Afternoon roundup
Thursday, Feb 16, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Gov. Pritzker is on the road…
The Early Learning Center serves more than 700 preschoolers in Springfield each day, in morning and afternoon classes. Yet, like many preschools in the state, the ELC has to turn down parents of 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds because of a lack of staffing and space.
Springfield Public School District 186 Superintendent Jennifer Gill said the center plus two satellite sites are all that currently exist to serve the local need. As a result, anywhere from 100 to 150 families can find their way on a wait list she said. […]
Smart Start is a multi-tiered, $250 million program that would also address staffing issues experienced in early intervention programs and childcare facilities by providing workers a raise. It would also send $5 million to the Department of Human Services to expand its home visiting program.
Gill, Springfield Mayor Jim Langfelder, and local Democratic legislators state Sen. Doris Turner of Springfield and state Rep. Sue Scherer of Decatur, joined the governor at the ELC library, his first stop on a state tour Thursday promoting the budget proposal that will need General Assembly approval.
* Mystery solved by Illinoisans? Aviation Week…
A small, globe-trotting balloon declared “missing in action” by an Illinois-based hobbyist club on Feb. 15 has emerged as a candidate to explain one of the three mystery objects shot down by four heat-seeking missiles launched by U.S. Air Force fighters since Feb. 10.
The club—the Northern Illinois Bottlecap Balloon Brigade (NIBBB)—is not pointing fingers yet.
But the circumstantial evidence is at least intriguing. The club’s silver-coated, party-style, “pico balloon” reported its last position on Feb. 10 at 38,910 ft. off the west coast of Alaska, and a popular forecasting tool—the HYSPLIT model provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)—projected the cylindrically shaped object would be floating high over the central part of the Yukon Territory on Feb. 11. That is the same day a Lockheed Martin F-22 shot down an unidentified object of a similar description and altitude in the same general area. […]
The descriptions of all three unidentified objects shot down Feb. 10-12 match the shapes, altitudes and payloads of the small pico balloons, which can usually be purchased for $12-180 each, depending on the type.
* Interesting story in Crain’s…
Schaumburg thought it scored an economic development win several years ago, when it inked tax break deals with Zurich North America and Motorola Solutions to keep two of the village’s biggest employers — and thousands of high-paying jobs — in the suburb and provide an anchor for an ambitious office, residential and retail development.
Then came the pandemic, severing the link between job and office. Suddenly, the economic ripple effects that local officials imagined when tax breaks were first dangled — a steady stream of office workers stepping out for lunch in the village each day, dropping off their dry cleaning, filling up at local gas stations or stopping by a nearby grocery store on their way home from work — shrank precipitously as workers stayed home, perhaps for good.
Now Schaumburg wants to rework the deals and stop paying millions to the companies for jobs being done remotely rather than in an office park. […]
In reaching the incentive deals, the village estimated that each employee would spend $222 to $361 a week in the suburb, generating nearly $300 a year in annual sales taxes locally, according to court documents.
The village is now in court for refusing to reimburse the companies.
And to give you an idea about the local spending involved with this job location shift, here’s another Crain’s piece…
Compared to 2019, the average Chicago office worker is spending $2,387 less on meals, shopping and entertainment near their workplace, the researchers found. That dropoff is smaller than many other U.S. cities, including New York City ($4,661), Los Angeles ($4,200), Washington, D.C. ($4,051), and Atlanta ($3,938), among others.
Chicago workers are spending 26.8% fewer days in the office now than in 2019, according to the study. That ranks ninth among the studied cities, with Washington, D.C., seeing the highest in-office decline, at 37%.
The survey is here.
* It’s a terminal disease and I suffer from it as well…
* RIP…
Tim McCarver, the square-jawed catcher who anchored the St. Louis Cardinals famed “El Birdos” through three pennants and two World Series championships in the 1960s, then went onto a lengthy career as a broadcaster, died Thursday morning. The National Baseball Hall of Fame made the announcement with Major League Baseball later confirming that heart failure was the cause of death. McCarver was 81 years old. “Tim McCarver was an All-Star, a World Series Champion, a respected teammate, and one of the most influential voices our game has known,” Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “As a player, Tim was a key part of great Cardinals and Phillies teams in his 21-year career. In the booth, his analysis and attention to detail brought fans closer to our game and how it is played and managed. Tim’s approach enhanced the fan experience on our biggest stages and on the broadcasts of the Mets, the Yankees and the Cardinals.
* Isabel’s roundup…
* Center Square | How Illinois Students Perform on the ACT Compared to the Nation: While ACT scores have declined nationwide in recent years, there is considerable variation in average ACT scores from state to state. In Illinois, the average composite ACT score in 2022 was 24.5 out of a possible 36, the 13th highest among states.
* Inside Climate | Navigator’s Proposed Carbon Pipeline Struggles to Gain Support in Illinois: McDonough County residents are asking officials to stand their ground as Navigator offers payments totaling up to $18.9 million to the county in exchange for its support.
* The Real Deal | Illinois Realtors spends big in Chicago aldermen races: An Illinois real estate trade group has given more than $500,000 to the campaigns of multiple Chicago aldermanic candidates, bolstering their campaigns for this month’s upcoming elections.
* Crain’s | Bally’s Tribune drama is yet another perplexing plot twist in Lightfoot’s casino quest: Much as the Lightfoot administration would prefer that we all move on and celebrate her great victory before electing her to a new term, the questions keep coming about why she was in such a rush to select Bally’s to run the city’s prized casino. The questions, many of them about apparent favoritism, have circulated for the last year. Now, in recent days, comes another set of questions surrounding when Bally’s will be able to move the current tenant out of its River West site — the Tribune printing plant — and how much it might have to put on the table to induce such a relocation.
* Tribune | 4 years after Aurora, mass shooting deaths in Chicago area continue to climb: In total, there have been 214 mass shootings in the Chicago area since that day, resulting in 143 deaths and 973 injuries, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as four or more people, not including the gunman, shot in a single event.
* Sun-Times | ‘A great injustice’: Property tax hikes lead to protests, workshops to help homeowners lower bills: A protest Thursday Downtown and workshop Saturday in Little Village are the latest in a series of actions to help homeowners save money and change the process that led to the increases.
* Tribune | What will happen to Soldier Field without the Chicago Bears?: If the team leaves Soldier Field, Irizarry said she hopes the stadium can host many more concerts each year, easing the increasingly controversial burden on neighborhood parks for big musical events such as Riot Fest in Douglass Park and the recently announced Re:SET festival in Riis Park.
* Block Club | As Re:SET Concert Series Promotes Summer Shows In Riis Park, City Officials Tell Angry Residents They Never Approved It: The Park District has been criticized for allowing music festivals to take over public parks for weeks at a time without community input. Officials said the Re:SET concerts are being promoted without their approval.
* Tribune | Waukegan’s temporary casino opens Friday: ‘This will bring a new vitality to the city’: Babinski said there are 350 employees, with a goal of reaching 500 in the near future. Hiring is ongoing. Those without experience will be trained to be dealers, or handle other tasks. Pay is competitive at nearby places of employment like Amazon, Medline and Visual Pak, casino officials said.
* WBEZ | Chicago’s mayoral candidates want to fix the unreliable, unsafe and downright filthy CTA: The CTA has gotten the most diss this mayoral election season. But making biking and walking in the city safer tops many Chicagoans to-do lists too.
* Sun-Times | Big issues in Gardiner’s reelection bid in 45th Ward are crime, development — and Gardiner himself: Ald. Jim Gardiner faces five contenders in the Northwest Side ward — and a string of scandals. While the first term incumbent has name recognition, it’s not necessarily the kind of recognition a candidate wants among potential voters.
* Crain’s | Is Lightfoot’s signature housing policy working? Depends on who you ask.: City approvals for marquee apartment projects have been smaller and less frequent since the City Council passed Lightfoot’s 2021 revamp of the city’s Affordable Requirements Ordinance, an Illinois Answers Project analysis shows. Some builders point to the trend as vindication for their opposition to the ordinance, which cranked up requirements for developers to include some affordable units in any large project they propose in wealthy or gentrifying neighborhoods. They say the rules were so harsh that they choked off development, ultimately leading to less new housing — including fewer new affordable units.
* WTTW | Mayoral Race Gets Pointed as Election Day Nears: In this week’s edition of Spotlight Politics: The Chicago municipal election is less than two weeks away. As early voting opened citywide, things got pointed at the final mayoral candidate debate. And Gov. J.B. Pritzker gave his combined budget and state of the state address Wednesday. Our politics team of Amanda Vinicky, Paris Schutz and Heather Cherone takes on those stories and more.
* Sun-Times | Ald. Sophia King says Chicago needs a mayor who can represent the ‘entire city — not just segregated parts’ of it: “There is a lot of dissension between the administration and the police and our teachers. With all of my colleagues leaving — 16 of us — we’re at a pivotal point. We really need some stability in this city,” mayoral challenger Sophia King told the City Club of Chicago.
* Axios | Texas abortion ban architect turns to libraries: Jonathan Mitchell, the Austin attorney widely credited with devising the legal strategy for a Texas law that bans abortion after six weeks and also empowers private citizens to bring lawsuits against those who violate it, is now applying the same novel legal mechanisms to book bans.
* NYT | A New Goal for Abortion Bills: Punish or Protect Doctors: Most of the bills are in the early stages, and many are not likely to survive politically divided state governments to make it into law. But if there is one thing that is evident, the legislative flurry shows that both sides of the debate agree on at least one point: Doctors are the critical link — and that has made them the most vulnerable to punishment. At least three dozen bills are aimed at doctors and other medical personnel as a way to regulate abortion.
* WGN | At 103, Sister Jean publishes memoir of faith and basketball: “I guess there aren’t too many 103-year-old nuns using iPads these days – there aren’t too many 103-year-olds, period,” she writes in her memoir that will be published Feb. 28. “But I’m pretty comfortable with modern technology. I’ve always said, ‘If you’re not moving forward, you’re going to get left behind real quick.’ Adaptability is my superpower.”
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* I went through our post from yesterday and pulled out the extra asks for you to see here…
* Economic Security for Illinois: “We were disappointed to learn that Governor Pritzker’s proposed budget fails to include a plan to create an Illinois Child Tax Credit.”
* Sen. Mike Simmons: “(M)ore funding is still needed to help historically underserved communities grappling with the continuing HIV and AIDS crisis and for Black-led community organizations to help with this issue.”
* SEIU Healthcare: “The proposed budget’s lack of investment in the home care workers who make it possible for seniors to stay in their homes may force some to forgo needed care or be forced into nursing homes.”
* AARP Illinois: “We must also expand access to services to achieve equity in home and community-based care across the Community Care Program and Home Services Program, increase funding for case management and adult day service programs, pass a tax credit to support Illinois’ 1.5 million unpaid family caregivers, and raise the monthly grant level for the [Aid to the Aged, Blind and Disabled] program.”
* Illinois Partners for Human Service: “While increased state and federal dollars have been directed to our sector over the past two years, very little of this funding has addressed the systemic challenges facing the health and human services workforce. We appreciate the Governor’s acknowledgement of these structural issues, but we are far from where we need to be. More work - and investment - is needed to rectify the consequences of twenty years of disinvestment in the health and human service sector in our state.”
* IARF: “We now ask the General Assembly to build on this proposed budget and advance our legislation to increase the wage rate for Direct Support Professionals by $4 an hour to help address the workforce crisis Gov. Pritzker discussed today, as well as legislation increasing targeted crisis mental health service rates.”
* Illinois Education Association: “IEA has introduced Senate Bill 1749 that would allow vision and dental coverage for our retired members.”
* Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights: “In addition to at least $53 million for the Immigrant Services Line Item, ICIRR members and our coalition partners are committed to ensuring that a state Child Tax Credit and healthcare for all Illinoisans regardless of immigration status are included in the final budget.”
* Illinois Association for Behavioral Health: “While we appreciate an incremental increase in the proposed budget, we will advocate vigorously to align spending with the speech’s ambitious sentiments.”
* Chicago Coalition for the Homeless: “We encourage the legislature to work with the Governor’s office to include an increase in TANF to 50% of FPL to provide additional funds to pay off debt, to save, and to make the necessary purchases for their families.”
* Illinois Shelter Alliance: “Our request for $61 million in Emergency and Transitional Housing Program funding was originally outlined in a letter sent to Governor Pritzker in December.” [The governor proposed $55 million.]
Thoughts?
…Adding… Capitol News Illinois has some more…
While he celebrated his efforts, Rep. Will Davis, D-Homewood, said the state needs to invest $200 million more in the funding formula to address the Black community’s lack of resources and disproportionate impact, particularly in education. […]
State Sen. Cristina Pacione-Zayas, D-Chicago, agreed.
“We are fully aware that if we only do a $350 million increase annually, we’re not going to reach adequacy by 2027,” she said. “I think that’s very well-established. So we will definitely be deep in those negotiations to see how much more we can add on top of that.” […]
The Latino Caucus, for example, will be seeking a major expansion of Medicaid coverage to undocumented immigrant adults – those not currently covered by laws passed in the last few years aimed at coverage of undocumented youth and seniors. Details on that plan – including cost – will be introduced at a later date, caucus members said Wednesday.
…Adding… The governor had this to say earlier today when asked about the push to increase Evidence-Based Funding…
Maybe we should go back to Greg Bishop’s suggestion that we raise taxes? Was that your suggestion? [Laughter] No.
The truth is that everybody here has been pretty, I’m talking about the General Assembly and the members from throughout the state, is being prudent about putting more money into our K-12 system. I want to point out it’s not just 350 million in EBF. We also, you heard me yesterday talk about an additional $86 million for what are called categoricals, transportation, special education, and $70 million more per year for a program to bring in new teachers. We need to improve our teacher pipeline, and there are 170 school districts that account for 80% of the shortfall in teachers. So the teacher vacancies, 80% of them are in 170 out of our roughly 850 districts. And that’s where we’re putting our dollars, so that we can bring in and let those districts decide how they want to attract those new teachers because they know better than we do what will work in their districts. A rural district is very different than an urban district. So, just to give you an idea that’s you know, I’ve said was $506 million. There actually are hundreds of millions more in various aspects of K-12 education. But yeah, we’ve got to continue to fund our education system.
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* Recent background is here if you need it. From last September…
Pritzker said the state isn’t currently planning to close Choate, but he didn’t rule it out if safety issues aren’t addressed.
“The question is, can we prevent that in the future? And if not, then obviously that’s not a facility that should remain open,” the governor said in response to a reporter’s questions at an unrelated event in downstate Decatur.
Meanwhile, he said, the “state has an obligation to the people that it serves at that facility right now” and is concentrating on upgrades to the facility and ensuring that appropriate services and personnel are in place. In a statement to reporters last week, Marisa Kollias, a spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Human Services, which runs Choate, said that the problems there are the result of “longstanding, entrenched issues” and that the department has taken “aggressive measures” to address them.
* Gov. Pritzker was asked today if he has a plan to address the many problems at Choate Developmental Center, or if he would close it down…
Well, I’ve told you before that if the problems can’t be fully addressed, then we’ll have to close it down because the state obviously in that area is incapable of managing the facility properly if we can’t take care of the problems.
Look, there’s no doubt there are continuing issues at Choate and if those continue, as I say, we can’t keep it open.
One of the big challenges with some of these facilities, I want to point out, is they’re located in areas where it’s very hard to find personnel. Think about what’s going on in Illinois and across the nation right now, which is we have many, many more job openings than we have people who are available to do those jobs. Then, think about whether you need people who are trained for a job and in a developmental disabilities facility, you sure do need training.
So these are the challenges that we’re currently going through and thinking about going forward how do you address that, especially in a rural location, where it’s already hard to find people for every other job. So, we’ll continue to work on this because it is vital that we have the proper care for our developmentally disabled.
He was asked if he had a plan. He didn’t outline one.
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It’s just a bill
Thursday, Feb 16, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Block Club Chicago…
State lawmakers are pushing bills that would give city officials permission to create a “safe consumption site” where people can use drugs more safely and get recovery help when they’re ready.
Sen. Sara Feigenholtz and Rep. La Shawn Ford are pushing forward partner bills that would legalize a pilot site in a Chicago neighborhood hit hard by the opioid crisis.
The site’s staff would be trained to recognize overdoses and use drug-reversing medication like Narcan. People would be able to bring and use illegal drugs — without punishment — and get access to testing strips and clean syringes.
A local nonprofit would operate the site and hire community members and people in recovery. The staff would be encouraged to build relationships with clients and offer HIV and Hepatitis C testing, housing, medical services, employment opportunities, drug treatment programs and other social services that can put people on a path for recovery.
* The Center Square takes us into the mind of Sen. Chapin Rose…
Earlier this month, state Sen. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, introduced Senate Bill 1867, a measure he called “political sarcasm.”
The “If This Is Such A Good Idea, Let’s Start With You Act” reads that by June 30, 2024, the city of Chicago must convert Millennium Park into a solar energy park by building solar energy facilities on all open spaces and by mounting solar energy facilities on structures. The measure also includes language requiring equipping a wind turbine on the sculpture “Cloud Gate.” […]
“It is designed to illustrate in a humorous way this hypocrisy out of the progressive left and Cook County,” Rose said. “Last session, they brought us a bill to overrule the ability of local county boards to site windmills in downstate Illinois.” […]
The Republican said he did not expect his bill to pass, but he hoped to foster more cooperation between Chicago and downstate counties on the issue of where to put alternative energy projects.
* HB2465 sponsored by Rep. Rita Mayfield…
Amends the Liquor Control Act of 1934. Provides that the Illinois Liquor Control Commission or local liquor commissioner may not refuse to issue a retail license based on an applicant’s noncitizen status if the applicant otherwise meets the qualifications for licensure and the applicant has a valid Illinois driver’s license or Illinois identification card; the applicant undergoes a criminal history records check and has no record of an offense that would disqualify him or her from licensure; the applicant resides in the jurisdiction in which the license will be issued; the applicant is in good standing with the community in which the license will be issued; and the applicant is in good standing with the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Revenue, his or her creditors, applicable credit bureaus, and any other similar financial agencies. Preempts home rule powers.
* WIFR…
State Senator Andrew Chesney (R-Freeport) and State Representative John Cabello (R-Machesney Park) have filed similar legislation in the Illinois Senate and House of Representatives, claiming federal background checks and waiting periods are adequate in weeding out those who should not be able to own a gun.
“Illinoisans have a constitutional right to possess firearms, yet the Legislature continually throws up roadblocks that interfere with that right,” said Chesney. “The legislators who bring forward and pass these kinds of bills claim they are protecting public safety, but they are ignoring the very real fact that those who purchase firearms lawfully are not the ones responsible for the violent crime epidemic in this state. The criminals ravaging the streets of Chicago are not lawful people. Illinois’ FOID card system is not preventing these criminals from getting their hands on guns.”
The FOID Card Act has been in effect in Illinois since 1968 and has been amended on multiple occasions. Additional laws place other restrictions on gun ownership, gun use, and the licensed dealers who sell firearms and ammunition.
“As a State Representative and Law Enforcement Officer, I understand the importance of upholding our constitutional right to gun ownership while also ensuring that public safety is protected. Unfortunately, Illinois’ current FOID Card system does not provide adequate protection and fails to keep guns out of the hands of violent offenders and criminals. The current FOID card system fails to stop violent criminals from committing gun crimes while making purchasing a firearm a cumbersome process for those that follow the law. As State Rep, I want to make sure that law-abiding citizens are able to exercise their right to bear arms without unnecessary burdens therefore I am proud to sponsor this proposal that voids Illinois’s FOID card system.”
* What a happy day…
* WTVO…
Legislation being considered by the Illinois General Assembly would require all new homes to be equipped with electric vehicle (EV) charging capabilities.
House Bill 2206 and Senate Bill 40 would require any new home construction to include at least one dedicated parking stall for EV charging.
Charging stations are made by manufacturers such as ChargePoint, Blink, and Shell, and can cost upwards of $400.
The bills would not require the installation of a charging station but would ensure that the home’s electrical panel is able to handle the high voltage load, as well as the installation 220-volt power supply to the garage.
* HB2355, Rep. Daniel Didech…
Amends the Firearm Owners Identification Card Act. Requires a person to have a currently valid Firearm Owner’s Identification Card issued in his or her own name by the Illinois State Police in order to acquire or possess a flamethrower. Exempts certain military, law enforcement, and other specified persons. Defines flamethrower. Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that it is a Class 4 felony to deliver a flamethrower to a person, incidental to a sale, without withholding delivery of the flamethrower for at least 72 hours after application for its purchase has been made.
* HB2587 by Rep. Jed Davis…
Provides that the Act may be referred to as the Defend the Guard Act. Amends the Military Code of Illinois. Provides that, notwithstanding any other provision of the Code, the Illinois National Guard and any member thereof shall not be released from the State into active duty combat unless the United States Congress has passed an official declaration of war or has taken an official action in accordance with the United States Constitution to explicitly call forth the Illinois National Guard and any member thereof for the enumerated purposes to expressly execute the laws of the union, repel an invasion, or suppress an insurrection. Requires the Governor to take all actions necessary to comply with the requirements of the amendatory Act.
* If this would be the second to last week of session, what would you dedicate the last week of session to?…
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Question of the day
Thursday, Feb 16, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Mayor Lightfoot after the Chicago Bears made an offer last June to buy Arlington International Racecourse…
The Bears are locked into a lease at Soldier Field until 2033. In addition, this announcement from the Bears comes in the midst of negotiations for improvements at Soldier Field. This is clearly a negotiating tactic that the Bears have used before.
* Mayor Lightfoot yesterday after the Bears announced they had closed the property sale…
Due to the Bears’ legal restrictions in the pre-purchase phase, the city was unable to engage in direct negotiations with the Bears while the land was under contract. Now that the deal has been completed, we look forward to negotiating and convincing the Bears that the team’s best future remains in our beloved city of Chicago.
* The Question: Do you think there’s still a decent chance that the Bears remain at Soldier Field, or do you believe the team is outta there? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
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Nope
Thursday, Feb 16, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Crain’s…
Pritzker proposed spending another $200 million out of this year’s budget to supplement the state’s pension payment, something that will cut costs in the long run. But he pretty much rejected a proposal from the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club to sharply ramp up state pension contributions via a 10-year income tax surcharge, telling Rich Miller in a Capitol Fax interview that things the big business group is proposing are “not likely to come to fruition and that I would oppose.” But Pritzker says he is willing to talk about it if the group wants to revive his proposed graduated income tax. [Emphasis added.]
That’s not what I told subscribers…
I asked Gov. Pritzker yesterday about the plan put forth by the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago to raise income taxes for ten years, cut state agency budgets by 2-3 percent and use that money to accelerate pension funding.
“I think there are many things they are proposing that are not likely to come to fruition and that I would oppose, but I also think that there are some ideas in there, like the one I proposed four years ago, that are reasonable to talk about.”
Pritzker said increasing the amount of money that goes to pensions is something he would support, as well as discussing “whether we should keep the [pension debt] amortization schedule as it is.” He said he opposed the group’s proposal to eliminate the estate tax. And, the governor said, “I would be concerned about any additional tax burden on middle class and working class people in Illinois.”
I attempted to obtain a correction, but was rebuffed.
* So, I’m gonna post the transcript. Click here for the audio…
Q: Okay, last thing, real quick. I don’t know if you can answer it real quick, but this Civic Committee recommendation, cut 2 to 3 percent across budgets and agencies and raise taxes on everybody by half a point, and then use all the money for pensions and rainy day fund. What do you, what do you make of that?
Pritzker: I think you may recall that I was on the Civic Committee before I became governor. I was a businessman and appointed to that committee. And now I am a ex officio member of it as governor. I only point that out because I’m well aware of how the Civic Committee puts its plans together.
And, look, it’s their job to put forward ideas for solving our fiscal challenges. That’s part of what it views as its important contribution. And I value the fact that they put those things forward.
I think, you know, there are many things that are proposed in that that are not likely to come to fruition and that I would oppose. But I also think that there are some ideas in there, like the one I proposed four years ago, that, you know, are reasonable to talk about. Which are, you know, increasing the amount that we’re putting into pensions and and then, you know, it is a question whether you can, you know, whether we should keep the amortization schedule as it is.
[Crosstalk]
Q: OK, and then but, but what you would oppose? [Crosstalk]
Pritzker: …increasing the amount of putting, that we’re putting into pensions.
Q: Right. But when you said ‘there are some things I would oppose,’ what would that be? Would that be the the increase in the flat tax for 10 years, or the cuts to the agencies, or both?
Pritzker: The estate tax [laughs, crosstalk] is not something that I think, is one example. And I think we, look, I think I would be concerned about any additional tax burden on middle class and working class people in Illinois.
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Pritzker’s “other” speech
Thursday, Feb 16, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* We focused almost exclusively on the budget portion of Gov. JB Pritzker’s address yesterday, but it was also a State of the State address. What follows are some excerpts from that…
In the age old fight between happy warriors and misery’s carnival barkers, we’ve shown that if we resolve to do it, happy warriors win every time. And we are winning.
Which is why, here in Illinois in 2023, I’m confident in saying the state of our State is stronger than it has been in decades, and we’re getting stronger every day.
* Women…
Some of the most marginalized people in our society are women, especially women of color, who earn the least and take on some of the greatest societal burdens. When conservatives on the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, they didn’t strip the right to an abortion from wealthy women, they took it from the most vulnerable women.
I won’t accept that for the women of Illinois, and neither do the majority of the people of Illinois. That’s why, last month, we expanded our pool of abortion providers and eliminated barriers to access: allowing birth centers to provide all reproductive care, eliminating copays for birth control and abortive medications.
Since Roe was overturned, all the states around us have taken away reproductive freedom from their residents, so Illinois healthcare providers are seeing triple the demand, with desperate patients showing up at the crack of dawn every day.
That’s why we are establishing a Reproductive Health Public Navigation Hotline, so patients can call ahead for a risk assessment and find the services that will meet their needs. From transportation and lodging to insurance coverage options, the hotline will help patients traverse a complex and overwhelmed system. To address the shortage of reproductive healthcare workers, we are providing $5 million toward learning collaboratives for worker training.
Let’s not pull punches — this is the result of a national conservative crusade to legislate against the most intimate matters of a woman’s basic healthcare. I’m sure there are some elected officials who would like us to stop talking about abortion.
Well, too bad.
There are women in this country right now who are facing untold mental and physical anguish because of the fall of Roe v. Wade. Here in Illinois, women know their rights are protected, but that doesn’t take away our obligation as Americans to speak up for the rest of the nation.
* Keep in mind when reading this that Pritzker took the lead in building a Holocaust museum in Skokie…
Delivering what matters to Illinois residents and their families is what defines good governance. We’ve all been asked to represent our constituents with tenacity and honor. And to speak up when our common American values are challenged.
Our history is a series of stops and starts, of ups and downs, of our ancestors getting it tragically wrong and courageously right. The only thing we can hope for in this work is that the values we attach our names to will make our grandchildren proud.
After all, this is the Land of Lincoln. We have a responsibility to that legacy.
As Elie Wiesel said, “We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”
With that in mind, I want to take sides on something I feel obligated to speak out about, especially given the history of anti-Semitism and discrimination suffered by my ancestors and that persists for so many others today.
There is a virulent strain of nationalism plaguing our nation, led by demagogues who are pushing censorship, with a particular attack right now on school board members and library trustees. It’s an ideological battle by the right wing, hiding behind a claim that they would protect our children — but whose real intention is to marginalize people and ideas they don’t like. This has been done in the past, and it doesn’t stop with just snuffing out ideas.
This afternoon I’ve laid out a budget agenda that does everything possible to invest in the education of our children. Yet it’s all meaningless if we become a nation that bans books from school libraries about racism suffered by Roberto Clemente and Hank Aaron, and tells kids they can’t talk about being gay, and signals to Black and Brown people and Asian Americans and Jews and Muslims that our authentic stories can’t be told.
I’m the father of two children. I care a great deal about their education. Like every good parent, I want to be involved in what they learn. I’m also a proud American. Our nation has a great history, and much to be proud of. I want my children to learn that history. But I don’t want them to be lied to. I want them to learn our true history, warts and all. Illinois’ young people shouldn’t be kept from learning about the realities of our world. I want them to become critical thinkers, exposed to ideas that they disagree with, proud of what our nation has overcome, and thoughtful about what comes next.
Here in Illinois, we don’t hide from the truth, we embrace it. That’s what makes us strong.
* Conclusion…
I want to conclude today with sharing a story of someone who exemplifies the tenacity of our people here in the Prairie State.
In 1951, at the age of 18, Joyce DeFauw arrived on Northern Illinois University’s campus to pursue a degree in economics. But life had other plans. She met her husband, Don Freeman Sr. and left NIU to raise a family.
Seven decades later — nine children, and dozens of grandchildren and great-grandchildren later — Joyce decided she could focus on herself again, and she re-enrolled in college to finish her degree. Once again, life had other plans…a once-in-a-generation pandemic. But that didn’t deter her. She finished her classes on a laptop given to her as a gift — and just two months ago, at age 90, Joyce walked across the stage to receive her Bachelor of General Studies, becoming the oldest person in history to graduate from NIU.
Joyce’s story is a classic Illinois tale. We are a stubborn people — we persevere no matter the challenge. We welcome opportunity for improvement. And when we rise, we rise together.
I see it in Mboka Mwilambwe who received a tuition waiver from this welcoming state and has returned it tenfold as Bloomington’s Mayor, and in Jaichan Tyrique Smith, who is on his way to becoming a child clinical psychologist. I see it in Itanzia Dawson, a mom determined to provide a better life for her family and who now educates the children of Little Village. I see it in Anne Tyree, who supports mental health patients and their families who are going through the same thing she has. I see it in neighbors who helped each other through the pandemic, in small businesses contributing to their communities’ success, in the determination of our young people to make positive change for our state and nation.
We are a people with enough empathy to be kind to one another, enough grit to persevere, and just enough confidence to believe we can make a difference in this world. That’s the Illinois that I know. That’s the Illinois we all represent.
Thank you. God bless the great state of Illinois and the United States of America.
Discuss.
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Open thread
Thursday, Feb 16, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* What’s going on? Please keep it Illinois-centric…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Thursday, Feb 16, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Here you go…
* Sun-Times | Pritzker proposes budget with nearly $1 billion boost for students — from preschool to college: Education, human services, pensions and health care would receive a large majority of the governor’s $49.6 billion budget. “I’ve laid out a budget agenda that does everything possible to invest in the education of our children,” he told lawmakers.
* Tribune | Gov. J.B. Pritzker stresses education in $49.6 billion budget proposal while blasting a ‘virulent strain of nationalism’ in national schools debate: “There is a virulent strain of nationalism plaguing our nation, led by demagogues who are pushing censorship, with a particular attack right now on school board members and library trustees,” Pritzker said.
* Capitol News Illinois | Pritzker’s second-term agenda buoyed by ongoing strong revenue expectations: All told, the governor outlined a Fiscal Year 2024 budget that anticipates $49.9 billion in general revenues, a $1.4 billion decrease from current FY 23 estimates. Excluding current-year contributions to the state’s “rainy day” fund, the $49.6 billion in approved FY 24 spending represents a drop-off of about $350 million.
* WCIA | Democrats ‘pleased’ by Pritzker’s 2023 Illinois budget address: “It is paramount that we prioritize hardworking families and continue to make fiscally responsible decisions that put our state in a better position for generations to come,” Illinois Speaker of the House Chris Welch said. “This proposal by Governor Pritzker proves that Democrats are united in those goals. This budget address is a great starting point for our legislative negotiations, and I look forward to building on our recent success.”
* Capitol News Illinois | After Pritzker’s budget address, lawmakers jockey for their own spending priorities: While Democrats applauded Pritzker’s vision, some also noted the governor’s proposal would only spend the minimum dollar amount – $350 million – required by state law to increase Illinois’ funding for K-12 education, as outlined in a landmark 2018 law overhauling school funding.
* WBEZ | Pritzker pledges more money for education and child care in his budget address: In the first big swing of his second term, Pritzker also underscored his work the past four years in stabilizing Illinois’ finances after a two-year budget impasse under his GOP predecessor crippled state operations, hollowed out social service agencies and put egg on the state’s face nationally.
* Politico | Illinois governor slams ‘demagogues’ who attack schools, libraries: He didn’t mention Ron DeSantis, but it was clear that Pritzker’s ire was aimed at Florida’s Republican governor and his allies. The attack is the latest in an ongoing feud between the two ambitious governors over DeSantis blocking an advanced placement course on African American studies from his state’s school curriculum. DeSantis also has signed the “Stop W.O.K.E Act,” which prohibits the teaching of critical race theory in Florida schools.
* AP | Illinois State leader quits after less than 2 years on job: The Illinois Pantagraph reported Wednesday that the school’s board of trustees approved Terri Goss Kinzy’s resignation Feb. 10. Board documents indicate her resignation was effective on Tuesday.
* Illinois Times | Mayoral endorsements cross political lines: When it comes to campaign fundraising, Springfield mayoral candidate Misty Buscher’s support from labor unions so far has been a factor in her lead over incumbent Mayor Jim Langfelder. With about $204,500 available at the close of 2022’s fourth quarter, Buscher, the current city treasurer, held an $86,334 edge in funds available compared with Langfelder, who had $118,202 available, according to reports filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections.
* WSIU | Two southern Illinois GOP lawmakers to lead working groups on public safety and student literacy: Illinois House Republicans Tuesday announced the formation of five Republican working groups to develop solutions on a broad range of legislative priorities for the 2023 spring session. State Representative Patrick Windhorst of Metropolis has been tapped to lead the working group on public safety.
* Sun-Times | Illinois should put consumers first on car insurance rate hikes: Hundreds of millions are at stake for Illinois drivers, who saw auto insurance premiums increase by more than $1.1 billion in 2022.
* Center Square | Ex-utility leader charged in Madigan corruption case doesn’t want mention of $200 million agreement at trial: Former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore doesn’t want a jury to know about how much she was paid, why she left her job, her political campaign contributions, or the $200 million ComEd paid to resolve a federal bribery probe involving former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, among other things.
* Sun-Times | Highland Park parade shooting suspect’s father indicted: Robert E. Crimo Jr. will be arraigned Thursday on seven counts of reckless conduct for sponsoring his son’s firearm ownership application in 2019.
* Tribune | Arlington Heights leader ‘excited’ and school districts waiting to see as news drops of Chicago Bears buying 326-acre property: A great deal of analysis and negotiations remain to be done, village leaders said. But the announcement Wednesday that the team bought the property for $197.2 million concludes more than a year of tentative negotiations between the village of Arlington Heights and the team as the Bears consider erecting a multibillion-dollar stadium and mixed-use commercial, residential and entertainment district on the 326-acre property.
* Barstool Sports | Justin Fields: ‘I hope we get a dome’: Fields explained his dismay with Bear weather, especially when having to deal with the wind. He said it’s difficult for him to run faster and he feels slower when it’s colder out.
* Fox Chicago | Illinois’ largest movie theater screen being built in Chicago suburb: Emagine Entertainment is the nation’s ninth-largest theater chain with locations in Frankfort and Chatham.
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*** UPDATED x1 *** Mendoza climbs on board
Wednesday, Feb 15, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Monday…
* This morning…
* This afternoon…
The proposed budget notably won an initial thumbs-up from Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza. In recent days she has been warning about the dangers of new spending now, but said the proposal “makes sense.” […]
Mendoza, in a phone interview, said she’s “excited” that the state now has built up a $2 billion rainy-day reserve — adding, “It needs to be higher” — and that the governor is allotting an additional $200 million to pensions, about the statutorily required amount. She said she remains concerned about any big new spending programs now but said the Pritzker childhood initiatives generally add money to “existing programs,” and are means-tested to ensure the money goes to the people who really need it.
*** UPDATE *** Formal statement from Comptroller Mendoza…
“My hope was that Governor Pritzker would propose a balanced budget that shores up our Rainy Day Fund and the Pension Stabilization Fund; that avoids any major commitments for new programs and instead uses revenue surpluses on existing programs that have proven a good return on investment for Illinois taxpayers - programs like early childhood education and MAP grants for Illinois college students. His proposed budget does all that.
Instead of new programs, I see careful, strategic, and necessary investments in childcare and pre-school programs where they are most needed. Notably, it includes a continuation of shoring up our Rainy Day Fund and another $200 million for the Pension Stabilization Fund. I will aggressively push for my Rainy Day Bill, HB2515, to make deposits into the Rainy Day Fund and the Pension Stabilization Fund an ongoing commitment. I was pleased the Governor proposed an additional $100 million in MAP grant funding to make college more affordable to our bright minds who can’t afford college today. This will safeguard our current investment of billions of dollars in our kids from K-12, and keep them in Illinois for a fast return on this investment once they graduate with higher income potential. This budget was a good start, and I will continue calling for fiscal restraint and discipline as the budget process unfolds.”
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* Press release…
Last fall, we released an open letter confirming the team had reached an agreement for the purpose of acquiring 326 acres of property in Arlington Heights to secure the potential of beginning a new and exciting chapter for the Bears, our fans, the Chicagoland community, and the State of Illinois. This week, we took another step toward realizing that vision by closing on the Arlington Park property. Finalizing the purchase does not guarantee the land will be developed, but it is an important next step in our ongoing evaluation of the opportunity. There is still a tremendous amount of due diligence work to be done to determine if constructing an enclosed state-of-the-art stadium and multi-purpose entertainment district is feasible.
Should we proceed, the development of the Arlington Heights property would be one of the largest mega-projects in Midwest history. Possible construction of a stadium-anchored development is projected by analysts to create more than 48,000 jobs, generate $9.4 billion in economic impact for the Chicagoland economy and provide $3.9 billion in new labor income to workers across the region. The completed mega-project would create more than 9,750 long-term jobs, generate $1.4 billion in annual economic impact for Chicagoland and provide $601 million in annual labor income to workers across Chicagoland. The Village of Arlington Heights has hired its own expert consultant to review the economic projections, and we look forward to discussing the substantial benefits this project will provide.
If we elect to move forward after assessing the opportunity, the surrounding community will continue to be a foremost priority and an integral part of our planning. Over the past five months, we have met with local residents, small business owners, school districts, elected officials and other interested stakeholders to secure their critical input, and we will continue to have an open dialogue to ensure this potential multi-purpose development provides the greatest possible benefits to the region. The project would offer considerable commercial and residential real estate opportunities year-round, and serve as a regional hub for entertainment, shopping and community events that complement the established businesses and thriving community already in place. The overarching plan will work only if the Village of Arlington Heights, surrounding municipalities, Cook County, greater Chicagoland and the State of Illinois all receive significant economic benefits, and we are confident a mega-project like this can deliver.
The Bears will continue to work closely alongside the Village of Arlington Heights, surrounding municipalities and their residents to solicit extensive feedback on how we can best benefit local communities and Bears fans across Illinois. This planning will include a robust diversity, equity and inclusion program that prioritizes local hiring throughout every stage of the development.
We have publicly stated and repeat here again: If we construct a state-of-the-art stadium, we will not seek taxpayer funds locally or otherwise for the structure. If we proceed, however, this project would require assistance to ensure feasibility, including our securing property tax certainty and support for infrastructure commensurate with the public benefits the project will yield to the region. For the development to move forward, and for this effort to be financially feasible, a public-private partnership addressing predictable taxes and necessary infrastructure funding for public uses is essential. Public funds for infrastructure will provide regional improvements such as roads for better traffic flow and water drainage for residents throughout the area. This support, along with the team’s investment, will be crucial to ensuring the local and Illinois economies receive a dramatic, long-lasting influx of investment and new tax revenue of a magnitude never experienced before in the region.
While this closing marks a major development in the ongoing evaluation, there has been no decision that the development of the recently acquired property will occur. But today’s news is nonetheless an exciting update and positions our state and the Chicagoland region to be able to host world-class entertainment and sporting events on an unprecedented scale. We look forward to continuing this evaluation with the Village of Arlington Heights, surrounding governmental bodies and the General Assembly in the coming months, and conveying what we believe is necessary to transform the recently purchased, largely dormant Arlington Heights property into one of the most iconic mega-project entertainment and destination points in the world.
…Adding… Mayor Lightfoot…
…Adding… Rep. Mark Walker (D-Arlington Heights)…
“The Bears’ purchase of Arlington Park is a good deal for Arlington Heights and the Chicago Bears. Our job now is to ensure that any possible developments at the site are in the best interest of area residents, school districts, small businesses, and the Village of Arlington Heights.”
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Wednesday, Feb 15, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* How reliable was the CTA yesterday?…
* Roundup…
* Tribune | Bears finalize deal to buy Arlington Heights racetrack site for a new stadium, but issues remain before ground is broke: By shelling out $197 million for the 326-acre Arlington International Racecourse site, team officials plan to leave behind Chicago’s Soldier Field in favor of owning their own stadium where they could also hold marquee events like the Super Bowl or NCAA basketball championships.
* AP | Retail sales jump as Americans defy inflation and rate hikes: The government said Wednesday that retail sales jumped 3% in January, after having sunk the previous two months. It was the largest one-month increase since March 2021, when a round of stimulus checks gave a big boost to spending. Excluding the pandemic era, January’s rise was the largest in more than two decades.
* ABC Chicago | Winter storm forecast to dump several inches of snow on parts of area Thursday : The city and areas to the west could see between one to three inches of snow, Butler said. The NWS warns of dangerous travel conditions, with winds gusting as high as 35 mph to go with a mix of rain, snow and sleet.
* Illinois News Bureau | Researchers illuminate gaps in public transportation access, equity: “Transit authorities tend to focus on the needs of existing users – those who live in high population density areas and travel at peak times,” Robbennholt said. “However, people without vehicles, who work unconventional shifts or rely on bus transit for spontaneous, unplanned trips are at a significant disadvantage – especially in low-income areas.”
* WGLT | Dan Brady adjusts to private life and urges party change: “One of the things I noticed the Republicans did in the primary to themselves. Republicans over the years have hitched their wagon to who has the most money. An individual, (hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin) created a slate, a handful of people they thought should be running for these offices. They forgot one thing: the will of the people. That was a huge mistake,” said Brady. He said they paid attention to consultants who thought they knew what they were talking about and were proven wrong, but received their commissions and rode off into the sunset. “And the rest of us are left with the mess that they created,” said Brady, adding what the consultants did with $50 million from Griffin was win just two primary races. “They lost every other race. That’s a terrible investment. And that comes from arrogance, egos, and individuals that should be listening instead of talking. That’s something obviously in the Republican Party that needs to be rebuilt,” said Brady.
* Journal Star | Will the Rivermen stay in Peoria? A deal is in the works, says city councilman: The Civic Center signed paperwork in late November to finalize a $25 million grant from the State of Illinois’ capital bill for renovations and improvements. The facility has a long list of projects prioritized on a list from which the money will be spent. The ice plant is No. 20 — far below the top nine or 10 items the building hopes to fix before the money runs out.
* News-Gazette | Time capsule discovered in Illini Hall’s cornerstone: Whatever is hidden inside the Illini Hall capsule is fairly light, he said, and there’s a chance some of the materials have deteriorated.
* Sun-Times | Illinois should put consumers first on car insurance rate hikes: For example, we see no reason why Illinois should continue to be one of a few states that does not prohibit insurance rates that are “excessive, inadequate or unfairly discriminatory.” The proposal would rightly fix that.
* Trance | We’re Launching a Storytelling Network for Survivors of Chicago Gun Violence: Our storytelling group will consist of six to 10 people whose lives have been affected by gun violence. This can mean direct survivors of gun violence or their family members, friends, or neighbors. Beginning early this spring, the group will receive hands-on training from a trauma-informed storytelling coach who will teach them how to develop and better communicate their experiences, as well as the basics of journalism. The cohort will meet in person three times to learn about journalistic writing and oral storytelling. They’ll also have the opportunity to get to know each other. Participants will receive one-on-one attention from their storytelling coach and editing from staff at The Trace. We expect participants to commit an average of about an hour a week to this work.
* Tribune | Super PACs playing bigger role in mayor’s race, hiding donors: The latest committee to join the fray is the New Leadership for Chicago committee, which late last week reported doling out nearly $200,000 so far on digital media in support of García’s run for mayor, according to campaign finance records. The similarly named Chicago Leadership Committee has spent more than $165,000 on TV and digital ads for Vallas’ mayoral bid.
* Sun-Times | Lightfoot steps up attacks on Johnson, hoping to purge his surge: ‘Brandon’s not better. Brandon is bad for Chicago’: With money pouring into his $3.1 million campaign fund, Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson has been blanketing the airwaves with commercials touting his plan to “invest in people.” The mayor counters that his tax-the-rich plan will drive business from the city.
* Block Club | In Chicago’s New 34th Ward, Residents Frustrated As Bill Conway Plans To Skip Only Candidate Forum: Wednesday’s forum is the third Conway has been unavailable for or dropped out. “People have a right to listen to how you want to represent us,” one frustrated organizer said.
* Sun-Times | Wilson’s plan to fill CPD vacancies: increase pay, eliminate exam, ‘temporarily’ raise retirement age to 67: The businessman also vowed to put armed police officers on CTA trains and buses to lure back riders who have abandoned the transit system in droves.
* Block Club | Paul Vallas Defends His City Residency And Stances On School Choice, Saying He’ll Bring ‘Crisis Management’ To City Hall: “What’s going to make the difference this time is the city is in a leadership crisis,” Vallas told Block Club board President and Chicago Tribune columnist Laura Washington in a livestreamed interview Monday. “At the end of the day, the best remedy for bad leadership is good leadership. And particularly the type of leader that can bring people together and assemble the type of leadership team that can get the city moving again.”
* Fox Chicago | Garcia casts early ballot as new poll released in race for city’s top office: At a brief news conference outside the polling place where he voted Tuesday, the congressman called on Lightfoot to release the full text of an inspector general’s report that was very critical of how her administration badly bungled a demolition project in 2020 that caused a huge plume of dust and smoke to drift across the Little Village community.
* Sun-Times | Open City Council seats in 2 Northwest Side wards spark call for open minds in addressing crime: Ald. Roberto Maldonado’s decision earlier this year not to seek reelection in the 26th Ward and Ald. Ariel Reboyras’ announcement in the 30th last year prompted a push for new ideas to address crime and other issues in the wards.
* Crain’s | Pro-biz PAC lays out another $75,000 in City Council races: The Get Stuff Done PAC reported spending between $8,000 to $16,700 each on seven candidates with ad-placements through political consulting firm AKPD Message and Media, according to the Illinois Board of Elections. AKPD was founded by Chicago political strategist David Axelrod, who left the company to work for former President Barack Obama.
* Sun-Times | 11 candidates fight to fill open seat in South Side’s historic 6th Ward ‘so that we can become what we once were’: Former home of civil rights and gospel icons needs new investment, crowded field to replace mayoral candidate Ald. Roderick Sawyer says.
* Sun-Times | New poll shows opportunity to resurrect rainbow coalition in Chicago race for mayor: Of those polled, 71% of Black voters and 78% of Latino voters believe Chicago would be better off if those groups worked together on pressing issues, while 75% of Black and Latino voters said they had a “great deal or a fair amount in common.”
* Sun-Times | Big changes ahead for 34th Ward: New City Council member — and new digs 15 miles from longtime home: Neither Bill Conway nor Jim Ascot has ever held political office. Conway, 44, ran unsuccessfully for Cook County state’s attorney in 2020, and Ascot, 73, lost his challenge to long-standing U.S. Rep Danny Davis back in 2006.
* Sun-Times | Disgraced ex-Chicago police sergeant breaks his decadelong silence: Former Sgt. Ronald Watts pleaded guilty to corruption. Judges have thrown out 226 convictions tied to him. Now he’s lashing back at prosecutors.
* The Guardian | Chicago’s south side residents fear Obama Center will displace them: Black longtime residents fear the economic boost from the $500m project will not reach them and that it could make their communities unaffordable
* AP | Study shows ‘striking’ number who believe news misinforms: Asked whether they agreed with the statement that national news organizations do not intend to mislead, 50% said they disagreed. Only 25% agreed, the study found. Similarly, 52% disagreed with a statement that disseminators of national news “care about the best interests of their readers, viewers and listeners,” the study found. It said 23% of respondents believed the journalists were acting in the public’s best interests.
* Intelligencer | Elon Musk Rigged Twitter to Force Us to Read His Tweets: James Musk, Elon’s cousin, sent a Slack request to Twitter engineers at 2:36 a.m. Monday to ask for their help with a “high urgency” task. “We are debugging an issue with engagement across the platform,” he wrote. The “issue” was actually Musk feeling sad that we’re not paying attention to him.
* USA Today | WHO confirms Marburg virus outbreak in Equatorial Guinea: What to know about the viral disease: There is no cure or specific treatment for Marburg disease, the CDC said. Still, “Early supportive care with rehydration, and symptomatic treatment improves survival,” according to the WHO, which added that a range of drug and blood therapies to treat the disease were under development.
* The Nation | Even After a Landmark Bill, the Fight for Prison Phone Justice Isn’t Over: The FCC might not regulate these costs to the extent that it can or should. The agency has a record of making decisions about prison exploitation issues that effectively favor companies over consumers. In regulating other prison phone issues, the FCC has seen fit to ask companies for their business data via the honor system, and made decisions with this data rather than scrutinizing the economics of delivering services to prisons.
* NBC Chicago | Chicago Marina Holds Remarkable Connection to the Underground Railroad: “They used their farm as a holding site for enslaved folks who were seeking freedom,” says Lillian Holden, education outreach coordinator of Openlands. In 2019, this stop on the Underground Railroad was officially recognized by the National Park Service, and Gaines is now seeking to redevelop the property for public use. “I am honored to have that distinction, especially being a Black man and owning a piece of Black history that we have,” he says.
* Tribune | My 111-year-old valentine: Cook County shows love for oldest voter: Access to voting has changed tremendously since Lewis cast her first ballot as an 18-year-old, Yarbrough noted. Indeed, during Lewis’ life, American women finally got a constitutional right to vote and the Voting Rights Act helped end many of the once-legal efforts used to prevent Black people from casting ballots.
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State of the State/Budget address react
Wednesday, Feb 15, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Posted in the order they were received. Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias…
I applaud Governor Pritzker for laying out a budget plan that is committed to serving all Illinoisans – especially children, vulnerable populations and the hard-working men and women of organized labor. The Governor’s foresight and commitment to modernization will empower state employees while improving the delivery of services. As Secretary of State, I share this vision. Employing new technology to improve the lives of Illinoisans and eliminating the “Time Tax” is my top priority.
* Dr. Brent Clark, IASA Executive Director…
The Teacher Pipeline Pilot Program proposed in today’s State of the State/Budget Address by Gov. JB Pritzker is an extremely encouraging development for school districts across our state struggling to attract and retain quality teachers.
Gov. Pritzker proposed a first-of-its-kind, three-year pilot program that, if approved by the Illinois General Assembly, directs $70 million per year to school districts with the greatest need to fill teaching positions based on the Illinois State Board of Education’s Unfilled Positions report (the report includes Administrative, School Support Personnel, and Teaching).
According to the 2023 Unfilled Positions Survey data, 80 percent of the unfilled positions for this school year are located in 170 school districts. The three-year pilot program is targeted to those 170 school districts, which collectively have more than 2,800 unfilled teaching positions for FY23. Of the identified districts, 60 percent are in rural areas and 40 percent are located in urban areas.
IASA has a rich tradition of supporting local control and this proposal provides school districts with the flexibility they need to find solutions in their communities. School districts eligible for these funds will be able to use the dollars to come up with innovative ways to attract and retain teachers in their districts, including offering bonuses and strengthening pipeline programs.
As we know, a one-size-fits all solution rarely works in Illinois. This idea allows for the necessary innovation and flexibility school districts need to make strides toward alleviating a multi-faceted problem. I commend the Governor’s Office for listening to the concerns of school administrators and proposing a thoughtful, and impactful, plan to help school districts across our state attract and retain quality educators.
* IL Chamber…
The State of Illinois weathered the fiscal disruption of the pandemic with a combination of federal assistance and generally prudent state budgets. While the current budget situation is good, we always have concerns about whether the budget proposals will build new permanent spending into the budget that the state will have difficulty in honoring when the inevitable economic downturns occur. Fiscal restraint when times are good will prepare the state for the bad times.
We are gratified by the Governor’s continued support of incentive programs designed to promote new and existing Illinois businesses, including the data center tax incentives, drafted by the Illinois Chamber.
* Sen. Sims…
State Senator Elgie R. Sims, Jr. – the Senate’s Appropriations Leader – released the following statement after Governor JB Pritzker laid the groundwork of his Fiscal Year 2024 budget proposal:
“Throughout recent years – and despite the turmoil that was brought forth due to the pandemic – Illinois has put itself in the greatest financial situation it has seen in years. As a General Assembly, we have a responsibility to continue on a path of fiscal stability by passing a balanced budget that prioritizes the people, groups and agencies that need the most help.
“In the months to come, I will use my position as the Senate Appropriations Committee Chair to negotiate a budget that solves the pressing economic problems facing our low- and middle-income families through education, small business and public safety initiatives.”
* House Minority Leader Tony McCombie…
“Today we heard a long list of expensive promises totaling $2.7 billion in new spending, when the Governor himself projects revenue to be down $1.42 billion. This will require future tax increases or cuts to vital programs serving our most vulnerable.”
* IFT…
Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) President Dan Montgomery issued this statement today following Governor Pritzker’s annual budget address.
“Today, Governor Pritzker has proven once again that he places the needs of Illinois’ students and working families above all else.
“IFT applauds Governor Pritzker for his steadfast commitment to our PreK-12 public schools and his continued work toward fully funding the Evidence-Based Model (EBM). He made significant strides towards this goal in his first term, and prioritizing the $350 million increase for EBM in FY24 puts us another step closer to ensuring that every child in Illinois – no matter their skin color or zip code – has access to an equal, high-quality education.
“The governor has also proposed the largest increase in higher education funding in over two decades. The planned $100 million increase would help public colleges and universities stabilize operations and address enrollment issues that have resulted from the pandemic. College affordability continues to be an issue for too many students, so the IFT is happy to see the governor again put forward a substantial increase for the Monetary Award Program (MAP) to help lower-income students.
“The teacher and school staff shortage is having a dramatic impact on states across the nation and Illinois is no exception. IFT echoes the governor’s concerns about this shortage from PreK to higher education and is committed to working with him to help pass and implement his proposed three-year, $70 million pilot program to help districts with the most severe shortages attract and retain teachers. We know that long term solutions to this problem must also improve teacher compensation, retirement benefits, and support for educators of color.
“We appreciate the governor’s continued commitment to pay the state’s pension obligations and ensure that our educators and state workers can retire with dignity and security after a lifetime of public service. It is an important aspect of the governor’s continuing sound fiscal management, which has improved Illinois’ economic climate and credit rating.
“IFT looks forward to continuing our work with the governor and lawmakers this session to achieve our common goals on behalf of the students, citizens, and Illinois communities we proudly serve.”
* Economic Security for Illinois…
Erion Malasi, Policy and Advocacy Director for Economic Security for Illinois, an affiliate of Economic Security Project, released the following statement regarding Governor Pritker’s State of the State and Budget Address speech:
“We were disappointed to learn that Governor Pritzker’s proposed budget fails to include a plan to create an Illinois Child Tax Credit. Governor Pritzker has built a reputation, and a record, as a champion for tax policies that benefit working families and middle class Illinoisans. But we must do more to balance the scales on behalf of Illinois families. With costs of living rising and Congress failing to pass an expanded Child Tax Credit, we must enact policy solutions that put cash in the hands of those who need it most. A Child Tax Credit would do just that, moving us toward an inclusive, equitable, and family-friendly tax system, and furthering the Governor’s stated goal to “make our state the best place in the nation to raise young children.”
We now turn to the Illinois General Assembly to meet the urgent needs of Illinois families. The General Assembly provided a tax credit for working families during last year’s legislative session, and can once again lower the tax burden on middle class and working families while ushering in a more equitable future for all Illinoisans. The time to create an Illinois Child Tax Credit is now.”
* Sen. Mike Simmons…
“I am pleased to see that today’s budget proposal recommends funding to address homelessness, expand access to healthcare, early childhood and other investments.
“However, more funding is still needed to help historically underserved communities grappling with the continuing HIV and AIDS crisis and for Black-led community organizations to help with this issue.
“In the weeks ahead, I look forward to working with the governor and my fellow lawmakers to ask pointed questions during hearings and to negotiate a budget that helps working class families meet their needs, provides more funds towards transportation safety for pedestrians and cyclists, expands access to healthcare for communities who are not well-served by the current healthcare system, and affordable housing. I look forward to continuing to negotiate these measures, which are absolutely necessary to support the people of Illinois.”
* IRMA…
“We applaud Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the General Assembly for the work they have undertaken in recent years to stabilize the state’s finances. We are encouraged by the governor’s proposed investments in workforce development and look forward to partnering with the administration and lawmakers to ensure this important and needed training benefits all of Illinois’ significant employment sectors,” said Rob Karr, President and CEO, Illinois Retail Merchants Association. “In addition, we look forward to working collaboratively to address the issue of ensuring access to grocery stores in communities across Illinois.”
* AFSCME Council 31 Executive Director Roberta Lynch…
”Governor Pritzker’s FY 24 budget plan has the potential to move our state forward on a number of fronts that are vital to improving the lives of public service employees and strengthening the services they provide.
”Expanding access to child care and higher education will aid working people who are struggling to pay their bills and ensure the best future for their children.
”Equally important to tens of thousands of state government employees is the governor’s recognition of the urgency of addressing the severe understaffing in state agencies. There’s a critical shortage of employees on the front lines, with an estimated 8,000 positions funded but unfilled. As AFSCME members know better than anyone, that acute shortage makes it much harder to protect kids, care for seniors, help people with disabilities, ensure safe prisons and provide all the other public services our communities need.
”Our union has offered many ideas to improve recruitment and called for eliminating bureaucratic barriers to hiring. We look forward to working together with the administration to solve this crisis and ensure that state employees have the tools and support they need to do the work of state government safely and well.
”In addition, negotiations are underway toward a new collective bargaining agreement between the state and our union. AFSCME represents some 35,000 state employees who have continued to strive daily throughout the challenges presented by these pandemic years to maintain all of the operations of state government. They deserve a contract that provides for adequate staffing, fair pay, affordable health care, and dignity in retirement, and we’re committed to reaching an agreement that accomplishes those goals. Doing so will help ensure that job seekers see public service as an attractive career path, helping state agencies recruit and retain the frontline staff they need.
”We are also very pleased that Gov. Pritzker has proposed more funding for state universities, making an additional payment to state retirement systems for the second year in a row, and providing pay increases for disability caregivers. Once we have had the opportunity to review the governor’s full plan, there will undoubtedly be further areas of agreement–and some concerns. We stand ready to work with the administration and lawmakers to address those areas and to help enact a budget that can make Illinois a better state for all.”
* IMA…
“Illinois’ financial position has improved immensely over the past four years, and we commend the Governor for his focus on improving the state’s finances, building a Rainy Day Fund, and working with the business community to eliminate the $4 billion debt in the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund. Today’s focus on early childhood education and strengthening our state’s workforce systems will help ensure our long-term economic success because we must invest in people – especially the Illinois manufacturing sector, which contributes the single largest share to our state’s Gross Domestic Product,” said Mark Denzler, President & CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “However, we must also be cautious about creating new, long-term spending at a time when government forecasting shows a projected deficit in future years. Manufacturers look forward to working with the Governor and lawmakers to put in place a new spending plan that will drive our state forward.”
…Adding… Rep. Diane Blair-Sherlock (D-Villa Park)…
“I look forward to reviewing the governor’s budget proposal as we work to develop a responsible budget the understands the concerns facing families throughout our community.
“While I am encouraged that our state has better credit ratings, eliminated a lot of bad debt and has paid even more into the pensions than mandated, there is still a lot of work still ahead. We must continue to take a balanced financial approach that enables us to better invest in education, public safety and critical services that residents depend on – including health care, senior programs, and economic efforts that support small businesses.
“Our budget should reflect our values as a state, and as other parts of the country take aim at reproductive freedoms it’s important that we include support for reproductive health access.
“Investment in early childhood and education will result in continuing benefits to our state by developing a competitive workforce to attract and sustain economic development. We must be cognizant that not every investment will produce instant results and that we must plan for the long term well-being of our state.
“Today marks the beginning of our budget process, and I look forward to engaging with local residents and stakeholders on crafting a final plan that helps our area families with the challenges they face every day.”
* Rep. Dan Ugaste (R-Geneva)…
“In response to the glaring issues which Illinois faces – sky high property taxes, endless regulations, and other unnecessary costs – Governor Pritzker is proposing new spending on Illinois’ budgetary house of cards. This budget proposal will do nothing but hinder our terrible climate for job creators and cause Illinois families to find moving trucks out of our unaffordable state.”
* Illinois House Progressive Caucus…
“Illinois has made tremendous progress to help working families and those who have been left behind throughout Gov. JB Pritzker’s tenure as Governor. As he begins his second term and delivers his vision for the state today, the Illinois House Progressive Caucus stands firmly behind his plans to invest in our core priorities and the ongoing fight against injustice and discrimination.
“While we have made important strides forward, too many Illinoisans face great challenges. As pandemic aid ends and prices rise, the people we represent have trouble finding affordable food, childcare, housing, services for the most vulnerable in our communities, mental health services and healthcare. Immigrants and refugees continue to face dire uncertainty about how they will care for their families here. People need higher wages and more opportunities to live the dream we all deserve as Illinoisans and Americans.
“As we will outline in the coming weeks, our Progressive Caucus is committed to supporting an aggressive agenda of legislation and policy ideas this spring to take these issues head on and to build on the Governor’s vision. We look forward to working with Gov. Pritzker and our colleagues in the Legislature to put progressive ideas at the forefront of policies that make Illinois better today, and even better tomorrow.”
* Greg Kelley, President of SEIU Healthcare Illinois…
“As a union of frontline workers providing home care, child care and healthcare services, we applaud the Governor’s commitment to investing in crucial services in ways that will not only provide much-needed care to more families, but also help provide the economic stability that makes it possible for more workers to enter and stay in caring professions.
“The Governor’s $200 million investment in child care is particularly welcome—and timely. Investments to stabilize funding and increase wages, improve the Child Care Management System (CCMS), extend child care eligibility to job seekers, and to build a pipeline for apprenticeships and mentorship are key investments toward Child Care for All. The Governor rightly recognizes that making child care available for all who need it, with living wage jobs for child care workers, is a crucial foundation for economic growth that benefits all Illinoisans.
“While we acknowledge the necessary investments in the Community Care Program workforce in the current fiscal year, we need to make sure that we aren’t leaving seniors and people with disabilities behind. The proposed budget’s lack of investment in the home care workers who make it possible for seniors to stay in their homes may force some to forgo needed care or be forced into nursing homes.
“We look forward to working with the Governor and the legislature to build off of this proposed budget to ensure that home care and child care workers—and the crucial services they provide—are prioritized, and to advocate for the additional investment required to serve the needs of seniors and those who care for them.”
* Rep. Brad Stephens (R-Rosemont)…
“We are approaching the edge of a fiscal cliff in our state that will collapse when one-time federal funds and extra revenue from inflation dry up. Illinoisans deserve a government that spends their hard-earned money responsibly, one that makes a U-Turn before we reach the edge of this cliff. What also wasn’t mentioned in this budget address was real property tax relief, and I look forward to continue working across the aisle to provide this for the working class people of the 20th District.”
* Rep. Sonya M. Harper (D-Chicago)…
“Our state is in better fiscal shape than it has been in decades, but there is more work to be done. We passed and the governor signed both a cutting-edge criminal justice reform bill and a bold gun safety package.
“While positive steps have been taken, people still don’t have access to jobs, quality affordable housing and even fresh food in many parts of Chicago. We still see too much violence throughout our state and the resources needed to combat its root causes not going to the right entities. Sadly, all of these problems disproportionately affect communities like mine but, if we can create an equitable budget year after year and make sure it is fully implemented, we can improve the quality of life for so many who need it.
“I am confident that the governor agrees that these problems—especially the accompanying problem of inequality—are incompatible with his vision for a strong, safe and thriving Illinois. I look forward to working with him to continue advancing his smart and prosperity-focused agenda, while also continuing to ensure that the benefits of his policies are distributed fairly.”
* AARP Illinois State Director Philippe Largent…
On behalf of our 1.7 million members across the state, AARP Illinois commends Governor Pritzker for continuing his priority of passing balanced budgets and improving Illinois’ long-running fiscal challenges. The proposed Fiscal Year 2024 budget includes several measures that will help older adults from every part of Illinois who have, due to inflation, struggled with the overwhelming impact of rising food and housing costs access to essential services and to pay for increasingly high costs of health care and Rx drugs in the last year.
Proposals to fully fund the Community Care program, expand critical funding for the state’s home-delivered meals program and family caregiver resources, increase the asset limit for the Aid to the Aged, Blind and Disabled (AABD) program, and pay down the pension deficit are important steps toward improving the well-being of those 50+ and their families.
But we still have a long way to go to make sure that those 50+ and their families have what they need to age comfortably and as they choose. We must also expand access to services to achieve equity in home and community-based care across the Community Care Program and Home Services Program, increase funding for case management and adult day service programs, pass a tax credit to support Illinois’ 1.5 million unpaid family caregivers, and raise the monthly grant level for the AABD program.
AARP Illinois looks forward to working alongside Governor Pritzker and the Illinois General Assembly to achieve these important critical budget priorities and improve the health and well-being of those 50+ and their families.
* Rep. Kevin Olickal (D-Skokie)…
“Today’s address is the first step in crafting a budget that invests in the critical services our communities need most. My colleagues have made great strides in restoring Illinois’ fiscal stability by eliminating the backlog of unpaid bills, shoring up our rainy day fund, and earning our state’s first credit rating upgrades in decades. There is still much to be done to support working and middle class families and uplift underserved communities across the state.
“To best advocate for the needs of our community, I plan on thoroughly reviewing the budget and meeting with local leaders and stakeholders so that our community’s needs and priorities are being met. We must continue to fund key services like education and health care while setting Illinois up for long-term financial success and stability.
“Many tough decisions lie ahead, but I am confident that with continued collaboration and hard work, our future remains bright. I look forward to working in a bipartisan fashion to create a responsible, balanced budget that benefits all Illinoisans.”
* Technology & Manufacturing Association Executive Vice President Dennis LaComb…
“After 4 years of tax increases and burdensome regulations heaped on our members, we were desperately hoping for meaningful relief from Governor Pritzker as he begins his second term. But there was nothing but silence on relief, and more discussion of additional, expensive social programs that small and mid-sized manufacturers will need to fund.
“We do want to thank the Governor for responsibly using the federal COVID funds to pay down the unemployment trust fund debt as we had urged. We also thank the Governor for using those federal funds to pay down the bill backlog and put Illinois on a stronger financial footing. But we have a long way to go financially in Illinois as our state’s $140 billion in public pension debt continues to grow without reforms. As Comptroller Susana Mendoza said, now is not the time to increase spending on new programs – we should instead focus on paying our bills.
“Unfortunately, the Governor is planning to do the opposite. In his address today, he outlined hundreds of millions of dollars in new spending on new programs that will continue to increase our state’s debt and require new taxes by Illinois residents and business owners to fund. We fear a resurrection of the Governor’s progressive tax plan might be in the works to fund this additional, massive spending.
“We call on the Governor and legislative leaders to shelve these expensive new spending plans and instead start working with us to help our small and mid-sized manufacturing members thrive and create more jobs for Illinoisans.”
* Illinois Partners for Human Service…
In response to today’s Budget Address, Illinois Partners for Human Service recognizes and appreciates the priorities outlined in this budget for the health and human services sector. Specifically, we appreciate the Smart Start Illinois investments in childcare and early intervention services, increased funding to address and reduce homelessness, and rate increases for developmental disability services.
Our health and human service coalition partners have been on the frontlines shouldering the burden of care for our communities. While increased state and federal dollars have been directed to our sector over the past two years, very little of this funding has addressed the systemic challenges facing the health and human services workforce. We appreciate the Governor’s acknowledgement of these structural issues, but we are far from where we need to be. More work - and investment - is needed to rectify the consequences of twenty years of disinvestment in the health and human service sector in our state.
We look forward to working with the administration and our legislators to do everything possible to increase investment in the human services workforce and reduce administrative burden for community providers. These organizations are trusted by their community members, and their work is essential to the well-being of all Illinoisans.
* Illinois AFL-CIO President Tim Drea…
“Governor J.B. Pritzker’s proposed budget is a win for working families in Illinois. It is a sound and fiscally responsible budget that meets the needs of working families and prepares our workforce for an ever-changing economy.”
“Governor Pritzker is ensuring that Illinoisans across all sectors, zip codes and education levels can experience economic stability and security. There are commitments to fully fund our infrastructure, pay down the state’s pensions liabilities and significant investments to our early childhood education, apprenticeship programs and our health and human service workforce.”
“The Illinois AFL-CIO looks forward to continuing to work with Governor Pritzker and calls on the General Assembly to pass a responsible budget that addresses the needs of working people.”
* IL Primary Health Care Association…
As Governor Pritzker begins his second term, the Illinois Primary Health Care Association (IPHCA) thanks him for his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. We appreciate his work to stabilize the state’s finances, providing much needed certainty and reliability to healthcare providers and other state contractors, and allowing for increased investment in vital services. We welcome the opportunity to continue partnering with his administration and the General Assembly on improving healthcare access and the wellbeing of Illinoisans.
We agree that strengthening the healthcare workforce is a top issue facing Illinois and, particularly, our member community health centers. We are grateful for the Governor including $3 million for the Equity and Representation in Health Care Act (Public Act 102-0942) in his introduced budget. This Act, which was a collaborative effort of IPHCA and Cook County Health, creates scholarship and student loan repayment opportunities for healthcare workers from underrepresented backgrounds. It will improve healthcare providers’ ability to attract and retain top talent in medically underserved areas.
IPHCA shares the Governor’s vision of growing mental health and substance use treatment options. In recent years, tragically, our state has witnessed an historic number of fatal overdoses with the introduction of fentanyl. In 2020 alone, we lost twice as many Illinoisans to opioid overdoses as to car accidents or homicides. At the same time, suicide continues to plague our young people. In fact, it has become the third leading cause of death among Illinoisans ages 15 to 34, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. Expanding access to mental health and substance use treatment is needed now more than ever.
In response to the increasingly urgent need for mental health and substance use treatment, IPHCA also agrees that increasing investment in Medicaid rates is essential. IPHCA is proposing rate increases to bring us in line with neighboring states that currently reimburse community health centers for behavioral health encounters at levels triple what Illinois pays. IPHCA also introduced legislation to expand the types of behavioral health practitioners that are eligible for reimbursement at community health centers so that we can better leverage the existing workforce. This is particularly important given the significant staffing shortages healthcare providers are experiencing after the pandemic.
For more than fifty years, community health centers have led the way on health equity, offering access to high-quality, comprehensive primary care in marginalized communities. We look forward to working with Governor Pritzker, Administration leaders, and members of the General Assembly in the coming months to ensure that all Illinoisans can live healthy and thrive regardless of income, immigration status, health coverage, or zip code.
* House Speaker Chris Welch…
“The progress we have made as a state in just a few short years is truly remarkable. As we heard today in the governor’s budget address, our financial outlook is strong. It is because of that progress that we are in a position to consider priorities that aren’t just important to Democrats, but the majority of Illinoisans.
“It is paramount that we prioritize hardworking families and continue to make fiscally responsible decisions that put our state in a better position for generations to come. This proposal by Governor Pritzker proves that Democrats are united in those goals. This budget address is a great starting point for our legislative negotiations, and I look forward to building on our recent success. I am confident that Chief Budgeteer Jehan Gordon-Booth, Majority Leader Robyn Gabel, our budget negotiation team, and our appropriations chairs will produce a final product that Illinois can be proud of.”
* Senate President Don Harmon…
“We have labored for years to build a solid, stable fiscal foundation for the state of Illinois. Because of those responsible decisions, we find ourselves in the position to be able to invest in our future and do so in a way that can make a real difference.
“I applaud the governor for starting this conversation and for setting priorities that hopefully can bring people together in bipartisan support.
“From enrolling more children in early education programs, to keeping our promise to fund K-12 schools, to getting back to investing in higher education opportunities and devoting resources to address the growing problem of homelessness, there’s a lot to like in this budget.
“Senate Democrats look forward to the opportunity to explore it in greater detail in the weeks and months ahead.”
* Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce…
“The Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce applauds Governor Pritzker for introducing a balanced budget that reflects his continued efforts to improve the state’s finances. Illinois’ strong workforce is our greatest asset, and we appreciate the Governor’s commitment to investing in workforce development across the state. Attracting and retaining talent is critical to sustaining the job growth we have seen over the last few years – thanks to programs such as the EDGE, Film, and Data Center tax credits. The Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce stands ready to continue to partner with Governor Pritzker and other elected officials to ensure these programs continue to thrive in a way that helps bolster Illinois’ workforce, foster job creation, and promote economic opportunity across the region.”
* Illinois Freedom Caucus…
“We find it amusing that we seem to live rent free in Governor JB Pritzker’s head, but we are disappointed that he seems incapable of coming up with a different insult other than the overused ‘carnival barkers’ reference. But whatever the insult used, the only tool he has at his disposal is insults and wisecracks because he has no ideas and no vision for our state.
Creating new government programs with money we don’t have is not visionary. It is lazy, pandering from a narcissistic unaccomplished prima donna with delusions of grandeur. Not only is Governor Pritzker incapable of solving the real problems facing our state, but he is not even interested. Last year, Illinois lost more than 100,000 people and we lost a Congressional seat thanks to the continued population loss. JB Pritzker refuses to talk about these issues because to do so would indict his administration and his failed policies. The more the Governor tries to turn Illinois into a woke utopia, the more people flee our state for greener pastures elsewhere. The population loss is hurting our economy. It is hurting our schools and it is putting even more of a burden on the families still living in Illinois.
Every year Governor Pritzker has been in office he has signed a budget that sets a new record for spending and this year will be no exception. The new threshold is $50 billion up from $36 billion less than five years ago.
It is time to start asking the question – what are we getting with all of this state spending?
We have the second highest gas taxes in the country, the second highest property taxes, and we have the most units of local government in the entire country. All we have to show for this is the second highest unemployment rate in the nation, the worst credit rating of all 50 states and a dismal 30 percent of kids who can read at grade level. The real carnival barker is JB Pritzker who wants everyone to ignore the truth about his failed record. The state of the state is disrepair and disfunction courtesy of JB Pritzker.”
The Illinois Freedom Caucus is comprised of State Representatives Chairman Chris Miller (R-Oakland); Vice Chairman Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City); 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.
* Josh Evans, President & CEO of IARF…
“Today Governor JB Pritzker reminded us all of his Administration’s ongoing commitments to further strengthen disability and mental health services in our communities throughout Illinois. The Administration’s work with the General Assembly and our provider community, even through the most difficult days of the pandemic these last few years, has put our social safety net on a path to recovery. The days of budget stalemates and decades long austerity towards persons with disabilities and mental illnesses and those that support them are in the distant past.
His proposed $103 million in new spending on Direct Support Professional rates and increases for Early Intervention services shows his commitment to addressing the core issues facing access to disability services: recruiting and retaining crucial professional and paraprofessional staff. These investments form a strong foundation to improve on over the next few months in the final budget to realize the Governor’s vision of providing community services to an additional 700 adults and 500 children with disabilities.
The Governor is also seeking to address the needs of our children and youth in need of mental health supports through expansion of the Comprehensive Community Based Youth Services and helping families better navigate the often confusing bureaucracy to access services. This is a strong basis to advance further discussion on other capacity needs we must solve together to ensure Illinois’ children and youth can get the behavioral and disability supports they need here, not in other states.
While we thank Governor Pritzker for his continued clear commitment to a stronger social safety net, we know we have immediate rate issues that left unaddressed, will see 3.7 million in Direct Support Professional funded hours eliminated from the service array – an outcome that would substantially weaken the community-based disabilities services and one that we cannot accept. We’ve requested the Department of Human Services embrace a solution supported by all statewide organizations advocating on behalf of persons with developmental disabilities and support structures.
We now ask the General Assembly to build on this proposed budget and advance our legislation to increase the wage rate for Direct Support Professionals by $4 an hour to help address the workforce crisis Gov. Pritzker discussed today, as well as legislation increasing targeted crisis mental health service rates. We appreciate the leaders in the House and Senate who have been working to advance these ideas this session.
Let’s strengthen Illinois’ commitment to our disability and behavioral health workforce through adopting rates that allow our providers to offer competitive wages and benefits so we can meet our missions of helping persons with disabilities and serious mental illness thrive and be engaging members of our communities.”
* Illinois Education Association President Kathi Griffin…
“Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s budget address outlined programs that hold a lot of promise for students, and those who work with them, across the state of Illinois. The address increases funding for key programs, including: expanded preschool (Smart Start), a boost to evidence-based funding, money dedicated to help solve the teacher shortage, a $100 million increase in funding to higher education, increases to programs to help diversify the staff in schools in higher education institutions and a $100 million increase in grant funding to help pay for community college or university for those who might not otherwise be able to afford it.
IEA was pleased to see Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s plan to expand and extend preschool for Illinois’ youngest learners. Study after study has shown that the more children learn when they’re young, the more successful they are in school overall. The governor’s budget address today, which outlines his plan for expanding preschool, paying daycare and preschool workers more and funding building projects, bodes well for the youth of Illinois.
We were glad to see $350 million added to the Evidence-Based Funding Formula. However, it is important to note, according to a fall 2022 report by the Partnership for Equity and Education Rights Illinois and the Education Law Center, four out of five public schools in Illinois remain underfunded. There were also increases in career and technical education funding, computer science education, special education and transportation. And, one of the more exciting announcements was that $70 million per year will be allocated in the next three years to boosting the teacher pipeline to the districts that account for about 80 percent of all vacancies.
Higher education also received good news with both increases to funding for low-income students and an overall increase of $100 million to institutions that haven’t seen an increase so large since 2002.
While the governor has proposed reduced funding for the TRIP/TRAIL insurance programs that serve our retired educators in this budget, we are confident the sound fiscal management of these programs for the past several years will allow it to serve our members for generations to come. In fact, IEA has introduced Senate Bill 1749 that would allow vision and dental coverage for our retired members. Additionally, the IEA is firm in our belief that the benefits offered to our members in TRIP/TRAIL are protected by the “Pension Protection Clause” of the Illinois Constitution.
It is important to remember that the governor’s budget address is only a starting point for conversation – an outline of his vision for the state. IEA will continue to work throughout this legislative session to ensure our members and the students they educate will receive the funding needed to help students thrive.”
* A.J. Wilhelmi, President and CEO of the Illinois Health and Hospital Association…
“The Illinois Health and Hospital Association (IHA) echoes Gov. Pritzker’s gratitude for Illinois’ healthcare heroes, who continue to navigate the many challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“IHA commends the Governor for his support of Illinois hospitals and his steadfast commitment to funding programs that will enhance mental and behavioral health services and will help grow Illinois’ healthcare workforce.
“Despite the fiscal and workforce challenges, Illinois hospitals remain strong, viable and committed to providing safe, quality healthcare for all.
“IHA looks forward to working with Gov. Pritzker and the Illinois General Assembly to build a strong healthcare workforce and ensure access to healthcare in Illinois.”
* Asian American Legislative Caucus…
With more than 800,000 Asian Americans residing in Illinois who rely on the successful implementation of our state’s programs and services, we are encouraged by the Governor’s proposed FY 24 budget.
The Governor’s proposed investment in the Community Care Program that helps provide home care for seniors is a great starting point. Thousands of Asian American seniors rely on this program for culturally appropriate care that grants them the opportunity to live in their homes with dignity and respect.
Additionally, the Governor’s proposed funding for programs and services to serve our immigrant families reaffirms our steadfast commitment to ensuring that the state of Illinois remains the most welcoming state in the nation. We look forward to working with the Governor and our colleagues to ensure those dollars are breaking down language and digital barriers that members of our community face.
We are also encouraged by the investments in education, from child care assistance to early childhood and university, proposed by the Governor today. Working class and middle class families in the Asian American community will be given the education pathways needed to become successfully contributing members of our community.
Finally, the work that has been to balance our budget and put our state on solid fiscal footing while providing economic relief to our small businesses, many owned by Asian Americans, could not have been more important. We look forward to continuing to work with the Governor and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to provide Asian Americans equitable opportunities for grants, tax incentives, and technical assistance to continue providing goods and services all of our communities need.
* IFRA CEO Josh Sharp…
Governor Pritzker’s speech shows clearly where Illinois stands today. It’s true that Illinois is in a better place financially than it has been in for many years, and our leaders in Springfield are finally taking seriously our duty to pay down our debt and save some money in a rainy day fund as others states have made common practice.
But we know these times of strong revenue growth likely will not last, and we remain concerned about adding new spending and creating new programs without any guarantee we will be able to pay for them moving forward. We hope the Governor and legislators will approve a truly balanced budget this legislative session and exercise appropriate restraint while considering legislation that ultimately supports job growth and small businesses.
* Rep. Stephanie Kifowit (D-Oswego)…
“When I started my tenure as a State Representative under Governor Quinn, I had faith that the day will come when Illinois is a leader and a state to be proud of, but that it would take a lot of work from me, my colleagues in the General Assembly with whom I serve, and the Executive branch. Today is the day where all our hard work has made a significant difference in the direction of the state of Illinois.
“In recent years, we’ve taken decisive action to get our financial affairs in order. This has resulted in balanced budgets year after year, a multi-billion-dollar bill backlog being eliminated, less than 30 days accounts payables, multiple credit ratings upgrades and the reestablishment of a functional rainy-day fund.
“I look forward to reviewing the governor’s proposal in detail. As we continue to come out of the pandemic, this year’s budget process is an opportunity for us to address the challenges that families face and continue to improve the state of Illinois. The governor’s budget today reflects the values that we all strive for in the State of Illinois, but we also need to continue to be fiscally responsible for the future and not repeat the mistakes of the past. A balanced approach will further enable us to have greater flexibility to invest in issues that matter to families – especially education, public safety and essential services that our most vulnerable depend on.
“As the only female Veteran in the General Assembly, I continue to be committed to making sure our Servicemembers and Veterans are not left behind. Whether it’s aiding our elderly Veterans or helping returning Servicemembers with access to jobs and support, we must always honor and take care of our country’s heroes.
“Today’s address is the first step of the budget process, and I look forward to working with stakeholders and residents across Illinois to continue to move Illinois forward and make our residents proud of the state they live in.”
* Sen. Seth Lewis (R-Bartlett)…
“Illinois is located in the heart of the nation. It is a major transportation hub with state-of-the-art institutions and a remarkable and educated workforce. Our state is ripe for economic development, and we need to work in a bipartisan manner on policies that will grow our economy and create opportunities for future investment. Greatness is at our fingertips. We just need to ensure we have dedicated and existing funding streams to allocate toward policy ideals we all share, like public safety, education for kids, and providing services for the disabled, which have all been underfunded for years.
“The Governor presented some laudable goals today, but overall he proposed increasing permanent, year-to-year spending by $3 billion. As we head toward a likely recession, I was hoping to hear a speech that focused on controlled spending and fiscal restraint. Unfortunately, what we heard was a list of spending priorities that do not align with Illinois’ fiscal realities.
“I fear the Governor’s budget priorities are setting the stage for a massive tax increase in the very near future. My constituents are desperate for tax relief, and what I heard today was a recipe for a tax hike. Still, today’s speech is a starting point for discussions on the Fiscal Year 2024 budget. I look forward to a respectful give and take of ideas so we can come together on a spending plan that benefits all Illinoisans.”
* Rep. Bradley J. Fritts (R-Dixon)…
“I completely support the effort to expand funding offered to hospitals. Healthcare is critical, and many rural areas suffer the effects of minimal funding. Just last week, St. Margaret’s Hospital in Peru closed its doors. Now, some women in my district have to travel over an hour to reach a hospital to give birth safely. This is unacceptable, and I commend Governor Pritzker’s effort to assist the people of our state in accessing healthcare services.
“However, I am deeply concerned by the lack of economic growth discussed in his address. Our state is seeing a drastic decline in economic opportunity. Companies like Caterpillar, Citadel, and Boeing have all announced that they are leaving Illinois. People are fleeing our state, as Illinois has one of the highest rates of outward migration in the nation. Yet, there is no plan to remedy this situation.
“Governor Pritzker has proposed a 7.9% increase in state expenditures, yet our revenue is expected to fall by 2.8%. That is unsustainable and will only further burden the taxpayers in our state. This budget proposal is far from being balanced
“I came to Springfield to work each and every day for the people of my district and my state. I am willing to work across the aisle to fix these issues and bring fiscal responsibility back to our state.”
* Senate Republican Leader John Curran…
“Two years ago, the Governor and the Democratic Majority proposed the largest tax increase in Illinois history. The voters soundly rejected it. Last year, the Democratic Majority added another $4 billion in spending on top of the Governor’s proposed budget. This year, the Governor’s proposal seeks to build upon that spending. We must heed the warnings of Comptroller Mendoza and be disciplined in our fiscal approach at a time when we are likely to experience a recession. We must stop the Democratic Majority from spending us into a tax increase.
“That said, there are some opportunities to work together – especially on providing more access to early childhood education and childcare. However, I would like to see a greater prioritization for our developmentally disabled communities that continue to be massively underfunded.
“I look forward to working with the Governor and other leaders to share the Senate Republican priorities of creating more opportunities for Illinois families and businesses, funding public safety, and implementing structural reforms to ensure a more stable and prosperous Illinois.”
* Lawrence Benito, executive director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights…
“The state budget is a moral document that reflects the priorities of Illinois residents. Every year elected officials in Springfield have an opportunity to address inequities caused by long term disinvestment in already vulnerable communities.
“Over the course of decades, immigrants in Illinois have fought for and won appropriations for essential services that have made our state one of the most welcoming in the entire country. Because of our members’ on-the-ground experience working with vulnerable communities who are already excluded from many federal programs, we know what state resources are needed so that inequities can be addressed locally and our communities can thrive in Illinois.
“While the proposed funding for essential immigrant services in Governor Pritzker’s FY 2024 budget is a step in the right direction, we are committed to ensuring that at least $53 million is allocated to the Immigrant Services Line Item by the time the final budget is passed this session. Funding at $53 million will ensure that immigrant-serving community organizations across Illinois can continue to provide essential support to Illinois’ most vulnerable immigrant populations. These supports include direct cash assistance for immigrant families recovering from the pandemic; support for asylum seekers from Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Latin America; citizenship and DACA application fee waiver assistance; interpretation and translation services in 59 languages; and other supports.
“In addition to at least $53 million for the Immigrant Services Line Item, ICIRR members and our coalition partners are committed to ensuring that a state Child Tax Credit and healthcare for all Illinoisans regardless of immigration status are included in the final budget.
“Our members will be organizing in their communities and will be traveling to Springfield throughout the session to meet with legislators and the Governor’s office to secure their commitments for pro-immigrant appropriations in this year’s budget. Passing a budget that includes these essential services and pro-immigrant policies will ensure that Illinois remains one of the most welcoming states in the entire country.”
* Illinois Association for Behavioral Health CEO Jud DeLoss…
“We thank Governor Pritzker for highlighting mental health and substance use disorder services as well as reflecting on behavioral health’s impact within his own family” said DeLoss. “While we appreciate an incremental increase in the proposed budget, we will advocate vigorously to align spending with the speech’s ambitious sentiments.”
* The Responsible Budget Coalition…
As a coalition of the state’s leading advocacy, human service, community, and labor organizations, we judge any budget by these principles: It must contain adequate revenue, that revenue must be fairly raised, and it must avoid cuts to vital programs and services.
Sound fiscal management has put our state in a position to ensure the lowest-income earners have access to vital public services. The COVID-19 pandemic has made clear that to thrive, we must equip our society with the skills to respond, adapt, and innovate. Providing families and caregivers the necessary services and resources to succeed benefits everyone in Illinois.
We must be mindful of the revenue projections, which show a $384 million deficit in FY2025.
RBC will continue to work with legislative leaders to ensure Illinois stays on sound financial footing and meets the needs of its people. RBC will examine and propose revenue generators to provide the resources necessary to meet the needs of the people of Illinois.
We call on the General Assembly to work towards a budget that meets our moral commitment to
support Illinois’ lowest-income people.
* Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz (D-Glenview)…
“After paying down billions in debt early, replenishing our rainy-day fund and passing balanced budgets year after year, Illinois is sitting on its most stable fiscal foundation in years. Our numerous credit rating increases from Moody’s, S&P and Fitch are proof of that and the responsible budget we will soon pass is sure to bring more growth.
“Illinois’ financial strength provides an opportunity to make significant progress on a number of pressing issues for our community, especially public safety. The Protecting Illinois Communities Act was an important step forward but following tragic shootings like those we saw in Highland Park last Fourth of July, and just days ago at Michigan State University, it’s vital we appropriate significant funding to combat the epidemic of gun violence. To put a stop to this heartbreaking problem, I will advocate for funding dedicated to mental health services, community outreach programs and smart law enforcement practices.
“Too many young people are facing an increasingly competitive workplace without the assistance of higher education. In my position on the House Higher Education committee, I’ll push for necessary reforms and improvements for 4-year universities, vocational schools and community colleges.
“I am encouraged that Governor Pritzker’s budget proposal appropriate emphasis on education, particularly early childhood education, with the Smart Start initiative. Studies have shown that high quality early childhood education including pre-K, is among the most effective investments we can make in a child’s future. I look forward to reviewing the Governor’s proposal in greater detail as we move toward a vote.
“I am also pleased to see that the Governor’s priorities include efforts aimed at reducing poverty. I applaud his commitment to addressing food insecurity and homelessness, which disproportionately impact vulnerable and marginalized Illinoisans.”
* Karin Zosel, Executive Director of the Affordable Assisted Living Coalition…
“We commend the Governor for a proposed budget that recognizes the need to protect our seniors and people with disabilities and provides critical additional funding so that our coalition can provide the best care possible. As supportive living providers, we are entrusted to help protect and care for some of the most vulnerable people in Illinois. Through millions of new dollars provided through increased reimbursement rates and funding to grow our healthcare workforce, Illinois can continue to be a leading state in care for seniors and those with disabilities.
“With an enrollment now of over 3.7 million Illinoisians served through the Medicaid system, our state must make the proper investments in those who serve the Medicaid populations. As a coalition, we look forward to continuing to work with legislators and the Governor in our mission is to help residents and their loved ones live with the peace of mind that they have high-quality, affordable, and safe living environments.”
* Tim Ozinga (R-Mokena)…
“After months of record-high inflation, I was hopeful that Governor Pritzker’s budget would relieve struggling Illinois residents. Unfortunately, this budget proposal does the opposite and will require another tax increase to cover the ever-growing cost of new programs.”
“Year after year, we see the same empty promises have led to businesses and citizens fleeing the state of Illinois in droves. This out-of-control budget will only make it harder for the people of Illinois to get by. It’s time for the Governor to hold himself accountable for his hostile anti-business and anti-taxpayer policies and to make a change to help our state.”
* House Dems…
A strong, diverse coalition of House Democratic lawmakers will lead the Caucus’ effort to continue rebuilding Illinois’ fiscal house, make smart investments in critical services, and prioritize the needs of working families.
Following Gov. JB Pritzker’s Budget Address Wednesday, chief budgeteer and Speaker Pro Tempore Jehan Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria, announced members of the House Democratic Budget Working Group. The team will be led by Gordon-Booth, and include Majority Leader Robyn Gabel, D-Evanston; Assistant Majority Leader and House Revenue & Finance Chair Kelly Burke, D-Evergreen Park; Deputy Majority Leader Lisa Hernandez, D-Cicero; and Reps. Will Guzzardi, D-Chicago, and Mark Walker, D-Arlington Heights.
Appropriations committees will also lead efforts to review the governor’s proposed budget and the current Fiscal Year 2023 budget line-by-line to weigh expenses and determine future investments. Rep. Fred Crespo, D-Hoffman Estates, will lead the Appropriations-General Services Committee; Rep. Will Davis, D-East Hazel Crest, will lead the Appropriations-Elementary & Secondary Education Committee; Rep. La Shawn Ford, D-Chicago, will lead the Appropriations-Higher Education Committee; Rep. Camille Lilly, D-Chicago, will lead the Appropriations-Health & Human Services Committee; and Rep. Rita Mayfield, D-Waukegan, will lead the Appropriations-Public Safety Committee.
“Our budget is a reflection of our values, so it’s appropriate that our effort to build a smart, responsible, and compassionate budget is led by a group of dynamic and thoughtful lawmakers who look like Illinois and are ready to deliver for Illinois,” Gordon-Booth said. “We’ve made tremendous progress in rebuilding Illinois’ fiscal house over the past four years, and Governor Pritzker has laid out the work ahead of us. I look forward to a collaborative and inclusive process that brings this group, our appropriations committees, and our friends on the other side of the aisle together to work with stakeholders and develop a budget that is both fiscally and socially responsible.”
House Democrats will also convene a Medicaid Working Group to vet the number of introduced bills impacting Medicaid spending and guide policymaking during the upcoming Medicaid redetermination process, during which time enrollees must report their household income to renew eligibility.
The Medicaid Working Group will be led by Gabel, along with Gordon-Booth, Hernandez, and Lilly, and fellow members Rep. Dagmara ‘Dee’ Avelar, D-Bolingbrook; Rep. Terra Costa Howard, D-Glen Ellyn; Rep. Maura Hirschauer, D-Batavia; Rep. Lindsey LaPointe, D-Chicago, Rep. Anna Moeller, D-Elgin; Rep. Bob Rita, D-Blue Island; and Rep. Nick Smith, D-Chicago.
“Medicaid is a major segment of our budget, and our Medicaid policy is also a major part of our effort to be both responsible and compassionate,” Gabel said. “This group will bring diverse voices together to review legislation impacting Medicaid from all angles and contribute to a budget that invests in our immediate health and our long-term wellbeing.”
* Chicago Coalition for the Homeless…
Chicago Coalition for the Homeless (CCH) appreciates Governor Pritzker’s focus on addressing homelessness, housing, and poverty in his budget address and proposed Fiscal Year 2024 State of Illinois Budget. As the Governor stated in his address, “…we will have failed everyone in Illinois if we don’t place a higher priority on tackling poverty…” This proposed budget is a step in the right direction.
The Home Illinois initiative puts needed focus on addressing the needs of those experiencing homelessness and poverty. As the Governor noted, “In Illinois, Black people are eight times more likely to experience homelessness than white people…” and underlined tackling homelessness is fundamental to advancing racial equity. Moreover, he included people living doubled-up in his description of homelessness, which aligns with CCH’s annual estimate of homelessness for Illinois.
We are encouraged by the proposed investment in new funding to tackle homelessness. We look forward to working with the legislature and governor’s office to ensure the final budget includes increased funding for Emergency and Transitional Housing, Youth Homelessness, and Supportive Housing services. These funds can be used to make sure every person living in Illinois has a safe place to call their own along with supportive services to allow them to live independently. Homeless and housing providers have weathered the pandemic, changing their model to keep their clients, who are likely to be high-risk, safer. They have lost staff due to COVID as well as their inability to pay competitive wages.
The Governor’s proposal to increase the TANF monthly grant amount to 40% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) is a step in the right direction toward ending familial poverty in Illinois. The need is growing for Illinoisian families with the cost of living and prices soaring on basic but necessary items, and with the end of the emergency SNAP allotment families are looking for relief, especially those living in deep poverty. We encourage the legislature to work with the Governor’s office to include an increase in TANF to 50% of FPL to provide additional funds to pay off debt, to save, and to make the necessary purchases for their families.
The Governor and the General Assembly have shown through their actions over the past few years they want to invest in the needs of those that are too often pushed to the margins. We look forward to working with them this year to enact a 2024 budget that continues this work.
* University of Illinois…
The state budget proposed today by Gov. J.B. Pritzker would provide a 7% increase in general operating support for the University of Illinois System, increasing the system’s total general funds appropriation to $697.1 million for the coming fiscal year, and representing a vital reinvestment in public higher education that would build on last year’s appropriation increases.
“We share with the governor a vested interest in our state’s success, and higher education is a critical partner,” University of Illinois System President Tim Killeen said. “We are excited to see the governor’s strong support in today’s budget proposal. It represents a second consecutive year of needed reinvestment in our public colleges and universities. This funding would help enhance the world-class education and experiences of our students, the workforce of the future.”
The governor also recommended a $100 million increase for the state’s Monetary Award Program (MAP), to $701 million. About 44 percent of all resident undergraduate students across the U of I System universities receive MAP aid.
“Programs like MAP and the state’s AIM High grants are important tools to support our efforts to increase access and affordability, keeping more of our students in the state of Illinois,” Killeen added. “We appreciate the governor’s leadership in making higher education the important priority that it deserves to be. We are eager to work with the governor and General Assembly members from across the state to ensure an exciting future for the state of Illinois.”
* Rep. Jackie Haas (R-Kankakee)…
“Illinois families are fighting uphill battles on many fronts and this budget proposal does nothing to address it. When our residents see in their household budgets that they’re spending more than they’re making, they cut costs and make sacrifices. Lawmakers could learn a thing or two from our constituents, and that should show in this budget proposal. Increased funding pressures will drive deficit spending, increasing taxes and not addressing our dreadful fiscal climate.”
* IL Action for Children…
“It is clear from today’s budget address that Governor Pritzker gets it,” said IAFC CEO April Janney. “He understands that it takes a comprehensive commitment—investing in education and other programs that reduce poverty, foster health and well-being—to make meaningful change.”
* Doug Kenshol, co-founder of the Illinois Shelter Alliance and Executive Director of South Suburban PADS…
On behalf of the Illinois Shelter Alliance, I want to thank Governor Pritzker for his transformative and lifesaving leadership.
We applaud Governor Pritzker for including preventing and ending homelessness as one of the key budget priorities in his fiscal year 2024 budget proposal, as evidenced by the $350 million in state and federal funding dedicated to the HOME Illinois plan.
Members of our coalition especially appreciate that the summary of the HOME Illinois plan states that it includes, “$155 million to support unhoused populations seeking shelter and services, inclusive of $55 million to the Emergency and Transitional Housing Program.”
In addition, the Governor has proposed increased general revenue spending and other funding increases for priorities that prevent people from ever needing shelter, as well as being able to more easily access permanent housing, so that individuals and families are in shelter for as brief a time as possible.
These investments include funding for homelessness prevention, shelter diversion, rapid rehousing, permanent supportive housing, street outreach, medical respite and other critical needs.
Governor Pritzker’s leadership will save lives.
This proposed funding will not end homelessness in Illinois, but it will generate a great deal of momentum towards that end.
At present, every day 3,000 to 4,000 people cannot access safe shelter in Illinois. This includes women fleeing domestic violence, families with young children, veterans, and people who are medically vulnerable. Their lives and health are at risk and many will eventually be hospitalized due to frostbite, flu and other preventable illnesses.
Many served by the Emergency and Transitional Housing Program are children. The most recent state data shows that 1 out of every 4 people served by funded agencies was a child under the age of 18. About half of those children were 5 years old or younger.
The State of Illinois’ own December 2022 analysis shows that we need 4,551 additional shelter beds across the state, a 67% increase. To make matters worse, during the remainder of 2023, we are at serious risk of losing up to 1,600 beds as federal pandemic relief funding comes to an end.
We will continue to advocate with the General Assembly to support the Governor’s proposed increases and the additional resources needed to make sure everyone in Illinois has a home.
Our request for $61 million in Emergency and Transitional Housing Program funding was originally outlined in a letter sent to Governor Pritzker in December. The funding request has been endorsed by over 255 organizations, including: the Illinois Association of Medicaid Health Plans, Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Catholic Conference of Illinois, Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, Cook County Health, Housing Action Illinois, Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, Illinois Shelter Alliance, and many other health, religious and housing advocates. Today’s proposal represents significant progress towards meeting immediate crisis needs.
Governor Pritzker has stated that “shelter is not a privilege—it’s a right.” Now, we need the General Assembly’s assistance to approve the funding the Governor has requested.
We look forward to working with the Governor Pritzker’s administration, members of the General Assembly and others to fully develop the details of the HOME Illinois plan to ensure that resources effectively reach those who need shelter and housing.
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* I asked John to double-check the numbers, but he did one better and triple-checked them…
That works out to 56 percent.
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GOMB’s budget book and budget summary
Wednesday, Feb 15, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Click here for the full GOMB operating budget book. [Adding: The full speech is here.] And here are excerpts from the governor’s budget office summary…
FY23 General Funds revenue forecast is revised to $51.359 billion, a $1.24 billion revision upwards from November 2022 forecast. […]
FY23 and FY24 revenue forecast built on IHS December economic forecast
Assumption of mild recession in CY2023, delayed from earlier forecasts
A 2023 recession would impact FY24 revenues
✓ General Funds FY24 revenues are estimated to total $49.944 billion, a $1.4 billion, or 2.8%, decrease from revised FY23 estimates.
✓ FY24 individual income taxes are forecasted to grow $778 million, 3.3%, due to moderating growth assumptions.
✓ Corporate income tax forecast assumes lower corporate profits in CY23
✓ General funds sales tax growth almost flat due to continued phase-in of shift of motor fuel sales taxes to Road Fund.
✓ Transfers-in are expected to drop by $1.279 billion due to the one-time nature of certain FY23 transfers.
✓ Federal revenue forecast essentially flat from FY23.
✓ Proposed FY24 General Funds expenditures total $49.642 billion, a $349 million (0.7%) decrease from FY23 estimated spending. […]
✓ Estimated FY23 budgetary surplus of $1.368 billion
✓ $1.174 billion will be set aside in Budget Stabilization Fund
✓ Reflects amount after proposed spring supplemental appropriations of $490 million and proposed set asides for pensions and early childhood capital
✓ Estimated FY24 budgetary surplus of $303 million, with an estimated $138 million reserved in the Budget Stabilization Fund.
* Rainy day fund…
✓ Under current statute, another $138 million is estimated to be deposited in FY24.
✓ In FY24, the UI Trust Fund is expected to make the first repayment from the State’s 2023 loan of $450 million.
✓ As that amount is repaid, the balance in the Budget Stabilization Fund will grow to over $2.3 billion.
* Walkdowns…
* Pensions…
✓ The FY24 budget proposal fully funds the certified pension contribution of $9.8 billion from the General Funds.
✓ The Governor proposes to contribute an additional $200 million this year, on top of the $500 million added in FY22 and FY23 – which reduces liability by an estimated $2.4 billion.
* Continuing debt paydown…
FY24:
Proposed Railsplitter bonds defeasance $450 million
Estimated Accounts Payable Reduction $50 million
* DCFS…
FY24 Proposed Budget: $2.0 billion All Funds, including $1.381 billion General Funds (up $54.6 million)
✓ Continues rate reform for private sector providers in order to address the staffing shortages of social service workers at DCFS partner agencies.
✓ Focuses on protecting DCFS workers, with $10 million for Lone Worker Safety Devices for emergency communication, and supportive partnership contracts with local sheriff offices to enhance safety protocols and acquisition and training in the use of personal protection OC (pepper) spray.
✓ Funding to hire an additional 192 staff to support DCFS caseloads.
✓ Includes $41 million increase for the main rollout of the Comprehensive Child Welfare Information System
✓ Includes $30 million for Level of Care Support Services capital grants to providers which will help increase capacity for youth placement in the most clinically appropriate settings.
✓ Provides $2 million for an additional 130 scholarship awards to support youth or former youth in DCFS care to attend a public university in Illinois.
* K-12…
FY24 ISBE Proposed Budget: $18.839 billion All Funds, $10.328 billion General Funds ($571.5 million ISBE General Funds increase)
✓ Increases Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) $350 million
✓ $1.443 billion increase to the base during the Pritzker Administration
✓ Additional resources of $4 billion in EBF over 5 years ✓ Includes an $86.4 million increase, for a total of $1.116 billion in grants for transportation and special education grants
✓ Funding the launch of a three-year pilot program to direct $70 million per year towards improving the teacher pipeline
✓ Allocated to 170 school districts that represent more than 80 percent of all teacher vacancies, with over 2,800 combined vacancies
✓ Formula driven grants for creative solutions
✓ Includes $3 million for computer science education investments to promote equitable access to coursework
* Higher education…
FY24 Proposed Budget: $2.47 billion General Funds ($219 million General Funds increase)
✓ Increases Monetary Award Program (MAP) funding - $100 million
✓ Increases total MAP funding to $701 million, a 75% increase in 5 years
✓ Allows nearly all community college students and 40% of public university students at or below median income levels to have their tuition and fees covered through MAP and Pell Grants.
✓ Provides a 7 percent increase for public universities and community college operations - $100 million
✓ Includes new funding to support community college investments, including:
✓ $8.3 million for dual credit and non-credit workforce grant programs
✓ $11 million for development of advanced manufacturing, EV technology, and data center workforce training programs
✓ $750,000 to expand English language services
✓ An additional $2.8 million for the Minority Teacher Scholarship program
✓ Includes continued funding of $25 million for the Pipeline for the Advancement of the Healthcare (PATH)
Workforce Program
* Homelessness…
HOME ILLINOIS, housed at Department of Human Services, will target the prevention of homelessness, provide crisis response, expand housing support and increase job opportunities for the homeless. DHS, in conjunction with many other state agencies, will invest new dollars to bring total funding to more than $350 million, including:
✓ $26 million to provide homeless prevention services to 5,000 more families
✓ $30 million to maintain court-based rental assistance
✓ More than $155 million to support unhoused populations seeking shelter and services ✓ Provide $25 million in Rapid Re-housing services to 1,000 households
✓ $40 million for Permanent Supportive Housing
✓ Will support development of over 90 new permanent supportive housing units providing households with long-term rental assistance, case management, and supportive services
✓ $12.5 million to create 500 new scattered site permanent supportive housing units
✓ $37 million for Emergency Shelter Capital to create over 460 non-congregate shelter units
✓ $30 million to provide street outreach, medical respite and other shelter diversion supports
✓ $5 million for a new workforce development pilot to help homeless adults attain and retain employment
* DHS…
FY24 Proposed Budget: $13.435 billion All Funds, $6.344 billion General Funds
✓ Provides over $2 billion for services for people with developmental disabilities (DD) in support of the Ligas consent decree.
The FY24 budget proposes a nearly $200 million increase to support these services, including:
✓ $63.1 million to implement an accelerated timeline of changes following the Guidehouse rate recommendations beginning January 1, 2024, including a $1.50 per hour increase for Direct Service Providers (DSP) and regionalization of rates for Day Services.
✓ $56.7 million to annualize the cost of FY23 Guidehouse rate increases
✓ $26 million is included for continued compliance with the Ligas Consent Decree including $12 million to annualize FY23 placements and $14 million for 700 new placements
✓ $19.3 million to increase staffing by 330 at state DD facilities
✓ $27.6 million to adjust for the SSI increase of 8.9% for Home and Community Based Waiver
✓ Includes Home Illinois, the Governor’s initiative to address homelessness additional funds for shelter diversion, emergency and transitional housing and scattered site supportive housing.
✓ $50 million increase to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, including funds to increase the monthly grant payment from 30% of Federal Poverty Level (FPL) to 40%.
✓ Funds the Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation with $10 million for Comprehensive Community Based Youth Services (CCBYS) expansion and $1.5 million for a care intake portal.
✓ An additional $245 million into Early Childhood to support Smart Start Illinois described earlier, including:
✓ $40 million for growth in the Early Intervention Program and for a 10 percent Early Intervention rate increase ✓ $5 million to expand the Home Visiting Program
✓ $20 million to upgrade the childcare tracking system
✓ $50 million for annualization and caseload growth in the Child Care program
✓ $130 million to support childcare classrooms
✓ Funds the Home Services Program with an additional $30.8 million to address growing caseloads and $10 million to support the Paid Leave For All Workers Act within the program.
✓ Supports mental health through a $32.5 million increase for forensic inpatient and outpatient services and support of the Williams and Colbert consent decrees.
* HFS…
FY24 Proposed Budget: $37.188 billion All Funds, including $9.070 billion General Funds
✓ FY24 Medicaid liability is projected to total $25.88 billion all funds, approximately 1.2% growth
✓ Total enrollment is projected at more than 3.7 million Illinoisans
✓ Adapts to the end of the federal public health emergency
✓ With the end of the federal continuous enrollment requirement, HFS will begin reviewing eligibility of those enrolled in spring 2023
✓ $8 million for a Ready to Renew Campaign to help Medicaid customers maintain their coverage or transition to other health insurance
✓ Budget reflects the fiscal impact of the phase-out of enhanced federal Medicaid matching funds beginning this spring
✓ Includes funding to raise the asset limit to $17,500 for senior enrollees or those with a disability (AABD) which brings this asset limit in line with those used by the Community Care Program and the Home Services Program– the first adjustment since the 1980s
✓ Includes $100 million for increases in reimbursement rates for providers
✓ Directs funding over several years to preserve and grow the healthcare workforce, focusing on Medicaid providers and providers in rural areas and other underserved areas of the state - $450 million
* IDPH…
FY24 Proposed Budget: $1.976 billion All Funds, $277.9 million General Funds
Recognizing the importance of public health planning and investments:
✓ Provides $45 million to support critical IT replacement for Illinois’ National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (INEDSS) and Long-Term Care systems
✓ Provides $8.5 million to respond to unexpected public health threats and emergencies
✓ Directs $7 million to improve public health communications in order to reduce health disparities
✓ Includes $18 million to support reproductive health initiatives, including:
✓ $10 million for public facing navigation hotline to centralize and streamline appointment making ✓ $1 million for primary care training to increase accessibility
✓ $5 million for learning/training collaborative for providers
✓ $2 million for a specialty consult program for at risk patients
✓ Provides an additional $5 million from tobacco settlement funds to support safe-to-sleep, asthma and Quitline programs
✓ $3 million for the Equity and Representation in Health Care Workforce loan repayment and scholarship programs
✓ $2 million to confront the social and environmental factors that contribute to health and racial inequality
✓ $2 million for mental health training for front-line workers in the pediatric field
✓ $2 million for Alzheimer’s disease outreach, research, care and support
✓ $2.5 million for the Community Health Worker certification program
✓ $1 million to improve collection and distribution of public health data
There’s more, so click here.
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Consistent, they are not
Wednesday, Feb 15, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From an October story about then-Sen. Darren Bailey’s gubernatorial campaign…
Bailey earlier this month wouldn’t say if he’s vaccinated against COVID-19. “I don’t think that’s anyone’s business to know,” he said. “That’s my personal health. No, you don’t … need to know what’s going on there.”
* Today, however, Darren Bailey is demanding that somebody else fully disclose their personal health details…
Ridic.
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* Lee Newspapers…
However, the rollout of the new pre-K initiative confirms that Pritzker, after years of holding the line on the creation of new spending programs, has green-lit outlays that extend beyond the next fiscal year.
This reflects growing optimism about the fiscal condition of the state. Illinois has experienced a series of credit rating upgrades and run budget surpluses in the past couple of years, buoyed by robust post-pandemic revenue growth in income and sales taxes, and federal stimulus funds.
This strong revenue performance led the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability and the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget to revise their revenue estimates $4.9 billion and $3.7 billion higher, respectively, for fiscal year 2023.
These unanticipated revenues have given Pritzker a level of budget flexibility that no governor has had in more than two decades.
* Tribune…
The difference between then and now, Pritzker said, is that the state’s financial picture has significantly improved since he took office four years ago. That’s a theme he highlighted heavily in his reelection campaign and one he’s certain to revisit in his speech Wednesday.
“Budgets were unbalanced back then. And that’s not the case anymore,” Pritzker said.
“Our budgets have been balanced and we’ve been running surpluses. We’re in a much better fiscal position today,” he said. “And so when I say that we’re aiming to continue to invest in early childhood, it’s based on the knowledge that we finally have our fiscal house in order and we ought to be investing in — and this is just one area — but we ought to be investing in this.”
The state has paid off major pandemic related debts, including a $4.5 billion hole in its unemployment insurance trust fund. It has also received credit upgrades from the three major ratings agencies and socked away $1 billion in its historically anemic rainy day fund.
* AP…
“There are so many different programs that are meritorious but when you have limited funds … for this next year, they’re looking pretty good, but we always need to err on the conservative side of not spending everything,” Democratic Comptroller Susana Mendoza said. “Hope for the best, but plan for the worst.”
Mendoza said education is an area where additional spending is called for, but she would like to see better funding of needs-based college grants.
* Crain’s…
Pritzker shrugged off suggestions from Comptroller Susana Mendoza, who oversees state expenditures, that Illinois should avoid starting new programs now, given economic weakness and hints that a recession is near, and instead focus on proven winners, such as the popular MAP college scholarship program.
“Forecast revenue coming into Fiscal ‘27 is continuing to be good,” said the governor, and the budgets he has implemented “have been conservative.”
Besides, he added, Mendoza’s duties do not include making revenue forecasts.
* From yesterday’s Q&A…
Q: Comptroller Susana Mendoza said she doesn’t think the state is in a position to take on new spending new programs that require perpetual funding into the future. Do you disagree with that assessment? And why so?
Pritzker: I’d point out two things. She doesn’t do the revenue estimates for the state. Never has. And she is proposing her own idea for increased spending.
But I would point out that COGFA and GOMB both have been relatively in agreement over the last couple or few years. That’s unusual, and that in the end, those estimates have been conservative. So the goal here, has been my goal every year, balance the budget. And if we can, use surpluses to pay off debt. And that’s what we’ve done every single year. So, I’m in agreement with her about wanting to increase MAP grant funding. But you know, she hasn’t seen the revenue estimates or counted that into the forecast of whether she thinks we have dollars available to put into our operating budget. […]
Q: So, GOMB had, last I checked in November, projected a $384 million deficit FOR 2025. Does this add to that?
Pritzker: No. And to be clear, as you know, the estimates are made every year for five years hence. And I’ve been working very hard to make sure that we’re not going to have deficits going forward. And it appears that we’re doing better than expected.
I guess I would point out one other thing, which is I think you already know this, Jerry, But I’ll I’ll repeat it for everybody. As you know, we did some reform in the tax code over the last few years That’s really enhanced our revenue separate and apart from the increased economic activity and the growing economy that we’ve seen. And that is we passed a ‘Wayfair decision’ change to our sales tax which leveled the playing field for online purchases and small business purchases across Illinois. And then we as you know, last year a big fight over this, closing corporate loopholes in Illinois. When you add those two, plus the increased revenue that we’ve seen from cannabis sales, we’ve seen significantly more revenue and I would call them new sources. And the result of that is what’s providing us the ability to continue to invest in the important things that we need. […]
Q: Was this [early childhood proposal] a plan that got delayed due to the pandemic?
A: My first year in office, I arrived, the cupboards were bare. Let’s be clear that, historically, the state had been running deficits, although they would smooth them over each year and make it look balanced. And I pointed that out in a report that I put out when I first came into office that there was almost a $3 billion structural deficit.
Pritzker: So immediately upon coming into office, there was not an opportunity to make big leaps forward anywhere across state government. But this is an area I care passionately about and so nevertheless put $50 million more into the budget and have tried to do that each year over the last four years and again, with all the challenges of COVID collectively with the challenges of overcoming a structural deficit, we nevertheless had put more than $100 million more into early childhood. So now we’re going to be at $179 million after this new $75 [million] in prepK. And that’s just in pre-K, those dollars going into the early childhood block grant program. If you want to call it a delay, you can because I would have done it in year one if the dollars had been available to do it. But I’ve been prudent about how we’ve been spending our money in the state. And there are a lot of areas that need investment. I mean things have really been hollowed out. So I know that’s maybe a longer winded answer than you were looking for. But, yeah, the delays have been because we’ve been getting our budgets straight and managing to balance it every year. And now we have the dollars available to make this kind of leap forward because of prudent fiscal management.
Please pardon all transcription errors.
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* Sun-Times…
The governor’s goal for the program, dubbed Smart Start Illinois, is to ultimately add an additional 20,000 preschool seats within four years. The program is aimed at accessibility for low-income families, but school availability will also play a role in what areas will see seats. […]
“It’s the capacity building, as well as the making sure that we’re actually paying for each of the kids that otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford it.”
Chicago already offers free preschool for four-year-olds in 64 of the city’s 77 community areas, but a WBEZ analysis last year showed Chicago Public Schools has struggled to fill all the classrooms it has invested in, in low-income areas with the greatest academic and social needs. The pandemic made it worse. With less than a week before classes began last fall, 4,200 seats for 4-year-olds were unfilled.
But Pritzker emphasized some areas of the state have waiting lists for preschool.
“There’s some places where it’s impossible for a parent to get child care or preschool, either because all the spots are filled within a reasonable distance, or because there just isn’t a provider,” Pritzker said. “That’s the case in many downstate communities, and so we’re trying to cover all of those early childhood deserts.”
* WTTW…
Republicans are on board with focusing on early childhood education in concept. House Minority Leader Tony McCombie said in a lot of places, particularly rural areas, parents can’t work because there aren’t preschools or daycares to care for their children.
McCombie said in cases, that’s due to overly burdensome state regulations that make running a daycare too expensive.
A lack of workers is also a problem.
McCombie said writing a check alone won’t solve the issue, but money is an issue, too.
* Tribune…
“I have been involved in this arena for more than 20 years before I became governor, and I believe strongly that this is the best investment you can make in government, in fact, because of the return on investment,” said Pritzker, a billionaire heir to the Hyatt Hotels fortune who focused much of his philanthropic activity on early childhood education and health initiatives. […]
Pritzker made clear he is not proposing a universal publicly-funded preschool program.
“We’re not paying for kids who are wealthy. … I paid for my kids to go to preschool,” Pritzker said. “But we need to have spots available for them. … It’s the capacity building, as well as making sure that we’re actually paying for each of the kids that otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford it.”
The goal, according to Pritzker spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh, is to eliminate “preschool deserts, so that every family who chooses to put their child into pre-K has a spot available.”
* ChalkBeat…
Pritzker is proposing a four-year plan he’s calling Start Smart Illinois that will create 20,000 additional seats for 3- and 4-year-olds in preschool programs. Just over 76,000 students are currently enrolled in pre-K in Illinois public schools.
Pritzker is seeking a $75 million increase to the Illinois State Board of Education’s Early Childhood Block Grant to create 5,000 new preschool spots for children this coming school year. The Illinois Department of Human Services will receive a $40 million increase for early intervention programs that support children with disabilities under the age of 3, $5 million more for the home visiting program, and $70 million more for the Child Care Assistance Program — which didn’t see an increase in the state’s 2023 budget. That department will also receive $20 million to upgrade its payment system for providers.
Smart Start Illinois includes two entirely new initiatives. The first — a $130 million effort called the Childcare Workforce Compensation Contracts — is aimed at increasing the salaries of child care workers and bringing more educators into the field. The other is a $100 million Early Childhood Construction Grant Program to help child care providers improve building and facilities that they use. […]
Early childhood education advocates are pushing the state to increase funding for early education and child care by 20% — or $120 million — to help increase compensation for workers, who are predominantly women or color, and to address access gaps around the state. The State Board of Education proposed a 10% — or $60 million — increase for the early childhood education block grant in January during a monthly board meeting. Pritzker’s plan would fall in between the two figures.
* Dot points from the governor’s office…
Governor Pritzker is proposing Smart Start Illinois, a multi-year plan to ensure families raising our youngest Illinoisans have access to the intervention, education, and care they need before reaching kindergarten.
Smart Start Illinois
• Provide every Illinois child with access to a pre-school spot if they want one.
• Uplift Illinois’ childcare system by providing predictable funding to increase wages and quality
of care.
• Reach thousands more with early support and resources.
• Invest in new early childhood facilities and expand existing locations.
Smart Start Illinois begins with a $250 million investment in the Governor’s fiscal year 2024 proposed budget, including:
* Additional $75 million for the Early Childhood Block Grant at ISBE to create 5,000 preschool spots this year and put Illinois on a path towards creating a spot for every child who wants one
* $130 million to begin funding first-in-the-nation Childcare Workforce Compensation Contracts to bring stability to the field and give childcare workers a raise
* $40 million increase for early intervention programs to maintain services for vulnerable children and families and give providers a raise
* $5 million to expand DHS’ Home Visiting Program to reach families in need of support
The Governor is also proposing additional early childhood education funding, including:
* $100 million in to improve early childhood provider buildings and facilities, doubling the
state’s initial investment in the Early Childhood Constriction Grant Program
* $70 million to cover increased Childcare Assistance Program (CCAP) participation
* Governor Pritzker previously raised the CCAP income eligibility limit to include families with incomes below 225% of the federal poverty level, increasing the number of children served by up to 20,000
* $20 million for DHS to revamp the payment system to providers
Discuss.
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Open thread
Wednesday, Feb 15, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Good morning! What’s up? Please keep it Illinois-centric…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Wednesday, Feb 15, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Here you go…
* Chalkbeat | Gov. J.B. Pritzker renews pre-K expansion push with 2024 budget proposing $250 million increase: “I would have done it in year one if the dollars had been available to do it,” Pritzker said Tuesday in a briefing with reporters. He said enhancing early childhood care and education is a “win-win” that will remobilize the workforce and boost the state’s economy “now and in the decades ahead.”
* Crain’s | Pritzker unveiling $500M plan to spur early childhood care, education: Past research has shown that money spent on youth development saves or generates $7 in the long run for every $1 spent now, Pritzker told reporters at an embargoed preview briefing yesterday.
* Sun-Times | Pritzker’s budget to provide preschool for 5,000 children ‘to cover all of those early childhood deserts’: Chicago already offers free preschool for four-year-olds in 64 of the city’s 77 community areas, but a WBEZ analysis last year showed Chicago Public Schools has struggled to fill all the classrooms it has invested in, in low-income areas with the greatest academic and social needs. The pandemic made it worse. With less than a week before classes began last fall, 4,200 seats for 4-year-olds were unfilled.
* Tribune | Gov. J.B. Pritzker pitches $75 million boost for preschool, a small step toward his goal of making early education available to all: The second-term Democrat is set to unveil the plan, dubbed “Smart Start Illinois,” as part of his $49.6 billion spending proposal for the next budget year. Pritzker will deliver a combined budget and State of the State speech at noon in the Illinois House chamber, marking the first time he has addressed a full joint session of the state House and Senate since before the coronavirus was declared a pandemic in 2020.
* WTTW | Pritzker to Outline Vision for Illinois in Budget, State of the State Address: Although Illinois doesn’t have the best fiscal reputation — with $140 billion owed to government pension systems, the state carries the baleful title of the most underfunded pensions in the nation — Comptroller Susana Mendoza said things are actually going pretty well. She said the state has received six credit upgrades that prove it and that Illinois is up to date paying its bills.
* SJ-R | Here’s how to watch and other details about Gov. Pritzker’s State of the State address: This year’s address is scheduled to start at noon and will return to the House chamber for the first time in two years — being held last year at the Old State Capitol and virtually in 2021 because of the pandemic. Watch the address live online at www.ilga.gov.
* Center Square | Some worry Illinois schools underperforming despite increased funding: Illinois’ evidence-based K-12 schools funding model aims to send more state resources to areas determined to be “under-resourced.” On Tuesday, the Illinois House Appropriations committee met with school and tax advocates to discuss the future of the model ahead of budget season.
* WSIU | Newly signed laws include creation of tourism districts, criminal justice reforms: The laws passed the General Assembly in their recently concluded lame duck legislative session in January, and Pritzker’s signature came less than a week before his budget address, scheduled for Wednesday at the Capitol.
* WTVO | Illinois House GOP unveils legislative priorities: “Republicans are here to work and these groups reflect not only that commitment but also our governing priorities,” McCombie said. “We are ready to be part of the solution on some of our state’s biggest challenges. These working groups are our first steps toward solving the problems impacting residents throughout Illinois.”
* Bloomberg | Survey Fatigue Threatens to Undermine US Economic Data: No harm will likely come from you declining to rate your dining experience or refusing to take part in an opinion poll. Where survey fatigue may pose a real threat is in government statistics that everyone from policymakers at the Federal Reserve to traders on Wall Street to C-suite executives rely on.
* Effingham Radio | State Representative David Friess Joins Illinois Freedom Caucus: Friess said he joined the Illinois Freedom Caucus because not only does the group stand in opposition to bad policy ideas but they also stand for concrete solutions to change Illinois for the better.
* WMBD | IL Senate Republicans want Pritzker to propose energy relief in budget address: “This is a significant crisis. It is a serious crisis,” said Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet), at a State Capitol news conference Tuesday. “Families cannot afford what is happening to them. If you saw the inflation report (Monday), far from inflation coming down, it is still over six percent.”
* Sun-Times | Ex-Bloomingdale Township highway commissioner gets prison for kickback scheme: Robert Czernek got more than three years in prison in bill-padding scam that bilked west suburban township out of more than $500,000.
* My Journal Courier | Task force pulls 13 tons of drugs off streets last year — 3 of them in this area: Almost a quarter of narcotics seized last year by multi-jurisdictional task forces in the state came from the area that includes Morgan, Cass, Sangamon and four neighboring counties.
* Pantagraph | New Illinois state energy project standards welcomed by some, resisted by others: Interest in new renewable projects in Illinois has been palpable since the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act was signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker in September 2021. The law aims to get the state to 100% carbon-free energy generation by 2050 by, among other things, upping annual state subsidies for wind and solar projects by $350 million. “I know there’s a lot of controversy over turbines right now,” Cox told Lee Enterprises. “But a lot of people don’t understand that this is our business and this is our livelihood. And that it’s gonna happen. The turbines are coming to Illinois because of (CEJA).”
* Shaw Local | State can’t close Choate before putting Plan B into effect: The Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center in downstate Anna falls under the brightest spotlight, and the details in a Friday report published on the Capitol News Illinois website are staggering. A salute to the reporters who filed Freedom of Information Act request to access eight Department of Human Services inspector general reports, but these terrible details were long known inside state government and yet we wait for appropriate response.
* Tribune | Emergency SNAP benefits are ending. Here’s what that means for Chicago families.: Since early in the pandemic, families in Illinois have received emergency SNAP allotments on top of their typical benefits. In March, benefits will return to their pre-pandemic levels, though grocery prices remain high, climbing 11.3% in January over the same period the year prior, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
* Lake County News-Sun | Millburn D24 school board blasted for ‘transphobic’ fuss over menstrual products in boys bathrooms; ‘Where is all this hate coming from?’: On Jan. 23, members of the board went into a 90-minute discussion over the installation of menstrual hygiene product dispensers in boys bathrooms in accordance with Illinois law, with a majority of the board taking issue with the move.
* Crain’s | Typical Chicago worker spends $2,387 less near office than before pandemic, study says: Compared to 2019, the average Chicago office worker is spending $2,387 less on meals, shopping and entertainment near their workplace, the researchers found. That dropoff is smaller than many other U.S. cities, including New York City ($4,661), Los Angeles ($4,200), Washington, D.C. ($4,051), and Atlanta ($3,938), among others.
* Sun-Times | City’s first Black-owned, independent weed shop opens in Logan Square: The Grasshopper Club is a family business run by Mount Carmel graduate Matthew Brewer, his brother, Chuck, and their mother, Dianne.
* The Root | Kanye West’s Antisemitic Comments Have Led to Real-World Consequences: Per the report, since October, there have been more than 10,000 Twitter mentions referencing the “Ye is Right” slogan, and they have reached at least six million users and have gotten more than 22,000 likes and 5,000 retweets.
* USA Today | Super Bowl 57 averages 113 million viewers, third most-watched television show in history: Super Bowl 49, which featured the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks, remains the most-viewed program in television history. That game, also played in Glendale, Arizona, was watched by 114.4 million viewers and was highlighted by Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler intercepting Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson at the 1-yard line with 26 seconds remaining to preserve the 28-24 victory for New England.
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Live coverage
Wednesday, Feb 15, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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