Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton raised $57,181, spent $67,000 and has $295,000 in the bank.
Atty Gen. Kwame Raoul raised $354,000, spent $97,000 and has $941,000 cash on hand.
Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias raised $606,000, spent $29,000 and has $1.6 million cash on hand.
Treasurer Mike Frerichs raised $144,000, spent $58,000 and has $798,000 in the bank.
Comptroller Susana Mendoza raised $311,521, spent $39,000 and has $579,000 in the bank.
* Press release…
Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) today announced the addition of 5,886 new preschool seats in preschool deserts—areas of the state with too few publicly funded preschool seats to serve 80% of low-income 3- and 4-year-olds in the area. As part of Governor JB Pritzker’s broader Smart Start initiative, ISBE originally aimed to add 5,000 new seats and exceeded the goal by 18%, expanding access to early childhood education to more than 5,800 additional children in preschool deserts statewide. ISBE also expanded services to families with babies and toddlers from birth to age 3, serving 1,130 additional children.
* Wieland announced a $500M expansion and modernization plan in East Alton…
A year ago today I sat with @GovPritzker & our team in Germany while he personally made the pitch to Wieland’s top leadership to stay in Illinois and invest in our future together and this is the result. Having a Governor who believes in the state matters. https://t.co/vmhgatQ7va
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is planning to distribute $17 million to municipalities helping the state handle the influx of asylum seekers who are being sent here from Texas without any assistance. […]
The grants will be distributed through a partnership with the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus. The group will issue $11 million to municipalities outside Chicago to “welcome and support recent arrivals living in their communities.”
The money must be used to support migrants within the municipality and can’t be used to transport them elsewhere, state officials said.
Another $4 million is earmarked for the creation of 13 Illinois Welcoming Centers, which will provide case management services for migrants seeking shelter, employment and other resources.
The final $2 million is intended for Immigrant Family Resources Program (IFRP) providers. These agencies provide new arrivals with interpretation and translation services, information about public benefits and advocacy as they settle into their new communities, state officials said.
* NBC Chicago | Texas bus company sues City of Chicago over migrant drop-off ordinance: A Texas bus company has filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Chicago alleging the city’s recent ordinance aimed at deterring buses from dropping off migrants unannounced is “unconstitutional” and “punishes” transportation companies who do business with Texas.
* PJ Star | 11 WTVP board members resign amid financial crisis: WTVP-TV Board Chairman Andrew Rand and 10 other members of the WTVP Board of Directors announced their resignations Tuesday in yet another bombshell development at the embattled public television station. The board then accepted appointments of eight new members, including John Wieland, MH Equipment Company’s CEO, as the board’s new chair.
* Crain’s | Dan McGrath: For Bulls fans, being cruel to Jerry Krause when he was alive just wasn’t enough: Jerry Krause could be a hard guy to like. That said, the booing that rained down on him during the Bulls’ “Ring of Honor” ceremony last Friday — on his memory, really, as Krause died in 2017 — was thoughtlessly cruel, an embarrassment to a city that fashions itself as classy, above the incivility that runs rampant in this country.
* WGN | Lawmaker wants to entice Chicago Bears to move to Indiana: Indiana State Rep. Earl Harris Jr. (D-East Chicago) is looking to continue his late father’s dream of luring an NFL team to Northwest Indiana, and with the nearby Chicago Bears mulling the option of leaving Soldier Field, a short move across state lines might not be out of the realm of possibility.
* Sun -Times | Illinois saw the most tornadoes in the U.S. in 2023, National Weather Service says: About 120 tornadoes were reported in the state, more than triple the amount in 2022 when there were 39. “We had a significant number of days where just … all the ingredients you need for tornadoes all came together,” said Victor Gensini, a professor at Northern Illinois University.
* Considering that the Illinois Local Journalism Task Force’s new report reveals that “journalism jobs at Illinois newspapers have plummeted 86 percent” since 2015, this photo showing more task force report presenters than actual journalists is worth a thousand words…
* I do take some issue with the report’s analysis. For instance…
Newspapers have always described their three largest costs as people, paper, and distribution, including postage. Unfortunately, as postage, paper and gasoline prices have gone up, people have taken the hit.
One actual problem these days is that lots of large news media companies are leveraged to the hilt. Revenues are diverted to loan/bond payments. Another is that some companies are brutally squeezing every last dollar they can from the local papers before the outlets eventually die. And another is just plain old greed. Newspaper profit margins used to be pretty hefty. But with those margins vanishing, ownership is cutting into the marrow for their short-term profits.
Several types of tax credits can be utilized to benefit local news. The first, subscription tax credits, provide tax credits to state residents who subscribe to digital or print media. A bill involving subscription tax credits in Massachusetts, still in the amendment process, would offer state residents a $250 tax credit for digital or print media subscriptions to community newspapers. […]
Advertising tax credits
These credits are provided to small businesses that advertise in local news outlets. As a result, this type of tax credit provides benefits to local businesses, local economies and local news. These benefits were studied in the 2022 Colorado Market Study, which found that 85% of consumers believe a product is “right” for them if seen in a news product. The study also found that advertisements in newspapers produce a return on investment that is 20% higher than that generated from online search and 10% higher than social media. […]
Labor/payroll tax credits
These credits intend to incentivize hiring, retention and fair pay of local journalists. The Local Journalism Sustainability Act, a proposed federal `of which Rebuild Local News is a strong advocate, includes payroll tax credits. […]
Tax exemptions
As passed in the state of Washington, a tax exemption will excuse local news outlets from state business and occupation (B&O) taxes, which are a tax on gross receipts. Illinois does not have such a tax, but a similar move would be an exemption from corporate income taxes. […]
Advertising set-asides:
A type of public policy that has proven beneficial for local news in New York City is the advertising set-aside, which mandates a percentage (often at least 50%) of government advertising dollars to be spent on ads in local news/media outlets. This program is considered beneficial because community media outlets are likely to reach the intended audiences of public information campaigns; thus, it helps the city reach the communities it serves.
* Chris Teale at Route Fifty compiles all the reporting and online furor over Thornton Township Supervisor and Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard. A brief excerpt…
But the self-proclaimed “super mayor” is also garnering attention from social media, online forums and local news outlets for her alleged misdeeds. Henyard has been sued for fraud, accused of misusing public funds, and criticized for flaunting the law and frivolous spending, in general. Just before Christmas, TikTok videos of the local lawmaker popped up discussing her latest controversy—a salary ordinance.
Henyard got a measure through the Thornton Township board that would reduce the salary of her potential successor in the event she loses her bid for reelection next year. Henyard, who makes $224,000 a year as township supervisor, drafted legislation that would cut her successor’s salary to just $25,000. If Henyard stays in office, her salary stays the same.
The editorial board of the Chicago Sun-Times denounced the move as “about as politically rotten and self-serving as it gets—a bid by elected officials to use tax dollars and the law to chase away political rivals.” Her colleagues on the Board of Trustees criticized the move in the local media, while municipal attorney Burt Odelson, who represents Henyard’s political opponents, called it “illegal in so many ways.”
* We’ve already talked about the first half of this excerpt, but the second part is new. Block Club Chicago…
City officials “paused” efforts to open additional migrant shelters as of Dec. 22, citing “budget constraints,” according to a briefing obtained by Block Club Chicago.
The city is switching its migrant housing strategy and has begun planning the “rightsizing” of its shelter system to help address budget concerns, according to the briefing. Officials are also working to fill available shelter space immediately when people are resettled, according to the briefing.
In a statement, mayoral spokesperson Ronnie Reese said the city is expanding its “outmigration and resettlement services” to free up more space at existing shelters.
The change in policy comes as new migrants continue to outpace available shelter beds, and after the city’s plans for large migrant base camps were halted. State officials, who are spending $160 million to help house and resettle migrants, will lead the way in establishing another 2,000 migrant shelter beds, Reese said.
That’s quite a policy change, especially considering that the state, not the city, is in charge of resettling new arrivals. Also, from what I can gather, the city hasn’t yet told the state that they’re shifting money toward resettlement.
* We talked about Greg Hinz’s story on the Chicago elected school board bill the other day, but not this part…
Harmon said he has not yet decided whether to push for a House vote on his bill, call the hybrid House bill for a vote in the Senate or pursue another course. One thing he’s awaiting before deciding: guidance from Johnson. So far, the mayor has given “no clear direction” on which bill should be approved. The mayor’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Taking a firm position could create a political risk for Johnson. A former CTU organizer himself, the mayor for years has advocated for a fully elected board. But doing so now would put him and his union allies on the opposite side of a big issue.
Taking a firm position could create a political risk for Johnson. A former CTU organizer himself, the mayor for years has advocated for a fully elected board. But doing so now would put him and his union allies on the opposite side of a big issue.
* The lack of any real guidance from the mayor’s office came up again in a recent Tribune story…
Heading into this year’s session, the issue remains under negotiation, Harmon said.
“We’re still wrestling with the best way to implement this to ensure maximum representation from all voters in the city,” Harmon said. “We’re waiting for clear direction from the city of Chicago, from Chicago Public Schools and from the Chicago Teachers Union as to how they think we should best proceed. We are open to all good ideas to get this done as quickly as possible.”
The CTU has said it prefers the hybrid system, so I suppose the mayor will eventually publicly fall in line. But that flip-flop would be Lightfootian in scope.
…Adding… I forgot to post this statement from Rep. Ann Williams, who heads the House Democratic CPS Districting working group…
An agreed map, strong ethics requirements, and an election process consistent with the negotiated framework paving the way for an elected, representative school board in Chicago can be finalized this week with a concurrence vote in the Senate. With the historic first school board election less than a year away, we hope the Senate will act now so that the transition to a fully elected school board can begin, prospective candidates can review district boundaries and Chicagoans will have the opportunity to vote for a representative school board for the first time this November.
Some civic leaders are calling for the city to re-examine its do-not-hire list practices after another former staffer in the mayor’s office said they were placed on the list in retaliation for complaints they made in the office.
Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration fired another employee in the mayor’s office and placed them on the city’s do-not-hire list late this summer, raising questions over whether the administration has gone too far in its use of the authority.
The episode marks the fourth reported incident of the Johnson administration wielding the do-not-hire list on holdovers from former Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s term, following a Chicago Tribune story that identified three Lightfoot staffers who transitioned to the Johnson team and were later fired after complaining about alleged mistreatment by top officials in the mayor’s office. […]
Ald. Scott Waguespack, 32nd, still shares those concerns, but he said the Johnson administration’s recent use of the designation also raises serious ethical questions. While the do-not-hire list is not advertised publicly, anyone can submit a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain the list. That means the designation could have ramifications for workers seeking employment in the private sector as well.
* Subscribers can find Rich’s interview with Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz here. Press release…
Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, has convened a “New Arrivals Working Group” to be led by state Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, D-Glenview.
“The recent influx of migrants into our state provides challenges and opportunities that require thoughtful engagement and consensus building,” Speaker Welch said. “We know this issue will be an important part of conversations this session, which is why I’m putting together a diverse team with strong, relevant backgrounds ready to act as needed. Rep. Gong-Gershowitz has decades of experience understanding the complex issues related to immigration, and I’m confident she will lead this group with the skill, knowledge and compassion required.”
“I’m honored to work with a group of individuals who are actively engaged on this topic and can provide quality feedback,” Gong-Gershowitz said. “We come from a variety of backgrounds, but we share an understanding that this must be a human-centered approach that respects the real lives that are impacted. I look forward to the work ahead.”
Joining Gong-Gershowitz on the working group are:
- House Majority Leader Robyn Gabel, D-Evanston
- Speaker Pro Tempore Jehan Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria
- Assistant Majority Leader Kam Buckner, D-Chicago
- State Rep. Dagmara “Dee” Avelar, D-Bolingbrook
- State Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado, D-Chicago
- State Rep. Terra Costa Howard, D-Glen Ellyn
- State Rep. Hoan Huynh, D-Chicago
- State Rep. Dave Vella, D-Rockford
* HB4462 was filed by Rep. Lance Yednock yesterday…
Amends the Minors Requiring Authoritative Intervention Article of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Provides that no minor shall be sheltered in a temporary living arrangement for more than 48 hours (rather than 21 business days.)
Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Provides that if the minor (1) has previously been placed on probation for an offense that involves the possession or discharge of a firearm not causing any injury; and (2) is convicted of a subsequent offense involving the possession or discharge of a firearm not causing any injury, then the court shall require the minor to participate in social service programs offered through juvenile probation and comply with referral recommendations for no less than 3 months. Provides that if the minor does not complete the referral recommendations, the court shall commit the minor to the Department of Juvenile Justice to complete the recommended services. Provides that a minor convicted of a subsequent offense involving the use of a firearm causing serious injury, great bodily harm, or death shall be committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice with the Department providing services, including, but not limited to, education, mental health services, drug treatment, and mentoring. Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Reenacts the provisions of the Code that were repealed on January 1, 2024 concerning sentencing guidelines for individuals with prior felony firearm-related or other specified convictions. Deletes the repeal of those provisions. Amends the Criminal Code of 2012 to make conforming changes. Effective immediately.
Amends the Liquor Control Act of 1934. Creates a distiller showcase permit and a class 3 craft distiller license. Provides that a class 3 craft distiller license, which may be issued to a distiller or a non-resident dealer, shall allow the manufacture of no more than 100,000 gallons of spirits per year and shall allow the sale of no more than 5,000 gallons of spirits in the aggregate from the class 3 craft distiller’s in-state or out-of-state class 3 craft distillery premises to retail licensees, class 3 brewers, and class 3 craft distillers as long as the class 3 craft distiller licensee meets certain requirements. Authorizes a class 3 craft distiller to self-distribute subject to certain requirements and limitations. Provides that a spirits showcase permit shall allow an Illinois-licensed distributor to transfer a portion of its spirits inventory from its licensed premises to the premises specified in the spirits showcase permit license, and, in the case of a class 3 craft distiller, transfer only spirits the class 3 craft distiller manufactures from its licensed premises to the premises specified in the spirits showcase permit license; and to sell or offer for sale at retail, only in the premises specified in the spirits showcase permit license, the transferred or delivered spirits for on or off premises consumption, but not for resale in any form and to sell to non-licensees not more than 156 fluid ounces of spirits per person. Provides that a distilling pub license shall allow the licensee to manufacture up to 10,000 gallons (instead of 5,000 gallons) of spirits per year on the premises specified in the license.
Amends the Firearms Restraining Order Act to include in the definition of “petitioner” an intimate partner. Amends the Protective Orders Article of the Code of Criminal Procedures of 1963 and the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986. Provides that, if the petitioner seeks a court order prohibiting the respondent from possessing firearms, firearm ammunition, and firearm parts that could be assembled to make an operable firearm, the court shall immediately issue a search warrant directing seizure of firearms at the time an ex parte or final order of protection is issued, if the court finds, based upon sworn testimony, that: (1) probable cause exists that the respondent possesses firearms, ammunition, or firearm parts that could be assembled to make an operable firearm; (2) probable cause exists to believe that the respondent poses a danger of causing personal injury to the petitioner or child and that the danger is imminent and present; and (3) probable cause exists that firearms, ammunition, or firearm parts that could be assembled to make an operable firearm are located at the residence, vehicle, or other property of the respondent. Provides that a finding of probable cause for a warrant upon oral testimony may be based on the same kind of evidence as is sufficient for a warrant upon affidavit. Effective immediately.
Amends the Mobile Home Park Act. Provides that operating a mobile home park without a current license shall result in a fine of $10 per day per site. Provides that licenses issued under the Act are nontransferable. Provides that if a mobile home park is sold, the application for a new license shall be mailed to the Department of Public Health and postmarked no later than 10 days after the date of sale. Provides that delinquent licensing fees and reinspection fees of the prior owner or owners are to be paid by the new owner before a license is issued. Requires the current name, address, email address, and telephone number of the licensee and mobile home park manager to be displayed at all times on the mobile home park property in a location visible to the public and protected from weather. Requires the Department to conduct an annual inspection of each mobile home park. Provides that if violations are documented during the annual inspection and the Department is required to reinspect the mobile home park to ensure the violations have been corrected, the Department, at its discretion, may charge a reinspection fee of $300 per site visit due at the time of license renewal. Provides that licensing fees and reinspection fees are nonrefundable. Provides that a mobile home park whose license has been voided, suspended, denied or revoked may be relicensed once the park is in substantial compliance, all delinquent licensing fees are paid, all reinspection fees are paid, and the mobile home park submits an application and application fee. Increases fees to be paid for the annual mobile home park license, individual mobile home spaces, and late charges.
Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Establishes that a municipality that operates an automated speed enforcement system shall set aside 10% of the net proceeds from each system that generates more than $500,000 in revenue for the respective school district or park district in which the automated speed enforcement system is located. Provides that the set aside proceeds may be allocated for any purpose designated by the school district or park district. Set forth home rule provisions.
Creates the Responsible Outdoor Lighting Control Act. Restricts State money from being used to install or replace permanent outdoor lighting units unless certain conditions are met. Provides that specified lighting units that were installed prior to the effective date of the Act and that produce light pollution need not be replaced until the end of the life of the lamp. Provides that these requirements apply to all lighting on or in all newly constructed, renovated, and retrofitted State-owned, State-supported, State-funded, or State-related rights-of-way, roadways and sidewalks, spaces, facilities, properties, nonhabitable structures, monuments, and flagpoles. Sets forth exemptions. Effective January 1, 2025.
Amends the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act. Allows a grandparent to file a petition seeking visitation if there has been a complete denial of visitation, subject to specified criteria.
…Adding… PhRMA regarding Illinois House Bill 4472, filed today, to establish a prescription drug affordability board (PDAB)…
“Lawmakers seeking to lower prescription drug costs should know government price setting doesn’t get to the root of the problem. Legislation that fails to address health insurance companies and their pharmacy benefit managers makes lowering costs for Illinois patients impossible. Other states have spent millions of dollars establishing prescription drug affordability boards, but they have yet to save patients one cent at the pharmacy counter.” – Stami Williams, spokeswoman at PhRMA.
For additional context, please see:
* PhRMA’s background document on the problems with PDABs.
* PhRMA’s resource page on how states can help patients pay less for their medicines: https://phrma.org/States
Creates the Health Care Availability and Access Board Act. Establishes the Health Care Availability and Access Board to protect State residents, State and local governments, commercial health plans, health care providers, pharmacies licensed in the State, and other stakeholders within the health care system from the high costs of prescription drug products. Contains provisions concerning Board membership and terms; staff for the Board; Board meetings; circumstances under which Board members must recuse themselves; and other matters. Provides that the Board shall perform the following actions in open session: (i) deliberations on whether to subject a prescription drug product to a cost review; and (ii) any vote on whether to impose an upper payment limit on purchases, payments, and payor reimbursements of prescription drug products in the State. Permits the Board to adopt rules to implement the Act and to enter into a contract with a qualified, independent third party for any service necessary to carry out the powers and duties of the Board. Creates the Health Care Availability and Access Stakeholder Council to provide stakeholder input to assist the Board in making decisions as required by the Act. Contains provisions concerning Council membership, member terms, and other matters. Provides that the Board shall adopt the federal Medicare Maximum Fair Price as the upper payment limit for a prescription drug product intended for use by individuals in the State. Requires the Attorney General to enforce the Act. Effective 180 days after becoming law.
* ICYMI: Legislators OK rules for maintaining, enforcing registry of guns covered by state ban. Tribune…
-During Tuesday’s hearing of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, or JCAR, state police officials addressed issuesdfrom those oppose the ban that ranged from privacy for gun owners to what information would be available to police when they stop someone whose firearm information is in the registry.
-While Republicans on JCAR failed to stop the rules from being put into place, their motion to object to the rules passed in a 6-5 vote along partisan lines, meaning the state police will have 90 days to address the objection.
Governor Pritzker will be at Wieland in East Alton at 10:30 a.m. to announce new investments and then Ellis Elementary School in Belleville at 12:30 p.m. touting Smart Start investments. Click here to watch.
* Here’s the rest of your morning roundup…
* Journal Republican | Get to know Chuck Erickson, candidate 88th statehouse district: People have been asking me to run for a long time. But I am a public servant interested in serving, not a politician in search of a seat. In 2022, one didn’t have to live in the district in which one wanted to represent but could move their afterwards. I wouldn’t do it. I like where I live. Many encouraged me to run but I said no. I take the view if it is meant to be then it is meant to be. When this seat opened up, I decided to run. I want to serve.
* Sun-Times | Family demands answers after veteran dies from self-inflicted gunshot inside Chicago VA hospital: “By the time I was getting ready to leave, again he said, ‘I’m gonna miss you guys,’” Donald Giddens said. “I’m thinking, I don’t have anything to worry about … because I can’t think of a better place for him to be.” On the drive home, Donald Giddens learned his brother might have access to a gun. Minutes later he received a call from the VA: His brother had shot himself.
* Tribune | Racial equity activist must pay at least $38,000 after judge dismisses her lawsuit alleging harm from Awake Illinois leader: Cook County Judge Daniel Kubasiak on Dec. 14 ordered Jasmine Sebaggala, who works as an assistant principal for Evanston/Skokie District 65 schools, to pay the $38,000 after he dismissed her lawsuit. Sebaggala had sued Helen Levinson, vice president of the board of the conservative group Awake Illinois and, according to her Facebook page, chair of Moms For Liberty Cook County, for defamation and intentionally causing her emotional distress in 2022.
* BBC | ‘It hasn’t delivered’: The spectacular failure of self-checkout technology: While self-checkout technology has its theoretical selling points for both consumers and businesses, it mostly isn’t living up to expectations. Customers are still queueing. They need store employees to help clear kiosk errors or check their identifications for age-restricted items. Stores still need to have workers on-hand to help them, and to service the machines
* Sun-Times | Boos of Jerry Krause at Bulls’ Ring of Honor ceremony should have been expected: I know Thelma Krause, a kind and decent woman. And if I worked for the Bulls, I would have told her Friday to be prepared for boos ringing out at the mention of late husband Jerry’s name. The event was the Bulls’ inaugural Ring of Honor induction, and there were 21,153 people at the United Center. Some were going to boo. The Bulls should have been prepared for it. When alive, Jerry Krause had been booed at Bulls events before.
* SJ-R | Five places where it’s warmer–and five places where it’s colder than Springfield: Tuesday didn’t provide much of a reprieve, with below zero temperatures reported at 8:52 a.m. at Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport – 2 below zero to be exact – and wind chills at 23 degrees below zero. Things should warm up on Wednesday, with high temperatures expected to reach the upper 20s, moving towards something more like normal for this time of year, but still cold.
Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced the Elm City Roastery coffee station is returning to the Capitol’s second floor for the General Assembly’s 2024 session.
Now in its second year, the station will now offer grab-and-go sandwiches in addition to coffee and other beverages.
“I can’t tell you the number of people we heard from who enjoyed the offerings at the Elm City Roastery station over the course of the 2023 session,” Giannoulias said. “The expanded food offerings this session make the Elm City Roastery station an essential stop for anyone working at or visiting the Capitol.”
The station is located on the second floor near Giannoulias’ office and Hearing Room 212. It will be open from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. on session days.
* Press release…
Members of the Illinois Underground Railroad Task Force had its first meeting where they selected State Senator Dave Koehler and State Representative Debbie Meyers-Martin as co-chairs, and outlined its findings from the first meeting and goals for the coming months.
“This task force will bring a better understanding of how the Underground Railroad operated, as slaves escaped the south for freedom and a better life in Illinois,” said Koehler (D-Peoria). “By giving Illinoisans a clear understanding of the past, we are creating a greater future.”
The Illinois Underground Railroad Task Force was created through legislation championed by Koehler last year – Senate Bill 1623. The task force will create a statewide plan to connect existing local projects and new projects to create a cohesive statewide history of the Underground Railroad in Illinois, while establishing new educational and tourism opportunities.
“The history of Underground Railroad is one of freedom, bravery and community. Because of its geographical location, Illinois has a robust history of sites, communities and individuals who helped on or used the Underground Railroad for a network of freedom,” said Jenn Edginton, interim director of the Illinois State Museum. “This task force will help explore more ways to bring this history to light.”
The task force – which held its first meeting Tuesday – is comprised of people from a number of organizations and agencies – like the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Illinois State Historical Society.
Following its introductory meeting, members of the task force held the press conference to highlight how it will determine historical sites, connections they have to one another, and create a picture to recognize the history of the Underground Railroad.
“It’s time we bring to light our history that led us to where we are today,” said State Senator Doris Turner (D-Springfield). “Illinois played a crucial role in freeing slaves and we need to recognize the pioneers who fought for the rights of African Americans, giving them the freedom and justice they deserved.”
The task force will continue to meet throughout the next few months and will submit a report and recommendations to the General Assembly and governor by July 1.
* Here’s the rest…
* Chicago Mag | The 10 Pols Who Could Replace Dick Durbin: The senator will be 82 when his fifth term expires in 2027. He will have tied Shelby Moore Cullom’s record of 30 years as Illinois’s longest-serving senator. Durbin’s seatmate, Tammy Duckworth, is just 55, so his retirement would create a once-in-a-generation opportunity for an ambitious politician to move up. Durbin has not yet announced whether he will run again — he has said only that it depends on his “physical and mental abilities” — but there’s already a shadow primary to replace him. “It’s going to be a free-for-all,” predicts political consultant Don Rose. When U.S. senator Peter Fitzgerald announced his retirement in 2004, 16 candidates ran to succeed him. “Don’t you think it would be cool to be a senator?” one remarked. (Barack Obama, a state senator at the time, won — you might have heard of him.)
* Starved Rock Media | No Vote Yet On Declaring La Salle County A “Non-Sanctuary” County: La Salle County on Thursday could have become the latest entity to declare itself a non-sanctuary location. But the measure presented to members of the La Salle County Board hadn’t come through a proper committee. So, down it goes until the Committee on Appointment, Legislative and Rules can iron out certain elements.
* Crain’s | Rovner steps into semi-retirement, opening a 7th Circuit seat for Biden: “Today, I am delighted to say, I am one of five women in active service on our court (one of six in total),” Rovner said in her Jan. 12 letter to Biden. “I know that, in choosing my successor, you will consider candidates whose life experiences, professional background, and worldview equip them to think critically, to give respectful hearing to points of view that may be unpopular or go unheard, and to pursue justice with an open heart and mind.”
* WGN | Suburban politician’s cancer charity fails to file financial records: Tiffany Henyard holds two elected offices and runs a charity for cancer patients. However, the Illinois Attorney General’s office says her namesake foundation has failed to file basic information about how it collects and spends money. WGN Investigates found the Tiffany Henyard Cares Foundation also benefited from money, manpower and promotion from the village of Dolton and Thorntown Township, two municipalities led by Henyard.
* WTTW | E-Learning or a Snow Day? Here’s How Illinois School Districts Decide: “It’s locally determined,” said Jackie Matthews, spokesperson for the Illinois State Board of Education. “No one is required to have one. Some may feel it’s a good fit, and some may not.” ISBE did not immediately have an accounting of how many of Illinois’ approximately 850 districts have e-learning policies.
* NBC Chicago | Chicago Bears stadium updates: What Kevin Warren has said about Arlington Heights, downtown sites: The timeline for the Bears to break ground on a new stadium site is still unclear. Hell, they still haven’t officially announced where the new stadium will be. During the Bears end-of-season press conference, president and CEO Kevin Warren said that finalizing the location for the team’s next home is one of the most pressing steps for the Bears to take in the short term as they continue to work on their long term plans. But there’s more to it than just picking a spot.
* Tribune | CPS to buy green buses with federal grant, but driver shortage remains a challenge for worn-out parents: Since August, CPS has provided transportation only for students with disabilities who have Individual Education Plans or 504 Plans requiring transportation, and students in temporary living situations, for whom the district is federally mandated to provide transportation services. Parents advocating for busing recognized the importance of electric buses but questioned how the district would provide support to families currently without any busing.
* ABC Chicago | Kankakee River ice jam causes floodwaters to surround homes in Wilmington: Chunks of ice built up along the Kankakee River banks in Wilmington on Monday night, giving rise to flood waters and concerns for neighbors. “About a foot off of this pipe right here is our seawall, so then the water is usually about 2 feet below that,” said Chris Krall.
* AP | Ground collision of two Boeing planes at O’Hare sparks investigation: Delta spokesperson Emma Johnson said Monday afternoon by phone that an All Nippon Airways aircraft clipped a Delta plane while it was parking at a gate after arriving at O’Hare from Detroit. “Customers deplaned normally at the gate and the aircraft is being evaluated by Delta’s maintenance technicians,” the company said in an emailed statement.
* Baltimore Sun | The Baltimore Sun purchased by Sinclair’s David D. Smith: Smith would not disclose how much he paid for Baltimore Sun Media. He purchased the newspaper group independently of Sinclair, which is known for its ownership of television stations and local news programming across the U.S. and a recent failed foray into regional sports network ownership. The Sinclair empire started with Baltimore’s WBFF Fox 45 television station.
* WBEZ | M&M’s guru mulls chocolate all day at Mars Wrigley headquarters on Goose Island: “I actually talk very little about what I do, I’m not big on going on about myself,” [Matthew Kradenpoth] said in an interview next to a wall of M&M’s dispensers in the cafeteria of the Mars Wrigley global headquarters on Goose Island. “I don’t know why because I have, like, the greatest job.”
Congressman Mike Bost’s campaign has released its second television advertisement of the 2024 election cycle this week. The ad, titled “Secure America,” will air district-wide on cable, broadcast, and satellite television, as well as on streaming services.
Another issue that was left hanging last year involved possible financial incentives for a new Chicago Bears stadium.
Bills on that issue went nowhere, and the Bears are still flirting with a number of Chicago-area municipalities. The presumed site has been on land the team purchased in northwest suburban Arlington Heights, but team CEO Kevin Warren earlier this month talked about the possibility of staying in Chicago.
Pritzker has indicated that he doesn’t support taxpayer money going toward a new Bears stadium. [House Speaker Chris Welch] last week said he has not heard of any legislative action related to the team going into the new year.
“I have had no conversations regarding the Bears or any legislation that would be coming up in 2024,” Welch said. “No one’s brought that to my attention.”
Pritzker on Friday begged Abbott in a letter to show some mercy for the migrants sent to Chicago on planes and buses and dressed for warmer climates as the city and state scramble to find more shelters.
Pritzker said in the letter: “Please, while winter is threatening vulnerable people’s lives, suspend your transports and do not send more people to our state.”
On Friday, a spokesperson for Abbott said Pritzker’s request for a pause would not be granted.
Abbott may have publicly rejected a pause, but I checked with the city and the state this morning and no migrants have arrived in Chicago via bus since Friday and none are expected today. So, we’ll see. Maybe the companies didn’t want to risk the weather. More here.
The state has already directed $640 million toward the migrant issue, a figure that includes $160 million Pritzker announced in November. That money was aimed at unclogging bottlenecks in Chicago’s shelter system that were hindering efforts to connect migrants with housing and jobs through the construction of a centralized intake center and more robust legal and employment assistance.
The $160 million came out of the Illinois Department of Human Services’ budget. Pritzker’s office has said it hopes the legislature will plug that hole in the agency’s budget with money from an estimated $1.4 billion revenue bump the state is expecting during the budget year. […]
But even among Democrats there is some reluctance to provide further funding for the migrant crisis without addressing long-standing issues involving poverty and the unhoused in Illinois, Senate President Don Harmon said.
“After saying for generations that we don’t have enough money to deal with real and similar issues affecting people here in the state, there’s no way we could advance an appropriation bill that dealt only with the newly arrived migrants,” said Harmon, an Oak Park Democrat, echoing concerns that have been raised by some members of the legislature’s Black Caucus.
“If we’re going to provide funding to deal with that crisis, we’re going to have to provide funding for crises that have existed in our communities for generations,” Harmon said. “I don’t see an appetite to solve one problem while ignoring others that have been at the forefront of people’s agendas for decades.”
Perhaps the weakest federal criminal charge against former Ald. Edward Burke (14th) was about his plot to extort the Chicago Field Museum because a friend’s daughter never heard back about an internship after Burke sent over her resume.
U.S. District Court Judge Virginia Kendall seemed “unimpressed” by federal prosecutors’ reasoning in mid-December after Burke’s legal team moved to dismiss the charge ahead of closing arguments, according to Chicago Tribune reporter Jason Meisner.
Kendall ultimately decided not to dismiss the charge but said, “It certainly is an extremely odd attempted extortion count. I’m going to allow it to go to the jury, but I’m taking it under advisement,” Meisner reported at the time.
Burke’s lawyers had argued that to be convicted of extortion, the government must prove the defendant knowingly took a substantial step toward extortion with the intent to commit extortion.
Burke had already hired his old friend’s daughter by the time of his conversations with the folks at the Field Museum, his attorneys pointed out. “In fact, he specifically repudiated the Field Museum’s overtures” about working something out, they maintained.
Burke did snap at a governmental relations staffer who’d called to see if he was opposed to the Field Museum’s admission price increase proposal because Burke had earlier come out hard against another museum’s entry fee request with the Chicago Park District. Burke said he was angry the museum had dropped the ball on the internship application and asked, “So now, you’re going to make a request of me?”
“I’m sure I know what you want to do,” Burke said. “Because if the chairman of the Committee on Finance [Burke] calls the president of the park board, your proposal is going to go nowhere.”
The employee testified she perceived that as a “threat.”
But Burke didn’t try to stop the park district from ultimately approving the fee hike, and while the museum offered to find another spot for the young woman, she never acted on that. And Burke’s lawyers claimed the governmental relations person wasn’t a “decision maker” at the museum, pointed out that Burke had no direct control over the park district and that the museum’s CEO testified he didn’t believe he’d been shaken down.
“The requirement of proving a substantial step serves to distinguish people who pose real threats from those who are all hot air,” Burke’s lawyers quoted from an appellate court case, U.S. v. Gladish. Judge Richard Posner continued in that 2008 opinion: “You are not punished just for saying that you want or even intend to kill someone, because most such talk doesn’t lead to action. You have to do something that makes it reasonably clear that had you not been interrupted or made a mistake … you would have completed the crime.”
To be abundantly clear, this is in no way a defense of Burke. He bullied people for decades and, hey, what goes around comes around. And he was not only convicted on the Field Museum charges but on a whole lot of other, more concrete and straightforward charges, which might possibly have helped buttress the case that Burke did indeed make a “real threat” against the museum.
Instead, this is a warning to everyone else in the political business.
The federal government has now convicted a former elected government official for making an oblique threat that he never followed through on (the museum’s fee hike was approved soon after) over his personal embarrassment that an internship application of the daughter of an old and dear friend that he’d forwarded had been lost in a bureaucratic shuffle.
I’ve been around long enough to know this sort of thing is not a rare event in government at just about every level.
A lawmaker, for instance, feels insulted. So, in anger, the legislator makes a likely empty threat to retaliate on a bill, or an appropriation or whatever. And maybe the threat isn’t even all that empty.
* ICYMI: The General Assembly returns to Springfield. Tribune…
- The March 19 primary, will take place during session, which ends in May. All 118 Illinois House seats and 23 of the Illinois Senate’s 59 seats are on the ballot
- House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch said the migrant issue “is going to be top of everyone’s mind”
- The shift to an elected school board in Chicago still awaits the GA’s approval of a 20-district map and the how board members are elected
* Tribune | Out of work and running out of time, migrants struggle to find jobs in Chicago: Like countless other groups of migrants and undocumented workers across the city, Cuadrado has been getting up at 5 a.m. every day for the past month to stand in parking lots and wait to be picked for day labor jobs. When a vehicle drives by, he said there is a rush. People want to find work so badly they will push each other.
* Tribune | Park District closer to controlling state land in Tinley Park, hiring project manager: The Tinley Park-Park District could gain ownership before the end of this month of 280 acres of state-owned land that it plans to redevelop for recreational uses, according to a Park District official. At the same time, the district expects to get $15 million in state grant money to address environmental issues and move forward with initial steps such as removing underground storage tanks and clearing lead-based paint and asbestos from buildings before they are demolished, according to Lisa O’Donovan, a Park Board member.
* Tribune | Homeowner exemptions raising tax rates, undercutting savings in some towns, Cook County report finds: A new report from Cook County leaders comes with a warning about expanding property tax breaks for homeowners: What seems good for one taxpayer can backfire on a whole town. Countywide, those exemptions remove $1.6 billion in annual tax revenue by lowering taxes for specific categories of homeowners. But the report found that in some municipalities, they don’t provide as much relief as people think.
* Tribune | Illegal bribe or legitimate ‘gratuity’: How a $13,000 payment to an Indiana mayor could alter political corruption cases in Chicago: At issue in Snyder’s case is a nuance in the federal bribery statute that makes it illegal to “corruptly” offer something of value to reward a public official for an official act. Chicago-area defense attorneys have long complained that relatively vague language has been exploited by federal prosecutors to criminalize a wide range of normal political give-and-take, be it a steak dinner or the hiring of a political crony, even when there was no quid pro quo agreement.
* Daily Herald | How data centers became the newest growth industry in the suburbs: A blend of several factors enabled this, with one in particular lighting the fuse, according to Josh Levi, president of the Virginia-based Data Center Coalition. “It was the tax incentive in Illinois that unlocked a lot of the growth you’re seeing now,” he said.
* Sun-Times | Feds want a year in prison for Chicago police officer who entered the Capitol on Jan. 6: Insisting that he disregarded his oath as a “public servant of the City of Chicago,” prosecutors have asked for a year in prison for the Chicago police officer convicted last summer for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Karol Chwiesiuk and his sister, Agnieszka Chwiesiuk, ignored damage and violence outside the Capitol before pressing on into the building that day, according to the feds. Not only that, but prosecutors alleged that Karol Chwiesiuk lied on the stand during their trial.
* AP | Efforts to restrict transgender health care endure in 2024, with more adults targeted: LGBTQ+ advocates say that most of the states inclined to pass bans on gender-affirming care have done so, and that they now expect them to build on those restrictions and expand them to include adults. With legislatures in most states up for election this year, transgender youths and their families worry about again being targeted by conservatives using them as a wedge issue.
* KTSM | Migrant mother, children drown in Rio Grande; Congressman says Texas ‘bears responsibility’ for blocking border agents: “Border Patrol attempted to contact the Texas Military Department, the Texas National Guard, and DPS Command Post by telephone to relay the information, but were unsuccessful. Border Patrol agents then made physical contact with the Texas Military Department and the Texas National Guard at the Shelby Park entrance gate and verbally related the information. However, Texas Military Department soldiers stated they would not grant access to the migrants — even in the event of an emergency — and that they would send a soldier to investigate the situation. Earlier today, Saturday, Jan. 13, the three migrant bodies were recovered by Mexican authorities,” he said.
* WSJ | The Gun Influencer Who Used Small-Town Cops to Import Machine Guns: Sawyer got a strange request, according to court documents. A man named Larry Vickers, who held popular firearms-tactics training sessions for law enforcement, needed a favor: Could Sawyer help him import a machine gun into the country? All he had to do was write a letter that would be submitted to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives saying his one-man department was interested in buying the highly restricted weapon.
* The Atlantic | What’s Gone Wrong at Boeing: When, last week, a panel called a door plug blew off a Boeing 737 Max 9 plane in mid-flight, leaving a gaping hole in the plane’s fuselage, air travelers everywhere no doubt felt a shudder of horror—even though the aircraft was able to turn around and land safely. But in a sense, the startling thing was how unstartling the news was. In the six years since the Max—an updated version of the long-running 737, Boeing’s most popular plane—made its debut, the aircraft has been plagued by quality problems. The most dramatic of these resulted in two catastrophic crashes, in 2018 and in 2019, which together killed 346 people.
As we approach what would have been Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 95th birthday, I am writing to encourage everyone to honor the legacy of the civil rights icon by working to emulate his philosophy through our own lives.
Dr. King’s extraordinary impact on our society remains interconnected with his philosophy of embracing equality and rejecting bigotry and segregation.
In honor of Dr. King, let us commit ourselves to the following: never discriminate or dislike someone because of race, creed or color; learn to love your fellow man and woman; do something good for someone every day; and give back to those less fortunate when you become successful.
I remain indebted to Dr. King’s kindness and guidance. As a college student at Alabama State College, I attended the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in northern Montgomery where Dr. King served as the pastor. I had the privilege of listening and observing him firsthand. He was a breath of fresh air and an inspiration at a time when I was experiencing many challenges and frustrations in Alabama due to segregation. African Americans were not allowed to drink at certain water fountains. We were prohibited from sitting in certain seats on buses and banned from eating at many restaurants.
Following the lead of Dr. King, Rosa Parks and other civil rights leaders, I participated in the Montgomery Bus Boycott that ultimately led to the desegregation of the public transit system.
The systemic racism I experienced in the south cut deep and left a lifelong impression on me, and I’ve dedicated my life to treating people — all people — with fairness and compassion.
It has been just over a year since I completed my sixth and final term as your Secretary of State, and I remain filled with gratitude for the trust Illinoisans placed in me for 24 years to serve them in such an important role.
In reflecting on my career in public service, I’m forever appreciative of those who helped me along the way — especially during my impressionable college years in Montgomery, AL. It was there that I encountered one of my earliest mentors, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and I continue to do everything I can to honor him through my actions.
House Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch announced Friday the hiring of a new Research and Appropriations Director, Endra C. Curry. With years of experience managing and analyzing state budgets in South Carolina, Curry was chosen following an extensive nationwide search and will assume the role effective Jan. 22.
“It is my privilege to welcome Ms. Curry to the Illinois House of Representatives as our new budget director,” said Speaker Welch. “Ms. Curry brings with her an exceptional resume filled with valuable work experiences, as well as enthusiasm and a great work ethic, that make her the perfect fit for this role. I look forward to welcoming her to the Capitol this session and working with her on behalf of the people of Illinois.”
Curry joins the Office of the Speaker following a successful career in the South Carolina Senate, where she served as the nonpartisan Director of Financial Policy since 2020, and previously as the Senior Budget Analyst for the Senate Finance Committee.
“I am grateful to Speaker Welch, his office and leadership team, for welcoming me as the new Research and Appropriations Director for the Illinois House Democratic Caucus,” said Curry. “I consider it an honor to serve them and the people of Illinois in this role and look forward to establishing and cultivating relationships with internal and external stakeholders through observation, collaboration, and congeniality. While my time with my native state is at its end, I would be remiss in not recognizing the professional foundation provided to me by the South Carolina Senate, from which I am fortunate to build upon in this next phase of my career. I am thrilled to make the Prairie State my new home.”
“I’m excited to welcome Endra Curry to the Illinois House as our new budget director and I am eager to get to work alongside her this session,” said Leader Jehan Gordon-Booth, the chief budget negotiator for the House. “I look forward to Ms. Curry’s perspective on our budget-making process, which has already delivered wins for working families and ushered in 9 credit upgrades for our state.”
Curry also has a range of non-legislative experience, which includes her work as a Federal Relations Officer and National Transportation Advisor at the South Carolina Department of Transportation. She was an adjunct faculty instructor at Virginia College and worked in the non-profit sector supporting individuals with disabilities as a Community Outreach Coordinator at the Babcock Center Foundation. Curry earned both her Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies and Economics and her Master of Public Administration from the University of South Carolina.
“As we welcome Ms. Curry, I also want to thank and congratulate our outgoing director, Mark Jarmer,” said Speaker Welch. “He has provided 15 dedicated years of service to the House of Representatives, and he was an integral part of my transition into the role of Speaker. I also want to thank his wife and children for sharing his talents with us and the state of Illinois. I look forward to his continued success.”
Curry’s first job will be trying to bring some order to her staff, which has been agitating to join a union for months.
* Sun-Times| Pritzker urges Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to stop migrant dropoffs amid winter storm: ‘I plead with you for mercy’: “We’re trying to prevent those companies from leasing their planes to the state of Texas. You can’t, in general, you can’t tell a group a people or an aircraft that it can’t come somewhere,” Pritzker said. “On the other hand, there are lots of things that I think would be a significant deterrent and they already are working.” Last year, the state tried coordinating with bus operators and organizations at the border to try to gauge the timing of dropoffs. Results of that effort were mixed.
* WGLT | Immigration advocate says dozens of bused migrants are already living in McLean County : Charlotte Alvarez, executive director of the Immigration Project based on Normal, said between 75 and 100 people transported north from the southern border since 2022 either got off a bus in McLean County, or came here after leaving a migrant processing center. She said that’s a sign the community can support more asylum seekers if they came here.
* BND | Ethics adviser recommends sanctions for Madison County Board chairman over business cards: Madison County’s ethics adviser is recommending that the County Board sanction Chairman Kurt Prenzler for handing out “campaign-style” business cards while on the job. Adviser Bruce Mattea, a Collinsville attorney, stated in an investigative report that Prenzler violated a county ethics ordinance when he gave the cards to a vendor working at the county administration building last fall and to an assistant state’s attorney.
* ABC Chicago| Supreme Court ruling could affect hundreds charged in Jan. 6 Capitol attack: An Illinois man is the first Jan. 6 rioter to be released from prison while awaiting a U.S. Supreme Court decision that could derail dozens of prosecutions, the ABC7 Chicago I-Team has learned. Tom Adams, 42, of Springfield has been released early from a federal penitentiary while the high court looks at what happened three years ago and answers the question: “Is this obstruction?”
* Cain’s | Real estate transfer tax referendum campaign heating up: But the official account could soon be dwarfed by an independent expenditure committee led by campaign veteran Greg Goldner, founder of Resolute Public Affairs. Goldner has run dark-money campaigns in Illinois politics for over a decade, including two efforts last year that spent almost $400,000 in support of U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia’s fourth-place finish in Chicago’s mayoral race before spending just under $900,000 in opposition to Johnson in his runoff race against Paul Vallas. According to sources familiar with his pitch, Goldner has asked developers for six-figure sums. Goldner confirmed to Crain’s he’ll be involved in the opposition campaign, saying the tax changes have “implications well beyond a few nice homes in the city.”
* Tribune | First lady Jill Biden, Halle Berry stop at UIC to promote women’s health research: First lady Jill Biden traveled to the University of Illinois at Chicago Thursday to tout a White House initiative to expand research on women’s health issues that include menopause. Biden was joined by actress Halle Berry in speaking about the historical lack of investment in women’s health research nationwide.
* Lake County News-Sun | Former North Chicago officer receives $475K settlement in suit against city: The Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations on Thursday said it negotiated the settlement on behalf of Ramtin Sabet. Sabet, who joined the North Chicago police department in 2007, faced “relentless harassment” on the job based on his Iranian background and Muslim religion, according to CAIR. The hostile work environment led to Sabet’s termination in 2016, CAIR said.
* WCIA | USDA grants to increase ethanol-based fuel at IL gas stations: The funds come as a result of the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program, a byproduct of the Inflation Reduction Act. U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) said the program will help install more dispensers and storage tanks at gas stations across the state.
* Sun-Times | Expensive program to get high-risk teens back in school is off to a slow start: According to a new University of Chicago analysis, Back to Our Future is struggling to connect with the kids targeted by the program. And even those who sign up are not participating at the intended level. In the first pilot year, 446 students joined the program, 32 students have completed high school, and another 71 students have reengaged in school, according to CPS.
* CBS | Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois kicks off 2024 Cookie Season: Consumers can now order from the iconic cookie lineup and support local girl entrepreneurs earning funds that fuel amazing experiences in the outdoors, STEM, and beyond. Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois kicked off the 2024 Girl Scout Cookie season, the annual event in which Girl Scouts unbox their futures as young female entrepreneurs through the world’s largest entrepreneurial program for girls.
* Block Club | Here Are 17 Ways To Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day This Year: Want to give the family a fun and productive Martin Luther King Jr. Day? Chicago has plenty of options. There are basketball tournaments, panel discussions, family days, skate parties, sing-alongs and more being held to honor the civil rights leader and Baptist minister, born January 15 nearly 100 years ago.
* Axios | States’ big 2024 health plans: Workforce support and cheaper drugs: As state legislatures get back to work across the country, state policymakers are eying measures to bolster their burned-out health care workforces, make prescription drugs more affordable and reform their Medicaid programs. Policymaking in Washington tends to slow down in a presidential election year, and the current Congress — so far the least productive in decades — has struggled to advance even bipartisan health measures.
* Crain’s | More than 1,000 flights canceled at O’Hare, Midway: At O’Hare, 391 departures, or 39%, and 374 arrivals, or 37%, had been scrapped. Midway had 140 departure cancellations, or 50% and 136, or 56%, for arriving flights, according to FlightAware.
The CTU, which has always supported a fully elected [Chicago school board], prefers [Rep. Ann Williams’ hybrid, half-elected half-appointed House plan], in part because it would give the union more time to choose candidates and raise campaign funds. The union would only have to find 10 candidates, as opposed to 20, under the House Democrats’ plan. And the union’s political action committee will have to play catch-up after contributing a hefty $2.46 million to Johnson’s mayoral campaign.
* But Greg Hinz reported this week on another aspect to this fight. As you know, Senate President Don Harmon moved a fully elected school board bill during veto session which he said (accurately) was done at the behest of the CTU. There’s more to it, however…
Amid that standoff, a fight for a state Senate seat now held by appointed Harmon ally Natalie Toro has turned red-hot. Toro was named by Democratic ward committeemen to replace Cristina Pacione-Zayas, who resigned to take a top job with the Johnson administration, where she has, among other things, overseen the city’s migrant response. Now that her Senate seat term is ending, progressives badly want the position back. They’re backing CTU organizer Graciela Guzman in the March primary. There also are two other candidates in the race, physician Dr. David Nayak and former radio account executive Geary Jonker.
CTU has made the race a top priority, with progressive groups stepping up precinct work and big checks from teachers unions beginning to arrive in Guzman’s warchest. Harmon in turn dropped $500,000 into Toro’s campaign earlier this week — and according to Guzman is responsible for an internet push poll that asserts, “Guzman’s political organization is attempting to stall Natalie Toro’s plan to fully elect the school board now and wants to keep the school board out of the hands of voters.”
Harmon, in a phone interview, said he’s not familiar with the internet item but that campaigns “often test out different messages.”
Harmon termed “baloney” charges from CTU insiders that he is using the Toro seat as leverage, offering to finally approve the hybrid school board bill if the union will drop its opposition to Toro, who also is a CTU member but has a poor relationship with union leaders. “We’re committed to a fully elected school board,” Harmon said. The only reason he supported a hybrid bill a few years ago was that it was the most that CTU could get out of the Legislature given the opposition to a totally elected board by then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Harmon said.
Heh.
Toro’s Senate Democratic advertising campaign has positioned her as a progressive CTU member. So, Sen. Toro votes for a fully elected school board, which has been politically popular (and likely still polls well if they’re using this tactic), then blasts her primary opponent for conspiring to obstruct the beloved reform.
It’s almost like the Senate Democrats used the entire chamber last fall to weaponize an issue on behalf of a single appointed member facing a tough primary challenge.
Maybe more than almost.
…Adding… From Senate President Harmon’s spokesperson John Patterson…
“’Baloney’ was the one-word take on this theory, and “baloney” is about as profane as Don Harmon gets. The legislation we passed is our attempt to best ensure the most diverse representation of all voters of the City of Chicago. That’s the only motivation.”
A Florida school district is pulling nearly 2,000 books from its shelves — including some dictionaries and encyclopedias — to make sure they abide by a new state law.
The state law, which prohibits schools from carrying books that describe sexual content, comes as Florida continues to get pushback over its titles banned in prisons and classrooms.
Northern Florida’s Escambia County School District has taken away over 1,600 titles for review, including five dictionaries and eight different encyclopedias, according to PEN America earlier this week.
Part of the legislation, known as HB 1069, “expands parental rights in education by prohibiting classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in Pre-K through 8th grade,” according to the office of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).
A second transgender woman’s attempt to run for public office in Ohio was challenged under a decades-old law that requires candidates to disclose previous legal names on election documents.
Arienne Childrey, a Democrat vying for a seat in the Ohio house of representatives, learned late last week that the head of her county’s Republican party, Robert Hibner, asked the local board of elections to reject her campaign petition.
Hibner’s letter to election officials comes just days after Vanessa Joy, also a trans woman, was disqualified from running for the Ohio state house. Both Joy and Childrey are accused of violating a 1995 Ohio statute that requires political candidates to disclose any legal name changes within five years of the election. […]
“I wasn’t surprised to get the phone call. Once the articles started coming out about Vanessa’s story, I knew there was a bullseye on us,” Childrey said.
More than 1,500 books have been temporarily removed from a Florida school district this week, including two written by former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly.
The Florida Freedom to Read Project recently obtained a list of books that have been temporarily removed from libraries in the Escambia County Public School District, which included encyclopedias, The Guinness Book of World Records and two books from conservative pundit O’Reilly: Killing Jesus: A History, and Killing Reagan: The Violent Assault That Changed a Presidency.
According to Pen America, the list also contains titles from David Baldacci, Stephen King, John Grisham and Nicholas Sparks.
In a statement to Newsweek, Escambia County Public Schools Superintendent Keith Leonard said: “I want to clarify that our district has not imposed a ‘ban’ on over 1600 books. Additionally, the dictionary has not been banned in our district. Any claims suggesting otherwise are inaccurate and should be disregarded.”
An Ohio woman facing a criminal charge for her handling of a home miscarriage will not be charged, a grand jury decided Thursday.
The Trumbull County prosecutor’s office said grand jurors declined to return an indictment for abuse of a corpse against Brittany Watts, 34, of Warren, resolving a case that had sparked national attention for its implications for pregnant women as states across the country hash out new laws governing reproductive health care access.
A municipal judge had found probable cause to bind over Watts’ case. That was after city prosecutors said she miscarried, flushed and scooped out the toilet, then left the house, leaving the 22-week-old fetus lodged in the pipes. Her attorney told the judge Watts had no criminal record and was being “demonized for something that goes on every day.” An autopsy determined the fetus died in utero and identified “no recent injuries.”
Watts had visited Mercy Health-St. Joseph’s Hospital, a Catholic facility in working-class Warren, about 60 miles (100 kilometers) southeast of Cleveland, twice in the days leading up to her miscarriage. Her doctor had told her she was carrying a nonviable fetus and to have her labor induced or risk “significant risk” of death, according to records of her case.
Due to delays and other complications, her attorney said, she left each time without being treated. After she miscarried, she tried to go to a hair appointment, but friends sent her to the hospital. A nurse called 911 to report a previously pregnant patient had returned reporting “the baby’s in her backyard in a bucket.”
Texas state officials this week abruptly blocked federal U.S. Border Patrol agents from entering and patrolling a public area in the border town of Eagle Pass where they typically first encounter migrants who cross the Rio Grande illegally, two U.S. officials told CBS News on Thursday.
After seizing control of Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, Texas National Guard units deployed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott have prevented Border Patrol agents from entering the area, the federal officials said. Border Patrol has used the park in recent weeks to hold migrants in an outdoor staging area before they are transported for further processing, including last month, when illegal crossings soared to record levels.
Earlier Thursday, Texas state officials prevented Border Patrol boats from patrolling that area, one of the officials added, requesting anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the press. […]
In a filing early Friday with the Supreme Court, the Justice Department described the extraordinary standoff between Texas and the federal government. Citing testimony from local officials and photos, the Justice Department said Texas was using armed Guardsmen and vehicles to deny Border Patrol agents and federal National Guard soldiers access to roughly 2.5 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border.
Kate Cox was pregnant with her third child when she learned the baby had a rare genetic disorder called Trisomy 18. Cox and her husband, Justin, were informed by their doctors that if their child survived the pregnancy, her life expectancy would be at best a week. With the baby’s health at risk as well as her own, Kate and Justin Cox sued the state of Texas for the right to have an abortion.
In her first interview since the Texas Supreme Court ruled against her, Cox talks about the case, her decision to have an abortion in New Mexico, and more in an interview with Tracy Smith for “CBS News Sunday Morning,” to be broadcast Sunday, January 14 on CBS and streamed on Paramount+.
Cox was 20 weeks pregnant when she and her husband filed the lawsuit seeking an exception to Texas’ ban on abortions because of the baby’s condition and the health risks to Cox. On December 11, while the Coxes were in New Mexico, the Texas Supreme Court overturned a lower court ruling, saying Kate Cox did not qualify for a medical exemption to the abortion ban.
According to the couple’s attorney Molly Duane, the Texas Supreme Court said “essentially, Kate wasn’t sick enough [for an exemption].”
Republican governors in 15 states are rejecting a new federally funded program to give food assistance to hungry children during the summer months, denying benefits to 8 million children across the country.
The program is expected to serve 21 million youngsters starting around June, providing $2.5 billion in relief across the country.
The governors have given varying reasons for refusing to take part, from the price tag to the fact that the final details of the plan have yet to be worked out. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) said she saw no need to add money to a program that helps food-insecure youths “when childhood obesity has become an epidemic.” Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen (R) said bluntly, “I don’t believe in welfare.”
Republican leaders have been criticized for playing politics with children in need, but they argue it is necessary to revert to pre-pandemic spending levels at a time when the United States is trillions of dollars in debt and lawmakers in Washington are struggling to come to a budget agreement. The summer food program was approved as part of a bipartisan budget agreement in 2022.
* This was distributed by the city during a briefing about new arrivals today…
Kinda makes you wonder if the city intends to just dump folks into the street.
Meanwhile, Texas keeps sending people here.
…Adding… So, they told legislators they’re pausing new shelters and downsizing them, and then told the news media this, according to the Tribune…
Mayor Brandon Johnson is delaying enforcing his 60-day migrant shelter limit policy for the first group of asylum-seekers who were due to be required to leave this month, his administration announced Friday as heavy snowfall and low wind chills pummeled the city.
Brandie Knazze, commissioner of the Department of Family and Support Services, said the first migrants set to be kicked out of the city shelters next Tuesday — about 50 of them, who have been in the system since 2022 — will no longer need to leave by then. Those due to leave between then and Jan. 21 will also be allowed to stay “until at least Jan. 22nd,” she said.
…Adding… Pritzker tries to appeal to Abbott’s humanity…
January 12, 2024
Governor Abbott,
The ongoing international migration crisis that our nation faces demands a strong, compassionate, and humane response. We agree that our nation needs immigration reform, but instead of advocating for that, you have chosen to sow chaos in an attempt to score political points. You are now sending asylum seekers from Texas to the Upper Midwest in the middle of winter — many without coats, without shoes to protect them from the snow — to a city whose shelters are already overfilled with migrants you sent here. Chicago’s temperatures this weekend are forecast to drop below zero. Your callousness, sending buses and planes full of migrants in this weather, is now life-threatening to every one of the arrivals. Hundreds of children’s and families’ health and survival are at risk due to your actions.
We refuse to play your political game of exploiting the most vulnerable for the sake of culture wars and talking points. You seem to have no interest in working on bipartisan solutions to the border crisis because that would put an end to your cruel political game, but I am writing to you today hoping to appeal to your humanity. Over the coming days, Illinois will experience a dangerous winter storm and subzero temperatures. I strongly urge you to stop sending people to Illinois in these conditions. You are dropping off asylum seekers without alerting us to their arrivals, at improper locations at all hours of the night. As we grapple with the existing challenges of your ongoing manufactured crisis, the next few days are a threat to the families and children you are sending here. I am pleading with you to at least pause these transports in order to save lives.
There is much more that needs to be done by the federal government to provide aid to asylum seekers and to secure the border. I understand that the border crisis is untenable for border states. Illinois, and all other states, especially Texas, ought to lobby Congress immediately to vote for bipartisan immigration reform.
While action is pending at the federal level, I plead with you for mercy for the thousands of people who are powerless to speak for themselves. Please, while winter is threatening vulnerable people’s lives, suspend your transports and do not send more people to our state. We are asking you to help prevent additional deaths. We should be able to come together in a bipartisan fashion to urge Congress to act. But right now, we are talking about human beings and their survival. I hope we can at least agree on saving lives right now.
Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that the Secretary of State may not issue to or allow the renewal or retention of a driver’s license or permit by anyone who possesses a revoked Firearm Owner’s Identification Card unless: (i) the applicant’s Firearm Owner’s Identification Card is successfully reinstated or (ii) the applicant surrenders possession of the Firearm Owner’s Identification Card to the Illinois State Police. Amends the Firearm Owner’s Identification Card Act. Provides that the Illinois State Police shall provide the Secretary with a notice of any individual who fails to surrender a revoked Firearm Owner’s Identification Card.
Illinois lawmakers will be picking up where they left off on Tuesday. […]
Here’s what we’re keeping an eye on in the months ahead: […]
Karina Gonzalez of Chicago was shot and killed in July 2023 by her husband, against whom she had an order of protection. But he still lived in their shared home and had access to his guns. This legislation would require Illinois State Police to revoke firearms from the home when an abuse victim is granted an order of protection. It passed the House in May and is awaiting Senate action. […]
State Rep. Marcus Evans (D-Chicago) and State Sen. Robert Peters (D-Chicago) are promoting a plan to put wind turbines to Lake Michigan. The goal with the “Rust Belt to Green Belt” fund is to eventually build a 150 megawatt wind turbine project somewhere off the Illinois shores of Lake Michigan. It passed the House by a comfortable margin and is awaiting action in the Senate. […]
The Illinois House passed a measure that would let legislative staffers at the state Capitol unionize. It gives the Illinois Labor Relations Board oversight of employees of the General Assembly and sets parameters for how bargaining should take place. It’s now in the Senate, but members of the Illinois Legislative Staff Association (ILSA), who spearheaded the bill, said there’s still a lot of work to do on it.
* HB4431 was filed by Rep. Jeff Keicher yesterday…
Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Removes language providing that the examination of an applicant for a driver’s license or permit who is 75 years of age or older or, if the Secretary of State adopts rules to raise the age requirement for actual demonstrations, the examination of an applicant who has attained that increased age or is older shall include an actual demonstration of the applicant’s ability to exercise ordinary and reasonable control of the operation of a motor vehicle. Effective January 1, 2025.
Amends the Assisted Living and Shared Housing Act. Provides that one representative of the Office of the State Long Term Care Ombudsman (instead of one representative of the Department on Aging) is a nonvoting member of the Assisted Living and Shared Housing Advisory Board. Adds a certified long term care ombudsman and 3 current or former residents of an assisted living establishment or shared housing establishment as voting members of the Board.
Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax deduction for any amounts paid by the taxpayer’s employer on behalf of the taxpayer as part of an educational assistance program. Creates an income tax deduction for any amounts paid by the taxpayer on behalf of an employee of the taxpayer as part of an educational assistance program. Provides that the deductions are limited to the first $5,250 of such assistance so furnished to any individual. Effective immediately.
Amends the Nurse Practice Act. Ratifies and approves the Nurse Licensure Compact, which allows for the issuance of multistate licenses that allow nurses to practice in their home state and other compact states. Provides that the Compact does not supersede existing State labor laws. Provides that the State may not share with or disclose to the Interstate Commission of Nurse Licensure Compact Administrators or any other state any of the contents of a nationwide criminal history records check conducted for the purpose of multistate licensure under the Nurse Licensure Compact.
* ICYMI: Illinois lawmakers return to Springfield next week, here’s some things to keep an eye on. WBEZ…
- The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning wants to merge Metra, Pace and the Chicago Transit Authority into one regional agency as part of an attempt to close a $730 million budget deficit.
- Plans for a wide ranging “cannabis omnibus” bill fizzled in the final days of 2023’s spring session, but cannabis advocates in the legislature are still pushing forward.
- State Rep. Marcus Evans (D-Chicago) and State Sen. Robert Peters (D-Chicago) are promoting a plan to put wind turbines to Lake Michigan.
* Crain’s | Plan to elect Chicago school board hits political land mines: The twin battles pit the Chicago Teachers Union and progressive groups against Senate President Don Harmon and more centrist Democrats, with Mayor Brandon Johnson potentially playing a key intermediary role. Until a deal is reached, the rules that guide board elections mandated by a 2021 state law are uncertain — including whether all 20 board members and the chair will be elected this November, or whether voters will elect only 10, with Johnson temporarily selecting another 10 plus a chair for a hybrid board that would run schools until another election in 2026.
* WTTW | What a Permanent Child Tax Credit Could Mean for Families in Illinois: The expansion of the child tax credit during the pandemic — which included cash payments to families for six months — lifted more than 2 million children out of poverty, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. […] State Rep. Mary Beth Canty (D-Arlington Heights) is a chief co-sponsor of a bill in the state House that would enact a permanent child tax credit.
* Governor JB Pritzker heads to Iowa to campaign with President Biden ahead of the Republican Caucus. He will be holding a news conference in Des Moines on Monday at 2:30 pm.
* Here’s the rest of your morning roundup…
* Sun-Times | High times for Illinois pot industry as annual recreational sales top $1.6 billion: Illinoisans bought more joints, gummies, flower and other weed products overall, too — 42,124,741 of them, to be exact — a 15% jump from the previous year, officials said. The only number harshing Illinois’s reefer revenue buzz was a 14% decline in sales to out-of-state customers, who spent $418 million. Officials blamed burgeoning weed sales in nearby states that have also legalized recreational cannabis, such as Michigan, Missouri and Minnesota.
* 25 News Now | McLean County Board rejects immigration resolution:: The McLean County Board has rejected an effort to ban the use of county tax dollars to support migrants who would come to the community from the border. The vote was 13-7 against GOP board member Chuck Erickson’s resolution, with three Republicans joining all 10 Democrats opposing Erickson’s measure. Board Chair Catherine Metsker, Randall Knapp, and Susan Schafer -all Republicans - voted with the majority.
* WMBD | McLean County’s EMA director lays out plan for migrants: Cathy Beck, director of McLean County’s Emergency Management Agency (EMA), said the plan would be to send migrants to the migrant intake center in Chicago. She did mention that a lot of the planning would have to be done spontaneously, as the buses would likely arrive without warning.
* Lawmaker: More legislation may be needed to protect young people on social media: State Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris, said she plans to introduce legislation in Illinois to address mental health problems among young people. “You talk to teachers in your school districts and they will tell you that the No. 1 issue that they are dealing with is mental health breakdowns, and they’re coming to Springfield for more money,” Rezin told The Center Square. “We need to ask ourselves why are we seeing these breakdowns, especially in minors.”
* Illinois Times | Judge denies Sam McCann’s request to delay trial again: The bench trial of former Conservative Party gubernatorial candidate Sam McCann on illegal campaign fund spending charges will begin as scheduled Feb. 5, a federal judge ruled Jan. 10 when she turned down McCann’s request for another delay in the almost 3-year-old case. U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Lawless also denied McCann’s second request since January for a delay in filing a list of potential witnesses the Plainview resident plans to call to the stand and testify during the trial.
* WNIJ | Has the well-being of children in Illinois improved over the past decade? A new report explores.: “In general, our scores were above the national average for the well-being of children in most racial and ethnic groups. But the state ranked in the bottom third of states for the well-being of Black children,” she said. “This data point really underscores in Illinois, and in states more broadly, we’re really failing to ensure that children, especially children of color, have all the resources they need to thrive.”
* Crain’s | Debt and deficits set off alarm bells at University of Chicago: The university ended fiscal 2023 in June, reporting operating expenses of $3.14 billion and a deficit of $239 million, resulting in a hiring freeze and other budget cuts. At the same time, it has been dealing with debt and rising interest payments.
* STAT | Addressing the Black youth suicide crisis requires a new approach to licensing clinical social workers: But at a time when they are arguably needed most, Black social workers face stringent barriers to earning full clinical licenses. Nationally, Black social workers report experiencing racial bias in the test-taking process that is required to earn the clinical license needed to administer independent therapeutic services. This crisis calls for new solutions, and Illinois is trying one that sounds promising. A new state law provides alternative paths to obtaining clinical licensure, and other states would benefit from closely watching this approach.
* Crain’s | In the search for a new top tourism exec, Chicago’s reputation is at stake: With the unexpected departure of CEO Lynn Osmond, Choose Chicago finds itself in the same place it was in 2021, casting a wide net to reel in a new leader in charge of drawing visitors and conventions to the city. The challenge proved formidable back then, when the agency’s board of directors spent more than nine months trying to fill the role.
Niemerg is a two-term incumbent and member of the far-right @ILFreedomCaucus. He was the only candidate who filed in the 102nd HD. If the ruling isn't reversed in court, he could run as a write-in or be nominated after the primary by the district's county GOP party chairs.
CHICAGO—Today, Governor JB Pritzker announced that Illinois secured 14.9M in competitive federal grant funding from the US Department of Transportation’s FY22-FY23 Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Discretionary Grant Program. The Illinois Finance Authority (IFA), in its role as the Illinois Climate Bank, was chosen to receive the $14.9M to support the expansion of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in Illinois.
“As Illinois moves toward a clean energy future, it is imperative that no communities are left behind,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This investment from our partners at the federal level will ensure Illinois has the resources to make electric vehicles accessible to all our residents. With the incredible work from the Illinois Finance Authority, regional partners, and local leadership, I have no doubt the Community Charging Program will make a positive impact statewide.”
The proposed project, “The State of Illinois Community Charging Program,” aims to advance community-based transportation efforts across Illinois and prioritize equity in the clean energy movement. The statewide initiative is a joint effort between the Illinois Climate Bank as well as local and regional partners, serving 273 project sites (144 of which are located in or in close proximity to disadvantaged communities). The funds will support construction of 845 Level 2 EV Charging stations, and 36 DC Fast Charge stations.
Of the total $18.7M project investment:
- 43% will be allocated for disadvantaged community projects.
- 63% will be designated to dense urban communities with a high percentage of multi-family housing, as well as rural communities and small towns.
Illinois set another record for recreational cannabis sales in 2023, with more than $1.6 billion in sales — but sales to out-of-state residents showed a significant drop.
Sales to Illinois residents increased by 14%, but sales to out-of-state visitors fell by 14%, reflecting increased competition from Michigan and newly legalized marijuana in Missouri and Minnesota.
Out-of-state customers accounted for one quarter of revenue, but with Wisconsin lawmakers considering legalizing medical marijuana, those sales are likely to decrease further in the future.
* Press release…
Governor JB Pritzker visited the Southern Illinois Healthcare (SIH) Cancer Institute today to announce a $10M grant to Southern Illinois Healthcare for their recent expansion of the SIH Cancer Institute in Carterville. The grant is made possible through the bipartisan Rebuild Illinois plan to improve infrastructure statewide.
“As Governor, there is nothing more important than the health and safety of Illinoisans — no matter their zip code or income status,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I couldn’t be prouder to announce that we have awarded the SIH Cancer Institute $10 million in Rebuild Illinois grant funding to help cover the cost of this recent project. After years of planning, design, and construction, each and every one of those patients, and many more, will have access to the modernized healing spaces and the quality, holistic care they deserve.”
The 10M general investment, will be utilized for upgrades to facility furniture, medical equipment, and the buildout of the Cancer Institute in Carterville. The Carterville plan, completed in December of 2022, included an approximate 20,000 square foot expansion and the modernization of both clinical and non-clinical areas.
The State is also awarding two additional capital grants to SIH. The first, totaling $150,000, will support the expansion of the SIH Cancer Institute Café, which serves 300 cancer patients with nutrient-appropriate meals daily as well as caregivers and employees.
The second, also totaling $150,000, will be dedicated to costs for the design, oversight, and implementation of kitchen renovations. The expanded kitchen space will provide space for high nutrient-value meal preparation workshops and demonstrations, led by the SIH oncology dietitian.
The Bears own the 326-acre former Arlington International Racecourse property but continue to flirt with the city of Chicago and other suburbs about building a new stadium. When president/CEO Kevin Warren was asked Wednesday whether the Arlington Heights property remained his priority, he said instead that “the priority is to make sure we build a world class stadium for our fans.”
The Bears are still talking to Arlington Heights officials to try to drive down their property tax assessment there. They’ve discussed staying on the lakefront, including building on a parking lot south of Soldier Field, with city officials.
“What intrigues me about downtown is I strongly believe Chicago is the finest city in all of the world,” Warren said. “Very rarely do you get the opportunity to have such a beautiful downtown with a vibrant business community, with an absolutely beautiful lake and the energy that goes along [with it].”
The Bears could decide on their next stadium site in the next few months. Warren said it would likely take three years to build the stadium from the moment construction begins.
#OTD in 2003: 2 days prior to leaving office, Illinois Gov. George Ryan commutes the sentences of every inmate on Illinois' Death Row to life in prison without parole, citing a system that is “haunted by the demon of error.”https://t.co/VlhVa8VtKcpic.twitter.com/ItMsfz0qBJ
* Crain’s | Choose Chicago CEO stepping down: Choose Chicago CEO Lynn Osmond is stepping down as head of the city’s tourism arm, the organization confirmed in a statement. Osmond, a former Chicago Architecture Center president and CEO who has led Choose since May 2022, will leave the tourism group effective Jan. 31 “to focus her time and energies on a family health matter,” the statement said.
* Block Club | The CHA Owns More Than 130 Acres Of Vacant Land And Buildings — Enough To Fill 25 City Blocks: All that vacant property could fill 25 city blocks — and the total amount at all CHA sites is likely far higher. The land was supposed to be used for new homes. Instead, it highlights decades of development delays under four mayors and eight CHA CEOs, with crippling consequences for some of the city’s poorest neighborhoods.
* Tribune | Commuter advocates: The CTA vows to double rail operator trainees this year. Its data shows that’s impossible: However, the CTA’s own data reveals that the agency cannot meet this goal due to its current training requirements, recruitment and retention levels. We used the Freedom of Information Act to request the number of flaggers the CTA has employed since November 2021 — plus how many flaggers were terminated, promoted, transitioned or transferred to other roles each month since then.
* WCIA | Republican Representative Adam Niemerg kicked off March primary ballot: “The objective intent of the law is to make sure that, you know, you’ve got a process, that people are qualified for the ballot. There’s no fraud involved. And, more generally, if they’re serious candidates,” UIS Professor Emeritus Kent Redfield said. “I mean, if all you had to do was say, I want to run in your names on the primary ballot, you obviously would have way too many people.”
* SJ-R | Still on the ballot: ISBOE denies objection to Illinois 95th House District candidate: The decision allows Village of Chatham Trustee Kristen Chiaro to continue her campaign for Illinois House District 95, a district spanning portions of Sangamon, Macon, and Christian counties. She is the sole Democrat in the race and will face incumbent state Rep. Mike Coffey, R-Springfield, in November.
* WRSP | New law protects workers from abusive anti-labor tactics: Scherer sponsored House Bill 3396, which set forth penalties for those who interfere with labor demonstrations. The new law went into effect on Jan.1 and introduced a $500 penalty for those who obstruct the public way or disrupt any picket or demonstration.
* Madison-St. Clair Record | Madison, St. Clair Counties adjusting well to SAFE-T Act mandates, but see increased demand on public defenders: In particular, the Pretrial Fairness Act portion of the SAFE-T Act - which eliminated cash bonds - carried a heavy burden on “all of the stakeholders in our criminal justice system,” said St. Clair County Chief Judge Andrew Gleeson. “We have made continuous adjustments in response to the new Pretrial Fairness Act (PFA),” Gleeson told the Record. “As a result of extensive planning, commitment from all the stakeholders, and a willingness to adjust to needs and ever-changing interpretation of the law, we have managed to carry out the law’s requirements.”
* Center Square | State Rep. Halbrook visits southern U.S. border amid migrant crisis: State Rep. Brad Halbrook, R-Shelbyville, visited the border last week to see firsthand and explained what he saw. “It was an eye-opening experience, to say the least,” Halbrook said. “I would advise everybody who is involved with policymaking to take a trip down there to see what the real story is because you get the truth when you are down there on the ground.”
* Press release | Rep. Mary Gill Seeks to Preserve LSCs Right to Decide on Police Protection: State Rep. Mary Gill, D-Chicago, is introducing legislation to ensure that Chicago Local School Councils (LSC) maintain the authority to decide if Chicago Police officers are assigned to their schools. Gill’s proposed change to state law would preempt the Chicago Board of Education’s reported plan to strip LSC members of that decision-making power, which would effectively end the practice of having resource officers in any Chicago Public School.
* Illinois Answers | Repeat Violators Leave Families Out in the Cold: Buildings department inspectors flagged over 700 cases where one or more tenants were living without heat or hot water at 456 buildings across the city from November of last year through this May, according to city records, when the city heat-requirement ordinances are in effect. All of those inspections were prompted by complaints made through 311 or directly to the buildings department.
* Daily Herald | Should Fox River dams be removed? Groups to hold meetings: Based on the findings of a recent study, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is recommending the removal of all nine Fox River dams in Kane County, from Carpentersville to Montgomery, to restore the river’s natural wildlife habitat and improve water quality.
* Daily Southtown | Parents spar over bulletin board with Pride symbols in Manhattan District 114 in Will County: Gabriella Barraco, who has children in the district, quoted parts of a speech by Theodore Roosevelt to soldiers ahead of battle before asking why the transgender flag is still on the bulletin board if sex education isn’t taught in the schools. “I bet that most of our children or us didn’t know what the transgender heart looked like before tonight,” Barraco said. “Yet its symbolism is being stamped visually into the subconscious from the very hallway.”
* Sun-Times | Breaking down Illinois’ top high school basketball teams from outside the Chicago area: There is a lot of tunnel vision for Chicago area high school basketball fans when it comes to top teams outside the city and suburbs. Without a big-named star –– i.e. EJ Liddell and Belleville West, Shaun Livingston and Peoria, Darius Miles and East St. Louis –– top teams around the state don’t typically garner the attention they deserve from the Chicago area.
* Sun-Times | Chicago winter storm set to dump 6 or more inches of heavy snow: Weather forecasts as of Thursday morning say the storm will arrive early Friday with a mix of rain and snow. The precipitation will turn to all snow by 3 p.m. and could be heavy at times, complicating afternoon commutes for those trying to get home for the weekend.
* I get lots of emails every day and some pique my interest more than others. This one, slightly edited for style, was about the Illinois Policy Institute as well as its companion 501(c)(4), the Government Accountability Alliance…
IPI’s 2022 tax filing (attached) shows their revenue is down by nearly half, from $9.9M in 2021 to $5.2M in 2022. They ran a $2.5M deficit in 2022 (!). Their c4 arm’s revenue was flat, so the money isn’t being shifted there.
Also, notably, the 2022 IRS filing for the Ed Uihlein Family Foundation (attached) shows no contribution to IPI in 2022. Uihlein gave IPI $1.5M in 2021 (attached p.37) and more than $19M since 2010 … So Uihlein pulling out certainly explains part of the big drop.
Grant funding from the Ed Uihlein Family Foundation was down across the board, from $18.4M in 2021 to $5.5M in 2022. Of course, Uihlein gave a ton to political efforts like Bailey in 2022, so it seems like it might signal a shift for the Uihleins from funding conservative non-profits to just spending directly on races.
The Daily Beast had a good article recently about Uihlein giving to electoral efforts. One of Uihlein’s main spending vehicles is “Restoration for America” which is based in Illinois and led by Doug Truax, who lost to Oberweis in the 2014 senate GOP primary.
* I asked the IPI about the 2022 revenue drop and deficit…
Rich,
Those numbers only reflect the 501(c)(3) [Illinois Policy Institute].
Variations in organizational revenue and expenditures can primarily be attributed to: 1) large, one-time gifts for specific initiatives in 2021 and; 2) increase in expenses on Amendment 1.
Our 2022 revenue between our C3 and C4 totals were similar to those in 2018 and 2019.
We are encouraged by the growth in new supporters we saw in 2023 and we see continuing in 2024, even as many wealthy individuals leave the state. We anticipate a strong year in 2024.
The IPI ran some smallish deficits last decade, but nothing close to the $2.51 million deficit it experienced in 2022.
And while the combined revenues for both the IPI and its c4 GAA were similar to those in 2018, there’s been quite a bit of inflation since then. So, the $10.63 million the two organizations raised during 2018 would have been $12.56 million by the end of 2022. That’s $1.59 million more than the groups actually raised in 2022.
* Historical revenues for both the c3 IPI and c4 GAA using those two links above…
Prior to the 2023 tax year, the standard [Illinois income tax] exemption increased 10 times under an automatic escalator tied to inflation put into effect in 2012 by former Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn, who served as the state’s chief executive between 2009 and 2015. The change roughly a decade ago had overwhelming bipartisan support in the legislature.
But the standard exemption will remain flat this tax-filing season at $2,425 for those who declare adjusted gross income of $250,000 or less individually or $500,000 or less for married couples.
State revenue officials say more than 11 million Illinoisans claim the standard exemption on their taxes each year. Because of the inflation-indexing mechanism, the exemption has risen from $2,000 to $2,425 since 2011.
Had lawmakers and the governor not put a pause on that inflationary adjustment, the standard exemption would have stood at $2,625 for tax year 2023. That $200 increase would have marked the largest jump in the exemption since the inflationary index was enacted. That’s because the nation’s consumer price index increased 8% in 2022 – the largest inflationary move since 1981.
By WBEZ’s calculations, the state income tax obligation for a married couple with two minor children and adjusted gross income of $150,000 would be $39 higher than it would have been this tax year had the standard exemption tracked the rate of inflation in 2023.
$39 for a household earning roughly double the median household income ain’t exactly a whole lot of money. Our standard exemption is basically a joke. It’s so small mainly because of the state constitution’s mandate that the income tax must be imposed at a “non-graduated rate.”
* But here’s the problem: The change saved the state budget $114 million this fiscal year, but as the article notes, the costs will rise next year…
The current law states that the inflationary index will be reimposed for tax year 2024. But it promises to come with a significant price tag – approximately $200 million, according to an estimate by the legislature’s non-partisan budget arm, the Commission on Government Forecasting & Accountability.
Emails obtained through an open-records request to Pritzker’s budget office show that a Senate Democratic staffer appeared to initially raise freezing the standard exemption as the revenue omnibus was being negotiated last May between the offices of the governor, Senate president and House speaker.
*** UPDATE *** This change was part of SB1963, which was an omnibus tax bill. From a subscriber…
An additional observation: the CPI-adjustment was actually scheduled to sunset on 12/31/2023. PA 103-0009 extended it until 2028, at the fixed amount of $2,425 for two years and then back to inflation adjusted for 2025-2028 when it will sunset.
And if it had actually sunset in 2023 as scheduled, the exemption would revert way back to just $1,000.
More than 56,000 abortions were performed in Illinois the year the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, marking the most pregnancy terminations statewide since the mid-1990s, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health’s annual abortion statistics report.
The rise in abortions that year was driven by a roughly 49% spike in out-of-state patients: Nearly 17,000 people came from other states to Illinois to terminate a pregnancy in 2022 compared with roughly 11,000 abortion seekers who traveled from other states in 2021, the data showed.
In contrast, the number of Illinois residents having abortions in-state decreased slightly, from a little over 40,000 in 2021 to nearly 39,000 in 2022.
Abortions overall increased by about 9% from 2021 to 2022, according to the report, which was released Tuesday and includes the most recent state health department data on abortion available.
It’s a familiar trend for Planned Parenthood of Illinois, President Jennifer Welch said Wednesday.
“Out-of-state patients now make up nearly a quarter of our abortion patients. This is direct evidence of abortion bans and restrictions negatively impacting the ability for people to equitably access care,” Welch said. […]
The largest demographic receiving abortions in 2022 comprised 36,444 women ages 18 through 29.
The smallest demographic comprised 1,615 patients under age 18. However, that younger group experienced the highest percentage increase in abortions, 25%, since 2021 when 1,297 occurred.
“Abortion rates for all ages fluctuate year to year, so it’s difficult to draw conclusions from one year’s data,” Welch said. “However consistently the largest age group PPIL sees is 20 to 34-years-old, making up nearly 75% of our patients.
* Related…
* The Tennessean | Planned Parenthood opens Illinois clinic aimed at patients in Tennessee and other abortion-ban states: “The new Planned Parenthood health center in Illinois means Carbondale will continue to be a safe place to access abortion care within a four-hour drive for most patients in Middle and West Tennessee,” said Ashley Coffield, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi, in a written statement. “This adds to the access already provided by Choices Center for Reproductive Health of Carbondale, and countless patients in Tennessee are grateful for their care.”
* NYT | Tracking Abortion Bans Across the Country: Twenty-one states ban abortion or restrict the procedure earlier in pregnancy than the standard set by Roe v. Wade, which governed reproductive rights for nearly half a century until the Supreme Court overturned the decision last year.
Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax credit for an individual taxpayer who is a medical professional in a community-based practice who serves without compensation as a preceptor for at least one student from a qualifying institution in Illinois and provides clinical instruction for students from a non-Illinois based program for compensation in the same tax year. Provides that the credit shall be $200 per qualifying student per week, but not to exceed $9,600 per taxpayer in any tax year. Effective immediately.
Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Creates within the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board a Recruitment Division. Provides that the Division shall establish a Back the Badge program, which shall establish recruitment plans for law enforcement agencies. Provides that the Division shall determine and prioritize specific characteristics that a law enforcement agency and community desire in their police officers. Provides that the Division shall cooperate with law enforcement agencies to determine a strategy to hire and retain sworn police officers who are diverse and reflective of the community and the priorities of the law enforcement agencies.
Creates the Agricultural Equipment Repair Bill of Rights Act. Provides that, for the purpose of providing services for agricultural equipment in the State, an original equipment manufacturer shall, with fair and reasonable terms and costs, make available to an independent repair provider or owner of the manufacturer’s equipment any documentation, parts, embedded software, firmware, or tools that are intended for use with the equipment or any part, including updates to documentation, parts, embedded software, firmware, or tools. Provides that, with respect to agricultural equipment that contains an electronic security lock or other security-related function, a manufacturer shall, with fair and reasonable terms and costs, make available to independent repair providers and owners any documentation, parts, embedded software, firmware, or tools needed to reset the lock or function when disabled in the course of providing services. Provides that the manufacturer may make the documentation, parts, embedded software, firmware, or tools available to independent repair providers and owners through appropriate secure release systems. Provides that these provisions do not apply to a part that is no longer available to the original equipment manufacturer or conduct that would require the manufacturer to divulge a trade secret. Provides that a manufacturer shall not refuse to make available to an independent repair provider or owner any documentation, part, embedded software, firmware, or tool necessary to provide services on grounds that the documentation, part, embedded software, firmware, or tool itself is a trade secret, except that information necessary to repair agricultural equipment may not be redacted. Provides exceptions. Defines terms.
Creates the Increasing Representation of Women in Technology Task Force Act, and creates the Increasing Representation of Women in Technology Task Force. Includes provisions concerning Task Force membership, meetings, and duties. Provides that the State of Illinois Office of Equity shall provide administrative and other support to the Task Force. Repeals the Act on January 1, 2030. Effective immediately.
Amends the PFAS Reduction Act. Requires, on or before January 1, 2026, a manufacturer of a product sold, offered for sale, or distributed in the State that contains intentionally added PFAS to submit to the Environmental Protection Agency specified information. Allows the Agency to waive the submission of information required by a manufacturer or extend the amount of time a manufacturer has to submit the required information. Provides that, if the Pollution Control Board has reason to believe that a product contains intentionally added PFAS and the product is being offered for sale in the State, the Board may direct the manufacturer of the product to provide the Board with testing results that demonstrate the amount of each of the PFAS in the product. Provides that, if testing demonstrates that the product does not contain intentionally added PFAS, the manufacturer must provide the Board with a certificate attesting that the product does not contain intentionally added PFAS. Restricts the sale of specified products beginning January 1, 2025 if the product contains intentionally added PFAS. Allows the Agency to establish a fee payable by a manufacturer to the Agency upon submission of the required information to cover the Agency’s reasonable costs to implement the provisions. Allows the Agency to coordinate with the Board, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Public Health to enforce the provisions. Sets forth products that are exempt from the provisions.
* SB2706 from Sen. Laura Murphy…
Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Requires the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a Fleet Electrification Incentive Program to promote the use of electric trucks by fleet owners by offering a voucher of $200,000 per electric Class 6 truck, electric Class 7 truck, or electric Class 8 truck purchased or leased for a fleet by the fleet’s owner or operator. Provides that an applicant shall submit a proof of purchase, lease, or other binding contract regarding the electric Class 6 truck, electric Class 7 truck, or electric Class 8 truck in order to be awarded the voucher. Requires an applicant who is awarded a voucher to agree to participate in annual surveys on specified metrics. Contains other program requirements. Defines “Class 6 truck”, “Class 7 truck”, and “Class 8 truck”.
- The new shelter is slated to host about 220 migrants in a former CVS location in Little Village.
- Pritzker said his administration is exploring ways to deter bus companies and airlines from transporting more migrants to the city from the southern border.
* Tribune | Migrants go without showers, dig for food in trash at city’s ‘landing zone’ as they wait for shelter: With 27 designated shelter buildings at capacity and more migrants arriving every day, numbers have overflowed to buses in the city’s “landing zone,” a parking lot run by OEMC officials. Migrants began being placed at the loading zone at the end of December after the city emptied police stations that had been housing migrants waiting for space indoors.
Governor Pritzker will be at the Southern Illinois Health Care Center in Carterville at 10 am, click here to watch.
* Here’s the rest of your morning roundup…
* WJOL | Rezin named co-chair of National Conference of State Legislators’ energy committee: In recognition of State Senator Sue Rezin’s (R-Morris) dedication to advancing policies that address critical issues impacting energy needs, she has been appointed as one of the co-chairs of the National Conference of State Legislatures’ (NCSL) Natural Resources, Energy, and Environment Standing Committee.
* Illinois Times | Disparity in access to college credit for high schoolers: According to the study, a small number of dual credit courses are offered through public four-year universities, but the overwhelming majority – about 97% – are offered through local community colleges. As a result, the courses offered in any given high school are strongly influenced by the policies and programs of the community college district that overlaps with the high school district.
* Capitol News Illinois | Illinois Supreme Court to Determine If Cannabis Odor is Cause for Vehicle Search: In People v. Redmond, defendant Ryan Redmond was pulled over by Illinois State Police for an unsecure license plate and driving three miles per hour over the speed limit, court records show. Upon smelling cannabis, the officer searched the vehicle and found about one gram of cannabis in the center console. He later charged Redmond with a misdemeanor for failure to transport cannabis in an odor-proof container, according to court documents.
* Check CU | School Board Refuses AG Order to Release Secret Meeting Recording – Yorkville, Illinois: On January 9th, the district denied that request, arguing that “the Open Meetings Act prohibits the release of closed session recordings and minutes to the public.” The denial was issued by District FOIA Officer Cathy Anderson. Check CU has also searched online, including on the Yorkville District 115 website and their Youtube Channel, for any place that the District might have made the August 7th meeting recording “publicly available”, in accordance with the AG order, but the recording could not be located.
* WAND | Illinois lawmakers discuss potential move to universal vote-by-mail system: A proposal in Springfield could allow the state to send vote-by-mail ballots to all eligible voters instead of having people apply to have their ballots sent in the mail. Rep. Carol Ammons (D-Urbana) said counties could save money by not having to send notifications and applications for vote-by-mail ballots to voters.
* WBEZ | Journalists from Chicago and Paris reflect on common experiences with racial profiling: In Chicago and the United States, “the problem of profiling is something that is pervasive, and to see that that is the case in France was eye opening,” said Alden Loury, WBEZ’s data projects editor. Last September, WBEZ and the Investigative Project on Race and Equity published a three-part investigation that revealed stark disparities in the share of Black drivers stopped by Illinois police compared to white drivers.
