False alarm
Tuesday, Mar 3, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
A patient being treated at the University of Chicago Medical Center for a suspected coronavirus case has tested negative for the virus, hospital officials said Tuesday night. That leaves a total of four reported COVID-19 cases in Illinois.
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Cannabis roundup
Tuesday, Mar 3, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
Regulators say state law bars the release of almost all the information businesses have to submit to get lucrative licenses to grow or sell cannabis.
As a result, the public can’t see records that could show whether pot businesses have questionable funding sources or ties to unsavory people. That’s proven problematic in another state-regulated industry — gambling, where revelations of reputed mob ties have sent officials scrambling.
Concerns about a lack of transparency came up last year before the passage of the law that legalized recreational pot. Sponsors Sen. Heather Steans and Rep. Kelly Cassidy vowed to “make ownership data completely accessible.” Despite that pledge, their bill passed with a confidentiality provision that the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation recently cited in denying the Tribune’s open records requests for applications and ownership information about marijuana dispensaries. […]
Both Pritzker’s office and legislators are promising changes that would allow more disclosure of pot industry ownership, though they did not offer specifics. […]
Pam Althoff, executive director of the Cannabis Business Association of Illinois, said the owners of pot enterprises remain concerned about being identified, given that marijuana is still illegal under federal law.
Most other states already post this information. Get it done.
* I still can’t quite believe that Effingham, in the heart of the Eastern Bloc, went ahead with it…
With security in place and a celebratory atmosphere inside, Effingham’s Rise operation, formerly known as The Clinic Effingham, opened their doors Saturday morning for the city’s first day of adult-use cannabis sales.
It may be time for a fact-finding mission, perhaps including a stop at the Firefly Grill.
* Press release…
Community activists with the Cannabis Equity Illinois Coalition announced today that they have signed a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) with Nature’s Care Company, LLC (“Nature’s Care Company”), a cannabis operator seeking approval from the City of Chicago to open a new dispensary in the West Loop.
The CBA is a legally enforceable agreement designed to ensure that the economic success of the dispensary is linked with economic benefits for the communities most disproportionately harmed by the War on Drugs. Among other provisions in the CBA, Nature’s Care Company has committed to:
Provide 100% living wage jobs for disproportionately impacted individuals
Hire 75% of employees from disproportionately impacted areas (“DIAs”) within two years
Donate 10% of net profits of the dispensary to community organizations working in DIAs
Contract 10% of products and services from minority and social equity businesses
Create a training and career development program for employees
Host “know-your-rights” educational events and participate in National Expungement Week
“This is a milestone moment for racial justice in the story of Illinois’ cannabis legalization,” said Doug Kelly, President of the Cannabis Equity Illinois Coalition. “Nature’s Care Company is leading the way for Chicago’s new fleet of adult-use dispensaries. Their customers in the West Loop will greatly benefit from their commitment and their dollars will directly help address the historic wrongs of our cannabis laws, instead of reproducing them.”
Charles Amadin, General Manager of Nature’s Care Company, said: “We recognize the critical role we must play to help support under-served communities and citizens in Chicago. Signing this CBA is our way of saying we won’t just pay lip service to that responsibility. We applaud the Cannabis Equity Illinois Coalition for driving this initiative.”
The Cannabis Equity Illinois Coalition has pledged to support only those dispensaries that sign a CBA as they seek the City’s approval to open a plus-one location to sell recreational cannabis. This Friday, Nature’s Care Company and seven other dispensaries seeking approval of their plus-one locations will appear at City Hall before the Zoning Board of Appeals, which has the power to grant them the special use permit that is required to open a state-licensed cannabis business. The coalition will attend the hearing and express its support for CBA partner dispensaries like Nature’s Care Company.
* Related…
* Weed war: Pot firms race to get city OK for 7 potential dispensaries — but only 3 will ever open
* Two groups — one in favor of Naperville marijuana sales and the other against — spending thousands in campaigns for referendum votes
* Frustrated with shortages, medical marijuana patients begin growing their own at home
* Cresco Labs co-founder Caltabiano resigns: Cannabis companies that were once seen as risky by corporate executives are beginning to attract seasoned talent. Cresco recently promoted Greg Butler, a former marketing executive at Molson Coors, to chief commercial officer. GTI recently hired Julie Knudson, former chief human resources officer at GGP, and Beth Burk, general counsel, who was chief compliance officer at Aon.
* More options for recreational marijuana buyers in the metro-east
* McDonough County may approve cannabis sales tax
* SIU symposium to look at legal impact of Illinois’ recreational marijuana law
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It’s just a bill
Tuesday, Mar 3, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sun-Times editorial…
Should anybody need further evidence that an infectious, potentially deadly disease can spread like wildfire, look no further than the coronavirus.
The global outbreak of this highly contagious virus should put anti-vaxxers — science-denying parents who refuse to allow their children to be vaccinated — to shame. […]
Religious exemptions from an Illinois law requiring vaccinations are soaring in number. From 2016 through 2019, according to data from the Illinois State Board of Education, measles vaccination exemptions rose from 15,652 to 19,169, polio exemptions rose from 15,130 to 18,690, and chickenpox exemptions rose from 16,050 to 20,244.
We support legislation, introduced by State Sen. Heather Steans, D-Chicago, to eliminate all religious exemptions to vaccinations, as called for by the American Academy of Pediatrics. No one parent’s religious convictions — or anti-science militancy masquerading as religious conviction — should be allowed to put somebody else’s child in harm’s way.
* In this case, it’s not even a bill yet. From Capitol News Illinois…
Several statewide law enforcement organizations said Monday they will strongly oppose efforts to eliminate cash bail in Illinois, one of Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker’s top priorities.
“We’re here to say we cannot, and unequivocally do not, support efforts being discussed to eliminate cash bail,” Jim Kaitschuk, executive director of the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association, said during a news conference. “This is not the way to make the criminal justice system more equitable. It is not the way to make our communities safer.”
Kaitschuk and several other law enforcement leaders announced they had formed a new organization, Coalition for Public Safety. Its members include the Sheriffs’ Association, the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police, Illinois Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council, Chicago Lodge 7 Fraternal Order of Police, Illinois Police Benevolent and Protective Association, and the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police. […]
But McDonough County Sheriff Nicholas Petitgout said bail is also an effective way to ensure someone will make their court appearances. Since the 2017 reforms went into effect, he said, the number of warrants issued in his western Illinois county has more than doubled, from fewer than 1,000 per year before the change in law to more than 2,000 per year.
I asked Jordan Abudayyeh for a response…
The governor believes the cash bail system for low and moderate risk defendants is broken and the socioeconomic barriers to justice need to be addressed. The administration welcomes questions and scrutiny in how we approach this problem, but we are committed to fixing it. From his first days in office Gov. Pritzker has worked to bring stakeholders and lawmakers together to address problems. We look forward to working with people who want to be at the table to negotiate a solution that makes our criminal justice system and communities safe, equitable and fair.
Annie Thompson at the attorney general’s office…
Attorney General Raoul has previously called for ending wealth discrimination in setting bail and will continue to work with stakeholders to evaluate reforms that ensure pretrial justice and public safety. As part of those efforts, the Attorney General’s office participates in the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Pretrial Practices, which is working to minimize the effects of monetary conditions of release in the criminal justice system while also maximizing appropriate release and ensuring court appearances.
* Media advisory…
State Senator Michael E. Hastings (D-Tinley Park) will partner with Southwest Airlines employees to hold a press conference advocating for the expansion of sick leave for airline employees Wednesday.
Hastings will be joined by Corliss King, a flight attendant for Southwest, who was affected by this in 2017 after her husband was diagnosed with end-stage renal disease. He was hospitalized several times and received various surgeries that left him in need of care. Corliss was able to use her own accrued sick time to help care for her husband and children until 2017, when a law was passed that removed coverage for airline employees.
The bill is here.
* WCIA TV…
Lawmakers are looking to give back to some first responders. State Senators Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington) and Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) are sponsoring new legislation to help volunteer firefighters and EMTs with expenses.
Senate Bill 3224 provides a $500 tax credit for qualifying first responders when they file state income tax. Since it’s a credit and not a deduction, it will decrease the amount of taxes owed or increase potential refunds.
* Related…
* Gun-owner lobby tracking 254 bills in Illinois: “We’re tracking 254 bills right now, so some are pro-gun, some are anti-gun,” Pearson said. “Most are anti-gun.”
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* From Carolyn Schofield…
The Illinois Legislative Inspector General, Carol Pope has substantiated recent ethics violation claims filed against Representative Allen Skillicorn charged with falsifying his attendance and voting record in Springfield while campaigning in Harvard, Illinois for another office on the same day;
“My investigation substantiated allegations that Representative Skillicorn was not present when the quorum roll call vote was taken at 12:15 p.m. on June 1, 2019, nor was he present for any of the votes that he was recorded as voting on prior to 3:00 p.m. Representative Skillicorn filed a letter to correct the record with the Clerk of the House.”
“I interviewed 11 people during the course of my investigation, including Clerk’s Office personnel, staff members, and several members of the General Assembly.”
“Apparently it is common practice for members to ask a seatmate or staffer to vote their switch if they need to step out and use the bathroom, or meet with leadership or talk to a constituent. It is not accepted practice for a member to ask someone to vote their switch when they are out of town, nor is it appropriate for a staffer or seatmate to take it upon themselves to vote another member’s switch when they are out of town and absent from the session.”
The LIG also indicated that no legislators were paid for the overtime session held on June 1st, 2019, at the direction of Speaker Mike Madigan. A suggestion will be made to Leadership that written protocol be put in place as some members, despite the existing set of Rules that govern the House, have not familiarized themselves with proper procedures.
Skillicorn is being challenged for his 66th District House seat by McHenry County Board Member Carolyn Schofield in the March primary.
I’ve reached out to Skillicorn for comment.
…Adding… The letter from LIG Pope…
Ms. Schofield—I wanted to update you on the status of my investigation into your complaint relating to Representative Skillicorn. My investigation substantiated your allegations that Representative Skillicorn was not present when the quorum roll call vote was taken at 12:15 p.m. on June 1, 2019, nor was he present for any of the votes that he was recorded as voting on prior to 3:00 p.m. Representative Skillicorn filed a letter to correct the record with the Clerk of the House. You can find it on pages 5-6 of the House Journal for June 1, 2019. Here is a link to the Journal:
http://www.ilga.gov/house/journals/101/2019/HJ101063R.pdf
I found no evidence that Representative Skillicorn authorized anyone to operate his switch in his absence. I interviewed 11 people during the course of my investigation, including Clerk’s Office personnel, staff members, and several members of the General Assembly. Apparently it is common practice for members to ask a seatmate or staffer to vote their switch if they need to step out and use the bathroom, or meet with leadership or talk to a constituent. It is not accepted practice for a member to ask someone to vote their switch when they are out of town, nor is it appropriate for a staffer or seatmate to take it upon themselves to vote another member’s switch when they are out of town and absent from the session. I will be suggesting to Leadership that a written protocol be put together and given to members and staff so there is no question about the procedures to be followed when a member is going to be absent. There is a set of Rules that govern the House, however, I am not sure how many members have totally familiarized themselves with the particulars of those rules. Some members could relate to me the procedures that should be followed if they are going to be absent, but some members indicated they did not know what procedures to follow if absent.
I found no evidence of malicious intent with regard to the operation of Representative Skillicorn’s switch.
No per diem was paid to any member of the House for June 1, 2019, per order of the Speaker.
Thank you for bringing this situation to my attention. I am hopeful that a written protocol provided to every member and his or her staff will prevent such a situation from reoccurring. I have closed my investigation into this matter.
Sincerely,
Carol Pope
Legislative Inspector General
State of Illinois
*** UPDATE *** Rep. Skillicorn…
I agree with everything in Legislative Inspector General Carol Pope’s findings. Clearly, mistakes were made here. I corrected the official record of the House to reflect the fact that I was not present in the chamber on June 1, 2019 during the few initial votes that were taken that day.
I strongly support LIG Carol Pope’s recommendation for a written protocol to ensure that this does not happen again. As she noted, she “found no evidence of malicious intent with regard to the operation of Representative Skillicorn’s switch.”
Indeed, there was no malice. It was mistake and we as a legislative body should clearly define what the protocol should be so that the rules are clear and mistakes like this will not be made.
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* Click here to read it for yourself.
* Meanwhile, John Bambenek recently paid $65 to troll local Democratic candidate Emily Rodriguez…
Set aside the prank for a moment. That’s just a bad video all around and… what the heck is on Rod’s face? This is the clearest evidence yet that you should not be paying him for one of his goofy videos.
* Anyway, a Rodriguez ally actually filed a complaint with the Board of Elections claiming there should be a “paid for by” on Bambenek’s silly tweet. Click here to read it. That’s kinda weird because Bambenek isn’t running for anything and currently has no active candidate committee. It’s paid for, in other words, by Bambenek himself.
Mark Maxwell…
The complaint, dated March 2nd, alleges that Bambenek has supported Rosales in his primary challenge, and that he should have included a “paid for by” disclaimer in the video he posted to his 35,000 Twitter followers.
As chairman of the County Board, Rosales, a Democrat, has an obligation to appoint someone to fill the vacant Treasurer position. Bambenek, a Republican, has expressed interest in running for that seat in November. Bambenek claims he did not coordinate the gag with Rosales, and that the $65 expense is below the reporting threshold. He also argues the satire is protected under his right to exercise political speech, and does not consider the video an ‘in-kind contribution’ to the Rosales campaign.
If the expense were to be filed with the State Board of Elections, it would not appear until the next reporting period, which is after the primary will have concluded.
Even if it was an in-kind contribution, Rosales has no campaign committee. Bambenek couldn’t file an A-1 even if he wanted to.
* From Bambenek’s response…
In fact, until about the time of filing this complaint, [Emily Rodriguez’s] own twitter profile stated something of the form “once described as a gussied up Blago”. It has since been deleted.
Yep.
* Since she was the object of ridicule, Rodriguez will get the last word…
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Question of the day
Tuesday, Mar 3, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* He’s been saying this all along…
With the Illinios primary two weeks away and as voters in “Super Tuesday” states were going to the polls, Gov. JB Pritzker today remained neutral in the Democratic race for president.
“I’m for the Democrat,” he told reporters following an agricultural legislative day event at the Illinois State Library. “I don’t know who’s going to win Illinois. I don’t know who’s going to win the nomination. But I know one thing: (President) Donald Trump’s got to go. You can see it in the way that some of the challenges around the coronavirus are being handled. The administration has done a terrible job, in my opinion, of really helping states with the challenges they face.”
* Meanwhile…
[Sheila Nix], the president of Tusk Philanthropies, said the Biden Illinois team hit the phones to leverage the new Biden boom, making another round of calls to uncommitted Illinois elected officials and to donors.
Notice the campaign didn’t call actual voters. Biden has zero ground game here, or pretty much anywhere, for that matter. He’s got his name and a few new dollars and some intense media exposure since South Carolina. Other than that, not much.
Nix, by the way, was hired as one of Rod Blagojevich’s deputy governors after Bradley Tusk quit. She then became Jill Biden’s chief of staff before going to work for Tusk, who is a Bloomberg guy.
…Adding… Advisory…
Tuesday, March 10
12:30 p.m. Bernie 2020 Rockford Rally with Sen. Bernie Sanders
Coronado Performing Arts Center, 314 N Main St, Rockford, IL 61101
Information for the public: This event is free and open to the public. Tickets are not required, but an RSVP is encouraged. Entrance is provided on a first come, first served basis. Doors open at 11:00 a.m.
* The Question: Who are you supporting for president? Make sure to explain your response and don’t start arguments with anyone else. Their opinion is their opinion. Yours is yours. Keep it that way or find yourself deleted and possibly banned. Thanks.
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COVID-19 updates
Tuesday, Mar 3, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Not good and probably more to come if this trend continues…
An annual trade show that brings close to 60,000 visitors to McCormick Place each year has canceled its event there this month, citing concerns about the spread of the coronavirus.
The International Housewares Association today announced it will not hold its four-day Inspired Home Show, which was scheduled for March 14-17 at the Near South Side convention center.
The Rosemont-based trade group becomes the first to cancel an event at McCormick Place amid the recent outbreak of the virus, which has set off unrest among many companies unsure of how its spread will impact their operations.
The cancelation deals a blow to the convention center and especially downtown hotels, which lose more than 47,000 room nights tied to the event.
* Sun-Times
The University of Chicago Medical Center admitted a patient Monday that is suspected of having coronavirus.
If the case is confirmed, the patient would be the fifth person in the Chicago area to have contracted the disease.
“UChicago Medicine has been preparing for this eventuality since COVID-19 became a global health concern in January,” hospital officials said in an email to faculty, staff, students and residents. “Senior hospital leadership and leaders from our infectious diseases and infection prevention teams, along with other expert clinicians, are working closely with local, state and federal health officials and continue to apply up to date recommended guidelines.”
* Sun-Times…
Chicago election officials urged voters worried about contracting coronavirus to vote by mail instead of trekking to a voting location as early voting expands countywide. […]
Despite the virus, both the city, and the county, are surging ahead with their early voting plans. Voting sites will have hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes at voting sites.
* Let’s hope this doesn’t happen here…
[Iran’s] head of Parliament said that nearly two dozen lawmakers had tested positive and should avoid meeting with members of the public, the authorities announced on Tuesday.
* Is it starting to weaken in China?…
Mushrooming outbreaks in the Mideast, Europe and South Korea contrasted with optimism in China, where thousands of recovered patients were going home. Virus clusters in the United States led schools and subways to sanitize, quickened the search for a vaccine and spread fears of vulnerability among nursing home residents. […]
In China, the count of new virus cases dropped again Tuesday, with just 125 new cases after a six-week low of 202 a day earlier. It’s still by far the hardest-hit country, with 80,151 cases and 2,943 deaths. The virus has been detected in at least 70 countries with 90,000 cases and 3,100 deaths.
China’s ambassador to the United Nations said the country was winning its battle against COVID-19.
“We are not far from the coming of the victory,” said Zhang Jun.
Then again, China is not a reliable source. Click here for more on that topic.
* Some bad news and some not so bad news…
World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Tuesday that data has shown the new coronavirus disease to be considerably deadlier than the usual seasonal flu, but he added that it also appears to spread less easily.
Crucially, Tedros also said it did not appear that the new COVID-19 disease was spread readily by infected individuals who are not experiencing symptoms themselves. That news came after days of experts warning that many thousands of cases could essentially be hidden around the world, spread quietly by infected people with either mild symptoms or no symptoms at all.
Tedros said about 3.4% of confirmed COVID-19 cases have died globally, a huge increase in previous estimates which have ranged between 1-2%. Generally the seasonal flu kills less than 1% of those infected, Tedros said by way of comparison.
* Related…
* 286 Illinoisans being monitored for coronavirus, but Pritzker says risk to public remains low - Gov. J. B. Pritzker also visited Chicago’s Chinatown on Monday to help support businesses; neighborhood merchants say they’ve seen a drop in customers since the coronavirus outbreak began.
* China’s aggressive measures have slowed the coronavirus. They may not work in other countries
* Trump asked pharmaceutical execs if the flu vaccine could be used to stop coronavirus. Here’s why that wouldn’t work.
* Twitter tells all of its employees to work at home because of coronavirus
* Homeland Security facility in Washington state closes after employee visited nursing home affected by coronavirus outbreak
* ‘We are in uncharted territory,’ World Health Organization says, as coronavirus shifts west toward US, Europe: In the capital of Seoul, drive-thru virus testing centers began operating, with workers dressed head-to-toe in white protective suits leaning into cars with mouth swabs, a move meant to limit contact with possible carriers of the illness. Troops were also dispatched across the city to spray streets and alleys with disinfectant.
* Coronavirus Confusion: Miami Woman Allegedly Denied Proper Testing: In what may be the first case of coronavirus in South Florida, a woman who recently returned home from Italy says she was told by doctors at Jackson Memorial Hospital that she “likely” has COVID-19, but that they are unable to verify it because state and federal officials refused to conduct the necessary tests to confirm it.
* Field Museum, Art Institute enact COVID-19 travel bans for staff
* Stadiums, arenas sit empty as coronavirus spreads
* Surfaces? Sneezes? Sex? Here’s how the coronavirus can and cannot spread.
* Which virus is deadlier? Comparing the coronavirus with the seasonal flu
* Outbreak Strikes Seattle Area as Testing Is Scrutinized
* Tim Cook and Apple Bet Everything on China. Then Coronavirus Hit. Quarantines, tariffs and slumping sales have caused agitation about the company’s strategy of assembling most of its products there
* Wuhan shake: People in China developing new ways to greet each other amid coronavirus fears - Foot-to-foot greeting comes as health officials discourage close contact around globe
* Aurora area schools working to ‘closely monitor’ coronavirus outbreak
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* Paul Simon Public Policy Institute…
Two-thirds (65 percent) of respondents said they favored a constitutional change “to allow a graduated income tax—that is, tax rates would be lower for lower-income taxpayers and higher for upper-income taxpayers.” Support was robust, with 44 percent strongly favoring and 21 percent somewhat favoring the proposal. About a third (32 percent) opposed the proposal, 24 percent strongly and 8 percent somewhat opposed.
Support for the graduated income tax proposal reached majority levels in all three of the major geographic breakdowns in Illinois: 73 percent in favor in the City of Chicago, 68 percent favorable in the Chicago suburbs and 55 percent favorable downstate. Partisan differences were more stark with 83 percent of Democrats favoring the graduated tax system, compared with only half that level of support among Republicans (41 percent). Roughly six in ten (59 percent) Independents favor the graduated tax. […]
A bare majority (51 percent) favored a constitutional amendment that would allow a reduction in retirement benefits earned in the future by state workers. About a quarter (24 percent) strongly favored, and 27 percent somewhat favored a proposal that “would preserve state retirement benefits already earned by public employees, but would also allow a reduction in the benefits earned in the future, whether by current or future employees.” More than a third (37 percent) opposed the proposal.
The pension-reduction question received majority support in Chicago (55 percent) and its suburbs (51 percent), and plurality support Downstate (48 percent). The variation occurs among partisan groups: below a majority among Democrats (48 percent) and independents (47 percent), with much more enthusiasm among Republicans (61 percent favor).
1,000 voters, MoE of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, mobile phone users were 60 percent of those polled. We’ve discussed some problems with this poll before. A big one is the sample was 56 percent male and 44 percent female. Another is that Chicago is underrepresented and the poll skewed older.
* Questions…
Some people have proposed an amendment to the Illinois Constitution that would preserve state retirement benefits already earned by public employees, but would also allow a reduction in the benefits earned in the future, whether by current or future employees?
Favor 51%
Strongly favor 24%
Somewhat favor 27%
Oppose 37%
Somewhat oppose 17%
Strongly oppose 20%
Other/don’t know 12%
Would you favor or oppose a proposal to change the Illinois Constitution to allow a graduated income tax – that is, tax rates would be lower for lower-income taxpayers and higher for upper-income taxpayers?
Favor 65%
Strongly favor 44%
Somewhat favor 21%
Oppose 32%
Somewhat oppose 8%
Strongly oppose 24%
Other/don’t know 3%
Low levels of undecideds on the tax question and high numbers of “strongly favor.”
We’ll get to some of the other questions later today.
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It always helps to have friends
Tuesday, Mar 3, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* ProPublica Illinois’ Jason Grotto…
Andrew Rubenstein rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange last November, then pumped his fist and cheered. He had much to celebrate. In a decade, the company he founded and led, Illinois-based Accel Entertainment, had grown from a tiny startup into the largest video gambling operator in the nation. Accel had also become the country’s first video gambling operator to be publicly traded. With the backing of investors, Accel now hopes to bring video gambling to other cash-strapped states hungry for new sources of revenue.
Few would have predicted Rubenstein’s fledgling enterprise to emerge as the industry leader in 2009, when Illinois legalized video gambling outside of casinos. He had no experience in the gambling business and no apparent ties to companies that, before legalization, had provided bars and restaurants with “gray” machines, simulated video slots and poker devices that were legal but widely known to be used for illegal gambling.
Rubenstein, according to the company, used a combination of savvy hires, well-timed acquisitions of other operators and infusions of capital from family, friends and private equity firms to catapult Accel to the top of the heap.
But records obtained by ProPublica Illinois, as well as interviews with current and former Accel employees who asked to remain anonymous, reveal that Rubenstein and his company also took advantage of connections at the Illinois Gaming Board. They did so using an unusual degree of access to a key board attorney during video gambling’s earliest days, when regulations were being drafted and the competition to lock up gambling locations was at its fiercest.
In addition, the company obtained internal gaming board documents about its competitors and benefited from board decisions that made it more difficult for other operators to gain a foothold in Illinois’ video gambling market.
The gaming board lawyer, Bill Bogot, was a childhood friend of Rubenstein’s. He met with Rubenstein regularly and used two private email accounts to correspond with him, answering legal questions and helping the company when it ran into snags with other regulators, according to the emails and interviews. […]
Similarly, industry insiders say the confidential documents in Accel’s possession would have given it an advantage in building its business. It’s also illegal for gaming board staff to release “protected personal information” to third parties; gaming board officials said they would investigate the leaked confidential documents and, if appropriate, forward any findings to other authorities.
“The IGB takes these allegations very seriously and will not tolerate unethical or illegal conduct of any kind,” said Marcus Fruchter, a former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement lawyer appointed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker in May 2019 to run the gaming board.
Bogot said in an interview that he would have given any other video gambling operator the same information he provided to Rubenstein in the emails.
How many times were we told that the Illinois Gaming Board Chairman was running a super-tight ship? The Tribune editorial board was solidly behind him, and yet we keep seeing these sorts of stories emerge years later.
* Also, this…
Bogot left the board in July 2013 and not long after went to work for Donna More, Accel’s gaming attorney. More was the gaming board’s first general counsel and is currently running in the Democratic primary for Cook County state’s attorney.
And was endorsed by the Tribune, of course.
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Putting The United Back In United States
Tuesday, Mar 3, 2020 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
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He’s a Leader: Mike led efforts to bring New York City back from the 2001 terror attacks and the 2008 financial crisis, and prepared the city against numerous crises such as hurricanes and possible pandemics including Swine Flu and West Nile Virus. He’d do the same in the face of the Coronavirus outbreak.
Mike Can’t Be Bought: He is self-funding this campaign and no special interests will influence him.
No other candidate has done more and no one has made proposals that go as far as Mike does for Black America, Women’s rights, the Latino community, LGBTQ+, Labor, Education, Climate Change, Science and much more.
Watch “Mike’s Story,” here.
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Media feud escalates
Tuesday, Mar 3, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Brett Rowland and Dan McCaleb at The Center Square…
The office of Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker asked the editor of a west-central Illinois newspaper in February to unpublish a news story by The Center Square about the governor’s plans to cut spending if voters don’t pass a progressive income tax in November.
In an email to the editor of The Jacksonville Journal-Courier, a spokeswoman for the governor said the article was “flawed” and lacked context.
“This ‘article’ is filled with mischaracterizations and devoid of any context in which the Governor talked about the budget challenges the state faces and how, as he said and is not reported, the state will have to manage through them,” spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh wrote in the Feb. 10 email. “Ultimately, it would be prudent to take down this partisan content masquerading as news.”
A nearly 2-minute video that accompanies the same story on The Center Square’s website shows Pritzker saying what he is quoted as saying in the story. The governor’s office did not alert The Center Square to any errors in the Feb. 7 article, headlined “If voters reject progressive income tax, Pritzker promises to cut state spending,” and no corrections were published.
“We have a clear corrections policy. The Center Square story in question is accurate – both factually and contextually – and the Jacksonville Journal-Courier, which refused to comply with this outrageous request, agrees with us,” Chris Krug – publisher of The Center Square, the national nonprofit, nonpartisan newswire – said Monday. “It’s shameful that Gov. Pritzker and his office would attempt to bully a news media outlet into unpublishing a factual news story – for any reason.”
David Bauer, editor and publisher of the Jacksonville Journal-Courier, has been out of the office and unavailable for comment.
The Center Square obtained the email through a request under the state’s open records laws. At least three other news outlets also published The Center Square story.
In the email to the Jacksonville Journal-Courier, Abudayyeh called The Center Square’s reporting partisan and included a link to a Columbia Journalism Review article that does not mention the nonprofit news organization.
“The governor’s office attempted to mislead an Illinois news outlet by linking to a story that is not about The Center Square,” Krug said. “Media has a responsibility to accurately report the news. This is a blatant attempt to censor the news. The governor has no business policing media for stories with which he disagrees. He owes our team an apology.”
Abudayyeh, who previously worked as a reporter for WICS TV in Springfield, did not respond to a request for comment about her email to the Jacksonville newspaper.
Pritzker has made changing the state’s constitution to allow for a progressive income tax the cornerstone of his first term in office. His $42 billion fiscal 2021 budget proposal includes $1.4 billion in new revenue from a proposed progressive income tax that voters won’t decide on until November.
The Center Square covers state government and statewide issues in Illinois and 24 other states with a focus on government taxing, spending and regulatory issues. It allows other news media outlets to republish its stories.
Sam Fisher, president and CEO of the Illinois Press Association, whose organization operates the Illinois First Amendment Center, declined to comment.
Bill Lueders, president of the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council, said the governor’s office did nothing illegal but said it smacked of “intimidation.”
“The governor’s office is probably within its right to make this request but it does smack of intimidation for the governor’s office to presume to tell a news outlet what it should and should not publish,” Lueders, who also is editor of Progressive magazine, said. “But the ultimate decision is with the news outlet. I think journalists often get blowback from politicians and they need to defend their rights to publish what they want to publish. I’m glad that the newspaper, in this case, didn’t give in to it.”
Pritzker’s office’s attempt to kill a news story is not the first time staff of a sitting U.S. governor has attempted to have a Center Square story unpublished.
In September, the office of Colorado Gov. Jared Polis asked editors of two Colorado newspapers to unpublish a news story by The Center Square that raised the question of the cost of a new office Polis created and included a comment from a Senate GOP spokesperson criticizing the fact it was the third new office created this year. Both Colorado newspapers also refused to comply with the request.
I remember that story because I specifically decided not to post it here. It seemed to be lacking context, but that’s just me. In retrospect, what I probably should’ve done was posted the story and made fun of the liberal governor for warning about 15 percent budget cuts that everybody knows he’ll never willingly make.
The Pritzker administration does not respond to any inquiries from Center Square reporters, but the governor does take questions from them at press conferences.
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Support The Healthy Youth Act
Tuesday, Mar 3, 2020 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
The Healthy Youth Act builds upon the current requirement that instruction be medically accurate, developmentally and age appropriate to include instruction that is also culturally and linguistically appropriate and adapted for students with disabilities and non-English speaking students for grades K-12.
It also removes outdated, stigmatizing language and updates the current 6-12 standards for health and sexual health education courses by including information on healthy relationships and decision making; STIs including HIV; puberty, growth, and adolescent development; gender identity, gender expression; and sexual orientation; personal safety; and pregnancy and reproduction.
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* From a reader…
Hi Rich,
I live in the 13th Ward and I got the attached letter at my door today from someone named “Steven Hensley” recommending I support Dan Lipinski for Congress and others.
I googled the name Steven Hensley and found this article from the Tribune. I don’t think it’s right that someone who is tied up in this stuff should be trying to influence me and my neighbors’ votes.
I don’t want to be involved or have my name associated with any of this, but I think people need to know.
Thanks
Must be a transplant.
* From the linked article…
House Speaker Michael Madigan swayed the University of Illinois to admit the relatives of public officials, political allies and donors who contributed $115,200 to campaign funds he controls, a Tribune investigation has found. […]
Madigan also sponsored a relative of Steven Hensley, a Madigan campaign contributor and circulator of petitions for the speaker’s campaigns. The relative, referred to in university records as a “Madigan request,” was an alternate to get into a competitive graduate program at the Chicago campus. The applicant eventually was admitted. What’s more, the relative then received more than $32,000 in taxpayer-funded legislative scholarships from the speaker.
* The flier…
Another handout is here. My favorite part…
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Ignorance is not bliss, it’s just ignorant
Tuesday, Mar 3, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The Southern Illinoisan interviews Rep. Dave Severin (R-Benton) and his GOP primary opponent Tim Arview…
The two also have different takes on Illinois’ pension woes, caused by years of lawmakers and governors agreeing to skimp on their funding obligations. Severin said that he uses his position to advocate for the state making its required payments in annual budgets. But he said that he would not make further adjustments to benefits. He opposes a proposal to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot to tie annual cost-of-living adjustments, or COLA — currently a fixed, compounded 3% annually — to inflation.
Arview, on the other hand, said he would support efforts to tie the COLA to inflation. He also suggested the state pass legislation creating a new benefits structure for incoming employees. Arview was not familiar with legislation the General Assembly passed to do that a decade ago, creating a second tier effective for new employees hired after 2010. Given that information, Arview said he would create a third tier and cut their benefits by 2% compared to the second tier employees.
And then Arview went on to opine on his brand new idea he just came up with after being informed that he was uninformed.
*facepalm*
* Meanwhile, this is hot off the presses from the National Institute on Retirement Security…
As many small towns and rural communities across America face shrinking populations and slowing economic growth, a new report finds that one positive economic contributor to these areas is the flow of benefit dollars from public pension plans. In 2018, public pension benefit dollars represented between one and three percent of gross domestic product (GDP) on average among the 1,401 counties in 19 states studied. […]
This new report finds that public pension benefit dollars also account for significant amounts of total personal income in counties across the nineteen states studied. For all 1,401 counties in this study, pension benefit dollars represent an average of 1.37 percent of total personal income, while some counties experience more than six percent of total personal income derived from pension dollars.
The report’s key findings are as follows:
* Public pension benefit dollars represent between one and three percent of GDP on average in the 1,401 counties studied.
* Rural counties and counties with state capitals have the highest percentages of populations receiving public pension benefits.
* Small town counties experience a greater relative impact both in terms of GDP and total personal income from public pension benefit dollars than rural or metropolitan counties.
* Rural counties experience more of an impact in terms of personal income than metropolitan counties, whereas metropolitan counties experience more of an impact in terms of GDP than rural counties.
* Counties with state capitals are outliers from other metropolitan counties, likely because there is a greater density of public employees in these counties, most of whom remain in these counties in retirement.
* On average, rural counties have lost population while small town counties and metropolitan counties have gained population in the period between 2000 and 2018, but the connection between population change and the relative impact of public pension benefit dollars is weak.
The study is here.
* A couple of counties in Rep. Severin’s district with the percent of GDP represented by public pension benefit dollars…
Franklin 3.19 percent
Williamson 3.1 percent
…Adding… Meant to add this Tribune headline…
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s graduated income tax plan won’t fix Illinois’ pension problems, ratings agency says
Nobody, but nobody ever implied that the proposal would “fix” the problems.
The headline reminds me of the stories about how cannabis revenues wouldn’t cure the state’s many fiscal ills. Um, there is no single, easy cure. Those who think there is such a thing should probably get their heads checked.
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* If you’re driving down to session on Interstate 55, here’s an advisory from the Illinois State Police…
I-55 southbound at milepost 126 is shut down near Lincoln, IL. A small plane has crashed. IDOT is on scene and will be working on a detour.
Use this as an open thread, if you wish.
*** UPDATE 1 *** From the State Police…
At approximately 08:49, a small airplane crashed on I-55 at M/P 126 in Lincoln IL. The plane became fully engulfed upon impact in the middle of the interstate. Multiple Agencies on the scene to assist. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been notified and is responding. I-55 S/B traffic is being diverted at M/P 126 into Lincoln, IL by IDOT. I-55 S/B road closure is expected for an extended period of time (4-5 hours).
*** UPDATE 2 *** ISP…
I-55 S/B has been reopened officially at 14:30
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