The Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (PPIA) Board announced its endorsements for the offices of Illinois State House, Illinois State Senate, and the statewide advisory ballot measures on the 2024 ballot on Sept. 26. The PPIA Board also made recommendations for Chicago School Board candidates.
The PPIA Board has made endorsements in the majority of the races for the Illinois General Assembly. These candidates have all submitted questionnaires that indicate their support for sexual and reproductive health care policies at the state level. A full list of the Planned Parenthood Illinois Action endorsed candidates is listed on our website at www.ppiacation.org […]
Advisory Ballot Questions endorsed:
The PPIA Board is also proud to recommend our supporters vote YES for all three advisory ballot questions.
Of special importance to Planned Parenthood Illinois Action is the advisory question to mandate insurance coverage of invitro-fertilization (IVF) treatments for Illinoisans seeking to start families. Planned Parenthood Illinois Action fights for all Illinoisans to have the right to make decisions on their family planning. […]
These endorsements come on the heels of PPIA announcing a day of action to raise awareness of the dangers Project 2025 can have on Illinois. Project 2025 aims to create significant barriers for individuals seeking reproductive health care, particularly for marginalized groups who already face challenges in accessing quality health services. Through their legislative action and policy support, Anti-choice politicians in Illinois have already made their agenda clear. In the last legislative session, anti-sexual and reproductive health care politicians have introduced 53 bills that would dramatically limit access to essential health care.
A new pilot program utilizing the state’s public libraries to improve court access will offer guidance for Illinoisans struggling to navigate the legal system on their own. O’Fallon Public Library, which is in the 20th Judicial Court in St. Clair County, is part of the new statewide program and it was selected for this pilot program.
The goal of the pilot program is to help people without lawyers — who may have limited technology capabilities or transportation challenges — more easily access legal information and assistance at their local public library.
O’Fallon Library Director Ryan Johnson said there is training involved before O’Fallon Library will officially begin the assistance for individuals on court-related issues. He will have staff well-versed in various forms in the filing process and also there will be a Zoom court for people to respond to some court-related issues, among other new services. […]
Using a data-driven approach, 18 libraries across the state were selected for the pilot phase based on the volume of litigants without lawyers, geographic and/or transportation limitations to local courthouses, broadband internet access constraints and interest from public libraries in the area.
Hundreds of Ameren workers from Illinois and Missouri are helping to assist those on the east coast with recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
Ameren stated they are sending 125 Ameren personnel and 210 contractor personnel and line workers to help assist crew from Appalachian Power in Charleston, West Virginia.
This includes 160 which are from Illinois, with five of those members from the Marion and Anna region. […]
“Mutual aid literally places thousands of boots on the ground to help the East Coast power companies with their restoration efforts. We were prepped and ready to answer the call for people affected by Hurricane Helene,” said Lenny Singh, chairman and president, Ameren Illinois. “My thoughts and prayers are with those in the aftermath of the hurricane and for all personnel traveling to respond to this event.”
*** Statehouse News ***
* The Telegraph | Katie Stuart campaigns for 5th term in Illinois’ 112th House District: Katie Stuart is looking to win her fifth term as a state representative in the 112th District and is keeping busy as election day draws closer. She is facing a challenge from Republican Jay Keeven. “I’m out every day talking to folks, going door-to-door and just listening to concerns and sharing what I’ve been doing for the district,” she said recently.
*** Chicago ***
* WTTW | Chicago Spent $129M on Police Overtime in 6 Months, 30% More Than its Annual Overtime Budget: This means the city is on pace to spend at least $258 million on police overtime by the end of the year, even as officials imposed limits on overtime for all city departments, except for police and the Chicago Fire Department, amid a massive budget crunch. CPD exceeded its budget for overtime in 2024 even after Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling stopped assigning police officers to sit in prominent spots downtown with their emergency lights flashing, as part of CPD’s strategic deployment initiative.
* Block Club | Fire Union Blasts Removal Of Paramedics From Mental Health Emergency Response Program: Union President Patrick Cleary said CARE’s exclusion of Fire Department personnel violates the union’s contract as non-union members would perform city EMS services. Cleary also said proposed changes to union members’ hours, wages and conditions of employment must be brought to the bargaining table. The Firefighters Union learned about the changes to CARE program through a job posting shared by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. The April job posting was for an EMT and was listed under the health department. “We do that. Those are our duties,” Cleary said. “You can’t offer our work to another entity.”
* Sun-Times | Someone in Chicago hit me with their car and fled: On my way back, a block away from home, I was crossing the street where I had eight seconds left on the traffic signal. At the same time, a northbound gray car eagerly waited to make a left turn. While attempting to beat the red light, the driver sped up, hit me and left me in the middle of the street — about 10 feet away from the crosswalk. […] And the person responsible? No consequences, just a mini victory by beating the light and getting home a few minutes earlier that day. […] I thought about them when I learned how to stand and use a walker, when I got doctor approval to start walking with a cane, when I took my first steps without assistance and when I ran my first three miles a few weeks ago.
* CNN | America’s Greyhound bus stations are disappearing: Greyhound’s lease for its terminal in Chicago expires next month. Not only would that mean Greyhound could leave the city, but FlixBus, Barons, Burlington Trailways and other lines that also operate from the terminal could be forced to leave as well. A representative for Greyhound told CNN that there are no proposals for a lease extension. The city, which regulates curbside pickup and drop-off locations, told CNN that it is looking for alternative options for facilities. Both Greyhound and city leaders say they are committed to finding a solution.
* Sun-Times | Metra working to recover after messy morning rush: The Union Pacific Northwest, Milwaukee North, North Central Service and Heritage Corridor lines were all affected, a Metra spokesperson said. The disruption was caused by the Canadian National Railway’s positive train control system. That system is a safety measure used on tracks and at rail crossings to prevent collisions, derailments and work zone mishaps. All railroads are required to have it.
* Sun-Times | A weird and warm time surrounds returning salmon around Chicago: Even the idea of salmon in Lake Michigan is weird. In the 1960s, Michigan’s Dr. Howard Tanner concocted the audacious plan to use Pacific salmon to control invasive alewives that were turning Lake Michigan beaches into stinking messes. The plan worked, to the point where now lake managers balance alewives to the amount of salmon in the lake. That would’ve been absurd 57 years ago.
* WBEZ | As Jimmy Carter turns 100, listen to this 1988 WBEZ interview when he warned of rising temperatures: Carter came to WBEZ as the country was in the midst of a presidential campaign, with then-Vice President George H.W. Bush and Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis vying to succeed Reagan. […] While he was reserved in his criticism of Reagan, Carter said the country was sliding backward on environmental policies under his successor. In remarks that may sound eerily modern, Carter — who proclaimed himself the first environmental president — said it was time to act to reverse signs of a warming planet.
* WLS | Ford Heights appoints acting mayor after former mayor resigns over theft, misconduct convictions: Tensions between some residents and city officials ran high as current Trustee Freddie Wilson was appointed acting mayor of the struggling southern suburb. […] While there is support for the new mayor, others question his ties to a corrupt Mayor Griffin, who served from 2009 to 2017 and again beginning in 2021. “That’s got nothing to do with me,” Wilson said. “Whatever the mayor might have made mistakes doing, that was on the mayor. Don’t hold me accountable for what the mayor did.”
* Sun-Times | Chicago Marathon and United Center ditch plastic water bottles with help from Rosemont company: When runners cross the finish line at next month’s Bank of America Chicago Marathon, they won’t get plastic single-use water bottles. Instead, they’ll get aluminum ones made by Culligan International, a Rosemont-based water filtration and treatment company. The roughly 50,000 marathon runners can also refill the metal bottles at Culligan’s portable refilling stations throughout Grant Park during the post-marathon party on Oct. 13.
* Lake County News-Sun | Development of Waukegan’s downtown, lakefront moving at different speeds; ‘We have to learn what developers may want’: Already working with the Waukegan Planning & Zoning Commission, the Waukegan Community Development Partnership is proposing the renovation of the one-time YMCA on Clayton Street and a former restaurant on Genesee Street into multiuse facilities. […] Mayor Ann Taylor said plans for the lakefront will take longer, in part because of contaminated land from the city’s industrial past and the reluctance of the Canadian National Railway to part with its right of way bordering the western part of the lakefront area.
*** Downstate ***
* Telegraph | Illinois retiree challenges Rep. Mary Miller as write-in candidate: Looking at his ballot in the spring Democratic primary, William Bonnett noted there were only two races listed – the presidential election and a judicial race. So Bonnett, 70, a retiree in Ashland, Illinois, a small town northwest of Springfield, decided to do something about it – he signed up as a write-in candidate against Republican incumbent Mary Miller in the 15th Congressional District. He described himself as a “volunteer Democrat.”
* SJ-R | Unhoused people return to encampment site after city of Springfield removes items: Multiple people brought food to the seven or so people present in the morning, carrying bags of Lunchables, sandwiches, bottled water and doughnuts. “We’re not supposed to close up our bowels of compassion and not help,” said Michelle Myers who handed out sandwiches she had made. “It becomes very political and so forth… but we are still supposed to help. And that’s just being a Christian and a humanitarian.”
* WAND | UIS Illinois Innocence Project marks International Wrongful Conviction Day: As part of the flag display, the “UIS blue” flags represent the 555 people exonerated in Illinois. Those men and women lost 4,657 years of their lives to wrongful incarceration, the University of Illinois Springfield said. […] IIP has helped exonerate/release 24 innocent men and women in Illinois who were wrongfully convicted of crimes they did not commit and wrongfully imprisoned for a collective 546 years at a cost of $35 million for incarceration alone.
* WGEM | Quincy church hosts scam education seminar: Pastor Orville Jones stated senior citizens are the most likely to fall for phone scams due to a lack of education about technology. That’s what prompted him to start a seminar to educate seniors about scams. “We get these phone calls, sometimes they’re threatening and say they’re from the IRS,” Jones explained. Guest speaker Don O’Brien of the Better Business Bureau explained to the attendees that asking the scammers questions that an actual government employee would know is just one of the ways that seniors can avoid the scam.
* PJ Star | Peoria-based healthcare system named one of the best employers in Illinois: Peoria-based OSF Healthcare was named to the Forbes list of best employers in Illinois for a sixth year in a row. […] OSF has nearly 24,000 employees in more than 150 locations, including 16 hospitals in Illinois and Michigan, according to the healthcare system. OSF was the only Peoria-headquartered business to make the list.
*** National ***
* AP | Abortion pills will be controlled substances in Louisiana soon. Doctors have concerns: Opponents argue the classification could have catastrophic impacts in a state that already has a near-total abortion ban and one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the nation. Doctors fear the reclassification will cause delays in accessing the drugs — mifepristone and misoprostol — which together can be used to manage miscarriages, while misoprostol induces labor and treats severe bleeding after delivery. They also worry the practice of reclassifying the drugs might spread beyond Louisiana.
* NYT | Verizon Mobile Users Report Outages Across the U.S.: According to the website Downdetector, which tracks user reports of internet disruptions, more than 104,000 cases of Verizon outages were reported across the country as of 11:30 a.m. Eastern, more than an hour after the first issues were reported. By about noon, that number had dropped to around 78,000
The Chicago Teachers Union staged “walk-ins” at more than 150 schools on Monday as part of a nationwide movement to call for more funding for public education.
The demonstrations came as approximately $200 billion federal COVID relief funding is coming to an end nationwide, and school districts across Illinois are looking at big budget issues as a result.
“The funding from the federal government has had such a positive impact, and to have it taken away with no plans to replace or supplement means we will halt the incredible growth our students have made since bouncing back from COVID,” said Benito Juarez Community Acad teacher Lilliana Hogan.
Monday’s “walk-ins” by CTU are part of a national movement with The Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools – a coalition of parent, youth, community, and labor groups fighting to protect public education.
The message is that teachers want arts and after school activities – and the staff that go with it, such as librarians and social workers – to be a priority for the Chicago Public Schools. Teachers are calling on elected officials to find out where the money can come from.
The Illinois school districts which did not put the majority of their federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funding into their spending bases are not facing a crisis. Chicago did do that.
Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates joined teachers outside of Mollison Elementary in Bronzeville Monday morning to participate in a walk-in, demanding full funding for public education. […]
“We are calling in our Governor JB Pritzker. We’re calling in our Speaker of the House Chris Welch. We’re calling in our [IL] Senate President Don Harmon. We are calling in every member of the general assembly to work together, to give all of our communities across Illinois, a win-win, again this is a nationwide walk-in,” Davis Gates said.
The District is facing a $500 million shortfall, with the fall veto session starting in November for state legislators.
Gov. JB Pritzker has the opportunity to address these issues head-on the same way other governors have. Gov. Gavin Newsom figured out how to commit billions more to education in California. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore championed reforms centering equity and access. Gov. Tim Walz decided to make Minnesota the best state in the country for kids. Just last year, he increased again the state’s investment in schools, and it got him a vice presidential nomination.
Pritzker is exactly the right person to end the underfunding and make a historic turn in Illinois’ commitment to education. After the murder of George Floyd, he passed sweeping police reforms. Through the pandemic, he steered Illinois with thoughtful leadership. He has helped raise the minimum wage, expand health care and rebuild our local economies. Now, he must apply that same spirit of leadership and collaboration to the education sector that badly needs it and that has never been given its due. […]
ESSER funds demonstrated what can be accomplished when schools have the resources they need. The rest of CPS’ history is an example of what occurs when those resources are denied.
With the funds expiring, we should build on the success they made possible. The alternative is returning to a culture that sees underfunding and inequity as “good enough.” That is exactly what our city and state can no longer afford.
Not just anyone can gain access to Lake Michigan’s pristine, saltless water. That’s rooted in the Great Lakes Compact, an agreement that governs how much water each state or Canadian province can withdraw from the lakes each day. With some exceptions, only municipalities located within the 295,200-square-mile basin (which includes the surface area of the lakes themselves) can get approved for a diversion to use Great Lakes drinking water. […]
“If you do not live in a straddling community, or you’re not a city in a straddling county, you don’t have a ticket to the dance. You can’t even ask for a Great Lakes water diversion,” said Peter Annin, director of the Mary Griggs Burke Center for Freshwater Innovation at Northland College and author of The Great Lakes Water Wars.
“With the exception of the state of Illinois,” he added.
The Chicago exemption, as it is often referred to, has roots in the 1800s, when animal waste from the city’s stockyards would flush into the Chicago River, ultimately pouring into Lake Michigan. […]
Every day, Chicago had the right to use billions of gallons of Lake Michigan water to divert this water and dilute the pollution downstream. The state of Wisconsin began challenging the diversion in the 1920s, arguing that Illinois’ superfluous water use was depleting water levels in the lake. In 1967, the Supreme Court sided with Illinois, and now, Chicago can do whatever it wants with its 2.1 billion gallons per day.
[…]
As it stands now, Joliet is set to become Chicago’s second-largest water customer through the formation of its six-community consortium, the Grand Prairie Water Commission. (Chicago’s largest customer is the DuPage Water Commission, which provides water to residents of DuPage County, west of the city.)
“The fact that Illinois is now making money on their special deal, or I should say Chicago is making money on their special deal, sort of rubs salt in the wounds for others in the Great Lakes region,” [Peter Annin, director of the Mary Griggs Burke Center for Freshwater Innovation at Northland] said. “But they can do it, and they are. [Chicago] has the water, and [Chicago] needs the money.”
Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot struck a $1 billion deal in 2023 to supply Joliet and five of its surrounding suburbs with treated water from Lake Michigan starting in 2023.
Lake Zurich officials held a community meeting on Monday about the ongoing switch to Lake Michigan drinking water and addressed any community concerns over the $154 million infrastructure project.
The project will take another four years to complete and, since last year, water rates have been creeping up — and will continue until 2028 — to pay for a debt the village will owe for decades. Yet, despite all that, in a room with about two dozen residents, nobody attending the meeting expressed any concern over the plan and all who spoke supported the move to lake water. […]
For Lake Zurich the move has come after the EPA reduced acceptable levels of radium in drinking water in 2000 and due to barium in the village’s drinking water sources. Those regulations plus the legal cap on water usage in Lake Michigan meant communities drawing lake water is capped — and if Lake Zurich didn’t make a move soon, the water rights would go elsewhere and already communities far afield are planning to use Lake Michigan water.
“Joliet is 70 miles from Chicago and they’re building a pipeline to the lake,” said Central Lake County Joint Action Water Agency (CLCJAWA) Executive Director Bill Soucie, the head of the CLCJAWA. “They’re spending over $2 billion for that pipeline to get water to Joliet.”
The Oswego Village Board Tuesday will consider resolutions authorizing the execution of agreements to formally join the DuPage Water Commission as part of the process to switch to Lake Michigan water.
Oswego, Yorkville and Montgomery decided in mid-December 2021 to change from relying on well water to Lake Michigan water via a connection through the DuPage Water Commission.
The Illinois State Water Survey has used projections showing the region could run out of ground water from the aquifer it currently uses in the next 20 to 40 years.
The planning process between the three municipalities began in 2014. The three communities have been on notice from the Illinois State Water Survey that the region’s aquifer is at “severe risk” of depletion, Oswego Village Administrator Dan Di Santo said in a report to trustees.
Monday, Sep 30, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department
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Thirty-three reports obtained by the Southern include sick or impaired inmates and staff. In those reports, 51 people were observed or reported being sick, leading to 39 recorded hospitalizations.
Of these incidents, 11 took place at Menard Correctional Center, 10 took place at Pinckneyville CC, five took place at Dixon CC, four took place at Big Muddy River CC, two took place at Lawrence CC, and one each took place at Illinois River, Hill, Logan, Stateville and Sheridan Correctional Centers.
Common symptoms reported include vomiting, slurred speech, dizziness, elevated pulse rates, heart rates and blood pressures, chest pains, headaches, numbness, lightheadedness and fainting. Some staff reported breaking out into hives, rashes or burning sensations on their arms.
Eight reports included at least one witness smelling smoke before feeling symptoms. […]
While there were a few cases of Fentanyl being found in prisons, a large majority of the findings either yielded positive results for synthetic cannabis or displayed similar characteristics.
* From one of those IDOC documents, which I also obtained…
Officer #1 tested the piece of paper utilizing a SIRCHIE NARK II C2 Reagent Test Kit, which yielded a positive result for Synthetic Marijuana.
More evidence of the tests’ inaccuracy came in October 2021, when former inmates filed a class-action lawsuit against the Massachusetts Department of Correction. The prisons used test kits on all incoming mail, including letters from attorneys. When correspondence tested positive, inmates were sometimes put in solitary confinement and lost eligibility for parole. The lawsuit alleged that the prison system’s use of field tests violated the inmates’ right to due process.
Court records show that between August 2019 and August 2020, lab analysis found that 38% of the inmate mail that tested positive did not contain the alleged drug. Shortly after the inmates filed their lawsuit, Suffolk County Superior Court Judge Brian David ordered the Correction Department to immediately stop using the chemical kits until the litigation was finished.
In the order, David characterized the NARK II brand kits used in Massachusetts’ prisons as “arbitrary and unlawful guesswork.”
The inmates are also suing Sirchie Acquisition Co., manufacturer of the NARK II kits, and Premier Biotech, a retailer that sells them, in federal court for negligence, alleging the companies misrepresented the kits’ risk of false positives and provided inaccurate instructions to the state prisons. In September, a federal judge ruled that field test sellers can potentially be held liable for harm caused by erroneous results. Both of the lawsuits are ongoing.
Synthetic cannabinoids are not one drug. Hundreds of different synthetic cannabinoid chemicals are manufactured and sold. New ones with unknown health risks become available each year.
Common symptoms reported include vomiting, slurred speech, dizziness, elevated pulse rates, heart rates and blood pressures, chest pains, headaches, numbness, lightheadedness and fainting. Some staff reported breaking out into hives, rashes or burning sensations on their arms.
If you suddenly have four or more of these symptoms, you may be having a panic attack:
• Sudden high anxiety with or without a cause
• A “racing” heart
• Feeling weak, faint, or dizzy
• Shaking
• Tingling or numbness in the hands and fingers
• Sense of terror, or impending doom or death
• Feeling sweaty or having chills
• Nausea
• Chest pain or discomfort
• Breathing difficulties, including a “smothering” sensation or shortness of breath
• A feeling of choking
• Feeling a loss of control
• A sense of unreality
• A fear of going crazy or losing control
• A fear of dying
Research has found that chronic anxiety increases the sympathetic nervous system’s response to stress. This response releases histamine, a substance the body usually releases to respond to inflammation or allergic reactions. An increased release of histamine may lead to a rash or hives.
NARRATIVE: On September 1, 2024, at approximately 12:15 PM, Correctional Officer #1 was evaluated in the Health Care Unit due to complaints of not feeling well. #1 was experiencing nausea, vomiting, and headache. After an evaluation in Menard HCU it was advised that Officer #1 should be taken to the hospital.
DISPOSITION: Correctional Officer #1 was driven to Chester Memorial Hospital for treatment and evaluation by Correctional Lt. #1, who will remain with Officer #1 until a family member arrives. It should be noted that Officer #1 was assigned to the R&C Unit where he had performed duties of passing out the lunch trays, during which time he had PPE consisting of Gloves. Officer #1 advised he did accept a sick call slip from an individual in Custody on the bottom deck near the stairs and did not have gloves on when he handled the sick call note. Officer #1 was unsure of the name of the Individual in Custody and was only able to describe the individual in Custody as a white male he believed to be in his twenties. Officer #1 advised the main complaint from this individual in custody was a rash. Officer #1 stated after handling the sick call note he took his chow break and began feeling sick after returning from chow. Menard Investigations unit is looking into the situation further to help identify the unknown individual and isolate the sick call note.
On 7-11-24 at approximately 9:05 a.m. Officer #1, assigned to R4 C&D wing, was securing cell doors twenty through twenty-four when he began to smell an odor of smoke on the wing. Officer #1 exited the wing and reported to Sergeant #1, assigned to R4 Unit, of the incident and that he was experiencing dizziness, numbness and tingling in both arms, and elevated heart rate. Officer #1 was taken to the Health Care Unit to be evaluated by medical staff. Sergeant #1 contacted Lieutenant #1 via radio and requested Lieutenant #1 to report to R4. Lieutenant #1 and Temporary Assigned Lieutenant #2 reported to R4. Sergeant #1 went to the top deck of R4 Cwing to secure individuals until the odor was located and identified. Sergeant #1 reported to Temporary Assigned Lieutenant #2 that he was feeling dizzy. Sergeant #1 exited the wing and was taken to the Health Care Unit to be evaluated by medical staff.
Officer #1 was evaluated by Nurse #1 and recommended that Officer #1 be taken to the Good Samaritan Hospital by state van due to reporting of being dizzy, numbness and tingling in both arms and high blood pressure. Sergeant #1 was evaluated by Nurse #2 and recommended that Sergeant #1 be taken to the Good Samaritan Hospital by state van due to reporting of being dizzy, numbness and tingling in both arms and elevated pulse. Both staff members received workman comp packets. Officer #1 and Sergeant #1 was transported to the Good Samaritan Hospital emergency room in M.t Vernon, IL.
Severe adverse effects have been attributed to the abuse of synthetic cannabinoids, including nausea, vomiting, agitation, anxiety, seizures, stroke, coma, and death by heart attack or organ failure.
But that suggests high dosage. Simply smelling smoke from what may or may not be a synthetic cannabinoid, or touching a piece of paper that might have come into contact with a synthetic cannabinoid sends you to the hospital? If that’s so, then why were only a few staff members in these examples hospitalized?
* To be clear here, I have enormous respect for IDOC officers. They have an impossible job and I’m thankful for their service. Just click those links above to see what they face every day. My hat is off to them.
What I’m saying is that a few officers might be experiencing panic attacks and are putting the entire correctional system at risk.
And as I said many months ago, IDOC needs to do a much better job of training workers about the actual risks of their jobs and what will and will not harm them.
My one truism in life is that every labor problem is the fault of management. IDOC needs to get its act together here.
Monday, Sep 30, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department
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For months now, Statehouse types have been talking about whether there’s a need for a fall veto session this year. The session is scheduled to run the two weeks after the November election.
As one person put it, veto sessions are for things that the governor and legislators “have to do.” But with no gubernatorial vetoes to deal with, is there anything that absolutely has to be done before the end of the year?
Senate President Don Harmon said in early summer that he was “eager to consider” Karina’s Bill, which would mandate that police remove firearms from any person who has been served with a domestic violence order of protection within a certain time frame.
But his attention has been elsewhere since then (Senate campaigns and shuttling volunteers into Wisconsin and Michigan to help the Democratic ticket, to name just two), and it’s not known if Harmon’s chamber will even be ready to take up the bill.
I’m hearing Harmon has told a small handful of people that at least part of the veto session might indeed be canceled.
“Conversations are ongoing regarding possible action items for the November session,” a Harmon spokesperson said recently.
House Speaker Chris Welch said during a September event, “I think it’s too early to know what we’re going to do in veto session, if anything.” Emphasis on “if anything.”
Welch said his working group tasked with revamping mass transit was “really just beginning their work,” so that issue, as expected, would “definitely not” be ready for November.
“Folks are being educated on the issue” of adjusting Tier 2 pension benefits to make sure they align with federal laws, Welch said. And a sports stadium deal appears absolutely nowhere on the horizon.
Indeed, the speaker said he couldn’t think of anything at all that the House could take up in November. “Anybody here talking about veto session yet?” Welch rhetorically asked during a City Club event. It got a lot of laughs.
Gov. JB Pritzker soon after told reporters that he didn’t think there was any need for a supplemental budget bill before the spring legislative session begins in January. Supplementals are often passed when the government has to deal with unforeseen problems — although supplemental appropriations during the last couple of years were needed later in the fiscal year because the state brought in way more money than it expected.
Asked if he had anything on his agenda that was pressing enough to push through during the veto session or in the January lame-duck session before the spring session begins, Pritzker said, “Nothing that comes off the top of my head.”
Asked if he had any thoughts about canceling veto session, Pritzker said, “I don’t have an opinion. I’m ready, willing and able to go to work during the veto session.” But then he added, “I don’t think that the Legislature has an agenda for the veto session.”
People like me care about this because we have to attend the two-week veto session. But people like most of y’all who are reading this should also care because this is a strong indication that Illinois is becoming, well, boring.
The state has long lurched from one crisis to another, particularly after Rod Blagojevich was elected governor and he couldn’t stop picking fights with just about everyone until he was arrested by the feds, impeached by the House and removed from office by the Senate.
The six years following Blagojevich under Gov. Pat Quinn included almost constant fiscal nightmares, a desperately needed lame-duck session income tax increase and lots more infighting.
Then came Bruce Rauner, the most destructive of them all with his failed attempt to use no state budget and no renewal of Quinn’s expired tax hike for two years to force the Democratic Party to bust unions.
And then, of course, we endured the pandemic, which wreaked most every sort of havoc imaginable on the planet.
Does Illinois still have problems? Oh, heck yes. Almost none of those problems rise to the level of an immediate systemic crisis, but our largest city is currently embroiled in a self-made political and fiscal meltdown of epic proportions.
So, along those lines, canceling or curtailing veto session would allow state legislators and the governor to avoid being dragged into that Chicago mess.
Personally, I’m against canceling veto session. Boring might be good for government, but it’s bad for the news business.
* ICYMI: Stateville prison almost empty after state moves quickly to comply with court order. Tribune…
- The state is on track to have moved all but a few inmates out of Stateville Correctional Center by a court-ordered deadline Monday.
- IDOC spokesperson Naomi Puzzello said Friday that all “general population” inmates have been transferred to other facilities.
- A full complement of Stateville employees represented by American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31 are still reporting to work at the prison as the union bargains over the process for transferring the workers, AFSCME Council 31 spokesperson Anders Lindall said last week.
- All Stateville staff will continue on with their “assigned duties” until the bargaining process is completed, Puzzello said.
At 1:30 pm Governor Pritzker will celebrate completion of Illinois Beach State Park Shoreline Stabilization Project. Click here to watch.
*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***
* Crain’s | As Johnson scrambles to close $1 billion budget gap, vote could get delayed to December: With his budget team scrambling to find politically feasible personnel cuts and revenue boosters to avoid going back on Johnson’s promise to not raise property taxes, some members of the City Council have been told the budget process could begin weeks later than originally scheduled. Johnson was scheduled to deliver his annual budget address Oct. 16 but is now planning for Oct. 30, according to sources briefed on the mayor’s plan. Under the new schedule, hearings to probe every department’s budget would happen in November and a series of votes on the budget plan would not occur until early December.
* Illinois Answers Project | Many cameras. Little focus. Blurry results: In recent years, records show, police have ramped up efforts to make better use of their behemoth surveillance operation, which is anchored by city-owned PODs but also includes permitted access to roughly 35,000 other cameras owned by the CTA, schools and private businesses. The cameras also provide benefits to first responders that are difficult to quantify, as when the officer reviewing camera footage from the Humboldt Park shooting was able to tell responding police where the victim was. Still, the Illinois Answers/Tribune analysis of city-owned PODs suggests the city has failed to follow best practices that could have prevented or solved more crimes and freed up money to hire more officers.
*** Statehouse News ***
* Center Square | As Illinois considers banning all hemp-related products, others are calling for uniform laws: Some Illinois lawmakers have proposed laws to regulate hemp, while others are calling for the federal government to get involved. A Reason Foundation report shows that Congress federally legalized hemp-derived products in the 2018 Farm Bill, but failed to establish a regulatory framework. The report said that states that legalized marijuana, like Illinois, are more inclined to ban or restrict hemp-derived products.
* Tribune | Top members of Gov. JB Pritzker’s communications team exiting: Jordan Abudayyeh and Jason Rubin, both deputy chiefs of staff, were among the longest-serving members of Pritzker’s administration, holding posts in the office dating back to the governor’s first campaign in 2018. Replacing Abudayyeh and Rubin are Matt Hill, who takes the role of deputy chief of staff for communications, and Emily Bolton, who will be director of agency communications.
JUST IN: Lawyers for ex-AT&T Illinois boss Paul La Schiazza have filed their motion for acquittal after last week’s mistrial, arguing the feds called only two witnesses with direct knowledge of the hiring of Eddie Acevedo, and one of them testified it wasn’t a bribe. pic.twitter.com/xWx0rbNBBl
* NBC Chicago | Candidates for Chicago Board of Education weigh in on leadership controversy: Pedro Martinez, who is serving in that role, was asked last week to resign by Mayor Brandon Johnson, multiple sources said. An additional candidate, La’Mont Raymond Williams, in an interview with NBC Chicago, weighed in on the strain between the two. “I think it’s unfortunate, because right now the district itself can’t really afford more distractions than it already has with its budget deficit,” said Williams.
* Sun-Times | With new exhibition, Theaster Gates treats the remnants of Johnson Publishing ‘as a work of art’: Chicago artist Theaster Gates got the call around the time the Johnson Publishing Co. closed its Michigan Avenue headquarters in 2011. On the other line was Linda Johnson Rice, the daughter of John and Eunice Johnson, the founders of the historic publisher. “She asked me if I was willing to be the kind of caretaker of the things within that building, [including] the photographs, so the library, the furniture. She said, essentially, whatever you’re able to retain, retrieve, exhume from the building is yours,” Gates recalled of the conversation with Johnson Rice. “And so I’ve been living with these objects for the last decade now.”
* Crain’s | Outside Schurz High School, two dumpsters’ worth of books: Crain’s learned of dozens of titles being discarded at the school in the Irving Park neighborhood, ranging from Shakespeare to fiction to physics. This also occurred on a day of non-attendance for students to account for a professional development day. A Chicago Public Schools spokesperson told Crain’s all books were older, and this is a common practice for the district called “weeding.”
* Sun-Times | Mulitple Metra lines face “unknown” delays due to signal and train control problems: Multiple Metra lines faced “unknown” delays Monday morning due to a string of signal and train control problems. The Union Pacific Northwest, Milwaukee North, North Central Service and Heritage Corridor lines were all impacted by signal and train control problems, Metra announced on X, formally known as Twitter. The Milwaukee District West line was delayed due to mechanical failure, according to Metra.
* NBC Chicago | Jerry Reinsdorf calls White Sox season ‘a failure’ in letter to fans: After a season that saw the Chicago White Sox set a modern baseball record for losses, chairman Jerry Reinsdorf wrote a letter to fans, calling the campaign “a failure” and promising to act to improve the team’s fortunes. The White Sox sit at 40-121 heading into the final day of the season, and are now the owners of the most losses in a single season since 1900.
* The New Yorker | The Chicago White Sox’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Season: It could be worse for the Chicago White Sox, the worst baseball team in more than a century. No, really. It could be 1899. Jerry Reinsdorf, the stubborn, nearly nonagenarian owner of the White Sox, could be Frank Robison, the owner of the Cleveland Spiders, which was one of the better teams in baseball until Robison ruined it on purpose.
*** Cook County and Suburbs ***
* NBC Chicago | Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard and boyfriend given eviction notice: court docs: NBC Chicago obtained a copy of an eviction notice filed Sept. 18 in Cook County Circuit Court naming Henyard and her boyfriend Kamal Woods, who is an employee of Thornton Township, where Henyard serves as supervisor. Henyard and Woods are behind $3,350 in rent for their home along Harvard Street in Dolton — plus an additional $50 each day and $2,400 on the beginning of the month. The couple was given five days to vacate — or sign a new lease and pay all owed rent, documents revealed.
* Daily Herald | How we got here: A look at the ongoing billing dispute with the DuPage County clerk: For more than 16 months, the DuPage County Board and County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek have been at odds over how bills get paid and what she can or can’t do with her office’s budget. In a nutshell, the county insists that Kaczmarek must comply with the county’s accounting procedures — including filling out budget transfer requests when a line item runs short — to get bills paid. Kaczmarek, however, argues state law gives her control over her office — and the county board cannot delay payment of bills if there is enough money in her budget.
* Shaw Local | Report: Ogle County deputies’ use of deadly force justified during Lost Lake shooting: Ogle County deputies who used deadly force during a June shootout near Dixon will not face any criminal charges, according to a news release from Ogle County State’s Attorney Mike Rock. The decision, issued by the Winnebago State’s Attorney’s Office, comes after a review of the events leading up to a June 12 gunfire exchange between the Ogle County Emergency Response Team and Jonathon Gounaris, a Lost Lake resident.
* Daily Herald | Sugar Grove issues clarification on referendum petition: With multiple petitions circulating in opposition to the development, specifically one calling for the annexation to go to a referendum proposed by Thoughtful Progress Inc., the village issued a statement Sept. 18 to clarify that a referendum is not applicable to the annexation. “It appears that misconceptions have arisen regarding the recent annexation of the Crown property,” the statement reads. “Because this information has been posted directly to the Village’s Facebook page by one or more members of the public, the Village believes it is necessary to provide clarification.
* Daily Herald | How grants are helping Kane County manufacturers improve, be more competitive: They are the first grants awarded as part of the county’s new $1 million manufacturing program, a joint initiative with IMEC. The money came from federal American Rescue Plan Act COVID-19 recovery funds the county received. “In general, manufacturing is in quite an exciting time,” said Dave Boulay, president of IMEC. “This is our generation’s manufacturing moment.”
*** Downstate ***
* Tribune | Downstate racetrack to move ahead with casino, while Hawthorne in suburban Stickney fights lawsuit: Accel, a video gaming terminal operator, plans to invest $85 million to $95 million for temporary and permanent casinos on the site, while retaining racing, creating a “racino.” Accel’s five-year plan predicted the facility could generate $20 million to $25 million before paying taxes, debt and depreciation, creating a “compelling cash flow return.”
* WAND | DOJ: Taylorville woman ordered to pay $600k to YMCA in fraud case: The DOJ said Lori Zeitler, 65, worked at the Christian County YMCA for 32 years in various roles, including as bookkeeper. This week, she was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay restitution after being convicted of five counts of wire fraud. At the sentencing hearing, the government presented evidence that Zeitler stole at least $292,336.29 and was responsible for $600,000 in loss.
* Shaw Local | Bureau County coroner, state’s attorney forums set Oct. 2 in Princeton: A political forum for the Bureau County state’s attorney and coroner races is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 2, at the Princeton Moose Lodge, 1339 N. Euclid Ave. Candidates will answer curated questions from the audience, with each candidate getting an opportunity to answer the same question.
* WCIA | Cass Co. sheriff warns residents against stealing political signs: In a post on Facebook on Sunday morning, the Sheriff said there have been multiple reports of political sings being stolen throughout the county. The Sheriff’s office also said that anyone caught stealing will be arrested. The post suggests supporting a candidate by talking about the individual platforms, rather than stealing a sign.
* WAND | Illinois drops to #24 after loss to Penn State: Following a 4-1 start with two ranked wins, the Illinois football team enters its first off week of the season ranked #24 in the AP Top 25 and #25 in the Coaches Poll. The Illini are ranked in the AP poll for the third straight week.
*** National ***
* Daily Herald | Casten, Conforti differ on abortion, but both oppose federal ban: Casten touted his sponsorship of legislation that would restore the federal abortion protections established by Roe. He also said he’s twice written to the U.S. Senate to urge it to eliminate the filibuster to prevent a minority of senators from holding up legislation. “We will continue to push for both of those,” Casten said.
* WSJ | ‘Three New York Cities’ Worth of Power: AI Is Stressing the Grid: Tech companies scouring the country for electricity to power artificial intelligence are increasingly finding there is a waiting list. In many places the nation’s high-voltage electric wires are running out of room, their connection points locked up by data centers for AI, new factories or charging infrastructure for electric vehicles.
* Tribune | Farmers frustrated and environmental goals threatened by failure to pass a new farm bill: The comprehensive package of legislation that sets agriculture and food policy is supposed to be updated every five years. But partisan gridlock got in the way last year, forcing Congress to simply extend the 2018 bill another year. That extension expires Sept. 30 and, with a presidential election less than two months away, Congress isn’t focused on finalizing a new five-year plan. Experts say the lawmakers are likely to extend the 2018 bill again.
* Nick Reiner on the passing of former Deputy House Republican Leader Brent Hassert…
Since I came to Will County in 1985, I have made friends with people of both political parties. And, believe it or not, when we got together, we didn’t always talk politics. We talked, and do talk, about life.
Brent Hassert did come in to my life because of politics. I began covering the Will County Board for the Herald News in 1987, the same year I met Tammy, and shortly after, Brent would call me on Mondays after the paper’s popular Pulse political column ran the day before.
“Hey,” he would say. “This is Brent Hassert. I saw you at County Board. How do I get in that Pulse column?”
I told him he’d need to do something funny and/or stupid. And for as long as the Herald News ran that column, he achieved one or the other fairly regularly. And he made it into more than a few county-related stories for doing some good stuff.
As I got to know him as a County Board member, legislator, party leader and lobbyist, I also saw him as a rare elected official, one who didn’t care who got the credit, so long as the people, in his district or not, got what they needed.
There is a good chance the Interstate 355 extension into Will County would not have happened, or happened a lot later, if he did not take that helicopter ride with former Gov. George Ryan to show him it was needed. From then on, it was firmly on the state’s radar.
The Illinois GOP will hold a fundraiser with Article III Project founder Mike Davis, who could be a future Trump administration legal official, including AG.
* WAND | Lt. Governor Stratton and ILAFA to host Workforce Summit for a thriving Agri-Food industry: “Illinois is leading the way in the agri-food industry by nurturing a diverse and skilled workforce,” said Lt. Governor Stratton. “This summit is a critical investment in our future, ensuring that Illinois remains at the forefront of innovation and sustainability. As I often say, ‘Ag connects us all,’ and we’re building a brighter future for generations to come.”
*** Statewide ***
* Crain’s | Illinois computer science programs are enrolling far more women: The biggest gains were made by women, who accounted for 21.5% of computer science majors in four-year programs in the 2022-23 academic year, up from 11.7% a decade earlier, according to a study by the University of Illinois Discovery Partners Institute. The percentage of Asian students nearly doubled to 26.5% from 14.3%, and Latino students grew to 16.9% of computer science majors from 9.5%. Black students declined slightly to 7.5% from 8.2%.
*** Chicago ***
* Bloomberg | Chicago aims to ride muni bond refinancing wave sparked by Fed rate cuts: The reopened window is a win for governments who have had limited refinancing opportunities since the Fed started raising interest rates in 2022. And such sales can save cities, states and towns major cash. Chicago, for example, estimates it can reclaim about $70 million of debt-service costs through a proposed $1.5 billion refunding sale to help close its budget deficit.
* Sun-Times | Homeless tent camp stirs neighbors’ vitriol on Northwest Side: As much as neighbors complain, Johnson is so far not budging. His administration says there’s no money left for Gompers after spending $70 million in federal dollars for homelessness since 2020. There will be no accelerated move from the Northwest Side park this year, the city said in a statement. City officials and nonprofit groups will continue to monitor the situation, the statement added. On Monday, Sendy Soto, Johnson’s top official in charge of addressing homelessness, will attend a community meeting next to the park to face a crowd of neighbors fuming about the homeless camp. They complain about drinking and drug use, open fires and erratic behavior.
* WTTW | As City Prepares to Close 3 Shelters, Advocates See Shifts in Migrants’ Needs: With a decreased migrant population and the unmaterialized surge of new arrivals this summer, the city expects in 2024 to spend less than $141 million to care for the migrants, who are in the country legally after requesting asylum and receiving permission to remain in the U.S. while their cases are resolved. The city is currently facing a projected $982 million budget gap in 2025.
* Block Club | After CPS Slashes Funding, Chicago Debates Asks For Help Keeping Beloved Program Alive: The district has a $1.3 million, four-year contract with the nonprofit, agreeing to cover up to $390,000 in expenses for fiscal year 2025, documents show. That includes costs such as equipment, paying debate judges, recruiting and training volunteers, tournament prep and running the summer camp, according to the contract. […] But CPS officials told nonprofit leaders in July they’d only get $208,000 to cover this year’s expenses, Bolden said. Officials cited a part of the contract saying CPS can terminate an agreement “in the event no funds or insufficient funds are appropriated and budgeted … by the board,” Bolden said.
* Tribune | A 685-acre tiff: Council, community divided on future of Pilsen taxing district: Progressives such as Johnson and Sigcho-Lopez have traditionally railed against tax increment financing districts, which freeze for decades the property tax revenues distributed to schools, parks and other government bodies and instead earmark those funds for projects within the boundaries. While TIF proponents say those projects spur economic development, opponents often decry the spending as a handout for private developers, or unnecessary in areas that are already thriving.
* Sun-Times | Bike theft victims are frustrated, saying the problem is getting worse and isn’t being fixed: Pusateri immediately headed to the nearest police station to file a report. Later, after scouring social media, he found the bike listed for sale on Facebook at a fraction of the purchase price. Someone even contacted him promising to return the bike for a fee after Pusateri listed it stolen online. He brought the Facebook listing — which had the suspected thief’s name and location — to the Chicago Police Department. “I knew exactly who this guy was, and the police were like, ‘We can’t help you at all. We’re too busy,’” Pusateri said. “I did everything I possibly could, even giving the police a solved case, and they still didn’t want to do anything about it.”
* Crain’s | Investors buy hotel next to Rivers Casino for $20 million: The property benefits from its proximity to O’Hare and being next to Rivers Casino in Des Plaines, one of the state’s largest gambling facilities. Neither of the Patels responded to requests for comment on the Courtyard purchase. But the investors are planning a $5 million renovation of the 35-year-old property set to begin in December, according to The Real Deal Chicago, which first reported the sale.
* WBEZ | Chicago’s beach season is over … or is it? Lake Michigan temps are breaking records.: Lake Michigan is heating up. The lake’s surface temperature has surpassed the running average dating back to 1995 nearly every day this year, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) data. And it’s not just one Great Lake. All five are warming. The massive bodies of water, which provide drinking water to more than 30 million people, are among the fastest-warming lakes worldwide, according to the federal government’s Fifth National Climate Assessment.
* Tribune | What was the final Chicago White Sox home game like? An odd wake, full of melancholy, contradiction — and elation.: In the closing minutes of the last home game for the 2024 Chicago White Sox, one could feel the Earth’s rotation grind to a halt. It was as if Guaranteed Rate Field itself let out an exhausted, terminating sigh of relief. Even the fireworks that marked the end felt rushed, brief and eager to be done with. The hurt was past. The horror — at least here on 35th Street (there were still three games left to play in Detroit) — was over. A lone gull looped high above right field, averted its eyes and flew off. The sky was cloudless and the flat metal top of a vendor’s grill, already scrubbed and cold, chimed with the clumsy clang of dropped tongs. Individual sounds leaped out.
* Block Club | 33 Million Birds Migrated Over Illinois In 1 Day This Week. How McCormick Place Is Trying To Keep Them Safe: Chicago Bird Collision Monitors collects about 100 injured or dead birds daily during the peak migration season in September and early October, Prince said. About 75 percent of the birds the group finds are dead, Prince said. Injured birds are taken to the DuPage Wildlife Center, where they’re treated and released into the wild to continue their migration. The group has already noticed fewer bird casualties around the McCormick Place this migration season, Prince said. The new film is an “exciting development” and serves as an example that it’s worth constructing buildings with bird-friendly designs, she said.
*** Cook County and Suburbs ***
* Daily Herald | Grayslake mayor says he won’t seek a fifth term and supports veteran village trustee as successor: Grayslake Mayor Rhett Taylor announced Friday he will not seek a fifth term and will be retiring from local government. “I have enjoyed every day of my time in the office,” he said. “I will be forever grateful to Grayslake for granting me this unique and wonderful opportunity.” Taylor was a village trustee for six years before being elected mayor in 2009. He said he has served with 13 different village trustees in that role, including Elizabeth Davies, who he endorsed as his successor.
* Daily Herald | Hanover Park man sentenced for selling ghost guns, gun converter: Jeffrey Levander, 43, was sentenced Tuesday to three years in prison for the unlawful sale or delivery of an unserialized firearm, six years for unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, six years for the unlawful use of a weapon, three years for the unlawful sale of a firearm, and three years for unlawful possession of a firearm, according to a news release from Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul. His sentences will run concurrently.
* Daily Herald | Kane County offers $755,000 Food and Farm Resiliency Grant Program to support local growers: The Kane County Food and Farm Resiliency Grant Program is now open for applications, offering $755,000 in financial assistance to local food-growing businesses and nonprofits impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible organizations operating in Kane County can apply for grants ranging from $5,000 to $50,000 to help cover essential operating expenses incurred between March 3, 2021, and Sept. 30, 2025.
* Sun-Times | Days after his conviction on corruption charges, Ford Heights mayor says he’s stepping down: “He’s gone,” village attorney Michael Stuttley said Thursday about Mayor Charles Griffin, who was convicted by a Cook County judge earlier this week of embezzling tens of thousands of dollars from the tiny, cash-strapped south suburb. “I saw his letter of resignation.” Referring to Griffin’s fellow village board members, Stuttley said the resignation will be formalized “once they accept” it in coming days.
* WCIA | Danville officials say construction won’t prevent access to the ballot box: Construction began this week on the northbound road of Vermilion Street up to Harrison, temporarily closing the intersection. This closure is just outside the early voting location at Joseph G. Cannon Building. Officials with the City of Danville said not to worry about the construction, as it won’t impede anybody from casting their vote at the Election Commission.
* Daily Herald | ‘Safest it’s ever been’: Recent high school football deaths not causing alarm: Karissa Niehoff, CEO of the National Federation of State High School Associations, said the organization has counted 12 deaths so far this season. Their data comes from the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research, which uses reports from NFHS-member schools as well as private schools outside its membership. […] “We started to pay attention, and through coaching education we modified rules, we shifted how we practice and how we play, and obviously elevated our medical response, resources and awareness,” Niehoff said.
* SJ-R | Hurricane Helene: Workers from Springfield head to Georgia for assistance: Crews from the City Water Light and Power division of the City of Springfield are heading to assist people with the effects of Hurricane Helene in Georgia. Two crews and a supervisor left Thursday afternoon to assist in Douglas, Georgia. The crews were initially headed to assist the City of Marietta but were reassigned. They were originally tasked to assist with power restoration from Hurricane Helene making landfall, according to CWLP.
*** National ***
* AP | Parents will have to set aside some earnings for child influencers under new California laws: The California laws protecting child social media influencers follow the first-in-the-nation legislation in Illinois that took effect this July. The California measures apply to all children under 18, while the Illinois law covers those under 16. The California measures, which received overwhelming bipartisan support, require parents and guardians who monetize their children’s online presence to establish a trust for the starlets. Parents will have to keep records of how many minutes the children appear in their online content and how much money they earn from those posts, among other things.
Friday, Sep 27, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Retail provides one out of every five Illinois jobs, generates the second largest amount of tax revenue for the state, and is the largest source of revenue for local governments. But retail is also so much more, with retailers serving as the trusted contributors to life’s moments, big and small.
We Are Retail and IRMA are dedicated to sharing the stories of retailers like David, who serve their communities with dedication and pride.
* Here’s an official explainer of New York City’s public financing program for local political campaigns…
The voluntary public financing program matches small-dollar contributions from individuals who reside in New York City, helping to amplify the voices of New Yorkers in city elections. A $10 contribution from a NYC resident to a participating candidate in the 2021 election could be worth as much as $90 to their campaign.
Who is Eligible?
Any candidate running for municipal office (mayor, comptroller, public advocate, borough president, and city council) may join the program. The program does not cover county district attorney offices or state or federal offices.
To receive public funds, candidates must:
1. Meet a two-part fundraising threshold:
o Collect a minimum number of contributions (of $10 or more) from the area they seek to represent. (For instance: candidates for City Council must have 75 contributors from their district; candidates for borough president must have 100 contributors from their borough.)
o Raise a minimum amount of qualifying contributions from NYC residents (only the matchable portion of the contributions counts towards this threshold).
2. Certify agreement to and demonstrate compliance with the requirements of the Act and Board Rules.
3. Be on the ballot, and have an opponent on the ballot.
4. Submit a personal financial disclosure filing with the Conflicts of Interest Board
* Press release from the US Attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York on the indictment of New York City Mayor Eric Adams…
ADAMS sought and accepted illegal campaign contributions in the form of “nominee” or “straw” contributions, meaning that the true contributors conveyed their money through nominal donors, who falsely certified they were contributing their own money. By smuggling their contributions to ADAMS through U.S.-based straw donors, ADAMS’s overseas contributors defeated federal laws that serve to prevent foreign influence on U.S. elections. Wealthy individuals evaded laws designed to limit their power over elected officials by restricting the amount any one person can donate to a candidate. And businesses circumvented New York City’s ban on corporate contributions by funneling their donations through multiple employees, frustrating a law which seeks to reduce corporate power in politics. ADAMS increased his fundraising by accepting these concealed, illegal donations—at the cost of giving his secret patrons the undue influence over him that the law tries to prevent.
ADAMS compounded his gains from the straw contributions by using them to defraud New York City and steal public funds. New York City has a matching funds program that matches small-dollar contributions from individual City residents with up to eight times their amount in public funds, to give New Yorkers a greater voice in elections. ADAMS’s campaigns applied for matching funds based on known straw donations, fraudulently obtaining as much as $2,000 in public funds for each illegal contribution. ADAMS and those working at his direction falsely certified compliance with applicable campaign finance regulations despite ADAMS’s repeated acceptance of straw donations, relying on the concealed nature of these illegal contributions to falsely portray his campaigns as law-abiding. As a result of those false certifications, ADAMS’s 2021 mayoral campaign received more than $10,000,000 in public funds.
Friday, Sep 27, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Recent polling shows 72% of Illinoisans support incentives for energy storage, and a majority of Illinoisans would be likely to for a candidate that supports building more energy storage in the state.
But it’s not just popular. It’s urgent — Building more storage today is the best way to save Illinois families and businesses from rapidly rising energy costs. By guaranteeing a backup of affordable energy at times when heat waves, storms, or cold snaps threaten
the grid, storage is the key to affordable, reliable energy independence.
Governor JB Pritzker announced the following staff transitions on his communications team.
Jordan Abudayyeh and Jason Rubin will depart the governor’s office after six years of service to the state of Illinois. The two have led communications for the administration through major legislative and economic development wins as well as through challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic.
Matt Hill and Emily Bolton will join the administration as Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications and Director of Agency Communications respectively. The two bring deep experience to the roles across federal and state government and national politics.
“Jordan Abudayyeh and Jason Rubin have been essential advisors since day one of this administration,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “For nearly six years in state government, they have met every moment with an approach that is the hallmark of their work: thoughtful, deliberate, and above all, fighting to ensure the people of Illinois were at the center of every message in and out of my office. Through challenges expected and unexpected—legislative debates and global pandemics—it has been a privilege to watch these two remarkable people grow into the best communications team in the nation. While they leave big shoes to fill, I have no doubt that Matt Hill and Emily Bolton will rise to the occasion, bringing their deep communications experience across politics and government, to this work. I am thrilled to welcome them to the team and look forward to all that we will accomplish together.”
Jordan Abudayyeh leaves the governor’s office after serving as Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications and Strategic Media, overseeing the governor’s communications team. Abudayyeh previously served as Governor Pritzker’s Press Secretary for his first term. Abudayyeh also served the same role on the governor’s 2018 gubernatorial campaign. Before entering politics, Abudayyeh was an award-winning political reporter for Springfield’s ABC affiliate WICS-TV, an anchor and producer for Naperville’s NCTV17, and an associate producer for Milwaukee’s WISN-TV. She received a degree in broadcast journalism and sociology from Marquette University.
Jason Rubin leaves the governor’s office after serving as Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications and Agency Strategy, overseeing the governor’s communications team. Rubin previously served as Governor Pritzker’s Deputy Communications Director, a role he held since the governor’s inauguration. Prior to that, Rubin served as Deputy Communications Director on the governor’s 2018 campaign and held communications roles with New York City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development and Rep. Patrick Murphy’s 2016 U.S. Senate campaign in Florida. Rubin began his career in politics as the Director of Scheduling for U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. He is a graduate of Vassar College with a degree in political science.
In their place, the Governor’s Office welcomes Matt Hill and Emily Bolton who will oversee communications for the governor’s office.
Matt Hill joins the governor’s office after serving as the Senior Director of Communications for the 2024 Democratic National Convention Committee in Chicago, serving as the top spokesperson and overseeing the event’s messaging and media strategy. Hill spent the last five years as a senior communications aide for President Joe Biden. In the 2020 presidential cycle, he was a national spokesperson for Biden’s primary campaign, the Biden-Harris general election campaign, and the Presidential Inaugural Committee. Hill then joined the Biden-Harris Administration as a Senior Associate Communications Director in the White House, managing communications around key accomplishments on climate, infrastructure, and more. He then served as the inaugural Communications Director for the CHIPS for America program at the Department of Commerce, focusing on bringing semiconductor manufacturing, jobs, and innovation back to the United States. Previously, Hill held communications roles at Georgetown University and the Democratic firm Global Strategy Group. Hill is from Buffalo Grove and graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with degrees in political science and communication.
Emily Bolton joins the governor’s office with more than a decade of experience in government and political communications. Most recently, Bolton led communications at the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) where she positioned Illinois as a global economic powerhouse and amplified the historic economic development wins achieved under the Pritzker Administration. Prior to joining DCEO, Bolton served in various roles at Chicago Public Schools (CPS), including Director of Media Relations and Strategic Communications during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to that, Bolton held communications positions at the Democratic Party of Virginia during the 2016 election cycle, Office of the Virginia Attorney General, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and PR firm Burson-Marsteller. Bolton is a graduate of the University of Georgia and a proud native Illinoisan.
Capitol News Illinois launched its election guide yesterday…
Early voting began Thursday in Illinois, and Capitol News Illinois has launched an interactive Election Guide to help Illinoisans navigate the voting process.
Illinois gives voters 40 days prior to Election Day to cast their ballot – in most jurisdictions. Beginning Thursday, most Illinoisans can vote at their local election authority’s office – in most cases, that’s the county clerk, but for about a quarter of the state’s population it’s a city or county election commission. […]
While early voting began this week for most of the state, the same can’t be said for Chicago and the rest of Cook County. Early voting begins Oct. 3 in the city, while voting in suburban Cook County begins on Oct. 9.
On Oct. 21, early voting expands so that voters in many counties can vote at locations other than the election authority’s office. Early voting generally runs through Nov. 4.
* The Question: Do you plan to vote early (in-person or by mail)? Explain your answer please.
* ICYMI: Chicago Board of Education unanimously votes to halt school closures until 2027. Tribune…
During his remarks Thursday evening, [CPS CEO Pedro Martinez’] addressed the “misinformation campaign” he claimed was waged against him regarding school closures, reiterating that the district has no plans to close schools. He also discussed his role in authoring a resolution extending a moratorium on school closures until January 2027. However, Martinez did not address speculation that he would soon be ousted.
“There is simply no truth to this,” Martinez said at the meeting. “To put this issue to rest once and for all, I’m asking the Board to adopt the resolution today, clearly stating that CPS will not close or consolidate any schools before the fully elected school board is in place on January 2027.”
CTU Vice President Jackson Potter stepped to the podium at Thursday’s board meeting, calling on Martinez to amend his resolution on school closures, claiming that it currently doesn’t fully protect schools as it doesn’t ban co-locations, in which schools share facilities without any changes to school programming.
“We’re debating school closures, staff reductions, rather than implementing a plan for transformation or suing the banks for their graft and deceit,” Potter said. “We’re going through stages of grief. We’ve been traumatized by closing lists that have been mistakenly given to us in the past, and then they pretend to be theoretical and become a harsh reality. We’re reminded the same procedures for co-locations do not apply as they do with closures and consolidations because neither the law or the resolution you aim to pass tonight would prohibit this form of school action. Therefore we’ve amended your resolution,” he said.
* WGLT | McLean County clerk predicts 80% turnout as early voting begins: McLean County Clerk Kathy Michael manages elections in the county except for Bloomington, where it’s handled by the city’s election commission. […] More than three of four registered voters [76%] in McLean County cast ballots in the 2020 presidential election. Michael predicted voter turnout could reach 80% in McLean County this year with the rise of early voting and mail-in voting. “We’ve had the [biggest] response of the vote-by-mail applications coming back — hundreds,” said Michael, who encouraged voters to cast their ballots before Election Day to avoid a wait.
* Capitol News Illinois | Capitol News Illinois launches Election Guide as early voting begins in Illinois: Capitol News Illinois’ interactive guide aims to help navigate the process of voting, from how to register and what to do if you feel your rights have been violated. While early voting began this week for most of the state, the same can’t be said for Chicago and the rest of Cook County. Early voting begins Oct. 3 in the city, while voting in suburban Cook County begins on Oct. 9.
* Daily Herald | What’s happened to crime rates, court-skipping since cash bail went away?: In fact, the report finds — with some important caveats — that both crime and court-skipping have declined in the past year. “This isn’t any kind of definitive word on the law and its impact,” noted Professor David Olson, who co-directs the center that is in the first stages of a four-year study of the PFA’s impact. “These (findings) certainly could change and evolve.”
*** Statehouse News ***
* NPR | Law aims to protect tenants with complaints from landlord retaliation: The bill was proposed by state Rep. Will Guzzardi, a Chicago Democrat. “Far too often tenants face retaliation for … trying to exercise their basic rights, trying to make sure that the unit that they live in is habitable and safe,’ he said, “And when they complain about conditions or raise questions with their landlord, instead of getting those conditions fixed or getting good answers from their landlord, they get an eviction notice on their door.’’
* Crain’s | Millionaire’s tax could raise $4.5 billion for property tax relief: report: A new state estimate shows a so-called millionaire’s tax up for an advisory referendum on the November ballot could generate at least $4.5 billion for property tax relief. WBEZ Chicago and Chicago Sun-Times reported the figure today after obtaining it through an open records request. The ballot measure, which is non-binding, asks voters: “Should the Illinois Constitution be amended to create an additional 3% tax on income greater than $1,000,000 for the purpose of dedicating funds raised to property tax relief?”
* Tribune | State agency lacks data to back $6 million in unemployment claims, audit finds: The state agency charged with distributing unemployment benefits continued to fall short in administering claims filed during the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving auditors unable to determine if more than $6 million wound up in the proper hands, according to a report released Thursday. The report from Auditor General Frank Mautino’s office marked the latest criticism of the Illinois Department of Employment Security, which has come under scrutiny over the last few years for how it administered the distribution of unemployment benefits throughout the pandemic.
*** Chicago ***
* Sun-Times | Burnett says to count him out of ShotSpotter veto override: Zoning Committee Chair Walter Burnett said the City Council gains nothing by further “antagonizing” the mayor. So while he voted to keep ShotSpotter, if the Council tries to override a threatened Johnson veto, he won’t back that effort.
* Tribune | Chicago Board of Education unanimously votes to halt school closures until 2027: In a unanimous vote, the seven-member Chicago Board of Education voted Thursday to prohibit school closings until 2027. The vote concluded – at least for now – an increasingly fractious month in which the district faced accusations of clandestinely plotting to close schools and the fate of Chief Executive Officer Pedro Martinez’s job was in constant question.
* WBEZ | CPS enrollment increases a bit for second year in a row; also a bump in English language learners: After Chicago Public Schools enrollment increased for the first time in more than a decade last year, the total number of students has gone up once again to 324,311, officials said Thursday. That’s a less than 1% increase compared to last year’s official count of 321,539 — and a drop from later in the school year, when newly enrolling migrant students brought numbers up by the spring.
* CBS Chicago | U.S. EEOC lawsuit accuses Chicago’s Admiral Theatre of sexual, racial discrimination: The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission accused the Admiral of creating a hostile environment toward the entertainers. The lawsuit claimed the Admiral subjected female dancers to hostile and dangerous conditions. Among the allegations were that the dancers were exposed to harassing and sometimes violent behavior from patrons at the club—including grabbing, groping, slapping, and even sexual assault.
* CBS Chicago | Hurricane Helene’s effects will be felt in Chicago as early as Friday, according to forecasts: The storm is racing inland at an unusually fast forward speed, so even as its access to warm water which serves as hurricane fuel is cut off after landfall, the storm will not have much time to weaken on its journey through the southeastern U.S. Hurricane warnings were placed into effect 200 miles inland – nearly to Atlanta, Georgia, where 70 mph wind gusts will be possible Thursday night. As the storm is absorbed into a larger area of low pressure sitting to its west, a tight pressure gradient will lead to strong winds as far north as Illinois and Indiana.
* CBS Chicago | After judge’s order restricting Mayor Tiffany Henyard, who’s running Dolton, Illinois?: “I’ve been covering government in Northern Illinois for more than 40 years, and I’ve never seen anything like this,” said David Greising, president and chief executive officer of the Better Government Association. “This has been a slow-moving train wreck for months.” “The trustees, when they can get a quorum, are the ones running Dolton,” Greising said.
* CBS Chicago | Sauk Village, Illinois clerk speaks after fight with mayor during village board meeting: During the Tuesday night meeting, the clerk grabbed the mayor’s gavel after she made several requests for the mayor to stop pointing it at her. Out of frustration, she yanked it out of his hand and threats were made. “I personally extend my apology, because it’s not typical of me,” Campbell-Pruitt said. Campbell-Pruitt said she was defending herself in the exchange. She admitted she physically touched Burgess and grabbed the gavel from him.
* NBC Chicago | ‘Report, not repost’: Suburban police, school district leaders send message to parents amid rise in threats: The letter, issued by the Chief of Police in both cities, the DuPage County and Will County State’s Attorney and the superintendents of Naperville School District 203 and Indian Prairie School District 204, encouraged starting an open dialogue with children on the severity of the threats. “Parents, please discuss the topic of school threats with your child in an age-appropriate way and pledge as a family to both report threats to the proper authorities and refrain from sharing threats and rumors with others,” the statement said in part.
* Daily Herald | ‘Steadfast leadership’: Wheaton city manager reflects on career: Distilling Mike Dzugan’s career into a few top accomplishments isn’t an easy thing to do. Dzugan has spent more than three decades in Wheaton government, first as the assistant city manager and then as city manager. Over the years, he oversaw some major construction. More recently, the city wrapped up a $35 million downtown streetscape project that also replaced infrastructure, reconfigured parking and created new gathering spaces, including the French market pavilion.
* Tribune | The American Toby Jug Museum in Evanston is closing. What does one do with 8,500 Toby jugs?: A Toby jug is one of those old-timey ceramic mugs shaped to look like a person — traditionally, a caricature of a British drunkard, ruddy complexion, tricorn hat, long coat, on a stool, cradling a mug of lager. Across the 250 year or so history of the Toby jug, there have been jugs with the likenesses of Winston Churchill and Barack Obama, Shakespeare and Charles Dickens, Gandhi, Hitler and Spuds MacKenzie. A Toby, to be specific, shows a full figure likeness, and a “character mug” shows only the bust of a figure. But Mullins bought both, and anything else (pitchers, thimbles) remotely related.
* Lake County News Sun | Early voting begins in Lake County; ‘I tell everyone to vote as soon as they can’: Bill Weber of Lake Villa, the brother of state Rep. Tom Weber, R-Lake Villa, said he always votes early on the first day because it frees him to help his brother’s campaign the rest of the time until Election Day. “I tell everyone to vote as soon as they can,” he said. “You never know if you might be sick, or be busy at work on Election Day. And, vote at the courthouse. You don’t have to worry about fraud there. If you vote at the courthouse, you know your vote will be counted.
* Shaw Local | Attorney lays some blame on Trump for Lockport couple’s role in Jan. 6 riot: In a sentencing memorandum on Wednesday, Daniel Hesler, attorney for Kelly Lynn Fontaine, 54, said the “simplest explanation” for why Fontaine and her husband Bryan Dula, 53, went to Washington, D.C. on Jan. 6, 2021 was “because Donald Trump invited them.” […] On June 10, Fontaine and Dula pleaded guilty to a federal misdemeanor charge of disorderly or disruptive conduct on the grounds or in the buildings of the U.S. Capitol. The Lockport couple also pleaded guilty to another misdemeanor charge of parading, demonstrating or picketing in the Capitol building.
*** Downstate ***
* WGLT | ISU imposing 2% budget cut in every division for current year: In a “Dear Colleagues” email to the campus, provost Ani Yazedjian said every division will cut its budget by 2% for the current budget year that began in July. That is in addition to a pay freeze announced last week in president Aondover Tarhule’s annual State of the University address. At that time, Tarhule confirmed the three-year structural deficit could rise to $32 million, or about 6% of the general fund budget, at the end of that period.
* WGLT | Bloomington-Normal unemployment drops below 5%: According to data released by the Illinois Department of Employment Security [IDES], a bulk of the new jobs are in Leisure and Hospitality. That sector added 600 jobs, while Private Education and Health Services [+200], Mining and Construction [+200], Manufacturing [+100], and Retail Trade [+100] also saw job growth. Professional and Business Services [-300] and Financial Activities [-200] lost jobs.
* WCBU | Bradley University enrollment dips below 5,000 for first time in over 30 years: Bradley University’s total enrollment has dipped below 5,000 students for the 2024-25 academic year. Total enrollment is about 4,800 students, a university spokesperson told WCBU on Wednesday. That’s down from 5,217 total students in 2023-24. It’s the lowest overall enrollment Bradley has posted since at least 1990.
* QC Times | Moline to rehabilitate bridge to Rock Island Arsenal: According to a city press release, the project will replace the current bridge deck and parapets with modern updates. Beams, beam bearings and seats will all be rehabilitated, and new street lighting will also be installed. The project will ensure that large vehicles, such as emergency vehicles, can access the military installation, assisting critical readiness at the Arsenal.
* Herald-Whig | ‘This is a trend … that needs to stop’: QPS, QPS address school threats: QUINCY — Quincy Public Schools and the Quincy Police Department offer some simple advice for community members tied to the recent threats to area schools. If you see something, say something to local law enforcement and school officials — not to a social media account. “While the online chatter and anxiety regarding these threats continues to escalate, we need your help to end the hold these threats are having on our students, staff and families,” QPS Superintendent Todd Pettit said. “Resharing hearsay, rumors or false information on the internet has created panic that makes it difficult for law enforcement and school officials to investigate these threats.”
* WCIA | Champaign County records first human case of West Nile Virus: The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District said human cases would be probable after it upgraded the county’s West Nile alert status at the start of the month. Now, a Champaign resident in their 60s has tested positive, health officials said. Champaign County is the third county in Central Illinois to record at least one human case, after Christian and Coles Counties recorded one each. There are a total of 43 cases statewide and at least one death.
*** National ***
* Sun-Times | Kudos to Illinois lawmakers for proposed bill to hop away from kangaroo slaughter: Kudos to U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., for introducing legislation to ban the sale of kangaroo parts in the United States and stem the killing of 1.5 million of the iconic marsupials per annum. Demand for soccer cleats made from kangaroo skins is driving an unprecedented commercial slaughter of native wildlife. Last year, Nike, Puma and New Balance announced policies to stop sourcing kangaroo skins, but the world’s largest athletic shoe sellers, Adidas, is still driving the massacre of the iconic marsupials.
