* Chicago Tribune…
Mayor Brandon Johnson’s letter to Illinois Senate President Don Harmon last month vowing not to shut down selective enrollment schools was directly edited by a Chicago Teachers Union lobbyist — and was preceded by an earlier version that made no such promise, the Tribune has learned.
During the waning days of the latest Springfield session, the mayor made a last-minute plea to Harmon in a letter asking him to not call for a vote the bill to extend a moratorium on all Chicago Public Schools closings. That capped off a weekslong power struggle between the CTU, which also opposed the legislation, and state legislators who wanted to ink the two-year extension to ensure selective enrollment schools would not be shuttered.
Harmon pointed to Johnson’s promise in the late May letter as evidence of the trust between the two officials, saying the mayor’s “commitment to me is even more clear and more binding than the bill would have been.”
But public records provided to the Tribune reveal a CTU official helped craft the eleventh-hour letter that likely saved the teachers union and Johnson from an embarrassing defeat in the statehouse, as well as an earlier, watered-down version.
I had heard that the first letter Johnson sent to Harmon was long on rhetoric and short on promises. The second letter was far more specific. So, while highly unusual, the CTU input may have actually helped the mayor’s cause with Harmon.
Go read the rest. Interesting piece.
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Uber Partners With Cities To Expand Urban Transportation
Thursday, Jun 27, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Uber is leading the charge to close critical transportation gaps, ensuring reliable access to its services in places that need it most, such as underserved areas like Englewood. This is a part of Uber’s broader commitment to augment and expand the reach of Chicago’s transportation ecosystem, focusing on overcoming the first-mile/ last-mile hurdles that have long plagued residents in farther afield neighborhoods. Uber aims to extend the public transit network’s reach, making urban transportation more accessible and efficient for everyone. Discover the full story on how Uber is transforming city transportation for the better.
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Isabel’s afternoon briefing (updated)
Thursday, Jun 27, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
*** Adding *** Tribune reporter Jason Meisner…
* WCIA…
For Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, the grants handed out by his office to combat carjacking and vehicle thefts is a bit of a personal matter. […]
“When I was in high school, I got carjacked on the West Side of Chicago and it is a horrible experience that has stayed with me,” Giannoulias said, adding that the daily headlines are a reminder that the unsettling crime has continued for decades. “It’s horrible and unacceptable that so many of us have become victims of these crimes. No one should have to live in fear of having their car stolen at gunpoint or returning to their vehicle only to find it gone.”
A review of the 10-year trend in carjackings shows that last year the numbers fell from pandemic highs but are still much higher than they were in 2013. In 2022, the most recent vehicle theft data, there were 38,649 thefts statewide, an increase of more than 10,000 cases compared to the year prior. More than 22,000 of the thefts occurred in Chicago that year, where thefts doubled compared to 2021.
To fight the surge, Giannoulias’ office on Wednesday issued $11 million in new grants to six police agencies around Illinois to pay for additional detectives and equipment such as vehicles, tracking devices, GPS software and license-plate readers.
* Farm Week…
GROWMARK closed on a deal with COFCO Thursday to sell its minority stake in a Mississippi River grain terminal located in Cahokia. Simultaneously, GROWMARK purchased the B-House grain operation from COFCO located along the Calumet River in Chicago. GROWMARK will run B-House under the name Lakeside Grain Trading.
As with every decision GROWMARK makes, we will always act in the best interest of the member companies and farmers we represent. This transaction reflects GROWMARK’s unwavering commitment to increasing farmers’ profitability while strengthening its presence along strategic waterways and ports throughout the Midwest.
US Reps. Mike Bost and Nikki Budzinski…
U.S. Representatives Mike Bost (IL-12) and Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) raised concerns today over the recent acquisition of the Cahokia grain terminal by COFCO International Ltd, a Chinese state-run company. In a letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, chair of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), Bost and Budzinski urged an immediate review of the acquisition to weigh the consequences for America’s national security and the region’s agricultural economy.
“China is attempting to buy up America’s commercial infrastructure and farmland at a breakneck pace. The economic and national security implications are far too great to allow that to happen,” said Bost. “This is an issue that should resonate with Republicans and Democrats alike. Rep. Budzinski and I are demanding a timely review of this transfer because federal officials need to understand how it will impact the safety and security of the American people, especially here in Southern Illinois.”
“As the Chinese Communist Party tries to strengthen its grip on the means of American agricultural production and commerce, we must push back,” said Budzinski. “Today, Congressman Mike Bost and I sent a letter to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States raising our concerns about the Chinese government’s acquisition of the Cahokia Heights grain terminal. I urge the committee to take a serious look at the scope and implications this transaction could have on our national security and on the Heartland’s agricultural economy.”
* US Sen. Dick Durbin…
U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today underwent a successful hip replacement surgery for his left hip. The procedure was performed this morning at RUSH in Oak Brook, Illinois. Durbin will remain in Illinois until he is cleared for travel to Washington by his doctor.
“Today, I had a routine hip replacement surgery in Chicago. I’m grateful to the medical staff at RUSH for today’s successful procedure, and I look forward to a speedy recovery and climbing the Capitol steps again as soon as possible.”
*** Statewide ***
* Sun-Times | Most new gas, diesel vehicle sales would be banned in Illinois by 2035 under proposal: A group of health and environmental organizations are asking a state quasi-judicial body to ban the sale of all new gas-powered cars and a large percentage of diesel trucks by 2035 after failing to sell Gov. J.B. Pritzker on the idea. Speeding the transition to electric trucks and cars from gas and diesel models will reduce pollution and save hundreds of lives a year while helping Illinois reduce greenhouse gasses that contribute to climate change, the organizations argue in a petition filed Thursday with the Illinois Pollution Control Board, a rule-making panel appointed by Pritzker.
*** Chicago ***
* Tribune | Automated ticketing of drivers in bike and bus lanes could have started this summer. Now it won’t: [T]he start of the program has been pushed back, the Chicago Department of Transportation confirmed. Now the program, on the books for more than a year, isn’t expected to start until fall, as the process to acquire supplies and services for the pilot is ongoing. “Just to be slow to roll this out sort of shows that maybe there’s not enough emphasis on public transportation, as there should be,” said W. Robert Schultz III , campaign organizer with the advocacy group Active Transportation Alliance. “It’s the poor stepchild as city issues go.”
* Crain’s | Blue Cross Illinois parent watches revenue soar: Chicago-based Health Care Service Corp. reported premium revenue topping $54 billion in 2023 — the highest ever, according to the company’s annual financial report obtained by Crain’s through a Freedom of Information Act request to the state of Illinois. HCSC’s net income was down less than 2% to $1.4 billion due to a larger federal tax burden last year. Before taxes, however, the company posted a $1.7 billion surplus, or profit, 15% higher than in 2022, a fact executives point to as proof the company is “stable.”
* Sun-Times | Firefighters to march during NASCAR, DNC to turn up heat on Johnson for new contract: Chicago firefighters and paramedics will march down Michigan Avenue during an action-packed NASCAR weekend to press their three-year-long demand for a new contract that includes adding 20 more ambulances, their union president said Thursday. Pat Cleary, president of Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2, predicted “hundreds” of his members would participate in the two-hour march “right alongside of NASCAR,” from Roosevelt to Madison and back again, starting at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 6. They will be joined by Chicago police officers furious with Mayor Brandon Johnson for convincing the City Council to twice reject an independent arbitrator’s ruling on police discipline.
* Sun-Times | Melissa Bell named CEO of Chicago Public Media, will oversee Sun-Times, WBEZ: She succeeds Matt Moog, who will step down once Bell starts in September. Moog’s four-year tenure included shepherding the 2022 merger of the Sun-Times and WBEZ, a deal that netted $61 million in foundation support. But his time ended in controversy. Unions at both organizations criticized Moog for pocketing a nearly 20% pay hike while presiding over layoffs in response to declining revenue. The unions also made public allegations of a “hostile work environment” at Chicago Public Media.
*** Cook County and Suburbs ***
* WBBM Newsradio | Evacuation order lifted after freight train derails in Matteson: Officials in the Chicago suburb of Matteson, Ill., have lifted the evacuation order that was put in place after a Canadian National Railway freight train derailed on Thursday.
*** Downstate ***
* BND | Company releases statement after collapsed mine swallows part of Alton soccer field: “The New Frontier Materials underground mine in Alton, IL today experienced a surface subsidence and opened a sink hole at Gordon Moore City Park. The impacted area has been secured and will remain off limits for the foreseeable future while inspectors and experts examine the mine and conduct repairs. No one was injured in the incident, which has been reported to officials at the Mine Safety Health Administration (MSHA) in accordance with applicable regulations. Safety is our top priority. We will work with the city to remediate this issue as quickly and safely as possible to ensure minimal impact on the community.”
* Sun-Times | Manteno man gets 2 years in prison for shoving officer, tossing mug at police during Capitol riot: Quinn Keen, 36, also faces trial next month for driving under the influence, his attorney told U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly in Washington, D.C. Still, the attorney acknowledged that Keen’s actions on Jan. 6 amount to “the most significant crime Mr. Keen has committed.” […] Keen confronted officers on the line, threw the contents of a water bottle at them and then threw the bottle itself, according to court documents. Meanwhile, other rioters pulled a bike rack from the police line to the ground. When an officer bent over to pick it up, Keen shoved the officer backward with both hands, records show.
* SJ-R | Future of three Springfield cafes in limbo after multiple fires: The Asani’s much anticipated sophomore effort, The Capital Cafe at 1825 MacArthur Blvd., was gutted by fire a week from its opening date last November. The cafe’s future has been left in limbo because the Asani’s insurance company has yet to sign off on the loss or even determine whether the exterior of the former McDonald’s building is structurally sound enough to be repaired or must be razed.
* WCIA | Vermilion Co. village limits number of marijuana-related businesses, rejects second dispensary’s pitch: “We are a town of 2,700 residents and we already have one dispensary,” Billy Wear, the Tilton mayor said in an email to WCIA. “I feel that there is a limited number of people that partake in their use, and that we as a board need to make business decisions on what benefits the greatest number of citizens in our town, and the people that we rely on to support our businesses.”
*** National ***
* Bloomberg | Walgreens shares plunge on outlook cut, more store closings: In addition to shuttering locations, management said it would make more organizational changes without specifying further job cuts. The company has had a rocky few years with turnover in the executive ranks amid a challenging retail climate. Walgreens shares sank as much as 25% on Thursday, the biggest one-day decline since at least 1980, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
* Marijuana Moment | NCAA Votes To Remove Marijuana From Banned Substances List For College Athletes: The newly adopted rule, which amends NDAA’s drug testing policies for student sports championships and postseason participation in football, will also be retroactively applied, discontinuing any penalties players are currently facing for a cannabis-related violation.
* Vox | The Supreme Court just lit a match and tossed it into dozens of federal agencies: But, as Sotomayor warns, many federal agencies — including the “Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission, the Department of Agriculture, and many others” — may only seek civil penalties in administrative proceedings. That means that a wide array of laws guaranteeing workplace safety and advancing other important federal goals could cease to function after
* STL Today | Incentives for Chiefs, Royals would have to come from Mo. Legislature, governor says: Parson’s statements Thursday all but foreclose the possibility of the state Department of Economic Development putting forward its own plan this year independent of state legislators. “I don’t think we have the capability of doing that,” said Parson, adding that an offer would have to go through the budgetary process. The Legislature returns to action in January, following the November elections.
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* From the US Surgeon General’s advisory entitled “Firearm violence in America is a public health crisis”…
A Surgeon General’s Advisory is a public statement that calls the American people’s attention to an urgent public health issue. Advisories are reserved for significant public health challenges that require the nation’s immediate awareness and action.
* AP…
The U.S. surgeon general on Tuesday declared gun violence a public health crisis, driven by the fast-growing number of injuries and deaths involving firearms in the country.
The advisory issued by Dr. Vivek Murthy, the nation’s top doctor, came as the U.S. grappled with another summer weekend marked by mass shootings that left dozens of people dead or wounded.
“People want to be able to walk through their neighborhoods and be safe,” Murthy told The Associated Press in a phone interview. “America should be a place where all of us can go to school, go to work, go to the supermarket, go to our house of worship, without having to worry that that’s going to put our life at risk.”
To drive down gun deaths, Murthy calls on the U.S. to ban “assault weapons and large-capacity magazines for civilian use,” introduce universal background checks for purchasing guns, regulate the industry, pass laws that would restrict their use in public spaces and penalize people who fail to safely store their weapons.
None of those suggestions can be implemented nationwide without legislation passed by Congress, which typically recoils at gun control measures. Some state legislatures, however, have enacted or may consider some of the surgeon general’s proposals.
* Illinois’ very own…
Um, he declared gun violence a public health crisis via an advisory.
* Flashback to 2021, when Gov. Pritzker declared gun violence to be a public health crisis…
Joined by legislators, stakeholders, and community leaders, Governor JB Pritzker today declared gun violence a public health crisis and announced support for a $250 million state investment over the next three years to implement the Reimagine Public Safety plan, a data-driven and community-based violence prevention initiative.
Stakeholders have been a driving force behind the plan to coordinate and maximize hundreds of millions of dollars in future funding. The state will begin issuing Notices of Funding Opportunities for qualified organizations before the end of 2021 with a goal of enabling work to be well underway before the summer of 2022.
“Every neighborhood and every home deserve to be free from violence, and the State of Illinois is making an unprecedented statewide investment in the pursuit of violence reduction through the Reimagine Public Safety Act,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Reimagine Public Safety is an evidence-based and data driven approach focusing on violence prevention, youth development, and the provision of trauma-based services. And we are putting an unprecedented amount of dollars - $250 million - on the ground to see it through.”
* Pritzker was asked this week what good he thought the Surgeon General’s public health crisis announcement would do…
Well, I’m proud that Illinois has led the way in this regard. I do think it’s important to recognize that this is an area where we need to put new emphasis.
Remember, I think one of the reasons for a declaration like this is to remind people that early intervention, just like with health care, early intervention, what do we say? ‘An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.’ That is true also, when it comes to gun violence.
Making sure that we’re making the proper investments early into communities where we know there is a problem with violence. Making sure that we’re deterring people from getting engaged in things that they shouldn’t, by providing jobs, by making sure we have violence intervention programs that are funded.
I would just point to one other thing. You may recall that back in, I think it was 2020 or 2019 there was a study released by Northwestern University that showed that one of the reasons for the uptick, significant rise in crime in Chicago, and across the country, but they were talking particularly about Illinois and Chicago, was the disinvestment under the prior administration. I’m talking about the administration of Illinois, from those early intervention programs in those communities. The fact that we had no budget for two years, many of those violence interruption interruption programs actually had to close. And then you saw some of the results of that with the rise in violent crime across the city.
So I think that’s something to keep in mind as the Surgeon General has made his declaration and as we move forward in the kinds of programs and investments that we make in the state of Illinois.
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Unclear on the concept (Updated)
Thursday, Jun 27, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
* WTTW…
[CTA President Dorval Carter] says the discussions about the coming fiscal cliff facing public transportation have focused too much on governance and not enough on funding.
Yeah, that argument will most definitely work in Springfield. Just throw gobs more state money at them without changing the way they do business.
Right.
…Adding… As I’ve noted in comments, Carter will have basically no say in funding. That’s a legislative and gubernatorial task, as well as local governments. He and all transit chieftains have been told by legislative point people and the governor to present their governmental reform ideas. If he doesn’t do that, it’ll be imposed on him.
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* Click here for the ruling. AP…
The Supreme Court cleared the way Thursday for Idaho hospitals to provide emergency abortions, for now, in a procedural ruling that left key questions unanswered and could mean the issue ends up before the conservative-majority court again soon. […]
The opinion means the Idaho case will continue to play out in lower courts, and could end up before the Supreme Court again. It doesn’t answer key questions about whether doctors can provide emergency abortions elsewhere, a pressing issue as most Republican-controlled states have moved to restrict the procedure in the two years since the high court overturned Roe v. Wade.
* The AP in April…
One woman miscarried in the lobby restroom of a Texas emergency room as front desk staff refused to check her in. Another woman learned that her fetus had no heartbeat at a Florida hospital, the day after a security guard turned her away from the facility. And in North Carolina, a woman gave birth in a car after an emergency room couldn’t offer an ultrasound. The baby later died.
Complaints that pregnant women were turned away from U.S. emergency rooms spiked in 2022 after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, federal documents obtained by The Associated Press reveal.
The cases raise alarms about the state of emergency pregnancy care in the U.S., especially in states that enacted strict abortion laws and sparked confusion around the treatment doctors can provide.
“It is shocking, it’s absolutely shocking,” said Amelia Huntsberger, an OB/GYN in Oregon. “It is appalling that someone would show up to an emergency room and not receive care — this is inconceivable.”
* From Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s dissent…
In any event, the representations Idaho’s counsel made during oral argument and in the State’s briefs filed in this Court are not a definitive interpretation of Idaho law. That authority remains with the Idaho Supreme Court, which has never endorsed the State’s position. To the contrary, the Idaho Supreme Court has emphasized that, to avoid criminal liability, a doctor must subjectively believe that an abortion is necessary to prevent death. Planned Parenthood Great Northwest v. State, 171 Idaho 374, 445– 446, 522 P. 3d 1132, 1203–1204 (2023). And that is to say nothing of local prosecutors, who may not be aware of (or care about) Idaho’s newfound interpretation of its abortion ban, and who are highly incentivized to enforce the law to the hilt. See Idaho Code Ann. §63–3642 (Supp. 2023) (withholding funding from local governments if their officials decline to enforce Idaho felony laws, which include these felony abortion laws); see also Brief for Idaho Coalition for Safe Healthcare, Inc., as Amicus Curiae 14–24 (discussing myriad ways in which state and local officials in Idaho have targeted physicians). Still, some of my colleagues latch onto the bald representations of Idaho’s counsel, using them as an escape hatch that justifies our dispensing with having to issue a merits ruling in these cases. […]
After today, there will be a few months—maybe a few years—during which doctors may no longer need to airlift pregnant patients out of Idaho. As J USTICE K AGAN emphasizes, portions of Idaho’s law will be preliminarily enjoined (at least for now). Ante, at 2, 4. But having not heard from this Court on the ultimate pre-emption issue, Idaho’s doctors will still have to decide whether to provide emergency medical care in the midst of highly charged legal circumstances with no guarantee that this fragile detente over the State’s categorical prohibitions will be maintained. Cf. ante, at 8 (BARRETT, J., concurring) (“Even with the preliminary injunction in place, Idaho’s ability to enforce its law remains almost entirely intact”).
So, to be clear: Today’s decision is not a victory for pregnant patients in Idaho. It is delay. While this Court dawdles and the country waits, pregnant people experiencing emergency medical conditions remain in a precarious position, as their doctors are kept in the dark about what the law requires. This Court had a chance to bring clarity and certainty to this tragic situation, and we have squandered it. And for as long as we refuse to declare what the law requires, pregnant patients in Idaho, Texas, and elsewhere will be paying the price. Because we owe them—and the Nation—an answer to the straightforward pre-emption question presented in these cases, I respectfully dissent.
* The General Assembly passed a bill in May preparing for a ruling against ER abortions, and shored up protections in Illinois. HB581 has been sent to the governor…
Hospitals shall furnish hospital emergency services, including as described in subsections (b-1) and (b-2), in accordance with the procedures required by the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA), including, but not limited to, medical screening, the provision of necessary stabilizing treatment, procedures for refusals to consent, restricting transfers until the individual is stabilized, appropriate transfers of patients, nondiscrimination, no delay in examination or treatment, and whistleblower protections. […]
For purposes of this Act, “stabilizing treatment” includes abortion when abortion is necessary to resolve the patient’s injury or acute medical condition that is liable to cause death or severe injury or serious illness. The amendments to this Section are declarative of existing law.
* Governor JB Pritzker…
Following an order by the U.S. Supreme Court that the lower court’s preliminary injunction will take effect in Idaho, temporarily preventing the state from enforcing its ban on abortion in emergency situations, Illinois Governor and Think Big America Founder JB Pritzker released the following statement:
“The brutal treatment of women under the MAGA extremist abortion bans is cruel and unAmerican. Today’s ruling offers a small respite from some of the harshest outcomes, but it is not the broad protection that women and healthcare professionals are owed. In states across the country, because of Trump’s Supreme Court, women will still be denied reproductive care they need and deserve. Remember what this case was about: Republicans were fighting to let hospitals refuse care for dying women. The anti-abortion extremists were never stopping at abortion bans - they want to ban contraception and IVF, and take away hard-won women’s rights. The only way to stop their attack on our freedoms is to defeat them at the ballot box in November.”
* Planned Parenthood Illinois…
The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) has protected people’s right to access emergency medical care including abortion for over 40 years. EMTALA has protected people’s right to access emergency abortion care in states where abortion is banned. Attributed to Jennifer Welch, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois:
“Today, the U.S. Supreme Court decided to continue the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) which has protected people’s right to access emergency abortion for over 40 years. While this decision temporarily allows people to access emergency abortion care, this case will continue in the lower courts and may jeopardize the health and safety of patients across our country.
In Illinois, the General Assembly passed an Illinois Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) which protects people’s right to access emergency reproductive care regardless of what happens at the federal level. Planned Parenthood of Illinois (PPIL) is heartbroken that people living in abortion deserts facing complications in their pregnancy may still be forced to endure unnecessary pain and health complications.
Since Roe was overturned on June 24, 2022, PPIL has seen patients from 41 different states forced to travel to Illinois for abortion care. Our doors are open to provide essential reproductive care including abortion to everyone regardless of their zip code. We continue to fight for everyone to access the health care they need and deserve.”
* Related…
[Rich Miller contributed to this post.]
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* The full study is here. Cook County Treasurer press release with emphasis added by me…
Homeowners in many south and southwest suburbs will have to pay a lot more in property taxes as the median tax bill jumped a record 19.9% in the region, according to an analysis released today by Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas.
The biggest increases in homeowners’ tax bills occurred in 15 south suburbs where taxes soared 30% or more. Of those 15 suburbs, 13 have mostly Black populations. In two towns, Dixmoor and Phoenix, the median tax bill more than doubled.
“Many homeowners are going to be shocked and angry when they get their bills,” Pappas said. “South suburban homeowners already pay some of the highest property taxes in the county, and these increases will make paying those bills even more difficult.”
A research team created by Pappas released its Tax Year 2023 Bill Analysis, a detailed examination of nearly 1.8 million bills to be mailed to property owners July 2 and due a month later on Aug. 1.
This year’s Second Installment bills include a new feature, “Where Your Money Goes,” that breaks down the amounts of money billed by each taxing district and shows whether taxes went up or down.
Among key findings of the analysis:
• Across Cook County, property taxes rose about $706 million, climbing from $17.6 billion to $18.3 billion. Homeowners are shouldering an extra $611 million, or nearly 86% of this year’s increase, while commercial properties owe an extra $102.9 million and taxes on vacant land dropped by $7.8 million.
• In the south and southwest suburbs, where all properties were reassessed, taxes rose a total of $265.4 million. The median south suburban residential tax bill increased by 19.9%, the largest percentage increase in at least 29 years, according to Treasurer’s data. Homeowners bore the brunt of the increase as their taxes rose $396.8 million while taxes on commercial properties dropped by $121.6 million.
• In the north and northwest suburbs, taxes rose $213.7 million from $4.06 billion to $4.27 billion. Residential taxes increased $109.8 million while taxes on commercial properties increased $103.1 million.
• In Chicago, taxes increased by a modest 2.6%, largely because of an increase in the Chicago Public Schools tax levy and bill increases in many tax increment finance districts. In the north and northwest suburbs, overall taxes rose by 4%, with slightly bigger percentage increases for businesses than homeowners.
Homeowners in the south and southwest suburbs are being hit hard because new assessment shifted 4% of the overall tax burden from businesses onto them. The financial shift was caused by elimination of the 10% COVID-19 assessment reduction enacted in 2020, higher home selling prices and the success businesses had appealing their assessments at the Board of Review, which handles appeals of valuations made by the Assessor’s Office.
Particularly hard hit were homeowners in Park Forest, where the median residential bill rose by 56% to $7,152. In Dixmoor, the median bill increased by 122%, to $1,950. And in Phoenix, where nearly all of the village is in a tax increment finance district, the median bill shot up by 107% to $1,744.
Nearly 4,200 south and southwest suburban homeowners who paid no taxes last year will get bills this year. That’s because the value of their exemptions no longer exceeds the higher assessed values of their homes. The median for those bills was $1,115.
Across the county, more than 1.3 million homeowners must pay more in property taxes, while about 251,600 were billed less. Taxes for more than 88,000 commercial properties increased, while nearly 28,000 went down.
State law allows school districts to hike taxes by the prior year’s increase in the Consumer Price Index, or 5%, whichever is less. Because the CPI increased by 6.5% in 2022, school districts were allowed a 5% increase. But the overall percentage increase was higher, partly due to a provision called recapture.
Recapture is a 2021 provision in the Illinois tax code that allows school districts and many local governments to recover money refunded to property owners who successfully appealed their taxes the previous year. Recapture led to an additional $136.3 million being tacked onto bills this year. That’s $51.9 million less than was added to property owners’ bills last year.
Significant increases in the amount of money the city of Chicago and Chicago Public Schools said they needed to operate, coupled with recapture and higher tax increment financing district bills, boosted the overall property tax burden in Chicago by $221.8 million. That broke down as a $116.6 million increase on commercial properties and a $103.9 million increase on residential properties.
* Sun-Times…
“But because of the shift of assessed value from commercial to residential in the south and southwest suburbs, less than a third of businesses in that region received higher bills for tax year 2023,” treasurer’s officials concluded. “Even though tax rates in the south suburbs declined, in some cases significantly, the 19 highest tax rates in Cook County are still in Chicago’s south suburbs, where the population is primarily lower-income Black residents — demonstrating once again the stark inequities in the Illinois property tax system.”
* Tribune…
In Park Forest, where the median bill is up by $2,567 to $7,152, Mayor Joseph Woods called the increases a “catastrophe” for homeowners and said the village is working to influence policy changes at the county and state levels while seeking out grant funding to avoid having to levy more taxes at the village level.
“We know that there seems to be an unfairness or inequity in regards to the way, you know, properties are assessed,” Woods said in an interview Wednesday. “So we’re looking at every option and trying to lobby everyone.”
The village is split between Cook County and Will County. Woods said the difference in taxes is stark depending on which side of the border people live.
* Daily Herald…
Pappas urged state lawmakers to take action.
“This is the 30th year in a row everything’s increased,” she said. “You can’t keep studying the property tax system and keep saying it doesn’t work then do nothing about it. It’s time for Springfield to make changes.”
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* LexisNexis…
With America facing an obesity epidemic, it’s no wonder some are embracing the concept that food—simple, healthy, nutritious food—is medicine in and of itself, a philosophy that’s growing in popularity among health care providers.
The idea of “food as medicine” or “food is medicine” is hardly rocket science, although it is founded in science. Studies have found that tailoring meals for patients battling obesity or diabetes can have a tremendous, positive impact on their health.
These studies raise a couple of interesting policy questions: If food is indeed medicine, should doctors be able to prescribe it? And, more importantly, should health insurers have to pay for it? […]
State legislators across the country are beginning to heed Budhu’s call, introducing legislation to make food covered by state-run health plans or establish pilot programs to explore the idea.
* Rep. Norma Hernandez sponsored HB5249, which would provide nutritional care services by a registered dietitian. Synopsis…
Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that subject to federal approval, within 12 months after the effective date of the amendatory Act, nutrition care services and medical nutrition therapy provided by a registered dietitian licensed under the Dietitian Nutritionist Practice Act who is acting within the scope of his or her license shall be covered under the medical assistance program. Provides that the covered services may be aimed at prevention, delay, management, treatment, or rehabilitation of a disease or condition and include nutrition assessment, nutrition intervention, nutrition counseling, and nutrition monitoring and evaluation. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to apply for any federal waiver or Title XIX State Plan amendment, if required, to implement the amendatory Act. Permits the Department to adopt any rules, including standards and criteria, necessary to implement the amendatory Act.
The bill picked up 20 co-sponsors but was stuck in committee during spring session.
* The federal government approved a program to allow states to use Medicaid to pay for groceries and nutritional counseling. This month Colorado’s governor signed a this bill to potentially fund nutrition support through Medicaid…
The House Health and Human Services Committee today passed legislation to help fund housing and nutrition services for those on Medicaid. This cost-neutral plan would lay the groundwork for redirecting federal Medicaid funds to help Colorado families access nutritious food options and secure housing. […]
HB24-1322, which passed committee by a vote of 8-4, would support Coloradans on Medicaid to afford housing and nutritious meals. Specifically, this bill would direct the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (HCPF) to conduct a feasibility study and pursue an 1115 Waiver so Medicaid could fund housing and nutrition services. This legislation aims to create a path to redirect Medicaid funding for services that address health-related social needs of Coloradans who already rely on the federal Medicaid program.
The feasibility study would determine how Medicaid could pay for specific nutrition-based services such as medically tailored meals and pantry stocking. It could also help with temporary housing, rent, utility assistance, as well as eviction prevention and tenant support. The study would also determine the eligibility requirements to access these services and which populations across the state would benefit the most.
Utilizing dollars already spent on housing and nutrition support services through an 1115 Medicaid Waiver would provide Colorado with a federal match and the flexibility to design and improve Medicaid programs to fit the needs of Coloradans. It would also help the state conserve local and state financial resources.
This cost-neutral model for redirecting Medicaid funds to housing and nutrition support is successfully being used in more than 15 states across the nation, including Arkansas, California, New Jersey and North Carolina.
Thoughts?
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Open thread
Thursday, Jun 27, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* What’s going on? Keep it Illinois-centric please…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Thursday, Jun 27, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* ICYMI: SCOTUS ruling could upend federal corruption cases for Madigan, allies. Capitol News Illinois…
An attorney for close Madigan confidant Mike McClain, a longtime Springfield lobbyist who is a defendant in both bribery cases, predicted Wednesday that the ComEd case will have to be retried.
“We will be asking the court to vacate the conviction at a minimum,” attorney Patrick Cotter told Capitol News Illinois.
As for the case in which McClain is a co-defendant with Madigan, Cotter said his legal team would likely challenge the charges that rely on the federal bribery statute and may make other arguments, including that the grand jury indicted Madigan and McClain under an “incorrect” law.
Former U.S. Attorney Scott Lassar, who represents former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, had vowed to appeal the case after the trial concluded last spring, but a delay in the ComEd defendants’ sentencings has prevented that so far.
* Related stories…
* The Alton Telegraph reported the sinkhole was caused by a collapsed mine…
*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***
* Tribune | Inmate’s death during heat wave ramps up criticism of conditions at Stateville: The Will County coroner’s office did not yet have a cause of death for Michael Broadway, who had earned a college degree while serving a 75-year sentence for a 2005 murder, and a spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Corrections would only say the agency is investigating. But his death during a severe heat wave has led inmates and prison advocates to put the blame at least partly on the squalid environment inside Stateville, where accounts from people incarcerated there and others in legislative hearings and elsewhere describe poor ventilation, visible mold, rodent infestations and unsanitary drinking water. The prison’s housing units also lack air conditioning, according to the John Howard Association, a prison watchdog group.
* Tribune | Chicago White Sox shut out for 12th time and fall to 40 games under .500 in front of 1st sellout crowd of the season: The Sox were shut out for the 12th time this season, falling 4-0 to the Los Angeles Dodgers in front of 36,225. The Sox hosted their first Mexican Heritage Night, resulting in the first weekday sellout for a game that wasn’t opening day or against the Cubs since 2012. Manager Pedro Grifol referred to the crowd as “phenomenal.” “We just couldn’t take advantage of it,” he said.
* Illinois Times | Big plans for future of the State Fairgrounds: IDOA Director Jerry Costello says the master plan refined the concept of a Town Square gathering space and how that can enhance the appeal of the fairgrounds. This builds upon improvements already underway. In the 4 ½ years Costello has been director under Gov. JB Pritzker, the IDOA staff has increased from 299 to 408. In addition, $58.1 million was included in the capital budget in June 2022 for improvements to buildings and grounds to begin to address deferred maintenance. “Governor Pritzker has done more for the fairgrounds than at any time since Governors Thompson and Edgar,” said Costello.
*** Statehouse News ***
* Capitol News Illinois | Quantum technology companies set for big tax incentives under new law: Proponents of the legislation, which include a who’s who of business leaders and representatives of organized labor, say it will help attract businesses to the state, encourage growth and generate jobs. The programs will generate an estimated $21 billion in new state revenue over the next 30 years, according to the governor’s office. The largest new program set up in the legislation would designate a “quantum campus” somewhere in the state. Businesses in that area would receive tax breaks on construction, materials purchase and use taxes, similar to an existing enterprise zone program.
*** Statewide ***
* WGN | Illinois said to have ‘momentum’ in ending HIV in state: In 2022, more than 1,300 Illinoisans received an HIV diagnosis, but that number is diminishing, Gov. JB Pritzker said at a Wednesday workshop at the University of Illinois Chicago Student Center West on Wolcott Avenue. “The number of new cases diagnosed statewide has decreased 18 percent. In addition, the national HIV/AIDS strategy established a target to increase rates of care access within one month of diagnosis, to 95 percent,” Pritzker said.
* SJ-R | Illinois gas tax is set to increase on July 1. Here’s what to know: According to the Illinois Department of Revenue, the tax on motor fuel in the state of Illinois will increase to 47 cents a gallon, an increase of 3.5% from the 2023-24 fiscal year. The increase may lead to customers seeing higher prices at the pump, unfortunate timing coming days before the busy Fourth of July travel weekend.
* State Week | The Dobbs decision and Illinois — two years on: This week saw the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down Roe v. Wade. The result has been a patchwork of laws related to abortion. While some states outlawed the procedure or passed restrictions, Illinois has become a safe haven for those seeking abortions and other care.
* CBS | How Illinois soybean farmers deal with the effects of climate change: Michael Langemeier, a professor of agriculture economics at Purdue University, said the weather changes are something farmers are discussing more and more. “I don’t know if it’s directly impacting what the consumers pay to a large degree, yet,” Langemeier said. He and his team have surveyed 400 farmers nationwide. He asked farmers about how worried they were about the changing weather patterns, and about 25% said they were either “very worried” or “fairly worried.”
*** Chicago ***
* Block Club | How Can Chicago Make More Money? First Revenue Committee Hearing Offers Few Specifics: “We’re going to continue to support as many options as possible. As you all know, we’ve dedicated an entire subcommittee to find revenue ideas,” [Mayor Johnson] said at a March 20 press conference. But Wednesday’s inaugural hearing of that body served more as a briefing for alderpeople on how the city currently collects taxes and other revenue than a forum for proposals to bring in new funds. Several alderpeople did ask questions about a head tax, a standalone grocery tax and a carbon tax for airlines.
* Crain’s | Service tax? Grocery tax? All ideas on the table as City Hall probes revenue options.: Since it was first created last year, Johnson has pointed to the new subcommittee on revenue, chaired by his ally, Ald. William Hall, 6th, when asked which taxes and fees he still supports to bring in the $800 million in new revenue he promised on the campaign trail. The discussion was more of a Budget 101 crash course on the city’s finances than a detailed presentation of which revenue options are on the table this fall. No votes were taken, and many of the potential taxes will likely never receive a vote because they either need state approval first or are nonstarters for a majority of the City Council.
*** Cook County and Suburbs ***
* Daily Herald | ‘Evil and manipulative’: Families outraged after Highland Park suspect backs out of plea deal: Lance Northcutt represents the family of Kevin and Irina McCarthy, whose young son was orphaned after the Highland Park couple was killed at the parade. “What happened today, make no mistake, was nothing more than a re-victimization of that family and every family that has endured this tragedy,” he said.
* Daily Herald | Arlington Heights mayor won’t seek reelection, but believes Bears stadium talks are ‘in a good place’: The uncertain future of the 326-acre Arlington Park property and the NFL franchise’s ongoing stadium search “has weighed on my mind” as he contemplated running for a fourth four-year term, Hayes said. But “I do think we are in a good place with that. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be leaving.”
* WGN | Precious Brady-Davis blazing a trail as first Black trans woman to serve public office in Cook County: Precious Brady-Davis may be a first, but she doesn’t want to be the last. Three years ago, the trailblazing Cook County official published her memoir. It’s called, “I Have Always Been Me.” She says she’s always dreamed big and with every challenge, she refused to be refused.
* Tribune | Big Cook County property tax hikes coming for many in south suburbs: More than a dozen Cook County suburbs have median bills that have increased by more than 30%. That includes Dixmoor, where the median tax bill for homeowners jumped from $1,073 last year to $1,950 this year, and Hazel Crest, where the median bill jumped by $1,586 to $5,651.
* Tribune | DuPage: No criminal charges for officers involved in fatal shooting of Carol Stream man: An attorney representing the Goodlow family said they would continue pursuing that case in federal court and that the family “fundamentally” disagreed with Berlin’s decision. Berlin said he had not found that Officer Daniel Pfingston, who shot Goodlow, was justified in his use of force, but that he could not prove beyond reasonable doubt that Pfingston had not been justified. According to a village statement, Pfingston has not been employed with the Carol Stream Police Department since May 2.
*** Downstate ***
* WCIA | IL program helping disadvantaged farmers fills need for local, fresh foods at one Central IL food bank: “We have seen a 90% increase in the number of people seeking our services since 2022 so the need out there is really high,” Amanda Borden, the food bank’s vice president of development, said. In March, Governor Pritzker announced nearly $29 million in grant money for the program to 15 food organizations including the Eastern Illinois Foodbank, which received $1.5 million. They serve about 55,000 people on average every month through 18 counties in East Central Illinois.
*** National ***
* The Atlantic | New, Ominous Signs for Gay Rights Keep Emerging: Now alarm bells are ringing for same-sex marriage and LGBTQ rights in general. A new Gallup poll shows that Republican approval of homosexual rights has dropped from 56 to 40 percent in two years, and that support for same-sex marriage is down to less than half, at 46 percent. Liberal justices on the Supreme Court warned in a dissent last week that their colleagues are chipping away at the right to marriage. Over the past four years, Republican policy makers have mounted a campaign against transgender rights and discussion of homosexuality in schools, but the result appears to be a wider backlash against LGBTQ rights.
* Gallup | Same-Sex Relations, Marriage Still Supported by Most in U.S.: As with support for same-sex marriage, Democrats (81%) — and, to a lesser extent, independents (68%) — are more likely than Republicans (40%) to say relations between gays or lesbians are morally acceptable. Whereas a majority of Democrats have thought same-sex relations are morally acceptable since 2006, no more than half of Republicans have said the same throughout Gallup’s trend, except for three readings — 51% in 2020 and 2021 and 56% in 2022. The current 41-point gap between Democrats and Republicans ties 2011 as the largest on record.
* Crain’s | June auto sales could take ‘significant’ hit from CDK outage:
The cyberattacks on CDK Global and resulting turmoil at dealerships around the U.S. could reduce June new-vehicle sales by about 100,000, according to one forecast. J.D. Power and GlobalData estimate that U.S. light vehicle sales for the month will fall by 2.6 to 7.2 percent from a year earlier, for volume of 1.27 million to 1.33 million. They originally had expected sales of 1.41 million before the ransomware attacks that began June 19 created a “significant” disruption.
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Live coverage
Thursday, Jun 27, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* You can click here or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Wednesday, Jun 26, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* WGN…
Gov. JB Pritzker was on the city’s Near West Side on Wednesday morning to speak about a statewide initiative that has designs on ending the HIV epidemic in Illinois within the next decade.
Getting to Zero Illinois (GTZ-IL), as its website states, is a community engagement initiative that aims to end the HIV epidemic in Illinois by 2030. […]
On Wednesday, Pritzker was among those gathered for a workshop at the University of Illinois Chicago Student Center West on Wolcott Avenue. The governor spoke about GTZ-IL, praising the initiative and vowing continued support from his administration.
“We will work together to reduce structural and institutional barriers to diagnose and treat,” Pritzker said. “We will expand access to care while breaking down the stigma for people living with or vulnerable to HIV, to seek help or to receive a diagnosis as soon as possible.
* Injustice Watch…
Over the last two decades, Chicago’s political leaders have spent tens of millions on attempts to treat children arrested by police more like children and less like a public safety menace. […]
Now, an Injustice Watch examination of Chicago’s efforts at youth justice reform — including dozens of interviews, thousands of pages of public records, and a decade of arrest data — reveals an inept, grindingly slow response to kids who commit crimes. It’s been a Band-Aid on a deep wound.
The investigation showed the city has hired contractors with records of failure, the Chicago Police Department didn’t buy in to key reforms, and a long-promised new program has delivered barely any help to the thousands of kids who might need it.
The latest failure is a $10 million initiative offering some kids who have been arrested one to three months of services — including help with school, legal support, or counseling. While police arrested about 3,600 kids last year, they referred only 286 to the program in its first 11 months. Of those, only 35 completed the program. That’s roughly one for every 100 kids police arrest.
* Illinois Department of Transportation…
IDOT is unveiling five new photo enforcement vans that will be used throughout Illinois work zones starting this construction season, a continuation of a program that traces back 20 years ago. The vehicles are the result of a new contract with Modaxo, which allows for as-needed equipment updates and a “train the trainer” program that will put operations firmly in the hands of IDOT and Illinois State Police.
Bearing clear markings designating them as speed photo enforcement vehicles, the vans feature updated technology and a large sign that displays the speed of approaching vehicles. Highway Safety Programs Unit Chief Juan Pava said the improved technological features are a boon to the program.
“We are going to have lidar-based speed detection, which is a huge improvement over our previous contract that had radar speed detection,” Pava said. “We have new cameras with much higher resolution, as well as new safety features within the units to keep the troopers who are deploying them safe. We’re hoping that with this new technology, we’ll be able to get better metrics to truly understand the speed issues in work zones and increase the effectiveness of the speed photo enforcement program.”
The vehicles will be used exclusively in work zones while workers are present, as mandated by the 2004 passage of the Automated Traffic Control Systems in Highway Construction or Maintenance Zones Act. Through district staff, IDOT determines where the vans should be deployed, with ISP troopers staffing them and handling any necessary ticketing. […]
“This is not a revenue generating program. The primary benefit is speed reduction and behavior change,” said Work Zone Safety Engineer Nathan Peck. “That’s why we use a big white van. We want it to be visible. It’s all about deterrence, presence and visibility.”
* WBBM Radio reporter Mallory Vor Broker…
* AP…
The Chicago White Sox have now had the worst half-season in the franchise’s 124-year history.
And they’re on pace to challenge for the ignominious title of worst team of all-time.
Shohei Ohtani hit a leadoff homer and a tiebreaking RBI single Tuesday night, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 4-3 victory over the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field.
For reference, the 1962 New York Mets went 40-120, which remains the worst record ever since MLB went to a 162-game schedule prior to that season (the Mets had two postponed games that season that were not made up).
*** Chicago ***
* Tribune | Chicago reaches deal with protest organizers ahead of DNC: The ACLU of Illinois filed a federal lawsuit against the city last month on behalf of a coalition of LGBTQ+ and abortion rights groups, “Bodies Against Unjust Laws,” that sought a protest permit during the DNC. Wednesday, the ACLU announced the coalition was granted a permit to march south along Michigan Avenue from Wacker Drive to the statue of Union Army Gen. John Logan near 9th Street. The march is scheduled for 5 p.m. Aug. 18, the day before DNC activities begin in earnest.
* Chalkbeat | Chicago schools that removed police officers saw slight drop in high-level discipline violations: study: The study’s authors looked at the district’s more than 80 CPS-run high schools, and focused on those that removed officers after the summer of 2020, when the Chicago Board of Education directed Local School Councils to decide if they wanted SROs on campus. As of last school year, 39 high schools had on-campus police officers staffed by the Chicago Police Department, while 44 other schools had none, according to the study. Fourteen schools had voted since 2020 to remove them. The Board of Education plans to remove the remaining officers starting this fall.
* Sun-Times | CPS dropping school police officers didn’t change students, teachers feeling safe, U of C study reveals: A study released Wednesday by the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research examined the effects of CPS schools removing their police officers and found there were minimal changes to perceptions of safety. But the analysis discovered a reduction in high-level discipline infractions at schools that had gotten rid of their cops, and found Black students were more likely to have officers in their schools than other racial groups.
* Sun-Times | City prepares for large crowds at Pride Parade: The parade gets underway at 11 a.m. in Uptown, passes through Lake View and ends in Lincoln Park. The Office of Emergency Management and Communications said it is expecting large crowds and is preparing to ensure the safety of all attendees. Temporary black-and-white markers will be hung atop light poles along the parade route to mark the location. If anyone is lost or in need of help, the markers will allow first-responders to find the caller.
* Block Club | What Does The ‘Chicago Accent’ Actually Sound Like?: It’s a distinct sound: beginning “th” sounds become to “d” sounds, so that “this” or “those” becomes “dis” or “dose.” You add an exaggerated “s” to proper nouns, like the “Jewels” and “Soldiers Field.” And you have to have the flattest “a” in words like “cat” or “bag.” But there are actually many Chicago accents with different origins, and they span far beyond the North Side climes that soak up a lot of the cultural conversation. That reflects in the media set in, or filmed in, the city — often with non-Chicago actors who must learn the many ways we speak.
*** Cook County and Suburbs ***
* Sun-Times | Man accused of assaulting State’s Attorney Kim Foxx is placed on electronic monitoring: William Swetz, 34, was released from custody after appearing in court Sunday on aggravated assault and aggravated battery charges. He was ordered to have no contact with Foxx. But Swetz was back in court Tuesday morning after he was allegedly seen on surveillance video driving past Foxx’s home after his Sunday appearance, according to court records. The judge on Tuesday ordered him to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet.
* NBC Chicago | Chicago suburb to host Illinois’ ‘largest’ fireworks show for 4th of July: July 4, Itasca, in DuPage County will host “Illinois’ largest fireworks show,” according to a press release. The live pyrotechnics show takes place place at Hamilton Lakes, west of Chicago O’Hare International Airport at the intersection of I-390 and Park Boulevard, the release said. According to organizers, the 2024 fireworks show marks the event’s 27th year.
*** Downstate ***
* SJ-R | Longtime Springfield Urban League leader, voting rights lawsuit plaintiff, dies at 81: Howard Veal Sr., the longtime head of the Springfield Urban League and a class action plaintiff in the voting rights lawsuit that led to the creation of Springfield’s aldermanic form of government, died June 12. […] Speaking to The State Journal-Register Monday, Frank McNeil, one of the original plaintiffs in the lawsuit with William Washington and Rudy Davenport, said Veal, representing the Urban League, and Archie Lawrence, representing the Springfield NAACP, bolstered the suit by bringing in “all classes of individuals. It extended (the lawsuit) beyond three individuals.”
* WGN | Authorities to identify victim in 1976 cold case in Grundy County: Authorities in Grundy County are preparing to make a major announcement this week in the case of an unidentified woman whose body was found along a road near Seneca, Illinois, in 1976. Grundy County Coroner John W. Callahan said Tuesday that his office has identified the victim in the 1976 cold case and will release her identity during a news conference in Morris, Illinois, on Thursday afternoon.
*** National ***
* Tribune | Paris puts Park Ridge artist’s statue of Lincoln on display near Champs Elysee: Many connections fell into place — and many challenges had to be overcome over the course of a decade– for Park Ridge’s Kalo Foundation, a nonprofit arts group, to ship the mold of a bust of Abraham Lincoln by Park Ridge’s best-known artist, Italian-American sculptor Alfonso Iannelli, to France, have it bronzed and then ceremonially presented to the city of Paris for permanent display near the Champs Elysee. Kalo Foundation officers flew to France for its official unveiling by officials of Paris’ 8th arondissement on May 13. In the decade from idea to execution, the process of casting the plaster Lincoln bust into bronze and donating it to Paris had to overcome several tripwires, including the deaths of its original French and Park Ridge backers, the COVID pandemic and fundraising challenges.
* NYT | Why U.S. Schools Are Facing Their Biggest Budget Crunch in Years: A flow of federal dollars — $122 billion meant to help schools recover from the pandemic — is running dry in September, leaving schools with less money for tutors, summer school and other supports that have funded pandemic recovery efforts over the last three years. At the same time, declining student enrollment — a consequence of lower birthrates and a growing school choice movement — is catching up to some districts.
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* Tuesday press release…
Additional State-supported shelters are beginning to serve New Arrivals in Chicago. Two new shelters, operating as part of the City of Chicago’s existing shelter system, will prioritize families as they transition to independent living. This is in addition to a State-supported shelter in Little Village, bringing the total of State-supported and funded shelters in Chicago to three, with a total combined capacity of 2,000 people.
These latest additions to shelter capacity advance the State’s commitment to a joint funding plan with Cook County and the City of Chicago to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis presented by the arrival of over 43,000 New Arrivals from the U.S. southern border.
“In Illinois, we’re implementing our comprehensive data-driven plan to improve our response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis and amplify the effectiveness of State, County, and City investments,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “The additional temporary shelters will ensure that shelter capacity and wraparound services remain accessible to asylum seeker families as they transition out of our system of care and on to independence.”
“I’m thankful to our partners and the contributions across City, State, County, and nonprofit sectors. These additional shelters provide meaningful support to families seeking stability as they take their next steps toward independence,” said Dulce M. Quintero, IDHS Secretary Designate.
Hyde Park Shelter
A former hotel shelter that was previously used to quarantine New Arrivals from measles is serving as a facility for standard shelter operations now that the outbreak has passed. The hotel has been retrofitted to serve as a more traditional shelter site.
Under the guidance of public health officials, the State-funded quarantine shelter was decommissioned for quarantine in early May, allowing the State to transition the site to a shelter for families, with a maximum capacity to house 750 people.
Midway Shelter
Buildout for the next State-supported shelter at a former hotel on the Southwest side of Chicago began last week. The plan is to begin moving in families in July. This shelter has a maximum capacity of 950 residents.
More at the link.
* Press release today from Rep. Angie Guerrero-Cuellar and Sen. Mike Porfirio, who represent the Midway area…
We were informed by press release that the Illinois Department of Human Services plans to move forward with their plans to operate a state-run migrant shelter in our districts. Without sufficient information on how the state plans to protect the safety of the shelter and the surrounding community, we cannot support this plan. Our local 8th Chicago Police District is already stretched thin and will be challenged to support a shelter of 950 migrants. Opening a shelter in July does not allow for proper planning or ensure that our concerns are met. Local residents have had no say in this plan, and we will not ignore their valid concerns about safety and utilizing local resources.
As subscribers know, Guerrero-Cuellar and Porfirio are at odds with the governor over their bill to transfer some Midway Airport land to the city for a new police station. The Pritzker administration has other plans for the land.
…Adding… The governor’s office insists that both Guerrero-Cuellar and Porfirio were both fully briefed and some plans were even changed at their behest, including changing curfew times for residents. The administration “even called local mayors at their request.”
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* Press release…
Today Governor JB Pritzker signed a package of bills to incentivize corporate development and increase Illinois’ competitive edge for attracting new businesses and capital investments. The omnibus bills, HB5005, include investments in tax credit programs for the film industry and research and development projects across the state, as well as for the Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) and Reimagining Energy and Vehicles (REV) programs. The bills also build on Illinois’ growing status as a tech hub and reduce red tape for the Blue Collar Job Act (BCJA). […]
In 2023, Illinois tripled corporate investments incentivized by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). New jobs created by the EDGE and REV programs jumped up more than 60 percent from the previous year - from 2,691 to 4,329 - with the number of retained jobs increasing exponentially, from 204 to 3,127. Updates to Illinois’ premier business development tools will make Illinois even more competitive for jobs and capital investment and could generate more than an estimated $21 billion in new state revenue into GRF over the next 30 years.
The bill also expands River’s Edge Redevelopment Zones (RERZ) to include 7 new downstate communities, which will enable them to leverage new incentives to attract investments, create jobs and invest in their communities. Based on community feedback, the bill adds zones in Moline, East Moline, Ottawa, LaSalle, Peru, Rock Island and Quincy.
The Illinois film tax credit, created by Governor Pritzker in 2022 and expanded through 2032, offers tax credits for local labor and production expenditures and has been a key factor in Illinois landing major productions. The State’s tax credit has resulted in a $6.81 return on investment for every dollar spent on the incentive, resulting in $3.6 billion in economic activity between FY17 and FY22. 94 percent of Illinois’ current film industry economic impact is attributed to the impact of the tax credit enacted by Governor Pritzker.
The omnibus also includes:
- Recodification of eligibility for the Manufacturing Illinois Chips for Real Opportunity (MICRO) program: This law codifies quantum computing, semiconductor, and microchip companies in the R&D phase as eligible for the program while reducing initial investment requirements to allow smaller businesses to enter the market.
- Creation of a Quantum Enterprise Zone (QEZ): Designed to help position Illinois’ proposed quantum campus - funded through a $500 million bonded capital request introduced in the FY25 budget – to attract up to $11 billion in CHIPS and related federal funding and an estimated $20 billion in private investment.
- Reduction of Blue Collar Jobs Act (BCJA) Red Tape: Based on industry feedback, this change allows BCJA credits to be based on industry standard or 3rd party verified construction wages rather than the submission of monthly payroll data.
* The governor fielded some quantum questions from reporters after the bill signing…
Well, the announcement of the creation of a quantum campus has meant a lot of significant interest from large companies and from new well-funded startup companies. As well as from governments and industries that want to be plugged in to the efforts here at a quantum campus.
So you’ll see some announcements that will come out over the next month or two about some of those partnerships.
Then you’ll see the choice of a location for that campus. And then, of course, after that there’ll be a, you know, building of that campus and talk about what’s going to be on the campus itself. So I think that’s maybe the order in which things will happen. But it’s very exciting, I have to say.
I was talking to somebody who is very high up in the quantum industry, I guess you could say, who said to me that [Illinois is] alone in our leadership as a state in putting this quantum campus together. They haven’t seen any other state that’s this forward on the industry and it portends well as we look at what the opportunities are for billions of dollars. And I hasten to say, tens of billions of dollars of interest in the state of Illinois. […]
Question: This is an industry not everyone understands, so why put all that money there?
Pritzker: Appreciate you asking that question, and I will remind you that Illinois is where the first browser was developed. Nobody really remembers that.
PayPal came out of Illinois, YouTube came out of Illinois. We had the first big supercomputer [at the] University of Illinois.
We were poised in the early 90s and late 80s to be the leading state for development of the Internet, and most people had no idea what the internet was in 1990 let’s say. So, think about that analogy to where we are today.
And by the way, nobody at the state had a strategy for how do we keep those companies or the development of that industry in Illinois? There was no strategy, and it got up and left.
We, today, and as somebody who has been in the technology industry. We were on the cutting edge. We still are, but we were on the cutting edge. When I came into office the University of Illinois, University of Chicago, Northwestern and other institutions, our national laboratories, all [were] on the cutting edge of quantum technology, even if other people hadn’t heard of it.
This is the direction of things. And we’re in an international competition, I might add, from an economic security perspective and an international security perspective and a national security perspective.
I mentioned that because in my first year in office, even when people hadn’t heard much about quantum, we put in the infrastructure bill, $200 million dedicated - we were the only state that had done this at this time - dedicated to developing the quantum industry and Chicago Quantum Exchange and other investments that help us build the ecosystem.
That was 2019. Those institutions have thrived over the last number of years, and we are recognized around the world now in something that still maybe people don’t totally understand, but at least people know the word quantum. They know there’s something big happening, and Illinois and Chicago, among the researchers, scientists and companies around the world, they know that Chicago is the place to be.
And now that we’re creating this campus, it’s accelerated even more peoples’ interest in Illinois. So I don’t want to miss the opportunity, like the state did back in the early 90s, for us to be on the front end of something that could turn into, I hate these words, but the Silicon Valley of quantum.
* More topics…
Well, I think if you hearken back to our 2019 economic development plan for the state - we’ll be issuing another one this year, which they’re five year plans - you’ll see that we have actually a broader focus on growth industries. Say, for example, life sciences is another area where we have a right to win, we have lots of healthcare institutions, major universities, that are developing new drugs or new solutions for healthcare related problems, and that’s just another, ag-tech in our agriculture industry. […]
You know we sit on the border of and we have access to 20% of the world’s fresh water. That’s unusual, I mean, go talk to people who live in California and in Colorado about what’s happened to fresh water for them. So think about what that means as an advantage for decades and decades to come.
So I mentioned those just to give you some baseline thinking about. We’re not just focused on incentives that are in this bill related to quantum, for example, but more broadly about, how do we turn the crank, so to speak. If you think about an old car from 100 years ago to get the motor going on industries that we have a right to win at, that we have the opportunity to really develop in our state. EVs being another one. You know, how do we do that? And at the same time enhance the industries that we already have in the state that we’re so good at.
Remember, one very important thing about Illinois is we have a diverse economy in the state. This is a terrific thing, because when we go through difficult economic times as a nation or across the world, Illinois tends not to get drawn down as much as some other places that have one or two industries that they rely upon.
So I’m proud of that diversity. We’re trying to lift up all the industries, the companies that are in the state of Illinois, and I reach out and talk to CEOs of all size companies across the state to find out what do you need, what’s going to help you grow. And at the same time talking to new industries and new companies that want to think about coming to Illinois and figuring out what is it that will make us the most attractive state for you to come to.
* There’s more to this bill. For instance…
With strong support from State Senator Christopher Belt, a new law signed Wednesday aims to spur economic growth and enhance benefits under the Grocery Initiative Act – a law Belt led in 2023.
“Grocery stores that open in or around food deserts need all the support possible in order to remain accessible for residents,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “This law recognizes the importance of the Grocery Initiative Act and allows these stores to qualify for additional assistance from the state.”
The new law expands eligibility for incentives under the Illinois Grocery Act, allowing grocery stores located in an Enterprise Zone — a designated area with available tax incentives aimed at stimulating economic growth in underserved areas — to apply for the High Impact Business program. Previously, grocery stores could only apply for assistance under the Grocery Initiative Act or the HIB program. Under this new law, eligible grocers can apply to both programs, making it easier for stores to open and thrive within food deserts.
And…
A new law sponsored by State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton establishes incentives for microchip manufacturers in an effort to make the electronics industry more competitive in Illinois.
“Microchips and semiconductors are part of just about every piece of technology we use every day,” said Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs). “By providing these new incentives, we are creating jobs, keeping Illinois at the forefront of a growing industry and making our community a hub for manufacturing.”
House Bill 5005 brings new opportunities to the Manufacturing Illinois Chips for Real Opportunity Act, which offers incentives to companies that manufacture microchips and semiconductors in Illinois. MICRO allows businesses to receive tax credits on new and retained jobs, training costs, investments and construction jobs. Under the new law, manufacturers will be eligible for a tax credit when relocating from one site in Illinois to another. Additionally, individual taxpayers who focus on research and development and innovation in the space of semiconductor manufacturing, microchip manufacturing and the manufacturing of semiconductor or microchip component parts will be eligible for this program.
Discuss.
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* More background is here if you need it. From a January Tribune story on Snyder v. United States…
In court last month, Scott Lassar, an attorney for ex-ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, said the ComEd Four cases will likely see major upheaval, arguing that jurors were allowed to find her and her co-defendants guilty without evidence of a quid pro quo.
“It is all but certain that there is at least going to be a retrial, if not an acquittal, for the defendants,” Lassar said.
But Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu, who is spearheading the Madigan and ComEd prosecutions, suggested defense attorneys were prematurely spiking the football.
“I wish somebody would just read the language of the statute,” Bhachu told U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber last week.
In a written motion Friday, Bhachu went even further, calling the effort to delay the sentencings another signal that the defendants are “unrepentant” and trying to shift blame.
* From that written motion…
On the subject of quid pro quo, the defendants have repeatedly said that proof of a quid pro quo is required under § 666. But in doing so, counsel for McClain has described the term quid pro quo as being the equivalent of requiring proof of an agreement between two parties concerning the corrupt exchange of benefits for action, and counsel for Pramaggiore has also suggested that proof of an “agreement” is required.
This is incorrect; this misunderstanding is a result of casual and imprecise use of Latin jargon, namely, the phrase “quid pro quo,” to mask what is really required by the plain English of § 666. While proof of such a meeting of the minds is sufficient to violate the statute, no proof of an “agreement” is required under either prong of § 666. The language of the statute—which defendants ignore—not only punishes those who “agree to accept” and “agree to give,” but also anyone who “solicits” intending to be influenced or rewarded and anyone who “offers” with intent to influence or reward —without regard to whether any mutual understanding is reached with the counterparty.
* From the Seventh Circuit’s ruling in Snyder v. United States…
A bribe requires a quid pro quo—an agreement to exchange this for that, to exchange money or something else of value for influence in the future. A gratuity is paid “as a reward for actions the payee has already taken or is already committed to take.” United States v. Agostino, 132 F.3d 1183, 1195 (7th Cir. 1997). Snyder insists that the evidence does not support a finding that he and the Buhas agreed to exchange money for the truck contracts before they were awarded. Without a prior quid pro quo agreement, he argues, § 666 cannot apply. […]
Accordingly, we follow here our precedents holding that 18 U.S.C. § 666 applies to gratuities and does not require evidence of a prior quid pro quo agreement.
* From US Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s conclusion in Snyder v. United States…
In sum, §666 tracks §201(b), the bribery provision for federal officials. A state or local official can violate §666 when he accepts an up-front payment for a future official act or agrees to a future reward for a future official act. See United States v. Fernandez, 722 F. 3d 1, 23 (CA1 2013) (the word “reward” “clarifies that a bribe can be promised before, but paid after, the official’s action” (quotation marks omitted)).
But a state or local official does not violate §666 if the official has taken the official act before any reward is agreed to, much less given. Although a gratuity offered and accepted after the official act may be unethical or illegal under other federal, state, or local laws, the gratuity does not violate §666.
* From Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s dissent…
(F)or a payment to constitute a bribe, there must be an up-front agreement to exchange the payment for taking an official action.
Legislatures have also considered it similarly wrongful for government officials to accept gratuities under certain circumstances, but unlike bribes, gratuities do not have a quid pro quo requirement. Generally speaking, rather than an actual agreement to take payment as the impetus for engaging in an official act (a quid pro quo exchange), gratuities “may constitute merely a reward for some future act that the public official will take (and may already have determined to take), or for a past act that he has already taken.”
We took this case to resolve “[w]hether section 666 criminalizes gratuities, i.e., payments in recognition of actions the official has already taken or committed to take, without any quid pro quo agreement to take those actions.” The majority today answers no, when the answer to that question should be an unequivocal yes.
…Adding… Looks that way…
From that story…
Pramaggiore’s attoney, Scott Lassar, said the Supreme Court ruling makes clear that “what Anne Pramaggiore was charged with is not a crime.”
“I don’t think the entire case would be dismissed,” Lassar said. “But we will argue — I think successfully — that all of the convictions have to be reversed. And so, if that’s the case, the government would have to make a choice about whether they want to retry the case.”
Patrick Cotter, McClain’s attorney, said he believes the ruling “does radically change what the U.S. attorney’s office for the Northern District of Illinois can argue is a crime.” […]
Madigan’s lawyers have noted that seven of the 23 counts he faces in his indictment are tied to the law in question.
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Alleged Highland Park shooter rejects plea deal
Wednesday, Jun 26, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Yesterday in the Tribune…
Wednesday’s hearing is expected to generate a lot of interest locally and nationwide. Kasey Morgan, the spokeswoman for the Lake County courts, said her office was working to accommodate survivors and family members of the victims of the parade shooting who want to attend, as well as members of Crimo’s family who want to be in the courtroom, which can hold about 110 people.
The courts office has also received requests for seats from area elected officials, and representatives of national news organizations. Interested parties can also view the hearing on Zoom if they register, Morgan said. The link is at: https://19thcircuitcourt.state.il.us/2320/High-Profile-Case-Information […]
If Crimo does change his plea to guilty, the case could move immediately into the sentencing phase. That could include testimony from law enforcement officers, detailing evidence that connects Crimo to the shootings. […]
Should Crimo plead guilty to the first-degree murder of more than one of the seven people killed, he would face an automatic sentence of life in prison. Prosecutors leveled more than 100 felony charges in the case, including 21 counts of first-degree murder.
* Nancy Harty…
* Sun-Times…
The Highland Park parade shooting suspect on Wednesday abruptly decided to not go through with a change of his not guilty plea.
Robert Crimo III fell silent when the judge asked if the agreement outlined by Lake County prosecutors was what he’d discussed with his lawyers. Court was briefly recessed, and when Crimo returned his lawyers said their client no longer wanted to go ahead with a change of plea.
Prosecutors said Crimo had agreed to plead guilty to seven counts of first-degree murder in connection with the mass shooting nearly two years ago. In all, he was to plead guilty to a total of 55 counts, prosecutors said. […]
The next hearing in the case is Aug. 28. His trial is scheduled for February 2025.
* Tribune…
Victims and their families were expected to give emotional testimony following the plea deal on how the shooting has affected them, before Judge Victoria Rossetti delivered the sentence.
State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart previously said his office had been in touch with those affected before agreeing to the plea.
“We have been continuing to work with victims and survivors as the situation develops,” he said.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said it would have extra officers on duty for the sentencing.
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* Jason Meisner in April…
A government attorney faced tough questioning Monday from U.S. Supreme Court justices over concerns that the federal bribery statute often used to prosecute public officials, including a former Indiana mayor, is vague and potentially criminalizes innocuous gift-giving by people from all walks of life. […]
The high court’s decision to hear Snyder’s case has already had repercussions in Chicago. Since the Supreme Court’s announcement in December, Madigan’s trial was delayed from April 1 until October to allow time for the decision to come out and be digested before going forward.
In a parallel case, a different judge agreed, over the objection of prosecutors, to delay sentencings for the “ComEd Four,” a group of lobbyists and executives convicted of conspiring to bribe Madigan by showering his associates with do-nothing consulting jobs and other perks.
In Madigan’s case, prosecutors have noted that the 666 statute is charged in only five of the 23 counts of the racketeering indictment.
* The Sun-Times today…
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that a crucial federal bribery law aimed at state and local officials does not also criminalize after-the-fact rewards known as “gratuities.”
The ruling in the appeal of former Portage, Indiana Mayor James Snyder could have a major impact on public corruption prosecutions in Chicago, including the cases of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. In fact, the Supreme Court accused prosecutors of trying to turn the law into “a vague and unfair trap for 19 million state and local officials.”
The high court’s decision to take up the Snyder case interrupted the momentum federal prosecutors here had built through a series of corruption trials in 2023. […]
The corruption conviction of Snyder gave the Supreme Court the opportunity to study a law known as the “federal program bribery” statute. It applies to any state or local government agent who “corruptly solicits … anything of value … intending to be influenced or rewarded in connection with any business” worth $5,000 or more. […]
It’s involved in five of the counts in the separate case dealing with the four Madigan allies, who include former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore.
* Jon Seidel…
* Tribune…
In the opinion, which has been highly anticipated in Chicago’s federal court, the justices sided 6-3 with the former mayor of Portage, Ind., James Snyder, who argued to the nation’s highest court that the anti-corruption law under which he was convicted is vague and could potentially criminalize innocent, everyday conduct. […]
“The Government’s so-called guidance would leave state and local officials entirely at sea to guess about what gifts they are allowed to accept under federal law, with the threat of up to 10 years in federal prison if they happen to guess wrong,” the opinion states. “That is not how federal criminal law works. And the Court has rejected the view that it should construe a criminal statute on the assumption that the Government will use it responsibly.”
The 47-page opinion also takes issue with the term “rewarded,” which it typically interpreted by prosecutors as a reward for a public official after an official act was taken. […]
Defense attorneys will likely request that certain counts be thrown out in light of the justices’ ruling on Wednesday, though prosecutors in the Madigan case have said they are willing to forgo any arguments to jurors that the benefits provided to Madigan were gratuities.
* The opinion…
The question in this case is whether §666 also makes it a crime for state and local officials to accept gratuities—for example, gift cards, lunches, plaques, books, framed photos, or the like—that may be given as a token of appreciation after the official act. The answer is no. State and local governments often regulate the gifts that state and local officials may accept. Section 666 does not supplement those state and local rules by subjecting 19 million state and local officials to up to 10 years in federal prison for accepting even commonplace gratuities. Rather, §666 leaves it to state and local governments to regulate gratuities to state and local officials. […]
If the Government were correct that §666 also covered gratuities, Congress would have created an entirely inexplicable regime for state and local officials. For one, even though bribery has been treated as a far more serious offense, Congress would have authorized the same 10-year maximum sentences for (i) gratuities to state and local officials and (ii) bribes to state and local officials. See Sun-Diamond, 526 U. S., at 405. In addition, Congress would have authorized punishing gratuities to state and local officials five times more severely than gratuities to federal officials—10 years for state and local officials compared to 2 years for federal officials. […]
The Government asks this Court to adopt an interpretation of §666 that would radically upend gratuities rules and turn §666 into a vague and unfair trap for 19 million state and local officials. We decline to do so. Section 666 is a vital statute, but its focus is targeted: Section 666 proscribes bribes to state and local officials, while allowing state and local governments to regulate gratuities to state and local officials. Within constitutional bounds, Congress can always change the law if it wishes to do so. But since 1986, it has not, presumably because Congress understands that state and local governments may and often do regulate gratuities to state and local officials. We reverse the judgment of the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and remand the case for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.
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Open thread
Wednesday, Jun 26, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Wednesday, Jun 26, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* ICYMI: Gov. Pritzker signs measure creating new state agency for early education. Sun-Times…
- The newly signed law will create the Department of Early Childhood.
- The department will oversee early education programs, including the Preschool For All program, child care assistance programs and day care licensing.
- This year’s budget included $14 million to create the new department.
* Related stories…
At noon the governor will sign the pro-business bill omnibus package. Click here to watch.
*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***
* WTTW | After Earning a Degree From Northwestern While Incarcerated, Michael Broadway Dies in Custody at 51 as Family Questions Medical Response: Friends who witnessed his death last week said he “didn’t have to die.” When asked about specific allegations around the timeline of Broadway’s death, a spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Corrections responded that “at this point, we’d only be able to confirm his death on 6/19/24” and that “the investigation is ongoing.”
* Crain’s | CME and Google to build new facility to move trading into the cloud: The two firms will develop cloud and colocation facilities — space rented to clients for their own IT equipment — next to CME’s existing data center in Aurora, executives said Wednesday. Construction will start later this year and the transition will happen in phases, they said. CME and Google began a 10-year alliance in 2021 to migrate data, clearing services and eventually trading into the cloud. As part of the agreement, Google made a $1 billion equity investment in the derivatives exchange.
*** Statehouse News ***
* WAND | Advocates urge IL lawmakers to close loophole allowing domestic abusers access to guns: “We felt really confident after hearing the oral arguments late last year of the way the Supreme Court was going to come down,” said Maralea Negron, director for The Network. “I think it wasn’t a huge sticking point. But for those that did have concerns, the decision is very straight forward. It comes down on the side of survivors. We’re really hopeful that the General Assembly will do what we’ve been asking, what is pass Karina’s Bill in veto session.”
* Press Release | Swanson Named Illinois VFW’s Representative of the Year: Earlier this month, Illinois State Representative Dan Swanson was named Illinois’ Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Representative of the Year. He received the honors at Joint Opening Session of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Department of Illinois state convention in Springfield. Swanson, a veteran himself, has long championed veterans’ issues and has been an advocate throughout his service in the Illinois General Assembly. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2017 and currently serves on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
*** Chicago ***
* Sun-Times | Johnson announces dates, times for budget forums: Last year, Johnson used public input generated by a similar series of budget roundtables to craft a $16.77 billion budget that, among other things, added 4,000 summer jobs for Chicago’s youth and re-established a stand-alone Department of Environment. The mayor used a record $434 million in surplus funds from tax increment financing districts to balance his first budget. He also froze the city’s property tax levy.
* NBC Chicago | Thousands of DNC protesters expected, raising questions about security, neighborhood impact: “We don’t think it’s the city hiding the ball. We think that the city is dependent on decisions made by other agencies in the city or federal agencies, FBI, Secret Service,” said Chris Williams, the attorney representing the Coalition to March on the DNC. The coalition, which represents 125 protest organizations and counting, has been fighting a legal battle with the city over its denial of protest permits. The city declined the protesters’ request to set up at Union Park, just blocks away from the United Center, offering a spot several miles away on Columbus Drive instead. Protesters have maintained the spot near Grant Park is not a viable solution because it’s not within “sight and sound” of the convention hall.
* CBS Chicago | Chicago paramedics experience burnout amid staffing shortage, firefighters say: Chicago firefighters are calling out the city for not having enough ambulances and paramedics to safely serve the city, and they want that fixed as part of a new union contract. They plan to protest at next week’s NASCAR event, then outside of the Democratic National Convention.
* Tribune | NASCAR Chicago Street Race returns with shorter setup, fewer skeptics and hopes for less rain: “I think the big difference this year versus last year is people have an understanding of what the event is and how it comes together and what to expect,” said Julie Giese, 46, president of NASCAR’s Chicago Street Race. “It wasn’t as bad as everyone expected last year as far as moving around the city.” Tim Calkins, a marketing professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, said Chicagoans are generally less concerned after seeing NASCAR successfully pull off the first street race in its 75-year history amid biblical rains last summer.
*** Cook County and Suburbs ***
* ABC | Illinois man accused in mass shooting at Fourth of July parade expected to change not-guilty plea: The statement released by Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart’s office did not provide more detail on the expected changes or how it could influence sentencing. Crimo would face a mandatory sentence of life without parole if convicted of first-degree murder.
* Cook County Record | Judges’ association member recuses himself from case demanding judge association members recuse themselves from cases: U.S. District Judge Jorge L. Alonso is asking to be removed from a case that claims members in the state’s largest judicial lobbying group– of which he is one– play favorites and back the rulings of their fellow members over those of litigants. Alonso, a member of the Illinois Judges Association (IJA), asked on June 18 that Edward “Coach” Weinhaus v. Regina A. Scannicchio, et. al. be reassigned to another judge in the U.S. District Court.
* Sun-Times | Cook County agency employs Indiana politician who pleaded guilty in federal case: While his brother James Snyder has appealed his bribery conviction all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court — which is expected to issue a potential landmark ruling in the matter soon — Jon Snyder landed a new government job across the state line. He’s now working for an obscure but influential Cook County agency. Documents obtained by WBEZ show Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Samantha Steele hired Jon Snyder to join her staff as a $75,000-a-year analyst for commercial property tax appeals cases in December 2022.
* Tribune | North suburban commuter service to close, a sign of changing corporate office landscape: The Transportation Management Association of Lake-Cook Corridor will end operations July 1. The organization had for years run shuttles to north suburban campuses, providing one option to solve a problem that has long vexed suburbs: how to help employees travel the last bit of their commute between a train or bus station and their office. The closure comes amid a dramatic reshaping of the region’s corporate landscape. In just the north Cook County and south Lake County area once served by the TMA, insurance giant Allstate sold its sprawling Northbrook campus in 2022 and downsized. Baxter International tried to sell its Deerfield property, but eventually pulled it off the market after a prospective buyer pulled out when neighbors campaigned to derail a warehouse facility a developer proposed for the site.
* Daily Herald | Harper College student named Soldier of the Year by Illinois Army National Guard: At 19, Nathan Johnson is one of the youngest soldiers ever to win first place in the physically grueling, three-day Illinois National Guard Best Warrior Competition. Due to his rank as a junior enlisted man, Nathan Johnson, from Arlington Heights, was named Soldier of the Year by the Illinois Army National Guard at the April competition, which took place at the Illinois Guard training ground in Sparta.
*** Downstate ***
* Crain’s | VW’s lifeline to Rivian could help Illinois hang onto jobs: Volkswagen is throwing Rivian a $5 billion lifeline, a badly needed vote of confidence in the startup automaker that employs more than 8,000 people at a factory in downstate Normal. The German auto giant said it will invest $5 billion in a joint venture with Rivian, including an initial $1 billion infusion and another $1 billion in each of the next two years.
*** National ***
* STL Today | Acclaimed St. Louis restaurant Bulrush closes. Owner cites ‘hate politics’ in Missouri: Connoley, who is gay, cited Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s actions toward transgender people, including attempts to seek their medical records. “I’ve done LGBT advocacy for a long time, 30-plus years, and I’ve never seen something like this,” Connoley said. “Normally, it’s legislative, and there’s work you can do with your representatives and constituents. But here, it’s one person doing hate politics.”
* AP | Nation’s first publicly funded religious charter school blocked by Oklahoma Supreme Court: The high court determined the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board’s 3-2 vote last year to approve an application by the Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma for the St. Isidore of Seville Virtual Charter School violates the Establishment Clause, which prohibits government from making any law “respecting an establishment of religion.” The ruling also says both the Oklahoma and U.S. constitutions, as well as state law, were violated.
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Live coverage
Wednesday, Jun 26, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* You can click here or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.
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