Gov. Pritzker Signs Legislation Creating the Local Journalism Task Force
Task Force Aims to Promote and Aid Local Journalism
Governor JB Pritzker signed into law Senate Bill 134, which creates the Local Journalism Task Force. The Task Force will conduct a comprehensive study of the status of journalism and make recommendations for improvement to the Governor and General Assembly.
“Many communities across our country have become news deserts – through this legislation, Illinois is taking a step toward addressing that challenge,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Robust local journalism is vitally important and I look forward to reviewing the recommendations from the Task Force as we seek to maintain and grow a strong press corps in Illinois.”
“I’ve dedicated years of my life to journalism, so I understand the importance of having access to local news,” said State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford). “People deserve to know what’s going on in their community, regardless of where they live.”
“Many of the residents of the state are deprived of comprehensive local news coverage,” said State Rep. Dave Vella (D-Rockford). “Local news coverage provides a shared sense of community and a vital check on local government. SB134 creates a task force that seeks to find out what can be done to save it.
Senate Bill 134 creates the Local Journalism Task Force, which will:
• conduct a comprehensive study relative to communities underserved by local journalism in Illinois,
• review all aspects of local journalism including, but not limited to, the adequacy of press coverage of communities, print and digital business models for media outlets, the impact of social media on local news, strategies to improve local news access, and public policy solutions to improve the sustainability of local press business models and private and nonprofit solutions, and
• submit findings and recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly by January 1, 2023.
The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity will be required to provide administrative and other support to the Task Force. The Task Force is also required to meet a minimum of five times.
The membership of the Task Force will consist of the following 15 members:
• one member of each chamber appointed by the caucus leader,
• one member appointed by the Governor,
• one representative of the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications at Northwestern University,
• one representative of the Public Affairs Reporting Program at the University of Illinois at Springfield,
• one representative of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,
• one representative of the School of Journalism at SIU-C,
• one representative of the Illinois Press Association,
• one representative of the Illinois Broadcasters Association,
• one representative of the Illinois Legislative Correspondents Association,
• one representative of the Illinois News Broadcasters Association,
• one representative of the Illinois Public Broadcasting Council, and
• one representative of the Illinois Municipal League.
SB 134 is effective January 1, 2022.
The legislation was supported by numerous publishing/broadcasting groups.
* The Question: What are your suggestions to improve local news?
*** UPDATE *** How about we start with not running ubiquitous and goofy stories like this?…
A Freeport lawmaker wants the state to let local school boards and health departments determine if students and staff should wear masks at school.
Rep. Andrew Chesney (R) filed HB 4131 on Friday. […]
Rep. Chesney hopes the bill be discussed during the state’s Special Session on Aug. 31 to discuss the political maps.
Um, yeah, no. The bill hasn’t even been assigned to a committee yet and the only way it will be “discussed” during the special session called for a specific purpose that has nothing to do with masks in schools is if Chesney gets up to speak about it during a lull. A quick phone call could’ve cleared that up.
Facebook is helping kill off local journalism, but that doesn’t mean local news stories ought to be just like Facebook posts. How about, maybe, you know, report the thing out a bit? There’s literally nothing in that story which actually challenges Chesney’s claims.
Defense attorneys for four former ComEd executives and consultants with close ties to former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan are seeking to dismiss some of the federal charges filed against them last year, arguing the bribery indictment against them “fails to allege any quid pro quo.” […]
“The indictment loosely strings together an assortment of events over a ten-year period of time—largely hiring decisions made by ComEd made at the recommendation of Public Official A—and alleges that, because such recommendations were made in the same decade that legislation affecting ComEd was passed, a crime must have been committed. But the indictment fails to allege any connection between these hiring decisions and any agreement or understanding with Public Official A that he would take (or refrain from) any action on ComEd’s behalf in exchange for the things of value Defendants allegedly provided,” attorneys wrote.
Further, the defense team argued that accepting federal prosecutors’ stance that an explicit quid pro quo is not necessary to uphold the bribery charges “would put huge numbers of American citizens at risk of prosecution for their ordinary participation in the political process.”
“These gaps are fatal to the indictment because giving things of value to public officials can be perfectly legal. The Supreme Court has unanimously held that it is not a crime to give something to a public official ‘to build a reservoir of goodwill that might ultimately affect one or more of a multitude of unspecified acts, now and in the future,’” defense attorneys wrote.
The attorneys argued that allowing the bribery charges to stand without an explicit quid pro quo “would provide the government essentially unlimited discretion to prosecute anyone who has provided a benefit to a public official, and convict them on evidence that the public official took some official act that the defendant favored, without ever proving that the official’s actions were taken in exchange for the benefit provided, or even that the defendant understood or expected that the benefit would influence the official’s actions.”
Federal prosecutors argued Monday that a bid from four members of ex-House Speaker Michael Madigan’s inner circle to convince a judge to toss part of the indictment filed against them ignores the alleged corruption at the heart of the case.
“The illegal conduct alleged in the indictment did not consist merely of lobbying, and it did not include campaign contributions made by ComEd,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu wrote in a new 74-page court filing.
Instead, Bhachu wrote, the four allegedly delivered benefits to Madigan’s associates with the hope Madigan “would give favorable treatment to ComEd legislation” — an arrangement that could be understood as a quid pro quo. […]
Bhachu countered Monday that the four sought “to influence and reward Public Official A in his capacity as Speaker of the House of Representatives with significant power over legislation affecting ComEd’s interests.
“These were not bona fide arrangements made in the usual course of business,” Bhachu wrote, “and there is no legal basis to dismiss these charges from the indictment.”
But in a 74-page response filed late Monday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu wrote the federal bribery law does not require a quid pro quo, and even if it did, the allegations in the indictment make clear that Madigan — identified only as Public Official A — was in on the scheme. […]
“Here, the charges are not based on political logrolling, but rather, on private benefits in the form of jobs, contracts, and payments offered to be paid by a private company in order to influence and reward a legislator in carrying out his official duties,” the motion stated.
Bhachu also blasted arguments by the defendants that some of the bribery charges should be dismissed because they could not be tied to a specific “official act,” citing former Republican Gov. George Ryan’s corruption conviction.
Bhachu said the 7th Circuit ruled in the Ryan case that a “stream of benefits” was provided to the governor over time, “more like a meal plan in which you don’t pay for each item on the menu.” The indictment in the ComEd case alleges a similar scenario, he said.
* Related…
* Ed Burke’s lawyers say feds spent four years investigating him before tapping phones: Additionally, Burke’s lawyers responded to a revelation by the feds last spring that Burke allegedly made a “distasteful” comment about Jewish people. His attorneys insisted Friday the comment is too prejudicial, and any relevance to the racketeering case is outweighed by “the risk that the jury will infer from the statement that Ald. Burke is anti-Semitic.”
Today, Nikki Budzinski, a labor activist, former senior advisor to Governor JB Pritzker, and former member of the Biden administration at OMB announced her campaign for Congress in Illinois’ 13th congressional district with a coalition of support.
Born in Peoria, Nikki’s parents taught her the importance of family, community, and service to others. From her grandpa, a union painter, she saw how unions built and sustained the middle class. From her grandma, a public-school teacher, she learned the value of a good education. After graduating from the University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign, Nikki traveled the country fighting to get hard-working people the pay and workplace protections they deserve while working with the IAFF firefighters union and UFCW.
As Governor JB Pritzker’s senior advisor, Nikki helped pass a $15 minimum wage in Illinois and expand high speed internet across the state. As the Chief of Staff in President Biden’s Office of Management and Budget, she helped implement the American Rescue Plan and established the Made in America office.
Budzinski also announced the endorsement of UFCW Local 881, Pastor Ray McJunkins, the Lead Pastor of Union Baptist Church in Springfield, State Representative Katie Stuart, Sangamon County Democratic Chairman Bill Houlihan, Christian County Democratic Chairman Ben Curtin, Jersey County Democratic Chairman Mark Pohlman, Calhoun County Democratic Chairman Paul “Snow” Herkert, and Macoupin County Democrats Chairwoman Pam Monetti.
Budzinski made the following statement: “I’ve spent my whole life fighting for working people and I’ll do the same in Congress. I want to make sure every Illinoisan has access to the same middle-class opportunities that my grandparents did as union painters and teachers.
Rodney Davis isn’t getting the job done. The stakes are too high for middle class families like the one I grew up in to have ineffective leaders in Congress and I plan to go to Congress and deliver for Illinois.”
Steve Powell, President of Local 881 and UFCW International Vice President made the following statement: “Nikki has spent her entire professional life fighting for working people. As we recover from COVID19 and build a new 21st-century economy, we need leaders like Nikki in Congress that are going to stand up for our members and make sure labor has a seat at the decision-making table. My job is to deliver for our members and having advocates like Nikki in Congress makes that easier. That’s why UFCW Local 881 is supporting Nikki.”
Pam Monetti, Chairwoman of the Macoupin County Democrats made the following statement: “Working people need allies in Congress that will make sure middle-class families get a fair shake. We haven’t gotten that from Rodney Davis the entire time he’s been in office. We need a true ally to working people which is why I’m supporting Nikki. She’s walked the walk - working in the labor movement, working to pass a $15 minimum wage in Illinois, and working on the American Rescue Plan in President Biden’s administration. Nikki will get the job done and I encourage others to support her.”
Pastor Ray McJunkins made the following statement: “Nikki Budzinski’s career spans over 20 years as a public servant. With an impressive and extensive background in government and political science Nikki is an exceptional individual when it comes to her passion of making a difference. She understands the importance of involvement in the decision-making process while working for the common good. With her education and experience, I am confident she will be a strong voice for the working class. Nikki Budzinski will bring to Capitol Hill knowledge, skill, experience, integrity, determination, and character. In fact, my descriptive summary of Nikki includes words such as competent, committed, talented, and innovative. She is an asset to local and state government and will be an even greater asset to federal government as she works for the people.”
Keep in mind that we don’t yet know what the districts will look like, and probably won’t until late October.
*** UPDATE *** Aaron DeGroot at the Rodney Davis campaign…
Hey, Rich.
Here is a quote from me as Davis campaign spokesperson regarding the Nikki Budzinski announcement:
“Nikki Budzinski is a lifelong Democrat political operative who is steeped in corrupt, Madigan-style politics. When she was a top staffer for Governor Pritzker, she helped Mike Madigan put his allies in patronage jobs throughout state government. Illinois voters have had enough of corrupt Madigan Machine politicians like Budzinski.”
And since Budzinski is Dick Durbin’s candidate for Congress against Rodney, I’ll note that Durbin is 0-5 against Rodney.
