* Greg Bishop at the Center Square spent some time crunching numbers…
Despite being in the minority party, Illinois House Republicans are getting more infrastructure money for roads and bridges than majority Democrats, according to an analysis of the newly released multi-year $23.5 billion plan.
The district of Elwood Democratic state Rep. Larry Walsh Jr. is set to get the most capital money of all House members, at $1.52 billion. The second most, $1.1 billion, is headed for the district of Morris Republican state Rep. David Welter.
House Democrats will get $9.9 billion combined while House Republicans, who are in the super minority, will get a combined $12.1 billion.
Welter said a likely reason was that Republicans have larger districts with more miles of road. He said the spending breakdown was a good sign the spending plan was fair.
“I think when you have a large capital bill like this there are going to be things in it that were probably put in it due to political influence, obviously, but I think that’s a good sign at least that hopefully it’s been diverted to where the largest needs were,” Welter said.
The House has 74 Democrats, but one isn’t getting any new IDOT spending…
The one district not getting any money is represented by Naperville Democratic state Rep. Anne Stava-Murray. The page for her district spending doesn’t have any breakdown. Instead, it says: “No projects were planned for this legislative district for the current Proposed Six Year Highway Improvement Program.”
Stava-Murray didn’t return messages seeking comment. IDOT said road construction projects in that district were already underway.
“The only interstates are under the jurisdiction of the Illinois Tollway, which is separate from IDOT and not part of our agency’s multi-year planning process,” Illinois Department of Transportation spokesman Guy Tridgell said. “There are just two IDOT routes in House District 81 and pretty small stretches at that: Illinois 53 and U.S. 34. Both of these are currently under construction. U.S. 34 from Ivanhoe Avenue to Kingery Avenue is being resurfaced this year and next. Illinois 53 from south of I-88 to 59th Street also is being resurfaced, with work wrapping up later this fall.”
* OK, so the House Democrats are receiving $9.9 billion, which works out to an average of $133.7 million per district (including Stava-Murray’s district, which actually receives nothing). Republicans are receiving $12.1 billion for 44 districts, which is an average of $275 million per district.
Discuss.
…Adding… From comments…
I’d really like to hear from Eastern bloc members to get their take on this.
Greg quoted him the other day…
To those who criticize lawmakers who voted against the tax increases to pay for infrastructure with their districts set to get more than a billion dollars, state Rep. Brad Halbrook, R-Shelbyville, said even those who vote “no” have to pay increased taxes.
“The bill passed, I voted no, but we still have citizens that are paying the gas tax,” Hallbrooke said. “They should be the recipients of these improvement projects.”
Halbrook’s legislative districts gets $208.7 million, according to an individual district breakout for House Dist. 102.
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* The union is preparing for civil disobedience…
* Matt Masterson at WTTW…
The Chicago Teachers Union and city negotiators have reached more than 80 tentative agreements on various issues as of Wednesday night, according to CPS Chief Education Officer LaTanya McDade. But the district is still waiting on counter proposals from the union on “top priorities” like class sizes, staffing and prep time. […]
Already the school district has postponed PSAT and SAT assessments until next week. If students aren’t able to take the PSAT before Nov. 1, they may miss out on applying for National Merit Scholarships, McDade said. […]
Speaking at a separate event Thursday morning, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she’s concerned about students planning to apply for Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) before the end of this month. […]
But the union says the two sides have gotten “nowhere” on enforcement language for capping class sizes or setting staffing levels.”
* Sun-Times…
[CPS Chief Education Officer LaTanya McDade] said the district is waiting for counterproposals from the CTU team on class size and staffing levels — two major sticking points. If those are favorable, McDade said, “We can get some real strong movement.”
* Mitch Dudek and Matthew Hendrickson at the Sun-Times…
As the days without pay add up for striking teachers, security guards and other school workers, many say they are starting to feel the pinch in their pocketbooks. […]
What’s more, Chicago Public Schools could stop contributing to teachers’ health insurance premiums as early as next week when the month ends.
* The CTU and SEIU represent more than 30,000 CPS employees, so 400 crossing the picket lines would be 1.3 percent…
Not much.
* State representative from Chicago…
* Several Chicago legislators including House Majority Leader Greg Harris are openly supporting the striking workers, which could be problematic for CPS and the city if this strike lasts until veto session…
* At least three state legislators spoke at this rally yesterday. Sen. Ram Villivalam, Sen. Robert Peters and Rep. Delia Ramirez…
Click here for a longish thread on the contract negotiations by Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-Chicago).
*** UPDATE *** Hmm…
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* Sun-Times on the Lightfoot budget, specifically the $163 million “emergency services reimbursement” line…
Civic Federation President Laurence Msall said $30 million of that amount is expected to come from increasing ambulance fees for patients with private health insurance.
The remaining $133 million will come from reimbursements administered by the state for ambulance transports for low-income patients on Medicaid, Msall said.
According to the city, Chicago now provides about 260,000 ambulance rides a year for low-income patients, but gets only about 8% to 36% of those costs reimbursed. Going forward, that amount is expected to grow to about 50%.
“It sounds like they have an agreement with the state to get $133 million for previously un-reimbursed ambulance service for Medicaid patients taken to hospitals,” Msall said.
“It doesn’t sound risky. They’re saying they have an agreement. The risk is whether or not the state will approve the graduated real estate transfer tax and the casino [gambling] fix.”
* A.D. Quig on the real estate transfer tax portion…
“There isn’t a great appetite for (the real estate transfer tax) during the fall veto session,” said downtown Ald. Brendan Reilly, 42nd, but he added, “The mayor’s team hasn’t really gone down there and started advocating in force. It’s not too late, but time is running out.”
“I just don’t know if there’s the political will heading into primary season to ‘do Chicago a favor,’” Reilly continued. “If the transfer tax is rejected by Springfield, that leaves another $50 million hole in the mayor’s budget that would need to be filled. . . .If the Legislature doesn’t allow it in the next year, that does the city a great disservice in years two, three and four of the budget,” when the city would miss out on $100 million in annual revenue. […]
Northwest Side Ald. Nick Sposato, 38th, was more optimistic. “All the Chicago state reps and senators are on board,” he said, “but those aren’t the people we need to talk to.” The trick will be convincing downstaters. Lightfoot expects aldermen to lobby their local Springfield representatives in the days leading up to the veto session, which begins Oct. 28.
Ald. Anthony Beale, 9th, who has become one of the mayor’s chief antagonists, said he’s hearing a different story: that legislators on the city’s South Side “haven’t had any communication whatsoever” from the mayor’s team. “I do not have a high confidence level in Springfield,” he said, rating the mayor’s chances of success at 30 percent.
* Team coverage in the Tribune…
“I think that’s an unknown right now,” [Ald. Roderick Sawyer] said. “I want to make sure we can balance a budget on our own accord and not have to rely too much on Springfield because I’m not sure that’s going to come, especially in the form of a transfer tax or the casino assist.” […]
“We have not received any contact or any information from the mayor’s office, but we would look at whatever they send,” said Jason Gerwig, a spokesman for Senate GOP leader Bill Brady of Bloomington. […]
[House Republican leader Jim Durkin’s] spokeswoman Eleni Demertzis said it’s unlikely the transfer tax will have support from House Republicans.
Amanda Kass, associate director of the Government Finance Research Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago, said one of the budget’s risks is that it requires action from Springfield to balance.
*** UPDATE *** Text from Sen. Cristina Castro (D-Elgin)…
Mayor Lightfoot needs to understand that there are 59 members of the Senate plus 118 in the House. We all DO NOT live in Chicago and some of us have casinos and others are about to get one. They had a chance to negotiate during session, they could have asked for what they needed. If they open the bill for Chicago, there should be a discussion on other parts of the bill as well. I will not vote for a bill that is solely set up on helping just Chicago.
Elgin’s Grand Victoria Casino is one of her city’s largest employers.
…Adding… More ahistorical nonsense from the Tribune editorial board…
Emanuel during his two terms experienced uneven success at getting the legislature to approve his initiatives. Lawmakers reluctantly approved his speed camera program in 2011, for example, but he struggled to get help with pension relief and Chicago Public Schools funding.
Why? State lawmakers think big city mayors should figure out how to solve their own problems.
Lawmakers do often believe that Chicago should solve its own problems, but that wasn’t the case for the police and fire pension “relief” plan (basically just helping him kick the can into the future which is now) and CPS funding. The pushback there was mainly from Gov. Bruce Rauner. Remember all those vetoes and his claims of a “Chicago bailout”? The Trib apparently does not.
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Lightfoot unveils budget, but questions remain
Wednesday, Oct 23, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot offered her 2020 budget plan on Wednesday, laying out a plan to dig the city out of a daunting $838 million deficit without relying on steep property tax increases.
Lightfoot’s plan includes raising money through higher taxes on rideshares, property transfers and on all food and drinks sold in Chicago restaurants. It also relies on restructuring debt and increasing the rates of downtown parking meters, among other things.
* Click here for the budget outline. She’s projecting $352.2 million in increased revenues, including $50 million from her real estate transfer tax proposal that is pending General Assembly action. Greg Hinz explains much of the rest…
Lightfoot mentioned $163 million in new revenue from “emergency services reimbursements.” That makes up almost half of the $352 million in the new revenue she’s counting on. Officials say that money will come from the state, not ambulance users, and a deal to provide the funds has been reached with Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration.
Tina…
Encouraging.
She also proposed $51.8 million in spending increases.
* But there’s a whole lot of undefined “hope” in this plan…
That’s a lot (3.1 percent of the budget) of “improved fiscal management” after years of austerity. Hope she hired some wizards.
Also, keep in mind that the debt refinancing produces a one-year savings on paper. They’re booking all the savings up front. The current hole then reappears next year.
* From her speech…
Our 2020 budget developed $150 million in savings and efficiencies through an approach known as “zero-based budgeting,” which means we built it from the ground up, ensuring every line was essential to the core service mission of every department.
She didn’t mention what would be cut to reach that goal, which is 3.3 percent of the budget.
So, she’s got about $490 million in reductions which will either disappear in a year (refinancing) or will be difficult to achieve (”improved fiscal management” and, politically once the details emerge, zero-based budgeting).
* Back to her speech…
As everyone here knows, we have spoken at length to the governor and his team, legislative leaders and other lawmakers, business groups, and other organizations about our need for Springfield to support a Chicago casino, as well as develop a statewide pension reform package.
She wasn’t specific about what a “statewide pension reform package” should look like.
…Adding… Expected news…
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* Thomas More Society press release…
On October 21, 2019 the Thomas More Society filed a complaint against Illinois’ Reproductive Health Act with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights. The new Illinois law requires health insurance policies to cover elective chemical and surgical abortions. According to the complaint, this mandate — which compels businesses and individuals to pay for even late term abortion coverage and offers no religious exemptions — violates the federal Weldon Amendment and Affordable Care Act
“This abortion-coverage mandate is a blatant violation of the religious and conscience rights of many who live or work in Illinois,” explained Thomas More Society attorney Michael McHale. “While the secular forces behind this mandate often erroneously object to any influence of religion on the state, here they had no hesitation in wielding state power against our sincerely held, common-sense religious beliefs to avoid paying for health insurance coverage of abortion.
The law, now known as Illinois Public Act 101-13, mandates every health insurance policy in Illinois that provides pregnancy-related benefits to provide coverage of elective abortions, and to do so without cost-sharing beyond that required for pregnancy-related benefits. It does not include any exemptions for religious individuals, religious organizations, or even churches.
The Thomas More Society, a national nonprofit public interest law firm and major force in the Constitutional defense of religious liberty, filed the complaint on its own behalf and on behalf of Flossmoor dentist, Dr. Richard Mantoan and his dental practice, Southland Smiles, Ltd. Both companies sponsor small group health insurance plans for their employees and offer a number of policy options purchased through BlueCross Blue Shield of Illinois. The new mandate requires both businesses to purchase health insurance policies that cover abortions.
The complaint details how the Illinois abortion-coverage mandate violates the federal Weldon Amendment, putting Illinois in jeopardy of losing billions of dollars of federal funding. The Weldon Amendment ensures that federal appropriations to the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education may not be issued to any government that discriminates against a “health care entity,” including an insurance plan sponsor, on the basis that it does not provide health insurance coverage of abortion.
“This is exactly what the Weldon Amendment prohibits,” McHale said. “Illinois cannot force those of us who do not believe in paying for abortions to either pay for abortion coverage or drop our insurance. Doing so will require Illinois to forfeit federal funding for essential programs such as Medicaid.”
“Additional provisions of this radical abortion policy will force Illinois taxpayers to foot the bill,” added McHale, referring to the federal Affordable Care Act’s provision requiring a separation of abortion costs from other health care expenses. “It’s a direct violation of federal law. We should expect better from our lawmakers.”
“We are confident that the Office for Civil Rights will take our complaint seriously,” declared McHale. “Federal law clearly prohibits this brazen attempt to encroach upon our rights conscience. We urge immediate intervention to halt this illegal mandate.”
The complaint is here.
* React from Brigid Leahy, Senior Director of Public Policy, Planned Parenthood of Illinois…
The Thomas More Society’s complaint against the Reproductive Health Act is the latest tactic in an ongoing campaign to end access to safe and legal abortion. The Thomas Moore Society couldn’t stop the Reproductive Health Act in the state legislature, so they are desperately turning to the Trump Administration for help in cutting off access to abortion in Illinois.
The Reproductive Health Act ensures that everyone can make a personal decision when it comes to reproductive health care, including birth control, pregnancy-related care, and abortion. Having adequate coverage for care means people have the ability to make the decision that is best for them. Everyone should have coverage for a full range of reproductive health care, including abortion with access to safe medical care. Providing insurance coverage helps ensure that they will be able to see a licensed, quality health provider. Ten years ago, insurance plans routinely covered abortion just like other health care services. But, in recent years, it has become harder for Illinoisans to get insurance that covers abortion. The Reproductive Health Act addresses this issue by requiring state regulated insurance plans that cover pregnancy-related care to include coverage for abortion. This requirement is similar to a Maine law that passed earlier this year. In addition, California, New York, Oregon, and Washington require all state-regulated private health plans to include coverage for abortion.
* Personal PAC’s Terry Cosgrove…
It’s no surprise that extremists aligned with President Trump, such as Peter Breen and the Thomas More Society, who want to make abortion and birth control illegal for all women, are doing everything imaginable to enforce their right-wing religious views on everyone in Illinois.
* The RHA’s chief House sponsor, Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago)…
Once again exhibiting their complete disconnect from reality and the truth, the Thomas More Society has found a special ally in their efforts to limit access to reproductive health care in Illinois – the Trump Administration. Having been soundly defeated in the legislature – even after engaging in misrepresentations and exaggerations about the impact of the RHA, it was inevitable that they would turn to their friends in the Trump-Pence Administration, still using the tired lies we rejected this session. While we advanced access to care in Illinois, Trump appointees in Washington have attempted block people from accessing the reproductive health care, including abortion care, they need. This is just a speed bump. It will not succeed.
I asked for some examples of the group recycling “tired lies” and she sent me these two…
- The health care right of conscience act remains intact and religious objections are respected.
- The preposterous fear-mongering over abortion late in pregnancy. This is the biggest red herring of all and completely disrespects both pregnant people and health care professionals in their suggestions that it is anything but a medical tragedy when there is no other option but to end the pregnancy. Nobody does this on a whim. No doctor and no parent. It’s infuriating.
…Adding… Sen. Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake)…
This complaint is just one more ineffective attempt to deprive women of their right to quality health care.
Illinois expanded access to care with the Reproductive Health Act despite opposition from anti-women groups like the Thomas More Society, who seek to force their extremist politics onto others and limit access to safe and legal abortion.
As we proved when we passed the RHA, Illinois will not let the Thomas More Society or the Trump Administration get in the way of women’s health. Reproductive care is health care.
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