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Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Monday, Dec 9, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Bring joy to a foster child this holiday season. Your donation helps provide gifts and spread warmth to children in need. Make this season magical—click here to give today and brighten a child’s holiday!

* Tribune

[Illinois] is in better shape to withstand a downturn than it was during either the 2007 Great Recession or the 2020 COVID recession, according to the joint study published Monday by the Illinois Economic Policy Institute and the Project for Middle Class Renewal at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

“No state in the nation is recession proof,” said report co-author Frank Manzo, an economist at the Illinois Economic Policy Institute, a La Grange-based nonpartisan research organization. “But Illinois is better positioned to overcome the challenges and withstand the forces that trigger recessions than at any point in recent history.”

The elimination of the general fund deficit and replenishing the state’s “rainy day” fund with $2 billion lead the list of post-pandemic improvements that should help Illinois weather a possible recession with a little less pain than the previous two, the study found.

Other improvements include a work-share program implemented in 2021 that allows employers to avoid layoffs by temporarily reducing workers’ hours while enabling them to receive pro-rated unemployment benefits.

*** Statehouse News ***

* WTVO | These new Illinois laws are going into effect on Jan. 1, 2025: So, starting January 1st, 2025, the Illinois minimum wage will be $15 an hour, according to the Illinois Department of Labor. Tipped workers will also see a minimum wage increase, from $8.40 an hour to $9 an hour. That’s thanks to a state law that says tipped workers must earn at least 60% of the state’s minimum wage.

* WBEZ | More Muslim girls are playing youth sports and celebrating their religion while doing it: In 2021, an Illinois law went into effect allowing students to freely wear hijabs, leggings and long sleeves without having to request a waiver from their school district. Muslim Civic Coalition president Dilara Sayeed, whose group helped draft the bill, said the change gives boys and girls in Illinois the chance “to play in uniforms that meet their faith traditions and not have to constantly be seeking approval to do it.” It was also around that time that a number of basketball leagues in the Chicago suburbs aimed at Muslim girls sprang up. Chaudhary, the coach who prayed with her players, started iDrive Faith + Athletics in suburban Woodridge in 2021 to teach young Muslim girls basketball. […] When she coached girls basketball at a suburban Islamic high school a decade ago, she said referees occasionally inspected the hijabs some of her players wore.

*** Statewide ***

* River Bender | Raoul Issues Statement On Appellate Court Opinion To Stay Injunction On Protect Illinois Communities Act: Attorney General Kwame Raoul today issued the following statement after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit stayed an injunction a district court entered regarding the Protect Illinois Communities Act. The stay will remain in place while the appeal is pending. “I am pleased the 7th Circuit has stayed the district court’s injunction. My office will continue to prosecute the appeal, and the Protect Illinois Communities Act remains the law of the land as the litigation is pending in the lower courts. The Protect Illinois Communities Act is an important tool to prevent weapons of war from being used in our schools and on our streets, and I am committed to defending its constitutionality.”

* WAND | IL Farm Bureau President Addresses Rift: At a Saturday afternoon news conference, IFB President Brian Duncan characterized AFBF’s move as demonstrating a preference for quantity of members over quality of member engagement. “By making this choice, AFBF is abandoning 70,000+ farmers over a decision that will ultimately benefit Illinois Farm Bureau, county farm bureaus and Illinois farmers,” Duncan said. “We believe we are taking steps to effectively grow our organization. Our plans are not only in numbers but both in value and influence of our farmer members.”

*** Chicago ***

* Chicago | Game of Zones: So why is it so hard to build multifamily housing here? There isn’t a single culprit, but a big one is the city’s zoning laws. As of 2023, 41 percent of Chicago’s land was zoned for single-family residential, according to the Metropolitan Planning Council, a nonprofit policy group. A change to allow more units requires rezoning approval, a multistep process that includes a review by the Department of Planning and Development, a public meeting, and zoning committee approval before a full City Council vote. Then there’s aldermanic prerogative, the unwritten but prevalent practice of granting alderpersons final say over decisions in theirs wards, including zoning changes.

* Bloomberg | Lyft Urges Chicago Riders to Ask City Hall to Reject New Tax: “The Chicago City Council is considering another tax on rideshare,” according to an email Lyft sent to Chicago riders on Thursday. “If passed, riders like you may face price increases. On top of high costs of living and inflation, this is the last thing riders in Chicago need.” A spokeswoman for the city’s budget department, LaKesha Gage-Woodard, declined to comment on the proposed ordinance or Lyft’s stance, given the city is in the midst of budget negotiations.

* WBEZ | Axing a guaranteed income program to fill the city’s budget hole will cost Chicago long-term, advocates say: As the mayor’s administration works toward a budget deal, about $30 million in COVID-19 relief funds set aside for the Chicago Empowerment Fund is on the chopping block. A coalition of formerly incarcerated residents, immigrants and advocates urged the mayor and City Council members to keep the guaranteed income program in the budget at a City Hall news conference. “Shame, shame, shame on the City Council; shame on our mayor,” said Richard Wallace, executive director of Equity and Transformation (EAT), a group focused on helping returning citizens on the West Side. “We got commitment from the city that this pilot was going to be in the budget in 2025 and for us to find out that this program is slowly but surely getting pushed out, it was something that we could not sleep with.”

* Sun-Times | David Perry, urban planner with a passion for strengthening Chicago neighborhoods, dies at 82: David Perry, a longtime urban planner and Chicago professor who focused on strengthening cities and making urban spaces serve residents, has died at age 82. He died Dec. 2 at home following a long illness, his family said. Mr. Perry was the director of the Great Cities Institute at the University of Illinois Chicago for nearly 12 years. He was also an urban planning and policy professor at UIC and served as associate chancellor for the Great Cities Commitment. He retired from the university in 2018.

* Block Club | North Side Businesses Struggle Amid Burglary Surge: ‘How Is This Sustainable?’: The Oct. 17 break-in at 2D was the third in 10 months, the couple said. The employee who alerted them — a 19-year-old recent transplant to Chicago, already traumatized from previous break-ins — later quit. That experience, and those early-morning phone calls, have become common for restaurant owners across the city, especially in commercially dense North Side neighborhoods where popular restaurants and bars abound — and burglaries have spiked this year. The stream of news reports and stories from business owners about repeated break-ins has yet to slow down, leaving many frustrated, tired and, in the words of one veteran restaurateur, “numb.”

* Block Club | How Former Bull Joakim Noah Is Building Community — And Preventing Violence — Through Basketball: Basketball has allowed former Chicago Bulls star Joakim Noah to travel the world and compete at the highest level while giving back. But it is his time in Chicago — and the connections he made in the city — that have most informed his charitable work in violence prevention. Noah’s One City Basketball League hosted its third championship tournament Saturday at Wendell Phillips Academy High School, 244 E. Pershing Road. The league, composed of boys and young men ages 16-25, promotes violence prevention and conflict resolution. It also includes programs to develop life skills such as financial literacy and career readiness. Players are paid $50 per game.

* Block Club | Shedd Aquarium’s Wonder Of Water Replaces 53-Year-Old Exhibit — And Gives Lake Life Some Love: Shedd Aquarium’s newest exhibit, “Wonder of Water,” opens to the public Tuesday, replacing the long-running Caribbean Reef exhibit in the museum’s historic rotunda. When the aquarium opened in 1930, the rotunda featured a swamp ecosystem exhibit. In 1971, it was updated to the Caribbean Reef, showcasing tropical fish, stingrays and sharks. Wonder of Water, the latest iteration, includes two massive, 28,110-gallon tanks featuring saltwater and freshwater ecosystems, uniting the parallel worlds for side-by-side discovery.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Southtown | Jim Dodge to stay on ballot as challenger to Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau after objection pulled: Jim Dodge will remain on the ballot as candidate for Orland Park village president against incumbent Keith Pekau after an objection to his nominating papers was withdrawn Monday. Dodge said he plans a lawsuit to recoup legal expenses he incurred defending the challenge. John Hartmann filed a challenge to Dodge’s nominating petitions to challenge Pekau, claiming paperwork by Dodge, a former village trustee, is confusing as to whether he’s running for mayor or village president, although the terms are often using interchangeably.

* Daily Herald | ‘A completely different look’: $4 million streetscape improvement planned for downtown Lake Zurich: Over the last two years, the village has been replacing old water mains, sanitary sewers and other structures in the area and will be moving above ground as the next focus in the Main Street corridor. As planned, Main Street from Lake to Church streets will be rebuilt as part of a streetscape project to include new landscaping, parking, sidewalks, crosswalks, seating and enhanced signage.

* Shaw Local | Fluoride in the water: Some on McHenry City Council question its presence in city system: “It seems like a hindrance to everybody involved,” Koch added. “I don’t know exactly the reasons … drinking this fluoridated water, breaking down of your immune system. I want to get rid of it,” [Alderman Michael Koch] said. Koch may to be referring to another study from the journal Frontiers in Immunology and found on the National Institute of Health’s National Library of Medicine Website. That study states: “Excessive fluoride intake in water may induce immunosuppression, decreasing the number of immune cells and damaging the immune function of the thymus.” That study refers to levels in excess of 2.4 mg for children 8 to 16 years that it said “may lead to … adverse health effects. Those levels are notably higher than what’s in the local water systems.

* Lake County News-Sun | Lake County has almost 10K lead water pipes; ‘It’s a known toxin’: While Lake County Public Works’ water system is almost entirely lead-free, there are more than 9,800 reported lead service lines in the county, according to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Catherine Game is executive director of the Brushwood Center, an environmental justice and health equity nonprofit. Last year, Game said the group released a report on Lake County looking at the intersection of environmental health and social determinants of health. Communities have been impacted by a “kind of legacy of pollution and lead pipes,” she said.

*** Downstate ***

* Press Release | Illinois researchers to kick off new phase of program to explore space-based manufacturing: What is being billed as the most exciting phase of a space manufacturing project called Mission Illinois is set to kick off this month. The project is currently gearing up to send a specialized construction apparatus to the International Space Station to demonstrate space-based or on-orbit manufacturing during the summer of 2026. The mission is backed by four and a half years of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency-funded research in space materials, manufacturing and structural design at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

* SJ-R | ‘A heart of gold’: Clyde Bunch, who served on the county board for 46 years, dead at 88: Clyde Bunch, who was first elected to the Sangamon County Board in 1978 and was recognized as the longest-serving county board member in Illinois, died at Bridge Care Suites in Springfield on Dec. 3. He was 88. Bunch was one of eight Democrats to serve on the 29-member board. He represented District 21, which encompasses the south-central part of Springfield.

* WGIL | Meet Kristi Mindrup, the new and first female president of Western Illinois University: Mindrup has served as WIU’s interim president since April 2024. Prior to that, she served as the Vice President for Quad Cities Campus Operations. Mindrup brings 27 years of experience in higher education, focused on organizational leadership, strategic planning, academic affairs, student services program and partnership development, inclusive campus environments and campus operations. Mindrup also provided leadership for the planning and establishment of the WIU Quad Cities Riverfront Campus in Moline.

* BND | Beyond mayoral challenge, three other Belleville city races will be competitive: Four races for Belleville city offices will be competitive in the consolidated election on April 1, 2025. Mayor Patty Gregory is being challenged by City Clerk Jenny Meyer, who announced her candidacy in late August. In early September, Gregory confirmed her intention to seek a second term. Teacher and Ward 5 Alderwoman Shelly Schaefer will compete for the vacated city clerk’s position against newly elected St. Clair County Board of Review member Irma Golliday.

* PJ Star | Small-town bond between an Illinois football player and injured boy near Peoria: Wettstein was 14 when he suffered an all-terrain vehicle accident on on Aug. 25, 2024, leaving him hospitalized with head injuries. He has endured multiple surgeries and traveled to Chicago for therapy in what has been an ongoing long road to recovery. […] The 6-foot-1, 215-pound Duley arrived at Hank Wettstein’s house and presented him with another No. 31 jersey and a card signed by the Illini team. And he gave him the gift of time together.

*** National ***

* NYT | Most Rural Hospitals Have Closed Their Maternity Wards, Study Finds: Over 500 hospitals have closed their labor and delivery departments since 2010, according to a large new study, leaving most rural hospitals and more than a third of urban hospitals without obstetric care. Those closures, the study found, were slightly offset by the opening of new units in about 130 hospitals. Even so, the share of hospitals without maternity wards increased every year, according to the study, published on Wednesday in JAMA, a prominent medical journal. Maternal deaths remained persistently high over that period, spiking during the pandemic.

* OPB | AI slop is already invading Oregon’s local journalism: The Ashland Daily Tidings — established as a newspaper in 1876 — ceased operations in 2023, but if you were a local reader, you may not have known. Almost as soon as it closed, a website for the Tidings reemerged, boasting a team of eight reporters, Minihane included, who cranked out densely reported stories every few days. And those reporters were covering a lot more than local news. They dove into Oregon’s fentanyl crisis (“Measure 110 might be in for a repeal”), homelessness in Eugene (“All In Lane County homeless program delivers impressive results”), and the food scene in Portland (“The fourth best burger in the U.S. is in Portland”) — essentially any issue that might draw attention from Oregonians. The reality was that none of the people allegedly working for the Ashland Daily Tidings existed, or at least were who they claimed to be. The bylines listed on Daily Tidings articles were put there by scammers using artificial intelligence, and in some cases stolen identities, to dupe local readers.

* Semafor | Dem governors keep their powder dry on Trump at Governors Association meeting: Most of them gathered in Beverly Hills for the Democratic Governors Association’s post-election meeting; none were ready to join Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Colorado’s Jared Polis’ promised coalition against the threat of “autocracy.” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy told Semafor he congratulated Donald Trump after the election and “invited him to cut the ribbon” on a project he approved that got built in the Biden administration.

  4 Comments      


Showcasing The Retailers Who Make Illinois Work

Monday, Dec 9, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Retail provides one out of every five Illinois jobs, generates the second largest amount of tax revenue for the state, and is the largest source of revenue for local governments. But retail is also so much more, with retailers serving as the trusted contributors to life’s moments, big and small.

We Are Retail and IRMA are dedicated to sharing the stories of retailers like Richard, who serve their communities with dedication and pride.

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Question of the day: Golden Horseshoe Awards

Monday, Dec 9, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The 2024 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best House Democratic Legislative Assistant/District Office Manager goes to Caitlin Anderson

She is one of 4 or 5 current LC staffers with a Masters. Has to be one of the most organized staffers on the 2nd floor. Because she needs to be with all her duties. These include 4 members that worked her with their combined 70 plus bills, all of which Caitlin stayed on top of. She is the support staffer for the HDem Womens Caucus which is the largest sub-caucus. And she’s in charge of team tasked with Identifying, producing materials for, and distributing information on all events and holidays taking place through the state…. to all 78 district offices….on a monthly basis.

Utmost-honorable mention goes to our 2023 winner Liz Moody.

* The 2024 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best House Republican Legislative Assistant/District Office Manager goes to Breeann Steinacher

Bree manages an incredibly busy Ryan Spain, including his scheduling both in and out of Springfield. She is incredibly responsive, never fails to return a call or email, and is always super kind even when she’s telling you no. She is a fantastic part of the HGOP LA Team.

Congratulations!

* On to today’s categories

    Best Democratic State Senate Staff Member

    Best Republican State Senate Staff Member

Nominees can be from the government or the political sides. Please try to nominate in both categories if you can, and don’t forget to explain your nominations or they won’t count.

* We’ve now raised the money to purchase 663 Christmas presents for foster kids. Thanks! But the need is far greater than that. Lutheran Social Services of Illinois helps care for more than 2,500 foster children.

These kids have all been going through a lot at no fault of their own. You don’t become a foster child if you’re living a great life, after all. So, your donation could help brighten the lives of kids who could really use a lift.

Please, click here. Thanks so very much!

  29 Comments      


Roundup: Budzinski testifies about the ‘Sphinx’

Monday, Dec 9, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Lobbyist Nancy Kimme was briefly back on the witness stand to conclude her testimony

* Tribune

The jury in Michael Madigan’s corruption trial has heard many nicknames given to the powerful Democratic House Speaker, from the obvious, like “MJM” or “Mr. Speaker,” to the more esoteric such as “Himself” and “our Friend.” […]

[Sphinx] was the moniker applied to Madigan by some members of JB Pritzker’s team after Pritzker’s election in 2018, according to U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski, who was a top Pritzker aide before her election to Congress in 2022.

The nickname, a reference to the mythical figure of Egyptian pharaohs typically used to convey strength and ferocity, was used in an email shown during Budzinski’s testimony referencing a job recommendation from Madigan for Pritzker’s new administration.

“Attached is the most recent Sphinx list of recommendations ahead of your meeting today,” read the Dec. 4, 2018, email, which was sent from Budzinski to Pritzker and his soon-to-be chief of staff, Anne Caprara. “We have noted these in our process and they are coming thru our portal.”

* Sun-Times

“We need to call him at least,” Budzinski told people in charge of personnel. “The Speaker raised with JB yesterday.”

Budzinski testified that she felt it important to be “responsive” to Madigan’s recommendations, but that it wasn’t necessary to “act” on them. And when asked if anyone was appointed based on a private payment or benefit to Madigan, she told a prosecutor “absolutely not.”

“Because that would be wrong and we have a process, we would never do that,” Budzinski said. […]

Testimony in the trial ended early Monday, after Budzinski left the stand, due to services for 7th Circuit Judge Joel Flaum, who died Wednesday. Prosecutors are nearing the end of their case against Madigan but told U.S. District Judge John Blakey they now expect to rest early next week.

* The Tribune’s Jason Meisner


* Center Square

On cross-examination, defense attorneys took Budzinski through the Sphinx list, pointing out cases where Madigan’s recommendations didn’t get the jobs he had requested. The Sphinx list generally had recommendations from Madigan and Pritzker. Budzinski also said she didn’t feel required to hire Madigan’s recommendations and wasn’t worried about backlash if she failed to hire one of Madigan’s picks.

She also said she only hired people who were qualified.

* Courthouse News reporter Dave Byrnes

* More…

    * State Week | Prosecutors move closer to wrapping up their case against Madigan: After weeks of testimony and recorded conversations, prosecutors have indicated they are inching toward resting in the case against former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and his longtime friend and advisor, Mike McClain. The court action has put a spotlight on how Madigan conducted business in the role he held for so long. We get an update on the case so far.

  10 Comments      


Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Legislative news

Monday, Dec 9, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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It’s just a bill

Monday, Dec 9, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Anti-Defamation League…

Leading civil rights groups will hold a news conference TOMORROW, Monday, December 9 at 9:00 AM to discuss a dramatic rise in hate crimes in Illinois and steps needed to protect at-risk communities. The news conference will be held at the headquarters of the Chicago Urban League.

The civil rights groups will call on the Illinois State House of Representatives to pass SB 3552/HB 5368 during January’s Lame Duck Legislative Session. The bill requires all law enforcement in Illinois to receive on-going training and education on state and federal hate crimes laws and how to identify, report, and respond to bias-motivated criminal activity.

SB 3552/HB 5368 is modeled after a 2023 recommendation from the Governor’s Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes, which noted: “A mandate of comprehensive basic and in-service hate crimes training… will help victims of hate crimes and incidents receive appropriate responses, bridge data and investigatory gaps, and develop trust between communities and law enforcement agencies.”

SB 3552 unanimously passed both the Illinois State Senate and the House committee of jurisdiction prior to the General Assembly recessing in June. Passage by the full House of Representatives during January’s Lame Duck Legislative Session is the only remaining legislative step to send the bill to Governor Pritzker for his signature and increase safety among Illinois’ most vulnerable communities. Illinois would become the 15th state in the country to require law enforcement in the state to receive hate crimes training and education.

The FBI’s most recent hate crimes data shows a 22-year high in the number of hate crimes reported across the United States and a 362% increase in the number of hate crimes reported in Illinois from 2019 (70 hate crimes reported) to 2023 (324 hate crimes reported).

* From the press conference

Regional Director of the Midwest ADL David Goldenberg: [The Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board] helped us draft this bill, so the state standard Training Board. Brendan Kelly, who’s the director of the Illinois State Police, serves on the [Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes] with myself and [Jim Bennett]. He has been very involved and supportive of this. It’s often law enforcement usually pushes back against more training. They’re actually embracing this one, and they’re saying, we need it as a policy. They typically don’t endorse a bill, but they filed a slip of no opposition this time.

You can watch the full press conference here.

* From SB3552

The [General and the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board] shall develop or approve a course to assist law enforcement officers in identifying, responding to, and reporting crimes committed in whole or in substantial part because of the victim’s or another’s actual or perceived race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, or disability, or because of the victim’s actual or perceived association with another person or group of a certain actual or perceived race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, or disability. Each course must include instruction to help officers distinguish bias crimes from other crimes, to help officers in understanding and assisting victims of these crimes, and to ensure that bias crimes will be accurately reported. The Board must, within a reasonable amount of time, update this course to conform with national trends and best practices.

* Related…

  15 Comments      


How Madigan is alleged to have corruptly used the legislature to pad his own pockets

Monday, Dec 9, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* My weekly syndicated newspaper column

Whenever someone assures you that another person you’re both dealing with “understands” the “quid pro quo,” you’d be wise to run away as fast as you can and never look back.

But that’s exactly how then-Ald. Daniel Solis assured then-House Speaker Michael Madigan in late June of 2017 that their mark — the developers of a West Loop apartment complex — would eventually be convinced to retain Madigan’s property tax appeals law firm.

Solis chaired the powerful Zoning Committee, so the developers had to come through him, and Solis said they would understand the game: The developers hire Madigan’s law firm and their zoning changes would be approved.

“I think they understand how this works,” Solis told Madigan. “The quid pro quo.”

Solis admitted on the stand during Madigan’s corruption trial that what he said to Madigan was “dumb.”

Madigan didn’t know that the federal government was recording all his conversations with Solis. So, what was dumb about what Solis said is that Madigan might’ve immediately cut all ties to Solis, and Solis’ federal handlers would’ve been furious that he let the target get away.

Turns out, the real dummy was Madigan.

Madigan didn’t walk away. Instead, he kept going back to Solis, only gently admonishing him weeks later by telling Solis not to say the quiet part out loud and instructing him in the polite way of conducting business.

And then a few months later, while talking about another real estate deal, Solis asked whether the West Loop developers had signed on with Madigan’s firm. Madigan didn’t say, but appeared to give Solis the go-ahead to process their zoning request.

“You were contemplating processing something,” Madigan said. “You should go ahead and process that.”

The feds are also trying to prove that Madigan’s consigliere, longtime lobbyist and fellow defendant Mike McClain, wasn’t just freelancing without Madigan’s approval when it came to all the demands McClain was making of Commonwealth Edison.

The trial so far has given the feds big wins on that point. Madigan and Solis were in discussions about the state transferring a Chinatown parking lot to the City of Chicago so that it could be developed into a hotel, and Madigan could get the property tax business. So, he told Solis to reach out to McClain.

McClain would give the developer “some ideas about how to go about it.”

A couple of months later, Solis again brought up the Chinatown parcel to Madigan. “Let me get back into it and, and, um, see if there’s some way to find somebody that can talk to IDOT. That, that’s where the decision’s going to be made,” Madigan said.

“I’m trying to figure out a way to approach it,” Madigan later told Solis about the parcel. He appeared to be calculating how he could pass a bill to benefit his law firm without leaving any overt fingerprints.

Madigan eventually told Solis that one of the Chinatown developers would soon be receiving a call from McClain.

The effort to transfer the property extended into the spring of 2018 for several reasons, most importantly opposition from local legislators.

In March of 2018, Madigan told Solis that maybe McClain should talk to the senator who was putting a brick on the land transfer, and then explained to Solis at length how this particular legislation could shorten the time it would take to transfer the property to the city.

From there, jurors heard recordings about the intricacies of passing the bill, including who was blocking it. McClain is heard on a recording briefing Madigan about which legislators were opposing the bill and about how the then-secretary of transportation was “getting squeamish” about it.

Also in March, Solis told Madigan that if Madigan could “take care of that [Chinatown] matter in May,” during the end of spring session, “I’m confident they’ll appreciate it and … sign you up on after May.” Madigan didn’t run away then, either.

But the bill eventually died and a possible payday was missed.

On May 28, 2018, a few days before the scheduled end of spring session when there was still hope the bill would advance, McClain called a member of Madigan’s House staff to tell them about the property tax transfer bill, “that deals with a developer of [Madigan’s].” McClain told the staffer: “He wants to make sure he votes ‘present.’”

In other words, if the feds didn’t have Madigan, McClain and Solis on numerous recordings, Madigan could’ve officially covered his rear by voting “present” on a bill that would’ve potentially padded his pockets and that he’d allegedly been actively pushing behind the scenes for months on end.

And it continued from there.

  27 Comments      


Open thread

Monday, Dec 9, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…

Start your week with kindness by donating to LSSI’s Christmas toy drive and bringing joy to a child in need.

  8 Comments      


Isabel’s morning briefing

Monday, Dec 9, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

Kick off your week with compassion—support LSSI’s Christmas toy drive and help make the season bright for kids in need. Click here to donate!

* ICYMI: State anti-book-ban law leads some school districts to forsake grants to maintain local control. Tribune

    - Around 700 school districts regularly applied for state library grant funding in the last two years. Since the law took effect on Jan. 1, about 40 elementary and high school districts opted not to seek the funding from the secretary of state’s office.

    - The state library grants are not large — about $850 for small districts. No district that opted out of applying for funding this year received more than $4,000 in grant money during the last fiscal year, according to state records.

    - Joe Salmieri, superintendent of the Laraway Community Consolidated School District 70C in the Joliet area, said he didn’t want to lose autonomy over his school or library policies by applying for a grant.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* QC Online | See where Illinois cities stand on keeping 1% grocery tax cut by state: East Moline is the first city, voting at the City Council meeting on Nov. 4 to implement its own 1% tax when the state tax expires in 2026. First Ward Alderperson Olivia Dorothy was the only councilmember to oppose the measure, saying at the meeting that taxes on groceries are regressive and hit lower-income residents harder.

* IPM | Illinois law requires transparency when police kill people. Many cases stay in the dark: In most of Illinois’ largest counties — including Cook, DuPage, Lake, Kane, McHenry, Winnebago, Champaign, Sangamon, Peoria, McLean, Rock Island, and Kendall — prosecutors generally seem to comply with the law, releasing reports when they decide not to charge an officer. In fact, of the 15 largest counties in Illinois, just three elected prosecutors appear to fail to meet this requirement: Will County State’s Attorney Jim Glasgow, Madison County State’s Attorney Thomas Haine and St. Clair County State’s Attorney James Gomric.

* Daily Herald | How Illinois generated $2 billion in tax revenue from gamblers in the last fiscal year: The most recent “Wagering in Illinois” update from the Illinois legislature’s Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability also shows gambling tax revenue crossed the $2 billion threshold for the first time in 2024. The $96 million increase in gambling tax revenue from the previous year represents a 4.8% spike, according to the report. The state’s fiscal year ended in June.

*** Statehouse News ***

* ABC Chicago | Illinois Legislative Black Caucus holding policy summit: The Illinois Legislative Black Caucus will hold its most critical policy summit in Chicago this week. It’s happening as the future of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs and the Department of Education face concerns and challenges with the pending Trump Administration.

*** Madigan Trial ***

* Tribune | Ex-Rep. Edward Acevedo granted immunity, compelled to testify in Madigan corruption trial: Former state Rep. Edward Acevedo’s name has been thrown around five separate federal criminal trials in recent years involving the sweeping corruption probe of ex-House Speaker Michael Madigan. But Acevedo, 61, a Chicago Democrat and onetime member of Madigan’s leadership team, has never been called to testify — until now. Prosecutors late Thursday filed a motion in U.S. District Court saying they intend to call Acevedo as a witness in Madigan’s ongoing corruption trial, and are seeking permission of the chief judge to compel his testimony if he invokes his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination as expected.

* State Week | Prosecutors move closer to wrapping up their case against Madigan: After weeks of testimony and recorded conversations, prosecutors have indicated they are inching toward resting in the case against former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and his longtime friend and advisor, Mike McClain. The court action has put a spotlight on how Madigan conducted business in the role he held for so long. We get an update on the case so far.

*** Statewide ***

* Journal-Topics | Del Mar To Step Down Next Year As State GOP Co-Chair To Seek Statewide Office: Palatine Township Republican Committeeman Aaron Del Mar, who also serves as co-chair of the Illinois Republican Party, plans to explore a run for a statewide office and will step down as state party co-chair in January or February, the Journal & Topics has learned. Del Mar said he sent what was to be a private email to party Chair Kathy Salvi informing her of his intention, so she would have time to find a new person to take his place. Del Mar said Salvi then sent an email to all members of the Illinois Republican State Central Committee, informing them of his pending departure.

* Crain’s | New report shows Illinois ranks near bottom for wage gains: Illinois employees who have been in their jobs for at least 12 months experienced a 4.5% increase in wages from November 2023 to November 2024, according to data from ADP Pay Insights. This growth was below the national average of 4.8%; Illinois ranked 44th in the country for wage increases. The median salary in the state was $56,700, below the national average of $59,200, the report found.

* Tribune | Imperiled wetlands save the Midwest billions in flood damage costs, study shows, but they’re disappearing: By absorbing water from storms and flooding, wetlands can effectively reduce the risks and destructive effects of these disasters, which are intensifying and becoming more frequent because of a changing climate. Previous research estimated that 1 acre of lost wetland can cost $745 in annual flood damage to residential properties, an amount that taxpayers fund through local, state or federal assistance programs.

* WGEM | Illinois seeking high schools for student-led initiative to prevent targeted violence and hate: Known as Illinois Invent2Prevent, it’s a partnership between the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security (IEMA-OHS), Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and EdVenture Partners. The program is based off a similar program at the federal level run by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Students in participating schools will be tasked with designing and implementing peer-developed projects, tools and strategies to combat targeted violence and hate according IEMA-OHS.

*** Chicago ***

* Crain’s | Study shows ‘promising’ results from Chicago’s mental health responder pilot: The research, conducted by UChicago’s Health Lab, concluded the city’s “ambitious” Crisis Assistance Response & Engagement, or CARE, program showed “promising” results in providing enhanced interventions for mental and behavioral health issues — both high- and low-risk situations — and opioid overdose or substance use-related incidents.

* Block Club | City Clears Humboldt Park Tent Encampment, Vows Enforcement Moving Forward: The closure is part of a city plan that’s been in the works since the summer, said Sendy Soto, the city’s first chief homelessness officer. City officials offered all of the tent residents housing during the Department of Family and Support Services’ accelerated moving event in September, which secured 63 apartments for households living in the park. Those who didn’t get housing were offered shelter beds. On Friday, some said they missed out on housing in September because they weren’t there at the time or didn’t have IDs or documents the city needed.

* Bond Buyer | S&P releases report warning Chicago Board of Education: S&P Global Ratings released a report this week warning that the credit trajectory of the Chicago Board of Education will hinge on the outcome of current contract negotiations with the Chicago Teachers Union and the willingness of the CTU and Mayor Brandon Johnson to cut expenditures at Chicago Public Schools.

* Chicago Reader | Chicago’s first school board election happened. What’s next?: “We should have more Latino parents on the board, more Black parents, at least one Asian parent,” observed Martinez de Ferrer, who also serves on the Kids First Elected School Board Task Force. Regardless of who Johnson chooses, his 11 appointees plus the four CTU-backed elected board members theoretically equal a supermajority on the incoming board for the mayor and his close union ally. But in practice, matters may be more complicated. “Even if there is a majority interest, it’s going to be harder to get there than anybody can assume at this point,” District 2 winner Ebony DeBerry, who was endorsed by the teachers union, told WBEZ’s Reset.

* Edward Keegan | Are Chicago’s latest big projects too big to succeed?: One critical way to evaluate these proposals is a simple one: Are any of these proposed neighborhoods comparable to those that have evolved from Chicago’s basic street and density patterns? And the answer is no. While density of the city’s fabric does vary, two- to three-story-high structures dominate, accommodating residential and commercial construction with aplomb. At its most essential, Chicago’s basic form is simplicity: city blocks subdivided into 25-by-125-foot lots with a service alley behind each property. And while Chicago is rightly considered the birthplace of the skyscraper, most neighborhoods don’t have, or need, many buildings of great height.

* Tribune | ‘Long overdue’: Dick Allen, the 1972 American League MVP for the Chicago White Sox, is elected to the Hall of Fame: The celebration started the moment National Baseball Hall of Fame President Josh Rawitch said “1963 to 1977” as he began to unveil the results of the classic baseball era committee voting on television. Richard Allen Jr. jumped out of his seat and was swallowed in a sea of hugs. His father, the late Dick Allen, had just been elected into the Hall of Fame. “I wanted to hear it, I wanted to see it,” Allen said at a watch party at the Hilton Anatole, where the MLB winter meetings are taking place. “We saw it, just so much to take in.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Southtown | Electoral Board rules Mayor Thaddeus Jones can be on ballot while state representative; residency challenge continued: Calumet City Clerk Nyota Figgs’ effort to prevent Mayor Thaddeus Jones from reelection was undercut Friday after the city’s Election Board dismissed her claim that he cannot serve as both mayor and as an Illinois state representative. Figgs said she believes that based on a state Supreme Court ruling on Jones’ eligibility to run in 2021, a referendum not certified until after the election would disqualify him from holding top position in Calumet City government.

* Daily Herald | ‘Starved for so long’: Pace wants riders to comment on service revamp, $150 million boost: Pace buses every 20 minutes? Pace buses in every town? Or a hybrid system? It’s in your hands, officials say. As Pace, Metra and the CTA face a looming $771 million shortfall in 2026, the suburban bus service is seizing on the crisis by proposing a Revision initiative. “This is really the first time in my career that we’ve put together a plan that is totally revamping our entire system — not just one piece of it, but the entire system,” said Executive Director Melinda Metzger, who has worked at Pace for 40 years.

* ABC | Labor Department investigating migrant child labor claims at HelloFresh: The U.S. Department of Labor is investigating HelloFresh, the popular meal kit service company, over allegations that migrant children were working at its cooking and packaging facility in [Aurora,] Illinois as recently as this summer, ABC News has learned. At least six teenagers, at least some of whom migrated from Guatemala, were found working night shifts at the facility, said Cristobal Cavazos, the executive director for Immigrant Solidarity, an immigrant rights advocacy group that helped report the matter to federal regulators.

* Daily Herald | Call for action after 2 kids, grandmother hit by vehicle outside Wheeling school: A crash that injured three pedestrians, including two children, during morning drop-off Friday at London Middle School in Wheeling is the latest example of unsafe driving by adults on campus, a school leader said Sunday. “Adults need to start being more conscious of the safety of our students that are coming to and from school, point blank,” said Michael Connolly, superintendent of Wheeling Township Elementary School District 21.

*** Downstate ***

* SJ-R | Supreme Court denies emergency motion to move Grayson pre-trial release hearing: An emergency motion filed by the Office of the State Appellate Defender asking for a supervisory order directing the Fourth District Appellate Court remand the hearing of a former Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy charged with the July 6 murder of Sonya Massey back to the circuit court was denied by the Illinois Supreme Court.

* WCIA | Urbana brewery gives people a taste of a German Christmas: Riggs Beer Company is offering a little taste of Germany in Central Illinois. The brewery is hosting their annual German Christmas Market, where food, drink and gift vendors are ready to celebrate the holiday. People can warm up with crepes, bratwurst and hot mulled wine.

* Rockford Register Star | When is Illinois vs South Carolina bowl game? Citrus Bowl schedule, date: The Fighting Illini will play the South Carolina Gamecocks in the Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Eve in Orlando, Florida, game officials announced Sunday afternoon. The Illini finished the season 9-3 and are the Big Ten Conference’s highest-ranked team not in the College Football Playoff. They meet the South Carolina (9-3), who finished in a logjam at fourth place in the SEC and left out of the 12-team CFP along with other SEC teams Alabama and Ole Miss.

*** National ***

* Sun-Times | Sen. Dick Durbin will decide if he will seek another term after the first of the year: During an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” host Jake Tapper asked Durbin if he has “decided if you’re going to run for reelection.” Durbin replied, “I’ll be making an announcement after the first of the year.” That’s about what Durbin has been saying for months. But now that day is soon coming.

* Fast Company | Why 2023 was the year of the e-bike and not the self-driving car: All signs indicate that a city full of e-bikes would be safer, healthier, cleaner, and less congested than one dominated by cars—no matter how they are driven. And e-bikes really are car replacers: The addition of a battery can enable even mobility-constrained cyclists to conquer hills, haul packages, or beat the heat. Better yet, families can save tens of thousands of dollars by using an e-bike in lieu of a second or third car. And lest we forget: E-bikes are fun.

* WGN | Forever chemicals tainting food supply, destroying American farmers: Maine’s PFAS threshold for drinking water is 20 parts per trillion. Nordell says their soil also tested high. He recalls the terror of that time: “We were in free fall, do we have a business? Do we have a home here?” Then they had their blood tested for forever chemicals. Nordell says his and his wife’s blood levels are higher than chemical manufacturer employees who worked in PFAS factories.

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