* Paul Vallas busted the campaign contribution caps the other day and the money is now rolling in from the high-rollers, according to an A-1 filed late this afternoon.
The haul includes $500K from Craig Duchossois, $250K from DRW Holdings’ Donald Wilson and $200K from Madison Dearborn Partners’ James Perry.
Then he received $100K each from Citadel’s Gerald Beeson and Matthew Simon, plus the same from DRW Holdings’s Kenneth Brody. And Vallas got $50K each from Ken O’Reilly and Madison Dearborn Partners’ Thomas Souleles. Plus a whole bunch of smaller, 4- and 5-figure contributions.
Governor Pritzker today announced that Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) Director Rob Jeffreys is stepping down from his position, effective April 1, 2023. Jeffreys has led the Illinois correctional system since June of 2019, overseeing 29,000 individuals in 27 facilities across the state and supervising nearly 13,000 employees. IDOC Chief of Staff Latoya J. Hughes will serve as Acting Director in the interim.
“I’m grateful to Director Jeffreys for his years of service, ensuring the dignity and safety of the incarcerated people of Illinois,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “His work in reforming and redesigning services has given individuals in custody opportunities for advancement and improvement while also ensuring the highest level of security and care for the IDOC staff as they carry out their critical responsibilities.”
“Leading the Illinois Department of Corrections and our dedicated employees since 2019, through unprecedented departmental and societal challenges and tremendous successes, including re-introducing the accreditation process of our institutions through the American Correctional Association, has been a distinct honor,” said IDOC Director Rob Jeffreys. “Throughout my tenure, the Department and employees at all levels embraced reform as an opportunity and worked tirelessly to positively change the lives of those incarcerated while maintaining the safety and security of our facilities. It has been a privilege to collaborate with legislators, agencies, community partners, and advocacy groups, who all have the shared goal of the well-being of the Department, employees, and individuals in custody. I am grateful to Governor Pritzker for giving me this opportunity to serve as Director of the Illinois Department of Corrections.”
During his time at IDOC, Jeffreys led the development of the first ever Office of Reentry, dedicated to providing resources to help formerly incarcerated people reintegrate into society. This includes engaging 98% of individuals with Medicaid enrollment assistance and piloting a state ID card program for those leaving incarceration. He also oversaw a comprehensive redesign of vocational and educational services to include training for living-wage level jobs post-release. Jeffreys also aided in re-accrediting Illinois institutions through the American Correctional Association and led the Department through COVID-19, an unprecedented safety challenge for both staff and individuals in incarceration.
Prior to serving at IDOC, Jeffreys spent 24 years with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, including as Chief of Staff and Regional Director. He has consulted and trained for the U.S. Department of Justice, the Crime and Justice Institute, and the Moss Group, where he provided recommendations and specialized training for improving services via data-driven decision making. Jeffreys holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in criminal justice with a concentration in correctional administration from Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia.
…Adding… AFSCME Council 31…
Numerous problems in the state Department of Corrections need urgent attention. We hope the next director will work cooperatively with our union to hire adequate staff, reduce overtime, expand rehabilitative programming, and improve workplace safety for the department’s 10,000 dedicated employees
…Adding… Sen. Plummer…
State Senator Jason Plummer (Edwardsville) released the following statement regarding the announcement that Illinois Department of Corrections Director Rob Jeffreys is stepping down:
“This is an opportunity for the Pritzker administration to start fresh and chart a new course for our corrections system where transparency and accountability are priorities. The hard-working corrections officers and prison staffs deserve an administration that treats them with respect. The people of Illinois need an IDOC that focuses on public safety and the rehabilitation of offenders, instead of catering to the whims of out-of-touch special interest groups.
“I encourage the governor to take this opportunity to nominate a director who will operate with integrity and transparency for the people of Illinois, the employees of IDOC, and the members of the Illinois General Assembly. It’s time we prioritize public safety and work for our communities, not activists and special interests.”
…Adding… I asked Sen. Plummer which special interests he was referring to…
Anyone that has spent significant time with rank-and-file IDOC personnel, as I have, know that the demands and wishes of activists within the Governor’s office, and activists close to the Governor’s office, have been prioritized over the types of common-sense solutions that would better protect and serve IDOC personnel and the inmates in the facilities, as well as keep all Illinois communities safer. I think the fact the director is leaving is a real shame because I had high hopes for him. It became apparent to many people that his ability to reform the department was very much constricted by those above him.
So, again, this is an opportunity for the Pritzker administration to plot a new course where they work with subject-matter experts and their own staff on the ground instead of only listening to their own internal activists and the special interests who live in ivory towers.
* I’ll have more on this for subscribers tomorrow. But, wow…
ILL COGFA met this AM to present new rev estimates… raised GF to $51.9B which is $545M above Gov's FEB estimate….COGFA raised from $51.3 Nov guess by $575M ($5.5B above 2023 Enacted Budget)…Gov's office Nov estimate was $50.1B & they raised by $1.2B to $51.36B last month.
— yvette.shields@arizent.com (@Yvette_BB) March 7, 2023
* This Casten release was sent out Saturday and I told subscribers about his statement on Monday. A truncated version appeared in another publication today…
Today, U.S. Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) released the following statement regarding the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association event to support Illinois sheriffs who refuse to enforce the state’s assault weapons ban. The meeting featured former Arizona Sheriff Richard Mack, who served on the board of the Oath Keepers, a far-right organization whose leaders have been convicted of violently opposing the US government.
“Public safety is a two-way street,” said Rep. Sean Casten. “It depends on law enforcement to enforce the law, but also depends on public confidence that those laws will be enforced without prejudice, and not subject to the whims of a particular officer. When a sheriff refuses to implement the laws of Illinois in their community, they make future mass shootings more likely. They compromise the safety not only of civilians but also of the police officers who may end up in the line of fire.
“To invite a known Oath Keeper – an organization that took a leading role in attempting to overthrow the United States government during the January 6th Attack on the US Capitol – to discuss strategies for how to best ignore the laws of Illinois not only shows a complete disregard for American democracy, but also actively endangers the communities the sheriffs are sworn to protect.
“The Illinois General Assembly passed a law to ban the sale of the assault weapons and high-capacity magazines that made the Parkland, Dekalb, and Highland Park shootings so deadly. That is the law in the state of Illinois, and no one should have to guess whether that law will or will not be enforced based on the county they are in. The actions of any sheriff refusing to enforce the law are unacceptable and we must hold them accountable.”
The Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus will host a press conference responding to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services’ proposed rule change that would increase naturalization fees.
Caucus members will detail their response to the proposed rule change, as well as share state efforts to decrease barriers to naturalization, including legal services and naturalization scholarships.
What: Press Conference Responding to USCIS’ Proposed Naturalization Fee Increases
When: March 8 at 11 a.m.
Who: Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus
Where: State Capitol Blue Room (Room 010)
* Media advisory about an Awake Illinois counter-event…
When: Saturday, March 11, 2023, 2:45 p.m.
What: Press Conference
Who: Coalition of parents from multiple school districts, Illinois Families for Public Schools, Library Defense Collaborative, FLAG and other advocacy orgs
Where: In front of Fox Valley Kickers Club (1015 Harvey Road, Oswego, Illinois), scheduled location of a free champagne-and-dinner campaign event, “Toast the Vote,” sponsored by Awake Illinois to promote local extremist school board candidates and featuring speakers Mario Presents, the California-based Chapter Director for national anti-LGBTQ+ hate group Gays Against Groomers, and Stephanie Trussell; former Lieutenant Governor Candidate
Speakers: Jennifer Stamp, Parent, District 308 (Oswego) and Co-Founder of Parents for Progress.
Dan Hemmer, FLAG Parent - Chicagoland Area
Shannon Limjuco, Parent, District 200 (Wheaton)
Tara Donnelly, Member, Library Defense Collaborative
Cassie Creswell, Director, Illinois Families for Public Schools.
Jim McGrath, Community Leader, District 220 (Barrington)
Leslie Cummings, Parent, District 200 (Wheaton)
Leslie, Weyhrich, Parent Group Member, High School District 203 (New Trier)
Why: Local school board elections will be held throughout Illinois on April 4, 2023, and parents and community leaders from across Chicago suburbs are calling out the outside interference in local elections from multi-million dollar national far-right dark-money groups, including Americans for Prosperity, the Heritage Foundation, the Leadership Institute, Parents Defending Education and Moms for Liberty. Partnering with local astroturf parent group Awake Illinois, these national groups are providing resources for slates of extremist candidates in multiple districts to advance an anti-equality, anti-public education agenda–pushing book bans, dismantling programs for social-emotional learning and diversity, equity and inclusion programs, and opposing up-to-date, accurate curricula for US history and sex ed.
* Two very good ideas that I’d also like to see implemented…
I again respectfully renew my call for a change in state law requiring any candidate blowing contribution caps to show a deposited & cleared check proving it. Yeah he’s probably got it but I got great doubts that many self funding candidate “loans” ever happened. https://t.co/NR31DZtHfC
Maybe once a candidate “loans” themselves >$100k to blow the caps it should also all have to be reclassified as a donation instead of a loan.
— The People’s Fabric (@peoplesfabric) March 3, 2023
* Isabel’s roundup…
* Crain’s | NASCAR may force Taste of Chicago from its longtime Grant Park home: Ald. Brendan Reilly, 42nd, said he learned last night from officials associated with Navy Pier that Mayor Lori Lightfoot has proposed moving the Taste to Polk Bros Park near Navy Pier and holding the annual food event the weekend ahead of the Fourth of July — the same weekend as two NASCAR races in and around Grant Park on July 1 and July 2. Reilly said the dueling events would create a “traffic disaster.”
* Manufacturer News | John Deere to Open Parts Distribution Center in Illinois: “To help accommodate ongoing growth in our Aftermarket & Customer Support business, we are expanding our warehousing, packaging and logistics operations,” John Deere said in a statement to NWI Times. “The new distribution center in Mattoon will improve our ability to receive material directly from suppliers and enable us to ship outbound directly to dealers.”
* Crain’s | Chicago Women in Trades receives grant to expand representation in skilled trades: Chicago Women in Trades is one of seven recipients of grants from Carhartt’s “For the Love of Labor” initiative, a biannual program that awards grants to nonprofit organizations for skilled trades. The latest round of grants from the Michigan-based, family-owned worker brand, totaling $225,000, is dedicated to placing women in skilled positions to diversify representation in the trade industry.
* Illinois Newsroom | Illinois mayoral election series: Carbondale: To continue our series on mayoral races happening around Illinois, we dove into an election coming up in the southern Illinois city of Carbondale. A local business owner and a current city councilmember are both vying for the seat, and both candidates joined us to discuss their policies on issues ranging from gun violence to abortion to attracting younger residents to the city.
* 21st Show | Clashing over carbon capture pipelines in Illinois: While many experts say it is a useful method to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, many worry about the health risks associated with carbon dioxide if it were to leak from the pipeline.
* Rolling Stone | Twitter Bots Are Promising Cheap Guns to Anyone Using the N-Word: The bots themselves — which are constantly reported and suspended, only for new bots to take their place — appear to be activated by specific keywords. Any mention of firearms may summon them, but cursing and other strong language can too. When author Jim Wright offered somewhat profane advice to Michiganders during an ice storm, for example, a bot answered, “yooo i got cheap, clean poles 4 sale, click the link in my bio.” In rap lyrics, “pole” refers to a gun; other common euphemisms in these tweets are “heaters,” “straps,” and the water gun emoji. Twitter’s guidelines explicitly prohibit “the promotion of weapons and weapon accessories globally.”
The number of principals in Chicago Public Schools and across the state resigning from their jobs increased dramatically last year, records show, as the pressures of leading schools intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, causing burnout among educators.
In 2021,103 principals throughout the state resigned, according to State Board of Education data. The following year, that number shot up to 198. Likewise in Chicago Public Schools, the number of resigning principals went from 15 to 27, according to CPS data. The state figures are lower than the actual number of resignations since schools are not required to report that data but do so voluntarily.
While some turnover is normal, the surging number of principals leaving — and the declining number of teachers interested in moving up — worry state education leaders about the disruption it can cause schools and communities.
The state saw 2.5% of its principals resign in 2018, while that number shot up to 5% in 2022, according to state data.
Many principals say they are leaving their jobs because they lack the support, time and resources to do their work effectively and avoid burnout. Those pressures only increased during the pandemic.
* Nationwide, educators are exiting the classroom. Chalkbeat…
The data is in: More teachers than usual exited the classroom after last school year, confirming longstanding fears that pandemic-era stresses would prompt an outflow of educators. That’s according to a Chalkbeat analysis of data from eight states — the most comprehensive accounting of recent teacher turnover to date. […]
The turnover increases were not massive. But they were meaningful, and the churn could affect schools’ ability to help students make up for learning loss in the wake of the pandemic. This data also suggests that spiking stress levels, student behavior challenges, and a harsh political spotlight have all taken their toll on many American teachers. […]
Chalkbeat was able to obtain the latest teacher turnover numbers from eight states: Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Washington. These figures encompassed turnover between the 2021-22 year and this school year.
In all cases, turnover was at its highest point in at least five years — typically around 2 percentage points greater than before the pandemic. That implies that in a school with 50 teachers, one more than usual left after last school year.
Teacher turnover increased 4 percentage points above prepandemic levels, reaching 10 percent nationally at the end of the 2021–2022 school year. Principal turnover increased too, reaching 16 percent nationally going into the 2022–2023 school year.
Teacher turnover in 2021–2022 was highest (around 12 to 14 percent) in urban districts, high-poverty districts, and districts serving predominately students of color. Meanwhile, principal turnover was highest (around 21 to 23 percent) in high-poverty districts and in rural districts.[…]
Researchers, philanthropies, professional associations of school principals, and the federal department of education should seek to understand how the school leader job is changing. These individuals and organizations should also develop policies to attract and retain high-quality principals. Both state-specific and national work is needed.
Democrats for the Illinois House and House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch kicked off Women’s History Month with a bang. Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi joined the group in Chicago for their first annual Women’s History Month event, Women in Power. […]
Pelosi took questions from the group and gave sound advice on how to balance it all.
“When you raise five children…you can do anything,” she said. “It takes management, it takes diplomacy, it takes quartermaster, it takes transportation, it takes homework. Oh my gosh. You get so much energy from that. So much management of time and all the rest. I think that was my best training.”
Pelosi was awarded the Democrats for the Illinois House 2023 Women In Power award alongside Illinois House Majority Leader Robyn Gabel, Speaker Pro Tempore Jehan Gordon Booth, Deputy Majority Leader Lisa Hernandez, Assistant Majority Leader Natalie Manley, Assistant Majority Leader Kelly Burke, Assistant Majority Leader Barbara Hernandez, and Majority Conference Chair Theresa Mah.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle is set to place her self toward the front of the conga line of politicians now endorsing one of two mayoral candidates vying for the lead in the April 4 runoff election.
Preckwinkle, the county’s top elected official, on Tuesday morning will officially endorse Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson over rival Paul Vallas, according to a press release from Preckwinkle’s office.
Esmeralda Hernández is a lifelong resident of Little Village, but she chose to work at the polls in the Pilsen neighborhood on Election Day.
She campaigned for incumbent Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th, and opted not to vote in her own ward’s aldermanic election.
Little Village residents say they feel invisible, and that translated to the polls where the 22nd Ward recorded a 23% voter turnout as of March 1, one of the lowest in the city.
Turnout was indeed down in the ward from four years ago. It dropped by 243 votes, or about 5 percent (with some mail-ins left to count), while citywide turnout is up ever so slightly to date. Historical 22nd Ward context, with total first round citywide votes cast in parentheses…
* The bad news for Johnson in this poll might not be just that the survey shows him behind. It may also be that the number of 18-29 year-olds polled was almost exactly the same number of 65+ polled. Older voters greatly outnumbered younger voters in the first round. Then again, the poll also skews more toward White people, which make up 49 percent of the sample. So, take from this what you will…
Paul Vallas leads Brandon Johnson 43.5 percent to 32.5 percent in the first independent mayoral poll heading into the runoff. More than 24 percent of voters polled were undecided. The 1983 Labs survey has a sample size of 583 registered, likely voters in Chicago. It was conducted digitally from March 2 to 6. Details here.
Also, no methodology is posted online.
* Ms. Jones ran against Sen. Rob Martwick (D-Chicago) in the primary last year and was clobbered 67-33…
FOP dropped $80k for her to lose a state senate race by 30 points, now finishes 44th in a “pick 17” race within FOP. https://t.co/szvUDWbv4k
— The People’s Fabric (@peoplesfabric) March 4, 2023
…Adding… Vallas campaign…
The longtime former Principal of Whitney Young Magnet High School and one of Chicago’s most respected public education leaders, Dr. Joyce Kenner, endorsed Paul Vallas for Mayor today. Dr. Kenner worked closely with Vallas during his time as CEO of Chicago Public Schools, which coincided with her first years leading the prestigious magnet school. Now, she is supporting Vallas for Mayor because she believes that his education platform will enhance student achievement and empower local school leaders.
“Paul Vallas is the right choice to be Mayor at the right time,” said Dr. Kenner. “His record of putting our kids first and improving the quality of our schools is exactly the kind of leadership we need to get our schools in order and our city back on track. Chicago’s kids deserve experienced leadership at the helm.”
* Isabel’s Chicago roundup…
* WaPo | Chicago mayoral candidates have starkly different strategies on crime: Paul Vallas, a former schools administrator who finished first in last week’s general election, campaigned on a tough law-and-order message, calling for more police officers and cracking down on misdemeanors like retail theft and public nuisance offenses. … “We’re putting police officers in a space where they are not qualified to address,” Johnson said in a recent appearance on public television station WTTW’s flagship program, “Chicago Tonight.” “We’re forcing police officers to behave as social workers. That’s irresponsible.” Johnson was the only candidate in the general election who did not explicitly pledge to boost the number of patrol police. He’s also made his pitch on crime prevention personal, often referencing challenges and concerns he and his wife face raising their children in the Austin neighborhood on the city’s West Side. In 2020, the area had 64 homicides, the fourth-highest by police district.
* Block Club | Who Are Chicago’s Alderpeople Endorsing For Mayor?: Some alderpeople had already thrown their hats behind Vallas or Johnson, while others are jumping on the bandwagon after backing one of the other seven candidates in round one of the election.
* Block Club | In The 43rd Ward, Knudsen And Comer Enter Runoff With New Endorsements, Sign Drama: Comer’s campaign has raised concerns over an incident that happened in the days before the Feb. 28 election involving a Knudsen campaign worker. Comer was driving down Armitage Avenue about 8:30 p.m. Feb. 26 when he saw someone carrying his green campaign signs under their arm. As Comer passed, he recognized the person as Alex Hanns from Knudsen’s campaign team, he said.
* Crain’s Editorial | These issues haven’t gotten their due in the mayor’s race — yet: Chicagoans can’t hope to solve the problems that ignited such sharp debate in the pre-runoff period if the city doesn’t maintain and even shore up its economic base. So it’s been disappointing to see spending priorities and jobs take a back seat — only lightly touched on during debates, if at all — but now there’s an opportunity to put economic policy front and center in the runoff.
* Block Club | Lincoln Square Ald. Andre Vasquez Now Supports Brandon Johnson In Mayoral Race: “In the runoff, it is a very clear choice as to what’s better for the city, right? You can decide to actually move backwards in ways that have failed us when it comes to public safety, when it comes to investing in education,” Vasquez said. “Or we can move forward and try things and find solutions to problems that have not been solved in Chicago’s history.
* Sun-Times | Don’t gloss over significance of Brandon Johnson’s trip to Selma: Brandon Johnson’s attendance commemorating the “Bloody Sunday” march in Selma, Alabama, as he bids to become Chicago’s next mayor, was more significant and symbolic than the Sun-Times coverage reflects. The newspaper mentioned the trip but did not do so in context of who Johnson actually is. The son of a pastor, Johnson grew up with the dual traditions of service and standing up for justice. He is a respected labor organizer, but he also serves as a Cook County commissioner, an educator and a consummate coalition-builder.
* WTTW | Advocates Hopes Chicago’s Next Mayor Puts Focus on Environmental Justice Issues: “I’d love to see not only Chicago’s Department of Environment return, but I want to see an Office of Environmental Justice. Chicago needs an environmental justice ordinance,” says Cheryl Johnson, executive director of People for Community Recovery, an environmental advocacy group based in the Altgeld Gardens Homes on the city’s far South Side. “
* Crain’s | Chicago lands $80 million to address opioid crisis: The funds, which will be managed by the Chicago Department of Public Health, come from the previously announced pool of $760 million being granted to the entire state over the next two decades. Like other states, Illinois was awarded a portion of the $26 billion opioid settlement agreement made early last year with drug manufacturers and distributors, including Johnson & Johnson, McKesson, AmerisourceBergen and Cardinal Health.
* For a lot of years, this “program” has been in the statute books basically so people can say it’s there. Tribune…
For the second year in a row, Gov. J.B. Pritzker is proposing the state spend tens of millions of dollars on a witness protection program that went unfunded for the first nine years of its existence.
Eight months since the long-neglected initiative secured its initial funding, however, no witnesses have been relocated, and only about $67,500 of the $30 million approved by the General Assembly last spring has been spent, primarily on employee-related expenses.
The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, which oversees the program, said it is still trying to come up with rules on how to dole out the money, ensure it has enough employees to administer the program and finalize how potential recipients will be informed about the fund.
Unless it’s a dire emergency (like during the pandemic, when rules didn’t apply), it’s pretty tough to set up a brand new state program and have it fully operational from scratch in 8 months. State hiring restrictions alone pretty much guarantee that. And then there are the other standard red tape hurdles.
While we are all eager to get Victim Witness Protection Funds to those in need, ICJIA must take several steps to ensure this new $30 million program is appropriately designed, fully established, and effectively administered.
First, sufficient staffing is needed to ramp up and administer the program. With staffing, ICJIA must then complete program rules development, program design, and notice of funding opportunity development, and then plan for oversight of actual grant administration, which includes application review, agreement negotiations, contract processing, and facilitating reimbursement requests in a timely manner.
Program rules, which must go through a multi-step, legislatively derived process, are being drafted based on the enabling legislation and state grant administration requirements. ICJIA project coordinators are designing the program based on stakeholder input, legislative and state grant funding requirements and ICJIA rules, and research to inform the most effective use of funds.
Once the program is designed, ICJIA will request approval from the ICJIA Board to release a notice of funding opportunity for an amount to be determined. ICJIA will develop the notice of funding opportunity, which will include a problem statement, program overview, eligibility requirements, budget guidelines, and other information. Upon notice of funding opportunity release, eligible agencies will have approximately 30 days to apply for a grant.
The ICJIA claims that a notice of funding opportunity “will be released later this year.”
Several law enforcement agencies contacted by the Tribune said they’d welcome large-scale state funding for witness protection efforts. But the degree of demand for it is unclear. In the 1990s, Illinois ran a witness protection program for two years and saw little participation.
And back to the ICJIA…
Despite the low participation cited in the 1997 program evaluation, ICJIA anticipates a greater demand for this funding once it is released. In addition, ICJIA employs an effective outreach strategy for notifying potential applicants of funding opportunities and will target messaging to the eligible entities. This is a new program and funding will be adjusted moving forward based on demand. […]
As mentioned, to address one possible cause of low demand in 1997 (lack of knowledge about the program), ICJIA will employ an effective outreach strategy for notifying eligible parties of this opportunity. In addition, local law enforcement agencies will be able to apply directly for reimbursement. This process is responsive to a critical need identified in the evaluation. ICJIA also is exploring a strategy to streamline the reimbursement process and expedite funding to participating agencies.
* As far as the $30 million goes, this is from the governor’s office…
This line is set up as an appropriated fund deposit from GRF to the Violent Crime Witness Protection Program Fund, with the idea that it would be seed money to cover the program until the State gets a better sense of what the demand will be. These deposits could potentially cover multiple years and they may not fully expend in the near-term unless the demand is there.
Back to the ICJIA…
The Fund will support emergency or temporary living expenses, moving expenses, rent, utilities, security deposits for rent and utilities, mental health treatment, and lost wage assistance. ICJIA did not provide a program cost estimate. This is a new program and funding will be adjusted moving forward based on demand.
— BUSINESS OF POLITICS: State Rep. [sic] Celina Villanueva, Cook County Commissioner Alma Anaya and Chicago Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez have registered domain names for congressional runs.
I was able to reach Sen. Villanueva, Commissioner Anaya and Ms. Garcia today. All of them flatly denied having registered their names and all said they didn’t know who did.
At least one pointed a finger at Ald. Sigcho-Lopez, but he hasn’t responded to my inquiry as of yet. Maybe he will now. Or not.
As I told someone earlier on Twitter, it’s kinda silly to think that, absent any credible Chuy Garcia retirement rumors, all these people are simultaneously and anonymously rushing to reserve website domains. More likely, somebody is playing a little game and then convinced someone else to fall for it.
“Chuy’s my congressman until Chuy doesn’t want to be in Congress,” said Sen. Villanueva, who claimed that the person doing the registering “was absolutely not me.”
…Adding… Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez just reached out to say he didn’t register any of those domain names “and I do not know who did it.”
Gov. JB Pritzker made hay in his State of the State address last month by pushing for universal access to preschool for 3 and 4-year-old Illinoisans. Now, a bill moved forward in committee looks at doing the same for kindergarteners.
The Child Care Access and Early Childhood House committee heard arguments last week for and against House Bill 2396, which would require all school boards to establish a full-day kindergarten program in their districts.
The bill from state Rep. Mary Beth Canty, D-Arlington Heights, passed 14-1 Thursday but is expected to return to the committee with amendments.
Canty’s reason for pushing the bill, she said, is to strengthen reading comprehension and social skills of kindergarteners throughout the state. It comes as Republicans in recent weeks have railed against low test scores at public schools.
Local police and fire departments who may have trouble with recruitment may be in luck if a bill in the Illinois House of Representatives gets enough support from state lawmakers.
State Rep. Dave Vella (D-68) introduces a new bill that could add more police and fire personnel locally through a two-year program at community colleges like Rock Valley College. This is something Vella’s been working on for more than a year and a half.
“I realized from talking to a lot of police officers, I left friends who are police officers, that the numbers of people applying are down and then start talking to firefighters, it’s the same thing.”
Currently, high schoolers can take a fire safety and public safety course during their senior year. The goal behind this bill is to get incoming college freshmen who want to work in the police or fire department to obtain an associate’s degree through a two-year course at a community college. That way after graduation they can have the ability to become a police officer or firefighter.
The trade group that represents the state’s hospitality industry is launching a legislative offensive against two of its biggest irritants: obnoxious customers who, post-COVID lockdowns, feel empowered to say and do almost anything, and home-share competitors who don’t pay taxes like hotels and motels do. […]
One bill, sponsored by Rep. Lakeshia Collins and Sen. Omar Aquino, both Chicago Democrats, would allow hotels and other inns to evict customers who bad-mouth workers, threaten property, abuse illegal drugs, are clearly intoxicated or violate rules — providing the move is not prompted by racial or other forms of discrimination. […]
Under current law, abusive guests usually have to be arrested and often end up suing the hotel involved. Establishing clear standards of conduct should avoid those complications, he continued, saying the new measure is based on a “Be Kind Bill” that recently was adopted in Rhode Island. “We’re trying to show our employees that we’ve got their back,” Jacobson said. […]
Likely to be more controversial is a companion measure that is being amended onto SB 1442, sponsored by Sen. Cristina Castro, D-Elgin.
According to Jacobson, it would require computer platforms that rent out space in homes or apartments for short periods of time to pay the state’s 6% lodging tax, register its clients with the state and make regular reports on income.
* Rep. Will Davis’ HB2793 was assigned to the Agriculture and Conservation committee on Feb. 28…
Amends the Animal Welfare Act. Defines “professional breeder”. Provides that an animal shelter shall not accept a dog or cat from an animal shelter licensed under the Act or an out-of-state animal control facility, rescue group, or animal shelter that is duly licensed in their state or is a not-for-profit organization unless it obtains documentation attesting that the dog or cat was not obtained through compensation or payment made to a cat breeder, dog breeder, dog dealer, or dog broker. Provides that an animal shelter shall not obtain a dog or cat by any means other than owner surrender, transfer from an animal control facility, an order by law enforcement, or an animal shelter in compliance with provisions concerning reporting of animals. Provides that a pet shop operator or dog dealer (rather than just a pet shop operator) may offer for sale a dog or cat only if the dog or cat is obtained from an animal control facility, animal shelter, or professional breeder (rather than just an animal control facility or an animal shelter) located in-state or out-of-state, that is in compliance with provisions concerning animal control facilities and animal shelters supplying to pet shop operators and requirements of professional dog breeders. Removes provisions concerning the requirement that a pet shop operator shall keep a record of each dog or cat offered for sale. Provides for requirements of professional dog breeders.
Rep. Davis’ bill would change a 2021 law that restricted the retail sale of dogs and cats to animal control and shelters only. Davis explained his legislation on Fox Chicago…
Q: Is there a law on the books? And this is just kind of adding to it, making it stronger, stricter?
A: Well, one of the previous laws that has impacted businesses, like Ana, was great. Because it worked and tried to shut down sourcing dogs from puppy mills here in the state of Illinois.
But it’s had an unintended consequence because businesses that want to be able to source puppies for those families that want purebred dogs is prevented them to be able to do so. So it’s having an unintended impact on small businesses in the state of Illinois. Which we always talk about supporting small businesses and unfortunately what we have on the books right now is not doing so.
So again, we’re hoping to at least reverse some of that so that businesses can source dogs from reputable sources, whether they be in state or out of state so they can be sold in stores.
State Sen. Tom Bennett, R-Gibson City, advanced legislation aimed to help the families of veterans with their property taxes.
Senate Bill 1534, filed by Bennett, fixes what he said is an issue with homestead exemptions for veterans. […]
Under Bennett’s legislation, if a veteran with a spouse dies while their veteran’s homestead exemption is under review, the review will continue, and if the exemption is granted for the veteran, then it will be granted to the surviving spouse.
“This change could offer vital assistance to the families of veterans, especially when they are dealing with the loss of a loved one,” Bennett said.
The Illinois Senate Revenue Committee recently approved the measure unanimously. It now awaits action by the full Senate.
* An amendment for HB2121 has been filed with the Clerk and referred to the Rules Committee. The Telegraph…
A bill in Springfield that would allow ground sparklers is facing opposition.
Fireworks are banned in Illinois, one of only three states to do so. Novelty items, like hand-held sparklers and smoke bombs, are allowed. But the transportation and use of any consumer fireworks — such as firecrackers or bottle rockets — is deemed a Class A misdemeanor punishable by fines up to $2,500.
State Rep. Robert Rita, D-Blue Island, has introduced a measure that would allow the sale of ground sparklers in Illinois to anyone over the age of 18. Ground sparklers typically emit sparks and can have noise effects, like crackles and whistles. […]
State Sen. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, has been a champion in the effort to lift Illinois’ fireworks ban, saying the state is missing out on millions of dollars in sales tax revenue each year.
* Rep. Margaret Croke’s bill was assigned to Transportation: Regulations, Roads & Bridges on Feb. 23…
Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that the City of Chicago shall (instead of “may”) enact an ordinance providing for a noise monitoring system upon any portion of the roadway known as Jean-Baptiste Pointe DuSable Lake Shore Drive. Requires that the installation of the noise monitoring system shall be completed within 6 months after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Requires that, 12 months after the effective date of the amendatory Act, and any time after the first report as the City deems necessary, the City of Chicago shall prepare a noise monitoring report with the data collected from the system and, upon request, shall make the report available to the public. Limits home rule powers.
* SB1752 was assigned to Senate Appropriations on Feb. 21. Illinois Senate Democrats…
State Senator Paul Faraci has introduced Senate Bill 1752, which aims to reduce the number of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities on the Prioritization for Urgency of Need for Services database.
The PUNS list currently has 14,806 individuals who want or need Developmental Disability Waiver Services. As funding becomes available, individuals are selected from PUNS to apply for the waiver. However, the demand for these services far outweighs the available funding, leaving many individuals waiting for years to receive the assistance they need.
“The PUNS list has been a concern of mine for many years, and I am thrilled to introduce this bill that will help reduce the backlog of individuals waiting for developmental disability waiver services,” said Faraci (D-Champaign). “Every person on the list is someone who needs help, and it’s our duty to ensure that they receive the support they require to live a happy and fulfilling life.”
Senate Bill 1752 requires the Department of Human Services to reduce the number of individuals on the PUNS database by at least 800 persons by June 30, 2023, no fewer than 1,000 persons between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025, and no fewer than 1,200 persons beginning July 1, 2026 and every July 1 thereafter, until the list is exhausted.
* HB2784 was assigned to the Labor and Commerce Committee on Feb. 21….
Amends the Employment of Teachers Article of the School Code. Provides that in fixing the salaries of employees, a school board or the governing board of a joint agreement shall pay to employees an hourly rate of not less than (i) $20 for the 2024-2025 school year, (ii) $21 for the 2025-2026 school year, and (iii) $22 for the 2026-2027 school year. Provides that the minimum hourly rate for each school year thereafter shall equal the minimum salary rate for the previous school year increased by a percentage equal to the percentage increase, if any, in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers for all items published by the United States Department of Labor for the previous school year. Provides that “employee” means any employee of a school district or joint agreement who provides educational support services to the district or joint agreement, including, but not limited to, custodial employees, transportation employees, food service providers, classroom assistants, administrative staff, or paraprofessional educators. Provides that an employee’s salary shall include any amount paid by the school district or joint agreement on behalf of the employee, as employee contributions, to the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund. Effective immediately.
* Some fun history about Casimir Pulaski Day…
Casimir Pulaski Day was first celebrated in Illinois in 1986. The bill was sponsored by the late Rep. Lemke, who campaigned for the bill for over a decade in an effort to recognize the contributions of Polish-Americans to the nation’s founding. pic.twitter.com/cgRFAUI0Xg
The Vallas for Mayor campaign is releasing its first new television ad of the runoff, featuring popular former Secretary of State Jesse White asking voters to join him in supporting Paul Vallas. In the ad, White says that “Paul Vallas Will Be a Mayor for All Chicagoans,” that he has the experience needed to lead the city, and that he will focus on reducing crime and making all communities safer.
The ad begins running today and is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPtSMMPz9DY
“I’ve known Jesse White for over 40 years and there is no one I would rather have speaking directly to the voters about our campaign and my pledge to be a Mayor for all Chicagoans,” said Vallas. “We’re building a broad, diverse coalition of people from all walks of life who want to see our city focus on reducing crime, improving public education and putting Chicago back on the right track.”
Announcer: An important Message from former Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White.
JW: I love Chicago, and like you, I’m concerned about our city’s future. That’s why I’m supporting Paul Vallas for mayor. I’ve known Paul Vallas for 40 years and I trust him. Paul has the know-how and experience to fix what’s broken. He’ll focus on crime and the safety of every neighborhood. Paul Vallas will be a mayor for all Chicagoans. Join me in supporting Paul Vallas for mayor.
That looks like it was thrown together in a hurry, but what do you think?
* Tribune | State witness protection program finally gets millions in funding, but has yet to get off the ground: For the second year in a row, Gov. J.B. Pritzker is proposing the state spend tens of millions of dollars on a witness protection program that went unfunded for the first nine years of its existence. Eight months since the long-neglected initiative secured its initial funding, however, no witnesses have been relocated, and only about $67,500 of the $30 million approved by the General Assembly last spring has been spent, primarily on employee-related expenses.
* Daily Herald | Resident calls Bears tax break a ’stinker,’ but Arlington Heights officials don’t weigh in yet: Donald Meersman, a resident who brought the topic up during the village board meeting Monday night, called the legislation “a stinker.” “I just received the biannual love note that I’ve been getting from the taxman for 42 years,” said Meersman, holding up a copy of his recent tax bill. “I respectfully request your leadership on this policy for the next 40 years, although I probably won’t be around for that long.”
* Herald & Review | Decatur’s 40-year legacy of license plate manufacturing gets Giannoulias blessing: “This is one of the most inspirational things I’ve ever seen in my time in politics,” Giannoulias said. “I wish everyone who lives in Illinois could come here and see the amazing work that MRI does. I think it’s a testament to others helping others, but also providing jobs and opportunity and hope.”
* Farm Week | Get to Know Senate Republican Leader John Curran: Senate Republicans have a bold, but doable agenda to help Illinois families and job creators rebuild and renew opportunities in our state with a specific emphasis on supporting small and medium-sized businesses. We kicked off this effort with Senate Resolution 27 that calls on the Illinois Senate to protect the will of Illinois voters and reject any progressive income tax measure that is introduced in the 103rd General Assembly.
* WTTW | Questions Loom as Lake County Considers Forest Preserve Land Sale to Waukegan Airport: “This is not for public use,” said Doug Ower, an area resident and chairman of the local Sierra Club chapter. “The only reason, in my opinion, that runway needs to be extended is to bring in larger jets. They’re promoting this as a safety issue, I think it’s more of a larger jet issue.”
* Tribune | Folk schools want to be more inclusive. Here’s how the 1st one in Illinois plans to make it happen.: A folk school is budding in the prairie west of Champaign. It’s a first for Illinois, and it comes at a time when folk schools are seeing an uptick in popularity — classes on watercolor and bread baking aligning with pandemic-launched hobbies — while also seeking to become more inclusive of craftwork from marginalized communities.
An attorney for state Rep. Dan Caulkins, R-Decatur, says he’s confident a final judgment against Illinois’ new gun ban issued by a Macon County judge Friday is statewide pending an expected appeal from the state.
Gov. J.B. Pritzer enacted the ban on certain semi-automatic weapons and magazines over certain capacities on Jan. 10. Two weeks after the ban was in effect, lawsuits were filed in federal- and state-level courts.
Macon County Judge Rodney Forbes ruled the state’s gun ban and registry unconstitutional.
“The Court is bound to apply the appellate court’s holdings to plaintiffs’ identical equal protection claim in this case,” Forbes said.
From Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office…
We believe it applies to named plaintiffs only.
* We talked about this very issue in January, but it’s not quite fixed yet. If you click your back button to start a brand new search, the search page won’t accept the text input and you get kicked to another page…
looks like @Giannoulias fixed the state's LLC/corp lookup website so when you hit the back button on your browser you can return to your list of results instead of having to start a whole new search.
The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced the launch of a new webpage dedicated to keeping the public informed of the progress delivering Gov. Pritzker’s historic, bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital program. The online dashboard offers up-to-date cumulative data on accomplishments for improving roads and bridges since the 2019 passage of Rebuild Illinois.
“Rebuild Illinois is delivering lasting, positive improvements to transportation and infrastructure throughout our state,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. “Our new dashboard is a simple, effective way to share with you details on this transformational capital program in a convenient, transparent format that’s easy to understand.”
On the dashboard, the public can find information on number of projects awarded, miles and bridges improved and safety improvements completed, as well as the total amount of investment that has been made possible by Rebuild Illinois. The data can be looked up annually or by each quarter of each fiscal year, showing the impact of Rebuild Illinois on roads and bridges under IDOT’s jurisdiction as well as accomplishments on the local system overseen by counties, municipalities and townships.
The page will be updated on a quarterly basis, adding accomplishments as the year progresses.
No, Lori Lightfoot did not blame her loss on racism and gender bias
The story included a quick interview with the AP reporter whose work was being badly mischaracterized by some Rupert Murdoch news outlets to make a point that didn’t exist.
Today in another publication…
Every time I post something without explicitly mentioning it’s from that publication, I receive a chiding email. Yet, that company casually rips me off on the regular. Not cool.
* On to something more fun…
The Illinois State Museum (ISM) will celebrate the opening of its Growing Up X exhibition with a Gen-X Prom on Friday, March 10 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at its flagship facility in Springfield.
The Illinois State Museum invites guests to break out the hairspray and their best ’80s or ’90s attire. Visit the museum after hours for Gen-X Prom, a reinvented version of this high school rite of passage, including all the traditions: great music, food, keepsake photos, and prizes for best ’80s and ’90s attire.
“Whether you were prom queen or spent prom night playing Dungeons and Dragons at home, whether you went to prom in 1966, 1986, or 2016, this event is for you!” said ISM Curator of History Erika Holst. “We hope you’ll buy tickets and join us for a truly rad night.”
Tickets are $40 for ISM members and $50 for non-members and include Gen X-inspired food, non-alcoholic drinks, and sick tunes spun by local DJs. Alcoholic-beverage packages and individual beverage tickets are available for pre-purchase online or at the door.
“Buying a ticket to prom is fun with a purpose – your purchase helps the Illinois State Museum continue to put on awesome exhibits and programs,” Holst said.
Gen-X Prom is an Illinois State Museum Society fundraiser. The Society, founded in 1952, is a non-profit that supports the Museum’s programs, exhibitions, and research projects.
* Pantagraph | How Democrats can win more ‘Waffle House’ districts, from a congresswoman who did: “I think that Democrats, as a whole, we need to start winning more in Waffle House and Cracker Barrel districts,” Budzinski told me. “I mean, I’m really honored to get to represent this district, which is very classically Midwestern. It’s a big district, but it is connected by a lot of common interests, common challenges and, I think, also opportunities.”
* Axios | Millions in Illinois hit by end of enhanced SNAP benefits: Extra food assistance benefits put into place during the pandemic ended nationwide last week. The change cut monthly benefits to nearly 2 million Illinoisans — about 16% of the state — who received the aid known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
* Tribune Editorial | Carbon capture could be a boon for rural Illinois: In an ideal world, of course, emissions would stop altogether. Realistically, though, fossil fuels will be needed to produce electricity and industrial goods for decades to come. During that inevitably lengthy transition, something needs to be done to reduce their impact on the environment.
* WTTW | Childbirth is Deadlier for Black Families at Any Income, Study Finds: The nearly decade-long study from the National Bureau of Economic Research looked at births in California. The study found that babies born to the richest Black women were still more likely to die than babies born to the poorest White women.
* Pantagraph | Livingston County courthouse dispute spans more than a decade : Efforts to make Livingston County Law and Justice Center compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and other accessibility statutes span more than a decade. The issues stem from an alleged breach of contract between the county and the firm responsible for the design and construction of the new courthouse, 110 Main St. But after being stuck in litigation for years and hiring new architectural firms and contractors, the county could be weeks away from settling the matter.
* WaPo | ‘Slavery was wrong’ and 5 other things some educators won’t teach anymore: A study published by the Rand Corp. in January found that nearly one-quarter of a nationally representative sample of 8,000 English, math and science teachers reported revising their instructional materials to limit or eliminate discussions of race and gender. Educators most commonly blamed parents and families for the shift, according to the Rand study.
* Sun-Times | White Sox working on ‘togetherness’ in 2023, Tim Anderson says: “For sure, we have to find that togetherness and this spring has been good,” Anderson said. “Being as one. We weren’t as one last year, and it showed in the way we played. We looked good on paper but didn’t look good on the field.”
* This is a pretty good story in Crain’s, but it fails to mention the name of Paul Vallas, who was a principal Daley budget architect back in the day…
As Chicago’s second Daley dynasty ended in May 2011, the departing regime left a gift for the new one: a pension-debt problem that had been quietly snowballing for a decade before exploding into view in the run-up to the election.
With nearly a third of the City Council following departing Mayor Richard M. Daley out the door, a bewildered cohort of freshmen council members scrambled to understand the mess they had inherited.
Unofficial election results show Vallas and Johnson had obvious bases of support, with clear room for potential growth. Vallas was strongest in the conservative white bungalow belts along the Northwest and Southwest sides and found backers along the lakefront near downtown. But it was Lightfoot who won all the city’s Black wards, while U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” García was successful in low-voting Latino wards and generated some white lakefront support. Johnson’s best showings were in progressive areas around the northern lakefront, though he also won some Black votes. […]
“I actually did well in every ward, and I don’t think Brandon won a single Black ward,” Vallas said Wednesday morning. “So I just want to point that out.”
That’s obviously why the Jesse White endorsement is so important for Vallas on many levels. Bernie Sanders-style lefties (and Sanders himself) generally don’t do well with older Black voters. Jesse White can help Vallas take full advantage of his position and fend off attacks that he’s a racist.
Veteran political consultant Delmarie Cobb said she isn’t surprised by White’s endorsement. But while White is popular, she said, it also gives Johnson an opportunity to argue that the endorsement represents “the politics of old … that got us in this mess in the first place.”
Why does the city have such fiscal problems? You can trace it back to skipping pension payments during the Daley years. And Vallas was there, mapping the path.
Even so, Johnson’s defund the police comments are undoubtedly gonna be a powerful weapon against him. And after four years of instability and upheaval, some folks are definitely looking to the past for comfort, regardless of how hazy that looking glass might be.
* Then again, speaking of older folks…
I am honored to receive the endorsement of @RepDannyDavis, my neighbor, my congressman and my friend. He is a pioneer of our movement, and a tireless advocate for our community, and I am proud to stand alongside him in the fight for a just and equitable Chicago! pic.twitter.com/UExplhjr16
Retiring Ald. Roderick Sawyer (6th) chose Paul Vallas, becoming the first of seven mayoral challengers to choose sides in the April 4 runoff. […]
Although Johnson no longer talks about “defunding” the police, Sawyer said he is equally concerned about Johnson’s refusal to commit to filling the 1,700 police vacancies or fully funding the Chicago Police Department’s $1.94 billion budget.
In fact, Johnson wants to cut at least $150 million from the CPD budget by reducing the ratio of supervisors to rank-and-file officers and make the shortage of officers worse by promoting 200 detectives.
“When Johnson talked about moving up detectives, I didn’t see a real plan to replace those officers. I don’t want to take more officers off the street to do that,” Sawyer said.
Sawyer said he has no doubt Vallas will get the 20% to 25% percent of the Black vote he needs to win the runoff. His only concern is how ugly and racially divisive the race might get.
Johnson, in Selma, Ala., over the weekend for the Bloody Sunday march, reported the first contribution of what’s likely to be a flood of national union money: $568,500 from the American Federation of Teachers. SEIU is expected to write a big check, too.
Vallas is hoping to get help from building trades unions that were big Lightfoot backers. Johnson’s folks are hoping to keep them neutral, with no firm indication yet whether the Chicago Federation of Labor will join in.
And Vallas may also get a flood of big business dough from execs worried about Johnson’s tax-hike plans. The $100,000 he got from Citadel COO Gerald Beeson could be just a down payment of such cash.
Meanwhile, both sides are holding their fire in their TV ads so far, sticking to positive messages. That could change after Wednesday’s scheduled debate on Channel 5, which could be a very lively affair.
* When Charlie Kirk is saying nice things about you, does that tell the rest of us something?…
Activists rallied Sunday in front of Chicago mayoral candidate Paul Vallas’ headquarters to demand a controversial piece of history be returned to Grant Park.
They said Vallas recently promised the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans that he will put the Christopher Columbus statues back in Grant Park and Arrigo Park. Vallas has not made that statement publicly, and his campaign did not return FOX 32 Chicago’s requests for comment.
“The confusing thing is he’s saying it behind closed doors, he’s not saying it in public,” said activist Frank Coconate. “We want clarification. We don’t want to just go out there and support a guy that saying it behind closed doors because we’ve been let down in the past by [Mayor Lori] Lightfoot and other people.”
Gov. J.B. Pritzker of Illinois sat comfortably in an office board room high above the Loop on Monday and halfheartedly batted away the notion that he was preparing a run for the White House.
The billionaire heir to the Hyatt Hotels fortune may be seen by some Democrats as the “in case of emergency break glass” candidate, one of the few prominent politicians who could stand up a White House run at a moment’s notice. Although President Biden has said he intends to mount a campaign, that has not eased Democrats’ obvious worry: the famously dilatory Hamlet on the Potomac might decide not to run for re-election at 81, and worry could turn to panic.
But while Mr. Pritzker declined to provide a yea or nay on whether he would run, he added that a last-minute swap of an understudy for Mr. Biden was “such an odd hypothetical if you ask me.”
They’re really working overtime to keep that thread alive. The “in case of emergency break glass” candidate? Who came up with that pitch?
* But this bit could’ve been written by the pitchbot author…
Late last month in the Lexington Elementary School gym in Maywood, a Chicago suburb, Mr. Pritzker unveiled his youth mental health initiative, then waited, sitting on a foldout metal chair, as each health policy expert, school official, state representative and state senator took their turn at the lectern. His security detail and black S.U.V. were at the ready behind the school, but he listened for over an hour with a wry smile on his face.
Patience, of course, is a virtue in politics, but don’t try to tell Mr. Pritzker there was a metaphor in his ability to wait out other Democrats.
“He’s notoriously slow on campaign decisions,” said Andrew Feldman, a Democratic strategist who interned on Biden’s 2008 presidential campaign and worked as part of an advance staffer team during his vice presidency. “None of this should be a surprise.”
MARGARET BRENNAN: I have a lot to get to with you. But I want to get something out of the way. New York Times has a big feature on you calling you the Democrats’ SOS candidate, saying you’re keeping your options open for a presidential run in 2024. In case Biden doesn’t run, is that true?
GOV. PRITZKER: No, I’m supporting Joe Biden. He’s running for reelection, and he’s going to get re-elected. I’m just, you know, happy that people think of me in that way. That’s certainly very flattering, but I intend to serve out my term as Governor of Illinois. […]
MARGARET BRENNAN: So do you think he needs to make it official and say he’s running so that there isn’t more speculation or people considering other options?
GOV. PRITZKER: I don’t think there’s anybody that’s serious, that’s actually considering running against Joe Biden, because he’s done such a great job.
The first Black woman hired to lead Northeastern Illinois University is on her way out from the campus on Chicago’s North Side — but not before directing serious accusations at two board members who pushed for her removal.
In an email obtained by WBEZ, NEIU President Gloria Gibson told a top state official that the university’s board discriminated against her “based on my race and gender.” Gibson also accused the two board members of trying to force her out in “retaliation” for her refusal to give scholarships to three ineligible students — including the wife of a board member.
Using her personal email account, Gibson leveled those charges in December against the then-chairman of the NEIU board, Jim Palos, and another board member at the time, Charles Serrano. In an email to Illinois Deputy Gov. Martin Torres, Gibson wrote that she had filed grievances against board members and that NEIU’s ethics officer advised her that none of the three students should get scholarships. […]
In January, the governor did not reappoint Palos to the university’s board at the end of his term. Contacted by WBEZ, Palos denied the charges that Gibson leveled in the letter, saying he and others pushed for her removal because they thought NEIU would benefit from new leadership. […]
Serrano declined to comment on the letter Gibson sent to the governor. But he told WBEZ he felt he had done nothing wrong by calling a university official on behalf of his wife, who wanted to enroll in a graduate class but was erroneously listed as an international student. He also defended trying to get scholarships for the charter school students.
Northeastern Illinois University was hardly in great shape before state budget cuts and the pandemic clobbered it. Now, it’s got a president in limbo and a board in upheaval after trustees moved to get rid of the president and the Pritzker administration began overhauling the board.
Trustees are expected to meet Monday for the first time since November to decide what’s next for a school that, having lost half of the 11,580 students it had a decade ago, is an extreme example of higher education’s fiscal challenges and a case study in how public universities are run. […]
Only 331 full-time students enrolled in fall 2021, and among recent full-time graduates, a mere 4.5% finished within four years. Fewer than 20% did within six years. Tuition doubled over the decade ended in 2016, just as public education in the state reeled under a two-year budget impasse between then-Gov. Bruce Rauner and the General Assembly, and Northeastern’s debt ratings plunged to junk status. […]
Relations began to sour when the faculty and some trustees felt [Gibson] wasn’t listening to their turnaround ideas, which included better connections with Chicago business and its job-training needs. The faculty grew frustrated with what it perceived as a lack of urgency to address the enrollment crisis and related budget shortfalls.
* Last month, faculty asked the Board of Trustees to pressure Gibson to resign. NEIU Independent…
Several faculty members voiced their concerns of mismanagement, incompetence and lack of transparency, regarding the looming deficit to the Board of Trustees. Dr. Olivia Perlow, the Department Chair Sociology, and Dr. Ashley L. Elrod, Assistant Professor of History, voiced their concerns and asked the Board of Trustees to consider pressuring President Gloria J. Gibson to resign immediately and appoint Dr. Wamucii Njogu as interim president.
At NEIU’s Town Hall Presentation on January, 24, 2023, Manish Kumar, Vice President of Finance and Administration confirmed that the university has a projected $11 million in deficit for the current fiscal year. The fiscal problem goes down to 10 years of mismanagement, declining enrollments of 50% less than pre-COVID-19 levels and reduced state appropriations. The university is considering a reorganization and restructuring plan to save $680,000. That is a saving of only 6.18% from the projected deficit. […]
Dr. Stacey Goguen, Associate Professor of Philosophy, said, “Thus, I ask you, the trustees of the university, to take action now. Let us remember, if her reorganization plan fails, she will not be here when it does. Instead, you will be left with the fallout from her bad decisions.”
Dr. Goguen confirmed a group of 160 faculty members have sent a letter to the Board of Trustees and Governor J.B. Pritzker demanded Dr. Njogu to be nominated as interim president of NEIU. Dr. Njogu already held that position in 2018 for two months, and Dr. Elrod stated Dr. Njogu is more in touch with the university’s students, processes and faculty.
Those are the words of Dr. Olivia Perlow, Sociology professor and Chair of the African American Studies Department at Northeastern Illinois University.
NEIU faculty and professors met with State Senator Ram Villivillam Tuesday afternoon to address grievances they have with the university’s president — Gloria J. Gibson — and their board of trustees over damaging cuts that have slashed departmental chairs and allegedly reinforced the school’s declining enrollment.
Dr. Olivia Perlow, who chairs two other departments on top of African American Studies, pointed toward the College of Arts and Sciences dropping from 17 to eight department chairs as a major reason why enrollment is dropping as well.
“At this very moment, we have 3,500 students going into the Spring,” Perlow said.
A financial disclosure filing from the Democratic Party of Illinois was just made public, and it confirms our worst predictions about Governor Pritzker’s involvement in our local school and library elections this April:
This $500,000.00 donation follows Prtizker’s commitment to infuse his radical ideology into our own schools and motivate Democratic “base” voters to vote in traditionally low-turnout municipal elections.
With over a dozen key school board races on the ballot across Kane County this year, we are certain that these funds will be used to prop up hyper-partisan school board candidates across Kane County who do not prioritize safety, academic excellence, and college preparedness.
Q: I want to ask you about the issue set that Democrats are running on. Your office told us you’re very focused on school board races in Illinois to make sure extreme right wing candidates aren’t dominating them. I’m wondering how strong the Republican ground operation is on things like school boards is parents rights, really something you think Democrats need to be concerned about on the national scale?
Pritzker: Well, what Republicans are trying to do is, of course, ban books in libraries, they’re trying to keep our schools from teaching Black history. They make up things about CRT in schools that just don’t exist. And so they’ve got a lot of extreme right-wing candidates, frankly, on the crazy end of things that are running and we just want to make sure that people know who they are and know not to vote for them.
Q: I want to follow up on something you said right before we took that break. You said you want to make sure people know who they are and not to vote for them. And we’re talking about Republicans, you said trying to do things like ban teaching Black history, ban books and ban CRT. You talking about people in Illinois? What are you talking about? Where’s that happening?
Pritzker: Well, you asked me about school boards. [Crosstalk] We’ve got people running at the local level. [Crosstalk] But of course, the Republicans are carrying this as a national message. And honestly, it’s something that’s offensive to most Americans. This idea of banning Black history. It’s important for people to understand the history of slavery in the United States, our entire US History, warts at all.
Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs urges people to assist with Operation Purple Heart, an unprecedented mission to return 11 Purple Heart medals to their rightful owners.
The military honors were submitted to the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office for safekeeping and return as part of the Unclaimed Property program, also known as I-Cash or missing money.
Military medals are among the most difficult items to return because neither the Armed Forces nor the federal government maintains a comprehensive list of awardees.
In an effort to find the rightful owners, the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office is releasing additional information that the owners or their relatives might recognize. A thorough vetting of inquiries will occur once an electronic claim is made at www. illinoistreasurer.gov/icash.
Misrepresenting oneself in an effort to recover unclaimed property is a crime, will not be tolerated, and the state treasurer’s office will seek prosecution to the fullest extent of the law, especially with regard to military honors.
Each of the 11 Purple Heart medals was inside a bank safe deposit box. Each bank determined the safe deposit box as abandoned because the owner(s) of the box had not touched it in several years. As a result, the contents of each safe deposit box were turned over to the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office.
In most cases, the conflict in which the Purple Heart was awarded, such as World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam or Desert Storm, is unclear or unknown. […]
Since 2015, the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office has successfully reunited seven Purple Hearts with their owners or heirs. It did so through an internal investigatory process, and the office is required by law to try to return unclaimed property no matter how long it takes. Private entities holding abandoned or misplaced property are not compelled to try to identify nor locate the owner.
Kenneth Wiest, turned over to the treasurer’s office in October 2019. Wiest may have lived in O’Fallon in southern Illinois, about five miles from Scott Air Force Base.
* Weekend press conference…
Mr. Wiest’s three daughters received the medal as part of Operation Purple Heart, our office’s unprecedented mission to return 11 Purple Heart medals to their rightful owners.
“This is an absolute honor. I will treasure this for the rest of my life,” said Andrea Wiest Schone. pic.twitter.com/uGwkTV8Ezt
— Treasurer Michael Frerichs (@ILTreasurer) March 5, 2023
“Army Specialist Wiest served his country, and it is our duty to honor this soldier no matter how many years have passed,” Frerichs said during a somber ceremony in Springfield with Mr. Wiest’s children.
Wiest was born in Kelly Township, Pennsylvania, on July 28, 1950. Wiest’s family moved to O’Fallon while he was a child. He graduated from Mascoutah High School in 1968, entered the Army, and was deployed to Vietnam.
Wiest died in O’Fallon on Sept. 4, 1998. He was 48.
“Dad was a good soldier, a loyal friend and dedicated father,” said Andrea Wiest Schone, the youngest of Wiest’s four children. “My brother and sisters are grateful to have these medals that honor his legacy.”
Last month, I wrote a tongue-in-cheek headline for my blog: “Poll conducted for IEA finds about 10% of Illinoisans are wackos.”
The Normington-Petts and Next Generation Strategies poll of 1,000 Illinoisans conducted in January found that 11% strongly favor “the fighting, yelling, or other contention at school board meetings that has been happening around the country.”
Ten percent strongly opposed “teaching Illinois high school students about slavery in the United States and its impacts.” Another 14% strongly opposed “teaching Illinois high school students about racism and its impact in the United States.” And 11% strongly favored “banning books from Illinois school libraries.”
But we didn’t need a scientific survey to know that “wackos” are proliferating.
Last year, then-Rep. Deb Conroy (D-Villa Park) came under attack after false and ridiculous claims were made that she sponsored a bill to forcibly round people up and lock them in internment camps for refusing to take a vaccine.
The attack was patently absurd on its face, but it was fanned by some Republican legislators and even so-called “moderates” like Republican DuPage County Board chair candidate Greg Hart, who lost to Conroy last November.
The result was, I wrote last year, “profanity-laden, disgusting, misogynistic messages from hateful and violent-sounding people.” It got so bad that Conroy closed her district office for a time, and a man was eventually charged with two felonies for making threats against her.
Conroy stood firm, but the bill as introduced died on the vine and more than 21,000 electronic witness slips were filed in opposition.
Then, the other day, Rep. Katie Stuart (D-Edwardsville) announced she had canceled a constituent meet and greet over threats about her own bill.
House Bill 1286 merely sets state guidelines for commercial property owners who want to construct multiple-occupancy, all-gender restrooms. The Illinois Retail Merchants Association, the American Institute of Architects-Illinois, the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation, the Illinois Public Health Association, Equality Illinois, Illinois NOW and large numbers of other reputable groups filed electronic witness slips in support.
But the same usual suspects fanned the flames against Stuart’s bill. Some current legislators, Stuart’s former Republican opponent, former Rep. Jeanne Ives, and groups like Awake Illinois and the Illinois Family Institute ginned up yet another social media explosion, warning people that Stuart wanted to mandate all-gender public restrooms everywhere.
The result was “phone calls, emails filled with vile language,” to Stuart, according to a House Democratic spokesperson. None of the communications referenced the people and groups spewing the misinformation, the spokesperson said.
“There’s no specific connection other than they’re all saying the same things essentially, all using the same language as these groups are, and they’re all taking the same misinterpretation.”
Stuart “has shared everything she has” with the Illinois State Police and other local law enforcement, the spokesperson said.
So far, the number of electronic witness slips generated against Stuart’s bill hasn’t come close to the massive numbers recorded on Conroy’s legislation. (Perhaps partially because last year was an election year, and groups had been organizing around vaccines in general for years.)
But the end result is essentially the same: A legislator was forced to temporarily back away from the public because a bunch of easily manipulated, perpetually angry “wackos” got all worked up over nothing — again.
The witness slips are an incredibly useful tool for activists because the groups can track their efforts’ real-time results online. Groups all across the political and issue spectrum try to encourage people to file witness slips on the General Assembly’s website in support of or opposition to bills to show supporters, donors, the other side and legislators they have public backing.
The slips are empowering. People feel seen. They believe they’re making a difference. But the slip wars also provide a positive feedback loop for dark conspiracy theories.
And since it’s pretty easy to post one’s position online, the witness slip web pages have become an extension of social media, for good and ill. There is no identity verification required, although users do have to fill out a “captcha” box to prove they’re not a robot.
There was a time when filling out a paper witness slip made you subject to forgery laws. Maybe it’s time now for responsible groups that are committed to public involvement to sit down with legislators and come up with a solution for this.
It won’t stop all the craziness, but at least the state doesn’t have to play a role.
* NYT | The Democrats’ SOS Candidate Keeps His Options Open: Although President Biden has said he intends to mount a campaign, that has not eased Democrats’ obvious worry: the famously dilatory Hamlet on the Potomac might decide not to run for re-election at 81, and worry could turn to panic. But while Mr. Pritzker declined to provide a yea or nay on whether he would run, he added that a last-minute swap of an understudy for Mr. Biden was “such an odd hypothetical if you ask me.”
* Fox 2 | Illinois State Treasurer returns Purple Heart to family of O’Fallon veteran: Army Specialist Kenneth Wiest received the Purple Heart for his service in the Vietnam War, which included injuries suffered taking enemy fire while inside a helicopter, Treasurer Michael Frerichs said. Wiest also received a pair of Gulf War service medals for his participation in Operation Desert Storm.
* AP | Fox libel defense at odds with top GOP presidential foes: In an email a few weeks after the 2020 election, Fox Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch described a news conference featuring Powell and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, another attorney who pushed the election lies: “Really crazy stuff. And damaging.”
* Sun-Times | Walking Man revealed: Friends who knew him as ‘Mojo’ in the ’70s share photos, stories: Mammina remembers one personal moment with Kromelis. She had taken a sudden trip to Hawaii for two weeks but Kromelis didn’t know. “I think he was worried about me,” she said. Kromelis found her at a payphone “and we ended up kissing,” she said. “It was so funny because, I mean, I had a major crush on him. But we never talked about it after that,” she said. “I’m sorry today I wasn’t bolder, because I would’ve followed him anywhere.”
