With COVID-19 restrictions lifting across Illinois, State Senator Donald DeWitte (R-St. Charles) is restarting traveling office hours this month, with the first event scheduled in East Dundee on Tuesday, May 25.
The East Dundee event will take place from 9:30 AM until 11:30 AM at the Fox River Valley Public Library, 555 Barrington Avenue. District office staff will be available to assist individuals and businesses with access to state services, as well as answer questions and gather opinions about legislation.
“We had to suspend these community outreach events for the last 14 months during the pandemic, and I’m pleased to be starting them back up again,” said Sen. DeWitte. “We hold these traveling office hours throughout the 33rd District so that the services my office can provide are brought into my constituents’ own communities. For those who do not live near my West Dundee office, these events provide easier access for legislative services.”
Additional traveling office hours have also been scheduled in the following District 33 communities:
· June 30: Geneva, 9:30-11:30 AM
· July 29: Elgin, 9:30-11:30 AM
· Aug. 24: Algonquin, 9:30-11:30 AM
“These traveling office hours are open to all residents in the 33rd District, and I would encourage anyone who is having issues with state agencies to stop by and receive assistance from my talented staff,” Sen. DeWitte said. “This includes those having issues with unemployment, FOID cards and CCL licenses, professional licensing, and other issues.”
* The Question: How are you trying to get back to “normal”?
Perhaps Exelon’s most politically potent argument in Springfield as it seeks more ratepayer subsidies for its Illinois nuclear plants is the preservation of more than 1,000 union jobs at two facilities slated to close in the fall without state help. But hundreds of Exelon’s nuke workers in Illinois quietly have left or lost their jobs over the past three years as the company has throttled back costs.
Between 2017 and 2020, employment at Exelon-owned plants in Illinois declined by nearly 600, according to the audit performed at the request of Gov. J.B. Pritzker by Cambridge-based Synapse Energy Economics. The average headcount per plant at the company’s six facilities in the state was 630, versus nearly 800 in 2017.
The report, when it was originally released in April, blacked out the employment numbers. But Exelon in recent days has permitted most of the report to be made public.
Thursday, May 20, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
It was a monumental task, but AMITA Health Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital was up to the challenge. In a matter of days, the Hoffman Estates hospital successfully and safely transitioned nearly 300 patients to virtual programs after the pandemic began. At the same time, the hospital began accepting new patients for virtual care.
To preserve access to telehealth, the Illinois Senate has an important opportunity to pass House Bill 3498 in the final two weeks of the spring legislative session. The Coalition to Protect Telehealth urges senators to pass the bill with the strong support shown in the House last month.
In a statement for Mental Health Awareness Month, which is this month, AMITA Health said: “Our treatment outcomes have continued to show gains consistent with pre-pandemic patient outcomes. Virtual services have been a gift that has allowed the hospital to continue its mission and support the hundreds of patients who rely on us each and every day.”
Transitioning AMITA patients to virtual behavioral health care had never been done on such a large scale. Now that the hard work is done, let’s keep the gift of telehealth for Illinoisans who rely on it. Learn more at https://protectillinoistelehealth.org/.
* Last December, Census estimates claimed Illinois had lost about a quarter of a million people. When the official count came out, however, those estimates were off by about a quarter of a million people. But here comes the Illinois Policy Institute, flogging the estimates again…
Illinois’ population decline is hitting all metropolitan areas of the state.
All metropolitan areas in Illinois shrank from July 2019-July 2020, new estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau show. The statewide population decline is driven entirely by people leaving Illinois, but it is also the primary reason individual metro areas are shrinking.
While the estimates released May 4 by the Census Bureau offer insights into where population decline is occurring the most, there are discrepancies between the Census Bureau’s estimates of the population and their official decennial Census count, which showed a much smaller statewide population loss that hasn’t yet been addressed by the Census Bureau.
Questions over the accuracy of the official count have been raised on numerous occasions in recent years. One of the primary ways the Census Bureau checks the official count is to compare it with their previous estimates.
It is also unclear what effect Illinois’ increased census outreach spending, which was second highest in the nation, had on the official results. It is possible increased spending resulted in a more accurate count in 2020 than in 2010, which could explain the difference between the official count and estimates. The 2020 estimates are based on the 2010 official count.
That implies the official count may be wrong and the estimates may be right.
Hilarious.
…Adding… “This is the Illinois version of the ‘Big Lie,’” said a pal just now.
Mr. T is back with another forceful message for his native Illinois: Get vaccinated! While about 40% of Illinoisans are fully vaccinated, those numbers are lower among minorities and in some areas like Alexander County, home to Cairo in far Southern Illinois, less than 12% of people are vaccinated. His message last year was to wear a mask. This year, it’s: “From Chicago to Cairo, I’m asking everybody to get fully vaccinated. I pity the fool who don’t get fully vaccinated!”
We were hoping that some of the federal [ARP] funds could be used to pay back the borrowing in the Municipal Liquidity Fund and clearly the current interim guidance says that’s not a permissible use. So we’ve been working very hard with the governor and the Senate to devise a plan to make our full repayments using state resources.
More in a bit, I think. The unpaid amount is about $2 billion.
*** UPDATE *** Press release…
Governor JB Pritzker, Senate President Don Harmon, House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch and Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza announced today that they have agreed on a plan to pay off $2 billion in emergency borrowing thanks, in part, to the state’s strong economic rebound.
The State borrowed $3.2 billion dollars from the federal Municipal Liquidity Facility, of which $2 billion remains outstanding, for cash management and to pay for essential state operations at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to a number of factors, including the state’s investments in key economic sectors like small businesses and childcare providers, Illinois’ revenues have come in stronger than expected. This overperformance, in tandem with effective cash management by the Illinois Office of Comptroller, will be instrumental in paying down the outstanding federal debt.
“Repaying the federal government is an important step in our efforts to ensure the state remains on sound fiscal footing,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “The General Assembly has been a critical partner in utilizing the federal dollars to help the most vulnerable get through the pandemic. I also credit the Comptroller in strategically managing cash flow in these trying times.”
“The federal loan was a lifeline to keep our state and our economy afloat. That our economy has rebounded so strongly that we can now pay it off early is a testament to the resilience of the people and businesses of the great state of Illinois,” said Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park).
“The financial health of our state is incredibly important and I am grateful for Leader Greg Harris and our budget negotiators for all of their hard work in ensuring our debt is paid off early,” said House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch (D-Westchester). “The General Assembly will continue to work closely with the governor to establish a targeted spending plan for the ARPA funds that will address underlying disparities revealed by the pandemic. We will continue to prioritize helping those communities recover by establishing high-quality affordable housing, community-based mental health and substance abuse services, and upgrades to area hospitals serving disproportionately impacted areas throughout the state.”
“Since taking office in the middle of a financial crisis, followed by the COVID-19 crisis, I’ve championed the need to be fiscally responsible and pay down our debts while prioritizing vulnerable populations,” said Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza. “I am pleased that the state’s leadership is also committed to aggressively paying down debt and engaging in responsible fiscal practices.”
The loan was scheduled to be repaid in three installments by December 2023. Instead, the Comptroller will utilize the state’s revenue overperformance and effective cash management to pay off the debt in its entirety within the next budget year. Early repayment of the borrowing will save taxpayers up to $100 million in interest costs.
Last week, the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget revised upward its General Funds revenue estimates by $1.469 billion for fiscal year 2021, compared to estimates published with the Governor’s introduced budget in February 2021. The state’s improved revenue outlook will help ensure that the state will have a balanced budget for fiscal year 2021.
Final income tax payments received earlier this week, along with stronger year-to-date receipts in the state’s main revenue sources (individual and corporate income tax and sales tax) will allow the remainder of the repayment to occur beginning in the next several months.
Illinois and its local governments are expected to receive more than $26 billion in allocations through ARPA, including $8.1 billion to the state for fiscal recovery funds that can be used through calendar year 2024 to help the state respond to and recover from the pandemic and invest in critical water, sewer and broadband infrastructure.
The procession of Americans heading to the unemployment line fell last week, with jobless claims totaling a fresh pandemic-era low of 444,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday.
Economist surveyed by Dow Jones had been expecting 452,000 new claims as the jobs picture improves thanks to an accelerated economic reopening across the country.
The total represented a decline from the previous week’s 478,000.
The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) reported 17,530 new unemployment claims were filed during the week of May 10 in Illinois, a 4% decrease from the previous week. […]
There were 18,355 new unemployment claims filed during the week of May 3 in Illinois.
There were 15,134 new unemployment claims were filed during the week of April 26 in Illinois.
There were 17,141 new unemployment claims filed during the week of April 19 in Illinois.
There were 15,248 new unemployment claims were filed during the week of April 12 in Illinois.
* IDES…
The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today that the unemployment rate remained at 7.1 percent, while nonfarm payrolls were about unchanged, up +300 jobs, in April, based on preliminary data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and released by IDES. The March monthly change in payrolls was revised from the preliminary report, down from +32,300 to +28,900 jobs. The March preliminary unemployment rate was unchanged from the preliminary report, remaining at 7.1 percent.
The April payroll jobs estimate and unemployment rate reflects activity for the week including the 12th. The BLS has published FAQs for the April payroll jobs and the unemployment rate.
In April, the three industry sectors with the largest over-the-month gains in employment were: Leisure and Hospitality (+8,100), Government (+4,300) and Construction (+4,000). The industry sectors that reported monthly payroll declines were: Manufacturing (-7,800), Professional and Business Services (-4,900), Educational and Health Services (-2,800) and Trade, Transportation and Utilities (-2,800).
“As the state works through the bridge phase to a full reopening, IDES will continue to support claimants while also ensuring information is provided that supports both employers and jobseekers,” said Deputy Governor Dan Hynes. “IDES and the Pritzker administration look forward to working with the Biden administration and US DOL to identify and implement new strategies to reengage dislocated workers into the labor force.”
“Illinois is on the road to reopening, and last week’s move to bridge phase is set to reignite tourism, events and service industries – providing a much needed boost to key drivers of our economy,” said Sylvia Garcia, Acting Director of the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. “Under Governor Pritzker’s leadership, we continue to make progress on advancing a safe reopening across Illinois. Through our continued work to boost vaccination rates, follow public health guidance, and extend additional relief for the businesses who need it, we are laying the groundwork for Illinois businesses to thrive and bring more residents back to work safely.”
The state’s unemployment rate was +1.0 percentage point higher than the national unemployment rate reported for April, which was 6.1 percent, up +0.1 percentage point from the previous month. The Illinois unemployment rate was down -9.4 percentage points from a year ago when it was at 16.5 percent.
Compared to a year ago, nonfarm payroll employment increased by +408,400 jobs, with gains across most major industries. The industry groups with the largest jobs increases were: Leisure and Hospitality (+135,000), Trade, Transportation and Utilities (+107,800) and Professional and Business Services (+56,300). Illinois nonfarm payrolls were up +7.7 percent over-the-year as compared to the nation’s +10.9 percent over-the-year growth in April.
The number of unemployed workers rose slightly from the prior month, a +0.5 percent increase to 438,100, but was down -56.0 percent over the same month for the prior year. The labor force was up +0.3 percent over-the-month and +2.0 percent over-the-year. The unemployment rate identifies those individuals who are out of work and seeking employment. An individual who exhausts or is ineligible for benefits is still reflected in the unemployment rate if they actively seek work.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 1,542 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 42 additional deaths. In addition, 64% of Illinois adults have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose and 47% of Illinois adults are fully vaccinated, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Coles County: 1 male 80s
- Cook County: 1 female 50s, 2 males 50s, 1 female 60s, 2 females 70s, 7 males 70s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 female 100+
- DeWitt County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 70s
- Henry County: 1 female 60s
- Kane County: 1 male 70s
- Kankakee County: 1 female 70s
- Lake County: 1 male 80s
- LaSalle County: 1 female 80s
- Livingston County: 1 female 70s
- Logan County: 1 male 60s
- Macon County: 1 male 90s
- McHenry County: 1 male 60s
- Peoria County: 1 male 30s
- Rock Island County: 1 female 50s, 1 male 70s
- Sangamon County: 1 male 50s
- Stephenson County: 1 female 70s
- Tazewell County: 1 male 60s
- Vermilion County: 1 female 70s
- Will County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s
- Winnebago County: 1 male 40s, 1 male 50s, 1 male 60s, 1 female 80s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,371,884 cases, including 22,536 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 79,529 specimens for a total of 24,051,654. As of last night, 1,488 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 404 patients were in the ICU and 226 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from May 13-19, 2021 is 2.2%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from May 13-19, 2021 is 2.7%.
A total of 10,640,990 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 65,998 doses. Yesterday, 89,832 doses were reported administered in Illinois.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
Schools would be required to report incidents of sexual assault to state education officials, witnesses would not be required when seriously ill patients make decisions about life-sustaining medical treatments, and gender-neutral language would be allowed on marriage certificates under bills passed by the General Assembly Wednesday. […]
The House passed a Senate bill dealing with medical procedures sought or declined by the seriously ill.
The bill makes changes to the Practitioner Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment law, including removing a requirement that a witness be present to sign the forms reflecting the decisions the patients make. […]
Another Senate bill that allows for the hiring of security officers for the state’s appellate court system passed, 116 to one. The measure also heads for the governor’s desk.
A bill creating more elected positions in Capital Township is set for a final vote in the Illinois House even as one local representative fights against it.
“Our predecessors in the General Assembly were very thoughtful on consolidation. (Current law) calls for any township that’s wholly contained within a municipality of 50,000 that the county clerk should be the assessor and the clerk of the township, and the treasurer of the county shall be the supervisor of the township,” said state Rep. Tim Butler, R-Springfield.
Senate Bill 826 would change this to allow the voters of Capital Township to elect those positions exclusively to a township position rather than having the county officer in those roles also carry out the duties for the township. The measure was introduced by state Sen. Doris Turner, D-Springfield.
“This bill addresses an electorate’s right to choose their own representatives. Under state law, the current Sangamon County clerk and treasurer are automatically officers of Capital Township, and that’s not fair,” Turner said.
Adding to his frustration are two dispensaries across the street from one another on West Randolph, in one of the city’s trendiest neighborhoods. […]
State law says pot shops are not to be within 1,500 feet of each other.
But a state spokesman says the shops were allowed there because the license for each was approved on the same day. So, at the time, “there were no such dispensaries within 1,500 feet of either applicant,” the spokesman wrote in an email. […]
There is concern that because of the 1,500-foot rule, minority groups, once they do obtain licenses, will be shut out of the best locations.
“Illinois with the greatest intentions had the biggest, I would say failure in the rollout of the cannabis industry,” says state Rep. La Shawn Ford (D-Chicago).
Ford recently introduced legislation to eliminate the 1,500-foot rule for minority-owned dispensaries.
The Illinois Supreme Court is considering whether Gov. JB Pritzker is legally obligated to recommend more state spending on K-12 education.
But lawyers for the state say it’s not Pritzker — or any governor — the schools have an issue with; it’s the legislature itself, which passes state budgets for the governor to sign.
On Tuesday, attorneys for 22 downstate school districts asked the state’s high court to take a fresh look at a decades-old issue the justices have ruled on before, hoping for a different outcome — and millions/billions more dollars that would come with a win. […]
Thomas Geoghegan, an attorney for the 22 districts, told justices Tuesday that Pritzker is not living up to the goals outlined in the funding formula and is therefore violating a provision in the state constitution to achieve efficient education funding.
“The full funding of this Evidence-Based funding act is a constitutional obligation of the state, and the governor has to accept it as such,” Geoghegan said.
The Illinois State Board of Education unanimously passed a resolution Wednesday calling on all public schools to return to in-person learning during the upcoming school year.
The resolution doesn’t institute any mandates or requirements for Illinois schools to follow, but shows unified support from ISBE for an upcoming decision by State Superintendent Carmen Ayala.
In a weekly blog posted to the ISBE website, Ayala said she plans to make the mandate official “at the conclusion of the current academic year,” meaning the change will not take effect until next school year.
Once Ayala issues an official declaration, all public schools will be required to return to in-person learning for the 2021-2022 academic year with no exceptions. Only students who are both unvaccinated and under a quarantine order from the Illinois Department of Health will be eligible to continue remote learning.
Following a February survey of school districts that illustrated a persistent teacher shortage in the state, the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools has released policy recommendations calling for better benefits and more lenient certification in an effort to reverse the trend.
The IARSS, which serves as an intermediary between local school districts and the Illinois State Board of Education, had the survey conducted between September and October to see how school districts were faring with the supply of professional and substitute teachers during the 2020-2021 school year amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Illinois was split into seven regions for the purpose of the survey, and school districts reported the shortage was worst in west central and southeastern Illinois.
White papers developed in response to the survey give seven policy recommendations as ways to combat it from the local to statewide level. The two primary methods discussed in the white paper are improving teacher pay and lessening the restrictions on certifications teachers need in order to get hired.
* Board approves new name for UIC Law: The UIC John Marshall Law School will change its name to the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law after receiving approval from the University of Illinois Board of Trustees today.
Thursday, May 20, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
After years of tireless work by legislators and advocates, a comprehensive, nation-leading clean energy bill is coming together in Springfield. But with less than two weeks left until the end of the session, the state’s biggest polluter is seeking a total exemption from the new legislation, allowing them to continue polluting our state with expensive, dirty energy. We can’t let that happen.
The Prairie State Coal Plant is one of the largest coal plants in the country, and it emits more toxic sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides than any source in Illinois. In fact, Prairie State emits more carbon pollution than the state’s next two largest polluters combined. Its emissions cost us nearly $2 billion in damage to our health and environment each year, causing 50 premature deaths annually.
Illinois is ready for a just transition to 100% clean energy. We are on the cusp of leading the nation with a comprehensive climate bill that creates equitable jobs and holds utilities accountable. We can’t lead by letting the worst polluter off the hook.
For more information, visit the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition at ilcleanjobs.org
* The Liberty Justice Center outlined the civil case against the campaign committee of former state Rep. and current Auditor General Frank Mautino…
1) Mautino’s campaign committee made more than $225,000 in payments to Happy’s Super Service Station in Spring Valley, Ill. between 1999 and 2015. These payments were for gas and repairs of vehicles privately owned by Mautino’s family and friends. Direct payments for gas and repairs of privately owned vehicles by campaign committees are illegal under Illinois law. Individuals who use privately owned vehicles for campaign purposes may only be reimbursed based on actual mileage.
2) Mautino’s campaign committee reported that it also made nearly $200,000 in “expenditures” to Spring Valley City Bank, but the committee’s former treasurer has admitted these actually were cash withdrawals from the committee’s checking account that were spent elsewhere. The campaign committee never reported which vendors or individuals actually received the money.
The Center has been involved in the case (Cooke v. Illinois State Board of Elections) since 2016. Mautino’s campaign committee appealed an adverse appellate court ruling and the Illinois Supreme Court ruled on it today.
By its plain language, section 9-8.10(a)(9) does not permit committees to make expenditures for gas and repairs to vehicles that are not owned or leased by the committee. For such vehicles, a committee may only make expenditures for actual mileage reimbursement. Because the Committee made expenditures for gas and repairs for vehicles it neither owned nor leased, the Committee violated section 9- 8.10(a)(9), and the Board’s finding to the contrary was clearly erroneous and is reversed. … In light of our conclusion that the Committee violated section 9-8.10(a)(9), we remand the cause to the Board for a determination of whether the Committee’s violation thereof was knowing pursuant to section 9-8.10(b).
However, the campaign says it has a letter from the Illinois State Board of Elections informing it that the gas and repair payments were permissible. It would be tough for the Board to now say the committee knowingly violated the law.
* Section 9-8.10(a)(2) of the state elections law prohibits a political committee from making any expenditures “Clearly in excess of the fair market value of the services, materials, facilities, or other things of value received in exchange.” But the Supremes ruled today that Mautino’s accusers could not provide any facts or documentation to prove their allegations about the gas station and the bank…
Section 9-8.10(a)(2) regulates only the amount or price of an expenditure. Based on insufficient evidence, Cooke did not demonstrate that the Committee violated section 9-8.10(a)(2). Therefore, we affirm the Board’s decision declining to find a violation of section 9-8.10(a)(2).
The House passed a measure Wednesday to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol with the support of 35 Republicans, including Adam Kinzinger and Rodney Davis of Illinois.
While the measure to create a 10-member bipartisan commission passed because of the Democratic votes, it does show some movement among Republicans.
Only 10 Republicans, including Kinzinger, voted to impeach former President Donald Trump for his role in instigating the insurrection. While Trump and House GOP leaders were against the commission, it still gained 35 Republican votes.
…Adding… From Aaron DeGroot…
Hey, Rich.
Hope you’re well and ready for a semi-normal summer. Saw your post about Rodney’s vote from yesterday. Wanted to point out that Rodney was the first member of Congress to propose 1/6 commission legislation, which he did six days after the attack on the Capitol (on 1/12). Rodney’s bill, H.R. 275, is substantively similar to what passed the House yesterday. Rodney’s proposal was styled after the 9/11 commission. Figured I’d flag because this issue since it’s relevant to his work at the Committee on House Administration, where he serves as the lead Republican.
Petitioner John Tillman filed a petition for leave to file a taxpayer action under section 11-303 of the Code of Civil Procedure (Code) (735 ILCS 5/11-303 (West 2018)) in the circuit court of Sangamon County. In his attached complaint, petitioner alleged that certain general obligation bonds issued by the State of Illinois in 2003 and 2017 were unconstitutional. The circuit court denied the petition to file the proposed complaint, finding that there was no reasonable ground for the filing of such action. The appellate court reversed the circuit court’s judgment and remanded for further proceedings. 2020 IL App (4th) 190611. For the following reasons, we reverse the judgment of the appellate court and affirm the judgment of the circuit court.
The State issued and sold the 2003 bonds, applied the proceeds as specified in the law, and made payments on the bonds for years while petitioner did nothing. More than 16 years later, petitioner requested that the court declare the bonds invalid and enjoin the State from making future payments on them. The same is true for the 2017 bonds, which were authorized by the General Assembly and issued and sold by the State. The proceeds from the sale were then used to pay billions of dollars in unpaid state vouchers, all while petitioner did nothing to stop any of these actions. It is patently obvious that the State will suffer some prejudice if relief is granted at this extremely late stage. Respondents maintain that granting relief to petitioner would amount to a de facto default on outstanding bonds that are backed by the full faith and credit of the State. We agree. Enjoining the State from meeting its obligation to make payments on general obligation bonds will, at the very least, have a detrimental effect on the State’s credit rating.
Nevertheless, petitioner argues that the State has not suffered prejudice from his delay because his complaint does not seek to undo past payments made by the State on the bonds but, rather, seeks to enjoin only future payments. Thus, according to petitioner, an individual can wait years, or even decades, after bonds are authorized and issued by the State to challenge the issuance of the bonds in court. We reject this argument. The fact that a petitioner requests only prospective relief does not preclude the application of laches where he had constructive notice of his legal claims years before filing his action. See, e.g., Solomon, 48 Ill. 2d at 322 (holding that laches barred a taxpayer action to enjoin the future issuance of bonds and expenditure of bond proceeds); Schnell v. City of Rock Island, 232 Ill. 89, 93, 96 (1907) (holding that laches barred an action to enjoin future municipal bond payments).
We hold that the necessary elements for laches have been met in this case. There is no reasonable ground under section 11-303 of the Code for filing petitioner’s proposed complaint. We therefore affirm the circuit’s order denying the instant petition, although on different grounds than those relied upon by that court.
I’ll update with responses as they come in.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Comptroller Susana Mendoza…
“The Supreme Court of Illinois got it right: The taxpayers of Illinois should not have to suffer financial Armageddon just so rich people who bet against Illinois can profit. Never bet against Illinois.
“The original judge on this case was right to throw out this irresponsible lawsuit brought by former Gov. Bruce Rauner’s No. 1 advisor and Illinois Policy Institute CEO John Tillman. His ridiculous lawsuit was aimed at tanking Illinois’ finances – for the profit of named or unnamed hedge funds.
“As today’s ruling noted, bond counsel and the state Attorney General signed off on all these bonds. They were constitutional. While the fiscally responsible 2017 bond offering that I championed saved taxpayers $4 to $6 billion in late payment interest penalties and served as a lifeline to businesses across Illinois, it hurt the profit margins of those who chose to bet against Illinois. They gambled and lost. Their irresponsible game is over.
We are pleased that the court upheld the legality of the general obligation bonds approved by the General Assembly in 2003 and 2017 and rejected the plaintiff’s belated attempt to create unnecessary havoc in Illinois’ fiscal standing. The fact is that the plaintiff filed a lawsuit opposing the state’s issuance of bonds not days, not months, but years after the bonds were issued – in fact, after the money had been spent. Our position has been that, given the delay in filing the lawsuit, the plaintiff lacked a legal basis for filing at all, and we are pleased the court agreed.
*** UPDATE 3 *** Emily Bittner at the governor’s office…
The administration is pleased that the Supreme Court sided with hardworking taxpayers over a frivolous lawsuit designed to grab headlines.
*** UPDATE 4 *** John Tillman…
“I am of course disappointed in the Illinois Supreme Court’s ruling. We are evaluating our options as to how to proceed from here. In the interim, I continue to be profoundly concerned about Illinois’ reckless debt accumulation. All Illinoisans should care about this. If the state doesn’t tackle pension reform now, it will slide into a fiscal crisis beyond repair that will threaten not only taxpayers and the people who depend on government services, but also people who are counting on their public-sector pension in retirement.”
Illinois bonds rose in active trading after the ruling, driving the average yield on some sold in 2017 to 1.12% from 1.4% and the price jumped to more than $1.20 from about $1.19 a day earlier. The case has been closely watched by investors in the $3.9 trillion municipal bond-market, where it was seen as a potential harbinger of potential lawsuits elsewhere if it prevailed.
“Even though the probability was low that the challenge was going to be successful, it wasn’t zero,” said Dan Solender, director of tax-free fixed income for Lord, Abbett & Co., which holds $34 billion in muni assets. “The expectation was this was not going to be a problem but still the bonds are moving up because there is now some definite resolution to the situation.” […]
With the outcome of the case now behind the state, it “can move forward in addressing the more pertinent fiscal issues,” said Dennis Derby, a portfolio manager for Wells Fargo Asset Management, which owns Illinois debt that was challenged as well as other bonds issued by the state as part of a $40 billion municipal-bond portfolio.
* Related…
* National Review: John Tillman Shows How Conservative Activism Can Work
Thursday, May 20, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Employers in Illinois provide prescription drug coverage for nearly 6.7 million Illinoisans. In order to help keep care more affordable, employers work with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), who deploy a variety of tools to reduce prescription drug costs and help improve health outcomes. In addition to helping employers, PBMs also work with the Illinois Medicaid program in the same way to help control costs. Over the last five years, PBMs have saved the state and taxpayers nearly $340 million.
Today, Illinois faces a multibillion budget shortfall as more Illinoisans are relying on Medicaid to help meet their health care coverage needs. As legislators work to address these challenges, one way to help ensure continued cost savings is by strengthening the PBM tools that the State and employers use, which are poised to save employers, consumers and the State $39 billion over the next 10 years. These are meaningful savings that will help continue to contain costs, ensure consumer access to medicines and drive savings in public health programs.
Amid a pandemic and economic challenges, now is the time to strengthen, not limit, the tools that employers, consumers and the State rely on to manage costs and ensure consumers can access the medicines they need.
Thursday, May 20, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
We can’t have fair maps if those maps aren’t drawn using the full set of detailed Census data. But, due to census delays, Illinois politicians are planning to use outdated, estimated numbers to draw election maps that will last for a decade.
We know those estimates missed tens of thousands of us. We need the next set of election district maps to fully reflect our communities, and the only way that can happen is if those maps are drawn with current, complete Census data to give all our communities accurate and fair representation.
Call Governor Pritzker’s office today to ask that he push lawmakers to seek court permission to delay the process so that the next set of election maps are drawn with COMPLETE Census data, NOT old estimates.
