* Her duties are being taken over by another person? What exactly does the state’s COO do?…
(T)he Governor announced today Chief Operating Officer Linda Lingle is resigning from the Administration.
“I thank Linda Lingle for her service to the people of Illinois,” Governor Rauner said. “Linda made a commitment to help us with our transformation efforts, and she has done a great job of helping to move our state in a new, positive direction. Diana and I wish her nothing but the best in all of her future endeavors.” […]
Deputy Governor Trey Childress will add to his duties and take on the additional role of Chief Operating Officer. Childress previously served as the COO for the State of Georgia under two governors where he led government transformation initiatives, while overseeing the state’s various departments, agencies, and boards and commissions. He also served as the Director of the Governor’s Office of Planning & Budget, and was responsible for the State’s $32 billion budget. Childress earned a master’s degree in public policy and bachelor’s degrees in industrial and systems engineering and international affairs from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. He lives in Chicago.
* I ran into Messina the other night and we ended up having a few beverages. Seems like a decent sort. Phil Gonet, president of the Illinois Coal Association, once called him “extremely, extremely pro-business,” so he’ll be an unusual pick for IEPA. And Attorney General Lisa Madigan is definitely not a fan…
Governor Bruce Rauner announced today the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) Director Lisa Bonnett will resign from the Administration effective today. Governor Rauner has selected Alec Messina to fill the position.
Messina is currently the Policy Adviser for Environment and Energy in the Office of the Governor where he is the Governor’s liaison to six state agencies: the Illinois Commerce Commission, the Illinois Department of Agriculture, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, the Illinois Pollution Control Board and the Illinois Power Agency. As a policy adviser, Messina assisted in the resolution of numerous regulatory and permitting delays, and coordinated legislative and regulatory development in the areas of environment and energy. In addition, Messina also was involved with the transition of the State 911 Program from the Commerce Commission to the Illinois State Police, as well as subsequent consolidation efforts.
Messina previously worked for the IEPA as Chief Legal Counsel from 2005-2010. In addition, he previously served as the Executive Director of the Illinois Environmental Regulatory Group, a non-profit trade association. He initially served as its General Counsel.
* A couple of readers have told me about a new robocall. One recorded it. It’s not pretty…
* Script…
Hi, my name is Karol, and I’m appalled that our state Representative Ron Sandack admitted in the Tribune that he accosted a female state worker on the House floor. Please call Ron Sandack at… and demand he apologize for his inexcusable behavior.
* The incident in question came at a particularly emotional moment on the House floor. The Democrats had just jammed through a budget and adjourned for the evening. Tensions were high. The alleged act can be seen by clicking here and going to the 51-minute mark.
There’s no candidate disclosure on that robocall, but Sandack’s Democratic opponent used several of the same words from the call in a post on his website last month. From what I can gather, this was not a Madigan operation thing. Likely the candidate himself.
* From Rep. Sandack…
As the House Republican Floor Leader I confronted Speaker Madigan’s lawyer and the House of Representatives’ Parliamentarian about the outrageous breach of procedural rules and etiquette the evening the House Democrats jammed a $7B out balance budget through the House. Debate was unceremoniously cut off, no vote verification occurred, and the Democrats immediately thereafter gaveled out of session after the vote, all in clear violation of House Rules. My conversation with the Parliamentarian was pointed and assertive, and rightfully so. The next day the House Democrats on their own motion reconsidered their actions and held another vote on their unbalanced budget bill. I spoke to the House Parliamentarian subsequently to advise I meant nothing personally, had no intention to startle, and was only speaking up for and defending my caucus in the face of some brazen procedural shenanigans that should never have happened.
I do know, by talking to all involved, that what Sandack says at the end was true. He did talk to her, they worked it out and moved along.
But, man. It’s only July 1st. Gonna be a long, hot summer.
Applause filled the lobby of the Illinois State Museum Thursday evening as state and local officials celebrated the reopening of the Springfield facility after a nine-month closure.
The museum at 502 S. Spring St. opens to the public at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, but Gov. Bruce Rauner, Springfield Mayor Jim Langfelder and other state officials gathered early to thank members of the Illinois State Museum Society, museum employees and Department of Natural Resources employees for their ongoing support. The gathering was held within hours of the legislature approving a six-month, stopgap budget.
“We in Illinois have been coming through difficult times, difficult days, as we struggle to get our state back on solid financial footing, to live within our means, restore value to taxpayers and grow our economy,” said Rauner. “These have been difficult days. Many of you have worked hard and sacrificed to protect this institution through this difficult time.”
The Republican governor announced he would close the museum and its satellite facilities to the public in late September as an attempt to save money during the state’s budget standoff. The museum’s primary Springfield site lost approximately half of its staff over the course of its closure and required the approval of a $5 admission fee to reopen. The admission fee does not apply to children age 18 and under, seniors and veterans.
I never quite understood what money the closing was actually supposed to save since unionized employees kept reporting to work.
State lawmakers on Thursday handed Mayor Rahm Emanuel broad authority to create special taxing districts to help pay for four major rail projects, but the mayor and his administration would not detail how much money would be diverted or how it would be spent.
The legislation, which lawmakers passed as part of a compromise on a stopgap state budget and an education funding bill, is designed to help City Hall come up with money it needs to match requirements to receive federal transportation grants and loans, Emanuel said.
But the measure also grants the mayor and City Council wide discretion to create the so-called tax-increment finance districts within a one-mile-wide swath of land along 46 miles of Chicago Transit Authority rail lines throughout the city. The districts, which could remain in place for up to 35 years, would siphon off 80 percent of property tax revenue within their boundaries (with the exception of taxes for Chicago Public Schools) and dedicate the money toward four major transit projects.
* Hmm. From Emanuel’s brief press statement…
Today marks the next chapter in the work we started shortly after I took office, to modernize the Red Line from 95th to Howard, and continue the process of extending it further south. With this bill, in just a few years we will have done what once seemed impossible, and we will improve the quality of life for hundreds of thousands of people that rely on the Red Line as part of their daily life.
Emanuel told reporters yesterday that this would allow the city to tap into $800 million of federal money for upgrading the Red and Purple lines and extend the Red Line south.
But at least they had something. No major media outlet did much of anything.
* Somebody else could’ve given them details, too. StreetsBlogChicago got some…
A new bill that would generate more funding for four large-scale Chicago transit infrastructure projects, without diverting tax revenues from schools, passed the Illinois House and Senate today. The original bill was introduced in January 2015, spearheaded by the Metropolitan Planning Council. It awaits Governor Bruce Rauner’s signature, who is expected to sign a budget today after a year of operating the state without a budget for a year – reducing funding for transit agencies, schools, and social services.
The funding would come from “transit TIF districts” that would have boundaries extended up to a half mile around Chicago’s Union Station (to fund the changes in its master plan), the CTA’s North Side Main Line, the CTA’s Red Line extension, and the CTA’s Blue Line Congress branch modernization and possible extension. The bill enables the Chicago City Council to pass a similar law to create the actual districts, but sets limits on how far the districts can extend from the proposed projects’ area.
They would work much like existing TIF districts, where the property taxes assessed on any incremental increase in property values since a district’s inception is deposited in a separate fund. This is a form of value capture in that an increase in property values spurred by the transit infrastructure is used to help pay for it.
Other key differences are that the transit TIF districts would expire in 35 years instead of the originally-proposed 50, and that instead of a blanket maximum length of six miles, each district has a specific maximum length. Fifty years was proposed because that is the useful life of a transit facility.
* Like the blogger’s post says, it’s essentially a reworking of a bill that Greg Hinz detailed last year. I told subscribers about it yesterday morning and gave them a House Republican analysis. Here’s part of it…
The transit TIF boundaries shall not exceed 9 miles and no more than 1⁄2 mile in any direction from the location of a mass-transit facility. “Your New Blue,” is a 4-year plan aimed to address the 25% ridership increase in the last 5 years. The project received $120 million in federal funding in 2015 to begin the first stage of the $492 million renovation. The initiative consists of upgrades for 13 blue line stations, which include changes to the following stations: Grand, Chicago Division, Damen, Western, California, Logan Square, Addition (completed in 2016), Jefferson Park, Irving Park, Montrose, Harlem, and Cumberland. Damen and California stations received rehabilitation in 2014. An estimated 1,300 construction, engineering, and design jobs will be created as a result of the project. […]
Blue Line Modernization: This is a 4-year plan aimed to address the 25% ridership increase in the last 5 years. The project received $120 million in federal funding in 2015 to begin the first stage of the $492 million renovation. The Blue Line Forest Park project is not eligible for large amounts of funding because of an IDOT collaboration along I-290.
The Red and Purple Line Modernization Program (RPM): The $570 bottleneck reconstruction is intended to enable CTA to service 7,200 additional costumers per an hour. Further construction includes modernizing the 90-year-old tracks between Lawrence and Bryn Mawr stops and adding disability modifications. Wilson and Clark/Division upgrades were completed in 2015. Total project cost is $1.9 billion for RPM. Although, RPM secured a Core Capacity Grant $900 million grant there is still a $711 million funding gap, which can be filled by an increased TIFIA Loan if a local funding source is identified.
Phase One includes the Red-Purple bypass, Lawrence to Bryn Mawr and signal reconfiguration. Construction starts in 2018 over a 4-year period and cost $2.1 billion. This specific project received a $1.2 million grant for a Transit-Oriented Development study. TIF increment will only cover 33% of the project for Phase One. Phase Two includes reconstruction from Thorndale to Howard over 4 years starting in 2022, with an estimated cost of $2.6 billion. Phase Three includes upgrades from Addison to Sheridan, Purple Line Howard to Linden, over 4 years starting in 2026. This project will need support from Evanston to incorporate Linden into proposed changes. Total cost projects to $3.2 billion, but without support of Evanston, its $1.5 billion.
Red Line Extension: In April 2014, Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) secured $70 million in federal funding through the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act toward a $240 million renovation for the 95th Red Line Terminal. CTA also secured a $20 million TIGER grant, which $16 million went toward the 95th terminal project.
Faced with the awkward position of taking a victory lap over an outcome that wasn’t exactly what he had sought — and one that included none of his economic agenda — Rauner offered a jumbled assessment. He first hailed it as a “grand bargain” and a “grand compromise” before pivoting to a warning that the deal was incomplete and “not a solution to our long-term challenges.”
“This is not a budget. This is not a balanced budget,” Rauner said, standing outside his Capitol office surrounded by Republican lawmakers. “This is not a solution to our long-term challenges. This is a bridge to reform. That’s what this is.”
“I believe, and I firmly hope, that right now we’ve hit the bottom,” Rauner said. “This is the low point in the evolution of Illinois and now we begin to move up. Growth, value for taxpayers, better schools and a political system that is responsive and actually making good decisions for the long-term health of the state.”
The governor lauded Republicans for Thursday’s compromise and gave credit to two Democrats — Senate President John Cullerton and Mayor Rahm Emanuel — for “creativity” and “flexibility.”
Rauner pointedly made no mention of Madigan. […]
And the governor stressed that he has not abandoned his push for “fundamental reforms,” which he argues are crucial to make Illinois economically competitive.
“Let’s be clear,” Rauner said of the stopgap budget. “This is just a small step in the process of making Illinois strong and healthy and vibrant. This is a small step in the right direction. … This is a bridge to reform.”
“Reforms are essential, and our efforts to get significant reform for the people of Illinois will never cease.”
Despite the relatively quick passage of budget bills by both chambers on Thursday, the day did have its share of trepidation and drama. House Republicans requested a caucus just before lawmakers were set to debate on the appropriations bill to get the state running for the rest of the year.
At issue was a last-minute amendment filed by some members of the Legislative Black Caucus to receive $9.3 million in grants for the minority teacher scholarships, for diversifying higher education faculty, the Grow Your Own Teacher Program, and for providers for bridge programs.
The person I blame is right at the top.
Speaker Madigan has said more than once that he has trust issues with Gov. Rauner. And then, after Madigan cut the final deal on the budget and they closed off all additions, he popped an amendment without any notice to the other side which added millions in spending.
How does that possibly help this climate?
If you always portray yourself as a man of your word, then keep your freaking word. Simple.
On Wednesday, newspapers across the state, including The State Journal-Register, ran front-page editorials saying enough was enough and that lawmakers needed to end the budget stalemate. [Rep. Tim Butler] said he “didn’t get a lot of input from folks necessarily, but I thought the papers did the right thing.” […]
Sen. Sam McCann, R-Plainview, echoed Madigan and said lawmakers agreed on a spending plan “when we’re focused on a budget and not a lot of extraneous issues.”
He said the newspaper editorials didn’t generate additional calls to the office, but he criticized the idea because, he said, some of the same newspapers ran editorials that have also urged Rauner to not back down on his turnaround agenda.
“So the front-page editorials I found to be a bit hypocritical, quite frankly,” McCann said.
It was a nice little stunt, but by Wednesday morning things were already moving solidly in the right direction. Plus, I told subscribers a couple-three weeks ago that Madigan had told Rauner it was time to start working on a stopgap deal.
The one positive to come out of this is that the impasse finally opened some editorial writers’ eyes to both sides of this problem. They tend to treat politics like a cartoon, with one side being evil and the other side being righteous. We’ll see if that lasts.
Sen. Donne Trotter, a Chicago Democrat, offered an appropriately sober assessment of the six-month stopgap state budget deal the Legislature approved Thursday.
Trotter, who helped craft the long overdue spending plan, advised his fellow lawmakers not to get carried away patting themselves on the back.
“This is just us doing our job. We’re making like it’s a special thing,” Trotter said.
Indeed, after 18 months without any sort of a budget while social service agencies and state universities withered on the vine, it was easy to get overly-excited about the compromise struck by Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democrats to keep the schools open another year and the government barely operating until January.
To that, I plead guilty as charged. In the cold light of day, the road ahead remains daunting for a state stuck in reverse. […]
The governor and the Legislature did their job Thursday, not as well as we might have liked but better than we’ve come to expect. No need to be grateful.
Agreed.
I’m very relieved that this nightmare will end for a few months, but it’s gonna start all over again in November.
* I, too, was impressed with Sen. Trotter’s remarks. Here’s more…
“This isn’t really a stopgap. It’s more like a pressure release valve. We’re allowing people just to breathe a little bit more. But we certainly are not undoing the damage that we’ve done to this state by not working together, by not doing our jobs.
“This is a beginning. We have a long way to go. And we know we have to do it for human services, for K-12, we have to do it for higher education, we have to do it for ourselves. We have a lot of work to do.”
* This got deliberately buried under yesterday’s big budget news…
A bill extending Illinois’ medical marijuana program by 2½ years has been signed by Gov. Bruce Rauner.
In addition to extending the pilot program, the bill signed Thursday by Rauner adds PTSD and terminal illness to the list of qualifying conditions.
Illinois’ medical marijuana pilot program got its start under former Gov. Pat Quinn and continued under Rauner, who for more than a year resisted expanding the program beyond the original 39 conditions and diseases listed in the law.
* Remember in 2014 when the Democrats passed what was essentially a six-month budget, kinda like the one they just passed yesterday and was immediately signed into law? In case you don’t, this is from the May 31, 2014 edition of the Chicago Tribune…
In the short term, however, the just-concluded spring session plays right into Rauner’s campaign message that taxpayers are the victims of a dysfunctional Springfield. Democrats couldn’t coalesce around a comprehensive budget to fund state government for a full 12 months, and House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton spent some time Friday settling old scores with Quinn, their party’s governor.
Rauner called the legislature’s spending plan a “phony budget.”
“The politicians in charge of Springfield again refused to make the structural reforms needed to fix state government. Instead, they passed the same type of broken, dishonest budget that career politicians in Illinois have been passing for years,” Rauner said in a statement.
But his campaign did not provide any specifics on what Rauner would have done differently, despite the candidate’s vow for months that he was developing plans on tax and budget policy that he has said will come “in due time.”
“In due time” never really has come.
* And here are a few dot points from Reboot at the time…
The state is more than $5 billion behind in paying its bills.
It has the worst credit rating of any state.
It has the worst unfunded pension liability of any state.
There was not enough support for raising taxes, nor was their enough support for a doomsday budget. Still, lawmakers approved a $35.7 billion budget.
Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton acknowledge that this budget borrows $650 million from special funds that will drive up the bills taxpayers ultimately must fund.
This budget postpones paying $380 million state worker health insurance bills that taxpayers ultimately must fund.
This budget diverts $650 million in funds that had been going to pay down unpaid bills that taxpayers ultimately must fund.
They couldn’t get it done back then, just like they couldn’t get it done this year. And that 2014 list looks eerily similar to the stopgap which just passed, and the state of the state is, in several respects, worse off (or no better) than it was back then.
The Illinois House and Senate on Thursday approved a stopgap budget that would keep state government afloat for six months, ensure schools open this fall and provide help to struggling Chicago Public Schools after Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democrats who control the General Assembly struck a deal amid intense political pressure with the November election looming.
The overwhelming votes followed two days of closed-door negotiations, the first meaningful round of give-and-take on the budget as the state was about to enter a second straight year without a full spending plan come Friday.
Without a temporary budget in place, schools faced the possibility of not opening this fall, thousands of construction workers could spend the summer off the job, and the state’s unraveling network of social service programs faced further decimation.
“I suspect the reality is everybody wanted to get someplace and get us on the road to solving these problems. So I think the governor was very anxious to have a program in place to fund public education, so was everybody else,” said Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie, a Chicago Democrat and top lieutenant of House Speaker Michael Madigan. “So I think there was pressure everywhere you looked to do something, and I think this is that something.”
But amidst the back-patting and words of compromise, House Speaker Mike Madigan couldn’t resist taking a shot at the Republican governor.
After the stopgap budget passed his chamber 105-4, Madigan said that problem with passing budgets has been Rauner’s insistence on including “his personal agenda that hurts families.”
“Many previous efforts to implement a more comprehensive budget failed due to the governor’s insistence on the inclusion of his agenda that would drive down middle class wages and standards of living,” Madigan said.
“The difference today is that the governor has dropped his demand that his agenda be considered before a budget could be approved.”
Republican House Leader Jim Durkin said it would’ve been “atrocious” and likely spur a public revolt if lawmakers finished another fiscal year without a budget. He noted that even with the compromise, the ongoing budget standoff between Rauner and Democrats who control the Legislature will be an election-year issue.
“Mark my word that it will be articulated in the fall by various entities,” he said.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Rep. Kelly Cassidy had a pretty good constituent update, so I’m going to use it here…
This week we returned to Springfield and today passed a package of bills representing a compromise with the Governor and Republicans on a stop-gap budget for fiscal year ‘16 and the first six months of fiscal year ‘17. Most significantly there are no turn-around agenda items included in these bills and State operations will continue. Here is a summary of what is included:
K-12 Education:
Increases General State Aid by $361 million
Equity Grant to assist high poverty schools
$75 million increase to early childhood education
Full year of funding for fiscal year ‘17
Higher Education
$1 billion in funding for universities, community colleges, MAP Grants, adult education, career & technical education, Illinois Math & Science academy operations
Covers FY ‘16 & first half of FY ‘17
Developed by members of the budget working group
Human Services
Includes $667 million in funds from the Commitment to Human Services Fund for programs not currently operating under court order
Covers 65% of full funding for the 18 month period
Includes programs that were suspended, such as immigration services, autism programs, Teen Reach & other youth programs.
Agency Operations
Funded from the Budget Stabilization Fund ($275 million), General Revenue Funds ( $448 million) and Commitment to Human Services Fund ($31 million) for operational expenses. These amounts will pay for expenses such as utilities, FOID, medical care, gas, etc.
Capital
The bills include appropriations for IDOT projects, EPA projects and other development projects that have had to shut down mid-construction
Other State Funds
Includes items such as federal funds for the Area Agencies on Aging, LUST fund reimbursements, emergency response appropriations and other similar programs
These items are funded using existing funds only. We remain far short of what is needed for full operations and we will need to address our revenue short-fall before the end of the first six months of this fiscal year. Agencies that have gone without payments or contracts while providing services should expect to begin receiving payments under this plan.
Other items addressed today:
SB2822 Chicago Pension Parity - This bill will establish a one year (FY ‘17) requirement that the State make a contribution of $205 million to the Chicago Teachers Pension Fund, creating parity with downstate and suburban teacher pension funds.
SB 318 Chicago Property Tax Increase for Teachers Pension Fund - This bill would re-establish an annual property tax levy for the Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund. This levy would be capped at a rate of 0.383%, which is estimated to generate $250 million. The proceeds of the tax would be paid directly to the pension fund. The additional tax rate would not be subject to the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (the tax cap).
While today’s actions represent real progress, my wish would have been for us to have passed a full budget with sufficient revenues to operate for a full year. I will continue to advocate for a truly responsible solution to restore stability and fiscal health to the State.
*** UPDATE 2 *** The Illinois State Board of Education has run the numbers for the GSA funding formula increase. Click here to see the list by district.
*** UPDATE 3 *** Oy…
Just after stopgap state budget approved, Moody's downgrades NIU, SIU, EIU, Governor's State, & NEIU
* Legislators haven’t been paid since late March because Comptroller Leslie Munger decided to throw their paychecks into the pile of unpaid bills along with everyone else. It was, she said, a way of showing lawmakers how their inaction on a state budget was impacting social service providers, many of which were struggling to keep their doors open.
Legislators will likely receive their April paychecks next week because the state payments for bills from the end of April will also be going out the door.
Munger’s chief of staff just told me that the office will now look at the just-passed stopgap budget package and “reassess” Munger’s decision. He said they’ll be looking at upcoming payment delays and “who’s going to be waiting when,” with a particular emphasis on social service providers. If they think they’ll be able to catch up, then Munger could release the hold on paychecks.
* This has been a huge topic of discussion for legislators who don’t have outside jobs, independent wealth and/or employed spouses.
Sen. Kimberly Lightford spoke out today on the Senate floor, saying legislators are not vendors, they’re employees of the Senate and House. All other state employees are being paid by court order, of course…
Lightford: "as legislators we should get paid for the work that we do," it's "wrong for our income to be held for months."
Illinois traditionally trends Democratic in presidential election years, and Silver’s polls-only forecast shows the state would be the 10th-most lopsided of states going to Clinton, favoring her by at least 18 percent and putting her odds of winning its 20 electoral votes at 97 percent.
In electoral-vote rich states of California and New York, Clinton’s odds are rated even better, at close to 99 percent. But if the election were held today, Silver said, Clinton’s odds in her birth state of Illinois would be 98.7 percent.
No surprise there. What’ll be most interesting to people like me is how Trump will do in contested legislative and congressional districts.
* Related…
* Sneed exclusive: Ditka politely declines Trump’s invitation: In an email to the Trump folks, Sneed stated, “Mike Ditka said he’d love to speak although he hadn’t heard from you guys yet, how about a few words from your boss. It could be great!” Thus, in a three-way conference call orchestrated by Sneed at 2:15 p.m., Trump officially invited Ditka — a huge Trump fan — to speak at the Republican convention next month.
We got some snippets of information about the education bill that looks like it’s coming together and wanted to provide an update. (But keep in mind that we haven’t seen bill language for the formula changes and that none of this is a done deal until they pass it to the Governor’s desk and he signs it into law.) […]
First, the (as-yet-unseen) bill would give every school district the same amount as they received last year through the formula. Then, $250 million would be distributed through an Equity Grant, which would flow to districts based on their poverty concentration. Finally, every district would get at least what it would have received if the formula were fully funded next year, even if the first two pieces didn’t get them quite there. My math shows the total increased cost would be $328 million.
This isn’t a long-term solution to fix the deeply inequitable funding disparities in Illinois. Illinois’s school formula is one of the most regressive and unfair system in the country and we desperately need a comprehensive solution. But, without an education budget in place, the neediest students in the poorest districts will suffer the most. The Equity Grant proposal takes a step toward equity while giving the legislature time to come up with a new funding structure.
Below are two charts. The first shows where new dollars would be allocated if the current General State Aid (GSA) formula were fully funded. The second shows how the Equity Grant proposal increase is allocated. Funding the current GSA system results in a trendline that has no correlation to district need. The Equity Grant trend shows more dollars being delivered to schools with higher rates of poverty – exactly the direction that Illinois needs to move in.
The bill was released after the above was written. It’s an amendment to SB 2047.
Want to know more details about what this means for your own school district? Here’s our best guess. Keep in mind we haven’t seen language and there are a few variables that could change. (In fact, one variable will definitely change – we need to revise this using net GSA numbers for last year instead of gross GSA. It’s not a huge difference, but we’ll dig that up ASAP and update this.) In general, lower-income districts across the state will see the biggest per pupil gains, from Antioch far up north (+$788 per pupil) to Anna-Jonesboro far down south (+$600) and from Brooklyn in the Metro East (+$650) to South Holland in the South suburbs (+$491). Chicago Public Schools has the 111th biggest per pupil gains (+$291).
Will County Coroner Patrick O’Neil has been tracking heroin deaths for a long time, and sounded the alarm several years ago when he believed the problem was reaching epidemic proportions.
Initially, he saw five or six deaths in a year, but then he saw those numbers double, triple and quadruple.
This year, the county could have its worst year ever as far as deaths due to heroin and opiate overdoses. The reason? Fentanyl — a powerful synthetic opiate, blamed in the recent death of musician Prince, that is cheaper than heroin and is often mixed with it, or offered to an unsuspecting buyer in the guise of being heroin.
Last year, Will County recorded 53 overdose deaths linked to heroin and fentanyl — more than the 51 deaths caused by traffic accidents in the county. The numbers were even worse in Cook County, where the 526 heroin and fentanyl deaths last year were more than double the 240 traffic fatalities. […]
The state’s Heroin Crisis Act, which took effect Jan. 1, will, in part, increase access to naloxone, which local police departments and paramedics have credited with saving lives.
Without the access to naloxone — the new law also requires it be made available at pharmacies — Will County could “easily have over 300″ heroin related deaths, O’Neil said.
A small and obscure law firm backed by powerful forces sympathetic to what critics say is Gov. Bruce Rauner’s anti-union agenda is on the front lines of a groundbreaking government vs. labor mêlée underway in Illinois.
The Liberty Justice Center in Chicago is representing the Village of Lincolnshire in two lawsuits brought by organized labor against the municipality’s passage of an ordinance declaring a “right-to-work zone” for the private sector. In such designated areas, employees cannot be forced to pay union dues, even if a workplace within the zone is unionized.
Labor unions vehemently oppose right-to-work zones and top legal experts question the concept. As a result, municipal leaders trying to implement such zones are in for prolonged and costly legal battles at taxpayers’ expense, experts say.
Lincolnshire officials, however, took that risk because the Liberty Justice Center promised to represent them pro bono, says the northern Illinois suburb’s village manager.
Liberty Justice Center is also providing pro bono representation in a case with potentially even greater labor ramifications: Challenging unions’ right to collect “fair share” dues from state workers who opt not to join a public employee union.
Liberty Justice Center is funded by and shares offices with the Illinois Policy Institute, a self-professed free-market-oriented and fiscally conservative non-profit organization. The law center was founded in 2011 by IPI’s CEO John Tillman; conservative talk radio host Dan Proft; and Hinsdale real estate developer and attorney Patrick Hughes.
The Board of Directors that oversees a 72-bed shelter for homeless men in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago voted last night (Wednesday) to close its doors on July 31st because the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services said it was unable to process a contract until the State of Illinois passes a budget for the fiscal year 2017.
The shelter is run by the Interim Housing Program of North Side Housing and Supportive Services which was founded in 1983. It is located in the Peoples Church at 941 W. Lawrence Ave., and has been in operation for several years. It is open 365 days a year; and in the past year, more than 320 different men spent a total of 18,000 nights at the shelter.
Over half of the shelter’s funding, or about $255,000 per year, is provided by the Illinois Department of Human Services through contracts with the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services.
Richard Ducatenzeiler, Executive Director of North Side Housing and Supportive Services was notified by the City of Chicago that, “…until we know what is going to happen to the state budget we are not at this time processing the IDHS contracts.”
North Side Housing and Supportive Services, is a non-profit social services organization. In addition to the Interim Housing Program (shelter), North Side also provides case management, permanent supportive housing, and other supportive services for the homeless.
“Our other programs are funded by donations from individuals, corporations, foundations, and government agencies,” Ducatenzeiler said. “We have no extra funding. Without the state funding for the shelter, we are forced to shut it down until replacement funds can be found. The program will cease to operate on July 31st if no contract is executed.”
As flawed as it may be, that stopgap budget needs to pass.
* I’ve talked with a couple of people who have been briefed about what went on today at the leaders meeting. It was described to me as the outline of a deal.
On K-12…
$250 million for statewide poverty grant. CPS would get a sizable chunk of that. [ADDING: CPS’ cut of that would be about 38 percent, which works out to $95 million. It could also be 40 percent, if they use the House Dems’ version of education funding.]
Legislature would mandateauthorize CPS to levy beyond the property tax cap (a bill that’s sitting in the Senate) [ADDING: This, by the way, isn’t to say that the governor “supports” a property tax hike for Chicago. What this does is essentially allow Chicago to solve/address most of its own problems.]
Starting June 1st next year, CPS would receive “pension parity” [ADDING: A third source says the pension parity bill will be voted on very soon (structured roll call), but the GA will hold the bill while everybody works on pension reform. The agreement is they have to transmit the bill to Rauner before this GA adjourns in January. The governor will veto the bill if there is no pension reform passed in the interim].
* On the stopgap…
Also hearing stopgap deal is basically done. GOMB is drafting it. Everything’s starting in the House on what I’m told will be a single Senate bill.
ADDING: The stopgap bill is the budget working group’s version, I’m told. It’s basically the contents of Cullerton’s approp bills (SB2055, 2056 and 2057).
Remember, however, things change. Stuff goes off the rails. Stay tuned.
“There’s a likelihood of the bridge budget, the stopgap if you will,” Republican Rep. Dan Brady, of Bloomington said in the early afternoon.
If it pans out, that’d lead to a temporary spending plan for universities, social services and government operations.
A source says that would be separate from funding for schools; something Brady calls a “tender nerve.”
Democrats favor spending hundreds of millions of dollars more on education, in part to help out the financially struggling Chicago Public Schools.
A deal on that could be in the works, perhaps by allowing Chicago to raise its property taxes; however that would fly in the face of Gov. Rauner’s steadfast promotion of a property tax freeze.
Brady says there needs to be a way to avoid the perception of what Republicans and downstaters call a CPS “bailout.”
First, the state would add about $250 million in spending intended for school districts with low-income students. A sizable, to-be-determined chunk of that money would go to CPS.
Second, lawmakers would approve a bill to allow Chicago to raise property taxes to help pay for CPS pensions. Mayor Rahm Emanuel has been pushing for Springfield to give him the authority to restore a property tax levy that would be dedicated to teacher pensions, and has estimated that doing so would generate an additional $175 million for the district.
And third, the state would start picking up about $200 million of CPS pension costs, but wouldn’t start doing so until next year. The delay in part is meant to allow the legislation to pass with just a simple majority. That’s because the threshold to enact bills jumped to a three-fifths majority after May 31. The pension spending could be tied to lawmakers sending Rauner separate legislation to help relieve the state’s pension troubles, with Rauner reserving the right to reject the pension help for CPS if the statewide pension legislation doesn’t materialize down the road. […]
The approach being crafted would provide full-year funding for schools statewide. The stopgap spending measure is designed to keep state government open for six months. That would allow Rauner and ruling Democrats in the General Assembly to punt their larger budget fight until after the November election.
* Do you think the state should give local government entities the option to declare bankruptcy? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
Illinois public schools that teach sex education will be required to provide information about birth control under a measure the Senate sent to Gov. Pat Quinn on Wednesday.
The legislation is a change from current policy, where abstinence is the only requirement for schools with sex ed classes. The measure was approved on a 37-21 vote and needed 30 to pass.
Supporters argue that abstinence-only education is not effective and students should be taught about other methods of birth control and protection against sexually transmitted diseases. Opponents contend abstinence-only education should remain the norm in schools, saying parents should decide how to educate their kids about sex.
Sponsoring Sen. Heather Steans, D-Chicago, said the measure still would require schools to teach that abstinence is the only way to prevent pregnancy and disease, while at the same time allowing “students to make healthy decisions for themselves.”
Chicago-area humanitarian groups have long warned that the Illinois state budget crisis would cause irreparable damage to the state’s social safety net, and the latest survey numbers suggest it’s already happened.
Of the 172 human service agencies in Cook, Lake, DuPage, and Will County surveyed by United Way this month, 91 percent said they had cut clients due to budget troubles. That’s up from 37 percent of agencies who said the same in July 2015.
More than half (55 percent) of the agencies said they would have to cease some services within the next six months if the state doesn’t fix its budget problem. And 36 percent say they will have to close their doors in that time frame. That’s 61 groups providing services like shelters for the homeless, food for the hungry, mental health care, support for domestic violence victims, and educational services that will soon shutter, according the United Way survey.
While it’s never a good sign for social service organizations to be shuttering and turning down clients, this comes at a particularly tough time for the Chicago metro area, as the Metropolitan Planning Council reports that the middle class is shrinking (down 9 percent between 2000 and 2014) and mostly moving into the lower class (up 16 percent in the same time frame). As Marisa Novara writes, “This may be due in part to the fact that our unemployment rate jumped a full 63 percent from 2000 to 2014, from 4.3 percent to 7.1, an increase second only to Los Angeles among peer metros.”
A conundrum amidst continuous news of the endless permutations of the middle class: If the middle class is shrinking, is it because the lower class is growing, or the upper? It turns out that for the Chicago region, it’s both, with substantially higher growth among the lower-income. From 2000 to 2014, the percentage of lower-income metro Chicagoans grew from 23.6 to 27.4, a jump of 16 percent. Middle incomers dropped from 56.3 to 51.1, a loss of 9 percent, and upper incomers grew from 20.2 to 21.5, an increase of 6 percent.
These changes are actually less extreme than those in, for instance, the Minneapolis/St. Paul region, where the lower class grew by 22 percent, middle class fell by 11 percent, and upper class increased 12 percent.
According to Pew, looking back further to 1970 shows an even more pronounced shrinking of the middle class. For the entire country, the middle-income share decreased from 61 percent in 1971 to 50 percent in 2015. Over this nearly 45-year period, the share of the upper-income tier rose from 14 percent to 21 percent, and the share in the lower-income tier increased from 25 percent to 29 percent.
According to Census data, Chicago’s shift was even more extreme: The share of middle class families in metropolitan Chicago has declined from 72 percent in 1970 to just 47 percent today.
A Cook County judge ruled Tuesday that the state must add post-traumatic stress disorder to the list of conditions that qualify for medical marijuana.
The ruling may be rendered moot by pending legislation that would do the same thing. Gov. Bruce Rauner’s office had indicated he will sign it, after previously blocking expansion of the medical marijuana program.
The court ruling is potentially significant because there are pending lawsuits seeking to add seven other conditions to the list, including cases involving chronic pain and osteoarthritis that are before the same judge.
In his opinion, Cook County Circuit Court Judge Neil Cohen criticized Illinois Department of Public Health Director Nirav Shah for failing to follow the recommendations of the Medical Cannabis Advisory Board.
Illinois law allows people to petition the state to add health conditions to the eligible list, but Rauner’s administration has rejected all new conditions despite the advice of an expert panel that reviewed available medical evidence.
In the case of PTSD, the advisory board voted unanimously to add it, but Shah, a Rauner appointee, conducted his own investigation and rejected PTSD applying a standard of medical evidence that “appears nowhere in the Act or the Department’s rules,” the judge wrote. Shah not only deprived the plaintiff of his right to due process but also “was contrary to the plain language of the Department’s rules,” Cohen wrote. […]
Seven other plaintiffs have filed similar lawsuits seeking to add these conditions to the Illinois program: chronic post-operative pain, migraines, irritable bowel syndrome, polycystic kidney disease, osteoarthritis, intractable pain and autism. Cohen is the judge in the chronic pain and osteoarthritis cases, while the others are before other judges.
* I’m excerpting too much from Molly Parker’s article because it’s pretty darned good…
A war of words erupted in Marion on Tuesday between a Republican House candidate taking a “Fire Madigan” pledge and his supporters, and a group of people who came out to protest the event with a message of their own: “Fire Rauner.”
The protesters – about a dozen of them – held their “Fire Rauner” signs to the window of Dave Severin’s campaign office, where inside the Republican from Benton challenging Rep. John Bradley, D-Marion, read prepared remarks about what he deemed the “defining issue in this campaign.”
Severin was flanked by a handful of supporters at the news conference, which was attended by one reporter, as he announced, “I pledge to fire Mike Madigan.”
He then went on to say that “Bradley’s loyalty to Mike Madigan has dire consequences” for the people of Southern Illinois, and closed his prepared remarks by signing a giant pledge card sealing his decision not to cast a vote for Madigan as speaker should he be elected to the House this November – not that Madigan would have been counting on his vote anyway.
Pressed on who Bradley and other downstate Democrats should support for Speaker when the 100th General Assembly is seated in January, Severin offered up zero alternatives.
The whole ordeal — including a heated exchange between a Severin supporter and a “Fire Rauner” protester stationed outside, with both trying to talk over one another, and neither even attempting to acknowledge the other’s point of view — seemed to mimic the events playing out in Springfield that have led to a protracted budget stalemate.
It was as if a mini-Capitol had sprouted in an otherwise ordinary Marion parking lot strip mall housing offices, a tattoo parlor and Mexican restaurant.
That’s even more so because the sharp political exchange that began at noon was sandwiched between two other events — of social service providers in the morning, and higher education leaders in the afternoon — where local leaders discussed the devastating effects the budget impasse is having on the region, economically and socially.
She can write, that one.
* Parker also wrote about something that I told subscribers about today. From the Dave Severin campaign Facebook page…
Well, if there was any doubt that John Bradley and Mike Madigan are best buds, this guy who protested our news conference removes it all! #LoveThePassion
Democratic U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth and the state may have settled a potentially politically problematic lawsuit alleging workplace retaliation last week, but Republican U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk’s campaign is trying to make voters feel very unsettled about it.
A one-minute radio ad that Team Kirk said will air in Chicago and Springfield goes on the attack against Duckworth, calling her a “partisan pawn.”
“The crooked Democratic machine in Springfield spent tens of thousands of tax dollars to defend Duckworth in court, so you paid the price,” a female narrator says. “The Democratic machine protected Tammy, not the whistleblowers … and not our veterans. Haven’t we had enough of Blagojevich’s corruption?”
On Friday, Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office announced the case, which had gone on for years, had been settled for the “nuisance value” of $26,000 and “no finding of a violation of the law.”
Fighting for her political career, Tammy Duckworth finally settled a seven-year lawsuit because she tried to silence whistleblowers who exposed Duckworth’s poor record as Rod Blagojevich’s veterans’ chief.
Duckworth settled the lawsuit so she wouldn’t have to testify in open court about her shameful record – humiliating workers who reported shoddy care for veterans, and telling them to keep quiet.
When one employee blew the whistle on abuse of veterans, Duckworth even told her to quote shut her mouth.
Why? Voters will never know.
The crooked Democratic machine in Springfield spent tens of thousands of tax dollars to defend Duckworth in court, so you paid the price.
The Democratic machine protected Tammy, not the whistleblowers… and not our veterans.
Haven’t we had enough of Blagojevich’s corruption?
Illinois can’t afford to send a partisan pawn like Tammy Duckworth to the US Senate.
That “crooked” machine would be led by Attorney General Lisa Madigan.
Interesting choice there. But, as I’ve told you before, the GOP is already gearing up to challenge her in two years.
…Adding… MrJM in comments…
“Crooked”?
Team Kirk is desperately trying to distance themselves from their party’s presidential nominee, but still can’t resist using Trump’s trademark divisive language.
About a dozen Illinois newspapers are using their front pages to call on Illinois’ political leaders to end the state’s year-old budget stalemate.
Newspapers in Springfield, Chicago and other cities are publishing simultaneous editorials in their editions Wednesday, when lawmakers return to the capitol to debate budget proposals.
Newspapers rarely use their front pages for opinion pieces or coordinate opinions. Many plan to use the headline “Enough.”
Rosanne Cheeseman is interim publisher of the (Springfield) State Journal-Register, which coordinated the effort. She said papers are taking the unusual step because lawmakers appear to have stopped listening to constituents.
But that [2011] tax hike — Madigan’s solution then as it is now — solved nothing. That’s why it’s our view that Rauner would be making a mistake by acceding to Madigan’s tax hike proposal without gaining needed reforms in exchange. He has proposed changes to the state’s workers’ compensation plan, offered to back Democratic Senate President John Cullerton’s pension reform legislation and asked that local governments be given more flexibility in negotiating with unions to control costs.
Those changes could help make a positive difference in restoring Illinois’ weak economy to good health.
It would be easy now for Rauner to simply throw up his hands and cave in to Madigan’s demands. The Chicago Democrat is tough as nails in the pursuit of his political goals.
But it would solve nothing. Rauner didn’t run for governor to preside over Illinois’ continuing decline. That’s why this battle — obnoxious and unpalatable though it is — will likely resume when the truce expires after the November election.
We wake to newspapers across the state declaring “Enough!” and a small cameo for the PNI Coalition in last night’s broadcast of The Daily Show.
We also wake to details of the Governor’s proposed stopgap bill that was filed yesterday. Unfortunately, it appears that HB6591 will have little to offer human service providers despite its 773 pages. ICOY has analyzed it for youth-related funding in human services (see attached analysis of Federal and non-Federal funding) and found that it will do NOTHING to address our concerns about payment under our contracts. I strongly encourage you to take a look to see if your funding would be included as well.
Further, Nora (ICOY’s Policy Director) notes:
HB6591 was filed 6/28/16 as the Governor’s second proposed stop gap bill for FY16 and FY17. Article 23 provides for limited operational expenses, but this does not include many of the services delivered via contractual obligations without existing appropriation authority. Article 94 provides for limited operations for FY17, including many FY17 federal passthrough funds. Please note that if this bill is enacted - and SB2038 is enacted - HB6591 has a provision that repeals the section of SB2038 that prohibits the executive branch from reallocating funds to other budget items outside the intent of SB2038. Specifically, it would repeal ARTICLE 996 of SB2038: “No appropriation authority granted in this Act shall be used for personal services, state contribution for employee group insurance, contractual services, travel, commodities, equipment, permanent improvements, land, electronic data processing, operation of automotive equipment, or telecommunications services, as those terms are defined in Section 13 of the State Finance Act.” (The Governor also had another “clean” K12 education bill filed HB6590 on 6/28/16).
In short, please do not get swept away by rhetoric and false hope today. Please review this bill closely and speak to your legislators about what you find. It is unlikely that they have scrutinized such a massive bill with your interests in mind. The House convenes at 11 am and the Senate at noon.
* The Daily Show took a whack at Illinois yesterday, with a not so flattering focus on the governor. Also, the bit where Rep. Ron Sandack completely denies blame for anything whatsoever is truly something to behold…
[Click here if the embedded video doesn’t load for you.]
* The leaders are scheduled to meet at 9 today. Click here to watch live video from our good pals at BlueRoomStream.com. The House convenes at 11, the Senate at noon. Follow along with ScribbleLive…
* Keep an eye on BlueRoomStream’s live video feed from the Statehouse. They’re covering this afternoon’s leaders meeting, which started at 4:30 or so.
At about 5:20, Speaker Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton emerged from the meeting. Madigan’s spokesman Steve Brown announced that the two were “taking a break,” and would return.
I’m hearing from within that this is “potentially” a sign of progress. Keep your fingers crossed. But this being Illinois, don’t hold your breath. You could die.
For two years in a row, rather than produce a balanced budget that will require real, practical spending restraints and let his party members stand accountable for them, House Speaker Michael Madigan has delivered a budget calling for billions of dollars more in spending than revenues will support. This year the deficit is $7 billion.
And as heinous as such a brazen political act is, remember this: His members have let him do it. No suburban Democrats — nor downstate nor Chicago Democrats, for that matter — have stood at the speaker’s doorstep and demanded, “Mr. Speaker, this is an irresponsible act you are committing in our name. I protest.” Only five in the House — Scott Drury, of Highwood; Jack Franks, of Marengo; Stephanie Kifowit, of Aurora; Elaine Nekritz, of Northbrook; and Carol Sente, of Vernon Hills — and four in the Senate — Melinda Bush, of Grayslake; Julie Morrison, of Deerfield; Laura Murphy, of Des Plaines; and Mike Noland, of Elgin — showed enough backbone to refuse to sign on to the sham of the speaker’s unbalanced budget. […]
Our Republican governor campaigned on a promise of economic competency, relationship building and compromise “to focus like a laser” — as he repeatedly vowed — to repair Illinois’ fractured financial condition. Yet today we find ourselves in even worse shape than when he took office 18 months ago.
He has offered budget proposals as required by the constitution, but for far too long, he has tied his support for a spending plan to his controversial Turnaround Agenda, a collection of many important reforms, but none vital to the immediate financial operation and well-being of the state.
Where were the Republican voices — suburban or otherwise — demanding a more productive strategy? There have been plenty of complaints against the other party. There has been all too little soul searching within.
The “We are worse off now than 18 months ago” theme, pushed hard by Crain’s Chicago Business (“By nearly every measure, the state is worse off since Rauner took office”) and now with the Daily Herald, is something the governor is going to have to deal with. Because no way in heck can you call the Daily Herald editorial board a bunch of collectivists.
* Dean Angelo Sr., president of the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police, speaking today at the City Club…
Angelo made little reference to police misconduct Tuesday. Although he did allow there were officers he wouldn’t want his son, also a police officer, to ride with, he said priests are more likely to abuse people than cops are.
Whew.
*** UPDATE *** Angelo sent this e-mail to DNAInfo’s reporter…
Mr. Cox,
Earlier this morning I received a call from one the editor of Catholic Times. He made me aware your article covering my addressing the City Club of Chicago. I am more than a bit concerned about your accuracy when you wrote that I said…priests are more likely to abuse people than cops are. That is just not true and nowhere near accurate.
If you listen to the audio of my Q & A session that followed the presentation, you can hear for yourself that actual words I used in response to a question concerning police behavior. At no time did I use the word ‘priest’ and at not time do I make any correlation about “priests” or “abuse”. My statement was in reference to a 1970 Paul Harvey narrative, where Mr. Harvey mentions that less than one half of one percent of police officers tarnish their uniform, which is less than the problems we have with our clergy.
If you toggle down to the 33:33 mark of the attached audio, you will be able to hear the question and my response that followed. After doing so, I would expect that you would take the time to make the necessary corrections in you article and to let your followers know that you erred.
Your article is ’spot on’ to other comments I made yesterday when I addressed the audience about our concerns with the media and their decisions to put out incorrect information regarding Police Officers…and now the FOP is being misrepresented as well.
Feel free to reach out to me if you feel the need to further discuss this email.
In what can be explained only as the Tweets of a desperate re-election campaign, Republican U.S. Senator Mark Kirk’s last four posted comments insult and demean three key sectors of Illinois’ Republican voting bloc: those who are pro-life, pro-natural family and pro-2nd Amendment.
* Hmm. Wanna guess who her generous benefactors are? Heh…
I have exciting news. Generous supporters have pledged to double any contributions I receive online between now and Thursday. That means your support will go twice as far!
Contribute now towards my efforts, and whatever amount you are able to give will be doubled.
We are now just over four months from Election Day, and the fundraising quarter ends this Thursday.
Now is the time to step up with me.
I am fighting to instill common sense in Springfield and respect for your hard-earned tax dollars. I am ready to continue to provide that leadership, but I need your help to ensure I win in November.
Please invest in my efforts by Thursday’s deadline. With the matching support, your contribution will have twice the impact!
Leslie Geissler Munger
Illinois State Comptroller
* Meanwhile, Munger’s opponent posted a five-minute Interwebtubes video the other day. Looks like they spent some money on it, too. Very slick stuff. Maybe they’ll cut it up into smaller TV-style ads. But I just can’t see many people actually watching the whole thing as-is. It’s so long and it doesn’t have subtitles. Lots of people watch videos at work with the sound turned off, which is why I’ve always asked campaigns to provide scripts for their ads. Subtitles are extremely important these days.
“Instead of doing the hard work of fixing Illinois’ broken education funding formula, Bruce Rauner has wasted 18 months of his term holding the entire state hostage in the name of workers’ compensation and right to work. After all that time, Bruce Rauner is doubling down on the failed formula that rewards wealthy children who grow up in elite communities and penalizes poor children in Chicago and across the state, and he is standing behind Illinois’ ignominious distinction of being 48th in the nation for education funding. That is the real tragedy.”
Oof.
* However, please allow me another little rant.
The state currently has $8 billion in past-due bills. That stack would be a whole lot bigger if higher education, social services, etc. were funded over the past year. Illinois doesn’t have a budget for this fiscal year (which ends Thursday) or next. The income tax hike partially rolled back 18 months ago and nothing has replaced it, and nothing likely will until after the election - if then.
And yet, our state’s leading Democrats seem fine with increasing state K-12 spending by $860 million?
I happen to believe strongly that the state should help CPS out. But a 30 percent spike in their general state aid cash and another $100 million for their pensions when the state can’t get its act together enough to bring in more revenues or make huge cuts to pay its own bills?
* Having said that, the governor’s new non-education approp package is supposed to be the product of the bipartisan working groups. So, maybe, you know, if Madigan just went ahead and embraced those non-education proposals that’s where he could find the votes? Just sayin…
Gov. Bruce Rauner on Tuesday unveiled a revamped stopgap budget proposal aimed at ensuring that schools open on time and most state government operations stay afloat until the end of the year, but the proposal does not contain a big boost in funding for Chicago Public Schools sought by Democratic leaders. […]
A spokesman for Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan of Chicago noted that the situation at the Capitol continues to evolve quickly, but he was not optimistic.
“It’s unclear where there would be enough votes to pass a bill this time of the year,” said Madigan spokesman Steve Brown, referencing the increased threshold to enact legislation starting June 1. “I wouldn’t call it a disagreement, but how do you find three-fifths on the 29th?”
It’s only unclear if you want it to be unclear.
* And the House Democrats are gonna pass a transportation approp bill by the end of the fiscal year, but no K-12 bill? Seriously? Ashpalt before kids? Imagine all the “fun” House Democratic legislators are gonna have marching in 4th of July parades back home this weekend…
“We are headed to Springfield,” said Brown, the Madigan spokesman. “We will work on bills to try to avert the panic of an IDOT shutdown, and see where it all ends up.”
The “panic” of a threatened IDOT shutdown is gonna pale in comparison to the reaction of parents who are gonna freak out beyond all previous freak-outs if K-12 isn’t taken care of pretty darned soon.
Today’s Supreme Court ruling could greatly benefit former Governor Rod Blagojevich. The High Court made it harder for prosecutors to use federal fraud statues.
Today’s case involved former Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell who was convicted on federal corruption charges in 2014. He was found to have received gifts, money and loans in exchange for official acts.
The Supreme Court in a unanimous decision vacated McDonnell’s conviction. The justices were concerned that federal laws allow prosecutors to mistake common favors with criminal acts.
So the justices defined what an official act is. How does this connect to former Governor Blagojevich? He was convicted of bribery, attempted extortion, and wire fraud — some of that related to the trade of President Obama’s old Senate seat.
Under this ruling, perhaps Mr. Blagojevich’s actions could be seen as business as usual not a felony. In the Blagojevich case, no money exchanged hands. In the case of Governor McDonnell, there was money involved: $175,000 in gifts. All legal.
“It really doesn’t change anything,” said Blagojevich’s lawyer, Leonard Goodman. “I don’t think this will be a primary focus.” […]
The Supreme Court vacated the 2014 conviction on fraud and extortion charges against McDonnell, who accepted more than $165,000 in loans and gifts from a wealthy businessman. The high court’s opinion hinged on the definition of what should be considered an “official act” of a public official. The Supreme Court ruled that while McDonnell’s actions were “distasteful” and “tawdry,” the government overreached in its “boundless interpretation of the federal bribery statute.”
But the “official act” element does not apply in the Blagojevich case, Goodman said.
“Those legal issues are not really front and center at the resentencing,” Goodman said. “That’s really our main focus right now: trying to bring him home to his family.”
“I think that some of the language in it and the concerns about government over-reaching are helpful,” Goodman said. “(But) I think that the narrow issue they looked at about the meaning of an official act is not directly on point with our case.”
* The Tribune takes a quick look at the elected Chicago school board bill, which passed the House months ago and hit a brick wall in the Senate…
But as efforts are being made to ask voters to create a more independent way of drawing legislative district maps to take much of the politics out of the process, it’s interesting to note who would be charged with drawing Chicago school board election boundaries.
Under the measure, it would be the Illinois General Assembly. So 118 House members and 59 senators statewide would have a say in where individuals could run for spots on an elected Chicago school board.
And it looks like the map-making process would be in the form of a bill, which means it would be subject to a potential veto of Gov. Bruce Rauner if he didn’t like the way the lines were drawn.
The measure makes no mention of the school board districts having to comply with the Illinois Voting Rights Act, which affords legislative map-making protections to racial, ethnic and language-speaking groups to be able to try to elect their favored candidate.
Those would appear to be significant concerns given the various “good-government” groups that populate the Statehouse.
The Senate Democrats have other concerns, like no runoffs for winners of multi-candidate races, and the large number (20) of board districts. The biggest concern, of course, is that the mayor opposes the bill and Senate President John Cullerton’s constituents support it.
The bill was passed by the House in March, before the primary. It was probably designed to do three things: 1) Give Chicago Democrats a chance to look good for the voters back home before the primary vote; 2) Placate the Chicago Teachers Union, which was supporting Speaker Madigan and opposing people like Ken Dunkin; and 3) A little “love tap” for Senate President Cullerton and Mayor Emanuel, just to let them know they were being watched as they talked with the governor.
* In other “reform” news, I’ll bet this was an uncomfortable moment…
Volunteer asks Mayor Emanuel to sign former Gov. Quinn's petition for mayoral term limits. He declined. pic.twitter.com/vg9Mg64icW
* This is one of my bigger beefs with anti-union types. The trades have huge and vital training facilities in this state. If we want good jobs, we need highly trained workers. Who’s gonna train these folks if the government hobbles their unions?…
Mayor Rahm Emanuel today joined Business Manager James Coyne and leadership from Plumbers’ Local 130 to break ground on the union’s new training center in the West Loop. When complete the center will provide a modern, green learning environment for more than 4,000 journeymen and apprentice plumbers.
“Skilled workers are a part of the fabric of Chicago,” Mayor Emanuel said. “From the success that comes with advanced training to the values that come from vital work, this new center is building a strong foundation for the City of Chicago.”
The 50,000-square-foot new training center will be complete in July 2017. When complete the center will offer a number of technology-related and green, as well as traditional plumbing skills courses.
“The Plumbers Local 130 is building a green building for the City of Chicago that will serve as a state-of-the-art learning center for the future of skilled labor,” Business Manager and JAC Chairman James F. Coyne said. “This 50,000-square-foot, three-story building will create jobs and pave the way for the future by showcasing rainwater harvesting, solar energy and grey water systems, and training thousands of Apprentices and Journeymen who Protect the Health of the Nation.”
The center will also prepare apprentices to work on projects involved appliances, fixtures, rain and gray water harvesting systems and solar systems. Plan reading will be taught, as well as the safe, correct and efficient installation and maintenance of systems including underground water supply, storm water, sewer drainage, fixture installation, and waste and vent piping both inside and outside of commercial buildings and residential homes.
Attorney General Lisa Madigan today announced her office has reached $275 million settlement with Volkswagen Group of America Inc. for misrepresenting the emissions of its 2.0-liter Volkswagen and Audi diesel engine cars sold in the U.S. As part of a multistate settlement, Madigan secured $28.9 million for violations of Illinois’ Consumer Fraud Act, and the state could see an additional $150 million in consumer restitution based on consumer participation in the settlement. Illinois can also apply for an additional $97 million from an environmental settlement reached by the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The scandal uncovered in September 2015 affected approximately 29,800 cars sold in Illinois. The diesel cars branded environmentally friendly were equipped with defeat device software designed to reduce the effectiveness of the vehicles’ emissions control systems and as a result emitted excess nitrogen oxides (NOx) throughout the state.
“Volkswagen deliberately defrauded its consumers and polluted our environment while promoting its cars as clean diesel vehicles,” Madigan said. “This settlement is the result of the company’s deliberate misconduct and egregious corporate consumer fraud.”
Madigan was among 43 states and jurisdictions that settled with Volkswagen for violating state laws prohibiting unfair or deceptive trade practices by marketing, selling and leasing diesel vehicles equipped with illegal and undisclosed defeat device software. The agreement is part of a series of state and federal settlements that will provide cash payments to affected consumers, require Volkswagen to buy back or modify certain VW and Audi 2.0-liter diesel vehicles, and prohibits Volkswagen from engaging in future unfair or deceptive acts and practices in connection with its dealings with consumers and regulators.
Once the consumer program is approved by the court, affected Volkswagen owners will receive restitution payment of at least $5,100 and a choice between:
A buy back of the vehicle (based on pre-scandal National Automobile Dealers Association/NADA value); or
A modification to reduce NOx emissions provided that Volkswagen can develop a modification acceptable to regulators. Owners will still be eligible to choose a buyback in the event regulators do not approve a fix. Owners who choose the modification option would also receive an Extended Emission Warranty; and a Lemon Law-type remedy to protect against the possibility that the modification causes subsequent problems.
The consumer program also provides benefits and restitution for lessees (restitution and a no-penalty lease termination option) and sellers after September 18, 2015 when the emissions-cheating scandal was disclosed (50 percent of the restitution available to owners). Additional components of today’s settlements include:
Environmental Mitigation Fund: Volkswagen will pay $2.7 billion into a trust to support environmental programs throughout the country to reduce emissions of NOx. This fund, also subject to court approval, is intended to mitigate the total, lifetime excess NOx emissions from the 2.0-liter diesel vehicles identified below. Under the terms of the mitigation trust, Illinois is eligible to seek up to $97 million from this fund to pay for emissions related mitigation projects.
Additional Payment to the States: In addition to consumer restitution, Volkswagen will pay to the states more than $1,000 per car for repeated violations of state consumer protection laws, amounting to $570 million nationwide. This amount includes $28.9 million paid for affected vehicles Volkswagen sold and leased in Illinois.
Zero Emission Vehicles: Volkswagen has committed to investing $2 billion over the next 10 years for the development of non-polluting cars, or Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEV), and supporting infrastructure.
Preservation of Environmental Claims: Today’s settlement by state attorneys general preserves all claims under state environmental laws, and Illinois maintains the right to seek additional penalties from Volkswagen for its violations of environmental and emissions laws and regulations.
Democrat leaders who control the General Assembly made it clear they will not take any major action on balancing our budget or passing real reforms until after the General Election in November. That is wrong and that is why, despite their refusal, I am advocating for two bills: a stopgap funding measure to ensure our most critical government services continue being funded and a school funding bill that puts more money into education, holds all schools harmless and ensures they open on time in the fall.
This morning Republicans will introduce an updated stopgap measure to add funding for higher education, MAP grants, and human services.
We are three days away from the end of the fiscal year. While we have essentially reached agreement on a six-month stopgap budget, the super majority is focused on passing a school funding bill that forces suburban and downstate taxpayers to pay for a massive bailout of the severely mismanaged Chicago Public Schools system.
I have said it before, and I say it again today: we must not bail out a broken system that refuses to change the way it does business. Forcing Illinois to raise its income tax to bail out CPS is fundamentally unfair to our school children, parents, homeowners, and small business owners across the state.
The real tragedy is that we have proposed legislation which would let Chicago fix every one of CPS’ problems, allowing city leaders to protect their students and taxpayers while eliminating the need for any bailout – but Speaker Madigan has refused to call the bills for a vote.
· Granting local control of collective bargaining would allow CPS to remove teachers’ pensions pickup from contract negotiations, saving taxpayers from the single biggest threat to CPS’ financial health. The Mayor requested the state do this last year.
· Applying President Cullerton’s pension reform proposal to CPS teachers’ pensions would save Chicago taxpayers billions in the long run and give them the resources to hire more teachers.
· Allowing CPS to declare bankruptcy if the Mayor or city council deemed it necessary to reorganize school contracts and debts could protect teachers’ jobs and prevent the need for massive tax hikes on homeowners in Chicago. And even if the Mayor chose never to exercise the option, it would fundamentally alter the balance in teacher union contract negotiations, making tax hikes no longer the only inevitable option.
If Mayor Emanuel would join with his friend, President Cullerton, and lead in the effort for reforms along with Republican legislators, then together we could protect students, teachers, and taxpayers in the city and the state, creating a better future for everyone.
The reason for this statement is contained in another post. The House Democrats are so far refusing to vote on a stopgap bill other than for transportation, so Rauner is introducing a stopgap bill that was negotiated by the budgeteers.
Local business owner Cindy Deadrick-Wolfer suspended her [Illinois House] campaign Tuesday.
Deadrick-Wolfer, who owns Shop on Main and also runs the marketing company Events Plus, was running as a republican for the Illinois House of Representatives 96th District. […]
Deadrick-Wolfer was running against incumbent Sue Scherer for the district covering Macon, Sangamon, and Christian Counties.
Right now, it appears, Scherer will be unopposed on November’s ballot.
As of today, Tuesday, June 28, 2016, I am formally announcing that I have suspended my campaign for Illinois House of Representatives 96th District.
As a business person and community member, I have not only witnessed, but have experienced the many issues that impact the viability of a thriving State of Illinois. I had hoped that my background in business and community would provide a common sense voice for change and help put us on a different path.
Over the past several months, I have had the opportunity to meet wonderful people, within the various communities that make up the 96th District, and have learned a great deal about a number of organizations that are providing exceptional service and outreach. I wish them all the best as they strive to make a difference.
This was a difficult decision and I will be eternally grateful for the support of friends, family, business colleagues and many elected officials for their personal efforts in this endeavor. They have provided support through their gifts of time and talent, financial resources and expertise. Unfortunate as it is, that effort is just not enough in this politically challenging time.
Rep. Scherer has her issues, but it’s such a Democratic district that Deadrick-Wolfer wasn’t given much of a chance anyway.
* Keep in mind that many of these questions are obviously slanted, but polls like these are done to test messaging. And, according to their poll, that messaging is working. From the governor’s campaign operation…
Victory Phones, which accurately tracked the 2014 Illinois governor’s race, conducted a statewide opinion survey about the status of school funding and the current budget impasse. The poll surveyed 777 likely Illinois voters between June 25-27 and has a margin of error of +/- 3.52 percent. The sample was D+15 and included 25% cell phones.
Key Findings
1. Speaker Mike Madigan, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the Chicago Teachers Union are all unpopular.
Q. What is your opinion of Mike Madigan?
Favorable 13.2%
Unfavorable 71.1%
No opinion 15.6%
Q. What is your opinion of Rahm Emanuel?
Favorable 17.7%
Unfavorable 61.6%
No opinion 20.8%
Q. What is your opinion of the Chicago Teachers Union?
Favorable 21.5%
Unfavorable 50.3%
No opinion 28.2%
2. Democrats’ intransigence and decision to leave Springfield without passing a budget is helping Gov. Rauner’s image recover.
Q. What is your opinion of Bruce Rauner?
Favorable 43.1%
Unfavorable 41.4%
No opinion 15.6%
3. Voters oppose bailing out Chicago Public Schools even if it means turning down additional money for their own schools.
Q. Do you support or oppose a taxpayer-funded bailout of Chicago Public Schools if it includes increasing state funding for all schools across Illinois including your own local school districts?
Support 32.3%
Oppose 53.7%
Unsure 14.0%
4. Voters don’t want their legislators to vote for any legislation that would bailout Chicago Public Schools.
Q. Would you be more or less likely to vote for your state legislator if you found out they voted for a bill that increases local school funding but also provides the largest taxpayer-funded bailout in the history of Chicago Public Schools?
More Likely 23.3%
Less Likely 53.9%
Unsure 22.8%
5. Voters prefer Gov. Rauner’s education funding proposal over the one proposed by House Speaker Mike Madigan
Q. One proposal, put forward by Speaker Mike Madigan and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, would provide record funding for schools throughout Illinois, but would also give Chicago a bailout worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The other proposal, put forward by Governor Bruce Rauner, would increase education funding by $240 million but would not include a Chicago bailout. Of these two proposals, which do you prefer?
Speaker Mike Madigan and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s bill that increases school funding for all and includes a Chicago bailout 38.8%
Governor Rauner’s bill that increases school funding but does not give Chicago a taxpayer bailout 61.2%
6. Illinois voters believe Chicago Public Schools are poorly run and don’t pay enough of their own costs.
Q. Do you agree or disagree that Chicago Public Schools is run by corrupt politicians?
Agree 59.6%
Disagree 23.1%
Unsure 17.3%
Q. Do you agree or disagree that Chicago Public Schools gets unfair treatment by the state and deserves more funding than most other school districts?
Agree 35.2%
Disagree 50.45%
Unsure 14.4%
Q. Do you agree or disagree that Chicago Public Schools is a financial wreck that gives sweetheart deals to special interests and political insiders, forcing taxpayers to pay more to foot the bill?
Agree 64.7%
Disagree 18.1%
Unsure 17.2%
7. A robust messaging campaign will further solidify support for Gov. Rauner’s education plan and opposition to the Democrats’ plan.
Q. Chicago Public Schools has had years of runaway spending, reckless mismanagement and giveaways to special interests and political insiders. Knowing this do you support or oppose a taxpayer-funded bailout of Chicago Public Schools?
Support 20.2%
Oppose 67.8%
Unsure 12.1%
Q. The proposal to bailout Chicago Public Schools is supported by Chicago politicians Rahm Emanuel and Mike Madigan but opposed by reformers like Bruce Rauner. Knowing this, do you support or oppose a taxpayer-funded bailout of Chicago Public Schools?
Support 25.3%
Oppose 64.8%
Unsure 10%
* Top takeaway: That question about support/oppose more money for their own schools as part of a CPS bailout is truly not good for Democrats, who’ve proposed doing just that. The folks out there in VoterLand don’t need to buy in to the governor’s “CPS is bad” rhetoric because they’ve always felt that way.
Also, check out those MJM numbers. Even with a D+15 sample. Ouch!
* The Senate is set to run several approp bills this week. But the House Democrats are not ready to roll on everything yet. Here’s Greg Hinz…
Cullerton also is expected to put votes on a separate “stop-gap” measure that would fund most of the rest of state government. A third bill would appropriate $1 billion for higher education, including Monetary Assistance program (MAP) grants for low-income students, and a fourth to take care of capital needs for the year. […]
While the Democratic plan almost certainly will clear the Senate, the House remains a question mark.
“We will be voting on elements of the stop-gap budget where progress has been made, and around this panic over road construction,” says Steve Brown, spokesman for Speaker Mike Madigan.
And education? “Hopefully that can be handled sooner rather than later,” Brown replied. “Discussions have been going on. I’m not sure things are finalized.”
Other sources were more optimistic.
There is “a conceptual agreement with the House,” with final action expected next week, said one insider.
Could get crazier before it gets saner.
*** UPDATE *** This question was not worded properly. MJM will need a veto-proof majority before he can pass the K-12 bill. We’re in overtime, so the bill will require a three-fifths majority. Even so, it’s a problem for Madigan and he apparently needs more time to work his caucus…
House Speaker Michael Madigan would not say if he has veto proof majority if Rauner shoots down edu funding bill pic.twitter.com/2EddofAgHm
* This proposal will be filed on two bills. Note extra funding for MAP grants, higher ed and human services. Subscribers already knew about most of this stuff. But it isn’t smooth sailing yet, campers…
The Governor’s stopgap funding plan will serve as a bridge to a comprehensive balanced budget for fiscal year 2017. This plan does not count on enactment of a tax hike or reforms. This plan provides a full year of funding for elementary and secondary education, road construction, federal programs and other non-GRF programs. It also provides funding to support 6 months of critical operations for higher education, state-operated facilities including prisons and veterans’ homes, fuel for the State Police to patrol our roads, and other core operations and programs for public safety, health and welfare. Funds are available under current law for all components of this bridge plan. The plan is contained in two bills: one bill which has K-12 education funding, and a second bill which has all other funding.
For fiscal year 2017 operations, the total package is $50.3 billion. This includes $8.2 billion in general funds, $33.7 billion in other state funds and $8.4 billion federal funds. The FY17 appropriations include:
o K-12 education. The Governor has proposed an increase of over $240 million over this year’s enacted education budget, for a total of $7 billion in general funds. This plan would fully fund the foundation level for the first time in many years, and ensure that all school districts get at least as much as they received in this past school year (a “hold harmless”). This plan does not include a bailout for Chicago Public Schools.
o Higher education funding of $1.0 billion. This is on top of $600 million already approved in FY16. The new funding is from the Education Assistance Fund, at $680 million (which is the amount of money expected to be available in that fund in the first six months of FY17), $200 million from the Fund for the Advancement of Education, $20 million from GRF, and approximately $100 million from the Personal Property Tax Replacement Fund for community colleges.
▪ This plan should ensure that universities are able to open on time and complete the full fall semester.
▪ Community colleges are funded at $114 million, plus funding for adult and career tech and other grants.
▪ Includes $151 million in funding for MAP for spring semester 2016. This goes to public and private colleges, for all students who were awarded MAP grants for the spring semester
▪ Funds the Illinois Math and Science Academy, East St. Louis and Lake County centers and some higher education and community college board operations.
o Funding for critical State government operations with GRF totaling $454 million. This GRF comes from $454 million freed up by removing the requirement to repay interfund borrowing. Also relies on full use of the rainy day fund ($275 million). These resources will be used to cover critical needs at agencies, including:
▪ Utilities, food and medical services at state prisons, mental health centers and veterans’ homes.
▪ Fuel and vehicle repairs for six months for State troopers’ vehicles to ensure public safety and IDOT vehicles to ensure repairs, salt distribution and snow removal.
▪ Funding to continue child support collection.
▪ Continued operations of other key State government services, such as collection of cigarette and other taxes.
▪ No GRF is appropriated for health insurance providers for State and university employees, which has a bill backlog of over $3 billion.
This stopgap funding means that approximately 20% of all State government operations are funded, counting health insurance (or 50% without health insurance.)
o Human services funding of $650 million from the Commitment to Human Services Fund. This is the amount of resources projected to be available in this fund through December 2016. This plan will help cover critical services not being paid under consent decrees or court orders. Includes $35 million in additional human services grants. This funding level means that human services will get over 90% of the amount they typically would get over 18 months when you include spending authorized by court orders.
o Full-year appropriations of federal funds of $8.4 billion. Includes federal funding that goes directly to providers, and takes full advantage of all available federal funds.
o Full-year appropriations of non-GRF/other state funds of $33.2 billion, and capital appropriations of $17.0 billion. This non-GRF funding includes:
▪ Capital appropriations, which will ensure continuation of road and bridge improvements, payment of school construction grants and local water and sewer improvements. Includes new pay-as- you-go IDOT projects, covered by available projected Road Fund revenue. Will allow completion of projects for colleges and key state facilities which were halted in FY16.
▪ Debt service payments for the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, and the State’s Civic Center bonds.
▪ Lottery prizes, local government distributions (including motor fuel taxes), low-income heating assistance and other services.
▪ Appropriations of all remaining non-GRF items in FY16 which ends June 30th, generally at the Governor’s estimated level recommended in his fiscal year 2016 budget, totaling $25 billion. Fiscal year 2017 appropriations include language allowing those appropriations to be used to pay FY16 bills, if necessary.
• Spending under consent decrees, court orders, continuing appropriations and statutory transfers will continue in FY17 without enacted appropriations.
*** UPDATE *** The bills have now been filed…
Illinois Republican leaders Christine Radogno (R-Lemont) and Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) filed legislation on Tuesday that would provide a full year of funding for elementary and secondary education, road construction projects and federal programs. It would also provide six months of funding for critical operations for higher education, state-operated facilities (such as prisons and veterans’ homes), public safety, health and welfare.
In total, the funding package introduced totals $50.3 billion for FY17 and another $25 billion to close out FY16. The plan is contained in two identical bills in each chamber, one which contains K-12 education funding (SB 3439, HB 6590) and the other which contains funding for other agencies (SB 3438, HB 6591).
Senate Bill 3439/HB6590 would ensure Illinois schools have funding to open this fall, with an increase of more than $240 million over this year’s enacted education budget, for a total of $7.2 billion in general funds.
“The measure we filed today would fully fund the foundation level for the first time in years, as well as include a ‘hold harmless’ to ensure that all school districts get at least as much as they received in this past school year,” said Radogno. “What this plan does not contain is a bailout for Chicago Public Schools, as Democrat legislators have proposed. Their plan is not acceptable or affordable to the taxpayers of Illinois – particularly in our downstate and suburban communities.”
The Republican leaders’ state agency funding proposal reflects budget items negotiated in the bipartisan, bicameral legislator working groups, in cooperation with the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget.
Higher education funding totals $1 billion, which is on top of the $600 million already approved in Fiscal Year 2016. This measure, if approved, would: ensure that universities are able to open on time and complete a full fall semester; allocate $151 million in funding for MAP grants for the spring semester of 2016; and provide community colleges with $114 million, plus funding for adult career tech and other grants.
Leader Durkin notes that under SB 3438 and HB 6591, funding for critical state government operations would total $729 million, and would help cover critical needs at state agencies, including: utilities, food and medical services at state prisons, mental health centers and veteran’s homes.
“Time is running out with less than three days until the start of a new fiscal year. The citizens of Illinois deserve a balanced negotiated budget that cares for students, the most vulnerable and all Illinoisans. The language in these bills can be amended to active bills in both chambers to meet our Thursday deadline. Those who claim this cannot be completed by then are just plain wrong,” Durkin said.
Under Senate Bill 3438 and HB 6591, $650 million will help cover critical human services not being paid under consent decrees or court orders. This includes $35 million in additional human services grants. This funding level means that human services will get over 90% of the amount they typically would get over 18 months when including spending authorized by court orders.
Full-year appropriations of non-GRF/other state funds of $33.2 billion, and capital appropriations of $17.0 billion, will ensure that: road and bridge improvements can continue; payment of school construction grants and local water and sewer improvements are met; local government distributions are made and funding is allocated for low-income heating assistance and other services.
“We are at a critical point in this budget impasse,” said Radogno. “The time for political posturing has passed — the time to act is now.”
Both the Illinois Senate and House are scheduled to be in session on Wednesday, June 29.
Senate Democrats plan to put forward an education funding plan Tuesday that increases money for public schools this fall by $750 million.
The plan released to The Associated Press late Monday would pump $286 million more into Chicago Public Schools.
Both the Senate and House return to session in Springfield on Wednesday to try to put together a budget agreement to keep government operating past Thursday’s end of the fiscal year.
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner wants the Legislature to act on a GOP school-funding plan that increases funding by $235 million. And he wants a second measure approved keeping government operating for half a year.
* According to the numbers I got from the Senate Democrats earlier today, Chicago would, indeed, receive a $286 million General State Aid increase, which would be a 30 percent boost from this fiscal year’s funding levels.
But Chicago would also get another $100 million or so via a state pension pickup, the SDems told me today.
Also, from what I was told, it’s a $760 million total increase - $60 million for the formula and $700 million for poverty grants.
…Adding… The governor’s folks think that it’s actually an $861 million increase because, they believe, that $100 million for the pension pickup isn’t included in the $760 million figure.
…Adding More… The governor’s office was correct. The Senate Democrats confirm that the $760 million is only GSA. So, it’s an $860+ million package.
