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Pritzker says state will work to protect preventative services after Texas federal judge issues ruling striking them down

Thursday, Mar 30, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The Hill

A federal judge in Texas struck down a key provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that requires insurers and employers to cover preventive services for free, including cancer screenings and HIV drugs.

The ruling by Judge Reed O’Connor of U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas — who previously struck down the entire ObamaCare law before it was upheld by the Supreme Court — applies nationwide.

It immediately jeopardizes access to treatment for the approximately 100 million Americans who use free preventive services annually, and it leaves the door open for insurers to impose deductibles and copays for potentially life-saving screening tests.

The ACA requires insurers to cover, without cost-sharing, more than 100 preventive health services recommended by the U.S Preventive Services Task Force. Cost sharing will likely deter patients — particularly those of limited means — from scheduling mammograms, colonoscopies and other procedures.

More

Other preventive care mandates under the ACA remain in effect. The decision applies to Task Force recommendations issued on or after March 23, 2010 – the day the Affordable Care Act was signed into law. While the group had recommended various preventive services prior to that date, nearly all have since been updated or expanded.

It is likely the case will be appealed, and the Justice Department has the option to ask that O’Connor’s ruling be put on pause while the appeal is litigated.

* React…


  15 Comments      


Afternoon roundup

Thursday, Mar 30, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From the governor’s press conference today

Q: Legislation you signed, the Gun Dealer Certification Act, tucked into that was a provision that required ISP to collect a bunch of data on gun crimes in the state. They’re supposed to report it to the General Assembly and to you every year, put it up on, for the public to see. ISP said in a report last month that they’ve been unable to compile that data. How can policymakers like you and Rep. Scherer make good, comprehensive statewide gun policy when we don’t have a full picture? And what’s your administration doing to address some of these?

Pritzker: I think it’s an excellent example for all of us that just passing a law by itself isn’t going to get the job done if there is a problem with implementing the law. That’s not the fault of the General Assembly, I think good intentions, and the general and the administration, good intentions, to be able to gather that data.

Here’s what ISP has discovered, which is, as you go county by county, and law enforcement agency by law enforcement agency, it turns out the systems are, some range of, on paper to, you know, to something that’s, let’s say, somewhat modernized. And so collecting that data year in and year out, or even month in and month out, has just been very difficult. The ISP has found they can’t get the data from some places. And so it’s incomplete. ISP is not able to deliver what the law wants it to deliver. And I think we all realize that there are maybe some adjustments that need to be made, and support for the modernization of law enforcement systems at the local level.

Again, it depends on where you go, right? Chicago has systems that allow them to report on a very regular basis. You probably know Jeremy better than I do. I think it’s on a weekly basis, they’re able to deliver stats in every category. I won’t name places, but let’s just say local law enforcement in some smaller jurisdictions really can’t deliver that stuff in a timely fashion.

So we need to make a change in the law, is likely a need. And then we need to make sure that we have systems that regularly pull the data, and it isn’t a human interaction that is required for every one of these jurisdictions. We just have too many local law enforcement agencies to be able to do that.

…Adding… React

“We continue to work with the Illinois State Police to bring this goal to reality,” said Harmon spokesman John Patterson. “We want to make sure the State Police makes available to the public the gun violence information it has, while also working on the bigger issue of how to get more agencies across this state to share that information in a way that’s useful to the public and public policy makers.”

* IDES…

Total nonfarm jobs increased in thirteen metropolitan areas and decreased in one for the year ending February 2023, according to data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (DES). Over-the-year, the unemployment rate decreased in seven areas, increased in five areas and was unchanged in two.

“Today’s data is further indication that job growth continues to trend in the right direction with expansion throughout every corner of the state across sectors,” said Deputy Governor Andy Manar. “Job expansion creates new and growing career opportunities for jobseekers and the demand for employers to invest in and retain the talented and diverse Illinois labor force.”

The metro areas which had the largest over-the-year percentage increases in total nonfarm jobs were the Bloomington MSA (+4.8%, +4,500), the Peoria MSA (3.9%, +6,400), and the Champaign-Urbana MSA (+3.4%, +4,000). Total nonfarm jobs in the Chicago Metropolitan Division were up +2.1% or +77,500. Total nonfarm jobs were down in the Illinois section of the St. Louis MSA (-0.4%, -1,000). Industries that saw job growth in a majority of metro areas included: Mining and Construction and Leisure and Hospitality (fourteen areas each); Education and Health Services, Other Services and Government (thirteen areas each); Manufacturing and Wholesale Trade (eleven areas each); Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities (ten areas).

The metro areas with the largest unemployment rate decreases were in the Chicago Metropolitan Division (-0.9 point to 4.1%), the Rockford MSA (-0.8 point to 6.3%), and the Decatur MSA (-0.6 point to 5.9%). The largest unemployment rate increases were in the Lake County-Kenosha County Metro (+0.4 point to 5.4%), the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island IA-IL MSA (+0.3%, +4.6%) and the Elgin Metro (+0.3 point to 5.9%). The unemployment rate was unchanged in the Bloomington MSA (4.0%) and the Champaign-Urbana MSA (4.1%).

* G-PAC…

Today, the Gun Violence Prevention PAC (G-PAC), the state’s leading gun safety organization, released a statement from its CEO Kathleen Sances, responding to an anti-public safety protest orchestrated by gun lobby supporters, including state lawmakers. The event comes two days after a mass shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville left six dead, including three children.

“It is incredibly disturbing that several lawmakers protested our state’s much-needed assault weapons ban just two days after six people were shot and killed in a school in Nashville with similar weapons.

“Make no mistake, this kind of behavior directly fuels our state and country’s gun violence epidemic, which is now the number one cause of death for children in Illinois and the entire country.

“Elected officials are public servants. Their energy should, first and foremost, be directed towards centering the needs of their constituents. However, it is clear from this demonstration that members of the Illinois Freedom Caucus are more concerned with filling the coffers of the gun industry than they are protecting the lives of the most vulnerable in our state.

“The people of Illinois deserve to live safe and secure lives. We deserve lawmakers who are dedicated to keeping our families safe. Lawmakers who abuse their platforms to carry the gun lobby’s water will be voted out.”

* Press release…

Chicago City Council members today voted overwhelmingly to make Chicago history and create an independent and co-equal branch of city government. The votes to approve a wide range of rule changes signals a seismic shift for the City Council, establishing its independence and removing power from mayors who in recent decades have determined everything from legislative agendas to committee chairs.

As part of the approved changes, members can now make their own committee chair assignments, which were unveiled today. Vice chairs and new members of each 11-member committee will be chosen after the runoff election April 4. This process will provide new council members a significant say in the composition of the committees for the first time.

The rule changes also increased the number of committees from 19 to 28, allowing for more diverse voices in leadership positions. Members agreed to divide committee chairs in an equitable process that created the most diverse council leadership structure in Chicago history. Under the new committee structure there will be:

    • Increased percentage and total number of committees chaired by Latino Caucus members from four (21%) to eight (28.5%);
    • Increased total number of committees chaired by Black Caucus members from nine to 12;
    • Black and Latino members accounting for 71% of committee chairs in total;
    • Two Latinas chairing council committees for the first time in the council’s history;
    • A record nine women serving as committee chairs, an increase from 26% to 32% of committees; and
    • A record three members of the LGBTQ community serving as committee chairs.

The rule changes not only increase council independence, but also minimize mayoral influence over council deliberations, provide for increased transparency of committee business, and provide new ways for committees to operate.

The budget for the new committees is estimated at $700,000 for the remainder of 2023.

With today’s vote, the council joins other legislative bodies across the country as an independent, co-equal branch of city government. The resolutions detailing the rule changes can be found here and a full list of committee chair assignments can be found here.

* It’s a big hit…


…Adding… Tribune

A Will County judge dismissed an election fraud case Thursday filed by the losing candidate in the 2022 race for Will County clerk that claimed mathematic formulas showed the final vote count was fraudulent.

Republican Gretchen Fritz filed the lawsuit Dec. 28, claiming she believes “mistakes and fraud have been committed in the casting and counting of ballots” in the race because her opponent, Democratic Will County Clerk Lauren Staley Ferry, received more votes than Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker. […]

Odelson, who has been an election law attorney for 50 years, said in court Thursday he had “never ever” seen a case like this one, which he said was not based on facts or presented specific allegations but seemingly came from a “cosmic ray from Mars.”

* Isabel’s roundup…

    * WSIL | $200 million to improve freight routes throughout Illinois: “For the last four years, we’ve invested billions of dollars in communities across Illinois to restore and renew all modes of transportation throughout our state: roads, bridges, airports, and transit, as well as pedestrian and bike routes. And today, I’m proud to announce yet another leap forward — nearly $200 million for the freight routes that have defined Illinois for generations,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “These funds will be used for 22 port, rail, and highway projects in Illinois to address bottlenecks, increase mobility, and improve the supply chain up and down the state.”

    * Crain’s | Peoples Gas breaks another earnings record amid a pending request for a massive rate hike: The natural gas utility serving the city of Chicago earned $209 million, up from $205 million the year before, which also was a record, according to a report made public today. … Peoples has a record $405 million rate hike request pending before the Illinois Commerce Commission, which would take effect at the end of this year. The commission must rule on that by year-end.

    * Crain’s | Illinois lawmakers look to tighten hospital merger rules amid pricing, quality concerns: The new policy, which originated at Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office, would amend the Illinois Antitrust Act, State Finance Act and the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Act in ways that would require health care organizations to notify the AG’s office within 30 days of a proposed merger or acquisition. The legislation, called House Bill 2222, would also give the AG an opportunity to request additional information about a deal that would help determine whether a proposed transaction warrants further action.

    * ProPublica | Sweeping repatriation reform bill unanimously passes Illinois House of Representatives: If signed into law, the legislation would create a protected cemetery for the reburial of repatriated Native American ancestors and establish a committee of tribal leaders to review state projects that may disturb culturally significant sites.

    * CBS Chicago | University of Illinois Medical Center nurses protesting Thursday: They’re fighting for increased security measures after several nurses have been attacked by patients while on the job. The nurses will gather outside of the UIH emergency room at 10 a.m.

    * WIFR | Illinois Tollway decreases toll violation fines with new program: Starting in April, motorists with multiple unpaid toll invoices will see a final notice resulting in $20 fines on top of each invoice. “The Illinois Tollway will no longer issue escalated $50 fines,” Cassaundra Rouse, executive director of the Illinois Tollway states. “It is our hope that every customer takes advantage of all the ways the Tollway offers to pay tolls and avoid fees.”

    * Bloomberg | At UChicago, Northwestern and other elite private schools, sticker shock is hitting students: Full costs at elite private colleges now stretch well into the $80,000s, or upward of $320,000 for four years and well above what the typical U.S. household earns. At UChicago, the cost of attendance — tuition, room, board and fees — is just over $81,000. At Northwestern, it’s roughly $84,000.

    * Shaw Local | Thanks in part to Illinois innovation, ‘range anxiety’ won’t hamper electric cars for long: Mohammad Asadi, an assistant professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology, last month co-published a paper in the journal Science with Larry A. Curtiss and other Illinois colleagues about their work on a novel lithium-air battery that has a solid electrolyte made with a mix of polymer and ceramic.

    * Crain’s | City Council moves toward independence after raucous meeting: The rules overhaul was eventually approved after a lengthy debate where those opposed to the deal accused their colleagues of working up a “backroom deal” that was more about securing chairmanships than creating an independent body.

    * Block Club | Englewood’s Long-Awaited Nature Trail Will Cost $72 Million To Build, City Says: Dreams to develop the nature trail were ignited more than a decade ago by neighbors and leaders at the local community organization Grow Greater Englewood. ​​The city obtained the abandoned railroad line in 2014 from Norfolk Southern Railway, a company that in recent years has gained attention for its role in tearing down homes in Englewood to expand its intermodal yard and the freight train derailment in Ohio that sent toxic fumes in the air.

    * WREX | A look inside the planned $22 million renovation of The Rockford Register Star building: The local solar company’s CEO Teague Dickey says the Iconic Energy is about 90 days away from kicking off a $22 million renovation that’s close to his heart. “Yes it’s old and in disrepair, 93-years-old, but it’s important to me being a Rockford person,” Dickey said. “I’d rather have this building than some new thing.”

    * KFVS | Wienermobile coming to southern Ill. this weekend; driver, Carbondale native: Keagan Schlosser, who calls herself Chili Cheez Keagz, competed against thousands of applicants to become one of 12 Hotdoggers nationwide. “I feel fortunate to represent southern Illinois as I criss-cross America–I’ve seen 21 states since June,” Schlosser said.

    * Tech Crunch | Twitter is dying: The value that Twitter’s platform produced, by combining valuable streams of qualification and curiosity, is being beaten and wrung out. What’s left has — for months now — felt like an echo-y shell of its former self. And it’s clear that with every freshly destructive decision — whether it’s unbanning the nazis and letting the toxicity rip, turning verification into a pay-to-play megaphone or literally banning journalists — Musk has applied his vast wealth to destroying as much of the information network’s value as possible in as short a time as possible; each decision triggering another exodus of expertise as more long-time users give up and depart.

  7 Comments      


TikTok influencer persuades hundreds to settle down in Peoria

Thursday, Mar 30, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* New York Times

Ms. Ostaszewski, a 32-year-old energy efficiency consultant, has accumulated a modest following of more than 36,000 TikTok followers for her posts about affordable houses and things to do in Peoria.

She first moved to Peoria from Bloomington, Ill. about a decade ago to be with her partner. She purchased her first home for $33,000 in 2017, when she was 27. “I didn’t know if I would ever achieve homeownership, let alone before I turned 30,” Ms. Ostaszewski said.
Then she started to wave other people in: her brother, her sister and an estimated 300 strangers from across the country.

“I’m trying to show people that they can move here and actually have a reasonable mortgage, while building on the progressive community that is here,” Ms. Ostaszewski said.

Her pitch is attracting people who didn’t believe they could ever own property. “For a lot of people of color and queer people, there is this generational poverty that continues to get passed down. They don’t have family that can pass down housing or other assets,” said Ms. Ostaszewski, who is of Filipino and Polish descent. “I’m bisexual, and I’m a woman of color. I’ve been able to find a lot of community here through both of those aspects of my identity.”

* Buzzfeed reported on Ostaszewski last year

Though she doesn’t work for the town itself, Ostaszewski sets potential transplants up with job boards, moving resources, real estate agents, and lenders, and she has also organized a Facebook group for new residents that is “400 members strong.” Members have organized a kickball team, crafting clubs, and Dungeons & Dragons meetups. They have regular “transplant parties,” too.

She rebuked any concerns of gentrification by noting that Peoria doesn’t currently have enough residents to support its vast infrastructure. Bringing in more people would “grow the tax base,” and she said she would stop recruiting future Peorians if data suggested that residents were being displaced.

* Peoria Journal Star

The Times article provided a history of Peoria’s housing market, explaining why the median home price, $128,100, is considerably lower than the national average of $328,600. The story also delved into the city’s political leanings, pointing out the fact that the population is more liberal than those of surrounding communities. Two local politicians weighed in on the fact that Ostaszewski’s efforts may be making the city even more liberal.

“I don’t care what side people are leaning to. If they’re going to come in and help rebuild neighborhoods and be good neighbors, I think that’s great,” former Peoria City Councilman Jim Montelongo told the Times.

Republican state Rep. Ryan Spain also said he’s not worried about a wave of liberal transplants.

“I think Peoria is an attractive place, whether you’re a Republican or Democrat, a conservative or progressive. … Really, an ideal community is one that you would have people of diverse views.”

  9 Comments      


*** UPDATED x1 *** That toddlin’ town roundup

Thursday, Mar 30, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

*** UPDATE *** He’s really trying hard…

Democratic mayoral candidate Paul Vallas is releasing the following statement reacting to the indictment of former President Donald Trump:

“This unprecedented and historic news begins the process of proving once and for all that no one is above the law and everyone must be held accountable for their actions. A grand jury has reviewed the evidence and found that a crime was committed by a former President — that is unprecedented and must be taken seriously. Donald Trump repeatedly and shamelessly violated the rules and norms that govern the Office of the President, cheapening the most widely respected elected position in the world and demeaning our democracy. He must be held accountable and I’m grateful the first step towards justice has been taken.

The threats of retribution and violence that have been made recently by Donald Trump are dangerous and irresponsible. Our nation is still grappling with the devastation of January 6th and just how close the peaceful transfer of power came to being cast aside, and we must always do whatever is necessary to protect the integrity of our democracy.”

…Adding… This just in over the transom. When talking about the Trump impeachment, Vallas said on February 16, 2021 while substitute co-hosting for Dan Proft, “I always felt that it was a witch hunt.” 1:05:11

For those wanting to put Republicans on the spot, if he would have been censured, it would have put much more pressure on them. And, you know, I always felt that it was a witch hunt. I mean, it doesn’t mean that they didn’t make mistakes and that Trump has acted irresponsibly and I’ve certainly been a critic of what he’s done. But at some point it is time to move on because what do we need for years of people chasing Kamala Harris? At the end of the day, the country needs to move forward and you know, Biden’s talked about unity and here’s an opportunity. So I just think that, you know, they need an enemy.

…Adding… The Vallas folks point to this…


But a month after that, he’s calling the impeachment a witch hunt. Go figure.

[ *** End Of Updates *** ]

* We’re gonna do a little “dueling oppo” today. To set up the first one, here’s Crain’s

After weeks of jostling between Brandon Johnson and Paul Vallas over whether Vallas really is a Republican, the horse’s mouth of sorts has something to say about it: Word from the Chicago GOP is that Vallas is not one of them.

Huh. OK. But check out this video taken of the Chicago GOP’s Lincoln Park office

Did you catch the end of it?…

Does that logo look familiar?…

Imagine that.

Isabel has been trying to reach that office since early this morning, but nobody’s answering.

* And now, this…

Brandon Johnson Currently Owes The City Of Chicago $3,357.04 In Unpaid Water And Sewer Charges. (Chicago Department of Finance Records, Accessed 3/21/23)

    • Johnson’s Payment Of $91.08 On February 13, 2023 Was The First Time He Had Paid His Water Bill Since June 22, 2022. (Chicago Department of Finance Records, Accessed 3/21/23)
    • Since 2010, Johnson Has Accrued $6,661.70 In Fines And Penalties Due To Nonpayment. (Chicago Department of Finance Records, Accessed 3/21/23)

Johnson Also Owes The City Of Chicago A Combined $1,044.58 In Unpaid Traffic Tickets From 2014 And 2015. (Chicago Department of Finance Records, Accessed 3/21/23)

Illinois Law Would Prevent Johnson From Being Sworn In As Mayor If His Debts To The City Remain Unpaid

Under Illinois Law, A Person Who Owes An Unpaid Debt To A Municipality Is Not Eligible To Take The Oath Of Office For An Elected Position In That Municipality. “(b) A person is not eligible to take the oath of office for a municipal office if that person is, at the time required for taking the oath of office, in arrears in the payment of a tax or other indebtedness due to the municipality or has been convicted in any court located in the United States of any infamous crime, bribery, perjury, or other felony, unless such person is again restored to his or her rights of citizenship that may have been forfeited under Illinois law as a result of a conviction, which includes eligibility to hold elected municipal office, by the terms of a pardon for the offense, has received a restoration of rights by the Governor, or otherwise according to law. Any time after a judgment of conviction is rendered, a person convicted of an infamous crime, bribery, perjury, or other felony may petition the Governor for a restoration of rights.” (65 ILCS 5/3.1-10-5, Accessed 3/29/23)

Johnson Currently Earns A Combined Salary Of Over $175,000 Per Year

Cook County Commissioners Earn $93,500 Per Year. “Under the plan, the board president’s annual salary will be bumped to $187,000 from $170,000, while commissioners will see a hike to $93,500 from $85,000 a year and the board’s finance chair salary will increase to $99,000 from $90,000. (Alice Yin, “Cook County Board Members Vote Themselves 10% Raises, With Automatic Future Pay Bumps,” Chicago Tribune, 5/24/22)
In 2022, The Chicago Teachers Union Reported Paying Johnson $85,906. (Chicago Teachers Union Form LM2, U.S. Department of Labor, 11/1/22)

The oppo is from a FOIA. Click here for the documentation.

I can’t believe he didn’t pay that off before getting into the race.

* Another press release from the 43rd Ward runoff…

Aldermanic candidate Brian Comer is once again playing shell games with his finances. This time, Comer broke campaign finance laws by taking several contributions over the legal limit and failing to report several high-dollar donations within the required two-day window.

“Brian Comer is breaking the law and continuing a pattern of hiding information about his finances from voters,” said Alex Hanns, Knudsen’s campaign manager. “Comer previously refused to tell voters any information about his clients from his last nine years as a ‘consultant,’ and now he’s taking illegal contributions and failing to disclose his donors as required by law. Voters deserve better than a shady candidate who is trying time and again to deceive them.”

Two donors, including Comer’s campaign treasurer, donated above the $6,900 limit for individuals. A total of 13 contributions of $1,000 or more were filed past the two business day window that is required by law.

Two donors gave an aggregate of $10,000 each to Comer’s campaign — $6,200 over the limit — both of which included at least one late filing:

There’s more, but you get the idea.

* Isabel’s roundup…

    * Block Club | The New Stop And Frisk? Chicago Police Make Millions Of Traffic Stops While Searching For Guns: Chicago police pulled over hundreds of thousands more drivers than they previously reported, but they found guns in fewer than one of every 150 stops, according to a new data analysis.

    * Sun-Times | Dollars vs. decentralization: Johnson’s and Vallas’ vastly different fixes for CPS: Paul Vallas plans drastic changes to CPS structure, bolstering principals and local leaders’ power over spending and programming — and even the ability to let a charter school take over their campus. He would prioritize standardized testing and make it easier to hold students back a grade so they don’t graduate without necessary reading and math skills. […] Brandon Johnson would rather the school district’s central office end per-pupil funding and guarantee a baseline of resources for every school — such as art teachers, social workers and librarians. This would reduce the role enrollment plays in whether a school can afford staff and, he says, help ensure every neighborhood can offer a quality education. He would focus on addressing poverty and trauma.

    * Sun-Times | Betsy DeVos-founded, Republican-funded school choice group backs Vallas campaign for Chicago mayor: A Vallas spokesman said his campaign “would strongly reject any endorsement from Betsy DeVos.” “Our campaign has not been in contact with this organization, we have certainly not sought its support,” the spokesman said in a statement. “Campaigns cannot coordinate activities with independent expenditure committees by law and we have no control over this group’s actions.” … The American Federation for Children created its Illinois Federation for Children PAC as an independent expenditure committee in March 2022 to support and oppose candidates for statewide office, all with the mission of advancing school choice. The political committee spent over $700,000 toward those efforts last year on Republican candidates for the Illinois Legislature. The PAC lists a Washington, D.C., address. … The Illinois Federation for Children PAC is chaired by Nathan Hoffman, who was a registered American Federation for Children lobbyist in Springfield until January. He has tweeted from Vallas’ February election night party and fundraising events since then.

    * Sun-Times | Young voters explain low turnout in Chicago elections: John Cook, 21, said he has noticed excitement about politics declining since 2020. Cook, a student at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, said he did not vote in February. “Our first election in 2020, it was like, everything is the most important that could possibly be, and so I think everybody was up on that. It’s been like a big deflation in political activism,” Cook said. “Even people who were engaged before have dwindled off.”

    * Jewish Insider | Chicago’s Jewish community could swing mayoral race: In February’s nine-way mayoral election, Vallas, 69, performed best in some of the city’s most heavily Orthodox areas, winning two precincts in the 50th Ward with more than 80% of the vote. Across the entire ward, where the majority of Chicago’s Orthodox community is concentrated, he claimed 50% of the vote, defeating Johnson, a Cook County commissioner and outspoken union organizer who has embraced a progressive platform, by more than 30 points. … Meanwhile, Johnson’s close affiliation with the Chicago Teachers Union, which endorsed him even before he announced his candidacy, has fueled speculation that he is beholden to its interests. He has rejected those claims. The union, from which Johnson is on leave as a paid organizer, has opposed the continuation of a tax credit scholarship program that has benefited low-income students who attend Jewish day schools. In alignment with Orthodox leaders, Vallas has expressed support for the state legislation, which is set to expire this year.

    * Alisa Kaplan | With an increase in dark money, Chicagoans have a right to know who’s trying to buy their vote: The U.S. Supreme Court says we can’t limit super PAC money, but it has consistently upheld efforts to illuminate it. Our organization, Reform for Illinois, worked with state Rep. Maurice West this year to introduce House Bill 3804, a bill that would require big donors to disclose the original source of their funds no matter how many secretive groups the money passes through. Alaska, California, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Minnesota have all enacted laws aimed at unveiling hidden political contributors, and last fall, 73% of Arizona voters approved a referendum requiring comprehensive donor disclosure. If they can do it, we can too.

    * CBS Chicago | Lightfoot, City Council gathering for special meeting Thursday: Several aldermen are calling for a vote on the new rules and committees for City Council members during the 2023 to 2027 term. The timing is considered unusual as council members typically vote on these matters *after the election.

    * Tribune | West Side incumbents fending off challengers in 24th and 29th ward runoffs: In the 24th Ward, which includes North Lawndale, challenger Creative Scott received only about 15% of the vote to Monique Scott’s 45%. In the 29th Ward, which includes parts of Austin north to Montclare, former Chicago police sergeant Taliaferro was forced into a runoff by just a few dozen votes, though community activist CB Johnson received nearly 40% of the vote in the first round.

    * ABC Chicago | Chicago mayoral candidates break down how they would manage city budget: In his $800 billion tax plan, Johnson proposes bringing back the city head tax, where large corporations who do most of their work in the city will pay a 1-4 dollar tax for each employee. Johnson also pitches increasing the hotel tax, jet fuel tax, a tax on securities trading and increasing the transfer tax on property sold for more than a million dollars.

    * Sun-Times | 6th, 21st Ward candidates discuss future of South Side ahead of runoff: Time to ‘resurrect dreams of residents: Hall, 38, lead pastor at St. James Community Church in Chatham and a field director for the Rainbow PUSH social justice organization, narrowly came in first place with 23.82% of the vote during the Feb. 28 election — only about 70 votes ahead of Wooten, an Army veteran and retired police officer.

    * NBC Chicago | 3 Former Chicago Police Superintendents Join NBC 5 For Conversation About Public Safety, Crime: “Without question, public safety is top of mind for many Chicagoans,” said Holt. “It’s clear, we need to figure out how to make the city safer. This show is a unique opportunity to sit down with three men who have been at the forefront of tackling this crisis. It’s a chance to learn from the mistakes of the past, figure out new ideas, and try to forge a new path toward a safer city.”

    * NBC Chicago | Chicago Department of Transportation Plans 150 New Miles of Bike Paths as Part of Cycling Program: The biggest part of the plan includes adding 150 additional miles of bike lanes. Other parts include adding low-stress options like concrete curbs separating the bike lanes from vehicular traffic, making bicycles like Divy more accessible to everyone.

    * Block Club | Workers At Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, Chicago’s Oldest Museum, Are Voting To Unionize: “We’re forming our union because we want to work with our colleagues and leadership to ensure that our institution is always becoming an equitable, inclusive and safe workplace,” said Anabel Hirano, a member of the union organizing committee who is a volunteer and intern coordinator at the Nature Museum. “That can’t happen unless we have an equal say in the decisions that affect us.”

  32 Comments      


Birds-eye view of the Capitol Complex construction project

Thursday, Mar 30, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Pretty cool pics. From Laborers Local 477

  4 Comments      


Keep Uber Affordable. Stop Lawsuit Abuse. Oppose HB 2231

Thursday, Mar 30, 2023 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

  Comments Off      


ComEd 4 trial coverage roundup

Thursday, Mar 30, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Hannah Meisel’s story shows yet again how important it was for the General Assembly to finally mandate lobbyists to disclose their “consultants”

But a little over two weeks after Mapes’ firing, Anne Pramaggiore told one of her most trusted deputies within electric utility ComEd that she kept “thinking about how we can be helpful to him.”

Pramaggiore was less than a week into her new job as CEO of Exelon Utilities – a promotion after six years as CEO of ComEd, where she’d gotten to know Mapes after years of pushing for legislation in Springfield. […]

“I was talking with Anne and she told me that she’s looking at…doing something for the enterprise and governmental stuff and bringing Mapes on,” Hooker told Marquez. “Now Mapes would work with her, cause she says, ‘I wanted to kinda, well let’s pay him but hide his contract in someone else’s.’”

Hooker told Marquez he’d suggested putting him on as a consultant with Mike McClain, a longtime contract lobbyist for ComEd who was also one of Madigan’s closest friends and confidants.

McClain was no longer a registered lobbyist at that time, but, if memory serves, Mapes did eventually land at a lobbying firm as a consultant. Look, hire who you want to hire, but disclose it.

* These guys were relentless

In multiple emails, McClain made it clear that Madigan had inquired repeatedly about making sure that the law firm of Morgan Murphy, a former congressman, would keep getting legal business from ComEd.

A tranche of emails were introduced as McClain pushed for Kathleen Laski, the wife of the former city clerk who went to prison for corruption, to get a position with the utility company even though she didn’t want to work extra hours during storms.

“Kathy doesn’t want to work storm duty?? Really?” a ComEd human resources official wrote in one email, asking who sent her. Marquez wrote back: “Laski came to us from the Speaker.”

* True…


* Also true…


* Rent-a-pastor is an old tradition among utility companies and others…


* Isabel’s roundup…

  9 Comments      


DPI defends decision to target three Champaign County school board candidates

Thursday, Mar 30, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* WCIA

The Democratic Party of Illinois has accused three Champaign School Board candidates of pursuing “extremist political agendas.” But, they all deny promoting radical platforms and want to know why they’re being singled out.

In a news release from last week, the party described its $300,000 plan to “prevent extremist conservatives from implementing regressive platforms on school and library boards throughout the state.” To do that, they’re recommending candidates they believe share their values, and steering voters away from those they think have an extremist agenda.

“I am flabbergasted, to say the least,” candidate Jeffrey Brownfield said. “There is no need and there is no room for politics when we’re talking about our children.”

* The local Republican Party has been pushing these three candidates for weeks and months, so the “politics” thing has already been breached…

The party has done things like call out a local school district for the apparent crime of supporting inclusive language and griped about a bill to regulate all-gender restrooms…

Also from the Champaign GOP’s website

HB 5188 – MANDATED COMPREHENSIVE SEX ED. Over 70% of school districts have made public their intent to not serve up comprehensive sex education curricula to minor children after the legislator passed a requirement that those schools that do teach comprehensive sex ed must align their standards with the pornographic National Sex Education Standards. So, what was the response in Springfield by the radical Democrats? MAKE IT MANDATORY. It is an affront to parents, local control, and common decency. As of Jan 7, Bill before Illinois Senate would make sex ed mandatory in public schools, but allow students to opt out

* Let’s move on. As noted above, the three candidates deny they want to ban books, or ban sex ed.

I asked DPI how they came to be involved in the race. Their executive director told me this…

As to how we came to this point with these three candidates in Champaign County, across this whole program, we’ve been very thoughtful about sourcing local feedback and very deferential to understanding of nuances from our stakeholders on the grounds. And from the start of this program, our stakeholders in Champaign County have made it clear that these three candidates are running with bad intentions and are very much in support of that same framework that some of these other extreme organizations are.

I asked if the stakeholders were teachers unions…

Yeah, our party stakeholders. So if across this program and across the state in any instance where we’ve identified a candidate that we had an inkling was running for and in support of this extreme right wing agenda, we worked hard to source information from our apparatus at the local level. So precinct captains, township committees, county chairs any of our our most engaged Democratic grasstops folks on the ground. Because you can’t know everything when you’re operating statewide, so we’ve just been very deferential to local information.

* And DPI also sent me this…

These candidates all emphasize teaching the “basics”- commonly used language by those who support limiting the scope of inclusive curriculum. It’s a dog whistle employed by known extremist candidates and organizations including Darren Bailey (“I believe we need to back up and start teaching reading, writing and math skills”). This is their playbook for implying that schools/teachers are pushing a social agenda by teaching LGBTQ+ inclusive curriculum or certain discussions of historical racism that they label “CRT.”

Censorship of Books

When asked “Do you support censoring books or topics pertaining to racial justice, critical race theory, or LGBTQ issues?” each candidate gave caveats for removing certain books. While they state they wouldn’t support “banning books” they point to scenarios in which books should be evaluated for context or age appropriateness- the same arguments that extreme groups use to justify censoring books they disagree with.

    Mark Thies: Expresses concern about “age appropriateness” of books

    Mark Holm: Supports a committee to review books for “age appropriateness”

    Jeffrey Brownfield: Says that if people have concerns about books that should be elevated and evaluated and sometimes we should keep them and sometimes we shouldn’t

Thoughts?

  36 Comments      


It’s just a bill

Thursday, Mar 30, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Capitol News Illinois

The Illinois Senate unanimously passed a bill Wednesday that gives financial protection to children whose parents make money posting videos of them on social media. […]

Senate Bill 1782 was introduced by Democratic Sens. David Koehler, of Peoria, and Linda Holmes, of Aurora, but it underwent significant amendments before passing the Senate. Koehler said if the bill is signed into law, Illinois would be the first state in the nation to enact such legislation.

The final version would provide that if a minor is featured in at least 30 percent of a vlogger’s revenue-generating video during a 30-day period, then the minor is entitled to a share of the revenue. That money would have to be set aside in a trust fund that the minor could access after they turn 18.

It would also require the vlogger to report periodically to the Illinois Department of Labor the names and ages of any minors engaged in the work of vlogging, the number of vlogs that generated compensation, and the number of minutes each minor was featured in the vlogs. It would also give minors the right to sue if a vlogger knowingly or recklessly fails to set aside the minor’s earnings in a trust account.

* Senate Bill 1508 also passed unanimously out of the Senate. WAND

The Illinois Senate approved a plan Wednesday to help people who may become addicted to mobile sports betting.

Senate President Pro Tempore Bill Cunningham (D-Chicago) said his proposal requires sports betting companies to display a message to people at least once every hour noting how much money they have wagered since logging on.

The alert would also include a hyperlink to websites and phone numbers for assistance with gambling addiction.

Cunningham noted that the state is making roughly $1 billion per year off betting.

“I think we would all acknowledge that that brings with it some responsibility for those of us who are policymakers,” Cunningham explained. “And I think that we need to ensure that part of that responsibility is making sure people who have problems with gambling can easily get help.”

* Sen. Robert Peters…

To address employment barriers for individuals impacted by the justice system, State Senator Robert Peters passed legislation to help those previously convicted of a felony to seek an occupational license to perform non-gaming related services at a casino.

“The amount of financially realistic employment opportunities for individuals impacted by the justice system are few and far between,” said Peters (D-Chicago). “Connecting those with prior justice system involvement with employment by allowing them to perform functions in a casino that do not involve gaming ensures financial stability and decreases the likelihood of backsliding into the justice system.”

Senate Bill 1462 also allows the Illinois Gaming Board to consider an applicant’s criminal record, reputation, associations and activities that could potentially threaten the integrity of the gaming institution. […]

Senate Bill 1462 passed the Senate Wednesday and will now head to the House floor for further consideration.

* HB2401 is in Rules. Fox Chicago

The Pierce twins, Phallon and Kyra, wrote legislation last year that passed the Illinois House but failed in the Senate. […]

The twins have teamed up with state Representative La Shawn Ford to introduce House Bill 2401, which would require school districts to include authors from all ethnicities and backgrounds in reading assignments for grades kindergarten through 12th.

“We want to make sure that everybody knows that it’s not a book ban. It’s simply adding books and adding context with books that kids are reading in schools,” said Phallon and Kyra.

In addition to writing “The Pierce Twins Bills”, the young ladies have started “Positive Change Charities” which has donated more than 2,000 books over the last two years to underfunded school libraries.

* SB1909 will head to the Senate floor for further consideration…

In continuing the fight for reproductive rights for women, State Senator Celina Villanueva passed legislation that prevents crisis pregnancy centers from using deceptive practices that interfere with women’s health care decisions.

“We must ensure that women who are seeking reproductive health care are protected from deceptive and misleading practices,” said Villanueva (D-Chicago). “At a time when they are already vulnerable, they must have peace of mind that they won’t be taken advantage of. Health care – in all forms – should be safe and transparent.”

Senate Bill 1909 prohibits the use of deceptive practices to interfere with an individual seeking to gain entry or access to the provider of an abortion or emergency contraceptives, induce an individual to enter a limited services pregnancy center, in advertising, soliciting, or otherwise offering pregnancy-related services, or in providing pregnancy-related services.

While crisis pregnancy centers may advertise themselves as health care clinics, many of these facilities provide very limited services, such as basic ultrasounds and counseling intended to discourage and limit access to abortion. Some centers are located near clinics that provide comprehensive reproductive health care and use names similar to these clinics in order to misdirect patients. Many provide misleading information overstating the risks associated with abortion, including conveying false claims that abortion causes cancer or infertility.

* Sen. Dave Koehler…

State Senator Dave Koehler led a measure through the Senate to create awareness of the history of the Underground Railroad in Illinois.

“Our state has a lot of history with the Underground Railroad,” said Koehler (D – Peoria). “Illinois played a huge role in the path toward freedom. Through a new task force, we will map the search for freedom and justice for African Americans throughout the 1800s.”

Senate Bill 1623 would create the Underground Railroad Task Force. The group would develop a statewide plan to connect existing local projects and new projects to create a cohesive statewide history of the Underground Railroad in Illinois, while developing new educational and tourism opportunities.

The task force would identify where historical sites are located, connections they may have to one another, and will paint a picture to recognize the history of the Underground Railroad in Illinois. It would also introduce educational and tourism opportunities throughout the state. […]

Senate Bill 1623 passed the Senate Wednesday. It now heads to the House for further consideration.

* Patch

After an Illinois Republican lawmaker recently introduced a bill that would lower the state’s legal drinking to 18, an overwhelming number of Patch readers who responded to a poll last week on the subject opposed the measure.

Illinois State Rep. John Cabello (R-Freeport) introduced House Bill 4021 earlier this month. The bill would amend the Liquor Control Board’s Act of 1934, which established the legal drinking age at the end of prohibition.

More than 4,000 Patch readers responded to a poll last week which simply asked if the state’s legal drinking age should be lowered from 21 to 18. Of the 4,044 readers who responded to the non-scientific poll, 86.2 percent voted that the state’s drinking age should not be lowered, while the remaining 13.8 percent responded that 18-year-olds should be able to partake in alcoholic beverages.

* Bill-related…

State Rep. Cyril Nichols, D-Chicago, will be joined by House colleagues La Shawn K. Ford, D-Chicago and Barbara Hernandez, D-Aurora, at a press conference in the State Capitol Blue Room at 11:30am on Thursday, March 30 to discuss the new Higher Education—Procurement Subcommittee, of which Nichols has been appointed Chairman.

“Equity and inclusion need to be at the heart of everything we do, especially in an area like higher education, which is so fundamental to equality of opportunity and access to upward mobility,” Nichols said. “The work of this subcommittee will be instrumental in ensuring that procurement practices and programs throughout Illinois’ public institutions of higher learning are consistent with 21st century values of justice and fairness.”

“I’m glad to join this subcommittee and push for a more equitable procurement process in our higher education community,” Hernandez said. “Illinoisans are committed to our state being a nationwide leader in promoting diversity and fairness, and the formation of this subcommittee is another step in the right direction.”

“Rep. Nichols has a strong committee to push our colleges and universities to increase diversity in contracts for professional services and other procurement opportunities,” Ford said. “As Chairman of the Appropriations-Higher Education Committee, I’m setting this subcommittee and naming Rep. Nichols as chairman to meet with colleges and universities in Illinois so that we can lead the nation in contract opportunities to Black, Brown and women-owned businesses.”

Nichols said he expects the subcommittee’s work to focus at least initially on improving the collection and use of demographic data to examine existing procurement practices and uncover areas where change may be needed.

  11 Comments      


Hold Uber Accountable. Support HB 2231.

Thursday, Mar 30, 2023 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

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*** UPDATED x7 - Mystery solved *** The adventure continues

Thursday, Mar 30, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The mystery shirt arrived early for committee today…

What a weird thing this is.

*** UPDATE 1 *** On the move again…

*** UPDATE 2 *** Part of the mystery has been solved. From comments…

I saw this shirt on the sidewalk two nights ago and hung it on the construction fence outside of Stratton. The shirt really is on the move!

The commenter included an email that only I can see. So, I reached out. The person is an intern for a legislative communications staff.

The shirt was on the hanger when the staffer found it.

*** UPDATE 3 *** This is the Capitol’s blue room. So maybe a press conference is coming?…

…Adding… FYI, it’s a Brooks Brothers shirt, size 17 1/2 - 36.

*** UPDATE 4 *** Post-presser meeting with Senate President Harmon…

*** UPDATE 5 *** OK, a prominent lobster is actually wearing it now, which is kinda hilarious but also a bit yucky, if you ask me…

I mean, check out the collar staining…

*** UPDATE 6 *** I hope it’s not driving…

…Adding… I think the shirt is heading north for spring break.

*** UPDATE 7 *** Rep. Kelly Cassidy took the shirt to Wally’s…

Rep. Marty McLaughlin happened to be at Wally’s at the same time, saw what was going on and said, “Hey, that’s my shirt.” He apparently dropped it the other night while helping a fellow legislator. It’s now back in the rightful owner’s hands…

-30-

…Adding… OK, one more…

  87 Comments      


Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)

Thursday, Mar 30, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

This post is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:

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Open thread

Thursday, Mar 30, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

*Good morning! What’s goin’ on in Illinois today?

  24 Comments      


Isabel’s morning briefing

Thursday, Mar 30, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Here you go!…

  6 Comments      


*** ComEd 4 trial live coverage ***

Thursday, Mar 30, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Here you go…

  3 Comments      


Live coverage

Thursday, Mar 30, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Follow along with ScribbleLive


  1 Comment      


Madigan apparently did not learn anything from the pounding he took in 2018

Wednesday, Mar 29, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From 2007

Jeffrey M. Rush, the son of U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush of Chicago, was charged Friday with official misconduct after being accused of having sexual relationships with women who were inmates at the Aurora halfway house where he worked as a security supervisor.

Rush, 41, of Lake Zurich, was expected to appear in Kane County court Saturday, a day after surrendering at the county jail following his indictment by a grand jury. His bail was set at $500,000.

The Kane County state’s attorney’s office charged Rush with 47 counts for alleged inappropriate relationships with three inmates at the Fox Valley Adult Transition Center between February and June. The violations are Class 3 felonies, each punishable by a 2- to 5-year prison term.

Rush is alleged to have used his position to authorize additional release time for one of the inmates so she could meet him at Aurora motels. He also is alleged to have used his Illinois Department of Corrections vehicle to ferry her to and from the Aurora train station and to a local mall.

2008

The son of U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush will spend six months in jail after pleading guilty to having sexual encounters with two female inmates and arranging encounters with another while serving as a state prison official.

* 2018…


Keep in mind that the first conversation was just a few months after Madigan and his operation endured one huge hit after another after another over sexual harassment issues. And yet, there he was.

Also, it made me kinda chuckle that Marquez was warning McClain about there being “no secrets” as he was recording the conversation on video for the FBI.

  11 Comments      


Afternoon roundup

Wednesday, Mar 29, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* SB0855 passed the Senate unanimously today. The bill is a direct response to the horrific revelations at Choate Developmental Center in Anna. The facility has a very real problem with employees covering up for fellow workers acused of abuse. So, if the bill passes the House and is signed into law, “material obstruction of an investigation” will be on the list of reportable conduct, which means the workers will be out of a job and won’t be allowed back into the system..

In provisions concerning investigative reports issued by the Department of Human Services’ Inspector General that pertain to allegations of resident abuse or neglect at State-operated mental health facilities, expands the list of reportable conduct to include material obstruction of an investigation by a facility employee. Requires the Inspector General to report to the Department of Public Health’s Health Care Worker Registry, the identity and finding of each employee of a facility or agency against whom there is a final investigative report prepared by the Office of the Inspector General containing a substantiated allegation of material obstruction of an investigation. Defines “material obstruction of an investigation” and “presenting untruthful information”. Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act. Prohibits mental health facilities or agencies that are licensed, certified, operated, or funded by the Department of Human Services from employing any person identified by the Health Care Worker Registry as having been the subject of a substantiated finding of physical abuse, sexual abuse, financial exploitation, egregious neglect, or material obstruction of an investigation (rather than abuse or neglect of a service recipient). Amends the Health Care Worker Background Check Act. Prohibits health care employers from hiring or retaining any individual in a position with duties involving direct care of clients, patients, or residents who has a finding by the Department of Human Services denoted on the Health Care Worker Registry of material obstruction of an investigation. Effective immediately.

* Ugh…


* Press release…

Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza announced a $150 million payment into the State’s Budget Stabilization – also called the Rainy Day Fund – Wednesday, bringing the fund’s balance to a record-high level of $1.22 billion.

After today’s action, three more planned installments by the end of the Fiscal Year ’23 on June 30, will total $850 million as a part of the transfers approved by the General Assembly and Governor Pritzker in January.

Comptroller Mendoza has been a vocal advocate for reviving the Rainy Day Fund, which serves as the state’s main savings account and had been decimated during the 2015-2017 state budget impasse. In April 2018, the reserve account stood at just $48,327.53.  

“As Comptroller, being responsible for managing the daily accounting of paying our state’s bills, it’s important we resist spending all the forecast revenue surplus on new spending. We must instead put as much as we can into the state’s reserves to prepare for economic downturns,” said Comptroller Mendoza.

Illinois has earned eight credit upgrades from the credit rating agencies since June 29, 2021 – the first upgrades in more than two decades. The rating agencies have cited the state’s efforts to build up its Rainy Day Fund.

“Building a robust emergency reserve account is responsible. And the credit rating agencies agree. They cited the state’s infusion into reserves as one reason for recent upgrades. Better credit ratings mean better rates on bonds, and that means more savings for taxpayers and better finances for the state overall,” Comptroller Mendoza said.  

While these transfers into the Rainy Day Fund are a welcome boost, Comptroller Mendoza continues to call for more regular automatic deposits into the fund during strong economies, without having to depend on one-time infusions from future legislatures. 

Comptroller Mendoza will continue to ask the General Assembly to pass provisions contained in HB2515 (Kifowit-McCombie), which has received bipartisan support and would require additional annual contributions into both the Rainy Day Fund and the Pension Stabilization Fund. 

“Further saving and paying down our debts when the state can best afford it will better prepare us for the next fiscal downtown or crisis that may come through no fault of our own,” said Comptroller Mendoza. 

* This most definitely is cool

Ingersoll Machine Tools’ “Rosenberg Moon Habitat” has won the 2023 Makers Madness contest put on by the Illinois Manufacturers Association.

The bracket-style tournament is used to find the coolest thing made in Illinois. […]

The “Rosenberg Moon Habitat” is a three-story 3D printed living space made to house a crew of two. It was designed by students at the Institut auf dem Rosenberg in St. Gallen, Switzerland and printed by Ingersoll’s MasterPrint 3D printer.

It is the world’s tallest single-piece 3D printed polymer structure, with a height of 23 feet, but a thickness of only 5 millimeters.

A photo is here.

* Isabel’s roundup…

  9 Comments      


That toddlin’ town roundup

Wednesday, Mar 29, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* This is what happens when your campaign only has enough money to run a single messaging track on broadcast TV…

Today, Brandon Johnson for Chicago released a new website, www.WrongForChicago.com, and digital ad detailing Paul Vallas’ long Republican history, his record of destruction and failure, his anti-working family policy platform, his questionable record on racism, and his concerning ties to right-wing extremists.

* CBS 2 had a lightning round during last night’s debate. Candidates were asked several questions and they could answer yes or no. Both candidates said they supported qualified immunity for police, both said they support reparations, both said they support the Anjanette Young Ordinance.

Vallas said the thing he loves about Chicago the most is its “diversity.” Johnson said it was, “the way the people of Chicago love one another.”

Asked what they hate about Chicago, Johnson said, “I don’t think there’s anything that I hate about the city of Chicago. There are some things that I wish would be better.” Vallas: “The same.”

What’s the first issue that you will fix in office? Vallas: “Public safety.” Johnson: “I want to restore confidence in government and the office of the mayor. I’m gonna fix that relationship.”

Cubs or Sox: Johnson, after a long pause: “Here’s the thing. We only had WGN growing up. How’s that?” Loud laughter ensued. Vallas wasn’t asked the question.

* Paul Vallas used an Illinois Policy Institute talking point during last night’s debate

“He’s actually gonna retire with a teacher pension despite the fact that he’s only been a teacher for four years,” Vallas replied.

* Meanwhile, Brandon Johnson is a delegate to United Working Families, and when you click the “Volunteer” button on his campaign website, it takes you to a UWF page.

Johnson’s proposals to reinstate the city’s “Business Head Tax,” his hotel tax, his real estate transfer tax plan, his financial transaction tax, etc. all appear to have come from United Working Families’ Reimagine Chicago proposal.

Not to mention that the group really doesn’t like the police…


And it took Johnson four tries to answer a simple question about his past statements and actions on the topic…


* Tribune

Vallas was again confronted about his connection to Awake Illinois, a right-wing organization that has espoused anti-LGBTQ rhetoric. The candidate said he appeared at a fundraiser with Awake last summer only because he was invited by a pro-school choice friend, Chicago pastor Corey Brooks, and was unaware of the group’s history.

He also said during the debate about that appearance: “I should have done a better job vetting. I did apologize for that. And I won’t make the same mistake twice.”

Except that was the second time he spoke at an Awake Illinois event. The first time, in 2021, he said the group’s founder should run for governor. It’s quite amazing that nobody has really called him out on that.

* Back to the Tribune

Vallas was confronted a third time about associations with conservatives when moderators cited a 2021 interview he did with a radio show in which he said unspecific school curriculum inspired by critical race theory was harming families and taking emphasis off more important subjects.

The former CEO of Chicago Public Schools denied that and said, “I made no statements of the sort…”

Oh, please. To the audio

Vallas: When you introduce a curriculum that is not only divisive, but a curriculum that further undermines the relationship of children with their parents, with their families, that’s a dangerous thing. And for White parents, I mean, how are you going to discipline your child when your child comes home and your child has basically been told, you know, that their generation, their race, their parents, their grandparents they have discriminated against others and they have somehow victimized another person’s race. Or for that matter, if you are a Black child, how do you go home and and listen to your parent when your parent has failed to be successful in addressing these historically racist institutional obstacles that have denied them a chance at equal opportunity. So I think it’s detracting from our need to focus on our core subject areas. It’s allowing us to avoid accountability in terms of the quality of our teaching the quality of our schools, and I think it’s not only divisive, but I think it does damage between the children and their own and their own parents, their own family and within their own families.

Wirepoints: Yeah, Paul, I often wonder if you’re a Black kid, why wouldn’t you become a criminal if you’re hearing this stuff in school? It’s everybody with white skin is an oppressor if you have black skin, you’re the oppressed. That makes it pretty easy to justify pretty bad conduct in my opinion.

Vallas: You’re absolutely right. But what you’re also doing, you know, you’re giving people an excuse for bad behavior.

* Isabel’s roundup…

  20 Comments      


Hold Uber Accountable. Support HB 2231.

Wednesday, Mar 29, 2023 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

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It’s just a bill

Wednesday, Mar 29, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* A little preview from Brenden Moore…

* Rep. Bob Morgan…

On Friday, March 24th, State Representative Bob Morgan (D-Deerfield) passed HB 559, the Healthcare Workforce Reinforcement Act out of the Illinois House. This bill is a critical piece of legislation to protect our healthcare workers and the delivery of healthcare as Illinois’ COVID-19 Public Health Emergency ends in Illinois on May 11. […]

“For the last three years, more than 25,000 out of state healthcare workers were able to practice in Illinois under the temporary COVID-19 licensure program put in place by Governor Pritzker’s administration,” said AJ Wilhelmi, President and CEO of the Illinois Health and Hospital Association. “Representative Morgan’s creative legislation recognizes the valuable contributions these caregivers provided during the darkest days of the pandemic by offering each of them the opportunity to continue practicing in the state. On behalf of our member hospitals and the patients they serve, IHA commends Representative Morgan for taking an important first step in our collective efforts to sustain the state’s healthcare workforce.” […]

The Illinois State Medical Society supports those components of HB 559 that will foster a strong Illinois healthcare workforce and help ensure adequate access to care for Illinois patients.

The bill will now go back to the Senate, where State Senator Glowiak Hilton will work to get it agreed to in the Senate and sent to the Governor.

* Capitol News Illinois

The Illinois House advanced a measure last week that would allow noncitizen residents who are currently eligible for a “temporary visitor driver’s license” to instead obtain a “standard” driver’s license that can be used as identification. […]

The measure, House Bill 3882, has support from Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias.

“This legislation will make our roads safer and protects immigrants who are legally able to drive,” Giannoulias said in a statement. “As with all drivers, immigrants who drive in Illinois must prove they are safe, capable motorists in order to earn the standard driver’s license.” […]

Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer, R-Jacksonville, characterized the bill as an attempt to “hide” a person’s status.

“I think the reality is we’re trying to turn undocumented individuals into documented individuals,” he said. “We have individuals who have come here outside of the legal process, and I know the legal process is broken. So why don’t we work on encouraging the federal government to actually do something to fix a broken system, instead of hiding the fact that it’s broken.”

* WBEZ

Empower Life Center, founded in 2000 and run by the Peoria Rescue Ministries, is a crisis pregnancy center (CPC). Illinois is home to nearly 100 centers, usually nonprofit Christrian-based facilities offering ultrasounds, pregnancy testing and STI medication. […]

But these centers do not offer abortion services, medication or contraceptives — nor do they refer patients for these services.

And some state Democratic lawmakers say many of these centers use deceptive tactics to steer patients away from abortion-related services.

State Rep. Terra Costa Howard, D-Glen Ellyn, and Sen. Celina Vilanueva, D-Chicago, introduced their own versions of legislation that would allow patients to sue if they believe a center deceived them. Specifically, if a center was found to have concealed or misrepresented facts with the intent to “to interfere with an individual seeking to gain entry or access to a provider of abortion or emergency contraceptive.” The bill would also allow a court to impose a penalty of up to $50,000 on a center. However, neither bills have reached the House or Senate floors for a full vote yet.

* Rep. Stephanie Kifowit…

As part of ongoing efforts to expand protections for victims of military sexual assault, state Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego, has filed legislation for Illinois National Guard and reserve military service members have access to the same rights as civilian sexual assault survivors.

“Military sexual assault is a real problem that can have long-term safety risks and consequences for victims,” Kifowit said. “I have been focused on aligning our laws to ensure that survivors receive the protections they deserve, not just from a military tribunal, but from the state they live in as well.”

“Last May, I was proud to sign nation-leading legislation expanding protections for survivors of sexual violence in the military,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “House Bill 3103 builds on that critical work—ensuring that Illinois National Guard and reserve military service members have access to every right and protection as their civilian counterparts. Representative Stephanie Kifowit is a steadfast advocate for survivors of military sexual assault and I am so grateful for her leadership in introducing this vital bill.”

Kifowit’s House Bill 3103 clarifies that Illinois National Guard and reserve military service members who are the survivor of non-consensual sexual conduct and have received a military protective order are also protected under the state’s civil no contact and stalking no contact orders. Additionally, the bill requires a Staff Judge Advocate to obtain a survivor’s consent before filing a petition on behalf of the survivor in civilian court when pursuing:

    - A no contact order under the Code of Criminal Procedure,
    - A civil no contact order under the Civil No Contact Order Act, and
    - A stalking no contact order under the Stalking No Order Act.

* Senate Bill 1543 passed the Senate and awaits further action in the House. Beverly Review

State Sen. Bill Cunningham recently passed through the Senate a bill that aims to provide mental health support and education for law enforcement officers who are facing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

“We are not passing any new mandate on law enforcement,” said Cunningham.

“We are creating a supportive resource that officers can utilize for specific traumatic situations and for PTSD.”

The statewide PTSD mental health coordinator will be appointed by the governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, and shall serve for a term of four years. The coordinator will be responsible for providing resources, information and assistance to law enforcement officers who may be experiencing PTSD symptoms or other mental health issues related to their work.

* Sen. Robert Peters…

State Senator Robert Peters’ measure to expand on domestic violence laws is on its way to the House.

“Unclear language in current domestic violence laws are undermining victims instead of progressing social justice,” said Peters (D-Chicago). “Reexamining current domestic violence laws and improving protections for survivors of gender-based violence will undoubtedly root out loopholes that delay due process for survivors.”

Senate Bill 2260 builds on current domestic violence laws that created procedures to request resentencing for incarcerated survivors of domestic violence. Ambiguity in the language of current statutes has caused inconsistent interpretations and outcomes for survivors. […]

Senate Bill 2260 passed the Senate and will now head to the House for further consideration.

* Senate Bill 505 passed the Senate Health and Human Services committee and now heads to the Senate floor for further consideration…

To expand those eligible to serve as personal care providers to include guardians, kin or siblings, State Senator Javier Cervantes advances legislation through the Senate Health and Human Services Committee on Tuesday.

“Many Illinois residents who are disabled currently rely on a family member for personal care and assistance,” said Cervantes (D-Chicago). “This legislation will support those who act as personal care providers for family members and will ensure any wages received will not decrease their loved ones’ benefits.”

Currently, a recipient’s spouse is the only eligible family member who can contract with the Department of Rehabilitation Services to serve as a personal assistant to a person with a disability, and that individual may not have more than $10,000 in assets in order to be eligible for the services. People who need home-based services can hire their own personal assistants to provide care in their home, based on their service plan developed in partnership with their DRS rehabilitation counselor.

Senate Bill 505 would allow guardians, kin and siblings to serve as personal assistants for their family member with disabilities. They would be able to provide services such as personal assistance, home-delivered meals, adult day care, respite care, home health services and supported employment services. Under this legislation, any wages earned by the employee would not count against the $10,000 asset limit required for disabled individuals to be eligible for the program.

* Illinois Newsroom

“The pandemic was very disruptive to how we access food,” said Kelly Lay, of the Illinois Stewardship Alliance. “Both how businesses get to you, but also how you get to the businesses.”

As pandemic restrictions kept people at home, many turned to delivery services for groceries and meals. While plenty of restaurants were able to weather the shutdowns by turning to take-out, cottage food producers didn’t have that option.

Under laws at the time, most producers were only allowed to sell their products at farmers markets. “So when the farmers markets closed, that really had a big impact on cottage food businesses,” Lay said.

Lay works with the Illinois Stewardship Alliance, a non-profit organization that promotes local food systems. Beginning in 2021, Lay spearheaded a successful effort to reform cottage food law in the state. The Home-to-Market act introduced changes that create a far less restrictive framework for producers. […]

The legislation also brought changes to what kind of products can be sold by a cottage food business. Under the previous law, only items considered to be “non-hazardous” like jams, preserves, and baked goods were allowed. The list of allowed items has now expanded to include things like kimchi, pickles, and buttercream frosting.

  5 Comments      


*** UPDATED x5 *** Caption contest!

Wednesday, Mar 29, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* I saw this on Twitter, but a legislator also snapped a pic this morning outside the Capitol Building…

*** UPDATE 1 *** From comments…

A few minutes ago, the shirt had moved to cover the old drinking fountain next [to] the security station inside the East entrance to the Stratton Building.

And here it is…

*** UPDATE 2 *** It’s been moved again…

*** UPDATE 3 *** On the move…

*** UPDATE 4 *** Landed…

*** UPDATE 5 *** Tucked in for the night…

  102 Comments      


Keep Uber Affordable. Stop Lawsuit Abuse. Oppose HB 2231

Wednesday, Mar 29, 2023 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

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ComEd 4 trial coverage roundup

Wednesday, Mar 29, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* You can follow along with the trial all day by clicking here. Those ComEd folks would apparently do almost anything to keep Madigan happy

Other requests illustrated the closeness of the McClain and Madigan’s family — as well as the pettiness of some of the requests made to Marquez. In one instance in 2012, Madigan’s daughter, Nicole, even emailed McClain about a power outage.

“F.Y.I. Dad asks that I send this email to you. Tiffany’s power went out,” she wrote.

McClain forwarded the email to Marquez. Later that day, he emailed Nicole back with good news:

“Power is back on. Fidel Marquez dropped and did… Enjoy.”

That’s quite a constituent service operation. /s

* Sun-Times

Marquez spoke to Pramaggiore by phone on Feb. 18, 2019. During the call, Pramaggiore suggested that Marquez delay any change in the arrangement. She told Marquez “we do not want to get caught up in a, you know, disruptive battle where, you know, somebody gets their nose out of joint.”

Pramaggiore attorney Scott Lassar predicted during opening statements that the recording of the call would exonerate Pramaggiore, who could be heard saying “oh my God” in the background as Marquez tells her about the history of the deal.

But Marquez denied to Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu that Pramaggiore expressed shock or surprise during the call. Nor did she later call for an investigation, Marquez said. But he said he took the reference to a person who could get “their nose out of joint” to mean Madigan.

During another meeting with McClain and Hooker, Marquez asked how “our friend” — Madigan — might react to the end of the arrangement.

Hooker’s response: “You’re not gonna do it? You’re not going to do something for me, I don’t have to do anything for you.”

* Jay Doherty gives Fidel Marquez the history of his involvement with ComEd. It’s a really interesting video



* Mike McClain and Marquez meet at Saputo’s…

* Isabel’s roundup…

    * Sun-Times | ‘How else can we help you?’ Jurors hear and see Madigan’s vast patronage system inside ComEd: Former ComEd Vice President Fidel Marquez spent hours testifying Tuesday about how he and other ComEd executives fielded constant requests to find jobs for people he said were pushed for employment by Madigan, even when evaluations found their qualifications lacking. It would have been a “HUGE stretch” to offer a job to one candidate, one ComEd exec wrote in an email. Marquez said he waived GPA requirements for internship positions at ComEd because candidates came from Madigan’s power base in Chicago’s 13th Ward.

    * Tribune | ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it with those guys’: Jurors see undercover videos of Michael Madigan associates in ‘ComEd Four’ trial: The FBI had instructed Marquez to ask Madigan’s associate, Michael McClain, what he should tell ComEd’s new CEO about their scheme to funnel payments to a roster of Madigan-approved allies through a consulting company owned by Jay Doherty, a longtime ComEd contract lobbyist. Marquez’s hidden recorder was rolling as McClain munched on pizza at Saputo’s, a popular restaurant in Springfield frequented by the political crowd — including Madigan himself.

    * Crain’s | Government mole’s undercover videos star in ‘ComEd Four’ proceedings: In between large bites of pizza, McClain advised Marquez, “I would say to you, don’t do anything in writing.” McClain offered to meet with Dominguez himself to explain how these payments were important to keeping in Madigan’s good graces. Marquez said he’d prefer to do it himself. Last up was Doherty on Feb. 13 in a clip showing that, at the very least, Marquez had mastered the wire technology the FBI had given him. Doherty went through his long history with ComEd, saying at one point, “This is just you and me talking. This (approach with the no-work lobbying subcontractors) all came from McClain, Hooker and Frank.”

    * ABC Chicago | Secret recordings of utility exec, Springfield operative played in court: “Do they do anything for me on a day-to-day basis? No,” Jay Doherty said during a February 13th meeting. “My bottom line advice would be ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ with those guys.”Doherty went on to tell Marquez to remind the new CEO that their money comes from Springfield. By March, the subcontractor budget had been approved.

    * Hannah Meisel | ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’: Secretly recorded videos show ComEd lobbyists discussing alleged bribery scheme: “John Hooker calls and said, ‘Jay, I got a sub(contractor) for you…Olivo,” Doherty recalled. “‘We’re going to pay him every month and you just —’ Doherty held up four fingers to indicate the $4,000 monthly stipend Olivo would be paid out of what would eventually become Doherty’s $37,000 per month lobbying contract with ComEd. Doherty would eventually add two of Madigan’s top precinct captains from the speaker’s 13th Ward political base on Chicago’s southwest side: Ray Nice and Ed Moody, at $5,000 and $4,500 monthly, respectively. Zalewski was the last addition after his retirement from the Chicago City Council in the summer of 2018, at $4,000 per month.

    * NBC Chicago | Jurors See Bodycam Video for State’s Star Witness in ‘ComEd 4′ Trial: As a new CEO was about to take over, government wiretaps played for the jury Monday showed a level of concern about the costs of the program even as Mike McClain and Anne Pramaggiore discussed the hiring for former Chicago Ald. Mike Zalewski. “We got a lot of people hanging out there,” Pramaggiore said. “Is there anybody who, you know, we could sort of take off the roster?” According to Marquez, the so-called “contract lobbyists” did little to no work but were requested by Madigan’s office.

    * In-person conversation between Michael McClain and Fidel Marquez | ComEd Exhibit 123-T: Michael McClain speaks in-person with Fidel Marquez: “Don’t put anything in writing.”

  34 Comments      


Rate the new Vallas ad

Wednesday, Mar 29, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Here you go…


  59 Comments      


Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)

Wednesday, Mar 29, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

This post is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:

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Open thread

Wednesday, Mar 29, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Good morning! Anyone else counting down the few last days before spring break? Anyways, what’s going on in Illinois today?

  22 Comments      


Isabel’s morning briefing

Wednesday, Mar 29, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Here you go!…

    * NBC Chicago | Illinois Lottery Keeps Selling Many Instant Games For Months After All Top Prizes Are Gone: NBC 5 Investigates obtained public records showing that the Illinois Lottery kept promoting and selling 83 of its instant games since 2020, even though buyers had a zero chance of winning the advertised top prizes, because they’d all been claimed weeks or even months before.

    * Tribune | Out-of-state PAC backing conservative school board candidates hasn’t disclosed spending: While the 1776 Project is registered with the Federal Election Commission, Illinois campaign finance law requires independent expenditure committees that spend money on races in the state to register with the state.

    * Bears owe it to their fans to consider Arlington Park stadium : Exploring the construction of a stadium in Arlington Heights is something the Bears “owe to their fans,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Tuesday at the conclusion of the league’s annual meetings. The Bears closed on the 326-acre former Arlington International Racecourse property last month and will decide whether to pursue building a stadium — in addition to hotels, shops and restaurants — on the property.

    * Crain’s | Chicago parks look for outside help to put sex abuse scandal and maybe the Bears in the rearview: In a somewhat unusual step, the Chicago Park District announced that it’s seeking one or more consultants to help it “develop and support a new strategic plan.”"Chicago parks are critical to the overall health and vitality of our city and millions of families, residents and visitors (and) look to provide vital services and experiences that improve their quality of life,” parks CEO Rosa Escareño said in a statement. “This strategic plan will ensure we are prepared to meet the needs of our patrons well into the future.”

    * Beverly Review | Gill selected as new state representative: Mary Gill, the current executive director of the Mt. Greenwood Community and Business Association (MGCBA), has been appointed as the new state representative She will succeed Fran Hurley, who resigned Feb. 28 to take a position with the Illinois Labor Relations Board.

    * Illinois Newsroom | Danville could soon have an abortion provider, but opponents are pushing back: Abortion rights opponents said the clinic’s location in an Illinois city bordering Indiana could be used to provide abortions to people in both states. “She’s interested in drawing women from Indiana,” Mary Kate Zander, the executive director of Illinois Right to Life, said of the abortion provider planning to open in Danville. “She is disinterested in serving the people of this area.”

    * WBEZ | Illinois Democratic lawmakers want to crack down on ‘crisis pregnancy centers’: Megan Jeyifo says she often works with patients coming from CPCs. She is the executive director of the Chicago Abortion Fund, a nonprofit that connects individuals seeking abortion care with resources like travel and lodging accommodations. She recalled one mother from Wisconsin who was looking for an abortion clinic for her 15-year-old daughter, when they walked into a CPC instead. “When her child was in the room, they showed her pictures of the ultrasound that she didn’t want to see. They told her information about the pregnancy that she didn’t want,” Jeyifo said. “They prayed over her, they got her phone number, her email address and they were harassing the family for weeks after this happened.”

    * Tim Drea | Training ex-offenders for green jobs is essential for economic equity: Under the Climate & Equitable Jobs Act, work force hubs will work with local nonprofits to identify and train candidates, including returning residents, for training in clean energy jobs.

    * Capitol News Illinois | Secretary of state backs proposal allowing noncitizens to receive standard driver’s licenses: To receive one, the individual must provide their U.S. immigration documentation or, if they don’t have that, a passport or consular card. They must also prove they have automobile insurance. According to the secretary of state’s office, more than 300,000 people currently have a TVDL. Under the bill, these would remain valid driver’s licenses but the secretary of state would no longer issue new ones.

    * Sun-Times | Young people in Chicago aren’t voting. Here’s why: “Without knowing Chicago, it’s obvious to me that young people in that city don’t feel empowered by their governance,” said Della Volpe, whose book, “Fight: How Gen Z is Channeling Their Fear and Passion to Save America,” came out last year. To turn out young voters, Della Volpe said the first part of the equation is “they need to have trust or faith in the political system, that their vote could actually make a difference, changing their lives and changing the lives of those who they care about.”

  13 Comments      


*** ComEd 4 trial live coverage ***

Wednesday, Mar 29, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Here you go…

  5 Comments      


Live coverage

Wednesday, Mar 29, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Follow along with ScribbleLive


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Afternoon roundup

Tuesday, Mar 28, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From WAND TV’s coverage of the planned Danville abortion clinic

The Sanctuary Cities For the Unborn initiative is also trying to help residents draft an ordinance to block the clinic from opening. Pastor and anti-abortion advocate Mark Lee Dickson of Texas said there are 65 cities and two counties across the country that have passed ordinances prohibiting abortion within their jurisdiction.

“Ladonna Prince in Indianapolis, Indiana wants to set up here in this city,” Dickson said. “Well, the voice of this city is loud and they’re saying, ‘Not on our watch.’”

The state’s Reproductive Health Act preempts more restrictive local ordinances, but there’s always the zoning process. Expect a legal fight if either happens

Under the RHA, a person can sue the State of Illinois or local governments like cities and counties if they improperly deny, interfere with, or discriminate against the person’s fundamental rights to make their own reproductive health decisions.

* DPI…

Infamous grifter and Florida resident Dan Proft recently released a list of candidates to support in the April 4 Illinois municipal elections. Proft, known for distributing right-wing propaganda designed to mislead voters, once again thinks he can prop up his own radical agenda through deceit. Proft’s “newspapers,” distributed throughout Illinois, routinely spewed racist, homophobic rhetoric that his endorsed candidates will no doubt bring to local school boards if elected. 

At a January training hosted by Awake Illinois and the Leadership Institute, candidates were offered access to Proft’s pink-slime papers by Brian Timpone. Timpone, who helps Proft operate his pay-to-play network, “told those in attendance his publications ‘can punch back for you,’ and added, ‘If somebody is giving you a hard time, we can fix that.’”

While the extreme views of candidates on the ballot in April are sometimes harder to spot than those of Proft’s once preferred gubernatorial nominee, Darren Bailey, the same network of external power players has banded together to impart regressive policies that will hurt Illinois’ students. Since voters already rejected their extreme vision for Illinois last November, Proft and his allies are now using a different strategy to effect the same backwards agenda.

Top donor to Proft’s People Who Play by the Rules PAC, Dick Uihlein, is also getting involved in municipal races via the New York-based 1776 Project PAC, which endorsed several candidates in Illinois who fit their definition of “un-woke school board members.” 

Uihlein has thrown his money at races across the country for years, notoriously backing extreme conservative candidates; his donations commonly support “firebrand anti-establishment candidates who typically defend broad access to assault weapons and assail transgender rights.”

Uihlein’s Restoration PAC also contributed $13,000 to Awake Illinois in 2022, a group known for espousing anti-LGBTQ+ views who have actively recruited, trained, and supported fringe candidates in the upcoming election.

“Candidates who would align themselves with proven far-right zealots like Dan Proft and Dick Uihlein are unsuited to represent the interests of students, parents, and teachers in Illinois. Having tried and failed to influence the outcome of statewide elections in 2022, these bad faith actors have returned to seize power through supposedly nonpartisan candidates,” DPI Executive Director Ben Hardin said. “Now, they cower behind buzzwords like ‘parental rights’ and ‘pro-family,’ but they’re working from the same playbook, and voters deserve to know who’s really on their ballots.”

In response to organized efforts by these extreme organizations, the Democratic Party of Illinois has launched an unprecedented program to identify and prevent fringe candidates from being elected to local boards. DPI is opposing candidates backed by known far-right organizations as well as those who have embraced values and policies that contradict those of the Party including banning books, blocking full spectrum sex education, teaching revisionist history and ignoring public health. To identify candidates that DPI is recommending or opposing, voters can visit DefendOurSchoolsIL.com.

* Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

With a week before the election for the [Wisconsin] Supreme Court, liberal candidate Janet Protasiewicz continues to eclipse her conservative opponent Dan Kelly in fundraising — this time with the help of three billionaires who have each given $1 million to the state Democratic Party. […]

Billionaire financier George Soros donated $1 million the state Democrats on Feb. 22, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker gave $1 million on March 14 and Tulsa philanthropists Stacy and Lynn Schusterman made four donations in March totaling $1 million. […]

“George Soros and J.B. Pritzker’s million-dollar contributions underscore that Protasiewicz will simply be a progressive rubber stamp,” said Rachel Reisner, spokeswoman for the state Republican Party. “They’ll drop whatever cash needed to buy her a Wisconsin Supreme Court seat because her pro-criminal record aligns with their agenda.”

GOP megadonor Liz Uihlein, an Illinois resident who co-founded the Pleasant Prairie-based shipping supply giant Uline, donated $500,000 to the state Republican Party on March 10 — the most of any individual. Her husband, Dick Uihlein, is supporting Fair Courts America, a super PAC that has spent nearly $5 million in 2023 on ads to boost Kelly. Dick Uihlein has donated $4 million of that total.

* Press release…

Seizing the opportunity to capture the billions of dollars of federal and private investment in science, technology and climate initiatives, Governor JB Pritzker, in partnership with P33,the Civic Committee, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the University of Chicago and Northwestern University, is launching Innovate Illinois, a diverse coalition of business leaders, higher education institutions, and elected officials to coordinate the state’s efforts to secure funding through the CHIPS and Science Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

“With the formation of Innovate Illinois, we are launching a first of its kind effort to bring federal dollars to Illinois and strengthen the state’s long-term economic vitality for generations to come,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “We are uniquely positioned to leverage our innovation hubs, public and private universities, and national laboratories to provide 21st century opportunities for our state’s workers, scientists, and businesses. With this effort, Illinois will accelerate an innovation-driven economic development plan and usher in a new era of scientific and technological progress.”

“Given the enormous capability and innovative nature of the companies and institutions within our state, this powerful coalition positions us to compete aggressively for Federal and private resources that will help us make critical technology advances and inclusively grow our economy,” said Jennifer F. Scanlon, President and CEO of UL Solutions Inc., board member of P33 and Chair of the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago. […]

The coalition will be chaired by Governor Pritzker, and vice-chaired by Jenny Scanlon, Chief Executive Officer of UL Solutions and Civic Committee Chair, and Robert Jones, Chancellor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. US Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth will serve in advisory roles. In addition, Innovate Illinois will include a broad coalition of members representing state and local economic development partners, including the Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity, World Business Chicago, and Intersect Illinois; higher education institutions including the University of Illinois system, the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and our state’s Community Colleges; as well as private sector representation through business CEOs, the Civic Committee, and P33. This collective effort will bring together the relevant expertise and capacity to pursue specific grant opportunities in a coordinated way with rigor and focus on priority areas, including science, transportation, innovation and technology where Illinois has a competitive advantage and is well positioned to win. The initiative will serve as the “front door” for businesses who would like to partner with the state and education system for research, technology, and workforce development for innovation-related federal grant opportunities.

* AG Raoul…

Attorney General Kwame Raoul, along with 12 attorneys general, today called for nationwide restrictions on the use of sulfoxaflor, a chemical pesticide that is extremely toxic to bees and other pollinators. The coalition, comprised of some of the nation’s leading agricultural producers, depend on pollinators to sustain their crops and natural ecosystems.

In a letter to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Raoul and the coalition warned that the unrestricted use of sulfoxaflor could have devastating effects on pollinators, ultimately harming the economy and endangering the nation’s food security. Raoul urged the EPA to adopt reasonable restrictions on sulfoxaflor’s use and support further research into the pesticide’s potential impacts on human health and the environment.

“We must do what we can to protect pollinators, which are critical to Illinois agriculture,” Raoul said. “I am urging the EPA to ensure restrictions on the use of sulfoxaflor are in place to keep Illinois crops and natural ecosystems healthy.”

The EPA previously faced lawsuits challenging its attempts to lift needed restrictions on sulfoxaflor and allow the pesticide’s use in controversial ways — without consulting the public or considering the pesticide’s effects on endangered species. In December 2022, the lawsuits were successful, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ordered the EPA to immediately correct various legal violations. As a result, in February 2023, the EPA published a notice seeking public comment on the use of sulfoxaflor.

Raoul and the coalition’s letter provides important state input in response to that notice. It asserts that the represented states together produce 37% of the nation’s crops and play a key role in American food security and resilience. Illinois and the coalition states are the leading national producers of a wide variety of crops, such as pumpkins, apples, almonds, lettuce, hops, beets, tomatoes, coffee and oranges. The states also have extraordinary natural resources and ecosystems, and are home to a variety of threatened and endangered species and critical habitats. All of this relies on pollination by insects such as bees.

To prevent harm to these necessary pollinators, Raoul urges the EPA to:

    • Restrict the use of sulfoxaflor when crops are blooming and pollinators are present.
    • Reimpose a required buffer zone between sprayed sulfoxaflor and blooming
    vegetation.
    • Encourage field owner collaboration to ensure sulfoxaflor is not applied before or during a period when managed pollinators are nearby.
    • Support further research into sulfoxaflor’s impacts on the environment and on humans; remain vigilant about its potential harms.

In issuing the letter to the EPA, Attorney General Raoul joined the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington.

* Happy spring!…


* Isabel’s roundup…

  19 Comments      


Illinois Credit Unions Oppose Regulatory Fee Increase

Tuesday, Mar 28, 2023 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

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Today’s good news: Coffee station to open in Statehouse

Tuesday, Mar 28, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* This is such a much-needed addition…

Secretary Giannoulias Announces Coffee Station Opening at Capitol Building
Elm City Roastery will serve coffee
Pastries from Three Twigs and Co.

Who: Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias
Elm City Roastery staff

What: Secretary Giannoulias will join employees from Elm City Roastery at their grand opening at the Illinois State Capitol Building. The coffee station will be located on the second floor, south hallway, of the Illinois State Capitol.

Where: Illinois State Capitol Building
Second Floor South Hallway
Springfield

When: Wednesday, March 29 at 10:00 a.m.

Why: Secretary Giannoulias’ office, which maintains the Illinois Capitol Complex, issued a solicitation requesting bids to open the first-ever independently and locally owned and operated coffee station in the Illinois Capitol Building. Elm City Roastery was the winning bidder.

“This is a great opportunity to promote local businesses while also serving top-notch coffee and pastries to Capitol Building visitors, legislators, staff, media and lobbyists,” said Secretary Giannoulias. “I encourage everyone working or visiting the Capitol to stop by the second-floor coffee station and support this local business.”

Yeah, the old Rathskeller was dingy. But it was also handy. We’ve needed something in the Statehouse for a very long time.

  25 Comments      


Another day, another Chicago mayoral poll

Tuesday, Mar 28, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* These numbers from BSP Research are not only old, but the poll was taken over an unusually long period, March 15-23. It sure took them long enough to release the results

With one week remaining until Chicago’s mayoral runoff election on April 4, Northwestern University’s Center for the Study of Diversity and Democracy (CSDD) and a coalition of Black and Latino nonprofits released the results of a second nonpartisan poll showing candidates Brandon Johnson and Paul Vallas in a neck-and-neck race to the finish line.

Overall, the choice among voters is evenly split between Vallas and Johnson, with each candidate earning 44% of the overall vote, with 12% undecided.

When broken down by race/ethnicity, Black registered voters favor Johnson by a wide margin. Fifty-five percent have decided to vote for or lean toward Johnson, versus 28% favoring Vallas. Among Latino registered voters, 46% favor Vallas, while 35% prefer Johnson. Registered white voters are the most split between candidates with 51% voting for or leaning toward Vallas and 42% for Johnson. One interesting finding is that one-third of Latinos think Vallas also may be Latino.

It was 40-40 without including leaners.

Methodology is here.

* Because the horserace numbers are relatively old, let’s look beyond them to some issues

The poll found that reducing crime is far and away the most important issue, with 50% of registered voters saying it is an important issue. Likewise, across race/ethnicity, 49% of Latino, 53% of Black and 50% of white voters cited crime as the most important issue. There were substantial differences across age, with 80% of registered voters over 65 years of age saying reducing crime is an important issue and 31% of 18- to 29-year-old voters saying it is an important issue.

Despite the concern over crime, 30% of Black voters said police reform was the second most important issue. Among Latinos and whites, 35% of Latinos and 31% of whites said the rising cost of living was the second most important issue.

* Vallas voters and leaners were asked: “Here is a list of reasons why people may vote for Paul Vallas. For each, tell us whether this factor was VERY important, somewhat important, or not important at all in your decision to support him”


* Same question for Johnson voters and leaners



* Never underestimate the voters’ desire to want two seemingly opposite things at once

Still very odd, though. And if that second result is even close to accurate, it upends everything we’re supposed to believe about this contest.

* Back to the press release

Preferred characteristics: The survey also asked about important characteristics in supporting a candidate for mayor. For voters overall, the top two characteristics were being progressive and fighting for progressive issues (37%) and experience as an elected official (36%). Another strong preference among Latinos is that “the candidate truly understands their community (35%).”

Lastly, the poll shows high levels of perceived commonality by Black and Latino voters. When asked how much they think Latino and Black voters have in common, 75% of Latino registered voters said they had a great deal or a fair amount in common. Among Black registered voters, 73% said they have a great deal or a fair amount in common.

  15 Comments      


CTBA: After adjusting for inflation since 2000, state higher ed funding is down 46 percent and tuition is up 110 percent

Tuesday, Mar 28, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Center for Tax and Budget Accountability

After adjusting for inflation, state funding for Illinois colleges and universities has fallen by nearly 50% since 2000, while tuition has more than doubled, making it increasingly difficult for students from low- and middle-income families generally, and Black and Latinx students specifically, to afford getting a higher education degree.

Despite growing evidence that a college degree is more important than ever for success in the labor market and in spite of recent funding increases, the report finds that, after inflation, Illinois’ General Fund support for Higher Education has declined significantly over the last two decades, and is 46 percent less now in real terms than in 2000.

To help make up for that loss of General Fund support, the average annual student tuition and fee cost of attending a public four-year university in Illinois increased by 115 percent—after inflation—between 2000 and 2021.

The full report is here.

As I’ve said many times before, 2001 was Illinois’ budgetary high-water mark. Then came the 9/11 crash, followed by the 2008 crash and three governors in a row who weren’t serious about doing things like properly funding higher ed.

We’re only now digging our way out.

  19 Comments      


It’s just a bill

Tuesday, Mar 28, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus…

To ensure that Illinoisans in need of insulin have affordable access to the life-saving medicine, the Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus is leading a measure to cap its price at $35.

“It’s vital we make insulin more accessible to the people who need it,” said State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines). “It’s past time to put people’s health ahead of financial gain.”

Building off their 2019 efforts to cap the price for a 30-day supply of insulin at $100, the Senate Democrats are spearheading a measure to cap the price at $35. Recently, drugmakers announced their new $35 threshold, leading Murphy – the chief sponsor of the bill – and her colleagues to enshrine the price into law in case the companies choose to raise the price in the future.

“This has the opportunity to provide much needed relief to many people in our state who rely on insulin to survive,” said State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Swansea). “It is time for Illinois to lead the way in making healthcare more affordable and accessible for all.”

In addition to capping out-of-pocket insulin costs, the measure would also outline a plan to ensure that residents in urgent need of insulin are able to receive it in a timely manner. […]

Senator Murphy expects to call Senate Bill 1559 this week.

* Crain’s

A bill to authorize a pilot wind farm in Lake Michigan just off of the south shore has resurfaced in Springfield and has picked up major political momentum, even though it could cost electric ratepayers $680 million in subsidies over the next 20 years.

Approved on a bipartisan 85-21 House vote, the measure would authorize creation of a 10- to 20-windmill facility several miles from Chicago’s lakefront and entitle the developer to $34 million in annual subsidies via a mandatory purchase deal with the Illinois Power Agency. […]

One major green group, the Environmental Law & Policy Center, remains opposed to the legislation, suggesting it would end up being an unwarranted boondoggle for some lucky developer.

The group’s legislative director, David McEllis, testified to a House committee that the proposal “could lead to future private developments in Lake Michigan,” that lake-based offshore wind “is unproven and expensive” and that the subsidy could result in “a significant utility rate increase to pay for a single unproven project.”

* AG Raoul…

Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced the Illinois House of Representatives on Friday passed his legislation to increase oversight of health care transactions, namely mergers and acquisitions that include health care facilities and large provider organizations, which can lead to higher prices for health care services while quality of care worsens or remains stagnant. […]

Specifically, House Bill 2222 would:

    - Require health care facilities to notify the Attorney General within 30 days of a proposed merger or acquisition.

    - Establish a premerger notification program at the state level for health care facility mergers.

    - Better equip the Attorney General’s office with information necessary to determine whether a proposed transaction warrants an investigation and, when necessary, a challenge for anticompetitive conduct that could substantially lessen competition or harm the public or employees.

* HB2280 has not yet left the House and is in Rules, SB2427 has been re-referred to Assignments in the Senate. CBS Chicago did a story anyway

[Neelam Dhadankar of Access Living] joined a diverse coalition of organizations to deliver 2,000 petitions to the Illinois State Medical Society - urging them to support HB 2280 and SB 2427.

The two pieces of state legislation require “consistent cultural competency training” for all healthcare professionals.

“When you don’t make the effort to understand your patient, you are missing the whole point,” said Kristen Perez of the Illinois Nurses Association. […]

The Illinois State Medical Association declined our request for an interview.

But online, they listed the cultural competency bill as “one hundreds of onerous mandates on how physicians should practice medicine in Illinois” that they push back against every year.

* Press release…

Returning service members would be united with shelter pets under a new bill recently passed by state Rep. Harry Benton, D-Plainfield. […]

Benton’s House Bill 2500 would provide that animal control facilities and shelters shall not charge anyone who can prove they are an Illinois veteran an adoption fee for a dog or cat. Individuals would be allowed to adopt one animal this way every two years. The bill is modeled on a law that took effect in California in 2020. The bill now advances to the state Senate.

“Helping veterans adopt loving pets isn’t just a great way of helping them heal, it’s also a small way of giving back to them after everything they did for us,” Benton said. “Having a pet can be one of the most rewarding experiences everyday life has to offer, and don’t our veterans deserve that? Why should they pay a fee when they’ve already sacrificed so much for our country? For me, that’s really what it boils down to.”

* Patrick Keck

On Friday, the Senate unanimously approved Senate Bill 2243. The bill sponsored by Sen. Kimberly Lightford, D-Westchester would require the Illinois State Board of Education to develop a “comprehensive literacy plan.” […]

Deborah MacPhee, a researcher and professor at Illinois State University, said early literacy education has become politicized with debates taking place between competing systems of reading instruction.

MacPhee said she liked that the bill requires the plan to involve “education stakeholders.” She said this will contribute to the ongoing conversation around what sorts of educational programs. […]

The House passed a literacy bill later that Friday in a 68-35 vote. House Bill 3147 creates the Literacy and Justice for All Act which permits the state Board of Education to form a rubric for use of the school districts regarding evidence-based, culturally inclusive reading instruction and literacy plans.

* SB909 was referred to Assignments. Madeline Wood of United High School in Monmouth

Racist incidents have happened and continue to occur across our state. In southern Illinois, protests erupted after a Marion track coach used racially motivated language against one of her student athletes. In Chicago at Jones College Prep, a principal was fired after defending a student’s Nazi imitation during the school’s Halloween event. A student in suburban Will County was racially harassed for five years, until students chased him with baseball bats and he transferred to a different school to seek safety.

When it comes to addressing racial harassment, words are not enough. A 2021 federal report found that hate crimes in schools increased 81%, with roughly half of those incidents related to race. A concrete and meaningful policy response is needed to change behavior in our schools.

That’s why a group of Illinois Teachers of the Year proposed the Racism-Free Schools Act. In simple terms, this bill provides the same kinds of protections to victims of racial harassment that have been extended to victims of sexual harassment for more than 40 years. The act provides clear language and policies to protect everyone involved, resolve incidents quickly, and repair the harm that occurred. By promoting clearer understanding, training for teachers, and age-appropriate communication to students, the bill promotes greater awareness of what racial harassment looks like. Preventing racist incidents will reduce racial trauma, all while improving students’ mental, social-emotional, and academic well-being. Additionally, racism-free schools will help combat the teacher shortage by making schools safer, more welcoming places for students and teachers of color.

These policies aren’t just for schools with diverse student bodies. They are just as important in a mostly white community like where I teach, because white students need to know how to interact appropriately with classmates, community members, and future colleagues who look different than they do.

  6 Comments      


Today’s quotable

Tuesday, Mar 28, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* NY Times article on the Chicago mayor’s race quoting Chicago FOP President John Catanzara

Mr. Catanzara is not lying low. He predicted that 800 to 1,000 Chicago police officers would leave the force if Mr. Johnson wins, adding to hundreds of vacancies already awaiting the next mayor.

“If this guy gets in we’re going to see an exodus like we’ve never seen before,” he said, predicting “blood in the streets.”

Are we at the “Before it’s too late” stage now?

…Adding… Par for the course…


…Adding… Saw this referenced on Twitter. It’s a Trib story from October of 2021 when Catanzara was fighting the vax mandate and predicted half the force would stay away from the job. Didn’t happen

Two days earlier, he posted a video urging about 10,000 active officers to defy Lightfoot’s vaccination reporting requirement and brace for being sent home without pay. He also said he will sue the city to fight Lightfoot’s mandate.

Catanzara advised his members to report to work Friday with the assumption they would be sent home and said he would also forgo pay.

It is unclear how many officers will follow Catanzara’s directive, but he suggested the department could be operating at 50% capacity this weekend — a prediction Chicago police brass swatted away Thursday.

“Whatever happens because of that manpower issue, that falls at the mayor’s doorstep,” Catanzara said in his Tuesday video.

  39 Comments      


Question of the day

Tuesday, Mar 28, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Press release…

A task force appointed to study the decline of local journalism in Illinois and recommend ways to revive the industry meets for the first time Monday, March 27.

The task force is being led by State Senator Steve Stadelman, who passed legislation to establish the panel of frontline journalists and academics and who worked 25 years as an award-winning television reporter and news anchor before his election to the Illinois General Assembly in 2012.

“Newsrooms across the nation are shrinking, especially in smaller and more rural areas, and an alarming number have closed in the last decade,” Stadelman said. “When people don’t know what’s happening on their town councils and school boards, they can’t make educated decisions or hold public officials accountable.”

Stadelman’s legislation charges the 23-member task force with studying Illinois communities underserved by the news media, proposing public policy to strengthen local journalism and recommending ways to support private-sector or non-profit operating models. Members of the task force represent higher education including the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University and the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, news media including the Illinois Public Broadcasting Council and Illinois Press Association and government including the Illinois Municipal League.

“There needs to be a candid conversation about the future of local news and how its future will affect the lives of families across our state,” Stadelman said. “Although the outcome could be that state government has no role, I’m optimistic about Illinois coming up with creative solutions to keep journalism alive and keep our citizens informed regardless of their zip codes.”

* Members of the task force who participated yesterday…

1. Sam (Sammy) Fisher, Illinois Press Association
2. Tim Franklin, Northwestern Medill School of Journalism
3. Jesús Del Toro, Chicago Independent Media Alliance
4. Tim Myers, Illinois Broadcasters Association
5. Jenna Dooley, Illinois News Broadcasters Association
6. Jason Piscia, Public Affairs Reporting Program @ UofI S
7. Mark Jacob, Chicago News Guild
8. Dong Han, Appointee, Representative of the School of Journalism at Southern Illinois University Carbondale
9. Sen. Don DeWitte, Appointee, Senate Minority Leader
10. Rep. Dave Vella, Appointee, Speaker
11. Jordan Abudayyeh, Appointee, Governor
12. Sen. Steve Stadleman, Appointee, Senate Majority Leader
13. Christopher Willadsen, Chicago Chapter of the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians (CWA)
14. Josh McGee, National Alliance of Black Journalists
15. Julie Moore Wolfe, Illinois Municipal League
16. Adam Rhodes, Association of LGBTQ Journalists
17. Randy Eccles, Illinois Public Broadcasting Council

* The Question: Your ideas for reviving local journalism in Illinois? Make sure to explain. Thanks.

  37 Comments      


Comed 4 trial coverage roundup

Tuesday, Mar 28, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Click here for our live coverage…

    * Sun-Times | ComEd CEO ‘wanted to make sure that we did everything possible’ to earn Madigan’s favor, feds’ key witness testifies: Former ComEd executive turned government informant Fidel Marquez called his ex-boss a “close” and “personal friend,” then detailed how she funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars to associates of former House Speaker Michael Madigan to stay on his winning side. The government’s star witness took the stand at the ComEd bribery trial on Monday as prosecutors presented FBI recordings and internal ComEd documents showing the money went to people who allegedly did no work for the utility company.

    * Tribune | Feds’ star witness takes stand in ‘ComEd Four’ trial, testifying utility worked to gain leverage with Michael Madigan: The roster of “subcontractors” was curated by Madigan’s longtime confidant, Michael McClain, and read like a who’s who of Madigan’s vaunted political operation, including two legendary precinct captains, a former assistant majority leader in the House and two former Chicago alderman at the center of Madigan’s Southwest Side base of power, according to Marquez. Over the course of eight years, ComEd paid them hundreds of thousands of dollars, even though they had no particular expertise and ultimately did virtually no work for the utility. Some seemed to be downright incompetent, Marquez said.

    * Amanda Vinicky | Star Witness Takes the Stand in ComEd Trial, Testifies About Efforts to Influence Michael Madigan: Marquez took the stand and uncoded an email about the legislation for a federal jury tasked with deciding the fate of four of Marquez’s former colleagues. ComEd wanted to kill the rate-reduction plan, but was “concerned” because it was a signature effort of the speaker’s daughter, Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Marquez said.

    * NBC Chicago | Prosecution’s Star Witness Takes the Stand in Trial of ‘ComEd Four’: Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet S. Bhachu wasted no time in asking Marquez, “Did you break the law during your employment Com Ed?” “Yes sir,” he said. “What crime was that?” Bhachu asked. “Conspiracy to commit bribery of Michael Madigan,” Marquez responded.

    * Crain’s | Star witness, government mole Fidel Marquez takes stand in ‘ComEd Four’ trial: When Zalewski was added to Doherty’s payroll at $5,000 per month — Marquez asked McClain what he was thinking “numbers-wise” for Zalewski, and McClain responded with “5″ — Pramaggiore had to update Doherty’s contract to add $5,000. That came out of her budget, and she signed the contract. Played for the jury was the recording of one of the most quoted exchanges Pramaggiore had with McClain in an intercepted call — one that had been highlighted in pre-trial filings. “The only question Fidel had,” she went on with McClain, “is there anybody we could sort of take off the roster? … We got a lot of people hanging out there,” she said.

    * ABC Chicago | Former ComEd executive and prosecution’s star witness Fidel Marquez testifies: Those conversations, many of which are expected to be played for the jury over the next couple of days, are expected to reveal the hiring of several Madigan associates as subcontractors for ComEd for little to no-work jobs. Those associates include: former 13th Ward Alderman Frank Olivo. former 23rd Ward Alderman Mike Zalewski, former 13th Ward Precinct Captains Ray Nice and Ed Moody, and former State Representative Eddie Acevedo.

    * Center Square | Ex-ComEd executive says utility shifted money to friends of powerful politician: Marquez detailed how payments were made through contract lobbyists and how those arrangements changed over time. For example, Moody was paid as a subcontractor through Shaw Decremer, but when Decremer got in trouble for harassment, Moody’s payments were shifted to a contract with former state Rep. John Bradley, Marquez said. […] Marquez is expected to return to the witness stand on Tuesday. He has yet to face cross-examination.

    * Jim Dey | Reclusive Madigan pulled strings from behind the scenes: “I know you’ve got a law degree, but you’re more of a street fighter than anybody knows, except maybe for guys like me. And if you want to put the squeeze on the guy, you could hurt him pretty badly.” That’s a snippet of a conversation between Michael McClain, one of four defendants in the Commonwealth Edison bribery conspiracy trial, and former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, who won’t go to trial until next year.

    * Telephone conversation between Michael McClain and Anne Pramaggiore | ComEd Exhibit 18-T: Michael McClain and Anne Pramaggiore have a conversation, Pramaggiore tells McClain “This never would’ve happened without you and John.”

    * Telephone conversation between Michael McClain and Fidel Marquez | ComEd Exhibit 23-T: Michael McClain and Fidel Marquez have a conversation, McClain says “Let me just tell you about each guy.”

  3 Comments      


Johnson’s anti-gay rights supporters and Vallas’ Daley people

Tuesday, Mar 28, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Yesterday, we talked about Paul Vallas’ coziness with homophobic activists. Here’s Block Club Chicago on Brandon Johnson’s issues

Bishop Larry Trotter, a South Side pastor at Sweet Holy Spirit Church, endorsed Johnson March 12, telling his congregation the candidate’s plan was “fresh” and “new,” according to the Sun-Times.

But Trotter was a vocal opponent of same-sex marriage in the years leading up to its legalization in Illinois in 2013. Trotter was among a coalition of faith leaders who rallied in Springfield against same-sex marriage, according to a 2013 Tribune report.

Johnson responded to concerns about this endorsement Wednesday during a virtual forum on LGBTQ issues hosted by people-of-color-led organizations serving LGBTQ people.

Johnson said he was raised by two pastors in one of the largest Black denominations in the country, but he can “recognize that within all of our faith communities, that there are elements of our faith community that they don’t get it right.”

“There will be times when people who are close to me, we will have disagreements, and there will be times when we will agree,” Johnson said. “This is an opportunity to educate people and make people stronger and better, and we get to do that as a collective group.”

Vallas has either just avoided the question or appeared indignant that anyone would question his beliefs.

* On to Politico

Vallas is a product of the fabled Daley “machine,” having worked for former Mayor Richard M. Daley’s administration. A key Vallas campaign aide is former Daley Chief of Staff Gery Chico.

Yeah. There’s a whole lot more than that one guy. Crain’s

Locked in a tight race for Chicago mayor, Paul Vallas is looking for help mobilizing voters from a vestige of the old Chicago machine that once helped defeat the former Chicago Public Schools CEO when he ran for governor in 2002.

Vallas’ campaign committee, Vallas for Mayor, paid $22,500 last week to another committee, Coalition For Better Government, ran by Ronald Calicchio and Dominic Longo, a political street fighter whose 1984 conviction for voter fraud didn’t prevent him from a career on the government payroll while working as a precinct captain to get out the vote for former Mayor Richard M. Daley, former Ald. Dick Mell and former Cook County Assessor Joe Berrios. […]

“Our campaign has had no contact with Dominic Longo, and we were unaware of any connection between him and Coalition For Better Government. We made a contribution to this organization to support voter outreach efforts being conducted by its Chair Ronald Calicchio,” the statement said.

Unaware? From their State Board of Elections page

I was thinking last night that while John Kass may finally get a fellow conservative Greek-American in the mayor’s office, that fellow will be surrounded by all of Kass’ surviving enemies from the Daley era.

* Also, too, Vallas appears to be moving even further to the left as election day nears. From Block Club Chicago

Vallas endorsed a series of other stances Monday, like establishing ranked choice voting ahead of the next mayoral election and providing reparations for Chicago’s descendants of enslaved people.

Vallas also said he supports the concept of universal basic income but called the city’s pilot program “ineffective.”

“I support … universal income level in principle, I just think that the program needs to be reimagined, and because again, there’s very little participation in the program, it has been designed as a one-off program,” he said.

He’s right about the current mayor’s universal income lottery program. But do you believe he’ll actually go through with a new and improved version?

* But that late leftward lurch may be having an impact

At this point in Chicago’s mayoral runoff, there are few endorsements left that could really sway the race, but outgoing 4th Ward Ald. Sophia King, who finished eighth in February’s first round of voting for mayor, is endorsing Paul Vallas. […]

Unsurprisingly, the Vallas campaign notes high up in its announcement that King is currently the chair of the City Council’s Progressive Caucus in an effort to undermine Brandon Johnson’s standing as the more progressive mayoral candidate.

…Adding… Progressive Caucus members…

The following is a statement from a majority of returning Progressive Caucus members:

There’s nothing progressive about mayoral candidate Paul Vallas. His track record is one of harming communities, particularly the most vulnerable. As CEO of the Chicago Public Schools, Vallas canceled an LGBTQ inclusivity training and cut deals with Wall Street that shifted $1 billion from schools to financial firms and investors. Now Paul Vallas is proudly endorsed by MAGA Republican and Fraternal Order of Police president John Catanzara. Vallas’ campaign is bankrolled by the same wealthy Republicans who backed Donald Trump. MAGA Republicans are backing Paul Vallas because Paul Vallas is on the record sharing and espousing their far-right positions.

The Chicago Progressive Reform Caucus was formed in 2013 as a coalition of alderpersons that stood against machine politics and championed progressive policies rooted in the needs of everyday Chicagoans. As the majority of re-elected Progressive Caucus members, we have endorsed Brandon Johnson for mayor because we know Brandon will prioritize working families and invest in Chicago neighborhoods, jobs, and schools. Brandon is the candidate who stands for the progressive policies and values that will improve the lives of all Chicagoans.

This statement is from the following caucus members:

    Ald. Daniel LaSpata (1)
    Ald. Jeanette Taylor (20)
    Ald. Michael Rodriguez (22)
    Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25)
    Ald. Rossana Rodriguez (33)
    Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35)
    Ald. Andre Vasquez (40)
    Ald. Matt Martin (47)
    Ald. Maria Hadden (49)

…Adding… OK, now I’m just laughing…


* Press release…

The Vallas for Mayor campaign is releasing a new television ad that sharply criticizes Brandon Johnson’s disastrous $800 million tax increase plan, especially in light of recent bank failures, persistent inflation and other economic turbulence affecting Chicagoans. The ad contrasts Johnson’s extreme tax increases with Vallas’ plan to boost the city’s economy by reclaiming vacant properties on the South and West sides and turning them into affordable housing, providing low-interest loans for small businesses, encouraging more community involvement in the budgeting process and much more.

The ad is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLTVOx7j_Ac

“Business groups, union leaders, small businesses owners, elected officials and residents all agree that Brandon Johnson’s $800 Million tax increase plan would devastate Chicago’s economy at the worst possible time,” said Vallas. “We need to make sure that no one gets left behind by City Hall, now more than ever. As Mayor, I’ll reclaim vacant properties to revitalize the South and West sides, establish a Fair Share Investment Trust that gives homeowners and entrepreneurs low-interest-rate loans, and create an Independent Community Development Authority that brings every community into the budget process. We need to help homeowners and small businesses thrive, not squeeze them with more taxes, fees, or fines.”

Good spot.

* Press release…

Ahead of the 2023 Mayoral Runoff Election, Chicago Public School (CPS) custodians are sharing their experience with Mayoral Candidate and former CPS CEO Paul Vallas and the harmful impact it had on them and their families. When Paul Vallas was CEO of CPS from 1995 to 2001, he failed Chicago’s working parents and children. He took thousands of public custodial jobs and privatized them in order to balance the CPS budget on the backs of the very people who are supposed to keep our kids schools clean and safe– in doing so, essential workers had their wages slashed by $3-$5, lost their healthcare and their pensions leaving families with almost no safety net.

Click here to watch the video.

* Isabel’s roundup…

    * WTTW | Political Fund Backed by Charter School Network Ramps Up Spending to Defeat Johnson, Boost City Council Picks: The independent expenditure by the INCS Action Independent Committee, funded by the Illinois Network of Charter Schools, paid for $258,000 in cable television advertisements on March 16 and $359,000 in digital advertising on March 15, records show. Election Day is April 4, and early voting is underway.

    * WGN | Vallas leading Johnson in Chicago Mayoral runoff election: With eight days left before Chicago voters choose a new mayor, new WGN-TV/Emerson College/The Hill poll shows Paul Vallas holding a five-point lead over Brandon Johnson, 46% to 41%. The exclusive poll also found that 13% of likely voters are still undecided.

    * Block Club | Paul Vallas Vows To Fire CTA Boss, Doubles Down On Plan To Bring Back Retired Cops In Block Club Interview: Vallas has said he’s heard from retired officers through his work as a consultant for the Fraternal Order of Police during recent contract negotiations to back up his claim. The police union has endorsed Vallas in the mayoral race. “We know, because we’ve put together a list of retirees, and there’s a list of officers who would like to return,” he said. … Asked to confirm Vallas “has a list” of officers who would return under the conditions he mentioned, Vallas said he was referring to a list kept by the Fraternal Order of Police of retired officers.

    * WBEZ | Rehiring retirees as a quick fix for Chicago Police could undermine reform, experts say: Vallas has said the rehired cops would analyze records for detectives, run witness protection efforts, and even respond to domestic violence complaints. He has not said what he would do about a municipal code that requires cops to retire from sworn ranks at age 63 or whether he’d offer terms competitive with what many CPD retirees have: a police pension and a non-city job.

    * CBS Chicago | 4th Ward chief of staff Prentice Butler faces Illinois State Rep. Lamont Robinson: Butler said he would like to improve collaboration between people who live in the ward and the officers who patrol the streets. But he also said the city needs more mental health first responders to respond to mental health calls rather than police; and more social workers, violence interrupters, and other programming to address the causes of crime. Robinson, who has served in the Illinois House since 2019, touted his efforts to bring in resources for anti-violence initiatives, a local senior center, and a community center; and said he believes the City Council needs new leadership.

    * Sun-Times | Lightfoot put Knudsen in 43rd Ward seat — and into runoff against challenger Comer: Five months after Lightfoot appointed him to replace retiring former Ald. Michele Smith, Knudsen came out on top in the Feb. 28 election. But he did so with just about a quarter of the vote across Lincoln Park, Old Town and the Gold Coast — and by less than three percentage points over the upstart, runner-up challenge from consultant Brian Comer.

    * Sun-Times | 6th, 21st Ward candidates discuss future of South Side ahead of runoff: Time to ‘resurrect dreams of residents’: After more than a decade as 6th Ward alderperson, Roderick Sawyer stepped down from the council to run an ultimately unsuccessful campaign for mayor. […] Hall, 38, lead pastor at St. James Community Church in Chatham and a field director for the Rainbow PUSH social justice organization, narrowly came in first place with 23.82% of the vote during the Feb. 28 election — about 70 votes ahead of Wooten, an Army veteran and retired police officer.

    * Sun-Times | Contractor now accused of bribing worker in Cook County assessor’s office: Alex Nitchoff is charged with conspiring to bribe a key employee handling commercial properties with home improvement goods and services, jewelry, meals and sports tickets.

    * Block Club | ‘I Don’t Want To Be A Statistic To You’: Chicago’s Latino Communities Are Focused On Gun Violence: The most striking differences between Vallas and Johnson are their approaches toward public safety. Some Latino voters are leaning toward Vallas because of his promise to hire more police officers and his statements on taking a “more aggressive” approach to prosecuting those who break the law. Others favor Johnson because of his pledge to reallocate police funding toward issues like housing, mental health, and job creation. Both candidates face the tall task of convincing Latino voters that they are sincere in their promises to urgently address the gun violence crisis.

    * Sun-Times | City backs 3 subsidized housing plans for La Salle Street corridor: The proposals deemed eligible for city subsidies together call for more than 1,000 housing units, a third of them affordable, and more than $550 million in investment to address downtown vacancies.

    * Axios | New report says Chicago police training is fundamentally flawed: The new report, authored by the city’s community member-led working group on use of force, documents fundamental flaws in the way Chicago officers are trained on new use-of-force policies.

    * Flint Taylor | The racist history of Chicago’s FOP: On Dec. 4, 1969, Fred Hampton, the charismatic chairman of the Illinois Black Panther Party, was slain in his bed by Chicago police in what has been documented and widely accepted as a politically motivated assassination. But the fledgling FOP nonetheless staunchly defended the police raiders.

    * CBS Chicago | A Chicago woman rented out her car on a sharing service. Someone stole and totaled it: Barron had listed her white Nissan Rouge for rent through Getaround, the car sharing service. Someone reserved and picked up the car in the middle of the night last fall. “I called Getaround multiple times,” she said. “And they kept telling me everything was fine. This person had checked out. Give them the benefit of the doubt.”

    * Chicago Mag | Revisiting What Has Disappeared: During a tour of his old neighborhood, Pete Kastanes idles his Toyota Corolla in front of Frank’s Upholstery, a two-story beige brick storefront on 79th Street. An upholstery shop seems like an odd stop for a youthful reminiscence, but this building was not always dedicated to re-covering sofas. It once contained a music store, right across the street from Bogan High School, from which Kastanes graduated in 1981. “That used to be Kroozin’ Music II,” Kastanes recalled. “They sold cassette tapes, eight-track tapes. They sold bongs, black lights, posters. I used to hang out when I was in high school. Sometimes, I wanted to be alone and browse. I bought my first eight-track there — Styx, Renegade.”

  30 Comments      


Keep Uber Affordable. Stop Lawsuit Abuse. Oppose HB 2231

Tuesday, Mar 28, 2023 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition

Tuesday, Mar 28, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Bishop Paprocki: “Our nation is divided today over the question of abortion as it was in the 19th century over the question of slavery”

Tuesday, Mar 28, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From Springfield Bishop Thomas Paprocki’s speech to last week’s Illinois March for Life

We have gathered here from all across the Land of Lincoln because the lives of unborn babies in our state of Illinois are threatened as never before. Since the United States Supreme Court decision last year in Dobbs v. Jackson overturned the 1973 decision of Roe v. Wade and rightfully returned the question of the legality of abortion back to the states, Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, Attorney General Kwame Raoul, Speaker of the House Emanuel “Chris” Welch, and Senate President Don Harmon, along with many others in Illinois state government, have unequivocally expressed their unabashed desire to expand abortion rights and make Illinois an abortion-friendly haven. Every year, over 10,000 out-of-state residents come to Illinois for abortions, often at taxpayer expense, and that number has been increasing dramatically since June of 2022. In states such as ours, we cannot relax our pro-life efforts now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned. On the contrary, we must step up our struggles to counter the evil forces of death.

Our nation is divided today over the question of abortion as it was in the 19th century over the question of slavery. On June 16, 1858, Abraham Lincoln, before whose statue we gather, gave his famous “House Divided” speech in the Hall of Representatives of the Old State Capitol here in Springfield, Illinois. He started by quoting our Lord Jesus from the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 12, verse 25: “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” Mr. Lincoln explained, “I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved — I do not expect the house to fall — but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other.”

Similarly, echoing Mr. Lincoln, we should all say, “I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half pro-abortion and half pro-life. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved — I do not expect the house to fall — but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other.”

As people of faith, we come here in peace, prayerful asking the members of the executive, legislative and judicial branches of our Illinois state government to “harden not your hearts,” as we read in Psalm 95:8. May you find compassion for the lives of the most vulnerable among us, the sacred human lives of unborn babies.

  85 Comments      


Better management, please

Tuesday, Mar 28, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* WBEZ

Former longtime Los Angeles police chief Charlie Beck, who headed CPD on an interim basis in 2019 and 2020, said Chicago could get much more out of the cops it already employs.

“Los Angeles has a million more people and probably twice as much square mileage as Chicago and operates with fewer cops and better results,” he said.

Beck said Chicago could use a bigger police department, but what it really needs is a more effective department.

* Los Angeles’ population is 3.93 million and the city covers 469 square miles and experienced 382 murders last year. Chicago’s population is 2.76 million and covers 227.7 square miles of land and experienced 695 murders last year.

From Wikipedia

With 9,974 officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the third-largest municipal police department in the United States, after the New York City Police Department and the Chicago Police Department.

Also Wikipedia

CPD currently has 11,710 sworn officers on duty, and over 1,925 other employees.

* More from WBEZ’s interview of Beck

Q: I want to talk specifically about guns. The main method of seizing illegal firearms in recent years in Chicago has been traffic stops, pulling over cars for minor violations and then some of those vehicles end up getting searched and a lot of guns are brought in that way. 12,000 guns last year, a lot of them through traffic steps. What do you think of that strategy?

Beck: You should not count success by how many guns are taken off the street. You should count success by how many shootings occur in a neighborhood. If your strategy is strictly how many cars can I stop and search, just increase your odds. And you may get more guns that way, but you may alienate the community, to the point that they don’t talk to you, to the point that you don’t solve the crimes that do occur with guns. And you don’t get people off the street for committing those crimes. And in doing that, you’ve got to change your goal, because your real goal is reduce shootings, not to get guns.

Q: We have a mayoral race here in Chicago. Crime is a hot issue. Politicians tend to want to look tough on crime. As a police leader, what do you make of that campaign rhetoric?

Beck: Well, I think it’s natural that crime is a topic of conversation in Chicago. Crime is too high in Chicago. The number of murders are far too high. But I also think it shouldn’t just be the rhetoric of taking handcuffs off the police. It should be the discussion of how to make police more effective. The solution is about these relationships with police and the community they serve. Shootings can be reduced in some ways, but the only permanent way I know is to, first of all increase the belief of capture after a shooting occurs. And second, especially with gang shootings, be able to clear the crime through community …

Q: Clear the crime. You’re talking about solving the crime based on information from the community.

Beck: That’s exactly what I’m talking about. The most effective gang homicide detectives I ever saw knew everybody in the neighborhood. And they would get calls on cases that weren’t even their own. Because, A, the community knew that they weren’t going to be outed by them; Two, that the community had enough contacts with them and knew the detectives’ real interest was solving the case and solving it in the right way. And that made all the difference. And so, to end my story, I don’t want people thinking that the solution for crime is that more aggressive, you know, more arrests, but not understanding how you affect the outcomes.

Please pardon all transcription errors.

I would add that Chicago needs to get much more serious about removing lead pipes in the city.

  23 Comments      


Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)

Tuesday, Mar 28, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Open thread

Tuesday, Mar 28, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* What’s goin’ on in your part of the world?

  12 Comments      


Isabel’s morning briefing

Tuesday, Mar 28, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Here you go!

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*** ComEd 4 trial live coverage ***

Tuesday, Mar 28, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Here you go…

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Live coverage

Tuesday, Mar 28, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Follow along with ScribbleLive


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WGN poll: Vallas still stuck at 46, but Johnson still trailing

Monday, Mar 27, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* I’d much rather be Vallas than Johnson at this point, but the frontrunner can’t seem to get over the hump despite outspending Johnson 2-1, unless people are lying to the pollsters…


…Adding… Important point from Emerson

When undecided voters are asked which candidate they lean toward, and the vote is accounted for, Vallas’ lead over Johnson increases to six points, 53% to 47%.

Oof. There it is.

* More…


* As we all saw last year, crime has been the top issue in Chicago for quite a while now…


* Interesting

Six in 10 voters (61%) feel there is more crime in Chicago today than there was a year ago, while just 8% feel there is less crime.

When asked who they trust more to handle the issue, a majority (54%) chose Vallas. 38% of likely voters say they trust Johnson to handle crime, while just 9% trust both equally.

Both men have made their backgrounds in education a major selling point on the campaign trail. When asked who they trust more to handle education in Chicago, 48% of those polled picked Paul Vallas, 41% trust Brandon Johnson, and 11% trust both equally.

Regarding city finances, 50% trust Vallas’ vision, 37% trust Johnson.

If crime is the number one issue, and voters trust Vallas 54-38 over Johnson on that issue, then that is horrible news for Johnson’s campaign.

* Johnson has to do a lot better than this with Black voters or he’s doomed…


* Vallas’ favorable rating is 56 and his unfavorables are 36. Johnson’s fave/unfave is 53-40. So, Vallas has the edge there as well.

* More from Emerson

“Of those who feel there is more crime in Chicago than there was a year ago, 59% are voting for Vallas and 27% Johnson,” Kimball noted. “Of those who think there is the same amount of crime, 60% plan to support Johnson and 27% Vallas.”

* Crosstabs are here.

* The Hill

The data, however, reveals a stark demographic divide in the mayoral runoff; 58 percent of young voters — those between 18 and 24 years old — favor Johnson, while Vallas performs better among voters 50 and over, drawing 52 percent support.

And men are also leaning toward Vallas, with 52 percent saying they plan to vote for him over Johnson. Women, meanwhile, are more evenly split; forty-three percent say they’re backing Johnson, while 41 percent are supporting Vallas.

Seems obvious that Johnson has to solidify his support among Black voters and lock down more votes from women in order to win this thing.

  45 Comments      


Afternoon roundup

Monday, Mar 27, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* What the heck is going on with higher ed? Three?…


* Illinois Freedom Caucus…

The Illinois Freedom Caucus held a press conference today at a location across from of a proposed site of a new abortion clinic in Danville and called out the far left’s pro-abortion advocacy.

“The people of Danville don’t want an abortion clinic in their community,” said State Representative Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich). “My office has received numerous phone calls from people upset by what is happening in their own backyard. There seems to be an effort to bring abortion clinics to parts of Illinois that are overwhelmingly pro-life just to make a point. The far-left has moved far beyond merely making abortion legal. They have become abortion advocates.”

State Rep. Brad Halbrook said what is needed in downstate Illinois is a solution to the doctor shortage in rural areas.

“What we need in downstate Illinois is more doctors – not abortion providers,” Halbrook said. “We have a physician shortage issue in rural Illinois and the far-left’s solution is akin to a mechanic changing the tires to fix a fuel pump. The physician shortage is real. People often have to drive long distances just to get routine tests and basic medical services. We should be addressing the physician shortages instead of opening more abortion clinics.”

The intent of the clinics being built in rural counties is not to address the health concerns of Illinois residents but to capture the growing number of out of state abortions being performed in Illinois. Nearly one-third of all abortions in 2022 involved women not from Illinois. Prior to the Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, only about 6 percent of abortions at Illinois clinics involved women from out of state. Women from 31 different states had abortions in Illinois last year.

“The proliferation of abortion clinics in Illinois is not about improving healthcare for Illinois citizens – it is about trying to bring more women from other states to Illinois to have abortions,” said State Rep. Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City). “The explosion of abortion clinics in Illinois is about making money. Abortion is the most protected industry in Illinois. The State of Illinois is actively working to shut down power plants which is increasing energy costs and leaving working people without a job. Working people don’t get these protections. Abortion providers in Illinois get proclamations from the Governor recognizing them. They get immunity from lawsuits. These clinics don’t have to live up to the same standards as regular ambulatory surgical centers. If you are in the abortion business, Illinois will roll out the red carpet. Illinois is a disgrace and a national embarrassment.”

State Rep. Chris Miller (R-Oakland) said the celebration of abortion in Illinois such as Gov. JB Pritzker’s absurd Abortion Provider Appreciation Day proclamation is grotesque political pandering.

“No longer is it enough to merely keep abortion providers open for business in Illinois, but apparently all must bend the knee in humble submission to the sacred sacrament of abortion,” Miller said. “JB Pritzker’s proclamation trivializes the very serious challenges for women facing an unwanted pregnancy. Where is the compassion for these women who believe the only choice they have is to sentence their unborn child to death? If pro-abortion advocates were really ‘pro-choice,’ they would recognize the seriousness of the choice rather than minimizing it. The cartoonish efforts to use abortion and women as props for Pritzker’s laughable presidential aspirations is insulting and disrespectful to women facing the emotional stress of unwanted pregnancies.”

The Illinois Freedom Caucus is comprised of State Representatives Chris Miller (R-Oakland), chairman; Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City), vice-chairman; Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich); Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville); Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur); Jed Davis (R-Newark) and David Friess (R-Red Bud). The members of the Illinois Freedom Caucus are members of the Illinois General Assembly who are advocating for limited government, lower taxes and accountability and integrity in government.

* Johnson press release…

Chicago-based, multi-Grammy-award winning band Wilco endorsed Brandon Johnson for mayor.

In a video recorded ahead of their show at the Riviera Theatre, Wilco’s lead vocalist and Chicago native Jeff Tweedy said “we just want to let you know, this is the guy we’re voting for: Brandon Johnson. Be sure to do it before April 4th, do it right now.”

“Wilco started out via Chicago, and has ended up touring across the world, becoming a testament that if you can do it in Chicago, you can do it anywhere,” said Brandon Johnson. “This endorsement is a real shot in the arm for our movement.”

Johnson’s campaign has continued to build momentum in recent weeks, earning new endorsements from several members of Congress, unions, progressive organizations, and community leaders across Chicago since entering the run-off.

* Sen. Ventura…

State Senator Rachel Ventura partnered with DePaul University to create a new legislative internship uniquely catered to incarcerated individuals at the Stateville Correctional Center.

The new program will allow either a Senator or Representative to interview a select few individuals at the Stateville prison to be a legislative intern for a semester. At the end of the program, the legislator will provide them with a grade and they would receive college credits for their participation. Ventura spearheaded this new program and has interviewed three potential candidates.

“As I interviewed the candidates and heard their stories and aspirations, I knew this program would be beneficial for not only the student but also the communities they will return to,” said Ventura (D-Joliet). “Giving a voice to the voiceless ensures we have balanced and fair legislation that has a positive impact for all.”

Stateville has a number of other programs within its facility including education, job training and restorative justice programs - however this program would be the first of its kind.

“As a society we are coming to better understand the difficulties that formerly incarcerated people often experience when reentering society,” said Dr. Susan Burgess, the Internship Coordinator for the Department of Political Science at DePaul University. “The opportunities that Senator Ventura is providing by opening up internship placements in partnership with DePaul University’s Department of Political Science will give men from Stateville much needed experience and the beginnings of a professional network as they prepare to reenter.”

Ventura has helped spearhead this program alongside DePaul University and other Illinois legislators.

“Many of the men incarcerated at Stateville have spent years improving themselves, pursuing higher education, and cultivating expertise in law and public policy,” said Representative Will Guzzardi. “Their lived experience with our criminal legal system and their extensive knowledge of policy-making will provide invaluable contributions to our office.”

Ventura will pick her candidate of choice in the upcoming week and the new internship will begin thereafter. The student will be researching legislation and providing a unique perspective.

“Stateville Correctional Center is proud to partner with State Senator Ventura and DePaul University on this new offering. The Department and Stateville will continue to provide all available resources to ensure individuals in our custody have educational opportunities at every level. This program will uplift the voices of each participant and enhance their sense of hope, self-worth, and confidence in preparation for community reentry,” said Warden Charles Truitt.

Within this program, they will submit weekly summaries to DePaul and suggested legislation changes to the Senator or Representative. Stateville houses a full law library for their usage as the individual will not have access to constituent records nor the internet.

* Today is March 27th, so some of these numbers are 18 days old. That’s way out of date. SJ-R

A Cor Strategies poll on the Springfield mayor’s race puts challenger Misty Buscher up by two percentage points over incumbent Mayor Jim Langfelder with a week to go before the April 4 consolidated election.

The poll was based on a survey of 510 registered voters in Springfield conducted from March 9-12.

The poll gives Buscher, the current city treasurer, 39% and Langfelder 37% with 25% undecided.

A Chicago mayoral poll was shopped around over the weekend, but it was also hopelessly out of date.

* Have a look at the thread and tell us what you think


…Adding… Press release…

Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton today announced she will join the Reproductive Freedom Coalition (RFC), a group of Lieutenant Governors and Second-In-Commands from 22 states and territories. They are united in their dedication to protect and broaden paths to reproductive rights and ensure equitable access to health care for all.

“This coalition is needed now more than ever, and I’m proud to be a part of it,” said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. “There is a destructive movement in full swing in this country, hammering away at the rights that give people independence and a sense of wellbeing.”

Right now, more than a dozen states have banned or severely restricted abortions. And there is legal action that seeks to block or limit abortion medication that has been used safely for years. Members of the Reproductive Freedom Coalition will stand on the frontlines, fighting against legislation and policies that harm while advocating for laws that protect reproductive rights.

“I expect my daughters to have more rights than I had, not fewer,” said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. “We cannot go back. Future generations will be shaped by what we do today. Our states can and must lead the way, that’s why in Illinois we fight back.”

* Isabel’s roundup…

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Fundraiser list

Monday, Mar 27, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Your feel-good story for today

Monday, Mar 27, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* We have a national champion in our midst

When it opened the NJCAA Division I Tournament Tuesday as the No. 1 seed, [John A. Logan Community College] was 0-4 all-time in the tournament.

When its bench stampeded the floor after time expired Saturday, the Volunteers had the period to end all sentences.

A come-from-behind 73-70 win over No. 7 Northwest Florida State in Hutchinson Sports Arena gave Logan its first national title and a season-ending 31-game winning streak. And it made a prophet out of leading scorer Curt Lewis.

“Defense and free throws,” he said. “That’s what we said it would come down to.”

That’s basically what allowed the Vols (33-2) to overcome a cold shooting day – they were 26 of 78 from the floor, 4 of 20 on 3-pointers – and cut down the nets. Logan also took 19 more shots than the Raiders (29-8), a critical advantage in a one-possession game.

More

The Vols conclude their season with a 33-2 overall record, winning an astounding 31 games in a row to the end the season.

More

“I think this is a big deal to both the college and to Southern Illinois,” [Scott Wernsman, Asssociate Dean of Career and Technical Education at Logan] said. “A lot of people don’t realize the quality of basketball that comes through our gymnasium and the Great Rivers Athletic Conference.” […]

Vols head coach Tyler Smithpeters said he is thankful for the support shown by the school and SI community. […]

“I don’t really know how to put it into words when it comes to winning a national championship in my first year as a head coach. I don’t do much. It’s more our players. I stand on the sideline. I’m just happy for them.”

  11 Comments      


Question of the day

Monday, Mar 27, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Bill Flick

Question: A difference in the times? When Illinois State Normal University admitted its first two Black children to its lab school in 1877, how did the Illinois governor react?

Answer: Aghast, saying the state’s universities could not condone such integration, Gov. Shelby M. Cullom wanted to close the university. Fortunately, leveler heads prevailed.

* The Question: What is your own “favorite” bit of ignominious Illinois history?

  58 Comments      


Comed 4 trial coverage roundup

Monday, Mar 27, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Click here to follow along with today’s trial developments…

    * Joe Cahill | The verdict is in — ComEd wins: Trial testimony revealed that a 2016 law passed by dint of a massive ComEd bribery scheme was worth $1.8 billion to the Chicago-based electric utility. Add $2.3 billion in nuclear power plant subsidies for Exelon, and ComEd’s illegal conduct produced a $4.1 billion corporate windfall. ComEd and Exelon got to keep it all under a “deferred prosecution agreement” with federal prosecutors, in which ComEd admitted to various acts of bribery aimed at influencing then-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, who had the power to block or ensure passage of virtually any legislation during his nearly four-decade reign as Springfield’s most powerful figure.

    * Tribune | ‘ComEd Four’ trial offering a fascinating and unprecedented look into the inner workings of Michael Madigan’s political power: Cousineau’s testimony describing Madigan’s backroom muscle illustrated the deft political jujitsu that a politician can perform outside of the public view to whip up votes from other lawmakers in order to pass a bill that he actually did not vote upon himself. The move to refrain from voting, which Madigan sometimes employed on various legislation, created the illusion that he’d recused himself or steered clear of the issue when he in fact sent his troops out to round up votes.

    * Hannah Meisel | Former Madigan political director details push by speaker’s office for key ComEd bill: The email concerned third-term state Rep. Michelle Mussman, of suburban Schaumburg, whose district was considered “swingy,” as Cousineau testified, making her vulnerable to a Republican opponent. Mussman, along with other mostly suburban and downstate members of the House Democratic Caucus, was often referred to as being “on the target list,” meaning Madigan’s staffers kept a close watch on their legislative positions in order to protect them from votes the speaker and his team considered politically risky.

    * Tribune | ‘ComEd Four’ bribery trial: What you need to know: The Tribune has chronicled the events that led up to the trial and the backgrounds of the key defendants and witnesses expected to testify. Follow our writers — Ray Long and Jason Meisner — for the latest news.

    * WBEZ | Here’s what the ComEd bribery trial this week revealed about Illinois politics: Four former ComEd executives and lobbyists are on trial for allegedly bribing House Speaker Michael Madigan to advance legislation that steered hundreds of millions more profit to the power company.

    * State Week | Corruption or lobbying? Jurors will decide in ComEd bribery trial: Madigan’s trial is set for next year, but he’s playing a prominent role the federal courtroom proceedings now underway. Host Sean Crawford is joined by Professor Emeritus Charlie Wheeler and Capitol News Illinois reporter Hannah Meisel, who is covering the case.

    * Daily Energy Insider | ComEd finishes five year-long project to install more than 131,000 LED smart streetlights: After five years of work, ComEd announced last week that all 131,600 streetlights it owns in northern Illinois have been installed and upgraded to smart LED light fixtures, providing brighter and more reliable light and major energy savings.

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That toddlin’ town roundup

Monday, Mar 27, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Here you go…

  31 Comments      


Would the real Paul Vallas please stand up?

Monday, Mar 27, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Sunday…


* Last week…


The Cook County Democratic Women’s Organization also endorsed Vallas’ mayoral bid in 2019, so he’s obviously familiar with the group.

* Sherman, please set the Wayback Machine to 2013

Rikki Jones, president of a group called the Cook County Democratic Women, is disseminating “an open letter to Lisa Madigan” calling it “very disrespectful to say the least” to equate marriage equality with civil rights.

“As a Christian who believes in the Bible, I feel what you are doing is taking my rights as a Christian and sacrificing them for the gay and lesbian community. How could you?” the letter said. It continues with references to Biblical condemnations of homosexuality.

The letter goes on to say allowing marriage equality violates the Constitution because “you have no business insinuating yourself in the church’s business.

“You have gotten out of your lane and got in God’s lane! Have you lost your mind? Yours arms are too short to box with God!”

* From Equality Illinois CEO Brian C. Johnson…

Paul Vallas has shown a consistent pattern of building a coalition with some of the most strident anti-LGBTQ+ voices in his effort to become mayor of Chicago. When he thinks it will serve his political aims, he is fine associating with people who deny us our dignity. This leaves us wondering: if Paul Vallas were elected mayor, would he appoint officials to the Department of Public Health who have a track record of opposing gender-affirming care? Would he appoint people to the Board of Education with a track record of supporting “don’t say gay and trans” efforts? Would he appoint a police superintendent with a track record of anti-LGBTQ+ views? Paul Vallas is wrong for LGBTQ+ people and wrong for Chicago.

  50 Comments      


Today’s quotable

Monday, Mar 27, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Daily Herald editorial

Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayes bristled a bit on Monday when a speaker during the village board’s commenting period suggested he and other officials would benefit personally if the Bears end up anchoring a $5 billion redevelopment at the former Arlington Park property.

Hayes called the comments “offensive,” and he’s right. And the exchange highlights an unfortunate tendency in all our politics — a rush to find some sinister personal motive behind every action elected leaders take that contradicts one’s own point of view.

It’s a notion worth reflection as we head into the final stretch of the campaign for local municipal and school offices in the suburbs.

To be sure, history, local and otherwise, teaches us to recognize the temptations that abound in overseeing vast sums of taxpayer and development dollars, and to watch carefully to ensure that officials, whether the cause is fundamental greed or the lure of the moment, don’t succumb.

But there is an important difference between cautious oversight and assumed corruption. When we step over the line from the former to the latter, we degrade our public discussions and weaken our public institutions.

It’s a pretty good editorial, so go read the rest.

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It’s just a bill

Monday, Mar 27, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Ana Soskic, founder of Protect Our Pets Illinois

Puppy mills are places of shocking neglect and inhumanity where dogs are horribly mistreated, run by unethical breeders who seek to churn out the maximum number of puppies possible. That’s why, in 2021, the Illinois legislature passed a bill ostensibly designed to protect animals from the cruelty of puppy mills. […]

First, the bill set up a false choice: shelter dogs or purebred dogs. While we can acknowledge that shelters play a vitally important role in matching animals with loving families, that shouldn’t mean someone who loves Golden Retrievers or Yorkies or Australian Shepherds shouldn’t be able to get one from an ethical source. But the authors of the 2021 bill required that pets be obtained only from shelters, never from breeders or small businesses that help breeders place puppies in good homes.

Yet puppies must come from somewhere, especially during the great American dog shortage — and that’s why the bill did not actually shut down puppy mills but merely diverted some of their traffic to shelters. The phenomenon, known as “retail rescue,” refers to the cycle of shelters paying puppy mills to “rescue” their dogs, then adopting out the dogs for a fee — thereby pumping more cash into the mill industry shelters claim to oppose. It’s a symbiotic relationship that keeps puppy mills thriving. […]

That’s why Illinois law desperately needs a tuneup. The proposed HB2793 would choke off demand for mill dogs at the source by prohibiting all entities — small businesses and shelters — from obtaining puppies from a mill. It would establish strict breeder standards of care that require humane, loving treatment in the form of regular veterinary attention and oversight, socialization and exercise, as well as rigid requirements for the way animals are housed and the amount of space they must have. These are the kind of standards that responsible breeders already have in place and will ensure unethical breeders can’t stay in business — which should be the goal we all share.

* NBC Chicago

A bill passed in the Illinois House that would allow businesses, universities and other building owners to have multiple-stall gender neutral restrooms has sparked debate. […]

“I am all for inclusivity and diversity but not at the expense and decency and not at the expense of risking the safety of older women or any women and even young children in their development,” said Steve Boulton, chairman of the Chicago GOP party. […]

[Brian C. Johnson, CEO for Equality Illinois,] disagrees with Boulton and believes this bill will be a benefit, citing the reasons why.

“[It will help] parents of children of opposite genders, seniors who have caregivers of opposite genders, LGBTQ+ people and businesses who want to cut back on regulations and red tape,” he said.

Johnson added that this bill is not mandatory, but optional.

* Rep. Maurice West…

Today, the Illinois House of Representatives passed HB 2471 by a vote of 77 to 26 to create the “Healthy School Meals for All” program. Sponsored by State Rep. Maurice West (D-Rockford), the legislation, which received bipartisan support, provides a free breakfast and lunch to all students who need and want one.

“This legislation will help ensure every student has access to healthy food at school, an especially important support for the hundreds of thousands of Illinois children who are experiencing food insecurity,” said State Representative Maurice West. “Giving all children access to free, healthy school meals will improve their health, growth, development, mental health, and academic performance. This bill will also help remove the stigma for children who need breakfast or lunch at school while reducing the burden on families and providing a steady budget for school food service programs. I applaud the amazing advocates who helped get this bill over the finish line in the House, and I look forward to its passage in the Senate.”

Federal school meal waivers provided K-12 students with free school meals during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the waiver expired in June 2022, putting thousands of Illinois children at risk. The bill now goes to the State Senate for consideration.

* Center Square

Lawmakers have advanced a bill that would stop schools in Illinois from involving the police in issuing tickets to students for minor violations. […]

State Rep. Katie Stewart, D-Edwardsville, said she is worried the bill will limit the authority of school officials.

“I just worry that this is going to hamstring principals with real discipline problems in their schools,” Stuart said.

Ford said the measure does not prevent schools from calling the police on students who commit serious crimes.

* Sen. Laura Fine’s SB49

State Senator Laura Fine’s legislation, which would make official transcripts more accessible to students, passed the Senate on Friday.

“Students need their transcripts for a myriad of reasons after they graduate, including seeking employment to pay off their student debts. Without access to their transcript, they can lose out on many opportunities and take even longer to repay any debts they owe the university,” said Fine (D-Glenview). “This initiative would give students the opportunity to pursue more post-grad opportunities and address their student debts quicker.”

Senator Fine, a former college instructor, is a longtime advocate of supporting university students working to pay off their student debt. Last year, she passed legislation prohibiting universities from withholding transcripts from students with a past-due debt if the transcript is needed for a job application. This ensured students would be able to use their hard-earned transcripts to find a well-paying job, from which they could repay their debts to the university and pursue a career best suited to the skill set they developed in college.

Senate Bill 49 would expand on this legislation by requiring institutions to provide official transcripts to current or former students if the student requires the transcript to transfer to a different institution, to apply for financial aid, to join the U.S. Armed Forces or to pursue other post-secondary opportunities. The measure also would require higher education institutions to outline the process a current or former student must go through to obtain a transcript or diploma that has been withheld due to debt to the university — making sure students have a clear path to receive their transcripts if they are being withheld.

* Patch

Single-use foam containers and other items used by restaurants would be banned in Illinois starting in 2024 if a bill that passed the House of Representatives on Thursday gets through the Senate and is signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

House Bill 2376 prohibits the sale or use of disposable food containers and other foodware that is made wholly or in part of polystyrene foam. The bill, which was sponsored by Glenview State Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz (D), passed the House 67-43 on Thursday and now awaits action by the Senate, where a similar bill was introduced. […]

In a statement issued after Thursday’s vote, Jen Walling — the executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council — called the vote a “huge step forward” toward recognizing “we cannot recycle our way out of a plastic pollution crisis.”

* Sen. Sara Feigenholtz

A measure sponsored by State Senator Sara Feigenholtz assures that Medicaid covers any newborn relinquished under the Act. It also extends the time of notice that the police or fire department can inform a parent to share information of the hospital the child was transported to.
“Senate Bill 1999 not only ensures that abandoned infants can receive Medicaid immediately once they arrive at the hospital, but also creates a path for biological parents to reconsider their options,” said Feigenholtz (D-Chicago).

Changing the time period from 72 hours to 30 days will provide a biological parent additional time to consider other options, such as putting in place a traditional adoption plan with a child welfare agency or deciding to parent the child if possible.

* Illinois Family Institute…

Last month we alerted you to tyrannical bills designed to shut down the operations of “limited services pregnancy centers.” State Senator Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago) is looking to advance her bill SB 1909, which is titled the “Deceptive Practices of Limited Services Pregnancy Centers Act.” This overbearing proposal will probably be called in the Illinois Senate Executive Committee hearing scheduled for 3 p.m. on Wednesday, March 29.

Make no mistake, this bill takes direct aim at shutting down all pregnancy centers. No other way to say it. SB 1909 allows the Illinois Attorney General (AG) to investigate all centers it believes are providing any wrong information or omitting any correct information in any form (advertising, speaking to a client, offering services, denying services, answering questions, etc.).

nd guess who gets to define what qualifies as “wrong information”? That is correct, the far-left Illinois Attorney General.

The Illinois Attorney General has free reign to investigate any center it believes may be doing something “wrong,” or even about to do something “wrong,” based on any information that comes their way. If it is determined there is a violation of this Act, Pregnancy Care Centers can be fined up to $50,000 per incident and clients may take centers to court for other civil penalties with the AG’s blessing and detailed documentation against the centers.

We are living in scary times, my friends

* WAND

The Illinois Department of Human Services could be tasked with tracking stolen SNAP benefits and card skimming that leaves low-income people without benefits.

Rep. Sonya Harper (D-Chicago) told her House colleagues Friday that her bill would also require state funds to be used to replace SNAP funding stolen during the period of Jan. 1, 2022 through Sept. 30, 2022. The plan also calls for the department to replace cash assistance stolen from Link cards through skimming, closing, or other fraudulent activity from Jan. 1, 2022 through Sept. 30, 2024. […]

IDHS would be responsible for tracking and collecting data on the scope and frequency of SNAP fraud and where benefits are stolen. The agency will be required to report annual findings to the General Assembly starting on Jan. 1, 2024. […]

“My concern is if in fact we were able to secure $2 million from the federal government as they have allocated to other states, that would still leave Illinois on the hook for anywhere between $22 million and $46 million,” said Deputy Republican Leader Norine Hammond (R-Macomb).

  9 Comments      


Could the Highland Park massacre have been prevented?

Monday, Mar 27, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* My weekly syndicated newspaper column

Could the 2022 massacre during Highland Park’s July Fourth parade have been prevented with a small change to state law?

It’s never been publicly reported before, but several local sources confirmed this week that Highland Park Police Chief Louis Jogmen wanted to send a city-owned drone above the parade last year. That camera-equipped drone could’ve spotted Robert Eugene Crimo III on a building rooftop overlooking the parade before he allegedly fired 83 shots that killed seven people and wounded 48 more. But the chief couldn’t launch that drone because of state law.

Jogmen’s police department has for years wanted to launch the camera drone, which the city uses for search-and-rescue and other emergencies, to fly over major public events. But state law prohibits law enforcement agencies from using the drones for things like event surveillance.

In other words, state law allows police to use drones in the aftermath of horrific and deadly mass shootings, but not to safeguard the public before they happen.

“The Illinois Freedom from Drone Surveillance Act was passed in 2014 in an effort to balance evolving technology with important privacy concerns,” explained state Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Deerfield, who was at Highland Park’s Independence Day parade last year. “Nearly 10 years later, it has been unchanged and undeniably stands in the way of law enforcement doing their jobs to keep our communities safe. We need to revisit and amend this law to prevent future mass shootings like what we endured on July Fourth in Highland Park.”

Highland Park and other municipalities are allowed to deploy helicopters with high-tech video and tracking capabilities to surveil events, but not drones. Helicopters are expensive to purchase, operate and maintain and are very noisy (just ask anyone who lives in or near a high-crime area in Chicago how loud they can be). Drones are relatively inexpensive, not difficult to fly and operate almost silently.

The quiet operation of the small drones is part of what worries the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois. People “could be observed in a host of different places — like the upper floor of a large condo building or one’s backyard — without knowing that any surveillance was taking place,” explained ACLU of Illinois spokesperson Ed Yohnka. “The same is not true for a helicopter and requires law enforcement to, essentially, announce their presence. This announcement could well deter criminal activity.”

Yohnka is right that the loud noise made by helicopters might deter criminal activity (it’s also a very real and obnoxious intrusion on the lives of South and West Side residents at all hours of the day and night). But, again, helicopters are expensive and difficult to fly and maintain. A town of 30,000 people isn’t going to, and likely can’t afford to shell out that kind of money. Even a place as wealthy as Highland Park.

Highland Park City Manager Ghida Neukirch pointed to a bill introduced last year that would’ve allowed police to use the drones for proactive law enforcement. “Had we had the opportunity to use it last July Fourth, it would have provided our employees with an aerial view of the entire parade grounds and rooftops and the entire area,” she said of the drone.

State Sen. Julie Morrison, D-Lake Forest, went further, suggesting that Highland Park’s drone could have prevented the mass killing.

Morrison was just a block away from the site of last year’s parade shooting and she’s involved with the negotiations.

“We’ve been working with law enforcement to tailor a bill that will serve public safety concerns,” Morrison told me last week, adding that she and others have been “meeting on a daily basis” to find a fix for the state’s drone laws.

Chicago has its own drone rules, and is reportedly skittish about any state law changes that could alter them.

“It’s an important issue to me,” Morrison said. She said giving the police the ability to use drones in a more proactive sense, “could have prevented the shooting in Highland Park.”

The General Assembly passed sweeping legislation to ban assault weapons after the Highland Park shooting. But, so far, those are just words on paper as court challenges to the law work their way through the system.

People should have the right to attend public events without nervously scanning unprotected rooftops, or worse. Nobody is talking about giving the police unregulated and unfettered access to drones. Nobody is talking about blocking Chicago’s drone program. It is time to come to an agreement.

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