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Wednesday, May 28, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Transit governance reform bill surfaces, but without a revenue source (Updated x3)

Wednesday, May 28, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Organized labor will not back a transit bill that doesn’t address the upcoming fiscal cliff. And, so far, this bill has no revenue source(s) attached to it…

The bill reforming the governance structure of Chicago area mass transit agencies just dropped for those who are interested. Looks like they've settled on the name "Northern Illinois Transit Authority." Get your Ctrl+F function ready as it's 804 pages: https://t.co/SwCHZixQWq

— Brenden Moore (@brendenmoore13) May 28, 2025

Anyway, tell us what you think about what’s in the bill.

…Adding… From Isabel: Some excerpts from the transit reform plan…

The Authority shall appoint the members of the Transition Working Group by April 30, 2026.

The Service Boards shall work closely with the Authority and provide all relevant data and information necessary to complete the transition plan. The Authority shall have access to and the right to examine and copy all books, documents, papers, records, or other source data of a Service Board relevant to any information submitted under this Section.

The transition plan shall evaluate and propose a transition plan for each of the following:

- Establishing a new process and coordination between the Authority and the Service Boards to create the 5-Year Capital Program. This process shall be established by January 1, 2027.

- The creation of a universal fare instrument and necessary coordination between the Authority and the Service Boards. This process shall be established by July 1, 2027.

- The development and deployment of a police force, as outlined under Section 2.11. A police force transition plan shall be completed by January 1, 2028, outlining steps already taken to create a new Transit Police Force department and future plans for hiring, training, and technology to be used. This report shall also include the organizational structure of the police force, the number of officers, detectives, and other staff employed.

As part of the development of the transition plan, the Authority and the hired third party shall evaluate the existing policy processes performed by the Authority and each of the Service Boards and develop a process for efficient and effective operations by both the Authority and the Service Boards for:

- procurement, with special consideration given to the consolidation of bulk fuel purchases, information technology services, consulting contracts, and a subscriptions;
- service planning;
- grant administration;
- marketing;
- lobbying;
- communication, media, and graphics design;
- governmental and legislative affairs; and
- information technology.

More on the police force…

The Cook County Sheriff shall establish a multijurisdictional NITA Law Enforcement Task Force led by the Cook County Sheriff’s Office in cooperation with the Chicago Police Department, the METRA Police, the Illinois State Police, the Sheriff’s Offices of other counties in the metropolitan region, and other municipal police departments in the metropolitan region. Law enforcement agencies within the metropolitan region not explicitly named in this subsection may participate on the Task Force upon request of the Cook County Sheriff.

The Task Force shall be created under an intergovernmental agreement and be dedicated to combating violent and other types of crime with the primary mission of preservation of life and reducing the occurrence and the fear of crime on the public transit system of the Northern Illinois Transit Authority. The objectives of the Task Force shall include, but shall not be limited to, reducing and preventing violent crimes and other illegal activities. The Task Force shall also assist and coordinate with the Chief Transit Safety Officer in the Chief Transit Safety Officer’s efforts to enforce the Authority’s and Service Boards’ codes of conduct and to solve quality of life issues for transit riders and staff.
(c) The Task Force may develop and acquire information, training, tools, and resources necessary to implement a data-driven approach to policing, with an emphasis on:

(1) preventing violent crime in known hotspots, property crime, and code of conduct violations that are crimes; and
(2) identifying and arresting persons accused of violent crime. […]

The Task Force shall recognize and use best practices of community-oriented policing and procedural justice. The Task Force may develop potential partnerships with faith-based and community organizations to achieve its goals, including, but not limited to, partnering with social service organizations, to assist persons experiencing homelessness obtain shelter and other services and to assist persons experiencing a mental health or behavioral crisis in connecting with appropriate services.

…Adding… WTTW…

The bill calls for NITA’s board to have five directors appointed by the mayor of Chicago, five appointed by the governor, five appointed by the Cook County Board president, and one director each appointed by the board chairs of Kane, Lake, McHenry, DuPage and Will counties. They must have “diverse and substantial relevant experience and expertise for overseeing the planning, operation, and funding of a regional transportation system.”

And, it will lessen the onerous farebox recovery ratio requirement, which mandates that some 50% of operating revenue come from passenger fares — far higher than peer agencies around the U.S. The bill sets an initial benchmark of 25%.

The measure calls for developing a plan by Jan. 1, 2028, to create a dedicated police force. It also creates a transit ambassador program, an effort many passengers and transit advocates have clamored for as a way to improve rider experience, as well as assisting people sheltering on the system. And it gives NITA the authority to participate in transit-oriented development, a move many transit advocates had hoped to see. […]

The language of the bill is clear about delegation of authority, saying that the NITA “has ultimate responsibility for providing the metropolitan region with a high-quality public transportation system” and “shall have the final responsibility for allocating duties among” CTA, Metra and Pace.

…Adding… Subscribers got the heads-up this morning. Tribune…

For nearly five years, the Chicago Transit Authority paid a small group of employees to stay home and not work at least two days a week, a state watchdog found.

The employees in question worked in the agency’s “vault operations” unit, which is responsible for processing money taken from CTA fareboxes. Those workers could not actually perform any of their assigned duties from home, but were nevertheless assigned to work remotely at least two days a week since the beginning of the pandemic, continuing to do so even after the agency-wide return to office date in May 2022, according to a report from the Office of Executive Inspector General.

A total of 10 employees were paid just under $1.13 million for days they spent not working since the start of the pandemic, the OEIG found. The bulk of the payments were made between the onset of the pandemic and the agency’s return-to-office date in May 2022, but the employees were paid $303,932 for remote work between May 2022 and Feb. 1 of this year. […]

“Although paying employees may have been necessary in the very beginning of the pandemic, the CTA’s payment for no work continued week after week for five years,” the report said. “No justifiable reason for this continued payment was provided in any CTA documents or by any of the relevant CTA employees interviewed.”

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The fight over working hours for Direct Support Professionals (Updated)

Tuesday, May 27, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Senate Republicans last week…

Members of the Illinois Senate Republican Caucus are calling on Governor JB Pritzker to protect critical funding that provides care for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in Illinois. In a letter sent today Republican Senators urged him to fully restore a proposed $32 million cut to Direct Support Professional (DSP) service hours in Community Integrated Living Arrangements (CILAs), where nearly 10,000 Illinois residents with IDD receive care.

“There will be lean years and there will be tight years, but every year – the state budget is a list of priorities. It is our duty as legislators to represent not just our constituents but all vulnerable Illinoisans who need our state’s help and protection,” the letter reads. “The IDD community has been pushed aside for far too long. This year you have the chance to prioritize them and make promised investments that help bring dignity and quality of life to these valued and vulnerable citizens.”

While the Governor’s proposed budget includes a 50-cent wage increase for DSPs, the Senate Republicans point out that the impact is undercut by the planned reduction of 900,000 service hours—the impact of which could eliminate an estimated 430 positions and result in a net loss of $32 million to the community-based care system.

The letter also highlights that thousands of Illinois residents remain on the state’s PUNS waiting list for services, and many more are living with aging caregivers who fear for their loved ones’ futures. Additionally, they argue that the proposed cuts would disproportionately impact downstate and rural areas, which already struggle to meet staffing needs and lack nearby facilities.

Senate Republicans say the proposed rollback threatens the state’s progress toward meeting federal requirements under the Ligas Decree and increases the risk of institutionalization for individuals with disabilities—a path many families have worked for decades to avoid.

The Senate Republican Caucus is urging the Governor to restore the full $32 million in service hours and recommit to building a fair, inclusive, and compassionate system of care for individuals with disabilities and their families.

* Pritzker’s spokesperson responded last week…

Governor Pritzker has made unprecedented investments and policy changes to support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Illinois — over $1 billion new dollars compared to FY ‘19. The Governor continues his prioritization of this population with a more than $100 million increase in the DHS DD division to support community services, including further wage increases for Direct Support Professionals (DSPs).

Rather than ever acknowledging Governor Pritzker’s historic improvements, Senate Republicans are proving past is prologue and refusing to stand up against a leader of their own party who has one goal: to make life worse for people who aren’t rich. If these members meant a single word they said in this letter, they would be hauling their sorry selves to Washington DC right now to urge the Senate to not cut healthcare, food benefits and countless other critical services Illinoisans rely on. They might have uttered one syllable of disagreement when Bruce Rauner was dismantling the human services infrastructure of Illinois.

This is yet another disappointing, albeit unsurprising, stunt from individuals who have not once put the people they represent above cheap, partisan nonsense.

* Shore Community Services took both parties to task in a press release. Excerpt…

At the state level, Governor Pritzker’s proposed budget includes modest increases to caregiver wages and reimbursement rates. However, this progress is negated by a simultaneous proposed cut to hours for direct support professionals (DSPs).

“Medicaid is the backbone of our disability service system in Illinois, and DSPs are the backbone of our organizations. Without these caring and professional individuals, people with IDD will lose critical support that enables them to live full and independent lives in the community,” said Erin Ryan, CEO of Shore Community Services.

Under the Governor’s proposed budget, there is a reduction of 1 million DSP service hours ($32 million), affecting more than 10,000 people who reside in Community Integrated Living Arrangements (CILAs). These cuts equal a direct loss of daily support for individuals to assist with transportation, daily living activities, and access to community resources.

At the federal level, House Republicans released a budget reconciliation bill plan which includes approximately $715 billion in cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. These cuts could lead to up to 13.7 million Americans losing health insurance, according to estimates from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO).

From Early Intervention for young children (ages birth to 3) to personal care services and community-based programming such as group homes and day programs, Medicaid is often the only payer of disability services, especially for the majority of disabled people who are very low-income. This foundational program has enabled millions to access therapies, equipment, housing, school-based health services, and more.

“Cuts to Medicaid and waiver-funded services will threaten health, independence, and quality of life for people with IDD,” Ryan said. “Every year we fight for more resources, and each victory underlines the commitment Illinois has made to end the segregation of people with IDD and invest in truly integrated community-based supports. We are concerned about what cuts could mean for our communities.”

* Capitol News Illinois last month…

Rep. Nabeela Syed, D-Palatine, asked IDHS whether DSP providers were consulted when deciding to reduce service hours in favor of higher wages. [IDHS Secretary Dulce Quintero] replied that providers were consulted during the Guidehouse study and that it “has been a very transparent process.”

However, providers in the They Deserve More coalition told Capitol News Illinois that they did not feel included in the decision-making process.

“I’ve been in every meeting, there’s not one that I missed,” Carmody said. “There was no consultation.”

A reduction in DSP service hours was first proposed in late 2023, but Carmody maintained there was an agreement that the current 28.5 million DSP hours would remain in place. She says the proposed budget cut amounting to 895,000 state-funded service hours came as a surprise.

“Why on earth would we have fought for over a year to stave off these cuts only to agree that it would only be a temporary measure? It’s preposterous. It’s counterintuitive,” said Carmody. “That was not the understanding. The understanding was that the community system would retain 28.5 million hours of DSP services.”

Carmody said some impacts on funding for DSPs were expected in future fiscal years, but not this year or to this extent. She also acknowledged the budgetary challenges of this fiscal year and said the current administration “hands-down” has done more than past administrations.

…Adding… From Senate Republican Leader John Curran’s Press Secretary Whitney Barnes…

Instead of engaging on the important issue of how to better serve vulnerable Illinoisans, Gov. Pritzker’s Administration responded (yet again) with hyper-partisan talking points and personal insults designed to mask the severity of the cuts the Governor has proposed to the developmentally disabled community in Illinois.

I can simplify the Senate Republicans’ request:

Will Governor Pritzker be moving forward with cutting over 900,000 hours for DSPs supporting Illinois citizens with intellectual and developmental disabilities, or will he consider the Senate Republicans’ request and fully reinstate the $32 million in his proposed wage cuts to help bring more dignity, care, and quality of life to these vulnerable and valued Illinoisans?

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