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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition and some campaign updates (Updated x3)

Friday, Mar 1, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Sen. Emil Jones III’s jury trial has been reset for Dec. 9. Jason Meisner…

Prosecutors say they want to redact some information from the discovery in Jones’ case, including “uncharged conduct by other individuals.”
Remember, Sandoval had pleaded guilty and was cooperating w/ the feds when he died of COVID in Dec. 2020.
What secrets was he spilling?
🤔

— Jason Meisner (@jmetr22b) March 1, 2024

* Illinois Community College Board…

The Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) today announced $3 million in state grants to community colleges to expand access to its Dual Credit Program that allows students the ability to earn college-level credits while still in high school.

The Dual Credit Program has become a progressively popular option for Illinois high school students with enrollment in the program increasing by 29% cumulatively over the last five years and 65% cumulatively over the last decade.

A new report released by the ICCB found that High school students who took dual credit courses have substantially higher community college graduation rates and advancement rates than those students who did not enroll in dual credit coursework. […]

Other Dual Credit report findings:

· In fiscal year 2023, Illinois community colleges offered a total of 14,638 dual credit courses, which was an increase of 8.1 percent from the previous year.
· In Illinois, during fiscal year 2023, a total of 82,602 individual (i.e., “unduplicated”) high school students enrolled in one or more community college dual credit courses.
· One in five students (20.1 percent) taking one or more Illinois community college credit courses was a high school dual credit student.
· Overall, in fiscal year 2023, dual credit duplicated (seat count) enrollment increased 11.5 percent compared to one year ago.

* Crain’s…

Walgreens Boots Alliance will begin dispensing the abortion pill mifepristone at select pharmacies this month in a handful of states, including Illinois.

Walgreens spokesman Fraser Engerman told Crain’s on March 1 the company completed a certification process administered by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration to dispense the medication in select pharmacies.

Aside from Illinois, Walgreens will sell the pill in New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and California, he said.

* Press release…

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced today that it is adopting updated guidance from the CDC that streamline and simplify recommendations for dealing with the range of respiratory viruses, including COVID-19, flu and RSV. The new guidance focuses on protecting those most at risk of serious illness.

The CDC guidance was issued as data indicate respiratory viruses are continuing to circulate around Illinois and the state’s overall respiratory virus level has moved up from Low to Moderate based on an uptick in flu reports. The state remained at Low level for COVID-19 hospitalizations, according to the CDC COVID Data Tracker as of February 24. The data showed that six counties are at Medium level for COVID-19 hospitalizations, down from eight the previous week. There are no counties at High level for COVID-19 hospitalizations.

Also this week on Wednesday, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) issued a recommendation for a second dose of the current 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines that were authorized last fall to be given to those over 65 years of age. Those who are immunosuppressed remain eligible to receive additional doses 2 months after their previous dose. A CDC presentation that was provided for the ACIP meeting included preliminary data that showed that COVID-19 hospital admissions remained much higher than flu during the summer months and that 96% of those hospitalized for COVID-19 in the fall of 2023, had not received the updated Covid shot last fall. This implies that the current shot is highly protective against serious outcomes.

“IDPH appreciates the new guidance from the CDC that streamlines recommendations across respiratory viruses and provides simple, clear and easy to understand steps for those with COVID-19, flu and RSV,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. “These new guidelines put the emphasis correctly on protecting those who are most vulnerable to serious illness and hospitalizations. While Illinois is in a better position than we were two months ago, the State is currently experiencing an uptick in our overall respiratory illness level. Individuals 65 and over, those who are immunocompromised, and individuals with chronic medical conditions remain most vulnerable to severe outcomes, and they should continue to use all tools at their disposal to keep themselves protected.

“Flu season can last until May, and it is not too late to get your flu shot if you haven’t already,” Dr. Vohra added. “The CDC also released new recommendations this week that allow older adults to now receive an additional dose of this season’s COVID-19 vaccine. An additional dose for those at highest risk can add protection this spring and summer.”

* Here’s the rest…

Crain’s | City proposes major spending cuts to key O’Hare terminal project:

* WTTW | Illinois Paid at Least $640K to Review Controversial ‘Invest In Kids’ Tax Credit Program, But Results Are Deemed ‘Inconclusive’: “What we can learn from this report is limited and inconclusive due to the absence of demographic data for the scholarship recipients and the lack of apples-to-apples comparisons,” Illinois State Board of Education spokesperson Jackie Matthews said in a statement about the just-published analysis on Invest in Kids.

* Center Square | Pressure mounts for daylight saving time reform: One of those calling for an end to this system, state Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Deerfield, stressed the consequences of sleep loss especially for children and senior citizens. “Any legislator with small children knows what it is like to have to move our clocks forward and hour and lose an hour of sleep and the damage it does to not just our sleep but to our children and how they’re feeling, their productivity, during the day,” Morgan told The Center Square.

* Daily Herald | Is the autoworkers union endorsing Foster or Rashid in the 11th District? It depends who you ask: Even though laborers with UAW Local 1268 — including its president, Matt Frantzen — enthusiastically praised Foster in the ad and thanked him for working with President Joe Biden to save their jobs and reopen Stellantis’ idle Belvidere Assembly Plant, the UAW’s Region 4 office in downstate Ottawa is backing rival Qasim Rashid. In a statement issued Thursday by Rashid’s campaign, regional UAW representative John Gedney called Naperville’s Rashid “a proven advocate for working people” and proclaimed him to be the only person in the race “aligned with UAW’s principles.”

* SJ-R | Fight against poverty: Illinoisans to rally outside the state capitol this weekend: The march is part of the Poor People’s Campaign of Illinois, which is joining 31 other states in an organized event to assemble outside the state capitol with demands for the upcoming primary election being held on March 19.

* Daily Herald | 49th District GOP rivals debate their electability in November showdown with Hirschauer: Both candidates expressed distaste for politics itself, and the notion that government is the solution to all problems rather than the personal leadership they feel they possess.

* Daily Herald | Pierog: Sanctuary status for Kane County already decided by state law: A tide of concern about recent migrant busing into Kane County reached its apex this week as residents packed a county board meeting to overflow status with calls to reject any move toward a formal sanctuary county proclamation. Sanctuary cities are viewed as being welcoming to migrants, including those who make unauthorized border crossings. After waiting two hours to speak, County Board Chair Corinne Pierog told them they were too late. Kane County already is a sanctuary county, Pierog said. She pointed to state legislation approved in 2017 and signed by then-Gov. Bruce Rauner. “The Trust Act made 102 counties in the state of Illinois what you would consider a sanctuary county,” Pierog told the raucous audience. “You are asking if I’m advocating Kane County be a sanctuary county? That was already done by a Republican governor. I cannot undo state law.”

* Bolts | As Kim Foxx Exits, Chicago Is Choosing the Next “Gatekeeper” of Its Bail Reform: But Burke has also blamed Foxx for being too lenient in some cases, signaling she’d turn the page on the incumbent’s reform priorities. Harris has comparatively aligned himself with the outgoing state’s attorney, whose tenure has seen a considerable decline in the local jail population. Local progressive leaders and the county Democratic Party recently coalesced around Harris as the candidate more likely to continue criminal legal reforms in Chicago.

* WBBM | Sorry, drivers: Kennedy Expressway construction closures returning soon: After a three month break, the major Kennedy Expressway construction project will resume on the night of March 11, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) announced. The first morning commute to be impacted will be Tuesday, March 12. This next phase of the three-year project will be conducted in the reversible express lanes and is not expected to be completed until late this fall. During this period, all Kennedy express lanes in both directions will be closed.

* WCIA | Urbana families rally, voice concerns over elementary school redistricting plans: Some parents support the change, while others want to put the process on pause. But they all say this seems like a similar situation to the closure of Wiley Elementary school last year. What they don’t agree on is what the district’s next steps can be. “They’re trying to close more schools without a plan, and we just want to pause. We want to work with the district, we want to plan, and we want stability for our children,” said Mabruka Yazidi of the Urbana Schools Action Coalition.

* WNIJ | Western Illinois University president stepping down: In his letter, Huang said, “After much reflection, I have decided to leave the University.” He added, “This was not an easy conclusion to come to, but I have decided it is time to move on to the next chapter of my life and be closer to my family.” He did not elaborate further on his reasons for leaving.

* WCIA | UIS receives grant to help with teacher shortage: The University’s School of Education is putting the money towards developing a new program that will include another college and a school district in Springfield and Decatur. UIS will use the money for 15 forgivable loans of $25,000 each for students planning to teach in Springfield and Decatur for five years.

* Daily Herald | Can working less lead to happier, healthier and better cops?: Can fewer hours on the job lead to better policing and healthier, happier law enforcement officers? A police department in the Denver suburbs is trying to answer that question with its switch last year to a 32-hour workweek for every member of the force. And the results so far have law enforcement leaders across the country taking notice.

* Sun-Times | Coffee roaster’s partnership creates job opportunities for adults with disabilities: The Aspire CoffeeWorks program at Metropolis has offered part-time work to disabled adults through the Hillside-based nonprofit Aspire. The partnership isn’t just a great way to provide paid work to the program’s employees, managers say. It’s also a way to show businesses can succeed by employing people of all abilities, said Katie Filippini, director of Aspire CoffeeWorks.

* Lauren Gustus | You should know what the Utah speaker said is wrong: [Utah] Gov. Spencer Cox has already signed legislation making elected officials and lawmakers’ work calendars a secret. Other bills, if signed, will pay for private companies to scrape lawmakers’ public information from the web and mean you won’t know how much water Utah wants to buy from other states and what it will cost taxpayers.

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Shenanigan!

Friday, Mar 1, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Note the “Official Team Trump” seal of approval for this 17th Congressional District Republican candidate…

From Trump’s campaign website…

President Donald J. Trump will grant the right to use his “Seal of Approval” to an exclusive group of candidates and committees that the President endorses or otherwise supports. The purpose of the Seal is to help President Trump’s donors distinguish between authorized uses of his name and likeness, and unauthorized uses including oftentimes outright scams. It is intended to protect the President’s donors and supporters from illegitimate organizations falsely claiming some affiliation with President Trump and his campaign.

However, Crowl isn’t on the approved list.

Crowl has loaned his campaign $57,530 since last October and raised a few grand otherwise. He faces retired Rockford Judge Joe McGraw for the right to take on freshman Democratic US Rep. Eric Sorensen.

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Friday, Mar 1, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Today’s number: 4 percent

Friday, Mar 1, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Mike Miletich…

Roughly 4% of the Illinois children DCFS investigated last year came into the state’s care. Department leaders told state lawmakers Thursday that they are able to place those children with parents 70% of the time.

DCFS recently improved their office responsible for helping children find alternate placements such as foster homes or agency shelters. There is also a new working group with child welfare management agencies focused on creating a seamless system for kids needing placement.

“It’s key for us to do this in a collaborative way because we want to make sure that we address all of the things that they require so that they can readily be able to accept those youth,” said Tim Snowden, Chief Deputy Director For Permanency & Intact Families.

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Did You Know? 80% Of Illinoisans Use Natural Gas To Heat Their Homes

Friday, Mar 1, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

We need to stop the political attacks on natural gas in Chicago and across Illinois. The reality is 80 percent of Illinoisans rely on natural gas to heat their homes. Illinois politicians need to create a plan for a gradual transition to clean energy that recognizes the reality of how homes are heated and powered today.

When Governor Pritzker’s appointees on the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) shut down the natural gas line Safety Modernization Program, it not only wiped out 1,000 jobs, but also subjected residents and business owners to the unnecessary danger of old, leaky gas infrastructure.

At this time, it makes no sense for Illinois to shut down the gas line safety program that prevents methane leaks and catastrophic accidents. We are calling on Illinois residents to fight back with us and tell Governor Pritzker and the ICC to decarbonize the right way. Fix our dangerous gas lines first.

Click on the links to view our ads: Ticking Time Bomb & Real Change.
To learn more and help fight back, visit us online at Fight Back Fund.

Paid for by Fight Back Fund

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This may not be a bad idea

Friday, Mar 1, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Hmm…

* But even if you don’t agree with this proposal (and there are some valid reasons for that), I would at least require proof that the cap-busting money is actually deposited because there is currently no such mechanism to show that the cash is real. Also, the self-funding triggers should be tied to inflation. The triggers have not risen since 2009. It cost Eileen Burke the same amount to bust the caps (minimum $100,001) as it did 15 years ago. Inflation would’ve increased that trigger to about $143K.

Burke reported raising $836,200 the very same day she declared that she’d busted the caps.

Both Democratic legislative leaders have busted their personal committee contribution caps. Speaker Chris Welch loaned his campaign $101,000. But Senate President Don Harmon busted the caps with a straight contribution.

* Interestingly enough, while the self-financing triggers don’t rise with inflation, the law mandates that all contribution limits must be adjusted to the cost of living. The contribution limit on political action committees is now $68,500. That limit was $50,000 when the bill was initially passed.

Discuss.

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Today’s must-watch video (Updated x2)

Friday, Mar 1, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* This is so great…

Platonic ideal of a municipal/state worker: regional accent thick as molasses; probably a headache to deal with through official channels; will still save your ass from a burning car without a second thought https://t.co/K2PPBI6VCg

— ravenswood revanchist (@alopex_ii) March 1, 2024

The IDOT worker’s comments start at about 1:15.

…Adding… Sun-Times…

Steve Newcomb thought he had seen every kind of crash during his years working as an overnight minuteman tow truck driver for the Illinois Department of Transportation.

That was the case until early Friday when, for the first time, he played the role of a first responder and pulled two women from a burning car on the Kennedy Expressway. […]

Newcomb has been working for the Illinois Department of Transportation for 22 years, most of them doing maintenance, plowing and grass cutting, he said. He’s been doing minuteman patrols for five years.

“I’ve seen every kind of crash,” he said. “But I’ve never been on scene where there was a fire where I could pull someone out.”

…Adding… Teamsters press release…

“My job is to help keep people safe on our roadways, and that’s why I knew I had to do something to help those motorists this morning,” said Local 700 member Steve Newcomb. “I am so relieved I was there to take action to get those women to safety. Keeping people safe is what we do at Local 700, and I am just glad I was able to do my part.”

“Steve Newcomb is a hero, full stop,” said Local 700 President Ramon Williams. “Every day, the dedicated public servants of Local 700 work to keep our communities safe. This morning, Steve went above and beyond, and for that we all owe him a debt of gratitude. Thank you to Steve and all of the first responder union members who help keep us safe on the roadways!”

Local 700 encourages all motorists to stay safe on Chicagoland roadways and to always slow down and use caution around IDOT workers.

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Cassidy wants constitutional amendment that protects reproductive health care and gender-affirming care

Friday, Mar 1, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The Tribune takes a look at the abortion issue, including Gov. Pritzker’s involvement in other states and what to look for in Illinois. Excerpt…

State Rep. Kelly Cassidy of Chicago, who leads abortion-related negotiations for Democrats in the Illinois House, said that while she believes a constitutional amendment in Illinois is necessary in the long term, the need is more urgent in other states.

Protecting access to abortion in other states also could help ease the burden on Illinois providers, who’ve been swamped with out-of-state patients seeking care as restrictions elsewhere go into place, Cassidy said. […]

When the time comes for Illinois, Cassidy said, she wants to see an amendment that addresses protections for both reproductive health care and gender-affirming care, which also is facing an onslaught of restrictions in GOP-led states.

“If someone were to present a (reproductive health)-only constitutional amendment, I will be vehemently opposed to it,” she said.

Harmon, the Senate president, likewise said he believes the state should protect gender-affirming health care.

Thoughts?

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Moody’s looks at Illinois regions

Friday, Mar 1, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Let’s look at some regional analyses from the February 2024 State of Illinois Economic Forecast Report Prepared for CGFA by Moody’s/Economy.com, starting with Chicago…

Chicago’s economy is showing signs of fatigue. Payroll employment has flattened in the past several months, putting it up 0.8% year over year in the fourth quarter. Healthcare remains a strong source of job growth, but support from other private-service industries has been dwindling. Professional/business services are contracting, transportation/warehousing is trending lower, and leisure/hospitality employment has lost momentum. Manufacturing, construction and government have maintained modest but steady job growth during the course of the year. Employers have significantly reined in pay increases; the employment cost index shows that wage growth for private workers has slowed more in Chicago than in the U.S. during the past year. The rise in the unemployment rate has been similar to the nation’s, but the labor force is contracting after reaching a new high earlier in the year. The jobless rate averaged 4.3% in the fourth quarter.

Professional/business services have been weighed down as high interest rates and the sluggish global economy have chipped away at demand for consulting and technical services, and demand for temporary help has dropped sharply. While finance has fared a bit better lately, layoffs at Northern Trust and BMO Harris are reminders of the chal- lenges banks are facing. Rapid interest-rate increases have caused banks to offer higher deposit rates to customers, squeezing profit margins.

The return of top entertainment and social events is helping to strengthen tourism and leisure/hospitality. Further, the resumption of business meetings and conventions is giving a boost to the business-travel hub. Chicago led the top 25 U.S. markets for meetings and events volume for several months last year, according to hospitality industry tracker Knowland. Hotel occupancy is back to about 90% of its pre-pandemic average, on par with other major markets.

* And the rest…

Lake County’s economy is stuck in a rut. Employment has gone sideways in the past year, leaving it barely any higher than it was at the end of 2022. Manufacturing, retail and transportation/warehousing have declined, and most other major industries have increased modestly. The unemployment rate has drifted higher, and at 5% it is now in unfamiliar territory above the state rate. Some of the rise in joblessness stems from the fact that the labor force is increasing after trending lower for several years. House prices have bounced back from last winter’s declines, partly because new-home construction is weak.

The Urbana-Champaign economy has been one of Illinois’ best performers, though growth has come to a halt. Total employment has leveled off since midyear as employment has declined in several industries, most notably professional/business services and retail. Healthcare remains a stalwart of job growth—and anchored by the University of Illinois, state government employment is trending higher. Stalling in the job market combined with persistently strong labor force growth has pushed the jobless rate up into the mid-4% range, in line with the state.

Bloomington’s economy has cooled. Employment has come down in recent months and weakness is apparent in most major industries. The unemployment rate has risen during the past year and now matches the state rate. Though job losses are a factor, the growing labor force is also putting upward pressure on joblessness. Over the past year, high-wage jobs have contracted while low- and mid-wage employment expanded. As a result, average hourly earnings are down year over year.

Springfield’s economy is starting to regain momentum, though the rebound in nonfarm payrolls since the fall has come almost entirely from government, while private-sector employment has been flat. Professional/business services have been particularly weak. The unemployment rate has risen to 4.7% as of November, partly because of an increase in the labor force.

Peoria’s economy is limping along. Job losses have abated this fall with employment in most industries, including manufacturing and healthcare, leveling off. However, strong growth in professional/business services earlier this year has given way to declines in recent months. Weakening is also apparent in the household employment survey. The unemployment rate has been increasing while the size of the labor force has been stagnant.

Rockford’s economy is on the mend after employment declined in the first half of 2023. Services are carrying the day, particularly healthcare and leisure/hospitality, while goods producers are no longer hemorrhaging jobs. Last year was the Hard Rock Casino’s second year of operation in its temporary venue, where it welcomed more visitors than in 2022. The unemployment rate has risen into the mid-6% range. The labor force has stopped shrinking but remains extremely depressed.

The Quad Cities economy is inching forward. Nonfarm payrolls are below their pre-pandemic level and job additions are trailing the state and national averages. The key durable manufacturing industry is moving sideways, but services are the primary source of weakness. The two downstate communities of the Quad Cities and Decatur are heavily dependent on the manufacturing sector. Decatur’s economy remains weak for the state and the Midwest. Nonfarm payrolls have been decreasing since early 2023. Lackluster performance is evident across the board, including in crucial manufacturing. The weak job market and marginal increase in the labor force have pushed the unemployment rate up to 6.5% in the fall, the second highest in the region.

Danville’s economy picked up the pace a bit. Nonfarm payroll growth was more robust than the rest of the state recently. Government payrolls ticked higher, while the opening of the Golden Nugget Casino significantly boosted leisure/hospitality headcounts. On the downside, the manufacturing industry failed to find any hiring momentum. Despite net job gains, the unemployment rate has moved higher this year as the labor force has jumped. […]

Support from the farm sector has been waning. After trending lower in 2023, agricultural prices are now hovering near levels last seen in 2014. However, compared with their historical average, prices remain elevated. Although state farm income has stopped climbing, the slowdown has been much milder than at the national level, where it has pulled back sharply in recent quarters. […]

There are eight Illinois counties that are part of the St. Louis metro area: Bond, Calhoun, Clinton, Jersey, Macoupin, Madison, Monroe and St. Clair. Together, these counties account for about 24% of the St. Louis metro area population and about 5% of the Illinois population. Post-pandemic economic growth in this group of counties has been stronger than in Illinois, keeping more in line with the St. Louis metro area. That is largely because Madison County, the largest among them, has also been the strongest in job growth in recent years, a distinction it will retain. Smaller Monroe County also boasts an above-average employment performance, and it is the only one that is growing in population. Overall, the Illinois portion of the St. Louis metro area is losing population more quickly than the rest of the metro area, but less so than Illinois. Population loss will continue in this fashion over the forecast horizon.

Lots and lots more information on this and other topics, so take a look.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)

Friday, Mar 1, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Isabel’s morning briefing

Friday, Mar 1, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…

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Friday, Mar 1, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Chicago migrants’ grievances focus mostly on treatment by shelter staff. Sun-Times…

* Related stories…

∙ Tribune: City and state quickly moves thousands of migrants from shelters into homes across the South and West sides. But will they stay?
∙ WBEZ: Migrants move out of two Oak Park shelters. What’s next for them?

* Isabel’s top picks…

* WAND | Illinois DCFS leaders, advocates share recent growth, potential solutions for foster system: Agency officials said they are committed to reducing the amount of time children stay in the state’s care and increasing equity in recruitment of foster families. Acting DCFS Director Heidi Mueller said the department is considering the cultural background of every child before deciding where they end up.

* Tribune | Gov. J.B. Pritzker is backing abortion rights ballot measures across nation, but little on the horizon in Illinois: Back home, though, a state constitutional amendment on abortion rights doesn’t appear to be on this election year’s agenda for the Democratic-controlled Illinois legislature — even though Pritzker last year declared in his second inaugural address that “the right to privacy and bodily autonomy demand that we establish a constitutional protection for reproductive rights in Illinois.”

* Crain’s | Job cuts, fleeing investors: How anti-DEI lawsuits take a toll on targets: The August lawsuit, filed by conservative activist group America First Legal, took issue with a grant program that Hello Alice co-runs for Black-owned small businesses. Only offering the money to Black entrepreneurs was, the suit claimed, discriminatory. The impact of the suit was immediate. Houston-based Hello Alice, which also offers credit and loans, shared the news of the case with potential investors as part of its due diligence process, and two-thirds of the capital was pulled out. It’s spent six figures on fees for three law firms so far, and is budgeting “multiple seven figures” if the case continues.

* Politico…

Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi has piled up a stunning $15.3 million in campaign cash, according to the fundraising report for the last quarter of 2023.

The IL-08 Democrat has (again) surpassed his Democratic colleagues in Illinois, and he’s in an elite group of top fundraisers for House Democrats in Congress, having contributed more than $5.4 million this cycle to House Democrats.

Only Congressman Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, with $17 million cash on hand, has outraised Krishnamoorthi. It’s the kind of fundraising that fuels talk that Krishnamoorthi will one day run for U.S. Senate.

The rest of Illinois Dems: Jonathan Jackson (IL-01): $20,761, Robin Kelly (IL-02): $1.6 million, Delia Ramirez (IL-03): $363,708, Jesus “Chuy” Garcia (IL-04): $202,798, Mike Quigley (IL-05): $1.1 million, Sean Casten (IL-06): $1.1 million, Danny Davis (IL-07): $819,978, Jan Schakowsky (IL-09): $826,686, Brad Schneider (IL-10): $1.1 million, Bill Foster (IL-11): 1.7 million, Nikki Budzinski (IL-13): $1.4 million, Lauren Underwood (IL-14): $1.6 million and Eric Sorensen (IL-17): $1.6 million.

* Here’s the rest of your briefing…

* South Side Weekly | Board of Elections Warehouse Workers Allege Poor Treatment: In interviews with the Weekly, workers described working long hours in a moldy, dusty warehouse where they say CBOE-employed supervisors harassed and berated them with impunity, made last-minute schedule changes to prevent them from accruing overtime, and made them feel they had to accept these conditions or risk being fired and replaced.

* WCIA | Schweizer replaces Marron, prepares for start of political career: “What I’m really trying to focus on is one, you know, understanding the needs of the individuals in my district,” Schweizer said. “And you know, after that, trying to voice those needs here, when I get to when we get to Springfield, and trying to make a difference in the area that I live in to make it safer for families to live, and bringing jobs to the community so it’s just a better place that people want to move to and want to live in.”

* South Side Weekly | In Democratic Primaries, No Business as Usual: Sigcho-Lopez pointed to the campaign in Michigan and said he will similarly abstain from participating in the Democratic primary here, citing the urgency of the moment.

* Daily-Journal | Joyce, Earling spar 40th issues: While the district remains the same, the candidates for the Democratic Party nomination are vastly different and taking front and center is a clear difference between the benefits of a China-based company, Gotion, setting up a massive electric vehicle battery plant in northern Kankakee County. Earling, 48, a 19-year resident of the Will County community of Braidwood, is opposed to massive state grants and tax breaks being given to a company coming from a communist country. It is unclear whether Gotion has any ties to the Chinese Communist Party.

* Daily-Journal | Jobs, migrants dominate 79th forum: Three of the four candidates were on hand. Limestone Township resident Dylan Mill, on the primary ballot, was not in attendance Tuesday at the Kankakee Public Library where the debate, hosted by the Kankakee County Branch of the NAACP, was attended by more than 60 residents. The winner of the March 19 primary will then face Republican State Rep. Jackie Haas, a two-term rep from Bourbonnais, in the Nov. 5 general election.

* ABC Chicago | Illinois touts improvements in making marijuana industry equitable, but critics say more needed: “When cannabis was illegal, 80% of arrests were Black and brown people,” said Matthew Brewer, owner of Grasshopper Club. “My brother was one of the people in the 80% arrested for cannabis possession.”His brother’s arrest was one of the reasons Brewer wanted to get into the marijuana industry. He is now celebrating his first year as the proud owner of Grasshopper Club, the first independent Black-owned dispensary in Chicago.

* Sun-Times | Chicago’s former top lawyer faces complaint for role in doomed plan to open pot shop at old Rainforest Cafe: Robert Brown pushed back on the plan for more than a year, organizing neighbors and filing a lawsuit that sought to reverse a decision by the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals granting approval to open the store at 605 N. Clark St. Brown has now submitted a complaint to the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission alleging that former Corporation Counsel Mara Georges sent an improper letter to zoning board chairman Brian Sanchez while working for the companies that sought to open the dispensary.

* Sun-Times | This Chicago-based Catholic order is keeping secrets about child-molesting clergy around the United States: The Order of Friar Servants of Mary, commonly known as the Servites, has its U.S. headquarters in Chicago, but it maintains no public list of credibly accused members despite calls for transparency. One church watchdog group counts 11 Servites accused of child sex abuse over the years, and the order has been accused of covering up for some offenders.

* Tribune | Donald Trump’s lawyers seek reversal of ruling that dropped former president from Illinois GOP primary ballot: Trump’s attorneys had argued that states do not have the power to act on the “insurrection clause” without authorization from Congress, that the 14th Amendment’s section on insurrection does not apply to the office of president, and that the former president’s actions on the day of the Capitol riot did not amount to insurrection. Porter rejected those arguments.

* Crain’s | Chicago area named best spot for corporate investment for 11th year in a row: According to a 2023 year-in-review report from WBC, last year 163 “pro-Chicagoland decisions” created more than 23,000 job opportunities. The decisions consisted of 117 expansions and 46 relocations or “new market entries” and generated more than $1.87 billion in earnings, the city’s economic development arm said.

* NBC Chicago | Statewide tornado drill slated for Illinois next week. Here’s what to know: The annual test warning will be broadcast on NOAA Weather Radio and many commercial radio and television stations, with a tone alarm beginning at 11 a.m. “Residents should treat the drill as if it were an actual Tornado Warning,” the NWS reported. “The purpose of the drill is to test everyone’s readiness for life-threatening severe weather events such as tornadoes, flash floods, and damaging winds. The National Weather Service will issue a Routine Weekly Test (RWT) to NOAA Weather Radios to initiate the drill.”

* AP | Philadelphia Phillies are scrapping $1 hot dog nights following unruly fan behavior:
Armed with projectile frankfurters, some unruly Phillies fans began chucking their favorite Hatfield meat during a game last year, and the dogs soared like cans of corn throughout the stands and onto the field. The demand for the discount dogs also led to clogged lanes — if not arteries — on the concourse, and the cramped spaces led to security and safety concerns.

* Tribune | In memoriam: Reasons to love Richard Lewis, and why he loved Chicago: But I was also thrown back in memory to a March night in 1984 at Zanies, the Old Town comedy club, where he made his first Chicago appearance. Also in the audience was my former Tribune colleague and friend Howard Reich, who told me on Thursday, “I last communicated with Richard just a couple of days ago, so his death is as much a shock to me as to the millions who similarly revered him.” […] As Reich remembers, “The first time I reviewed him was that March 1984 night at Zanies. I was overwhelmed by his verbal brilliance and by his sheer profusion of comic scenarios. I’d never witnessed such an avalanche of humor so virtuosically delivered.”

* Ohio Capital Journal | Former Ohio Speaker Householder files appeal, says bribe payment was within First Amendment rights: In the 105-page document filed Monday evening in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, Householder’s attorneys said the man prosecutors likened to a “mob boss” in the House Bill 6 scheme was “scapegoated” by the federal government.

* Tribune | Brookfield Zoo Chicago announces $66 million Tropical Forests for primates as part of major redesign: “It’s really a flip from where zoos were at 100 years ago, when it was all visitor-centric,” says Mike Adkesson, the former vice president of veterinary care at the zoo and now its president and CEO. “You had these big, expansive, central galleries that looked into small diagrams where the animals were displayed. As zoos have evolved over the last century, we’ve moved away from that entirely.”

* AP | Some doorbell cameras sold by retailers like Amazon have major security flaws, report says: Researchers said the doorbell cameras made by Eken Group can be controlled by a company-operated app called Aiwit. They said bad actors can create an account on the app and gain access to a nearby doorbell camera by pairing it with another device. That gives them the ability to view footage — or access still images — and lock out the owner from the device, Consumer Reports said.

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Appeals court denies city’s motion to stay enforcement of lower court’s Bring Chicago Home ruling

Friday, Mar 1, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* You can click here or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.

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Thursday, Feb 29, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* First Appellate District…

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the City of Chicago’s motion to stay enforcement pending appeal is denied. The referendum that is the subject of this litigation remains on the ballot and voters are free to cast their ballots as they choose. The effect of the lower court order is to enjoin the Board of Elections from counting those ballots, which will not occur until after the polls close on election day, March 19, 2024. Nevertheless, cognizant of the issues raised by the City, we granted its motion to expedite this appeal in order to resolve the case on an expedited basis.

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Belvidere UAW local sticking with Foster despite regional UAW’s endorsement of Dem opponent Rashid (Updated x2)

Thursday, Feb 29, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Qasim Rashid is challenging incumbent US Rep. Bill Foster in the Democratic primary. And this UAW endorsement of his candidacy was unexpected, to say the least…

Qasim Rashid’s campaign for US Congress in Illinois’ 11th District gains significant momentum as it announces its endorsement by the United Auto Workers (UAW) Union. The only candidate in IL-11 to receive the endorsement, UAW’s support of Rashid’s candidacy underscores his commitment to represent organized labor and champion the rights and well-being of working families in the Chicago suburbs and nationwide.

Rashid, a human rights lawyer raised in DuPage County, has dedicated his career to fighting for justice, equity, and opportunity for all. His platform seamlessly aligns with UAW’s steadfast commitment to economic, social, and climate justice.

“UAW is proud to endorse Qasim Rashid, a proven advocate for working people,” said John Gedney, UAW Illinois Legislative/Political Representative for Region 4. “Qasim is the only candidate in this race aligned with UAWs principles. He’s the only one who never accepted contributions from Ford or GM as they abused our workers for decades. He’s the only candidate who champions guaranteed universal healthcare, has experience protecting civil rights for all Americans, and advocates for a ceasefire in Israel and Palestine.”

As one of the largest labor unions in the country, UAW’s endorsement of Rashid reflects his dedication to economic justice for all working families. He pledges to fight for debt-free college and trade schools, dismantle monopolies, combat price gouging, pass the PRO Act, advocate for a $17 federal minimum wage, and mandate paid sick and parental leave. His platform centers on holding billion-dollar companies accountable by advocating for campaign finance reform, penalizing companies that pay poverty wages, and curbing stock buybacks to prioritize investment in workers and infrastructure.

“I am grateful to UAW for recognizing my unwavering commitment to people and working families. For nearly 90 years, UAW has stood as a beacon of leadership and economic justice for tens of millions of working Americans, and I am honored to partner with them to build a future that continues to expand on worker’s rights,” said Rashid. “After the UAW won its contract negotiations with Ford, GM, and Stellantis, non-union automakers Hyundai, Toyota, and Honda all increased wages for their workers to keep up. I am excited to work with the UAW and other labor organizations to increase membership, improve pay and benefits, and build an economy that prioritizes working people.”

Rashid has made an issue out of Foster’s campaign contributions from automakers. Also, the UAW called for a ceasefire in Israel and Palestine back in December. Congressman Foster has not done so.

* Even so, the endorsement is baffling because Foster has been a big UAW supporter, even inviting Belvidere’s UAW Local 1268 President Matt Frantzen to this year’s State of the Union as his guest…

“I’m honored to join Congressman Foster at this year’s State of the Union Address. After Stellantis idled the Assembly Plant last February, Bill was one of the first to call asking how he could help. From getting the White House involved to securing federal incentives, he played a vital role in ensuring the plant reopened and workers could return to Belvidere,” said Matt Frantzen.

* Frantzen and other local UAW members appeared in a Foster ad…

* So, in a split with his region’s leadership, Frantzen told me his local will be endorsing Foster.

“Foster’s been here with us,” Frantzen said today. “He’s been here for us. He stepped up when we needed him. I see no reason to step away from him now.”

Frantzen also said he has “no idea why the region is making the decision they’ve made.”

[Thanks to Isabel for helping put this post together.]

…Adding… Rashid’s financial disclosure report indicates that he bought a BMW in November of last year, not long before the Belvidere plant was shuttered. Foster drives a Ford.

…Adding… And here it is…

Today, the Foster for Congress campaign announced that Congressman Bill Foster has been endorsed for reelection by Belvidere United Auto Workers Local 1268.

“Belvidere UAW Local 1268 is proud to endorse Bill Foster for reelection to Congress. Simply put, our plant would be closed and our jobs would be gone if not for Bill,” said Matt Frantzen, President of UAW Local 1268. “Last February, when Stellantis announced it was shuttering the Belvidere Assembly Plant, one of the very first phone calls we got was from Bill asking what he could do to help get the plant reopened. And Bill’s offer to help wasn’t just hollow words – he took action. He went to bat for us, getting the White House and President Biden involved and making it possible for the plant to reopen and for workers to return to Belvidere. The fact is, Bill Foster had our backs from day one. We’re proud to have his back so we can make sure he remains our representative in Congress.”

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Despite reported shortage, state claims city has not requested diapers for migrant babies since October

Thursday, Feb 29, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* A new anti-Bailey mailer from Mike Bost…

* Meanwhile…

The House passed another short-term spending measure Thursday that would keep one set of federal agencies operating through March 8 and another set through March 22, avoiding a shutdown for parts of the federal government that would otherwise kick in Saturday. The Senate is expected to vote on the bill later in the day. […]

The vote to approve the measure was 320-99. It easily cleared the two-thirds majority needed for passage.

From Bost…

Just voted NO on the short-term CR to keep Washington spending at current levels. We can't afford the status quo.

— Rep. Mike Bost (@RepBost) February 29, 2024

* In other news, former Secretary of State Jesse White withdrew his endorsement of Peter DiCianni…

In the race for DuPage County Recorder, Peter DiCianni asked that I support his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for the office. I agreed because I know him and consider him a friend. However, two videos surfaced this week in which I found his actions to be inappropriate and divisive.

While I remain a strong advocate for law enforcement, I equally support efforts to ensure all people are treated fairly. Once you experience discrimination of any kind, you understand how deeply it cuts. Pete’s conduct in these videos disappoints me and is not what I expect from our political leaders. As a result, I withdraw my endorsement of his candidacy for the office.

Some background is here and here.

From a Sept. 21st press release…

The Executive Committee of the Democratic Party of DuPage County unanimously passed a no confidence vote on Pete Dicianni. Pete Dicianni has strong ties to the Republican Party and has only been elected as a Republican.

* Here’s the rest…

Capitol News Illinois | His conviction was overturned after 35 years wrongfully served. State law caps his compensation at 14 years:

* Shaw Local | Ex-Bolingbrook cop Drew Peterson’s attorneys issue subpoena to NewsNation: On Tuesday, Carlson issued an order “dealing with WGN and [Nexstar Media Group] as well as NewsNation at the request of the parties,” according to court transcripts of the hearing. The court order was based on the interview from Banfield, managed to attain what she said was an “exclusive jailhouse interview” with Peterson. The interview also ran on WGN-TV.

* CBS | Restrictive abortion laws disproportionately impact Black women in GOP-led states, new Democratic memo notes: For instance, in Florida, where abortion is banned at 15 weeks, Black women are nearly four times as likely to die from complications related to pregnancy, compared to White women, the DLCC noted, citing data compiled by the Florida Department of Health. In Georgia, where a six-week abortion ban is in place, Black women “are more than three times more likely to die from pregnancy complications than white women, the worst ratio in the country,” the DLCC said in its memo.

* BGA | Campaign Cash from City Contractors Target of New Ethics Ordinance: A BGA Policy analysis of 2022 and 2023 contribution records from the campaigns of former mayor Lori Lightfoot and eventual run-off candidates Brandon Johnson and Paul Vallas found more than a hundred contributions from individuals to whom the new rules would apply. Hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations to the three campaigns would have been capped at the $1,500 limit, had the board’s proposed language been in place for the 2023 municipal election cycle.

* Tribune | Civic groups call on mayor, aldermen to enact City Council ethics reforms: The leaders of the Better Government Association, the Civic Federation and the League of Women Voters of Chicago called for more transparency and better public access in the body in a letter Thursday to Johnson and council Rules Committee chair Ald. Michelle Harris, 8th. The groups criticized current City Hall leaders for circumventing rules designed to publicize what aldermen are considering and chipping away at public access to meetings in a letter signed by BGA President David Greising, Civic Federation President (and former Chicago Inspector General) Joe Ferguson and League of Women Voters of Chicago President Jane Ruby.

* Sun-Times | Proposal to ship tons of Chicago garbage down the river is dead in water: LRS had put the project on temporary hold after the community organization Little Village Environmental Justice Organization raised concerns that the company’s barge operation would stir up toxic materials in the nearby collateral channel just off of the canal. Last week, company officials notified the Little Village group, other environmental and community organizations and the city to let them know that the project is being shelved.

* Crain’s | Discover-Capital One deal leaves Chatham call center’s future uncertain: Capital One’s plan to buy Discover Financial Services raises questions about whether Discover’s highly touted call center in Chatham will remain a key job provider for the largely Black South Side neighborhood or face closure as part of cost-cutting measures related to the $35 billion deal. […] Discover declined to comment on its plans for the call center, pointing to a statement announcing the deal that said, “Capital One appreciates the importance of Chicagoland and remains committed to maintaining a strong presence in that market, as well as maintaining service excellence across the U.S.”

* Axios | Chicago still stalled on free public toilet pilot: The city has not begun the process of procuring the goods and services for a public restroom project, and “there is no agreement currently in place regarding public restrooms,” a spokesperson tells Axios.

* Naperville Sun | 7th gun-related arrest at Naperville TopGolf since September: Naperville police Cmdr. Ricky Krakow said Lee’s arrest was “the same as the others.” “An officer (on) foot observed a firearm in a parked car,” he wrote in an email to the Sun. “The suspect returned to the car and was taken into custody without incident.”

* Daily Herald | Parking woes could doom planned Durty Nellie’s redevelopment: The clock is ticking on a proposed mixed-use development in downtown Palatine anchored by a re-imagined Durty Nellie’s pub, and time soon could run out because of unresolved parking issues. “I think it’s looking very unlikely that that project will go forward,” Village Manager Reid Ottesen said Wednesday during the annual State of the Village event hosted by the Palatine Area Chamber of Commerce.

* Crain’s | A night of art and innovation: Museum of Science & Industry’s Black Creativity Gala: With more than 700 attendees, the gala raised over $685,000 to support educational programs and experiences aimed at inspiring the next generation of Black leaders. With more than 700 attendees, the gala raised over $685,000 to support educational programs and experiences aimed at inspiring the next generation of Black leaders.

* Block Club | Remembering Richard Hunt, The Legendary Sculptor Who Inspired Artists In Chicago And Beyond: Taking inspiration from civil rights, the natural world and sculptors who came before him, Hunt’s career includes thousands of pieces, works like “The Light of Truth Ida B. Wells National Monument” in Bronzeville, the “Growth Columns” in Washington, D.C., and numerous exhibits at museums around the country, from California to New York.

* Tribune | Tom Skilling delivers emotional final forecast on WGN-TV: “What’s especially amazing about WGN is the bond between this television station and you, our viewers,” Skilling said in his sign-off address Wednesday. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart, because in this line of work, if no one watches us, we don’t have a job. So thank you for 45 extraordinary and loyal years of viewership.”

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Thursday, Feb 29, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Isabel posted this Tribune story earlier today…

Migrant families are reporting a shortage of diapers in the city’s shelters, forcing some parents to reuse dirty diapers on their babies, according to migrants and a network of volunteers working closely with those living in shelters. […]

Hygiene products, including diapers and toilet paper, are provided by the city’s emergency operations center’s logistics section, which was created to coordinate and allocate resources for migrants. The city receives supplies from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and outside vendors.

Mary May, a spokesperson for the city, acknowledged that “supply shortages from IEMA and FEMA can result in temporary shortages of some supplies” for migrants, but said in the statement last Friday that officials had “received a large delivery of supplies” that included diapers to deliver to shelters.

“Shelter staff can only distribute what they have in supply. If inventory levels of certain items get low, emergency deliveries of the items are made,” May said.

I followed up with IEMA this afternoon…

IEMA-OHS received the city’s one and only request for diapers in October and provided 64,000 diapers the next day. Earlier this week IEMA-OHS received a request for additional supplies from the city, which did not include diapers, but IEMA-OHS provided another 600 diapers that had been donated.

IEMA-OHS is unclear on what OEMC is referring to in its attempts to blame shortages on IEMA-OHS, but given that it is the city of Chicago that is responsible for providing diapers in city of Chicago shelters, further questions should be directed there.

I’ve been paraphrasing a song line from the late, great Albert King recently whenever anyone has asked me about city government: “If it wasn’t for incompetence, they wouldn’t have no competence at all.” Not completely true, of course, but the line does go over well.

* Meanwhile, as of yesterday morning, 12,189 migrants were in Chicago shelters, that’s 18 percent below the 14,900 in shelters in late December.

Also, between last Tuesday, February 20th, and yesterday, February 28th, 1,320 additional asylum seekers have been resettled, for a total of 13,798. And another 234 have been reunited with sponsors, for a total of 4,893. The state launched an effort a few months ago to reduce shelter and resettlement bottlenecks.

* Migrant rumors circulated wildly on social media, so a local news media outlet checked into the rumors but found them to be bogus and didn’t run a story. The rumors then persisted to the point where the local mayor had to hold a press conference, which was then covered…

Jacksonville officials are trying to be kill social media buzz claiming immigrants are being bused to buildings on the former campus of MacMurray College.

Rumors about the buses have been so prevalent on social media that Mayor Andy Ezard asked Phil McCarty, director of Jacksonville-Morgan County Emergency Management, to speak on the subject at Monday’s City Council meeting. […]

The Journal-Courier first received reports about immigrant buses in town in early February, but determined there was no validity to them.

“There has been a lot of social media push, which is not always the appropriate place to get the news. The news is over here,” said McCarty, gesturing to the table where members of the media sit to cover council meetings. “It’s also available from the official city Facebook page.”

* From Isabel…

Tribune | Migrants report reusing soiled diapers on babies amid essential goods shortages in Chicago shelters:

* News Nation | Sanctuary city migrants facing spring evictions live in ‘limbo’: Leonardo Pérez Suárez and his wife Wendy arrived in Chicago on New Year’s Day after a months-long journey from Cuba. But in a city where Mayor Brandon Johnson plans to evict newcomers from the city’s temporary housing centers beginning in mid-March, they’re living on borrowed time. The couple’s baby was born less than a month ago at the American Islamic College — one of Chicago’s 28 city-run shelters. With less than three weeks before the city’s eviction deadline, the Pérez-Suárez family lives with more questions than answers.

* Bloomberg | This Is Where New Migrants Are Going When They Reach the US: The data also suggest that New York state saw the highest number of migrant arrivals in 2023 on a per capita basis: 1 per 100 residents of the state. New Jersey and Florida were next at 0.9. Texas and Colorado had 0.8, and Illinois ranked eighth at 0.6.

* WaPo | The birth of Fox News’ ‘migrant crime’ obsession: A month ago, this idea of “migrant crime” was not part of the Fox News patter. In late January, host John Roberts introduced a story about Chicago by asserting that, while dealing with strains because of the arrival of immigrants to the city, there was also another problem: “migrant crime.” But that was an isolated mention. It wasn’t yet a focus of his employer’s coverage. It has since become one. Over the past month, Fox News hosts, guests and video clips have mentioned “migrant crime” nearly 90 times, more than half of those in the past 10 days. The reason has a little bit to do with a police official in New York City. It has a lot to do with Donald Trump.

* NBC Denver | Over 400 migrant families now being housed by Highlands Moms and Neighbors: Since then, the group in total has spent over 36,000 volunteer hours working to help migrants. They’ve been leveraging community network and connections to help get migrants established with jobs. So far, more than 1,300 have been hired for services such as yard work, cleaning services and other odd jobs. The group has also provided more than 61,000 meals at encampments and outside of shelters.

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IVF debate takes a weird political turn

Thursday, Feb 29, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Daily Herald…

A Republican senator on Wednesday derailed a bill sponsored by U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth intended to protect access to in vitro fertilization care.

The Hoffman Estates Democrat, backed by colleagues, said it was crucial to pass the measure following the Alabama Supreme Court’s decision that frozen embryos should be considered children. […]

Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, a Mississippi Republican, blocked the bill, saying it was a “poison pill” that could legalize cloning among other objections.

“I support the ability for mothers and fathers to have total access to IVF and bringing new life into the world. I also believe human life should be protected,” Hyde-Smith said.

* Sen. Hyde-Smith went on Tony Perkins’ show and the host said this…

This is the first piece of legislation that explicitly waives the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, going back to the 1990s which Chuck Schumer was a supporter of back in the 90s.

But as you pointed out on the Senate floor, this legalizes something that we have been fighting for many years and that is human cloning, which is already prohibited in many states. This would wipe those prohibitions away and legalize human cloning. It allows gene editing, or the so called designer babies, it legalizes this Frankensteinian type of gene of creation of human-animal hybrids, these chimeras.

Really?

* To Sen. Duckworth’s bill…

In this Act:

(1) ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGY.

The term ‘‘assisted reproductive technology’’ has the meaning given such term in section 8 of the Fertility Clinic Success Rate and Certification Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 263a–7(1)).

With links added by me, this is from section 8 of the Fertility Clinic Success Rate and Certification Act of 1992…

The term “assisted reproductive technology” means all treatments or procedures which include the handling of human oocytes or embryos, including in vitro fertilization, gamete intrafallopian transfer, zygote intrafallopian transfer, and such other specific technologies as the Secretary may include in this definition, after making public any proposed definition in such manner as to facilitate comment from any person (including any Federal or other public agency).

Maybe I’m wrong, but I ain’t seeing any cloning or human-animal hybrids there. I mean, the definition in Duckworth’s bill is based on a 1992 law, for crying out loud. You think Congress in 1992 was gonna legalizing cloning and human hybrids?

* Back to Sen. Duckworth’s bill…

(1) INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS.—An individual has a statutory right under this Act, including without prohibition or unreasonable limitation or interference (such as due to financial cost or detriment to the individual’s health, including mental health), to—

(A) access assisted reproductive technology;

(B) continue or complete an ongoing assisted reproductive technology treatment or procedure pursuant to a written plan or agreement with a health care provider; and

(C) retain all rights regarding the use or disposition of reproductive genetic materials, including gametes, subject to subsection (c).

(2) HEALTH CARE PROVIDER RIGHTS.—A health care provider has a statutory right under this Act to—

A) perform or assist with the performance of assisted reproductive technology treatments or procedures; and

(B) provide or assist with the provision of evidence-based information related to assisted reproductive technology.

(3) INSURANCE PROVIDER RIGHTS.—A health insurance provider has a statutory right under this Act to cover assisted reproductive technology treatments or procedures.

Not seeing any monkey clones in there, either.

* However, the opponents are right about one thing. The Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 would be preempted by Duckworth’s bill…

(1) GENERAL APPLICATION.—This Act supersedes and applies to the law of the Federal Government and each State government, and the implementation of such law, whether statutory, common law, or otherwise, and whether adopted before or after the date of enactment of this Act, and neither the Federal Government nor any State government shall administer, implement, or enforce any law, rule, regulation, standard, or other provision having the force and effect of law that conflicts with any provision of this Act, notwithstanding any other provision of Federal law, including the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 2000bb et seq.).

* Isabel’s coverage roundup…

Politico. | A ‘Stunning’ Element of the Alabama IVF Ruling:

* AlterNet | Republicans kill bill to protect IVF after claiming they fully support it: Sen. Duckworth stamped out [Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith]’s claims, saying, “She said at one point the bill would allow for chimeras — human-animal hybrids — it does nothing of the sort. All the bill says if you want to seek reproductive technology you can …” Sen. Hyde-Smith then killed the bill by formally objecting to Duckworth’s bill on Wednesday, which the Illinois Democrat tried to pass via unanimous consent.

* ABC Chicago | Republican blocks Senate Democrats’ push to pass IVF protections nationwide: Duckworth, in her own speech, had called Republicans out for “hypocrisy” as many of them defend access to IVF while simultaneously cheering the fall of Roe v. Wade’s guarantee to abortion access, which Democrats cite as a precedent paving the way for decisions like the Alabama ruling on embryos.

* AP | Republicans block Senate bill to protect nationwide access to IVF treatments: Several clinics in the state announced they were pausing IVF services as they sort out last week’s ruling, which said that frozen embryos can be considered children under state law. The court said that three Alabama couples who lost frozen embryos during an accident at a storage facility could sue the fertility clinic and hospital for the wrongful death of a minor child.

* NYT | Senate Republican Blocks Bill to Protect I.V.F. Treatment: Some Republicans have said they would look at the bill, but most others argued that it should be up to state legislatures — not the federal government — to protect fertility treatments. They sought to cast the Alabama ruling as an outlier and said the Legislature there would surely act soon to protect I.V.F.

* Sun-Times | Sen. Tammy Duckworth, whose daughters were born through IVF, pushes to safeguard access to IVF nationwide: Since the Alabama ruling, Duckworth has been sharing her personal story in several high-profile TV appearances and a news conference Tuesday in the Capitol of being an older woman and wounded Iraq war vet trying to get pregnant. Duckworth will be 56 in March, and her daughters, Abigail and Maile, were born in 2014 and 2018. She was the first sitting senator to give birth while in office. “My girls are my everything,” Duckworth said in her Senate floor speech. “But they likely would’ve never even been born if I hadn’t had access to the basic reproductive rights that Americans — up until recently — had been depending on for nearly a half a century. Because after a decade struggling with infertility after serving in Iraq, I was only able to get pregnant through the miracle of IVF.

* All Things Considered | After Alabama’s ruling, this senator’s bill aims to protect national access to IVF: [Duckworth] spoke with All Things Considered host Ari Shapiro on Tuesday morning about her own experience with fertility treatments, her attempts to build bipartisan support for her bill, and why she thinks state Republican lawmakers in Alabama looking to pass legislation to protect IVF are just “covering their butts.”

22 Comments

ComEd Four sentencing will be delayed

Thursday, Feb 29, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Tribune…

Sentencing hearings in the “ComEd Four” bribery case involving former House Speaker Michael Madigan will be delayed until after the U.S. Supreme Court weighs in on a key federal bribery statute that has put several high-profile public corruption cases in limbo, a judge ruled Thursday.

Prosecutors had argued against the delay, saying defense attorneys were doing a premature victory lap and that there is a public interest in seeing the case through in a timely fashion.

In announcing his decision, however, U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber said it “makes sense to me to find out precisely” where the high court lands before proceeding to sentencing. He also quoted from the prosecutions’ opening statements at trial last year, which the judge said mirrored some of the exact issues in the Supreme Court filings.

Leinenweber’s ruling follows a similar decision by U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey, who agreed to postpone Madigan’s racketeering trial from April to October in order to have the Supreme Court’s decision in hand.

* Sun-Times…

In his ruling Thursday, Leinenweber quoted from the prosecutors’ opening statement in the trial of Madigan confidant Michael McClain, former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, ex-ComEd lobbyist John Hooker and onetime City Club President Jay Doherty.

The feds told jurors the four “sought to reward Madigan for past beneficial conduct to Commonwealth Edison,” Leinenweber noted. The judge said prosecutors also assured the jury they were pursuing a “gratuity theory” and that the trial wasn’t going to be a “straight-up bribery case.”

The judge said that means a Supreme Court decision in favor of Snyder “will impact” the ComEd case.

5 Comments

It’s just a bill

Thursday, Feb 29, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Crain’s…

Legislation in the Illinois General Assembly would force companies to disclose “junk fees,” the pesky additions hiding at the end of transactions for concert tickets, hotels and other services.

The bill, sponsored by Democrats Sen. Omar Aquino and Rep. Bob Morgan, would amend Illinois’ Consumer Fraud & Deceptive Business Practices Act to prohibit “hidden and misleading fees” to ensure that prices as advertised reflect the total cost. The measure would make bad actors punishable under the existing consumer fraud law, which empowers the state attorney general to fine non-compliant companies up to $50,000 per violation. […]

So far, the Illinois bill does not specify which industries it would cover. That’s already cause for concern among trade groups across the state.

“The most common question I get is, ‘Is my industry (fill in the blank) going to be examined?’ Whether that’s pre-emption or some other issue?” Morgan said. “Those are the things that I think are at play here and certainly expect to have that play out over the next month or two. There is certainly an interplay between federal legislation and federal opposition and what we will hopefully do at the state level.”

* Illinois Public Media…

Black residents in Illinois who are descendants of slaves may soon have access to free DNA testing.

Rep. Carol Ammons (D-Urbana) proposed a [House Resolution] urging support for the Family Roots Genealogy Program pilot, which aims to reconnect African Americans to their ancestral roots. The program is in partnership with the Department of Anthropology at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the Carl Woese Institute for Genomic Biology.

Ammons says she noticed the need for this program when she and her husband, County Clerk Aaron Ammons, were doing their own DNA testing and found that the process costs hundreds of dollars from commercial vendors. She said it took paying more than $700 for her husband to get substantial information about his ancestry, which revealed that he had a long lost sister and nephew.

“We felt and believe that it is inappropriate for the descendants of those who were enslaved in the Americas or anywhere else in the world to have to pay a commercial vendor to find out where they come from,” she said. […]

The bill received a 7-to-4 vote in committee. Ammons said she expects the bill could be voted on in the House of Representatives in the next few weeks, and that the program could start as soon as this summer.

* Center Square…

During a House Appropriations-Elementary and Secondary Education Committee hearing this week, officials administering the program asked for $10 million in taxpayer funds for bonuses. Jennifer Ross, a lobbyist for the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards, said the bonuses are an attempt to get teachers in hard-to-staff schools.

“Hard-to-staff schools are defined by a school that is at least 30% below income,” Ross said. “We’re providing retention bonuses of $4,000 a year for two years.” […]

State Rep. Brad Halbrook, R-Shelbyville, said a teacher could take two years of bonuses and then just move on.

“Now that they have two more years of experience, do they move on to a school that pays better overall,” said Halbrook. “I guess I’m just trying to figure out if this is a good value for taxpayers or not.” […]

State Sen. Christopher Belt, D-Swansea, was behind the legislation and said it is aimed at addressing the teacher shortage in underserved areas.

* SB107 from Sen. Linda Holmes is in Assignments…

Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Provides that the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board may investigate complaints concerning drone use by a law enforcement agency. Provides that if a pattern of willful and wanton violations is confirmed, the law enforcement agency shall take actions to prevent future violations through specified means. Provides that if the agency fails to take actions to address the violations and prevent future violations from occurring, then the Board may restrict the agency’s ability to use its drones for a period not to exceed 3 months per incident. Amends the Freedom from Drone Surveillance Act. Changes the name of the Act to the Drones as First Responders Act. Defines “permitted special event”. Adds various exemptions allowing the use of drones. Permits records of drone usage, including flight path data, metadata, or telemetry information of specific flights, to be disclosed subject to the Freedom of Information Act and rules adopted under that Act. Provides that the information relating to infrastructure inspections conducted at the request of a local governmental agency may be disclosed to that local governmental agency or, in the case of traffic and parking evaluations conducted at school, it may also be disclosed to the school or any engineering staff involved in the process. Provides that nothing in the Act prevents the disclosure of information through a court order or subpoena in connection with a criminal proceeding or if the disclosure is in regard to a completed traffic crash investigation. Changes drone usage reporting requirements of law enforcement agencies to the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority. Makes other changes, and amends the School Code to make conforming changes. Provides that a drone may not be used over a school unless the parents are notified by a principal or administrator prior to the use of the drone.

* WSIL…

Controversy is brewing in Gallatin County over a proposed State senate bill.

The Bill would give the Shawneetown Regional Port District the right to regulate public or city property within 7-thousand feet of the Ohio River. […]

“This will allow them to throw out any ordinances or resolutions that the local municipal government has passed,” Gallatin County Board member Warren Rollman said. […]

“I am aware of the issues focused around Senate Bill 3654 and the Old Shawneetown Regional Port District,” said Senator Fowler. “Because of the issues with this Bill and concerns raised, I’ve made sure that this Bill will not be called for a vote. My hope is that both the public and private sector can continue to work on some sort of agreement together as this port district will play a critical role for our local economy, workforce, and for our farmers.”

* SB3654 sponsored by Sen. Dale Fowler is on First Reading…

Amends the Shawneetown Regional Port District Act. Allows the Port District to regulate the use of public-owned or municipal-owned property that is (i) within 7,000 feet of any navigable waterway within the District and (ii) within Shawnee Township, Bowlesville Township, or the Village of Old Shawneetown, but limits the regulation for the fulfillment of the Port District’s purpose of commerce and economic development. Provides that the District’s authority to regulate the use and construction of the property is superior to the authority of any unit of local government within the property, including the District’s right to vacate streets, alleys, and easements within the property; to vacate ordinances or resolutions of units of local government relating to the property; to issue permits for the use of buildings or structures on the property; and otherwise adopt any ordinances or resolutions regarding the property as necessary to fulfill the District’s purposes. Provides that the Port District may impose a charge of the throughput to a company for products being imported or exported through the Port District from navigable waters at a rate to be set by the Port District.

* Sen. Kimberly Lightford…

Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford is leading the charge to create a new state agency – the Department of Early Childhood – to streamline the administration of early childhood education care programs and services.

“The foundation of a child’s success and well-being is built starting the moment they are born,” said Lightford (D-Maywood). “As a state, it is our duty to provide the necessary support and resources to build such stability. The creation of this unique agency will break ground on our transition to a whole, trauma-informed approach to meeting children’s diverse needs.”

The Department of Early Childhood – which would be created through Senate Bill 1 – would focus on administering early childhood education programs. The new agency would be dedicated to making access to such state programs easier for parents and providers to navigate.

Combining streamlined oversight to state-funded early childhood programs within the State Board of Education, Department of Human Services and Department of Children and Family Services, the new agency would house the responsibility of the Early Childhood Block Grant – which funds the Lightford-backed Preschool for All initiative – among other items.

“Illinois has become a national leader in the fight to enhance support for our most vulnerable children,” said Lightford. “However, we also acknowledge we can’t stop our work until every child in the state has access to the best, all-around care – and the creation of this agency would be a grand step toward that goal.”

Senate Bill 1 will be heard in the Senate Executive Committee.

* Press release…

Continuing his commitment to modernize the Secretary of State’s office, Secretary Alexi Giannoulias is championing legislation to allow Illinois residents to start using digital driver’s licenses and state IDs.

Giannoulias’ backing marks the first time the Illinois Secretary of State’s office has supported such a measure, which now includes digital IDs as well as digital driver’s licenses. HB 4592 is sponsored by State Representative Kam Buckner (26th District) and State Senator Michael Hastings (19th District). If the bipartisan legislation passes, implementation could occur as early as next year. […]

If approved in the General Assembly, Illinois would join 12 other states that already offer digital forms of identification (including bordering states – Iowa and Missouri) while at least 18 other states are currently working toward the implementation. The legislation would not eliminate physical driver’s licenses, but instead digital IDs would act as a companion to a physical card. […]

New technology allows for more privacy by allowing individuals to decide what personal information they share via a contactless encrypted data exchange between their device and the reader. Digital IDs offer privacy control options that allow people to verify their age when legally purchasing alcohol, cannabis or renting a car, while hiding other personal information – like their address.

Giannoulias added that the initiative will also help reduce in-office wait times and lines at DMVs because the digital platform will allow users to make changes to their licenses and IDs remotely without having to make an in-person visit.

The proposed legislation would give the Secretary of State’s office the authority to begin the process of providing digital IDs. The office would issue an RFP and then select the vendor that is most capable of producing digital IDs in the safest way possible, ensuring that the final product meets testing requirements and the highest standards of security for Illinoisans.

34 Comments

*** UPDATED x1 *** Isabel’s morning briefing

Thursday, Feb 29, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…

3 Comments

Thursday, Feb 29, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Is Trump still on Illinois ballot? What to know after judge rules to remove his name. Sun-Times…

*** UPDATE [By Rich Miller] *** Something being lost here is this line from the Sun-Times story…

Trump delegates on the March 19 ballot have been certified and would still be free to vote for Trump at the Republican National Convention no matter how the court battle here plays out.

The real votes are the ones cast for delegates, who then cast those votes at the convention.

[ *** End Of Update *** ]

* Related stories…

∙ Capitol News Illinois: Cook County judge orders Trump removed from GOP ballot but holds decision pending appeal
∙ Tribune: Cook County judge orders Donald Trump removed from Illinois primary ballot for his role in Jan. 6 riot at US Capitol
∙ NYT: Judge Orders Trump Removed From Illinois Primary Ballot

Click here to read the ruling.

* Isabel’s top picks…

* WBEZ | Convicted aide to former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan will see his six-figure pension suspended: The state retirement board that oversees pension benefits for current and retired state workers also is asking Democratic Attorney General Kwame Raoul to recommend whether former Madigan Chief of Staff Timothy Mapes’s pension should be permanently revoked.

* Tribune | Migrants report reusing soiled diapers on babies amid essential goods shortages in Chicago shelters: Hygiene products, including diapers and toilet paper, are provided by the city’s emergency operations center’s logistics section, which was created to coordinate and allocate resources for migrants. The city receives supplies from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and outside vendors. Mary May, a spokesperson for the city, acknowledged that “supply shortages from IEMA and FEMA can result in temporary shortages of some supplies” for migrants, but said in the statement last Friday that officials had “received a large delivery of supplies” that included diapers to deliver to shelters.

* Daily Southtown | Dolton trustee candidate who lost in 2023 accuses Mayor Tiffany Henyard of libel, defamation: The two mailings targeted Tammie Brown, Steave and Stubbs as well as Williams, portraying them as “failed leadership” and being poor choices for elected office. One mailing, indicating it was paid for by Residents for a Better Dolton, accused Williams of committing theft of services from the village by forging medical documents related to a paid time-off fraud under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act, according to the lawsuit.

* An update on yesterday’s briefing via WMBD…

Peoria Police Chief Eric Echevarria is apologizing for a controversial recruitment ad that referenced a violent video game. […]

“There was no ill intention there. Obviously it was a play on words to really target the younger generation and relate to a younger generation,” said Echevarria.

Echevarria said he takes ownership for the ad. […]

Going forward, Echevarria said they will vet recruitment ads with non-police partners to ensure the messaging is right.

* Here’s the rest of your morning briefing…

* Sun-Times | After Alabama frozen embryo ruling, Pritzker has message for in vitro fertilization seekers: ‘Come to Illinois’: Illinois already mandates insurance coverage for infertility, but state Democrats are working to further expand fertility access and coverage. “We’re protecting your rights in so many ways, but specifically regarding IVF,” Pritzker said, reacting to the Alabama decision.

* Sun-Times | At Democratic convention in Chicago, perks for big Biden campaign donors include coveted credentials, hotels: In June, the Chicago Host Committee perk packages for donors and sponsors — an important incentive tool needed to help the committee fulfill its promise to raise $84.697 million for the convention — included VIP access to credentials, exclusive hotels and suites in the United Center. The $5 million contributors get the most perks. For sponsors, custom packages will be available, with “other potential options signage within United Center, building out activation spaces, sponsoring hospitality spaces, etc.”

* Chicago Reader | Best new legislation that supports freelance workers: Thanks to the new Freelance Worker Protection Act (HB1122), cosponsored by Rep. Will Guzzardi, Illinois freelancers will soon be required to receive a written contract, compensation within 30 days of completing work, and protection from discrimination and retaliation when pursuing payment. It will also allow for double damages if freelancers aren’t paid on time.

* Daily Herald | 49th District GOP rivals debate their electability in November showdown with Hirschauer: Hannah Billingsley of West Chicago and Aris Garcia of Streamwood are business owners who say they don’t feel represented in Springfield by the Democratic party or Hirschauer. […] “I think it would be tough for … a male to beat Maura, and I’m not trying to make this a gender thing,” Billingsley said. “I was like, ‘Hey, it’s not personal, Aris, it’s you and I both want the same thing,’ we both want to flip this seat, and if I were a betting person I’d be be betting on me.”

* NBC Chicago | Emails show Chicago mayor pushed Sox for unified messaging amid stadium funding ask: The emails obtained via Freedom of Information Act request show a spokesman for the Sox reached out to Johnson’s communications staff at 4:38 p.m. on Jan. 16, asking for a call. Six minutes later, the Sox spokesman sent over a draft of a possible White Sox statement, reading “White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf and team representatives met last week with Mayor Johnson and his staff to discuss potential future ballpark opportunities within the city of Chicago. While we look forward to continuing these conversations, we cannot respond to specific reports or speculation at this time.

* Center Square | Transportation leaders urge Pritzker to not divert road funds to Chicago transit: Kevin Artl, president and CEO of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois, said he doesn’t think it’s a shock to anyone that work travel has changed post pandemic. “It’s not right, at this point, to begin diverting funds from the Road Fund, designed for roads and bridges … to fund a system that I think everyone has concerns with and is going to be going through some sort of major reform over the next couple of years,” Artl said, referring to Chicago public transit.

* Tribune | Melissa Conyears-Ervin gets backing from pastors in bid for Congress: Among those backing Conyears-Ervin were several high-profile Black clergy members who are known to help candidates they support get out the vote. They included the Rev. Byron Brazier, head of the Apostolic Church of God where Barack Obama spoke during his successful run for president in 2008, and Bishop Larry Trotter of the Sweet Holy Spirit Church.

* WTTW | Chicago Taxpayers Pay $99K to Ex-CPD Officer Who Said Boss Ordered Her to Protect His Bridgeport Block During 2020 Unrest: Former Chicago Police Sgt. Cassandra Williams, who worked for the Chicago Police Department for 32 years, retired after the harassment and retaliation she said she endured caused her such significant stress that she became ill as she watched as her career “went down the drain” in 2021. “I crossed the blue line,” Williams said, referring to the so-called “code of silence” that keeps Chicago Police officers from complaining about misconduct by other officers, even when it puts members of the public at risk.

* ABC Chicago | Loyola University Chicago students fueling shuttle buses with biodiesel made by used vegetable oil: They use cooking oil flows in from all sorts of places including Loyola cafeterias, other universities, museums and restaurants, Waickman said. […] “If you drop off your used cooking at Loyola, we’re then going to filter out any solids from it, run a chemical reaction to remove the glycerin molecule, clean up the resulting biodiesel with a little bit of water and then the final result is biodiesel fuel ready for a diesel engine,” Waickman explained.

* SJ-R | Reopening of longtime Springfield restaurant appears to be delayed: Fans of Fritz’s Wagon Wheel Restaurant continue to await the promised reopening of the landmark establishment. But that goal seems a little further off with the recent expiration of the business’s liquor license. […] “We relinquished (our liquor license) until such a time as we are either ready to reopen or to do something else entirely with the location,” Bart wrote in an email. Bart said the restaurant’s chef and kitchen manager are still working to assemble a reliable staff.

* Daily Southtown | Leap Day baby celebrates turning 100 at her 25th birthday party: Loretta, who was born Feb. 29, 1924, “used to joke that she was younger than her own children,” said her daughter, Maria Gotfryd. Her family members gathered a few Saturdays ago to celebrate Loretta’s 25 birthdays and century of life, throwing the party early to accommodate travel arrangements for 65 relatives, many from out of town. It was an advent that even garnered a note from the office of Pope Francis in Rome, imparting a “requested Apostolic Blessing” on Gotfryd.

33 Comments

Thursday, Feb 29, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* You can click here or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.

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Pritzker: ‘People who live in other states who want to have children using IVF, come to Illinois’

Wednesday, Feb 28, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Notice, however, that the mailer does not identify the CTU
as Guzman’s employer…

* Mayor Johnson has said he will not extended the contract again, but ShotSpotter is still fighting…

* Here’s the rest…

* Lake County News-Sun | Lake County to pay $1.68M to McHenry County for first 3 months of housing inmates; ‘Money for the correctional officers would go a long way’: At this time, no further transfers are expected as the Lake County Sheriff’s Office does not intend to raise the number of transfers allowed in the agreement, said Chris Covelli, spokesperson for the county’s sheriff’s office. said it’s inconclusive whether the temporary inmate housing costs to McHenry County will be more or less expensive than the costs associated with housing inmates at the Waukegan facility. There are “fixed and floating” costs associated with operating a jail, and those costs are largely impacted by a fluctuating inmate population, he said.

* Shaw Local | YWCA services for families and immigrants now available in McHenry County: The Welcoming Center can help new residents get adjusted to the country by getting connected with local churches, agencies and food pantries. Case managers can help break language barriers by translating and explaining school systems, health care and court cases, Valdivia said. The program can help with Spanish, Russian and Ukrainian languages, case manager Anyi Pardo said. […] The current Crystal Lake location only has those two programs available, but other services like racial justice and literacy help could be offered in the future, YWCA Northwestern Illinois CEO Kris Machajewski said. “Our goal is to expand out this office,” Machajewski said.

* STLPR | Illinois awarded more than $75 million to clean up and develop its abandoned mine lands: Illinois used to the initial installment last year — north of $75 million — to address mining-related issues across the state, including 6 mine-related projects in St. Clair County. One project sought to close off a mine opening in Mascoutah and another corrected vertical openings along a mine path in Trenton.

* Illinois Public Media | Illinois now requires public schools to teach diverse histories. Are teachers ready?: “Teachers generally feel prepared to meet the calls of the inclusive American history mandates – all of them, no matter how old or new. However, there are a number of teachers that feel unprepared,” said Asif Wilson, an education professor at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.[…] Wilson noted that the program attracts teachers from all over the state with a small stipend and the opportunity to meet their professional development requirements. He added that teachers, regardless of their location, have received strong support from both administrators and parents for teaching the updated curriculum.

* Crain’s | Ascension names president for Joliet hospital mired in labor strife: Ascension names president for Joliet hospital mired in labor strife. Barbara Martin, a veteran of Chicago’s health care scene, will be stepping into a dispute with union nurses when she takes the reins next month.

* Daily Herald | Rolling Meadows mayor announces pregnancy: Rolling Meadows Mayor Lara Sanoica — the city’s first female mayor and its youngest — announced another milestone: she’s pregnant, which would make her the city’s first sitting mayor to give birth while in office. Sanoica, elected to the top post last April at age 32, said she has no intention to take a leave of absence from public office, but she is taking an extended maternity leave from her private employer, CME Group, this summer.

* SJ-R | Mötley Crüe will headline the 2024 Illinois State Fair. Here’s what to know: Stalwarts Vince Neil on vocals, Nikki Sixx on bass and Tommy Lee on drums are joined by John 5 on guitar. John 5 (John William Lowery) formerly played with Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie. Former guitarist Mick Mars, who suffers from ankylosing spondylitis, an aggressive and progressive form of arthritis. is out of the band but said recently he would be open to writing new music with the band.

* Daily Express | Four state laws prevent divorce if a woman is pregnant with no domestic violence exception: While the laws in Missouri, Texas, Arizona, and Arkansas allow for couples to file for divorce, the court must wait until after a woman gives birth in order to finalize child custody and child support. Two of these states – Missouri and Texas – are subject to trigger laws where, since the overturning of Roe v Wade in June 2022, abortions are automatically banned in the first and second trimesters of pregnancy.

* Daily Herald | At least 11 tornadoes may have touched down in region Tuesday night, weather service says: Preliminary reports show a tornado likely touched down near Sugar Grove and ran between Batavia and Geneva. Another possibly touched down just south of St. Charles. More potential tornadoes were spotted near Hoffman Estates, Palatine, Lake Zurich and Buffalo Grove.

* Tribune | Cleanup from storm damage begins as temperatures move into low 40s: On Wednesday morning, neighborhoods that suffered storm damage began the arduous chore of cleaning up. In north suburban Mundelein Tuesday night, high winds tore through a two-story apartment building, collapsing part of the roof and damaging 21 units. Officials from the Mundelein Fire Department said a piece of drywall struck one resident who was transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center. The Red Cross is helping find temporary housing for 59 displaced residents.

* Block Club Chicago | Catcade Cat Rescue Has A New Home And A Surprising Fall Out Boy Connection: Born in Lakeview, Gutierrez has local music bona fides. He was in hardcore group Arma Angelus with none other than Pete Wentz, the bassist and lyricist for pop punk/emo band Fall Out Boy. When Arma Angelus dissolved, Gutierrez went to beauty school, while Wentz and others made the move to Fall Out Boy. Gutierrez still toured with the band, and he’s the subject of the 2003 song “Grenade Jumper,” written with lyrics like “Hey, Chris, you were our only friend/And I know this is belated, we love you back.” Although the two eventually had a falling out, they’ve since mended fences, and Wentz has donated memorabilia to fundraising efforts for the Catcade.

* Sun-Times | Black History Month offers lessons, excitement for young Chicago students: The East Garfield Park public school that has around 300 students from pre-K to eighth grade is among many schools that devote extra time in February to study and share lessons about Black history. The students present what they’re learning through art, speeches and skits, and their teachers ensure what they learn has practical value.

* WBEZ | An insider’s guide to Bronzeville: Where to eat, shop and celebrate Black history: Looking for live music every night of the week? A neighborhood that offers a quick bike ride to the lake? Or a quick walk to grab Southern comfort food from a handful of local spots? Bronzeville has you covered.

9 Comments

Wednesday, Feb 28, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Gov. JB Pritzker’s chief of staff…

* The governor really leaned into it today when asked about the in vitro fertilization topic at an unrelated news conference…

We always knew that when Dobbs was decided, and you read the decision by Clarence Thomas, which seemed to begin to go after other issues, beyond just reproductive rights, like gay marriage, for example, or like, you know, what now is going to be IVF that they’re outlining, that our rights are in danger. Much broader than the original decision of Dobbs. So that’s very disturbing.

IVF is protected here in the state of Illinois, and I welcome the members of the General Assembly who are looking at new ways for us to protect doctors and patients on IVF. But it is protected.

People who live in other states who want to have children using IVF, come to Illinois. We’re protecting your rights in so many ways, but specifically regarding IVF.

19 Comments

‘Like something from a scary, filthy freak show’

Wednesday, Feb 28, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Beth Hundsdorfer…

The pictures that are said to depict the condition of the embalming room of the Moran Queen-Boggs Funeral Home in Centralia are shocking.

Eight photographs and one video taken late last year purported to show the conditions of the funeral home depict piles of dirty sheets, a dead rodent rotting in a stairway and water running from pipes in the embalming room.

The person who took the photographs requested to remain anonymous for their safety but filed a complaint to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation in December. […]

“The embalming room was spraying water from pipes overhead with bottles, trash, fluids, sheets, clothes and things unrecognizable all over the room,” the complaint stated. “This place is horrific, looks like something from a scary, filthy freak show.”

More than 10 weeks after that complaint – and three days after a Capitol News Illinois reporter visited the funeral home and sent questions to IDFPR – funeral home director Hugh Moran said the agency conducted an inspection on Monday. IDFPR would not confirm that they had inspected the embalming room, citing confidentiality. Moran said Tuesday afternoon that he was still operating. […]

This comes weeks after allegations that IDFPR failed to act for months against another Illinois funeral director in Carlinville after receiving a complaint alleging the director cared for remains in an “unacceptable and criminal nature” and had a decomposing body in his prep room.

You gotta wonder how prevalent this problem is.

Go read the rest. But the pics are pretty disgusting.

11 Comments

Teams are attempting to manufacture momentum via the news media (Updated)

Wednesday, Feb 28, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Chicago Tribune earlier this week…

As city and state lawmakers discuss public funding for the Chicago White Sox and Bears to build new stadiums, the Chicago Red Stars are making a move to be part of the conversation.

The National Women’s Soccer League club’s current stadium in suburban Bridgeview is not ideal for the team, and it has been a pressing issue predating the new ownership group. If elected officials use taxpayer dollars for new stadiums for the White Sox or Bears, then Red Stars executives contend they also should be included in whatever funding is allocated.

Red Stars Executive Chairperson Laura Ricketts and team President Karen Leetzow recently met with Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch in Westchester and are scheduled to meet this week with Illinois Senate President Don Harmon at his district office in Oak Park.

Just to be clear, “meetings” do not equal “support.”

* Crain’s last night…

The Chicago Bears and Chicago White Sox are being urged to cobble together one financial request for their stadium proposals that state legislators can consider rather than dueling plans that could box each other out.

Representatives for the teams are hearing the same message from state officials as they jockey for public subsidies to build new stadiums. State Senate President Don Harmon specifically has told both teams there is little appetite in the General Assembly to approve separate stadium legislation.

“I’m not planning to referee fights between billion-dollar sports franchises,” Harmon told Crain’s in a statement. “I hope the teams took heed of the governor’s expression of reluctance to use tax dollars to subsidize new stadiums.” […]

In the past week, White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf and Related Midwest President Curt Bailey, the developer of The 78 property where the Sox are looking to build a ballpark, met with Bears Chairman George McCaskey, team President and CEO Kevin Warren and Chief Financial Officer Karen Murphy, according to two sources familiar with the meeting.

Mischaracterizing or even just leaking details of meetings with a legislative leader may get you a sweet headline (“Bears and Sox told to team up on stadium financing pitches”), but it won’t move the Statehouse ball forward, and it may actually do the opposite. Also, read Harmon’s statement carefully.

…Adding… Harmon is out with a slightly revised statement that makes his intent more clear…

“I share the governor’s reluctance to spend taxpayer dollars to subsidize private stadiums. I’m not going to referee fights between billion-dollar sports franchises.”

The teams probably need to stop listening so much to their PR people and start listening more to their lobbyists.

If the object is to pass a bill, then this ain’t the way to do it.

* Gov. Pritzker was asked about the latest Crain’s story today…

I think organizing it together seems to make some sense if they can do that. I mean, these are different businesses. They will be in different locations. I’m not exactly sure how that will work.

I know that they, what do they have in common? They’re looking for taxpayer dollars. So that’s, as far as I can tell, the thing that they have most in common. And I think you’ve heard me say over and over, and I’ll repeat it one more time, which is taxpayer dollars are precious, and we ought to treat them as if we have priorities in this state. And I’m not sure that supporting private sports teams in their desire for a new stadium is more important than, for example, building jobs here and a grant program and across the state, or, as I said the other day you know, building birthing centers, in communities that where we’ve got maternal mortality rates that are three times what they are, let’s say in white communities versus a black family, we ought to be building birthing centers. So there’s so many priorities that I think rise above investing in you know, building a stadium for private enterprise.

In other words, it’s time the teams made a case for why these would be smart investments for government instead of publicly spiking the ball every time they set up a meeting. What would taxpayers get out of their proposals? What even are their proposals? Let’s hear it.

23 Comments

Pritzker says ‘I’m not willing to reconsider’ grocery tax elimination proposal (Updated)

Wednesday, Feb 28, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* In the days leading up to Gov. JB Pritzker’s budget address, the Illinois Municipal League pushed a plan that would cost the state’s budget $800-875 million per year…

The [Local Government Distributive Fund] share is 6.47% of individual income tax collections and 6.845% of corporate income tax collections. Before 2011, 10% of state income tax dollars were dedicated to LGDF and distributed to cities and counties. IML is supporting a bill to reinstate the 10% number.

Tons of mayors, including Chicago’s, hotly opposed the state income tax increase back in 2011.

* In seeming reply, the governor’s budget office noted in its analysis of the proposed spending plan how much the state is spending on local governments since Pritzker took office…

The operations of local governments are a critical part of the state financial infrastructure. When possible, the State has provided additional funding mechanisms to help local governments, including one-time and permanent revenue supports to minimize the need for local property tax increases. Examples of on-going support, totaling over $1.3 billion annually, enacted since Governor Pritzker took office include:

• An additional $200 million a year in sales taxes from the passage of internet sales tax language following the Wayfair decision, including the Leveling the Playing Field for Illinois Retail Act, to help ensure compliance with state tax laws on internet sales.
• Over $680 million annually in additional motor fuel taxes directed to local governments and transit districts to support needed transportation projects through the passage of Rebuild Illinois.
• Granting $1.5 billion in state transportation bond funds directly to local governments for road and highway project expenditures, saving local governments $110 million annually in debt service costs from not issuing local bonds.
• Authorization of adult-use cannabis, generating an estimated $100 million in additional revenues for local governments.
• Increased allocations through the Local Government Distributive Fund process totaling $46 million annually from business loophole closures included in PA 102-0016.
• Increased tax rates and positions for video gaming operations expected to generate an additional $80 million a year for local governments Additional local revenues from the opening of new casinos authorized under the Rebuild Illinois plan, including the first revenues from the new Chicago casino licensed in 2023.
• Increased percentage of individual income taxes that state government shares with municipalities and counties from 6.16 to 6.47 percent of total individual income tax collections. This increase is worth $88 million annually.

Illinois distributed to smaller local governments $250 million from its Coronavirus Relief Fund allocation and established the infrastructure necessary to distribute the $740 million Local Fiscal Recovery Fund payment received pursuant to ARPA. These key sources of funding helped small local governments maintain services during uncertain fiscal times.

* So now, instead of focusing on expanding the LGDF, the Municipal League is playing defense against the governor’s proposal to eliminate a state-collected but locally distributed and very regressive tax…

A major element of the governor’s proposal of eliminating the 1% grocery tax will be entirely on the backs of local governments.

“That’s for the rest of time, hundreds of millions of dollars annually impact against local governments,” Cole told The Center Square. “That grocery tax solely goes to municipalities. There is no state money in there at all. So when the governor offered to reduce that, he eliminated local funding. So, take away three- or four-hundred million dollars, [cities] are going to have to come up with it somehow.”

* Some local government officials are unclear on the concept…

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker’s plan to eliminate the grocery sales tax will result in an $800,000 loss in revenue to the village of Montgomery.

At Monday’s Montgomery Village Board meeting, trustee Steve Jungermann voiced opposition to the proposal: “State officials, you need to do your jobs and pass an honest, balanced budget.”

After the meeting, Jungermann was interviewed by WSPY News: “…The state, they need to pass an honest, balanced budget and not depend and fall back onto the municipalities. You’re essentially stealing money from the municipalities. We depend on that money.”

To be clear, Pritzker isn’t proposing that the state spend the $350 million or so per year from the grocery tax. He just wants to get rid of the tax altogether and allow locals to impose their own replacement if they want.

* At an unrelated press conference today, a reporter noted “there’s a lot of pushback on this bill.”

“They say ‘If you take this away and you save taxpayers $1 for every 100 they spend on groceries … they’re gonna have to raise taxes elsewhere.” So, the reporter asked Pritzker, “Are you willing to reconsider this? Because it’s going to hurt communities across the state of Illinois by taking away that source of revenue.”

Pritzker’s response…

No, I’m not willing to reconsider it. Here’s what I’m saying about the grocery tax. It’s the most regressive tax you could have, really We think about all the regressive taxes that exist in the state of Illinois. This one goes after people who are just trying to buy food. And when you say it’s, ‘Oh, it’s a dollar out of every 100.’ Well, that could be hundreds of dollars for a family across a year. So you know that that matters to many people.

And the grocery tax, by the way, we’re in the vast, vast minority of states that still have a grocery tax. Almost every other state has gotten rid of their grocery tax. We still have one, that’s not right.

Now, municipalities I absolutely believe that the state should be supporting municipalities. And indeed, as long as I’ve been governor, we’ve added $1.3 billion to the coffers of local governments across the state. That didn’t happen under my predecessor. It’s because I believe in investing in local government. It’s closest to the people. They deserve to have the kind of funding that they need to support local projects and local government, but the grocery tax doesn’t seem like the best way to do it.

But I want to be clear, I have said that the bill that would be put forward should include the ability for local governments, if they want to impose a grocery tax on their local residents, they should be able to go do that. I don’t think it’s the right thing to do. I wouldn’t do it locally. Having said that, I understand the need for the dollars and if they feel like they need them, they should think about imposing that tax on their own.

I have increased LGDF, that’s the Local Government Distributive Fund, which is one of the ways in which we send money from the state to local governments. I have increased the dollars that local governments get for infrastructure. By passing rebuild Illinois sending dollars directly without any conditions other than as for us for infrastructure to local governments. So I’m you know, I’m a believer in continuing to fund them. But you know, we have a tight budgetary situation this year, so we won’t be able to do as much more as we have done in previous years, but we’ll continue to look at ways to support them. Grocery tax, it seems to me, it’s time for us to end this regressive tax.

I’m thinking the mayors absolutely do not want to have the power to impose the tax on their own, up to and including Chicago’s progressive mayor.

Thoughts?

…Adding… Good point in comments…

I do wish the governor had chosen his words more carefully when talking about the savings that families will see. I doubt many families will even see $100 of savings in a year let alone “hundreds of dollars” a year as he said. I know groceries have gotten more expensive but a family would have to spend $10,000 on groceries a year to see even a $100 savings.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition

Wednesday, Feb 28, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Study: Invest in Kids scholarship students lag, but report called ‘meaningless’

Wednesday, Feb 28, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Tribune…

Conducted by the nonprofit research agency WestEd, the 14-month study contrasts the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) reading and math scores of scholarship recipients in grades 3-8, with their public school peers. In 2022 and 2023, Invest in Kids recipients fared worse in both subjects. At the high school level, researchers juxtaposed students’ SAT performance, with mixed results. […]

Along with student performance on standardized tests, the WestEd study aims to assess “how private schools are organized to support students’ success,” drawing on a total of around 1,000 survey responses from students, parents and educators and interviews at 10 schools. Faith-based schools comprise the vast majority of schools that received Invest in Kids funds, according to the Dept of Revenue’s most recent annual report on the program. Researchers found that faith is “a critical organizing element in school culture, curricula, and interpersonal relationships,” according to the study. Just over 8 percent of teachers surveyed said they worked at an independent private school without a religious affiliation. […]

In 2022, 30 percent of public school students met or exceeded standards, compared to 21 percent of scholarship recipients, according to the report, which notes that in the following year, 35 percent of public school students met or exceeded reading standards, compared to 23 percent of Invest in Kids scholarship recipients.

“The same was true in Math for both 2022 and 2023,” the study continues. “Illinois public schools had a higher percentage of grades 3–8 students meeting or exceeding expectations than [Invest in Kids] scholarship recipients.”

* From the report…

In both 2022 and 2023, Illinois public schools had a higher percentage of grades 3–8 students meeting or exceeding expectations in [English language arts] compared to IIKA scholarship recipients (in 2022, 30.1 percent to 20.8 percent, and in 2023, 35.4 percent to 22.5 percent respectively). The same was true in Math for both 2022 and 2023. Illinois public schools had a higher percentage of grades 3–8 students meeting or exceeding expectations than IIKA scholarship recipients (in 2022, 25.5 percent to 17.8 percent, and in 2023, 27.1 percent to 16.3 percent, respectively).

WestEd examined year-to-year gains by performance level, using 2022 as the baseline performance level and 2023 to calculate the gain or loss in scale score. Overall, the difference in the mean growth between IIKA Scholarship Recipients in private schools and students enrolled in public schools was not statistically significant, with two exceptions. Comparing students who achieved performance level 1 (“Did not yet meet expectations”) in ELA on the SY 2021/22 tests, scholarship recipients recorded a significantly larger increase in their 2022-23 scale score in ELA than the average public school student. But comparing students who achieved performance level 5 (“Exceeded expectations”) in ELA on the SY 2021/22 scholarship recipients recorded a significantly larger average decrease in their 2022-23 scale score in ELA compared to the average public school student.

* Save My Scholarship…

In a new report conducted for the Illinois State Board of Education that can be found here, analysts failed to compare low-income Tax Credit Scholarship recipients to their low-income counterparts in Illinois public schools. The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) makes testing data readily available to sort by income levels, but researchers instead compared low-income scholarship recipients to all Illinois public school students, rendering the results meaningless because they lack proper context. In fact, low-income Tax Credit Scholarship recipients actually outperform their low-income counterparts enrolled in public schools in nearly every category according to ISBE’s own data.

Dr. Patrick Wolf, College of Education Department Head at the University of Arkansas, is offering his independent analysis of the test score data: “The evaluators made highly inappropriate comparisons between the average test score gains of the income-disadvantaged students in the program and the average gains for all public school students statewide. That comparison is apples-to-zebras and tells us nothing about the effect of the program on student achievement.”

“What belies this flawed study is the overwhelming satisfaction parents and students provided regarding their schools’ safety, climate, teachers, and educational opportunities. These findings demonstrate the immense value Invest in Kids gives to low-income scholarship families across the state of Illinois,” said Bobby Sylvester, executive director of Empower Illinois. “Parents and students showed above 95% agreement that their scholarship schools provide equitable access and opportunity to high-quality general academic programs. This highlights why the Illinois legislature must renew the Invest in Kids Act (IIKA) to help level the playing field for low-income students.”

Here are some highlights of the qualitative polling of IIKA scholarship parents:
* 98% say their school environment is safe.
* 98% say their school climate is positive.
* 98% say their teachers care about their child(ren).
* 98% say their children are getting a quality education.
* 97% say students of all backgrounds have equitable access and opportunity to high- quality general academic programs.
* 97% say their school has high expectations for student behavior.
* 96% say students of all backgrounds have equitable access and opportunity to receive academic support (e.g., remediation, tutoring).
* 95% say students of all backgrounds have equitable access and opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities.

Similarly, scholarship students offered high praise:
* 95% feel safe at school.
* 95% say students of all backgrounds have equal opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities.
* 94% say their teachers care about me.
* 94% can get help from teachers if needed.
* 94% say students of all backgrounds have equal opportunity to receive academic extra help or tutoring.

Rabbi Shlomo Soroka, director of government affairs for Agudath Israel of Illinois, added, “While the parental survey polling data highlights the enthusiastic parent satisfaction we expected, we are disappointed with how the researchers did not compare comparable test scores. Instead, low-income scholarship recipients’ test scores were compared to all average Illinois public school students. Despite this inequity, the low-income scholarship students performed admirably, especially on their SATs in high school. We know if researchers had compared scholarship students to equally low-income public school students, those who received the benefit of a Tax Credit Scholarship would have scored much higher than their lower income-equivalent counterparts.”

“Regarding special education services, school officials shared their concerns with researchers about the state’s current lack of financial resources allocated to educate students in private schools with behavioral issues and those who require more specific special education services,” said Robert Gilligan, executive director of the Catholic Conference of Illinois. “Members of the General Assembly who are champions for kids should note that schools expressed an interest in adding special education opportunities, counseling, and after-school programs if funded.”

The Invest in Kids Act Tax Credit Scholarship Program is an investment in opportunities for kids, poverty reduction, and economic acceleration. The General Assembly’s failure to take action in 2023 to save the program will cause over 14,000 students from low-income families to lose their scholarships and now may have to leave their best-fit schools. Reinstating the program this spring is unmistakably the right thing to do.

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Isabel’s morning briefing

Wednesday, Feb 28, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* What’s going on in your part of Illinois?

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Wednesday, Feb 28, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: CTA President Dorval Carter grilled by alderman, public over service and safety. Tribune…

- The agency said it expects to add more buses and trains in April, when it next addresses service as part of a regular union employee scheduling process.

- Carter outlined a plan to add 200 new train operators this year.

* Related stories…

∙ Sun-Tmes: CTA president takes the train to City Hall — then gets an easy ride
∙ Streetsblog Chicago: Transit advocates turned out in force for Dorval Carter’s first quarterly meeting with alderpersons
∙ WTTW: CTA President Pledges to Restore Service to Pre-Pandemic Levels, Faces Frustration at City Council Hearing

* Isabel’s top picks…

* Crain’s | Illinois’ nursing shortage may soon get worse: The report, which surveyed 385 Illinois nurses, found 34% plan to leave the profession in the next 12 months, primarily because of unsafe staffing levels and unresolved moral distress — the feeling of being unable to help people or operate at the highest quality level because of systemic industry issues. About 87% said they are experiencing moral distress and 32% say they have cared for more than six patients at one time. Only 27% said the nurse-to-patient ratio is adequate and safe and 98% cited unsafe staffing as a reason for why they were considering leaving the profession.

* Sun-Times | Art Institute showed ‘willful blindness’ in buying Nazi-looted art, N.Y. prosecutors say: The 160-page filing by the Manhattan district attorney’s office lays out its case contending the work of art was stolen by the Nazis from cabaret star Fritz Grunbaum and later laundered through art dealers before arriving in New York. It accuses the Art Institute of failing to engage in “reasonable inquiry” as to the origins of the piece when it purchased it in 1966 and again decades later when questions arose about its provenance.

* Chicago Reader | Illinois EPA must revamp its permitting process after Chicago activists file civil rights complaint: While the resolution does not say that the agency violated any anti-discrimination laws, the agreement does compel the Illinois EPA to make sweeping changes to its air permitting process. It’s a rare victory for community groups that cite race-based discrimination when it comes to pollution, especially when working through the federal government.

* The Peoria Police Department’s latest hiring ad. It was deleted on Twitter and Facebook around an hour after being posted…

Governor Pritzker will be at the Fields Studios to announce film industry capital grant awards at 10 am. Click here to watch.

* Here’s the rest of your morning roundup…

* Sun-Times | Longtime Rep. Bill Foster, challenger Qasim Rashid face off in 11th District primary, differ over Gaza war: Rashid has lambasted Foster for no-shows at several debates and forums, but Foster faced his challenger on Jan. 24 — albeit briefly, before leaving to attend another town hall meeting. That exit prompted a Rashid campaign ad featuring Foster’s empty seat.

* SJ-R | Pritzker introduces pension reform plan that could save taxpayers billions. Will it work?: Asked his thoughts on Pritzker’s proposal, [Gov. Jim Edgar] told The State Journal-Register the new plan is not a major difference from the one led during his first term as governor. “How you get out of this pension problem takes time,” he said in a recent interview. “And you got to be disciplined and not increase benefits

* Crain’s: State Senate President Don Harmon specifically has told both [the Chicago Bears and the White Sox] there is little appetite in the General Assembly to approve separate stadium legislation. “I’m not planning to referee fights between billion-dollar sports franchises,” Harmon told Crain’s in a statement. “I hope the teams took heed of the governor’s expression of reluctance to use tax dollars to subsidize new stadiums.”

* WTTW | Are Publicly Funded Stadiums a Good Investment? State Lawmakers Weigh in on Chicago Teams’ Plans: But as all these plans were being pitched, Gov. J.B. Pritzker seemed to call a time out. “I think I’ve been fairly clear about the fact that the taxpayers’ dollars are precious,” Pritzker said in response to a reporter’s question at an unrelated event. “And the idea of taking taxpayer dollars and subsidizing the building of a stadium as opposed to, for example, subsidizing the building of a birthing center, just to give the example, does not seem like the stadium ought to have higher priority.”

* WCIA | Central Illinois superintendent of school, child tax credit advocates react to proposed early childhood budget investments: In 2020, the Rochester Community Unit District #3A had 30 kids in their early childhood education program. Now, they have 250. Dan Cox, the superintendent of schools for the district, credits Smart Start Illinois with helping the program grow. “It continues to support the research and evidence that giving children access to early education, early childhood education, only gives them the foundation for both success academically and socially,” Cox said.

* Windy City Times | Advocates call for increased HIV funding amid state’s ‘disappointing’ pattern of flat funding: “It’s a mixed bag because we are absolutely on board with the investments in early childhood development and the elimination of medical debt for many Illinoisans,” said Timothy Jackson, senior director of policy and advocacy at AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC). “But it’s disappointing to see no new funding on the state level; it really stands in the way of us progressing.”Pritzker’s budget offers no increase to the state’s HIV Lump Sum, which is the largest source of funding for HIV testing, education, treatment and prevention. This marks the third fiscal year in a row that the HIV Lump Sum hasn’t seen an increase in funding, Jackson said.

* KFVS | DCFS to hold hiring fair as it continues push to bring on more staff: During his State of the State and budget address on Feb. 21, Gov. JB Pritzker announced plans for the agency to eventually have 4,000 employees, which would be the largest number in two decades. “These are people who dedicate their lives to others in service,” said Jassen Strokosch, DCFS chief of staff.

* Chalkbeat Chicago | Who’s the boss? Chicago principals report to many different people: Those unknowns — as the principals union takes root and the city moves to an elected school board — may disrupt an already complicated hierarchy. As it stands now, a Chicago principal’s direct supervisor is the head of their network — the geographic area their school is organized under — and they are also accountable to their Local School Council, or LSC, a unique-to-Chicago elected body at most schools made up of parents, teachers, students, and community members, that can hire principals. Both have different hiring and firing powers.

* Crain’s | Before his last broadcast, Tom Skilling looks back on four decades as ‘Chicago’s Very Own’: “I was told early on that ‘you’re too technical, you’re too scientific.’ I do go into greater depth in describing the weather than a lot of folks do. I’m so fascinated by the way nature puts these things together. I just thought other people might find it interesting, too.” That attention to detail is why Skilling is the personification of Chicago’s weather, as one viewer described him during a nightly special celebrating the famed forecaster. Skilling carries with him a level of passion that makes him captivating to viewers. Having been doing weather reports since age 14, it’s a lifelong love of completely unknown origin.

* SJ-R | Springfield’s only Black-owned dentist hopes to be an inspiration to the community: Crawford is approaching the one-year anniversary of when he purchased and began operating his own medical practice, Crawford Family Dental at 1900 E. Sangamon Ave., providing dental care to the North side of Springfield. “When I was a young kid they’d ask, ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?’,” Crawford said. “And I never said dentist, but I never had a dentist who looked like me. I always like to be in public and speak to people as much as possible just so I may inspire someone.”

* ABC Chicago | Watch: Tornado spotted near Sublette, Illinois amid severe weather outbreak: The tornado is part of a system affecting much of northern Illinois on Tuesday, with turbulent conditions following record-high temperatures in the Chicago area on Monday and Tuesday afternoon. The storm system precedes a rapid cooldown which will see wind chill values drop to below 0 degrees in much of the region.

* Block Club | From 76 To 27 Degrees, Chicago To Experience 3 Seasons In 24 Hours: Tuesday could break the record for being the warmest Feb. 27 in Chicago’s recorded history, with a high of 76 degrees expected, according to the National Weather Service. It’ll be mostly sunny, with wind gusts up to 20 mph. Rain will move in overnight, and there’s a chance for thunderstorms 6 p.m.-midnight, according to the weather service. There’s a chance for tornadoes, damaging wind and hail stones up to 2 inches.

* Axios | WBEZ to scale back local programming: Chicago’s NPR station WBEZ is cutting down its locally produced, daily on-air talk programming to one hour. WBEZ, one of the largest public radio stations in the country, has scaled back its on-air local daily news shows from four hours roughly a decade ago.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)

Wednesday, Feb 28, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Judge denies city’s motion for stay in Bring Chicago Home case (Updated)

Wednesday, Feb 28, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* You can click here or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.

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Tuesday, Feb 27, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Background is here if you need it. From the denial…

It is Hereby Ordered, that the City of Chicago’s Motion to Stay is denied for the following reasons:

On February 26, 2024 this Court denied the City of Chicago’s Petition for Leave to Intervene as a Matter of Right pursuant to 735 ILCS 5/2-408(a)(2). On that same day, the City of Chicago filed a Notice of Appeal to the Illinois Appellate Court stating, “the City of Chicago will ask the appellate court to reverse the circuit court’s judgment and orders and grant such other relief as it may be entitled to on this appeal.” (Notice of Appeal, p. 2, February 26, 2024).

This Court does not have jurisdiction to hear such a motion because “when the notice of appeal is filed, the appellate court’s jurisdiction attaches instanter, and the cause is beyond the jurisdiction of the trial court.” Daley v Laurie, 106 Il. 2d 33, 37-38 (1985) (while taking notice that the defendant’s Notice of Appeal preempted the defendant’s motion for a new trial, causing the trial court to lose jurisdiction).

Pursuant to the Supreme Court Rule 305(d), the City of Chicago is not foreclosed from obtaining the necessary relief of a stay from the Appellate Court. Il. Sup. Ct. Rule 305(d).

The City of Chicago’s Motion to Stay is also denied because the City of Chicago as non-intervenor, and ultimately as a non-party under the facts of this case has no standing to seek a stay on the final merits.

* 735 ILCS 5/2-408(a)(2)…

Intervention. (a) Upon timely application anyone shall be permitted as of right to intervene in an action: … (2) when the representation of the applicant’s interest by existing parties is or may be inadequate and the applicant will or may be bound by an order or judgment in the action

The suit was designed to prevent the Board of Elections from counting the votes. The City of Chicago does not count votes. So, the city wasn’t allowed to intervene.

…Adding… The plaintiffs’ response to the city’s motion to intervene referenced the statute above…

This Section sets three threshold requirements: (1) timely application; (2) inadequate representation of petitioner’s interest by the existing parties; and (3) a finding that the petitioner will or may be bound by an order in the case.

The Petition should be denied because Petitioner does not satisfy any of these three requirements for intervention. First the petition is not timely, and will, necessarily delay the agreed upon schedule for prompt resolution of the case. Second, the interest Petitioners claim to have is adequately represented by the Defendant, Board of Elections, which has filed exactly the same pleadings – a motion to dismiss and a response to the motion for judgment on the pleadings – that Petitioner seeks leave to file. Third, Petitioner will not be “bound” by any judgment of this Court because the relief sought in the Complaint – that the referenda not appear on the ballot and that, if it does, any votes cast on the question not be counted - can only be provided by the Defendant Board. Petitioner plays no role in preparing ballots or counting votes.

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Pritzker restates longtime opposition to California-style mandated zero emissions standards, saying he prefers ‘carrots over sticks’ at least for now

Tuesday, Feb 27, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From Gov. JB Pritzker’s appearance at the Illinois Farm Bureau’s 2022 candidate forum…

Q: With California on the verge of passing a law that would mandate all electric electrical vehicles by 2035 and multiple states are possibly ready to follow, can we have your commitment to ensure that Illinois consumers have the choice in what type of vehicles we drive and we do not follow California’s lead?

Pritzker: I had the opportunity to sign on to that pact and didn’t. So that should give you some indicator. Look, do I think we ought to see electrification? Yes, of course, I’ve encouraged that I think it’s a good thing for us to electrify. But it is going to be gradual, it is going to take time. Illinois is not going to snap its fingers and require you to go buy an electric vehicle tomorrow.

* The governor today…

So we want to work our way obviously toward having zero emission vehicles on the road. That’s why we’ve provided some incentives for people who want to go out on their own, make that decision. I personally think now is not the right time for us to do that. Having said that, that’s ultimately the goal. So the question is, it’s not so much joining another state in their standard. It’s just a question of we ultimately need to replace fossil fuel-emitting vehicles in this country. And so we want to be a part of that in the state of Illinois. And we again, we’ve created incentives rather than, you know, sort of carrots rather than sticks to move people in the right direction

* NFIB: Rep. Gonzalez Pushes for Illinois to Outsource its Vehicle Emissions Standards to California: The bill, if passed, would require the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) to adopt and maintain rules implementing “the motor vehicle emissions standards of the State of California” in Illinois, effectively outsourcing an important area of Illinois’ transportation and environmental decision-making to California officials.

* Trucking group says it will sue if IL adopts CA emissions standards: The Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association and the California Trucking Association have filed lawsuits against similar legislation. Hart said they expect to sue in Illinois if Gonzalez’s bill becomes law. “You cannot have a state submit itself and its laws and policies to another state agency that is over 2,000 miles away,” Hart said.

* IL Corn Growers Association Urges Put the BRAKES on HB1634: Last week, Illinois state lawmakers tried hitting the gas to incorporate California’s extreme vehicle emissions standards into the Midwest. HB1634 allows California to govern Illinois Vehicle Code and would essentially require: 35% of new light duty vehicles including cars, SUV’s and pick-up trucks sold must be electric by 2026. By 2035, 100% must be electric. Mandates that 75% of all new heavy- duty truck sales and 40% of class 7 and 8 tractor sales must be zero emission by 2035. Requires new trucks sold to be zero emission starting in 2036. Requires used trucks owned by medium and large fleets also be zero emission by 2042.

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Illinois Is Top Ten In The Nation For Reported Gas Leaks, Fix Illinois’ Aging Natural Gas Lines Now

Tuesday, Feb 27, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Subscribers know more. From the Sun-Times…

Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch is leading an effort to direct more than $560,000 to oust Chicago Democratic State Rep. Mary Flowers — the longest-serving African American lawmaker in the Illinois General Assembly, whose leadership was stripped last year over allegations of abusive behavior. […]

Unions, including IBEW Local 399 and LiUNA, have already contributed more than $500,000 to support Flowers’ opponent, Michael Crawford in the 31st District, which stretches from the city’s Auburn Gresham neighborhood to Hickory Hills.

But now Welch, and the Illinois House Democratic fund he operates, are publicly supporting Crawford with a hefty $560,500 contribution, according to TaQuoya McConnico, executive director for Illinois House Democrats. Welch himself contributed to Crawford $68,500 from his campaign fund. The rest came from fellow House Democratic leaders. […]

“The leader’s decision to support Michael Crawford comes after much consideration of the future of our caucus,” McConnico said in a statement Tuesday. “We are working to build a better Illinois for all. We have to do that with individuals who can come to the table, work collaboratively, and do the work that makes a difference.”

* Sun-Times…

Federal prosecutors say former state Sen. Terry Link should get probation — and no prison time — for dodging $82,000 in taxes after he cooperated for years with the FBI and helped prosecutors convict others for a bribery scheme under the Capitol dome in Springfield.

Sentencing guideline estimates call for as much as a year behind bars for Link, who is set to learn his fate March 6 in the courtroom of U.S. District Judge Mary Rowland. But Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine O’Neill wrote Tuesday that is “greater than necessary,” given Link’s acceptance of responsibility and “substantial assistance to the government.”

“He wore a recording device to meetings with former Illinois State Rep. Luis Arroyo and corrupt businessman James Weiss, leading to a federal indictment against the two,” O’Neill wrote in a memo to Rowland. “[Link] allowed the FBI to record his phone conversations, monitor his emails, and receive would-be bribes to [Link’s] P.O. Box to further the investigation.”

Click here for the full memo from the feds.

* Congratulations!…

…Adding… Turns out, DJ Ramos isn’t the first, but congrats anyway!

* Illinois Supreme Court…

The first Illinois capital city native to serve on the Supreme Court, the Honorable Benjamin K. Miller passed away on Sunday, Feb. 25 at Memorial Hospital in Springfield. He was 87. Justice Miller served on the Supreme Court from 1984-2001 and was Chief Justice from 1991-1993.

A visitation will be held on Saturday, March 23, from 1-2:45 p.m. with a funeral to follow at 3 p.m. Services will be held at Butler Funeral Home, 900 S. Sixth Street in Springfield.

“Justice Miller will forever be known as a giant of the Illinois judicial and legal communities,” Chief Justice Mary Jane Theis said. “He provided steady leadership and moved the courts forward in a profound way. He was always looking to the future and for ways to improve the court system. This is perfectly exemplified by his creation of both the Special Commission on the Administration of Justice and Illinois Family Violence Coordinating Council.”

* Here’s the rest…

* WAND | Pritzker announces $6 million for CEJA Returning Residents Program: The program will deliver clean jobs training, education, and support services in Illinois Department of Corrections facilities to people within 36 months of their release to prepare them to work in clean energy and related sector jobs once released. […] Program curriculum will include training in essential employability skills and clean energy basics. After completing the program, participants will continue to the job-specific training portion of the curriculum to get solar PV training or HVAC training, with an energy efficiency focus.

* ABC Chicago | Gov. JB Pritzker attends downstate ribbon cutting for new EV manufacturing training facility: The facility was funded in part by a $7.5 million capital grant, as part of the state’s larger $15 million manufacturing training academy investment, the release said. […] Heartland’s electric vehicle manufacturing program, which launched at a temporary site in August 2021, provides students with training, certificates and degrees in electric vehicle and energy storage technology, the release said.

* WJBC | Governor Pritzker calls Twin Cities state’s center for electric vehicles: Pritzker said Illinois’ greatest assets are its higher education system – including 48 community colleges, the third largest system in the nation – and its human capital. There are lots of other states that have – like “The Beverly Hillbillies” – they have “up from the ground come a-bubblin’ crude.” They have money coming up from the ground. They offer all kinds of dollars to companies to come to their state. We have some of that, but mostly what we have is great people.”

* Tribune | Unlimited funds can flow in State’s Attorney, Board of Review, Circuit Court Clerk races: O’Neill Burke filed paperwork with the state Tuesday morning notifying the state board of elections that she and her husband, attorney John Burke, had contributed a combined $106,900 to her campaign. If a candidate or immediate family member gives a total of $100,000 or more to a campaign within a 12-month span, that lifts contribution caps, allowing unlimited dollars to flow to all candidates in the race.

* Crain’s | Duckworth, trying to compel suddenly pro-IVF Republicans, pushes protections bill: The Illinois senator and U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., introduced the bill in 2022, and reintroduced it this year after Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., blocked unanimous consent in December. The bill would provide federal protection for IVF, including overriding any state restrictions. Duckworth said she would favor a roll call vote, but Murray said at the press conference that such a vote was unlikely given everything currently on the Senate’s agenda.

* NBC Chicago | Records reveal potential gaps in Johnson’s administration approach to health care for migrants: In the days after the death of 5-year-old Jean Carlos Martinez Rivero, volunteers – including medically-trained volunteers with the Mobile Migrant Health Team, comprised of University of Illinois Chicago medical students – expressed concern that they were being denied access to the shelters but were willing to help.

* Borderless | Investigation: Chicago Ignored Dozens Of Warnings Of Migrant Shelter Conditions Before Child’s Death: [A] Borderless investigation into the Pilsen shelter, released just days before the five-year-old died, along with new documents obtained by Borderless, paint a very different picture. In the weeks leading up to his death, migrants made at least 17 grievance reports to the Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC), decrying spoiled food, the rationing of water and mistreatment from staff.

* Crain’s | Chicago has one of the largest income inequality gaps in the country: A household in Chicago must bring home an annual salary of at least $149,219 to be among the city’s top 20% of earners. On the other hand, any household earning less than $27,255 is in the bottom quintile. That means the city’s top one-fifth of earners make at least 5.47 times as much as the bottom one-fifth of earners.

* Fox 32 | Cook County Sheriff raises awareness for ‘red flag’ laws: “This is very frustrating because there is so much of this we cannot prevent. There is so much we can do though,” Sheriff Tom Dart said. They want to make sure the public knows they can use the law as a tool to prevent gun violence. The sheriff’s office says almost 100 firearms have been taken from gun owners so far.

* People’s Fabric | “No, it’s just fireworks!” Chicago cop opens fire on child with fireworks after ShotSpotter gunshot alert: Because of SoundThinking (formerly ShotSpotter)’s refusal to share internal data with outside researchers, no independent study has ever tested whether ShotSpotter audio devices can reliably distinguish between fireworks and gunfire—both rapid-fire sounds that also measure closely on the decibel (dB) scale used to indicate sound level.

* Daily Herald | From Elgin to historically Black colleges: U-46 seeks to cultivate college dreams: But of the 107 historically Black colleges and universities in the United States, none are in Illinois. That can make them feel out of reach. To address that, U-46 schools began paying for the transportation, hotel and meal costs to send busloads of students to a dozen historically Black colleges and universities three years ago.

* WCIA | Central IL agencies report multiple brush fires, urge fire safety: The U.S. National Weather Service of Central Illinois described Monday’s weather as “unseasonably warm,” which sets the stage for a “rapid spread” of outdoor fires. The Christian County Emergency Management Agency announced on Facebook that area firefighters were responding to multiple brush fires throughout the day, and urged the public not to burn anything outdoors.

* PolitiFact | More gun ownership does not lead to less gun violence: Instagram users shared an image of the map with text that read, “97% of all guns are in the red territory. 97% of all gun violence is blue.” […] The graphic did not cite what statistics were used to create the map. But the map is not related to gun violence statistics. As Lead Stories found, it was created by a Medium blogger to show the results by congressional district of the 2016 presidential election between Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump.

* AP | Why Does the Government Think a Merger Between Owners of Jewel and Mariano’s Would Be Bad for Grocery Shoppers?: “A merger of Kroger and Albertsons would dramatically decrease competition within an already consolidated food retail market, which would result in fewer grocery stores and higher food prices, with predictable adverse consequences for food and nutrition security for consumers across the country,” Peter Lurie, president of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said in a statement applauding the FTC’s action.

* ABC Chicago | Surge pricing for your Frosty? Wendy’s lunch rush could cost you more: Wendy’s, the country’s second-largest burger chain with 6,000 locations, announced that starting next year menu prices will fluctuate during the busiest times of day. That means you could be paying as much as a dollar more for that Baconater during the lunch rush.

* SJ-R | Former Illinois Supreme Court chief justice from Springfield area dies at 87: Benjamin K. Miller, the only Illinois Supreme Court justice to come from Sangamon County who also served as chief justice, died at Springfield Memorial Hospital on Feb. 25. […] As chief justice, Miller was instrumental in creating the Illinois Family Violence Coordinating Council, which helped improve the cooperation between the courts and other agencies involved in dealing with family violence.

* Sun-Times | Robbie Gould introduced as Rolling Meadows’ new football coach. ‘I fell in love with high school football.’: Former Bears kicker Robbie Gould spent some of last season helping out with Fremd’s football team. He says he was trying to figure out what “life after football looks like.” It turns out that life after the NFL will still contain football, just at a different level. Gould was officially announced as Rolling Meadows’ head football coach at a press conference on Tuesday.

* HuffPost | Paul McCartney Now Thinks ‘Yesterday’ May Have A Totally Different Meaning: Paul McCartney has revealed he may have subconsciously drawn inspiration to write the Beatles’ 1965 hit “Yesterday” from the death of his mother from cancer almost a decade earlier. “Someone did suggest to me that this was a ‘losing my mother’ song, which I always sort of said, ‘No, I don’t think so,’” McCartney told Irish Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon in a new episode of their iHeartPodcast “McCartney: A Life In Lyrics.”

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Tuesday, Feb 27, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

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When Governor Pritzker’s appointees on the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) shut down the natural gas line Safety Modernization Program in Chicago, it not only wiped out 1,000 jobs, but also subjected residents and business owners to the unnecessary danger of aged gas infrastructure that is no longer allowed to be replaced.

Tell Gov. Pritzker and the ICC to restart the program, lives are at risk. Transitioning to electric without a plan will cost homeowners thousands of dollars. We need to fix our dangerous natural gas lines for our safety.

Click on the links to view our ads: Ticking Time Bomb & Real Change.
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Paid for by Fight Back Fund

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - More campaign updates

Tuesday, Feb 27, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Studies show immigration has surged the economy forward since the pandemic

Tuesday, Feb 27, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Gallup today…

Significantly more Americans name immigration as the most important problem facing the U.S. (28%) than did a month ago (20%). Immigration has now passed the government as the most often cited problem, after the two issues tied for the top position the past two months. The government ranked first each month from January through November 2023.

In the latest poll, 20% of Americans name the government as the most important problem, followed by the economy (12%) and inflation (11%). Immigration is the only issue that has shown meaningful change in the past month.

* Congressional Budget Office…

In our projections, the deficit is also smaller than it was last year because economic output is greater, partly as a result of more people working. The labor force in 2033 is larger by 5.2 million people, mostly because of higher net immigration. As a result of those changes in the labor force, we estimate that, from 2023 to 2034, GDP will be greater by about $7 trillion and revenues will be greater by about $1 trillion than they would have been otherwise. We are continuing to assess the implications of immigration for revenues and spending.

* Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco…

Immigration policies enacted after January 2017 contributed to the decline in immigration prior to the sharp drop due to the COVID-19 border closures. Lower net international migration led to a slowdown in the foreign-born population and labor force growth. This contributed to the tightening in the U.S. labor market. Reopening of borders in 2022 and easing of immigration policies brought a sizable immigration rebound, which in turn helped alleviate the shortage of workers relative to job vacancies. The foreign-born labor force grew rapidly in 2022, closing the labor force gap created by the pandemic. This analysis suggests that, if the pickup in immigration flows continues, it could further ease overall labor market tightness, albeit by a modest amount.

* The Washington Post rounds it all up…

Immigration has propelled the U.S. job market further than just about anyone expected, helping cement the country’s economic rebound from the pandemic as the most robust in the world.

That momentum picked up aggressively over the past year. About 50 percent of the labor market’s extraordinary recent growth came from foreign-born workers between January 2023 and January 2024, according to an Economic Policy Institute analysis of federal data. And even before that, by the middle of 2022, the foreign-born labor force had grown so fast that it closed the labor force gap created by the pandemic, according to research from the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.

Immigrant workers also recovered much faster than native-born workers from the pandemic’s disruptions, and many saw some of the largest wage gains in industries eager to hire. Economists and labor experts say the surge in employment was ultimately key to solving unprecedented gaps in the economy that threatened the country’s ability to recover from prolonged shutdowns.

“Immigration has not slowed. It has just been absolutely astronomical,” said Pia Orrenius, vice president and senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. “And that’s been instrumental. You can’t grow like this with just the native workforce. It’s not possible.” […]

In normal economic times, some analysts note, new immigrants can drag down wages, especially if employers decide to hire them over native-born workers. Undocumented workers, who don’t have as much leverage to push for higher pay, could lower average wages even more.

But the past few years were extremely abnormal because companies were desperate to hire. Plus, it would be exceedingly difficult for immigration to affect the wages of enormous swaths of the labor force, said Alex Nowrasteh, vice president for economic and social policy studies at the libertarian Cato Institute.

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Chicago Board of Elections to appeal ruling that barred city from Bring Chicago Home case

Tuesday, Feb 27, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Max Bever, Director of Public Information, Chicago Board of Elections…

The Chicago Board of Election Commissioners will appeal the decision of the Circuit Court of Cook County to deny its Motion to Dismiss the lawsuit concerning the citywide referendum question. The Board maintains that it is not a proper defendant in this case, and that the City of Chicago is a necessary party. The Board will request an expedited review by the Illinois Appellate Court.

I’m not sure that the appellate court will agree, but it is important to note that the board did not engage at all with the substance of the opposition. Instead, its argument, as stated above, was very narrowly about who was the proper defendant. From the city’s filing yesterday…

The Board defendants could not and did not adequately represent the City’s interests. The Board failed to raise any substantive arguments in response to the Plaintiffs’ arguments that the referendum violated the Illinois Municipal Code and the Illinois Constitution. This is because the Board Defendants were not authorized to raise such arguments. See Kozenczak v. Du Page Cnty. Officers Electoral Bd., 299 Ill. App. 3d 205, 207 (2nd Dist. 1998)(holding local election officials acted “in an adjudicatory or quasi-judicial capacity” and thus Illinois election law did not authorize their advocacy on behalf of prospective candidate in opposition to a voter challenge to his qualifications.) One of the Board Defendants even averred that it was improper for the Board to weigh in on the referendum’s constitutionality.

Because the City was not allowed to intervene, these arguments were not raised. If the City had been allowed to intervene, the Court would have considered these arguments, which were raised in the City’s proposed Motion to Dismiss. Instead, the Court granted the Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings with no opposition to the substantive arguments.

* Also, this is from A.D. Quig’s Tribune story…

[Mayor Brandon Johnson] did not answer when asked if his administration had erred in the drafting of the question or whether he would try to get the referendum question on November ballots if appeals failed. […]

Speed was key in this case, [plaintiffs] argued, so that voters would know what votes would be counted by primary day on March 19.

“While the amount of time that Petitioner waited to seek intervention — 35 days — may not be excessive in other types (of) cases, it is an eternity in an election case,” attorneys Mike Kasper and Michael Del Galdo wrote in opposition to the city intervening, inferring the city did so deliberately “to delay the proceedings so that a final resolution comes much closer to, or even after, the primary election.”

* And this is from Heather Cherone’s WTTW story…

State law does not give the City Council the power to change the transfer tax on its own authority. Without legislation passed by the General Assembly and signed by the governor, the measure needs the support of Chicago voters through a referendum before the City Council can levy the tax and collect the funds.

* More…

* Block Club | City Files Appeal In Bring Chicago Home Lawsuit: Cook County Circuit Court Judge Kathleen Burke did not elaborate on her reasoning for invalidating the Bring Chicago Home referendum in a Friday ruling. In a court order received Monday by the Chicago Board of Elections, the defendant in the lawsuit against the referendum, Burke wrote that she ruled against the legality of the ballot question to raise the transfer tax on high-end property sales “for the reasons stated in open court and on the record.”

* Sun-Times | Chicago’s elections board votes to appeal ruling invalidating Bring Chicago Home referendum: In the meantime, the question remains on the ballot for people casting their ballots early or who are receiving them by mail. Both advocates and opponents to the ballot question encourage people to vote on the question, even though a Cook County judge ruled the question invalid on Friday.

* ABC Chicago | Battle over Chicago real estate transfer tax referendum heads to higher court: The Building Owners and Managers Association, or BOMA, had sued the Chicago Board of Elections to knock the referendum off the ballot. The three-question referendum asks voters to raise the transfer tax for properties that sell for over a million dollars, while lowering it for those that sell for less.

* CBS | Chicago election board to appeal ruling against Bring Chicago Home tax hike referendum to fight homelessness: The board voted Tuesday morning to appeal Burke’s ruling so that votes on the referendum can be counted. Early voting is already underway in Chicago, The ballot measure would ask voters to authorize the City Council to restructure the city’s real estate transfer tax to create a tiered system for taxing the sale of property in Chicago

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Campaign updates

Tuesday, Feb 27, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Mötley Crüe to headline at the Illinois State Fair

Tuesday, Feb 27, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Illinois State Fair…

* WAND…

The Illinois State Fair Grandstand concert series is getting its first dose of rock and metal.

Mötley Crüe will perform on Saturday, Aug. 10.

Tickets will go on sale Saturday, March 2 at 10 a.m. via Ticketmaster.

Tier 3 - $88 / Tier 2 - $98 / Tier 1 - $110 / SRO Track - $110 / Blue Ribbon Zone - $165

*A $30 Pre-Show Party ticket is offered as an additional upgrade for all paid concerts.
Motley Crue is a heavy metal band formed in 1981 by bassist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee. Vince Neil is on vocals and Mick Mars is on guitars.

* NBC Chicago…

Mötley Crüe joins previously announced Illinois State Fair Grandstand 2024 acts Jason Isbell and country music star Jordan Davis. Additional Grandstand headliners will be announced at a later date, the state fair said. […]

The 2024 Illinois State Fair takes place Aug. 8 through 18 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield. A full schedule of special days held at the fair can be found here.

Tickets to the fair start at $10 for adults, and $5 for parking. Tickets to Grandstand shows are not included in the general admission price.

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It’s just a bill

Tuesday, Feb 27, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* WSPY…

97th District Democratic State Rep. Harry Benton is working on a number of bills including some for tax relief and to extend remote schooling options for military families.

One bill would list all of the exemptions that people qualify for on their tax bill.

“That way you’re not trying search around and figure out what you’re eligible for, you can look at it,” Rep Benton said. “Only about 8% of people take the exemptions that they’re qualified for. This is going to impact veterans, seniors, people who are disabled. Expanding out some possible homestead exemptions. So I want to make sure we do some property tax relief through this bill.”

Benton also says he’s working on a joint resolution naming a building for former Secretary of State Jesse White.

* Center Square…

During an Illinois House Insurance Committee hearing in Chicago Monday, Giannoulias said an individual’s driving record should serve as the primary factor that is analyzed when setting rates.

“I am sure you will hear from the other side today, who will predict that this legislation [House Bill 4611] will lead to rate hikes and job losses, but I implore all of you to look at the numbers and facts,” Giannoulias said. “I do feel it is important for us to step up and fight for those who don’t always have a voice fighting for them. We aren’t asking insurance companies to give Illinoisans special treatment, only fair treatment.”

State Rep. Jeff Keicher, R-Sycamore, pressed Giannoulias and asked him if he knew that there are already laws that prevent companies from discriminating against consumers.

“Is that effective? Is it working? Because based on the data we have seen there are still differing rates depending on zip code,” Giannoulias said.

* Rep. Barbara Hernandez introduced HB5669 last week…

Provides that the amendatory Act may be referred to as the Reuniting Family Initiative Act. Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Creates the Family Advocacy Initiating Recovery (F.A.I.R.) Pilot Program within the Department of Children and Family Services. Provides that the F.A.I.R. pilot shall operate for a 2-year period and that the Department shall partner with peer-led organizations to assess the Department’s performance and management of child placement and parental termination cases that involve a parent with a substance use disorder. Provides that the purpose of the F.A.I.R. pilot is to: (i) create a system of continuing safe care for mothers and families involved in the Department’s parental termination and child placement case process in order to resolve decades-old family reunification failures by the Department; and (ii) ensure transparency between the Department and those peer-led organizations advocating on behalf of mothers and families. Contains provisions concerning the development of guidelines and best practices on how to create a sustainable pathway to family reunification in child placement cases; family needs assessments; reporting requirements; and other matters. Amends the Adoption Act. Provides that a petition to adopt a child may include an adoption contact agreement under which a petitioner may request an agreement for contact between a child and the child’s birth parent or parents. Provides that the adoption contact agreement may include provisions for contact, visitation, or the exchange of information, and the grounds, if any, on which the adoptive parent or parents may decline to permit visits or cease providing contact or information. Provides that if the child is 12 years old or older, the court may not order an adoption contact agreement unless the child consents to all terms of the agreement. Provides that in DCFS cases a consent to adopt or surrender a child is not valid unless the legal mother has received pre-consent counseling or refused to participate in pre-consent counseling.

* Sen. Mike Porfirio…

Military service members on active duty status who represent part of a public body – such as a village board, school district or township –may soon be allowed to attend meetings remotely, thanks to a new measure passed by State Senator Mike Porfirio.

“It is our duty to create a more inclusive and adaptable environment for all members of our community, especially those who selflessly serve in the military,” said Porfirio (D-Lyons Township), a member of the Navy Reserve. “This legislation reflects our commitment to ensuring service members on active duty status can participate in discussions and decisions that impact our communities and the people they have dedicated their lives to protecting.”

Currently, a majority of the members of any public body choose to allow another member to attend remotely in cases of illness, disability, employment related to the business of the public body, a family emergency or unforeseen child care obligations.

The proposed measure aims to include military service members on active duty status among the exceptions eligible for remote attendance at meetings if the cause of their absence is their performance of military duty. This addition recognizes the unique challenges faced by those serving in the military and seeks to provide a flexible framework that accommodates their service commitments without obstructing their ability to participate in civic responsibilities. […]

Senate Bill 2665 passed the Executive Committee on Wednesday and moves to the full Senate for further consideration.

* WATT Poultry…

A bill has been proposed in Illinois that would make caged egg production illegal in the state by January 1, 2026.

Illinois State Sen. Linda Holmes, D-Aurora, on February 9 proposed SB3655, the Confinement of Egg-Laying Hens Act, which would make it unlawful for a farm owner or operator to confine a laying hen in an enclosure that is not a cage-free housing system, or has less than the amount of usable floor space per hen required by the 2017 edition of the United Egg Producers’ Animal Husbandry Guidelines for U.S. Egg-Laying Flocks: Guidelines for Cage-Free Housing.

The bill also requires that business owners in the state cannot knowingly sell eggs that are not consistent with the above-mentioned production standards. The legislation, however, does have a stipulation that a business owner or operator of a farm “shall not be liable under the Act if the business owner or operator relied upon, in good faith, a written certification by the supplier that the shell eggs or egg products were not derived from an egg-laying hen that was confined in a manner that conflicts with the act.” […]

The bill also calls for civil penalty of $2,000 per violation per day.

A member of the Illinois State Senate since 2006, Holmes is chairperson of the Senate’s Agriculture, Commerce and Economic Development Committee, and is the Majority Caucus Whip.

* The United Egg Producer Guidelines…

Depending on the system type, a minimum range between 1.0 - 1.5 sq. ft. of usable floor space per hen shall be provided to allow for normal behavior.

* Eater…

Cage-free, a term regulated by the USDA, means that the eggs come from hens that, put simply, aren’t caged: They can “freely roam a building, room, or enclosed area with unlimited access to food and fresh water during their production cycle, but [do] not have access to the outdoors.” Considering the conventional cage is 8 ½ by 11 inches, or the size of a piece of paper, this seems like a better lifestyle — but there are downsides, too. According to All About Eggs by Rachel Khong, cage-free facilities have more hen-on-hen violence and lower air quality than facilities that use cages.

* Here’s the synopsis of SB3655…

Creates the Confinement of Egg-Laying Hens Act. Provides that, beginning on January 1, 2026, a farm owner or operator shall not knowingly confine an egg-laying hen in an enclosure that: (i) is not a cage-free housing system; or (ii) has less than the amount of usable floor space per hen required by the 2017 edition of the United Egg Producers’ Animal Husbandry Guidelines for U.S. Egg-Laying Flocks: Guidelines for Cage-Free Housing. Provides that, beginning January 1, 2026, a business owner or operator shall not knowingly sell any shell egg or egg products that the business owner or operator knows or should know was produced by an egg-laying hen that was confined in a manner that conflicts with the requirements in the Act. Provides for exemptions from the requirements of the Act. Provides that a business owner or operator of a farm shall not be liable under the Act if the business owner or operator relied upon, in good faith, a written certification by the supplier that the shell eggs or egg products were not derived from an egg-laying hen that was confined in a manner that conflicts with the Act. Authorizes the Department of Agriculture to administer and enforce the Act. Authorizes the Director of Agriculture to adopt rules necessary to administer the Act. Sets forth requirements to certify shell eggs and egg products as compliant with the Act. Provides for a civil penalty of $2,000 per violation per day.

* Rep. Diane Blair-Sherlock…

Families would be able to more easily rollover money from a 529 College Savings account to a Roth IRA under a proposal introduced by state Rep. Diane Blair-Sherlock, D-Villa Park.

“This option would give parents and their children greater flexibility to decide how to save their money, particularly if they have funds no longer intended for education,” Blair-Sherlock said. “For those looking to help their child get a head start on retirement savings, this would be a helpful change.”

Blair-Sherlocks’ House Bill 5005, which she introduced in partnership with the Illinois Treasurer’s office, would allow rollovers from a 529 College Savings account into the beneficiary’s Roth IRA account without triggering income taxes or penalties. Rollovers would only go to the beneficiary’s Roth IRA, not the parent or guardian. College accounts must be opened at least 15 years before rollover, and up to $35,000 of leftover 529 College Savings funds can be rolled into the Roth IRA.

This update would reflect changes to federal law and expand existing practice in Illinois, which allows rollover from a 529 College Savings account into a qualified tuition program via an Illinois ABLE account.

* Citizens Utility Board…

CUB’s priorities for the 2024 Illinois General Assembly session include the following. […]
Utility Affordability Act

Bill Number: Senate Bill 2885/House Bill 5061
Sponsor: Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton and Rep. Theresa Mah
What it does: Current Illinois law allows utilities to recover certain expenses from their customers that consumer advocates have long argued should be paid for by shareholders. Under the Utility Affordability Act, investor-owned electric, gas and water utilities in Illinois would be prohibited from charging customers for the following expenses:

- Utility dues for memberships in trade associations that push the companies’ agenda.
- Work devoted to political issues campaigns, such as referendums.
Goodwill advertising that enhances the utility image and benefits shareholders.
Charitable donations made by utilities on behalf of ratepayers.
- Insurance protection for shareholders.
- Lawyer and expert witness costs when utilities push for rate hikes before the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC). Typically, such legal expenses take up the largest chunk of these recoverable costs.
CUB estimates the Illinois legislation could, for the average year, save ratepayers across Illinois more than $50 million, based on documents the utilities filed with their most recent rate cases.
[…]

The joint news release by CUB and AARP Illinois.

Water Affordability & Accountability

Bill Number: House Bill 5157
Sponsor: Rep. Nabeela Syed
What it does: This bill would lower water utility bills by:

- requiring water utility shareholders to pay the majority of costs when the utility buys a water or wastewater system,
- creating a referendum prior to privatization of water or sewer systems,
- removing the QIP surcharge that speeds rate increases for utility customers. […]

Telecom & Broadband Affordability

Bill Number: House Bill 5214
Sponsor: Rep. Lilian Jiménez
What it does: This bill would update Illinois’ supplemental broadband assistance fund by sunsetting the landline collection of donations and instead provide for donation collections on broadband bills (including wireless, VOIP and cable internet bills).

With Congress unable to agree on an extension of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), this legislation would be vital for helping people stay connected to the internet.

This bill would also revive low-priced local calling plans, saving money for AT&T customers in Illinois who depend on landlines.

Electric Utility Transparency

Bill Number: House Bill 4747
Sponsor: Rep. Joyce Mason
What it does: This bill would require any electric utility that is a member of a Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) to disclose to the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) any recorded vote they make within that organization, regardless if such disclosure is required by the RTO itself.

These votes at RTOs—organizations that manage regional power grids—can impact issues that matter to our reliability and our electric bills in Illinois.

More on this bill:Illinois is one of five states where similar legislation has been announced, along with Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. “When utilities vote at regional transmission organizations, they have impacts on our clean energy transition and the cost of electricity,” Rep. Mason said in a news release put out by the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators. “My bill introduces better transparency for how utilities vote in our electric markets, which is part of a healthy democracy. As a legislator, my votes are public – it should be the same for utilities whose votes impact the affordability and cleanliness of our electricity.” This bill is one of the reforms CUB’s Clara Summers is working as part of CUB’s Consumers for a Better Grid project.

19 Comments

Isabel’s morning briefing

Tuesday, Feb 27, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* What’s up?…

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Tuesday, Feb 27, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Gov. J.B. Pritzker pushes maternal health funding at planned South Side birthing center. Tribune…

-In Illinois, Black women are three times as likely to die from pregnancy-related medical conditions as white women.

- That funding includes $12 million for a child tax credit for low- and moderate-income families with children under age 3, plus greater investments in community health care providers, the state’s home visitation program and a pilot program for free diapers.

* Related…

∙ Capitol News Illinois: New birth center to open on Chicago’s South Side as Pritzker touts proposed maternal health spending

* Isabel’s top picks…

* SJ-R | Pritzker says Republicans are limiting women’s choice of freedom after ruling in Alabama: Former President Donald Trump and some Republicans in Washington, however, have called for IVF to be protected. Despite these claims, U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., said any real support for federal protections from GOP is legislators lacking.

* WTAX | Senator, IVF mom: Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) is not only a U.S. senator. She is a mother of two, both children conceived through in vitro fertilization (IVF). A decision by the Alabama Supreme Court complicates the process by declaring a fertilized egg – including a frozen embryo – has the same rights as a live human being. “For example, in my case, when we have five fertilized eggs, and three were non-viable,” Duckworth told ABC This Week Sunday morning, “when my doctor discarded those with my consent, that could be considered potentially manslaughter or murder.

* Windy City Times | State Rep. Kelly Cassidy attacked on social media, allegedly by backers of Burke: As for the responses to her post—specifically, one that stated the state rep needed to grow a thicker skin—Cassidy said, “To the folks who say that, this isn’t about my feelings, frankly. I didn’t tweet that because they hurt my feelings. I put that out there because people need to know the kinds of people who are supporting this woman. And I have incredibly thick skin; I’ve been called worse things by better people.”

* United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America…

Gary Perinar, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council, has been appointed Second Vice President of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters of America (UBC), effective March 1. As Second General Vice President, Perinar will help set the agenda for the UBC, the umbrella organization that represents 500,000 skilled union workers throughout North America.

Perinar is a third-generation business representative of the union and a 46-year member of Carpenters Local 174 in Joliet. In addition to his leadership role in the UBC, Perinar is an active civic leader and holds positions on several state and local governing authorities.

“It is an incredible honor to be asked to join the UBC’s leadership team led by our visionary General President Douglas McCarron,” said Perinar. “The UBC is consistently at the forefront of transformational policies that redefine what it means to represent union members in the 21st Century. We’re incredibly proud of the unparalleled wages, benefits, training, and workplace protections we provide for our members, and I look forward to helping shape policies to continue to grow our market share across North America.”

Replacing Perinar at the Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council is Kevin McLaughlin, a 39-year member of the UBC who currently serves as a member of the Council’s executive board and is the President of Carpenters Local 10. As Executive Secretary-Treasurer, McLaughlin will oversee operations of a union that represents 53,000 carpenters in 324 counties across Illinois, Missouri, Kansas and Eastern Iowa.

“I’m excited to begin this new chapter with the Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council and appreciate everything Vice President Perinar has done to set up our union for continued success,” said McLaughlin. “Our union prides itself on our unparalleled training, safety and productivity so union contractors can remain competitive with the industry’s highest skilled workforces. We will never lose sight of that mission.”

Governor Pritzker will be at Heartland Community college at 10 am to celebrate the opening of its EV manufacturing training academy. Click here to watch.

* Here’s the rest of your morning roundup…

* WLS | Reyes facing off against Justice Joy Cunningham, selected by former Chief Justice Ann Burke to replace her: Releasing her first TV ad last week, Cunningham has raised almost twice as much money as Reyes, but he said his campaign is gaining steam. Besides the need for Latino representation, Reyes said he has more judicial experience than his opponent, including 26 years on the bench, 11 of which have been on the Appellate Court.

* Center Square | Behavioral health advocates ’shocked and dismayed’ drug program being cut: Aside from concerns raised by employer groups and municipalities, another proposal affects funding for opioid overdose initiatives. Jud DeLoss from the Illinois Association for Behavioral Health said there are proposed cuts to the Substance Use Prevention and Recovery program. “We were shocked and dismayed to see that Gov. Pritzker has proposed a cut to SUPR of over $45 million,” DeLoss said Friday during a joint House and Senate committee hearing on the workforce limitations for behavioral health. “At a time when we’re seeing opioid deaths and suicides [rise], a cut of that dramatic amount is simply devastating and it is going to cause even further damage to the field.”

* Sun-Times | Another legal cloud hangs over ShotSpotter contract: Because of the way the contract was secured, the city isn’t allowed to extend it at less favorable terms. Instead, the 2018 contract that got the ball rolling on the first of $57.5 million in payments to the company was a “reference” contract, piggybacked onto a similar agreement in Louisville, Kentucky.

* ABC Chicago | Battle over Chicago real estate transfer tax referendum heads to higher court: A judge’s written ruling issued Monday sided with BOMA, and also ordered the Board of Elections not to count the votes or publish any vote totals. The city quickly moved to intervene and appealed the case. It also filed a motion to stay the judge’s ruling Friday.

* Sun-Times | Mayor Johnson’s team asks judge to pause ruling invalidating Bring Chicago Home referendum: The city argues the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners “could not and did not adequately represent the city’s interests,” and in fact, “failed to raise any substantive arguments in response” to the legal arguments made by the real estate industry that the referendum violated state law.

* WTTW | Final Tally: Chicago Taxpayers Spent At Least $74M to Resolve Police Misconduct Lawsuits in 2023, Analysis Finds: That number is significantly less than the totals in 2022 and 2021, when taxpayers spent an average of $95 million in each year to resolve more than 120 lawsuits alleging police misconduct, but on par with what the city has spent to resolve police misconduct lawsuits on average during the past four years, according to WTTW News’ analysis of reports released by the Chicago Department of Law.

* Crain’s | It’s getting harder for towns to ignore their lack of affordable housing: At the top, the town with the smallest supply of affordable housing is Kildeer, a village in southwest Lake County where, according to IHDA, 0.4% of the 1,317 residential units are affordable. In the past year, 115 homes have sold in Kildeer, averaging $683,740, according to Redfin, an online real estate marketplace.

* Block Club | Puerto Rico Town, Other Chicago Cultural Districts Can Get Millions For Preservation Efforts: The money is intended for economic development, tourism and local entrepreneurship; the preservation of historic buildings, traditions and languages; and the promotion of culturally informed education, officials said. Each can now apply for a portion of $3 million in state funding, which will be made available later this year.

* Evanston Now | City to ‘explore legal options’ against hate speech: The state attorney general’s office, in a case involving Evanston Township High School, has upheld a time limit on public comment, like the one used Thursday to cut off comments after 45 minutes. But in a case from Urbana, the same office said that without evidence of disruption, a public body cannot prohibit expression of opinions or criticism of public officials during public comment.

* WLS | Site of former Tinley Park mental health center to be redesigned into a massive sports complex: “Time to tear it down. It’s time to redevelop the property and make it into something our community can be proud of,” said 19th District State Sen. Michael Hastings. Hastings led the effort to sell the land to the park district. Local officials fought over its future use for years.

* SJ-R | Here’s why construction of the new Illinois Youth Center has been postponed: However, the construction has been postponed since it has been announced that the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice is receiving $151.4 million dollars; the project could receive $5.9 million to complete its construction as part of Gov. JB Pritzker’s budget proposal.

* Rockford Register Star | Long-awaited COVID relief arrives for Rockford-area restaurants: The Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau and State Rep. Maurice West, D-Rockford, announced at a press conference Monday that they’ve finalized plans to distribute a $1.5 million grant to help local restaurants that followed COVID protocols and are now underwater with the Illinois Department of Employment Security.

* Crain’s | Cubs want $30 million to boost security outside Wrigley Field, and maybe secure an All-Star Game: Team officials and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred have expressed a need from the city to help with security around the stadium, but the costs had not previously been disclosed. While discussing the possibility of the Cubs being awarded an All-Star Game before he steps down as commissioner in 2029, Manfred recently said “the city being willing to step up on (security) issues is the other big variable,” according to the Chicago Tribune. The next available All-Star Game to be awarded would be in 2027.

* WGEM | Organization files federal civil rights complaint against WIU, alleging discriminatory scholarships: After reviewing the complaint, WIU Professor of Sociology Robert Hironimus-Wendt told WGEM News that most of these scholarships are endowed by individuals, not the university.

* Tribune | Skokie Village Board reveals closed discussion topic to public after Attorney General ruling: According to the letter, Skokie Trustee James Johnson, a political independent, submitted a Request for Review to the Attorney General’s Public Access Bureau alleging that the Skokie Board of Trustees violated the Open Meetings Act when it discussed the prospect of $4.5 million loan from the village to the Hilton Hotel development at 4930 Oakton Street and whether the village’s Economic Development Fund could be used to authorize the loan.

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