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MALDEF files suit over remap

Friday, Jun 11, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Sara Burnett a the AP

Illinois Democrats used inadequate data and an opaque process to draw new legislative districts, a Latino civil rights organization argued in the latest lawsuit seeking to block the maps from being used for statehouse elections over the next decade.

The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund sued top Democrats and state election officials late Thursday on behalf of five Latino registered voters from Illinois, saying the new maps are “malapportioned,” or not drawn to ensure equal representation of all populations. That could result in Latinos and other minority groups not being equitably represented in the Illinois General Assembly, according to the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago. […]

Pritzker and other Democrats who control Illinois state government dismissed the GOP lawsuit as partisan politics and said the maps are fair because they “ensure representation for diverse communities.” But the challenge from MALDEF expands the source of objections to the very groups whose voting rights Democrats say they are protecting.

“The answer is we don’t know,” said Thomas Saenz, MALDEF president and general counsel. “We don’t know because of a lack of data and because of using wrong data.”

Click here to read the suit.

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Friday, Jun 11, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Thursday, Jun 10, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Body cams, Proud Boys and disinterest

Thursday, Jun 10, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* CBS2

The Chicago Police Department has been slow to make critical changes that could improve its taxpayer-funded body camera program, the city’s watchdog found.

The department made little progress on changes recommended by the Chicago Inspector General (IG) two years ago, the oversight agency said in a report released Thursday. In 2019, the IG found lax oversight by supervisors who are required to check officers’ body camera videos, and an oversight committee that failed to meet regularly.

The IG made a series of recommendations, including that CPD take “corrective measures” to ensure lieutenants do their required reviews of body camera videos. Those reviews are a key accountability measure designed to make sure officers use their cameras properly.

Since 2017, nearly every CPD officer has been equipped with a body camera. The technology cost taxpayers more than $16 million, and department policy outlines clear requirements for turning on and using the cameras.

* Five days

A Chicago cop has been issued a five-day suspension for his ties to the far-right Proud Boys and is now facing a second internal probe into allegations of sexual abuse, the Sun-Times has learned.

Officer Robert Bakker is the subject of four internal investigations that were all opened last year, according to records obtained by the Sun-Times.

Though the inquiry into Bakker’s cozy relationship with the Proud Boys initially resulted in the suspension, he hasn’t yet served it because the case was later reopened at the request of Inspector General Joseph Ferguson’s office, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation. The inspector general’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Ald. Andre Vazquez (40th) previously raised alarms about Bakker to Police Supt. David Brown and Mayor Lori Lightfoot that he said fell on deaf ears. In an interview Wednesday, Vazquez said Bakker’s interactions with the controversial group should have resulted in “an immediate dismissal or some kind of punitive action.”

From a year ago

The screenshots, which are about a year old, appear to show Bakker coordinating Proud Boy meet-ups in the area

* Background is here if you need it. Block Club Chicago

Despite having a license plate number and name, police haven’t arrested or cited the woman who drove through a family’s yard and hit a neighbor’s car over the weekend.

The inaction has angered Far Northwest Siders who say she needs to be held accountable for dangerously escalating clashes between supporters and critics of Ald. Jim Gardiner (45th).

Pete Czosnyka, who thinks his home was targeted by the driver because of his criticism of Gardiner, said he identified the woman from multiple tips and license plate information provided by witnesses. Czosnyka said he gave that information to police, who looked up the driver’s plates within an hour of the incident and told him “she lived close” but did not provide a name, he said. […]

The fact that officers from the 16th District have not made moves on the case is concerning, Czosnyka said — especially because one of the officers who came to his house is the vice president of the Northwest Side GOP Club and the 41st Ward Republican committeeman.

The 41st Ward GOP Committeeperson is Ammie Kessem.

…Adding… Five days after the alleged crime

A woman who allegedly threatened a Jefferson Park family over their criticism of a Northwest Side alderman before mowing down their garden with her car has been arrested, police said Thursday.

Officers arrested a woman before noon Thursday and said charges are pending against the individual, whose name was not yet released, a Police Department spokesman said.

* Related…

* Despite Consent Decree, Police Reform Remains Elusive

* CPD’s new foot pursuit policy draws criticism from police shooting victims’ families

* Illinois Lawmakers Bar Police From Using Deception When Interrogating Minors

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*** UPDATED x1 *** More than two years after Aurora shooting, Illinois Democrats still can’t find agreement on a FOID fix

Thursday, Jun 10, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Dan Petrella at the Tribune

A month after Gov. J.B. Pritzker took office in 2019, giving Democrats complete control in Springfield, flaws in Illinois’ gun laws were exposed when a convicted felon whose state firearm owner’s identification card had been revoked opened fire in an Aurora warehouse, killing five co-workers and wounding a sixth along with five police officers.

The case became a rallying point for gun safety advocates, who’ve pushed for mandatory fingerprinting for FOID card applications, universal background checks for gun buyers, and a system that ensures people whose FOID cards are revoked hand over their weapons to authorities.

More than two years later, however, Pritzker and the Democratic-controlled legislature haven’t enacted those policies or any other major gun safety measures, even as they successfully pushed progressive measures that range from legalizing marijuana to abolishing cash bail. […]

A 2019 Tribune investigation found that as many as 30,000 guns were potentially in the hands of people who’d had their FOID cards revoked in the previous four years. A follow-up review last year found improved compliance but also an increase in the number of firearms that were unaccounted for.

Despite stopping short of requiring fingerprints, the Senate measure has the support of the Gun Violence Prevention PAC, also one of the main proponents of the stricter House proposal.

The Illinois State Rifle Association is neutral on the Senate bill.

There appear to be some personality conflicts here as well as some general stubbornness by the House Democrats. Whether it’s the House Speaker or the governor, somebody needs to nudge them into agreement.

*** UPDATE *** Related

The persistent delays in issuing Firearm Owner’s Identification cards in Illinois that has doubled in the last year-and-a-half continues after a federal judge shot down a motion this week seeking to force the state to issue backlogged cards. […]

A judge Wednesday struck down their motion to force the state to immediately issue backlogged cards, saying while the delays are a burden, it’s not severe enough to render the process unconstitutional.

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Thursday, Jun 10, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

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

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