Pay attention to where this legislation came from. I think you heard that the Attorney General of the State of Illinois was driving into a reproductive rights center when he was essentially flagged down by people who looked like they belong to that center and when he was driving in, stopped, and they began to talk to him about oh, you know, park over here, wherever. It’s a little bit different angle than he was headed because he knew that the entrance where he was going to was in a different place, and began to ask them questions and realized that they were trying to get anybody that was headed to this. I think it was a Planned Parenthood clinic to essentially veer off and talk to people at a crisis - and I put quotes around crisis pregnancy center - and that they were lying to him about where he ought to be going. So this was just the beginning of work that he did to determine that this is happening across the state of Illinois.
Indeed, many of these centers are being put next to clinics where people are seeking to exercise their reproductive rights. And so that was the purpose of it. And that continues to be the purpose of it.
Nobody’s forcing anybody to make any particular decision here. But what we don’t want is misrepresentation, misinformation, people being deceived in the process or just seeking their basic health care rights. I’ll be honest with you, I’m not at all surprised. I think that what the right wing in Illinois has decided is they can’t win at the ballot box. They can’t win in the legislature. They didn’t win the governorship. They didn’t win the races around the state that they were trying to take in, you know, school boards and library boards and so on. And so they have only one thing that they have resorted to, and that’s take every one of these pieces of legislation and try to take it to court and get a decision they like. They typically head for courts where they think they’re going to get a judge that was elected who was one of their own in order to get an initial decision in their favor. But when you go to federal court, less likely to have that happen and you know, my reaction is this is just par for the course. We’ve seen this before.
* More bill signings today…
Governor Pritzker today signed five bills expanding protections for veterans, active-duty soldiers, and military dependents.
“The men and women of this state and this country who heed the call to serve deserve every possible support and protection during and after their time in the military,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “These bills weave together a more comprehensive safety net to protect and uplift veterans and service members dealing with the complexities of life in the military, including the many ways in which service can impact someone’s family and loved ones. To the service members recognized by our newly designed Honor and Remember flag, we thank you for your ultimate sacrifice and mourn with your families and the rest of the state.”
HB0925: House Bill 0925 creates the “Veteran Service Organization State Charter Act.” This act lays out specific requirements organizations must meet in order to be considered state-chartered veterans service organizations. This is a voluntary process that includes demonstrating that an organization must be formed by and for veterans with a majority of board members who are veterans, alongside other financial and legal qualifications.
HB3103: House Bill 3103 eases the process of obtaining a civil no contact order of protection for victims and survivors of military sexual assault. In 2022, Governor Pritzker signed into law SB257, ensuring military sexual assault victims were able to access the same rights and protections as their civilian counterparts. SB 257 allowed Military Protective Orders to be used as a basis for the issuing of criminal domestic violence orders of protection, stalking no contact orders, and gave local law enforcement the ability to enforce a military protective order. This act expands on those efforts to ensure victims and survivors of military sexual assault have access to all necessary resources for protection. The U.S. Department of Defense has cited Illinois’ work in this area as a model for national reform.
HB3295: House Bill 3295 requires the military liaison for the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) to notify service members’ spouses of federal assistance programs to reimburse licensing fees when they apply to transfer a professional license to Illinois. Under federal law, military spouses may be reimbursed up to $1,000 for obtaining a professional license required when moving to a new state for military relocation. This includes exam and registration fees. Governor Pritzker has previously prioritized aiding military spouses with relocation by creating a liaison to assist eligible members and their spouses, and by expediting certain applications for review. The licensing reimbursement will be paid by the branch of the military the individual serves in.
HB2856: House Bill 2856 amends the Vital Records Act by adding that the death certificate for an individual who has history of military service may include or be amended to include whether or not a military service-related injury contributed to the cause of death. Having such a classification can expand and expedite access to benefits for the spouse or dependents of the deceased.
SB1072: Senate Bill 1072 designated the Honor and Remember flag as the specific symbol to acknowledge American service men and women who lost their lives in the line of duty. The flag was created by the father of Cpl. George ‘Tony’ Lutz II who was killed in action while on patrol in Fallujah, Iraq. The bill creates a mandate on public entities that would then be required to purchase the flag, which cost $55 each. Twenty other states officially recognize this flag.
* Illinois State Board of Education…
Illinois state agencies have released and incorporated new data into the High School 2 Career dashboard tool to ensure Illinois students have the information they need to make informed decisions about their postsecondary and career options. The tool enables students, parents, and guidance counselors to review a wide range of information on Illinois public high school seniors and their actual pathways after they graduate, including postsecondary education choices by degree type and academic area of study, as well as their career and salary outcomes. The interactive online dashboard is available in both English and Spanish. Tutorial videos are also available in both English and Spanish to assist users as they navigate the dashboard.
A data-sharing partnership among the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES), Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC), and Illinois State University (ISU), makes this newest iteration of the tool possible. It utilizes data from public school seniors representing five academic years– following their progress from high school through nine years post-gratuation to provide an unparalleled snapshot of the education requirements, compensation, and job stability a student can expect from hundreds of different occupations.
* Press release…
Governor Signs Manley-Preston Bill to Protect Against Lewd Displays in Prison
Everyone involved in corrections is entitled to be protected from lewd behavior in prisons. Rep. Natalie Manley (D-Joliet) and Sen. Willie Preston (D-Chicago) have now provided that protection. Governor Pritzker has signed their bill, HB1399, which creates an effective response to such behaviors as gassing, splashing and exposure in prisons by:
* Addressing the underlying motivations for this conduct by providing offenders with a Mental Health Treatment Court option.
* Punishing repeat offenses as a Class 4 felonies.
* Requiring data collection and a 2028 sunset to be able to evaluate the law’s effectiveness.
“Protecting our correctional community, especially female officers and staff, is absolutely necessary and long overdue,” Rep. Manley said. “This bill gives them a two-pronged approach that will result in real, ongoing protection against this behavior: Treatment for what causes the behavior to keep it from recurring and punishment for those who refuse to change their behavior with that treatment. After working with representatives of law enforcement and criminal justice advocates over the past year, I am proud to be able to sponsor a meaningful solution to this dangerous situation.”
“I was honored to sponsor this important piece of legislation which will keep our corrections officers safer in their place of work,” Sen. Preston said. “Ultimately, I believe it can help deter and prevent an ongoing issue of detainee sexual harassment and I am proud to have seen it pass in both houses.”
The bill was an initiative of Safer Foundation, which worked with Rep. Manley to convene a year-long series of workshops where advocacy groups and correctional authorities from the Cook and Will County Sheriffs developed this groundbreaking approach. The resulting legislation was supported by the Illinois FOP, the Illinois Sheriff’s Association, the Kane County State’s Attorney and the Midwest Region of the Laborer’s International Union. It was co-sponsored by a bi-partisan group that included both Democratic and Republican leadership and passed both chambers unanimously.
“This is the way good legislation is made,” said Safer Foundation Public Policy Analyst Mark McCombs. “Driven by Representative Manley’s commitment to this issue, diverse interests thoughtfully crafted an approach that works. It works because it gets to the root of what causes someone to act like this. It works because it treats a mental health issue with a mental health response. And it works because it protects the entire correctional community, including the vast majority of incarcerated individuals who also don’t want to be subjected to this conduct.”
Lewd behavior in correctional facilities has become an increasingly dangerous problem for correctional authorities. Those authorities have seen a rise in incidents where incarcerated individuals subject guards, staff, volunteers – often females — and even their cellmates to indecent exposure, sexual stimulation and the throwing of bodily fluids (commonly called “splashing” or “gassing”). Retaining staff under these circumstances is challenging. The stress created on staff who remain impacts their ability to perform already difficult jobs, including protecting incarcerated individuals. Previously, Illinois law provided no effective response to this conduct.
I omitted their quotes, but outside of the governor’s email above, I think that’s the only email I’ve received specifically touting a House Democrat’s newly signed law after Friday’s mass bill-signing. And that was from the Safer Foundation. Not sure what’s up over there.
* The Cardinals owners did this and it has proved very popular. Same with the area around that minor league park on the North Side…
Expansive development of the surrounding areas at major sports venues is topping the wish list of teams looking to bring new retail space, bars, restaurants and family activities closer to their home venues.
These “mini-cities” have proven to be major success stories in locales like Atlanta at the Battery connected to the Braves’ Truist Park and the ever-growing development around the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium as well as its headquarters in Frisco, Texas.
It’s the same dream the Chicago Bears are pursuing with the team’s plan to develop a $5 billion stadium and mixed-use entertainment district in the northwest suburb. Those initial plans seemed to have stalled, and the Bears are now listening to pitches on other municipalities, including Chicago itself. Mayor Brandon Johnson and any other hopeful to win the team to their side will almost certainly need to offer a site with ample space for such a development.
* My pledge to you…
If I ever antagonize my commenters by boosting the craziest comments, erratically scare off my advertisers because I’m being kind to Nazis and pedophiles, change my company’s well known and hard earned name and logo, y’all have my permission to hate me
* Crain’s | ComEd is on a marketing charm offensive — and you’re paying for a lot of it: These PR campaigns include the celebratory turning on of Buckingham Fountain in mid-May, which ComEd calls Switch on Summer. ComEd most recently promoted the event with three hours of “free family fun, live music and giveaways,” according to recent testimony filed with the Illinois Commerce Commission by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office.
* Sun-Times | We can make Chicago the nation’s best city for biking: One recent survey ranked Chicago near the bottom on bikeability among big cities. But with public support, the right changes can be made to make Chicago even safer for cyclists, an Active Transportation Alliance leader writes.
* Center Square | Illinois to invest millions into the state’s veterans homes: Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza visited the Illinois Veterans’ Home in Anna to highlight the renovation projects. As part of the nearly $3 million project, Mendoza said the entire HVAC ventilation system at the facility will be replaced.
* Crain’s | Danny Wirtz succeeds late father Rocky atop Wirtz Corp.: Danny Wirtz will take his father’s titles as chairman and president of Wirtz Corp., as the fourth generation of the family that owns the Chicago Blackhawks suddenly takes leadership of a sprawling and closely held business worth billions.
* Fox 32 | Illinois launching new program to help parents save for college education: The new program is called Illinois First Steps college savings programs and leaders are encouraging parents to open an account. Nearly $2.5 million is going toward the program, and parents who enroll can qualify for a deposit of $50 from the state.
* Tribune | Cresco and Columbia Care call off $2 billion cannabis megamerger; Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs deal also scratched: Chicago-based Cresco Labs and Columbia Care called off their $2 billion cannabis megamerger Monday, citing “evolving” market conditions that include falling stock prices, tightening credit and flattening industry sales. The companies also scratched the $185 million sale of cannabis facilities in Illinois, New York and Massachusetts to rapper/producer Sean “Diddy” Combs, which were part of required antitrust divestitures for the merger.
* Ms. | Illinois Law Holds Anti-Abortion ‘Crisis Pregnancy Centers’ Accountable for Misinformation and Fraud: Illinois is the fourth state, following Connecticut, Colorado and Vermont, to enact a law reigning in the deceptive practices of CPCs, also known as limited service pregnancy centers (LSPCs), which often masquerade as reproductive health clinics to lure vulnerable women, and use lies and disinformation about abortion to pressure them to carry pregnancies to term.
* Sun-Times | Loretto Hospital workers set to strike Monday morning: Workers have been working on a new contract with the hospital. Union members are demanding a living wage, more staffing and better working conditions.“Loretto is facing a significant staffing crisis, with vacancy rates ranging from 25 to 35% in various positions and an annual staff turnover of 60%,” the union said in a statement.
* Crain’s | Real estate giant Jones Lang LaSalle looks to unload part of HQ: The Chicago-based company this month formally began marketing more than 61,000 square feet at its Aon Center headquarters for sublease, according to a flyer. The space on the 47th and 48th floors represents about 30% of JLL’s workspace in the East Loop skyscraper, where its lease runs through May 2032.
* Mother Jones | Tesla Can’t Even Do the One Thing It’s Supposed to Be Good At: A new Reuters report calls into question Tesla’s ability to do the one thing that its vehicles were supposed to be good at: dominating the electric car industry with exceptional battery range. In fact, according to the report, Tesla intentionally overestimated the battery range displayed on drivers’ dashboards by rigging the software, only to then systematically cancel the service appointments of customers who complained. The company even established an entire Las Vegas “Diversion Team” devoted to canceling range-related appointments.
* The Root | The Alphas Pour Ice Cold Water On Their Florida Convention: Florida has targeted the Black community from restricting voting rights to banning books about basic Black history while completely ignoring the systemic racism being perpetuated by every bill they pass. It’s unsurprising that the oldest Black fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., pulled their upcoming conventions from Orlando.
* Crain’s | ‘Barbenheimer’ sets records at Chicago theaters : Officials at AMC Theaters, the nation’s largest movie theater operator, say three of its Chicago outlets garnered their highest-ever box office tallies last week, thanks to boffo business done by “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer.”
* News Channel 20 | Local restaurants start to prepare for State Fair: At Main Gate Bar and Grill, Keeley’s Place, and Kentucky Burn, Co-Owner Bill Tinsley said he’s starting to get ready. He said a tent will be put up between Keeley’s Place and Main Gate for the restaurant and bar. He plans to order double or triple the amount of food for customers coming in during the fair. He’s also planning to make room for up to 70 parking spaces.
* WICS | Redneck fishing tournament returns to Bath, Illinois: On Friday, people head to the Village of Bath in Mason County to come and see how many fish they can get to jump into their boats or snag out of the air with landing nets during two, 2-hour heats. The first heat is from noon to 2 p.m. The second is from 4 to 6 p.m.
Ever want to skip the line at the Illinois DMV? Now you can
Illinois department of motor vehicle offices are known for having long lines and wait times, but relief may be on the way.
Some offices are going appointment-only for certain services, and all offices will be open longer.
It’s all part of Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias’ “Skip-the-Line” program, aimed at improving customer service and reducing wait times.
There is no such thing as the “Illinois department of motor vehicle.” From 2014…
And note that it is not called the DMV – the Department of Motor Vehicles, which is what people want to call the office because people watch TV, and programs are filmed in California, where they have a Department of Motor Vehicles, or DMV, and it is referred to as such by its acronym. It’s wrong.
Agree or disagree, like it or hate it, the only mention in state statute of the phrase “Department of Motor Vehicles” is a small section about out-of-state DMVs.
* A few years ago, then-Secretary of State Jesse White said he’d given in and would start referring to drivers’ services facilities as DMVs. And now even the SoS website uses the term…
If they want to officially rebrand a state entity, maybe pass a law first.
* Or, I dunno. Maybe the reason I’m just so peevish about this right now is because of Elon’s shenanigans…
I used to go to a “session” restaurant quite often. It was a fun place. The new owners immediately got rid of the hugely popular piano, changed the delicious steaks by drowning them in sauce, refused to serve a baked potato and didn’t appear to like their purchased customer base pic.twitter.com/9jxQXKf9gi
Alabama Republicans on Friday defied a U.S. Supreme Court order by passing a new congressional map that includes only one majority-Black district.
The GOP-controlled Legislature had called a special session to redraw an earlier map after the Supreme Court reaffirmed a federal court order to include two districts where Black voters make up voting-age majorities, “or something quite close to it.” But on Friday, state Republicans approved a new map with just one majority-Black seat and a second district that is approximately 40% Black.
The bill passed the House in a 75-28 vote after the Senate voted 24 to 6 in favor of the revised map.
The map was completed Friday afternoon — hours before the court-ordered deadline for the Legislature to draw up new boundaries — as a compromise between the House and Senate versions.
Republican Gov. Kay Ivey signed the redistricting map into law Friday night. A federal court will hold a hearing on the map Aug. 14.
The Florida Department of Education determined that educational materials geared toward young children and high school students created by PragerU, a nonprofit co-founded by conservative radio host Dennis Prager, was in alignment with the state’s standards on how to teach civics and government to K-12 students.
The content — some of which is narrated by conservative personalities such as Candace Owens and Tucker Carlson — features cartoons, five-minute video history lessons and story-time shows for young children and is part of a brand called PragerU Kids. And the lessons share a common message: Being pro-American means aligning oneself to mainstream conservative talking points.
“We are in the mind-changing business and few groups can say that,” Prager says in a promotional video for PragerU as a whole. He reiterated this sentiment this summer at a conference for the conservative group Moms for Liberty in Philadelphia, saying it is “fair” to say PragerU indoctrinates children.
“It’s true we bring doctrines to children,” Prager told the group. “ But what is the bad about our indoctrination?” […]
Some videos talk about the history of race relations and slavery. In one video, two kids travel back in time to meet Christopher Columbus, who tells them that he should not be judged for enslaving people because the practice was “no big deal” in his time. Columbus argued to the kids that he did not see a problem with it because “being taken as a slave is better than being killed.”
Wisconsin is just one of a growing number of states where predominantly Republican lawmakers are making quiet moves to roll back the alcohol service age, so that kids who can’t legally buy alcohol – or in Wisconsin’s case, even drive a car – would be allowed to serve hard drinks to customers at bars and restaurants. In addition to alleviating the labor shortage, lawmakers behind the bills argue letting kids serve alcohol would give them valuable work experience.
That’s left some opponents of the bills at a loss for words. “It’s bizarre. I can’t believe that we’re even having this conversation,” says Ryan Clancy, a Democratic state legislator who represents parts of Milwaukee, where he also owns an entertainment center that serves alcohol. He’s seen how drunk customers can harass workers, and “the idea that we would expose Wisconsin’s children to harassment through this is just unconscionable. It’s not only an erosion of labor, but our willingness to protect our kids.”
Until recently, every US state required a worker serving alcohol in a bar or restaurant to be at least 18 to 21. These minimums in part reflect the legacy of the movement to end child labor in the 20th century, says Betsy Wood, a historian of child labor at Bard Early College.
But according to a report published last week by the Economic Policy Institute, at least seven states have enacted laws to lower their alcohol service age since 2021, including West Virginia and Iowa, which lowered the minimum age to 16, and Michigan, which lowered it to 17. The bills are backed by restaurant lobbying groups as part of a broader effort to loosen child labor laws “to cut labor costs and deregulate employment”, the report writes – at a time when child labor violations are on the rise across the country.
The largest school district in Texas announced its libraries will be eliminated and replaced with discipline centers in the new school year.
Houston independent school district announced earlier this summer that librarian and media-specialist positions in 28 schools will be eliminated as part of superintendent Mike Miles’s “new education system” initiative.
Teachers at these schools will soon have the option to send misbehaving students to these discipline centers, or “team centers’” – designated areas where they will continue to learn remotely.
News of the library removals comes after the state announced it would be taking over the district, effective in the 2023-24 school year, due to poor academic performance. Miles was appointed by the the Texas Education Agency in June.
Arkansas is temporarily blocked from enforcing a law that would have allowed criminal charges against librarians and booksellers for providing “harmful” materials to minors, a federal judge ruled Saturday.
U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks issued a preliminary injunction against the law, which also would have created a new process to challenge library materials and request that they be relocated to areas not accessible by kids. The measure, signed by Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders earlier this year, was set to take effect Aug. 1.
A coalition that included the Central Arkansas Library System in Little Rock had challenged the law, saying fear of prosecution under the measure could prompt libraries and booksellers to no longer carry titles that could be challenged.
The judge also rejected a motion by the defendants, which include prosecuting attorneys for the state, seeking to dismiss the case.
Hundreds of books would be banned in Urbandale schools, providing the first full scope of just how many titles could be removed from schools under a new Iowa law that forbids teaching about gender identity and prohibits publications that depict sex acts.
The Des Moines Register obtained a list of 374 books that the Urbandale Community School District believes could violate Senate File 496, which, among other changes, requires teachers and administrators to review their libraries and classrooms for books that depict sex acts and prohibits them from buying them in the first place.
The law also prohibits schools from providing instruction about gender identity or sexual orientation before seventh grade, which Urbandale officials believe includes books, according to instructions provided on the list.
Teachers in the school district of about 4,000 students northwest of Des Moines have been instructed to remove those books, which include children’s picture books, titles with LGBTQ themes, and classics like “Ulysses,” “The Catcher in the Rye” and “The Color Purple.”
* Gov. Pritzker was asked again today about the paused enrollment to the program that pays medical costs for undocumented immigrants aged 42-64. Where do those folks go now?…
So you may recall that there was a time when we didn’t have any program- HBIA, HBIS, those are the names of the programs - for people who were illegal, undocumented rather, here in Illinois. There was no program for them. What did they do? We have free clinics, we have hospitals and emergency rooms that they were going to. I would prefer if we had universal health care. I think that every person on the ground [applause] had access to the health care that they need. Meanwhile, there are, you know, we haven’t done that in the United States and we’re trying really hard to do that in the state of Illinois. There’s still more work to do.
So what will those folks do? We have free clinics. We have, by the way, the open program still for seniors who are undocumented immigrants. And so that program remains open, there’s thousands more slots. But as far as I’m concerned, we need to make sure that we’re also balancing our budget and providing health care. So we support many of those free clinics, the state does and will continue to do that. I think that we ought to have the program that we already have in place for undocumented immigrants cover more people. But we need to make sure that we’re doing it in a cost efficient fashion. And to me, that means running it like Medicaid, because it wasn’t being run like Medicaid. It was on a fee for service basis.
But I think we can run it efficiently and make sure that we’re reopening the program, again, within our budgetary constraints. I think you’re aware that a very deep concern of mine for the state of Illinois making sure that we balance our budgets, run surpluses so that we can afford to do the things that we think are important to protect people across the state. And so I’m going to continue to try to balance all those interests.
While overpayments in “regular” unemployment insurance accounted for a little over $2 billion, overpayments in the PUA program amounted to $3.2 billion, according to the audit.
“Considering gross benefits associated with regular UI claims were 2.5 times higher than gross benefits associated with PUA claims, it shows the magnitude of fraud experienced in the PUA program,” the audit said.
Identity theft accounted for nearly $511 million – roughly a quarter – of the $2 billion in overpayments within Illinois’ regular unemployment benefits system. In contrast, identity theft accounted for the majority of overpayments in the PUA system; $2.3 billion in PUA benefits were paid out in this manner.
The remainder of overpayments are due to what the audit narrowly defines as “fraud” – overpayments resulting from unemployment recipients filing knowingly false information – and “non-fraud,” which is the result of genuine mistakes. IDES has taken steps to stop or claw back these sorts of overpayments, though there are hardship waivers available.
But recovery of that money is only possible because those overpayments were sent to the true claimants of unemployment insurance, the audit notes. Illinois is out of luck on the $2.8 billion in overpayments IDES paid out to those using stolen identities.
* The UI fraud, however, represented over half of the state’s overall debt to the trust fund. From March of last year…
Illinois lawmakers this week advanced a measure to allocate $2.7 billion in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to pay down more than half of the state’s outstanding $4.5 billion Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund debt. […]
Rep. Jay Hoffman, a Swansea Democrat who is a lead House negotiator on unemployment issues, said discussions continue with business and labor interests on addressing the remaining $1.8 billion. But at least $2.5 billion was needed to keep those negotiations moving forward.
“This is an agreed bill process. Business and labor have to agree or we’re not going to move the bill,” he said of ongoing negotiations to pay down the $1.8 billion. “This was a budgetary measure in order to make it easier on the agreed bill process.”
Lawmakers on Tuesday announced a bipartisan plan to use state revenues to pay down the remaining $1.4 billion in debt taken on by the state’s Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Part of the agreement is expected to move through the General Assembly this week before lawmakers adjourn for the year. It would increase an employee’s “taxable wage base” – which is the amount of an employee’s wages for which an employer must pay unemployment taxes – by 2.4 percent for each of the next five years. It would also increase the target balance of the fund’s reserves from $1 billion to $1.75 billion.
It does not decrease the number of weeks or maximum amounts of benefits an unemployed person can receive. […]
Also as part of the agreement, the $450 million in state revenue to supplement the trust fund balance will be in the form of a no-interest loan. It is to be repaid over 10 years as a deposit in the state’s “rainy day” fund, which has its highest-ever balance over $1 billion.
Governor JB Pritzker today joined state leaders, healthcare providers, and advocates to announce several initiatives and programs targeted to lower barriers of access to reproductive care for families. These programs focus on navigating systems, reducing costs for patients, and supporting healthcare facilities, building on years of investment in and prioritization of reproductive care in the public health system.
“Unlike some other states, in the fourteen months since the Supreme Court made the archaic and destructive decision to overturn Roe V. Wade, Illinois has doubled down on our commitment to protect and expand reproductive rights for patients and providers alike,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This most recent batch of nation-leading policy expands access even further—because in the Land of Lincoln, we will not go backwards. Illinois will remain a safe haven for women — and I will continue to do everything in my power to ensure widespread, equitable access to reproductive rights.”
“Illinois continues to lead in the fight to protect women and anyone seeking reproductive care. While others attempt to roll back rights and restrict bodily autonomy, our state is forging ahead to build the groundwork for comprehensive, accessible reproductive healthcare,” said Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton. “By addressing barriers to seeking an abortion and supporting providers who meet patients’ needs, these cross-agency initiatives demonstrate what it means to stand on the right side of history in the fight for reproductive justice.”
The initiatives announced today include:
Partnership between IHFS, IDPH, UIC, RUSH, and the Chicago Abortion Fund to create a hospital navigation program: CARLA (Complex Abortion Regional Line for Access), launching in August, is designed to give appropriate and expeditious treatment to patients who present for abortions at clinics who need a higher level of care than can be provided at the clinics. The nurse-staffed and specially trained hotline will aid patients with complex medical needs in scheduling appointments within hospital systems, acquiring required pre-operative testing, and arranging payment, transportation, and childcare for treatment.
Request for Proposals for a public facing hotline for abortion service navigation: IDPH received $10 million for this program in the FY2024 budget. The Reproductive Health Public Navigation Hotline will aid patients, including those travelling from out of state, in finding and navigating care. Illinois has seen a massive influx in patients travelling from out of state as other states in the region and beyond have passed increasingly restrictive anti-choice legislation, necessitating increased support for those navigating these systems.
Creation of a Family Planning Program for Medicaid: The program provides comprehensive coverage for family planning services for people otherwise not eligible for Medicaid based on income threshold. This plan raises the income eligibility above threshold for the regular Medicaid program and includes services such as an annual preventive exam, family planning counseling, all Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved methods of contraception, permanent methods of birth control (tubal ligation or vasectomy), and basic infertility counseling. Additional examples of services include cervical cancer screening and treatment, screening mammograms, breast cancer gene (BRCA) genetic counseling and testing as applicable, vaccines that support reproductive health, abortion care, and transportation for family planning visits. By leveraging federal Medicaid funds in addition to the Title X grant dollars, Illinois is making family planning services more affordable and accessible for residents across the state.
Capital Grant Program: The first-of-its-kind Illinois Reproductive Health Facilities Capital Grant Program will be administered by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and provides $5 million in capital funding through Rebuild Illinois to support reproductive health care providers in Illinois that are experiencing increased demand for their services. The capital grants fund improvements and repairs, new construction, security upgrades, and equipment to increase capacity and enhance safety, which includes the purchase of vehicles for mobile care units.
Authorization of reproductive health reimbursement for state employees who work out of state: Approximately 1,600 female state employees or dependents live out-of-state, including some in states where access to reproductive healthcare has been seriously restricted. The Travel Reimbursement Program, modeled after an existing state program for organ donation and adoption, will cover transportation and lodging for state employees who must travel to access safe and sufficient reproductive healthcare.
State Rep. Mike Marron (R-Fithian) announced he will not seek reelection today.
“Serving the citizens of Vermilion and Champaign Counties in the General Assembly has been a great honor. I’ve appreciated all the support from the constituents of the 104th and the partnerships we’ve built from my days as Vermilion County Board Chairman to my time in the State House. I feel lucky to have been part of a team that accomplished some good things over those years. My favorite part of the job was always helping constituents resolve some significant issues they needed help with. Those successes were largely due to my outstanding staff members who always worked as hard as possible. A special thank you to Tracie Petersak, Barb Nelson, and Marguerite Bailey for those efforts. I am announcing I will not seek reelection again for State Representative in 2024.
Thank you to everyone who was a part of my successes over the years. It really has been a humbling experience. It is time to focus on my family farm and spend more time with my wife and daughter. After all, there is so much more to life than politics.”
Marron’s retirement might give the Democrats a chance to compete, depending upon who wins the GOP primary.
…Adding… Leader McCombie…
House Republican Leader Tony McCombie released the following statement after Assistant House Republican Leader Mike Marron announced he will not be seeking reelection:
“Mike Marron is a reasonable and thoughtful voice in the General Assembly and for the residents he serves in central Illinois. He is a strong advocate for hardworking Illinoisans—and I join the many who will never forget his several-day demonstration outside the IDES offices, supporting constituents from his district and around the state through some of our hardest times. This is one of many examples of the true leadership he exemplifies. He has made his mark in our statehouse, and as my friend, I look forward to celebrating the great things he accomplishes in the years to come.”
The next appointment to the state Senate will expose the strength of Chicago progressives vs. old-school pols.
State Rep. Lakesia Collins (9th), a progressive who heads the Illinois House Black Caucus, is talking to multiple people about running for the seat and is already lining up support from progressives, including the powerful Chicago Teachers Union, SEIU 73, Healthcare and Local 1 and some trade unions, too.
State Rep. Jawaharial “Omar” Williams (10th) also wants to be appointed.
And get this: Williams is the son of Ald. and Vice Mayor Walter Burnett Jr., who in the Chicago way also sits on the Democratic committee that will appoint the new senator.
The 5th District Senate seat is opening up with the retirement of Sen. Patricia Van Pelt.
Forget conflict of interest: Burnett has the weighted vote, meaning his voice counts nearly double when the Democratic leaders gather to make the appointment. He told Playbook that “yes” he will be part of the selection process. Ald. Jason Ervin (28th) also has a strong voice on the committee.
Thoughts and prayers for any political directors tasked with stitching together 50% + 1 votes among these Dem committee people in charge of replacing retiring State Senator Van Pelt. h/t @politico_ilhttps://t.co/nUgrsoehmxpic.twitter.com/ao84JqKVRg
A new bill allowing eligible non-U.S. citizens in Illinois to become police officers was signed into law by Governor J. B. Pritzker on Friday, amid criticism from some Republican lawmakers. […]
The bill’s primary sponsor, Democratic Rep. Barbara Hernandez, defended the bill saying that the measure is a “natural progression” of the federal government’s 2021 decision to allow some undocumented immigrants to become healthcare workers and military members, as reported by CBS News.
According to the bill’s description on the Illinois General Assembly’s website, it amends the state’s Municipal Code providing 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.”
Eligible non-U.S. citizens are subject “to all requirements and limitations, other than citizenship, to which other applicants are subject,” and must be able to obtain, carry, purchase, or otherwise possess a firearm under federal law.
So - and this is important - if they can’t obtain federal authorization to possess a firearm, they’re out of luck.
* Criticism from a couple of federal lawmakers is highlighted in the article…
At 5pm yesterday, when no one was paying attention, Pritzker signed a bill to allow illegal immigrants to become police officers, giving non-citizens the power to arrest citizens in our state. No sane state would allow foreign nationals to arrest their citizens, this is madness!
But the bill passed the House 100-7. It had less bipartisan support in the Senate, but still passed easily.
* The Illinois FOP is quoted in the article as being virulently opposed, but the group never officially registered a position with the General Assembly either way, so what the heck were they doing when the bill was being crafted?
On the other hand, Chicago FOP Lodge #7 was an early proponent as was the Illinois Municipal League. The Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police was originally opposed, but then switched to neutral after the bill was changed. The Illinois Sheriffs’ Association slipped as neutral.
*** UPDATE *** Gov. Pritzker was asked about US Rep. Mary Miller’s claim during a press conference today and gave a full-throated response…
That’s wrong. That’s false. I appreciate you asking the question, because as usual the far-right is proposing and putting out their false information. They’re saying that we’re allowing illegal, illegal immigrants is the word that they would use. You know, undocumented immigrants are not allowed to become police officers in the state of Illinois. What we have allowed is legal permanent residents and DACA recipients now to become police officers. So we have the ability for people who are legally in this country. And again, permanent residents or DACA recipients now to apply for jobs as police officers.
But I am tired of the right wing twisting these things. They put it out on Facebook, they tell lies. They attack based upon those lies. They’re perpetuating lies. So there are people out there that think that we’re just allowing anybody to become a police officer, that’s just not accurate. Two other states already have provided this. We have a US military that has 35,000 immigrants who are not US citizens who are serving in the US military today. 8,000 more sign up every year. We allow that in our US military. We allow it in a couple of other states and more states are adding on to this list of states that are allowing legal permanent residents. So I’m proud that we are doing this I think it’s the right thing. To do. It’s also good for our police departments. And oh, by the way, the Fraternal Order of Police has supported it.
The Illinois marijuana market is one of the most expensive in the nation and among the smallest as far as the number of brands – but it also offers plenty of opportunity for entrepreneurs, according to a new report from Seattle-based Headset.
Despite the size of the Illinois cannabis landscape – “one of the largest markets in the country,” the report begins – it’s surprisingly homogenous and dominated by just a handful of brands, which keeps prices artificially high compared to other states, Headset reported.
Illinois has just 118 active cannabis brands, and only 10 of those brands account for 68% of sales, Headset found, putting it “dead last” nationally as far as brand diversity. That’s almost 53% fewer brands than Arizona, which came in second for the fewest cannabis brands and is also mostly vertically integrated, similar to Illinois’ market structure.
By contrast, Washington state has more than 1,000 cannabis brands.
More facilities are coming online, so hopefully that’ll bring down prices.
As of June 2023, Illinois has some of the highest cannabis prices in the country. Illinois’ average item price is 46% higher at $33.82 than the second highest Massachusetts and has a 36% higher price per gram ahead of Nevada. The high vertical integration coupled with the small brand selection likely contributes to a situation where prices are allowed to stay relatively high. Compare that to Washington State which has well over a thousand distinct brands versus 118 in Illinois. Additionally, Washington has some of the lowest prices in the country with an average item price that is 61% less than in Illinois. A strong contrast between mature and emerging markets. Poor access is another factor likely contributing to expensive cannabis. This spring Illinois only had 118 operating retailers compared to several hundred in states with equal or smaller consumer bases. This number is comparable to the number of retailers in Maryland’s medical cannabis program prior to their July 1st adult-use launch.
*Equivalized quantity (EQ) price is the price per gram for inhalable products
Examining the average item price (AIP) and equivalized quantity (EQ) price in Illinois versus the rest of the US we can see that prices are falling across the board. The AIP in Illinois is currently 89% higher than the rest of the US market and EQ Price is 97% higher. In the last year, EQ price has dropped 26.8% compared to 17.3% nationally. AIP is much more stubborn, with the rate of compression being slower than the rest of the US market. Moving to value-driven formats (more THC per dollar) maybe be the cause of the rapidly falling EQ prices.
While Millennials make up 45% of total sales, there is a higher Baby Boomer and Gen X representation in the Illinois market. Consumers over the age of 41 typically account for 36.4% of sales, however, in Illinois they capture 42.1% of total sales. There is also a slight skew towards women compared to the national market.
Chicago taxpayers spent $280 million to resolve lawsuits alleging Chicago police officers committed a wide range of misconduct — including false arrest and excessive force — from spring 2019 to spring 2023, according to an analysis of city data by WTTW News. […]
Inspector General Deborah Witzburg in September sounded the alarm about the escalating costs of police misconduct, releasing an audit that found the city does not collect enough data to “effectively manage the risk of expense to the city and harm to its residents arising out of CPD’s operations.”
That lack of detail means city officials rarely link settlements or verdicts — which can run into the millions of dollars — to specific complaints of misconduct, and do not analyze what led up to the incident in an effort to prevent similar cases by disciplining officers, retraining them or offering them counseling or other treatment, Witzburg said.
“We are writing enormous checks and leaving a tremendous opportunity for reform on the table,” Witzburg said. “It is a staggering amount of money.”
The ordinance that created the Civilian Office of Police Accountability calls for a representative of the agency, which is charged with investigating police misconduct, to be present while the City Council’s Finance Committee weighs whether to endorse recommendations from the city’s lawyers to settle a case. But they never are, Witzburg said.
That allows those discussions to “devolve into a shadow trial” about whether the officers committed misconduct, without all of the facts available to members of the committee.
Illinois Republicans have been saying ever since a state budget deal was announced by the majority Democrats that not enough money was appropriated for fiscal year 2024 to pay for the new AFSCME Council 31 employee union contract. Some have even predicted that the contract plus other spending pressures, including health care for undocumented immigrants, will eventually lead to a tax hike.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in June, weeks before the contract was finalized, that the GOP claim was “one of those false things that Republicans like to say about the budget.” In fact, he said, “We built in what we thought might be the appropriate amount of money for what we expect from that AFSCME negotiation.”
The contract ended up with a fiscal year 2024 price tag of $204 million (the Republicans had predicted costs of $200-300 million). So, where is that money in the budget, which passed a month before the negotiations ended?
I turned to Carol Knowles, who is the deputy director for communications at the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget (GOMB).
“The agencies officially did not budget for COLAs in their budget submissions,” Knowles said via email of employee cost of living raises. And she said her office didn’t give the agencies any guidance about the topic, either, “as that would be not respectful of the labor negotiation process by indicating ahead of time what number the administration was willing to pay.” It also wouldn’t be smart negotiating to tip the state’s bargaining hand in advance, but she didn’t say that.
Because the cost increases weren’t submitted to the legislature, “some lawmakers may have interpreted that as ‘there is no money in the budget for the union contract,’” Knowles said.
But, Knowles continued, “There was cushion in agency budgets to assist them in managing in the new fiscal year.”
Knowles explained that GOMB, “spends most of the year building and planning for upcoming fiscal year agency budgets, and have a lot of knowledge regarding individual agency spending patterns, hiring patterns, lag time to hire and appropriation flexibilities, that sort of thing, and work with agencies to estimate when/if in a fiscal year people will be hired, how many will retire, and what the new folks will earn, etc.”
So, she said, “Early in the budget building process last fall for Fiscal Year 2024, one of the things GOMB did was work to identify what the cost of a 1% COLA for AFSCME employees might mean for each individual agency. We could scale that number when we needed to. That data would then give us a good basis/knowledge going into the spring session.”
Knowles continued that they put some “additional funding/flexibility” into the governor’s budget proposal in February beyond cost of living increases.
I had zero luck getting any actual numbers from the budget office, but Knowles did provide a hint, saying part of what they did earlier this year “was provide more flexibility than in a typical year on various assumptions we use to build the personal services budget,” to help the agencies “absorb some of the likely costs that would be associated with a new contract.”
They then shifted more salary dollars around in the final budget package, she said. And then they gave the agencies even more flexibility by allowing them to repurpose up to 8 percent of their operating budget for other uses. “So, while we didn’t know the dollar amount that would be needed, we believe we have put good tools in place to allow agencies to be able to manage much of the first year impact,” Knowles said.
Now that the contract has been ratified, Knowles said, “we will be working with the agencies to determine whether our various assumptions will work for the agencies.”
I asked for more specifics of how the “cushion” was built. “Increased appropriation authority was added to various lines,” was all Knowles replied.
OK, so the bottom line is we still don’t know where that money was stashed in order to create a “cushion” for agencies. A little extra appropriated here and there, particularly for salaries, is what it looks like.
Allowing agencies to transfer up to 8% of their appropriations between line items is also key. That money can be moved around to pay for 22 different categories of spending, including personal services, pension contributions, group health insurance, etc. So, they basically could’ve padded just about anything.
I assume the budget office refused to reveal much because it would provide keys to legislators and others to figure out how they do the voodoo they do. But this is beyond opaque.
* WSJ | J.B. Pritzker, Public Union Boss: 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).
* Capitol News Illinois | Pritzker signs bill overhauling mandatory supervised release: “Our current supervision system too often operates unfairly, with rules that make it simply a revolving door back to jail,” Pritzker said at a bill signing ceremony in Chicago. “In fact, more than 25 percent of people who are released from prison in Illinois end up back behind bars, not because they’re recidivists, but instead for a noncriminal technical violation.”
* CBS Chicago | Meek Mill on hand as Gov. Pritzker signs parole system overhaul bill: Rapper Meek Mill stood by Pritzker’s side as he signed the new law. The rapper talked about how he was in and out of prison for years because of a drug problem. He said he got his life back on track after a parole officer got him into a drug treatment program. The new law limits when a parolee can be drug tested.
* JG-TC | Niemerg to seek reelection to state House seat: In a news release, Niemerg highlighted his sponsorship of HB 2607, a bill to protect minors under 13 in abuse cases allowing them to give remote testimony via closed-circuit television which was signed into law.
* Greg Hinz | Good intentions aren’t enough to shape smart tax policy: A few facts: According to the city, on an average night, 4,139 Chicagoans are homeless — and that’s not counting refugees. Over the course of a year, 65,611 will spend at least one night on the street or sacked out on a welcoming friend’s couch, about 11,000 of them of school age. Ordinance advocates have seized on the larger number, arguing that it’s big enough that the homeless actually could constitute Chicago’s 51st Ward. The proposed solution would more than triple the city’s real-estate transfer tax, moving it from the current 0.75% of the sales price to 2.65%, on property sales of $1 million or more.
* The Real Deal | All hands on deck: CRE lobby preps opposition to Chicago transfer tax hike: “We’re presuming or working off the version that was introduced previously,” Chicagoland Apartment Association’s Michael Mini said. “It remains to be seen whether the actual ordinance will be exactly like the previous versions that were introduced or there will be some changes.”
* Sun-Times | Groups call for safe-use site as opioid overdose deaths climb: Each of the purple boxes on the West Side was stocked with 200 doses of naloxone (also known by the brand name Narcan), along with instructions on how to use the overdose antidote drug. But that effort will only help so much, prevention groups say, until the state allows safe-use sites to be created. At a safe-use site, users could get high under the watch of care providers.
* Tribune | Mayor Brandon Johnson’s first big fiscal test: How to translate campaign promises into dollars and cents: Each year, the mayor’s office hosts a series of community roundtables across the city to ask Chicagoans for their budget wish lists. Johnson added a special roundtable for a constituency he discussed repeatedly during his run for mayor — teens and young adults — and the administration plans to hold public comment sessions after the official budget proposal is released this fall.
* Tribune | Google plans to open in the Thompson Center by 2026. Will the tech giant help revitalize the Loop?: Google has been credited with sparking the redevelopment of whole neighborhoods when it opens an office. Well-paid workers flock to such areas, including New York’s Meatpacking District, where Google opened more than a decade ago. Google has attracted other tech firms eager to catch the New York neighborhood’s new vibe, sparking new business for nearby restaurants and retail.
* SJ-R | Buscher selected for 2023 class of Edgar Fellows: Forty elected and appointed officials from all levels of government, leaders of non-profit and labor organizations and business leaders make up the class which will meet for the first time at its Executive Leadership Training Program held Aug. 6-10. The program, started in 2012, is housed at the University of Illinois System’s Institute of Government and Public Affairs in Urbana-Champaign.
* Sun-Times | Nation’s first residency program for free-ranging wildlife veterinarians has been wide-ranging and fruitful: In July of last year, Winter became the pioneer in the nation’s first wildlife residency program accredited by the American College of Zoological Medicine. The Chicago Zoological Society, which manages Brookfield Zoo, the FPCC and and the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine collaborated on Illinois Zoological and Wildlife Health Management Residency.
The South Suburban Airport may soon be reality, thanks to a law championed by State Senator Napoleon Harris, III.
For the last 40 years, lawmakers have attempted to secure a south suburban airport in the Monee community. Where many lawmakers have failed – Harris (D-Harvey) fought and held the state accountable to fulfill its promises to the South Suburbs by requiring the state to establish the process to find partners in the construction of a new south suburban airport.
“This is a touchdown for communities across the South Suburbs,” Harris said. “This airport will serve as an economic engine for our communities and provide local businesses with access to global markets for generations to come.”
The South Suburban Airport Act, which became law more than a decade ago, established that the state may develop a prequalification process. Since its enactment, no process has been established until Harris’ advocacy and leadership in getting this venture into the end zone.
Harris has worked tirelessly to secure this vital resource that will generate new opportunities for job creation and local revenue and help residents across the Southern Cook and Will counties to improve their quality of life.
“For years, the residents of our district have been promised this economic tool,” Harris said. “I am proud to be able to partner with local community leaders to bring home this win for the region.”
This accomplishment will be truly appreciated by communities across the South Suburbs who have been promised access to this vital infrastructure for decades.
House Bill 2531 was signed into law on Friday and goes into effect Jan. 1, 2024.
* Glowiak Hilton…
All schools in Illinois will now be required to supply opioid antagonists for students thanks to a new law led by State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton.
“By ensuring that naloxone is readily available to all students in Illinois, we are helping save our children’s lives,” said Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs). “The opioid epidemic has taken a toll on our communities. It’s time we develop and implement the necessary precautions to protect everyone in our classrooms.”
House Bill 3428 will require all K-12 school districts to maintain a supply of an opioid antagonist, a medication that can be used to reverse an opioid overdose, in a secure location. Naloxone should be given to any person who shows signs of an opioid overdose or when an overdose is suspected.
The Illinois Department of Public Health reported that opioid overdoses in Illinois have increased 33% from 2019 to 2020, with there being 2,944 opioid overdose fatalities.
“Increasing accessibility of naloxone will provide our educators and faculty with another tool to combat this epidemic,” said Glowiak Hilton. “We need to take every precaution we can to save lives and end this horrific crisis.”
House Bill 3428 was signed into law Friday and goes into effect Jan. 1 2024.
* Koehler…
Drug manufacturers and distributors will now be unable to spike the costs of generic medication thanks to a law spearheaded by State Senator Dave Koehler.
“Every Illinoisan deserves affordable access to necessary medication,” said Koehler (D-Peoria). “This law prevents companies from robbing residents just for an extra buck.”
House Bill 3957 creates the Illinois Generic Drug Pricing Fairness Act, which prohibits manufacturers and distributors from engaging in price gouging of essential off-patent and generic medication.
“We need to stake a stand for our residents and prohibit companies from these manipulative schemes,” said Koehler. “There should never be a situation when someone has to decide between picking up their medication or groceries for their family.”
House Bill 3957 was signed into law Friday and goes into effect Jan. 1, 2024.
* Simmons…
To increase gender inclusivity across the state of Illinois and within state agencies, State Senator Mike Simmons championed a new law that will support state employees who identify as non-binary or gender non-conforming by integrating them into the state’s diverse workforce initiatives.
“This law will ensure our state’s workforce reflects the diversity of our population,” said Simmons (D-Chicago). “Recognizing and respecting every identity in the workforce is basic common decency, and everyone deserves to feel seen and supported by the field they want to enter.”
The new law adds state employees who identify as non-binary or gender non-conforming to the list of women, minorities and persons with physical disabilities in regards to agencies tracking this information to help guide efforts to achieve a more diversified state workforce.
“Recognizing gender non-conforming and non-binary people in our state government and state agencies is the first step to promoting inclusivity and bringing different perspectives to the table,” Simmons said.
House Bill 2297 was signed into law on Friday and goes into effect on July 1, 2025.
* Simmons…
To increase the safety of pedestrians and cyclists, State Senator Mike Simmons successfully championed a set of new laws to require permanent vehicle crossing signs to be added to bike trails and created a task force to monitor the impact of local bicycle and pedestrian plans.
“Last summer we lost the lives of two children, on two separate occasions, to cyclists’ accidents in our community,” said Simmons (D-Chicago). “We want our residents to feel safe by providing them with the security of increased protections for pedestrians and cyclists to prevent heartbreaking tragedies like we experienced last year.”
Senate Bill 1710 requires bike trails to have warning signs along the path warning pedestrians and cyclists of a vehicle crossing at least 150 feet in advance. The new law ensures cyclists on a trail have ample warning to know when to slow down and stop before a busy intersection. Permanent signage on state roadways warning vehicles of bicycle trail crossings also must be added within 150 feet of a trail crossing so vehicles can yield. Signs to warn cyclists of other trail hazards, damage to the trail, and maintenance of the trail will be installed.
Additionally, House Bill 2131 creates the Zero Traffic Fatalities Task Force to help reduce bicycle accidents on roads by reporting detailed analysis of existing practices around speed limits, the reduction of speed limits, the steps to eliminate vehicular, pedestrian, and bicycle fatalities on roads, and their lasting impact.
“We can prevent bicycle injuries and accidents by following the rules of the road and watching out for each other,” Simmons said. “I am happy to see these initiatives go into effect to make roadways and bike trails safer for everyone.”
Senate Bill 1710 was signed into law on Friday and goes into effect Jan. 1, 2024. House Bill 2131 was signed into law on Friday and goes into effect immediately.
* Porfirio…
Military service members and the Department of Revenue will see improvements when it comes to requesting and processing sales tax exemptions, thanks to a new law sponsored by State Senator Mike Porfirio.
“There are many sacrifices that our service men and women have made and they deserve any appreciation we can give them,” said Porfirio (D-Lyons Township). “This legislation removes the burden on our service members and provides them with a simpler way to receive this sales tax exemption.”
Senate Bill 1705 would eliminate the need for sales tax exemption certificates by members of the military. Instead, when making an exempt purchase, a service member can present a valid military ID and a form of payment where the military organization is the payor, as well as complete a form by the Department of Revenue.
Currently, the process to receive such exemption requires a single-use sales tax exemption certificate. This has caused the Department of Revenue’s exemption certificate system to become cluttered, with military members frequently applying for certificates as they relocate. Additionally, military members often require an exemption certificate on short notice, leading to delays in the Department’s processing and mailing of certificates.
“This will serve as a small token of appreciation for our service members,” said Porfirio. “It is commonsense to streamline this process for all parties involved.”
The law was signed on Friday and goes into effect Jan. 1, 2024.
* Porfirio…
To build the public’s trust and establish ethical guidelines, State Senator Mike Porfirio supported a measure that addresses ongoing concerns regarding automated traffic enforcement.
“Being an elected official, it’s important to ensure you gain the public’s trust and hold yourself to the highest ethical standards,” said Porfirio (D-Lyons Township). “Accountability and honesty should be at the base of all we do.”
The measure prohibits campaign contributions from contractors who provide the automated traffic enforcement equipment, any political action committee created by such a contractor and any affiliates. Campaign contributions from such sources have been a cause for controversy in past years.
Further, beginning six months before an automated traffic law enforcement system is installed at an intersection, a county or municipality may not change the yellow light interval at that intersection.
Additionally, IDOT can revoke any permit for red light cameras if any official or employee who serves that county or municipality is charged with bribery, official misconduct or a similar crime related to the placement, installation or operation of the automated traffic law enforcement system in the county or municipality.
“It is our duty as state legislators to commit to ethical behavior,” said Porfirio. “Honesty and trust should be at the forefront of our minds. This law will ensure the public can trust those who represent them.”
House Bill 3903 was signed by the governor Friday and goes into effect immediately.
* Villa…
To support the rights of youth committed to county-operated juvenile detention facilities, State Senator Karina Villa championed a new law that ensures youth in these facilities have access to independent assistance and protection.
“Regardless of how these individuals came to be in the detention facilities, they are still young and in need of protection,” said Villa (D-West Chicago). “All people in a detention facility should be treated humanely and equally and deserve the chance for a better future — especially those who are minors.”
Under this law, the Office of Independent Juvenile Ombudsman will act as an ombudsman for and secure the rights of youth committed to county-operated juvenile detention facilities or the Department of Juvenile Justice. The ombudsman’s role is to ensure that the rights of youth within the county-operated juvenile detention facilities are fully observed and to assist in pursuing services for committed youth and their families.
The law defines county-operated juvenile detention facilities as any shelter care home, detention care home, or facility designated to detain youth that is not a police or other temporary law enforcement holding location.
“This law will make sure there will always be someone advocating for youth who are detained in the county facilities,” Villa said. “Just because someone has made a mistake does not mean we should give up on them. This law will fight for the children left behind in these detention facilities.”
Senate Bill 2197 was signed on Friday and goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2025.
The SDems are really good at getting releases out the door.
…Adding… I’m gonna post these and then I’m taking my usual Friday afternoon nap. Villa…
There will be more protections against gender-related violence in the workplace thanks to a new law passed by State Senator Karina Villa.
“This law aims to make sure those in a position of power are held responsible for protecting their employees and held accountable when they fail,” said Villa (D-West Chicago). “Work should never feel like an unsafe environment for anyone; employees should feel protected by their employers, especially those more at risk for gender-related violence.”
This new law clarifies when an employer can be held liable for gender-related violence committed in the workplace to include if the employer failed to supervise, train or monitor the employee who engaged in the violence; failed to investigate complaints or reports provided to a supervisor or manager and failed to take remedial measures in response to the complaints; or if the gender-related violence was the proximate cause of an injury.
This law also establishes a four-year statute of limitation for bringing a claim of gender-related violence against an employer. In comparison, the statute of limitations for charges of sexual harassment filed with the Illinois Department of Human Rights or with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is 300 days.
“Gender-related violence has been a growing issue, taking place in stores, homes and the workplace,” Villa said. “I wish for everyone to feel safer in their day-to-day lives, and this law is a good first step to help women and others who feel threatened in the workplace.”
If you or a loved one is experiencing partner- or gender-related violence, help is available through the Illinois Department of Human Services’ 24-hour hotline at 877-863-6338 or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233.
House Bill 1363 was signed into law on Friday and goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2024.
* Villa…
There will be more opportunities to donate to the Illinois Dream Fund, which provides scholarships to eligible college students, thanks to a new law by State Senator Karina Villa.
“No matter someone’s immigration status, they deserve the right to education,” said Villa (D-West Chicago). “This law will increase funds for scholarships, giving more students the opportunity to attend college.”
The new law allows customers who transmit money internationally the option to voluntarily donate a portion of their money to the Illinois Dream Fund, whose mission is to provide life-changing financial support to non-citizens who wish to pursue higher education and help them successfully work toward degree completion.
Under this law, the Illinois Dream Fund Commission will also develop a comprehensive program, including creation of informational materials and a marketing plan, to educate people in Illinois about the purpose and benefits of contributions made to the Illinois Dream Fund, such as increasing scholarship opportunities.
“Contributing to someone’s education is a wonderful and noble thing to do,” Villa said. “I encourage everyone who can donate to look into giving to the Illinois Dream Fund when the time comes.”
House Bill 3233 was signed on Friday and goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2024.
* Fine…
The Illinois Department of Public Health’s Newborn Screening program will soon scan for Metachromatic Leukodystrophy, or MLD, a rare genetic disease, thanks to legislation from State Senator Laura Fine.
“Newborns are tested for a variety of disorders with the Newborn Screening Program so that caregivers can plan to support their child’s treatment quickly,” said Fine (D-Glenview). “Including MLD will ensure caregivers of children with MLD are also able to begin their treatment plans as soon as possible.”
MLD is a genetic disorder leading to progressive loss of nervous system function and early death. Currently, MLD is diagnosed through a blood test looking for enzyme deficiency, a urine test or genetic testing. Additional tests can be conducted on those who show progressive symptoms of MLD. While there is no cure for MLD, diagnosing the disease early can lead to treatment options that make a significant difference in the patient’s quality of life.
“Although there is no cure for MLD, having a diagnosis will allow children to receive care that can greatly improve their quality of life,” said Fine. “Adding MLD to the newborn screening list will help families prepare the most effective treatment options to better support their child.”
Senate Bill 67 was signed into law on Friday. It goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2024.
* Villa…
A measure sponsored by State Senator Karina Villa that addresses the shortage of nurses in health care facilities across Illinois was signed into law Friday.
“The ongoing nurse shortage in our state demands our immediate attention,” said Villa (D-West Chicago). “Our nurses are the backbone of our health care system, and we owe it to them and our communities to address this issue with urgency. By empowering the Illinois Nursing Workforce Center to look for ways to address the shortage, our hope is this new law will help us retain and recruit nurses throughout our state.”
The growing scarcity of nurses in Illinois, especially in Southern Illinois, hurts patients and existing nurses who have to work without a full staff in some cases. Nurses are a critical part of health care and make up the largest portion of health care professionals. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that more than 275,000 additional nurses will be needed from 2020 to 2030.
Villa’s law directs the Nursing Workforce Center to develop strategies to make sure proper actions are being taken to address the statewide nurse shortage. The Nursing Workforce Center will be required to develop a plan to increase the number of nurses in the workforce by distributing a nursing workforce supply survey with all license renewals beginning in 2024. By 2027, the Nursing Workforce Center will develop a nurse demand and employer survey that will be collected biennially.
“Nurses are not just vital health care professionals,” Villa said. “They are caring individuals who dedicate their lives to serving others. We must create an environment that supports and values their contributions to our communities.”
House Bill 1615 was signed into law Friday and goes into effect immediately.
* Peters…
Thanks to a new law sponsored by State Senator Robert Peters, time served in county jail will soon be included as part of the minimum 60-day sentence required to earn discretionary sentence credit.
“Public safety reform needs to happen at every stage of the system,” said Peters (D-Chicago). “Instead of being treated as a number, incarcerated individuals ought to be treated as the humans they are. Modernizing earned sentence credit methods is one way to recognize the humanity of incarcerated individuals.”
Peters’ new law also ensures the Department of Corrections will recalculate program credits awarded to those with justice system involvement who completed rehabilitation programs or re-entry planning before July 2021 at the rate set for the credits on and after July 2021.
“Individuals involved in the justice system who participate in rehabilitation programs while serving time are making positive strides toward personal development and should be rewarded,” said Peters. “This new law makes sure that earned sentence credit is not only awarded to those who have earned it, but is rewarded on a consistent basis.”
House Bill 3026 was signed into law Friday.
* Peters…
With the intention of studying a potential payment plan program for owner-occupants to repay delinquent property taxes, State Senator Robert Peters’ measure creating the Property Tax Payment Plan Task Force was signed into law.
“Cook County’s annual sale of delinquent property taxes puts people at risk of losing their homes if they fall behind on their property taxes,” said Peters (D-Chicago). “Property tax sales and delinquent tax redemption disproportionately affect Black and Brown folks, especially seniors and those living with disabilities.”
Peters’ new law creates the Property Tax Payment Plan Task Force to study a potential payment plan program for residents to repay delinquent property taxes and make recommendations for implementing one or more payment plan options in Cook County. The Task Force will issue a report by Nov. 15, 2023, which will take into account the impact of the payment plan on homeowners, taxpayers, local agencies responsible for the collection of property taxes, and local taxing districts.
“Some people are losing their homes despite owing less than $1,000,” said Peters. “This new task force will illuminate the problems with the current property tax payment system and help local agencies develop ways to partner with homeowners to ensure payment of property taxes instead of taking advantage of people in tough financial situations.”
Senate Bill 74 was signed into law Friday.
* Peters…
A steadfast champion of criminal justice reform and the rights of people involved in the justice system, State Senator Robert Peters expanded upon his work broadening the civil liberties of the more than 70,000 people on probation in Illinois, which was signed into law Friday.
“Probation offers individuals an opportunity to have a sense of freedom under supervision,” said Peters (D-Chicago). “Supervision while adjusting back into modern society should reflect the same rights as civilians in order to accurately judge a person’s ability to maintain the safety of a community.”
Under the new law, an individual on probation, conditional discharge or supervision will not be ordered to refrain from cannabis or alcohol except in specified circumstances. If a court orders someone on probation to be tested for cannabis or alcohol, a statement detailing the relation between the condition of probation and the crime must be provided. The law ensures individuals on probation will not be charged for costs associated with mandatory testing.
Peters’ law also prevents courts from ordering a person on probation, conditional discharge or supervision to refrain from using any substance lawfully prescribed by a medical provider or authorized by the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Program Act.
“There are often circumstances in which individuals on probation use substances like cannabis for medical reasons,” said Peters. “Eliminating barriers for those on probation with a medical diagnosis, as long as the liberties are unrelated to the circumstances that landed them on probation, is a positive step toward true public safety reform.”
* It can’t be stressed enough that almost all national economics experts have been consistently and even wildly wrong for more than a year…
Another key economic report further propped up the idea that a soft landing is not only possible, but also in motion: The Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge continued its deceleration in June while consumers kept the US economic engine running.
Commerce Department data released Friday showed that the Personal Consumption Expenditures price index rose 3% for the 12 months ended in June, easing for the second-consecutive month and stepping back from May’s 3.8% increase.
* Rep. Rita and the Tinley Park mayor have been on the outs for a while now. And it’s coming out into the open…
State Rep. Bob Rita, D-Blue Island, is suing Tinley Park and Orland Township as well as village and township officials in federal court, alleging his constitutional rights have been denied because he’s been blocked from taking part in or holding community events.
The lawsuit was filed Friday and cites a “consistent and systematic campaign” to prevent Rita from taking part in events such as the National Night Out Against Crime, scheduled to take place Tuesday in Tinley Park.
The lawsuit also alleges village officials twice denied applications by Rita to hold shredding events last year in Tinley Park, something he had organized for several years prior.
Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) awarded scholarships to a record 259 college-bound current and former youth in care – the most the agency has ever awarded in its history. The milestone was celebrated at a lunch and ceremony held in the students’ honor at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Lisle, Ill.
Historically, the department has awarded an average of 53 scholarships each year. This year’s record breaking 259 scholarships is a 389% increase over the prior year, demonstrating the department’s commitment to education and increased investment in DCFS programs by Governor Pritzker and the General Assembly. The Governor’s FY24 budget provided$5.66 million in funding for DCFS scholarships, up from just over $1.2 million in FY19. […]
The DCFS Scholarship Program is available to youth who have an open DCFS case, whose cases were closed through adoption or guardianship, or who aged out of care at 18 or older. DCFS Scholarship Program recipients are selected based on their scholastic record and aptitude, community and extracurricular activities, three letters of recommendation, and a personal essay illustrating their purpose for higher education. […]
“The support I received from my DCFS Scholarship far exceeded its financial pillar. It also provided me with the time to focus on my studies, the confidence to enter a classroom with my head held high, and the assurance that success was obtainable,” said Krystal Hudson, event keynote speaker and 2006 scholarship recipient. “Attending the state university of my choice enabled me to create my own future, family, and career in southern Illinois. I am forever grateful for the opportunities given to me through being a recipient of the DCFS Scholarship.”
Scholarship recipients receive up to five consecutive years of tuition and academic fee waivers to be used at participating Illinois state community colleges and public universities, a monthly grant of $1,506 to offset other expenses, and a Medicaid card. Four awards are reserved for the children of veterans, and two awards are reserved for students pursuing degrees in social work in honor of Pamela Knight and Deidre Silas, two DCFS caseworkers who succumbed to injuries sustained in the line of duty.
[Chicago Inspector General Deborah Witzburg] also accused CPD of going through the motions of complying with the federal consent — by reporting the percentage of the consent decree’s 799 paragraphs where there is “some level” of compliance.
That only means they’ve “written a policy that says that they intend to comply” with the mandate. It has “absolutely no impact on real life on the street — either for Chicagoans or members of the department,” Witzburg said.
“The metric that matters is the number of things that have changed in a real operational way. The number of things that are different on Chicago street corners today than they would have been at the beginning of 2019. And that number is in the single digit percentages,” Witzburg said.
That city’s government is just chock full of fittin’ to get ready types.
* No more indoor vaping…
Put down that vape pen! Gov. Pritzker today signed House Bill 1540, which adds e-cigarettes to the list of products covered under the state's indoor smoking ban. #twill
* Tribune | Gary gun shop, targeted in 2021 lawsuit, to close after more than six decades: The decision comes two months after a Cook County judge sided with Westforth and dismissed a lawsuit brought by the city of Chicago against the shop in 2021. That lawsuit, which attorneys for the city are now trying to revive, accused Westforth of repeatedly violating federal gun laws, often resulting in criminal charges against straw purchasers.
* Sun-Times | In Alsip red-light-camera investigation, feds have done new interviews, issued subpoenas: In 2019, Alsip Mayor John Ryan acknowledged that he’d been approached by federal agents asking about SafeSpeed, the company that village officials had decided to hire for red-light camera services in the south suburb. […] Four years later, Alsip’s decision to bring in SafeSpeed — which the village board voted to hire but whose contract was put on hold amid the questions — appears to be a subject of renewed interest by the FBI and the IRS.
* Tribune | Appeals court upholds 57-month sentence for former state Rep. Luis Arroyo, saying ‘bribery is a premeditated crime’: “Bribery is a premeditated crime — those tempted to sell out the public have plenty of time to weigh the risks and rewards before doing so,” the nine-page ruling by the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals stated. “The district judge did not err by reasonably presuming that public officials consider the criminal sentences of other politicians, and that a longer sentence for Arroyo was necessary to deter corruption at the margins.”
* Sun-Times | Banned by City Hall for lying on construction contracts, company is still getting government work: That followed a City Hall investigation that found Joel Kennedy’s Joel Kennedy Constructing Corp. falsified records to make it appear it was meeting a requirement to have Chicago residents do at least half of the work on sewer projects. The city’s ban of Kennedy and his company doesn’t apply, though, to other governmental bodies. So Kennedy’s company has continued to get contracts from other agencies, including the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, which serves all of Chicago.
* Fortune | There’s no such thing as a new nuclear golden age–just old industry hands trying to make a buck: The story is selling well but the push for more and more money—in direct subsidies, ratepayer financing, and government grants or loans–has a dark side. To cite just a few examples, former state officials and utility executives in Illinois and Ohio face lengthy prison terms for bribery schemes linked to subsidies for unprofitable nuclear plants. In South Carolina, two former Scana executives received prison sentences after pleading guilty to criminal charges in 2020 and 2021 over a nuclear project that ultimately collapsed. Two Westinghouse executives also charged are facing a similar fate, with one still awaiting trial in October.
* Lexis Nexis | Data Privacy Landscape Continues to Change as States Pursue More Laws: A more recent search of the LexisNexis® State Net® legislative tracking database turned up about 300 bills in 42 states concerning some form of data privacy. These include several wide-ranging data privacy bills in Illinois, Massachusetts and Minnesota, along with robust proposals in Maine (HB 1270) and Montana (DB 4408), the latter of which was put on hold.
* Sun-Times | Chicago cop shot fellow officer while firing at fleeing car in Englewood, investigation finds: “It is believed that during this incident, a Chicago Police Officer discharged their weapon and inadvertently struck a fellow officer in the hand in the course of firing at the fleeing sedan,” said COPA First Deputy Chief Administrator Ephraim Eaddy. “There is currently no indication that shots were fired from the sedan, or by any other civilian and there are no reports of a gun recovered.”
* Daily Herald | The suburban driver’s license offices that will require an appointment starting Sept. 1: Starting Sept. 1, 44 driver services facilities in medium- to large-sized cities around the state will require appointments for driver services — things like renewing a license, updating a license to meet Real ID requirements or taking a driving test. Vehicle services, like title registration, still will be offered on a walk-in basis.
* Daily Herald | ‘It’s in its very infancy right now’: Kane County sets up its own forensic crime lab: “We do everything from blood testing to rapid DNA … to expedite criminal cases in Kane County. … And it gets turned right around in a day or two,” Sheriff Ron Hain said. “It’s a partnership to have our own lab with the state’s attorney and the coroner. I’m paying for it out of my budget, but the cost will be shared. It’s in its very infancy right now.”
* Sun-Times | Chicago’s Chinatown, unlike similar neighborhoods elsewhere, is flourishing: From 2010 to 2020, the population of Armour Square — the community area that includes Chinatown — grew from 13,443 to 13,890, according to a Chicago Sun-Times analysis of census data. And the Asian American population increased in neighboring community areas including Bridgeport, McKinley Park, Douglas and the Lower West Side.
* Crain’s | United buys former Motorola building in Arlington Heights for ops center: United bought a 205,000-square-foot building at 1421 W. Shure Drive to provide more space for its network-operations centers, which moved out of the airline’s headquarters at Willis Tower last year after flooding knocked out power and caused it to evacuate flight dispatchers to a backup facility at its former headquarters in Elk Grove Village.
* Reuters | Tesla created secret team to suppress thousands of driving range complaints: Inside the Nevada team’s office, some employees celebrated canceling service appointments by putting their phones on mute and striking a metal xylophone, triggering applause from coworkers who sometimes stood on desks. The team often closed hundreds of cases a week and staffers were tracked on their average number of diverted appointments per day.
* WaPo | ‘Vicious cycle’: Heat waves ramp up U.S. burning of fossil fuels: The problem is global and set to intensify. The International Energy Agency last week said that only a tenth of the 2.8 billion people who live in the hottest parts of the world already have air conditioning, foreshadowing what is likely to become “a vicious cycle.” Use of air conditioning is expected to increase in the years to come, further driving fast-rising energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions in the developing world, the Paris-based watchdog said.
* Heidi Stevens | The beauty of ‘Barbie’ isn’t that men are subjugated. It’s that no one is.: The movie had been in theaters for all of 24 hours — plenty of time to become a cultural lightning rod. Too woke. To man-hating. Too much feminist agitprop. Right-wing commentator Ben Shapiro even made a 43-minute video about the “flaming garbage heap of a film” (his words) and set fire to some dolls to drive his message home.
* Block Club | Take A Ride On A Vintage CTA Railcar Saturday: The oldest railcars in the Chicago Transit Authority’s fleet date to the 1920s. A century later, riders will get to ride the vintage “L” cars around the Loop. The CTA will run the 4000-series railcars in the Loop from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday.
* Military History | Lincoln’s Spies — Meet Four Union Agents Who Fought in the Shadows to Bring Down the Confederacy: Ultimately, Lincoln and the Union Army had at their disposal a robust network of secret agents infiltrating the South, aeronauts observing enemy movements from hydrogen gas-filled balloons, photographers taking shots of future battlefields and signal corps officers intercepting enemy information transmitted by flag or over telegraph lines. The phone tapping, human collection, and aerial snooping today’s U.S. spy community engages in can be traced back to the Civil War.
* Herald-Review | Glenn Poshard to tour Central Illinois to promote new book: “Son of Southern Illinois: Glenn Poshard’s Life in Politics and Education” follow’s Poshard’s life from his childhood until his founding of the Poshard Foundation For Abused Children, a nonprofit providing funds and resources for abused, neglected and abandoned children in Southern Illinois.
* Bond Buyer | Illinois Senate honors Bond Buyer’s Yvette Shields for her work: The life and legacy of Bond Buyer reporter Yvette Shields was honored Tuesday with a proclamation introduced on the floor of the Illinois Senate. Introduced by Sen. Rob Martwick, D-Chicago, the proclamation pays homage to Shields as a “celebrated and beloved financial reporter” who “left behind an indelible mark on the public finance industry in both the Midwest and the nation as a whole.”
The City spent at least $3.25 million on the 2023 NASCAR Chicago Street Race, according to a preliminary analysis by the Weekly. That figure includes more than $2.1 million spent on repairs to the streets that made up the racecourse and an estimated $1.1 million in police overtime associated with the race. The final tally, which could include additional costs such as traffic management, will likely be even higher. […]
NASCAR’s contract is for three years, but it allows either the City or the car-racing company to cancel it. In the deal Lightfoot’s administration inked, NASCAR was required to pay the Chicago Park District a $500,000 fee in the first year along with fifteen percent of concessions and $2 for each ticket sold in its first year (ticket prices started at $269). The fee is slated to increase to $550,000 in 2024 and $605,000 in 2025. […]
Much of that—nearly $1.8 million—was listed as “Engineering” costs related to concrete, pavement, and landscape work on streets and sidewalks along the racetrack before the race. CDOT replaced the curb and sidewalk on the west side of Columbus Drive, resurfaced and repaved roadways, and installed bus pads for the event. The total budget allocated to CDOT’s Engineering division for 2023 is $7.87 million; the NASCAR-related work ate up about twenty-three percent of that division’s annual budget. […]
A NASCAR-commissioned study predicted the event would generate millions in tax and sales revenue for the City and local businesses. It’s unclear how accurate those numbers were. Choose Chicago, the City’s tourism bureau, has commissioned an economic impact study on the race by researchers at Temple University, Crain’s reported last week.
* Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s op-ed in the Sun-Times…
A recent letter, sent under the signature of 19 Republican state attorneys general, demands that the Biden administration allow states with abortion bans to obtain the private medical records of patients seeking legal health care in other states.
In sending this letter, they have made their priorities clear: These attorneys general will use their resources to intimidate women across state lines and weaponize patients’ private health care information against them because they sought legal, and often life-saving, medical care. […]
We know these attempts to pry into patient privacy likely won’t stop at abortion. Access to essential health care like contraceptives, HIV treatment and gender-affirming care may also be at stake. The letter from the 19 Republican attorneys general cites state bans on gender-affirming care as among the reasons the signatories do not want patients’ records to be private. These are attacks on very personal decisions about when and how to build your family and how to live authentically as your true self.
As described above, the proposed rule would bar certain disclosures of PHI [protected health information] to state or local agencies conducting a “criminal, civil, or administrative investigation or proceeding … in connection with” “reproductive health care.” 88 Fed. Reg. at 23552. The proposed rule would thus curtail the ability of state officials to obtain evidence of potential violations of state laws—even when requested under “a court order or other type of legal process.” The proposed rule has deep flaws and should be withdrawn.
The Iowa Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to hear Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds’ appeal of a lower court order blocking the state’s ban on abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, which Reynolds signed into law this month.
Republican legislators passed the bill this month in a special legislative session, and Reynolds signed it at the Family Leadership Summit, a major gathering of social conservatives that drew top GOP presidential candidates to Iowa.
“Everyone understands that a heartbeat signifies life, and we understand that when it falls silent, something precious has been lost,” Reynolds said moments before she signed the bill into law.
The six-week ban went into effect as soon as she signed it, but it was halted days later, when a Polk County judge temporarily blocked the law following a legal challenge from Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, the Emma Goldman Clinic and the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa. For now, abortion remains legal in Iowa until the 20th week of pregnancy.
This week, a group of teachers filed a lawsuit seeking to invalidate Tennessee’s law limiting the teaching of race and gender. The statute, signed by Republican Gov. Bill Lee in 2021, is absurdly vague: It prohibits pedagogy that includes allegedly divisive concepts without defining what that means, leaving teachers fearful that even neutral mentions of such concepts could violate the law.
The lawsuit claims that the Tennessee law violates the 14th Amendment, which requires laws to issue clear, explicit commands. Because of the law’s fuzziness, teachers are left feeling like potential outlaws whenever they voice an idea that a parent might deem unacceptable. […]
The concepts that teachers must not “include” or “promote” in K-12 education are also preposterously vague. Among them are the notion that an individual should feel “discomfort” or “guilt” solely due to her race and the idea that one race is superior to another. The promotion of “division,” whatever that means, is also banned.
Defenders of the law note that it offers an exception for “impartial” discussion of the historical oppression of one group by another and of other “controversial” historical facts. This, they argue, will prevent the whitewashing of history.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center is being sued by its transgender clinic patients, who accuse the hospital of violating their privacy by turning their records over to Tennessee’s attorney general.
Two patients sued Monday in Nashville Chancery Court, saying they were among more than 100 people whose records were sent by Vanderbilt to Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti. His office has said it is examining medical billing in a “run of the mill” fraud investigation that isn’t directed at patients or their families. Vanderbilt has said it was required by law to comply.
The patients say Vanderbilt was aware that Tennessee authorities are hostile toward the rights of transgender people, and should have removed their personally identifying information before turning over the records. […]
The attorney general’s office has said the hospital has been providing records of its gender-related treatment billing since December 2022, and that the records have been kept confidential. Elizabeth Lane Johnson, an attorney general’s office spokesperson, noted Tuesday that the office isn’t a party to the lawsuit, and directed questions to Vanderbilt.
When the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, doctors providing obstetrics and gynecological care felt the decision’s effects immediately — especially in Missouri, the nation’s first state to implement a near-total ban on abortion. […]
Another consequence of Missouri’s abortion ban is that fewer doctors are coming to Missouri to complete their OB-GYN residencies, Eisenberg and his colleague, Dr. Jeannie Kelly, told St. Louis on the Air.
“We definitely have seen the ramifications of this law impact who comes here for training,” said Kelly. “Applicants come in, telling us, ‘You are the only program we’ve applied to, in a state where abortion is banned, because we know that this is a facility that still abides by all of the training guidelines and provides training for that care in the state of Illinois when needed.’” […]
“We are one of the top 10 OB-GYN residency training programs in the country,” he said. “Every year that I have been a faculty member, since 2009, we have seen an increasing number of applicants — until the fall of 2022, when we saw a 10% decrease.”
Florida’s transgender teens face the longest median travel time to access gender-affirming health care, according to a new study from the Journal of the American Medical Association.
That puts up a massive barrier to health care that every major medical association agrees is medically necessary and in certain cases life-saving.
“Access to developmentally appropriate medical and social services for transgender youths is associated with mental health benefits and decreased suicidality,” the study says.
Florida’s median drive time of nearly nine hours was the highest of any state examined in the study.
Mississippi will have to pay more than $400,000 in attorneys’ fees after the attorney general’s office spent years defending a sodomy law that criminalizes oral and anal sex.
The law in question — Section 97-29-59 — was deemed unconstitutional in 2003 when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the case Lawrence v. Texas that private sexual conduct was constitutionally protected.
But Mississippi kept its sodomy law on the books, opening the door for a 2016 legal challenge that resulted in the expensive attorneys’ fees.
The AGs office, under both Democrat Jim Hood and Republican Lynn Fitch, fought the class action lawsuit by the Center for Constitutional Rights and other advocacy legal organizations, which sued on behalf of five Mississippians who were required to register as sex offenders for sodomy convictions. […]
Yet Mississippi’s “unnatural intercourse” law is still law. A state representative introduced a bill earlier this year to repeal it, but it received no attention and died in committee. And according to an attorney who worked on the lawsuit, there are still 14 people on the Mississippi Sex Offender Registry who were solely convicted under that law.
Disney rejected Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ recent request for immunity from their legal feud Wednesday, with the media conglomerate criticizing the governor and presidential candidate for evading “responsibility for his actions.”
It’s the latest salvo in a legal battle that’s been ongoing since April when the theme park giant filed a suit against the governor in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida. The broader battle began the year before, when Disney spoke out against the Parental Rights in Education Act, dubbed “Don’t Say Gay” by critics, which restricts instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in schools.
“The Governor seeks to evade responsibility for his actions on a narrower ground, asserting that a governor cannot be held officially liable for implementing, administering, and enforcing state laws that punish residents for political statements violating a state-prescribed speech code,” company attorneys wrote in a legal filing Wednesday.
DeSantis and his GOP legislative allies responded with actions Disney says were retaliatory and a violation of its free speech rights, such as the governor’s takeover of the company’s special taxing district, previously called the Reedy Creek Improvement District.
* I didn’t go to Gov. Pritzker’s event earlier today, but I watched online and then listened to the CMS audio and there was a hole in both recordings at the beginning of Pritzker’s response to a reporter’s question about the proposed hike in Chicago’s real estate transfer tax on properties selling for a million dollars or more. So, I checked in with the governor’s office to clarify what he said and then reconstructed the first part of the first sentence…
I’m not necessarily against a change in the real estate transfer tax. We need to see what the results are. There’s still some debate going on, as you know, about what it might look like. I think we have to be careful. Property taxes are too high to begin with in general. We have to be careful about, obviously, I believe more in a graduated system than I do in a flat tax system so that wealthier people carry more of the load than people who are not wealthy. But I’m interested to see what they come up with
Supporters claim the tax would generate $160 million a year for homeless programs, but it appears like it’s about to be changed.
Department of Housing Commissioner Marisa Novara, who will step down at the end of the month, said city officials would recommend the proposal be altered to apply to just to the amount of the sale over $1 million, in an effort to ensure it withstands a legal challenge and lowers the incentive for sellers to “game the system.”
Imposing a marginal tax, rather than a flat tax, would make the tax fairer, and ease the tax burden on two- to six-unit properties, both residential and commercial, Novara said, adding that developments subsidized to be affordable could also be exempted.
For example, a property sold for $1.2 million now pays $9,000 in real estate transfer tax, Novara said. The proposal would hike that to $12,800, an effective increase of about 42% on the $200,000 of the sale price above $1 million, she added. […]
Just 4.3% of all property sales in Chicago total more than $1 million, which requires annual incomes of between $200,000 and $240,000, advocates said. Just 6% of Chicagoans earn that much money.
If they’re gonna do it, a marginal rate is definitely the way to go. And small multi-unit relief is another sign that more experienced hands are now working on this. But those changes will mean less revenue.
The only ways to change the rate, however, are through the Illinois General Assembly, which does not reconvene until the late fall veto session, or a citywide referendum. While aldermen Thursday announced they will opt for the latter, Johnson’s transition committee recently recommended going through the state legislature.
The city council always wants the General Assembly to do its dirty work on taxes. They should really consider holding a referendum.
* I looked at this pic posted by Andy Manar and my immediate reaction was, “What the heck is in his ears?”…
Pritzker is chatting here with Andrea Pirondini, the CEO of Prysmian Group North America, which is expanding its facility in Du Quoin. Pirondini was born in Italy, so maybe it was some sort of translating device even though Pirondini speaks English quite well?
Was the governor listening to tunes?
* A dark joke among some journalists goes something like: “The best way to kill a good story is to make one too many phone calls.”
Well, I reached out yesterday to Pritzker’s spokesperson Alex Gough who said, “It was quite loud in there and everyone had these so they could hear the mic’d tour guide.”
Drat.
* Act like you never read the post and only saw the pic.
Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Prohibits a limited services pregnancy center from engaging in unfair methods of competition or unfair or deceptive acts or practices: (1) to interfere with or prevent an individual from seeking to gain entry or access to a provider of abortion or emergency contraception; (2) to induce an individual to enter or access the limited services pregnancy center; (3) in advertising, soliciting, or otherwise offering pregnancy-related services; or (4) in conducting, providing, or performing pregnancy-related services. Defines terms. Sets forth legislative intent. Effective immediately.
Anti-abortion pregnancy centers can be penalized by the Illinois attorney general if they use deceptive practices or misinformation to interfere with patients seeking abortion care under a measure Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law Thursday.
“Women need access to comprehensive, fact-based health care when making critical decision(s) about their own health — not manipulation or misinformation from politically motivated, nonmedical actors,” Pritzker said in a statement after he signed the bill.
Under the law, clinics are subject to injunctive action and a financial penalty of up to $50,000 under the state’s Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act if they are found to be dissuading “pregnant persons from considering abortion care through deceptive, fraudulent, and misleading information and practices.”
The bill signing was quickly followed by a federal lawsuit from the conservative Chicago nonprofit law firm Thomas More Society that argued the new law infringes on individuals’ First Amendment rights.
Peter Breen, Thomas More Society Executive Vice President and Head of Litigation, a former Illinois legislator, spoke about the federal lawsuit just filed against the state, following the governor’s signature of SB 1909, which enacted the discriminatory law.
“This is a blatant attempt to chill and silence pro-life speech under the guise of consumer protections,” explained Breen. “Pregnancy help ministries provide real options and assistance to women and families in need, but instead of the praise they deserve, pro-abortion-rights politicians are targeting these ministries with $50,000 fines and injunctions solely because of their pro-life viewpoint.”
The Thomas More Society filed this afternoon in federal court seeking a Temporary Restraining Order and a Preliminary Injunction. NIFLA v. Raoul, case no. 23-50297, is now pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Western Division. The Thomas More Society is seeking to prevent the law from being enforced while the case makes its way through the court system.
Planned Parenthood Illinois President Jennifer Welch said in a press conference Thursday afternoon, in which Raoul and elected representatives also spoke, that the new law is aimed at stopping pro-life pregnancy centers, some that do not provide medical care, from deceiving women with false claims like “abortion causes breast cancer” and “abortion will make you infertile” and from giving false medical information to women about the status of their pregnancy.
The name of the game for deceptive pro-life organizations is to try to stop people from going into Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers, Welch said, trying to redirect them to their centers and trying to delay them from their appointments, and from receiving abortions.
Raoul decried the stories he said he had heard of pro-life centers deceiving patients that they were part of existing abortion clinics and removing them from near an abortion clinic to delay them from entering the clinic they intended on entering.
The attorney general said it’s not about restricting speech.
“You’re not free to lie to people, or to use deceptive practices,” Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said.
Clinic supporters see the law as attempting to effectively shut down clinics and anti-abortion dissent.
The new law is effective immediately, but the legal challenge could block enforcement while the case winds through the courts. The attorney general expressed confidence it will be upheld.
Ralph Rivera, legislative chairman for Right to Life, was relieved to hear of the quick court action seeking a halt to the law. He maintains it not only chills free speech, is too vague in spelling out what the state might consider a violation. During debate on the House floor in May, Republicans pounded the bill’s sponsor for specifics and to each question, she responded that action would be at the attorney general’s discretion.
“These centers are scared,” Rivera said. “They don’t know if they’ve crossed the line and the attorney general will take them to court and demand all their records, a list of all their donors,” Rivera said.
The pregnancy centers have won in court before. A 2016 law requiring them to provide information on where clients could get an abortion was halted by a federal appeals court and still awaits trial court argument. But the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June 2018 that a similar law in California was unconstitutional.
* Related…
* KHQA | Illinois law bans pro-life pregnancy centers from ‘deceptive practices’: The Deceptive Practices of Limited Services Pregnancy Centers Act, or SB 1909, bars crisis pregnancy centers from using “misinformation, deceptive practices, or misrepresentation in order to interfere with access to abortion services or emergency contraception.”
* AG Kwame Raoul | To stop abortions, 19 GOP attorneys general want access to women’s medical information. They won’t get it from Illinois: We know that patients are traveling to our state for care, and Illinois providers and support networks have stepped up to serve this influx of patients from other states. Since the fall of Roe v. Wade, Planned Parenthood of Illinois has seen a 54% increase in abortion patients, and nearly 25% of their patients traveled from another state, compared with 7% before the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. My role as attorney general is to use the tools I have to protect medical providers and support networks and their patients who seek lawful health care in Illinois.
* Politico | Ohio’s special election has become a proxy war over abortion rights: The push to pass Issue 1 is widely seen as an attempt by Republicans in the state to effectively block a separate initiative for abortion rights that is set to be considered this November. As such, it’s prompting a massive arms raise between heavy-hitting groups on each side of the debate
* Columbus Dispatch | Who’s funding the Ohio Issue 1 campaigns? Donors from Illinois, D.C. and California: An Illinois billionaire dropped another $4 million into the fight over whether it should be harder to amend Ohio’s Constitution, new campaign filings show. But the donations from shipping supply magnate Richard Uihlein aren’t the only out-of-state money flowing ahead of the Aug. 8 special election. The campaigns for and against Issue 1 are relying heavily on donors from California to Washington, D.C. as they blast the influence of special interests on Ohio politics.
The State of Illinois today took a transformative step toward modernizing its supervision system and strengthening public safety as Governor J.B. Pritzker signed Senate Bill 423 into law. The bipartisan legislation earned overwhelming support, including a unanimous vote in the Illinois House, for its commonsense, evidence-based solutions that make Illinois’ supervision system more transparent and effective. It is expected to benefit more than 260,000 people on supervision and save the state of Illinois $16.5 million over the next five years. […]
Speaking at the event, REFORM Alliance co-founder Meek Mill said, “When I was on probation, the system did much more to hold me back than help me succeed. And my experience is just a reflection of millions of other stories that go untold. So it’s an honor to be a part of making the system work better for families in Illinois and across the country. Speaker Pro Tem Jehan Gordon-Booth and Governor Pritzker, we thank you for your leadership.” […]
SB423 goes into effect January 1st, 2024, and includes these evidence-based provisions:
• Improving education credits that incentivize people on parole or Mandatory Supervised Release (MSR) to obtain a degree, career certificate, or vocational technical certificate.
• Streamlining early termination processes and increasing government transparency by standardizing review timelines, encouraging officers to recommend early termination for people who have a track record of success, and providing clear feedback for those denied.
• Tailoring Supervision to an individualized approach to each person’s unique circumstances, focusing on addressing root causes of crime and enhancing public safety. It also limits unnecessary drug testing, saving resources and reducing work interruptions.
• Expanding virtual reporting permanently for remote check-ins for all forms of supervision in Illinois, reducing disruption to work or childcare responsibilities, and removing barriers to success.
More than 100,000 people are currently on probation, parole, or Mandatory Supervised Release in Illinois, many of whom face insurmountable challenges under the current system. Instead of helping people turn their lives around, Illinois’ supervision system too often operates as a revolving door back to prison. A Department of Corrections (DOC) report revealed that more than 1 in 4 - or 25% - of people across the country released from prison end up back behind bars for a technical violation (non-criminal violation) like missing a meeting with their supervision officer) within three years of their release.
The law is projected to significantly improve outcomes for those under supervision in Illinois, enhancing community stability and safety. Illinois now joins several other states where similar reforms have strengthened public safety, modernized supervision systems, reduced the number of people unnecessarily on supervision, and produced better outcomes for families and communities. REFORM has now passed 17 bipartisan bills in 11 states, creating new pathways that did not exist for more than 677,000 people to exit the system over the next five years.
The bill passed both chambers unanimously and the signing is being celebrated with one of the most joyful and interesting press conferences I've seen https://t.co/aSfRul1YEV
Friday, Jul 28, 2023 - Posted by Advertising Department
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Todo Para Todos — a migrant shelter whose name means “everything for everyone” — was established as a promise that Chicago was a welcoming city.
It sprung up in Pilsen in May as the city scrambled to house thousands arriving from Latin America and since then has been a refuge for hundreds.
But after staying afloat for months without city funding, those in charge wonder how long it can last and whether operating a shelter without city support does a disservice to the residents.
As the article goes on to explain, the problems go well beyond money. Pilsen residents banded together, found a warehouse and have been providing food and shelter to asylum seekers. The article claims the shelter now houses 220 people, many of whom are children.
Asylum seekers in official city shelters receive wrap-around services which the Pilsen shelter can’t provide. More importantly, while the city’s official shelter occupants are automatically put on a track to receive affordable housing, the folks sheltering in Pilsen don’t qualify for that track, so they’re now in limbo with no way out. All because a group of admirable Chicagoans stepped up and did the right thing…
Above all, they’re asking for the city to help those staying at the shelter get the same state rental assistance available at city shelters, said Anna DiStefano, another volunteer at the shelter.
Immigrants at city shelters can get money to cover rent and help finding amendable landlords through the state’s Asylum Seekers Emergency Rental Assistance Program.
If the city won’t act, the state needs to step in. Like now.
Decent people who did the right thing are getting kicked in the teeth. Enough, already.
* AP | Misleading clients on abortion could cost Illinois pregnancy centers: The pregnancy centers wasted little time challenging the law’s constitutionality. The National Institute of Family and Life Advocates, a national network of pregnancy help centers; and several centers in Illinois filed a federal lawsuit in Rockford seeking a restraining order and injunction against the state’s enforcement.
* Illinois Times | Transgender turmoil: The two transgender women at the center of a nationwide controversy involving the Springfield YMCA say they would never act inappropriately in locker rooms. And they don’t want to be forced to use changing areas separate from other women – a practice that YMCA officials said would violate state law.
* BND | Illinois lawmakers, ACLU weigh in on metro-east school’s transgender bathroom policy: Three Republican politicians attended the most recent board meeting July 17: former state Sen. Darren Bailey, state Rep. David Friess and state Sen. Terri Bryant. A representative of U.S. Rep. Mike Bost also was in attendance. Bailey and Bost are facing off in the 2024 Republican primary for Illinois’ 12th Congressional District.
* Tribune | Federal judge rejects GOP lawsuit seeking to block mail-in ballots received after Election Day: U.S. District Judge John Kness ruled that five-term U.S. Rep. Mike Bost of Murphysboro and two prospective 2024 GOP presidential electors lacked standing to sue the State Board of Elections over an Illinois law allowing mail-in ballots to be counted in the 14 days after Election Day as long as they were postmarked or certified on or before that day.
* Capitol News Illinois | State announces 3rd manufacturing expansion spurred by new tax credit: Prysmian, which Pritzker described as “the largest cable manufacturer in the world,” produces cables and other products used in energy storage and distribution, renewable energy and electric vehicle charging stations. At the Du Quoin plant in southern Illinois, the company makes insulated power distribution cables that transmit energy underground and inside factories. Some of those cables feed power to companies that generate wind and solar energy, said plant manager Erik Perks.
* WIFR | Hard Rock Casino Rockford granted sports betting license: “We are excited to add sports betting as the latest amenity to Hard Rock Casino Rockford - The Opening Act,” Geno Iafrate, president of Hard Rock Casino Rockford said Thursday in a statement. “We are very appreciative of the IGB’s hard work and diligence to get us to this point.”
* WBEZ | 25 Chicago Park District employees could face firing in COVID relief fraud probe: In a new report, interim Inspector General Alison Perona said an ongoing investigation by her office has grown from 26 cases involving employees who got the loans to help business owners struggling during the coronavirus pandemic to “sustained findings” against 114 workers as of June 30.
* Tribune | Backers of Chicago real estate transfer tax hike aim to take measure to voters; money would fight homelessness: The council’s housing committee met for a three-hour hearing Thursday on the yearslong drive to raise the tax on the sale of properties worth at least $1 million and use that money to address the city’s homeless crisis. The panel did not vote on the proposal, but one of its chief supporters vowed to pass City Council legislation this fall to place the question on next March’s presidential primary ballot.
* Tribune | Cook County landlords face legal challenges alleging eviction screening policies discriminate against Black tenants: Legal Aid Chicago filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Hunter Properties Inc. over the company’s “No-Evictions Policy” — which states in its application portal that “prior evictions filings will result in denial” of housing applications. The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, alleges the policy violates the federal 1968 Fair Housing Act by discriminating against Black renters, particularly Black women, since they are disproportionately affected by eviction.
* Scott Holland | Property tax help for veterans requires diligence from public servants: There are no major alarm bells, but discussion will include a rather obvious outcome: in counties dense with development and population, the effect of exempting a few people from paying property tax is fairly easily subsidized across everyone else. In counties with fewer taxpayers, the impact is more noticeable. In this specific situation, some rural counties have an outsized veteran population compared to the statewide average.
* Tribune | She saw a local news void in Harvey. So she started a publication to help ‘those with a voice but without a platform: When she saw a need in her community, Amethyst Davis, 26, didn’t turn away. As traditional newspapers around the country are facing decline, the Harvey native realized there was a local news void in the south suburb and decided to fill it. She started the Harvey World Herald, joining the ranks of alternative hyperlocal, independently owned outlets that are changing the media landscape in Chicagoland.
* Tribune | Chicago’s top Malört bars spill how they sell so much of the ‘taste from home’: Mainard is known as the “Queen of Malört” at Reggies. It’s not just because she decided to exclusively drink Malört six years ago, but also because she’s persuaded numerous customers and Reggies employees to appreciate what she describes as Aqua Net hair spray mixed with grapefruit.
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by a downstate Republican congressman and two GOP officials that sought to block the state from counting mail-in ballots cast on or before Election Day, but received by election authorities up to two weeks afterward.
U.S. District Judge John Kness ruled that five-term U.S. Rep. Mike Bost of Murphysboro and two prospective 2024 GOP presidential electors lacked standing to sue the State Board of Elections over an Illinois law allowing mail-in ballots to be counted in the 14 days after Election Day as long as they were postmarked or certified on or before that day.
More than just rejecting the three Republicans’ standing to file suit, Kness explicitly ruled that Illinois’ 2015 law complied with the U.S. Constitution as well as federal election law. […]
Bost’s challenge to the law was somewhat ironic since he touts his past service in the Marines and the law was designed in part to meet federal voting requirements for military members serving overseas. The U.S. Department of Justice issued a “statement of interest” in support of the state of Illinois, in part citing protections for military members to have their votes counted.
* Democratic Party of Illinois…
Last night, a federal judge for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois denied Congressman Mike Bost’s challenge to Illinois’ Ballot Receipt Deadline Statute. Bost filed this suit against the State Board of Elections ahead of last year’s election in an attempt to prevent the counting of mail-in-ballots received after Election Day. The lawsuit could have invalidated thousands of mail-in ballots, including those of military members serving overseas, if they are postmarked on or before Election Day but received after. […]
“This ruling by a Trump-appointed judge is a win for voting rights and a loss for those who wish to suppress fairly counted votes to suit their political ambitions. Despite their bad faith effort to undermine free and fair elections, this ruling shows the lack of legal standing Republicans have in challenging laws that protect our right to vote. The Illinois GOP knows how wildly out of touch they’ve become with Illinoisans, but fortunately, their effort to override the will of the voters with this baseless lawsuit rather than accepting the results of our elections was as unsuccessful as their campaigns,” said Democratic Party of Illinois Chair Lisa Hernandez.
Plaintiff argues that the Ballot Receipt Deadline Statute directly contradicts Article I, Section 4 of the Constitution. That section establishes that “[t]he Times, Places, and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof.” Nothing on the face of the Statute runs afoul of this constitutional provision. By implementing the Statute, Illinois is following the constitutional command that states determine the time, place, and manner of elections. In addition, the Statute further does not conflict with the federal mandate that Election Day be held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. By counting only mail-in ballots postmarked on or before Election Day, the Statute does not extend the day for casting votes in a federal election. Because the Statute does not conflict with a constitutional provision, it does not fall under the plan of Convention doctrine. […]
Plaintiffs allege that the Ballot Receipt Deadline Statute violates 2 U.S.C. § 7 and 3 U.S.C. § 1 by allowing the state to count votes that are received after Election Day, even if they are postmarked on or before the date of the election or certified before Election Day. (Dkt. 1 at 10.) But the Statute does not contradict 2 U.S.C. § 7 and 3 U.S.C. § 1. As the statute says, all mail-in ballots must be “postmarked no later than election day.” 10 Ill. Comp. Stat. Ann. § 5/19-8(c). If a ballot is not postmarked, it must be certified on or before Election Day to be counted. Id. Nowhere in the text does the Statute allow ballots postmarked or certified after Election Day to be counted. The question, then, is whether ballots that are postmarked or certified on or before Election Day, but are not received by Election Day, should be disregarded as untimely under federal law. […]
In this Court’s view, and with due respect to Plaintiffs’ contrary view, the Ballot Receipt Deadline Statute operates harmoniously with the federal statutes that set the timing for federal elections. Many states have post-Election Day absentee ballot receipt deadlines, and at least two states other than Illinois allow mail-in ballots postmarked on or before Election Day to be counted if they are received within two weeks of Election Day. … Other states will accept mail-in ballots received seven to 10 days after Election Day. … Despite these ballot receipt deadline statutes being in place for many years in many states, Congress has never stepped in and altered the rules.
Moreover, the Ballot Receipt Deadline Statute is facially compatible with the relevant federal statutes. By counting only these ballots that are postmarked no later than Election Day, the Statute complies with federal law that set the date for Election Day. As the United States notes in its statement of interest in this case (Dkt. 47), even federal laws governing elections allow ballots received after Election Day to be counted. […]
More broadly, Plaintiffs consistently—and wrongly—conflate “voting” with “counting votes.” The word “voting” as used in this case is a gerund; that is, a word derived from a verb that functions as a noun. As a derivative of the verb “to vote,” “voting” refers to a specific act: casting a vote. Under the Ballot Receipt Deadline Statute, the voting deadline is unambiguous: the act of voting must take place on or before Election Day. 10 ILCS § 5/19-8(c). Counting those votes, however, may take place up to 14 days after Election Day. Id. Voting (as an act) and counting votes (as a separate act) are not the same thing, and the Statute allows counting alone—not voting—to continue after Election Day. […]
Plaintiffs allege that the Ballot Receipt Deadline Statute forces Congressman Bost and other candidates “to spend money, devote time, and otherwise injuriously rely on unlawful provisions of state law in organizing, funding, and running their campaigns.” Plaintiffs do not, in connection with their right to stand for office claim, explain why the Statute constitutes an invalid regulation of the times, places, and manner of federal elections. Instead, Plaintiffs merely set forth their reasons why the Statute could make standing for federal office in Illinois more challenging
These allegations do not assert a plausible claim that the Ballot Receipt Deadline Statute impairs the right to stand for office. Spending time and money on campaigning is an inevitable feature of running for office, and Plaintiffs do not contend that the extra time and money they might have to spend due to the Statute prevents them from standing for office at all. For these reasons, Plaintiffs’ “right to stand for office” claim is unavailing.
* Rick Morrissey wrote this earlier in the week, but it’s even more true after last night’s loss to that team on the other side of town…
You know what 19 games below .500 is? It’s the kind of record rebuilding teams have. The Sox aren’t rebuilding. Their 26-man payroll is $130.2 million, which is the 11th-highest in baseball. Their .406 winning percentage is the lowest among the top 15 spenders. Ten of those 15 teams have records above .500.
You almost have to try to be as bad as the Sox are. This can’t be emphasized enough: The Sox aren’t trying to be this bad. They’re not trying to get higher draft picks. Their prolific losing is completely organic. Their losing is a living thing, a creature. This is spontaneous dreadfulness. […]
The Sox have finished above .500 only twice in Rick Hahn’s 11 years as general manager.
Governor JB Pritzker joined Hoyleton Youth and Family Services today to break ground on a once in a generation construction project that will provide a new model of care for vulnerable youth 9-18 years old living in residential care. The new residential campus will allow youth, who are both developmentally and intellectually delayed and have experienced trauma, to heal and grow in a therapeutic environment.
GDP grew at a 2.4% pace in the second quarter, topping expectations despite recession calls
• Gross domestic product rose at a 2.4% annualized pace in the second quarter, topping the 2% estimate.
• Consumer spending powered the solid quarter, aided by increases in nonresidential fixed investment, government spending and inventory growth.
• A Commerce Department inflation gauge increased 2.6%, down from a 4.1% rise in Q1 and well below the estimate for a gain of 3.2%.
* IDES…
Over-the-year, total nonfarm jobs increased in all fourteen metropolitan areas for the year ending June 2023, according to data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (DES). Over-the-year, the unemployment rate increased in thirteen metropolitan areas and decreased in one. […]
The metro areas which had the largest over-the-year percentage increases in total nonfarm jobs were the Danville MSA (+3.3%, +900), the Peoria MSA (+2.7%, +4,600), and the Champaign-Urbana MSA (+2.6%, +2,900). Total nonfarm jobs in the Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights Metropolitan Division were up +2.0% or +74,000. Industries that saw job growth in a majority of metro areas included: Education and Health Services and Leisure and Hospitality (twelve areas each); Government (eleven areas), Other Services (ten areas); Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities (nine areas); and Manufacturing (eight areas).
The metro areas with the largest unemployment rate increases were the Danville MSA (+1.0 point to 5.9%), the Kankakee MSA (+0.9 point to 5.7%), the Rockford MSA (+0.9 point to 6.3%) and the Lake County-Kenosha County IL-WI Metropolitan Division (+0.8 point to 4.6%). The only metro area with an unemployment rate decrease was the Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights Metropolitan Division (-1.0 percentage point to 4.3%).
* Press release…
Joint Statement from Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Chicago Bears President & CEO Kevin Warren:
“We continued our productive discussion this week that began in early June. We plan to have regular dialogue with each other, and across our respective staffs, as we work together to meet the needs of the citizens of Chicago and Bears fans.”
Johnson has been preparing an offer to work with the Bears to find multiple city sites within Chicago that could satisfy the demands of an NFL stadium, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. […]
State Rep. Kam Buckner, who served on Johnson’s transition team, previously said the city should be “proactive” in finding another location for the team outside of Soldier Field, including the 500-acre former U.S. Steel site on the Southeast Side along Lake Michigan.
Other sites that could hold a smaller footprint are Related Midwest’s The 78 megadevelopment between Chinatown and the Loop, but the developer has been focused on the development of space for the Discovery Partners Institute with the University of Illinois.
Another possibility is just south of Soldier Field on land occupied by the Lakeside Center, part of the McCormick Place Convention Center campus that is set to be redeveloped.
* Press release…
Governor JB Pritzker, Prysmian Group, and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) today joined local leaders and partners to announce a new Reimagining Energy and Vehicles in Illinois (REV Illinois) agreement and break ground on Prysmian Group’s expanded facility in Du Quoin. The expanded Southern Illinois facility will enable the company to increase cable manufacturing for the renewable energy and electric vehicle sectors. […]
Bolstered by a REV Illinois incentive package, Prysmian Group plans to invest $63.8 million and create 80 new high-paying jobs while retaining 225 jobs in Southern Illinois – solidifying its position as one of the largest employers in Perry County. The expansion paves the way for increased renewable cable production in Illinois, adding over 100,000 square feet of new manufacturing space and seven major pieces of equipment, including a two-line expansion for renewable cable production. The expansion will also help modernize the existing infrastructure and implement an Energy Management System within the facility.
“This expansion will produce cutting-edge, high-quality, sustainable products that not only help enhance the grid – by increasing reliability, preventing blackouts and reducing overall maintenance costs,” said Andrea Pirondini, CEO of Prysmian Group North America. “Ultimately, we will ensure we have the capacity needed, when it is needed, in order to ensure we can build an electrical grid that’s built for the future. As we work to help harden the grid across the U.S., Du Quoin will play a large role in that.”
With 150 years of experience, Prysmian Group is supporting the worldwide transition to clean energy by manufacturing thousands of miles of cables and systems for power transmission and distribution, as well as cables in microgrids, energy storage, renewable energy and EVs and EV charging stations – which have different requirements and specifications than traditional cables.
* Mike Bost…
U.S. Representative Mike Bost (IL-12) today announced that his re-election campaign has been endorsed by over 100 Republican elected officials from across the 12th District. This comes two weeks after Bost announced his re-election campaign has been endorsed by 19 GOP county sheriffs.
“Southern Illinois’ mayors and local officials have a unique feel for the pulse of the people,” said Bost. “They understand better than anyone what their community wants and whether or not they have a representative in Washington who can deliver. That’s why I’m thrilled to have the endorsements of over 100 Republican officials from across the 12th District, including in our new central and southeastern counties. They know I’m fighting for our conservative values and will never sacrifice what’s best for Southern Illinois just to please the Beltway insiders.”
* The ILGOP’s latest press release on the SAFE-T Act included this kicker at the end…
Let’s put it this way: if Al Capone was arrested today on tax evasion, the Democrats would’ve had him released before lunch.
* Press release…
Governor JB Pritzker joined Hoyleton Youth and Family Services today to break ground on a once in a generation construction project that will provide a new model of care for vulnerable youth 9-18 years old living in residential care. The new residential campus will allow youth, who are both developmentally and intellectually delayed and have experienced trauma, to heal and grow in a therapeutic environment.
“Every child deserves an opportunity to be equipped with the tools they need to reach their full potential,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Coupled with the superior therapeutic treatments provided by Hoyleton, this expansion will enable more of our vulnerable youth to receive these outstanding services as well as provide them with modern physical and outdoor spaces encouraging full wrap around services in this unique setting.”
The new facility, which will cost $16 million, has had more than 50% of its project costs funded by Illinois DCFS through its capital development program. Remaining funds will come from federal programs as well as a capital campaign supported by both private and corporate donors.
The project will allow for the creation of seven brand new homes, increasing residential capacity from 36 to 42 youth. Each resident will have a private bedroom, semi-private bathroom, sound and sensory appropriate space, art spaces and planned outdoor areas. Each home will be equipped with solar panels and there will be electric vehicles as well as two charging stations with the capacity for a total of up to six. The housing portion of the project will be completed by January 2024 and none of the residents will be displaced during the construction.
* Bill signing…
Governor JB Pritzker signed SB1909 into law, also known as the Deceptive Practices of Limited Services Pregnancy Centers Act. This law bars so-called “crisis pregnancy centers” from using misinformation, deceptive practices, or misrepresentation in order to interfere with access to abortion services or emergency contraception. The law allows the Illinois Attorney General to investigate complaints against centers using such tactics and strengthens the AG’s Offices power to prosecute incidences of consumer fraud in such cases.
“Women need access to comprehensive, fact-based healthcare when making critical decision about their own health—not manipulation or misinformation from politically motivated, non-medical actors,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “By empowering the Attorney General’s office to battle deceptive practices, we’re ensuring Illinoisans can make their own decisions about their bodies using accurate and safe information.”
“Misinformation is a form of injustice, particularly when it is used in an attempt to control women’s healthcare decisions,” said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. “In Illinois, we refuse to accept anything less than bodily autonomy for all, and that includes the right to accessible and accurate medical information. We are committed to protecting Illinoisans from these manipulative tactics and ensuring all have the power to choose what is best for their futures.”
“I witnessed deceptive crisis pregnancy center tactics firsthand on a visit to tour a Planned Parenthood health center in Illinois. People who appeared as though they might work there were outside attempting to divert patients away from the health center,” Attorney General Kwame Raoul said. “Patients report going to crisis pregnancy centers – sometimes even receiving exams and ultrasounds – thinking they were visiting a clinic that offers the full range of reproductive care. As a result, patients may disclose personal medical information, unaware the center may not keep that information private and confidential. By signing this law at a time when reproductive health access faces continued attacks in other states, Governor Pritzker is helping to protect patients who seek care in Illinois from these extreme violations of trust and privacy.”
“Crisis pregnancy centers,” which are often located near facilities that offer full-service abortion or contraceptive care, are non-regulated and at times even nonmedical facilities. As such, they are not subject to laws regarding confidentiality or accuracy as laid out by medical governing boards. Over 100 of these centers exist in Illinois. Many of these centers advertise to women unsure about continuing a pregnancy, and present inaccurate information on risks of procedures, fetal development, and other aspects of reproductive healthcare to discourage patients from accessing abortion or emergency contraceptive services.
The Deceptive Practices of Limited Services Pregnancy Centers Act clarifies how the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Practices Act applies to crisis pregnancy centers. Centers are not required to provide information about abortion or emergency contraceptives but cannot give incorrect information or use false advertising to attract clients. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has recommended that states strengthen laws against these centers to preserve patient safety. The law is effective immediately upon signing.
…Adding… A lawsuit was filed today…
Today, Thomas More Society attorneys filed a federal lawsuit against Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, seeking to stop him from enforcing Illinois Senate Bill 1909, a measure drafted by Raoul’s office that declares the pro-life speech of the state’s life pregnancy help ministries to be a “deceptive business practice.” Thomas More Society is representing NIFLA, a national pregnancy help center network, along with several Illinois pregnancy help centers and pro-life organizations.
“This law is a blatant attempt to chill and silence pro-life speech under the guise of ‘consumer protection,’” explained Peter Breen, Thomas More Society Executive Vice President and Head of Litigation, and a former Illinois State Legislator. “Pregnancy help ministries provide real options and assistance to women and families in need, but instead of the praise they deserve, pro-abortion politicians are targeting these ministries with $50,000 fines and injunctions solely because of their pro-life viewpoint.”
The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Western Division, seeks a temporary restraining order, preliminary injunction, and permanent injunction against SB 1909. If temporary and preliminary injunctions are granted, they would prevent the law from being enforced while the case makes its way through the court system.
“The state government has completely overstepped the bounds of any logical and relevant authority by inserting insane partisan politics into their governing bodies and attempting to trample the First Amendment rights of those with whom they disagree,” said Thomas Glessner, President of NIFLA. “There is no basis for their blatant attacks on pregnancy centers, who provide all of their services for free for women and their families throughout Illinois. They do so out of their deeply held beliefs of caring for one another and exhibiting human decency and compassion for those in need, something the leaders of Illinois are completely clueless about. This attempt to deny mothers their constitutional right to choose life is disgraceful and should be an embarrassment to the people of Illinois.”
The Illinois State Police welcomed 17 new Troopers today from Cadet Class 142 at a graduation ceremony at the Illinois State Police Academy in Springfield. The new Troopers will report to three different Troops throughout the state on Sunday July 30, 2023. The total number of ISP Troopers added since 2019 now stands at 445.
Cadet Class 142 marks the 14th cadet class graduation under Governor JB Pritzker. […]
The new officers are assigned to the following areas of the state and will immediately begin their patrol duties, joining veteran Troopers in the effort to safeguard the public and Illinois roadways.
Troop 2 La Salle, 1 Trooper
Troop 3 Des Plaines, 12 Troopers
Troop 8 Collinsville, 4 Troopers
* I was privileged to be quoted in this article about Yvette Shields…
Yvette Shields, a reporter originally trained to cover Chicago City Hall, turned her fearless pen to Midwest state and local finance when she joined the Bond Buyer nearly 26 years ago and launched a career that enriched the public finance industry with unrivaled coverage of the people, deals and events that matter to the bond world.
Along the way she earned a reputation as a consummate financial reporter who had great personal charm, intelligence, and humor. She built an extensive network of sources and friends, routinely scooped the competition, and acquired a deep understanding of the political and financial nuances that shape municipal finance.
Shields died suddenly on July 19 of what is believed to be sepsis. She was 57.
You can contribute to the Yvette Shields Memorial Fund by clicking here. Thanks.
* WMBD | Illinois Secretary of State program to reduce wait times at DMVs: Giannoulias said that the program, which will start Sept. 1, is expected to eliminate the unpredictability of wait times at the DMV and improve customer service. The program will require everyone to make appointments for in-person visits at the 44 busiest DMVs in Illinois. In Central Illinois, that includes Peoria, Pekin and Bloomington.
* KFVS | Gov. Pritzker announces new initiative, attends groundbreaking in Du Quoin: Prysmian, based in Milan, Italy, is considered a world leader in the design, manufacturing and sale of wire and cable products, including aluminum, copper and fiber optic wire and cable products for the energy, communications and automotive industries.
* Journal Courier | Illinois attorney general calls on Congress to extend GI Bill benefits: The bill would extend eligibility for Veterans Affairs housing loan and Post-9/11 GI Bill educational assistance programs to Black World War II veterans and their families and descendants if the veteran can prove they were denied GI Bill benefits on the basis of race. It would also create an accountability office to monitor how many veterans received benefits from the bill and a panel to study inequalities in how women and minority veterans are given benefits.
* Crain’s | Chicago climate-tech investor raises $300M fund: The new fund will make growth-stage investments in companies that have proven their technologies and products and now need money to scale up their operations or pursue acquisitions. Interest in clean-energy technology was helped by the nearly $500 billion in government incentives aimed at climate change from last year’s federal Inflation Reduction Act.
* Bond Buyer | Illinois Senate honors Bond Buyer’s Yvette Shields for her work: The life and legacy of Bond Buyer reporter Yvette Shields was honored Tuesday with a proclamation introduced on the floor of the Illinois Senate. Introduced by Sen. Rob Martwick, D-Chicago, the proclamation pays homage to Shields as a “celebrated and beloved financial reporter” who “left behind an indelible mark on the public finance industry in both the Midwest and the nation as a whole.”
* Tribune | Updated X-ray machines for searching backpacks approved for more than 100 Chicago Public Schools buildings: The $1 million renewal agreement follows an initial two-year, $1.4 million investment in new X-ray equipment, approved by the board in 2021. (During the remote learning period of the COVID-19 pandemic, virtually none of those funds were spent, Chou said.) But, with six of seven members just appointed by Mayor Brandon Johnson early this month, new leadership presides over the Board of Education. And in response to the district’s renewal request, some members initially questioned CPS’ reliance on the technology — though all members ultimately voted Wednesday to approve the funds.
* Daily Herald | ‘I want to build bridges’: Officials make pitch for cops in Arlington Heights, Elk Grove schools: Arlington Heights Police Chief Nick Pecora has proposed the addition of two full-time officers to work at the two middle schools in Arlington Heights Elementary District 25, where a pair of officers already split their time among the district’s nine schools. The officers also make the rounds at 10 other schools both public and private within the village boundaries.
* Crain’s | Johnson makes pitch to Bears to keep team in Chicago: As the Chicago Bears appear to be in stalled negotiations to build their new stadium in Arlington Heights, team president and CEO Kevin Warren met with Mayor Brandon Johnson at City Hall on Wednesday to discuss potential new stadium sites within the city but outside of Soldier Field. […] The locations Johnson is offering are unknown, but there are only a handful of options that are large enough to satisfy the need for an NFL stadium and potentially a surrounding entertainment district.
* Block Club | Broadway Armory To Become Migrant Shelter Starting Next Week, City Says: The conversion will require the relocation of multiple park programs and services by Saturday, giving city officials time to prep the massive complex into a shelter. Though most park programs will either end early or be moved elsewhere, the city-run senior center at the Broadway Armory will remain open, according to the mayor’s office. The senior dining center will continue to serve meals, though the computer lab and ping pong room will be closed.
* WGEM | Public squirrel hunting opening in Schuyler, Pike, Scott Counties: IDNR reported Thursday it has leased more than 4,400 acres of private land for 2023 squirrel hunting through IRAP, creating more than 30 public access squirrel sites in 18 counties, including Schuyler, Pike and Scott Counties. Sites are available at no cost to participants. Hunters simply must register, sign a liability waiver, and reserve a site through IRAP’s online registration system.
* Sun-Times | Chicago first responders stage dramatic emergency drills on Chicago River: And the departments delivered — the river became a simulated active incident, with police officers running onto a Chicago Water Taxi with guns drawn and actors in distress. A helicopter swooped in, hovering just feet above the water as swimmers jumped out and propelled themselves toward the chaos.
* Gov. Pritzker was asked today if he felt like there was a “safety crisis” inside the state’s developmental centers, including Choate. Here’s part of his response…
These facilities often are located in places where it’s very hard to find the qualified labor that you’re looking for. We have terrific people that we attract, but it’s also very difficult to fill positions when we don’t have enough people with the kinds of credentials that are necessary to do this work.
This is hard work. The people who work there deserve to be compensated properly, and they deserve to be rewarded and recognized for good work that’s done. But if we can’t attract more people like that, then the provision of health care that’s necessary isn’t going to be up to the standard that we like.
This is a problem we’re all trying to solve. It’s not an easy one, because people are not willing to drive 100 or 150 miles to a job every day. And so where are we going to find those quality workers in an environment by the way where there’s a labor shortage, too? So we’re working on all those problems simultaneously, they won’t be solved immediately.
What we can do immediately is resolve the complaints to determine if there is actual wrongdoing, and then address that wrongdoing, hold people accountable.
Thursday, Jul 27, 2023 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
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With $14 billion in new federal funding, the infrastructure law was supposed to jolt efforts to protect the U.S. highway network from a changing climate and curb carbon emissions that are warming the planet. New records show the effort is off to an unsteady start as hundreds of millions of dollars are being spent elsewhere.
Last year, 38 states made use of a provision in the law to shift about $755 million to general-purpose highway construction accounts, according to Federal Highway Administration records. The sum is more than one-quarter of the total annual amount made available to states in two new climate-related programs.
* Illinois shifted more than $39 million, according to WaPo…
Illinois shifting more than 42% of climate reslience funding to general purpose highway construction accounts. Give state DOTs money and they will do whatever they can to spend it on highways. https://t.co/WIdgD3kyHCpic.twitter.com/rSI8pBZb87
California shifted $97 million to pay for safety projects. New York moved $36 million to fund what officials called the state’s “core capital program.” Arizona said it used $20 million for its five-year highway construction program, largely for “pavement preservation,” and Louisiana used $8.2 million to fund roundabouts near an outlet mall. […]
A legal provision predating the infrastructure law allows states to shift up to half of their federal transportation funds among several different programs — a provision that also applies to transportation money from the new law. Kevin DeGood, director of the infrastructure program at the left-leaning Center for American Progress, said Congress clearly intended for money to be allocated to projects that would reduce emissions or protect against extreme weather.
* Related media advisory…
On Monday, July 31, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will join Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski and other local leaders in the Champaign-Urbana, IL, and East St. Louis, IL, areas to highlight major infrastructure investments and announce new funding.
These projects are examples of how the Biden-Harris Administration is investing in America and working to build the next generation of American infrastructure, while creating good-paying jobs.
* The governor received a lot of national kudos for this…
Here in Illinois, we don't hide from the truth, we embrace it. By outlawing book bans, we’re showing the nation what it really looks like to stand up for liberty. pic.twitter.com/4QoN6acB9Z
While punchy national headlines announce that Illinois has outlawed book bans, Chicago Books to Women in Prison board president, Vicki White, can’t help but point out that this bill applies only to public libraries, not Illinois jail and prison libraries, or books sent by mail that are regulated by the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC).
In response to the governor’s tweet, White, who has been involved with the volunteer-run nonprofit organization for over a decade, urges the state to incorporate incarcerated folks in Pritzker’s declaration to “stand up for liberty.”
“I would just ask Pritzker to spearhead the same type of action in prisons, and not just prison libraries but prisons in general,” White said. “Because there are the books in the prison libraries, but books from organizations like ours go through the mail room. Another thing that would be excellent would be for an [assessment] to happen from the top; fold in the prison library system into the Illinois library system and [take it] out of the Illinois Department of Corrections…JB Pritzker, I love what you’re saying. Maybe just think a little more broadly.” […]
According to a 2023-updated article by The Marshall Project about banned books in prisons by state, while most of the titles are pornographic, the list also includes books on Asian martial arts, the fundamentals of tattooing, how to write believable fight scenes, and Prison Ramen, which details prison recipes and personal narratives from incarcerated inmates. In contrast, Mein Kampf is banned in Illinois, but inmates are free to read it in Texas, according to a 2019 Illinois Library Association article.
The Marshall Project is here. You can download the full list of banned Illinois prison books by clicking here and scrolling down.
In May 2019, the Illinois library community received an alarming bit of news: Between November 2018 and late January 2019, more than 200 books were removed, censored, or banned from the Education Justice Project library at the Danville Correctional Center, located in East Central Illinois. Among these books were titles such as Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington; Don’t Shoot: One Man, A Street Fellowship, and The End of Violence in Inner-City America by David M. Kennedy, and “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?” And Other Conversations About Race by Beverly Daniel Tatum, Ph.D. […]
EJP students are University of Illinois students, and so also have access to Interlibrary Loan materials from U of I libraries. Students complete loan requests for specific titles or topics of study, and the requested items are provided by the EJP librarian—if the items pass the correctional facility’s clearance process.
1. Publications shall not be disapproved solely because its content is religious, philosophical, political, social or sexual content, or because the content is unpopular or repugnant.
Publications that meet one or more of the following criteria may be disapproved:
a. It contains sexually explicit material.
b. It is written in code or facilitates unauthorized communication between offenders.
c. It blatantly encourages activities that may lead to the use of physical violence or group disruption.
d. It facilitates unauthorized organizational activity.
e. It overtly advocates or encourages violence, hatred or group disruption.
f. It encourages or instructs in the commission of criminal activity.
g. It depicts or describes procedures for the construction or use of weapons, ammunition, bombs or incendiary devices.
h. It depicts or describes procedures for making alcoholic beverages or manufacturing drugs.
i. It depicts, describes or encourages methods of escape from correctional facilities or provides material that may assist in an escape attempt such as a detailed map of areas surrounding Illinois correctional facilities.
j. The content contains security threat group (STG) material or depictions of hand signs or symbols that appear to be related to an STG and could promote or enhance the image of an STG within the facility or may be interpreted as legitimizing gang behavior.
k. It is detrimental to the security or good order of the facility.
l. It is determined by a mental health professional or counselor to be detrimental to mental health or rehabilitation. Disapproval of publications under this criterion shall be made on a case-by-case basis and documentation of the mental health professional or counselor’s determination shall be provided to the Central Publications Review Committee with the Publication Review Determination and Course of Action, DOC 0212.
Sexually explicit material – for the purpose of this directive shall mean any publication that contains pictorial depictions of actual or simulated sexual acts including intercourse, oral sex or masturbation; any publication that by word or picture depicts or describes illegal activity of a sexual nature, sadomasochism, bestiality, sexual activity involving children (whether actual or perceived) or any publication that depicts or describes anything otherwise contrary to law. Publications that contain nudity without additional elements as provided above or publications that provide research or opinions on sexual health, reproductive issues or are scientific in nature shall not be considered sexually explicit.
Except for the illegal stuff, of course, that definition seems pretty harsh, particularly in a state that’s supposedly trying to get away from using prisons as punishment centers.
In an effort to improve customer service and eliminate the unpredictability of wait times at Illinois DMVs, Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias will begin implementing a Skip-the-Line program starting September 1.
The Skip-the-Line program includes:
Simplified Online Services — Customers are encouraged to take advantage of the many services offered online at ilsos.gov, including renewing their driver’s license or ID card and license plate sticker online.
Appointment Scheduling — Customers will be required to make appointments for in-person visits at 44 of the busiest DMVs including all Chicago and suburban locations and some central and downstate DMVs for those seeking REAL ID, driver’s license and ID card services, and in-car driving tests.
Those seeking vehicle-related services, such as title and registration or renewing their license plate sticker, do not need to make an appointment and can just walk in.
Upon arrival, customers will check in with DMV staff and “Skip the Line,” eliminating lines and unpredictable wait times. Illinoisans may visit ilsos.gov or call (844) 817-4649 to schedule an appointment.
New Extended Hours of Operation — All DMVs statewide will extend hours of operation, with 16 facilities open six days a week – Monday through Saturday.
• All DMVs will change their days and hours of operation from Tues-Sat to Mon-Fri,
8 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
• 16 DMVs will also be open on Saturday, 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m., as noted below.
“Customers will save time by skipping the line,” said Giannoulias. “Our goal is to eliminate the Time Tax that has plagued Illinoisans for years, forcing them to stand in long lines wasting time – just to conduct basic services. Extending hours at all DMVs and requiring appointments at our 44 highest-volume facilities is the most efficient way to get the services you need quickly and without the headache of unpredictable wait times.”
The appointment-only facilities include 24 Chicago and suburban DMVs and 20 DMVs in central and downstate Illinois that are within 10 miles from a population center of at least 25,000 residents. The list of these facilities is below, along with their days of operation.
The full list of appointment-only facilities is here.
People tend to dislike change, sometimes just because it’s different. With that in mind…
* The Question: Do you like this idea? Explain.
Also, we discussed the whole DMV thing yesterday, so try to focus solely on the new policy. Thanks.
…Adding… I noticed some folks chiming in about closing on Saturdays. Giannoulias said at his press conference that people just weren’t coming in much on Saturdays…
What I would say is what we’ve seen, and data backs this up, people are way more inclined to visit a facility on a weekday than they are on a Saturday. That’s pretty universal. Foot traffic at our facilities on Saturdays is just not there. The other thing we noticed is that, and while we changed the hours from 8 to 12:30, that some of the facilities that were open Saturday afternoons, for months and years, no one stepped foot in a facility at 2:30, 3pm on Saturday. So we want to shorten those hours, increasing for 16 locations that we think are pretty strategically placed that people have the ability to go in six days a week.
House Bill 2831 codifies an executive order Pritzker signed in 2021 that established the Illinois Interagency Task Force on Homelessness and the Community Advisory Council on Homelessness. It centralizes programs across 17 state departments and agencies to develop and implement a comprehensive plan to combat homelessness.
At a bill-signing ceremony at Featherfist, a homeless services organization in Chicago, Pritzker said the goal of the initiative is to bring homelessness in Illinois to “functional zero.”
“For those who don’t know and who may be listening, it’s a measurable metric of success that reduces homelessness to something that’s brief and rare and nonrecurring,” Pritzker said. […]
Christine Haley, the state’s current chief homelessness officer and chair of the interagency task force, said Black people and other people of color are disproportionately affected by homelessness.
“We stand here in one of the few Black-led homeless services organizations in our state. And as we stand here, we know that this housing crisis before us is rooted in housing injustice, is rooted in segregation, is rooted in racism,” she said. “We know this because in our city of Chicago, where now less than a third of its residents are Black, 73% of individuals and 90% of children and their parents who are experiencing homelessness are Black.”
The bill codifies the Interagency Task Force and Community Advisory Council, formed in 2021 to work across 17 Illinois state departments and agencies to develop a comprehensive plan to combat homelessness. […]
The state’s budget sets aside $360 million for the task force, with $118 million to support unhoused populations seeking shelter and services. Also appropriated is about $40.7 million for the Emergency and Transitional Housing Program, $50 million in Rapid Rehousing services for 2,000 households and $40 million in Permanent Supportive Housing.
The funding is an $83 million increase from last year’s budget.
The administration’s Home Illinois initiative is expanding options for affordable housing, targeting people in high-risk situations, and providing comprehensive support individuals experiencing homelessness. Several communities across the state have reached “functional zero homelessness,” meaning people can quickly find new housing options through local resources.
“We will build from the successes of serving unhoused veterans to advance housing strategies to serve all Illinoisans - from infants to our elders,” said Christine Haley, Chief Homelessness Officer for the Illinois Department of Human Services.
The Fiscal Year 2024 budget includes $360 million to help people find shelter and support services, build short-term and long-term housing units, and secure financial stability.
“We know the difference it can make when all of our partners from all levels around the state work together,” said Carolyn Ross, President and CEO of All Chicago Making Homelessness History. “We are in this for the long-term. And this legislation demonstrates that our Illinois leadership is in it for the long-term too.
Featherfist’s founder and CEO Melanie Anewishki called this a very encouraging day.
“It’s saying keep going; keep going, Mel. It’s OK; it’s gonna be all right,” said Melanie Anewishki, Featherfist founder and CEO.
Anewishki said it will help reduce what is often a silo’d approach to helping the homeless.
“So, yes, I’m reenergized. I feel great. Today is a very great day,” Anewishki said.
The goal of this coordinated effort is by 2025 to reach what’s called functional zero homelessness, which in essence means more people are finding housing, than are becoming homeless.
* WTVO…
“Every person deserves access to safe shelter and the dignity that comes with housing,” Pritzker said. “This is a first-of-its-kind multi-agency cooperative effort — bringing together state agencies, nonprofit organizations, advocates, and people with lived experience to prevent and end homelessness. I’m grateful for their dedication and believe that together, we can prevent and end homelessness once and for all.”
Rockford has already taken strides in this aspect. In 2017, it became the first community to reach “functional zero” levels among veterans and the chronically homeless.
Illinois’ Interagency Task Force and Community Advisory Council works across 17 state departments and agencies, as well as over 100 processes, programs and policies, to develop a comprehensive plan to combat homelessness. […]
“People experiencing the trauma of housing instability are our neighbors and community members who deserve to be treated with humanity and dignity. With this cooperative effort, Illinois is ensuring our state agencies can continue to collaborate, and that stakeholders are at the table with us, to support our most vulnerable in living healthy, well, and with dignity.” Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton said. “Our state is making it clear that we will continue to work together so we can all move forward, and we will focus on holistic strategies that bring us closer to ending homelessness in our state.”
* Lots of political land mines are associated with this convention, and this is just one of them…
Hadn’t thought about it before this @Andrefor40th tweet but yeah seems almost inevitable FL & Texas Governors will try to punk the 2024 DNC by sending bunch of unannounced buses of immigrants in weeks leading up to Convention. Sigh. https://t.co/PKFbCBBZ5a
* CBS Chicago | Illinois Auditor General reports on $5B improperly paid by the state: Among those receiving benefits: 481 dead people who got $6 million and about 3,500 inmates who received more than $40 million. The report dings the Illinois Department of Employment Security for its call center, describing hundreds of people who had to call more than 1,000 times to get through.
* Scott Holland | New union contract includes action steps for staffing concerns: The terms include several items aimed at improving the state’s hiring process and employee retention. The new contract language reflects the state’s switch to an electronic system for filling open positions and joint commitments to streamlining steps to filling vacancies. A new labor-management committee is tasked with identifying hiring roadblocks. There will be a pilot program testing recruitment bonuses for tough-to-fill jobs and a commitment to making sure current employees away on parental leave aren’t cut off from applying for openings.
* WSN | Illinois Set to Award More Sports Betting Operator Licenses Soon: The state’s $20 million application fee is a big reason for the struggles. That is a far larger number than in other states, and obtaining a license would only be the first step. New operators would enter a small pool of online sportsbooks filled with all of the major players. Operators like FanDuel, DraftKings, and Caesars have driven out smaller competitors nationwide. That makes entering the market a high-stakes move, driving away many second or third-tier operators.
* Bloomberg | Chicago, Milwaukee Seek Extra $50 Million to Cover Convention Security: “Cities shouldn’t be expected to front the cost,” Representative Mike Quigley, a Chicago Democrat and House Appropriations committee member, said in an interview. He added that risks aren’t static. “If anything, they have increased,” he said.
* WBEZ | New Chicago Public Schools board lays out ambitious agenda for school system: The newly seated Chicago Board of Education hand-picked by Mayor Brandon Johnson unveiled ambitious plans Wednesday to transform the school district into a place where parents of students with disabilities want to send their children and where the definition of safety includes “dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline.”
* WBEZ | Chicago’s Urban Prep school for boys wins right to remain open this fall: Cook County Judge Anna Loftus this week sided with Urban Prep in ruling that a state moratorium on CPS school closings applies to charter schools and CPS “thus may not close, consolidate, or phase-out Urban Prep-Englewood and Urban Prep-Bronzeville until after the moratorium expires on January 15, 2025.”
* WBEZ | Chicagoans remember trailblazing cop Renault Robinson: A South Side church service Tuesday celebrated the life of Renault Robinson. He’s a former Chicago cop who organized against police racism in the ’60s and ’70s. He also sued successfully to force CPD to hire more minority and female officers. In the ’80s, under Mayor Harold Washington, Robinson had a stormy tenure as head of the Chicago Housing Authority. He died this month at age 80.
* Gizmodo | Twitter Deletes Its Own Fact Check Correcting Elon’s Bogus Vaccine Tweet: Unfortunately for fans of accurate information, that label no longer appears on Musk’s tweet, but you can see a copy preserved by the Internet Archive. There’s no indication that Musk intervened to take the note down. The company’s press email auto-responds with a poop-emoji, a joke that continues to bring joy to five-year-olds across the globe.
* NYT | What ‘The Bear’ Gets Right About Chicago: Leave it to a Chicagoan like me to note that there are, in fact, more than 20 restaurants in the city with at least one Michelin star. But “The Bear” captures something real about the city’s dining culture — and, more broadly, what you might call the geography of ambition.
Giannoulias to Announce Skip-the-Line Program at DMVs
Who: Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias
What: Secretary Giannoulias will announce the implementation of a Skip-the-Line program at DMVs throughout the state.
Where: 555 W. Monroe
3rd Floor – Room 300-N (Press Room)
Chicago
When: Thursday, July 27, at 11 a.m.
Why: Secretary Giannoulias’ Skip-the-Line program is designed to improve customer service and eliminate the unpredictability of wait times at DMVs. The program is scheduled to launch September 1, 2023
I asked if this means walk-in service will be eliminated…
Walk-ins will be allowed at the lower-volume facilities. This is the majority of the DMVs across the state.
As a side note, I really don’t like that it’s now common practice to call drivers’ service facilities “DMVs.” There is no Department of Motor Vehicles in Illinois.
* Sen. Bennett was appointed to the seat this year after incumbent GOP Sen. Jason Barickman stepped down…
Illinois State Senator Tom Bennett (R-Gibson City) announced his plans to retire from his storied and successful career in the General Assembly at the completion of his current term representing the 53rd District.
“Serving in the General Assembly has been one of the most challenging, amazing and rewarding times in my life,” said Bennett. “The only way I know how to do this job is full-time, often six or seven days-a-week and my family and I have decided that after this term it is time to slow down,” Bennett said.
Senator Bennett served in the Illinois House of Representatives representing the 106th District from 2015 until 2023 when he was appointed to the State Senate on behalf of the 53rd District of Illinois, including Bureau, Ford, Grundy, Iroquois, LaSalle, Livingston, Marshall, McLean, Peoria, Putnam, Tazewell, Will, and Woodford Counties.
“Senator Bennett is as well-known for his kindness and compassion as he is for his legislative skills,” said Illinois Senate Republican Leader John Curran (R-Downers Grove). “The accomplishments and impact that he continues to make will be felt throughout the capitol and the state for many years to come. I am grateful for the chance to serve alongside him and look forward to working with him in his final session and endeavors beyond the capitol.”
Senator Bennett grew up in Gibson City before earning a BS in Education and a BS in Computer Science from Eastern Illinois University, an MBA from Illinois State University and a Doctor of Business Administration from Nova Southeastern University. He spent his career in education as a high school and junior high science teacher and later as an IT professional at State Farm Insurance.
His passion for education stemmed into his public service in Springfield where he was a leader on Education participating in many meaningful negotiations and legislative packages in the House and passed multiple bipartisan education bills, specifically ones focused on addressing the state’s teacher shortage in the Senate. Raised on a family farm, he also took an active role in agriculture, small business, public safety and transportation issues.
Despite his many legislative accomplishments, it is the people he has met along the way that brings Sen. Bennett the most joy.
“It’s amazing what my staff has done over the last nine years for countless constituents across our district and our state to make a positive difference in people’s lives,” Sen. Bennett said. “I am also grateful for my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in the General Assembly – we come from different parts of the state, with different backgrounds, sometimes holding very different viewpoints, but we have tried to respect each other and work together on issues important to the people of Illinois.”
Always finding new ways to give back to his community, Sen. Bennett served on several school and education boards including 19 years on the distinguished Parkland College Board of Trustees and became the first Illinois trustee to ever serve as Chair of the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT).
“The process of running for office, meeting people, telling them why you’re running, your goals and how you hope to achieve them – is not an easy one. I make this announcement today so the hardworking and fair-minded people I represent are in the best position to elect a new leader.”
In the meantime, Senator Bennett said he looks forward to making the most of the remainder of his term.
“Today is not the end of my work as a Senator, it is simply the beginning of the sprint to the finish,” Bennett said. “I have a lot of legislative work left to do and a lot of people yet to meet. Because, as I learned from a friend a long time ago: it’s all about the people.”
Sen. Bennett’s term will end at the completion of the 103rd General Assembly in January 2025.
* Sen. Van Pelt was absent for most of the spring session…
State Senator Patricia Van Pelt issued the following statement after filing to retire from the 5th Senate District seat:
“It has been an honor of a lifetime to serve the people of the 5th Senate District for the last decade. Throughout this time, we have accomplished much change to ensure the voiceless are heard and the underserved receive the help they need.
“I want to thank all who have stood by me over this past year throughout my health challenges. It has been a blessing to serve the people of this great state, but it’s time to pass the torch. I will forever be grateful for the people I’ve encountered, the stories they’ve shared and the work we’ve accomplished together.”
The retirement will be official August 1, 2023 at 5:00 p.m.
Notice the lack of any other voice in that second release.
Overpayments (which include fraud, non-fraud, and identity theft) were an issue in both the regular UI and PUA programs. IDES reported overpayments for FY20 to FY22 that totaled $5.24 billion; regular UI accounted for $2.04 billion and PUA accounted for $3.20 billion. Considering gross benefits associated with regular UI claims were 2.5 times higher than gross benefits associated with PUA claims, it shows the magnitude of fraud experienced in the PUA program. IDES noted stopped or recovered payments of $150.36 million and $361.34 million for the regular UI and PUA programs respectively.
Many decisions made during the pandemic were intended to decrease or eliminate delays and prioritize paying claims as soon as possible. Several of IDES’ defenses against fraud could not handle the exponential increase in claims. Claimants were unable to register for claims since they were required to pass these cross-matches in order to file. Beginning in March 2020, IDES suspended some routine identity cross-matches performed on all regular UI claims filed because the cross-matches required time to run and constricted the processing system severely. These cross-matches were temporarily suspended and/or processed offline. This allowed IDES to better handle the increase in claims processing traffic; however, this left the unemployment programs more susceptible to fraud.
Timely payment of benefits and preventing fraud are competing concepts. Preventing fraud, especially in new programs with evolving guidance and guidelines, likely would require additional processing time and a possible delay in benefit distribution to claimants. Conversely, paying claims quickly, especially when certain cross-matches and controls were suspended, increased IDES’ risk of making improper payments.
* The Republican Party’s elders in this state have not had much of an influence on the rank and file for quite a few years. So this likely won’t change things much…
An influential Illinois Republican is urging Republicans to break from ex-President Donald Trump, the current front runner for the 2024 GOP nomination.
Richard Porter, a local and national party leader, took his first public stand about moving on from Trump in a column published Wednesday by Real Clear Politics.
The op-ed is here. Porter is backing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, whose campaign appears to be imploding at the moment.
* IDPH…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is reminding the public to be aware of the potential for exposure to rabies from infected animals. Bats are the most common source of potential infection in Illinois, and exposures from bats tend to be more frequent during the summer months, especially July and August. The disease can also be found in other wild animals, including raccoons, skunks, foxes, and coyotes.
So far this year, 27 rabid bats have been found in fourteen Illinois counties. There have been five rabid bats each in Kankakee and Lake counties, four in Cook County, and three in McHenry County. Rabies has also been found in bats in Bureau, Clark, DeKalb, Macon, McLean, Peoria, Rock Island, Sangamon, Wayne, and Will counties.
“Rabies is a fatal but preventable disease,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. “It is important that Illinois residents know how to prevent rabies exposure to protect themselves and their loved ones. Rabies can be prevented in a number of ways including vaccinating pets, being cautious around wildlife, and seeking medical care immediately after a potential exposure. If exposed, please seek medical attention immediately.”
Rabies is a deadly virus that affects the brain and nervous system. People can get rabies from being bitten by an infected animal. Rabies can also be contracted when saliva from a rabid animal comes into contact with a person’s eyes, nose, mouth, or an open wound. If someone wakes up to find a bat in the room, that is also considered an exposure even if they cannot identify a bite.
A bat’s teeth are small, so someone who has been bitten by a bat may not know it, or may be unable to communicate it (for example, very small children). That’s why it’s important that if you discover a bat in your home, you should avoid killing or releasing it; instead, immediately consult with your local animal control or your local health department to determine appropriate next steps. If you have been exposed to rabies, preventive treatment, known as PEP, is necessary. But if the bat or wild animal can be safely captured and tested, and the test comes back negative, no preventive medication is required.
* IEPA…
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Director John J. Kim today announced a grant opportunity with $10 million in funding for projects that will improve water quality in Illinois. The Green Infrastructure Grant Opportunities (GIGO) Program has been made possible by Governor Pritzker’s bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital plan. The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is posted at https://il.amplifund.com/Public/Opportunities/Details/8eb59a23-1ba2-4930-acf3-2622dbb7e364. […]
The GIGO Program provides funding for projects to construct green infrastructure best management practices (BMPs) that prevent, eliminate, or reduce water quality impairments by decreasing stormwater runoff into Illinois’ rivers, streams, and lakes. Projects that implement treatment trains (multiple BMPs in series) and/or multiple BMPs within the same watershed may be more effective and efficient than a single large green infrastructure BMP.
For GIGO, green infrastructure means any stormwater management technique or practice employed with the primary goal to preserve, restore, mimic, or enhance natural hydrology. Green infrastructure includes, but is not limited to, methods of using soil and vegetation to promote soil percolation, evapotranspiration, and filtering or the harvesting and reuse of precipitation. Examples of project types/BMPs that may be funded through GIGO are provided in the NOFO. Illinois EPA anticipates project awards between $75,000 and $2.5 million. The first $5 Million in GIGO grants were awarded to eleven grantees in 2021 and 2022. Four projects have completed construction and the remaining are under construction.
* Not the ballot name it used to be, but we’ll see…
Today, Justice Eileen O’Neill Burke (Illinois Appellate Court, Retired) formally announced her campaign to be the Democratic Candidate for Cook County State’s Attorney:
“At the beginning of this month, I stepped down from my position as a Justice on the Appellate Court for a simple reason: our criminal justice system is not working for this community that I love. As a former prosecutor, criminal defense attorney, and judge, I have spent more than thirty years seeking justice for the people of Cook County from every corner of the courtroom. I believe that my experience, sound judgment, and record of fairness can make things better at a critical time,” said Justice Eileen O’Neill Burke.
“The State’s Attorney has an awesome responsibility to vigorously prosecute cases and seek justice for victims, their families, and the people of Cook County while respecting the rule of law and the civil rights of the accused. That requires not only tackling violent crime but also a thoughtful approach to restorative justice, where we put resources into juvenile, veterans, drug, and mental health courts to help people get back on the right path and build stronger, safer communities.
“We don’t have to choose between safety or justice. We can have both with the right leadership. Above all, I know that no State’s Attorney can be successful without earning the trust of the public. I will lead an office with the highest standards of professionalism, and I look forward to sharing my vision with voters to make the office of the Cook County State’s Attorney one of the best prosecutor’s offices in the country,” O’Neill Burke concluded.
In only three weeks since stepping off the bench, Justice Burke has garnered the enthusiastic support of the local legal community. More than 150 retired judges, retired Assistant State’s Attorneys, and lawyers have joined Burke’s campaign.
* This ain’t gonna work…
"Overcoming adversity." Once again, that's "overcoming adversity." Remember, this is a full card round of Sports Scandal Buzzword Bingo, so please hold onto your cards until we confirm a winner. https://t.co/DFVZPqAsCr
* Shaw Local | Will County Board member faces dubious reprimand after pushing courthouse cause: Will County Board member Daniel Butler is facing possible reprimand for pushing for a special meeting to explore options for the old courthouse. “They’re putting me in time out,” Butler, R-Frankfort, quipped over directions from the board Republican leader that would force him to sit separately from other members at future County Board meetings.
* WBEZ | No jail time for man who admitted buying gun used to kill 7-year-old Jaslyn Adams at McDonald’s drive-thru: Straw-purchasing cases like Keys’ can be vexing for law enforcement. While they may have disastrous consequences, judges often face defendants at sentencing with mostly clean criminal histories. Defense attorneys argue their clients have committed a non-violent, paperwork offense that involved lying on a form during a firearm purchase.
* Block Club Chicago | Rogers Park Motel Becomes Migrant Shelter Housing 250 People: The Super 8 Motel, 7300 N. Sheridan Road, will welcome over 250 new arrivals in the coming weeks, Ald. Maria Hadden (49th) said. The motel — which has private rooms and individual bathrooms and showers, unlike other city shelters — is prioritizing migrant families with young children, Hadden said.
* Crain’s | Winston & Strawn to move to riverfront tower: “Our Chicago roots run deep and when we embarked on a search for a downtown office location that would inspire our team and exceed expectations well into the future, we knew 300 North LaSalle was the perfect fit,” Cardelle Spangler, Chicago managing partner of Winston & Strawn, said in a press release.
* WBEZ | Why does Chicago’s Silver Room Block Party have to end?: At the first Silver Room at 1410 N. Milwaukee Ave., my rent was $800 a month [in 1997]. Then it eventually went from $800 to $4,000. [By 2014] I’m going to $8,000 a month. So I was like, it’s time to go.
* WaPo | Some long-covid patients have brain struggles for at least two years: Researchers in the United Kingdom found that people who reported having long-covid symptoms for at least 12 weeks after being infected with the coronavirus showed reduced performance in tests for, among other things, memory, reasoning and motor control, for up to two years after the infection. Their findings were published last week in the Lancet journal eClinicalMedicine.
* Sun-Times | Chicagoans set to watch U.S. Women’s National Team second game at FIFA World Cup: The USA-Netherlands FIFA World Cup game might kick off in Wellington, New Zealand, on Wednesday, but the ball won’t stop rolling there as scores of fans head out to catch it in Chicago. “We’re going to have a huge watch party,” said Heather Roberts, the co-owner of Whiskey Girl Tavern, a North Side bar dedicated to watching women’s sports. “We’ve dedicated the entire space in front and the back rooms for the match.”
* Click here to read the replies to this tweet (or Xeet, or whatever it is now). Flat-out and even enthusiastic racism, historical revisionism, whataboutism all mixed in with weight comments. It’s a collection of miserably horrible people the likes of which you may have never seen before…
Just 68 years ago, Emmett Till was only 14 when he was lynched by white supremacists.
The creation of this monument is an important step in remembering his and his mother Mamie’s stories and the legacy of the horrors of racism.
I’ve known Rocky Wirtz for 25 years, I believe. Every day, this man showed his heart to people. I’m not talking about the leadership of the Blackhawks, which those of us who are fans are so proud of the work that he did to win our championships. I’m talking about the man who cared deeply about people all across the city, all across the state.
In fact, all across the country, Blackhawks Charities and the efforts that they made were an impetus of Rocky Wirtz. And he was a person that you could call up and he would try to help in anything that you asked him to do. Anything, anything.
When you think of big, powerful people in business, you often don’t remember that there are people who made it to that exalted height in their careers who brought with them a caring for people that aren’t just up there enjoying the treasures of having made it, but who bring with them the people that they know are most in need.
Rocky Wirtz was somebody who cared about those people and he demonstrated it in so many ways. And I can just tell you on a personal level, no better friend that you can have.
But he was always just Rocky, a name that fit both for its common-man connotation and the sense that he could be tough when the occasion demanded it.
Rocky Wirtz was the third-generation leader of his family’s businesses. Most Chicagoans knew Mr. Wirtz as the owner of the Chicago Blackhawks, and he enjoyed the role to the hilt, often chatting with fans in the stands instead of sequestering himself in a skybox. […]
Mr. Wirtz, 70, died Tuesday at NorthShore Evanston Hospital following a brief illness. He was surrounded by his wife, Marilyn, and his four children, according to a statement from Wirtz Corp. Friends say he had been experiencing stomach pains for a while, but he thought the symptoms would resolve themselves. […]
Along with his businesses, Mr. Wirtz leaves a long legacy of support for Chicago, including the activities of the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation. He also won city support in recent weeks for a land deal that allowed the Blackhawks to build a community ice arena and practice facility on the West Side.
“Our hearts are very heavy today,” Rocky’s son, Danny Wirtz, CEO of the Blackhawks, said in the statement. “Our dad was a passionate businessman committed to making Chicago a great place to live, work and visit, but his true love was for his family and close friends. He was a loving father, a devoted husband to Marilyn, a brother, a nephew, an uncle and a doting grandfather to his six remarkable grandchildren. His passing leaves a huge hole in the hearts of many and we will miss him terribly.”
Wirtz’s death will reverberate through the Chicago sports, business and philanthropic communities, where he has been a high-profile figure for years.
Wirtz’s legacy may be most clearly defined by the resurgence of the Blackhawks after the death of his father, Bill. Inheriting a historic franchise that had alienated fans and had languishing ticket sales and sponsorships, Rocky hired new business leadership for the franchise and put its local games back on television, which combined with a rare mix of young talent and success on the ice to turn the Blackhawks into one of the biggest business success stories in professional sports.
By 2009, just a year and a half after Bill Wirtz’s death, the Hawks were back in the playoffs for the first time since 2002.
Forbes Magazine dubbed the Hawks’ revitalization the “Greatest Sports-Business Turnaround Ever” in 2009. […]
In May 2021, former prospect Kyle Beach sued the team, alleging negligence over a claim former video coach Brad Aldrich sexually assaulted him. In October of that year, law firm Jenner & Block released its finding after investigating Beach’s claims. The firm found that Hawks upper management — including McDonough, Stan Bowman, Kevin Cheveldayoff and coach Joel Quenneville — failed to act on Beach’s sexual assault claim until after the championship was secured.
Wirtz said he was unaware of the 2010 allegations until the lawsuit was filed in 2021.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman released a statement on Wirtz’s passing, saying in part, “Devoted to family and the Chicago Blackhawks, Rocky was a native son of Chicago and an accomplished businessman. Rocky took over control of the Blackhawks in 2007 and almost immediately restored the passion and following of the storied, Original Six, franchise…The NHL sends its sincere condolences to Rocky’s wife Marilyn, his children Danny, Kendall and Hillary, Marilyn’s daughter Elizabeth, and their six grandchildren. He will be missed terribly.”
“Rocky Wirtz was a champion in every sense of the word - in family, in business, in sports ownership, and most important, in life,” said Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson in a statement. “From his stalwart leadership of the Wirtz Corporation and multitude of corporate ventures, to the Blackhawks’ miracle run of three Stanley Cup champions in six seasons, he exemplified class and excellence at every turn.” […]
White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf released a statement, saying in part, “This is just shocking news, and I am personally devastated. Rocky truly was a great man. We were far more than partners at the United Center. We were very close; he was a dear friend and our trust, our bond, was unbreakable.”
Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson had this statement following Wirtz’s death on Tuesday.
“Rocky Wirtz was a champion in every sense of the word — in family, in business, in sports ownership, and most important, in life. From his stalwart leadership of the Wirtz Corporation and multitude of corporate ventures, to the Blackhawks’ miracle run of three Stanley Cup champions in six seasons, he exemplified class and excellence at every turn.
As successful as he was as a chairman and owner, however, he was an even greater man, giving a United Center security officer or parking attendant the same amount of respect he would offer a fellow magnate or CEO. That is who Rocky Wirtz was, and he will be dearly missed.
My heart is with the Wirtz family, his colleagues and the entire Blackhawks organization during this difficult time. This is a sad day, and a tremendous loss for our city.”
* Block Club | Chicago Blackhawks Owner Rocky Wirtz Dies At 70: The Wirtz family has owned the Blackhawks since 1954 when Arthur Wirtz, Rocky Wirtz’ grandfather, bought the team, according to a team bio. His father, Bill Wirtz, oversaw the team from 1983 until his death in 2007.
* WGN | Tributes pour in for late Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz: “On behalf of the Chicago Cubs, our thoughts and prayers are with the Wirtz family during this difficult time. After taking over as owner of the Blackhawks in 2007, Rocky turned the organization into a premier franchise, winning three Stanley Cups and creating wonderful memories for hockey fans both in Chicago and all over the world.”
* NYT | Rocky Wirtz, Chairman of N.H.L.’s Chicago Blackhawks, Dies at 70: Today, the family’s businesses, through the Wirtz Corporation, include real estate, insurance, banking, beverage distribution and sports and entertainment. Rocky Wirtz had been the president of the corporation and the chairman of team since 2007, having assumed the roles after the death of his father, William.
* NBC Sports | Patrick Kane releases statement on passing of Blackhawks chairman Rocky Wirtz:“Not only was Rocky Wirtz a great man and humble to the core, he was extremely loyal and generous to everyone, but especially to us players,” Kane wrote. “He always made sure everything was first class for us. That mattered to him, just like winning and just like his family. My sympathy to his wife Marilyn, to his son Danny, and the entire Wirtz and Blackhawks family.”
* Senate President Don Harmon has also said he believes a major root cause for people leaving Illinois is the state’s estate tax. WGLT…
There’s a push to change inheritance laws in the state of Illinois, and an unexpected source is taking up the cause.
You don’t usually find Democrats picking up the gauntlet to weaken provisions of a law originally intended to prevent the concentration of capital into hereditary wealthy elites. But State Sen. Dave Koehler of Peoria said there’s a sound economic development reason to do so.
“You know what I think the number one reason that people leave Illinois is? I think it’s the way we structure our estate tax,” said Koehler. […]
Koehler supports a bill to increase exemption to the estate tax from $4 million to $12 million. He said the federal exemption already is set at $12 million and will go to $12.9 million this year. In Illinois, for estates above $12 million in value, the estate tax percentage goes up as the size of the estate, until it tops out at a 16% marginal tax rate on inheritances of $10 million and higher. […]
Koehler said it’s not just farmers who are affected, but the families of small business owners, who also might be forced to shut down to pay the inheritance tax.
“I talked with somebody who is a retired teacher who said their accountant tells them if they really want to pass on their family wealth they really need to move to another state. That’s driving a lot of decisions. We really need to address that,” said Koehler.
* The 21st Show |After changes at Choate, has anything changed at other mental health centers?: Back in March, after years of abuse allegations, The Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center in Anna Illinois will be repurposed. All 121 residents of the center will be relocated either to community settings or other state-supported centers. However, new reporting shows that abuse problems at mental health hospitals are common within the statewide supported centers.
* WREX | Governor Pritzker signs legislation to strengthen Illinois’ Hydrogen economy: “Here in the Land of Lincoln, we refuse to deny the looming threats of the climate crisis—and we are taking tangible action to create a more sustainable, environmentally-conscious future for the next generation of Illinoisans,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This tax credit for users of clean hydrogen won’t just bolster our clean energy economy—it further sets us on a path towards reaching our ambitious goal of 100% clean energy by 2050.”
* LA Times Editorial Board | L.A.’s bail reform is an improvement, but falls short of what Illinois has done: There’s an arguably contradictory provision in the California Constitution that makes public and victim safety the primary considerations in bail decisions. But it also doesn’t specify money. So perhaps California can still adopt legislation with a line like the one in the Illinois Pretrial Fairness Act: “The requirement of posting money bail is abolished.”
* WBEZ | Cook County’s estimated budget gap doubles to about $170 million: In June, county leaders said they expected to start the 2024 budget year with an $86 million gap — one of the smallest financial holes in the last decade. But now that gap is expected to swell to about $170 million, county chief financial officer Tanya Anthony revealed during a budget hearing on Tuesday.
* Crain’s | Rosemont office complex landlord hit with $115 million foreclosure lawsuit: A venture of Canadian real estate firm Adventus Realty Trust failed to make its mortgage payment last month on the loan tied to the Riverway office complex at 6111-6133 N. River Road, according to a complaint filed last week in Cook County Circuit Court. Investment management company Wilmington Trust filed the suit on behalf of bondholders in the loan, which was packaged with other loans and sold off to commercial mortgage-backed securities investors.
* WCBU | New Illinois Association of School Administrators president prioritizes school safety: “We can talk for hours about school safety, and quite honestly, that is and should be the number one priority of every administrator and every educator across Illinois, the nation and the world,” Alvey said. “If kids don’t feel safe, then they’re not going to learn. And obviously we want kids to learn and that’s our top priority as well.”
* Tribune | New regional airline coming to O’Hare to serve three small Midwest cities: As part of a federal government program to ensure smaller markets continue to receive scheduled air service, Contour Airlines will begin offering flights between O’Hare and Marion, Illinois, Kirksville, Missouri, and Owensboro, Kentucky. The flights are set to begin Aug. 1.
* Daily Southtown | Richton Park mayor makes pitch for Chicago Bears, touting expressway access and available land: With the Chicago Bears exploring suburban options beyond Arlington Heights as a site for a new stadium, Richton Park is making its pitch to the team. In a recent letter to Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren, Richton Park Mayor Rick Reinbold touts large expanses of available land and the south suburb’s proximity to highways and the Metra Electric Line.
* Crain’s | Ken Griffin’s $63 million Chicago condo selloff is not going well: The asking prices for the five condos, in three different high-rises all within a few blocks of one another, add up to nearly $63.18 million. So far, Griffin, head of the Citadel financial empire, has sold two, for a total of about $21.43 million.
* Fox Chicago | Beyoncé foundation donates $100K to Chicago small businesses: Beyoncé’s sold-out Soldier Field shows may be over, but she left a lasting impression in Chicago with several small businesses. Her Bey-Good Foundation gave $100,000 to several small, Black-owned businesses in the city.
* AEN | God loves us as we are - Pope to young transgender person: ‘The Lord always accompanies us, always. Even if we are sinners, He draws near to help us,” said the pope after hearing the story of Giona, who spoke about the challenges of being a believer, while accepting the reality of having physical challenges and being transgender. “God loves us just as we are,” he added.
