Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Wednesday, Jan 22, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

Stellantis, the company that owns Chrysler and Jeep, said on Wednesday it planned to reopen a factory in Illinois and increase production elsewhere in the United States, a move that is likely to resolve several simmering disputes with the United Automobile Workers union.

The reopening is also likely to help the company in its relations with the Trump administration, and is among the first big changes made by an interim management team that has been running the company since its chief executive, Carlos Tavares, resigned in December.

“These actions are part of our commitment to invest in our U.S. operations to grow our auto production and manufacturing here,” Antonio Filosa, the company’s chief operating officer in North America, said in a statement.

The announcement follows a recent meeting between Stellantis’s chairman, John Elkann, and President Trump, the company said. Mr. Elkann told the president that Stellantis, whose headquarters are in Amsterdam, aimed to strengthen its U.S. manufacturing base and was committed to safeguarding American jobs and to the broader U.S. economy.

* Governor JB Pritzker…

“We commend Stellantis on its investment in Belvidere that will put 1,500 Illinoisans back to work in good-paying union jobs and grow the automotive industry in Illinois. This would not be possible without proactive collaboration and coordination between the State of Illinois, Stellantis, UAW, the Biden-Harris Administration, and our champions in Congress, including Senator Durbin, Senator Duckworth, Representative Bill Foster, and Representative Eric Sorensen,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “My administration has worked tirelessly with our partners to secure this investment and we are excited to see it come to fruition. We know there is more work to be done to see this project through and remain committed to expanding economic opportunities for Illinois workers, businesses, and communities to thrive.”

“Growing up in Rockford, just down the road from the Belvidere Assembly Plant, I’ve seen firsthand how layoffs impact our communities. That’s why this announcement of 1,500 jobs coming back is so personal—and so important,” said Representative Eric Sorensen (D-IL). “I’m proud to have fought alongside UAW workers to hold the big auto companies accountable and make this happen. This isn’t just about bringing manufacturing home; It’s about giving Rockford-area families the good-paying jobs they deserve to support their families and thrive.”

* Sun-Times…

Prosecutors kicked off closing arguments Wednesday in the trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan, the final opportunity for attorneys to make their case to jurors who will soon begin considering the historic case against the Southwest Side Democrat.

U.S. District Judge John Blakey promised not to put any time limits on the arguments. The lawyers have predicted they’ll last three days, but the trial’s timeline has been difficult to predict since it began in early October.

Jurors will hear first from prosecutors, then from attorneys for Madigan, and then from the team representing his co-defendant, Michael McClain. But prosecutors carry the burden of proof, so they will also make a rebuttal argument, giving them the last word.

The closing arguments follow 11 weeks of testimony, in which jurors heard from more than 60 witnesses. Most notable among them was Madigan himself. He testified for nearly 12 hours over four days earlier this month. McClain opted not to testify.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Crain’s | Reforming Tier 2 pensions could cost the state $30 billion, actuary says: A new Illinois pension reform bill would increase contributions to the state’s three largest retirement systems by a total of nearly $30 billion through fiscal year 2045, according to an actuarial impact study by Segal Group. The study was commissioned by the state Legislature’s Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability as a result of the introduction of a bill in November to close the gap between the pensionable salary cap of state Tier 2 employees and the Social Security wage base.

*** Statewide ***

* Tribune | Allstate to raise Illinois homeowners insurance rates by 14.3%: Allstate is increasing homeowners insurance rates in Illinois by 14.3% beginning Feb. 24, according to a filing with the state last month. The rate hike applies to a “portion” of Illinois customers, with some seeing lesser increases or no changes, an Allstate spokesperson said Monday. “While more frequent, severe weather and higher repair prices have increased insurance claim costs, customers continue to get competitive prices with Allstate and can save money by bundling home and auto,” Allstate said in a statement.

*** Chicago ***

* Block Club | Lathrop Homes Redevelopment Gets TIF Boost From City Council: The TIF amendment will add almost 13 acres to the district, which is expected to increase its budget from $17.5 million to $60 million to “support planned improvements within the southern portion of the complex” below Diversey Avenue, according to a press release from Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office. The new funding is the latest update in the ongoing redevelopment of the Lathrop Homes, which the Chicago Housing Authority has been converting in recent years from solely public housing into a mix of public, affordable and market-rate units.

* Tribune | Former high-level assessor’s office employee under Berrios charged with taking bribes from lawyer: A former high-ranking director in then-Cook County Assessor Joseph Berrios’ office has been charged with accepting sports tickets, restaurant meals and other bribes from a lawyer in exchange for help with property assessments. Francisco Perez, 50, of Chicago, was charged with one count of bribery conspiracy in a criminal information made public Friday. A court date has not been set, but defendants charged by way of information, rather than by grand jury indictment, typically intend to plead guilty.

* Block Club Chicago | Some Chicagoans Are Afraid To Go To The South And West Sides. In ‘Don’t Go’ Book, Authors Examine Why: In 2018, Johnson founded the acclaimed Folded Map project to connect residents at corresponding addresses on opposite sides of the city and examine how segregation impacts people socially. As part of an expansion of the Folded Map Project, Johnson and Krysan interviewed people to further investigate how they confronted and combatted harmful narratives about the city’s South and West sides. Those interviews, some of which Block Club published in 2021, would eventually lead to “Don’t Go.”

* Sun-Times | Bean There, Plowed That: City announces winning names in third annual snowplow contest: Scoop, There It Is! The nod to the 1993 hit and jock jam staple “(Whoomp!) There It Is” is among the six winning names in Chicago’s third annual snowplow-naming contest. The other winning names, announced by the city’s Department of Streets and Sanitation, include Bozo the Plown, Lollaplowlooza, My Kind of Plow, Snower Wacker and Bean There, Plowed That.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Aurora Beacon-News | After successful pilot, Aurora plans to update business registration process: Almost all businesses within Aurora are required to register with the city annually, but city staff said at meetings recently that the old registration process, which began in 2019, had low participation because it was frustrating and inconvenient. The ongoing pilot approved last April, which lowered the number of questions required to register from over 60 to just 15, along with other changes, brought in more applications last year than ever before, even without a large marketing push, according to Aurora Chief Development Services Officer John Curley.

* Crain’s | Fortune Brands bringing 400 jobs to Deerfield: The home and security company today announced it will expand its presence in Deerfield by consolidating other U.S. offices there and has inked an incentive agreement with the state of Illinois to bring new jobs to the area. FBIN will move its main office to the former Horizon Therapeutics headquarters property at 1 Horizon Way along Interstate 294 from its existing headquarters at the nearby Corporate 500 complex along Lake Cook Road.

*** Downstate ***

* SJ-R | The Pasfield House enters partnership with business expanding cultural engagement: The Culture Experience LLC, or TCE, is focused on spreading Black and Brown culture through the city by hosting events featuring music, dishes and entertainment to help people learn more about underrepresented cultures. As two separately operating businesses under the same roof, the partnership will renew semi-annually with TCE providing online marketing, campaign running and organizing two events per six months for The Pasfield. In return, the LLC is given residency and access to the on-site professional chef and all ties to the LLC will change branding to add the Pasfield name.

* WCIA | City council approves $10,000 Champaign mayoral raise in 2027: An ordinance raising the salary of the Champaign mayor from $35,000 to $45,000 passed Tuesday night. In addition, the ordinance also raises the pay of each of the eight council members from $5,000 to $7,000. The City Council Compensation Task Force recommended the raises in August. Every member voted for it.

* KFVS | Illinois agencies asking for volunteers to help residents affected by ice storm: The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS)-Serve Illinois is launching a program to help residents needing help in clearing tree limbs downed by the storm. They are asking for volunteers to help with cleanup efforts in Saline, Jackson and Williamson Counties from Friday, Jan. 24 through Friday, February 7. IDHS-Serve Illinois is looking for volunteers 18 years and older who have chainsaws, chainsaw operators and those willing to carry tree limbs and debris.

6 Comments

Illinois-related Trump coverage roundup

Wednesday, Jan 22, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

Illinois

* Capitol News Illinois | Pritzker criticizes Trump’s courting of tech CEOs, lack of communication: Pritzker, whose net worth is estimated at $3.7 billion by Forbes, is one of the 1,000 wealthiest people in the world. As one of the richest politicians in U.S. history, he largely self-funded his two campaigns for governor. But on Tuesday, he raised concerns about the prominent appearance of several large tech company CEOs at Trump’s inauguration. […] “These are the wealthiest people in the country who essentially Donald Trump feels better about having them around than having ordinary Americans backing him up or standing with him,” Pritzker said at an unrelated news conference. “And I think it’s just an indication of what this administration is really all about. It isn’t about what he ran on.”

* Pantagraph | ‘Midwestern values’ under siege by Trump, Pritzker says: “It is something that we should have comprehensive immigration reform in this country and not simply have a president who is scaring people, forcing them out of their jobs because they’re afraid to go to work,” Pritzker said, nothing that the typically vibrant business corridor in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood, long a gateway for Mexican immigrants, has been empty the past few days.

* CBS Chicago | Pritzker slams Trump for trying to end birthright citizenship, demands apology from Musk for gesture compared to Nazi salute: As for Trump’s decision to pardon nearly all of the 1,500 people charged or convicted of crimes in the Jan. 6, 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol, Pritzker said it reflects an about-face for the Republican party. “What used to be the party of law and order is now the party of chaos and disorder, and that stands against law enforcement. The people who attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6 were attacking law enforcement, because that’s who was there guarding the Capitol,” Pritzker said.

Potential Mass Deportations
* Sun-Times | Chicago spared immigration raids Tuesday, but Pritzker warns feds may target ‘2,000 people’: Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday said he believes President Donald Trump’s administration is targeting “as many as 2,000 people” in Chicago in its mass deportation plan. Those numbers come from local law enforcement, according to sources with direct knowledge of the discussions. But the Chicago Police Department declined to comment on that total, as did other police sources. It’s unclear whether the number encompasses the people Trump “border czar” Tom Homan is targeting: criminals who lack legal status and immigrants with deportation orders.

* WBEZ | What can CPS schools and parents do in the face of Donald Trump’s mass deportation threat?: “Under no circumstance are we ever going to compromise our children — whether it is this issue around immigration or something else,” Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez said. Students return to class on Wednesday for the first time since Trump was inaugurated. […] If federal agents show up at their school, principals have been told they should not let them engage with anyone, except on the rare occasion that they have a signed criminal arrest warrant, Martinez said. CPS does not allow immigration agents into schools without a warrant. CPS also has three lawyers at the ready to review any warrants or other paperwork and to advise staff, Martinez said.

* Tribune | ‘People are hiding.’ Chicago immigrants stay home from work to avoid potential ICE arrests: When reports surfaced over the weekend that mass deportations could potentially begin in the Chicago area Tuesday, Martin Ramos informed his boss that he was taking time off from work, stocked up on groceries and decided his kids would skip soccer practice this week. Ramos — who emigrated from Guadalajara, Mexico, without the necessary work permits — spent the first full day of Donald Trump’s second presidency hunkered down with his family and trying to avoid being picked up by ICE agents. An arrest, he knows, would destroy everything he and his wife worked for and force their two boys into an uncertain future.

* WGN | Chicago police reminded they can’t cooperate with deportations: The Illinois law that prohibits local police from detaining a person because of their immigration status was actually signed by former Republican governor Bruce Rauner during the first Trump administration. “I asked leaders in law enforcement, ‘Should I veto the bill or sign this bill?’” Rauner said in 2017. “They all said to me, ‘Governor, this is a reasonable compromise and it will help us do our jobs better.’”

* WCIA | ‘A lot of fear among a lot of people’; Champaign Co. immigrants brace for deportations, arrests: About 2.5 hours away from Chicago, places like Champaign County are preparing for potential arrests and deportations, although there are no clear signs the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will raid the area. […] “It’s creating a lot of fear among a lot of people,” Lucia Maldonado, Urbana School District Latino family liaison, said. “This is going to affect families, this is going to affect the economy, this is going to affect businesses.”

Jan. 6 Pardons

* WBEZ| Trump’s pardons for Jan. 6 riot help more than 50 defendants from Illinois: More than 50 Donald Trump supporters from Illinois will get their federal rap sheets wiped clean after the new president’s Day 1 signing of about 1,500 pardons related to the notorious riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Dozens of Trump’s supporters from the Chicago area and other parts of the state ended up in the dragnet during the U.S. Justice Department’s enormous, four-year investigation into the failed effort to overturn Trump’s defeat in the 2020 election.

* BND | Four from southern Illinois are among those Trump pardoned in Jan. 6 Capitol riots: At least four people from southern Illinois were pardoned by President Donald Trump Monday for their roles in the riots inside and around the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Three of the men had pleaded guilty to felony charges, including assaulting a U.S. Capitol Police officer, while another pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge for entering the Capitol building.

* Shaw Local | 2 from McHenry County, convicted in Jan. 6 actions at U.S. Capitol, among those expected to get Trump pardons: Two McHenry County residents who have pleaded guilty to charges connected to their actions on Jan. 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol, have been pardoned for their crimes on the first day of President Donald Trump’s second term in office, along with more than 1,500 others. Robert Giacchetti of Crystal Lake and Nhi Ngoc Mai Le, formerly of Lake in the Hills, previously pleaded guilty to charges.

* Shaw Local | Convicted Will County residents part of Trump Jan. 6 sweeping pardons: In Will County, there are at least five people who’ve pleaded guilty to federal charges connected to the incident, according to a database from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington. Those include Crest Hill couple Amy and John Schubert Jr., Lockport couple Kelly Lynn Fontaine and Brian Dula, and Anthony Carollo, of Lockport. Only Fontaine was sentenced to serve jail time. The others received probation.

Birthright Citizenship

* Tribune | Illinois joins in lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s order to end birthright citizenship: Illinois joined three Western states on Tuesday in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of President Donald Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship. […] A separate lawsuit against the order, aimed at the children of non-U.S. citizens, was filed in Massachusetts by 18 other states. Raoul’s office didn’t immediately respond to a question about why he signed onto the lawsuit filed in federal court in Seattle along with the states of Washington, Arizona and Oregon.

Click here for the Illinois suit.

National

* AP | Justice Department directs prosecutors to probe local efforts to obstruct immigration enforcement: It also directs prosecutors to investigate for potential criminal charges cases in which state and local officials obstruct or impede federal functions. As potential avenues for prosecution, the memo cites a conspiracy offense as well as a law prohibiting the harboring of people in the country illegally. “Federal law prohibits state and local actors from resisting, obstructing and otherwise failing to comply with lawful immigration-related commands and requests,” the memo says. “The U.S. Attorney’s Offices and litigating components of the Department of Justice shall investigate incidents involving any such misconduct for potential prosecution.

Click here for the full memo.

* WaPo | Trump officials pause health agencies’ communications, citing review: The instructions were delivered Tuesday to staff at agencies inside the Department of Health and Human Services, including officials at the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Institutes of Health, one day after the new administration took office, according to the people with knowledge, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private conversations. Some people familiar with the matter acknowledged that they expected some review during a presidential transition but said they were confused by the pause’s scope and indeterminate length.

* AP | US throws out policies limiting arrests of migrants at sensitive locations like schools, churches: The move announced Tuesday reverses guidance that for over a decade has restricted two key federal immigration agencies — Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection — from carrying out immigration enforcement in sensitive locations. “This action empowers the brave men and women in CBP and ICE to enforce our immigration laws and catch criminal aliens — including murderers and rapists — who have illegally come into our country. Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement Tuesday.

* Business Insider | Trump’s mass deportation plan could drain more than $20 billion a year from Social Security: Some researchers are concerned that deportations could further constrict the already dwindling pool of Social Security funds. In 2022, immigrants living in the US illegally paid $25.7 billion in Social Security taxes and $6.4 billion in Medicare taxes, per the left-leaning Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. That same year, the Social Security Administration reported that it doled out benefits totaling over $1 trillion.

* Chalkbeat | Trump executive orders on immigrants, transgender rights could echo in American schools: Many executive orders are expected to facilitate enhanced immigration enforcement. Around the country, schools are sharing messages of support with families who could be caught up in enforcement actions and encouraging parents to make sure their children’s emergency contacts are up to date in case caregivers are detained. Some school systems are also clarifying how they will respond if immigration agents seek entrance to their buildings, with many saying they will consult their attorneys and only allow agents with signed judicial warrants to enter their schools.

Please remember to take some deep breaths before commenting. Thanks.

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WBEZ announces ‘voluntary separation program’ for Sun-Times staff, WBEZ business staff (Updated)

Wednesday, Jan 22, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Crain’s…

Chicago Public Media is offering Sun-Times and WBEZ staff members buyout offers as the company comes up on the three-year anniversary of its high-profile merger.

Sun-Times staff and WBEZ business teams, but not WBEZ’s newsroom, are being offered a voluntary separation, according to a memo obtained by Crain’s. Employees who opt to leave Chicago Public Media will be offered an incentive package, though details are unclear.

* Excerpt of the WBEZ announcement…

Today, we announced a voluntary separation program across parts of our organization, including the Chicago Sun-Times staff and WBEZ business teams; the WBEZ newsroom will not be impacted. We are offering our employees the opportunity to voluntarily leave Chicago Public Media with an incentive package. Our hope is that this action and other efforts will reduce our costs so that we can avoid more significant cost-cutting measures down the road.

This is a proactive decision that allows us to align our organization’s size with our goals while strengthening our most valuable and impactful initiatives and ensuring our financial sustainability. While we’ve made strides in adapting to the rapidly changing media landscape, these efforts haven’t yet translated into the sustainable revenue we need. Making this adjustment now is a necessary step to position us for long-term success and fully realize the transformative potential of our combined organization.

…Adding… The Chicago Sun-Times Guild…

We are disappointed by today’s announcement that Chicago Public Media will seek voluntary staff buyouts.

Our union is frustrated that our organization’s management did not secure more revenue in the past three years to avoid staffing cuts and secure our sustainability.

While we understand this move is meant to cut long-term costs, it’s harder to swallow knowing the exorbitant executive salaries and bonuses we’ve seen CPM shell out in the past few years.

We hope everyone at the organization will share in the pain on our path to sustainability.

We have questions about what these labor cuts could mean for our newsrooms. We urge CPM management in the strongest terms possible to focus all efforts on securing the revenue necessary to support our journalism.

We also urge CPM to find savings in areas other than labor so that our newsrooms can continue serving Chicago. We need all hands on deck to produce the quality print, digital, audio and visual reporting that has made the Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ the institutions that they are.

9 Comments

‘Financial shortfall’ causes Planned Parenthood Illinois to close four medication abortion clinics (Updated)

Wednesday, Jan 22, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* I’m sure more will come out on this. Lots of rumors floating around about the reasons. Also, as you’ll recall, Planned Parenthood of Illinois announced earlier this month that its president and CEO Jennifer Welch was stepping down. Emphasis in this press release was added by me…

PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF ILLINOIS RESTRUCTURES TO ENSURE SUSTAINABILITY FOR THE FUTURE
PPIL Closing Four Health Centers, Downsizing Administrative Staff, Expanding Care at Key Locations and Increasing Patient Care Through Telehealth

Realignment Needed due to Increase Patient Volume + Low Reimbursement Rates from Insurers + Rising Health Care Costs

CHICAGO – Planned Parenthood of Illinois (PPIL) is facing a financial shortfall brought on by rising health care costs for in-person care, increase in patient volume needing financial assistance, uncertain patient care landscape under a new national political administration, and the need to create a sustainable future after the overturning of Roe v Wade. To ensure financial health into the future, PPIL has made the difficult decision to close four health centers; Ottawa, Decatur, and Bloomington in Central Illinois and Englewood in Chicago. None of these health centers provide procedural abortion care. Patients will be welcomed at the 13 other health centers across the state and PPIL is expanding patient care at Champaign, Peoria, Springfield, Roseland and Waukegan and through the PPDirect app to minimize patient disruption. Patients will be welcomed at the 13 other health centers across the state. PPIL is planning on expanding appointment availability and access at the Champaign, Peoria, Springfield, and Roseland health centers as well as expanding virtual options via telehealth appointments and the PPDirect app to minimize patient disruption. [Updated by PPIL]

“Patient care is and will always be our number one priority,” said Interim President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois Tonya Tucker. “We made plans for the patient surge however rising care costs and lower reimbursement rates from insurers is jeopardizing PPIL’s sustainability. Unfortunately, this is the reality many other Planned Parenthood affiliates are facing in the rapidly evolving health care environment. We are making the difficult decisions today so we can continue providing care tomorrow and well into the future.”

Illinois has seen the highest volume of abortion patients coming from other states. Since Roe was overturned in 2022, PPIL has seen a a 47% increase in overall abortion care patients and an unprecedented number of out-of-state patients traveling from more than 40 other states making up nearly a quarter (25%) of our overall abortion patients (before the Dobbs decision it was 3-5%). However, that increase in patient volume, coupled with low reimbursement rates from insurers and rising costs of providing care has resulted in PPIL needing to realign its health centers and staffing.

Appointments at the four health centers will end in March 2025. Patient appointments at Champaign, Peoria, Springfield, Roseland and Waukegan will expand to meet patient demand as needed.

PPIL is also downsizing its administrative staff proportionally to match the changes in the health centers. Where possible, health center staff being displaced by the closures will be offered comparable positions at other locations or transitioned to telehealth.

To meet patient needs through digital means, beginning in February 2025, PPIL is offering medication abortion through the PPDirect app. Currently, PPIL provides birth control, UTI treatment, at-home STI testing and emergency contraception through PPDirect. Adding medication abortion to the suite of services expands access, reduces wait times at health centers and provides the right care patients need wherever they are.

Patients using PPDirect fill out a questionnaire that is reviewed by a PPIL medical professional. PPIL either mails the medication abortion pills to the qualified patients or works with them to schedule an appointment at a health center. Patients can receive follow up care at a PPIL health center if needed and they can make an appointment through the PPDirect app.

“Offering medication abortion through the PPDirect app allows patients to connect with us through their phone,” said Dr. Virgil Reid, Interim Chief Medical Officer. “This expands access because patients can receive the same great care they associate with Planned Parenthood from the comfort of wherever they are in the state. And we are there to answer any questions or schedule an in-person appointment if needed.”

PPIL has been around for 100 years and is committed to being here for our community’s future generations. The decision to close health centers and downsize staff is difficult but necessary to operate a sustainable organization that can continue to provide our community with essential health care and education. PPIL continues to offer medication and procedural abortion, birth control, gender-affirming care, STI testing and treatment, cancer screenings, at health centers across the state. For more information visit ppil.org.

Fascinating timing considering what’s going on in DC right now.

…Adding… Personal PAC CEO Sarah Garza Resnick…

“Illinois remains a critical access point for reproductive care and family planning for people from all across the country. Illinois independent providers, abortion funds and advocacy organizations are prepared to stand in the breach and make sure everyone seeking care in Illinois can continue to access what they need.”

17 Comments

A quick Illinois TRUST Act primer

Wednesday, Jan 22, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* I’m seeing a lot of questions about the Illinois TRUST Act and subsequent laws. Some excerpts from the Illinois attorney general’s guidance manual for law enforcement…

No federal law compels law enforcement in Illinois to assist with or participate in any immigration enforcement action. At the state level, Illinois law generally prohibits participation in immigration enforcement by state and local law enforcement. For example, a local law enforcement agency in Illinois cannot: give an immigration agent access to individuals in its custody; detain individuals pursuant to a federal administrative warrant; detain individuals pursuant to an immigration detainer request from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); or share information about individuals in its custody with federal immigration authorities. Importantly, local law enforcement officers cannot arrest an individual for violation of a federal law without a warrant unless state law has granted them authority to do so, and Illinois law prohibits local law enforcement from stopping, arresting, searching, or detaining an individual based on his or her citizenship or immigration status. […]

The federal government cannot require local law enforcement to enforce federal law. In fact, any authorization from the federal government for local law enforcement to enforce federal immigration law is effective only if it is accompanied by authority under state law. Any requests from federal immigration authorities—such as ICE or U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)—for assistance from local law enforcement to detain an individual or to provide access to individuals held by local authorities must be viewed as requests, not obligations. State law dictates whether local law enforcement can comply with those requests. […]

Local law enforcement may provide these types of assistance only in two narrow circumstances: when they are presented with a federal criminal warrant; or when they are otherwise required by a specific federal law. […]

Only federal officers have the authority to arrest an individual for a violation of civil immigration law without a criminal warrant.

Go read the rest and bookmark this page.

Police agencies who violate the state law can be sued.

13 Comments

Pritzker on Trump, the budget, the Red Line and CTU

Wednesday, Jan 22, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Let’s go back to that Mary Ann Ahern interview with Gov. Pritzker. We’ll start with a look at some of his answers about the new POTUS…

MAA: How will your budget be impacted? Because what I understand is some state agencies have already been told, ‘Hey, that federal money that you had last year, you’re not going to get it this year.’

Pritzker: Well, that’s not true yet. We haven’t been notified that things that we were getting last year won’t come. We expect it, however, that there are things that will be under attack. For example, Donald Trump, for many years, has been trying to get rid of the expansion of health care, right?… the Obamacare as you know it, the ACA. And it is truly a challenge for hundreds of 1000s of people that they might have their health care taken away by this new federal administration. So this is a problem, right? It’s not something that the state of Illinois cannot fill in the billions of dollars that come with Medicaid coverage, where 50% of it is covered by the federal government. We just can’t we don’t have those dollars. So if that is something that he does that takes away health care from people in the state of Illinois, it is Donald Trump that is ruining the opportunity for people to live healthy lives in our state.

Please pardon all transcription errors.

* You’ll recall that the Biden administration just recently finalized a $2 billion grant for an extension of the CTU’s Red Line…

MAA: Might the Red Line Extension be impacted?

Pritzker: We’ll, see. You know that that money was awarded. [President Trump] has announced that he’s freezing the awards that were made. Having said that, those were done under the prior administration. Everything that was necessary to make that happen has been done, and so it’s just a question of whether Donald Trump is going to stand in the way. There will be lawsuits if he does. We certainly know that the federal government owes us that money. Now, and again, Donald Trump may break the law because he’s known to do that, and we’re going to have to take him to court if he does.

* After he again criticized Elon Musk, Pritzker was asked about the CTU and issues of antisemitism…

MAA: Have you been as outspoken when members of the CTU have also expressed anti semitic remarks?

Pritzker: Oh, I have spoken out. I mean, they know, and I have spoken directly with members of the CTU whenever there has been something said that was antisemitic. Look, I call out racism, any kind of attack on people, at people’s ethnicity, their background, et cetera. It’s uncalled for, it’s inappropriate. It shouldn’t happen. And as you know, I’m somebody who helped and led the building of a Holocaust museum, so this is something that matters deeply to me, protecting our people from that kind of discrimination. So yes, I’ve called it out, and I always will.

Again, go watch the whole thing.

9 Comments

It’s just a bill

Wednesday, Jan 22, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* WGLT…

A Republican state lawmaker from Morton is sponsoring a bill making it illegal for insurance companies to place a time limit on anesthesia payment coverage.

Rep. Bill Hauter, who represents a heavily rural area between Bloomington-Normal, Peoria, Decatur and Springfield, said the bill was a response to Blue Cross attempting to place a time limit on anesthesia in New York, Missouri and Connecticut. That decision was upended by public outcry, but in Missouri, the time limit will go into effect in February. […]

Hauter said as a health care worker, he has seen insurance companies focus too much on profit over the well-being of their patients. […]

The bill was created in collaboration with Rep. Diane Blair-Sherlock, D-Villa Park, who called up Hauter after the Blue Cross announcement. Hauter said he anticipates the bill will have further bipartisan support.

* In 2021, an Earlville police officer suffered two fractured vertebrae in his neck during a police chase. The woman involved was sentenced to 30 months of felony probation and 180 days in county jail. The injured officer denounced the probation, saying she should have gone to prison. Sen. Sue Rezin filed SB112 last week…

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that any person convicted of the offense of aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer commits: a Class 3 felony if the convicted person causes bodily injury to any bystander or member of the public; a Class 2 felony if the convicted person causes bodily injury to the pursuing peace officer; and a Class 1 felony if the convicted person causes great bodily injury or disablement to the pursuing peace officer.

* HB1569 from Rep. Dave Vella…

Creates the Access to Medically Necessary Vaccinations Act. Provides that any health care provider in this State must provide a vaccination to a patient if: the patient has requested the specific vaccination to be administered; the health care provider has determined that the vaccination is medically necessary; and the health care provider has a stock of one or more doses of the vaccination that have not been reserved for another patient. Prohibits a health care provider from preventing a medically necessary vaccination from being administered to a patient by keeping separate stocks of the vaccination for patients with private insurance and stocks of the vaccination for patients with Medicaid.

* Sen. Craig Wilcox filed SB140 last week…

Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax deduction for gratuities that are included in the taxpayer’s federal adjusted gross income. Effective immediately.

* Rep. Jaime Andrade filed HB1565…

Creates the Anti-Click Gambling Data Analytics Collection Act. Provides that no entity that operates a remote gambling platform or a subsidiary of the entity shall collect data from a participant with the intent to predict how the participant will gamble in a particular gambling or betting scenario. Effective immediately.

Business Insider…

Just as Netflix uses machine learning and data science to tailor each user’s feed to what they’re most likely to binge, the startup Future Anthem uses similar tools to keep users hooked on casino websites. The UK-based software provider builds a personalized, dynamic homepage, presenting the exact right game — bingo, slots, poker — to cater to a player’s desires at the exact right moment, offering bonuses if the player is getting dejected and keeping them betting for longer. […]

In a research paper published last May, the consultancy giant Deloitte’s Global Lottery and Gambling Centre of Excellence predicted a future where every game could be personalized in real time to appeal to individual gamblers. Generative AI, the authors wrote, could “allow the games themselves to generate content based on the explicit or even implicit actions of players, from instantly generated new items and playing levels to in-game characters that can have lifelike discussions.”

The technology, they continued, could create “individually themed online slot games that can respond to a player’s voice and even generate novel content in response to a player’s behavior and game history.” Generative AI chatbots the players could talk to, games with themes automatically tailored to their preference — the ultimate filter bubble. Social media’s endlessly personalized carousel of content is already notoriously addictive, and the damaging parasocial relationships that can be formed with AI chatbots are currently under a microscope following reports of suicide and self-harm linked to a popular provider. Adding these elements to the famously powerful money-extraction machine that is online gambling is a potent combination.

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MAA interview shows that Gov. Pritzker is still clearly peeved about Mayor Johnson

Wednesday, Jan 22, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The Sun-Times recently reported: “The day before Donald Trump’s inauguration, Mayor Brandon Johnson — in DC for a mayor’s conference — and Gov. JB Pritzker — marking his 60th birthday — huddled in a phone call on Sunday morning to compare notes about the city and state responses for what may be an unprecedented rocky road ahead. …The mayor also told me he “had a great conversation with the governor this morning … about a number of things, but more specifically around holding our firm position on being a sanctuary as a state and as a city.”

NBC 5’s Mary Ann Ahern asked Pritzker about that claim…

MAA: Have you and the mayor spoken about the possibility of ICE raids, and how did that conversation go?

Pritzker: We really haven’t. I mean, he called me on my birthday, which was very nice, and wished me a happy birthday. And I, you know, of course, mentioned that I knew that we were preparing, that he was preparing. But I’ve spoken directly with law enforcement in the state of Illinois, not just the Illinois State Police, but also the Chicago Police Department, to make sure that everybody is operating properly in an environment in which Donald Trump is trying to scare our communities.

Please pardon all transcription errors.

* On to the failed hemp bill…

MAA: So your relationship with the mayor hasn’t had a huge fallout over the hemp legislation?

Pritzker: Well, I’ve told the mayor that he mishandled it, that whenever you’re going to come to my house, come to Springfield, and you want to lobby against a piece of legislation which, by the way, was the wrong position to take, because we’re trying to protect children. Whenever you do that, you should call me ahead of time. We can have a conversation about what should we change, what is it that you’d like to see. Maybe we’ll end up disagreeing, in which case you know he has every right to go talk to people, but don’t come into my house and talk to the people that I work with. I don’t do that. And can try to convince them to work against something. It’s a priority for me. I didn’t do that when the mayor was trying to pass a budget for the city of Chicago, which I didn’t think was the right budget. I didn’t like many of the provisions, but I didn’t go lobby the members of the the City Council against the mayor, and I certainly didn’t make public my opposition. I expressed, nevertheless, to people in his administration, what my opinions were.

MAA: Did the mayor and perhaps Speaker Welch and others, did they put their donors above the [hemp] legislation?

Pritzker: Look, I think that all I can say is that there are a lot of people who accept contributions from special interests and are swayed by them. I can’t tell you whether that’s something that the - I don’t think that that’s what the Speaker was doing. I can tell you that when organizations spread money around in Springfield, it’s because they want to get their way. And so there are people who, of course, are on their side. Intoxicating hemp is dangerous for children and adults. It needs to be regulated. And that organization, the hemp association, is working against the safety of the people of Illinois. I will stand against them every time, if that’s what they’re for.

MAA: So as the mayor has said he needs more state money to help his financial crisis with the schools. If I were the mayor, what would you say to him now about those financial needs?

Pritzker: Well, don’t try to get it with hemp, with intoxicating hemp. That’s the one thing I’d say. If you need resources, you should, of course, talk to people in Springfield. He doesn’t do that enough. He doesn’t. His relationships are not very close with people. And even when he came down last spring to talk to us, did not ask for anything while he was there. Look, we want what he wants, which is to make sure that our schools are well-funded across the state of Illinois. We share that in common. We don’t always have all the resources that are necessary to get that done. But every year that I’ve been in office, I’ve increased funding for education. More than $2 billion more is going into our public education system because of the work that I’ve done. And so do we need more? Of course, we do. We have, in fact, a law in on the books that has us increasing state funding every single year we’re doing it. So for them to claim, for people who want us to increase funding, to claim that we owe a billion dollars is kind of disingenuous. They know that we’re all trying very hard to get the resources that we need to put them into schools.

“My house”?

Go watch the rest. MAA did good, as usual.

31 Comments

Open thread

Wednesday, Jan 22, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* What’s going on? Keep it Illinois-centric!…

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Isabel’s morning briefing

Wednesday, Jan 22, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Pritzker signs bill to phase out subminimum wage for disabled workers. Capitol News Illinois…

* Related stories…

∙ WBEZ: Pritzker signs bill eliminating subminimum wage for people with disabilities
∙ Courthouse News Service: Pritzker signs Illinois law barring sub-minimum wages for disabled workers
∙ Center Square: New Illinois law eliminates subminimum wage for disabled workers

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Tribune | Closing arguments in landmark trial of ex-speaker Michael Madigan expected Wednesday: After jurors return Wednesday morning, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey will read them their lengthy instructions — they are likely to run more than 100 pages — before prosecutors begin their closing arguments. In total, the arguments are expected to last through the end of the week. Jurors are scheduled to begin deliberations Monday.

* Pantagraph | McLean County’s Juvenile Detention Center among the state facilities not passing inspections. Here’s how they hope to improve.: Gabel, House majority leader, emphasized most children held in juvenile detention centers have not been convicted of a crime, but are in holding until their cases are adjudicated. “My view is that there are better ways to take care of these children until their court date. Putting them in the JDC, in which 10 of the 14 are always underperforming, never getting passing grades — it’s detrimental to children’s lives,” Gabel said.

* Crain’s | Doctors and police top list of highest-paid state employees in Illinois: Physicians dominate Crain’s newest list of highest-paid state employees in Illinois, according to data from the Illinois Comptroller’s Office. The list ranks 25 workers on the Comptroller’s payroll, which excludes university employees, by 2024 total compensation. On average, the 11 doctors on the list earned about $357,369 last year.

*** Statehouse News ***

* An Alliance of consumer and public interest groups launched a nearly $1 million ad campaign to oppose Peoples Gas’ $13 billion pipe replacement program today. The ICC is expected to rule on the project next month. Click here for more info.

* WTWO | Illinois Chamber of Commerce expands Legislative Affairs Team: The Illinois Chamber of Commerce has announced it is expanding its Legislative Affairs Team, as Ramiro Hernandez is joining the team as the new Executive Director of the Tax Institute and Municipal and County Affairs, according to the chamber of commerce. The Illinois Chamber of Commerce said Hernandez brings over 10 years of experience in legislative, public policy, and communications across the state of Illinois.

*** Statewide ***

* Press Release | IDPH Launches New Data Dashboard on Violent Deaths and Firearm Injuries: It is intended to provide detailed information at the county level about these incidents, including the types of incidents (e.g., homicide, suicide, etc.), weapon type and where victims reside, broken down by county. The goal of the dashboard is to inform data-driven prevention and intervention efforts to reduce violent deaths and firearm injuries in Illinois.

*** Chicago ***

* Crain’s | Bally’s faces tough City Council battle over property tax break: Caught in the middle is local Ald. Walter Burnett, 27th, who doubles as Johnson’s vice mayor and triples as the pro-development chairman of the Zoning Committee. Burnett so far is siding with Johnson, who he said is “darned if he do, darned if he don’t” because the mayor wants to be pro-development but is unwilling to dispense a corporate handout.

* CBS Chicago | Chicago man says accountability has been lacking after off-duty CPD officer shot, killed his dog: Speaking to CBS News Chicago for the first time, the dog’s owner, Kent Maynard, said there has been no accountability in the months since. He also said his case was treated differently from the start. Maynard said the case was essentially a “one-interview investigation.” He said that despite video evidence and eyewitnesses being present on the scene, the initial report and investigation by police were heavily biased in favor of their coworker.

* Sun-Times | Chicago weed exec, golf buddies charged with insider trading surrounding $413 million acquisition: Anthony Marsico was executive vice president of Verano when he used confidential information about a blockbuster plan to take over Minneapolis-based Goodness Growth in order to enrich himself and manipulate Verano’s stock value, according to the indictment filed in federal court in Chicago on Jan. 16.

* Sun-Times | Biden commutes life sentence of former Gangster Disciples co-chairman Gregory Shell: Shell was second-in-command to Larry Hoover, who’s serving a life sentence in a maximum-security prison in Colorado. Shell, 67, is serving a life prison term there, too. “This is a positive first step toward correcting the draconian sentence imposed on Mr. Shell three decades ago,” his lawyer, Andréa Gambino, said Tuesday.

* Sun-Times | What happens when it’s so cold in Chicago that CTA rails crack?: The CTA relies on its “protectors of the railroad” — hundreds of workers ready to repair any rail cracks caused by subzero cold. “Without them, [trains] wouldn’t be able to run,” said Lenny Romano, the CTA’s vice president of infrastructure maintenance. “You don’t see them, but they’re out there.”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* ABC Chicago | So-called Elgin tent city for homeless being cleared out after $2.5M contract approved: The city and social service staffers are working to move residents to the nearby Lexington Hotel for the next month while they get help looking for more permanent housing. “These are people that don’t have anywhere to live and this is an opportunity to get out of the elements and get the help they need to get back on their feet,” Knox said.

* ABC Chicago | Thornton Township board fills interim trustee position; Supervisor Tiffany Henyard skips meeting: Stephanie Wiedeman received the majority vote to fill a vacant Thornton Township trustee position, effective immediately. Wiedeman beat out two other nominees during Tuesday night’s special meeting. She had served under Thornton Township’s previous administration since 2003, but Henyard fired her when she took office three years ago.

* Daily Herald | Former Arlington Heights pastor accused of earlier sexual abuse of a minor : The St. James Parish congregation was informed in a letter from Chicago Archbishop Blase Cupich over the weekend. The abuse accusations were said to have occurred during an earlier period when Foley was associate pastor of St. Agatha in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood. “In keeping with our child protection policies, Father Foley has been asked to step away from ministry during the investigation,” Cupich wrote. “While he strenuously denies this allegation, he has agreed to cooperate with this directive.”

* SRP | Pekau disputes video criticizing deal with Orland insurance carrier : The video says that Pekau and the board are costing the village more than $1 million a year by choosing Horton over another insurance broker – the Intergovernmental Personnel Benefit Cooperative — because Horton is a top campaign donor. “Keith Pekau claims to work for the taxpayers, but his actions tell a different story,” the narrator says.

*** Downstate ***

* Effingham Daily News | Problem Solving Court helps people regain control of their lives: According to [Effingham County Probation Officer Chris Winters], the three graduates saved taxpayers $270,000 by completing the program instead of possibly being imprisoned. Durbin began the Problem Solving Court on Aug. 16, 2023 because he was tired of damaging his relationships with his family and loved ones. People were getting “tired of me,” he said. When he was picked up by officers, he reached his tipping point, or rock bottom, and wanted to change.

* BND | Assisted living facility in Collinsville is sold, displacing its residents: Addington Place managers announced this month that the facility is closing in April because the owner of the building sold the property, and the new owner does not want to use it for assisted living. They said only that the new owner wants to “repurpose” the property, declining to answer the Belleville News-Democrat’s questions about how many residents and employees are affected by the closure and who the new and old property owners are.

* STLPR | Interstate 255 will be closed for six months in St. Clair County. Here’s what we know: Interstate 255 will be shut down for six months beginning Feb. 1 so crews can repair 3.5 miles of the highway from Illinois 157 to Illinois 15 in St. Clair County, the Illinois Department of Transportation said Friday. The project, which was announced last year, is expected to be completed by July 31.

* Rock River Current | Slot Revenue Rose 3% In Rockford In 2024 To The Second-Highest Total On Record: Net revenue from video gaming was $41.2 million in Rockford last year, up from $40 million in 2023, according to data from the Illinois Gaming Board. That’s the second highest total after $47.4 million in 2021. Those figures don’t include casino gambling. That increase comes despite the Aug. 29 debut of Hard Rock Casino Rockford, which reaped in $97.6 million in 2024.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition

Wednesday, Jan 22, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)

Wednesday, Jan 22, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Live coverage

Wednesday, Jan 22, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* You can click here and here to follow the Madigan trial. Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. Hopefully, enough reporters and news outlets migrate to BlueSky so we can hopefully resume live-posting.