their revenues and expenses to the assessor’s office. But Kaegi told us Wednesday afternoon that, rather than advancing his measure to the House floor, the committee may send the legislation to its doom in a subcommittee. “All we want is a vote in committee,” Kaegi told us. “We have the votes to pass it. Will they give us the chance?”
The “they” is House Democrats. Killing this reform would give them a mighty bad look: Speaker Michael Madigan’s law firm profits handsomely from tax appeals, which could become fewer in number if Kaegi’s bill becomes law. And committee Chairman Mike Zalewski hails from west suburban Riverside, a hotbed of animosity toward the property tax system.
The point of Kaegi’s call for more financial information is to allow his office to more accurately calculate a building’s value. Smaller properties would be exempt, including commercial properties valued at less than $400,000, and residential properties with six or fewer units or those valued at less than $1 million. Owners of bigger, more valuable properties already are required to disclose this information at the second level of tax appeals. Kaegi’s proposal merely advances that disclosure.
More accurate assessments should mean fewer tax appeals — and less likelihood that commercial properties will be underassessed.
Do Madigan and Zalewski want to be the Democratic leaders who repudiate Cook County voters eager for property tax reforms? Come Thursday, we’ll see.
Like with the thundering pension editorial this week which the paper deleted and replaced with another one after the governor said he was canceling the pension holiday, I think that editorial may have jumped the gun. After some fears earlier in the day, Kaegi told me late yesterday afternoon that he was assured the bill wouldn’t be sent to subcommittee and that conversations would continue.
* From Rep. Zalewski…
I strongly support Assessor Kaegi’s vision for a transparent, fair commercial assessment system. I’ve spent the Spring meeting with Assessor Kaegi, Assistant Majority Leader Will Davis and his team to fully understand his legislation, and to work to build a bridge between Assessor Kaegi’s mission and the concerns raised by opponents.
We intend to continue the progress we have made on the issue. We have more than three weeks left in the spring legislative session to accomplish the Assessor Kaegi’s goal, and I am committed to working with the Assessor, Leader Davis and Chairperson Hutchinson and stakeholders to find the right path forward. We are all committed to making property taxes more transparent and less costly in Illinois.”
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