* Crain’s | Anatomy of a Springfield miracle: Labor, biz both win : It’s not often that the Illinois General Assembly—on the same day, nonetheless—passes separate pieces of major pro-business and pro-labor legislation. Yet, that’s exactly what happened in Springfield yesterday as lawmakers passed bills that finally could put Illinois in the game to lure big new manufacturing plants and guarantee paid-sick leave for millions of workers downstate and in Chicago suburbs outside of Cook County.
* Press Release | Statement by White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Illinois Becoming Ninth State to Enact an Assault Weapons Ban: Illinois has now become the ninth state across America to pass an assault weapons ban and take bold action to keep weapons of war off America’s streets. Today, President Biden commends the leadership of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, House Speaker Chris Welch, Senate President Don Harmon, Representative Bob Morgan, and the numerous advocates, survivors, and elected officials whose tireless efforts turned the pain of Highland Park and other acts of gun violence into meaningful action on behalf of all Illinoisans.
* Journal Star | City Council approves $90,000 payment to controversial Peoria police officer: The Peoria City Council voted on Tuesday to accept a deal offering a payment of just over $90,000 to police Officer Jeremy Layman in exchange for his resignation. Layman was initially fired in February 2018 for alleged violations of Peoria Police Department policy, including wearing a “Baby Daddy Removal Team” T-shirt and making disparaging comments about residents of Peoria’s predominantly Black South Side on social media.
* Block Club | Ald. Jim Gardiner Obsessed Over Facebook Comments, Launched ‘Terror Campaigns’ Against Critics, Former Staffer Testifies: Gardiner would ask his “fan boys” and supporters to reply to the negative comments to shut them down and harass people, King said. He even pulled old police records of a constituent who criticized him and had critic Pete Czosnyka‘s garden ticketed, King said. “At a certain point, if you are somebody who has something negative to say about Jim, you’re seeing all these small, little terror campaigns, you’re going to silence as a result,” King said. “You’re going to self-silence.” … The FBI, the Chicago Board of Ethics, the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office and the Office of the Inspector General have launched investigations into Gardiner’s conduct. He also faces multiple lawsuits and allegations he withheld ward services from critics, used foul language to describe women and other potential misconduct.
* WBEZ | Feds Hit An Illinois Charter School Chain With A Big Fine: Concept Schools Inc. — which has four publicly-financed campuses in Chicago and dozens of other charter schools in the Midwest — allegedly engaged in a bid-rigging scheme to steer federally funded technology contracts to insiders.
* Bloomberg | Southwest Air hit hardest after FAA outage, adding to woes: The delayed trips amounted to about 46% of Southwest’s schedule, according to data as of 11:30 a.m. Eastern time from tracking service FlightAware. American Airlines Group Inc. and Delta Air Lines Inc. each delayed about a third of their planned flights, while 29% of United Airlines Holdings Inc.’s schedule was affected.
* Sun-Times | Firefighters battling blaze at LaSalle chemical plant: Residents near a northern Illinois chemical plant were told to shelter in place Wednesday as firefighters responded to a fire that sent smoke plumes towering over the plant and prompted the plant’s evacuation.
* Sun-Times | Landmark status for historic West Side church is first step of many Chicago should take to preserve houses of worship: A city panel will vote Thursday on whether to grant preliminary landmark status to a historic West Side church — a move that’s good news to anyone concerned about the fate of Chicago’s architecturally-significant houses of worship. The Commission on Chicago Landmarks will decide if Greater Union Baptist Church, 1956 W. Warren Blvd., is worthy of the honor. The 137-year-old brick-and-terra cotta beauty by the noted architect William Le Baron Jenney should be a shoo-in.
* Inaugural snippets from the bird app…
Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago) works a punchline into his speech nominating Chris Welch for Speaker. Buckner says Illinois House Democrats orchestrated the most “transparent” redistricting process in history. pic.twitter.com/HBl4ArVh90
President Harmon notes that at not quite three years in his position, he is the legislative leader with the longest tenure. Speaker Welch beginning his second term with the 103rd. Both GOP leaders are new to Four Tops - Curran in the Senate, McCombie for the House. https://t.co/jN1Se2wyMspic.twitter.com/x9cSoYI4AV
Lots of @UISPAR alums are here today covering the Illinois House of Representatives Inauguration for various media outlets at #UISedu. pic.twitter.com/SGJx0PpUlE
* Senate President Don Harmon had this to say yesterday during floor debate…
I did not expect to be calling House Bill 1064. I worried that, like Senator Cunningham’s bill before, this might have been a straw too many to bear. But I changed my mind. And before I present the substance of the bill, I want to tell you why.
This is a case of tenacious advocacy, not by high-paid lawyers, but by citizens who came and shared their stories with all of us. Not just ordinary citizens, in this case, it is primarily on men who spent decades in jail without any hope. They spoke to you all, you asked me to call the bill. It was members of the Democratic caucus and, to my delight, it was members of the Republican caucus. So we hz d the chance to advance a substantive bill on criminal reform with bipartisan support.
At its core, this bill does one very simple thing. For young people, those under 21 when they committed the offense who are sentenced to life in prison, it provides them the hope, the possibility of parole, after serving 40 years of their sentence. It’s a little glimmer of hope. It’s a bit of grace. It’s a little mercy. And I’m delighted to have support from both sides of the aisle.
The advocates did an enormous amount of work and they went to Harmon and assured him it would pass with support from both sides of the aisle if he put it up on the big board. They were right.
* Press release…
In a bipartisan vote on Tuesday, January 10, the Illinois Senate passed House Bill 1064, which would ensure most people sentenced before age 21 can seek a limited parole review. The House approved the measure in April 2022. Restore Justice calls on Governor JB Pritzker to sign HB 1064 into law.
“HB 1064 recognizes that children should be treated differently than adults. In Illinois, we care about our young people, and we know that children have the greatest capacity for change. HB 1064 gives those who would otherwise have no hope of returning to their families a chance to show who they have become,” said Julie Anderson, Restore Justice’s Outreach Director. Anderson’s son originally received a life without parole sentence for a crime that happened when he was just 15. He has since been resentenced because of U.S. Supreme Court decisions.
HB 1064 passed with bipartisan support in each chamber; in the House, Representatives Rita Mayfield (D-Waukegan) and Seth Lewis (R-Bartlett) championed the measure. Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) moved the measure through his chamber; President Harmon has long been committed to addressing extreme sentencing of young people. He sponsored House Bill 531 (now Public Act 100-1182), the Youthful Parole Law, which Governor Pritzker signed into law in 2019.
“It’s a sliver of hope for an otherwise condemned person under 21 who maybe, just maybe, might redeem themself decades down the road and warrant consideration for a second chance at society,” President Harmon said.
Senator Donald DeWitte (R-St. Charles) spoke forcefully in favor of redemption during the floor discussion about the bill; we are grateful for his leadership, compassion, and belief in the ability of children to rehabilitate themselves.
“I consider myself a law-and-order Republican, but I also believe in rehabilitation. I believe there are some people who make extremely poor decisions in the very early portions of their lives who deserve consideration once they have met benchmarks and shown they are prepared to become contributing citizens after they have served their debt to society. For these people, we need to offer them hope and let them know we recognize that people can redeem themselves,” Senator DeWitte said.
* Restore Justice Foundation and Restore Justice Illinois…
Here is what HB 1064 will do:
• Youth 20 and younger sentenced to natural life and/or convicted of killing a peace officer could petition for a parole review after serving at least 40 years.
• Youth convicted of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child are excluded under this bill.
The 2019 Youthful Parole Law established:
• Most children and emerging adults (under age 21) given long terms of incarceration would have the opportunity to go before the Prisoner Review Board after 10 years and would then be allowed to seek parole two more times—unless they’ve been convicted of one of a handful of crimes (exceptions outlined below).
• Youth convicted of aggravated criminal sexual assault and most forms of first-degree murder would be eligible for parole after 20 years and once more after another 10 years.
I had an opportunity to discuss this legislation with members of my caucus this afternoon. And I closed our conversation with a question that I’ve asked them to all consider. I consider myself a law and order Republican. But I do also believe in rehabilitation. And I believe there are some people, some people who make extremely poor decisions in the very early portions of their lives, that they deserve consideration once they show they are prepared to make the effort to become contributing citizens once they have served their debt to society.
So I would ask this question of all of you in the room tonight: If you believe our law and order system is based on the fact that significant sentences, people should be locked up and the key should just be thrown away, then vote against it. But if you believe that, given guidelines and benchmarks, that these convicted young people can reach to prove that they can become contributing members of our society, then don’t just vote your conscience, vote your Christian conscience. Vote that people can redeem themselves. I intend to support this legislation, and I would urge my colleagues to simply consider the same position.
* I told subscribers about this bill today. I believe this is going to have a huge impact on working people who are struggling to get by. The fact that the main state business groups helped negotiate the bill to a place where they could be neutral is really quite something…
Gov. JB Pritzker, House Speaker Pro Tempore Jehan Gordon-Booth and Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford issued a joint statement Tuesday supporting legislation that will guarantee paid leave for all Illinois workers:
“Whether it’s dealing with a sudden family illness or an emergency auto repair, sometimes life gets in the way of work. Paid leave will have a significant, positive impact on the lives of residents across our state, and underscores our commitment to uplifting working families. We appreciate the work put into this from all stakeholders, including business and labor, to bring us to this moment.”
Key components of Senate Bill 208 include:
· All employers will be required to provide their employees with a minimum of 40 hours (or five days) of paid leave per year to be used for any reason. Employers may choose to offer more paid leave time.
· A worker would begin to earn paid leave on their first day of their employment at a rate of one hour of leave for every 40 hours worked.
· Employees may use their paid leave starting on the 90th day of employment. An employer, however, may allow a worker to use it earlier.
· Workplaces can still require their employees to provide notice before taking paid time off. If the use of leave is unforeseeable, an employee is directed to provide notice as soon as practicable.
· Unused paid leave will carry over annually, up to 40 hours. However, employers are not required to cash out the balance of an outgoing employee’s paid leave.
· Employers that violate the act would be subject to penalties, including fines and compensatory damages for the affected employee.
This applies to all private employers, by the way. There’s no minimum (mistake in my earlier report because I relied on a briefing like a dummy). But the law can’t override a collective bargaining agreement.
* More…
Women Employed, which has been creating fundamental, systemic change for working women for nearly 50 years, today applauded the passage of SB208, the Paid Leave for All Workers Act, which provides up to 40 hours, or five days, of paid time off for all Illinois workers for any reason, including for an employee’s illness, to care for a sick family member, or for medical appointments. Women Employed led a broad-based coalition of advocates fighting for a statewide law providing paid time off for all workers.
Until now, about 1.5 million workers in Illinois did not have access to a single paid sick day. The new law, sponsored by Rep. Gordon-Booth and Sen. Lightford and championed by workers’ rights advocates and labor leaders, makes Illinois the 17th state to secure paid sick time for its workers.
“No one should fear losing income or their job because they or their loved ones are sick,” Women Employed’s Associate Director of Policy Sarah Labadie said. “Thanks to the championship of Leaders Gordon-Booth and Lightford and the commitment of Women Employed staff and our statewide coalition, Illinois can stand proud as a state where all of its workers are ensured paid time off.”
The Paid Leave for All Workers Act ensures all workers, including essential workers, have a set amount of paid time off. The bill provides:
Full- and part-time workers can earn up to 40 hours of leave per year.
Employees can use leave for any reason, including: recovering from their own illness, caring for a sick family member, school closures, reasons related to domestic or sexual violence, visiting a family member in jail or prison and other court-related reasons, and COVID-19 related reasons such as the need to quarantine or get vaccinated.
“Paid leave for all Illinois workers is long overdue,” Leader Jehan Gordon-Booth said. “I’m honored to have worked alongside Women Employed, the Shriver Center, labor leaders and so many other fierce advocates of workers’ rights who made this day possible.”
“Many low-paid workers face impossible choices when it comes to needing time off and keeping a job, and it shouldn’t be that way,” Sen. Lightford said. “In Illinois, we stand with our workers and I’m proud we worked together to make paid sick time a reality for workers who need it most.”
Dozens of Illinois cities and local governments, including Chicago, already offer paid sick days to their workers. The Paid Leave for All Workers Act ensures Illinois workers – no matter where they live – have access to the same right.
“Every day, workers are forced to choose between job security and caring for themselves or family members,” said Tim Drea, President of the IL AFL-CIO. “We’ve fought hard to ensure that millions of Illinoisans have access to paid leave, and are grateful to Rep. Gordon-Booth, Sen. Lightford, Women Employed and the deep bench of advocates for listening to the needs of working families in our state.”
The bill passed 78-30 in the House and 38-16 in the Senate and now heads to Gov. Pritzker’s desk for his signature.
“This is a great day for Illinois workers and their families,” Wendy Pollack, founder and director of the Women’s Law and Policy Initiative at the Shriver Center, said. “We couldn’t have made this possible without the outstanding support and leadership of our legislative sponsors and our dedicated coalition of advocates.”
More information on the Paid Leave for All Workers Act and a full list of coalition partners can be found here.
* The sponsors really deserve a lot of credit. Here’s Rep. Gordon-Booth’s statement…
Today, Illinois State Representative and Deputy Majority Leader, Jehan Gordon-Booth, released the following statement on the Senate’s passage of Senate Bill 208, which will create paid leave laws across Illinois, and now heads to Governor Pritzker for signature:
“Today is a proud moment for our state as we celebrate creating paid leave laws across Illinois. Because of this legislation, more than 11 million hardworking Illinoisans will have access to paid leave at their place of employment that they once did not have. Our employees are not only the backbone of our economy, but the backbone of their families and our communities, and they all deserve paid time off.
I’m grateful to leaders in the business and labor communities who came together to make this historic legislation a reality, including the Illinois State AFL-CIO, SEIU, Illinois Retail Merchants Association, Illinois Manufacturers Association, AFSCME, UFCW, and the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce. Thank you to the advocates and organizations who have made their voices heard in this fight for years, especially those with the Shriver Center for Poverty Law and Women Employed.
This legislation will help make our state a more livable, desirable place for workers of all trades and industries, and sends a strong message that Illinois is a place that not only values the contributions of our employees at their place of work, but as they build a life for themselves and their families.”
SB208 creates paid leave laws across Illinois by requiring all employers to provide a minimum of 40 hours (or five days) of paid leave per year to be used for any reason. It also allows for unused paid leave to carry over annually, up to 40 hours.
* What follows is Speaker Welch’s Inauguration Address for the 103rd General Assembly. These are his remarks as prepared for delivery…
Good afternoon!
I want to begin by saying thank you to the House Democratic Caucus members for trusting me for a second time to lead our chamber as the Speaker of the House.
The second of three sons of Emanuel and Willie Mae Welch. The husband of ShawnTe Raines-Welch, and father of Tyler and Marley. A Black kid from the ‘Woods, Maywood and Bellwood, is Speaker of the House. Thank you Illinois!
Thank you Representative Kam Buckner and Leader Lisa Hernandez for your kind words in placing my name into nomination.
I also want to thank and congratulate our new Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias. After what we all watched in Washington last week, you sure made this inauguration look like a model of efficiency.
Secretary Giannoulias – You know as well as anyone the historic shoes you are stepping into as you succeed the great Jesse White. I’m sure I speak for this entire House when I tell you how excited I am to see someone in this office who will respect that history while also looking to the future. We’re glad to have you, and we look forward to the work ahead.
And of course, I want to thank all the families and friends who are joining us here today. When I first took the Speaker’s oath two years ago at the Bank of Springfield Center, had my General Assembly family there – and that meant the world to me – but I can’t tell you how meaningful it is to share this moment today with my wife, ShawnTe Raines-Welch, and our children Tyler and Marley.
I think a lot of the members here today probably feel the same way. So many of you are taking office today for the first time.
Those of you now beginning your second terms had much the same experience I had – taking office in the Bank of Springfield Center knowing our friends and loved ones were watching online, but still missing being able to see and hug the people who were there for us at every step of the way.
Even those of us who have been through this many times had to wonder two years ago – our desks six feet apart, masked, with no vaccines to protect us – whether we would ever be able to experience something like this again.
So while the oaths we took here today are the same words we’ve all said or read before, they are imbued with an added meaning when you can look out and see the people who are the reason you’re saying them.
I consider all this as I laid my hand on our family Bible, which my mom got when my parents bought our first home. She gave it to ShawnTe and I when we were married twelve years ago, and we in turn will some day pass it to Tyler or Marley.
The dream of owning a home was by no means something that was guaranteed to my parents at that time. It took a lot of hard work and sacrifice, and undoubtedly was the subject of a lot of prayer.
They passed those hopes and prayers on to me, never imagining a moment like this would even be possible, but hoping in their hearts that all that they had done to create a better life for me and my siblings would also help us make life better for others.
Last week my little Marley asked me if I was going to give a speech today. When I said yes, she said: “Tell me something you are going to say.”
I was really excited about an 8 year old asking me about a speech. When she gets older, she probably won’t care too much about Dad’s political speeches. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.
I told her that I often remind our caucus to remember their ‘why’, and I will probably tell them again. And, yes, today, I am going to say it again.
Everyone of us here today are elected leaders from our community. As leaders, we should ALWAYS remember our ‘why’!
Why do we get out of bed in the morning? Why do we put our names on the ballot to run for office? Why do we leave our loved ones and give up moments with our kids to come here every week? Why?
I still ask myself that question. Why is the second son of Emanuel and Willie Mae named Emanuel and not the first one? Why was I the son given our family Bible? A Bible that my mom signed in March of 1985, 5 months before Chicago gun violence would change our family forever. Why?
As legislators, we’re going to disagree on ‘how’ to achieve a goal, or ‘when’ is the right time to do it. But more often than not, our ‘why’ is very much the same.
We want to help people. We want to use the opportunities afforded to us to create more opportunities for those who come after us.
It’s no secret that Representative Jim Durkin and I would disagree on many of the ‘hows’ and ‘whens’ of lawmaking, and we would often make those disagreements known – sometimes at maximum volume.
And that’s a good thing, because debate and disagreement are necessary steps toward compromise and cooperation – as long as we never lose sight of our ‘why.’
Jim is a man who knows his why, and even through all the debates I never questioned what’s in his heart. I am sincerely grateful for his service,and he deserves a round of applause
Leader Durkin has now passed the torch to Leader Tony McCombie.
Looking out at Leader McCombie’s guests today I see the neighbors she served as leader of a local government; I see the people whose voices she is working to make heard; I see farmers from Whiteside County who have taught both of us about the importance of agriculture to our state; I see the generation that worked hard to help her get here today, and the generation she is working hard to help achieve even more.
Let’s give the first woman ever to lead a House Caucus, a well deserved round of applause.
So while Leader McCombie and I will certainly have our own disagreements, it is my hope that even our disagreements can be productive when we remember that the reasons why we’re doing the work are very similar.
That’s a commitment I make to every member — whether Democrat or Republican – because I am not Speaker of the Democrats but Speaker of the House:
Everyone who is here to work in good faith and pursue the common good will find common cause with me.
Everyone who values civility and respect will find that we have a strong foundation to work from.
Everyone committed to upholding the values of our democracy will be my ally in defense of a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.
Everyone who is ready to do the work and meet the challenges of this moment will have a partner in me – always.
But those who choose discord, those whose blind allegiance to extreme ideology would dismantle our fundamental institutions, those who would derail the work people have sent us here to do – they will find that this House will not waste the people’s time on their games.
Because we know the work we were sent here to do:
We must continue fighting for relief for those middle-class and struggling families hit hardest by unstable markets – because we believe the system should reward work, not wealth.
We must continue rebuilding Illinois’ fiscal house with fiscally and socially responsible budgets – because we know that your budget is a reflection of what you value.
We must continue to prioritize equity in health care, education, workplaces and, yes, also in our justice system – because we know a system that works for everyone is nothing to be afraid of.
We must work for safer communities for all by providing police with the resources they need right now, investing in communities to attack the root causes of crime, and getting illegal guns off our streets — because we know that keeping communities safe requires action, not just talk.
We must stand up to the extremists who want to pull us backward – because matters of basic human dignity shouldn’t be subject to the ideologies of politicians and judges. We must deliver for our small businesses, welcome innovators, and pair them with well trained and highly skilled workers – because we believe that Illinois’ farms and factories, our universities and our union halls, are where we will build the 21st Century economy.
We must protect voting rights and workers’ rights; we must support our schools and care for our seniors; we must speak up for our big cities, our growing suburbs, and our small towns alike – because we were sent here to provide for the common good, not divide for individual gain.
In doing this work, we’re not only doing the job we were sent here to do, we are fulfilling the charge laid out to us all in our State Constitution.
This past Sunday, my family was having breakfast at one of our favorite breakfast places, and my son Tyler asked me, “Dad, does the Illinois Constitution say ‘We the People’?” I said, “Let’s look it up!” And indeed, The Illinois Constitution starts with a preamble that opens up by saying “We, the People of the State of Illinois!”
The preamble is a beautiful beginning to our foundational document. It is a prayer for the strength to provide for the health, safety and welfare of the people;
To maintain a representative and orderly government;
To eliminate poverty and inequality;
To assure legal, social and economic justice;
To provide opportunity for the fullest development of the individual;
To insure domestic tranquility;
To provide for the common defense;
And to secure the blessings of freedom and liberty to ourselves and our posterity.
Tyler asked me that question four days before the Inauguration of the 103rd General Assembly because I was being reminded, “That’s Illinois’ why!”
When I look around this room full of families and friends, parents and children, I see so many of our personal ‘whys’.
Because my parents’ prayers are represented by our family Bible, and the dreams I have for my children aren’t unique to me. They’re something that everyone in this room wants for their own loved ones.
And the hope for a bright future is shared by each of the 12 million Illinoisans we serve in 118 districts from Chicago to Cairo, from Winnetka to Washington Park, and from Westchester to Savanna.
You see, regardless of our region, our race, or our religion, our common prayer is that our work today will build a better tomorrow.
That’s what people in all of our communities hope for every night as they fall asleep, and it’s why they get out of bed in the morning.
It’s up to us to work just as hard on their behalf.
I’m ready to do that work! We’re ready to do that work! Together!
Because the people of Illinois sent us here to do the work!
We know the mission of this moment and we know our why!
Members of the 103rd General Assembly, let’s rise to meet this moment!
Let’s use this time and all that has been given to us to do the work and move Illinois forward!
* Senate President Don Harmon inauguration remarks as prepared for delivery…
Thank you Governor Pritzker for presiding over our opening ceremonies.
One of these years, maybe, just maybe, we’ll have a normal Senate ceremony in our normal Senate chamber. But probably not anytime soon. The Senate seems to be pretty good at finding new and different ways to be different.
I am honored and humbled to receive the support of my colleagues to serve in this post.
Thank you.
My commitment to you is that I will strive each day to do my best to live up to the responsibilities and trust you have placed in me. I am also a bit surprised by the reality that, as of today, with a whopping tenure of not quite three years, I am now the longest serving legislative leader in the General Assembly. Make of that what you will.
On the flip side, I’d like to congratulate the newest member of the four tops, Republican Leader John Curran. Leader Curran, I look forward to the opportunity to work with you. I want to thank Senator Villanueva and Senator Turner for their kind remarks. And I especially want to thank my seatmate and legislative neighbor back home, Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford. I am humbled to have your support and looking forward to another great and productive session working with you.
I want to think my pastor, Father Carl Morello for delivering the invocation and Rabbi Shoshanna Conover for the benediction. We are honored to have in our presence today a veritable who’s who of Illinois government. A two-term governor deserves a second welcome. Governor Pritzker, thanks for being here.
The Honorable Juliana Stratton, Lieutenant Governor
The Honorable Jesse White, former Secretary of State
The Honorable Kwame Raoul, Attorney General
The Honorable Michael W. Frerichs, Treasurer
The Honorable Lisa Holder White, Supreme Court Justice
The Honorable Joy V. Cunningham, Supreme Court Justice
The Honorable John G. Mulroe, Justice, Circuit Court of Cook County
And The Honorable James O. Langfelder, Mayor, City of Springfield
Thank you all for being here with us.
I have my Harmon support group here today. My wife, Teri. And our children:
• Don,
• Frances
• and Maggie
They are the foundation of every good decision I make. And if I make any bad decisions, it’s clear I didn’t seek their counsel.
OK, so here we are.
The ongoing Capitol construction project dispatched us to this historic chamber for today’s ceremony. I want to thank Justin Blandford and his historic sites team at the Department of Natural Resources for all their work shoehorning us in and helping make this event happen. This building and its history are a treasure for our state and I hope everyone comes back in due time to explore that legacy. We have in our midst today 16 Senators taking the inaugural oath of office for the very first time. Welcome aboard.
Our roll call shows 59 members, but I would like to acknowledge a 60th Senator who is not here. We lost a friend last month with the passing of Senator Scott Bennett. May his life serve as a reminder to value and enjoy the time we have. He was a model for public service, and we miss him dearly. I would ask that we have a moment of silence in his honor.
Of all the places we could have picked for today today’s ceremony, it’s fitting that we are here in this building and this chamber. This is a place of fresh starts and new beginnings. Not so long ago, our former colleague Barack Obama launched his campaign for the presidency from the steps outside. Less renowned, but arguably just as important, this very chamber hosts naturalization ceremonies in which people from across the globe complete their journey to become US citizens.
On February 1, 1865, the House, in this chamber, rushed to make Illinois the first state in the nation to ratify the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery, approving the measure by large majorities and, just as impressively, wrapping up those historic votes by 4:30 that afternoon. Lawmakers then quickly moved to repeal the state’s infamous Black Laws. I trust they worked late into the evening. And arguably most famously, it is here, in 1858, I believe in the spot where I am standing, that Abraham Lincoln drew biblical inspiration to challenge the morality of slavery in delivering his “House Divided” speech upon receiving the Republican nomination for the US Senate.
“A house divided against itself cannot stand.”
“I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free.”
I have to tell you, as a bit of a history geek, and a graduate of Galesburg’s Knox College, the self-professed ‘hub of Lincoln scholarship,’ it is the thrill of a lifetime to stand at this podium and speak the words of Abraham Lincoln. We look back in admiration at Lincoln’s eloquence, his forthright stamina in defending what is right. But truth be told, back in the day it was delivered, the speech bombed. His friends and advisers warned it was far too radical for the times. Probably sounds familiar to a few of you … on both sides of the aisle. Lincoln would lose that Senate race to Stephen Douglas. Some would blame the tone of the speech for the loss. So why give it? Because Lincoln believed there was an important message that people needed to hear. The debate had gone on long enough. It was time to pick a side.
Yes, Lincoln lost that Senate race, but just two years later, that same message would propel him to the White House, where he would go on to become one of the greatest presidents in American history.
It’s humbling to be in this chamber and contemplate the magnitude of Lincoln’s words. It is my hope that we all think deeply about why it is that we find ourselves here, and what we wish to accomplish for the people of Illinois in the days, weeks, months and years ahead. The Senate that I know is one filled with good and decent people, elected to do right by their communities. I’ve been thinking a lot lately of something my mom told me when I was first elected. “I don’t worry that you won’t do the right thing when you go to Springfield,” she said. “I worry that Springfield will change your notion of what the right thing is.”
My mom passed away New Year’s Day. She was, and will always be, my hero. Her words, and the challenge they instill, stuck with me. I will forever do my best to live up to her expectations.
I offer a similar challenge to all of you. Each of us serves roughly a quarter million people back home. A quarter million people. What is best for them? What is best for the millions of working families across our state? What is best for the nearly 13 million people who collectively call Illinois home? Be guided by that truth, whether it be politically convenient or not. If your motivations are elsewhere, the Illinois Senate is not for you.
James Rochford was the superintendent of the Chicago Police Department in 1976. That year he welcomed a new class of patrol officers with a stern warning that seems appropriate to revisit today. “If you lack integrity, get out – get out now – because you will be found out. To be sorry is too late. If you remember the esteem in which you are held by our family and friends, many of whom are in this hall, you will save them the eventual shame and heartbreak.”
We’ve all unfortunately witnessed the sweeping tarnish that comes when even one elected official strays. If you aren’t here to do what’s right for the people of Illinois, I would suggest you take Mr. Rochford’s advice. The people of Illinois deserve better and it is up to us to deliver.
I will close with Lincoln’s own concluding remarks from the House Divided speech and look forward to working with all of you to improve the lives of all of the people who call the great state of Illinois their home.
Wise counsels may accelerate or mistakes delay it, but sooner or later the victory is sure to come.
Two months ahead of trial, federal prosecutors late Tuesday revealed new details of wiretapped conversations and other evidence they intend to use against four people accused in an alleged bribery scheme between Commonwealth Edison and then-House Speaker Michael Madigan. […]
— A ComEd lawyer is expected to testify that the man accused of orchestrating the scheme, ex-lobbyist Michael McClain, had such a longstanding and close relationship with Madigan that he was sometimes referred to within ComEd as a “double agent.” […]
— In 2016, McClain wrote a letter Madigan saying he wanted to let his “real” client know he was retiring from lobbying, but still willing to do “assignments” for him. “I am at the bridge with my musket standing with and for the Madigan family,” he wrote, according to a copy included in the filing. […]
— Former McPier boss Juan Ochoa is expected to testify how he enlisted the help of a member of Congress [Luis Gutierrez] in 2017 to help repair his tattered political relationship with Madigan and ultimately secure a lucrative position on ComEd’s Board of Directors.
— Prosecutors also intend to call Ed Moody, the former Cook County Recorder of Deeds and longtime 13th Ward precinct captain, who will testify Madigan told him it was ok that he was being paid by ComEd for doing next to nothing because he was “a valuable political operative” and that campaign work “was what was important to Madigan.”
The government expects to call Individual 13W-3 as a witness at trial. Individual 13W-3 is one of the subcontractors who was paid through intermediaries such as Doherty, Intermediary 2, and Intermediary 3. The government anticipates that Individual 13W-3 will confirm that Individual 13W-3 performed little or no work in return for payments received indirectly from ComEd, and that the payments were made simply because Individual 13W-3 was a valuable political operative for Madigan. […]
Individual 13W-3 will testify that s/he received a series of patronage jobs—other jobs that Madigan secured for Individual 13W-3 as compensation for Individual 13W-3’s work as a precinct captain and for other political campaign work Individual 13W-3 performed for Madigan. These patronage positions included jobs in local government.
Individual 13W-3 continued to work very hard for Madigan on political campaigns, in part because Individual 13W-3 enjoyed the work, and in part out of fear that Madigan would threaten Individual 13W-3’s government job. Indeed, Individual 13W-3’s understanding was that if Individual 13W-3 did not perform well during political campaigns, Madigan could cause him/her to be removed from their government job.
Individual 13W-3 is expected to testify that, in addition to the government positions that Madigan obtained for Individual 13W-3, Madigan also arranged for Individual 13W-3 to receive additional money. Specifically, Individual 13W-3 asked Madigan for a job as a consultant or lobbyist where Individual 13W-3 could make an additional $45,000 per year, so that Individual 13W-3 had sufficient funds for his/her retirement. Ultimately, Madigan informed Individual 13W-3 that s/he would be “working for McClain.” Individual 13W-3 knew McClain to be a part of Madigan’s “kitchen cabinet,” that is, s/he knew McClain to be one of the Madigan’s closest confidants and advisors. However, Madigan told Individual 13W-3 that he (Madigan) controlled the contract, and that if Individual 13W-3 left the organization (meaning Madigan’s political organization), Individual 13W-3 would no longer work for McClain. […]
Individual 13W-3 will testify that payments from Intermediary 2 ended, and he began receiving payments from Intermediary 3, who was a lobbyist and former Illinois State Representative who was close to Madigan. Intermediary 3 received a consulting contract from Intermediary 3 that referenced providing services to ComEd. Individual 13W-3 signed the contract that suggested that Individual 13W-3 would provide services to ComEd, but it was apparent quite quickly that Individual 13W-3 was not going to do any work for ComEd.
Specifically, Individual 13W-3 will testify that approximately two to three weeks after receiving the contract from Intermediary 3, Individual 13W-3 had a conversation with Madigan while Individual 13W-3 was out doing campaign work in the 13th Ward. During that conversation, Individual 13W-3 expressed his/her concern to Madigan that Individual 13W-3 had not been doing any work for ComEd as the contract suggested.
Madigan responded that Individual 13W-3 did not have to worry about that, because what Individual 13W-3 was doing right then—meaning campaign work—was what was important to Madigan. Madigan further told Individual 13W-3 that Individual 13W-3 was doing what Intermediary 3 and ComEd wanted Individual 13W-3 to be doing. Individual 13W-3 understood Madigan to be referring to political campaign work for Madigan, and further understood s/he did not have to worry about doing any work for ComEd. [Emphasis added.]
In summer 2018, months before it became apparent they were the targets of a federal investigation, then-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan was reminded by a longtime confidant about a contract they’d help someone land that tied the person to ComEd.
Madigan then interrupted his confidant, Michael McClain. The men were allegedly near the end of an almost decade-long scheme, in which they convinced ComEd to give Madigan’s associates jobs, contracts and money in order to curry favor with the speaker.
“Some of these guys have made out like bandits, Mike,” Madigan quipped, according to a newly released transcript of the conversation that was caught on a federal wiretap.
“Oh my God, for very little work too,” McClain said, coughing amid his response. “Very little work.”
Now, federal prosecutors say that conversation is evidence that Madigan and McClain understood that people employed by ComEd at Madigan’s request were doing little or no work for the utility. “Indeed,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu wrote, “many of the Madigan subcontractors made out like thieves, just as Madigan observed.”
The government anticipates introducing recordings of other benefits the defendants sought to solicit and confer on Madigan. For example, on or about December 11, 2018 (McClain Phone, Session #18290), Madigan asked McClain if he had received a resume for a named individual who was related to a local public official, and told McClain that his “thought was there might be a place for her at ComEd.” McClain advised Madigan he would bring the resume with him when he had breakfast with Marquez.
As another example, on or about April 9, 2019 (McClain Phone, Session #17513), John Hooker had a telephone call with Marquez. During the call, Hooker reported to Marquez that Pramaggiore was exploring hiring Madigan’s former chief of staff [Tim Mapes], who had left his position in the wake of allegations of harassment made by other State employees. Hooker explained that Pramaggiore wanted to have the former chief of staff work for her, but Pramaggiore wanted to “pay him but hide his contract in someone else’s,” and Hooker had suggested “put him in as a consultant with McClain.” McClain similarly suggested to Marquez that ComEd could “hide things” by employing Madigan’s former chief of staff as a consultant through a third party in an intercepted phone call. (McClain Phone, Session #3870.) Of course, Pramaggiore’s and McClain’s proposed method of concealment of payments to Madigan’s former chief of staff had been employed by the coconspirators with the Madigan subcontractors for years to great effect.
As another example, on February 16, 2019, McClain spoke to another ComEd lobbyist, in follow-up to that lobbyist’s request that Madigan help him secure more lobbying work. McClain acknowledged that the lobbyist had come to see the Speaker; McClain told him that “we’re on it” and “this is [Madigan’s] return call.” The lobbyist told McClain that he was hoping to get more work and acknowledged that he enjoyed his work for ComEd. McClain Phone, Session #20021. This call demonstrates that McClain acted as Madigan’s agent (“this is his return call”), and Madigan arranged for McClain to help to secure consulting work at ComEd and other companies for individuals connected to Madigan.
* McClain wasn’t wrong when he said Madigan was his “real” client…
On or about November 16, 2018 (McClain Phone, Session# 14849), Madigan reviewed his efforts to gather votes to be re-elected Speaker with McClain, discussed McClain arranging to have a message passed to Illinois’ Joint Committee on Administrative Rules concerning a prior directive issued by Governor Rauner. In addition, McClain asked Madigan when McClain should call a named State Representative that Madigan wished to retire and “lower the boom” on the State Representative; Madigan instructed McClain to do so “sooner rather than later.” Thereafter, on or about August 11, 2018 (McClain Phone, Session #15167), McClain called the named State Representative to tell them that “this is no longer me talking, I’m an agent,” on behalf of someone [Madigan] who thought the Representative ought to “move on” and was not interested in moving the State Representative “up in leadership.” (McClain made a number of other calls in which he discussed his communications with that State Representative on Madigan’s behalf.
On or about September 5, 2018 (McClain Phone, Session #12860) during a telephone call between Madigan and McClain, Madigan asked for McClain’s advice on how to respond to the Senate President, who was understood to have authorized political advertisements to be broadcast that cast Madigan in a negative light. McClain advised Madigan to “let your agents do it for . . . now,” “I’d let us handle this for twenty-four, forty-eight hours and if [the Senate President] by that time hasn’t called you, then I guess you, you’re gonna have to call him . . .”
* ComEd’s former senior vice president of external and governmental affairs Fidel Marquez lays it out…
Marquez learned after he assumed this position that two Madigan associates— Individual 13W-1 and Individual 13W-2—were being paid by ComEd as “subcontractors” through JDDA, and soon after, a third Madigan associate, Individual 13W-3, was added as a subcontractor. Marquez will explain that the payments to Individual 13W-1 and Individual 13W-2 continued through the entirety of his service as Senior Vice President of Governmental and External Affairs,8 and the payments continued to Individual 13W- 3 until and including 2018 (though Individual 13W-3 was paid through multiple third parties, including JDDA, Intermediary 2, and Intermediary 3 as discussed further below).
Marquez will testify that (i) he never asked any of these individuals to perform any work for ComEd, and did not expect them to perform any work for ComEd; (ii) Marquez was never informed they were performing work for anyone at ComEd; and (iii) none of them had any unique skills that ComEd needed or wanted. The method of paying them—that is, as subcontractors—was unusual. The intermediaries, like JDDA, served as “pass through” entities in order to pay the subcontractors. Marquez is expected to further testify that while paying individuals as requested by Madigan and McClain did not guarantee legislative success, the purpose of the payments was to influence Madigan and to ensure Madigan did not act against ComEd and its legislative requests and agenda due to a failure to fulfill his hiring requests.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker earlier this month signed into law a bill, HB 2988, that gives counties and municipalities sole authority for establishing standards to develop wind farms in the state.
The law, which went into immediate effect, stipulates that only a county may enact zoning regulations in rural areas outside of the jurisdiction of incorporated cities, even if there are not county-wide zoning regulations. The law resolves a dispute that arose last year in Douglas County where EDP Renewables North America wants to build a 200 MW wind farm.
* From the Illinois Farm Bureau’s candidate forum last year…
Q: As governor, would you support legislation to create statewide controls over the siting of wind or solar projects?
Pritzker: No. In fact I’ve specifically avoided that. I don’t think that’s the way. We’ve got to have a continuous conversation, the one that we’ve been having for years now, between the state and local governments and local control, so that we decide together about siting.
* Yesterday…
A bill protecting Illinois-based clean energy projects from a growing number of local bans passed today during the Illinois General Assembly’s lame duck legislative session. HB4412 was drafted to prevent counties from enacting preemptive local ordinances that outright ban local wind and solar projects, hindering the state’s new climate goals set forth in the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA). The bill passed by a vote of 33 to 17 in the Senate and 73 to 36 in the House.
“We’ve seen an uptick in radical misinformation campaigns taking root here in Illinois that aim to obstruct the progress we have made in CEJA by banning local wind and solar clean energy projects,” said Jen Walling, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council. “Unaddressed, these out-of-state fear-mongers will compromise the state’s ability to meet our climate goals and realize the financial savings, job creation, economic development, and grid reliability secured in CEJA.”
With the passage of HB4412, the legislature successfully removed overburdensome local wind and solar siting regulations while prioritizing protections for endangered species and natural areas and encouraging conservation practices at utility-scale clean energy sites.
“I was proud to cast my vote for CEJA, and I’m proud to have brought forward legislative solutions like HB4412 to ensure that Illinois remains on track to meet our climate, jobs and justice goals secured in our nation-leading climate bill,” said State Rep. Robyn Gabel.
“The General Assembly was proactive in passing HB4412, taking necessary action to defend the economic, equity and climate benefits secured in CEJA by directly confronting counterproductive bans on clean energy,” Walling continued. “Now our state can continue plugging away at the implementation of CEJA without having to play whack-a-mole every time fossil fuel interests introduce an ordinance intended to delay our clean energy future.”
Over a dozen local bans have passed in Illinois counties to date. HB4412 would not only prevent future bans but would also take precedence over current bans, clearing the way for rapid clean energy development across the state, helping Illinois meet its climate goals, and helping communities address potential capacity shortfalls.
“Illinoisans expect the General Assembly to anticipate problems and generate policy solutions that ensure the best outcomes for our communities, and HB4412 is a prime example of that work,” said State Sen. Bill Cunningham. “With this legislation, we’re bringing clean energy jobs and opportunities to people across Illinois.”
HB4412 heads next to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk for his signature.
* Sponsoring Rep. Robyn Gabel said during a committee hearing yesterday that Gov. Pritzker will sign the bill. I confirmed that with the governor’s office. And when I asked how this was not a flip-flop from the 2022 campaign, I was told this…
Local governments will still have the ability to put in place local regulations regarding permits and there is nothing that requires they grant permits for wind projects. The Governor believes this bill reflects a middle ground that still allows for local control over permitting while removing barriers on the path to a clean energy future for the state.
* “Where is the local control?” Rep. Gabel was asked during floor debate last night. Her response…
As I said, these permits have to be passed by these county organizations, has to be passed by the zoning board of appeals, the full county board, it has to receive a road use agreement and building permits from the county.
More than 70 counties filed in opposition to the bill.
Groups like the Illinois State Rifle Association plan to immediately file a lawsuit, seeking to strike the law and to prevent it from ever taking effect.
State Rep. Blaine Wilhour, R-Effingham, said they’ve got the U.S. Constitution on their side.
“A lot of you guys over there despise our founders and you casually cast aside the principles that this country was founded on. But our founding fathers, they knew what they were doing. See they had experienced the tyranny of the majority, and they vowed that that was never going to happen in our country,” Wilhour said.
Um, the Bill of Rights was an after-thought. And they were suffering under the tyranny of a monarch’s whims, which is hardly the majority.
* Illinois Freedom Caucus…
The Illinois Freedom Caucus today is issuing the following statement on the passage and upcoming signing of HB 5471, which bans numerous types of firearms, limits the rounds in magazines and requires registry of grandfathered firearms.
“The stated purpose of this bill is to ‘end gun violence’ in Illinois but the proponents of this legislation offer no evidence as to how infringing on the rights of honest citizens will accomplish their goal. The proponents were asked numerous times to provide that evidence, and none was given.
This legislation is an unconstitutional bill on its face. It is lazy and irresponsible at best and a violation of our oath of office at worst. As legislators we take an oath to ‘support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Illinois’ but the legislators who voted for this bill are actively undermining and usurping our Constitution all to make a political statement.
The bill fails to address the problem of violence at its root cause, and it is a clear violation of our Constitutional rights. House Bill 5471 will not stand up to Constitutional scrutiny and the sponsors of the bill know it. The sponsors provided no legal argument for how this bill would hold up in court, begging the question why pass it in the first place? The answer is simple. This is not about any pretense of public safety. It is a direct attack on anyone who dares to have a different point of view than the extreme leftists who make up the majority party. It is in the end nothing more than a political statement. If the goal was to protect innocent people, we would be passing a bill to deal with individuals rather than passing blatantly unconstitutional legislation.”
The Illinois Freedom Caucus is comprised of State Representatives Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich); Chris Miller (R-Oakland); Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville); Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City) and Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur). The members of the Illinois Freedom Caucus are members of the Illinois General Assembly who are advocating for limited government, lower taxes and accountability and integrity in government.
Maybe let the courts decide before making such bold predictions. Eight other states have a version of this on their books. Illinois’ new law is partly based on Connecticut’s law, which has been on the books since 2013.
And it’s pretty rich for these folks to be calling others “lazy.” They do almost nothing but whine all day. Not a hard worker in that bunch when it comes to their actual legislative jobs. I mean, Rep. Halbrook didn’t get endorsed by the Illinois Farm Bureau last year. How does that even happen?
* Rep. Niemerg…
The Illinois House has given final approval to the most expansive gun control legislation in the history of the state, but State Representative Adam Niemerg (R-Dietrich) says in the end the law will accomplish nothing because it is a clear violation of the Constitution.
“This bill passed with thunderous applause from far-left legislators but in the end very little has been accomplished today,” Niemerg said. “The bill is a clear violation of the Constitution and will not hold up in court. If the intention is to cost honest citizens time and money in defending their Constitutional rights, then mission accomplished. If the intention is to prevent violence, then what exactly has been accomplished here? We were told there was an emergency, and we could not wait to pass this legislation. Instead of passing a bill that preserved our Constitutional rights and addressed violence in our culture at its root cause, the advocates of this bill chose to enact a bill that will not stand up in court. The backers of this bill have a lot of explaining to do. They have violated their oath of office by passing a bill that is clearly unconstitutional and they have done nothing to prevent future violent attacks. All they have accomplished is wasting time and wasting money.”
House Bill 5471 as amended restricts the purchase and manufacturing of many different types of federally legal firearms, limits magazine capacity to 12 rounds and requires signed affidavits for grandfathered in firearms.
“As I said before, criminals won’t fill out an affidavit for their guns,” Niemerg said. “This legislation is not about protecting people. It is about making a political statement. I am committed to working in bipartisan way to take meaningful action to address the problem of violence in our culture at its root cause, but I will not violate the Constitutional rights of honest citizens. If the advocates behind this legislation really cared about solving the problem, we would be focused on solutions that work instead of passing legislation that will not stand up to Constitutional muster.”
House Bill 5471 now moves to the Governor’s desk where it is expected he will sign it.
Solutions that “work” include getting at the root causes of violence, interrupting violence, expanding mental health care and even doing things like putting more social workers in schools. When was the last time one of these Freedom Caucus members voted for any of that?
* Look, I don’t know for sure that the bill is constitutional or that it’ll have its intended effect. What I do know with absolute certainty, however, is that the people screaming the loudest right now are the same people who are never around when their help is needed to go at this issue from different directions.
Look no further than the commenters who rush over from Facebook whenever a gun bill is proposed. They don’t engage with anything else. I mean, say whatever else you want about the commenter known as Lucky Pierre, but at least that person has interests beyond a single topic.
* Pro-Choice Missouri, PROMO, and Missouri Abortion Fund…
“Missourians applaud the passage of HB 4664. Missourians rely on states like Illinois for abortion care and we know politicians are coming after the transgender community’s very ability to exist. The bill puts protections in place today that will bring necessary relief and reassurance tomorrow for the patients and providers who are risking their lives to cross state lines to exercise rights and freedoms that aren’t afforded to us in Missouri. Missourians deserve better; Missourians deserve more.
“This legislation is bigger than just Illinois. Our communities need policies that expand access to abortion and gender-affirming care, protect providers, and add capacity to a health care system that has offered Missourians a place of refuge in a post-Roe reality. We urge Governor Pritzker to take immediate action and sign this bill into law.”
* Hannah Meisel has by far the best explanation piece on the bill…
Demand from out-of-state abortion seekers – particularly from neighboring Missouri – began accelerating even before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last summer, but advocates expect even more need as Republican-controlled states further clamp down on abortion access.
To meet that future demand, Democrats included provisions in their bill meant to grow Illinois’ reproductive health care workforce, like allowing physician assistants and nurse practitioners to perform vacuum aspiration abortions – the most common type of in-clinic abortions for pregnancies up to around 14 weeks – which do not require general anesthesia.
Under the bill, Illinois would also speed the process for granting temporary permits for all doctors, physician assistants and nurse practitioners to address health care shortages in all areas, not just reproductive health care. […]
Under the bill, which Gov. JB Pritzker said he will sign, Illinois would join California, Massachusetts and a handful of other East Coast states in establishing “shield laws” protecting information about abortions from being subject to subpoenas and orders for witness testimony issued from courts in other states.
Like the shield laws enacted by those other states, Illinois’ legal protections would also cover patients and health care professionals engaged in gender-affirming care – a practice some Republican-led states have already begun clamping down on in addition to restricting abortion access.
* Illinois House passes measure that expands scope of medical professionals able to perform abortions: It also allows patients to receive hormonal birth control over the counter from a pharmacist under a statewide order from the Illinois Department of Public Health and clarifies that no person is subject to civil liability for receiving an abortion and that no hospital personnel may report an abortion to law enforcement agencies. Advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants would be able to perform aspiration abortions, the most common in-clinic abortions that do not require general anesthesia. … It also removes co-pays for HIV medications and gender-affirming care, including medication and surgery for those seeking to change their gender. That became a sticking point for many Republicans, who picked apart whether minors should be able to choose their gender. The legislation, however, strictly focused on medications for gender-affirming care not an expansion of the care.
* Carbondale City Council votes unanimously in favor of amendment regarding protests outside health care facilities: The Carbondale City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to amend the city’s ordinance on disorderly conduct in an effort to protect patients and staff going into and out of medical facilities that provide abortion services, and other health care facilities. The amendment council members voted in favor of centers around the type of conduct allowed within a 100-foot radius of entrances of hospitals, medical clinics and other health care facilities. A previous version of the amendment specified a radius of 50 feet, but council members expanded that to 100 feet before voting in favor of the change. Within that specific area, people could be charged with disorderly conduct if they knowingly come within 8 feet of an individual without their consent to hand them a leaflet or handbill, display a sign to them or engage in “oral protest, education, or counseling with such other person in the public way.” People could also be charged if they use force, threats or physical obstruction to injure, intimidate or interfere or attempt to injure, intimidate or interfere will anyone entering or leaving a health care facility.
* ADDED: Women can be prosecuted for taking abortion pills, says Alabama attorney general: One week after the federal government made it easier to get abortion pills, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said Tuesday that women in Alabama who use those pills to end pregnancies could be prosecuted. That’s despite wording in Alabama’s new Human Life Protection Act that criminalizes abortion providers and prevents its use against the people receiving abortions. Instead, the attorney general’s office said Alabama could rely on an older law, one initially designed to protect children from meth lab fumes. “The Human Life Protection Act targets abortion providers, exempting women ‘upon whom an abortion is performed or attempted to be performed’ from liability under the law,” Marshall said in an emailed statement. “It does not provide an across-the-board exemption from all criminal laws, including the chemical-endangerment law—which the Alabama Supreme Court has affirmed and reaffirmed protects unborn children.”
* Treasurer Frerichs had an outline in his head of what he wanted to say during his Monday inaugural address. He had no written speech. No written notes, either. As someone who has given several speeches over the years, I can tell you that is not an easy thing to do. The Frerichs folks transcribed the speech at my request. Click here for the video…
Good afternoon. It is a pleasure to be with you here today. I want to congratulate my fellow constitutional officers and I want to say some thanks. I want to say thank you to my father. My father is a retired Teamsters truck driver. My mother is a retired AFSCME secretary from the University of Illinois, and they’ve raised me with a set of beliefs that have shaped who I am. I want to thank my wife, Erica, and my daughter, Ella, for bringing me untold joy and happiness in my life. And I want to thank you, the brave and hardy patient souls, who have sat through all of these speeches to make it to mine. Thank you.
This has been a really great year. I got married. I became a dog owner. I got re-elected. A lot of my friends got re-elected. We passed the Workers’ Rights Amendment. And a couple of weeks after the election, my wife let me know that this year we will be growing our family.
I like to say 2022 was an exceptional year, with the exception of the last month. You see, one month ago, on Dec. 9, State Sen. Scott Bennett passed away. The Senate lost a hilarious and hard-working colleague. His young family lost a devoted and loving husband. And I lost a true friend. And for those who know me in politics, I try to be optimistic. I try to see the good in every situation. But this one has been tough. The only real good I can find is that it brought home to me that none of us are guaranteed a tomorrow and that we should make the most of the todays we have. It reiterated to me that we should work to do the most good for the people of this state while we’re here and while we have this opportunity.
Now, eight years ago, I inherited an office that was mired in mediocrity. But I am proud to say that we have changed that. We have made many positive changes. I’m excited that we came in, and we have since taking office made over $1.5 billion in interest income — $1.5 billion that doesn’t have to be raised in taxes. The year before I came in, we helped municipalities and local units of government save and invest money. They made $50,000 in that year. Today, we are making $2 million per day. We took an unclaimed property system that was mired in the past and we dragged it into the 21st century. And as a result, we are a national leader, returning over $1.6 billion to Illinois families, business and nonprofits. We took a college savings plan with under 400,000 accounts and have grown it to over 800,000 accounts, from $7 billion in assets under management to more than $15 billion assets under management and received top ratings from independent ratings analyst Morningstar.
We didn’t stop there. We set up a new savings program to help people save for their retirement so that more Illinoisans can enjoy their golden years and have a retirement with dignity. And thanks to legislation passed by Sen. Scott Bennett, we set up a savings program to help people with disabilities have a brighter future. And it is now helping tens of thousands of people have their parents put them on a pathway to a more successful future.
But it’s another legislative fight that Senator Bennett engaged in that I want to talk a little bit about today. There was a coal-fired power plant in his district that had been dumping toxic coal ash into pits next to a national scenic river. Now that company did that, and it was a way to save money. I’m sure at some point in the past, some CEO making that decision helped to boost their profits by doing it this way. But what happened was years down the road, there were costs to pay. And that company has to pay millions and millions of dollars.
Now these are risks based on decisions that companies are making. As the chief investment officer, when we are investing funds for college savings, for retirement, we are long-term investors. We want to know about those risks so we can make informed decisions about our investments. We have been doing that for the last eight years. We have been engaging with corporations, we have been voting our proxies, we have been pushing them to do right for the long term. When you treat your workers poorly, when you slash their wages or cut their benefits, when you create unsafe work conditions, that may actually save you money in the short term and may get you a nice bonus that year. But we know that in the long term, you are going to lose human capital, you’re going to have less productive employees, and you’re going to risk them striking which will ultimately cost your company money. You may be able to save money by polluting the waters and the air around your company, but long term, it is going to cost you more money.
And we also know, if you look at the great diversity of our state and you welcome them all into your companies and onto your boards, you will benefit. Research has shown you will be more productive. And so we engage with those companies. We ask them to look at things like their environmental impact, their relationship with their workforce, and their commitment to diversity. And we know that when we do this together, we are stronger. And so, we have worked with other state treasurers. We have worked with union pension funds. We have worked with coalitions like the Human Capital Management Coalition, like Climate Action 100 Plus, and like the Midwestern Investors Diversity Initiative.
And I can tell you our work has been noted because we have received the attention of the fossil fuels industry, and they are funding a national campaign right now, working with red-state legislators, attorneys general and state treasurers to try and undermine our rights as shareholders. They want us to invest in the dark. They don’t want us to ask questions. They say, trust the CEOs, they know what’s best. But we know numerous examples where they have made decisions for the short run. But we invest for the long term.
When politicians in Texas and Florida and West Virginia try to take away our rights as state treasurers, our rights as investors, to be responsible in our investments, we will fight back. We will continue to engage with corporations to make sure they understand the value of treating your workforce with respect, that they understand the value of treating the environment with dignity, that they understand the value of diversity so that we can truly have a country of one nation, with liberty and justice for all.
I don’t know how many tomorrows I have, but I know that you gave me four more years. And as long as I have breath in these lungs, I will stand up and I will speak out for our retirees, for our workers, for our environment, and for all citizens in the state of Illinois. Thank you, Illinois, for giving me this opportunity, and God bless you all.
It’s a solid list of accomplishments, but, it’s also well-crafted. Near the beginning, he talked about how “none of us are guaranteed a tomorrow.” And then he finished with that same thought and closed the circle. I know it’s not the most consequential speech you’ve ever seen or read, but I thought it was worth pointing out.
* Speaker Welch’s statement on conclusion of the 102nd General Assembly…
“The 102nd General Assembly, my first as the Speaker of the House, was truly historic.
“We’ve taken significant steps to get our fiscal house in order by balancing budgets, eliminating the nearly $17 billion in unpaid bills we inherited, replenishing our rainy-day fund, and earning our state six credit upgrades. We’ve put Illinois on the path to 100% clean energy and provided record-level investments for our communities to combat the root causes of violence. We’ve protected the right to vote, stood up against antisemitism and racism, and navigated through a once-in-a-century global health pandemic. Tonight, I’m proud to cap off these monumental and consequential two years by protecting reproductive health care and approving one of the nation’s strongest assault weapons bans.
“I want to thank my leadership team, the entire Democratic Caucus, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, and all of our talented staff. I’d also like to extend gratitude to Senate President Don Harmon, our counterparts in the Senate, and Governor JB Pritzker.
“Over the past two years, we’ve risen to meet the challenges of this moment, and we’ve moved Illinois forward together. I look forward to building on that progress in the 103rd General Assembly.”
* Crain’s | Bill creating $400M EV deal-closing fund is now headed to Pritzker’s desk: Following an 86-23-19 vote in the House earlier in the day, the Senate late Tuesday passed legislation that would create a deal-closing fund like those that exist in other states, one that would allow the governor to dip into a kitty initially stocked with $400 million to bring prospective economic development deals over the finish line. The Senate vote was 40-15.
* Center Square | Outgoing Illinois House Minority Leader resigns amid accusations of being too far to the left: After 24 years in the legislature, Durkin said it is time to leave, claiming the Republican Party in Illinois has lost its way. “We’re not, nor should we be a party that subscribes to extremists, and that if you do not pass the purity test for Republicans, you’re not worthy of running for office. I don’t believe in that,” Durkin said.
* WGN | When will egg prices come down?: Right now, retailers are trying to replenish inventory to normal operating levels, and it could be several months before eggs are at the price point that shoppers are used to paying. Even those prices won’t be what they once were, as inflation continues to affect the cost of food across the board.
* WTTW | It’s Triplets! Lincoln Park Zoo Welcomes Three Lion Cubs: The new arrivals all appear healthy and, in a good sign, all began nursing within their first hours, according to the zoo. There’s no word yet on the cubs’ sex or names. The cubs and Zari will be kept behind the scenes in the cubs’ first weeks.
* Gov. JB Pritzker was asked today about the Republican legislators and others who have said they will not comply with aspects of the assault weapons ban law. His response…
You don’t get to choose which laws you comply with in the state of Illinois. … There are, of course, people who are trying to politically grandstand who want to make a name for themselves by claiming that they will not comply. But the reality is that the State Police is responsible for enforcement, as are all law enforcement all across this state. And they will in fact, do their job or they won’t be in there.
Well remember that anybody who doesn’t comply there are consequences for that. We’ve given people I think a year, about a year right for people to comply, to fill out the paperwork and so on and and we expect them to do that.
…Adding… The House has a parliamentary hold on the bill, but that’ll be removed whenever the chamber returns. Even so, the House and Senate still have a lot of work to do, so this might not happen until later this evening.
…Adding… The governor’s office has officially scheduled the bill-signing for 8 o’clock tonight, so I changed the headline.
*** UPDATE *** Here you go…
Standing alongside lawmakers and gun control activists, Governor Pritzker signed the Protect Illinois Communities Act banning the sale and distribution of assault weapons, high-capacity magazines, and switches in Illinois, effective immediately.
“For the past four years, my administration and my colleagues in the State Capitol have been battling the powerful forces of the NRA to enshrine the strongest and most effective gun violence legislation that we possibly can,” said Gov. JB Pritzker. “I couldn’t be prouder to say that we got it done. And we will keep fighting — bill by bill, vote by vote, and protest by protest — to ensure that future generations only hear about massacres like Highland Park, Sandy Hook, and Uvalde in their textbooks.”
“Gun violence anywhere is a threat to wellbeing everywhere. In Illinois, lawmakers, advocates, and gun violence survivors stood together and worked for decisive, protective change,” said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. “Thank you, Governor Pritzker, for your steadfast leadership on this issue. Illinois is proud to do the work and to pass one of the strongest pieces of legislation in the country to make communities safer. Gun violence is not our normal, and it never will be.”
“From ending the sale of assault rifles to stopping the tidal wave of guns flooding into Illinois from surrounding states, the Protect Illinois Communities Act is one of the strongest gun safety laws in the nation,” said House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch. “This legislation is the culmination of months of negotiations between advocacy organizations, law enforcement, state leaders, and stakeholders from across the state. We know that gun violence is an epidemic and an overwhelming majority of Illinoisans agree that the time for common-sense reform is now. Delivering on this promise - the promise to remove these weapons of war from our parks, our schools, our movie theatres, churches, and communities throughout Illinois - will remain one of my proudest achievements as Speaker of the House.”
“I have spent my career working to protect people from the growing plague of gun violence that touches every corner of our state,” said Senate President Don Harmon. “This new law begins the pushback against weapons whose only intent is to eviscerate other human beings. I am proud to have worked on it and even prouder to see it signed into law.”
“Our state demanded firearm reform to reduce gun violence, and the legislature stepped up and delivered one of the strongest bills in the nation, one that can serve as a model for states,” said state Rep. Bob Morgan (D-Deerfield) “I thank Gov. Pritzker, Senate President Harmon, Speaker Welch, and the countless survivors and family members who sat with us, shared their stories, and refused to give up until they got the change we all needed.”
“Illinois joins other states with the strongest assault weapons ban in the nation sending the message that lives are valued over guns,” said state Rep. La Shawn K. Ford (D-Chicago). “Doctors, victims, advocates, and survivors sent a strong message and the General Assembly and the Governor took action.”
“Today, Illinois took a stand against the senseless barrage of gun violence that has plagued our state for far too long. The Protect Illinois Communities Act will undoubtedly save many lives and lead to safer streets, schools, and communities at large,” said state Rep. Maura Hirschauer (D-Batavia). “In honor of the lives lost and changed by gun violence, we must not grow complacent. Let today’s legislative action be the first of many as we work to end gun violence once and for all.”
“This moment is the result of the dedication and leadership of hundreds of survivors, advocates and organizations that lent their voice to this fight to help enact what is now one of the strongest pieces of gun safety legislation in the country,” said Protect Illinois Communities Chair and President Becky Carroll. “We are ever grateful to Governor JB Pritzker for his unwavering commitment to this issue, and signing the Protect Illinois Communities Act into law, and to Speaker Chris Welch, Senate President Don Harmon, and Representative Bob Morgan for their leadership on making this historic day possible. We were fortunate to join forces with leading organizations here at home and from across the country, including Brady, Everytown, Giffords, Gun Violence Prevention PAC, and others, to take real action on preventing gun violence in our communities and saving lives.”
“This lifesaving package will go a long way toward getting assault weapons and high-capacity magazines off the streets, keeping guns away from people in crisis through red flag laws, and holding illegal gun traffickers accountable for taking advantage of weak laws in neighboring states,” said Everytown President John Feinblatt. “This victory was made possible by Illinois Moms Demand Action volunteers, who were a vocal presence in Springfield. Everytown is grateful to Governor Pritzker, Representative Morgan, Speaker Welch, President Harmon and their colleagues for honoring the victims and survivors of gun violence with action.”
“Today, Illinois took a major step in better protecting families and communities, and ensuring that tragedies such as Highland Park never happen again,” said Brady President Kris Brown. “We have the power to prevent these uniquely American tragedies, and a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines is a critical step towards that future. Our movement will continue until the sale of assault weapons is banned everywhere in the U.S. With this new law, the people of Illinois have shown why they are a leader of gun safety laws. Brady thanks Governor Pritzker, Representative Morgan, Speaker Welch, President Harmon, the entire legislature, GPAC and Protect Illinois Communities, as well as the countless advocates and survivors who persisted in getting this passed.”
“On July 4 in Highland Park, a day of celebration turned into a nightmare after a shooter opened fire on parade watchers, killing seven people and injuring 48. Assault weapons are built to kill and injure quickly and efficiently,” said Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. “Our communities deserve safety and security. I applaud Illinois leaders Representative Bob Morgan, Speaker Chris Welch, President Don Harmon, and Governor J.B. Pritzker for having the courage to act to remove these weapons of war from our streets.”
House Bill 5471 also caps sales of high-capacity ammunition magazines, bans “switches” that convert legal handguns into assault weapons, and extends the ability of courts to prevent dangerous individuals from possessing a gun through firearm restraining orders.
The new law also requires existing owners of semi-automatic rifles to register their ownership, ensuring that law enforcement knows the location of these weapons of war and who to hold accountable if they fall into the wrong hands.
Governor Pritzker has also signed legislation to ban unserialized, privately made “ghost guns,” the first Midwestern state to do so (HB 4383). In 2021, Governor Pritzker signed legislation expanding background checks on all gun sales in Illinois and modernizing and strengthening the Firearm Owners Identification Card System (HB 562). Additionally, Governor Pritzker signed legislation (SB 337) to combat the scourge of illegal gun trafficking, making Illinois the 16th state to require gun dealers to be certified by the state after more than a decade of work. Governor Pritzker’s Reimagine Public Safety Act also established the first ever Office of Firearm Violence Prevention, providing a historic investment in community-based violence prevention for the communities most affected by firearm violence.
House Bill 5471 also codifies the Illinois State Police’s internet-based system for reporting stolen firearms and enhances security around certain gun transfers by requiring such exchanges taking place after July 1, 2023 to be filed with a federally licensed firearms dealer and extending the record-keeping time from 10 to 20 years.
* HB4664 now goes to the House for concurrence. The House passed a similar bill the other day which was sponsored by Rep. Kelly Cassidy, but there were some issues in the Senate. Things got worked out over the past few days and Rep. Cassidy and stakeholders were able to get to an agreement…
The bill essentially protects patients, doctors and parents who come to Illinois for care. More in a minute.
…Adding… This press release helps explain the bill…
After the overturning of Roe v. Wade, State Senator Laura Fine helped pass legislation to protect people who seek reproductive health care in Illinois. House Bill 4664 passed the Senate making reproductive health care procedures and medicine more accessible and secure, while also increasing support of reproductive health care providers.
“The right to make choices about your body and your health is fundamental,” Senator Fine (D-Glenview) said. “It is disheartening that this right is no longer protected on a federal level. However, in Illinois, this legislation will further protect this right so that no one will be criminalized for seeking or performing reproductive health care.”
Following the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, House Bill 4664 would protect legal and practical access to abortion care in Illinois. With this legislation, people who use reproductive health care in Illinois would be protected from out-of-state subpoenas related to reproductive health care, and out-of-state patients would be eligible to file a counterclaim if a judgment is made against them in another state. Similarly, this bill would protect the licenses of health care professionals who are penalized for providing care that is illegal in another state but legal in Illinois. These protections shield people who utilize reproductive health care in Illinois, where the ability to use or refuse reproductive health care is a fundamental right.
Additionally, the Illinois Department of Public Health would provide grants to underserved areas and transportation hubs for reproductive health care training, ensuring these communities have access to safe and accessible care.
“Attacks on reproductive health care disproportionately impact our most marginalized communities,” Fine said. “Making reproductive health care more accessible will ensure individuals in these communities are able to make the best and safest decisions for their health.”
…Adding… From sponsoring Sen. Celina Villanueva’s closing remarks…
Don’t sit here and tell me that you have the moral high ground on your soap boxes over mine. You don’t get to decide what happens to my body. You don’t get to decide what happens to the bodies of a lot of different people from other states that are coming to this state seeking refuge. … We are protecting patients, providers and families here. Illinois is a refuge for people. And I will spend every last breath in my body ensuring that those protections exist for anybody that is coming here seeking to live their lives openly and freely and honestly. I ask for an aye vote.
Her remarks were made in response to claims that the legislation was immoral.
…Adding… Senate President Harmon…
Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) issued the following statement after the Senate passed a comprehensive bill protecting the rights of Illinoisans to receive reproductive and gender affirming health care:
“The Supreme Court sent a clear message when overturning Roe v. Wade that it is willing to ignore precedent and roll back previously granted rights.
“In Illinois, we trust women, and we will protect their right to make their own decisions about their health care and their bodies.
“The legislation passed today solidifies our state against current and future attacks from those looking to roll back the clock and reverse progress.”
*** UPDATE *** The bill passed the House 70-39.
…Adding… Personal PAC…
Personal PAC is thrilled the Illinois General Assembly passed HB4664 today. Illinois has taken another step forward to protect a women’s right to an abortion. The bill ensures that patients and providers have protection and continued access to reproductive healthcare.
* Equality Illinois Deputy Director Mony Ruiz-Velasco…
We are excited House Bill 4664 passed the General Assembly tonight and is on its way to the desk of Governor Pritzker. Illinois is making history as one of the first states to further protections for patients, providers, and families who access reproductive healthcare and gender-affirming healthcare.
LGBTQ+ communities across the country are under attack. Trans people in particular are in urgent need of protection and access to the health care they need and deserve, including abortion and gender-affirming care. This legislation ensures essential protections and access.
We applaud Senator Villanueva, Representative Cassidy, President Harmon, Speaker Welch, and Governor Pritzker for their leadership and perseverance to protect providers, patients, and families in Illinois and those who may come to our great state seeking reproductive healthcare and gender-affirming care and protection from anti-equality, anti-choice states. Thank you for ensuring that Illinois keeps moving forward.
We also appreciate our deep partnership with the providers who care for patients and families and who we advocated with for this important legislation, including Planned Parenthood Illinois Action and Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri. We are humbled to be in this ongoing fight with you to advance human rights and access to affirming healthcare.
* Jennifer Welch, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Illinois Action…
“Planned Parenthood Illinois Action applauds Representative Kelly Cassidy, Senator Celina Villanueva and the pro-choice champions in the Illinois General Assembly for passing a crucial piece of legislation that provides protections for providers and patients and improves access to reproductive and gender affirming health care, ensuring that our state remains a haven in the Midwest. This legislation is an important step in the work that needs to be done. Because of the ever shifting national landscape since Roe was overturned, attacks on bodily autonomy are increasing. Now more than ever we need to continue to fight for equitable access to essential reproductive health care like abortion and gender affirming care because all people should have the freedom to make medical decisions that are best for their bodies, their lives and their families.”
* Yamelsie Rodríguez, president and CEO, Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri (PPSLRSWMO)…
We commend the General Assembly’s urgency and leadership to listen to providers and advocates and act on the public health crisis unfolding in this post-Roe era. PPSLRSWMO looks forward to Governor Pritzker signing the bill into law and operationalizing these bold new policies, which will bring urgent and necessary relief to the abortion care system in Illinois.
* Rep. Kelly Cassidy, lead sponsor of HB4664…
“In the face of grave threats to the rights to privacy, reproductive care and bodily autonomy of Americans everywhere, Illinois once again has stepped up. With this legislation, today, we are ensuring that Illinois will continue to serve the thousands of people traveling to our state every month to receive abortions and other reproductive and gender-affirming health care, which they can no longer access in their home states.
“I thank my colleagues on the Reproductive Rights and Dobbs Decision Working Group who worked with singular focus to craft this legislation, including Leader Greg Harris, Leader LaToya Greenwood, Representatives. Lakesia Collins, Terra Costa Howard, Margaret Croke, Dagmara Avelar, Anna Moeller and Ann Williams. I am grateful to Sen. Celina Villanueva, a fierce champion and relentless voice for reproductive justice in the Senate. And I salute Speaker Welch, Senate President Harmon, and Governor Pritzker for their continued commitment to lead us in the protection of reproductive and gender affirming health care in this state.
“Finally, we all owe a debt of gratitude to the heroic activists and providers across our state who have continued to show up in exceedingly difficult circumstances and provide needed care, all while simultaneously advocating for stronger protections and additional funding in Springfield.”
* Khadine Bennett, Advocacy and Intergovernmental Director at the ACLU of Illinois…
We applaud the members of the House and Senate for acting to reinforce protections for abortion and gender-affirming health care in Illinois. In the wake of the Dobbs decision, we see other states seeking not just to prevent people from accessing abortion in their own states, but also trying to reach beyond their borders with their dangerous abortion restrictions, to places like Illinois. And with hundreds of bills being considered across the country limiting gender-affirming health care, that care also is being threatened.
Illinois lawmakers have made clear that in this state, we trust people to make their own health care decisions with their health care providers, despite attacks from the Supreme Court; we cannot stand by and allow state legislatures elsewhere to create hurdles for patients and providers in Illinois.
The right to health care is an empty promise without meaningful access. House Bill 4664 enhances access for patients and protection for providers in Illinois. This is good policy.
We especially want to thank Senate President Harmon, House Speaker Welch, Representative Cassidy, Senator Villanueva, and the House Reproductive Health and Dobbs Decision Working Group and staff for all of their work, and commitment to getting this important legislation to the Governor’s desk.
Keeping a promise he made during his campaign, new Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias signed a wide-ranging Executive Ethics Order shortly after taking office.
“During my campaign, I pledged to issue, implement and enforce a comprehensive ethics package for the Secretary of State’s office upon taking office,” said Secretary Giannoulias. “As my first act, this Executive Ethics Order achieves this commitment from the very start of my administration and sets the bar to adhere to the highest ethical standards in state government.”
The order upgrades and improves transparency, codifies key procedures in the office’s internal policy manual, enhances protections afforded to victims of sexual harassment or threats of violence, and simplifies the public’s ability to submit complaints to the Inspector General’s office.
There are six key provisions that comprise the Executive Ethics Order, including:
• Performing a comprehensive review of the use of state vehicles to ensure they are only used for state business-related functions.
• Requiring all Secretary of State inspectors under the authority of the Inspector General to receive training from the national Association of Inspectors General to ensure that inspectors serve with the utmost professionalism and have the most up-to-date training.
• Establishing a dedicated Secretary of State Inspector General email account and prominently featuring it on the main Secretary of State webpage – ilsos.gov – to boost visibility and make it easier for the public and employees to submit complaints and report abuse.
• Strengthening the Secretary of State’s policy on sexual harassment to remove burdens from anyone mistreated or harassed and to ensure all victims are treated fairly and all perpetrators are held to account.
• Prohibiting threatening behavior, words or actual violence by mandating this prohibition in the Personnel Manual to ensure all threats of violence or actual violence in the workplace will not be tolerated and will be treated with the utmost seriousness.
• Prohibiting Secretary of State employees and contractual employees from contributing to the Secretary’s political fund by codifying this prohibition as official office policy.
A measure that would create a huge deal-closing fund to lure electric vehicle makers and other big manufacturers here cleared a major hurdle at midday and could be on Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s desk by day’s end.
The action came when, on an 11-4 vote, the House Revenue & Finance Committee approved and sent to the House floor for final action in that chamber a bill that would give Pritzker the same kind of discretionary incentive pot that governors in states including Michigan, Ohio and Texas already have.
In Illinois’ case, lawmakers already have authorized putting $400 million into the fund, which is being created with an eye toward getting Stellantis to convert its Belvidere Jeep factory to EV production but could be used for non-EV projects. Other provisions of the bill would make it easier for companies to get tax breaks under the state’s existing Edge program without having to prove they’d get a better deal in another state.
“I think it looks good, very good,” said committee Chairman Rep. Mike Zalewski, D-Riverside, who expects to bring the bill to the House floor this afternoon. The final version then must be approved by the Senate, but knowledgeable sources said they expect that to occur.
*** UPDATE *** The bill passed the House 86-23. From the IMA…
The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA) has issued the following statement after House passage of SB 2951, which builds on the state’s efforts to encourage in-state production of electric vehicles and related components:
“Manufacturers appreciate Gov. JB Pritzker’s commitment to creating an environment in Illinois to help attract the next generation of manufacturers and suppliers for electric vehicles, batteries, and semiconductors,” said Mark Denzler, President & CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “This legislation makes Illinois more competitive with neighboring states by creating a closing fund that can be used to lure businesses, increasing incentives for retaining employees and expanding the program so small manufacturers can participate. We thank lawmakers for their support and look forward to growing this important sector.”
You wouldn’t know it by watching the news…or listening to the haters.
But on crime? Mayor Lightfoot’s got a plan. She’s putting more police on the streets and getting more guns off ‘em.
When it comes to new strategies, new technology – Lightfoot’s invested more than any mayor.
Those are facts. Anyone that says there are simple solutions is lying. We didn’t get here overnight, and we have a long way to go. But Lightfoot won’t quit until we’re the safest big city in America.
…Adding… Rep. Buckner…
The nearly 3 million people of Chicago who care about safety are the latest to receive the brunt of Lori Lightfoot’s highly defensive insults.
In Lightfoot’s latest TV ad meant to make the people of Chicago forget about her failure to deliver on her campaign promises, she calls those of us concerned about crime and violence, “haters.”
“While I was in Springfield helping to pass the assault weapons ban after having successfully banned ghost guns from our streets just a few months earlier, Mayor Lightfoot blasted the people of Chicago concerned about safety by calling them ‘haters’,” candidate for mayor Kam Buckner said. “The truth is Chicago had nearly 700 homicides last year, 2600 shootings, including six children who lost their lives to gun violence. Crime is up, the clearance rate is down and Chicagoans don’t feel safe. We don’t need a mayor hurling insults at the people of Chicago who deserve public safety. We need a Mayor with a plan to keep Chicago safe.”
Buckner’s Safer 77 public safety plan that balances safety and Justice, calls for investment in communities and violence prevention, filling police vacancies and reforming CPD. The plan also details preventative engagement for Chicago’s youth and improving Chicago’s clearance rates.
* ILGOP email…
Rich,
It’s a new year, which means new opportunities for Republicans in Illinois to take back the Land of Lincoln and make it STRONG. We need your help to finalize our plans and goals for the 2023 year.
Please take our quick 10-second survey NOW.
What issues should the ILGOP focus on in the new year?
Inflation
Corruption
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Firing Pritzker
Energy
Taxes
Education
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Your response is very important to us, Rich. Take our survey before the link expires TONIGHT
Not sure how they can fire Pritzker since he was just reelected, but OK.
* Isabel’s roundup…
* Bloomberg | Illinois Justices Set for New Term With Historic Female Majority: Justices Mary O’Brien and Elizabeth Rochford were sworn in last month following narrow victories in the November elections. The court appointed Lisa Holder White in July to fill one vacancy and appointed Joy Cunningham in November to fill the seat of a second retiring justice. Cunningham was also sworn in in December.
* Tribune | NEH, NEA give more than $2 million in grants for humanities and art projects in Illinois: The NEA grants included research awards, grants for art projects and Challenge America grants, which aim to reach historically underserved communities. “Together, these grants show the NEA’s support nationwide for strengthening our arts and cultural ecosystems, providing equitable opportunities for arts participation and practice, and contributing to the health of our communities and our economy,” said NEA chair Maria Rosario Jackson.
* Journal Star | How a tiny park police department became a vital resource for policing the Illinois River: It could be said the future of the Fon du Lac Park Police Department began with the purchase of a 17-foot boat in the late 1990s. Since then, the small department of less than a dozen officers has bucked the statewide trend of park police departments going by the wayside. Instead, it has become a go-to resource for law enforcement on the Illinois River and beyond.
* Block Club | 5 Candidates Are Challenging Ald. Jim Gardiner To Represent Far Northwest Side’s 45th Ward: Gardiner, who is under federal criminal investigation, is seeking a second term. Challenging him are Ana Santoyo, a longtime activist and library page; organizer and historian Susanna Ernst; attorney Megan Mathias; Jefferson Park resident Marija Tomic; and business owner and community organizer James Suh.
* Crain’s | A congestion conundrum looms for Fulton Market: Developers last month formally proposed new projects in the once-gritty corridor totaling as many as 2,100 new apartments—including a 52-story high-rise—and nearly 1.4 million square feet of offices across two new, large buildings. Another that developer Related Midwest will present to planning officials this week would add a 41-story, 1 million-square-foot office tower to the mix.
* Fox 2 | Best BBQ in Illinois, according to the Food Network: Not everyone thinks of southern Illinois barbecue. Chicago tends to overwhelm lists of the best food in the state. The Food Network just picked a Murphysboro restaurant for their “50 States of Barbecue” list. The owner of 17th St BBQ has several Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest wins under his belt. Mike Mills also impressed Iron Chef Michael Symon with his ribs on Best Thing I Ever Ate. So, it is no wonder that food writer Sara Ventiera listed this restaurant as the best BBQ in Illinois
* WCIA | U of I Research Park helps boost Illinois to No. 10 in women-led startups: The U of I Research Park and EnterpriseWorks is at the forefront of providing women the tools they need to achieve. Director of External Engagement Laura Bleill said having organizations that support women on their entrepreneurial journey are crucial for success. “We do that through a variety of resources that includes educational workshops,” Bleill said. “Educational courses that teach things like customer discovery. As well as providing mentors.”
In other action on the last full scheduled day before a new General Assembly is sworn in, another bill that would grant private-sector workers statewide a minimum of five days a year of paid leave for illness or other personal reasons picked up considerable momentum. Chicago previously adopted a similar law for those who work in the city.
“We have a deal,” said state Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria. The latest version is to be amended onto a pending bill, but it’s not immediately clear whether there is enough time to deal with it before tomorrow’s deadline.
They’ll have the time if they want to make the time. This is a House amendment on a Senate bill, so the two chambers can both vote on it today. Also, Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford has picked up the chief sponsorship in her chamber.
The governor has supported the legislation since last year. This could have a huge impact on peoples’ lives.
…Adding… The bill will be heard at 3 o’clock today in House Exec.
…Adding… IRMA, IMA, Chicago Chamber are officially neutral on the bill. But I’m told they worked to get this accomplished.
…Adding… The bill was approved by the House Executive Committee 10-4-1. GOP Rep. Ryan Spain voted “Yes.”
*** UPDATE 3 *** The bill passed the House 78-30 and now goes to the Senate.
*** UPDATE 4 *** The bill passed the Senate 38-16 and will head to the governor.
…Adding… Sponsoring Rep. JG-B…
Today, Illinois State Representative and Deputy Majority Leader, Jehan Gordon-Booth, released the following statement on the Senate’s passage of Senate Bill 208, which will create paid leave laws across Illinois, and now heads to Governor Pritzker for signature:
“Today is a proud moment for our state as we celebrate creating paid leave laws across Illinois. Because of this legislation, more than 11 million hardworking Illinoisans will have access to paid leave at their place of employment that they once did not have. Our employees are not only the backbone of our economy, but the backbone of their families and our communities, and they all deserve paid time off.
I’m grateful to leaders in the business and labor communities who came together to make this historic legislation a reality, including the Illinois State AFL-CIO, SEIU, Illinois Retail Merchants Association, Illinois Manufacturers Association, AFSCME, UFCW, and the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce. Thank you to the advocates and organizations who have made their voices heard in this fight for years, especially those with the Shriver Center for Poverty Law and Women Employed.
This legislation will help make our state a more livable, desirable place for workers of all trades and industries, and sends a strong message that Illinois is a place that not only values the contributions of our employees at their place of work, but as they build a life for themselves and their families.”
SB208 creates paid leave laws across Illinois by requiring all employers to provide a minimum of 40 hours (or five days) of paid leave per year to be used for any reason. It also allows for unused paid leave to carry over annually, up to 40 hours.
[ *** End Of Updates *** ]
* Another day, another quote the local sheriff and nobody else news story…
The Illinois Senate passed legislation that could leave mentally ill inmates in county jails for longer periods.
Right now, the Illinois Department of Human Services is supposed to transfer inmates who are unfit to stand trial to a suitable psychiatric facility within 20 days. However, that hasn’t always been happening.
Instead of a 20-day deadline, DHS would have 60 days to transfer inmates.
According to Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell, DHS continually misses that 20-day deadline, leaving inmates in the county jail.
“Every day they’re in our custody, these inmates require a lot of mental health treatment. About a third of our jail, which is about 100 inmates, have serious mental health conditions. So, we have other inmates that need that mental health treatment, that now we’re taking away from them because these other ones require a lot of mental health treatment,” Campbell said.
From Jordan Abudayyeh…
The provisions in the legislation relating to DHS will help to move individuals faster from county jails into DHS secure treatment facilities – it does that in multiple ways and will ensure access to urgently needed mental health services, promote the safety of defendants, and the staff who serve them in county jails and State psychiatric hospitals. To claim that this legislation “harms” jail operations and individuals in jail custody completely ignores the language in this bill.
There are five parts of this comprehensive proposal and the Sheriff has singled out one part to spread misinformation while ignoring every one of its other provisions that help overcome the challenges he claims to care about fixing. This legislation does not extend an existing deadline. The 20-day period in the current statute is for DHS to provide notice of where an individual will be placed, not to transfer the individual.
For the first time, the legislation would insert a deadline into the law. That deadline would be 60 days. And if DHS cannot meet that deadline, it must provide evidence to explain its efforts to the Court every month. That is significantly more than required in the current law – and it will help every part of the criminal system to have transparency on DHS operations.
DHS has taken and is taking extraordinary steps to increase its ability to care for more individuals found unfit to stand trial or not guilty by reason of insanity. Here are just a few: IDHS is filling more positions to establish more capacity – at McFarland (25 new patient beds), at Elgin (44 new patient beds), with even more underway at Alton and Chicago-Reed Mental Health Centers. Unprecedented efforts to recruit Mental Health Techs and other key positions in the State Psychiatric Hospitals have worked - but there is more to do.
The number of referrals to DHS have significantly increased - by over 40% in 2022. In 2022, an unprecedented number of people were ordered by the criminal courts into DHS custody – 957. (This compares to 792 in 2021.) In the month of October alone, over 90 people were ordered into DHS custody: an all-time one-month high.
The problems experienced by Sangamon County can’t be separated from the larger mental health crisis across the State. Unless the court system as a whole – working with DHS and every other entity in the mental health community – addresses this crisis, DHS and Sangamon County and every other county will continue to have to deal with a crisis. This bill is a step that will help to address the crisis, but we need to work together to do more.
House Bill 2542 would amend several state statutes preventing Illinoisans from changing their names due to their inclusion on watchlists.
The bill would allow exceptions to the Sex Offender Registration Act, the Arsonist Registration Act and the Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Registration Act for people who want to change their name.
The bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago, touted the measure as a victory for transgender rights when it passed the House last spring.
State Sen. Terri Bryant, R-Murphysboro, said this legislation is bad and is being quickly forced through during lame-duck session.
The bill passed the House in April [of 2021]. It’s not a last-minute thing. From the synopsis…
Amends the Arsonist Registration Act, the Sex Offender Registration Act, and the Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Registration Act. Provides that a person required to register under the Act may change her or his name if the change is due to marriage, religious beliefs, status as a victim of trafficking or gender-related identity as defined by the Illinois Human Rights Act.
Text message from Rep. Cassidy…
It actually closes a loophole in all of them that requires when someone on a registry changes their name, they have to register in the new name. I got Republican votes specifically because of that.
*** UPDATE 1 *** The bill also passed the Senate and heads to the governor. From Sen. Peters…
State Senator Robert Peters supported a measure to allow justice-impacted individuals to legally change their names, which passed out of the Senate Tuesday.
“There are a million reasons why someone could have been impacted by the justice system, and sometimes you find their only crime was trying to survive,” said Peters (D-Chicago). “Sometimes, people need a new identity for their safety, and for their ability to truly lead a good life. This legislation would be an aid in those scenarios.”
House Bill 2542 allows individuals on various criminal registries to file for a name change if the change is sought for the reasons of marriage, transgender identity, religious beliefs, or status as a victim of trafficking.
In particular, many transgender people and victims of human trafficking have crimes of survival in their backgrounds, and need to be able to change their names in order to move on with their lives.
“This legislation is important because it could save someone’s life, or help them move on from a past that wasn’t kind to them,” Peters said. “Further, this could help affirm someone’s chosen gender. It’s necessary that we allow people with justice-impacted backgrounds to change their name.”
House Bill 2542 now awaits consideration from the governor.
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* Press release…
January is a time of renewal and recommitment for many. A group of legislators and advocates say it’s the right time to focus on cervical health.
State Rep. Anna Moeller and several female colleagues in the Legislature joined together Tuesday at a Statehouse news conference to discuss new legislation declaring January 2023 as Cervical Health Awareness Month in Illinois.
When the new 103rd General Assembly is sworn in Wednesday, they will officially file a House resolution calling for the special designation in January across the state.
The need for more attention to the issue is great. Cervical cancer affects 13,000 American women year, often in the prime of their lives, and 4,000 of them die. But with increased Pap testing and newer testing for human papillomavirus (HPV), the number of cases and deaths from cervical cancer has decreased significantly over the past 40 years.
HPV – one of the most common sexually transmitted viruses – now affects about 80 percent of men and women by age 45. It is a primary cause of cervical cancer, and early detection of cervical cancer is key to helping those affected survive and recover.
The disease hits minority and disadvantaged communities the hardest. The American Cancer Society reports Hispanic-Latina and Black women have the highest rates of cervical cancer cases.
There is hope, with proactive efforts. Legislators and advocates note proper HPV vaccination, screening, and treatment are formidable and effective tools in preventing the disease. COVID-19 pandemic changes dropped cervical cancer screenings by 11 percent, which raises concerns.
“We know cervical cancer can be devastating and deadly, but it doesn’t have to be,” said State Rep. Anna Moeller, D-Elgin. “We hope to use this legislation to call on all Illinoisans with a cervix and for all of their loved ones to understand the serious risks, take the steps needed for prevention and treat every January as the right time to put your cervical health first.”
Advocates note with proper awareness and proactive health care, cervical cancer has little chance. The five-year survival rate is 92 percent when detected early.
* Press release…
Liquor delivery services would be expanded under a measure supported by State Senator Doris Turner that passed the Senate Monday.
“Our bars and restaurants are the backbone of our communities and bring a uniqueness to our neighborhoods,” said Turner (D-Springfield). “We are continuously working to strengthen our local economies, and expanding liquor delivery services is a great way to do that.”
Senate Bill 1001 would eliminate state and local fees for liquor delivery throughout Illinois. Additionally, it brings parity for liquor delivery between home-rule and non-home rule municipalities to regulate liquor delivery.
The Turner-backed measure would also lower the licensing fees for wineries to $750 if renewed online and $900 for initial or non-online certification. Under a law passed in 2021, the fees were raised to $1,200 if renewed online and $1,500 for initial licenses and non-online.
“This expansion will benefit our bars, restaurants and wineries that bring tourists to our area and spur economic development across Central Illinois,” Turner said. “We are giving people the opportunity to support local from the comfort and safety of their own homes and stimulate our local economies – that’s a win-win for all.”
Illinois State Representative La Shawn K. Ford (D) appears to have prefiled the Illinois Compassionate Use and Research of Entheogens Act (“Illinois CURE Act”) on December 5, 2022. The CURE Act currently stands to be introduced as House Bill 00001. The publically available “Bill Summary” for the IL CURE Act can be found here.
If passed, the Illinois CURE Act legalizes and regulates the provision of psilocybin and psilocybin services in Illinois. Further, the Bill Summary specifically provides that the Illinois Department of Public Health (“IDPH”) “shall begin receiving applications for the licensing of persons to manufacture or test psilocybin products, operate service centers, or facilitate psilocybin services.”
According to the Bill Summary, the Illinois CURE Act also does the following:
Establishes the Illinois Psilocybin Advisory Board to advise and make recommendations to the IDPH regarding the provision of psilocybin and psilocybin services;
-Expunges specified records concerning the possession of psilocybin and psilocin;
-Removes psilocybin and psilocin from the list of Schedule I controlled substances;
-Provides provisions concerning rulemaking, taxes, fees, zoning, labeling, and penalties;
-Preempts home rule powers;
-Creates the Psilocybin Control and Regulation Fund and the Illinois Psilocybin Fund and makes conforming changes in the State Finance Act;
-Requires the Department of Agriculture, the Illinois Liquor Control Commission, and the Department of Revenue to perform specified duties; and
-Amends aspects of Illinois tax related to the legislation.
The Illinois General Assembly convenes its regular session on January 11, 2023. Further updates will be provided regarding the full text of the legislation when available.
* One of House Republican Leader Jim Durkin’s last legislative proposals is HR1035…
Urges the Illinois High School Association to take steps towards officially recognizing the game of cricket in Illinois.
In an inaugural speech in Springfield, the governor generally appealed to fellow Democrats rather than Republicans to advance his agenda and pretty much ignored overriding issues that conservatives want, including pension reform and cuts in property taxes that put the state at an economic disadvantage.
But his tone was uplifting rather than divisive. He even made a joke of the “Fire Pritzker” signs that rivals spread around the state before the election, saying that young people equate “fire” with being cool. “So, I want to take this moment to thank everyone who put up those very encouraging signs,” he quipped.
More seriously, Pritzker made explicit recent suggestions that he wants the state to offer free college tuition “for every working-class family” and that he wants to offer preschool education “to every family throughout the state.” […]
Pritzker gave no immediate details, which presumably will come in his upcoming budget. But such positions would likely help him in a race for president of the United States if incumbent Joe Biden decides not to run.
Pritzker’s 25-minute inaugural address was reflective and optimistic — and very different than previous inaugural addresses that ticked off many of the state’s deep problems. It also offered a glimpse — but not a lot of details — into his second-term policies, which took a backseat during a contentious political battle against Republican gubernatorial nominee Darren Bailey. […]
As the Illinois General Assembly continues to negotiate a measure that would ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines in the state, Pritzker said in his address that Illinois must become the ninth state to pass an assault weapons ban — and the federal government “should follow our lead.”
“Now, I’m a firm believer that government functions best when we look for compromise. But I’m done with the NRA having its way when it comes to mass shootings,” Pritzker said in his address at the Bank of Springfield Center. “Why do we allow anyone to easily purchase a rapid-fire, high-capacity weapon that can kill dozens of unarmed people in under a minute?”
Democrats are also hoping to pass an abortion measure during the lame duck session that would expand the scope of medical professionals who can perform abortions, among other legal protections. And Pritzker said he’d continue to embolden Illinois as a safe haven for women in the Midwest.
Pritzker said education will be a main priority in his second term, and he emphasized the importance of making preschool more readily available and college tuition free for every family with median-income or below.
“I propose we go all in for our children and make preschool available to every family throughout the state,” he said, eliciting an eruption from the crowd. “And let’s not stop there. Let’s provide more economic security for families by eliminating child care deserts and expanding childcare options.”
With time running out to pass a ban on the sale of assault weapons in Illinois before the new General Assembly takes office Wednesday, Pritzker used the opportunity to advocate for the version of a bill passed by Democrats in the state House last week.
“When I campaigned for reelection and promised to pass an assault weapons ban, eight states already had one. Very soon, Illinois must be the ninth. And we ought to have a real accounting of the assault weapons currently in circulation,” Pritzker said. “Let’s get it done, and then the federal government should follow our lead.”
Also being re-inaugurated Monday are Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton, Attorney General Kwame Raoul, Treasurer Mike Frerichs, and Comptroller Susana Mendoza.
“When we began this journey, we resolved to roll up our sleeves, do the hard work, and provide the governance and leadership our citizens deserve,” Stratton said in her inauguration speech.
Alexi Giannoulias will become the Secretary of State. Jesse White, his predecessor, served as the Secretary of State for six terms. making him the longest-serving Secretary of State in Illinois history.
Illinois’s legislators will be inaugurated Wednesday.
Seeking to build on the successes of his four years in office, Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker offered a second-term agenda Monday that called for a state constitutional right to abortion, making preschool available to every family and making public college free for children in working-class families.
The 57-year-old governor also vowed that Democratic lawmakers will send to his desk comprehensive legislation to ban military-style firearms and to require such guns already in circulation to be registered. The governor and legislators reached a deal on a measure that was passed by the Senate later Monday, with a final vote in the House expected Tuesday.
In a pomp-filled ceremony at the Bank of Springfield convention center, Pritzker stood with his family on a massive stage flanked by white columns as he took the oath of governor for a second time shortly after noon from Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary Jane Theis.
The inauguration events culminated with a performance by pop superstar Bruno Mars at a gala at the state fairgrounds.
All proceeds from the gala, which was sold out, went to charitable endeavors.
Even as Pritzker celebrated and laid out his agenda for the next four years, Illinois Democrats continued work in the closing stages of their lame-duck session. The Senate passed legislation to ban assault weapons, sending the measure back to the House for a likely vote on Tuesday.
Lawmakers will be back at the Capitol on Tuesday for the final day of the session before the new legislature is seated later this week.
* Illinois Freedom Caucus press release…
“Let’s be clear, JB. The people with signs in their yards reading ‘Fire Pritzker’ are not offering encouragement. They actually want to fire you, but nice try.
They want to fire you because your policies led to the death of 36 veterans at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home. They want to fire you because your inept administration paid out $2 billion in fraudulent workers’ compensation claims and under your leadership, a convicted felon was appointed to the Prisoner Review Board and your DCFS agency has continued to facilitate the abuse of children.
Your Administration has been marked by a decided lack of leadership and capability. Instead of identifying solutions to long-term problems such as skyrocketing property taxes and out of control pension costs, your idea of ‘bold’ leadership is to spend more money. Spending other people’s money is not leadership. Real leadership would be addressing the long-term problems of the state and putting aside the enormous power you have accrued by finally ending the endless emergency proclamations.
But despite our differences, we strongly support enhancing and improving access to education in Illinois. This is why we support giving parents real choice in education. Parents of all economic backgrounds deserve the opportunity to have a real choice in where to send their children to school. We are ready and willing to work with you to help kids get access to quality education regardless of income level.
You have an opportunity to bring our divided state together. We urge you to take that path instead of enacting policies you know will only create more divisions.”
The Illinois Freedom Caucus is comprised of State Representatives Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich); Chris Miller (R-Oakland); Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville); Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City) and Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur). The members of the Illinois Freedom Caucus are members of the Illinois General Assembly who are advocating for limited government, lower taxes and accountability and integrity in government.
You may be avoiding Illinois inauguration coverage because you don't like politics. That's OK. Do you enjoy a good "shout out to all my haters" moment? @GovPritzker OPENS his inaugural address by thanking people with "Fire Pritzker" signs in their yards. pic.twitter.com/7oKLyciJhS
Governor Pritzker’s inauguration celebration was beautiful and I was honored to meet Jesse White. I also really enjoyed seeing Bruno Mars 🎶 and many members of the GA and state leadership. pic.twitter.com/7HMiz6DurD
Pritzker told the Associated Press Saturday that the idea for cabinet pay raises originated with him as an effort to retain top talent and make Illinois’ salaries commensurate with other large states. Lawmakers, he also told the outlet, maintain the authority to determine their own salaries.
Sen. Elgie Sims, D-Chicago, reiterated that the raises were meant to help Illinois attract “the best and the brightest.”
“I would love for all of us to be able to be millionaires and billionaires, I would love for all of us to be able to be wealthy,” Sims said. “That’s just not the case.”
“We don’t want a Legislature that’s only made up of the wealthy,” said House Majority Leader Greg Harris, the legislation’s Chicago Democratic sponsor who retires Tuesday. “We want people who can run for office, serve their community, but also be able to pay for their family and kids.”
The last raise for legislators came in 2008, and concerned about the optics, lawmakers voted against any increase each year until 2019, when the House surprised the Senate by backing out of an agreed-to freeze on cost-of-living increases. A locked-in COLA increase has since been adopted.
Pritzker originally commissioned a national salary study of jobs comparable to those of his cabinet. The led to pay raises for 21 agency directors who answer to the governor. […]
“People are willing to take a discounted salary off of what they might get in the private sector to come to public service, but you really have to be somewhat competitive. People are putting their kids through college or they’re paying their home mortgage or their rent. …,” Pritzker said. “We just want to be competitive and bring great people and then retain great people in state government.”
Senate Republicans, including former gubernatorial candidate and state Sen. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia, focused on the pay raise portion of the bill.
“This legislation increases legislative pay to $85,000, which I think is absolutely pathetic,” he said, comparing the pay raise to average salaries in his and Sims’ Senate districts. “We don’t need more money to do this job.”
[Gov. Pritzker] defended the bill, saying it’s important for government workers to remain close to private sector jobs and many positions have not received pay raises in over a decade.
“While I know people are willing to take a discounted salary off of what they might get in the private sector to come to a public service, you really have to be somewhat competitive,” the governor said on Saturday. “People are putting their kids through college, or they’re paying their home mortgage or their rent. You can’t ask people to take 50% of what they were taking in the private sector.”
In a lame-duck session that included a scramble to pass bills on abortion and gun control, state representatives put through a bill for mid-year spending adjustments that included the pay raises. They added $11,655 per lawmaker, raising the base to $85,000 annually for a legislature that is technically part-time and as of 2019 was the fourth-highest paid in the nation.
In reality, many state representatives will get more than $85,000 if the bill becomes law because of salary bonuses for committee responsibilities and leadership positions ranging from $10,000 to $16,000.
The bill passed the Illinois House 63-35, with about 20 members not voting, some of them already gone for the weekend.
The raise in base pay is in addition to 2.4% annual cost-of-living increases lawmakers gave themselves in 2019 during another secretive move. Those increases have lawmakers making about $73,345 and hit every July 1.
Senator Neil Anderson (R-Moline) released a statement on Monday saying:
Fiscal responsibility doesn’t exist in the state of Illinois and this vote was just another example of politicians lining their own pockets while residents continue to suffer from high taxes and monetary mismanagement. While millions of people are suffering from inflation costs, legislators are giving themselves a 17% pay raise.
* ILGOP…
“If Illinois Democrats have proven one thing over the years, it’s that they love enacting unpopular policies after elections to avoid the ire of voters during election season. They passed cashless bail and postponed the gas tax increase until after the election, and Chicago Democrats deferred property tax bills - all to avoid accountability with voters. Now, they’ve voted to raise their own pau. Illinois voters want fiscal sanity and responsible government, not tone-deaf pay raises for the Democrats and their allies,” said Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy. “It’s clear that this is self-benefiting overreach by Democrats reading the wrong mandate from the November elections. If Governor Pritzker signs this bill into law, Illinois voters should hold these legislators accountable next election.”
* The Question: What’s your position on the legislative pay raise? Make sure to explain.
*** UPDATE *** The bill will head to the governor…
That’s more “Yes” votes than last time.
…Adding… Press release…
Today, Protect Illinois Communities Chair and President Becky Carroll released the following statement on the House’s passage of the Protect Illinois Communities Act, sending it to Governor Pritzker for signature:
Thanks to the tireless efforts of the legislature and leadership in both chambers, including Speaker Welch, President Harmon, and original bill sponsor Representative Morgan, along with the voices of hundreds of survivors and advocates who bravely shared their stories, and the work of numerous organizations that worked to advance gun reform, Illinois is now poised to have one of the strongest gun safety bills in the country.
The Protect Illinois Communities Act will help save lives and reduce the trauma inflicted upon communities across our state. That’s something we can all be proud of, and we look forward to seeing Governor Pritzker sign this historic bill into law.
…Adding… Press release…
Statement of Mayor Nancy R. Rotering Regarding the Passage of the Protect Illinois Communities Act
Highland Park, Illinois – As we continue to mourn the horrific aftermath of last year’s mass shooting in Highland Park and the gun violence losses in so many other Illinois towns and cities, we applaud the sponsors of the assault weapons ban and all ILGA members who took action to save lives, making Illinois the 9th state to ban assault weapons.
Banning assault weapons has proven to be effective at curbing gun violence, as shown by the ten-year Federal Assault Weapons ban that expired in 2004. While we know that no town or county is an island and appreciate that this state-wide ban will make it that much harder for someone with horrible intentions to obtain a combat weapon, neither is a state. This important step taken by our IL legislators sends a clear message to other states and the Federal government that we need continued bold action to address mass shootings across our nation. We urge them to continue their work towards protecting all Americans’ rights to live free from fear of gun violence.
…Adding… Press release…
Following is a statement from State Rep. Bob Morgan in response to the Illinois House’s passage today of HB 5471, a sweeping gun reform bill that includes an assault weapons and high-capacity magazine ban:
“For decades, the residents of Illinois have demanded common sense gun reforms to reduce the ripple of firearm deaths, and this week, the legislature met the urgency of the moment.
“This firearm reform legislation is among the strongest in the nation, and can serve as a model for other states looking to protect their residents and end the carnage in their communities.
“I thank my colleagues on the Firearm Safety and Reform Working Group, Reps. Ford, Gong-Gershowitz, Harper, Barbara Hernandez, Hirschuaer, Hoffman, Smith, Stoneback, Willis, Yednock, and staffers Kat Bray, Fallon Sellers, Hank Strickler, John Webb. This bill simply would not have passed without the steadfast leadership of Speaker Welch, Senate President Harmon, and Governor Pritzker as we navigated this complex but vitally important issue.
“Above all, I am in awe of the countless victims and survivors and family members who sat with us, told us their stories, and refused to give up until they got the change we all needed. This victory is a testament to their strength and resilience in the face of unimaginable pain, and I am forever grateful to them.”
…Adding… Press release…
Following the passage of the assault weapons ban by both the House and Senate, Governor JB Pritzker issued the following statement.
“For a long time now, I and many other leaders in the Illinois General Assembly have prioritized getting the most dangerous weapons off our state’s streets. Today, honoring the commitment we made, we passed one of the strongest assault weapons bans in the nation, one I will be proud to sign.
No Illinoisan, no matter their zip code, should have to go through life fearing their loved one could be the next in an ever-growing list of victims of mass shootings. However, for too long people have lived in fear of being gunned down in schools, while worshipping, at celebrations or in their own front yards. This legislation will stop the spread of assault weapons, high-capacity magazines, and switches and make our state a safer place for all. I look forward to signing this bill immediately, so we can stop the sale of these deadly weapons as soon as possible.
My deepest thanks to Speaker Welch and Senate President Harmon for championing this historic legislation, and to Representative Morgan for his leadership on this issue.”
…Adding… ISRA…
Dear Gov. Pritzker, President Harmon, and Speaker Welch,
Challenge accepted. The Illinois State Rifle Association will see the State of Illinois in court.
Best Regards,
Richard A Pearson
Executive Director
Illinois Rifle Association
The Illinois Senate on Monday passed an amended version of the assault-style weapons ban. The Protect Illinois Communities Act now heads to the Illinois House of Representatives for a concurrence vote Tuesday.
The matter was discussed on the Senate floor in a relatively short debate with several Republicans rising in opposition to House Bill 5471. The final tally at 6:15 p.m. was 34-20 with four Democrats, including state Sen. Doris Turner of Springfield, voting against it.
Senate President Don Harmon introduced five amendments to PICA filed under HB 5471. Harmon detailed what they would entail on the Senate floor Monday evening.
The bill would prevent the sale, manufacture, possession and purchase of assault-style weapons, assault weapon attachments, and .50 caliber cartridges in the state of Illinois. It would also keep standards set in earlier versions of the act, such as maintaining the age to get a Firearm Owner Identification Card at 18.
The vote came down after almost four full days of backroom discussions and debate. The clock had been ticking to pass the ban before current lawmakers leave office and newly-elected ones are sworn in Wednesday.
The bill must now go back to the Illinois House of Representatives for reconciliation, but this is really just a formality. The House passed its own version of the bill, called the Protect Our Communities Act, on Thursday night into Friday morning. […]
The bill would in addition expedite the implementation of universal background checks, but would not change the age range for Firearm Owners Identification cards.
Illinois Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) introduced the bill in committee Monday morning. On Sunday, state House Speaker Emmanuel “Chris” Welch said the House would not accept a watered-down version of the bill.
During debate, Republican senators argued the legislation is unconstitutional and punishes legal abiding gun owners in the state.
“All of you that are thinking about voting for this today, you should resign,” state Sen. Neil Anderson, R-Moline said. “This is a blatant disregard for the United States Constitution.”
Sen. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, said the state should focus on enforcing the laws that already exist, instead of creating new ones.
“We’re going to make felons out of taxpayers. Why don’t we go after the bad guys, put hem being bars and actually keep them there?” Rose said. “Put the bad guys behind the bars, not the taxpayers, not the citizens.”
The breakthrough on the gun package came after dramatic testimony earlier in the day in the state Senate from Highland Park mother Ashbey Beasley, who was at the July 4th parade with her 6-year-old son, Beau.
She played a jolting phone recording of screams from another child who was trying to escape the chaos that ensued as a rooftop gunman sprayed the crowd with bullets. Neither Beasley nor her son were shot.
“What’s happening? What’s happening? What’s happening?” the boy screamed as senators sat stoically while Beasley played the recording of the boy’s shrieks in committee.
“This is what it sounds like when a child runs from an assault weapon. This is what happens when a child goes to a parade in our country. This is the sound of the loss of innocence,” Beasley told the panel in urging support for the gun ban.
If approved, Pritzker has said he would sign it into law.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot praised the progress on the bill.
“I haven’t read the bill, like I said the devil’s in the details, but at least in the broad strokes, I think this is significant and important progress,” Lightfoot said.
* More…
* Tribune | Gov. J.B. Pritzker sets out second term agenda as weapons ban bill heads for final vote: “Now, I’m a firm believer that government functions best when we look for compromise,” Pritzker said. “But I’m done with the NRA having its way when it comes to mass shootings. Why do we allow anyone to easily purchase a rapid-fire, high-capacity weapon that can kill dozens of unarmed people in under a minute?”
* Crain’s | Illinois Senate passes assault weapons ban after heated debate: “After continued negotiations between the leaders, stakeholders and advocates, we have reached a deal on one of the strongest assault weapons bans in the country,” senate President Don Harmon said in a statement. “Gun violence is an epidemic that is plaguing every corner of this state and the people of Illinois are demanding substantive action.”
* Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s inaugural address was not given the attention that I think it deserves. You can watch it here, but here’s the address as prepared for delivery…
Good afternoon. First, I would like to give thanks and honor to God for His mercy and generosity.
It’s my honor to acknowledge the presence of Rev. Otis Moss III, pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ, the greatest church this side of the River Jordan. Thank you for being here today, thank you for your prayer this morning and thank you for reminding us in church yesterday to get a spiritual refill.
I must also recognize two people in the judiciary, each of whom I refer to as my ‘big sister.’ A fellow Trinitarian, Federal District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman, who administered my oath four years ago. And my other big sister, Illinois Supreme Court Justice Joy Cunningham, who swore me in moments ago. I offer up my heartfelt gratitude to you for your steadfast mentorship through the years. I want to give a shout out to biological big sisters who were unable to make it Edwidge and Ninaj Raoul.
So I was told I only had three minutes to deliver my remarks, I think I am going to fail at my first task in my second term. However in the interest of time, the entirety of my remarks will be the Thank You section of my speech. First, my wife, Dr. Lisa Moore, who is always by my side. Thank you sweetheart.
I had the distinct honor of watching my wife be a true hero during our unprecedented pandemic.
Day after day, she would faithfully head into the hospital, at a time when many of us were safe in our homes. I’ve watched her be a hero one night early in my first term while we were dining at Gibson’s, and she administered lifesaving care to a woman who started choking on a steak a table away from us.
The cool part of this for me now is that we can get a table at Gibson’s when I forget to make the reservation because she is now a celebrity there.
To my son Che, who was unfortunately robbed of a college graduation ceremony when the pandemic hit notwithstanding the fact he had earned honors for his academic performance at Lake Forest College.
Son, you have amazing character!
Che had the strength of character to quit his first job as a manager at a fulfillment center because he didn’t support having to impose discipline quotas and unfair working conditions on his
subordinates. Che embodies the spirit of my Workplace Protection Bureau, which has done an amazing job of protecting Illinois workers from misclassification, wage theft, discrimination and unsafe working conditions.
In Illinois we protect working families. And I thank you, Che, for affirming that spirit.
My daughter, Mizan, who could not be here, recently graduated from the University of Missouri and now desires to attend law school and become a public interest lawyer. I was so pleased to drive into the state of Missouri to attend her graduation last year, but not nearly as happy as I was to drive out of Missouri and get her the hell out of a state that doesn’t respect a woman’s right to make decisions about her body.
Thank you, Mizan for reminding me of how dedicated I have to be in protecting those rights.
I think as highly of my daughter as I do my Solicitor General, who has expertly argued before the DC Circuit Court of Appeals that the ERA is the 28th Amendment of our Constitution. I want my daughter to someday be able to hold up her right hand swear under oath to protect the United States Constitution, but I want that to be a Constitution that protects her as an equal.
My stepson, John, is a student at Morehouse College. Pastor Moss, he is a Morehouse Man in the making! On the heels of George Floyd’s murder, he and my daughter had vigorous debates with me on issues connected to police reform. Those debates influenced me to take action and convene law enforcement partners to agree on language in the SAFE-T Act that would lead to greater trust of law enforcement, better training for officers and greater accountability for bad actors.
In other words, this SAFE-T Act language enhances our ability to maintain constitutional and professional policing throughout the state of Illinois and I want to thank the Chiefs of Police, the Sheriff’s and the State’s Attorneys for coming to the table in good faith.
My niece and goddaughter, Sydney Jackson, graduated with honors in computer engineering from Johns Hopkins University and then got her masters in computer science from there as well.
Sydney has been instrumental in educating me about the good and bad of technology. On account of conversations with her, I am proud that we are leading an effort along with other state AG offices to investigate social media platforms that pose potential dangers to our children. I am also proud that we are leaders in investigating the criminal use of online platforms to monetize the proceeds of organized retail crime for other criminal use.
I was happy to attend Sydney’s graduation a few years back. During that ceremony, the commencement speaker, Bryan Stevenson, delivered a powerful address.
“There is a justice deficit in this country,” he said. “We have a criminal justice system that will treat you better if you are rich and guilty than if you are poor and innocent.”
Those words ring relevant today as we prepare for arguments before our state’s high court with regards to the pre-trial fairness act. Consistent with our constitutional presumption of innocence, we should not hold people in jail simply because they are poor. We cannot continue to criminalize poverty.
Importantly, I want to also thank my outstanding staff. They say that when you’re an incumbent running for re-election, your best campaigning is what you have done while in office.
There were certain matters that I expected to take on at the outset of my term in 2019. I knew we had to begin the implementation stage of a consent decree with the Chicago Police department and work towards a model of constitutional policing. I knew we had to continue work on behalf of survivors of abuse in the Catholic Church. I knew we had to continue protecting communities from sexually violent people. I knew we would protect consumers from fraud, price gouging, the opioid crisis and predatory student loans. And I knew we would have to fight policies that were put in place by the incumbent president at the time I was sworn in.
Many of those policies threatened environmental protections, others encouraged inhumane treatment of immigrants, and some violated the rights of members of the LGBTQ community. I also knew we would have to fight the rise in hate. My staff has risen to the task on all things expected.
But I’ve got to tell you that what impressed me most about my staff was their ability to take on all of the things unexpected. I did not expect that we would be partnering with other state AGs and other lawyers nationally to literally save our democracy.
And then there was the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic that would change our lives in the spring of 2020.
Our Workplace Rights Bureau had to rise to the occasion to protect those whom we learned to call essential workers from unsafe working conditions. Whether in-person or virtually, my staff also had to battle countless frivolous legal actions that sought to undermine life-saving emergency protocols that had been put in place by our Governor and public health officials–policies, which have demonstrably saved lives in Illinois, as compared to surrounding states who were more lax.
We were forced into this predicament while largely working from remote locations, which meant we were heavily dependent on technology. We certainly did not expect at that moment for our office to be hit with a crippling cyberattack. I am proud to say that that ransomware attack did not stop my staff’s work! I want to sincerely thank you for your resilience and ability to adapt and continue representing the People of the State of Illinois.
I am also very proud of the partnerships we’ve developed with other law enforcement agencies at all levels. We are One Team!
Notwithstanding the fact that I joke that I’m currently the favorite defendant of many state’s attorneys, I think it’s important for the public to know that we’ve enjoyed a good history of working together. I work closely with state’s attorneys throughout Illinois on the opioid crisis, prosecuting murder, violent crime and sophisticated criminal schemes, such as organized retail crime. I am thankful for partnerships with prosecutors and law enforcement agencies at the federal, state and local levels.
I want to recognize and thank U.S. Attorney Greg Harris for allowing our office to partner with his to fight violent crime and also protect children from online predators. Since 2019, we have also partnered with the United States Secret Service’s National Threat Assessment Center on multiple training sessions regarding how to detect and prevent mass shootings in schools, places of worship and other public places.
The desperate need for these trainings hit home on July 4th of 2022, during the Highland Park Parade. One of our own prosecutors and his wife were wounded during that shooting–one took a bullet, the other was injured by shrapnel. What was amazing was that prosecutor’s desire to return to work. He actually emailed his supervisor the night he was shot and asked for a single day off! He was head of our statewide grand jury unit that has investigated and prosecuted gun trafficking cases.
I believe he perfectly exemplifies the dedication our staff.
As I reflect on the Highland Park shooting, I can’t help but reflect on two other mass shootings that took place mere weeks later. One mass shooting was in Washington Park, on the South Side of Chicago a block away from where I raise my children. The other was in Garfield Park, on Chicago’s West Side. Neither of those mass shootings received the same level of media attention as the Highland Park shooting.
As a matter of fact, it wasn’t until recently that we started to refer to such tragedies as “mass shootings” because of where they occurred. We all need to look in the mirror and ask why that is the case.
Illinois and the nation were traumatized by the horrific event that struck Highland Park. People, including myself, were rightfully shocked that such extreme violence had visited a place like Highland Park. But there should be no neighborhood where we expect gun violence to hit.
We shouldn’t be surprised when shootings occur in downtown Chicago and in the River North neighborhood where I currently live, when we’ve tolerated them and expected them to happen on the West and South Sides of Chicago, in Rockford, East St Louis, the East Side of Springfield and other economically disadvantaged areas of our state for decades.
I’ll say about gun violence what I’ve said about the opioid and heroin crises: We weren’t troubled when we thought they were quarantined to poor inner-city neighborhoods. We actually tolerated the impact of heroin and opioid addiction until it spread to more affluent areas. That should not be our normal and we should be ashamed.
My final thank you is to someone not here today—my mother. My mom was a praying woman and a devout Catholic from Haiti. My mother made her transition months after I began my first term as Attorney General. While on her deathbed, my mother shared with me why I had been given my middle name, “Yves.”
I had always assumed that I’d been given that name to honor some distant relative. The truth is that I had been named after Saint Yves, the patron saint of lawyers and abandoned children and the advocate of the poor. My mom explained that she recited the Prayer of St. Yves to me every night after I was born: “Help us to love justice as you loved it. Help us to know how to defend our rights without prejudice to others, in seeking above all, reconciliation and peace. Rouse up defenders to plead the cause of the oppressed so that justice may be done in love.”
I view that as my responsibility as Attorney General, to serve the abandoned children. And in Illinois, we have abandoned our children.
Gun violence has surpassed auto accidents as the number one killer of children. I’m asking our legislature to give me the power to go after those in the industry on behalf of the children we’ve abandoned.
Do not pass half measures and go home.
Do not surrender to the politics of self-preservation on behalf of our children. Please do not.
I want to thank you all for tolerating me. I went way beyond three minutes but it’s on behalf of our abandoned children.
I want to just end by saying, this is truly the work of my life and I have more work to do.
May God Bless our great State of Illinois. May God Bless the United States of America. And May God Bless and help us protect our abandoned children.
…Adding… As mentioned in comments, it’ll still be lawful to possess those weapons on his private property, and at gun ranges and other places. So, he’s stoking angry violence for no good reason, which is basically his schtick. Maybe we should all just move on and celebrate. /s
* AP | Multibillionaire Pritzker takes 2nd oath as Illinois gov: The Democrat is the first Illinois governor to start a second four-year term since 2007. No governor has served two full terms since Jim Edgar left Springfield in 1999. Pritzker, who turns 58 this month, leaned on a variety of financial successes during his second gubernatorial campaign in the fall, in which he received 55% of the vote over Republican state Sen. Darren Bailey.
* WBEZ | Illinois lawmakers reach a deal on assault weapons ban: The legislation, which needs final Illinois House approval, would ban the sale, manufacture and delivery of assault rifles like the one used to kill seven people in Highland Park.
* AP | Pritzker takes second oath as Illinois governor, calls for universal preschool and free college tuition: Catapulting off the financial successes of his first term — including the conversion of mounds of state debt into a $3.7 billion surplus, the Democrat declared, “It’s time for Illinois to lead.” He called his plans “as ambitious and bold as our people are, thinking not only about the next four years but about the next 40.”
* Daily Herald | How GOP will replace outgoing Illinois House leader Durkin: Durkin, who gave up his House leadership post in November after Republicans lost more legislative seats in the 2022 elections, was the lone House Republican to vote in favor of a ban on high-powered weapons sales before announcing his resignation.
* SJ-R | Pritzker signs pay increase bill for legislators, statewide officeholders: For the measure to go into effect, the governor had to sign the bill by noon today since pay raises for state officeholders during a term of office are barred by the state constitution. Before 10 a.m., Pritzker announced that he had signed SB 1720. The raises for legislators begin with the start of the 103rd Illinois General Assembly on Wednesday and on Jan. 9 for statewide officeholders.
* Sen. Jacqui Collins | Close pawnbroker loophole in Illinois law on predatory lending: I helped pass the Predatory Loan Prevention Act, which caps the interest rate for consumer loans at 36%, which expands economic opportunity in Illinois by putting an end to predatory consumer loans — including payday loans, auto title loans, pawn loans, and high-interest installment loans that historically target Black and Brown communities. Prior to this, the average interest rate for a payday loan in Illinois was 297%. Legalized loan sharking sapped billions from lower-income and Black and Brown communities.
* WTTW | Chicago Mayoral Race Finalized With 9 Candidates, as Debates Begin and Police Union Backs Vallas: That leaves nine candidates for mayor, including Lori Lightfoot, who is running to be the first woman reelected Chicago mayor. She faces activist Ja’Mal Green, Ald. Sophia King, state Rep. Kam Buckner, businessman Willie Wilson, Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson, former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas, Ald. Roderick Sawyer and U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chúy” García.
* Block Club | West Ridge’s Closed YMCA, Now A Migrant Shelter, Gets $3.75 Million For Renovation, Likely Reopening: “Y leadership continues dialogue with the High Ridge Coalition, including members of the West Ridge community and public officials, about long-term next steps for the High Ridge YMCA,” Katy Broom, spokesperson for the organization, said in a statement. “While there is still a lot of work to be done on the site, the Y is optimistic for its future, and we look forward to working with our partners to develop a plan for the High Ridge YMCA.”
* Washington Post | He painted a mural of Kanye West. Then a rabbi called.: Devins, 48, an urban planner who has been sketching celebrities on buildings for years, figured this one would be a hit. Ye — the rapper formerly known as Kanye West — had grown up here, shouted out “Chi-town” in his songs and named his 4-year-old daughter after the Windy City. And at first, Devins was right: Passersby stopped to take selfies that morning with his portrait of Ye before the paint had dried. One man recorded an Instagram video of his wife admiring it: #Beautiful.
* Washington Post | The moon beckons once again, and this time NASA wants to stay: The United States has since reversed course, with the moon once again the centerpiece of NASA’s exploration goals. Under its Artemis program — born during President Donald Trump’s tenure and embraced by the Biden administration — NASA has real momentum and bipartisan political support for one of the most ambitious human space flight efforts in decades. It began with the launch of its massive SLS moon rocket and Orion spacecraft on Nov. 16, a mission without any people on board. The Artemis I mission will be followed by subsequent flights with astronauts — first orbiting the moon and then eventually landing on the surface.
* Kentucky Lantern | Pfizer gives $1 million to Republican Party of Kentucky to expand its headquarters: A report filed by Republican Party of Kentucky Building Fund last week with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance listed the $1 million from Pfizer along with five other big corporation contributions in the final quarter of 2022 totalling $1.65 million. That is an extraordinarily large haul for the fund which had raised only $6,000 during the first three quarters of 2022.
* $5M USDA Grant Funds Illinois-Led Innovative Cover Cropping Project0:U of I | At sites in Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and Iowa, the team plans to scale up robotic cover-crop planting from 1,000 acres in Year 1 to 20,000 in Year 4 — bringing the cost to less than $10 per acre. Additionally, the team will work with Tuskegee, a Historically Black land-grant university, to enable robotic, high-resolution measurements of soil carbon and to create markets for climate-smart projects for minority, underserved farmers growing specialty crops and animal products.
