* A year ago, the Simon Poll found that 72 percent favored a graduated income tax and 24 percent opposed, so this has trended slightly downward. Not sure if it’s noise or actual movement, however. Press release…
Illinois voters favor a graduated income tax by a two to one margin according the most recent poll released by the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University.
The Simon Poll was based on a statewide sample of 1,000 registered voters conducted March 11 through March 17. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 percent.
Respondents also endorsed a related proposal for adding a three percent increase to all income over one million dollars per year. Both these proposals are being advocated by Governor J. B. Pritzker as part of his plan for dealing with the chronic structural deficits Illinois has run since the turn of the 21st Century.
Sixty-seven percent of Illinois voters said they favored the graduated tax plan, “… that is, tax rates would be lower for lower-income taxpayers and higher for upper income taxpayers.” Just under one-third, (31 percent) opposed the plan. The plan received high levels of support across all three major geographic divisions of Illinois with the highest level of support coming from Chicago (74 percent). Voters in suburban Cook and the Collar Counties supported the plan by a 68 percent to 31 percent margin, while 60 percent of downstate voters supported and 37 percent opposed the plan.
In the partisan breakdown, 88 percent of Democrats and 65 percent of Independents favored the plan, while 55 percent of Republicans opposed and 43 percent supported the plan. Only ten percent of Democrats opposed and 31 percent of Independents opposed the graduated income tax plan.
When asked a related and more specific plan for increasing the income tax by 3 percent on all incomes over $1 million annually, 71 percent of voters statewide favored and 27 percent opposed the so-called “millionaire’s tax,” while 27 percent opposed.
The 3 percent surtax on million-dollars incomes was favored by majorities of all three geographical regions and of all three partisan groups. Seventy-five percent of Chicago voters favored while 24 percent opposed this proposal; seventy-one percent of suburban voters in Cook and the Collar Counties favored and 27 percent opposed. Downstate, the plan was favored by 70 percent and 29 percent opposed. Democrats favored the tax increase on incomes over one million dollars per year with 90 percent supporting the measure, compared to only 9 percent in opposition, while 69 percent of Independents supported and 27 percent opposed. Somewhat surprisingly, a bare majority (51 percent) of Republicans supported and 47 percent opposed the three percent increase in taxes for the portion of annual income that exceeds $1 million. […]
Aside from depending on the graduated income tax as the governor advocates, there are other routes to raising increased revenue, several of which are being considered this term in the legislature. Those sources would produce immediate revenue increases for the next two fiscal years. The poll also assessed most of those possible sources of new revenue.
At the top of this list is the proposal to legalize recreational marijuana and regulate and tax it like alcohol. This has become a top legislative item for the Pritzker administration. Sixty-six percent of the respondents favored or strongly favored the plan while 32 percent opposed.
The differences in levels of support are not particularly large by region, but they are in the direction we expected. The highest level of support is in the City of Chicago, where three- quarters (75 percent) favored it and 24 percent opposed. The next highest level of support was in suburban Cook and the Collar Counties with 67 percent favoring and 31 percent opposed. The lowest support levels were downstate, but here, too, the support was well above a majority, at 57 percent favoring with 39 percent opposed.
The partisan differences were fairly marked and as we expected. Seventy-nine percent of Democratic respondents favored legalizing and taxing marijuana, and 65 percent of Independents favored it. The Republicans were virtually tied at 49 percent in favor and 48 percent opposed.
“This may be one of those public policy shifts—like gay marriage—whose time comes fairly quickly. Given the solid support it receives across almost all the groups we surveyed, its strong advocacy from the Pritzker Administration, and aversion to higher taxes, the legislature may feel emboldened to legalize and tax marijuana,” said Charlie Leonard, a co-director of the Simon Poll.
There has long been a movement to expand gambling in the state, and the current Simon Poll presented a generic question about it as it has in the past. This proposal received majority support statewide and across both geographic and partisan divisions. Fifty-seven percent of all respondents favored or strongly favored it, with 40 percent opposed or strongly opposed. Support was highest in the City of Chicago (65 percent), next highest in the suburbs at 56 percent, followed closely by downstate voters at 54 percent.
Support for expanding gambling was spread almost evenly across the three major partisan groups with 59 percent of Democrats, 57 percent of Republicans, and 54 percent of Independents favoring it. This is another policy shift which seems to have a good deal of momentum in the General Assembly and widespread support among the public.
A natural extension of the gambling issue is the recent drive to legalize gambling on sporting events. Several states have already legalized or are planning to legalize sports betting due to a recent U. S. Supreme Court decision favoring it. Statewide almost two-thirds (63 percent) favored or strongly favored while one-third (33 percent) opposed legalized gambling on sports events.
This is another proposal which garnered support from substantial majorities across both geographic and partisan divides. Seventy-two percent of Chicago voters favored and only 26 percent opposed it. Comparable levels of support were found in the suburbs with 63 percent supporting and 33 percent opposing and downstate with 57 percent supporting and 37 percent opposing the legalization of sports betting.
Partisan differences were relatively small also with 66 percent of Democratic voters favoring and 60 percent of Republicans favoring the proposal, leaving 60 percent of Independents supporting allowing gambling on sports events. On the negative side, 30 percent of Democrats, 34 percent of Republicans, and 36 percent of Independents opposed sports gambling.
The possibility of expanding the base of service taxes in order to more accurately reflect the realities of a 21st Century service economy has been on the state’s political agenda for several years. Currently Illinois only taxes 17 categories of services compared to the national average of 56 with a total of 168 categories of services taxed across all states combined. So Illinois is a low tax state in terms of taxes on services.
The Simon Poll asked if respondents favored or opposed, “expanding the sales tax to cover the same services as Wisconsin currently taxes such as a sales tax on entertainment tickets, cable and internet services, landscaping and parking, which are not currently taxed?”
Statewide, 36 percent favored or strongly favored this proposal and 61 percent opposed or strongly opposed it. The highest level of support was in Chicago, where 41 percent supported and 56 percent opposed; followed by downstate where 36 percent supported and 60 percent opposed. The suburbs were marginally the lowest on level of support with 34 percent who supported and 63 percent who opposed.
Partisan differences were as expected, with 47 percent of Democrats favoring and 50 percent opposing expanding the service tax base; 30 percent of Republicans favoring and 66 percent opposing; and 29 percent of Independents favoring and 67 percent opposing.
Since the Pritzker Administration assumed office in January, there has been a great deal of discussion of and movement toward a capital plan. A significant number or other states have adopted an infrastructure plan paid for by motor fuel tax increases recently. Illinois has not had a capital plan since 2010, when Governor Pat Quinn instituted one. Multiple reports have touted the need for new infrastructure and repair of what’s already in place. The problem is, of course, how to pay for such a plan. The most common and most likely source is an increase on the motor fuel tax.
Thirty-seven of the respondents favored and 61 percent opposed the gas tax increase. Support and opposition varied both by region and by partisanship. A majority 52 percent of Chicago residents favored the plan; while in the suburbs 34 percent supported it; and downstate 33 percent supported and 65 percent opposed increasing the gas tax.
Two additional questions on potential revenue sources were interrelated. The Simon Poll has consistently asked whether voters favored applying the state income tax to retirement income. The results have generally been negative on this proposition and this year was no exception. Statewide, 73 percent of the respondents said they somewhat opposed or strongly opposed making this change, while a net of only 23 percent either favored or somewhat favored.
Twenty-nine percent of the residents of Chicago favored and 67 percent opposed taxing retirement income such as Social Security. The idea was even less popular in the suburbs and downstate where only 23 percent and 18 percent respectively favored this change.
Twenty-nine percent of Democrats favored and 67 percent opposed; while 18 percent of Independents and Republicans supported with over 70 percent opposed in both groups.
The final question in the search for possible sources of new revenue is a variation on taxing retirement. It tested the proposition of putting a tax on retirement income if the first $100,000 were exempted from the tax. It was only asked of those respondents (N = 732) who had indicated they were opposed to taxing retirement income in the previous question. Here the statewide division was much closer with 36 percent favoring and 34 percent opposed. There were essentially no notable differences by place of residence or partisanship.
Tuesday, Mar 26, 2019 - Posted by Advertising Department
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Would you support an all-rider motorcycle helmet law in Illinois?
Yes 87%
No 13%
ABATE organized to the hilt when John Cullerton was pushing hard every year for a motorcycle helmet mandate. Cullerton eventually backed off because he realized all he was doing with every bill introduction was making the group stronger. But, hey, times change.
* The Question: Would you support an all-rider motorcycle helmet law in Illinois? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please…
* I received a call from someone close to the Preckwinkle campaign yesterday taunting me about how the Sun-Times had scooped me on my own story. Turns out, the person had called the wrong guy. Oops.
In 2004, a home caught fire on the West Side, killing four children.
Almost immediately, neighbors raised questions about whether 911 calls had been botched by dispatchers, delaying the Chicago Fire Department’s response and costing lives.
At the time, mayoral candidate Lori Lightfoot was chief of staff and general counsel for Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications, the arm of city government that runs the 911 center. In that role, she oversaw an internal review into possible mistakes by call-takers.
And after the Rev. Dwayne and Emily Funches — the parents of three of the dead children — filed a lawsuit against the city, Lightfoot became central to the case, with the family’s attorney accusing her of lying, being “extremely evasive” during a deposition and changing her account about what documents she created or had in her possession, according to court records.
The judge overseeing the lawsuit also took aim at Lightfoot, calling into question her “attitude” and portraying her handling of a temporary restraining order that was supposed to preserve 911 evidence as “very, very troubling.” Some of that evidence ended up getting destroyed, records show.
The judge, Lynn Egan, said at one hearing that “we have a record that supports a reasonable argument that the city is deliberately withholding evidence in this case.”
That could be good oppo for Preckwinkle’s TV ads… if Preckwinkle was still running TV ads.
During an October 2007 hearing, she said Lightfoot’s “response to receipt of a temporary restraining order … was so cavalier and inadequate that it comes close to violating her duties as an officer of a court.”
The following January, city attorneys insisted that neither Lightfoot nor OEMC possessed her records on the fire.
The judge responded by scolding them about Lightfoot again.
“That is very problematic given her deposition testimony that she created multiple files,” Egan said. “I just can’t underscore enough how troubled this court is by her approach to this situation.”
“What you just told me,” the judge said, “suggests that there has been destruction of documents.”
“You might want to alert Ms. Lightfoot [that] she may want to retain personal counsel,” Egan warned.
“It’s important to remember that in this 2004 fire, four young people died,” Preckwinkle said during the debate, before acknowledging her campaign shopped the story to reporters.
I have a policy of labeling all opposition research that I decide to run with. That tends to reduce the amount of oppo I receive, but it is what it is.
State Sen. Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods) was joined by members of the Illinois Senate Republican Caucus on Tuesday to unveil a proposal that would protect middle-class residents by giving them a voice in safeguarding their hard-earned money.
Senate Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 12, sponsored by Sen. McConchie, proposes an amendment to Illinois’ Constitution to prohibit the Legislature from imposing or raising a state tax or fee except through legislation approved by a two-thirds super-majority vote in both the Senate and House of Representatives. Currently, legislators only need a simple majority to pass a tax increase or to implement a new tax.
In announcing their Constitutional Amendment, Republicans said taxpayers deserve the option to decide whether a supermajority should be required when the Legislature votes on legislation dealing with taxes, and noted that increasing taxes in Illinois is too easy and is often used as a first resort when dealing with financial issues.
“With all the new taxes being proposed by the super-majority in both chambers, we need to ensure adequate protections are in place to protect those middle-class families already feeling the burden imposed by years of government over-spending and fiscal mismanagement,” said McConchie.
Senate Republicans noted that 15 states impose some kind of super-majority requirement to raise or implement taxes. Also, similar proposals have been introduced by legislators in Illinois in the past.
“California, who is in a financial position similar to Illinois, has implemented this requirement,” said McConchie. “Wisconsin also has this provision in place. In fact, many states are moving toward empowering their residents by offering this protection.”
To put SJRCA 12 on the ballot in 2020, a 3/5 majority is required, and for the amendment to be adopted, voters must approve it on the ballot with a 3/5th of those voting on the question or a majority of those voting in the election.
If placed on the ballot and approved by voters, any new state tax or any state tax increase would need 40 votes in the Senate and 79 votes in the House.
* Chaser…
Think Big Illinois Executive Director Quentin Fulks released the following statement in response to the Illinois Senate GOP’s proposed constitutional amendment to block the implementation of a fair tax:
“Republicans in Springfield are so desperate to keep our current unfair tax system that they are resorting to political stunts in an attempt to ensure a system that disproportionately places the burden on middle and lower-class families stays in place.
“It’s not surprising that Republicans are using every trick in the book to protect the wealthy donors they rely on to fund their campaigns, but Illinois needs a fair tax to modernize our tax code and bring in much-needed revenue, which will go toward helping solve our budget crisis and fund critical programs, including our schools.
“Under Governor Pritzker’s fair tax plan, 97% of Illinoisans will see no state income tax increase, with only those making above $250,000 paying more. That’s the kind of tax system Illinois’ working families deserve, and that’s what Think Big Illinois will continue to fight for.”
…Adding… One more…
The Senate GOP filed a resolution seeking a constitutional amendment to require a two-thirds majority to raise or enact any new taxes. Speaker Madigan’s spokesman responds, “Typically, [Madigan] has not been a big backer of allowing the minority to exercise outsized control.”
Over 60 percent of Illinoisans believe current transportation funding IS NOT adequate to maintain roadways in their current condition, according to a recent AAA Consumer Pulse™ study. Nearly three quarters of Illinois residents rate the quality of roads and bridges in the state as Fair (47 percent) or Poor (26 percent). Although the majority of Illinoisans don’t think funding is adequate, when asked how to increase funding dollars for transportation, no clear consensus emerged.
The poll itself “Utilized a proprietary online research panel,” which makes me a bit skeptical. It was conducted January 28, 2019 through February 8, 2019 of 403 Illinois respondents.
Do you think existing transportation funding is being used appropriately in Illinois?
Yes 26%
No 74%
Do you believe current transportation funding is adequate or not to maintain roadways in their current condition?
Yes, adequate 39%
No, not adequate 61%
Would you be willing to pay more in taxes or fees to improve the transportation system in Illinois?
Yes 26%
No 74%
In an effort to increase transportation funding, which of the following options would you support? (Select all that apply)
Expand gambling to pay for transportation 39%
Selling bonds to raise funds 23%
Charge tolls on new roads and highway lanes 18%
Increase gasoline taxes 15%
Charge tolls on existing toll-free roads and highway lanes 13%
Charge tax based on vehicle miles traveled (e.g., road usage charge) 12%
Increase registration/plate fees 11%
Indexing the gasoline tax based on inflation 9%
Increase other taxes to pay for transportation (sales, income, property taxes) 5%
None, do not support any of the above 32%
Do you favor or oppose adding toll lanes to existing interstates in Illinois based on traffic congestion?
Favor 44%
Oppose 56%
To help fund roads and bridges, would you support changing Illinois’ tax system from a flat tax (where everybody pays the same amount) to a graduated tax where higher earners pay more?
Yes, I would support a graduated tax system 55%
No, I would not support a graduated tax system 45%
If you had to choose between the three options below to increase transportation funding, which would you most prefer?
Pay a toll to drive on certain lanes/roads 67%
Charge for road usage (tax based on number of miles traveled) 17%
Increase gasoline taxes 16%
In order to adequately fund transportation, how much more per gallon, if any, would you be willing to pay in gasoline taxes?
None, would not be willing to pay more in gasoline taxes 62%
5 cents more 24%
10 cents more 9%
20 cents more 3%
30 cents more 2%
Would you be willing to pay more in taxes or fees to support funding for public transportation, such as buses, rail, bike lanes, etc.?
Yes, willing to pay more 31%
No, not willing to pay more 69%
We’ll get to the last question later, but if this poll is accurate it’s abundantly clear that while Illinoisans know the need is there, they are in no mood for a higher gas tax (or really for any higher tax) to pay for it. And they may be so resistant because they don’t believe the government spends the money well now.
Gov. Pritzker has never signed on to a gas tax increase, and now we may know why.
Also, the fact that 39 percent think this can be solved with gaming money alone is interesting. That’s not a very reliable funding source, but whatevs.
* So, that’s why an advertising campaign paid for by a group associated with Local 150 of the Operating Engineers has its work cut out for it. 150 is backing a bill to double the Motor Fuel Tax and increase fees. It’s a good ad, but it’s a hugely difficult task…
* Chicago Republican Party Chairman Chris Cleveland told the Illinois Review that both mayoral candidates sent out feelers asking for his party’s endorsement. This exchange between Cleveland and a Preckwinkle person made me laugh out loud…
The Preckwinkle inquiry was a bit more ham-handed, the Chicago GOP chairman said.
“I received a call this morning from what sounded like a junior staffer,” said Cleveland. “He just asked straight out — would the Chicago GOP endorse Preckwinkle? I said, um, there’s a bit more to the endorsement process than just a phone call. The staffer sounded offended — ‘She’s against tax increases!’ he said. No, she’s not, I said, and don’t you think it’s unlikely that the Republicans would endorse the head of the Cook County Democratic Party?
“‘Well, these are strange times,’ he said before he hung up,” Cleveland said.
It soon could be easier for students to report bullying or hazing activities at Illinois schools.
State Rep. John Cabello, R-Machesney Park, is behind a bill that would allow students younger than 18 to use a statewide toll-free hotline to identify incidents anonymously.
“You might not want to tell a school official, because you might fear it will be let out you were the one who told,” Cabello said. “This gives them an anonymous way of contacting a hotline so that the hotline can contact the school and/or the jurisdiction of police in that area so someone can start looking into it to make sure it stops.”
The hotline is operated by the Department of Children and Family Services and currently is used to report child abuse or neglect.
“There should be no cost involved, at least to the state,” Cabello said. “Everything is already there. It’s just another way of trying to make sure we get these kids the help they need.”
Even today, far too many schools turn a blind eye to this behavior and it has to stop.
State Rep. Larry Walsh Jr., D-Elwood, has introduced legislation aimed at converting a stretch of Interstate 80 east of Morris into a tollway.
The resolution, if approved, would not finalize plans to convert I-80 into a tollway but could start the process. Walsh said the legislation is needed if a $1 billion-plus plan for improvements is ever to get funded.
“My purpose in introducing it is to bring that option to the forefront,” Walsh said. “We all know how bad I-80 is. We’ve been talking about it for I don’t know how many years.” […]
Walsh said as much as $1.5 billion could be needed to complete improvements planned for 16 miles of I-80 between Route 30 in New Lenox and Ridge Road in Minooka. The state is considering a capital bill that would authorize $38 to $40 billion in road and bridge improvements over 10 years, he said.
“To go and ask for a billion and a half (dollars) for just 16 miles is a huge ask,” Walsh said.
* The Tribune gets some guy from California to write an op-ed about an Illinois House bill that was assigned to subcommittee in February…
Imagine an America that prizes the vitality of newborns and joys of parenting more than our nagging penchant for work.
This remarkable shift now gains steam in a dozen states, where governors seek to create or lengthen paid leave for parents after a newborn arrives.
This includes Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who promises to “embrace more robust policies supporting paid parental leave and affordable child care.” He delivered a long-awaited pay raise this past week to 14,000 caregivers and preschool teachers.
But parental leave initiatives threaten to worsen wide disparities in children’s health and early learning, along the chasms of race and class. This inequity reveals the hazards facing well-meaning Democrats, as they promise unbridled entitlements.
The death of a 2-year-old Chicago boy, tragically beaten to death while under the watch of the Department of Children and Family Services, has sparked concern.
Several stakeholders agree that in recent years, DCFS has been violating the terms of a court ordered consent decree that was supposed to bring caseloads down and help protect kids, like the 2-year-old Ja’hir Gibbons who died last week.
It has been 31 years since Ben Wolf, of the Illinois ACLU, brought a class action lawsuit against the Illinois DCFS that led to the consent decree mandating lower caseloads for investigators and increased reporting requirements. […]
As recently as two weeks ago, the ACLU, which monitors the consent decree, testified before state legislators for help.
“Not only was the department broken and chaotic, but it stopped sharing basic information with us,” Wolf said.
It stopped sharing information?
* I checked with the Illinois ACLU for clarification. Here’s Ed Yohnka…
It is an issue with DCFS that has gotten progressively worse over the past few years. Late last year, the federal court overseeing the BH decree approved a special master to facilitate the exchange of information between the ACLU and DCFS. That has helped this process.
But it is not just sharing information with us. There is other information that DCFS used to make publicly available that no longer is produced. We are hopeful it will improve with new leadership.
* So, what other information is not being shared?…
The simplest thing to point to might be the Executive Statistical Summary, which starting in the late 1990s or early 2000s was made public on-line (at the urging of the ACLU, which had always gotten access to it through the litigation). It included a lot of information each month about how many kids were investigated, how many brought into custody and the placement of each child. In the past few years the State stopped putting it online, and when our counsel asked for it they refused to give us most of this information.
My understanding is that we’re still not getting a lot of it.
In 2018, there were eight car accidents involving Illinois State Police officers. So far in 2019, there have been 14.
Governor J.B. Pritzker joined Illinois State Police Acting Director Brendan Kelly and a group of state police officers on Monday to call on the people of Illinois to be more responsible on the roads.
“Our state troopers are putting their lives on the line every single day,” Pritzker said. “They are our heroes and first responders, keeping people safe. No driver needs to get to their destination so quickly that they need to put a trooper’s life at risk. No one’s time or convenience is worth more than the lives of our state’s heroes.”
The increased attention to Scott’s Law violations comes as State Police experience a recent spike in these crashes, one of which led to the January death of Trooper Christopher Lambert, 34, on Interstate 294 near Northbrook. State Police have recorded 14 such crashes just in the first three months of this year. Previous years saw far fewer cases, with eight in 2018, 12 in 2017 and five in 2016.
Pritzker called the statistics staggering and held the news conference, in part, to provide more awareness about the law. He recalled the condolence call he made to Lambert’s family in urging all motorists to do their part to keep troopers safe on the roadway.
“That call to his family that I made is a call that I never want to have to make again,” Pritzker said, flanked by dozens of troopers. “Not for this. Not because a driver was in too big a hurry to obey the law and keep our troopers safe.” […]
In a news release, State Police said that anyone who is issued a violation of Scott’s Law must appear in court and is subject to a fine between $100 and $10,000. Motorists can lose their driver’s licenses if a violation leads to injury.
Seems to me the penalties should be higher than that.
Kelly said police looked at time, date, location and weather and found “no common denominator” in this year’s crashes involving troopers.
“This year is frankly unprecedented when looking at all statistics. So this is an increasingly great risk for the troopers that are on the side for the road just doing their job, doing traffic enforcement, DUI enforcement, doing criminal patrol duty for drugs and guns,” Kelly said. “So, this is a new level of disregard that we’re seeing by some driving members of the public.”
A federal judge on Monday ordered the arrests of two former political operatives of Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan for failing to appear for depositions in a lawsuit filed by Madigan’s opponent in the 2016 election.
Joseph Nasella and Michael Kuba were each found in contempt of court by U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly, who authorized deputy marshals to “use necessary and reasonable force” in making the arrests, court records show. […]
Gonzales’ attorney, Anthony Peraica, said Monday that Nasella and Kuba were each given notice of their depositions by multiple means — including in person, by certified letter, by email and even via Facebook. […]
Once he learns of their arrests, Peraica said, he plans to take their statements under oath while they still are in custody.
Madigan’s personal attorney, Heather Wier Vaught, on Monday said Madigan’s political organization, Friends of Michael J. Madigan, did not employ Kuba. Wier Vaught said Nasella had been paid “small payments” for working for the campaigns of state Rep. Justin Slaughter, D-Chicago, and state Rep. Mary Flowers, D-Chicago, in 2018. She said he had been “dismissed,” but did not disclose why.
Following a study that found some Illinois Lottery players, particularly young ones, had a poor understanding of the nature of gambling — like that you shouldn’t bank a paycheck on the lottery — the state is launching a campaign to help players make more “informed decisions” when playing.
The study found 63.4 percent of players polled — ages 18 to 24 — had a low level of gambling literacy, meaning they didn’t understand that gambling isn’t a good way to make money; that if you gamble more often, it won’t necessarily mean you’ll win more than you lose or that your chances of winning don’t get better after you’ve lost. […]
A $230,000 Illinois Lottery campaign — launching Monday — will feature social media posts, in-store messaging and paid advertising to drive players to the Illinois Lottery’s website. The goal is to teach players about common myths. And the lottery plans to do further research after the campaign to see if it makes a difference in gaming literacy.
Messages will include, “Set a limit, Stick to it,” as well as “Play for fun. Not funds,” and “Remember, it’s a game of chance.”
The lottery website will also dispel some myths like that there’s no such thing as a “lucky touch,” and winnings are completely random, with no guaranteed rate on a ticket.
Grieving family members say they’ve waited and waited to hear from police about the crime lab analysis of their relatives’ murders.
At a state Senate hearing, they focused their frustration on detectives who did not keep them informed about the progress of their case, and the long delays in getting DNA evidence tested.
Latonya Moore’s daughter, 26-year-old Shantieya Smith, went missing last May in Chicago. She was was found dead in June.
“I haven’t even found out how my daughter was murdered,” Moore told senators. She says she’s called police to ask about the status of her daughter’s case, and been frustrated when return calls are promised but never happen.
“West side and south side — when it come to us, we get swept under the rug. But when it come up north side or somebody else happen, it’s like a racist thing,” Moore said. “Everybody should be treated equal.”
The Senate Public Health and Criminal Law committees held a joint hearing in Chicago Monday on the state’s nearly 700 murder cases still awaiting evidence testing.
“The backlog in murder DNA processing at the state crime lab is unacceptable,” state Sen. Patricia Van Pelt (D-Chicago) said. “Technology exists to test DNA in under two hours, yet DNA from nearly 700 murder cases from the past few years is still backlogged. Law enforcement needs to be taking advantage of this technology. There are 700 families waiting for answers. They deserve closure.”
Thousands of other cases are also awaiting testing in the state backlog. The committee heard testimony from the families of murder victims, the Illinois State Police, representatives from ANDE, a Colorado DNA testing firm, and the Murder Accountability Project, which tracks unsolved homicide cases.
“During my time as a prosecutor assigned to the Violent Crimes Unit for the Madison County State’s Attorney’s office, I saw firsthand the consequences of this state’s mismanagement of DNA evidence,” said state Sen. Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon). “Violent crime cases are extremely time sensitive and most of the time rely solely on DNA evidence. To ensure justice for these victims and their families, we must make the timeliness of these test results a priority. I support the plan to invest in more technicians to combat the thousands of unfinished DNA tests dating back several years.”
* In a move that was likely not a coincidence, the Illinois State Police issued a statement on Sunday evening outlining its plans ahead of Monday’s hearing…
Illinois State Police officials said Monday it will take up to two years to make significant progress in clearing a backlog of more than 5,000 cases — including 658 unsolved homicides — awaiting DNA testing at state crime labs.
Delays in DNA testing at the state police forensics labs have been a periodic problem in Illinois for more than a decade, but the current backlog is a result of understaffing caused by the protracted budget standoff between previous Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and the legislature, Robin Woolery, assistant deputy director of forensic services for the state police, testified to a Senate committee.
“Our staffing dropped significantly, and we’re doing everything we can now to rectify that situation,” Woolery said.
The ISP hired eight new trainees in December for the section that handles DNA testing, and the agency plans to hire 10 more by the end of this year.
* Sunday press release…
Illinois State Police (ISP) Acting Director Brendan Kelly vows to work towards fulfilling the recommendations set forth by the Sexual Assault Tracking Submissions Commission. “Survivors of sexual assault or violent crime shouldn’t be left in the dark while their kit makes its way through a system that can seem cold and indifferent,” said Kelly. “They should know that hospitals, police, forensic scientists, and prosecutors care about their case and transparency is the best way to make sure that happens.”
The Illinois State Police Division of Forensic Services (DFS) has been directed to implement an online sexual assault tracking system by the end of the year. Kelly has directed the current laboratory IT vendor to begin development of the online system immediately using a special exemption under the state’s procurement code.
Once implemented, the sexual assault tracking system will allow survivors of sexual assault to monitor their evidence online throughout the entire process, from collection at the hospital, through law enforcement pick-up and submission to the forensic lab, and lastly to the State’s Attorney’s office where final results are received. The tracking of sexual assault kits allow survivors to check on the status of their evidence without compromising their privacy. To ensure privacy, the system will use unique case numbers and passwords to limit access to survivors and law enforcement. However, the ISP can only do so much to afford the maximum amount of privacy for the victims. That is why a statutory exemption to 5 ILCS 140/7.5 that all information contained and tracked in any uniform statewide sexual assault evidence tracking system be exempt from Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, and (b) referred to the FOIA exemption in any statute authorizing or governing the tracking system.
