* Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability’s April report…
In the important revenue month of April, General Funds receipts totaled $6.566 billion, a $373 million or +6.0% increase over last April. While this is welcomed growth to State coffers, the overall increase seen this month is largely in line with the Commission’s latest forecast. In other words, there is no “April Surprise” from final income tax payments contained in this month’s numbers that will significantly modify this year’s revenue outlook. The month benefitted from two extra receipting days, as compared to the same month of last year
This month’s gains were led by a sharp rise in Individual Income Tax revenues, which grew $744 million or +20.2% this month. On a net basis, when subtracting out distributions to the Income Tax Refund Fund and the Local Government Distributive Fund, the growth totaled $626 million or +20.0%. While impressive on the surface, the sizeable growth here was largely anticipated due to several reasons: continued moderate growth from withholding tax payments; the fourth of five “true- up” deposits reallocating business-related tax receipts through individual income tax distributions; an expected boost in final tax payments in April due to elevated levels of taxable interest (from comparatively higher interest rates of investment accounts); the expected growth in capital gains income due to strong market conditions in TY 2023; and the two extra receipting days this month.
A large portion of these gains, however, was offset by significantly weaker Corporate Income Tax receipts, which fell $345 million or -19.7% in April. This is a net decline of $268 million or -19.2%. While these receipts were expected to fall to a certain degree in April due to the negative impact of the fourth “true-up” reallocation on this revenue source, the extent that these revenues declined this month was somewhat surprising. It is speculated that the recent expiration of the net operating loss deduction limitation may have impacted estimated tax payments this month, thereby contributing to this source’s comparative falloff. However, more details are needed before a definitive assessment can be made. […]
Year to Date
Incorporating April’s revenues, General Funds receipts now total $44.2 billion for FY 2024 with two months remaining in the fiscal year. This figure is $1.203 billion or 2.8% above last year’s ten- month total. From a base revenue perspective, the cumulative growth is a tad lower at +$1.086 billion or +2.6% when adjusting out the $881 million in combined “one-time” revenues received in FY 2024 and the $764 million in one-time federal receipts received through April from last fiscal year.
As has been the case throughout the fiscal year, most of FY 2024’s gains have come from the Personal Income Tax. Through April, these receipts are up $1.960 billion or +8.4% [net growth of $1.622 billion or +8.2%]. While the growth is impressive, this cumulative total has been aided by “true- up” adjustments totaling approximately $862 million. If these values are removed from the total, the year-to-date net growth rate is a much more modest +3.8%. […]
Estimate Overview
As noted at the beginning of this revenue section, the overall increase seen in April is largely in line with the Commission’s latest forecast expectations. Over the next week, the Commission will be reviewing the latest data from the Department of Revenue and the Comptroller’s Office to see what tweaks need to be made to the Commission’s revenue forecasts for FY 2024 and FY 2025. While some adjustments (both positive and negative) to individual revenue lines is possible, these potential changes may not necessitate an official revision, as it appears, at this time, that the bottom-line revenue totals will not see a significant modification. This assessment is based on current law and is subject to change as more information becomes available. Of course, any pertinent changes to legislation over the next month impacting tax revenues would be cause for further adjustments to be made.
It’s been a crazy four years for revenue forecasters. Maybe - maybe - things are becoming more predictable now.
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Friday, May 3, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Center Square…
Candidates eying ballot access say they feel cheated after Illinois Democrats in less than two days approved and enacted legislation to end the slating of candidates for the November election if they didn’t run in the March primary. They’re eyeing a potential lawsuit.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed Senate Bill 2412 Friday morning, less than two days after it was approved by the House and concurred by the Senate. […]
The Illinois State Board of Elections told The Center Square on Friday they have already accepted some slating filings and despite the new law will continue to accept them under the original deadline of June 3. After that, there is the objection process. There could also be litigation from those objecting to the law, or from candidates on the ballot looking to use the law to block opponents seeking to be slated.
* Route Fifty…
The child welfare agency in Illinois has been in crisis since the 1990s, regularly sparking outrage when abused kids in its care die or children in state custody languish in hospitals or jails for months instead of finding a home with families. The Department of Children and Family Services has suffered from frequent leadership changes and chronic underfunding, but one big problem that officials say has contributed to the agency’s troubles has been a persistent staffing shortage.
To recruit more workers and ultimately achieve better outcomes for children across the state, DCFS has cut the hiring time for frontline workers from nine months to just a few weeks, according to agency officials. Sometimes, the department can even offer candidates a conditional job offer after a single day of interviews.
DCFS has focused on replenishing its ranks as part of a broader strategy to address the long-standing issues with the agency. Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat in his second term, has made new hires a central part of his plan for turning the agency around.
“DCFS is more focused than ever on how to best protect Illinois children,” he told lawmakers during a February budget address. “Of the more than 94,525 investigations conducted last year by DCFS, 99.7% were initiated within 24 hours. And within seven days, 96% of children have been seen by an investigator. With an additional $14 million in funding in [the next fiscal year], DCFS will reach a headcount of 4,000 staff for the first time in more than two decades.”
That would be a significant turnaround for an agency that had just 2,500 employees a decade ago. But getting the headcount to 4,000 by next year would still mean gaining a net of about 500 workers.
* Jason Meisner…
* Sun-Times…
Chicago Police Department leaders said Thursday they have decided not to punish any officers whose names appeared on the leaked membership list of the Oath Keepers, an anti-government extremist group that played a key role in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.
“The investigation is closed and the allegations were not sustained,” a spokeswoman for the CPD said in a statement, declining to provide any documents from the internal probe.
The brief statement stood in stark contrast to Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling’s zero-tolerance vow to the City Council in October, after WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times revealed the misconduct records of cops with ties to the Oath Keepers.
In a joint investigation, “Extremism in the Ranks,” WBEZ, the Sun-Times and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project found 27 current and former Chicago police officers whose names appeared in leaked Oath Keepers membership records. Nine remained on active duty, some with troubling disciplinary histories, according to public records.
* Chalkbeat…
The students are the inaugural class of a new, eight-month fellowship launched by National Louis University to prepare people for Chicago’s first elected school board, said Bridget Lee, the fellowship’s executive director. The fellowship is funded by Crown Family Philanthropies, The Joyce Foundation, the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, and Vivo Foundation (Crown, Joyce, and Vivo also support Chalkbeat. Learn more about our funding here.)
Known as the Academy for Local Leadership, or ALL Chicago, the fellowship is happening at a critical time. Chicago voters will begin electing people to the city’s school board this November, and candidates are building campaigns. But Lee said the program is for advocates as well as potential candidates.
Fellows had to apply to join the program, which began in March and will last through November and are hosted across the city, said Lee, who added that they are still figuring out the timing for the second cohort of fellows. Fellows are given a $400 stipend to help cover transportation costs — an amount Lee hopes will increase in the future, she said.
*** Statehouse ***
* Capitol Connection | Stadelman discusses proposal to alleviate medical debt burdens: Governor J.B. Pritzker (D-Illinois) is pushing one proposal. It would have the state work with third party organizations to buy up people’s medical debt, and save the long term impacts of the payments. Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) has a different approach. He is pushing a bill in the Senate that would prevent medical debts from impacting a person’s credit score.
* Daily Journal | Illinois gun lawsuits headed to U.S. Supreme Court?: After Illinois banned more than 170 semi-automatic firearms and magazines over certain capacities in January 2023, federal lawsuits were filed. Appeals of separate preliminary actions against the law were shot down by the Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals last year. Plaintiffs in February asked the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene. On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court moved several Illinois cases, and one challenging Maryland’s ban, to conference for May 16, 2024.
* Capitol News Illinois | Former state trooper who caused fatal crash halts effort to get driving privileges restored: Tom Daley, a retired Belleville criminal defense attorney who for 25 years specialized in handling DUIs and drivers’ license reinstatements, said he’s never seen an instance where a client had to submit to a mental evaluation for reinstatement purposes. But a Giannoulias spokesperson said that in cases where a crash caused by the driver has resulted in a death, it is common to require the petitioner to provide a mental evaluation and prove that they can safely operate a vehicle. Former Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White had previously blocked Mitchell’s attempts to have his license reinstated, overturning recommendations by his own hearing officer.
* WCIA | State representative visits UIUC pro-Palestine encampment: Encampment organizers announced in their Telegram group that State Representative Abdelnasser Rashid will be visiting the encampment for a press conference at 1:30 p.m. to extend his support.
*** Statewide ***
* University of Illinois System | April University of Illinois System Flash Index increases for the third month in a row: The University of Illinois System Flash Index for April continued its upward trend moving to 103 from its 102.8 reading in March. “The strength of the U. S. and Illinois economies has surprised many observers. Over a year ago, a minor recession was expected but the hope was for a soft landing instead,” said Fred Giertz, Professor Emeritus, Institute of Government and Public Affairs, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. “More recently, the desired soft landing seems to have been achieved. Now a third possibility is in play, that of no slowdown at all. The strength of the economy and recent inflation numbers has persuaded the Federal Reserve to defer expected rate cuts.”
*** Springfield ***
* Illinois Times | Lincoln and American Immigration: Expert to discuss latest book about Springfield’s favorite son Preeminent Lincoln scholar Harold Holzer will speak May 7 about his new book, Brought Forth on this Continent: Abraham Lincoln and American Immigration, during an event at the Lincoln Home National Historic Site.
* News Channel 20 | Gov. Pritzker in talks with Springfield officials about revamping Y-Block: The Governor said he’s been in talks with Springfield Mayor Misty Buscher about placing something at the Y Block. […] Pritzker says he would like to see the potential site to be open all year long and open to the public.
* SJ-R | Pritzker hints at Y-Block development during forum in Springfield: Of other local note, Pritzker maintains that state lawmakers will approve his proposal eliminating the grocery tax in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year. … “I know some of you will say ‘Well, gosh, one penny on a dollar doesn’t seem like a lot,’ but then again, people come and say, ‘Well, you know, every tax is, you know, is burdensome,’” Pritzker said. “I really believe in having a less regressive tax system. This is one tax I think we can eliminate.”
* Illinois Times | An odd business partnership: An Illinois State Police officer who jointly owned a Wabash Avenue building with a Springfield man charged with using the site for sex trafficking and prostitution didn’t know anything illegal might be going on there, according to his attorney. “He denies any wrongdoing,” Springfield lawyer Scott Sabin said on behalf of state trooper Nathan Shanks. “He owns a legal and clean and appropriate real-estate business on his own with his wife.” Shanks hasn’t been charged with any crimes in a local and federal investigation into Asian massage parlors in the Springfield area. But Shanks’ name has come up in court documents in the case against Springfield resident Gregory Fraase.
*** Chicago ***
* In These Times | The Fight to Bring Chicago Home Isn’t Over: Polls and outreach by community organizations showed that the plan enjoyed significant support in the year leading up to the referendum. But the real estate industry wasn’t having it. Powerful real estate and property owner organizations declared that Bring Chicago Home would chill development and kill jobs. A dark money Political Action Committee (PAC) called Chicago Forward (formed in 2014 to support Emanuel’s re-election as mayor) contributed $800,000 to a separate committee called “Keep Chicago Affordable,” which opposed Bring Chicago Home, according to an In These Times analysis of Illinois State Board of Elections records between October 2023 and the March 2024 election.
* Block Club | Chicago’s Shrinking Pride Parade: Police Want To Shorten Route After City Already Cut Entries: The route proposed by the Chicago Police Department would remove 48 officer posts. Members of the mayor’s Advisory Council on LGBTQ+ Issues say they want the parade restored to its previous form.
* Sun-Times | Relative’s bank card crucial to tracking down suspect charged with killing Chicago Police Officer Luis Huesca: A relative’s bank card was crucial to tracking down the man suspected of killing Chicago Police Office Luis Huesca as he returned home from work late last month in Gage Park, officials disclosed Friday. The suspect, Xavier Tate, 22, had used the card in a store not long before Huesca was gunned down shortly before 3 a.m. April 21 in the 3100 block of West 56th Street, Police Supt. Larry Snelling said at a news conference before Tate was to make his first court appearance on first-degree murder charges.
* WTTW | 5 Years After Shooting Put Him in a Coma, Chicago Police Officer Reflects on the Road to Recovery: ‘I’ve Learned to Forgive’: “Just keep going no matter what,” Jones told WTTW News. “Be your self-motivator, your self-inspiration, your own muse. … You can’t be stuck in the past. Life continues to move forward, so should you.” For a time after the shooting, Jones depended on a wheelchair to get around. Now he moves strategically, using techniques from a therapist.
* WBEZ | How the FAFSA debacle is playing out in one college counselor’s office: College counselors like Robinson are helping their students navigate the difficult situation — and trying to promote financial prudence without dimming the teens’ enthusiasm for college. In normal years, colleges send out financial aid award letters by February or March, giving students plenty of time to consider the affordability of their options before College Decision Day on May 1. But this year, colleges are woefully behind. According to a recent survey, as of April 16 about half of colleges had not even started packaging financial aid offers.
* Crain’s | This legal startup packs an increasingly powerful political punch: In the last few months, Croke Fairchild brought on David Reifman, the former Chicago planning and development commissioner, to build out a real estate practice and then hired Jim Durkin, who retired last year as the Illinois House Republican leader, to do the same with municipal clients. The firm tapped the third branch of government in luring former Illinois Supreme Court Justice Thomas Kilbride, who starts June 1, to develop an appellate court practice.
*** Cook County and Suburbs ***
* Crain’s | Lakefront homeowners sue Winnetka over new bluff-protection rules: The owners of 25 lakefront homes in Winnetka, claiming a new bluff-protection ordinance will rob them of millions of dollars in property value, sued the village in federal court today. The plaintiffs, who own some of the highest-priced properties on the North Shore suburb’s lakefront, include investment executives Andy Bluhm, Terry Mackay and Michael Hara, former United Airlines president and Computer Discount Warehouse CEO John Edwardson and mortgage company chief Dmitry Godin.
* Daily Herald | Wild Ones Kane County to host Native Plant Sale at Gray Willows Farm: Wild Ones of Greater Kane County is partnering with Campton Township Parks and Open Space for the 12th annual native plant sale on Saturday, May 18, from 9 a.m to 2 p.m. at Gray Willows Farm, 5N949 Corron Road in Campton Hills. They will be offering over 150 species of native plants, as well as ferns, trees and shrubs.
*** National ***
* Crain’s | Inside Edelman’s large language model and how it tracks brand trust: Dubbed “Archie,” the LLM took nearly one year to develop, requiring the use of open source code and training data provided by pre-existing models, as well as significant investments in time and labor. The overall costs have contributed to Edelman more than doubling its spend this year as compared to last year, which itself substantially outweighed the company’s spending for the year prior.
* The Root | You Won’t Believe What Tiffany Haddish Has Done to Stop Internet Trolls: Though she denied having a fake Instagram account to snoop on what people are saying, she recently revealed to taking things a step further bringing in extra help to find these trolls and talk to them directly. Per the interview, Haddish shared that she hired a “digital forensics analyst to research where her death threats were coming from — 75% were created by robots in Malaysia and Iran, which made her feel better.”
* Crain’s | Rivian taps Volvo exec as COO ahead of new-model launch: The move shakes up leadership at a delicate time for the automaker, which has battled production challenges, stock declines and shaky consumer demand in the increasingly crowded EV market. The Irvine, Calif.-based company, backed by big-name investors including Amazon.com, is the next biggest standalone, pure-play maker of battery-electric vehicles in the U.S. behind Tesla Inc.
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Fun with numbers (Updated)
Friday, May 3, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
* CTU honcho upset at the governor about the Bears stadium plan…
Um, no.
* From the linked article…
Rivian will add more than 500 jobs as it expands its electric-vehicle assembly plant in Normal to produce a new small SUV, the company’s CEO said today in a joint announcement with the governor.
The state will provide Rivian with $75 million from its deal-closing fund and $634 million in tax incentives over 30 years. In return, Rivian will add at least 550 jobs over the next five years and invest $1.5 billion in its manufacturing operations.
The state also is funding a second manufacturing-job training academy in Normal. The total value of the incentive package is $827 million and requires Rivian to maintain at least 6,000 jobs in Illinois.
That works out to $4,594 per job, per year over the 30-year lifespan of the deal. [It’s actually probably much less than that because the company currently employs 8,000 workers in Normal] The deal requires Rivian to pay minimum wages of $51,000.
Not to mention the suppliers and other companies coming to the state because Rivian is here and expanding.
* From Deputy Gov. Manar…
Also, I asked Mr. Potter where he stood on the Bears stadium plan. He’s so far refused to give me a straight answer.
…Adding… From a Crain’s editorial…
Rivian’s presence has turbocharged the Bloomington-Normal economy. Since Rivian bought a shuttered Mitsubishi plant there in 2017 for $16 million, the Irvine, Calif.-based company has hired more than 8,000 workers in Illinois. Rivian has invested more than $2 billion and produced more than 100,000 vehicles, including trucks, SUVs and delivery vans.
Meanwhile, Rivian has become an anchor of a nascent electric-vehicle ecosystem in Illinois, which Pritzker has leveraged to attract more jobs, including Rivian supplier Gotion, which is building a battery-assembly plant in Manteno expected to employ 2,600 people after the state offered up $536 million in incentives. Stellantis, the parent company of Dodge and Chrysler, is converting its Belvidere assembly plant to make an electric truck and adding a battery plant in an expansion expected to create 5,000 jobs in the Rockford area, a decision helped along by interventions from Pritzker as well as President Joe Biden. […]
Another sign Illinois is getting nimbler in the race for the technology jobs of the future comes in the realm of quantum computing. As Crain’s reported last month, two massive industrial sites symbolizing Chicago’s manufacturing decline — the former U.S. Steel South Works site on the Far South Side and the former Texaco refinery in Lockport — could get new life in the race to build cutting-edge quantum technology. […]
The quantum action as well as the Rivian win confirm investment can beget more investment. It’s a lesson Illinois may have learned a little later than some other states — but it’s an important lesson nevertheless.
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It’s just a bill
Friday, May 3, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Politico…
Has this been happening? State Sen. Robert Peters advanced legislation out of the Senate on Thursday to ban employers from requiring workers to attend meetings regarding political or religious matters.
Yep. Here’s an AFL-CIO press release from February…
The Illinois AFL-CIO today laid out an agenda to build on the Illinois labor movement’s recent successes like the Workers’ Rights Amendment, the Temp Worker Fairness and Safety Act and Paid Leave for All. Among the organization’s legislative priorities is a push to protect all workers from unwanted religious and political speech in the workplace. Known as captive audience meetings, these mandatory meetings subject employees to the religious or political views of the employer during work hours. When employees decline to participate, they often face retaliation or firing. […]
Captive audience meetings are the employer-preferred method of union busting. An Economic Policy Institute analysis of National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) elections documents shows that 89% of all employers conduct captive audience meetings in response to unionization efforts. […]
Often an employer threatens, disciplines, or terminates an employee for objecting to the boss’s political views. Anti-captive audience legislation guarantees workers’ freedoms and ensures that all workers can fully exercise their rights in the workplace.
The bill is SB3649.
* HB793 was re-referred to the House Rules Committee on May 1. WAND…
Illinois workers with developmental and intellectual disabilities have been paid much less than the minimum wage since 1938, but state lawmakers could pass a plan to phase out the sub-minimum wage this month.
Rep. Theresa Mah (D-Chicago) and many other lawmakers believe it is wrong that some people are paid as low as 50 cents per hour and make only $100 per month.
A new amendment to House Bill 793 would create a special grant fund of $2 million to help community agencies transition away from the sub-minimum wages. Mah told reporters in Springfield Thursday that the funding is already available in the Department of Human Services budget. […]
House Bill 793 includes a provision stating community group home residents should receive a personal allowance of at least $100 per month. The proposal also calls for the personal needs allowance to increase annually at the same rate as the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment taking effect at the start of each year.
* Sports Betting Dime…
Just two days after Dave & Buster’s announced a new plan to allow loyalty members to digitally compete in real-money arcade contests at its locations throughout the country, an Illinois Representative has introduced legislation to block “family-friendly arcades” from knowingly advertising and facilitating wagering on amusement games at its premises.
Rep. Daniel Didech (D-59) today introduced HB 5832 to the House of Representatives, where it was referred to the rules committee.
An official press release announcing the introduction of the bill said the legislation is in response to Dave & Buster’s potential plan to allow loyalty members to compete against other customers for real money on such games as skee-ball or pop-a-shot through its app. The national restaurant and entertainment business announced this week a new partnership with Lucra Sports to use its proprietary software to allow these types of contests on the Dave & Buster’s app. […]
The bill will prohibit family-amusement establishments from facilitating wagering on amusement games, which includes, but is not limited to, “taking any action that knowingly allows any entity to facilitate gambling on amusement games on the family amusement establishment’s premises.” Additionally, establishments will be prohibited from engaging in advertising that promotes wagering on amusement games.
* WGIL…
Saying the penalties are too lenient in Illinois, some Republican lawmakers want to increase the consequences for fleeing the police. […]
Senate Minority Leader John Curran, R-Downers Grove, said anyone fleeing police in Florida is charged with a Class 3 felony and a $5,000 fine. Curran’s legislation in Senate Bill 1807 would increase the penalty in Illinois to a Class 4 felony. […]
A Class 4 felony conviction in Illinois would result in one to three years prison time. The measure allows for stricter penalties for aggravating factors and charges a person with a Class 3 felony which could come with five years behind bars. […]
The Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police support the legislation.
SB1807 has not moved out of committee.
* Capitol News Illinois…
A bill that would put more controls on certain kinds of high-cost loans to small businesses cleared the Illinois Senate Thursday.
Senate Bill 2234, known as the Small Business Financial Transparency Act, targets a relatively new kind of nontraditional lender in the credit market, online app-based financial service companies sometimes known as “fintechs.”
Sen. Chris Belt, D-Swansea, the lead sponsor of the bill, said it is based on the federal Truth in Lending Act of 1968, which governs consumer loans. It requires nontraditional lenders to calculate and express the cost of the loan in terms of a standard annual percentage rate, or APR, even if the lender bases the loan around some other type of fee structure.
“There has never, ever been anything like the Truth in Lending Act on the commercial side,” Belt said on the Senate floor. “And so what this legislation looks to do is mimic the Truth in Lending Act on the commercial side. It ensures small businesses receive consistent and transparent disclosures on the cost of small business financing.”
* WCIA…
A bill moving in the state capitol aims to lower students’ stress by encouraging school districts to have at least 20 minutes of instruction on relaxation activities each week. Suggested activities in the bill include mindful-based movements, yoga, stretching, meditation, breathing exercises, guided relaxation techniques, quiet time, walking and in-person conversation. […]
The bill allows the school district to choose how to implement the relaxation activities, including in a P.E. class, an advisory class, or creating a new class. School districts may partner with a public or private community organization for help providing the relaxation activities to students. […]
The bill passed the House of Representatives’ Elementary & Secondary Education: School Curriculum & Policies Committee on Wednesday. The proposal has already passed the Illinois Senate.
Republicans have voted against the proposal.
* Sen. Steve Stadelman…
In an effort to protect vulnerable utility customers, State Senator Steve Stadelman has introduced legislation that would establish a Disconnection Protection Program.
“Ensuring that our residents have continuous access to basic utilities like electricity and gas is not just a matter of comfort, but of public health and safety,” said Stadelman (D-Rockford). “This measure would prevent families from having to choose between paying for utilities and other essential needs like food and medicine, especially during times of financial difficulty.”
Low-income households that seek energy payment assistance do not currently have any protections from being disconnected by electric and gas utilities.
This legislation would mandate electric and gas utilities serving more than 500,000 customers to implement measures to prevent the disconnection of services for customers actively seeking energy payment assistance.
“This bill is a step forward in our ongoing efforts to support vulnerable populations and ensure that our energy policies are fair and just,” said Stadelman.
House Bill 4118 passed the Energy and Public Utilities Committee on Thursday, and heads to the House for further consideration.
* Illinois Bankers Association…
The Illinois Bankers Association (IBA) issued the following statement following House approval of HB5428, which eliminates red tape to ensure the state’s network of community banks continue to thrive while modernizing language in banking documents.
Changes include updating the term “disabled person” to “person with a disability” throughout the Illinois Banking Act to reduce stigma by putting an individual’s personhood first rather than defining them by their disabilities. The legislation also modernizes longstanding discrimination protections for loans by expanding the scope to all single “individuals,” rather than only “single females.” In addition, the measure allows banks to follow federal requirements for hiring individuals with criminal backgrounds, which would allow those with misdemeanor or years-old offenses to qualify for jobs in the banking industry.
“We applaud lawmakers, and especially our sponsor Rep. Dagmara Avelar, for passing legislation that updates the phrasing and scope of the Illinois Banking Act to foster inclusivity and fairness. All individuals should feel recognized and respected by the institutions that serve them, including financial institutions,” said Ben Jackson, Executive Vice President of Government Relations, Illinois Bankers Association. “These changes remedy some historical biases, not only making Illinois banking laws more relevant and respectful but also strengthening the legal framework to be more just and equitable.”
* [From Rich Miller] Background is here if you need it. The fallout from the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s decision to not bother to challenge the release of an accused domestic abuser who then went on to kill his spouse and himself continues. And it’s getting ludicrous. From the Daily Herald…
State Sen. John Curran of Downers Grove, minority leader for the Republicans, said at a news conference Wednesday he intends to submit a bill this week that would change the state’s cashless-bail law in regards to domestic battery charges.
The law currently says that every defendant is entitled to a presumption of release, and that prosecutors have to prove why measures such as electronic monitoring are not sufficient to ensure the safety of a specific person or the public.
Curran proposes that for misdemeanor domestic battery cases involving an injury, the burden of proof be shifted to the defendant. They would be detained automatically unless they could convince a judge they are not a threat.
“We need to flip that presumption,” Curran said. “The next tragedy that occurs, we are going to wish we had.”
I probably shouldn’t be so stunned that local news media outlets are just running with all the official deflection and obfuscation surrounding this case without even the slightest bit of push-back.
But here we are.
You’re gonna flip the presumption of innocence in some misdemeanor cases and not felonies? What the heck?
Seems like a gross overreaction.
Ever read People v. Purcell? The burden of proof falls squarely on the state.
You know what would be better? If state’s attorneys actually did their jobs. As the above article also notes, DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin has finally decided to stop the finger-pointing and instead actually revamp his operation to prevent this sort of thing from happening again.
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* Press release…
Yesterday, Governor JB Pritzker signed the following bill, which was filed today:
Bill Number: SB2412
Description: Amends the Elections Code. Places three statewide advisory questions on the ballot for the November 5, 2024 general election. Makes changes to the deadline for filing candidate nomination petitions. Makes other changes to the Elections Code governing the filling of vacancies in nomination for legislative offices.
Action: Signed
Effective: Immediately
* Here’s some background from the Tribune…
A comprehensive election bill that gained final approval by the Democratic-led Illinois legislature on Thursday would give Democrats a significant advantage toward keeping their legislative majorities before any votes are even cast in the Nov. 5 general election. […]
But the election bill given final approval by Senate Democrats Thursday on a 35-3 vote, with 18 Republicans voting “present” in protest, would further help Democrats maintain control in the next General Assembly.
Under the measure, local political party organizations could no longer appoint candidates to fill out legislative ballots where the party did not field a primary candidate. Current law allows the appointment process within 75 days of the primary.
Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker said that while he had not seen all the details of the measure, he considered it an “ethics” bill.
* And more from Capitol News Illinois…
Privately, GOP lawmakers said they believe the proposed change is designed to influence the outcome of one particular race this year – the 112th House District in the Metro East area, where incumbent Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, is running for reelection.
No Republican filed to run in that race in time for the March 19 primary, but party officials say one is currently being lined up.
Republicans believe that district is winnable for them. Stuart won reelection to that seat in 2022 by a 54-46 margin over Republican Jennifer Korte. […]
The measure would also pose three nonbinding advisory referendum questions to voters on the November ballot, including asking whether health insurance plans that cover pregnancy benefits should be required to cover in vitro fertilization and other fertility treatments.
…Adding… Leader Curran…
Illinois Senate Republican Leader John Curran (R-Downes Grove) released the following statement in response to Gov. Pritzker signing SB 2412 that changes General Assembly election rules halfway through the 2024 Election Cycle:
“Gov. Pritzker capped off a 30-hour dash by Illinois Democrats to politically suppress Illinoisans’ voting rights. This abuse of power that blocks candidates from giving voters a choice in free, fair, and open elections is unprecedented in Illinois’ 205-year history. Their dictator-style tactic of stealing an election before a vote is cast is a new low for elective government in this state and undermines the core principals of American democracy.”
…Adding… I told subscribers about this as well…
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Rides For Moms Provides Transportation To Prenatal Care
Friday, May 3, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Surgo Ventures partnered with Uber Health and local health centers to provide transportation assistance to expectant mothers facing transportation challenges to their prenatal appointments. Across one city, the initiative covered over 30,000 miles, ensuring over 450 participants reached their prenatal appointments without hassle. One participant shared, ‘There were days when I didn’t want to get up from bed. Knowing that someone was going to pick me up… made me feel safer.’ With programs like Rides for Moms, transportation is no longer a barrier for new mothers to access essential medical care. Learn more
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Question of the day
Friday, May 3, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Shaw Local…
Throughout the month of April, Illinois State Police took part in the Distracted Driving Enforcement Program, which provided extra patrol coverage to enforce distracted driving laws.
On May 2, ISP Troop 3 Commander Captain Patrick Manno announced the results of the month-long program held in Cook, DuPage, Kane and Will counties.
Throughout April, ISP officers wrote 149 citations for hand-held phone and device citations, with an additional 20 violations specifically for texting while driving. Officers also provided three written distracted driving warnings, according to a release from ISP.
* The Question: Do you or anyone close to you still manually read and/or send text messages while driving? Be honest! Explain.
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Get The Facts On The Illinois Prescription Drug Board
Friday, May 3, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
The price-setting board proposed in HB4472 is not the solution for Illinois. It would give bureaucrats the power to arbitrarily set medicine prices, deciding what medicines and treatments are “worth” paying for. We can’t leave Illinoisans’ health care up to political whims. Let’s make it easier, not harder for patients to access their medicines. Click here to learn more.
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* More background on McHenry County State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally is here if you need it. Click here to read the legislation in question.
McHenry County State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally personally sent me this press release yesterday. Here’s an excerpt…
In 2019, AJ Freund was beaten to death by his opioid-addicted mother. One of the only reasons he made it to five years old is because of a law requiring DCFS to inform the state’s attorney’s office (“SAO”) when children are born drug positive. AJ, at the time of his birth, was born with heroin in his system and suffered through weeks of painful withdrawal. After learning of the positive test, the SAO filed a petition in court and began a non-punitive court process wherein all county and service agencies collaborate in making sure the baby is safe and mother recovers. It was not until this case was closed, nearly four years after AJ’s birth, and court supervision ceased that AJ’s mother relapsed and the physical abuse resulting in AJ’s horrific and well-publicized death began.
Now, a group of doctors (remember, those whose “evidenced-based” practices brought us the opioid epidemic in the first place), through the Illinois Medical Society, are using their influence as a special interest to pass legislation that would eliminate the obligation of DCFS to automatically notify the SAO of a drug positive baby. The basis, of course, is not science, but political pieties that forbid “stigmatizing” the mother, who though severely endangering her child by using drugs during pregnancy, is merely a faultless victim afflicted with the “disease” of substance abuse.
But rest assured, they advise, DCFS, an organization that for decades has been defined by its failure to meet expectations, will be solely responsible for making sure the infant is safe. What could go wrong?
Those are some pretty bold statements.
* From the one-pager issued by proponents…
• SB 3136 does not change any reporting requirements under Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act (ANCRA).
• DCFS will continue to receive reports of infants with positive toxicology screens at birth and will be required to investigate the infant’s safety, provide services to the family, and when necessary, bring the infant to the attention of the court.
• Any changes in reporting requirements will require additional legislative action.
• SB 3136 will not impact a court’s ability to act when a child is being abused or neglected. If the child’s care or environment is not safe, the court may find the child neglected based on existing provisions of the Juvenile Court Act. […]
• SB 3136 lifts existing punitive policies negatively affecting families with substance use disorders:
• Amends the Illinois Adoption Act by removing provisions that would allow a court to find that a parent is unfit for the purposes of termination of parental rights based upon a newborn’s positive toxicology screen without considering services offered to the parent and the parent’s compliance with recommended services.
• Removes a provision from ANCRA requiring DCFS to forward reports of infants with positive toxicology screens to law enforcement. With this change, an allegation that an infant is substance-exposed will be treated the same as the majority of other neglect allegations reported to DCFS. DCFS will conduct an investigation and provide the information to law enforcement when further action is necessary.
Some of the “special interests” which support the bill…
American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists, Illinois Section; Illinois Academy of Family Physicians; Illinois Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics; Illinois Health and Hospital Association; Illinois Society of Addiction Medicine; Illinois State Medical Society; Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office; Office of the Cook County Public Guardian
Rep. Steven Reick, a McHenry County Republican, is a co-sponsor.
* From the Illinois State Medical Society…
To suggest that the Illinois State Medical Society would ever support legislation that would put a child in harm’s way is absurd! While accusing the physicians of Illinois of playing politics, the McHenry County State’s Attorney is making baseless accusations.
It is unfortunate that the State’s Attorney fails to explain how the process works. Nothing in this bill diminishes the role of the state’s attorney.
SB 3136 maintains the role that state attorneys have in protecting our children. They will still get the results as part of an investigation that provides evidence that a child is at risk for abuse or neglect. SB 3136 simply treats a positive toxicology test as most other abuse and neglect reports that are forwarded to state’s attorneys.
This is a bill to help pregnant persons who have been diagnosed with substance use disorders access treatment before the baby is born. That keeps moms, babies and families healthy.
* Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser…
DCFS is in the best position to investigate issues involving the abuse or neglect of children alongside our law enforcement. A report to the State’s Attorney’s Office may begin a case but it would still be done in conjunction with the DCFS or law enforcement. While we have all seen deficiencies within DCFS, I am confident that the new DCFS Director, Heidi Mueller, will address these concerns. In the meantime, we should continue to work together as a team to address the protection of our most vulnerable, the children.
* House sponsor Rep. Mary Beth Canty…
There’s always room for good-faith differences of opinion in the legislative process, and I appreciate that input from law enforcement and child welfare professionals has strengthened this bill. I do not, however, believe that casting sweeping aspersions on physicians or impugning the integrity of the bill’s supporters is productive — especially regarding a bill that seeks to bring a smarter, more nuanced approach to sensitive issues regarding child welfare.
…Adding… Sen. Castro’s statement…
In response to a statement issued by the McHenry County State’s Attorney regarding maternal and infant health legislation in front of the General Assembly, State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) released the following statement:
“I am appalled to see a public official attack and blame vulnerable new mothers who are struggling to get the treatment they need.
“In order for people to get better, they have to seek help. The goal of Senate Bill 3136 is to address the urgent issue of maternal and infant mortality by helping mothers do just that – seek treatment so they can live healthy lives with healthy children.
“Rather than making cruel and destructive comments about women struggling with addiction, I’m working on legislation to keep women and children in Illinois alive, safe and healthy.”
Background
Senate Bill 3136 implements specific, evidence-based recommendations from the Illinois Maternal Mortality Review Committee to address substance use disorder – the leading cause of pregnancy-related death in Illinois. The bill would alleviate the punitive revocation of parental rights simply based on the finding of a positive toxicology report, with the goal of ensuring women are not afraid to come forward and seek treatment. It would not remove law enforcement’s ability to act, nor would it remove any investigation process through DCFS.
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Open thread
Friday, May 3, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Friday, May 3, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* ICYMI: IG says state employees made up businesses, lied about income to defraud federal COVID aid program. Tribune…
-One DHS employee said on a PPP application that his car-washing business made $110,000 in a year but later acknowledged the venture had no customers or income.
- There are 275 instances in which the inspector general found PPP wrongdoing, the alleged thefts totaling more than $7 million in public funds.
-All employees in these cases were later fired, according to records posted by the ethics commission.
*** Isabel’s top picks ***
* Block Club | Friday Morning Swim Club Canceled As Organizers Blame City’s ‘Unreasonable’ Demands: In a social media video, Friday Morning Swim Club organizers Andrew Glatt and Nicole Novotny said they couldn’t strike a deal to approve the event after being met with “unreasonable demands” by the city. Glatt said he was quoted $108,000 to secure permits for the summer event, which sees thousands of swimmers — often decked out in colorful floaties — jump into Lake Michigan at a portion of Montrose Harbor where swimming is not allowed.
* WaPo | Where seas are rising at alarming speed: The Gulf of Mexico has experienced twice the global average rate of sea level rise since 2010, a Post analysis of satellite data shows. Few other places on the planet have seen similar rates of increase, such as the North Sea near the United Kingdom. “Since 2010, it’s very abnormal and unprecedented,” said Jianjun Yin, a climate scientist at the University of Arizona who has studied the changes. While it is possible the swift rate of sea level rise could eventually taper, the higher water that has already arrived in recent years is here to stay.
*** Statehouse News ***
* Tribune | Legislators pass election bill that would favor Democrats in November: But the election bill given final approval by Senate Democrats Thursday on a 35-3 vote, with 18 Republicans voting “present” in protest, would further help Democrats maintain control in the next General Assembly. Under the measure, local political party organizations could no longer appoint candidates to fill out legislative ballots where the party did not field a primary candidate. Current law allows the appointment process within 75 days of the primary.
* Crain’s | Rivian will add over 500 jobs in Normal to make new SUV: The state also is funding a second manufacturing-job training academy in Normal. The total value of the incentive package is $827 million and requires Rivian to maintain at least 6,000 jobs in Illinois. “The support from the state will allow us to quickly bring our midsize SUV, R2, to market and provide even greater consumer choice for EVs,” Rivian CEO R.J. Scaringe said in a written statement. “Gov. Pritzker has always been a strong advocate for providing economic opportunities for Illinois residents and business owners alike. We look forward to continuing our close partnership and building upon the success we have enjoyed.”
* Tribune | Backed by state incentives, Rivian to invest $1.5 billion and add more than 550 jobs to build new R2 EV at Normal plant: The majority of the incentives will come from state tax credits paid out over 30 years, if Rivian meets its investment and hiring obligations. “They’re growing now and they had the opportunity to grow in Georgia or in Illinois,” Pritzker said during a news conference at the Rivian plant. “We wanted them to stay right here and create jobs here. That was why we put an incentive package together and made that offer to Rivian.”
* Capitol News Illinois | Law enforcement community honors fallen officers at Illinois Capitol: The Illinois Police Officers Memorial occurs annually on the first Thursday of May to honor officers who died in the line of duty and to support their families. “No one looks forward to this day. We all wish we didn’t have to have a day like this,” Treasurer Micheal Frerichs said. “Every year we come back. And we’ll keep coming back for those people in law enforcement who gave their lives but also for their families.”
*** Chicago ***
* Sun-Times | Chicago Police won’t discipline nine officers who signed up for extremist group: “The investigation is closed and the allegations were not sustained,” a spokeswoman for the CPD said in a statement, declining to provide any documents from the internal probe. The brief statement stood in stark contrast to Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling’s zero-tolerance vow to the City Council in October, after WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times revealed the misconduct records of the cops with ties to the Oath Keepers.
* Sun-Times | Asleep at the march? ACLU says Chicago may be unprepared for Democratic Convention protests: “Despite suggestions by some Chicago officials that the city is prepared for the Democratic National Convention, we are here today because they are not,” Ed Yohnka, spokesman for the ACLU of Illinois, told reporters. “Sadly, the city has not created a clear, transparent plan for welcoming those who want to come to demonstrate and express themselves on the issues of our day.” So far, the city has denied nearly every protest application from other groups that applied to march during the convention, which will be held from Aug. 19-22. The city offered them an alternative route through Grant Park, but the activists say that’s too far from their target audience of delegates and reporters who will be converging on the United Center and McCormick Place.
* NBC Chicago | Chicago’s mayor seen running away from NBC 5’s Mary Ann Ahern: Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson was captured on video apparently running from reporters, including NBC 5’s Chief Political Reporter Mary Ann Ahern, following an event Thursday.
* NBC Chicago | Suspect charged in killing of Chicago police officer faces additional charges: The suspect charged with the first-degree murder of Chicago Police Officer Luis Huesca faces additional charges of aggravated vehicular hijacking and possession of a stolen firearm, Chicago police announced Thursday afternoon. The announcement by authorities comes ahead of a Friday morning news conference where State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Police Superintendent Larry Snelling are expected to reveal additional information.
* Sun-Times | At crooked Bridgeport bank, official blew the whistle, but no one did a thing: Glusak “abruptly quit, leaving her keys in the mailbox,” according to court records. But that didn’t stop her from continuing to sound the alarm. She also wrote to the U.S. attorney’s office, which had a long history of prosecuting Chicago’s crooked politicians and business people. Her letter was eventually forwarded to the FBI.
* Sun-Times | Red, white and blooey? Demolition begins on Thompson Center exterior: Crews used excavators to tear off lower exterior portions of the building at 100 W. Randolph St. on Thursday, marking an unofficial start to Google’s $280 million renovations of the 17-story building. Permits issued last October by the Department of Buildings called for removing the structure’s metal and glass skin. Renderings released by Google last year show a similar-looking building, with its trademark atrium still intact but absent of its longstanding blue, salmon and white color scheme.
*** Cook County and Suburbs ***
* Crain’s | How a deal to restore peace at Northwestern is sparking more friction: “My principles were to prioritize the health and safety of our entire community,” the embattled university chief told Crain’s in an exclusive interview today. But the early praise has given way to a fierce backlash over the agreement and its terms, landing the Northwestern president once again under intense scrutiny for his decision-making and leadership, with some calling for his firing.
* Daily Herald | Aurora educator named Teacher of the Year: As a child, Rachael Mahmood struggled with finding a sense of belonging in school. However, the Plainfield resident didn’t let that stop her from pursuing her dream of becoming an educator and making sure her students see themselves in the lessons she teaches. Her journey was highlighted Thursday as state and Indian Prairie School District 204 officials surprised Mahmood with the news that she was named Illinois State Board of Education’s Teacher of the Year.
* Tribune | New Dolton subpoena targets financial information for Mayor Tiffany Henyard, spending on trips: The most recent subpoena asks for more detailed information about expense reimbursements and other payments made by the village to Henyard and Keith Freeman, village administrator, according to trustees, who have separately hired former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot to investigate Henyard and a village-financed trip made by her a year ago to Las Vegas. Although it appears federal investigators are digging deeper into the village, trustees said Thursday it’s important to continue with Lightfoot, who will be paid $400 an hour to investigate Henyard and her administration.
*** National ***
* WaPo | Texas man files legal action to probe ex-partner’s out-of-state abortion: The case also illustrates the role that men who disapprove of their partners’ decisions could play in surfacing future cases that may violate abortion bans — either by filing their own civil lawsuits or by reporting the abortions to law enforcement. Under Texas law, performing an abortion is a crime punishable by up to a lifetime in prison and up to $100,000 in civil penalties. Women seeking abortions cannot be charged under the state’s abortion restrictions, but the laws target anyone who performs or helps to facilitate an illegal abortion, including those who help distribute abortion pills.
* Mediaite | Elon Musk Promises to Lift X Ban on Neo-Nazi Leader : Controversial billionaire and X owner, Elon Musk, vowed to allow avowed neo-Nazi Nick Fuentes back onto his platform on Thursday. Fuentes, the leader of the so-called Groyper Army, has been banned from the platform since 2021 and is infamous for his violent and bigoted rhetoric. Fuentes has long been active on the far-right in American politics and in the past has hosted a conference meant to be counter-programming to CPAC, which included speeches by Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Paul Gosar (R-AZ).
* WaPo | Booming labor market poised to reach milestone for low unemployment: Economists predict that the April jobs report, to be released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday morning, will show the unemployment rate holding at 3.8 percent, marking the 27th consecutive month of unemployment below 4 percent. This would match a low-unemployment period between 1967 to 1970, and close in on the longest period on record, between 1951 to 1953.
* Crain’s | Q&A: Why the U.S. economy is outperforming much of the rest of the world: The size of the U.S. economy, adjusted for inflation, is 7% larger now than it was before COVID hit these shores. That’s twice the gain in Japan and far better than the 0.3% increase in Germany, according to British Parliament data. In the past four years American workers’ wages grew 2.8% after adjusting for inflation, while wages fell by 9% in Italy and 7% in Germany during the same time.
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Live coverage
Friday, May 3, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
* You can click here or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.
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