“Two years ago at this time, Illinois stood on the edge of a cliff. Billions of dollars in debt had piled up over a 700-day budget crisis. Domestic violence shelters, Meals on Wheels, and lifesaving breast cancer screenings faced severe cuts and those who depend on these essential services faced an uncertain future.
“Today, while Democrats and Republicans have used some additional time to build a stronger compromise, the people of Illinois can see the first signs of a state beginning to move in the right direction.
“We have now passed a bipartisan, balanced budget that invests $375 million more in education, and protects critical services for seniors, women’s health, and families in need. It meets our full pension obligation, and pays down more than $1 billion in old bills.
“Our budget has created a path to fairer taxes for the middle class. Our Fair Tax package will result in tax relief for 97% of Illinois taxpayers, and makes the wealthy pay their fair share so we can continue to hold the line on middle-class taxes, balance budgets, invest in critical services, and take necessary steps toward reducing property taxes.
“We have taken steps to make our economy stronger: higher wages for working families and equal pay for women; career training to prepare workers for high-wage jobs; and tax credits that invest in businesses that invest in Illinois.
“We have passed reforms that will make health care more affordable and accessible: Protections for individuals with pre-existing conditions; legislation to cap skyrocketing premiums and rein in prescription drug costs; and critical assurances that women’s health will always be a fundamental right.
“While there remains more work to be done to put Illinois fully back on track, in these steps we see what Illinois can be when our leaders stand up for our middle-class families while still seeking common ground; when we use our time to build compromises; when we have a governor who encourages Illinois to think big again; and when we all commit ourselves to working together to build a stronger Illinois.”
* House Republican Leader Jim Durkin…
“The end of this legislative was another historic moment for the House Republicans. Not only did we pass a bipartisan, balanced budget without any tax increases, but we also achieved significant business reforms for our communities that will boost the economy across our state. As I’ve said before, we can get great things done for Illinois families as long as we respect the principles and priorities of each caucus. In doing so, we have passed historic education reform, two bipartisan, balanced budgets and now important reforms that will grow jobs. I am proud to have worked with the legislative leaders and the Governor to finally do what’s right for Illinois families and businesses.”
Reforms include:
· Creation of the Blue Collar Jobs Act – which will attract large scale construction projects.
· Creation of a Data Center Tax Incentive – which will enhance the state’s ability to locate data centers in Illinois by providing tax incentives.
· Reinstatement of the Manufacturer’s Purchase Credit – to encourage further investments in manufacturing in Illinois.
· Elimination of the antiquated Illinois Franchise Tax.
· Elimination of cap on the Retailer’s Discount.
· Tabling of Senate Bill 1407 – a bill that aimed to impose wage and regulatory requirements on refineries, ethanol plants, and chemical facilities.
* The new operating budget revenues and House GOP Leader Jim Durkin’s pro-business reforms (SB689) sailed through the chamber, with the Eastern Bloc and others like Reps. Dave McSweeney and Allen Skillicorn voting “No”…
The bill moves to the Senate for final action.
*** UPDATE 1 *** SB1814 is the BIMP. Rep. Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur) announced a conflict of interest and couldn’t vote on the bill. A few more Republican “No” votes on this one and Speaker Madigan didn’t vote…
The bill moves to the Senate for final action.
*** UPDATE 2 *** HB142, the bond authorization bill, also passed easily…
That was final action. It goes to the governor.
*** UPDATE 3 *** SB690 is the revenue package for vertical capital. It includes more casinos, legalized sports betting, higher taxes on video gaming and an expansion of video gaming, a tax hike on cigarettes and vaping, a new tax on parking garages, removes a tax exemption on traded-in properties and imposing a traditional sales tax model for “remote sellers” (online). The bill also includes state incentives for large data centers, which was requested by Leader Durkin.
Rep. Michael Unes (R-East Peoria) was upset because the bill allows the Gaming Board to approve the East Peoria riverboat’s move to the City of Peoria as a land-based casino. The boat is his town’s largest employer. “This language is specifically designed to damage my district,” Unes said. Rep. Ryan Spain (R-Peoria), however, pointed to a 1991 agreement between the two cities that would move the East Peoria boat to Peoria if the General Assembly authorized land-based casinos.
Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) asked the sponsor Rep. Bob Rita (D-Blue Island) if sports betting establishments could open multiple locations within a five-block radius of Chicago sports stadiums. Rita said the bill would not do that. This line of questioning was the result of the deal struck by Gov. Pritzker with Mayor Lightfoot, who worried about sports books springing up all over neighborhoods near stadiums.
Speaker Madigan didn’t vote on this one, either. Democratic Reps. Bristow, Costa Howard and Pappas voted “No.” Leader Art Turner also didn’t vote…
The bill now moves to the Senate for final action.
…Adding… Gov. Pritzker…
“Legalizing sports betting and expanding gaming will create jobs up and down the state, from Rockford to Chicago to Walker’s Bluff, where communities hungry for employment will see 10,000 new jobs. After the Supreme Court legalized sports betting, I promised the people of Illinois that sports wagering would be a key element of my legislative agenda, so that we are competitive with our neighboring states and can create more revenue for communities around Illinois.
“Gaming expansions in this state have been attempted and failed for years; this effort succeeded because of talented and dedicated public servants like Leaders Terry Link and Tony Munoz and Representatives Bob Rita and Mike Zalewski. Today is a win for the whole state.”
*** UPDATE 4 *** SB1939 contains the revenues to fund the horizontal capital plan, including doubling the Motor Fuel Tax. Rep. Steve Reick (R-Woodstock) said he hates taxes, but “we don’t have a choice” on this vote. “It’s the right thing to do in every community in this state,” he said, and took a mild shot at those who want the spending but don’t want to fund it.
Rep. Will Davis (D-Homewood) has been an outspoken critic of trade unions, particularly in road construction, for a distinct lack of diversity. But Davis said the bill “starts moving us in the right direction” to get training to put people to work. “It’s something we’re extremely, extremely proud of,” Davis said. Davis also called for annual capital bills instead of waiting every ten years “when we struggle.”
Rep. Allen Skillicorn (R-East Dundee), who is running for Congress, said the Democratic arguments against a flat tax “are not true” because of their support for an increase in the Motor Fuel Tax. “Nothing is more regressive than this gas tax,” he said. “Think about your constituents that can’t afford this!” he roared.
Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield), who has shied away from controversy since a (weak) primary opponent surfaced, nonetheless spoke on behalf of the bill. He focused mainly on a $315 million high speed rail project for Springfield, which, he said, would make downtown a “quiet zone” by moving trains to a track several blocks east. Lots of legislators have apartments near the 3rd St. rail line, which can keep them up at night.
This was probably the toughest vote of the night because of the MFT increase. But it still got 83 votes. Speaker Madigan didn’t vote again. Democratic Reps. Bristow, Costa Howard, Edly-Allen, Mason, Pappas, Reitz and Stuart voted “No.” There’s your Tier One target list, if you’re keeping score. Republicans voting “Yes” included Reps. Bennett, Bourne, Brady, Bryant, Butler, Demmer, Durkin, Frese, Keicher, Marron, Mazzochi, McAuliffe, McDermed, Meier, Murphy, Reick, Severin, Sosnowski, Spain and Welter. That’s the 20 Leader Durkin promised to deliver…
The bill now moves to the Senate for final action.
*** UPDATE 5 *** HB62 is the capital appropriations bill…
That was final action. The bill goes to the governor.
…Adding… Press release…
“We believe that Senate Bill 1939 is a responsible investment that will help modernize our transportation system, increase safety on our roads, decrease congestion, and spur economic development in our communities,” said Illinois Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Todd Maisch.
“We are thankful to Leaders Brady and Durkin for fighting to include some of the most pro-business reforms we have seen in recent years. We are also grateful to Governor Pritzker and Democrat leaders for supporting transportation investment to grow our economy and help create future financial stability in Illinois.
“Finally, we applaud the members who came together to move a bipartisan package forward that is sustainable, constitutionally protected and ensures that all taxes paid at the pump will go towards transportation.”
…Adding… Gov. Pritzker…
“After years of neglecting our state’s roads, bridges, mass transit, and buildings, Illinoisans’ health and safety have been jeopardized, and job creation has been hindered. I’m proud that the state is on the verge of adopting a bipartisan infrastructure plan for the first time in a decade. Our plan to rebuild our roads, bridges and communities will create hundreds of thousands of jobs throughout our state. The Rebuild Illinois plan will reinvigorate our economy and strengthen our rightful status as the transportation and supply chain hub of the nation. This historic step forward wouldn’t be possible without the leadership of Senators Sandoval, Manar, Hutchinson, DeWitte, Tracy and McConchie, and Representatives Hoffman, Arroyo, Gordon-Booth, Spain, McDermed and Butler, and countless advocates. I look forward to signing Rebuild Illinois into law to create jobs and make it easier to do business across our state.”
…Adding… IMA…
“Businesses across Illinois need stability, and we applaud Gov. JB Pritzker and lawmakers for coming together in a bipartisan fashion to pass a balanced state budget and enact a jobs program to rebuild our infrastructure including roads and bridges,” said Mark Denzler, president and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “Manufacturing is our state’s leading economic engine, employing more than 592,000 people. This package will encourage industrial investment by reinstating the Manufacturers Purchase Credit, phasing out the Corporate Franchise Tax, and stopping onerous and costly regulations that would have dictated hiring and pay for energy and chemical companies. These measures, combined with previous legislation extending the Research and Development Credit and creating a new apprenticeship credit, will help manufacturers grow in Illinois.”
* Background is here. Statement from Gov. JB Pritzker…
I have spoken to Mayor Lightfoot about her concerns with regards to sports betting, and we have collaboratively worked with the bill sponsors to make clear that the legislative intent will reflect that there are limits on both the number of and locations for sports betting venues. I’m pleased that we have reached this understanding. Working together we remain on track for a strong proposal to improve the economy while protecting all communities in Chicago and Illinois.
*** UPDATE *** More progress. From the mayor’s office…
After productive discussions with the Governor, we have agreed to allow a limited amount of betting at sports venues subject to local oversight and control. These enhancements to the gaming proposal will allow us to maximize revenue capabilities of a new casino for the City of Chicago and ensure a good quality of life for our neighborhoods that might otherwise be affected. As such, I urge the passage of SB 690 as amended. We will remain engaged with the Governor as well as Speaker Madigan and President Cullerton to ensure a fair outcome for all of Chicago this session.
* Two medical cannabis amendments to Rep. Bob Morgan’s SB2023 are being teed up today. House Amendment 1 would allow advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants to certify patients’ medical conditions. That role is currently limited to doctors.
The amendment would also add “chronic pain” to the list of qualifying conditions. It’s part of this list of new conditions…
Needless to say, adding chronic pain and these other ailments will greatly increase the availability of medical cannabis.
This proposal was held until after the recreational cannabis legalization bill passed so as not to undermine its passage.
Rep. Morgan ran the state’s medical cannabis program under Gov. Pat Quinn. The amendments are scheduled to be heard this afternoon in the House Human Services Committee.
Amendment 2 would allow municipalities in non-home rule counties to put a 3 percent sales tax on medical cannabis sales, up from the current 0.75 percent, to make it equal to the current cap on municipalities within home rule counties.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Whoa. Check out this roll call…
The bill now moves to the Senate.
…Adding… Press release excerpt…
While the Illinois Medical Cannabis Program has been lauded as a model for effective regulation, it is clear that a lack of equal opportunity is a weakness in the current cannabis industry in Illinois. SB 2023 takes steps to address inequities by including the same social equity standards that will be enforced under the adult use legislation that will come into effect in 2020. The 5 remaining dispensary licenses will be awarded with social equity being a significant factor.
“The first five years of this important program have provided valuable patient feedback. This legislation will address many of these patients’ concerns and will ensure the program can support patients with lifelong illnesses,” said Representative Morgan. “As Illinois legalizes the use of recreational cannabis, it is important to maintain a strong program that is focused on helping people with serious illnesses find relief,”
* Former Rep. Jeanne Ives tried to gin up her e-mail contacts this morning…
Yesterday, 10 Republicans voted for the Democrat spending plan. They are most likely cued up to vote for a gas tax increase today. Call them: Brady, Bryant, Davidsmeyer, Demmer, Durkin, Hammond, Keicher, Meier, Murphy, Severin.
Republican leadership is asking for Republican state reps to vote TODAY for a doubling of the gas tax and massive gambling expansion to pay for Pritzker’s capital bill which is full of goodies like money for the Obama center and other capital projects local governments and higher education refused to budget for over the years.
CALL YOUR STATE REP, especially if they are a Republican, and shut this down. The Democrats need to completely own this disaster.
The House convenes at noon so call now. If you have their cell number personally text them.
I am told they have negotiated to get 20 Republican votes on these bills. Stop this bill from being Bi-Partisan.
No links, no phone numbers or other contact information, not even any first names or where they’re from in that e-mail blast. I’m thinking it ain’t gonna work too well.
She is right, though, that the House Republicans have pledged to put 20 votes on these bills. That’s a very heavy lift. It’s a caucus of 44 members and many of them are about as tax-averse as you can get, even though most will love the infrastructure spending.
Republican state Rep. Mike Murphy signals he’s looking at an infrastructure plan that includes doubling the state’s gas tax. While he didn’t divulge his position, he reacted to concerns from others in his party that say Republicans voting on tax increases gives cover to Democrats in conservative-leaning districts heading into the 2020 election.
Or maybe Republicans should hold up their end? The projects are being distributed throughout the state. Some of them should vote to pay for all that construction.
Today, the state legislature passed the $40,000 minimum teacher salary, ensuring no teacher in Illinois will be able to make less than that amount by 2025 and helping to strengthen the future of the profession.
Currently, the state school code sets the minimum salary for teachers in Illinois at $10,000 a year for those with a bachelor’s degree and $11,000 for those with a master’s degree. In addition, Illinois is in the midst of a teacher shortage and last year, more than 1,500 positions went unfilled and more than 2,000 went unfilled the year before.
Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Collinsville, is a former teacher and sponsored the bill in the House and Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, who pushed the revamp of school funding in Illinois, sponsored the Senate version.
In both, the increase would be phased in over five years, giving districts time to plan financially for the change. Similar legislation passed last year but was vetoed by Gov. Bruce Rauner.
“In our recently released State of Education in Illinois survey, we asked Illinoisans what words they most associated with teachers. The two most common words were underpaid and undervalued,” said Kathi Griffin, president of the Illinois Education Association.
“This legislation shows that lawmakers recognize this. They can see that salary is one of the main factors that prevents people from going into the profession. There is a teacher shortage and it has a detrimental impact on our children, our state’s most important asset. This will help districts across the state attract and retain the best and brightest and that’s what best for students.”
Manar, the sponsor of the bill, said it’s important that educators feel valued.
“Teachers don’t go into the profession for the money, but they have to be able to earn a living. We can’t on one hand say that education is a priority in the state and on the other hand not be willing to pay for it. Investing in educators is investing in education and it benefits students,” Manar said.
An analysis of Illinois State Board of Education data shows that fewer than 8,000 of the state’s 130,000 teachers make less than $40,000. Illinois could bring all of the teachers currently being paid less than $40,000 up to the $40,000 mark this year and only use 10 percent of the evidence-based funding formula dollars. However, the bill does not make that proposition, instead phasing it in over five years. And, the new evidence-based funding formula is designed to funnel money to the school districts with the most need, helping to ensure every district can meet its financial obligations.
The bill would increase salaries gradually over a period of five years to reach a $40,000 minimum. As part of a phase-in period, the salary would increase to a $32,076 minimum in the 2020-21 school year, $34,576 in 2021-22 and $37,076 in 2022-23.
A bill that establishes a “fundamental right” for women to get an abortion in Illinois cleared the state Senate late Friday night, sending the sweeping measure to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who already has signaled his support.
As the clock approached midnight Friday, the Senate voted 34-20 in favor of the abortion legislation, which comes amid an increased sense of urgency among advocates looking to protect abortion access as a series of states have passed laws essentially banning the practice.
“I believe, frankly, there’s a war against women’s rights going on,” Sen. Melinda Bush, the Grayslake Democrat who sponsored the bill in the Senate, said about the restrictive laws other states have passed.
The bill establishes the “fundamental right” of a women to have an abortion and states that a “fertilized egg, embryo or fetus does not have independent rights.” It repeals the Illinois Abortion Law of 1975, doing away with provisions for spousal consent, waiting periods, criminal penalties for physicians who perform abortions and other restrictions on facilities where abortions are performed.
Republicans warned that the bill would adopt language that would allow otherwise viable fetuses to be aborted.
“It’s about radically expanding what is allowed under law,” said Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris. “If there’s a line, we’ve definitely crossed it here in Illinois with this proposal.”
The matter now heads to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who campaigned on the promise to make Illinois the most progressive state in the nation for reproductive rights.
Pritzker met Democrats on the Senate floor late Friday night to congratulate them after the vote.
The bill would take away reporting requirements regarding the reason an abortion procedure was performed, including restrictions Republicans insisted would keep coroners from investigating potentially botched abortions.
Just to be clear, the idea here is to treat abortion like all other medical procedures. Coroners aren’t automatically notified after botched heart surgeries, for example (or, as a commenter pointed out, when a mother or child dies during birth).
The measure received 34 Democratic yes votes. Twenty senators voted no, including lone Democrat, Bunker Hill Democrat Andy Manar. Three Democrats voted present. […]
McConchie sought clarification on whether any provisions of the legislation would render toothless the Parental Notification of Abortion Law, which requires a minor to consult her parents before getting the procedure. Bush said no part of her bill would impact that statute.
″(Abortion) is not a medical procedure,” she said. “What we’re talking about today isn’t simply protecting women’s reproductive health choices. … If there’s a line, we definitely crossed it here in Illinois with this proposal.”
“The one bill that will be most detrimental, and the one that we will be talking about 40 years from now, is this bill right here,” Rezin added. […]
With a group of mostly female state representatives, who had come to the Senate floor to watch the debate, standing behind Bush, holding hands, Bush described the “ungodly hate” she and other proponents of the Reproductive Health Act have faced, including death threats.
“To make that decision, (to have an abortion) that is not an easy decision,” she said. “That is not something that any woman makes without tremendous difficulty and pain. Nor something she ever forgets … (but) it’s her right to make that choice.”
* The quiet failure of the “Fix the FOID” bill in the Senate caught some off guard. That chamber, with its 40 Democrats, is not exactly known as a gun-lovers paradise…
(T)he legislation faced strong opposition, with detractors calling the proposed new regulations among the most “onerous” in the nation and an infringement on their constitutional rights. […]
On Friday, Democrat Julie Morrison, the Senate sponsor of the bill, spoke strongly in support of it but said she ran out of time to explain to fellow senators the significant changes it proposed. […]
Kathleen Sances, president of the Gun Violence Prevention PAC, which was involved in drafting the legislation, is holding out hope the proposal will come for a vote before the Senate at a later date.
“We’re really thrilled that we were able to get the bill out of the House, and I really have to give credit to Rep. (Kathleen) Willis,” Sances said of the bill’s House sponsor. “We ran out of time in the Senate. … So moving forward we’ll just be talking with both chambers and we’ll see what we can do to get enough votes to pass it in the Senate.”
The Illinois State Rifle Association was ready to deal on this topic and has a bill to address it. The Democrats could’ve had a bipartisan proposal to address the FOID issue, but they went their own way in the House and it apparently spooked the Senate Democrats, who aren’t normally spooked. That caucus will pass just about anything.
* Related…
* Ammons’ ‘Democrat judge’ bill on pause in state Senate: “HB 97 is a piece of legislation that can start the very real conversation about diversity on the judicial benches of downstate Illinois,” Koehler said. “I do not plan on running this legislation this session. I look forward to having conversations this summer with (Supreme Court) Justice Tom Kilbride and others about the best path forward.”
* I’m really happy that I don’t have to write about this bill any more…
Illinois is likely to become the 11th state to allow small amounts of marijuana for recreational use after the Democratic-controlled House on Friday sent a legalization plan to Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who campaigned on the issue.
State Rep. Anthony DeLuca, D-Chicago Heights, talked about the negative health effects of the drug. He brought out props to the House floor: An egg and a pan.
“This is your brain,” DeLuca said as he cracked an egg into a frying pan. “There it is folks. This is your brain on drugs. So today for my family, for my children, for your family, of your children, and especially for African American and Hispanic communities, vote no.”
State Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Deerfield, immediately stood in support of the measure and to “refute some of the what I call nonsense that we heard including wasting eggs that should have been used to make a souffle or something instead of making a ridiculous point that has been outdated for over 30 years.”
“If this bill passes, a giant, big-money industry will commercialize another harmful, addictive drug in our state,” said Rep. Marty Moylan, a Des Plaines Democrat and outspoken opponent of legalization.
Violent crime has increased in Colorado, Alaska, Oregon and Washington state at rates higher than the national average since those states legalized recreational use, said Rep. Patrick Windhorst, R-Metropolis.
He said it’s unclear whether marijuana played a role in violent crime rising in those states. But he said Illinois should delay legalization until more is known.
State Rep. Tom Morrison, a Republican who opposed the legislation, said the state isn’t prepared.
“Our law enforcement agencies do not support this. They are not ready for this and don’t have the capabilities to enforce this,” he said in a statement.
“The idea that there’s no studies out there on this stuff or that we think we have the answers on this stuff, is pretty appaling that we’re rushing into this,” said state Rep. Mark Batnick (R-Plainfield). “I know this has been out there for a while. I know the sponsor has worked on it for a long time, but my goodness there seems to be a lot of red flags on this issue.”
* The tone completely changed on the House floor last night after the leaders and the governor finally came to an agreement. Illinois Public Radio…
Democratic state Rep. Will Davis, from Homewood: “We know that as we continue to work collaboratively — if that is what we indeed want to do — when we work collaboratively, there are a lot of things that we can indeed get done.”
House Republican Leader Jim Durkin echoed those remarks.
“It’s amazing what we can do around in just a few hours if people are willing to work together, and we just started doing that,” Durkin told his colleagues. “So I feel we’re on a good path, and I’m pleased to put my vote on the board tonight, and let’s get our work done by tomorrow.”
Action on the budget came after hours of negotiations with Pritzker and the four partisan leaders of the House and Senate. Republicans, though a minority party in the legislature, sought concessions from Pritzker aimed at helping the business community in future legislation.
“I am very glad these matters are being taken into consideration,” said House Republican leader Rep. Jim Durkin of Western Springs, citing several business credits and tax incentives in the plan. “Tonight is the start of us finishing up this year working on a budget that is balanced and fair to Illinoisans.”
State Rep. Greg Harris, the Chicago legislator who headed up budget talks for majority House Democrats, said the plan also allows for borrowing $1.2 billion to help pay down a multibillion-dollar backlog of overdue bills to providers of state services that grew exponentially during the budget impasse.
The Illinois Senate made the first move to get a $45-billion infrastructure plan approved early Saturday morning. Senators approved billions of dollars in bonding authorization for some capital projects, as well as paying down backlogged bills.
It also ok-ed billions of dollars in a long list of projects — from development near Soldier Field in Chicago to new libraries and updated residence halls at universities to overhauled water infrastructure in cities across the state.
At one point Friday, it appeared that partisan acrimony could threaten to derail things like a gambling expansion bill and a capital plan, major components of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s first legislative session.
However, a series of meetings Friday night between Pritzker and various legislative leaders led to a thaw in tensions. House Republican Leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs left a meeting with the governor, Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago and House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, saying he believes the Democrats are willing to consider some pro-business issues.
“Our caucus for the past few weeks has been very insistent that if we are going to participate there have to be some meaningful business reforms,” Durkin said. “I finally get the impression tonight that the governor and Democrat leaders are going to take those under consideration.”
Several business leaders sent a letter to Pritzker earlier this week outlining changes they want to see on business issues. They want tax incentives to locate data centers in the state, elimination of the state franchise tax, reinstatement of a tax credit to help manufacturers and no further action on a pro-labor bill affecting jobs at refineries, ethanol plans and chemical facilities.
State Rep. Tom Demmer, R-Dixon, said a bipartisan agreement was reached to get some Republicans to support the $40.3 billion spending plan. The agreement includes finding some reforms to grow the economy “that we think will strike the right balance and be a fair compromise to be a stable budget of the state, one that addresses the pressures that we face while also addressing some important policies that help us grow our economy.”
House Minority Leader Jim Durkin said there’s a willingness for bipartisanship, but only when each side’s priorities are recognized. Durkin laid out Republicans’ priorities.
“Things that we think are important for the business community,” Durkin said. “By enhancing our ability to local data centers in Illinois with tax incentives, eliminating the retailers discount which we’ve talked about before, eliminating the antiquated Illinois franchise tax, reinstating a manufacturer’s purchase credit, enacting a blue collar jobs act and others.”
“That strikes the right balance of what we need in this state,” Durkin said.
Durking heaped praise on Demmer later for being a key player in putting this together.
And during a House Executive Committee, lawmakers cleared a gambling proposal that would add six casinos in Chicago, Waukegan, the south suburbs, Williamson County in southern Illinois, Rockford in northern Illinois and Danville in the state’s east-central region.
The Chicago casino would be able to have up to 4,000 gambling positions — three times more than any other casino in the state currently has — and slot machines would be allowed at O’Hare and Midway airports. Bill sponsor State Rep. Bob Rita said money from the proposed Chicago casino would be split in thirds among the city, state and the private owner.
But Lightfoot issued a statement saying that while she wants a Chicago casino, she doesn’t support sports wagering at place like Soldier Field.
I’m still not sure how they’re going to deal with Lightfoot’s late demand.
I strongly support a gaming bill that directs a new casino and dollars to the city of Chicago. However, I oppose the inclusion of a provision that would open up sports wagering in venues like Soldier Field. Such a proposal has the potential to undermine the viability of any Chicago-based casino through the diversion of customers and revenue from a casino. Because the impact of sports wagering in stadiums has not been fully vetted or analyzed, I cannot support the bill in its current form and urge the deletion of this stadium-betting provision.
Essentially what’s she’s saying here is that Soldier Field and United Center sports betting could eat into Chicago casino profits.
I’m hearing that the sports betting provision could be stripped out of the gaming bill this weekend. Stay tuned.
* A source very close to the talks says the House will vote on a budget tonight and the vote will be bipartisan. So, it appears there’s been some movement.
The governor has been convening talks for hours this evening. His people were adamant about trying to break the logjam that has been developing for several days.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Hmm…
New: Source close to budget negotiations expects bipartisan votes in House on the budget tonight. Everything else (sports betting, capital infrastructure plan, gambling expansion) will wait until tomorrow.
Senate could vote on abortion tonight. FOID bill isn’t happening.
The Senate has been wanting to wait until after the budget vote to do the RHA so as not to enflame passions. I told subscribers earlier about the Fix the FOID bill being stuck.
Also, Mayor Lightfoot appears to have a problem with the gaming bill, but I’ve been having trouble getting an answer out of her people.
And if the House does wait until tomorrow to do the capital bill taxes, that’s going to mean 71 votes. And those aren’t easy votes by any stretch of the imagination.
*** UPDATE 2 *** 9:33 pm The Illinois Manufacturers Association says it is now supporting the state operating budget and the capital budget. The governor and the House Republican Leader were able to come to an agreement with the other leaders on concessions.
Meanwhile, Gov. Pritzker was invited to attend the Senate Republican caucus meeting tonight. He walked in at about 9:20 or so.
The House is now debating the budget.
*** UPDATE 3 *** 9:33 pm The House passed the budget (SB262) 83-35.
*** UPDATE 4 *** 9:57 pm Kind of a matter of fact statement from Speaker Madigan…
Tonight, the House approved a bipartisan budget bill in coordination with Leader Durkin. The work of this House is not done. We have adjourned for tonight and will return tomorrow to continue working in a bipartisan manner to finish the remaining work of the General Assembly
Lots of motion between top leaders at this late hour. @GovPritzker is trying to land the, uh… land the tuna. He’s meeting House Republican Leader Jim Durkin to try and resolve some differences. Still possible we see some late action on sports betting, budget bills tonight.
Cullerton has been bouncing around all over the place.
*** UPDATE *** He’s been pushing these ideas for at least a week now…
House Republican Leader Jim Durkin expresses optimism after leaving @GovPritzker’s office, says he finally feels the Democrats are willing to take action on these business reforms. pic.twitter.com/FdfRO552Wb
House GOP Leader Jim Durkin, exiting the governor's office, says he thinks Pritzker and Democrats finally are taking Republicans' demands for pro-business reforms seriously, if they want GOP votes on taxes/revenue. pic.twitter.com/HWaLKHiIWm
The state of Illinois potentially will be on the hook for more than $5 billion in equity and financing costs if a provision to speed construction of a megaproject near Soldier Field is approved by the General Assembly in this weekend’s extended spring session.
Elements of the deal for the huge One Central project have been in the discussion stage for weeks, with Bob Dunn of Landmark Development meeting with House Speaker Mike Madigan, Deputy Gov. Dan Hynes and other officials.
But actual language didn’t surface until Friday afternoon, when it was included in a must-pass budget implementation bill.
The provisions would create a new Civic Transit and Infrastructure Fund. It would collect and disburse tax funds owed to a private developer “pursuant to the public private partnership entered into by the public agency on behalf of the state of Illinois to the Public-Private Partnership for Civic and Transit Infrastructure Project Act enacted in this amendatory act.” […]
Under the bill, the state would begin to pay $200 million a year to the private developer starting in 2023—presuming a contract is negotiated, and the big transit station that Dunn promises is operational then. The state would give him $200 million that year, with annual payments rising to $445 million in 2045.
*** UPDATE *** Pritzker administration…
There is no cost to the state in the BIMP. The Governor has not committed to developing this project. This allows Landmark to explore whether it’s viable for them to get federal backing. If they can, then we could consider whether or not we would like to do an agreement.
None of these provisions go into effect unless and until a separate agreement is reached. The BIMP allows GOMB to negotiate a P3 with Landmark and gives Landmark time to apply for federal RIFF funding in the event a deal can be reached in the future.
* Except where otherwise noted, none of these bills have yet to clear either chamber as of 3:26 this afternoon. List adapted from a Senate Democratic e-mail…
SB690 — Revenue for vertical (universities, etc) construction
HB3096 — Revenue bill for roads, bridges, transit (horizontal) construction
Capitol insiders speculated whether the overtime demand is a Madigan power play. If Pritzker had attained all his legislative priorities by the end of Friday, the rookie governor would be largely credited with the wins.
Legislators have complained that there was little time to digest comprehensive capital and budget bills — and negotiations were vastly done behind-the-scenes. House Republicans on Friday blasted out a statement accusing Democrats of increasing spending and neglecting any of their preferred job reforms. Republicans said the reforms were taken out on Friday morning, prompting the statement.
It appears Madigan, too, is trying to force some Republicans to vote on the budget and capital plan, to show that it is “bipartisan.” Republicans had asked for a real estate tax and the $1 tax on cigarettes to be removed from the capital plan. On Friday they learned the taxes were still on the table, and their requested reforms were stripped out.
Asked about the budget negotiation process during a House Executive Committee, House Majority Leader Greg Harris, D-Chicago, noted there was “less agreement than there was in the past.”
“Some things we agreed upon, some things we did not,” Harris said of negotiations with Republicans.
* Democrats voting “No” included Reps. Crespo, Deluca, Edly-Allen, Flowers, Moylan, Reitz and Scherer. Rep. Lilly voted “Present.” Rep. Ammons did not vote. Republicans voting “Yes” included Reps. Parkhurst, Skillicorn and Welter…
…Adding… GOP Rep. Parkhurst…
Today the House voted 66-47 with 2 Present to legalize and regulate the adult use of cannabis. Below is a statement from State Representative Lindsay Parkhurst (R-Kankakee):
“The 79th District is split on the issue of the legalization of recreational use of cannabis for adults. For months, I’ve been meeting with advocates in support and opposition and studied the issue at length. Both sides of the argument have merit.
However, I concluded prohibition is not working and with the current Governor and legislature, it is clear our state is already on a path for legalizing adult use cannabis.
So, I was one of a few Republicans to take a seat at the table to push for and obtain important changes to improve the bill and protect our state through stronger public safety measures, more taxpayer and workplace protections, local control and revenue, and commitment to mental health and substance abuse services.
Will there be problems? Absolutely. But, we face many of those same problems now and we are facing them without appropriate regulation, resources, or revenue.
Cannabis prohibition is simply no longer working. The illicit market is too large to successfully repress. The choice is not whether to make cannabis available, but whether its production and use should be legal and regulated or illegal and unregulated.
To be sure, Cannabis is not harmless - Cannabis Use Disorder and use by minors are real and existing problems - this is why we need legislation to protect public health and to protect our communities through regulation.
This is why I voted yes.”
* Think Big…
Think Big Illinois Executive Director Quentin Fulks released the following statement today after the House passed marijuana legalization, sending it to Governor Pritzker to be signed into law:
“Today’s passage of marijuana legalization in the Illinois House of Representatives represents critical progress toward making Illinois a more just, more safe, and more equitable place for everyone who calls it home. Think Big Illinois applauds the legislators in both chambers who voted to support this legislation that will help end the era of mass incarceration, bring economic opportunity to our communities, and generate desperately needed revenue for our state.
“We look forward to Governor Pritzker signing this bill into law, and seeing how marijuana legalization will help our state and its communities in the years to come.”
State Rep. Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, has signed on as co-sponsor of a bill that intends to kick Chicago out of Illinois and make it the 51st state. […]
McCombie is a chairperson of the House Republican Organization’s political action committee, which raises money for House campaigns.
According to the Illinois State Board of Elections, HRO has accepted millions in donations from donors and corporations in the city of Chicago.
“Those dollars were before my time as HRO chairman,” McCombie said. “The majority of HRO are downstate members. We as a state, should be collectively working together. I hope that’s why (Chicago) donors are investing in HRO.”
Illinoisans should collectively work together, but she is a co-sponsor of a proposal to kick Chicago out of Illinois and she wants Chicago donors to give money to the campaign fund she chairs so they can spend it on Downstaters, some of whom want to kick Chicago out of Illinois.
Since the start of 2019, 22 Illinois State Police troopers have had their patrol vehicles struck by drivers who’ve disobeyed Scott’s Law. With Senate Bill 1862 passing both chambers, violators will now receive steeper fines.
The piece cleared the Senate Thursday evening, and in a news release on Friday Gov. J.B. Pritzker commended the bipartisan effort behind the bill and said he looks forward to signing the legislation.
“Our state troopers and emergency responders risk their lives to protect us, and I applaud the General Assembly for taking action to help keep them safe.” Pritzker said in the statement.
Drivers who fail to reduce their speed or move over when approaching stationary vehicles on the side of the road could be fined at least $500 for a first offense. The fine and fee increases to at least $1,000 for repeat offenses. The maximum fine for any offense is $10,000.
Illinois lawmakers are now one vote away from sending legislation to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s desk that would mandate a minimum $40,000 annual salary for the state’s teachers. Opponents say it will result in property tax hikes, particularly in downstate school districts.
Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, ushered Senate Bill 10 out of the Senate last month. House Bill 2078 was amended to match Manar’s earlier bill that would require the $40,000 minimum salary by 2023.
The legislation passed along partisan lines Wednesday.
“It would establish a minimum teacher salary in the state beginning in the 2020 school year of just over $32,000 and phase that up over the next four years,” Manar said.
Sen. Jason Barickman, R-Bloomington, says the law would likely mean rural districts would have to raise property taxes to pay for the salary increases.
* Press release…
Both chambers of the Illinois legislature have now approved legislation filed by State Sen. John Curran (R-Downers Grove) that will create stringent rules for ethylene oxide use and emissions, and shut down failing facilities.
“This bill strengthens the Illinois EPA seal order that sealed Sterigenics’ ethylene oxide chambers, and it creates the strongest ethylene oxide sterilization regulations in the nation,” said Sen. Curran. “I would like to thank Leader Durkin for his help in evolving this bill and passing it through the House.”
Senate Bill 1852 requires ethylene oxide sterilization facilities to capture 100% of the ethylene oxide emissions. Faculties would be required to limit emissions to the atmosphere by 99.9% or to 0.2 parts per million. The legislation also requires any company under a seal order to get certification from every customer and/or supplier that ethylene oxide is the only method to sterilize their product.
The legislation was filed in response to the ongoing Sterigenics crisis in Willowbrook. This legislation, along with several others Curran has passed through the General Assembly, are designed to protect the public from the hidden dangers of the deadly gas.
“These new standards will make sure that facilities are operating in a safe manner, or they will be shut down, and it also furthers our efforts to keep Sterigenics shut down,” said Senator Curran.
The legislation passed the Senate unanimously on May 30th and is now headed to the Governor for his signature.
* The House Republicans have been privately and publicly grumbling for days about being shut out of talks…
House Republican Deputy Minority Leader Tom Demmer released the following statement on the status of end of session negotiations:
“Our caucus is the only caucus that has been clear about our priorities for weeks. We asked for a balanced budget that addresses our unpaid bills and pension liability, and we advocated for meaningful pro-jobs reforms that our state so desperately needs. Earlier this week, there was an agreement on a path forward to address all of the issues before us. Unfortunately, Democrats withheld information, added additional taxes and rejected any attempts to grow our economy. With less than 12 hours to go, the Democrats are expecting the General Assembly to pass seven never-before-seen bills that spend more than $80 billion dollars. Illinois taxpayers deserve better.”
I’ve asked the other three caucuses for a response.
* Pastor Corey Musgrave of the New Beginnings church in Fairfield led the House in its daily prayer today at the invite of Rep. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia), an Eastern Bloc member. Musgrave began by thanking his maker for the “abundance of natural resources you have entrusted us with in the south,” and the “industrial capacity in the north.”
And then he pivoted to the House’s passage of the Reproductive Health Act this week, saying Illinois “has decided to go its own way apart from You.”
So, God, we have made our appeals to the leaders of Illinois this week on behalf of those innocent babies who do not yet have a voice. We have been a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves as You have commanded us. Those appeals were denied, but we have one final appeal left and that is to the courts of Heaven.
God Almighty, I make an appeal to Heaven today, to You the perfect judge, the One who presides over Heaven’s court.
I ask you to rise up, oh God, and judge Illinois for the sanctioned destruction of the innocent unborn. For when Your judgements are in this state, the inhabitants of Illinois learn righteousness. In this House I pray for justice to roll down like water and righteousness like a mighty river. In Your judgement I pray that You would remember mercy for we know that You, oh God, do not want anyone to be destroyed.
I ask this in the name of Your son, the one who died for a sinner like me, the one who was appointed to judge the living and the dead. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.
Breaking: @GovPritzker will NOT axe the private school tax credit scholarships so long as state fulfills education funding formula. Technically, he breaks a campaign promise, but honors GOP wishes. Some hardline folks in teachers unions may bristle, but they still get paid. Spox: pic.twitter.com/ljpEw7KOTG
Here was the plea from a single mother to @GovPritzker. She was beaming with pride about her children’s progress at their new school and couldn’t understand why the Governor had planned on phasing out the program: https://t.co/lvbdL3gm7d
Before the vote [on the graduated income tax constitutional amendment], “the governor personally reached out and said ‘it’s a priority of mine … I want to understand why you are in opposition to this,’” [Jonathan Carroll, D-Northbrook] recounted, adding he told Pritzker, “If we’re going to fix how we tax, it has to start with local property taxes.”
Likewise, [Rep. Sam Yingling, D-Grayslake], who said he’d vote against the graduated tax, also received Pritzker time.
“The governor was very proactive and engaging in a number of conversations,” said Yingling, who also pushed property tax relief. “The governor realizes this is a problem that hurts middle-class families and has to be addressed head-on.”
The result? Unenthused Democrats, including Carroll, Yingling, Rep. Daniel Didech of Buffalo Grove — who initially told the Daily Herald he opposed a graduated tax — and Rep. Stephanie Kifowit of Oswego, who took no position, voted for the constitutional amendment Monday, helping to pass it in a 73-44 vote. Pritzker created a Property Tax Relief Task Force that is required to report back by Dec. 31 on how to reduce taxes. Members will include legislators and Pritzker staffers.
Rep. Carroll sponsored the legislation creating that task force, but it stalled yesterday when Republicans complained that it didn’t guarantee bipartisan membership. An amendment was filed this morning which allows all four legislative leaders to appoint task force members.
Yingling is a co-sponsor as are Reps. Stephanie Kifowit and Bob Morgan, who voted against the income tax rates bill yesterday.
“We had a task force that was created last General Assembly that had a couple of subject matter hearings, but that was the extent of it,” said state Rep. Joe Sosnowski, R-Rockford. “I’m just curious what this means by having teeth in it because I don’t see anything within the wording of the task force that dictates or mandates any particular thing to happen.”
State Rep. Margo McDermed said she wasn’t impressed.
“I have no confidence whatsoever that anything will change other than the folks that like the status quo the way it is will destroy your hopes,” she told Carroll.
Carroll said the governor had reassured him that changing the way the state taxes residents must change.
Illinois has created task forces or commissions of one form or another to address property taxes in 1975, 1982, 1998, 2009, and 2018, according to an Illinois Department of Revenue report and comments from Sosnowski.
* Related…
* House OK, sends to Senate rates for graduated income tax: But House Republican Leader Jim Durkin, of Western Springs, said he was proud to be the “party of no” on some of the state’s previously passed unbalanced budgets. He said “history will not look kindly” on the General Assembly for the changes to the tax code and the “anti-business agenda” he said Democrats were pushing in the past four months.
* Springfield scramble: Crunch time for legislators on pot, gaming, budget, other issues: During debate, State Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer, R-Jacksonville, likened taxing the wealthy to the wild: “That’s what hyenas do to animals in the wild.” “They divide them, they sanction them up and they after after the small group because they’re easier to attack,” Davidsmeyer said. But bill sponsor State Rep. Mike Zalewski, D-Riverside, championed it as a way for voters to have a say in a historic way: “I would suggest stability is better than what we have right now.”
* With a Full Slate, Time is Running Out for Illinois Lawmakers: Democrats say passing the new rate table this early will help to assure voters as they decide whether to back the constitutional change. … But Republicans say these are merely “teaser” rates during what’s sure to be a hard-fought campaign on the amendment, which are sure to spike in the future. “This is just a poorly structured package. It gives no guarantees to the taxpayers. It’s a huge tax increase across the board,” said Rep. David McSweeney, R-Barrington Hills.
* Illinois House OKs graduated tax rate schedule: Rep. Steven Reick, R-Woodstock, said a tax hike focused on the wealthy could lead to problems if there is a downturn in the economy that affects wealthy earners. “When their income goes down the drop is going to be precipitous,” he said. Democrats, though, said the flat tax system is unfair to lower and middle incomes. Rep. Michael Halpin, D-Rock Island, said incomes for the wealthy have grown under the flat tax while others have stagnated. “Who’s done better under the flat tax? The top 1 percent,” he said. “So ask yourself who is being protected by the flat tax system.”
*** UPDATE 1 *** The operating budget bill has surfaced. Click here.
The operating budget will begin in the House and the capital budget will start in the Senate.
*** UPDATE 2 *** The gaming/sports betting bill has been filed. Click here to read it. Click here to read a summary. It’ll be heard today at 1:30 in House Exec.
A source with knowledge of the spending plan in SB262 said it increases funding for K-12 education to $375 million, which is $25 million more than is required by the evidence-based funding formula lawmakers implemented several years ago.
Early childhood education will get a $50 million increase, the source said. For higher education, including community colleges, there are increases ranging from 3 to 9 percent above the current fiscal year.
The spending plan includes a 9 percent increase for the Department on Aging, a 10 percent increase for the Department of Children and Family Services, a 10 percent increase for public health programs that focus on breast cancer screening, vaccines and immunizations, lead screening and safety net hospitals.
The Illinois Department of Corrections would get 7.4 percent more to help comply with various consent decrees.
The Illinois Department of Transportation would get a 20 percent increase from the current fiscal year to increase its headcount and administer capital projects.
*** UPDATE 5 *** The vertical capital bill is here.
Chicago would get a new mega-casino with the proceeds earmarked to pay for police and fire pensions under a mammoth gambling expansion deal in the final stages of negotiation, a key legislator said Thursday.
State Sen. Terry Link, D-Vernon Hills, the Senate sponsor of the bill, said the Chicago casino would allow for 4,000 gaming positions, making it more than three times larger than any casino currently operating in Illinois.
Link said it would be part of a broader deal creating six new casinos across the state and bringing slot machines to three horse racing tracks, essentially turning them into casinos as well.
In addition, the nearly 7,000 businesses that offer video gambling would be allowed to add one machine per establishment — in itself the equivalent of almost six more casinos.
The Chicago casino would not be city-owned, the oft-stated preference of previous mayors, but the city would get a better deal than other municipalities that host casinos, receiving 33 percent of the adjusted gross receipts, Link said. Other communities only get 5 percent.
* From that Journey to the Center of the Square site…
Big items left unresolved late Thursday included how to pay for a proposed $41 billion, six-year infrastructure plan. State Sen. Martin Sandoval, D-Chicago, said he wasn’t ready to reveal details about how it would be funded. However, he said that motorists can expect to see the state’s gas tax double.
“There’s full agreement the 19 cent gas tax indexed is part of the revenue stream that is needed,” Sandoval said. […]
State Sen. Jim Oberweis, R-Sugar Grove, said he was told a proposed $1 surcharge on ride-sharing services was nixed. Oberweis also said one plan to fund the state budget may have been dropped.
“No bag tax at this point, so a few of these things are supposed, but you know the problem is by [Friday] these things could change,” Oberweis said.
I kid that company and its constantly changing name, but they do have some good reporters and they put out a lot of content.
Key budget negotiators say the fiscal year 2020 spending plan, which will take effect July 1, is not banking on the passage of gambling; revenues would instead be key to a large capital program.
Nor, they say, does the budget depend on Illinois legalizing marijuana, though that is close to passage: Late Thursday night a House committee advanced a broad package that would allow Illinois residents ages 21 and older to purchase and possess up to 30 grams of marijuana come January.
* The working group meetings that have been tackling these issues have become secret committee hearings and it’s getting to be a bit much…
Gov. J.B. Pritzker is counting on a host of new revenue streams to fund the budget he proposed to the General Assembly. Those include higher taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products, higher taxes on video gambling machines, a new plastic shopping bag tax, and a new assessment on managed care organizations that manage the state’s Medicaid program.
But as lawmakers head into the final scheduled day of the 2019 spring session today, none of those bills has been passed. In fact, no one outside the General Assembly has even seen a final draft of them.
Nor, in fact, have they seen a final version of a budget bill, the multi-year capital improvements plan or a gaming bill that would include the legalized sports betting that Pritzker has proposed.
“Stay tuned tomorrow,” Rep. Mike Zalewski, D-Riverside, chairman of the House Revenue and Finance Committee, said in an interview late Thursday evening.
Private negotiations are essential to legislating. The working groups go way beyond that, however.
* Several sources confirmed this morning that AFSCME and state negotiators reached an agreement in the wee hours of the night. I’ll update this post with press releases, etc. in a bit. Until then, here’s Council 31 Executive Director Roberta Lynch shaking hands with CMS chief negotiator Robb Craddock…
*** UPDATE *** Press release…
Early this morning, Governor JB Pritzker’s administration and AFSCME Council 31—the largest union of Illinois state employees—reached a tentative agreement on a new contract.
As always, terms will be released after union members have the opportunity to review and vote on the tentative agreement at worksite ratification meetings to be scheduled in the coming days.
“With this tentative agreement, Illinois has turned another important page from years of brutal ideological warfare,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Instead, this agreement respects the valuable contributions our workers make to the state and treats all our taxpayers fairly, thanks to months of negotiations that were constructive and frank. This agreement will be accommodated in the budget that the General Assembly will vote on today, and even more importantly, it is consistent with my long-term plans to stabilize Illinois’ finances.”
“This agreement reflects a fresh start for public service workers in state government,” AFSCME Council 31 Executive Director Roberta Lynch said. “For four years, union members did their jobs and served their communities despite Bruce Rauner’s chaos, hostility and constant attacks. In the Pritzker administration, AFSCME members have an employer who understands the importance of their work, respects their rights and is a constructive partner in the collective bargaining process.”
AFSCME represents nearly 40,000 state employees who protect kids from abuse and neglect, care for veterans and people with disabilities, keep prisons safe, maintain state parks, help struggling families and provide countless other vital public services in communities across the state.
And after clearing changes to a recreational cannabis legalization measure, the Illinois House must debate it on the floor. Facing opposition, bill sponsors scaled back expungement provisions in the measure and narrowed down home grow for just medical marijuana patients, among other changes.
The Illinois House planned to take up the cannabis measure at a Thursday night committee meeting, to clear it for a vote on Friday. Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, who helped to shape the expungement changes, came to Springfield to testify on the measure.
The original language would have automatically expunged an estimated 800,000 convictions. The revised language means those with convictions for cannabis possession convictions under 30 grams can get pardoned by the governor. States attorneys would then be able to petition the court to expunge the record. A judge would direct law enforcement agencies and county clerks to clear their record.
While the bill sponsor remained optimistic about its passage, House Democrats met during a lengthy caucus about the bill earlier Thursday. It’s unclear whether there’s enough support, so a close vote is anticipated, sources said. But Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan will likely play a big role in helping Gov. J.B. Pritzker secure enough votes for passage since it’s considered one of the governor’s key legislative priorities this session.
Way too many people out there spiked the ball in the endzone after the Senate passed the legalization bill. This ain’t over until it’s over.
Among those testifying in support of the bill at Thursday’s committee hearing was Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, a proponent of the bill’s expungement provisions.
“This is not simply a measure of social justice and equity; it is a public safety issue,” Foxx said. Clearing people’s records of marijuana convictions would help them gain access to educational and job opportunities and help prevent them from committing future crimes, she said.
Opponents have raised concerns that the bill will increase teen use of marijuana and result in more people driving while high, and have also cited health concerns, among other problems.
Ahead of the committee vote, supporters said privately that they expected a close vote on the House floor due to concerns from African American lawmakers that provisions to provide expungement were more complicated than had originally been envisioned.
* Foxx’s testimony was designed to address some of the concerns expressed by African-American House members from the Chicago area…
It’s a matter of “going back and writing the wrongs,” said Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, who was in Springfield to testify in favor of the measure (House Bill 1438) and had worked to negotiate the revised clemency process.
“Even a misdemeanor conviction has longstanding collateral consequences,” Foxx said, like employment and housing obstacles. “We must be responsible about legalization. I believe this bill does that. And I believe that the components related to expungements is the best that we could hope for, for the people of the state of Illinois.”
As I tweeted last night, appointed freshman Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago) hinted he may not be a “Yes” when the bill is brought up today.
GOP Rep. David Welter says "We were respected. We were engaged with." He gives credit to @GovPritzker for including Republicans in a bipartisan process to legalize marijuana.
* And the News-Gazette seems to bemoan the failure of alcohol prohibition in an editorial today…
People, of course, rightly complain that consuming alcoholic beverages is no better. But alcohol is a reality that this country has tried — and failed — to address. Pritzker now intends to double down on the mortal threat posed by these twin, soon-to-be-legal intoxicants.
How ironic it is that Pritzker, who repeatedly cited the serious difficulties posed by his mother’s alcoholism, now celebrates dropping this time bomb into the lives of the people of Illinois.
Yeah, bring his mom into it. Lovely.
* The House brought the bill to the floor this morning and the Republicans requested a one-hour caucus. Watch the live coverage post for instant updates today.
* The legislation now goes back to the Senate for concurrence…
Democrats voting “No” were Reps. Bristow, Carroll, Costa Howard, Kifowit, Morgan and Reitz. Rep. Walsh did not vote.
…Adding… The Senate Revenue Committee will take up the rates change bill tonight.
…Adding… Press release…
Speaker Michael J. Madigan released the following statement Thursday regarding House passage of a Fair Tax rate package that will provide relief for 97% of Illinois taxpayers:
“The completion of the Fair Tax package ensures the people of Illinois can evaluate the proposal on the basis of facts and hard numbers, not half truths and special interest spin. As we have advocated for several years, the rates passed today are a restatement of our commitment to middle-class families that they will receive a tax cut under this proposal. This vote is a critical step toward House Democrats’ pledge to balance the state budget while holding the line on middle-class taxes and stopping outrageous cuts to critical services like our schools, lifesaving breast cancer screenings, and Meals on Wheels for seniors. Critically, a Fair Tax allows us to accomplish this while also delivering relief for 97% of taxpayers statewide.
“There is more work to be done. While the Fair Tax takes steps to provide homeowners with property tax credits and expanded tax credits for families, House Democrats are going further by creating a Property Tax Relief Fund, because we recognize there is yet more we must do to ease the burden on middle-class families.
“House Democrats look forward to continuing our effort to build a stronger Illinois by building a stronger middle class. We will keep fighting to make taxes fairer for the middle class, strengthen our economy to make Illinois a center of high-wage job opportunities, and make health care more affordable.”
…Adding… Press release…
Governor JB Pritzker released the following statement after the House passed fair tax legislation making the wealthy pay their fair share while 97 percent of taxpayers pay the same or less.
“With tonight’s House vote, tax fairness has achieved an extraordinary milestone, and Illinois’ middle class and those striving to get there are poised to benefit. I’m especially grateful to Rep. Mike Zalewski for shepherding this measure through the House, as well as all of those who have worked hard for years to deliver on the promise of a fair income tax. A fair tax will bring monumental change to this state by protecting working families. 97 percent of taxpayers will pay the same or less, and we will stabilize Illinois’ finances. Opponents should be honest that they offer bad options – either cutting schools and public safety to the bone, or raising taxes on everyone by 20 percent. Instead, I stand firmly on the side of working families and fairness.”
Creates the Illinois Property Tax Relief Fund. Provides that moneys in the Illinois Property Tax Relief Fund shall be used to pay rebates to residential property taxpayers in the State. Provides that the Fund may accept moneys from any lawful source. Provides that the State Comptroller shall calculate a property tax rebate amount for the applicable property tax year by dividing the total amount appropriated from the Illinois Property Tax Relief Fund by the total number of homestead exemptions granted for homestead property in the State. Provides that the property tax bills of non-delinquent taxpayers who received a general homestead exemption under the Property Tax Code shall be reduced by the property tax rebate amount.
The bill will take effect immediately, but won’t start happening until 2021, presumably after the graduated income tax takes effect (depending on voter approval).
Creates the Property Tax Relief Task Force. Provides that the Task Force shall identify the causes of increasingly burdensome property taxes across Illinois, review best practices in public policy strategies that create short-term and long-term property tax relief for homeowners, and make recommendations to assist in the development of short-term and long-term administrative, electoral, and legislative changes needed to create short-term and long-term property tax relief for homeowners.
The bill was taken out of the record after Republicans complained that the task force membership had no guarantee of bipartisanship.
The Cook County Assessor’s Office was informed by House leadership that SB 1379, the Data Modernization Bill, would not move out of the Rules Committee for a vote during the current legislative session.
In response, Assessor Fritz Kaegi released the following statement:
Days spent crafting a property tax reform bill: 272
“Yes” votes in the Senate: 36
Co-sponsors in the House: 39
Number of Cook County’s Southern Suburbs waiting for more accurate assessments: 80+
Number of jurisdictions in the U.S. with a similar method of data collection: 17
Business leaders, school districts, organized labor groups, community organizations and elected officials throughout Cook County and Illinois who publicly support the bill: 73
Hours of meetings with those who oppose the bill: Limitless
Reasons why Illinois and Cook County don’t deserve a fair, equitable and transparent assessment system: 0
SB 1379 remains the best first legislative step toward reform of the property tax system. We’ll be back next session to get it passed.
Fritz
*** UPDATE *** Press release…
The Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, Illinois Retail Merchants Association and Illinois Manufacturers’ Association have issued this statement in response to the Assessor’s statement:
“We are disappointed by the Assessor’s statement and the disrespect it shows to the various stakeholders who engaged in meaningful discussion and the legislators who expressed their concerns with the unknown impacts. Approaching such a significant change to a $14.5 billion system should be done with thorough consideration. Haste makes waste and Cook County property owners, residential and commercial alike, have certainly experienced enough waste.”
Ald. Edward M. Burke and his top political aide have been named as defendants in a pending federal bribery case involving a Lake Forest developer, court records show.
Burke and his aide, Peter J. Andrews, were named as new defendants in the federal bribery case against developer Charles Cui.
Cui is accused of allegedly using Burke’s law firm for property tax appeal work as Cui sought a sign permit that was critical to a redevelopment project on the Northwest Side. Burke was not originally charged in the case, which was brought earlier this year, but was implicated throughout the charges against Cui.
Details of the new charges against Burke and Andrews were not immediately available.
A 14-count indictment accused the alderman with half a century in office of corruption in connection with the redevelopment of the old main post office in downtown Chicago as well as two smaller projects in which prosecutors had previously alleged wrongdoing.
The charges also allege that Burke threatened to oppose an increase in the admission fee for a Chicago museum after the museum failed to respond to the alderman’s inquiry about an internship there for a child of a friend.
The indictment charges Burke with one count of racketeering, two counts of federal program bribery, two counts of attempted extortion, one count of conspiracy to commit extortion and eight counts of using interstate commerce to facilitate an unlawful activity.
Also charged for the first time was Peter J. Andrews, an employee in Burke’s 14th Ward office who is accused of assisting the alderman in attempting to shake down two businessmen seeking to renovate a Burger King restaurant in the ward.
Thursday, May 30, 2019 - Posted by Advertising Department
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The Illinois House has unanimously passed a bipartisan reform package that aims to improve a number of health care programs in the state, including its often griped about Medicaid managed care program.
Under the program, the state pays private insurers a set amount per member per month rather than paying for each medical service provided. It aims to improve people’s health and control costs by ensuring all care is appropriate and high quality. But hospitals say it’s costing them money, as medical claims denied for administrative reasons cause significant reimbursement delays.
S.B. 1321 aims to improve aspects of the program that seem to be causing hospitals the most grief, including requiring insurers to pay complete claims within 30 days or face a penalty. The bill now moves to the Senate.
It also requires the Department of Healthcare & Family Services, the agency that oversees Medicaid, to maintain a provider complaint portal, through which doctors can submit unresolved disputes with insurers. Hospitals have long requested more oversight from the agency.
* Press release…
The following can be attributed to Khadine Bennett, Advocacy and Intergovernmental Affairs Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois:
“The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last year that cell phone users have a reasonable expectation of privacy regarding their historical cell site location data. Thank you to the Illinois Senate for passing House Bill 2134, which reconciles the Illinois Freedom from Location Surveillance Act (FLSA) with this ruling by requiring law enforcement agencies in Illinois to obtain a court order or warrant before obtaining historical location information from a location device.
“We appreciate the leadership of sponsors Representative Ann Williams and Senator Don Harmon and we look forward to its signature into law by Governor Pritzker.”
Illinois is poised to update its privacy law to require businesses to swiftly report larger data breaches to the state attorney general.
The [House] voted 79-32 to approve Senate Bill 1624 amending the Personal Information Protection Act. The Senate unanimously approved the bill in April, and Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) is expected to sign it into law, according to the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Suzy Glowiak (D).
PIPA doesn’t currently require data collectors to make disclosures to law enforcement,
Voices were raised, tempers flared and accusations traded on the Illinois House floor Wednesday afternoon, nothing out of the ordinary in and of itself for this late stage of a legislative session.
“Welcome to the emotions of the last week in May,” said state Rep. Mark Batinick, R-Plainfield, directing his remark to new lawmakers who might be unfamiliar with how testy things can get in the waning days.
The immediate cause of the tensions was an obscure piece of legislation by Chicago standards — a fight over whether Champaign County should split away from five more rural counties with which it shares a judicial district.
But in that debate, fought strictly along partisan lines because the change would give Democrats a better shot at electing local judges, I thought we could see an emerging theme of this year’s legislative session.
That is, Democrats are completely back in charge in Springfield, and when push comes to shove, and at some point it always does, they’re going to do things their way. […]
One day after slamming through an expansive abortion rights bill over Republican opposition as a way to fight back against southern states moving in the opposite direction, House Democrats pushed another conservative hot button by voting to require fingerprinting of individuals seeking a Firearm Owners Identification Card.
In recent days, both chambers approved a constitutional amendment to switch Illinois to a graduated income tax, moving away from the flat rate tax that has been in effect nearly 50 years. And before that, they approved an increase in the minimum wage to $15 an hour.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration has introduced legislation crafted by the State Board of Elections that Republicans say would legitimize a third party to play spoiler to the GOP’s chances of regaining seats in the General Assembly.
The bill that passed in a House committee Thursday morning would allow for the Conservative Party to field candidates for state representative or state senator in any district where Sam McCann, the Conservative Party gubernatorial candidate supported by unions to siphon votes from former Gov. Bruce Rauner in 2018, got more than 5 percent of the vote.
State Rep. Tim Butler, R-Springfield, called the legislation a direct shot at the minority party.
“You come down with omnibus elections bills that screw the other party,” he told Majority Leader Greg Harris. “That’s what you’re doing.”
…Adding… From Matt Dietrich at the Illinois State Board of Elections…
I wanted to point out that the portion of the omnibus bill referenced in the story is not something we put in. Most of the bill comes from legislative changes we suggested but that part was not among them.
* The Question: Are the Democrats over-reaching this spring? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
*** UPDATE *** House Majority Leader Greg Harris has introduced an amendment to the omnibus elections bill to delete the language about establishing third parties. The language had infuriated House Republicans, who threatened to pull votes off all upcoming bipartisan bills unless it was stripped.
Do you drive to work in Chicago or anywhere else in Cook County? Do you pay to park your car? Watch out for a nasty surprise.
Do you drive to shop, dine out or see a play? Do you drive to the airport? Watch out for a nasty surprise.
The new administration has proposed the first and only state parking tax in America. If this is voted into law, you will pay up to 40% in taxes just to park in Chicago and suburban Cook County.
Up to 40%!
Chicago parking taxes are already higher than New York, Washington and LA. Three times higher than Dallas or Houston.
Do you want to pay more than ever to work or shop, go out to dinner, see a show or visit a museum?
Every parking lot, garage and even airport parking will cost more!
Business owners? Your employees and your customers will suffer. That means your business will suffer.
Call your state representative and state senator. Tell them to vote no.
They’re ready to vote. So call them now. Or visit noparkingtaxhike.com for more information.
That’s noparkingtaxhike.com.
Paid for by Teamsters Local 727 and the Parking Industry Labor Management Committee.
The proposed state tax is actually 6 percent for daily and hourly parking and 9 percent for monthly. They’re adding in local taxes to the mix. Also notice that they don’t mention Pritzker’s name. It’s just “the new administration.”
Gov. J.B. Pritzker threw an early birthday party for Secretary of State Jesse White, but the Chicago billionaire declined to comment about the cost of the celebration.
Amid stormy weather in the Springfield-area, the Wednesday night party took place under a massive tent with a raised platform on the lawn of the Governor’s Mansion. The temporary structure took a week to construct.
Asked Thursday how much the party cost, the governor, who has an estimated net worth of more than $3 billion, wouldn’t say.
“[First Lady] M.K. [Pritzker] and I were thrilled to have a birthday party for Secretary of State Jesse White,” Pritzker said. “He’s one of the great public servants in the history of the state of Illinois. He’s revered, he’s a friend, he somebody I’ve known for 35 years.”
Funk superstar George Clinton performed at the birthday celebration.
“We obviously were interested in making sure we had entertainment that was appropriate to the evening and so we were glad to be able to get George Clinton to perform,” Pritzker said.
He noted that a number of Illinois distillers and craft brewers provided drinks for the evening.
“Everybody enjoyed themselves,” Pritzker said.
Everybody did, indeed, enjoy themselves. It was quite the bash, and it was privately funded, so I don’t really care about the cost. From the Danenberger Family Vineyards Facebook page, here’s an early pic of the inside of the tent…
* Sponsors…
* The band…
* The man himself…
Say whatever you want about the governor, but our state’s First Lady knocks it out of the park whenever she throws a party. She may very well be the best ever.
Thursday, May 30, 2019 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
More than 800 solar energy projects are on hold because Illinois’ renewable energy program isn’t adequately funded to meet either current demand or the statutory renewable portfolio standard requirement of 25% by 2025.
The waitlisted, shovel-ready projects could create thousands of jobs, lower consumer electric bills and generate $220 million in property tax revenue for local governments. Funding for new commercial and community solar projects and wind farms will be depleted after 2019.
Total McCormick Place attendance in 2017 was 2.5 million, compared with over 3 million in 2001. Use of the convention center as measured by square footage dropped by half.
So why does the center keep getting more money, and racking up new debt?
Part of the reason is that it’s in a highly competitive industry where other cities are making ill-considered investments in centers of their own. There’s a futile arms race at play.
The bigger reasons for expansion are political. Organized labor and private businesses collaborate to push expansion plans year after year. When they succeed, the mayor of Chicago and other officials then get to stand at ribbon-cuttings and take credit for tourism numbers.
Um, name me another place that brings in 2.5 million people mostly from out of state to Illinois every year for extended periods of time. That’s why those “private businesses,” which are actually hotels, restaurants, etc. aren’t totally opposed to new taxation. The restaurant association, I’m told, is so far neutral on this bill…
Dining out in certain parts of Chicago would get a little more costly under a measure approved Wednesday in the Illinois Senate to help pay for a construction project at McCormick Place.
By a 44-6 vote, the Senate passed a bill to expand the boundaries of the area in which the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, the agency that oversees McCormick Place and Navy Pier, levies a 1% restaurant tax. The measure now moves to the House.
The tax currently is collected downtown, but the expanded area, which would include parts of the North, Northwest and South sides, was designed to bring in more money from trendy restaurants in areas such as Wrigleyville, Logan Square and Hyde Park, McPier CEO Lori Healey said during a committee hearing Wednesday. The agency expects to bring in an additional $10 million in annual revenue from the expanded boundaries, she said. […]
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Wednesday that she doesn’t know enough about McPier’s proposal to have a position.
* But the proposed boundaries of what would be a much larger taxing district have some locals up in arms…
Ald. Tom Tunney (44th), owner of Ann Sather restaurants, said he adamantly opposes the dramatic expansion of a restaurant tax that was supposed to be temporary.
“This tax was supposed to go away — not expand,” said Tunney, the new chairman of the City Council’s Zoning Committee.
“I’m not supportive of it. We already have the highest sales tax in the country, and we’re expanding it? I just feel that the cost of dining out is very expensive. It’s close to 12 percent. Consumers notice. I also think it hurts us on the competitiveness of the convention and tourism business.” […]
Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd) joined Tunney in opposing the expansion.
“The whole purpose of the original tax on restaurants for McCormick Place was to capture tourism dollars. We know they’re concentrated in the downtown area,” Hopkins said.
“The further you push that away [from downtown], the more you’re putting that burden on local residents who are going to their neighborhood restaurant. That’s not fair, and I don’t support it.”
That bill flew out of the Senate before any opposition could coalesce. There may not be enough time to stop it in the House. We’ll see. It’s been assigned to the House Executive Committee, where it should blow right through to the floor.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Greg Hinz…
Mayor Lori Lightfoot has come out against a legislative plan to expand McCormick Place by hitting areas as much as 10 miles away from the convention center with a 1 percent tax on restaurants, bars, and take-out food items.
The move may well stall action on the proposal, at least for now, as lawmakers in Springfield race toward a scheduled adjournment of their spring session at midnight tomorrow.
In a statement, the mayor, who insisted at a press conference yesterday that she was just learning details of the plan, based her opposition in part on the fact that the proposed bill has a carve-out for sports stadiums with a capacity of at least 20,000 people—including Wrigley Field, Guaranteed Rate Field and the United Center.
“The mayor is committed to ensuring that Chicago’s convention industry remains vibrant, and supports making investments that will enhance McCormick Place and drive new economic growth for the city of Chicago,” the statement said. “However we are concerned about this proposal in its current form, specifically the exemption favoring large venue owners, whose customer base includes visitors and conventioneers, and the potential unintended consequences for small businesses in Chicago.
*** UPDATE 2 *** A source on the House Executive Committee says the plan is to strip the tax hike from the bill. The General Assembly will punt to the fall veto session.
*** UPDATE 3 *** Same source updates with info that the bill will not be called during tonight’s hearing.
When he’s in Chicago, Michael Zalewski is a lawyer at the downtown offices of Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP.
At the same time, in Springfield, the Democratic state representative from Chicago’s Southwest Side has taken the lead role in the effort to legalize betting on sports in Illinois.
And it’s in Springfield where the Taft law firm has dozens of lobbying clients with interests in gambling, including sports betting. […]
“In the last week there’s been a concentrated effort by certain stakeholders to accuse me of being the problem when it comes to passing the sports-betting law,” Zalewski told WBEZ on Wednesday. […]
Springfield sources say the complaints about Zalewski’s side job at Taft came from executives of the company that owns Rivers Casino in Des Plaines. A spokeswoman for Rivers Casino declined to comment. […]
According to his bio on Taft’s website, Zalewski also is “of counsel” to the firm. That means he is employed by the firm but is not a partner with an equity stake in the firm. He said he does not work for any of the firm’s many clients who have interests in Springfield. […]
After the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for sports betting, Zaleswki said he made sure that there were no legal or ethical hurdles to his acting as the chairman at hearings on crafting a sports-gambling law for Illinois.
“I asked and received an ethical opinion from my chief ethics officer,” Zalewski said. “I’ve complied with all ethical and legal guidelines regarding this topic, and I’ve acted with integrity and honor.”
The Rivers people have, indeed, been trying to get Zalewski out of the picture with this story for several days. Rivers has been trying to box out the sports betting companies and temporarily blowing up the process would be a positive for the casino.
Zalewski showed me an opinion from the House Democrats’ ethics officer which had no objection to his law firm work, but outlined everything he needed to do to avoid a problem. He is beloved under the dome, but going to that law firm - even as an “of counsel” - was probably not the best decision he’s ever made.
After weeks of fighting between billionaire Rivers Casino owner Neil Bluhm and the CEOs of the fantasy sports and sports betting tech companies FanDuel and DraftKings that threatened one of Gov. JB Pritzker’s top priorities, negotiators say an omnibus gaming bill will be heard in committee Thursday morning — a bill that includes a deal favorable for Bluhm.
State Sen. Terry Link (D-Vernon Hills) told The Daily Line that while the specifics of the brick-and-mortar casino part of the bill have been solid for a week, deals with the video gaming industry and on sports betting were the last pieces of the puzzle. Deals on both on video gaming and sports betting have crystalized in the last few days, and Link said Wednesday that Bluhm will “be on board supporting this bill.” […]
State Rep. Mike Zalewski (D-Riverside), who had been helping to lead those negotiations, announced Wednesday that he would no longer participate in the talks amid criticism that his law firm represents clients with a stake in the bill, as first reported by WBEZ Wednesday afternoon.
In a series of tweets after the story published, Zalewski said he had never “worked on an issue as hard as I worked on sports betting.”
“In the last week, it became clear some thought I was the problem in the room, so I stepped back and let our gaming negotiator try to land the plane,” Zalewski wrote. “At no time did I put my thumb on the scale for anyone. You only have your integrity, the respect of your colleagues, and your word down here to get you by. I hold my head high that on sports betting, and any other issue I work on, I treat everyone with respect. I hope we get sports betting done. And I think we will. And I’ll have been a part of it. And that will be a cool thing.”
Illinois state Senators approved a proposal on Wednesday to legalize recreational marijuana for adults 21 years and older beginning on January 1, 2020.
With a roll call of 38-17, the measure received support from three of the Republicans in the chamber while two Democrats decided to vote “no.”
Rock Island state Sen. Neil Anderson is one of two Republican co-sponsors of the proposal. He said even though he was voting in favor, he personally is still against cannabis use.
“I will continue to tell my kids that they should not smoke tobacco, they should not smoke cannabis and that is my job as a responsible parent,” said Anderson. “But to those adults out there that want to use cannabis, as I’ve said before, freedom is freedom.”
During the Senate debate, state Sen. Dale Righter argued legalization will increase use and has led to more organized crime prosecutions in Colorado.
“More people are going to use and this is going to cause more hazards for the public, not less,” Righter, R-Mattoon, said. But his Republican colleague, state Sen. Jason Barickman, said he now supports the measure, in part because of additions protecting employers. He said it also gives people “more freedom of their choices.”
And bill sponsor state Sen. Heather Steans, D-Chicago, said just one state that has legalized marijuana has seen an increase in teen use.
“It’s not something of course that we want teens to do … and the notion that you can prevent teens from doing this by simply ignoring that they currently are is what got us into this place,” Steans said. “This is where we are right now.”
“We can’t pretend that we don’t actually have cannabis smoking going on. We know we do. In Illinois, we estimate that about 800,000 people are using. Burying our heads in the sand about that does not improve the situation or the outcomes on this,” Steans said. “A different approach is going to have a much better outcome.”
The biggest reason arrests have risen in Colorado is the cannabis law gave the police more money than they ever had before to go after the bad guys. Part of the legalization process has to be eventually knocking out the criminal networks. First you weaken them with competition, then you take them out.
Steans said legalizing marijuana is expected to generate $57 million in general revenue in the coming budget year and $30 million for a cannabis business development fund. That’s far less than the $170 million Pritzker projected in his spending plan, but Steans said budget negotiators aren’t counting on any of that revenue.
After paying for regulatory expenses and costs related to the expungement process, marijuana revenue would be divided among a number of areas. The largest share, 35%, would go into the state’s general fund; 25% would go to community grants; 20% to mental health and substance abuse programs; 10% to pay down the state’s backlog of unpaid bills; 8% to support law enforcement; and 2% for public education.
Opponents to legalization are now gearing up for a fight in the House.
State Rep. Marty Moylan, a Democrat from Des Plaines who sponsored the resolution to slow the legalization process, said it should be delayed until the summer to allow lawmakers time to understand what’s in the bill.
“They’re trying to ram it down our throats at the last minute,” he said. “They’re presenting it real late so we have a hard time finding out what’s in it.”
All the opponents who claimed this was “really” about some desperate need to collect massive state revenues were wrong from the beginning.
And, Marty, people have been working on this bill for two years. The recent changes were in response to some of your own demands.
“The concern there still remains in terms of home grow. We don’t have access. We won’t be able to tell who’s doing what. The penalties associated with home grow, anything less than five plants is a civil citation, from $100 to a max of $200. That is a concern for us. We want to make sure that it is a strong deterrent for home grow,” said Jim Kaitschuk on behalf of the Illinois Sheriff’s Association.
“We won’t be able to tell who’s doing what.” *Sigh* Kaitschuk, I love you, but try easing up on the Orwell.
It also gives preference in license applications to people who live in or have connections to neighborhoods characterized by high arrest rates for marijuana and other drug-related offenses.
Some opponents of the measure, however, said that provision was one of the reasons why they voted against the bill.
“There is a limited number of licenses and we’re going to give preference to vendors who are going to be in the poorest zip codes in Illinois,” said Sen. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet. “We’re going to give preference to keeping poor people stoned.”
So, you’d rather grant official state preference to vendors in… wealthy areas?
The bill would allow adults 21 and older to legally buy and possess marijuana — 30 grams of cannabis flower or five grams of cannabis concentrate.
According to the bill, cannabis products may not be transported over state lines, and tax revenue will cover needs and costs related to expungement or the clearing of marijuana related records before it’s broken out. Additionally, local towns can decide individually how cannabis-related businesses may fit into their communities and employers may still maintain zero tolerance workplaces. Landlords and business owners can have zero tolerance policies as well.
Even with the changes, some are still against the proposal.
“More people are going to use, and that’s going to create more hazards for the public, not less,” said Dale Righter (R-Matoon). “Our kids are watching this. Maybe this is OK for us for now, and for a couple years we’ll get tax revenue. But its meaning 10 or 15 years down the road? And that’s my concern, and that’s why I oppose the bill.”
I don’t even know what to say to that. I kinda doubt he even knows how to translate that word salad.
With urgent flooding situations along the Illinois and Mississippi rivers, Governor JB Pritzker has activated approximately 200 Illinois National Guard soldiers for State Active Duty to assist with the state’s flood fight operations and urged all residents in affected communities to listen to the directions of first responders.
“As we face historic weather in this state, the safety of our communities will always be my top priority, and every relevant state agency is working in concert to protect communities,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This morning, I activated the two hundred members of the Illinois National Guard to regions along the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers to assist in sandbagging operations and levee monitoring and reinforcement, with another 200 on standby. We have deployed more than two million sandbags, hosted multi-agency resources centers in impacted communities, and I issued a disaster declaration impacting 34 counties. My administration will continue using every tool at our disposal to protect impacted Illinoisans.”
Soldiers of 2nd Battalion, 123 Field Artillery Regiment were notified of the activation last night (Wednesday) and began reporting to their units in Milan, Galesburg and Springfield today (Thursday). The soldiers will help strengthen levees and construct protective barriers in flooded areas. The soldiers will be ready to deploy to affected areas by tomorrow (Friday). In addition, Governor Pritzker is activating a small team of Illinois National Guard planners to augment the Illinois Emergency Management Agency staff.
“The Illinois National Guard is a community-based organization, and when our communities need help we answer the call. As they do to answer they do when they deploy to fight their nations wars, they are leaving families and jobs behind to help their fellow citizens,” said Brig. Gen. Richard Neely, The Adjutant General of the Illinois National Guard. “These guardsmen will assist the residents of impacted areas and help protect the communities from further damage.”
Alicia Tate-Nadeau, acting director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, said she has been in contact with National Guard leaders throughout the state’s flood response. “The National Guard is an important part of the overall state emergency response team. As a retired National Guard general, I’m well aware of the great capability that the Guard brings to the fight. They are professionals in both their state and federal military missions.”
“The Illinois Department of Transportation takes great pride is assisting communities during natural disasters,” said Acting Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. “By mobilizing the National Guard, the governor is helping to ensure residents get the relief they need during this critical time, and IDOT is ready to ensure that critical infrastructure is protected and safe for travel.”
* More…
IEMA Acting Dir Alicia Tate-Nadeau says among actions, 2 million sandbags have been distributed pic.twitter.com/KjittCInek
A Chicago alderman is calling on the governor to provide cash to save the city’s shoreline as Lake Michigan’s water levels rise to record highs.
Ald. Brian Hopkins, 2nd, acknowledged the severity of the problem. He’s calling on Gov. JB Pritzker for the money needed to save Chicago’s shoreline.
“Right now we are in crisis mode,” he said.
Rogers park resident Tom Heineman is watching this shoreline dissolve more every day. The water level this year is the highest he’s seen since the 80s.
“There used to be a beach that went out a good 20 yards,” Heineman said. “The lake is so high that with the northeasterly storms this is what it did.”
Citing remarks made in February by the governor of New York, [Rep. Mike Murphy, R-Springfield] claimed that when that state “implemented a program” to tax the wealthy at higher rates it saw a revenue shortfall “because of the outward migration of their top earners.”
Cuomo did raise the specter of out-migration among the state’s better-off taxpayers when personal income tax revenues came in below projections early this year. But he blamed the drop on fallout from the Republican federal tax overhaul of 2017 and other factors, not graduated income tax rates in New York which haven’t been raised in a decade.
What’s more, IRS data show the number of people filing with income greater than $200,000 in New York has increased every year since 2009 when New York raised rates on top earnings to levels similar to those currently under consideration in Illinois.
We rate Murphy’s claim False.
The piece also mentions that New York’s April personal income tax collections spiked 57 percent over last year.
* Related…
* Analysis Raises Doubts Higher Income People Will Leave If Illinois Adopts A Graduated Income Tax
Exercising Constitutional rights in America should not cost money, but under new legislation approved in the Illinois House today the cost of gun ownership in Illinois will dramatically increase.
The House approved Senate Bill 1966 62-52. The legislation would substantially the increase cost of a FOID card and complicate the process by mandating fingerprinting as a requirement to obtain/renew a FOID card with a maximum cost of $30 for the service. The legislation also raises the FOID card renewals to $20 every 5 years (currently $10 for a 10-year license). Finally, it also requires private firearm sales/transfers go through a licensed dealer.
“This legislation is an affront to every gun owner in this state,” said Richard Pearson, executive director of the Illinois State Rifle Association. “You should not have to pay money to exercise your Constitutional rights. We have a guaranteed right to own a firearm under the Constitution, but here in Illinois to exercise that right, you must jump through all kinds of hoops and pay all kinds of money to the state. There are few things you can count on in life, but one of them is that Illinois State Rifle Association will keep fighting this in the Legislature and will be challenging this terrible legislation in court should it be signed into law.”
* GPAC…
Today, the Illinois House passed the Fix the FOID Act (SB 1966), that address loopholes in the state’s existing gun licensing system that were brought to light following the tragic shooting that took five lives on February 15, 2019 in Aurora, Illinois. With days to go before the end of the Illinois legislative session, the Senate must call for a vote before the bill can head to the Governor’s desk.
“We are grateful to chief sponsor Representative Kathleen Willis and proud of the Illinois House for working to close the gaps in our gun laws to ensure that those who are prohibited from gun possession, are not able to easily evade the law and arm themselves,” said Kathleen Sances, president and CEO of G-PAC. “We urge the Illinois Senate to take this critical legislation over the finish line by voting yes to fixing the FOID.”
“People are looking for action to prevent gun violence, and Springfield is listening,” said Tanja Radakovich Murray, a volunteer with the Illinois chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. “Closing deadly gaps in our gun laws is a matter of public safety, and the Senate should act quickly to send this important legislation to the Governor’s desk.”
“People prohibited from owning a gun shouldn’t be able to get their hands on one,” said Nico Bocour, state legislative director at Giffords, the gun violence prevention organization founded by former Representative Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, Captain Mark Kelly. “Gaps in Illinois’s strong laws have allowed dangerous individuals to use a firearm to cause devastating tragedies like the shooting in Aurora, Illinois. But state lawmakers didn’t just offer thoughts and prayers. They acted to make sure Illinoisans are safe from gun violence at work and in their communities. The Fix the FOID Act closes dangerous loopholes so only law-abiding citizens can buy a gun. We applaud Rep. Willis and Sen. Morrison for their leadership in sponsoring this legislation and look forward to Governor Pritzker signing the Fix the FOID Act into law.”
Under current Illinois law, individuals seeking to buy a gun must first obtain a Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) Card from the Department of State Police. The Fix the FOID Act would make the following key provisions to the current FOID system:
Require a point-of-sale background check for all gun sales, including those by an unlicensed seller.
Require applicants for FOID Cards to submit fingerprints as part of their application.
Reduce the FOID Card duration from 10 years to five years.
Require action by the State Police to remove guns once a FOID Card is revoked.
An investigation by the Chicago Tribune published last week found that as many as 30,000 guns may still be in the possession of Illinois residents deemed too dangerous to have them, while the Chicago Sun-Times editoralized in favor of Fix the FOID. In the editorial, the Sun-Times writes: “none of the modest measures being proposed in this legislation would impose an undue burden on anybody’s Second Amendment rights. But they might have saved the lives of five people in Aurora on Feb. 15, 2010.”
Support for the bill is growing across district and party lines. A recently released poll finds that two-thirds of Illinois voters support the Fix the FOID Act including roughly three-quarters of voters in suburban Cook County and the “collar counties” of DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will and almost half of voters in Downstate Illinois.
The measure passed out of the House by a margin of 62-52.
The roll call is here. Democratic Reps. Bristow, Greenwood, Halpin, Hoffman, Kifowit, Reitz, Scherer, Stuart and Yednock voted “No.”
Reps. DeLuca and Mayfield did not vote. Rep. Mason was excused.
In response to Sen. Michael Hastings, sponsor of the Illinois critical infrastructure bill HB 1633, tabling his anti-protest bill, Greenpeace USA Executive Director Annie Leonard said:
“HB 1633 was a completely unnecessary attempt by the fossil fuel industry and secretive groups like ALEC to divide the progressive movement at the exact moment when we most need to mobilize quickly toward real solutions to climate change. Over 50 civil rights organizations, labor unions, and grassroots groups worked together to defeat this bill. Nearly 6,000 witness slips opposing the bill were submitted compared to a paltry 215 by the bill’s proponents. Our collective message was clear: Illinois does not need such a harmful and unnecessary law on the books. We are pleased Sen. Hastings listened to our concerns and wisely chose to table this bill.
“We need elected officials who are champions for people and the planet. We need our lawmakers fearless in the face of oil and gas money in politics. We need them believing the science, telling the truth, and speaking out for their constituents over corporations. Sen. Hastings did the right thing by tabling HB 1633, not just for the state, but as an example that shows that we the people need a healthy democracy to protect our planet.”
One of organized labor’s few defeats this year. But, hey, maybe it’ll pop up elsewhere. I asked Sen. Hastings why he tabled the bill and he didn’t respond.
…Adding… From Sen. Hastings…
Rich -
Given the text of the original House Bill 1633 & its sweeping passage in the Illinois House of Representatives (77 Yes, 28 No), I had serious concerns as to some of the provisions contained in the bill.
Understanding that, I proposed an amendment that would bring the legislation in compliance with the Senate Clear Committee. Unfortunately, due to the limited amount of time left in the legislative session, I chose to table the bill in order to bring all interested parties together over the summer.
* I’m about 99 percent sure I know the answer to this question, but I ain’t talking…
Hey, remember when Gov. Pritzker hired Maroon 5 to play his inaugural party (and Adam Levine didn’t take his shirt off)? He’s throwing a birthday party for Secretary of State Jesse White tonight at the governor’s mansion and there’s a secret band again. Guesses? #twill
Money to support McCormick Place expansion would be raised by expanding a 1% tax on restaurant meals and drinks under legislation advancing Wednesday in the Illinois Senate.
The proposal, which has strong backing from trade unions, would enlarge the part of Chicago’s central business district in which the tax is collected. The Senate Executive Committee approved the measure 12-1, with one member voting present, during a hearing Wednesday. The bill could go to the full Senate later Wednesday.
The revenue would allow the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, which runs McCormick Place, to borrow an additional $600 million, increasing its bonding limit to $3.45 billion. The agency plans to build a new convention hall over King Drive and tear down the above-ground portion of the Lakeside Center, widely viewed as outmoded convention space.
An earlier proposal to fund the expansion with a $1-a-ride tax on Uber and Lyft has been dropped amid opposition from those companies.
[Yesterday] the Illinois Legislature passed SB9, The Coal Ash Pollution Prevention Act, which now heads to the Governor’s desk. The groundbreaking bill addresses the many waste pits filled with coal ash, the toxic byproduct of burning coal, located all over the state. Illinois is now the third state in the country to pass legislation providing significant coal ash protections above and beyond federal requirements.
The legislation creates a regulatory framework to ensure polluters, not taxpayers, pay for needed closure and cleanup, guarantees public participation and transparency around cleanups for affected communities, and provides Illinois EPA the funds it needs to properly oversee closure and cleanup. It also requires Illinois to put in place standards for coal ash impoundments that are at least as protective as federal coal ash rule requirements, with additional protections against dust and water pollution. […]
Illinois has the highest concentration of coal ash impoundments in the country. The Illinois EPA has found groundwater contamination from coal ash waste sites dating back to 2009. A 2018 report from environmental groups Environmental Integrity Project, Earthjustice, Prairie Rivers Network and Sierra Club analyzing data collected by ash dump owners under the federal coal ash rule found that 22 of 24 of Illinois’ reporting coal ash dumpsites have unsafe levels of toxic pollutants in the groundwater. Illinois joins Virginia and North Carolina in addressing coal ash through state level legislation.
One of Champaign County’s most partisan elected officials has joined forces with Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan in a bid to elect more Democrats to judicial offices here.
On Monday, state Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Urbana, proposed an amendment to a legislative shell bill — HB97 — to remove Champaign County from its current six-county judicial circuit and make it a circuit of its own.
The legislation was passed on an 8-5 party-line vote Tuesday by the House Executive Committee and sent to the House floor for further action. […]
Ammons declined to discuss the legislation but issued a brief statement.
“Judicial reform is needed in Champaign County to bring balance and access to the bench; ensuring diverse candidates by gender, race and party affiliation. Champaign County judges should be elected by the people of Champaign County,” she said.
That is not — and likely won’t ever be — the case. The county judiciary is staffed by six circuit judges — three of whom are resident judges and run only in Champaign County. In addition to the circuit judges, the county has five associate judges who are appointed by the circuit judges for a specific term in office.
Ammons told me yesterday there is only one woman circuit judge, no minorities and no Democrats.
* Illinois Lawmakers Tackle Teacher Shortage By Taking Aim At Licensing Test: In Illinois now, student teachers have to videotape themselves in the classroom as part of a mandatory test to become certified. But some educators say the edTPA test is too onerous, not an effective indicator of a quality teacher and discourages some would-be teachers.
* Illinois bill to stop some driver’s license suspensions put on hold [UPDATE: The bill passed committee and is now on short debate in the House.]
* Bill would ban e-cigs in public indoor places: The proposal was approved by the Senate Public Health Committee, but only after Sen. Patricia Van Pelt, D-Chicago, changed her vote to get the issue to the Senate floor. She did not pledge to support it during a floor vote, though.
* The Illinois AFL-CIO is misidentified here, but I’m more interested in Link’s quote…
One of the state’s largest labor unions urged lawmakers to pass an expanded gambling bill in the waning days of the 2019 session, saying it would not only create new jobs in Illinois but would provide needed funding for a multi-billion-dollar capital improvements plan.
“Illinois is recovering from the trauma of four years of budget impasse, starving out vital services, and a public works stagnation,” Michael Carrigan, president of the Illinois AFL-CIO, said during a Statehouse news conference Tuesday. “An expansion of gaming will help fund much-needed infrastructure construction and be a shot in the arm for revenue for this state.”
The biggest obstacle to passing a gambling measure this year, however, is that with only three days left in the regular session, the bill still hasn’t been written.
“We have 80 hours to go. What are you worried about?” quipped Sen. Terry Link, D-Indian Creek, one of the lead supporters of expanded gambling in the Senate. “The bill is being drafted. It’s not like this is all new concepts. We’re working off of bills we’ve done in the past. We’re tweaking. We’re changing them around a lot.”
Illinois residents making $1.5 million a year [currently] pay less in income taxes than their counterparts in all but eight of the 41 states with such a tax.
But for people making $60,000 a year, it’s a different story. In 24 of the states, those taxpayers pay less than in Illinois.
But that would change if the governor’s graduated income tax plan is approved, Griffin found…
• Illinois filers with incomes over $1.5 million would move from the ninth lowest income taxes among the 41 states to the 35th lowest, meaning their income taxes would become among the highest.
• Those with incomes of $500,000 would move from 11th lowest to 26th lowest.
• Residents with incomes of $150,000 would move in the other direction, from 15th lowest to 13th lowest.
• And those with incomes of $60,000 would move from 24th lowest to 21st lowest.
* I’ve been trying to delete as many anonymous comments as I can lately because I’ve found that the people who won’t bother to take two seconds to come up with a screen name are usually (not always) trolls of the worst sort.
I received this e-mail last night…
Your deleting of anonymous postings has caused me to delete your web site from my book marks. Goodbye and good riddance!
I’d like to tell you what my response was, but I’d have to ban myself if I did.
Wednesday, May 29, 2019 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
The women of Illinois are waiting.
They’re waiting for lawmakers in Springfield to show that they fully support women’s reproductive rights, free of meddling interference from government.
They’re waiting, and watching, as conservative legislators elsewhere target Roe v. Wade with draconian anti-abortion laws passed by conservative lawmakers who hope to someday get rid of Roe v. Wade.
Some of those laws ban abortions even in cases of rape or incest. Others allow women or their doctors to be prosecuted for undergoing or performing abortions.
Illinois is solidly pro-choice, but we must ensure protections for future generations of women. Should one of those medieval laws land before a conservative Supreme Court that is eager to overturn Roe, it would threaten abortion rights here and elsewhere.
Lawmakers in Illinois need not allow that chance.
They can safeguard the reproductive rights of women in Illinois by moving quickly to pass … the Reproductive Health Act. The bill would keep abortion and reproductive care safe and accessible by repealing decades-old laws that restrict, and in some cases criminalize, abortion.
* I’m told the Senate will recess for an Executive Committee hearing at around 2 o’clock this afternoon. The committee will take up the cannabis legalization bill (Senate Amendment 2 to House Bill 1438) at that hearing.
The Senate will reconvene at about 5:30 this afternoon. The plan is to run the cannabis bill on the floor after a few warmup bills.
Republicans on Tuesday said they will likely provide “a handful” of votes to legalize marijuana now that a new amendment to SB 7 establishes a different path to expunge the records of those convicted of cannabis-related offenses — the governor’s pardon power.
A week ago Republican leaders told The Daily Line no member of their caucus would vote for to the long-running effort to legalize marijuana.
State Sen. Toi Hutchinson (D-Olympia Fields) told The Daily Line that she backed the change to the bill’s original language of automatic expungement of records via legislation to gubernatorial action.
In Illinois, a governor has the ability to pardon with “permission to expunge.” If a person is granted a pardon, with permission to expunge, he or she can then file a petition to expunge the pardoned offense, according to state guidelines.
“The expungement piece…we boosted the constitutionality of what it is we’re attempting to do and that was a significant concern for the Republican caucus and that brings folks back on board,” Hutchinson said. “That was one of the biggest sticking points.”
The original language in SB 7 dropped on May 4, and the Republicans who had been negotiating the bill for months — including State Sen. Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington) — began saying both privately and in the media that they could no longer support the bill. […]
“This is about to be the single-biggest piece of criminal justice reform in one piece of legislation in the country, and I would daresay the world,” Hutchinson said. “This is big, this is big, and I didn’t think this was going to happen. And I’m really proud of it. And nothing would make me happier than to see — if we actually make it to a bipartisan roll call because we tried and because it worked, that’s a good thing.”
This thing has legs, campers.
…Adding… Press release…
Americans for Prosperity-Illinois (AFP-IL) and the Reason Foundation issued a letter to lawmakers in support of the expungement reforms included in Senate Bill 7, which would allow for the legal cultivation, sale, and possession of cannabis in regulated amounts statewide. The groups also recommended needed reforms to the legislation in order for it the best achieve its goals. AFP-IL believes any effort to legalize recreational marijuana should enhance public safety, remove barriers to help individuals get a second chance, and be free of cronyism and overregulation.
The letter is here. There will be no amendments after Senate action barring a disastrous drafting error, however. The language is a Senate amendment to a House bill. Once the Senate passes it, the House has to either concur or non-concur.
Legalize Illinois praised Clergy for a New Drug Policy today for a letter it issued calling on the Illinois General Assembly immediately to legalize recreational cannabis for adult use. The letter, signed by 58 members of the clergy, cites the social justice and public safety aspects of the bill currently under consideration as the most urgent to support it.
“As clergy, we care deeply about social justice. The criminalization of cannabis, even for simple possession, has crippled the lives of people of color disproportionately for more than four decades. This is why we – the undersigned – believe it is time to move to a system of legal, regulated and taxed adult-use cannabis in Illinois,” the letter states.
“Current cannabis laws, fines, and arrests are carried out with staggering racial bias. The illicit market, which prohibition makes inevitable, continues to breed violence in our poorest communities all across Illinois,” the clergy members wrote.
The letter also notes that “regulation would make Illinois a safer state. It would allow us to educate adults, informing them about what a product contains and enabling them to make informed decisions. Banning sales by law to those under 21 would help to limit access to our youth. Under prohibition, these measures are not possible.”
Clergy for a New Drug Policy, led by Executive Director Rev. Alexander Sharp, also cited the bill’s provisions that would provide expungement of past low-level cannabis arrests and convictions while allocating “funds to communities ravaged by the War on Drugs.”
“We cannot wait any longer to make this the law of the land in Illinois. We urge you to vote yes on a regulatory system that works for all of Illinois,” the letter concludes.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Good…
Attention Wakanna investors.
You might consider this the Van Pelt amendment:
A 2-year ban on state lawmakers, regulatory employees, or their direct family members from holding a financial interest in state-licensed cannabis companies. pic.twitter.com/qmNEhFfg5b
I believe that the people of Illinois want our government to give individuals freedom over their life decisions. Cannabis use is largely a personal choice and the primary role of government should be to adopt appropriate safeguards to protect minors and the public when an individual’s use puts others in harm’s way. This legislation puts those safeguards in place.
Barickman and GOP Sen. Neil Anderson have signed on as hyphenated co-sponsors.
In response to Personal PAC President and CEO Terry Cosgrove’s comment during a recent press conference that Assistant House Republican Leader Avery Bourne was a used as a “prop” during the abortion bill debate on Tuesday, the women of the House Republican Caucus have issued this joint statement:
“At a time when Democrats talk about the importance of empowering women and acknowledging their value in leadership roles, Terry Cosgrove’s efforts to degrade Assistant Leader Avery Bourne’s importance as a spokesperson for our caucus is indefensible. Avery is one of our caucus’ most outspoken advocates on the protection of unborn life, and any attempts to diminish the credibility of her voice is appalling.”
I want to apologize to Representative Avery Bourne publicly and completely. This morning, I cast an unfair and inappropriate aspersion on Representative Bourne’s passionate advocacy on the floor of the Illinois House, asserting that it was a “cheap political stunt.” That was just wrong. It not only was offensive to Representative Bourne personally, it also rudely ignored the heartfelt, passionate way in which Representative Bourne expressed herself in Committee on Sunday evening and yesterday in the full House. She may disagree with the position embraced by Personal PAC, but she did not deserve to be subjected to such an insult.
This was an unnecessary, harmful distraction to Representative Bourne as she attempts to complete her work in the waning days of session. She deserves this respect and recognition for her work, not the flippant response of someone who should know better. In the coming hours, my intent is to communicate this apology directly to Representative Bourne.
As other states, including neighboring Missouri, have passed laws that are tantamount to abortion bans, Illinois is moving in the opposite direction.
After an emotional, but by and large respectful debate, the Illinois House on Tuesday voted 64 to 50 to enshrine in state law a woman’s fundamental right to have an abortion.
“Since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973, efforts to undermine reproductive rights have been constant. We have seen in recent days and weeks these attacks have increased dramatically. They are focused and strategic and aimed at undermining our right to bodily autonomy and self-determination,” sponsoring Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago, said. “Not on my watch.”
Cassidy repeatedly said the measure will merely codify in state statue what is already common practice.
The measure, Senate Bill 25, repeals the Illinois Abortion Law, which could punish doctors for performing abortions – law that has technically been on the books since the ‘70s but is not in practice due to court injunctions and decrees.
The bill, called the Reproductive Health Act, would also repeal the state’s partial birth abortion ban, which affects later-stage pregnancies. Partial-birth abortions are not allowed under federal law, unless it’s used as a means to save the mother’s life when it’s in jeopardy.
It designates access to contraception, pregnancy benefits, abortion procedures, diagnostic testing and other related health care as a fundamental right, banning government from impairing that access for women and men. […]
During floor debate Tuesday, Cassidy had a scripted back-and-forth with Rep. Robyn Gabel, D-Evanston. It covered topics ranging from whether the Reproductive Health Act would allow abortions to occur at any point during a pregnancy for any reason — in short, no, Cassidy answered — to who can perform an abortion — only doctors can carry out a surgical one, but physician assistants and advanced-practice registered nurses can prescribe medications. […]
[Cassidy] went on to answer questions from lawmakers from both parties for nearly two hours. There were two phrases she repeated frequently: The Reproductive Health Act “does not change the current standard of practice” and “doctors are required to adhere to accepted standards of clinical practice.” […]
In addition, the measure repeals several aspects of current law that courts have blocked, including criminal penalties for doctors and spousal consent.
In an unusual move, Republicans deferred almost all their time to one colleague: state Rep. Avery Bourne, from Raymond, who’s pregnant. She went back and forth with the legislation‘s sponsor, state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, a Democrat from Chicago.
“How broad do we intend for this to be?” Bourne asked.
“A doctor will make a decision based on the accepted standards of medical care,” Cassidy said.
“Could you give me any parameters that we’re asking this doctor to make?” Bourne asked.
“I am not a doctor,“ Cassidy replied. “Doctors decide. And doctors decide based on the accepted standards of clinical care.”
For about 45 minutes, Bourne questioned Cassidy on everything from the meaning of a “fundamental right” to parental notification to what an “extraordinary medical measure” is.
Bourne offered examples, such as whether a baby at 36-weeks could be terminated if an ultrasound shows a “hole in their heart.” She also described whether a sick baby being flown to a neo-natal intensive care unit would be considered an “extraordinary medical measure.”
“This broadens their ability to make that decision,” Bourne said.
Cassidy said legislators “can’t and should not be hearing hypotheticals.”
“Lawmakers are not doctors. Doctors need to use the accepted standard of clinical care and to make their decision to the best of their knowledge,” Cassidy said.
Putting Rep. Bourne out front helped give the Republicans a strong visual image since she’s so very pregnant. But it also kept their more, um, vocal members quiet and in the background.
The debate became emotional at times, including when Rep. Avery Bourne, R-Raymond, asked Cassidy a series of questions about the language in the bill. Several Republican House members gave up their time to talk about the bill so Bourne could speak long beyond the five minutes allotted to each lawmaker.
Bourne’s voice cracked as she talked about what she said is the “most expansive” abortion bill in the state and country.
“This bill is not about keeping abortion legal in Illinois,” Bourne said. “This is about a massive expansion that will impact viable babies. And that is wrong.” […]
Bishop Thomas John Paprocki, of the Diocese of Springfield, issued a statement condemning the “gravely immoral” action of the House in passing the bill.
“Christians have rejected the practice of abortion from the earliest days of the Church,” he said. “Children are a gift from God, no matter the circumstances of their conception. They not only have a right to life, but we as a society have a moral obligation to protect them from harm. Legislation that deprives children of legal protection before they are born, allowing for the murder of children at any stage in the womb, even up to the moment of birth, is evil.”
“This is an expansion of abortion unlike states around us and I think it certainly makes us an outlier in the country,” Bourne said after the debate. “We are legislating for what is happening right now and in the state of Illinois. For them to use what other states are doing to justify their expansion of abortion, I think, is irresponsible legislating.”
Bourne led the opposition debate against SB25 on the House floor.
Each time she spoke, all Republican representatives stood to listen to the 33-weeks-pregnant mom-to-be.
“This bill will mean that for a person at my stage of pregnancy, where the baby responds to his dad’s voice as he reads him books at night, the woman could go to the facility — the baby is perfectly healthy — but if that woman says based on my familial health this is medically necessary, that is allowed,” Bourne said during the debate on the House floor.
Republican state Rep. Avery Bourne, who’s pregnant, took issue with several parts of the bill, which she said was too expansive.
“So you are taking out the prohibition on sex-selective abortions and you think that’s the appropriate thing for the state to do?” Bourne said.
“I think that it is appropriate to codify current practice,” Cassidy said.
Bourne also took issue with what she said was the measure’s language removing rights from an unborn fetus. She worried the law would not allow someone to be held accountable for an attack against a pregnant woman that harmed or kills a fetus in the womb. Cassidy said existing law on that issue would stand.
Bourne and other Republicans were also concerned about a lack of requirements to report to the state why an abortion was performed, and even restrictions they said would keep a coroner from investigating botched abortions.
The coroner thing was a bit interesting because the only medically related death that has to be reported to a county coroner is abortion. This legislation would treat abortion like every other death after a medical treatment or procedure.
The bill’s proponents have argued that the legislation codifies existing practice and is necessary in light of the recent passage of restrictive abortion laws in a number of Republican-controlled states, as well as the conservative majority on the Supreme Court, which many pro-choice activists are concerned might overturn Roe v. Wade.
“RHA codifies our existing practices and — and this is critical — treats abortion care just like any other health care, because it is,” said the bill’s sponsor, state representative Kelly Cassidy (D., Chicago).
Passsage of the RHA in the House came on the same day as the Planned Parenthood clinic in St. Louis says it may lose its license to perform abortions. The St. Louis Planned Parenthood location is the only clinic in Missouri that provides abortions.
That news may lead to more women coming to Illinois for an abortion, officials at Hope Clinic in Granite City said.
About half of Hope Clinic’s patients are from Missouri, with 40 to 45 percent from Illinois, and 5 to 10 percent from elsewhere, said Alison Dreith, the clinic’s deputy director.
Dreith said after Missouri instituted a 72-hour mandatory waiting period for abortion in 2014, more and more people came to Hope Clinic, especially in the last two years.
“All you have to do is look at the tally board to see where the votes came from…..from up north. I am looking forward to the days of truth and justice for the babies in the womb.”
* One more…
Rep. Maurice West (D-Rockford) made a speech on the floor that received applause from his colleagues. Here's a transcription: pic.twitter.com/cZZt4LoSIB
* Background is here. This post came after a long and acrimonious Twitter exchange between Maxwell and the Illinois Policy Institute…
A new private post from @IllinoisPolicy tells members not to leak to the press, and ironically the group known for snark and insults say “there’s no room for ridicule.”
The cherry on top: they use an old Rauner line about how they’re *really* here to take slings and arrows. pic.twitter.com/nbQ7fCiusc
