At Ludeman Developmental Center in Park Forest, 37 employees have been fired, resigned or face pending disciplinary action after a state watchdog found that they defrauded a federal pandemic-era small business loan program.
The employees who work at the state-run developmental center in south suburban Cook County include 32 mental health technicians – about 6 percent of frontline workers with that job – three residential services supervisors, one habilitation program coordinator and a licensed practical nurse.
A spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Human Services, the agency that runs the 383-bed residential center for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, confirmed these additional details late last week.
Neil Olson, the general counsel for the Illinois Office of the Executive Inspector General, previously confirmed to Capitol News Illinois that dozens of employees of state agencies and other entities under the OEIG’s jurisdiction are the subjects of an ongoing investigation into whether they fraudulently obtained Paycheck Protection Program loans. Beyond confirming the investigation, Olson declined to provide any additional details about the probe.
* In other news…
WATCH: Pritzker on expected release of IL Supreme Court gun ban opinion Friday and conflicts of interest https://t.co/8vtWm9f1jh
U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement regarding ProPublica reporting providing the fullest public account yet of Justice Clarence Thomas’ undisclosed gifts and troubling ethical conduct, to the tune of at least 38 destination vacations, 26 private jet flights, and numerous other luxury gifts:
“The latest ProPublica revelation of unreported lavish gifts to Justice Clarence Thomas makes it clear: these are not merely ethical lapses. This is a shameless lifestyle underwritten for years by a gaggle of fawning billionaires.
“Justices Thomas and Alito have made it clear that they are oblivious to the embarrassment they have visited on the highest court in the land. Now, it is up to Chief Justice Roberts and the other Justices to act on ethics reform to save their own reputations and the integrity of the Court. If the Court will not act, then Congress must continue to.”
The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act to the full Senate on July 20. The bill would require the Supreme Court Justices to adopt a code of conduct, create a mechanism to investigate alleged violations of the code of conduct and other laws, improve disclosure and transparency when a Justice has a connection to a party or amicus before the Court, and require Justices to explain their recusal decisions to the public.
Durbin has been calling on the Supreme Court to adopt an enforceable code of conduct for more than a decade. He first sent a letter to the Chief Justice on this issue more than 11 years ago.
According to a copy of the Stellantis proposal [UAW contract negotiation] obtained by Automotive News, the company said it lost 16,706 units of production because of absenteeism in 2021 and 2022, which cost it $217 million. In 2022, it had an absenteeism rate of 23 percent, the document said.
The three school districts locked in a property tax battle with the Chicago Bears launched a website Wednesday about that and other issues related to the proposed stadium at Arlington Park.
The website, suburbanstadium.org, was created and is maintained by Palatine Township Elementary District 15, Northwest Suburban High School District 214 and Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 — the school systems whose boundaries lie within the 326-acre former racetrack property now owned by the NFL franchise.
It joins similar informational websites maintained by the Bears and village of Arlington Heights, as the schools seek to increase their public messaging around the monthslong tax controversy.
The Illinois State Fair opened in Springfield Thursday morning, but amusement rides did not open to fairgoers along with the grounds.
The Illinois Departments of Agriculture and Labor announced that the rides are unable to operate because safety inspections were not performed on Wednesday. Rainy weather resulted in the inspections being delayed.
IDOL ride inspectors will be performing those inspections on Thursday. Officials said they hope to have the rides open at 3 p.m.
* Tribune | The Price Kids Pay: Ticketed at school: Ticketing students violates the intent of an Illinois law that prohibits schools from fining students as a form of discipline. Instead of issuing fines directly, school officials refer students to police, who write the tickets. The fines attached can be hundreds of dollars, an impossible burden for many families. An analysis also found Black students were ticketed at higher rates than their white peers.
* Daily Herald | Embattled DuPage clerk’s spending questioned by county board again: “What we’re all hearing here is that it seems to be the same department that is coming forward with these requests and budget issues. That’s why we’re having this discussion,” said board member Lynn LaPlante, a Glen Ellyn Democrat. “I’m concerned that this is going to be death by a thousand papercuts as a way to backward-map a budget that works for you.”
* Crain’s | A new lawsuit against Northwestern alleges inaction on report of sexual assault: Filed yesterday by a current student identified in the complaint as Jane Doe, it’s the latest in a series of lawsuits against Northwestern since allegations of hazing in the university’s football program unleashed a firestorm of controversy and led to the firing of former head football coach Pat Fitzgerald. Northwestern also has appointed former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch to conduct a wide-ranging probe into the culture and practices of its athletic department.
* SJ-R | Former chief deputy appointed Sangamon County Circuit Clerk: Joe Roesch, who worked for more than 20 years at the sheriff’s office, including a four-year stint as chief deputy under Wes Barr, was confirmed as the new circuit clerk after the Sangamon County Board approved his nomination Tuesday. Roesch is currently serving as an attorney specializing in labor and employment law with Stratton, Moran, Reichert, Sronce and Appleton in Springfield, with a wide range of public and private employers under his purview.
* SJ-R | Five Grand Central Stage acts at the Illinois State Fair you won’t want to miss: Fairgoers can also find free musical entertainment at the Apex Stage (corner of Grandstand and Illinois Avenue); the Busch Light True Music Tent (on the Avenue of Flags behind the Commodity Pavilion); the Coors Light Tent (across from the Grandstand); the Illinois Building/Senior Center (just inside the Main Gate); the Lincoln Stage (on Central Avenue across from The Shed); the Miller Lite Tent (on Illinois Avenue) and Village of Cultures.
* WICS | Copi returns to Conservation World for 2023 Illinois State Fair: “We know there’s a lot of curiosity about Copi, and the Illinois State Fair is a perfect time for people to find out what all the buzz is about,” Phelps Finnie said. “Anytime IDNR has offered Copi during the fair, people walk away impressed by how light, delicious and versatile it is.”
* WICS | Illinois State Fair delays opening of amusement rides due to safety inspections: Officials say Ride safety inspections were canceled on Wednesday due to the rain. To ensure the safety of fairgoers and amusement riders, IDOL ride inspectors are working Thursday morning in an effort to permit the rides to operate for Thursday afternoon at 3 p.m.
* Sun-Times | The Jerry Reinsdorf problem: When an owner doesn’t want to own up to anything: It’s hard to understand the point of this nothingness, this sports nihilism. Why own a team if you don’t want to behave like an owner? If you want to run a neighborhood grocery store where all the employees have worked there for 30 years and you know the customers by name, go do that. But even a grocery store owner wouldn’t put up with ineffective stockers and some bad apples in the produce department.
* NYT | The Sandwich Southerners Wait for All Year: Five years ago, Mary — a Greensboro, N.C., YouTuber known as SouthernASMR Sounds — posted an innocent-enough video of herself making and eating a classic Southern tomato sandwich. Speaking gently, she walked through each element of her ideal sandwich, from the soft white bread to the thinly sliced, salted and peppered tomatoes, down to the brand of mayonnaise (“twangy” Duke’s, of course). “Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it,” she says.
* Illinois Newsroom | Champaign Clippers is a throwback to vintage baseball: Before baseball became the popular game we know today, in the mid-19th century an early iteration of the game known as “base ball,” yes two words, was the game of the century. On August 26, the Champaign Clippers will host a vintage base ball game at Weaver Park.
* WBEZ | Meet the lobster-like crustaceans invading the Chicago River: It turns out the creature the listener saw was a red swamp crayfish, and its presence in Chicago waterways is a warning sign. According to one ecologist, that particular crayfish species currently inhabiting the Chicago River is second only to Asian carp in terms of its invasiveness and potential to wreak havoc on local ecosystems.
* City Cast | Hannah Meisel’s Guide to Springfield: Springfield became the state capital in 1839 thanks to Abraham Lincoln and his associates. Railroads, agriculture, and mining once contributed significantly to Springfield’s economy. Today, Illinois legislators wheel and deal at the Statehouse while tourists explore Lincoln’s legacy. Hannah Meisel, a Capitol News Illinois reporter, has covered Springfield for the last decade. She shares her recs.
Earlier this week, Amara Harris had one last chance to take a plea deal. For $100, she could have avoided a trial, the testimony of her former high school classmates and deans, and the stress of not knowing whether a jury would believe her when she said she had mistakenly picked up a classmate’s AirPods — not stolen them. It would’ve been over.
Instead, as she had for more than 3 ½ years, she chose to fight. Like other families and students across Illinois who have been ticketed by police for alleged behavior at school, Harris and her mother saw the system as unfair and capricious.
But in a rare move, Harris, now 20, went to trial, hoping to clear her name — even as she knew that municipal tickets are hard to beat because the burden of proof is so low.
On Wednesday, she was cleared of violating Naperville’s ordinance against theft when a six-person jury decided that the city did not prove she’d knowingly taken a classmate’s AirPods.
“I’m glad we were able to see it through,” Harris said Thursday morning before the verdict. She noted her story never changed.
The verdict capped an extraordinarily unusual, drawn-out saga over a controversial municipal ticket issued to Harris when she was a junior at Naperville North High School, in DuPage County, west of Chicago.
The case was decided after a three-day trial heard by a jury of two young women, including an 18-year-old college student, and four men, three of whom are fathers of teenagers. A trial over an ordinance violation, which carries a fine only and no jail time, is so rare that the judge and lawyers had to repeatedly tweak instructions and other procedures to adapt to this type of case. […]
The principal said while she initially suggested that Harris get a one-day in-school suspension for the AirPod incident, the suspension was never issued. […]
Minutes before jury selection began on the first day of trial Tuesday, Prosecutor Joseph Solon Jr. offered Harris a deal to settle the case with no fine and a $100 court fee — an offer he said he had made several times before. Harris would have had to agree that she could be found liable by a jury, something she said she could not accept since she says she accidentally picked up the AirPods and returned them to the rightful owner when school officials determined they weren’t hers.
“We offered to waive the fine because the case dragged on so long,” Solon told reporters outside the courtroom.
The testimony from nine witnesses, over two days, largely centered around two questions: How did Harris come into possession of AirPods that weren’t hers and when did she realize they weren’t hers? […]
A series of other city witnesses acknowledged a lack of direct evidence that Harris knowingly took AirPods that weren’t hers.
Unabia, when pressed on how she could be sure Harris had stolen the device, said there wasn’t any direct evidence.
“So, you made an assumption?” Yeary asked.
“Yeah, I guess,” Unabia said. […]
Even the officer who issued the ticket, Juan Leon, testified he had no direct evidence that Harris had sought to steal the AirPods instead of picking them up in error. […]
A Naperville spokesperson said the city hasn’t spent extra money on legal fees for the case because it’s being handled by a city prosecutor, though he has spent many days in court handling it. A school district spokesperson would not immediately say whether the district has incurred costs, but multiple attorneys representing it were at the trial this week.
Not to mention all the money Ms. Harris likely had to spend while defending herself.
She graduated early from high school, earned an associate’s degree at a local community college and next week will move back to Atlanta to begin her senior year at Spelman College.
[Mapes’ defense attorney Katie Hill] also tried to preempt the dozens of wiretapped phone calls the jury will hear during trial by telling them that Mapes’ indictment is based on his answers to just seven of the more than 650 questions he was asked during his grand jury testimony.
“You already know the government’s big punchline: All of this is on tape,” Hill said. “But as you consider that evidence ladies and gentlemen, consider that…they didn’t play him the tapes.”
The idea that Mapes was not given the opportunity to review any of the wiretapped calls or any other evidence – save for one document – during an early 2021 meeting with the FBI or his grand jury testimony is one the defense sprinkled throughout opening statements and while cross-examining the two witnesses put on the stand on Wednesday. Hill likened it to not being able to recall details from high school a decade after graduation unless prompted with items like a yearbook or notes passed in class.
Hill told the jury that when the defense makes its case later in trial, they’ll hear from a witness with expertise in how memory works, and how the ability to recall certain facts can be affected by being under stress. On that note, Hill said, Mapes was acutely aware of the high-stakes immunity order he was under, and therefore chose his answers to the grand jury carefully.
It’s probably the best, maybe even the only thing the defense has in its favor. But this is a federal trial with federal rules. Always bet on the prosecution in these things. We’ll see.
* Meanwhile, from the ILGOP…
As the Tim Mapes trial gets underway, let us remember: Mapes is accused of lying to federal agents and facing prison to protect Mike Madigan. The two of them oversaw multiple governmental and political entities that demanded blind loyalty from state legislators for more than 4 decades, made or broke careers of politicians based on their votes, and buried any dissent while helping their chosen few patsies rise to the highest levels of state government. From the Governor’s Administration to the House Floor, Illinois Democrats across this state have been tainted by Madigan and Mapes culture of corruption they created, and even now continue to shape Illinois policy even after their patriarch’s actions have been exposed to the public.
ILGOP Chairman Don Tracy issued the following statement:
“Madigan and Mapes controlled all the levers of power between the Speaker’s office and DPI. They decided how government and political money was among legislators and areas of the state, cut out legislators that voted against them and elevated those that were loyal to them.
In this case, Mapes is accused of perjuring himself to stay loyal to Madigan. Madigan’s handpicked successor, Speaker Welch shut down the legislative committee established to investigate the crimes alleged against Madigan. These are not the actions of dedicated public servants, rather they are the actions of ambitious politicians putting their personal political careers above the public good.”
* And the HRO…
As Tim Mapes stands trial today at the federal courthouse, Illinois voters should be reminded of the integral part he played in Mike Madigan’s corrupt enterprise. Not only did Mapes serve as Mike Madigan’s longtime Chief of Staff in the Illinois House, he was also the Illinois House Clerk and the Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Illinois. Mike Madigan’s operation would not have functioned without Tim Mapes making the trains run on time.
So why is Tim Mapes before a federal jury? Federal agents approached Mapes and offered him a full immunity deal - all he had to do was tell the truth. The problem? That would mean selling out his long-time boss. So what did he choose? The allegations against him in court are that Mapes lied in order to protect Madigan. When Mapes was given the choice between protecting himself and his own interests or staying loyal to Madigan, he chose Madigan.
“For decades Illinois Democrats have chosen blind loyalty to Mike Madigan over the interests of the state of Illinois. Today, that loyalty to Madigan at all costs is coming home to roost for Tim Mapes. Following this trial, every single House Democrat who has chosen loyalty to Madigan and his corrupt political system over the interests of their constituents should also be held accountable at the ballot box.” - Tony Esposito, Executive Director of the Illinois House Republican Organization
According to a 2019 report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, approximately one in five adults in the U.S., or around 47.6 million people, experienced a mental illness in 2018. The report also revealed that approximately 11.4 million adults had a serious mental illness that resulted in significant functional impairment. This prevalence underlines the immense need for mental health workers nationwide.
However, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has estimated that by 2025, the country will have a shortage of about 250,000 mental health professionals, including psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and psychiatric nurses. This data shows that the current supply of mental health professionals is far from meeting the existing demand, leading to vast service gaps across the country.
The situation in Illinois is an example of this national crisis. The state serves as a microcosm of the broader U.S. and has been grappling with a shortage of mental health professionals for years. A recent report by the Illinois Psychiatric Society highlighted that out of the 102 counties in Illinois, 91 lack sufficient psychiatrists. This shortage means that individuals seeking help often have to travel long distances, face long wait times or go without necessary care — which in turn jeopardizes the well-being of millions of people who are unable to access timely and adequate care. […]
Rural areas, for instance, are particularly underserved, with 60% of rural Americans living in a mental health professional shortage area. Additionally, marginalized communities, such as those who are low-income, uninsured, and racial or ethnic minorities, are disproportionately affected by the shortage. […]
First, the aging mental health workforce is retiring at a faster pace than it is being replaced. The American Psychological Association reports that 40% of practicing psychologists are 60 years or older, and are hence nearing retirement. Second, compensation for mental health professionals, especially in public sectors, is not competitive with other medical fields, which disincentivizes professionals from joining the field. Lastly, the stigmatization of mental health issues could also be contributing to the lack of interest in pursuing a career in this field.
Illinois specifically is confronting a serious shortage of mental health professionals. In 2022, the Illinois General Assembly and Gov. J.B. Pritzker approved a new state budget that included a historic $140 million annual increase for Illinois’ long financially starved mental health care providers. It was a welcome and impressive first-step investment. Yet, it remains imperative for additional government investment in strategies that address this workforce shortage, such as incentivizing mental health professions and investing in telehealth solutions.
* Former US Rep. Glenn Poshard opens up about his own mental health troubles in his new book…
“At one point in my life, I went through a nervous breakdown and [co-author Carl Walworth] and I talked about whether we should include that,” said Poshard, who enlisted in the U.S. Army on his 17th birthday. “We talked honestly and openly about it and how I got through it.
“When I was 14, my sister and three of my best friends, who were all 17, were killed in an accident. My mom and dad’s marriage fell apart over that and then I lost my best friend in Vietnam, and he was the first kid from White County to die over there.
“I worked in a Korean orphanage when I was there in the Army, and I somehow blamed myself for not helping these kids enough to overcome their plight. It all fell in on me one day and poor farmer’s kids don’t go to psychologists.
“I had buried all those feelings and I had to get some help, so we talk about mental health issues in the book. There are a lot of folks today, especially young people, who are going through the same thing and hopefully my experiences can help them.”
* Gov. Pritzker was asked yesterday about whether he believed more people were talking about the mental health issue and whether society was meeting the need…
I feel, I don’t know if you do, that people are more willing to talk about mental health today than they were 10 years ago, or five years ago. That people are willing to share their own challenges, challenges within their families. And that’s part of getting rid of the stigma and recognizing that mental health and physical health are one in the same, or at least they belong treated as seriously as each other. And again, that’s why putting significant resources into bringing up mental health treatment across the state is so important.
* The Question: Can you talk about any mental health challenges your family has faced or is facing? No pressure, of course, but if you can, let us know.
I’m proud to have supported the Vote No, that’s the side that supported choice. And it was a resounding victory. As you saw in 2022 in so many places around the country, a resounding victory for those of us who are pro-choice and for the people who live in those states who just want to preserve their reproductive freedom. So I was pleased with the outcome.
Pritzker, a billionaire entrepreneur and heir to the Hyatt Hotels fortune, in June gave $250,000 to the Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom PAC, a coalition of abortion rights organizations, Ohio campaign finance records show.
The governor also assigned some members of his political team, including political adviser and former campaign manager Mike Ollen, to help with strategic support in defeating the Ohio ballot measure. Pritzker team members sat in on the steering committee meetings for Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom.
* Of course, this isn’t the first time the governor has involved himself in other states. ABC News…
A prolific fundraiser, Pritzker has poured money into groups like the DGA and high-stakes races such as the recent contest for a seat on Wisconsin’s narrowly divided Supreme Court. […]
But he is also going out of his way to support the national party, through securing donations in battleground elections, joining Biden’s reelection advisory board and attracting the upcoming convention to Chicago.
Pritzker, Biden confided to those in Chicago’s JW Marriott, “did more in 2020 to help me get elected president of the United States than just about anybody in the country. And that’s a fact.” […]
He is unapologetic about the political headway his donations and suggestions can make — electing Democrats is important, he says, so he’s doing what he can to help — and though he has yet to decide exactly what form his 2024 spending will take, he’s already been inundated with pitches from committees and super-PACs and from people suggesting he consider funding turnout-juicing projects like abortion referenda on swing-state ballots. […]
“From a financial perspective, it would be hard to find a hard-core Democrat who J. B. hasn’t helped,” said former Illinois congresswoman Cheri Bustos, who got her own significant boost from Pritzker after finding herself in political trouble when running the House Democrats’ campaign wing in 2020. […]
Pritzker maintains that he’s perfectly happy about the positive coverage surrounding Whitmer and others — perhaps not least because he knows how they got there. “I helped her get elected,” he says, shrugging. “And I helped her get reelected and I helped them get people elected to their legislatures, too.”
Bustos ain’t wrong. If you click here you can scroll through the contributions the governor has made. It looks, for instance, like he gave a couple of grand to the federal committees of most state parties in the country last year. His top federal contribution was $1 million to the Senate Majority PAC. He also gave at leat $350K each to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s campaign and Minnesota’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party last year, plus $600K+ to the Wisconsin Democratic Party. Democratic parties in Arizona, N. Carolina and Maine received $100K checks (with some receiving other contributions as well). It’s quite a list.
Illinois EPA Announces Dates of Next Electric Vehicle Rebate Program Funding Round
Program opening November 1st offers $4,000 rebate for purchase of an all-electric passenger vehicle or $1,500 rebate for purchase of an all-electric motorcycle
* The pitch…
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) is announcing that the next funding round for Illinois’ Electric Vehicle (EV) Rebate Program will open Wednesday, November 1, 2023 and run through Wednesday, January 31, 2024. Individuals that purchase a new or used all-electric vehicle from an Illinois licensed dealer, meet all other eligibility requirements, and apply during the rebate cycle will be eligible for a rebate as long as funds are available. Forms and instructions on submitting a rebate application will be made available on the Electric Vehicle Rebate Program webpage on October 18, 2023.
“Here in Illinois, we are leading the clean energy revolution—providing competitive incentives for companies and consumers alike,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Ever since I signed the landmark Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, we’ve distributed millions of dollars in rebates for residents who buy all-electric vehicles. Today, I couldn’t be happier to announce that the next round of the Illinois EV Rebate Program will open November 1st. I encourage all Illinoisans to take advantage of this nation-leading opportunity—helping us reach our ambitious goal of 1 million registered EVs on the road by 2030.”
“This incentive program was created to encourage Illinois residents to purchase electric vehicles and has already received tremendous response from Illinois motorists, with over $19 million in rebates awarded in fiscal year 2023,” said Illinois EPA Director John J. Kim. “We are pleased to provide notice of the next funding round to share this important information and give ample notice to those who may be in the market to purchase an all-electric vehicle in the coming weeks or months.”
* The fine print…
EV purchasers must apply for a rebate within 90 days of the vehicle purchase date. However, applications will not be accepted or reviewed if submitted or postmarked prior to the November 1, 2023 rebate cycle start date. Payments will be made to eligible individuals as long as funding is available.
The Illinois General Assembly has appropriated $12 million to Illinois EPA for the current fiscal year, which ends on June 30, 2024. Actual funding amounts will be determined by the amount of money available in the Electric Vehicle Rebate Fund, not to exceed $12 million.
Generally, to be eligible for a rebate, the vehicle must be exclusively powered and refueled by electricity, plugged in to charge, and licensed to drive on public roadways. Electric mopeds, electric off-highway vehicles, hybrid electric or extended-range electric vehicles that are also equipped with conventional fueled propulsion or auxiliary engines are not eligible under the program. Eligibility requirements for an EV rebate in Illinois are set forth in the Illinois EPA’s regulations at 35 Ill. Adm. Code 275. These requirements include, but are not limited to:
• The purchaser must reside in Illinois at time of vehicle purchase and at the time the rebate is issued.
• An applicant may not previously have received an Electric Vehicle Rebate..
• The vehicle must be purchased from a dealer licensed by the Illinois Secretary of State.
• Rented or leased vehicles do not qualify for the rebate.
• Vehicles purchased from an out-of-state dealership, and vehicles delivered to or received by the purchaser out-of-state are not eligible for a rebate.
• The purchaser must apply for the rebate within 90-days after the vehicle purchase date.
• The purchaser must retain ownership of the vehicle for a minimum of 12 consecutive months immediately after the vehicle purchase date.
• The rebate amount cannot exceed the purchase price of the vehicle.
• Documentation requirements include a copy of purchase invoice, proof of purchase, vehicle registration, and IRS W-9 or W-8 forms.
The Illinois’ Electric Vehicle Rebate Program webpage includes a Frequently Asked Questions document, and other relevant information. Please note, a new EV Rebate Application form will be posted to the webpage on October 18, 2023, along with instructions for completing the application.
The Illinois EV Rebate Program was created under the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) passed by the General Assembly and signed by Governor Pritzker in the fall of 2021. As required under CEJA, Illinois EPA will prioritize the review of applications from low-income purchasers and award rebates accordingly. Low income is defined as persons and families whose income does not exceed 80 percent of the State median income, as established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. All other applications will be processed as received on a first come, first serve basis.
Questions about the EV Rebate Program may be submitted to EPA.EV@Illinois.gov. Individuals interested in receiving updates on Illinois EPA’s EV programs may register for the EV Listserv located at the bottom of the Electric Vehicle Rebate Program webpage.
For information on federal incentives for electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, please visit the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center.
The new state budget includes less money for a popular electric-vehicle rebate program, potentially hindering efforts to reach a stated goal of 1 million EVs on the road by 2030.
The new budget, signed into law last week, includes $12 million for the EV rebate program, officials said. That’s about $7.3 million less than was spent on the rebate program last year.
The rebates launched in July 2022, offering $4,000 to Illinoisans who bought a new or used EV from an Illinois licensed dealer. The number of applications well exceeded the available funds by early January 2023, said a spokesperson for the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, which administers the program. In all, 4,832 rebates were awarded, from $19.3 million in funding.
The program was “wildly successful,” so it’s concerning that it’s now seeing a 38% funding cut, said Brian Urbaszewski, director of environmental health programs at the Chicago-based Respiratory Health Association.
The city has budgeted more than $200 million this year to provide services for people like David who are experiencing homelessness, with much of that money coming from federal pandemic relief aid.
But what the city’s homelessness support system has actually spent so far tells a different story.
Though the city continues to expel people experiencing homelessness from its airports, underpasses and L cars, it has spent at most only 15% out of one of the largest pots of federal money it was given for programs to help people experiencing homelessness get into housing faster, according to the city.
The clock is ticking for the city.
Municipalities that received pandemic recovery funds must create a plan to use them by the end of 2024 and spend the funds for that plan by the end of 2026, according to the Chicago Recovery Plan. Other federal dollars the city received have a deadline of 2030. The city’s recovery plan devotes $117 million to a range of homelessness support services. […]
In total, the city has budgeted about $52 million in American Rescue Plan Act-related funds for programs to support people experiencing homelessness, but as of the city’s most recent federal report they’ve spent nearly 15% from that pot of federal money, records show.
As a result of the city’s spending, an Illinois Answers Project investigation found that some of its initiatives are off to slow starts or haven’t begun.
• The city’s Rapid Rehousing Program has the largest budget with more than $27.3 million designated for quickly getting Chicagoans into housing. The city has spent $7.4 million — a little more than 27% of the money for a program expected to run 2 ½ years, according to the city’s second quarter report just released to the feds.
• The $12 million Stabilization Housing pilot program was created to help people with complex mental health or substance abuse problems who cycle through jails, emergency rooms and the city’s shelter system. The city has not released any funding for this program yet. City Council members recently voted to approve a $2.9 million purchase of a motel that will be part of the program.
• The $8.2 million Re-entry Workforce Development Program looks to help those facing employment barriers, focusing on people returning from incarceration, people with limited English skills and those experiencing homelessness. City officials initially told the feds they’ve spent $543,315 — or about 7% of the money. But in response to questions from Illinois Answers they said that number was in error and put that spending figure at $157,626 — or about 2% — as of Aug. 1.
• The Rapid Rehousing Services of Gender-Based Violence Survivors, which includes domestic violence survivors, aims to find homes for those people. The program was budgeted to cost more than $4.6 million over 2 ½ years, but it had spent $396,377, according to the city’s most recent federal report. Officials said that figure reflects spending through the end of the second quarter, but as of Aug. 1 the city says it has spent a bit more — $440,691.
The city also created a nearly $5 million program to help formerly incarcerated people at risk of homelessness or returning to the criminal justice system, and another, $500,000 shelter initiative, the second quarter report shows.
When asked about the city’s spending pace, the Department of Family and Support Services said it had to hire new staff to develop and oversee several programs as well as choose a delegate agency to provide direct services.
* ABC Chicago | ‘Butter Cow’ sculpture unveiled ahead of 2023 Illinois State Fair: One of the most famous stars of the Illinois State Fair made its first appearance Wednesday. The 2023 “Butter Cow” was unveiled ahead of Thursday’s fair opening. The cow made its first appearance in 1922 and has been a fan favorite ever since.
* Daily Herald | 14 more suburbs, DuPage County join program to become ‘EV ready’: The 15 local governments — which include those of Batavia, Elgin and Highland Park, as well as DuPage County — will receive training programs and technical assistance to prepare for a growing demand for EVs and charging infrastructure.
* Sun-Times | Keeping campaign promises will take time, top Johnson aide says: ‘Nothing can be done in a single year’: Johnson campaigned on a promise to make $1 billion in investments in people, with that money coming from $800 million in increased taxes, fines and fees. But Chief Operating Officer John Roberson said the mayor knows it’ll take years to deliver those investments, with the pace of progress depending on how much new revenue he can get, and when.
* Greg Hinz | The top cop pick is a decision Johnson — and the city he runs — can’t afford to blow: In theory, Johnson could reject the three finalists sent to him by the Chicago Commission on Community Safety & Accountability: Larry Snelling, a long-term Chicago Police Department veteran who now heads its counterterrorism unit and appears to be the front-runner; Angel Novalez, CPD’s chief of constitutional policing and reform; and Madison Police Department Chief Shon Barnes, who despite working in Wisconsin’s capital has lots of Chicago experience.
* Capitol News Illinois | 160 years later, activist Elizabeth Packard honored in place of psychiatrist she exposed: “Today we are putting a spotlight on the real hero associated with this institution,” Gov. JB Pritzker said before signing an order Wednesday to change the name of the 120-bed mental health hospital. Packard, he said, is “someone who, in truth, better expresses our proud history of positive reform; someone who changed our world for the better.”
* The Intelligencer | Glenn Poshard shares struggles: Poshard, 77, is a former U.S. representative and was a 1998 gubernatorial candidate. He was also the system president for Southern Illinois University from 2006 to 2014. Poshard discussed those parts of his life and much more Tuesday afternoon at Lovejoy Library at Southern Illinois University in a signing for his new book, “Son of Southern Illinois: Glenn Poshard’s Life in Politics and Education.”
* Tribune | Videos show longtime Tylenol murder suspect James Lewis discussing the crime with undercover agents: Arlington Heights police, the lead law enforcement agency in the investigation, provided the video clips late Tuesday in response to a Tribune open-records request. The Tylenol investigation remains open, but Lewis’ July 9 death from a blood clot in his lungs cleared a legal path for some of the long-confidential recordings to be released.
* ScribbleLive is still down. Twitter has stopped allowing people to embed list feeds on websites. So, click here or here to follow breaking news. You can click here to follow the Tim Mapes trial.
…[Defense attorney Katie Hill] stepped up to speak on Mapes’ behalf. She told jurors to imagine being forced to take a pop quiz on their way into their high school reunion.
“The test is full of questions about your life from that time period,” Hill said. “Who was elected class president your junior year? What was the name of that guy your best friend had a crush on when you were a freshman? What color was the corsage you wore to prom?”
Hill later turned to the reputations Madigan and McClain had in Springfield — where people assumed McClain spoke for Madigan. But she said Madigan was not “free-flowing” with information. And when information is not free-flowing, she said, “folklore takes its place.”
But for someone like Mapes, she said, “there was no need to rely on folklore or common knowledge.”
Hill said someone like Mapes, with rare direct access to Madigan, “would not have considered what McClain said to be the gospel truth about what Madigan actually said or wanted.”
According to Hill, Mapes did his “level best” to inform the grand jury about his relationships with Madigan and McClain. She claimed he was only charged because in seven questions out of some 500 he was asked, Mapes gave “answers the government did not like.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane MacArthur contended Mapes “perverted” the grand jury process and “jeopardized” the corruption investigation against Madigan with “false testimony.”
“The defendant lied. Not just once but again and again and again, to prevent the grand jury from finding out” about Madigan’s actions.
UAW President Shawn Fain on Tuesday criticized early bargaining proposals from Stellantis as a “slap in the face” to members before throwing a copy of the document in a trash can during a livestream on Facebook.
Fain, who last week detailed the union’s “audacious and ambitious” economic demands, including more than 40 percent raises, said the response from Stellantis doesn’t address the union’s concerns. The two sides started bargaining last month on contracts that expire Sept. 14. […]
The company, Fain said, is seeking cuts to medical coverage, threatening profit-sharing payouts, refusing to reopen the idled Belvidere Assembly Plant and insisting on keeping a two-tier wage system.
* The Washington Post took a look at the costs of recharging electric vehicles as opposed to filling up with gas…
The bottom line? In all 50 states, it’s cheaper for the everyday American to fill up with electrons — and much cheaper in some regions such as the Pacific Northwest, with low electricity rates and high gas prices.
That frustration was also voiced by Springfield Police Chief Ken Scarlette who detailed how recently a neighboring law enforcement agency drove a homeless individual from their community to Springfield to drop that person off.
“That person is now a consumer of our health system, is now a consumer of our social service system, is now a consumer of the mental health system,” Scarlette said. “People are bringing homeless individuals into our community because they think this is where the services exist.”
* Press release…
In a year that saw exponential growth in the youth in agriculture movement, the Illinois State Fair, along with Governor JB Pritzker, announced that the Illinois State FFA Officers will serve as Grand Marshals for the annual Twilight Parade.
Since Governor Pritzker announced in 2022 that every student in the state of Illinois taking an agriculture class would have their FFA dues paid, FFA membership increased from 23,000 to over 41,000 members strong. Additionally, 5,500 students not enrolled in agricultural education courses joined FFA, demonstrating an appreciation of the value of the organization. […]
The Grand Marshals are as follows:
President Thaddeus Bergschneider- Franklin FFA
Vice President Eric Wisely- Nashville FFA
Reporter Cooper Nelson- Canton FFA
Secretary Riley Kessler- Staunton FFA
Treasurer Benjamin Bremmer- Pearl City FFA
* Northwestern’s sports culture ain’t ready for reform…
Several Northwestern coaches/staffers, including OC Mike Bajakian, are donning "Cats Against the World" shirts with No. 51 — Pat Fitzgerald's old jersey number — on them. pic.twitter.com/ZFQ3tNU1Vv
* WBEZ | Researchers say tens of thousands in Cook County have a high risk of flooding: Roughly 172,000 properties in Cook County have a high risk of flooding — about eight times more than what FEMA’s maps show, according to First Street’s assessment. In the city of Chicago, roughly 79,000 properties are at high risk, according to First Street. That’s more than 50 times higher than the number of high-risk Chicago properties indicated in FEMA’s maps.
* Tribune | Tim Mapes perjury trial opens in earnest with clash over alleged lies in sprawling federal probe: Hill maintained Mapes was “limited to what he actually knows” and an appearance before a grand jury “is not the time to start making assumptions, not the time to start guessing.” And while McClain might have told Mapes directly at times about orders he got from Madigan, Mapes knew that McClain was prone to exaggerating, Hill said.
* SJ-R | Helping Hands will most likely open shelter on Dirksen after New Year’s: As members of the city council took up consideration of an ordinance dealing with already-budgeted funds to deal with the city’s homelessness issue, Ward 3 Ald. Roy Williams Jr. raised a question of whether the issue had worsened in the city.
* Business Wire | ComEd Announces New Programs to Accelerate Adoption of EVs Across Northern Illinois: ComEd today joined with regional and municipal leaders to unveil its latest programs designed to accelerate the adoption of electrified technologies, including electric vehicles (EVs), in northern Illinois. As part of ComEd’s $231 million investment in new customer programs geared toward removing barriers to electrification, ComEd today announced a new EV Charging Delivery Rate option to incentivize the buildout of an expanded network of EV charging infrastructure to meet a growing need in the northern Illinois region.
* Daily Southtown | Thornton administrator says help may be coming to alleviate stench from quarry reservoir: But Beckman said the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago is now taking a proactive approach to address the odor concerns. “They’ve been talking to us about different operational procedures to try to control it, but I think they finally realized they have to do more than that,” Beckman said. “They finally started investing some money.”
* Block Club | Police Are Launching A Nightlife Patrol In The West Loop And West Town: The new unit will consist of six officers and one sergeant, all focusing on criminal activity along entertainment strips. Several focus areas include Greektown, parts of Taylor Street, the University of Illinois Chicago and part of Division Street, said Sgt. Mike Karczewski, business, licensing, and special events supervisor for the 12th District.
* Bond Buyer | On Yvette Shields, and the Hall of Fame: I first want to make it clear that this is not a decision we came to lightly, impulsively, or emotionally. Our intention with this Hall of Fame has been to celebrate those individuals who, over the course of their life’s work, have made an indelible impact on the municipal finance community. When we set that criteria, we did so intending to honor the practitioners of muni finance themselves, not necessarily fellow journalists covering the industry. But that notion began to change after Yvette’s passing.
* WGN | Elmhurst baseball team on the brink of Little League World Series: That has shown as the Elmhurst team is now just one win away from Little League World Series after an impressive season & run through the Great Lakes tournament. They’ll face Ohio for the regional championship in Whitestown, Indiana at 4 p.m. time and will be televised nationally on ESPN.
* Forbes | Chicago’s 30 under 30: The Second City is first class when it comes to its bevy of young entrepreneurs, tech geniuses and changemakers. The inaugural 30 Under 30 Local Chicago list includes a photographer capturing the 2020 protests across the city, a duo creating a burgeoning ceramics studio and a founder streamlining composting for apartments.
* Crain’s | McDonald’s new meal celebrates its pop culture cameos — from ‘Seinfeld’ to ‘Loki’: The meal, which will be available for a limited time starting Aug. 14, is tied to the chain’s upcoming appearance in the second season of “Loki” on Disney+. The bag for the meal includes a list of TV shows, movies and songs that have also referenced McDonald’s, including “Seinfeld” and “Space Jam.” “Loki Season 2” appears last on the list, with an asterisk that clarifies, “New season streaming soon.” The season premieres Oct. 6.
* Sun-Times | Out of sriracha? Try one of these 12 Chicago-made hot sauces: Even now, a 28-ounce bottle of Huy Fong sriracha was spotted selling on Amazon for $24.99, down from $29.99. On eBay, you can still find sellers listing sriracha packets, possibly a hangover from the height of the pandemic-driven hoarding mania.
* NYT | This Is a Reminder That You’re Probably Oversharing on Venmo: The snooping works the other way around, too. Even if you seldom use Venmo today, the app is most likely leaking sensitive information about you to the general public. How do I know? I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I recently discovered that my contacts list, which includes the names of people in my phone book, was published on Venmo for anyone using the app to see.
Q: Last night, voters in Ohio rejected a measure which would have made it more difficult for them to amend the constitution. You sent a tweet that it is a massive win for democracy. However, Ohio makes it a lot easier than Illinois does for citizens [scrambled audio about passing constitutional questions]. Would you support a change to the Illinois Constitution to make it more easy for Illinois citizens to make similar changes like they currently do in Ohio [simple majority]?
Pritzker: What went on in Ohio, leading up to the vote last night was solely an effort to stop pro-choice forces from passing an amendment to their constitution, that’s all it was about. That’s all it was about. It was masquerading as we need to make it harder or, you know, raise the bar for putting an amendment into our Constitution. But it only grew out of the fact that they had already put together the petitions to get it on the ballot, to change the constitution to make Ohio a pro-choice state. So entirely, that’s what that was about. And I’m proud to have supported the Vote No, that’s the side that supported choice. And it was a resounding victory, as you saw in 2022 in so many places around the country, a resounding victory for those of us who are pro-choice and for the people who live in those states who just want to preserve their reproductive freedom. So I was pleased with the outcome.
You’re asking about whether Illinois should change. We have a 60 percent threshold here. We’ve had amendments pass and fail in Illinois. And I think I wouldn’t change what we’re doing here in Illinois.
But I’m just saying what you saw last night was really about choice. That’s all it was. And you also heard Republicans who are backing that, saying last night that they intend to bring their referendum back, to make it hard for people to change the constitution. Maybe they will. But by that time, Ohio would have put into its constitution a restoration of a woman’s right to choose.
Please pardon all transcription errors.
The Illinois Constitution allows the General Assembly, with three-fifth majorities, to put constitutional amendments on the ballot. Those questions must be approved “by either three-fifths of those voting on the question or a majority of those voting in the election.”
* The Question: Should Illinois lower its constitutional amendment threshold to simple majorities of those who vote on the question? Make sure to explain your answer. We’re not going to tackle the legislative aspect of this today. So please just stick to the question at hand. Thanks.
After Florida adopted its Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking standards in 2020, the Department of Education distributed recommended reading lists it said included “top of the line literary works with world renowned titles.”
Authors on the high school list included William Shakespeare.
Three years later, some Florida school districts are shying away from Shakespeare, along with other classic and popular materials. They say they’re attempting to comply with new state law restricting books with and instruction about sexual content.
Hillsborough County became the latest to take this step, telling teachers they could assign excerpts of plays such as “Romeo and Juliet,” but not the full text.
To comply with state law, a major Florida school district has issued guidance that will bar transgender employees from sharing their preferred pronouns and force trans students and staff members to use group restrooms that follow their “biological sex at birth.”
Orange County Public Schools — the fourth-largest district in Florida, with about 209,000 students at 210 schools — released the new guidance for the 2023-24 academic year Monday. […]
As a result, transgender employees or contractors “may not provide a personal title or pronoun to students which does not correspond [to] the employee’s or contractor’s biological sex at birth,” the memo said.
The law also mandates that employees and contractors may not ask a student to provide his or her preferred personal title or pronoun, the memo said.
Large school districts across Florida are dropping plans to offer Advanced Placement Psychology, heeding a warning from state officials that the course’s discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity violates state law.
Eight of the 11 districts with the largest enrollments in the class are switching to alternate courses, and just one said it will stick with AP Psychology. Two others are still deciding, officials said.
The state of Florida has encouraged schools to teach the course without objectionable material about sexual orientation and gender identity. But the College Board, which runs AP, says these topics are central to the study of psychology and cannot simply be excised. Last week, the College Board said the course was “effectively banned” and advised districts not to offer it.
Further complicating the matter, a day later, Florida’s education chief told districts that his agency believes the schools can offer the course “in its entirety” but also said it should be “in a manner that is age and developmentally appropriate.” The state has previously said teaching school-age students about sexual orientation and gender is inappropriate.
Civil rights groups asked a federal judge Tuesday to stop Florida officials from enforcing a section of a new state immigration law that criminalizes transporting someone who has entered the United States unlawfully. But the jurist denied the request immediately on a technicality.
The portion of the law known as Section 10 makes it unsafe for people to get to medical appointments, meet with family and go to work, the groups said in a motion that is part of a July lawsuit challenging the law.
“For many individual Plaintiffs, Section 10 interferes with their ability to go about their daily lives,” said the motion, which asks for a temporary injunction halting enforcement.
Almost immediately after it was filed, U.S. District Judge Roy Altman denied the request for a temporary injunction on a technicality, saying Gov. Ron DeSantis and other defendants who include prosecutors from across Florida hadn’t been properly given notice about the motion. The judge said the civil rights groups could file the request again.
* This is the last one from Florida today. I promise…
Of all the PragerU propaganda you've seen, this might be the worst.
Frederick Douglass takes a dig at BLM while praising the founding fathers as abolitionists and calling the Constitution a "glorious liberty document."
The long-simmering debate over school choice in Nevada will hit a pivotal moment Wednesday, when the state’s Interim Finance Committee decides whether to use unallocated federal money to replace dried-up funds for a private school scholarship program pushed by the Republican governor but rejected by legislative Democrats.
It’s a last-ditch effort by Gov. Joe Lombardo to pass a remnant of his landmark school choice priority in Nevada’s increasingly rare split-party government. Instead of expanding the program in both funding and eligibility, Lombardo now is looking to maintain the program at previous levels.
Lombardo originally wanted to expand eligibility and provide an additional $50 million for the state’s Opportunity Scholarship program, passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature in 2015, that allows businesses to receive tax credits on donations that go toward the private and religious school tuitions of mostly low-income students.
With that proposal dead, Lombardo is seeking $3.2 million in unallocated federal coronavirus relief funds to maintain existing scholarships that his office says will soon run out. Lombardo’s spokesperson Elizabeth Ray said nearly 800 students could be forced to switch schools without additional funding.
Newly uncovered records show Texas officials ignored warnings that installing anti-migrant buoys in the Rio Grande and concertina wire along the banks violated federal law and a U.S. treaty with Mexico.
On March 29, a Texas Highway Patrol captain even asked the International Boundary Commission that controls the Rio Grande to help with a permit the city of El Paso refused to grant, to put electricity in a command trailer.
The commission declined, reminding the captain that the trailer — under a bridge in the floodplain — was on federal property without authorization.
“The State of Texas, operating through various entities, including but not limited to, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) (and its contractors) does not have authorization for its presence on the federal property that is managed, owned, and/or controlled by the United States, International Boundary and Water Commission” or USIBWC, said the April 21 response.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Indiana says it filed a lawsuit Tuesday on behalf of a citizen journalist from South Bend, claiming Indiana’s new 25-foot “encroachment” law violated his constitutional right to observe and record the police.
The new law, which went into effect on July 1, prohibits a person from knowingly or intentionally approaching within 25 feet of a police officer after the officer has ordered them to stop. According to our sister station WTHR, it is classified as a Class C misdemeanor.
The ACLU of Indiana says the plaintiff, Donald Nicodemus, is a citizen journalist who lives in South Bend and monitors the activity of public-safety personnel — primarily the South Bend Police Department. Nicodemus regularly posts videos to his YouTube channel “Freedom 2 Film,” which has more than 24,500 subscribers as of Tuesday afternoon. […]
“The unbridled discretion given to law enforcement officers by the new 25-foot law allows for, and invites content and viewpoint-based discrimination,” said Ken Falk, legal director at the ACLU of Indiana, in a press release sent to 16 News Now. “This gives police officers unchecked authority to prohibit citizens from approaching within 25 feet of the officers to observe their actions, even if the actions of the citizens are not and will not interfere with the police.”
Six university professors and two teachers’ unions are suing Idaho over a law that they say violates their First Amendment rights by criminalizing teaching and classroom discussion about pro-abortion viewpoints.
The 2021 No Public Funds for Abortion Act prohibits state contracts or transactions with abortion providers and also bans public employees from promoting abortion, counseling in favor of abortion or referring someone to abortion services. Public employees who violate the law can be charged with misuse of public funds, a felony, and be fired, fined and ordered to pay back the funds they are accused of misusing.
The law is “simultaneously sweeping and unclear” and places a “strait jacket upon the intellectual leaders” of Idaho’s public universities, the educators, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Idaho, wrote in the lawsuit.
The case was brought by five University of Idaho professors who teach philosophy, political science, American literature and journalism, as well as a Boise State University professor of social work. Other plaintiffs include the Idaho Federation of Teachers, which represents faculty at UI, BSU and Idaho State University, and the University of Idaho Faculty Federation.
* A few comments on a post about some new state laws yesterday were a hoot, particularly this one…
I don’t believe that Illinois has any need to design or adopt a new/better/different/progressive state flag. Those pushing this agenda aim to abolish history, like Lori Lightfoot removing the Christopher Columbus statues in Chicago.
“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.” This is what the leftists don’t like, pesky reminders of the people that founded this state and nation.
Establishes the Illinois Flag Commission Act. Creates the Illinois Flag Commission for the purpose of developing new State flag designs and making recommendations to the General Assembly concerning whether the current State flag ought to be replaced with a redesigned State flag. Identifies the members to be appointed to the Commission. Describes the duties of the Commission. Requires the Chair of the Commission to convene the first Commission meeting by no later than September 1, 2023. Requires the Commission to report its recommendations to the General Assembly by no later than December 3, 2024. Provides for the repeal of the Act on January 1, 2026. Effective immediately.
One of the top proponents of Senate Bill 1818 (get it?) is former Rep. Tim Butler, a Springfield Republican and hardly a leftist progressive.
* And abolish history? Here’s the flag…
Let’s see, there’s “1818″, the year Illinois became a state. “1868″ is the year Illinois adopted a new state seal, which is hardly an historically significant fact except that it’s a self-referential nod to the flag’s design…
Illinois Secretary of State Sharon Tyndale spearheaded the drive to create a third state seal for Illinois. In 1867, he asked State Senator Allen C. Fuller to introduce legislation requiring a new seal, and suggested to Fuller that the words of the state motto be reversed, from “State Sovereignty, National Union”, to “National Union, State Sovereignty”. However, the bill passed by the legislature on March 7, 1867, kept the original wording. Despite declining his suggestion, the legislature nonetheless entrusted Tyndale with designing the new seal. And Tyndale managed to (literally) twist the legislature’s intent; he kept the words in the correct order on the banner, but the banner twists, so the word “Sovereignty” is upside down, arguably making it less readable.
So, the state seal, which is on the state flag, violates legislative intent.
Lovely.
* And the design was so non-Illinois that the state actually added the word “Illinois” to the flag in 1970…
In the 1960s, Chief Petty Officer Bruce McDaniel petitioned to have the name of the state added to the flag. He noted that many of the people with whom he served during the Vietnam War did not recognize the banner. Governor Richard B. Ogilvie signed the addition to the flag into law on September 17, 1969, and the new flag, designed by Sanford (Florence) Hutchinson, became official on July 1, 1970.
* And who the heck is reminded of the founders of our country by looking at the state flag? Ella Park Lawrence was designated “Honorary State Regent of Illinois for life” for her work to pass the flag bill. But, I gotta say it, the flag she helped choose is subpar.
If you still need more convincing, here’s another commenter from yesterday…
The main reason we need a new flag is that Indiana’s flag is much better than ours, and we cannot be upstaged by Indiana.
*** UPDATE *** Rep. Dan Didech recently received an email from George Lonngren with his suggestion for a “Union State” flag…
I like that. Lonngren’s explanation…
It’s “The Union State” flag because our state is really a microcosm and representation of our nation as a whole. We are in the core of the country, we have provided greatly to its defense and preservation. We are a major portion of its breadbasket. Culturally we have strong communities of all groups large and small from all over the nation, and world. We have large cities and small rural communities. If you removed the other 49 states and just had Illinois, the American Spirit would be little diminished in Illinois’ sole contribution to our nation.
Blue Field: Illinois massive contribution to the union army during the civil war to preserve our nation
Lincoln Silhouette: The president who saw us preserve our nation, also from our state
Yellow Silhouette: For Illinois Agriculture
Stars: One for each president with strong ties to Illinois (Reagan, Grant, Lincoln, Obama).
Point being, let’s see what people can come up with.
* The headline, “Alderman Taylor turns thumbs down on migrants becoming cops,” tells you all you need to know about this story…
When Governor JB Pritzker signed HB 3751 into law allowing non-U.S. citizens to become police officers, it sparked a flurry of protests, especially from Alderman Jeanette Taylor (20th).
“It’s a no for me,” Taylor said. “The folks at Wadsworth (in Woodlawn) have been kicked out of their shelter. They are standing around the shelters because they are not familiar with the city.
“Your allowing people who are not familiar with our city or our laws to become law enforcement officers just doesn’t make sense,” Taylor said. “I think once they go through the immigration process and they become citizens, then yes.”
Reminded that federal law prohibits non-citizens from carrying guns, Taylor said she doesn’t understand why the bill was passed in the first place, chalking it up to politics.
“I hope this was not the reason, but I don’t support it because you are talking about people who don’t know the United States. If we know anything about policing, it has not worked in Black and brown communities,” Taylor stated.
The alderman is so frustrated over this added burden of keeping the peace between her residents and migrants, along with fighting for resources, that she placed the blame squarely on the shoulders of Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott who continues to send busloads of migrants to Chicago.
She actually believes that asylum-seeking migrants, who are not even allowed to work, are gonna become police officers. Wow.
Also, just saying, but it might help “keep the peace” between residents and migrants if she stopped ignorantly popping off like this.
Former Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White has been selected as the 2023 recipient of the Paul Simon-Jim Edgar Statesmanship Award. Former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar and John Shaw, director of Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, announced White’s selection on Aug. 8.
Edgar and Shaw applauded White’s half-century of constructive, practical and principled leadership in Illinois.
White, a native of Alton, Illinois, served in the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division, played baseball in the Chicago Cubs farm system and created the nationally famous Jesse White Tumbling Team for underprivileged young people.
He served in the Illinois House of Representatives, as the Cook County Recorder of Deeds and as the 37th Illinois Secretary of State. As secretary of state from 1999 to 2023, White worked for traffic safety, teen driver safety, strong DUI laws, truck safety, and enhanced organ and tissue donations.
“I first met Secretary White in the 1970s when we were both junior members of the Illinois General Assembly,” Edgar said. “Jesse has always been modest, gracious and committed to working with members of both parties to solve problems.”
“Jesse respected the people of Illinois, and they liked and respected him – and -voted for him in record numbers.”
Shaw said White’s career illustrates the value of searching for common ground and viewing everyone as potential allies and partners.
“Secretary White has been a model public servant,” Shaw said. “He has demonstrated the ability to set partisanship aside to advance the public interest.”
The annual Simon-Edgar Statesmanship Award is presented to an elected state or local government official in Illinois who has demonstrated a pattern of public service characterized by vision, courage, compassion, effectiveness, civility and bipartisanship.
The Simon-Edgar Award shines a spotlight on remarkable leadership that is taking place in our state and our communities, inspiring current and future public servants to act in the best traditions of Illinois.
Edgar, the 38th governor of Illinois, founded the Edgar Fellows Program at the University of Illinois’s Institute of Government and Public Affairs. Shaw is the director of SIU Carbondale’s Paul Simon Public Policy Institute.
* From the Sangamon County Historical Society’s website…
Dr. Andrew McFarland, the namesake of the Andrew McFarland Mental Health Center near Springfield, directed the Illinois Hospital and Asylum for the Insane in Jacksonville in the 1850s and ’60s. Perversely, McFarland (1817-91) also helped expand the rights of people accused of mental instability – by opposing them.
McFarland’s nemesis was a Manteno woman, Elizabeth Packard (1816-97), who won national fame in the late 1800s for her efforts to reform mental treatment and the mental confinement process.
Packard was sent to the Jacksonville asylum in June 1860 – literally carried out of her house and put on a train – on the sole authority of her husband, Theophilus, a Calvinist minister. The “evidence” of her insanity was that she publicly disagreed with Theophilus on religious issues. […]
The legislature nonetheless set up a commission in 1867 to investigate Packard’s allegations against McFarland and the asylum. Among other things, the panel found McFarland had tolerated a variety of abusive treatments, including one similar to modern-day waterboarding: obstreperous patients would be wrapped in a straitjacket and dunked in a bathtub over and over, submerged each time until they nearly passed out. […]
McFarland, suffering from depression, hanged himself at Oak Lawn in 1891.
* Today, Gov. Pritzker fittingly announced that the Andrew McFarland Mental Health Center’s name would be changed to commemorate Elizabeth Packard…
Today, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) announced a new name for the McFarland Mental Health Center. By executive proclamation, it is now officially the Elizabeth Parsons Ware Packard Mental Health Center. On signage and in common use, it will become known simply as the Packard Mental Health Center. Located on the south side of Springfield, the psychiatric hospital employs more than 250 staff and supports over 120 patients with serious mental illness on a 24/7 basis.
“Today, we are putting a spotlight on the real hero associated with this institution, someone who in truth better expresses our proud history of positive reform and someone who changed our world for the better,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Here in Illinois, we are committed to righting the wrongs of the past wherever we can. Renaming this Center in honor of Elizabeth Packard, who founded the Anti-Insane Asylum Society and pushed multiple states to reform their laws to better recognize the rights of mental health patients, is an important step in the right direction.” […]
Best-selling author Kate Moore published The Woman They Could Not Silence about Packard in 2021. This non-fiction book tells the story of Packard’s involuntary commitment and chronicles Dr. McFarland’s role in keeping her inappropriately confined. Since the book’s release, staff and community members have questioned the appropriateness of keeping Dr. McFarland’s name on the building. In January 2023, an online petition was created, calling on the State to rename the facility.
“I am delighted for Elizabeth that this mental health center is being renamed in her honor, and I have no doubt she would be thrilled too. In her lifetime, she was denigrated and dismissed as a madwoman because she stood up for those in need, but today we honor her courageous stance and her remarkable achievements,” said Kate Moore. “It is fitting, too, that Elizabeth’s name replaces that of her tormentor and doctor, McFarland. She always warned him she was not mad, simply ahead of her time, and today, at long last, her truth is heard. Truly the woman they could not silence, Elizabeth deserves this honor deeply and I am so grateful to the Governor and the State for recognizing this very special woman.”
This renaming reflects the State’s commitment to righting the wrongs of the past, while celebrating the contributions of those who have historically been overlooked.
Ohio abortion rights backers have a clearer path to victory in November now that voters refused to make it harder to amend the state constitution.
Those pushing for a reproductive rights amendment will only need to convince a simple majority of the electorate rather than the 60% sought by the Republican-led legislature and Secretary of State Frank LaRose.
About 57% voted against the proposal (Issue 1) to raise the threshold for future constitutional amendments after some ad campaigns emphasized the potential impact on the abortion question to come in the fall election. The initiative was closely watched as the latest evidence of the extent to which abortion is an issue that animates voters and gets them to the polls.
The yes campaign committee, Protect Our Constitution, raised a little more than $4.85 million according to its filing. Nearly all of it came from a single individual who lives out of state.
Illinois billionaire Richard Uihlein donated a total of $4 million to the committee. The right-wing megadonor owns the Uline shipping and office supply company, and his grandfather and great-grandfather ran Schlitz brewing.
* The Uihlein crew also appears to have done its usual schtick, adding to the boss’ direct spending by pushing fake news…
Some of the messaging from the outside groups has been deceptive. A fake newspaper distributed throughout the state has spread misleading claims about the opposition while conspiracy theorists hosted a get-out-the-vote event. […]
But a closer look revealed the mailer was far from unbiased journalism. The articles emphasized prominent elected Republicans who supported Issue 1, while stereotyping the opposition as communists, Black Lives Matter supporters and LGBTQ+ allies. […]
An internet search for The Buckeye Reporter reveals it is one of more than a thousand pseudo-local news outlets created by an Illinois-based network known as Metric Media or Pipeline Media, which churns out content promoting Republican candidates and ballot issues across the country.
A Chicago return address on the mailer matches the business address of Pipeline Media, according to state filing documents.
* You remember these folks, and so does Pearson…
The Uihlein-Proft-Timpone trio were behind millions of dollars in TV ads and fake newspapers that made up the bulk of support for Darren Bailey’s failed bid for governor last year against Dem Gov JB Pritzker.
* Earlier this week, Marcus Gilmer at Crain’s noted that Uihlein is backing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ presidential bid. The closing paragraph was about DeSantis, but could’ve also been about the Ohio effort…
Ahead of last year’s midterm elections, Richard Uihlein donated millions to candidates up and down the Illinois ballot, including GOP gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey. And given what happened to Bailey — not to mention Walker and Cruz in 2016 — there’s reason to think that this could just be more money sunk into a candidate destined to fall short.
* WTTW | Illinois Lawmakers Look to Address Domestic Violence Rise With Laws to Help Survivors: “Illinois is one of the best funded states for domestic violence services. In this year’s budget we allocated $70 million,” said state Rep. Joyce Mason (D-Gurnee). “We also have one of the most comprehensive Domestic Violence Acts. So, we stack up very well compared to other states — but that doesn’t mean there’s not a lot of work still to be done and so many victims who need better protection and services.”
* WGFA | Ducat to seek 53rd Senate seat: Ducat is currently the Vice-Chair of the Iroquois County Board. He’s held several positions at the county level. He’s chairman of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) committee, which came about thru the Federal government plan to distribute recovery monies from the COVID pandemic. ARPA is filtering federal dollars to help agencies and people recover from the economic burdens brought on from the pandemic.
* Tribune | Metra took its board members on a train ride to a monthly meeting. It cost the agency more than $10,000: Board members and Metra executives made the journey in an observation car lent by BNSF Railway. Attendees had coffee and breakfast available during the train ride, and lunch after the board meeting. Shuttle vans were provided to take the board members from the Joliet train station to the meeting at the Will County Office Building. All told, records show the outing cost Metra at least $10,836.
* NBC Chicago | Cook County improperly used nearly $240 million in transportation funds for other projects: The legal battle has been raging for years after the Illinois Road and Transportation Builders Association filed a lawsuit, along with numerous other groups, arguing that Cook County was violating the language of the “Illinois Transportation taxes and Fees Lockbox Amendment,” which was overwhelmingly supported by voters in the 2016 election.
* Crain’s | Wilmette officials unanimously oppose Northwestern’s Ryan Field proposal: In a unanimous vote late Tuesday night, Wilmette’s board passed a resolution outlining its concerns over the addition of up to 10 concerts at the stadium, citing increased traffic and parking issues, noise pollution and potential public safety effects.
* Chicago Mag | As companies flee big headquarters and office parks, suburbs are scrambling to reinvent those spaces — and themselves: One popular option for filling these vacancies: companies acquiring, demolishing, and replacing office campuses and towers with multibuilding logistics hubs that will rival Amazon’s 200-acre distribution center in Kenosha, Wisconsin. That metamorphosis is underway at Allstate’s former 232-acre site (since annexed by Glenview), which sold last year to a Nevada investor group for about $232 million. The insurance giant’s home since 1967 is becoming a 10-building trucking and warehousing complex.
* Sun-Times | Chicago’s ‘bikeability’ is behind the curve in recent cycling studies: Compared to the average of the 50 cities, Chicago had fewer fatal crashes, more bike-share docking stations, a higher percentage of bike commuters and a bikeability score of 72 out of 100. But the city fell short of having enough trails, bike shops and bike rental places per 100,000 people.
* Grist | On Chicago’s South Side, neighbors fight to keep Lake Michigan at bay: Lake Michigan has long tried to take back the land on its shores. But climate change has increased the amount of ground lost to increasingly variable lake levels and ever more intense storms. What was once a tedious but manageable issue is now a crisis. The problem became particularly acute in early 2020 when a storm wreaked havoc on the neighborhood, severely damaging homes, flooding streets, and spurring neighbors to demand that City Hall support a $5 million plan to hold back the water.
* Tribune | Can you eat a dish from every nation on Earth without leaving Chicago? This TikTok influencer is trying: Since January, he has been posting videos of himself on TikTok eating those meals. He uses the tag @BoredinChicago, though considering the work and prickly issues he must navigate to accomplish his goal, he may be the least bored person in the city. His videos, which are posted alphabetically by nation and only now moving into the F’s, have drawn an average of 100,000 viewers per post. What started as a personal project has become decidedly public.
* ScribbleLive is still down. Twitter has stopped allowing people to embed list feeds on websites. So, click here or here to follow breaking news. You can click here to follow the Tim Mapes trial.
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
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
At Uber Eats, local restaurants are the backbone of our communities and delivery continues to help small business owners reach new customers and increase sales.
We recently published the results of the 2022 US Merchant Impact Report—which come directly from a survey of merchant partners. Read More.
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.
