*** UPDATED x6 *** Afternoon roundup
Thursday, Nov 9, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The House has adjourned until January 16. As I noted on another post, that means the Senate either has to take up the House’s elected Chicago school board bill (SB2324) or nothing happens. I’ve reached out to the Senate President’s office to see what that chamber will do. I’ll let you know.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Senate President Harmon has decided to call his version of the elected school board bill, HB2233.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Harmon’s bill passed 38-12.
*** UPDATE 3 *** The Senate appears to be adjourning.
*** UPDATE 4 *** Harmon gave his closing remarks. He didn’t mention the dispute with the House. He did note that the House hasn’t finished its 2024 calendar yet, but said the Senate is issuing one today.
*** UPDATE 5 *** Actually, the House did distribute a calendar to members. Click here.
*** UPDATE 6 *** Harmon said during the debate that the General Assembly has until April 1 to finalize a plan. He also told reporters that there would be plenty of time for people to prepare because petitions won’t be circulated until the summer. When asked if Speaker Welch had given him a heads up about adjourning the House before finalizing work on the bill, Harmon said, “We didn’t discuss it but I was not surprised.”
[ *** End Of Updates *** ]
I’m not sure yet what else was left in the air, but the Invest in Kids Act extension springs to mind. The income tax credit program to fund private school scholarships will now sunset at the end of December, but we’ve known that was going to happen for quite a while.
* Background is here if you need it. Subscribers know more about this…
The Senate did agree to extend another state law that’s set to expire Dec. 31, voting 42-12 to give another year to a 2018 law that increased minimum prison sentences for repeat gun possession offenders. The proposal still needs approval in the House.
The law was pushed by former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s administration after more than 770 people were slain in the city in 2016, but Mayor Brandon Johnson opposes an extension. Crime statistics provide no clear evidence that the law has had any impact in reducing gun violence.
State Rep. Will Guzzardi, a Democrat from Chicago, said he hopes to block the bill in the House. “This is not the kind of policymaking we should be engaged in,” Guzzardi said.
The 12 senators who voted no were all Democrats, most representing districts that cover portions of Chicago.
The main sponsor of the extension was Sen. Patrick Joyce, a Democrat from Reddick in Kankakee County. In a rare bipartisan show of agreement on a criminal justice issue, Senate Republican leader John Curran praised the legislation moments before the vote.
It can’t move without the sponsor’s permission, so Guzzardi doesn’t have to hope for anything…
* Sun-Times…
With the betting window closed on the first full month of operation at Bally’s temporary casino, the Medinah Temple site raked in more than $7.6 million in October, a 12% decline in average daily revenue compared to its first few weeks.
The latest monthly cash count announced Wednesday by regulators at the Illinois Gaming Board put the River North betting house near the top of the state’s roster of 15 casinos — but well behind city tax revenue projections for Chicago’s desperately underfunded police and firefighter pensions.
Bally’s adjusted gross revenue — its profit after paying winners — shook out to about $245,446 per day in October, down from an average of roughly $278,268 from its Sept. 9 opening through the end of that month. […]
Bally’s take generated nearly $768,000 for city coffers, adding up to almost $1.5 million in tax revenue since it opened.
That leaves it a long shot for the long-sought Chicago casino to hit the $12.8 million revenue target for 2023 set by former Mayor Lori Lightfoot shortly before she left office.
* US Attorney’s office in Chicago…
A Chicago man has been convicted in federal court of threatening to commit violence at a women’s reproductive health clinic.
A jury in U.S. District in Chicago on Wednesday convicted FARHAN SHEIKH, 23, of transmitting a threat in interstate commerce. The conviction is punishable by a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Mary M. Rowland did not immediately set a sentencing date.
The conviction was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Chicago Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron R. Bond and Melody Wells.
Evidence at trial revealed that Sheikh posted the threatening communications on Aug. 13, 2019, on the social media platform iFunny. In one of his posts, Sheikh stated, “I am done with my state and thier (sic) [expletive] abortion laws and allowing innocrnt (sic) kids to be slaughtered for the so called ‘womans right’ [expletive].” Sheikh later wrote that he would visit a clinic in Chicago and “proceed to slaughter and murder any doctor, patient, or visitor I see in the area and I will not back down.”
In posts that immediately followed the threats, Sheikh described his anger at law enforcement and his frustration over the arrest of another individual for making threats online. Sheikh referred to the other arrest as “surpressing [sic] our freedoms,” and he vowed to “do the same” to “whores.”
* And, finally, Jim Paul has been a House doorman for 22 years and is retiring. The House gave him a nice sendoff today. Congratulations, Mr. Paul!..
…Adding… One more…
* Isabel’s roundup…
* WREX | Live Updates: President Biden emphasizes ‘worker power’ in Belvidere speech for reopening of Stellantis plant
* WSPY | Montgomery State Rep. arrested for DUI: In a Montgomery Police Department report, obtained by WSPY news, an officer says that he located [Illinois Representative Matt Hanson] asleep in his vehicle in the 2000 block of Jericho Road on October 27 at around 10:30. The vehicle was said to be parked on two spots and had its taillights on. […] “I am deeply disappointed by my own conduct, and I accept full responsibility for my actions. I’m committed to ensuring this is the only time I ever exercise such poor judgment. I plan to undergo an alcohol evaluation, complete any treatment or education that evaluation recommends, and accept all terms the court deems fit. My focus is on the work I need to do for myself and for the people who have entrusted me to represent them.”
* Sun-Times | Ed Burke trial on hold for a week after lawyer tests positive for COVID: The judge and the lawyers still haven’t finished jury selection in the highly anticipated case. Thirty-eight potential jurors have survived questioning. Nine more must make it through the process without being struck for cause to round out the panel after lawyers exercise peremptory strikes. [US District Judge Virginia Kendall] intended to push lawyers to finish jury selection by lunchtime Thursday. Now the trial is on hold entirely. The lawyers who came to court Thursday were all wearing face masks. So was Burke.
* Tribune | Chicago police officer charged with felony battery after video shows him hitting an 8th grader: The felony charge against Craig Lancaster, 55, come less than two weeks after the Chicago Tribune published a video of the altercation, which shows the veteran officer hitting 14-year-old JaQuwaun Williams near his throat as the boy walked into Gresham Elementary School on May 18. The video, which has no sound, does not show the teen interacting with Lancaster before the physical contact or doing anything obvious to provoke it.
* Daily-Journal | Electric school buses begin to arrive in Herscher: Two of the 25 electric buses going to Herscher Community Unit School District 2 were delivered Thursday. The remaining 23 are scheduled for delivery in late summer 2024. When taking one for a test drive, Decman marveled at the sound coming from the vehicle — or rather, the lack of sound — as the bus traveled in near silence.
* Daily-Journal | Gift from Kankakee as city OKs $85K to Gift of God: The $85,000 pledged to aid improvements at Kankakee County’s lone fixed-based homeless shelter has been officially approved, and the North Fifth Avenue church and shelter location will likely have the money prior to December. […] Gift of God is having extensive and required upgrades to the site completed. To comply with fire prevention standards, the property needed to be equipped with the sprinkler system. The cost is $100,000 and the work is largely complete.
* Tribune | Under new CEO, Walgreens prepares for 267 corporate layoffs: None of the layoffs will impact retail employees at Walgreens stores. Workers at call centers and micro fulfillment centers — where prescription medications are shipped directly to pharmacies, sometimes with the aid of robots — will not be part of this round of layoffs either.
* Sun-Times | Streeterville boutique hotel becoming homeless shelter, prompting staff layoffs: The shelter is expected to open next month, house 116 people and remain open for up to seven months. It is part of an unfolding city plan to provide “an additional 300 emergency shelter beds,” Reese said. It will be staffed by Equitable Social Solutions, a Kentucky-based company, according to the Illinois Secretary of State database.
* AP | Biden celebrates a labor deal saving an Illinois auto plant as he promotes a worker-centered economy: The reopening “goes to the heart of who he is, the heart of his vision for the country and how he’s led,” said Jen O’Malley Dillon, White House deputy chief of staff. Stellantis, the maker of Jeep, Dodge and Ram vehicles, agreed to hire back 1,200 employees to build pickup trucks and to add 1,300 more workers for a battery factory.
* WBEZ | Working in-person costs employees $51 a day over remote work, survey finds: The average per-day cost for employees working in-person: $8 for parking, $13 for breakfast or coffee, $16 on lunch, $14 commuting, and $20 for pet care for those who need it. More companies are calling employees back to the office even though only 22% want to be there. In-person work climbed from 44% in 2022 to 66% this year, according to the survey. Hybrid schedules have held steady, at about 25% of those surveyed.
* Sun-Times | Supreme Court hears decorated Army vet’s claim that VA shortchanged his GI Bill benefits: The case, Rudisill v. McDonough, concerns military veterans who’ve earned college benefits under both the Montgomery GI Bill, which pays tuition, and the newer, more generous Post-9/11 GI Bill, which pays tuition and fees, plus housing and books. The law allows vets to tap both, up to a maximum of 48 months. […] The Virginia resident contends that the “absurd” way the Department of Veterans Affairs oversees benefits shortchanged him out of 12 months of schooling.
* NPR Illinois | Quad Cities airport considers future spaceport: The Moline airport is conducting a study to see how much money and work it would take to add a spaceport in the next twenty years. Spokeswoman Ashleigh Davis says it could become a “horizontal launch” site. “Planes would use the existing ten thousand foot runway that the airport has, they would take off just like a regular commercial aircraft would, however they would have a different system that they’d switch on, a different fueling mechanism, that would allow them to travel into space.”
* AP | In Wisconsin, the old fashioned cocktail come with brandy. Lawmakers want to make it official.: It’s a resolution, not a bill, so even if passed by the Assembly and Senate the brandy old fashioned won’t make it onto the list of other official state symbols that include milk as the official beverage, kringle as the official pastry and corn as the official grain. Getting that level of recognition, enshrined in the state’s “Blue Book,” requires introduction of a bill, a public hearing and then the signature of the governor.
* Block Club | Chicago’s Hottest Music Venue Is a Concrete Pillar In The Chicago River: Since then, the concrete structure that Kinsinger calls an “island” has hosted multiple “Secret River” shows, delighting fans and confused passersby alike. This year’s concert series features two bands alongside Lawrence Tome, the local band fronted by Kinsinger. The fifth and final show of the year will take place 11:11 a.m. Saturday.
* Patch | Super El Niño Winter: What IL Might See For Snow: The Climate Prediction Center says with 100 percent certainty the strengthening El Niño weather pattern will last through early winter, and with 90 percent certainty that it will last until spring. The agency, a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, expects the El Niño pattern to bring warmer than normal conditions to Illinois this winter.
* AP | Last 12 months on Earth were the hottest ever recorded, analysis finds: The last 12 months were the hottest Earth has ever recorded, according to a new report by Climate Central, a nonprofit science research group. The peer-reviewed report says burning gasoline, coal, natural gas and other fossil fuels that release planet-warming gases like carbon dioxide, and other human activities, caused the unnatural warming from November 2022 to October 2023.
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* Background is here if you need it. Senate President Don Harmon just introduced a new proposal (click here) that he said addresses the House’s concerns…
Most notably, they raised a legitimate concern that the mechanics of election lead to the possibility of someone easily getting on the ballot and winning election to a four-year term on the school board with a small percentage of the vote without benefit of a runoff or a primary election.
So I am offering an amendment that’s just been filed that will address some of those issues incorporating ideas that came from the House bill. I want to just run through those for the benefit of everyone here.
First of all, all 20 districts would be up for election in 2024. But instead of initiating staggered terms, in the first election all 20 would stand for election to a two year term.
In 2026, the second election, we will have a [non-partisan] primary election in March, from which the top two vote-getters would advance to the November election. That way, we would ensure that the winner of a longer term has a majority of the vote, would begin implementing staggered terms. And 2026 with 10 of the seats being elected to four-year terms and the other 10 being elected two-year terms, and then flip and the subsequent elections leading up to the redistricting election and 2032.
There’s not enough time left on the clock to create non-partisan primaries next year, so this kicks that issue to 2026.
* Harmon also mentioned that the House has introduced a trailer “cleanup” bill for their elected Chicago school board measure. The language is on House Amendment 2 to Senate Bill 2324.
The amendment is said to be designed to address Senate President Don Harmon’s objections to the original bill’s “woefully inadequate ethical provisions”…
For example, there is no prohibition on executives and employees of school district contractors and vendors being able to serve on the board.
The House legislation opens the door for corruption by exempting board members from the requirements under the Public Officer Prohibited Activities Act.
So, we still have two competing bills.
…Adding… Isabel asked Senate President Harmon whether there was an agreement yet between the two chambers. “We’re still working on it,” Harmon said. “Our amendment definitely incorporated some of the good ideas from the House bill, and I’m very pleased that they are incorporating the ethics provisions from our bill. These are all positive things.”
*** UPDATE 1 *** The House just passed its cleanup bill, SB2324, on a 99-1 roll call.
*** UPDATE 2 *** The House has adjourned. That means either the Senate takes up the House legislation, or nothing gets done during veto.
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* AP…
The Illinois Senate approved lifting a 36-year-old moratorium on new nuclear power installments on Wednesday in a plan proponents say will ensure the state can meet its carbon-free power production promise by 2045.
The Senate’s 44-7 endorsement opens the door for cutting-edge nuclear technology in so-called small modular reactors, designed to sit on sites for which they produce power, such as large factories.
The bill now heads to the House for concurrence.
* Reuters…
NuScale Power said on Wednesday it has agreed with a power group in Utah to terminate the company’s small modular reactor project, dealing a blow to U.S. ambitions for a wave of nuclear energy to fight climate change and sending NuScale’s shares down 20%.
In 2020, the Department of Energy approved $1.35 billion over 10 years for the plant, known as the Carbon Free Power Project, subject to congressional appropriations. NuScale has received about $600 million from the department since 2014 to support the design, licensing and siting of the project.
NuScale had planned to develop the six-reactor 462 megawatt project with the Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS) and launch it in 2030, but several towns pulled out of the project as costs rose. […]
NuScale said in January the target price for power from the plant was $89 per megawatt hour, up 53% from the previous estimate of $58 per MWh, raising concerns about customers’ willingness to pay.
* Some context on that $89 per megawatt hour price…
Levelised costs of energy for onshore wind and solar come in as low as $24/MWh and gas around $39/MWh, according to latest analysis by Lazard.
*** UPDATE *** The House just passed the nuke bill 98-8.
…Adding… IMA…
The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA) released the following statement following passage of HB 2473:
“Manufacturers use one-third of all energy consumed in the United States to produce needed medicines, food and other important goods. Ensuring there are safe, reliable, and low-cost sources of energy is critically important for our sector and consumers who rely on these products. Today’s passage of HB 2473 will allow Illinois to continue leading in energy and manufacturing innovation with the use of small, micro nuclear technology,” said Mark Denzler, President & CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “Recent studies from regional grid operators show a significant reduction in current energy generation capacity, and new carbon-free nuclear power is a solution to ensure that electricity remains available and affordable for homes and businesses. In addition to nuclear, Illinois needs to continue focusing on the development of other technologies including carbon capture and sequestration and hydrogen to meet our clean energy goals.”
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* Senate President Don Harmon…
The people of Chicago deserve representation and accountability. The Illinois Senate is not going to consider an elected school board bill with woefully inadequate ethical provisions.
We are concerned with the failure to include strong ethical safeguards in the legislation the House approved.
For example, there is no prohibition on executives and employees of school district contractors and vendors being able to serve on the board.
The House legislation opens the door for corruption by exempting board members from the requirements under the Public Officer Prohibited Activities Act.
A Chicago School Board must be held to the same ethical standards as every other school board in Illinois.
These are specific accountability protections the public requested during numerous Senate hearings. We also heard repeated testimony regarding the importance of electing all 20 board members next year, a provision the Senate supports and one that is lacking from the House version.
We are eager to work with the House on the shared goal of an elected representative school board but we will not accept watered down ethical provisions, and we believe the parents, families, students and taxpayers of Chicago deserve immediate representation.
Much progress has been made this week. I look forward to continuing discussions with our colleagues in the House to swiftly reach an agreement.
…Adding… Rep. Ann Williams, sponsor of HB4221, which is the House’s latest version of an elected school board bill…
The House and Senate are both working towards the same goal: a fully elected school board for Chicago Public Schools. While we may have suggested different paths to accomplish that goal, and these particular concerns from Senate President Harmon were never brought to our attention until tonight, I feel confident we can continue to work together to achieve a product that Chicago can be proud of.
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Senate President Don Harmon has filed amendment 2 to HB2233 dealing with the elected Chicago school board. Under this new proposal, half of the 20 members will be elected for two-year terms, and half elected to four-year terms. In two years, those with two-year terms will be elected to four-year terms. The amendment bypassed committee.
Rich talked to Speaker Chris Welch’s spokesperson who said that the Speaker and Senate President will meet to discuss this idea. There was no immediate indication that this would be a problem.
An agreement had been made with former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot to appoint phase-in the elected board, but she’s no longer around.
Adding…Rep. Ann Williams, sponsor of HB4221, which is the House’s latest version of an elected school board bill…
Our priority is to ensure this every Chicagoan has the opportunity to vote for the elected school in year one. The House’s “Representation for All Plan” is an effort to ensure the most equitable and representative as. possible. We’re reviewing the Senate’s amendment and open to continuing the conversation.
* UPDATE: The Senate has adjourned without moving HB2233.
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‘The votes are not there’
Tuesday, Nov 7, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Lots has been written and broadcast about Invest in Kids. The PR push has truly been magnificent. But it’s been super-rare to see a mainstream news media outlet actually convince legislators to honestly assess its future. Marni Pyke did just that…
The Invest in Kids initiative will expire Jan. 1 unless lawmakers approve an extension. So far, “I don’t know if there’s a path yet to get it passed,” Democratic state Rep. Marty Moylan of Des Plaines said.
Democratic state Rep. Fred Crespo of Hoffman Estates agrees. “Based on my observations … the votes are not there,” he said Friday. […]
“We’re talking about real money here,” Crespo said. “We’re talking about $75 million that the state does not realize by giving out these credits. There are issues and concerns with the separation of church and state. Some of our members feel that the state should not be funding any private or Christian schools.”
* Associated Press…
Critics of an Illinois program providing private school scholarships say there’s no proof it improves academic achievement. But state education officials, delayed by COVID-19’s school disruptions, have never reported the academic performance of participating students as required by the Invest in Kids Act, a hot issue as lawmakers reconvene Tuesday. […]
The coronavirus pandemic essentially shut down annual statewide student assessments in 2020 and 2021, the first two years of Invest in Kids. The first report measuring progress among program participants won’t come out until early next year, education officials said.
“Unfortunately for the thousands of Invest in Kids families, it appears that Gov. (J.B.) Pritzker’s administration either failed to complete, or failed to share these assessments four years in a row, which has emboldened opponents to point to the lack of data the administration refused to collect,” Senate Minority Leader John Curran, a Republican from Downers Grove, said in a statement to The Associated Press. […]
Research group WestEd, whose contract for the analysis is $640,275, couldn’t start until it had 2022 results; its inaugural report will indicate whether students improved on 2023 tests.
* Sun-Times…
U.S. Reps. Jan Schakowsky, Nikki Budzinski, Sean Casten, Danny Davis, Jonathan Jackson, Raja Krishnamoorthi and Delia Ramirez wrote “school vouchers … perpetuate and deepen the education inequities that plague Illinois.”
They also took issue with religious groups using public dollars.
“This program diverts public funds from the public school system to be used to pay for tuition at private and religious schools,” the lawmakers said in the statement. “Furthermore, many of the schools funded by the program have policies that openly discriminate against students on the basis of disability status, gender identity, sexual orientation, if they are pregnant or parenting, or immigration status.”
Senate Republicans dispute that narrative as they continue to try to save the program. Senate Republican Leader John Curran, R-Downers Grove, planned a Tuesday morning news conference in Springfield to urge Democrats and Pritzker to reconsider.
Curran has argued the program has not taken money away from public education, and he supports a compromise that would lower the total donations eligible for tax credits from $75 million to $50 million. He has also railed against the ideological fights over the program, arguing the children benefiting from it should be guaranteed the certainty of a permanent program.
* SJ-R…
An administrator at a Catholic elementary school on Springfield’s east side is concerned for a future without it.
Michael Carlson, principal at St. Patrick Catholic School, said it charges $1,750 in tuition yet it costs more than $8,000 educate a student. Only one of the school’s 62 pre-K through fifth-grade students is not on an income-based Empower Scholarship, covering the full tuition costs.
“Invest in Kids is incentivizing donors to invest in our community,” he said on Wednesday. The scholarships are eligible for students living in households earning less than 185% of the federal poverty level.
At Sacred Heart-Griffin High School, 21 of 525 students are either on complete or partial scholarships but another 40 are on the waitlist, according to Bill Moredock, the school’s president.
…Adding… Sen. GOP Leader Curran held a press conference today. Highlights from his press staff…
Presser
5:20 - “It is abhorrent that there are leaders in the legislature that are ignoring the pleas of these children and these families that are trying to save their educational opportunity – their preferred setting that they are excelling in educationally. We have to listen to these children and the parents who have been here and afford this choice to these low-income families. The same choice that I’m afforded and many of my colleagues are afforded.”
6:45 – “Governor Pritzker unfortunately today is sending a very loud and clear message that these low income children are not a priority. Where is the Governor on this topic? Where is he today? He’s in Florida… in another state talking about federal issues.”
7:15 – “We have issues here in this capitol that need to be resolved.”
7:22 – “In two days we’re going to be done. And we either leave here with our heads held high because we acted and saved opportunity for these low-income students or we return to our districts in really a cloud of failure because we will be failing thousands and thousands of low-income families throughout this state.”
7:58 – “Labor leaders have come out in support of this program and the opportunity it affords in the vocational setting. We need to continue to grow and pursue these opportunities for these low-income families. It is really about lifting kids out of their current situation.”
8:22 – “When the governor came out this week and eventually said leave something on my desk, pass whatever, when I get back from Florida, I’ll take a look at it. That is not leadership. What we are calling on is for leadership on this issue, both from the legislative leaders as well as the governor. It is time for the governor to lead on this issue and come back to Illinois.. and help continue this program for these low-income kids.”
8:54 - “It is time to do what’s right. We are here to call on our colleagues on the Democratic side of the aisle – put this bill on the board, it’s time for this to be called for a vote. We want this voted on this week.”
Q and A
9:23 – “We are here to act to extend this program. Where’s the governor? He needs to be leading on this. It is members of his party and his side of the aisle that are not putting this bill up for a vote. The governor needs to interject himself in this.”
10:05 – “We are standing here united fighting to continue this program. These kids deserve not only the full effort of Senate Republican Caucus, they deserve the full effort of each and every legislator in the capitol. There are children on these scholarships in each legislators’ district. It is time to represent the people of you’re district not the ideology of your party. It is time to put this on the board for a vote.”
12:15 – “It is department by department by department under the governor’s control including ISBE that has not done the assessment. If it was me, I’d be here, I’d be laser focused on Illinois. I wouldn’t be ‘thinking big’ about America. I wouldn’t be in Florida. I’d be in Illinois and I’d be getting the job done and until the job stay focused on Illinois.”
…Adding… From Mac Strategies…
Good morning,
We wanted you to be aware that there will be action in front of Speaker Welch’s office at 12:30 p.m. and in front of the Governor’s office at 1:00 p.m. Approximately 250 students and families in blue shirts and with signs demanding an extension of the Invest in Kids Act Tax Credit Scholarship Program.
…Adding… As promised…
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* Fitch Ratings…
Fitch Ratings has assigned an ‘A-’ rating to the following State of Illinois’ GO bonds:
–$175 million taxable series of December 2023A;
–$350 million tax-exempt series of December 2023B;
–$350 million tax-exempt series of December 2023C.
Additionally, Fitch has upgraded the following state of Illinois ratings:
–Issuer Default Rating (IDR) to ‘A-’ from ‘BBB+’;
–GO bonds to ‘A-’ from ‘BBB+’;
–Build Illinois senior and junior obligation sales tax revenue bonds, which are linked to the state’s IDR based on state-dedicated tax analysis, to ‘A+’ from ‘A’.
The Rating Outlook is Stable.
* Press release…
Governor Pritzker today celebrated the state’s ninth credit rating upgrade in just over two years as Fitch Ratings elevated Illinois’ rating for general obligation bonds. This fiscal progress comes as the result of five balanced budgets and years of responsible financial management and discipline under Governor Pritzker and Democrats in the General Assembly.
“We are continuing to right the past fiscal wrongs in our state with disciplined fiscal leadership, and credit rating agencies and businesses alike are taking notice of Illinois’ remarkable progress,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Another credit rating upgrade means millions saved for Illinois taxpayers in interest—money back in the pockets of our state where it can better serve our residents.”
The rating of a state’s bonds is a measure of their credit quality. A higher bond rating generally means the state can borrow at a lower interest rate, saving taxpayers millions of dollars. Between 2015 and 2017, the State of Illinois suffered eight credit rating downgrades and sat at the top of many analysts’ lists of the worst managed states in the nation under the previous administration. At its worst, Illinois’ bill backlog hit nearly $17 billion.
“In addition to building up reserves, the state has also actively reduced various long-term and budgetary liabilities, most prominently its unpaid bills, and laid a more sustainable fiscal foundation,” said Fitch’s report on the upgrade. “Illinois reduced its accounts payable balance by approximately $1 billion over the course of fiscal 2023 to less than $500 million, a level the state has not seen in more than two decades and continuing a pattern of using unappropriated surpluses to pay down bills.”
Across major credit rating agencies S&P Global Ratings, Fitch Ratings, and Moody’s Investors Service, the state has received nine upgrades since June of 2021. Illinois is now back in the “A” category for all three agencies. Prior to those upgrades, the state had not received an upgrade since June of 2000, over two decades. Agencies have cited the state’s actions in paying down bill backlogs, repaying debts, increased fiscal transparency, building financial reserves, and balancing the state budget as factors in the upgraded ratings.
* Back to Fitch…
The upgrade of Illinois’ IDR to ‘A-’ from ‘BBB+’ reflects the state’s ability to execute on significant planned reserve contributions and maintain improvements in budget management including normalized accounts payable, thereby improving the state’s overall operating profile.
Illinois’ ‘A-’ IDR reflects solid operating performance that remains below most other states, with a long record of structural imbalance primarily related to pension underfunding offset by continued progress towards more sustainable budgeting practices. The ‘A-’ IDR also reflects the state’s elevated long-term liability position and resulting spending pressure. Illinois’ deep and diverse economy is only slowly growing, but still provides a strong fundamental context for its credit profile. […]
Long-Term Liability Burden: ‘a’
Long-term liabilities are an elevated but still moderate burden on Illinois’ significant resource base. Constitutional limitations suggest Illinois has very limited flexibility to modify existing pension obligations. Other post-employment benefit (OPEB) obligations also have constitutional protections, but the state’s recent progress in materially reducing OPEB liabilities highlights both the state’s ability to manage within those protections and the inherent variability in OPEB calculations.
Operating Performance: ‘a’
Reserves have improved to historically high levels for the state and provide an important fiscal cushion, but levels remain relatively modest versus other states. Management has eliminated many outstanding budgetary liabilities and established a sustainable pattern of smoother fiscal decision-making. Sizable gaps in pension contributions relative to actuarially determined levels persist, with recent supplemental contributions helpful, but insufficient to address this structural budget gap.
…Adding… House Speaker Chris Welch…
“In May I proudly told members of the House that we’d crafted a budget that would improve our fiscal house and our credit. Today, it’s clear that Democrats are continuing to deliver on that promise as we have reached ‘A’ status with every rating agency.
“We heard a lot of partisan, misleading spin about our budget from Republicans, but financial experts and watchdogs agree that our budgetary decisions continue to move Illinois down a path of progress and prosperity. While we hope our Republican colleagues join us in this effort, Democrats will continue to budget responsibly and make smart investments for a stronger future for all.”
* Comptroller Mendoza…
In giving Illinois our 9th credit upgrade in the past two years, Fitch Ratings noted our progress in reducing our backlog of bills to what is now a “normalized” accounts payable that stands at $1.86 billion today – down from a high of $16.7 billion during the budget impasse. Fitch credited the state for boosting its Rainy Day fund to nearly $2 billion. That fund was down to $48,000 during the impasse.
Fitch encourages Illinois to bring that fund up to a level most other states have and to make greater progress paying down our pension liabilities. That is exactly what my Rainy Day and Pension Stabilization Bill, HB2515, proposes to do and I look forward to seeing it reintroduced in the next legislative session.
This upgrade is a tribute to the responsible debt management my office has undertaken in recent years working with the General Assembly and Governor. These upgrades lower the state’s costs for projects like building roads and bridges, saving taxpayers money.
All the hard work my staff and I have done to stabilize the state’s finances has been to get Illinois ready for its growth spurt. Illinois is open for business and we’re looking forward to future credit upgrades on the horizon.
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Ticket withdrawn against Southtown reporter
Monday, Nov 6, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: The legislature needs to rein in these sorts of local ordinances…
Calumet City officials have dropped municipal charges against a Daily Southtown reporter they alleged violated local ordinances by seeking comment from public employees on major flooding issues in the area.
The reversal comes just days after the south suburb sent several citations to Hank Sanders, a Southtown reporter whose job includes covering Calumet City.
The Southtown, which is owned by the Chicago Tribune’s parent company, published a story online Oct. 19 and in print Oct. 20 in which Sanders reported that consultants had informed Calumet City officials that their stormwater facilities were in poor condition before September’s historic rains caused flooding.
A day after the story was published online, Sanders continued to report on the issue, drawing complaints from city officials, including Mayor Thaddeus Jones, that he was calling employees to seek comment. Officials emailed Sanders tickets citing him for “interference/hampering of city employees.”
Sanders was just doing his job, for crying out loud.
…Adding… A buddy pointed me to Cal City’s ordinances. Here’s one…
Sec. 62-334. - Bathing suits.
(a) No person shall swim or bathe in the waters of a public swimming pool in the city, unless such person is clothed in a suitable bathing dress.
(b) Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be fined not less than five dollars ($5.00) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500.00) for each offense.
Here’s one banning blasphemous movies…
It shall be unlawful to permit any person to offer or present any motion picture which has a tendency to cause a riot or public disturbance of the peace, or any immoral, indecent or blasphemous picture or performance.
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Afternoon roundup
Monday, Nov 6, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Gov. DeWine is not happy with Gov. Pritzker…
Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH) brushed off “absurd” accusations made against Republicans by fellow Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-IL).
Pritzker recently accused Republicans of regressing freedom within the United States and has started a new organization aimed at promoting pro-choice policies across multiple states, including Ohio, while combating “the right-wing extremists who want to take us backwards.”
In response to Pritzker’s funding efforts and extremism accusations, DeWine told Fox News Sunday they were “absurd.”
“Well, that’s just absurd, and he knows that’s absurd; he knows me,” DeWine said. “That is not what we’re trying to do at all. It is interesting; the pro side in this has spent about $35 million to try to mislead the voters of the state of Ohio. It is interesting to me that a governor of Illinois would come in with a half a million dollars contribution. If you look at all the other people who are doing this, these are the same people who want to get outside their own state and control what is going on in other states.”
* I wonder how one pronounces “SQMS”…
Today, Governor Pritzker joined international dignitaries and ambassadors, leaders at the Department of Energy and local universities, and other elected officials to celebrate the opening of Fermilab’s new Superconducting Quantum Materials and System Centers (SQMSC) Garage. The SQMSC Garage is one of the five Department of Energy National Quantum Information Science Research Centers, and one of the largest quantum research labs in the world.
“The SQMS Quantum Garage signals a new era in this field, and represents the best of our National Quantum Initiative,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “SQMS will accomplish what few other can—building on Fermilab’s unique strengths in related accelerator technology and particle physics, and creating a global partnership which spans across academia, national labs and industry, and federal agencies to reach a new quantum frontier. I’m thrilled to see our state attract the best in quantum science, and I am committed to making Illinois the premier hub of quantum development.”
Fermilab’s new SQMSC Lab will bring together a multi-sector coalition, including hundreds of experts from dozens of institutions across four nations, that will collaborate to bring quantum technology to scale. SQMS will be overseen by Director Anna Grasselino, who leads this team of world-renowned scientists and serves on the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). The lab contains the first commercial quantum processor deployed on-premise at Fermilab. It has quantum sensors with the potential to discover dark matter and new gravitational waves sources. It also has training platforms dedicated to providing hands-on education for growing the next generation quantum ready workforce. These platforms will enable scientists, industry, and start-ups to advance quantum technology and help solve challenges in fundamental science.
…Adding… A commenter asked why it’s called a garage, so I asked…
* Tribune…
Thursday’s chaotic [city council] meeting was called in an attempt by Ald. Raymond Lopez, 15th, and Ald. Anthony Beale, 9th, to add a question to March primary ballots asking voters “Should the city of Chicago continue to keep its designation as a Sanctuary City?”
The question would have been non-binding, so even if it made it on ballots, it would not change the city’s current sanctuary policy to not cooperate with federal law enforcement on deportation of immigrants in the country without legal permission. The policy also ensures immigrants can use city services. It would not change the city’s current response to the influx of asylum seekers, either.
*Hard sigh*
* Illinois Policy Institute…
Stacy Davis Gates gets a homeowner’s tax break for an Indiana home she doesn’t live in
But scroll down…
While there are no homestead deductions listed on the home Davis Gates and her husband own in Illinois, that doesn’t change the fact she would owe Indiana more if she were not taking the deduction.
She’s not taking a homestead deduction in Illinois? So she’s paying more Cook County property taxes than she’s required to pay?
* Isabel’s afternoon roundup…
* Center Square | Cook County nursing home officials warn of layoffs if tax system not addressed: A bill at the Illinois statehouse would have reduced the tax rate on nursing homes from 25% of their market value to 10% but was vetoed by Pritzker over fears of raising property taxes on residents of Cook County. The state legislature can override the veto, causing the bill to become law, if they vote and receive a three-fifths majority. The measure passed the Senate in May unanimously. In the House on concurrence, the measure passed with 95 yes votes, zero no votes and two voting present, a veto-proof majority.
* Illinois Times | Jenny Thornley pleads guilty: The former chief financial officer for the Illinois State Police Merit Board and former volunteer in JB Pritzker’s first gubernatorial campaign pleaded guilty Nov. 3 to forgery resulting in undeserved overtime pay and was sentenced to 18 months of conditional discharge. Jenny Thornley, 43, of the 2800 block of Hilltop Road in Springfield, pleaded guilty to the felony charge of electronically creating the signature of her boss, former Merit Board executive director Jack Garcia, so she could cheat the state in 2019 out of slightly more than $10,000 in overtime she never worked.
* WBEZ | Alderpeople accuse Carlos Ramirez-Rosa of threatening to stall zoning changes: The accusations were detailed in a letter drafted Thursday night by Ald. Scott Waguespack, 32nd Ward. An initial draft obtained by WBEZ called for Ramirez-Rosa to be formally censured by the City Council and that the Board of Ethics and Office of the Inspector General investigate alleged threats Ramirez-Rosa made for also abusing his power.
* Tribune | Jury selection begins in ex-Ald. Edward Burke’s high-stakes federal corruption trial: Live questioning of prospective jurors will likely take at least two days, with Kendall asking initial questions and each side getting the chance to follow up with specific issues. Opening statements in the case could come as soon as Wednesday. Monday’s proceedings will mark the first time Burke has stepped foot in the federal courthouse since his arraignment on the indictment on June 4, 2019, shortly after Burke had been sworn in for a record 13th full term as alderman.
* WCIA | Illinois Department of Insurance fines Blue Cross Blue Shield again for violating the Network Adequacy and Transparency Act: The state agency previously fined Blue Cross Blue Shield in March more than half a million dollars for violating laws related to network adequacy. Agency officials say they have fined the company an additional $231,900 because Blue Cross Blue Shield has delayed implementing changes to their provider directories to address the network adequacy violations from the first fine.
* Block Club | Police Tout New Training Academy As Monitor Says Reforms ‘Continue To Lag’: In its latest report published Wednesday, an independent police watchdog once again took the department to task for minimal progress on its federal consent decree: expansive reform requirements the department was put under following the police murder of teenager Laquan McDonald almost a decade ago.
* Beacon-News | Kane County residents can get look at new voting equipment: Kane County Clerk John Cunningham called the new equipment “an upgrade of our current equipment.” The new equipment is different, though, in that it gives voters a printed version of their ballot which they then put into a ballot box. Voters will start their voting on a touch screen instead of the rolling wheel that has been in use in the county for years.
* Tribune | Three Illinois hospitals keep straight-A streak in new Leapfrog hospital safety grades: Just under 25% of Illinois hospitals earned A grades this fall from hospital safety nonprofit The Leapfrog Group, including 18% of Chicago’s 22 eligible hospitals. The grades examine safety procedures at general hospitals nationwide, focusing on prevention of medical errors, accidents and infections.
* Crain’s | City plans (again) to put O’Hare concession contracts out for bid: The city plans to put the contract out for bid early next year, Chicago Aviation Commissioner Jamie Rhee told a City Council committee earlier this week. The Department of Aviation had planned to put the contract out late last year or early this year, but it got delayed.
* AP | A small Illinois city ticketed a local reporter for asking why its infrastructure collapsed and flooded under heavy rainfall: It’s the latest of several recent First Amendment dust-ups involving city officials and news outlets around the country, following this week’s arrest of a small-town Alabama newspaper publisher and reporter after reporting on a grand jury investigation of a school district, and the August police raid of a newspaper and its publisher’s home in Kansas tied to an apparent dispute a restaurant owner had with the paper.
* AP | Oldest black hole discovered dating back to 470 million years after the Big Bang: The findings, published Monday, confirm what until now were theories that supermassive black holes existed at the dawn of the universe. NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and Chandra X-Ray Observatory teamed up over the past year to make the observations. Given the universe is 13.7 billion years old, that puts the age of this black hole at 13.2 billion years.
* WGN | Victory Auto Wreckers to close this month: Victory Auto Wreckers’ owner Kyle Weisner told Dean Richards during an interview on WGN Radio Sunday that the longtime auto salvage yard will close on November 18. Victory Auto Wreckers, located in Bensenville, has been in business since 1945. Weisner’s family has owned it since 1967. The auto salvage yard is known for it’s iconic commercial, “that old car is worth money” — that Dean Richards has voiced since 1991.
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