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Isabel’s afternoon roundup (Updated)

Thursday, Mar 7, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Press release…

Today, Governor JB Pritzker joined Primient leadership, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, and local stakeholders to celebrate Primient’s new investments in Decatur. With this milestone $400M investment over the next 5 years in infrastructure and operations, Primient will improve refining and drying practices and further ensure quality and reliability for decades to come. A leader in sustainable food and industrial ingredient production, Primient is the sole corn wet miller to replace coal use at every facility with more sustainable energy sources.

“Illinois is open for business, and we’re showing the rest of the nation that business development and environmental sustainability go hand-in-hand,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I couldn’t be prouder to join Primient leadership as they announce a historic $400 million capital investment here in Decatur. Today’s announcement doesn’t just secure Primient’s status as a market leader — it speaks to their commitment to serve as a true community partner.”

“In Illinois, we embrace innovation. We are ready to make changes that will protect our land for future generations and it’s exciting to partner with businesses who share that goal,” said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. “I look forward to seeing how Primient will use these funds to propel sustainable energy. This is the kind of work that will ensure Illinois’ long-term economic and environmental success.”

Primient’s Decatur facility investments will prioritize a few key projects:

    - Modernizing and upgrading feed, germ, and drying processes,
    - Improving syrup refining reliability and efficiencies,
    - Enhancing safety and equipment capabilities,
    - Updating employee spaces such as lunch and locker rooms,
    - And providing additional training and development opportunities and programming.

[…]

The investment aims to guarantee the Decatur site’s future for the next 20 years, with technological and environmental considerations to ensure prosperity. As a long-term community partner, Primient has increased corn processing capacity by 10 million bushels, locally sourced, and created hundreds of jobs for Illinoisans.

As part of the expansion, the company received an Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) tax credit, which stipulates a $40 million minimum investment and creating 50 new full-time jobs and retaining nearly 540 full-time jobs. A link to the full agreement can be found here. (Note: Agreement will be on this site when executed).

* Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association…

The Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association (IHLA) released the following statement applauding the Senate Environment and Conservation committee for passage of SB 2960, which will ban single use toiletries in hotels.

“The Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association applauds the Senate Environment and Conservation committee for passage of SB 2960, which will ban single use toiletries in hotels. While most hotels are already in compliance with this bill and have proactively replaced these products with more environmentally-friendly options, we remain committed to strengthening sustainability efforts and reducing waste within our industry. We thank Sen. Laura Fine for her leadership on this measure, which will codify these practices into law and make common-sense sustainability effort the baseline for Illinois hotels,” said Michael Jacobson, President and CEO of the Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association.

* Press release…

Illinois Senate Republican Leader John Curran (R-Downers Grove) was joined at a March 7th Capitol press conference by Senator Dave Syverson (R-Cherry Valley) and Senator Sally Turner (R-Beason) to talk about legislation he is sponsoring to require an annual report to the General Assembly identifying all state spending on services and resources for migrants. […]

Curran’s Senate Bill 3170 would require the Illinois Department of Human Services to work with relevant State agencies, to prepare an annual report to the General Assembly identifying all state spending on services and resources for migrants. It would also be made available to the public on the Department’s website.

…Adding… From the governor’s office…

Following Donald Trump’s orders, Senate Republicans are blowing their racist dog whistle and conflating different immigrant populations to vilify human beings for their political gain. Whether it’s the Governor of Texas shipping people across the county creating a humanitarian crisis or Republican legislators complaining that people who call Illinois home are getting services they need, Republicans are once again proving their only focus is on dividing us. Just because they do not agree that we should live up to our duty to care for people, doesn’t mean information about how we’re doing that isn’t already publicly available. Instead of their ridiculous political theater, the super minority party should be focused on working with their colleagues in the General Assembly to vote for a balanced budget that invests in the very services they claim they care so much about.

Whew.

* Press release about a bill that’s now heading to the governor’s desk…

Today, the Illinois House of Representatives passed HB779, a rewrite of the Pawnbroker Regulation Act (PRA). Upon passage, a coalition of consumer advocates – including AARP, the Catholic Conference of Illinois, the Chicago Urban League, and Woodstock Institute – and financial technology (fintech) companies (the “Coalition”), sent a letter to Governor Pritzker identifying the pros and cons of the bill.

Among the pros: the bill prohibits pawnbrokers from making auto title loans, which is a problem in other states. The bill also empowers the Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation (IDFPR), to collect data about every pawn loan made in the state.

Among the cons: the bill permits pawnbrokers to continue charging 240%+ APR on loans less than $500.

“This bill is a ‘mixed bag’ from a policy perspective. Unable to compete with the pawn industry’s considerable resources, we decided to remove our opposition to the bill and take “No Position.”” said Brent Adams, Senior Vice President of Policy & Advocacy at Woodstock Institute. “The interest rates are still too high, but HB 779 lowers the rate on loans of $500 and above. A critical component of HB 779 is data collection, which is intended to enable the stakeholders to revisit the issue of interest rates at a future date. We are grateful for the leadership of State Senator Elgie Sims, who spearheaded negotiations in the Senate and signaled a commitment to addressing rate-related concerns in the years to come.”

Earlier this year, Woodstock released a report, which showed that Illinois consumers have saved over $600 million thanks to the 36% interest rate cap on consumer loans that was established in 2021. Woodstock’s report stated that there is a high probability that some of the money saved by consumers on payday and auto title loans was spent on pawn loans. The report pointed to Ohio where, after enacting a cap of 28% APR on payday loans, there was a 97% increase in pawn shops.

Caps on pawn loan finance charges vary considerably among the states. Michigan caps pawn loans at 36% APR plus a $3 per month storage fee while Kentucky permits a pawnbroker to charge as much as 264% APR. Iowa has no cap.

In recent years, more states have established rate caps and resisted industry efforts to raise rates. New Mexico established a 36% rate cap on installment loans modeled after the Illinois law. Colorado and Minnesota reduced the allowable APR on certain small short-term loans, and Florida’s governor vetoed a bill last year that would have raised interest rates on installment loans to 36%.

* A little taste…



* Here’s the rest…

  22 Comments      


Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition (Updated)

Thursday, Mar 7, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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Rivian to build new car at Illinois plant (Updated x3)

Thursday, Mar 7, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Rivian’s CEO just said that the company plans to start deliveries of its new R2 in the first half of 2026. How will they do that? By building the car at their plant in Normal.

More in a bit.

…Adding… Full remarks…

I’m excited to say that we’re going to be pulling the timing in to allow R2 to start deliveries in the first half of 2026. And we’re able to do that, we’re able to achieve that accelerated time by leveraging our production capabilities in Normal using our Illinois site to launch R2 and get that in the market as quickly as we can.

Now our Georgia site remains really important to us. It’s core to the scaling across all these vehicles between R2, R3, R3X. And we’re so appreciate of all the partnership we’ve had there. But being able to leverage the team, the skill, the passion we have in our Illinois facility to get that into the market, to get customers [the car] as quickly as possible. We are just ecstatic about that.

…Adding… Gov. JB Pritzker…

Once again, Rivian has reaffirmed a message I have been championing since day one of my administration—Illinois is one of the best places to do business in the country. I want to congratulate Rivian on the newest additions to their growing line of vehicles and look forward to seeing them on the roads very soon. Rivian’s latest announcement and related expansion will add more economic investment and job growth to the Bloomington-Normal community on top of the thousands of jobs they have already created. I’m pleased that Rivian is an important partner in building Illinois’s rapidly-growing manufacturing sector, and I look forward to working with them to continue to build the clean energy economy of the future.

Notice the word “expansion.” The plant is apparently getting bigger.

…Adding… Atlanta Journal-Constitution…

BREAKING: Rivian pauses plan to build $5B Georgia factory […]

“Rivian’s Georgia plant remains an extremely important part of its strategy to scale production of R2 and R3,” the company said in a statement. “The timing for resuming construction is expected to be later to focus its teams on the capital-efficient launch of R2 in Normal, Illinois.”

The decision to pause the factory will save Rivian more than $2.2 billion in comparison to waiting to launch R2 production in Georgia, the company said in a news release.

  25 Comments      


Pritzker indicates he favors elected Chicago school board bill (Updated x3)

Thursday, Mar 7, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From Gov. Pritzker’s press conference today…

Q: Today, the House is expected to vote on the Chicago elected school board implementation. Literally, what we’ve seen the last couple of days, there’s been some division among the Democrats on which plan works better. Obviously, they voted on the hybrid model. So this appears to be another issue where we’ve seen the division of Democrats in the legislature as of late. So with this hybrid model, with this school board issue, where do you stand on this and what does this division in this latest issue say about the state of the Democratic Party?

Um, only two Senate Democrats voted against the bill on Tuesday. They have structured roll calls with more conflict than that.

But, yes, there was a strong disagreement between the two Democratic-dominated chambers about this issue for months. In the end, they worked it out and decided to get something done before the deadline.

* Pritzker didn’t respond to the Dems in disarray part, but he did say that he’s long supported an elected school board, and said he could support the current version as well. “Either way, I think the city of Chicago is doing the right thing,” he said. “The Chicago Public Schools will be better led by people who are representative of the people and not just appointed by the mayor of the city of Chicago.”

…Adding… And it’s important to note that the final vote has been more about a disagreement over foreign policy with the mayor than party differences over the bill itself…


Also, Rep. Jaime Andrade (D-Chicago) is now asking about the CPS policy going forward on selective enrollment schools, not an elected school board.

…Adding… The House just passed the bill 75-31-3.

…Adding… Speaker Chris Welch…

“With the passage of this legislation, we made history and we’re charting a brighter future for generations to come. Chicagoans in every part of the city can begin to circulate petitions to run for their school board in just three weeks and this November every Chicagoan will be able to vote for an elected representative who will answer to them. Today, we were able to keep our promise to allow every Chicagoan to have a say in their school board.

“I want to thank Rep. Ann Williams and the entire CPS Districting Work Group for getting this historic proposal across the finish line. It’s been a long, deliberate process, but this House Working group stood by the compromises that made this elected school board possible after years of negation. Thank you for your hard work and thank you for your continued commitment to getting this right for the children and families of Chicago.”

  11 Comments      


Huge win for Bring Chicago Home supporters as appellate court vacates lower court’s ruling (Updated)

Wednesday, Mar 6, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* First Appellate District…

The City of Chicago and Defendants Board of Election Commissioners for the City of Chicago appeal a final order of the circuit court in favor of the Plaintiffs, a collection of local business and real estate organizations. At issue is whether the circuit court erred by enjoining the Board of Elections from counting and reporting votes related to a referendum on the March 19, 2024, general primary ballot in Chicago commonly known as “Bring Chicago Home.” The referendum relates to a legislative effort to create a graduated transfer tax on real estate in Chicago where state statute requires voter approval whenever the City intends to raise the rate of taxation or impose a new tax. Because we conclude that the circuit court erred, we vacate the judgment of the circuit court and remand with instructions to dismiss the complaint for want of jurisdiction. […]

Like the parties, we are left guessing as to the bases for the circuit court’s ruling because the lower court gave no reasons for its ruling. Rather, the circuit court read the parties’ briefing verbatim in open court and then made its oral ruling: “I am going to grant their motion for judgment on the pleadings and grant the relief requested in the Complaint.” Three days later, the circuit court issued a written order that stated, “For the reasons stated in open court and on the record, Plaintiffs’ Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings is Granted.” […]

Illinois courts, however, have declined to exercise jurisdiction over challenges to referenda that are part of the legislative process. It is well settled that courts cannot “enjoin the holding of an election” on such a referendum. […]

This rule stems from two bedrock principles. First, Illinois’s constitutional system of government is one of separation of powers. In it “[t]he judiciary has no supervision over the legislative branch of government.” Id. Therefore, “[t]he courts can neither dictate nor enjoin the passage of legislation.” Id. The holding of an election for the purpose of passing a referendum to empower a municipality to adopt an ordinance is a step in the legislative process of the enactment of that ordinance. Courts do not, and cannot, interfere with the legislative process. […]

Second, we do not issue advisory opinions. Courts are empowered to rule on the validity of legislative enactments only after they have been enacted. “[U]ntil the legislative process has been concluded, there is no controversy that is ripe for a declaratory judgment.” […]

Plaintiffs further argue that the Illinois Supreme Court has recognized an exception to the rule against enjoining a referendum election where the challenge is based on noncompliance with the eligibility requirements for placing referendum questions on the ballot. However, no Illinois court has ever sanctioned a challenge to a referendum that was a step in the legislative process. […]

Thus, Plaintiffs’ complaint is premature. Fealty to our constitutional system of government and to well-settled concepts of justiciability requires us to decline to interfere with the legislative process. Accordingly, the circuit court erred when it exercised jurisdiction over the complaint. […]

Finally, we have allowed the City to participate in this appeal as if it was a party in all respects for two reasons. First, the City has a direct and substantial interest in this case and risked being unfairly prejudiced by the circuit court’s judgment if not allowed to appeal. Citicorp Savings of Illinois v. First Chicago Trust Co., 269 Ill. App. 3d 293, 299 (1995) (“[I]t is settled law that a non- party may bring an appeal when that person has a direct, immediate and substantial interest in the subject matter, which would be prejudiced by judgment or benefited by its reversal.”). Plaintiffs’ contentions to the contrary are without merit. The City has a clear and direct interest in defending the referendum, which is the product of a City Council resolution.

Second, the circuit court committed an abuse of discretion in denying the City’s petition to intervene. Under the Code of Civil Procedure, “upon timely application anyone shall be permitted as of right to intervene in an action *** when the representation of the applicant’s interest by existing parties is or may be inadequate and the applicant will or may be bound by an order or judgment in the action.” […]

The referendum is the result of a resolution passed by the Chicago City Council, and it is a step in the legislative process mandated by the Municipal Code. 65 ILCS 5/8-3-19; In re County Treasurer, 2017 IL App (1st) 152951, ¶ 17 (abuse of discretion to deny intervention where intervenors had a direct interest). Further, the only defendant in the case, the Board of Elections, asserted that it had no role in addressing whether the referendum complied with the Municipal Code or the Illinois Constitution, and thus it could not represent the City’s interest. See Kozenczak v. Du Page County Officers Electoral Board, 299 Ill. App. 3d 205, 207 (1998); 10 ILCS 5/6-1 et seq. (West 2022); Flood, 2016 IL App (4th) 150594, ¶¶ 18-21 (abuse of discretion to deny intervention where intervenor’s interests were inadequately represented). Against this backdrop, the City’s petition amply demonstrated its right to intervene, and the circuit court committed an abuse of discretion in concluding otherwise.

CONCLUSION

We offer this gentle reminder that seems warranted in light of some of the contentions raised by amici: we have decided this case exercising our best judgment in strict accordance with the law. Nothing in this decision is intended to suggest that we have any opinion one way or the other on the merits of the referendum at issue. That is a question wisely entrusted not to judges but to the people of the city of Chicago.

For all these reasons, the judgment of the circuit court of Cook County is vacated and the case is remanded with instructions to dismiss the complaint for want of jurisdiction.

Judgment vacated; remanded with instructions.

…Adding… Lots of lawyers thought the case against the referendum was a slam dunk, including Odelson…

“The referendum question was poorly written. The case law supports the fact that it’s illegal to have multiple questions in one question,” said Burt Odelson, who opposed Kasper in the Emanuel residency case. “It is in his favor. It would be a highly charged political decision if it was reversed . . . the appellate court should be unanimous.”

Though Kasper’s involvement in the litigation would appear to set up an almost cartoonish David and Goliath battle between Chicago’s homeless population and an associate of Springfield’s embattled former House speaker, Dorf argues that’s not the case.

“The problem with the Bring Chicago Home referendum is not one of good versus evil. It’s one of competence in drafting a referendum,” he said. “The Johnson administration really should have thought more before they drafted it. They drafted a referendum, which I think made for great press and really showed what he wanted to do. It was really aspirational, but it just was a bad referendum. And they could have done it in a way which would pass the law, and they didn’t do it.”

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

“This afternoon, the Illinois Appellate Court reinstated the citywide referendum question to the March 19th Primary ballot in Chicago. The initial judgment of the Circuit Court of Cook County is vacated, and the case is remanded with instructions to dismiss the complaint for lack of jurisdiction.

All votes cast for the citywide question will be counted and reported by the Chicago Board of Elections on Election Night, March 19th.”

  34 Comments      


« NEWER POSTS PREVIOUS POSTS »
* Catching up with the congressionals
* Do better
* Big Beautiful Bill roundup: Pritzker says special session may not be needed, warns 330,000 Illinoisans could lose Medicaid; Planned Parenthood of Illinois pledges to continue care despite cuts (Updated)
* RETAIL: The Largest Employer In Illinois
* 'The Chosen One' tones himself down
* Open thread
* Isabel’s morning briefing
* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today's edition
* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today's edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
* Selected press releases (Live updates)
* Live coverage
* Selected react to budget reconciliation bill passage (Updated x3 - Comments open)
* Yesterday's stories

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