Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Energy Storage Can Minimize Price Spikes

Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Each month, families and businesses pay a capacity charge through their energy bill. It’s essentially an insurance policy that pays energy resources (or “capacity”) to be available for when the grid needs them most. Grid operators project a possible shortage of capacity in the coming years, which means the charge for this insurance policy will rise next year for many Illinoisans.

Batteries, or energy storage, are currently the best solution to minimize this price spike—but building them at the pace we need will require legislation. The added benefit is the ability to store cheap electricity for use when demand peaks during the day—lowering energy bills and making the grid more reliable.

Learn more about legislation that builds urgently needed energy storage here.

Paid for by Counterspark.

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Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* MJ Biz Daily…

A group of seven independent marijuana social equity transporters in Illinois filed a civil rights complaint against the state’s Department of Agriculture alleging that the office discriminated against them when it issued licenses to medical cannabis cultivation centers.

In a complaint filed in the 7th Judicial Circuit Court of Sangamon County – independent transporter licensees who don’t old other cannabis business license types – say they were supposed to be prioritized when Illinois launched its adult-use marijuana program in 2020 with the goal of creating diversity, equity and inclusion in the industry, said Amber Lengacher, founder and CEO of Colorado-based Purple Circle and a consultant who has been working with the plaintiffs on a pro bono basis.

But the Illinois Department of Agriculture issued licenses to established MMJ businesses that controlled at least 95% of the state’s $1.5 billion adult-use market in fiscal year 2023, Lengacher said.

By issuing transporter licenses to the established businesses, the Illinois agriculture department eliminated any reason those companies had to use third-party transporters.

* Background is here. Southwest Regional News…

Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza has called on the Village of Orland Park to address its financial reporting delays. […]

The village has yet to submit its 2022 and 2023 audits. Pekau attributed the delays to changes in auditors and finance directors. […]

Pekau described the village’s audit as “clean” and accused Mendoza of selectively targeting Orland Park while many other governments remain delinquent in their reporting.

“Over 200 municipalities have not completed their 2023 audit, yet she decides to single out Orland Park to damage our residents. These actions are capricious and unacceptable,” Pekau said.

*** Statehouse News ***

* The Hill |Illinois governor on Trump win: ‘You come for my people, you come through me: Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) held a press conference Thursday to discuss the aftermath of the election, issuing a warning that if anyone tries to “come for my people,” they will have to “come through me.” “People have often said that I’m a happy warrior, and I’ve always taken seriously my role as a happy warrior on behalf of this state. Even today, when I’m struggling with many of the difficult questions this election poses, my optimism for the future remains undiminished,” Pritzker said.

* WJBC | Gov. Pritzker declines to discuss future political plans after Presidential election: As Gov. JB Pritzker and other Democrats try to figure out what went wrong Election Day, he is trying to reassure Illinoisans who depend on his policies. “Casting a vote is making a wish for the future,” the governor said in Chicago Thursday, not hiding his surprise nor disappointment at Donald Trump’s victory. “Sometimes you live to see that wish fulfilled, and sometimes you must accept that your vote is a down payment on a house that you may wait a long time to finally live in.”

*** Chicago ***

* Crain’s |Terry Duffy’s contract extended at CME Group through 2026:CME also said Chief Operating Officer Julie Holzrichter was stepping down to serve as an adviser to the company. Suzanne Sprague will succeed Holzrichter as COO and retain her role as global head of clearing. “We are very fortunate to have built such a strong, capable management team that will ensure a seamless transition as our company continues to move forward,” Duffy said in a statement.

* Sun-Times | Comcast credits for defunct NBC Sports Chicago could be good sign for Chicago Sports Network:No, the new home of the White Sox, Bulls and Blackhawks won’t appear where the defunct NBC Sports Chicago did on Xfinity systems just yet. But monthly credits are coming! “We are automatically applying a monthly credit to customers’ Regional Sports Network [RSN] fees because NBC Sports Chicago is no longer available,” a Comcast spokesperson said. “Customers are receiving emails and bill messages to inform them that no action is needed to get this credit.”

* Block Club | Jewish Students Punched, Pushed At DePaul In Possible Hate Crime, School Says:The two were injured but declined treatment, police said. They had been “visibly showing their support for Israel,” according to a letter from DePaul University President Robert L. Manuel. The attackers ran north afterward, officials said. One wore a white T-shirt with khaki pants, and the other wore a black hooded jacket and black pants. Both wore black masks.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald |Buffalo Grove pulling out of 20-year-old boundary agreement with Lincolnshire:When Buffalo Grove and Lincolnshire came to terms on a boundary agreement in 2005, they settled future territorial disputes over undeveloped land. Now Buffalo Grove officials say the agreement has served its purpose. The village board voted Monday to send notice to Lincolnshire allowing the agreement, which was set to expire this year, to terminate.

* Tribune | Glencoe voters approve home rule; Kenilworth, Northfield reject measure:Glencoe voters have said yes to two separate referendum questions in the Nov. 5 election, while Kenilworth and Northfield residents did not approve measures regarding their communities, according to unofficial results from the Cook County Clerk’s office. In Glencoe, nearly 63% of voters approved a switch to a home rule form of government, according to unofficial results. Any Illinois community with a population greater than 25,000 automatically receives home rule status. Communities such as Glencoe with population lower than 25,000 must ask residents for permission to adopt it.

* Daily Herald | Parents back Bartlett principal who was placed on leave:Parents at Centennial Elementary School in Bartlett are urging Elgin Area Unit District 46 school board members to bring their principal back. Last month, Matthew Palcer was placed on administrative leave, effective Oct. 28. In a brief statement last month, U-46 officials said Bill Doran, a retired principal from Algonquin-based Community Unit District 300, would provide “additional support at Centennial until further notice.” District officials have not indicated why Palcer, who has been the principal for more than three years, was placed on leave or how long he will remain on leave.

*** Downstate ***

* WCIA | Four Central IL school referendums fail to pass in election:Four school referendums, Champaign County safety tax, and the tax levy for the Strides Shelter all failed. One thing these all had in common — besides one school proposal — is they would have increased taxes. It seems voters were feeling the economic strain, and it shaped the way they cast their ballot.

* WCIA | Springfield signs off on new coal supplier for power plan:At its meeting Tuesday night, Springfield City Council approved a contract with Foresight Coal Sales for $86,625,000. The contract will be set for four years.The coal will come from the company’s mine in Hillsboro. There will be a different contract written for the costs of hauling coal from Hillsboro to Springfield.

* Havest Public Media |Welcome to Morton, Illinois — the bite-sized town that produces a whole lot of canned pumpkin:On a cool and breezy fall morning, John Ackerman surveys a pumpkin field dotted by various shades of orange, white and yellow. He’s checking to see which are ready for picking. While the growing season started out a little too wet, it’s going to be a good harvest. “Normally, pumpkins like it relatively dry,” Ackerman said. “I’ve been amazed at how great this year was for pumpkins.”

*** National ***

* AP | CDC calls for expanded testing for bird flu after blood tests reveal more farmworker infections: Farmworkers in close contact with infected animals should be tested and offered treatment even if they show no symptoms, said Dr. Nirav Shah, principal director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The new guidance comes after blood tests for 115 farmworkers in Michigan and Colorado showed that eight workers — or 7% — had antibodies that indicated previous infection with the virus known as Type A H5N1 influenza.

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Uber’s Local Partnership = Stress-Free Travel For Paratransit Riders

Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

The Pace Rideshare Access Program subsidizes Uber trips, leaving riders with a co-pay of just $2.

The impact: “This program has been a godsend for me. It offers flexibility, independence, freedom and the ability to maintain a beautiful life on so many levels,” says one rider.

CTA: See how it works.

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Pritzker points to down-ballot races as bright side for Democrats

Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* More from the governor’s Q and A today…

In Illinois, in terms of [Donald Trump’s] margin, if you look just below that and all the way down the ballot in Illinois, Democrats won every seat in the General Assembly that it already had and and we won in races that I think people didn’t expect. County board races. Taking control of the McLean County Board, for example. Coroner’s races. Literally, if you look, people clearly bifurcated, you know, and made decisions different down the ballot than they did at the top of the ballot. And so I’m proud of that.

I think that’s a result of the policies that Democrats have had in Illinois and the approval of the voters about those. It’s a result of organizing the Democratic Party of Illinois, which was not organized a couple of years ago, right? It was almost moribund, if you go back two and a half years. And so a lot has been done to rebuild the scaffolding and the infrastructure of the party.

And remember that Republicans in Illinois were projecting that they would win five seats in the General Assembly, and, you know, they didn’t. And there were a lot of competitive races all across the state and Democrats fared very well.

The House Democrats were also predicting a four-five seat pickup. It’s still too early to make any declarations about either side picking up a seat (or two, in the Democrats’ case).

More on the McLean County Board races is here.

* The ILGOP reacted to Pritzker’s press conference this afternoon…

Pritzker Does Damage Control Amid Republican Shift in Illinois

CHICAGO — JB Pritzker might as well have announced his 2028 campaign for the Presidency in his deceptive media availability this morning. Kamala Harris had the worst showing of a candidate in Illinois in more than 30 years, and Democrats in the legislature did not grow their advantage despite outspending Republicans by millions personally supplied by the Governor.

Earlier this week, Pritzker touted sending hundreds of volunteers to swing states - states that subsequently rejected Pritzker-style government that has made Illinois one of the most fled states in the nation.

Republicans have established the party of hard working Americans, while Democrats have become the party of wealthy elites. It’s only fitting that they turn to another wealthy elite in 2028.

Governor Pritzker should do us all a favor and start his campaign now. We’ll be just fine without him.

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Trump won Cook County Jail’s precinct by two points (Updated)

Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Interesting…

Trump won the 19th Precinct in the 24th Ward 594-572 (49%-47%), with 47 people voting for RFK, Jr. Four years ago, Joe Biden won that precinct with 96 percent of the vote, to Trump’s 3.

Chuy Garcia won it 767-255 with another 139 for Ed Hershey, the Working Class Party candidate.

The Democratic Cook County State’s Attorney candidate Eileen O’Neill Burke beat Republican Bob Fioretti 680-319 (61%-28%), with 124 people voting for Andrew Charles Kopinski, the Libertarian.

The statewide non-binding referendum for a tax on annual income over a million dollars to be used for property tax relief passed 68 percent to 32 percent.

And the Assisted Reproductive Healthcare Advisory Question passed 87 percent to 13 percent.

…Adding… Just a note to clarify that the jail doesn’t comprise the entire precinct. Some could get that impression from the headline.

13 Comments

Government can’t fix everything

Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* More from Gov. Pritzker’s Q and A today…

Q: Is there anything you can do to help all the Black Hawks and Bulls fans who pay millions to Comcast and aren’t getting anything for their money because they can’t watch, you know, sports at night? Is there something, you know, the state could do to help these consumers?

Pritzker: I haven’t been asked to be involved in that by any of the parties that you’re referring to, and so I don’t know if there are, you know… they should make themselves known if that’s the case. But the fact is that private businesses, other than the normal things that government can do to support private businesses, which we do, you know, want to be able to manage their own futures together. I also would like to be able to access these things more easily [chuckles], but it’s very difficult…

One thing they could do for now is buy a TV antenna.

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Governor Pritzker on a third term, veto session, budget forecast, federal grants

Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Gov. Pritzker was asked today about what’s next for him politically…

Mary Ann Ahern: What’s next for you? Third term? Run for president? What’s the plan?

Governor Pritzker: As you know, the work that I do now as governor is work that I love doing. And there is in the wake of the Tuesday election, I think back to my first days in office, my first two years in office, where Donald Trump was president and we had to defend Illinois against an awful lot of policies that the Trump administration was imposing, that we needed to make sure we were addressing.

And so I think that work is going to continue. And I don’t have anything to announce today, but I promise you, Mary Ann, you’ll be among the first to know if I have something to announce about running for reelection, and I have no plans for anything else.

Please pardon all transcription errors.

* The governor was asked about his veto session agenda…

Tribune Reporter Jeremy Gorner: Are there any state laws on the books now that you think warrant some kind of review to see as a precaution, to see if they need to be strengthened, that perhaps could be taken up in veto session or lame duck in light of any possible federal action the Trump administration may take against them.

Governor Pritzker: Thank you for asking the question, It’s an extraordinarily relevant question. As you can imagine in months past and indeed, over years past, we’ve thought a lot about what happens if the administration in Washington changes. If the tone changes, would that have a negative effect on Illinois? And how do we shore up and make sure we’re protecting people here? So we’ve done a lot of work on that, and I think you’ve seen that in some of the bills that were passed in the last session and the session before. And even over the summer as we thought about what more needs to be done.

Yesterday, I had a meeting with my senior staff to talk about exactly this. Indeed, I talked to some other governors around the country about the things that they’re looking at doing. And so we’re gathering, I would call it, a list of things that we may need to address, maybe not during a veto session, but maybe [it] can be done in the new year.

There is time to do that, but, but suffice to say that we have a lot of work that that we’re looking at doing, but I feel like a lot of that work has been done over the last five and a half years to protect the people of Illinois from something terrible happening at the federal level or some attack on Illinois residents.

Gorner: Any specific topic areas?

Pritzker: You can imagine what all the- health care, reproductive rights, you can go down the list of, you know, there are areas where I think you can imagine the people who woke up on Wednesday morning and saw the results they didn’t already see them on Tuesday night. And there are many people whose lives and livelihoods are at risk, and there are many people who cried at the result because they know what impact it may have on their families. So think about that.

* Background is here if you need it. Regarding the budget…

Reporter: I want to ask about the GOMB report from last week, the office saying that there could be a $3 billion deficit without some changes. How are you thinking about filling that and is income tax, or other kind of personal tax on the table for this upcoming year?

Governor: The General Assembly and I have balanced the budget every year. When I came into office the projections were that everything was going to go south immediately and we wouldn’t be able to recover from it. We balanced the budget every year. Indeed, we ran surpluses.

So we’re going to balance the budget again. This is a forecast that’s made every year, looking five years forward, assuming no changes in any laws. Forget about revenue, It’s just generally no changes in law, no changes in efficiencies, etc. It’s a kind of a flat projection forecast and it’s been wrong every year. I guess you might say or, you know, we’ve defeated it, you know, every year and so. So I think we’re going to submit abudget to the General Assembly. I know I’m going to submit a budget to the General Assembly in February, like I have every year over the past six years, and it’ll be balanced.

* On to federal grants…

Reporter: What should state do if Trump withholds federal funding for police grants, he goes through the mass deportations?

Pritzker: To the extent that these things are nonpartisan grants that are decided by independent groups within the agencies, which happens for most grants. It would be illegal for the Trump administration to stop those grants from flowing, and so we would take action if we saw that happen. trying to think about any other grant related stuff-

Reporter: He claims that he would survive legal challenges.

Pritzker: I don’t know what to say, except that that it would be illegal if he did it and and I presume that the courts would find it so. We certainly would take action and work with our attorney general to do so.

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Madigan corruption trial roundup: Jury views undercover videos

Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Sun-Times…

Federal jurors Wednesday heard Michael J. Madigan’s allies talking on secret FBI recordings about an “old-fashioned patronage system,” the need to keep Madigan “happy” in Springfield and how it’s unwise to “put anything in writing” because “all that can do is hurt ya.”

All told, prosecutors spent their day playing more than a dozen recordings in the corruption trial of Madigan, Illinois’ former longtime House speaker. Former ComEd executive Fidel Marquez, who wore a wire for the FBI in 2019, continued to occupy the witness stand.

Jurors saw their first undercover video recordings since testimony began. Included were some of the most prominent recordings from 2023’s ComEd bribery trial, and Marquez’s testimony mirrored the comments he delivered then.

Jurors saw grainy video of Madigan ally Michael McClain meeting inside Saputo’s restaurant, a well-known Springfield haunt where “Higher and Higher” by Jackie Wilson could be heard in the background. They also saw then-City Club President Jay Doherty hold up four fingers to signal that former 13th Ward Ald. Frank Olivo was being paid $4,000 a month by ComEd.

* Capitol News Illinois…

Earlier in their conversation, McClain affirmed Marquez’s concern that Dominguez may view Doherty’s contract through the lens of his former job as a federal prosecutor and start asking questions. In that case, McClain said, Marquez should explain how valuable the subcontractors were to Madigan’s political organization, adding that the arrangement was a “favor.”

McClain also explained that by using Doherty’s contract to pay the Madigan allies, ComEd had insulation from any federal tax investigation “if the IRS ever comes in and says, ‘Who are these guys and what do they do?’”

“It’s Doherty’s contract, so Doherty’s the one that has to – has to prove that,” he said.

McClain then offered to talk to Dominguez himself. After initially declining the help because the matter was internal to ComEd and McClain’s involvement might be seen as “inappropriate,” Marquez invited McClain to a meeting with Dominguez and Hooker in early March 2019.

* Courthouse News…

In another February 2019 meeting Marquez recorded with McClain and Hooker, Marquez floated the possibility that Dominguez, a former federal prosecutor, would reject the arrangement ComEd reached with Doherty and Madigan’s Chicago associates.

Hooker warned that Madigan — whom Marquez referred to as “our friend” in the video — may not be so supportive of the energy company’s work in Springfield if that was the case.

“You’re not going to do it? You’re not going to do something for me, I don’t have to do anything for you,” Hooker imagined the then-speaker might think.

As it turned out, the worry was unfounded. Marquez and McClain spoke with Dominguez in early March 2019, and when Marquez breached the issue, Dominguez was amenable to maintaining the arrangement with Doherty and the Chicago subcontractors. He said lobbyists often seem like they’re doing nothing until “the magic moment,” and agreed with Marquez that in that moment they may be worth “a hundred times” what they’re being paid.

* Tribune…

The meeting recorded by Marquez in Doherty’s downtown office took place a little over a month after he’d agreed to cooperate with the FBI. As a pretense for the discussion, Marquez said he needed guidance on what to tell incoming ComEd CEO Joseph Dominguez about the off-the-books subcontractor arrangement.

Doherty, who on the video appears pink-faced and jovial, explained to Marquez repeatedly that the subcontractors — who included precinct captains Ray Nice and Ed Moody and former 23rd Ward Ald. Michael Zalewski — did basically nothing. He rarely even communicated with them, he said.

“They keep their mouth shut,” he said. “But do they, do they do anything for me on a day-to-day basis? No.”

But, Doherty said, it was important to keep the arrangement going in order to maintain good relations with Madigan, Doherty said on the video.

“To keep Mike Madigan happy, I think it’s worth it,” he said. “I don’t think I’d tinker with that.”

13 Comments

It’s just a bill

Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* WTTW…

There’s no constitutional prohibition against someone with a felony record running for or serving as president of the United States.

But in Illinois, anyone with a felony conviction is barred from holding local elected office.

State Rep. La Shawn Ford (D-Chicago) is pressing for Illinois to lift the restriction, so Betts-Gaston and others with felony convictions can run to serve in an elected municipal role. […]

Ford is pressing for Illinois to lift the restriction (via House Bill 5904) so Betts-Gaston and others with felony convictions have the opportunity to run to serve in an elected municipal role.

Ford said his effort is not meant to undo a 2023 law (HB351 / Public Act 10 3-0562) that deems individuals ineligible to hold state office if they commit a felony or “infamous crime” like bribery while serving as a public official.

* Rep. Sonya Harper filed HB5903 yesterday…

Amends the Illinois Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Provides that, notwithstanding any other provision of law, a food, food ingredient, dietary supplement, cosmetic, or other consumer product shall not be considered adulterated solely because it contains hemp, hemp-derived cannabinoids, including, but not limited to, Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), Delta-8 THC, tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCa), or any hemp product, provided that the hemp used in the product complies with the definition of “hemp” as specified in federal law. Amends the Industrial Hemp Act. Conforms several provisions in the Act to federal regulations under the Domestic Hemp Production Program, including (i) definitions, (ii) requirements for the application for a license to cultivate hemp, and (iii) rulemaking requirements for the Department of Agriculture. Provides that the Department of Agriculture shall adopt rules for the distribution and retail sale of hemp products under conditions in specified provisions of the Act. Provides that hemp products that contain cannabinoids, that are intended for human consumption, and that are designated for retail sale within Illinois (i) must meet specified requirements, including federal requirements and rules adopted by the Department of Public Health, and (ii) must be distributed or sold in a container that includes specified information. Provides that hemp products that are intended for inhalation or ingestion and contain detectable amounts of hemp cannabinoids may not be sold in this State to a person who is under 21 years of age. Provides that hemp products distributed or sold in violation of specified provisions in the Act shall be considered adulterated or misbranded pursuant to the Illinois Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and all other applicable State laws. Defines terms. Makes technical changes.

* Center Square…

Legislation to address Illinois’ Tier II pension benefits to conform with Social Security limits has been discussed for months. State Sen. Robert Martwick, D-Chicago, told the Better Government Association that’s a tall order to tackle.

“Well it’s like, ‘oh, we can get it done.’ There’s an election in November. ‘OK, so after the election,’ well no, then we’ll be at veto and you can’t really do it while you’re there so we’ll get past veto and then we’ll start working on it,” Martwick said Oct. 15. “‘Oh wait, that next week is Thanksgiving and then it’s Thanksgiving to Christmas and we can work on it after Christmas before New Year’s.’ We’re supposed to be in lame duck in early January. So, there’s not a lot of time.” […]

One thing that could come up are changes to oversight of the film tax credit, Illinois Film Office Deputy Director Peter Hawley told the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules.

“We saw some potential bad actors taking advantage of the program so we put this rule in place,” Hawley told JCAR Oct. 1. “Our rule included caps on above the line salary and caps to related party transactions.”

* HB5896 from Rep. Curtis Tarver…

Amends the State Finance Act. Provides that, beginning in 2025, the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget shall, at the time set forth for the submission of the State budget under the State Budget Law, provide to the Chairperson and the Minority Spokesperson of each of the appropriations committees of the House of Representatives and the Senate, as well as to the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, a report of (i) all full fiscal year transfers made among line-item appropriations under a specified provision of the Act in the previous fiscal year and during the current fiscal year to date, and (ii) all projected full fiscal year transfers to be made among line-item appropriations under that provision for the remainder of the current fiscal year and the next fiscal year, based on estimates prepared by the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget. Provides that the report shall include a detailed summary of estimates upon which projected line-item transfers are based. Effective immediately.

* The Tribunelast week…

Armed with signs of blown-up checks of billionaire investments in Chicago’s upcoming school board elections, aldermen, congressmen and parents gathered outside the Illinois Network of Charter Schools office Monday morning to denounce large donations made by out-of-state billionaires and introduce a proposal for campaign finance reform.

Legislators fought for years to draft legislation to create an elected school board, but “there were many things that were sort of left on the table,” said state Sen. Robert Martwick. He called for legislative hearings to look at “different models of campaign finance reform.”

“We owe it as legislators … to fine-tune this to make sure that the people of Chicago get what they bargained for and that the process is not corrupted by outside donors,” Martwick said.

But finance experts say any proposed campaign finance reform legislation wouldn’t affect the school board election, in the short or long term. Illinois has a unique rule that funding caps can be lifted when campaign contributions — through self-contributions or independent expenditures — add up to more than $100,000 during an election cycle.

14 Comments

Open thread

Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…

4 Comments

Isabel’s morning briefing

Thursday, Nov 7, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Political operative charged with sending sexually explicit images to 2nd legislator. WGN…

Governor Pritzker will hold a press availability at 10:00 am. Click here to watch.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Daily Egyptian | Late results show tie for States Attorney race: Jackson County election results released early Wednesday morning show state’s attorney candidates Joseph Cervantez and Marsha Cascio-Hale tied with exactly 10,805 votes each. […] Cascio-Hale said she was proud of her campaign’s accomplishments, watching Cervantez’s lead shrink but not willing to draw any conclusions at her results watch party.

* Shaw Local | More than 1,600 mail-in ballots uncounted in counties that take in Briel-Bishop state rep. race: The race for state Rep. Lance Yednock’s seat is not over. Democrat Amy “Murri” Briel holds a lead over challenger Liz Bishop with as many as 1,700 mail-in ballots yet to be counted. Briel held a 505-vote lead after all precincts were counted in La Salle, Bureau and DeKalb counties in the race to fill Yednock’s seat in the Illinois House. Briel has 23,459 votes, and Republican challenger Bishop has 22,954 votes in unofficial results.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Sun-Times | Trump’s win doesn’t help Illinois Republicans’ numbers in Springfield — but GOP touts ‘massive strides’: The national red wave that sent former President Donald Trump back to the White House didn’t help Illinois Republicans gain significant ground — if any — in Democratic-controlled Springfield on election night. But a day after the polls closed, state GOP leaders on Wednesday celebrated “major strides” illustrated by Trump’s stronger showing in Illinois, which they say portends a turn of fortune for a party still relegated to superminority status in the General Assembly.

* Sun-Times | Immigrant advocates and Illinois legislators process Trump’s election – plan for resistance: State Sen. Celina Villanueva woke up Wednesday with the same painful feeling she had eight years ago when Donald J. Trump was first elected — a deep worry for the immigrant communities feeling stressed that Trump has been reelected to a second term. She has a message of hope and resistance for the people feeling vulnerable at the prospect of a new Trump administration that has promised mass deportations of undocumented immigrants. “In 2016, we thought that we were all going to be gone — and we’re still here,” Villanueva said.

*** Statewide ***

* WAND | Election 2024: Illinois could see voter turnout reach 68%, miss 2020 record of 73%: The Illinois State Board of Elections expects to see a final voter turnout of 68% for the 2024 presidential election. A significant amount of Illinoisans chose to vote early rather than wait in line on Election Day. Illinois broke a record in 2020 with 73% of registered voters casting ballots. While state leaders say it’s unlikely we’ll see that number this year, there is a lot of optimism from early voting.

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | Aldermen rip Mayor Brandon Johnson’s 2025 property tax hike proposal as budget hearings kick off: Desperate to avoid hitting Chicago home and business owners with a $300 million property tax increase, aldermen pelted the mayor’s finance team Wednesday with questions about alternatives to plug the 2025 budget hole. Their pitches on the opening day of budget hearings ran the gamut from furlough days for city workers to cutting middle managers or halting programs funded with federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars.

* Crain’s | City Council fights Johnson on property tax hike as budget negotiations begin: The administration also decided to play prevent-defense on an option floated by a few Johnson allies to reduce the property tax by canceling, or chipping away at, a proposed $272 million advance pension payment. The amount is above the $2.9 billion required by state statute to gradually climb the ramp to adequately funding the city’s four beleaguered pension funds. The total increase to the city’s property tax levy will be $345 million, Budget Director Annette Guzman told the committee. Every year the city receives an increase to the levy through new properties coming online, accounting for the extra $45 million above the $300 million increase to the base levy.

In Chicago, Trump jumped to 22.01% of the city vote in 2024, up from 12.41% of the city vote in 2016, according to unofficial returns.

Read more: https://t.co/H5Va9qYF83 pic.twitter.com/MBuZzKGaHV

— Chicago Sun-Times (@Suntimes) November 7, 2024

* Block Club | Here’s How Your Neighborhood Voted In The 2024 Presidential Election (MAP): Chicago, long a stronghold for Democrats and the host site of the Democratic National Convention, remained largely blue in the election, with Harris claiming about 77 percent of the vote, according to early results. Joe Biden won 82 percent in 2020 when he was elected president. There were pockets of the city that leaned Republican in 2024 and, overall, Trump got about 22 percent of Chicago’s vote, according to early results.

* Sun-Times | Prohibition finally ends in small pocket of Lincoln Square as voters overturn 117-year-old alcohol ban: Nearly 85% of the votes cast (285 of 336) on the referendum in the 9th precinct of the 47th ward voted “No” on the question of whether to keep the prohibition of liquor sales in Tuesday’s general election. The ban, which had been in place since 1907, impacted a small patch of the North Side neighborhood. It was bounded by Lincoln Avenue to the west, Sunnyside Avenue to the north, Damen Avenue to the east and Montrose Avenue to the south.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Injustice Watch | Powerful Cook County judge referred to judicial misconduct board over residency conflicts: Embattled Cook County Judge E. Kenneth Wright was referred to a state disciplinary board on Wednesday by the chief judge after an Injustice Watch investigation found he took inappropriate homestead and senior tax exemptions on a house he owned in Will County. Wright, 83, will retain his powerful position as presiding judge of Cook County’s first municipal district while the Illinois Judicial Inquiry Board investigates. Meanwhile, Wright faces another challenge from voters in Tuesday’s judicial retention vote. As of Wednesday his vote total only narrowly exceeds the threshold of 60%, with thousands of votes left to count.

* WGN | ‘Just like Trump’: Henyard predicts landslide mayoral victory as trustees reject police chief pick during village board meeting: Trustees also said the village is so low on funds that some departments can’t even afford office supplies, like printer paper. Trustees agreed to return three luxury SUVs leased for Henyard’s use, which WGN Investigates revealed cost residents more than $374,000, but Henyard vowed to veto the decision.

* Daily Herald | How to spend $304.5 million?: Lake County forest preserves, Mundelein High School preparing for big to-do lists: Forest preserves use is 30% higher than before the pandemic and residents have come to enjoy the benefits of natural areas and were inclined to invest in nature, supporters said. “People have deepened their connection,” said Rebekah Snyder, director of community engagement and partnerships. The bang for the buck also was palatable, with the owner of a home valued at $300,000 paying an extra $33 per year at most.

* Naperville Sun | Referendum results show trust in Indian Prairie School District 204, superintendent says: Unofficial results from DuPage and Will counties show voters in Tuesday’s general election were widely in favor of Indian Prairie School District 204’s proposal to sell $420 million in bonds to improve its facilities, and district Superintendent Adrian Talley said these results show voters’ trust and belief in the school system. “It reflects that they believe in us and what we are doing, and believe that we are good stewards of the funding that they give us,” he told The Beacon-News on Wednesday.

*** Downstate ***

* WAND | Illinois State Board of Elections provides insight on issues with Champaign County election: The board said an outage reported by Platinum Technology, a voter registration system vendor, kept officials from distributing ballots in Champaign County. Platinum Technology is used in 27 other counties in the state. However, the polling set-up in Champaign County was unique, said Matt Dietrich with the Illinois State Board of Elections. “Rather than having pre-printed ballots that are handed out, Champaign county was relying on a system where every voter comes and checks in, the ballot is printed specifically for them, for their precinct, and then they voted. What happened was, the voter registration data that they needed to generate those ballots, was locked up because of problems with their vendor.”

* WCIA | ‘I’ll give it a B’: Champaign Co. Clerk reflects, apologizes and plans for next Election Day: Another headache was the network outage with their third-party “Platinum” service in the morning. “I apologize, because although I don’t have any control over the server and that situation, it is my decision to go with a particular vendor,” Ammons said. “As we move forward, we will re-evaluate some of those things, so I take responsibility for that.”

* WAND | Piatt county votes in favor of mental health referendum: The Executive Director of the Piatt County Mental Health Center, Tony Kirkman, told WAND News in October, this will help address the treatment shortage in Piatt County, “In Piatt County, we have roughly 16,000 individuals and we only have about 8 or 9 licensed professionals in the county. So, for many, many years, there was a treatment shortage and we’re now trying to protect what we already have here in place.”

* WCIA | Resigned Shelby County Board members win election for old seats: According to unofficial results posted on the Shelby County Clerk’s website, former Shelby County Board Chair Robert Orman and Vice Chair Mark Bennett won their races for their seats. They beat Guy Michael Anderson and James Caputo respectively. Orman and Bennett resigned in October. In their resignations, they criticized the board for not following the rules and policies.

*** National ***

…and then there's the swing map

Literally not one state swung left. The smallest swing was in Oklahoma which swung 1.2 points right from 2020. https://t.co/5MvuhB1kZg pic.twitter.com/Y5esYpQoYF

— James🗳 (@_fat_ugly_rat_) November 6, 2024

* AP | USDA bans school lunch fees for low-income families: School districts currently work with processing companies to offer cashless payment systems for families. But the companies can charge “processing fees” for each transaction. By law, students who are eligible for reduced price meals cannot be charged more than 30 cents for breakfast and 40 cents for lunch. With processing fees, however, families can end up paying 10 times that amount. Processing companies charge as much as $3.25 or 4% to 5% per transaction, according to a recent report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

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