* My dad has a tattoo on his bicep that says “Little Richard.” I always thought he got that tattoo after I was born. Nope. It was in honor of this guy…
* This undermines the leverage the Bears may have against Arlington Heights, but I suppose it ups the ante with the city, if there’s any true interest in keeping the team there…
Honored to have joined so many amazing reproductive freedom leaders including @SenatorCelina to share our work in IL. Thank you to @WhiteHouse for bringing us together & your partnership in fighting for state level protections while aiming for a national law guaranteeing access. pic.twitter.com/Hd6A2Wxuuy
— Rep. Kelly Cassidy (@RepKellyCassidy) June 16, 2023
* News about choosing Brandon Johnson’s replacement…
Today, Oak Park Democratic Committeeperson and Chair Don Harmon announced the date, time, and location for the Democratic Party’s First District Cook County Board District Committee meeting. The Committee will conduct in-person interviews in the Foxboro Room of The Carleton of Oak Park Hotel to fill the vacancy in the 1st District of the Cook County Board of Commissioners created by the resignation of Mayor Brandon Johnson. The Vice Chair of the Meeting will be Proviso Township Democratic Committeeperson Karen Yarbrough. Doors will open at 6:30PM and the meeting will begin promptly at 7:00PM. There will also be a live stream event for those unable to attend in-person.
The members of the 1st District Cook County Board District Committee will be seated as a panel while they interview six chosen applicants. Those applicants are Rev. Ira Acree of Chicago, Mayor Rory Hoskins of Forest Park, Tommie Johnson of Chicago, Zerlina Smith-Members of Chicago,Tara Stamps of Chicago, and Claiborne Wade of Forest Park. The meeting will conclude upon the completion of the candidate interviews, committee deliberations, and an appointment to fill the vacancy by a majority of the entire weighted vote of the Committeepersons.
Nineteen applications were reviewed and narrowed to the six finalists based on the quality and veracity of the application, record of service to the community, and support from members of the Committee.
“We welcome the public and press to join us Tuesday night as we interview selected applicants from the 1st District,” said Chair Don Harmon. “The committee is looking forward to taking this time to carefully consider each applicant and select a new Cook County Commissioner who will reflect the values and fulfill the needs of the 1st District.”
The members of the 1st District’s election committee include Committeeperson Daniel LaSpata (1st Ward), Committeeperson Tim Egan (2nd Ward), Committeeperson Angie Gonzalez-Rodriguez (26th Ward), Committeeperson Walter Burnett (27th Ward), Committeeperson Jason Ervin (28th Ward), Committeeperson Chris Taliaferro (29th Ward), Committeeperson Scott Waguespack (32nd Ward), Committeeperson Emma Mitts (37th), Committeeperson Don Harmon (Oak Park Township), and Committeeperson Karen Yarbrough (Proviso Township).
* Go Cubs Go! /s…
One day after this legislation was filed in Tallahassee, Joe Ricketts, the billionaire founder of TD Ameritrade whose kids own the Chicago Cubs, gave DeSantis a $1 million donation.
Oh 🦌🦌🦌DEER! A deer broke through a window at Engineering Sciences Building and our folks, along with @UIPD and @uofigrainger, helped secure and release the animal. There were some abrasions and cuts but the deer was deemed OK! 😲Whew - never know what you’re gonna see! pic.twitter.com/uE8frH7VMa
— University of Illinois Facilities & Services (@UofIFS) June 16, 2023
* Isabel’s roundup…
* Axios | Child care costs are overwhelming Illinois parents: In Illinois, $12,470 ($1,039 a month) was the average annual cost for center-based care for one toddler last year, per the report. That’s 37% of a single mother’s median income, or 11% for a married couple.
* Center Square | New Illinois laws set up protections for union strikers: HB2907 prevents striking workers from being sued for unintentional property damage as a result of a strike, while HB3396 provides that any person with the intent of obstructing or interfering with a picket line commits a Class A misdemeanor and a minimum fine of $500.
* Sun-Times | Are guaranteed-income programs working?: Shantá Robinson, who teaches at the University of Chicago, is among the scholars involved with the school’s Inclusive Economy Lab, studying the region’s guaranteed-income pilots. She said an initial look at the data shows that, compared to all Chicagoans who were eligible for the program, participants skewed slightly younger and were more likely to identify as female and have children. They are also more likely to identify as Black or African American.
* Block Club | Northwest Side Alderman Tried To Cancel City Clerk’s Event Where Migrants Get City IDs: Ald. Anthony Napolitano said he opposed because people camped out ahead of similar events. The city program has helped thousands of asylum seekers and refugees access IDs as they start new lives. … Extra officers and staff were at the Thursday event in Norwood Park as a precaution, but no one camped at the park overnight and there were no issues, officials said.
* Crain’s | Alderperson wants Chicago pension funds to invest in real estate developments: Prompted by a Crain’s report on local developer Sterling Bay pitching the Chicago Teachers Pension Fund to become an investor in the Lincoln Yards development, Ald. Gilbert Villegas, 36th, will introduce a resolution at next week’s City Council meeting calling for a hearing in the Committee on Economic, Capital and Technology Development, which he chairs.
* WCBU | Peoria Park District board unanimously approves moratorium on carbon dioxide pipelines: The Peoria Park District Board of Trustees voted unanimously Wednesday night to approve a moratorium on considerations, agreements or requests for carbon dioxide pipelines on or near park district property. The vote came after nearly an hour of presentations from proponents and critics of the pipeline, public comment and questions from the park board to presenters.
* Shaw Local | Arlington Park grandstand demolition to begin today: Almost 34 years to the date the new Arlington Park grandstand rose from the ashes and welcomed back horse racing fans after a devastating fire, the stately building that towers over the shuttered racing oval finally is set to meet the wrecking ball.
* SJ-R | Lincoln Service speeds permitted to reach 110 mph. What to know:: Passenger service has been allowed to reach 110 mph for more than a month in a trial run, but now, effective June 26, the Lincoln Service train schedule will be changed to account for the increased speeds. According to a news release, the change will cut-off approximately 15 minutes from existing 90 mph runtimes and 30 minutes from the initial 79 mph schedule.
* As you are certainly aware, the governor told the General Assembly he needed legislative authority to use specific “tools” to rein in costs of the healthcare program for undocumented immigrants. The administration claimed that costs would rise $1.1 billion next fiscal year without intervention. The idea is to keep the increase to half that amount.
Limiting enrollment and establishing co-pays were two of those tools, and they’re being announced today. In two weeks, enrollment will be limited for the Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults program, which applies to people 42-64. The 65+ population will not yet be limited. From HFS…
The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (the Department) is providing public notice that enrollment in the Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults (HBIA) program will be temporarily paused effective July 1, 2023. This action is being taken through emergency rulemaking, under the authority recently granted to the Department by the Illinois General Assembly in SB 1298, to ensure the program does not exceed the funds available and appropriated in the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Budget.
Anyone who is already enrolled in and remains eligible for coverage through the HBIA program will continue to be covered. Enrollment in the Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors (HBIS) program will remain open at this time.
The emergency rules allowing the Department to close or open enrollment with no later than 14 days calendar notice can be viewed at https://hfs.illinois.gov/info/legal/publicnotices.html. Other program adjustments within the emergency rules to keep HBIA and HBIS program costs from exceeding funds available and appropriated in the FY24 Budget are described below.
Beginning July 1, 2023, providers may collect co-payments and cost sharing on the following services when they do not qualify for federal match under the Emergency Medical for Noncitizens program:
• Inpatient hospitalizations: $250 co-pay
• Hospital emergency room visits: $100 co-pay
• Hospital or Ambulatory Surgical Treatment Center outpatient services set forth at 89 Ill. Adm. Code 148.140(b): 10% of the Department rate
Any large public hospitals, as defined in Section 148.25(a), having received payments in excess of the rates paid to non-large public hospitals shall be required to reimburse the state for any excess payment in a method and amount determined by the Department.
The Department may limit or eliminate backdated medical coverage to keep the cost of the HBIA and HBIS program within the funds available and appropriated.
Thoughts?
…Adding… From HFS…
At this time, enrollment in the Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors program will remain open. However, HBIS enrollment will be temporarily paused for FY24 if the number of individuals enrolled in the program reaches 16,500.
Anyone who is already enrolled in and remains eligible for coverage through the HBIA and HBIS programs will continue to be covered. The Department will not be removing any current enrollees who remain eligible for this coverage, and hopes to resume new enrollments as soon as fiscally possible.
The enrollment changes are necessary to bring program costs within the budgeted amount for State Fiscal Year 2024, which begins July 1. Compared with the traditional Medicaid population, month-over-month enrollment has grown at a higher rate, and per-enrollee costs have tracked higher among the HBIA and HBIS-enrolled populations due to more prevalent, untreated chronic conditions and higher hospital costs.
HFS understands that this program is a vital resource for individuals who would otherwise be eligible for Medicaid but for their immigration status. The Department understands the importance of preserving this nation-leading program for the future. […]
Prior to determining cost-containment actions, HFS sought to maximize available funds for these programs, and will utilize the following to enhance revenues:
• Pursuing methodology to maximize federal reimbursement for emergency medical expenses.
• Pursuing supplemental prescription drug rebates for the covered noncitizen population.
• Transitioning HBIA and HBIS program enrollees to the Medicaid Managed Care program starting January 1, 2024, which will generate additional dollars to fund the programs through taxes the Department collects from the Medicaid Managed Care Organizations.
• Addressing current overpayments to the Cook County Hospital System.
Managed care was another tool discussed.
And Cook County was receiving the same enhanced match it gets for regular Medicaid. Looks like they’re gonna try to claw that back.
*** UPDATE *** Latino Caucus…
The Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus released the following statement Friday in response to the announcement that the state’s Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults program will freeze enrollment July 1 for noncitizens age 42 to 64:
“In 2020, we made history by becoming the first state to offer health care coverage to certain noncitizen age groups. We knew that when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Latino communities were among the most vulnerable, and we stepped up to lay the foundation for a program that would make sure every Illinois resident could get the care they needed.
“This announcement is disappointing but is also a call to action. Come July 1, noncitizen adults will no longer be able to sign up for new health care coverage. This means that noncitizens age 42 to 64 need to enroll now, before July 1, if they have not already. Seniors age 65 or older will still be able to enroll after July 1.
“As we pride ourselves as being a welcoming state, we should not be cutting health benefits and creating barriers to healthcare.”
“We acknowledge the progress we have made in securing resources for noncitizens in recent years. We were proud to fight to make Illinois the first state in the nation to offer Medicaid-like benefits to these communities. However, this backslide is disappointing.
“We will continue to fight for health care for all Illinoisans. Latino Caucus members have not given up – and will pursue closing the gap in coverage until we achieve health care for all residents. The often-disenfranchised communities we represent sent us to Springfield to be their voice; we will never turn our backs on them.”
…Adding… Healthy Illinois Campaign…
Today, the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services published notice that enrollment will be paused for healthcare coverage for Illinois immigrants ages 42-64 under the Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults (HBIA) program. The notices also authorize a host of other changes to the program including co-pays and reduced hospital reimbursements.
Healthy Illinois strongly condemns the decision and calls on Governor Pritzker to reverse his decision immediately and work in good faith with advocates and members of the Illinois General Assembly to ensure that healthcare truly is a right, not a privilege in our state.
By slashing live-saving health coverage for Illinois immigrants, Governor Pritzker is turning his back on the communities he claims Illinois welcomes and aligning himself with anti-immigrant Republicans around the country.
Because of Governor Pritzker’s decision, there are people who will be forced to forgo cancer treatment, diabetes care, mental health care, and countless other kinds of necessary medical treatment. Today’s move is immoral and fiscally short-sighted, as Governor Prizker himself said just last week “We save money when we invest in healthcare for undocumented immigrants…If they don’t get basic healthcare, they end up in an emergency room and we all end up paying for that at a much highest cost than if we have regular care and preventative care for people.”
If you are aged 42 or older and believe you may qualify for health coverage, regardless of your immigration status, apply immediately at https://abe.illinois.gov/abe/access/.
Illinois made history in 2020 and set national precedent when we became the first state to expand coverage to low-income seniors regardless of immigration status. Today, we took a massive step backward by passing anti-immigrant, anti-public health, unjust administrative rules.
It wasn’t quite “where’s the beef?” but when he stepped outside a suburban Wendy’s with a fellow lawmaker on a hot August morning in 2019, then-state Sen. Terry Link asked a question to the same effect as the fast-food giant’s former slogan.
“What’s in it for me, though?” Link asked then-state Rep. Luis Arroyo, who had been pitching him – once again – on sponsoring legislation to regulate so-called sweepstakes machines, a legally murky form of gambling.
The answer to that question became central to the federal government’s case against politically connected businessman James Weiss, which ended Thursday with a jury convicting Weiss on seven counts, including bribery and lying to the FBI.
Federal sentencing guidelines dictate a maximum of 20 years in prison for the most serious of the charges, though those convicted of public corruption have faced wildly different sentences.
The verdict is the second in less than two months to address separate bribery schemes inside the Illinois Capitol. Weiss is a son-in-law of former Cook County Assessor Joseph Berrios.
The jury of seven women and five men deliberated for four hours before finding Weiss guilty of honest services wire and mail fraud, bribery, and lying to the FBI. The bribery scheme involved then-state Rep. Luis Arroyo, who is now in prison, and then-state Sen. Terry Link, who cooperated with the FBI but faces sentencing for his own tax crimes. […]
After the verdict was read, juror Abriana Sutherland-Scienski told reporters it was clear that “Mr. Weiss was not gonna get out of this.” She said some arguments made by his defense attorneys were “insulting to our intelligence.” She specifically cited comments by attorney Ilia Usharovich about “correlation and coincidence” that she called “a pretty grade school-type argument.”
The charges alleged Weiss desperately wanted the state’s gambling expansion bill to include language explicitly legalizing sweepstakes machines, but it was left out of the proposal in the 2019 spring session. Weiss then agreed to pay monthly $2,500 bribes to get a deal done, first to state Rep. Luis Arroyo and later to state Sen. Terry Link, who was a chief sponsor of the gambling bill in the Senate, according to prosecutors.
Arroyo and Weiss didn’t know that Link, a Vernon Hills Democrat, was cooperating with the FBI. Link, who is hoping for a break on his own federal tax conviction in exchange for his cooperation, testified over two days beginning last week about his undercover role.
Weiss’ attorneys argued Weiss was paying Arroyo as a legitimate consultant for his business, and that trying to enlist another politician’s help is not a crime.
They also tried to drag the state’s long history of public corruption into the courtroom by claiming that the video gaming industry, which was vehemently opposed to Weiss’ business, had the rest of the General Assembly in its pocket.
* More…
* Tribune | Trial of Chicago businessman James Weiss: Evidence seen and heard by the jury: Prosecutors rested their case Wednesday after three full days of testimony featuring some 14 witnesses, including former state Sen. Terry Link, who secretly recorded phone calls and meetings with Weiss as well as then-state Rep. Luis Arroyo, who later pleaded guilty to arranging the bribery scheme.
* It’s difficult not to notice this trend of moving from opposing trans rights to openly opposing gay rights. It’s neatly summed up in this Jeanne Ives social media post…
* Earlier this week, I told you that the Will County Board’s June 15 agenda included a list of three honorary resolutions: Recognizing the Juneteenth Holiday; Recognizing June as Pride Month 3 and Recognizing Moms for America. Those three items were quietly removed from the agenda.
Kraulidis also said in the video she was at the rally “making sure that only legal votes were counted.”
While she said in the video she was “not here to debate my Democrat friends,” she repeated the false claim that there was massive voter fraud in the 2020 election.
Kraulidis wasn’t the only Will County Board member in attendance on Jan. 6. Dan Butler was also there…
Some Chicago area-supporters of President Donald Trump who attended the rally in Washington D.C. that quickly turned into a violent mob storming the Capitol building, said the president is not to blame for the violence. […]
Dan Butler and David Wiersma road tripped together to Washington, first attending the rally and then marching to the Capitol. They were impressed by how peaceful everything seemed, even though the crowd got boisterous. […]
“I was just kind of shocked that it was happening because I didn’t know how they were going to plan on dispersing a peaceful demonstration, you know, I mean, we had a right to be there,” Butler said.
Yeah, a rally named “Stop the Steal” turned ugly. Who woulda ever thunk it?
* With that background in mind, let’s now turn to the Daily Southtown’s coverage of this week’s county board meeting and the removal of the three resolutions…
Board member Meta Mueller, a Democrat from Aurora, said her phone blew up last weekend with constituents and members of Pride organizations asking why the board would recognize Moms for America, which has spoken out against the LBGTQ community. […]
“Democrats don’t like Moms for America. They think they are extremist and radical,” [Steve] Balich, the county board’s Republican leader, said. “If you look at Moms for America, they are for families. They are not extremist at all.” […]
The County Board is comprised of 11 Democrats and 11 Republicans.
Balich said he felt the declaration for Pride month could potentially get 11 no votes from Republicans and the declaration for Moms for America could get 11 no votes from Democrats. Balich said he agreed to remove the proclamations along with other board leadership. […]
The Will County Board unanimously approved a proclamation in 2022 recognizing June as Pride month, according to meeting minutes.
Emphasis added for obvious reasons.
By the way, click here to watch board member Balich gleefully spout some racist crud.
* Point being, Will County Republicans were perfectly happy backing a Pride month resolution last year, but when a Republican-backed resolution in praise of an anti-trans group had to be pulled off the agenda because of strong public pushback, they then refused to support the Pride month and the Juneteenth resolutions.
This was a horrible move and further signals a very dangerous trend.
…Adding… Press release…
Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant issued a proclamation today recognizing June 19 as Juneteenth Day of Observance in Will County.
“Will County is proud to celebrate Juneteenth and the history of emancipation in the United States,” said Bertino-Tarrant. “Recognizing this important holiday offers an opportunity for all of us to reflect on our history and commit to work together in becoming a more tolerant society.”
In an Executive Proclamation issued on Friday, June 16, County Executive Bertino-Tarrant called on residents to “celebrate the emancipation of Black Americans and to condemn the history of slavery in the United States of America.”
Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union Army General Gordon Granger’s proclamation ordered the freedom of more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas. Juneteenth has grown to become the oldest nationally-celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States of America.
Juneteenth is a recognized county holiday for Will County government. All county buildings will be closed on the holiday, with the exception of essential county services and public safety operations.
Read the full proclamation at www.WillCountyIllinois.com.
After hedge fund manager and Citadel CEO and co-founder Ken Griffin left Illinois for Florida last year, the door opened for a new wealthiest individual in Illinois.
According to Forbes, Griffin is now the richest individual in Florida, with a net worth of $32.7 billion.
As for Illinois, Lukas Walton, a Walmart heir and grandson of Walmart founder Sam Walton, is now the richest resident in the state, with a net worth of $23.3 billion. Walton is ranked by Forbes as the 71st-wealthiest person in the world.
According to Forbes, Walton inherited his fortune when his father, John, died in a plane crash in 2005, receiving approximately one-third of his estate.
* The Question: What would be the first thing you’d do if you inherited a billion dollars?
Bill Number: HB 3902
Description: Creates the Drones as First Responders Act.
Action: Signed
Effective: Immediately
Bill Number: SB 1298
Description: Annual Medicaid Omnibus. Contains rate increases for various healthcare professions and facilities.
Action: Signed
Effective: Some provisions take effect immediately, some take effect July 1, 2023
That Medicaid omnibus bill allows them to issue emergency rules to keep costs down in the undocumented immigrant healthcare program. Those rules will be filed today as well, I’m told.
…Adding… Press release…
After a mass shooting at Aurora’s Henry Pratt Company in 2019 where five people were killed and six injured, the Aurora Police Department’s drone team began to carefully review how other states use drones to support law enforcement operations, and today the legislation their work led to – the Drones as First Responders Act – was signed into law.
Aurora’s State Senator Linda Holmes brought together that research and the countless months, weeks, and hours of stakeholder involvement from municipal groups, law enforcement personnel, and advocates, along with 50th District State Representative Barb Hernandez. In 2022, legislation was prepared.
“This measure gives police and other first responders critical information in a chaotic situation where lives are at stake,” said Holmes (D-Aurora). “This could spare another community the suffering and trauma we experienced here – it has the potential to prevent more chaos and death.”
Holmes’ personal and policy-centered interest in this effort grew because she knew Aurora police had identified a valid need. Tragically last year, a sniper fired into the Highland Park Fourth of July parade, killing seven and injuring 48. State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield) was walking in the parade with her family at the time. She filed legislation last fall and teamed with Holmes to bring their efforts together this spring.
The Drones as First Responders Act seeks to cover larger crowds and provide additional public safety mechanisms against those trying to harm or hurt multiple people at once.
• Beyond special events, drones will also be able to be utilized in responding to calls, providing real-time information for officers en route to a call. This will not replace the response of an officer, but provide information in advance that will support the officers’ ability to respond in a safe and effective manner as well as secure the scene.
• There are numerous examples of events, large and small, where it is possible that real-time monitoring provided by drones may have prevented or reduced the loss of life that has occurred.
“This may be one of the most important bills I’ve worked on in my Senate career because it can make a difference in how law enforcement and first responders can gather information and take lifesaving actions swiftly,” Holmes said. “Our communities deserve to feel safer as people go about their lives.”
House Bill 3902 takes effect immediately.
* Sun-Times | Businessman James Weiss guilty of bribing 2 state lawmakers, lying to the FBI: The jury of seven women and five men deliberated for four hours before finding Weiss guilty of honest services wire and mail fraud, bribery and lying to the FBI. The bribery scheme involved then-state Rep. Luis Arroyo — who is now in prison — and then-state Sen. Terry Link — who cooperated with the FBI but faces sentencing for his own tax crimes.
* CBS Chicago | IDOT struggles to keep up with graffiti on Chicago area expressways: Now, the Illinois Department of Transportation says when graffiti pops up in the middle of a construction zone, there are times they can’t get to it because it’s too dangerous to remove. But remember, the taggers themselves are getting up there. So IDOT says they will have to wait until the construction is over. But so much of what we’re seeing along the Jane Byrne Interchange and other interstates is in plain view.
* WMAY | Illinois State Representative Coffey wants bills passed during waking hours: He says key legislation, such as the state budget, should not be approved well after midnight, when most people impacted by it are sound asleep. Coffey says he plans to introduce other reform bills, too, including making the General Assembly subject to the state Open Meetings Act.
* Sun-Times | AmeriCorps grants $2.2 million to Chicago, downstate Illinois groups for public health programs: AmeriCorps roots are in the poverty-fighting Volunteers in Service to America — VISTA — program started in 1964. AmeriCorps continued VISTA’s work when it became a federal agency in 1993. Today, the national service agency runs, among other domestic programs, AmeriCorps, AmeriCorps Seniors and Public Health AmeriCorps.
* Shaw Local | OSF awaits Aug. 15 regulatory hearing on Peru hospital: OSF HealthCare has filed the paperwork needed to fully and formally acquire St. Margaret’s Health-Peru (the former Illinois Valley Community Hospital). Fair market value was listed at $38 million. (Scott Anderson)
* WTTW | Will the Bears Stay in Chicago? Open Development Sites Provide Potential Options: Among the potential sites with land large enough to house a stadium are South Works, the site of a former U.S. Steel manufacturing plant; The 78, a 62-acre lot of land; the Lincoln Yards development along the Chicago River; and land just south of Soldier Field including a massive Chicago Park District-owned parking lot and McCormick Place’s Lakeside Center, which the city has discussed tearing down for many years.
* The Civic Federation | Financial Challenges Facing the Chicago Mayor and City Council: Options and Recommendations : Chicago faces a number of social, economic and financial problems in addition to the five key fiscal issues identified above. These include: Public corruption: A lack of affordable housing; Increased costs of sheltering and caring for migrants; Uneven patterns of economic development; Education performance and quality; and Pressing financial issues facing the City’s sister agencies including the Chicago Public Schools, City Colleges of Chicago, the Chicago Park District and Chicago Transit Authority.
* WTTW | As Mayor Johnson Weighs Board of Education Picks, Some Parents, Advocates Concerned About Lack of Engagement: An open letter this week signed by numerous education advocacy groups — including Access Living, Activate Chicago Parents, Families 4 Students & Teachers, Equip for Equality and Illinois Families for Public Schools, as well as a half-dozen local school council members from around the city — expressed concerns over what they feel has been a lack of engagement from Johnson’s administration with families and stakeholders over the next board appointees.
* Tribune | Chicago Police Board fires sergeant for actions in Anjanette Young raid: The Chicago Police Board on Thursday voted to fire a police sergeant for his role in the botched 2019 raid at the home of social worker Anjanette Young. During its monthly meeting at Chicago Police Department headquarters, the board voted 5-3 to fire Sgt. Alex Wolinski.
* Tribune | Cook County prepares to raze most buildings at former Oak Forest Hospital campus: Work to tear down an initial 11 buildings is to begin in September, with another 29 slated to be razed starting next year, and county officials said a series of community meetings, newsletters and a dedicated website will keep residents informed about the project’s status.
* WTHI | Following FBI raid at Paris superintendent’s home, here’s what the Illinois State Board of Education told us: “ISBE conducted a routine audit of the Paris Union school district. Several findings and questioned costs prompted ISBE to conduct further monitoring that identified approximately $3.24 million in questioned costs, unallowable expenditures, and unallowable salaries. The district is required to provide a corrective action plan no later than June 30 addressing each finding in the final report and to repay the questioned costs and unallowable expenses.
#BREAKING Businessman James T. Weiss, a son-in-law of former Cook County Assessor Joseph Berrios, has been found guilty of a scheme to bribe two members of the Illinois General Assembly. pic.twitter.com/cJUDusWXhl
///BREAKING/// A federal jury convicts businessman James Weiss, son-in-law of ex-Cook County Democratic boss Joe Berrios, of scheme to bribe two state legislators. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison on the most serious counts. Details to come pic.twitter.com/hA5YrbbxkL
After a weeklong trial, the jury of seven women and five men deliberated for about four hours before finding James T. Weiss, 44, guilty of bribery, wire fraud, mail fraud and lying to the FBI.
Weiss is the son-in-law of former Cook County Democratic boss Joseph Berrios. The most serious charges carry a maximum of 20 years in prison.
Weiss took a sip from a plastic cup as the first guilty verdict was read in court but showed no outward reaction.
A tentative sentencing date has been set for October 11.
So long…
Weiss and his attorneys leave the Dirksen Federal Courthouse after being found guilty on all seven counts. pic.twitter.com/7XhItJWa9T
"There was some pretty specious arguments," said Sutherland-Scienski, particularly attorney Ilia Usharovich's remarks about the difference between coincidence and correlation. "I found (that) to be a pretty grade-school type argument," she says.
Regarding Luis Arroyo, she said, "Mr. Arroyo’s absence was very plainly felt. I have a lot of questions about him that have not yet been answered." Asked if she would be surprised to know he was in prison, she said, "No not at all." Or that he pleaded guilty? "That seems wise."
“There were some arguments that the defense made that I personally found insulting to our intelligence and to the court at large,” a juror told reporters. "Something about the difference between coincidence and correlation, which I found to be a pretty grade school-type argument”
JUST IN: A verdict has been reached in the trial of businessman James T. Weiss, who is accused of bribing two state lawmakers to push legislation in the Illinois General Assembly. https://t.co/nT11eEpuwC
Illinois is the lowest-ranking state in the country in terms of racial equality for Black wealth and employment, according to a study from WalletHub.
Illinois, which scored 44.82 on a 100-point scale, is ahead of only the District of Columbia, at 16.47. Alaska ranked highest, at 84.05.
Researchers calculated scores based on eight metrics that were weighted differently. The labor-force participation rate, homeownership rate, poverty rate, homelessness rate and share of executives were weighted full. Median annual household income and the unemployment rate were weighted double. The share of unsheltered people experiencing homelessness was weighted half.
Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale and then combined to form a total composite score. States were awarded the maximum number of points when Black people scored equal to or higher than white people.
* Emphasis added…
The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today that the unemployment rate fell -0.1 percentage point to 4.1 percent, while nonfarm payrolls increased by +2,500 in May, based on preliminary data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and released by IDES. The April monthly change in payrolls was revised from the preliminary report, from +8,500 to +8,800 jobs. The April revised unemployment rate was 4.2 percent, unchanged from the preliminary April unemployment rate. The May payroll jobs estimate and unemployment rate reflect activity for the week including the 12th.
In May, the industry sectors with the largest over-the-month job gains included: Government (+2,600), Financial Activities (+1,900), and Leisure and Hospitality (+1,400). The industry sectors with the largest monthly payroll job declines included: Construction (-2,400), Manufacturing (-1,700), and Information (-800). […]
The state’s unemployment rate was +0.4 percentage point higher than the national unemployment rate reported for May, the smallest difference since February 2020. The national unemployment rate was 3.7 percent in May, up +0.3 percentage point from the previous month. The Illinois unemployment rate was down -0.3 percentage point from a year ago when it was at 4.4 percent.
Compared to a year ago, nonfarm payroll jobs increased by +120,300 jobs, with gains across most major industries. The industry groups with the largest jobs increases included: Educational and Health Services (+37,200), Leisure and Hospitality (+34,900) and Government (+30,300). Information (-4,100) and Professional and Business Services (-1,400) reported declines in payroll jobs. In May, total nonfarm payrolls were up +2.0 percent over-the-year in Illinois and up +2.7 percent in the nation.
* It’s been my observation over the years that most financial bigwigs are pretty darned dumb when it comes to politics and government. With that in mind, here’s Wirepoints…
Top executives in the financial world and research reports by financial advisers are saying it’s clearly plausible that Pres. Joe Biden could drop out of the race and be replaced, perhaps, by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker or California Gov. Gavin Newsom, two possibilities mentioned by name.
That’s according to a recent column by Charles Gasparino, veteran financial reporter formerly with the Wall Street Journal and CNBC, known for his connections with Wall Street bigwigs. […]
Surely, however, Pritzker is not the kind of ambitious opportunist who would “do something crazy at the convention or shortly after, bend some rules and stage a do-over for the nomination” as Gasparino imagines. Right?
* Speaker Welch is hosting his second Juneteenth celebration…
On Monday, June 19 from 2pm-6pm, House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch will welcome the community and local officials to Memorial Park [639 N. Wolf Road in Hillside] for his second Annual Juneteenth and Father’s Day Celebration.
“I am always excited to bring the community together,” said Speaker Welch, who serves as the first African-American Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives. “We plan to fellowship, celebrate, and honor our path to progress, freedom, and equality. Juneteenth is a reminder for me of how much each of us are still working to build the American Dream. It’s an opportunity to celebrate our history and all that African-Americans have fought for and achieved. We are inviting community leaders, local businesses, families, and friends, to join us for what is sure to be a fun and action-packed day of celebration.”
This Juneteenth event will feature over 30 local vendors and community service organizations, live performances by Chicago rising star, Nyla XO, the infamous Jesse White Tumblers, the soul-stirring Ayodele Dance and Drum group, the Proviso West High School drumline, and more.
In addition to the 7th District Senator and local Mayors, many statewide officials have also RSVP’d their attendance including: Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, State Comptroller Susana Mendoza, State Treasurer Mike Frerichs, and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin.
The Speaker’s Juneteenth and Father’s Day Celebration is free and open to the public.
* Illinois Answers | Repeat Violators Leave Families Out in the Cold: Miles’ family was just one of 15 tenants at the property at 6725-6733 S. Paxton Ave., who alleged they didn’t have heat when temperatures were as low as minus 1 degree last winter. It’s an apartment complex managed by Catalyst Realty and owned by an Illinois-based LLC.
* Axios | Illinois’ new anti-bullying law gets parents involved sooner: Supporters say the 24-hour notification change will enable parents to intervene more quickly. The bill also creates a fund for cyber-safety education in schools. Chicago Public Schools already had a bullying reporting standard of one school day.
* Crain’s | Furniture makers want to ‘wow’ you back to the office: Tens of thousands of commercial interior design manufacturers, architects and aficionados descended on Chicago this week in a gathering that reflected an office furniture industry grappling with drastic changes in how businesses interact with their physical workspace.
* WTWO | Paris Schools have $3.2M in questionable spending: Recent actions by federal law enforcement at the home of Paris Union School District 95 Superintendent Jeremy Larson have raised questions regarding what sort of investigation may be underway.
* Crain’s | Foul weather may keep Allstate in the red this quarter: The Northbrook-based insurer is on track for a second quarter of claims payments tied to weather catastrophes well above what it experienced in the spring and early summer of last year. Allstate disclosed today that it estimates $893 million in pre-tax catastrophe losses for May. In the first two months of the quarter, Allstate has suffered $1.7 billion in such costs.
* Rockford Register Star | New Hard Rock Casino Rockford images offer detailed look at permanent casino: Hard Rock Casino Rockford officials on Thursday announced it would open in August 2024 and released new images of the more than 187,000-square-foot casino resort under construction on East State Street at the Interstate 90 exit. Located on about 22 acres, the new images display the casino’s close ties to Rockford’s Hall of Fame band Cheap Trick.
* Crain’s | T-Mobile, AT&T ditch the Mag Mile: “While it hurts because it’s more vacancy, it’s good because it allows the more appropriate and on-trend retail categories to come in and highlight what they’re all about,” [retail broker John Vance, principal at Chicago-based Stone Real Estate] said.
* SJ-R | Study finds Springfield race riot site meets criteria to be national park: The National Park Service conducted a years-long study of the 1908 Springfield Race Riot archaeological site and found the area, located near Madison Street and the 10th Street Rail Corridor, met all criteria to be considered eligible. Congressional action or a presidential proclamation could now officially designate the site.
* Press Release | Governor Pritzker Announces $6 Million in Funding for Energy Transition Navigators Program: Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) launched $6 million in funding for the Energy Transition Navigators Program as part of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) this week. The program will establish a network of community-based providers across the state offering community education, outreach, and recruitment services to encourage priority populations to participate in CEJA clean energy workforce and contractor development programs. The Energy Transition Navigators will be selected through a competitive Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) process.
* Tribune | NASCAR street race touts economic benefits for Chicago, but pushback grows over street closures, traffic, access and safety concerns: Aldermen and the community members — including cyclists who protested the NASCAR race outside City Hall on Wednesday morning — have repeatedly raised questions about the event’s impact on traffic and lakefront accessibility, with a rolling schedule of major road closures, parking restrictions and inaccessible sidewalks up to, during and after the July 1 and 2 race and festival for setup and breakdown of the 2.2-mile course around Grant Park.
* Sun-Times | Austin man tries to douse flames after his landmark home catches fire: Jim Bowers, who tried to extinguish the flames on his own by dousing it with water before firefighters got there, said the blaze was mostly confined to the attic of the home known as the Seth P. Warner House in the 600 block of North Central Avenue about 1 a.m.
* SJ-R | Capital Township seeking applicants for vacant board seat: Capital Township announced Tuesday that it would be accepting applications to fill the seat on the Board of Trustees left empty by the departure of Brad Carlson to the Springfield City Council last month.
* NBC Chicago | 2 big strawberry festivals are coming to the Chicago suburbs this month: According to organizers, Windy Acres’ Strawberry Festival takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, with farm gates opening at 9 a.m. and closing at 6 p.m. The festival includes “lots of freshly picked strawberries,” along with other strawberry treats including homemade fresh strawberry shortcake, strawberry rhubarb pie, tars, breads and more.
* Block Club | Chicago’s Lesbian Bars Vanished For Years, But Sapphic Spaces Are Making A Comeback: Chicago’s lesbian bars, clubs and gathering spaces peaked in the 1970s-1980s, creating bonds among women that remain strong decades later. Those spots dwindled in the early aughts. LGBTQ+ identities became more accepted by society as a whole, and queer people started moving into “more mainstream spaces,” LGBTQ+ historian and journalist Tracy Baim said.
* Illinois Times | Did Lincoln ever eat a bagel?: Abraham Lincoln likely never ate a bagel, but you can combine a taste with a visit to some of his haunts if you head to the Mattoon-Charleston area this summer. Outdoor fun and history brought to life also make this area less than 100 miles southeast of Springfield worth a day trip. Mattoon produces more bagels than anywhere in the world, according to Mindy White, the city’s special events coordinator. “And we are home to the world’s largest bagel breakfast,” she says. It is part of a four-day Bagelfest, this year July 18-22.
The Illinois Gaming Board unanimously approved a “determination of preliminary suitability” Thursday for Bally’s Chicago, setting the table to launch the city’s first casino this summer.
The precursor to final licensing will allow Bally’s to open its temporary casino at Medinah Temple, pending a successful practice gaming session. Bally’s is building out and staffing up the landmark River North building, with plans to welcome Chicago gamblers by August.
“We are excited to be part of this historic moment to open the first casino in the city of Chicago,” Bally’s Chairman Soo Kim said at the hearing Thursday. “It’s a pretty weighty thing. And this is going to allow us to keep our many commitments to the city and the community that we’ve made.”
Medinah Temple will serve as a temporary casino for up to three years while the permanent facility is built on the site of the Freedom Center printing plant. The ornate 111-year-old amphitheater is being retrofitted to accommodate more than 800 gaming positions, restaurants and a bar.
The gaming board’s “preliminary suitability” finding allows Bally’s to lay the groundwork for their operations both at Medinah and the $1.7 billion casino complex they’ve envisioned at the site of the Chicago Tribune printing press at Chicago Avenue and Halsted Street, which is expected to open by 2026.
Before the gaming board vote, Illinois Gaming Board Administrator Marcus Fruchter called it “a very significant and important step” but noted that it “is not the final act in this opera.”
The curtain won’t rise until Bally’s meets Fruchter’s final set of regulatory hurdles, including a test run of their slots and table games, before the temporary Medinah site can open — potentially in a matter of weeks.
That would be a quicker turnaround time for vetting by the gaming board compared to five other new casinos introduced elsewhere in Illinois since Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a massive gambling expansion into law in 2019. Bally’s already owns an Illinois casino in Rock Island, in addition to 14 others nationwide.
Bally’s efforts to open a temporary casino at the Medinah Temple in River North took a step forward today as the Illinois Gaming Board approved a preliminary measure giving the company the all-clear to continue hiring staff and buying gaming machines. […]
The gambling company said it is “pleased” with the approval and appreciates “the support and collaboration” of the Gaming Board.
“Bally’s Chicago will create employment opportunities for approximately 700 individuals across various professional fields, including gaming operations, hospitality, security, surveillance, janitorial services, human resources, and finance and accounting,” said a company statement. “Bally’s strictly adheres to all guidelines provided by the Illinois Gaming Board.”
If the casino passes that test and meets other regulatory requirements – such as having an adequate system for transferring cash from tables to the safe – the gaming board administrator alone can issue a temporary permit.
It’s unclear how long that process could take. In Rockford, the process from suitability to permit took about nine months and just two months for a casino in north suburban Waukegan.
A gaming board spokesperson stressed the state was processing numerous casino applications at the time, and that it’s hard to predict the timing for Chicago’s temporary casino opening. State law does not stipulate a timeframe.
On the city side, an application for an amusement license, which the casino also needs to operate, is still pending before the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, a spokeswoman said. That permit does not need council approval, though Reilly said he hopes Mayor Brandon Johnson “looks at this carefully.”
* AP | Instant Pot maker seeks bankruptcy protection as sales go cold: The maker of Pyrex glassware and Instant Pot has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as the company that was already struggling is stung by inflation, with Americans pulling back on spending. According to a filing with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas this week, Instant Brands, based outside of Chicago, has more than $500 million in both assets and liabilities.
The story the company’s chief restructuring officer told in court filings was one pinning the blame on forces outside the company’s control.
There was no mention made of how the $391 million in debt, which Instant Brands owes to non-bank firms whose interest rates tend to be considerably higher than commercial banks, played a role in the company’s current plight.
That tale is familiar. Instant Brands is majority owned by Cornell Capital, a New York-based private-equity firm that engineered the 2019 merger after initially purchasing locally based World Kitchen, the Pyrex and CorningWare company, in 2017. […]
In April 2021, in the midst of that sunny period [of high sales during the pandemic], Instant Brands took on a $450 million term loan, according to the filing. That debt refinanced $294 million in existing debt, including $100 million tied to the 2019 acquisition, and helped support a $245 million dividend to the shareholders, according to a Moody’s rating of the loan in May 2021.
Essentially none of the debt, then, supported investment in the business.
And that unnecessary debt, along with the cash pulled out of the company to pay a dividend to its holding company owners, created an unsustainable situation when demand dropped.
* There’s an important element missing from this “debate” over the new anti-book-ban law. Let’s start with this Center Square story…
As Illinois implements more requirements on local libraries in order to access state tax dollars, some are questioning whether state government is overstepping its boundaries. […]
“This legislation effectively makes it impossible for local library boards to block pornographic material from their shelves. It strips away local control of libraries and continues the war on families in Illinois,” [ Rep. Adam Niemerg, R-Dieterich] said.
Um, no. It’s not stripping away anything. The law merely puts teeth into existing public policy. I’ve posted this before, but the official Illinois Public Library Trustee Manual specifically notes that only library directors and their staff should be selecting library materials, not library boards…
The library’s materials selection policy should include these concepts so the public is clear about how materials are selected for the collection:
● Library directors and their delegated staff are responsible for the selection of library materials. Materials selected by them are considered to be selected by the board
● No library material should be excluded based on political or social views
● Patrons are free to reject for themselves materials that they disapprove of, but they must not use self-censorship to restrict the freedom of others
● No materials will be removed from the library except under court order
What this new law does is provide some punishment (denial of state grants) for library boards which defy longstanding policy.
State Rep. Adam Niemerg, R-Dieterich, told The Center Square that the decision on what books are suitable for children should be left up to the parents.
“This measure encroaches on parents’ rights,” Niemerg said. “In my mind, it’s parents that have an obligation to raise their children, not the public education system, not the government.”
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, whose office manages taxpayer-funded grants for libraries, spoke at the bill signing alongside Pritzker in Chicago and said parents still have the final say on what their children will read.
“Parents still have the right and the responsibility to restrict their children, and only their children’s access to library resources,” Giannoulias said. “In other words, you get to decide what’s right for your children, but you don’t get to make that decision for anyone else.”
* Related…
* As more schools target ‘Maus,’ Art Spiegelman’s fears are deepening: It’s not yet clear what the employees found objectionable. But “Maus” — which illustrates Spiegelman’s parents’ experience of the Holocaust and features Nazis as cats and Jews as mice — graphically depicts his mother naked in a bathtub after taking her own life. “She was sitting in a pool of blood when my father found her,” Spiegelman said of his mother. It is a “rather unsexy image seen from above,” he noted, and “not something I think anybody could describe as a nude woman. She’s a naked corpse.” … The repeated targeting of “Maus” over alleged sexual content, Spiegelman lamented, is a mere pretext. “It was the other things making them uncomfortable, like genocide,” he said. “I just tried to make them clean and understandable, which is the purpose of storytelling with pictures.”
A 2021 report from Animalpatient.com compiled information from each state to determine which pet each state preferred in the dog vs. cat debate.
According to the study, Illinois leans toward dogs in the debate:
• 31% of Illinois households own a dog compared to 21% of households owning cats.
• In Illinois, there are 2.23 million dogs compared to 1.84 million cats.
• In Illinois, 72% of dog/cat health searches on Google are for dogs.
* The Question: [Revised at commenters’ requests] Dog, cat, both, no pet, other? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
The Architect of the Capitol brought political reporters through the construction zone Wednesday afternoon to show the latest work done on the North end of the building, including the Illinois Senate chamber on the third floor.
Andrea Aggertt said this project will help modernize the Capitol to address ADA compliance, security, and preservation of the historic property. […]
Aggertt explained senators should be able to return to their chamber and original offices in the North wing of the building in January 2025.
“For the next nine to ten months preceding that, we will return spaces back slowly,” Aggertt said. “So about every three months, we will open the new entrance, we’ll open the tunnels, we’ll open up the underground conference center.”
She also shared that there will be more green space around the Capitol Complex once the new entrance is finished. Aggertt also addressed rumors that the state could use funding from the Rebuild Illinois capital spending plan to tear down the William G. Stratton office building.
While the architect did not provide specific details or a timeline for that demolition, Aggertt said there will be even more room for green space once the Stratton building is removed sometime in the future.
And finally there were views of parts of the building not previously exposed or angles most people aren’t used to seeing, especially up in attic space pic.twitter.com/wV2GlKuc2i
“We are going to be able to see things that people who originally walked on the floors of this building saw,” Architect of the Capitol Andrea Aggertt told reporters on a tour of the building's north wing renovations. More pictures inside: #twillhttps://t.co/Vc6BF0Ip0y
* WBEZ | The fine print of Illinois’ ban on book bans: “When a book is placed in a library, it doesn’t stay there forever,” said Cynthia Robinson, executive director of the Illinois Library Association. “There’s a process called ‘weeding.’ ”Librarians are “weeding” collections when they assess, for example, whether a title has been checked out in the last five years or whether the information contained within is still accurate. That process will continue, and it’s conceivable that works some find offensive could be weeded out this way. The difference under the new law is libraries cannot remove items because of political or religious disagreements if they want to maintain access to state grant funding.
* Sun-Times | Mulling run for Congress, farmer Bailey sows seeds for support from indicted Trump: ‘It’s an honor to stand with this man’: “What President Trump went through yesterday could happen to anyone [sic] of us for any reason!” Bailey wrote on Wednesday. “We must elect and support men and women who will stand firm in their beliefs and not waiver! [sic]” Badly beaten by Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker in the general election last year, 54.9% to 42.3%, Bailey is once again cozying up to Trump as he considers a run for Congress against Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, whose 12th Congressional District encompasses GOP-friendly territories in southern Illinois.
* Capitol News Illinois | Legislative watchdog Michael McCuskey sees job as educational opportunity: After 15 months as Illinois’ Legislative Inspector General, Judge Michael McCuskey is moving to Springfield. Since he first assumed the role in February 2022 – several months after the high-profile resignation of his predecessor – McCuskey has commuted to his Capitol Complex office from his Peoria home. Now, after he was nearly unanimously approved to a full five-year term in the final weeks of the General Assembly’s spring session, he’s hoping to move at the end of the month.
* Tribune | Second round of interviews complete in search for next CPD superintendent: Anthony Driver Jr., president of the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, said this week that he’s “a billion percent” confident that the commission will “meet or exceed” its July 14 deadline to send three finalists to Mayor Brandon Johnson.
* WAND | Behind the scenes: Illinois Capitol renovations moving along steadily: The Architect of the Capitol brought political reporters through the construction zone Wednesday afternoon to show the latest work done on the North end of the building, including the Illinois Senate chamber on the third floor.
