School District, City Hall Talking About Truancy

Add comment April 10th, 2008

The Rockford School District is working with Rockford Mayor Larry Morrissey’s administration on a plan to give the administration unfettered “real time” access to the school district’s truancy data.

The school district and city have for months been at loggerheads over the matter, so the fact that they’re now working together appears to represent significant progress toward a resolution.

First, some background from the Register Star:

Under existing law, students caught skipping class in Rockford are referred to an intervention plan run by the School District. The schools refer students to the city only when they’re truant more than four times.

Rockford ordinance prohibits even a single instance of truancy, but city officials can’t issue citations to students when they don’t have their names.

And this:

(City Legal Director Patrick) Hayes said the city doesn’t necessarily want to prosecute every truant. Rather, he said, city officials need the additional information to more effectively craft and execute a citywide anti-truancy policy.

And this:

Morrissey is frustrated by what he views as the School District’s slow pace in sharing information about truants. In the first five months of this school year, the city issued 400 fewer citations than during the same period last year.

But rectifying this discrepancy is no simple affair. The city must navigate a federal privacy law limiting the student information that schools may share and a state law describing protocol for truancy intervention.

The federal privacy law at issue is FERPA. More background here. The basic idea is that the law restricts the information concerning students which a school district may share, even with other government bodies.

In response to inquiries from the city as well as other Illinois officials, the U.S. Department of Education last fall offered its view on how to reconcile conflicts between FERPA and state law and city ordinance. An August letter is here and an October letter is here.

The city wants “real time” access to the school district’s truancy information, as Hayes put it. But as the school district reads FERPA, together with city ordinance and the state law enabling that ordinance, the city is not entitled to all of the school district’s truancy information. Instead, the school district shares the names of truant students only after students are truant more than four times.

So the city wants to change state law in order to make clear that it is entitled to the get all the truancy information it wants — when it wants it. Only, until now, the city and school district weren’t having much in the way of constructive communication concerning the matter.

When I talked to school district general counsel Stephen Katz for a story published in early April (linked above), he said he wasn’t aware of the city discussing its plan with any school district official. The city retorted that it had notified the school district in a resolution it provided in early spring. In crafting that story, I acted as much as a mediator between two adversaries as a reporter.

But this morning, Katz said this in an e-mail:

Assistant City Attorney Giliberti and I have prepared legislation that has been submitted to the US Department of Education for their input.

I asked him whether the proposal was consistent with what Hayes had described to me, which I had reported. He responded:

Not exactly what you reported. You reported that the amendment would address the “law enforcement” so-called exception to FERPA. Not so. It is (an) amendment of the enabling act which allowed municipalities to pass truancy ordinances and would clearly articulate that local ordinances passed under the enabling act’s authority are part of the juvenile justice system’s pre-adjudication framework. If acceptable to Dept. of ED, this would then allow school districts to share “education records” with the ordinance enforcement folks under FERPA’s “juvenile justice system” exception. Much better way to approach it.

It’s not clear when the feds might offer input on the agreed language. If the city wants to change the law this spring, it’s cutting it close. The Legislature’s spring session, which started in January, is scheduled to end May 31.

Feeling the Pain At the Post Office

1 comment April 9th, 2008

It’s 7 p.m., and I just got out of a marathon Senate committee hearing, where several state agencies talked about their budget proposals for next year.

I’ll have more later on the hearing’s juicier details, but a quick tidbit from Comptroller Dan Hynes‘ testimony took me by surprise.

He said his office, which is in charge of paying the state’s bills, expects to pay $1.6 million for postage in the upcoming fiscal year, which runs from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009. That number shocked me until I got back to the office and saw this:

Starting on May 12 from the U.S. Post Office:

To add to the misery, Hynes said his office’s $800,000 postage budget was eliminated last year when the budget got to the governor’s office. He told the committee that the $1.6 million for postage was, “the lion’s share of the increase” he was seeking for his agency.

Conservative Group Blasts State Lawmakers For Wasteful Spending

Add comment April 9th, 2008

The Illinois Policy Institute blasted state lawmakers Wednesday for $686 million in “pork” spending, which is money that it says could have been diverted to pay down Illinois’ growing budget deficit.

The conservative organization joined up Wednesday with the equally conservative Citizens Against Government Waste, an anti-pork group in Washington, for the second edition of its, “2008 Illinois Piglet Book.” You can read the entire report here.

Using expampes such as $550,000 for the conservation of pheasants and $4 million for a Ford Technical Training Center in Chicago Heights, Greg Blankenship of the Illinois Policy Institute called the earmarks tucked into last year’s $59 billion budget unnecessary spending for lawmakers’ pet projects.

The issue of earmarks took center stage on a national level earlier this year when President Bush targeted it during his State of the Union speech. Some lawmakers argue that even though this money goes to a place or program considered a pet project, it is still a worthwhile venture.

“Our worthwhile needs are unlimited,” Blankenship said during a news conference Wednesday.

Blankenship said the state should reprioritize its spending to go toward the budget’s big ticket items such as education and health care.

“If those are a real priority, we should spend money on that first,” he said.

The report targeted projects such as Rural Medical Edcuation program at Rockford’s University of Illinois campus as wasteful spending.

Blankenship said such pork projects should be eliminated from the budget before lawmakers can raise taxes to increase state spending.

House Tussles Over Gun Legislation

Add comment April 9th, 2008

The House has debated two gun-control bills over the past two days, but both times the measures failed to pass.

Today, Rep. Deborah Graham, D-Chicago, presented a bill that would require adult gun owners who have minors under 18 years of age living in their house to keep their gun in a locked box. Rep. Chuck Jefferson, D-Rockford, is a co-sponsor on this bill.

Since September, 21 students in the Chicago Public Schools have been killed. Twenty of those are by gunfire. Last year, 24 students were shot to death. In previous years, the numbers have been between 10-15.

This legislation was one of many bills the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus is carrying this session, prompted by a rash of gun violence among teens in Chicago.

Graham, the bill’s sponsor, moved the bill to postponed consideration before the vote was officially recorded, which sponsors often do when it looks like they haven’t gotten enough votes to pass the bill. By doing this, Graham will be able to call her bill for a vote again later.

According to the bill, if the gun is not locked up or otherwise temporarily unusable, the offense is punishable by a Class C misdemeanor. The punishment, a Class A misdemeanor, becomes harsher if a minor shoots someone with the unlocked gun.

During the debate, Graham called the bill a preventative measure, “much like having a smoke detector in your home.”

Despite Republican speculation during the debate, Graham said the homes of gun owners would not be ransacked to check for compliance.
“The authorities are not going to bombard your home if you have not done this,” she said.
Rep. Dennis Reboletti, R-Elmhurst, said the Chicago gun violence is simply about “gang warfare,” a comment that Graham disputed.

“This does not do anything to save peoples lives,” Reboletti said.

On Tuesday, a bill backed by Rep. Luis Arroyo, D-Chicago, also failed to pass. The bill aimed to limit the number of handguns a person could buy in one month to help curb illegal gun traffiking. Hunters and sportsmen purchasing rifles and shotguns in bulk would be exempt.

Before the vote could be recorded, Arroyo also moved his bill to postponed consideration.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich issued this statement:

“We’ve already lost over 20 Chicago students to shootings this school year. Parents, friends and neighbors are crying out to their elected leaders for help. How many more children have to die before lawmakers pass legislation that will save lives and keep guns out of the wrong hands? … Today’s House vote is a big disappointment to everyone involved in the fight against gun violence. But we won’t give up, we’ll keep lobbying and pushing lawmakers to take action. The young lives at stake are too important to forget.”

3 Area Lawmakers Approve Provision To Recall Elected Officials

Add comment April 9th, 2008

Three of four legislators from the Rock River Valley voted Tuesday for a constitutional amendment to allow voters to recall their elected officials.

In a 75-33 vote, Rep. Chuck Jefferson, D-Rockford, was the lone area lawmaker to vote against the proposal, which still must clear the Senate and the governor. Then the question would be put on the ballot for the voters to decide.

But the obstacles this amendment faces in the Senate cannot be ignored. House sponsor, Rep. Jack Franks, D-Woodstock, has openly said the momentum behind this provision stems from increasing dissatisfaction with Gov. Rod Blagojevich. This wouldn’t be the first time that Senate President Emil Jones, D-Chicago, has protected Blagojevich from legislation like this.

Here’s the background on the recall amendment.

Rep. Dave Winters, R-Shirland, spoke during Tuesday’s debate in favor of a proposed amendment.

“This is a do-over for the public,” Winters said in the House chamber. “I do encourage this body to approve the recall provision. … I trust the public’s maturity.”

Winters supported the recall, and many of his House colleagues on Tuesday agreed, voting for the proposal 75-33.

Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie, D-Chicago, opposed the legislation, saying the current impeachment process is sufficient. She said a recall amendment gives too much power to special interest groups and those who oppose elected officials.

“(Having a recall amendment) raises the specter of a permanent election cycle,” she said. “It gives them a second, third, a fourth bite at the apple, what’s the sense in that?”

Last week, the chamber talked about this amendment as well. The debate so infuriated Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Collinsville, who is known as the governor’s chief ally in the House., that his words sent a ruffle through the statehouse.

“End the cycle of finger-pointing,” Hoffman said. “Stop the bull****!”

Illinois Wants Country to Use Popular Vote to Elect President

3 comments April 8th, 2008

If I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard Democrats wistfully say, “If only we elected the president by the popular vote in 2000,” I could live a very comfortable life.

Well, Illinois this week joined Maryland and New Jersey in the push to choose the U.S. president by popular vote. Currently, the electoral college elects the president. The law, which was sponsored by freshman Rep. LaShawn Ford, D-Chicago, is modeled after the National Popular Vote Plan.

“I think the days of the electoral college is way past its time,” Sen. Terry Link, D-Waukegan.

In 2000, Vice President Al Gore beat President George W. Bush for the nation’s popular vote by 543,895, but lost the electoral college vote 261-277. Critics use this case, and the three other times the president-elect did not win the popular vote, as evidence that the electoral college system does not work.

Over the years, lawmakers, media and other institutions have argued to abolish the electoral college altogether. Others, such as the Cato Institute, have defended the electoral college, saying to eliminate this would go against the will of the founding fathers and the spirit of the Constitution.

The bill that Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed into law Monday does not call for the electoral college to be abolished. Under the bill, Illinois would join other states through an interstate compact to award all of their electoral votes to the person who wins the national popular vote, rather than having electors vote for the candidate who won their state. This would not happen until there are enough states to have a total of 270 electors, which is the tipping point in the electoral college.

For example, under the winner-take-all format, if 51 percent of Illinoisans voted for the Democratic nominee, then all of the state’s 21 electors would vote for the Democrat. Then each state’s electors are counted up and the candidate who receives 270 electoral votes wins.

But under this plan, Illinois and the agreed states, who would consent to this through an interstate agreement provided for in the Constitution, would have to make their electors vote Republican if that candidate won the national vote even if the Democratic candidate won the state.

Similar bills are pending in Vermont, Maine, and Washington state. The plan passed the California legislature last year, but Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed it.

Rep. Paul Froehlich, D-Schaumburg, was a Republican until he changed parties last year. He said Republicans often argue that Democrats push plans like this only because it would help them win. But he pointed out that leading Senate Republicans, Frank Watson and Kirk Dillard both voted for the plan.

Rep. Mike Boland, D-East Moline, said this plan could help increase voter turnout, which is typically higher in swing states because of those voters know their vote is important.

For Rep. Bob Molaro, D-Chicago, this change would force candidates to campaign in every state, not just those considered swing states, such as Ohio and Florida. In 2004, neither presidential candidate stopped in Illinois. This would allow Illinois to catch some of the business, a.k.a. money, that accompanies political campaigns.

Rep. Ken Dunkin, D-Chicago, this plan would help end the disenfranchisement of minorities and help people feel like their vote counts.

“Is this an elite good old boys’ network?” Dunkin asked of the electoral college. “I thought everyone was significant. It’s significant enough when it comes to me getting your taxes … The most basic and the most fundamental principle about being a citizen here in this country is having the right to vote.”

Senate GOP: Stop Berating Business

Add comment April 8th, 2008

Rockford Sen. Dave Syverson, Clare Sen. Brad Burzynski and other Senate Republicans last week unveiled a seven-point economic stimulus plan.

Let’s look at those points, one at a time. First up: The Senate Republicans say Gov. Rod Blagojevich must not “demonize” businesses. From their report:

Businesses not only provide jobs for our
citizens, they also pay the tax revenues
that fund our state budget and allow us to
implement our priorities. Since taking office,
the Governor and his administration have
repeatedly portrayed the business community
as a group of “fat cats” to be taxed and
demeaned, rather than entrepreneurs who
provide our economy with needed jobs, taxes
and investment.

Indeed, Blagojevich has repeatedly vilified Illinois businesses to suit his political needs, saying for instance that they ought to pay their “fair share” in taxes. The Senate GOP report continues:

Today, Illinois is renowned for its
hostile business climate – something which does not
go unnoticed to prospective businesses. The more the
Governor and his allies fuel this notion, the fewer jobs
and investments we will see in Illinois. In addition,
harsh anti-business rhetoric scares other companies
from coming to Illinois and expanding their business.

It’s time to stop the antibusiness
rhetoric and harmful tax-and-spend
proposals that seek to balance the state
budget on the backs of business owners and,
more importantly, the jobs they provide for
our economy.

And now for the kicker:

Demonizing the business community doesn’t
just have a negative impact on the owners of
companies. When hit with higher taxes and
fees, business owners end up passing the
new costs on to their customers – working
families. This is a point even the Governor’s
staunchest supporters concede – during
last year’s committee hearings on the GRT,
a sponsor of the measure, Senate President
Emil Jones, acknowledged: “Any costs
that businesses incur, they pass it on to
consumers.”

So here’s the question for you: Does the governor’s tone truly affect a business’ decision on whether to stay in, or relocate to, Illinois? Clearly, a business will weigh the tax burden in Illinois as compared to neighboring states. But the governor’s tone?

Fear and Loathing in Alabama Politics?

Add comment April 7th, 2008

For all the complaining about the Illinois Legislature, a New York Times piece published over the weekend proved that we aren’t as bad off as some.

There is fear in the halls of the Alabama State House. Your colleague may be wired. Somebody may be watching you. An indictment looms.

After a dozen legislators received subpoenas one day last month in a criminal investigation, an atmosphere of paranoia and anxiety has descended on the gleaming white building that houses the State Legislature, many of its occupants say.

Legislators are sweeping their offices for bugs. Routine horse-trading for votes is stymied, for fear it could be misinterpreted. A wary lawmaker agrees to meet a reporter only in a wide-open parking lot. After-hours get-togethers are off.

The concern is a result of a long-running federal investigation into corruption within the state’s system of two-year colleges that has led to guilty pleas on bribery and corruption charges by one state lawmaker and the system’s former chancellor. The Birmingham News reported in 2006 that a quarter of the 140 members of the Legislature had financial ties to the college system, with most of the jobs or contracts going to lawmakers or their relatives. Recent reports indicate the number has grown to nearly a third of the Legislature.

Illinois has had its share of corrupt politicians. Just take a look at this book on our governors. And we can’t forget the late Secretary of State Paul Powell, whose corruption was not fully uncovered until after his death in 1970. And how could I fail to mention the sharks that seem to be circling around the current administration? There are more, but I’m trying to be brief here.

Sometimes living in a state with the infamous Chicago political machine and never-ending political antics makes us forget that we aren’t alone in this.

Monday Morning Funnies, Part 3

2 comments April 7th, 2008

Well, after ignoring weeks of calls from the media, her Democratic opponent and pundits, Hillary Clinton released her tax returns on late Friday afternoon.

Some were hoping these returns would be filled with political landmines for the Clintons, but it seems the dynamic duo gave a lot of speeches and wrote a few books and as a result, have amassed $109 million. This puts them among the top 14,500 wealthiest people in the nation, according to the New York Times story.

The fact that Clinton released these documents at 4 p.m. Friday did not make it too late for Saturday Night Live to capitalize on the seemingly anti-climatic revelation.

In case you missed it, watch it here.

Move Over Blago — There’s a New Elvis In Town

Add comment April 4th, 2008

On Thursday, President Bush compared French leader Nicolas Sarkozy to the King of rock ‘n’ roll, saying France’s president was the “latest incarnation of Elvis.”

But wait a second, I’m pretty sure another politician has already claimed this title — our very own Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

The Chicago Democrat seems to infuse Elvis into every facet of his life that he can. He has a bust of Elvis in his Springfield office, he frequently quotes his song lyrics in his speeches and his hair has an uncanny resemblence the King’s.

But I’ll let you decide — who makes a better Elvis incarnate?