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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Fundraiser list
Monday, Dec 4, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Monday, Dec 4, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Daily Southtown | Emails show Calumet City Mayor Thaddeus Jones prevents public employees from communicating with aldermen: First Ward Ald. Michael Navarrete sent an email Sept. 12 to set up a time to meet with Calumet City’s economic development director Donald Alesky and Valencia Williams, who works for the small business resources and assistance office. Navarrete proposed a monthly meeting with them so both parties can be better aligned on development proposals and zoning issues. […] Despite not being included in the original emails, Jones interjected and responded to Navarrete Sept. 21. “In the future, please do not send these communications to my employees,” Jones wrote in reference to the Navarrete’s messages to Alesky and Lanzito. “Further, I have instructed Don Alesky and Attorney Dominick not to meet with you and to forward all of your communications to my office for review and responses.” * Block Club | Brighton Park Tent Encampment Construction On Hold For At Least A Week: An environmental report found the site “safe for temporary residential” after remediation, but state officials must still sign off. Neighbors are suing to try to block the shelter, and a judge ordered city officials to notify neighbors of activity at the site. * Daily Herald | Republican files to take on Schneider, while Casten faces a new challenger: Oakbrook Terrace resident Mahnoor Ahmad submitted paperwork to run as a Democrat for the 6th District seat now held by Democrat Sean Casten of Downers Grove. Additionally, Lake Forest resident Jim Carris filed to run as a Republican for the 10th Congressional seat now held by Democrat Brad Schneider of Highland Park. * Tribune | Executive testifies about holding up hiring ex-Ald. Ed Burke’s law firm for Burger King tax appeals: “More or less it seemed…like we weren’t getting the type of service I was getting with (their current firm), which was speed accuracy and organization,” Wachaa testified. Wachaa also testified about getting a quick education in old school, Chicago-style bureaucracy when a colleague who ran their 150 Chicago-area Burger Kings emailed about a meeting he’d had with Burke. * Daily Herald | McHenry doesn’t want gambling parlors, but defining what those are is no sure bet: The problem, City Administrator Derik Morefield said, is defining what a gambling cafe is. “This is a whole topic we wrangled over in 2016 or 2017,” Morefield said, as McHenry tried to define what a gambling parlor looks like or develop guidelines for the city to follow. “We couldn’t come up with anything to define it,” Morefield said. * Washington Examiner | Ronny Jackson endorses Mike Bost for reelection amid primary challenge from the right: “Ronny Jackson is a true patriot who has served his country in the Trump White House, in Congress, and in the U.S. Navy,” Bost said. “Ronny and I have become great friends because we’re fighting for the same things: President Trump’s America First agenda and draining the D.C. Swamp. I am honored to have his endorsement and value his friendship.” Bost has also been endorsed by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH). * Sun-Times | New discount rate system a ‘game changer’ for Chicagoans struggling with heating bills, advocates say: The new system was approved as part of the decision that also saw regulators cut a rate hike requested by Peoples Gas from $402 million down to about $301 million. That’s still a record-high increase — which will tack on $6 to the average monthly household bill, as estimated by consumer watchdogs — but the revamped discount rates will deliver much more help to the people who need it most, advocates say. * Tribune | Mayor Brandon Johnson’s mental health plan in Chicago starts small but carries big political implications: The mayor’s answer in his first budget was far from a full response. While he cautioned supporters that reopening the clinics would take time, his budget called for restoring only two clinics and placing them in yet-to-be-determined locations. Still, by including $5.2 million to expand mental health services and $15.9 million to double staffing for the city’s team of behavioral health professionals who respond to mental health and substance abuse crises, Johnson is trying to show he isn’t dropping the ball on the issue while preaching patience and signaling a more robust response is yet to come. * River Bender | Sierra Club Illinois’ Three Rivers Project And The Village Of Godfrey To Host Invasive Species Management Training And Work Day: “We hope other municipalities across the Riverbend will join us and Sierra Club Illinois for this free invasive species management training and work day,” said Chris Logan, Director of Parks and Recreation for the Village of Godfrey. “Removing invasive species from our local parks and trails is not only critical to our work to protect and conserve local natural resources and spaces, but also to ensuring the citizens of Godfrey and beyond can enjoy our parks for generations to come.” * The Telegraph | Randy Presswood files lawsuit against Madison County Board and sanitary district: Randy Presswood, who has been rejected as an appointee to the Metro East Sanitary District Board, has filed a lawsuit against two Madison County Board members, the MESD and MESD officials. […] Presswood claims Oney and Fancher gave confidential personnel information about Presswood, who worked for MESD for 37 years before retiring as a supervisor, to Madison and Babcock, who then used the information outside of official board or committee meetings to convince others to vote against Presswood’s appointment. * The Daily Illini | Q&A with new UI trustee Jesse Ruiz: Jesse Ruiz graduated from the University in 1988 with a bachelor’s degree in economics. He was appointed to the University of Illinois Board of Trustees by Gov. JB Pritzker on Oct. 27. […] From 2019-21, he worked as the deputy governor of education at the Office of the Governor in Illinois. Ruiz currently works as a general counsel at the Vistria Group, a private equity firm focused on social good. Ruiz’s appointment as a member of the Illinois Board of Trustees will last until 2029. * Sun-Times | Bears coach Matt Eberflus doesn’t answer whether he believes he’s ‘safe’ for 2024: Eberflus was asked if, based on his relationship with general manager Ryan Poles, he believes he is “safe” for next season and responded by saying, “What you can focus on is leadership. The first rule of leadership is leading yourself… That’s really what you focus on: put your best foot forward every day.” * Sun-Times | Brendan Savage, whose mom sued to get him back on basketball team, plays for Hinsdale South: Brendan Savage, the Hinsdale South senior whose mother sued to get him back on the basketball team, played in his first game of the season Friday at Downers Grove South. Savage received the full high school basketball experience. Mustangs fans booed him when he first checked in with three minutes left in the first quarter. He was the first player off the bench for the Hornets. * WCIA | Secretary of State looking for 2023 John Lewis Youth Leadership award nominations: The award honors young people whose civic contributions have created a lasting impact in their community. Officials say any member of the public can nominate a young Illinoisan making a difference in their community. The National Association of Secretaries of State established the award after the landmark civil rights leader died in 2020. * WSIL | SIU Carbondale offers rooms for Eclipse visitors in April: Community bathrooms and private showers will be available. All persons staying on campus will receive commemorative SIU eclipse glasses. The package costs $750 before tax. A pass for parking will add $25 to that total. The Dining Hall will be open with meals costing around $12.50 a person. * Sun-Times | Amusing doc ‘A Disturbance in the Force’ shows some love for awful ‘Star Wars Holiday Special’: Over the course of the next two hours, “The Star Wars Holiday Special” served up one of the looniest, most disjointed, garish, ill-conceived and at times indecipherably bizarre and undeniably dreadful television programming in the history of the medium. Airing once and then disappearing into the mist of mythology, lore and geekdom, this gargantuan misstep early on in the “Star Wars” canon was so unspeakably awful that George Lucas reportedly once proclaimed, “If I had the time and a sledgehammer, I would track down every copy of that show and smash it.” * Daily Herald | A 50-foot tree and hundreds of ornaments: How Union Station is transformed for the holidays: “It’s hard to see up there,” explained Delgado, who gives directions to workers in mechanical lifts high above passing Metra commuters and Amtrak customers. “We believe this is the tallest indoor tree in Chicago,” said Marc Magliari, spokesman for Amtrak, which owns Union Station. * ABC Chicago | Holiday shopping options made in Illinois: If you consider shopping local this December, you could help to sustain a small business in Illinois. Daniel Thomas, deputy director at the Illinois Office of Tourism, shared some “Made in Illinois” options that can all be shipped.
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Pre-pandemic investor tax credit rule change causing problems
Monday, Dec 4, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Crain’s…
JCAR doesn’t create rules, of course, but some backers of the Illinois angel tax-credit program want those administrative rules changed. * During a recent Crain’s podcast, the author of the piece John Pletz explained that several other nearby states have a similar tax credit program, including Wisconsin, Indiana and Kentucky. But their rules are limited to at least 50 percent or 51 percent of employees who must live in-state. Illinois’ 75 percent in-state threshold for new hires is unique, he said, and is “causing people problems.” Thoughts?
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State/charitable migrant food money runs out January 1, but city won’t say what will happen during two weeks of no funding
Monday, Dec 4, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * We talked about this Friday, but Tina Sfondeles and Michael Loria highlight an upcoming two-week funding gap that the city won’t talk about…
* Meanwhile, according to the city, another 25 buses arrived last week. Isabel charted the arrivals dating back to the seven days ending October 6, when 53 buses arrived…  * The good news is the city and state have been able to move lots of folks out of police stations and airports. The numbers in the staging areas peaked on October 20th, at 3,684 people. As of last Friday, those numbers were down to just 1,032, with only 877 in police district headquarters and the rest at O’Hare…  * Coverage roundup from Isabel…
* NBC Chicago | Governor pauses construction at Brighton Park migrant site following environmental report: Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has paused construction on a base camp for migrants in Chicago’s Brighton Park neighborhood following the release of an environmental report last week. According to the governor’s office, the pause is intended so the governor can review the report and discuss further with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Those discussions are expected to take place Monday. * CBS | Illinois pauses construction of Chicago migrant tent camp in Brighton Park: The state is funding construction of the tent encampment. Last week, Pritzker’s office announced $65 million in funding for the Brighton Park site and for a brick-and-mortar shelter for migrants at a shuttered CVS pharmacy in Little Village. Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office confirmed work at the Brighton Park site is on hold while IEPA reviews the city’s environmental assessment of the site. * Tribune | A plea to Biden from longtime undocumented immigrants in Chicago: ‘Please don’t forget about us, we need job permits too’: The work authorization, advocates say, would allow those immigrants to step out from the shadows and improve their lives exponentially. They would receive workplace protections and legally set wages that they may be too afraid to demand under the current circumstances. And they could visit their home countries without sacrificing the lives they have built in the United States. Many living in the country illegally go the rest of their lives without seeing family because they would be barred from reentering the U.S. if they left. * WGN | Elk Grove passes ordinance to help migrants while keeping community safe: The first being migrants who want to stay at a hotel or motel will need to have a document that says they were examined by an infectious disease doctor who verifies they are free of contagious diseases. This applies to people who’ve been in the United States for less than 60 days. […] The second part of the ordinance prevents warehouse and vacant shopping center owners from converting their buildings into temporary housing. * WTTW | State, Greater Chicago Food Depository to Spend Additional $4M on Meals for Migrants; City to Take Over Next Year: Illinois and the Greater Chicago Food Depository will each spend $2 million, on top of $10.5 million the state has spent thus far on a contract with the depository to provide meals to migrants. Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration cites “procurement delays” by Chicago as the reason for the shortfall, and says that the city in January will assume the responsibility of making sure migrants are fed, according to a news release. * Tribune | Volunteer networks step up to provide health needs to migrants at police stations: Migrants’ immunity is often weakened from their strenuous journeys walking to get here. In an average week, said Koruba, police make about 50 to 60 ambulance calls across all districts. * Tribune | Volunteer networks step up to provide health needs to migrants at police stations: Mutual aid networks and free and charitable organizations have stepped up to provide health needs to migrants who are sleeping on the floor at police stations and waiting for space in one of the 26 brick-and-mortar shelters around the city. But it is not uncommon for migrants to turn — or, in some cases, return — to police stations looking for basic medical resources, as necessities in shelters can be sparse or nonexistent. It’s not dissimilar from what migrants faced in their countries of origin. * Tribune | State, food bank step in to keep migrants fed during December amid city contract delay: The city in mid-October solicited bids for a new food vendor contract that was to begin Friday, but last week the Johnson administration pushed that start date back a month and a half to Jan. 15, according to city records. The delay raised questions about whether migrants would be fed throughout December. The new deadline for food vendors to submit proposals was noon Friday. * Sen. Robert Peters | Chicago must remain a sanctuary city because ‘that is who we are’: Chicagoans do not subscribe to Trump’s “build the wall” politics. We rejected his xenophobia in 2016 and 2020, and we need to reject it now as we approach the 2024 presidential election and the Democratic National Convention that will be held in Chicago in August. The convention is a once-in-a-generation moment for the city to shine. Instead, some of our city’s leaders are flirting with embarrassing us on the world stage and causing deep fissures within the Democratic Party, which needs to be unified to prevent Trump from becoming president for a second time.
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Question of the day: 2023 Golden Horseshoe Awards
Monday, Dec 4, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * The 2023 Golden Horseshoe for Best Place to Gather for Dinner During Session Weeks goes to Maldaner’s…
The voting was all over the place, but I liked that explanation the best. * The 2023 Golden Horseshoe for Best Place to Gather for Drinks, Etc. During Session Weeks goes to Boone’s…
Runner-up goes to JP Kelly’s. * Today’s categories…
I know it’s difficult to nominate in both categories for things like this, but please do your best. Also, remember this is about intensity, not numbers. If you don’t explain your nomination, it won’t count. * We raised more than $2,500 over the weekend to buy Christmas presents for foster kids. That means 100 more kids will receive presents, bringing our total to more than 1,600 children. Thanks!!! Lutheran Social Services of Illinois serves more than 2,500 foster kids, so we have a ways to go. Please, click here and contribute if you haven’t already, or if you can afford just a little more.
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Report: Illinois prisons need $2.5 billion for overdue repairs
Monday, Dec 4, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * WGLT…
* Recommendations in the CGL report…
Click here to read the full report. * WBEZ in July…
* In August, Governor Pritzker defended keeping the prisons open…
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Rep. Halbrook says he now understands seniority, while his opponent claims his allies ‘tried to bully, persuade, and bribe me out of the race’
Monday, Dec 4, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Tom Kacich looks at the Republican primary shaping up between the father of the “Kick Chicago out of Illinois” campaign and an equally conservative opponent named Marsha Webb. The main issue so far is term limits…
“I had anticipated that number to be much larger than it is today.” Sigh. * Anyway, his opponent Marsha Webb is quoted extensively in Tom’s story, so read the whole thing. But here’s her Facebook response…
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*** UPDATED x1 *** State pauses construction at migrant base camp site
Monday, Dec 4, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Background is here if you need it. Shortly after this City of Chicago press release went out, the governor’s office confirmed that it had paused construction over the weekend at the Brighton Park migrant tent camp, pending a review by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. From the city…
*** UPDATE *** The construction pause will continue tomorrow “as IEPA continues their review,” the governor’s office says.
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Protected: *** UPDATED x10 *** SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Campaign updates (Use last week’s password)
Monday, Dec 4, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
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*** UPDATED x1 *** The wrong fight over the wrong things at the wrong time
Monday, Dec 4, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * I mean, if it wasn’t obvious on Friday night when the Johnson administration handed the Brighton Park environmental report to reporters before they gave it to the governor’s office, then I’m not sure where you’ve been…
The full story by Fran Spielman and Tina Sfondeles is definitely worth a read. I learned some things. The end graf is brutal…
That last sentence in particular is a sharp insight. Some Chicago mayors have at times considered themselves more important than the state’s governors, and some actually were. But instead of consolidating support after the election, this mayor has allowed circumstances to alienate much of the city, including at least parts of his progressive base. Pritzker, on the other hand, has consolidated power with the two legislative leaders, taken control of the state party, has a net worth in the billions and is undoubtedly far more popular in Chicago than the mayor. There’s just not much Johnson can do to him at this point which won’t badly backfire. Whatever the case, the fighting isn’t good in the long term, so this really needs to end soon. *** UPDATE *** Gov. Pritzker was asked about this today…
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Almost time to ease up on the accelerator pedal
Monday, Dec 4, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
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Several new items and updates to the ol’ blog
Monday, Dec 4, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * I spent part of the weekend expanding our automated news coverage here. The first thing you may have noticed is that our live coverage is back, sorta. As explained below, this will be different than the old Scribble Live feed because Twitter broke not only itself but almost everything else it touched. These new feeds do not update instantly in front of your eyes, like Scribble Live did. There’s also a bit of posting lagtime and the new service itself may not last long. We just can’t give you any guarantees on any of this right now until Elon either gets his act together or a realistic online alternative develops. I also added a live coverage post for federal criminal trials. * The automated news feeds on the right-hand side of the page have been tweaked to display a bit better, but almost all of the sources have also been expanded. Bing News search results have been added to the Google results, for instance, so you’ll get more stories about more topics. For some reason, the Capitol News Illinois feed had vanished, but it’s been restored. More news sections of the Sun-Times and Tribune have been added. Suburban and exurban stories from Shaw Local and other local papers have been combined with an enhanced Daily Herald coverage feed. All four legislative caucuses have newsletters, so they’ve been given a feed. News feeds from both state parties and the two Cook County parties are also in there. A feed of news stories from numerous radio and television stations was also created, as was a feed of State Journal-Register stories. Several newspapers were added to the Downstate feed. I’ve added some Substack accounts and more bloggers to the Blog feed. And more news sources have been added to the federal officeholder news feeds. There’s also a new feed for hyper-local Chicago outlets and one for college student papers.
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Open thread
Monday, Dec 4, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * I hope you all had a relaxing weekend! What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Monday, Dec 4, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Chicago finds the Brighton Park migrant tent site safe for temporary residential use despite contaminants. Sun-Times…
-“The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency will have to review it,” said Jordan Abudayyeh, a spokeswoman for Gov. J.B. Pritzker. “We will not utilize that site if IEPA does not sign off.” - The city claims as long as contaminated soil is removed and a stone barrier of at least six inches covers the entire nine-acre site the camp will be safe. * Related stories… ∙ WTTW: Land Set to Become Base Camp Safe for Migrants After Removal of Polluted Soil, Addition of Stone Barrier, City Says ∙ ABC Chicago: Brighton Park migrant camp site environmental report shows soil was contaminated ∙ Block Club: Brighton Park Tent Encampment Deemed Safe — Despite Mercury, Arsenic Contamination, Mayor’s Office Says * Isabel’s top picks… * WGLT | Report finds Logan, Pontiac and Stateville prisons nearly inoperable: The final report from a consulting firm hired by the state has found three of Illinois’ 27 prison facilities, including the Pontiac and Logan correctional centers, approaching “inoperable,” and a list of more than $2.5 billion in overdue repairs in aging institutions across the state. CGL Companies warns in the report initially released in May that the existing price tag of “deferred maintenance” at Illinois prisons could double in five years if unaddressed. Significant deterioration was reported at all prisons, with only three of 27 prisons ranked in the “fully operational range,” and the remainder in the “impaired operation range.” Pontiac, Logan and Joliet’s Stateville were categorized as nearly inoperable. * Tribune | Volunteer networks step up to provide health needs to migrants at police stations: Mutual aid networks and free and charitable organizations have stepped up to provide health needs to migrants who are sleeping on the floor at police stations and waiting for space in one of the 26 brick-and-mortar shelters around the city. But it is not uncommon for migrants to turn — or, in some cases, return — to police stations looking for basic medical resources, as necessities in shelters can be sparse or nonexistent. It’s not dissimilar from what migrants faced in their countries of origin. * ABC Chicago | Brighton Park migrant camp plans need IEPA approval for construction to move forward, state says: The state is funding the project, but Gov. JB Pritzker’s Office said they will not move forward unless the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency signs off the report. New video shows construction still underway at 38th and California on Sunday. * Here’s the rest of your morning roundup… * Tribune | State, food bank step in to keep migrants fed during December amid city contract delay: The city in mid-October solicited bids for a new food vendor contract that was to begin Friday, but last week the Johnson administration pushed that start date back a month and a half to Jan. 15, according to city records. The delay raised questions about whether migrants would be fed throughout December. The new deadline for food vendors to submit proposals was noon Friday. * Sen. Robert Peters | Chicago must remain a sanctuary city because ‘that is who we are’: Chicagoans do not subscribe to Trump’s “build the wall” politics. We rejected his xenophobia in 2016 and 2020, and we need to reject it now as we approach the 2024 presidential election and the Democratic National Convention that will be held in Chicago in August. The convention is a once-in-a-generation moment for the city to shine. Instead, some of our city’s leaders are flirting with embarrassing us on the world stage and causing deep fissures within the Democratic Party, which needs to be unified to prevent Trump from becoming president for a second time. * Daily Herald | A return to tradition: Why Illinois’ primary election is moving back to March in 2024: State Rep. Maurice West, a Rockford Democrat, sponsored the 2021 legislation that set the date for the 2022 primary. At the time, he said the state’s traditional, seven-month gap between primary and general elections was “long and risky, negatively affecting public policymaking.” West deliberately proposed a one-time change “just to see how it works.” If success is measured by voter turnout, the change was a failure. * Tribune | Amid drug abuse crisis, state mounts effort to recruit and train more counselors: The state is spending $3 million in an effort to recruit and retain more substance abuse counselors amid a surge in drug abuse and overdoses that began during the COVID-19 pandemic. […] The state money will go toward expanding a program to recruit potential CADCs to help them with tuition payments, scholarships, internship stipends and other payments related to the training needed to get certified. The program also offers assistance with job placement, continuing education and credential renewal opportunities for existing CADCs. * WTAX | New leader for IL Chamber: The Illinois Chamber of Commerce has a new president and CEO. Lou Sandoval’s career has taken him from the biotech industry through marine sales through business consulting, and he says that’s prepared him for his new position. * Brownfield | Outgoing Illinois Farm Bureau president reflects on decade of service: Illinois Farm Bureau president Rich Guebert has spent the last 10 years representing Illinois farmers on a state, national, and global stage. Throughout his term, he’s met with two sitting Presidents, two Secretaries of Agriculture, and the Speaker of the U.S. House. “I’m going to be forever grateful that I can tell agriculture’s story to those folks with influence,” he says. “And drive policy, that’s not only important to our members here in Illinois, but farmers and ranchers all across the United States.” * State Week | Pritzker and the state’s economy: Gov. J.B. Pritzker talked about the state’s business climate and more during a Crain’s Chicago Business luncheon. The governor touted recent announcements of jobs being added, especially at new manufacturing sites. We’ll talk about Pritzker’s economic record. * Capitol News Illinois | Supreme Court rules teen bicyclist is covered by father’s auto insurance policy: The Illinois Supreme Court ruled Thursday that automobile insurance policies must cover people against uninsured motorists and hit-and-run accidents, even if the person covered by the policy is not in a vehicle at the time of the accident. * Daily Herald | Illinois judges reflect on the legacy of pioneering Supreme Court jurist Sandra Day O’Connor: The death of trailblazing jurist Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, prompted expressions of praise and gratitude from the women she inspired to pursue careers in the judiciary. Among them was Illinois Supreme Court Justice Mary K. O’Brien, a longtime O’Connor admirer who says the late Supreme Court justice “always sought to hear the other side, to find common ground, to listen.” * Crain’s | For Illinois’ cannabis industry, the roller-coaster ride continues: After years of delay, new license holders are entering the market at a healthy clip, which is helping diversify ownership in the industry and bring down Illinois’ notoriously high prices. There are 173 pot shops in Illinois, up from 113 a year ago. State regulators think 190 could be open by the end of the year. * ABC Chicago | Father of 6-year-old Muslim boy killed in unincorp. Plainfield stabbing speaks with ABC7: Odai recalled the moment he got that call from the Will County sheriff. “I’m confused. He told me, ‘Wadee killed,’” Odai said. “I said, ‘No, Wadee is still a kid.’ He said, ‘No, somebody killed him.’” * WaPo | Factory reopening could save this town, but many still bash the economy: Closed factories almost never reopen. So when Jason Vassar heard last month that his shuttered auto factory plans to restart, he considered it a “blessing.” The Stellantis plant that laid him off in March had agreed to resume production and rehire its workers to help end a nationwide strike against the company. It even pledged to build a $3.2 billion battery factory next door, encouraged by the prospect of federal manufacturing subsidies from the Biden administration. * NYT | What to Know About the Purdue Pharma Case Before the Supreme Court: At issue is whether a bankruptcy plan can be engineered to give legal immunity to a third party — in this case, members of the Sackler family, who once controlled Purdue Pharma — even though they themselves have not declared bankruptcy. If the court approves the deal, that could affirm a litigation tactic that has become increasingly popular in resolving lawsuits in which many people claim similar injuries from the same entity, be it a drug or consumer product. By turning to the bankruptcy courts as a tool to resolve those claims, businesses aim to free themselves from civil liability and prevent future lawsuits.
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*** Live coverage ***
Monday, Dec 4, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Live coverage is back, sorta. This will be different than the old Scribble Live feed because Twitter broke itself and almost everything else it touched. These new feeds do not update instantly. There’s a bit of posting lagtime, but it’s much better than nothing. We are also limited to just 20 Twitter sources. The service may also not last long. We just can’t give you any guarantees about this. You can still click here or here to follow breaking news the way we’ve done since Twitter stopped Scribble Live from working…
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*** Live Ed Burke Trial Coverage ***
Monday, Dec 4, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * These new feeds do not update instantly. There’s a bit of a lagtime and you have to refresh the page every now and then. The service we’re using may also not last long. We just can’t give you any guarantees. You can still click here to follow the Ed Burke trial on Twitter. Posts without a Twitter author name below them are from online news sources via Bing…
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Pritzker says state has settled labor dispute at migrant tent city
Friday, Dec 1, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Background is here if you need it. Press release…
It’s late Friday night and we’re all still working. I haven’t seen anything like this since the Rauner years. Thanks, mayor.
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*** UPDATED x4 - Coverage roundup - Reporters received report before governor - Report finds high levels of mercury in soil - Report released to reporters *** After stonewalling governor’s office, city finally shares pollution report on migrant tent city
Friday, Dec 1, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * From WBBM…
* From Jordan Abudayyeh at the Governor’s office…
* Alice Yin…
* Abudayyeh at 8:33 tonight…
*** UPDATE 1 *** From Natalie Moore at WBEZ…
*** UPDATE 2 *** Click here for the full report…
*** UPDATE 3 *** From Rich: The governor’s office has been asking for this report for days, and they sent it to reporters first? Yeah, that’s wise…
*** UPDATE 4 *** Coverage roundup…
* WTTW…
* ABC Chicago…
* Sun-Times…
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Reader comments closed for the weekend
Friday, Dec 1, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * I told you about Kathy Greenholdt earlier this week when we kicked off our annual fundraiser to buy Christmas presents for LSSI foster kids (please click here to donate). Kathy wrote a touching song about her late sister Lynn. She also wrote a song that I think should be Illinois’ new official state song. Have a listen and we’ll talk again Monday… Home is my sweet Illinois
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Afternoon roundup
Friday, Dec 1, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * I’ve reset the donation target amount to match what we raised last year, adjusted for inflation…  The money we’ve contributed so far will help Lutheran Social Services of Illinois buy Christmas presents for 1,503 foster kids. LSSI serves 2,530 children. That means we’ve met 59 percent of their basic goal and will create a little joy for lots of kiddos. I have my doubts that we’ll make our fundraising goal. Last year’s unprecedented final tally completely surprised me. Also, it’s been my experience that donations tend to drop off after the first couple-two-tree days. We had a good Tuesday, a great Wednesday (people really stepped up to score that $10,000 match), an OK Thursday, but almost zip today, likely because we haven’t posted a reminder. So, please, if you can, click here and contribute. Thanks. * Daily Illini…
Sounds like a good idea. * Text message…
I’m trying to reach US Rep. Jackson’s campaign, but no luck so far. * Glad to see the BGA’s policy director standing up for a reporter who wrote a very strong story only to see it trashed by those weirdos on the Tribune editorial board…
Speaking of this topic, here’s an Illinois House rule that you might not know exists…
The Senate has a nearly identical rule. * Isabel’s roundup…
* Crain’s | Tesla’s truck isn’t a Rivian killer yet: Tesla is expected to produce about 75,000 trucks next year, Baird Equity Research estimates. Rivian is expected to increase production at its plant in Normal to 75,000 to 80,000 vehicles, up from about 50,000 this year. * Bloomberg | Battery startup opens Chicago plant as U.S. seeks to curb reliance on China: NanoGraf received $10 million in funding from the U.S. government to build what the company says is the Midwest’s first large-volume facility to produce silicon oxide — an important ingredient for a new kind of longer-lasting battery that can be used in electric vehicles and medical devices. It’s part of a wave of investment in US capacity to make more lithium-ion batteries at home as the country looks to compete with China, which controls large swaths of the world’s output. * Tribune | Peoples Gas asks to restore $134 million of ‘paused’ pipeline replacement work, says hundreds of jobs may be lost: The utility is hoping to claw back more than half of the $265 million cut from its budget when the ICC issued an order last month to pause the long-running System Modernization Program to replace 2,000 miles of aging iron pipes below Chicago streets, pending an investigation. “The company understands the Commission’s directive to pause work on SMP; however, the $265 million in work that was paused includes more than $134 million in other critical safety and reliability work outside of SMP,” Peoples Gas spokesperson David Schwartz said in a statement. * WBEZ | These conservation-minded Illinois farmers are in a race against climate change to save their soil: Jake Lieb drives his John Deere two-seater around his property and across the shallow Camp Creek. The waterway cuts back and forth through miles of farm fields until it reaches the Sangamon River and eventually pours into Lake Decatur 32 miles away — the man-made source of water for 200,000 people. These are troubled waters. The city of Decatur paid $100 million in 2021 to dredge so much polluted sediment from the lake that it could have filled the Willis Tower seven times. * Crain’s | Illinois boosts Amtrak in soaring year for rail travel: Almost 28.6 million customers rode Amtrak nationwide last year, according to fiscal 2023 passenger figures released Thursday. That’s a 24.6% increase from the previous year — albeit still shy of 32 million rides in the 2019 fiscal year. The increase reflects a resurgence in rail travel, which has been slow to bounce back from its struggles during the COVID-19 pandemic. […] The Hiawatha, which connects Chicago to Milwaukee via Glenview, saw a year-over-year increase in passenger activity of 26.9%. The line provided 636,854 customer trips from October 2022 to September 2023, the most of any Midwestern route. * Crain’s | Feds and city’s inspector general eye Bally’s casino deal: A federal law enforcement agency and Chicago’s inspector general are looking into the process by which Bally’s won the Chicago casino license, according to people familiar with the matter. Crain’s has learned one inquiry is being led by the U.S. attorney’s office, and stems from complaints lodged by losing bidders. The existence of the federal inquiry was confirmed by Ald. Brian Hopkins, 2nd, a longtime critic of the Lightfoot administration’s handling of the casino process, and by other sources. * Sun-Times | South Loop had a hybrid car dealership — a century ago. Now it’s headed toward demolition: In addition to its remarkable car-making history, the former Woods Motor Vehicle building is also a pretty nice example of early Chicago School architecture with its minimalist, grid-like face adorned with three bays of large windows designed to bring in natural light. It would be a mark against the city’s architectural heritage to lose a building of this character and pedigree. * Crain’s | Northwestern medical residents announce intent to unionize: The group of physicians across Northwestern’s McGaw Medical Center filed their intent to join the Committee of Interns & Residents, a division of the Service Employees International Union, with the National Labor Relations Board and have requested voluntary recognition of the union from Northwestern management, according to a statement today. * SJ-R | Friend-In-Deed, Central Illinois Food Bank team up again for a drive-through giveaway: Friend-In-Deed, started by the late State Journal-Register editor Ed Armstrong in 1960, is looking to raise $85,000 this holiday season to assist with the two food drive-throughs and to help out 100 homeless families from Springfield School District 186. Unlike in some previous years, there is no application required for the drive-through food giveaways. * Sun-Times | Jussie Smollett’s 2021 conviction, sentence upheld on appeal: A Cook County jury found Smollett guilty of five counts of disorderly conduct in 2021, and he was sentenced to 30 months of probation, with the first 150 days to be served at Cook County Jail. Smollett appealed the conviction and was released while it was pending after spending six days behind bars. A spokeswoman for the actor said Smollett will appeal Friday’s decision. * Tribune | Michigan grad sues state after losing ‘G0BLUE’ license plate: Joseph Hardig III said the plate has been on family vehicles for years. But he was told it was assigned to another car owner when he recently tried to renew it at a Secretary of State office. “My dad’s passed away. I got it from him. It’s meaningful to me. We’re just huge fans and love the university,” Hardig told The Detroit News. Hardig, a suburban Detroit lawyer, is asking a judge to block the state from giving the plate to an Ann Arbor man, who is also a University of Michigan graduate and lives just minutes from the football stadium.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Some campaign updates
Friday, Dec 1, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Citing ‘delays’ in Chicago’s procurement process, Pritzker announces $2 million to feed asylum seekers
Friday, Dec 1, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * The city just can’t get its act together on anything…
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Union says Pritzker office intervention at least temporarily prevented likely construction shutdown at migrant camp
Friday, Dec 1, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Yesterday…
Trade union members almost never cross a picket line, and there are plenty of other unions on that site. A picket would have likely shut the whole thing down. * Today…
Apparently, nobody told the governor’s office in advance about the impending labor action until I sent them the union’s press release last night asking for comment. …Adding… The mayor’s office has reached out to say they had “Multiple conversations on Thursday” with the governor’s office. [Both releases had a date typo, so I was asked to update the post.]
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Today’s quotable
Friday, Dec 1, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Former Kenwood Oakland Community Organization organizer, Chicago Democratic Socialist Caucus member and second-term Chicago Ald. Jeanette Taylor was on Ben Joravsky’s show…
The full show is here. …Adding… I wrote this in comments, then decided to front-page it…
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Not-for-profits at risk as state funding nears end
Friday, Dec 1, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * From a January 2021 press release…
That first round of funding was known as Cohort 1. The funding for Cohort 1 will end in January. Cohort 2 was started in July of 2022, and it will run through June of 2025. But if you are one of those initial 80 grant recipients and you didn’t make it into Cohort 2, or have programs that aren’t funded by Cohort 2, then you’re gonna have to wait until at least the fall of next year to apply for the third round of state grants. * The Children’s Place Association is one of those groups. Here’s Cinaiya Stubbs, the association’s CEO…
That last sentence is important. As we saw during the turbulent Rauner era, once service providers fully or partially shut down and lay off workers, it’s super difficult to build those groups back up again. This is literally human services infrastructure, and it can’t be replaced nearly as easily as physical infrastructure like a damaged bridge. * Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton chairs the R3 board. So I asked her office for comment…
Cold comfort to the groups that are losing out.
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Illinois Supreme Court again cites the plain language of a law to overturn lower court’s ruling
Friday, Dec 1, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * ABC 7 in January…
* The circuit court sided with the insurance company. The appellate court reversed that decision…
* And yesterday, the Illinois Supreme Court sided with the appellate court. Sun-Times…
* From the opinion…
* From the law firm which fought this case all the way to the top…
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Friday, Dec 1, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Open thread
Friday, Dec 1, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Friday, Dec 1, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: The Illinois Supreme Court ruled FOID records are exempt from public disclosure. Capitol News Illinois…
- In a 7-0 ruling, the court said the Illinois State Police acted properly when it denied FOIA requests from individuals who sought copies of letters explaining why their FOID cards had been denied or revoked. - The court also said those individuals could have obtained those records through other means. * Related stories… * Isabel’s top picks… * Sun-Times | Lawyer hails ‘big win’ as Illinois Supreme Court rules insurers must provide coverage to pedestrians, cyclists hit by uninsured drivers: The court said auto insurance companies whose policies include language requiring a person to be in an insured motor vehicle to qualify for uninsured motorist coverage are violating the Illinois Insurance Code and public policy. * Sun-Times | Chicago City Hall is owed billions of dollars it hasn’t managed to collect: That raises the question of why the perennially cash-strapped city hasn’t gone after late-paying scofflaws harder over the past three decades. The eye-popping unpaid tab — which could have covered almost 40% of the mayor’s $16.77 billion budget — include outstanding payments from thousands of people, companies and other entities. * Here’s the rest of your morning roundup… * Capitol News Illinois | State high court finds medical personnel exemption to biometric information privacy law: In a unanimous opinion, the justices ruled against a pair of nurses who sued their employers over their use of fingerprint-enabled medication storage – a technology many hospitals have adopted to curb abuse or theft of certain drugs. * ABC Chicago | Father of 6-year-old killed in Will County stabbing, apparent hate crime files wrongful death suit: Odai Al-Fayoume filed a wrongful death lawsuit last week in Will County against Czuba for the incident, which took place in unincorporated Plainfield. The next court date is in March. * Crain’s | United, American on collision course with Johnson administration over O’Hare rebuild: The airlines say the cost of a rebuild of Terminal 2 and the addition of two satellite concourses, as well as some related projects, now is pushing $7.6 billion, up from an estimated $7.1 billion last year. United and American have been warning airport officials for months that the cost of the expansion is at risk of running over a budget that’s already risen by $1 billion from its original $6.1 billion price tag. * WGLT | Democrat files in mostly rural Illinois House 105th District race: An artist and former political campaign manager is running for office in a mostly rural, conservative Illinois House district. Democrat Morgan Phillips of Lostant has filed in the 105th House District that includes parts of McLean and eight other central Illinois counties. At age 24, Phillips said she would bring youth and a fresh perspective to the state legislature. * WBEZ | Corruption in Illinois breeds voter cynicism, but what about voter apathy?: Plenty of forces enable corruption to thrive in Illinois — loophole-ridden ethics laws, policymakers unwilling to confront the problem head-on and a drastically shrunken nonpartisan press corps that once kept a close eye on political chicanery. Perhaps the more consequential question, though, centers on the effect Illinois’ corruption carousel is having on the health and well-being of the state’s democracy. * Center Square | Illinois Republicans criticize Chicago mayor’s rhetoric over border crisis: Johnson continued by questioning the sanctity of the party. * Daily Southtown | South Suburban College to get $13 million grant for nursing education center; expects to break ground next year: The money, from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, comes on top of about $51 million previously approved by state legislators for the project, which is expected to break ground next summer. The building will house classrooms and labs for the school’s programs in areas such as nursing, pharmacy and occupational therapy and will “benefit generations to come,” said Terry Wells, chairman of the college’s board. * WTTW | ‘This Is an Anomaly’: Part-Time Columbia College Faculty’s Record-Long Work Stoppage Continues Into Second Month: Issues arose amid ongoing contract negotiations, which began earlier this year. But tensions increased weeks before the academic year began when Columbia College eliminated more than 50 class sections for the current fall semester and 317 class sections for the upcoming spring semester — courses typically taught by part-time faculty. * BGA | Unwritten Rules Limit City Council Gallery Seating; Reserve Prime Spots for “Invitation Only”: The written rules for public attendance posted on the City Clerk’s website have not been updated, and still state, “The public is admitted to the Gallery’s non-reserved seats on a first-come, first-served basis.” Media reports and verbal responses from the Sergeant-at-Arms have indicated that second-floor seating is now invitation only, with no clear process or policy for how those invitations occur. * WBEZ | Opponents sue the city of Evanston for approving Northwestern’s stadium plans: The complaint in Cook County Circuit Court seeks to overturn last month’s narrow vote in favor of allowing concerts and other commercial events at the rebuilt Ryan Field, near single-family homes in the northern suburb and neighboring Wilmette. * Daily Herald | Police officer caught child thrown from burning apartment building in West Chicago: A police officer caught a child thrown from the 24-unit building in the Main Park Apartments complex, West Chicago Fire Protection District Chief Patrick Tanner said. One woman jumped from a third-floor window, Tanner said. She was one of five people injured after the fire broke out in the three-story building on the 800 block of Burr Oaks Drive. * AP | Corey Perry news: Former Chicago Blackhawks player says he’s seeking help for alcohol abuse: Corey Perry said Thursday he has begun working with mental health and substance abuse experts to discuss his struggles with alcohol after the Chicago Blackhawks terminated his contract for engaging “in conduct that is unacceptable” and violated his contract and team policies. * WCIA | Teacher surprised with new car, part of Wheels to Prosper program organized by Teutopolis classmate: “My husband and I have been sharing a car for about a year-and-a-half,” Coffin said. “We had wanted to buy a house, so we sold my car so that way, we could make that a successful dream.”Unfortunately, that dream was cut short when Coffin’s husband suffered a stroke in 2022. Between three different jobs, Coffin takes care of her husband. And the tragic loss of her son, who died of cancer in 2018, is another burden she’s carrying. * Chicago Reader | Hometown hero Mavis Staples provides inspiration at Cahn Auditorium: On Friday, December 1, Ms. Staples brings her unmistakable voice, gruff and heartfelt, along with her incredible catalog to Evanston’s Cahn Auditorium. Respect yourself and grab tickets to see a homegrown powerhouse with a message that transcends trend and genre. * The Atlantic | The Murky Shoplifting Narrative: Despite inconclusive evidence, some retailers have seized on the narrative that theft is a major issue, pressuring lawmakers to crack down and changing the shopping experience as a result. The specter of shoplifting is haunting America. Viral videos show frightening scenes: people in masks smashing windows, groups swarming stores, thieves attacking workers. Retail executives have referred to theft as a serious threat, suggesting that their companies are victims of a national crime wave. Already, they have made a number of decisions—including locking up items, closing stores, and advocating for harsher larceny laws—under the auspices of trying to deter theft.
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Live coverage
Friday, Dec 1, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Afternoon roundup
Thursday, Nov 30, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Donations have been a bit on the slow side today, so please click here and help buy Christmas presents for foster kids. Thanks! * Background is here if you need it. I asked the governor’s office for a response to the US Steel layoff announcements. Here’s Gov. JB Pritzker…
* IDOL…
* WCIA…
* Isabel’s roundup… * Center Square | Some Illinois law enforcement say enforcing gun ban violations not a priority: During recent public hearings, the agency said prosecution of first and subsequent offenses will be up to the 102 different county state’s attorneys. “That’s going to be up to the state’s attorney and the courts,” ISP attorney Suzanne Bond said. […] “We recognize that it is the law and we respect it. We also have limited resources and have to set priorities for the office, and this will not be one of our top priorities,” [McHenry County, State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally] told The Center Square, noting that each case will have unique circumstances. * WAND | One Aim Illinois: Lawmakers, advocates call healing critical in gun violence prevention: “We need to have those that are at the forefront, the ones that are most impacted, the ones that are ostracized and sort of the forgotten voices,” said Monse Ayala, an organizer with Increase the Peace. “That’s a lot of our young people. We need to have agency over how we are tackling this and what they need from us and how we can do better for them.” * Press Release | IDNR receives grant to recognize and research African American heritage properties in southern Illinois: The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) has been awarded a $75,000 grant from the National Park Service to recognize significant African American heritage properties in southern Illinois. Illinois was one of 21 projects in 16 states and the District of Columbia to receive funding from the Underrepresented Community Grants (URC) program through the Historic Preservation Fund administered by the National Park Service. * RiverBender | Gov. Pritzker Celebrates Completion Of I-280 Over Mississippi River In Quad Cities: The Baker Bridge opened in 1973 and today carries more than 28,000 vehicles a day, almost 20% of which are trucks. The new deck is the first replacement since the bridge opened. A $49.7 million project began in 2021 with the demolition and replacement of the westbound bridge deck, followed by the eastbound bridge deck in 2022. The final stage of the project, which patched and resurfaced I-280 from the bridge to the Illinois 92 interchange, was combined with another $16 million improvement that extended the work from the Illinois 92 interchange to east of the Milan Beltway. Additional work included bridge painting and lighting upgrades at Illinois 92. * WCIA | Meta launches new data center in Illinois: Meta officials joined Governor J.B. Pritzker and other state leaders to celebrate the start of the data center in DeKalb. Officials say the facility will bring 200 jobs and represents a nearly $1 billion investment to Illinois’ economy. […] Meta officials chose the chose DeKalb area because it offered excellent infrastructure, access to renewable energy, and a strong talent for both constructing and operating the center. The data center is supported by 100% renewable energy, officials said. * RiverBender | Gov. Pritzker Celebrates Opening Of Meta’s Dekalb Data Center: Today, Governor JB Pritzker joined local elected officials, Meta leadership, and business and academic leaders to celebrate the opening of Meta’s Data Center in Dekalb. The data center is now fully operational and is supported by 100% renewable energy * The Crusader | Pritzker Administration, IDPH to host 2023 Illinois Minority Health Conference in Bloomington December 4 & 5: The conference at Illinois State University is designed to share knowledge on health disparities and social justice issues; build competencies among healthcare professionals; and develop collaborations with service providers and community partners aimed at more effectively serving minorities and other disadvantaged communities in Illinois. * Dispatch-Argus | Henry County board member announces candidancy for Illinois’ 37th State Senate District: Republican Henry County Board member Tim Yager is running for the 37th State Senate District in Illinois. […] Republican Sen. Win Stoller holds the seat. Stoller was elected in 2020 and announced in August that he would not seek reelection. * WGN | Kankakee County moving to encrypt public safety scanners: The Kankakee County Communication Center is beginning the project soon and starting with police channels. That is expected to take three to six months and then fire/EMS channels will be encrypted. The general public and media outlets will not be able to hear transmissions in real time. The county is citing three reasons for the move; officer safety, citizen privacy and reporting accuracy. The county said agencies will distribute information through social media when it’s “appropriate and factual. * Crain’s | Ford: UAW strike cut profits by $1.7B, new contract to cost $8.8B: Ford Motor Co. said Thursday its new four-and-a-half-year labor contract with the UAW is expected to raise costs by $8.8 billion, or an average of about $900 per vehicle by 2028. Ford said it lost $1.7 billion in profits from the union’s 41-day strike against the automaker. The company now expects $10 billion to $10.5 billion in adjusted earnings before interest and taxes, down from previous guidance of $11 billion to $12 billion. * ABC Chicago | Migrants in Chicago: City won’t use Amundsen Park fieldhouse as migrant shelter: “The city did a really terrible job at handling this,” Donald Glover, president of the Amundsen Park Advisory Council, said. “They held our community and our park hostage for almost 60 days. We couldn’t use the park. Our kids couldn’t use it, our seniors couldn’t use it and they could have been more transparent. Hopefully in the future they will include rather than the exclude people.” * CBS Chicago | 17 Chicago churches to take in migrants from police stations, as work begins on tent camp in Brighton Park: Dubbed the “Unity Initiative,” the mayor on Tuesday joined a group of faith leaders and philanthropic groups to announce that 17 churches will begin providing shelter and other services for migrants as soon as Wednesday. The number of churches participating in the program could expand later. John Zayas, associate pastor at Grace and Peace Church in Austin, said the goal is to start sending buses to police stations on Wednesday. * WBEZ | New seating protocols at Chicago’s City Council meetings draw sharp criticisms: The Rules Committee, which oversees the council’s security team, outlined the new protocols to WBEZ, but has not published them publicly. The committee clarified on Thursday that members of the public will not be turned away if the third floor is full, and will be allowed to sit on the second floor in that instance. The committee also clarified this seating protocol is for full council meetings, not committee meetings. * Daily Egyptian | Set up “to fail:” Air Traffic Control shortage casts clouds over SIU aviation program: Two sources close to the situation said a newly hired controller who didn’t get enough training created the hazardous conditions. The Daily Egyptian is granting these sources anonymity, but their stories corroborate each other’s. One source said, “So what happened was, there was a new tower controller who has recently…been signed off for solo operations that he could conduct without being supervised…he just lost the whole picture. He was clearing the wrong airplanes, getting people mixed-up, sending people towards each other.” * Pew | State Automated Retirement Programs Would Reduce Taxpayer Burden From Insufficient Savings: Today, as many as 56 million private sector workers lack access to a retirement savings plan through their jobs. The analysts who conducted the study for The Pew Charitable Trusts estimate that such limited savings could lead to a cumulative additional cost to the federal government of $964 billion between 2021 and 2040. State spending on these programs, stemming from administrative costs, required state match formulas, and supplemental state benefits, totals another $334 billion over that period. And social spending does not replace the entirety of the gap, requiring many households to reduce their standard of living in retirement. … Eleven states have already launched automated savings programs to help more private sector workers routinely put money away for retirement. This year, lawmakers in more states are introducing measures to expand those opportunities. These bills create savings options—sometimes referred to as Work & Save or Secure Choice—that allow people to set up state-sponsored individual retirement accounts (IRAs). Typically, workers at companies without employer-based benefits are enrolled automatically but can opt out. The states that already approved programs are California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Maine, New York, New Jersey, Oregon, and Virginia. * Tribune | Advocates, survivors of detainees mourn 16 who died in Cook County Jail: “Every person back there is a human being, and they have loved ones like us,” Cassandra Greer Lee said, nodding across the street to one of the buildings in the jail complex on South California Avenue. Lee’s husband Nickolas was the third person to die of COVID-19 while in custody in April 2020. She stood with Vicki Willis, whose son Alteriq Pleasant died in custody last year. * NYT | Airlines Race Toward a Future of Powering Their Jets With Corn: “We’re on track to massively increase water usage without any real sense of how sensitive our aquifers are,” said Jeffrey Broberg, who is concerned about groundwater in Minnesota, a major corn state, where he is a water-use consultant and founder of the Minnesota Well Owners Organization. United Airlines this year signed a deal with a Nebraska ethanol company to buy enough sustainable aviation fuel, as the biofuel is known, to power 50,000 flights a year. In August, Delta announced a plan to create a sustainable fuel hub in Minnesota, a major corn state. The Biden administration could decide on its tax incentives for the industry as soon as December. * ABC Chicago | Illinois Holocaust survivors write letter to share powerful message: The video says, “Over 80 years ago our lives changed irrevocably. As Jewish children in Europe during the Holocaust, we experienced the destruction of our families, traditions and communities.” “When they saw the attacks on Israeli on October 7, obviously it was so traumatizing, and re-traumatizing for so may of them, they’ve said over and over again that in a moment of crisis, that’s not the time to retreat, it’s the time to lean in,” Bernard Cherkasov, CEO of the Illinois Holocaust Museum, said. “There is no justification for Hamas’s terror…The plight of civilians trapped in a war zone is one that we also know all too well,” the video says.
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Supreme Court rules HIPAA workers exempt from BIPA
Thursday, Nov 30, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * From a September story by Capitol News Illinois…
* The Supreme Court unanimously sided with the hospitals today. The justices said two questions were at issue…
The appellate court had earlier said no to both, finding that “if the legislature intended to exclude all health care workers from the Act’s protections, it would have done so.” Hospitals freaked out, but the Illinois Supreme Court just ruled the biometric scans were excluded from the state’s infamous Biometric Information Privacy Act, or BIPA. * Like with the other Supreme Court case we discussed today, the plain language of the statute was at the heart of the matter…
* Yadda, yadda, yadda and after a whole lot of word parsing…
[Hat tip: Hannah Meisel]
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ISP creates online form to help Illinoisans report suspected corruption
Thursday, Nov 30, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Press release…
I clicked through. You don’t need to include your name or address, but an email and phone number are required. Thoughts? …Adding… Maybe somebody could report this one…
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Unclear on budgetary concepts
Thursday, Nov 30, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
Um, no. That healthcare spending line is only for undocumented immigrants and it’s only for those who are 42 and older. Asylum-seekers are not undocumented. They’re covered under a different program that qualifies for federal matching funds. * Meanwhile, this is from a recent Sun-Times editorial…
The city’s budget is also “balanced” by using one-time revenue of $786.5 million, the editorial board noted. One-time revenue is fine, as long as it’s only used for one-time expenditures. * From a new BGA report…
So, he finalized the contract weeks before the budget was approved, but didn’t include the added costs into the budget? Yes, it’s a small amount in relation to the size of the overall budget, but the city is currently scrambling like mad to find change under its couch cushions to deal with the aslym-seekers, so every single dollar matters. Revelations like these really make me wonder what other deficits are buried in the city’s budget.
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A dumb rule that needs to end
Thursday, Nov 30, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Politico…
* From Rep. Buckner’s letter…
* This is just so ridiculous and is apparently based on an old non-compete agreement. NICTD is the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District and MED is the Metra Electric District… 
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Question of the day: 2023 Golden Horseshoe Awards
Thursday, Nov 30, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Yes, it’s that time of year again, when we single out the best of the best of the Statehouse world. We generally start with the best “session” restaurants and taverns, but the area we used to call “The Sandbox” just doesn’t dominate after-hours congregating like it did pre-pandemic. Places have closed (including my formerly favorite hangout) and out-of-towners are living further away from downtown. Also, people just don’t drink alcohol like they once did. These days, you can run into Statehouse types almost anywhere after session. Heck, I met up with some folks at Island Bay Yacht Club during veto session - and that’s about as far away from 2nd and Capitol as you can get. But some of the old school hangouts are still going strong. It was tough getting a table at Maldaner’s and Saputo’s during veto, for example. So, the award titles have been slightly changed to reflect reality…
* Best place to gather for drinks, etc. during session weeks Our rules haven’t changed, however. Submissions with no explanations will not count. Please justify your votes by telling us why your faves should win. Also, please do your very best to nominate in both categories. Enjoy! * Also, if you haven’t yet contributed or can afford to kick in a few more bucks, click here and help Lutheran Social Services buy Christmas presents for foster kids. Thanks!
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It’s just a bill
Thursday, Nov 30, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Starting off with HB4243 from Rep. Jed Davis (R-Newark)…
* HB4235 was filed by Rep. Charles Meier (R-Okawville) on Monday…
* HB4239 from Rep. Mary Flowers (D-Chicago)…
* Rep. Jenn Ladisch Douglass (D-Elmhurst) filed HB4240…
* HB4245 from Rep. Bob Morgan (D-Deerfield)…
* Rep. Kimberly du Buclet (D-Chicago) introduced HR515 last week…
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LSSI Holiday Drive: Let’s build on this wave of kindness
Thursday, Nov 30, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Rich asked me to write my first-ever pitch to help Lutheran Social Services of Illinois buy Christmas presents for foster kids. So here goes! Yesterday, an anonymous donor matched $10,000 in contributions to help buy Christmas gifts for foster children. We raised $27,000 yesterday alone, bringing the total donations since Tuesday to more than $34,000! Let’s try to build on this wave of kindness today. * As Rich has already told you, we have 2,530 foster kids to help this year. Gifts average $25 each, so that’s a total need of $63,250. Thanks to your donations, 1,379 children will receive presents. But that’s only half as many presents as there are kids to help, so please, click here and contribute what you can. What they’re saying: * Mariah Heinz, Director of Donor Engagement at Lutheran Social Services of Illinois, shared a couple of quotes that I thought you’d like to see…
“Lutheran Social Services of Illinois is the largest foster care provider in the state, offering traditional foster care as well as therapeutic foster care which serves children who have experienced severe trauma,” LSSI’s Heinz said. “Children in foster care often live with much uncertainty. A Christmas present brings joy and normalcy, and helps build a bond with a foster family. It lets them know that they matter.” Extra contributions are used to meet urgent needs for the kids, Heinz said, including things like buying new boots for growing feet, providing warm coats, or supplying clothes and diapers for children who enter care unexpectedly without personal items. How You Can Help: Your support is crucial in ensuring that every child in foster care experiences the joy and normalcy that every child deserves, especially during the holiday season. Click here to make a contribution. Thanks!!!
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Illinois Supreme Court rules people can’t legally FOIA their FOID card info
Thursday, Nov 30, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * From September…
* The Supreme Court issued a unanimous ruling today, with Justice Joy Cunningham writing the opinion…
…Adding… Somebody just pointed something out to me via text…
Yeah. Maag and the other courts seemed to have a profound misunderstanding about what FOIA is.
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Open thread
Thursday, Nov 30, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Thursday, Nov 30, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Burke case judge to consider granting a mistrial, Jon Seidel at the Sun-Times writes…
- Layers will file written briefs early today. -When Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane MacArthur explained that she did not expect Amtrak executive Ray Lang to make the comment at issue, Kendall quickly asked the veteran prosecutor, “What were you expecting him to say?” * Related stories… ∙ WTTW: ‘If Ald. Burke Asked You Questions It Could Be Terrifying’: ‘Fear Factor’ Takes Center Stage in Corruption Trial ∙ Tribune: Lawyers for ex-Ald. Ed Burke move for mistrial over ‘corrupt’ comment from witness * …Adding…Here’s an update from Jason Meisner…
* Jon Seidel…
* Isabel’s top picks… * Sun-Times | Black utility workers in lawsuit allege they face discrimination while working at Peoples Gas: She is among 11 former and current Peoples Gas employees who filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday against Peoples Gas, alleging that Black workers and customers were sexualized by non-Black workers and faced racial slurs. The lawsuit alleges that Black workers are relegated to an area that serves the South Side, and they frequently get assigned to jobs in neighborhoods without security where some have faced attacks. The workers also allege that Peoples Gas did not do enough after concerns were raised about workplace racism and hazards. * Tribune | Illinois grape growers prepare to take on the invasive spotted lanternfly after first sighting this fall: The black spotted insects were identified for the first time in Illinois in September. Since then, there’s been at least seven more positive sightings, according to Scott Schirmer, the nursery and northern field office section manager at the Illinois Department of Agriculture. One of them was in DuPage County, while the rest were in southern Cook County, he said. * WTTW | Teacher Vacancies in Illinois Disproportionately Impact Students of Color: Report: Advance Illinois breaks down in its latest report, “The State of Our Educator Pipeline 2023,” how school districts across the state are struggling to fill special education and bilingual teaching positions. The organization said that’s having a disproportionate impact on Black and Latino students. “Most tragically, students of color and students from low-income households are dramatically more likely to be in districts with high vacancy levels, more than twice the vacancy rates than the rest of state,” said Robin Steans, president of Advance Illinois. * Here’s the rest of your morning roundup… * Crain’s | Opponents of Illinois’ assault-weapons ban file emergency plea at U.S. Supreme Court: * Daily Herald | Study: Illinois, other Midwestern states behind on renewable energy: Five Midwestern states — Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin — are lagging behind other states when it comes to renewable energy, a new study from environmental organization The Nature Conservancy reports. In Illinois, almost 20% of generated electricity comes from wind and solar as of March 2023. While that’s more than triple the amount generated a decade earlier, the state’s renewable portfolio pales in comparison to states such as Iowa, South Dakota and Oklahoma that are each generating more than 50% of their electricity from solar and wind. * QC Times | Henry County board member announces candidancy for Illinois’ 37th State Senate District: Republican Henry County Board member Tim Wager is running for the 37th State Senate District in Illinois. Republican Sen. Win Stoller holds the seat. Stoller was elected in 2020 and announced in August that he would not seek reelection. * Center Square | Illinois’ cannabis industry seeking changes to increase licensing: During the fall veto session, advocates and lawmakers discussed an amendment to a measure to make it easier for small growers and address a lack of licenses for transporters. State Rep. Norine Hammond, R-Macomb, said the amendment does three things, including cutting application fees. * Tribune | Biden EPA proposes requirements for utilities to remove toxic lead water pipes within a decade; Chicago likely to get more time: More than 9 million homes nationwide get their drinking water from a service line made of lead. Chicago has 400,000 of the toxic pipes, more than any other city. Illinois has more than any other state. * BGA | Johnson Proposes Historically Large Pay Raises for Police: Johnson’s proposal includes a 5% salary bump for FOP-represented police in 2024 and 2025, up from the 2.5% and 2% raises for those years that were agreed upon in the Lightfoot administration’s extension. A larger raise for 2024 was not included in the roughly $2 billion appropriation for the police department passed by City Council earlier this month, meaning approval of a contract with Johnson’s proposed terms would immediately put the city approximately $27.7 million over budget for 2024. * Tribune | Protesters in Brighton Park speak out against migrant camp as construction begins: The construction begins after Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Monday that the state would take an increased role in opening the tent encampment, a location chosen by the city that appears to be the most expedient option. The state will foot the cost of operating the Brighton Park lot as part of its $160 million contribution to migrant services in Chicago. * Shaw Local | State Police gun violence prevention effort requires broad input: The Illinois State Police issued a news release Monday touting its updated Clear and Present Danger reporting system, through which education, medical and law enforcement professionals submit information about people believed to pose a significant threat. ISP evaluates the reports against the person’s status within the Firearm Owner’s Identification program. * SJ-R | ‘A capital place for giants’: Museum has village of Atlanta thinking big: “I’ll never forget it,” recalled Thomas. “It was my job to go to Atlanta’s then-mayor (Bill Martin). I sat down at his kitchen table, and I can remember looking at him across the table, saying, ‘Bill, how would you like a 19-foot-tall statue of a guy holding a hot dog right downtown?’ To his ever-lasting credit, he didn’t pause for more than three seconds, and said, ‘Sure, I think that sounds like a great idea.’” * Bloomberg | Chicago billionaire Byron Trott is in talks for minority stake in Miami Dolphins: Trott, the chairman and co-chief executive officer of merchant bank BDT & MSD Partners, may be taking part in the discussions with another prospective investor, according to one of the people. The negotiations are preliminary and could end with Trott deciding not to invest. Bloomberg News reported earlier this month that billionaire Ken Griffin is in talks with Ross to buy a minority stake in the team, the Hard Rock Stadium and the F1 Miami Grand Prix. * Crain’s | McDonald’s secretive new restaurant is getting set to open in Bolingbrook: A peek at the menu reveals beverages like a S’Mores Cold Brew, a Churro Frappe and a Blueberry Ginger Boost, but more familiar McDonald’s fare such as the Egg McMuffin is also on display. * Sun-Times | Arthur Williams, beloved circulation desk worker at the Brookfield Library, dies at 52: Countless children will never forget getting their first library card, with Mr. Williams speaking to them like they were readers of any age about to embark on a special journey. “These touches, these small things was how he got to know the community and in return he just developed these long lasting relationships,” Coughran said. * WJBC | No holiday displays this season at the Illinois Capitol due to ongoing construction: Rabbi Meir Moscowitz of the group responsible for the annual menorah display, Lubavich Chabad of Illinois, does not sound as if the one-year absence has thrown him. “We’re definitely going to put up the menorah somewhere – not sure yet where. Every year we put more and more menorahs. It’s like the holiday itself: every night, you light one more candle.”
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Thursday, Nov 30, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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