* Gov. Pritzker’s campaign has spent more than $400,000 to run these ads on Facebook since July 6. Click here to see the buy details. Click here to see the landing page…
Thoughts? Also, are you seeing any Pritzker ads on Facebook or other platforms?
19 Comments  
|
Caption contest!
Friday, Jul 16, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Workers excavated one of the Statehouse’s underground vaults yesterday…
I’m told that, at one point, the building shook.
Pics are from John Patterson and Giovanni Randazzo.
26 Comments
|
Question of the day
Friday, Jul 16, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From IRMA, the IMA, Illinois Chamber, NFIB, AGCI, Chicagoland Chamber, NFIB and numerous other business groups…
Dear Governor Pritzker:
During the pandemic, states suspended their work search requirements for those who were unemployed and the federal government supplied an extra $300 per week in unemployment insurance benefits. This was an understandable reaction given the pandemic. Recognizing that the worst of the pandemic is behind us and at least 56% of Illinoisans 18 years of age or older are fully vaccinated and 72% having received at least one shot, the Illinois economy is now re-opened.
However, Illinois employers of all types and sizes are struggling to attract needed employees resulting in reduced hours and lost sales. Those lost sales directly impact the budgets of the state and units of local government. Before we lose any more economic ground, now is the time to reinstate normal unemployment insurance operations, including work search requirements, and benefit levels.
In Illinois alone, there are tens of thousands of unfilled jobs. Employers are offering substantially higher wages, employment bonuses and taking other steps to encourage people to return to work. The problem is employers cannot compete with the approximate $35 per hour unemployed workers have received over the last four months as a result of enhanced UI benefits, tax credits, and stimulus payments. Most employers cannot compete with those benefits, which equate to $35 per hour, no matter how much wishful thinking is applied.
In order to remove the artificial brakes being applied to Illinois’ economy, the members of the respective organizations listed below respectfully request the following actions be taken without delay:
1. Re-start work search requirement. Normally, unemployed workers are required to seek employment while receiving unemployment insurance benefits. This was suspended during the pandemic when jobs were not readily available and there was a greater risk of hospitalization or death from the virus. By any measure, that is no longer the case. More than 100,000 jobs are currently listed on the state’s own job site and that is far from inclusive of all the jobs available. UI benefits were never intended to be a permanent replacement for gainful employment. Even President Biden stated this should be the case in remarks he made on May 10th and subsequently directed USDOL to work with states to re-start the work search requirement. To-date, 47 states have taken this common-sense step. Now is the time for Illinois to do likewise.
2. End the PUA benefit. The $300 federal supplement made sense during the pandemic when jobs were not widely available. As previously noted, tens of thousands of jobs are now widely available.
3. Restore the UI Trust Fund to solvency. With $4.5 - $5 billion of ARPA funds remaining, Illinois should utilize those funds to return the Illinois Trust Fund to solvency. Without such an action, employers face yet another substantial tax increase and employees a substantial benefit cut. Neither can afford it. It has been estimated that as much as half of all UI benefits nationally were paid fraudulently. We know Illinois was a primary target. Employers and employees should not be required to pay for that fraud and utilization of the ARPA monies is an appropriate and responsible use as it pays down debt, saves the state tens of millions in annual interest payments, and protects employers and employees. Guidance from the U.S Department of the Treasury clearly allows and encourages the use of ARPA monies for this purpose stating as follows “… recipients may make deposits into the state account of the Unemployment Trust Fund up to the level needed to restore the pre-pandemic balances of such account as of January 1, 2020, or to pay back advances received for the payment of benefits between January 27, 2020 and the date that the Interim Final Rule is published”. Importantly, S&P signaled they would look favorably upon Illinois if they utilized the remaining ARPA monies to repay part of the monies borrowed from the federal government for unemployment insurance. Finally, state revenues continue to exceed all expectations. Assuming spending restraint, the combination of ARPA monies and state revenues provide more than enough resources to meaningfully address the UI Trust Fund as well as other debt reductions.
We thank you for the attention we know you will give this request and the timely actions we believe you will take to re-ignite the Illinois economy for the benefit of all.
The governor has repeatedly said that a big part of the problem right now is that parents can’t find child care. He seemed open to the concept of paying bonuses to nudge people back to work, but the Illinois Chamber voiced staunch opposition…
“Paying people to return to the productive workforce is something that is not only going to create perverse incentives, but second, it’s really going to undermine small business confidence in their government,” he said. “Basic question: ‘I’ve got a job at a good wage. Why should I be paying higher taxes to pay someone to take my job?’ It’s just the wrong approach and we hope that the governor doesn’t go that route.”
* The Question: Do you think Illinois should re-start its work search requirement for unemployed residents and end the PUA benefit, and/or pay workers bonuses to go back to work, or just let it be as-is? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please…
free polls
29 Comments
|
Weekly COVID update
Friday, Jul 16, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* We haven’t checked in on this in a while. Press release…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 4,449 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 62 additional deaths since reporting last Friday, July 9, 2021. 73% of Illinois adults have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose and more than 57% of Illinois adults are fully vaccinated, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,399,946 cases, including 23,357 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Since reporting on Friday, July 9, 2021, laboratories have reported 228,430 specimens for a total of 26,292,979. As of last night, 476 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 94 patients were in the ICU and 28 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from July 9-15, 2021 is 1.9%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from July 9-15, 2021 is 2.3%.
A total of 12,917,362 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 21,217 doses. Since reporting on Friday, July 9, 2021, 148,520 doses were reported administered in Illinois.
Last week, it was 2,945 new confirmed and probable cases, 430 in the hospital, 91 in ICU and a 1.5 percent test positivity rate.
* Meanwhile, a dozen counties are in the warning zone…
That’s up from eight a week ago. But St. Clair has reversed its trend.
14 Comments
|
Um, Kwame?
Friday, Jul 16, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* As I told subscribers earlier today, this is the second quarter in a row that AG Raoul hasn’t raised any cash…
Statewide incumbents are all on different fundraising paths. Comptroller Susana Mendoza raised $311,000 and has $446,000 cash on hand. Treasurer Mike Frerichs has raised $340,000 and has $1.7 million in the bank. Illinois Attorney Gen. Kwame Raoul raised $10 (as in an Alexander Hamilton) and has $193,000 cash on hand. We’re told not to read into the low fund-raising number. It’s still a pandemic after all.
People have been holding Zoom fundraisers for over a year now and have raised decent bucks. No excuses.
14 Comments
|
* Wirepoints…
Polls have long showed that few things in Illinois have more bipartisan support than term limits, with 80% of voters in support. Springfield, however, will have none of it. “A lot of hay was made,” as Politico said this week, about the Illinois House passing term limits earlier this year, though the bill was only for the speaker, Senate President and minority leaders of both chambers.
But Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Lawn) has shelved even that watered-down bill in that chamber, so nothing will happen. Harmon’s excuse? He said the legislation isn’t necessary given that the Senate in 2017 passed 10-year term limits for Senate leadership posts, according to Politico. He also questioned whether the bill would be constitutional.
That’s bunk. That change was just a rule change, not statutory, so the politicians themselves can change the rule at will. And a constitutional challenge in court just wouldn’t be a workable solution for a candidate for those positions. Harmon learned the ropes as former Senate President John Cullerton’s sidekick. He learned well.
“The politicians themselves” can change state statutes, too.
But, yeah, there are huge differences between a rule change and a statute change. Rules are voted on by each chamber every two years. Individual rules can be changed or even omitted when that happens (which is how the House Republicans under their previous Leader quietly dumped their own term limit language from their caucus rules). Statutory change requires both chambers being on board as well as the governor. It’s much more difficult to change a statute than it is to change a rule.
But this is particularly ironic since the Senate Democrats made such a big deal about their new rule. And the SDems under John Cullerton got into a massive fight with Speaker Madigan and organized labor over 2018 campaign TV ads that pushed leadership term limits. Madigan’s state party also refused to process mailers for the SDems which mentioned the topic.
And these are the same Senate Democrats who pushed for a clearly unconstitutional budget provision to zero-out funding for midterm legislator pay raises. So, yeah, spare me the constitutional argument, please.
4 Comments
|
* I told subscribers about this development early this morning in more detail. Here’s Politico…
[The Democratic Party of Illinois] logged an astonishingly low $5,000 in the second quarter amid uncertainty about party Chair Robin Kelly’s ability to raise soft money — funds for state and local candidates — as someone who holds federal office. The quarterly numbers were revealed the same day the Federal Election Commission issued an opinion saying Kelly can’t be involved in raising or spending soft money.
A committee will be created to oversee that non-federal fundraising. We don’t know who will be on the panel but a source close to House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch says he won’t be on it. This all adds to the concern about how the party will learn to raise big money after former House Speaker Michael Madigan pulled the strings on the fundraising juggernaut for so long.
It’s still too early to know if Senate President Don Harmon will join the committee. Or will the party hope to rely on the largess of Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a billionaire who famously funded his own campaign and that of others in 2018?
I’m about a thousand percent sure there’s no way the party is even thinking about relying on the governor’s personal stash at the moment. Things ain’t great between the two camps, to say the least.
7 Comments
|
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Comments Off
|
|
Comments Off
|
* Sun-Times…
Pritzker had more than $32 million in his war chest at the end of last month, thanks to a personal contribution he made in March. With a fortune estimated at $3.5 billion, the Democrat can replenish his political fund whenever he feels like it just by taking out his checkbook.
Among Pritzker’s current Republican rivals, suburban businessman Gary Rabine raised the most, pulling in $344,921.74 during the quarter, twice the $165,455.92 that GOP rival Darren Bailey raised. But Bailey, a state senator from Xenia in southern Illinois, had $490,700.75 left in his fund on June 30, while his Bull Valley rival had $287,325.29.
The third GOP challenger, former state Sen. Paul Schimpf of Waterloo, raised just $83,235.00 during the quarter and had $116,280.47 left in the bank at the end of last month.
The paper also reported that Alexi Giannoulias’ cash on hand is “nearly three times the size of three secretary of state rivals combined.”
* Not a lot of cash on hand…
* He does pretty well with small contributions…
* More stuff…
*** UPDATE *** ILGOP…
After filing its second quarter state and federal fundraising report last night, the Illinois Republican Party is proud to announce it has raised $459,775 ($131k state / $328k federal) during Don Tracy’s first full quarter as ILGOP Chairman - the state party’s best quarter in over 10 years outside of a large contribution from former Governor Bruce Rauner in 2015.
“I made clear from the beginning that raising the necessary funds to combat the entrenched and corrupt Democrat machine would be one of my main objectives as Chairman,” said Tracy. “I believe our team at the state party, including our newly formed finance committee, rose to the occasion and delivered results Republicans across Illinois can be proud of. I cannot thank our finance team enough for the work they have done these last few months.”
13 Comments
|
* Chris Marquette at Roll Call…
Patrice Campbell, a Black staffer for Democratic Rep. Brad Schneider of Illinois, is suing Schneider’s office, alleging that her supervisor, Karyn Davidman, made lynching references directed at her, among other hostile work environment and retaliation allegations in a lawsuit filed Thursday.
The suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, alleges that Davidman created a hostile work environment aimed at Campbell because of her race and that the office did not properly discipline Davidman after being made aware of those actions.
On a March 3 phone call, Davidman, who is white, allegedly was relaying a story to Campbell about lanyards that secure face masks to protect against COVID-19. At one point, Davidman told Campbell, “Patrice — you are going to have to get a rope and put it around your neck!”
The complaint says Campbell was “taken aback by Davidman’s obvious reference to lynching” and told Davidman her words were inappropriate and inflammatory.
In addition to the hostile work environment allegation, Campbell also alleges that she was retaliated against for reporting Davidman’s behavior and subsequently was assigned a smaller work portfolio.
There’s more, so go read the rest.
25 Comments
|
Open thread
Friday, Jul 16, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Anything on your mind you’d like to share?
6 Comments
|
|
Comments Off
|
*** LIVE COVERAGE ***
Friday, Jul 16, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Today’s post is sponsored by the Association Of Illinois Electric Cooperatives. Follow along with ScribbleLive…
Comments Off
|
Prairie State Energy ad criticized
Thursday, Jul 15, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Energy and Policy Institute…
As negotiations continue over a climate and energy bill in Illinois, misleading online advertisements from a group called “Voices for Cooperative Power” have appeared. The ads running in Illinois political media outlets claim that legislators are on the verge of closing the Prairie State Energy Campus, a “state-of-the-art coal plant” that has “$1 billion of emissions controls.” While state lawmakers are working on how to equitably phase out coal and gas power plants in the state, the advertisements imply that the Prairie State Energy Campus should remain open because it is “highly efficient” and “came online during the Obama-Biden Administration.”
In truth, the $5 billion 1,600 MW coal plant located in Marissa, IL – about 50 miles from St. Louis – emits more carbon dioxide, methane, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides than any other power plant in the state. These pollutants are greenhouse gases and contribute to global warming while causing severe health and environmental problems. Prairie State was also the eighth largest carbon polluter among power plants in the United States in 2019, when it emitted 13,859,542 metric tons of carbon dioxide.
Voices for Cooperative Power, which is behind the online advertisements, is a new advocacy effort from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) – the trade association for electric cooperatives. NRECA launched Voices for Cooperative Power earlier this year. The website, which was registered on February 24, 2021 and went live on May 6, 2021, features NRECA policy priorities along with images of electric cooperative members – though some are simply stock images available for purchase. The banner image used on the main page of the Voices for Cooperative Power website is a stock photo available at Shutterstock, titled “Group of Diversity People Teamwork Together.” Another image on the main page of the website is also a stock image, titled “Friendly female colleagues having good relationships, pleasant conversation at workplace during coffee break, smiling young woman listen talkative coworker, discussing new project, talking in office.”
The advocacy effort replaces NRECA’s “Our Energy, Our Future” program, which campaigned against President Obama’s Clean Power Plan as well as other EPA proposed rules. The Voices for Cooperative Power Twitter handle was renamed from the original “Our Energy, Our Future” account, which explains the account start date of 2009, and older posts frequently link to that effort’s now-deleted website and other social media channels. […]
In addition to running misleading ads in Illinois, the website emphasizes electric cooperatives’ efforts to reduce emissions, including a deceptive claim that “nearly two-thirds of [cooperative] power comes from low- or no-emission sources.” NRECA’s figure appears to include fossil gas plants as a “low- or no-emission source.” Gas typically emits half the carbon of coal when burned, but that’s still far from no emissions, and these plants rely on a supply chain of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, prone to leaking.
Electric cooperatives also remain more reliant on coal than the US electricity sector as a whole. Coal accounted for 32% of electric cooperative retail sales in 2019, according to an NRECA fact sheet, with gas increasing to 32% as well that year; fossil fueled power plants account for nearly two-thirds of the industry’s power supply.
I’ve asked for a response from the advertiser.
12 Comments
|
* Press release…
As violent crime continues to rise in Chicago, gubernatorial candidate Gary Rabine says people need to look beyond the statistics and see the impact the crime wave is having on real people.
“It is easy to get lost in the numbers because the numbers are astonishing,” Rabine said. “But the real story is the impact violent crime is having on the everyday life of people. The victims of these crimes have friends, family, co-workers and neighbors. These people are the ones bearing the losses in their communities as part of their daily life.”
Rabine has been meeting with people impacted by violent crime in the City of Chicago. Just recently, he sat down with Bella Luna Café owner Danny Alberga, who has made the decision to close his business at 10 pm to keep his employees and customers safe.
“This decision was made because violent crime has increased in areas in close proximity to the Bella Luna Café,” Rabine said. “The violence is hitting close to home for a lot of people, and they are having to make some big decisions as a result. It is not something that is happening somewhere to someone else – it is happening directly to them in their neighborhoods.”
Rabine noted that homicides have increased 33 percent compared to this time in 2019. During the recent Fourth of July holiday in Chicago, there was a record-breaking weekend for violence as more than 104 people were shot with 19 fatalities. At least 13 of the people shot were children.
“Children should not be shot in the streets,” Rabine said. “Murders should be on the decline – not on the rise. Business owners like Danny Alberga should be able to keep their usual business hours to serve their customers. Chicago is a world-class city. It should be safe. Honest people are living in fear. This has to change. I am calling on Gov. Pritzker to take immediate action to get the violence under control. The safety of Illinois residents should be the highest priority for our state’s leaders.”
* Press release…
Today, organizer, activist, and nationally-recognized gun violence prevention advocate Kina Collins’ campaign for Congress announced it more than doubled incumbent Rep. Danny Davis’ fundraising haul, raising $130,154 to Davis’ $52,212. The announcement makes it clear that Rep. Danny Davis faces a hotly-contested primary challenge in IL-7, one far more serious than any he has faced in previous cycles.
While over 90% of Kina Collins’ donations came from contributions under $200, her opponent received the majority of his donations from PACs. The contrast makes it clear that Collins’ grassroots base is fired up — and that Rep. Danny Davis is losing his hold on the voters of a district he’s long taken for granted.
Davis has about $300K in the bank and universal name recognition.
* Press release…
U.S. Representative Darin LaHood (R-Dunlap) announced today that he raised over $473,000 in the second quarter of 2021, raising close to $1 million total in 2021. LaHood’s report shows financial support throughout Illinois and the 18th District with over $3.5 million cash on hand.
*** UPDATE *** I’ve been telling subscribers about this for several days, and there’s a whole lot more to the story than this news item reveals…
State Rep. Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, is considering a bid for state Senate District 37 after remapping of the state House districts would force her to primary a fellow Republican in the 2022 election.
McCombie is serving her third term in the Illinois House. Rather than challenge State Rep. Andrew Chesney, R-Freeport; or State Rep. Tom Demmer, R-Dixon; McCombie said she is exploring the new 37th State Senate District.
If McCombie decides to run in the 37th District, she would likely have to primary freshman State Sen. Win Stoller, R-Germantown Hills, to win election.
“Democrat politicians drew this map behind closed doors and consolidated me with other Republicans, aiming to push me out of office,” McCombie said in a news release. “Rather than challenge a House colleague, many community leaders I represent are encouraging me to run to continue to represent them in the state Senate in District 37.” […]
“The transparency, work ethic and perspective I bring coming from the state line region is a unique viewpoint that a legislator from the central part of the state likely has not experienced.”
14 Comments
|
Question of the day
Thursday, Jul 15, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Last month…
Secretary of State Jesse White is warning Illinois residents to be on alert for multiple texting and emailing scams claiming to be from the Secretary of State’s office seeking personal information to defraud Illinoisans. “I have zero tolerance for fraudsters who prey on people in desperate times,” said White. “My office is working with the Illinois Attorney General’s office to protect Illinoisans from falling victim to these fraudulent schemes.”
White is warning the public of scammers who are sending unsolicited text messages or emails claiming to be from the Illinois Secretary of State. In some instances, the scammers copy the Secretary of State website logosand masthead to appear official.
* I got one today. Here’s a MightyText screenshot…
The SoS office tells me they’ve had some success shutting down these fraudster websites. So far, they’ve managed to knock out 271 of them.
Earlier today, I received an obviously fake but oh-so-serious robocall claiming that I’m being sued and that my Social Security number had been compromised.
Been that kind of a day.
* The Question: Have you ever been defrauded? Come close? Explain.
…Adding… From Secretary White’s spokesperson…
Thanks for posting this topic on your blog. Public education is a powerful weapon to combat these scams and fraudsters.
Secretary White reminds residents: DO NOT CLICK on links and DO NOT provide personal information. To provide the Secretary of State’s office with screenshots of scams, please email ScamAlert@ilsos.gov
36 Comments
|
* Press release…
The Illinois Supreme Court announced today an amendment to Order M.R. 30370 concerning residential evictions. Timed to coincide with the resumption of eviction filings effective August 1, 2021, the amended Order provides for a one-month period in which the judiciary will focus on referring newly filed cases to State programs providing financial assistance to landlords and tenants.
In March 2020, Governor J.B. Pritzker declared a State of Emergency in response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and the President of the United States declared the COVID-19 outbreak a national emergency. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) (P.L. 116-136) and American Rescue Plan Act (P.L. 117-2) were passed by Congress and signed into law by the President to deploy over $1 billion to Illinois renters and landlords in rental assistance, housing counseling, legal aid, and mediation services in an effort to prevent evictions.
In response, the Governor prohibited the commencement of certain residential evictions and the enforcement of certain residential eviction orders by Executive Order. The Governor announced that the eviction moratorium would permit filing of new eviction cases on August 1, 2021, though enforcement of certain eviction judgments would remain barred through August 31, 2021.
Because of a concern that the expiration of the eviction moratorium could potentially flood Illinois Courts with a large volume of cases seeking to be heard and decided in a short time frame, the Illinois Supreme Court will institute a triage period in which certain newly filed residential eviction cases cannot be acted on until the final expiration of the moratorium. Courts will use this time to guide landlords and tenants to programs designed to help them avoid eviction.
The triage period will begin on August 1, 2021, with the implementation of this amended order, and will conclude on September 1, 2021, when the order is vacated.
“These cases could not be enforced until the Governor’s moratorium completely expires, so this process will not delay the ultimate resolution of cases in the court system,” said Judge Eugene Doherty, Chief Judge of the 17th Judicial Circuit and Vice-Chair of the Illinois Supreme Court’s COVID Task Force. “In planning for the winding down of the moratorium, the Task Force met regularly with representatives of the Governor’s office to ensure that the process would be as smooth as possible for landlords and tenants. This information sharing between the judicial and executive branches of government was essential in planning the implementation of the triage period.”
Amended Order M.R. 30370 is available on the Court website by clicking here.
* Related…
* Advocates Call for More Resources for Homelessness as Eviction Ban Ends
* 70,000 Illinoisans seek emergency rental payments
1 Comment
|
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Climate change is no longer an impending crisis. We’re in a state of emergency right now. Last month, more than 480 people died in the Pacific Northwest when temperatures skyrocketed to 117 degrees. Last week, the Gulf of Mexico was on fire.
But instead of taking action in Illinois, fossil fuel companies and out-of-state interest groups are working overtime to mislead consumers about the health, cost, and climate impacts of toxic coal plants. Recently, Congressman Rodney Davis earned a “Pants on Fire” rating for claiming that the Prairie State coal plant was somehow not a major polluter.
Here’s the truth: Prairie State is one of the largest polluters in the nation, and that one plant is responsible for nearly 30% of all CO2 emissions in the Illinois power sector.
The impact of this toxic coal plant isn’t theoretical: Prairie State causes roughly one premature death every week and costs nearly $2 billion a year in damage to our health and environment.
Legislators have an opportunity to pass an equitable energy bill that not only closes dangerous coal plants like Prairie State, but provides resources for impacted communities while maintaining reliable power for everyone in Illinois.
Learn more at ilcleanjobs.org.
Comments Off
|
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Lawmakers are on the verge of passing legislation that would raise electric rates and turn Illinois into an exporter of jobs and importer of energy from neighboring states with higher carbon intensity. While masquerading as a clean energy bill, the proposal would shut down highly efficient, state-of-the-art power plants in Illinois in favor of energy produced in states that are far behind on meeting carbon reduction goals. Legislators must reject this plan and keep energy affordable, reliable and made in Illinois.
Coming online in 2012 during the Obama-Biden Administration and purpose-built with $1 billion of emissions controls, Prairie State Energy Campus stands apart from older, traditional coal plants. Employing more than 650 full-time workers and another 1,000 union contractors, Prairie State has also partnered with state and federal officials to study ways to further cut emissions. Illinois Electric Cooperatives and municipalities that own Prairie State are committed to keeping energy affordable and reliable while we invest in a cleaner energy future, but we cannot let policy get ahead of technology. Forcing a premature closure of Prairie State will have affordability and reliability impacts for Illinois electric cooperative and municipal consumers. Prairie State is the bridge to Illinois’ energy future.
For more information and to get involved, click Help Illinois Electric Co-ops, Municipalities and Workers Prevent the Premature Closure of Prairie State (voicesforcooperativepower.com)
Comments Off
|
* Press release…
Surrounded by sponsoring lawmakers, criminal justice reform advocates and a victim of wrongful conviction, today Governor JB Pritzker signed a package of nation-leading legislation that puts Illinois at the forefront of the work to bring about true reform to the state’s justice system.
“An essential tenet of good governance is recognizing the need to change the laws that have failed the people they serve. My administration has infused that value into everything we do,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “The four bills I’m signing today advance the rights of some of our most vulnerable in our justice system and put Illinois at the forefront of the work to bring about true reform. Together, these initiatives move us closer to a holistic criminal justice system, one that builds confidence and trust in a system that has done harm to too many people for far too long.”
The package of bills signed into law today include:
• Senate Bill 2122, which prohibits the use of deceptive tactics by all law enforcement when interrogating a minor. Sponsored by Senator Peters and Representative Slaughter, the bill takes effect January 1, 2022.
• Senate Bill 64, which encourages the use of restorative justice practices by providing that participation in such practices and anything said or done during the practice is privileged and may not be used in any future proceeding unless the privilege is waived by the informed consent of the party or parties covered by the privilege. Sponsored by Senator Peters and Representative Ammons, the bill takes effect immediately.
• Senate Bill 2129, which allows the State’s Attorney of a county in which a defendant was sentenced to petition for resentencing of the offender if the original sentence no longer advances the interests of justice. Sponsored by Senator Peters and Representative Cassidy, the bill takes effect January 1, 2022.
• House Bill 3587, which creates the Resentencing Task Force Act to study ways to reduce Illinois’ prison population via resentencing motions. Sponsored by Senator Peters and Representative Slaughter, the bill takes effect immediately.
More details about the bills are at the link.
12 Comments
|
* Background is here if you need it. Here’s Rachel Hinton…
The newly minted chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois won’t be able to personally raise money for state races or have a hand in picking members of a committee tasked with doing so, if members of the Federal Election Commission uphold language in a draft opinion they’re expected to discuss Thursday. […]
Carol Ronen, a former state legislator and member of the Democratic state central committee who supported Kelly in her bid to lead the party, viewed the draft opinion as a win for the congresswoman and said party members should be “pleased.”
Democrats knew when they selected Kelly there’d be “some parameters about her not being able to raise state money” and they proposed a solution that the election commission looks poised to accept, said Ronen, who represents the North Side and north suburban 9th Congressional District for the party.
But Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough, who supported a rival candidate for chair in her party role representing the city and west suburban 7th Congressional District, said the draft opinion is “what I anticipated.” […]
“I guess we’ve got some decisions to make,” said Yarbrough, who supported Ald. Michelle Harris (8th) over Kelly in the party leadership battle. […]
Kelly supporter Bill Houlihan, who represents the party in the 18th Congressional District in central Illinois, said under Madigan the party’s coffers were largely used to ensure a Democratic majority in the Illinois House. Now, the funds will be used for much more.
Um, Bill. Madigan raised all the money that was used to fund House campaigns. It’s not like DPI is gonna suddenly have all this cash laying around that wouldn’t have been collected by the party without MJM. C’mon. You know this, man.
*** UPDATE 1 *** DPI press release…
In an overwhelming 5 – 1 vote, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) today confirmed Democratic Party of Illinois (DPI) Chairwoman Robin Kelly’s proposed leadership structure for the state party. At a meeting today, the FEC approved Kelly’s intent to establish a special committee to administer its state fundraising account. The FEC’s decision was in response to Kelly proactively requesting for its input to ensure compliance with state and federal campaign finance laws as DPI works to include more leadership and voices in the state party. See the FEC draft advisory opinion adopted here.
In an April letter requesting the FEC opinion, DPI presented the option of a special committee to administer DPI’s state fundraising account as a new governance structure under Kelly’s leadership.
“Today’s FEC advisory opinion affirms my vision for a new Democratic Party of Illinois that encourages more voices to be involved in all aspects of the party,” Kelly said. “As the first woman and first woman of color elected to chair DPI, I believe that a broader coalition of perspectives can only strengthen our party and help us elect more Democrats up and down the ballot.”
Based on the FEC’s decision, DPI will now establish a governance structure, the Building Leadership, Unity, and Equity (BLUE) Illinois Fundraising Committee, to ensure compliance with all state and federal campaign finance laws. The special committee will have complete responsibility for the state account’s operations and activities, including the state account’s fundraising and spending.
“DPI’s new fundraising structure is the way forward as we grow and expand the Democratic Party throughout Illinois,” Tim Drea, president of the Illinois AFL-CIO, said. “I’m looking forward to engaging more people across the state as we continue to prioritize and support our working families.”
“It’s a new day for the Democratic Party of Illinois and this new structure meets the moment,” House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch said. “Our political apparatus needs to be far more inclusive. I’m excited to get to work with a broader coalition of Democrats.”
Kelly is not the first federal office holder to chair a state party. The Democratic Party of Georgia is currently chaired by Congresswoman Nikema Williams and until recently the Republican Party of Colorado was chaired by Congressman Ken Buck. However, the FEC has not previously issued guidance on how a federal office holder can lead a state or local political party and ensure compliance with federal campaign finance laws and regulations.
“I see this new structure greatly benefiting candidates who may not have been the focus of fundraising efforts before,” Senate President Don Harmon said. “I applaud Chairwoman Kelly for establishing a structure that invites more voices, more diversity and ultimately even more successes.”
Consistent with its existing DPI bylaws, the special committee will be included in a reform package shared with the State Central Committee in the coming days for consideration.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Tribune…
Federal Elections Commissioner James “Trey” Trainor, a Republican from Texas, voted in favor of the ruling but also contended federal campaign finance law has a chilling effect on allowing federal officeholders to serve in state partisan roles.
“Essentially, what we’re doing in this advisory opinion is turning the party chairmanship in Illinois, into a purely honorary role, without the power to direct a very large portion of the activities that the Democratic Party of Illinois engages in,” Trainor said.
He ain’t wrong.
62 Comments
|
* Treasurer Mike Frerichs was on his home turf in Champaign yesterday to talk about grants to small not-for-profits. But he got some off-topic questions as well…
Frerichs says more can be done to strengthen state government’s fiscal health, but it will have to be done without a graduated state income tax, which Illinois voters rejected in a state constitutional amendment referendum in the November 2020 election.
“I think the voters had a chance to weigh in,” said Frerichs. “They weighed in. I think it’s now the job of the General Assembly and the governor to make sure they’re passing balanced budgets, that they’re paying down our deficits, and keeping Illinois on a path of financial security.”
Frerichs sidestepped a question about the role of federal stimulus funding in shoring up the state budget. He also said a tax on retirement income is not needed, and downplayed a suggestion he made last year about how it would be politically easier to enact taxes on retirement income, if voters approved a graduated state income tax.
“I think, comments I made were taken out of context,” said Frerichs, who adds that he has not decided yet if he will seek a third term as state treasurer in 2022. “I think the General Assembly needs to focus on passing balanced budgets. I don’t think we need to tax retirement income.”
My headline last June was “Frerichs steps on third rail.” He shoulda known better. And, by the way, I would be shocked if he doesn’t run again.
43 Comments
|
* Brenden Moore looks at what could happen in the wake of the state’s recent credit upgrades…
Despite having the worst credit rating of any state, Illinois has not had issues finding investors to buy its “paper,” with many viewing the state’s risk of default as minimal. […]
“Illinois has been able to borrow at cheap rates for years now, partly because interest rates have been low,” [Marty Luby, a University of Texas professor who specializes in public finance] said. “So, on an absolute basis, Illinois’ been borrowing at really low rates. Relative to other states, there’s been a big spread, but they still have had access to capital even when they were one notch away from basically a junk bond.” […]
But, the ratings upgrade opens opportunities for “potentially more investment in capital from the state,” Luby said, as lower interest rates will lead to lower capital costs.
It could be good timing as a massive federal infrastructure bill looks more possible than it has in years.
“The other side of is that the state has tons of debt on its books currently,” Luby said. “So having a credit rating upgrade means that they can borrow more cheaply, which means that they may have opportunities to refinance the existing debt.”
6 Comments
|
* I’ll have more on this later. Fox 32…
Governor JB Pritzker is hours away from signing a bill into law that will change how marijuana licenses are doled out.
It comes after a lot of controversy and outrage about the program. There are zero minority owned or even female owned dispensaries in the state.
“If I live in Winnetka and I am very rich and wealthy, all I need to do is make a promise that I will hire someone from one of those areas that’s been disadvantaged by the war on drugs as a social equity applicant. We eliminated that,” said State Representative La Shawn Ford.
Ford, a Democrat from the 8th District, co-sponsored House bill 1443 to make the marijuana license lottery system more equitable. […]
The legislation expands cannabis licenses in Illinois to include 175, which is up from the original 75. Fifty licenses will solely be for “social equity applicants” after the state had a botched scoring system.
*** UPDATE *** Press release…
Governor JB Pritzker today announced three lotteries to distribute 185 licenses to operate adult-use cannabis dispensaries will be held in July and August. Additionally, over 200 people across the state have qualified to receive Craft Grow, Infuser, and Transporter licenses, the first set of licenses to be awarded under the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (CRTA).
Of those eligible to receive the licenses for craft grow, infuser and transportation, 67 percent identify as non-white and 100 percent are qualified social equity applicants.
The Governor also signed HB 1443, technical legislation that establishes additional avenues to include more eligible social equity applicants in the new cannabis industry. The announcements build on the administration’s efforts to provide Illinois residents from diverse backgrounds with equitable access to the newly established cannabis industry.
“Over the past century, the failed war on drugs has destroyed families, filled prisons with nonviolent offenders, and disproportionately disrupted Black and brown communities. Legalizing adult-use cannabis brought about an important change and this latest piece of legislation helps move us even closer to our goal of establishing a cannabis industry in Illinois that doesn’t shy away from the pain caused by the war on drugs, but instead centers equity and community reinvestment as the key to moving forward,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I would like to thank Representative Ford and Leader Lightford for their partnership, unwavering commitment to serving the people of Illinois, and hard work on getting this legislation across the finish line.”
“Almost all states that have legalized cannabis have done so in a way that produced a multi-billion-dollar industry dominated by a handful of corporations and individuals that lack diversity. But Illinois is attempting to produce a cannabis industry that actually looks like Illinois,” said Toi Hutchinson, Senior Advisor on Cannabis Control. “What we’re attempting to accomplish is hard to do and takes time to accomplish, but we have an obligation to ensure that it gets as strong a start as possible. These upcoming dispensary license lotteries are a result of the administration’s continued commitment to working hand in hand with the General Assembly, community groups, and other stakeholders, to put equity first as we take these initial steps in building an inclusive industry.”
Lottery Dates
The Illinois State Lottery will conduct a total of three lotteries for adult-use dispensary license applicants this year. The lotteries will be held on:
July 29th: the lottery for qualifying applicants who received who received a score of at least 85% of the 250 application points will be held for the 55 licenses in that category.
August 5th: the lottery for social equity justice-involved applicants who received a score of at least 85% of the 250 application points and are located in a disproportionately impacted area or have an eligible conviction will be held for the 55 available licenses in that category.
August 19th: the final lottery will be held for top scoring, tied applicants for the original 75 licenses outlined in the CRTA.
Lotteries for all cannabis-related licenses, as it is for all other lotteries, will be a completely blind process managed by the Illinois State Lottery. All draws will be automated via a computer program and the Lottery will run multiple quality assurance checks before delivering the final results of each lottery to IDFPR. The results of each lottery will be available by 5 p.m. on the day of the draws.
HB 1443
Under the CRTA, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) is permitted to issue 75 conditional adult-use cannabis dispensary licenses. HB 1443, which was introduced by Representative LaShawn Ford and Leader Lightford and supported by the administration, expands opportunities by creating two new lotteries:
A social equity justice-involved lottery for 55 additional licenses to be awarded to:
those who have received a score of at least 85% on their application, or 213 out of a total of 250 possible points; and
live in a disproportionately impacted area, has an eligible cannabis conviction, or has a family member with an eligible cannabis conviction;
A lottery for an additional 55 licenses for applicants who had a score of at least 85% on their application. In total, 185 dispensary licenses will be determined through the lottery process.
“Today, we continue our march forward in the implementation of the most equitable cannabis program in the country,” said Mario Treto, Jr., Acting Secretary of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. “This announcement reflects the tireless work by the Pritzker Administration, lawmakers, and advocates to ensure the next generation of cannabis dispensary licensees are qualified applicants who reflect the diversity that truly makes this state great. We look forward to this undertaking and are ready to take these next steps.”
HB 1443 is effective immediately.
Craft Grow, Infuser and Transportation
In addition to dispensary licenses, the Illinois Department of Agriculture, which is responsible for the licensing process for craft grow, infuser, and transporter licenses, today issued notifications to applicants who are eligible to receive one of 213 total licenses: 40 craft grow, 32 infuser, and 141 transporter. Craft grow and infuser applicants have 10 business days to respond to the notification confirming their interest in receiving a license and to submit the required fee and documents. Transporter applicants have until February 2022 to confirm their interest in receiving a license.
These applicants will become public upon confirmation of their submission of the required documentation and fees.
“The Department is pleased to notify eligible applicants who will soon be joining the Illinois Adult Use Cannabis market,” said Illinois Department of Agriculture Director, Jerry Costello. “I am proud that this new generation of licensed cannabis industry leaders in education, cultivation, manufacturing, and transportation is one of the most diverse and equity-focused in any adult-use legal state. I look forward to continuing to work with our licensees, our partners in the Legislature and at other state agencies, and the community to improve our process as we move forward together.”
Under state law, applicants for craft grow, infuser, and transporter licenses were not required to report demographic data such as race, gender, or age; however, 80% of applicants opted to self-report. Of the applicants who received a notification from IDOA that they are eligible for one of the 213 available licenses, 67% total reported being non-white. In regard to majority ownership, 98 applicants reported being Black owned, 19 Latinx, and 34 Black woman owned.
Community College Curricula
The Cannabis Community College Vocational Pilot Program grants eligible higher education institutions the ability to develop a curriculum to train a new generation of cannabis industry professionals and leaders. Under the CRTA, IDOA was restricted to issuing licenses for the program to a maximum of eight community colleges statewide. HB 1443 removes those restrictions and grants the department the ability to grant licenses to as many community colleges that are eligible.
Today, the administration announced the seven inaugural recipients of the license as well as plans to announce additional licenses soon. The community college license recipients are: Kishwaukee College, Oakton College, Olive-Harvey College, Shawnee Community College, Southwestern Illinois College, Triton College, and Wilbur Wright College.
This innovative program offers students a path to achieving a Career in Cannabis Certificate which includes the ability to work with, study, and grow live cannabis plants to prepare for a career in the legal cannabis industry and instruction in the legal compliance of the cannabis business industry, among other topics. The program is a vital part of the growing cannabis industry in Illinois and will provide a path to the thousands of new jobs being created right here in Illinois for community college graduates in communities around the state.
Social Equity Cannabis Loan Program
The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) has established the Social Equity Loan (SEL) program to provide financial assistance for social equity licensees, and to help increase access to capital for prospective social equity cannabis entrepreneurs over time.
The SEL program will provide flexible low interest loans to assist with the expenses of starting and operating a cannabis business establishment. Loan terms will be determined on a case-by-case basis, with a general repayment term of over five years. To be eligible for the loan, a cannabis business establishment must receive licensure and meet the qualifications of a social equity applicant. Funding will be prioritized for applicants demonstrating the greatest adverse impact from the failed war on drugs. Licensees offered conditional acceptance into the Loan Program will be referred to lender partners for a full review of the loan application for funding consideration.
“Under Governor Pritzker’s leadership, Illinois is working to help communities disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs compete in the newly regulated cannabis market by providing technical assistance and helping cannabis entrepreneurs access capital,” said DCEO Acting Director Sylvia Garcia. “Through the cannabis social equity loan program, DCEO is working with lending partners to bring both state and private dollars to the table and maximize the impact of our cannabis social equity fund for the communities that need it most.”
To administer the loan program, DCEO is partnering with two lenders, Good Tree Capital and Credit Union 1, who will work alongside the state to provide low-interest loan agreements for qualifying SEA applicants. Loans may be made available up to the following amounts:
Transporter: $100,000
Adult-Use Dispensing Organization: $500,000
Infuser: $500,000
Cultivator: $1,000,000
Through its partnership with lending partners, the State anticipates up to $34 million in loans could be made available in the first year, and the State will work with partners to enhance the loan program to ensure that it is a sustainable source of financial support for the social equity community.
DCEO has launched an application intake portal allowing social equity awardees to submit to the loan program. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. The intake application is the first step in the loan approval process. Approved applicants will be referred to the participating lenders for loan underwriting. The intake form can be found online here.
Additionally, DCEO will provide technical assistance for social equity applicants to navigate the loan program and other statutory requirements associated with cannabis licensure in Illinois. More information on rules and eligibility for the loan program can be found on DCEO’s website.
“Government must be responsive to the voice of the people and HB1443 is a collaborative effort between public and private groups in responsive to the voices of the people, and HB1443 is a collaborative effort between public and private groups in response to concerns about Illinois’ cannabis law. I am grateful to social equity applicants for their willingness to work to help fix the law to help achieve the intent of Illinois’ cannabis law,” said State Representative LaShawn Ford (D-Chicago). “I hope that equity in the cannabis industry is a reality soon in Illinois. We are all anxiously awaiting a new diverse industry that includes people that have been locked up for cannabis-related issues and who have been locked out of a billion-dollar emerging industry. I applaud Governor Pritzker for signing this legislation and for his promise to ensure that the new cannabis industry includes Black and Brown people in Illinois.”
“The signing of HB1443 moves us closer to making the promise of equity in cannabis a reality in a state where the entire existing industry is overwhelmingly white. I was proud to partner with State Representative LaShawn Ford in passing HB1443 which is the result of dozens of meetings with stakeholders and applicants who demanded that their voices be heard,” said State Senator Kimberly Lightford (D-Maywood). “This industry has the potential to change lives, but only if we keep the principles of equity at the center of every decision we make.”
“From the very beginning, we sought to create the most diverse and equitable cannabis industry in the world, knowing that we had no bread crumbs to follow or examples of any state that had figured it out. The announcement of these demographics for the craft grow, infuser, and transportation licenses are proof that what we can accomplish is only limited by how hard we are willing to work,” said Speaker Pro Tempore Jehan Gordon-Booth (D-Peoria). “We all know that the existing industry does not include people who look like me. Today that changes. I couldn’t be more proud. Our next steps are to make sure that not only do we have new entrants, but we continue to create the conditions that will allow them to grow and compete.”
“I’m proud of the work the Latino and Black Caucuses did to ensure social equity within the cannabis industry through the changes in HB1443,” said State Senator Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago). “I hope this move brings the needed diversity to the industry so that we can begin to correct the decades of harm done to our communities through the war on drugs.”
In addition to expanding access to dispensary licenses, HB 1443 expands access for medical cannabis users by removing restrictions on where medical card holders can buy medicine. The legislation also adds eight additional community members to the Restore, Reinvest, Renew (R3) Board, and gives early approval adult use dispensaries the ability to relocate within the same medical district 90 days after the legislation is signed, among other provisions.
For more information on craft grow, infuser, and transporter licenses, go to the Illinois Department of Agriculture website. For more information about conditional adult-use cannabis dispensary licenses and the upcoming lotteries, go to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation website.
9 Comments
|
Three-judge panel hears remap case
Thursday, Jul 15, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Capitol News Illinois…
Lawyers for plaintiffs and the state told a panel of federal judges Wednesday the issues involved in two lawsuits challenging the state’s legislative redistricting plan are “straightforward” and ought to be resolved in short order.
But the three-judge panel hearing the case appeared uncertain about how much time they actually have, given the deadlines that are spelled out in the Illinois Constitution and the fact that lawmakers this year pushed back the 2022 primary by three months, to June instead of March.
The two lawsuits – one by Republican legislative leaders and another by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, or MALDEF – both argue that the new state House and Senate district maps violate the U.S. Constitution because they were drawn using survey data rather than official U.S Census numbers, which have been delayed this year due to the pandemic and other factors. […]
But attorney Michael Kasper, who represents Welch and Harmon, said he doesn’t believe the case should go to trial because the plaintiffs lack standing to sue and because the case is not yet “ripe” for consideration.
He said that under previous U.S. Supreme Court decisions, plaintiffs can sue only if they can demonstrate that they live in a district where their vote has been diluted. He also argued that the question of whether district populations vary too widely can be answered only after the official census numbers are released in August.
There’s more, so go read the whole thing, but there’s a reason why Kasper gets paid the big bucks.
10 Comments
|
LIG resignation roundup
Thursday, Jul 15, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Her full statement and react is here if you need it. Sun-Times…
The latest watchdog for the Illinois state Legislature offered her resignation on Wednesday, telling lawmakers their failure to pass meaningful ethics reform shows “true ethics reform is not a priority.”
Complaining her job is “essentially a paper tiger,” Legislative Inspector General Carol Pope sent her letter of resignation to members of the Legislative Ethics Commission, offering to step down immediately, stay on while they find a replacement or remain until her term ends in December. […]
Her frustrated departure is the latest blow for an office that had no permanent occupant for more than four years when Pope was appointed in December of 2018.
Former federal prosecutor Julie Porter, who served as a temporary inspector general for about a year and half during that time, also voiced concerns in a newspaper op-ed after she left, complaining the system is “broken” and “the legislative inspector general is not independent.”
* SJ-R…
Even though most Republican lawmakers voted for the bill, the Illinois Republican Party issued a news release Wednesday saying Pope’s resignation “is another sign that Democrats’ feigned efforts at ethics reform this past session was nothing more than lip service.”
* Hannah Meisel…
Pope told NPR Illinois that her repeated suggestions for how to improve the office have been ignored by the Democratically controlled General Assembly, and by her own assessment, legislation passed by lawmakers this spring aimed at ethics reform have actually weakened her office. The measure was sent to Gov. JB Pritzker but he hasn’t signed it yet.
“The public has had it up to their eyebrows with public corruption, and when I came to this job, I really felt like by appointing somebody with my background, if I had the ability to do the job in the right way, it would…improve the public’s view of the legislature,” Pope said Wednesday. “But I just don’t feel like I’ve been able to do that at all. It’s just time to move along.” […]
“Instead of expanding the role and the power of the legislative inspector general, it’s been restricted,” Pope told NPR Illinois. “And as a result, I just don’t feel like I can be effective in this job anymore, so I felt it necessary to tender my resignation.” […]
“I think that the system could be greatly improved with the suggestions I’ve given to the legislature,” Pope told NPR Illinois. “And I’ve tried my best to get that done and it really doesn’t seem to have gone anywhere. I would say that most people would be disappointed with the way things wound down in the General Assembly this year. It was supposed to be the year of big ethics reform and I don’t think that happened.”
* Tribune…
Through the first half of this year, Pope’s office received 31 complaints alleging wrongdoing by lawmakers or staff and opened six investigations, with three pending, all categorized as ” other, miscellaneous, or uncharacterized claims,” according to the office’s most recent quarterly report.
Pope’s most notable investigations dealt with harassment allegations lodged against two longtime aides to former House Speaker Michael Madigan. In October 2019, she released reports recommending that Tim Mapes, the former House clerk and Madigan chief of staff, and Kevin Quinn, the brother of 13th Ward Ald. Marty Quinn, be barred from future state employment. Both had long since been ousted from Madigan’s operation.
* React from potential Pritzker opponent…
He kinda got roasted for it…
14 Comments
|
* Gov. Pritzker met privately with President Biden in the Oval Office yesterday. Here’s Lynn Sweet…
The two main items on Pritzker’s agenda in his talk with Biden:
• Dealing with $4.2 billion the federal government advanced to Illinois to keep its Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund afloat after it was drained of cash because of the enormous surge of claims triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. What kind of repayment breaks Biden can provide is not yet clear.
• Flagging how when it comes to the Biden administration helping fight gun violence, in Illinois, it’s more than about Chicago. Chicago, with unrelenting gun violence, is expecting in the coming days extra help - a strike force - from the Biden Justice Department. Pritzker said the Illinois State Police are already working with the ATF, DEA and the U.S. Attorney’s office to stop the flow of guns into Illinois.
“I wanted to double down on his understanding that we have a problem, it’s not just a Chicago problem. It’s a problem in Rockford, it’s a problem in other cities in Illinois. People just focus on Chicago, but it’s really a problem in a number of urban areas,” Pritzker said.
Biden also showed Pritzker around part of the White House grounds and West Wing.
Like I’ve been saying, the state’s unemployment insurance trust fund deficit is the biggest fiscal issue facing the state right now.
Also, kinda cool to get a personal POTUS tour, if you’re into that sort of thing.
* Greg Hinz…
In a phone call after the sessions, Pritzker did not indicate that he’d received any definitive promises from Biden other than to fully consider any Illinois requests. But he said the session went “very well” and described Biden as “gracious.” […]
Pritzker said he specifically asked for money for “logistics buildout,” an apparent reference to highway and railroad improvements designed to secure metropolitan Chicago’s place as a national distribution center. But he also asked for help in filling a huge hole in the state’s unemployment trust fund that is now in hock to the feds for hundreds of millions of dollars of expenses run up during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pritzker clearly would like the feds to erase some of the debt. But there are other possibilities, he added, including stretching out the period in which the state—more specifically, state employers—will have to pay off the debt.
* Pritzker also participated in a press conference with other White House attendees. Here’s Mike Flannery…
Asked about opposition to Biden’s big spending plans among some Illinois Republicans, Pritzker suggested their districts would benefit more than those of Democrats. “There are many, many more miles of roads that need to be repaired in those areas, not to mention we’ve got to replace our lead line pipes across the state of Illinois.”
Potential challenger Rodney Davis has been speaking against the infrastructure bill.
* Tribune…
Later Wednesday, Pritzker called it “an excellent bipartisan meeting and real discussion about things that we share in common across all of the leaders that were in the room.”
“There is a massive infrastructure deficit across the nation,” Pritzker said. “Each one had a different angle on what they need in this infrastructure bill. For Illinois, I talked not only about the roads and bridges and water ports and how important those are for our industry, as the crossroads of America run through Illinois, but also about building out our early childhood education centers as well as our child care centers. We need real investment in those.”
* Video..
* Raw White House video 1
* Raw White House video 2
* Raw White House video 3
8 Comments
|
|
Comments Off
|
*** LIVE COVERAGE ***
Thursday, Jul 15, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Today’s post is sponsored by the Association Of Illinois Electric Cooperatives. Follow along with ScribbleLive…
Comments Off
|
* Press release…
Democrat Alexi Giannoulias has won the support of progressive grassroots political network that grew out of the presidential campaign of U.S. Sen Bernie Sanders.
Our Illinois Revolution, which has over 40,000 voting progressive members throughout the State, endorsed Giannoulias for Secretary of State in 2022. Our Illinois Revolution has successfully leveraged its reform-minded influence in recent local elections including, assisting U.S. Representative Jesús “Chuy” García, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss and Fritz Kaegi who defeated longtime Cook County Assessor Joe Berrios.
Our Illinois Revolution Chair Emeritus Clem Balanoff, who served as an anti-machine Illinois State Representative and Cook County Elections Director for Cook County, the third largest voting jurisdiction in the nation, praised Giannoulias, his progressive policy initiatives and the ethics agenda he would implement as Secretary of State. As they have for other candidates, Our Illinois Revolution will mobilize voters on Giannoulias’ behalf in advance of the June 2022 primary election.
“Alexi is the true progressive in this race and has been a proven leader in the progressive movement for a long time,” said Balanoff, noting that Giannoulias served as Illinois State Treasurer from 2007 to 2011. “We’ve seen so many Secretaries of State across the country seeking to disenfranchise voters with restrictive voting suppression laws making it more difficult to register and vote. Illinoisians can rest assured that Alexi will protect voter rights and work to improve ballot access and enhance registration opportunities.”
In the last few months, Giannoulias has received the support of a number of labor organizations and the progressive 22nd Ward Independent Political Organization (IPO). Our Illinois Revolution is the first statewide grassroots organization to make an endorsement.
“We’re proud to endorse Alexi who will fight for accountable, transparent government and for progressive priorities of working Illinois families,” said Richard Rodriguez, National Treasurer of Our Revolution. “Alexi will put people first and will serve as a fearless fighter willing to stand up to powerful interests and while working to solve the biggest challenges that confront our state.”
“Alexi is an innovative problem solver who is building a broad-based coalition and is committed to the progressive principles that serve as our core values,” said Suzanna Ibarra, co-chair of Our Illinois Revolution. He will make an excellent Secretary of State and represents a new generation of progressive leaders who stand shoulder-to-shoulder with us as an ally to promote justice, equity and economic opportunity for those that need it most.”
“Having always supported progressive ideals, I’m so proud to have earned the endorsement of Our Illinois Revolution, which is a huge boost to our campaign,” Giannoulias said. “Our Illinois Revolution is leading the fight to ensure working families benefit and thrive in our growing economy. They can count on my commitment to always protect civil rights and fight for racial and social justice as a constitutional officer.”
18 Comments
|
* Greg Bishop with the scoop…
The Illinois state legislature will have to start looking for another watchdog to police them after Legislative Inspector General Carol Pope said the position is “essentially a paper tiger,” and announced she’s going to leave the post in December.
In a letter to members of the bipartisan Illinois Legislative Ethics Commission Wednesday, Pope said she hoped to make a difference from the inside and improve the public’s view of the legislature by bringing true ethics reforms.
“Unfortunately, I have not been able to do so,” Pope said. “This last legislative session demonstrated true ethics reform is not a priority. The LIG has no real power to effect change or shine a light on ethics violations, the position is essentially a paper tiger.”
* The letter…
Dear LEC Members:
When I took this job as the Legislative Inspector General, I thought I might be able to make a difference working from the inside. I thought I could be useful in improving the public’s view of the legislature and help bring about true ethics reform. Unfortunately, I have not been able to do so. This last legislative session demonstrated true ethics reform is not a priority. The LIG has no real power to effect change or shine a light on ethics violations, the position is essentially a paper tiger.
I testified in front of the Joint Commission on Ethics reform on February 6, 2020. All of the items I talked about are still unimproved today, except for being able to initiate an investigation without prior approval by the LEC. I testified again this spring in front of the House and Senate Ethics committees about important issues that directly affect my office and the LEC. Those issues include having the ability to issue subpoenas without having to seek prior approval from the LEC, mandated publication of founded summary reports concerning legislators, the ability to publish reports that vindicate legislators, the incongruent jurisdiction between the LIG and the LEC and providing for the appointment of a nonpartisan citizen to serve as the ninth member of the LEC to avoid strictly partisan 4-4 votes. None of these reforms were adopted.
The General Assembly actually restricted the LIG’s jurisdiction during this last session by requiring the filing of a complaint before the LIG can undertake an investigation. If public allegations about a legislator are made, but no complaint is filed with the LIG’s office, the LIG cannot open an investigation. This actually is a throwback to legislation that existed prior to 2009. In 2009, the GA enacted legislation that removed the requirement of acting only on a complaint. See SB 54 of the 96th General Assembly. For the last 12 years, the LIG has been able to open an investigation based on public allegations in the media. But no longer.
ln addition, the GA restricted the LIG’s jurisdiction to matters arising out of government service or employment. As I have explained repeatedly. including before the Joint Commission on Ethics Refonn back in 2020, as a result of this, the LIG will not be able to investigate conduct unbecoming a legislator that results from things such as posting revenge porn on social media, failure to pay income taxes on non-legisJative income, and other conduct that I and the public think the LIG should be able to investigate.
While it is certainly within the prerogative of the Legislature to craft these statutes as it sees fit, I am unable to remain in a position where I cannot be as effective as I hoped to be. I appreciate the opportunity to have served the People of Illinois in this position and have enjoyed working with the LEC. I am willing to continue my service while you search for my replacement, or until December 15, 2021, whichever comes first. If you prefer I vacate the office while you search for my replacement, that is fine too. I am willing to assist my successor with the transition.
Sincerely.
Carol Pope
Legislative Inspector General
I ran the letter through an online PDF translator, so pardon any typos.
* React…
“Inspector General Pope has done an exceptional job in her role,” said state Rep. Avery Borne, R-Morrisonville, a member of the Legislative Ethics Commission. “Getting to lead her appointment process was one of the accomplishments I am most proud of throughout my time in the legislature.”
“I would like to thank her for her service to the people of Illinois and I am sad to see her resignation and her term cut short,” Bourne said. “I’m grateful she has in part used this role to highlight the important changes that must be made to further empower her office and truly reform the ethics act in Illinois. Let LIG Pope’s departure serve as a strong message to the Governor, Senate President, and House Speaker: your inaction on these basic proposed reforms is protecting politicians who violate the public’s trust.”
Another member of the commission, state Rep. Maurice West, D-Rockford also reacted to Pope’s letter when asked for comment.
“I thank Inspector Pope for the work that she’s done and I’m concerned that we did not meet the moment for true ethics reform that will improve trust in State Government,” West said. “Upon reading her resignation letter, my response is that I am committed to working on the issues that she mentioned, even if they are not popular - because they are the right policies to put in place.”
…Adding… John Patterson…
“President Harmon wants to thank Inspector General Pope for her dedication and service to the people of Illinois. A search for a new inspector general should start soon to make sure there is no vacancy in this vital position.”
…Adding… Senate GOP Leader McConchie…
Inspector Pope has proven to be a dedicated public servant representing the people of Illinois and their desire for a more ethical state government. Her job was difficult in a state that has a history of legislator misconduct. I wish her well and look forward to helping find a successor to carry this important mission forward.
…Adding… Reps. Kelly Burke and Maurice West…
We thank Carol Pope for her service to the state of Illinois in this vital position and we are committed to filling this vacancy quickly and thoughtfully.
The ethics reform package, which passed nearly unanimously this Spring, is an excellent first step and we have always been committed to further conversations that will continue to rebuild trust back in our state government. We do thank Ms. Pope for detailing some of her concerns in her resignation letter, but we feel confident that many are addressed in the new ethics package — or through law enforcement, which is the proper and just avenue for criminal activity outside the purview of official duties.
12 Comments
|
Question of the day
Wednesday, Jul 14, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Last night…
* From the end of the editorial…
So Chicago has a lakefront eyesore and the Bears have an inadequate stadium. Chicagoans? They have the financial risk Daley promised they wouldn’t have.
Mayor Lightfoot and Chicago aldermen, don’t repeat your predecessors’ cave. If team owners want to be the Arlington Heights Bears, they have that right. You might, though, ask that they dismantle and take with them the seating bowl they insisted be built to appease them.
Chicago’s beleaguered taxpayers then would have what they previously had: a stadium that is comfortably sized for soccer and many other events — and that honors American soldiers.
I doubt the city and state could legally make that happen, but whatevs.
* The Question: How do you feel about the future of that editorial board post-purge?
19 Comments
|
Unclear on the concepts
Wednesday, Jul 14, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Rep. Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro)…
In this budget, we now allow for Medicaid for undocumented individuals who are 55 and older. So last year, it seemed like it stayed very quiet, I don’t know why more people were not talking about it, it was 65 and older. This year they slipped in 55 and older. So you may be 55 years old in this state, and a citizen and not eligible for Medicaid. But if you are an undocumented immigrant and 55 or older you’re eligible for Medicaid. So there are a lot of questions.
It really goes to the violence that we’re seeing in Chicago right now.
Um, Medicaid is not an age-based program. It’s an income-based program.
Last year during the height of the pandemic, the state expanded healthcare benefits similar to Medicaid to undocumented residents 65 and older who met Medicaid’s income requirements. Click here for those. That benefit was expanded this year to those 55 and older.
Point being, they’re not getting something that citizens with the same income status are not.
* Sen. Bryant then rambled on and on about how this canard was someone connected to the Chicago violence. Here’s the mayor’s office response via Politico…
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s office pushed back, saying the senator’s comments show “a blatant ignorance” on immigration policy and public safety.
“Data shows that welcoming city policies, like Chicago’s, create safer communities because residents feel more comfortable engaging with police and other city government officials when they do not fear their immigration status will become a factor. These policies also protect everyone’s due process,” the mayor’s office said in a statement to Playbook.
Lightfoot’s office criticized the use of “xenophobic tropes” and said, “Bryant should focus on working with us and her Senate colleagues to learn about and tackle the actual root causes of violence in our state.”
11 Comments
|
* Press release…
As the state’s gradual phaseout of the pandemic eviction moratorium continues, Governor JB today encouraged renters and landlords to apply for $500 million in existing aid and announced that an additional round of assistance will open this fall.
For Illinois renters still struggling to pay their rent, the Illinois Rental Payment Program (ILRPP) is currently open and accepting applications for the current round of assistance until 11:59 p.m. this Sunday, July 18. Applications can be completed at: ILRPP.IHDA.org.
“Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Illinois implemented one of the largest emergency housing assistance programs in the nation – and as a result, tens of thousands of Illinois families have been able to access housing assistance so far,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “These resources have made a life-changing difference for these families, as the eviction moratorium comes to a close, we want to make sure that every eligible Illinoisan applies for this help. This year, Illinois quadrupled the relief that was available last year and were there for our residents when it mattered most. I’m pleased that we’ll be offering additional rounds of this critical funding to keep people in their homes.”
Governor Pritzker announced earlier this summer that the eviction moratorium would be lifted in August, with a gradual phaseout throughout the summer.
On July 23, the Governor will issue an Executive Order that allows eviction filings against covered persons to begin on August 1. The current prohibition on enforcement of eviction orders entered against covered persons will remain in place until August 31. Enforcement of eviction orders entered against covered persons will be allowed after August 31.
The Governor’s Office has been in close communication with members of the Illinois Supreme Court’s COVID-19 Task Force to ensure an orderly phase out of the eviction moratorium. Through a coordinated approach, we hope to relieve the potential pressure on the court system while also ensuring that tenants and landlords have every opportunity to benefit from the State’s rental assistance programs.
…Adding… Neighborhood Building Owners Alliance…
Today Governor J.B. Pritzker announced plans to bring stability to the State’s housing industry, which has been providing a crucial public service to fight the pandemic, often without public support.
The Neighborhood Building Owners Alliance (NBOA), which advocates for policies to support neighborhood housing providers, recommends that tenants who believe they are facing a possible eviction to communicate with their housing provider as soon as possible.
“Housing providers all over the State of Illinois are doing an amazing job throughout this pandemic of keeping people housed, often at great sacrifice to themselves and their families” said Michael Glasser, President of the NBOA. “Renters who are behind in their rent should work with their housing providers, and apply for help through the State’s emergency rental assistance program.”
NBOA research has shown that neighborhood housing providers have lost over $1 billion in unpaid rent since the beginning of the pandemic. It also shows that many neighborhood housing providers have tenants who refuse to communicate with them regarding their situation.
NBOA research has revealed that because of the pandemic many smaller housing providers now lack the funds for basic building necessities. Glasser said, “We haven’t asked grocery stores to give away free food, or pharmacies to give away free medication, and we can’t keep asking housing providers to give away free housing without destabilizing the housing system, which was already fragile before the pandemic.”
Moreover, according to the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA), approximately 30 percent of the funds requested by housing providers for rental assistance were automatically voided simply because the renter refused to participate in the program. Applying for rental assistance typically only takes a few minutes. Multiple community organizations have been retained by the State to assist renters with the process, and almost all housing providers are more than happy to assist tenants with the application process. Renters who want to participate in the next round of rental assistance can visit https://chicookilrenthelp.org for more information.
The filing of an eviction does not necessary mean that a housing provider wants to remove the tenant. Housing providers do not enjoy evictions, but frequently use them as a tool to jump start negotiations. The improving economy and jobs situation, as well as with the State’s rental assistance programs, should go far in mitigating the so-called “wave of evictions.”
1 Comment
|
* I explained some of the back story on this to subscribers earlier this week…
Longtime State Sen. Dave Syverson, R-Cherry Valley, will have a primary challenge in 2022.
Winnebago County Republican Party Chairman Eli Nicolosi said he plans to formally announce his campaign to run against Syverson on July 19.
The Rockford resident filed paperwork to register Friends of Eli Nicolosi with the Illinois Board of Elections on Tuesday. The stated purpose of the committee is to elect Nicolosi to the 35th district of the Illinois Senate, the seat occupied by Syverson since 1993. […]
Syverson, 64, said he will run on his record, which he said includes passage of hundreds of bills, including property tax caps and ethics reform legislation.A gaming bill, which included a Rockford casino license and was approved by the General Assembly, was sponsored by Syverson.
* Politico’s national bureau…
Exile in the House GOP is proving extremely lucrative for Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger.
Cheney and Kinzinger are the most prominent anti-Trump voices among congressional Republicans, casting two of the 10 House GOP votes to impeach the former president and — unlike the other eight — sparing no opportunity in the months since to rebuke a party that has tethered itself to his image. That’s left them in a precarious position as they seek reelection back home and alienated them from the rest of their party in D.C.
It’s also given them a new route onto the national stage. The Wyoming and Illinois Republican allies may end up losing their seats next fall to primary challengers who are hugging the Trump machine. But the campaign war chests they’ve amassed could help launch the duo’s political careers outside of the House, or even Congress. […]
Kinzinger, who represents a deep-red district in exurban Chicago, never raised more than $350,000 in a single quarter during the 2020 cycle. But during the first three months of 2021 — after his support for the second Trump impeachment — he skyrocketed to $1.1 million.
* Tribune…
Conservative activist Charlie Kirk will headline the annual Northwest suburban Republican Party’s Lincoln Day Dinner on Aug. 16 at the White Eagle Banquet & Convention Center in Niles. Founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA and loyalist to former President Donald Trump, Kirk relishes a political battle.
Last week he was a guest on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News show, where he likened colleges that require students to have COVID-19 vaccinations to “almost this apartheid-style open-air hostage situation, like: ‘Oh, you can have your freedom back if you get the jab.’”
Such dramatics.
More…
The event is organized by the Schaumburg, Palatine, Wheeling, Elk Grove, Maine, Niles, Northfield, Hanover, Barrington township Republican organizations along with the Northwest Side GOP Club. Tickets are available through the organizing GOP organizations.
[Palatine Township Republican Committeeman Aaron Del Mar] said Kirk is an important figure in Republican circles. Turning Point USA is active on many college campuses along with some high schools. Del Mar said the organization serves as a “backstop to liberals in college, who are mostly left-leaning.”
* I’m not sure this is going to make much of a difference. The cable bookers likely won’t care much…
Illinois GOP Chairman Don Tracy sent a letter to Republican leaders Monday expressing frustration that MSNBC, CNN and local media turn to Republican consultants who “trash” other Republicans. “When they are listed as current or former party officials, it falsely gives the impression that these people are speaking for all Republicans in Illinois or the Chicago area,” according to Tracy’s email, obtained by Playbook.
He doesn’t name names but it’s not hard to figure out that former state GOP Chairman Pat Brady doesn’t mince words about far-right Republicans when he’s interviewed by reporters.
Tracy is the first downstate chairman of the Illinois GOP in more than 30 years. He lives in Springfield, three hours from Chicago, making it difficult to accommodate live broadcasts. So he’s now assigning two surrogate Republicans in northern Illinois, Kathleen Murphy and Ammie Kessem, to represent the party during TV interviews when he can’t make it.
The issue is the surrogates tapped align better with Republicans south of I-80 than those in the Chicago area. Murphy is the former spokeswoman for former GOP gubernatorial candidate Jeanne Ives and a defender of Ives’ controversial TV ad attacking Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s record by featuring actors playing out sensitive cultural issues. It was uniformly criticized, including by the state GOP, for being racist, sexist and homophobic.
Kessem, the 41st Ward GOP committeewoman, is a Chicago Police sergeant and avowed Donald Trump supporter.
* Not actually a campaign event, but might as well be…
MEDIA ADVISORY: Illinois House Republicans Call for State Action on Heightened Gun Violence
WHO: Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs), State Representatives Deanne Mazzochi (R-Elmhurst) and Amy Elik (R-Fosterburg).
WHAT: House Republicans will discuss the need for action on violence and criminal activity plaguing Illinois.
WHEN: 11:00am on Thursday, July 15th, 2021
The General Assembly is not reconvening until October.
* The Hill…
I asked about a dozen senators and representatives what’s on their summer reading lists. Here are some highlights:
We must start with someone who knows a good book when she reads- or writes - one. Sen. Tammy Duckworth’s (D-Ill.) “Every Day Is a Gift” is one of the best memoirs I’ve ever read. When I asked for her summer reading list, she sent a screen shot of her Audible selections, including one that seems entirely appropriate for our current political climate: “Calm The F*ck Down,” by Sarah Knight. For a more, well, elevated perspective of nature and the universe, Duckworth is working on Steven Hawking’s “A Brief History of Time.”
*** UPDATE *** Facebook…
Join ILGOP Chairman Don Tracy with Finance Committee members Vince Kolber, Brian Kasal, and Richard Porter in hosting an evening reception featuring Texas Congressman and American Hero Dan Crenshaw.
* Related…
* Rock Island Mayor Mike Thoms considering run for state Senate
9 Comments
|
DH Brown
Wednesday, Jul 14, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Obituary…
On Thursday, July 8, 2021, David Harold Brown III, of Springfield, IL passed away at the age of 72.
David was born on April 23, 1949 in Springfield, IL to David Brown Jr. and Louise (Hill) Brown. He married Mary Ellen Ference on July 19, 1980 at St. Agnes Catholic Church.
David was a graduate of Divernon High School and of the University of Illinois in 1971, earning a Bachelor of Science in Finance. He had owned and operated D.H. Brown Saloon since 1977.
Dave enjoyed playing the first 14 holes of golf at Illini Country Club, or until he lost all the balls in his bag—whichever came sooner. He also loved to root for the Fighting Illini, the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Chicago Bears, but he converted to a Hoosier fan later in his life. Most of all, Dave loved meeting new and interesting people and sharing his quick wit with others at D.H. Brown’s, a place that was the source of fun nights and long-lasting relationships. Dave had a passion for history and spent many hours reading about Ancient Rome, World War II, the Wild West, etc. This passion flavored his taste in movies: he always had an old movie on at home. One of Dave’s favorite activities was attending wrestling matches with two good friends. Furthermore, he volunteered at St. Martin de Porres, SPARC, and the Springfield Art Association.
He was preceded in death by his father and his brother, Charles Frederick Brown.
He is survived by his wife of nearly forty-one years, Mary Ellen Brown of Springfield, IL; mother, Louise H. Brown of Siesta Key, FL; one son, David H. (Sabina) Brown IV of Houston, TX; one daughter, Eileen L. Brown of Springfield, IL; siblings, Thomas G. (Kathy) Brown of O’Fallon, IL, Luann (Henry) Kurth of Sarasota, FL, and Nancy J. Brown of Siesta Key, FL; an aunt and uncle; several nieces, nephews, and cousins; and his dog, Rico.
David will be laid to rest in a private ceremony on Saturday, July 17, 2021. That same day, the family will host a Celebration of Life from 3:00 until 6:00 p.m. at D.H. Brown Saloon, 231 East Monroe Street, Springfield, IL.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Martin de Porres, P.O. Box 2571, Springfield, IL 62708; SPARC, 232 Bruns Lane, Springfield, IL 62702; or Springfield Art Association, 700 North 4th Street, Springfield, IL 62702.
The family wishes to express many thanks to the nurses and staff at Regency Care, 2120 West Washington Street, Springfield, IL.
The family is being served by Butler Funeral Home—Springfield, 900 South 6th Street, Springfield, IL.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of David Harold Brown III please visit our Tribute Store.
A legend and a true friend to a whole lot of Statehouse types.
6 Comments
|
* Axios…
The Democrats’ “only chance of keeping the House” next year is if they redraw congressional lines to their advantage in New York and Illinois, Cook Political Report’s David Wasserman tells Axios’ Stef Kight.
Why it matters: The GOP is already poised to take advantage of its control of map-drawing in more states than Democrats. But Democrats have a chance to eliminate as many as seven Republican House seats in just New York and Illinois through redistricting in states they control.
• New York and Illinois are both set to lose a House seat because of slower population growth.
• On top of ensuring Republican districts are the ones lost to reapportionment this year, Democrats could rework the maps to help them pick up an additional four districts in New York and one in Illinois, said Wasserman, who focuses on redistricting as Cook’s House editor.
The big picture: Republicans will get to draw congressional district lines in big battleground states like Texas, Georgia, North Carolina and Florida. They were able to draw maps to maximize their partisan advantage after the 2010 census too.
• “The two states that Democrats control that are big, or where there’s margin left, are New York and Illinois,” Ben Williams, a nonpartisan redistricting specialist for the National Conference of State Legislatures, told Axios.
• Few other states offer options to create new, blue congressional districts, he and Wasserman said.
Maybe.
I think the media and the GOP are vastly underestimating the very real and growing anger out there among people who did the right thing and got vaccinated. Hyper-politicizing public health because your whole strategy is designed to appeal to a vocal and know-nothing segment of your base could very well backfire on the GOP… again.
25 Comments
|
Dave Loveday
Wednesday, Jul 14, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Rick Pearson at the Tribune…
David Loveday’s career as a political strategist and communications executive took him not only to the halls of the White House and the Illinois Statehouse but also to countries around the world, where his calm and joking demeanor belied his specialty of dealing with crises.
Loveday, 65, died of cancer on Saturday, July 3. A Villa Park resident, he was global government affairs director of the Water Quality Association, an international trade group, for the past 14 years.
Loveday played key roles in several Republican campaigns, serving as spokesman for the late Judy Baar Topinka’s unsuccessful 2006 run for governor, Jim Ryan’s winning 1994 bid for attorney general and Rich Williamson’s failed 1992 campaign for U.S. Senate.
He also was a former executive director of external affairs for the Illinois Toll Highway Authority and the Regional Transportation Authority and put in stints as press secretary for the Illinois House Republican caucus.
“Dave Loveday was a colleague and friend who enjoyed many successful positions during his professional career,” said Lee Daniels, the former state House GOP leader who served two years as speaker in the mid-1990s. “His calm demeanor and professionalism was relied upon as we addressed the governmental issues of the day.”
Dave was always a gentleman. Easy-going, quiet and kind, never crass, completely unflappable. And he knew his stuff. They just don’t make ‘em like him anymore.
* From his obit…
“He had the most priceless and special brand of optimism around,” said John Hoffman, a close friend and colleague of almost thirty years. “Dave immediately saw challenges and obstacles, then with his unflagging cheer motivated those around him into working together to move ahead and build for the greater good. He taught me life-long lessons about how to think imaginatively and act with decency more than any school could ever offer.” […]
Confronting his greatest challenge, Loveday was given an advanced cancer diagnosis within days of his first grandson Lincoln being born to Cate and her husband Patrick. Yet he kept up his positive mindset throughout, spending time with “Link” and his family and friends as much as possible and working even up to a week before he passed on.
When the time came to accept hospice, Loveday demonstrated the depth of his courage and character. He reached out to a friend to draft this notice. Though he had lost his speech, he then wrote simply: “I am ready.”
“He is my idol,” said Mary Jo Mikottis, a nurse practitioner who has known Loveday for many years and cared for him in the past weeks. “Throughout my career, I’ve hardly ever experienced such strength and spirit in one person.”
Please go out of your way to be nice to someone today in Dave’s honor. Thanks.
2 Comments
|
* The state has filed an appeal in its case to get out from under the oversight of the Shakman Decree. From the Cook County Record…
In the new filing, Pritzker’s lawyers argue the federal courts have overstepped their bounds in refusing to lift a court decree subjecting the state’s hiring practices to court scrutiny.
Pritzker’s lawyers said a federal judge erred in refusing to accept Pritzker’s assertions that the state governor has “demonstrated commitment to compliance with federal law,” which forbids political patronage hiring practices, like those for which cities, counties and state agencies in Illinois have gained notoriety through the years.
Pritzker claimed the federal court’s continued “decades-long supervision … of the day-to-day operations of state and local governments” in Illinois “exemplify” concerns that Seventh Circuit judges have expressed over federalism, a principle of U.S. government which limits the reach of the federal government into state affairs.
And the governor asserted court-appointed hiring overseers – known by the title “special masters” – have yet to identify any “ongoing violations” of federal law in Illinois government hiring practices.
“Ongoing federal oversight of a State’s operations can be justified only by evidence of ongoing violations of federal law—but neither the plaintiffs, the special master, nor the district court have identified any ongoing violations …, much less the kind of systemwide violations necessary to warrant continued statewide oversight,” Pritzker’s lawyers wrote in their brief. […]
Pritzker’s lawyers asserted the decrees should be tossed, in part, because Shakman and Lurie lack standing under the law as plaintiffs in these matters.
The judges, Pritzker argued, have improperly simply replaced Shakman and his co-plaintiffs with “the proper plaintiffs – state employees,” whose First Amendment rights would be violated by allowing state agencies to hire, fire or refuse to promote workers based on their political beliefs and allegiances.
The appellate brief is here.
What do you think?
19 Comments
|
* This is yet another case of “Don’t let the facts get in the way of a hot clickbait story.” Last night on WGN TV…
The debate on whether students should wear masks in schools has intensified in many suburban school districts.
The state says it’s in line with the CDC, which recommended masks for anyone not fully vaccinated. Yet, some district parents say they disagree.
For Peter Demos, the discourse over masks in schools strikes a chord. As a parent, he believes districts should control the conversation.
“It’s kind of heartbreaking because you want to do what’s best for your child,” the Lake Zurich District parent said. […]
“To all of a sudden require masks or certain restrictions of putting them on our kids to be allowed to go into the building is just asinine,” Graf said.
For its part, the state board of education says it will follow CDC guidance, which means requiring masks for those not fully vaccinated — and recommending at least three feet distance between students in classrooms— unless it’s a barrier to learning.
As we’ve already discussed (twice), there is no new school mask mandate. This reporter should’ve known that by the time his story aired.
* Meanwhile, in Highland…
Highland students will have the option to attend in-person classes without masks in the fall, after recommendations were released from the state.
Superintendent Mike Sutton released an open letter Monday, July 11, announcing the new policy in response to new recommendations recently announced by the Illinois State Board of Education and Illinois Department of Public Health. Those recommendations stated masks should be worn by unvaccinated individuals, but the decision on requiring them was left to the individual districts.
“Highland CUSD No. 5 plans to make it clear that masks are recommended but optional for students and staff — vaccinated or not,” Sutton wrote. “The decision to wear a mask or not should lie with the individual, and that is our current plan.” […]
Sutton said he is not in favor of collecting proof of vaccination from students unless it impacts quarantine procedures, or COVID testing in the schools as testing is available through the Madison County Health Department.
Sutton’s letter to parents is here.
As I’ve told you before, this policy could leave the district open to civil lawsuits if there’s an outbreak. But they’re on their own as far as the mandate goes for classes and other activities on their properties.
*** UPDATE *** OK, make that the fourth time…
This is becoming a misinformation campaign.
55 Comments
|
* BGA…
The Better Government Association has filed a lawsuit in Springfield against the state’s healthcare agency after officials denied records of routine performance presentations from a top Medicaid provider.
State officials denied the request after executives of the contractor — a subsidiary of national healthcare giant Centene Corp. — said disclosure of the quarterly performance presentations they make to state officials would put the company at a competitive disadvantage.
The Centene subsidiary, Meridian Health Plan of Illinois, Inc., collected $210 million under the YouthCare contract over the last 12 months, a spokesperson for the Department of Healthcare and Family Services said on Monday.
Agency Director Theresa Eagleson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson said agency officials could not discuss pending litigation.
The YouthCare program provides payments for the medical and psychiatric treatment of roughly 20,200 youths who are wards of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, as well as 15,700 former DCFS wards.
The contract has rolled out in phases as some foster parents complained they could not fill prescriptions or even schedule regular check-ups for children with serious medical conditions.
Last year, Meridian began producing for state officials quarterly slideshows with basic data about its performance in delivering care. The slides are meant to outline whether Meridian is meeting timeliness and quality standards, and what it’s doing to overcome problems.
But when the BGA asked last month to see those slideshows, state officials turned them over almost completely redacted — with entire slides blacked out.
The contractor’s performance data constituted “trade secrets,” HFS explained in its denial letter to the BGA.
Thoughts?
25 Comments
|
* Bill Ruthhart at the Tribune…
Gov. J.B. Pritzker is one of three governors and five mayors who will join President Joe Biden at the White House on Wednesday for a bipartisan meeting on infrastructure.
The gathering comes as Biden continues to rally support for a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package, even as questions remain about how to pay for the massive spending bill.
Pritzker is scheduled to attend the 2 p.m. meeting in the Roosevelt Room at the White House along with four fellow Democrats — New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and Mayors Nan Whaley of Dayton, Ohio; Kate Gallego of Phoenix; and Michael Hancock of Denver. They will be joined by three Republicans — Vermont Gov. Phil Scott, Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt and Mobile, Alabama, Mayor Sandy Stimpson.
Biden will emphasize common ground found in $1.2 trillion deal agreed upon by a bipartisan group of senators. Proponents say the plan would stimulate the economy by pumping hundreds of billions of dollars into the construction of roads, bridges and highways, while also expanding transit and providing high-speed internet access in rural areas. […]
Pritzker has said the state’s program, which was funded largely by an increase in the state gas tax, means Illinois will immediately have the money available to match federal funds made available through Biden’s infrastructure plan.
* Lynn Sweet…
Pritzker press secretary Jordan Abudayyeh said Biden invited Pritzker to the White House “to discuss the critical need for nationwide infrastructure investments, along with the success of Illinois’ own historic bipartisan capital plan.
“The governor also anticipates discussing other major issues such as the need for a national approach to addressing the pandemic’s impact on unemployment funds and combatting gun violence. The governor will also meet with White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeff Zients to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Pritzker is a strong supporter of Biden’s infrastructure proposals — things like airports, broadband, roads and bridges — and the second bill, with items dealing with the climate, education and child care.
Biden and Pritzker met when the president was in Crystal Lake on July 7 where he talked about his “Build Back Better” agenda and infrastructure plans at McHenry County College.
21 Comments
|
Former Sen. McCann seeks another trial delay
Tuesday, Jul 13, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Alton Telegraph…
Former state senator and one-time gubernatorial hopeful Sam McCann is seeking a delay of at least four months in his trial on federal charges of money laundering, tax evasion and misuse of campaign funds.
In a motion filed July 6 in U.S. District Court in Springfield, Assistant Federal Public Defender Rosana E. Brown said the complexity of the charges and the volume of information turned over in the discovery process requires her to “seek a contract for discovery review software capable of organizing the voluminous discovery.” The motion said the software is necessary “to review essential discovery with the defendant once it is organized and made searchable into a manageable software program, to conduct investigation, and consult with the defendant therefrom, and to either negotiate with the government or prepare for jury trial.”
The motion said more than 64,000 pages of material has been presented in the case.
Brown was appointed to represent McCann after his Feb. 23 indictment. McCann, who is free on bond, told the court at the time that he is unemployed, $53,000 in debt, and has about $500 in his checking account.
He’s already had one delay, but the prosecution is not thrilled with this new request. Click here to read about it.
7 Comments
|
* I explained this in detail to subscribers earlier today, but here’s Politico…
Another FEC advisory opinion is issued on Kelly as Dem Party Chair: The opinion is out before the Federal Election Commission meets Thursday. At issue is to what extent Rep. Robin Kelly can continue to lead the Illinois Democratic Party given FEC rules don’t allow a federal officeholder to raise local funds.
The latest advisory calls for a “special committee” to be formed “without review or approval by Congresswoman Kelly and Congresswoman Kelly has no role in the appointment of any member of the special committee.”
The proposed advisory opinion is here. Kelly had initially suggested that she be allowed to appoint a minority of the special committee’s members, which will have sole authority over raising and spending all money that isn’t federally regulated. But the FEC is moving away from that idea.
So, the state party chair can’t be directly involved in any state and local campaigns. Brilliant.
* Back in May, some remap reformers criticized Democrats for not asking the Illinois Supreme Court to somehow set aside the constitutional timeline to craft a new map. Well, some Michiganders tried that avenue and lost…
The Michigan Supreme Court on Friday denied a petition to grant relief to the state’s redistricting panel, who expects to adopt new congressional and legislative maps months later than allowed by the constitution.
The Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (MICRC) and Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson in April asked the state Supreme Court to extend the existing Nov. 21, 2021 deadline to redraw districts in the state, as census data required for redistricting has been significantly delayed amid the pandemic.
* Press release issued yesterday morning…
Secretary of State candidate Pat Dowell is announcing the members of the Finance Committee for her campaign for Secretary of State. “I am honored that these community and business leaders have committed to help our campaign,” said Dowell. “While I just joined this race only a short time ago, I am humbled by the support and generosity of so many. I look forward to more events around the state including the suburbs, southland and the city.”
Dowel entered the race recently and her fundraising during second quarter outpaced others in the race. This committee will build on this fundraising progress achieved in the second quarter with $375,000 raised and $440,000 cash on hand.
* Back to Politico…
Congressman Adam Kinzinger has raised a whopping $1.3 million in the second quarter of the year, according to a source close to his campaign. Broken down, that’s $800,000 for his re-election campaign and $500,000 for his leadership PAC.
In the past six months, Kinzinger has raised $3.6 million, nearly all from individuals, and more than $700,000 from within Illinois.
* WVIK…
Tim Arview from West Frankfort ran unsuccessfully last year in the Republican primary for state representative.
“I’ve always been interested in politics, always voted, always followed the issues, but never felt like that was something that I would want to do or feel like I need to do. But just the way things are going now, and through prayer and consideration, we decided it was the time to do it.”
He doesn’t want to challenge any fellow Republicans again, which eliminates running for state house or senate or even Congress in southern Illinois, so the only Democrat left for him to run against is Senator Duckworth.
Arview is pro-life and pro-gun rights, and thinks Duckworth has not done enough to help veterans, despite being a veteran herself.
“Ran unsuccessfully” is a pretty huge understatement. Dude got 14.4 percent against Rep. Dave Severin in the 2020 primary.
*** UPDATE *** Oops. Forgot to post this media advisory…
Judge Elizabeth Rochford to Announce Candidacy for Illinois’ 2nd Supreme Court District
WHAT: The Hon. Elizabeth M. Rochford, a sitting judge in Lake County’s 19th Judicial District, is announcing her candidacy for the newly redrawn Supreme Court seat that encompasses the counties of DeKalb, Kendall, Kane, Lake and McHenry. Judge Rochford has been an associate judge in Lake County since her appointment in 2012, hearing civil and criminal matters, with a significant focus in family law. She is currently sitting in probate court.
Judge Rochford is a former assistant state’s attorney and solo practitioner. She has served on the Illinois Judges Association (IJA) Board of Directors since 2015 and is currently Secretary, in addition to chairing literacy and access to justice initiatives.
Judge Rochford also served on the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) Board of Governors, and as Secretary and past President of the Lake County Bar Association (LCBA). She remains active in both organizations. Her recent distinctions include the 2020 ISBA Carole K. Bellows Woman of Influence Award, the Lake County Women’s Association (LCWA) 2019 Woman of Significance Award, and the LCBA’s 2019 Access to Justice Award.
* Related…
* With remap of Chicago wards pending, Latino aldermen aim to protect, and expand, their City Council footprint
17 Comments
|
Question of the day
Tuesday, Jul 13, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Remember Judge Mike McHaney?…
Point by point, the judge in downstate Clay County on Friday ticked off the many ways he found Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order had devolved into “insanity” and become “completely devoid of anything approaching common sense.”
Clay County Judge Michael McHaney complained that recently legalized pot shops had been deemed essential over generations-old family businesses. People had been led to believe they could avoid COVID-19 at Walmart but not at church.
His opinions were way outside the legal realm, as noted by Judge Raylene Grischow…
Judge McHaney said the Governor has no constitutional authority as Governor under the cited provisions of the IEMAA to restrict a citizen’s movement or activities and to forcibly close businesses because any such authority was restricted to the Department of Health. This Court has previously held that the State’s police powers authorize measures to be implemented to protect its citizens when confronted with contagious diseases and other threats to public health and safety. Again, this Court reiterates that the state’s police powers are outlined in both the state and federal constitution and supports the Governor’s actions in combating this pandemic. Without such authority the state would be paralyzed to act when needed. The Illinois constitution provides the Governor with supreme executive authority.
Well, McHaney is now running for the appellate court.
* And check out his Facebook page…
Patriot Up America! 🇺🇸 If there has ever been a time, the time is NOW! 🇺🇸
Posted by Mike McHaney on Tuesday, July 13, 2021
* The Question: Caption?
33 Comments
|
* Fox 32…
When it comes to back-to-school this fall, Governor J.B. Pritzker has said the state of Illinois will follow CDC guidance.
That means vaccinated students and teachers are not required to wear masks. However, those who are not vaccinated do need to wear a mask in the classroom. The mandates are not sitting well with a lot of schools and parents.
* Unlike every other local reporter I’ve seen cover this topic in recent days, WCIA’s Mark Maxwell is the only one who actually asked someone in authority for a response…
Some Republican state lawmakers who have resisted most of the state’s Coronavirus restrictions are pushing back against the public health recommendations for unvaccinated people to wear a mask indoors.
“They feel like their kids are going to be discriminated against because they’re not vaccinated,” state representative Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur) said. […]
“He’s literally asking for a policy that is already in place and has been since Friday,” Pritzker spokesperson Jordan Abudayyeh said in an email.
The Governor’s office said while schools are “supposed to follow the CDC guidance,” “school boards run their school districts,” and the new recommendations are “not a mask mandate.”
Pick up the phone, for crying out loud.
* Rep. Caulkins, by the way, has some very strange ideas…
In his letter to Pritzker, Caulkins cited a study that measured how much carbon dioxide is caught in a face covering. The author suggested the elevated carbon dioxide levels near the nose and mouth could carry unspecified “adverse effects,” though other medical experts who reviewed the study found its measurement devices, methods, and analysis severely lacking. For example, the study measured the air trapped inside the mask, not the other air around it, only measured for a fraction of the time it takes to inhale, and did not measure actual blood-oxygen levels.
“The buildup of carbon monoxide (sic) has been detected in children’s masks which can lead to serious health issues,” Caulkins wrote, mistaking the air we exhale with a toxic flammable gas.
Other medical experts who reviewed the study said that even if children were breathing in that higher rate of carbon dioxide, the “elevated levels” cited in the study were so low, they were “not dangerous.”
“I don’t think the CDC is out here trying to torture children and wear a mask,” Abudayyeh said in a phone call.
Sheesh.
26 Comments
|
* Tribune…
Estimates suggest 10% to 30% of people who get COVID-19 will develop long COVID-19, according to Dr. Jerry Krishnan, University of Illinois Chicago associate vice chancellor for population health sciences and professor of medicine and public health.
“The CDC estimates that about 33 million Americans tested positive for COVID-19, which means 3 to 10 million Americans likely have or have had long COVID,” Krishnan said. […]
In December, Congress provided $1.15 billion in funding over four years to the National Institutes of Health to support research into the prolonged health consequences of long COVID-19. The initiative called RECOVER, or Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery, is designed to learn whether differences in long COVID-19 risk are due to different virus variants, host response (ability to fight the virus infection and to heal after the infection is cleared) and the social determinants of health.
UIC has been selected to lead an Illinois-based team for the U.S. RECOVER consortium. Krishnan is a part of the team spearheading the efforts to bring health centers, community-based organizations and faith-based organizations in Chicago, Peoria, Rockford and Urbana together to form a network of state resources for a directory that can be available to people with long COVID-19.
* Daily Herald…
Long-haulers can develop an array of neurological and physiological symptoms after their recovery from the virus that doctors are just now beginning to piece together. But getting treatment often has been difficult for some because of that spectrum of problems.
“I want to go to a place where they all know me and what I’m dealing with,” Atwell said. “It needs to not be so disjointed.”
Edward-Elmhurst Health is one of several suburban health care systems that are creating one-stop clinics for long-haul COVID-19 patients. […]
Northwestern Medicine in Chicago opened one of the region’s first long-hauler clinics in the area in January and is now treating more than 1,500 patients in several suburban locations in its network, including Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield, Delnor Hospital in Geneva and Lake Forest Hospital.
* Related…
* Long Covid: rogue antibody discovery raises hope of blood test: “It’s hard to escape a prediction that 100,000 new infections a day equates to 10,000 to 20,000 long Covid cases a day, especially in young people. That’s a lot of damage to a lot of lives. And it’s hard to see that we’d have the healthcare provision to deal with it on that scale,” said Danny Altmann, a professor of immunology at Imperial. “All of us working on this could not be more alarmed.”
* New Long-Haul COVID Clinics Treat Mysterious and Ongoing Symptoms - Coordinating care among different specialties could help patients with many problems and no proved therapies
* Long COVID life lessons on symptoms, treatment, and recovery
* Utah long-hauler clinic seeing ‘COVID toes,’ brittle teeth, ringing in ears
* Meet 3 Black Women Fighting for Long COVID Recognition
7 Comments
|
* CNBC…
To rank America’s Top States for Business in 2021, CNBC scored all 50 states on 85 metrics in 10 broad categories of competitiveness. Each category is weighted based on how frequently states use them as a selling point in economic development marketing materials. That way, our study ranks the states based on the attributes they use to sell themselves. We developed our criteria and metrics in consultation with a diverse array of business and policy experts, and the states. Our study is not an opinion survey. We use data from a variety of sources to measure the states’ performance. Under our methodology, states can earn a maximum of 2,500 points. The states with the most are America’s Top States for Business.
* There’s some really good (and surprising) news and some not so good (and unsurprising) news in here. But the state’s overall ranking has really shot up…
* The above link was sent to me from someone in the governor’s office who offered up this accompanying commentary…
So let me get this straight: A Democratic governor led Illinois to two credit upgrades and helped vault us from bottom half to top third of states to do business in?
Just wanna make sure I got that right.
Your own thoughts?
…Adding… Related…
* Pritzker announces $8 mil. expansion of Apprenticeship Illinois program
48 Comments
|
Do better
Tuesday, Jul 13, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* WIFR TV…
New legislation in Illinois could require sex education be taught in schools but not just for those in middle school but for those in Kindergarten as well.
The Harlem school district held their monthly meeting and allowed people in the community to speak about their concerns. Several people arrived at the meeting, some said they were there to talk about the legislation that could change the curriculum for their students.
If signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, the law would require sex education to start in Kindergarten, teaching students about safe or non-safe touch. It would also cover how to respect someones boundaries.
Pamela Harding has worked in the Harlem school district for over 20 years. She says very young children have innocent minds and can be easily confused when learning about things like sex.
“For them to be trying to educate our elementary school children, and start formulating their mind about transgenders and the sex promiscuity and all the various issues these are the things that we need to sit down and talk,” Harding said.
WIFR must be getting its bill analysis from Facebook or from Ms. Harding. The bill does not require that the lessons start in kindergarten…
A school district may provide age and developmentally appropriate consent education in kindergarten through the 12th grade.
Also, the mandate only applies to personal health and sex health education classes. If a school doesn’t offer the class to some or all of its students, the mandate doesn’t apply. So, if it chooses to teach that course to kindergarten kids, then it would have to follow the state mandates. And, of course, there’s nothing in the bill about teaching little kids about “transgenders and the sex promiscuity.” Not to mention that parents are allowed to opt their kids out…
No student shall be required to take or participate in any class or course in comprehensive personal health and safety and comprehensive sexual health education.
Also, if you’re gonna run a story that insults transgender people, maybe reach out to someone else for rebuttal?
* Dispatch-Argus…
Thoms said he wasn’t happy with House Bill 3653, the Police and Criminal Justice Reform Bill, passed by lawmakers in January and signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker in February.
The sweeping reform bill calls for the elimination of cash bail by 2023 and prevents police officers from reviewing their own body camera footage prior to writing reports, among other measures.
Except a trailer bill has since been approved. From an analysis of that trailer bill by the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, which supported the revisions…
(a) Allows an officer to review his or her body camera video before writing an initial report except in certain specified circumstances, including when an officer has been involved in or a witness to an officer-involved shooting, use of deadly force incidents,or use of force incidents resulting in great bodily harm, or if an officer is ordered to write a report in response to a misconduct investigation. (b) In those limited cases where the exceptions apply, after writing an initial report, an officer, subject to a supervisor’s approval, may write a supplemental report after reviewing his or her video.
Google makes things so much easier for reporters these days. But you gotta use it to reap its benefits.
13 Comments
|
* DeWitt Daily News yesterday…
The State of Illinois released guidance for school districts this fall in Illinois but a local State Representative is calling on the Governor to allow local districts to make their own decisions.
Sigh.
* WMAY yesterday…
District 186 says it is still reviewing the latest guidance from the CDC to determine the safest way to welcome all students back to classrooms for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
Superintendent Jennifer Gill says the guidelines give local districts some latitude to adapt the policies based upon local facility limitations and other factors. Masks may be required for all unvaccinated students, including all students under age 12 who are not yet eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine… but Gill says she’s still looking for more clarification about whether that’s a mandate or just a recommendation.
* CBS 2…
Late last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced updated guidelines for schools to reopen safely — unvaccinated teachers and students will need to continue masking up, while those who are vaccinated can go without.
But as CBS 2’s Charlie De Mar reported Monday night, a growing chorus of administrators and parents are calling on the state to leave the choice up to them.
Not one of those reporters bothered to seek out a quote from anyone in state government to respond.
* So, I asked the governor’s office about this and was told the Illinois State Board of Education sent this to schools on Saturday…
Clarifying Mask Guidance
The Illinois Department of Public Health has fully adopted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated guidance for schools released on July 9. View the guidance and the press release.
Q: Is masking required in schools?
A: The CDC guidance that Illinois has fully adopted for all K-12 public and nonpublic schools states: “Masks should be worn indoors by all individuals (age 2 and older) who are not fully vaccinated. Consistent and correct mask use by people who are not fully vaccinated is especially important indoors and in crowded settings, when physical distancing cannot be maintained.
“The CDC continues to recommend masking and physical distancing as key prevention strategies. However, if school administrators decide to remove any of the prevention strategies for their school based on local conditions, they should remove them one at a time and monitor closely (with adequate testing through the school and/or community) for any increases in COVID-19 cases. Schools should communicate their strategies and any changes in plans to teachers, staff, and families, and directly to older students, using accessible materials and communication channels, in a language and at a literacy level that teachers, staff, students, and families understand.
“Schools should work with local public health officials to determine the prevention strategies needed in their area by monitoring levels of community transmission (i.e., low, moderate, substantial, or high) and local vaccine coverage, and use of screening testing to detect cases in K-12 schools … A school in a community with substantial or high transmission, with a low teacher, staff, or student vaccination rate, and without a screening testing program should continue to require masks for people who are not fully vaccinated.”
The local districts, in other words, can make their own decisions. It’s pretty broad guidance, not a mandate. “It’s up to local control,” a Pritzker spokesperson told me. And if the schools don’t follow the guidance? “There’s nothing much we can do,” was the response.
The question comes down to liability, however. If schools don’t follow the guidance and something bad happens, then the schools could be opened up to lawsuits. It’s the chance you take and there’s not anything that Illinois can do about the CDC.
* But this myth about how kids can’t get sick is being busted wide open in Mississippi right now…
With a surge in COVID-19 cases due to the Delta variant in Mississippi, health officials are encouraging people to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
In a tweet on Tuesday, State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said there are 12 children in the ICU due to the Delta variant. Ten of them are on life support.
According to Dobbs, a majority of the COVID-19 cases in Mississippi are the Delta variant. He said a “vast majority” of the cases, hospitalizations and deaths are of people who have not been vaccinated.
6 Comments
|
Because… Chicago!
Tuesday, Jul 13, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From Mark Maxwell’s WCIA interview of US Sen. Dick Durbin…
Durbin suggested that “too many guns” and “gangs coming down from Chicago and other big cities” were behind a recent uptick in violence against law enforcement officers.
I asked for evidence of this Chicago gangs shooting Downstate police thing last night. I haven’t yet heard back.
* Related…
* Ingraham rips ‘anti-Democrats’ like ‘fossil’ Durbin calling for ‘Angle’ to go
21 Comments
|
* Sun-Times…
The FBI has been investigating a Cook County Board of Review employee who allegedly used his position to lower property assessments in exchange for thousands of dollars in cash bribes, according to a federal court affidavit obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times.
That employee also said the money would be split with others in the office, insisting that, “I’m just the middle guy” and that certain colleagues had factored the cash into vacation plans as the recent Fourth of July holiday approached, according to the 45-page document.
The federal probe dates to at least January 2019 and involves an unnamed individual who was secretly cooperating with the feds and is separately under criminal investigation, according to the affidavit. The Sun-Times is not naming the Board of Review employee at the center of the probe because records show he has not been criminally charged. He could not be reached Monday for comment.
The revelation of alleged corruption could deal another blow to public confidence in Cook County’s property tax system, just as tax bills are supposed to be hitting mailboxes. The bills already might be delayed because of “major errors” the Sun-Times exposed in a $250 million-a-year program that offers a tax break to certain seniors.
44 Comments
|
* Dean Olsen at the SJ-R has a comprehensive story on the $210 million renovation plan for the Statehouse’s west wing. You should read it all, but here’s an interesting little excerpt…
Also scheduled for removal is the north side drive next to the building. The drive features more than 100 parking spaces that put lawmakers and others with those spaces only a few steps away from the entrance doors.
The curved drive has been part of the Capitol grounds ever since the building was constructed over a 20-year period that ended in 1888. But modern-day concerns about car bombs, events such as the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., and terrorist attacks on government facilities nationwide fueled plans to eliminate the drive, according to Eleni Demertzis, spokeswoman for Illinois House Republicans.
“Especially given everything that’s happening across the country, this is a huge issue I think that needs to be addressed as soon as possible,” she said.
The Capitol architect’s office is looking at ways to “memorialize” the north drive through paving or landscaping “to mimic it,” Aggertt said.
That drive made it really easy to drop people off and pick them up. Also, I’m now wondering what will happen to the parking spots of us lesser mortals.
22 Comments
|
Way to go, Kankakee /s
Tuesday, Jul 13, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Kankakee County’s public health department wasn’t great during COVID, but they were sure Johnny on the spot when a little Black girl opened up a lemonade stand. And now there’s a new state law because of it…
Illinois’ children are finally safe to sell lemonade without fear of government overreach.
Hayli’s Law was signed into law July 9 by Gov. J.B. Pritzker after unanimously passing the Illinois House and Senate. Hayli’s law ensures children under 16 can run a lemonade stand without a permit or license.
In 2017, Hayli Martenez started her Haylibug Lemonade stand to raise money for her college fund with the help of her mom, Iva. In a violent neighborhood where people are reluctant to go out, Hayli brought together her Kankakee, Illinois, neighbors as she happily sold 50-cent cups of lemonade.
“It was kind of scary [at first] because we liked to stay in the house. We didn’t like to come outside because of all the stuff happening around here,” Hayli said previously. “As we kept doing it, I got to see everybody smile when they tasted my lemonade. It was just … wow. They were lining up to get my lemonade.”
Shortly after being profiled in the Kankakee Daily Journal, city and county health department officials paid the 11-year-old a visit and told her to shut down the stand or face fines. They cited the lack of water and sewer service to the Martenez’s home – the result of a billing dispute – even though bottled water for the lemonade was purchased at the grocery store.
* Related…
* Illinois law loosens school team uniform rules
15 Comments
|
* Tribune…
Illinoisans may have hoped for a soft summer landing from the pandemic, but federal and state data show COVID-19 infections are again climbing in some parts of the state.
Blame it on a crisis in neighboring Missouri, on nastier virus variants and lower vaccination rates, or — most likely — some combination of these factors.
But after a monthslong decline in cases from fall and spring peaks, the rate of new daily cases is up in the west-central and southern regions of Illinois, as well as the Metro East region near St. Louis.
Case rates remain relatively low, but there’s concern more of Illinois could follow suit, especially in areas lagging on vaccinations.
* Sun-Times…
The state reported 2,945 new cases over the past week, compared to 2,120 the previous week. That’s a 39% increase in average daily cases, from 303 per day to 420 — even during a week that saw a dramatic testing drop due to the Fourth of July holiday.
The jump has been even more pronounced in regions bordering Missouri, which has one of America’s lowest vaccination rates and has emerged as the nation’s current epicenter of the pandemic.
Ryder said that’s likely a key reason the Southern 7 saw a “startling” jump in its positivity rate last week, tripling to 4.4%. “A lot of people have family in southern Missouri. They work there. They shop there. They’re mixing around there a lot,” he said.
The Metro East region near St. Louis has jumped from 3.2% on June 25 to 6.1% — on a clear trajectory for the 8% threshold that could prompt Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office to intervene with “mitigations” such as restaurant capacity limits that have been lifted since the state fully reopened last month.
That region includes two of the eight counties — all outside the Chicago area — that are now considered by state officials to be at a COVID-19 warning level due to metrics moving in the wrong direction. Until Friday, it had been at least a month since any of Illinois’ 102 counties had been slapped with the warning label.
* Warning levels in orange…
Get vaxed and this goes away.
* Related…
* Springfield resident wins $100,000 in COVID-19 vaccine lottery
23 Comments
|
US News: Pritzker “not currently vulnerable”
Tuesday, Jul 13, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* US News & World Report…
Below, we’ll provide a look at the remaining 24 states, which we consider “not currently vulnerable.” Obviously, we are still early in the election cycle, so states could shift higher or lower in our vulnerability ratings as time goes on. […]
We have been handicapping the gubernatorial races every cycle since 2006. Our analysis is based on reporting with dozens of political observers in the states as well as a look at historical, demographic, and polling data. We’ve included the gubernatorial races below in alphabetical order. […]
Illinois: Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D)
Pritzker, a deep-pocketed heir to the Hyatt hotel fortune, has had what observers consider a generally successful term in this increasingly blue state. He received good marks for his handling of the pandemic and has enacted budgets that have kept the state’s fiscal situation more stable than it has been in recent years. He’s also kept his progressive flank happy by enacting a minimum wage hike to $15; a law that would continue allowing abortion if the U.S. Supreme Court were to overturn Roe v. Wade; a law to strengthen guardianship protections for immigrant children; and a marijuana legalization measure. This means that Pritzker has little to worry about from a primary, especially since any challenger would need to raise a ton of money to compete against him.
Meanwhile, a few Republicans have announced or expressed interest in the race, but they are largely aligned with Trump and back socially conservative policies, both of which amount to non-starters in Illinois these days. Any center-right Republican hoping to make it a race against Pritzker would not only need to self-fund and win a Trump-era GOP primary but would also face the daunting prospect, if elected, of working with a Democratic supermajority in the legislature. All in all, Pritzker should be able to secure a second term if he wants it.
I don’t agree that a Republican nominee will have to self-fund if Ken Griffin jumps in all the way. I suppose we’ll see.
34 Comments
|
Our sorry state
Tuesday, Jul 13, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Ben Bradley at WGN…
Little has changed following a WGN Investigates’ report in 2019 that highlighted children being forced to sleep in offices because the Department of Child and Family Services does not have enough space.
Following multiple reports, the first which aired in June 2019, the governor and other officials called the conditions “unacceptable.”
Two years later, WGN Investigates has obtained new pictures that shows all that’s changed is the addition of a blow-up mattress. […]
In the last six months of 2019, 54 children in DCFS care spent the night in a state office. In all of 2020, the number ballooned to 129. It has continued to happen at a similar pace this year; 52 children have had to spend at least one night in the office of DCFS or more often, a private agency.
* The DCFS response…
“Keeping children in offices is unacceptable unless no other options are available. Finding an immediate placement for a child was more challenging during the height of the pandemic, as caregivers were hesitant to accept youth due to health and safety concerns.”
* And here’s another story you should read today…
* First came the sewage, then the hunger strike - After a plumbing flood at the aging Logan Correctional Center, three women organized one of the first successful hunger strikes in an Illinois women’s prison in years.
11 Comments
|
Fitch owes us one
Tuesday, Jul 13, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
As I write this, two of the three national credit rating agencies have upgraded the State of Illinois’ rating in a week’s time. And the only remaining holdout owes us one. Bigtime.
As you know, Moody’s Investors Service upgraded its Illinois rating by a notch in late June, and S&P Global Ratings followed suit on July 8. Fitch Ratings is the only one left.
Back in April of 2020, when the pandemic was gripping the world, Fitch downgraded Illinois’ credit rating — the only credit downgrade Illinois has received since Bruce Rauner’s days as governor.
Just a month before, Moody’s and S&P, which had both lowered the state’s credit rating in June of 2017 (just before members of both parties in the General Assembly overrode Rauner’s tax hike veto), revised their outlooks on Illinois from “stable” to “negative,” but didn’t actually lower the state’s rating. Fitch’s previous ratings downgrade came in February of 2017.
“We are concerned with how the state is going to fare through what is clearly a significant economic dislocation,” a Fitch executive told Reuters in April of 2020.
At the time, the Illinois legislature was unable and unwilling to meet. The governor’s office was projecting a $7.3 billion hole in the FY 2020 and FY 2021 budgets and had undertaken a $1.3 billion cash flow borrowing program. Fitch also worried that the temporary measures Illinois was taking to deal with its budget shortfall would be difficult to unwind after the pandemic passed.
Almost nobody thought that Fitch was wrong about the future back then, even though the action seemed a bit too severe. A divided Congress and a Republican president’s open hostility to certain large-state Democratic governors who were also having budget problems made for a very bad situation.
Fiscal and political factors
But then the federal government began the first of what turned out to be several economic and state and local government fiscal stimulus measures. Then there was a change in the U.S. Senate’s majority and the election of a Democratic president. Some very prudent Illinois budget moves, of both increasing annual revenues and keeping spending flat, all led to Illinois eventually emerging from FY21 with a budget surplus.
Indeed, state revenues for the just-concluded fiscal year (which ended June 30) finished $1.9 billion higher than the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget projected when the budget-makers were doing their business in May. The total was also $1.2 billion higher than projected in May by the legislature’s Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability.
COGFA reported last week that, excluding borrowing, state receipts finished the fiscal year a “stunning $6.792 billion” above the previous fiscal year, which had included the long months of stay-at-home orders in response to the worldwide pandemic. Of that, net income tax receipts were up $5.6 billion. And only $1.3 billion of that was attributed to the shift of the income tax filing deadline from April 15 of last year (which was in Fiscal Year 2020) to July 15 of last year (Fiscal Year 2021).
State sales tax receipts grew $1.1 billion due to “strong consumer spending reflecting stimulus payments, improving job picture, and improved consumer confidence,” COGFA reported, and federal receipts were up $1.19 billion from Fiscal Year 2020. Tax revenue sharing with local governments grew by $442 million due to higher personal and corporate income tax receipts.
But this stark number stood out to me in the COGFA report: Revenues from the state’s inheritance tax grew by 59%, or $167 million, during Fiscal Year 2021. More than 23,000 Illinoisans have died so far during the pandemic. Notably, last month’s inheritance tax receipts were 14% below the same timeframe during the previous fiscal year as the pandemic’s impact has now tapered off. May’s inheritance tax receipts were down 7% and April’s were off by 37.5%. This year’s March receipts, however, were up 414% from March 2020, when the pandemic was just beginning.
As we’ve already discussed, the enormous amount of federal money pumped into the economy last year and this year contributed to the strong gains in income and sales tax receipts, here and everywhere else. The country’s mostly successful vaccination program also certainly helped, as many workers felt safe enough to return to their jobs.
But the hard truth is the state never came close to missing a bond or pension payment during the pandemic (or since the 19th Century, for that matter). Fitch’s prediction, while perhaps accurate during a time of great international crisis, proved to be false.
Mistakes can always be corrected. This one should be, too. Fitch owes us one.
* The Bond Buyer’s Illinois correspondent…
Yep.
4 Comments
|
|
Comments Off
|
|
Comments Off
|
*** LIVE COVERAGE ***
Tuesday, Jul 13, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Today’s post is sponsored by the Association Of Illinois Electric Cooperatives. Follow along with ScribbleLive…
Comments Off
|
|
Support CapitolFax.com
Visit our advertisers...
...............
...............
...............
...............
...............
...............
...............
|
   
|
Hosted by MCS
SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax
Advertise Here
Mobile Version
Contact Rich Miller
|
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22709095/Screen_Shot_2021_07_09_at_12.17.52_PM.png){kind=link}