* CNBC’s Squawk Box interviewed Gov. Pritzker at Davos today…
Q: Tell us what the message is, because we’ve been hearing from a lot of different business leaders quite publicly, as you know, who’ve been talking about the city of Chicago, the state of Illinois, and to be quite blunt about it, a lot of them say they want to get out.
Pritzker: Well, that’s not what we’re hearing, in fact, to you, but you saw that Kellogg moved to Chicago just recently. So just another example of corporate headquarters coming to Illinois, and we’re doing a lot to attract business and retain businesses. We had one business that left Citadel because, frankly, he lost a political election, trying to unseat me, and, you know, wanting to get out and made as an excuse that we have high crime but the reality [crosstalk] not about my run for reelection. he just decided he didn’t want me as governor and so he went after me, and spent $50 million trying to take me out. But the reality of Miami where they have a worse [crosstalk]
Q: You’re talking about [crosstalk] Citadel. Tell us about that, though. Did you guys ever have a conversation yourselves about this?
Pritzker: Not about my run for reelection. He just decided he didn’t want me as governor. And so he went after me and spent $50 million trying to take me out. And then another guy rich, Richard Uhlein, who owns Uline, spent another $55 million trying to take me out in the same election. And look, I you know, I’ve talked to Ken Griffin. I’ve known him for a number of years. We still have a major Citadel headquarters in Chicago, and quite a number of people still working there. They haven’t moved jobs. And we’re glad to have them in Illinois, but I’m sorry he left.
Q: But it’s not political to say for example, the CEO of McDonald’s, for example, has raised concerns about the security issues in Chicago.
Pritzker: And I’ve sat down with him to talk to him about that. I think his comments are not inappropriate to talk about the safety and security, public safety of people in the city of Chicago and and what that means for business, and we’re doing actually quite a lot to address that, both in crime prevention dollars applied so that we’re intervening on the street literally providing jobs for young people. And then of course, you know, we just passed the assault weapons ban in the state of Illinois and that’s going to help, but crime is coming down gradually in the city and across the state. It’s going to take a little while, these things don’t come down immediately. But it’s getting better.
Q: Governor, you know the other side would say that it’s, you know, no cash bail and lenient prosecutors. You got to approach it a whole different way. And I guess the mayor, obviously Chicago gets a lot of criticism on that as well. You’re sure that the cure that you’re prescribing is what needs to be done?
Pritzker: It’s working. And the reality is that when you talk about no cash bail, you know, people misunderstand that [crosstalk] that doesn’t mean that you’re just letting you double doors [crosstalk]
Q: By the way, the state of New York though we’ve had we have a similar issue. In fact an employee from Goldman Sachs was killed in in the subway, this just earlier this year, after somebody who was let out on bail, probably should not have clearly should not have been [crosstalk]
Pritzker: Exactly the point that is violent criminals shouldn’t be let out, right. But when you’ve got somebody who committed a non-violent offense, and frankly, that would be kept in jail…
Q: That’s a broken windows argument… ,
Pritzker: …because they just don’t have a few hundred dollars. That’s not a [crosstalk] it’s an injustice.
Q: Some people say, when you let the broken windows, that whole idea that if you let minor crimes go without any punishment, that it’s just, the whole environment seems to be more lenient, and it just leads to more serious crimes. You don’t adhere to that.
Pritzker: It’s the serious criminals that are, you know, they’re committing the violent crimes. So, those are the ones, it’s not people who are committing shoplifting that are going out…
Q: If 100 People, what if 100 People go in and steal from stores…
Pritzker: I understand. They should be held accountable. That’s not the suggestion that we’re not holding them accountable. The issue is that it’s violent criminals that need to be [crosstalk] without bail. Because right now, if you’re wealthy enough, you can simply buy your way out. You’re a wealthy drug dealer, you can buy your way out.
And then the video ends.
Lot of Mayor Giuliani hardliners on that network, apparently.
* Related…
* Northeastern University researchers find little evidence for ‘broken windows theory,’ say neighborhood disorder doesn’t cause crime: More than 35 years ago, researchers theorized that graffiti, abandoned buildings, panhandling, and other signs of disorder in neighborhoods create an environment that leads people to commit more crime. In the “broken windows theory,” as it has come to be known, such characteristics convey the message that these places aren’t monitored and crime will go unpunished. The theory has led police to crack down on minor crimes with the idea that this will prevent more serious crimes, and inspired research on how disorder affects people’s health. Now, Northeastern researchers say they have debunked the “broken windows theory.” In research published in the Annual Review of Criminology and in Social Science & Medicine, they have found that disorder in a neighborhood doesn’t cause people to break the law, commit more crimes, have a lower opinion of their neighborhoods, or participate in dangerous or unhealthy behavior. “The body of evidence for the broken windows theory does not stand, in terms of how disorder impacts individuals,” said Daniel T. O’Brien, associate professor in the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs and the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Northeastern.
* ADDED: Is Bail Reform Causing an Increase in Crime?: As jurisdictions throughout the U.S. consider reducing or eliminating the use of pretrial detention and cash bail, criminologists Don Stemen and David Olson of Loyola University Chicago examine whether crime has increased in places that have implemented bail reforms since 2017. In Is Bail Reform Causing an Increase in Crime?, the authors examine eleven jurisdictions that constrained or ended use of these long-established practices and found “no clear or obvious pattern” connecting bail reforms and violent crime. They conclude that “reducing pretrial detention and eliminating money considerations from decisions about detention have had minimal negative effects on public safety” and that, considering the harmful effects of pretrial detention on defendants, bail reforms might, in fact, “improve the well-being of communities most impacted by crime.”
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* WTTW’s Paris Schutz interviewed Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Bullard last night about the new assault weapons ban…
Paris Schutz: At the same time, Sheriff, though, I mean, you say that this does violate the Second Amendment. I think there’s still a question of that, even the most conservative Supreme Court justices have said the Second Amendment is not absolute. There is no absolute right to keep and bear arms. There will be limitations and this is sort of the gray area being litigated. You mentioned some case law, but how can you confidently say it’s constitutional when there still are these questions about it?
Sheriff Bullard: Well, the, to answer that, is because I can read the English language and I can read the Constitution. And unfortunately, the Supreme Court justices who have ruled in the matter have stepped outside of their authority. The Constitution does not give the Supreme Court the right to infringe rights either and the Second Amendment states ’shall not be infringed’ and there has been infringements over the years in government and the people have allowed that to a point. And but that’s not something that was ever within my control. But what is in my control since December 1st of 2018, as the Sheriff of Jefferson County, is that if I see a civil rights violation occurring in my county, I’m duty-bound to stop it. And I can say with 100 percent certainty that the Protect Illinois Communities Act is a violation of the Second Amendment. Registering firearms, forcing registry of firearms turns a second amendment from an inalienable right…
Paris Schutz: You’re gonna stop the Illinois State Police from trying to register those firearms?
Sheriff Bullard: I have put out a notice to the people Jefferson County that if they’re being harassed by agents of governments who are violating any civil liberties that they should contact me so I can be aware of it and develop a strategy on how to deal with it.
This is what Sheriff Bullard said on Facebook…
In the meantime, any citizen who’s having a problem with any agent of government that’s trying to enforce this act in my county, you need to contact me so we can make sure that citizens’ rights are protected in this county, because as your sheriff, public safety is my priority, but it must be followed inside the guidelines of the Constitution.
Your local law enforcement leaders are your experts on public safety. And a vast majority of us understand that gun control is not the answer to public safety, that disarms law abiding citizens and makes them less capable of protecting themselves from people who would victimize them, that do not pay attention to laws like the Protect Illinois Communities Act anyway.
Say whatever you want, but this topic has not been litigated through the top court. Everyone on the pro-gun side is so very sure that the US Supremes totally have their backs. But as we’ve seen before, that doesn’t always work out.
* From Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg…
There have been many questions on where I stand regarding the assault weapons ban bill just signed into law. Following the horrifically tragic mass shooting right here in Highland Park, not seven months ago, along with the mass shootings we see on a weekly basis across our nation, I issued a statement, which remains true today.
I said: “As a society, so many have become numb to mass shootings as we read about them nearly every day. Then, on Independence Day, when our families, our children, our friends, were gathered along parade routes to celebrate this nation’s independence a calculated coward unleashed unprecedented terror on our community with a weapon of war. I truly hope this is the last mass shooting we live through before assault-style rifles are banned. Assault-style rifles are nothing more than killing machines, and they have no place in a civilized society. It is time action is taken. While the intent of my message is not meant to be political, I feel the most significant action that can be taken to minimize and prevent further carnage is by enacting a full ban on assault-style rifles.”
While I am a believer in our Constitution and our 2nd Amendment, I firmly support the ban on assault-style rifles and I truly hope our federal government follows to ban them nationwide. Since our Constitution and the 2nd Amendment were formed, firearms have become much more sophisticated and much more deadly. Our Founding Fathers were not loading .223 rounds into their muskets. They were not using firearms designed to disintegrate human bodies. As I said following the Highland Park mass shooting, these weapons of war do not belong on our streets. They’re used to kill our police, used to kill innocent people, and used to inflict maximum carnage on their victims.
Our Illinois legislators discussed and created a bill, which was amended several times, after input from law-enforcement and other stakeholders. The bill was voted on and passed. It was then signed by the governor, which makes the bill law. I, as your Sheriff, am sworn to enforce the law. It’s incredibly dangerous for me to cherry-pick and enforce only laws I agree with, or only laws I feel are important. That is not what our Constitution of the State or Illinois intends for law-enforcement. That is not what the people of Lake County or Illinois deserve.
It’s important to note, unfortunately many remain very divided in this country, which leads to mudslinging, hate, rumors, false information, and innuendo being spread, instead of fact. I ask everyone to take a deep breath. I encourage those who haven’t read the law to give it a read for themselves, instead of listening to others who might be spreading misleading or false information.
This law does not mean our deputies will be going door to door, asking for documentation on weapons. It does not mean we are forming a team to search your home for weapons. Like everything else we do in our profession, we will use discretion and common sense.
I, along with other Lake County leaders have heard from thousands of people who support this legislation. I stand with the people of Lake County, and I will always do everything in my power to keep you safe.
* Meanwhile, from ISRA…
Lawful gun owners from around the State of Illinois, along with the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA), the Firearms Policy Coalition, Inc., and the Second Amendment Foundation, have filed a federal lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois against Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, the Director of the Illinois State Police Brendan Reilly, and numerous Illinois States Attorneys challenging Illinois’ new law.
On January 10, 2023, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed legislation that enacted an extensive ban on firearms and high-capacity magazines in the state. Plaintiffs say the new law infringes on the rights of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear commonly possessed firearms and ammunition magazines for the defense of self and family and other lawful purposes.
“Governor Pritzker and the legislators who voted for this law did this for self-serving political purposes and are not upholding the United States Constitution,” said Richard Pearson, Executive Director of the ISRA. “The 2nd Amendment is fundamentally about self-defense, and the 14th Amendment is about not having our rights infringed. This new law makes criminals out of law-abiding citizens.”
“The real problem is that there are existing gun laws that do not work because they are not enforced,” Pearson added. “We would all be much safer if the police had the resources they need, and there were stronger consequences for the non-law-abiding citizens.”
A resident of St. Clair County and two Illinois gun stores join the three non-profit organizations seeking declaratory and injunctive relief.
Click here for the lawsuit.
…Adding… I missed the funny little typo. Brendan Reilly is a Chicago alderman. Brendan Kelly is ISP director.
*** UPDATE 1 *** “U.S. Supreme Court declines to block New York gun restrictions,” from Reuters…
The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday turned away a challenge by a group of firearms dealers in New York to numerous Democratic-backed measures adopted by the state last year regulating gun purchases that the businesses said hurt their businesses.
The justices, with no public dissents, denied a request by the dealers to block the laws, some of which imposed gun safety requirements on retailers, while their appeal of a lower court’s decision in favor of New York proceeds.
The state’s Democratic-led legislature passed some of the laws last June. Others were adopted in July after the Supreme Court the prior month struck down New York’s limits on carrying concealed handguns outside the home in a landmark ruling expanding gun rights.
*** UPDATE 2 *** The federal case is far more important, but “friendly” county judges can easily muck up the works…
*** UPDATE 3 *** AG Raoul press release…
Over the last few years, my office has become accustomed to facing a barrage of challenges to newly-enacted state statutes and executive orders. As we have done previously, we are prepared to defend the Protect Illinois Communities Act in courtrooms around Illinois. As in other actions, we recognize that the act’s constitutionality will ultimately be decided by a higher court, and we will continue to defend it throughout the appellate process. This law is an important tool in our fight to protect Illinois residents from gun violence, and in the event that a court stays the statute’s effective date pending appellate review, we are committed to pushing for a quick resolution.
Here’s the state’s outline. We’ve seen most of these tired arguments fail over the years in various suits, but click here for the whole thing…
I. Plaintiffs are unlikely to succeed on the merits of their claims.
A. Plaintiffs’ single-subject challenge fails because the Act’s provisions all relate to the regulation of firearms.
B. The Illinois Supreme Court’s enrolled billed doctrine forecloses Plaintiffs’ challenge under the three-readings clause.
C. Plaintiffs’ attempt to recycle their single-subject and three-readings challenges as a procedural due process claim fails as a matter of law.
D. Plaintiffs’ equal protection challenge fails because the Act’s exceptions draw a rational distinction based on military and law enforcement training and experience.
II. CONCLUSION
Plaintiffs have not shown they will suffer irreparable harm without a TRO.
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Live coverage
Wednesday, Jan 18, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Afternoon roundup
Tuesday, Jan 17, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sen. Martwick is well known for starting “discussions.” Sometimes it works out, oftentimes, well, here’s Crain’s…
In a phone interview, Sen. Rob Martwick, who represents portions of Chicago’s Northwest Side and adjacent suburbs, said he still believes the state and particularly middle-class families need the income and lower property taxes, respectively, that a graduated income tax would bring, even though voters in 2020 rejected a proposed constitutional amendment to do that by about a 10-point margin. […]
Martwick said he has not yet drafted enabling legislation for a second referendum and that his version likely would be somewhat different that the 2022 proposal, which he sponsored when he was in the Illinois House. The matter could drag on until next year, but Martwick said his hope is to offer a bill as soon as next month and see what support it draws.
“I want to keep the discussion going,” Martwick said. […]
Martwick said he has not discussed his pending new campaign with Pritzker. He did bring it up Senate President Don Harmon, who did not endorse the idea, but said “OK, file the bill.”
* Meanwhile…
Left-leaning proponents of taxing the assets held by America’s billionaires have a new target: In lieu of a federal wealth tax, state lawmakers want to tax billionaires where they live, in states like California, Washington and New York.
A group of legislators in statehouses across the country have coordinated to introduce bills simultaneously in seven states later this week, with the same goal of raising taxes on the rich. […]
Sponsors told The Washington Post that they will introduce their bills on Thursday in California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, New York and Washington, and shared the text of their draft bills. […]
In four states — the three that drafted bills with Saez’s involvement, along with Illinois — lawmakers say they will float versions of a tax on wealthy people’s holdings, or so-called “mark-to-market” taxes on their unrealized capital gains.
* Jim Dey looks at the future of Rep. Carol Ammons after she was passed over for a Senate appointment…
What’s next on her political radar? Those who follow the political process will be waiting to see if she takes on Faraci in 2024 for their party’s nomination for the 52nd District seat.
Ammons already has filed required campaign committee papers for the Senate race. That shot across the bow was intended to persuade party leaders to appoint her to Sen. Bennett’s post.
But that move — as well as incendiary comments made by both Ammons and their supporters — had a more negative than positive impact on local Democrats.
The only Ammons supporter who has spoken publicly after the Faraci appointment is outgoing Cunningham Township Assessor Wayne Williams.
“While I’m happy for Paul, I stand by my previous comments,” he said. “I expect to be supporting (Carol Ammons) for state Senate.”
* Politico…
The Illinois State Board of Elections administers elections, but Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias wants his office to play a bigger role in their outcomes.
His transition committee of 125 people, including former Congresswoman Cheri Bustos, issued a report that calls for ramping up automatic voter registration, launching mail-in-ballot awareness and increasing polling places. The SOS report also calls for modernizing technology, improving driver services facilities and beefing up library enhancements, among other goals. Here’s the full report
* More on that apparent arson at Planned Parenthood in Peoria…
According to the Peoria Fire Department, the fire happened around 11:30 p.m. Sunday. Firefighters and paramedics responded around 12:15 a.m., finding flames and smoke coming out of a front window. After putting it out, firefighters searched the building and found no one inside, but a firefighter was taken to the hospital for non-life threatening injuries. Total damages are estimated at around $150,000.
A neighbor who lives on the street tells 25News she was the one who called the incident in. According to her, an individual pulled up in a car with a maroon door at the corner close to her house. They then took what looked like a lunchbox out of the car and walked down the sidewalk towards the facility. That’s when the witness saw the suspect smash a window in, throw a flaming object inside, and run down the length of the street back to their vehicle, after which they drove away from the scene quickly.
The Fire Department says this isn’t the first incident of its kind at the facility. It marks the latest act of vandalism that Planned Parenthood says is on the rise across the state and country, a trend local lawmakers are also noticing.
* From Davos…
Au contraire, mon gouverneur…
Scientists in France have created a way to divert lightning strikes using a weather-controlling super laser.
Researchers with the Polytechnic Institute of Paris guided the strikes from thunderclouds to places where they don’t cause damage. The team says the new technique could save power stations, airports, launchpads, and other buildings from disaster.
Don’t tell Darren Bailey. He could use that laser to zap state budgets. Not sure if he’d need a FOID card, though.
…Adding… Equality Illinois press release…
The state’s LGBTQ+ civil rights organization endorses Mayor Lori Lightfoot for re-election as Chicago’s Mayor. […]
While Equality Illinois unequivocally endorses Mayor Lightfoot, we echo the sentiments of many of our valued partners that the Mayor should accelerate her administration’s response to many of our city’s most daunting challenges, particularly those challenges like health care and housing access which disproportionately impact our city’s BIPOC residents, including LGBTQ+ BIPOC residents. At the top of this list, we hope to see a bolder, more proactive agenda to redress the inequities perpetuated by the current state of policing in the city. The city must more boldly redress the harmful over-policing of Black and Brown communities and more aggressively root out harmful police actors, including those who affiliate with anti-LGBTQ+ organizations. We call on the Mayor to lead a re-envisioning of public safety in our city; one that centers equity in its approach and keeps its residents safe.
* Isabel’s roundup…
* STL Today | Guns in St. Louis are increasingly semi-automatic — with higher caliber bullets, too: Police in recent years have seen a sharp rise in both semi-automatic guns and higher caliber ammunition in St. Louis — so shooters fire more rounds in a short amount of time, with guns that are more likely to be loaded with bullets that do more damage upon impact. That’s a grim recipe for a city that consistently has one of the highest homicide rates in the nation.
* Chalkbeat | Departing State Superintendent Carmen Ayala looks back at her tenure, COVID challenges: Just one year after being named superintendent, Ayala found herself standing next to Gov. J.B. Pritzker as he announced the closing of over 3,000 schools to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. With Ayala at the helm, the State Board of Education quickly responded to the pandemic. Now, with schools reopened, classrooms buzzing with activity, and districts flush with federal dollars to help schools deal with the fallout from the pandemic, Ayala said she feels that “It’s time to rest.”
* Crain’s | ComEd seeks four-year rate hike totaling $1.5 billion: The numbers are well above the historically high rate hikes ComEd obtained under the 2011 formula-rate law, which permitted the utility to change its delivery rates annually under a formula that essentially removed the ordinary authority the Illinois Commerce Commission has to set utility rates. In 2024 alone, ComEd seeks to hike its delivery rates by $894 million, by far the steepest one-year rate increase ComEd ever has sought. After that, rates would increase by an average of $198 million annually through 2027.
* WGN | UIC faculty strike after failing to reach agreement with administration: While the union is pushing for pay and support of mental health resources for students, UIC says mental health needs are met holistically, not as part of a single-union contract. In a statement Monday, a spokesperson for the union said they have spent the last three years scrambling to mitigate the effects of the pandemic saying “our whole community, students and faculty are exhausted.”
* NBC Chicago | ‘Kraken’ COVID Variant, XBB.1.5 Climbing in Midwest, Experts Say More Cases Expected: The variant now makes up 43% of cases in the U.S. and more than 14% of cases in the Midwest, climbing in both metrics from 30.4% and roughly 7% the week prior, according to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
* Crain’s | The scion of one of Chicago’s richest families is taking on the city’s crime problems: Crown, though, is on the move elsewhere. Since October, he’s been leading a public safety task force established by the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago. At 69, he may be finally stepping into his father Lester’s civic leadership shoes to take on Chicago’s scourge of gun violence and the city’s regrettable global image as one big crime scene. The issue is more intractable and politically radioactive than even the knotty ones like O’Hare expansion and a new county hospital the elder Crown took on.
* WBEZ | From state regulations to finding financing, Illinois cannabis craft growers face multiple obstacles: The vast majority of future craft growers in Illinois are facing significant obstacles. It’s been three years since recreational cannabis became legal in Illinois. Out of 88 licenses issued, so far only one facility has opened and only one secured a loan through a state program set up specifically for marijuana businesses. Craft growers are finding it difficult to get financing or outside investments and they’re hamstrung by state regulations. Plus, they only have until March 1 to be ready to operate. Xavier is among those 88 applicants selected by a state lottery for a conditional craft grow license. These licenses were created, in part, as a way to help people get into the cannabis industry who otherwise wouldn’t have the means to do so.
* NBC Chicago | Zelle Fraud: More People Tricked Into Sending Money Over Popular E-Pay Option: Each year, millions of dollars are stolen from consumers through Zelle in fraudulent transfers, data shows, and victims say getting help or refunds from their banks has been difficult. That could soon be changing, as the Wall Street Journal reports the big banks that own Zelle’s parent company, Early Warning Services, have been meeting and negotiating the standardization of refund procedures, as well as the sharing of liability within the Zelle network.
* Tribune | Freshwater fish are significantly more contaminated with toxic forever chemicals than saltwater fish and shellfish, analysis shows: Eating just one freshwater fish a year can dramatically increase the amount of toxic forever chemicals coursing through a person’s blood, according to a new study that reflects more than a half century of pollution contaminating the Great Lakes and rivers nationwide. The alarming finding is based on an analysis of hundreds of fish caught by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency since 2013. Though the EPA has concluded some of the chemicals are harmful at any level, the agency hasn’t drawn attention to its fish sampling or warned Americans they could be in danger.
* Tribune | Two south suburban cops stole cash, drugs, extorted drivers: A south suburban police sergeant and a patrol officer under his command are facing federal charges alleging they robbed motorists of cash and drugs during traffic stops and extorted people in exchange for declining to press charges or tow their vehicles. Jarrett Snowden, 34, of Lansing, and Antoine “Bell” Larry, 46, of Bolingbrook, both officers for the small village of Phoenix, were charged in a four-count indictment made public Tuesday with bribery conspiracy, extortion, and attempted extortion.
* WBEZ | Everybody’s late and everything smells like weed: What nearly 2,000 CTA riders told us: The second-largest transit system in the United States spent 2022 trying to bounce back from a slew of challenges: a pandemic that wiped out ridership in systems across the country, shortages of bus and train operators and a massive culture shift toward remote work. That’s not much solace to John Wilmes, a professor at Roosevelt University who is pursuing a career change so he can work remotely after commuting for 12 years. “It’s been that bad. I can’t rely on it anymore,” he said. “I’ve always been a defender of the Chicago Transit Authority. I’ve always said, ‘Actually, it’s not that bad. It’s actually one of the good things about living here. It’s pretty reliable.’ That’s no longer true. And the city doesn’t seem to care.”
* Sun-Times | Shoddy investigations of officers tied to Oath Keepers, Proud Boys diminishes CPD’s integrity: If the Chicago Police Department expects residents to assist in their investigations and view its officers as honest and hard-working, it would help if they did a better job weeding out and thoroughly vetting cops who rubbed elbows with extremist right-wing organizations.
* Herald & Review | The steep plunge in used car prices — what it means, and what’s ahead: Since the start of the pandemic and the resulting disruptions to new car supply chains first sent prices soaring, used car prices posted their largest annual increase on record — up 45% in the 12 months ending in June 2021, according to the Consumer Price Index — before swinging to a 12-month drop of 8.8% in the most recent reading for December.
* News-Gazette | New abortion clinic to open in west Champaign: Plans for this new clinic have been afoot since at least June, when a fundraiser to help pay for a building purchase was launched on GoFundMe by Dayton, Ohio-based OB-GYN Dr. Keith Reisinger-Kindle and two others listed as fundraising team members, Aeran Trick and James Reisinger-Kindle.
* Tribune | A new lane in Chicago politics? Movement for more bike infrastructure grows: Rebecca Resman’s biking education group had long focused on teaching kids to safely ride bikes, hosting parent forums, family group rides and bike-to-school days. But then three children were killed in car crashes last June, including 2-year-old Raphael “Rafi” Cardenas atop a mini-scooter in Lincoln Square and 11-year-old Ja’Lon James biking to the store to get milk in Lawndale. The family of 3-year-old Lily Grace Shambrook, who was riding on the back of her mother’s bike in Uptown when she was killed in a semi-truck crash, plans to file a lawsuit Tuesday against the companies and drivers involved with her death, Clifford Law Offices said.
* WCIA | Champaign organization donates books to Central Illinois prisoners: For almost 20 years, Books To Prisoners has collected books to send to prisons in the area. The non-profit donates more than 6,000 books a year. Program coordinator Rachel Rasmussen said books are a great way to humanize and educate prisoners who don’t have access to reading.
* Sun-Times | Gay-owned restaurant in Rogers Park targeted in suspected homophobic attack: The owners of R Public House say a hammer-wielding man yelled gay slurs at patrons and broke a glass door Monday evening. ‘We’re not afraid,’ co-owner Sandra Carter says.
* WSIL | Doughboy Statue Vandalized in Herrin: The Doughboy Statue was recently vandalized in Herrin overnight with paint splattered on the base of the memorial and on the grounds around it.
Charles Parola, Chairman of the Doughboy Committee, assessed the damage to the sculpture on Monday after hearing about what happened.
* NYT | How Restaurant Workers Help Pay for Lobbying to Keep Their Wages Low: The National Restaurant Association uses mandatory $15 food-safety classes to turn waiters and cooks into unwitting funders of its battle against minimum wage increases.
* Sun-Times | Chicagoan awarded high honors from France for work rebuilding Notre Dame Cathedral ravaged by fire: Knorowski organized a global virtual fundraising event whose participants included cellist and onetime Paris resident Yo-Yo Ma, actress Glenn Close, filmmaker Ken Burns, journalist Scott Simon and Notre Dame Cathedral organist Olivier Latry. The event raised about $500,000.
* WGN | Voting underway for 50 finalists in Chicago’s ‘Name a Snowplow’ contest: Last month, Chicago officials announced the contest and encouraged residents to use their “ingenuity and imagination” to create names by Jan. 6. The Department of Streets and Sanitation picked the finalists and voting is open through Jan. 31.
* Press release | Department on Aging Seeks Nominations for Senior Illinoisan Hall of Fame: “Nominating an older friend, family member or neighbor for the Senior Illinoisan Hall of Fame is a wonderful way to show them the impact of their contributions to your community,” said IDoA Director Paula Basta. “Each year, we enjoy reading the nominations to get to know Illinois’ most outstanding older adults and giving special recognition to four of them.”
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* AG Raoul obliquely mentioned this topic during his inaugural address and I fleshed it out a bit for subscribers last week. Suffice it to say, Raoul wants a similar law passed here. Press release…
Attorney General Kwame Raoul led a coalition of 18 attorneys general supporting a New York law to hold the firearms industry accountable. In an amicus brief, Raoul and the coalition argue that New York has the authority to protect residents and public safety.
New York enacted its statute to hold gun industry members accountable for the irresponsible sale and marketing of firearms when that conduct results in harm to the public. Under the law, public officials or private citizens can file a lawsuit against a gun industry member when they knowingly or recklessly endanger the safety or health of the public in New York state through the unlawful or unreasonable sale, manufacturing, importing, or marketing of firearms. Gun industry members can also be held liable when they fail to use reasonable controls and procedures to prevent firearms from being unlawfully used or sold in New York state.
“Attorneys general play a key role in protecting residents from unlawful industry practices,” Raoul said. “My office has used its consumer protection powers to hold the tobacco, opioid, and payday loan industries accountable. Our enforcement actions have significantly changed industry behavior to protect Illinois residents. The firearms industry is not exempt from that same accountability, and that is why I filed this brief in support of New York’s law.”
Several members of the firearms industry sued New York, arguing that the statute is preempted by federal law and is unconstitutional. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York dismissed the lawsuit. Raoul and the coalition are now asking the appellate court to affirm the lower court’s ruling, which found that the law is not preempted by the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act — a federal law that limits civil remedies against gun industry members for harms caused solely by the misconduct of individuals who use firearms. The court also found that the law did not run afoul of either the Dormant Commerce Clause or the Due Process Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
Raoul and the coalition argue that New York’s statute is lawful and benefits the public. As the brief explains, empirical evidence suggests a direct link between the harmful effects of gun violence and the irresponsible actions of gun industry members, such as dealers failing to enact reasonable controls to prevent straw purchasing or manufacturers designing novel marketing schemes to target vulnerable youth. New York’s law serves the important purpose of deterring gun industry members from engaging in irresponsible practices that actively contribute to increasing gun violence and, where necessary, holds those who engage in such tactics accountable for their own actions.
The brief is the most recent step in Attorney General Raoul’s work to address gun violence throughout Illinois and across the nation. The Attorney General’s office created a state-of-the-art crime-gun tracing database for Illinois law enforcement called Crime Gun Connect. Raoul’s office also collaborates with local law enforcement to combat gun trafficking and has used the office’s jurisdiction to prosecute multi-county gun trafficking offenses. Additionally, the Attorney General’s office works with law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to increase awareness of Illinois’ red flag law and to address gaps in Illinois’ firearms licensing system. The office also continues to prosecute individuals who lie on FOID card applications.
The Attorney General’s office partners with the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) to try to avert violence by hosting trainings for law enforcement officers, educators, religious leaders and other community members that are designed to prevent targeted acts of violence.
Attorney General Raoul has persistently advocated at the federal and state levels to strengthen regulation of 3D-printed guns and ghost guns. Illinois law now prohibits ghost guns, but the office continues to fight in federal court to help defend a recent rule closing the federal loophole. Meanwhile, the Attorney General’s office also defends cases pending in courts across the state challenging Illinois regulations of firearms. Nationally, Attorney General Raoul successfully filed and resolved a lawsuit to get the federal firearm license of an unscrupulous arms manufacturer revoked.
In addition to supporting law enforcement, the Attorney General’s office supports victims service providers around Illinois that offer trauma-informed services for crime victims and their families. Raoul’s Crime Victims Services Division administers a host of programs and services to assist survivors of violent crime. More information is available on the Attorney General’s website.
Joining Raoul in the filing the brief, are the attorneys general of California, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.
The amicus brief is here.
…Adding… Meanwhile, I told subscribers about this today, so I’ll just share it here without comment…
*** UPDATE 1 *** The first lawsuit against the new assault weapons ban has been filed. Looks like they’re using the kitchen sink approach. Click here.
*** UPDATE 2 *** You knew it wouldn’t be long before Tom DeVore found a pigeon… er… client…
I am pleased to announce this moming we have filed our first lawsuit in Effingham County against Governor Pritzker, Senate President Don Harmon, Speaker of the House Christopher Welch and Attorney General Kwame Raul in regard to HB 5471, which law is an outright attack on the constitutional rights of lawful gun owners across the state unless one is so fortunate to be in the large group of persons who somehow are excepted out. The case is styled as Accuracy Firearms, LLC et al. v. Pritzker et al. which case number is 2023-MR-04. The people came together, and as result, citizens from 87 counties joined in this effort to defend their inalienable rights to bear arms and to further stand up against the tyrannical ways which their legislature and the Governor continue to pass legislation in violation of clear constitutional mandates.
No longer can the citizens sit idly by while bureaucrats destroy the very foundational fabric of our great Republic. It’s an honor of my lifetime to play a role in representing the People against tyranny. Whether it be with the Illinois Supreme Court or the United States Supreme Court, we will continue to seek redress at every available turn until such time as the foundational principles which make this country great are restored to the People.
The Court has graciously provided my clients with an emergency hearing at 11:00 A.M. tomorow in Effingham County wherein we are asking for a temporary restraining order to restore their constitutional right to bear arms while this matter proceeds through the Courts.
“Bureaucrats”? This is duly enacted legislation, Tom. Good to see he hasn’t lost his dramatic flair /s
*** UPDATE 3 *** ISRA…
“The ISRA leads the charge in opposing Illinois’ new gun legislation, which we believe to be unconstitutional. We will be filing a federal lawsuit imminently.”
Richard Pearson Executive Director
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Tuesday, Jan 17, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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