* Five sources say Senate President John Cullerton just told his caucus that he is retiring. He told them he’ll be stepping down sometime in January.
More later.
…Adding… The plan now is to come back during the second week of January to vote in a new Senate President.
I’m told he said his wife asked him to retire. He said he’s over 70 and wants to spend more time with her and his family. He said it was perfect timing with the end of veto session.
…Adding… Tribune…
Cullerton’s retirement has been “heavily negotiated” with his wife, and will allow him to spend more time with his family and practicing law in Chicago, he said Thursday in an interview with the Tribune.
“Now’s the time,” Cullerton said.
Cullerton told the members of his caucus Thursday evening, after the Senate adjourned for 2019.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Senate President Cullerton…
Eleven years ago I was honored to be chosen as the leader of the Illinois Senate. I came to the job with great optimism and enthusiasm, ready to tackle the challenges confronting Illinois, and with great expectations for moving forward to solve some of the crises our state faced.
I’ve had the pleasure to work with a body of Senate members who were equally resolute in moving Illinois forward and making the changes necessary to grow our economy and build a better future for our children and our communities.
With great accomplishments, and yes, some setbacks, for the last 11 years I can humbly brag that we have made great strides. Our list of accomplishments includes:
Two capital bills
Marriage equality
Abolished the death penalty
School funding reform
Pension reform
Immigration reform
During a time when our efforts were challenged on many fronts, we found ways to reach across the aisle, and through compromise we worked together to get our job done. One of the highlights of my career was working with Republican Leader Christine Radogno to try to bring to an end the state budget impasse.
During my tenure as State Representative and Senator, my focus was on the local district. But once I became Senate President, my primary focus was redirected to the Senate Democratic Caucus.
Our meetings were fun, inspiring, challenging, heart- wrenching, primal and revealing. Finding ways to keep my team united have been some of my proudest and most interesting moments.
I’m ready to embark on a new course. I’ve been promising my wife, Pam that I would retire:
- after 39 years of duty …
- when I turn 70 …
- when we had a Democratic governor …
So now, after 41 years in the legislature and 40 years of marriage, I’m finally going to live up to my promise to retire.
In counting our years of marriage, Pam deducts for the days I spend in Springfield, so she will claim we’ve only been married 30 years. Now all that will come to an end and she will have to give due credit to each day together.
I look forward to watching this august chamber and all you will accomplish. As we all know, there will be bumps in the road, but they will be paved over with new ideas and solutions, and a constantly changing body of members who are eager to bring their own vision and signature to our illustrious Illinois Senate.
Thank you to my family, my friends, and my constituents, whose support and encouragement will always be the backbone of my efforts.
And thank you to my wonderful staff who have kept me on track for the last 11 years. I owe much of my success to their constant vigilance, their professionalism and their humor throughout it all.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Senate Republican Leader Bill Brady…
“Senate President John Cullerton has led the Illinois Senate with honor and distinction, and our Chamber will forever be better as a result. I have known John for many years, but it has been during the last two years in my role as Senate Republican Leader that I have seen first-hand the integrity, honesty, and humor that he brought to the responsibilities his office entailed.
“We may not have always agreed on how best to address the issues facing the state, but there can be no denying John always put the people of Illinois first. I wish the Senate President and his family well as he begins this next chapter in his life. I am grateful to have had him as a colleague, and I will forever be grateful to call him my friend.”
*** UPDATE 3 *** Pritzker…
“In the past decade as Senate President, John Cullerton has been a passionate advocate for improving Illinois — whether it was his focus on ending the scourge of youth smoking, dedication to fully funding education or efforts to advance critically needed infrastructure throughout the state,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Over the years, I came to know John as my state senator, and this past year I have truly appreciated his work to advance our common agenda to stand with working families. I wish him all the best in the years to come, and I know that Pam and his children will be glad to start their next chapter as a family.”
*** UPDATE 4 *** Rep. Ann Williams (D-Chicago) represents half of Cullerton’s district along with Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago). I asked her if she was interested in the Senate seat…
President Cullerton’s announcement came as a surprise to all of us. He has been a great partner advocating for our community for many years. I’ll be meeting with Sara Feigenholtz and other local leaders over the next few days to talk about next steps.
And …I will be filing petitions for re-election to the House.
*** UPDATE 5 *** Sun-Times…
Steve Brown, spokesman for Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan, said the speaker on Thursday congratulated the Senate President “for an extraordinary career and a great working partnership they’ve had over a long, long time.”
* House GOP Leader Jim Durkin…
It has been an honor to serve with President Cullerton in the General Assembly and I wish him and his family the very best moving forward.
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* This was posted last night and I totally missed it…
Perhaps he’s trying to talk his way out of it?
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* The city has apparently pulled the plug…
…Adding… HFA 3 to SB 222 looks to be the last major item on the House’s agenda today. It’s a “cleanup” measure backed by the Illinois Gaming Board. The proposal allows the FBI to conducted fingerprinting on gaming background checks. And it addresses some confidentiality issues in the sports betting law. Without this bill, the gaming expansion rollout would be delayed.
…Adding… The city has apparently put a down arrow on the cleanup bill in retaliation for not getting its casino legislation. The bill has an immediate effective date, so it will require 71 votes. Stay tuned.
*** UPDATE 1 *** After several Chicago legislators rose in outrage that the Chicago casino bill wasn’t brought to the floor for a vote, the House approved the cleanup bill 72-7-3 with 35 not voting. Many of those who didn’t vote were Chicagoans or suburban women.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Mayor Lightfoot…
While we are disappointed that a much-needed fix to the gaming bill won’t be made during this compressed veto session, the Chicago casino is still very much in the sightline thanks to the progress we’ve made with our state partners. While this delay does not impact the City’s FY 2020 budget, this fiscal challenge looms large for FY 2021 and thereafter. Thus, the heightened sense of urgency remains. A substantial percentage of the state’s vertical capital bill depends on the revenue from a Chicago casino.
After 30 years of only being talked about, our proposal has moved Chicago closer than ever to bringing much-needed relief for our police and fire pension funds, while unlocking significant economic opportunity for our communities and capital funding for our entire state. From the beginning, the city’s proposal for the gaming bill has always been about finding a workable tax structure for a casino development that is projected to fuel thousands of new jobs, create hundreds of millions in new gaming revenues for the City as well as the state, all while redirecting $260 million in additional funds annually that have otherwise been lost out to gambling across the border.
I want to thank Governor Pritzker, Speaker Madigan, Senate President Cullerton, Representative Rita and members of the Chicago Federation of Labor, as well as other members of the General Assembly for their partnership this veto session, and I look forward to continuing our conversations about advancing the casino starting in January. With so much potential on the line, our city and state deserve to get this done and get this done right.
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Mid-afternoon session updates (updated)
Thursday, Nov 14, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Mayor Lightfoot on the gaming bill…
Earlier Thursday, Lightfoot held out hope she could land an eleventh-hour deal on the casino.
“We continue to work hard, particularly in the House, because the bill’s going to originate in the House,” she said during an unrelated event at a Logan Square school. “It’s my expectation that something will have been dropped, maybe even while we’ve been here, and will move forward. But we’ve been working hard, really, literally all night to make sure that we can get something to the floor of the House today and then move it over to the Senate.”
But she also sought to lower expectations by pointing out how hard it is to accomplish things in the veto session.
“But you know this as well as I do, in a veto session it’s a narrow window of time, and realistically we’ve had a day-and-a-half of work this week. It’s like going through the eye of a needle,” Lightfoot said. “We’re trying to do that as best we can, and we’ll see what happens at the end of the day.”
* The House passed the Democrats’ ethics reform bill this afternoon by a vote of 110-5. Members of the Eastern Bloc were the “No” votes plus Rep. Skillicorn…
* Rep. Wehrli had objections, but he voted for it…
Republican Rep. Steve Reick said he was voting for the bill because he doesn’t want to get hit by a mailer next year saying he opposes ethics reform.
* But this is from the Senate Republicans…
Today, the Senate Republicans Caucus is united in support of real ethics reform, which is why we stand in opposition to HJR 93. Despite assurances from Democrat leaders that this would be a balanced, bipartisan task force, what was filed is a nothing but a Democrat-controlled commission that will not bring about the changes this state needs to restore the people’s trust in their state legislature.
With the cloud of scandal hanging over the dome we need to be taking up serious ethics reforms not punting to another partisan task force.
So, there’s that.
* From IRMA’s PR person Monique Garcia…
Lawmakers sent a measure to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s desk today that will require online remote and marketplace sellers to remit the full sales tax (state + any locally imposed tax) on purchases made by Illinois residents. This change is conservatively estimated to bring in an additional $380 million a year – $295 million to the state and $85 million to local governments, schools, law enforcement and public safety agencies and the Regional Transportation Authority – without raising or imposing new taxes on Illinois residents. This estimate does not include any locally-imposed sales tax. This measure levels the playing field between Illinois retailers and remote and marketplace sellers. Indeed, this modernization represents the most significant shift in Illinois sales tax policy since a rewrite in the early 1990s.
While initially passed during the spring legislative session, the original bill language contained substantial errors that have been fixed in the legislation that won approval today. This effort was led by the Illinois Retail Merchants Association following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in South Dakota v. Wayfair.
* Next stop, governor’s desk…
…Adding… Press release on cannabis bill…
“As Illinois prepares to launch legal adult-use cannabis, this legislation will strengthen the most equity- cannabis law in the nation, especially with stronger provisions to prevent conflicts of interest among elected officials and provide more information to people whose records will be expunged,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Illinois has done more to put justice and equity at the forefront than any other state in the nation, and we’re ensuring that communities that have been hurt by the war on drugs have the opportunity to participate.”
* As we’ve already discussed, the ethylene oxide phase-out bill was killed by the Senate Executive Committee yesterday. House GOP Leader Jim Durkin had his own veto session bill, HB3885, that would’ve allowed home-rule units of government to ban EtO use, but that was killed in a House committee after Durkin wouldn’t commit to putting votes on Rep. Rita Mayfield’s bill. Durkin gave a statement to Hannah Meisel at the Daily Line…
Efforts to curb the chemical’s use in Lake County and other places in Illinois have sprung up in the year since the issue first drew significant media attention. [Rep. Rita Mayfield] faces a [Democratic] primary opponent in March who is hyper-focused on ethylene oxide.
Durkin, who voted present on Mayfield’s bill during the first week of Veto Session, said Wednesday that he could have predicted HB 3888’s failure “from day one.”
“House Bill 3885 was the strongest piece of legislation and would have essentially shut down polluters that are poisoning our communities,” Durkin said. “Instead of allowing my bill to move forward, we saw the Democrats kill my legislation in committee two weeks ago in favor of legislation that they knew wouldn’t become law. Fortunately, we have the Haller Act that places the strongest restrictions on the use of ethylene oxide across the country.”
Community group Stop EtO in Lake County said Wednesday it was “disappointed and afraid” for families.
“But we’re heartened that the Senators took the issue seriously and made it clear that they expect to be voting on this again in the spring,” according to a statement from the group. “Stop EtO will not stop fighting until our children are safe.”
The Haller Act was Durkin’s bill that passed last spring.
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Another day, another DCFS outrage
Thursday, Nov 14, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* CBS 2…
Workers for the state’s child welfare agency knowingly left a 10-year-old child with psychological problems in their office for 30 hours, failing to place the child in a proper facility.
“A stranger who lives on the street could have done a better job” caring for the child, the American Civil Liberties Union’s Heidi Dalenberg told a federal court at a hearing on the Department of Children and Family Service’s failures.
Dalenberg said 10 high-profile DCFS staffers knew of the case. “No one had the sense to take [the child] to the ER,” she said.
The girl was kept in a DCFS office from a Thursday to Saturday in October. She should have been taken to an ER, or psychiatric hospital.
DCFS admitted in court that it’s facing big challenges regarding staffing.
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Early afternoon veto session roundup (updated)
Thursday, Nov 14, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Finke…
Gov. J.B. Pritzker secured his top veto session priority Thursday when the Illinois Senate gave final approval to a bill consolidating downstate police and fire pension systems.
The Senate voted 42-12 on Senate Bill 1300, which has been touted by supporters as a way to improve investment returns for hundreds of systems which would in turn help take pressure off of local property taxes that help pay for them.
In a victory lap after the vote, Pritzker, backed by supporters of the bill and talking to reporters in his office, noted the bill was passed on a bipartisan basis and helped deal with a decades-old problem.
“We have put hundreds of cities in Illinois on a path toward alleviating their massive property tax burden,” he said. He also said it indicates that Illinois “can tackle its most intractable problems.”
* He said this tongue-in-cheek, but still…
Make sure to watch the video. He suggested taking a look at who funds “news organizations” in order to combat “fake news”…
* Finke…
A bill capping out-of-pocket insulin costs at $100 a month is up for Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s signature.
The Senate voted 43-1 to give final approval to the bill. The chamber had to approve a couple of minor changes made to the legislation in the House.
The House added a provision to have the cap increase as inflation increases. It also called for the Department of Insurance to conduct an investigation into why insulin prices here are so much higher than in other countries. The original bill called for the Attorney General’s office to conduct the review.
The bill was initiated by Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, after a constituent came to him and said her family couldn’t afford insulin for their diabetic daughters and make her house payments. Insulin prices have soared in recent years and diabetics have seen out-of-packet expenses also soar to hundreds of dollars a month.
Gov. Pritzker’s react…
“Skyrocketing prescription drug prices are an enormous burden for too many Illinois families, and this legislation will significantly lower out-of-pocket costs for the 1.3 million Illinoisans that rely on insulin,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “It’s fitting that on World Diabetes Day, Illinois has taken bold action to protect our residents’ health, rather than force them to use lower quality medication or even ration their supply. We are proud that Illinois continues to be a national leader in ensuring health care is a right and not a privilege. This important step forward for lowering health care costs is the result of the tireless advocacy of Sen. Andy Manar, Rep. Will Guzzardi and so many other champions. I look forward to signing this legislation and continuing my commitment to ensuring Illinois residents have access to comprehensive, high-quality and affordable health care coverage.”
* Always read the fine print…
Illinois lawmakers are one step closer to approving permanent daylight saving time, but the change would require federal approval, something that’s only been granted twice. […]
Only Arizona and Hawaii residents are free from the biannual clock tinkering that comes with daylight saving time.
Manar said that the state measure alone would not make the change.
“The only two ways that it can change in Illinois, ultimately, even with this bill becoming law, is either Congress gives us an exemption as a state or Congress implements a uniform standard presumably different than what we have nationwide,” he said.
* Rebecca Anzel…
Bills aimed at curbing where Illinoisans can use electronic smoking devices and with what flavorings appear halted until the spring session of the General Assembly.
One bill would loop electronic cigarettes into the Smoke Free Illinois Act. The other would ban flavored cartridges and pods used in such devices.
Thursday is the last scheduled day of the fall veto session, which lawmakers are using this year to clean up new laws and pass new bills before they return to Springfield in January.
* Yes, there’s a bill, but I’m not exactly sure this has 60 votes yet. Still a crapshoot…
…Adding… Cannabis legalization cleanup bill just passed the House with 90 votes. On to the Senate.
…Adding… This turned out to be true…
House Majority Leader Greg Harris just said they removed the language because the issue needs more study.
…Adding… After some stinging remarks, Rep. Wehrli says he will vote for the bill.
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Lightfoot starts another backtrack
Thursday, Nov 14, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sun-Times…
Substituting the word “payoff” for “investments,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot tried Thursday to clarify the political bombshell she dropped this week about a publicly-traded company: that Uber offered black ministers a $54 million “pay off” to kill her $40 million congestion fee. […]
“My understanding, as I said yesterday, was that they offered up $54 million in — I’ll put in air quotes — ‘investments.’ What they’re trying to do … is divide and conquer and pit one group against another. We’ve seen that happen historically in Chicago. We’re not gonna tolerate that,” Lightfoot said. […]
In shooting down what Uber called the mayor’s “categorically false” charge, Uber’s director of public policy Josh Gold accused the mayor of “confusing the $54 million in revenue that one of our proposals would have raised for her own budget.”
For the first time, Lightfoot seemed to acknowledge as much.
No proposal by Uber, Lightfoot said, “whether it’s the $54 million or a more recent counter-proposal,” allows the ride-hailing giant “to be regulated and deal with the congestion. They offer nothing to deal with congestion.”
I don’t think that’s much of an acknowledgement. She also blamed the media, but this is some of what she said yesterday…
Asked about a different tax structure for ride-share companies that Uber is publicizing as an alternative to her own proposal, the mayor responded: “Is this the one where they’re paying off black ministers by offering them $54 million, or is this a new one?”
The mayor later doubled down on her allegation. “They offered up black ministers $54 million, a one-time deal, if they would convince the mayor to do away with any other kind of regulation,” she said.
Look, we all know that companies often pay ministers and others to help them generate some astroturf pressure on politicians. That’s been going on in Chicago and at the Statehouse for a very long time and I’m glad the mayor is taking on this topic. But claiming that Uber offered black ministers a $54 million payoff is just way out of line.
…Adding… Doubles down…
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Democratic ethics reform plans surface
Thursday, Nov 14, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
Illinois lawmakers are considering new disclosure requirements for lobbyists and public officials in response to an ongoing federal public corruption probe that has ensnared politicians from Chicago City Hall to the Capitol in Springfield. […]
Democratic leaders are proposing a joint House-Senate committee be formed to examine and propose changes to the state’s lobbying and ethics laws. The panel would issue a report by March 31. […]
The measure also would require more disclosure by state lobbyists, including making them disclose any unit of local government that they lobby and any elected or appointed office they hold.
House Republican leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs, whose caucus has issued repeated calls for overhauling lobbying and ethics laws, said there was no input from the GOP on the proposals Democrats introduced.
* Republicans had another complaint…
* Something not mentioned in the coverage so far is this problem pointed out by Mark Brown the other day…
Many lobbyists these days put as much effort into coming up with novel legal theories to avoid disclosing their clients as they do representing them.
And even when they do disclose, they often resort to a Russian doll strategy of obfuscation, where lobbyists are allowed to hide their efforts by reporting only that they’ve been retained by other lobbyists, instead of naming the underlying clients.
That’s exactly right and very well-put. Sub-contractors are supposed to disclose which clients they lobby for, but the law may be a bit on the vague side and far too many lobbyists don’t disclose who their real clients are. So, this provision was included in the new bill…
If the [lobbyist] registrant employs or retains a sub-registrant, the statement shall include the name and address of the sub-registrant and identify the client or clients of the registrant on whose behalf the sub-registrant will be or is anticipated to be performing services.
Good on Mark for highlighting this problem.
There is no mandate in the bill for lobbyists to disclose their income, by the way.
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Yes, it can happen here
Thursday, Nov 14, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Suzanne Baker at the Naperville Sun…
A man at the center of a race-related incident last month at the Buffalo Wild Wings in Naperville was known to restaurant staff for making racist comments and would send back food unless it was served by a white employee, according to Naperville police reports.
Police reports obtained by the Naperville Sun late Wednesday detail the investigation officers conducted at the 75th Street restaurant after a group of customers said they were asked to move tables because of the color of their skin. […]
According to the police report, a man with a swastika tattoo and his female acquaintance told police they had been regulars at the restaurant for the last two to three years, visiting almost every Saturday to watch college football and hockey. […]
According to police reports, the man told an investigator that Buffalo Wild Wings employees “had heard him make racist jokes and comments in the past.” As a result, some members of the staff “took it upon themselves to tell the large group of (redacted) that they needed to move due to (redacted) being a racist.”
Ugh.
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DCFS bans some youth shackling after uproar
Thursday, Nov 14, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* ABC 7…
The use of handcuffs or shackles for transporting youth is now banned by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
The policy change comes after two teenage boys, ages 15 and 17, were handcuffed and shackled at their ankles while being driven from a youth shelter in Chicago to another living arrangement in Palatine, DCFS said.
The teens were restrained for nearly 30 miles while being transported by a company hired by DCFS.
* Sun-Times…
DCFS spokesperson Jassen Strokosch confirmed Wednesday night that effective immediately, the use of handcuffs and/or shackles for transporting youth was prohibited.
However, “soft restraints” are allowed only if they are court ordered or ordered by a psychiatrist, Strokosch said. […]
The youths were restrained and driven by the Jim Stewart Transportation company, whom DCFS contracts for “secured transport” when a case manager feels they cannot shuttle the young people themselves, Strokosch said.
DCFS has contracted Jim Stewart Transportation for secured transport about 120 times since 2017, Strokosch said. The company and DCFS inked a new two-year deal in July worth about $240,000, he said.
* Elyssa Cherney at the Tribune…
It is not clear how widespread the practice is. Strokosch said the agency has not tracked when restraints were used but is investigating now to determine that.
The recent cases occurred on Oct. 1 and involved a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old being moved to a new living arrangement from a shelter on the city’s South Side. The teenage boys were handcuffed and shackled at the ankles for about an hour as they were driven to Palatine in separate trips. The driver worked for a DCFS contractor, Jim Stewart Transportation.
Staff at the shelter, run by Aunt Martha’s Health & Wellness, were “shocked and surprised” to see the driver arrive with shackles, according to Ricardo Meza, an attorney for the organization.
Meza and the organization’s chief executive officer sent a letter Saturday to a special master appointed in the federal consent decree case, explaining that Aunt Martha’s objected to the restraints and notified DCFS about its concerns Oct. 2.
DCFS doesn’t track when shackles are used on kids?
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Should Illinois pass a plastic “bottle bill”?
Thursday, Nov 14, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Press release…
Illinois is failing to make progress in its recycling efforts, according to a new study from Illinois PIRG Education Fund. The second annual State of Recycling in Illinois highlights how structural challenges, the rise of plastic, the effects of failing to recycle, the state’s new chemical recycling law, and trends in the state’s recycling data.
The report reflects on how reliance on East Asian export markets, which are no longer reliably taking American waste, have impacted some statewide programs. It also shows that this is only part of the problem.
“The reality is plastics are so hard to recycle and so low value that we could only consistently afford to collect and recycle it when China was willing to buy it.” said Illinois PIRG Education Fund State Director Abe Scarr. “Now that we are left to deal with it ourselves, plastic is choking our recycling system as effectively as it chokes ocean life.”
The report outlines how Illinois, and especially Chicago, performs poorly compared to the rest of the country when it comes to recycling.
Along with assessing state data, the report presents wide-ranging reforms necessary to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills or is burned every year. Policies include cutting back on the amount of unnecessary plastic waste being created, encouraging the reuse of already existing objects, and making sure that products are recycled at the end of their working life.
“This report confirms what we’ve known for a long time now— we need to reduce pollution, transform waste management, expand and update our recycling systems, while moving markets towards sustainable, innovative packaging or else we’ll continue to fight a losing battle,” said Jen Walling, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council.
“The Chicago Recycling Coalition advocates for proactive strategies to keep plastic out of commingled recycling and waste streams altogether, including making Illinois the 11th state to have a container deposit, or ‘Bottle Bill.’ In other states such as Michigan and Oregon, a small deposit has proven to be a powerful economic incentive resulting in redemption rates of over 90%.”
More here.
A required deposit wouldn’t be a bad idea, especially if those Michigan redemption rates are correct. Your thoughts?
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* Gov. Pritzker has vowed to veto this bill, with a spokesperson saying “We’re not going to bail out a business that didn’t pay the taxes they were supposed to”…
Sen. Scott Bennett said during floor debate that the vast majority of the planes worked on in his district come from out of state and without the tax break the owners would go somewhere else.
* Roll call…
…Adding… From the Senate Democrats…
Hey Rich,
Just wanted to reach out and say that we corrected the record to reflect that Sen. Koehler voted in favor of HB 3902.
Pritzker really had no choice on this. He’s very wealthy and is known for using a fleet of private jets, so supporting this bill would’ve put him in an awkward political spot.
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Note to e-mail recipients
Thursday, Nov 14, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* For some odd reason, some of you received a blank subscriber email this morning. I’ve resent it to everyone and I sure hope it works this time. You can click here and read it online if you don’t want to wait. Sorry for the inconvenience!
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* Rep. Lindsay Parkhurst (R-Kankakee) posted this last night on Facebook…
It is with bittersweet emotion to announce I will not run for state representative in 2020, but instead run for judge. Being a judge is a dream and goal I had since law school and I am thrilled by the opportunity to run for judge. It is the pinnacle of any legal career.
I am proud to serve as State Representative and I am committed to completing my term and working hard for the 79th District. I believe my skills and commitment to public service will be best served on the bench at this time in my legal career. Thank you for your continued support.
The 79th was originally drawn as a Republican-leaning district, but Democrat Kate Cloonan managed to win it in 2012. Parkhurst defeated Cloonan in 2016 by 7 points and then defeated former Democratic Rep. Lisa Dugan by 13 points last year. Maybe the Dems make a run at that, but with President Trump on the ballot, I am not seeing a clear path unless the Republicans nominate an unelectable candidate. Trump won the district by 13 points and Bruce Rauner won it by 11.
* Meanwhile, from a press release sent last night…
On the heels of a historic session, State Representative Aarón Ortíz announces that he is running for Democratic Committeeman of the 14th Ward. Ortíz, a lifelong resident of the Gage Park neighborhood, shocked the political establishment in 2018 after he defeated former Rep Dan Burke, the younger brother of Ed Burke, who held that position since 1991.
“Alderman Ed Burke is an embarrassment to the City of Chicago and State of Illinois. His shameless reign of shakedown politics is over. Ed Burke is being charged with using the City of Chicago as his criminal enterprise. I’m calling on Ed Burke to resign from his position as Committeeman and Alderman. He is unfit to continue holding public office. The Burke family has held the 14th Ward for 66 years. We’re prepared to mobilize thousands of voters to get rid of them or their proxies running for Committeeman or State Representative.
I ran for office to bring honesty, transparency, accountability, and progressive values to the southwest side. As a full-time elected official, I am devoted to public service and representing constituents. The people of the southwest side deserve a leader they can trust. Ed Burke, Martin Sandoval, Jeffrey Tobolski, and others have disrespected our community and have damaged the public’s faith in government. Our community deserves an honest public servant. I’m prepared to fill that role, that’s why I’m running to become the next Democratic Committeeman of the 14th Ward”
* Tribune…
Burke pleaded not guilty in June to more than a dozen federal charges, including racketeering, extortion and bribery. Federal prosecutors have alleged Burke used his position to steer work to his tax-appeals law firm.
Burke and his attorneys have denied any wrongdoing.
Burke’s 14th Ward political fund had nearly $457,000 in cash at the start of October and has raised another $24,500 since. Burke’s aldermanic campaign fund reported $652,000 in cash on hand at the end of September plus another $8 million in investment income.
Ortiz reported $5,265 in his campaign fund at the start of October and has received another $13,000 since.
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* Synopsis of SB1784…
Amends the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act and the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act. Provides that an employer is required to furnish the exclusive bargaining representative with a complete list of the names and addresses of the public employees in the bargaining unit at least once each month. Provides that the employer shall not discourage employees or applicants from becoming or remaining union members or authorizing dues deductions, and shall not otherwise interfere with the relationship between employees and their exclusive bargaining representative. Provides that the employer shall refer all inquiries about union membership to the exclusive bargaining representative, with certain exceptions. Provides that the employer may not disclose certain personal information with respect to any employee, except to that employee’s exclusive representative. Contains provisions concerning the collection of dues. Amends the Illinois Pension Code. Prohibits the disclosure of certain personal information regarding participants and members. Makes other changes.
The legislation essentially codifies part of AFSCME’s new contract with the state. The Illinois Policy Institute obtained employee home addresses and has been sending them mailers notifying them they can retain all union services without paying for them.
A technical amendment was also adopted, but this bill passed the House in the first week of veto session 93-23 and passed the Senate yesterday 45-9. Needless to say, those lopsided bipartisan roll calls would never have occurred under the previous governor.
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Wednesday roundup
Thursday, Nov 14, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
[This post has been bumped up from last night for visibility.]
* Tribune…
The Illinois House voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to approve Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s plan to consolidate nearly 650 local pension funds for suburban and downstate police officers and firefighters.
The measure, which was approved on a bipartisan vote of 96-14, now goes to the Senate. If that chamber approves the bill before adjourning Thursday, it would hand another victory to Pritzker after he accomplished nearly all of his legislative priorities in the spring. […]
The version passed by the House differs from Pritzker’s original proposal by giving active and retired police firefighters majority representation on the board that will oversee the funds. That change was key to winning the support of the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police, which had opposed the initial proposal.
* Gov. Pritzker’s office…
The House has taken a huge bipartisan step toward a commonsense solution for alleviating the enormous property tax burden in downstate and suburban communities that are struggling to meet their pension obligations,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Consolidating these small funds means that they could improve their investment returns by as much as $2.5 billion over the next five years. While this effort has been more than a half century the making, today’s progress would not have been possible without Rep. Jay Hoffman’s guidance in the House, and I look forward to the Senate moving forward on a measure that has earned the support of local municipalities, firefighters and police officers. I urge the Senate to swiftly pass this legislation so we can continue improving our state’s fiscal health and secure the retirements of the workers who earned them.
* Tribune…
Legislation to strengthen regulation of ethylene oxide sterilization operations around a “densely populated location” like Gurnee or Waukegan was blocked Wednesday by an Illinois Senate committee.
Late last month, the Illinois House voted 60-47 to send the House Bill 3888 to the Senate. The measure would require Northfield-based Medline Industries to move an assembly plant away from Lake County neighborhoods or switch to safer alternatives for sterilizing medical equipment by the end of next year. […]
On Wednesday, a late amendment to the bill in the Senate’s Executive Committee changed the length of the phaseout period and excluded several geographic areas, among other changes.
The bill’s Senate sponsor, Sen. John Curran, R-Downers Grove, said the amendment fulfilled promises made by the House sponsor, Rep. Rita Mayfield, D-Waukegan, but he had not taken part in those negotiations.
* Stop EtO…
We’re disappointed and afraid for our children and families, but we’re heartened that the Senators took the issue seriously and made it clear that they expect to be voting on this again in the spring. Stop EtO will not stop fighting until our children are safe.
* Tribune…
Legislation that would reduce both city and state taxes on a Chicago casino was introduced in the state Senate on Wednesday, but it remained unclear whether lawmakers will come through this week on Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s request for a tax structure that would be more appealing to potential investors.
Senate President John Cullerton put forth a compromise proposal Wednesday, but Lightfoot still needs to win more support from House Democrats if a bill is going to make it out of the General Assembly before its scheduled adjournment Thursday.
Democratic Rep. Bob Rita of Blue Island, the lead negotiator on gambling issues in the House, said he’s still working to see whether there are enough votes to move forward before lawmakers leave town.
While most House Democrats want the Chicago casino to succeed, Rita said, there are concerns that it could steal business from both proposed and existing casinos in surrounding suburbs. And some Democrats have raised questions about how revenue from the casino would be allocated to building projects under Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s $45 billion “Rebuild Illinois” infrastructure plan.
* ABC 7…
Late in the afternoon the gaming bill sponsor, State Representative Bob Rita, was joined by members of Lightfoot’s Springfield lobbying team for a meeting in the office of House Speaker Mike Madigan.
The meeting comes after a day long effort to win enough votes in the House to pass a revised bill.
The original bill contained a 72 percent tax rate on a Chicago casino, which a consultant said was too onerous to attract investors.
Senate President John Cullerton also emerged from a meeting with Speaker Madigan Wednesday, but he declined to comment on discussions.
* Sun-Times…
The clock is ticking for Mayor Lori Lightfoot to convince enough lawmakers that lowering the state tax rate on a Chicago casino would still make a winning bet for Illinois.
Changes in the language of the state’s new gambling law have mostly been agreed upon to lighten the tax burden on the big city casino to make it viable, in light of a consultant’s report that high taxes would prevent any developer from securing financing.
But sources say Lightfoot is struggling to gain support, even after deploying labor union forces to try to seal the deal in the waning hours of the fall veto session.
Illinois Senate President John Cullerton had hoped to bring a negotiated compromise to the Senate floor Wednesday, but the vote was delayed as the city continues to negotiate with lawmakers. That gives Lightfoot a couple extra hours to try to work her roll calls in both chambers.
* Dave Dahl…
A senator who represents a city which is getting a new casino is unhappy with the new deal. “The state’s capital plan is going to be losing $140 million a year,” said State Sen. Dave Syverson (R-Rockford). “A lot of capital projects throughout the state are not going to get done now, because we are giving Chicago a better deal” than other – struggling – casino cities will get.
To that, State Sen. Terry Link (D-Vernon Hills) told Syverson, at least Rockford’s getting a casino, but Chicago may not.
* Bond Buyer…
Lightfoot said after the city council meeting that, based on her conversations with leaders, she was not ready to give up hope that consideration would have to wait for the next session in January.
“The situation is fluid but we continue to be optimistic,” she said after a city council meeting. “It’s critically important for the city because the revenues generated by a Chicago casino are designated for our police and fire pensions and it’s obviously a top priority for us to have a structural sustainable revenue solution to help address our long-term fiscal needs.”
* NBC 5…
The Illinois House has approved legislation to cap the amount diabetes patients must pay for insulin to $100 a month.
The vote Wednesday to answer skyrocketing prescription insulin costs was 100-13. The Senate has approved the idea but a change in the House requires another Senate vote.
* SJ-R…
State Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, is once again hoping that the General Assembly passes legislation that will abolish a provision in state law that has all the voters in Sangamon County elect some officials who oversee functions of Capital Township, which generally shares boundaries with the city of Springfield.
But just like when the issue arose near the end of the spring legislative session, the three members of the General Assembly — all Republicans — who live in Capital Township said Wednesday they were caught unaware of action on the issue.
“If he wants to change how Capital Township is governed, he should talk to the three members of the General Assembly who live in Capital Township,” said Rep. Tim Butler, R-Springfield. “This is a personal issue for us. We believe that the county does a very good job with the township in running an effective … government. Secondly, he doesn’t live here. It’s as easy as that.”
* Capitol News Illinois…
Bills aimed at curbing where Illinoisans can use electronic smoking devices and with what flavorings appear halted until the spring session of the General Assembly.
One bill would loop electronic cigarettes into the Smoke Free Illinois Act. The other would ban flavored cartridges and pods used in such devices.
* Capitol News Illinois…
Meanwhile, lawmakers were also still negotiating a marijuana bill Wednesday that would address some unresolved issues left behind by the massive legalization bill that passed through the General Assembly in the spring.
Sen. Heather Steans, a lead sponsor of the original bill, explained to a committee that the so-called “trailer” bill is intended to clarify several aspects of the original bill. […]
It also clarifies a “revolving door” provision of the law by saying members of the General Assembly and their families would be prohibited from having a direct financial interest in a cannabis business until two years after that lawmaker leaves public office.
It also provides that marijuana-related paraphernalia would no longer be illegal in Illinois. But it would remain illegal to operate a snowmobile or any kind of watercraft while under the influence of marijuana.
* WCIA…
A plan to forgive private jet repair shops for unpaid sales tax debt and restore an expired tax exemption cleared a hurdle in the Senate Revenue Committee on Wednesday.
A 2010 sales tax exemption for private jet repair parts expired in 2014, and the industry says it was caught off guard until an audit in March flagged the issue at one Illinois facility. They quickly pushed a bill through the House during the first week of veto session to restore the exemption and forgive the tax debt.
The measure appears headed for Governor J.B. Pritzker’s desk, despite his threat to veto it.
* Center Square…
While the number of ethics reforms filed by Republicans in the Illinois statehouse continue to stack up, the clock is running out for anything to pass by the end of the week.
Thursday is the last day of session this year. While Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, said it’s possible for some reforms to pass in one day, he wants more time to review the proposals.
“I’ve mentioned before we should have some kind of a joint committee or something at a minimum and see if we can pass any low hanging fruit, but that’s something that hasn’t been negotiated yet,” Cullerton said Wednesday.
He said something will pass this week, but didn’t elaborate.
* Illinois Gaming Board…
On August 8, 2019, the IGB approved a video gaming emergency rule that would allow for a sixth machine to be installed and connected to the central communications system without sworn IGB agents present on-site, allow for large licensed truck stops to have up to ten Video Gaming Terminals (VGTs) and add language about progressive jackpots. The Gaming Board approved this rule at the first Board meeting after Governor Pritzker signed P.A. 101-0031 (the gaming expansion act) into law on June 28, 2019. The emergency rule became effective on August 13 when the IGB filed it with the Secretary of State. This rule was in effect until JCAR suspended the emergency rule at its September 17, 2019 meeting. No one from the IGB was allowed to speak at the September 17 hearing and JCAR made no inquiries to the Board about the rule. The suspension by JCAR ended the ability of the IGB to expeditiously allow for the addition of a sixth video gaming terminal at locations throughout the State because the IGB had no rules to safely and securely govern terminal handler access or any ability to monitor the integrity of these installs without an agent’s presence. That is because the IGB rules that would have allowed for safe and secure installs at locations without the presence of on-site IGB agents are the very rules JCAR suspended two months ago.
At the time of the suspension, licensed terminal operators had already begun operating under the emergency rules. Many had placed orders for the secure components, which are needed to access critical areas of a video gaming terminal so it may be powered up and connected to the central communications system. This meant that terminal operators could add a sixth machine in licensed locations without waiting for an IGB agent to oversee the installation. JCAR asserted that the suspension of the emergency rule at the September 17th meeting was based on the IGB’s lack of specific statutory authority for the emergency rule, despite the unqualified statutory authority the IGB reasonably relied upon. At the time, the IGB disagreed with this legal interpretation by JCAR Staff — but that could not have been known to JCAR as no one contacted the IGB regarding the potential delays caused by suspension of the rule. The gaming expansion law did not delete the emergency rulemaking authority granted to the Board under the Video Gaming Act; thus, the IGB reasonably referenced and relied upon that section of law granting emergency rulemaking powers to the Board.
The IGB proceeded with the regular permanent rulemaking process on this new video gaming rule. This process causes a natural delay as the rule is not in effect as it works itself through the JCAR process, which can take many months. Yesterday, November 12, JCAR delayed consideration of the regular (permanent) rule for up to an additional 45 days. Apparently, JCAR was contacted by one or more interested parties or industry trade groups before the meeting concerning the VGT surveillance provisions. JCAR staff told the IGB minutes before the hearing yesterday, outside the hearing room, that the Board must agree to the 45 day extension or receive a filing prohibition, which would erase the entire rule within 180 days. JCAR’s action will again cause further delays for gaming expansion.
Below is the status of the 6th machine:
41 Locations with a live 6th machine approved by IGB;
309 Total locations with a 6th machine (disabled machines as a result of the Sept 17 JCAR suspension);
1549 Terminal Operator requests received by IGB for the 6th machine.
* IEA…
The Illinois Education Association (IEA) worked alongside several unions to pass Senate Bill 1784 (SB 1784) to help protect the privacy of public employees, affirm collective bargaining rights and to clarify dues deduction procedures. SB 1784 passed both legislative chambers and now heads to Governor JB Pritzker’s desk for his signature. This legislation is a victory for all union members and public employees in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2018 ruling in the Janus v. AFSCME case, which overturned 40 years of settled collective bargaining law.
“This is about protecting union members’ rights in Illinois. We have the right to organize. We have the right to use our collective voice to advocate for our students, our schools and our communities. Thank you to our lawmakers for recognizing our seat at the table should be protected,” IEA President Kathi Griffin said.
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* StreetsBlog Chicago…
In case you missed it, last week Crain’s Chicago ran an excellent piece by columnist Greg Hinz on Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s plan to raise the tax on traffic-clogging solo and downtown ride-hail trips, while lowering the fee for more sustainable shared rides in the neighborhoods, and earmarking about $2 million of the revenue annually to fund transit. He did a great job of explaining why, despite Uber and Lyft’s self-serving claims that the initiative would hurt South and West side residents, “in fact, it targets Lincoln Park types, and it is intended to shore up CTA service that is far more important.”
However, this weekend Uber tweeted out an earlier Crain’s op-ed on Lightfoot’s proposal, written by some of its official allies in local chambers of commerce, which is full of misleading — or even downright false — statements about the plan. The piece was penned by Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce head Jaime Di Paulo, Illinois Chamber of Commerce chief Todd Maisch, and Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce senior vice president Michael Reever. All three organizations are listed as partners of Moving Illinois Forward, a lobbying group for Uber and Lyft. Let’s take a look at some of the claims from their op-ed.
Go read the rest. Good stuff. Lots of disinformation out there.
* From November 6…
A group of more than 30 South and West side ministers is complaining that Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s proposed ride-share tax increase will hurt low-income riders and drivers, but city officials dispute the claim.
“Ride-share has truly been a blessing,” said the Rev. Walter Turner of New Spiritual Light Missionary Baptist Church in the South Shore neighborhood, at a news conference on Tuesday. Turner said the proposed fee hike would have a “major impact” on people trying to get to doctor visits or buy groceries.
“Do not tax our people,” said Turner, who was among the group of ministers who signed a letter to Lightfoot complaining about the fees.
* Today…
That’s a pretty darned bold statement to make. Let’s see if she can make that stick. If not… well, let’s just see what happens first. Whew.
…Adding… Sun-Times…
“Is this the one where they’re paying off black ministers by $54 million? That one? Or is this a new one?” the mayor said.
“They offered up black ministers $54 million — a one-time deal — if they would convince the mayor to do away with any other kind of regulation. And as we walked these ministers through the realities of what’s actually at stake here, I think they realized that, frankly, they’d been hoodwinked.”
Pressed for proof, Lightfoot said, “I’ve had a number of ministers who’ve met with us and said, `Uber promised us $54 million if you [convince the mayor to] back off.’ … We’ll get those names to you.”
*** UPDATE *** Response…
If this was about $54 million in revenues for the city and not $54 million in payoffs to black ministers, she’s got some walking-back to do. Again.
This kinda reminds me of when Maryann Loncar said she witnessed then-Rep. Lou Lang being offered a $170 million bribe, but it was actually about new revenues for the state.
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* Brian Brueggemann…
In 2018, Alton’s pension funds for firefighters and police officers had about $117 million in unfunded liabilities — the retirement money that will have to be paid to retirees.
But in June, the city cut that shortfall nearly in half. How? They sold the city’s sewer system to a company, Illinois American Water, for $53.8 million.
Godfrey also sold its wastewater system to Illinois American, for $13.5 million.
And now Granite City, which has $83 million in unfunded liabilities in its police and firefighter pension funds, is looking to sell part of its wastewater system.
But Kent Redfield, an expert in Illinois politics and government, warned that selling off city assets could be a bad move, particularly if the sale provides only a quick, bandage repair to a long-term pension problem. He said once a city sells its sewer system, there’s little chance the city will ever own it again.
“You can only sell your car once to make your house payment,” Redfield said. “Is it a long-term fix, or is it a temporary Band-Aid that kicks the can down the road?”
I’m not a fan of these sales. At all. But this isn’t about selling your car to make a house payment. It’s about selling your car to pay off as much as half your mortgage, which I’d say is not a terribly bad idea.
…Adding… I’m seeing a lot of comments like this…
This is exactly like the city’s parking meters
Nope. That’s ridiculous.
Mayor Daley spent all the parking meter money right away. The lease had no lasting value. If he had put the windfall into the city’s pension funds, Chicago would be a whole lot better off today.
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False alarm on Asian Carp?
Wednesday, Nov 13, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Last week…
Federal and state agencies announced [last] Friday that invasive Asian Carp DNA has been found in Bubbly Creek in Chicago, which is about 5 miles from Lake Michigan. This spike in eDNA so close to Lake Michigan is a cause for alarm. Agencies have commenced increased sampling and monitoring in the area.
In reaction to this alarming news, Alliance for the Great Lakes President & CEO Joel Brammeier released the following statement:
“This discovery is yet another sign that we are teetering on the edge of a nightmare scenario. The time for delay is over…”
* Today…
Officials are eyeballing the metropolitan sewer system as a possible source for invasive carp genetic material found in the Chicago River last month in amounts that puzzled wildlife experts and triggered emergency searching for live fish.
So far, netting and electrofishing have found no traces of silver or bighead carp after agencies announced Nov. 1 that routine testing around the Chicago Area Waterway System turned up 76 positive carp genetic material detections in Chicago’s Bubbly Creek. […]
There’s a suspicion the DNA hits could be related to either human waste or wash water from fish markets entering the sewer system, she said. City fish mongers sell silver and bighead carp and the state of Illinois is promoting commercial catch as a means of species control.
[Amy McGovern, aquatic invasive species supervisor with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife service] said the Racine Avenue station is “pumping a significant amount of material into the water near a community that eats a lot of dead Asian carp.”
The wildlife service wants to begin sampling inside the sewer system. […]
The Racine Avenue pumping station on Bubbly Creek transfers wastewater to the Stickney treatment plant from Chinatown and much of the city south of the river down to 87th Street. According to MWRD, the station discharged to the creek twice just prior to the eDNA sampling; 731 million gallons on Oct. 3 and 185 million gallons on Oct. 5.
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[The following is a paid advertisement.]
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* I somehow forgot to include this in today’s Corruption Roundup post. Greg Hinz…
The City Club of Chicago is contending with the fallout of its president’s involvement in a federal probe of Commonwealth Edison influence in Springfield. Weeks after Jay Doherty’s City Club offices were raided—and in the wake of disclosures that the prominent public affairs group’s chief was paid more than $3.1 million over a span of years by the utility giant—a growing roster of speakers are canceling upcoming City Club appearances. […]
After some internal debate, the club’s board decided to reject Doherty’s offer to resign, insiders tell me, at least in part because Doherty in recent years has been critical to the club’s success in landing prominent public officials to its forums, including governors and mayors, U.S. senators and even candidates for president.
“Mr. Doherty is the president of the club. I don’t know of any move afoot to change that,” club attorney Michael Hayes told me. “I hope he stays. He’s largely the reason we’ve been successful.”
At the same time, club leadership has declined to press Doherty for some explanation of exactly what he did to earn that much from ComEd, a state regulated entity, and to answer whether that big check conflicts with the club’s very public role in helping shape city and state public policy.
Yeah, well, they can add me to the list of people who aren’t speaking this year.
*** UPDATE *** Look who’s speaking tomorrow…
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It’s just a bill
Wednesday, Nov 13, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From the bill creating the Property Tax Relief Task Force…
Within 90 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 101st General Assembly, the Task Force shall submit an initial report to the Governor and General Assembly outlining short-term and long-term administrative, electoral, and legislative changes needed to create short-term and long-term property tax relief for homeowners.
The Task Force shall submit a final report to the Governor and the General Assembly… by December 31, 2019.
The task force obviously missed the first deadline…
The law was enacted Aug. 2. The 90-day deadline, Oct. 31, came and went. With the initial report nowhere to be found and only a couple of days left in the fall veto session, lawmakers won’t be able to take any action on the task force’s suggestions this year.
A spokesman for the task force referred questions to the eight co-chairs of the task force.
State Rep. Deanne Mazzochi, R-Elmhurst, said Republicans have given Democrats a number of suggestions, but said Democrats have shown no interest in creating actual legislation to take up those ideas.
“The initial draft was supposed to be done on October 31st as far as I know,” she said. “The governor and their staff missed the deadline, so now we’re going to be waiting until December 31st for a final report, but obviously if we don’t even have a draft it’s very difficult for us to put input into the final draft.”
The governor’s office has two members on the task force, but neither are co-chairs. So, blaming the governor for this is a bit weird. It’s not their task force.
* Last month…
When Governor J.B. Pritzker appointed former state Senator Bill Haine to serve on the State Board of Elections in May, the former downstate Democratic Senator had to surrender control of his campaign fund and the $286,786 in it. But now, months later, Haine controls the same money, just under a different name. […]
Haine said he believes the law would allow him to spend money in his son’s race [for state’s attorney], or any race, if he chooses.
The spokesman for the Illinois State Board of Elections told me this at the time…
Bill Haine also consulted with our staff before joining the board about the disposition of his candidate committee. His conversion of the committee to a political action committee puts him in compliance with board rules.
Haine’s son sent me this statement last week…
There has been some speculation regarding my Dad’s political action committee, “William Haine Fund to Promote Progress of Citizens of the Metro-East.” Now that he’s on the Illinois State Board of Elections, he has made it clear that he is in the process of liquidating this account. Some have pointed out that, by law, some of this fund could be donated to my own campaign for Madison County State’s Attorney. But that won’t happen. I agree with my Dad’s plan - these funds will go to local charities, not politics
* Press release…
As allegations of government corruption continue to plague the Statehouse, Republican legislators including State Senators Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods) and Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington) and State Representatives Tim Butler (R-Springfield) and Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield), announced new legislation during a press conference at the Capitol on November 13 that aims to ensure members of the Illinois State Board of Elections aren’t funding political action committees.
“Under current state law, a person can serve as a member of the Illinois State Board of Elections while at the same time run a political action committee that benefits candidates. Not only is this allowed, it’s currently happening,” said Sen. McConchie. “Common sense would dictate that no member of the State Board of Elections should be allowed to fund a campaign while simultaneously presiding over and judging legal matters regarding that campaign. It’s an inherent conflict of interest and yet another loophole in state law that enables government corruption—something that is all too familiar in Illinois.”
The bill is here…
Prohibits a member of the State Board of Elections from contributing, either financially or in services or goods or any other way, to a political committee or from serving as an officer of a political committee. Requires a member of the State Board of Elections serving as an officer of a political committee to resign from the political committee within 30 days after confirmation by the Senate or within 30 days of the effective date of the amendatory Act if currently serving. Effective immediately.
* In other news…
Despite House leadership calling on former Chicago representative Luis Arroyo to step down last Monday, he did not do so until that Friday. Some of his colleagues say this was not a coincidence and now they want to make sure nothing like this happens again.
Representative Mike Murphy of Springfield is calling for action on a bill that would allow lawmakers to only receive pay for days they actually worked instead of full pay on the last working day of each month.
“We need some reforms and this a pretty simple reform. The fact that you can work one day and get paid for the entire month is silly,” said Murphy.
“We had a representative recently resign the first of the month, so he’s going to be paid for the entire month. He’s going to get medical benefits, you know, insurance for the whole month. One more month will be added to his retirement and it’s just not right.”
Yep. That’s why Arroyo waited until November 1 to resign. Back in the day, legislators received their full pay up front.
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* Text from a friend regarding the gaming trailer bill…
Gaming is a plane with no wings and a lot of finger pointing about who built a plane with no [gosh-darned] wings.
Heh.
Stay tuned.
…Adding… I’m hearing the city’s police and firefighter unions are “beating down the door” in favor of the gaming bill. That will definitely help. Unions have been a big part of every major legislative success this year.
…Adding… Some language has finally surfaced. Click here. I do not think that’ll be the vehicle used because it’s a Senate Bill in the Senate. They’ll likely use it for a subject matter hearing so they can skip a full hearing if the House passes a bill.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Bad news for Mayor Lightfoot…
*** UPDATE 2 *** A city hall source tells me they have “multiple partners” working the House as hard as they possibly can to get a roll call taken today. “Hold on tight.” We shall see.
*** UPDATE 3 *** Gonna take a near miracle…
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Your moment of Zen
Wednesday, Nov 13, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Oscar catching some rays and chilling outside my office…
Another pic…
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Second McClain story surfaces in 13 hours
Wednesday, Nov 13, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The BGA’s Chuck Neubauer and WBEZ’s Dan Mihalopoulos report that former ComEd lobbyist and master Statehouse insider Mike McClain was still paid by ComEd even after he retired from lobbying…
The giant electric utility reported shelling out $361,000 to McClain for “legal services” in the two years after his retirement in December 2016, even though he is no longer authorized to practice law in Illinois, records show. […]
ComEd spokeswoman Jean Medina said this week McClain stopped working for the company in May. That was when the federal raid occurred at McClain’s home.
And Medina said ComEd executives believe the payments to McClain in 2017 and 2018 were “mislabeled” as being for legal services when the utility made its filings to state regulators.
“These amounts were for political consulting services,” Medina said. “Those payments were neither for lobbying nor legal work.”
* Meanwhile, Pomerantz LLP is a law firm that files a whole lot of class action shareholder lawsuits. From its website…
We are investigating Exelon Corporation (EXC) (“Exelon” or the “Company”) for potential violations of the federal securities laws.
On July 15, 2019, Exelon announced that both Exelon and Commonwealth Edison (“ComEd”), owned by Exelon, had received a grand jury subpoena from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago concerning Exelon’s lobbying activities in Illinois. Then, on October 9, 2019, Exelon disclosed receipt of a second grand jury subpoena regarding its communications with Illinois State Senator Martin Sandoval. On October 15, 2019, Exelon announced the abrupt departure of Anne Pramaggiore, Chief Executive Officer of Exelon Utilities. Analysts immediately identified the criminal subpoenas and Pramaggiore’s abrupt resignation as “being directly related to each other.” On this news, Exelon’s stock price fell $2.15 per share, or 4.57%, to close at $44.91 per share on October 16, 2019. Finally, on October 31, 2019, Exelon disclosed that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission had also opened an investigation into the Company’s lobbying activities. On this news, Exelon’s stock price fell $1.17, or 2.51%, to close at $45.49 per share on October 31, 2019.
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* Remember this?…
Dozens of social media posts and promotional videos posted online reveal State Senator Patricia Van Pelt, a Chicago Democrat, is looking to cash in on cannabis and go “riding the wave with the rich” in the final days leading up to a highly anticipated vote that could legalize recreational marijuana for adult use in the state.
* And this?…
Senator Patricia Van Pelt, a Chicago Democrat, has been removed as a co-sponsor of the bill to legalize recreational cannabis after a report revealed she was selling tickets to her get-rich-quick seminars where she offered investment tips on hot cannabis stocks.
* She’s still at it…
Despite her gaudy invitation for paying customers to become “marijuana millionaires,” the fine print on Van Pelt’s new multi-level marketing materials warns of high risk and low rewards.
A disclaimer on her company website lists the starting cost for new members at $500, and warns that fewer than four percent of affiliates will ever earn enough commission money to recoup that cost. A compensation chart on her company’s site says 89 percent of participants make less than $100 per month.
And she’s apparently making up claims…
Toward the end of the winding 18-minute call with her fellow “Wakannapreneurs,” Van Pelt made a stunning claim that has since been disputed.
“I signed up Senators, and the Secretary of State, and the Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court,” she said.
Reached by phone on Tuesday, a spokesman for Secretary of State Jesse White, whose office is overseeing an investigation into Van Pelt, vehemently denied any business relationship with Van Pelt, and said her account was “embellished.”
“Secretary White has nothing to do with Senator Van Pelt’s business,” spokesman Dave Druker said.
Dorothy Brown also denied involvement and Van Pelt walked it back.
The odd thing about all this is Sen. Van Pelt is a quiet legislator. She only passed one, small bill this year. You’d never know how gregarious and risk-taking she is in her side hustle. Weird.
Anyway, there’s plenty more to Mark Maxwell’s story, so go read the rest. Bizarre.
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* The Senate Revenue Committee is meeting today at 11 in Room 400 to take up the aviation repair tax credit bill, HB3902, that Gov. Pritzker has vowed to veto. The Senate Executive Committee meets today at noon in Room 212 to take up HB3888, the ethylene oxide phase-out bill. Keep an eye on SB516, which might possibly be used as the gaming vehicle bill, although it could start in the Senate with a different bill.
*** UPDATE 3 *** The House bill was apparently just too stringent for Senators to climb aboard. The backstory is that Rep. Rita Mayfield (D-Waukegan) has a primary opponent who is an EtO activist. So, they got the job done for her in the House…
…Adding… IMA…
“As recently noted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the number of facilities using ethylene oxide to sterilize medical equipment is limited and additional closures could result in years of shortages of critical medical devices,” Mark Denzler, president and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “Illinois recently enacted bipartisan legislation imposing the toughest regulations on ethylene oxide in the nation. That measure should be allowed to be fully implemented while a comprehensive, long-term solution is explored by state and federal officials.”
…Adding… Medline…
We are grateful legislators recognize the need for additional study of this important issue, which comes amid warnings from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that additional closures of facilities using ethylene oxide to sterilize medical devices could lead to equipment shortages that compromise patient care.
Medline’s top priority is the safety of our employees and the communities we operate in and we remain committed to working in partnership with state and federal officials.
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* Very good point at the end of Hannah Meisel’s report…
A proposal to ban flavored tobacco products would not include traditional tobacco products. An amendment filed Tuesday on SB 668 would ban all flavors of vaping products — including mint and menthol — leaving only tobacco-flavored vapor products on the market. This latest amendment is a departure from negotiations that as of Friday included a ban on flavored cigarillos, but allowed for mint- and menthol-flavored vape products like liquids and one-piece e-cigarettes such as the ones made by vaping giant Juul. The Black Caucus has pushed hard for menthol cigarettes to be excluded from any sort of flavored tobacco ban, as menthol cigarettes have been targeted at African Americans since their introduction to the market decades ago. State Rep. Thaddeus Jones (D-Calumet City) told The Daily Line that he also opposes “regulations that harm businesses near the Indiana border,” saying attempts to ban menthol and other tobacco products “only [exacerbates] the significant black market sales of loosies and single packs in our communities. This hurts local businesses who are struggling to keep afloat at a time when investment in our communities is not as strong as it needs to be.” But SB 668, sponsored by Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago) is a vehicle bill that has not yet been over to the House, meaning its chances for full passage this week are extremely slim, given the constitutional requirements that bills be read into the record on three separate days.
Yep. After much hype, the air has at least temporarily gone out of this issue.
* Also from Hannah…
House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago), who on Monday called for other Democrats to pick a replacement without Arroyo, told reporters he agreed with Gov. JB Pritzker’s contention that a large-scale ethics package should wait until January. “I agree with the governor,” Madigan said Tuesday after a lengthy House Democratic caucus. “I think he’s correct. We should take some action this week, and then we should move toward a fuller study in the long-term.”
* One more from Hannah…
A bill that would partially consolidate Illinois 649 suburban and downstate police and firefighter pension funds is on track, despite a hurdle that nearly derailed the bill Tuesday.
SB 1300 passed the House Personnel & Pensions Committee Tuesday evening with what would have been unanimous bipartisan support, Republicans said, had it not been for a last-minute addition to the bill in language filed Monday afternoon.
As The Daily Line reported Tuesday afternoon, the Illinois Municipal League — for years one of the loudest voices in favor of consolidating the state’s hundreds of public safety pension funds — announced it was opposing the bill in its current form. […]
State Rep. Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield) was the only aye vote on the GOP side, after asking everyone in the committee room to raise their hands if they wanted the language Cole and the league opposed to remain in the bill. No one raised a hand. […]
Batinick ultimately said he trusted Hoffman would work out a deal, and voted the bill out of committee.
Subscribers know a bit more about the status of that bill.
*** UPDATE *** From the Illinois Municipal League’s PR person about new amendments to the consolidation bill…
Amendment #6 resolves the issue that was of concern by the Illinois Municipal League. They are supportive now. Amendment #7 is purely technical.
The House will take this bill up this afternoon; it’s an agreed bill.
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* Capitol News Illinois…
Legislation aimed at capping the out-of-pocket costs of prescription insulin for those with state-regulated health care plans passed a House committee Tuesday with bipartisan support and a 13-2 favorable roll call.
Senate Bill 667 now awaits a vote from the full House of Representatives. If it passes, it will head to the desk of Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who has been a vocal supporter of the measure.
The bill would cap the price for a 30-day supply of insulin at $100 for people covered under certain kinds of insurance policies.
Chicago Democratic Rep. Will Guzzardi, the bill’s sponsor, said it would apply to those purchasing insurance on the marketplace, as well as public plans such as the state employee health program. He added it would apply to roughly 20 percent of Illinois’ population — about 260,000 of an estimated 1.3 million insulin users.
The sponsor thinks he has maybe as many as 80 floor votes. Stay tuned.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Rep. Guzzardi was a little off. His bill received 100 votes. It now goes back to the Senate for concurrence.
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* Also from Capitol News Illinois…
A bill calling on the Illinois Department of Transportation to conduct a study on the use of automated red light cameras advanced in the state Senate on Tuesday, lawmakers’ first day back at the Capitol for the final three days of the fall veto session.
Those devices, and the contracts that many Chicago-area suburban governments have with the companies that provide them, are believed to be one subject of an ongoing federal corruption probe focusing on state Sen. Martin Sandoval, D-Chicago. […]
The measure passed out of the Senate Transportation Committee, which Sandoval chaired before he was pressured to step down while the investigation continues.
If the full Senate does not vote on the bill by Thursday, the final day of the veto session, it could leave no time for the House to consider the measure this year. Lawmakers would then need to take it back up when they return in January for the start of the regular 2020 session.
Um, that bill is on Second Reading in the Senate. If it passed the Senate today, there would not be enough time to run it through the House because of the three-day reading requirement.
* Politico…
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is close to winning a hand in Springfield after spending Tuesday talking to lawmakers about why helping Chicago is good for the state.
Sources familiar with the discussions between the mayor and Gov. J.B. Pritzker say the mayor’s request to tweak the tax rate for a Chicago casino could see approval this week — as early as today.
“It’s a good day,” Lightfoot told reporters after her meetings. She also discussed her sales pitch to lawmakers. […]
The mayor’s and governor’s offices have been going back and forth to nail down a palatable tax rate that downstate and suburban Democrats would agree to support. They think they’ve got it and the governor would sign off on it, too.
We’re about to find out.
Keep a close eye on our live coverage post for instant updates.
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Corruption roundup
Wednesday, Nov 13, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The Sun-Times interviewed Chicago’s new FBI chief Emmerson Buie…
Now Buie, the onetime youth from Englewood, will play a key role in what appears to be multiple, ongoing federal public corruption investigations that have so far led to charges against three politicians — Ald. Edward M. Burke (14th), state Sen. Thomas Cullerton and former state Rep. Luis Arroyo. Two other politicians have been outed this year as FBI cooperators. And several more appear to be in federal crosshairs.
“Public corruption has been a cornerstone of my career,” Buie told the Sun-Times Tuesday. And, he added, it “will continue to be, in the Chicago division.”
Still, Buie declined to get into the details of the aggressive work being done by the FBI in Chicago. He started his new job Oct. 15. In his second week, a federal jury convicted two Chicago police officers on corruption charges. Three days later, Arroyo was arrested on a federal bribery charge.
“The American public as well as the city of Chicago has a right that their public officials and their law enforcement officials are upholding a certain standard,” Buie said. “Therefore, as we investigate those matters, we try to do them as respectfully and professionally as possible.”
* Robert Herguth and Mark Brown…
In September 2015, shortly before Oak Lawn’s red-light cameras from SafeSpeed, LLC, went live at two busy intersections, a company official wrote the south suburb’s village manager about a new marketing campaign with the slogan: “Choose safety, stop on red.”
Soon after, SafeSpeed and Oak Lawn officials engaged in a behind-the-scenes dispute over how many red-light tickets were being issued, with the company pushing Oak Lawn for more, records and interviews show.
More tickets would bring more revenue to Oak Lawn, SafeSpeed and its commissioned sales consultants.
Leading the push for more aggressive ticketing were two former legislators from Oak Lawn: Michael Carberry and John O’Sullivan, according to records and interviews.
At the time, Carberry was on the village board, and O’Sullivan was Worth Township’s Democratic committeeman and a sales consultant for SafeSpeed who appeared to be overseeing Oak Lawn’s account.
There’s lots more to this, so go read the whole thing before commenting.
* Also by Robert Herguth and Mark Brown…
When drivers get red-light camera tickets in Matteson, a portion of their fines has been going to a recently retired deputy Chicago city aviation commissioner who’s at the center of a political corruption investigation, records obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times show.
Bill Helm — a $125,000-a-year deputy aviation commissioner overseeing airfield maintenance at O’Hare Airport until he quit in August — also was a paid sales representative for SafeSpeed, LLC, while on the city payroll, the records show.
SafeSpeed paid Helm, who’d held the city aviation post since 2014, a commission on red-light tickets written in Matteson and also Glendale Heights, the records show. Glendale Heights ended its affiliation with the red-light camera operator in 2018, officials said.
Matteson and Glendale Heights officials said they hadn’t heard of Helm and were unaware he was being paid under their contracts with SafeSpeed.
Helm didn’t disclose the outside work to City Hall, as required for any “secondary employment,” a spokesman said. Nor did he inform the Chicago Board of Ethics of outside income.
* Related…
* Illinois House GOP pushes once again for ‘urgent’ ethics overhauls: “We acknowledge that there’s a longer, more ongoing conversation about the culture that’s tolerated some of these ethical lapses in Springfield,” Deputy Minority Leader Tom Demmer, R-Dixon, said. “But it’s very important that we, as elected officials, acknowledge that every day the people of Illinois are waking up and seeing in the newspaper, hearing on the radio or TV, that there’s additional issues that are ethical challenges and problems that are enacted by their representatives in Springfield. We need to do something to take advantage of this opportunity to reform our laws, so … the people of Illinois have better confidence in their elected officials.”
* Firms owned by Hazel Crest woman with criminal past collected $1.8 million consulting for suburbs, even while she faced federal indictment
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* David Heinzmann at the Tribune…
Less than a week after the Illinois Gaming Board attempted to stop video gambling operators from selling their businesses without state approval, a panel of lawmakers in Springfield blocked the move.
The General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Administrative Rules voted 10-0 against the Gaming Board on Tuesday, rejecting the gambling regulators’ rationale for making the rule change on an emergency basis.
Gaming Board staff viewed their measure as an emergency step in response to the Tribune’s revelations last month about Rick Heidner, whose Gold Rush Gaming is one of the state’s largest operators. Regulators argued they needed to close a loophole in state law that allows video gambling operators to sell their businesses without Gaming Board approval. The status quo would allow a business owner facing a misconduct investigation to sell the business at a profit without facing state disciplinary action.
Republican Rep. Keith Wheeler of Oswego, the committee co-chairman, introduced the motion to vote on the issue Tuesday. He said he agrees that the state should close the loophole but said committee members are frustrated because they believe the Gaming Board is using the emergency rule-making process inappropriately.
There’s more, so go read the rest. The JCAR members may be right on the law, but that’s some pretty dumb politics. And if somebody under federal suspicion sells their video gaming business before this is all worked out, some fingers are gonna be pointed right at the committee.
* One caveat, however. Legislators and others are up in arms about how the Gaming Board has waited so long to write a rule allowing video gaming expansion at existing facilities. The gaming expansion law passed last spring upped the number from five machines to six and increased the tax by 3 percentage points. The state is collecting the higher tax rate, but no machines can be added until the Gaming Board acts. This should’ve been done months ago. The state is missing out on revenues.
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Tribune: Feds recorded McClain phone calls
Wednesday, Nov 13, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
[This Tuesday night post has been bumped up for visibility.]
* By Ray Long and Jason Meisner at the Tribune…
Federal authorities recorded phone calls of one of House Speaker Michael Madigan’s closest confidants as part of the burgeoning investigation into ComEd’s lobbying practices, two sources with knowledge of the probe told the Chicago Tribune.
Recordings of phone conversations involving Michael McClain, who lobbied for ComEd and parent company Exelon before retiring in 2016, are part of the expansive probe that has rocked the Springfield political establishment over the past several months, the sources said. […]
It is unknown if the FBI listened in on any calls between McClain and Madigan, who is famously cautious about what he says in public and over the phone.
But McClain, 71, whose friendship with Madigan dates to when they both served in the House in the 1970s, is widely viewed as one of the few people in Springfield who would have candid conversations about legislative and political strategies with the speaker. Before he retired, McClain often could be found camped out in front of the speaker’s third-floor Capitol office.
He was also a frequent MJM dinner companion. But, as I’ve said before, Madigan is a lot like Paulie Cicero…
Paulie hated phones. He wouldn’t have one in his house. He used to get all his calls second hand, then you’d have to call the people back from an outside phone. There were guys, that’s all they did all day long was take care of Paulie’s phone calls.
Then again, they got Paulie in the end.
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Lightfoot leaves Springfield with no promises
Wednesday, Nov 13, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
[This Tuesday night post has been bumped up for visibility.]
* From Jordan Abudayyeh at 5:45 pm…
The governor and mayor had another productive meeting and conversation this afternoon, and he remains committed to encouraging members of the General Assembly to support the mayor’s priorities.
* Tribune…
Mayor Lori Lightfoot headed to Springfield on Tuesday looking for help on legislation aimed at eventually shoring up Chicago’s troubled finances — a sweetened casino tax structure and the power to hike taxes on expensive real estate deals.
She was leaving Springfield without a deal in place on either.
Lightfoot stressed the urgency of getting a casino deal done this week to help ease the concerns of bond ratings agencies and provide certainty for future budget years.
* Sun-Times…
Meanwhile, the casino bill’s House sponsor, state Rep. Bob Rita, D-Blue Island, said state Sen. Terry Link, is no longer involved in negotiations.
Link, D-Vernon Hills, had been a key player in gambling talks. Sources have told the Sun-Times that Link wore a wire in the investigation that ended with bribery charges against former state Rep. Luis Arroyo. Link denies any involvement, and he has not been charged.
“I haven’t talked to Sen. Link since the bill signing. No, he hasn’t [been involved],” Rita said. “I’ve talked with some of the senators, and I asked who was going to be the Senate sponsor, and we’re still waiting on that. But we have been negotiating with the Senate and staff. I’ve had talks with Senate President [John] Cullerton too.”
Rita said there were a number of questions from lawmakers in the south and north suburbs — areas where new casinos are proposed — about where the Chicago location would go. And negotiations aren’t just focused on restructuring the 33 percent tax rate. Rita said a change in fees is also in play, should the tax rate be adjusted.
“We’re getting close, but you know there’s other outlying issues that we need to address that [Lightfoot has] seen in caucus here that have been around,” Rita said. “So it’s not all just about the tax rates … and what it’s going to impact on the city of Chicago in the state, but there’s other issues that we’re faced with that we’re trying to work through.”
* From Jordan Abudayyeh at 8 pm…
The governor has said from the outset that it’s important for all parties to get the Chicago casino right, including maximizing the opportunities for jobs for residents and revenue to address our financial obligations, and if the city’s gaming legislation reaches his desk, he will sign the bill. Over the past several days, staff from the city, both the House and the Senate and the governor’s office have discussed the contours of a proposal, and there has been broad agreement from the parties. Our understanding is that legislators will be filing a bill shortly, and the governor would encourage lawmakers to support it.
* Related…
* Chicago Mayor Pleads Case in Springfield on Casino, Budget: Lightfoot told reporters after meeting with House Democrats that talks are continuing and said legislation to fix the casino problem would come “shortly.” She didn’t say whether that meant before Thursday’s adjournment of the fall session.
* Chicago mayor pleads case in Springfield on casino, budget
* Mayor Lightfoot Tells State Lawmakers City Needs Casino To Fill Budget Hole
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