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* Center Square…
An attorney for state Rep. Dan Caulkins, R-Decatur, says he’s confident a final judgment against Illinois’ new gun ban issued by a Macon County judge Friday is statewide pending an expected appeal from the state.
Gov. J.B. Pritzer enacted the ban on certain semi-automatic weapons and magazines over certain capacities on Jan. 10. Two weeks after the ban was in effect, lawsuits were filed in federal- and state-level courts.
Macon County Judge Rodney Forbes ruled the state’s gun ban and registry unconstitutional.
“The Court is bound to apply the appellate court’s holdings to plaintiffs’ identical equal protection claim in this case,” Forbes said.
From Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office…
We believe it applies to named plaintiffs only.
* We talked about this very issue in January, but it’s not quite fixed yet. If you click your back button to start a brand new search, the search page won’t accept the text input and you get kicked to another page…
looks like @Giannoulias fixed the state's LLC/corp lookup website so when you hit the back button on your browser you can return to your list of results instead of having to start a whole new search.
it's a new day in illinois 🙌
— Jake Lewis (@jake____lewis) March 6, 2023
* Click here for the dashboard. Press release…
The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced the launch of a new webpage dedicated to keeping the public informed of the progress delivering Gov. Pritzker’s historic, bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital program. The online dashboard offers up-to-date cumulative data on accomplishments for improving roads and bridges since the 2019 passage of Rebuild Illinois.
“Rebuild Illinois is delivering lasting, positive improvements to transportation and infrastructure throughout our state,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. “Our new dashboard is a simple, effective way to share with you details on this transformational capital program in a convenient, transparent format that’s easy to understand.”
On the dashboard, the public can find information on number of projects awarded, miles and bridges improved and safety improvements completed, as well as the total amount of investment that has been made possible by Rebuild Illinois. The data can be looked up annually or by each quarter of each fiscal year, showing the impact of Rebuild Illinois on roads and bridges under IDOT’s jurisdiction as well as accomplishments on the local system overseen by counties, municipalities and townships.
The page will be updated on a quarterly basis, adding accomplishments as the year progresses.
* My story from last week…
No, Lori Lightfoot did not blame her loss on racism and gender bias
The story included a quick interview with the AP reporter whose work was being badly mischaracterized by some Rupert Murdoch news outlets to make a point that didn’t exist.
Today in another publication…
Every time I post something without explicitly mentioning it’s from that publication, I receive a chiding email. Yet, that company casually rips me off on the regular. Not cool.
* On to something more fun…
The Illinois State Museum (ISM) will celebrate the opening of its Growing Up X exhibition with a Gen-X Prom on Friday, March 10 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at its flagship facility in Springfield.
The Illinois State Museum invites guests to break out the hairspray and their best ’80s or ’90s attire. Visit the museum after hours for Gen-X Prom, a reinvented version of this high school rite of passage, including all the traditions: great music, food, keepsake photos, and prizes for best ’80s and ’90s attire.
“Whether you were prom queen or spent prom night playing Dungeons and Dragons at home, whether you went to prom in 1966, 1986, or 2016, this event is for you!” said ISM Curator of History Erika Holst. “We hope you’ll buy tickets and join us for a truly rad night.”
Tickets are $40 for ISM members and $50 for non-members and include Gen X-inspired food, non-alcoholic drinks, and sick tunes spun by local DJs. Alcoholic-beverage packages and individual beverage tickets are available for pre-purchase online or at the door.
“Buying a ticket to prom is fun with a purpose – your purchase helps the Illinois State Museum continue to put on awesome exhibits and programs,” Holst said.
Gen-X Prom is an Illinois State Museum Society fundraiser. The Society, founded in 1952, is a non-profit that supports the Museum’s programs, exhibitions, and research projects.
For more information, visit bit.ly/ISMGenXProm or call 217-782-7388.
* Isabel’s afternoon roundup…
* Shaw Local | Illinois senators announce additional $51 million for LIHEAP: U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth announced an additional $51 million in federal funding through the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program to help Illinoisans pay the rising cost of home heating bills.
* Axios | Millions in Illinois hit by end of enhanced SNAP benefits: Extra food assistance benefits put into place during the pandemic ended nationwide last week. The change cut monthly benefits to nearly 2 million Illinoisans — about 16% of the state — who received the aid known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
* Tribune Editorial | Carbon capture could be a boon for rural Illinois: In an ideal world, of course, emissions would stop altogether. Realistically, though, fossil fuels will be needed to produce electricity and industrial goods for decades to come. During that inevitably lengthy transition, something needs to be done to reduce their impact on the environment.
* Center Square | How the Average Wage for Interns in Illinois Compares to Other States: According to career search website Zippia, the average hourly wage for interns in Illinois stands at $15.99, the 25th lowest among the 50 states.
* Sun-Times | Near North Side condos aim to put home ownership in easier reach: The Seng, a building completed near North and Clybourn avenues, is being marketed to working families who find other starter homes beyond their budgets.
* WTTW | Childbirth is Deadlier for Black Families at Any Income, Study Finds: The nearly decade-long study from the National Bureau of Economic Research looked at births in California. The study found that babies born to the richest Black women were still more likely to die than babies born to the poorest White women.
* Pantagraph | Livingston County courthouse dispute spans more than a decade : Efforts to make Livingston County Law and Justice Center compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and other accessibility statutes span more than a decade. The issues stem from an alleged breach of contract between the county and the firm responsible for the design and construction of the new courthouse, 110 Main St. But after being stuck in litigation for years and hiring new architectural firms and contractors, the county could be weeks away from settling the matter.
* Tribune | Taxes, development among issues in Geneva City Council race in 4th Ward: The race for City Council in the 4th Ward in Geneva in the April 4 election is between incumbent Gabriel Kaven and challenger Martha Paschke.
* WaPo | ‘Slavery was wrong’ and 5 other things some educators won’t teach anymore: A study published by the Rand Corp. in January found that nearly one-quarter of a nationally representative sample of 8,000 English, math and science teachers reported revising their instructional materials to limit or eliminate discussions of race and gender. Educators most commonly blamed parents and families for the shift, according to the Rand study.
* Sun-Times | A Winnetka man spent decades trying to prove he owned a Renaissance masterpiece. Does AI back his claim?: Tony Ayers died last year, but his friends now say they have proof the artwork is a rare gem worth tens of millions of dollars — thanks to artificial intelligence.
* CBS Chicago | Celebrating Pulaski Day in Illinois: The Polish Museum of America is holding a virtual ceremony at 10 a.m. with guest speakers, live performances and a wreath-laying.
* NYT | The MAGA-fication of North Idaho College: G.O.P. activists set out to root out the “deep state” at home. An Idaho community college may never be the same.
* Sun-Times | White Sox working on ‘togetherness’ in 2023, Tim Anderson says: “For sure, we have to find that togetherness and this spring has been good,” Anderson said. “Being as one. We weren’t as one last year, and it showed in the way we played. We looked good on paper but didn’t look good on the field.”
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Mar 6, 23 @ 2:57 pm
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==whether you went to prom in 1966, 1986, or 2016==
Baby Boomers would have went to prom in 1966; Early Gen Xers in ‘86. But a 2016 prom would have been full of late Millennial/early Gen Z students. With Gen X and Baby Boomer teachers as chaperones.
Comment by Stuck in Celliniland Monday, Mar 6, 23 @ 3:08 pm
I miss Natasha Korecki.
Comment by Mr. Jimmy Monday, Mar 6, 23 @ 3:13 pm
There are a grand total of 2 Waffle Houses in Illinois
It’s a big district because it was drawn that way specifically to get in enough Democratic areas
https://vinepair.com/articles/map-states-waffle-house/
Comment by Lucky Pierre Monday, Mar 6, 23 @ 3:35 pm
@Mr. Jimmy: Natasha was aces. As for her successor, you get what you pay for.
Comment by Socially DIstant Watcher Monday, Mar 6, 23 @ 3:42 pm
Dan Caulkins suit impresses me because they bring up equal protection issues, like why do police and especially retired police have an exemption from the gun ban? If these firearms are so horrible, then take them away from everyone. I’m sure the police unions were lurking in the corridors during Morgan’s bill lobbying that carve out.
Comment by Elmer Keith Monday, Mar 6, 23 @ 3:44 pm
=== * Pantagraph | How Democrats can win more ‘Waffle House’ districts, from a congresswoman who did===
Ok, if one didn’t know, I’m kind of a huge fan of Waffle House, in fact I’d like to work to get a Waffle House north of “Springfield” kind of fan.
I go South, better believe I’m going to Waffle House. There ain’t no locks on Waffle House doors, they don’t close.
The politics of Waffle House “locations”?
Here’s a flash, Waffle House is known too for its “Hurricane” meter.
Kinda tells you where they are and what they’re about, be it Atlanta, Charleston, every SEC university in the actual Southeast, and “down the street” from every golf course I’ve played down “there” too.
They’re “urban-ly rural”, they’re “blue collar perfect”, they’re friendly “till they ain’t” (check the intertubes, “Waffle House Fights”), you get a “hello” with your coffee, you try smothered and covered cause you ain’t there to count no calories.
They’re unique to their sameness, they’re special to their “everywhere”, just like southern politics where the undercurrent of biases and norms are there if you just look hard enough at the friendly and beyond the waffles.
Any legislation or legislator willing to encourage more Waffle Houses here in our state, I will fully support such an effort.
Just remember, Waffle House isn’t a place, it’s a state of mind to where the simple and complex of southern breakfasts finds everyone welcome, until that fight breaks out.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Mar 6, 23 @ 3:50 pm
I also remember a county judge declaring FOID to be unconstitutional many years ago, and an attorney ‘believing’ it applied to everyone in the state.
The most fascinating thing to me about the pandemic, is how lawyers suddenly became the torch-bearers of truth for the entire judicial system.
Comment by TheInvisibleMan Monday, Mar 6, 23 @ 3:51 pm
Caulking doesn’t speak for me or the 58 percent of Illinois resident who are in favor of the ban. What’s with Republican math. They are almost always on the losing end of the numbers on elections and polling on individual issues yet they always act like they speak for a majority. I’m expecting soon to hear Bailey say that he won the majority of the vote
Comment by Stormsw7706 Monday, Mar 6, 23 @ 3:53 pm
– like why do police and especially retired police have an exemption from the gun ban?–
Historically, it’s because of the 1997 North Hollywood Shootout.
It was one of the main concerns brought up by the police, that the illegal weapons they were up against were overpowering the weapons they were allowed to buy themselves.
But yes, it does make less sense for it to apply to retired police. That’s the lobbying speaking through the bill.
Comment by TheInvisibleMan Monday, Mar 6, 23 @ 3:54 pm
“a county judge declaring FOID to be unconstitutional
The wheels of justice turn slowly but grind exceedingly fine. That FOID case involving Vivian Brown which has been before the IL Supreme Court twice is still bouncing around the courts…
“Michael Burke argued that the majority’s supposition that Brown received “complete relief” when the circuit court vacated her charges was faulty, because the legal reasoning backing that decision is unlikely to hold up upon appeal.
Thus, he predicted, the case will ultimately end up back at the Supreme Court on the constitutional basis, only after a significant delay to Brown’s detriment as the case moves through the appellate court”
Comment by Donnie Elgin Monday, Mar 6, 23 @ 4:02 pm
The CenterSquare thing about interns struck me as funny, “the average hourly wage for interns in Illinois stands at $15.99, the 25th lowest among the 50 states.”
So 25 is half of 50, so we’re smack dab in the middle, but they ALWAYS have to spin it. “lowest”
Comment by Perrid Monday, Mar 6, 23 @ 4:17 pm
= Any legislation or legislator willing to encourage more Waffle Houses here in our state =
Many years ago the Onion posted a story, “Mason-Dixon Line Renamed IHOP-Waffle House Line”. If that’s true - and who would doubt “America’s Finest News Source” /s - then any new Waffle House stores in Illinois would have to be located south of Springfield, like the 2 stores in Metro East.
Comment by cover Monday, Mar 6, 23 @ 4:20 pm
–The wheels of justice turn slowly but grind exceedingly fine.–
Yes, but the damage has been done by those who run around stating as fact that FOID is an unconstitutional law in Illinois - when it clearly has not been determined to be.
Which brings us to today, where sheriffs have now also decided they are able to legally determine what is or is not constitutional - and then act on that with the official actions of their office.
The general public does not understand how this works, and now it has led to sheriffs appointing themselves as part of the judicial branch, and taking official actions with their newly self-granted judicial powers.
A county judge has never and will never be the person who decides the constitutionality of a law as it effects everyone in the state. A county judge will only ever be able to determine that for a specific plaintiff, at best.
But now that same misunderstanding is being spread louder by people who should know better. And make no mistake, the lawyers *DO* know better. That’s why they specifically chose the word ‘believe’ when making their statement. Because beliefs are not held to the same standard of being factual as a declarative statement.
Someone is going to listen to this lawyer, and someone is going to get caught in violation of the law and become a felon. Do you think the lawyer who made this statement is going to care what happens to someone who isn’t a paying client of theirs? Not.A.Chance. And yet somehow lawyers in the eyes of that same person have become the pinnacle of ethics.
Comment by TheInvisibleMan Monday, Mar 6, 23 @ 4:25 pm
Re: retired police officers retaining
AR-15s. As a small town officer I purchased both my sidedarm and AR-15, plus 1000 rounds to take a 3 day class to qualify with the latter. Upon retirement I kept and still have it 13 years later. That is neither typical nor unusual. For me it was easier that contending with a couple of not pro-police city council people. If one is not allowed to keep the weapon, some procedure should be set up for the state to take the weapon and fairly compensate the owner.
Comment by J Monday, Mar 6, 23 @ 4:33 pm
We need an alternative to Waffle House in case of natural disaster.
Also, can we get Alexi fixing Twitter? He might not be done, but Alexi is headed in the right direction at least.
Comment by ArchPundit Monday, Mar 6, 23 @ 6:07 pm
OW, spot on with Waffle House. I am a smothered, covered and chunk kind of guy. Yet after all these years I still haven’t had a waffle there.
When my job takes me to the Waffle House territory I go at least once. A dinner, a show and some true genuinely friendly people with the few exceptions you mentioned. I have yet to see anything like that, hopefully the odds stay in my favor.
Comment by FormerParatrooper Monday, Mar 6, 23 @ 6:35 pm
- cover -, when is The Onion ever wrong?
=== When my job takes me to the Waffle House territory I go at least once. A dinner, a show and some true genuinely friendly people with the few exceptions you mentioned===
First, thanks.
Second, you’re spot on too.
Have yet to meet an unfriendly person, more times than not, there’s chatter, and there’s music, especially after 2-3am.
In Charleston in particular, I’ll stop, especially “the first day” I’m in town. Gets my head right.
Be well, you both.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Mar 6, 23 @ 6:47 pm
If you have never had a wafflehouse waffle, you do not know what you are missing. I’ll tell you though. It is the perfect waffle. They named the place aptly. Get you a dang waffle(banned).
Comment by Captain Obvious Monday, Mar 6, 23 @ 10:17 pm