Afternoon roundup
Thursday, Jun 1, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Lee Enterprises took a look at the racial spread between police departments/sheriffs’ offices and the communities they serve.
The narrowest gap was in Rock Island County, which is 30.4 percent people of color and the sheriff’s office is 27.69 percent people of color.
The widest gap was in Macon County, where the population is 25.2 percent people of color and yet the sheriff’s office is 100 percent White.
Illinois as a whole is 40 percent persons of color and the Illinois State Police is 19.43 percent persons of color.
Anyway, click here to see if your community is on the list.
* Illinois Gaming Machine Operators Association…
Tazewell County Circuit Court Judge Paul E. Bauer has ruled that the City of Pekin’s ordinance taxing video gaming is unlawful and barred by state law, resulting in a major victory for Illinois small businesses and their customers.
Pekin officials in October approved a city ordinance assessing a “fee” worth 2.5 percent of net revenues received by any video gaming machine registered to do business in the city. The ordinance called for proceeds from the fee to be split between the City’s police and fire pension funds. Violations could trigger fines of up to $750 a day. Two members of the Illinois Gaming Machine Operators Association, which represents the companies that provide video gaming terminals in thousands of small businesses across the state, sued the City of Pekin late last year in Tazewell County Circuit Court.
The IGMOA members — J&J Ventures Gaming, LLC, and Accel Entertainment Gaming, LLC – argued that the City’s so-called “fee” is in reality an illegal tax on terminal operators. Such a tax is “unauthorized, is unlawful and unenforceable” because the state’s Video Gaming Act bars them, the plaintiffs argued in their lawsuit filed in December 2022.
The order is here.
* This is not CNN’s Sanjay Gupta…
Governor JB Pritzker announced today that he has named Sanjay Gupta, a national IT leader with private and public sector experience, to serve as the new Secretary of the Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT), pending Senate confirmation. Gupta has served in major roles across the public and private sectors, including running the federal government’s pandemic aid portals for small businesses and serving as a board member of the federal Technology Modernization Fund.
“Sanjay Gupta brings invaluable expertise in public and private sector information technology to DoIT,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “His previous work and vision for enterprise architecture, digital transformation, and user experience make him a vital addition to the agency. I am confident that this team will lead the nation in cybersecurity, service delivery, and user experience.”
Previously, Gupta was the Chief Information Officer for the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review. He also served for more than four years as Chief Technology Officer of the U.S. Small Business Administration, where his efforts to modernize the agency allowed it to process more than $1 trillion in loans for the nation’s largest economic recovery effort.
Prior to his career in public service, he spent nearly 20 years in management and as a consultant and analyst in leading global technology organizations, including several companies based in Illinois.
“I want to thank Governor Pritzker for giving me the opportunity to serve the people of Illinois, my adopted home,” said Sanjay Gupta. “Over decades in IT, I’ve learned how to apply the private sector’s best practices to government work. The team at DoIT has propelled the state forward tremendously in the past five years, and I look forward to working with the committed professionals in Illinois.”
Gupta holds a Bachelor of Science from Punjab Engineering College, a Master of Science from Wayne State University, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan. He and his wife raised their two daughters in the suburbs of Chicago, where they lived for more than two decades.
Acting Secretary Brandon Ragle will take on the new role of Deputy Secretary, pending Senate confirmation. Ragle has served the state for over 30 years and will work closely with the new Secretary, providing invaluable insight into the agency’s operations. During his tenure as Acting Secretary, DoIT was upgraded by the Digital States report to an A-, receiving accolades for its connected infrastructure, resilience and cybersecurity, and data-driven government.
“Brandon is an essential asset to modernizing our technology for the people of Illinois, and he is part of a strong leadership team that is widely acknowledged nationally as a model,” Governor Pritzker said. “He stepped up at a critical time for the agency, and I want to recognize his contributions with this important new role.”
* But, didn’t Rep. Chris Miller tell us that this climate change thing doesn’t exist?…
Bloomington, Illinois-based State Farm has announced it will no longer insure new homes or businesses in California due to the high wildfire risk and increased construction costs. State Farm is the second insurance carrier to stop offering coverage due to wildfires. Last year, AIG notified thousands of state homeowners their policies would not be renewed. California has experienced a record amount of wildfires in the past few years.
*Blows into the microphone*
* Press release…
Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford championed legislation in 2021 to ensure that the people of Illinois understood that Black history is American history. This year she is building upon that monumental measure by encouraging people to celebrate Juneteenth and reminding them of the reason for the holiday.
“Juneteenth being a state holiday reminds us that freedom and racial equality have always been a hard-fought battle for Black Americans,” said Lightford (D-Maywood). “This day gives everyone an opportunity to celebrate Black culture, Black achievements, and learn more about Black history.”
In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which established that all enslaved people in Confederate states were forever free. However, it was not until two years later in June of 1865 that federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to enforce the proclamation freeing the last of slaves in the United States.
In 2021, Lightford championed House Bill 3922, which established June 19 as a state holiday for Juneteenth National Freedom Day. It is now a paid day off holiday for all state employees and a school holiday.
Today, Juneteenth has grown from the celebration of the abolition of slavery into a celebration of Black arts, culture, and the impacts of the civil rights movement throughout the country.
“The struggle for our people to achieve full equity in Illinois and across the nation continues still to this day,” Lightford said. “Juneteenth recognizes our accomplishments, our achievements, our culture, and reminds us that our fight is not over.”
…Adding… Not a good sign when the appellate court calls your appeal frivolous…
…Adding… U of I…
The University of Illinois Flash Index for May 2023 increased to 103.2 from 102.9 in April. This continues the perplexing path of the U. S. and Illinois economies with most observers still waiting for at least a mild recession that has yet to materialize.
“Reversing last month’s weak performance, Illinois tax receipts (the major components of the Flash Index) for May were surprisingly robust.”
Both individual income and corporate tax receipts were up in real terms compared to May 2022 while sales tax receipts were down only slightly after adjusting for inflation. Even more confounding, both the national and Illinois unemployment rates declined, falling in Illinois to 4.2% to a post-Covid recession low.
“It is still too early to claim a soft landing following the strong recovery from the recession. Watchful waiting continues.”
The Flash Index is a weighted average of Illinois growth rates in corporate earnings, consumer spending, and personal income as estimated from receipts for corporate income, individual income, and retail sales taxes. These revenues are adjusted for inflation before growth rates are calculated. The growth rate for each component is then calculated for the 12-month period using data through May 31, 2023. Over three years since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, ad hoc adjustments are still needed.
* Isabel’s roundup…
* Center Square | Pritzker: Invest in Kids program may be renewed this year, but with changes: “I think we should have tax credits that support education and other things in state government, but we also have the federal government willing to cover about 40% of the cost,” Pritzker said at an unrelated event in Champaign Wednesday. “Why have we created a program in which we’re paying for 75% of it and not having the rest of the country essentially paying 40%?”
* Crain’s | Rivian may lose Nasdaq spot after 90% selloff, JPMorgan says: The index typically removes the smallest members of the Nasdaq 100 if the company is weighted at less than 0.1% of the gauge for two consecutive months, JPMorgan analyst Min Moon writes in a note on Thursday. As Rivian was below 0.1% as of April 28 and May 31, Moon expects the carmaker to be excluded from the index on the third Friday of June.
* Tribune | ‘Class of COVID’: For this year’s graduating seniors, the pandemic dominated and defined high school: “I firmly believe that students are not able to perform academically if they don’t have the social-emotional supports that they need,” she said. “They are going to have a tough time focusing on school work if they’re experiencing depression or anxiety, if they’ve got social issues happening.”
* Sun-Times | Chicago Police Department’s reform chief resigns, claims ‘retaliation’: Tina Skahill’s exit comes just months after the ouster of her predecessor Robert Boik, who was fired after criticizing former Police Supt. David Brown’s decision to reassign nearly 50 officers under his command.
* Sun-Times | ‘I’ll get you,’ brother of Goonie Boss gang leader allegedly warns witness at trial: Romeo “O-Dog” Blackman is on trial along with two other members of the South Side gang tied to an indictment that connected them to 10 slayings across 30 months from 2014 to 2016. The witness, a former Goonie Boss gang member who agreed to cooperate with the feds, testified in court Tuesday that Romeo Blackman had confessed to the January 2014 slaying of a person whom the brothers suspected of being a police informant.
* WBEZ | ‘State of Black Chicago’ highlights outcome disparities between Black and white Chicagoans: A new report by the Chicago Urban League highlights significant disparities in the educational, economic and health outcomes between Black and white residents in the city. The 2023 “State of Black Chicago” report predicts local businesses will close, public schools in Black neighborhoods will continue to underperform and Black residents will be pushed out of their neighborhoods if inequity isn’t addressed.
* Illinois Times | City of Springfield cited for refusal to cover gender-affirming care: After being denied health coverage for hormone treatments to support her identity as a transgender woman, a former Lincoln Library manager says she is happy to work for a Chicago-area library where her employer’s plan pays for gender-affirming care.
* ABC Chicago | Evanston meeting to give update on reparations program Thursday: The city is now allowing cash payouts and a real estate transfer tax is added to its revenue stream after the tax from cannabis sales were not enough.
* Illinois Newsroom | Decatur Public Schools temporarily closes 2 campuses over structural concerns: DPS spokesperson Denise Swarthout said a structural engineer visited the campuses Tuesday and voiced concerns. The district is having another engineer look at the buildings by the end of the week and will update staff then. The two Dennis Lab Schools are Decatur’s oldest and most historic school buildings, dating back to 1910 and 1914.
* Press Release | Gov. Pritzker Announces New Manufacturing Facility in Southern Illinois: Governor JB Pritzker, Manner Polymers, and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) today joined local leaders and partners to announce Manner Polymers’ new manufacturing facility in Mount Vernon. Known as an industry manufacturing leader in polymer compounds, Manner Polymers’ new state-of-the-art Illinois facility will manufacture a wide array of PVC compounds, including automotive PVC compounds for use in electric vehicles (EVs) and components for solar panels.
* Willie Wilson | Unions can help reduce violence in Chicago with apprenticeships and jobs: Unions profess a devotion to racial equity, yet it is clear the rung on the ladder to the middle class remains elusive for African Americans and women in the building and construction trades. Chicago’s labor movement dates to 1864, and labor’s influence now dominates the Illinois political landscape. Mayor Brandon Johnson, a former union organizer, could use his influence to get trade unions to open up apprenticeship opportunities for those mired in poverty and hopelessness.
* WCIA | Drought declared across Central Illinois: After a few weeks of abnormally dry conditions growing in the region, the declaration comes as rainfall totals have been in some areas less than 1/2 of normal for the month of April and May.
* ABC Chicago | See the Chicago NASCAR street race course, plus street closures and parking restrictions: The Cup Series Race, named the “Grant Park 220,” and the Xfinity Series Race, called “The Loop 121,” will pass through many of Chicago’s most renowned downtown landmarks, July 1 through 2.
* WGN | Prison time for boater who ran illegal charter operations on Chicago waterways: Christopher Mike Garbowski admitted to using a 40-foot powerboat known as “Sea Hawk” and “Anchorman” from 2017 to 2019 for personal profit, as he charged money to charter the boat to groups of passengers. […] The Coast Guard notified Garbowski about the federal regulations on multiple occasions. In one instance, prosecutors alleged that Garbowski called a potential customer by phone and asked that she lie to Coast Guard personnel by pretending they were friends with him.
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Question of the day
Thursday, Jun 1, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Isabel used hizzoner’s tweet in her question yesterday, so let’s start with this mayoral update for the doubters…
Missouri’s legislature has a bad habit of playing ringers in the Illinois vs. Missouri Bi-State Softball Showdown. So, maybe Mayor Johnson could be persuaded to play in Busch Stadium this August.
* The Question: Your season prediction for your favorite MLB team?
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DCFS responds to yet another explosive report
Thursday, Jun 1, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* CBS 2…
A 9-year-old girl was locked up in a psychiatric hospital for weeks after her care was complete. The overstay racked up tens of thousands of dollars in bills.
CBS 2’s Chris Tye reported that the state used money left by her dead father to pay themselves back for that care and that the case was raced in front of a judge late on Wednesday.
CBS 2 has reported on kids being left in offices and hospitals for weeks or months because there was no place to put them.
But the Cook County Public Guardian said this girl’s case is a first: taking money from the accounts of vulnerable kids, money left by their deceased parents to reimburse for pricey nights in the hospital that the kids didn’t need.
Kids in the care of the Department of Children and Family Services, or DCFS, the state’s child welfare agency, can linger for months inside psychiatric hospitals after their care is complete and there’s nowhere to move them.
Kids in the care of the Department of Children and Family Services, or DCFS, the state’s child welfare agency, can linger for months inside psychiatric hospitals after their care is complete and there’s nowhere to move them.
The Cook County Public Guardian told CBS 2 a 9-year-old girl was left at one hospital, locked up in the psychiatric ward unnecessarily for about one month beyond medical necessity in 2019.
The unnecessary stay came with a price tag of $34,200.
But in the case of this girl, DCFS also managed her money.
When the girl’s father died in 2014, she became the beneficiary of his social security benefits, which have grown to over $118,000. Because that 2019 hospital overstay wasn’t medically necessary, Medicaid refused to pay. DCFS was on the line for it, so they dipped into the girl’s inheritance to pay themselves back.
“It’s just outrageous,” said Cook County Public Guardian Charles Golbert. “So last week, we sent DCFS a letter saying ‘Hey, just do the right thing.’”
In the letter, the public guardian’s office called on DCFS to repay the $34,200 by Tuesday, May 30. They added that all dollars, “should have stayed in the account and be made available to her adoptive parents … instead, the account has been drained.”
“And DCFS wrote to us last night and said no,” Golbert said. “So we’re going to court this afternoon to get this little girl her money.”
Keep in mind that this happened four years ago. Also, since then, a new state law has taken effect which requires the state to set aside between 40-80 percent of SSI money the kids receive, depending on their age.
* DCFS responds…
Federal mandate
Federal guidelines are clear, SSI benefits are required to be used to offset the costs of the care of the youth, no matter what setting the youth is in, including a foster or residential setting. In other words, the OPG is critiquing DCFS for action the Department took in 2019 that the department was federally mandated to take.
Overall response
I cannot stress enough that the health and welfare of our children is our primary concern, and we are always seeking the most appropriate placement. In some cases, it may take the agency time to find the appropriate placement for a child, and we are working diligently (often around the clock) to ensure the optimal care, transition services, and other necessary resources and requirements when that child, who often has complex issues and high acuity, is ready to exit the hospital.
The allegations in the complaint we would like comment on:
• Is it true: “DCFS left her locked up in the psychiatric ward unnecessarily for about one month [beyond medical necessity].”? If so, why?
No. After a youth’s hospitalization, DCFS attempts to return them to their prior placement, if it remains clinically appropriate. In this case, during the hospital stay, M.M.’s clinical designation changed, and she therefore required a more specialized placement. DCFS was informed of this change on the day she no longer required 24/7 psychiatric services at the hospital and immediately began working to identify a suitable placement. This work was completed as soon as possible, and the youth was moved to a specialized foster care with her sister.
• Is it true: “DCFS’s inaction caused [her] to remain locked in the hospital…unable to see her family, attend school, or play outside.” If so, why?
No. DCFS worked diligently to find this youth appropriate placement and did so as soon as possible.
• Is it true “DCFS’s failure also caused Hartgrove [hospital] to bill DCFS for that portion of [her] hospital stay that was medically unnecessary and not covered by Medicaid.”
DCFS complied with all state and federal rules around reimbursement of its cost of care for this youth.
• Is it true DCFS reimbursed itself $34,200 in April 2020 for expenses related to her inpatient hospitalization that was beyond medical necessity? If so, why?
In this case, MM required hospitalization and a new specialized placement, and costs were incurred and reimbursed as a result. There are federal and state rules that govern where funding to cover these costs comes from. DCFS follows these rules and any claims to the contrary are false and disingenuous.
• Why has DCFS refused repayment of these funds — and will the department offer up an audit of the $83,000 of other federal benefit dollars spent related to her care?
Annual accounting of this youth’s benefits is required under Illinois law, and DCFS must adhere to all federal and state rules. An accounting has previously been provided to the GAL and OPG.
Thoughts?
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Todd Maisch
Thursday, Jun 1, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Todd Maisch started working for the Illinois Chamber back in 1994, eventually rising up the ranks to take over as President/CEO in 2014. I’ve known him and his wife Kim for what seems like forever. My heart goes out to his family. He was just 57 years old.
From the ILGOP…
“Todd Maisch was a champion for the business community in Illinois and will be deeply missed. He devoted his career working to building up small businesses, enact sound policy that energized local economies, and reduce the undue burdens that Illinois businesses and employers face. Our prayers are with his family during this difficult time” said Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy.
This post will be updated.
…Adding… House Republican Leader Tony McCombie…
Todd Maisch was a fierce advocate for Chambers and job creators around Illinois, as well as a devoted friend to me and our caucus. On behalf of the Illinois House Republicans, we extend our deepest condolences to Kim, their two boys and the many he has touched over his many years of service and friendship. He will be missed!
* Comptroller Susana Mendoza…
“I am so heartbroken to hear the news about Illinois Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Todd Maisch passing away at 57. His departure leaves such a void in Illinois. He worked so hard to find bipartisan approaches to grow Illinois businesses. He understood we are all in this together. I treasure the time I spent with him, listening to him, speaking to his board. Democrats and Republicans around the state should all take a moment to honor Todd Maisch today for his advocacy for Illinois businesses. Our condolences go out to his wife and sons. May he rest in God’s peace and eternal glory.”
* Senate President Don Harmon…
“Todd Maisch was a statehouse fixture and synonymous with the Illinois Chamber of Commerce. A fierce defender of and astute negotiator for the business community, Todd was also a genuinely likable person who could find the path forward among adversaries. He departs this world far too soon. My sympathies and thoughts go out to his family and friends.”
* House Speaker Chris Welch…
“I am deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Illinois Chamber of Commerce President, Todd Maisch.
“Todd was a fierce champion for the business community and an integral part of major policy wins for our economy, namely the Blue Collar Jobs Act and the historic Rebuild Illinois capital bill. Though Todd and I often found ourselves at opposite ends of policy debates, I knew he was driven by an adoration for our state and a sincere commitment to doing what he believed was right.
“I send my condolences and prayers to his family, friends, and the Illinois Chamber community. May your memories bring you comfort during this time of mourning.”
* Illinois AFL-CIO President Tim Drea and Secretary-Treasurer Pat Devaney…
“We are saddened to hear of Illinois Chamber of Commerce President and CEO’s Todd Maisch’s passing.
Todd was a veteran of the statehouse and will be greatly missed. Although we often sat across the table from each other on issues, we always worked to put our differences aside and find common ground to build a better Illinois for everyone.
Our hearts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time.”
* Sen. Linda Holmes (D-Aurora)…
“I am so sorry to hear of Todd’s passing. I have known Todd since I joined the Senate in 2007. We worked well together as we shared a passion for encouraging and empowering business development. He was a steadfast advocate for Illinois businesses of all sizes. He will be missed by many, and my thoughts are with his family.”
* Senate Republican Leader John Curran…
“The business community is losing a champion for working people throughout our state with the passing of Illinois Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Todd Maisch. Todd dedicated his career to building a stronger business climate and a stronger Illinois and he and his work will be greatly missed. My prayers are with his family.”
* Illinois Road and Transportation Builders Association…
The Illinois Road and Transportation Builders Association is saddened by the passing of Todd Maisch, and extends condolences to his friends and family. The transportation industry lost a great ally. Todd spoke clearly about the importance of transportation infrastructure to keep our economy moving. He championed investments in transportation and was key to making the Rebuild Illinois program a bipartisan win. Todd and the Illinois Chamber also worked with a diverse coalition in championing the enactment and enforcement of the Safe Roads Amendment to the Illinois Constitution to end diversions of transportation revenues once and for all. Todd expanded the traditional reach of the Chamber by working with labor and progressives on advancing economic opportunities for Illinois and its citizens. Todd Maisch made a difference. He will be missed.
* Illinois Manufacturers’ Association…
“On behalf of manufacturers across Illinois, we mourn the loss of Illinois Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Todd Maisch, who dedicated his career to strengthening the business community and bettering our state. We offer our sincerest condolences to his wife Kim and his two children, as well as the many colleagues who will carry on his memory and mission.”
* Gov. JB Pritzker…
“I am deeply saddened to learn of Todd Maisch’s passing. Throughout his career, he worked to advance proposals to grow the state’s business community, big and small. He was passionate about making Illinois a better place to live, work, and do business and he leaves behind a storied legacy of service.
MK and I send our deepest condolences to Todd’s friends and family during this difficult time. May his memory be a blessing.”
* Attorney General Kwame Raoul…
“Todd Maisch spent decades working tirelessly to bring business opportunities to every region of Illinois. I had the opportunity to work with Todd on various issues as a state legislator and as Attorney General. We may not have always agreed on policy perspectives, but Todd was always a gentleman and maintained an appropriate tenor during often-tense negotiations. His legacy will be one of service to the state of Illinois, and he will be missed.
“My heart goes out to Todd’s colleagues at the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, and my prayers are with his wife Kim and their two sons.”
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* Sun-Times…
James Crown, one of the wealthiest men in Chicago, is aiming to use his national clout in business to try to fight crime in the city. The ambitious goal? To reduce the number of killings in Chicago to fewer than 400 a year within five years.
On Thursday, Crown — whose family was ranked 34th-richest in America by Forbes in 2020, worth an estimated $10.2 billion — is announcing a crime-reduction strategy focused on getting jobs for thousands of people in the most dangerous parts of Chicago, providing millions of dollars for civilian violence-intervention programs, strengthening law enforcement agencies and investing in low-income communities.
He’s a leader of the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago, which spent six months doing research and conducting interviews with former Mayor Lori Lightfoot, former police Supt. David Brown, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart and leaders of dozens of organizations with ties to the criminal justice system.
* It wasn’t mentioned in the story, so I asked a spokesperson how much money was involved here…
They have acknowledged it will be tens of millions of dollars and thousands of jobs — but they won’t put a specific dollar figure out there until they have sat down with the violence intervention groups — analyzed state and private funding sources — looked at the schedule for scaling up — year by year — and determined the unfunded gap. So, the need will likely be smaller in year one than in year five and — as you know - public funding will also fluctuate — particularly as ARPA funds dry up.
* From the press release…
The Civic Committee has set ambitious goals that it believes the City should strive for and would put Chicago on track to be the safest big city in America:
Homicides:
• Five years: Bring the annual number of homicides below 400 from the recent high of 804 in 2021.
• Ten years: Bring the annual number of homicides below 200.
Shootings:
• Five years: Bring the annual number of shootings below 2,000 from the record high of 3,561 in 2021.
• Ten years: Bring the number of shootings below 1,000.
“We are clear-eyed about the challenges, but we also think it’s necessary to have a shared set of ambitious goals when it comes to reducing violence and saving lives,” Crown said.
To identify the areas where business can have the most impact, the Civic Committee engaged in a seven-month fact-finding process that included interviews with numerous elected officials, community organizations, academic experts, philanthropy, and law enforcement. Out of this process, the Civic Committee announced five commitments where it believes business can make the most significant contribution to address both short-term acute issues and long-term root causes of gun violence. They are:
1. Helping take community violence intervention (CVI) programs to scale
2. Hiring alumni of CVI programs with wraparound support services
3. Enhancing policing/criminal justice reforms
4. Hiring more broadly from underinvested communities
5. Investing directly in underinvested communities
“We know that thousands of jobs are needed. We know that millions of dollars and technical support are needed. We know that our South and West Side communities need investment,” said Civic Committee President Derek Douglas. “Our five commitments reflect what business can bring to the table – a table that needs to be bolstered with leaders from across all sectors to work together and hold each other accountable to get the job done. No one sector can do it alone.”
The Civic Committee highlighted the work of the Partnership for Safe and Peaceful Communities (PSPC), a consortium of 50 funders/donors, including the Crown Family Philanthropies, which helped drive home the need to take to scale Chicago’s growing network of community violence intervention programs which are on the ground saving lives. In particular, it noted PSPC’s support to expand the reach of the most effective programs, in one example, where gun violence dropped more than 40% last year.
The task force also affirmed that challenges in the law enforcement community are long-standing, with complex, deeply rooted histories. Douglas added, “We can and must support effective, constitutional policing while doing what we can to support those who put their lives on the line to make us safe. We also need to make sure our systems are set up to hold violent offenders accountable.”
Over the coming weeks, the Civic Committee will continue its efforts to reach out to partners in philanthropy, the non-profit sector, and the business community as well as Mayor Johnson, Governor Pritzker, President Preckwinkle, and other government leaders across the City, County, and State, to both hone in more precisely on the scale, scope, and timeline of the resources that are needed from the business community and to offer support for the broader “one table” effort to develop a single, comprehensive, data-driven plan that can be implemented over the next five to ten years.
To help drive this work, Douglas also announced that the Civic Committee has hired a team of public safety experts that will be led by Bob Boik, the former head of the Office of Constitutional Policing in the Chicago Police Department (CPD). Boik will serve as the Civic Committee’s Vice President for Public Safety to work with the task force to implement the five commitments. The Civic Committee has also engaged Ernest Cato III, a former top official in CPD, and former Accenture Vice President Eric Patton, as senior advisors to build partnerships and support the implementation effort.
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* Daily Herald op-ed by Rep. Martin McLaughlin (R-Barrington)…
Illinois may be located in the Midwest, but it is home to a surprising and alarming number of deserts. At least that is what the Democrats like to tell us.
Healthcare deserts. Housing deserts. Education deserts. Food deserts. Hospital deserts. Infrastructure deserts. Pharmacy deserts. Transportation deserts. For every problem facing our state, there is an accompanying “desert” associated with it.
And right on queue, there is a measure (SB 850) being considered in the legislature to allow the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to create a Grocery Initiative and to study food deserts in Illinois and provide money to underserved areas. In other words, more government spending
The so-called remedy to these “deserts” is not the cure but is instead the underlying problem. Democrats have had total control of the state for a long time, and at no point has the thought occurred to them that just maybe the aggravating factors contributing to all of these “deserts” is the policies they have implemented. The left loves to talk about systemic problems and yet they ignore the systemic problems their policies have created.
Illinois has “deserts” because there is a climate crisis in our state. No, not global warming. A business climate crisis.
Let’s be very clear right up front: There is no doubt that our business climate is subpar, to put it mildly. Just look at the huge difficulties the governor has had while trying to lure an electric vehicle manufacturer here. It’s embarrassing.
But these problems aren’t confined to Illinois. They are all national issues.
* Let’s start with healthcare. ArcGIS…
Hospital Deserts in America
The National Rural Health Association reports that 77% of rural counties are considered “Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Areas”
Wikipedia…
A team of researchers found that in Los Angeles 89 percent of Black-majority census tracts were situated in trauma deserts; in Chicago, 73 percent; in New York City 14 percent. In Los Angeles County, South Los Angeles with one-million residents and the highest mortality rate in the county, also has the highest rates of disease and premature deaths from preventable conditions: “coronary heart disease, homicide, diabetes, lung cancer, and motor vehicle crashes.”
Washington Post…
In Texas alone, 159 of the state’s 254 counties have no general surgeons, 121 counties have no medical specialists, and 35 counties have no doctors at all. Thirty more counties are each forced to rely on just a single doctor, like Garner, a family physician by training who by necessity has become so much else: medical director of Culberson County.
* Housing deserts. USA Today…
Among Latinos, 42%, or roughly 21.2 million, lived in a census tract that lacked affordable housing in 2019. Nearly 9 in 10 of the Latino residents in such communities lived in five states: California, Florida, New Jersey, New York and Texas.
And…
Rental deserts make up about 31 percent of all neighborhoods nationally. This amounts to more than 22,000 census tracts where less than 20 percent of the stock is available to renters. Among these, nearly 7,000 are extreme rental deserts where just 10 percent of the stock or less is renter-occupied or vacant for rent. At the other end of the spectrum, high-rental neighborhoods make up just 5 percent of all tracts.
Rental deserts are disproportionately located in the suburbs where restrictive land use regulations and not-in-my-backyard (NIMBY) politics can be common. In fact, suburban neighborhoods in metropolitan areas make up 54 percent of all tracts but account for 68 percent of rental deserts
* Education deserts…
An education desert is defined as a local area where there are either zero or only one public broad-access colleges nearby. […]
Of the nation’s 709 commuting zones, 392 are classified as education deserts, and these areas are home to approximately 35 million people (about 10% of the US population). These communities are spread across the country, with many concentrated in rural areas of low population density
* Food deserts. United States Department of Agriculture …
The Conversation…
The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that 54.4 million Americans live in low-income areas with poor access to healthy food. For city residents, this means they are more than half a mile from the nearest supermarket.
WUWF…
Northwest Florida is home to 24 food deserts
According to the USDA’s most recent food access research report, 12.8% of Americans — more than 39 million people — live in food deserts. A food desert can be defined as a geographic area where residents may have low income and low access to healthy foods.
* Pharmacy deserts. The Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics at the University of Southern California…
Black and Latino neighborhoods in the 30 most populous U.S. cities had fewer pharmacies than white or diverse neighborhoods between 2007-2015, USC research shows, suggesting that ‘pharmacy deserts’ — like so-called food deserts — may be an overlooked contributor to persistent racial and ethnic health disparities.
* Infrastructure deserts. NBC DFW…
A new study from Southern Methodist University Engineering experts found 62 infrastructure deserts in the City of Dallas.
Civil and Environmental Engineering Professor Barbara Minsker led the research project using public data and aerial maps.
“An infrastructure desert is a low-income area that has very highly deficient infrastructure compared to other areas of the city,” Minsker said.
* Transportation deserts. Smithsonian Magazine…
Using GIS-based mapping technology, we recently assessed 52 U.S. cities, from large metropolises like New York City and Los Angeles to smaller cities such as Wichita. We systematically analyzed transportation and demand at the block group level – essentially, by neighborhoods. Then we classified block groups as “transit deserts,” with inadequate transportation services compared to demand; “transit oases,” with more transportation services than demand; and areas where transit supply meets demand. […]
Transportation deserts were present to varying degrees in all 52 cities in our study. In transit desert block groups, on average, about 43 percent of residents were transit dependent. But surprisingly, even in block groups that have enough transit service to meet demand, 38 percent of the population was transit dependent.
There are more examples and stats out there, but you get the gist.
* Meanwhile…
Governor JB Pritzker, Manner Polymers, and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) today joined local leaders and partners to announce Manner Polymers’ new manufacturing facility in Mount Vernon. Known as an industry manufacturing leader in polymer compounds, Manner Polymers’ new state-of-the-art Illinois facility will manufacture a wide array of PVC compounds, including automotive PVC compounds for use in electric vehicles (EVs) and components for solar panels.
The facility will be powered by a 15-acre solar field located on site. Bolstered by a Reimagining Energy and Vehicles in Illinois (REV Illinois) incentive package, Manner Polymers plans to invest $54 million and create more than 60 jobs for the Southern Illinois region.
That’s good news, but when the governor goes out of his way to enthusiastically tout the creation of only 60 jobs, there’s a problem.
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Bills that didn’t make the cut
Thursday, Jun 1, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Capitol News Illinois…
A proposed cannabis reform bill won’t get further consideration until at least the General Assembly’s fall veto session after stakeholders failed to come to an agreement during the spring session’s final stretch.
Rep. La Shawn Ford, a Chicago Democrat and the bill’s sponsor, told Capitol News Illinois last week that Senate Bill 1559 didn’t pass in part due to disagreements around delta-8 THC, a synthetic psychoactive substance typically manufactured from hemp-derived CBD. […]
But advocates for the cannabis industry are pushing for a full ban. Ford said he refused to rewrite the bill to include a ban “without any serious dialogue from the public and from the state regulators.”
Delta-8, found in small traces of hemp and cannabis plants, is an easily accessible substance that can be purchased in licensed dispensaries but also in convenience stores that otherwise are prohibited from selling cannabis. Unlike the more well-known form of THC, delta-8 is often derived from CBD and causes a much milder high. But concerns over the substance’s safety have arisen across the country because it remains unregulated, and consumers of delta-8 have gotten sick after consumption. […]
The measure as drafted would address multiple areas of the state’s burgeoning cannabis industry, including reforms for craft growers, dispensary operations and licensing procedures. The stalled bill did not include any language on delta-8.
Among other things, the bill would have increased canopy space for craft growers from 5,000 square feet to 14,000 square feet. That measure, Ford said, could help those businesses grow to be more competitive in the industry.
* Crain’s…
Hopes for wide-ranging legislation that would fix a bunch of nagging issues in the marijuana industry fizzled at the last minute.
Instead, the General Assembly made just a few changes.
• Social-equity applicants who won licenses for new retail shops got another year to find locations for their stores. They were at risk of losing those licenses starting in July if they hadn’t come up with locations.
• The state also will have another $40 million to lend to new license holders to help them get started in a business where capital has dried up quickly.
• Marijuana companies will be able to deduct typical business expenses from their state income taxes, something they can’t do on federal taxes because cannabis is illegal under federal law. Tax issues are a huge burden for an industry that’s struggling to become profitable.
But some other big changes that were expected as part of a broader weed bill that had been under discussion for months went up in smoke at the very end of the session.
Among them:
• A provision that would have helped so-called craft marijuana growers to have 14,000 feet of grow space from the outset, rather than 5,000 square feet.
• Drive-through and curbside service at dispensaries.
• The ability for retail license winners to raise money from investors, albeit with restrictions, to get their stores off the ground.
* ACS CAN…
“The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) is disappointed that the legislature didn’t pass legislation this general assembly that would have created paid medical and family leave, which would have helped reduce the cancer burden on Illinoisans.
“Cancer treatment is time-consuming–often requiring time off from work for doctor’s visits, surgery and recovery, chemotherapy and radiation. The flexibility to balance cancer treatment and employment is essential.
“A comprehensive paid medical and family leave bill that provides family leave insurance benefits to eligible employees in Illinois would help reduce the burden of cancer in our state. The legislation would have allowed those impacted by cancer to take time off work to attend to their own or a loved one’s care without losing their job or income.
“ACS CAN looks forward to hopefully working with the General Assembly during the veto session this fall to pass this important legislation and seeing Gov. Pritzker sign it into law.”
* The Telegraph…
The senators also discussed utility bills. [Sen. Erica Harriss, R-Glen Carbon] said some people in her district have seen bills go up by 90%. She co-sponsored a bill that would have allocated money in the budget to help people pay those bills, but the bill did not pass and the money was not released.
“We’re seeing a massive increase in bills and a decrease in the reliability of the energy grid,” said Plummer whose comment was met by laughter. Minutes before Tuesday night’s meeting, a power failure struck the Edwardsville Gun Club where it was held. Power was restored at 7:27 p.m., about an hour into the event.
* WAND…
An Illinois House Democrat has been trying to phase out the sub-minimum wages for workers with developmental and intellectual disabilities since 2019. State representatives had the opportunity to pass a bill tackling this issue Friday, but the Dignity in Pay Act failed to gain enough support after an intense debate.
Disabled workers have been paid much less than the state’s minimum wage for many years, and some lawmakers stress it is past time to eliminate the sub-minimum wage.
Rep. Theresa Mah (D-Chicago) said Friday that the state should empower people with disabilities to maximize their employment and self-sufficiency. Mah and many other lawmakers believe it is wrong that some people are paid as low as 50 cents per hour and make only $100 per month. […]
The Dignity in Pay Act could create a multi-year plan to eliminate the use of 14 C certificates on July 1, 2027. The Illinois Employment and Economic Opportunity for Persons with Disabilities Task Force would be responsible for recommending future state policies, benchmarks, and funding levels to meet this goal. […]
“A lot of businesses don’t want somebody that only has an attention span of two to four hours that can work,” said Rep. Charlie Meier (R-Okawville). “They want somebody that’s able to work eight hours. So, you now have a person who you made unemployed and they don’t have that check.”
* Scott Holland…
Speaking of roads, consider House Bill 2910, which advanced out of committee (Transportation: Regulations, Roads & Bridges) on a 16-0 vote before failing 6-97-1 on March 23 in the full chamber. State Rep. Jawaharial Williams, D-Chicago, filed the bill in February hoping to amend the Illinois Vehicle Code to make it illegal to hold an animal while driving. The penalty would be a $50 fine.
Two Democratic suburban lawmakers signed on as co-sponsors: state Reps. Joyce Mason, Gurnee, and Suzanne Ness, Crystal Lake, and although the measure failed, the logic is sound: there are several distracted driving laws on the books and none explicitly mentions pets. The debate on cellphone use behind the wheel is settled, statutorily, but no one has explained why skipping to the next song on your playlist is inherently more dangerous than the Pomeranian between you and the steering wheel (to say nothing of smoking, eating, applying makeup or trying to keep the baby in the backseat from screaming). […]
Then there’s House Bill 1110, another Vehicle Code amendment. Also introduced by a Chicago Democrat, state Rep. Kam Buckner, this one has more sponsors, including House Minority Leader Tony McCombie, R-Savanna. The law would define “digitized driver’s license” and allow the presentation of such to law enforcement. It also caps the fee for any app required to display such a license at $6. The plan has been in the rules committee since March 27.
I access vehicle insurance cards through the carrier’s app and make sure my wife and oldest son have current copies on their phones. I probably wouldn’t pay $6 for a state app because I carry a wallet, but the teen drivers in my house would prefer fewer things in their pockets to potentially lose. There are extended questions, such as whether the digital license would work for proof of age or residency, but this is an idea whose time seemingly will come.
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Why is this allowed to happen in plain sight?
Thursday, Jun 1, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Illinois Answers Project…
[Tiffany Henyard] wears two hats in local government. As the Dolton mayor, she takes home more than $46,000 in base pay and as the supervisor of Thornton Township, she makes more than $200,000 a year, records show.
An Illinois Answers Project and FOX 32 investigation has found that while in office, Henyard has:
• Funnelled thousands of dollars in taxpayer money to a private foundation that bears her name. She says the organization helps people with cancer. The officers of the foundation are people who work for the township or the village.
• Spent thousands of taxpayer dollars for a group bicycle ride to Springfield in support of a breast cancer bill, Henyard said in videos taken during the trip. But the bill was never formally filed and state lawmakers weren’t in session.
• Spent thousands of taxpayers dollars for not one but two ice rinks. Elected officials say they did not authorize either expenditure.
In a September 2022 meeting, Henyard and the township board voted to give $10,000 to her foundation, which claims to help people with cancer. Records show the foundation’s paperwork was filed with the state the same day that the township payment was approved.
Documents show the foundation’s officials are all people who work for the village or township.
Dolton Village Manager Keith Freeman, who is also her paid senior advisor at the township, filed the paperwork for the foundation. Village of Dolton Housing Director William Moore and her executive assistant in Dolton, Carmen Carlisle, sit on the board. Thornton Township employees Cheryl Schranz, Pamela Airhart and Kamal Woods, are also nonprofit board members. […]
Last fall, under Henyard’s direction but without board approval, the Village of Dolton hired Minnesota-based KwikRink Synthetic Ice to build an artificial ice rink for $115,000, which included a $10,000 down payment.
But after the board found out and refused to pay the bill, leaving KwikRink with an ice rink collecting dust in a Minnesota warehouse pending payment, the village hired another company at her direction to supply the materials for a second rink ahead of a grand opening which came days before an election that would determine the fate of her control of the board. […]
According to township records obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, Henyard has received $316,000 in salaries and other payments since being appointed to the board in 2022. Those records show that she also received exorbitant reimbursement checks, though a township Freedom of Information officer never responded to requests for further clarification on those records. The Village of Dolton declined to provide records.
There’s a whole lot more, so go read the rest.
* Meanwhile, here’s Ted Slowik at the Daily Southtown…
Lawmakers have approved a state budget that proposes to send more than $9 million in state funds to Thornton Township and $6.8 million to the village of Dolton to cover operational costs and capital improvements.
I hope the state keeps close track of taxpayer dollars soon to be controlled by Tiffany Henyard, embattled supervisor of Thornton Township and mayor of Dolton. The money seems doomed to disappear into a black hole of zero accountability.
The majority of trustees on the Dolton Village Board said it’s been months since they’ve seen credit card statements, a warrants list of money owed to vendors and other financial documents. Henyard canceled Village Board meetings in March, April and May.
Henyard is spending $50,000 a month on a village credit card, Dolton trustees said. Trustees said they don’t know where the money is going. They’ve sued in an effort to promote transparency and see documents that would enable them to fulfill their oaths as stewards of village funds, but the court fight seems to have become an expensive legal slog.
Astute observers believe Henyard is commingling township and village funds and paying for gasoline for residents, continually throwing catered parties and spending big bucks on hair, makeup, photography and graphic design for promotions like billboards that misspelled Thornton Township.
Henyard seems to be wasting public funds in plain sight on frivolous endeavors. A village trustee publicly stated his belief that Henyard inherited a budget surplus when she became mayor in 2021 and now Dolton has a $5 million deficit.
Again, there’s more. Click here.
* Related Slowik columns…
* Election prompts surreal scene in Dolton as mayor, trustees battle over legal bills: A spectacle that unfolded at a Dolton Village Board meeting Monday night seemed surreal. A DJ blared loud music as Henyard entered dressed as Nino Brown, a drug kingpin character portrayed by Wesley Snipes in the 1991 film, “New Jack City.” Henyard dressed in black leather and carried a stuffed dog to mimic a scene in which the head of a criminal enterprise intimidates, torments and physically assaults an underling.
* Dolton trustees seek answers from Tiffany Henyard as mayor shrouds spending in secrecy: “The amount of money being spent without board approval, without checks and balances, is unacceptable,” Trustee Edward Steave said Monday night during a special board meeting at a Dolton Park District facility. … Trustees adopted an ordinance in February to cap credit card spending at $20,000 per month, but Henyard is ignoring the policy, House said. Henyard and trustees have battled over paying law firms and other vendors. … The board met at a Park District facility because last year when the board tried to meet at Village Hall on different occasions trustees were locked out, the power was shut off and the Fire Department was called, Steave said.
* Thornton Township Supervisor Tiffany Henyard blames Zuccarelli, state senator for $5 million deficit: Henyard also blamed the deficit on state Sen. Napoleon Harris, D-Harvey. Voters last summer elected Harris Democratic committeeperson for Thornton Township, a position Zuccarelli previously held. “Napoleon, your senator, was supposed to sign off on a $5 million amount to give to the township” Henyard said. “He did not give the township the $5 million, so that put the township in a deficit of $5 million, because they did a build out here at the township without even having the money in the bank.” I’ve previously criticized Henyard for mischaracterizing grant funds as “free money.” Her remarks about Harris seemed to indicate the senator might have unsuccessfully lobbied for a state grant that might have funded the Township Hall renovation. “I can assure everyone that Sen. Harris has never discussed funding or any grants with Supervisor Henyard and any claims suggesting otherwise are baseless,” Nakita McGraw, a representative for Harris, told me Wednesday.
* Thornton Township firings and job postings driven by political revenge and not budget concerns, critics say: Amid the firings, the township posted on its website that it was seeking applicants for marketing manager, staff photographer, executive assistant, social media team, public relations manager, municipal communications coordinator, senior communications coordinator, youth communications coordinator, special events manager, township editor and event planner. None of the positions included information about job descriptions or minimal requirements, just links to a generic employment application.
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Open thread
Thursday, Jun 1, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* What’s goin’ on? Keep it Illinois-centric please!…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Thursday, Jun 1, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Here you go…
* Capitol News Illinois | Pritzker touts new budget’s higher education spending: “With this new budget, we’re making it possible for nearly every student from a low-, moderate- or middle-income family to go to community college tuition free,” Pritzker said at the University of Illinois Springfield. “Getting a college or university degree shouldn’t strap you in debt for the rest of your life.”
* Tribune | Gov. J.B. Pritzker touts higher education funding to kick off tour promoting state budget: Pritzker has said the final budget hewed closely to the proposal he introduced in February, when he focused on education. On Wednesday, he touted investments that include about $2.8 billion for university and community college infrastructure. He said over $686 million in capital funding was going to the University of Illinois system, including to UIS
* WTTW | Illinois House Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch on Budget, Bipartisanship and Immigration: Welch pointed out that before he was speaker, in 2017 he was a lead co-sponsor of the Trust Act, which “made Illinois the most welcoming state in the country” by limiting Illinois law enforcement agencies from cooperating with federal immigration agents if federal officials don’t have a warrant — a restriction intended to make undocumented immigrants feel comfortable cooperating with police without fear of deportation. “We are a welcoming state, Chicago’s a welcoming city,” Welch said. “And you can’t just talk the talk, you have to walk the walk. And you know, we believe in helping people.”
* Daily Herald | Arlington Park’s property tax bill reduced by more than half: After an agreement between Churchill Downs Inc., the Cook County Board of Review and several suburban school districts, the property tax bill for Arlington Park this year was reduced to $7.8 million. That’s less than half the initial $16.1 million tax bill estimated when the property was reassessed by Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi’s office last year.
* Shaw Local | GOP House Minority Leader McCombie, State Rep. Keicher talk spring legislative session at Genoa town hall: Keicher alleged state Democrats didn’t go through the proper steps for legislative measures, and said he was astounded how often lawmakers on the other side of the aisle said they hadn’t heard anything from constituents about various bills, when he asked them.
* Scott Holland | Geography needn’t be a barrier to access state court system: The drive from the White County Courthouse in Carmi to its equivalent in Sangamon County is almost 200 miles, at least a three-hour trek in good traffic.
* Daily Herald | Katz Muhl to challenge Carroll for 57th District state representative: Katz Muhl, a Northbrook attorney, could challenge four-term Rep. Jonathan Carroll, also of Northbrook, in the March 19, 2024 primary. The general election will be held Nov. 5, 2024.
* Lottery Daily | Illinois Senate swaps responsible betting messages with lottery provisions: The sports betting bill was passed by the state Senate with a unanimous 54-0 vote, but has now been gutted in the Illinois House of Representatives to allow for the issuance of several new lottery scratch card games.
* Jim Dey | State audit of business aid program reveals big problems: A recent report by the Illinois Auditor General’s office shows that state officials, primarily those in the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, botched the dispensing of funds in a $585 million Business Interruption Grant (BIG) program.
* Patch | Illinois Psychiatrists Call for Better Mental Health Care, Access: Our mental health care system is in crisis, with access to equal, quality, affordable care a challenge nearly everywhere. We propose a true team approach to the problem. We offer here a blueprint of policy ideas we believe will help address the challenge comprehensively and effectively. Our first pillar calls for increasing equitable access. Many people in rural, minority, and low-income communities have some of the greatest needs, yet they have the greatest challenges to see those needs met.
* Crain’s | Johnson and the city’s top cop respond to Memorial Day weekend violence: Johnson’s comments came at a traditional post-City Council press conference where the new mayor stood alongside the city’s police chief to say the police department will make “adjustments” to officer deployments throughout the summer to respond to shootings while the city continues to work with community groups in an effort to prevent violence. “It will take all of us, every city department, agency, police, business, philanthropy, community partners, all the people of Chicago to deliver real, safe communities,”he said.
* Sun-Times | Dale Earnhardt Jr. tests NASCAR Chicago Street Race track, assesses ‘challenges’ for drivers: The two-time Daytona 500 champion stopped by Chicago as other drivers offered ride-alongs on the track in an SUV. Earnhardt rated each bump, crest and imperfection.
* Block Club | Just In Time For Patio Season, City Council Backs COVID-Era Rules Making Outdoor Dining Easier: Groups of three or more restaurants on the same block would also be able to apply for full street closures for their outdoor patios.
* Sun-Times | Former Mayor Lori Lightfoot to teach at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health: Eric Andersen, the director, Senior Leadership Fellows Program and Studio Programming at the school, said in an interview, “we reached out” to Lightfoot because “I think as mayor and as a leader she faced many pressing public health issues, most notable navigating the pandemic.
* Sun-Times | Alice Palmer, state senator who mentored Barack Obama, dies at 83: In 1995, Mrs. Palmer announced she would give up her seat in Springfield and run in a special election to succeed convicted U.S. Rep. Mel Reynolds in Congress. She endorsed Obama as her chosen successor in the state Senate, but after she lost the congressional race to Jesse Jackson Jr., Mrs. Palmer decided to seek reelection to the state Senate.
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Live coverage
Thursday, Jun 1, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
Comments Off
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Afternoon Roundup
Wednesday, May 31, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Governor Pritzker kicked off his statewide tour detailing the budget. State Journal-Register…
Gov. JB Pritzker at the University of Illinois-Springfield Student Union touted the budget, now awaiting his signature, as including several line items for construction projects on campus and increases investment into the Monetary Award Program by $100 million. Fiscal year 2024, starting in July, will have $701 million in total investment into program — a 75% increase since the beginning of the Pritzker administration. […]
“With this new budget we’re making it possible for nearly every student from a low, moderate or middle-income family to go to community college tuition free,” Pritzker said, kicking off a statewide tour detailing the budget. “Getting a college or university degree shouldn’t strap you in debt for the rest of your life.”
Rep. Mike Coffey, R-Springfield, was also in attendance and expressed support for several appropriations and reappropriations heading towards UIS.
He and all other Republicans in both chambers, however, voted against the budget. Coffey’s reasons for his ‘no’ vote were namely due to another increase to state legislator pay and feeling left-out on budget negotiations with the super-majority party.
* An update of an earlier post…
* Last day folks…
TODAY, May 31st is the deadline to apply for the vacancy in the 1st District of the Cook County Board of Commissioners created by the resignation of Mayor Brandon Johnson. Democratic Oak Park Township Committeeman Don Harmon released details on this process May 17th.
All registered voters residing in the district are eligible to submit an application via email at firstdistrictvacancy@gmail.com.
As a reminder, Mayor Johnson announced his resignation from the Cook County Board on May 13th, 2023 thus creating a vacancy to be filled by the elected Committee members of the Cook County Townships and Chicago Wards that comprise the 1st District. As the Committeeman with the highest number of “weighted votes,” Harmon will serve as the Chair of the proceedings.
“We welcome all applicants from the 1st District to serve the people of Cook County,” said Chair Don Harmon. “Anyone interested in applying to our committee for the appointment should submit a resume and a short cover letter signifying their interest and qualifications before the end of today,” he concluded. […]
After the application period is closed, the election committee may narrow the field of applicants and set a date and time for in-person interviews. Upon completion of interviews and deliberation, the committee will vote on the appointment of the new commissioner. A vote of the majority of the weighted votes will determine the appointee.
* Crain’s on that other budget…
It looks like Illinois congressmen will be all over the map on the big debt extension bill, with a House vote now set for this afternoon.
Absolutely no one on either side of the aisle is saying they like the pact between President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Perhaps that signals it’s a good deal. Whether or not you agree, passage will depend on how many votes the measure gets from the political center, with hard-right conservatives and way-left progressives peeling off. […]
Among Illinois reps who have so far expressed an opinion in an an interview, statement or online — some are still keeping mum — there is one sure “no” vote. That’s from downstate conservative Mary Miller. […]
“I have serious concerns,” particularly about but not limited to food stamps and work requirements, Ramirez said in a statement. Beyond that, reclaiming unspent COVID relief money could have a “tremendous” impact on Illinois, and changes in environmental permitting will potentially worsen pollution. Ramirez said she’ll decide after reviewing the fine print of the deal.
* Block Club Chicago…
After four years of barricades, ID checks and protests, Lori Lightfoot’s neighbors have their block back.
Lightfoot’s security detail, which reportedly totaled more than 70 officers, was slashed earlier this month after Brandon Johnson was sworn in as mayor, marking the end of what some neighbors called “Fort Lori.”
The Chicago Police Department conducted a “needs assessment” of Lightfoot’s detail and “adjusted resources to meet current demands,” police spokesman Don Terry said. Terry didn’t answer further questions, including how many officers were pulled. […]
Liz said she and other neighbors were so ecstatic to be rid of the large security detail — and the restrictions that came along with it — that they had a celebratory champagne toast when the block cleared out.
* Which brings me to this Sun-Times story. No word if Mayor Johnson’s security detail were involved but his name was in the headline…
A neighbor of Mayor Brandon Johnson is accused of beating and stabbing a woman so many times over the weekend that a worker for the Cook County medical examiner’s office remarked he had “never seen so many injuries on someone’s body,” prosecutors said in court Tuesday.
Arnel Smith, 64, was charged with first-degree murder and concealment of a homicide after the woman’s body was found early Saturday in an alley behind Smith’s home in the 5700 block of West Superior Street.
The 41-year-old woman, whose name hasn’t been released, was beaten with a baseball bat and stabbed with shards of broken pottery, Assistant State’s Attorney Anne McCord Rodgers said.
Smithknew the woman before crossing paths with her Friday night at a Citgo gas station near Chicago and Hamlin avenues, Rodgers said. The two went back to Smith’s home where they used drugs, she said.
* Here’s the roundup…
* WBEZ | Chicago City Council approves $51 million in aid for migrants after racially-heated debate: Dueling boos and cheers rang out each time members of the public spoke in support of the funding Wednesday. The meeting paused shortly as shouts from the public were so loud and boisterous, they overtook the proceedings that Mayor Brandon Johnson struggled to reel in. The debate was at times racially-charged as alderpersons and residents spoke out about where the city dedicates resources.
* Triibe | Support for asylum seekers builds despite pushback: The shuttered Wadsworth Elementary School in Woodlawn has been used as a shelter for asylum seekers since the beginning of February. As of April 25, the total number of people sheltered at Wadsworth was 496, with 428 of them being males and sixty-eight being females. This solution was not without pushback from Alds. Jeanette Taylor (20th), Michelle Harris (8th), nor many of their constituents. Taylor said she was never informed by the Lightfoot administration that it would be setting up an encampment there. Taylor said she asked for a conversation back in October, shortly after buses full of asylum seekers sent from Texas sent by Gov. Greg Abbott began arriving in Chicago, but she never received one.
* American Independent | The dark money funding conservative anti-trans groups: The donors identified by the American Independent Foundation as major supporters of the anti-trans groups profiled in this story are among the most powerful and wealthy on the American right: Leonard Leo, the conservative judicial activist who helped former President Donald Trump pick his Supreme Court nominees and who controls a billion-dollar funding apparatus; Richard Uihlein, the GOP megadonor who has bankrolled far-right and election-denying candidates; and members of the Koch donor network of nonprofit political organizations spearheaded by the conservative billionaire Charles Koch and his late brother, David.
* WICS | Summer months see more crime and assault in central Illinois: “With the hot weather, people tend to drink more. We have a lot of factors that go into play here where the crime rates are going to rise across the board. Especially in assaults where you have more interaction with people,” said Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell. In 2021 and 2022, Decatur saw an average of 59 aggravated assault cases per month for nine months of the year.
* Axios | Why TikTok wants its new data privacy trial held in Illinois: The company has requested that the new lawsuits, which accuse TikTok of accessing user data through third-party websites on the app’s browser, be heard in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. It’s the same courtroom where a judge approved a $92 million class-action settlement that sent $167 checks to users in 2022. […] “TikTok is now coming back to the Northern District to ask if these new claims are covered by the $92 million settlement.”
* WIFR | Rockford mayor unfazed by protestors during 6th State of the City Address: Protestors delayed the start of the speech by five minutes but the mayor seemed unfazed, touting what he calls improvements made to better the Forest City. […] He cited other accomplishments during his tenure including making water safe by replacing lead pipes, bringing more businesses to the area and implementing more sidewalks and streetlights into neighborhoods.
* Tribune | Cook County program touted as one of the ‘top eviction prevention innovations’ has drawn praise, pushback: But the innovation has brought additional challenges. Before the pandemic, it could take just a few weeks for a tenant to be evicted. Now it takes at least a couple of months. The slowdown, tenants’ attorneys argue, is necessary to ensure that everyone, including landlords, gets the help that they need. But the extra time leads to financial distress for property owners, argue landlords’ attorneys.
* WBEZ | Outdoor dining program could become permanent: The City Council’s License Committee unanimously advanced Mayor Brandon Johnson’s plan to make permanent an al fresco dining program that helped many restaurants and bars survive during the pandemic.
* Jen walling | What Illinois can do since Supreme Court gutted federal protection of wetlands, waterways: You may not immediately see the impacts, but they will soon be felt by all of us. Stormwater displaced by the loss of wetlands that would normally absorb excess water must go somewhere. Certainly, some will find a way into our streets, homes, and businesses. Wetlands are an invaluable natural resource. They reduce flooding, filter out pollutants from water, provide habitat for a host of endangered species, and help reduce climate-warming carbon in our atmosphere. In Illinois, more than 85% of our wetlands have already been lost to development, according to the Illinois State Water Plan. Remaining wetlands are already suffering decreased biodiversity and an influx of difficult-to-control invasive species.
* Tribune | Former Chicago cop charged with pinning Park Ridge teen to the ground last summer to stand trial Monday: Almost a year after he was charged for wrestling a young Park Ridge teen face down on a sidewalk in Park Ridge’s Uptown area, former Chicago Police Department Sergeant Michael Vitellaro will stand trial June 5, according to court records.
* Crain’s | Johnson looks for more legislative wins at special City Council meeting: Last week, at Johnson’s first full City Council meeting, Ald. Ray Lopez, 15th, Ald. Anthony Beale, 9th, and Ald. Anthony Napolitano, 41st, used a parliamentary maneuver to block a vote on the $51 million, which is being taken from a 2021 revenue surplus and meant to fund the city’s response through June. In response, Johnson and his allies called a special meeting for Wednesday to hold the vote. The ordinance is expected to easily be approved.
* AP | Earth is ‘really quite sick now’ and in danger zone in nearly all ecological ways, study says: The study by the international scientist group Earth Commission published in Wednesday’s journal Nature looks at climate, air pollution, phosphorus and nitrogen contamination of water from fertilizer overuse, groundwater supplies, fresh surface water, the unbuilt natural environment and the overall natural and human-built environment. Only air pollution wasn’t quite at the danger point globally.
* Sun-Times | 11 people wounded over 3 hours in Chicago, mostly in neighborhoods that have been more violent this year: No arrests were reported in any of the attacks. Homicides and shootings across the city are down from last year, with homicides by 6% and shootings by 5%, according to police data, But most of Tuesday night’s shootings were in districts that have seen a rise in homicides or shootings or both.
* ABC Chicago | Cook County minimum wage set for increase on July 1: The minimum wage will go up to $13.70 an hour for non-tipped workers and $8 an hour for workers who earn tips. The minimum wage increases each year according to a formula set by a county ordinance.
* WSIL | Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch Kicks off Pride Month with a Celebration for all on June 1: The event will feature performers from Chicago’s legendary Baton Show Lounge. It’s hosted by some of Illinois’ greatest advocates for LGBTQ rights including: Associate Regional Communications Director at Sierra Club, Precious Brady-Davis; 14th District State Representative Kelly Cassidy; former House Majority Leader Greg Harris; Democratic Party of Dupage County Chair Ken Mejia-Beal; Alderman Lamont Robinson of Chicago’s 4th District; and Director of Public Policy at Equality Illinois, Mike Ziri.
* WCIA | Illinois State Fair box office opens Thursday: Regular box office hours include 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday and from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday, August 5, officials reported. Tickets are also available to purchase online.
* Crain’s | Tribune Publishing owner to pay nearly $100,000 in settlement with union: New York-based hedge fund Alden Global Capital has settled an unfair-labor-practice complaint, resulting in nearly $100,000 to be paid out to members of the Chicago Tribune Guild. Alden, which owns the paper’s parent, Tribune Publishing, will disperse individual payments to union members who were on Tribune medical insurance plans in 2022. That includes people no longer employed by the company, according to an email from the CT Guild.
* Block Club | As Lori Lightfoot’s Large Security Detail Shrinks, Her Logan Square Neighbors Say ‘It Feels Like A Normal Block Again’: Liz said she and other neighbors were so ecstatic to be rid of the large security detail — and the restrictions that came along with it — that they had a celebratory champagne toast when the block cleared out.
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* Sun-Times | Divided City Council approves $51 million in migrant crisis funding: A divided City Council agreed Wednesday to slap a $51 million Band-Aid on Chicago’s burgeoning migrant crisis after a cathartic and racially-charged debate that reduced one member to tears. The 34-to-13 vote will provide enough funding to carry Chicago only through June 30.
* Tribune | City Council approves $51 million for migrants as officials scramble for more funds, point fingers: Moore, 17th, opened the discussion by urging a “No” vote because his majority-Black ward has suffered with dilapidated field houses and seniors becoming homeless because of long public housing waitlists. He argued that during his community needs to put its oxygen “mask” on first. “The soul of Chicago is somewhat on trial today regarding this ordinance. … People keep saying there’s enough to go around,” Moore said, quoting a common theme from Johnson’s inaugural address and mayoral campaign. “I heard that over and over. So let’s pass an ordinance where we see enough.”
* WGN | Chicago City Council approves $51M aid for migrant care: The $51 million is money the city received from opioid and vapor court settlements. One alderperson said it would only last about two months.
* CBS Chicago | City Council approves $51 million in funding for migrant housing amid raucous debate: While the shouting between supporters and opponents of the ordinance prompted Chicago police officers to remove several people from the crowd inside City Hall, the debate among aldermen was more measured, though often still passionate. […] Ald. Maria Hadden (49th), who voted for the funding, said the anger on display at Wednesday’s meeting was the result of decades of disinvestment in Black neighborhoods across the city. “A conflict is being created at a weak point in this city, and it’s frustrating because this weak point wouldn’t exist if our city hadn’t spent decades not serving Black residents,” she said.
* Chicago Defender | City Council Votes to Spend $51 Million for City Asylum Seekers: A popular sentiment among people who oppose providing emergency housing to these new arrivals is what the city does for existing homeless people and struggling residents. That sentiment and more were expressed during a spirited Wednesday city council meeting with people opposed to the ordinance chanting, “No justice, no peace.”
* WBEZ | Chicago City Council approves $51 million in aid for migrants after racially-heated debate: Ald. Jeanette Taylor, 20th Ward, has been one of the most outspoken and critical council members on the city’s handling of the migrant crisis. Her ward is home to a migrant shelter in a shuttered public school, and she has repeatedly complained of a lack of coordination from the city. Still, repeating the phrase “hurt people don’t hurt people” in a floor speech Wednesday, Taylor voted to pass the funding. “If my yes vote bothers you, then so be it … because hurt people don’t hurt people,” Taylor said to shouts of “she’s a traitor” from members of the crowd.
* ABC Chicago | Chicago City Council approves $51M for migrant housing: The council also approved a permanent outdoor dining program, allowing restaurants to expand outdoors to sidewalks and even curb lanes, and in some cases entire streets, like in River North during the pandemic.
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* Chicago Tribune…
When it came time to split up the first batch of $15 billion Congress set aside last year to replace toxic lead pipes, Illinois officials had plenty of reasons to expect they would get the biggest share. […]
But when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced last month how it plans to share nearly $3 billion this year, Florida got the biggest cut. Another state surprisingly in the top 10: Texas.
Since then environmental lawyers have been quizzing EPA officials and state bureaucrats about a 2022 survey the agency relied upon to conclude Florida surpasses Illinois in the number of lead service lines, and that Texas has more than Michigan and Wisconsin combined. […]
Illinois and other states with the most lead service lines are getting substantially less federal money per line than those with far fewer toxic pipes. For instance, Alaska, with 1,454 lead lines, and South Dakota, with 4,141, will get $19,704 and $6,919 per line respectively during the coming year.
The federal money headed to Illinois amounts to $221 per lead service line, a review of EPA data shows. Michigan and Wisconsin are getting $241 and $238 a line.
* AP…
The survey released Tuesday was the first time the agency asked about lead pipes and gave the best count yet of how many are underground. Florida, with an estimated 1.16 million pipes, was a surprise to one expert. Industrial states like Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania are more typically associated with extensive lead pipe issues.
Illinois ranked second in Tuesday’s survey, with 1.04 million lead pipes, followed by Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and New York. […]
Erik Olson, a health and food expert at the environmental group Natural Resources Defense Council, said the EPA was “trying to do the right thing” by using its survey to direct lead pipe funds to states that need it most. But he called Florida’s figure “a big surprise.” Olson said the state told his group in 2021 that it doesn’t track lead service lines. The NRDC’s estimate for the state was about 200,000.
Olson said the Florida number is puzzling because lead pipes were most frequently installed in the decades before Florida’s population rapidly grew.
“We look forward to hearing an explanation,” Olson said.
* WTVO…
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has awarded Rockford $4 million to replace 960 lead water pipes. […]
“Lead is a toxin that can accumulate in the body and cause serious illness or even death,” said Sen. Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford). “This funding protects public water supplies and helps Rockford and other cities across the state replace these aging water pipes before IEPA deadlines kick in.”
The award is Rockford’s fifth from IEPA State Revolving Fund, which provides principal forgiveness loans that don’t have to be repaid. Rockford has received $16 million to replace lead service lines since 2019, with $4 million being the program’s maximum award amount.
Since 2017, the IEPA has provided $105 million in funding for lead service line replacement statewide.
* Lead paint is still a health hazard in Cook County. WTTW…
In suburban Cook County, officials now say as many as half a million homes have lead paint hazards that present enormous health threats for young children. One mother said her kids were poisoned several years ago — and the problems have not let up since. […]
“The most likely source of lead poisoning for children in Chicago is lead-based paint,” said Dr. Candice Robinson, medical director of the Chicago Department of Public Health. […]
The number of Chicago children with elevated lead levels has plummeted in the last 25 years. In 1996, 70% tested positive for elevated levels compared to under 2% in 2021, according to CDPH data.
But the city’s health department admits less than 50% of children are being tested regularly, a city requirement. And CDPH data finds that in many low income communities and communities of color, between 30% and 40% of all residents in older homes tested positive.
In a follow up email, a spokesperson responded, “CDPH Finds lead hazards in about 99 percent of residences built before 1978.”
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Question of the day
Wednesday, May 31, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* I received this text from Freshman Rep. Hoan Huynh (D-Chicago) a few moments ago…
I’m throwing out the ceremonial first pitch today at Wrigley Field around 12:30pm in honor of Asian American Pacific Islander Month and as the first Asian American to represent Wrigleyville in the Illinois General Assembly!
* Mayor Johnson threw out the first pitch before Sunday’s Cubs vs Cincinnati Reds game…
* The Question: What’s your favorite baseball moment?
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It’s almost a law
Wednesday, May 31, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Rep. Stephanie Kifowit…
* Illinois State Dental Society…
The key focus of our legislative agenda this year was dental insurance reform. ISDS was victorious in passing two pieces of legislation to begin addressing dental insurance reform in Illinois.
-The legislation addressed network leasing, a bait-and-switch tactic insurance companies use to gain more revenue.
- A second piece of dental insurance reform legislation, virtual credit cards, was passed to address the issue of insurance companies requiring dentists to pay a fee to obtain payment for the services they have rendered to patients.
ISDS passed legislation related to the upcoming e-prescription requirements and legislation clarifying Illinois Dental Practice Act provisions. Additionally, we have agreed with the Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) to implement rules to clarify when orthodontics is covered under the Medicaid program.
ISDS advocated very strongly to defeat the proposed Medicaid provider tax, which would have taxed all dentists in Illinois. We are pleased to announce that this tax did not pass this legislative session.
* AARP Illinois State Director Philippe Largent…
“AARP Illinois fought hard on issues important for its 1.7 million members and older adults in Illinois.
Below are the highlights of the major legislative wins that AARP Illinois advocated for on behalf of older adults across the state. […]
Prevention of generic Rx drug price gouging: HB 3957 prevents drug manufacturers and distributors from charging unfair prices for off-patent and generic drugs in Illinois. For price increases that are excessive and unreasonable for consumers, the Attorney General will have the authority to investigate the increases, seek documentation from drug manufacturers, and petition for remedy. If substantiated, there could be rebates to consumers, civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation and even a court order to lower the cost of the drug.
Access to affordable insulin: HB 2189 addresses the insulin affordability crisis for Illinoisans who need this life-saving drug. The bill lowers the $100 co-pay cap in state-regulated health plans to $35 to align with Medicare Part D. This action was critical as the price of insulin, a 100-year-old drug, has increased by 600% over the last 20 years which had made it unaffordable for many who depend on it to survive.
Saving for retirement: HB 3155 strengthens the Illinois Secure Choice Program operationally ensuring millions of Illinois workers will have access to employment-based retirement savings whether through this program or their employer. It gives workers the freedom to choose the private savings option that works best for them. The legislation makes the program more self-sustaining and stabilizes the fees charged to participants as their account balances increase. This program has become critical to workers of all ages across Illinois who want to save for retirement. Currently, Illinois Secure Choice has more than 122,000 participants who together have saved more than $117 million for retirement, and over 9,600 employers are registered for the program.
Predatory Lending Protections: AARP Illinois opposed a measure, HB 1519, that if passed, would have allowed lenders that offer private student loans, called Income Share Agreements, charge up to 20% in some cases of a student’s future annual income. AARP Illinois also opposed an effort by pawnbrokers to charge usurious rates up to 240% APR. Both of these measures, had they not been stopped, would have charged such high interest rates that borrowers would have been tied to for years, potentially decades, significantly threatening their financial security. […]
Rights of older drivers: Illinois is the only state that requires drivers 75 and older to take a physical driving test. AARP policy supports effective, evidence-based assessment models to identify at-risk drivers of all ages. As a part of a bill that was signed into law late last year, a task force will soon convene to examine the issue and will resolve at what age, if any, will still require a re-examination. As that law offered confusing language, AARP supported HB 2091 this spring, a bill meant to clarify that age to require a physical driving test cannot be lowered to younger than 75, only raised, in the future.
AARP Illinois now encourages Gov. Pritzker to sign those important pieces of legislation that passed into law.
* Illinois Senate Dems…
“This monumental legislation makes greater investments in our children,” said Hastings (D- Frankfort). “The cost of financing higher education can be overwhelming. The expansion of this grant program will help increase accessibility for middle class families at our state’s universities and colleges.”
House Bill 301 will make the AIM HIGH Grant Pilot Program permanent, increase transparency in the program to allow more students to take advantage of it, increase access for part-time students and make changes to the matching requirements for the public universities.
Since the 2019-2020 academic year the AIM HIGH program has provided merit-based, means-tested student financial aid to first-time, full-time undergraduate students and transfer students who are Illinois residents attending any of the 12 Illinois public four-year universities. AIM HIGH-participating universities are required to provide matching funding for institutional awards for students who meet certain eligibility requirements, as well as those established by each individual university.
The initiative adopts changes to help ensure that the AIM HIGH Grant Program targets those most in need, further amplifying its impact. […]
House Bill 301 passed the Senate and House with bipartisan support.
* News Channel 20…
Illinois may be the first in the nation to pass a bill that requires protections for child influencers, and all of this is being spearheaded by a 16-year-old from Normal, Illinois.
What started as an independent study back in August turned into a piece of legislation that has reached national audiences.
Shreya Nallamothu thinks these protections should have happened a long time ago.
“I was like legislation takes time, I’m not expecting to change the law in five months. I’m surprised it even passed out of the Senate Labor Committee,” the 16-year-old said. […]
The new legislation makes sure children who are featured in videos receive a cut of the income their family makes through a trust fund that they can have access to when they reach the age of 18.
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* Background is here if you need it. From the Iowa Supreme Court…
In this appeal, we must decide whether the district court correctly ruled that qualified would-be competitors in the electric transmission market lacked standing to challenge new legislation that blocks them from bidding against existing Iowa operators on future projects. The statute at issue, Iowa Code section 478.16 (2020), grants “incumbent” Iowa [electric utilities] a right of first refusal (ROFR) that forestalls competitive bidding. […]
We are not surprised the ROFR lacked enough votes to pass without logrolling. The provision is quintessentially crony capitalism. This rent-seeking, protectionist legislation is anticompetitive. Common sense tells us that competitive bidding will lower the cost of upgrading Iowa’s electric grid and that eliminating competition will enable the incumbent to command higher prices for both construction and maintenance. Ultimately, the ROFR will impose higher costs on Iowans. The data back this up: amicus Coalition of MISO Transmission Customers offers data collected from two recent bid-based projects that indicate competition reduces costs by fifteen percent compared to MISO’s estimates. As the Coalition summarizes, “Without competition, there are fewer checks and balances on cost estimates, and no pressures or incentives to curb project costs and prevent cost overruns.”
Both Illinois chambers approved a similar bill at the 11th hour last week that would hand Ameren the right of first refusal to build regional electricity lines. You’ll recall that this “quintessentially crony capitalism” and “protectionist” legislation was fervently backed by Rep. Chris Miller (R-No Relation) during floor debate.
* This is how Ameren pitched the bill in Missouri, its home state…
In states with right-of-first-refusal laws, these LRTP projects can begin as soon as they are approved by MISO, but that won’t be the case in Missouri unless HB 992 is passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by the governor. Without the Missouri First Transmission Act, these projects will be forced to go through a lengthy bid process that could take up to two years to complete — putting Missouri behind schedule when it comes to these important transmission projects.
The legislation did not pass.
* Capitol News Illinois…
Critics of the proposal said that it would reduce competition, leading to higher costs for construction projects and ultimately higher costs to energy consumers. But proponents said that it will streamline the billions of dollars of construction planned for the coming years while creating union jobs for Illinoisans. […]
While it needs only a signature from Gov. JB Pritzker to become law, he vowed last week to veto the bill. Pritzker spokesperson Alex Gough said the governor opposes the bill because it “puts corporate profits over consumers.”
The legislature could override Pritzker’s potential veto, but it would require three-fifths majorities in both chambers, a margin that it earned in the Senate, but not the House. […]
The bill’s house sponsor and the House Public Utilities Committee chair, Rep. Larry Walsh, D-Elwood, said that the proposal came to him from the union. In a Friday evening committee, Walsh said it would streamline the process of expanding the grid.
“If you have an entity that controls the transmission of our electric power throughout whatever region you’re in… It’s easier for them to do this type of work, interconnecting their system,” Walsh said.
* Crain’s…
Interestingly, the bill applies only to Ameren Illinois, which serves downstate Illinois, and not Commonwealth Edison. Ordinarily, the IBEW, which represents thousands of workers at both utilities, would have pushed to favor both companies.
But ComEd’s admission of an elaborate bribery scheme aimed at currying favor with former House Speaker Michael Madigan, and the recent convictions of the so-called “ComEd Four,” including former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, on conspiracy and bribery charges, led backers to focus only on Ameren.
Where things go from here is uncertain. Pritzker left no doubt he would veto the bill. Once that happens, Welch and Harmon will have to decide whether to try to override a fellow Democrat — a rarity during Pritzker’s five years in the governor’s mansion. […]
IBEW has pushed for bills giving incumbent utilities the “right of first refusal” on new transmission in states all over the U.S. and have been successful in more than 10. Indiana passed a similar law earlier this month, while Missouri lawmakers rejected a similar proposal.
…Adding… Sun-Times editorial…
In a sneaky maneuver, the Legislature slipped through a Senate amendment that would give the downstate energy utility Ameren monopolistic control over anyone building regional power lines across its territory. Such an enormous corporate giveaway could make it harder and more expensive to decarbonize the state’s and nation’s power grid just when it is crucial to connect new renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power installations, to customers in population centers.
The regional power lines Ameren could control possibly would include those that would connect the Chicago area to new solar and wind energy. But Ameren has an apparent conflict of interest: its parent company owns fossil fuel plants that generate electricity.
We’re not saying we know what Ameren would do, but slow-walking any new regional power lines appears as though it could be in its financial interest. And, as in all situations in which a company gains monopoly power, there is a risk of customers paying unnecessarily high prices for less service.
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* Background is here if you need it. Pensions & Investments…
The Illinois Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments regarding the constitutionality of two new consolidated investment funds combining the assets of the state’s municipal police and firefighters’ pension funds.
The decision by the state’s Supreme Court follows the February ruling by an Illinois appellate court that the consolidated funds, the $9 billion Illinois Police Officers’ Pension Investment Fund, Peoria, and the $7.2 billion Illinois Firefighters’ Pension Investment Fund, Lombard, are constitutional.
In that ruling affirming the May 2022 decision by Kane County Circuit Court Judge Robert K. Villa that the law creating the consolidated funds was not unconstitutional under the Illinois Constitution’s pension and takings clauses, the Appellate Court of Illinois, Second District in Elgin, said “while plaintiffs have a constitutional right to receive pension benefits … they have no right to the investments held by the funds; rather, they are entitled only to present or future payments from the funds.”
The February 2021 lawsuit filed in Kane County by the boards of 16 municipal police pension funds and two firefighters pension funds, along with some participants from each fund, alleged the law had violated Illinois Constitution clauses by terminating “plaintiffs’ authority to exclusively manage and control their investment expenditures and income,” according to the original court filing.
* Kane County Circuit Court Judge Robert Villa upheld the consolidated pensions law in May 2022 and an appellate court affirmed the decision earlier this year. Bond Buyer…
Daniel Konicek of Konicek & Dillon represents the police funds.
“We disagree from our standpoint that our people have a vested interest in this because their life savings are involved and they feel their right to vote and control” how their hard-earned contributions are invested is a protected benefit, Konicek said of the court rulings so far.
The plaintiffs argued that benefits are damaged because the law “strips plaintiffs of their autonomy and their authority” on investment decisions. The plaintiffs argued the law violates the pension protection clause, the contract clause and the takings clause of the state constitution.
The state countered that fund management doesn’t enjoy the same status as “benefits” with
constitutional protections.
Circuit court Judge Villa, in his ruling, sided with the state, saying he could not extend the term benefits beyond the reach of prior Illinois Supreme Court cases to find the challenge legislation unconstitutional against the pension clause’s protections.
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Open thread
Wednesday, May 31, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* We’ve made it to Wednesday! What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Wednesday, May 31, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Here you go…
* WTTW | Lawmaker Raises, Car Title Changes: What’s Included in Illinois’ New $50B State Budget: The spending plan doesn’t increase taxes, but it will cost people $10 more for a new car title. That means come July, it will cost $165 for a certificate of title, with the additional funds to be used to update the Illinois secretary of state’s IT infrastructure, which an external assessment found to be very outdated. The secretary of state’s office said the increase “won’t come close” to raising the $200 million needed to overhaul the “archaic” system “to better protect personal information, increase cybersecurity and prevent outages … but is a decision the GA (General Assembly) made to help generate more for modernization.”
* WCIA | State budget includes $85 million more for program to prevent Illinois homelessness: An additional $85 million will go towards “Home Illinois”, Governor J.B. Pritzker’s plan to address the issue. This brings the state’s total investments towards preventing and ending homelessness to more than $350 million.
* WAND | Illinois House leaders show growing division during adjournment speeches: Meanwhile, Welch said many Republicans will go back home to their districts and brag about investments included in the Fiscal Year 2024 budget they voted against. He also celebrated Democratic plans to protect reproductive rights, hold the firearm industry accountable for gun violence, and lower the cost of prescription drugs.
* WICS | New state budget has focus on education: Next year’s budget includes a $250 million increase for early childhood education, including the Smart Start Illinois Program, and eliminating preschool deserts. $350 million will go to the K-12 education funding formula, $45 million for the first year of a pilot program to fill teacher vacancies, and $3 million to expand access to computer science coursework.
* Sun-Times | City’s most violent Memorial Day weekend in 7 years ‘intolerable,’ Mayor Brandon Johnson says: “It produced pain and trauma that devastated communities across Chicago, and my heart breaks for everyone affected,” Johnson said in a statement issued late Tuesday afternoon. “That’s why as mayor, I am committed to leveraging every single resource at our disposal to protect every single life in our city.”
* Sun-Times | Mayor Johnson invokes ‘soul’ of Chicago’s ancestors at Memorial Day ceremony:“I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the fact that I would not be here representing the soul of our ancestors in the city of Chicago if it were not for the soldiers whose humanity had not been recognized. They stood for democracy,” Johnson said.
* Tribune | After community input, search for new Chicago police superintendent enters new phase on the eve of summer: The commission has a mid-July deadline to submit three finalists for the job to new Mayor Brandon Johnson. Whomever Johnson picks will need approval from the full City Council, but he can order the search process to begin again if none of the finalists are to his liking. Until then, Johnson has handed the reins of the CPD to Fred Waller, the former chief of patrol who retired in August 2020 after more than three decades with the department. Waller, who remains popular with rank-and-file officers and supervisors, has said he did not apply for the permanent job.
* Pensions & Investments | Illinois Supreme Court to hear case on legality of 2 consolidated pension funds: The Illinois Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments regarding the constitutionality of two new consolidated investment funds combining the assets of the state’s municipal police and firefighters’ pension funds. The decision by the state’s Supreme Court follows the February ruling by an Illinois appellate court that the consolidated funds, the $9 billion Illinois Police Officers’ Pension Investment Fund, Peoria, and the $7.2 billion Illinois Firefighters’ Pension Investment Fund, Lombard, are constitutional.
* Illinois Answers | Alderperson Says Migrants Are Causing TB Outbreaks at Police Stations, But It’s Not True: Ald. Ray Lopez (15th) declared migrants sleeping on floors of police stations were infecting officers with tuberculosis, but the Chicago Department of Public Health said there isn’t a single confirmed case. … When an Illinois Answers Project reporter informed Lopez there weren’t any reports of tuberculosis, he doubled down on his claim, alleging the city health department was actively concealing the number of positive tuberculosis cases.
* Mike Hoffman | I received restorative justice from the Catholic Church after surviving clergy abuse: I am a beneficiary of my abuser’s name being listed on the website of the Archdiocese of Chicago, and there is justice and institutional accountability in that. I am also the beneficiary of restorative justice, which is the element that I feel is missing. Beyond the attorney general’s goal of justice and giving voice to survivors as an aid to healing to from the painful trauma of childhood abuse, efforts at restorative justice have helped me, and many others like me, to live a fuller and more complete life.
* Tribune | Former Robbins police chief files lawsuit against mayor, village for wrongful termination: In a federal lawsuit citing “concerning behavior,” Sheppard, who was fired by Bryant in April, alleges wrongful termination and violation of the Whistleblower Protection Act by Bryant and the village of Robbins. Sheppard said he was hired in October 2021 to improve the department, which he said he did by hiring more police officers and decreasing major crime rates. But Sheppard said Bryant displayed “abuse of power” by interfering with his job.
* Tribune | Studies show Illinois most at risk from brain-damaging lead in water, but Florida getting bigger cut of $15 billion EPA fund to replace pipes: Another state surprisingly in the top 10: Texas. Since then environmental lawyers have been quizzing EPA officials and state bureaucrats about a 2022 survey the agency relied upon to conclude Florida surpasses Illinois in the number of lead service lines, and that Texas has more than Michigan and Wisconsin combined.
* Sun-Times | William Brandt, influential Democrat, corporate restructuring pioneer, dies at 73: When future Illinois governor Pat Quinn was a freshman at the Oak Park school, he didn’t know anyone. Young Bill “invited me to be at his lunch table,” Quinn said, the beginning of an enduring friendship. “He was always very involved in social justice and helping people. He loved politics.’’
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Live coverage
Wednesday, May 31, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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