* Fundraising has definitely slowed to a crawl. This always happens, but I’m still going to remind you at least once every weekday. So, click here if you haven’t yet contributed to our effort to buy Christmas presents for foster kids or if you think you can give just a little bit more. We’ve now gathered enough money to buy presents for 2,053 foster children. But Lutheran Social Services of Illinois serves 2,530 kids. Thanks!
* Tomorrow is the one-year anniversary of Sen. Scott Bennett’s unexpected death. Treasurer Michael Frerichs was a longtime friend and he posted his thoughts about the anniversary on Facebook. Excerpt…
It’s been a year, and I still can’t believe Scott is gone. He was one of my closest friends, and he’s so greatly missed.
Scott was such a good husband to Stacy and father to their young twins, Sam and Emma. I recently became a father of twins myself, and I wish that Scott could have met Theo and Max. I admire Stacy’s strength during the past year and know the cherished memories she and Scott made as a family have helped sustain her. […]
In the State Treasurer’s Office, we honor part of Scott’s legacy by promoting and continuing to grow the IL ABLE program that he sponsored to allow people with disabilities and their family to save money without losing federal benefits. That program now bears his name, as does a portion of Interstate 74 that he frequently traveled in East Central Illinois.
In the year I’ve had to mourn Scott’s unexpected passing, I’ve only become more thankful that I’m able to call Scott my friend.
Denny Laine had a career that most musicians would envy. He was a co-founder of two of the most prominent bands in rock and roll history—Wings and The Moody Blues—earning him a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of The Moody Blues. Though the lineup changed several times, McCartney and Laine remained steadfast throughout Wings’ decade-long history.
While McCartney’s wife Linda was his main songwriting collaborator in Wings, Laine also frequently wrote with McCartney, the two producing some of Wings’ most famous songs. Laine passed away in December 2023 at the age of 79, leaving behind a legacy of timeless music. […]
Arguably the most famous song McCartney and Laine wrote together for Wings is “Mull of Kintyre.” … Though not technically a Christmas song, it was deemed the No. 1 Christmas song in the U.K. in 1977 when it reached the top of the Singles chart the week of Christmas Day.
It’s December, and that means we end each week with a holiday song. This one is close enough…
Far have I traveled and much have I seen
Dark distant mountains with valleys of green
Past painted deserts, the sunset’s on fire
As he carries me home to the Mull of Kintyre
* The governor signed 17 bills into law today. Click here for the list. Let’s take a look at some press releases. Sen. Glowiak Hilton…
Professionals seeking licensure through the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation will soon see improvements to the process thanks to a newly signed law championed by State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton.
“We have plenty of folks in Illinois who are ready to work but are left waiting due to the burdensome licensure process,” said Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs). “We have taken a positive step to modernize, streamline and expedite the licensure process.”
IDFPR administers licenses for over 100 different professions including nurses, barbers, roofers, social workers, dentists and others. In Illinois, over one million people need a professional license or registration to work.
House Bill 2394 addresses the backlog of licenses and registrations by creating an expedited and competitive bid procurement process for software to modernize the way IDFPR processes licensing.
The measure also requires the department to extend the expiration date or renewal period for any profession licensed by them if the agency secretary finds that there is a significant operational need to do so or it is necessary to avoid undue hardship on a profession’s licensees.
“This new law will move us one step closer to streamlining the state’s licensure process to help connect residents with good jobs and alleviate workforce shortages across our communities,” said Glowiak Hilton. “Providing IDFPR with this support will move us further down the path toward an effective and efficient licensure process for all Illinoisans.”
House Bill 2394 was signed by the governor Friday and takes immediate effect.
* Sen. Rezin…
The state of Illinois has officially taken the next step necessary to pave the way for the development of new nuclear reactors, as the Governor signed Illinois Senate Deputy Minority Leader Sue Rezin’s (R-Morris) legislation, House Bill 2473, to lift the nuclear moratorium on small modular reactors (SMRs) this afternoon.
“Illinois has a long, successful, and safe history of nuclear energy generation,” said Sen. Rezin. “The signing of House bill 2473 will ensure that our state can remain a leader in the energy sector by offering us the ability to utilize the amazing advancements in new nuclear energy technology.”
House Bill 2473 lifts the ban on next generation nuclear reactors less than 300 MW beginning January 1, 2026. Additionally, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Office of Homeland Security will be directed to establish rules for reactor decommissioning, environmental monitoring, and emergency preparedness by January 1, 2026. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency will also provide consultation.
“Today’s bill signing moves us one step closer towards our goal of energy independence by allowing clean, reliable energy production in Illinois,” said State Representative Lance Yednock (D-Ottawa). “By leading on this issue, Illinois is signaling to the rest of the country that we are open for business and ready for much needed economic development.”
Furthermore, House Bill 2473 authorizes the Governor to commission a new study to research the State’s role in guiding the development of new nuclear technology and makes conforming statutory changes, including updating references to IEMA-OHS in preexisting Illinois law.
“Lifting our state’s archaic moratorium on new nuclear energy construction will allow for companies that have been developing new advanced nuclear energy technology the opportunity to invest in Illinois,” continued Sen. Rezin.
House Bill 2473 passed out of the General Assembly during its November veto session along a large bipartisan roll call in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
* Sen. Belt…
A new law spearheaded by State Senator Christopher Belt was signed into law Friday that will allow the City of Venice to acquire property to develop new essential health care and recreation facilities for residents.
“The transfer of this property shows the collaborative efforts between both state and local authorities working together to address the needs of our community,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “Not only does this jumpstart community revitalization in the area, but Venice and surrounding communities have long deserved new facilities that will be useful for the everyday life of residents.”
The new law authorizes the state to deliver a property, previously owned by the Illinois Department of Transportation, to the city of Venice. The acquired property will be used for community revitalization in the area, which aims to establish essential facilities, such as a comprehensive health care center, a community recreation facility and a new mortuary with a chapel.
“By providing this property to Venice, we are unlocking opportunities for growth, development and improved quality of life for our residents,” said Belt. “I will always be committed to investing in communities all over the Metro East.”
Senate Bill 385 was signed Friday and takes effect immediately.
* Sen. Castro…
Cook County taxpayers can rely on a standard, 30-business-day period to file property assessment appeals in the coming tax years, thanks to a new law led by State Senator Cristina Castro.
“A uniform filing period ensures clarity and reliability for homeowners in different townships when it comes to the appeals deadline,” said Castro (D-Elgin). “With suburban taxpayers seeing across-the-board increases to the value of their property, it’s an important moment to make sure they have the ability to file, argue and support their appeal to the assessor.”
The Cook County Assessor’s filing deadlines for taxpayer complaints can change from year to year and from one township to another. While the assessor’s office established a deadline of 30 calendar days for filing complaints this year, the available business days for filing varied from 19 to 22 days, depending on the township. Castro’s measure establishes a uniform filing period to ensure all Cook County homeowners have adequate time to address their complaints to the assessor.
The new law requires the Cook County Assessor to accept assessment appeals from taxpayers for at least 30 business days after an increased property assessment is mailed to the homeowner or published on the assessor’s website — whichever is later.
“Appealing the assessed value of your home shouldn’t be a complex and grueling process that people have to scramble to complete quickly,” Castro said. “Local governments need to have clear, simple and reasonable rules and filing periods so everyone in the community has the ability to voice their concerns.”
Senate Bill 1988 was signed into law Friday.
…Adding… Illinois State Medical Society…
The doctors of Illinois thank Gov. Pritzker for signing HB 2394 to address the professional licensing processing delays at the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). This measure, backed by the Illinois State Medical Society (ISMS), allows IDFPR to update its antiquated systems, which we hope will result in avoiding the snafus doctors and other healthcare professionals experienced when applying for or renewing a professional license. We look forward to an improved, expedited and more transparent process for physicians seeking new Illinois medical licenses and those renewing in the years to come.
In addition to the Governor, ISMS thanks IDFPR Secretary Treto and the bill sponsors, Representatives Morgan, Hauter, Mah and Senators Glowiak and McClure for championing this cause on behalf of the citizens of Illinois. Because it is the citizens – our patients – who are most affected by these delays when it impacts whether they have access to the healthcare professionals they need and deserve.
* Sen. Villivalam…
A new law led by State Senator Ram Villivalam will introduce more water safety instructions into school curriculum for youth in preschool through sixth-grade following a recent tragedy that occurred in the 8th District.
“With water safety instruction, more of our youth and families will be equipped with the tools to protect themselves and others,” said Villivalam (D-Chicago). “This legislation is an important step toward saving lives and ensuring better water safety education across the state.”
Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for children age 5-14 after car accidents, and at age 15, drowning rates triple. For every fatal child drowning, another eight children receive emergency care for non-fatal drowning injuries.
“Today marks a turning point in our children’s safety,” said State Representative Eva-Dina Delgado (D-Chicago). “We promised to provide comprehensive water safety education, and we delivered. I’m thankful to Governor Pritzker for joining us in this effort by signing this legislation into law earlier today.”
Villivalam’s measure seeks to prevent as many of these deaths as possible by beginning water safety instruction in preschool.
“Drowning is the number one reason a child will die before kindergarten and the number two killer for all of childhood,” said Halle Quezada, a teacher and mother who lives in the district Villivalam represents. “When my four-year-old had fire safety in school, she was eager to make sure our whole family knew how to survive a fire. With this bill, we hope Illinois families will have water safety plans too and we can finally reverse these terrifying statistics.”
House Bill 2104 requires school boards supported wholly or partially by the state to provide water safety instruction that incorporates evidence-based water safety materials and resources from preschool through sixth-grade.
“Water safety education in schools is the fastest approach to reach the largest audience and make a significant impact in the shortest amount of time,” said Dave Benjamin of the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project. “We teach kids how to navigate those threats in school and we are proud of Illinois for following the research and taking a step to change the horrifying statistics around drowning.”
* Sen. Ventura…
Illinois is now leading the way toward a cleaner, greener future thanks to a new law championed by State Senator Rachel Ventura that will require state-owned vehicles to be zero emission.
“To tackle the ongoing climate crisis, Illinois needs to be a frontrunner in clean energy investments,” said Ventura (D-Joliet). “One such way to help is by investing in zero emission vehicles to deliver big gains for both our environment and our economy.”
Senate Bill 1769 will require passenger vehicles purchased or leased by the state to either be a manufactured zero-emission vehicle or converted into a zero-emission vehicle by 2030. Exceptions will be made for law enforcement and IDOT vehicles.
Highway vehicles release about 1.4 billion tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere each year — mostly in the form of carbon dioxide — which contribute to the global climate crisis. The continuous adoption of zero-emission vehicles has the ability to move the nation close to an 80% decrease in transportation greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Ventura’s measure will play a major part in reducing emissions at the state level – ensuring Illinois keeps its promise to build a healthier, more equitable and energy efficient state following the passage of the historic Climate and Equitable Jobs Act in 2021.
“I’m proud to see the state implementing tangible solutions to meet clean air standards as transportation is the leading source of air pollution,” said Ventura. “I will continue to work with my colleagues to ensure our state is taking bold and substantial steps toward 100% clean energy reliance.”
* Capitol News Illinois | Chicago utility pushes back against state oversight, asks for further rate increase: In November, the Illinois Commerce Commission forced a yearlong pause on the company’s controversial pipeline replacement program while it investigates whether the program adequately prioritizes replacing high-risk natural gas pipes throughout Chicago, where the utility serves about 875,000 customers. The company alleged in a filing with the ICC last week that a “misunderstanding” in last month’s ruling will prevent the company from conducting emergency repairs and other “critical” work.
* Sun-Times | Chicago police Sgt. John Poulos, whose fatal shootings of 2 men led to about $2 million in City Hall payouts, now running for judge: Sgt. John Poulos — whose career as a Chicago cop has been marked by two controversial fatal shootings and a push by the police superintendent to fire him in a misconduct case — is now running for judge in Cook County with the help of a Democratic Party insider and $500,000 in loans from his wife. … Poulos’ campaign committee is chaired by Tim Egan, the chief executive officer of Roseland Community Hospital, who ran two unsuccessful campaigns for the Chicago City Council from the 43rd Ward and now is the 2nd Ward Democratic committeeperson.
* Shaw Local | McHenry County sheriff addresses deaths of 4 jail inmates this year: In acknowledging the inmate deaths, the statement said the office “has been fully transparent in providing information in conjunction with McHenry County Sheriff’s Office General Orders, policy and procedures, state laws and the consideration of affected families.” […] Despite its assertions of transparency, the office, led by Sheriff Robb Tadelman, did not proactively release any information about Sabo’s death or his identity at the time it occurred and confirmed it months later only after multiple inquiries by the Northwest Herald. It also remains unclear which agency is heading up that investigation. The McHenry County Major Investigation Assistance Team, or MIAT, is the agency the sheriff’s office cited in its Thursday release as handling the probes into the recent inmate deaths.
The Illinois Department of Human Services’ (IDHS) State-Operated Developmental Centers (SODCs) are amplifying COVID-19 testing and infection-prevention policies as a response to increased cases among residents and staff.
SODCs provide residential programs to people with intellectual/developmental disabilities who have severe medical and/or behavioral needs. IDHS operates seven developmental centers in the state.
Across the state, COVID-19 laboratory confirmed cases and COVID-19 related hospitalizations have increased by nearly 50% since early November, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
As of December 6, there were 58 residents, out of approximately 1,650 total, and 35 staff, out of approximately 3,500 total, who have tested positive for COVID-19 since November 20, with nearly all presenting mild symptoms.
SODC staff have provided positive residents and patients with treatment, including antiviral medication as appropriate. Only one resident is hospitalized, and they are in stable condition.
According to the release, 30 residents and 10 staff were infected at Waukegan’s Kiley Developmental Center. Another 15 residents and 10 staff were infected at Park Forest’s Ludeman Developmental Center. And 12 residents and 12 staff were infect at Kankakee’s Shapiro Developmental Center. More at the link.
* Meanwhile…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced that with the holidays approaching, data indicate that the impact of respiratory viruses is being felt across the state with 44 counties now at an elevated level for COVID-19 hospitalizations, according to the CDC’s national COVID Data Tracker, as of the week ending November 25. COVID-19 hospitalization data indicate that 39 counties are at medium level and five are at high level, while statewide, there were 1,039 new hospitalizations reported, an increase of 20% over the previous week.
Data also show that broad acute respiratory hospitalizations are increasing across Illinois including COVID-19, flu and RSV. IDPH officials are especially concerned about pediatric ICU (PICU) capacity which is limited in many areas of the state. [Emphasis added.]
What’s going on in the Windy City?
City Council shared its new seating policy for public meetings which include neededing an ID and a reservation to sit in the main chamber. WBEZ reporter Mariah Woelfel has the story.
The city is adding impoundment to the list of penalties on bus companies bringing in asylum seekers. Crain’s reports that this applies to bus operators that don’t obey rules on where and when to drop off migrants they’re bringing to Chicago.
* Press release | Illinois Collaboration on Youth Partners with Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s All Children-All Families Initiative: With 1 in every 3 youth in foster and adoption care identifying as LGBTQ+, it has never been more dire for all foster care and adoption agencies to tend to the specific needs of LGBTQ+ youth. Apart from working closely with ICOY, our ACAF program works with over 135 agencies across the country to help them better implement LGBTQ+ inclusive practices and policies. Collectively, these agencies serve more than 1 million clients annually in 36 states and employ more than 26,000 employees.
* WGEM | Quincy housing problems described as ‘not good’: The Great Plains Action Society’s itinerary concluded Thursday by attending Quincy’s Human Rights Commission meeting. That’s where they heard about the status of affordable housing in Quincy. Commissioners received updates from both the YWCA and Safe and Livable Housing committee. Representatives from both organizations described the status of affordable, livable and available housing as “not good.”
* Sun-Times | Why youth homelessness is a big problem in Cook County: Young Black men are disproportionately affected by housing instability, and youth in foster care or who have experienced the death of a parent or caregiver are also at high risk, a recent Chapin Hall study found.
* Chalkbeat | New data shows hundreds of Chicago Public Schools bus routes with fewer than 10 students: However, the data does not include students who have 504 plans — another type of legal document for students with disabilities — or homeless students, who are also entitled to transportation. District officials said the routes may include those students. One week before the data was captured, the district said it had routed a total of 8,105 students. […] Chalkbeat’s analysis of the route data for 7,350 students with IEPs found: There are an average 6.9 students with IEPs per route. 785 of the more than 1,000 routes have. 10 or fewer children with IEPs. 59 routes — or 5.4% — transport one child with an IEP.
* WAND | 240 volunteers needed urgently for Sangamon County Toys for Tots program: Over 200 volunteers are urgently needed for Sangamon County Toys for Tots program. The Toys for Tots warehouse at White Oaks Mall is set up as a store for one day (Dec 15). There are ten tables, five for boys and five for girls, ages 0-2, 3-5, 6-7, 8-10, 11-18. Families who apply and are approved show up at an assigned time slot and get to pick out what toys they want for their children.
* Crain’s | Wrigleyville’s oldest dive bar to Malört: Quit stealing our mixology ideas: Nisei’s Malört infusions date back to 2016 when a few employees stumbled upon an old box of candy canes behind the bar and decided it best not to let them go to waste. As any bartender would do, they dropped the peppermints into their favorite bottles of liquor — and so candy cane Malört was born. “It became a bar sensation for us,” Capone said.
* Tribune | University of Chicago buys Hyde Park mansion once owned by late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia for $3.4M: Built around 1900, the 5,112-square-foot brick house, at 5725 S. Woodlawn Ave., was designed by the Rapp & Rapp architectural firm, which was widely known for designing movie palaces. The mansion was built for Cora Howland, who was the daughter of onetime Chicago Mayor John A. Roche, and her husband, lawyer and professor George C. Howland, who was part of U. of C.’s original teaching staff and who also wrote editorials for a time for the Tribune, according to Susan O’Connor Davis’ book “Chicago’s Historic Hyde Park.”
* NYT | Amazon Is Cracking Down on Union Organizing, Workers Say: In disciplining the employees, Amazon has raised questions about the extent to which they are free to approach co-workers to persuade them to join a union, a federally protected right. The general counsel of the National Labor Relations Board has said Amazon is breaking the law through a policy governing the access that off-duty workers have to its facilities, which Amazon invoked in the recent firing. The board is seeking to overturn the policy at an upcoming trial.
* NYT | How Much Can Forests Fight Climate Change? A Sensor in Space Has Answers: Now, high in orbit, a new way of seeing forests is making it clear that, even when under assault, protected areas can still be a crucial buffer against climate change. Scientists are using laser technology to gauge the biomass of forests all around the world, which lets them calculate how much planet-warming carbon the trees are keeping out of Earth’s atmosphere.
* AP | FDA approves 2 gene editing therapies that may cure sickle cell disease: In the U.S., an estimated 100,000 people have the disease and about a fifth of them have the severe form. Sickle cell is most common among Black people and 1 in 365 Black babies are born with the disease nationally. Scientists believe being a carrier of the sickle cell trait helps protect against severe malaria, so the disease occurs more often in mosquito-prone regions such as Africa or in people whose ancestors lived in those places.
* Paxton Media Group released this after acquiring the Southern Illinoisian in September…
PMG Group Publisher Bill Evans will add The Southern to his stable of media properties located in southern Illinois and western Kentucky. No stranger to southern Illinois, Evans has led the PMG-owned NBC television affiliate for the region, WPSD-TV in Paducah, KY, for the last 23 years. He is also publisher of Paxton’s flagship newspaper The Paducah Sun, and weekly newspapers in Mayfield, KY; Benton, KY; Eddyville, KY; Princeton, KY; and Metropolis, IL.
“The SI naturally fits our footprint for community-based journalism. The team of journalists I have the opportunity to lead from our Paducah and southern Illinois newsrooms has covered many of the important stories impacting our hometowns in southern Illinois. I look forward to expanding our coverage. We have the resources to allocate to covering southern Illinois,” said Evans.
* Today is the last day for all reporters and photographers at the paper after Paxton announced they would let all union-represented journalists go. From the News Guild in November …
The Unions of Lee Enterprises is denouncing plans by Lee Enterprises to sell The Southern Illinoisan newspaper to Paxton Media Group under terms that will result in the elimination of all the local journalists who currently work for it.
Despite pronouncements by Paxton Media on Oct. 27 that it will foster “community-based journalism” and “expand” coverage through the purchase of The Southern Illinoisan, the entire union-represented newsroom has been told they should clear out their desks by Nov. 24.
This ill-advised sale transaction ignores not only the needs of the Carbondale community and the paper’s current employees, but the rights of investors who are being denied the opportunity to benefit from a better offer, from a local benefactor who would actually save jobs.
Paxton Media representatives have been telling major Southern Illinoisan advertisers and community leaders they are “saving” the local paper by acquiring it. These statements are both deceitful and disgusting.
* This week, reporters looked back at their time at the paper and give hints at what’s next for them. From the Southern Illinoisan Editor-in-Chief Jackson Brandhorst…
And that’s just it. The end of an era.
Gratitude. That’s all I can express.
To the incredible staff here who, despite consistently facing tumultuous times, persevered through every sticky situation, every vapid comment and every schedule changing setback, thank you. […]
Despite the overwhelming amount of grief I feel toward leaving this area, these people and the status of the happenings in the place that I grew up, it’s impossible for someone with as much confidence as I have in myself not to be optimistic about my future.
I am not entirely sure about what is next for The Southern, I wish it the best for the sake of the community. But I am sure about its past and that I won’t be a part of its future.
When I first moved to Carbondale almost nine years ago I didn’t know how long I would stay. I had lived in Colorado for nearly 30 years after moving there from Iowa, where I had grown up and gone to school. I even kept my Colorado phone number in case things here didn’t work out and I decided to move back. When people would ask me where I had lived before moving to Carbondale and I would tell them Colorado, the response was always the same, “why in the world did you move here?”
But here we are, just short of nine years of working as a photographer at The Southern Illinoisan. In that time I have come to call Carbondale and Southern Illinois home. Now, due to unexpected, yet not totally unforeseen, circumstances, my time, at least at The Southern is ending.
Not only is my time, as well as that of my colleagues, here at The Southern coming to an end, but I have come to realize that this will likely be the end of my career as a photojournalist. The nature of the journalism world has changed dramatically over the 40 years since I decided to make a career out of it — how that came about is a story for another day, so maybe this is a good time to move on anyhow. […]
And finally to our readers. It has been an honor being able to share my images of Southern Illinois news, sports and life with you. Some of you have been kind enough to reach out over the years and let me know how much you have appreciated my work — that means a lot, more than you probably realize.
Unfortunately for me, and my fellow coworkers at The Southern, this is the end of the line as far as our work here is concerned. I plan on staying in the area, at least for the time being. We’ll see what this next chapter has in store for me.
Click here to see Hetzler’s favorite photos from his time at the Southern.
* I spent about three years sitting on the sidelines of SIUC games with Southern photogs while I was at the Daily Egyptian. It’s a bleak thought that their coverage will no longer continue…
* Press release from the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University…
From late 2021 to summer 2023, we conducted nearly 200 interviews with political leaders and practitioners like you in five states (Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania). Those interviews are the heart of our new report, Rethinking Women’s Political Power, which is now available as a microsite at rethinkingpower.rutgers.edu.
This report examines specific political ecosystems in our selected states to illustrate that increasing women’s political power is a multi-site, multiracial, and bipartisan endeavor. It provides a deeper, more thorough understanding of the factors that shape women’s access to political power both within and across states, and specifically interrogates differences in experiences, as well as obstacles and opportunities for women’s expanded political power, by race/ethnicity, party, and position. It is also the first of multiple publications reliant on this interview data. Next up are more state-specific analyses that we plan to share in briefing and book format.
* Chapter two really goes into Illinois, especially the rise of Democratic women representation…
The number of Democratic women serving in Illinois’ state legislature increased by 58% from 2010 to 2021, the year that long-time Speaker Michael Madigan (D) resigned from leadership of both the state House and the Illinois Democratic Party. Women were key to growing the Democratic majority in the legislature, representing over half of all newly-elected or appointed Democratic legislators in this period and increasing their proportion of the Democratic caucus from 36% in 2010 to more than 50% by 2021. In the same period, the number of Republican women state legislators in Illinois dropped. And this decline was not simply a function of Republican losses; women dropped from 23% to 19% of their party’s state legislators and were just 23% of Republican legislators elected for the first time from 2010 to 2020. As of November 2023, women are 41.8% of Illinois state legislators, including 53% of Democratic and 19% of Republican legislators. […]
Without a value-based motive for increasing women’s political representation, Madigan’s political program benefitted only some women, particularly those deemed by Madigan and his team as most electable in swing districts. For the most part, that translated into recruitment of white, moderate women in suburban districts, leaving other women – racially/ethnically diverse and more progressive – to fend for themselves. Commissioner Josina Morita (D) made this distinction, saying that Democratic leaders were looking for “a party player [who] would toe the party line and they tended to be white women who were socially progressive and fiscally moderate, and just kind of ran on the party line,” adding, “They weren’t real progressive types.” State Representative Kelly Cassidy (D) clarified that while Madigan hoped to recruit women he could control, “[He] accidentally brought some good strong women onboard, but definitely accidentally.”
Democratic political consultant Alex Sims included Madigan’s approach as part of a broader Democratic strategy at the time. She said, “It was very frustrating in 2015. It was the Wendy Davis time. It was the time when a lot of Democrats thought white women in the suburbs were what’s going to win the Democratic Party everything. …And so the Democratic Party would invest a lot of money in those efforts.” She added, “But that’s not to say that the white female vote in the suburbs isn’t an important vote…[but] it’s also a little bit about investment and who’s been with you for so long.” Black women were and continue to be the most reliable Democratic voters but were not primary beneficiaries of Madigan’s efforts. As U.S. Representative Robin Kelly (D) pointed out, “It was about [Madigan] at the end. …Because I’ll give you an example. I was the Democratic nominee for [state] treasurer, right? The Democratic Party of Illinois didn’t help me one bit. I’m Black and I’m a woman [and they] did not help me one bit and I lost because of lack of money, so, yeah.”
* Republican women lawmakers voiced how their party is falling behind…
I find that in the Republican Party they are trying harder to get a mix because…we lost a lot of Republican women. They were turned off by our party so the idea is now to make a push for getting more women to run for office because of that and because we need to get to those people that are undecided or turned off by the party. So I feel that there’s a big push here now. But we are certainly more open and willing to bring in more women now because we need to bring back these women that were so turned off [by] our party.”
- Evelyn Sanguinetti (R-IL) Former Lieutenant Governor
I know the House Republicans, [we] were always involved in looking for candidates and we love to have women. The problem is…a lot of times [women] don’t want to do it or they don’t pass the litmus tests that are now being imposed.”
- Christine Radogno (R-IL) Former State Senate Minority Leader
* Here are some comments from women members of the Democratic Party…
I’m seeing over time though…we’ve had representatives of our party attend our meetings [of Lake County Democratic Women] which is great but again it felt like they really didn’t want us to exist. They felt there was some kind of competition there instead of seeing that this is a benefit to them. …When I talk to party leadership [about our organization’s work] they will say, ‘But we already do this, right, within the party.’ Not with intentionality. ….The competition really lifts everybody because you have to do better if they are doing better. So we’ve actually seen…our local party working much harder than they did [to support women].”
- Melinda Bush (D-IL) Former State Senator and Founder of Lake County Democratic Women
The toxicity of our politics [gives me pause for concern]. It’s definitely a disincentive for…everyone, but I think it’s particularly a disincentive for women because the vitriol that we get is much worse. I lost count of how many people over the last two years during the pandemic got their first death threat and called me first, [telling me] ‘You were the first person I thought of to ask what I should do about this,’ because I’ve been getting them forever as a lesbian, as a woman, as a big target – they’ve been coming for me for a long time. So that was a really interesting moment. The first time somebody called me…[I thought] ‘Oh God, I didn’t realize that’s who I was, you know.’”
- Kelly Cassidy (D-IL) State Representative
I would say there’s a support infrastructure to some degree [for women in Illinois politics]. And it’s in silos. …There is some support system [for women in politics in Illinois] but it’s not centralized. There’s no real centralized support system. That’s my view.”
- Heather Wier Vaught (D-IL) Democratic Lobbyist and Consultant and Former Chief Counsel to Speaker Michael Madigan
Chicago-area public transit faces a crisis when federal COVID-19 dollars run out in two years, forcing transit agencies struggling with reduced ridership to make major service cuts.
With this fiscal cliff looming, regional leaders tasked with saving public transit sent a set of policy recommendations to state lawmakers Thursday.
Lawmakers now face politically tough choices to raise $1.5 billion in new funding and implement sweeping organizational reforms recommended by the report, called the Plan of Action for Regional Transit.
They must consider new taxes, consolidating the four regional transit agencies under one board and changing fee structures, according to the 130-page report prepared by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning at the behest of the General Assembly.
PART recommends transit funding solutions that put these priorities into action for 2026 and beyond. The revenue options explored include savings and system-generated revenues, as well as a set of baseline revenues that include:
• Full state funding for paratransit.
• Full state funding for existing reduced fare mandates.
• A modernized state sales tax base that includes services, delivering needed revenues for the transit system, state, counties, and local communities.
The regional transportation system would also benefit from additional revenues, including flexing federal funds for transit and new road revenues (e.g., tolling, parking taxes, and vehicle registration surcharges). […]
The package further relies on durable sources that should be implemented to make the system’s funding more fiscally sustainable, progressive, and climate-friendly: expanding the sales tax base to include a broad range of services, increasing commercial parking taxes in downtown Chicago, and imposing a regional surcharge on vehicle registrations. If the region and state are unable to reach consensus on these revenues, other durable revenues outlined below could replace them, such as a higher parking tax, a higher vehicle registration surcharge, or a payroll tax.
To meet immediate funding needs, some diminishing sources will be needed to achieve transformational investment. Raising the RTA sales tax rate in combination with a sales tax base expansion would provide funds that are critically needed to avoid the transit system’s financial collapse. However, as more appropriate sources are identified and implemented, this temporary RTA sales tax increase can sunset. Similarly, increasing tolls for passenger cars on existing toll highways and dedicating that increment to transit provides the funds needed in the near-term, while other solutions that provide greater ties with road usage, congestion management, and climate outcomes — such as road usage charges and congestion pricing — should be explored over time.
The report came from the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, which was tasked by the legislature with drafting recommendations as the region’s public transit agencies face a combined $730 million budget hole once federal COVID-19 relief funding starts running out in 2025. Transit agencies have warned that failure to plug the hole could lead to catastrophic service cuts and fare increases. […]
The recommendations also address service, including improvements to the bus system, adding “transit ambassadors” to boost safety and the perception of safety, and moving to one fare system across all types of public transit, instead of maintaining largely separate fares for the CTA, Metra and Pace. […]
The recommendations could include simply strengthening the RTA and keeping the separate agencies, or folding the three transit agencies into one entity, an idea that has been floated before but never gained traction. Whether the concept would gain enough traction this time around remains to be seen.
The state and other stakeholders will resolve a looming $730 million annual shortfall facing Metra, Pace and the CTA in 2026, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Monday.
The funding gap emerged after COVID-19 decimated ridership. It’s an issue transit agencies across the U.S. are facing, Pritzker said at a Crain’s event.
“We need subways and trains and buses and it’s vital to our economy. We’re going to do whatever is necessary,” said Pritzker, who also mentioned fares but without specifics.
“The General Assembly and I and the federal government, we all have to address it,” he noted.
“We know that the cost of inaction is greater than the cost of action,” said CMAP Executive Director Erin Aleman. “We are at a decisive and pivotal juncture with an opportunity to make a transformative change.”
“The longstanding underfunding of transit operations coupled with the unprecedented challenges spurred by the pandemic have brought us to a critical inflection point in transit’s history,” said city of Chicago COO John Roberson. “We cannot shy away from the scale of the funding needs our transit system faces. It is significant, but the value transit provides for the city and for our region is immeasurable.”
In addition to more funding, the plan CMAP came up with proposes unprecedented changes to the way transit is run. One option would give more power to the regional authority overseeing CTA, Metra and Pace.
The other, far bolder option would create a single regional transit agency, essentially combining the current hodgepodge of transit agencies into one.
* Nationally…
* Governing | Navigating the Fiscal Crisis in Public Transit: The biggest crisis facing U.S. transit agencies since the COVID-19 pandemic began is the so-called fiscal cliff — the steep drop in fare revenue that resulted from ridership losses and the looming expiration of federal relief funds that were provided to temporarily fill the gap. In separate events on Wednesday, two of the biggest transportation-focused nonprofits in the country convened discussions on how agencies can navigate their financial challenges, with perspectives from transit advocates, researchers and industry leaders. The Eno Center for Transportation, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, held an event called “Climbing Down From The Fiscal Cliff: Lessons From Transit Advocates.” TransitCenter, a New York-based advocacy group, hosted a webinar called “Transit’s Last Fiscal Crisis: Identifying Sustainable Funding Solutions for Agencies.”
* Bloomberg | Commuters Ditched Public Transit for Work From Home. Now There’s a Crisis: As pandemic aid dwindles, the nation’s biggest transit systems face a roughly $6.6 billion shortfall through fiscal year 2026, according to a Bloomberg tally of the top eight US transportation agencies based on passenger trips. Rising labor costs and inflation are hitting as farebox revenue stagnates after ridership collapsed. Those eight agencies serve regions that combined contribute about $6 trillion annually to the national economy. Local officials are pressing for help. Last month, the California Transit Association asked the state for $5.15 billion over the next five fiscal years. Without more money, transit officials across the country warn that the public can expect steep ticket price increases and drastic cuts to train and bus schedules, while long-planned expansion projects are on the chopping block. That pleading worked for New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority when state lawmakers recently approved a massive bailout.
* GovTech | How Important Is Surveillance Tech on Public Transit?: A poll conducted to determine why riders haven’t returned to the service revealed public safety and cleanliness concerns. More than half of 1,000 survey respondents had witnessed or been a victim of a crime on BART. Meanwhile, 85 percent of BART riders who have reduced or eliminated their usage said they would ride the system more often if it was significantly cleaner and safer. In early 2023, BART announced new public safety initiatives, most visibly, doubling the amount of officers on trains.
The NCAA is still forcing some athletes sit out a year following multiple transfers — and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul won’t stand for it.
Raoul and attorneys general in six other states filed a federal antitrust lawsuit on Thursday, challenging the NCAA’s transfer rules as “an illegal restraint on college athletes’ ability to market their labor and control their education.” […]
Six weeks ago, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost sent a letter to the NCAA expressing concerns over the eligibility of second-time transfer Aziz Bandaogo, a 7-foot center for the University of Cincinnati basketball team whose appeal for a waiver was denied on Nov. 10.
Yost wrote that the decision was not only wrong “as a matter of common sense and decency, it is likely illegal” and raises antitrust concerns as an illegal restraint of trade.
* Thursday press release…
Attorney General Kwame Raoul today filed a federal antitrust lawsuit challenging the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) transfer eligibility rule as an illegal restraint on college athletes’ ability to market their labor and control their education.
The NCAA rule requires college athletes who transfer among Division I schools to wait one year before competing in games, unless the NCAA waives the rule for a particular athlete. The NCAA began automatically exempting first-time transfers from the regulation in 2021 but has continued to enforce the rule for subsequent transfers and deny waivers for no legitimate reason.
Raoul and a bipartisan coalition of six attorneys general filed their lawsuit today in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia seeking a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to keep the NCAA from enforcing the rule.
“The Transfer Eligibility Rule unfairly restricts collegiate athletes and is not implemented in a consistent and straightforward way that is easy for athletes and their families to understand,” Raoul said. “I filed this lawsuit to bring fairness to this flawed system and ensure the needs of collegiate athletes and their families are prioritized and respected.”
Since its founding in 1906, the NCAA has expanded its rulebook beyond field contests to regulate off-the-field competition among its member institutions and manage the burgeoning business of collegiate sports. Some regulations are essential for the administration of college sports, the coalition’s lawsuit acknowledges. However, Raoul and the attorneys general argue, certain rules lacking a clear procompetitive benefit may run afoul of the nation’s antitrust laws, which are rooted in the belief that market forces yield the best outcomes.
In justifying the one-year waiting period for second-time transfers, the NCAA cites the promotion of academic well-being and the preservation of athletic amateurism. Raoul and the coalition call the connection between the rule and these goals “pretextual”; note that these purported goals can be accomplished through less-restrictive means; and argue that the harm it does to athletes, universities, and fans far exceeds any supposed benefits.
According to Raoul and the coalition, the one-year waiting period constitutes 20% of the total time allotted by NCAA regulations for the completion of a college athlete’s full eligibility – and, as such, could prove devastating for athletes seeking to optimize their career and welfare by transferring to schools that better suit them.
The NCAA often describes the college athlete experience as transformative, with competition playing a key role. By preventing students from competing, however, it hinders the full realization of this experience. Students deprived of the opportunity to compete in their chosen sports are denied the benefits that competition offers in preparing them for life, as acknowledged by the NCAA, and often suffer financial harm.
* The 2023 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Democratic State House Staff Member is a tie. Kendra Piercy…
It’s an understatement to say that it’s rare to see the Speaker of the House present a bill in committee, but we saw it this year and who was sitting right next to him? Kendra Piercy, Deputy Counsel to the Speaker. She was the legal leader of the House Dobbs / Reproductive Rights Working Group. She was the reason there was a last minute lame duck Cannabis transporter bill. And probably most importantly in the business we are in (and also for an award like this), she is a genuinely kind individual who is beloved by those that get to work with her.
It’s hard to find a more dedicated or loyal staff member than Kylie. As this Caucus rebuilds itself, Kylie is the woman behind the curtain. Respected on both sides of the aisle by members and staff alike, she manages Caucus members successfully and remains extremely humble.
* The 2023 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Republican State House Staff Member goes to Jen Passwater…
First of all, how does she find the time to still staff the Judiciary-Criminal Committee? In addition to being Deputy Counsel, she now also serves as a Senior Advisor to Leader McCombie, so on basically every important or sensitive issue, Jen is there. And despite working on the most divisive and controversial subjects, from the freedom caucus to the Black Caucus, she is liked and respected by everyone. And she does all of this while still staffing 2-hour Jud-Crim hearings!! I don’t get it. Seriously can we do something about this??
* ICYMI: WCIA’s breakdown of what laws will go into effect in 2024…
- Gov. Pritzker signed more than 150 laws that go into effect next year, many on January 1st, 2024.
- Youthful offenders under 21 can no longer be given a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
- An update to the state’s parole system, which incentivizes people on parole to obtain a degree, recommending early termination with a good post-release track record, and expanding remote check-ins with a parole officer.
- October will be designated Italian-American Heritage Month.
* Capitol News Illinois | State health plan declares racism a public health crisis: A new state health report pinpoints racism as a public health crisis while also noting Illinois needs to improve in the areas of maternal and infant health, mental health and substance use disorders. The broad goals are laid out in a draft of the State Health Improvement Plan, which will be finalized and presented to the Illinois General Assembly next year. The SHIP is part of Healthy Illinois 2028, a five-year plan outlining the major public health crises the state hopes to address.
* Tribune | Recommended changes to transit head to state lawmakers, who could debate expanded sales tax and consolidating agencies: The report, drafted by regional planners after meetings with community organizations, lays out recommendations to address public transit funding, governance and the experience of riding buses and trains, as the region’s three public transit agencies face a looming financial cliff and languishing ridership numbers. Among the options included are additional taxes, such as expanding the sales tax base, and two options to revamp oversight of the region’s separate transit agencies.
* Crain’s | Illinois in multistate lawsuit over NCAA transfer rule: Raoul and attorneys general in six other states filed a federal antitrust lawsuit on Thursday, challenging the NCAA’s transfer rules as “an illegal restraint on college athletes’ ability to market their labor and control their education.”
* Two SIU athletes are mentioned in the complaint…
Here are the student-athletes the seven states mentioned in the complaint vs. the NCAA:
* WTTW | One Agency to Rule Them All? As Fiscal Cliff Looms, CMAP Pitches Bold Plan to Overhaul Chicagoland Public Transit: With CTA, Metra and Pace expected to have a combined $730 million budget deficit starting in 2026, state lawmakers passed a measure charging the regional planning agency CMAP to think big and come up with a plan to improve service, make buses and trains more accessible and make sure all the different bus and train lines effectively link up with one another. The funding gap, which is expected to worsen every year without major action, is largely due to ridership that’s still far below pre-pandemic levels. Federal stimulus money that’s been making up for lost revenue is running out — and advocates say that in any case, transit has been underfunded for years.
* WCIA | Illinois Department of Labor explains proposed rules to new paid time off law: The AFL-CIO hosted a webinar Wednesday afternoon with the Illinois Department of Labor explaining their proposed rules of the new policy. “This bill is for the millions of workers in and out of unions, who until now were faced with the impossible choice of either taking time off or keeping their job,” Francis Orenic, the legislative director for the Illinois AFL-CIO, said.
* Lake County News-Sun | State pot-shop sales continue flight to record highs: The fourth anniversary of the opening of the first legal marijuana dispensaries in Illinois will be marked Jan. 1, as sales continue at a high rate across the state. With growth continuing, another grassroots pot shop opened this week in Waukegan.
* Sun-Times | Defense: ‘Computer mistake,’ not pressure from Ed Burke, caused delays in Burger King work: But Thursday, attorneys for Burke and Andrews grilled the Palatine architect who handled the project — and who apparently benefitted from a City Hall computer glitch that helped him land a building permit without the necessary driveway permit. “If you would have addressed the driveway permit, then none of this would have happened, correct?” Joseph Duffy, one of Burke’s defense attorneys, asked architect Warren Johnson.
* Tribune | City Council committee rejects discipline provision in Chicago police contract but OKs pay hikes: The mayor pledged on the campaign trail to not raise CPD’s budget, then pivoted to propose a spending plan that allocated a record $2 billion to the department, including the $60 million in planned bonuses and raises in the new police contract. While the department’s bottom line rose, Johnson reshuffled positions to reduce the number of beat cops and boost civilian positions and those dedicated to fulfilling the department’s consent decree requirements.
* Chicago Reader | Johnson administration’s early days marked by lapses in transparency: Since taking office, Johnson moved largely outside public view to erect a now-scrapped tent encampment for newly arriving migrants on contaminated land, he and his Rules Committee chair walled off parts of council chambers—and entire floors of City Hall—from the public, and he has often evaded key questions on the future of surveillance technology he unabashedly rebuked on the campaign trail.
* USA Today | Judge allows emergency abortion in Texas in first case of its kind since before Roe v. Wade: On Thursday morning, two days after Cox’s case was filed, Travis County state District Judge Maya Guerra Gamble signed a temporary restraining order, preventing the state, Attorney General Ken Paxton and the Texas Medical Board from enforcing the state’s abortion ban should Cox terminate her pregnancy. The order also protects Cox’s husband, Justin, and her OB/GYN, Dr. Damla Karsan, from prosecution or fines related to any abortion care.
* SJ-R | Sangamon County to consider tourism district in first step to expanded convention center: The Dec. 19 meeting also could include a vote that would establish the new district, which would allow local hotels to levy a fee on every night spent in a hotel room throughout the county. The Springfield Metropolitan Exposition and Auditorium Authority, the agency tasked with running the convention center, would use the fee to help with future bond issues funding the new construction.
* Slate | “Imagine a Child Gets Stabbed 26 Times”: They gave him bits of information piece by piece. By that night, it was becoming national news out of Chicago that his son had been killed, and the child’s mother, his ex-wife, was hospitalized. “I cried nonstop until that evening,” Odai said. “He left this world and he took our hearts with him.”
* These new feeds do not update instantly. There’s a bit of a lagtime and you have to refresh the page every now and then. The service we’re using may also not last long. We just can’t give you any guarantees. You can still click here to follow the Ed Burke trial on Twitter. Posts without a Twitter author name below them are from online news sources via Bing…
* Live coverage is back, sorta. This will be different than the old Scribble Live feed because Twitter broke itself and almost everything else it touched. These new feeds do not update instantly. There’s a bit of posting lagtime, but it’s much better than nothing. We are also limited to just 20 Twitter sources. The service may also not last long. We just can’t give you any guarantees about this. You can still click here or here to follow breaking news the way we’ve done since Twitter stopped Scribble Live from working…
Shelby County Board member Teresa Boehm is being prosecuted by Shelby County State’s Attorney Robert Hanlon for previously serving as an appointed Rose Township Cemetery trustee while also serving on the county board. Boehm had resigned as trustee after Hanlon intervened. The state’s attorney said at the time that he wanted to avoid filing criminal charges, then reversed himself. Boehm points out she’s the only Democrat on the county board. Herald & Review reporter Tony Reid has the details.
Centreville Citizens for Change is asking the federal government to investigate why St. Clair County spent nearly all of its COVID-related relief funds in largely white communities while the predominantly Black, low-income city of Cahokia Heights faces an ongoing health crisis with floodwater and sewage spilling into homes. Belleville News-Democrat
Healing Illinois, a statewide initiative that gives anti-racism grants to nonprofits, will give out grants as large as $30,000 to fund racial healing and equity work by various nonprofits. The program is funded by the Field Foundation of Illinois and the Illinois Department of Human Services, writes Scott Reader for the Illinois Times.
Around 92,100 people in the US traveled out of state to receive abortions in the first half of 2023, according to new data — more than double compared with three years ago. Illinois saw 18,870 out-of-state patients between January and June 2023. Bloomberg.
What’s up in the Windy City?
* Chicago Reader | Johnson administration’s early days marked by lapses in transparency: Since taking office, Johnson moved largely outside public view to erect a now-scrapped tent encampment for newly arriving migrants on contaminated land, he and his Rules Committee chair walled off parts of council chambers—and entire floors of City Hall—from the public, and he has often evaded key questions on the future of surveillance technology he unabashedly rebuked on the campaign trail.
* Crain’s | Friends of the Parks: No new Bears stadium on lot south of Soldier Field: A report yesterday that the Chicago Bears are exploring the idea of building a new stadium on a parking lot south of Soldier Field has prompted a firm response from a powerful parks preservation group: Not on our watch. “Our board is calling our lawyers as we speak,” said Juanita Irizarry, the executive director of Friends of the Parks, a nonprofit advocacy group well-known for battling new commercial development along the lakefront.
* Sun-Times | Hot tub boats offer a toasty spot to chill on the Chicago River: The boat company’s co-founder, Ron Silvia, called the new attraction a BYOB, “float and socialize” city experience that allows customers to drive themselves in a hot tub transformed into a boat. “It’s not a long-distance cruise. It’s to hang out within a few blocks of our main location at Marina City,” Silvia said in a statement.
Here’s the rest!
* Rockford Register Star | In an age of pay apps and plastic, some Rockford businesses remain cash-only: At the end of the day, business owners say fees associated with credit and debit card payments add up. With processing fees at 1.5% to 3.5%, a business could see a cost of $1.50 to $3.50 on $100 tab. “A lot of places will adjust their prices to make up for those fees,” said Erica Colombi, who owns CJ’s Public House in Rockford and Sips in the Park in Loves Park with her father, Bobby.
* Bloomberg | Mortgage rates fall for sixth week, dropping closer to 7%: The average for a 30-year, fixed loan was 7.03%, down from 7.22% last week, Freddie Mac said in a statement Thursday. Mortgage rates have retreated in recent weeks, bringing slight relief to homebuyers who have been facing the highest borrowing costs in years. The housing market still remains tough, with a limited supply of homes for sale helping to prop up prices and squeeze affordability even more.
* Fox 32 | Former Bears star Robbie Gould retires after 18-year career: Gould announced his retirement on The Player’s Tribune on Thursday. Gould had been a free agent after the San Francisco 49ers opted not to bring him back for a seventh season. Gould spent 11 seasons with the Chicago Bears and one with the New York Giants.
* Sun-Time | Shedd Aquarium welcomes orphaned 8-week-old sea otter pup: “With this newest addition to our rescued population of sea otters, we’re committed to his long-term care and continuing to create connections for Chicagoans to this important keystone species,” Peggy Sloan, chief animal conservation officer at Shedd Aquarium, said in the release. Shedd staff members traveled to Alaska to bring back the otter. He arrived Nov. 29 and is being bottle fed while eating small portions of clam a few times throughout the day.
* The Southern Illinoisan | Poshard Foundation hosts toy give away to help provide Christmas gifts for children: Each year the foundation hosts a toy giveaway. Social service agencies identify children who are unlikely to receive other Christmas gifts, then the agents come to the two-day event to choose gifts for those children. More than 2,000 gifts will be distributed in total during this year’s giveaway. Each child will receive three gifts, along with socks, blankets, hats and gloves.
The National Retail Federation just confirmed what many have suspected — reliable stats about organized retail crime are hard to come by.
In a remarkable reversal, the industry group has retracted a key statistic about the impact of organized retail crime (ORC) in 2021 after it could not support the figure with firm data.
A report published in April erroneously said that ORC represented “nearly half” of the industry’s $94.5 billion inventory shrink in 2021. Last week, the NRF updated the report to remove that figure, Reuters reported. […]
“We stand behind the widely understood fact that organized retail crime is a serious problem impacting retailers of all sizes and communities across our nation,” the [NRF] spokesperson said. “At the same time, we recognize the challenges the retail industry and law enforcement have with gathering and analyzing an accurate and agreed-upon set of data to measure the number of incidents in communities across the country.”
* I asked Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office for comment…
Notwithstanding inaccuracies in the National Retail Federation’s data, it remains unquestionable that organized retail crime is a serious problem in the State of Illinois and throughout the country that mandated a law enforcement and legislative response.
Organized retail crime leads to more than just the inconvenience of shopping at pharmacies where everyday items are locked in cases. We know from our investigations and experience that there is no shortage of coordinated brazen acts that put retail employees and shoppers at risk.
The priority is not on low-level shoplifting for personal use, but on organized crime. Proceeds of these thefts end up being monetized on online platforms, which is why we have focused from the beginning on going after the ringleaders of organized criminal enterprises who are often involved in other criminal activity. These efforts have involved coordination between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, which all have recognized the seriousness of this problem. These collaborations have led to arrests and the recovery of millions of dollars of stolen items. Our office is and will continue to follow tips and evidence to disrupt the organizations facilitating these brazen acts.
My mother, former Illinois State Legislator Susan Catania, a relentless advocate for the ERA and a fearless champion of important but politically unpopular causes, died last week.
The cause was a fire that broke out during the early morning hours of November 27 in our family cabin on Cranberry Lake outside the town of Eagle River in Northern Wisconsin, where she’d moved to spend her retirement.
In January of 1973, the U.S. was about to end its role in the Vietnam War and the Supreme Court to uphold abortion rights in Roe v. Wade. The prior November, to the surprise of no one, President Nixon was re-elected in a landslide. In Chicago’s 22nd legislative district, to the surprise of nearly everyone, my mom won close to 70 percent of the Republican vote, earning her a seat in the state legislature. In the annals of history, my mother’s victory was nowhere near as momentous an event as Roe, Vietnam and Nixon, but in the halls of local and state political power, it was shocking.
She was white in a nearly all-Black district on Chicago’s South Side, a Republican in a city of big D Democrats, and a young mother at a time when very few women — and even fewer who had children — ran for public office..
On top of all that, she had no experience in politics and no connections to the all-powerful political machine of Mayor Richard J. Daley, who maintained his white-ethnic grip on Chicago politics even as three other major U.S. cities — Los Angeles, Atlanta and Detroit — made history by electing their first African American mayors. […]
On hearing that my mother had died, someone asked me for my favorite memory of her. The first thing that popped into my head was her laugh. My mom was a serious and driven person. She also had a great sense of humor and a rolling, joyful laugh. My delight in hearing it was magnified by its stark contrast to her typical deadpan demeanor. I have many memories of her sitting at our kitchen table talking on the phone, often to reporters, in long and rambling conversations punctuated with that laugh. No wonder I became a journalist.
Her death was not the end we would have wished for her, or one she would have wanted for herself. But she died in a place she loved, after living her life exactly as she wanted.
* Compiled by Isabel…
* 1995 Chicago Tribune | DCFS coordinator puts family values to work: As a mother of seven daughters, Catania comes to the task well-versed from a personal as well as professional angle. In the Illinois General Assembly, where she served as a liberal Republican from 1973 to 1983, Catania championed women and family issues at a time when male legislators felt free to joke about issues such as child support, domestic abuse and maternity leave. … Now 53, Catania was the mother of four young daughters when she first ran for the legislature from the South Side. She had quit a job as information director for a chemical research company after she says the company hired a man with less experience and paid him twice as much. She filed a sex-discrimination lawsuit.
* 1990 Chicago Tribune | A world apart: Indeed, Susan Catania, an ecology-mined former state representative and mother of seven daughter, said that disposable diapers were essential to her political life. “I would not have been able to serve in the Illinois House of Representatives without them,” she said. Catania had three daughters in diapers while she held office. She used cloth diapers at home, which she washed at home, but used disposables in Springfield when traveling with her babies. “If we have the brains to do things, I think we should be out doing them, not home doing diapers,” she said.
* 1999 Chicago Reader | Triple Threat: Catania often bucked her party leadership, voting for gun control, for abortion, for the ERA, but it was impossible for the bosses to punish her because there was no Republican organization on the south side. … With members serving in Springfield, the Chicago Republican Party wasn’t the joke it is now. Catania used her office to corral votes for Senator Charles Percy and to rally her constituents against Democratic state’s attorney Edward Hanrahan, who was hated by blacks for his role in the killing of Black Panthers Fred Hampton and Mark Clark. The machine bosses who controlled the Taylor Homes had never told their constituents about ticket splitting, so Catania had to give lessons.
* 1982 Illinois Issues | Will it be Ryan, Totten or Catania?: Mrs. Catania is a Republican, elected and reelected to the Illinois House from heavily Democratic Chicago, thanks to cumulative voting. In other words, her clout is minimal even on her own turf. And some people got the wrong idea when she brought her babies to the House floor so they would not be deprived of their mother’s attention. The image may have been that of a vulnerable woman but, in fact, Mrs. Catania was demonstrating some unusual courage by invading the often zoo-like House chamber with an infant. … “Susan Catania can’t win,” Mrs. Schlafly said. “No one who supported John Anderson for president can win a statewide Republican primary.”She also refused to call the race a referendum on the ERA, but she acknoledged that issue is likely to dominate the campaign.
* 1982 Washington Post | Three Congressmen Apparently Lose, Another Periled in Illinois Primary: In the GOP lieutenant governor’s contest, state House Speaker George Ryan, Thompson’s choice, was running ahead of state Rep. Susan Catania, a feminist and party maverick. State Sen. Donald Totten, who sought to capitalize on his links to Reagan, was third. Totten conceded Ryan’s victory but Catania clung to the hope that uncounted ballots in Chicago might give her an upset. … But a greater threat to Ryan, according to pre-primary polls, came from Catania, a feminist liberal who backed John B. Anderson for the 1980 GOP presidential nomination. As the former head of the Illinois commission on the status of women and the only avowed supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment in the race, Catania drew financial help from feminists across the country, who saw in her candidacy a last-ditch chance to push Illinois into the list of states ratifying the ERA.
* 2018 SJ-R | Bernard Schoenburg: 36 years later, Susan Catania hopeful about ERA: Catania, 76, who says she still leans Republican and now calls Buffalo Grove home, says 36 years later that one anti-ERA message, about women’s role in the military, has been rebuffed. “We have a United States senator who clearly has demonstrated that women can serve with complete distinction in the U.S. military. And we have her fighting the good fight now in Washington.” She was talking about U.S. Sen. TAMMY DUCKWORTH, D-Illinois, the Hoffman Estates resident who lost both legs when her helicopter was shot down over Iraq. Catania said she voted for Duckworth in 2016. “She’s carrying the torch for women,” she said, and is “speaking out for the military and for women, for working families.”
Creates the Student-Athlete Bill of Rights Act. Sets forth specific rights for students and student-athletes at postsecondary educational institutions. Provides that a postsecondary educational institution shall prepare and post a notice detailing specified rights that student-athletes have under federal law and where a complaint may be filed for a violation. Provides that a postsecondary educational institution may not intentionally retaliate against a student-athlete for (1) making or filing a complaint, in good faith, about a violation of a student-athlete’s rights granted under any applicable statute, rule, or policy; (2) testifying or otherwise assisting in an investigation into a violation of a student-athlete’s rights granted under any applicable statute, rule, or policy; or (3) opposing any practices that the student-athlete, in good faith, believes are a violation of a student-athlete’s rights granted under any applicable statute, rule, or policy. Provides that each postsecondary educational institution offering athletic programs for student-athletes shall hire or appoint an ombudsperson, independent of the athletic department, who may be an employee, to provide specified support to student-athletes. Creates the Commission on College Athletics to pursue research and recommendations and monitor athletic programs at postsecondary educational institutions. Sets forth other duties of the Commission and the membership of the Commission. Requires the Board of Higher Education to provide administrative and other support to the Commission and adopt rules.
Creates the Higher Education Violation Reporting Act. Provides that each public and private institution of higher education shall maintain a report publicly reporting actual findings of violations by any student organization, athletic team, or living group of the institution’s code of conduct or anti-hazing policy or State or federal laws relating to hazing or alcohol, drugs, sexual assault, or physical assault. Provides that an institution of higher education shall provide hazing prevention education to employees. Provides that if an employee or volunteer at an institution of higher education has reasonable cause to believe that hazing has occurred, the employee or volunteer shall report the incident. Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. In provisions concerning hazing, provides that a person commits hazing when he or she knowingly requires the performance of any act by a student or other person in a school, college, university, or other educational institution of this State for the purpose of induction or admission into or maintenance of membership in (instead of only for the purpose of induction or admission into) any group, organization, or society associated or connected with that institution if the act meets certain requirements; makes changes to the requirements. Provides that an act may be considered hazing regardless of whether the student or other person is willing to participate in the act. Effective July 1, 2024.
* Sen. Natalie Toro…
To ensure employees are not treated differently in the workplace or passed over in the hiring process due to their caregiver role, State Senator Natalie Toro is working to amend the Human Rights Act to protect people with family responsibilities from discrimination.
“Just because a person has external obligations to support their family does not mean they aren’t capable of successfully doing these jobs,” said Toro (D-Chicago). “Assuming differently without any demonstrated proof that their performance has changed is discrimination and should be banned by state laws.”
Currently, there are no laws protecting employees who are also caregivers from differential treatment, including offering lower wages, preventing advancement opportunities, or even terminating employment. These actions are often the result of employers’ biased assumptions that any employee who has family obligations outside of work must be unreliable, uncommitted and less valuable, regardless of actual job performance. This often disproportionately impacts pregnant people, working mothers, people of color and low-wage earners who are already financially vulnerable.
To better protect caregivers, Senate Bill 2616 would make it a civil rights violation for employers to retaliate against a person who speaks out about discriminatory actions they believe to be based on their family responsibilities. The measure would also expand the definition of harassment to include protections for people with family responsibilities.
“No one should be treated differently at work after they have a child or step up as a caregiver for family members,” said Toro. “This law will ensure that workers’ livelihoods are protected as they navigate the responsibilities within their lives.”
Senate Bill 2616 awaits discussion in the spring legislative session.
Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Establishes procedures for serving a search warrant upon foreign corporations that are electronic communication services and remote computing services allowing a search for records that are in the actual or constructive possession of a foreign corporation that provides electronic communication services or remote computing services to the general public, if those records would reveal: (1) the identity of the customers using those services; (2) data stored by, or on behalf of, the customer; (3) the customer’s usage of those services; (4) the recipient or destination of communications sent to or from those customers; or (5) the content of those communications. Provides that, when properly served with a search warrant issued by an Illinois court, a foreign corporation subject to this provision shall provide to the applicant all records sought pursuant to that warrant within 8 business days of receipt, including those records maintained or located outside the State. Provides that a foreign corporation seeking to quash the warrant must seek relief from the court that issued the warrant within the time required for production of records. Provides that the issuing court shall hear and decide that motion no later than 8 days after the motion is filed. Provides that no cause of action shall lie against any foreign or Illinois corporation subject to this Section, its officers, employees, agents, or other specified persons for providing records, information, facilities, or assistance in accordance with the terms of a warrant issued pursuant to this provision. Provides that this provision does not apply to corporations that do not provide electronic communication services or remote computing services to the general public.
Ald. Bill Conway is crying foul after Johnson’s administration said they would have the city remove the tents in which people are sleeping [in West Loop homeless encampments] only if Conway voted in favor of two pillars of the mayor’s progressive policy agenda.
The conflict between Conway and [top Johnson adviser Jason Lee] begins with the encampment near Union and Ogilvie stations, which Conway said is a trouble spot for drugs and violent crime in the ward. Two recent shootings in the area have exacerbated his concern.
Late last night, a man was fatally shot near the corner of Lake and Clinton Streets downtown, immediately adjacent to a dangerous area under the viaducts and a CTA Green Line stop, Ogilvie Transportation Center, and Union Station. The incident is currently under investigation by the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and follows a string of violent crime in the area which was once a peaceful encampment but has become a magnet for violent crime and drugs. This past Friday, CPD arrested a man with an illegal loaded gun and $60,000 worth of heroin and crack cocaine in the 500 block of West Lake St.. In recent weeks, there have been two other shootings, multiple armed robberies, and numerous overdoses. […]
On Friday, just hours after CPD arrested someone with an illegal loaded gun and $60,000 of heroin and crack cocaine under the viaducts, the Mayor’s Office responded to area residents who had repeatedly begged the City to address crime with a stock letter restating their misrepresentation that this area was merely a peaceful encampment - noting that, “homelessness is not illegal” - rather than recognizing it has turned into a magnet for violent crime and drugs. The unfortunate response also disregarded the fact that for some time now, the Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) hasn’t been able to get anyone to accept their offer for rapid rehousing and has been referring cases to CPD – because it isn’t safe, for anyone.
There were nearly 4,900 robberies between July 1 and Nov. 26, an increase of more than 55% compared to the total for the previous five months. That’s the largest increase in robberies between consecutive five-month periods since at least 2001 — the earliest year tracked in the city’s online crime portal. […]
A Chicago Police Department statement didn’t address potential reasons for the spike but said since July, the department has enhanced its efforts to combat robberies, resulting in a 25.8% increase in robbery arrests compared to the same period in 2022, according to its data. […]
Overall, total robberies in the city are lower compared to where they were from 2001 to 2013, and again in 2016 and 2017, when robbery totals surpassed 10,000 each year. But with more than 8,700 total robberies reported through late November, the city is on pace to see the most robberies since 2017.
* Other stuff…
* CWB | Chicago cops didn’t file a report, watched TV in squad car after random attacker killed man on Mag Mile: Moments after a River North man was randomly attacked on the Magnificent Mile this summer, an assault from which he would die days later, the assailant and two witnesses walked up to a Chicago police squad car parked on the Magnificent Mile. The cops inside the vehicle were watching a television show on a tablet. The officers let the attacker walk away, and the investigation found that they didn’t file a standard report to document their encounter with him. Other officers failed to file a basic initial case report, a step that would ordinarily launch an investigation by detectives. Those are some of the allegations laid out in a Chicago Police Department Bureau of Internal Affairs summary report that recommends suspensions of between two and five days for the cops. All of the officers are entitled to fight the allegations through a grievance or arbitration.
* The 2023 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Democratic State Senate Staff Member goes to Selena Gorman…
While there are many rockstars that deserve this accolade, this year’s GH should go to Selena Gorman for her 3+ decades of service to the Senate Democratic Caucus. Despite all of the ups and downs, Selena has been steadfast in her commitment to serving the caucus and the legal staff. I do not know how Giovanni will survive without her! She will be missed dearly.
Gorman was most definitely the strongest crowd favorite.
Runner-up is Brandy Renfro. Honorable mention goes to Mary Hanahan.
* The 2023 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Republican State Senate Staff Member goes to Brad Carlson…
He manages to stay modest, friendly, and grounded even in the heat of session. He’s been around a long time and seen a lot, but doesn’t expect rose petals thrown at his feet because of it. Knowledgeable but not an egghead…stays practical and pragmatic.
How can you not give him the win after a nomination like that? Solid.
Runner-up is Cheyenne Scaife. Honorable mention goes to Scott Kaiser.
Congratulations to all!
* On to today’s categories…
Best Democratic State House Staff Member
Best Republican State House Staff Member
To be clear, this category also includes campaign staff. Please explain your nominations or they won’t count. Also, do your very best to nominate in both categories.
As I write this, contributions have totaled $50,882 since last Tuesday, which is enough to help Lutheran Social Services of Illinois purchase 2,035 gifts.
Think about that for a second. Your generosity means more than 2,000 foster kids will receive a Christmas present this year. I’m just blown away by that and I hope you are, too.
Sometimes, these gifts cost more because some kids need winter coats or boots. So, let’s keep this going. The total LSSI goal is at least $63,250. Please, click here and help make it happen if you possibly can. Thanks!!!
Democratic Chicago Ald. Scott Waguespack is going to run as a write-in candidate for the 32nd Ward committeeman seat that he currently holds.
Here’s why: The only guy in the race, Ishan Daya, was caught on video recently tearing down a poster in New York City of an Israeli hostage being held by Hamas.
“Many party members have objected to him based on his actions,” Waguespack told Playbook, adding, he’s filing to run as a write-in after initially planning not to seek reelection. Waguespack had endorsed someone else for the post, but that person didn’t file on time — leaving Daya as the only one in the race. Now Waguespack is back in. […]
20th District state Senate race: After the video of Daya went public, he stepped down as a co-host of a fundraiser for Graciela Guzman, a progressive challenging incumbent state Sen Natalie Toro in the Democratic primary. The war is now a talking point in the race, with Guzman condemning Daya’s actions, and Toro calling them out as “hateful and antisemitic.”
I mean, we’ll see, but it’s not like Waguespack has a ton of friends these days. And his bumbling with his preferred replacement is what caused this to be a one-person ward race to begin with.
Anyway, the video is here, but be careful if you’re at work. Click here for Daya’s statement. Subscribers know more about other reactions and responses. And there’s more at that other link about a couple of congressional primaries.
Take at least one deep breath before commenting, please. Thanks.
-Republican candidate Juan J. Reyes filed nominating petition paperwork in an effort to win state Sen. Steve Stadelman’s seat in the 34th District.
- AG Kwame Raoul issued a news release on Friday, days ahead of an election filing deadline, announcing that Reyes was facing charges in Ogle County of forgery, a Class 3 felony punishable by up to five years in prison.
- Illinois State Police officials accuse Reyes of falsifying certificates by claiming applicants had completed the required 16 hours of training when they had not.
-Reyes pleaded not guilty to the charges.
* We’ve reached our fundraising goal to give Christmas presents to foster kids!
* Tribune | Chicago hears from Cincinnati and Newark officials on how to speed up replacement of toxic lead pipes: Newark agreed to pay to replace about 23,000 lead service lines rather than requiring property owners to contribute or making them fill out paperwork proving they couldn’t afford the work, said Kareem Adeem, director of the city’s water and sewer department. Frustrated by futile attempts to reach absentee landlords, city officials began allowing renters to grant permission to remove lead pipes connecting homes to municipal water mains.
* The Tennessean | This is why Nashville mayor Freddie O’Connell met with White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf: O’Connell said during a press briefing Friday that he had no plans to try to woo anyone when it came to the Stars, and that any meetings during the Winter Meetings would be “informal.”"It would be … just the basis of introducing him to the city more so than saying, ‘Hey, come support the Stars being a thing.’ We’re not even close to that,’” he said.
* Here’s the rest of your morning roundup…
* Daily-Journal | End of an era as Wheeler will not seek new chairman term: Wheeler declined to comment on his decision. He only said that he will fulfill the remainder of his four-year term which ends Nov. 30, 2024. He’s been county board chairman since 2016 and a board member since 2012.
* Daily-Journal | Crowded field in 79th District Democratic primary race: Five people filed to run in the Democratic primary next March for the 79th District in Illinois House of Representatives, currently held by Republican Jackie Haas of Bourbonnais. Haas filed paperwork last week seeking a third term. Four of the five Democrats running are from Kankakee County.
* WLPO | Race To Replace Yednock Features Primary Races On Both Sides Of Aisle: Five candidates turned in paperwork to replace Democrat State Representative Lance Yednock in the 76th District. Democrats vying for the seat are: Amy Briel of Ottawa and Cohen Barnes and Carolyn Zasada both of DeKalb. Republicans going after the House seat are Crystal Loughran of Peru and Liz Bishop of La Salle.
* Rob Kelter | Illinois Commerce Commission rejects ‘business as usual’ in utilities’ rate hike requests: In its decisions the commission took bold steps to transition the state from natural gas to renewable energy. It’s only a start, but in the nearly three decades I’ve been litigating cases before the ICC, I’ve never seen the commission tell the utilities that they have to change the way they serve their customers.
* WICS | Cannabis revenues continue to climb in Illinois: The Illinois Department of Revenue has recently reported that cannabis sales generated $452 million in tax revenue for the state from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023.
* Tribune | Bally’s Chicago revenues flat for November at $7.6 million: The Chicago casino ranked fourth in revenue and second in admissions in November among the state’s 15 casinos, according to Gaming Board data. Rivers Casino Des Plaines led the way with $43.5 million in adjusted gross receipts and 249,000 admissions.
* Tribune | Kennedy Expressway lanes to reopen, as first year of construction project ends: The reopening marks the end of the first year of a three-year, $150 million rehab of the highway from the I-94 split south to downtown. But it will only be a temporary respite for the estimated 275,000 drivers who use the expressway daily. Work is expected to pick back up again in the spring on the next phase of the project, in the reversible express lanes in the center of the highway.
* Vera | Impact Over Orthodoxy: Two weeks ago, Jennifer Doleac, an economist and Arnold Ventures’s new executive vice president in charge of its criminal justice portfolio, took to X (formerly Twitter) to openly disparage recent Vera research on college-in-prison programs in New York State. The Vera study she attacked found that incarcerated students who enroll in college are 66 percent less likely to be reconvicted of a new offense following release. Her characterization was surprisingly blithe: “This is research malpractice, y’all.” Rendered so cavalierly by a powerful and putative ally at one of Vera’s closest and deepest philanthropic partners, this mischaracterization necessitates a thoughtful response.
* Tribune | McDonald’s will open first CosMc’s spinoff in suburban Bolingbrook this week: CosMc’s, named after a McDonald’s character from the 1980s whom CEO Chris Kempczinski described as “part alien, part surfer, part robot,” will be a 10-store, small-format pilot concept focused around specialty beverages and coffees. A CosMc’s in Bolingbrook will mark a soft opening Friday, the company said. The remaining stores will open in Texas by the end of 2024.
* These new feeds do not update instantly. There’s a bit of a lagtime and you have to refresh the page every now and then. The service we’re using may also not last long. We just can’t give you any guarantees. You can still click here to follow the Ed Burke trial on Twitter. Posts without a Twitter author name below them are from online news sources via Bing…
* Live coverage is back, sorta. This will be different than the old Scribble Live feed because Twitter broke itself and almost everything else it touched. These new feeds do not update instantly. There’s a bit of posting lagtime, but it’s much better than nothing. We are also limited to just 20 Twitter sources. The service may also not last long. We just can’t give you any guarantees about this. You can still click here or here to follow breaking news the way we’ve done since Twitter stopped Scribble Live from working…
