Attorney General Lisa Madigan today sent a letter to Gov. Rauner condemning the federal executive orders on immigration and urging him to use his authority to protect all Illinois residents from the harm caused by the executive actions. While there is a temporary halt to the immigration travel ban, other provisions of the Orders could greatly impact the lives of Illinois immigrants.
The president issued several Executive Orders on immigration. The executive orders instructed the Secretary of Homeland Security to seek agreements with states and localities to authorize local law enforcement to serve as immigration officers. They also directed that sanctuary jurisdictions are not eligible to receive certain federal grants. Another order suspended immigration from seven nations for 90 days and suspended the admission of all refugees for 120 days.
In her letter, Madigan stated that the Executive Orders have threatened the future of immigrants and refugees who have settled in Illinois and who greatly contribute to the state. The Attorney General urged the governor to refuse to agree to deputize Illinois law enforcement to work as federal immigration officers, policing immigrants in the state. Madigan also urged the governor to strengthen the state’s efforts to ensure immigrants and refugees can safely settle in Illinois and protect them against hate crimes. […]
The Attorney General urged the governor to pledge to protect immigrants and refugees in several ways:
* Refuse to enter into any agreement that would use Illinois law enforcement authorities as federal immigration officers. Deputizing Illinois law enforcement as immigration officers would not only divert already scarce resources away from public safety efforts and raise serious legal questions, but also undermine the values on which the country was built.
* Strengthen the work performed by the Bureau of Refugee and Immigrant Services within the Illinois Department of Human Services, which assists immigrants and refugees settling in Illinois through training, health screening, citizenship classes and other services. From October 1, 2016 through January, 31, 2017, 1,001 refugees arrived in Illinois.
* Commit to strong enforcement of Illinois’ anti-discrimination laws and bolster efforts to fight hate crimes against all residents across the state, including immigrants and refugees. Illinois’ hate crime statute provides both criminal and civil protections to those who have experienced hate-based harassment, injury and property damage.
Immigrants make up about 14 percent of Illinois’ population or nearly 1.8 million residents, making Illinois sixth among all states in the number of foreign-born residents. Cook County ranks the third largest U.S. county in its number of foreign-born residents. The benefits of immigration to Illinois are immense. A recent study found that Illinois businesses owned by immigrants produced $2.6 billion in business income in 2014, with immigrants composing 22 percent of the entrepreneurs in Illinois and immigrant-owned businesses employing over 280,000 people.
* Related…
* ADDED: Press Release: Attorney General Lisa Madigan filed an amicus brief today in the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in San Francisco in support of a lawsuit challenging the federal Executive Orders on immigration as illegal and unconstitutional.
Still trying to close a $215 million budget gap they blame on the governor, Chicago Public Schools officials are trying to chip away at that hole by freezing $51 million in spending, officials announced Monday.
About $28 million of the $51 million in planned savings will come by CPS halting planned expenditures on new textbooks, more technology, field trips, hourly employees and other items. An additional $5 million in planned spending on teacher training also is being frozen.
No school is supposed to lose more than 5 percent of its initial budget this year, but CPS wouldn’t immediately release any school-by-school figures. Schools that have squirreled away money for supplies or to get a jump on equipment for next year likely have the most to lose.
Another $18 million in savings is set to be realized by CPS scaling back funding to the 100-plus charter schools it helps bankroll. Those schools will have to decide how to adjust their budgets accordingly. […]
“Unfortunately, there is still more we must do to close the $215 million hole Gov. Rauner blew in our budget,” [CPS CEO Forrest Claypool] wrote in a letter addressed to Local School Council members tasked with approving individual school spending.
Notice they didn’t blame the House Speaker for not trying to override the bill in December. And, yes, I know the override woulda failed, but my point is what’s done is done and we’re in a new spring session and it’s time to move forward already.
Chicago Public Schools faced a shortfall in its operations budget of roughly $500 million at the close of its past fiscal year, leaving the financially troubled district with a significant bill to cover even as it struggles to balance this year’s spending plan.
The budget shortfall was reported in a recently issued financial postmortem for 2016 that also repeated a long-held conclusion: CPS either needs an infusion of new money or will have to make major cuts if it is to keep operating as it has been. […]
Even if CPS manages to make up for state aid that hasn’t arrived and pulls together other savings to balance a $5.5 billion operating budget, which relied on ambitious assumptions, more than $100 million from last year’s shortfall remains.
…Adding… Yeah, this message from Claypool will help…
Governor Rauner, just like President Trump, has decided to attack those who need the most help. Governor Rauner and President Trump regularly attack Chicago because they hope to score political points. It is shameful.
Most recently, Governor Rauner broke his word by blocking Chicago from receiving $215 million for our schools. That $215 million was supposed to be a first step – just a first step — toward treating your children fairly. That $215 million was supposed to be a first step toward providing your children with their fair share of the dollars Illinois spends on children in the rest of Illinois. But Governor Rauner broke his word and did not take even that first step.
*** UPDATE *** Um, dude, he can’t “reverse his veto.” What’s done is done…
Claypool: We ask the governor to reverse this veto immediately. We ask parents to call Rauner's office to demand fair funding.
As Missouri’s right-to-work legislation is signed into law today, Illinois is now surrounded by states with right-to-work laws, and the Illinois Chamber of Commerce is calling on Illinois lawmakers to respond with a strong pro-growth policy agenda.
“As of today, Illinois is now surrounded by states that have right-to-work laws. As pressure increases from other states, it is essential that Illinois responds with a strong pro-growth agenda for jobs and the economy in our state,” said Todd Maisch, Illinois Chamber of Commerce President and CEO. “That doesn’t mean that Illinois has to adopt a right-to-work law. But it does mean that Illinois needs to take strong action on pro-growth policies to help us compete. Other states are becoming more attractive for employers, and Illinois should respond on behalf of our economy.”
The Illinois Chamber of Commerce is calling on state lawmakers to address five key state policy areas that can help accelerate the Illinois economy in 2017. They are:
Enacting pro-growth economic reforms - Illinois tax policy cannot be developed without regard to its effect on Illinois businesses, workers and our economy. Instead, any revenue discussions must be balanced by including corresponding pro-economic growth reforms to help employers and workers. For example, the state could establish tax credits to help small businesses shoulder the cost of bringing on new employees. In addition, the state must immediately restore the Illinois Economic Development for a Growing Economy Tax Credit Program (the EDGE tax credit) that helps attract investment and job creation and retention in the state.
Reforming Illinois’ unfair workers’ compensation system - The current workers’ compensation system in Illinois is tilted far out of balance. Employers throughout the state continue to call for reform of the system because it hurts the ability of Illinois employers to create – and even maintain – jobs here. Reforming the system can restore balance, reduce employers’ costs for insurance, and no longer allow workers’ compensation costs to be an obstacle to growing a business in Illinois.
Rejecting anti-competitive proposals – Lawmakers should do no further harm to our state’s jobs climate. Proposals that pile more requirements on employers in our state adversely affect Illinois businesses and make our state less competitive with others. These shortsighted proposals would only move Illinois in the wrong direction and lawmakers must reject them.
Working together on common sense regulatory issues – When state Democrats and Republicans worked together, they have enacted important regulatory reforms for the state. In fact, the Illinois Chamber has led initiatives that reduce costs and make government more responsive. In 2017, legislators can finally modernize the state’s outdated telecommunications law to drive more investment in modern technologies and networks to benefit those who rely on them: Illinois businesses, consumers and public safety officials.
Focusing on education outcomes and workforce preparation - While K-12 education funding gets most of the headlines out of Springfield, Illinois must avoid being dragged into an education debate that strictly focuses on who pays more, who pays less, whose communities receive more and whose receive less. Illinois must ask tougher questions if we are to improve our economy, respect taxpayers and live up to our obligations to the next generation. State policymakers must be focused on improving educational outcomes and supporting students interested in careers that do not require a four-year college degree. Those goals must be in sight before we begin a new discussion about education funding, not the other way around.
“These reforms will re-establish balance and help Illinois become more competitive. By enacting them in 2017, we believe Illinois can better compete with other states and begin living up to its full economic potential,” Maisch said.
Notice how they dumped on the governor’s education funding reform commission?
Also, Maisch mentioned a progressive tax proposal that was recently introduced in the Senate as being a non-starter. He also dissed the “opportunity tax” idea and dismissed the Senate’s grand bargain for not doing nearly enough. “We are open to the idea of additional revenues. We are. But that seems to be the first thing people want to talk about,” he said.
Maisch told reporters that the Senate’s proposal is “out of whack,” and “out of balance.”
“My members will tell me when they think there’s a package that’s worthy of their support,” he said.
* Subscribers can watch the press conference with their special password. Click here.
* Meanwhile…
Cullerton says grand bargain plan now only has 12 bills; no minimum wage.
*** UPDATE *** You can read Cullerton’s speech as prepared for delivery by clicking here.
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* Senate President John Cullerton is speaking to the City Club today. From his office…
Declaring “failure isn’t an option,” Illinois Senate President John Cullerton today will address the City Club of Chicago in an effort to rally public support for a sweeping balanced budget deal designed to end a devastating financial impasse that has dragged on for nearly two years.
“If we can pull this off, we’ll pay businesses on time, fully fund MAP scholarships, ensure state workers get paid and government doesn’t shutdown, assemble a complete budget for the first time in two years and put Illinois on the path to a balanced budget,” Cullerton is expected to say in the speech.
“We’ll also save billions on pension costs, give voters the power to reduce Illinois’ ‘most in the nation’ number of local governments and give schools relief from state mandates.
“It’s an intricate and delicate give-and-take designed to create a plan that can win bipartisan support among lawmakers and hopefully get the governor’s signature.”
The Senate President is scheduled to deliver his remarks at noon today.
* I’m told that this passage from one of my recent newspaper columns will be featured in his speech…
[Over the past two years], sexual assault victims were frozen out of counseling, homeless teens and domestic violence survivors were kicked to the curb, breast cancer screenings were eliminated, and large and formerly stable charities like Lutheran Social Services of Illinois as well as small and vulnerable service providers laid off thousands of staff members and discontinued programs.
When: 11:30 am, Monday, February 06th
What: ILGOP Chairman Schneider holds press call to discuss Madigan Family attempt to block employee pay
Call in information: Call-In: 1-857-216-6700, Passcode: 905279 [Numbers updated]
Today, the Illinois Republican Party added Attorney General Lisa Madigan to BossMadigan.com after her action to shut down state government.
Check out the page and watch the ILGOP’s new digital ad here: BossMadigan.com/Lisa-Madigan/
No one has benefited more from Mike Madigan’s political machine than Lisa Madigan. Mike helped jumpstart Lisa’s political career when she was just 32 years old and was elevated to the state senate. Just four years later, Mike helped make her Attorney General. She’s now been the state’s top prosecutor for more than a dozen years.
While corruption ran wild through Illinois, Lisa Madigan did little. Even as patronage scandals circled the Speaker’s office, Lisa could find no wrongdoing. Still, Lisa was held to be above politics.
Until now.
After months and months of waiting, Lisa suddenly and without warning filed a court motion to block state employees from getting paid.
Her action could force a major crisis of state government and hurt thousands of Illinois families. With a government shutdown, the lives and livelihoods of those who rely on and provide vital government services would be in danger. Not surprisingly, this is the exact type of crisis Mike Madigan wants.
It’s now clear: Lisa Madigan is working for the Speaker, not the people.
ILGOP Chairman Tim Schneider Statement on Madigan Family Attempt to Block Employee Pay
“Lisa Madigan is playing politics with state workers, their families, and millions of Illinoisans who rely on government services. It’s clear that Mike and Lisa Madigan are working together to protect the status quo and stop reform by causing a crisis.” - Illinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider
