Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Wednesday, May 11, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Or, in this case, a resolution…

A resolution being introduced Wednesday by Republican Cook County Commissioner Peter N. Silvestri petitioning the General Assembly and the governor to change the Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court position from an elected position to an appointed one is already hitting a brick wall in Springfield.

The resolution seeks to have the president of the Cook County Board and the Commissioners appoint and confirm the Clerk of the Circuit Court rather than determined by the will of the County voters.

The Cook County Board’s resolution comes months after a major scandal involving a 400-day delay in indicting officer Jason Van Dyke who shot 17-year-old Laquan McDonald and similar police shootings. The lack of transparency led to protests and a huge voter turnout resulting in the defeat of Cook County States Attorney Anita Alvarez by Kim Foxx, largely because of the “Black Lives Matter” and youth movements.

Rep. Mary Flowers (D-31st) and Senator Mattie Hunter (D-3rd) strongly objected to the resolution both saying the choice of a Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court should be left up to the voters and not politicians.

…Adding… So much for that…

An effort to make the elected post now held by embattled Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown an appointed office was abandoned Wednesday amid an outcry from a bevy of African-American groups that alleged racial motives were behind the initiative.

In a County Board room packed with black protesters, including members of Black Lives Matter Chicago and members of the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow/PUSH, Commissioner Peter Silvestri, R-Elmwood Park, withdrew his proposal.

* And this one’s from Illinois Review..

Parents of D211 who want their children protected from mixing sexes in school bathrooms, dressing rooms and showers are calling for help in opposing a Senate resolution that condemns two states for outlawing mixed gender bathrooms.

Two Chicago area senators - Democrat Senators Emil Jones III and Heather Steans - have filed a resolution condemning North Carolina and Mississippi for passing laws that call for biological sex to determine which public bathrooms a person should use.

“Please take one minute to fill out an online witness slip to OPPOSE a horrible Senate Resolution that misrepresents the truth,” the D211 Parents for Privacy’s Facebook page says, and provides a link to the State Government and Veterans Affairs Committee. The resolution was assigned to the committee on May 3rd.

Senators Jones and Steans want Governor Rauner to prohibit all non-essential state travel to North Carolina or Mississippi until the states repeal those laws.

* Other stuff…

* ‘It’s Horribly Inhumane’ Says Lawmaker Trying to Ban Bobcat Trapping

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$700 million human services “bridge” bill surfaces, but there’s a catch

Wednesday, May 11, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller

* A new appropriations proposal has been filed. House Amendment 2 to SB 2038 appropriates about $700 million for human service program expenses through the end of the fiscal year, according to the sponsor, Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago). The legislation is scheduled for a committee hearing this afternoon at 1:30.

There’s no General Revenue Fund money in this proposal. About $450 million is from the “Commitment to Human Services Fund,” which is a special fund that receives a small chunk of income tax revenues. It’s basically like the dedicated education fund which was tapped for the higher education bridge approp bill. Another $250 million is from various other state and federal funds.

* As subscribers remember, the governor’s office has agreed previously to tap this fund for programs, but, also as subscribers know, the Rauner administration wants to use money in the Budget Stabilization Fund (our rainy day fund) to pay vendors in the state’s prison system to keep it from collapsing. This is also being pushed by Downstate lawmakers in both parties.

Rauner’s budget office has compiled this list of municipalities and utilities which would benefit if that bill is passed…

Chester
Springfield
Aurora
Hillsboro
East St Louis
Jacksonville
Dixon
Carbondale
White Hall
Roodhouse
East Moline
Centralia
Decatur
Pittsfield
Canton
Galesburg
Sumner
Pontiac
DuQuoin
Vandalia
Robinson
Taylorville
Lincoln
Mt. Sterling
Crest Hill
Joliet
Pinckneyville
A wide range of counties, including Johnson and Hardin

Southern IL Electric
Clinton County Electric
Norris Electric
Shelby Electric
Southwestern Electric
Egyptian Electric

Expect the governor’s office to be calling around today to mayors and others to ask them to put some heat on Downstate Dems in order to get this done.

* The governor also wants to tap that rainy day fund to stabilize “critical operations” at the Department of Human Services. And here’s their list of municipalities which stand to benefit…

City of Chicago, Alton, Chester, Jacksonville, Rushville, Springfield, Elgin

…Adding… From Emily Miller…

Voices for Illinois Children supports the appropriation bill as emergency funding to human service and public safety programs that are dying. The bill appropriates money from special funds that have existing cash balances. That existing cash can be used to prevent very real suffering in the very short term.

It is not acceptable as a substitution for a fully funded year long budget. We encourage lawmakers to continue to work toward a long term revenue solution to our budget crisis.

…Adding More… From a source involved with the budget working group…

Why would they move a stopgap now when the budget group is nearing completion? Why blow up that track?

Does this mean they are preparing for no deal? Because all of these funds are basically agreed to in the budget group. And more.

Uh-oh.

…Adding Still More… The breakdown of that Department of Corrections stopgap proposal by district…

…More… The bill passed committee unanimously…

Stopgap human services bill passed 20-0, though GOP note they are still examining legislation.

— Monique Garcia (@moniquegarcia) May 11, 2016