Tuesday, May 7, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department
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SPRINGFIELD - Protect Illinois Hospitality announced today the addition of five new organizations who are joining the coalition of other tipped workers, service operators, and local businesses who want to preserve the tip credit in Illinois. These new members include the Chicago Southland Black Chamber of Commerce, Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce, McLean County Chamber of Commerce, Bolingbrook Chamber of Commerce, and the Woodstock Chamber of Commerce – bringing the coalition up to 26 members.
Larry Hall was not even three years into his career as a Flossmoor police officer when he began having sex in the summer of 2007 with an 18-year-old woman he had met months earlier while working as a resource officer at the south suburban high school she attended. […]
For most officers, such an offense would end their careers. But a little more than four years later, Hall returned to law enforcement, rising to become the acting deputy chief in the nearby Village of Robbins, where he oversees internal affairs and background checks.
Robbins Mayor Darren Bryant said that “sometimes we take what we can get” when it comes to the difficult task of hiring part-time, low-paid police officers.
“Just because you got fired doesn’t mean you can’t grow or you can’t learn from your last job,” he said. “It’s almost a restorative practice.”
Robbins has long been a dumping ground for police officers with troubled histories. In the past year alone, Robbins’ part-time police department employed Hall as well as two police officers whom the Chicago Police Department fired for lying about what they saw the night Laquan McDonald was murdered, and an officer whose history of past misconduct must be disclosed to defense attorneys any time he testifies in court. That officer was fired for submitting a vacation request containing the forged signature of his police chief.
Departments like Robbins that most often hire fired cops are at the mercy of diminished property tax bases to fund their operations. They pay just above minimum wage and hire fired cops who then use their status as police officers to secure higher-paying private security jobs or to salvage their policing careers before going elsewhere. In turn, residents are often left with a police force that gets more attention for the misdeeds of its officers and the crimes it doesn’t solve than the ones it does. […]
Since 2000, about 17% of all officers hired by the department — 46 altogether — joined or rejoined the department directly after getting fired, state data shows. By comparison, the Chicago Police Department hired or rehired just 15 officers this way.
A first-of-its-kind analysis of construction projects from the Port of Seattle between 2016 and 2023—including airports and seaports—shows that project labor agreements (PLAs) promote competition amongst contractors, control construction costs, and deliver superior workforce development outcomes over projects completed without PLAs. The report was conducted by researchers at the Illinois Economic Policy Institute (ILEPI) and the Project for Middle Class Renewal (PMCR) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Project labor agreements are pre-hire agreements between construction project owners and labor organizations that establish the terms and conditions of employment for skilled craft workers on large infrastructure projects. They have a long history as a de-risking mechanism and construction management tool for both the public and private sectors, ranging from the Tennessee Valley Authority in 1930s to the construction of most modern NFL stadiums today. In 2022, President Biden signed an Executive Order to require PLAs on federal projects valued at more than $35 million. Most PLAs include provisions for preventing strikes and lockouts, creating uniform work rules and safety standards, harmonizing schedules between different types of crafts, and addressing skilled labor supply needs.
“As is the case with many policies involving labor standards, there is a great deal of mythology around PLAs and their impact on businesses seeking to compete for bids, on costs borne by project owners and taxpayers, and on the broader workforce supply needs of the construction industry,” said study coauthor and ILEPI Economist Frank Manzo. “With trillions in new infrastructure funding and an Executive Order from President Biden expanding the utilization of PLAs, data from Port of Seattle projects offers a useful comparative analysis that will help communities and policymakers separate myth from fact and maximize the impact of these investments.”
For their analysis, researchers analyzed data from 95 projects and 366 bids between 2016 and 2023, as well as the Port of Seattle’s Apprenticeship and Priority Hire annual reports from 2020 to 2022 (The Port Commission enacted a $1 million project threshold for implementing specific apprentice hiring goals). All told, 23 of the analyzed projects were covered by PLAs, 72 were not, and the cumulative cost of all projects was just under $1 billion. […]
“The data makes clear that PLAs ensure a competitive bidding process, control construction costs, and increase the utilization of apprentices,” said study coauthor, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Professor, and PMCR Director Dr. Robert Bruno. “These findings are an important contribution to our broader understanding of PLAs because they involve robust analysis of more project bids than any prior comparable study.” […]
As construction employers face a historically tight labor market, the study revealed especially important distinctions between PLA and non-PLA projects on both workforce development and diversity. Specifically, it showed that PLA projects employed significantly higher rates of apprentices. PLA projects had 5% more labor hours worked by apprentices, were 23% more likely to achieve apprenticeship utilization goals, and nearly twice as likely to meet women apprentice goals (55% to 29%). People of color accounted for a larger share of apprentice hours on PLA projects (37%) than on non-PLA projects (35%).
*** Statewide ***
* NBC Chicago | Millions of birds will migrate over Illinois in the coming days. Here’s what to know: That trend is expected to continue Monday and Tuesday night, with officials expecting “high levels” of migrating birds to take flight over the state. You can find a bird migration map here. “You may observe their movements birding and listening by day and night,” an alert from Birdcast said. “Remember that high intensity nocturnal migration may not necessarily mean an excellent day of birding; rather it means that large numbers of birds are migrating or predicted to migrate at night.”
* WCIA | Asian longhorned tick found in Illinois for the first time: Since the species was first discovered in the U.S. in 2017, it has been found in 19 states. As of April 12, Illinois has become the 20th. […] “In some cases of severe H. longicornis infestation, livestock death has been reported,” said Dr. Mark Ernst, Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) State Veterinarian. “Farmers and producers should continue working with their veterinarian to maintain an appropriate management plan.”
*** Chicago ***
* Bloomberg | Pritzker downplays protest risks for Dems’ convention in Chicago: “We feel like we’re in much better shape,” Pritzker said in an interview in Bloomberg’s Chicago office. “But I understand why people can get nervous because if you were around in the summer of 2020, it’s going to take a little while I think for people’s tensions to decrease.” “I do not think that we are going to have anything like that,” Pritzker added, “and in particular, it’s because there’s such good security that has been planned for this convention.”
* Block Club | This Vacant Bungalow Is Owned By The CHA — And Now It’s A Drug Stash House : Just before that story was published, the CHA promised it would spend as much as $50 million in 2024 to rehab dozens of homes and sell some to CHA residents. The two-story, red-brick home at 849 N. St. Louis was picked to be one of them. Nearly six months later, only a handful of units have been finished citywide, and no work has been done at 849 N. St. Louis. Neighbors say it’s in worse shape than ever.
* Sun-Times | City workers who accused Water Department supervisors of racism agree to tentative $5.8 million settlement: Announcement of the settlement comes just a month before the case was to go to trial. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly had yet to rule on whether former Mayor Rahm Emanuel, now serving as U.S. ambassador to Japan, would have to testify. The deal must still be finalized and then approved by the City Council. Details of the settlement were not filed in federal court, but an attorney for the workers disclosed the amount. A spokeswoman for the city Law Department declined comment.
* Crain’s | Report rips city, state inaction as Loop Greyhound terminal faces closure: Just a few months remain before the impending shutdown of the West Loop Greyhound bus station threatens to leave 500,000 riders a year without easy access to affordable transportation, but neither the city nor state seems interested in doing much about it. That’s the bottom line of a new report today from DePaul University’s Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development, a report that dings local government officials hard for apparent indifference to the struggles of a mode of transportation that is heavily used by low-income, often minority patrons without other good options to get around.
*** Cook County and Suburbs ***
* Naperville Sun | Naperville staff to restart search for employee DEI training services: Envisioning Equity Work had been chosen over a dozen other vendors who responded to the city’s request for proposals in August 2023. A selection team evaluated applicants and eventually chose the firm as its top choice. But council members weren’t entirely sold. […] Members also questioned whether city-offered DEI educational courses would cover training separately required by the state for law enforcement. According to the Illinois Police Training Act, there are minimum in-service training requirements that a law enforcement officer in the state must complete every three years. Among the topics that need to be covered are cultural competency, implicit bias, and racial and ethnic sensitivity.
*** Downstate ***
* SJ-R | Grocery tax, new hotel and more: Springfield mayor marks one year with exclusive interview: SJ-R: If the State’s grocery tax is repealed, what will the city do? Buscher: I believe it will be repealed. The question is when. Our Office of Budget and Management has calculated we will lose $3.8 million in revenue that we’ve already built into our budget. Any of our state legislators are going to vote for fewer taxes on its citizens. There are state legislators who are aware that it’s hurting municipalities.
* BND | St. Clair County will demolish derelict properties until $2 million state grant runs out: It is starting this month with 31 properties the county owns: a vacant commercial building in Belleville and 30 derelict homes in Cahokia Heights. The county acquired the properties, among thousands of others, when the former owners stopped paying property taxes. This first round of demolitions will cost $260,780, according to the contract.
* SJ-R | LGBTQA+ nonprofit newspaper opens brick-and-mortar location in Springfield: Editor and publisher of the Illinois Eagle Tom Wray said it was time to expand the news organization to its own solid location and stop cluttering his living space with the news. “Literally it was the past few years in the backroom of my house,” Wray said. “Either the house I rented, or the house I own now. It’s getting to the point I simply don’t have the room in my house anymore. I also needed the separation of working from my home; I already have ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and have to work at concentrating.”The new location for the online newspaper is the historic 1133 W. Governor St. which was previously the House + Garden reSource gallery home decor until owner Greg Pierceall relocated to 1220 W. Governor St. last year.
*** National ***
* Tribune | U.S. Dept. of Education launches FAFSA support strategy with deadline for federal aid inching closer: The U.S. Department of Education announced additional steps on Monday to support the many students and their families who are in the process of completing the overhauled Free Application for Federal Student Aid after a shaky relaunch and complicated start for applicants. […] In a news release, the department said the $50 million program is part of the “FAFSA Student Support Strategy” and addresses known issues with the 2024-25 form to help boost its completion. Since the application became available in December, only around 9 million forms have been successfully submitted, according to the Department of Education.
* Bloomberg | TikTok sues feds to block Krishnamoorthi-backed divest-or-ban law: TikTok has argued that the law will stifle free speech and hurt creators and small business owners who benefit economically from the the platform. The company previously said that it spent more than $1.5 billion to isolate its US operations and agreed to oversight by American company Oracle Corp. [..] The legal battle comes after President Joe Biden signed into law a Ukraine-Israel aid package that includes the TikTok provision co-sponsored by U.S. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., and Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., who lead the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party.
* Bloomberg | NFL poised to allow teams to sell 30% of franchise to private equity: Proposals under discussion would let buyout firms individually acquire as much 10% of a team, according to people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified because the deliberations are confidential. A special NFL committee is meeting to examine the league’s ownership rules. Talks are ongoing and the percentages may change, some of the people said. A spokesperson for the NFL declined to comment.
Tuesday, May 7, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
The price-setting board proposed in HB4472 is not the solution for Illinois. It would give bureaucrats the power to arbitrarily set medicine prices, deciding what medicines and treatments are “worth” paying for. We can’t leave Illinoisans’ health care up to political whims. Let’s make it easier, not harder for patients to access their medicines. Click here to learn more.
Of course not. It’s Jeanne Ives, for crying out loud. She’s never been a reliable source of facts.
The fact that she served three terms in the Illinois House may lead people to think she can accurately comment on legislative proposals. But notice she doesn’t provide a link to the bill so you can’t just easily click here and look for the repealer language and see for yourself as plain as day that what’s being repealed are the three sections creating non-binding referendums.
Maybe I’m wrong, but I refuse to believe Ives is that spectacularly dumb.
* And Ives wasn’t alone…
Here’s the actual part Rep. Miller is upset about. It’s on page 18-19 and as you can clearly see, the section referenced in Miller’s post is not the same section as the part he is upset about. There is no repeal of this part #twillhttps://t.co/pgfOUD9c5Npic.twitter.com/2o7lMRyDom
Tuesday, May 7, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
A growing chorus of labor unions, government officials, business and industry voices, and the academic community are speaking up about the critical role that carbon capture and storage (CCS) can play in helping Illinois reach its clean energy goals. The Capture Jobs Now Coalition is supporting legislation (SB3311/HB569) to advance CCS projects in our state while prioritizing jobs and economic development in local communities.
Pat Devaney, Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO, and Mark Denzler, President and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association:
“CCS also presents an incredible opportunity for Illinois’ economy and its highly skilled work force. A recent state-commissioned report by the University of Illinois estimates CCS development has a potential statewide demand of 14,440 jobs. And that’s on top of the thousands more jobs CCS can protect by helping decarbonize important Illinois industries as our state, country and world increasingly embrace a net zero carbon future.” (April 2023)
* The governor made his second trip to the Bloomington area in a week today…
Today, Governor JB Pritzker joined the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, local stakeholders, and Ferrero North America leadership to celebrate the grand opening of the continent’s first Ferrero chocolate factory in Bloomington, Illinois. The 70,000 square-foot expansion to Ferrero’s manufacturing campus in Bloomington will produce chocolate used in iconic products like Kinder®, Ferrero Rocher®, Butterfinger®, and CRUNCH®. The facility is the company’s first chocolate processing plant in North America and third globally.
“Central Illinois is the heart of our nation, and this most recent $75 million Ferrero expansion is an exciting addition to a thriving manufacturing landscape in the region,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “We have worked hard to make this one of the best states in the nation to do business, and to help companies like Ferrero deepen their roots here. Thank you to the folks at Ferrero for your commitment to the people of Illinois.”
Governor Pritzker joined the Ferrero North America team three years ago to break ground on the new facility, and the construction was completed this year.
Q: Why double-down on efforts, invest so much here in Bloomington? We just saw you at Rivian the other day.
Pritzker: Well, it’s in part due to the great economic development efforts right here in Bloomington/Normal. So let’s give credit where credit’s due. Locally, the mayor, the Economic Development Council, Patrick Hogan, doing a great job, Mayor Koos. And so that’s part of it.
I think the other is companies want to come here. They want to be in central Illinois. So we’re just trying to make it easier for them to come at the state level by providing some tax incentives. So they know we’re here, we can compete with other states. It’s very exciting and, frankly, the fact that I’ve been here twice in less than a week to cut ribbons on new manufacturing is a testament to the people of Bloomington. […]
Q: Certainly there’s no question that the Logan Correctional Center needed very serious attention. What is your response to people who are municipal leaders in that area who are concerned about the exodus of jobs?
Pritzker: Well, certainly we should all be paying attention to how can we get more economic development into the area, into Logan County and make sure that in Lincoln in particular, that we’re attracting great new private sector jobs. I don’t know where the facility will end up, the one that you’re talking about that will be closed for a while. That’s going to be part of the conversation that we had in town hall meetings and in the hearings, it’ll be had. But I’m excited about the prospect of attracting new businesses to the area just like we’re doing here in Bloomington. And I think that really is the future for most places across the state, to not rely upon a state-run facility that’s a prison. That can’t be a great economic growth strategy for the area. And so we want to work together to see how we might be able to attract some new companies like this one, and like others that we’ve been getting to the state of Illinois to Logan.
That assumes he can convince a big company to open up a facility in or near Lincoln. It’s within his power to simply rebuild that prison where it’s at now.
Then again, the Ferrero plant is only a half-hour drive from Lincoln. And the Rivian plant is a few miles further.
Tuesday, May 7, 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.
* A statue of James Shields was erected in the Hall of Columns in 1893 to represent Illinois…
James Shields, born on May 12, 1806, emigrated from Ireland as a young man. He taught school, studied law, and was admitted to practice.
• He served in the Illinois House of Representatives in 1836, became the state auditor in 1839, and was a member of the Supreme Court of Illinois from 1843 to 1845.
• While serving in the Illinois House, Shields met Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas. Lincoln was a Whig and Shields was a Democrat; the two clashed rhetorically and once even scheduled a duel.
A pioneer in the temperance movement, Frances E. Willard is also remembered for her contributions to higher education.
• She attended the Female College of Milwaukee for one year and finished her college degree at the Woman’s College of Northwestern University.
• She taught at Genesee Wesleyan Seminary in 1866–1867 before returning to the Evanston College for Women, where she served as president from 1871 to 1874.
• Willard gained a reputation as an effective orator and social reformer.
• She became associated in the evangelist movement with Dwight Moody and was elected president of the National Women’s Temperance Union in 1879.
• Her zeal sustained her fight for prohibition, and she organized the Prohibition Party in 1882. During the same year she was elected president of the National Council of Women.
• She later founded and served as president of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union in 1883.
• Her statue was the first honoring a woman to be chosen for the National Statuary Hall Collection.
We are incredibly proud to share that City Bureau Senior Reporter Sarah Conway and Invisible Institute Data Director Trina Reynolds-Tyler have won the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting for their investigation “Missing in Chicago.”
“Missing in Chicago” is a seven-part investigative series that reveals how Chicago police have routinely violated state law and police procedure, delaying and mishandling missing person cases. The report revealed a racial bias that disproportionately impacts Black women and girls, and how poor police data is making the problem harder to solve.
“Sarah and Trina deserve this recognition for many reasons. The rigor, care and thoughtfulness that they put into this investigation shine through within each piece, and I couldn’t be more proud of their commitment,” said City Bureau Executive Director Morgan Malone. “‘Missing in Chicago’ serves as proof that investigative reporting with engagement and community in mind are a necessity, versus a ‘nice to have.’
“When our reporting is informed by the lived experiences and needs of community, the potential for impact is boundless. I look forward to the change brewing in Chicago and Illinois, due in large part to their incredible reporting, and in the journalism industry at large, as this Pulitzer is proof that investigative journalism driven by community is alive, well and a catalyst for the world we know to be possible.”
While police officials have publicly claimed that services for families are equal and fair across race and ZIP codes, massive gaps in missing persons data make it impossible to prove, according to a two-year investigation by City Bureau and the Invisible Institute. Instead, interviews with current and former police officers, national experts and researchers, along with dozens of anecdotes from impacted family members, reveal a pattern of neglect, incompetence and illegal behavior from police officers in missing person cases:
-Under Illinois law and Chicago police policy, police officers cannot deny a missing person report for any reason. However, reporters found dozens of people who say they were told to wait, or outright denied the ability to file a report — delaying investigations during the critical early hours of missingness. Read more.
-Families of the missing say that police officers are dismissive of their cases, neglect their investigations and stigmatize their loved ones — including multiple cases where police declined to investigate key leads or lost evidence, leaving families to conduct their own searches. Read more.
- Analyzing police data on missing person cases from 2000 to 2021, reporters found discrepancies that call into question the department’s data-keeping practices. Current and former police officers say that the missing person report is one of the last remaining paper reports used by Chicago police. Police records also show that, from 2017 to 2021, a little over 45% of cases are missing a key data point about the time and date police arrived to investigate these cases. And reporters identified multiple cases that ended in homicide that were marked “non-criminal” in the data — as well as four cases where detectives explicitly noted that the missing person had returned home, despite family members saying their loved ones never returned home alive. Read more. […]
For this investigation, City Bureau and the Invisible Institute requested the Chicago Police Department’s missing person reports from 2000 to 2021, analyzed them and interviewed more than 40 sources. Police missing persons data was cross referenced with underlying investigative documents, Chicago Police Department homicide data, medical examiner death data and news reports.
The analysis shows that of the approximately 340,000 cases in this time period, Black children make up 57% of cases. Black girls between the ages of 10 and 20 make up nearly one-third of all missing person cases in the city, according to police data, despite comprising only 2% of the city population as of 2020. This racial disparity has remained relatively constant over the past two decades, even as cases overall have fallen. (Since 2000, missing person cases have fallen by about 50% and experts are unsure why.)
Hispanic people make up 15% of all cases, but experts believe this figure is underreported due to immigration enforcement concerns.
Shirley Enoch-Hill believes she will never find out what happened to her daughter, Sonya Rouse, who dreamed of being a news anchor. When Rouse went missing in 2016 at age 50, Enoch-Hill immediately suspected Rouse’s boyfriend, whom she claims physically abused her daughter throughout their relationship. According to police documents, an Illinois Department of Corrections official offered to arrange an interview between police Detective Brian Yaverski and the boyfriend (who was in an IDOC work release program), but Yaverski “decided to wait.” More than a year later, the boyfriend died of a suspected fentanyl overdose, and Yaverski never interviewed him. (Reporters contacted Yaverski for comment but he did not respond. CPD media affairs also did not respond to a request for comment.)
Enoch-Hill remembers crying when she heard Rouse’s boyfriend had died, because she felt the truth of what happened to her daughter was gone forever. “There is no closure. … It was like she disappeared off the face of the earth,” she says. “If you’re Black and you come up missing, nobody cares.” […]
Teresa Smith had a similar experience after her 65-year-old mother Daisy Hayes went missing May 1, 2018. Hayes was a loving and caring grandmother who was always the life of the party, Smith says. Yet when Smith tried to ask police for help, “They assassinated her character. [They said,] ‘We know your mom frequents the liquor store,’” Smith recounts. “Like that has something to do with anything?”
Similarly, City Bureau and the Invisible Institute found 11 other Black women who accused officers of abusive and dismissive language in an analysis of 54 police misconduct complaint records from 2011 to 2015 where the complaint was related to a missing person case. […]
Rather than receiving help from officers, Smith says she was yelled at by them, even though according to a police report Hayes’ boyfriend was seen entering her apartment empty-handed and later caught on surveillance footage dragging a heavy suitcase down to the parking lot dumpster, then covering it with trash.
* Tribune | Two Chicago nonprofit news startups win Pulitzer Prizes: “They found that across the city, this is a consistent issue, that the cases, depending on your ZIP code, determines how much effort they put into finding you, as well as how much your family is allowed access to be a part of the investigation,” said Morgan Malone, who joined City Bureau this year as its first executive director.
* City Bureau, Invisible Institute Win Pulitzer For Coverage Of Missing Black Women In Chicago: Reynolds-Tyler was thrilled to hear the news, she said Monday afternoon. “As a little Black girl from the South Side of Chicago this is … I just feel very honored. I’m so grateful for the opportunity for us to model investigative data journalism, really excited that we are able to do this in the third largest metropolitan city in the country. The level of intention and care that can come to journalism can be healing, it can be heavy, it can set a record. And this work embodies truth, the truth of law enforcement. It’s the truth of families. It’s the truth of advocates,” said Reynolds-Tyler, a trained restorative justice practitioner.
* Poynter | Small newsrooms won big in the 2024 Pulitzers: Conway said she was proud of their work, and proud of the families who took a chance on speaking with them for the investigation. “We took a lot of pride and diligence in moving with a lot of care, in sourcing and research, and connecting with people who’ve been impacted over the past few years,” Conway said. “The recognition is something I hope lends credence to their experiences and their stories, and what they’ve gone through — who their loved ones were. Because we found, in our reporting, a lot of people had been harmed and neglected by the city and, in particular, the Chicago Police Department, at a really painful moment in their life.”
* NYT | How a Tiny Chicago News Organization Won 2 Pulitzers: Mr. Lacour’s podcast won one of two Pulitzers this year for the Invisible Institute, a small, crusading newsroom on Chicago’s South Side known for holding city authorities to account. The other prize, for local reporting, went to the organization’s data director, Trina Reynolds-Tyler, who reported an investigative series on missing Black girls and women in Chicago.
* Crain’s | MLK biographer Eig and City Bureau, Invisible Institute rack up Pulitzers: City Bureau Executive Director Morgan Malone praised the reporting in a statement accompanying the award announcement. “‘Missing in Chicago’ serves as proof that investigative reporting with engagement and community in mind are a necessity, versus a ‘nice to have,’” Malone wrote.
The Illinois Senate passed a plan to provide more educational opportunities for young people serving time in the Department of Corrections.
The Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice could be required to establish an emerging adult program for individuals 18 to 21 in Illinois prisons.
Sen. Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) said her bill would allow these young people to participate in individual or group therapy, case management, vocational training and higher education opportunities. […]
Qualifying prisoners would have the opportunity to transfer to the Illinois Youth Center in Harrisburg for educational and holistic services. While Senate Republicans appreciated the intent of the bill, they are concerned about logistics for prisons and juvenile detention centers. […]
Senate Bill 426 passed out of the Senate on a 41-15 vote. The House could discuss the legislation during the final three weeks of session this month.
* Press release…
Hundreds of community leaders, environmental advocates, faith leaders, business representatives, consumer groups, students and state legislators will rally at the Lincoln Statue outside of the Illinois State Capitol Building in support of the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition (ICJC) Platform, a slate of legislation that would double down on Illinois’ bold climate policy and secure an equitable, affordable and healthy future for all Illinoisans.
The rally is part of the annual Climate Action Lobby Day. This year, nearly 400 Illinoisans are expected to lobby in support of the ICJC Platform, which includes the Clean and Reliable Grid Act (SB3637), the Clean and Healthy Buildings Act (SB3935), and the Clean and Equitable Transportation Act (HB5829). The Clean and Reliable Grid Act will accelerate clean energy deployment and strengthen the capacity and reliability of our electric grid. The Clean and Healthy Buildings Act capitalizes on the benefits of transitioning the heating systems and appliances that power homes and buildings to clean energy. The Clean and Equitable Transportation Act addresses vehicle pollution by electrifying public transportation and vehicles while also offering comprehensive solutions that improve walkability, bikeability and overall transit reform. In addition, activists will urge the General Assembly to swiftly pass the Carbon Dioxide Transport and Storage Protections Act (SB2421), which protects Illinois communities and our land and water from the risks associated with Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS).
WHAT: Climate Action Rally
WHEN: Thursday, May 9, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. CT
WHERE: Lincoln Statue, Illinois State Capitol, S 2nd Street, Springfield, Illinois 62756 and live-streamed via facebook.com/ilcleanjobs.
Gov. JB Pritzker has suggested raising the Illinois sports betting tax rate to 35% from 15%.
The Sports Betting Alliance, which represents BetMGM, DraftKings, Fanatics and FanDuel, has been encouraging consumers to reach out to state lawmakers to help stop the potential hike.
A spokesperson for the SBA told LSR this week that a combined 25,000 emails have already been sent to the Illinois legislature and Gov. Pritzker.
The SBA’s website lists three main bullet points for why this issue matters:
- More taxes mean worse odds for players
- Customers will have access to fewer promotions and bonuses
- A tax hike will increase illegal offshore sports betting (they pay 0% taxes)
Tucked into the Democratic governor’s recent fiscal year 2025 budget plan is a proposal to begin taxing profits from sportsbooks at 35% instead of the current 15%. Pritzker said the move is expected to generate an additional $200 million a year in tax revenue.
It’s one of several “revenue adjustment” ideas in the budget plan that could help generate nearly $1 billion extra for the state in the coming year, according to the proposed budget.
“From Day One, Gov. Pritzker has taken action to ensure corporations are paying their fair share,” said Alex Gough, the governor’s press secretary. “Since the legalization of sports betting in Illinois, gaming companies have enjoyed one of the lowest sports wagering tax rates in the nation. In that time, the sports betting industry has exploded, and corporations are raking in huge profits. […]
Currently, 30 states impose taxes on sports betting. At 15%, Illinois’ rate is lower than only eight other states. Louisiana, Maryland and Virginia also tax sportsbook profits at 15%, according to the Tax Foundation.
But states including New York, New Hampshire, Delaware and Rhode Island all charge 50% or more.
* Legislation cracking down on shoulder parking near O’Hare will be heard tomorrow in the Senate Executive Committee. Here’s the latest amendment…
Provides that a person operating a motor vehicle shall not stop or stand the person’s vehicle on a shoulder of a highway along traffic routes within a one-half mile radius of: (1) the eastern entrance to O’Hare International Airport; and (2) the intersection of Interstate 90 and Interstate 294 (rather than a 2-mile radius surrounding O’Hare International Airport). Requires the Illinois Toll Highway Authority to install and maintain automated traffic safety systems along traffic routes within a one-half mile radius of: (1) the eastern entrance to O’Hare International Airport; and (2) the intersection of Interstate 90 and Interstate 294 (rather than a 2-mile radius surrounding O’Hare International Airport). Provides that language prohibiting stopping or standing within one-half mile of O’Hare International Airport do not apply if the driver of the vehicle received a Uniform Traffic Citation from a police officer at the time of the violation for the same offense. Provides that recorded images made by an automated traffic safety system are confidential and shall be made available only (i) to the alleged violator and governmental and law enforcement agencies; or (ii) in response to a lawful subpoena. Provides that a recorded image evidencing a violation of this Act may be admissible in a proceeding resulting from the issuance of a citation. Provides that proceeds from fines shall be deposited into the State Police Law Enforcement Administration Fund (rather than the Illinois State Police Highway Enforcement Fund). Removes provisions creating the Illinois State Police Highway Enforcement Fund as a special fund in the State treasury.
House Republicans have proposed seven bills to improve human trafficking protections and penalties. The bills focus on protections for minors and prosecuting perpetrators. […]
House Bill 5465 would allow a human trafficking victim to have their juvenile record from crimes committed while being trafficked as a minor sealed or expunged. The proposal is an extension of House Bill 2418, which granted similar provisions to people who were trafficked as adults. The law was signed by Gov. JB Pritzker last year following unanimous approval by lawmakers and took effect on Jan. 1, 2024. It also allows the victim to petition remotely, and to have the petition sealed. […]
HB 5465 unanimously passed the House on April 17 and unanimously passed out of the Senate Special Committee on Criminal Law and Public Safety on May 1. The bill now awaits Senate consideration. […]
La Ha’s House Bill 5467 unanimously passed the House on April 17. It would remove the statute of limitations for a victim to press charges of trafficking, involuntary servitude, and involuntary sexual servitude that occurred when the victim was a minor. Under current law the prosecution must start within 25 years of the victim turning 18. […]
La Ha and House Republicans have sponsored other related bills that remain in committee, some of them focusing on penalties for traffickers. Since two key deadlines for a bill’s passage have already passed, the proposals seem unlikely to move forward this year.
* Protect Illinois Hospitality…
Protect Illinois Hospitality today announced the addition of five new organizations joining the coalition of tipped workers, service operators, and local businesses who want to preserve the tip credit in Illinois. These new members include the Chicago Southland Black Chamber of Commerce, Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce, McLean County Chamber of Commerce, Bolingbrook Chamber of Commerce, and the Woodstock Chamber of Commerce – bringing the coalition up to 26 members.
“The hospitality industry in Illinois is a strong economic driver to the state’s economy. We have some of the best breweries, restaurants, and hotels in the world and we should be doing what we can to help these businesses continue to prosper and grow,” said Lou Sandoval, President and CEO of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce. “However, policy changes are being discussed that would eliminate the tip credit, effectively hurting the heart and soul of what makes those businesses special – the people. That is not the path that we should take as it will impact our small independent operators in communities all over the state the most. We hope Illinois legislators will reject these plans and vote no on any measure that will eliminate the tip credit on hospitality workers.”
Introduced earlier this year, HB 5345 would fundamentally alter the way restaurants, bars, breweries, hotels, and other businesses who use the tip credit pay their employees, leading to less take-home pay for workers and increased costs for both restaurants and consumers.
Every tipped employee in Illinois already makes at least the minimum wage, and several studies have shown that tipped workers have higher earning potential in the current system than they would if the tip credit were eliminated. Under the current system, businesses pay a portion of the tipped employee’s hourly minimum wage, with the rest being made up by tips to equal at least the full state-mandated minimum wage. The base wage for tipped employees in Illinois is currently $8.40 per hour, and minimum wage is $14 per hour. If employees do not make at least $14 per hour with combined base wage and tips, businesses are required by law to pay the difference to ensure that every tipped worker makes at least minimum wage.
Most restaurant operators in Illinois use the tip credit to pay employees. According to National Restaurant Association research, the median tipped restaurant worker in Illinois currently earns $28.48 per hour. In a recent survey of Illinois servers, bartenders, and other tipped staff, 87% agreed that the current tipping system works well for them and should not be changed, and a majority believe eliminating the tip credit will lead to customers tipping less and overall lower take-home pay.
In addition to lowering take-home pay for workers, eliminating the tip credit puts thousands of workers at risk of losing their jobs. In May 2023, Washington, D.C. became the first jurisdiction in the nation in more than 20 years to begin eliminating the tip credit and since then, more than 3,700 full-service restaurant jobs have been lost.
Eliminating the tip credit would also harm businesses across Illinois that are already facing significant economic and regulatory challenges, especially small businesses. Restaurants, bars, breweries, hotels, and other businesses who use the tip credit would be forced to pass the increased cost on to consumers to try to make ends meet, and many would still need to cut shifts or tipped staff positions or permanently close. Illinois diners have indicated they would be likely to change their dining habits if restaurants increase menu prices or implement automatic service charges to offset increased labor costs, further adding to the burden on restaurants already operating on thin profit margins. […]
In addition to the new members, Protect Illinois Hospitality includes the National Restaurant Association, Illinois Restaurant Association, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, Cosmetologists Chicago, Greater Oakbrook Chamber of Commerce, Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce, Hospitality Business Association of Chicago, Illinois Licensed Beverage Association, Illinois Chamber of Commerce, Illinois Craft Brewers Guild, Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Alliance, Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association, Illinois Retail Merchants Association, Magnificent Mile Association, Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce, Naperville Development Partnership, National Federation of Independent Business, Sysco, Takeout 25, and Wine and Spirits Distributors of Illinois.
* ICYMI: Lawsuit alleges decades of child sex abuse at Illinois juvenile detention centers statewide. AP…
- A lawsuit filed Monday by 95 men and women housed at the youth centers as children claims child sexual abuse at Illinois juvenile detention centers was pervasive and systemic for decades.
-The 186-page complaint was filed in the Illinois Court of Claims.
-The lawsuit names the state of Illinois, the state’s Department of Corrections and Department of Juvenile Justice as defendants. It seeks damages of roughly $2 million per plaintiff.
Governor Pritzker will be in Bloomington at 10 joining Ferraro to celebrate a new factory opening. At 1 pm, the governor will give remarks at IMA Electric Vehicle Showcase Day at the Governor’s Mansion. Click here to watch.
*** Statehouse News ***
* WGN | Johnson headed to Springfield to lobby ‘on behalf of the people of Chicago’: “There are a host of things that I will be requesting on behalf of the people of Chicago,” Johnson said about his impending trip to Springfield. The mayor will try to help the Bears, who are seeking public funding for a new lakefront stadium, but that’s not his focus. Team President Kevin Warren is leading the charge. […] Johnson is also keeping a close eye on school funding.
* Capitol News Illinois | House GOP advances 2 human trafficking victim protection bills as others remain in limbo: House Bill 5465 would allow a human trafficking victim to have their juvenile record from crimes committed while being trafficked as a minor sealed or expunged. The proposal is an extension of House Bill 2418, which granted similar provisions to people who were trafficked as adults. The law was signed by Gov. JB Pritzker last year following unanimous approval by lawmakers and took effect on Jan. 1, 2024. It also allows the victim to petition remotely, and to have the petition sealed.
* Center Square | Advocates, legislators push for $140 million to fund violence prevention: The Reimagine Public Safety Act calls for a comprehensive approach to reducing violent crime through targeted community investments. Advocates and violence prevention groups gathered in Springfield recently to push for $140 million. Target Area Development Director of Research and Re-entry Edward McBride said the reduction of crime in Chicago can be attributed to the Reimagine Public Safety Act and peacekeepers, who receive about $200 a day in taxpayer dollars.
* Tribune | Secretary of state’s office urges residents to get a Real ID as federal deadline is a year away: Only about 23.5% of Illinois residents have obtained the Real ID card, which is marked by a gold star in the upper right corner, according to the secretary of state’s office. The low number is a cause for concern for the office since getting the document is more involved than applying for a regular state driver’s license renewal. Real ID applicants must go in person to a secretary of state driver services facility and provide proof of identity, proof of full Social Security number, two current residency documents and proof of signature. The full list of acceptable documents is available on the secretary of state’s website.
* WCIA | State representatives talk on UIUC campus about uptick of antisemitism : State Representatives Bob Morgan (D-Deerfield), Dan Didech (D-Buffalo Grove), and Tracy Katz Muhl (D-Northbrook) spoke at University of Illinois’ quad on Monday (Holocaust Remembrance Day) about the rise of antisemitism. They were joined by local Jewish leaders, including Rabbi Dovid Tiechtel from Illini Chabad and Erez Cohen from Illini Hillel.
* Bond. Buyer | Illinois to issue $1.8 billion of general obligation bonds: Illinois will issue $1.8 billion of general obligation bonds — $250 million taxable Series 2024A and $1.55 billion tax-exempt Series 2024B — to fund accelerated pension benefit payments and capital expenditures through the Rebuild Illinois program.
*** Statewide ***
* SJ-R | Teacher salaries in Illinois among best in the nation, new report finds: According to the new report, the average teacher salary for 2022-2023 was $69,544, which is a 4.1% increase from the 2021-2022 school year. An increase in teacher salaries was also seen in Illinois, according to the new report. The average teacher salary in Illinois was $73,916 for 2022-2023, a 2.2% increase from 2021-2022 when salaries were $72,315. Overall, Illinois ranked as the 12th best state across the country for teacher salaries.
*** Chicago ***
* Sun-Times | Google it! Thompson Center’s $280M redevelopment kicks off, to become Google’s Chicago HQ: The renovation of the center comes at a time of wider transformation for the Loop. Mayor Brandon Johnson announced in April that he’s seeking $150 million in tax increment financing for four La Salle Street adaptive reuse projects. The conversions would create more than 1,000 new apartments in the city’s Central Business District, bringing new use to largely vacant office buildings.
* Crain’s | Two of Chicago’s pension plans could deplete assets by 2030, report warns: As Mayor Brandon Johnson searches for a fix for the city’s pension challenges, a liberal-leaning nonprofit is warning the situation could become dire as early as 2030. That’s according to a new report from the Center for Tax & Budget Accountability, or CTBA, which examined Chicago’s four public employee pensions. The CTBA has previously published reports on the state’s pension systems; its latest publication focuses on the city’s pensions.
* Block Club | Thompson Center’s Transformation Into Google’s Chicago Headquarters Begins: Google announced in July 2022 it would take over the Thompson Center, saying it’d buy the building for $105 million after it is renovated by The Prime Group and Capri Investment Group. Demolition of the building’s exterior began Friday as Google plans to turn the Helmut Jahn-designed building into its new Chicago headquarters, employing as many as 1,000 workers in the famed complex.
* Block Club | Trilogy’s Chatham Wellness Center Brings Therapy And More To South Side ‘Mental Health Desert’:
While work to overhaul the building is still underway, there was a “crucial need” to open its mental health services to clients “sooner rather than later,” said Susan Doig, Trilogy’s CEO. “We’ve known that this area is a mental health desert, and people who don’t have access to commercial insurance have more barriers to getting mental health care,” Doig said. “Being able to offer these services in Chatham is key for the health of the community. It should’ve happened years ago but there’s no better time than the present.”
*** Cook County and Suburbs ***
* Daily Southtown | Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard vetoes hiring of former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot: Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard vetoed action by trustees to hire former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot to conduct a probe into the mayor and village finances during a raucous Village Board meeting Monday. “How dare you think you can come into someone’s town and do work,” Henyard said, saying trustees who voted to hire Lightfoot an an April 8 meeting overstepped their authority. “There is a right way to do things and this is just not that,” Henyard said in delivering her veto. […] The meeting at one point dissolved into a shouting and finger-pointing match between Henyard and Trustee Kiana Belcher, with some residents getting up from their chairs to shout their own comments.
* WGN | Woman accusing community activist Andrew Holmes of assault releases video statement: Fenia Dukes released the video Monday, following several weeks of communications between her and WGN Investigates about a potential interview. Dukes said she wanted to share her story because she feels victimized twice: first by community activist Andrew Holmes, a colleague she respected, and then again when she reported the alleged incident to her boss, Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard.
* NBC Chicago | First Dolton board meeting takes place since subpoenas served at village hall: Residents demanded to be heard as they gathered outside village hall. In the group was Mayor Tiffany Henyard’s ex-assistant, Fenia Dukes. “At first, it was just me. But a year later, to see ya’ll standing with me – thank you…thank you so much,” Dukes told the group. Dukes has filed a civil lawsuit against Henyard and Trustee Andrew Holmes, the latter whom she accuses of assaulting her.
* Daily Herald | A good deal for the suburbs? Transit merger proposal raises questions about finances, fairness: “I have a horrible amount of concern that we will be putting our suburban transit in jeopardy because folding Metra into the CTA will subject it to the same struggles CTA found itself unable to get out of,” Republican state Rep. Jeff Keicher of Sycamore said. The plan also would provide $1.5 billion in extra transit money annually, as a $730 million shortfall looms in 2026. Officials haven’t given any specifics on raising those revenues, saying the restructure comes first.
* Daily Herald | Arlington Heights police bring on full-time crisis counselor despite cut in federal funding: Though federal grant funding runs out this summer, Arlington Heights trustees agreed Monday to commit village funds to keep a police department crisis counselor employed at least through the end of the year. The counselor has gone on some 300 police calls over the last two years involving people suffering from a mental health crisis, and made another 600 follow-up contacts with individuals seeking assistance, officials said.
*** National ***
* AP | Lured by historic Rolling Stones performance, half-a-million fans attend New Orleans Jazz Fest: An extra day and the lure of an appearance by the Rolling Stones pushed attendance at the 2024 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival to a half a million people, organizers said Monday. That was the second highest attendance in the festival’s history — just behind the 600,000 attendees in 2001. In 2023, more than 460,000 people passed through the festival’s gates.
* NBC | Boeing forced to scrub first crewed Starliner launch to the space station: Mission controllers declared a launch “scrub” after an anomaly was detected on an oxygen valve on United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket, which the Starliner capsule was to ride into orbit. The crewed Starliner flight, when it occurs, will be a crucial final test before NASA can authorize Boeing to conduct routine flights to and from the space station.
* Ms. | The Rise of Deepfakes Demands Legislative Action: But legislation marks just the beginning of the solution. Genuine technological accountability, responsible AI development, and safeguarding the right to online privacy require more than a single federal law. However, enacting such legislation is a critical first step, and there is precedent that legislation can catalyze more widespread change.
