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* Associated Press account of today’s Illinois Supreme Court hearing on the SAFE-T Act…
[Jim Rowe, the state’s attorney for Kankakee County] faced several questions about whether prosecutors and sheriffs have legal standing to bring the case.
* Please pardon all transcription errors, but here’s an excerpt of SA Rowe’s opening arguments…
Rowe: I’m the state’s attorney for Kankakee County and my oath in the interest of public safety compel me to contest the defendants’ Act in this regard.
Chief Justice Mary Jane Theis quickly interrupted to point out that a party only has standing to challenge the constitutionality of a statute “only insofar as it adversely impacts his or her own rights.” So, she asked, where’s your standing?…
Rowe: Your honor, with regard to standing, plaintiffs - sheriffs, state’s attorneys - are absolutely proper parties to this litigation. Each of us - your honors, the sheriffs as well - we have all raised our right hand and we have sworn a duty to uphold and defend the constitution of the state of Illinois.
Justice Theis then reminded Rowe about the actual oath that they both took…
I do solemnly swear (affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of the State of Illinois…
Emphasis added, and this explains why…
Theis: Wasn’t the language prescribed in the statute that we support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Illinois? And isn’t that the same oath that every lawyer, every person who comes to be admitted into the bar of Illinois under the Attorneys Act takes the same oath? So are you saying that everyone, every lawyer in the state of Illinois has standing to challenge a statute they don’t like?
Rowe: I’m not arguing that, your honor. I’m saying that state’s attorneys and sheriffs stand in a very unique position. For instance, state’s attorneys are the only ones that can go into a courtroom and file a petition under the Defendants Act to deny bail to someone.
Theis: Isn’t that true now?
Rowe: That is true, your honor. Except in this instance, we would be asked to enforce a rule that plaintiffs believe is unconstitutional. I think under Lujan, this court found that if we are regulated by the Act, we are a proper party to that litigation. And plaintiff state’s attorneys and sheriffs are certainly regulated under that Act.
Theis: There’s an adverse impact on your rights, is that it?
Rowe: There absolutely is. As the circuit court found, state’s attorneys, prosecutors have an inherent interest in ensuring that we can move cases through the court system, that we can secure a defendant’s appearance at trial, the sheriff has an inherent interest to…
Theis: Why don’t you continue to have that right? A constitutional right, I’m not sure what. You say you have a right to ensure that defendants appear or to continue to appear. Doesn’t that continue under this Act?
Rowe: Well, the Act abolishes the opportunity for a state’s attorney to even request a monetary bail as a sufficient surety. And for the sheriff, the sheriff has to ensure effectively the safety of every law enforcement officer under his charge. This Act requires them to serve, for instance, notice to appear and then a warrant and two occasions, we’ve now doubled the number of instances where law enforcement is going to come into contact with perhaps a fugitive or a very dangerous individual. So plaintiffs squarely believe that prosecutors and sheriffs have standing to pursue these matters. And we further believe that the Act is unconstitutional.
It goes on, but you get the drift.
* OK, back to the AP…
Other justices questioned how the SAFE-T Act changes to cash bail differ from lawmakers’ ability to set minimum criminal sentences or a list of factors that judges should consider when determining bail.
Alan Spellberg, a state’s attorney representing Will County, argued that the elimination of cash bail differs from those examples. In the case of cash bail, he argued that lawmakers have “mandated the outcome.”
“We know from history, monetary components are an important incentive for ensuring that a defendant appears for trial,” Spellberg said.
Chief Justice Theis quoted from a statute that has been around for many years, “In determining the amount of monetary bail or conditions of release, the court shall take into account” and noted that it then goes on to list 36 different factors that the court must consider…
Theis: Isn’t that statute unconstitutional, because it interferes with the court’s inherent authority to determine sufficient surety?
Spellberg: No, your honor, it’s not, because while the legislature has listed a series of factors to be considered…
Theis: Shall be considered. [Cross talk] Dictated. The court must take, shall take into consideration these factors. Isn’t that the legislature working with, or maybe interfering with the court’s…
Spellberg: Your honor, I respectfully disagree. And the reason why is because even though the legislature has mandated that certain factors should be considered, absolutely, it has not mandated the outcome, has not mandated the determination that should be made after the consideration of those factors.
In summary, the state’s lawyer, Deputy Solicitor General Alex Hemmer, said he believed Chief Justice Theis’ question was “exactly right”…
Plaintiffs’ argument, if accepted, would bring down not only the pretrial release provisions enacted by the SAFE-T Act, but also the entire scaffolding of legislative regulation of pretrial release in Illinois that’s existed for 60 years before the SAFE-T Act’s enactment. Plaintiffs have no effective response to that.
* One other point. Justice Lisa Holder White pointed out that in a “facial challenge,” the plaintiffs must “demonstrate that there is no set of circumstances that this would be constitutional.” She then asked if they’d done that. Spellberg’s answer was no yes, but then went on to say that the court had never before applied that demand to a separation of powers case.
Hemmer, the state’s lawyer, argued that “plaintiffs have not come anywhere close to meeting their burden”…
They admit that none of those cases establishes the exception that they are seeking. And in most of these cases, the issue simply wasn’t raised. And so there’s no reason to read these cases’ silence as kind of a precedent that establishes a separation of powers exception to the ordinary rule.
Discuss.
…Adding… Capitol News Illinois…
But opponents argued the constitution’s mentions of “bail” essentially serve as a requirement that the state maintains a system of monetary bail.
In particular, the prosecutors argued that the Crime Victims’ Bill of Rights was brought to voters as a constitutional amendment in 2014, which was the proper avenue for such a change.
Kankakee County State’s Attorney James Rowe argued that lawmakers put amendments to the voters in the 1980s when looking to expand the list of nonbailable offenses in the constitution. He contrasted that effort with the January 2021 passage of the SAFE-T Act which moved quickly through the legislature and came for a vote in the middle of the night.
Hemmer countered that the constitution has multiple references to institutions that no longer exist.
“The bail clause itself refers to capital offenses, but there are no more capital offenses in Illinois,” he said. “No one would argue, I think, that the bail clause requires the state to maintain capital offenses simply by referring to it and the same is true here.”
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Afternoon roundup
Monday, Mar 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Gov. Pritzker was asked again today about the Chicago mayor’s race and whether he’d met with the two candidates…
I have. I’ve met with each of them. And I’ve told them that my intention is to work with whoever wins this race. And so I’ve looked forward to hearing even more. I know we’ve got a few weeks left in this campaign, but you know, it’s important that the governor work with the mayor, whoever that is. And so I’m gonna watch. And, of course, I’m a voter, I live in Chicago, I’ll have to make that decision when the time comes.
He was then asked if the candidates had asked him for his endorsement…
They have, and I’ve told them, as I’ve told all of you, I think it’s important for me to stay clear of endorsing, mainly because I want to make sure that we’re able to work together, whoever it is that wins.
* Pritzker made those comments at a bill-signing event…
Governor JB Pritzker today signed SB208 into law, making Illinois the third state in the nation, and the first in the Midwest, to mandate paid time off to be used for any reason. The historic legislation provides employees with up to 40 hours of paid leave during a 12-month period, meaning approximately 1.5 million workers will begin earning paid time off starting in 2024.
“Working families face so many challenges, and it’s been my mission to alleviate those burdens in every way I can. Today, we will become the third state in the nation to require paid time off, and the first among the largest states,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Employers benefit from allowing employees to tend to the urgent personal matters of their lives. Workers’ productivity increases, and they often gain greater passion for their job when they can manage the stresses they face outside work. I’m exceptionally proud that labor and business came together to recognize the value of this requirement to employees and employers alike.” […]
Under existing law, workers are not guaranteed pay when taking time off for sick leave, childcare, mental health reasons, medical appointments, vacation, or any other reason. Starting on March 31st, 2024, or 90 days following commencement of employment, workers can begin using their earned time off for any reason without the requirement of providing documentation to their employer under the Paid Leave for Workers Act.
This new law applies to every employee working for an employer in Illinois, including domestic workers, but does exclude independent contractors. The City of Chicago and Cook County have an existing paid sick leave ordinance in place; employees and employers in those two geographic regions will be subject to those ordinances. The law will also exempt employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement in the construction industry and parcel delivery industry.
The legislation provides that paid leave shall accrue at the rate of one hour for every 40 hours worked. Employees will be paid their full wage while on leave and tipped workers will be paid the minimum wage in their respective locale. An employer cannot require an employee to find their replacement for the leave.
* A state Representative tells me she’s received 500+ emails today opposed to ranked choice voting, with these three minor variations. None of the senders live in her district…
Ranked choice voting turns winners into losers – Do not support it!
Dear Representative xxxx,
I am an Illinois voter and would like your help in fighting against ranked choice voting in our state. This unnecessary, partisan process turns winners into losers and complicates voting. Please don’t let this happen in Illinois and vote against ranked choice voting.
No Ranked Choice Voting in Illinois
As an Illinois voter, I compel you to not let outside influences corrupt the voting process in our state with ranked-choice voting. Ranked choice voting disenfranchises voters and is not needed in Illinois. Please don’t let ranked choice voting become a reality here.
Protect my right to vote and vote NO on HB 2807 & HB 2716
Dear Representative xxxx,
I cherish my sacred right to vote, and I do not want the process in Illinois complicated by ranked-choice voting. This is an unnecessary practice that serves to confuse voters and makes it difficult to count votes. As an Illinois voter, I ask you to vote against Ranked-Choice Voting.
* A Decatur manufacturing shutdown has had a huge national impact…
An ongoing shortage of a medicine commonly used to treat people with breathing problems is expected to get worse after a major supplier to U.S. hospitals shut down last week.
Liquid albuterol has been in short supply since last summer, according to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. It has been on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s shortages list since October. The news of the plant shutdown worries some doctors who work with patients with breathing problems such as asthma. […]
The manufacturer that recently shut down, Akorn Operating Company LLC, had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May 2020.
It was the only company to make certain albuterol products used for continuous nebulizer treatment. It’s a staple in children’s hospitals, but had been out of stock since last fall. Without that particular form of the product, hospitals have had to scramble to find alternatives.
* Center Square…
Federal prosecutors plan to call 70 witnesses to prove that four former ComEd employees and lobbyists doled out jobs, contracts and payments to illegally influence one of Illinois’ most powerful politicians.
* Something to keep in mind…
* How it started, how it’s going…
…Adding… I actually am related to this Miller. He’s my brother and also Isabel’s father…
(Not an endorsement, just an acknowledgement.)
* Isabel’s afternoon roundup…
* Daily Herald | Pritzker donation raises concerns of partisan influence on school board races: Pritzker’s campaign committee, which has been nearly entirely self-funded by the billionaire governor, made a $500,000 donation to the state Democratic organization Feb. 27, Illinois State Elections Board records show.
* Shaw Local | Rally defends diversity in Oswego SD308: ‘Our community will not be bullied, threatened or bought’: “Awake Illinois and the candidates they support are trying to destroy public schools and libraries by taking over the boards and imposing their far right agenda,” Donnelly said. “These groups traffic in fear and bigotry and seek to gain power by spreading moral panic and lies.”
* Joe Cahill |Pritzker’s power plan gets a reality check: Pritzker, for his part, shows no interest in adjusting the schedule for closing carbon-emitting plants. His spokeswoman dismisses the possibility of power shortages, saying “we’ll be able to meet the power needs in Illinois,” provided PJM and MISO “accelerate the interconnection of all the renewable power” that developers have proposed in their regions. She adds that CEJA is just one of many factors contributing to PJM’s concerns about power capacity throughout its service area.
* KFVS | City of Carbondale, several other southern Illinois entities to receive energy transition grant: Carbondale is set to receive $80,707 from the program to address the economic and social impacts of fossil fuel plant or coal mine closures or significant reductions.
* Treasurer Michael Frerichs | China aggressiveness is opening up opportunities for Illinois businesses: We ought to support our key ally Japan and make the most of this moment to bring jobs back to Illinois. We can continue to build relationships with a strong trading partner, one that has significant influence in an area of the world that increasingly is threatened by Chinese destabilization.
* Arne Duncan and Tim Daly | Illinois can hold rogue actors in gun industry accountable under Consumer Fraud Act: Rogue gun manufacturers and dealers who negligently or recklessly sell firearms in Illinois must be held accountable to more effectively reduce gun violence in our communities. To do so, policymakers need to clarify the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, or Consumer Fraud Act, to ensure that the gun industry is held to the same basic principles of civil justice as everyone else.
* Tribune | Labor unions are split on Chicago mayor candidates as powerful IUOE Local 150 backs Paul Vallas: The International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 initially threw its support behind U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García late last year but is now pivoting to support Vallas after García’s candidacy sputtered to a fourth-place finish in the first round of voting Feb. 28.
* Daily Herald | Lake County Board might endorse using Route 53 right of way as greenway: The resolution up for action Tuesday largely is symbolic but would make official the county’s endorsement of having the right of way stretching from Lake-Cook Road north to Grayslake and points west preserved as a greenway.
* Crain’s | Rivian negotiating end to exclusivity deal with Amazon: report: Electric vehicle maker Rivian and tech giant Amazon are reportedly negotiating to alter their current partnership to allow Rivian to sell its electric vans to others and end its exclusive deal with Amazon. According to The Wall Street Journal, Rivian’s request follows Amazon’s decision to buy around 10,000 vans in 2023, which falls at the lower end of the agreement established in 2019 for 100,000 vans purchased by 2030.
* Patch | LTHS Admits Open Meetings Violations: In a letter to the attorney general Wednesday, the school’s lawyer said officials failed to cite the legal exception for the board to close its doors. This happened a half dozen times for closed meetings from April to November last year. The topic was the plan to sell the school’s land in Willow Springs.
* Reuters | Caterpillar union workers vote in favor of six-year labor agreement: The contract covers roughly 7,000 union workers at plants in central Illinois and a parts distribution center in York, Pennsylvania. In a notice seen by Reuters, 71.5% of union members voted to accept the tentative agreement. The union did not disclose how many workers voted.
* Forbes | What Happened To Signature Bank? The Latest Bank Failure Marks Third Largest In History: State regulators in New York shuttered Signature Bank—a 23-year-old regional bank that had previously focused on digital assets by becoming one of a few banks to accept crypto deposits—after regulators warned the stability of the financial system could be threatened if the bank remained open.
* SJ-R | Grandview municipal building to be named for former Illinois Supreme Court justice: Former Illinois Supreme Court Justice Robert Carter remembered as a kid growing up in the 2300 block of East Grandview riding his bike over, with his brother, Randy, and neighborhood friend, Dennis Dyson, several blocks to a baseball diamond where neighborhood kids would gather.
* Tribune | Taste of Chicago, Jazz Fest and 2023 summer season announced: Summer festival season has been announced. The big news: Taste of Chicago will have three preview events in Chicago neighborhoods over the summer, then take place in Grant Park Sept. 8-10. Also in the lineup, Chicago Blues Festival in Millennium Park in June, Chicago Air and Water Show Aug. 19-20 and Chicago Jazz Festival at the end of summer.
* WGN | Chicago man files class action suit against Buffalo Wild Wings, says boneless wings are just nuggets: The complaint seeks to challenge what it calls “the false and deceptive marketing and advertising of Buffalo Wild Wings’ Boneless Wings,” and goes on to say, “Specifically, the name and description of the Products (i.e., as “Boneless Wings”) leads reasonable consumers to believe the Products are actually chicken wings.”
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That toddlin’ town roundup
Monday, Mar 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* New TV ad…
You knew that was gonna happen. Oof.
* The public sector union vs. private sector union split is fully on display in the Chicago mayoral race…
…Adding… SEIU IL Council just put $1.1 million into its PAC.
On the other side…
This morning, three large construction unions announced their endorsement of Paul Vallas in the upcoming runoff election for Mayor of Chicago. The unions were joined by former Secretary of State Jesse White, who endorsed Vallas earlier this month.
Among the unions were the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 134, and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 9. In total, the unions represent about 40,000 workers. These endorsements come only days after the Plumbers Local 130, which represents more than 6,000 members, announced its endorsement of Vallas.
In addition to its endorsement, the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 committed $1 million to the effort to elect Paul Vallas.
“The men and women here today built Chicago,” said White, who has been an influential voice in Illinois politics for nearly fifty years. “These unions are committed to a bright future for this city, and their unity on this endorsement symbolizes the vital role that Vallas will play in shaping that future.”
* Think about the framing of this policy idea for a moment…
The centerpiece of mayoral candidate Paul Vallas’ plan to reverse decades of disinvestment on the South and West sides of Chicago is the creation of an independent community development authority that would limit the ability of Chicago City Council members to have final say on ward-level issues.
What the idea boils down to is wanting to help Black wards by disempowering Black alderpersons and then handing over control to an unelected “independent community development authority.”
Don’t get me wrong, I’m in favor of drastically reducing aldermanic prerogative. It just feels a bit too “on-brand” to sell it this way.
* Counting the same money twice is also on-brand for Vallas…
Vallas also proposes creating a municipal bank, which would hold the authority’s funds, which would come from “a dedicated portion of all new revenues from [tax-increment financing districts] and all developer fees, future casino, sports betting and gaming revenues” that would be earmarked for investments on the South and West sides. […]
However, state law requires Chicago to use all casino revenues to fund its police and fire pensions.
* This policy idea reminds me of candidate Bruce Rauner’s empty pledge to prosecute corruption out of his own office…
Even more unproven is Vallas’ plan to establish a “Law Department Municipal Prosecution Unit” to try the city’s cases itself, which likely would require a change in state law.
And Johnson supports this…
Christened the “Anjanette Young Ordinance” as a nod to the Black social worker who was forced to stand naked in her home as several Chicago officers in 2019 executed a search warrant at the wrong location, the legislation is opposed by Lightfoot, who has said it was not grounded in the reality of policing. Young has endorsed Johnson for mayor.
The latest proposed version would add a provision that mandates officers seeking warrants to first conduct at least a week of surveillance on the location.
A week?
* Also…
On the other hand, Brandon Johnson is a CTU staffer. I’m sure he’ll be tough on them during contract negotiations. /s
* This is on-brand for the CTU candidate…
Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson said he will not raise property taxes if elected. … Johnson is proposing a slew of new revenues, mostly in new taxes on big businesses.
The CTU always opposes property tax hikes, relying instead on “tax the rich” proposals, many of which would require state legislative approval or even constitutional change or a strong belief in unicorns.
And Vallas…
Former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas said he would cap the city’s property tax levy, but has been less clear about whether that means we would not raise property taxes at all. A spokesperson said Vallas is “committed to not raising city property taxes.” … Vallas, meanwhile, promises to use budgetary acumen to work within the existing budget’s bounds.
He claims to be a unicorn wizard. I’d beg to differ.
* Vallas constantly heaps praise on private and charter schools, but his own words on 60 Minutes when he was running the New Orleans school district undercuts his arguments. Most of the schools are simply too small to accommodate kids with special needs, and there are lot of those kids in Chicago…
* NBC 5…
A new poll of more than 800 likely Chicago mayoral election voters found that former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas is holding a lead over Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson, and several key voting blocs could play a significant role in determining the outcome of the race.
The poll, conducted by Victory Research, asked 806 likely runoff voters about their preferences in the upcoming election, with Vallas collecting 44.9% of the vote. Johnson grabbed 39.1% of the vote, with 16% of respondents saying they are still undecided for the April 4 runoff.
The margin of error in the poll was 3.45%, with a mix of respondents on land lines and cell phones, according to the polling company.
Adding some intrigue to the proceedings was the number of voters who said that their choices could change. According to the poll, 18% of respondents said they could change their minds prior to Election Day, meaning that one-third of the voters either haven’t settled on a candidate or could move to the other in the two-man race.
Victory Research also cited demographic data that showed two key groups that could help determine the outcome of the race. Voters living near the city’s lakefront, normally a key constituency in the race, are narrowly favoring Vallas by a 44-to-41 margin.
Celinda Lake had Johnson up by 5.
* The Triibe…
Spurred by the fatal shooting of Rekia Boyd by then-Chicago police officer Dante Servin in 2012, they organized a movement that led to the creation of elected civilian councils and a civilian commission with police oversight powers—the first such bodies in the city’s, and the nation’s, history. By the end of election night, the [Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression ] candidates and organizers in the ballroom had won 62 percent of the council seats.
The Chicago City Council passed the Empowering Communities for Public Safety (ECPS) ordinance, which created the district councils and CCPSA, following not only years of grassroots organizing by CAARPR and its allies in the Grassroots Alliance for Police Accountability (GAPA), but also months of negotiations with Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who tried to block giving any police oversight powers to elected civilians, despite supporting it during her 2019 campaign. What came out of those negotiations was a compromise that gave some oversight powers to the CCPSA and kept some in the mayor’s office.
Each of the city’s 22 police districts will have a three-member elected PDC that interacts with the community and can make recommendations to local police commanders. Those district-level councils also nominate members of the citywide CCPSA and make reports and recommendations to them. They also are in charge of nominating people to fill vacancies on the district councils themselves (which may be necessary immediately after this election in at least one district).
Unsurprisingly, many of those folks endorsed Brandon Johnson today.
* And finally…
* Isabel’s roundup…
* Tribune | Chicago homicides in 2023: 91 people slain. : That’s 8 fewer people killed when compared with 2022.
* Sun-Times | Runoff campaign: Vallas’ and Johnson’s pension, property tax plans underwhelm fiscal experts: Brandon Johnson is proposing a slew of new revenues, mostly new taxes on big businesses. Paul Vallas promises to use budgetary acumen to work within the existing budget’s bounds. Neither plan is failsafe, experts say.
* Tribune | Crime is a top issue for Chicago voters. Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson offer sharp contrasts to public safety: Johnson represents some of the city’s most violent neighborhoods and repeatedly discusses crime in personal terms. He talks about shielding his children from gunfire on his block that sometimes has pierced his home’s windows and a classmate of his oldest son who died in a shooting this school year. “I have more incentive than Paul Vallas for a safer, stronger Chicago,” he’s argues. “I’m living it, just like families are all over the city. We have to get it right.”
* WBEZ | Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson have vastly different visions for Chicago’s taxes and finances: Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson said he will not raise property taxes if elected. Former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas said he would cap the city’s property tax levy, but has been less clear about whether that means we would not raise property taxes at all. A spokesperson said Vallas is “committed to not raising city property taxes.”
* Laura Washington | Chicago mayoral race is a job interview. Voters should ask: Who is more experienced?: We have heard much about how the runoff candidates, Paul Vallas, a former Chicago Public Schools CEO, and Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson, are polar opposites on issues, policy and ideology. Yet throughout these months of campaign debates, forums and news conferences, not so much about experience.
* WTTW | City Council Won’t Pay $1M to Settle Lawsuit Filed by Mother of Man Killed by Chicago Police Officer Who Turned Off Camera: A recommendation from the city’s lawyers to pay $1 million to the mother of a man who was fatally shot by Chicago police in May 2019 after a foot chase will not get a vote by the Chicago City Council.
* Crain’s | As mayor, Johnson would revive push for anti-homelessness ‘mansion tax’: The Bring Chicago Home proposal spearheaded by homeless advocates would more than triple the transfer tax that a buyer of a residential or commercial property at $1 million or more would pay. The transfer tax is a one-time payment at the time of purchase, not a recurring expense like property taxes.
* Sun-Times | City must push forward in holding businesses, residential buildings responsible for recycling: The Streets and Sanitation Department has corrected “two problems” and partly fixed another since the IG’s audit in late 2020 revealed that it “makes no attempt to identify noncompliant commercial or high-density residential buildings.” But it has a way to go, Inspector General Deborah Witzburg said in her follow-up report earlier this month.
* Tribune | Smoke detectors save lives, but Chicago has slow-walked efforts to toughen rules: Illinois policymakers have been straining in recent years to catch up with national trends in safety standards to make sure modern, reliable smoke alarms are installed in every home so that tragedies like the Humboldt Park fire are not repeated. But their efforts have been repeatedly undermined by real estate interests, by Chicago Fire Department officials who have lobbied to delay and weaken regulations, and by lackluster outreach and spotty enforcement on the part of city officials, an investigation by the Illinois Answers Project and the Tribune found.
* Crain’s | Juul settles with Chicago for nearly $24 million: Since 2018, Chicago has filed nine lawsuits against 45 online vaping retailers, reaching settlements with 50 companies in exchange for agreements to change their business practices and pay almost $27 million in fines, the statement said. It has also won about $2 million in fines from default judgments against seven online vaping businesses, it said.
* Sun-Times | 3 groups vie to revive a chunk of Chicago’s industrial legacy: Proposals being evaluated by local groups and the Department of Planning and Development would introduce new uses to the old Central Manufacturing District on Pershing Road.
* Block Club | Chicago’s Mexican Independence Day Parade Is Back In September With The Theme ‘Tu Mexico, Tu Chicago’: The parade begins noon Sept. 16 at the arch at 26th Street and Albany Avenue. It will proceed down 26th Street to Kostner Avenue. The celebration typically brings thousands to the neighborhood’s business corridor.
* Block Club | Chicago-Evanston Border Could Get 3 Dispensaries Within 6 Blocks As Pot Shops Target Howard And Clark Area: Perception Cannabis, a social equity cannabis license holder, is also looking to open a dispensary at 7000 N. Clark St., according to Ald. Maria Hadden’s (49th) ward office.
* Crain’s | A Chicagoan to know: Sammy Dorf of cannabis firm Verano: Sammy Dorf is co-founder of Chicago-based Verano Holdings, one of the largest cannabis companies in the nation, boasting more than 120 dispensaries in 13 states, 14 cultivation and production facilities, and nearly 4,000 employees. Dorf, 38, and his wife live in the Gold Coast neighborhood and just had their first child, a boy, in late February.
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* ILGOP Chair Don Tracy…
Fellow Republicans,
I am writing to you to talk about the elephant in the room, Vote By Mail. Each election cycle, we see that the general public is choosing to vote by mail in increasing numbers. This phenomenon is consistent across all types of voters, as the chart below illustrates. And of course, Democrats utilize Vote By Mail at a much higher rate than Republicans. Democrats have won many close elections on the strength of their Vote By Mail programs. Quite simply, Republicans will have an uphill battle in every election moving forward if we do not start utilizing Vote By Mail to our advantage — especially now that Illinois authorizes permanent Vote By Mail lists, which will disproportionately impact the results of our municipal elections, especially our local school boards.
We are acutely aware of problems with the Vote By Mail process. However, the harsh reality is that until we have the numbers in the legislature to change it, we have to play to win under the existing rules and we must increase Republican voter turnout by greater use of Vote By Mail. In contrast to our genuine concerns about how certain aspects of voting by mail undermine fair and honest elections, there is relatively little increased risk of fraudulent abuse of your ballot when you vote by mail as opposed to voting in person. In a sense, voting by mail can actually decrease the possibility of a bad actor voting your ballot for you.
Even for voters who prefer not to vote by mail, participating in the Vote By Mail process has advantages. Our partners at the Illinois Conservative Union speak about a “claim your name, secure your vote” strategy to Vote By Mail voting that was used with success in Virginia in 2021, and their viewpoint bears repeating here.
First, we encourage our voters to request a Vote By Mail ballot as early in the process as possible. Once that ballot arrives, the voter has “claimed their name, and secured their vote.” With that ballot in hand, there is no possibility that anyone else can cast that ballot, or request a ballot in that voter’s name.
At this point, if that voter wants to cast a ballot by mail, he or she may obviously do so. However, if that voter wants to vote in person – whether through Early Voting or on Election Day – that voter simply takes the Vote By Mail ballot with them to their polling place, and surrenders it to the election judges.
We’d want our voters to be sure to watch the election judge write “SPOILED” on the Vote By Mail ballot and secure it in a “Spoiled Ballot” envelope. After this, the voter may proceed to vote in-person at the polling place.
The wisdom of this approach is that it provides our voters with flexibility. Under this approach, if something comes up at the last minute, and a voter cannot vote in person, they can still vote using a Vote By Mail ballot. An executed Vote By Mail ballot can be delivered using the mail, in-person OR by a trusted friend or family member, using the affidavit on the Vote By Mail envelope. Whether it is in-person voting or voting by mail, we can protect our vote by claiming our name and ensuring that our ballot is cast. Whether you are a fan of voting by mail or not, it is the law of the land in Illinois. Until we elect enough Republicans to change it, we must use this system to the greatest extent possible so that we can do just that: elect more Republicans.
The included chart…
Thoughts?
…Adding… A buddy of mine with access to an Illinois Policy Institute private Facebook group just sent me this text…
The IPI guys have been trying to convince their private group members to vote by mail for months.
Every time they post its just a stream of comments decrying fraud, etc.
Reap what you sow, I suppose.
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Open thread
Monday, Mar 13, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Good morning! Hopefully everyone had a restful weekend despite losing an hour. What’s going on in your part of Illinois…
…Added by Rich… This place was so much fun…
Click here to learn more about Stella Coffee & Tea.
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