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Bailey wants to defund FBI, Bost pledges to impeach DHS Secretary

Monday, Nov 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* It’s also the same agency that busted Mike Madigan, but whatevs…

Let me be clear: Mike Bost's recent vote against defunding a new FBI building is not just a betrayal; it's a slap in the face to every hardworking American who's been targeted by this agency's politicized leadership.

I won't stand idly by while the FBI tramples on our rights… pic.twitter.com/ZvfggFd5Ok

— Darren Bailey (@DarrenBaileyIL) November 13, 2023

* Meanwhile…

I’ve been calling on the impeachment of DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for months, and I will proudly vote to impeach him if a vote is called on the House floor this week. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/KNGZ1745T8

— Mike Bost (@BostForCongress) November 13, 2023

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Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Monday, Nov 13, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* WBEZ | Chicago’s model for providing mental health care is riddled with access barriers, a study shows: Those barriers include long wait times, health centers that are unreachable by public transit, a lack of availability during non-business hours, and inability to reach centers to schedule an appointment altogether. The assessment was conducted by the Collaborative for Community Wellness — a group of community organizations and licensed health care clinicians that has been advocating for the reopening of the city’s mental health clinics shuttered under former Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

* Illinois Public Media | Impacts of the climate crisis on communities of color: Illinois is one of 33 states with a climate action plan. It includes goals like taking most coal plants offline by 2030 and natural gas plants by 2045, environmental equity, and putting 1-million electric vehicles on the road by the end of the decade. But Akinsanola says Illinois cannot do alone.

* CNN | US Supreme Court rejects appeal of Illinois prisoner kept in solitary confinement for 3 years: Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, joined by her liberal colleagues Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, dissented from the court’s decision not to take up Johnson’s appeal, highlighting the dismal conditions. “For three years,” Jackson wrote, “Johnson had no opportunity at all to stretch his limbs or breathe fresh air.” She noted that without the ability to exercise, Johnson’s “mental state deteriorated rapidly.”

* Rockford Register Star | Reopening Belvidere plant could jolt economy across Rockford region and beyond: Belvidere native Ron Byers, now a Roscoe resident and 30-year veteran of the Belvidere Assembly Plant said three generations starting with his father and uncle worked at the plant. “This thing is life-changing for the community,” Byers said. “What this does is give another boost to this community. It puts the eyes of other manufacturing facilities that’s looking for places to go, right here in the Midwest.”

* Daily Herald | How students connecting with trusted adults on campus is raising high school graduation rates: An emphasis on building relationships between students and adults in school is among the approaches shared by the three schools. “These personal connections are what inspires students to make an effort to finish,” Palatine High School Principal Tony Medina said. “They’re making a strong connection, knowing that people are here going out of their way to support them.”

* Hyde Park Herald | State Sen. Robert Peters recaps year’s final legislative session, looks ahead: “I am not a fan of Invest in Kids,” Peters said. “I am a believer that public schools need to be fully publicly funded and that it is the public’s responsibility to do so.” […] “If donors or rich people really care about this, they can just give the kids the money to go to these schools. It doesn’t need to be a tax write-off for them,” Peters said.

* Crain’s | Johnson picks Chicago’s next public health chief: Dr. Olusimbo “Simbo” Ige, a public health expert with nearly two decades of experience, is Mayor Brandon Johnson’s pick for the next commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, a role that’s been vacant for three months. Ige, 44, comes to CDPH from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a New Jersey-based health care and equity-focused nonprofit, where she has been the managing director of programs since January. Prior to that, Ige was the assistant commissioner of the New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene from 2020 to 2023, where she oversaw a team of 500 people and an annual budget that topped $1 billion in some years.

* Streetsblog | Study: 12 Ft. Lanes Are Deadlier Than 10 Ft. Ones — So Why Do Many DOTs Build Them Anyway?: Roomy roads are proven to encourage faster, deadlier driving regardless of the speed limit, but previous research based on more limited data found less correlation between gargantuan lanes and high crash rates — with some researchers and engineers even arguing that narrow roads are more dangerous because they increase the possibility of “side friction” between cars. Unlike the 129-page Hopkins paper, though, those studies didn’t go street-by-street on Google Maps and use advanced machine learning to identify and control for all the other traffic-calming features that might be cutting crashes besides paint, including the number of lanes, the curvature of the road, and the presence of bike lanes, street trees and generous sidewalks.

* The Pantagraph | Inside the Stonington facility that processes 38 billion soybean seeds a year: The Stonington processing plant is fed by about 2,400 trucks a year delivering 27 separate varieties of soybeans, grown by 72 seed growers on 550 fields, Rohrer said. About 75% of the beans processed are Asgrow, with the balance being Channel and other regional brands.

* Crain’s | In the balancing act between development and gentrification, Humboldt Park is at a tipping point: In the quest to bring new life to the neighborhood, local developers Tim Swanson and Bill Williams are acquiring city and county lots and adding modular homes. Their formula is designed to enable families to buy and own their homes affordably and build generational wealth. “We’re trying to kick-start and stabilize the neighborhood,” Williams says, “and get the market going with some moderately priced, well-built, energy-efficient homes.” It’s hoped that restaurants, supermarkets and other retailers will follow.

* Daily Herald | Former Lake in the Hills woman pleads guilty to Jan. 6 charges: Four charges were brought in September against Mai Le: entering and remaining in a restricted building; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building; disorderly conduct in a Capitol building or grounds; and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. Mai Le, whom court documents now list as living in Montgomery, originally pleaded not guilty to all four charges, court documents show. She entered a plea agreement Oct. 20 with federal prosecutors, who dropped the other charges, according to court records filed Wednesday.

* Sun-Times | Chicago firefighter Andrew ‘Drew’ Price dies after battling Lincoln Park blaze: “He was a lovely man,” his battalion chief Michael McCormack said. “He was as sweet as can be. He took extremely good care of himself and his family. He was extremely healthy. He was a light of sunshine.” Price is the fourth Chicago Fire Department member to die in the line of duty this year.

* NYT | Vermont May Be the Face of a Long-Term U.S. Labor Shortage: Vermont offers an early look at where the rest of the country could be headed. The baby boom population is aging out of the work force, and subsequent generations aren’t large enough to fully replace it. Immigration slumped during the pandemic, and though it has since rebounded, it is unclear how long that will last, given a lack of broad political support for higher immigration. Birthrates are falling.

* Nieman Lab | “Arguments on a daily basis”: How couples who disagree politically navigate news: For one couple studied, that meant sharing control over what TV news channel was playing during the day: the conservative woman would decide in the morning, and her liberal boyfriend took charge in the afternoon. For others, that meant finding shared news rituals they could both agree on — like watching the evening news on ABC while preparing dinner each night — while allowing space for individual podcast or social media consumption that tailored to each other’s interests. And, for others, it meant a pulling away from news and politics altogether.

* Sun-Times | Pandas are leaving U.S. zoos. They made their American debut in Chicago.: The first live panda seen in the United States arrived at Brookfield Zoo in February 1937, according to the Chicago Zoological Society. The panda, named Su-Lin, quickly became a sensation. Su-Lin was brought to Chicago by Pennsylvania-born author and adventurer Ruth Harkness. Harkness had set out on a search for pandas after her husband left to hunt for them in the mountainous border region between China and Tibet and never returned.

* PJ Star | Beloved central Illinois potato chip reviving recipe ‘you know and love’: The Nov. 9 Facebook announcement has garnered over 1,500 reactions and more than 800 comments. Many expressed excitement for the updated recipe − with one comment even likening the change to “a Christmas miracle.” Multiple commenters noted that the previous recipe had departed from the original taste customers had come to love.

* Herald-Review | Serval captured and in custody of Macon County Animal Control: The Macon County Animal Control and Care Center posted on Facebook on Saturday that the serval, which had been running loose in Macon County since escaping his northside Decatur home in October, had been captured between Forsyth and Maroa. The post said the cat will remain in the custody of animal control while the legal issues surrounding ownership are sorted out, but that the cat will not be euthanized.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Fundraiser list

Monday, Nov 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Today’s quotable

Monday, Nov 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From comments on our earlier post about Invest in Kids…

It took a perfect political and legislative storm for the Invest in Kids program to get established: An erratic Republican governor who was obsessively hateful of teachers’ unions; a once-a-generation, immensely complicated, and badly needed re-write of the state’s education funding formula that, against all odds, had support across party and geographic lines in legislature; and a pair of legislative leaders who were products of Chicago’s once dominant but now fading Catholic parish and political culture, where parochial schools were a central part of daily life.

Those conditions just didn’t exist in Springfield this year and they might never again. Through that perspective, the failure to extend the program is maybe the least surprising thing to happen this year.

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Raw sewage, floods have plagued Cahokia Heights for years, will take years to fix, leaving residents to deal with health issues, damage

Monday, Nov 13, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Back in 2021, the Belleville News-Democrat wrote a story questioning why Cahokia Heights hadn’t fixed floods of raw sewage…

People who live in at least 54 homes in the 4.29 square mile area struggle with flash flooding, raw sewage in yards and homes that does not drain away and drinking water they don’t trust, according to residents and two lawyers who have taken up their cause. […]

Nelson and another lawyer, Kalila Jackson, say they have been trying to get help for Centreville residents for nearly two years. Nelson is the founder and executive director of Equity Legal Services, a nonprofit that provides free legal services for low income people. Jackson works for the Metropolitan St. Louis Equal Housing and Opportunity Council, a not-for-profit agency that fights against housing discrimination. […]

The lawyers say pump stations designed to pull sewage away from the area are barely functional, non-functional or aren’t turned on during heavy rain, leaving raw sewage and stormwater in the Centreville streets, on residents’ lawns and inside their homes.

Even a small amount of rain can cause flash flooding, Nelson said, sometimes reaching up to 2 feet high and taking weeks to recede. She said the soil is almost constantly saturated because of the drainage issues.

In 2003, Commonfields of Cahokia Water and Sewage District took over Centreville’s and Alorton’s sewer district. The agency did not respond to a BND request for comment on the issues in Centreville and phone calls to the office yielded no answers.

* KSDK in March…

Environmental attorneys representing a group of Cahokia Heights residents want the judge to rule that the community’s troubled sewer system is violating federal law.

Attorneys from Earthjustice filed a motion for summary judgement last week. They are asking for the court to rule the sewer system violates the Clean Water Act. […]

This issue has been a local and state conversation for years. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker (D-IL) announced a $10 million dollar sewer overhaul plan last August. He said the reason for the plan hasn’t progressed quicker comes down to local officials.

“The challenge has been that there is paperwork that still hasn’t been submitted, we’re trying to help local officials to get that in order,” he said of the plan in a news conference in February. But local officials like State Representative Kevin Schmidt (R-Millstadt) said the governor is moving too slow.

Click here to see the lawsuit.

* In May, Cahokia Heights signed a deal with the Army Corps of Engineers to fix the sewer lines…

The Metro East city’s water woes have lasted for years. But, finally, there’s an agreement to repair the ailing infrastructure.

“We hope to start actual construction if not later this year, than early next year,” Hurst Roche Senior project manager Jim Nold said in a press conference Wednesday.

Unfortunately, repair work could take up to five years … a wait long overdue for resident Walter Byrd. He showed us around his street on a rainy February day in 2020. […]

There is a looming problem that could bring work to a standstill … money.

“We may be, on the high end another $10 to $15 million short,” Cahokia Heights Mayor Curtis McCall Sr. says. “On the low end, maybe another $8 million.”

* Last month, Fox 2…

The EPA has appointed a coordinator to help the Cahokia Heights community combat flooding, sewage, and drinking water concerns.

Beth Murphy, a 20-year veteran of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, has been named the inaugural coordinator of this effort.

According to the EPA, Cahokia Heights residents have cited nearly 100 documented instances of sewage coming out of government-owned pipes and into their homes since 2019. Many around the community are struggling to find money for necessary repairs.

Murphy, as a coordinator, will focus on ensuring that funds are quickly and responsibly disbursed to the community, in addition to federal, state and local funding efforts.

* The Belleville News-Democrat published a trio of stories today about the lack of action from local government and statewide agencies. Let’s start off with their breakdown…

Sewage and floodwater bring the threat of bacteria, parasites, viruses and mold into homes in Cahokia Heights. Universities conducting an independent health study have found more than 40% of adults out of an initial sample of 42 had the same bacterial infection. Researchers from Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Colorado continue studying the prevalence of bacteria and parasites in Cahokia Heights and how residents are being exposed. Residents say stomach, respiratory and heart conditions are common among their neighbors.

Public health agencies are responsible for handling serious health threats like exposure to sewage, but the East Side Health District and Illinois Department of Public Health did little to nothing for residents in Cahokia Heights. The local and state agencies haven’t investigated the possible health effects of sewage exposure or fully informed residents of the risks, according to statements from public health officials, interviews with residents and a BND review of educational material the local agency provided to citizens.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency became more involved in Cahokia Heights two years ago, ordering the city to repair the sewer system and water providers to monitor drinking water. Now, another agency has started working in Cahokia Heights. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is gathering information about residents’ health concerns and coordinating with the EPA, according to federal officials. Health and Human Services’ involvement comes after it investigated public health agencies in another part of the country with the Justice Department for failing to take action when sewage spilled into neighborhoods.

* More from the BND…

The Illinois Department of Public Health downplayed the seriousness of H. pylori in response to BND questions about what the agency might do to assess the health effects of sewage exposure in Cahokia Heights in light of the study’s preliminary findings. Mike Claffey, the state agency’s spokesperson, said H. pylori is one of the most common chronic bacterial infections worldwide.

Claffey pointed to a study of data from a CDC survey in the U.S. between 1988 and 1991. The study estimated about half of U.S. adults over 60 had been exposed to H. pylori based on antibodies found in blood testing.

A study of an updated CDC survey between 1999 and 2000 found the numbers were declining in older age. Both estimated an average of around 30% of adults had been exposed to the bacteria.

The study in Cahokia Heights, on the other hand, analyzed stool samples showing how many people were actively infected.

Most people don’t experience symptoms from H. pylori.

One of the researchers in Cahokia Heights, Washington University Professor Theresa Gildner, said she and her colleagues hypothesize that healthy bacteria can help keep it in check. They think it can make people feel sick if they’re exposed to a lot of H. pylori or other pathogens in the environment because of something like sewage spills. Lyles, 64, said she was so sick from the bacteria that she couldn’t eat or drink anything — even water — without stomach cramping, nausea and vomiting. She lost about 12 pounds the first time she had it and 15 pounds the second.

You can read how local officials dodged BND’s questions and interview requests here. Click here for a detailed timeline.

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Catholic Charities San Antonio actually believes sending migrants to Chicago with zero Chicago coordination provides ‘the most dignified care possible’

Monday, Nov 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Tribune…

When migrants arrive in Chicago’s airports on flights paid for by Catholic Charities in San Antonio, they often have little to no money, connections or plan for what to do next.

Catholic Charities in Chicago is not there to greet them because its counterpart in Texas does not coordinate with it. Few of the migrants have friends or family here to meet them. […]

The haphazard transferral of migrants not only calls into question the best use of taxpayer money and donations, but also fosters discussion about the moral obligations of faith-based groups. […]

“From our point of view, we want to make sure any client coming into our care is receiving the most dignified care possible. For right now, it is flying them to their final destination at their request,” [Chief Development Officer of Catholic Charities San Antonio Tara Ford] said.

Ford declined to comment when asked whether sending migrants into freezing temperatures without a place to stay could be considered dignified care.

Catholic Charities of Chicago says it receives no notice from its counterpart when migrants arrive in Chicago. “Specifically, Catholic Charities of San Antonio has not chosen to share any information with us about arrivals,” Mary Krinock, chief of staff of Catholic Charities of Chicago, said in a written statement.

It never ceases to amaze me that Catholic Charities of San Antonio does zero coordination with Catholic Charities of Chicago. The Cardinal might wanna pick up a phone.

* More…

Catholic Charities Archdiocese of San Antonio Inc. receives millions of dollars from the federal government’s Shelter and Services Program, and from state, city, county and foundation money.

Chicago also receives a chunk of federal funding. But the program — which provides money for sheltering services to migrants who have been released by the Department of Homeland Security — only applies within 45 days of their release.

“The 45-day time stamp doesn’t work for the model that we have here in Chicago,” Pacione-Zayas said at last month’s briefing.

* Meanwhile, from the Sun-Times…

Hundreds gathered to march and demonstrate in Brighton Park Friday afternoon to voice their opposition to a proposed winter camp for asylum-seekers in the Southwest Side neighborhood. […]

Fliers distributed by organizers of the event — which were also taped to the ward office windows — suggested the city should instead put homeless residents into vacant properties, and also build the asylum-seeker camps in unincorporated areas, and include their own schools and other facilities.

No mention in the story of who organized the event, but protestors’ signs were clearly printed by a professional. Not saying that’s bad, just saying that maybe the organizers should be identified.

* From Isabel…

* Tribune | Migrant family journeys back to Venezuela, more leaving Chicago as winter looms: ‘The American Dream doesn’t exist anymore’: Over the past five months since arriving in Chicago, Andrea Carolina Sevilla’s parents have been unable to enroll her in school even though the reason they left everything behind in their native Venezuela was for her to have access to better education. In Venezuela, she said, she was lucky she could even attend school. Many other teenagers start working at an early age to help out their families, who often face extreme poverty.

* Tribune | City ID card event cancellations frustrate migrants desperate for official identification: But the morning of the event, it was abruptly canceled as city staffers struggled to keep the crowd that had grown to 1,000 under control. “I started to cry,” said Olachea, her voice cracking. “We had been awake for almost two days straight, making sure that we kept our place in line, and then all of a sudden it was canceled. … I’m angry and frustrated, but I’m more than anything sad because we are trying to make this work.”

* ABC Chicago | Brighton Park residents protest, march Friday against plans for migrant camp: The city says the lot in Brighton Park that it’s leasing, is still under an environmental review, but work crews proceed to move forward. Friday morning, however, there was no work being done on the lot. […] In a statement the city acknowledged plans for the Morgan Park lot to be converted to an affordable housing complex next year, writing, “The commitments from the Johnson Administration are expansive — a base camp deadline, community contracts, capital improvements, support for housing, health and safety, and breaking ground on Morgan Park Commons in 2024.”

* NBC Chicago | Project allowing Chicago migrants to acquire work permits begins this week: Organizers expect that 150 migrants will start the process on Thursday, while aiming to have double that amount per day by Thanksgiving. TRP estimates that approximately 11,000 migrants in Chicago are eligible for work permits, though it excludes a large portion of Chicago’s migrant community.

* WTTW | As Backlash Against Chicago’s Sanctuary City Status Gains Steam, Supporters Warn of Consequences: Despite the fact that the city’s sanctuary city status has nothing legally to do with the migrants, Ald. Anthony Beale (9th Ward) and Ald. Raymond Lopez (15th Ward) have demanded a nonbinding referendum on the city’s sanctuary city status, which they both have long opposed, on the March primary election ballot. … “We have to draw the line somewhere,” Beale said, falsely accusing the migrants of committing crimes in Chicago.

* Sun-Times Editorial Board | Migrant crisis won’t be solved by repealing Welcoming City ordinance: And critically, a repeal will not stop the tide of migrants being bused here courtesy of Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s political grandstanding.

* STLPR | St. Charles County Council to consider resolution decrying bringing Latin Americans to region: The St. Charles County Council will consider a resolution Monday that opposes the International Institute of St. Louis’ plan to bring Latin American immigrants from Chicago to the region to boost the population and workforce. Some council members say publicity about the program prompted them to propose the resolution. “The St. Charles County Council is strongly opposed to the importation of illegal immigrants into the region based on current federal and state statutes that make their unlawful entry into the United States a criminal offense,” wrote resolution sponsors Matt Swanson, Joe Brazil, Dave Hammond and Tim Baker.

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Invest in Kids Act coverage roundup

Monday, Nov 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Background from Capitol News Illinois…

Illinois lawmakers adjourned their fall veto session Thursday afternoon without renewing a controversial program that provided indirect state support for students attending private and religious schools.

The Invest in Kids program will sunset as scheduled on Dec. 31, meaning donors to six state-approved private school scholarship funds will no longer be able to claim a 75 percent tax credit for their donations. The program has been capped at $75 million annually since its implementation in 2018.

Advocates for the program say without the tax incentives, the scholarship organizations won’t be able to raise the money they have in recent years, and an estimated 9,600 students who currently receive those scholarships may have to find another way to pay for their education or transfer to their local public school.

Lawmakers passed the Invest in Kids Act in 2017 as part of a bipartisan package that also included an overhaul of the way Illinois funds public preK-12 education. The scholarship program was considered necessary in order to get then-Gov. Bruce Rauner, a Republican, to sign the public school funding overhaul.

* I told subscribers about this more than a month ago, but it was completely lost in the news media coverage here. Buried in today’s Tribune story…

During the 2022-23 school year, no Black students received the scholarships at more than half of the schools participating in the program, and there were no Latino recipients at about a third of the schools, according to data compiled by the Illinois Department of Revenue.

Only about a quarter of the money in the program went to low-income students, and roughly the same percentage went to students from areas with at least one low-performing public school, according to the Department of Revenue data.

* Also from the Tribune…

A Democratic lawmaker who supports the program said the bid for an extension was hurt because some advocates, particularly the conservative Illinois Policy Institute, tried to turn the issue into a larger crusade against politically powerful teachers unions like the Chicago Teachers Union and the Illinois Federation of Teachers, which are strong political allies and campaign contributors to many Democratic lawmakers. The institute’s long-standing anti-union agenda was evident in its support of Rauner, who waged an unsuccessful war against public service unions allied with Democrats.

“Once the battle became that ideological, it’s just not going to pass with legislative Democratic majorities,” said the lawmaker in support of the Invest in Kids program, who asked not to be identified because he did not want to publicly comment on a politically sensitive issue.

The massive public relations effort by Invest in Kids supporters did a marvelous job of tamping down information like that.

* But they should’ve been pushing people like this to the forefront…

Republicans said Democrats had sided with teacher unions, particularly the Chicago Teachers Union, over students. Some Democrats, however, also expressed disappointment with the program’s sunset.

“There’s no guarantee that they’ll be able to stay at the school they may have grown to love and built a community within,” said Rep. Kevin Olickal, D-Skokie, on the House floor Thursday, estimating more than 2,000 students in his district will be affected. “They may be thrown into a harmful transition.”

The only chance to renew the program before it sunsets would be through a special session, which would require a joint proclamation from Speaker of the House Emanuel “Chris” Welch and Senate President Don Harmon. A spokesperson for Harmon said it was unclear if such a session would be called.

“Unclear.” Sure. Right. A special session will totally happen.

* NBC 5…

Anthony Holder of Empower Illinois, the state’s largest scholarship granting organization, criticized the ending of the program.

“The real tragedy is that kids who now have a scholarship may be forced to leave their school once these scholarships go away,” Holder said.

I’ve been telling subscribers for weeks that the extension proponents needed a solution which would save the scholarships of kids already in the program, but nobody listened.

* Also NBC 5…

“The Invest in Kids tax credit program wasn’t called for consideration because it didn’t have enough votes, even with the Democratic and Republican caucuses combined, so the program comes to an end on Dec. 31,” the statement [from House Speaker Chris Welch’s office] said.

* Effingham Radio…

At an end of session press conference, House Republican Leader Tony McCombie (R-Savanna) said the program will continue to be a priority of the House Republican Caucus. She also pointed to the fact that numerous Democrat members, include the House Speaker, send their children to private schools, but refuse to give others the opportunity.

* A couple more from Isabel…

* WGLT | Illinois’ controversial private school scholarship program is ending: Teachers unions and other opponents are celebrating. Illinois Federation of Teachers President Dan Montgomery issued a statement Thursday, saying the law’s sunset is a significant stride in prioritizing the needs of the state’s public education system. “There is a nationwide push to divert public dollars from our public schools through vouchers or voucher-like programs like tax credit scholarships and education savings accounts,” Montgomery said in the statement. “Today, Illinois lawmakers chose to put our public schools first and end the state program that subsidized private, mostly religious schools, many of which have discriminatory policies.”

* WICS | IL Freedom Caucus calls out Speaker Chris Welch for blocking Invest in Kids legislation:” Speaker Welch has let down tens of thousands of kids by blocking legislation to extend the Invest in Kids program. There were as many as 35 House Democrats ready to vote for the program (more than enough to pass the bill) had Speaker Welch called the legislation for a vote. The program has handed out nearly 50,000 scholarships since the program launched in the 2018-2019 school year. It has been an effective tool in helping kids – especially low-income kids – escape failing schools. Illinois spends more than $8 billion on education and the greedy, self-serving teachers’ unions went to war to stop a program that at most would provide $75 million in scholarships. The Invest in Kids program did not utilize public taxpayer money. The money came from private donors who received a 75 percent tax credit for their donations.”

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Caption contest!

Monday, Nov 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From yesterday’s Giants vs. Cowboys game TV coverage…

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Why did CTU reject a change it had requested for years?

Monday, Nov 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

* My weekly syndicated newspaper column…

Last Tuesday, Chicago Teachers Union lobbyist Kurt Hilgendorf told the Illinois Senate Executive Committee the union had only “one problem” with Senate President Don Harmon’s elected Chicago school board bill.

Hilgendorf praised much of the bill during his testimony. But the CTU has claimed for years it wants a fully elected school board, just like every other school district in the state. Right now, all board members are appointed by the mayor.

The “one concern” the union had about the legislation, Hilgendorf said, was “only half of the city will vote,” because Harmon’s bill elected only half of the 20 district members and mandated the mayor appoint the other half. The appointed members would serve for two years, and then their districts would be put to the voters.

“That creates a disenfranchisement lawsuit risk,” Hilgendorf warned, adding that “maximum participation should be done in the first election, similar to how the Senate after a remap year, all members of the Senate are up.” In conclusion, the CTU lobbyist told the committee, “We think that all the voters in the city of Chicago should have the right to vote in that first-year election.”

Harmon rewrote his bill and used language similar to Hilgendorf’s when he explained his new measure to his chamber two days later. The bill would, as the CTU requested, elect all 20 members next year.

Harmon explained that, after a period of staggered elections, the proposal adopted “the Senate model” of breaking up the 20 districts into “three classes,” of “terms that we in the Senate are elected to.” A third of the Senate’s members is elected for terms of two, four and four years. Another third is elected for terms of four, two and four years. And the final third is elected for terms of four, four and two years.

The CTU, in other words, would get exactly what it said it wanted during the committee hearing two days earlier.

But the CTU adamantly refused to accept a win and continued supporting the House’s hybrid plan of electing only half the school board next year, with the other half appointed.

A few hours after Harmon passed his bill, CTU President Stacy Davis Gates wrote on X, the website formerly known as Twitter: “The real question is when did the senate president become a proponent of a fully elected [Chicago school board]? The ONLY reason we [have] a hybrid board until ‘26 is [because] of his refusal to pass legislation for a fully elected board. Why now? Ask him? It’s the MOST obvious question NOT being asked.”

Um, the most obvious answer is the CTU asked for a fully elected board on Tuesday and warned a lawsuit could be filed if the language wasn’t changed to elect all 20 members. And, unlike the House, Harmon gave the CTU exactly what it publicly requested.

Near the end of a story earlier last week by Sun-Times chief political reporter Tina Sfondeles was this passage: “The CTU, which has always supported a fully elected board, prefers [Rep. Ann Williams’ hybrid House plan], in part because it would give the union more time to choose candidates and raise campaign funds. The union would only have to find 10 candidates, as opposed to 20, under the House Democrats’ plan. And the union’s political action committee will have to play catch-up after contributing a hefty $2.46 million to Johnson’s mayoral campaign.”

In other words, why spend precious dollars on 10 extra elections if the mayor you elected will appoint your people for free?

Davis Gates also complained online that reporters asked Mayor Brandon Johnson, but not the CTU, about the union’s reasons for supporting the House’s hybrid bill instead of the fully elected Senate bill. I took her up on the offer and asked. As I write this, she hasn’t yet responded.

Harmon told reporters after he passed his bill the Legislature has until April 1 to come up with a solution, so sending both chambers home without a deal last week wasn’t the end of the world.

It did not go unnoticed, though, that House Speaker Chris Welch abruptly adjourned his chamber not long after passing his chamber’s CTU-backed hybrid bill in a way which couldn’t be amended by the Senate, forcing Harmon’s chamber into a take-it-or-leave-it position.

“None of this instills much confidence in the legislative process going forward,” noted one longtime legislative observer.

I have a hunch something else is going on here. The CTU is backing a candidate against appointed Sen. Natalie Toro (D-Chicago), for instance, and that race is gonna get negative as all heck. Also, I think there might possibly be something in the CTU-backed House bill that could have turned Harmon against it.

Either way, I ran into CTU President Stacy Davis Gates at an event Friday night and she said the fact that Harmon didn’t tell her he was moving a bill caused her to be suspicious. But, as noted above, the CTU’s own lobbyist requested the changes that Harmon made, and the union has an experienced staff that can read bills on their own.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)

Monday, Nov 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Open thread

Monday, Nov 13, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* I hope y’all had a relaxing weekend! What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…

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Isabel’s morning briefing

Monday, Nov 13, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: A family seeking asylum leaves Chicago, heading back to the country they once fled. Tribune…

- Migrants said they’re realizing the city is at a breaking point. Not only is there no more space in shelters, they also acknowledge that some residents in Chicago oppose the opening of more shelters for them.

- Castejon said that despite the dangerous trek to get here — often begging for money and sleeping in the streets to cross several borders — the journey had not been worth it.

* Related stories…

∙ Sun-Times: Hundreds gather in Brighton Park to oppose proposed migrant camp
∙ Tribune | Migrants flown to Chicago by Catholic Charities in San Antonio, even with winter approaching and no place to sleep
∙ Tribune:City ID card event cancellations frustrate migrants desperate for official identification
∙ Sun-Times: Despite internal police alerts, scant evidence of violent gang members among Venezuelan migrants in Chicago

* Isabel’s top picks…

* Tribune | Midwest pollution spiked dramatically this summer because of Canadian wildfires. Now officials may erase those days from the books.: Dozens of states and the EPA are so concerned they may exclude the smokiest days from the legally binding score cards that determine whether they’re doing enough to fight pollution, according to a joint collaboration between the Tribune and the nonprofit news site MuckRock. They could do so by invoking the so-called exceptional events exclusion for pollution humans don’t cause and can’t control. If they do, it could lead to the largest such exclusion in the history of the federal Clean Air Act.

* Chicago Mag | Pro-life or Pro-lie?: It’s warranted, argues Brigid Leahy, vice president of public policy at Planned Parenthood Illinois Action, who collaborated on the bill with Raoul. She has seen what she views as deceptive tactics employed by such centers and their supporters. In Flossmoor, Aid for Women opened a crisis pregnancy center across the street from a Planned Parenthood site. Activists set up a “Check in Here” sign outside Planned Parenthood’s door, then directed women to the Aid for Women center, Leahy says. In another instance she cites, a woman received an ultrasound at a pregnancy center, but was told to come back in a week, when a doctor could give her the results. By the time she learned how far along the fetus was, it was too late to get an abortion.

* Daily Herald | Why Wheeling is banning unlicensed sale of synthetic pot: “A lot is unknown about the chemicals that go into these synthetically derived THC products,” Village Attorney James Ferolo said during Monday’s board meeting. “It’s kind of the Wild West, quite frankly.” Trustee Ray Lang called the products “unlicensed garbage.” Wheeling’s new ordinance outlaws the unlicensed sale, advertisement, display or delivery of such products. Fines will start at $500, and business licenses could be revoked.

* Here’s the rest of your morning roundup…

* WBEZ | Illinois could see more nuclear reactors by 2026: The idea is the smaller reactors will be produced at factory scale, which will lower costs over time and bring them online faster than previous generations of reactors. Currently, there are no SMRs in operation or even production anywhere in the U.S.

* Tribune | Families lament, public school advocates celebrate end of controversial scholarship tax credit: During the 2022-23 school year, no Black students received the scholarships at more than half of the schools participating in the program, and there were no Latino recipients at about a third of the schools, according to data compiled by the Illinois Department of Revenue. Only about a quarter of the money in the program went to low-income students, and roughly the same percentage went to students from areas with at least one low-performing public school, according to the Department of Revenue data.

* The Telegraph | Madison County Democrats outline plans at annual JFK Dinner: So far the Democrats have been relatively quiet. Locally, the only declared candidate is Nick Raftopoulos, who is running for the 111th Illinois House seat now held by Amy Elik. He has already received the Democratic Party’s endorsement. “We’re still recruiting candidates,” Harris said. “We’ve had a lot of interest, but we haven’t had anybody ready to take that leap.”

* CBS Chicago | “They tortured him”; police used Taser on special needs teen for breaking window before shooting him: As her son got away from the Taser, he started to sprint. At that point, his encounter with police became nearly fatal. The other officer, Sergeant Scott Langan, drew his gun from his holster, aimed it, and fired - shooting the teen just below his belt on his hip. Fearing he might get shot again, he hid in a nearby yard, bleeding.

* Tribune | Illinois judge who reversed sexual assault ruling awaits fate after disciplinary hearing: The Illinois Judicial Inquiry Board, which investigates grievances against sitting judges, accused [Judge Robert Adrian] of circumventing the state’s mandatory sentencing law when he vacated his decision during Clinton’s Jan. 3, 2022, sentencing hearing. The board also accused Adrian of lying about his motives during sworn testimony last April as part of its investigation, and of ejecting from his courtroom a prosecutor who “liked” a social media post critical of Adrian.

* Sun-Times | Peoples Gas rate hike would hurt Chicagoans struggling to pay utility bills, advocates say: Peoples Gas petitioned the commission in January for a record increase of $402 million. If approved, that would translate to customers seeing an average monthly increase of $11.83 — or $141.96 a year — in their bills. Glennon Dolan, an administrative law judge for the commission, recommended the hike total $350 million instead, which would mean customers would pay an additional $10 a month.

* Tribune | Clout-heavy contractor linked to federal investigations at City Hall and in the suburbs: The businesses have garnered government contracts from across Cook County worth up to $250 million for demolition services, equipment rental and materials. At the same time, Bracken and the businesses themselves have contributed nearly $375,000 over the past two decades to a wide array of local elected officials, including a half-dozen who have been charged or come under federal investigation.

* Daily Southtown | Orland Park pastor accused with Trump in Georgia election tampering says he will not ‘cooperate with evil’ and take plea deal: “I am not going to plead out to a lie,” he told a crowd of about 70 supporters. “I’m not going to cooperate with evil. This is bigger than me.” His legal team includes Chicago-area attorney David Shestokas, who spoke at the fundraiser and said that Lee’s expenses, not including legal fees, could be in the neighborhood of $150,000 if he has to spend several months in Georgia during the trial. That cost could be less if his case is severed.

* Crain’s | Federal government putting Rush Street offices up for sale: It’s unclear whether the agency would continue to occupy the building after it is sold, though the GSA has sought to consolidate its office footprint in recent years. In one recent example, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services is vacating its roughly 170,000-square-foot office at 233 N. Michigan Ave. and moving downtown employees into available space in federally owned buildings at 230 S. Dearborn St. and 77 W. Jackson Blvd.

* SJ-R | Worth the wait: Springfield World War II veteran receives Congressional Gold medal: “We waited 77 years for recognition and now we have it,” said Kolis, who turns 99 next month. Kolis’ time in service included the delivery of materials onto the beach of Southern France, during the Invasion of Southern France also known as Little D-Day. There, his boat beached itself and was stuck for three days. He would later transport German prisoners of war to North Africa.

* Illinois Times | The future of community journalism:Two foundations announced Nov. 6 that they are setting aside $2 million toward improving news coverage in Springfield and surrounding communities. “I don’t know if we’re what they call a news desert, but it’s gotten awfully dry,” said John Stremsterfer, president and CEO of the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln during a grant announcement held at University of Illinois Springfield’s Student Union.

* Daily Southtown | South suburban casino on pace for summer opening, interior work to begin in coming weeks: Wind Creek previously estimated the casino would be ready for customers by late summer or early fall of this year, but Kuehn said Friday construction is on track for an opening sometime from July to September 2024.

* WJBC | Mercury opens in Springfield: A new consultancy/public relations/lobbying firm is open in downtown Springfield, and the people behind it know their way around politics and government. Springfield native and former U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos and former State Sen. Toi Hutchinson are among the people at Mercury, whose local office is in the former cigar shop at Sixth and Monroe. The space was more recently the district office for Congressmen Darin LaHood and Aaron Schock.

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Monday, Nov 13, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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Isabel’s morning briefing

Friday, Nov 10, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Veto session wrapped up last night. State Journal-Register…

* Related stories…

∙ Sun-Times: Unfinished assignment: Lawmakers leave Springfield without final plan for Chicago elected school board
∙ Tribune: Illinois lawmakers validate referendums creating mental health funding for 5 suburban townships and Will County
∙ WTTW: Bill Boosting Chicago Police Officers’ Pensions Clears General Assembly
∙ Capitol News Illinois: Governor, who vetoed previous nuclear power bill, supports new effort

* Isabel’s top picks…

* Injustice Watch | Most juvenile detention centers in Illinois are failing to meet state standards: In Winnebago County, teenagers in the juvenile detention center had their water shut off for hours “as a precaution to disruptive behavior.” In Cook County, children as young as age 13 who come into the detention center are inappropriately strip searched. In Knox County’s Mary Davis Home, young people are confined to their cells for 24 hours as a disciplinary measure.

* Sun-Times | Despite internal police alerts, scant evidence of violent gang members among Venezuelan migrants in Chicago: A Chicago Sun-Times analysis, based on news reports, crime data and court records, identified more than 30 migrants from Venezuela who’ve been arrested in Chicago and DuPage County since April. More than half of the cases involved theft and shoplifting. Two involved violent crimes — a robbery and a stabbing. Records show that only one of those migrants, charged with domestic battery, is listed in Chicago police records as being a suspected member of the prison gang.

* Sun-Times | Biden stumps for unions and himself during UAW celebration in Belvidere: Faced with declining poll numbers and a crisis in the Middle East, Biden leaned in to his chance to fire up a crowd rejoicing over the UAW’s historic gains from its targeted strike against the Detroit Big Three automakers. In its deal with Stellantis, the union secured a pledge to restart Belvidere, adding thousands of jobs.

* Safe travels home, Cricket!…

extraordinary work this week everyone give yourself a big pat on the back and scratch behind the ear because every single meal has been delivered on time thats gotta be a record just bang up work pic.twitter.com/Ya7FtsMJaO

— John Amdor (@JohnAmdor) November 9, 2023

* Here’s the rest of your morning roundup…

* WAND | Illinois lawmakers approve solution for health care licensing delays: House Bill 2394 creates an expedited and competitive bid process for software to modernize the way Illinois processes professional licenses. The measure could also require the agency to extend the expiration date or renewal period for licensees if the department believes it is necessary to avoid undue hardship.

* WBEZ | Illinois’ controversial private school scholarship program is ending: The controversial program allows taxpayers to earn an income tax credit by donating to scholarship funds across the state that send students from lower-income households to private schools. About 9,700 students across the state received scholarships last year. Students with scholarships this year will be allowed to finish out the school year.

* Tribune | Lawmakers send Gov. J.B. Pritzker revised proposal to lift Illinois moratorium on new nuclear plants: On a bipartisan 98-8 vote, the House approved the compromise proposal, which was passed by the Senate on a 44-7 vote a day earlier. Pritzker’s office has voiced its support for the revised measure, and the governor’s signature would make Illinois would one of a number of states that have rescinded similar bans as policymakers are taking a fresh look at nuclear power as another alternative to generate energy without increasing carbon output.

* Shaw Local | State Rep. Matt Hanson charged with DUI in Montgomery: State Rep. Matthew B. Hanson, D-Montgomery, was charged Oct. 27 with driving under the influence and driving with a blood alcohol content greater than 0.08%, according to police reports and court records. According to the police report, obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, police found Hanson, 50, asleep in his vehicle in the parking lot where he lives, in the Holly Ridge Apartments, 2260 Jericho Road, Montgomery.

* Crain’s | City Council OKs paid leave measure requiring 10 days off: Although several business groups supported the ordinance approved Thursday, the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and industry groups representing restaurants, hotels, hospitals, retail merchants and manufacturers criticized the ordinance as going too far, too fast and potentially exposing companies to lawsuits due to mistakes.

* Tribune | Third city employee accused Chicago Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin of unethical conduct, records show: Newly released records also shed more light on previously reported ethics allegations surrounding Conyears-Ervin and her husband, Ald. Jason Ervin, 28th. Emails released by the city show Conyears-Ervin directly asked top BMO Harris Bank officials to issue a loan to her husband’s landlord, who is a longtime close family friend.

* Sun-Times | Brandon Johnson wasn’t supposed to take campaign money from city contractors, but he did: Mayor Brandon Johnson isn’t allowed to take campaign contributions from city contractors under a City Hall ethics rule but has accepted them anyway. Asked about that, Christian Perry, Johnson’s political director, says taking the money was an “oversight” and that it’s being returned — about $46,500 in all.

* WTTW | Food Insecurity is on the Rise Again. How Chicagoans Are Helping Meet the Need Ahead of the Holidays: The Woodlawn Community Food Pantry now opens its doors one extra day per week to help meet the demand. “The need has changed drastically from a year ago. … People have to choose between buying food or paying for housing, buying food or paying for medical services,” said Reginald Guy, director of the pantry’s Senior Commodity Box Program. “So this is really impacting our community.”

* Block Club | Mystery Woman Who Started Winnemac Park Garden Finally Found By Volunteers: Neighbors began caring for the garden at the southwest corner of Winnemac Park, 5100 N. Leavitt St., in 2021. But they didn’t know who installed the garden beds and its hand-painted sign or planted the chives and single tomato that had survived among the weeds overtaking the area. The only clue neighbors had was the name “Gina” carved into a seat made from a tree stump at the garden.

* Tribune | Burbank man accused of dousing cops with hornet spray during Jan. 6 attack on U.S. Capitol: He was arrested Thursday morning and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sheila Finnegan, who ordered him released on bond pending his first court date in Washington. Lewis is at least the 42nd Illinoisan to be charged in the Capitol breach, an ongoing investigation that has been described by prosecutors as the largest criminal investigation in the country’s history.

* Sun-Times | Dr. Allison Arwady takes job at top U.S. health agency to curb overdoses, suicides: The Yale-educated pediatrician will work primarily in Atlanta but said she plans to keep a residence in Chicago. Calling Chicago her “long-term home,” she said she hopes to see patients at a community health clinic and lead architectural tours in the city when she has time. “I didn’t want to just pick up and be a commissioner in a different state or a different city,” she said.

* Block Club | Giant Balloons Are Back At Chicago’s Thanksgiving Parade: Teddy the Turkey and other giant helium balloons are back after a pandemic-related pause. The balloons will travel up State Street from Ida B. Wells Drive to Randolph Street with the rest of the parade participants. Now in its 89th year, the parade will run 8-11 a.m. Nov. 23.

* Crain’s | Illinois Chamber of Commerce appoints new president and CEO: The Illinois Chamber of Commerce has named Lou Sandoval, a business owner and consultant across a variety of industries, as its new president and CEO. Sandoval will start the role on Nov. 27.