Thompson, who has served as 11th Ward alderman since 2015, was charged in a seven-count indictment with filing false tax returns and lying to FDIC officials about $219,000 in loans and other payments he’d received from Washington Federal Bank for Savings before it was shuttered.
The indictment alleged the first loan for $110,000 was the only one ever put on paper. Thompson allegedly made one payment on it but never paid off the rest. The other two loans, which totaled $120,000, were completely off the books, and Thompson made no effort to repay either principle or interest on them, according to the charges.
Thompson then took tax reductions on his IRS returns by claiming he was paying “mortgage interest” on the loans, the charges alleged. […]
An arraignment date for Thompson has not been set. His lawyer, Chris Gair, could not immediately be reached.
Washington Federal later collapsed in 2017, leading to federal charges against a number of the bank’s executives and former customers alleging a multiyear, $31 million embezzlement scheme that preceded the institution’s failure.
*** UPDATE *** I watched this man deteriorate before my very eyes and, sadly, this does not surprise me…
///BREAKING/// (Yes, more news!) Former 22nd Ward Chicago Ald. Ricardo Munoz has been indicted on federal charges alleging he spent campaign cash on sports tickets, travel, meals and other personal expenses. Story on that coming too. pic.twitter.com/YyPFtn1sA9
Former Ald. Ricardo Munoz once led the Chicago Progressive Reform Caucus, meant to “create a more just and equal Chicago,” the feds say.
But prosecutors allege the onetime veteran alderman used its accounts as a personal piggy bank, stealing thousands to pay for a relative’s college tuition, skydiving excursions, travel expenses, a hotel stay — and even at Lover’s Lane.
A 29-page indictment made public Thursday also indicates that Munoz’s behavior continued even after the feds’ aggressive pursuit of public corruption had blown into full view in November 2018.
Now, Munoz faces 15 counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. His arraignment had not been scheduled as of Thursday afternoon. His attorney, Richard Kling, said he had not yet seen the indictment and wanted to read it before commentin
Thursday, Apr 29, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Study Finds Expanding Illinois’ Renewable Energy Program Will
Lower Energy Costs for All Illinois Consumers
• A study by former Illinois Power Agency (IPA) director shows that passing Path to 100 (HB 2640 / SB 1601) will lower energy costs for all ratepayers
• Consumers save more than $1.2 Billion over ten years by fully funding Illinois’ renewable energy program to 40% by 2031
• Path to 100 would create 53,000 new construction jobs
Why more renewables = lower costs:
1. Wind and solar generators have zero fuel costs, so they win wholesale energy auctions and displace more expensive power plants. These savings are passed on to all consumers.
2. Rooftop and community solar reduce peak demand, which reduces the amount of capacity that grid operators need to buy. These savings are passed on to all consumers.
3. Rooftop and community solar customers receive direct savings on their bills.
A bill that would create a new teacher and principal mentoring program in Illinois schools passed the state Senate Wednesday over Republican objections that it would adhere to “culturally responsive” educational standards.
Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford said the “culturally responsive teaching and learning standards” underlying the bill she sponsored are “about creating a learning environment in which students from all different backgrounds feel included and engaged.”
But southern Illinois Republican Sen. Darren Bailey, who’s running for governor, argued the bill is “replacing our children’s education with political indoctrination.”
Lightford, a Maywood Democrat, said, “This is about professional development and making sure we began to address the teacher shortage, the lack of supports that we give to new teachers, new principals, and so that they have the mentorship that’s needed.”
* Planned Parenthood…
Advocates for the Responsible Education for Adolescent and Children’s Health Act (REACH Act), led by Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (PPIA) and Equality Illinois (EI), worked with the coalition supporting the Illinois Healthy Youth Act to create one bill that requires age-appropriate, comprehensive, and inclusive personal health and safety education for grades K-5 and sexual health education for grades 6-12 for all Illinois public school students. The Keeping Youth Safe and Healthy Bill (SB 818), sponsored by Sen. Ram Villivalam, was filed Wednesday, April 28. SB 818 retains the key elements of the REACH Act while strengthening the language in the details of the legislation.
“Combining these two pieces of legislation not only makes sense so that legislators have to vote on just one bill—it was an opportunity to refine the language to benefit Illinois public school students,” said Brigid Leahy, Senior Director of Public Policy for PPIA. “The new bill still requires age and developmentally appropriate education for grades K-12, as well as providing information that is medically accurate and inclusive. SB 818 still focuses on healthy relationships, bullying, abuse and violence prevention and empowering students to make healthy and safe decisions.”
Currently, 30 states require personal health and safety education or sexual health education, but Illinois is not one of them. The Keeping Youth Safe and Healthy Bill will require that the experiences and needs of all youth in the school, including disabled students, parenting students, and survivors of interpersonal and sexual violence are addressed. This education will not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, national origin, disability, religion, gender expression, gender identity, or sexual orientation.
“Illinoisans recognize the need to ensure all public schools affirm and equip students, including LGBTQ students, with the inclusive tools and information they need to build healthy relationships and lead safe and supported lives,” said Myles Brady Davis, Director of Communications at Equality Illinois, the state’s civil rights organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer Illinoisans. “With the Keeping Youth Safe and Healthy Bill, the Illinois Senate and House of Representatives have the bold opportunity to act now to support all students, especially LGBTQ students, in all parts of the state.”
If passed, the Keeping Youth Safe and Healthy Bill will require the Illinois State Board of Education to adopt rigorous learning standards. Schools will start teaching according to the standards in 2023, allowing schools adequate time and resources to implement high-quality programs. School districts will maintain control by selecting their curricula and the number of teaching minutes. Parents will retain the right to remove their students from classes.
* “Protection Against Lindsay Lohan’s Dad Act”…
Bipartisan-backed legislation that tightens the legal screws on “patient brokers” targeting Illinois residents struggling with opioid addiction and other behavioral health illnesses by marketing expensive, questionable ‘treatment’ services, a measure newly dubbed “Protect Against Lindsay Lohan’s Dad Act” by proponents, has been approved by the full Illinois Senate.
The legislation, Senate Bill 2312, sponsored by State Senator Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago), among other things, bans treatment provider employee or independent consultant compensation based on “volume or value” of patient referrals, according to Illinois Association for Behavioral Health CEO Jud DeLoss, who initiated the bill idea.
DeLoss cited the recent incident involving Michael Lohan, father of actor Lindsay Lohan, who was arrested on April 23 by Palm Beach County sheriffs on five counts of patient brokering and one count of conspiracy to commit patient brokering. A Florida-based drug treatment center allegedly paid Lohan or a business with links to Lohan more than $27,000 in kickbacks.
“The patient brokering charge against Michael Lohan, regarding $27,000 in so-called ‘referral fees’ is precisely the offense that our legislation targets,” said DeLoss. “This bill squeezes out the financial incentive for employees or consultants to recruit patients, prohibiting compensation based on volume or value of treatment, and that’s why we have dubbed it the ‘Protection Against Lindsay Lohan’s Dad Act.’”
…Adding… Update from yesterday…
After being one of the strongest advocates in favor of the landmark criminal justice pillar of the Black Caucus agenda that passed in January, State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago) is continuing his fight to win real safety and justice for all Illinois residents with a proposal to stop the use of deceptive interrogation practices on children.
“Kids are taught to trust adults in positions of power, and it is unconscionable to allow law enforcement to exploit that trust in order to coerce information,” Peters said. “These kids are scared and may not fully understand their rights or of how the legal process works, so it’s a lot more likely that they’ll give false information if deception is added to the mix.”
The legislation would make statements provided by minors under the age of 18 inadmissible as evidence against the minor in court if they were made during an interrogation where the law enforcement officer intentionally engaged in deception. It defines deception as knowingly providing false information about evidence or leniency.
“What message does it send when we allow law enforcement to lie to our kids in order to get them to say what they want?” Peters said. “If we want real safety and justice in our communities, we need to rebuild the trust between the people and the officers charged with protecting them.”
The Illinois Senate approved Senate Bill 2122 with bipartisan support Thursday, and it will now be sent to the House of Representatives.
As for a vaccination passport to prove a person has been inoculated against the coronavirus, Pritzker says a vaccination app would be useful, but should not be required to enter an event or facility.
“As long as it is your choice,” Pritzker said. “If people ask you to show that for a particular venue or private venue, they have the ability and right to do that. You don’t have to show that to them. You don’t have to be to go to that venue or be engaged in that activity.”
Officials at the Illinois Department of Public Health said the agency is working on a program that would allow residents who are vaccinated against COVID-19 to show an electronic certification from the state.
“Vaccinated individuals may want to be able to prove they have been vaccinated, especially if they misplace their CDC vaccination card,” IDPH spokeswoman Melaney Arnold said. “IDPH is working to provide this service to individuals.”
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 3,394 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 38 additional deaths.
- Cook County: 1 male 30s, 2 males 40s, 2 males 50s, 3 females 60s, 3 females 80s, 3 males 80s, 1 female 90s
- DuPage County: 1 female 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s
- Kane County: 1 male 80s
- Kankakee County: 1 male 60s
- Kendall County: 1 male 60s
- Lake County: 1 female 80s
- LaSalle County: 1 female 70s
- Livingston County: 1 female 80s
- Macon County: 1 male 50s
- Ogle County: 1 male 90s
- St. Clair County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s, 2 females 90s
- Tazewell County: 1 male 30s, 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s
- Will County: 1 female 70s
- Winnebago County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 80s
- Woodford County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 70s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,331,848 cases, including 21,927 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 89,057 specimens for a total of 22,558,270. As of last night, 2,115 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 475 patients were in the ICU and 231 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from April 22-28, 2021 is 3.5%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from April 22-28, 2021 is 4.0%.
The total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses for Illinois is 11,546,345. A total of 9,155,989 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 97,434 doses. Yesterday, 107,689 doses were reported administered in Illinois.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in real-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. Information for deaths previously reported has been changed, therefore numbers have been adjusted. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
Forty percent more Black and Hispanic residents of Illinois nursing homes died from COVID-19 than would be expected, in part because they were more likely than whites to be living in three- and four-person rooms.
That statistic on preventable deaths related to overcrowding, as well as other numbers described as “tragic” and “a call to action” by advocates for nursing home residents, were presented to two Illinois House committees Wednesday by officials from the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services.
The HFS analysis of COVID-19-related deaths between March 2020 and July 2020 — the first wave of the pandemic — provided the first in-depth look at racial and ethnic disparities surrounding the way nursing home residents are housed.
The report said Medicaid patients in nursing homes, and especially Black and Hispanic patients, were “far more likely” to live in a three- or four-person room, live in an understaffed facility and have contracted COVID-19.
State lawmakers are considering a number of changes to Illinois gambling laws, including a measure that would lift the prohibition on gambling on in-state colleges and universities.
Other measures discussed by the House Executive Committee Wednesday would legalize and regulate certain internet gambling programs, or I-gaming, and ban “sweepstakes” machines which mirror video gambling but are otherwise not regulated by the state the same way slot machines are.
Rep. Mike Zalewski, a Riverside Democrat who was one of the lead architects of the gambling expansion bill in 2019 which legalized sports betting, said the prohibition on betting on Illinois collegiate sports teams was put into the law “at the behest of the universities.” […]
[University of Illinois Athletic Director Josh Whitman] said it was a “major concern” that U of I athletes may be in direct contact with someone who is betting on them.
“They’re living amongst the people who are betting on them, which is strange to know that somebody who lives in the dorm room right next door might be betting on them, somebody who was involved with one of our teams as a manager, video person, might be betting on them,” he said.
* The Question: Should Illinoisans be allowed to place in-state bets on in-state college and university sports? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please…
Thursday, Apr 29, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
If lawmakers’ goal is to create a map that ensures representation for communities of color and driven by community input, then why not show the work?
Lawmakers should showcase their redistricting work so all Illinoisans, especially people of color, can see whether the maps are in their best interest.
Let’s start with more notice for public hearings, transparency for map proposals, prioritizing the Federal Voting Rights Act and Illinois Voting Rights Act, and ensuring the public can weigh in and hear back from lawmakers about the final maps before votes are cast.
A compliance report is necessary to show how map-makers used public input and met voting rights acts requirements.
These changes can ensure that constituents in communities across Illinois understand the process.
A former top Exelon lobbyist in Springfield was found to have sexually harassed a colleague multiple times in a “particularly intrusive and unsettling” manner, according to a new decision from the Illinois Executive Ethics Commission.
David Fein, a former top lobbyist for Exelon Generation, the company that manages its nuclear fleet, lost his job in 2019 when the allegations against him were first raised with his superiors and later became public in a report by Crain’s Chicago Business.
Shortly thereafter, the secretary of state inspector general opened an investigation into Fein’s conduct as a lobbyist. That probe reached its conclusion Wednesday when the state ethics panel levied $6,000 in fines against the former utility executive and suspended his lobbyist registration through the end of the year.
Fein, who was registered as an Exelon Generation lobbyist between 2012 and 2019, could not be reached for comment, and messages sent to his attorneys were not returned.
Weekly jobless claims fell to a pandemic low for the third consecutive week, the Labor Department reported Thursday, with 553,000 Americans filing for initial unemployment benefits in the week that ended April 24.
This marks a 13,000 decrease compared to last week, putting the insured unemployment rate around 2.6 percent, the Labor Department said.
While claims remain elevated (In 2019, average weekly initial claims hovered around 218,000), the trajectory signals that growing vaccination numbers, loosening business restrictions and warmer weather are helping to heal the jobs market.
The U.S. Department of Labor estimates 14,997 new unemployment claims were filed during the week of April 19 in Illinois, according to the DOL’s weekly claims report released Thursday. […]
There were 15,248 new unemployment claims were filed during the week of April 12 in Illinois.
here were 18,986 new unemployment claims were filed during the week of April 5 in Illinois.
There were 16,182 new unemployment claims were filed during the week of March 29 in Illinois.
*** UPDATE *** I meant to post this here and forgot…
A state representative demanded the state’s unemployment offices under Gov. J.B. Pritzker be reopened immediately.
His demand was met with applause in the House chamber on Wednesday. […]
On Wednesday on the House floor, state Rep. Joe Sosnowki, R-Rockford, said it’s time to open the offices back up immediately.
“Why are our unemployment offices in the state of Illinois still closed,” Sosnowski said. “It is now almost the month of May 2021, and our unemployment offices around the state are closed. I don’t believe this is a political issue. I know members on both sides of the aisles have the same concern.” […]
“Proof is in the pudding,” Sosnowski said as he praised Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White for having had their offices open to the public.
“They run a great office,” Sosnowski said of driver services facilities. “Their offices have been open since last May, serving thousands of people at different locations around the state. Our unemployment offices need to open today.”
Um, the some SoS offices are still closed and have Secretary White has closed others due to the virus. I’m also not aware of any threats of violence against those offices, unlike IDES.
Thursday, Apr 29, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
This week, the House Energy and Environment Committee held a hearing on utility accountability, questioning representatives from ComEd on their opposition to various ethics measures included within the Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA).
Ameren refused to even show up. This comes at a time when the company is spending tens of thousands of dollars on anti-CEJA ads in an attempt to avoid accountability and raise rates on downstate customers.
“Despite admissions of criminal activity and payment of a record $200 million fine, Illinois consumers haven’t seen a penny in refunds from ComEd as a result of their wrongdoing over the past decade,” said State Representative Ann Williams. “The cost of corruption is very real, and ratepayers deserve to be remunerated for these costs.”
“And while ComEd may grab the headlines, we need to ensure that all utilities employ the highest ethical standards and adhere to best practices in terms of accountability. Clearly, we cannot move forward with a comprehensive clean energy package without a serious conversation about ethics, transparency, and accountability.” added Rep. Williams.
It’s long past time to hold all utilities accountable. Pass the Clean Energy Jobs Act today.
Thursday, Apr 29, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Employers in Illinois provide prescription drug coverage for nearly 6.7 million Illinoisans. In order to help keep care more affordable, employers work with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), who deploy a variety of tools to reduce prescription drug costs and help improve health outcomes. In addition to helping employers, PBMs also work with the Illinois Medicaid program in the same way to help control costs. Over the last five years, PBMs have saved the state and taxpayers nearly $340 million.
Today, Illinois faces a multibillion budget shortfall as more Illinoisans are relying on Medicaid to help meet their health care coverage needs. As legislators work to address these challenges, one way to help ensure continued cost savings is by strengthening the PBM tools that the State and employers use, which are poised to save employers, consumers and the State $39 billion over the next 10 years. These are meaningful savings that will help continue to contain costs, ensure consumer access to medicines and drive savings in public health programs.
Amid a pandemic and economic challenges, now is the time to strengthen, not limit, the tools that employers, consumers and the State rely on to manage costs and ensure consumers can access the medicines they need.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker is supporting short-term subsidies for two threatened Illinois nuclear plants as part of a wide-ranging overhaul of energy policy his office says would put the state on a path to 100% clean power by 2050.
The proposal represents a balancing act for Pritzker, who is attempting to preserve high-paying union jobs at Exelon’s Byron and Dresden nuclear plants while also seeking accountability from a company whose subsidiary, Commonwealth Edison, has admitted to engaging in bribery in an effort to win support for legislation that included nuclear subsidies in 2016. […]
The governor’s plan draws in elements of a proposal from clean energy advocates that would offer no subsidies to Exelon, and one backed by a union coalition that would offer much more generous and long-lasting support for the four Exelon nuclear plants that aren’t already receiving subsidies from the 2016 law, including two Exelon hasn’t threatened to close.
“Our view is that this proposal pulls together the best of all the proposals that are currently out there into one comprehensive package, and we think it’s a good place to start final negotiations,” [Deputy Gov. Christian Mitchell] said.
With the new legislation, the governor seeks to take some control over a legislative process that has seen separate coalitions propose jarringly different approaches to accomplishing the same goal. A union coalition has put forward legislation that arguably would raise utility bills even more, would provide a higher subsidy to Exelon and would preserve some of ComEd’s formula-rate system. A set of environmental groups, along with the Citizens Utility Board, has pushed the Clean Energy Jobs Act, which would have the state assume oversight of the wholesale power market in northern Illinois with the goal of incentivizing renewable power and disincentivizing fossil fuels. And a coalition of renewable power developers has endorsed legislation, which like Pritzker’s bill, would substantially increase ratepayer charges to finance more projects.
To this point, Springfield has struggled to make choices, with House committees endorsing the various bills on lopsided votes even when they were at cross purposes. […]
The bill includes many provisions aimed at shielding low-income households from those higher costs. Most prominent among them is a call for “tiered” electricity rates, in which those below 80 percent of the median income level for the area would pay less for power than everyone else. Those above that threshold, however, would pay higher rates to make up the difference for the utilities. […]
An unusual reform target in the governor’s bill is the Citizens Utility Board, for decades the most prominent consumer advocate in the state on utility issues. The measure would subject CUB to the Freedom of Information Act and would bar the organization from accepting grants from foundations seeded with utility money. CUB has been accused of being less critical of ComEd, the original source of some of that grant money in the past, than other utilities.
The Consumers and Climate First Act addresses ethics and consumer protections as well as renewable energy and clean power. It also seeks to address how the state plans to help those who lose their jobs as Illinois shifts away from non-renewable energy sources.
Pritzker’s bill would end formula rates, a practice of utility companies being able to “spend ratepayer money with little oversight, meaning ComEd and Ameren, will no longer be able to dramatically increase their profits by loading up the rate base with little cost control,” according to a summary of the bill.
The legislation would also expand the statement of economic interest that legislators must file to include any spouse or immediate family member who is employed by a public utility in Illinois and would make the Citizens Utility Board subject to requests under the Freedom of Information Act and prohibit that board from accepting funds from foundations affiliated with a public utility, according to the bill’s summary. […]
Pritzker’s legislation also seeks to help energy consumers and includes eliminating online payment fees for all utility bills and would eliminate the customer deposit requirement and late fees for low-income residential utility customers. Those with incomes that fall at or below 80% of their area median income would be able to receive tiered discount rates on their utility bills.
The legislation also looks ahead, seeking to put the state on a path toward 100% clean energy by 2050. It also entails a phasing out of coal by 2030 and natural gas by 2045, according to the summary. Along with that push, Pritzker’s legislation aims to increase the adoption of electric vehicles in the state to 1 million by 2030.
State Rep. Ann Williams (D-Chicago), the lead sponsor of the Clean Energy Jobs Act, says ethics reforms for powerful utility companies must be central to whatever lawmakers end up passing, and maintains that only her legislation has stringent enough language to root out corruption stemming from the companies’ relationships with Springfield.
But ComEd this week disagreed with Williams and her allies’ proposals that would include a measure of restitution for ratepayers and an outside monitor. The company’s senior vice president of regulatory and energy policy, Veronica Gomez, told a House panel Tuesday that it was “not appropriate to make a conclusion here that some additional punishment is due” to ComEd beyond the feds’ fine. […]
The union-backed Climate Jobs Illinois also introduced ethics language last week after several news outlets published stories on that issue getting pushed to the back burner. After Pritzker’s office briefed stakeholders on the governor’s plan Wednesday, Climate Jobs Illinois expressed dissatisfaction.
“We’re disappointed that this proposal does not more aggressively advocate for comprehensive labor standards so that new clean energy jobs provide a path to the middle class, especially for communities disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and climate change,” Climate Jobs Illinois Executive Director Joe Duffy said in a statement. “As we review this new language, we’re also concerned that it appears to overlook prioritizing solar on public schools while not doing enough to preserve the nuclear fleet, which is critical to hitting the state’s proposed emissions goals while saving tens of thousands of Illinois jobs.”
Lots more in all of those stories, so click the links. Also, click here for a brief fact sheet from the governor’s office. Subscribers have more details.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Press release…
Delivering on principles laid out last year by Gov. Pritzker and after months of working group meetings including lawmakers, advocates, and industry, the Consumers and Climate First Act was introduced in the General Assembly today by Senator Celina Villanueva and Representative Kam Buckner. The legislation provides a path for Illinois to help lead the nation’s transition to a clean energy economy. The bill serves as a starting point — a series of markers intended to help guide the energy negotiations underway in Springfield. A detailed overview of the legislation is attached.
“As we shape our economic recovery from COVID-19, it’s imperative that we do so with an eye to the future – and Illinoisans deserve a future full of good-paying jobs, clean energy, honest deals, and transparent rates, a future that guarantees clean air, clean water, affordable utilities, and serious consumer protections for all,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “The Consumers and Climate First Act, a product of months’ worth of working groups inclusive of all interests, allows Illinois to fulfill that obligation to our working families. Over the coming weeks, I look forward to working with members of the General Assembly to deliver an ethical framework for Illinois to lead the United States in the clean energy transition in the years to come.”
A culmination of months of energy working group meetings, the Consumers and Climate First Act brings together the best ideas from a diverse range of stakeholders and major energy proposals. It includes dozens of proposals across eight central principles:
Ethics and accountability: Holds utility companies accountable to ratepayers by doing away with formula rates, protecting ratepayer funds from being used for charitable contributions and requiring an annual Exelon audit and immediate ComEd investigation, among other measures.
Consumer protections: Increases affordability for low-income households by bolstering cost-saving programs and eliminating draconian fees and surcharges.
Renewable energy and labor standards: Puts the state on a path toward 100% clean energy by 2050. Doubles the state’s investment in renewable energy and supports union members working on wind and solar projects by requiring project labor agreements in utility-scale wind and solar projects and prevailing wage on large distributed generation and large community solar projects.
Clean power and air: Phases out coal by 2030 and natural gas by 2045 through a carbon price, which will direct revenue to impacted communities, and provides for measured, short-term state support for two nuclear plants.
Transportation electrification: Provides incentives for electric vehicles and statewide charging infrastructure buildout to support the adoption of 1 million EVs by 2030.
Just transition and workforce development: Supports displaced workers and leverages community-based organizations to ensure members of equity focused populations have dedicated and sustained support to enter and complete the career pipeline for clean energy and related sector jobs.
Equity in the clean energy economy: Rewards equitable investments in the renewable energy sector and requires annual diversity reports from utilities and renewable energy developers.
Energy efficiency: Supports decarbonization programs and allows for greater efficiencies in buildings.
“We need to take bold action to combat the climate crisis — and we need to do so equitably and deliver real environmental justice for our communities,” said Sen. Celina Villanueva, Senate sponsor of the legislation. “This set of proposals ushers in a clean energy economy in Illinois, which will create jobs in my district and across the state. It protects consumers, supports workers and holds utility companies accountable. I’m glad that Governor Pritzker has made this a priority of his administration as we get back to work in Springfield. Our planet cannot wait. Our people cannot wait.”
“We are careening towards a fatal cliff and nothing else that we do in the General Assembly will matter if we don’t very seriously get focused on sustainable, clean energy resources like wind, solar, and energy efficiency to combat global climate change,” said Rep. Kam Buckner, Chairperson of the Illinois House Black Caucus and House sponsor of the legislation. “The time to act by passing inclusive climate change and clean energy legislation is now and not a moment later. We have a real opportunity to protect consumers, our planet and create well-paying clean energy jobs for the communities who need it the most. It is important that we intensify commitments to addressing long-standing structural racism. The movements for racial justice and for environmental sustainability are inextricably linked and we have to create policies that mirror this moment. Our economic recovery is also reliant on holding utilities accountable and breaking down barriers that have prevented communities of color from sharing in the benefits of clean energy.”
“I commend the Governor for this comprehensive energy bill that prioritizes affordability while holding utilities accountable to the state and consumers,” said Attorney General Kwame Raoul. “The Governor’s proposal will help lower consumers’ monthly bills by getting rid of costly formula rates and gas surcharges and requiring ComEd and Ameren to return hundreds of millions of excess tax payments back to consumers on a more reasonable schedule. The measure will help vulnerable households stay connected to essential utility services by expanding LIHEAP eligibility and eliminating customer deposits and late fees for low-income consumers. The proposal also dedicates resources to environmental justice communities that have long endured the greatest harms from dirty power plants. I look forward to working with the Governor and the Legislature to craft additional energy policies that balance between affordability and clean energy goals while bolstering a strong and diverse workforce in the energy sector.”
“For the past decade, ComEd, Exelon and other utilities have unduly influenced Illinois energy policy. Today, we applaud Governor Pritzker for taking a stand against this undue influence and putting the interests of consumers and the climate first,” said Illinois PIRG Director Abe Scarr. “It’s time to end automatic rate hikes, gas utility bill surcharges and restore meaningful utility oversight. We call on the Illinois General Assembly to support these vital reforms.”
“Bold times call for bold action. JB Pritzker is the first governor in Illinois history to propose a serious, comprehensive plan to address climate change, put Illinois on a path to 100% clean energy, and eliminate dirty fossil fuels from our power grid,” said the Clean Jobs Coalition. “While our coalition believes further discussion is needed on many specific provisions of Governor Pritzker’s energy bill, it’s clear this proposal and the Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA) share many goals, especially on creating equitable jobs in every part of Illinois, holding utilities accountable, and creating a just transition for places where coal companies have said they will cut and run, leaving communities to deal with property tax shortfalls and loss of good paying jobs if we fail to act. We look forward to working with the Governor’s office, legislators, and stakeholders to pass a bill before May 31 that achieves those goals.”
“Governor Pritzker has set out a bold plan for climate action that holds utilities accountable and makes substantial, urgently-needed investments in our clean energy economy,” said J.C. Kibbey, Illinois Clean Energy Advocate, Natural Resources Defense Council. “We look forward to working with the Governor to make Illinois a national leader on climate change.”
“Over the past ten years, 100 percent renewable energy has gone from an aspirational dream to a serious commitment that seven states and over 140 cities have already made. If passed, the Consumers and Climate First Act would make Illinois the eighth state to commit to 100 percent clean or renewable electricity, and would protect Illinois’ climate and environment for future generations,” said Paloma Paez-Coombe, Environment Illinois Associate. “Bold, big picture goals must be paired with practical, short-term stepping stones, and we’re excited that this bill offers both. It’s time to move beyond the outdated and polluting energy sources harming our environment, and set our sights on Illinois’ clean, renewable future.”
“We applaud Governor Pritzker for fully embracing an equitable clean energy future for Illinois,” said Nakhia Crossley, central region director for the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). “While there will be continued negotiations on critical aspects of the legislative language, Governor Pritzker’s commitment to saving consumers money while fully building out Illinois’ renewable energy sector with strong labor and equity standards is historic. We look forward to working with all stakeholders to finalize and pass legislation this session.”
“The road to tackling climate change demands tangible action like electrifying transportation in an accessible, equitable way,” said Anne Smart, Vice President of Public Policy at ChargePoint. “The Consumers and Climate First Act will put Illinois at the forefront of electrifying transportation by helping to deploy more charging stations across the state, protecting consumers and fostering a competitive marketplace. ChargePoint applauds Governor Pritzker for his leadership and we look forward to working with our Illinois stakeholders to cultivate an accessible, consumer-focused electric vehicle network across the state.”
“EVgo applauds Governor Pritzker for his leadership on transportation electrification. By focusing on complementary policies to scale both vehicle sales and charging infrastructure through tools such as rate design, make-ready programs, and rebates, with important attention to environmental justice communities and transportation equity, Illinois will be on a path to decarbonize the transportation sector,” said EVgo CEO Cathy Zoi.
“Today, Black and Brown families in Illinois are disproportionately impacted by disconnections of essential utility service and unaffordable utility rates — a problem that existed even before the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Donna Carpenter, a parent leader with Community Organizing and Family Issues (COFI) POWER-PAC IL. “COFI champions the governor’s decision to include important new protections for those who struggle to afford electric, gas and water utility service in his new energy bill that will make a difference in the lives of all Illinoisans who struggle to afford life essentials each month.”
*** UPDATE 2 *** Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition…
Today, the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition released the following statement about the Consumers and Climate First Act:
“Bold times call for bold action. JB Pritzker is the first governor in Illinois history to propose a serious, comprehensive plan to address climate change, put Illinois on a path to 100% clean energy, and eliminate dirty fossil fuels from our power grid.
“While our coalition believes further discussion is needed on many specific provisions of Governor Pritzker’s energy bill, it’s clear this proposal and the Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA) share many goals, especially on creating equitable jobs in every part of Illinois, holding utilities accountable, and creating a just transition for places where coal companies have said they will cut and run, leaving communities to deal with property tax shortfalls and loss of good paying jobs if we fail to act.
“We look forward to working with the Governor’s office, legislators, and stakeholders to pass a bill before May 31 that achieves those goals.”
*** UPDATE 3 *** Sierra Club Illinois Director Jack Darin…
“Crisis cannot be averted with half measures, and for the first time in Illinois history Governor Pritzker has put forward a proposal to confront the climate crisis with the ambition it demands by reducing emissions, creating clean energy jobs, and holding utilities accountable. It is refreshing to see state leaders commit to a vision of 100% clean energy that strives to put the needs of Illinoisians over those of corporate utilities.
“The Governor’s proposal shares many goals with the Clean Energy Jobs Act, including a commitment to build enough clean energy to supply all of our power needs by 2050. These bold actions on climate must also include bold commitments to racial and economic justice. As Illinois moves beyond coal and gas, our climate plan must prioritize emission reductions in communities most impacted by polluters and an equitable transition for those left in an economic lurch by fossil fuel companies.
“We are excited to work together with stakeholders and elected leaders to build a policy for Illinois that puts us boldly on a path towards climate justice.”
However, [Scott Hagel, the team’s senior vice president for marketing and communications] gave no such denial when asked about the team’s potential longer-range interest in Arlington Park, which recently was put up for sale by its owner, Churchill Downs Inc., best known for staging the Kentucky Derby.
“I wouldn’t be able to tell you,” said Hagel, who gave an interview a day after I first called the team asking them to comment on the Arlington rumor.
When asked directly if the team has begun talks with Churchill Downs, Hagel replied, “our priority is about Soldier Field.”
When told that such a statement left the impression that other possibilities are on the table, Hagel said, “Our focus continues to be on Soldier Field. . . .I can’t say more.”
A city spokeswoman confirmed that talks with the Bears about resuming games at Soldier Field later this year are going well. The Bears “have been a really good partner,” she replied. And Arlington? “I don’t know anything about that.”
I don’t think I’m being too naive when I say that most rumors of the Bears moving out of Soldier Field (and into the empty/for-sale Arlington International Racecourse in Arlington Heights) land a little light. As Luis put it previously, it’s simply difficult to imagine the Bears leaving Solider Field to spend their own money on a state-of-the-art complex in Arlington Heights, especially when their lease in Chicago doesn’t expire until the early 2030s. And, indeed, the only thing more difficult to envision is sourcing public money to build that stadium (especially right now).
However, the mere *existence* of those Arlington Heights rumors can serve a very useful purpose for the Bears (and the NFL). In fact, I believe that’s exactly what’s happening right now.
At this moment, the Bears are negotiating with the City of Chicago on the return of fans to the stadium when football kicks back off this fall. More specifically, the team/league is negotiating the percent of total stadium capacity that will be allowed (the Chicago Fire already has a deal in place with the city, allowing up to 25% capacity, but it’s very likely the Bears are seeking something much greater than that). […]
If the Bears can keep those rumors alive, they’ll maintain at least a little bit of additional leverage that could improve the deal from their perspective or even get something on the books sooner than expected. So perhaps there’s actual interest there or perhaps not. But so long as a “no comment” is perceived as a “yes,” in the headlines, the Bears benefit from the rumors.
Asked at a news conference about yesterday’s Crain’s report that the team wasn’t denying an interest in possibly moving to the site now occupied by the Arlington track, which is for sale and likely to be demolished, Lightfoot said “a couple of data points” are of note.
One is that, as Crain’s reported, the Bears’ current Soldier Field lease with the Chicago Park District runs until 2033. “The NFL doesn’t let any teams break their leases,” she said.
However, Lightfoot went on to add that she had “a call with senior (team) leadership in the last two weeks.” I’m told that conversation involved as least one member of the team-owning McCaskey family.
“We have a good working relationship with the Bears . . . (but) there are things they’d like to see differently at Soldier Field, and we want to do whatever we can to accommodate it,” Lightfoot said.
Thursday, Apr 29, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
The COVID-19 pandemic created many challenges for healthcare providers, including how to safely care for patients with chronic conditions, behavioral health needs and other health concerns. Telehealth—once considered the future of healthcare—emerged as a clear solution.
Early in the pandemic, Governor Pritzker and the Department of Healthcare and Family Services temporarily lifted longstanding barriers to telehealth for commercial health plans and Medicaid. In response, healthcare providers rapidly invested in new technology, adjusted clinical workflows, and educated staff, patients and clinicians on telehealth delivery.
Last April, only 1% of Medicare fee-for-service primary care visits in Illinois were telehealth visits. By July, nearly 47% of those visits were telehealth visits. All demographics—young, diverse, rural and more—have used telehealth. Patients like the flexibility telehealth offers, which is why it’s so crucial telehealth remains a key part of the healthcare delivery system.
Action from the General Assembly is needed so Illinois residents can continue to have access to the telehealth services they have relied on during the pandemic. The Coalition to Protect Telehealth strongly supports House Bill 3498 to protect access to telehealth. Learn more at https://protectillinoistelehealth.org/.
* As an aside, I have one of these. I bought it in Poland in 1999. I can type about 20 words a minute with practice, so it’s not exactly practical…
This typewriter AEG Mignon n. 4 was built in 1925. It's a very compact pointer typewriter with interchangeable type cylinder and keyboard: more than 36 different fonts were available [full video: https://t.co/ykSf7RvFk9] pic.twitter.com/KpIYhzhiKd
After months of declining to endorse any specific plan to both get Illinois on a path to 100% renewable energy and crack down on public utilities’ power in Springfield, Gov. JB Pritzker on Wednesday entered the already raucous fight with his own legislation that will compete with at least three other proposals that have already been introduced.
Pritzker’s plan incorporates some elements of the other already-proposed measures, including ending an energy rate formula lawmakers approved in 2011, championed by utility giants Commonwealth Edison and Ameren. The proposal would also phase out coal by 2030, and end natural gas use by 2045 by reducing caps on greenhouse gas emissions year over year, and implementing an $8 per ton carbon price on emissions from fossil fuel-fired electric plants.
Atop a fact sheet distributed to stakeholders Wednesday and obtained by NPR Illinois, Pritzker’s office said the governor “believes it is past time to combat climate change, hold utility companies accountable to the ratepayers they serve, and rapidly begin the transition to renewable energy.”
While “clean” energy legislation has been atop Pritzker’s wish list since entering office, the issue has taken on new urgency in the last year after ComEd signed off on a $200 million fine and admitted in a deferred prosecution agreement that the company engaged in a years-long bribery scheme attempting to curry favor with longtime former House Speaker Mike Madigan.
Go read the rest. Pritzker also wants to prohibit ComEd from donating to the Citizens Utility Board and subject CUB to FOIA.
By 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, almost 100 area residents had arrived at The Stables on the edge of Kewanee for a meet-and-greet event with Illinois State Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia), who recently announced a bid to run for governor. […]
“I feel very strongly that he’s a devout Christian and he could do some good. He’s got a good following with the Democratic Party as well, because he wants to make a difference,” [the spouse of the Kewanee mayor, Jeanna Moore] said.
The relationship forged early on between Bailey and the Moores has led to a position within Bailey’s campaign for Jeanna. The Kewanee couple not only hosted the meet and greet event in Kewanee, but Jeanna is acting as campaign coordinator for the Henry County area. Her future plans include a possible fundraiser for Bailey sometime this summer. […]
“It’s really busy right now,” said Bailey, after arriving at the event. “I’m taking advantage of the weekends. There’s a lot of people that want to meet with me,” he said, peering out at the maskless crowd that had assembled to do just that. “I want to listen to the concerns and ideas of the people across Illinois.”
Kewanee wasn’t even Bailey’s last stop for the night, he said. He was scheduled for an event in Moline later before heading back home for church on Sunday and back to Chicago on Monday.
Henry County health officials say a political event held locally over the weekend likely violated the state’s rules for large gatherings.
“The (county) Office of Emergency Management has been informed about the event and they will be fielding and addressing any complaints,” said Health Department Spokeswoman RaeAnn Tucker-Marshall following a Star Courier inquiry Monday.
The Saturday meet-and-greet for Republican gubernatorial candidate Sen. Darren Bailey attracted around 100 people to The Stables banquet center just outside Kewanee.
But according to health officials, that’s about 50 more than were supposed to be gathering in a confined space under the current Phase 4 mitigation regulations. The health department also noted issues with the food service setup, the rules which require hand-sanitizers at each end of the service table — none of which are evident in a photo that ran with the story. Only the food service workers at the event, from The Station restaurant, were required to wear masks. […]
Bailey’s local campaign chairman Jeanna Moore accused the Star Courier Monday of purposefully running the photograph of the buffet in an effort to draw the attention of health officials, an accusation the newspaper denies.
Yeah, it’s a bonafide conspiracy, I tell ‘ya. Real deep state stuff right there propagated by the fake news, for sure.
* An old pal sent me a link to a Tribune story with this note…
I was hoping that you would give this story and report some good play on the blog. This is two years in the making with a ton of important stakeholders involved who had put together a proposal to reduce the women’s prison population in Illinois by half.
Convened by the Women’s Justice Institute, the task force issued a report that includes 250 recommendations, ranging from eliminating prison charges for basic needs, like email access and tampons, to mass commutations for women where a history of gender-based violence was not initially considered by the court system. […]
Nearly all women who enter Illinois prisons report having suffered from physical or sexual violence. Most are admitted for low-level, nonviolent drug or property crimes. A recent survey in the Cook County Jail showed that 54% of women reported being homeless in the 30 days prior to being detained. A separate survey of 800 women in Illinois prisons found that 40% were unable to pay rent in the year prior to their incarceration, with some sleeping in their cars. […]
“Women are not safe,” said Benford, who works as an organizer for Live Free Illinois, part of a national organization that works to reduce violence in Black communities and also runs a support group for formally incarcerated women. “Women are not safe. They are not safe inside of (the Illinois Department of Corrections). There has to be something else done.”
The answers are outlined in the report largely according to five policy areas, all of which have specific recommendations: relationship safety, housing, economic security, family support and health.
Researchers from Loyola University Chicago’s Center for Criminal Justice Research, Policy, and Practice worked with task force members to create a detailed breakdown of how many women would be freed today under suggested, specific changes to sentencing laws and classifications.
The report is here if you get some time. I’ve reached out to IDOC for comment.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 2,728 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 33 additional deaths.
- Cook County: 1 female 20s, 1 male 40s, 1 female 50s, 2 males 50s, 1 female 70s, 2 males 70s, 3 females 80s, 1 male 80s, 4 females 90s
- DuPage County: 1 male 50s
- Kankakee County: 1 female 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s
- Macon County: 1 female 70s
- Marshall County: 1 female 90s
- McHenry County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 70s
- McLean County: 1 male 80s
- Monroe County: 1 male 70s
- Morgan County: 1 male 70s
- Peoria County: 1 female 80s
- Tazewell County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 90s
- Will County: 1 male 50s
- Winnebago County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 80s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,328,454 cases, including 21,891 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 87,698 specimens for a total of 22,469,213. As of last night, 2,154 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 502 patients were in the ICU and 238 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from April 21-27, 2021 is 3.4%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from April 21-27, 2021 is 4.1%.
The total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses for Illinois is 11,322,205. A total of 9,048,300 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 100,823 doses. Yesterday, 106,173 doses were reported administered in Illinois.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in real-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. Information for a death previously reported has been changed, therefore numbers have been adjusted. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
- Chicago’s top doctor says the city is moving closer to announcing a bigger reopening plan, and a vaccine passport is likely to be part of it.
The “Vax Pass” would give those who are fully vaccinated access to summer events in the city.
Officials have been urging vaccination as a way to protect yourself, your family, and your community. But now officials have a new message: the vaccine is your key to summer fun.
Similar to what New York State already has, the “Vax Pass” is an easy, secure way to show proof of vaccination for entry to festivals, concerts and other events.
“My goal at this point is to say, ‘You want to be part of the fun? Get vaccinated,’” said Dr. Allison Arwady, Chicago Dept. of Public Health.
Thousands of people at a mass nightclub rave in the U.K. this week will be a key test of whether live events halted during the pandemic can reopen at full capacity as planned from the end of June.
The two-day event in Liverpool, northwest England, is part of a national research program which so far appears to show people are happy to be tested for coronavirus to secure entry to large-scale events. […]
The event in Liverpool is part of a broader program of trials to explore how the use of Covid testing, ventilation, social distancing, and face coverings can help reopen large venues safely. Sports events including soccer matches have been the focus so far.
* The Question: Who’s your favorite Illinois superhero? You’re not limited to politics/government, of course. But please make sure to explain your answer.
What does it mean that Illinois’ backlog of unpaid bills has fallen from $16.7 billion in 2017 to $3.5 billion this week?
For the first time in many years, the state of Illinois can pay its bills as they come in. The oldest commercial vouchers owed to most vendors and providers of goods and services in the office right now are dated April 26 – Monday.
There remains $3.5 billion in interfund transfers owed to other branches of government, group health insurance bills with limited appropriation authority, and invoices at state agencies that have not yet been forwarded to the Office of Comptroller for payment. Comptroller Mendoza has said that when the backlog gets down to $3 billion in a $42 billion budget, that’s essentially within the 30-day payment cycle common in private industry.
“This is a remarkable day that I have been working toward since I took office in December 2016 amid the budget impasse when the previous administration was paying nursing homes and hospice centers up to a year late and they let the backlog climb to $16.7 billion,” Comptroller Mendoza said.
“Today’s achievement is the result of diligent daily management of the state’s cash flow by my office, supported by state agencies that now provide monthly updates on the number of bills and late payment interest penalties they are holding at their offices.”
The Debt Transparency Act, resulting in monthly Debt Transparency Reports, was a hallmark initiative of Comptroller Mendoza’s in 2017. It has eliminated costly surprises and has allowed for more effective management of the state’s checkbook.
Paying down the backlog has been aided by steady revenue receipts, even during the pandemic. April, when state residents and businesses pay their taxes, is generally the best revenue month for the state. Though the deadline for filing was moved back to May 17 this year, it appears many filers may have stuck with the April 15 deadline.
Comptroller Mendoza cautioned that today’s low bill backlog does not mean the state has overcome its fiscal challenges.
The backlog does not reflect the more than $3.6 billion Illinois borrowed mainly from the Federal Reserve to pay state medical bills during the worst days of the COVID-19 pandemic and return money to Illinois’s economy. She again stressed that American Rescue Plan funds must be used first to pay back that borrowing.
“I’ll say it as often as I need to: Illinois must craft a balanced state budget for fiscal year 2022 without depending on the one-time federal relief money the state received,” she said. “Responsible budget-making directs the fate of the backlog as we continue making headway with our finances and show taxpayers and the credit rating agencies that we’re serious about restoring Illinois’ financial stability.”
The Comptroller’s Office has informed the bond rating agencies of this positive development and assured them it is doing everything possible to manage the current backlog of bills and address Illinois’ finances head on. Comptroller Mendoza has asked the agencies to consider these positive factors and progress made paying down the backlog when evaluating Illinois’ credit worthiness.
* SB2122 would toss out as an inadmissible any statement by a juvenile given to “a law enforcement officer, juvenile officer, or other public official or employee,” when that official “knowingly engages in deception.” 270 witness slips were filed against the bill, mainly by local law enforcement agencies.
Here’s Charles Keeshan and Susan Sarkauskas at the Daily Herald…
“The intent behind the bill is, what can we do to protect juveniles, especially in these situations,” said state Sen. Laura Fine, a Democrat from Glenview and one of the bill’s co-sponsors.
Proponents, including some law enforcement leaders and prosecutors, say minors are two to three times more likely than adults to be coerced into false confessions. As a result, they say, innocent juveniles can end up serving time for crimes they didn’t commit. […]
In fact, in a 2018 report called “Reducing Risks: An Executive’s Guide to Effective Juvenile Interview and Interrogation,” the International Association of Chiefs of Police warn that officers should “think twice” before misleading young suspects.
“The use of deception also may cause an innocent juvenile — even one who initially had a clear recollection of not committing a crime — to mistrust his memory, accept that the ‘evidence’ proves his guilt, and eventually confess to a crime that he did not commit,” the report states.
The bill wasn’t called before the Third Reading deadline, but that deadline was extended until Friday.
Illinois is rolling out the welcome mat for cryptocurrency investors and the firms that serve them.
Springfield is on the verge of clearing legislation that would establish a new state trust charter for companies that hold bitcoin and other digital currencies on behalf of investors. Gov. J.B. Pritzker is expected to sign it.
The bill, which passed the House unanimously on April 21, would make Illinois one of just a very few states to establish and regulate cryptocurrency deposit holders. Sponsors hope the initiative spawns a new industry creating jobs in a part of the tech world that’s growing rapidly. […]
“We’re not scared of crypto and blockchain,” said freshman state Rep. Margaret Croke, D-Chicago, the bill’s chief sponsor. “We’re going to create a stable regulatory structure.”
The only thing I would say is I’ve seen lots of bills pass one chamber without opposition only to wind up dead in the other chamber. But I have no idea whether that’ll happen here.
* This will cause a stir in the House, where Republican Rep. Tim Butler has a bill to merge the township with the county…
A bill that would create three and potentially four new elected positions in the government of Capital Township would give township residents more direct representation, the bill’s Democratic sponsor said.
But Republicans in Sangamon County government who currently handle those jobs and would lose the responsibilities said Monday the bill needlessly expands bureaucracy and would create confusion for taxing bodies and financial burdens for Capital Township taxpayers.
State Sen. Doris Turner, D-Springfield, who previously served on the Springfield City Council and Sangamon County Board, said constituents of the township have told her that they were unhappy about not being able to directly elect several township officials. […]
Turner’s legislation, Senate Bill 826, which passed the Illinois Senate on Thursday with no Republican votes and remains pending in the House, calls for township-wide elections for the Capital Township supervisor, assessor, clerk and tax collector.
* This bill was picked up by Senate President Pro Tempore Bill Cunningham…
Illinois community college students would have a path to guaranteed admission into the University of Illinois system under legislation passed by the state House on Tuesday.
State Rep. Deanne Mazzochi, a Republican from Elmhurst, sponsored the legislation, HB 796, which would require the U of I to create a “pilot program” that promises admission beginning in the 2022-23 school year to all Illinois community college students who graduated from a state high school, have a 3.0 GPA and completed 36 graded credit hours. The bill passed 111-0.
It would fall on the University of Illinois and individual community colleges to reach an “articulation agreement” on requirements for programs that usually have higher admissions standards, such as engineering.
Legislation sponsored by state Sen. Adriane Johnson, D-Buffalo Grove, designed to soften the financial impact of COVID-19 on Illinois school districts like those in Waukegan, North Chicago, Zion and Round Lake — which rely heavily on state funding — is a step closer to reality.
Johnson’s proposed legislation was approved by the state Senate, 49-6, Thursday in Springfield, modifying the formula for evidence-based funding to eliminate inequities because of a drop in attendance for the current school year related to the coronavirus pandemic.
Loretto Hospital paid millions of dollars to private companies founded by a close friend and business partner of Dr. Anosh Ahmed, who helped run the hospital until he resigned last month amid a COVID vaccine distribution scandal.
The publicly funded hospital paid nearly $4 million to the three companies in one year alone, making them the top-paid “independent contractors” listed on the hospital’s tax statements between July 2018 and June 2019.
All three companies have ties to Ahmed’s business partner and friend Sameer Suhail, according to an investigation by Block Club Chicago and the Better Government Association. One of Suhail’s companies, One Health Billing Co., received $2.1 million from Loretto during the 12-month time period. Headquartered in Suhail’s Trump Tower condo, the firm doesn’t have a website and isn’t registered with the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office. […]
Loretto reported a $12 million operating loss in its 2019 tax report, and it has struggled with funding during the pandemic, CEO George Miller has said. In recent years, Loretto has warned it could close due to funding shortfalls.
But while Loretto appealed to state lawmakers for taxpayer support, Ahmed and Suhail were living side-by-side in a Downtown high-rise and pursuing businesses together, according to land and corporate records as well as interviews with business and medical colleagues.
Wednesday, Apr 28, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
The power of telehealth to save lives was on full display the night Garrett Graham looked over at his wife to find she just had a stroke.
The frightening moments that followed took Garrett and Brenda Graham from Shelbyville High School, where they were watching a volleyball game, to HSHS Good Shepherd Hospital in Shelbyville and, ultimately, HSHS St. John’s Hospital in Springfield.
A telehealth call between a physician at HSHS Good Shepherd and a neurosurgeon at HSHS St. John’s saved precious minutes. Brenda Garrett, then paralyzed on the left side of her body, was airlifted to HSHS St. John’s for treatment.
Telehealth is crucial in many hospitals, including those in rural Illinois, where some facilities do not have specialists on staff. Garrett Graham, in a video interview, pointed to telehealth as saving his wife’s life.
“The whole thing had to come about in a four-hour window max and they had it accomplished in about two hours,” he said. “From our perspective the good Lord put us here [HSHS Good Shepherd] because this is where we had to be.”
State Sen. Tom Cullerton, who was indicted in 2019 on charges of embezzlement, is set to go to trial in February next year, a federal judge said on Tuesday.
Cullerton, a Democrat from Villa Park, is scheduled to be tried in the U.S. District Court in Chicago, starting on Feb. 23, 2022.
The latest development in Cullerton’s criminal case came during a court hearing Tuesday morning before Judge Robert Gettleman. Cullerton’s federal trial was previously set for July 2020 but that date was scrapped when the pandemic halted jury trials.
The indictment, issued in August 2019, charges Cullerton with one count of conspiracy to embezzle from a labor union and employee benefit plans, 39 counts of embezzlement from a labor union, and one count of making false statements in a health care matter. He pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.
Cullerton was last reelected in 2018 and would next face voters in 2022. If he were to go on trial in February, it would be just a few weeks before the Illinois Democratic primary for the November general election. So far, no Democrat has publicly said they intend to challenge the incumbent if he elects to run.
The case against Cullerton revolves around his role as an organizer for Teamsters Joint Council 25. He landed that job after his former employer, Hostess Brands, shut down in 2012. Former Teamsters boss John Coli told prosecutors he arranged for Cullerton to get that job “but did not believe the employment was legitimate,” Cullerton’s defense attorney has said.
Cullerton has been accused of collecting $188,320 in salary, bonuses and cellphone and vehicle allowances from the Teamsters, as well as $64,068 in health and pension contributions, while doing little or no work for the labor union. He also allegedly collected $21,678 in reimbursed medical claims.
Coli pleaded guilty in 2019 in an extortion case revolving around $325,000 in cash payments he received from Cinespace Chicago Film Studios between 2014 and 2017. He agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors, and Cullerton was charged days later.
…Adding… Another one…
NEW: Judge sets Jan. 10 trial date for ex-state Rep. Edward "Eddie" Acevedo, who faces federal tax charges. Earlier @Suntimes story: https://t.co/uROiKyPfk6
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has indicated he will appeal a federal judge’s decision refusing to allow his administration to get out from under federal oversight of allegedly corrupt state hiring practices.
On April 26, the Illinois Attorney General’s office filed a notice in Chicago federal court, indicating their intention to appeal a decision from late March from U.S. District Judge Edmond Chang.
The notice does not indicate the basis of the appeal, nor what precisely the governor seeks to challenge in Chang’s March 31 ruling. Neither has the attorney general yet filed any briefs on behalf of the governor with the U.S. Seventh Circuit of Appeals.
However, the anticipated appeal would continue Pritzker’s efforts to toss aside decades-long review of federal oversight, intended to reduce instances of allegedly politically motivated and unfair hiring practices at various state agencies under the governor’s supervision.
In 2020, Pritzker and his fellow Democrat, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, filed motions before Judge Chang, arguing the federal oversight was no longer needed, because the state had corrected the patronage hiring and employment problems targeted by a series of federal court orders.
That federal oversight has been in place, in some fashion, since at least 1972, when federal judges first sided with anti-corruption reform advocates, Chicago lawyers Michael Shakman and Paul Lurie.
* From Jordan Abudayyeh…
The governor is deeply committed to ensuring all state hiring and employment practices are conducted with the highest ethical standards and is proud to have built the most diverse administration in Illinois history with experts in their fields. Ethics and fairness are top priorities for the governor and as the court has made clear, this administration has made substantial progress on those priorities in state employment practices.
The state believes it has met all objectives of the 1972 Shakman Consent Decree in the decades since it was put in place and the continuation of the Decree is both unnecessarily costly and beyond its original scope. In fact, Judge Edmond Chang noted that the state has made significant progress, particularly in the last two years under the Pritzker administration.
* Background info…
• Since 1972 when the decree was entered, the state has met the objectives of the Decree, particularly given the substantial progress made under the Pritzker administration. Plaintiffs are attempting to keep the Decree in place by broadening its scope far beyond the original specific terms.
• In its ruling on the state’s request to dismiss the case, Judge Chang wrote: “Nor does the Court downplay the significant progress made by the State, especially in the past two years, toward implementing a durable remedy. Indeed, as the implementation of the CEP continues, and as HEM continues its efforts and—it is hoped—increases its impact on State agencies, then the Court would be receptive to consider another motion to terminate in the last quarter of this year.” https://s3.amazonaws.com/jnswire/jns-media/9b/06/11556658/shakman_v_pritzker_special_master_ruling_3-31-21.pdf
• The Shakman Consent Decree has been in place since 1972, an unusually lengthy period of time during which many other governments have exited the Shakman Decree.
• Federalism and federal court jurisdiction dictates that federal courts should not be involved in State operations longer than necessary, as is the case here.
• Earlier this month, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals decided a separate Shakman appeal that reinforced this argument. There, the Court expressed “the grave federalism concerns we have with the fact that [a local government] has been under the thumb of a federal consent decree for the last 50 years.” Op. at 17. It explained that “[s]uch entrenched federal oversight should have raised red flags long ago.” Id. The Court of Appeals concluded by stating plainly that “[i]t is time to get these cases off the federal docket ….” Id. at 19.
• Changes to the law of “standing” since 1972 mean the plaintiffs no longer have standing as they are not directly affected by the State’s action, a requirement of modern standing jurisprudence.
The pandemic-induced shutdown of Chicago conventions has already cost the city and state $233.8 million in lost tax revenue and the red ink at McCormick Place will keep piling up until fiscal 2024, the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority board was told Tuesday.
McCormick Place held its last convention on March 6, 2020. Since then, losses have been staggering: 230 canceled events that would have drawn 3.4 million attendees; 2.2 million lost hotel room nights; $3.05 billion in lost economic impact; and $233.8 million in lost state and city taxes. […]
That helps explain why Chief Financial Officer Jason Bormann convinced the board to approve a revised three-year financial plan that rather conservatively assumes McCormick Place will not return to full capacity until fiscal 2024.
Instead, the plan calls for a more gradual ramp-up: 25% in the first quarter of fiscal 2022, which starts in July; 50% capacity in the second and third quarters; 75% capacity in the fourth quarter and for all of the 2023 fiscal year, before hitting 100% in July 2023, the start of the 2024 fiscal year.
More than $3 billion – that is how much revenue was lost at McCormick Place during the pandemic shutdown. […]
As of last week, 230 events had been canceled – and they would have attracted about 3.4 million attendees and nearly 2.2 million hotel room nights if they had gone ahead. […]
For the month of March, the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority reported a net operating loss of about $7 million – but that was about $2 million under what they were projecting.
McCormick Place said right now they have 48 events scheduled between July and December 2021.
“People ask would I do it again, and I say, yes, I would do it again,” he says. “I might run again some day—if I ever get my wife comfortable with it.”
Go read the rest of the interview if you have a couple of minutes.
