* The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability hired the actuarial firm Segal to look at “safe harbor” questions surrounding the Tier 2 pension systems. The report was written by Senior Vice President & Consulting Actuary Matthew Strom…
As requested, we are providing narrative and analysis regarding the impact of changes to the projected costs of the Teachers’ Retirement System of the State of Illinois (TRS), State Employees’ Retirement System of Illinois (SERS), and State Universities Retirement System of Illinois (SURS), based on potential benefit formula changes needed to maintain exemption from Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) taxes.
* Tier 1 survives the test, of course. Not so with Tier 2…
• The following benefit formulas do not satisfy a safe harbor under the applicable IRS regulations
As such, individual testing may be required.
* Important point…
Note that the sample safe harbor tests shown in this letter (as defined below for FICA purposes) are included for illustrative purposes only. Neither Segal nor CoGFA is in possession of the data needed to determine the number of members who are not in compliance with the current safe harbor provisions. It is our understanding that, ultimately, it is the responsibility of the individual employers within each System to determine whether they qualify for exemption from FICA taxes.
* What that individual testing means…
The IRS has provided guidance on determining whether a system’s benefits are comparable to Social Security in Revenue Procedure 91-40. The guidance provides for three levels of testing:
• If the benefit provisions meet certain requirements, then the System qualifies under a safe harbor and no further testing is required.
• If the System does not satisfy the safe harbor requirements, then individual testing can be performed to confirm that the benefits for active members of an employer meet the minimum benefit requirements.
• Treas. Reg. 31.3121(b)(7)-2(e)(2) permits employers to compare the actual retirement benefits accrued by Tier 2 members to the estimated retirement benefits such members would receive from Social Security on an individual-by-individual basis. If the System’s benefit were greater for some or all Tier 2 members, those Tier 2 members would continue to be exempt from FICA taxes.
* Anyway, much actuarial language later, you get to the bottom line cost to put the pension systems in compliance…
Change in Total State Contributions Through FY2045 $5.606 billion
That works out to about $254.82 million a year if Illinois changed the program this year. The annual cost grows with any delays, of course, and it will grow because the budget has already been approved. A $2.1 billion up-front payment would wipe out the debt, but that isn’t likely.
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Afternoon roundup
Thursday, Jun 8, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Center Square…
The Illinois Psychiatric Society is offering a blueprint of policy pillars to drive conversations about the needs to treat the mentally ill.
The group’s reform ideas fit broadly into three categories: increasing equitable access to care, ensuring the various mental health systems of care are coordinating for patients’ benefit, and doing more to prevent mental health issues from developing and worsening.
“And how do we teach people about mental health, and really addressing families, parents and even faith leaders because a lot of times that’s really the place where you can reach people is at their churches,” IPS president Andrew Lancia said.
Several measures moved through the General Assembly during the spring session, including a bill that would increase the availability and accessibility of mental health resources for students.
Another measure, Senate Bill 724, would create an interagency youth services team to implement new technology for referring families to resources and improve service coordination to address behavioral health for children.
The bills cleared both chambers.
* Press release…
First-in-the-nation legislation introduced by Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias aims to protect the privacy and safety of individuals seeking abortion care by restricting the use of Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPRs).
Giannoulias joined the sponsors of House Bill 3326, State Rep. Ann Williams (11th District – Chicago) and State Sen. Sara Feigenholtz (6th District – Chicago), along with Jennifer Welch, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois and other supporters today to underscore the importance of this model legislation.
House Bill 3326, which passed the Illinois General Assembly last month and awaits the governor’s consideration, would prohibit the use of license plate readers from tracking individuals seeking abortion care or assisting them. No other state specifically prohibits ALPRs from being used to track or penalize individuals seeking abortion care or from criminalizing a person’s immigration status.
“No one seeking abortion care in Illinois should be harassed in any fashion, and I’m committed to enabling individuals to pursue and obtain the lawful healthcare they need without government interference,” Giannoulias said. “License plate readers are an important tool for law enforcement – especially when apprehending suspects in violent crimes or recovering stolen vehicles in car jackings – but we need to regulate these cameras so they aren’t abused for surveillance, tracking the data of innocent people or criminalizing lawful behavior. This legislation sets common-sense standards and protocols to ensure that license plate data is used properly.”
* Press release…
The General Assembly passed and Governor JB Pritzker has signed a fiscal year 2024 state budget that includes a historic appropriation of $2.53 billion for higher education, an increase of $279 million (12.4 percent) compared to the previous fiscal year and the largest increase in over 20 years. Notable highlights from the budget include a $100 million increase for the Monetary Award Program (MAP), an $80.5 million (7 percent) increase for public universities, $19.4 million (7 percent) increase for community colleges, a $3.8 million increase to the Minority Teachers of Illinois Scholarship Program (MTI) to recruit and retain minority teachers, and a $15 million increase for the AIM HIGH program.
The budget also includes an investment of $6 million for Grow Your Own (an increase of $3.5 million), $15.75 million for Golden Apple (an increase of $8.5 million) and $975,000 for the Teachers Loan Repayment Program (an increase of $535,000) – all of which are key in helping address teacher workforce needs.
“This year’s budget steps up our direct support for higher education institutions by $100 million—the largest dollar and percent increase in more than twenty years,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “And by raising the number and amount of college scholarships to a record-breaking, all-time high of more than $750 million, we’re making it possible for nearly every student from a working-class family to attend community college tuition free and fee free—a huge step towards closing the education gap and advancing equity here in Illinois.”
* Press release…
Governor JB Pritzker today announced the opening of a new homebuyer program designed to help increase home purchase accessibility for low- and moderate-income individuals, families and seniors interested in purchasing a home in Illinois. Administered by the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA), Illinois HFA1 provides $10,000 for down payment and/or closing cost assistance to make buying a home more affordable. By offering a competitive interest rate and limiting the total fees charged to the borrower, IHDA programs are designed to be as affordable as possible. This can allow for substantial savings over the life of the loan. Funding for Illinois HFA1 is expected to assist more than 1,500 new homebuyers.
* Press release…
Today, the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) announced $2 million for Illinois to strengthen the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) network – focusing on emergency preparedness, response, and health equity needs. Funding for the first-ever MRC State, Territory and Tribal Nations, Representative Organizations for Next Generation (MRC-STTRONG) grant program is from the American Rescue Plan.
The MRC of Illinois, in collaboration with the Illinois Department of Public Health, will use the funding to strengthen MRC’s capacity to respond by developing and implementing standardized training, grow and develop four new MRC units throughout the state in areas with greatest need and offer sub-awards to 50 MRC units in Illinois.
* Press release…
The Illinois Liquor Control Commission (ILCC) filed an emergency rule on May 26, 2023, to protect the public from confusion between alcoholic beverages and non-alcoholic beverages of the same brand and to prevent the marketing of alcohol to children. A “co-branded alcoholic beverage” is any alcoholic beverage containing the same or a similar brand name, logo, or packaging as a non-alcoholic beverage. The emergency rule applies to all establishments in Illinois that sell packaged alcohol for off-premises consumption.
Under the emergency rule, establishments with larger retail sales floors (exceeding 2,500 square feet) are prohibited from displaying co-branded alcoholic beverages immediately adjacent to soft drinks, fruit juices, bottled water, candy, or snack foods portraying cartoons or youth-oriented photos. Establishments with retail sales floors of 2,500 square feet or less must either: (1) comply with the display requirements for establishments with larger retail sales floors; or (2) post clear signage on every display that contains co-branded alcoholic beverages and is immediately adjacent to soft drinks, fruit juices, bottled water, candy, or snack foods portraying cartoons or youth-oriented photos.
* Sen. Andrew Chesney is, believe it or not, flat-out wrong…
Hidden within the pages of the 3,425-page budget and the accompanying 898-page BIMP is hundreds of millions of dollars toward free healthcare and other programs for illegal immigrants. Governor Pritzker’s own financial analysts put a price tag of $1.1 billion on this free healthcare program for illegals. In spite of his analysts’ cost estimate, the budget our Governor is touting as “balanced” only funds the healthcare program at $550 million. Gov. Pritzker has said no one currently eligible will be removed, so it’s pretty ridiculous to think the cost of the program will be half of what his own agency claims.
*facepalm*
The $1.1 billion was a projection for next fiscal year’s increase if nothing was done to rein in costs ahead of time. The governor had already set aside somewhere around $230 million extra for next fiscal year, so he can now use managed care (the recipients were among the few still receiving fee for service coverage), enrollment caps, etc. to stem the rest of the cost. This ain’t difficult to understand, unless possibly if you’re somebody who believes in the kitty litter myth.
* Media advisory…
40 years later Honoring Rudy Lozano
Black Brown Unity
BBQ + Showcase + Press conference
June 8 2023 5pm-7pm
Healthy Hood 2242 S Damen outdoor
During the 2020 unrest, after the assassination of George Floyd, the Black and Brown communities were pitted against each other. Grocery stores closing caused the crossing over of neighborhood borders with threat of violence so June 8 2020 the first Black Brown Unity event was held honoring Rudy Lozano and Harold Washington and the Rainbow Coalition
Now we see a similar tensions between our black brown communities around the immigrant refugee crisis.
That is why on June 8th 2023, the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Rudy Lozano a pillar in the Latino Community and across the city for his activism work in the labor movement and perhaps most notable role in the building of the black brown coalition during the Harold Washington campaign for mayor that ultimately made him a target and resulted in his assassinated.
SEIU Health Hood will come together to provide the education truth and transparency and love necessary and desperately need to meet the moment. A showcase of young leaders and change makers in music, poetry and art, who are tackling the issues of today with the examples of leaders of the past with a true people first approach.
* Wait. Nobody goes to Chicago…
More here.
* .435 ball and only 4 games out…
I’m going to my first Sox game of the season this month. I was dealing with session, but I also didn’t want to spend money to watch the dumpster fire when I could just watch one in Springfield…
* Isabel’s roundup…
* Illinois Times | Preparing for the centennial of Route 66: The effort, being coordinated by the Springfield-Sangamon County Regional Planning Commission with a $200,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation, is taking place alongside planning to sketch out options for revitalizing housing stock and neighborhoods along a smaller section of Route 66.
* Daily Southtown | Protesters removed after disrupting Oak Lawn police commission meeting: Before Wednesday’s meeting, the groups said the commission removed three people from its May meeting, who shouted and interrupted the commissioners, and told them they were banned from the next meeting. The protesters claim that violates the Open Meetings Act.
* Illinois Times | Spreading fear about transgender people: YMCA of Springfield officials say “untrue statements” have been made online that a child was inappropriately exposed to male genitalia in a Y locker room by either a transgender female or a man pretending to be transgender. “These statements are false,” the nonprofit organization said in a news release June 2. “Any report of this nature would have been documented to authorities for investigation. The YMCA takes the protection of children very seriously.”
* Daily Herald | Bears have video chat with Chicago mayor ahead of possible stadium talks: “Today we met and discussed our shared values and commitment to the City of Chicago, the importance of deep roots and the need for equitable community investment throughout the city. We are both committed to the idea that the city and its major civic institutions must grow and evolve together to meet the needs of the future. We look forward to continuing the dialogue around these shared values.”
* Sun-Times | Johnson extends 12 weeks of parental leave to CPS: “I’m the mayor who said, ‘This is a really good idea. That we should get it done.’ And we got it done for the city. What sense would it make for me to then say, ‘But I want to deny it to every other person outside of the city of Chicago government proper’? That doesn’t make any sense. Think of the logic and the absurdity of that,” Lightfoot said on that day.
* Sun-Times | A list of every known Illinois resident charged in the U.S. Capitol breach: Thomas B. Adams Jr. of Springfield, an associate of Roy Franklin, was found guilty after a stipulated bench trial of obstruction of an official proceeding and aiding and abetting; and disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds. He carried a “Trump” flag on the floor of the U.S. Senate during the breach. His sentencing is set for June 16.
* Fox Chicago | Thornton Township assessor says she was locked out of office after dispute with supervisor Tiffany Henyard: Not only had Elston been locked out of her own office, but boxes of sensitive documents she kept in her office were spread around the common area. “This was under lock and key,” Elston said, pointing to a box of files. “Now it’s just out in the open. So it has taxpayer’s names, addresses, telephone numbers, some of them even have a Social Security number.”
* Daily Herald | ‘Would you want this behind your house?’: Neighbors decry Elgin affordable housing plan: Development plans have been in the works since late 2020. A variety of projects involving up to 72 townhouses came to the city but failed to win the favor of staff members after the running afoul of the density and design guidelines that govern the city’s vision for the area.
* Block Club | At These Chicago Churches, Drag Performers Are Welcomed With Open Arms: ‘God Is Calling On Us To Expand Our Circles’: A few churches throughout the city regularly invite drag artists to perform in their sanctuaries, help lead worship services and read storybooks to children. Drag artists say that these experiences have helped them to better connect with their spirituality through safe community spaces. Church leaders say developing a more inclusive community has attracted more parishioners and helped to counteract traditional church structures that have harmed people for centuries.
* Aurora Beacon-News | Aurora Pride Parade on Sunday to feature largest number of registered marchers in event’s history: Ciesla believes the increase in participants is due to people’s excitement that the parade is occurring after last year’s parade permit was touch-and-go for a bit due to issues stemming from not having enough police officers signed up to work overtime or extra-duty shifts to provide security for the event.
* Crain’s | Moving to Miami? Go for the weather — not for the tax break, Chicago.: For people with a $650,000 salary who move from San Francisco to Miami, the savings is ballparked at around $150,000. But for residents of Chicago, where the cost of living is cheaper than San Francisco or New York, the savings were only about $10,500.
* SJ-R | City of Springfield will pay out over wrongful death lawsuit from 2008: Without discussion, the Springfield City Council unanimously passed an emergency ordinance Tuesday executing payment in a wrongful death lawsuit brought by the family of a teenager who drowned at Lake Springfield Beach in 2007. It included a $750,000 judgment plus a little over $100,000 in accumulated interest and costs, Mayor Misty Buscher said afterwards.
* Sun-Times | 10 years after mass CPS school closings, enrollment is even worse. What can be done?: This time, Chicago’s path forward falls to Johnson. He strongly opposes closing schools, calling it an ineffective and harmful strategy. But the new mayor faces powerful headwinds in his attempts to find alternate solutions.
* Sun-Times | Chicago area air quality improving, but wildfire effects may linger a few days: The air quality in some parts of southern Cook County, near Tinley Park, Dolton, South Holland and Chicago Heights, was classified as unhealthy for sensitive groups due to a high level of fine particulate matter in the atmosphere from smoke blown into the area.
* TPM | Climate Crisis Is On Track To Push One-Third Of Humanity Out Of Its Most Livable Environment: The research, which adds novel detail about who will be most affected and where, suggests that climate-driven migration could easily eclipse even the largest estimates as enormous segments of the earth’s population seek safe havens. It also makes a moral case for immediate and aggressive policies to prevent such a change from occurring, in part by showing how unequal the distribution of pain will be and how great the improvements could be with even small achievements in slowing the pace of warming.
* Crain’s | Muddy Waters house museum gets $1.1M grant, its biggest financial boost yet: The grant will go toward restoring the basement level, which will become the main exhibit space in the red brick two-flat at 4339 S. Lake Park Ave., and “will catapult us to the next level in the project,” Chandra Cooper, great granddaughter of the musician and president of Muddy Waters Mojo Museum, wrote in an email to Crain’s.
* Sun-Times | Chicago Blues Festival to kick off full force after pandemic cancellations, constraints: Nearly 50 acts will be spread across three stages this year, down from a pre-pandemic number of six stages — a change meant to eliminate sound bleed. The Jay Pritzker Pavilion will serve as the main stage and feature big names like John Primer and the Real Deal Blues Band at 7:45 p.m. Friday and Los Lobos at 7:45 p.m. Sunday.
* Daily Herald | A bear in the suburbs? Police investigate sighting near Gurnee Mills mall: The Chicago football team may not be the only bears exploring a move to the suburbs. Gurnee police said a real bear may have been spotted near Gurnee Mills mall on Wednesday.
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Question of the day
Thursday, Jun 8, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Press release…
Illinois’ first-ever student loan assistance program targeted to engineering students working at the Illinois Department of Transportation has become law with Governor JB Pritzker’s support and approval. The measure, sponsored by State Senator Ram Villivalam and supported by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois (ACEC Illinois) creates a pilot program enabling the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to provide student loan repayment assistance to qualifying employees that meet certain requirements, helping to attract and encourage educated professionals to work on the state’s highest priority infrastructure projects.
Introduced by Sen. Ram Villivalam, the program was proposed by ACEC Illinois, passed into law and funded by the General Assembly with the provision of $750,000 in the budget to support it pending the Governor’s approval. The proposal provides for higher education student loan repayment assistance in the form of annual after-tax bonuses of $15,000 per year for not more than 4 years, for up to 50 engineers employed by IDOT. This will help address the shortage of skilled talent in the industry and help IDOT attract engineers and other qualified professionals to work on the state’s infrastructure projects.
“The inclusion of funding in the budget gives Illinois a competitive advantage when it comes to recruiting and retaining engineering talent and ensures that IDOT attracts educated professionals to work on our state’s road and transportation infrastructure,” said Kevin Artl, President and CEO of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois. There is currently a shortage of about 82,000 professionals in the industry and the provision of student loan assistance will help draw talent both in-state and out-of-state to deliver key projects on time and within budget. We look forward to working with our policymakers on further incentives that will help transform Illinois into the top destination for engineers.”
“The promise of ReBuild Illinois can only be realized when we have the best professionals working on our infrastructure projects,” said Sen. Ram Villivalam. “The provision of incentives to attract the engineers to our state is a key element in ensuring the success of that promise and I will continue to work with my colleagues and other stakeholders on more initiatives to attract the best engineers so that the state’s infrastructure projects are delivered to the highest professional standards.”
* The Question: Should this $15,000 per year student loan assistance program be expanded and, if so, to whom? Make sure to explain your answer. Thanks.
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I’ll believe it when I see it
Thursday, Jun 8, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Crain’s…
Illinois’ efforts to lure a major electric vehicle battery plant here finally may be close to striking gold, as Gov. J.B. Pritzker is personally negotiating with multiple companies to come here.
Among the lures: hundreds of millions of incentives, in part coming from a recently authorized state “deal closing fund,” and in part a willingness by local municipalities to consider the type of long-term property tax breaks that factory owners are demanding. […]
Much of the chatter is about a site just off of Interstate 80 in Morris, 24 miles southwest of Joliet and 62 miles from downtown Chicago in Grundy County.
The deals are serious enough that Pritzker interrupted leadership talks in Springfield on a new state budget a few days ago to travel to Morris and meet with executives of the interested company to tour a site on the east end of town, multiple sources with direct knowledge report. It’s not known if Pritzker joined in the helicopter tour of the land, but he reportedly offered more than $600 million in potential incentives for the plant.
Fingers crossed, but not counting on anything.
* As you’ll recall, Stellantis’ Belvidere plant was idled months ago. From January…
Illinois has submitted what could be its best offer to keep the Belvidere Assembly Plant operating and save what could be thousands of jobs.
U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, said during a visit to Rockford that her office is supporting local and state officials in their efforts to keep the Stellantis plant open in Belvidere where 5,000 people worked a few years ago. Although details are unavailable because talks are on-going, Duckworth said the state submitted its latest offer Friday night.
Almost five months later and still no word on Illinois’ “best offer.”
* And this is ominous news from Ford…
Ford Motor Co (F.N) on Monday unveiled an ambitious strategy to profitably ramp up electric vehicle sales but faces a challenge to slash $7 billion in costs and regain credibility on Wall Street. […]
Ford, whose shares fell 1% at midday, estimated its total costs are $7 billion higher than its competition.
Also…
One way is to reduce investment in hypercompetitive market segments such as two-row smaller SUVs, [Ford CEO Jim Farley] told industry analysts.
Uh-oh. Ford’s Chicago plant, the oldest factory the company operates, assembles the two-row Ford Explorer. It does, however, assemble the three-row Lincoln Aviator.
And, of course, Rivian is having its own problems. Oy.
* Remember this column I wrote in February?…
Volkswagen filed a federal lawsuit in December describing a bill that overwhelmingly passed both Illinois legislative chambers and was signed into law in 2021 as “crony capitalism at work: redistributive legislation that takes hundreds of millions of dollars from some (but not all) motor vehicle manufacturers and, for no public purpose, deposits that money directly into the pockets of politically favored Illinois [car] dealers.” […]
The manufacturers say the law is costing the industry $240 million a year. Yes, you read that right. $240 million. Per year. They claim Illinois has the highest warranty repair costs in the nation. By far. […]
The subsidies the state can offer simply don’t compare with the gigantic annual cost of that 2021 law. Couple that with our high local property taxes (these electric vehicle plants take up huge amounts of space) and other costs and hurdles (Ohio, like Illinois, is not a “right to work” state but has a new concierge system to quickly clear red tape), and you can see why the state hasn’t yet convinced a national or international corporation to construct an electric vehicle-related facility here.
If Pritzker can lure a big, jobs-rich EV-related plant here, convince Ford to keep its plant open and prod Stellantis into reopening its plant, then he’s a hero. But color me skeptical on all three.
I try hard not to be a negative Nellie, but this state has a well-deserved toxic reputation with the auto industry.
…Adding… According to this article, Georgia gave Hyundai a $1.8 billion incentive package for an electric vehicle plant. North Carolina used $1.2 billion in incentives to land VinFast, a Vietnamese electric vehicle manufacturer. And South Carolina’s $1.3 billion state incentives package for Volkswagen included a $200 million loan from the state. Illinois’ $600 million kinda pales in comparison.
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* Jim Nowlan in the Tribune…
Gov. J.B. Pritzker and state lawmakers have recently been trumpeting the great financial shape of Illinois. Balderdash. And they know it. There will almost certainly be state tax increases by 2025. […]
The state legislature’s own budget forecasting agency predicted in March that by one reasonable scenario, the state’s operating funds in calendar 2025 will run at a deficit of more than $3 billion annually, with a whopping $18 billion in unpaid bills (from a total budget of around $100 billion).
A “reasonable scenario”? Balderdash.
I can’t believe we have to do this again, but here we go.
* From COGFA…
Scenario 3 assumes spending increases similar to the spending rates seen over the last five years of 7.1% per year on average. This scenario has the highest expenditure growth rate analyzed and leads to the least favorable results for the State. Expenditures grow to just over $61 billion by FY 2026. This scenario reflects deficits in all three years forecast and has the worst outcome when considering the aggregate accounts payable. After a surplus of $1.9 billion in FY 2023, a deficit of $3.1 billion occurs in FY 2024. This deficit grows to almost $6.4 billion in FY 2025 and $9.2 billion in FY 2026. Under this scenario, the accounts payable rises to $18.2 billion. This example shows that spending patterns seen in the past few years cannot continue without a comparable increase in revenues which is not seen in the Commission’s current estimates.
And this is what I wrote about that very same scenario in April…
Trouble is, that particular COGFA scenario is pure fantasy, likely included merely as a “what if.” Nobody is advocating that. Revenue and spending in that five-year average included huge amounts of one-time federal money to deal with the massive COVID pandemic, which is no longer with us. The spending also included billions of dollars in one-time approps to pay down gigantic amounts of debt, including for pensions and the unemployment insurance trust fund, rather than put the money into the spending base.
That scenario projected FY24 revenues of $50.41 billion and spending of $53.54 billion, for a deficit of $3.13 billion. In the real world, actual projected revenues are $50.6 billion and spending is projected at $50.4 billion.
The current projected spending for FY24, by the way, is lower than all of COGFA’s scenarios, which as I’ve pointed out before were just numbers games played by accountants who should know better than put that stuff into publication.
That current projected spending is even lower than COGFA’s most optimistic scenario, which predicted $50.9 billion in spending and a $495 million deficit with a tiny $37 million accounts payable this coming fiscal year. Accounts payable would rise to $1.455 billion by the end of Fiscal Year 2026. However, a $3 billion accounts payable level is considered a “normal” 30-day payment cycle. Accounts payables of $1.455 billion would mean the state’s bills would likely be paid within a couple of weeks.
* First, he cherry picked the worst possible fantasy scenario, and then he goes on to predict what taxes will have to rise to fill a budget hole that will not exist…
Let’s say Democrats decide they need to raise $3 billion a year to fill that projected deficit. Where to find the money? […]
But we won’t likely tax services and pensions, nor will we abandon the effort, unnecessary in my mind, to build up the pension nest egg — all are too hot to handle politically.
So, I fear Illinois policymakers will revert to the tried, true and simple; that is, raise the income tax rate. This would, unfortunately, encourage further flight of job creators and their wealth from Illinois.
Look, I’m not saying that a revenue enhancement of some sort is not in the future. Subscribers were told about one possible tax reform effort yesterday.
All I’m saying is that using an obviously way-out-there fictional scenario to make bold predictions about the future is not sound reasoning.
*** UPDATE *** Clayton Klenke at COGFA…
Like most of the publications that we do at CGFA, the 3-year budget forecast is driven by a specific state mandate. […]
We had internal discussions when the report was written on whether we should continue to use the same scenarios as we have in the past and in the end we chose to present the same scenarios – which is exactly what they are – scenarios. They are not budget predictions. They are examples of what would occur given certain scenarios. We recognized that scenario (3) included a higher growth rate than we would normally predict, and that is why we included the text to explain why that rate was higher than normally seen. Although we wouldn’t expect those circumstances to occur again, those spending levels were driven by actual needs to pay down a backlog of bills after a multi-year budget impasse, and also to deal with a worldwide pandemic – items not too many would have deemed plausible a few years ago.
As with all of our publications, we will continue to review our methodology as we develop future reports.
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Weiss trial coverage roundup
Thursday, Jun 8, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Sun-Times report from the trial’s first day…
Weiss, a son-in-law of former Cook County Assessor Joseph Berrios, is charged with wire fraud, mail fraud, bribery and lying to the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine O’Neill spent about 15 minutes laying out the case to jurors Tuesday, alleging that Weiss bribed Arroyo and Link and then lied to the FBI about it, even claiming he’d spoken to a fictional “ghost of a person” named “Katherine Hunter” who was invented by the FBI as part of their investigation.
Then Sorosky took his turn, using nearly an hour to explain away allegations first leveled against his client in October 2020. Among them is the claim that Weiss paid $32,500 in bribes to Arroyo, who then pushed the sweepstakes legislation in the General Assembly. […]
Still, Weiss also hoped to pass sweepstakes legislation in the Illinois General Assembly. When his bill didn’t go anywhere, Sorosky said Weiss asked Arroyo to set up a meeting with Link, a key legislator on gaming.
“That’s not a crime,” Sorosky said.
* The Tribune…
Three weeks later, Link was again wearing an FBI wire when Arroyo allegedly delivered the first of the promised $2,500 checks at a pancake house in Skokie, O’Neill said. Arroyo and Weiss had driven to the meeting together, but Weiss stayed in the car. […]
O’Neill said that at the direction of the FBI, Link had them make the check out to a purported associate named “Katherine Hunter,” who didn’t actually exist.
When Weiss was later questioned by agents, he lied and said Hunter was a a lobbyist who lived in Winnetka and that he’d spoken to her on the phone, O’Neill said.
Sorosky, however, said Weiss did not intentionally lie to any federal official. Instead, during a “surprise” interview, he “did his best to cooperate with the FBI agent and tell the FBI agent the truth as best as he knew it,” Sorosky said.
* Moving on to yesterday’s coverage via the Sun-Times…
Under cross-examination by defense attorney Ilia Usharovich, Rita and Munoz confirmed that Arroyo never offered them any bribe.
But when the gaming bill passed without the sweepstakes provision, the feds say Arroyo and Weiss turned to Link, meeting with him at a Wendy’s restaurant in Highland Park on Aug. 2, 2019.
Jurors on Wednesday heard excerpts of the recording Link made of the meeting inside the restaurant that day. Though the conversation was difficult to hear in the courtroom gallery, it came across as a legitimate chat about the legislation — amid a fast-food restaurant soundtrack that included “Broken Wings” by Mr. Mister.
* Seidel…
* The Tribune…
When the trial resumes Monday, prosecutors are expected to play a key portion of the recording, when Link and Arroyo excused themselves from the table to talk privately outside. FBI agents stationed outside took surveillance photos of the two legislators talking that are expected to be shown next week.
“This is you and I talkin’ now. Nobody else,” Link said to Arroyo once they were alone, according to the charges.
“Whatever you tell me stays between you and me,” Arroyo allegedly responded. “That’s my word.”
During their purportedly private talk, Link told Arroyo he was “in the twilight” of his career and was “looking for something” to bolster his income. Arroyo said he would “make sure that you’re rewarded for what you do, for what we’re gonna do moving forward,” according to court records.
* Jason Meisner…
* Ray Long…
* Hannah Meisel…
Weeks later, Weiss and Arroyo again traveled north to see Link, this time at a diner in Skokie. But Weiss was left in the car for that Aug. 20, 2019, meeting while Arroyo went inside to deliver three things to Link: Weiss’ business card, a copy of draft legislation that would explicitly legalize sweepstakes machines, and a signed $2,500 check with the payee line left blank.
Link told Arroyo that the name on the check would be a “friend” of Link’s named Katherine Hunter – who turned out to be a fictional person made up by the feds.
Sorosky told the jury on Tuesday that Weiss honestly believed that Katherine Hunter existed, and therefore hired her in good faith to appease Link, who at the time was the lead negotiator on gambling legislation in the Illinois Senate.
He also directed the jury to focus on Link’s “What’s in it for me?” question to Arroyo, noting that it occurred “outside the hearing and presence of Jim Weiss” and was a clear indicator that Link solicited a bribe at the behest of federal agents.
“And with all due respect,” Sorosky said, “the original bribe in this case is created by the government.”
* Jon Seidel of the Sun-Times…
…Adding…
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Um, what?
Thursday, Jun 8, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* For a publication dedicated almost solely to excerpting other outlets’ product, you’d think they would try to avoid insulting so many reporters by broadly mischaracterizing their work…
Almost unnoticed was a reduction veto — only Pritzker’s second veto in the five years he’s signed budgets. In a statement, the governor’s office described it as a fix for an “inadvertent” mistake when lawmakers last month voted themselves a 5.5 percent raise. State law says the maximum they can get is 5 percent. The tweak puts legislative salaries at $89,250 starting July 1, instead of $89,675.
Almost unnoticed? Only if you think unnoticed means ubiquitous.
Tribune…
Gov. J.B. Pritzker signs $50.4 billion state budget but vetoes legislators’ pay hike that exceeded state limit
Sun-Times…
Pritzker signs $50.4 billion budget that boosts early education funding — and stops state officials’ raises from breaking the law
WCIA…
Pritzker signs state budget, scales back lawmaker pay raises
SJ-R…
Pritzker signs $50.4 billion budget, championing investments in education
Raises to lawmakers reduced with governor’s amendment
Patch…
Lawmakers To Receive 5 Percent Pay Raise After Gov. Pritzker Signs Largest State Budget Ever […]
The budget will also include another pay raise for Illinois lawmakers. The annual cost of living increase for state lawmakers is capped at 5% or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower. The increase in pay was set for legislators at 5.5% but was vetoed by Pritzker and brought down to a 5% increase due to the cap on the COLA’s.
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Open thread
Thursday, Jun 8, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Thursday, Jun 8, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Here you go…
* Sun-Times | Pritzker signs $50.4 billion budget that boosts early education funding — and stops state officials’ raises from breaking the law: The governor’s office said line-item reductions of $192,700 were made after a review found that cost-of-living pay raises granted to constitutional officers, legislators and some appointed officials exceeded 5%, which they said was unconstitutional.
* Tribune | Gov. J.B. Pritzker signs $50.4 billion state budget but vetoes legislators’ pay hike that exceeded state limit: The change on salaries made by Pritzker, which takes effect unless lawmakers vote to override them, marks the second time in three years the governor has had to make technical fixes to the budget sent to him by lawmakers.
* ABC Chicago | Governor JB Pritzker signs $50B state budget: The governor signed it into law at Christopher House, a Pre-K through eighth grade nonprofit school, to highlight, among many aspects of the budget, the money the state is investing in early childhood development.
* Tribune | Ex-state Sen. Terry Link testifies about his turn as a government mole in federal bribery trial of Berrios son-in-law: Link’s appearance in a federal courtroom took on an added spectacle since the Vernon Hills Democrat had vehemently denied reports — including in the Tribune — that he was the cooperating state Senator A mentioned in the charges first made public in October 2019.
* Sun-Times | Former state Sen. Terry Link testifies about his cooperation with FBI — which he once denied: The first day of testimony in Weiss’ trial also featured appearances by state Rep. Robert “Bob” Rita and former state Sen. Antonio “Tony” Munoz. For Rita, it was his second time testifying in federal court in less than three months about bribery schemes at the Illinois Capitol. But only Link had to explain his own crimes to the jury. The former senator told the panel that he’d withdrawn money from his campaign account and, he said, “I used some for gambling.”
* Crain’s | Pritzker makes personal pitch as EV battery makers near decision on Illinois plants: Reliable sources say Pritzker has talked to — or in the next few days intends to talk to — at least three companies that have done site visits: one reportedly European based, the second Chinese and the third of unknown origin.
* NBC Chicago | Bears CEO Kevin Warren and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson issue statement as team explores options: “Today we met and discussed our shared values and commitment to the city of Chicago, the importance of deep roots and the need for equitable community investment throughout the city,” the statement read. “We are both committed to the idea that the city and its major civic institutions must grow and evolve together to meet the needs of the future. We look forward to continuing the dialogue around these shared values.”
* WTTW | Mayor Brandon Johnson ‘Looking Forward’ to Continuing Work with CPS CEO Pedro Martinez: Johnson called out Martinez and other education leaders during his inauguration speech last month, saying: “I need you. We can do this together.” If Martinez remains in his position into next year, he’ll be tasked with negotiating a new labor agreement with the CTU, whose current deal is set to expire in 2024.
* Illinois Answers | A Popular Affordable Housing Initiative Is Ripe For Expansion in Chicago — But When?: The Additional Dwelling Unit (ADU) program has led to the construction of nearly 500 relatively affordable new homes since May 2021, mostly on the city’s North and Northwest sides — two of five “pilot zones” where the program has been rolled out. But advocates say that only represents a sliver of its potential, arguing city leaders need to put more money behind the program.
* Tribune | Wisconsin Republicans block meningitis vaccine requirement for students: The Legislature’s vote also makes it easier for parents to get an exemption from a chicken pox vaccine requirement that is in place for all K-6 students. Evers’ administration wanted to require parents seeking a chicken pox vaccination exemption to provide proof that their child has previously been infected.
* Sun-Times | Chicago Blues Festival to kick off full force after pandemic cancellations, constraints: After three years of pandemic blues, the Chicago Blues Festival is back in full force, and the free, four-day star-studded affair kicks off Thursday in Millennium Park with hometown hero Wayne Baker Brooks. “Words can’t express the way I’m feeling about it. Music is how I get my emotions across,” said Brooks, who leans into a bit of advice the late blues legend Albert King passed along when Brooks was 19 and trying to decide between playing drums and guitar.
* Scott Holland | Do we really need to ponder a new state flag?: Illinoisans understand how a flawless flag design becomes a ubiquitous, pride-inspiring pennant because Chicago’s is one of the best anywhere. NAVA should consider adding additional principles for flag design: must look cool as a tattoo, as a patch for city workers and vehicles, or easily blended into sports logos and uniforms.
* Sun-Times | Chicago area air quality improving, but wildfire effects may linger a few days: The air in Chicago isn’t colored in a hazy dystopian orange like some parts of the East Coast, but wildfires raging in Canada may continue to affect air quality in the city and across Illinois for the next several days.
* Tribune | 3 severed heads from donor bodies left at employee’s desk after complaints raised about alleged misconduct: Wheatley said the heads from AGA donors were placed next to his desk after he reported concerns about the mishandling and poor conditions of donated bodies to his supervisors. But AGA Executive Vice President William O’Connor denied any maltreatment accusations, saying that handling body parts is in Wheatley’s job description.
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Live coverage
Thursday, Jun 8, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Afternoon roundup
Wednesday, Jun 7, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Crain’s…
Sterling Bay is trying to strike a deal with the Chicago Teachers Pension Fund to bail out Lincoln Yards, a move that could help jump-start the stalled North Side megadevelopment, inflict hefty losses on the original backers of the ambitious $6 billion project and offer the developer a lifeline amid a financial storm that threatens its control over major pieces of its high-profile local portfolio.
With the real estate firm under growing pressure to raise money to recapitalize the 53-acre mixed-use campus planned along the Chicago River between Lincoln Park and Bucktown, the pension fund’s investment committee voted during a May 23 meeting to investigate an opportunity to become Sterling Bay’s primary financial partner on the development, according to a video of the public meeting and investor documents obtained by Crain’s. […]
CTPF Chief Investment Officer Fernando Vinzons said in a statement to Crain’s that the discussions around Lincoln Yards are only “conceptual at this point” and that the investment committee would still need to recommend the Lincoln Yards deal to its Board of Trustees, which would ultimately have to sign off on any funding commitment, a process that could take months. […]
Questions and answers in the document — which came in response to a presentation during the virtual meeting with investors in April — paint a picture of a fund grappling with financial strain while Sterling Bay seeks ways to generate liquidity to avoid defaulting on loans, maintain confidence of its existing investors and convince them to double down on properties moving forward.
General Iron previously occupied the Sterling Bay site, but it’s still facing an uphill battle to reopen…
There’s been no response from executives of a metal shredder operation to the latest protest from people living on Chicago’s Southeast Side, who are fighting a judge’s ruling that would clear the way for the company to operate in their backyard.
What a mess.
* This is not happening with any of my browsers, but a buddy said he’s getting this message on all three of his. Anyone else having this issue?…
* Sarah Moskowitz, the deputy director of the Citizens Utility Board, writing in the Sun-Times…
A recent attempt by power plant owners to engineer a bailout of PJM Interconnection — a behind-the-scenes organization that runs our power grid — didn’t gain big headlines. But it exposes a dirty little secret about fossil fuels that has a major impact on our electric bills.
Too often, dirty power generators can’t perform when customers need them most, and their recent actions at PJM (which ultimately failed) proves they know it.
PJM, which serves ComEd customers and about 60 million others in a dozen states, is the nation’s largest power grid operator. On May 11, members of PJM, among them operators of coal and natural gas power plants, narrowly voted to recommend reducing, by as much as 90%, the fines they must pay if they can’t operate in future emergencies — despite being paid to be on standby.
At the time, fossil fuel plants were raising a stink about being fined $1.8 billion by PJM for underperformance during the multi-state winter storm Elliott last December. PJM narrowly avoided having to implement rolling blackouts as nearly 46 gigawatts of plants — about enough to power California — went down in that terrible holiday storm. The grid operator was forced to ask everyday consumers to conserve electricity on Christmas Eve.
Fossil fuel operators like to brag about their reliability, but about 90% of those outages were at gas or coal plants. Similarly, failing gas plants were the biggest problem in the deadly Texas outages of 2021.
* From a Proft paper…
[Sen. Patricia Van Pelt, D-Chicago] refuses to resign so Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) can appoint a replacement.
“Last year, she told (Harmon) she was going to do nothing this year, tell people she was having a medical procedure done, then resign. She didn’t want to come to Springfield anymore,” the source said. “But she drew a four-year term, not a two-year as she expected. So she now wants to cash in on the gig and keep her state paycheck for a while longer.”
Sources say they didn’t see Van Pelt cast a single floor vote during the past legislative session. She didn’t participate in committee hearings, or vote on a single bill in any of them, either.
“She was no-show all session,” one source said. “Dr. Pat never appeared in Springfield once. I never saw her.”
Harmon doesn’t appoint new members.
Van Pelt was indeed supposed to retire earlier this year. I did a subscriber story on it months ago. But then something happened. Here’s Liz Mitchell from the Senate Democrats..
Senator Van Pelt had a series of medical procedures that turned out to be more extensive than originally expected. We are wishing her well in her recovery.
* Canadian wildfires…
* Isabel’s roundup…
* Chalkbeat | Chicago Public Schools violating state law on use of restraint, timeout in school, state says: Documents obtained by Chalkbeat Chicago show that untrained staff restrained or secluded students for long periods of time, used outlawed methods of restraint, and restrained students who were not a threat to themselves or others. The state has repeatedly warned CPS since the fall that it is not complying with state law on restraint and timeout. In multiple letters sent to the district this school year, the state cites the district for not properly training staff and not notifying parents within a legally required 24-hour time frame when a child has been restrained at school. The state defines physical restraint as holding a student or other methods to restrict a student’s movement.
* SJ-R | Pritzker signs $50.4 billion budget, championing investments in education: Among the budget’s other highlights include a $350 million investment into homelessness prevention and a $100 million increase towards the Monetary Award Program. Paired together with a Pell grant, nearly all community college students in the state can have their tuition covered with MAP, where the state will invest $701 million into the program in FY 2024.
* Sun-Times | Pritzker touts early education funding, signs $50.4 billion budget called ‘fiscally responsible and compassionate’: “Here we are four years later, and just look at what at we’ve accomplished. We eliminated overdue bills, paid down $10.5 billion in debt, including pension debt. Our once-empty Rainy Day Fund is now rising to $2 billion. Our GDP has surpassed $1 trillion, and we have more jobs available than ever before. And independently, and if you don’t love all of that,” Pritzker said to applause, “independently, each of the major credit rating agencies has given us multiple credit upgrades.”
* NBC Chicago | Illinois’s grocery tax suspension will soon end. Here’s what that means for your grocery bill: According to the Illinois Department of Revenue, for a grocery bill of $145.29, a 1% tax would add $1.45.
* Daily Herald | ‘Due diligence’: Naperville mayor defends meeting with Bears about stadium possibilities: Responding to criticism from segments of the community and at least one city council member about his pursuit of a meeting through a letter to Warren, Wehrli stressed “these conversations are just that. They’re conversations.”
* Tribune | State Rep. Bob Rita to take second turn as government witness in a public corruption trial: Rita, who has not been charged with wrongdoing, is expected to tell the jury that his colleague, then-state Rep. Luis Arroyo, talked to him about legislation expanding the legality of sweepstakes gaming machines.
* Capitol News Illinois | As trial begins, politically connected businessman claims feds set him up to bribe legislator: Weiss, who is married to former state Rep. Toni Berrios, D-Chicago – the daughter of longtime former Cook County Democratic Party boss Joseph Berrios – stands accused of bribing two Democratic lawmakers in an effort to shield his fledgling business from threatened bans at the state and local levels.
* Daily Herald | Group wants to build $21 million affordable housing development in Elgin. Neighbors oppose it: The pending project, known as Gifford’s Crossing, would bring 36 townhouses to the north side of Big Timber, just east of Randall Road. The property has an existing, vacant single-family home on a doughnut hole of unincorporated land. It will be demolished.
* Valeria Castelli | Chicago must confront its conflicted stance toward immigrants and offer its helping hands:The city administration must strive to promote solidarity between migrant communities and local host communities. Alliances should be forged, and cooperation should be supported among civic and community leaders working on the ground with both migrant and marginalized communities.
* Tribune | Some migrant students celebrate first — and last — days of school only weeks apart as CPS scrambles to enroll them: Officials say that despite their temporary living situations in respite centers, shelters and police stations, enrolling the children in school provides immediate access to education, as well as summer programs in academics and sports. Higher enrollment in the neighborhood school could also ensure more funding and resources for neighborhood schools, said Ald. Michael Rodriguez, 22nd.
* Daily Journal | Kankakee organizations plan pop-up events with Safe Summer Initiative: “Our goal for each event is to bring the community together and celebrate the summer and upcoming school year. Family, friends, neighbors, students, young and old are all welcome to this event,” the city of Kankakee said in a news release.
* AP | New York City goes after Hyundai, Kia after security flaw leads to wave of social media fueled theft: Viral how-to videos on TikTok and other sites show how to start the cars using only USB cables and a screwdriver. The reason is that some models sold by Hyundai and Kia in the U.S. came without engine immobilizers, a standard feature on most cars since the 1990s that prevent the engine from starting unless the key is present.
* Illinois Newsroom | Pride performance kicks off Allerton Park Concert Series: The first concert of the series has traditionally been called LOVE FOR ALLerton, but senior event coordinator Olivia Bunting said this is the first year that the concert really lived up to the theme. “It was always the intent behind that ‘Love for All’ name, but this year, it is a full-fledged Pride event,” Bunting said.
* Chicago Mag | NASCAR’s Chicago Street Race: If your mouth was already watering for the Taste of Chicago, you’ll have to wait even longer: The race bumped Taste from its regular July slot back to September. Navy Pier’s fireworks display is still on track for July 1, but the combination of race attendees and Independence Day crowds suggests getting close to the rockets’ red glare will be a bigger battle than Fort McHenry. Maggie Daley Park will remain open, if your idea of a peaceful day at the park includes the din of stock car motors. If you choose to head downtown, do what Chicago’s own stock car racers have always done: Opt for Lower Wacker Drive.
* WBEZ | For parents who bike in congested Chicago, it’s a summer of riding defensively: As summer biking season kicks into gear, so does vigilance and activism among cycling parents. Increasingly, they’re banding together online and on the streets to find the safest routes and best gear setups. They’re also lobbying alderpeople and Chicago’s new mayor for concrete changes to make biking safer. (The mayor’s office declined a request for an interview about Mayor Brandon Johnson’s bike infrastructure plans).
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* Gov. Pritzker was asked earlier today about state funding of Chicago’s effort to deal with asylum seekers…
I’ve seen and met with the mayor many times. And more importantly, my staff and his staff have been meeting. I would say it probably averages out to three times a week, talking about a variety of issues, but importantly, how to manage the asylum seekers that are coming to our city to our state, and where the resources will come from.
We both agree, of course, that the federal government needs to step up here. They have dollars that have been allocated in the budget from prior legislation that was passed at the federal level for asylum seekers in the states. And so we’re anticipating being able to get more of those dollars. They only issued checks, essentially, for a small amount so far. But there’s much more that’s available. I think the total program [is] potentially $800 million for the country. So we intend to get our fair share of that.
And then, of course, the state, I want to remind everybody, people always focus on whether the state is funding the city. Remember, the state is spending money for the city with our resources, our staff, our Department of Human Services. And so it isn’t like, well, we’re not supporting the efforts in Chicago. In fact, we are putting forward a multiple of the money that the city of Chicago has put forward in order to help the city of Chicago to manage this crisis.
Interestingly, I think you’ve all seen, there are many, many fewer asylum seekers that have come into the United States since May 11. I think that’s surprising to many people, but the Biden administration knew what it was doing in managing it. And so we anticipate, although they’ve emptied out shelters in Texas to send them initially after May 11, but the truth is that there are fewer and fewer migrants that are coming across the border. And therefore we anticipate, at some point, a drop in the number that will be coming to Illinois.
* The governor’s optimism about the federal government earlier today turns out to be false hope. New York City just got a huge amount of federal money. Chicago? Not so much…
New York City is set to receive $104.6 million in federal funds to help cover the cost of providing services to asylum-seekers, two of the state’s highest ranking elected officials said Wednesday.
The injection of cash comes as more than 72,000 migrants have passed through the city since last spring, with more than 44,000 currently in the city’s care.
“Today’s funds represent a strong step in the right direction — which better recognizes and rewards New York City’s unique challenge,” Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said in a joint statement. […]
The city’s $104.6 allocation through the new federal Shelter and Services Program, however, constitutes around 30 percent of the money announced Wednesday and is much larger than payments to other cities. A person with knowledge of the allocations told POLITICO San Diego would be receiving $15 million and Chicago $10 million.
Thanks, Sen. Durbin.
To be fair, NYC has had to deal with far more asylum seekers than Chicago. 72,000 vs. more than 8,000. And, hopefully, the easing crisis at the border will continue.
Still.
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* Before the SAFE-T Act was scheduled to take effect last December, state’s attorneys and others filed suits in multiple counties in what appeared to be a deliberate attempt to overload the attorney general’s office. Hearings in different counties were scheduled at the same time.
Tom DeVore avoided taking his pro-covid cases to higher courts because he was content to file lawsuits in friendly counties and just obtain exemptions for his clients, like Darren Bailey. Eventually, all covid cases were consolidated by the Supreme Court in Sangamon County.
DeVore was also charging clients $200 each to get in on lawsuits against the assault weapons ban in friendly counties.
* From the Tribune…
Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Tuesday signed into law a measure that requires lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of executive orders or state laws to be filed in either Cook or Sangamon county.
The Democratic-controlled state legislature passed the bill along party lines last month. Democrats who supported the legislation said it was necessary to prevent people with a grievance against the state from selecting the county in which to file a lawsuit based on where they think they can get a favorable ruling. […]
State Rep. Dan Caulkins of Decatur, who has sued the state over the sweeping gun ban signed into law in January, voiced similar objections during the floor debate on the bill last month.
“They pass unconstitutional laws to make law-abiding citizens criminals, and then they make those same citizens travel hundreds of miles to a kangaroo court that they control,” Caulkins said of Democrats. “Tyrants are always the same, whether kings or lawless Chicago politicians.”
Rep. Caulkins is currently suing the state over a constitutional issue and he didn’t vote Present.
And while I do appreciate the fact that some people will have to hire a distant lawyer or pay their attorney to travel to Springfield or Chicago, constitutional challenges are often appealed, so many would eventually wind up in Springfield anyway.
* From Senate Republican Leader John Curran…
“Courts exist to serve the people, which is why they are located where people live. This legislation is clearly an attempt by the Governor and the Attorney General to send constitutional challenges to courts that they believe will be more favorable to the Administration.
“In doing so, they are discrediting judges in suburban and downstate Illinois, and creating geographic barriers to citizens accessing our court system. I continue to strongly oppose this legislation that creates unnecessary burdens for people exercising their legal rights.”
Sangamon County’s circuit judges are all Republicans. Presiding Circuit Judge Ryan Cadagin is a Republican. Circuit Judge John Madonia is a Republican, as is Adam Giganti, Gail Noll, Raylene Grischow and Robin Schmidt.
* From a Democratic staff analysis of the legislation…
Other statutes that require venue in Cook or Sangamon:
• 15 ILCS 205/10(c) - Cases brought by the Attorney General of Illinois to eliminate pattern or practice of constitutional violations must be brought in Cook or Sangamon
• 15 ILCS 205/7 - Cases brought by the Attorney General of Illinois to compel compliance with Section 3.5 of the Open Meetings Act are to be brought in Sangamon or Cook County.
• 225 ILCS 107/150 - Judicial review of certain final administrative decisions under the Professional Counselor and Clinical Professional Counselor Licensing and Practice Act brought by a person not residing in any Illinois county must be brought in Sangamon County.
• 205 ILCS 740/26 - Judicial review of certain final administrative decisions relating to the Collection Agency Act by a person not residing in any Illinois county must be brought in either Cook or Sangamon.
• 225 ILCS 427/145 - Judicial review of certain final administrative decisions relating to the Community Association Manager Licensing and Disciplinary Act by a person not residing in any Illinois county must be brought in either Cook or Sangamon.
Probably not the most solid precedent, but it does exist.
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It’s almost a law
Wednesday, Jun 7, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* The Tribune…
Legislation awaiting the governor’s signature could prevent situations like the one in which a South Elgin High School student was told to remove a Hispanic academic scholarship stole the day of her commencement ceremony.
State Sen. Cristina Castro, D-Elgin, is the chief co-sponsor of a bill introduced in February that addresses the issue and ensures students have a right to wear stoles, sashes or cords related to their “cultural, ethnic or religious” identities.
The legislation was written and sponsored by Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton, D-Oakbrook Terrace, in response to an incident last year in which an Evanston Township High School senior was told he could not wear his Native American regalia at graduation.
If approved, school district dress code policies “shall not prohibit the right of a student to wear or accessorize the student’s graduation attire with items associated with the student’s cultural, ethnic or religious identity or any other protected characteristic or category identified in the Illinois Human Rights Act.”
Items deemed obscene or derogatory toward others are prohibited, according to the bill.
* WTVO…
A bill to suspend an assessment test for future teachers is now one step closer to becoming law.
In Illinois, college students are required to take a teacher performance assessment test known as edTPA to get their license. The assessment has prospective teachers put together video clips of them teaching and design lesson plans. The test costs $300.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker issued an executive order during the COVID-19 pandemic that waived the testing requirement, but that expired last month. If the bill passes, that requirement would be waived until the end of August 2025. […]
The bill would also create a task force to study different evaluation tests for teachers, as well as look at creating a new one that could be implemented across the state.
That group would have to give a report of its finding to the Board of Education and the General Assembly before August 1, 2024.
* Shaw Local…
Baby steps are to be celebrated. At least they mark some sort of forward momentum. But in the case of efforts to remove polystyrene food containers from the waste stream, last month’s efforts by the General Assembly seem too feeble to warrant much applause.
Still, it’s something.
The House passed a bill seeking to prohibit state agencies from buying disposable food containers that are made with polystyrene foam (read: Styrofoam) starting in 2025. A year later, state agencies and vendors that sell food on state properties, such as state parks, no longer would be able to use plastic foam containers. […]
It’s a tip-of-the-iceberg solution. Food containers served at state facilities make up a small fraction of all of the fast food, carryout and doggie bag containers used in restaurants and food stands in Illinois.
Gong-Gershowitz landed a guppy, but the big fish got away.
She also championed a bill seeking to eradicate single-use plastic foam containers statewide – not just in sectors controlled by the state – but that idea flopped in the Senate.
* Aurora Beacon-News…
After successfully using a drone in the search for the gunman during the mass shooting at Henry Pratt Co. in Aurora in 2019, Aurora police are pleased that legislation recently passed by the General Assembly would allow for greater use of drones for security operations. […]
Aurora police approached state Sen. Linda Holmes, D-Aurora, and state Rep. Barbara Hernandez, D-Aurora, and asked for the change in drone rules in 2021, officials said. Holmes and Hernandez sponsored the bill in Springfield. […]
Under the measure, drones could not be weaponized and facial identity systems could only be used if necessary to prevent “imminent harm to life.” The bill sets specific limits on where and how drones can be used, restricts photography and adds reporting and retention constraints. In addition, only events held in public outdoor spaces owned by the state, county or municipality can see the use of the drones, according to the legislation.
“It’s another tool in the toolbox to try and prevent a tragedy,” Holmes said.
* Center Square…
Gov. J.B. Pritzker could soon modify a diversion program for first-time nonviolent firearms offenses that would give younger defendants probation rather than prison.
Such a measure was first put into House Bill 676 as part of an omnibus gun control measure that never advanced. The policy stands alone in Senate Bill 424 and made it through both chambers with bipartisan support before lawmakers adjourned last month.
State Sen. Ram Villivalam, D-Chicago, said the program that started in 2017 has broad support.
“This legislation has no opposition, has a broad spectrum of support from gun violence prevention groups, criminal justice reform groups, the Illinois State’s Attorney Association, the Illinois Association of Police Chiefs,” Villivalam said.
* I think Maine is making a solid choice…
* It’s an upgrade for sure. The current flag is on top, the former flag is on the bottom…
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* Gov. JB Pritzker was asked today about Republican claims that the newly signed state budget doesn’t account for union contract negotiations…
We built into the agencies’ budgets - we have, as you know, quite a number of agencies - we built in what we thought might be the appropriate amount of money for what we expect from that AFSCME negotiation. So that’s in the budget already. That’s a you know, once again, one of those false things that Republicans like to say about the budget, but it is in the budget.
Pritzker went on to say “we’re hopefully reaching a pinnacle” in the contract talks.
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FY24 budget overview
Wednesday, Jun 7, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From a press release…
OVERVIEW
The Fiscal Year 2024 General Funds budget plan reflects projected revenues of $50.611 billion and expenditures of $50.428 billion, resulting in a $183 million surplus.
Highlights from the budget package include:
Commitment to Fiscal Responsibility – 5th balanced budget
The Fiscal Year 2024 budget framework builds upon four years of historic fiscal progress with a commitment to balanced budgets, eight credit rating upgrades, a Rainy Day Fund set to surpass $2 billion, the elimination of the bill backlog, and $1 trillion in GDP. This year’s investments include:
• $200 million additional pension payment beyond what’s required, bringing total pension stabilization investments to $700 million
• $450 million to pay off Railsplitter Authority bonded debt – saving the state up to $60 million in interest
• An enacted plan to address the long-term structural deficit in the Community College Insurance Program (CIP), a health insurance program for retired community college employees
• $85 million in additional funding to communities through the Local Government Distributive Fund with an increase in the state’s revenue sharing formula.
Early Childhood Education and Childcare Funding
A highlight of the budget is $250 million to fund the first year of Smart Start Illinois, the Governor’s early childhood initiative to eliminate preschool deserts, stabilize the childcare workforce, and expand the Early Intervention and Home Visiting programs.
This multi-year program provides a comprehensive approach to investments in preparing children to be lifelong learners. Year one targeted investments include the following:
• An additional $75 million for the Early Childhood Block Grant at the Illinois State Board of Education to increase preschool availability while improving the quality of education. This funding is the first step in working to eliminate “preschool deserts” by December 2027 through adding more than 20,000 slots for preschool aged children and the ability to serve thousands more infants and toddlers through the Prevention Initiative. This brings funding for the Early Childhood Block Grant program to nearly $673 million, $179 million more than when Governor Pritzker took office.
• Invests $130 million and additional federal dollars to begin funding for Early Childhood Workforce Compensation Contracts to stabilize operational funding and promote quality in the childcare system. The proposed development of the contract funding model stems from recommendations made by the Early Childhood Funding Commission.
• Invests an additional $40 million for Early Intervention programs to provide funds for an expected increase in participants and a 10 percent rate increase for providers.
• $5 million to expand DHS’ Home Visiting Program.
Additional early childhood investments to support the plan include the following:
• $70 million to cover an expected increase in Childcare Assistance Program (CCAP) participation and annualize rate increases from Fiscal Year 2023.
• $20 million to begin upgrading the child care payment management system.
• Federal funding for Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) Scholarships for tuition, fees and other costs of attendance.
• $1.6 million to launch Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library statewide, an initiative that allows families to register their children to receive free, high-quality books in the mail from birth to age five no matter the family’s income.
K-12 Education
• $350 million increase for K-12 evidence-based funding (EBF) formula. ISBE uses the tiered formula to distribute state funding based on need. This investment brings the total annual EBF program to $8.279 billion, or a $1.443 billion increase in annual base funding during the Pritzker administration. In total, schools will have received an additional $4.0 billion in EBF funds over five years.
• $45 million for the first year of a three-year pilot to fill teacher vacancies, plus additional investments in scholarships for future teachers.The funding will be allocated to the State’s school districts which experience some of the most significant hurdles to attract and retain teachers.
• $3 million for computer science education investments to expand grants to school districts and professional development opportunities for teachers while promoting equitable access to coursework.
Higher Education
The Fiscal Year 2024 budget continues to make college more affordable with historic increases in funding for public universities, community colleges and financial aid.
• $100 million increase to $701 million for Monetary Assistance Program (MAP) grant funding, so that virtually everyone at or below the median income can go to community college for free. This funding is the latest step in a 75 percent increase for MAP since 2019.
• $100 million increase in operating funds for public universities ($80.5 million) and community colleges ($19.4 million) – the highest increases in more than two decades
• Increases funding for AIM HIGH merit-based scholarships by $15 million to a total of $50 million. HB301 will make the program permanent.
• Includes new funding to support community college investments, including:
o $8.3 million for dual-credit and non-credit workforce grant programs;
o $11 million for curriculum development related to advanced manufacturing, electric vehicle and data center workforce training programs;
o $2 million for technology upgrades for digital instruction in WIOA Title II Adult Education programs; and
o $750,000 to expand English language services to non-English speaking communities.
• An additional $3.8 million for the Minority Teacher Scholarship program
• Continues funding of $25 million for the Pipeline for the Advancement of the Healthcare (PATH) Workforce Program, to train new nurses, medical assistants, medical laboratory technicians, emergency medical technicians and other high-demand positions.
• Additional funds for the Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in Illinois (DFI) program to provide holistic supports for fellows, beyond their stipend. This would include a new orientation program, conference attendance, and a graduate symposium to help them prepare for and find employment in Illinois.
• Includes $3 million for the Department of Public Health (DPH) to implement the Equity and Representation in Health Care Workforce Repayment Program and Scholarship Program per PA 102-0942.
Health and Human Services
• Nearly $75 million increase for DCFS to hire 192 staff, expand training and protection, increase scholarships for youth in care, and improve facilities
• More than $500 million in new state and federal funds to support the state’s healthcare system
• Approximately $240 million increase to better serve Illinoisans with developmental disabilities
• $42.5 million for grants to counties and cities for their costs associated with asylum seekers
• $22.8 million in funding to begin implementing the new Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative
• $18 million increase to support reproductive health initiatives
• $24 million for a rate increase for home workers who assist the elderly, increased outreach to the elderly, and an increase for Adult Day Services
• $10 million for a state-based health insurance marketplace to help expand healthcare access
• $1.2 million for a division of healthcare access at the Department of Insurance
• $53.5 million to overhaul IDPH’s disease monitoring IT systems and prepare for future public health emergencies
• $35 million increase for TANF to address an increase in caseload, make inflation adjustments and increase eligibility from 30 percent to 35 percent of the federal poverty level $41 million for youth employment and summer job programs
Addressing Homelessness
Home Illinois is a multi-agency effort to support homeless prevention, provide affordable housing, support crisis response, expand housing support and increase the number of staff focused on assisting people experiencing homelessness. Housed at the Illinois Department of Human Services, Home Illinois involves many state agencies and partners including the Illinois Housing Development Authority, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, the Illinois Department of Corrections, and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. The budget includes an $85 million increase, bringing state funding to over $350 million, to support homelessness prevention.
The funds in support of this work include:
• More than $118 million to support unhoused populations seeking shelter and services, including $40.7 million in the Emergency and Transitional Housing Program.
• $50 million in Rapid ReHousing services for 2,000 households, including short-term rental assistance and targeted support for up to two years.
• $40 million in Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) Capital funds to develop more than 90 new PSH units providing long term rental assistance and case management.
• $37 million in Emergency Shelter capital funds to create more than 460 non-congregate shelter units.
• More than $35 million for supportive housing services homeless youth services, street outreach, medical respite, re-entry services, access to counsel and other shelter diversion supports
• $30 million for court-based rental assistance.
• $21.8 million to provide homelessness prevention services to 6,000 more families.
• $15 million to fund Home Illinois Innovations Pilots
• $12.5 million to create 500 new scattered site PSH units.
Public Safety and Violence Prevention
• Continues the multi-year commitment of $250 million for the Reimagine Public Safety Act to prevent gun violence and expanded funding for youth employment programs
• Includes $200 million for the Restore, Reinvest, and Renew (R3) grant program, a $75 million increase
• Includes $40 million — $20 million each — in funding for the Office of the State Appellate Defender and the Office of the State’s Attorney Appellate Prosecutor to carry out responsibilities under the new Pre-trial Services Act.
• Provides $16.1 million to support two cadet classes to hire and train 200 additional sworn troopers to address the rising need for officers throughout the State, bringing the total number of officers to 1,800.
• Includes operational and administrative support funding for the new seven-member Firearm Owner’s Identification Card Review Board, created by PA 102-0237, which reviews appeals from card applicants.
• Includes more than $2.1 million for Safe2Help Illinois, a 24/7 program where students can share information on safety issues in a confidential environment.
• Provides an additional $18 million funding round for the Illinois Nonprofit Security Grant Program per PA 100-0508, which will provide grants and support to organizations throughout the State for security improvements that assist in preventing, preparing for or responding to acts of terrorism
• Includes $30 million for the Law Enforcement Camera Grant Program to provide reimbursement to local law enforcement agencies for in-car cameras, body cameras and data storage.
• Includes $10 million for the Law Enforcement Recruitment and Retention Fund to provide resources to local law enforcement agencies for recruitment of new officers, retention plans, mental health care for officers, safety equipment and training, and improvement in local jails.
• Includes $2.5 million for the Illinois Terrorism Task Force Gaps Report to establish a baseline for public safety response capabilities
• Continues the Department of Juvenile Justice’s 21st Century Transformation Plan that includes operational costs for its new facility in Lincoln, scheduled for opening in late Fiscal Year 2024.
• Includes $13 million in funding for the Adult Redeploy Program, an increase of $1 million to allow for continued program expansion.
Government Services
• $16.5 million for a multi-year initiative to modernize the state’s professional licensing system at the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and additional funds for a call center to assist in the transition.
• $32.5 million to the Secretary of State to implement the REAL ID program
• Over $75 million for the Secretary of State to begin to modernize the office’s computer systems
Economic and Community Development
• $400 million to close major economic development deals and attract businesses and jobs to the state
• Expanded workforce development programs to build a pipeline in the industries of the future, like data center, electric vehicles, and clean energy
• $20 million to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) for Rebuild Illinois Downtowns and Main Streets Capital Program to provide additional community revitalization funding
• $40 million for forgivable loans to launch more social equity cannabis businesses
• $10 million to fund a “one-stop business portal” to foster entrepreneurship
• $2 million for a new Office of Rural Economic Development intended to connect communities and improve access to state and federal aid through outreach or technical assistance from rural navigators.
• $2.5 million to establish an Office of Outdoor Recreation to promote tourism at destinations around the State and grow the outdoor recreation economy of Illinois
• $10 million for a Clean Energy Career and Technical Education Pilot Program for high schools
• $20 million to address food insecurity in urban and rural communities through incentivizing the opening of grocery stores and providing grants for equipment upgrades to existing small grocers through the Illinois Grocery Initiative
• Includes $30 million for agriculture programs that improve the availability and accessibility of nutritious, locally sourced foods for Illinoisans in need, including $28 million for a new federally funded Local Food Purchase Cooperative Agreement which will support local, regional and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers through the purchase of local foods for distribution to food banks, schools and organizations that reach underserved communities, and $2 million for middle supply-chain infrastructure grants through the federal Resilient Food Systems program.
• $20 million for a Fast-Track Workforce Program intended to provide resources and support to major relocating or expanding employers for employee screening and recruitment, and customized job training development.
• $20 million to provide a state commitment and in-kind contribution to support Illinois entities seeking competitive federal awards that align with the State’s economic development plan
• $19 million in additional funding for advertising and promotion of tourism throughout Illinois, nearly doubling the State’s investment in domestic and international tourism promotion
• $30 million for new one-time tourism promotion grants at DCEO to support the State’s tourism industry
• $90 million in new capital funding for DCEO’s Enterprise Fund Grant Program, which provides competitive funding to attract and retain businesses in Illinois, creating new jobs and capital investment in the State
• $55 million in new capital funding for Prime Sites Program investments, providing grants for large-scale projects making substantial capital investment and job creation commitments
• Takes another step towards phasing out the corporate franchise tax
• Creates the Hydrogen Fuel Replacement Tax Credit Act, providing tax incentives for zero-carbon hydrogen fuel.
• Expands the Angel Investment credit from 25% to 35% if the investment is made in a business venture that is owned by women, people of color, a person with a disability, or in a county with a population of less than 250,000.
Environmental Initiatives
• Funds $12 million in electric vehicle consumer rebates at the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA)
• Includes new authority for federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) programming for energy efficiency rebates at IEPA totaling $267.8 million
• Reappropriates $70 million from Rebuild Illinois at IEPA for transportation electrification and charging infrastructure statewide
• Continues funding for unsewered communities planning and construction grants for communities around the state
• Includes funding for new Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development grants at Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) at $56 million, providing the largest and most accessible opportunity in the state’s history for distressed communities for the second year in a row
• Includes funding through DNR’s Office of Water Resources to implement projects such as providing the State’s $50 million share for the Brandon Road Ecosystem Project to block invasive carp species from entering the Great Lakes ecosystem, and programs such as a $10 million expansion of the Flood Hazard Mitigation program for new buyouts
Capital and Transportation Funding
The Fiscal Year 2024 capital budget represents a continuation of the historic Rebuild Illinois program and other ongoing capital initiatives.Continued use of federal funds will expedite delivery of critical initiatives. Illinois anticipates receiving billions of dollars from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to invest in transportation, water, broadband, clean energy and more.
• Includes funding to support IIJA programming, as the State anticipates receiving at least $18.0 billion over five years through federal formula funding; over $7.2 billion in infrastructure funding has been announced for Illinois investments since IIJA’s passage
• Features $4.6 billion for the FY24 Road Program. This includes approximately $3.4 billion in pay-as-you-go revenue and $1.2 billion in bond funds.
• Includes $300 million in new funding for the I-290 Blue Line Modernization Project
• Reappropriates $100 million at DCEO for community-driven broadband expansion to help close the digital divide.
• Supports the IIJA lead service line replacement loans at $230.2 million, as well as $10 million in new IEPA funding to provide lead service line inventory and planning grants to communities around the state.
• Reappropriates $86 million in funding for orphaned well plugging from Rebuild Illinois and IIJA
• Provides an increase to RTA Operating Assistance Grants $18 million
• Provides an additional $1.5 million for RTA reduced fares
• Provides an additional $5 million for Amtrak operating assistance for state-supported routes
That “$183 million surplus” is a bit higher than what was claimed when the approp bills were debated.
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[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Since 2018, Uber and Arizona State University have provided 5000 qualified drivers and their families with 100% tuition coverage.
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* From the governor’s office…
Reporters—
As the Daily Public Schedule informed you, Gov. Pritzker will sign the FY24 budget today (Senate Bill 250). When he signs the budget, the Governor will make a few technical corrections to language from SB 2541 that was included in the bill. These line-item reductions will ensure the FY24 budget complies with current state law that prevents raises of more than 5 percent.
The annual cost of living increase is capped by law at 5 percent or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower. The budget bill increased the COLAs for legislators and statewide and top executive officers by 5.5 percent. Oops.
The House Republicans caught the error during floor debate. Kudos to them.
…Adding… From House Republican Leader Tony McCombie…
“While Illinois families struggle, Governor Pritzker decreased the politician pay raise a paltry .5%. While this change may make it constitutional, it does not make it right. House Republicans will continue to hold the majority party accountable to not only our constitutional rights but also to Illinois taxpayers.”
* From the governor’s veto message…
Today, I return Senate Bill 250, entitled “AN ACT concerning appropriations,” with reductions in the amount of $192,700.
This bill, among other things, appropriates funds for the salaries of the State’s Constitutional Officers (Article 33, Section 35), Appointed Officers of the Executive Branch (Article 33, Section 40), and General Assembly members (Article 33, Section 45). In Public Act 102-1115, effective January 9, 2023, the salaries for the Constitutional Officers (Article 30), Appointed Officers of the Executive Branch (Article 15), and the General Assembly members (Article 35) were set before their terms of office began, as required by the Illinois Constitution of 1970. See Ill. Const. 1970, art. V, §21; art. IV, §11. However, the appropriations to the State Comptroller in this bill exceed the amounts necessary to compensate the State’s Constitutional Officers, Appointed Officers of the Executive Branch and members of the General Assembly in accordance with Public Act 102-1115 and the members of the State’s boards and commissions in accordance with the levels currently authorized by Illinois law. See, e.g., Public Act 102- 1115, Article 30, Section 30-5 (providing that the Constitutional Officers shall receive a specified annual salary or as set by the Compensation Review Board, whichever is greater, resulting in a maximum salary for Fiscal Year 2024 of $168,945 for the Lieutenant Governor, Comptroller and Treasurer and $192,465 for the Attorney General and Secretary of State); Article 35, Section 35-5 (providing that General Assembly members shall receive an annual salary of $85,000 or as set by the Compensation Review Board, whichever is greater, setting a maximum salary of $89,250 for Fiscal Year 2024); Article 15, Sections 15-5 through 15-40 (providing that Agency Directors shall receive a specified annual salary and an annual increase in salary based on a cost of living adjustment as authorized by Senate Joint Resolution 192 of the 86th General Assembly).
It is evident that the errors in the amounts to compensate all of these officers were inadvertent and that the General Assembly intended for the amounts set forth in Senate Bill 250 simply to implement the salaries provided by law.
Therefore, pursuant to Article IV, Section 9(d) of the Illinois Constitution of 1970, I hereby reduce the appropriation items listed below and approve each item in the amount set forth in the “Reduced Amount” column below […]
In addition to these specific item reductions, I hereby approve all other appropriation items in Senate Bill 250.
* From the Illinois Legislative Glossary…
Veto, Reduction
The Governor reduces the amount of an item of an appropriation bill. The General Assembly may do nothing and the reduction stands, or the General Assembly may restore the item to its original amount. In either event, the remainder of the bill becomes law.
…Adding… The “technical corrections to language from SB 2541 that was included in the bill” line is interesting. The bill drafters essentially copied and pasted language from the comptroller’s approp bill, which is SB2541. Click here to see it yourself.
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Open thread
Wednesday, Jun 7, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Happy Wednesday! What’s going on?…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Wednesday, Jun 7, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Here you go…
* ABC Chicago | Gov. Pritzker to sign $50 billion State Budget Wednesday: Pritzker has been touring the state this week, promoting the $50 billion spending plan that goes into effect next month. The plan contains several new initiatives he asked for, including investments in pre-K through 12th grade education, child welfare, combating poverty and homelessness, and increasing state spending on higher education.
* Tribune | Prosecutors say businessman James Weiss ‘had two sitting politicians’ on his payroll as federal bribery trial begins: “In 2019, ladies and gentlemen, the defendant had two sitting politicians on his company’s payroll,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine O’Neill said in her opening statement in Weiss’ long-awaited bribery trial. “It was all to benefit his business … the sweepstakes machines and his own bottom line.”
* Tribune | Lawsuits against state can be filed in only two counties under measure signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker: Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, lawsuits have been filed in multiple counties challenging Pritzker’s executive orders related to the pandemic as well as recently enacted state laws abolishing cash bail and banning certain high-powered semi-automatic firearms and high-capacity ammunition magazines. “One attorney was charging people $200 to have their names added as plaintiffs to (a gun ban) lawsuit,” Democratic state Rep. Jay Hoffman said last month in reference to the numerous lawsuits filed by unsuccessful Republican attorney general candidate Thomas DeVore.
* Sun-Times | Stalled Bears stadium talks create opening for Chicago mayor — if he’s willing to rewrite his playbook: Johnson is under intense pressure to deliver on his campaign promise to make $1 billion worth of “investments in people.” The smorgasbord of jobs, education, mental health and social programs is the cornerstone of the new mayor’s anti-violence strategy.
* WGLT | Illinois would see $49.2B in health benefits with widespread EV adoption: But a new report quantifies the potential health benefits of a widespread transition to zero-emission passenger vehicles and electricity. That report was released Wednesday by the American Lung Association. It provides a state-level forecast of what would happen if all new vehicle sales were EVs by 2035, coupled with non-combustion electricity generation.
* STLPR | Legal pot meant a second chance for thousands in Illinois — did the state keep its promise?: The word “automatic” was a misnomer, said Kinney. An individual with a criminal record for marijuana had to take an active role in the court system to make that record go away, and every single court in the state is its own entity. “You have to file a petition in every single county in which there was a charge and arrest or conviction,” Kinney said. “There’s not just some magic button that someone can press and all these records just go poof, and they go away.”
* WCIA | Facing ‘funding crisis,’ ICASA seeks help from state after cut in some federal dollars: The Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault estimates the federal government is slashing their funding from the Victims of Crime Act in half, according to testimony from CEO Carrie Ward. She estimates that’s around $9.5 million, adding that the state’s rape crisis centers are “facing a funding crisis.”
* Center Square | Pritzker promotes early childhood education initiative; Republicans say it’s not sustainable: Among the programs discussed was the Smart Start Illinois program, which supporters say will eliminate early childhood deserts for 3-and-4-year olds by 2027. The program, in total, will cost the state’s taxpayers $350 million for the programs and new facilities.
* Crain’s | Business interests pushing back on ComEd’s proposed rate hikes: At the end of the four years beginning in 2024, many companies would see their electricity delivery rates increase by more than 60%, according to an analysis performed for BOMA/Chicago by former Illinois Power Agency Director Mark Pruitt, now an energy consultant. For consumers, the increases would be more like 40%.
* Crain’s | Amtrak seeks funds to boost one of its major Chicago routes: In an announcement today, Amtrak said it’s seeking $500,000 to expand Cardinal service to daily from the current three times a week. The national passenger line also wants $4.4 million in capital funds for track work that will speed traffic times between Indy and Dyer, Ind.
* Evanston Now | Plan to pay mayoral candidates tabled: When the measure’s sponsor, Ald. Juan Geracaris (9th) suggested the money was just “supporting the election process,” Suffredin countered that the funds would not do something nonpartisan — like holding more candidate forums — but would instead go directly to the candidates — turning over taxpayer money to them without the taxpayers’ consent.
* NPR Illinois | Does the Mississippi River have rights?: Glenda Guster was among the roughly 80 people to join the Great Plains Action Society’s Walk for River Rights — the centerpiece of a three-day summit earlier this month for Black and indigenous organizers from across the Mississippi River basin, who, among other things, want to grant the river legal standing.
* Tribune | Chicago Sky’s new group of all-female investors — including Cubs co-owner Laura Ricketts — raises the WNBA team’s valuation to $85 million: The Sky’s valuation is now second in the WNBA behind the Seattle Storm, who set their new value at $130 million earlier this year after bringing in 15 new investors for a total of $21 million. These values are a dramatic shift for the league, which saw the Las Vegas Aces sell for only $2 million in 2021 fresh off a Western Conference title.
* WCIA | State offering the chance to shadow lawmakers, Lt. Governor: Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton is teaming up with the State Board of Education and the Illinois Council on Women and Girls to offer girls the chance to shadow women in the Capitol. The Girl’s lead program is accepting applications until June 10th.
* WSIL | Black bear spotted in Southern Illinois, authorities urge not to approach it: The Randolph County Sheriff’s Office said they were notified of a possible bear sighting a couple miles south of Evansville, Ill. They investigated and it was determined, and verified, the bear sighting was a valid report.
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Live coverage
Wednesday, Jun 7, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Afternoon roundup
Tuesday, Jun 6, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Maybe the rhetoric can ease a bit now. CNN…
The number of daily encounters along the US-Mexico border has remained low nearly a month after a pandemic-era restriction used by authorities to swiftly turn away migrants was lifted, the Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday.
Authorities had been bracing for a surge in illegal crossings following the expiration of Title 42 last month, and while officials caution that migration flows can change, the average 3,400 daily encounters reported by US Border Patrol is a marked shift from the around 10,000 daily encounters days before Title 42 was lifted.
“As a result of planning and execution – which combined stiffer consequences for unlawful entry with a historic expansion of lawful pathways and processes – unlawful entries between ports of entry along the Southwest Border have decreased by more than 70 percent since May 11,” the department said in a news release on Tuesday.
* Media advisory…
Wirepoints will hold a press conference at Benito Juarez High School – where only 46 of 1,700 students do math at grade level and just 70 read at grade level – to highlight a new report on the results Hispanic families in Chicago are getting from the city’s public education system. Wirepoints has produced the report in both Spanish and English. Ted Dabrowski, President of Wirepoints, will present key findings and will be joined by:
• Jonathan Serrano – Entrepreneur, former candidate for state representative (IL-03), former CPS employee, and community leader on the city’s west side
• Mark Ortiz - Chicago law enforcement
• Rob Cruz - parent advocate, former school board member and candidate for Congress (IL-06)
As of last year, when Rob Cruz scored just 5.76 percent in the GOP primary, he lived in Oak Lawn, not Chicago.
Jonathan Serrano was recruited by the Illinois Policy Institute to run for the House and wound up with 19 points against Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado (D-Chicago). He’s president of the Westside GOP Club and regularly expresses his viewpoints on social media…
I couldn’t find anything on Mark Ortiz. He’s not listed on the city’s salary database, either.
* Best press release headline of the day is from Sen. Andrew Chesney (R-Freeport)…
Chesney Urges Northwest Illinois Residents Not to Fall for Governor’s Fancy Budget Rhetoric during Freeport Visit
He’s just so darned fancy.
* Press release…
The Illinois Department of Insurance (IDOI) is expanding its online-only application and payment process for insurance producer and agent licensing across all license types.
Beginning July 1, 2023, initial license applications, renewal applications, and payments must be submitted through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) electronic application and renewal system for the 22 license types handled by IDOI’s Licensing, Education and Testing unit.
This week, the Department notified Illinois insurance producers and agents that it will no longer accept paper applications and checks for licenses. More than 1,212 paper applications have been processed this year.
* Press release from February…
The Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS) announced today the launch of a website for the African Descent-Citizens Reparations Commission (ADCRC). As part of the Economic Opportunity Bill, the ADCRC was established to bring an equity focus on African American communities and residents that have been disproportionally impacted by longstanding disinvestment due to direct and systemic repercussions of slavery.
Still not a whole lot on that site.
* A Crain’s op-ed on reforming the city council has this bit on inadequate ward staffing…
The problem is that it’s really expensive to staff 50 ward offices adequately. In most wards the aldermanic staff is hard-pressed just to deal with requests for zoning changes and residents’ service requests, much less prepare the member for complex legislative debates on the council floor. That partly explains Chicago’s tradition of rubber-stamp votes on even crucial bills such as the budget.
From the very same day…
Four aldermen have paid more than $48,000 out of their taxpayer-funded expense accounts to a consulting firm run by a former top Chicago Park District official who was asked to resign for his involvement in the Park District’s sexual abuse lifeguard scandal and placed on a do-not-rehire list.
Since a bunch of alderpersons had enough cash laying around to help out a man fired for doing nothing about Park District sexual abuse reports, I ain’t buying that the ward offices are broke. Broken, maybe. Not broke.
* Isabel’s roundup…
* WTTW | 53% of IDOC Inmates Serving Life Sentences Are Over Age 55. Advocates Call for Giving Some a Second Chance : In 1978, Illinois shifted from an indeterminate to a determinate sentencing system — effectively eliminating parole as most people are familiar with it. Defendants are sentenced with a fixed release date and can earn time off statutorily or through participating in programming, like education or treatment programs. Instead of parole, defendants are under Mandatory Supervised Release upon release for the remainder of their sentences.
* Crain’s | Of the major auto insurers in Illinois, Geico might be the biggest loser: Since November 2019, the company has seen its number of auto policies here decline by more than 23%, to 308,427 as of last month from 403,136, according to filings with the Illinois Department of Insurance.
* Daily Herald | Bears can continue to gain revenue from Arlington Park billboard, board decides: Even as the Bears flirt with Naperville, Arlington Heights village board members didn’t use any leverage of their own Monday when they granted an extension to an electronic billboard approval for the new Arlington Park property owner. The sign variations, reaffirmed without discussion via the board’s consent agenda Monday night, will allow the team to retain an extra revenue stream first granted to Churchill Downs Inc. in 2017.
* Pantagraph | Illinois lawmaker recap: Koehler lauds ‘productive’ session, but key issues remain: Koehler characterized the session as “productive,” pointing to the passage of a Medicaid bill that raises reimbursement rates for hospitals and legislation that incentivizes the use of hydrogen as an energy source. He was also satisfied with the budget process, which included Senate Republicans despite a Democratic supermajority. “They weren’t happy with some of the outcomes, but that’s going to be just a difference of opinion and philosophy. That’s going to happen. But, at least, what I heard loud and clear is that they felt like they were included and they were listened to.”
* Crain’s | Illinois cannabis sales sluggish in May: Recreational marijuana sales in Illinois rose 2% in May from a year ago, improving slightly from April’s performance when sales were flat. Illinois retailers sold $132.8 million worth of cannabis last month, up from $129.8 million a year earlier, according to state figures.
* Sun-Times | ‘John killed himself?’ Hours after police standoff, man gets voicemail about brother he hadn’t seen in 15 years: “It was shocking,” said Glen Lichard. “I just wish the SWAT would have called me. I would have gotten on the phone with him or gone down there, or something.”
* CNBC | Boeing warns new defect on 787 Dreamliners will slow deliveries: Boeing had paused deliveries of the planes for several weeks earlier this year because of a separate problem on a fuselage component on certain 787s. The latest issue currently doesn’t affect Boeing’s full-year outlook for Dreamliner deliveries, the company said. Boeing has estimated that it would deliver between 70 and 80 of the planes this year.
* WSIL | ComEd Awards Nearly $250,000 in Scholarships for Illinois Students Pursuing Future Careers in STEM: Since its launch in 2022, the ComEd Future of Energy Scholarship has awarded nearly $640,000 to 115 local students. Expanding opportunities for area youth to pursue STEM degrees is critical to ComEd’s work to establish a diverse, qualified talent pipeline that is prepared to support the power grid and the growing number of clean energy jobs that will be created in the years ahead. A recent study commissioned by ComEd projects that 150,000 new jobs in Illinois could be added by the year 2050 as a result of the clean energy transition.
* Crain’s | Shocking merger of PGA Tour and LIV Golf puts Chicago-based golf sponsors in the rough: Local companies that sponsor the PGA tour include United Airlines, farm equipment maker John Deere, CDW, Grant Thornton, and Aon. Representatives from each company did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Whether companies continue their sponsorship of the combined PGA-LIV likely depends on how they’ve used the PGA relationship in the past — and what they’ve hoped to get out of it, said Mike Mazzeo, a professor of strategy at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
* Tribune | Chicago White Sox prospect Anderson Comás on his decision to come out: ‘Now is when I feel good with myself. Now I accept myself.’: Anderson Comás thought of those who feel like they don’t have support and wanted to do his part to help when he decided to come out as gay in February. “I wanted to open that door for those people that are fighting for their dreams,” Comás said during a videoconference call Friday. “I feel like they cannot do it because of people’s opinions, so I wanted to share a little bit to help, to open that door and to inspire all of them to keep fighting.”
* WBEZ | She spent years helping victims of Chicago’s gun violence. Now she’s leaning on them.: Mannion has worked since 2016 in the Little Village neighborhood where she grew up as an outreach worker trying to pull people out of gangs, and as a victim advocate — providing services and support to people who survive gunshots and families whose loved ones are shot to death. Her work was at the center of the most recent season of WBEZ’s Motive podcast about former gang members trying to stop the city’s gun violence. […] Mannion has struggled with diabetes for years; it runs in her family. Among her many diabetes-related issues, the disease has started to take a toll on her kidneys and her doctors believe she will need dialysis soon — something Mannion is resisting. Years ago, doctors removed cancer from her gallbladder, but they are now concerned they didn’t get all of the cancer and it has spread to her lungs.
* Daily Herald | Tollway to offer more I-PASS payment options for cash customers: Tollway directors recently approved a $3.4 million, five-year contract with Brookfield, Wisconsin-based CheckFreePay Corp. to offer I-PASS payment services at retailers including Walgreens, CVS and currency exchanges.
* Sun-Times | Vienna Beef returning to Bucktown: The hot dog and sausage company will invest $20 million to rehab the site, adding a second-floor office, first-floor retail space for other companies and an outdoor plaza.
* And Scape | America loved Tina Turner. But it wasn’t good to her.: The public understood Turner as having escaped domestic violence. What was less appreciated was the extent to which her suffering was tied to her identity as a Black daughter of cotton sharecroppers from Tennessee. Some might argue that these circumstances created one of the greatest rock artists in American history. Certainly, they shaped her. But white supremacy did not make Anna Mae Bullock into Tina Turner. Tina Turner made Tina Turner.
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Meanwhile… In Opposite Land
Tuesday, Jun 6, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* CNN…
For the first time in its four-decade history, America’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer civil rights organization has declared a national state of emergency for members of the LGBTQ+ community, the Human Rights Campaign said Tuesday.
“LGBTQ+ Americans are living in a state of emergency. The multiplying threats facing millions in our community are not just perceived – they are real, tangible and dangerous,” the group’s president, Kelley Robinson, said. “In many cases they are resulting in violence against LGBTQ+ people, forcing families to uproot their lives and flee their homes in search of safer states, and triggering a tidal wave of increased homophobia and transphobia that puts the safety of each and every one of us at risk.”
Alongside the emergency declaration, the group will release a digital guidebook, including health and safety resources, a summary of state-by-state laws, “know your rights” information and resources designed to support LGBTQ+ travelers and those living in hostile states, it said. […]
And the Human Rights Campaign just last month issued an updated travel notice for Florida, outlining potential impacts of six bills recently passed there, many already signed by GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican contender for president who’s championed “don’t say gay” and pronoun bills.
* Moving along to Oklahoma…
A state school board in Oklahoma voted Monday to approve what would be the first publicly funded religious school in the nation, despite a warning from the state’s attorney general that the decision was unconstitutional.
The Statewide Virtual Charter School Board voted 3-2 to approve the application by the Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma to establish the St. Isidore of Seville Virtual Charter School. The online public charter school would be open to students across the state in kindergarten through grade 12.
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond had warned the board that such a decision clearly violated the Oklahoma Constitution.
“The approval of any publicly funded religious school is contrary to Oklahoma law and not in the best interest of taxpayers,” Drummond said in a statement shortly after the board’s vote. “It’s extremely disappointing that board members violated their oath in order to fund religious schools with our tax dollars. In doing so, these members have exposed themselves and the state to potential legal action that could be costly.”
* Utah…
On Friday, a person filed a complaint with the Davis School District, just north of Salt Lake City, asking that the Book of Mormon, a religious text for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, be removed from its libraries. Utah is home to the world headquarters of the church and has the nation’s highest concentration of members of that faith.
That request echoed one in December challenging the King James Version of the Bible, which is held sacred by members of the church and Christians generally. Both complaints followed the passage of state legislation prohibiting “pornographic or indecent” materials in public school settings. The measure, titled Sensitive Materials in Schools, was signed into law in March 2022. […]
Last month, a Davis district committee decided that the Bible should remain available in high school libraries, but not for younger grades. (Someone has since filed an appeal to keep it in circulation for all students.) Christopher Williams, a spokesman for the Davis School District, did not share details about the newer complaint against the Book of Mormon but said the district would “treat this request just like any other request.” […]
And increasingly, challenges are being filed against multiple books at once, whereas in the past, libraries more frequently received complaints about a single title, the American Library Association found. That suggested that political campaigning was behind the trend, said Deborah Caldwell-Stone, the director of the association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom.
The complaints about religious texts in Utah, she said, were “certainly a kind of advocacy that might encourage both school boards and state legislators to think more carefully about what they’re doing.”
* Arksanas…
A group of public libraries and book publishers in Arkansas is pushing back against a growing movement to restrict what children are allowed to read.
Arkansas is one of four states that recently passed laws that make it easier to prosecute librarians over sexually explicit books, a designation conservatives often use to target books with descriptions of gender identity and sexuality. On Friday, a coalition led by the Central Arkansas Library System, based in Little Rock, filed a federal lawsuit it hopes will set a precedent about the constitutionality of such laws.
The Central Arkansas Library System argued in a filing in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas that Act 372 violates the First Amendment by making it a misdemeanor for libraries to give children access to materials that are “harmful to minors.” The term — which means any depiction of nudity or sexual conduct meant to appeal to a prurient interest that lacks serious artistic, medical or political value and which contemporary community standards would find inappropriate for minors — is too broad, the suit contends. For example, the law would prohibit 17-year-olds from viewing materials deemed too explicit for 7-year-olds.
“There’s enormous angst and anxiety on the part of librarians in the state,” said Nate Coulter, the executive director of the Central Arkansas Library System, which has 17 branches in seven cities. “Because not only do they feel like people in the state government don’t respect their integrity, but they’re seen as a hostile party. They’ve been called groomers. They’ve been accused of being pedophiles. They’re basically targeted by a very divisive, angry group of people who are vocal about believing that somehow the library is the problem in our community.”
* More from Oklahoma via the NYT…
Oklahoma’s Supreme Court said on Wednesday that two laws passed last year that ban most abortions are unconstitutional.
But the ruling does not affect a law passed in 1910 which still prohibits most abortions in the state, unless they are necessary to save the life of the mother.
The laws that were struck down by the court were civil laws that had relied on suits from private citizens to enforce them. Both had made exceptions for cases involving a “medical emergency.”
But the justices took issue with that language in their 6-3 ruling, which suggested that the exceptions were too narrow. They maintained that a woman has a constitutional right to end a pregnancy in order to save her life, without specifying the need for a medical emergency.
* Missouri and Kansas…
Mylissa Farmer knew her fetus was dying inside of her. Her water broke less than 18 weeks into her pregnancy last August, and she was desperate for an abortion.
But according to federal documents, during three emergency room visits over two days in Missouri and Kansas, doctors repeatedly gave Farmer the same chilling message: Though there was virtually no chance her fetus would survive and the pregnancy was putting her at high risk for life-threatening complications, there was nothing they could do for her. […]
The investigation, conducted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, documented that both Freeman Health System in Joplin, Missouri and the University of Kansas Health System breached their internal policies for complying with the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, and that their protocols continue to place patients in “immediate jeopardy” of serious health risks, the highest level of violation.
Investigators concluded that future patients in similar situations could face “serious injury, harm, impairment or death.” The hospitals will remain under investigation while they come up with plans to ensure that patients in need of emergency abortion care are not turned away, federal officials said.
* Florida…
A national physician-led health care advocacy group is advising travelers to Florida who can become pregnant to think twice about visiting the state because of its restrictive six-week abortion ban, recently signed into law by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The Committee to Protect Health Care has paid for a billboard located outside of the Orlando International Airport that reads: “Turn around! Ron DeSantis is attacking your reproductive rights. Head to Michigan for patient-doctor medical decisions.” The blunt message from Dr. Timothy Johnson, an OB-GYN based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, directs people arriving at the airport to MichiganMeansFreedom.com, a site sponsored by the group.
* South Carolina…
* Indiana…
A northern Indiana abortion clinic will close nearly a year after the state approved a ban on the practice, with “unnecessary” and “politically driven” restrictions on abortions forcing its closure, according to a Monday announcement.
Amy Hagstrom Miller, president of Whole Woman’s Health Alliance, said in the statement that staff have seen over 1,100 women for medication abortions “in our small but mighty South Bend clinic” since it opened seven years ago.
Staff at Whole Woman’s Health Alliance — which has clinics in Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico and Virginia — will still provide remote services, such as referring patients to other abortion clinics in Indiana or states where abortion is legal. Patients have not been able to physically visit the Indiana clinic since December 2022.
“While we will no longer provide abortions at our South Bend clinic location, our resolve to help Hoosiers is as strong as ever,” Hagstrom Miller said.
* Louisiana…
A series of bills in Louisiana that opponents fear will negatively impact LGBTQ+ youths neared final passage Monday, advancing in the waning days of the state’s legislative session.
Although similar bills have failed in the past, it seems the fate of Louisiana’s package of LGBTQ+-related bills is all but sealed as they appeared likely to reach Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards’ desk for his consideration.
The legislation comes amid a year in which Republican-dominate legislatures around that country have passed similar bills taking aim at various aspects of transgender existence — from pronoun usage and bathroom access to medical care and more.
All of the Louisiana bills received approval mainly along party lines in both the House and Senate. They now must go back to their original chambers — where they have already overwhelmingly passed — for lawmakers to approve of the mostly minor amendments. After concurring on the amendments, the legislation will be sent to Edwards.
* Texas…
Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law Friday a bill that bars transgender kids from getting puberty blockers and hormone therapies, though the new law could face legal challenges before it takes effect on Sept. 1.
Senate Bill 14’s passage brings to the finish line a legislative priority for the Republican Party of Texas, which opposes any efforts to validate transgender identities. Trans kids, their parents and LGBTQ advocacy groups fiercely oppose the law, and some have vowed to stop it from going into effect.
Texas — home to one of the largest trans communities in the U.S. — is now one of 18 states that restrict transition-related care for trans minors.
“Cruelty has always been the point,” said Emmett Schelling, executive director of the Transgender Education Network of Texas. “It’s not shocking that this governor would sign SB14 right at the beginning of Pride [Month]; however this will not stop trans people from continuing to exist with authenticity — as we always have.”
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* In 2021, an Illinois law was enacted to limit use of restraints in schools. ProPublica…
The House voted unanimously to pass legislation barring school workers from locking children alone in seclusion spaces and limiting the use of any type of isolated timeout or physical restraint to when there’s “imminent danger of physical harm.” The legislation requires schools that receive state funding to make a plan to reduce — and eventually eliminate — the practices over the next three years. Schools that develop plans more quickly can receive priority for new grant funding for staff training.
A main feature of the legislation — and the element that proved most contentious among lawmakers over the past 18 months — is an immediate ban on schools’ use of prone, or face-down, restraint for most students. Restraining a student that way would be permitted only for children whose special-education plans specifically allow it as an emergency measure and only until the end of the 2021-22 school year, granting schools more time to phase out the practice than some legislators and advocates sought. […]
Illinois legislators began working to ban seclusion and restraint after a Tribune-ProPublica investigation in late 2019 revealed that some schools routinely locked children in closet-like seclusion rooms to force them to complete schoolwork, for being disrespectful to employees or for behavioral infractions as minor as spilling milk. Inside the small spaces, children sometimes cried for their parents, tore at the walls or urinated when they were denied use of the bathroom.
* Today from the Tribune…
Shedding new light on Chicago Public Schools’ recent disclosure that the district violated state laws in its use of physical restraint and isolation of students, a letter from the state education superintendent delves further into CPS’ “systemic” failures.
The letter, written by state Superintendent Tony Sanders to CPS CEO Pedro Martinez in April, was ISBE’s fourth directive ordering CPS to comply with state law. Violations alleged by the state agency range from CPS allowing untrained staff members to restrain students unnecessarily — sometimes for more than hour or through the use of prohibited methods — to the district’s failure to notify parents and review and report all incidents to the Illinois State Board of Education. […]
Among restraint, timeout and isolation incidents CPS reported to ISBE in the 2021-22 school year, 71 instances involving 41 students occurred unnecessarily, according to the April letter. […]
In ISBE’s review of 24 forms of alternative documentation, the agency found 22 incidents involved the physical restraint of a student — by at least one untrained staff member in more than half of the incidents. The number of incidents involving no trained staff members is redacted in Sanders’ April letter.
“Multiple physical restraint incidents lasted one hour or more,” the letter states, and in 10 instances, parents weren’t notified within the required time frame. State policy requires schools to attempt to notify parents and guardians of incidents on the same day and to provide a written explanation within one day.
* CTU…
The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) on Wednesday called for the ouster of CPS’ Chief of the Office of Diverse Learner Supports and Services (ODLSS), Stephanie Jones, for her dismal failures to protect the district’s most vulnerable students, continued violation of special education laws and the creation of a toxic workplace that has left the department in shambles and unable to fulfill its legally-required mandate to support students with disabilities.
The CTU House of Delegates, the union’s democratically elected governing body, took a no confidence vote Wednesday evening and called for Jones to resign or for CPS CEO Pedro Martinez to fire her.
The vote comes just days after it was revealed that in November, the state found the district continues to violate state law by imposing physical restraints on students despite a directive to halt the practice until staff are adequately and appropriately trained in its use. In a letter to Martinez, the Illinois State Board of Education said, “CPS’ complete disregard for the health and safety of its students and blatant violation of state law is unconscionable.”
At the HOD meeting, numerous special education teachers, clinicians and service providers detailed Jones’ flagrant mishandling of the special education department, including failing to provide recovery services to students who suffered an education gap during the pandemic and deficient staff training in restraint practices, among other lapses.
CTU President Stacy Davis Gates said.
“Tonight our members said, enough. Enough with the lack of services and support, enough with ignoring the needs of our students, and enough with violating state law.”
CPS’ special education department continues to be overseen by a state monitor, imposed after the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) found CPS deliberately denied and delayed services to students for the years 2016 – 2018.
“Clinicians in CPS have been faced with a consistent lack of managerial support because our managers have essentially been run out by the chief of ODLSS,” Alyssa Rodriquez, a citywide social worker, said. “We face extended wait times to get support in crisis situations, extreme turnover and inadequate training, which trickles down to our ability to serve our students.”
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Bears stuff
Tuesday, Jun 6, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The Bears appear to be trying to play DuPage against Cook. NBC 5…
With tax woes at the center of the Chicago Bears’ decision to explore new options for a stadium outside of Arlington Heights, Cook County’s tax assessor said “the facts speak for themselves.”
“Our office’s mission is to assess property based on market value,” a spokesperson for the Cook County Assessor’s office said Friday. “The 2022 assessment of the former Arlington Racecourse site is consistent with both the 2023 purchase price of the property and the price per square foot of other similarly sized land in the area. The facts speak for themselves.” […]
“The stadium-based project remains broadly popular in Arlington Heights, Chicagoland and the state. However, the property’s original assessment at five times the 2021 tax value, and the recent settlement with Churchill Downs for 2022 being three times higher, fails to reflect the property is not operational and not commercially viable in its current state,” the Bears said in a statement to NBC Chicago. “We will continue the ongoing demolition activity and work toward a path forward in Arlington Heights, but it is no longer our singular focus. It is our responsibility to listen to other municipalities in Chicagoland about potential locations that can deliver on this transformational opportunity for our fans, our club and the State of Illinois.”
* Rep. Marty Moylan (D-Des Plaines), who is sponsoring a bill to help the Bears move, said this to WTTW…
“Remember that Cook County won’t get any sales tax if it (the team) moves to Naperville. (Cook County Board) President (Toni) Preckwinkle’s going to be saying ‘where’s mine?’ if all of a sudden it’s going to Naperville,” Moylan said. “Rockford threw their hat in the ring, and other cities are going to be throwing their hat in the ring. Because this is a multi-billion dollar proposal. A domed stadium. We can have Super Bowls here.”
Moylan said he knows Rockford is making a pitch, though he has not seen the offer.
Rockford?
…Adding… A Rockford-area legislator said there was “no pitch” from the city. “I told Marty we would love to have the Bears if they can’t make a deal with anyone else. That’s it.”
Marty gonna Marty.
* More on the play…
Most were quick to say this was nothing more than a negotiating tactic by the franchise. However, not everybody thinks it is a total bluff. Marc Ganis is widely regarded as one of the best stadium experts in the business. He’s consulted on several projects during his career and knows the politics involved. He explained the situation on Mully & Haugh for 670 The Score. It comes down to the Bears being trapped in the bureaucratic mess that is Cook County.
“This is unfortunately what happens in Cook County and Illinois with our political system, our wonderful politicians, far too frequently. What you have is a bunch of parties that are trying to make their bones on the backs of the Bears politically. They’re saying, ‘Well, if the Bears wants this we’re going to charge them through the nose for that and we’re going to take the property taxes and this thing that Churchill Downs was paying a couple million dollars a year for and they’re going to have to pay double-digit millions.’ And that’s just to start. That is before they put a $2-3 billion stadium in the ground and before they put any of the ancillary development in the ground, which they will never be able to move.” […]
“They’re really…I won’t say destroying it but they are reducing it dramatically to the point where all those great advantages that Arlington Heights has had, they’ve reduced to the point where the Bears are going to talk to other communities like Naperville, which is in a different county jurisdiction.”
* The superintendents of three area public schools didn’t seem bluffable last month in a letter to the Bears…
On May 1, our attorneys extended an offer in which the school districts might agree to support an assessment based on a market value of $95 million. This offer, as all our prior offers have been, is subject to and conditioned on final approval or consent of our individual boards of education. It is our firm belief that this offer provides the clarity and fairness CBFC Development needs, while maintaining the integrity of the property tax system on which school districts depend and protecting the other taxpayers within our communities who do not receive such large reductions in their assessments. Given the substantial gulf between our positions, we do not see the need to make a counteroffer at this time. Instead, we intend to proceed to resolution of the 2022 tax year on its own. A resolution of the 2022 assessment will help to inform both us and CBFC Development on an appropriate assessment for tax years 2023 and 2024, the tax years when CBFC Development will take responsibility for the property taxes.
* Meanwhile, I read this Crain’s piece a couple of times and it looked to me at first like Rep. Buckner was just spit-balling…
With a Bears move to Arlington Heights facing new uncertainty, a state legislator whose district includes Soldier Field is urging the city to make a new pitch to keep the team somewhere in Chicago. And there is some indication the team might at least talk about it.
In a phone interview, state Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, said he believes a path to get Chicago back in the game may have opened in the wake of the team’s announcement that it no longer is focusing strictly on Arlington Heights and has talked to Naperville about building a new stadium complex there.
“I think so. It’s possible,” Buckner said in a phone interview. “I’ve said from the beginning that Arlington Heights was not a foregone conclusion. Mayor (Brandon) Johnson deserves a chance to broker a deal that I think makes sense for the team and the city.”
Buckner, who serves on Johnson’s transition team, said he doesn’t know if the administration is refining an offer former Mayor Lori Lightfoot put on the table last year to potentially dome Soldier Field. But the city should be “proactive” now, given the Bears’ statement, he said. And it perhaps ought to consider other Chicago locations beyond Soldier Field, such as the former USX property on the Southeast Side, Buckner said.
Fox 32 followed up with Rep. Buckner…
Q: I know you know the mayor pretty well. I have a two-part question. Number one: Do you think there has been a conversation about this topic at city hall in the last three or four days? And number two: What’s your instinct about Mayor Johnson and his willingness to make a serious proposal?
Buckner: I’m not sure if that talk has happened yet. But my assumption is that if it has not, it is coming very quickly.
So, Buckner claimed to have no specific inside information. More Buckner…
I also know that the mayor’s been very clear about the fact that he wanted a chance to reset the conversation, to have conversations with the McCaskey family about the future of the franchise. And I truly think that he deserves that. So hopefully, this is a push of the reset button so the proper folks can come to the table and talk about what this looks like.
* But here’s WTTW…
Johnson’s office didn’t return a call on Monday seeking comment, nor did the Bears.
But a source with knowledge of the situation says a talk between the two sides is likely to take place in the next several days.
We’ll see.
* And let’s go back to Marc Ganis‘ comments on 670 The Score…
“I just heard from somebody at the league that they’re going to have a sit-down meeting with the mayor as well, the new mayor, Mayor (Brandon) Johnson, about if there’s possibly another site in the city of Chicago that he may want to propose. Not Soldier Field. That’s gone. That’s been gone for a long time.”
Could just be gossip “from somebody at the league.” Could be more. Ganis predicted almost a year ago that the Bears would move to Arlington Heights.
Anyway, your thoughts?
…Adding… Forgot to post this one…
The Bears’ flirtation with Naperville last Friday made all the headlines and captured the city’s attention. That was surely the intended effect new president and CEO Kevin Warren had in mind when he agreed to meet with the municipality and released the statement that Arlington Heights was no longer the “singular focus” for the Bears’ new stadium pursuit.
The Bears will hope to get the same effect, if not multiplied, should they meet with new Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson about finding a way to stay in the city.
That’s all well and good. The Bears’ search for leverage has many paths, but a sole goal: To bend Arlington Heights and the surrounding municipalities to their will.
That last bit ties this all together. Leverage everywhere you look. But their sunken costs at AH are pretty darned high to move again.
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Fun with numbers (and history)
Tuesday, Jun 6, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Please pardon all transcription errors. From today’s first press conference…
Q: On the broader question of the budget, do you have a response to Republican leaders who have expressed some displeasure with the level of input they had in the budget?
Gov. Pritzker: Well, look, I can tell you this. I had regular meetings with Republican leaders directly throughout the budget process. They would tell you that. And there were things that I specifically fought for putting in the budget that Republicans wanted in that budget. And just one example is, I’ve been working hard to try to lower taxes on businesses, particularly the ones that you don’t hear a lot about, they’re very annoying to small businesses. The corporate franchise tax, if you’ve not heard of that before, is one example of that. So I’ve been working to try to lower that tax. It’s not one of those things that gets a lot of attention anywhere. But I sat down with Republicans early on, that was one of a list of things that I thought we should work on together. And that got into the budget. It’s a big cut in the corporate franchise tax, $50 million is the cut. That helps businesses, gives them more resources to hire people, which everybody knows we need an awful lot more workers with the current labor market. So I’m pleased with what we got into the budget.
I was not happy that Republicans decided that, based on another set of issues, they didn’t want to vote for the budget. I realize that there are things in this budget that I didn’t like, but you know, in the end, you’ve got to look at the whole budget and say, is this overall good for the state, even if there are things that I would have changed if I could write it all myself? And the answer for me is, yeah, this is a good budget, we should pass this budget, I should sign this budget.
And then on the Republican side, they’ve often tried to pick one or two things to point out and say, well, that’s the reason I didn’t. But you know, I’ve had press conferences about investing in our youngest children, about investing in our universities. And guess what, Republicans show up at those press conferences, even though they may not have voted for the budget. I understand. They’re in favor of that funding, but eventually, you’ve got to vote for the funding in order for us to continue to provide funding. So I was disappointed.
But I’ll continue to continue to work have a good relationship with the Republican leaders, even when we sometimes disagree on things and so we’ll continue to try to get bipartisanship wherever we can.
The corporate franchise tax was supposed to be completely phased out by next year, per a 2019 agreement. But that phase-out agreement with Republicans was tossed out after the governor’s graduated income tax was defeated by business interests and the pandemic created fiscal uncertainty.
Also, in 2020, the franchise tax brought in $165.3 million. A $50 million cut is significant, but, remember, it was suppose to be gone by next year.
* The franchise tax is both onerous and unusual. From the Taxpayers Federation…
There are only six states, then, that impose a tax roughly equivalent to Illinois’ franchise tax. Those remaining six (Louisiana, Massachusetts, North Carolina, South Carolina Tennessee, and Wyoming) base their taxes on a more traditional base—total assets or net worth as reported on an entity’s books and records or on its federal income tax return—rather than Illinois’ paid-in capital base. Illinois truly is an outlier. […]
A tax on net worth or capital stock results in pyramiding—a single investment may be taxed multiple times. It is not unusual for businesses to operate using multiple legal entities under a parent corporation. This can be for any number of reasons—regulatory requirements, accommodating new investors, or simply a legacy of business expansion. This very common structure frequently leads to a disproportionate tax liability. For example, assume two investors form Company A with $10,000. After a few years Company A expands into a slightly different business, so it forms a new subsidiary, Company B, investing $10,000. A few years later, Company B purchases 90% of the stock of a new venture in the same line of business—Company C—for $10,000. Each year thereafter, that original $10,000 investment is taxed under Illinois’ annual franchise tax 3 times because it is part of the paid-in capital of Companies A, B, and C.
A “good” tax is one that does not pick winners and losers based on artificial differences. The pyramiding problem described above is one way the franchise tax fails this test. Another occurs when debt is used, rather than equity. A corporation financed with debt, instead of owners’ investments, has lower paid in capital and thus lower franchise tax liability, resulting in two otherwise identical businesses paying very different amounts of tax. For example, if the owners of Corporation X take out $1,000,000 in personal loans and then invest the funds in the Corporation, its paid-in capital will be $1,000,000. Conversely, if the owners of Corporation Y invest $10 in the Corporation, but it borrows $1,000,000 (guaranteed by the owners), it will have the same $1,000,000 to operate its business as Corporation X, but face a much smaller franchise tax liability.
Anyway, your thoughts?
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* Press release…
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias and other state regulators have taken legal action against crypto exchange platform Coinbase Global, Inc. and Coinbase, Inc. for violations of securities laws.
“This action will protect consumers and investors to ensure they can make informed and safe decisions in Illinois and across the nation,” Giannoulias said. “Illinoisans who invest their money in Coinbase or any other digital asset trading business deserve both security and transparency and my office intends to hold crypto companies to the highest standards.”
The Illinois Secretary of State’s Securities Department is a member of a task force alongside nine other state securities regulators charging Coinbase for its violation of securities laws in connection with the company’s staking offerings.
Staking is the process of holding a certain number of digital assets on a blockchain to facilitate processing transactions and to earn a return on the investment. Coinbase operated staking offerings where small to mid-sized investors could turn over their assets to Coinbase, which in turn would manage the process of staking and then takes a cut of the profits before sharing them with investors.
This action alleges Coinbase failed to register its staking offerings with the Securities Department. Registration would have given Illinoisans considering investing their money with Coinbase the opportunity to evaluate the risks involved and compare Coinbase’s staking offerings with other investments. Registering an offer or sale of securities ensures investors receive all material information needed to evaluate the risks of participating in an investment, including in staking offerings.
The Secretary of State Securities Department determined Coinbase offered its staking offerings to Illinois residents without registering those securities. Of Coinbase’s nearly 3.5 million accounts holding staking offerings, over 140,000 were issued to Illinois investors. Additionally, Coinbase is not a member of the FDIC or SIPC, which means investors are not protected from Coinbase’s losses.
A copy of the Illinois Secretary of State Securities Department’s Notice of Hearing can be reviewed here.
Other states on this task force include California, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, Alabama, South Carolina, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.
Investors of Coinbase with complaints about their staking offerings may file a complaint with the Securities Department here. Investors should also reach out to the Securities Department at 1-800-628-7937 to check the registration status of a firm before investing their money in staking offerings.
The Securities Department licenses and regulates financial services, including investment advisers, loan brokers, and business brokers. For more information about the Securities Department, visit its website here.
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Question of the day
Tuesday, Jun 6, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Rep. Buckner…
The Question: Should IDOT move its District 1 HQ to Chicago? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
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* I posted an excerpt of this press release on the blog yesterday…
Today job seekers from across northern Illinois will participate in the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services’ (DCFS) inaugural “On-the-Spot Hiring” event, which connects service-driven professionals with employment opportunities in essential areas of the state’s child welfare system.
Thanks to a collaborative effort between Governor JB Pritzker, DCFS and the Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS), attendees interested in pursuing careers as child welfare specialists, child protection specialists, child welfare trainees and child protection trainees will be able to meet one-on-one with DCFS recruiters to learn more about the agency and the critical roles it is seeking to fill. Qualified candidates who have bachelor’s or master’s degrees in related human service, education, criminal justice, criminal justice administration or law enforcement may leave the recruiting event with conditional offers of employment. The expedited hiring process used at today’s event is a milestone for DCFS, reducing the turnaround time traditionally needed to make an employment offer by 80 percent helping the agency to fill vital public service roles without undue delay.
“Many states across the country are experiencing staffing shortages in critical service areas, including the field of social work. Here at Illinois DCFS, we are celebrating record numbers of social workers who are joining our team,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “ During the first quarter of 2023, 77 new investigators joined DCFS, bringing the number of employees who have made it their mission to ensure the safety of our state’s most vulnerable children to 3,107 – the highest number of staff the department has seen in 15 years.”
“Thanks to the support of Governor Pritzker and the General Assembly, DCFS continues to be innovative and find new ways to solve problems while serving our children and families,” said DCFS Director Marc D. Smith, one of the agency’s longest serving chief executives in institutional history. “This hiring event is an example of how we are trying to think outside the box. Coupled with our commitment to serving children and families and our workplace culture, people want to work at DCFS, and a large percentage of our staff has been here for decades.”
DCFS representatives from the Office of Employment Services will speak with each of the more than 200 applicants in Rockford who have already registered for the event about the specific employment related duties, qualifications and training opportunities associated with open positions before shepherding them through the expedited hiring process. Qualified applicants will receive conditional offers of employment and are expected to receive final offers within four to six weeks, following complete background checks and other pre-employment requirements.
A second on-the-spot hiring event is scheduled for June 12 in Bloomington-Normal, with other opportunities expected to be announced later this year. Bilingual Spanish-speaking child protection specialists and child welfare specialists remain in high demand.
With renewed support from the governor and increased funding in the FY24 budget that begins on July 1, DCFS plans to increase headcount by 192 employees across the state in a number of positions including legal, human resources and clerical positions. A full list of openings is available online at dcfsjobs.illinois.gov.
DCFS employment provides recession-proof opportunities to join a workplace that celebrates service. State employees receive competitive compensation and generous employee benefits, including medical coverage and defined-benefit retirement plans, as well as access to paid holidays, vacation and sick time, bereavement and family medical leave. [Emphasis added.]
* DCFS also had a big news media turnout in Rockford…
Jassen Strokosch the Chief of Staff at DCFS states that there are over 150 jobs in and around the Rockford area, many of these positions are open due to the pandemic.
“We lost a lot of folks during the pandemic and this is an opportunity to fill those positions back up here in Rockford and the surrounding areas.” Strokosh said.
Qualified candidates who have bachelor’s or master’s degrees could walk in with paperwork already filled out or start the process at the door. From there candidates talked to recruiters one on one about their background, interests and qualifications.
Once that is complete candidates were asked which site they are closest to and whether or not there were positions open at that location. Finally qualified candidates received a conditional offer of employment and are expected to receive final offers within four to six weeks, following complete background checks and other pre-employment requirements. […]
DCFS representatives were expecting about 200 people for todays event however within the first hour they saw just around 400 people from across Northern Illinois.
* More…
An organizer said there were a couple of reasons that they held the hiring event.
“We talked to folks about applying for a job at the state and with DCFS, and there were two things we really heard back from them,” said Jassen Strokosch, chief of staff for DCFS. “One, they wanted to find a way to do it more quickly and all in one place so they could get it all over with, and the other thing was they had a lot of questions of the job and they wanted to talk face to face with people who have done the job before and had experience and could learn more about it. It’s a very unique job working for DCFS.”
DCFS currently employs just over 3,100 people, the highest number of staff the department has seen in 15 years.
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Open thread
Tuesday, Jun 6, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Tuesday, Jun 6, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Here you go…
* Capitol News Illinois | 500+ bills await Pritzker decision in next 3 months: That sets the table for an approximate three-month bill-signing season for Gov. J.B. Pritzker. That’s because the state’s Constitution gives legislative leaders 30 days from a bill’s passage to send it to the governor, who then has 60 days to sign or veto it. If the governor takes no action in that time frame, the bill would become law automatically. Historically, the legislature has sent bills to the governor in batches, allowing his staff ample time to review the proposals.
* Charles Selle | Don’t expect state lawmakers to crow about new pay hikes: Who knows what else is in that thick document. It reminds one of the classic quote from a New York State jurist in 1866: “No man’s life, liberty, or property are safe while the Legislature is in session.” Or taxpayers’ pocketbooks, it seems. The legislative raises coming out of the recently concluded Springfield session boost Illinois lawmakers’ pay to $89,675 as a base salary. That’s for what is supposed to be a part-time job.
* Daily Herald | No more red-light cameras on Route 83 in Oakbrook Terrace, judge rules: “Our communities’ safety at home, at work, or at play and while traveling throughout our region is our top priority. We are deeply disappointed in the ruling, which will endanger our community and those that visit the region,” Oakbrook Terrace Mayor Paul Esposito said Monday in a written statement. “Without red-light cameras, we will have to resort to other tools in combating the over 230,000 drivers who fail to stop at that intersection.”
* Jim Dey | Illinois gets some good news on revenue front: Budget mavens were concerned that April’s stunning decline in revenue, as compared with the same month last year, from a variety of sources might set the tone for the final two months of the 2022-23 fiscal year and the impending 2023-24 year. But it was not to be — at least for now.
* Sun-Times | Cannabis farm among recipients of $12.6 million in Illinois grants for EV chargers: The Illinois EPA expects to build nearly 350 new direct-current fast-charger ports through this program, funded with proceeds from a 2016 Volkswagen settlement.
* Crain’s | Bears’ Naperville talks open the door to a fresh offer from Chicago: In a phone interview, state Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, said he believes a path to get Chicago back in the game may have opened in the wake of the team’s announcement that it no longer is focusing strictly on Arlington Heights and has talked to Naperville about building a new stadium complex there.
* WTTW | Talks Between Chicago Officials and the Bears Could Soon Resume as Team Plots New Stadium Options: Warren apparently accepted an invitation from Naperville’s new Mayor Scott Wehrli, who enticed the team with a letter saying that he’s a lifelong fan representing a community with a lot to offer. “Naperville is accessible via our region’s major interstates and Metra. We have several available or to-be-available sites that may fit the characteristics you are looking for in your future home,” the letter reads.
* Fox 32 | Good news for Illinois drivers: Gas prices have declined since Memorial Day weekend: In the past week alone, gas prices have dropped by seven cents, resulting in an average price per gallon of $3.88. This marks a significant difference from a year ago when the state average was as high as $5.39 per gallon.
* Sun-Times | James Beard Awards: Chefs from Chicago’s Kasama and Virtue restaurants take home wins in gala ceremony: Chicago chefs/owners Tim Flores and Genie Kwon of the Michelin-starred, modern Filipino powerhouse Kasama in east Ukrainian Village, took home the award for best chef Great Lakes Region, presented by Williams. The duo bested fellow Chicagoan, chef Diana Dávila of Mi Tocaya Antojería, who was also nominated in the category.
* Tribune | From Syrian refugee to DePaul Law graduate: How he survived torture during revolution before fleeing to Chicago: Mahou and his father were part of the rebellion during the Syrian revolution, which started roughly in February 2011 with the early stages of protests against Syria’s government, which was led by President Bashar Assad. The rebels, as they called themselves, were taking to the streets to object to the authoritarian tactics of Assad’s regime, which was known for its pervasive censorship, surveillance and brutal violence against those who disagreed.
* Sun-Times | J.J. Bittenbinder, colorful ex-Chicago police detective and crime-prevention guru, dead at 80: He taught people how to avoid being crime victims on TV’s ‘Tough Target’ and ‘Street Smarts’ and in a popular book. He also gave safety presentations at schools.
* WSPY | Newark state representative to make series of videos about Springfield: Newark Republican State Rep. Jed Davis says he plans to create series of videos about how things work in Springfield. Davis says the short videos will focus how laws are made and the process of moving a bill through the General Assembly.
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Live coverage
Tuesday, Jun 6, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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