Press Release from the office of Governor Bruce Rauner

Governor Bruce Rauner today announced that the state’s Department of Human Services (IDHS) will broaden access to the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP). The move fulfills an agreement made with the legislature in 2015 to raise the income eligibility criteria to 185% of the federal poverty level from 162%. It means 16,000 more children will receive child care each month, for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2018.

Rauner included the funds to boost the levels in his proposed budget and stressed that the CCAP funding decision was made to ensure that parents can continue working without worrying about how their children will be cared for. “I am proud to stand with families who are working two or three jobs just to make a living,” he said. “Many of them are already struggling, and now they’re taking an even deeper cut in their income thanks to the 32% increase in income taxes the legislature passed in July.”

Even with the massive tax hike, the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget estimates the state budget is at least $1.7 billion out of balance. Rauner is asking the legislature to work with him to identify additional spending reforms and bring the budget into balance.

Criteria for CCAP eligibility are determined through the administrative rule making process, which is overseen by the bipartisan, legislative Joint Committee on Administrative Rules. IDHS plans to implement the new criteria through emergency rulemaking, ensuring more families can receive child care as quickly as possible. The Department will also continue working with the child care community to closely monitor the availability of funds and make adjustments, when necessary, to ensure the state is meeting the needs of families while still being fiscally responsible.

Four new policy units formed; economic team announced

Press Release from the office of Governor Bruce Rauner

A new team of experts has been assembled in the Rauner-Sanguinetti Administration to focus on issue areas key to state policy development.

The new policy teams – in economics, health and social services, criminal justice, and infrastructure and regulation – will integrate their efforts to serve the offices of Gov. Bruce Rauner and Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti. Comprised of experts from government, the private sector and nonprofits, their work will be under the direction of Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Michael Lucci.

“We’ve attracted a group of talented, experienced policy professionals and public servants,” Lucci said. “They share a passion for making Illinois a state where hard-working families can achieve their dreams, in part because government policy has helped facilitate economic opportunity and societal fairness.”

The first of four units to be announced is the one focused on state economics. It will play a central role in creating the vision and policy framework for balanced budgets, sustainable finances and a pro-growth environment for job creation.

Hans Zigmund, who becomes the governor’s economic policy director, will lead the group and work with agencies and other stakeholders inside and outside of state government that focus on economic policy.

Before joining the Governor’s Office, Zigmund was chief economist at the Department of Revenue. He previously held positions as associate director at the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget (GOMB) and staff economist at Revenue.

His team will be responsible for tax policy analysis, balanced budget initiatives, public pension reform and regulatory relief in areas such as workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance, and occupational licensure. The team also will recommend initiatives in tax increment finance reforms, property tax relief and tax credit evaluation.

The economic policy group members are:

Mischa Fisher, economist and economic policy adviser: Previously, Fisher was a Congressional legislative director in Washington, D.C., overseeing financial services, technology, science and infrastructure policy. He is responsible for economic policy areas including energy and economic regulatory policy.

Charlie Weikel, policy adviser: Before joining the governor’s office, Weikel served as a management consultant, focusing on corporate strategy and operations. Weikel covers pension and fiscal municipal policy on Gov. Rauner’s economics team. Weikel also works on agency-level operations in the Governor’s Office, covering a variety of operations topics, ranging from operational improvements to performance contracts.

Kristy Stephenson, policy adviser: Before joining Gov. Rauner’s team, Stephenson served as the downstate director for the Illinois comptroller. She has served as the treasurer of the city of Metropolis since 2004, and she was a founding appointee to the Massac Metropolis Port District. Stephenson will represent the Governor’s Office policy team in southern Illinois, focusing on municipal fiscal issues and on opportunities for economic growth in downstate Illinois.

Brian Costin, deputy chief of staff and policy director to Lt. Governor Sanguinetti: Costin was the lead policy staffer on the Local Government Consolidation and Unfunded Mandates Task Force in 2015, and he currently serves as the lead policy staffer on the Military Economic Development Committee and the Joint Rivers Coordinating Council. Previously, Costin worked at the Illinois Policy Institute as a local government transparency and anti-corruption expert, and he worked in government relations at the Heartland Institute. As policy adviser to Gov. Rauner, Costin will focus on tax increment financing, local government, lottery, disaster and anticorruption policy matters.

Joshua Altman, Dunn Fellow: Altman is a 2017 graduate of Yale University who was an investment banking summer analyst with Goldman Sachs. Altman will assist the economic team in research and policy development.

SHANGHAI –  Gov. Bruce Rauner arrived in Shanghai, China, for the next stop in his first international trade mission of his administration. The Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) greeted the governor and the team of Illinois delegates working to build stronger business, cultural and educational relationships with its Asian partners.

“China and the United States enjoy a long-term friendship,” CPAFFC President Xu Kuangdi said. “I highly appreciate your decision of choosing China as one of your destinations at your first foreign visit as the Governor of Illinois. We must strengthen our friendship through more exchanges and cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, education, etc., to benefit our two peoples, and people of the world. Welcome to China!”

The CPAFFC is a national organization engaged in people-to-people diplomacy of China.

The governor also engaged in trade discussions with the vice chairman of Shanghai 12th Committee to discuss trade relations between China and Illinois. That was followed by an official reception at the Intercontinental Hotel in Shanghai.

The governor expressed the need for additional business opportunities, and he said the best way would be to expand trade, investment and economic relationships.

“I’m honored to be here because of the special friendship between China and Illinois,” Gov. Rauner said. “We have 400 Illinois companies in China creating thousands of jobs, and China has 60 companies headquartered in Illinois, including Wanxiang, Decatur’s Fuyao Glass and Bank of China in Chicago. We shouldn’t stop there. I’m personally committed to expanding this economic relationship to benefit the people of Shanghai and Illinois.”

The meeting began with a discussion of Shanghai’s financial position and economic strength in the world economy with the hope of building a more balanced export exchange, as well as growing from an industrial to a more innovative society. The governor and vice chairman expressed the importance of exchanging ideas and developing an ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship and a pipeline of the next generation of global leaders.

https://www.ilnews.org/news/statewide/five-years-after-introduction-study-says-video-gambling-leading-to/article_aa189976-9702-11e7-8509-736718f4e444.html

CHAMPAIGN, IL – (Cole Latterbach, Illinois News Network.  Please click on the link for the full story.  Here is an excerpt below.)

September marked the five-year anniversary of video gaming legalization in Illinois. A new report claims that the societal costs of gambling may not be worth the tax revenue.

According to the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, Illinois received $1.3 billion in revenue from wagering in fiscal year 2017. Video gaming accounted for more than 20 percent of that. As of July 2017, there are 27,145 video gaming machines operating in Illinois. That’s more than any other state, including Nevada.

Released in August, the study, titled “Can’t Stop the One-Armed Bandits: The Effects of Access to Gambling on Crime,” found that being near at least one video gambling establishment is associated with an average 6.7 percent increase in property crime and a 7.5 percent spike in violent crime in the areas around Chicago. Despite the fact that video gaming isn’t allowed in Chicago, there are more than 10,000 machines surrounding the city. That’s the equivalent to eight casinos

From the office of Governor Bruce Rauner

NAGOYA, Japan (Sept. 13, 2017) – Gov. Bruce Rauner left Tokyo today aboard a high-speed Shinkansen train and arrived in Nagoya to visit several of the top auto-suppliers in the world as part of his first international trade mission. In Nagoya, the governor met with senior executives from Aisin Seiki, Toyota Boshoku and Sakae Riken Kogyo.

“These leading Japanese companies are driving economic development and innovation through parts of our state, including our smaller communities,” Gov. Rauner said. “These same communities are the foundation for economic growth in our state.”

Aisin’s main Illinois operations are in Marion and employ more than 2,000 people. The company develops and produces auto parts, including brake pads, engine parts and transmissions. The governor toured Aisin’s state-of-the-art campus and saw firsthand the leading research and development that is being developed.

The governor then met with the senior leadership team of Toyota Boshoku, which employs more than 1,000 people in Lawrenceville. It specializes in the manufacture and sale of seats, door trims and interior components. Last year, Toyota Boshoku announced a 100-person expansion of its Lawrenceville facility.

The governor finished the day with a visit to Sakae Riken Kogyo Co., Ltd. The family business has been operating for more than 45 years and produces a variety of products, including interior and exterior trim for automobiles, as well as parts for household appliances. Its U.S. affiliate, Eakas, has operations in Peru, Illinois, employing more than 400 people.

Understanding the importance of relationships in business in Asia, the governor underscored that “I believe our friendship is about shared values. We both value leadership. We value hard work. We value our families, and we value each other. This is why we will continue to strengthen our relationship, build our businesses and provide for our families.”

The governor thanked all the business and government leaders for a wonderful visit during his final full day in Japan, vowing to return soon to grow the special and highly respected relationship between Illinois and Japan. The governor travels to China on Thursday.

https://www.ilnews.org/news/economy/cook-county-soda-tax-takes-sales-jobs-toll-as-consumers/article_759e308a-942c-11e7-ac33-9f9ba5497811.html

CHICAGO, IL (Michael Carroll, Illinois News Network.  Please click on the link for the full story.  Here is an excerpt below.)

Retailers are seeing sharp declines in sales and have laid off employees as a result of Cook County’s new tax on sweetened beverages, which took effect last month.

“It’s affecting us big time,” said Bill Daker, president of Cool Mountain Beverages Inc. in Des Plaines, which markets specialty sodas in the region. “Retailers have stopped taking in any kinds of new brands.”

During the first week of the tax taking effect, sales data from 21 stores in Cook County show declines of 6 percent to 39 percent. Declines in Cook County border areas are among the most pronounced, according to the Can the Tax Coalition, as many county residents seem to be opting to purchase sweetened beverages and other grocery items in neighboring counties or even Indiana. Stores in border areas have reported a jump in beverage sales.