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…Adding… An agreement was reached…
The AFSCME State of Illinois contract expires this Friday, June 30. As Bargaining Committee members head to negotiations one more time before the expiration of the contract, state employees sent their bargaining representatives off with a message of support. pic.twitter.com/GzaUOgnwvF
— AFSCME Council 31 (@afscme31) June 27, 2023
* Press release…
Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza announced that Illinois is ending Fiscal Year 2023 today by reaching the following laudable fiscal milestones – some of which Illinois has not seen in decades:
• For the second year in a row, we are paying all the state’s General Revenue Fund (GRF) vouchers, leaving zero unpaid GRF bills at the Illinois Office of Comptroller (IOC).
• We are reducing Illinois’ total General Funds Accounts Payable to $528 million – down from a record high of $16.7 billion that resulted from the state’s 2015-2017 budget impasse.
• We are ending the fiscal year with more than $1 billion in the state’s GRF for the first time in more than two decades.
• Thursday’s deposit of $200 million into the Rainy Day Fund (Budget Stabilization Fund) brings the state’s reserve fund to a record $1.94 billion.
• Today’s $200 million deposit above the statutorily required minimum into the state’s Pension Stabilization Fund brings the additional funds the state has put into pensions in the past year to $700 million.
• Today we are paying $200 million for the fourth quarter Mandated Categorical Grants (MCATs) – transportation and special education funds for Illinois schools – earlier than scheduled.
* Daily Herald…
Police will make greater use of drones this Fourth of July to keep an eye on crowds gathered for parades and fireworks shows.
Suburban departments are taking advantage of a new state law allowing police to monitor parades, food festivals, concerts and other government-hosted outdoor events with camera-equipped drones.
The bill was spurred by the mass shooting at an Independence Day parade in Highland Park nearly one year ago. A gunman armed with a high-powered rifle fired into the parade crowd from a downtown rooftop, killing seven people and injuring dozens more in less than a minute. […]
Kreis, the Vernon Hills chief, as well as Lemont Police Chief Marc Maton and Aurora police Lt. Andy Wolcott led a virtual training session hosted by the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police this week to teach officers about reporting requirements and the rules of the sky.
“I can tell you, in regards to Vernon Hills, I’ve received nothing but positive feedback about measures that we take to further enhance security since July Fourth last year when Highland Park was victimized so horribly,” Kreis said.
* IDPH…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced it is revising how it collects and reports data on abortions in Illinois in order to protect the privacy and safety of those who receive abortions and abortion providers. The changes are dictated by recent amendments to Illinois’ Reproductive Health Act. They also come in response to the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that eliminated the constitutional right to abortion in the United States and allowed states to restrict access to abortion.
Under the revised system, Illinois is simplifying the type of data it collects from healthcare providers and what data it shares with the public. IDPH will be reporting aggregate level data for the total number of abortions provided to Illinois residents and out-of-state residents. It will no longer be reporting abortion numbers for Illinois counties (which were reported only for counties with more than 50 abortions) or by the specific state of out-of-state residents.
IDPH will also be reporting the age ranges of those who receive abortions, the gestational age and the numbers of procedural and medically induced abortions.
The changes are being implemented to ensure that the state is in compliance with recent amendments to Illinois’ Reproductive Health Act in 2019 and earlier this year that were designed to safeguard abortion rights in Illinois.
Block Club Chicago…
The Chicago Abortion Fund has been covering people’s travel costs and hotel stays as they trek to the city to receive abortions, which have been outlawed or restricted in neighboring states since the Supreme Court decision.
Of all the obstacles now in place for people seeking abortions, the latest one was less expected: Taylor Swift and NASCAR.
These big events have made Downtown hotel prices soar by hundreds of dollars, depleting the organization’s budget more quickly than in past years, said Megan Jeyifo, executive director at Chicago Abortion Fund.
Because of the “extreme increases” in hotel costs, organizers had to send some people to other states to seek care, she said.
The Indiana Supreme Court ruled Friday that the state’s abortion ban doesn’t violate the state constitution, removing a major hurdle to enforcing the ban Republicans approved last summer.
* CBS News…
The dream of owning a home seems out of reach for millions of Americans, especially those in the LGBTQ+ community. But in Peoria, Illinois, Alex Martin owns a home at age 30 — something she never thought would be possible.
“I’m black. I’m trans, and I’m visibly so, and so having a space that, like, I made that I can just come in and recharge, I’m ready to face the world again,” she said.
And she’s not alone. In recent years, many LGBTQ+ people and people of color, who are statistically less likely to own homes because of discrimination and wealth gaps, are moving to the same city.
At first, they came from places like New York and Seattle, where home prices are sky-high. Now, many are coming from some of the 21 states that have passed anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.
Last year, realtor Mike Van Cleve sold almost 80 homes, and nearly one-third were sold to people moving from out of state.
Angie Ostaszewski says she has almost single-handedly grown Peoria’s population by about 360 in three years thanks to TikTok.
* Press release…
With new telephone numbers in southern Illinois in high demand, the Illinois Commerce Commission approved the implementation of the new 730 area code to overlay the existing 618 area code region. The current 618 area code serves all or part of 37 counties, including communities like Alton, Belleville, Cairo, Carbondale, Centralia, Collinsville, East St. Louis, Edwardsville, Effingham, Granite City, Edwardsville, and Marion, among many others.
Starting on July 7, 2023, customers in the 618 area code overlay region may be assigned a number in the new 730 area code when they request new service or an additional line. The 730 area code will co-exist everywhere in this region. Customers receiving the 730 area code will be required to dial 10 digits (the area code and phone number) for all local calls, just as customers with telephone numbers in the 618 area code do today.
* Springfield update…
[CWLP spokesperson Amber Sabin] said that as of Friday morning, at least 18 transmission poles remained down, combined with dozens of distribution poles and hundreds of power lines still being worked on by crews who have been on shift for over 16 hours. The agency’s crews are being assisted by mutual aid workers from South Bend, Indiana and New Jersey, among others to try and get power back to people as quickly as possible.
As of this writing, 31 percent of CWLP customers were without power.
* Still not even approaching good…
Yesterday, the CTA L lines ran:
124% Yellow
101% Pink
96% Red
92% Orange
91% Green
89% Brown
82% Blue
72% Purple
… of scheduled trains. Since 2020, CTA L Service has been cut by 18%. Riders deserve frequent and reliable transit, with return to at least pre-2020 levels.— Commuters Take Action (@ctaaction) June 30, 2023
So, um, maybe learn how to walk before you joke about running, CTA?…
Hey @NASCARChicago are you still accepting race applicants? 😉🏁 pic.twitter.com/Md2ssVm5lO
— cta (@cta) June 30, 2023
* Isabel’s roundup…
* AP | The Supreme Court rejects Biden’s plan to wipe away $400 billion in student loans: The 6-3 decision, with conservative justices in the majority, said the Biden administration overstepped its authority with the plan, and it leaves borrowers on the hook for repayments that are expected to resume in the fall.
* WTTW | Federal Court Monitor: We Have ‘Significant Concerns’ About Commitment of Chicago Police to Reform: “While the CPD has developed some plans to approach consent decree reforms, much more needs to be done to comprehensively demonstrate compliance efforts with officer wellness, community policing, impartial policing, community engagement and crime-fighting strategies,” according to the report. “And we continue to have significant concerns regarding the CPD’s commitment to have constitutional policing and reform efforts lead its crime-fighting strategies.”
* WGN | Cook County Jail farming initiative planting seeds of change for inmates: Williams is one of 20 inmates at the jail who toil in the soil, undertaking an initiative that started in 2006. While the Cook County Sheriff readily admits he is no farmer, Tom Dart is proud to say the program has grown in the number of crops and participants over the years.
* Sun-Times | Judge’s ‘people like you’ tirade on Chicago violence didn’t cross the line, appeals court rules: U.S. District Judge John Kness, a Trump appointee, told a man he was sentencing” “I feel in danger every single day when I drive on the expressway … because of people like you who have absolutely no respect for the law.”
* Crain’s | Apartments near Bally’s casino site hit the market: Chicago-based Shapack Partners unveiled plans last year for 1,400 apartments and a hotel near the planned casino. Just across the water, Onni Group, a Canadian developer, plans to build 2,700 apartments on Goose Island. Though both projects represent a competitive threat to existing buildings like Mondial, they also could make the area a more appealing place to live.
* Sun-Times | Hundreds of kids get free NASCAR tickets at West Side community event: About 450 kids were given free two-day general admission tickets at a NASCAR event at the Columbus Park Teen Center in Austin. Many of them were there as part of summer programs on the West Side. The thousands who attended Bubba Wallace’s block party in Washington Park on Wednesday night were also given free general admission tickets for Saturday and Sunday.
* Sun-Times | Chicago’s best movie car chases: Before NASCAR, Batman and Blues Brothers raced on (and above) city streets: Can this weekend’s race deliver the thrill of a Cutlass Classic falling from Marina Towers or a Porsche fleeing Guido the Killer Pimp?
* Block Club | Busch Light 6 Packs Will Cost NASCAR Fans $63 At This Weekend’s Chicago Street Race: With single cans of Busch Light costing $10.50, there is no discount in buying a $63 six pack. That same six pack of Busch Light is being sold for $7.99 at Binny’s Beverage Depot.
* Tribune | Divvy bikes hit the streets of Chicago 10 years ago. The decade has been filled with changes and challenges.: The introduction of e-bikes in 2020 meant easier pedaling for riders, but also sent prices skyrocketing for many trips, making Divvy unaffordable for some. The prevalence of e-bikes was one of the factors contributing to a shortage of bikes on the streets last summer.
* WAND | Local communities respond to ongoing power outages: The Village of Dawson has asked its residents to conserve water due to the ongoing outage. The Village to WAND News, the water plant is on a generator, so they are asking people to conserve water. The Village of Tuscola said city crews and emergency crews are still out working. Ervin Park and pool are both closed due to extensive damage and downed power lines.
* USA Today | Bill that would have banned Illinois drivers from having pet on lap didn’t pass | Fact check: The bill’s sponsor, Democratic Rep. Jawaharial Williams, confirmed to USA TODAY it did not pass the House and is not current Illinois law. “However, I do plan to propose the bill once more in the future,” he said. “I see this as an unforeseen hazard that God forbid may lead to something terrible, which I am simply trying to avoid.”
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Jun 30, 23 @ 2:51 pm
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I am now much less anxious than I previously was regarding negotiations. Might be a long night tonight but I think they’ll reach an agreement. Both sides want one.
Comment by DHS Drone Friday, Jun 30, 23 @ 2:57 pm
Places all over the state should be going to those states with bans and putting up billboards like those states did to us.
Comment by Publius Friday, Jun 30, 23 @ 3:19 pm
Re: negotiations. Hope they get a deal, whatever it may be, but I hear there may a month-to-month deal until a new one is achieved. Not what I want to see, just information to pass along.
Comment by Alice Childress Friday, Jun 30, 23 @ 4:02 pm
Downed utility poles must also be affecting Comcast/xFinity customers, since (I think) Comcast/xFinity also runs its lines via utility poles.
Comment by Nick Name Friday, Jun 30, 23 @ 4:41 pm