Residents and consumer advocates urged state regulators to reject a proposed $402 million rate hike sought by Peoples Gas.
The meeting Tuesday at UIC’s Dorin Forum, was organized by the Illinois Commerce Commission - the state panel that has until the end of the year to rule on the utility’s rate increase request. […]
Peoples Gas made $208 million in profit in 2022, breaking its earnings record for the sixth year in a row, according to a year-end financial report issued in March.
The company filed an increase request in January. Company officials said this was its first request for a hike in nine years. They said it was “meant to ensure ongoing safety, reliability and environmental sustainability in Chicago.”
The nonprofit watchdog Citizens Utility Board has argued the hike would fuel “an excessive profit rate” and should be slashed by at least $63 million.
* The Natural Resources Defense Council is spending about $100,000 on cable TV to run this spot through September 5th…
The gas company just proposed the largest rate hike in history. They also just announced record profits.
Let’s face it, Chicago. Gas stinks. When buildings burn gas, we all pay the price, because burning gas in our homes costs us more, pollutes our city and increases the risk of asthma, especially for kids.
That’s why it’s time for Chicago to take action and shift to newer, cheaper all-electric technologies to make our homes and buildings clean and healthy and affordable.
After serving nearly four years as the watchdog for the Illinois Department of Human Services, Peter Neumer will step down from his role overseeing investigations into the abuse and neglect of some of the state’s most vulnerable people.
The department announced the move to staff on Friday, noting that Neumer accepted a position as the inspector general for the Chicago Park District and that he will be replaced by Charles Wright, Neumer’s deputy since March 2021. Neumer’s last day as IDHS OIG will be Aug. 17.
Neumer and his staff investigated allegations of abuse or neglect of individuals who receive mental health or developmental disability services in programs that are overseen by the Illinois Department of Human Services. That includes oversight of the seven state-operated developmental centers and six mental health facilities.
Reports from Neumer’s office were a critical source of information for a series of investigative stories by Capitol News Illinois, ProPublica and Lee Enterprises into abuse, neglect and a cover-up culture at Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center in far southern Illinois.
Illinois’ rank as a place to do business rises — to 17th […]
The study is from CNBC, the financial news network, which for the fourth year in a row raised Illinois’ ranking. The state now is 17th, up from 19th last year, right behind Pennsylvania and Massachusetts and just ahead of New York and New Jersey. Illinois was ranked 30th as recently as 2019. […]
On the good side, the No. 2 ranking for infrastructure and education is a boost from third and sixth, respectively, last year. Also rising is Illinois’ ranking for access to capital, up from eighth to sixth, and cost of living, with relatively lower housing and other prices here moving the state from 20th to ninth.
On the other hand, the state’s relative cost of doing business worsened from 31st to 32nd. “Business friendliness” was an abysmal 39th, the overall economy 33rd, and workforce — usually considered a strength by local leaders — no better than 28th, down two ranks from 2022.
Illinois small businesses are improving, according to recent numbers that show the state rent delinquency rate of 22% in July was half of what it was in May.
The survey was conducted by Alignable and showed that 55% of small businesses in the nation had difficulty paying their rent in July.
A few months after its largest tenant walked out, the owner of a landmark Loop office building has landed a deal with a new company that bucks a pair of trends in the battered downtown office market.
Total Quality Logistics signed a five-year lease for 36,322 square feet at 125 S. Clark St., according to a statement from real estate services firm Transwestern, which oversees leasing in the 20-story building. The move is an expansion by the third-party logistics company, which will move from roughly 31,000 square feet it occupies in the West Loop at 328 S. Jefferson St.
The deal stands out as a rare addition of workspace at a time when many companies are cutting back on it, given the rise of remote work that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic. TQL is also going against the grain by moving from the trendy West Loop office submarket to the heart of the Loop, which has seen a slew of companies decamp from older buildings in favor of newer office properties elsewhere in the city.
* Opposing a sitting Democratic state Senator in a primary would just be one reason why Martinez likely isn’t being slated, but whatevs…
Cook County Clerk of the Court Iris Martinez held a fundraiser at Moe’s Cantina in Wrigleyville on Monday — just ahead of next week’s slating for the 2024 election.
“I’m ready for the challenge,” she told your Playbook host in between making margaritas for guests. “I hope I get slated because I’m an incumbent. But if not, I’m ready.”
Martinez is going against the machine in next week’s slating by the Cook County Democratic Party. Even though she’s the incumbent Democrat, Martinez doesn’t have the support of county party Chair Toni Preckwinkle.
There’s tension because Martinez has been seen as not always towing the party line. Her goal has been to support Latina candidates, which didn’t necessarily align with Preckwinkle’s plans.
And she has a long way to go with her fundraising. Martinez ended the last quarter with just $19,328.52 in the bank.
* Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton held her first fundraiser last week since being elected statewide. Here’s her speech…
* Press release…
Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced the State of Illinois is accepting grant applications from schools and agencies that support child and adolescent health for a share of $10 million in federal funding intended to strengthen mental health services for students across Illinois. The funding from the CDC’s COVID-19 Public Health Workforce Supplemental Funding program is being offered to help schools and local agencies improve student care in areas such as workforce enhancements, developing frameworks to prevent adverse childhood experiences, interventions to assist children suffering from trauma, and training for medical and school staff to expand adolescent mental health resources. […]
The funding is authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) and the application process is being administered by IDPH’s Office of Women’s Health & Family Services. Following are the two program areas in which funds will be allocated:
• $6.9 million for Enhancing Post-Covid Recovery Efforts for School Based Health Needs: Up to $500,000 per school district or qualifying school affiliated organization to expand workforces, purchase mental health training materials and deploy programs and resources to enhance student mental health. (Up to 25 grants expected.)
• $3 million for Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Post-COVID-19: To identify mental health issues within school populations and provide education, resources, care coordination, and or training that helps to develop frameworks to prevent adverse childhood experiences and improve mental health outcomes for children and youth in a post-pandemic world. (Up to 15 grants expected.)
* Media advisory…
OFFICIAL UNVEILING OF THE 2023 BUTTER COW
What: 2023 Butter Cow Unveiling
Where: Dairy Building
Central Avenue
Illinois State Fairgrounds
When: Wednesday, August 9
3:00 p.m.
Invited: JB Pritzker, Governor of Illinois
Jerry Costello II, IDOA Director
Rebecca Clark, State Fair Manager
Paige Van Dyke, Miss Illinois County Fair Queen
Local, State Dignitaries
The iconic Butter Cow will be unveiled on August 9, 2023 at 3:00 p.m. in the Dairy Building on the Illinois State Fairgrounds. Each year, fairgoers look forward to seeing the sculpture made of 500 pounds of unsalted butter.
The 2023 Illinois State Fair will be held from August 10-20.
* Welcome home!…
Theo was diagnosed with an abnormal heart rhythm. First his heart beat too slow, then too fast. There also were complications with his intestines. That was about as scared and as helpless as I have ever felt.
— Treasurer Michael Frerichs (@ILTreasurer) August 8, 2023
Thankfully, everyone is home and we are now sleeping under one roof. Well, sleeping might be a relative term. But it’s the first step in what I’m sure will be a long and rewarding journey, and I cannot be more excited for my wife, our sons, and their big sister, Ella. pic.twitter.com/r6Feaej4zt
— Treasurer Michael Frerichs (@ILTreasurer) August 8, 2023
* Bloomberg | Rivian’s wounded shorts set for potential squeeze: Short interest has risen to 13% of the shares available for trading — representing about $2.2 billion worth of stock, according to data from S3 Partners LLC. Rivian’s 32% advance this year has cost the shorts more than $736 million in mark-to-market losses as of Monday’s close, S3 said. After Tesla Inc., it’s the biggest short position among US electric-vehicle firms.
* SJ-R | ‘Several hundred’ workers laid off from Memorial Health System, citing negative economic trends: “Several hundred” employees from Memorial Health System have lost their jobs, according to announcement from the organization Tuesday. […] The statement did indicate that the number reflected 20% of leadership positions across the organization. The reduction also represents 5% of Memorial Health’s total salary and benefits.
* WGN | COVID hospitalizations jump nearly 30% in Illinois: An additional 9,056 people were hospitalized with the virus last week, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – that represents a 12.5% jump.
* SJ-R | Installation set for Busboom as bishop of ELCA synod: Busboom, the lead pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Springfield since 2011, was elected bishop of the synod at a gathering of church officials in East Peoria on June 3. He was elected on the fifth and final ballot.
* WaPo | White House unveils wage rule for federal projects, in win for unions: The measure aims to restore an old definition of the “prevailing wage,” scrapped by President Ronald Reagan, that the Biden administration says would change pay standards on federal construction projects. Under the new rule, employers would be required to pay construction workers the equivalent of wages made by at least 30 percent of workers in a given trade and locality.
* Crain’s | Lime wants electric scooters on the Lakefront Trail: “We’re following the lead of our riders who showed signs of wanting to use the Lakefront Trail, so now we’re looking for more concrete data before we approach the (Chicago) Park District and city,” a Lime spokesperson said. “Anything we do on this would be hand-in-hand with the Park District, (the Chicago Department of Transportation), the mayor’s office, the aldermen and our community partners across the city.”
* Tribune | 19 years ago today, a Dave Matthews Band tour bus dumped human waste on a tour boat in the Chicago River. Here’s our original report.: Nineteen years ago, a Dave Matthews Band tour bus passing over the Chicago River unleashed a torrent of foul-smelling waste onto a tour boat and passengers below. At the time, nobody knew who was responsible for the dumping, but the Chicago Tribune was first to report it based on interviews with passengers, including a Tribune reporter, and the tour boat company. The incident would eventually be connected to the band, and criminal charges, apologies and at least one lawsuit would follow.
Tuesday, Aug 8, 2023 - Posted by Advertising Department
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The Illinois Department of Transportation and Illinois Department of Agriculture today announced temporary changes in traffic patterns around the Illinois State Fairgrounds to accommodate the influx of vehicles during the fair.
Beginning at 5 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 10, IDOT will change the traffic flow around the fairgrounds to one way counterclockwise. In addition, both eastbound and westbound turn lanes from Veterans Parkway to Eighth Street will be closed. Portable signs will inform motorists of the changes. Normal traffic patterns will resume by 6 a.m., Monday, Aug. 21.
Twilight Parade Route
The Twilight Parade is Thursday, Aug. 10, with the route beginning in Lincoln Park. It will head north through the park to Sangamon Avenue and then east to the Main Gate and to the fairgrounds. Staging for the parade will begin at 1:30 p.m. in the park.
The parade route will close to traffic at 4 p.m., with detour signs along North Grand Avenue and Veterans and J. David Jones parkways in place. The Parade Run begins at 5 p.m. The parade starts at 5:30 p.m. The route is expected to remain closed until 9 p.m. No public parking will be available for parade viewing in Lincoln Park and the Nelson Center. Patrons of the Nelson Center will be able to access the center using Third Street and Black Avenue.
Parking Restrictions
Beginning Thursday, Aug. 10, parking will be prohibited on neighborhood streets south of Sangamon Avenue. These changes will remain in effect until the morning of Monday, Aug. 21.
Gov. JB Pritzker announced a $58.1 million project last year, specifically targeting the Multi-Purpose Arena and the Coliseum, road improvements for a smoother drive through the fairgrounds and replacement of the roof and HVAC systems in many of the site’s buildings. Years of dereliction prompted the investment along with another $6.7 million from the Illinois Department of Agriculture - racking a total of nearly $65 million towards fairgrounds improvements in the last five years.
Renovations caused the closure of MPA during last year’s fair, requiring events to be moved to the Coliseum and the Grandstand instead. This year, IDOA Director Jerry Costello II said the arena will reopen Thursday - opening day for the 2023 Illinois State Fair - as host to the Monsters of Destruction tour in addition to several truck and tractor pulls and a rodeo show over the course of the fair.
The state invested $8.6 million through Rebuild Illinois into MPA, these funds going towards a new canopy and structural repairs to the the foundation and terraced walls. Work on restrooms and new concession stands at the 23-year-old building is also nearing completion.
“I can tell you any fairgoers moving around the fairgrounds, it’s hard to miss the tents of the Multi-Purpose Arena,” he said during fair media day earlier this week. “It’s something that I think everyone will notice is new.”
Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill into law Friday to require the state to offer a discount program to allow high-risk diabetics to buy insulin for $35 per month.
Sponsors said this could be a game changer for people who are uninsured or have high deductible plans.
“I personally had one and had a $5,000 deductible years ago and was paying about $1,000 a month for insulin,” said Rep. Jenn Ladisch Douglass (D-Elmhurst). “This kind of program would have been very helpful because the cost of insulin has been very difficult for people and has allowed people to die because of cost.”
Program participants will receive an official card from the state with information about how pharmacies will honor the discount. The bill language also states that participants would receive instructions on how to request reimbursement from their health insurance if they bought insulin at the full purchase price.
* ACLU of Illinois…
Today, House Bill 1596, which amends various child welfare and juvenile court statutes to reflect more inclusive language in laws relating to children and families, becomes law. The new law was signed by Governor Pritzker in early June of this year. The new policy recognizes that many of the children under the care of DCFS identify as LGBTQ+ and that our system must affirm and recognize the identity of these individuals. The following can be attributed to Nora-Collins Mandeville, Director of Systems Reform Policy at the ACLU of Illinois:
Today is a good day for the growing number of LGBTQ+ youth under the care of DCFS. We know that the Department has failed to meet the needs of this group of youth. Recognizing and affirming LGBTQ+ youth by using appropriate and inclusive language is a small, but critical first step to providing care to those for whom DCFS is responsible. Adopting gender inclusive language promotes equity and respect for all people. We are proud that the State of Illinois is moving forward to fully implement this laudable goal. Our work to ensure that Illinois serves all the young people under the care of DCFS, including LGBTQ+ youth goes forward.
* Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid…
State Representative Abdelnasser Rashid’s legislation that will ensure the Middle East and North African (MENA) racial category is used on official state government forms, studies and reports was signed by Governor Pritzker on Friday. HB 3768 makes Illinois the first state to officially recognize Arab Americans and minority groups from the Middle East.
“I am proud that Illinois is paving the way for Arab Americans to be counted,” said Rep. Rashid, the first Palestinian-American elected to the Illinois State Legislature. “This information will help our state develop policies that address the unique needs of the Arab American community, such as access to healthcare, education, and employment opportunities. Additionally, it will allow for a more comprehensive understanding of the experiences of Arabs and other groups from the Middle East and help to combat racism and prejudice.”
In Illinois and across the country, statistical racial data is used to understand different groups and communities and to inform programs, funding, and policy. However, Arab Americans are categorized as white, which has been a barrier to studying and addressing the unique challenges experienced by the Arab community. Furthermore, Arab Americans have historically been excluded from benefits that come from minority status and other race-conscious policies. A recent study by the Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy at the University of Illinois Chicago shows that Arab Americans have lower household median incomes, higher rates of unemployment, and higher rates of being housing-cost-burdened compared to Chicagoland residents overall.
House Bill 3768 will address longstanding concerns of the Arab American community by ensuring that the MENA racial category is used on official state government forms, studies and reports. This paves the way for minorities from the Middle East to be counted, and equips institutions, advocates and policymakers with important data to support the needs of these communities.
HB 3768 has been signed by Governor Pritzker and will be enacted starting January 1, 2024.
* Press Release…
Today, Governor JB Pritzker signed SB1818 which creates the Illinois Flag Commission for the purpose of exploring the creation of a new state flag and developing new state flag designs. The commission will make recommendations to the General Assembly concerning whether the current State flag should be replaced with a redesigned flag. By September 2024, the Illinois Flag Commission will select no more than ten potential flags and submit a report to the General Assembly by December 2024.
“Throughout our 205-year history, Illinois has boasted two official state flags—and it may be time we create a new one that exemplifies the values of our great state,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Today, I am proud to sign SB1818 to establish the Illinois Flag Commission to aid us in this process as we decide what our future flag should represent.”
“Our state flag demonstrates who we are as one Illinois, uplifting our history and our values. This bill will ensure the Illinois flag continues to be a symbol of progress and the ideals we uphold with the utmost honor,” said Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton. “With the creation of the next flag of our state, we are ushering in a new era that will represent every Illinoisan and commemorate how far we have come so we may go even further together.”
Prior to this, Illinois has had two official state flags. The first of these was adopted on July 6, 1915, after a campaign by Ella Park Laurence, State Regent of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Thirty-five designs for the flag were submitted and the winner was crafted by Lucy Derwent. The flag became law on July 6, 1915. In September of 1969, the original flag was amended to carry the state’s name so it was easily identifiable.
The next move to design a new state flag was initiated by Governor Ogilvie. The former Governor convened a committee to develop specifications for a new state flag to ensure uniformity in reproduction of design and color by flag makers. Sanford Hutchinson of Greenfield, who had previously done extensive research on the official design of the state seal, submitted a flag design that was accepted by the committee, the Secretary of State, and the Governor. It became the official flag of Illinois on July 1, 1970.
SB1818 creates a similar committee to the one in 1970, convening the Secretary of State, three members appointed by the Governor, four members appointed by the President of the Senate, four members appointed by the Speaker of the House, four members appointed the minority leader of the Senate, and four members appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, the State Superintendent of Education, and Chairperson of the Board of the Illinois State Museum.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law Friday sweeping reforms that for the first time will give tribal nations — not state agencies, universities or museums — final say over how and when the remains of their ancestors and sacred items are returned to them.
“With the Governor signing these bills into law, Illinois is proving that a government is capable of reflecting on its past injustices and planning for a future that respects and celebrates our interconnectedness,” Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Chairperson Joseph “Zeke” Rupnick said.
The newly signed Human Remains Protection Act was shaped by tribal nations over more than two years of consultations with the Illinois State Museum and the state Department of Natural Resources. The legislation unanimously passed the state House and Senate this spring and follows publication of ProPublica’s “The Repatriation Project,” an ongoing investigation into the delayed return of Native American ancestral remains by universities, museums and government agencies.
The law makes it the state’s responsibility to help return ancestral remains, funerary objects and other important cultural items to tribal nations, and it compels the state to follow the lead of tribal nations throughout the repatriation process. It also establishes a state Repatriation and Reinterment Fund to help with the costs of reburial, tribal consultation and the repair of any damage to burial sites, remains or sacred items.
A new Illinois law fortifies existing legislation aimed at preventing the sexual grooming of students by teachers and staff.
The law is named after Illinois resident Faith Colson. Colson was sexually abused by a teacher at her high school and learned years later during the course of legal proceedings that several adults within her high school suspected the inappropriate relationship but did not take action.
Faith’s Law was passed by the 102nd General Assembly as two separate pieces of legislation. The first legislation, Public Act 102-0676, took effect on Dec. 3, 2021 and, for the first time, established the definition of sexual misconduct within the School Code. […]
The new law closes a loophole that previously allowed teachers and school staff to have a sexual relationship with a student because the age of consent in Illinois is 17.
Tania Haigh, executive director of the nonprofit child protection organization Kids Too, said the new law also closes a loophole and addresses the possibility that an offender moves to another school.
* Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton…
State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton championed a new law to make Native American history a requirement for all public elementary and high school students.
“Native American history is American history. It’s time we introduce it in our classrooms,” said Glowiak Hilton (D – Western Springs). “It is important that our children’s learning experiences are formulated in an atmosphere that is both inclusive and equitable.”
House Bill 1633 requires public schools to make Native American history part of curriculum. Teachings will include the study of the genocide of and discrimination against Native Americans, as well as tribal sovereignty, treaties made between tribal nations and the United States, and the circumstances around forced Native American relocation.
Social studies courses pertaining to American history or government are required to include a unit of instruction studying the events of the Native American experience and Native American history within the Midwest and Illinois.
“By providing our students a better understanding of our history, we are presenting a brighter future ahead,” said Glowiak Hilton. “We need to invigorate our classrooms and present new perspectives to give our children learning opportunities they haven’t had before.”
House Bill 1633 was signed into law Friday. Native American history will begin being taught during the 2024-2025 school year.
Every Illinois school will be required to create, implement, and maintain at least one written policy prohibiting discrimination and harassment against students based on race, color, or national origin.
The law also bans retaliation against students who submit complaints to school administrators. Senate Bill 90 calls for the Illinois State Board of Education to collect data on all reported allegations of discrimination, harassment, or retaliation against students.
“This is a bill that would define racial discrimination, prohibit it in schools, and provide an avenue for some restitution and correction of that behavior,” said Sen. Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines).
The Illinois Department of Human Rights will start a training program to prevent discrimination and harassment in elementary and secondary schools. Any schools failing to take disciplinary action against students harassing others could face civil rights violations. […]
Senate Bill 90 takes effect on August 1, 2024.
* Sen. Julie Morrison…
State Senator Julie Morrison passed a measure – which was signed by the governor Friday – to fill a significant gap in current Illinois law by giving victims of doxing a voice in deterring bad actors looking to take advantage of the evolving cyber landscape.
“As technology evolves, so must our laws,” said Morrison (D-Lake Forest). “The measure signed into law today is a positive step toward providing a necessary solution to the dangerous practice of doxing, both by helping victims and deterring future bad actors.”
To give victims of doxing the justice they deserve, Morrison passed House Bill 2954. The law allows people a civil private right of action against the individual who committed the offense. The victim will be able to recover damages and any other appropriate relief, including attorney’s fees.
Among the more than 90 measures the Democratic governor signed into law on Friday, one measure expands the Central Illinois Regional Airport’s tax base beyond Bloomington-Normal, and another allows District 87 schools to acquire property without a public referendum.
The Illinois legislature approved creation of the Central Illinois Regional Airport Authority in May. It would replace the Bloomington-Normal Airport Authority as the airport’s governing body and add all of McLean County to the airport’s tax rolls. […]
Pritzker also signed a bill that grants the Bloomington public school system a waiver to buy property to expand early childhood education.
District 87 Superintendent David Mouser has said the district has a pre-K waiting list due to a lack of space and would like to double capacity. Mouser has said the district has available funds for a new building and will not need to raise taxes.
* Background is here if you need it. From US District Judge John Kness’ July ruling denying Tim Mapes’ motion to prevent statements in his indictment from being used against him at his perjury trial…
Defendant seeks to strike the following statement from the Indictment: “MAPES provided [McClain] with messages communicated to MAPES by [Madigan], including messages concerning work and assignments [McClain] was performing on behalf of [Madigan] between 2017 and 2018.” Defendant appears to contend that this statement fails to “state the elements” of perjury as required under Vaughn because this allegation does not contradict any of his statements in Episodes 1–7 and so cannot form the basis of a perjury charge. The Court disagrees.
In Episode 4, Defendant stated that he was “not aware of any” “reason to think [McClain] was acting as an agent for [Madigan],” where “acting as an agent” was defined as “doing work for him or carrying out assignments for him.” If Defendant was, in fact, “provid[ing] [McClain] with messages communicated to [him] by [Madigan], including messages concerning work and assignments [McClain] was performing on behalf of [Madigan],” this would directly contradict Defendant’s response to the question in Episode 4. Accordingly, the motion to dismiss this portion of the Indictment is denied.
That last paragraph has stuck with me ever since we discussed it in July. The judge essentially placed a large neon arrow next to what he viewed as a likely criminal act. Mapes may need a miracle to pull this off.
Mapes and McClain kept each other abreast of other developments in their world for months after Mapes’ resignation, including when Mapes was approached by FBI agents in January 2019. Mapes prepared a memo after his meeting with the feds, and the next month told McClain about a conversation he’d had with Madigan’s attorney, Sheldon Zenner, according to court filings.
Mapes said he’d given Zenner the memo per “a request,” and that he was calling McClain to “report back in” afterward.
“A jury could readily infer that Mapes made these statements to McClain with the intent that McClain relay them to Madigan,” prosecutors wrote last month. “At the end of the call, Mapes again says, ‘I’m just reporting in,’ again clearly showing that he was intending to keep McClain in the loop, so that Madigan too could be kept in the loop.”
* We heard yesterday from House Republican Leader Tony McCombie about why all of her caucus voted for House Bill 3751 the first time it went through the chamber. Now, here’s Senate Republican Leader John Curran writing in the Sun-Times about why all but one SGOP cast their vote against the bill…
First, this legislation — as intended and as written — would empower non-citizens with the lawful authority to arrest U.S. citizens in Illinois. This concept was philosophically opposed by most members of our caucus and the constituents they serve.
Second, some claimed the legislation was symbolic, and no non-citizen would be able to become a police officer in Illinois without a change in federal law regarding non-citizen firearm possession. We believe this is inaccurate and this legislation is not merely symbolic. Due to HB 3751’s passage, non-citizen residents lawfully present in the United States on immigrant visas (which are issued to foreign nationals wishing to live in the United States permanently) will now also be eligible to be police officers in Illinois.
Finally, we opposed HB 3751 as a mandate on all local law enforcement departments in Illinois. Any department that does not want to participate in the lax standard could be opening themselves up to significant legal and financial risks. Under the Illinois Human Rights Act, it is a civil rights violation in this state for an employer to refuse to hire an otherwise qualified applicant for a position on the basis of their citizenship or work authorization status.
Therefore, with this new law, if a local sheriff/police department refused to consider a non-citizen for a position as a police officer, their organization would potentially be subject to civil liability. While HB 3751 was presented as an “option” for law enforcement departments, this legislation is actually a mandate to hire non-citizens as police officers.
Gov. J. B. Pritzker last month signed into law a bill allowing non-U.S. citizens in Illinois to become police officers last month. The measure, which goes into effect on Jan. 1, states that “an individual who is not a citizen but is legally authorized to work in the United States under federal law is authorized to apply for the position of police officers.” The bill also includes Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients in the group of non-citizens eligible to become police officers.
“That is the most stupidest bill he could ever sign,” Angel said. “Why would you want an immigrant or any other person to run your city as a police officer?”
* STL PR | Missouri lawmakers find uniting bipartisan cause — beating Illinois in softball: Reprising their victory from last year, Missouri trampled the Illinois delegation in a 10-2 win on Monday night at Busch Stadium. The Land of Lincoln struggled to get on the board as the Show-Me-State secured a pair of runs in the first and second inning. Missouri then sealed the title in the fifth with a 6-run rally which was too much for Illinois to overcome.
* WQRL | Rep. Dave Severin announces re-election campaign: Severin says he is also fighting the leftist progressives’ “Green New Deal” that is hurting working families and driving up electricity bills. Severin noted that his experience in office has allowed him to become the ranking member of the House Energy and Environment Committee.
* Austin Weekly | West Side aldermen to choose State Sen. Patricia Van Pelt’s successor: Democratic ward committeepersons whose wards fall within the state Senate’s 5th District will meet on Aug. 15 at 1 p.m. at Plumbers Local 130 union hall, 1340 W. Washington Blvd., to appoint a replacement for State Sen. Patricia Van Pelt, who resigned in late July.
* The Telegraph | McDonough seeking to challenge Elik: McDonough is seeking to face state Rep. Amy Elik, R-Alton, in the November 2024 general election. Elik was elected to the post in 2020 and reelected to it in 2022. Last month Nick Raftopoulos of Granite City also announced that he will seek the Democratic nomination to challenge Elik for Illinois’ 111th House District in 2024.
* WAND | New Illinois laws will cap prices of insulin, EpiPens in 2025: Lawmakers helped cap the price of insulin at $100 in 2019. Although, that law only applies to roughly 15% of people under insurance for Illinois state employees. Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill into law Friday to require the state to offer a discount program to allow high-risk diabetics to buy insulin for $35 per month.
* NBC Chicago | CDOT’s next leader must ‘enact transformational change’: After Chicago Department of Transportation Commissioner Gia Biagi announced her resignation earlier this month, advocacy groups have penned an open letter urging Mayor Brandon Johnson to pursue leadership that will “enact transformational change” in the city.
* Week 25 | New ‘Birth to Five’ report highlights gaps in Central Illinois childcare: The report divides the state into 39 regions with Peoria County as its own and Tazewell, Woodford, and Mason counties combined to make up another. Birth to Five regional managers say the biggest gap is in transportation from preschool to aftercare.
* SJ-R | More than $58 million: Where do state fairgrounds renovations stand?: Renovations caused the closure of MPA during last year’s fair, requiring events to be moved to the Coliseum and the Grandstand instead. This year, IDOA Director Jerry Costello II said the arena will reopen Thursday - opening day for the 2023 Illinois State Fair - as host to the Monsters of Destruction tour in addition to several truck and tractor pulls and a rodeo show over the course of the fair.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is coming to Illinois in 10 days to headline a fundraiser for incumbent Congressman Mike Bost, who’s facing a competitive primary in the 12th District with former gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey. […]
McCarthy will be in O’Fallon on Aug. 17 for Bost’s luncheon fundraiser. That’s the same day as Republican Day at the State Fair when all the big GOP names show a united front to kick off the campaign season. It wasn’t ideal, but “with multiple schedules, we had to work with the day that aligned” with everyone, Bost’s spokesman Myles Nelson told Playbook.
Speaker McCarthy’s visit is not unexpected, of course. Bost is the incumbent.
* The timing is interesting, however. And it’s probably a relief for the ILGOP.
So far, the only really big race to watch in Illinois next year is Bost vs. Bailey. Therefore, Republican Day at the Illinois State Fair next Thursday looked to me like it was going to be dominated by that battle, which could’ve turned out to be uncomfortable for everyone involved (except people like me, of course). I joked to a friend last week that maybe the ILGOP should just cancel the whole thing to avoid a possible train wreck.
But Speaker McCarthy, inadvertently or not, has given the state party an out. Bailey will get access to the news media at the fairgrounds, but Bost will be home in his district, near to his local news media outlets, and that’s a decent contrast for him.
Anyway, not the biggest story in the world, nor the most important, but I thought I’d mention it since I forgot to include the piece in the afternoon roundup.
What are you looking forward to at this year’s State Fair?
Today, 27th Ward Democratic Committeeperson and Chair Walter Burnett announced the date, time, and location for the Democratic Party’s Fifth District Illinois State Senate Committee meeting. The Committee will conduct in-person interviews at Plumbers Local 130, 1340 W Washington, Basement, Chicago, IL 60607 to fill the vacancy in the 5th District of the Illinois State Senate created by the resignation of Senator Patricia Van Pelt. Doors will open at 12:30pm and the meeting will begin promptly at 1:00pm. The meeting will conclude upon the completion of the candidate interviews, committee deliberations, and an appointment to fill the vacancy by a majority of the entire weighted vote of the Committeepersons.
Candidates who would like to apply for the position of 5th District State Senator will need to send their cover letter and resume to this email address: wbj863@gmail.com by August 11, 2023.
The members of the 5th District’s election committee include Committeeperson Daniel LaSpata (1st Ward), Committeeperson Tim Egan (2nd Ward), Comitteeperson John Daley (11th Ward), Committeeperson George Cardenas (12th Ward), Committeeperson Mike Rodriguez (22nd Ward), VACANT (24th Ward), Committeperson Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th Ward), Committeeperson Walter Burnett (27th Ward), Committeeperson Jason Ervin (28th Ward), Committeeperson Chris Taliaferro (29th Ward), Committeeperson Scott Waguespack (32nd Ward), Committeeperson Emma Mitts (37th), Committeeperson Brendan Reilly (42nd Ward), and Committeeperson Lucy Moog (43rd Township).
What:
Democratic Committee Meeting to fill the vacancy in the office of the Illinois State Senate for the 5th District
When:
Tuesday, August 15, 2023
12:30pm - Doors open to public and press
1:00pm - Meeting and interviews begin
The apparently vacant 24th Ward Committeeperson slot can only be filled by the central committee, per party bylaws.
Residents of Robbins looked up at their town’s water tower last week and watched as hundreds of gallons of water cascaded down from the top.
When a water main broke July 28 and increased the flow of water into the tower, it triggered the emergency overflow system used to prevent the water tower from bursting. It also resurfaced questions about why the state’s leadership isn’t doing more to upgrade the community’s infrastructure.
“If the governor really cared about the people, he’s a billionaire. He could fix all of Illinois himself,” said Robbins Mayor Darren Bryant, who is asking lawmakers for $40 million for his town to conduct infrastructure upgrades. “Put a billion to it, governor, if you want to run for president.”
When the Will County Board decided to send four of its members to the National Association of Counties’ legislative conference in Washington this past February, the contingent included new Republican board member Daniel Butler of Frankfort. […]
Little more than two years earlier, prior to being elected to office, Butler was in Washington attending then-President Donald Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally. Butler joined the march to the U.S. Capitol but he was not charged and he said he did not enter the building as insurgents staged a deadly insurrection in a failed attempt to stop the counting of Electoral College votes that made Biden the nation’s president.
Displaying a long history on social media of propagating elaborate and widely debunked conspiracy theories — ranging from pandemic vaccines linked with computer chip technology to a QAnon-backed tale contending Italian satellites were used in 2020 to switch votes from Trump to Biden — Butler won a seat on the Will County Board on Nov. 8. […]
Butler said he still has doubts that Biden’s vote total in defeating Trump exceeded that of President Barack Obama and said he recalls hearing that “some satellite in Rome that the Vatican has” was used to switch votes from Trump to Biden and “they traced stuff that went to a server in Germany.” […]
Butler’s election was assisted by more than $3,300 worth of campaign mailings paid by the Illinois Republican Party, campaign records show. The Illinois GOP did not respond to a request for comment.
Um, wait. Butler claims the Pope’s satellite was used to defeat Trump? Are there no Catholic voters in that guy’s district or in the ILGOP who might be just a wee bit upset about this? Sheesh.
* The task force report isn’t due until next March, which will be too late to implement RCV for the presidential primary cycle…
Governor Pritzker signed SB2123 into law [last week] , greenlighting a task force to evaluate the implementation of Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) in presidential primaries and to analyze the necessary modernization of Illinois’ elections equipment and systems. The Ranked Choice and Voting Systems Task Force will begin convening to analyze the state’s capacity for implementation of RCV and will release a comprehensive report in March, 2024.
The convening of this task force will be the first time in Illinois history that there will be a concerted state-led effort to review RCV and the state’s capacity for implementation. The task force’s work will give lawmakers and election officials a better understanding of RCV, while also facilitating an accounting for how the state certifies certain election systems and equipment, many of which are outdated and less secure.
“Ranked Choice Voting helps ensure everyone’s vote counts” said Patrick Hanley at FairVote Illinois. “Modernizing election equipment is not only critical to implementing Ranked Choice Voting, but it will also ensure election integrity and security at a time when election workers and the systems they use are under increased threat.”
Right now, more than 30% of Illinois’ counties are utilizing outdated voting machines and systems. The RCV Task Force’s report will provide details about the costs of updating these machines to process RCV ballots and make elections more fair and more secure. […]
RCV in presidential primaries is an elegant solution to many of the problems facing our electoral system today. It solves the wasted vote problem that happens now in our current system where voters who vote early can select a candidate who later drops out before the Illinois contest, rendering their vote wasted and their voice silenced.
In 2020, 70,000 Democratic votes were wasted in the presidential primary. Likewise, 30,000 Republican votes were wasted in Illinois’ 2016 presidential primary.
Our current system allows people to vote early for presidential candidates in primaries, even if they are no longer in the race
“Too many votes are wasted in presidential primaries because our current system allows people to vote early for candidates who eventually drop out before the primary day,” State Representative and State Central Committeeman Maurice West (D-Rockford) said. “Ranked Choice Voting ensures voters’ voices are heard and helps solve that problem. It’s a common-sense solution to address a flaw in our system, and I’m grateful for the Governor’s support in exploring this important issue.”
RCV gives voters the option to rank candidates in order of preference – first, second, third, and so on. If their first choice is not viable, their vote counts for their highest-ranked candidate who is. The ability to rank backup choices ensures voters’ voices are heard and rewards candidates with the broadest appeal.
Currently Maine and Alaska have adopted RCV statewide, including for presidential primaries, and over 60 cities and counties have adopted RCV for local elections.
* Press release…
State Representative Tony McCombie (Savanna) was successful in spearheading five legislative initiatives through the Illinois House, all of which passed with bipartisan support and were recently signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker.
“These bills are common sense solutions for Illinois and will help make communities across our state safer, streamline certain government processes, and celebrate those who fight for our nation,” said McCombie. “For me, this is about solving problems and making life better for residents.”
The bills signed by the Governor include:
House Bill 3203: Works to curb the fentanyl epidemic affecting communities across the state by allowing a pharmacist or retailer (rather than only a pharmacist) to sell fentanyl test strips over-the-counter to the public to test for the presence of fentanyl.
House Bill 3206: Beginning July 1, 2024, the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation shall supplement all paper-based certificates and licenses (rather than certificates, licenses, and authorities) with a digitally verified electronic credential.
House Bill 3436: Allows the issuance of the Thank a Line Worker license plate decal by the Illinois Department of Education and creates the Thank a Line Worker Scholarship Fund through the purchase of the decals, which shall be paid as grants in support of scholarships for students studying electrical distribution at an Illinois college or university.
House Bill 1465: Increases competitive bidding threshold to $30,000 for Road Districts as had been done for townships.
Senate Bill 1072: Designates the Honor and Remember flag as the specific symbol to acknowledge American servicemen and women who lost their lives in the line of duty.
* Press release…
Today, Governor JB Pritzker signed SB 2195, also known as the “So Kids Can Move” initiative, which will allow thousands of children and youth with limb loss or limb difference to afford prosthetic care that enables them to participate in physical activities. This legislation makes Illinois just the fourth state in the nation to pass this act. […]
The legislation requires insurance coverage for medically necessary prosthetic or custom orthotic devices to maximize the patient’s whole-body health and function. It amends the Accident and Health Article of the Illinois Insurance Code and codifies that with respect to an enrollee at any age, coverage of a prosthetic or custom orthotic device shall be provided.
* I would’ve guessed Washington, DC /s…
Field Museum: 33 (+ 5 heads) Oriental Institute Museum: 5 Art Institute of Chicago: 2
Evanston - 1 Naperville - 1 (Naperville Central High School, Late Ptolemaic pd - one of the only HS in the world with its own mummy)
* Tribune | After long delays, new cannabis businesses are opening in Illinois with a vow to help others along the way: Existing medical cannabis growers and dispensaries were allowed to begin recreational sales in 2020. Since then, startups had to wait through multiple delays until 192 initial new licenses were issued with preference for veterans and social equity applicants, generally defined as those coming from poor areas with high arrest rates, or with prior minor cannabis convictions. As of mid-July, just 27 of those new social equity businesses have opened, due mainly to license holders being unable to get financing.
* WTVO | Pritzker signs Racism Free Schools Act into law: The Illinois Department of Human Rights is required to model a training program to prevent discrimination and harassment in elementary and high schools. The law would also make the failure of a school to take disciplinary action against a harassing student a civil rights violation and applies to public, private, and charter schools in Illinois.
* John T. Shaw | Finding candor, compassion and fun in politics: It’s a curious sign of our times that one of the best places that I’ve found to witness candor, compassion, and fun in American politics is the Illinois State Archives’ website. I suspect it is not the first place that most people would go to feel good about politics.
* Crain’s | This federal push is spawning green shoots of innovation in the Midwest: The U.S. CHIPS and Science Act and other recent federal legislation aimed at reinvigorating innovation and high-tech production leadership includes funding to support science, R&D, manufacturing, technology commercialization and workforce development to help the United States better compete globally in advanced technologies as well as reclaim leadership in the crucial semiconductor industry.
* Daily Herald | It’s not just O’Hare: Suburban airports pumping billions into the economy: At the DuPage Airport, “business is booming,” Executive Director Mark Doles said. “The corporate and business traffic is extremely strong — as is flight training.”Diversification is one reason the state’s public-use airports generate $95.5 billion dollars in total annual economic activity, the Illinois Department of Transportation reported.
* Crain’s | Citigroup slashing suburban office space, relocating to Schaumburg: The move is in line with the trend of companies shrinking their office footprints in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which set off a remote work movement that has driven up the suburban office vacancy rate to almost 29%, a record-high. The Chicago suburbs have collectively lost 3 million square feet of tenants since the beginning of 2020, according to data from brokerage Jones Lang LaSalle, a wave of attrition that is pushing some landlords to the financial brink and others into foreclosure.
* Austin Weekly | Want to improve public safety? Beat facilitators needed: Beat facilitators are residents or business owners of a specific police beat who volunteer to be the liaison between the community and the police. They work closely with each district’s office of community policing, also known as Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy to co-chair and help facilitate beat meetings. Beat facilitators represent the residents’ interests, identify community needs and communicate with residents, business owners and police officers in their beat. Thus, beat facilitators often reside or work in the beat they represent.
* NYT | How a Sexual Assault in a School Bathroom Became a Political Weapon: “Look, the kid is not transgender,” [Scott Ziegler, interim superintendent] recalled [Tim Flynn, the Stone Bridge principal] saying. “He runs with the drama crowd, and you know how the drama crowd can be. They’re attention-seeking. And he’s been experimenting with different looks.” He wore skirts on occasion, “but he has never come out to the school as either nonbinary or transgender.” (Flynn did not respond to requests for comment.) The boy’s mother described her son similarly. “He had presented to me this desire to explore a different lifestyle,” she said, which involved sometimes wearing women’s clothes. But he was “absolutely not” transgender, she said, and “he did not identify as fluid or anything like that.” If the boy had never to anyone’s knowledge identified as anything other than a boy, Ziegler reasoned, then he would not have been allowed in the girls’ bathroom under Policy 8040 any more than he would have been under the existing rules.
* The Hill | America’s white majority is aging out: “Race is the most complicated variable in the census, and it’s the one that draws people like moths to the flame,” said Dowell Myers, a professor of policy, planning and demography at the University of Southern California.
* WICS | Illinois State Fair introduces affordable ‘Small Plates, Big Tastes’ food program to delight every tastebud: The Illinois State Fair created Small Plates, Big Tastes. For just $3, you can get sample-size portions from any Village of Cultures vendor. “There are so many tasty options all around the fairgrounds, especially in the Village of Cultures, that we came up with a great way for fairgoers to travel around the world without breaking the bank,” said Illinois State Fair Manager Rebecca Clark.
* NBC Chicago | Illinois State Fair to get underway this week. Details on tickets, concerts and more: Festivities will officially kick off on Thursday at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, with the agricultural and entertainment spectacle starting at 7 a.m. Carnival rides won’t be up and running until noon, however. The fair’s popular opening event — the longtime Twilight Parade — will get underway at 5:30 p.m.
* Sun-Times: “Gov. J.B. Pritzker listens as researchers explain their work in one of the University of Chicago quantum engineering laboratories last month”…
Illinois will soon outlaw advertising for firearms that officials determine produces a public safety threat or appeals to children, militants or others who might later use the weapons illegally, as the state continues its quest to curb mass shootings. […]
The prime exhibit in Democratic Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s effort is the JR-15, a smaller, lighter version of the AR-15 semi-automatic rifle advertised with the tag line, “Get ‘em One Like Yours.” The maker says it is deliberately made smaller, with added safety features, to fit younger shooters as they learn from adults how to safely maneuver such a weapon. Raoul says it’s marketed to children and potentially entices them to skip the adult supervision and start firing. […]
Illinois would be the eighth state to approve legislation that allows such lawsuits against firearms manufacturers or distributors. […]
Raoul finds precedent in the 25-year-old settlement with large tobacco companies and more recently with advertising for vaping. […]
Except that other industries don’t produce constitutionally protected products, counters the National Shooting Sports Foundation, an industry trade association that has filed federal lawsuits in nearly every state that has approved a similar law.
A federal lawsuit filed against the California law failed in federal district court, but is being appealed.
* The Illinois-based company that produces the JR-15 website attracted lots of attention with its initial marketing rollout…
Newsom has multiple times brought up the "JR 15," apparently a rifle marketed to young people. This seems to be what he's talking about. pic.twitter.com/TDo6uw3EKg
Effective July 20, 2023, nonprofit organizations and others making non-commercial calls using an artificial or prerecorded voice (known as robocalls) to residential lines may make no more than three such calls to a particular residential line within any consecutive 30-day period without prior express consent of the called party and must give the called party the ability to opt out of any future calls they do not wish to receive.
These new requirements are part of regulations issued by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response to the Pallone-Thune Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act (the TRACED Act) passed by Congress in 2019.
Phone Number Provided Must Connect to Opt-Out Option. Robocalls are already required to include a phone number through which the organization may be reached. The FCC’s new rules require that this phone number must allow people to make do-not-call requests during regular business hours. If the call goes unanswered, answering machine or voicemail messages must include a toll-free number that connects the recipient to the voice or key press opt-out mechanism described above.
Written Policy and Training. Nonprofit and political organizations that make robocalls must have a written policy for maintaining a do-not-call list that is available on demand. Organizations must also provide training opportunities about these rules to personnel who are involved with robocall operations.
The types of robocall subject to the three-call-per-month limit is not restricted to fundraising calls. Rather, non-commercial calls such as calls conducting research, market surveys, political polling, or similar noncommercial activities are also subject to the three-call-per-month limit.
Three new FCC rules within the Telephone Consumer Protection Act went into effect at the end of June that will limit telecom capabilities, whether you’re conducting a poll or doing paid outreach to voters via robocalls.
We wanted to make sure you were aware of these changes because ignoring them (or being unaware) can cost you thousands of dollars in violations—or worse.
New FCC Rules
1. All automated calls need to identify who the caller is at the beginning of the call.
2. Within 2 seconds of identifying who the caller is, you need to provide specific opt out instructions.
3. An entity can only call a phone number with automated voice three times within a 30-day period.
What does this mean for you? For polls, more data will need to be obtained to compensate for the third rule. In addition, we’ll likely see more drop off and need to make more overall attempts to hit a desired sample size. Overall, this just means things will get pricier, unfortunately.
At the end of the day, this trio of rules fits what we’ve been saying—automated response gathering is reaching the end of its useful life, and other solutions, like texting, panels, and live dialing will soon make up a majority of any samples. And robocalls—well, robocalling has been 99% dead for a while now, easily replaced with competitively priced peer-to-peer messaging.
As the bombshell federal investigation into then-House Speaker Michael Madigan was heating up two years ago, prosecutors handed Madigan’s former chief of staff Tim Mapes the ultimate free pass, albeit with one crucial string attached.
Granted immunity, Mapes was assured he would not be charged as long as he told the truth to a federal grand jury. But he allegedly blew it.
According to prosecutors, Mapes lied repeatedly in his March 31, 2021, grand jury testimony in an ill-fated attempt to protect his longtime boss, claiming he couldn’t recall anything relevant about Madigan’s relationship with Michael McClain, the speaker’s longtime confidant at the center of the probe.
Those allegedly misleading statements had little effect, as Madigan and McClain were both indicted on racketeering charges last year alleging Madigan was at the top of a criminal enterprise aimed at enriching himself and his cronies and maintaining his nearly unfettered political power.
Now, Mapes is set to stand trial starting Monday in Chicago on federal charges of perjury and attempted obstruction of justice for an alleged bid to block prosecutors’ investigation of Madigan, who forced Mapes to resign in 2018, and Michael McClain, another Springfield insider. […]
Madigan and McClain also loom large in Mapes’ case. Key witnesses from McClain’s first trial are set to return to the stand. Among them: state Rep. Robert “Bob” Rita, who has testified in two corruption trials this year, and former Madigan aide Will Cousineau.
The backdrop this time will be a series of #MeToo scandals in 2018 that rocked Springfield and forced key figures, including Mapes, out of office.
The FBI was listening at the time, and prosecutors are ready to play recordings that were secretly made amid the fallout.
* Here is Jon’s thread on today’s trial proceedings…
Tim Mapes' attorney wants to have until the weekend to respond to the feds' motion about Bhachu. Feds say that's fine, as long as the defense doesn't mention Bhachu in opening statements.
And in this trial, federal prosecutors will attempt to show that Mapes was well aware of McClain’s role as Madigan’s other right-hand man, a label often used for Mapes himself in the decades he served the speaker.
In the weeks following Mapes’ ouster in early June 2018, he and McClain spoke about a dozen times, according to federal court records.
“You’re the only person’s made me cry today,” McClain told Mapes on the day he was forced to resign, according to court records. “Anything I can do, ya know, I’m willing to do, you know that, don’t ya?”
That afternoon, McClain also told Mapes, “I never thought you would be the one to leave the fox hole.”
The best argument against collective bargaining for government workers is that no one represents taxpayers. Union chiefs and the politicians they support sit on both sides of the bargaining table. That was demonstrated again last week when Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a whopping new contract with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (Afscme).
The contract covers the next four years and gives 35,000 public workers 19.28% raises, outpacing the growth in private wages. That’s more than the Teamsters are getting for tenured drivers in their rich new deal from United Parcel Service, and that’s merely the increase in Afscme base pay. Many workers will get more pay increases based on job tenure. The contract also includes a $1,200 “stipend” to every worker merely for ratifying the contract. Mr. Pritzker included these bonuses in his last contract negotiation in 2019, supposedly to compensate workers for the financial “hardship” of being a state worker under previous Governor Bruce Rauner. (Remember when a Governor tried to represent taxpayers?) The unions liked the sweetener, so now it has become an expected fillip.
The governor’s office says the increases are actually 17.95 percent over four years. They also pointed to this AP story…
Public employers across the U.S. have faced similar struggles to fill jobs, leading to one of the largest surges in state government pay raises in 15 years. Many cities, counties and school districts also are hiking wages to try to retain and attract workers amid aggressive competition from private sector employers. […]
In Georgia, state employee turnover hit a high of 25% in 2022. Thousands of workers left the Department of Corrections, pushing its vacancy rate to around 50%. The state began a series of pay raises. This year, all state employees and teachers got at least a $2,000 raise, with corrections officers getting $4,000 and state troopers $6,000. […]
Missouri gave state workers a 7.5% pay raise in 2022. This spring, Gov. Mike Parson signed an emergency spending bill with an additional 8.7% raise, plus an extra $2 an hour for people working evening and night shifts at prisons, mental health facilities and other institutions. The vacancy rate for entry level corrections officers now is declining, and the average number of applications for all state positions is up 18% since the start of last year. […]
Since 2022, the [Brevard County transit system in Floriday] has twice raised bus driver wages to a current rate of $17.47 an hour. The school board recently countered with a $5 increase to a minimum $20 an hour for the upcoming school year. The goal is to hire enough drivers to regularly get kids to class on time, said school system communications director Russell Bruhn.
Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo signed another important budget bill on Thursday, bringing 12% raises to state employees starting in July. […]
The bill goes beyond Lombardo’s proposed 8% raise with another 4% raise next year. Democratic lawmakers built on that plan by increasing it to 12% in the 2023-2024 fiscal year — a 50% increase over Lombardo’s proposal. Democrats changed the structure of the governor’s proposed bonuses and added more permanent pay increases. […]
The state has been struggling to fill positions, with a job vacancy rate around 20%. This budget contains quarterly bonuses for employees of $250 to help retain staff on top of the 12% raise. Longevity pay is also part of the compensation plan after it was removed in lean budget years after the Great Recession.
The state’s largest public employee union has reached a tentative agreement on a new labor contract with the state of Oregon that would include a 13% to 22% pay increase over the next two years. […]
Workers are set to receive a 6.5% cost-of-living raise in December, followed by another 6.55% cost of living increase in early 2025. As part of the contract, the state will also hand out one-time payouts of $1,500 to state employees in September. […]
The average worker will see about 19% with steps and COLAs
International Brotherhood of Teamsters President Sean O’Brien said in a statement that UPS “put $30 billion of new money on the table as a direct result of these negotiations,” and called the tentative agreement “the best contract in the history of UPS.” […]
They also notched a big win through the creation of 7,500 full-time jobs. The negotiating committee said part-timers would get a 48 percent wage increase on average over the five years of the contract.
Republican U.S. Rep. Mary Miller helped ignite a firestorm over the weekend of July 29th when she expressed her disgust on social media with Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
Miller (no relation) claimed on Twitter that Pritzker had signed a bill late on a Friday afternoon “to allow illegal immigrants to become police officers, giving non-citizens the power to arrest citizens in our state.”
Miller continued by claiming: “No sane state would allow foreign nationals to arrest their citizens, this is madness!” Her more well-known Republican colleague Lauren Boebert amplified the issue the next day and Fox News picked up the ball and ran with it. The rest of the right-wing media soon followed and a typical feeding frenzy ensued.
Trouble is, Miller’s own husband, state Rep. Chris Miller, R-Oakland (also no relation), voted “Yes” on the House’s initial version of the bill, which would’ve allowed non-citizens to become police officers.
Oops.
House Bill 3751 cleared the House on a unanimous roll call on March 24th. It specifically struck out an existing state law which prohibited sheriffs and law enforcement from employing non-citizens as law enforcement officers. The bill then added language allowing those non-citizens who are “legally authorized to work in the United States under federal law,” and who received federal approval to “obtain, carry, or purchase or otherwise possess a firearm,” to become law enforcement officers.
The bill was supported by various groups, including the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police, and passed 101-0. One of the bill’s chief co-sponsors was Rep. John Cabello, R-Machesney Park, a Donald Trump-supporting police officer.
After the bill arrived in the Senate, its sponsor added an amendment allowing people, “against whom immigration action has been deferred by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services under the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) process,” to also become police officers.
Sen. Dan McConchie, R-Hawthorne Woods, the former Senate Republican Leader, voted for that version, but all other Senate Republicans opposed the bill as amended, as did two Democrats, Sens. Patrick Joyce, D-Reddick, and Willie Preston, D-Chicago.
Most all House Republicans stood firm during their chamber’s motion to concur with the new Senate amendment, including House Republican Leader Tony McCombie. Not one member of McCombie’s leadership team voted against the motion, which passed 100-7. However seven of the eight members of the House’s self-declared “Freedom Caucus” voted against it, including Rep. Miller. The eighth member, Rep. David Friess, R-Red Bud, had an excused absence.
Pritzker eventually pointed out on Twitter that House members, “including those who are now complaining about it,” had voted for the bill before the Senate Republicans “started spreading lies.”
State Rep. Miller responded to the governor online by claiming his own vote against “legislation allowing non-citizens to arrest actual citizens,” paled in comparison to Pritzker’s “blatantly attacking the Consitional [sic] right of honest citizens to bear arms.”
But, again, state Rep. Miller did indeed vote to allow “non-citizens to arrest actual citizens.” His spouse, the congressperson, tweeted at Pritzker the same day that “Giving foreign nationals the power to arrest US citizens in Illinois is not ‘common sense.’” Ms. Miller should’ve maybe had a talk with her husband last spring.
As you might imagine, several House Republicans are eager for this particular news cycle to end. It’s enraging the base, and there’s some worry that it could lead to some Republican primary challenges.
But McCombie went on a southern Illinois radio station WJPF last week to defend her fellow Republicans who voted for the bill.
“Every single [House] Republican, all 40 of us, voted for this bill,” McCombie told host Tom Miller (also no relation). “And that is because what the media is saying is not accurate. You can’t have 40 Republicans voting for a bill that is going to have undocumented illegal immigrants become a police officer. That is not gonna happen.” She also rightly pointed out that the asylum-seeking migrants pouring into Illinois won’t qualify, either, because they’re not allowed to work.
McCombie blamed Democrats for creating an environment that is forcing people out of policing as a career. This bill, she said, could help alleviate that problem. And she stressed that only people who could be approved by the federal government to possess and carry a firearm would qualify.
“It is a conditional step to support law enforcement,” McCombie said. “It is not, it is not a license to give illegal immigrants, undocumented folks who are coming across our borders illegally, the ability to become law enforcement. Hard stop.”
A new law allowing Illinoisans to sue so-called crisis pregnancy centers under the state’s Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act is on hold after a federal judge late Thursday granted a preliminary injunction against it.
After a lengthy hearing in his Rockford courtroom, Judge Iain Johnston issued a brief oral ruling on Thursday evening, saying the law violated the First Amendment. Nearly 24 hours later, Johnston on Friday filed a 14-page order explaining the preliminary injunction, which began by recalling a joke told by the late conservative U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.
“Justice Scalia once said that he wished all federal judges were given a stamp that read ‘stupid but constitutional,’” Johnston wrote. “SB 1909 is both stupid and very likely unconstitutional.”
Johnston, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump in 2020, went on to characterize the law as “likely classic content and viewpoint discrimination prohibited by the First Amendment.”
The law, signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker last week, was challenged by the National Institute of Family & Life Advocates, Women’s Help Services (doing business as 1st Way Life Center and Focus Women’s Center), Rockford Family Initiative, Relevant Pregnancy Options Center and Pro-life Action League. […]
In the motion, the anti-abortion groups argue that the Illinois law violates First Amendment protection of speech because it “goes far beyond traditional restrictions on deceptive business practices, in part by stating in its express legislative intent that it unapologetically targets alleged pro-life ‘misinformation’ — that is, controverted facts about abortion that the Illinois General Assembly majority believes are not among the ‘orthodox’ views on the subject.”
During a press conference last week, Raoul said the law simply clarifies that the state’s long-standing deceptive practices law applies to crisis pregnancy centers that use practices like deceiving patients that they are part of existing abortion clinics or removing people from near an abortion clinic to delay them from entering that clinic.
Pritzker said he’s confident the law will ultimately be upheld.
“I’m disappointed that the far right is interfering with the ability for women to access safe medical care without deception or lies,” Pritzker said in a statement. “This law is constitutional, and I am confident that the law will ultimately be found constitutional and we’ll continue to work alongside Attorney General Raoul to ensure Illinois patients are protected from misinformation.”
Johnston heard more than four hours of testimony from anti-abortion advocates during an emergency hearing Thursday afternoon. They said the law has threatened their rights to free speech and expression and their ability to distribute literature that identifies alternatives to abortion.
During Thursday’s hearing, the plaintiffs presented four witnesses to the stand, where the defendant had none. Those testifying included Anne O’Connor, vice president of legal affairs for NIFLA; Judy Cocks, executive director of Women’s Health Services; Kevin Rilott, director of the Rockford Family Initiative; and Matt Yonke, communications director for the Pro-Life Action League.
During the courts final moments, Judge Johnston said he thought it was “crazy” that Raoul was not stopped while creating the bill.
The state is expected to appeal the ruling. The plaintiffs said they will continue to fight for their side of the debate, no matter how high the case goes in the federal court process.
* WTVO | Rockford holds emergency federal hearing over Illinois abortion law: “This injunction against SB 1909 is not just a victory for the pro-life community in Illinois. It’s a victory for the women of Illinois, who are being pushed by J.B. Pritzker and the General Assenbly into abortions they often desperately do not want. This injunction restores real choice to women facing untimely pregnancy in Illinois — and a chance at life for their unborn children,” said Eric Scheidler, executive director of the Pro-Life Action League.
* Fox News | Judge blocks Illinois law targeting crisis pregnancy centers, calling it a violation of the First Amendment: Jennifer Welch, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois, called the ruling frustrating. “For decades, crisis pregnancy centers have targeted our patients using deceptive and false practices,” she said. “Often crisis pregnancy centers provide misleading and medically inaccurate information, sometimes deliberately misdiagnosing patients or misdating their pregnancies, so people think they have more time to decide about abortion or that they are past the time when they can have an abortion.”
* WAND | Motion to temporarily halt crisis pregnancy center law granted: The Thomas More Society announced that a federal judge granted a motion requested by the organization for a preliminary injunction seeking to immediately halt the law which bans crisis pregnancy centers from deception in advertising, soliciting, or offering pregnancy-related services.
* WEHT | July Illinois marijuana sales break records: The state’s regulating department says that July’s marijuana sales topped 140 million dollars. That’s the highest this year, and the second highest monthly total since marijuana became legal for recreational use back in 2020.
* NBC Chicago | Illinois transit bill includes reduced fares, requires zero-emission buses: One of the most-noteworthy inclusions in the bill was a provision that will require all transit agencies to purchase zero-emission buses by July 1, 2026. In addition, the legislation will provide free fare cards for victims of domestic violence, with state agencies partnering with The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence, according to the language of the bill.
* WMAY | Illinois bans driving while utilizing video applications such as Zoom: In the “I can’t believe that was actually allowed” category, Gov Pritzker just signed into law a ban on driving while participating “in any video conferencing application, including, but not limited to, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or WebEx, or access any social media site, including but not limited to Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram or Twitter.”
* WAND | Pritzker signs bills honoring ancestry of Native Americans in Illinois: Although, a new law calls on the Illinois State Museum and federally recognized tribes to help return the Native remains and artifacts for proper burial. The law will also allow the state to create a cemetery for remains that are unable to be identified.
* Daily Herald | Monthly COVID deaths drop to an all-time low in Illinois: Just 41 Illinois residents died of COVID in June, an all-time monthly low since the outset of the pandemic in March 2020. […] The highest monthly death toll in Illinois came in December 2020, when 4,237 deaths were recorded.
* WTTW | What Chicago and Illinois Residents Should Know About COVID-19 Uptick, New Vaccine in the Fall: Local public health officials say it’s too soon to sound the alarms about a potential surge; however, they offer insight into how health departments are approaching COVID-19 since the end of the public health emergency declaration in May and how people can protect themselves, especially as we head into the fall season.
* Sun-Times | Chicago Police Board’s disciplinary power undercut by arbirtrator’s ruling: Chicago police officers who have been recommended for firing or suspensions of more than a year will have the option of going around the Chicago Police Board and putting their fate in the hands of an independent arbitrator under a new ruling Mayor Brandon Johnson called a “major setback” for police reform.
* Tribune | 52 days on the road: A migrant family’s desperate journey to Chicago: The Tribune traveled with Esperanza and her family from El Paso — one of the world’s largest urban border regions — to Chicago Union Station to gain a better understanding of what migrants might experience on the U.S. portion of their journey. The trip took more than 48 hours by bus and train.
* WSPY | Davis thinks that SAFE-T is done deal: 75th District Republican State Rep. Jed Davis says that the SAFE-T Act, which was recently upheld by the Illinois Supreme Court, is not right for Illinois. Although he does say that area law enforcement are ready for it.
* The Telegraph | Former Alton union leader heading to prison: Byron Clemons, Sr., 36, of Alton, pleaded guilty to one count of interstate transportation of stolen money and was sentenced by a U.S. District judge to 18 months in prison after he admitted to embezzling more than $200,000 from the Alton chapter of the AFSCME labor union and using the money for personal expenses.
* Tribune | Illinois attorney general sides with Winnetka in Open Meetings Act dispute related to lakefront land controversy: The challenge was filed by Winnetka resident Ted Wynnychenko after the Dec. 6, 2022, Village Council meeting where discussion was held about the consolidation of several plots of land owned by Ishbia and his wife Kristin. After an hour in closed session, the council voted unanimously to approve combining the four lots into a single 3.7-acre lot for the family to build a home.
* WICS | Redneck Fishing Tournament draws dozens of boats to the Illinois River: “The fish were huge this year. We dodged more than we probably caught, but it was a lot of fun,” John Patterson, a participant, said. […] “It’s a little bit dangerous. It’s a great day on the river. You see a community like Bath that has this horrible invasive species, and they can all sit around and complain. instead, they create this great event around it,” Patterson said.
