I guess it’s better than “Soy Boy”
Thursday, Nov 7, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sun-Times…
With its roots deepening in the Chicago economy, Google on Thursday officially opened its second office in the city’s Fulton Market area and announced a partnership with City Hall to bring digital skills to neighborhood-based businesses.
The company hosted Gov. J.B. Pritzker for its celebration. A leading funder of tech companies before getting elected, Pritzker offered a unique endorsement of the tech giant. “I’d like heretofore to be known as Gov. Google,” he said.
Headline explained here.
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* We already discussed Tuesday’s ruling by the 7th Circuit Appellate Court ruling on Janus v. AFSCME regarding Janus’ attempt to recover fair share fees he’d paid over the years. The court also ruled the same day on a similar case filed against the IEA…
Stacey Mooney is a public-school teacher in Eureka (Illinois) Community School District #140. She is not a member of respondent Illinois Education Association (“IEA”), the union that serves as the exclusive representative of her employee unit in collective bargaining with the school district. From the time she started as a public employee until June 2018, the District deducted from her paycheck and sent to the union a fair-share fee that contributed to the costs incurred by the union in its labor-management activities. Both the Illinois Public Relations Act, 5 ILCS § 315/6, and existing Supreme Court precedent, Abood v. Detroit Bd. of Educ., 431 U.S. 209 (1977), authorized this fee arrangement.
That state of affairs came to an end when, in Janus v. AFSCME, Council 31, 138 S. Ct. 2448 (2018), the Supreme Court overruled Abood and announced that compulsory fair-share fee arrangements violate the First Amendment rights of persons who would prefer not to associate with the union that represents their employee unit. 138 S. Ct. at 2460. Following Janus, state employers in Illinois immediately ceased deducting fair-share fees from the paychecks of nonmembers of public sector unions.
Mooney filed suit in the Central District of Illinois on behalf of herself and a putative class of similarly situated persons, seeking restitution pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for the fees that had been deducted from her pay prior to Janus. The district court entered judgment for IEA on April 23, 2019, dismissing Mooney’s claims with prejudice. In so doing, it joined the consensus across the country concluding that unions that collected fair-share fees prior to Janus, in accordance with state law and Abood, are entitled to assert a good-faith defense to section 1983 liability.
We heard oral argument on Mooney’s case on September 20, 2019, in conjunction with Janus v. AFSCME, No. 19-1553. We now affirm the judgment of the district court, largely for the reasons set forth in our opinion of today’s date in Janus v. AFSCME, No. 19-1553.
* From the IEA…
The IEA is gratified that the Seventh Circuit has joined the unanimous view of more than 15 courts that have considered this issue, and in doing so have sided with educators in Illinois. These legal attacks are without merit and are solely focused on taking away the freedoms of working people to have a collective voice in the workplace. The court got it right. We will continue to fight to protect the rights of our union
* Related…
* Appeals court says Janus not entitled to recover fair share fees: “The three-judge panel ruled, just as the district court before them, that the union acted in good faith under the law and court precedent that existed at the time to represent every member and to collect only those fair share fees from individuals who chose not to join the union,” said AFSCME spokesman Anders Lindall. Lindall said that since last year’s Supreme Court decision, there have been 20 cases filed by people trying to recoup fair share fees from public unions. Unions have prevailed in every one of them, he said.
* Non-Union Workers Can’t Get Fair-Share Fee Refund After Janus: AFSCME had a legal right to charge fair-share fees collected from nonmembers until Janus, the court said. “Mr. Janus has received all that he is entitled to: declaratory and injunctive relief, and a future free of any association with a public union,” it said.
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A-N-N-A
Thursday, Nov 7, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Logan Jaffe with ProPublica Illinois writing in The Atlantic…
I got into town just after sunset. The lights were on at a place called the Brick House Grill, and if you were out on South Main Street on a Friday night in February, chances are, that’s where you were going. So I went in, too.
I took a seat at the bar. A man two stools over from me struck up a conversation. I told him I was a journalist from Chicago and asked him to tell me about this town. “You know how this town is called Anna?” he started. “That’s for ‘Ain’t No N*****s Allowed.’” He laughed, shook his head, and took a sip of his beer.
The man was white. I am white. Everyone else in that restaurant in Anna was white.
Later that night, I realized what shook me most about our conversation: He didn’t pause before he said what he said. He didn’t look around the room to see whether anyone could hear us. He didn’t lower his voice. He just said it.
Anyone who has ever spent much time in southern Illinois knows about A-N-N-A.
* More…
Hartline grew up in Cobden, the town just north of Anna. He’s been Anna’s mayor for nearly 20 years, and he served in its police department for 15 years before that. He said he can’t think of a single incident in Anna that had race at its center that had taken place in his years of public service.
But these incidents happened. In March 2013, four young white men attacked a black 16-year-old in a parking lot behind a furniture store on Main Street. According to police reports, one of the suspects allegedly tried to sodomize the victim with either a tire iron or an ax handle. Although one of the young men told police they attacked the victim because he was black, the police did not charge the four men with a hate crime.
In 2017, in the aftermath of the white-supremacist “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, a white Anna resident named Tabitha Tripp said at a Union County board meeting that she was concerned about hate incidents in the county, and she asked the county commissioners to consider a resolution, identical to one that had recently passed the Illinois House, condemning hate groups.
The proposal was never brought up for a vote, in part because commissioners said they didn’t believe it was their job to address such concerns. “The more you talk about it, it just creates that issue more,” Max Miller, Union County’s board chairman, told me. “I just didn’t think it was worth talking about.”
Some sundown towns in the Midwest have begun to confront their legacies. In March 2015, the city council of Goshen, Indiana, voted 6–0 to pass “A Resolution Acknowledging the Racially Exclusionary Past of Goshen, Indiana, as a ‘Sundown Town.’” In late 2016, the mayor of La Crosse, Wisconsin, formally apologized for the city’s history of racial exclusion and signed a proclamation to work toward racial equality. “We’ve got issues and are not shirking away from those issues,” Mayor Tim Kabat, who is white, told the La Crosse Tribune. “We recognize this is a problem and need to do something about it.”
The Union County Board of Commissioners is all white. So is the Anna city council, the Anna Police Department, and every teacher at Anna-Jonesboro High School, the public high school serving Anna. “I wish we had more diversity on our staff,” said Brett Detering, the school’s principal.
There’s lots more, so go read the whole thing.
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A picture is worth a thousand words
Thursday, Nov 7, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From the left, Rep. Joyce Mason, Rep. Mary Edly-Allen, Rep. Rita Mayfield, Gov. JB Pritzker and Rep. Daniel Didech. All Democrats…
The only House member in that pic who voted for the gas tax increase is Rep. Didech. Reps. Mason and Edly-Allen both voted “No” and Rep. Mayfield didn’t vote.
By the way, no reporters showed up for that Lake County event.
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* Tina Sfondeles asked Gov. Pritzker today about his ethics proposals in the coming week and during the spring session…
“We ought to begin with some bills around transparency, making sure that we know what lobbyists are getting paid, making sure we know who lobbyists are representing, that there’s a common database perhaps so that people could look up all the contributions that are related to a specific company and lobbyists and legislators.”
Asked if an outright ban on state lawmakers being lobbyists in any capacity should be part of that package, Pritzker said he’s “absolutely committed to the idea that we have to look into [it].”
“You see that Rep. Arroyo was a lobbyist for other levels of government. I think that is challenging and problematic,” Pritzker said. “Once again I’m not sure we’ll be able to do the proper amount of investigation and hearings in the three legislative days that are left here this year. But that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t aim at getting the best and most comprehensive ethics reform package through that we can.” […]
[Sen. Don Harmon] said “…It’s long been a source of angst when other elected officials are lobbying the General Assembly, and I would presume that members of other bodies would feel the same way. A more clear standard of what is and isn’t lobbying is probably a good place to start that conversation.”
Discuss.
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Cannabis roundup
Thursday, Nov 7, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Give the government credit. It has thoroughly indoctrinated a large number of people during the War on Drugs…
“I want to keep our children as safe as possible,” said Wenthe. “I don’t want to increase the number of people in our community already using marijuana. I’ve overheard grown adults right here in our community say that if they do sell it here in Effingham, they may have to try it once to see what it is like.”
Heaven forbid that people might try a legal product to see for themselves what it’s all about.
* Oak Park…
Trustee Jim Taglia, who voted no for the previous marijuana ordinance, was happy the village board will take another look at the issue.
“I do have concerns about the permitted use on North Avenue and our most vulnerable areas, especially perimeter streets,” Taglia said. “I’m glad we’re going to take a look at it.”
And by “perimeter streets” I’m assuming he’s not talking about the border with River Forest. Just sayin.
* Meanwhile…
In a non-descript building on the outskirts of downstate Dwight, production is ramping up for a revolutionary day in Illinois. Cultivators are trimming, prodding, and pampering cannabis plants, in preparation for marijuana legalization, January 1.
“We are cranking as hard as we can crank,” said Jeremy Unruh, director of regulatory affairs for Pharmacann, which operates the Dwight facility. “The state has given us authority to begin producing adult use products, now it’s just a matter of ramping up production to make sure that we come as close as we can to meeting the demand that we’ll see after January.”
It’s a process which is repeating itself at growing facilities statewide. In Pharmacann’s case, that includes an expansion of the Dwight facility which was built for the state’s medical marijuana program.
“We’re doubling the capacity here in the Dwight cultivation center,” Unruh said, “so we can put out about twice as much product as we currently put out in the medical scheme.”
* But that’s not going to be nearly enough…
[Medical cannabis consultant Kalee Hooghkirk of Full Spektrum Services] showed us product lists from several dispensaries. Typical was a drop from dozens of product options to just three, and price increases included a jump from $50 to $60 for a gram of cannabis concentrate.
“We’ve been promised for the past four years that prices would go down and availability would go up, and unfortunately, we’re seeing the exact opposite,” Hooghkirk said. […]
The Cannabis Association of Illinois, a trade group, explains it this way – over the past year, it’s become easier to qualify for medicinal marijuana, and the list of accepted medical conditions has grown. It’s raised the pool of marijuana patients from roughly 20,000 to more than 80,000.
With state approval needed to grow more supply, the industry is struggling to meet demand – and that doesn’t even include the rush of new customers expected when recreational use begins.
* Related…
* 2 more medical marijuana dispensaries in Chicago approved to sell recreational pot on Jan. 1
* Pot companies shed real estate amid dearth of financing options - Capital-hungry weed firms are increasingly selling off property as other sources of funding dry up.
* Highland City Council approves marijuana dispensaries in city limits
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* WTTW…
When she was campaigning, Lightfoot said the [revenues from a new graduated real estate transfer tax] would go to programs aimed at reducing homelessness in the city. And now 13 Democratic lawmakers – including 10 from Chicago – have signed a letter saying they will not vote for Lightfoot’s proposal unless at least 60% of the revenue the tax generates is “statutorily dedicated” to combatting homelessness.
Lightfoot has balked at that proposal, saying last week: “That’s never going to happen.”
Lightfoot argues that given the budget deficit the city faces it would not be responsible to commit to spending “in perpetuity” 60% of the revenue the new tax would bring in on reducing homelessness, given that there are other worthy causes that also deserve extra funding.
* Gov. Pritzker was asked about the future of the mayor’s RETT proposal today…
I’ve been encouraging lawmakers to work with the mayor. As you know there are some lawmakers who are concerned where the dollars from the real estate transfer tax would go. I want them to work their differences out so that we can get something done. […]
I’m looking for direction from the mayor. We want to make sure we do what’s best for the city as well as the entire state of Illinois. My responsibility extends beyond the border of the city of Chicago. So, I’m relying on the mayor to come back with a plan that will allow us to get the votes that are necessary. But there are Chicago legislators who have real concerns. I think they’re reflecting concerns that are coming from aldermen. And so I’d like them all to get on the same page. And I think that’s something the mayor’s working to do.
* He was also asked about changes to the gaming bill to help the city land a casino…
I’ve been working with the mayor’s team, our team has, to try and craft something that will work and with which we can garner Downstate votes and collar county votes for something that’s good for Chicago. And the mayor, I know, is committed to getting that done. She’s been making calls and I’m hopeful that we’re going to be able to garner enough votes for that next week.
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* Buzzfeed…
Since 2004, more than 2,000 newspapers have closed in the United States, and many local news outlets are struggling to build a digital business. But one remarkable success story is the Albany Daily News, a website that clocked nearly 10 million pageviews in August, roughly five times that of the 160-year-old Albany Times Union newspaper, according to analytics service SimilarWeb.
The most popular news site in Albany has a simple secret to success: Fake just about everything and rake in the advertising dollars.
The Albany Daily News is an empty husk of a website filled with old content that for months was showered with questionable traffic as part of a digital ad fraud scheme, according to new research from Social Puncher, an ad fraud prevention consultancy. […]
The sites, whose ultimate beneficiary is unknown, provide yet another example of how the digital ad industry is being ravaged by dubious schemes and outright fraudsters who steal money from brands by causing ads show up on sites and apps with fake or manipulated audiences, among other techniques. The fake local sites also illustrate a painful irony that while authentic local news outlets in the US and Canada struggle with business challenges, there’s apparently plenty of money or influence to be gained by masquerading as one.
For crying out loud.
* More…
Google is more than just an advertiser on these sites. Its ad platforms are helping them earn money. The Edmonton and Albany sites make the majority of their ad inventory available via Google’s ad network, meaning the tech giant facilitates the programmatic sale of ads on the sites and takes a cut of revenue when ads are displayed. Along with Google, the sites also list their inventory with AppNexus, another large ad network.
A Google spokesperson said the Edmonton and Albany sites were not violating any of its policies and that they appeared to be receiving some of their traffic by placing ads on other websites via networks such as Taboola and Outbrain. AppNexus declined to comment specifically on the sites.
Ugh.
* From the conclusion of the study…
Brands only receive a report at the end of the month/quarter/year with a list of domains where their ads were displayed. If domain names have the typical pattern of old local media, then it is impossible to understand that this is fake, and therefore it is impossible to avoid such schemes.
So, advertisers are being ripped off, actual news sites which produce real content are missing out on revenue, but the fraudsters and companies like Google rake in the dough.
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* Press release…
State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) was appointed Chair of the Illinois Senate Transportation Committee today.
“I look forward to working with Gov. Pritzker and IDOT officials to move forward with our historic Rebuild Illinois plan and other public safety issues to ensure the future of our critical infrastructure across the state,” Hunter said.
Hunter’s leadership will place a renewed focus on improving fairness in the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and the Illinois Tollway’s procurement processes. In 2016, she passed legislation creating the Fair Practices In Contracting Task Force, which is charged with making recommendations for removing barriers to minority-owned business participation in state procurement.
“This issue still lacks the appropriate attention from state leaders. Racial disparities in the awarding of state contracts are widening. When African-American businesses are shut out of opportunities, our communities are shut out of economic development and our families are shut out of jobs,” Hunter said. “It’s time to get serious about eliminating racial bias in the bidding process and systemic barriers to equity in state contracting.”
Hunter’s other immediate priorities as Chair of the Transportation Committee include:
Seeking ways to make public transportation more accessible and affordable, particularly in underserved communities.
Reviving the Disadvantaged Business Revolving Loan Program to provide capital necessary for properly certified Disadvantaged Business Enterprises – small, minority and female-owned businesses - to finance IDOT project-specific work, acquire valuable work experience and establish or rebuild credit lines.
Conducting a study to evaluate the usage of controversial red-light cameras throughout the state.
Increasing the number of minority-, veteran- and woman-owned businesses engaged in state and local government contracting.
Ensuring transparent and efficient implementation of IDOT’s Multi-Year Plan.
Sen. Martin Sandoval (D-Chicago) had been chairman until he stepped aside after his Statehouse office was raided by the feds. But the position was never filled. The committee is meeting this coming Tuesday. The only posted bill so far is this red light cam study…
Provides that 30 days after the effective date of the bill, the Department of Transportation shall conduct a study evaluating automated traffic law enforcement systems in this State. Provides that on or before December 31, 2019, the Department shall file a report with the General Assembly with the results from the study, including input from local law enforcement, and any recommendations the Department deems necessary
* Perhaps not coincidentally, I received this from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety earlier today…
Red light cameras are proven safety devices that reduce dangerous red light running, crashes, injuries and deaths. One IIHS study of 79 large US cities found that red light camera programs in those cities saved nearly 1,300 lives through 2014. In the same study, our researchers concluded that the fatal red-light-running crash rate was 30% higher in cities that deactivated cameras than it would have been if the cameras remained on. A summary of research on the topic is available here: https://go.iihs.org/RL-Cameras
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Question of the day
Thursday, Nov 7, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The House Republican ethics package…
· House Bill 3954 that will revise statement of economic interests to include more details similar to the information required for judicial statement of economic interest forms. This forces full disclosure of potential conflicts of interest and provides greater transparency for members of the General Assembly.
· HJRCA 36 will require a special election to fill General Assembly vacancies through the same laws governing our party primaries. This will prevent political powerbrokers from picking their preferred candidates for the vacancies.
· House Resolution 588 will allow a Chief Co-Sponsor of any bill with five co-sponsors from each party to call it for an up or down vote in a substantive committee.
· House Bill 3947 would ban members of the General Assembly, their spouses, and immediate live-in family members from performing paid lobbying work with local government units. Currently, members of the Illinois General Assembly - state representatives and state senators - are prohibited from lobbying the State of Illinois, but are not prohibited from lobbying local government units, such as a counties or municipalities.
· House Bill 3955 will create mandatory and publicly available documentation of General Assembly communications with any state agency regarding contracts.
* The Question: Do you have any additions, subtractions, amendments, etc. to this list? Explain.
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* Keep in mind that this was happening at the same time that Chicago hotels were booming…
Profits [at the Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago] fell 89 percent from 2015 to 2018, from $16.7 million to $1.8 million, according to documents filed with Cook County, Ill. Trump’s hotel struggled even as other Chicago hotels held steady or thrived.
“Performance of [the Trump hotel] is clearly disassociated from that of its competitive set,” the company’s lawyers said in a letter to the county seeking to lower the hotel’s taxes.
The lawyers said the problem was a reaction to Trump’s politics. They even quoted a line from a 2018 Washington Post article, in which one small-time investor described the effect of Trump’s candidacy on his buildings thusly: “Then the Embarrassment came.”
Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago, which prides itself on indulgent luxury, is trying to keep up by cutting costs. In a presentation to investors, obtained by The Post, the company described leaving jobs open, cutting back on gifts for high rollers and children, and buying cheaper housekeeping supplies.
* More…
* And things are about to get worse as the market has become overly saturated…
Struggling to keep up with a glut of new rooms across the city, Chicago hoteliers faced January’s polar vortex, a cyclical downturn in convention business, lower rates, lower occupancy and at least one high-profile default in 2019.
“There’s no doubt 2019 has been a challenging year for all hotels,” said John Rutledge, CEO of Chicago-based Oxford Development, which has developed 10 hotels in Chicago, including LondonHouse, The Langham and The Godfrey. “It’s time to take a breath and absorb some of that new product.” […]
But demand has not kept pace with supply. After a record year in 2018, hotel occupancy has fallen under 75% through September — a 2.5% year-over-year decline, according to data from research firm STR supplied by Choose Chicago.
Meanwhile, the average daily room rate in Chicago has dropped 3.2% to $205.74, according to STR data. Revenue per available room — a key measure of profitability — is down 5.6% to $153.41.
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Corruption roundup
Thursday, Nov 7, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
Seizing on a federal public corruption probe that has embroiled Democrats from City Hall to the state Capitol, Illinois House Republicans on Thursday proposed a series of changes to state ethics rules they say would provide greater transparency and help prevent future abuses of power. […]
The proposals from House Republicans include requiring lawmakers to provide more detailed information about their financial interests on annual statements of economic interest; instituting special elections to fill vacant seats in the House and Senate; loosening the control House committee chairs have over the fate of bills; and barring lawmakers and close family members from working as lobbyists at the local level.
House Republican Leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs called the measures “common-sense, straightforward government ethics reforms that are long overdue.”
“If the Democrats are serious about at least trying to restore some confidence in the public, we shouldn’t have to wait till next January, next spring,” Durkin said.
* CBS 2…
Three Joliet Township workers said they were forced to do landscaping work on [Township Supervisor Daniel Vera’s] home. He didn’t answer questions about making the public employees work on his private property
* Sun-Times…
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle on Wednesday requested an independent review of a county agency tasked with helping get vacant homes back on the market after the head of the agency admitted a sale involving a building owned by a top aide to 34th Ward Ald. Carrie Austin never should have been allowed.
The Chicago Sun-Times reported on the insider deal involving the Cook County Land Bank Authority and a building that Austin’s chief of staff Chester Wilson Jr. owned at 103rd Street and Corliss Avenue.
* Hannah Meisel at the Daily Line…
A company linked to the arrest and resignation of former State Rep. Luis Arroyo (D-Chicago) on corruption charges for allegedly bribing a state senator for his support on legalizing “sweepstakes machines” sued west suburban Addison last month after the town passed an ordinance banning the machines.
Addison’s village board of trustees moved to ban sweepstakes machines in an ordinance passed by the body in June, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court by Collage LLC on Oct. 2. […]
The lawsuit notes the sweepstakes machines are regulated by the Illinois Department of Revenue, and that each of the six machines within city limits had already paid the state “to operate the machines and paid a licensing fee for each machine.”
The sweepstakes machines’ existing licenses and the fees paid for them establish a contract that Addison cannot preempt, according to the lawsuit.
The company also argues the ban violates the U.S. Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection under the law, because it only targets digital sweepstakes machines.
* Related…
* Ald. Austin has faith feds won’t find anything in probe, but doesn’t want to talk about it
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* Monday…
More than a dozen runners and the boys team from St. Viator High School will be allowed to compete at the cross-country state finals this weekend after initially being bumped in favor of Chicago Public Schools students prevented from running because of the Chicago Teachers Union strike.
The Illinois High School Association announced Monday night that the runners — eight boys and five girls competing as individuals, and the St. Viator team in Arlington Heights — have been added to the field to compete at the IHSA Cross Country State Championship at Detweiller Park in Peoria on Saturday.
The runners had been displaced by CPS students allowed by a court order to compete in last weekend’s sectionals even though they missed the regional races due to the longest Chicago teachers strike in decades. […]
“After being granted an exemption to run by the courts, the CPS runners and team earned their places in the State Meet,” IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson said in a news release. “However, given that they were not initially eligible to compete per IHSA rules, it seemed like a fair gesture to reward the individuals and team who lost their qualifier spots to them. We believe this is a fair recourse given the unique circumstances.”
* Tuesday…
Hours after saying Chicago Public Schools runners “earned their places” at the state finals after a judicial intervention allowed them to run in qualifying races, the Illinois High School Association filed a legal appeal that could cause those runners to be removed from the meet.
In a filing late Monday, the IHSA asked the Illinois Appellate Court to reverse a temporary restraining order that allowed CPS runners to compete at last weekend’s sectional meets. The IHSA had initially barred the athletes because the teachers strike forced them to miss an earlier set of regional races that were the first step in cross-country’s postseason.
IHSA policy says athletes whose districts are on strike cannot compete, though an exception is made when strikes begin after the start of the postseason. Cook County Judge Neil Cohen called that an arbitrary distinction in ruling that the CPS runners could compete in sectionals. […]
While the court’s timetable is unclear, [IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson] said in an interview that if the organization wins its challenge before Saturday’s state finals, it might bar the CPS runners from participating.
* Wednesday…
A former Olympian who still holds the fastest time in state cross-country history pleaded with the Illinois High School Association on Wednesday to allow Chicago Public Schools runners to compete in the state meet.
“(Don’t) be hamstrung by rules and laws and bylaws, but use some common sense, use some compassion and, most of all, think about what’s in the best interest of the innocent student-athletes involved here,” said Craig Virgin, who set the record running for Lebanon High School in 1972 and went on to make three Olympic teams. […]
As for the IHSA’s concern about setting a rule-breaking precedent, [Kevin Sterling, an attorney representing CPS runners] said the organization appears to be flexible when high-profile sports are involved.
He cited the IHSA board’s decision to allow the powerhouse football team from Simeon Career Academy to compete in the postseason even though the strike didn’t allow it to play eight games, as required by the organization’s rules.
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* Yvette Shields at the Bond Buyer…
Illinois piled a few billion dollars more onto its unfunded pension tab last year as contributions remain below the actuarial levels needed to keep it from falling further behind.
The unfunded liabilities rose to about $137 billion from $134 billion, according to a review of the preliminary actuarial valuation reports produced by the five funds that make up the state’s system. The reports were released over the last week. […]
The Teachers’ Retirement System accounts for $78.1 billion of the unfunded fiscal 2019 tab, up from $75.3 billion a year earlier, according to the report compiled by Segal Consulting. The funded ratio held nearly steady at 40.6% compared to 40.7% a year earlier. […]
The State Employees’ Retirement System, or SERS, accounted for $30.3 billion of the unfunded tab, down slightly from $30.4 billion a year earlier with the funded ratio growing slightly to 37.8% from 36.5%, according to the valuation report prepared by Gabriel, Roeder, Smith & Co. The fiscal 2021 contribution was set tentatively at $2.35 billion, up from $2.3 billion this year and below an ADC level of $2.9 billion.
* Related…
* Competitive Illinois GO deal brings narrower spreads
* Illinois’ municipal market penalty eases in $750 mln bond sale
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* Press release…
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has yet to respond to a proposal that would produce a “win-win” outcome for both her and a faction of lawmakers currently opposed to her bid to obtain state authorization to increase the city’s tax on property sales.
The attempted compromise would modify Lightfoot’s proposal to raise the rate of Chicago’s Real Estate Transfer Tax on sales of elite properties, yielding sufficient revenue to boost city funding to provide affordable housing for Chicagoans experiencing homlessness– a plan the Mayor promised to support during her campaign for office – without diminishing revenues she said she needs to trim the budget deficit.
Under the concept presented to the Mayor last week, the city would adjust the graduated structure of Lightfoot’s RETT increase by 1.) changing the rate for property sales worth more than $10 million from the 2.55 percent that Lightfoot proposed to 4 percent, with the rate applying only to the portion of the sale over $10 million, not the entire sale; and 2.) apply the rate that Lightfoot has proposed for properties sold for between $1 million and $3 million to those also sold for more than $750,000. The counter proposal also ensures that any property sold for less than $800,000 would receive a tax cut. This equates to roughly 70% of property transactions in the city.
State lawmakers who devised the compromise sought to work together with the Mayor’s administration to advance the idea, but their overture has elicited no response.
“I can’t emphasize enough that we see this proposal as a “win-win” opportunity for everyone,” said Representative Thersea Mah “It leaves the money that Mayor Lightfoot had budgeted to curb the deficit unscathed, but it also honors her campaign commitment to support a dedicated revenue stream to combat homelessness by investing in permanent, supportive housing. This is what our city desperately needs after generations of chronic under-funding at the city level.”
During her campaign for office, Lightfoot repeatedly promised to seek a RETT increase exclusively to address glaring housing needs in the city. Advocates with the Bring Chicago Home (BCH) coalition have pressed the Mayor to uphold her promise and last week, 13 state lawmakers – including 10 representing districts that include areas of the city – cautioned Lightfoot that they could not support her quest for legislative approval of a RETT increase unless the Mayor made good on that pledge.
Lawmakers pointed out that their proposed amendment to the RETT increase would meet the Mayor’s goals for shrinking the budget deficit – ostensibly sparing her any need to consider a property tax increase – while concentrating the impacts on a small fraction of the city properties sold at high to ultra-high prices.
* Greg Hinz…
But the move may not be enough to save Lightfoot’s proposal, which faces deep opposition in Springfield. […]
Either way, I’m hearing Lightfoot’s plan still is in trouble, facing opposition both from Republicans and real estate groups that oppose tax hikes, and from downstate and suburban Democrats who see no reason to take a tough vote even if progressives may be climbing aboard. […]
If Lightfoot doesn’t get action from the General Assembly in the veto session, she’s strongly hinted she’ll instead have to raise property taxes at least $50 million in 2020. The tax would be implemented at midyear, and eventually pull in $100 million a year. Lawmakers return for the veto session Nov. 12 through 14. After that, they’re not back in session until January.
I heard maybe 20-something votes in the House today. It’s gonna be a tough climb.
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* From 2015…
The Rauner administration said Monday it has reached tentative or final agreements on new labor contracts with five groups of Teamsters units representing about 4,600 workers statewide.
The announcement comes as the Illinois House prepares to return to Springfield on Wednesday and possibly vote on overriding Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto of Senate Bill 1229. The bill, pushed by Council 31 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, would place contract talks in the hands of an independent arbitrator in the event an agreement cannot be reached at the bargaining table.
The Rauner administration has previously used settlements with Teamsters locals as evidence that it bargains in good faith and can reach contract settlements with unions representing public employees.
* From that 2015 Teamsters contract…
Maintenance of the current level of health care benefits for employees and their dependents as part of the State’s continued contributions to the independent Teamsters Local 727 Health & Welfare Fund.
That was supposed to be paid for with a four-year wage freeze. What Rauner did was provide lots of state money to move Teamsters union members out of the state health insurance fund, which he was trying to kill off or at least hobble. Costs have since climbed even higher.
* From AFSCME’s new contract…
Employee premiums and out-of-pocket costs in the state group health insurance plan will increase. Although specific employee contributions vary by type of health plan and salary levels, premiums will go up each January by a composite $13 per month for individuals and $18 per month for families.
* Yesterday…
* From a Pritzker spokesperson…
The administration is committed to negotiating contracts that are fair to workers who serve the state and taxpayers, and we are committed to working through issues in this contract at the bargaining table.
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Question of the day
Wednesday, Nov 6, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* As we’ve already discussed, Gov. JB Pritzker said yesterday that he wants to move forward next week with a “first step” on lobbying disclosure. Pritzker was asked this morning what he’d like to see disclosed by lobbyists which they do not now disclose…
Well, one example is… the City of Chicago requires lobbyists to report how much they’re getting paid to lobby for organizations, but the State of Illinois does not require that. I think that’s something that we ought to be looking at.
I went over this topic with subscribers this morning.
* The Question: Should registered Statehouse lobbyists be required to disclose their compensation? Please explain your answer in comments. Thanks.
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* Hannah Meisel early this morning at the Daily Line…
Democratic political operative Alaina Hampton shook up Springfield politics last year when she accused a top aide to House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) of sexual harassment, and subsequently sued four of Madigan’s operations — the Democratic Party of Illinois and three of his political funds: Friends of Michael J. Madigan, Democratic Majority and the 13th Ward Democratic Organization — alleging retaliation for “asserting her rights to be free from unlawful harassment and a sexually hostile work environment by failing to hire her to work as a political consultant for the 2018 campaign cycle.”
After traveling and working on out-of-state campaigns last year and earlier this year, Hampton has been back in Chicago, and aims to launch a not-for-profit organization before the end of 2019 that she describes as a foundation that helps pay for “recovery treatment for victims of workplace sexual harassment and abuse.”
But before then, Hampton is rolling out another effort aimed at helping those who have experienced workplace harassment: a monthly support group. The first meeting of Hampton’s group, the Chicago Workplace Sexual Harassment #MeToo Meet Up will be Dec. 2 at Great Central Brewing Company in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood.
Hampton told The Daily Line she’s opening registration for the event to anyone who has been affected by workplace harassment — not just women — and also welcomes those who work outside of politics.
In fact, Hampton said, she got the idea for support group from a professional woman who messaged her on Facebook after a September profile by NPR Illinois, when Hampton revealed she felt she could not seek traditional therapy, because therapy notes are discoverable in a lawsuit when a plaintiff is seeking damages for emotional distress. The woman said she’d had a similar experience at her non-political job, and had been searching for a support group but found none, Hampton said. […]
“When I was being harassed at work, I felt very alone and felt like I was the only person going through this,” Hampton said. “As I sought help and no one helped me, I felt even more isolated…if I had other people I could talk to [who had also been] in those situations, I would’ve felt so much more comfortable.”
More info is here.
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ComEd’s lobbying crew is heavy on Madiganites
Wednesday, Nov 6, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* WBEZ…
Fifteen of the 23 firms that worked for Commonwealth Edison in Springfield this year deployed lobbyists with direct ties to powerful Illinois House Speaker and state Democratic boss Michael Madigan, a WBEZ investigation has found. […]
Will Cousineau, another trusted Madigan aide, lobbied ComEd together with colleagues from the Cornerstone Government Affairs firm.
Cornerstone reported that it had stopped representing ComEd in the Illinois Capitol on Oct. 25. […]
In addition to [former Rep. John Bradley, who also is no longer representing ComEd], the retired Democratic members of the Illinois House who have landed gigs as ComEd lobbyists are Annazette Collins, Kevin McCarthy, Donne Trotter and Howard Kenner.
Donne Trotter left the House in 1993 after he won his state Senate race. Trotter and Madigan weren’t exactly close.
Cornerstone’s Statehouse lobbyist list includes Chris Sarley, who worked for retiring GOP Congressman John Shimkus.
Mike Kasper is listed in the story. He is most definitely a bigtime Madigan guy, but his two partners are former high-level Senate Democratic and House Republican staffers.
Travis Shea is listed as a current ComEd lobbyist and former MJM staffer, but he was booted from his firm in March. The head person at his old firm, Chip Englander, is a former Rauner guy.
ComEd also employs lobbyists like former GOP Rep. Ed Sullivan, former GOP Sen. Dave Sullivan and the brother of Leader Durkin’s campaign consigliere Tom Walsh.
* But, yeah, make no mistake, that company does indeed have a whole lot of Madigan types on its lobster payroll.
…Adding… The article lists Jake Miller as a Madigan guy. Miller (no relation) was on Tech Review (legal) staff for one session 17 years ago.
…Adding… I checked in with Mike Kasper and he said ComEd was originally Jim Fletcher’s client. Fletch is now retired, but, Kasper said, ComEd is principally handled by Courtney Nottage, who is a former chief of staff for Senate President Emil Jones. Kasper said he does do work for ComEd as a partner in the firm, however.
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Campaign roundup
Wednesday, Nov 6, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Madison - St. Clair Record…
Fifth District Appellate Court Justice David Overstreet of Mt. Vernon will seek election to the Illinois Supreme Court in 2020, for the seat being vacated next year by retiring Justice Lloyd Karmeier.
Overstreet, 53, was elected last November to a 10-year term at the appellate court in a race against Kevin Hoerner, Democrat, who later got appointed associate judge in St. Clair County in January.
He is the first candidate to publicly announce for the Karmeier vacancy, and will run as a Republican in a district comprised of the state’s 37 southernmost counties. The primary election is March 17 and the general election is Nov. 3, 2020.
Four of the seven seats on the state’s high court will be on the ballot next year - open seats at the Fifth and Chicago-based First Judicial District, as well as the retention campaigns of Justices Robert Thomas, Republican, of the Second Judicial District and Thomas Kilbride, Democrat, of the Third Judicial District. Judges running for retention don’t face rival candidates - they are retained if they get 60 percent voter approval.
* BND…
A man who previously worked on President Donald Trump’s campaign is now jumping into the race for the GOP nomination in the Illinois 15th Congressional District.
Kent Gray, 49, of Leland Grove, who worked as an advance man for the Trump administration, announced his candidacy for the seat that U.S. Rep. John Shimkus, R-Collinsville, is leaving at the end of term.
“President Trump needs reliable supporters in Congress to help him accomplish his agenda,” Gray said. “I want the president to know that the 15th District of Illinois embraces his successes with the U.S. economy, honest trade, tax cuts, immigration management, judicial appointments and protecting the Second Amendment. The 15th District is overwhelmingly supportive of Donald Trump. My existing relationships with numerous congressmen, senators and administration officials will allow me to hit the ground running for district residents.” […]
Gray ran for state representative in 2016, but lost in the GOP primary.
He finished third in a three-way primary in that race.
* From the Jeanne Ives campaign…
Friends,
I’m going to be blunt: If you don’t want a radical, leftist mob led by Sean Casten getting a foothold in government, you need to step up and get Jeanne Ives elected.
Jeanne is a fighter. She has an Economics degree from West Point. She is an Army Veteran and a Military Mom.
But what I like best about Jeanne is that she is who she says she is. As a state legislator, she promised to defend taxpayers and that was exactly what she did - even when it meant standing alone.
As a Congresswoman, Jeanne will protect the opportunities available to your kids. She will protect your jobs and pocketbooks. She will uphold the rule of law. And she will push back on the Socialists in Congress in a way they won’t soon forget.
Join Jeanne and me on Wednesday, November 6 to help take her campaign to the next level. Tickets start at $50 and you can RSVP right here.
If you submit two completed petition sheets to help Jeanne get on the ballot, you can join us for free. Download your petition and instructions here.
Hope to see you there!
All In,
Dan Proft
AM-560 Morning Drive Host
* Jim Oberweis campaign…
The Lake County Republicans held their primary endorsement session Saturday, and Jim Oberweis won the endorsement on the first ballot against a crowded field of candidates seeking the Republican party nomination for the 14th Congressional District.
All Township Chairmen and all Lake County Republican Central Committee officers could vote in the endorsement session. To win the endorsement, Oberweis had to receive two-thirds of those voting at the Saturday meeting.
Lake County Republican Central Committee Chairman Mark Shaw said, “all of the Republican candidates seeking the nomination for US Representative from the 14th Congressional District had an opportunity to make their case that they would be the best candidate to win the General Election in 2020. Jim Oberweis earned the endorsement because he made the strongest case for success against Rep. Lauren Underwood. We need a candidate who stands up for our Republican values, and who has a path for victory in the race for US Representative in the 14th District. Jim Oberweis checks all of these boxes.”
The 14th Congressional District is widely considered a seat Republicans can retake. Oberweis says he is honored to have the confidence of the Lake County party especially in light of how important this race is nationally.
“If Republicans are going to retake the House in 2020, it starts with the 14th Congressional District in Illinois,” Oberweis said. “But the first step to defeating Lauren Underwood is to win the nomination and garnering the support of the Lake County Republican Party is a big step forward for this campaign. I am honored and humbled to have their endorsement.”
* Politico…
Freshman Rep. Lauren Underwood’s name is being batted about for a House leadership position freed up after California Rep. Katie Hill resigned last week.
The empty position is reserved for first-term Dems, according to POLITICO’s Heather Caygle.
Underwood, who flipped the right-leaning 14th District in 2018, is part of the “Big Six,” a set of freshmen who serve as liaisons to leadership. Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries of New York coined the nickname because the group is seen as those most likely to climb into leadership roles. Underwood, for example, sits on leadership and strategy meetings.
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Um, no
Wednesday, Nov 6, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Um…
Some lobbyists are still cozying up to Luis Arroyo. The state Board of Elections reports five lobbying organizations donated to the former state rep’s political account two days after he was charged with bribery and accused of offering kickbacks to an unnamed state senator in exchange for favorable gaming legislation.
SEIU Healthcare Illinois/Indiana PAC and Associated Beer Distributors of Illinois each gave $1,500 to Arroyo. American Council of Engineering Companies, Sprinkler Fitters Local 281 and Electric Contractors Association each gave $1,000.
The contributions came in before Arroyo ultimately resigned from the General Assembly last Friday, but it should come as no surprises that lobbyists would be undeterred by a federal investigation. It was nearly a year ago that Ald. Ed Burke’s offices were raided by the feds — and just days later hundreds of folks turned out for his annual holiday fundraiser.
Keep in mind that Illinois law requires disclosure after campaign checks are deposited in the bank. So, you cannot discern when the checks were written by looking at the candidates’ disclosure reports.
I reached out to three of the contributors listed above this morning.
* The Associated Beer Distributors of Illinois sent me its canceled check. The check was written on September 20th for an event Arroyo held on September 12th which was co-hosted by Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Speaker Madigan. An ABDI official said the association mailed the check the same day…
As you can see, the check was deposited on October 31 or November 1 (it’s difficult to tell), a couple/tree days after we found out Arroyo had been arrested. This sort of thing happens literally all the time (late deposits, that is, not arrests). Campaign committees often only deposit checks once or twice a month, particularly in the off-season. And some committees (I doubt Arroyo did this) have attorneys vet their checks to make sure they’re not taking money from someone they shouldn’t be.
* The American Council of Engineering Companies said their check was dated September 9th and mailed the same day. An association official said the check was cashed on November 1. Here’s their canceled check…
SEIU Healthcare Illinois/Indiana claims its check was cut on July 29th and mailed on Oct. 9th. Again, Arroyo’s arrest was first reported on October 28th.
Also, a search of the state’s registered lobbyist database came up empty on both the Sprinkler Fitters Local 281 and the Electric Contractors Association.
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Note to readers
Wednesday, Nov 6, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* As you can plainly see, my RSS news feed reader is currently down. I’m not sure when it will be back online. I apologize for any inconvenience and I’m trying to figure out a work-around in case this continues very much longer.
…Adding… It’s back up again. Not sure what happened.
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* Tribune…
As hundreds of people sipped cocktails and snacked on hors d’oeuvres at a Cook County Democratic fundraiser, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Tuesday night he was “disgusted” by Democrats caught up in sweeping federal investigations and proposed broadened lobbyist disclosure rules for legislators to consider in the final week of the fall veto session.
Pritzker said more robust lobbyist disclosure would be a first step that could be accomplished in the three-day legislative session next week, and that comprehensive ethics legislation must be on the agenda when the General Assembly starts a new spring session in January.
“I am furious watching public officials, some from our own party, betray the public trust. I am disgusted that some people seem to think the old way of doing politics is the right way of doing politics. It is time to change the way politics is done in this state — period,” Pritzker said. […]
Pritzker’s remarks were ignored by many attendees who chatted to themselves throughout his address in the Grand Ballroom at the Hilton Chicago in the South Loop.
* Sun-Times…
Vowing to help lift the cloud of pay-to-play politics over Illinois, Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Tuesday told Cook County Democrats that he plans to return to Springfield next week to help craft legislation that would shed more light on lobbyists as the first in “a series of ethics reforms that are frankly long overdue.” […]
Pritzker did not elaborate about his ethics proposal. And the governor’s office declined to provide any additional details.
“As a first step on much-needed ethics reform, Governor Pritzker is committed to passing legislation in next week’s veto session to shine a brighter light on lobbyist activity so there is far more transparency for the public,” Emily Bittner, the governor’s deputy chief of staff for communications, said in a statement. “He also believes that there must be more broad, comprehensive ethics reforms in the next legislative session, and he plans to work with stakeholders on meaningful reforms.”
Pritzker has increasingly ramped up his rhetorical outrage as the federal investigations dominate the headlines.
Subscribers know a bit more.
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