After months of declining to endorse any specific plan to both get Illinois on a path to 100% renewable energy and crack down on public utilities’ power in Springfield, Gov. JB Pritzker on Wednesday entered the already raucous fight with his own legislation that will compete with at least three other proposals that have already been introduced.
Pritzker’s plan incorporates some elements of the other already-proposed measures, including ending an energy rate formula lawmakers approved in 2011, championed by utility giants Commonwealth Edison and Ameren. The proposal would also phase out coal by 2030, and end natural gas use by 2045 by reducing caps on greenhouse gas emissions year over year, and implementing an $8 per ton carbon price on emissions from fossil fuel-fired electric plants.
Atop a fact sheet distributed to stakeholders Wednesday and obtained by NPR Illinois, Pritzker’s office said the governor “believes it is past time to combat climate change, hold utility companies accountable to the ratepayers they serve, and rapidly begin the transition to renewable energy.”
While “clean” energy legislation has been atop Pritzker’s wish list since entering office, the issue has taken on new urgency in the last year after ComEd signed off on a $200 million fine and admitted in a deferred prosecution agreement that the company engaged in a years-long bribery scheme attempting to curry favor with longtime former House Speaker Mike Madigan.
Go read the rest. Pritzker also wants to prohibit ComEd from donating to the Citizens Utility Board and subject CUB to FOIA.
By 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, almost 100 area residents had arrived at The Stables on the edge of Kewanee for a meet-and-greet event with Illinois State Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia), who recently announced a bid to run for governor. […]
“I feel very strongly that he’s a devout Christian and he could do some good. He’s got a good following with the Democratic Party as well, because he wants to make a difference,” [the spouse of the Kewanee mayor, Jeanna Moore] said.
The relationship forged early on between Bailey and the Moores has led to a position within Bailey’s campaign for Jeanna. The Kewanee couple not only hosted the meet and greet event in Kewanee, but Jeanna is acting as campaign coordinator for the Henry County area. Her future plans include a possible fundraiser for Bailey sometime this summer. […]
“It’s really busy right now,” said Bailey, after arriving at the event. “I’m taking advantage of the weekends. There’s a lot of people that want to meet with me,” he said, peering out at the maskless crowd that had assembled to do just that. “I want to listen to the concerns and ideas of the people across Illinois.”
Kewanee wasn’t even Bailey’s last stop for the night, he said. He was scheduled for an event in Moline later before heading back home for church on Sunday and back to Chicago on Monday.
Henry County health officials say a political event held locally over the weekend likely violated the state’s rules for large gatherings.
“The (county) Office of Emergency Management has been informed about the event and they will be fielding and addressing any complaints,” said Health Department Spokeswoman RaeAnn Tucker-Marshall following a Star Courier inquiry Monday.
The Saturday meet-and-greet for Republican gubernatorial candidate Sen. Darren Bailey attracted around 100 people to The Stables banquet center just outside Kewanee.
But according to health officials, that’s about 50 more than were supposed to be gathering in a confined space under the current Phase 4 mitigation regulations. The health department also noted issues with the food service setup, the rules which require hand-sanitizers at each end of the service table — none of which are evident in a photo that ran with the story. Only the food service workers at the event, from The Station restaurant, were required to wear masks. […]
Bailey’s local campaign chairman Jeanna Moore accused the Star Courier Monday of purposefully running the photograph of the buffet in an effort to draw the attention of health officials, an accusation the newspaper denies.
Yeah, it’s a bonafide conspiracy, I tell ‘ya. Real deep state stuff right there propagated by the fake news, for sure.
* An old pal sent me a link to a Tribune story with this note…
I was hoping that you would give this story and report some good play on the blog. This is two years in the making with a ton of important stakeholders involved who had put together a proposal to reduce the women’s prison population in Illinois by half.
Convened by the Women’s Justice Institute, the task force issued a report that includes 250 recommendations, ranging from eliminating prison charges for basic needs, like email access and tampons, to mass commutations for women where a history of gender-based violence was not initially considered by the court system. […]
Nearly all women who enter Illinois prisons report having suffered from physical or sexual violence. Most are admitted for low-level, nonviolent drug or property crimes. A recent survey in the Cook County Jail showed that 54% of women reported being homeless in the 30 days prior to being detained. A separate survey of 800 women in Illinois prisons found that 40% were unable to pay rent in the year prior to their incarceration, with some sleeping in their cars. […]
“Women are not safe,” said Benford, who works as an organizer for Live Free Illinois, part of a national organization that works to reduce violence in Black communities and also runs a support group for formally incarcerated women. “Women are not safe. They are not safe inside of (the Illinois Department of Corrections). There has to be something else done.”
The answers are outlined in the report largely according to five policy areas, all of which have specific recommendations: relationship safety, housing, economic security, family support and health.
Researchers from Loyola University Chicago’s Center for Criminal Justice Research, Policy, and Practice worked with task force members to create a detailed breakdown of how many women would be freed today under suggested, specific changes to sentencing laws and classifications.
The report is here if you get some time. I’ve reached out to IDOC for comment.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 2,728 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 33 additional deaths.
- Cook County: 1 female 20s, 1 male 40s, 1 female 50s, 2 males 50s, 1 female 70s, 2 males 70s, 3 females 80s, 1 male 80s, 4 females 90s
- DuPage County: 1 male 50s
- Kankakee County: 1 female 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s
- Macon County: 1 female 70s
- Marshall County: 1 female 90s
- McHenry County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 70s
- McLean County: 1 male 80s
- Monroe County: 1 male 70s
- Morgan County: 1 male 70s
- Peoria County: 1 female 80s
- Tazewell County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 90s
- Will County: 1 male 50s
- Winnebago County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 80s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,328,454 cases, including 21,891 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 87,698 specimens for a total of 22,469,213. As of last night, 2,154 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 502 patients were in the ICU and 238 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from April 21-27, 2021 is 3.4%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from April 21-27, 2021 is 4.1%.
The total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses for Illinois is 11,322,205. A total of 9,048,300 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 100,823 doses. Yesterday, 106,173 doses were reported administered in Illinois.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in real-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. Information for a death previously reported has been changed, therefore numbers have been adjusted. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
- Chicago’s top doctor says the city is moving closer to announcing a bigger reopening plan, and a vaccine passport is likely to be part of it.
The “Vax Pass” would give those who are fully vaccinated access to summer events in the city.
Officials have been urging vaccination as a way to protect yourself, your family, and your community. But now officials have a new message: the vaccine is your key to summer fun.
Similar to what New York State already has, the “Vax Pass” is an easy, secure way to show proof of vaccination for entry to festivals, concerts and other events.
“My goal at this point is to say, ‘You want to be part of the fun? Get vaccinated,’” said Dr. Allison Arwady, Chicago Dept. of Public Health.
Thousands of people at a mass nightclub rave in the U.K. this week will be a key test of whether live events halted during the pandemic can reopen at full capacity as planned from the end of June.
The two-day event in Liverpool, northwest England, is part of a national research program which so far appears to show people are happy to be tested for coronavirus to secure entry to large-scale events. […]
The event in Liverpool is part of a broader program of trials to explore how the use of Covid testing, ventilation, social distancing, and face coverings can help reopen large venues safely. Sports events including soccer matches have been the focus so far.
* The Question: Who’s your favorite Illinois superhero? You’re not limited to politics/government, of course. But please make sure to explain your answer.
What does it mean that Illinois’ backlog of unpaid bills has fallen from $16.7 billion in 2017 to $3.5 billion this week?
For the first time in many years, the state of Illinois can pay its bills as they come in. The oldest commercial vouchers owed to most vendors and providers of goods and services in the office right now are dated April 26 – Monday.
There remains $3.5 billion in interfund transfers owed to other branches of government, group health insurance bills with limited appropriation authority, and invoices at state agencies that have not yet been forwarded to the Office of Comptroller for payment. Comptroller Mendoza has said that when the backlog gets down to $3 billion in a $42 billion budget, that’s essentially within the 30-day payment cycle common in private industry.
“This is a remarkable day that I have been working toward since I took office in December 2016 amid the budget impasse when the previous administration was paying nursing homes and hospice centers up to a year late and they let the backlog climb to $16.7 billion,” Comptroller Mendoza said.
“Today’s achievement is the result of diligent daily management of the state’s cash flow by my office, supported by state agencies that now provide monthly updates on the number of bills and late payment interest penalties they are holding at their offices.”
The Debt Transparency Act, resulting in monthly Debt Transparency Reports, was a hallmark initiative of Comptroller Mendoza’s in 2017. It has eliminated costly surprises and has allowed for more effective management of the state’s checkbook.
Paying down the backlog has been aided by steady revenue receipts, even during the pandemic. April, when state residents and businesses pay their taxes, is generally the best revenue month for the state. Though the deadline for filing was moved back to May 17 this year, it appears many filers may have stuck with the April 15 deadline.
Comptroller Mendoza cautioned that today’s low bill backlog does not mean the state has overcome its fiscal challenges.
The backlog does not reflect the more than $3.6 billion Illinois borrowed mainly from the Federal Reserve to pay state medical bills during the worst days of the COVID-19 pandemic and return money to Illinois’s economy. She again stressed that American Rescue Plan funds must be used first to pay back that borrowing.
“I’ll say it as often as I need to: Illinois must craft a balanced state budget for fiscal year 2022 without depending on the one-time federal relief money the state received,” she said. “Responsible budget-making directs the fate of the backlog as we continue making headway with our finances and show taxpayers and the credit rating agencies that we’re serious about restoring Illinois’ financial stability.”
The Comptroller’s Office has informed the bond rating agencies of this positive development and assured them it is doing everything possible to manage the current backlog of bills and address Illinois’ finances head on. Comptroller Mendoza has asked the agencies to consider these positive factors and progress made paying down the backlog when evaluating Illinois’ credit worthiness.
* SB2122 would toss out as an inadmissible any statement by a juvenile given to “a law enforcement officer, juvenile officer, or other public official or employee,” when that official “knowingly engages in deception.” 270 witness slips were filed against the bill, mainly by local law enforcement agencies.
Here’s Charles Keeshan and Susan Sarkauskas at the Daily Herald…
“The intent behind the bill is, what can we do to protect juveniles, especially in these situations,” said state Sen. Laura Fine, a Democrat from Glenview and one of the bill’s co-sponsors.
Proponents, including some law enforcement leaders and prosecutors, say minors are two to three times more likely than adults to be coerced into false confessions. As a result, they say, innocent juveniles can end up serving time for crimes they didn’t commit. […]
In fact, in a 2018 report called “Reducing Risks: An Executive’s Guide to Effective Juvenile Interview and Interrogation,” the International Association of Chiefs of Police warn that officers should “think twice” before misleading young suspects.
“The use of deception also may cause an innocent juvenile — even one who initially had a clear recollection of not committing a crime — to mistrust his memory, accept that the ‘evidence’ proves his guilt, and eventually confess to a crime that he did not commit,” the report states.
The bill wasn’t called before the Third Reading deadline, but that deadline was extended until Friday.
Illinois is rolling out the welcome mat for cryptocurrency investors and the firms that serve them.
Springfield is on the verge of clearing legislation that would establish a new state trust charter for companies that hold bitcoin and other digital currencies on behalf of investors. Gov. J.B. Pritzker is expected to sign it.
The bill, which passed the House unanimously on April 21, would make Illinois one of just a very few states to establish and regulate cryptocurrency deposit holders. Sponsors hope the initiative spawns a new industry creating jobs in a part of the tech world that’s growing rapidly. […]
“We’re not scared of crypto and blockchain,” said freshman state Rep. Margaret Croke, D-Chicago, the bill’s chief sponsor. “We’re going to create a stable regulatory structure.”
The only thing I would say is I’ve seen lots of bills pass one chamber without opposition only to wind up dead in the other chamber. But I have no idea whether that’ll happen here.
* This will cause a stir in the House, where Republican Rep. Tim Butler has a bill to merge the township with the county…
A bill that would create three and potentially four new elected positions in the government of Capital Township would give township residents more direct representation, the bill’s Democratic sponsor said.
But Republicans in Sangamon County government who currently handle those jobs and would lose the responsibilities said Monday the bill needlessly expands bureaucracy and would create confusion for taxing bodies and financial burdens for Capital Township taxpayers.
State Sen. Doris Turner, D-Springfield, who previously served on the Springfield City Council and Sangamon County Board, said constituents of the township have told her that they were unhappy about not being able to directly elect several township officials. […]
Turner’s legislation, Senate Bill 826, which passed the Illinois Senate on Thursday with no Republican votes and remains pending in the House, calls for township-wide elections for the Capital Township supervisor, assessor, clerk and tax collector.
* This bill was picked up by Senate President Pro Tempore Bill Cunningham…
Illinois community college students would have a path to guaranteed admission into the University of Illinois system under legislation passed by the state House on Tuesday.
State Rep. Deanne Mazzochi, a Republican from Elmhurst, sponsored the legislation, HB 796, which would require the U of I to create a “pilot program” that promises admission beginning in the 2022-23 school year to all Illinois community college students who graduated from a state high school, have a 3.0 GPA and completed 36 graded credit hours. The bill passed 111-0.
It would fall on the University of Illinois and individual community colleges to reach an “articulation agreement” on requirements for programs that usually have higher admissions standards, such as engineering.
Legislation sponsored by state Sen. Adriane Johnson, D-Buffalo Grove, designed to soften the financial impact of COVID-19 on Illinois school districts like those in Waukegan, North Chicago, Zion and Round Lake — which rely heavily on state funding — is a step closer to reality.
Johnson’s proposed legislation was approved by the state Senate, 49-6, Thursday in Springfield, modifying the formula for evidence-based funding to eliminate inequities because of a drop in attendance for the current school year related to the coronavirus pandemic.
Loretto Hospital paid millions of dollars to private companies founded by a close friend and business partner of Dr. Anosh Ahmed, who helped run the hospital until he resigned last month amid a COVID vaccine distribution scandal.
The publicly funded hospital paid nearly $4 million to the three companies in one year alone, making them the top-paid “independent contractors” listed on the hospital’s tax statements between July 2018 and June 2019.
All three companies have ties to Ahmed’s business partner and friend Sameer Suhail, according to an investigation by Block Club Chicago and the Better Government Association. One of Suhail’s companies, One Health Billing Co., received $2.1 million from Loretto during the 12-month time period. Headquartered in Suhail’s Trump Tower condo, the firm doesn’t have a website and isn’t registered with the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office. […]
Loretto reported a $12 million operating loss in its 2019 tax report, and it has struggled with funding during the pandemic, CEO George Miller has said. In recent years, Loretto has warned it could close due to funding shortfalls.
But while Loretto appealed to state lawmakers for taxpayer support, Ahmed and Suhail were living side-by-side in a Downtown high-rise and pursuing businesses together, according to land and corporate records as well as interviews with business and medical colleagues.
Wednesday, Apr 28, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
The power of telehealth to save lives was on full display the night Garrett Graham looked over at his wife to find she just had a stroke.
The frightening moments that followed took Garrett and Brenda Graham from Shelbyville High School, where they were watching a volleyball game, to HSHS Good Shepherd Hospital in Shelbyville and, ultimately, HSHS St. John’s Hospital in Springfield.
A telehealth call between a physician at HSHS Good Shepherd and a neurosurgeon at HSHS St. John’s saved precious minutes. Brenda Garrett, then paralyzed on the left side of her body, was airlifted to HSHS St. John’s for treatment.
Telehealth is crucial in many hospitals, including those in rural Illinois, where some facilities do not have specialists on staff. Garrett Graham, in a video interview, pointed to telehealth as saving his wife’s life.
“The whole thing had to come about in a four-hour window max and they had it accomplished in about two hours,” he said. “From our perspective the good Lord put us here [HSHS Good Shepherd] because this is where we had to be.”
State Sen. Tom Cullerton, who was indicted in 2019 on charges of embezzlement, is set to go to trial in February next year, a federal judge said on Tuesday.
Cullerton, a Democrat from Villa Park, is scheduled to be tried in the U.S. District Court in Chicago, starting on Feb. 23, 2022.
The latest development in Cullerton’s criminal case came during a court hearing Tuesday morning before Judge Robert Gettleman. Cullerton’s federal trial was previously set for July 2020 but that date was scrapped when the pandemic halted jury trials.
The indictment, issued in August 2019, charges Cullerton with one count of conspiracy to embezzle from a labor union and employee benefit plans, 39 counts of embezzlement from a labor union, and one count of making false statements in a health care matter. He pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.
Cullerton was last reelected in 2018 and would next face voters in 2022. If he were to go on trial in February, it would be just a few weeks before the Illinois Democratic primary for the November general election. So far, no Democrat has publicly said they intend to challenge the incumbent if he elects to run.
The case against Cullerton revolves around his role as an organizer for Teamsters Joint Council 25. He landed that job after his former employer, Hostess Brands, shut down in 2012. Former Teamsters boss John Coli told prosecutors he arranged for Cullerton to get that job “but did not believe the employment was legitimate,” Cullerton’s defense attorney has said.
Cullerton has been accused of collecting $188,320 in salary, bonuses and cellphone and vehicle allowances from the Teamsters, as well as $64,068 in health and pension contributions, while doing little or no work for the labor union. He also allegedly collected $21,678 in reimbursed medical claims.
Coli pleaded guilty in 2019 in an extortion case revolving around $325,000 in cash payments he received from Cinespace Chicago Film Studios between 2014 and 2017. He agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors, and Cullerton was charged days later.
…Adding… Another one…
NEW: Judge sets Jan. 10 trial date for ex-state Rep. Edward "Eddie" Acevedo, who faces federal tax charges. Earlier @Suntimes story: https://t.co/uROiKyPfk6
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has indicated he will appeal a federal judge’s decision refusing to allow his administration to get out from under federal oversight of allegedly corrupt state hiring practices.
On April 26, the Illinois Attorney General’s office filed a notice in Chicago federal court, indicating their intention to appeal a decision from late March from U.S. District Judge Edmond Chang.
The notice does not indicate the basis of the appeal, nor what precisely the governor seeks to challenge in Chang’s March 31 ruling. Neither has the attorney general yet filed any briefs on behalf of the governor with the U.S. Seventh Circuit of Appeals.
However, the anticipated appeal would continue Pritzker’s efforts to toss aside decades-long review of federal oversight, intended to reduce instances of allegedly politically motivated and unfair hiring practices at various state agencies under the governor’s supervision.
In 2020, Pritzker and his fellow Democrat, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, filed motions before Judge Chang, arguing the federal oversight was no longer needed, because the state had corrected the patronage hiring and employment problems targeted by a series of federal court orders.
That federal oversight has been in place, in some fashion, since at least 1972, when federal judges first sided with anti-corruption reform advocates, Chicago lawyers Michael Shakman and Paul Lurie.
* From Jordan Abudayyeh…
The governor is deeply committed to ensuring all state hiring and employment practices are conducted with the highest ethical standards and is proud to have built the most diverse administration in Illinois history with experts in their fields. Ethics and fairness are top priorities for the governor and as the court has made clear, this administration has made substantial progress on those priorities in state employment practices.
The state believes it has met all objectives of the 1972 Shakman Consent Decree in the decades since it was put in place and the continuation of the Decree is both unnecessarily costly and beyond its original scope. In fact, Judge Edmond Chang noted that the state has made significant progress, particularly in the last two years under the Pritzker administration.
* Background info…
• Since 1972 when the decree was entered, the state has met the objectives of the Decree, particularly given the substantial progress made under the Pritzker administration. Plaintiffs are attempting to keep the Decree in place by broadening its scope far beyond the original specific terms.
• In its ruling on the state’s request to dismiss the case, Judge Chang wrote: “Nor does the Court downplay the significant progress made by the State, especially in the past two years, toward implementing a durable remedy. Indeed, as the implementation of the CEP continues, and as HEM continues its efforts and—it is hoped—increases its impact on State agencies, then the Court would be receptive to consider another motion to terminate in the last quarter of this year.” https://s3.amazonaws.com/jnswire/jns-media/9b/06/11556658/shakman_v_pritzker_special_master_ruling_3-31-21.pdf
• The Shakman Consent Decree has been in place since 1972, an unusually lengthy period of time during which many other governments have exited the Shakman Decree.
• Federalism and federal court jurisdiction dictates that federal courts should not be involved in State operations longer than necessary, as is the case here.
• Earlier this month, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals decided a separate Shakman appeal that reinforced this argument. There, the Court expressed “the grave federalism concerns we have with the fact that [a local government] has been under the thumb of a federal consent decree for the last 50 years.” Op. at 17. It explained that “[s]uch entrenched federal oversight should have raised red flags long ago.” Id. The Court of Appeals concluded by stating plainly that “[i]t is time to get these cases off the federal docket ….” Id. at 19.
• Changes to the law of “standing” since 1972 mean the plaintiffs no longer have standing as they are not directly affected by the State’s action, a requirement of modern standing jurisprudence.
The pandemic-induced shutdown of Chicago conventions has already cost the city and state $233.8 million in lost tax revenue and the red ink at McCormick Place will keep piling up until fiscal 2024, the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority board was told Tuesday.
McCormick Place held its last convention on March 6, 2020. Since then, losses have been staggering: 230 canceled events that would have drawn 3.4 million attendees; 2.2 million lost hotel room nights; $3.05 billion in lost economic impact; and $233.8 million in lost state and city taxes. […]
That helps explain why Chief Financial Officer Jason Bormann convinced the board to approve a revised three-year financial plan that rather conservatively assumes McCormick Place will not return to full capacity until fiscal 2024.
Instead, the plan calls for a more gradual ramp-up: 25% in the first quarter of fiscal 2022, which starts in July; 50% capacity in the second and third quarters; 75% capacity in the fourth quarter and for all of the 2023 fiscal year, before hitting 100% in July 2023, the start of the 2024 fiscal year.
More than $3 billion – that is how much revenue was lost at McCormick Place during the pandemic shutdown. […]
As of last week, 230 events had been canceled – and they would have attracted about 3.4 million attendees and nearly 2.2 million hotel room nights if they had gone ahead. […]
For the month of March, the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority reported a net operating loss of about $7 million – but that was about $2 million under what they were projecting.
McCormick Place said right now they have 48 events scheduled between July and December 2021.
“People ask would I do it again, and I say, yes, I would do it again,” he says. “I might run again some day—if I ever get my wife comfortable with it.”
Go read the rest of the interview if you have a couple of minutes.
* The feds ought to just jettison this whole silly program unless they can prove that it actually works…
Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White commended the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for extending the federal REAL ID deadline to May 3, 2023. DHS cited that it extended the deadline due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the impact the virus is having on the general public and driver’s license and ID card-issuing agencies nationwide. White, along with other state and business leaders from around the country, had called on DHS to extend the REAL ID deadline due to the pandemic.
“I applaud the decision by DHS to extend the REAL ID deadline to May 3, 2023 – 19 months past the old deadline of Oct. 1, 2021,” said White. “This is the proper and necessary action in response to the pandemic.”
With the extended federal deadline of REAL ID, current Illinois driver’s licenses or ID cards will continue to be accepted at airports and secure federal facilities until May 3, 2023.
As a reminder, White has expanded online services and encourages the public to visit his office’s website at www.cyberdriveillinois.com instead of visiting a Driver Services facility. Many transactions can now be conducted online, including renewing standard driver’s licenses and ID cards for those who are eligible.
In addition, White has extended all driver’s license and ID card expiration dates until Aug 1, 2021. This extension does not apply to commercial driver’s licenses (CDL) and CDL learner’s permits.
During his inauguration speech, Welch made other promises. He said that politics has gotten too divisive, and that he’ll usher in a “new day” by working with lawmakers from both sides of the aisle.
Rep. Tim Butler, R-Springfield, last week called that pledge “B.S.”
Even as the House debated a flurry of bills, Butler said Welch jammed a bill he’s sponsoring (House Bill 2994) that would pave the way for voters to choose whether two central Illinois townships could merge, despite Butler’s plan having bipartisan support. […]
Bills sponsored by Democrats have passed the House at a 4-1 ratio compared with those sponsored by Republicans.
Welch said it’s rhetoric to insinuate that he’s not working across the aisle, saying that the lopsided bill passage makes sense given that Democrats outnumber Republicans in the House by 73-45.
“We’re a supermajority. Those number are never going to be even,” Welch said.
And so that’s why it’s just rhetoric to insinuate that we’re not working across the aisle. I’ve had Republicans in my office, and for the first time they’re saying ‘We’ve never seen the inside of this office.’ Their bills are passed because they’re working with the Speaker of the House. […]
And so, we can’t use one person’s rhetoric to cast aspersions on the entire process. The process is I’m being very intentional about reaching across the aisle and working with them. But as I said in that clip, there’s going to be some things that we agree on, there’s gonna be some things we disagree on as well. And we have to just be consistent and persistent and we’re going to continue to do that.
* The Question: When it comes to partisanship, have things changed in the House or not? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please…
White County Resident Judge T. Scott Webb has ruled Illinois’s FOID card law unconstitutional, paving the way for the Illinois Supreme Court to take up the issue, according to Richard Pearson, executive director of the Illinois State Rifle Association.
The case is The People of Illinois vs. Vivian Claudine Brown. In March of 2017, Brown was accused of possessing a firearm without a FOID card. In dismissing the charges against Brown, Judge Webb also ruled the FOID card unconstitutional.
In his ruling, Judge Webb stated, “A citizen in the State of Illinois is not born with a Second Amendment right. Nor does that right insure when a citizen turns 18 or 21 years of age. It is a façade. They only gain that right if they pay a $10 fee, complete the proper application, and submit a photograph. If the right to bear arms and self-defense are truly core rights, there should be no burden on the citizenry to enjoy those rights, especially within the confines and privacy of their own homes. Accordingly, if a person does something themselves from being able to exercise that right, like being convicted of a felony or demonstrating mental illness, then and only then may the right be stripped from them.”
Pearson said he is hopeful for a positive outcome when the Illinois Supreme Court takes up this case.
“The rights afforded to us in the Constitution are rights guaranteed to every American,” Pearson said. “The right to bear arms should not be contingent on paying a fee. Right now, there is legislation pending in Springfield to make these fees even costlier. It is absolutely ridiculous that honest citizens should have to pay fees, fill out applications and wait on government to respond to their requests just to be able to exercise their rights. Illinois is one of only four states with the arcane FOID laws. We need to join the other 46 states that place a premium on our Constitution liberties.”
Another local trial judge legislating from the bench.
• Refrain from testing following a known exposure, if asymptomatic, with some exceptions for specific settings
• Refrain from quarantine following a known exposure if asymptomatic
• Refrain from routine screening testing if asymptomatic and feasible
Look, I don’t mind the saliva tests. But it would help if the Senate finally moved into April and recognized that many of us are fully vaccinated and adjusted its very strict lockdown accordingly.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker will revise his statewide mask mandate to align with new federal guidelines that say it’s safe for fully vaccinated people to go outdoors without face coverings in many situations, the governor’s office said Tuesday. […]
Illinois’ current rules require masks outdoors in situations where people aren’t able to maintain at least 6 feet of distance, including at places like farmers markets, baseball stadiums and amusement parks.
It wasn’t immediately clear exactly what changes Pritzker will make to the state’s mask rules, which have been in effect since last May. But the new CDC guidelines say fully vaccinated people don’t need to wear masks when attending small outdoor gatherings, even if unvaccinated people also are present. Masks are still recommended for most indoor activities, including small gatherings where unvaccinated people are present, and for crowded outdoor events like concerts or sporting events, according to the CDC. […]
[Chicago public health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady] hinted that there could be further loosening on gathering restrictions in the city, possibly within days, but only for people who are vaccinated.
* 2021 John Kass column: Illinois has lost close to a quarter-million taxpayers in the past 10 years in the great Illinois Exodus.
* 2020 Tribune editorial: In 2019, the U.S. Census Bureau calculates, our population fell by about 51,250 people. That’s the equivalent of everyone in Hoffman Estates packing up and heading out.
* 2020 Tribune editorial: Several recent Chicago Tribune stories on tax hikes and population losses may have caught your eye. Against the backdrop of rising taxes in Chicago for 2020, U.S. Census Bureau numbers released Dec. 30 showed Illinois losing population for a sixth straight year.
* 2020 Kristen McQueary column: You’ve seen the numbers. U.S. census data released in December showed Illinois’ net population since 2013 has dropped by more than 223,000 residents, roughly the equivalent of Naperville and Bolingbrook wiped off the map. That number includes births, deaths, domestic and international migration.
* 2019 Kristen McQueary column: Reality check: The number of residents fleeing Illinois for other states jumped to 93,704 in 2014 from 68,204 the previous year. It increased in 2015 to 106,544, and in 2016 to 109,941. More exodus in 2017 of 114,779 and last year, another 114,154.
* 2019 Tribune editorial: Who wants to be the last ones at the party? It only means you’ll have to clean up the mess. That’s what we mean by the Illinois Exodus.
* 2019 Tribune editorial: If [Mayor Lightfoot] keeps talking truth around her fellow Illinois Democrats, Chicago’s next mayor will make them squirm. She must be ignoring the memos instructing her to “Shush up about the ‘Illinois Exodus.’ Bad for our brand.” Lightfoot offered her comment to the Tribune’s Lisa Donovan about U.S. census data showing that the Chicago metro area lost another 22,000 residents from 2017 to 2018.
* 2019 Tribune editorial: Last year’s estimated net reduction of residents hit 45,116, the worst of five straight years of population decline.
* 2019 Tribune editorial: The early numbers show Illinois’ net population dropped from July 2018 to July 2019 by 51,250, down slightly from last year’s net loss of 55,757 residents, an updated number. The figures continue to confirm a sorry trend.
* 2018 Tribune editorial: By the tens of thousands each year, Illinoisans are fleeing this state’s rising taxes and mediocre jobs climate.
* 2018 Tribune editorial: In the big picture, Illinois is shrinking. It lost a net 33,703 people in 2017, and was 1 of 8 states to see a decline. This was Illinois’ fourth year in a row of population decline.
* 2018 Tribune editorial: The release on Wednesday of new census data about Illinois was alarming: Not only has the flight of citizens continued for a fifth straight year, but the population loss is intensifying. This year’s estimated net reduction of 45,116 residents is the worst of these five losing years.
* 2017 Tribune editorial: People are fleeing Illinois in record numbers. For four years running, this state has bled population. In 2017, Illinois lost a net 33,703 residents
* Actual net Illinois population loss according to the official US Census: 18,124. [And subtract 10,289 from that to account for Illinois residents living overseas and it’s a net decline of 7,835.]
It’s not that the Tribune was wrong. The census estimates were way off. But the Tribune did everything it could to hype those numbers and propose solutions to a problem that, while still quite real, was never as bad as was claimed. I’m not sure I’d hold your breath waiting for a clarification.
* Again, more than half the deaths were people in their 60s or below, hospitalizations continue their decline and average daily doses are nowhere near where they need to be. Press release…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 2,556 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 23 additional deaths.
- Champaign County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s
- Cook County: 1 male 40s, 1 male 50s, 2 females 60s, 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s, 3 males 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 90s
- Kane County: 1 male 70s
- Logan County: 1 male 60s
- Madison County: 1 male 90s
- Peoria County: 1 female 30s, 1 male 60s
- Tazewell County: 1 male 50s, 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s
- Will County: 1 female 30s,1 female 50s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,325,726 cases, including 21,858 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 62,724 specimens for a total of 22,381,515. As of last night, 2,180 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 502 patients were in the ICU and 251 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from April 20-26, 2021 is 3.5%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from April 20-26, 2021 is 4.1%.
The total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses for Illinois is 11,149,675. A total of 8,942,127 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 105,757 doses. Yesterday, 81,152 doses were reported administered in Illinois.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in real-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. Information for a death previously reported has been changed, therefore numbers have been adjusted. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
We need 24/7 vaccine clinics. Closing down the shots at 5:30 isn’t smart.
In a major step forward in the work to expand health equity across Illinois, Governor JB Pritzker today signed the Health Care and Human Services Reform Act into law.
The legislation, which represents the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus’ healthcare pillar, takes sweeping action to address health inequities and obstacles while establishing new programs, increasing oversight and trainings, building out a Community Health Worker certification and training program and improving transparency.
“Today, it’s my privilege to sign the fourth and final pillar from the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus into law, the Illinois Health Care and Human Services Reform Act,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This legislation advances a key belief of mine that I know is shared by everyone standing with me, and millions of residents across Illinois: healthcare is a right, not a privilege. Thanks to the Black Caucus’ four pillars, now law, Illinois is a few steps closer to the justice our residents deserve.”
This legislation builds upon significant administration efforts toward health equity including expanding telehealth coverage in order to increase healthcare access to vulnerable and rural populations, including mental health services; eliminating the Medicaid backlog; bringing an additional $250 million in federal healthcare funding to Illinois; signing the Healthcare and Hospital Transformation bill into law; and working with the General Assembly to make Illinois the first state in the nation to offer healthcare access assistance to undocumented seniors.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has underlined the systemic economic, educational and health disparities that have historically plagued African Americans across our country. For centuries, Black people have been disrespected, abused and misused in the name of health care, starting with the abuse of the enslaved,” said Senate Majority Caucus Chair Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago). “To prevent future harm to one of our most vulnerable populations, we have enacted this informed policy, with the goal of deep, intense reform.”
“The four pillars of the ILBC Black Policy Agenda to address systemic racism and will provide justice while improving the lives of underserved families across Illinois,” said State Representative Camille Y. Lilly (D-Chicago). “The Illinois Health Care and Human Services Reform Act will improve the quality of healthcare, ensure dignity for our seniors as they age, increase the availability of mental health services, improve hospital access and combat medical racism and implicit bias in order build trust between Black, Brown and poor communities and health care providers.”
“People in the Black community have lost faith in Illinois’ health care system because of unequal access to care. Quality health is a necessity and should be available to everyone, regardless of race or income,” said Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood). “The Black community’s health and our care has been devalued for far too long. With this law, we are taking the first steps to reshape the direction of our state’s health care, leading with diversity, inclusion, and justice at the center.”
“The Healthcare pillar for the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus is about equity and access to quality healthcare,” said State Representative LaToya Greenwood (D-East St. Louis). “The importance of implicit bias training for hospital staff and perinatal doula services and evidence-based home visiting services to be covered under the medical assistance program for persons who are otherwise eligible for medical assistance will be critical to all Illinoisans. We have more work to do to address black maternal mortality which is a health crisis in our state, but this is another step in the right direction,”
“This legislation takes a wide range of steps to address the inequities that exist in health care for too many people across our state, particularly for people of color, but also for people in rural communities and working families across the state,” said Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services Director Theresa Eagleson. “Removing barriers and making sure all Illinoisans can reach the services they need is critical to achieving better health outcomes for children, adults, and families, and will make for a healthier Illinois.”
The Health Care and Human Services Reform Act will:
Expand Health Care Access and Equity
• Creates a Community Health Workers program which will include training and certification, ensuring Illinoisans are better able to access help from trained health workers.
• Adds implicit bias training to the required training for interns, residents and physicians so that they are better prepared to serve all of Illinois’ residents.
• Creates the Underlying Causes of Crime and Violence Study Act, which will study how to create a process to identify high violence communities, also known as R3 (Restore, Reinvest, and Renew) areas, and prioritize state dollars to address underlying health issues and underlying causes of violence.
• Reduces taxes on all blood sugar testing products to 1%.
• Amends the Employee Paid Sick Leave Act to include care of children, parents, step-parents, in-laws, and grandparents.
• Requires the Health Facilities and Services Review Board conduct a racial equity impact assessment for all future hospital closure applications that is publicly viewable.
• Creates the Health and Human Services Taskforce which will review health and human service departments and programs with the goal of improving health and human service outcomes for Illinois residents.
• Creates the Anti-Racism Commission to identify and propose statewide policies to eliminate systemic racism.
• Creates the Medicaid Business Opportunity Commission within HFS to develop a program to support and grow minority, women, and persons with disability owned businesses.
Improve Children’s Health, Women’s Health, Mental Health and Addresses Substance Abuse
• Requires day care providers to be trained in childhood emotional learning, trauma, and adverse experiences.
• Creates the Special Commission on Gynecologic Cancer to study issues relating to gynecologic cancer and present a report to reduce disparities and promote best practices.
• Prevents a person who seeks or obtains emergency medical assistance for an overdose or someone experiencing an overdose from being arrested or charged.
• Expands coverage of doula services and home visiting services for pregnant women.
• Increases payment rates for psychiatric treatment at hospitals serving primarily low-income patients.
Improve Quality of Care for All Illinois Residents
• Requires that any intern, resident, or physician providing services at a hospital have proper credentials and any required certificates for ongoing training.
• Instructs hospitals to provide N95 masks to all physicians and nurses free of charge.
• Increases dementia training and requires continuing annual trainings.
HB 158 takes effect immediately.
*** UPDATE *** Eleni Demertzis of the House Republicans…
Today, the governor signed a bill that will cost billions of dollars of fantasy money we just don’t have. Anyone who believes his inaccurate rhetoric on costs of this bill should refer to his false statements on independent redistricting.
The construction of a new inland port at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers took another step forward today as the Alexander Cairo Port District completed a project labor agreement (PLA) with the Illinois AFL-CIO. The project labor agreement ensures that more than 500 jobs created by the construction of the Cairo port will be filled by local Illinois union workers.
The Alexander-Cairo port represents one of the largest investments in Southern Illinois in decades. Eighty percent of the nation’s inland barge traffic travels past Cairo, and the site is served by three major interstate highways and class 1 rail lines so this new project is expected to have a major impact on the U.S. shipping and logistics industry and the regional economy. Cairo is protected from flooding by recently reinforced levees and remains a deep, ice-free site year-round.
“The Cairo port district represents the best of Rebuild Illinois: investing in not only infrastructure, but also jobs and economic prosperity for a region left out for far too long,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Thanks to the Alexander Cairo Port District and the Illinois AFL-CIO, more than 500 Illinois workers and their families will have access to good union jobs in the next stages of the port’s construction – opportunities that couldn’t come at a better time for the people of Illinois. Our building trades are top notch, and I have every faith the team on the ground will deliver the state-of-the-art infrastructure Southern Illinois deserves.”
“With the inclusion of this PLA, we know that these well-paying construction jobs will go to Illinoisans, boosting our local economy and investing in the region,” said State Sen. Dale Fowler (R-Harrisburg). “I am confident that Alexander-Cairo port will be game-changing for our state, spurring additional economic development and growth. With such a big undertaking, we could not move forward with this project without the incredible local labor workforce of Southern Illinois spearheading its development.”
“The Cairo Port is exactly the kind of project Illinois needs,” said Tim Drea, president of the Illinois AFL-CIO. “This port has the potential to transform the region and the men and women of Illinois organized labor have the talent to build it. Our craftsmen and tradesmen are second to none and we can’t wait to show it yet again on the Cairo Port project.”
“All the construction trades in our region are proud to see the Cairo port moving forward and are thrilled to be part of the project,” said Tate Wright of the Egyptian Building & Construction and Building Trades Council. “This port will use our location at the confluence of America’s two largest rivers to drive jobs, industry and investment to Southern Illinois.”
“We are ensuring that the jobs and economic growth created by this port flow back to Cairo and the surrounding region,” said Larry Klein, chairman of the Alexander Cairo Port District. “This labor agreement is another reason why the Cairo Port will be a game changer for Southern Illinois.”
“We are building a world-class port in Cairo and need the highest quality labor force to make it happen,” said Todd Ely, lead consultant for the port district and president of Ely Consulting Group. “We know we can depend on the women and men of Illinois’ building trades to make this project a success.”
In August 2020, Governor JB Pritzker announced that the Rebuild Illinois capital plan would provide $40 million in state funding for construction of the port. The Port District is securing additional private investment and will structure the Cairo port as a public-private partnership.
Major logistics and commodities businesses have already committed to using the new port to move crops, container shipments and bulk products once it is completed.
That could be transformational for the region. Too often, these projects are all talk and no action. But Sen. Fowler has done a remarkable job at seeing this through. Legislators in both parties can learn something from that guy.
But, hey, governor, maybe it’s time to figure out how to get more people vaccinated in Alexander County? Just 10.6 percent of residents there are fully vaxed right now, so they’re still in last place in the state. The statewide vaccination rate was 29.75 percent as of yesterday.
Will you pledge as governor to veto any state legislative redistricting map proposal that is in any way drafted or created by legislators, political party leaders and/or their staffs or allies? The exception, of course, would be the final official draft by LRB.
Yes, I will pledge to veto. We should amend the constitution to create an independent commission to draw legislative maps, but in the meantime, I would urge Democrats and Republicans to agree to an independent commission to handle creating a new legislative map. That designated body should reflect the gender, racial, and geographic diversity of the state and look to preserve the Voting Rights Act decisions to ensure racial and language minorities are fully represented in the electoral process.
Well as I said I will veto an unfair map. I have also said that in order for us to have an independent commission, we needed to have a constitutional amendment, something that would actually change the way the process operates today in the Constitution. That did not happen. So now, as we reach the end of this session and I look to the legislature for their proposal for a redistricting map, I’ll be looking to it for its fairness. And that’s something that’s vitally important for our state, as an effect on the next 10 years and representation throughout the state.
The Illinois Constitution does not need to be changed to create a fair map process. It can be done by statute or even a joint resolution of both chambers. And while Pritzker preferred a constitutional amendment in 2018, he clearly didn’t predicate an independent commission on an amendment.
Well, I do believe that Democrats and Republicans should get together to adopt this map. I hope that Republicans will choose to work with Democrats on the map. Right now it looks like they’re just saying ‘no,’ they’re not really engaging and all they’re doing is fighting in these redistricting hearings, which I think have been so important for hearing what people across the state really want in a redistricting map.
Well actually I would say that the map that was put together for the last 10 years started out with a very strong leaning toward fairness, which was the Supreme Court rulings of the past, dictated the drawing of minority districts in the state. To start with, that map, and then you have to draw from there. As you know Dave, there are parts of the state that are overwhelmingly one party or another party, and it’s very difficult to draw competitive districts in those areas. But I do believe that once you put these Supreme Court rulings onto the map face, then you can begin to put this fair map and something that is inclusive of all of our diversity across the state into that map.
Your thoughts?
…Adding… House Republican Leader Jim Durkin…
“The Governor seems to suffer from retrograde amnesia on this important topic. The Governor needs to lead and ensure that an independent body draw the maps as he promised.”
Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy…
“The people of Illinois fundamentally do not trust our leadership in Springfield to spend their money wisely, to do the right thing, or to reform our system. Absolutely nothing fuels that fire more than politicians who say one thing to get elected and then do another once in power. Governor Pritzker lied to the people of Illinois and promised to turn our partisan and corrupt system of redistricting over to an independent commission.
The Governor should come to his senses and keep his word by vetoing the politician’s map. A man is nothing without his word. Pritzker still has the chance to keep his.”
US Rep. Rodney Davis…
“Governor Pritzker lied to people of Illinois, plain and simple. When he was a candidate for Governor in 2018, Pritzker made an ironclad promise to voters that he would veto any redistricting proposal that was drawn by legislators. That turned out to be a lie. Now that he’s in power and the Democrats have maintained their supermajority control of the General Assembly, Pritzker is enabling a partisan redistricting process that will be used to tighten his party’s grip on power for another decade. That’s wrong, and it’s not what the people of Illinois want. Governor Pritzker has turned out to be the latest failed, self-serving, Illinois politician who lied his way into office by saying one thing to voters and doing another once in office.”
Study Finds Expanding Illinois’ Renewable Energy Program Will
Lower Energy Costs for All Illinois Consumers
• A study by former Illinois Power Agency (IPA) director shows that passing Path to 100 (HB 2640 / SB 1601) will lower energy costs for all ratepayers
• Consumers save more than $1.2 Billion over ten years by fully funding Illinois’ renewable energy program to 40% by 2031
• Path to 100 would create 53,000 new construction jobs
Why more renewables = lower costs:
1. Wind and solar generators have zero fuel costs, so they win wholesale energy auctions and displace more expensive power plants. These savings are passed on to all consumers.
2. Rooftop and community solar reduce peak demand, which reduces the amount of capacity that grid operators need to buy. These savings are passed on to all consumers.
3. Rooftop and community solar customers receive direct savings on their bills.
In 2016, [House Speaker Chris Welch] also favored an independent commission.
In an op-ed, he wrote that he backed a constitutional amendment (HJRCA0058) that would disqualify current and recently elected officials from drawing a map; instead, an eight-member appointed panel would be tasked with the job.
“This proposal is a win-win for Illinois,” Welch wrote, saying that the commission would be required to draw districts that “reflect the ethnic, gender, and racial demographics of Illinois.”
A commission would also “make the redistricting process more transparent and take the process out of the hands of elected officials,” he wrote at the time.
We asked Welch what’s changed since then.
“Everything I pushed for then … I’m pushing for now. Like protecting minority representation and ensuring one person one vote. That’s exactly what I’m fighting for now. We are doing this through a very thoughtful, transparent and community driven process,” he said. “The principles that I stood for in 2016 are the same principles I stand for now.”
The commission will be made up of eight members appointed by the Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court and the most senior justice from the opposing political party. Current and recently elected officials are disqualified from serving on the panel, as are lobbyists, business owners who contract with the state and state employees. This proposal is a win-win for Illinois.
Suffice it to say that Speaker Welch is most definitely not currently pushing for an independent map-making commission appointed by Supreme Court justices.
Silver Lake Law Group ltd. attorney Tom Devore is representing Kirk Allen and John Kraft, founders of the Edgar County Watchdogs Inc. in a recently filed Declaratory Judgment action against Governor Pritzker in relation to his perpetual issuance of disaster proclamations.
ECWd was the first to expose the fact Governor Pritzkers Executive Orders do not trump the people’s due process rights in this article on March 15th, 2020. Two weeks later we provided this article, Illinois Business and Citizen Road Map to Freedom that outlined the people’s rights in relation to Governor Pritzkers overreach in his Executive Orders relate to COVID 19.
Here we are over a year later and Governor Pritzker is still issuing Disaster Proclamations and to date 76 Executive Orders. It is our opinion, as well as our attorney’s, the emergency powers under section 7 are not without limits.
It appears from an additional Executive Order that the Governor has no intention of recognizing his limited powers. As we exposed in this article, “The King Has No Clothes”, the Governor has issued Executive Orders that amount to legislative action, a power never given.
COUNT I
DECLARATORY JUDGMENT FINDING EACH SUBSEQUENT DISASTER PROCLAMATION WAS VOID FOR FAILING TO MEET THE DEFINITION OF A DISASTER AS DEFINED IN THE IEMAA […]
COUNT II
DECLARATORY JUDGMENT FINDING PRITZKER HAD NO STATUTORY AUTHORITY TO UTILIZE EMERGENCY POWERS AFTER APRIL 08, 2020 […]
COUNT III
DECLARATORY JUDGMENT THAT SECTION 7 OF THE IEMAA VIOLATES THE ILLINOIS CONSTITUTION
Tuesday, Apr 27, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Employers in Illinois provide prescription drug coverage for nearly 6.7 million Illinoisans. In order to help keep care more affordable, employers work with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), who deploy a variety of tools to reduce prescription drug costs and help improve health outcomes. In addition to helping employers, PBMs also work with the Illinois Medicaid program in the same way to help control costs. Over the last five years, PBMs have saved the state and taxpayers nearly $340 million.
Today, Illinois faces a multibillion budget shortfall as more Illinoisans are relying on Medicaid to help meet their health care coverage needs. As legislators work to address these challenges, one way to help ensure continued cost savings is by strengthening the PBM tools that the State and employers use, which are poised to save employers, consumers and the State $39 billion over the next 10 years. These are meaningful savings that will help continue to contain costs, ensure consumer access to medicines and drive savings in public health programs.
Amid a pandemic and economic challenges, now is the time to strengthen, not limit, the tools that employers, consumers and the State rely on to manage costs and ensure consumers can access the medicines they need.
Altogether, the U.S. population rose to 331,449,281 last year, the Census Bureau said, a 7.4% increase that was the second-slowest ever. Experts say that paltry pace reflects the combination of an aging population, slowing immigration and the scars of the Great Recession, which led many young adults to delay marriage and families.
The new allocation of congressional seats comes in the first release of data from last year’s headcount. The numbers generally chart familiar American migration patterns but also confirm one historic marker: For the first time in 170 years of statehood, California is losing a congressional seat, a result of slowed migration to the nation’s most populous state, which was once a symbol of the country’s expansive frontier.
It all marks the official beginning of once-a-decade redistricting battles. The numbers released Monday, along with more detailed data expected later this year, will be used by state legislatures or independent commissions to redraw political maps to account for shifts in population.
Those shifts have largely been westward. Colorado, Montana and Oregon all added residents and gained seat a seat each. Texas was the biggest winner — the second-most populous state added two congressional seats, while Florida and North Carolina gained one. States losing seats included Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
Neighborhood counts mattered. Census said if New York had counted 89 more residents, the state would have kept its seat and Minnesota would have lost one.
Man, can you imagine being the person in charge of making sure New York’s count went well?
Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., the most prominent Illinois Republican, said if Democrats carve up his district, he may instead run for senator or governor in 2022. Whether GOP Reps. Rodney Davis and Darin LaHood make statewide bids also may depend on the remap.
Downstate freshman Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., is the Republican seen as most at risk in a remap.
Reapportionment is the step that takes place before a remap — that is, drawing new congressional district lines based on the latest census data. Each state gets at least one seat; after that, the remaining 385 seats are distributed according to population, with the aim to have about the same number of people in each district.
No matter the number of seats in the House, this system for distributing them has been in place since the first census in 1790.
Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Monday he was “concerned” about the decline in congressional representation.
“Over a decade, we’ve lost population, so we’ve got to turn that around,” he said at an unrelated news conference in Aurora, while also noting that Illinois spent more than $30 million in outreach and counting activities for the 2020 census. […]
The state’s high property taxes have been cited as a major reason for people leaving, a group that includes retirees who have moved to other states even though Illinois does not tax retirement income.
Pritzker on Monday offered another reason, saying one of the largest groups moving out of Illinois in the last decade has been college-age students choosing schools in other states because “they couldn’t afford to go to college in Illinois.”
“Unfortunately, this has been happening for more than a decade, we’ve had out-migration from the state. When I took office, this unfortunately had continued,” Pritzker said when asked about the Census data at an unrelated news conference.
“And I looked very closely at the numbers of people, who they are, where they come from, why they’re leaving and what you see when you look at the out-migration is actually the largest portion of the population that was moving out were young people who were choosing to go to college out of state because tey couldn’t afford to go to college in Illinois,” he continued, highlighting things like MAP grants and other initiatives to make college more affordable for Illinois residents.
“We might lose one or two seats but that’s something that unfortunately, before I became governor was really, you know, a bit set in at least clay if not stone, and now we’re working very hard to make sure that we’re going the right direction,” Pritzker added.
The decrease will likely spell a loss of federal funding while at the same time strengthening Democrats’ political grip on the state.
“Most people who build a statistical model on how much federal money does a state get will find that more seats means more money,” said Brian Gaines, political scientist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. […]
With Democrats holding 13 of the state’s 18 congressional seats, controlling the governor’s office and dominating the state Legislature, little else should change, Gaines said. The 14th Congressional District, running from the top to the bottom of the Chicago metropolitan area on its far western edge, will likely be redrawn to boost Rep. Lauren Underwood, a Democrat who narrowly won a second term last fall by just over 1 percentage point against Republican state Sen. Jim Oberweis.
“The majority party that has sent the population packing and people fleeing the state of Illinois should not be uniquely taking the initiative to select their own voters,” said State Rep. Ryan Spain (R-Peoria).
Democrats are already in the process of redrawing the district map; by state law, they must draw new congressional and legislative districts by June 30.
“They don’t appear to be in any mood to offer the Republicans a gift allowing them to get in on the party,” noted Chris Mooney, professor of political science at UIC.
But Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL 2nd District), who is also chair of the Illinois Democratic Party, said she’s confident the process will be fair.
“They’ll dictate my seat also, but I expect them to be fair and to do the best job they can do and take into consideration we are losing a seat,” she said.
* I posted some other react yesterday, but here’s US Rep. Rodney Davis…
“It’s unfortunate, yet unsurprising, that Illinois lost population over the past decade. Democrats continue to push corruption, tax hikes, and job-killing policies, which have only made our outmigration problems worse. Governor Pritzker has done nothing to stem the flow of families and has only made it worse by encouraging the tax-and-spend habits of the Democrats in the General Assembly. As state lawmakers determine the course for redistricting, I urge the Democrats to keep their word on supporting independent redistricting, particularly Governor Pritzker, who pledged to veto any partisan-drawn map. The politicians in charge should not be using the census to pick their own voters and protect their own power.”
* Senate Democrats…
The statement below can be attributed to Sen. Omar Aquino, D-Chicago, Chair of the Senate Redistricting Committee, and Sen. Elgie Sims, D-Chicago, Vice Chair of the Senate Redistricting Committee:
“We are reviewing the information released today by the U.S. Census Bureau and remain committed to working with our partners in Washington to ensure Illinois continues to receive the federal resources and support our communities need. While the Census Bureau confirmed full redistricting information may not be released until September, we will not abandon our duty to craft a map by June 30 as required by the Illinois Constitution. As others seek to delay and distract, we are focused on gathering input from communities of interest across Illinois to create a fair map that reflects the diversity of our great state.”
The Democratic Party of Illinois (DPI) today named Abby Witt as its new Executive Director. An Evanston native, Witt has spent nearly two decades working with progressive campaigns and causes, building programs that successfully bring more people into the political process to advance Democratic values.
“Abby has a proven track record of building inclusive organizations, has established solid relationships throughout the state, and has the vision to lead our party as its Executive Director,” said Congresswoman Robin Kelly, DPI Chairwoman. “As DPI looks to the future, especially the 2022 election, Abby’s ability to work with Democratic elected officials, candidates, donors, stakeholders and the grassroots community will be a valuable asset.”
Witt comes to DPI from Arena, a national organization dedicated to training and supporting the next generation of candidates and campaign staff. As a partner at Arena, Witt helped create and scale the organization’s ability to train more than 1,200 aspiring campaign staffers, place more than 500 of them in campaign roles, and support 130 candidates at the congressional, statewide, and state legislative levels, the majority of which were women and people of color.
“Chairwoman Kelly has never shied away from a challenge, and I’m honored to join her in this one: to build a new, inclusive Democratic Party of Illinois,” said Witt. “We have a generational opportunity to transform our Party, to rebuild trust with voters, and to elect Democratic candidates, beginning with re-electing Gov. JB Pritzker and Sen. Tammy Duckworth in 2022. I’m excited to get to work.”
Witt also played several key roles in the Obama presidential campaigns and administration, including as the Associate Director for the White House Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs, and as the Director of Political Operations for President Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign. Following the President’s re-election, Witt was a founding member and Managing Director of Organization for Action, a national organization dedicated to advancing a progressive agenda through grassroots mobilization and training. At OFA, Abby was part of the core team who harnessed the power of the grassroots movement that twice elected Barack Obama as president, and converted it into 154 trained, active, and empowered volunteer chapters across the country, which exist as lasting grassroots muscle to make an impact in their communities and in D.C.
“In 2018, I was a first-time candidate trying to unseat a four-term Republican in Illinois’ 14th Congressional District,” said Rep. Lauren Underwood (IL-14). “When others wouldn’t, Arena supported me and was instrumental in my victory by providing training and strategic support throughout my campaign. Abby helped Arena expand on that work to provide the same game-changing support to candidates across the country. I’m thrilled that Abby is bringing her experience home to Illinois, and joining my friend, Chairwoman Robin Kelly, to lead our Party.”
“We are all committed to a new direction for the Democratic Party of Illinois, one that is inclusive and uses the experience and expertise of the state central committee and elected officials, candidates, and activists across the state,” said Democratic State Central Committeewoman and DPI Transition Co-Chair Iris Martinez. “I’m so excited to have Chairwoman Robin Kelly and now Abby Witt as Executive Director leading our work. Abby is the right choice to build a party that doesn’t just keep our state blue, but does the work to grow our party, and elect more Democrats up and down the ticket.”
“In all of her roles, Abby played a key role in making President Obama’s goals a reality,” said Michael Strautmanis, a longtime Obama senior aide and advisor. “A trusted colleague and leader, Abby was always placed in the middle of the action. Whether it was in the field or at the White House, she embodied the President’s organizing values to navigate a wide variety of stakeholders and deliver. With Chairwoman Kelly and Abby, the Democratic Party of Illinois couldn’t be in better hands.”
“Working for Abby, I saw firsthand her ability to lead and bring people together,” said state Sen. Robert Peters. “Abby has the talent and values to lead the work needed to build a Party that will be progressive, inclusive and win. We need true transformational change to bring about true safety and justice for all, and Abby is a perfect fit to build a Party that can bring about that change.”
Witt has also served multiple roles on campaigns up and down the ballot, including leading Daniel Biss’ 2018 Illinois gubernatorial campaign. In addition, she’s also helped drive political engagement at organizations like the Center for American Progress, the Common Purpose Project, and the Chicago Public Schools.
Witt replaces Mary Morrissey, who has served as Executive Director of DPI since February 2019.
“Mary has led the party through some tough challenges, including running our victorious 2020 coordinated operation during the pandemic, and she has been a valuable partner to me since I became chair in early March,” Kelly said. “This has been a smooth transition, due in large part to Mary’s hard work and professionalism. I cannot thank her enough.”
She’ll be paid with federal funds. [This sentence was based on a conversation with Witt earlier this morning. It appears, however, that the funds to pay her will be split with state funds.]
Arena is an interesting organization and her experience there should help her now.
Gov. JB Pritzker announced Monday that Illinois could enter the long-awaited bridge phase within five or six days, depending on whether current trends continue through the week. […]
“(The numbers) have been coming down gradually, which is terrific,” Pritzker said. “We have a period of time that we wait — I think it’s five or six more days of decline — which will allow us to move into the bridge phase and then onto Phase 5.”
Illinois has already vaccinated over 70% of people age 65 and older, along with more than half of the overall adult population. However, because hospitalizations were increasing as the state hit the vaccination benchmarks, the move into the bridge phase was delayed.
Illinois will lose one seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, the Census Bureau said Monday in its announcement of the redistribution of the 435 congressional seats based on population shifts in the 2020 Census.
For the past 50 years, Illinois, reflecting the results of each new census, has been allocated fewer members in Congress, as other states increased in population but Illinois either held steady or declined.
Illinois at present sends 18 members to Congress; under the new reapportionment, the delegation will drop to 17 members. Of Illinois’ current House members, 13 are Democrats and five are Republicans.
Reapportionment is the step that takes place before a remap — that is, drawing new congressional district lines based on the latest census data. Each state gets at least one seat; after that the remaining 385 seats are distributed according to population, with the aim to have about the same number of people in each district. This system has been in place since the first census in 1790.
…Adding… A commenter rightly notes that Pennsylvania has now surpassed Illinois’ population. Click here for the list.
…Adding… Gov. Pritzker’s office…
Under the leadership of Governor Pritzker, the Census Office coordinated a robust, statewide effort to reach millions of Illinois residents, particularly those in hard-to-count communities. This effort included a network of 400 organizations, coordinated by 31 Regional Intermediaries that received grants directly from the state. These boots on the ground conducted direct census outreach and education through an array of channels and in multiple languages. Through canvassing, community events, press and social media events, food and masks distribution, and phone calls the state was able to conduct one of the most significant census efforts in the nation and achieved the top self-response rate of the 10 most populous states.”
Leader McConchie…
“The 2020 Census numbers show that Americans continue to vote with their feet,” said Illinois Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods). “People are leaving states where they can’t find economic opportunity and heading to states where they can. If we want to keep our talent and our tax base, our top priority should be passing pro-growth policies that will make Illinois more attractive to students, employers and families.”
A new study by the nonpartisan Illinois Policy Institute reveals that police contracts are hindering internal investigations, making it difficult for police chiefs to get rid of problem officers.
Illinois labor law contains a provision that elevates collective bargaining agreements above state law. Section 15, included in the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act, states union-negotiated contracts override all other state laws and regulations.
Analysis by IPI found the 10 largest municipalities in Illinois, outside Chicago, all have provisions in their police collective bargaining agreements that would supersede internal investigations and officer discipline. They include Joliet, Rockford, Springfield, Champaign, Naperville, Peoria, Aurora, Elgin, Waukegan and Cicero. […]
Two bills are making their way through Springfield addressing union contracts. House Bill 3891 would exclude police union contracts from the language in Section 15, meaning those contracts would no longer have more power than state laws. House Bill 3892 would limit negotiation by police unions to compensation only, preventing contracts from including disciplinary provisions.
Um, the bills are basically dead. They were both assigned to subcommittees and are now back in the Rules Committee where they will likely remain.
* Sticking with this topic for a bit, this is from the Capitol Fax subscriber edition on Sunday, January 10, 2021…
Most of the Senate Executive Committee testimony yesterday against the Black Caucus’ criminal justice reform bill was either way over the top or not exactly helpful to their cause.
“Do you want to stop law enforcement from finding murdered children?” asked one police chief, who pointed to phone call and police interview mandates in the bill which he claimed would’ve prevented officers from finding the dead body of AJ Freund “as quickly as they did.”
The Illinois Sheriffs’ Association has been claiming the bill would “de-fund the police,” and some Republican legislators have shared the claim on their social media accounts. The bill would, in reality, reduce a local government’s share of its state income tax proceeds if it didn’t comply with a police body cam mandate. The Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police didn’t go that far, but did claim at the hearing that the bill would “de-fund” municipalities.
The Illinois Municipal League testified against several aspects of the bill, including the “end prison gerrymandering” section. The group pointed out that counting prisoners at their last known addresses instead of at their prisons would reduce Local Government Distributive Fund dollars to (mainly Republican) prison host communities. But the flip side of that coin is the change would also increase LGDF funding for Democratic Chicago and Cook County.
Sean Smoot was one of the only opponents who seemed to know how to tailor his appeal to a Democratic super-majority. Smoot is the director of the Police Benevolent & Protective Association of Illinois, and he focused much of his testimony on the section that would eliminate discipline and discharge procedures from collective bargaining.
He said he wasn’t talking about protecting bad cops. “I’ve had the opportunity to represent officers who were being discriminated against because they were women,” Smoot said. “I’ve had the opportunity to represent officers who were being discriminated and disciplinarily discriminated [against] because of who they loved.” Smoot said he represented an officer in the Metro East area “who they attempted to terminate because he was Black.”
I don’t know if he succeeded or not, and threatening to scare the living daylights out of white voters has always been an effective tactic. But at least Smoot recognized who runs the Senate, didn’t try to bully anybody and seemed to be sensitive to the insanity this country and this state have just been through. We need more like him.
I shared that as a preface to this scintillating analysis from the Patch…
State lawmakers with Chicago Teachers Union cash jammed in their campaign war chests keep pushing bills in Springfield focused on providing union bosses more bargaining power and a lower threshold of member support required to go on strike.
Meanwhile, proposed legislation that would address police union contracts with provisions that remain roadblocks to criminal justice reform have been getting swept into the dark corners of the legislative session.
Yeah, it’s really tough to see why pro-union bills are being advanced in the Democratic super-majority GA while bills perceived as anti-union are not going anywhere this session. Also, the criminal justice reform law sets up a task force to make recommendations for future legislation. Here’s a statement from last week from Rep. Justin Slaughter, the House’s point-person on criminal justice reform…
When our General Assembly passed the historic police reform package in January, we made a commitment to form a task force that would continue these conversations deliberately and inclusively. The goal of the Task Force on Constitutional Rights and Remedies is to produce a report that clearly outlines how we better hold police accountable, and allow all stakeholders to operate from the same set of facts. We remain committed to moving these discussions forward, not only with the legislature but with communities across the state.
Three suburban Democratic lawmakers’ “present” votes temporarily halted legislation aimed at curbing gun violence in Illinois because of a disagreement over who could petition authorities for someone’s guns to be temporarily confiscated under a firearm restraining order.
House Bill 1092 is expected to come up for a vote again once the Democrats agree.
State Rep. Kathleen Willis of Addison, who worked for years on this issue, said she did not vote yes because the new bill altered the definition of a “family member” who could file such a petition to include “any former spouse (or) person with whom the respondent has or allegedly has a child in common.”
“We worked really hard” on the original wording, Willis said. “We had concerns that we did not want this to become a vindictive thing that someone could use in a divorce situation or just because you don’t like your neighbor or something like that.”
I dunno. Seems like there’s more to this than that.
The Illinois House passed a bill Friday which would make COVID-19-related expansions to telehealth services permanent through state statute.
House Bill 3498, introduced by Rep. Deb Conroy, D-Villa Park, aims to reduce barriers in access to virtual and telehealth services and would bring standards for virtual care in line with physical health services.
Conroy said that access to telehealth, which became a necessity for many Illinoisans during the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic last year, would bring lasting benefits in managing chronic health conditions.
“Over the last year, we’ve seen firsthand evidence that telehealth preserves quality and safety, meets individual patient needs, decreases health care disparities, and protects public health,” Conroy said Friday.
Conroy’s telehealth bill failed to pass during last May’s truncated special session, but she’s worked it hard ever since.
Just how good has Springfield been to local utilities since Commonwealth Edison first won the right in 2011 to set its delivery rates each year via a formula? It’s a good question as state lawmakers embark on their third crack at comprehensive energy legislation in the last decade.
Since the beginning of the “formula-rate era,” yearly earnings growth at ComEd, suburban natural gas utility Nicor and Chicago’s Peoples Gas have topped all but a handful of Chicago’s 20 largest publicly traded companies, according to a Crain’s analysis. […]
ComEd has watched its earnings grow to $638 million in 2020—adding back the $200 million fine for the company’s admissions of bribery in a federal probe of former House Speaker Michael Madigan—from $379 million in 2012, the year it first was allowed to set its delivery rates annually via a formula. ComEd’s profits grew 6.7 percent on average annually over those nine years. […]
As he seeks legislation to put Illinois on a path to a 100 percent carbon-free power industry, Gov. J.B. Pritzker has called for an end to formula rates, the annual rate-setting process that took away most of the ICC’s authority to push back on ComEd’s requests. But that hasn’t stopped utilities—and particularly their union allies whose members benefit from the unprecedented levels of capital spending—from continuing to propose provisions that would continue elements of the formula-rate era such as guaranteed returns for utilities.
* The virus trend is improving, the vaccination trend is not. Press release…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 2,137 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 10 additional deaths.
- Cook County: 1 female 30s, 2 males 70s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
- Peoria County: 1male 80s
- Pope County: 1 male 70s
- Will County: 1 male 40s
- Winnebago County: 1 female 70s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,323,170 cases, including 21,836 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 49,236 specimens for a total of 22,318,791. As of last night, 2,083 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 506 patients were in the ICU and 251 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from April 19-25, 2021 is 3.5%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from April 19-25, 2021 is 4.1%.
The total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses for Illinois is 10,913,325. A total of 8,860,975 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 105,873 doses. Yesterday, 50,512 doses were reported administered in Illinois.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in real-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
* The Sun-Times takes a look at the opposition to a legislative push to finally provide natural gas service to Pembroke Township, one of the poorest areas of the state…
“People here love the earth,” says Dr. Jifunza Wright-Carter, who farms 45 acres with her husband in Pembroke and promotes sustainable agriculture. “This natural gas pipeline has nothing to do with the wellbeing of our community. We don’t have to have it for our livelihood or economic development.”
Wright and her husband Fred Carter moved to Pembroke from Chicago about a dozen years ago, drawn by the history of what once was hailed as the largest Black farming community in the Northern United States. Through their nonprofit Black Oaks Center, they want to restore at least 1,000 acres there for sustainable family farming.
And the idea of a nearby pipeline carrying gas, especially at a time the world is moving away from fossil fuels, doesn’t mesh with their plans.
As many Illinois politicians talk about moving toward a clean energy future, [Hopkins Park Mayor Mark Hodge] has found support from U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Illinois, a number of state lawmakers and the Rev. Jesse Jackson to put more than 30 miles of natural gas pipeline in a poor, Black community in the name of economic development. It’s a debate that also has taken place elsewhere around the country.
To opponents who say it makes more sense to invest in renewable energy, Hodge says that’s too expensive. He points to one past estimate that it would cost $25 million to upgrade electrical distribution to allow for renewable sources.
Some are arguing that the area needs better sewer and water systems and broadband internet service, too. That definitely ought to be addressed in the state’s capital plan. It’s all a no-brainer.
The Black Oaks Center can still do its sustainable farming program if area residents can access natural gas. This is not an either-or proposition. But this is from the founders of the center…
In 2009, we moved out of our near 3000 square foot deluxe Beverly Chicago Bungalow into an off grid, 580 square foot Mennonite storage unit we re-purposed to be our home on the eco campus complete with outdoor compost toilets and a wood stove.
The motivation? To fall down the rabbit hole into an alternate reality of a low carbon life so we could help others do the same when the impact of a destabilized environment would tailor more and more of our lives.
Um, OK. And, again, there was a recent township supervisor election and the incumbent who sided with Black Oaks lost.
Politicians in this state have been promising to bring progress to Pembroke for as long as I’ve been alive. They’ve never successfully followed through. Enough, already. The opposition has no realistic or even concrete alternate plan. The status quo should not continue.
The city of Chicago has sued a Gary, Indiana gun store alleged to have sold hundreds of illegal guns trafficked into Chicago. Filed by Everytown Law, the litigation arm of Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, along with the City of Chicago Department of Law and the law firm Mayer Brown LLP, the lawsuit alleges that the store repeatedly broke federal gun laws and ignored clear signs of straw purchases and gun trafficking, contributing to a public nuisance in Chicago, including in connection with dozens of sales in 2020 and 2021 that resulted in federal criminal charges against the straw purchasers. The complaint cites years of previously-unseen audit reports by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, showing repeat violations, warnings, and two recommendations for revocation of Westforth Sports Inc.’s license to sell guns. It also points to court records showing that, between 2014 and 2021, over 40 federal criminal prosecutions for illegal gun purchases in the Northern District of Indiana, where Westforth is located, involved guns sold by Westforth.
The first civil lawsuit filed by Chicago against a major source of crime guns in more than two decades, the City is seeking a court order requiring Westforth Sports, Inc. to stop practices believed to be contributing to gun trafficking and gun violence in the City, as well as damages for the harm caused by Westforth’s actions.
“The City of Chicago is serious about reducing and eliminating violence of all kinds, which is why we’re fighting the tide of illegal guns flowing into our neighborhoods,” said Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot. “As Mayor, I’ve worked tirelessly to reduce violence to keep our streets safe. Time and time again, however, it has become even more clear that holding accountable all those who contribute to gun violence here, regardless of where they are located, is key to our ability to create a safer Chicago. This lawsuit is about addressing a major source of illegal guns recovered in our city, and it should send an unmistakable signal about our commitment to reducing gun violence and stopping gun trafficking.”
“When this many crime guns are traced back to a single dealer, it raises serious questions about how that dealer does business, and in this case you don’t have to look far for the answer,” said Alla Lefkowitz, director of affirmative litigation for Everytown Law. “The ATF has cited Westforth over and over again for violating federal gun regulations, including for selling to straw purchasers. ATF inspectors twice recommended that Westforth’s gun dealer license be revoked. This lawsuit should be a wake-up call to ATF to take long-overdue action against Westforth to protect the public.”
The suit alleges that in the face of unmistakable indicators of illegal gun sales—including high volume, repetitive, and multiple-sale transactions involving duplicate or near-duplicate firearms—Westforth chose time and time again to look the other way and to falsify transaction forms, becoming a trusted source of firearms for traffickers and straw purchasers. For example, as detailed on pages 18-24 of the complaint:
• Over the course of seven months in 2020, one buyer is alleged to have purchased 19 handguns from Westforth, including ten guns bought in multiple-sale transactions, and nine others bought at intervals designed to avoid federal reporting requirements. With the exception of one gun that the buyer kept for himself, each of these guns were transferred to persons in Chicago. The buyer has since been charged criminally with making false statements in connection with his gun purchases at Westforth.
• Another buyer is alleged to have bought six handguns from Westforth in the spring of 2020, including three identical Taurus handguns and a pair of identical Smith & Wesson handguns. The complaint alleges that these duplicative multiple-sale transactions were unmistakable warning signs of straw purchasing, which Westforth ignored. One of the guns that Westforth sold to this buyer was recovered by the Chicago Police just over a month later, and the rest are believed to remain on the streets. In December 2020, this buyer pled guilty to a federal crime in connection with her purchases at Westforth.
• Another buyer visited Westforth in May 2018 and is alleged to have bought five Glock handguns—including two duplicate and near-duplicate pairs—in a single purchase. The complaint alleges that this suspicious bulk purchase of handguns was highly indicative of trafficking, and the buyer was indeed a trafficker. Just a day after Westforth sold these guns, two of them were recovered by law enforcement in Chicago during an altercation. One had been outfitted with a laser sight. This buyer has since been charged criminally with making false statements in connection with his gun purchases at Westforth.
* When the Illinois Policy Institute believes double taxation is bad…
All Illinois drivers also pay sales taxes on top of their gas taxes, which is essentially double taxation.
* When the Illinois Policy Institute believes double taxation is good…
NYT ed board comes out swinging against @GovPritzker, Cuomo and others on the SALT deduction. "A tax cut with such a skewed distribution of benefits ought to be unacceptable to any politician genuinely concerned about the rise of economic inequality." https://t.co/QC8b1ObT2D
After Friday’s deadline to send bills to the opposite chamber, here’s how the numbers play out. House Democrats saw 333 of their bills pass, while 74 from House Republicans passed. Senate Democrats saw 305 bills pass, and Senate Republicans, 47.
* If those numbers are correct, then the Democrats in both chambers passed about 2.8 times as many bills per member as their Republican counterparts…
House Democrats: 4.6 bills per member
House Republicans: 1.6 bills per member
Senate Democrats: 7.4 bills per member
Senate Republicans: 2.6 bills per member
* The percentage of people who have vaccine side effects is relatively small and is always short-lived, but most of the online notice is going to the people who complain the loudest on social media…
Tired with a slight headache both times, but the overwhelming joy and relief I had let me push through just fine.
* Also, if you do have side effects, try not to be too melodramatic on your social media account because you’re only enabling goofs like this…
As soon as the United States authorized the use of the first COVID-19 vaccine in mid-December, a small but vocal group of skeptics and conspiracy theorists, baselessly convinced that the jabs were lethal, started hunting for dead people. At first their efforts were relatively small-bore and haphazard—although far from innocuous. But as the scale and sophistication of America’s vaccine rollout have exponentially ramped up over the last three months, so have efforts to hunt down alleged vaccine fatalities.
Starting in mid-January, several social media channels and websites emerged as hubs for stories, generated by admins and users pulling together snippets from across the internet and crafting them into cohesive narratives and brief posts, linking reported deaths to COVID vaccinations. Several of these platforms have grown notably, and become more formalized, in recent weeks. Unsurprisingly, given the robust safety profile of the vaccines in use in the United States, they rarely detail how a vaccination supposedly caused a given death.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has not found a causal connection between COVID vaccines and virtually any post-vaccination deaths—although the agency recently announced it is investigating three deaths linked to a rare blood-clotting disorder a few individuals developed after receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Medical authorities shelved that vaccine temporarily because sensitive monitoring systems picked up on this issue quickly. However, anti-vaxxers often take this less as a sign that safety systems are working and more as a sign that they were right all along and many more dangers must remain hidden.
But even if the narratives these hubs string together are weak and not supported by extant research on vaccine risks, some evidence suggests seeing these sorts of stories repeated ad nauseam may turn otherwise open people away from vaccines. This is a problem, as experts warn that skeptics, especially in far-right strongholds, are holding us back from herd immunity.
And death-hunting hubs are overflowing with dubious stories about vaccine death.
Of the many strategies Brewer and his colleagues explored in a 2017 study on the psychology of vaccine uptake, one of the most effective was simply requiring it.
For some people, being allowed to travel to see the grandkids, to take a cruise or to return to the office or school is enough of an incentive to persuade them to get vaccinated. According to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll conducted in late March, 7 percent of respondents said that they would get a vaccine “only if required.”
However, that step cannot occur before people believe vaccinations are safe.
“If there’s not some community-wide level of confidence in the vaccine,” Brewer said, “policymakers cannot implement all of these super-effective approaches without receiving a great deal of blowback from the general public.”
(T)he Illinois Community College Board and the Illinois Board of Higher Education won’t mandate vaccines for students.
“That’s going to be a local college decision,” said Matt Berry, Illinois Community College Board spokesman.
Melissa Hahn, spokeswoman for the Illinois Board of Higher Education, said the board is not issuing guidance mandating vaccines “but encourages continued use of face coverings, frequent hand-washing, and maintaining social distance.”
Community colleges in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake and McHenry counties are not requiring students to be vaccinated but will continue COVID screening and other safety measures. In Chicago, DePaul University and Columbia College are mandating students be vaccinated for fall, bucking the trend.
The fiscal news in Illinois of late has been a whole lot better than just about anyone expected. March’s base general funds revenue grew by $422 million versus a year ago, mainly because of stronger than expected receipts of personal and corporate income taxes and sales taxes. That follows a growth of $330 million in February’s receipts.
The revenue surge has been so rosy that some have openly wondered whether Gov. J.B. Pritzker was telling the truth last year when he warned voters that failing to approve a graduated income tax, which would’ve eventually produced more than $3 billion a year in new revenues, would result in budget cuts or higher taxes.
But a little noticed budget forecast published during spring break by the Legislature’s Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability threw cold water on all the excitement.
“The 2017 income tax increase closed some of the structural gap in the budget but the state still has more work to do to truly be able to operate under a sustainable model moving forward,” COGFA reported.
That structural budget gap also came up in a recent report by the University of Illinois’ Institute of Government and Public Affairs, which noted that Illinois’ expenditures exceeded revenue by roughly 10% each year between 2010 and 2020.
But back to COGFA’s report, which claimed that, “as demonstrated in this report, based on forecast models, the state needs to raise more revenue and/or reduce expenditures.”
The commission produced several scenarios, including one that used the projected spending for this fiscal year and next fiscal year and applied the 2.7% annual spending growth averaged here over the past five years. In that scenario, the Fiscal Year 2022 deficit would be $1.2 billion, FY23’s deficit would be $1.7 billion and the FY24 budget would have a $1.9 billion hole and a $9.9 billion backlog on paying bills. That backlog is currently $5.4 billion.
Basing projections on the same two fiscal years with an average 3.2% spending growth seen in Illinois over the past ten years, the projected Fiscal Year 2024 deficit grows to $2.3 billion and the bill backlog would be $10.6 billion.
But basing calculations on only this fiscal year’s spending would produce even higher deficits and backlogs: A $5 billion deficit and a $19.1 billion backlog by FY2024 assuming a 2.7% annual spending growth; and a whopping $5.7 billion deficit and a $20.5 billion bill backlog assuming a 3.2% spending growth.
To bring the bill backlog down to zero dollars, COGFA calculated that the state would need annual spending cuts of 5.3% and 4.7%, depending on which fiscal year spending base was used in the projection.
Zero-growth budgets would produce a $413 million surplus and a $6.5 billion backlog by 2024 in one scenario and a $1.4 billion deficit and a $12 billion backlog in the other.
But even achieving flat spending is hugely difficult because of ever-increasing pension obligations, medical inflation and education spending pressures, not to mention all the other programs that legislators and governors devise.
One of COGFA’s suggestions is to reduce statutory interest rates on past-due bills of between 9 and 12% annually, which it claimed could reduce spending by $15 million to $45 million per year. While it looks good on paper, the hard fact remains that vendors have been stiffed for two decades by this state and it’s already difficult to find people who will do business with Illinois. Cutting that interest rate would make it even tougher.
COGFA also suggested expanding the sales tax base, which is something the governor has rejected.
But the commission did have one piece of sound advice: Use the $7.5 billion from the federal government’s new American Rescue Plan to pay off the money borrowed from the feds, pay down the state’s bill backlog, use some of the cash to generate as much federal matching funds as possible and patch any COVID-caused budgetary holes.
That definitely would help keep down the projected bill backlogs, but it wouldn’t do much to correct the structural budget problems Illinois has had for many years. That opportunity was lost last November when Pritzker’s “Fair Tax” plan went down in flames at the polls.
While the governor’s $1 billion “corporate loopholes” proposal would make a dent in those projected holes, a new and comprehensive plan is necessary. But it’ll be pretty tough with an election year right around the corner. Petitions can be circulated in about five months.
A phased repeal of the corporate franchise tax, an addition to what properties qualify for the state’s machinery and equipment sales tax exemption, and a tax deduction for creating new construction jobs in the state were added to the budget proposal put forth by Pritzker in 2019 to secure Republican support.
All three provisions would be delayed or removed in the governor’s plan in order to generate approximately $102 million in savings for FY 22
That third provision, branded as the Blue Collar Jobs Act, was meant to go into effect Jan. 2021. At the time of its passage, the bill was touted by both Pritzker and Republicans as a tax credit that would bring more jobs and businesses to Illinois.
However, the construction worker tax credit had its implementation delayed by Pritzker, who cited losses in tax revenue due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Sen. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, questioned Sturm, the governor’s budget director, on why a program passed with bipartisan support needed to be cut if the state expected a surplus.
A former Illinois state representative and longtime supervisor of Worth Township was charged Friday in a plot to pay bribes to a relative of an Oak Lawn trustee in 2017 to get lucrative red-light cameras installed there.
John O’Sullivan, 53, of Oak Lawn, was charged in a criminal information filed in U.S. District Court with one count of bribery conspiracy.
Defendants charged via an information, rather than by grand jury indictment, typically intend to plead guilty. O’Sullivan’s attorney was not immediately available for comment.
O’Sullivan was accused of conspiring with longtime political operative Patrick Doherty and an executive representing red-light camera company SafeSpeed LCC to pay $4,000 in bribes in exchange for the official support of an Oak Lawn trustee to add red-light cameras at additional intersections.
* Ben Szalinski at the State Journal-Register has a good roundup piece that hits many of the high points of today’s House action, so click here when you get a chance. Topics include…
The Senate mostly dealt with lesser or bipartisan bills. Click here.
* It feels so good to be back in session, meeting new people, seeing people I haven’t seen in over a year, having a bit of fun after hours all while trying to do my job the way it ought to be done. But, man…
Josina Morita was the first commissioner on Chicago’s Metropolitan Water Reclamation District to have a baby while in office and was told, at one point, to use an empty tech support office when she needed to pump breastmilk.
State Rep. Margaret Croke had a 2-month-old son during the 12th House District primary race and brought her son to work every day because Illinois, unlike several other states, doesn’t consider child care an allowable campaign expense. […]
The four women have joined forces, along with 18 other bipartisan elected officials — aldermen, county commissioners, state representatives — to form an Illinois Mamas Caucus. Their goal is to turn Illinois into the most mom-friendly state in the nation, through policies that support working families, protect female and maternal health, provide high-quality public education and make it easier for women to run for elected office.
“Women, especially mothers, are the ones who don’t crack under pressure,” Conyears-Ervin said. “We know how to have the baby on one hip and stand up to the microphone on the House floor, Senate floor, talk about our legislation, nurse our babies on Zoom calls, you name it. That’s why we’re doing this. Is it difficult? Yes. Do we have time for it? No. But it is so very important.”
The founding members of the Mamas Caucus are hosting a virtual town hall, where they’re inviting the public to share their stories of living and working and parenting through a pandemic.
* The Question: Your parenting/career stories? And since the above story is about the Mamas Caucus, let’s keep the responses to stories about moms and their careers. Thanks.
And I’m sorry this was posted so late on a Friday.
* Rep. Robyn Gabel (D-Evanston) rose on the floor this afternoon to explain House Bill 347. The bill, she said, does two things. First, it creates a database of all immunizations to help the Illinois Department of Public Health track immunizations across the state and said people can opt out if they don’t want to be in the registry. Second, the bill would increase vaccine reimbursement to pediatricians for vaccinating children from the current $6.40 to $16.
Intense opposition to the bill was whipped up by at least one so-called “vaccine awareness” group and thousands of electronic witness slips were filed against it.
* Norine Hammond (R-Macomb) rose to say (inaccurately) that 15,000 witness slips had been filed in opposition to the bill and that she had received several emails about this as well.
“People are very concerned about having this information based in a data registry,” Hammond said, and asked the sponsor “Who is going to hold those records and how they will be disseminated?”
Rep. Gabel replied that the records are “only for the Department of Health” and are not disseminated with identifying data. “They’re used in the aggregate to be able to check immunization rates across the state to identify areas that have low immunizations and to target services for those areas.”
Gabel also stressed that there is an opt-out process “in current law.” Rep. Hammond said the opt-out was a concern of many who had contacted her. Even so, Hammond said she wouldn’t be voting for the bill.
* Rep. Andrew Chesney (R-Freeport) then asked to be recognized to speak. “I recommend my colleagues vote ‘No,’” Chesney said. “My body, my choice.” Some of you may recognize that saying as an anti-vaxxer slogan used to troll liberals.
“This bill does not mandate anybody get a vaccine for anything,” an exasperated Gabel retorted.
Their Facebook page is one long paean to Donald Trump, complete with an invite to take the bus to Washington, D.C., and participate in a “March to Save America” at the Capitol. Not to mention the “Trump’s back” speech at the March CPAC conference.
Their No. 2 official has tweeted in recent days about the “stupid diapers” “Tony Fraudci & Co.” want you wear on your face, how “over one third of Americans” are “rejecting” Coca-Cola because the company “interfered in Georgia politics and voter integrity,” and how people can contribute to the Florida congressman who is under investigation for allegedly paying a 17-year-old for sex trips. Not to mention the pic a few weeks back of her schmoozing with a National Rifle Association board hopeful.
Then there’s the double-endorsed candidate who threw a fundraiser with the group’s help without disclosing that a good chunk of the proceeds were going to her consulting company.
Conservative, far-southern Illinois? Or maybe the southwest suburbs? Nope, this group is from an unexpected locale. Its name: the New Trier Township Republican Organization.
Yes, New Trier. As in the tony North Shore, between Evanston and Highland Park, long the unofficial headquarters of business wing of the Illinois GOP, the place where such leaders as onetime White House Chief of Staff Donald Rumsfeld, U.S. Sens. Chuck Percy and Mark Kirk, U.S. Reps. Bob Dold and John Porter, and even Gov. Bruce Rauner grew up or were based.
Gold Rush Amusements, Inc., the third largest video gaming terminal operator in Illinois, announced today a settlement with the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB), including dismissal of a 2019 disciplinary complaint without any finding of wrongdoing. The IGB unanimously approved the agreement at its meeting this morning in Chicago. The agreement provides for renewal of Gold Rush’s license retroactive to February of this year, continuing Gold Rush’s consistent good standing.
“After 18 months of denying false accusations from adversaries and fighting to protect my business, my family, and my reputation, I’m grateful that the IGB closely reviewed and considered the facts and evidence demonstrating that I did not offer an illegal inducement as the disciplinary complaint alleged,” said Rick Heidner, Gold Rush’s founder.
According to the settlement agreement, Gold Rush and Mr. Heidner fully cooperated during the IGB’s investigation. In addition to dismissing the disciplinary complaint, the agreement calls for Gold Rush and Mr. Heidner to dismiss two lawsuits they filed last year against the IGB. Gold Rush will pay the IGB $45,000 to cover its administrative and investigative costs associated with the disciplinary complaint. The company will also pay a $30,000 fine for disparaging text messages unrelated to the disciplinary complaint that Mr. Heidner sent in July 2019 to an adversary in litigation.
Gold Rush denied the allegations made in the disciplinary complaint and contested the request to revoke Gold Rush’s terminal operator license. The complaint alleged that Mr. Heidner violated state law and IGB rules by offering to help arrange a purchase of certain video gaming establishments for $5 million more than a recent purchaser had paid for them in a November 2018 transaction.
That transaction, or series of transactions, on Nov. 16, 2018, among three other Illinois video gaming licensees – Laredo Hospitality Ventures, LLC, Illinois Café and Service Company, LLC (ICSC), and Midwest SRO, LLC – resulted in ICSC’s purported purchase of Laredo and its more than 60 Stella’s and Shelby’s gaming establishments. At the time, Gold Rush had contracts to serve as the terminal operator for 44 of the owned establishments and was being forced out. Mr. Heidner, who was suspicious but unaware of the transaction details at the time, contends that he was merely attempting to elicit the financial details of the deal when he engaged in conversation later that same month with Dan Fischer, principal of ICSC, which owns and operates the Dotty’s chain of video gaming cafes.
“The settlement vindicates Gold Rush and Mr. Heidner on the allegations that were charged in the disciplinary complaint,” said Patrick M. Collins, of King & Spalding, an attorney for Gold Rush and Mr. Heidner. “We believe the disciplinary complaint was issued in reaction to misleading media reports, but we are grateful that the IGB ultimately was persuaded by the facts to dismiss the complaint and approve a fair and reasonable settlement.”
Meanwhile, the IGB continues to investigate ICSC’s purported purchase of Laredo. In pending litigation relating to the November 2018 transaction, it was revealed that a Gold Rush competitor, Midwest SRO, had paid more than $44.5 million to the owners of the Laredo establishments before being awarded contracts with them to replace Gold Rush. At the same time, ICSC paid only $2 million, and possibly much less, to purportedly purchase Laredo and its more than 60 high-end cafes.
Gold Rush contends that the transaction was a “sham” designed to circumvent gaming laws prohibiting inducements and integrated ownership of terminal operators and establishments. In December 2020, a Cook County Circuit Court judge opined that he viewed the transaction as “highly suspect.” Internal IGB documents produced in the litigation likewise disclosed that the agency’s professional staff had grave concerns about the deal before it was completed, but believed they lacked authority to stop the transaction. In June 2020, the IGB advised the Court that it was investigating the transaction, and it recently signaled that the investigation is continuing when it told a judge last month in a different case that: “The Laredo Transaction calls into question whether certain applicants are qualified to be granted a video gaming license.”
“We appreciate the significant time spent by the IGB in resolving this matter in a fair and equitable manner, especially during a period when the IGB is extremely busy and has many demands for its attention, yet is understaffed. Nevertheless, we encourage the IGB to continue to invest the resources necessary to conclude its ongoing investigation and provide the industry with direction on issues that will influence future transactions and relationships,” said Paul T. Jenson, of Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, an attorney for Gold Rush and Mr. Heidner.
The IGB today also approved a separate agreement providing that the agency will rescind an order directing Gold Rush and its Director of Operations, Ronald Bolger, to economically disassociate. That order was announced by the Board at the same time as the 2019 disciplinary complaint. Mr. Bolger, a widely respected 40-year veteran of the coin-operated amusement and video gaming industries in Illinois, remains Gold Rush’s operations director.
That agency’s administrator, Marcus Fruchter, moved to revoke Heidner’s gambling license in December 2019, claiming Heidner had offered up a $5 million “illegal inducement” to the owner of a gambling parlor chain that planned to remove Heidner’s slots. State gambling law prohibits “giving anything of value to an establishment as an incentive” to use a company’s machines.
But more than a year into the case, new evidence “added clarity and context to the events underlying the disciplinary complaint,” Fruchter said before Gaming Board members unanimously approved the settlement.
Heidner had maintained the allegations were part of an “orchestrated smear campaign” by Dan Fischer, a competitor who remains in a heated legal battle with Heidner. Court records stemming from that ongoing lawsuit show Gaming Board investigators are now considering discipline against Fischer, who’s also the lead investor in a group that has received preliminary approval to break ground on a new casino in Rockford. […]
Heidner was put under the microscope in October 2019 when his name surfaced in a federal search warrant connected to a sweeping public corruption probe that has ensnared several top state lawmakers. That summer, federal agents went looking for items related to Heidner and Gold Rush, among other entities, when they raided the offices of then-state Sen. Martin Sandoval and McCook Mayor Jeff Tobolski. […]
But last summer, Chicago’s top federal prosecutor, U.S. Attorney John Lausch, took the rare step of signing a letter confirming Heidner was “not a target of this investigation.”
* Again, more than half the deaths are people in their 60s or younger. Press release…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 3,369 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 22 additional deaths.
- Bureau County: 1 male 70s
- Champaign County: 1 male 40s
- Cook County: 1 female 40s, 1 male 40s, 2 females 50s, 2 males 50s, 1 male 60s, 2 males 80s
- DuPage County: 1 female 80s
- Kane County: 1 female 50s
- Peoria County: 1 male 60s
- Sangamon County: 1 female 30s
- Tazewell County: 1 female 50s, 1 male 80s
- Vermilion County: 2 females 80s
- Will County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 90s
- Woodford County: 1 female 70s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,316,091 cases, including 21,777 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 104,795 specimens for a total of 22,113,490. As of last night, 2,112 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 506 patients were in the ICU and 230 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from April 16-22, 2021 is 3.6%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from April 16-22, 2021 is 4.3%.
The total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses for Illinois is 10,802,075. A total of 8,610,478 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 118,741 doses. Yesterday, 136,525 doses were reported administered in Illinois.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in real-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
A measure advancing at the statehouse would require Illinoisans to submit fingerprints to get a Firearm Owner Identification Card and increase the costs, among other changes.
House Floor Amendment 1 to House Bill 1091 would bring about many changes, including what proponents say are efforts to modernize the state’s FOID and Concealed Carry License system.
Currently, there are tens of thousands of backlogs of individuals who have paid for their application to be processed, but are waiting months longer than the law allows. The system faces multiple lawsuits in state and federal courts.
Illinois State Rifle Association’s Ed Sullivan said while they support better firearm disposition policies to get guns from prohibited persons whose FOID cards are revoked, they don’t support the proposal of mandating fingerprints for people to exercise constitutional rights.
The proposals backed by GPAC also include mandatory universal background checks for private gun sales or transfers unless it’s between immediate family members. Willis described those private sales as a “loophole,” and said her legislation would make it mandatory to go to a federal firearms licensed dealer who can perform a universal background check in order to make a private sale.
But Todd Vandermyde of the Federal Firearms Licensees of Illinois pointed out there are no such gun dealers in the city of Chicago due to local ordinances, and compared that situation with disenfranchising of Black voters.
“What would it be like if we said we’re going to have early voting in the state but there was not a single polling place inside the city limits of Chicago, and all those voters had to go outside to Cook County or elsewhere to vote?” Vandermyde asked. “We wouldn’t accept it. This is a Jim Crow law.”
House Judiciary - Criminal committee chair State Rep. Justin Slaughter (D-Chicago), who is Black, chided Vandermyde for his comparison.
“What we’re not going to do is associate this with Jim Crow laws,” Slaughter said.
I’m opposed to Illinois House Bill 1356, which would require anyone who runs for the Board of Review to be a lawyer.
Our property tax system needs ongoing reform. But this bill would discourage reformers and real estate professionals from running for public office.
Right now, all three Cook County Board of Review commissioners are lawyers. We don’t need a law to make this possible. This bill would not apply to any other counties in Illinois. We should ask ourselves why this bill needs to be passed and who will benefit from it.
No other office in Cook County’s property tax system has a law like this.
Appeals from the Board of Review go to the Property Tax Appeals Board. There is no requirement to have a law degree to serve on the Property Tax Appeals Board.
This bill is also not the standard elsewhere in the country. In other large jurisdictions around the country, including New York City, Dallas, Seattle, Miami, D.C. and Los Angeles, there is no requirement that board members must be attorneys.
In many other property tax jurisdictions, real estate professionals outnumber lawyers on the boards that hear assessment appeals.
Finally, in the suburbs of Cook County, Township Assessors serve as ex-officio deputies of our office. This bill would prevent many of them from putting their knowledge to work at the Board of Review in service of taxpayers.
Township Assessors are some of the most knowledgeable people in the county when it comes to property assessments and appeals thanks to decades of skills and training. It’s a mistake to block them from running for this office if they aren’t a lawyer.
It’s a step backward if we don’t continue to allow real estate professionals and others from the private sector to serve in this capacity merely because they are not lawyers.
HB 1356 won’t serve the goal of a more fair and accurate property tax system. I urge @HouseDemsIL and @ilhousegop legislators to vote no.
I talked with some Cook County Democratic House members yesterday who were up in arms about the bill. Stay tuned.
…Adding… Press release…
The following is a statement from Commissioners of the Cook County Board of Review, Larry Rogers, Jr. and Michael Cabonargi on why they are championing HB1356, a good government bill in Springfield that would require Commissioners of the Cook County Board of Review to be licensed attorneys:
“This is a good government bill that will further professionalize the Board of Review. As a quasi-judicial body that sits as an appellate tribunal, the courts have established that filing a complaint with the Board is the practice of law. It is only appropriate that the Commissioners who lead the Board and all its work be licensed attorneys.
“As licensed attorneys, Commissioners are held to a higher ethical standard and subject to discipline by the Illinois Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission, another safeguard that voters clearly value since they’ve now elected three licensed attorneys as Commissioners of the Board.
“While others have contended that this bill will close the door to real estate professionals becoming Commissioners, it’s fundamental that the Board is an independent legal review of the Assessor’s work, as explicitly defined in the Illinois Property Tax Code and relevant case law.
“Finally, the notion that licensed attorneys can’t be reformers is patently ridiculous. Please see the ACLU.”
Late on Friday, we heard there’s talk now of rewriting the bill, which did not meet a deadline for third readings but is far from dead. It can be revived. The rewrite would allow at least some non-lawyers with good assessment credentials to run for the board, which would beat the current bad proposal.
But better yet, there should be no such restrictions.
Not unless somebody can come up with better arguments than we’ve heard so far.
On the same day a Minnesota jury found Derek Chauvin guilty of murdering George Floyd, a push to end qualified immunity stalled in the Illinois House.
Democrats narrowly reached a deal on police reform during a “lame duck” session in January. The original provision would have ended qualified immunity, the legal shield that often protects police officers from liability in civil courts; however, that controversial proposal was removed in order to calm the nerves of some legislators who were uncomfortable with the idea.
“I was someone who, internally and publicly, was very adamant that qualified immunity should stay in the criminal justice pillars,” Rep. Curtis Tarver said Thursday. “I think that to not have it in there is somewhat of a disservice to the overall purpose of the pillar.”
“Individuals who either don’t come in contact with law enforcement in the same way that a lot of Black and Brown individuals do, or don’t know anyone who’s had those same type of interactions, I think it could be difficult for them,” Tarver said.
For police trying to crack a tough case, one tool in the arsenal is deception — letting suspects think there’s strong evidence against them, even when there’s none, in hopes of getting a confession.
But an effort in Springfield this month aims to ban that kind of trickery when it comes to juveniles.
Senate Bill 2122, which has been working its way through the upper house of the General Assembly this week, would prohibit police from lying to a juvenile suspect about evidence in a case, or making unauthorized statements about any leniency that might come with an admission of guilt.
A growing number of state senators are advocating for a ranked choice voting system where voters could rank their candidates in order of preference. Advocates say it would result in electing politicians who appeal to a broader portion of the electorate.
Public polling data from Gallup and Pew Research have shown an increasing drift towards polarization and away from a moderate consensus in recent years. Several legislative districts in Illinois are very non-competitive, and often see candidates who wind up running unopposed in the general election. But in a crowded primary field, the most polarizing or controversial candidate can sometimes win the most attention, and coast through to an easy seat in the legislature without facing a challenge from across the aisle, or without winning wide support from the voters in their district.
“The problem that we see is that the primary becomes the entire election,” state Senator Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) said.
Reforming elections to include a ranked choice format would require county clerks to tabulate votes for each race and determine if any candidate had reached a 50% threshold. If no one reached a simple majority, the candidate with the least votes would be eliminated from contention, and the clerk would count up all of the second preferences of that candidate’s voters, adding those second alternative choices to the total vote counts for candidates still remaining in the field. The process would continue until one candidate had won at least half of the total votes.
A bill that would add some interesting new strings to tax-increment financing projects has picked up a surprisingly big head of steam in Springfield and is nearing final approval by the General Assembly.
Under the measure, sponsored by Rep. Jonathan Carroll, D-Northbrook at the request of Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza, TIF developers would have to begin reporting annually to Mendoza how well their projects are doing in terms of creating jobs and new property tax revenue, or increment. That way, voters would know whether a project in line for TIF subsidies is as productive as developers promised.
Today marks 100 days since House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch was sworn in to serve as Illinois’ first Black Speaker of the House. In just under four months, Speaker Welch has worked tirelessly to ensure his promises to address our state’s toughest issues are being kept.
“In my inaugural address, I vowed that I would work with all members of the Illinois House to make this state better,” said Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch. “While I understand we are one of the most diverse states in the country, we are all here to represent the people of Illinois and make their lives better.”
In an effort to restore the public’s trust in government, Speaker Welch ushered in a new set of House rules that included a 10-year term limit for leadership positions in the General Assembly. He then supported further codifying these limits by the working to pass House Bill 642, which was unanimously passed in the House on Thursday. The Speaker also continues to work on an ethics reform package, something he’s vowed since he earned the speakership.
“We know we need to strengthen the trust Illinoisans have in their elected officials. We will do that through reform, with a renewed focus on transparency, prohibitions on conflicts of interest and a renewed commitment to work in the best interest of the people of Illinois,” said Speaker Welch.
To ensure we’re producing tangible solutions that will have a positive effect on families and children, here is a sample of legislation we’ve passed:
· HB 25, led by Representative Gong-Gershowitz, which paves the way for legal representation for people facing immigration proceedings;
· HB 374, led by Representative Smith, which enables the creation of affordable housing on community college campuses;
· HB 3418, led Representative Carroll, which prohibits employers from requiring nondisclosure agreements in sexual harassment cases;
· HB 576, led by Representative LaPointe, which allow kids to take sick days to aid their mental health; and
· HB 376, also led by Representative Gong- Gershowitz, which incorporates Asian American history into our schools’ curricula.
When it comes to a critical kitchen table issue, Leader Delia Ramirez championed legislation that helps to remove barriers to housing for families that have been devastated by COVID-19. In addition to pausing foreclosures, it helps expand access to assistance for renters and provides relief for homeowners.
To build on the racial equity platform pushed by the Black Caucus, Rep. Camille Lilly put Illinois on the path toward health equity by passing House Bill 158.. This legislation creates an Anti-Racism Commission to eliminate systemic racism prevalent in health care and requires implicit bias training for all medical professionals.
Prior to joining the General Assembly, Speaker Welch served 12 years on the Proviso Township High School Board of Education. He has always placed an importance on education and better serving our state’s youth. That was also highlighted with the passage of legislation that would create an elected school board in Chicago, which will divide Chicago into 20 electoral districts as determined by the General Assembly for seats on the Chicago Board of Education. The 21st seat is a city-wide election for the board’s president.
“This is another excellent bill by Leader Ramirez and I’m so proud of the entire caucus for getting it through the chamber,” said Speaker Welch. “We have been working for years to help create a more equitable Board of Education in Chicago and this is one step closer.”
Speaker Welch has placed an importance on a new style of leadership, one that is more inclusive and represents the diversity throughout the state. This starts with his leadership team, which is the most diverse in the state’s history. He hired the first Black Communications Director and the first female Press Spokesperson, in addition to appointing some of the most diverse committee chairs and vice chairs.
“Members of the General Assembly have noticed a more open, decentralized leadership style that allows everyone to advocate for their communities and work their bills as peers,” said Speaker Pro Tempore Jehan Gordon-Booth. “Between the substance of legislation and the availability of grief counselors after the death of Adam Toledo, we see the positive effects of having a more inclusive leadership team and staff.”
As today marks the deadline for 3rd reading, a number of other critical bills are expected to pass the House and head to the Illinois Senate. Concurrently, the House will consider Senate-passed bills as Democratic leaders in both chambers work in the interests of women, working-class families and communities of color up and down the state.
Your thoughts on the new House Speaker’s first 100 days?
* Background is here if you need it. I’ve talked to a Black legislator this week who said he isn’t using his legislative plates in Springfield because of this case. I can’t say I blame him…
A New Berlin man pleaded not guilty yesterday to criminal charges that allege he pointed a loaded handgun at a state senator to threaten the Chicago-based lawmaker as the two were driving cars March 15 in Springfield.
Michael L. Hoyle, 54, who is free after posting $15,000 bail the day after the alleged incident, entered the plea in front of Sangamon County Circuit Judge Ryan Cadagin. A trial was scheduled for July.
Hoyle, the president and owner of Kwik-Wall Co. of Springfield, was arrested the night of the incident involving Sen. Elgie Sims Jr., D-Chicago. […]
In March, Sims told The State Journal-Register that he feared for his life when he was threatened by Hoyle, someone he didn’t know, as Sims drove alone from the Capitol Complex to his home on Springfield’s west side, where he lives during legislative sessions.
Sims, 50, has said he thinks the legislative license plates on his car may have played a role in sparking the apparent incident of road rage. But Springfield Police Deputy Chief Joshua Stuenkel said police haven’t found evidence to support that theory and were unaware of a motive behind Hoyle’s alleged behavior.
*** UPDATE *** Hoyle attempted to change his bond conditions during a hearing today. He wanted to be able to travel freely in the continental United States. Instead, he got limited travel privileges, a psych evaluation, was ordered to turn over his guns to the sheriff and can have no contact with Sen. Sims…
Cause comes on for hearing on Defendant’s Motion to Modify Conditions of Bond and the People’s Motion to Modify Conditions of Bond and the Court having reviewed the pleading and considered the arguments of counsel, ORDERS as follows:
A. Defendant is ordered to comply with all standard Conditions of Bond Release set forth on Exhibit A;
B. Defendant shall surrender all firearms and ammunition to the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office on or before April 26, 2021;
C. Defendant shall not possess firearms or ammunition; Defendant shall complete a psychiatric evaluation by a provider designated by Pretrial Services and comply with any treatment recommendations made by Pretrial Services;
D. Defendant shall have no contact with Elgie Sims or any of the following addresses [redacted by me]
E. Defendant is not permitted to leave the State of Illinois absent further order of the Court, with the following exceptions:
a. Defendant shall be permitted to travel to his residence in the State of Florida; and
b. Defendant is permitted to attend a military graduation ceremony for his son in the State of Kentucky and return to Springfield.
Several of Sen. Sims’ colleagues joined Sims at the hearing, including Senate President Harmon and Sens. Murphy, Gillespie, Villivalam, Feigenholtz, Villenuava, Peters, Aquino, Hunter, Johnson, Morrison, Bush, Fine, Belt and Simmons, among others. It was a nice touch.
* Tanking for labor when you’re about to run statewide is a good idea. But positioning yourself as the sponsor of a more generous than perhaps needed Exelon/ComEd bailout? I suppose we’re gonna find out…
State lawmakers sponsoring a union-backed proposal that could raise ComEd customers’ bills sought to poke holes Thursday in a study commissioned by Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office that argues for smaller subsidies for two nuclear plants owned by the utility’s parent company.
During a Senate committee hearing Thursday, Democratic Sen. Michael Hastings of Frankfort and Republican Sen. Sue Rezin of Morris, both sponsors of the labor-backed energy bill, questioned the assumptions in the governor’s audit and the credibility of the outside experts hired to prepare it. […]
Deputy Gov. Christian Mitchell, who is leading energy talks for the governor’s office, told lawmakers that Pritzker fully supports releasing the full report and has asked Exelon for permission to do so. Pritzker also supports taking steps to keep nuclear plants in operation, Mitchell said. […]
But Mitchell said customers should “pay no more than is necessary to keep the fleet viable.” The audit recommends only providing subsidies in years Exelon demonstrates the financial need.
“For those who would want to pay more than that, I would simply ask, ‘Why?’ ” he said.
Good question, although knocking heads with a pretty powerful Democratic Senator also has distinct disadvantages in the short term.
Hastings wants to run for secretary of state. His top Democratic opponent so far is Alexi Giannoulias, who has raised $1.5 million since the beginning of the year, including a $100K A-1 filed just this week. At this rate, he’ll have more than enough money to dirty Hastings up. Hastings has raised $264K so far this year, but had $604K in the bank.
Rezin has nuke plants in her district, so her position is strictly local.
…Adding… IL Chamber…
Following [yesterday’s] Senate Energy and Public Utilities subject matter hearing on the Exelon audit prepared by Synapse Energy Economics at the direction of the Pritzker Administration, Illinois Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Todd Maisch provides the following statement:
Today’s hearing provided a very important opportunity to shed light on some of the questions legislators must consider as Exelon comes back to the General Assembly with hat in hand asking for a second massive bailout in only five years. As Illinois’ citizens and businesses only begin to recover from the harsh economic realities brought on by the Covid19 pandemic, the last thing ratepayers need is to fund a bailout totalling hundreds of millions of dollars for a profitable company through higher electricity prices. The Illinois Chamber encourages a release of the redacted audit, and urges legislators to continue asking the important questions, which the Exelon audit and today’s hearing only began to address. Those questions include:
· Will Exelon acquiesce to legislators’ concerns about transparency and release Illinois EPA and the report’s authors from the non-disclosure agreement, allowing the General Assembly and taxpayers access to the full report?
· Before the State agrees to a second massive subsidy, shouldn’t it request and obtain a financial audit of Exelon’s currently subsidized plants that already cost ratepayers $235 million a year? Shouldn’t we first determine whether or not that first subsidy is greater than what is necessary to maintain their economic viability?
· Are legislators committed to the notion that there should be no subsidy if there is no financial need? And would they support an “annual true-up” of costs with refund provisions to protect Illinois ratepayers?
· Why would legislators support any energy proposal that contains an Exelon subsidy that has not been subjected to an independent third-party audit to determine the true impact to ratepayers?
* Considering all the extended secrecy from the Illinois State Board of Elections, you could be forgiven for thinking that this little scandal was a whole lot worse than it actually turned out to be…
Illinois’ top elections official told board members he became the victim of an internet extortion scheme after he exchanged “flirtatious” messages and sent a picture to a person he met online.
Steven Sandvoss, who is on administrative leave until his resignation takes effect at the end of June, detailed his encounters in a letter to the State Board of Elections in which he said a threat was made to “ruin” him if he didn’t pay $3,000.
Sandvoss said he did not make any payments and the online threats stopped, according to the letter, which the Tribune obtained. […]
Sandvoss told board members that “at no time did I indicate (to the person online) that I worked” for the elections board.
A Republican lawmaker from Springfield pounded his fist, screamed and threw a paper calendar across the Illinois House chamber Thursday night, saying he was frustrated Democrats won’t call a House vote on his bill to allow a referendum on a Capital Township merger with Sangamon County government.
“I’ve got a bill that is important to my community that the leadership will not call,” state Rep. Tim Butler said, referring to House Bill 2994.
In a three-minute speech shortly before 9 p.m., Butler accused Democrats who control the House of “putting your thumb” on the bill “for political reasons.”
Butler and House Minority Leader Jim Durkin, R-Western Springs, said House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, who was elected to lead the House in January, isn’t fulfilling his promise to bring a “new day” to the chamber. Butler said Welch promised to allow more Republican-sponsored bills to be debated than his predecessor, Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, and ease the strict control over House business that Madigan exercised for 38 years.
Welch’s promise “is a bunch of BS right now,” Butler said, looking to the Democratic side of the aisle. “… listen. Listen to your own words,” he said. “Listen to the speaker’s words.”
Rep. Butler’s bill zoomed out of committee with unanimous support and he has more than enough votes to pass it on the floor. But the Democrats have put a brick on it without explanation and he’s right to be upset.
Friday, Apr 23, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
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