Late afternoon, evening precinct reports
Tuesday, Apr 2, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Things can be different in the Metro East…
Madison County Associate Judge Clarence Harrison declined to order the City of Wood River to remove “vote Yes” signs positioned on city-owned property and inside City Hall that promote a sales tax increase referendum on the ballot in Tuesday’s election.
At a hearing challenging the city on Monday morning, Harrison indicated that if opponents of the signs want a remedy they can vote the public officials responsible out of office, according to a courtroom observer.
The controversy involves what critics say is a violation of the city’s own ordinance regarding political signs on city property, as well as the city’s position not to allow “vote No” signs on city property.
Last week, a spokesperson for the Illinois State Board of Elections said that if the city paid for the signs and/or used workers to place them on city property would be considered election interference.
* I’m not planning to do any coverage tonight so you can also use this post to discuss results.
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* When Indiana passed legislation in 2015 allowing businesses to refuse services to gay people, then-Gov. Bruce Rauner said he wouldn’t use the neighboring state’s law to try to poach businesses. Rauner said it was a mere “headline opportunity” and not a real one.
New governor, different state, different topic, but an approach focused on a particular industry…
Mixing business with politics, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Gov. J.B. Pritzker are moving to poach some TV and film business from Georgia as that state prepares to sign a rigorous anti-abortion bill that has set off a backlash in Hollywood.
In a letter to studio moguls and others in the entertainment industry, the two local officials joined with New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy to suggest that Georgia has fallen prey to “reactionary, extremist forces” and that their business would better fit in “hospitable places” like Chicago, Illinois and Jersey.
“We agree the industry should align your values with where you spend your money and boycott states not aligned with your progressive ideals,” the trio wrote. “Our cities and states are home to some of America’s most creative, hard-working and innovative production professionals. While we stand together in defense of the rights of our residents, we respectfully invite you to consider our locations for your future productions.” […]
The measure specifically would ban any abortion after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, something that generally occurs about six weeks into a pregnancy and which, according to pro-abortion-rights groups, would come close to banning all abortions, since women often don’t know for a few weeks that they’re pregnant.
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* Tribune…
A man with several weapons was taken into custody Monday in a block of Franklin Park that includes a school and a church, according to officials.
The incident began about 5 a.m., when the man was making statements on Facebook that prompted a police response, according to Franklin Park Director of Police Michael Witz. […]
“This would have hit national news had he carried out what he was going to do,” Witz said.
* This was just released by the Franklin Park Police Department…
On Monday April 1, 2019, at approximately 5 a.m. Franklin Park Officers were dispatched to St. Gertrude Church, 9613 Schiller, to check for a subject who had been communicating with a family member through texting and social media, making the family member concerned for his well-being.
Upon arriving at the Church officers located a door that was forced open and began searching the church.
Officers came upon a male subject hiding in a closet in the basement of the church, who was visibly scene possessing multiple firearms in his waist band. Officers gave the male subject several commands to not move and show his hands. The male subject then made a movement toward his waist, which resulted in officers deploying their taser, striking the male subject and knocking him to the ground. Officers then removed three handguns from his person.
While this was taking place three females had entered the church to clean and place flowers.
The male subject was transported to the police station for additional interviewing, at which time it was learned that he traveled from South Dakota where he resides, to Hoffman Estates, Illinois where he left his pickup truck and traveled to Franklin Park. Officers located two additional weapons in his pickup truck in Hoffman Estates.
The male white subject has been identified as James Orwick 28 years of age of Newell, South Dakota. It is not clear exactly what Orwick’s plans were on this day, but we believe from his text messages and social media messaging Mr. Orwick may have been a danger to our community and himself.
Because of our officers quick and decisive actions, we believe that a major tragedy was prevented.
The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office approved charges against James Orwick with three counts of Aggravated Unlawful Use of Weapon which is a class 4 felony years, two counts of Felony Resisting a Peace Officer which is a class 4 Felony and one count Felony Criminal Damage to Property a class 4 felony.
All charges are punishable by 1 to 3 years per count.
Orwick will be transported to the Cook County Maybrook Court House where he will go before a judge for his bond to be set.
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Question of the day
Tuesday, Apr 2, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Zorn…
It’s time to end the tradition of conducting made-for-TV debates in front of human props — people instructed to sit mute between opening and closing rounds of polite applause. Their only purpose is to provide a visual background that recalls the prebroadcast era when auditorium settings were the only places to take the measure of candidates.
Such audiences create security concerns, and when they’re well-behaved they add nothing to the event except when they’re called on to ask questions (another tradition that should end; more about that in a moment).
So kudos to WFLD-Ch. 32 for being the only station to use a closed studio setting, as it did for its March 26 Lightfoot-Preckwinkle debate. The energy in the room — a factor sometimes cited as a reason to bring in scores of citizen witnesses — was evidently just fine. […]
Moderating is hard. Ponce, Flannery and, earlier in the cycle, WTTW and WMAQ-Ch. 5’s Carol Marin were among those broadcasters who proved equal to the task of doing enough homework to not allow their debates to turn into adjacent news conferences.
But formatting ought to be easy. Next time, every station should throw out the old rules as well as the audience.
* The Question: Agree or disagree? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please…
web polls
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* As you may recall, Rep. Steve Reick (R-Woodstock) said this last week during debate on a bill sponsored by Rep. Chris Welch (D-Hillside)…
I don’t care whether you are offended or not by the fact that we are against this bill. The fact remains that you’re not gonna get anything in this country in the way of being treated equally if you’re gonna take offense at every damned thing that comes up.
* Rep. Reick rose today to offer this apology…
Ladies and gentleman, last Friday, to not put too fine a point on it, I made a total ass out of myself on this floor.
I’m rising today to make several apologies. The first one is to Rep. Welch because the bill that we were arguing should have been the focus of what our conversation was. I allowed it to become secondary to the kind of nonsense that I was a participant in. And to him, who deserved a better conversation on this bill, which frankly I did not support, he didn’t get it. And it was my fault. And I apologize for that. To the members of the rest of the House here and anyone who heard it, I also offer an apology.
As I said earlier on our first day of session this past year, we’re a diverse state. We’re a huge state. We all want to end up in the same place, but we have many ways of getting there. And the challenge we have is making sure that we don’t let the differences that separate us… keep us from doing that.
We’re gonna be in for a hard next two months, folks. And I, for one, regret that I allowed this body to become rancorous and saying the things that I said. They were not meant personally. My wife calls this ‘the invocation of my inner Reynolds.’ And if any of you know know what that means, you know it’s a dark place.
I hope that in the next two months I can keep that inner Reynolds at bay while appealing to the higher angels of my nature and ask that we all do the same.
Therefore, I stand and offer my sincere apology. I’m not going to say I’m apologizing to those who were offended because if you weren’t offended, you’ve got a problem. I was offensive to everybody, including myself, and I’m sorry. Thank you.
I have no idea what an “inner Reynolds” is, but, otherwise, that was one outstanding apology.
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Illinois Is Facing A Clean Energy Cliff
Tuesday, Apr 2, 2019 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Thousands of Illinoisans working in wind and solar energy are facing a critical deadline that needs a legislative fix.
Statewide demand for renewable energy is surging, with more than 1,300 new wind and solar jobs added last year in Illinois. But the state’s renewable energy program will not be able to support new wind and solar projects after 2020. SB 1781 / HB 2966 will fix the cliff.
Without an expansion of the Renewable Portfolio Standard, wind and solar businesses will be forced to lay off employees and move on to states with more stable markets. SB 1781 / HB 2966, the Path to 100 Act sponsored by Rep. Will Davis and Sen. Bill Cunningham, will allow wind and solar jobs to continue growing in Illinois.
Vote Yes on SB 1781 (Cunningham) and HB 2966 (Davis)
Learn more at www.pathto100.net
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It’s just a bill
Tuesday, Apr 2, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* SB86…
Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. In the Section prohibiting the use of video devices, provides that “video device” includes cellular telephones, tablets, laptops, two-way messaging devices, and electronic games, but does not include two-way radios, citizens’ band radios, or amateur radio equipment. Provides that “using an electronic communication device” includes: (1) holding a personal electronic device in either hand or both hands; (2) using a hand or finger to compose, send, read, view, access, browse, transmit, save or retrieve email, text messages, instant messages, photographs, or other electronic data; and (3) watching video on a personal electronic device. Provides that “using an electronic communication device” does not include the minimal use of a finger to activate, deactivate, or initiate a function of the device.
Provides that the definition of “electronic communication device” does not include a global positioning system or navigation system or a device that is physically or electronically integrated into the motor vehicle.
* Illinois Public Radio…
Current law forbids “using an electronic communications device,” which it defines as a mobile phone, personal digital assistant, or computer. But it‘s silent on what “using” consists of. […]
A separate law already prohibits driving if a television or video screen is operating where the driver can see it. Stadelman’s legislation would expand that list to include “video devices” such as cell phones, laptops and electonic games. It makes exceptions for GPS systems, radios, and devices that are physically or electronically integrated into vehicles.
“It’s a dangerous situation, so whatever we can do as far as the state of Illinois to discourage that and explicitly state that watching videos is not allowed, that’s what this legislation’s all about,” Stadelman says.
* This bill was sent to subcommittee over two weeks ago, where it died after missing the deadline. It’s now stuck in Rules…
Lawmakers in the Illinois House are weighing a bill that would tax streaming and satellite service users “for the privilege to witness, view, or otherwise enjoy the entertainment.”
Illinoisans who stream movies on Netflix, watch satellite TV or listen to music on smart speakers may need to pay a state tax to enjoy them.
House Bill 3359 would create the “Video Service Tax Modernization Act” and “Entertainment Tax Fairness Act,” which would impose new taxes on satellite and video streaming service providers and subscribers. Users of those services would pay a 1 percent tax “for the privilege to witness, view, or otherwise enjoy the entertainment,” while companies would pay a 5 percent tax on their gross revenues.
* Other bills…
* Gov. J.B. Pritzker signs law creating parole review for young offenders with lengthy sentences: The law, effective June 1, will allow people who commit a crime before turning 21 to petition the Illinois Prisoner Review Board for parole, which will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Victims, witnesses and others will have the opportunity to present testimony to the board. People convicted of first-degree murder or aggravated criminal sexual assault will be eligible for review after 20 years, and those convicted of predatory criminal assault of a child or given a life sentence will not be eligible. The measure marks the first time the state will be allowed to grant discretionary parole since the practice was abolished in 1978.
* Illinois Home Care Aides Pushing For Higher Wages: Workers say home care agencies under the state’s Community Care Program (CCP) should receive a higher pay rate from the state. Lawmakers in Springfield are considering a proposal that would increase the home care rate to support a $13 minimum wage by this summer. … The CCP home care rate is $18.29 while caregivers earn a minimum of $10.67. If the General Assembly approves the proposal, that CCP rate would increase to $21.64 by July 1, 2019, which would be used to cover a raise for home aides.
* Illinois Nurses, Hospital CEOs At Odds Over Patient Limits: [A.J. Wilhelmi, with the Illinois Hospital Association] said not every hospital has the same resources, and the legislation does not include funding to hire more nurses. “About 42 percent of our hospitals are currently operating at a negative or very thin margin of less than two percent,” he said. Wilhelmi said the plan would drive up healthcare costs by more than $2 billion a year — which would be especially burdensome for safety-net and critical-access hospitals, like Touchette Regional Hospital in Centreville, where Sulbrena Day is the CEO.
* More Grad Students Could Get Right To Strike: Graduate students who work as teachers assistants are classified as university employees, and already have the right to join a union. No college or university has registered any opposition to the bill. A similar measure was approved by the General Assembly last year, but vetoed by then-Gov. Bruce Rauner. The bill now heads to the Senate.
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* First up, some shenanigans. From Hannah Alani…
Aldermanic candidate Jessica Gutierrez filed a police report on Monday after a supporter of her opponent — incumbent Ald. Ariel Reboyras (3oth) — filmed the inside of her apartment and posted the video, and her address, on Facebook.
Gutierrez said she has lived in her home for nearly two years and was “completely distressed” by the incident.
“I’m really shaken up,” she said.
In an effort to question whether or not Gutierrez actually lives in the 30th Ward, a man named Esteban Burgoa filmed a 19-minute Facebook Live video in which he filmed himself walking up to the window of the 31-year-old’s garden apartment, saying he “happened to find” himself in the area. […]
To add insult to injury, she said, Reboyras condoned Burgoa’s behavior by sharing the video.
About four hours after Burgoa started broadcasting the Facebook Live, the official Citizens for Ariel E. Reboyras Facebook page shared the video in a post, referring to Burgoa as “one of our supporters.”
* Nice-looking truck, though…
* What are you seeing out there?
* Related…
* Ald. Mell Staffer Caught Using Fake Account to Pose as Undecided Voter, Mislead and Attack Constituents: Deb Mell’s Streets and Sanitation Superintendent has been using a fake alternative Facebook account to influence debates in local neighborhood groups and attack Mell’s critics.
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* This issue has been ignored at the Statehouse for years. I have no idea how to craft a politically palatable solution, and neither does anybody else, which is why it’s probably gonna be up to the federal judiciary to figure it out…
A federal judge in Chicago has found the Illinois Department of Corrections is violating the constitutional rights of prisoners convicted of certain sex crimes by making the restrictions on where they can live so stringent that inmates are often locked up long beyond their sentences.
In a ruling issued Sunday, Judge Virginia Kendall wrote that hundreds of offenders in the state’s prison system successfully complete their entire court-ordered sentences yet remain behind bars indefinitely. Kendall found the corrections department is depriving them of fundamental rights, and if they had money and support, they’d be able to leave and begin serving out what’s called “mandatory supervised release.”
Mark Weinberg, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said the decision could mean relief for hundreds of people who have been in prison even though they’ve served their time. […]
In 2017, WBEZ visited and spoke with J.D. Lindenmeier, one of the plaintiffs in the case. At that time, Lindenmeier had been behind bars six years past his court-ordered release date. But he’s still in prison today, a total of eight years beyond his sentence because he can’t find a place to live that complies with the state’s requirements. […]
In the 2017 interview, Lindenmeier said he couldn’t afford his own apartment, so he turned to his family for help. But their living situations disqualified them under state law. He said his father lived too close to a park, his mother had a computer and smartphone with internet access, his sister had small children, and his dad’s girlfriend’s home was too close to a day care center — all violations of the state’s housing rules for offenders like Lindenmeier.
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[The following is a paid advertisement.]
New polling conducted by Fabrizio, Lee & Associates shows some Democratic House members could regret a vote to put Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s progressive income tax on their ballot.
Just three months into his term, Pritzker is already disliked in districts he won in November.
You can find the topline results for each district here: 48, 49, 51, 57, 96, 111, 112. Check back tomorrow for full crosstabs and in-district polling on Pritzker’s progressive income tax proposal.
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What is a “jobs tax” anyway?
Tuesday, Apr 2, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Remember this Ideas Illinois ad?…
Pritzker and Madigan want to change the constitution to allow a permanent jobs tax on middle class families… They’re putting a constitutional amendment on your 2020 ballot, paving the way for their jobs tax on the middle class.
* BGA’s Politifact…
While there’s no official definition for a “jobs tax,” it is clear Pritzker’s plan doesn’t contain one.
Experts we spoke with noted the term gets used colloquially to describe so-called head taxes like one Chicago once levied on larger employers. But that in no way resembles what Pritzker is proposing.
Richard Auxier, a research associate with the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, said it is “completely incorrect” to use the term “jobs tax” to refer to a graduated income tax proposal.
“The income tax is not on people, it is on your income,” he said.
The income tax… is not on… people? The tax is officially known in Illinois as the “Individual Income Tax.” That’s just as weird as making up some phrase like “jobs tax.” I mean, who pays income taxes? Income?
I used the Google and the only definition of a “jobs tax” I could find is by a Seattle columnist in reference to a proposed local head tax. So, yeah, it can be used “colloquially” by one guy in the state of Washington, but other than that, it doesn’t appear to be a thing. So, I guess they’re right that it’s not in there because it’s not a thing. But maybe that’s a matter of opinion because Baise’s group could’ve just made up a new definition for an advertisement, which does happen. Ideas Illinois wouldn’t respond to Politifact, so I sent the group the Think Big Illinois press release about the Politifact piece and asked what the heck a jobs tax is anyway.
* This is all I could get…
It is quite fitting that this ‘fact check’ along with the Pritzker Team’s reaction comes on April Fool’s Day. The proposal being put forward by Governor Pritzker is clearly a middle class jobs tax and until Speaker Madigan and the Governor lock the actual rates into the constitutional amendment, no one can ensure middle class families otherwise. Illinois has been hemorrhaging good, middle-class jobs for years and this proposal would only make that worse.
So, Baise wants to lock rates into the constitution? Careful what you wish for.
* Meanwhile…
Ideas Illinois today released a second round of bi-partisan advertising thanking Republican Representative Terri Bryant and Democratic Representative Jerry Costello for standing with middle class families while calling for opposition to the Pritzker/Madigan Jobs Tax.
“The Pritzker/Madigan Jobs Tax is a blank check handed to Springfield insiders,” Ideas Illinois Chairman Greg Baise said. “We want to ensure middle class families know when their elected officials are standing up for them and opposing this massive tax which will drive more jobs out of our state.”
The Costello ad is here, the Bryant ad is here.
…Adding… Press release…
Think Big Illinois Executive Director Quentin Fulks released the following statement in response to Ideas Illinois’ latest ads:
“Just a day after their misleading attacks were called out as ‘false,’ Ideas Illinois is at it again in their latest attempt to use ‘classic fear-mongering techniques’ to ensure the wealthiest Illinoisans avoid paying their fair share. The fact is, under Governor Pritzker’s fair tax plan, 97% of Illinoisans will not see an income tax increase, with only those making more than $250,000 a year paying more.
“As PolitiFact recently explained, ‘While there’s no official definition for a “jobs tax,” it is clear Pritzker’s plan doesn’t contain one.’ That clearly won’t stop Ideas Illinois from continuing with their dishonest claims, but Think Big Illinois will continue to stand up for working families in the fight to implement a fair tax.”
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More DCFS problems
Tuesday, Apr 2, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* ABC 7…
About a dozen young children, including a 2-year-old, and an elderly woman were found Monday afternoon living in squalor in a house in south suburban Dixmoor, Illinois, police said.
Police removed the children and woman from the house. The elderly woman’s daughter and another woman were in custody late Monday with charges pending, police said. Four of the children were released to their parents. […]
Investigators said they called the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) as soon as they arrived Monday afternoon
However, [Dixmoor Police Chief Ron Burge] said DCFS did not respond. After waiting for three hours, police removed the children themselves.
“I’m a little upset we’ve been here three hours. DCFS has not responded properly,” Burge said.
Ugh.
* Meanwhile…
Workers with the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) had contact with the family of Byron Casanova, and the child himself, numerous times in the months leading up to his suicide on March 23, 2019.
According to the report, DCFS investigators actually had interaction with the family years ago.The department first opened an investigation on February 3rd, 2016.
A concerned person reported the mother was taking the child’s ADHD medication and had slapped him in the face saying that she hated him. DCFS looked into the claims and ultimately came to the conclusion that there was no wrong doing. […]
Throughout February and March, DCFS workers conducted 11 home visits, and several visits to the children at school and doctor’s appointments. During that time, they found no signs of abuse or neglect toward Casanova or his brothers, but did note additional school absences and a messy home.
The very last home visit by DCFS took place on March 19, 2019, just four days before Casanova passed away.
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Never tweet
Tuesday, Apr 2, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From the 25th House District primary last year…
* As I’ve already told you, Rep. Tarver voted against a bill to get rid of the state’s rent control ban. A tweeter called him out on it…
* The snippy response…
* Ouch…
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* The status of HB2275 looks harmless enough…
Amends the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act. Removes language concerning impasse procedures involving an educational employer whose territorial boundaries are coterminous with those of a city having a population in excess of 500,000. Repeals provisions concerning subjects of collective bargaining with that educational employer.
The bill cleared the full House last week 73-35.
* Way down at the bottom of the bill…
The Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act is amended by repealing Section 4.5.
What would happen with the repeal of that section? The mayor’s office says these items would be put back into the collective bargaining process…
· Class size;
· Class staffing and assignment;
· Class schedules;
· Academic calendar;
· Length of the work and school day;
· Length of the work and school year;
· Hours and places of instruction; and
· Pupil assessment policies.
Section 4.5 (Subjects of Collective Bargaining) is here.
* Greg Hinz had the scoop…
Quietly approved by the House late last week was a bill that would repeal 1995 reforms passed early in the tenure of former Mayor Richard M. Daley that took certain topics, including class size and the school calendar, off the collective bargaining table, making them discretionary to management rather than mandatory subjects for bargaining.
Daley implemented some changes under the law, most notably beginning to appoint members of the Chicago Board of Education, a change under attack in other pending legislation. But Emanuel went much further, often bragging he changed a Chicago Public Schools system that had had what he said was among the shortest school days and years in the country.
The shift always has rankled the Chicago Teachers Union, in part because it applied only to Chicago and no other districts in the suburbs or downstate. A similar CTU bill stalled last year in Springfield, but it breezed out of the House largely on a party-line 73-35 vote last week, and according to the union, there is good reason to believe the measure has the support of Senate President John Cullerton and will be signed into law if it reaches Gov. J.B. Pritzker. […]
“The bill would take away CPS’ bargaining leverage,” said one top schools insider who asked not to be named. “It will sharply increase the likelihood of a strike” next fall, when a new CTU contract is supposed to go into effect.
That’s a big payback for the CTU, campers.
*** UPDATE *** WBEZ…
Last week, the Illinois House passed a bill lifting these bargaining restrictions with 73 members voting yes and 35 voting no. The “no” votes came from Republicans. In the Senate, Democrats hold a bigger majority. Similar bills have passed in the House previously but have stalled in the Senate.
But now, Senate President John Cullerton tells WBEZ it might be time to revisit these provisions, according to his spokesman John Patterson.
In addition, both candidates for Chicago’s mayor and Governor J.B. Pritzker are considered more CTU-friendly than Mayor Rahm Emanuel and former Gov. Bruce Rauner, which could increase the chances of the bill making it to the governor’s desk.
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It’s just a bill
Monday, Apr 1, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Stop narrowing the tax base…
A bill in the Senate could help more seniors qualify for a property tax freeze.
With the existing Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Exemption, seniors can take a property tax exemption if their income rests just above $65,000. To help seniors stay within the $65,000 income limit, Senate Bill 1346 would allow seniors to deduct their monthly Medicare expenses, allowing more seniors to take advantage of the property tax exemption.
While the exemption would give seniors a break, the bill may not be all that Illinois residents are hoping for when it comes to the state’s property taxes, said Carol Portman, president of the Taxpayers’ Federation of Illinois.
“This is not going to reduce the amount of property taxes collected in total, so when you increase an exemption on one property that means you are increasing the taxes on all other properties,” she said.
Portman said this could mean higher taxes for other Illinois residents, which is not something that the Taxpayers’ Federation of Illinois supports.
* Some freshmen House members might want to read this Chicago Tribune story about Illinois’ first woman state legislator…
Lottie O’Neill was accompanied by more than 1,000 women when she walked down a flag-draped aisle in the legislative chamber and took a seat in the fifth row on the third day of January in 1923. The gallery was packed with suffragists who, like O’Neill’s escorts that day, had come to Springfield to witness a historic event: the swearing-in of Illinois’ first female state legislator. […]
She would, in fact, serve for four decades as a legislator in the Illinois General Assembly. That was a remarkable achievement considering the tough time O’Neill’s colleagues gave her in 1923 after the hoopla ended and the legislature got down to horse-trading as usual.
At the swearing-in, O’Neill gestured toward her supporters and addressed the assembly:
“These women have already told you what I stand for — legislation for humanity,” she said. “And I earnestly request you men to work with me for these people in this legislation. The care of mothers and babies, better teachers and schools, aid for the delinquent girl; improved industrial conditions for women.”
In accord with that program, O’Neill sponsored 13 bills that year, but only three passed. She took that hard.
From the most recent House Bulletin…
Beginning Tuesday, April 2, the Order of Call for House Bills on 3rd Reading will be done alphabetically, based on members’ priorities. Members are advised to submit their priority lists, in the prescribed format, to their respective staffs […]
Through April 12 (3rd Reading Deadline for House Bills), floor amendments for House Bills will only be processed if and when the bill has been designated as a Top 3 priority by the member.
Don’t take it too hard when only three of your bills make it to the Senate - if that.
* Hmm…
On March 26, 2019, Illinois State Representative Luis Arroyo filed an amendment to House Bill 2713, the Coal to Solar and Energy Storage Act. The legislation aims to create a financial structure to keep at-risk coal plants online through 2024, while funding a build-out of solar+storage, energy efficiency, and transmission to replace the lost capacity.
Just last year, a study sponsored by NRDC and Sierra Club finds that old coal plants can be retired and safely replaced by solar and other resources. The study was written specifically to counter a push by Vistra Energy to gain subsidies for its old plants.
Vistra Energy and its subsidiaries own 5.5 GW of coal resources within the region noted in the legislation (MISO Zone 4), which represents 40% of the summer capacity within that region. The company is seemingly a (the?) major backer, as noted by their website and press releases supporting the document.
The power company is also a developer of some of the largest solar+storage projects in various markets – for instance, a 300 MW / 1,200 MWh energy storage facility for California, and first Texas’ largest solar facility, then its largest battery – at said solar facility.
That bill, as amended, flew out of the House Public Utilities Committee 18-0 last Thursday.
* Related…
* House approves bill to improve care for youth in DCFS facilities: Specifically, House Bill 3153 requires DCFS to place a locked suggestion box in each group home, shelter and transitional living arrangement that accepts youth in care for placement by DCFS. If enacted into law, DCFS would be required to issue an annual report to the General Assembly outlining the concerns submitted to the boxes and the solutions for each concern.
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Question of the day
Monday, Apr 1, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Your one-word description of the Chicago mayoral race, which ends tomorrow? One word only, please.
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Felonies proposed for Scott’s Law violations
Monday, Apr 1, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From Illinois State Police Acting Director Brendan Kelly…
On this day in 1922, eight officers on motorcycles under the direction of John Stack, began patrolling the highways of Illinois as the official Illinois State Police. Initially, their mission was to protect Illinois roadways by enforcing weight laws. Today the mission and services of the Department have grown, as well as the number of people employed to accomplish them. The ISP is comprised of over 2,600 sworn and civilian employees. The Agency’s primary mission is to provide safety and improve the quality of life for the citizens of Illinois by offering a multitude of services represented in each of the various divisions within the Department. These services include, but are not limited to, patrol enforcement and public assistance, drug interdiction, criminal investigations, forensic analysis, tactical operations, polygraph services, law enforcement training and recruitment, and administrative support for all entities within the Department. Many of these services are also provided to municipal, county and federal law enforcement agencies.
As a way to honor the dedicated men and woman of the ISP, April 1 of each year is designated Illinois State Trooper Day. This day shall be observed annually throughout the state to pay tribute to those who serve and protect our citizens and especially to those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
“It is imperative that of all years, today we stop to extend our gratitude and honor the dedication, commitment, and sacrifices of the great men and women of the ISP. While our department is in mourning over the recent, untimely tragedies that have occurred in 2019, we are also united in our devotion to always remember our fallen brothers and sisters and the ultimate price they paid to protect others. In 97 years, 69 men and women of the ISP bravely put on their uniform to serve the citizens of this state and never returned home. I am asking the public to consider these men and women today and all those who bravely wear their badge or shield so they may protect others. Through our struggle, we find strength. Through our sadness, we find hope. Through our darkness, we find a bright light from those courageous souls shining down.”
* From current state statutes (Scott’s Law) regarding the failure to move over and slow down for emergency vehicles on the roadside…
If a violation of subsection (c) of this Section results in injury to another person. In addition to any other penalty imposed, the person’s driving privileges shall be suspended for a fixed period of not less than 180 days and not more than 2 years.
House Amendment 1 to HB1875 crosses out that language and replaces it with a Class 3 felony and a mandatory 5-year license suspension.
A violation resulting in death would be a Class 2 felony and permanent revocation of the drivers’ license, instead of a 2-year suspension (plus, of course, anything else prosecutors charge).
A simple violation would be a Class 4 felony instead of a business offense.
The amendment was introduced today by Rep. John Cabello (R-Machesney Park).
Thoughts?
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What Steve Rhodes said
Monday, Apr 1, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
“I don’t care what the polls say, we cannot leave a stone unturned,” U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly said in South Shore, with her endorsed candidate Lightfoot by her side. “We have to do everything we can do. We have to run like we are behind. Don’t take anything for granted.”
Meanwhile, Preckwinkle’s top allies kept encouraging voters to ignore talk of endorsements and polls, of which there have been few, and focus on turning out in big numbers for the Cook County Board president.
Steve Rhodes…
When one camp is warning about complacency due to poll numbers and the other side is urging voters to ignore the poll numbers, that means both sides agree on the poll numbers.
* Tribune…
Preckwinkle also spent a chunk of the day visiting various South Side grocery stores, though her campaign didn’t publicize them. It did, however, tweet photos of her visiting shoppers at Jewel stores in Brainerd and Grand Crossing, a Food-4-Less in Chatham and the sprawling Walmart in Pullman.
Rhodes…
A campaign that doesn’t want publicity on the weekend before Election Day is a campaign that is either incompetent, is afraid that their campaign stops will draw embarrassingly little enthusiasm, or doesn’t want to face the questions that come with media attention. I’d say the Preckwinkle campaign checks all three boxes.
* And the lack of enthusiasm showed later…
Later in the day, White and Preckwinkle joined U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, Ald. Walter Burnett, Ald. Jason Ervin, city treasurer candidate and state Rep. Melissa Conyears-Ervin and Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson for what the County Board president’s campaign advertised as the weekend’s closing get-out-the-vote rally, but a crowd of just 60 people was scattered throughout the sanctuary.
Rhodes…
Oy.
Yep.
…Adding… Chicago Tribune editorial…
Tuesday is Mandate Day. After 22 years of Mayor Richard M. Daley from a family political dynasty, and after eight years of Emanuel who brought an insider, Washington, D.C. portfolio, voters have the opportunity to turn the keys over to outsider Lori Lightfoot. Chicagoans, do that forcefully.
Steve Rhodes…
Bear in mind that for the last three decades, the Tribune editorial board has been, forcefully, in the corners of Daley and Emanuel, issuing no less than eight endorsements over that time - all of them!
Now the Trib wants to shame you into fixing their (unacknowledged) mistakes. If editorial board members thought about it, they’d realize that we’d all be better off if readers following their advice the last 30 years would’ve been better off sitting at home on Election Day! Stupid citizens, look what you did listening to us! Now we need a mayor to get us out of this mess! Get out there and vote or you have no right to complain about how wrong we’ve been!
Our very own Tim Willette adds: “It wasn’t long ago that the Tribune endorsed Bill Daley for mayor! If you endorsed Bill Daley for mayor, you have no right to complain!”
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* From the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability…
This analysis is based on interpretation of the proposed plan, and relies on briefing materials, news reports, and administration comments {not actual legislation}. As such, this analysis is considered unofficial in nature, and is subject to change as emerging details warrant.
COGFA estimates the governor’s graduated income tax would net $3.331 billion. That’s about $69 million less than the governor’s $3.4 billion forecast, which is only 2 percent off.
The analysis was given to legislative leaders and approp people the other day.
Discuss.
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* Illinois News Network…
After a heated debate, calls of racism, and shouting, the Illinois state House of Representatives voted to require all publicly held companies in the state to have at least one woman and one African-American on the company’s corporate board.
State Rep. Chris Welch’s bill, which passed Friday, would require any publicly-traded company headquartered in the state to have at least one woman and at least one African-American on its corporate boards starting in 2021.
Maybe I missed something, but I heard no explicit “calls of racism.”
The bill is here.
* To the debate…
Rep. Tony McCombie (R-Savanna): No disrespect, Representative, but is this a real bill?
Rep. Chris Welch (D-Hillside): This is a real bill.
McCombie: Who writes this stuff? I mean this is, this is getting crazy here. Just because you have the super majority, the super-duper-duper majority doesn’t mean you have to keep continuing to pass bills that haven’t passed over the last three or four different years. This is blowing my mind. You guys are gonna put your governor, our governor on the books for being the biggest business busting person in the nation.
Welch: No, I think Rauner has that title already.
McCombie: You are putting him on a spot here that is not going to help him, I’m telling you. I strongly urge, this bill is really quite offensive. I agree with Davidsmeyer, why are we not talking about seniors, why are we not talking about different religions, why are we not talking about people that are disabled? Why are we getting in, why are we continuing to get in the private businesses? Destroying our ability for this state to grow. And we all agree in this room, every single person we agree that we have to grow our way out of this mess. I strongly, strongly urge a No vote and, you know, Representative, you have always been one that comes forth with a bill that sometimes I disagree with and then you come back and you change a mandate to a ‘may’ and it’s a better bill. This is a bad bill. This is a horrible bill. I don’t even, you guys gotta get it together here. No offense, but this is, this is something else. I urge a No vote.
Rep. Will Davis (D-Homewood): The previous speaker said ‘No offense.’ I’ll just say ‘Offense taken’ in that respect. Offense is already taken. I often say when I sponsor diversity bills that I wouldn’t have to do them if people would act right. We wouldn’t have to do these kind of things if all of us act right.
* Leader Davis went on like that for a while and Rep. Steven Reick (R-Woodstock) decided to add his own “contribution”…
I don’t care whether you are offended or not by the fact that we are against this bill. The fact remains that you’re not gonna get anything in this country in the way of being treated equally if you’re gonna take offense at every damned thing that comes up.
Whew.
* The response from Rep. Margo McDermed (R-Mokena), who sits down the row from Rep. Reick…
Agreed.
* But the Republicans were not finished…
Rep. Deanne Mazzochi (R-Elmhurst): Just out of curiosity, if we set a precedent with this bill, could we then pass a bill saying that we mandate Christian men be represented on a corporate board?
Rep. Welch: You have the right just like I did to file your bill. If you like that, file the bill.
Mazzochi: Can we mandate that conservative Republicans have to have a seat at the table on corporate boards?
Welch: You can certainly file that bill.
Mazzochi: Well, I’m asking, if that bill gets filed would you then support it?
* All heck kinda broke loose…
Welch: Listen, Representative, I’m not gonna stand here as a black man with a five-year-old daughter and be ashamed that I’m fighting for her to have a seat at the table… If you believe corporate Republicans and conservative Republicans have a right [to be] at the table, file the bill! We can debate it, just like we’re doing here today. But I’m not going to be ashamed to stand here and fight for the people that sent me here! Let’s stand up for our people! You should be ashamed of the arguments coming out of the other side today.
And that’s when Mazzochi asked if Rachel Dolezal, the woman who claimed she was black and wasn’t, and whether a white woman from South Africa would also qualify.
McCombie eventually rose to defend herself, saying people who know her understand she wasn’t trying to make this about race, and Welch said he wanted to make a change to the bill and pulled it out of the record. Several minutes later, Welch said he had changed his mind and asked for a “Yes” vote.
* House Republican Leader Jim Durkin rose to clarify…
Durkin: Rep. Welch, let’s make this perfectly clear that this doesn’t apply to any privately held corporation, correct?
Welch: It applies to publicly held corporations. […]
Durkin: I’ve been down here many years when sometimes the debate on this floor gets heated. And I think sometimes our emotions carry over. And I just witnessed it and I think it’s best for us to take a deep breath and I want to talk about my caucus. This is a bill that is important to us because we believe in the free market system. And we traditionally have. We disagree about how we are to manage corporate America. We take the position that we think government should take a step back, let those entities make decisions on their own. We believe that the more that government micromanages the private businesses and corporations in Illinois and in this country is not the best way for us to move forward and to grow our economy. So I speak on behalf of the caucus that our objections are nothing more than we just have a difference of agreement of how our free market, our private markets should work. And I hope that we do not turn this matter into something that I’ve gathered through this last hour of how this debate went because that doesn’t reflect my caucus.
Durkin went on to say “There clearly are places and times when there has to be some oversight,” of business but, on the whole, Republicans are for free markets. He called Rep. Welch a “gentleman” and said “Let’s just take a vote.” It passed with 61 votes.
* But it wasn’t over yet. Rep. Rita Mayfield (D-Waukegan) rose at the end of Friday’s session to give this speech…
I’m extremely disappointed that two women, two founding women of our House Democratic Women’s Caucus chose to vote ‘No.’ These are individuals who stood before the Women’s Caucus and said they would stand up for women, they would stand up for our rights, they would stand up for us across the board. But yet they chose to vote ‘No’ on a bill that would’ve empowered women. I’m extremely disappointed with their vote.
* Politico…
The bill passed 61 to 27 with a few Democrats opposed, including Kelly Burke (Evergreen Park), Anna Moeller (Elgin) and Deb Conroy (Villa Park). Conroy is co-chair of the House Dem Women’s House Caucus. Dem Rep. Rita Mayfield (Waukegan) called out the women who opposed the measure in a point of personal privilege after the vote.
A check of the roll call shows that Burke, Moeller and Conroy did not vote either way on the motion. No Democrat explicitly voted against the bill.
In the end, taking a walk or voting “Present” have the same impact as voting “No.” They do not necessarily have the same intent, however.
…Adding… As Rep. McDermed points out in comments, she voted “Yes” on the bill.
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* Wednesday…
On Wednesday, [Shelbyville Republican Rep. Brad Halbrook] stood in front of Abraham Lincoln’s statue and rallied hundreds of gun owners, saying, “Let’s build a wall around Cook County and get Chicago to pay for it. Let’s make Illinois Great Again.”
Later, Halbrook acknowledged in a Capitol Connection interview that his language “may be” divisive, but he feels the movement is warranted.
“The case for it is the continued onslaught of attacks on our traditional family values, the right to protect ourselves, the right to the way we want to educate our kids, the ability to mine coal and draw oil out of the ground,” Halbrook said. “Things that we think are very important are constantly under attack.”
Mark Maxwell pointed out to Halbrook that he made his comments Wednesday in front of a statue of Abraham Lincoln, who famously said “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”
Halbrook also told Maxwell “The US Constitution guarantees us a republican form of government and that’s not happening.”
Maxwell pointed out it is happening because more people live in and around Chicago than live Downstate. “Yeah, but the issue is it’s not happening,” Halbrook insisted.
Perhaps he is confusing “republican” with “Republican.”
* Saturday during a “Rally for Your Rights” event in Decatur attended by about 500 people…
[Rep. Halbrook] is pushing legislation aimed at creating a whole new state that would carve off the rest of the Land of Lincoln from Chicagoland.
“Yes, a new state, a new Illinois, and it’s a separation from Chicago,” said Halbrook, to thunderous applause and cheers.
* From the Chambana Sun, which is a Proft paper…
At a separatism-themed rally at the Effingham Performance Center earlier this month, Halbrook shared his views with a crowd of more than 1,500, many of whom rose to their feet in applause when he asked “Who wants to separate from Chicago and Cook County?”
Halbrook now says the rally was only the beginning.
“Momentum for House Resolution 101 is building every day now,” he said. “I officially filed the legislation back in early February and we’re still hearing talk about it every week. Going forward, we plan to talk about it in town hall meetings this spring, summer and fall as we educate more and more people. Over the long haul, we’re convinced only more people will join in with us as they become more educated about what this could truly mean.”
* Related…
* Video: GOP lawmakers stir anti-Chicago sentiment
* Crowd at IEPA hearing pushes for removal of coal ash near Middle Fork
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* The buried lede…
The peer-reviewed exam by the Project for Middle Class Renewal and the Illinois Economic Policy Institute constructed eight scenarios based partly on progressive income tax structures among Illinois’ neighbors. The Associated Press obtained the study in advance of its release.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker has proposed changing the state’s flat-rate income tax system, in which everyone pays 4.95 percent, to a progressive structure in which wealthier residents pay a higher percentage. It would start at 4.75 percent for the lowest wage earners, remain at 4.95 percent for those earning $100,000 to $250,000, and top out at 7.95 percent for incomes over $1 million.
Authors Robert Bruno and Frank Manzo constructed eight scenarios, drawn in part from graduated tax structures in nearby states such as Iowa and Minnesota, and tested each against five public policy goals: Cutting taxes for at least two-thirds of taxpayers, reducing property taxes by 10 percent, protecting small businesses, wiping out Illinois’ built-in $1.2 billion “structural” deficit, and boosting education and brick-and-mortar funding by hundreds of millions of dollars. […]
Pritzker’s measure is among the scenarios evaluated by Manzo and Bruno, director of the University of Illinois’ Labor Education Program and head of the Project for Middle Class Renewal. The study determined that the Democrat’s plan would mean a tax cut for 85.3 percent of tax filers , no change in the current liability for 12 percent of taxpayers, and an increase for 2.8 percent — those making more than $250,000 a year.
It would generate $3.12 billion extra per year, less than Pritzker’s estimate of $3.4 billion
According to the AP and to one of the study’s authors, the study figured Pritzker’s corporate tax hike into its projection.
Business interests have been saying for weeks that the Pritzker proposal wouldn’t raise as much as advertised, but this is the first group on the left saying the same thing.
Click here for the study and click here for the press release.
Overall, the report had good news for the Pritzker camp. But it’s not good at all if the governor’s revenue projection is off by 8 percent.
I’ve asked the governor’s office for a response.
*** UPDATE *** The governor’s office points out that the study didn’t run Pritzker’s actual plan. The study “implemented” the plan using Fiscal Year 2018 numbers, instead of the higher incomes during Fiscal Year 2021, when the plan would first be implemented.
That explains a lot of the discrepancy. They also went back a year earlier to calculate their estimates than Pritzker (2015 vs. 2016).
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* Some April, 2018 background on this topic is here if you need it. My statewide syndicated newspaper column…
About a year ago, I attended a hearing of the Illinois House Judiciary-Criminal Law Committee and watched the Democratic majority vote down one Republican-sponsored criminal penalty enhancement bill after another.
One would’ve made recruiting street gang members a Class 4 felony instead of the current Class 3. A bill to prevent child sex offenders from moving within a mile of their victims went down. The Democrats even killed a bill to enhance criminal penalties for anyone who knowingly harmed a police dog.
The legislative massacre was staged after Rep. Tony McCombie (R-Savanna) rose on the House floor to complain that she couldn’t get a hearing for one of her bills because the Democrats had bottled it up in subcommittee along with other Republican-backed penalty enhancement proposals.
McCombie’s measure would’ve enhanced the criminal penalty for assaulting DCFS workers to bring it into line with the already enhanced penalty for knowingly assaulting police, firefighters, corrections workers and some Department of Human Service workers.
It seemed like a no-brainer bill, especially since one of Rep. McCombie’s DCFS worker constituents was literally beaten to death while attempting to take a child into protective custody. In years past, that AFSCME-backed bill would’ve sailed through the General Assembly and been signed into law.
Judiciary-Criminal has for years been a bulwark against penalty enhancement bills. The Black Caucus and former committee chair Rep. Elaine Nekritz derailed most of them by sending them to subcommittee to quietly die.
Lawmakers slowly increased the penalties on countless crimes over the decades. And their pace increased after Illinois passed a so-called “Truth in Sentencing” law in the 1990s, which drastically limited the amount of time that inmates could earn to reduce their sentences while in prison.
Eventually, people started waking up and realizing the very real damage this was doing. It wasn’t just expensive to pay for prisons; the laws were contributing to the cycle of crime and violence and were locking up a whole lot of people of color. Republicans actually took the lead on criminal justice reform in other states and former Gov. Bruce Rauner signed quite a large number of reform bills during his term in office.
But reforming existing laws was only part of the process. Preventing the passage of “press release” bills to enhance penalties after high-profile crimes was also important.
After Nekritz retired, Rep. Art Turner, a member of House Democratic leadership, eventually took the panel’s helm and the hammer came down even harder, culminating in that hearing last spring. Rep. Turner (D-Chicago) is probably one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet, but not when it comes to this topic.
House Speaker Michael Madigan decreed at the beginning of this year that members of his leadership team could no longer chair committees, so Turner was replaced by Rep. Justin Slaughter (D-Chicago).
Chairman Slaughter has taken a different approach and four penalty enhancement bills have been approved by his committee this year.
After her stinging defeat last year, Rep. McCombie started working her bill hard, and even managed to get herself appointed to Judiciary-Criminal. She refiled her bill and added enhanced penalties for knowingly physically attacking Adult Protective Service employees at the Illinois Department on Aging.
Last week, Judiciary-Criminal unanimously approved Rep. McCombie’s new bill. Rep. Turner even co-sponsored the bill this time, as did Chairman Slaughter.
Slaughter told me he’s willing to consider “sensible” penalty enhancement bills like McCombie’s.
“We decided this year to consider, respectfully, those penalty enhancements that were sensible that didn’t have anything to do with some of the ‘Truth in Sentencing” punitive policies,” Slaughter said.
Last year’s hearing clearly got out of hand. Democratic leadership wanted to punish McCombie and other Republicans for speaking out, so they staged that dramatic hearing to kill their bills. A new Madigan chief of staff who isn’t constantly looking for drama-filled confrontation in a new post-Rauner era also likely contributed to the currently changed atmosphere. They can disagree without being so disagreeable.
And keep an eye on a new topic that is almost sure to surface. As I write this, 15 Illinois State Police troopers have been struck by motorists since the beginning of January. Two troopers have been killed.
The penalty for drivers who don’t move over or slow down for emergency vehicles is just a fine and possible loss of license. Somebody in the Legislature will surely try to pass an enhancement bill, and this one will be tough to stop — and, frankly, shouldn’t be stopped if properly drafted.
The day after I submitted my column, another ISP trooper was killed.
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Slow down and move over!
Monday, Apr 1, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Chicago Tribune letter to the editor…
Two years ago, an Illinois state trooper pulled me over for not changing lanes while passing a traffic stop. He asked me if I had heard of Scott’s Law. He explained it was enacted because a firefighter had been hit on the road during a traffic accident.
Having never heard of the law, I questioned why. It seems it is my responsibility to keep up with changes in the driving laws. I question how many Illinoisans take the time to do this. (I had not.) In reading about it, I was surprised to find that the law had been expanded in 2017 to include any vehicle with flashing lights.
The current approach of spreading the word by pulling drivers over individually to inform/ticket them into compliance seems like a giant Whac-A-Mole-type effort to accomplish what should be handled by the department that oversees motor vehicles. If the changes in driving laws were required reading during license renewal, Illinois could reach every driver in the state within four years.
* Brilliant idea, except it’s already in the official Rules of the Road manual three separate times…
Emergency/Maintenance Vehicles
When approaching a stationary (non-moving) emergency/maintenance vehicle using visual signals, Illinois law requires motorists to yield, change to a lane away from the emergency workers when possible and proceed with caution. If a lane change is not possible, a driver should reduce speed and proceed with caution. […]
Right of Way
A driver must yield the right of way to other drivers, bicyclists or pedestrians… When approaching emergency vehicles using audible and visual signals. […]
Lane Usage
Drivers must drive on the right half of the roadway except… When approaching a stationary emergency vehicle.
When I was growing up, every adult driver told me about slowing down and moving over when a car or truck was sitting on the side of the road, particularly when it was a police car or a tow truck. It’s just basic courtesy and common sense.
And physics.
I cannot comprehend why people can’t figure out this extremely simple thing.
* Related…
* Highway Officials Warn of Spike in Motorists Hitting, Killing State Troopers: Federal and state highway officials are warning drivers to be more cautious amid a troubling and unexplained rise this year in the number of state troopers struck and killed while going about their duties outside their vehicles. Nationwide, 14 troopers have been killed in this manner so far in 2019, compared with nine for all of 2017, the latest year available, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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Unclear on many different concepts
Monday, Apr 1, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Um…
Despite high hopes fueled by the election of a supportive governor and Democratic supermajorities in the Illinois House and Senate, supporters of the push to lift the ban on rent control in Illinois are regrouping after a significant setback. […]
Activists will gather at 10 a.m. Monday at the Thompson Center to urge Gov. JB Pritzker to step in and lift the ban with an executive order.
“The governor campaigned on this issue, and he hasn’t stepped in yet, and we want him to get involved,” said coalition spokesperson H Kapp-Klote.
However, since the ban on rent control was imposed by a law approved by the legislature, it would take an act of the General Assembly to reverse it
* Um…
A community group will turn its attention to passing state legislation now that Edwardsville and Glen Carbon aren’t going to require local stores to charge a 10-cent fee for single-use paper and plastic shopping bags.
Last week, the village of Glen Carbon announced that it wouldn’t be approving an ordinance proposed by Bring Your Own Glen-Ed. The group had made a presentation to the village’s Public Safety Committee last year and planned to address the entire Glen Carbon Village Board this spring.
“Our attorney has advised us that we have no statutory authority to to adopt an ordinance to take such action,” said Village Administrator Jamie Bowden. “We are not home rule.” […]
The village’s announcement essentially halted Bring Your Own’s effort to get the same ordinance passed in Edwardsville. The group had agreed that a bag fee should be charged at stores in both municipalities or neither because of their shared border and interconnected economies.
They’ve been working on this idea since at least September and they’re just now figuring out Glen Carbon has no home rule powers?
* From the progressive activists to the separatist freshmen…
Representative Chris Miller, a freshman Republican from Oakland, warned gun owners at the statehouse on Wednesday that “Illinois is under attack from the Chicago socialists who continue to work out of the playbook of [Saul] Alinsky and all those other evil dictators that the first thing they try to do is seize our guns.”
When asked how he intended to negotiate with lawmakers he described as being in league with “evil dictators,” Miller said reaching across the aisle was essentially already a lost cause because the House Democrats in the supermajority did not adopt the Republican rules to govern the legislative process. Such a concession of power would be unprecedented in Illinois.
“That’s one of the problems is that there is no negotiation,” Miller said. “I know that from November to January, every article I read in the paper was about how we are going to be bipartisan and work across the aisle and everything is going to be great. I sincerely believed that. We tried to do that,” he said.
But after learning that the supermajority would not accept the Republican rules suggestions, Miller says he concluded, “Well, there goes bipartisanship.”
Bipartisanship and total surrender are different things.
* Olney Daily Mail…
Illinois State Representative 109th District Darren Bailey reported that one of the biggest issues with DCFS seems to be communication. However, he believes that agency workers in southern Illinois do a good job.
Bailey said, “My office receives several calls a month regarding lack of knowledge of cases and children. Just last week, a 2 year old was beaten to death under the care of DCFS. As with many things, the state of Illinois is simply not the best manager as has been proven in the past. Southern Illinois usually gets the leftovers of any program.“ […]
Bailey suggests outsourcing could be a possible solution.
He said, “I believe DCFS will need to find other organizations like church groups to outsource their workload. By outsourcing, I believe we can do a better job of helping children because the help will come from local groups who can be held more accountable and will know the situations more intimately.”
Um, the caseworker for 2-year-old Ja’hir Gibbons worked for a private agency, so the job was already outsourced…
DCFS released a statement saying that as part of initial review of Ja’hir’s case, “DCFS learned that two separate and contradictory reports were submitted regarding this home visit” and have ordered an investigation into the caseworker responsible for it.
DCFS said they found two reports submitted in the case; one from the morning of March 17 that said both children were in the home on March 16 at 12:30 p.m., and the second from the morning of March 19, that said only one child, Josiah, was home on March 16 at 12:45 p.m.
DCFS said the caseworker was employed by a private agency called Omni.
And…
DCFS outsources 85 percent of its cases to community-based agencies around the state
Also, as far as “church groups” go, do Lutheran Social Services and Catholic Charities ring a bell? Illinois outsources a whole lot of social services work to those organizations.
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