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Politico
6 days ago
- Business
- Politico
Pritzker's budget blame game: Trump
Presented by Happy June, Illinois. And congrats to the state legislators who powered through the weekend. TOP TALKER BUDGET BLUES: Gov. JB Pritzker praised state lawmakers Sunday morning for passing a balanced state budget and blamed a 'Trump Slump' for Illinois seeing $500 million in reduced revenues. 'Donald Trump's incomprehensible tariff policies have put a tax on our working families and dampened the nation's economic outlook, the Trump Slump is affecting every state, and the chaos and uncertainty of the Republicans proposed cuts to health care and education and jobs have made budgeting well harder than ever before,' Pritzker told reporters in a press briefing alongside Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and state Senate President Don Harmon. Illinois House Speaker Emanuel 'Chris' Welch had a family commitment. Pritzker said the 'chaos' in D.C. is affecting other states, too. He pointed to Iowa and Indiana that once 'were bragging about their fiscal condition while laughing at ours. My, how times have changed.' We noted that last weel. The governor touted Illinois having nine credit upgrades and seven balanced budgets while 'Indiana's 10 percent budget deficit and Iowa's 5 percent budget deficit caused them to cut public health and higher education and dip into their rainy day fund.' It's sinful: In the end, the Democratic-led Illinois General Assembly approved a $55.2 billion spending plan and a $55.3 billion revenue package for the next fiscal year that also included a good share of sin taxes from online sports betting, to tobacco products, nicotine pouches and e-cigarettes. There's a lot that didn't get done: The transit bill to prevent a 'financial cliff' in the transportation industry failed to pass — there's talk now of returning to Springfield to address the problem. An energy bill that would protect the state's power grid didn't pass. And an omnibus bill to improve elections didn't pass. And a proposal to overhaul the state's Tier 2 pension system (which affects public employees hired on or after Jan. 1, 2011) didn't make it over the finish line, either (though lawmakers did approve $75 million for a reserve fund for the program). Funding that was approved: $500 million for economic development and investment in site readiness grants to local governments for economic development; $200 million for early childhood workforce compensation grants and a $175 million increase for the Child Care Assistance Program to support 150,000 children. Here's a budget breakdown from the governor's office. By the numbers: 'They passed 432 bills during their five-month spring session, though perhaps none more important than the state's budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. The nearly 3,400-page spending plan and other budget-related bills passed just minutes before midnight on Saturday — roughly 30 hours after the measure was introduced,' reports Brenden Moore in The Pantagraph. There was some careful praise about getting over the finish line: Jack Lavin, head of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, said his organization is 'pleased' that lawmakers passed an economic development package, 'which included incentives for manufacturers, capital investment programs and business recruitment.' Republicans could only roll their eyes: State Sen. Terri Bryant echoed her GOP colleagues, calling the budget 'irresponsible, unsustainable and wrong for Illinois.' Republicans also criticized Democrats for 'ramming' the budget through in the last hours of the session. RELATED Among bills going to governor's desk: A measure designed to rein in the practices of pharmacy benefits managers, or PBMs, law-enforcement background checks and legal help for immigrants, via the Tribune Chicago public transit in limbo after state lawmakers fail to fill nearly $1B budget gap, by the Block Club's Charles Thrush and Manny Ramos Illinois Senate leaves without taking a vote on plan to let terminally ill people end their own lives, by the Sun-Times' George Wiebe Bears' stadium efforts run out of time in Springfield but state Rep. Mary Beth Canty says deal was close and talks will continue, by the Tribune's Olivia Olander It's the latest tough snap for Bears president Kevin Warren, by the Sun-Times' Mitchell Armentrout and George Wiebe For mentally ill people facing low-level charges, lawmakers take steps to get them care, not prosecution, by the Sun-Times' Frank Main and Stephanie Zimmermann Three-point seat belts to be required on new school buses in Illinois, by the Daily Herald's Russell Lissau If you are Don Harmon, Playbook would like to hear from you! Email: skapos@ WHERE'S JB No official public events WHERE's BRANDON At Daley Plaza at 9 a.m. for the annual Pride Flag Raising Ceremony — At the Southwest Pumping Station for a Chicago Grand Prairie Water Commission water project announcement Where's Toni At Daley Plaza at 9 a.m. for the annual Pride Flag Raising Ceremony Have a tip, suggestion, birthday, new job or a complaint? Email skapos@ BUSINESS OF POLITICS — WHAT's NEXT: Now that the legislative session has wrapped up, watch for the governor to pivot his attention to the upcoming federal hearing in Washington, D.C., on June 12 about Illinois' sanctuary status. After that, Pritzker is expected to announce whether he'll seek a third term, timing it, likely, with the Cook County Democratic Party slating on July 17 and 18. — Endorsement: State Sen. Robert Peters has been endorsed in his bid for Congress in the 2nd District by the Amalgamated Transit Union, which includes Chicago Locals 241 and 308. — Dueling rallies at Huntley's Trump & Truth Store as owner vows to stay open, by the Tribune's Shanzeh Ahmad THE STATEWIDES — Feds say Michael Madigan should get 12½ years in prison: 'Madigan wielded the speaker's gavel in Springfield for 36 years. Now he's bracing to learn his fate June 13, when he's due to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge John Blakey. The hearing comes four months after a jury convicted Madigan in an historic verdict,' by the Sun-Times' Jon Seidel. — A Madigan elegy: Mac Hoffmann, who was a staff attorney under former Speaker Madigan from 2015 to 2016, is now a singer-songwriter based in Minneapolis. He's out with an acoustic piece about Madigan titled, 'The Fall of the Velvet Hammer.' In a note to Playbook, Hofmann says, 'It's not a takedown. It's a reckoning—a meditation on what it meant to serve a system that no longer made sense. The timing aligns with Madigan's sentencing, but the story behind it has been unfolding for nearly a decade.' Sample lyric: 'The cleanest guy in the Capitol is the janitor mopping the floor.' Listen here. — Springfield's historic Myers Building officially sold, by the State Journal-Register's Claire Grant — Fake IDs now as good as the real thing — and essential to Chicago's college social scene, by the Sun-Times' Mary Norkol TAKING NAMES — HATS OFF: Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller's annual Hats Off to South Suburban Women Luncheon drew a crowd of 300 Sunday at Ravisloe Country Club. Spotted: Congresswoman Robin Kelly, former Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Chicago Ald. Stephanie Coleman, Sauk Village Mayor Marva Campbell-Pruitt, Richton Park Mayor Rick Reinbold, Homewood Village Trustee Vivian Harris-Jones, Homewood Village Clerk Nakina Flores, East Hazel Crest Trustee Maureen Moe Forté, Appellate Judge Sharon Johnson, Rich Township Clerk Sugar Al-Amin, Matteson Trustee Carolyn Palmer, Calumet City Ald. Monet Forte Wilson, District Police Commander Karla Johnson and school Superintendent Blondean Davis. — Dulana Reese-Campbell has been elected board president of the Young Democrats of Chicago. Reese-Campbell is chief of staff to state Rep. Kam Buckner. Other officers: Jackie Duarte, Lindy Girman, Tyler Harding, Taylor Coward, Evelyn Wilder, Arthur Dennis, George Haines and Brian Frederick. Reader Digest We asked about impactful protest movements. Michael Churchill: 'Vietnam War protests.' Michael Burton: 'The eight-hour day movement, centered in Chicago in the 1880s, gave us the weekend by reducing the typical workweek from six days and 70+ hours to our current 40-hour work week.' Ted Cox: 'Occupy Wall Street, #MeToo and Black Lives Matter. They may not have the momentum right now, but they're not done by any means.' Sean Duffy: 'The 1917 February Revolution in Russia forced Czar Nicholas II to abdicate his throne and ended 300 years of rule by the Romanov dynasty.' Robert Fioretti: ' April 15, 1970, when an anti-war moratorium demonstration on tax day was held at Daley Plaza. More than 40,000 attended, and many there are still protesting today.' Daniel Goldwin: 'Free Soviet Jewry protest movement.' Charles Keller: 'On Oct. 31, 1517, Luther sent a letter with the 95 Theses to the Archbishop of Mainz, marking the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.' Jim Lyons: 'The anti-war movement at the 1968 Democratic National Convention.' James Scalzitti: 'ACT-UP.' Emily Spangler: 'The Stonewall Movement. Stonewall is one of many reasons we LGBT people are recognized and protected in society.' NEXT QUESTION: What's a national holiday you'd like to see created? KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION — China happy with restrictions on its students, Krishnamoorthi says: 'They want these people back,' said U.S. Senate candidate and Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi on 'Face the Nation.' 'They want the scientists and the entrepreneurs and the engineers who can come and help their economy. And so we are probably helping them, as well as other countries, more than helping ourselves with this policy.' THE NATIONAL TAKE — The 'Medicaid moderates' are the senators to watch on the megabill, by POLITICO's Jordain Carney — Liz Magill, the first casualty in the war against elite universities, by POLITICO's Evan Mandery — DHS removes list of 'sanctuary' cities after sheriffs push back on non-compliant label, by Reuters' Ted Hesson — Chris Christie says Trump is giving free rein to white-collar criminals, by POLITICO's David Cohen — 'Completely unworkable': Sculpture experts say Trump's $34M statue garden has major problems, by POLITICO's Michael Schaffer TRANSITIONS — Jim Webb has started J Webb Strategies, a communications and crisis management business. He was director of operations at Serafin & Associates before it merged last year with Mercury Public Affairs. Webb also previously had a long career as a journalist for The Associated Press and was political editor at the Chicago Tribune. — Channyn Lynne Parker becomes interim CEO of Equality Illinois starting July 1. An Equality Illinois board member, Parker will serve in the post part-time while continuing in her full-time position as CEO of Brave Space Alliance, which serves LGBTQ+ individuals. Earlier this year, Brian Johnson announced he's stepping down as Equality Illinois CEO on June 30, via Windy City Times' Jake Wittich. — Alison Pure-Slovin has been named director of social action and partnerships for Simon Wiesenthal Center's Midwest office. She has been head of the organization's Midwest office since 2012. IN MEMORIAM — Richard Garwin, Chicago physicist who created the hydrogen bomb and worked to see it wasn't used, dead at 97, by the Sun-Times' Mitch Dudek EVENTS — Tuesday: State Rep. Kam Buckner is holding his Buckner Blues Bash. Details here — Saturday and Sunday: The Fort de Chartres Rendezvous, an annual tradition in Randolph County, takes place at the Fort de Chartres State Historic Site. Details here TRIVIA FRIDAY's ANSWER: Congrats to Ron Silver for correctly answering that Chicago's Monadnock Building is the tallest load-bearing brick building ever constructed. TODAY's QUESTION: Which boxing champion lost to Muhammad Ali and later ran for Chicago alderman? Email skapos@ HAPPY BIRTHDAY Congresswoman Delia Ramirez, business consultant Sonya Jackson, attorney Pejman Yousefzadeh, Kieloch Consulting Congressional Services Director Hannah Botelho, labor insider and lobbyist Alison Howlett, Tribune columnist Clarence Page, comms adviser Lauren Pulte and Dave Neal, legal chief for the State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor, who turns 70 -30-
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Majority of low-income families can keep their child care vouchers for now: ACS commissioner
New York City plans to pony up new funding for child care assistance, narrowly avoiding a doomsday scenario for now where tens of thousands of families could have lost access to their vouchers. During a City Council hearing Monday on the budget of the Administration for Children's Services, the city agency that issues the subsidy, Commissioner Jess Dannhauser said lawmakers could anticipate local investments that unlock matching funds from the state. 'Does that mean that we should fully anticipate that the [funding] will be included in the city's adopted budget in June?' asked Councilman Lincoln Restler (D-Brooklyn). 'The conversations we've had with OMB, that is our expectation,' said Dannhauser, referring to the Mayor's Office of Management and Budget. The commissioner offered the caveat, though, that their ability to provide families with vouchers is still subject to change based on federal and state policies. The popular Child Care Assistance Program was on the brink of a crisis earlier this year when state funding for assistance failed to keep pace with growing demand — threatening to kick 4,000 to 7,000 children off vouchers each month when their parents were due for annual recertification. Defending the growing costs as unsustainable for the state to shoulder alone, Gov. Hochul put forward a deal with the Legislature where New York City could draw down an additional up to $350 million — so long as it matches the commitment in the municipal budget. The city was the only county statewide that had to up its investment in order to qualify for the new funds. Despite the offer on the table, no funding for the vouchers was included in Mayor Adams' executive budget plan. In the weeks that followed, City Hall froze new enrollment in the voucher program for families not federally mandated to receive the assistance. Local officials also mounted a last-ditch appeal to Albany for more funding, which proved unsuccessful. But the state did approve a plan late Sunday night that will allow ACS to continue serving the 'vast majority' of children that currently have vouchers, Dannhauser revealed at the hearing. Under the terms of the agreement, families in three priority groups — under 300% of the federal poverty line, homeless or with disabilities — will be eligible for recertification. Previously, any family making less than 85% of the state median income qualified for the subsidy. The change in eligibility requirements is expected to result in a total of 2,000 low-income children losing their vouchers, out of nearly 70,000 enrolled with the at-risk subsidy. 'By and large, we're able, for the time being, to achieve continuity. But I have to say, the state has really stuck the city with the bill,' Dannhauser said. It was not clear Monday if and when the waitlist can be opened, though he promised to 'keep a close eye' on the matter. Under the state budget deal, New York raised how much the city has to contribute to the voucher program by 518% — from $53 million to $328 million. Only when the municipal budget hits that minimum will the city be able to unlock the one-time state matching funds, according the commissioner, which apply to every dollar over the former base. 'Who came up with this [ridiculous] process?' said Councilman Justin Brannan (D-Brooklyn), chair of the finance committee. Ahead of the hearing, dozens of child care advocates and children rallied on the steps of City Hall, calling on city lawmakers to invest in afterschool programs and child care vouchers. 'The state has made a commitment of funds to support the child care assistance program, but it requires the city to match it, and we need the city to do its part,' said Gregory Brender, chief policy and innovation officer of the Day Care Council of New York. Annie Minguez, director of government and community relations for Good Shepherd Services, also urged the city to invest in the vouchers: 'We want to work with the city to ensure that happens,' she said, calling the alternative 'devastating.' A final city budget is due at the end of next month.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
From cradle to career: Building Louisiana's workforce begins with early learning
PeopleImages/Getty Images As someone who has spent much of my career building businesses and investing in the community, I've learned that success doesn't happen by accident. It results from careful planning, strategic investment and a commitment to long-term growth. This approach applies not only to business but also to our most important resource: our children. The future of our state's economy depends on how well we invest in our youngest citizens, and no investment is more impactful than early childhood education. When families can access reliable, high-quality early education for their children, parents can go to work or school, and businesses thrive with a stable workforce. Most importantly, children enter kindergarten ready to succeed and better prepared to become the skilled workers and leaders of the future that our economy depends on. In pro-family, pro-business states like ours, quality child care should be a cornerstone of family stability, worker productivity, and economic growth. Yet in Louisiana, despite years of progress and bipartisan support for early learning, we still fund this essential system as if it's optional. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Nearly 174,000 children under age 5 in Louisiana are in households experiencing economic hardship, yet only one in five have access to high-quality early childhood education. Programs like Head Start, LA 4, and the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) are funded through federal and state funds and serve thousands of children, yet the demand still outpaces the supply. While the majority of funding for Louisiana's child care programs comes from the federal government, state lawmakers ultimately decide how those dollars are used — and how much more we invest. The quality of our current and future workforce shouldn't be left solely to decisions made in Washington. Despite investments from all levels of government, more than 116,00 economically disadvantaged Louisiana children, from birth to age 4, still lack access to a high-quality, affordable child care program. Any changes in state and federal funding streams directly and immediately impact our working families, who need access to quality child care the most. Due to inadequate funding, many families are left without affordable, high-quality child care options, leaving our children and their working parents behind. Whether we act or not, Louisiana's future workforce is growing up right now. When we make it possible for children to access early learning programs, the data is clear: they are more likely to graduate from high school, secure well-paying jobs, and contribute to their communities. Failure to act leads to costly outcomes for our future communities and economy. But the gap in funding and access isn't just a future problem — it impacts all of us today. Louisiana currently loses an estimated $1.3 billion annually in lost productivity, tax revenue and turnover costs due to inadequate access to child care. Yet, studies show that every dollar invested in early education returns at least 13% due to higher earnings, reduced social and academic remedial costs, and better long-term health outcomes. It's time for Louisiana to treat early childhood education not as an option but as an essential investment in our present and future. This legislative session, Louisiana lawmakers have the opportunity — and the obligation — to sustain and grow investments in early childhood education. Our children deserve a strong start. Our parents deserve the ability to work. And our state deserves a workforce ready to compete. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Adams' bid for extra state cash falls short, putting key child care subsidy program at risk
The Adams administration's improbable hope that New York state would allocate more funding for child care vouchers was dashed Friday as Gov. Hochul signed the budget into law — leaving the essential program in limbo. City Hall had been counting on the state to provide hundreds of millions of dollars to ensure parents did not lose access to care through the initiative, known as the Child Care Assistance Program. But Hochul announced a budget deal with the Legislature last month that included just $350 million to help avert a looming fiscal shortfall much larger than that, forcing the city to match their investment to receive the dollars. The funding was notably absent last week from the mayor's budget plan, and the city recently closed the program to new applicants who are not required by law to receive the benefit. 'We typically get a few thousand applications for child care each month, and so, that waitlist could include all of those children for the time being,' Jess Dannhauser, the commissioner of the Administration of Children's services, which dispenses the vouchers in the city, revealed this week to reporters. Adams last week said he was still 'going to fight' amid hope the extra money could be included in the final budget. But under the terms of the agreement outlined in two state budget bills, New York City would have to spend at least $328 million to qualify for the matching funds. Any remaining dollars would be available to other cities and towns, which have an additional $50 million earmarked for them. A spokeswoman for Mayor Adams did not immediately say if the city would pony up the funds. The municipal budget is still being negotiated with the City Council, whose leaders previously expressed dismay over cutbacks to the program. A spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment. The governor's office had insisted the status quo was 'unsustainable,' and that in order to provide families with affordable child care, the costs had to be a 'shared responsibility' between the city and state. 'This budget is about you and your parents,' Hochul told dozens of children in Broome County as she signed the budget bills. 'And when I proposed my budget back in January, I said, 'Your family is my fight.' And I wanted to make sure I could fight for your moms and dads to have more money back in their pockets.' At issue is that funding for subsidized child care has not kept pace with the exponential growth in assistance. In the years following the pandemic, ACS rapidly expanded vouchers for families who qualified by income — growing from 7,400 to 69,000 children between 2022 and today. The subsidy is available to families making under 85% of the state median income, and cover on average $300 of their weekly child care costs. But with more families on public assistance going back to work, and reimbursement costs rising, the city is expecting a funding cliff that could kick tens of thousands of families off vouchers at their annual recertification. Prior estimates suggest the program may need up to $900 million over the next fiscal year to make it whole.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NYC closes child care voucher enrollment amid Adams-Hochul standoff over funding
NEW YORK — New York City parents are getting cut off child care vouchers amid a standoff between Mayor Eric Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul over who pays for the hundreds of million dollar program. On Monday, First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro announced the city was closing enrollment to new applicants who qualify for the subsidies by income. Families who continue to apply for the vouchers will be put on a waitlist until further notice. 'Today, the state has essentially forced us to have to begin putting eligible applications on a waiting list,' Mastro told reporters at City Hall. 'To be clear, this is a step we did not want to have to take.' City Hall had been looking to the state to provide hundreds of millions of dollars to ensure parents do not lose access to child care. But Hochul and state lawmakers included only $350 million in the state budget to help avert a looming fiscal shortfall, forcing the city to match their investment to qualify for the dollars. So far, the Adams administration has resisted allocating the funds in the city budget, continuing to lobby in Albany despite the already-announced state budget deal. At issue is that funding for subsidized child care has not kept pace with the exponential growth of vouchers. In the years following the pandemic, the city's Administration for Children's Services, which administers the program locally, used a child care funding boost to significantly expand low-income vouchers — growing from 7,400 to about 69,000 children between 2022 and today. While Monday's announcement only impacts new applicants, soon current families who go to annually re-certify their eligibility may find themselves kicked out of the program too. New parents who qualify for the vouchers by receiving other public benefits will not be impacted. Without new funding, ACS previously estimated between 4,000 and 7,000 children could lose vouchers every month, as reimbursement costs rise and more parents on cash assistance — who are first in line for the vouchers — go back to work. At least 12 counties in New York — mostly small and rural — had previously closed enrollment before New York City took the desperate measure on Monday, city officials and advocates said. A report by The New School's Center for New York City Affairs estimated the city needed between $823 to $907 million to prevent families from being kicked off vouchers, which are part of the Child Care Assistance Program, and other severe disruptions. The state has defended its smaller-than-needed investment by pointing to the discrepancies between how much the state versus the city contributes to the subsidy program. The governor's office did not immediately return a request for comment.
