Ameren Illinois, one of the state’s largest electric and gas delivery companies, has filed plans for electric and gas rate increases.
The Illinois Commerce Commission will review the requests for a $160.4 million gas rate hike over a year and a four-year $435.6 million electric increase.
The reasons for the requests are multi-fold, Ameren communications director Tucker Kennedy said Thursday. It partially stems from a requirement in the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, a green energy package that puts the state on track to be 100% carbon-free with its energy sources by 2050.
That phrase “partially stems from” stuck out to me. How partial? I asked Citizens Utility Board Executive Director David Kolata for some insight…
Both ComEd and Ameren are going to be saying CEJA requires grid upgrades to integrate renewables and upgrade the grid for electrification of transportation and heat. Over time, that’s true.
But two things on that. First, we have quite a bit of time for that. This doesn’t need to be done all at once, and in fact it shouldn’t be. Given the current pace of electrification and renewable new build there wouldn’t be any issue until the mid 2030s.
But second, and more importantly, the big driver of the rate increase is the excessive profit rate (RoE) they are requesting. So, yeah, there need to be grid upgrades over time…but that isn’t an excuse for a blank check and certainly not an excuse for an RoE of well over 10 percent.
* The AP poses as a babe in the legislative woods…
For all the fanfare and the legal rigmarole of Illinois’ ban on semiautomatic weapons, it might come as a surprise to learn the legislation was titled “Insurance Code-Public Adjusters.”
To thousands of gun owners and merchants who filed lawsuits over it, the title exemplifies the way legislators cut corners last month to enact the legislation prompted by the deadly Independence Day parade shooting in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park. […]
“It no longer addressed the issue of insurance adjusters and their contracts, as its new subject was now modifying completely different laws,” alleges a lawsuit led by Rep. Dan Caulkins, a Republican from Decatur, 182 miles (293 kilometers) south of Chicago. As a new bill, it warranted three new House readings, Caulkins argued.
There are other issues state Rep. Dan Caulkins, R-Decatur, is hoping to get addressed in his litigation, and that’s how legislation at the Illinois statehouse seems to circumvent procedural rules.
Caulkins and others argue passage of the state’s gun ban violated the single-subject rule, didn’t properly have three readings and didn’t give the public due process considerations. Courts have either said those arguments don’t have merit, or do have merit but are not being considered at the moment.
“Nobody’s had the guts to hear that. This is a problem,” Caulkins said. “We have the constitution, this is the process we should be going through. It gets violated, not just in this case, but in the SAFE-T Act and the budget. “It goes on and on and on.”
Caulkins said the courts have to address this at some point so the public gets an entire airing of legislation with three public readings, for example.
“This is how it’s supposed to be done,” Caulkins said. “But because of the tyranny of the majority, they just in the dead of night will lay a bill on the desk and then an hour later we have to vote on it and the people of Illinois get no say.”
State Sen. John Curran, R-Lemont, wants to codify the decision of Illinois voters when it comes to a progressive income tax.
“The people have spoken, and they could not have been more clear that they do not want a progressive income tax,” Curran said after introducing a resolution that calls on lawmakers to reject any progressive income tax proposal placed before the chamber.
Illinois’ top law enforcement officer is investigating whether the Chicago Police Department violated state law when it denied hundreds of undocumented immigrants a chance to apply for a special visa for crime victims in the past two years.
In a six-page letter to CPD’s top lawyer, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul demanded all data and documents related to the more than 800 denials acknowledged by CPD. He also urged the department to “develop a plan to contact all individuals who received denials” and allow them to reapply.
Raoul said the inquiry was sparked by a December investigation by Injustice Watch, which revealed how CPD routinely denied certifications to victims of qualifying crimes, such as domestic battery and assault. Those victims are eligible for legal status through a U visa, which provides a path to citizenship for those who cooperate in law enforcement investigations. […]
“Determinations as to whether the victim suffered substantial physical or mental abuse or whether the victim is ultimately eligible … are the exclusive responsibility of federal immigration officials and are not permissible grounds for local law enforcement to deny a certification request in Illinois,” Raoul wrote.
Raoul warned the “improper denials” may “result in legal action” from his office as they could potentially violate the Voices Immigrant Communities Empowering Act, known as the VOICES act, a state law setting rules and procedures for law enforcement agencies statewide on how to adjudicate U visa certification requests.
* From Rolling Stone’s interview of US Rep. Delia Ramirez…
Last week, a coalition of nine states asked the government to end DACA protections for Dreamers. Your husband is a DACA recipient. What has it been like for you both to live with the stress and uncertainty as this program remains in legal limbo?
It’s been emotional. Being a congresswoman, I have privileges that my friends and people in my district don’t have access to, and even with that, we are in the midst of a process for his DACA renewal that’s taking too darn long. I’m hearing calls from constituents who are saying, “I submitted my DACA renewal four months ago, and I still have no response. I lost my job because my work authorization expired.” It becomes paralyzing for people. It’s so draining. And it’s unacceptable because neither party has delivered a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers.
Two years ago, my husband said to me, right before the election, “Why go through the adjustment status process? That takes so long, it’s so expensive. Let’s just wait until Democrats take the White House because I am convinced that if they do, there will be an executive action that will create a pathway to citizenship for those of us who have lived here almost all our lives.” How do I look into his eyes and tell him, “Oh, honey, I don’t think it’s gonna be that easy”? You know what I did instead? I said, “Okay,” and then I heard about it for about a month, how my party isn’t delivering. So it’s really personal. That is, in part, why I’m here. We need people like me who live these experiences every single day. That is why it is so important that a Democrat like me deliver a response to the Democratic president, affirming the experiences that everyday people are living right now.
Ramirez is delivering the progressive response to President Biden’s State of the Union address tonight.
Paul Bruton has a tough task ahead of him. He faces incumbent Ald. Marty Quinn, who’s been on the City Council since 2011 and is a longtime ally of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, now facing trial on corruption charges. The 13th Ward is Madigan turf, and Bruton acknowledges that when he goes door to door, many residents “aren’t bothered at all” by the charges against Madigan, and Quinn’s strong connections to the one-time Illinois Democratic Party kingmaker. Others, however, tell Bruton that Madigan’s allies in the ward “have to go,” he tells us.
Bruton says he has been a stay-at-home dad since 2018. His previous work experience includes a four-year stint as an analyst at the Chicago inspector general’s office, which provides the crucial function of ferreting out waste, mismanagement and inefficiency in city government. It’s hard to imagine a better lead-up to becoming an alderman.
Bruton says one of the biggest challenges for this Southwest Side ward is the body blow that the pandemic delivered to the 13th’s small businesses. “I will study what types of businesses our ward is lacking, and actively recruit and work with local entrepreneurs to fill those gaps,” Bruton tells us.
Quinn doesn’t try to hide his Madigan alliance. “I’m not going to rewrite history,” he tells us. “We’ve done some good things.” He cites his oversight of nearly $300 million invested in 13th Ward schools, including the Southwest Side’s first selective enrollment school. He adds, “I personally shovel snow and my staff removes graffiti and cleans up shuttered buildings so quickly, they rarely can be found in the ward.”
That’s admirable, but Quinn’s long-standing ties to Madigan are a bridge too far for us, and they should be for 13th Ward voters. Bruton is endorsed.
* Press release…
UNITE HERE Local 1 endorsed Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot for reelection on Tuesday. UNITE HERE Local 1 represents more than 15,000 members who work in hospitality across hotels, airports, restaurants, school cafeterias, stadiums, convention centers, and casinos.
“Mayor Lightfoot has led Chicago with equity and inclusion at the forefront as she has advocated for long-overlooked communities to have a seat at the table,” said Karen Kent, President of UNITE HERE Local 1. “She guided this city through difficult and unprecedented times with tough yet fair leadership that made sure no one was left behind — especially our workers. When the pandemic put our livelihoods in jeopardy, Mayor Lightfoot ensured that our members had the resources they needed to make ends meet, and the protections and protocols to return to work safely. As a union made up of predominantly women, immigrants and people of color, Mayor Lightfoot has gained our confidence in her leadership, and we are eager to endorse her for four more years in office.”
* Politico says this is an ad, but it’s so far just a YouTube video…
Megan Mathias, a challenger in the 45th Ward aldermanic race, is out with an attack ad against incumbent Ald. Jim Gardiner.
I’m told she’s trying to raise the cash to put the YouTube video on streaming services. The video is here.
Also, a Comcast representative tells me that 60 percent of TV viewing in Chicago today is cable television and only 40 percent is broadcast.
Thank you for all the kind birthday wishes yesterday! I was overwhelmed by the outpouring of love I received. ❤️ Feeling truly blessed. pic.twitter.com/ars5pu2BpY
— Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch (@RepChrisWelch) February 7, 2023
* Isabel’s afternoon roundup…
* Fox Chicago | Illinois officials call for more resources for Black communities on National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day: State Rep. La Shawn Ford (D-Chicago) joined the Black Leadership Advocacy Coalition for Healthcare Equity to encourage greater state investments in programs targeted towards Black-led community based HIV/AIDS service providers. The advocacy group said that less than $1 million of the Illinois Department of Public Health’s HIV/AIDS budget is going towards Black-led community-based service providers.
* WGLT | Illinois agencies prepare to help uninsured as Medicaid pandemic protections end: Illinois and other states have begun sending redetermination letters to recipients informing them if their coverage will continue. Sergio Obregon, special assistant to the director at the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, said this will happen over a couple of months. Not everyone who is ineligible will lose coverage immediately.
* Daily-Journal | State Senator Joyce awarded Railroader of the Year: “Senator Patrick Joyce is a true champion of the freight railroad system in Illinois,” said Tim Butler, president of the Illinois Railroad Association, in a news release. “He understands the importance of what our historic rail system means not just to Illinois, but our nation, our continent and our entire world.
* NBC Chicago | Sandra Bland Was Right: Before she died, Bland had posted several videos to YouTube, mostly full of cheer and encouragement. She started each video with “Good morning, my beautiful kings and queens!” But she also used her videos to talk about what she saw as clear racial profiling by some local police.
* CNBC | Wholesale egg prices have ‘collapsed.’ Why consumers may soon see relief: Prices fell to $2.61 per dozen eggs on Monday — a 52% decrease from the peak around $5.43 on Dec. 19 and a 47% decrease from the beginning of 2023, according to Urner Barry, a market research firm that specializes in the wholesale food industry. Its Midwest Large White Egg price benchmark is a widely cited barometer in the egg industry.
* Herald & Review | Decatur receives, matches $400,000 state grant for low-income home repairs: Eligible uses for the grant funds are forgivable mortgage loans for households making below 80% of the area’s median income and several kinds of repairs for those making 50% or less of the area median income. According to the city, about 220 residents have requested a roof replacement.
* CNN | The fungal threat to human health is growing in a warmer, wetter, sicker world: The number of serious fungal infections has increased partly because of the growing number of immune-suppressed people, studies show. “What’s changing is that more people that are exposed have those high risk factors. We have aging populations, and we were using a lot of chemicals in the environment which are forcing fungi to adapt, and our clinical antifungals are being degraded by antimicrobial resistance,” Fisher said.
* Sun-Times | Vallas gives away campaign contribution from ex-cop in Laquan McDonald case: Speaking outside an event hosted for him by the police union — which has endorsed him in the Feb. 28 election — Vallas said he was unaware of the $5,000 contribution to his campaign from ex-Chicago Police employee Richard E. Hagen until WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times reported on it last week.
* Block Club | Longtime Lightfoot Ally Ald. Pat Dowell Endorses Brandon Johnson For Mayor: Lightfoot defended Dowell later that year after a Tribune report revealed a developer had sought $20,000 in taxpayer reimbursements for donations to the alderwoman’s campaign. But now, Dowell is throwing her support behind Johnson, a longtime Chicago Teachers Union organizer and former teacher from the West Side. Dowell praised Johnson’s leadership style, saying in a statement Johnson’s “willingness to sit at the table with other leaders to find beneficial solutions” is the type of mayor Chicago needs.
* WBEZ | Five takeaways about voter turnout in Chicago ahead of this month’s municipal election: A WBEZ analysis of data from the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners shows that fewer than four out of every 10 registered voters have cast ballots in all but one of the last five February municipal elections. The only exception was in 2011 when turnout reached 42%, the city’s first municipal election after longtime mayor Richard M. Daley decided not to seek reelection.
* WaPo | For long covid fatigue, a strategy called ‘pacing’ helps, but at a cost: Experts say the extreme fatigue experienced by many long covid patients has a name: myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS), a condition previously known as chronic fatigue syndrome. Researchers estimate that about half of people with long covid have developed ME/CFS.
* AFP | Harmful pollution boosting superbug ’silent pandemic’: Containing and cleaning up environmental pollution, especially in waterways, is crucial to controlling increasingly bullet-proof superbugs which could kill tens of millions by mid-century, a new UN report said Tuesday.
* NYT | The People Onscreen Are Fake. The Disinformation Is Real.: “This is the first time we’ve seen this in the wild,” said Jack Stubbs, the vice president of intelligence at Graphika, a research firm that studies disinformation. Graphika discovered the pro-China campaign, which appeared intended to promote the interests of the Chinese Communist Party and undercut the United States for English-speaking viewers.
* Daily Herald | Who’s going to the State of the Union? Illinois lawmakers reveal their guests: A Midway International Airport worker. A doctor who assists women with abortions. The head of a service for homeless individuals. All three are among guests invited by members of Illinois’ congressional delegation to attend President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address tonight.
* University of British Columbia | Traffic pollution impairs brain function: The peer-reviewed findings, published in the journal Environmental Health, show that just two hours of exposure to diesel exhaust causes a decrease in the brain’s functional connectivity – a measure of how different areas of the brain interact and communicate with each other. The study provides the first evidence in humans, from a controlled experiment, of altered brain network connectivity induced by air pollution.
* Pen America | These 176 books were banned in Duval County, Florida: The removed titles were part of the Essential Voices Classroom Libraries Collection, purchased by the district in 2021. This collection “features characters representing a variety of ethnicities, religious affiliations, and gender identities,” and includes children’s picture books such as Sulwe by Lupita Nyong’o, Dim Sum for Everyone! by Grace Lin, and Berenstain Bears and the Big Question by Stan and Jan Berenstain.
Today, Illinois State Senators Mike Simmons, Robert Peters, as well as State Representative Marcus C. Evans, Jr. introduced new legislation – SB 1444 – that would create an Illinois Child Tax Credit claimable in the 2024 tax season. If passed by Illinois legislators, eligible low-and middle-income Illinois families would receive a $700 tax credit for each child under the age of 17. The policy proposed would benefit joint filers earning less than $75,000 and single filers earning less than $50,000 – nearly half of Illinois households with children.
With Washington having failed to reinstate the expanded federal Child Tax Credit in last year’s budget process, leaders in Illinois are stepping in, advocating for new direct cash programs within their jurisdictions to help working families.
“I am extraordinarily proud to join my colleagues in the Illinois state legislature in introducing a new bill to ease the burden that our communities face in affording everyday expenses,” said State Representative Marcus C. Evans, Jr. “In creating an Illinois Child Tax Credit, we join a growing number of statehouses working to ensure parents have a bit more money to keep their homes heated and their children fed.”
Support for the bill is already mounting, as Leader Evans, Senators Simmons and Peters were joined in by their colleagues Senators Ventura, Cervantes, and Preston to support SB 1444. Also in attendance were state advocates and parents who would directly benefit from the proposed credit.
State Representative Sue Scherer, D-Decatur, introduced legislation that would expand access to food assistance for foster families.
“Foster families already face so many obstacles, this legislation will help relieve some of the stress placed on these homes,” said Scherer. “Foster parents carry a great load by caring for our children who are in unfortunate circumstances. We must look for ways to utilize resources to unburden and support them.”
Scherer’s House Bill 1632 would make all foster families eligible for Supplemental Nutrition Access Program (SNAP) benefits.
Currently, foster children are ineligible for SNAP benefits.
* Media advisory…
– Women Employed, which has been creating fundamental, systemic change for working women for 50 years, will convene its statewide Illinois Time to Care Coalition and legislative sponsors of the Family & Medical Leave Insurance Act to urge the Illinois General Assembly to pass legislation that will provide workers with paid, job-protected leave to manage longer-term care needs for themselves and their families.
* Rep. Hernandez’s bill that would ban cat declawing is picking up support from animal rights groups. Shaw Local…
If passed, Illinois would become the third state to approve such a ban, according to the nonprofit group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. New York banned cat declawing in 2019 and Maryland did so last year. In addition, several cities across the country ban cat declawing, including Madison, Wisconsin, according to PETA.
Catie Cryar, a spokesperson for PETA, supports the bill.
“Imagine that your fingers were cut off at the first knuckle – that’s declawing, an unnecessary and painful mutilation that involves amputating not just cats’ nails but also their joints, resulting in decreased mobility, chronic pain and mental anguish,” Cryar said in a statement. “Declawing is recognized as cruel and unnecessary in Europe, and it’s been banned in numerous U.S. cities and states – and PETA supports legislation outlawing this cruelty.”
The Schaumburg-based American Veterinary Medical Association discourages cat declawing. It supports non-surgical alternatives to the procedure.
“The AVMA respects the veterinarian’s right to use professional judgment when deciding how to best protect their individual patients’ health and welfare,” it says in a statement on its website. “Therefore, it is incumbent upon the veterinarian to counsel the owner about the natural scratching behavior of cats, the alternatives to surgery, as well as the details of the procedure itself and subsequent potential complications. Onychectomy is a surgical amputation and if performed, multi-modal perioperative pain management must be utilized.”
Legislation from state Rep. Camille Lilly, D-Chicago, would amend the Smoke-Free Illinois Act — legislation that went into effect in 2008 that banned smoking in most public places in the state. […]
House Bill 1540 would add electronic smoking devices to the act’s definition of smoking, which means the use of e-cigarettes or vape pens would not be permitted inside public spaces like a bar, places of employment or enclosed sports arena. It also would not be allowed in student dormitories. […]
Pritzker recently signed appropriation legislation — House Bill 969 — which included $500,000 for a new Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. statue to be built by the Office of the Architect of the Capitol.
Legislation from state Sen. Tom Bennett, R-Gibson City, would add other statutes to the building. Under Senate Bill 348, OAC would “provide for the acquisition and placement” of statues depicting former Presidents Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama.
State Sen. John Curran, R-Lemont, wants to codify the decision of Illinois voters when it comes to a progressive income tax.
“The people have spoken, and they could not have been more clear that they do not want a progressive income tax,” Curran said after introducing a resolution that calls on lawmakers to reject any progressive income tax proposal placed before the chamber.
“It is time to move in a new direction,” Curran said. “We are standing behind the people of this state who resoundingly said no, and standing up for families who cannot afford to be overtaxed.”
Curran’s bill comes after voters roundly rejected a so-called a progressive income tax amendment in 2020. It fell more than 360,000 votes short of a simple majority and more than 760,000 votes short of the three-fifths majority needed for passage from those voting on the question.
Amends the Conversion and Formation of School Districts Article of the School Code. Within 3 years after the effective date of the amendatory Act, requires elementary school districts to form new school districts but only with other elementary school districts and high school districts to form new school districts but only with other high school districts, notwithstanding any referendum requirements or any other laws to the contrary. Provides that the State Board of Education shall facilitate the creation of the new school districts by providing recommendations on which districts must consolidate. Sets forth the factors that the State Board must take into consideration. Effective immediately.
…Adding… HB2187, introduced by Deputy House Majority Leader Mary Flowers…
Amends the School Code. Beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, allows public schools to include in their curriculum, for students in grades 3 through 12, a course in the history and literature of the Old Testament era and a course in the history and literature of the New Testament era. Provides that the purpose of such courses shall be to teach and study the Old and New Testaments and to familiarize students with the contents of the Old and New Testaments, the history recorded by the Old and New Testaments, the literary style and structure of the Old and New Testaments, the customs and cultures of the peoples and societies recorded in the Old and New Testaments, and the influence of the Old and New Testaments upon law, history, government, literature, art, music, customs, morals, values, and culture. Requires the State Board of Education to adopt a curriculum for each course. Sets forth provisions concerning course requirements, personnel, and monitoring. Effective immediately.
The plaintiffs who are individual active- and retired-beneficiary representatives from multiple suburban and downstate police and firefighter pension funds appeal from the trial court’s order granting summary judgment in favor of defendants. We affirm.
In 2019, defendant Governor Jay Robert “J.B.” Pritzker signed into law Public Act 101- 610 (eff. Jan. 1, 2020) (Act) that, inter alia, amended portions of the Illinois Pension Code. Prior to the Act, there were approximately 650 local police and firefighter pension funds for municipalities with populations between 5000 and 500,000. These funds were governed by five-member boards comprised of two appointed members, two members elected by active members, and one member elected by other beneficiaries (i.e., retirees). I Each board was responsible for determining the retirement, disability, and death benefits payable to fund members and other beneficiaries. […]
Plaintiffs filed a three-count complaint seeking declaratory, injunctive, and other relief and a finding that the Act violated article XIII, section 5, of the Illinois Constitution, commonly known as the pension protection clause (count I), and/or article I, section 16 of the Illinois Constitution, commonly known as the contracts clause (count II), and/or article I, section 15 of the Illinois Constitution, commonly known as the takings clause (count III). The trial court granted certain of defendants’ motions to dismiss; all of the named funds were dismissed as plaintiffs for lack of standing, and count II was dismissed against the remaining plaintiffs for failing to state a cause of action under the contracts clause. These rulings are not challenged on appeal. The trial court later entered summary judgment on counts I and III in favor of defendants. It is from this grant of summary judgment that this appeal arises. […]
Plaintiffs first assert that the Act violates the pension protection clause because it impairs the members’ rights to vote in the election of local pension board members “and to have that local board control and invest local pension funds.” According to plaintiffs, voting rights are a benefit that flows from the contractual relationship and, therefore, cannot be changed. […]
We determine that the ability to vote in the election of local pension board members and to have that local board control and invest local pension funds is not of the same nature and essentiality as the ability to participate in the fund, accumulate credited time, or receive health care, disability, and life insurance coverage. Voting for the local board is, at best, ancillary to a participant’s receipt of the pension payment and other assets. The local boards were entrusted with investing the contributions so that payments could be made to participants. However, choosing who invests funds does not guarantee a particular outcome for benefit payments. The local boards also did not have any say in the actual method of funding; contribution requirements were set in the Pension Code. […]
Plaintiffs make no argument as to how the requirement to pay for the administration of the funds would in any way impair or diminish the payment of their pension benefits. The local funds are already required to pay the costs of administration of the local funds, and plaintiffs do not cite any evidence to show that the costs of administration of the new funds, even including startup costs, would be any greater. … Plaintiffs present no evidence that the Act actually reduced the funding available for the payment of benefits. We find no error in the trial court’s grant of summary judgment in defendants’ favor as to count I and grant plaintiffs no relief. […]
Plaintiffs next contend that the Act violates the takings clause of the Illinois Constitution. Article I, section 15 of the Illinois Constitution states: “Private property shall not be taken or damaged for public use without just compensation as provided by law. Such compensation shall be determined by a jury as provided by law.” […]
Plaintiffs are individual active and retiree/beneficiaries of the local funds: they have no right to the investments held by the funds; rather, they are entitled only to present or future payments from the funds. No plaintiff has any right to direct the investment of the monies held by the funds or direct that they receive any different course of payments (either in amount or frequency) beyond that established by statute and the funds. Simply put, plaintiffs do not own the funds that the Act requires to be transferred to the new statewide police and firefighter pension investment funds. The Act does nothing more than require one type of government-created pension fund to transfer assets to another type of government-created pension fund. Plaintiffs’ rights to receive benefit payments are not impacted by these transfers. As the “property” at issue here is not the private property of the plaintiffs, the takings clause is neither relevant nor applicable here. Thus, we find no error in the trial court’s grant of summary judgment on count III.
For these reasons, the judgment of the circuit court of Kane County is affirmed.
This law has been in effect for three years now. And this was a no-brainer case for the trial and appellate courts. Just ridiculous. And the fact that the plaintiffs argued that the public pension funds is their “property” really tells you a lot about the plaintiffs.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday announced the creation of a $40 million grant program to incentivize the creation of large development-ready areas known as “megasites” across the state.
Megasites are large swaths of land, developed to attract businesses such as manufacturing plants, warehouses and distribution centers. Pritzker said developing these sites will help make Illinois more competitive, especially as sectors including clean energy and manufacturing are rapidly expanding in the U.S.
The Megasites Development Program announced Monday uses Rebuild Illinois capital funds aimed at providing the necessary infrastructure improvements to develop these megasites. Other eligible costs include various land acquisition, clean-up and development expenses. […]
“The idea here is to identify large sites that can be brought up to speed quickly so that we can promote them across the country and even around the world,” Dan Seals, president of Intersect Illinois, said.
To help companies look for these “turn-key” locations in Illinois, Intersect Illinois has created a property finder that has more than 150 investment-ready sites in Illinois and a standalone guide with megasites over 1,000 acres.
The state will give up to $5,000 per acre of development, with totals ranging from $250,000 to $5 million. Applicants must own or have an agreement to own sites of at least 200 acres, and must match grant funds.
“We want these sites cleaned up,” Pritzker said. ” … It’s about providing dollars upfront so that can get taken care of and you can take that off of the expenditure list of things that you need to put in to make a site ready to go, and to get going on whatever it may be in that location.” […]
The megasites program will encourage businesses to locate projects in Illinois rather than neighboring states, Pritzker said.
“I venture to argue to you that they are not cleaning up their sites at the pace that we are cleaning up ours,” he said while pointing out a window toward Indiana, which is several miles from Pullman.
We want the sites cleaned up. And we want to attract business to these sites. What this is doing is providing the precursor for that. Because as Dan Seals was saying, when we talk to companies around the country, they have the problem in all the other states, too, of finding locations that are nearby the central business districts, but large enough so that they can put in large distribution buildings, facilities, or manufacturing. They want to be nearby, but they also want to be next to transportation. And they have to be ready to go because no one wants to wait 10 years or five years to start construction. And so that’s what these grants are really all about. It’s about providing dollars upfront, so that that can get taken care of. And you can take that off of the expenditure list of things that you need to put in to make a site ready to go and to get going on your new whatever it may be in that location. So we’re making it less expensive to do business in Illinois than it is in other states, I venture to argue to you that they are not cleaning up their sights at the pace that we are cleaning up ours, I’m pointing to Indiana. And it’s frankly, for two reasons, right. One is we’re being more aggressive at attracting businesses to Illinois. And secondly, we are more interested in being environmentally friendly here in Illinois. And frankly, businesses are too, they want to move somewhere where they can get clean energy where they can move to a clean site. And Illinois is offering that.
CNI Corp’s Pullman Park development is one example of a powerful community transformation, serving as home to the Method Soap Manufacturing facility, Amazon and Whole Foods Distribution Centers, Gotham Greens and more. The former shuttered factory site was developed in order to attract more than $700 million investment and creating more than 2,000 jobs.
“CNI’s Pullman Park Development went from a 180-acre brownfield to a new, green manufacturing and distribution hub,” said CNI Corp. President David Doig. “This area is now a model for economic development - creating more than 2,000 jobs - and it all began with a $10 million grant from the State.”
* The trial is set to being March 3, so expect a lot of these. Tribune…
In a flurry of pretrial filings, lawyers for the so-called “ComEd Four” are seeking to keep large swaths of evidence away from the jury next month, including the utility’s admissions of a scheme to influence then-House Speaker Michael Madigan, the millions of dollars in campaign contributions ComEd showered on lawmakers, and a prosecution expert who would testify about machine politics and corruption. […]
In his filing Monday, Pramaggiore’s attorney, Scott Lassar, argued that ComEd’s deal with prosecutors was “irrelevant” when it comes to the defendants on trial, and that allowing the jury to hear evidence about it would be improper.
“Allowing the jury to learn of ComEd’s agreement to pay $200 million would severely prejudice defendants because jurors may conclude that ComEd thought that its officers committed a very serious crime if they paid a $200 million fine,” Lassar wrote. […]
Lassar said [former ComEd Vice President Fidel Marquez] was acting as a government agent when he made the recordings and therefore his statements should be considered hearsay. The fact Marquez was cooperating also “calls into question the truth and accuracy” of his statements, Lassar wrote, “because the language he used may have been suggested by the government or tailored by Mr. Marquez to conform to what he believed the government wanted to hear.”
* More from the author on Twitter…
McClain's attorney reveals the feds want to put on evidence that two alleged subcontractors under Jay Doherty were "separately appointed" to paid public board positions. McClain argues the evidence is irrelevant because it has nothing to do with benefits to ComEd
"The government’s case against Doherty is at best circumstantial—but more accurately it is speculative," his lawyers write. His statements suggest only "as a lobbyist would, that keeping Madigan happy helps ensure access to Madigan so ComEd can lobby Madigan on its behalf."
And now a motion to bar the expert testimony of Professor Dick Simpson, which the defense describes as “unreliable, irrelevant, cumulative, and prejudicial” and a “transparent attempt to paint the four Defendants with the broad brush of Chicago political corruption.”
Getting back to these ComEd Four court filings. Sometimes it’s the footnotes that say it all, like: “The jury needs no special expertise to understand that there has historically been political corruption in Chicago.” pic.twitter.com/uxdqnGduTJ
Hooker's attorney also wants to bar evidence about Kevin Quinn, the Madigan lieutenant who received monthly payments from the speaker's loyalists after he was ousted in a sexual harassment scandal. @RayLong and I broke that story here https://t.co/RgURYPIgxB
* Oh, and there was that time when she was the attorney of record on behalf of Illinois congressional Republicans…
“The map as a whole and several individual districts in particular represent a flexing of Democratic political muscle in Springfield aimed at creating a Democratic majority in the Illinois congressional’ delegation,” the original filing in the case asserts. “(It) effectively reverses the results of the 2010 congressional elections by redrawing districts so that the citizens of Illinois that gave Republicans an 11 to 8 advantage . . . (would be) transformed to one with 12 Democrats and only six Republicans,” after the state’s loss of one seat was included. The filing called the Democratic-drawn map “an outrageous partisan gerrymander.”
In fact, after elections under the new map, it turned out to be 11-7 Democratic, with Duckworth (now a U.S. senator) defeating Walsh, Foster succeeding Biggert and Schneider ousting Dold.
* Yet…
The Lightfoot for Chicago campaign released a new digital ad, “Just Ask Him,” Tuesday, featuring Paul Vallas self-identifying as a Republican and admitting that he would run right-of-center in future races.
Vallas’ conservative comments are from a 2009 interview with Jeff Berkowitz on “Public Affairs,” where Vallas explains that he would be registering for the Republican primary ballot in the next election – cementing his support for the GOP. The interview predates Vallas’ decade worth of ties to the Republican Party and recent alliance with Trump acolyte and FOP President John Catanzara, making it clear just how wrong he is to represent Chicagoans as mayor.
“Just Ask Him” will be released across multiple digital platforms.
Like Garcia’s video, this is not on cable or broadcast TV.
…Adding… Lightfoot was on Rauner’s side on this 2016 fight…
A Cook County judge on Wednesday tossed from the fall ballot a constitutional amendment to take away the General Assembly’s power to draw legislative district boundaries, dealing a loss to Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and a win to Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan.
Legislation was filed in Springfield on Monday that could help the Chicago Bears finance their proposed development in Arlington Heights by freezing the property tax assessment on the former Arlington International Racecourse property for up to 40 years.
The plan, which would require the Bears to invest at least $500 million in converting the 326-acre site to a stadium and surrounding mixed-use development, has been floated for weeks and is being met with some skepticism, even from the state lawmaker who filed the legislation.
“I’ve expressed my doubts about whether this is an approach … we really want to open the door to,” state Sen. Ann Gillespie said Monday.
The Arlington Heights Democrat said she is sponsoring the proposal in part because she wants to see the concept, which she said mirrors a proposal from the Bears and other business interests, incorporated into a broader conversation about reforming a separate form of tax assistance for development known as tax increment financing. TIFs are a frequently used economic development tool that she contends often results in homeowners and small businesses paying higher real estate taxes.
[Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayes] said he spoke with Gillespie about the measure before she filed it and was surprised to hear that it had officially been submitted in Springfield.
“I did not know that she was going to submit the legislation today,” he said. “I did talk to her about it tonight.”
He said their conversation left him optimistic.
“She and as well as I, and everyone involved in this, wants to make sure that it is something that’s going to address everybody’s concerns,” he said.
* Capitol News Illinois | Pritzker announces $40 million grant program to promote development-ready ‘megasites’: The program is open to private entities, nonprofits and local governments, and the application portal is open through April 6. Those receiving the grant must match each dollar granted by the state with other private or local funding. Grant allotments would range from $250,000 up to $5 million, depending on the acreage of the site. Eligible sites must have at least 200 contiguous acres and applicants must own or have an agreement in place to acquire the property when they apply.
* WGLC | Legislators hope to reopen OB unit at St. Margaret’s Health, urges hospital to create plan for mothers: State Representative Lance Yednock says the road to reopening Peru will be very difficult and take longer than hoped and is researching every statute and program to find a solution. If SMH decides to reopen the OB and delivery unit in Spring Valley again, Rezin says it could take months to go through the licensure process.
* Crain’s | Some Illinois hospitals still don’t comply with price transparency rule, report says: The report, published by health care transparency nonprofit Patient Rights Advocate, showed that dozens of hospitals in Illinois—from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago to several owned by Ascension Illinois—are not fully compliant with the Hospital Price Transparency Rule. Implemented in January 2021, the rule requires hospitals to post all service and treatment prices on their websites in detail. The regulation is aimed at giving patients an opportunity to comparison shop and get an idea of how much care costs upfront.
* Herald-Whig | Miller skipping State of the Union: Miller released a statement Monday saying she wouldn’t attend President Joe Biden’s speech Tuesday as a “protest of Joe Biden’s record of lying to the American people.”
* Green Market Report | Curaleaf Employees Asks for Class Action Status Over Stolen Tips: Employees allege that store managers pocketed more than $125,000 in stolen tip jar money. Four dispensary employees asked an Illinois judge to certify a class in their suit against Curaleaf Holdings (CSE: CURA) (OTCQX: CURLF) alleging that MSO store managers pocketed more than $125,000 in stolen tip jar money meant for workers.
* Politico | House divided: The megadonor couple battling in the GOP’s civil war: The RNC contest is only the most recent party fight that has seen the husband-and-wife duo land on opposite sides. After Liz Uihlein came out in support of former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch in the 2022 Wisconsin governor’s race, Dick Uihlein released a public statement praising rival Kevin Nicholson as an “outsider” who “can shake things up.” And while Dick bankrolled bomb-throwing conservative Josh Mandel in last year’s Ohio Senate primary, Liz financed two other candidates — one of whom, Jane Timken, was the former state party chairwoman.
* Crain’s | Cardinal Blase Cupich weighs in against proposed Chicago labor ordinance: In an unusually public move, Cupich today sent a letter to Mayor Lori Lightfoot and all 50 aldermen asking them to oppose a pending proposal that would require Catholic Charities to sign a labor peace agreement with union officials. Such a pact wouldn’t necessarily result in staffers being unionized, but it would likely result in higher wage and related costs—costs Cupich says the archdiocese can’t afford to pay.
* Tribune | In mayor’s race, ‘Chuy’ García floats property tax relief grants while Brandon Johnson unveils public safety plan: Johnson, meanwhile, unveiled a plan Monday that he said would train 200 new police detectives from the existing rank and file, double summer employment opportunities for at-risk youth to more than 60,000 jobs and expand support for victims of crime. Those programs and increased support for homeless people and those with addictions will help curb crime, Johnson said.
* NPR Illinois | Tributes pour in for Laurence Msall, government finance expert and NPR Illinois advisory board member: “Such a loss for good government,” said Randy Eccles, NPR Illinois General Manager. “Through his years on the Illinois Issues and NPR Illinois Community Advisory Boards, he kept us focused on how to make government serve citizens better. During the multi-year budget impasse, Laurence was the first and most adamant to point out the negative impact it was having for people and organizations across the state. We will all miss his counsel.”
* Block Club | Owner Of Chicago’s J.B. Alberto’s Helps Throw World’s Largest Pizza Party, Beating Guinness Record While Helping Kids In Need: The party raised $42,090 for Make-A-Wish Oklahoma, granting eight children’s wishes, according to the news release. “It wasn’t just for the record, even though everyone had fun doing that,” said Troiano, who has owned J.B. Alberto’s since 1978. “Along the way, we raised all that money for kids who really need it, and that was the best part about it. Everybody had a great time; but at the end of the day, it was for a great cause.”
* Southern | SIU awards millions locally in one-day scholarship blitz: That journey began with the presentation of millions of dollars in scholarship to students throughout the day. Lane and a contingent of admissions and financial aid staff members from SIU surprised dozens of students with ceremonial large checks to recognize the awarding of Chancellor’s scholarships.
* NBC Sports | When White Sox pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training: White Sox pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training on Feb. 15. Position players join them on Feb. 20. Teams are divided into the Cactus League, which is held in Arizona, and the Grapefruit League, which is in Florida. In some cases, teams share a home facility.
