THE ILLINOIZE: Thursday Free for All...Prisoner Review Board...Public support for ethics reform...Tipped wages for restaurant workers
April 4, 2024
Good morning, Illinois.
We’re schedule to record a podcast today (our almost, kinda, sorta, occasionally weekly podcast). Subscribers will get it first tomorrow.
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The House is in at 1pm. The Senate is out this week. There is nothing on Governor Pritzker’s public schedule today.
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Amid controversy at Prisoner Review Board, Pritzker calls for more training as GOP again seeks reform (Capitol News Illinois)
After two members of the state’s Prisoner Review Board resigned last week following the release of a prisoner who then stabbed his ex-girlfriend and killed her son, Republicans are again calling for reforms while Gov. JB Pritzker says he will order better training.
The PRB voted in February to release Crosetti Brand after it found there was not enough evidence that he violated his parole pertaining to a previous domestic violence charge. Brand was in prison while authorities investigated a claim that he’d violated an order of protection against his ex-girlfriend, Laterria Smith, by threatening her in January.
One day after his March 12 release from Stateville Correctional Center under the board’s direction, Brand attacked Smith, stabbing her and killing her eleven-year-old son Jayden Perkins when he tried to intervene.
“Many areas of our criminal justice system failed Miss Smith and Jayden,” Senate Minority Leader John Curran, R-Downers Grove, said in a news conference Tuesday. “For years we have called for serious overhaul of the PRB. And today we are taking a step forward in that process and introducing reforms that will put victims first, take politics out of the appointment process and hold the board accountable for decisions.”
The governor's office announced the resignation of PRB member LeAnn Miller who conducted Brand’s hearing, and PRB chair Donald Shelton on March 25. Pritzker on Monday said at an unrelated news conference that Miller’s resignation “was probably a proper decision on her part.”
Pritzker appointed Miller to the Prisoner Review Board in September 2021 and her term wasn’t due to expire until January 2027. Shelton had served on the board since 2012.
Pritzker said Shelton, a Republican, “served admirably” but “did not express any reason in particular” for his resignation.
“I think that the changes that are necessary here are evident in the fact that the panel didn't take into consideration enough the domestic violence history of this particular prisoner,” he said.
Curran said he plans to propose legislation that would require all PRB members to have 20 cumulative years of experience working in criminal justice and to take annual domestic violence and sexual assault training. Under current law, PRB members must have five years of experience in fields like penology, corrections, law enforcement, sociology, social work, law, education, medicine, psychology or other behavioral sciences.
Curran said the resignations of Miller and Shelton were necessary but “we need to raise the qualifications of all board members.”
On Monday, Pritzker said he was planning on implementing better trainings.
“One thing that we've decided to do is to make sure that we enhance the domestic violence training that all PRB members get, including all the ones that are there now and of course any new ones that are proposed, to make sure that this never happens again,” he said.
Pritzker’s office said Tuesday he asked the PRB to “engage with experts and advocates to design and implement expanded training for PRB members related to handling domestic violence cases.”
The governor also directed the PRB and Illinois Department of Corrections to “review the current rules and procedures for receiving information related to cases involving domestic violence to determine what changes might be necessary,” according to a spokesperson.
Sen. Steve McClure, R-Springfield, is proposing to increase criminal penalties for violating an order of protection. The proposal would turn the misdemeanor offense into a Class 4 felony for first violation and a Class 3 felony for subsequent violations.
Curran’s proposal would also require the PRB to release notice of their decision including the member’s deliberation and votes, within 24 hours to the public. PRB would also be mandated to immediately notify victims of prisoner releases.
Related: Illinois Republicans propose overhaul for Gov. Pritzker’s ‘anti-victim’ parole board after stabbing (Associated Press)
After Jayden Perkins’ killing, state Senate Republicans want a parole board overhaul (Chicago Sun-Times)
Pritzker calls for improved training for Prison Review Board following fatal stabbing (State Journal-Register)
Editorial: Making it a felony to violate an order of protection might keep domestic violence survivors safe (Chicago Sun-Times)
Illinoisans strongly favor tough ethics reforms that are stalled in Springfield, poll shows (WBEZ)
Overwhelming majorities of Illinoisans favor stronger state ethics reforms that lawmakers have sidestepped despite a string of high-profile public-corruption cases, new polling by former Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn shows.
The statewide survey found exceedingly high support for a constitutional amendment empowering voters to impose tougher ethical constraints on Springfield and for a prohibition on indicted ex-legislators, like former Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan, from drawing a state pension while awaiting trial.
Polling also showed three out of four Illinoisans want to bar legislators from voting on bills where they have conflicts of interest. Now, the law books don’t clearly define conflicts, make the process of abstention completely self-governed, and impose no penalties if someone casts votes in their own financial self-interest.
There is no discernible legislative movement on any of these initiatives, and Quinn says he hopes the lopsided results from his polling will spur lawmakers into action.
“It shows convincingly in my opinion that the people really are for reform way ahead of incumbent politicians, whether it’s in the Legislature in Springfield or it’s back in Chicago with the City Council and the mayor,” Quinn said.
Restaurant owners, servers urge Illinois lawmakers to reject change to wages for tipped workers (Bloomington Pantagraph)
Servers, restaurant owners and other members of the state's hospitality industry on Wednesday urged Illinois lawmakers to reject a proposal that would eliminate the separate, lower minimum wage for tipped workers.
Wearing T-shirts featuring the message "Protect Illinois hospitality" while holding posters that read "save our tips," the coalition descended upon the state Capitol to spread their message on the same day the proposed legislation, House Bill 5345, passed out of an Illinois House committee.
"Our industry is still trying to recover from the impact that the pandemic had on us," said Illinois Restaurant Association President Sam Toia. "This will only make the recovery even harder. A business that used to be a business of nickels and dimes is now a business of pennies and nickels."
The proposal, sponsored by state Rep. Lisa Hernandez, D-Cicero, would eliminate the subminimum wage for tipped workers, meaning they would earn at least the regular minimum wage in addition to the tips they receive.
The minimum wage for tipped workers is $8.40 an hour and is slated to rise to $9 next year. The regular minimum wage is $14 an hour and will go up to $15 next year.
Under current law, tipped employees must be paid at least the equivalent of the state's regular minimum wage; if the combination of their tips and the subminimum wage does not reach that threshold, employers are required to make up the difference.
If approved, this so-called "tip credit" would be eliminated.
TOP STORIES SO FAR THIS WEEK ON THEILLINOIZE.COM
"Serious Tensions" Between Senate Democrats and Pritzker Administration Over Appointments
Opinion: Prisoner Review Board Failures Fall Squarely on Governor Pritzker
POLITICAL POTPOURRI
Lawmakers question Pritzker’s plan for new early childhood agency (Capitol News Illinois)
Illinois House proposal could pave way for video gambling in Chicago (Chicago Tribune)
Rockford state rep: $165 million available to communities willing to help asylum seekers (Rockford Register Star)
Illinois lawmakers consider measure to criminalize AI-generated child porn (Chicago Tribune)
Congressional Reps. Sorensen, LaHood talk agriculture, workforce needs during visits to Normal (Bloomington Pantagraph)
After Israel kills aid workers, Durbin believes public sentiment on Gaza is turning (Crain’s Chicago Business)
Defamation case linked to former Madigan aide sent back to Illinois (Capitol News Illinois)
Chicago area man who joined mom, aunt at Jan. 6 Capitol riot gets probation (Chicago Sun-Times)
What's the 'coolest thing made in Illinois'? This huge truck with Peoria ties could be it (Peoria Journal Star)
Johnson chooses former State Sen. Pacione-Zayas as chief of staff, first Latina in role (Chicago Sun-Times)
Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough hospitalized (Chicago Tribune)
Editorial: Illinois’ sights and tax incentives bring Hollywood to the suburbs (Daily Herald)
Opinion: Why progressives keep losing the battle to tax the rich (Chicago Tribune)
Opinion: To fix Chicago's pensions, consider a change in public opinion (Crain’s Chicago Business)
Opinion: How Illinois school districts can train more bilingual educators (Chicago Sun-Times)
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