State Senator Linda Holmes is ready to bring the state’s hiring practices out of the 1950s and into the present so Illinois’ ability to recruit and hire quality applicants is improved and streamlined. The future is now, as Governor JB Pritzker signed Senate Bill 2228 into law Tuesday.
“It’s difficult to believe Illinois’ Personnel Code has not been systematically updated since it was adopted in 1955, but I’m pleased we can make these substantial updates now so the process will move more quickly with greater accessibility and transparency,” said Holmes (D-Aurora).
Senate Bill 2228 changes the code to implement modern processes and best practices in the state’s hiring methods, while reducing the time it takes to hire and grow the state’s workforce. It also provides for real-time review of proposed rules by JCAR and the Civil Service Commission to reduce the time it takes to make necessary regulatory changes. This improves transparency and access to workforce data, too.
This legislation was an initiative of the Department of Central Management Services to address delays and difficulties faced by departments with positions to fill, as well as applicants and CMS itself. It expands a mechanism for on-the-spot job offers (provisional hiring) and to get new employees working while the administrative hiring process is completed. Provisional hiring would decrease the hiring cycle timeline for critical positions by months.
CMS says they process tens of thousands of hiring sequences each year, and this will result in exponentially compounded time saved.
“It is possible that our state government has missed out over 68 years on many talented candidates for whom this process took too long and they accepted positions elsewhere,” Holmes said. “Several state functions are seriously understaffed right now, and this is an opportunity to fill those roles and provide more timely services to Illinoisans needing their assistance.”
The governor signed Senate Bill 2228 into law Tuesday. It takes effect immediately.
Bill Number: HB 1186
Description: Provides that Health Maintenance Organizations are not required to use a referral system for enrollees to access providers under contract with or employed by the health maintenance organization.
Action: Signed
Effective: January 1, 2024
Bill Number: HB 1364
Description: Creates the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Workgroup Act.
Action: Signed
Effective: Immediately
Bill Number: HB 3296
Description: Increases the cap on regulatory fees for Illinois largest credit unions.
Action: Signed
Effective: Immediately
Bill Number: SB 2228
Description: Amends the Personnel Code and other relevant statutes to modernize the Personnel Code by seeking to remove inefficiencies, which delay the hiring process for state employees, and represents an overall clean-up to account for modern hiring practices.
Action: Signed
Effective: Immediately
Bill Number: SB 2379
Description: Deadline extension for Counsel in Immigration Proceedings task force report.
Action: Signed
Effective: Immediately
HB3296 was originally opposed by the Illinois Credit Union League, but they switched to neutral after three amendments were filed. You never give up in this business.
A Will County judge ordered the losing candidate in the 2022 race for Will County clerk and her attorney who filed an election fraud lawsuit to pay $35,000 in sanctions for what he called a “frivolous lawsuit.”
Republican Gretchen Fritz filed the lawsuit Dec. 28, claiming she believes “mistakes and fraud have been committed in the casting and counting of ballots” in the race because her opponent, Democratic Will County Clerk Lauren Staley Ferry, received more votes than Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker. […]
“It’ll be a deterrent so that these fake election lawsuits don’t get filed,” said Burt Odelson, Staley Ferry’s attorney. […]
In the lawsuit, Fritz claimed that “some unknown and unidentified person or thing” used a mathematical process to fradulently decide a winner in the clerk’s race, he wrote.
“But her supporting factual allegations are as vague as they are outrageous,” Anderson wrote in Monday’s order.
“In short, Ms. Fritz and her counsel violated Rule 137 by filing an election contest petition that was not well grounded in fact, and was not predicated on a reasonable factual inquiry,” Anderson wrote. “The Court finds that sanctions are proper.”
…Adding… By the way, these folks were supporters of Tom McCullagh, who dropped out of a House GOP primary after being accused of grooming. Every accusation is a confession with these people.
* Former Sen. Terry Link’s sentencing hearing is October 6th, the Sun-Times reports…
But in summer 2020, he resigned from the Senate and pleaded guilty to filing a false income tax return. In all, he admitted he filed false tax returns for the years 2012 through 2016, costing the IRS $71,133 and the Illinois Department of Revenue $11,527.
Then, earlier this month, Link wound up on the witness stand in Weiss’ trial, testifying about his cooperation with the FBI. There, he explained that he’d withdrawn money from his campaign account and said, “I used some for gambling.”
“The other part was, I was helping a friend who was in dire need,” Link said. He explained that it was someone who “I knew most of my life and he was a businessman.”
* Gov. Pritzker was asked today about his past statements that providing preventive healthcare saves money. So, he was asked today, if that’s the case, then why would he limit enrollment for part of the state’s undocumented immigrant healthcare program to save $550 million in the coming fiscal year…
One of the challenges is of course - and again, everybody should get basic health care - is that basic health care even upfront costs money. The savings come in years hence, as a result of the investments that you make in basic health care. So we need to acknowledge that there’s going to be savings as a result of the early investments that we make in preventative health care, for example. But let’s remember that the legislature actually increased the amount of money that was available for this program from $220 million to $550 million. And although the estimates had been if we hadn’t put these tools to work, then it might go to $1.1 billion, which wasn’t something that the budget could tolerate. And so we’re doing it within the confines of what we have available to us and the legislature’s given us.
* News media interview offer…
Tio “Mr. CeaseFire” Hardiman says that he is now a Republican. The nonviolence activist and former Democratic candidate for Governor says that the Republican Party’s stances on violent crime and immigration resonate within him and his life’s work.
Hardiman hasn’t been with CeaseFire in years. It’s not even called that any longer, but it’s his claim to fame. Hardiman hit his political high point in 2014, when he took 28 percent of the vote as the only alternative to the unpopular Gov. Pat Quinn in the Democratic primary. Four years later, he received just 1.6 percent in the Democratic primary, or a mere 21,075 votes.
Today, Governor JB Pritzker was joined by state and local officials as he signed legislation authorizing a new state-based marketplace (SBM) for Illinois, which gives state agencies additional tools to create a more consumer-focused health insurance exchange and better identify traditionally uninsured communities. The Governor also signed historic rate review legislation, which will protect health insurance consumers from unfair rate hikes.
The Illinois Department of Insurance (DOI) and the Department of Healthcare and Family Services (DHFS) will work together to implement the new legislation and coordinate with all state medical assistance programs.
“As governor, I’ve worked to build a state government that is more efficient and more responsive to what working families need,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Operating our own healthcare marketplace gives us the dexterity to offer more enrollment windows, coordinate with nonprofit partners who help families navigate insurance choices, and protect Illinoisans from any future changes in federal policy that seek to undermine access to affordable healthcare – including access to reproductive healthcare.”
“Illinois joins more than three dozen other states with similar prior approval authority in the individual and small group health insurance market,” said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. “This is a win for insurance consumers and an example of our collaboration with partners in the General Assembly and beyond to improve insurance access, affordability, and transparency for Illinoisans.”
Illinois residents currently access the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace using the federal platform which the state pays a fee to use. This legislation (HB 579) will transition Illinois to a state platform, redirecting that fee to Illinois to fund the new SBM. The full state-based marketplace goes live for plan year 2026, and consumers will start enrolling via the Illinois platform during the ACA Marketplace Open Enrollment Period beginning November 1, 2025.
Currently, the federal platform does not share real-time data, and the Illinois Department of Insurance (DOI) must rely on federal CMS reports with limited information regarding enrollment in ACA Marketplace coverage. The new legislation will help address that challenge, allowing Illinois to better target and serve uninsured communities.
The rate review bill signed into law today – HB2296 – is a monumental piece of consumer protection legislation that substantially advances health care affordability. Illinois joins 41 other states in protecting Illinois consumers and small businesses from unfair premium rate hikes.
For the first time, insurance companies will have to provide specific information about how they set their rates and the DOI will have the authority to approve, modify, or disapprove health premium rates that it determines to be unreasonable or inadequate in the individual and small group market. It also increases transparency for consumers and small business by adding reporting requirements for insurance companies, and gives DOI the data it needs to explain to consumers and small businesses why people pay what they pay in a yearly report.
Five Years after Janus, Government Unions Are Weaker — and More Desperate
* SEIU press release…
Tuesday, June 27 at 3:00 PM - after several months of classes, around 70 Service Employee International Union (SEIU) Local 1 janitors working at the Merchandise Mart will be graduating from the Green Janitor Education Program – a groundbreaking environmental program that creates safer working conditions for janitors and building tenants and puts money back into building owners pockets.
The Green Janitor Education Program is member-led, meaning Local 1 janitorial leaders teach the classes. The program provides education in green building practices to meet the latest energy, water and green initiative standards covering energy efficiency, recycling, waste management, water conservation and sustainable cleaning practices.
These lessons benefit not just the janitor’s health and work environment, but also the environment for the tenants in the buildings these janitors clean. The building’s carbon footprint is lowered, and moreover, the building saves money enacting these lessons. This program takes place in Merchandise Mart, one of the largest buildings in Chicago by square footage, making one of the biggest single-building impacts possible. This program also took place at 321 N. Clark in Chicago, from which SEIU Local 1 janitors graduated last month.
I will not be at NASCAR. It’s just unfortunate, but I made plans long before the NASCAR ever got, you know, put into Chicago that that I wasn’t going to be there. So, yeah.
* Isabel’s roundup…
* Tribune | Pritzker signs bills giving Illinois power over health insurance prices, Affordable Care Act exchange: The bill signings Tuesday came amid criticism aimed at Pritzker for his decision to close enrollment for many people in a separate health care program for immigrants in the country without legal permission. One of the bills signed into law Tuesday will allow Illinois to run the exchange where health insurance plans are sold, by 2025. Now, consumers must go to the federally-run healthcare.gov to buy exchange plans.
* Crain’s | Unemployment nearing record low around metro Chicago: According to surveys released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and IDES, the Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights statistical area reported an unemployment rate of just 3.2% in May, not seasonally adjusted. That’s near the lowest level ever, according to IDES, with only a 3.0% figure in November 2019 coming in lower.
* Crain’s | Chicago is now second city for home price growth: S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Indices released this morning for April. Chicago-area single-family home values rose by 4.1% that month from a year earlier, according to the index, second only to Miami, where prices were up 5.2%.
* Crain’s | Another season of drought would cost Illinois farms: Jeff Kirwan, an Illinois Farm Bureau board member and farmer in Mercer County near the Quad Cities, estimates the drought damage to date could cause a 20% reduction in crop yields in comparison to a normal year — assuming the region still gets some rain, that is. If the lack of rainfall continues with high daily temperatures, crop yield could be reduced by as much as 40% to 50%, Kirwan says.
* Belleville News-Democrat | Dangerous temperatures headed for metro-east. Here’s the latest forecast & safety tips: “Everyone’s heard a lot about the heat down in Texas. There’s an impressive heat dome of high pressure that’s drifting northeast,” Deitsch said. “Wednesday will be progressively warmer than today and then we’ll get very impressive heat Thursday and Friday, pushing 100 degrees. It’s the remnants of the same system in Texas drifting to the north and east.”
* Sun-Times | Chicago’s Urban Prep can stay open as lawsuit fighting its closure continues, appeals court rules: This is a major win for Urban Prep Academies, said Craig Wimberly, president of the Coalition of African American Leaders. COAL has been fighting for Urban Prep. It’s the city’s only all-male charter school operator, once celebrated nationally for getting all its seniors, who are almost all Black, into college year after year. It currently has two CPS campuses, one in Englewood and another in Bronzeville, with about 380 students enrolled before classes ended for the year. CPS budgeted $8 million for Urban Prep this past year.
* Crain’s | Good timing! CTA announces big grant for electric buses: The agency won a discretionary $25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to upgrade a bus-charging facility adjacent to its terminal at 95th Street and the Dan Ryan Expressway, which serves 16 bus lines that carry 26,000 riders on an average workday.
* Mendota Reporter | LaSalle County among four counties in Illinois to report West Nile Virus: While no human cases of West Nile virus have been reported in Illinois so far this year, there were 34 human cases (which are significantly under-reported) and eight deaths attributed to the disease in the state in 2022, the most in any year since 2018, when there were 17 deaths. A total of 10 batches of mosquitos that tested positive for West Nile virus have been reported this year in Cook, LaSalle, Morgan and St. Clair counties.
On July 1, Illinois’ gas tax will undergo its annual increase [roughly three cents per gallon] and the state’s moratorium of [the local 1 percent] grocery tax will expire.
* Reporter: On Saturday, folks are gonna see prices go up at the grocery checkout line. Prices will go up at the gas pump for the second time in six months. Critics, when you passed that tax relief plan last year, called it an election-year stunt. The election year is over. Were they right about that?
* Pritzker: Dan, I hope you’ll report - you haven’t yet, so I’m gonna ask you to do it now - report on the fact that the grocery tax doesn’t go to the state of Illinois. It goes to local governments.
What we did last year was a temporary measure because we had very high inflation. Inflation, you may notice, has come down. But we had very high inflation. We wanted to do everything that we could and we provided $1.8 billion of tax relief for families across Illinois. The grocery tax was one of them. But what we did was we replaced the money that local governments were getting from that grocery tax for the year at the state level. We provided the money to replace that tax.
Now I hear often Republicans complaining that the grocery tax is being reimposed. But these are the same folks who don’t have a solution for well, how would you reimburse local governments for the grocery tax that you would like to get rid of? I would like very much to eliminate entirely the grocery tax, but it is a matter of local governments and what they would do if they didn’t have that income as a result of the grocery tax.
Please pardon all transcription errors.
*** UPDATE *** Reporter in question brings receipts…
I won’t get into the rights or wrongs of taking over the center of a city in the middle of summer and inconveniencing Chicagoans for weeks just to have a loud NASCAR race with ticket prices rivaling those of a Taylor Swift concert. “What, and for whom, are city parks and streets for?” you could ask.
Nor will I mention the oddness of a NASCAR race laid out like a Formula 1 track or the fact that police have been cracking down hard on young Chicagoans’ illegal street racing and “drifting” at rowdy intersections. You can watch “Fast & Furious” movies, kids. Do not imitate. […]
No matter. The legends of guys named Buckshot and Junior and Fireball, their suped-up moonshiner cars “runnin’ through the woods of Caroline” (to quote Springsteen’s “Cadillac Ranch’’), the roar of straight pipes and barely controlled recklessness — it’s primitive and enduring and, yep, American.
NASCAR’s here, like the traveling circus. Might as well put in the earplugs, folks, and climb aboard.
In addition to the races, there’s also a festival happening all weekend, including some big-name performers. On Saturday, the Black Crowes are slated to perform at 2:30 p.m. and the Chainsmokers will take the stage at 7 p.m. On Sunday, Charley Crockett and Miranda Lambert are on deck for pre-race shows beginning at noon.
How do I attend the race or concerts? Tickets are available online. All tickets are for both days and range in price from $269 for general admission to $3,015 for the President’s Paddock Club, which is billed as the “most luxurious race weekend experience.” While officials say the event is family friendly, there is no discount for youth tickets.
If you don’t have a ticket, officials say the best way to watch the race is on TV (Sunday’s race will be broadcasted on NBC). A NASCAR representative said at a recent press conference that there will be no streetside view of the race.
If you want to be a part of the scene without shelling out money for a ticket, there will also be a free NASCAR Village both days at nearby Butler Field, featuring pace cars, merchandise and concessions. The area will close each day at race time.
The Xfinity Series will be the first to race on Saturday, July 1, with their race, The Loop 121, beginning at 4 p.m. central time and will be televised on the USA Network.
The Cup Series, the best in NASCAR, will race on Sunday, July 2 at 4:30 p.m. central time in the Grant Park 220, and will be televised on NBC.
With a limit of ten total hours of track time, the drivers for both series will have a tight schedule to get their cars ready for the inaugural Chicago Street Race.
The teams will begin to arrive in Chicago on Friday, June 30, with garage hours starting for the Xfinity Series at 12:30 p.m. central time that day. Cup Series teams have their garage hours starting at 3:30 p.m. central time.
NASCAR’s traveling show is coming to town for an Xfinity Series race on Saturday and the biggie, the Cup Series’ Grant Park 220, on Sunday. Are those cars and drivers ready for us? Are we ready for them?
Harrison Burton traveled here, too, to check out what would become the Chicago Street Race’s 2.2-mile, 12-turn, seven-90-degree-turn course, or track, or highway to hell and back — whatever you want to call it.
“It was wild,” he says. “I was just cruising in traffic. It was still just normal streets, and the [stoplights] were up. To me, that’s crazy. We normally go to places that are year-round set up and kind of permanent, and it’s just so different. It was mind-blowing to think about. Some of the corners there are a little tight even in a street car. It’s going to be a challenge.”
It’s going to be tight and it’s going to get gnarly, the drivers expect, with cars exceeding 100 mph on relatively short straightaways, having to slow way down — 40 mph or so? — into several turns and “trading paint” like nobody’s business. Picture a few dozen shopping carts flying into a cart corral all at once outside your local Jewel, if it helps. There will be lots of collisions and probably a good bit of chaos, making it tough on the dudes behind the steering wheels but, NASCAR hopes, such a spectacle that folks here will look forward to the races returning around the Fourth of July in 2024 and 2025. […]
“I had someone in Chicago ask me what NASCAR was,” Burton says. “I was like, ‘Holy cow.’ That’s crazy to me. Obviously, my whole life is NASCAR and it revolves around the sport. For me to hear someone who doesn’t even know what it is, much less what we’re doing and who we are — anything, no idea what our sport even is — is seriously crazy.
* More…
Here's a look at the set up in Grant Park for the NASCAR Street Race this weekend.
Closures now in place: Ida B Wells CLOSED Michigan to Columbus Balbo CLOSED Michigan to LSD Congress Plaza Dr CLOSED Jackson CLOSED Michigan to LSD Columbus CLOSED Jackson to Roosevelt pic.twitter.com/BUGwDE5GIB
While this is the first street race ever in NASCAR, the city of Chicago is no stranger to racing. NASCAR made its first trip to Chicago for a race in 1956, and the area has hosted dozens of races in the years since then. […]
That’s right, the Chicago Bears’ home stadium once hosted NASCAR races.
In 1956, three NASCAR-sanctioned races were held at Soldier Field – one NASCAR Cup Series race and two NASCAR Convertible Division races. The Cup Series race was held at the quarter-mile, paved track inside the stadium on July 21, 1956. NASCAR Hall of Famer Fireball Roberts won the race, earning $850 by crossing the finish line first.
The Convertible Division returned for one final race in 1957 before NASCAR went away from Soldier Field for good. In the last two years, the Cup Series has raced inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, so perhaps a return to Soldier Field some day isn’t out of the question.
* Even more…
* SBJ | Bubba Wallace bringing ‘Bubba’s Block Party’ to Chicago ahead of NASCAR street race: Ahead of Sunday’s NASCAR Chicago Street Race, 23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace tomorrow will host “Bubba’s Block Party,” a “nationwide community initiative at The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center,” according to Shakeia Taylor of the CHICAGO TRIBUNE. The free event, scheduled from 5-9pm CT, will feature “racing-themed entertainment, local food from Black-owned businesses and a live musical performance” from artist Lupe Fiasco. Wallace, who became just the second Black driver to win a race in NASCAR’s top Cup Series level in 2021, “wants his block party to be a place where people who haven’t felt welcomed by the racing community to come and learn about the sport.”
From the air, the former Caterpillar factory outside Chicago is sprawling – the size of two dozen football fields. Once a heavy equipment plant, it’s now a hive of activity making a product that has never been in higher demand: medical gloves.
The US Medical Glove Company, or USMGC, wants to turn a profit – but also to reduce US reliance on imports of medical gloves from the Far East, especially China and Thailand, while creating American jobs that pay well beyond the minimum wage.
It’s one of several US companies on the same mission: to make America more self-reliant on essential medical equipment after the coronavirus pandemic sparked a global scramble, especially for personal protective equipment, or PPE. […]
In 2020, 90% of gloves, syringes and needles used in the US were sourced from Asia alone, according to HHS. Now, Washington plans to spend $1.7 billion to spur domestic PPE production, part of $4.5 billion to help expand US manufacturing more broadly, according to HHS. The US is also investing in the domestic production of raw materials for gloves, masks, gowns, drugs, vaccines, medical test kits and other essential medical supplies.
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, there was only one company producing single-use nitrile gloves in the United States, that maker told CNN. SHOWA Group, a Japanese company, had about 125 employees at a factory in Fayette, Alabama, making about 400 million gloves annually. The production lines were old, and higher domestic costs made a box of gloves about twice the price of Asian brands, the company told CNN.
Although city officials will not confirm if a new occupant is coming to the long-dormant Motorola campus at 2001 N. Division St., logos for Kentucky-based U.S. Medical Glove Co. have been reported on “no trespassing” signs placed around the campus and on security vehicles patrolling there. […]
[Harvard Mayor Mike Kelly] told the audience that the building is being “brought up to occupational standards to have manufacturing there” and that city officials expect the company to bring jobs to Harvard within the next year. […]
Manufacturing, Kelly said, could begin at the site before the end of 2023.
“They are expecting a lot of people to come work for them,” and Harvard will need more housing soon for those workers, Kelly said.
The City of Harvard welcomes a major company to the community with the hope it will bring more than 1,000 jobs to the region. The U.S Medical Glove Company will take over the former Motorola space on Route 14 that’s sat vacant for 20 years.
“It’s amazing to see the life come back into that building and the potential,” Lou Leone said, City Administrator for Harvard.
Harvard leaders believe the U.S Medical Glove Company will bring more jobs, more residents and more customers to the city. […]
With the expectation of around 1,200 jobs opening up, Leone says the area could see a population boom.
Bringing manufacturing back from overseas is a good thing. More Illinois jobs is a good thing. I hope it works out for them.
It’s the worst anywhere on the planet, according to the World Air Quality Index. That’s right — worse than the biggest, most polluted cities in India and China. Minneapolis was ranked second; Detroit fifth.
Airquality.gov, which uses the official U.S. Air Quality Index, listed Chicago as “unhealthy” as of 9 a.m. Chicago time. […]
“Definitely people with respiratory issues should definitely limit their time outdoors today and try to maintain themselves indoors if at all possible,” said Zachary Yack, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Romeoville.
* Map from yesterday…
Monday 7PM: I'm getting reports from of a smoky smell in the air. Current forecasts show some pretty dense wildfire smoke coming right into Chicago through tomorrow. I wouldn't be surprised if an Air Quality Alert us issued for our area. #ilwx#INwx#smokepic.twitter.com/kZIdAdzYcQ
The problem is predicted to last through the day Tuesday.
Chicago Public Schools said in an email to families Tuesday it would move its summer programs indoors “to reduce the risk to students and staff.”
The American Lung Association and Mount Sinai Health System shared the following tips for those looking to limit exposure to unhealthy air:
Avoid exercising outdoors and stay inside with windows closed an air conditioning on if possible.
Walk, bike or carpool. Combine trips. Use buses, subways, commuter trains or other alternatives to driving your car.
Don’t smoke.
If you must be outside, consider wearing an N95 or KN95 mask. Surgical masks will not be helpful with air pollution, according to Mount Sinai Health.
Wildfires burning through large swathes of eastern and western Canada have released a record 160 million tonnes of carbon, the EU’s Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service said on Tuesday.
This year’s wildfire season is the worst on record in Canada, with some 76,000 square kilometres (29,000 square miles) burning across eastern and western Canada. That’s greater than the combined area burned in 2016, 2019, 2022 and 2022, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.
As of June 26, the annual emissions from the fires are now the largest for Canada since satellite monitoring began in 2003, surpassing 2014 at 140 million tonnes.
* Adriana Pérez…
This is the context in which NASCAR is coming to Chicago in a few days.
We’re among the 25 most polluted cities in the country — what will the street race mean for our (already bad) air quality?
Here's Chicago today (left) and Chicago on a normal, clear day from the same spot (right).
The smoke blanketing Chicago came from Canadian wildfires. People should "consider limiting prolonged outdoor activities," according to the National Weather Service. https://t.co/O3fVwy19QTpic.twitter.com/B6gx2P6FIZ
Early Tuesday morning, the city at one point moved into the “very unhealthy” category for everyone with an Air Quality Index of 248 (purple zone) as smoke from Canadian wildfires is blanketing the state, making the skies hazy.
Milwaukee’s air quality reached the “very unhealthy” level for the first time in a spring and summer that is being defined by deteriorating air quality. Other parts of Wisconsin remain in the “unhealthy” category as defined by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. […]
Milwaukee’s air quality is the second worst in the country and the world as defined by IQAir.com.
…Adding… Chicago Mayor Johnson…
“The City of Chicago is carefully monitoring and taking precautions as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has categorized our Air Quality Index as “unhealthy” due to Canadian wildfire smoke present in the Chicago region. We recommend children, teens, seniors, people with heart or lung disease,and individuals who are pregnant avoid strenuous activities and limit their time outdoors.
For additional precautions, all Chicagoans may also consider wearing masks, limiting their outdoor exposure, moving activities indoors, running air purifiers, and closing windows. As these unsafe conditions continue, the City will continue to provide updates and take swift action to ensure that vulnerable individuals have the resources they need to protect themselves and their families. Anyone who needs immediate medical attention should dial 911.
This summer, cities across North America have seen unhealthy levels of air quality as a result of wildfire smoke, impacting over 20 million people from New York City, Washington DC, Montreal, and today here in Chicago. As we work to respond to the immediate health concerns in our communities, this concerning episode demonstrates and underscores the harmful impact that the climate crisis is having on our residents, as well as people all over the world.
We must take drastic action to mitigate these threats and ensure that every Chicagoan in every neighborhood has the resources and protection they need to thrive. Please visit airnow.gov for information on the latest air quality in Chicago.”
*** UPDATE *** More from the city…
Smoke from wildfires in Canada continues to impact air quality in Chicago, which was rated as “very unhealthy” beginning at 11 a.m. Tuesday, according to Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) air monitors. By midday, the IEPA issued an Air Quality Alert in effect until midnight on Wednesday, with recommendations that all Chicagoans – and particularly sensitive populations, including individuals with heart or lung disease, older adults, pregnant people, and young children – avoid outdoor activities and take precautions to protect themselves from exposure.
The City initiated a comprehensive response, including outreach to vulnerable populations and special precautions such as moving Chicago Park District camps, Chicago Public Schools and other activities indoors where possible. For Chicagoans without access to properly ventilated and safe indoor conditions, please utilize our public libraries, senior centers, Park District facilities, and the Cultural Center or the six community service centers that operate from 9am-5pm:
• Englewood Center – 1140 W. 79th Street
• Garfield Center – 10 S. Kedzie Ave. (24 Hours)
• King Center – 4314 S. Cottage Grove
• North Area Center – 845 W. Wilson Ave.
• South Chicago Center – 8650 S. Commercial Ave.
• Trina Davila Center – 4312 W. North Ave.
These facilities are open to the public for respite. Other critical actions being taken by the City today in response to the air quality conditions include:
• Urging the private sector, members of the public, and City departments to delay, reduce, and/or halt outdoor activities wherever possible.
• Alerting Chicago Housing Authority, delegate agency clients, Department of Family and Support Services Seniors, and Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities clients of the air quality situation and providing helpful safety information.
• Urging the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), particularly for sensitive populations.
• Making PPE available to vulnerable residents through our street outreach teams.
• Urging employers to allow telecommuting where possible.
• Urging the public and City departments to limit automobile use and refueling.
• Providing 3-1-1 with helpful air quality safety information.
• Utilizing the City’s broad communication network, including digital assets, to share information with the public.
• Monitoring 9-1-1 call volume and hospital visits for respiratory related health emergencies.
For the duration of the Air Quality Alert, all individuals, and particularly sensitive populations should:
• Avoid spending time outdoors. If you must go outside, keep outdoor activity short and wear a KN95 or N95 mask while outside.
• Stay indoors and keep your indoor air as clean as possible by not smoking, using candles, or vacuuming.
• Follow your doctor’s advice if you have asthma, lung or cardiovascular disease. Some symptoms of breathing smoke include wheezing, chest pain, shortness of breath, and trouble breathing. If your symptoms worsen, call your physician or 911.
• Keep windows and doors closed and turn on your air conditioner if you have one. Seek shelter elsewhere if you do not have an air conditioner and your home is too warm.
• Use an air filter if you have one.
• Limit driving a vehicle if possible.
• Stay tuned to local news media advisories.
To learn more about air quality in our area and monitor for updates from the U.S. EPA, visit www.AirNow.gov. Residents can also sign up to receive NotifyChicago alerts at NotifyChicago.org or download the Chicago OEMC App through the Apple App or Google play stores for public safety tips and alerts.
Despite some recent positive steps, Illinois has lots more hard and painful work to do if it’s to finally solve pension woes that pose a continuing risk to the state’s financial stability.
That’s the bottom line of a definitely dour report from S&P Ratings warning that, even with stepped-up funding under Gov. J.B. Pritzker, the state still has been contributing billions of dollars a year less than actuaries say is needed to bring Illinois’ government-worker pension funds into long-term fiscal balance.
“We believe pensions have an elevated probability of stressing the state and local governments,” the report says. “Costs will keep rising because contributions are significantly short of meaningful funding progress, plans are poorly funded, and the Illinois Pension Code allows plans to use assumptions and methodologies that defer costs.” […]
However, by casting a spotlight on slow progress, the report could give some momentum to a proposal by the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago to impose a temporary income-tax surcharge to pay off billions in old pension debt as part of a deal in which the state also would repeal its estate tax. Illinois Senate President Don Harmon has publicly expressed interest in using the proposal as “a framework” for future action.
* From the report, with the important part highlighted…
Pension costs will keep rising, as Illinois has adhered to policies that defer contributions and weigh down its pension plans’ funded status. Even with efforts to reduce costs, buy out liabilities, and recently, contribute more than what was statutorily required, fixed pension costs related to the five state-sponsored plans (see Overview section) are projected to increase at an annual average rate of more than 2.2% over the next 10 years, according to the Commission of Government Forecasting and Accountability’s Special Pension Briefing, published November 2022.
Pension payments are high, no doubt about it. But the increases are manageable. And 2.2 percent is below inflation.
* On the Tier 2 fix…
Under Tier 2, the capped cost-of-living adjustments could result in benefit payments violating social security’s safe harbor provision if inflation persists at elevated levels. If the safe harbor provision is violated, employers are required to pay Federal Insurance Contribution Act (FICA) taxes, which would allow employees to participate in social security. Changes were made with the downstate firefighters’ consolidation and the state recently passed a bill that raises the pensionable salary cap and benefits for Tier 2 employees in Cook County’s pension system to avoid triggering the safe harbor provision. Segal Consulting recently analyzed the impact of changes to pension cost projections to TRS, SURS, and SERS to maintain an exemption from FICA taxes. In this analysis, Illinois’ 2022 unfunded liability would increase by $285 million, and the state would need to add a further $5.6 billion to its contributions through 2045. Even with the projected changes, the savings from Tier 2 benefits would still be significant. However, we believe an unexpected increase to pension costs will make annual contributions more challenging to fit into budgets.
More challenging, for sure, but not catastrophic.
* This is something to watch out for because retiree healthcare costs are paygo…
We expect cost volatility and increases, as most state OPEB plans are funded on a pay-as-you-go basis and health care cost trends exceed inflation. The Illinois Supreme Court ruled that retiree health care benefits are covered by the pension protection clause and cannot be impaired or diminished.
State Employee and Retiree Health Care Savings – negotiated over $1.8 billion in health care cost savings.
✓ Estimated $650 million in collectively bargained cost savings with employees through FY23.
✓ Additional $515 million in savings achieved through negotiations with insurance companies and providers.
✓ $660 million for first five years of savings for retiree health insurance contracts.
Talks with Arlington Heights are at "..a stalemate and more convoluted than I thought it would be…we are in position to explore other options and opportunities."
Warren let slip another locale that had — literally — come calling: Lake Forest. According to the Daily Herald’s report of the event, Warren mentioned that officials from the North Shore community had called about the team’s move while he was on his way to Monday night’s event. The team’s headquarters, Halas Hall, are already based in Lake Forest.
The apparent Lake Forest overture comes just two weeks after nearby Waukegan made known its interest in being the Bears’ new home.
A spokesperson for the Bears clarified Warrens’s comments on the overture from another suburb, saying Warren received the call from another suburb while coming from Lake Forest but that the call was not by reps of Lake Forest.
So, Waukegan Mayor Ann Taylor wants to lure the Chicago Bears to the city by offering a toxic site for a new stadium. Can you say, “Dead on arrival.”
One can imagine the guffaws emanating from Halas Hall, a short trip south in Lake Forest, when news reached them that a 300-acre, one-time asbestos wasteland is the chief spot where officials in the City of Progress want to host the Bears’ $5 billion domed football arena. […]
If the Bears decline, what does become of one of the foremost reminder of Waukegan’s industrial legacy? It’s in a somewhat deserted location.
It would take more costly environmental mitigation, if at all, to turn it into usable open space. As Bridge Industrial’s plan for turning the old Baxter International property in Deerfield into a logistics center is stymied, the Chicago-based company may want to turn to that location.
Kevin Warren, the CEO and President of the Chicago Bears, answered questions on a variety of topics, including livability concerns, whether an impact study will be provided, how the organization would work with and give back to schools, and whether the organization is asking for tax breaks.
He also said the Bears organization has made offers to pay back more than $4 million in taxes to the school districts.
The Bears and three school districts — Palatine Township Elementary District 15, Northwest Suburban High School District 214 and Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211, whose boundaries cover portions of the sprawling shuttered racetrack property — are far apart on what the tax payment should be the next two years.
The Bears’ last offer was $4.3 million, while the schools suggested $7.9 million. Though it’s being challenged, Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi’s reassessment of the property would increase the annual property tax bill from $2.8 million to $16.2 million.
Warren hasn’t met with the school superintendents since April 18, but amid the stalled negotiations, he has had meetings with the mayors of Chicago and Naperville. […]
Warren was interviewed on the theater stage by attorney Ernie Rose, who is on the six-member steering committee of Touchdown Arlington, a coalition of Arlington Heights business owners who support the Bears’ move to town. Warren didn’t take questions from the assembled media before or after the hourlong event, but Rose said his questions to Warren were among the 300 or so written queries of those who registered for the event.
Newly-obtained letters by NBC 5 Investigates underscore why the Bears may have said that the former horse racecourse site is “no longer their singular focus.”
In a letter sent May 4 to school districts that serve the northwest suburbs, Warren called the current $95 million valuation on the land a “non-starter.” […]
In his May 4 letter to the school districts, Warren countered with a $52 million value for the land, alluding to the team’s fears that the tax bill would only increase as they build a stadium.
“Because we do not have property tax fairness,” Warren wrote. “We will not be moving forward with plans to develop the property at this time…”
A small library district in northern Illinois has become the latest battleground over drag queens.
Roughly 500 people filled the streets outside the Rockton Community Center in the northern Winnebago County village to demonstrate both against and in support of the Talcott Free Library’s plans to hold a drag queen question and answer session on July 14.
The library’s board of trustees ultimately voted 4-2 to go forward with the event after hearing from speakers on both sides of the issue. Board President Gary Kovanda and Vice President Bob Geddeis were the two no votes. […]
The drag queen Q&A was planned as part of the library’s teen summer program called Find Your Voice. At issue is whether a drag event is appropriate at a taxpayer-funded venue.
Originally listed as being for sixth to 12th graders, the event’s Facebook description was changed in the last week to say “LGBTQ+ friendly and anyone interested can attend.”
The controversy started about a week ago when word spread about the event, called Drag Queen Q&A and billed as an opportunity for people to learn more about the art of drag. The library’s event page says “This program is LGBTQ+ friendly and anyone interested can attend.”
The Rockford Family Initiative, a group that regularly protests outside Rockford’s abortion clinics and also rallied against a drag queen story hour at the Rockford Public Library in recent years, objected to the event saying a publicly-funded library is not the right place. […]
Last week, the library posted the following on its Facebook page:
“Drag is a type of performance art. Drag performers make the act of expressing gender — through their stage name, clothing, makeup, hair, and how they perform on stage — highly creative, exaggerated, and/or theatrical. It does not have anything to do with sexual orientation or sexuality though it is often associated with the LGBTQIA+ community as that is where the art began. There are many common misconceptions about the art and that’s why the library is hosting a Q&A so that young people can ask questions and we can foster understanding and unity in our community.”
“I just thought everyone should be represented. The silent majority. My friends and family were here, and I don’t think it’s right to have drag queens in a library,” said Brian Huff.
Community members both for and against the event gathered outside the Rockton Community Center, 302 W. Main Street, with signs, flags and megaphones.
“It’s about the drag community and making sure that they’re represented, they’re safe, they’re loved, and they have a community behind them,” said Jessica Green. […]
“Everyone is represented in the library,” said Green. “And so we want to let our librarians know that they are appreciated. There’s a community here that supports them and what they’re doing to be more inclusive. And we really appreciate their efforts. And you know, we’re creating a more inclusive Rockton, more inclusive community and a nation. And this is one step.”
* Crain’s | Progressives hope to scare off challengers for Northwest Side state Senate seat: Pacione-Zayas stepped down earlier this month to become Mayor Brandon Johnson’s deputy chief of staff. Progressive elected officials and organizations are making it clear they want her former chief of staff, Graciela Guzmán, to replace her in representing the 20th District, despite not controlling the votes in the appointment process.
* ABC | Progressives launch their own campaign to flip school board seats nationwide: Some high-profile Democrats are mounting their own campaign from the other side of the spectrum, as seen with Illinois’ Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s recent outlaw of book bans. PCCC’s fundraising launch on Friday comes just a week before conservative nonprofit group Moms for Liberty holds its annual meeting in Philadelphia, where several Republican 2024 hopefuls, and Democrat Robert F. Kennedy Jr., are slated to speak.
* Crain’s | S&P warning to Illinois on pension debt: You’re still not doing enough.: “We believe pensions have an elevated probability of stressing the state and local governments,” the report says. “Costs will keep rising because contributions are significantly short of meaningful funding progress, plans are poorly funded, and the Illinois Pension Code allows plans to use assumptions and methodologies that defer costs.”
* Crain’s | The week ahead: Pritzker defends Johnson’s pension fix panel: Johnson walked by reporters without taking questions, but Pritzker stopped and defended his decision to impose new enrollment limits and copays on the state’s insurance program for undocumented immigrants. The Legislature’s Latino Caucus “knew what was going on,” Pritzker told reporters. The cuts “saved the program” from financial collapse, he added.
* Crain’s | With diversity on boards lagging, Giannoulias and researchers target more corporate cooperation: As required by the amendment, Illinois corporations are required to submit diversity reports to the secretary of state. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers then compile those filings into an annual report which analyzes the makeup — including gender, racial and ethnic and sexual orientation — of members of the Illinois corporate boards that file the mandated reports.
* Sun-Times | City could open as many as 5 migrant shelters: Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration also plans to open a welcoming center at Roberto Clemente Community Academy High School, 1147 N. Western Ave. Ald. Andre Vasquez (40th), chair of the City Council’s Immigrant and Refugee Rights Committee, described it as a point of entry for migrants arriving in Chicago.
* Crain’s Editorial | More questions swirl around Lightfoot’s casino deal: On June 23, the Sun-Times pulled back the covers on the relationship between the financial services consultancy hired by then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot to evaluate pitches for the Chicago casino and the gambling company that eventually won the contract.
* Center Square | New Illinois law ends insurance restrictions on certain dog breeds: “For years, harmful stereotypes of certain dog breeds have allowed insurers to punish families for owning a specific dog breed, resulting in cancellation or stiff premiums for their policies,” said state Sen. Linda Holmes, D-Aurora. “This measure will help ensure that all dog owners are treated fairly in the insurance market.”
* Lake County News-Sun | Brownfield site may doom Waukegan’s push for Bears stadium: But doubtful in Waukegan, which sees its possible location as no laughing matter, while the team weighs and negotiates and wrangles offers from a growing throng of locations. Those communities want to be at the goal line if the historic and soon-to-be-razed former Arlington International Racecourse in Arlington Heights falters as the Bears’ chief stadium pick.
Today, Governor JB Pritzker along with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced Illinois will be allocated over $1 billion in funding to support high-speed internet access through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. This grant will help fund the development of high-speed infrastructure across the nation as part of President Biden’s Internet for All initiative.
“This funding is a significant step in ensuring Illinoisans across the state have access to the reliable high-speed internet that they need,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I am committed to making Illinois a leader when it comes to technology and innovation, and access to broadband is a critical service for all residents who rely on high-speed internet for everything from healthcare and education, to running a business.”
The $1 billion in funding will build upon Governor Pritzker’s historic $420 million Connect Illinois broadband infrastructure plan — a part of Rebuild Illinois, focused on delivering upgrades to ensure that every community across the state has 21st century broadband capability. Connect Illinois includes allocating $400 million to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) to deploy statewide broadband expansion, especially for the rural families and communities that have been the most impacted by the digital divide. It also includes $20 million to repair, enhance, and expand broadband for schools with a focus on K-12 education.
Reliable, accessible, and affordable broadband is crucial to the economic growth and success of the state. In partnership with the federal government, Governor Pritzker’s administration is enacting a nation-leading approach to eliminate the digital divide.
The BEAD Program is the federal government’s largest-ever investment in the expansion of high-speed internet access and focuses on connecting underserved and rural communities.
Typically, an individual’s home is their biggest asset. In Chicago, more than half of white residents — 52.1% — own their homes, while only 30.1% of Black Chicagoans own homes and 28.7% of residents of Hispanic or Latin heritage do, the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2021 American Community Survey shows.
In 2017, the home of a white household in Chicago typically was valued at $275,000. Meanwhile, the homes of typical Black and Latino households were worth $145,000 and $180,000, respectively, a report by the Institute for Research on Race & Public Policy at the University of Illinois Chicago showed.
The city’s predominantly white neighborhoods have a higher average credit score (732) than neighborhoods that are predominantly home to people of color (586), as reported in “State and Local Approaches to the Chicago Region’s Racial and Ethnic Wealth Inequity,” a report by the nonprofit Urban Institute, based in Washington, D.C. By the standards of most lenders, a credit score between 670 to 739 is considered good.
The result: A third of Black and Hispanic/Latin households in Chicago has zero or negative net worth compared to only 15% of white households, the UIC paper states.
“Homeownership is a key component of wealth,” says Damon Jones, associate professor at the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy. “But its value depends on the race of the owner and race of the neighborhood.”
* The business manager of the Chicago & Vicinity Laborers’ District Council is vice chair of the Tollway Board. Also on the board is the executive secretary-treasurer of the Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters and the President-business manager of International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150. So, what in the heck is going on over there?…
Late last week, management at the Illinois Tollway cancelled a negotiating session scheduled for today with Teamsters Local 700, which represents more than 400 bargaining unit members at the agency. Negotiations between the agency and the union for a new collective bargaining agreement have been ongoing for nearly nine months. With the next negotiation session not scheduled until July 14, more than a month will have passed between sessions.
“Local 700 members at the Illinois Tollway keep our roads safe and our economy moving, and they deserve respect from management,” said Teamsters Local 700 President Ramon Williams. “Last minute cancellations and delayed bargaining sessions put our negotiations at risk, which puts our Tollway at risk. I urge management to come back to the bargaining table immediately.”
Management’s decision to cancel comes as the union is waiting on a response to economic proposals designed to fight the exodus of Tollway employees to comparable agencies. Illinois Tollway employees are paid less, staff more shifts, and take longer to reach top scale than virtually all of these competing employers. Chief among the union’s concerns is that the high turnover is leading to staffing problems, which could result in a less safe Tollway for both employees and the commuting public.
“We began bargaining in October of 2022, and it took several months to get this employer to the table on a regular basis,” said Geoff Daniels, Teamsters Local 700 Business Agent assigned to members at the Illinois Tollway. “We felt through the late spring and early summer that we were finally moving in the right direction, with no cancellations and weekly meetings for nearly two months. Now management is cancelling meetings and trying to space out time spent at the table, which is a massive step backwards that shows a complete disregard for the interests of the award-winning essential workers who keep our Tollway moving.”
Local 700 represents more than 400 employees at the Illinois Tollway including auto mechanics, electricians, sign maker/hangers, carpenters, and material distribution drivers. Local 700 members also include equipment operator/laborers who respond to accidents, maintain the roadway, and handle a variety of emergencies including snow and ice control. Local 700’s contract with the Illinois Tollway expired on February 28, 2023.
* Press release…
Governor JB Pritzker joined federal, state, and local officials, along with the Federal Railroad Administration, Amtrak, the Union Pacific Railroad, and project supporters at Union Station today to celebrate the start of 110 mph passenger rail service between Chicago and St. Louis. This multi-year project better connects the state’s communities and major institutions while improving safety, convenience, and accessibility. Starting with the first trains on Amtrak’s state-supported Lincoln Service this morning, the higher speeds are eliminating approximately 15 minutes from the previous 90 mph runtimes between the two cities and 30 minutes from the initial 79 mph schedule in place when the project broke ground. […]
In addition to increasing speeds, the $1.96 billion project has boosted safety and reliability for passengers while providing upgraded and new stations. Ride quality has also been enhanced up and down the corridor for both passenger and freight service on the Union Pacific Railroad, thanks to the addition of new concrete ties along the route and improvements to bridges, culverts, and signaling systems.
* Good job, ISP…
On June 22, 2023, the Illinois State Police (ISP) arrested 36-year-old Saul Martinez Castanon of Berkeley, Illinois, who is suspected of pointing a laser pointer at aircraft flying overhead. These laser pointers have been a national issue for aviators for several year. When pointed into an aircraft cockpit, the light can temporarily blind pilots as they navigate busy airspace or land the aircraft.
“Targeting aircraft with a laser pointer creates a safety threat that can put the lives of hundreds of passengers at risk,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “Our ISP Air Operations did a phenomenal job identifying the source of the light and working with officers on the ground to arrest the suspect.”
At approximately 9:45 Thursday evening, ISP Air-6 Troopers, a spotter and pilot, were participating in Special Operations Group Operation Safe Drive. While in the air, they reported being contacted by a hand-held device that emits amplified light (laser pointer) from the ground. Troopers used the aircraft camera and identified a residential yard in the 1200 block of Sunnyside Drive in Berkeley as the likely source of the light. Intelligence from the Federal Aviation Administration revealed several aircraft departing from Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Chicago Midway International Airport, including commercial aircraft carrying hundreds of passengers, reported the same issue from a similar geographic origin.
ISP Statewide Anti-Violence Enforcement Unit Troopers on the ground and the Berkeley Police Department were alerted and arrived at the residence where they took Martinez Castanon into custody without incident. Martinez Castanon was charged with two counts of misdemeanor Disorderly Conduct (Laser Pointer vs. Law Enforcement Officer and Laser Pointer vs. Aircraft). No further information will be disseminated.
Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs has earned more than $2 billion in investment earnings for the state portfolio since taking office, the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office announced today.
That total includes a record $113 million in May investment earnings for the state portfolio.
The office earned an additional $81.4 million in gross investment earnings in May for cities, villages, school districts, counties and other units of local government that take part in the highly rated Illinois Funds local government investment pool. Frerichs now has surged past the $1 billion mark in gross investment earnings for Illinois Funds since he took office.
“Every dollar we make through smart, safe investing is a dollar that does not need to be raised in taxes,” said Frerichs, who, as treasurer, is the state’s Chief Investment and Banking Officer. “The Illinois Treasurer’s Office truly is an economic engine for our state.”
These key monthly metrics and more are available at The Vault, the transparency website that allows Illinois residents to see how the State Treasurer’s Office is working for them. The site is at iltreasurervault.com.
In a phone interview, Frerichs said part of the reason for the booming return is that the state is current on its bills to vendors, so “there’s more money in the accounts.” Another reason is rising interest rates nationally, with those who have money to invest getting more than those who need to borrow paying more.
But with General Assembly approval, the state has tweaked its investment goals, “trying to balance” the three goals of returns, risk and liquidity, Frerichs said. As a result, the state now invests in “highly rated corporate paper.” And with money not needed to pay overdue bills as it was a few years ago, the state can put its money in longer-term, better-paying assets.
* Young Democrats of America elect Chicagoan to exec committee…
Isabel (Izzy) Dobbel,a local activist from Chicago, Illinois, was elected to serve on YDA’s Executive Committee, the highest-level governing body that oversees and helps establish priorities for the country’s youth progressive movement and oldest youth partisan organization, the Young Democrats of America (YDA). Dobbel — National Committeewoman for IL — was elected Treasurer by a unanimous vote for a two-year term that began on June 21.
Dobbel addressed her fellow delegates at YDA’s national convention, discussing the accomplishments they have helped achieve in Illinois and emphasizing the necessity for leadership rooted in grassroots efforts. “As National Committeewoman for the Young Democrats of Illinois, we have led legislative strategies to advance abortion rights by mobilizing young people to call legislators to repeal the Parental Notification of Abortion Act. The bill was later signed to make IL the most pro-choice state in the nation. Young democrats are committed and quick to mobilize on the issues that matter most to our least advantaged communities. These programs require time and monetary investment to push progressive policies over the finish line”, she said, outlining their commitment to communication, transparency, and organizing within the YDA.
* LG Stratton…
As the right to bodily autonomy continues to come under attack nationwide, it is critical that the dedicated professionals on the frontlines of reproductive care are seen and heard. Doulas and midwives play an invaluable role in ensuring Illinois remains an oasis of care, and Lt. Governor Stratton amplified their voices on the first anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision.
“In our state, we will continue to champion the right to live in communities with access to care and where bodily autonomy is respected, regardless of income, race, or religion,” said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. “While the Dobbs decision continues to harm the livelihoods of thousands of women across our country, Illinois stands tall as a beacon of hope and celebrates the workers who provide all types of reproductive health care.”
Lt. Governor Stratton met with doulas and midwives for tea and conversation, listening and learning from their experiences and shining a light on how state leaders can continue the work for reproductive justice.
“Tea with the Lieutenant Governor was an inspiring opportunity to reconnect to purpose,” said Dakisha Lewis, MD, FACOG Medical Director and Chairperson for the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Advocate Trinity Hospital, Advocate Health. “It was a privilege to meet and engage with Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton and a diverse group of women who are passionate about women’s healthcare. This gives me hope for the future of maternal healthcare in Illinois.”
* Tribune | Mayor Brandon Johnson aims to boost teen employment, one of his signature campaign promises: The program, called One Summer Chicago, is a longtime staple of City Hall’s approach to summer violence and youth enrichment that serves youth ages 14 to 24. It has shrunk from employing 31,552 young people in 2019 to 20,544 youths last year, according to city figures. Johnson said Monday that the program is on track to hire 2,000 more teens than last year.
* WTTW | Removed Jones College Prep Principal Retires Amid District Investigation: The head of a prominent South Loop high school is retiring, months after he was removed from his position pending a district investigation into a Halloween costume contest that included a student wearing what appeared to be a Nazi uniform.
* Daily Herald | Allergies are worse this year. Here’s what you can do about it: The warm, dry spring means more grass and tree pollen this season, said Tanya Tanzillo, a professor at Northern Illinois University’s College of Health and Human Sciences. She pointed to the cottonwood puffs blanketing some areas in the past month as an example of how intense pollen is this season. Pollen not seen with the naked eye has been similarly bad.
* Journal Star | Some Dunlap schools need repairs and renovations. Here’s the plan for this summer: “The district is in need of a new facility to address our growing elementary enrollment, and to replace one of our elementary buildings, Wilder-Waite, which was built in, I think, 1947,” said Scott Adreon, assistant superintendent of business services for the district. “We’ve identified it as something we’re pursuing, but we are really early in the planning stages. There’s been no commitment from the board of education on what that will look like, other than they recognized the need to increase facilities.”
* Sun-Times | James Crown dead in Colorado racetrack accident at 70; Chicago billionaire had just announced plans to enlist CEOs to fight violent crime: Mr. Crown, who headed a Commercial Club task force on public safety, set an ambitious goal of reducing the number of killings in Chicago to fewer than 400 a year within five years. Last year, there were 695 killings in the city. “People are really hoping that we can get traction here,” Mr. Crown said in a May 31 interview with the Chicago Sun-Times. “But it’s gonna take a lot of years before we can look back on this and say that we really had a lasting impact.”
* SJ-R | Cooling centers around city open for relief from the heat: With high temperatures in the Springfield area hovering around 90 or above Tuesday through Saturday, the city’s Office of Community Relations has designated several public spaces, businesses and offices as cooling centers during regular operating hours. According to the National Weather Service in Lincoln, Friday could be the hottest day of the year with a projected high of 97 degrees, though there is a 30% chance of showers.
* WBEZ | Illinois has had a rich history of auto racing: The July 1-2 NASCAR doubleheader has become the talk of the town — with opinions stretching to both extremes. Drivers and their cars will be cruising a 2.2-mile course through Grant Park, with Jackson Drive on the north, Michigan Avenue to the west, Roosevelt Road to the south, a stretch of DuSable Lake Shore Drive to the east and stretches of Balbo Drive and Columbus Drive mixed between.
* NBC Chicago | Illinois’ ‘largest’ fireworks show is in a Chicago suburb: According to organizers, the “largest fireworks show in Illinois” can be found beginning at 10 p.m. on July 4 in Itasca, located in DuPage County. The show, complete with a “live pyrotechnics spectacular,” is synchronized to pop, movie and patriotic music “broadcast on a concert-quality sound system,” a release from the village says.
While the long-term consequences of the end of Roe v. Wade could take years to tally, one outcome is already clear: a year after the Supreme Court ended the constitutional right to abortion, the costs associated with ending a pregnancy have soared.
The Brigid Alliance, which provides logistical support to people seeking abortion care, estimates that the average cost of traveling for care has increased 41% since the first half of 2022, when it was just over $1,000. The average spend for patients that need to fly has jumped 17% to $994; while a hotel stay — usually three nights — is up 29% to $919, according to the group.
Though inflation accounts for some of the increase, state-by-state abortion bans mean people live an average of 275 miles further from a clinic than they did a year ago, according to Caitlin Myers, a researcher at Middlebury College. In Texas, the average drive to a clinic increased to 499 miles in March from 43 miles a year earlier, adding up to about $131 extra in gas for a round trip.
At another logistical abortion fund — the Midwest Access Coalition — the average cost per patient covered is now about $1,200, roughly double what it was before the ruling, said Marisa Falcon, executive director of Apiary for Practical Support, a network of groups that provide logistical assistance for abortion care.
Planned Parenthood plans to close three Iowa locations but provide more services at others in response to increasing demands for abortions, staff shortages and increasing costs.
The consolidation at Planned Parenthood North Central States, which provides abortions in Minnesota, Nebraska and Iowa, comes as states that provide abortions have seen a sharp increase in people coming from states that have prohibited or sharply restricted the procedure, The Des Moines Register reported.
Leaders of the organization say they’ve performed 9% more abortions since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last summer. […]
Abortion is currently legal in Iowa up to 20 weeks of pregnancy. On June 16, the Iowa Supreme Court declined to reinstate a law that would have banned abortions once cardiac activity can be detected, usually around six weeks of pregnancy and before many women know they are pregnant.
Iowa Republicans are widely expected to attempt to pass a new law during the next session to further restrict abortion.
Since the high court’s ruling last June, clinics in the Metro East that offer abortions have become a destination for thousands of patients seeking the procedure. In the months after the decision, a report found the number of abortions performed in Illinois increased more than 30%.
Planned Parenthood’s Fairview Heights clinic has increased its workforce and hours to try to keep up with increased patient loads. St. Louis Public Radio’s Sarah Fentem asked Kawanna Shannon, Planned Parenthood’s director of patient access, and Dr. Colleen McNicholas, its chief medical officer, what the organization’s Fairview Heights clinic has seen in the past year. […]
Colleen McNicholas: What we have seen over the last year, especially as additional states have gone down, is that there is still far more demand than our health center, HOPE Clinic [in Granite City] or even the new clinic, Choices, in Carbondale, can accommodate.
Kawanna Shannon: There has been a surge after Roe, and it’s actually constantly increasing. So we haven’t seen any type of slowdown of patients coming; we’ve only seen an increase due to more restrictions in others in other states and more bans.
One year after the Dobbs decision, things look quite a bit different for Wisconsinites on both sides of the issue. As legal abortions have ceased in the state, patients, providers and protesters are making the trip to Illinois, Minnesota and other states where it’s still legal.
Shortly after Ellingson arrived at the Waukegan clinic on a recent Wednesday, a small group of protesters began to set up on the sidewalk between the busy road and the clinic. They were from Wisconsin, too.
“We came from Wisconsin to Illinois to try to reach out to women who are abortion-minded,” said Anne Franczek of Milwaukee. She’s been protesting at abortion clinics for close to 40 years, and now comes to Waukegan twice a week with the Christian anti-abortion group Tarry One Hour.
The Waukegan clinic opened in 2020, with an eye on serving patients from nearby Wisconsin. For Franczek, that’s part of the reason she makes the trip twice each week.
“If they’re going to be that strategic, why shouldn’t we be strategic?” she said.
* RFT | Illinois Planned Parenthood Sees Surge of Patients After Abortion Bans: In the past 11 months, the Planned Parenthood facility in Fairview Heights has handled: A 57 percent increase in procedural abortions, with abortions for patients 14 weeks or more into their pregnancy jumping by 32 percent. A 97 percent increase in vasectomy appointments.
* Jezebel | Woman Sues Anti-Abortion ‘Pregnancy Center’ After Her Ectopic Pregnancy Ruptured: The woman, known as Jane Doe, filed a class action lawsuit on Thursday in Worcester Superior Court alleging that Clearway Clinic in Worcester didn’t follow standard medical care. The suit also claims that Clearway engages in deceptive practices to lure in people seeking the full range of pregnancy options, when its actual purpose is just to dissuade them from getting abortions.
Governor Pritzker along with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and the Office of Tourism (IOT) today announced the launch of three new TV ads as part of its tourism campaign, “Middle of Everything,” starring Illinois native and Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning actress and director Jane Lynch. The summer campaign features a catchy new song performed by Lynch that promotes the diverse attractions, natural wonders, and outdoor experiences that can only be found in Illinois. To view the ads and other media assets for the “Middle of Everything,” click HERE. […]
“It’s been an absolute joy to bring to life the ‘Middle of Everything’ campaign in new and exciting ways,” said Jane Lynch. “Being able to share my passion for all things Illinois comes naturally, and getting to meet and work with so many inspiring people and unique businesses across the state is an honor.”
The new summer ad spots are currently airing in 22 total media markets, on TV across Illinois, seven neighboring states, and on cable TV nationwide. For the first time, the spots will make their way to the global stage with the introduction of the Toronto, Canada market. The 2023 “Middle of Everything” ad campaign builds upon the successful inaugural campaign from 2022, which spotlights Illinois as the center of culture, food, outdoor adventures, architecture, history and more. […]
The inaugural “Middle of Everything” campaign launched in 2022 led to an additional 2 million trips equaling an additional $1 billion spent in Illinois hotels, restaurants, small businesses, and attractions, according to data from Longwoods International. Additionally, every $1 spent on the campaign equated to $91 in visitor spending while generating $10 in state and local tax revenue for every dollar spent – an enormous return on investment.
Locations featured in the new summer spots span from Chicago to Southern Illinois and bring to life unique destinations along the Great River Road including Galena, Moline, Savanna and Nebo. The ads highlight one-of-a-kind lodging like Rocky Comfort Cabins in Makanda and Harpole’s Heartland Lodge in Nebo, as well as thrilling outdoor activities like hiking through Mississippi Palisades State Park in Savanna and the Shawnee National Forest. They also showcase authentic visitor experiences at small businesses that are part of the state’s Illinois Made program, including: Virtue Restaurant in Chicago, Rolling Oak Alpaca Ranch in Makanda and 17th Street BBQ in Murphysboro.
In addition to TV ads, the award-winning campaign will also appear in local, regional, and national digital, print and out-of-home media including O’Hare International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Times Square in New York.
For more information on trip ideas and itineraries, visit: Enjoyillinois.com/Middleofeverything
Billionaire James Crown, a leader of the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago, died Sunday in a car crash at a Colorado race track.
Crown, 70, was killed in a single-vehicle crash at Aspen Motorsports Park in Woody Creek, Colorado, according to the Pitkin County Coroner’s Office.
The cause of the crash is under investigation. The coroner’s office said Crown suffered multiple blunt force trauma, but an official cause of death has not yet been determined, pending an autopsy.
In a statement, Mayor Brandon Johnson said he was “devastated” to learn of Crown’s death.
“A lifelong Chicagoan, Jim gave back to the city through philanthropy and leadership on a number of civic and academic boards as he was deeply committed to investing in Chicago and its people. With his generosity, Jim truly embodied the soul of Chicago. I was especially grateful for his commitment to work collaboratively with my administration to build a safer Chicago, having met recently to share ideas. I send my deepest condolences to his wife, four children, grandchildren, and the entire Crown family and pray for their peace,” Johnson said.
In recent months Jim Crown began to raise his civic profile, a role in which his father Lester flourished. In October, he was named to chair a public safety task force established by the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago. […]
Earlier this month, in a story on the committee’s plan, Crown said the group spent many months talking to law enforcement officials, researchers, activists in other cities and both Mayor Brandon Johnson and his acting police superintendent.
“We did a lot of listening,” Crown said. “We think the business community has a lot to bring to this conversation, and we’ve been largely absent.”
A statement provided on behalf of the family said: “The Crown family is deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Jim Crown in an accident earlier today. The family requests that their privacy be respected at this difficult time. Further details regarding plans for a memorial to remember Jim’s remarkable life will be released at a later date.”
* More react…
MK and I were saddened to learn of the passing of our friend Jim Crown. Tremendously civic-minded, Jim was kind, and his passion for caring was unending.
Our hearts are with his family, friends, and the countless Illinoisans and Americans he helped. May his memory be a blessing.
Today we mourn the passing of Jim Crown, who loved the city of Chicago and committed to helping it grow even greater.
I send my deepest condolences to his family, friends, and all who were touched by him.
— Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton (@LtGovStratton) June 26, 2023
Devastating. Jim had a love for Chicago that was constant & unapologetic. Having the chance to know him and learn from him was a great benefit to me and the void he leaves is bigger than words can explain. Praying for his family and all who knew and loved him. https://t.co/elpSAsMIaK
* I interviewed Mr. Crown earlier this month about the Civic Committee’s push to bring all stakeholders together to reduce violent crime in Chicago. I pointed out to him that several private sector anti-violence initiatives had been launched in the past two decades and asked him how he knew that this time would be different. His response…
To be clear and fair to all of us, I think the real phrasing of the question is why would we hope this time is different. We’re just getting started. We’re not claiming right now that we know we’re different, although clearly we aspire to be. I’m unfamiliar with some, not all of those initiatives.
But what our research shows is the following. There has been a lot of good work done in this space over the decades. But it has been fairly isolated. It has been unconnected to other participants in this space. There are a lot of people who are engaged in public safety matters and it sometimes doesn’t have to follow-through for its own reasons. And it could be because it was never a person who was charged with working on it full time. It could be because funding was temporary. It could be frankly because some of those design ideas maybe were not themselves good ideas or good enough ideas to be sustainable.
So what we’re hoping to do here, and one of the big takeaways from our work, has been trying to get the various actors that are participants here all around one table. We keep referring to one table, obviously a metaphor. We’re not all going to be able to all meet at once or have monthly zoom calls or whatever. It will be in segments. But we need the private sector. We need the government. We need the nonprofits. We need the universities, we need the police department and the county and the state and the courts. And everybody’s got a job to do here, it would be better if we could have a common goal, a common vocabulary and a common approach to transparency and accountability as to how we’re doing. And I think those features have been absent from the list you mentioned, although I can’t claim to be expert in all of them.
Please pardon all transcription errors.
* I also asked him what sort of takeaways he’d had from spending time in the city’s most violent communities. His family’s philanthropic group has been active in North Lawndale, so he talked about that and one other recent experience…
I was recently at the North Lawndale employment center. And it was interesting, actually. We were working with this group who said, ‘Okay, what would be helpful is if you would talk to them like you’re going to hire them so they had some feel for what it would be like to go for an interview.’ Because that’s the main thing North Lawndale employment center tries to do is get people into the legal economy. And what you find is you’ve got people who really are incredibly, they are eager to work, they want, it’s usually because they’ve got a kid or ailing parent or something and they want a more reliable source of income, but they are quite scared of what it must be like to go for an interview and be asked these questions and to have on their resume that they’ve been in jail, things like that. And it’s going to take a real mind-set shift for a lot of people to look at people like that and say, ‘Alright, this is a good idea for all of us to hire this person and try and train this person.’ And I do not underestimate how challenging that will be. If we’re trying to do this, with several thousand hires every year icoming out these neighborhoods. So that’s one takeaway.
And the second takeaway is about three, four months ago, I went with Arne Duncan, and he’s a good friend. We’ve supported CRED for a long time. And we went to the Roseland facility, where about three weeks later, somebody was killed, assassinated. The takeaway I had from that visit was you talk to these group leaders, who basically the reason they have credibility is because what they used to do and now they’re trying to be sort of the camp counselors for people coming to the CRED program. And there’s got to be a very short supply of people like that. There are only going to be so many who are available, willing, are from the area such that they have credibility and know what’s going on, but also willing to participate in a program like CRED. And so one of the other things I learned is, we’re going to have a bunch of issues that I refer to as ‘pipeline’ issues. Are we going to have enough social workers, are we going to have enough leaders for programs like CRED, are we going to have enough employers? And so that was one of the other big takeaways.
The man had thought things through after listening to others. That’s not par for the course for most wealthy people, who tend to rely more on their gut feelings and conventional thinking when it comes to areas outside their narrow field of expertise.
* I also asked Crown about the Civic Committee’s goal of convincing business to hire alumni of community violence intervention programs along with providing “wraparound support services”…
Crown: This is going to take some energy and some focus from all of us… It’s mostly young men of color, although there’s certainly women involved there, certainly others. Young men of color, by and large, that’s the community that for multiple doesn’t have a clear pathway into the legal economy, into careers.
We need employers who are willing to reach out and bring them into the legal economy, bring them into employment. But they the workers, or the workers to be, need a huge amount of coaching. If they’ve had no familiarity with how to present themselves in the interview, no ability to organize their lives around how you commute to work, how important it is to show up on time, what it’s like to be well-thought of by an employer so that you can advance. And then other people there to receive them and coach them at the end of a day or a week, where, you know, something happened at work, the boss said something something weird happened at lunch, whatever, you know, they didn’t understand it. You know, they didn’t understand it, instruction, whatever it might be. How do we make sure that they’re supported in a way where they can grow into success, to set them up for success? And employers are going to do only so much training and orienting and so forth. And so these wraparound services will be needed before and after these employment experiences so that they can get the coaching they need to stay on track.
Miller: Okay, so that wraparound support services would then come from somebody affiliated with the Civic committee’s efforts?
Crown: Well, affiliated in the sense that this is where we’re trying to get everybody under the same umbrella. They’re already existing. Plenty of violence interruption groups and community based organizations, I mentioned the North Lawndale Employment Network. There is Heartland Alliance and there’s already a bunch of services that, whether it’s mental health services or food or whatever it is, are there at small scale, but they are present to to help the people in these tough neighborhoods. And they will need to be the ones connected to the employers that will do this outside of work coaching.
* Crown also talked about not just reducing crime, but increasing the quality of life through a “virtuous cycle”…
We would like to see investments of two sorts and one is kind of more particular to private sector. Whether it’s distribution warehouses, for a company like Amazon or just something in the healthcare space where you need a big distribution warehouse for supplies, a call center, like Discover has their back office operations for companies like JP Morgan. There are a number private sector, fairly high headcount activities that could employ a number of people. We would like to see those more of those set up in these tough neighborhoods, so that people can get to work, so that there’s more visibility on what this place is and who goes in there to start a virtuous cycle of more applicants and more people working there.
So that’s the narrower version of this. And then a broader version of this is stores and doctors and supermarkets, and parks, whatever the investments might be that would just lift up the quality of life, raise housing values, raise safety in the neighborhoods. These all would be a virtuous cycle that require the government and require businesses broadly to take a risk on putting a Starbucks or putting a dry cleaner there, or whatever it might be. That would not necessarily be so much about employment, but quality of life.
Discuss.
…Adding… From the Civic Committee…
The Civic Committee and Commercial Club of Chicago are deeply saddened to learn of the tragic and untimely death of our long-time member and civic and business leader James S. Crown over the weekend. Jim embodied the very best qualities of Chicago’s business and civic leadership: generous, wise, thoughtful, and committed. Over the years he and his family have contributed in countless ways to the region’s economic and civic health and vitality. Jim most recently chaired our Public Safety Task Force to help shape a role for the business community in addressing gun violence. We extend our deepest condolences to his wife Paula and their children, his parents Lester and Renee, the entire Crown family, Jim’s many friends and colleagues, and to all of Chicago.
In his prime as a civic, philanthropic and thought leader, Jim Crown has been taken from us too soon. He had so much more to give. He was in the middle of mobilizing Chicago leaders to really listen and explore new approaches to reducing violence and bringing new opportunities to Chicago communities like North Lawndale. With his important work for the Civic Committee, Jim has issued a challenge to the rest of us to pick up the mantle and move Illinois forward. My heart and my prayers go out to his wife, Paula, and his four children. May he rest in God’s peace and eternal glory.
New stadiums for the Buffalo Bills and Tennessee Titans set records for public subsidies for NFL teams — but key differences between those projects and the Chicago Bears’ proposed new stadium could determine what taxpayers here may pay. […]
But the Bears are unlikely to leave the third-largest market in the country. Chicago lawmakers are unlikely to support any subsidy for the team to leave the city, and since the move would be within Illinois, state lawmakers outside of the suburbs would likely need some incentive.
One proposal would create a payment in lieu of taxes, or PILOT, program, which would allow the team to negotiate its future property taxes with the school districts and other public bodies involved. But a bill to that effect stalled in Springfield, as negotiations between the team and schools hit an impasse. Municipalities like Arlington Heights still could create a special tax district that would help fund the Bears’ plan.
That bill was bricked from the start by the sponsors in both chambers.
Anyway, does anybody else wonder why the team hasn’t yet threatened to move to Indiana?
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) showed up to Chicago’s annual Pride Parade Sunday ready to party—even at one point catching a Jell-O shot tossed his way by an onlooker and downing the alcoholic gelatin dessert in one gulp.
* Video of the catch doesn’t appear to be available, but we do have this…
Equality Illinois hosted a pre-parade VIP event during which Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin spoke about LGBTQ+ plus rights, along with Gov. J.B. Pritzker and First Lady of Illinois M.K. Pritzker.
“All I have to say is more glitter, less Twitter,” M.K. Pritzker said.
“This was a protest march many years ago, and it’s evolved into sort of a combination so very very proud to be here every time and proud to be with Equality Illinois,” Gov. Pritzker added.
State Rep. Chris Miller, R-Hindsboro, one of the most conservative members of the Illinois House, will seek a new term next year, he announced this week.
Miller, 69, who operates a family cattle farm in Oakland, has served in the statehouse since 2019. He is the husband of U.S. Rep. Mary Miller.
“I refuse to give in to the destructive policies coming from the Democrats in Illinois,” Miller said in a statement. “It is my honor to represent the commonsense people of Central Illinois and be their voice in Springfield. Our fight has just begun.” […]
Miller confirmed to the Lee Springfield Bureau on Thursday that he has been renting a home in Hindsboro — about 7 miles east of his Oakland farm and within the new 101st House District — since April. He has not yet changed his address with the Illinois State Board of Elections, however.
* The Question: Top reelection campaign slogans for Rep. Miller (R-No Relation)?
Back in May, Gov. J.B. Pritzker told reporters that his administration had given lawmakers seven options to rein in costs of a health care program for undocumented immigrants which was growing well beyond affordability.
Pritzker told reporters at a more recent event that he had originally budgeted the program for a $220 million increase, but since then the program was projected to actually grow by $1.1 billion in the coming fiscal year. So, he said, the state needed to limit the growth to $550 million. Pritzker said his administration believed “we could manage the program with the number of people that are in it now” to keep those cost increases at $550 million, which was a clear sign that an enrollment cap was coming.
The administration has been meeting with the Legislative Latino Caucus about the unexpected growth in the program since March. And it’s been pretty clear from the beginning that enrollment would have to be capped and other cost-cutting measures put in place to prevent the program from eating up even more limited state resources.
Even so, some Latino legislators were enraged during the final briefing about the solutions the governor decided to put into place: “Pausing” new enrollment for those aged 42-64; establishing co-pays; implementing managed care; clawing back some over-payments to the Cook County Hospital System and limiting or eliminating backdated medical coverage. The plan was called “racist” by at least one person on the Zoom call.
Several hours later, the Latino Caucus issued a toned-down press release, calling the governor’s announcement “disappointing.” They did, after all, vote for the Medicaid omnibus bill which enabled the emergency rule-making authority.
Others weren’t so muted. U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., had sponsored the original bill to create the program for senior citizens when she was still a state legislator. Ramirez and others predicted at the time the program would only cost a few million dollars a year. After Pritzker acted, she called the governor’s decision to impose the limits “a false choice built on fear-mongering and anti-immigrant rhetoric,” which will put “thousands of hard-working, taxpaying immigrants’ lives in danger.”
But the sharpest criticism came from activists.
The Healthy Illinois Campaign, which lobbied hard to expand the program even further this year despite the exploding costs, issued a press release back in May supporting the new state budget, and thanked the General Assembly for protecting existing coverage for undocumented immigrants who are 42 and older. But then the reality of what it really takes to save $550 million out of a projected cost increase of $1.1 billion within the span of one fiscal year fully set in when Pritzker issued his emergency rules.
The governor went to Florida last week to receive an award from two prominent immigration groups, but the Healthy Illinois Campaign called on the groups to rescind the honor.
“It is absolutely scandalous that Governor Pritzker will be receiving an immigrant leadership award while in the state of Illinois he has rejected and perverted the idea that immigrants have the right to health care,” the Healthy Illinois Campaign’s statement claimed. “Governor Pritzker is not different from Ron DeSantis hurting the most vulnerable immigrants,” they continued. “A billionaire governor so willfully causing pain to the hardest working people — is that any different from Ron DeSantis? Is this the standard now for opportunistic politicians running for president?”
Ouch.
The Healthy Illinois Campaign has never accepted the governor’s cost projections, but it has yet to fully explain why they believe the expected costs are not nearly as high as the administration’s estimates. The governor, for his part, seemingly contradicted himself when he told reporters a few weeks ago that the state saves money when it invested in the health car program. “If they don’t get basic health care, they end up in an emergency room and we all end up paying for that at a much higher cost than if we have preventative care.”
This is obviously an unusual position for the governor to be in. He’s been a darling, even a hero, of the progressive wing of his party since Day One. But, at least for now, he’s taking some real heat. “This is a welcoming state,” progressive Sen. Omar Aquino, D-Chicago, thundered during a die-in demonstration at Chicago’s Federal Plaza. “Always,” he said, “Not only when it’s convenient.”
And Democratic Socialist Chicago Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th) recently tweeted that, while he had previously called Pritzker “arguably the best Illinois governor since progressive John Peter Altgeld,” he now believes that the decision to impose the emergency rules is “criminal.”
* Meanwhile, there appears to be some confusion out there about what the program is designed to do. The Chicago Tribune editorial board brought the asylum-seeking migrants into the debate the other day, followed by this report from WBEZ…
Pritzker faces criticism over cuts to a health insurance program for migrants
Latino lawmakers say they are outraged by Gov. JB Pritzker’s decision to make cuts to a health insurance program for migrants as Chicago struggles to address the basic needs of asylum-seekers arriving from border states. […]
And the process of providing permanent housing to migrants is complicated by several other factors.
Asylum-seekers are here legally, so there is federal reimbursement for at least some of their healthcare costs. That generally isn’t the case for undocumented immigrants, although there are some exceptions.
* Other stories…
* Protests over Governor JB Pritzker’s pause on undocumented healthcare program: The governor’s office says restrictions on the program will be lifted when more money is appropriated. As the rally was going on at Daley Plaza, Governor Pritzker was in Orlando being honored by the National Immigrant’s List for his work on immigrant rights.
* State Week: Pritzker takes heat over immigrant health care limits
* Politico: “In the progressive movement, a lot of times it’s all or nothing,” Sui Chung, a Miami attorney who grew up in Illinois and sits on the board of Immigrants’ List, told Playbook. Chung praised Pritzker’s work: “What the governor has done in terms of banning private detention of immigrants and allowing non-citizens to have drivers licenses is huge. In Florida, we’re facing hateful bills that will cause tremendous problems for immigrants. Illinois is far ahead. People point to California, but really, it’s Illinois that’s in the lead on immigrant rights.” And the irony: Ramirez praised Pritzker during her acceptance speech calling him “her champion.”
* Pritzker defends Johnson’s pension fix panel: Pritzker… defended his decision to impose new enrollment limits and copays on the state’s insurance program for undocumented immigrants. The Legislature’s Latino Caucus “knew what was going on,” Pritzker told reporters. The cuts “saved the program” from financial collapse, he added.
* Chicago Daily Law Bulletin | Joy Cunningham launches bid to keep Illinois Supreme Court seat: Illinois Supreme Court Justice Joy V. Cunningham announced Thursday evening she is running to retain the seat she currently holds on the high court. Cunningham, 71, was appointed to the seat when former Chief Justice Anne M. Burke retired Nov. 30. She has been serving as a Supreme Court justice for the 1st District since Dec. 1 in a term expiring Dec. 2, 2024, after the November 2024 election. First District Appellate Court Justice Jesse G. Reyes announced his candidacy for the seat on May 31.
* WAND | Sen. Mike Simmons, Illinois LGBTQ+ advocates denounce hateful attacks: “There’s not a day that goes by where somebody doesn’t go on my social media and tell everybody in my district to keep their children away from me because I’m a pervert, because I’m a groomer,” Simmons said. “I don’t care about how I feel. It’s my family and my community that I’m always concerned about.”
* JG-TC | Rep. Chris Miller to seek reelection to Illinois House: “I refuse to give in to the destructive policies coming from the Democrats in Illinois,” Miller said in a statement. “It is my honor to represent the commonsense people of Central Illinois and be their voice in Springfield. Our fight has just begun.”
* Center for Illinois Politics | Kwame Raoul’s Clash with the Cardinal Shines a Spotlight on a Low-Key State Official: Cardinal Cupich said he was blindsided by the report, a statement Raoul denied. “We’ve been in communication with the church, all the dioceses in Illinois. The church disclosed 80 new names of abusers in just a couple of months after the announcement of our investigation. Then talking to survivors, there were more names that emerged that they had not disclosed,” said Raoul. […] “So we waited, chose another date. Ironically, the Cardinal takes off for Rome on the day we release the report. And days later, he gives an interview on the steps of the Vatican where he says he’s surprised to hear 125 names that were not disclosed.”
* State Week | Pritzker takes heat over immigrant health care limits: Lawmakers gave Gov. JB Pritzker authority to manage costs in the Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults program. His administration has filed emergency rules that limit enrollment. The action comes on the heels of skyrocketing cost estimates for the program, which serves individuals between 42-64 years old, who would be eligible for Medicaid benefits based on income levels but not their citizenship status.
* Tyler Michals | By limiting where laws can be challenged, Illinois state government is guilty of a power grab: It must be frustrating to Illinois Democrats, who hold supermajorities in both houses of the state legislature, that a single judge can thwart their legislative ambitions. Indeed, these pesky judges seem to be just about the only thing that can stop their legislative steamroller. Under unified control, the Illinois legislature passed more than 500 bills in the month of May alone.
* Sun-Times | One of Chicago’s most popular lakefront venues is closed, with no reopening date: “Temporarily closed this summer for renovations,” read the signs on the main entrance and Castaways’ social media accounts. “We’re excited to welcome everyone back aboard soon!” The building tenant, Phil Stefani Signature Restaurants, has applied to the Chicago Department of Buildings for a permit to do about $150,000 worth of renovations. But that was in February, and the permit application is still pending.
* Sun-Times | Thousands cheer on 52nd annual pride parade: Mayor Brandon Johnson and Gov. J.B. Pritzker were in the parade. Members of the Chicago Teachers Union rode on motorbikes, leading to a “teachers” chant from the crowd.
* Crain’s | Crown family member Jim Crown dies in accident: James Crown, part of one of Chicago’s wealthiest families, died yesterday in an accident at a motorsports park in Woody Creek, Colo., according to The Colorado Sun. He reportedly turned 70 yesterday. Crown collided with an impact barrier as he was trying to make a turn, the report said, citing the Pitkin County Coroner’s Office.
*** UPDATE *** More…
* Tribune | Should people in prison serving life for crimes committed when they were under 21 get another chance? Some Illinois legislators say yes.: The measure would make sentencing reforms that have been passed in recent years retroactive for nearly everyone in prison who was convicted of serious crimes committed when they were teens or young adults. Instituting the reforms would make them eligible for parole at some point, giving House and others in similar situations a chance at being freed. The bill failed to advance this spring despite the Democratic-controlled legislature’s push in recent years to lower the prison population and enact progressive criminal justice policies. But its backers aren’t giving up.
* WBEZ | Video gambling company agrees to pay $1 million fine to state of Illinois: The settlement comes more than two years after Illinois Gaming Board officials filed their case against Accel Entertainment — which is based in the western suburbs and has become the biggest player in the booming video gambling industry.
* WVIK | GOP Leader McCombie Grades the Illinois Legislative Session: Tony McCombie, House Republican Leader, reflects on the recently completed session including the budget, schools, economy, two ‘Only-in-Illinois’ stories, her grade for the legislative process and much more.
* Sun-Times | Illinois must hold pawnbrokers accountable for high interest loans to military: Woodstock Institute has been fighting to end all predatory lending in Illinois for decades, and we uncovered two pawnshops charging 243.3% APR to an active-duty service member in the week leading up to Veterans Day 2022. Woodstock’s investigation showed that Illinois pawnbrokers are failing to inquire about the borrower’s military status and overcharging active-duty service members with triple-digit interest rates.
* QC Times | East Moline state representative reflects on spring session: The statehouse was already a familiar space for Gregg Johnson from advocacy work when he returned to Springfield in January. Back in the day, Johnson said, he would spend days under the dome advocating for health care, higher minimum wage or issues related to the organization he represented at the time. This time around, he was walking into the statehouse as the Democratic Representative for the 72nd House District.
* ABC | Three Democratic governors are raising their profiles, which could chart paths to White House: Experts: All three Democrats have been floated as possible 2024 presidential candidates amid voters’ concern over the fitness of Biden, 80, to serve another four-year term. But all have enthusiastically endorsed Biden and publicly said they have no plans to run themselves. Last week, Pritzker told “ABC News Live Prime” anchor Linsey Davis that he was “flattered to have been considered among people who might run for president” but that “President Biden has done a terrific job.”
* Illinois Farmer Today | Farmer sees solution to dust storms: southern Illinois farmer, teacher and conservationist, Richard “Dick” Lyons was so moved by the dust storm that caused fatalities on an Illinois highway in May that he wrote this letter to the General Assembly.
* River Bender | New Illinois Movement Chair Discusses Progress, Future Plans: “Our movement is about following the process provided in the U.S. Constitution to pursue the formation of a new state separate from the State of Illinois,” Merrit said. She clarified that they’re not trying to remove Chicago from the state - rather, they aim to remove the rest of Illinois and form it into a new state, New Illinois.
* Sen. Koehler sent me this last night and I completely forgot about it. Oops. Better late than never, I suppose…
Last night, I was watching Jeopardy and saw a question I immediately knew the answer to! Back in 2021, I personally spearheaded this measure in the Senate to make this the official state microbe! Do you know the answer to this question? pic.twitter.com/q684wWwqzW
— Senator Dave Koehler (@SenatorKoehler) June 23, 2023
* The question, not the answer, is “What is Penicillium Rubens?” From a press release…
Governor JB Pritzker signed legislation that builds on the legacy of unsung hero Mary K. Hunt and designates Penicillium Rubens as the official state microbe of Illinois. The Governor also signed legislation which adds agricultural sciences and agricultural education as an option to fulfill the coursework requirements for university admission.
HB 1879 designated penicillium rubens NRRL 1951 as the official state microbe of Illinois. The designation recognizes the contribution of Mary K. Hunt, also known as Moldy Mary, and the Northern Regional Research Library - now known as the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research. Due to their research and work, penicillin’s yield soared at a time when demand was high all across the world.
“It’s no secret that penicillin production is an achievement Peoria takes great pride in - but as of today, it becomes a point of pride for all of Illinois, with new status as our official state microbe,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “The additional legislation will help Illinois not lose any more Marys to history by recognizing the value of agricultural science in our education system for students of all backgrounds. By supporting our young learners who want to take ag sciences through to a university education - and beyond - Illinois is diversifying what it means to learn, to grow, to innovate - and to set the stage for our future generations to live their dreams.”
“By making penicillium rubens our state microbe, we commemorate the contribution that Peoria made to worldwide health and medicine,” said State Senator David Koehler (D-Peoria). “Nearly a century ago, our National Agriculture Utilization Laboratory discovered a microbe that has been saving lives from disease since—a historic feat worth recognizing and remembering.”
“When we look to our future as a state, it is proper to honor our past. Mass production of Penicillium was discovered in Peoria at our National Agriculture Utilization Laboratory and paved the way for Penicillin to improve health outcomes all over the world through the twentieth century,” said State Representative Ryan Spain (R-Peoria). “Life expectancy was lengthened worldwide because of this momentous work. That is a milestone worthy of recognition and tremendous Peoria pride.”
Kane County Clerk Jack Cunningham said Thursday a group of residents suspicious of fraud and fearful of liberal influences in local elections are “indoctrinated” and “sociopaths.” But at the same time, Cunningham announced he will work toward a key change those same people have been calling for.
The group, which has included Kane County GOP Chairman Andro Lerario, spent the past several months calling for a return to paper ballots and the hand-counting of votes. They also want Cunningham to return a $2 million grant from the Center for Technology and Civic Life.
Opponents of the grant believe the money is coming from “Silicon Valley Billionaires” and is a liberal Trojan Horse because the grant was bestowed by a Chicago-based nonprofit with Democratic ties. […]
“Since these groups have gotten involved with misinformation, the Republican Party has become the minority party. Wake up.” [Cunningham said]
Cunningham, who is a Republican, said he will use the $2 million to hire police officers to work at polling places on Election Day. He will also create an educational program designed to address the claims of people questioning election integrity. He said neither his office nor the county board has accepted or will accept any money in trade for compromising local elections.
* Subscribers have so far received two updates on Rep. Rashid. Politico…
State Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid and his family were caught up this week in violence in the West Bank. Rashid and his family were visiting relatives when hundreds of Israeli settlers stormed the town of Turmus ‘Ayya, where they were staying. The Israeli settlers set fire to cars and homes “to avenge the deaths of four Israelis killed by Palestinian gunmen the previous day,” according to The Associated Press, which documented the attack. Palestinians say one person was killed in the violence. A spokesman for Rashid said the family witnessed the violence and are currently sheltering in place.
* IDES…
Over-the-year, total nonfarm jobs increased in all fourteen metropolitan areas for the year ending May 2023, according to data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (DES). Over-the-year, the unemployment rate increased in seven metropolitan areas, decreased in four, and was unchanged in three. […]
The metro areas which had the largest over-the-year percentage increases in total nonfarm jobs were the Bloomington MSA (+3.2%, +3,200), the Peoria MSA (+2.9%, +4,900), and the Champaign-Urbana MSA (+2.7%, +3,200). Total nonfarm jobs in the Chicago Metro Division were up +1.6% or +61,500.Industries that saw job growth in a majority of metro areas included: Government (fourteen areas); Education and Health Services, Leisure and Hospitality, and Other Services (eleven areas each); Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities (nine areas); and Manufacturing (eight areas).
The metro areas with the largest unemployment rate increases were the Danville MSA (+0.5 point to 5.2%), the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island IA-IL MSA (+0.5 point to 3.9%), and the Lake-Kenosha County IL-WI Metro (+0.4 point to 4.1%). The metro areas with the largest unemployment rate decreases were the Chicago Metro (-1.3 percentage points to 3.2%), a record low unemployment rate for the month of May, followed by the Rockford MSA (-0.3 point to 5.9%) and the Carbondale-Marion MSA (-0.2 point to 4.0%).
* ISP…
The Illinois State Police (ISP) Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Special Investigations Unit (SIU) continues to combat public corruption with the latest case involving charges against a former township official. ISP worked with the Jackson County State’s Attorney to bring charges against 70-year-old Danny D. “DD” Williams of Makanda, Illinois.
On April 21, 2022, Jackson County State’s Attorney Joseph Cervantez requested an ISP investigation into alleged inappropriate actions by Williams, the former Makanda Township Road Commissioner. After a thorough investigation, ISP identified several instances where Williams used his official position to steer contracts toward a contractor who would pay him in return.
On May 4, 2023, the Jackson County Grand Jury returned a true bill to indict Williams on the two counts of Pecuniary Interest in Contract and Williams appeared in court on June 14, 2023. No further information is available at this time.
* Rep. Sanalitro…
State Representative Jennifer Sanalitro is announcing the successful completion of her inaugural May Diaper Drive. The event is planned to take place every year and aims to help local families in need, especially those with babies and toddlers.
Thanks to the community’s generosity, the Diaper Drive collected a significant amount of diapers and essential baby items. Everything collected was donated to the Breakfast with a Baby Foundation. This local organization helps over 100 families by providing necessary items like clothing, toys, and diapers. Additionally, they offer a free breakfast during their monthly event at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Carol Stream.
Every month, the Breakfast with a Baby Foundation highlights a different organization that is working hard to help families in need throughout the community. The Diaper Drive, led by Rep. Sanalitro in partnership with Our Savior Lutheran Church, has made an important contribution to the Foundation’s efforts.
* Isabel’s roundup…
* Capitol News Illinois | Illinois consumer advocates, utilities spar over potential energy price increases: All told, electric utilities have asked to raise rates by a combined $2.8 billion over four years, while gas utilities have requested $890 million in increases next year. It’s an “unprecedented” number of proposed rate increases for one year, according to David Kolata, the former longtime head of the Citizens Utility Board, or CUB, a nonprofit organization created by the General Assembly in 1983 to represent consumers in cases like these.
* Center Square | ‘Death date’ approaching for many Chromebooks: The Illinois Parent Teacher Association has joined the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) in asking Google to extend the life of 13 Chromebook models whose software will expire in less than three months.
* Crain’s | Kwame Raoul, 5 other AGs join feds’ suit to block $28 billion Horizon-Amgen deal: In the lawsuit, filed May 16 in Illinois federal court, the agency argues the acquisition would allow California-based Amgen to use its market power to pressure insurers and pharmacy benefit managers to favor two key Horizon drugs: Tepezza, used to treat thyroid eye disease, and Krystexxa, which treats gout. Right now, neither has competition, but rivals are expected to come to market over the next few years.
* WMBD | Volunteer firefighters in Illinois to get state tax credit: The measure, announced by State Sen. Tom Bennett (R-Gibson City), will take effect in the 2023 tax year and could be used when people file their returns next year. The Gibson City Republican said the proposal was part of a larger, bipartisan legislative package recently signed into law.
* Center Square | New Illinois law could curb recidivism by connecting inmates, communities: House Bill 1496, which takes effect in January, was signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker earlier this month. The measure strengthens community connections for Illinois inmates by requiring the departments of Corrections and Juvenile Justice to record each inmate’s last-known street address and demographic data. That information is then passed on to the U.S. Census Bureau, which can direct resources to communities based on accurate population data.
* Sun-Times | Firm that brought Bally’s to Chicago casino deal stood to profit from another Bally’s deal: But even as Bally’s was successfully seeking Lightfoot’s blessing, it also was working on a separate, $2.6 billion deal. That was to buy an online British gaming company called Gamesys. As part of that deal, Bally’s would pay off Gamesys’s lenders, according to documents Bally’s filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
* Sun-Times | New summer program for students tours Chicago pollution hotspots: Altgeld Gardens was the first stop on a daylong tour – followed by visits to the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant and the Wild Mile, which is a floating island ecosystem on the North Branch of the Chicago River. The field day is part of a new, two-week long summer program called the Environmental Justice Freedom School, which is designed to provide Chicago Public Schools students with a hands-on environmental and climate justice education.
* WICS | FDA releases guidance on researching psychedelic drugs for mental health treatments: The administration said psychedelic drugs may produce psychoactive effects like hallucinations and mood and cognitive changes. This presents the potential for abuse of these drugs, which is a safety issue that requires careful consideration to prevent misuse in clinical development.
* NYT | Why Some Americans Buy Guns: Some 22 million guns were sold that year, 64 percent more than in 2019. More than eight million of them went to novices who had never owned a firearm, according to the firearm industry’s trade association, the National Shooting Sports Foundation.
* Tribune | ‘The last maestro’: Conductor Riccardo Muti steps down at the CSO and ends an era. But he’s not leaving just yet.: On Friday, the CSO made official what most already knew, or have assumed: Though his tenure as the orchestra’s music director formally ends this month, Riccardo Muti will lead the orchestra in Orchestra Hall and on tour for six weeks — about half his current season commitment — for the next two seasons. The arrangement cushions the orchestra from artistic free-fall during its director search and allows Muti, turning 82 next month, to maintain a privileged relationship with the orchestra without quite so much back-and-forth between here and Ravenna, his home in his native Italy. Details after 2025 are still being finalized, but the CSO hopes to keep Muti a regular presence here, likely into the leadership of the next music director.
* Crain’s | Swarms of Taylor Swift fans helped boost CTA ridership: On Tuesday, the CTA reported that Swift’s Sunday, June 4, show “generated more than 43,000 additional bus and rail rides at the Roosevelt station and on the #146 Inner Lake Shore/Michigan Express route.” Alongside city festivals, great weather and a pair of Wrigley Field shows by Dead & Company (featuring surviving members of the Grateful Dead), those CTA-going Swift fans helped the agency tally 5.63 million riders the week of June 4 through June 10, the agency’s highest weekly total since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020.
* Herald-Whig | JWCC keeps tuition flat for upcoming school year: “For more students to access higher education and to build enrollment, our goal must be keeping tuition as affordable as we can,” JWCC President Bryan Renfro said. “Starting at John Wood is the best bet for students to start or complete their college degree with limited debt. Keeping tuition low, investing in more student scholarships, and developing and enhancing academic and workforce programs are key components of this budget and the future of our college.”
* Rich posted earlier earlier on the House Speaker Chris Welch and Senate President Don Harmon 21st Show interviews. Here’s another moment from Brian Mackey’s interview with Speaker Welch on the budget process…
Mackey: The reason I’m pressing on this a little bit is, I guess the larger issue I’m trying to get at is that you have talked about a different kind of process in the General Assembly. And here was still a budget that’s passed in the middle of the night, maintaining what I’ve heard referred to as the sort of ‘undergraduate work habits.’ I wonder if we’ll ever have a budget that passes you know, say, two in the afternoon and that will have been out there for the public to scrutinize for days and days, or weeks, potentially before it’s enacted.
Welch: Brian, let me take issue with the way you phrased your question. I think that’s poor journalism. But let me say this, it doesn’t take into account anything that we’ve done the last three years to address the concerns about bringing more light into this process. We intentionally engaged in a process. The House did not give the Senate an appropriations vehicle. We intentionally embarked on what we called a trust exercise, where the Senate would pass us an agreed budget on a Senate Bill, which under our Constitution has to in the House sit for three readings on three separate days before it can get passed. In previous years, budgets have come over from one chamber or another and the minute you get it you put it on the board and you pass it. We have tried to address the concerns from members of the Democratic caucus, members of the Republican caucus, folks like you in the media and create a process that would give more time. The budget was posted about eight o’clock on Wednesday night. People had the rest of Wednesday night to read it. They had all day Thursday, all day Friday. And we passed it at about 2-2:30 in the morning. As opposed to coming back at 10, 12 o’clock on Saturday afternoon, a holiday weekend, when folks wanted to go home. But that budget was out there three days to read. More than any budget in my 11 years in the General Assembly. And so yes, I take issue with the way you frame that question because I’m proud of the fact that we slowed the process down very intentionally. Give folks more time to read this budget. And rather than read it, the Republicans took the budget and wrapped it in a bow. But what I suggest is people use the changes that we put in place, read the budget and let’s have an honest discussion about it.
Mackey: Well, I’ll take your criticism on it. I will think about that. But I will say yes, it is an improvement over the past. I think other states have even more time. Maybe we’ll get there in the future.
Mackey: I had a little back and forth with the House Speaker on this very point, because he talked about the idea that the budget was sort of hanging out in public, right? I think it was from Thursday afternoon, was it until the House voted on it early Saturday morning. So I guess one business day, maybe two days, depending on how you want to look at it. There are states though, where the budget process is much more open, and it’s out there for public input. Why not actually pass a budget over the course of a week or two weeks instead of this still where it’s sort of negotiating, negotiating, and it all kind of comes together? It used to be in a few hours, now it’s in maybe a few days? I mean, is that a trend? Are we going to ever see a process where it’s just kind of slow and calm and out in the open?
Harmon: Well, I would argue that’s the process we have. And Brian, you’ve been around Springfield a long time. Every single bill passes the chamber in about 60 seconds when the roll call is called. It’s the work that leads up to that and we began our budget process with the governor’s budget address. The House and Senate both had countless appropriation committee hearings, where we heard from the state agencies that are funded as well as all of the stakeholders that wanted to testify. We have a very, very public process. I reject the premise that the budget itself is the introduction of the final budget with the roll call on the floor. There’s so much work, public work that goes into that. It’s easy to criticize the last 60 seconds, but it’s not fair to the work that people do over the months of the spring session.
HAPPENING NOW: I'm joining @Healthy_ILL and hundreds of Illinoisans at Daley Plaza protesting @GovPritzker@JBPritzker's decision to take healthcare coverage from Illinois residents ages 42 to 64. This decision will cost lives and cost the state astronomically more. pic.twitter.com/FlLI7nrxeC
Ald. @RossanaFor33, Chair of @ChiLatinoCaucus, and the Chicago City Council's Health Committee, speaks powerfully on the need for preventative care to save lives. This fight to save lives is just ramping up. pic.twitter.com/U4ueLxcqMO
• Drought has rapidly intensified across the Midwest region over the last five weeks. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, 58% of the Midwest is now in moderate to extreme drought (D1-D3), compared to just 8% five weeks ago. Areas with the most rapid deterioration in conditions include central/northern Illinois, western Indiana, eastern Iowa, central Michigan, central Minnesota, and east-central Wisconsin.
• Significantly below-normal precipitation has been the main driver for the rapid intensification of drought conditions. Some areas have had multiple days of hot temperatures as well, which allows for more moisture to be extracted from the surface through evapotranspiration.
• Soil moisture is reported to be very low across much of the Midwest. According to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, the percent of topsoil in Illinois that is rated as short to very short currently surpasses levels at this time in 2012, during the last major regional drought.
• Drought impacts continue to multiply across various sectors in the region including significant impacts to vegetation, agriculture, water supply, forestry and fire. Many people, agencies and sectors are taking action to address the impacts being felt.
• Dry conditions across the entire Mississippi River Basin (including the Missouri and Ohio basins) are driving well below average (15+ feet) river stages throughout the Lower Mississippi River from St. Louis, Missouri all the way to the Gulf of Mexico, where low river stages are already causing issues and increased concerns for shipping.
• Long-range river forecasts from the NOAA River Forecast Centers indicate that the Mississippi River will reach low water stages just downstream of the Ohio/Mississippi confluence area as early as 1-2 weeks from now.
• Rainfall is crucial to alleviate drought concerns and impacts across the Midwest, particularly as corn pollination begins in early July. If corn-growing areas do not start receiving rainfall now, there will likely be impacts to corn yields, and potentially other crops as well. Water supply for livestock and municipalities in some areas is also a major concern if drought conditions persist.
• There is uncertainty in the summer outlook on whether precipitation will be above, near, or below normal. The U.S. seasonal drought outlook for June 15-September 30 shows that drought is likely to persist and potentially expand across the Midwest this summer.
* In the past seven days, both House Speaker Chris Welch and Senate President Don Harmon have been interviewed on Brian Mackey’s radio show The 21st. Here’s Speaker Welch being grilled on legislator pay…
Mackey: One of those things that [Republicans] have criticized, or at least some have criticized, are salary increases for lawmakers. Last year, I believe the base salary for a state legislator was just under $73,000. Now it’s going to be or is more than $89,000. How do you justify that to taxpayers?
Welch: Well, first of all, let me say Republicans were criticizing it, but I don’t know any of them have rejected the pay raises. Why is that? Because many of them thanked me years ago when I filed a lawsuit against Governor Rauner and his then comptroller for illegally stopping our pay. Many of them quietly were coming to me thanking me. Many of them are thanking me known for standing by court decisions that say it’s unconstitutional to waive the COLA. We are going to follow the law. We’re going to honor our Constitution. And that’s what we’re doing. That’s another point that I wanted to make about Republicans finding one or two things to come up with a talking point and criticize, rather than vote for something that they know is constitutionally sound that’s balanced, that lifts up every single community across the state that actually has a number of things in it that they fought for.
Mackey: I should tell listeners in a previous iteration of my journalistic career I wrote a column and I’ve argued in the past that higher pay for lawmakers might be something worth considering because otherwise you get a legislature instead of sort of more everyday working people it’s filled with real estate agents and bankers and other people with jobs where they can take significant time off. But a 22 percent increase in six months. Can you, again, to the worker out there who is not enjoying that level of pay raise in the past six months, how do you justify that?
Welch: Let me first level-set. What recently happened was the legislature did receive its annual COLA increase back in January for the first time since 2007. The 102nd General Assembly approved raises for state legislators, constitutional officers for everyone in state office for the first time since 2007. As you have written about Brian in the past, if you’re going to recruit good talent across the state, if you’re going to have good people sign up for these jobs and spend time away from their families week after week, you have to have a competitive salary. And we tried to address that in January in the 102nd General Assembly. And so they raises were voted on by the previous General Assembly for the first time since 2007. I don’t know anyone who has worked in a job and didn’t get a raise since 2007.
Mackey: One aspect of [the state budget] that’s got a lot of attention has been salary increases for lawmakers. I think it was just last year the base salary for a state legislator was just under $73,000. Now it’s more than $89,000. How do you justify that increase to taxpayers?
Harmon: Well, again, to be clear, that was an increase last year after decades without any statutory increase in the salary. This year, the budget included money to fund the statutory salaries for all officers in the state. No change in that statutory salary. So this was just a routine budget appropriation to satisfy that statutory obligation.
Mackey: But there was a cost of living increase this year.
Harmon: Correct. That’s built into the statutory salary structure. It avoids the difficult decision of what the salary should be?
Mackey: Well over six months, that is a 22 percent increase. If there are people out there, and look as you may know, I’ve written about there may be justifiable reasons to have higher salaries for lawmakers if you want a legislature that has people who are not just real estate agents and bankers and attorneys and people with jobs where they can take time off. But a 22 percent increase in six months I imagine will strike some listeners as quite a lot.
Harmon: I understand the question, it is always a difficult issue. If we never dealt with legislative pay increases, as unpleasant as they are, we would still be being paid several hundred dollars, which, you know, going back to the beginning of the General Assembly. So you have to make those calculations along the way. I think the bigger question is one you alluded to. Should we maintain a part time legislature? Or have we reached the point where we really are a full time legislature and should be compensated as such?
Mackey: What do you think the answer to that is?
Harmon: I think it’s a conversation worth having. I have always put great stock in a citizen legislature where people bring their real life expertise to the Capitol and and we pass better legislation because people have those experiences. But I’m also caught by the the conflicts that inevitably arise when people are juggling their public service and their private occupations.
* I interviewed Senate President Don Harmon earlier this month and he told me about the axe-throwing outings with Republicans. From Brian Mackey’s interview this week…
Mackey: I understand you and your fellow Senate Democrats invested a lot of time to try and build some areas of consensus with Republicans this spring. Did that actually start with an axe throwing outing in Springfield? Is that true? Did I read that correctly?
Harmon: It did. Somewhat organically, we were looking for opportunities to get together out of the Capitol, off campus and just socialize, get to know each other as people. And someone came up with the idea of going axe throwing on MacArthur Boulevard in Springfield. We ended up doing it several times in small groups. And I don’t give that all the credit for a good working relationship with the Republican caucus this session. But it’s certainly disarming when you get to play together a little bit in that context.
Mackey: Oh, ‘disarming.’ It’s going to come thick now, because I was gonna say something about axes to grind. Speaking of which, ultimately, you ended up not getting any Republican votes on the budget. Why, from your perspective, despite some effort, I understand and that was thought of to be a possibility, from your perspective, why didn’t that come together?
Harmon: Well, I do want to be clear, we’ve worked with the Republican caucus from the beginning. We involved them in the budget conversations all during the spring session. And frankly, we have a better budget because of it. There’s much input from the Republican caucus in our budget. In the end, we weren’t able to get the votes on the budget from Republicans. We weren’t able to cross the divide on a couple of non budgetary related items that they thought were precursors to supporting the budget. But I’m not discouraged. I think it was a process worth undertaking. And we’ll do it again next year.
Mackey: What did you learn about bipartisanship from this spring legislative session? Is that still a worthwhile goal? Because I mean, you’ve been in the Senate long enough, you know that that hasn’t always been the dominant, sort of prevailing attitude among senators.
Harmon: It validated for me my belief that bipartisanship is almost always better. There are certain issues where we’re just never going to see eye to eye. And that’s okay. In those cases, we have a strong majority elected by the people of Illinois and we’ll pursue those in a partisan fashion. But on the routine business of governing, we are always better off with a bipartisan coalition. And Brian, you know, 95 percent of what we pass in a typical session is bipartisan or unanimous. But on the tough issues, if we can get good people from both sides of the aisle to sit down eyeball to eyeball and work towards a compromise, we almost always get a better product.
Please pardon all transcription errors.
* The Question: Do you have any suggestions for future Senate bipartisan outings? Snark is not exactly encouraged, but allowed since it’s a Friday afternoon in late June.
The Illinois House Friday narrowly defeated a measure that would have required notification of parents before their teenage daughters obtained abortions, marking a rare setback for abortion foes who have passed virtually every major legislative initiative they have pushed for more than two decades.
Both abortion opponents and abortion rights supporters agreed that the vote could portend a philosophical shift in the chamber.
“I think the House of Representatives has gotten a lot more moderate and I think that vote shows it,” said Rep. Terry Parke (R-Hoffman Estates), a longtime abortion foe who said his bill would have stopped Illinois from serving as a “dumping ground for abortions” for young women from other Midwestern states with notification laws.
Parental notification “is the least intrusive on the issue of abortion that we can put out there,” he said. “If we can’t pass that, it means that until there’s a change … I don’t know how we can pass anything that affects the issue of abortion unless we get others to change their position.”
* Parental notification is supposed to be a hot-button political issue, and was considered even more so 22 years ago. But a total of 14 House Republicans voted with the pro-choice side on that bill: Reps. Beaubien, Coulson, Cross, Hassert, Hoeft, Klingler, Krause, Lindner, Mathias, Moore, Mulligan, O’Connor, Osmond and Persico. Nine of those folks served in the House when the chamber was majority Republican. The chamber had a 60-58 Dem-GOP party split at the time of the PNA vote.
Today, there is not a single pro-choice Republican in either legislative chamber and hardly any Republicans holding districts in the suburban and exurban areas that were represented by those pro-choice Republicans back in the day. The current party split is 78-40.
Yes, the district maps are far worse for the GOP now than they were then. But at least some of those 14 HGOPs might not have been around in 2001 had they been strongly opposed to abortion rights.
* By contrast, 19 House Democrats voted for that 2001 parental notification bill, including the House Speaker: Brosnahan, Brunsvold, Bugielski, Capparelli, Forby, Fowler, Franks, Hannig, Hartke, Hoffman, Holbrook, Shirley Jones, Joe Lyons, Mautino, McCarthy, McGuire, Novak, Reitz and Speaker Madigan.
And six House Democrats voted Present, including a current Illinois Supreme Court justice who is now pro-choice: Crotty, Curry, Steve Davis, Giles, Mary K. O’Brien and Ryan.
So, that’s 25 of 60, or 42 percent. Most, not all, of those districts are now represented by either pro-choice Democrats or by Republicans.
* At the time of that 2001 vote, the courts had blocked a parental notification bill passed during the brief era of Republican legislative control. The Illinois Supreme Court reinstated the law in 2013.
When a repeal of the parental notification law was put up on the Big Board in 2021, all Republicans and just 6 House Democrats voted against repeal: Davis, DeLuca, Scherer, Walsh, Yednock and Zalewski. Another three voted Present: Burke, Crespo and Hurley. Two didn’t vote: Moylan and Tarver.
That works out to 11 of 73, or 15 percent. Rep. Jay Hoffman, who voted for parental notification in 2001, voted to repeal the law in 2021. House Speaker Chris Welch voted to repeal as well.
One year ago, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark 1973 decision Roe v. Wade, reversing nearly a half-century of federal abortion rights protections and leaving the matter up to individual states.
Roughly half of all states in the nation — primarily in the Midwest and South — moved to either ban or severely restrict abortion. But Illinois had approved strong reproductive rights protections, declaring abortion a “fundamental right” in the 2019 Reproductive Health Act. Abortion providers in Illinois have reported an unprecedented surge in patients traveling from other states to terminate pregnancies here, as abortion access dwindled in large sections of the country. […]
In a 5-4 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that guaranteed abortion rights nationwide. The high court also votes 6-3 to uphold a Mississippi abortion restriction in the case at hand, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Protests and rallies — for and against the end of federal abortion protections — erupt in Chicago and across the country.
Eric Scheidler, executive director of the Chicago-based Pro-Life Action League, predicts that Illinois will “become an abortion mecca, by design.”
* Governor Pritzker penned an op-ed for Salon to mark the anniversary…
As Governor of Illinois, it is my duty to not only keep our residents safe, but to uphold our 205-year legacy—a legacy rooted in progress and justice. So, while every state bordering us is forcing women to revert to back-alley abortions, with some elected officials threatening to limit contraceptive access only for those with approval from their husbands, I’ve worked hand-in-hand with members of the General Assembly to extend protections for patients and providers alike.
We have welcomed abortion providers who fled their states, and we eliminated barriers to access by allowing birth centers to provide all reproductive care and removing copays for birth control and medication abortions. We instituted new protections for patients, doctors and nurses from out-of-state subpoenas—creating another safeguard for reproductive access in Illinois. We funded the creation of the Reproductive Health Public Navigation Hotline—a centralized resource where patients will be able to find the services that will meet their needs. And all the while, we are investing millions toward learning collaboratives and abortion provider trainings, so we can continue to train healthcare personnel to meet the demand of patients seeking reproductive freedom who are flooding in from across the nation.
Anti-choice extremists aren’t going to stop at Roe v. Wade. They will keep chipping away—bit by bit—at reproductive healthcare and other related privacy rights. But Illinois will remain a haven—so long as we fight for it. And my administration and pro-choice members of the General Assembly will do everything in our power to ensure widespread, equitable access to reproductive rights as a foundational freedom.
In Illinois, abortion is legal, abortion is health care, and personal decisions about it will remain between a woman and her doctor.
Since the fall of Roe, Illinois has welcomed an influx of out-of-state patients seeking abortions, becoming what advocates call a “Midwestern safe haven” for reproductive health care.
Democratic lawmakers have focused on passing shield laws, or protections for people coming to Illinois from surrounding states where abortion access is restricted or generally banned, like Indiana and Missouri.
One such measure, which was signed into law earlier this year, applies to healthcare providers and patients. Another measure passed last month, which is waiting for a signature from Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker, would prohibit law enforcement from sharing data from automated license plate readers with other states for the purpose of prosecuting someone seeking an abortion in Illinois.
Other notable legislation includes requiring insurers to cover abortion medication, requiring public colleges to offer emergency contraception at “wellness kiosks” and allowing patients of crisis pregnancy centers to sue if they feel the center had misled them from seeking abortion care.
Dr. Erin King, executive director of the Hope Clinic, knew an influx of out-of-state patients who need abortions would be coming to the East St. Louis facility after the June 24, 2022, court ruling.
Still, “it’s almost surreal to now every day talk to people that are traveling from Florida, Mississippi, Texas, Alabama, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas,” to name a few places, King said. […]
Planned Parenthood of Illinois on June 12 reported a 54% rise in patients seeking abortion procedures or medication since June 2022. Before the Supreme Court decision, 7% of clients came from out of state; that portion has risen to 25%. […]
Julie Uhal, manager of the Securing Access For Everyone abortion expansion program at Planned Parenthood of Illinois, gave the example of a client from Tennessee, where abortion is banned.
“She wasn’t an English speaker and didn’t have any ID, so she couldn’t get on a plane and really needed to get back to work the next day after the appointment. So they coordinated a 10-hour bus ride,” Uhal said in an earlier interview.
* Related…
* American Progress | Illinois Pediatrician Combats Confusion Among Adolescents and Families Caused by Abortion Bans: Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and recent legal challenges to medication abortion, Stephanie has noticed many patients are unsure about what options are available to them. Even in Illinois, where abortion is still protected, she notes that among teens, misinformation travels faster and lingers longer, especially through social media and word of mouth. Many are already under social pressure from peers or family and are now further confused by the constantly evolving legal landscape surrounding abortion.
* WBEZ | Catholic abortion doulas comfort the faithful in a post-Roe world: “One of the chapters here specifically addresses spiritual conflict,” Likins said. “There’s lots of examples of how you could counsel someone to go from feeling like God will never forgive them for having an abortion to feeling like, maybe God is actually comforting them during their abortion.”
* Forbes | The Business Impact Of Dobbs A Year Later: Entrepreneurs around the country drew on their creativity to come up with solutions for helping those living in the most restrictive states access reproductive care. Women’s health startups like Julie and Stix created “buy one, donate one” models where people were able to buy emergency contraception while simultaneously donating the pills to people impacted most severely by their state’s trigger laws. Plan C Pills, founded by a group of public health veterans, advertising creatives and digital strategists, was built as a hub for accessing abortion pills by mail in all 50 states. Travel companies like Elevated Access offer private flights for those seeking abortion or gender-affirming care. Their mission is to ease the burden and provide transportation for folks so they can receive life-saving healthcare.
* NPR | New abortion laws changed their lives. 8 very personal stories: In December 2022, right before Christmas, I was 20 weeks and 3 days pregnant when I learned my water had broken early. The chances of the baby surviving were very low, but I couldn’t end the pregnancy under Texas laws.
Illinois home sales plummeted in May compared to last year
The article reports that home sales fell 22 percent in Illinois compared to May of last year. Not noted is that national home sales have fallen as well. The St. Louis Fed reported national existing home sales dropped 20.4 percent during the same time period.
* Once you get beyond the anti-Illinois clickbait headline, however, they at least provide a good reason…
According to Daniel McMillen, head of the Stuart Handler Department of Real Estate at the University of Illinois at Chicago, low housing inventory is hampering the market.
“The really big change that we see is that the available housing inventory is down about 27% and is at the lowest it’s been since 2008,” said McMillen Thursday during a virtual news conference.
McMillen said higher interest rates have contributed to slower sales, but he expects them to ease as the year goes on.
I have some personal experience with this topic and, anecdotally, the lack of inventory checks out.
* Sun-Times | Ex-Proud Boy from Aurora gets more than 3 years in prison for Jan. 6 Capitol assault: The sentence handed down to James Robert Elliott, 25, on Thursday is the harshest dealt so far to an Illinois resident charged in the riot. In addition to the 37-month prison sentence, Elliott must also pay $2,000 in restitution, according to the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington, D.C.
* Vandalia Radio | Governor JB Pritzker signed dozens of new laws this month; here are a few you may not of heard about yet: Some of the new laws require insurance coverage for preventative liver screenings and medically necessary compression sleeves. There’s also one that requires new construction of single-family homes and apartment buildings to include basic infrastructure for electric vehicle charging stations. State Representative Robyn Gabel sponsored the bill in the House.
* 21st Show | Senate President on the legislature’s accomplishments this session: The General Assembly ended its annual legislative session last month, and Governor Pritzker has been signing legislation from that into law — including a more than $50-billion dollar budget. Last week we talked about this with the Speaker of the Illinois House, Chris Welch, and today we spoke with his counterpart on the north side of the Capitol building — Senate President Don Harmon.
* Crain’s | With downstate visit, Biden’s health chief to spotlight ‘tale of two states’ on abortion access: During Friday’s appearance at the Illinois location, HHS says, Becerra intends to talk with the stakeholders, like abortion providers and advocates, about what he calls as the “tale of two states,” which describes the experience for a clinic in a state where abortion care is still legal to operate near a state where abortions are now banned. At the St. Louis center, Becerra will host a roundtable and press conference to highlight why abortion bans are putting patients in “harm’s way” and contributing to a nationwide health crisis.
* Tribune | 3M reaches $10.3 billion settlement in ‘forever chemicals’ suits: Under the sweeping settlement, 3M said it would pay out the money over 13 years to any cities, counties and others across the country to test for and clean up perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, in public water supplies.
* Crain’s | Obama Presidential Center lands $26 million grant: $25 million of the grant will go toward establishing the Democracy in Action Lab, a programming hub that aims to provide “a physical space to facilitate community convening and inspire civic participation.” The remaining $1 million will support the Obama Foundation’s Leaders Program, connecting and supporting civic leaders around the world.
* Tribune | Residents and birders frustrated that developer proceeded with demolition that damaged gull colony on Goose Island: On Friday evening, Frank was developing photos she took of the birds when she noticed nests on the roof of the facility. Frank proceeded to contact the construction company, Brandenburg Industrial Service Co., to alert them of the gull chicks and received replies about addressing the issue. By Tuesday morning, Frank had photos and videos of dead gulls around the active demolition site. She said her contacts at the construction company stopped responding to her.
* Tribune | A Chicago man crossing Lake Michigan in a watermelon-shaped craft disappeared 120 years ago. Here’s what we know.: Known as Foolkiller No. 3, the 30-foot long and 20-foot wide canvas-covered vessel looked more like a floating blimp than a submersible. It was not designed to sink, but to glide — across land or water — when propelled by the wind. Its cavity was dotted with one glass porthole on each end and hollow except for an axle to help the watermelon-shaped machine turn while its occupant was seated atop it.
* Crain’s | What a $3,000 ticket gets you at the NASCAR Street Race: The premium tickets, which start at $3,015 per person, grant guests access to the President’s Paddock Club, a two-story viewing structure overlooking the race’s start and finish line on South Columbus Drive. Ticket-holders will find an enclosed, air-conditioned space on the lower level and an open-air rooftop terrace upstairs.
Jim Leach is leaving his longtime role at WMAY to take a position as public information officer with the Illinois Department of Public Health. His last day at WMAY is June 28 and he starts at IDPH on July 5.
Leach started at WMAY as a part-time disc jockey in 1983, while he was in college. Back then, the station format was country music, and Leach played vinyl records. Sometimes they got recordings of live music shows and played them for 15 minutes at a time, then a station break. […]
According to Leach, ideology is secondary to being engaged. “One of the things we prided ourselves on was a wide range of views,” said Leach. “Consultants thought we needed to have one political viewpoint or the other, but a lot of important local issues like what the city government is doing or how the school district is performing aren’t necessarily ideological.” […]
Other events that stand out during his long career is the collective grief expressed by his listeners after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and the tornadoes that struck Springfield in 2006. “I was on the air 14 hours straight,” he said. Without power, transistor radios were one of the few reliable sources of information in those tense hours after the disaster.
Leach also said that a career in radio can be strange and wonderful, sometimes both at the same time. “I have had the privilege of interviewing both Barack Obama and Weird Al Yankovic, my two favorite interviews ever.” He’s also allowed himself to be tased live on air and broadcast while undergoing a colonoscopy in order to raise awareness about cancer screening.
I remember listening to Jim in my basement during that 2006 tornado. I even called in once or twice. Dude is a total pro and a really good guy. Go read the whole thing.
Chicago now is averaging nearly one mass shooting a week, and has been since at least 2020.
That’s the bottom line of some disturbing — and revealing — new figures from the University of Chicago Crime Lab that underline just how much mass violence has worked its way into the city’s collective consciousness not as an aberration but the norm. […]
For one, shootings in poor Black neighborhoods still haven’t “garnered the outpouring of support or mobilized the kind of action” as shootings in wealthier, whiter neighborhoods, [U of C Crime Lab Executive Director Roseanna Ander] said in an email to Crain’s. “The fact that gun violence — including mass shootings — has been in some sense ‘normalized’ when it happens in Chicago should force us all to look in the mirror and question our priorities.” […]
Ander said the answer includes better deployment of police, so that officers are located where they’re really needed; better data for police dispatchers to make decisions; and an increase in proactive social service, so that young people are reached before and not after they get in trouble.
Some Illinois concert venues will soon be required to have overdose-reversing drugs on hand. […]
State Sen. Karina Villa, D-West Chicago, advanced a measure aimed to prevent overdose deaths at concert venues. The legislation requires for-profit music venues that have an occupancy of 1,000 or more to have opioid-overdose antidotes on hand and trained staff available to administer the drugs. […]
Fentanyl now accounts for nearly 70% of all opioid-related deaths in the U.S., with a growing number of overdoses occurring at events such as music festivals. Music festivals like Lollapalooza have become hotspots for party drugs like ecstasy and cocaine.
Argonne National Laboratory has finished building a $500 million supercomputer that’s shaping up to be the fastest in the world.
The new computer, called Aurora, is among the first examples of a new class of blindingly fast machines to reach “exascale,” or the ability to do a quintillion — or 1 billion-billion — calculations per second.
To put that in perspective, Aurora can do in one second what it would take the Earth’s population 40 years to accomplish if everyone was doing one calculation per second. It’s the sort of speed in handling staggering volumes of data that enables cellular-level simulations of parts of the human body or models of the universe, which weren’t possible before.
In a new USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll, one in four Americans say state efforts that have followed to impose strict limits on abortion access have made them more supportive of abortion rights. […]
The nationwide poll of 1,000 registered voters, taken by landline and cellphone June 5-9, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
By almost 2-1, 58%-30%, those surveyed opposed the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. […]
Americans overwhelmingly oppose the next goal of many anti-abortion activists, to enact a federal law banning abortion nationwide. By 80%-14%, those surveyed opposed that idea, including 65% of Republicans and 83% of independents.
* Keep in mind that this ILGOP plan would cost local governments hundreds of millions of dollars in revenues…
Friend,
With the COVID pandemic in the rear-view mirror, a tax exemption put in place for groceries is set to expire soon!
We in the Illinois Republican Party are a party that believes in fiscal responsibility and low taxation so that hard-working citizens can keep more of their earned money.
It’s bad enough that the Illinois Democrats implemented a variety of terrible laws during the pandemic, but ending this tax exemption is another blow to families across the state who are already feeling the weight of Democrat-made inflation and rising prices for goods.
We are committed to electing Republicans across the state at all levels who will put our state on a better path away from the fiscal disaster that the Democrats have created. And we’d love your support to make it happen!
Can you support our efforts today by signing our petition? >>
Alert Tax Hike Incoming
SIGN OUR PETITION TO SUPPORT LOW TAXES >>
SEND A GIFT TO THE ILGOP >>
* Give him credit, the new mayor seems to understand how to pass ordinances, and will even work with problematic alderpersons…
The Chicago City Council passed an ordinance Wednesday allowing people who grow food on their property or in community gardens to sell their fruits and veggies.
It was a resurrection: The Urban Agriculture Business License Enhancement Ordinance, as it’s called, was introduced last year by then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration. But Ald. Raymond Lopez had concerns that it didn’t address enough issues, including raising livestock on personal property. When he and Lightfoot’s team couldn’t reach an agreement (no surprise, given they butted heads for four years), Lopez moved to “defer and publish” the measure — which meant it would not get a vote.
Enter the Johnson administration, which approached Lopez to unlock the ordinance.
Lopez reiterated his concerns, and Johnson’s team created a working group to examine the livestock issue. “I was more than happy to usher in the ordinance that I stopped as a sign of good faith that we can in fact work together to resolve some of the outstanding issues from the past,” Lopez told Playbook.
In Wednesday’s pre-council meeting, Beth Beatty, who’s the interim head of Intergovernmental Affairs, said she’s never seen a measure brought back to life like that.
The Board of Directors of The Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership (The Partnership) today announced the appointment of George Wright as chief executive officer. Wright comes to the role after a distinguished career in banking and community investment and after serving as the co-chair of The Partnership’s Board of Directors since 2015. In April, he stepped down from The Partnership Board and retired as director of community relations for Citibank’s Global Consumer Group. As director of community relations, Wright led all aspects of Citi’s community development portfolio in Illinois and across the Central Region. The Partnership is a non-profit entity that oversees the largest workforce system in the country in Chicago and Cook County.
* Isabel’s roundup…
* WTTW | Chicago to Pay $8.8M to Settle 3 Police Misconduct Cases: The Chicago City Council voted unanimously to pay $7.25 million to Arthur Brown, who spent almost three decades in prison after being convicted of arson and a double murder before being exonerated. He was released in 2017 after a judge overturned his conviction, prompting Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx to drop the charges against him.
* Block Club | Police Oversight Agency Clears 2 Cops In 2019 Arrest Over Ex-Gardiner Staffer’s Lost Phone: The Civilian Office of Police Accountability found there was probable cause to arrest Benjamin George after he was accused of stealing a cell phone belonging to Charles Sikanich, the former 45th Ward superintendent, according to the final summary report looking into responding officers’ conduct in the incident.
* Crain’s | Opinion: 8 takeaways from the ‘ComEd Four’ convictions: Two Commonwealth Edison executives and contract lobbyists are facing substantial jail time after recent federal convictions of engaging in a wide-ranging corruption scheme involving their Springfield lobbying. The corporate entity previously had entered into a deferred prosecution agreement, which included a $200,000 fine.
* SJ-R | ‘We in Illinois stay strong in our support’ Springfield leader honored in pride month ceremony: “As we have seen recently in other states, the rights of our LGBTQ friends can never be taken for granted. We in Illinois stay strong in our support – we passed marriage equality before it was federal law,” Mendoza said. “We have enshrined protections for our transgender residents, but we must stay vigilant, and we must continue to set the standard for other states to follow. We must continue to show what is possible when you truly believe in freedom, liberty and justice for all.”
* NYT | Report Cites More Than 350 Anti-L.G.B.T.Q. Incidents Over 11 Months: There were more than 350 incidents of anti-L.G.B.T.Q. harassment, vandalism or assault in the United States from June 2022 through April 2023, according to a new report, reflecting a climate in which bias against gay and especially transgender people has become widespread.
Last year, the first Gay Pride event came to downtown Dixon and it turned into a much bigger event than anyone imagined. When attendance was tallied, over 2,700 people came to the event.
President of the organization Sauk Valley Pride, Andrew Glasscock said they are expecting 3-5,000 at the event. This meant the area downtown would be too small and the city said no to allowing it on the Peoria Avenue Bridge.
The city then turned to the Park District to see if they could hold it at Page Park. Executive Director Duane Long said the area handled Mumford and Sons, it can handle this.
About 4,000 people showed up, which is far more than last year…
Decked out in a rainbow-colored tulle skirt and wearing a crown while dancing with equally colorful streamers, 5-year-old Winnie Tomman was “living her best life,” her mom said.
Winnie and her family were among the almost 4,000 people who made their way to Page Park to celebrate the second annual Dixon Pride Fest.
“Attendance was overwhelming,” Festival Director Sam Miller said at about 7:15 p.m. Saturday. “So much love is happening.”
Page Park is about a five-minute drive from the boyhood home of Ronald Reagan.
A newspaper column written by Catholic Bishop Thomas Paprocki condemning Pride Month and praising a Ugandan law criminalizing homosexual acts has raised the ire of progressive Christians in Springfield.
At issue is a June 8 piece in the Catholic Times in which the bishop wrote, “The Catholic Church teaches that pride is the deadliest of the deadly sins, so it is something to be avoided, along with lust, not celebrated.”
The cleric took issue with the rainbow flag flying over the Illinois Capitol and the Governor’s Mansion as well as President Joe Biden’s condemnation of a law in the African nation of Uganda that creates criminal penalties – including death or life imprisonment – for engaging in homosexual acts.
“Our government is also promoting the LGBTQ+ movement, not only here in the United States, but around the world,” Paprocki wrote. “President Joe Biden recently scolded the President of Uganda for signing legislation that imposes criminal penalties for homosexual acts. President Biden also threatened to withdraw American financial assistance to the east African country unless Uganda repealed the law.
“Such threats are quite ironic coming from the man who has called white supremacy the ‘most dangerous threat to our homeland security.’ Apparently, President Biden does not see that it is inherently racist and arrogant for the white leader of the United States to lecture an African nation on what laws are right for their country.”
A New City man faces felony reckless driving charges after authorities said he plowed through four pedestrians headed to Tuesday night’s White Sox game just outside Guaranteed Rate Field.
Authorities on late Wednesday announced charges against Condelarious Garcia, 20, for four counts of aggravated reckless driving, along with misdemeanor driving on a suspended license and three traffic citations for the collision in the 300 block of West 35th Street on Tuesday. […]
The collision had tossed one of the four victims onto the car and partially through the sunroof, police said at a news briefing Tuesday night. That victim was still clinging to the car when Illinois State Police and SWAT officers stopped the vehicle.
One of the three victims at the scene and the one from the sunroof were in critical condition and the other two were listed as serious, CBS Chicago said.
A witness told CBS Chicago the driver appeared frustrated with a traffic delay and suddenly blew past a traffic officer.
Pedestrians scrambled moments after the car rammed into the four fans.
* I encourage you to read the entire SJ-R piece on the state worker contract negotiations because there’s more to it. But I did want to highlight Anders Lindall’s comments on the state’s hiring system…
Currently, [AFSCME Council 31] represents 35,000 state workers ranging from departments such as the Department of Children and Family Services and Department of Human Services. Yet, when accounting for open positions, that number would grow to 43,000.
A large reason for the high number of vacancies is due to a “very arcane” hiring process, [Council 31 spokesperson Anders Lindall] said, one that can take months to fill a position.
“If you are a person who is looking for a job and there’s a position available with state government, but you don’t hear back for six or nine months, you have probably found something else,” he said.
Perhaps alleviating some of the state’s hiring struggles, this year’s budget includes a $750 million increase for DCFS going towards the hire of 192 new workers and expanded training programs. The department has also hosted several on-the-spot hiring events throughout the state, which Lindall supports.
Convincing someone to wait nearly a year for word about a state job has to be nearly impossible in this job market. More info on one of those DCFS “On-the-Spot Hiring” events is here.
However, there’s some good news. The governor’s office says the state will be able to expand the streamlined DCFS hiring porocess to other agencies after SB2228 is signed. AFSCME initially opposed a version of the bill in veto session, but went to neutral this spring.
That won’t solve all the hiring issues, of course, but it’s a key component.
* And while they’re fixing the hiring process, revamping the state’s procurement code needs to be accomplished as well. The state has set up a ton of new programs in the past four years which have had difficulty getting off the ground because small business owners and not-for-profit leaders just aren’t equipped to deal with the state’s Byzantine contract/grant application process.
Nobody wants to go back to the bad old days. But it just takes too long to get anything done. Plus, the system rewards people with an aptitude for applying for contracts and grants (or hiring people with that knack), but that doesn’t mean those same folks will be as great when it comes to actually performing the work.
Backlash continued to rain down on Gov. J.B. Pritzker Wednesday following his decision last week to close enrollment for a state-funded health insurance program for immigrants under 65 as other Illinois officials highlighted that a bill is sitting on the governor’s desk that would allow the state to issue regular driver’s licenses for noncitizens.
Though not connected, the two issues took center stage as Pritzker continues to push back against criticism from Latino lawmakers and immigrant advocates that his administration’s decision on the health insurance program was “immoral and fiscally shortsighted.” Pritzker has defended the move because program costs are skyrocketing.
But protesters gathered at the Federal Plaza downtown for a “die-in,” in which they hammered Pritzker and carried signs in both English and Spanish declaring health care as a human right.
“I’m enraged that instead of getting to celebrate the lives that have lived and thrived under this program, we have to give our office of the governor the visual that they will react to, which is the lives that will die,” said Graciela Guzman, a former campaign director for Healthy Illinois, a coalition of pro-immigrant and health care advocates. “I’m here to remind you together in unity we can continue to make this push and we need to.” […]
When asked whether the governor plans to sign the driver’s license bill into law and if that would ease any criticism he’s received for his handling for the health care program, a Pritzker spokesman said the governor “looks forward to reviewing the bill.” The spokesman highlighted the administration’s support of immigrants and refugees, which he said includes “cash assistance, housing and utility assistance, employment and job training services, and health care education.”
Giannoulias’ office clarified that their presser was planned a couple of weeks ago. But it ran smack dab into the controversy.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration announced the coming changes on Friday. According to a news release from the state’s Department of Healthcare and Family Services, highlights include:
• A “temporary” enrollment pause. When the new fiscal year begins July 1, new eligible residents ages 42 to 64 won’t be able to sign up.
• The state will cap at 16,500 the number of seniors who can enroll.
• Everyone enrolled will have to start paying copays of $100 to $250 for hospital visits that are not eligible for matching federal reimbursement.
Those are qualifiers that Tovia Siegel, director of the Healthy Illinois Campaign, said are rooted in bias and were made without consultation of advocates.
“There’s concerns about people who don’t know this program exists and will show up at the hospital needing cancer care or other acute care and would have been eligible for coverage and now won’t be,” Siegel said. “There’s certainly confusion and fear now and there’s also trepidation about what hasn’t happened yet that we expect to happen when a program that we’ve had for years now is suddenly closed down.”
Siegel said the copays will be too expensive for a population that by definition is low-income, and that the enrollment cap leaves little room for more seniors to join.
The argument that it’s all about cost saving is nonsense, Siegel said, because in the long run access to preventative health care saves money. She believes something else is at play.
“The narrative around not being able to spend money on health care — and especially health care for the state’s most vulnerable — does come from a place of anti-immigrant sentiment and believing some people are more worthy of health care than others,” Siegel said.
The emergency rules will now be considered by the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, a bipartisan 12-member group of lawmakers from both chambers of the General Assembly. The rules will remain in place for 150 days, although HB 1298 allows the administration to refile an identical rule after that time.
JCAR could vote by a two-thirds majority to suspend the rules. It could also object to them, leaving them in place while requesting a response from the administration. But nothing in law requires JCAR to act on the rules, in which case they would remain in place.
Advocates hailed the 2020 launch of the HBIS program as setting a “national precedent” for providing health care for immigrant seniors regardless of their legal residency status.
But it far outpaced the initial estimate of $2 million annually that was cited by its House sponsor at the time, Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Chicago, who has since moved on to Congress.
“We have to protect something so fundamental to our humanity as providing health care coverage to people, regardless of documentation status,” Ramirez said in a statement after the governor announced the changes. “It’s extremely disappointing to hear that the state administration has decided to stop immigrants from accessing life-saving health insurance under the pretense that it costs too much, especially since the alleged costs of the program are in question.”
Illinois will become the first state to provide Medicaid for undocumented seniors not only because of what state Rep. Delia Ramirez has heard from her constituents, but because of her own family’s experience.
Tucked in near the end of the 465-page budget implementation bill that passed the Illinois General Assembly late Saturday night was a provision giving Medicaid access to noncitizens over 65 years old and whose income is $12,670 or less, which is at or under the federal poverty level. […]
The expansion was a big win for the Legislative Latino Caucus, which Ramirez took lead on the effort through the health and human services working group leading up to the special session. She said the coverage will save the state money in the long run, costing about $2 million, which in her opinion, “is nothing to a $2 billion Medicaid bill.”
Grassroots campaigns are utilizing social media platforms to spread the message to enroll online through the Department of Illinois Human Services.
“It’s not that terribly difficult [to enroll in the program]. But certainly, if we’re talking about large numbers of people coming in all at once, that might be a challenge,” Executive Director at East Central Illinois Refugee Center Lisa Wilson said.” This is all coming down pretty fast and furious.”
I heard anecdotally today that the sign-up app was overwhelmed ahead of the cutoff deadline.
* Tribune | Criticism continues against Gov. Pritzker’s move closing health care enrollment for immigrants: Backlash continued to rain down on Gov. J.B. Pritzker Wednesday following his decision last week to close enrollment for a state-funded health insurance program for immigrants under 65 as other Illinois officials highlighted that a bill is sitting on the governor’s desk that would allow the state to issue regular driver’s licenses for noncitizens. Though not connected, the two issues took center stage as Pritzker continues to push back against criticism from Latino lawmakers and immigrant advocates that his administration’s decision on the health insurance program was “immoral and fiscally shortsighted.” Pritzker has defended the move because program costs are skyrocketing.
* SJ-R | Contract negotiations between AFSCME, governor’s office ongoing: The end of June marks both the last day of Fiscal Year 2023 and the state’s four-year contract with Council 31 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union, the state’s largest union for public service workers. Republicans in Springfield, however, have asserted the newly passed $50.4 state budget does not account for those expenses.
* WCIS | Potential CO2 pipeline in Central Illinois faces local pushback: But local property owners and residents have concerns that the pipeline could affect their community and have tried to block the process until their questions are answered. Navigator Co2 Ventures is looking to construct a pipeline that would stretch to five states, including Illinois. It would create thousands of jobs, bring in $47 million dollars of funding to Sangamon County over 30 years, and lower CO2 levels. But residents aren’t sold on the project.
* WIFR | Walmart brings good news to Belvidere: - With the future of the Stellantis automotive plant uncertain, Belvidere received good news Tuesday, as the world’s largest retailer announced plans to break ground on a $1.2 billion distribution hub later this year.
* Crain’s | Chicago now averages nearly one mass shooting a week: In the last year — from Jan. 19, 2022, to June 18, 2023 — there were 42 reported mass-shooting incidents, the lab found. Bad as that is, it represents a slight improvement from a total of 98 over the last two years, and 150 over the last three years. The latter averages out to 50 times in each 52-week year.
* WTTW | 2 More Chicago Public Schools Vote to Remove Resource Officers From Their Buildings: According to CPS officials, two high schools have voted to remove one or more of their school resource officers ahead of a Board of Education vote on a one-year contract renewal with the Chicago Police Department that otherwise will largely remain the same as this past year’s deal.
* Telegraph | IDOT announces Illinois 255 project: Illinois will spend $15.2 million to resurface 10 miles of Illinois 255 between Seminar Road in Alton and Illinois 143 in Roxana. The project was the only Metro East work cited in the bid letting announcement. A schedule for the work was not announced.
* Sun-Times | Vintage business signs could be saved under proposed ordinance: The proposal is aimed at protecting Chicago’s most iconic “vintage signs,” such as the Grace’s Furniture sign in Logan Square. It also would create legal protection for murals that some businesses use to tout their product.
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