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Isabel’s morning briefing

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Illinois

* Here you go…

Tribune | Advocates push for bill to expand state-funded health insurance to adults 19 and over, regardless of immigration status:

* WTTW | Despite Uber’s Campaign Against Tougher Safety Standards, ‘Common Carrier’ Bill Moves Ahead in Springfield: Lyft previously opposed the bill but has since moved to a neutral position. That shift reportedly came after an amendment that delayed when the rule would take effect and would let rideshare companies operate for at least an additional five years in Illinois.

* Crain’s | Bills bolstering firefighter, Cook County pension benefits gain traction: Each of the funds is billions of dollars short of the assets needed to pay promised benefits. Despite that, as well as opposition from former Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s financial team and expressions of concern from the Civic Federation, one of the firemen’s bills cleared the House yesterday by a wide 88-24 vote.

* Capitol News Illinois | State Supreme Court weighs assault weapons ban: Plaintiffs’ attorney Jerry Stocks argued that because the law allows some people to continue owning the banned weapons – law enforcement officers, certain security guards, active-duty military personnel, and people who already owned those weapons before the law took effect, among others – it violates the state constitution’s equal protection clause. He also argued it violates a ban on “special legislation,” or legislation written for the benefit of one person or group of people.

* Chalkbeat | Will Illinois tax credit scholarship end? Four things you should know about Invest In Kids: Over 9,000 Illinois students received the tax credit scholarship during the 2021-22 school year, according to a report from the state’s Department of Revenue obtained by Chalkbeat Chicago. In prior school years, enrollment numbers remained around 7,000 students.

* Sun-Times Editorial Board | Keep Illinois law strong on protecting personal biometric information: The point of the law is not to crush companies with burdensome penalties. But the answer should not be to toss out the law or weaken the penalties to the point that companies can safely ignore BIPA.

* Cheri Bustos and Reid Ribble | To protect our children and democracy, we need a commonsense approach to social media reform: A recent poll undertaken by the nonpartisan democracy-focused group Citizen Data found strong bipartisan evidence of this sentiment. Regardless of political party, the vast majority of Americans believe social media are toxic to our children and our democracy. A scant 7 in 100 respondents believe that social media’s benefits outweigh its harms.

* Block Club | On Visits To Migrant Shelters, Mayor Brandon Johnson Vows To Support New Arrivals — And Existing Residents: Johnson said he has been briefed regularly during the transition and recently spoke with federal leaders about how every level of government needs to help. In one of her final acts in office, Mayor Lori Lightfoot declared a state of emergency to make it easier for city agencies to respond.

* Tribune | Southeast Side activists celebrate city’s environmental justice agreement: ‘We get a victory — but the war is still on’: The city of Chicago reached the historic agreement with HUD Friday after Southeast Side activists initiated a yearslong federal civil rights investigation into local laws that allowed polluters to be concentrated in certain communities, many of which are on the Southeast Side.

* CNA | Chicago’s Bishop Joseph N. Perry to lead U.S. bishops’ anti-racism committee: Longtime Black Catholic leader Bishop Joseph N. Perry, an auxiliary bishop of Chicago, is the new chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

* Crain’s | Emanuel welcomes Chicago tech firm for Tokyo office opening: Rahm Emanuel welcomed a couple of familiar faces to Tokyo today for the opening of a new office of Chicago-based software company Keeper Security. Emanuel is the U.S. ambassador to Japan. On hand for Keeper’s Tokyo opening were CEO Darren Guccione and board members Howard Tullman and Harper Reed, two tech founders who were familiar faces during Emanuel’s tenure as Chicago mayor.

* Sun-Times | No honeymoon for Brandon Johnson — at least not with Fulton Market Association: Besides demanding 5,000 more surveillance cameras to stop violent crime, the leaders said they would oppose any new or increased taxes until existing tax increment finance funds are raided and the TIF system is reformed.

* Sun-Times | Bulls are without a draft pick after losing first-rounder to Magic in lottery: Karnisovas’ focus now should be on looking to make a deal to get back into the draft or, more likely, start preparing for free agency.

posted by Isabel Miller
Wednesday, May 17, 23 @ 7:39 am

Comments

Hearing about this new plan from a group calling itself “Action Center on Race & Economy”, which wants Brandon Johnson to raise $12B by having a 3.5% City income tax for residents earning more than $100K, and a LaSalle St Tax.

It was on Crain’s.

Comment by Old IL Dude Wednesday, May 17, 23 @ 9:57 am
Jerry Stocks’ arguments against the Assault Weapons Ban seem weak.

The law allows National Guard units to have bazookas and full-auto machine guns. It doesn’t allow private citizens to own such weapons, although I’m not sure if that’s a federal or state law.

And, special legislation is passed all the time. A few years ago, the legislature passed a bill to allow the OSF Clinic in Streator to have a free-standing emergency department without a hospital, since the nearest hospital is 16 miles away.

We have special legislation covering teachers, doctors, and especially the insurance industry, that benefits only a group of people.

Comment by Streator Curmudgeon Wednesday, May 17, 23 @ 10:01 am
===Hearing about===

There’s nothing to the 60/71 and 30/36 and the signature to things that this report wants, with the given need of legislative approval, at minimum, or if a constitutional ask, is required.

It’s a report based on unrealistic and unreasonable ideas that can not be achieved, easily or not.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, May 17, 23 @ 10:01 am
OW - Not sure I follow. But again, I’m old. I do know that Johnson needs to get in front of this immediately and say nay, shnay.

Comment by Old IL Dude Wednesday, May 17, 23 @ 10:04 am
===Not sure I follow.===

Impossible governing asks. They aren’t happening. No need to get ahead of anything.

It’s salacious click bait that the realities of governing won’t make possible.

Johnson also already won. There’s gonna be 4 years of a record to discuss and examine. This report is “dorm room reality” not actual reality

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, May 17, 23 @ 10:09 am
-There’s nothing to the 60/71 and 30/36 and the signature to things that this report wants-

I hope you are right because many of those revenue estimates probably don’t assume individuals and businesses avoiding some of the taxes by leaving Chicago.

Comment by Steve Wednesday, May 17, 23 @ 11:06 am
===I hope you are right because===

“Read the ILGA, Governor… the room”

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, May 17, 23 @ 11:15 am