We are excited to announce that, earlier today, the nonprofit Franklin News Foundation acquired Advanced Digital Media, Inc, strengthening our ability to deliver reliable news coverage. This opportunity will allow Lisa and I, to not only continue providing the unbiased video journalism you have come to expect, but increase the time we dedicate to covering government issues.
With six days of veto session planned for the Illinois General Assembly this fall, legislators will have their hands full dealing with the state’s energy policies.
Gov. J.B. Pritkzer vetoed a measure that would have lifted the moratorium on new nuclear power facilities that has been in place for decades. He said the proposal changed at the last minute before it cleared the General Assembly last spring.
“There was nothing to line-item, essentially amend without vetoing the entire bill in order to separate the question of whether you’re going to have large scale reactors developed in Illinois or whether you’re talking about [small modular reactors],” Pritzker said. […]
State Rep. Jay Hoffman, the House assistant majority leader, pushed for lifting the moratorium for nuclear and for supporting changes to other bills the governor made.
“I personally believe that we should move forward with assuring that small nuclear moves forward,” Hoffman told The Center Square.
A spokesperson for co-sponsor Rep. Larry Walsh (D-Elwood) sent me this statement last week about the veto, but has not yet responded to follow-up questions about which business and special interest groups had “hijacked this issue and the process for their own personal gain, financial and political”…
I wanted to pass along Rep. Walsh’s statement on the veto of Senate Bill 76.
“I am disappointed in Governor Pritzker’s decision to veto Senate Bill 76. As we maneuver ourselves towards cleaner energy production, nuclear technology must be an option. Senate Bill 76 was an opportunity to allow new, safe, and efficient reactors to be a tool in our energy toolbox. For over two years, hearings on this issue have been held in a bipartisan manner and Senate Bill 76 was the culmination of those efforts. Unfortunately, there are business interests and special interest groups within the renewable energy community that have hijacked this issue and the process for their own personal gain, financial and political.
Despite this setback, we will continue to work to expand clean energy generation in Illinois so that our grid is able to meet the shortfalls that RTOs have forecasted in the coming years. Unfortunately with this veto, that work has become harder.”
If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at your convenience.
* Humane Society…
Hi Rich,
The Humane Society of the U.S. released it’s 2023 scorecard showcasing how State Representatives and Senators voted on animal welfare legislation. We passed several important bills into law this year and a few passed one chamber but got held up in the other. We’re thrilled to see so many 100’s but still have work to do for those that got F’s. Feel free to share!
F’s included Republican Reps. Martin McLaughlin, Jeff Keicher, Jed Davis, CD Davidsmeyer, Chris Miller, Adam Niemerg, Brad Halbrook, Democratic Sen. Patricia Van Pelt (who was gone all spring) and Republican Sen. Don DeWitte.
* SoS union agreement…
This morning I joined the leadership of @SEIU73 to announce that our office has reached a unanimous tentative agreement on a 4-year contract - the earliest an agreement has been reached in the history of the SOS office!! Proud to call these amazing folks my teammates. #ILSOSpic.twitter.com/ODKHJVtN3Z
— Secretary Alexi Giannoulias (@ILSecOfState) August 18, 2023
* Speaking of labor negotiations, here’s the Tribune…
In his weekly message to members, union President John Catanzara said the union and city engaged in two bargaining sessions last week, both of which, he said, were “extremely productive.”
“The city realizes (that) negotiating in good faith for a change is the best path forward as the arbitration process continues,” Catanzara said.
* RIP…
My husband was a remarkable man. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him and loved him. pic.twitter.com/6BG0uSlnM7
* Sun-Times | Pritzker signs bill combating food deserts across Illinois: There were 3.3 million Illinois residents living in a food desert, according to a 2021 Illinois Department of Public Health report. The new measure will support existing grocers and help encourage new grocers by allowing stores receiving grants to be able to receive tax credits and other incentives.
* Crain’s | Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund says no to Lincoln Yards: The pension fund today said in a statement that it has “declined to take further action” on a proposition from Sterling Bay to become the primary financial backer of the sprawling 53-acre project. Sterling Bay pitched the $12.1 billion fund’s investment committee in May on its vision for the development along the North Branch of the Chicago River between Lincoln Park and Bucktown, hoping to win what could be as much as a $300 million investment to jump-start it.
* NYT | Blue-Light Glasses Are Unlikely to Help Eye Strain. Here’s What Does.: Researchers have long been skeptical that blue-light glasses can curb eye strain, said Mark Rosenfield, a professor at the State University of New York College of Optometry. Previous studies have also typically been small, but several have found that the lenses did not prevent people’s eyes from tiring or getting irritated, and did not appear to improve vision.
* NYT | How States Are Threading the Needle on Flag Design: So is it worth it to attempt a redesign? Elizabeth Goodspeed, a graphic designer and design critic, thinks so. The flag, she said, is “like a physical, visual manifestation of a state’s values in the same way that a logo in a brand system represents what a company cares about.” From that perspective, she explained, “rebranding is a very powerful tool.”
* Sun-Times | As Friday Morning Swim Club grows, so do safety concerns: Zacharias wasn’t planning on making a TikTok, but when her fiance found himself treading water among a sea of colorful floats, Zacharias had to capture it. “I just want everybody to be safe; I don’t want this to turn into a horror story,” she said of making the July 14 video, which has raked in 1.1 million views and 120,000 likes.
When asked before the grand jury on March 31, 2021, whether McClain had “any contact” with Lang “for any purpose” between 2017 and 2019, Mapes said under oath, “I don’t know of any.”
It’s just one of many ways prosecutors have now used a monthslong wiretap of McClain’s phone to make their case that Mapes lied in 2021 and tried to block the feds’ aggressive yearslong investigation of Madigan and McClain.
They piled on further Thursday, despite an early setback in which a key call was stricken from the trial by U.S. District Judge John Kness. […]
Lang testified in McClain’s earlier trial about the Nov. 8, 2018, call in which McClain told him it was time to resign.
McClain called himself “an agent, somebody that cares deeply about ya, who thinks that you really oughta move on.”Lang had faced a separate allegation earlier that year.
The obstruction of justice charge, which comes with a maximum of 20 years in prison, alleges Mapes gave false testimony about more than a dozen topics, including whether he knew McClain communicated with Lang in 2018, with some of those communications at Madigan’s direction.
“I have no knowledge or recall of that,” Mapes told the grand jury when prosecutors asked if he knew whether McClain was in contact with Lang.
But according to the wiretapped calls, Lang was a frequent topic of conversation between Mapes and McClain in 2018, especially that fall.
“My assignment is to tell Lou Lang he has no life in the House anymore,” McClain told Mapes in an Oct. 26, 2018 call.
Three days later, Mapes asked McClain for an update about the Lang situation.
“Hey, how’s your buddy Lou Lang doing?” Mapes asked, chuckling. “Have you delivered the bad news yet?”
In one call from Oct. 26, 2018, McClain told Mapes, “My assignment is to tell Lou Lang that he has no life in the House anymore.”
“You’ve had one discussion with him. Did you have more?” Mapes asked.
“I’m doing it in tiers,” McClain responded.
In a recorded telephone call from Oct. 31, 2018, McClain said he would wait until fundraising checks that they had directed Lang to disperse to other Democratic candidates cleared, “Then I gotta tell (Lang) he’s gotta move on, he has no future in the House.”
Lang said on the call he needed to think things over before making a decision, but thanked McClain for “leveling” with him, stating he would never do anything to “damage my speaker or my caucus.”
Following his testimony, jurors heard more recorded phone calls and viewed email exchanges between McClain and Mapes in which they discussed the Lang situation. […]
In another call from Oct. 31, McClain reiterated that he had to tell Lang “he’s gotta move on, he’s got no more future in the House.”
Weeks later in a call on Nov. 15, McClain informed Mapes that Lang intended to “resign before the end of the calendar year.” Mapes then replied that he’d heard Lang was already informing other legislators of that decision.
* Off-topic, but McClain made some ugly sexist remarks when talking to Mapes, which could have an impact on the jury…
McClain tells Mapes that his replacement as chief of staff is in over her head. “This is between you and me. I never thought that she was the sharpest knife in the drawer and her head has been swimming a lot.”
A federal appeals court on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit challenging a New Jersey law that creates a pathway for the state to sue the gun industry.
A three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit ruled the lawsuit brought by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), a firearm industry trade association, was filed too early. The group challenged the law before enforcement began. […]
The law, which was passed last year, enables New Jersey’s attorney general to sue entities that manufacture, distribute, sell or market gun-related products if they contribute to a public nuisance.
The trade association filed the lawsuit in November before New Jersey’s law went into effect, and a federal district judge blocked the legislation in a preliminary decision.
Federal courts are not forecasters. The Constitution limits our jurisdiction to disputes that have ripened fully. We may not prejudge hypothetical cases or offer legal advice. Instead, par- ties must first be injured before coming to us for redress. Only then do we react. When constitutional rights are at stake, we accelerate that timeline—but only slightly. We may hear a case before a person’s rights are violated only if the threat is imminent.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation challenges a new state gun law as violating its members’ constitutional rights. But we see little evidence that enforcement is looming. Be- cause the Foundation has jumped the gun, its challenge must be dismissed. […]
The first theory goes not to standing, but to the merits. Even if federal law gives gun sellers a statutory immunity that New Jersey would violate just by filing a complaint, a statutory violation is not enough to show standing. The Foundation must also show how violating their purported statutory immunity “has a close relationship to a harm traditionally recognized as providing a basis for a lawsuit in American courts.” It has not done so. Nor has it explained why this potential statutory (rather than constitutional) violation would justify pre-enforcement review. We will not try to connect the dots for it.
The Foundation’s second theory is not much better. It rests on “generalized allegations.” The Foundation says little about what it plans to do. It has pleaded that it is an association of gun makers and sellers, and it has offered declarations that the Law chills its members’ manufacturing, marketing, and sales. From that evidence, we can infer that its members plan to make, market, and sell guns. But that is all.
Yet “an allegation that certain conduct has (or will have) a chilling effect on one’s speech must claim a … threat of specific future harm.” Id. at 269–70 (internal quotation marks omitted). The same goes for one’s Second Amendment rights. But the Foundation makes no such specific claim. It repeatedly conjures the specter of “sweeping liability” that will force its members to shutter their businesses. Yet its bold assertion is backed by no evidence. A plaintiff must do more than assert “subjective chill.”
NSSF General Counsel Lawrence Keane said in a statement the group will file another complaint against New Jersey should the “public nuisance” law be enforced against the gun industry.
“While we respectfully disagree with the court’s decision on our pre-enforcement challenge, it is important to note the court did not say New Jersey’s law does not violate the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act; it clearly does,” Keane said.
But it’s probably also worth noting that the US Supreme Court did pretty much the opposite recently when it struck down a Colorado law that hadn’t yet harmed the plaintiff.
Illinois State Senator Willie Preston came to the rescue of a driver whose truck had flipped onto its side in Chicago last week.
Sen. Preston, who represents Illinois’ 16th District, was driving near 79th and Kedzie last Friday when he saw people recording something on their phones.
He said he then saw a semi that had flipped onto its side. It was smoking, and the driver was trapped inside.
Sen. Preston had a tool in his car, which he used to break the windshield and then helped the driver out of the cab.
Avoid traffic heading west down 79th Street as a major accident has occurred on 79th Kedzie. As a community, when we see someone in distress I encourage us to help, not just record. #unityandprogress
*** UPDATE *** I should’ve mentioned this as well. From a press release…
State Senator Willie Preston gave local south side high school baseball players a surprise of a lifetime with a trip to one of the most famous baseball fields last weekend.
“I am pleased I was able to bring such an amazing opportunity to the players and coaches from the 16th District,” said Preston (D-Chicago). “I want our next generation of kids to know that there is life beyond our neighborhood and that we believe in them and will support them by investing in their dreams and futures.”
At 6 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 13, teammates from Leo, Oaklawn, Simeon, Perspective’s, and Lindblom high schools packed on to a bus to play in State Senator Willie Preston’s Field of Dreams All Star Game at the legendary Field of Dreams from the 1989 film. The baseball players were also able to meet and train with professional baseball players and coaches.
Preston has developed a strong relationship with the schools and the administration in his district. As a newly elected official, he has supported back to school drives, food giveaways, and other community events.
“I am so proud of these young, talented men and their dedication both on and off the field,” said Preston. “Being able to show them they matter and so do their futures is exactly why we brought them to the Field of Dreams.”
Wow! Today was an incredible day!!! God has truly put me in a position to do some incredible things for his people. I’m not waisting a second. #senatorprestonfieldofdreamsallstargame #UnityAndProgress
Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that no electric or gas public utility shall disconnect service for nonpayment of a bill or deposit to any residential customer or master metered apartment building if gas or electricity is used as the primary source of space heating or is used to control or operate the primary source of space heating equipment at the premises and the customer has provided documentation that he or she is applying for grants or financial resources to pay the utility bill until 75 days after the customer provides documented proof of the grant or financial resource application. Provides that during the grace period the electric or gas public utility shall waive any late fees. Provides that an electric or gas public utility is not required to provide a grace period for a 12-month period after the conclusion of the preceding grace period.
Amends the Election Code. Prohibits a political committee from making certain expenditures to provide a defense in any criminal case or a defense in a civil case against any claims that a person has committed misconduct in his or her capacity as a public official, any claims of sexual harassment, or any claims of discrimination. Requires that a person found to have used campaign contributions in violation of the Code shall return contributions to the contributor or pay to the State if the contributor cannot be identified or reimbursed. Requires the political committee to include information on the contributions returned to the contributor or paid to the State in the committee’s quarterly report to the State Board of Elections.
Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department of Children and Family Services to pay for all inpatient stays at a hospital beginning on the 3rd day a child is in the hospital beyond medical necessity, and the parent or caregiver has denied the child access to the home and has refused or failed to make provisions for another living arrangement for the child or the child’s discharge is being delayed due to a pending inquiry or investigation by the Department of Children and Family Services. In a provision requiring the Department of Children and Family Services to pay the DCFS per diem rate for inpatient psychiatric stays at a free-standing psychiatric hospital or a hospital with a pediatric or adolescent inpatient psychiatric unit, requires the Department to pay the DCFS per diem rate effective the 3rd day (rather than the 11th day) when a child is in the hospital beyond medical necessity.
Amends the Food Handling Regulation Enforcement Act. Provides that if a cottage food operation is located in another state, it must register with the local health department for the unit of local government where it will sell products. Provides that a cottage food product shall not be shipped out of State unless it is compliant with the laws of the state to which it is being shipped. Provides that a local health department may establish policies to allow for the indirect sale by retailers of food and drink produced by a cottage food operation within its jurisdiction. Makes conforming changes.
Creates the Whipped Cream Charger Sales Restriction Act. Provides that no person, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, firm, or any other business entity doing business in the State shall sell or offer for sale a whipped cream charger to any person under the age of 21. Provides that any person, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, firm, or other business entity doing business in the State selling, offering for sale, or distributing whipped cream chargers shall require proof of legal age prior to allowing an individual to purchase or receive a shipment of whipped cream chargers. Provides that identification is not required of any individual who reasonably appears to be at least 25 years of age. Provides that an individual’s appearance shall not constitute a defense in any proceeding alleging the sale or distribution of whipped cream chargers to an individual under 21 years of age. Provides that the Attorney General may impose a civil penalty after notice to the person, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, firm, or any other business accused of violating the Act and an opportunity for that person to be heard in the matter. Provides that the Attorney General may file a civil action in the circuit court to recover any penalty imposed under the Act. Provides that any person, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, firm, or any other business entity that violates the Act shall be subject to a civil penalty of not more than $250 for an initial offense and not more than $500 for the second and each subsequent offense.
Recognizes the music genre of hip-hop in commemoration of its 50th anniversary and its continued cultural and social impact on the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois.
The Citizens Utility Board (CUB) on Wednesday thanked Gov. J.B. Pritzker for protecting Illinois consumers and issuing an amendatory veto on Ameren’s controversial “Right of First Refusal” legislation that the watchdog said would have needlessly raised costs for electric customers.
An amendment to House Bill 3445 would have given Ameren Illinois a monopoly over transmission projects. Having the “Right of First Refusal” means Ameren would have gotten first dibs on these big wire projects, thus eliminating the competitive bidding process for transmission projects in the utility’s territory.
Customers pay for these transmission projects through their electric bills, so Ameren’s proposal would have exposed customers to higher costs, at a time when they already face a record $1.3 billion rate-hike request on another part of their power bills. Ameren customers also face the utility’s proposed $148.9 million gas hike.
“CUB thanks Governor J.B. Pritzker for protecting consumers and issuing an amendatory veto on a provision of House Bill 3445 that would have given Ameren a monopoly over transmission projects,” CUB Executive Director Sarah Moskowitz said. “Not having a competitive bidding process for transmission projects risks higher costs for electric customers.”
Interestingly, the bill applies only to Ameren Illinois, which serves downstate Illinois, and not Commonwealth Edison. Ordinarily, the IBEW, which represents thousands of workers at both utilities, would have pushed to favor both companies.
But ComEd’s admission of an elaborate bribery scheme aimed at currying favor with former House Speaker Michael Madigan, and the recent convictions of the so-called “ComEd Four,” including former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, on conspiracy and bribery charges, led backers to focus only on Ameren.
Senate President Don Harmon told me he viewed the bill as pro-union (IBEW), not pro-Ameren, but, man, this just didn’t smell good.
* The Ameren/union amendment popped up out of nowhere on May 25th. It was sent to the non-substantive Senate Assignments Committee that same day and immediately advanced to the Senate floor, where it passed 41-9 with one abstention. The House concurred the very next day on a 63-32-2 vote, far less than a veto-proof majority, likely because some House members were a bit more informed about the bill by that time, and/or upset with the way it was being muscled through.
While we have not yet reviewed the language in detail, we echo comments issued by the Department of Justice and FTC, which state that the 2011 federal elimination of “Right of First Refusal” resulted in new benefits for consumers: lower rates, improved service and increased innovation. We are concerned about the impact that of a right of first refusal will have on consumers, as a right of first refusal generally increases transmission costs. Research has demonstrated that competitively-bid projects are typically more affordable, costing 40% less than projects that are not competitively bid. We are concerned that right of first refusal stifles competition and discourages new entry to the market.
* The IBEW sent out a press release today with some decent counter-arguments, including these…
* The bottom line is that this is a huge issue involving a large and powerful utility company passed in the literal wake of the biggest utility-related corruption trial in Illinois history. This wasn’t one of those bills (like the assault weapons ban) that had been percolating and negotiated and various elements heard in committee for months or even years and then passed when the votes were finally rounded up.
House Bill 3445 deserved far more debate and scrutiny than it got. But if the legislature is gonna continue doing this sort of stuff, then maybe it does need to be reined in by the Supreme Court. /rant
At the official rally on the Director’s Lawn, Illinois House Republican Leader Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, addressed Pritzker’s remarks a day earlier accusing Republicans of persuading GOP voters to “believe their lies.”
“The problem is that here in Illinois, we have a low tolerance for bull—-,” Pritzker said on Wednesday.
“Democrats’ tolerance for bull—— might be low, but their tolerance for corruption is apparently sky high,” McCombie said Thursday to cheers from fellow Republicans. “They’re huddled up right now on yet another trial brought on by bribery, lying and self-interest.” […]
Illinois Senate Minority Leader John Curran, R-Downers Grove, said most voters “don’t want the extreme, expensive, unsafe policies being shoved down their throats by the Democratic majorities in this state.”
Illinois’ National GOP Committeewoman Demetra DeMonte, meanwhile, strategized on how to deal with the issue of abortion.
“Abortion is a topic that kind of sounds tough to talk about,” she said. “And that’s pretty much what our candidates did in 2022.”
While the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade put the decision on abortion rights back to the states, DeMonte said, Republicans should push back against claims that it did more than that. And they should pressure Democrats to define the acceptable limits for abortion, she said.
“The Democrats won by spewing lies in 2022,” she said. “Make no mistake, abortion will be their number one on their playbook in ‘24. Why change a winning strategy? We are the ones that must change – we Republicans must put Democrats on the defensive on abortion.”
Party leaders also acknowledged that abortion rights, which motivated Democratic voters — particularly women in the once GOP-rich suburbs — and led to election successes last year, will remain a critical 2024 election-year issue that they will have to try to counter.
“Why change a winning strategy?” Demetra DeMonte, the state’s Republican national committeewoman, said of Democrats during a breakfast meeting of GOP leaders. “We are the ones that must change. We Republicans must put Democrats on the defensive on abortion.”
Noting an “unending drumbeat” of Democratic ads on abortion rights last year, DeMonte and other Republicans said the GOP must work to label Democrats as extreme on the issue.
Republicans held their annual breakfast meeting Thursday, where navigating the abortion issue was another touchy topic.
“In Illinois, we’re not talking about life or choice. We’re talking about extremes,” McCombie said. “We’re talking about late term abortions. We’re talking about repealing parental notification. We’re talking about taxpayer funding. We’re not talking about choice or life in Illinois.
*** UPDATE *** Personal PAC CEO Sarah Garza Resnick responds to Leader McCombie…
At Personal PAC, we’ve been crystal clear: abortion rights. No exceptions. Leader McCombie’s rhetoric crosses a dangerous line, indeed calling reproductive choice back into question. This moment calls for the principled expansion of abortion access and improvement of equity across the state. As a non-partisan advocacy organization, we would welcome the partnership and support of any General Assembly member or candidate in this fight.
Still, even if Illinois Republican leaders wanted to redirect the conversation away from the former president and his legal troubles, there were signs of his continued hold over his party, including Trump campaign signs.
It is a reminder of the conundrum facing state Republicans as the former president is politically toxic, with moderate suburban voters needed to win general elections, but remains a favorite of the party’s downstate base.
This was clear in the Republican primary race for the 12th Congressional District, which features incumbent Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, and former GOP gubernatorial nominee Darren Bailey. Both have endorsed Trump.
“It’s bogus, it’s a complete witch hunt,” Bailey told reporters at the fairgrounds on Thursday. “What’s going on should be illegal. We need more attorney generals across the United States actually filing indictments against Joe Biden and many of the other people in office.”
Bailey concluded his term in the state Senate in January after a failed gubernatorial attempt in 2022. He never ruled out a return to politics in the months following and announced his run for the Illinois 12th Congressional District in July.
There, he will face off against U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, a five-term congressman representing 34 counties in southern Illinois. Bost was not in attendance for GOP Day, but was joined by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy for an O’Fallon campaign event that afternoon.
Bailey characterized the Bost-McCarthy event as a “sign of desperation,” from his primary opponent and attempted to link him as a Washington insider.
“Mike Bost has been very loyal to DC and I expect DC to be very loyal to Mike Bost,” Bailey contended. “When I get elected, my loyalty is going to go to the people in the 12th congressional district.”
* More…
* WAND | Illinois Republicans bash Pritzker, push for conservative family values in state politics: House Republican Leader Tony McCombie (R-Savanna) said she’s optimistic for a productive session when she was sworn in for the 103rd General Assembly in January. While McCombie’s team consistently asked for meetings with Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, she said Welch was not honest or transparent with the House Republican Caucus. McCombie said the spring session was chaos and Welch showed he is the “master of mismanagement.”
* WGN | ‘Let’s talk about Illinois’: GOP leaders turn focus away from Trump at State Fair: There was visible support for the former president at a picnic on Thursday despite the allegations that he orchestrated a conspiracy to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. “I believe an indictment does not prove that you’re guilty,” Republican voter Paul Hofmann said. “I would like to see a change in venue. All of this is politics and politics can be a very brutal sport.”
* Sun-Times | Copi dokey? Illinoisans getting hooked on renamed invasive carp delicacies at State Fair: “We have been very busy,” said Darla Drainer, co-owner of the Grafton-based shack, which was contracted by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to serve up copi. “People have been seeing the signs all over the place. People just absolutely have loved it. Every time I ask: ‘Thumbs up. Very good.’”
* Daily Herald | Glendale Heights board asks village president to resign in wake of criminal charges: The Glendale Heights Village Board on Thursday night asked its embattled president, Chodri Ma Khokhar, to resign because he is facing criminal charges accusing him of filing false police reports. “Considering the mayor’s conduct … the best interest of the community would be served by his immediate resignation,” Trustee Chester Pojack said, reading from a statement he said was signed by all trustees.
* Tribune | City ‘will suffer’ if officer disciplinary hearings are held out of public view, Police Board president says: Addressing a recent effort by the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7 to remove 22 misconduct cases from the board’s docket, Ghian Foreman, the board’s president, said: “Police accountability and, ultimately, the people of Chicago will suffer if the most serious police disciplinary cases are removed from the police board’s jurisdiction, which is what will happen if this decision is allowed to stand.”
* Crain’s | Northwestern floats modifications to stadium project: In a message Thursday night, school President Michael Schill said the university is willing to dial back the number of summer concerts at the new Ryan Field to six from 10, a move apparently aimed at addressing concerns raised by nearby residents in Evanston and neighboring Wilmette.
* Apartment Therapy | A Frank Lloyd Wright Home in Chicago Is Listed for Just $75K: Now, if you’re thinking that’s just too good to be true, it’s worth noting that this dream home does come with some pretty major caveats. The property, located in Wright’s Waller Apartments at 2846 W Walnut Street, is being sold as-is, but it’s definitely not move-in ready. In fact, the interior of the two-story home has been gutted down to the studs, and the back porch needs to be replaced. But even if you’ve got the budget for a complete reno, you’ll need to work with a developer that has city development experience, and the exterior will need to remain in compliance with its Chicago Landmark status, which means only minor repairs to the outside will be allowed.
* The Big Lead | Dick Bigger Jr. Gets His Ball Signed at Illinois State Fair: While most people are paying very close attention to the Iowa State Fair, there’s another Midwestern gathering going on at the neighboring Illinois State Fair. While Ron DeSantis and other Republican presidential hopefuls are in Iowa, Illinois has to settle for Governor J.B. Pritzker who was nice enough to stop and sign a baseball for Dick Bigger Jr., of Biggsville, Illinois.
