Illinois advocates concerned about proposed cuts to care hours for developmentally disabled
The They Deserve More Coalition, which is made up of different organizations that support the developmentally disabled, came to the Illinois State Capitol to share their concerns.
Bill cracking down on license plate flippers in Illinois passes Senate
The Governor's proposed budget would include a $32 million dollar decrease in funded hours for care of developmentally disabled living in group homes. The funded hours specifically pay for direct support professionals to staff these group homes.
The Illinois Association for Rehabilitation Facilities said the decrease would result in 900,000 hours being cut from the current total, which could mean over an hour less of care per day.
'If we cut 900,000 hours out of the service system from those people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, then they're going to be in danger of not being able to live effectively in their community,' Lore Baker, President of the Association for Individual Development said.
People with developmental disabilities are assessed and prescribed a certain number of hours of care. In these group home settings, hours are typically pooled together to make sure the people have the proper care.
A spokesperson for Governor JB Pritzker's office said the rollback is more about efficiently using the hours allotted.
Illinois House passes 'Dillon's Law' to help more people carry Epi-Pens
'The discussion of the 'funded hours' obscures a basic fact: IDHS and Governor Pritzker are committing more to DD services than ever before,' Spokesman for the Governor Alex Gough said in a statement. 'Providers will never be told 'you've reached your hours limit' or be forced to lay off support workers. The global hours total is part of a funding model with multiple parts, designed to fairly and equitably distribute limited resources.'
The administration pointed to the other investments being made to services for the developmentally disabled. Those include a 50-cent per hour wage increase for direct support professionals. It's also another year of increases for the overall budget for that division. That overall increase is why advocates and organizations were so caught off guard by the proposed cut, especially since they thought they were past this discussion.
This cut was proposed after the state already backed off a much bigger proposed cut last year. Starting in 2023, the state was prepared to cut 2.3 million hours to the same area. At the time, the state said that was just a step in implementing the findings from the state-commissioned Guide House Rate study, but the state backtracked on that plan after pressure from advocates and lawmakers.
While this proposal will impact significantly less hours, advocates still say it will result in a loss of care.
Bill to ban two food additives passes Illinois Senate
'I think it might be possible if the hours didn't disappear,' Baker said. 'But what happened, instead of moving around two hours to go have more hours for someone who has a higher service need and less hours for someone who needs less support, the total amount of hours in the system totally shrunk.'
The governor's proposed budget is just that — a proposal. Lawmakers will spend the next month and a half hammering out the details of the budget. Advocates voiced their concerns about these proposed cuts to the appropriations committee in the House of Representatives.
'Every legislator that we've spoken to has been shocked that this was in the governor's proposed budget,' Baker said. 'They keep saying, didn't we fix this last year? And we're like, We thought so, but not so much.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
After State Farm rate hike, Illinois legislators are pressured to provide relief
Gov. JB Pritzker wasted no time in calling on state legislators to do something about rising insurance rates after State Farm announced it was hiking homeowners insurance by 27.2% beginning this month, citing rising costs due to extreme weather events and pricier repairs. 'Enact a legislative solution during the veto session that prevents insurance companies from taking advantage of consumers through severe and unnecessary rate hikes, such as those proposed by State Farm,' Pritzker said in a social media post. The governor's angry words were met with a quick rebuttal from the Bloomington, Illinois-based insurer and state business interests, but other officials were just as quick to join in the politically popular call to hold down costs. 'I do agree with the governor that what State Farm did is wrong and they need to fix it,' House Speaker Emanuel 'Chris' Welch, a Democrat from Hillside, told the Tribune. 'If they don't, as a leader in this state, as a leader of one of our chambers, we're going to take a look at it because we have to protect our consumers.' Right now in Illinois, there's no effective mechanism to prevent companies like State Farm from imposing rates for home and auto insurance that are deemed to be excessive, according to those familiar with Illinois insurance law. 'You basically are told what your insurance rate premium's going to be. You don't have the ability as a state to really help protect consumers,' state Rep. Bob Morgan, a Deerfield Democrat and the vice chair of the House Insurance Committee, said about homeowners and auto insurance rates. Lawmakers are considering ways to address increased homeowners insurance costs including legislation championed by the Pritzker administration that would require a rate review process, compelling insurance companies to open their books so that state officials can assess whether the rate increases are too burdensome. A bill with some of those elements was introduced during the spring legislative session, but went nowhere as legislators and industry lobbyists haggled over details. Illinois is one of the only states that doesn't have a process in place for the state to take action if officials find that homeowners insurance rates were set inappropriately. Pritzker last year signed into law sweeping health care consumer protection legislation that ended unchecked rate hikes for large group insurance companies. Now, some proponents want to see this principle applied to homeowners insurance. 'With health care, now we can step in and can say, 'That is an unreasonable increase,'' Morgan said. 'These are the kinds of things that I think we're looking at.' Abe Scarr, director of the Illinois Public Interest Research Group, said such a process is crucial for consumer protection. 'This isn't, like, setting caps,' he said. 'This is just creating a regulatory review process that doesn't just leave it up to the insurance industry to regulate itself, to set rates by itself.' Scarr noted that State Farm and another insurance giant, Allstate, are both based in Illinois and have a powerful voice on policy. 'They're major employers,' Scarr said. 'They've long had significant influence in Springfield.' In establishing a rate review process for homeowners, renters and auto insurance, the legislation would require businesses to be more transparent with government entities about any decisions they make to impose rate hikes. The rate review bill was filed in January by state Sen. Michael Hastings of Frankfort and had six other Democratic co-sponsors in the Senate. State officials say an amendment filed in March is now the starting point for any debate on the issue when lawmakers reconvene in Springfield in October for the two-week veto session. The purpose of the amended legislation is to regulate 'insurance rates in order that they will not be excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory.' The legislation defines excessive rates as those that are 'unreasonably high for the scope of coverage provided.' Insurers would be required to provide information on their rates to the state's Department of Insurance '60 days in advance of a proposed aggregate rate change of 5% or more.' One top state official said that if such a bill was already in effect as a state law, State Farm would not have been in a position to announce its rate increase until the Insurance Department signed off on it. 'It would allow the department to say, if (it) felt that that rate increase was not justified by the data because it was too high, (it wouldn't) approve at 27%, however, 'We think you'd be able to justify, hypothetically, at 9%,' and so (the department) would approve it at 9,' said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak about the issue on the record. In cases where intense market competition was driving down rates, the department could also determine an insurer's rates to be too low, creating a financial solvency issue for the company. 'A healthy industry is in everybody's best interest because without it, homeowners can't get insurance then,' the official said. 'So, keeping insurance companies solvent is also, I feel, that's also a consumer protection.' Another bill filed by Hastings earlier this year would require homeowner and auto insurers operating in Illinois to maintain a website that showed a summary of each year's premium rate changes, as well as rate change data going back five years. The legislation would also require the insurer to provide 'a clear explanation of the primary factors contributing to the rate changes.' Hastings said he's heard from people angry about State Farm's rates. 'Because of what's occurred now, I'm anticipating there being some collaborative effort between the industry and the General Assembly, understanding what's occurred, what was said and what should be done,' Hastings said. 'And I'm under the belief … that there will be some solution and some framework put in place for the industry to comply with and doesn't discourage business in Illinois. It protects the consumer and provides them notice.' Without a new law, the Department of Insurance said it has little authority over rates. The department said it can look into whether companies are properly refunding premiums or paying claims in a timely manner, and hears consumer complaints 'to determine whether actual rates comply with what the company filed.' But it does not have the authority to approve or reject rate changes, unlike many other states such as California. Illinois requires only that rates be filed with the department. Pritzker spokesman Alex Gough said that 'special interests have protected the insurance industry instead of consumers, which is why the Governor has called for more regulatory and legislative action to hold powerful corporations accountable.' State Farm says recent weather-related losses in other states have taken a toll on its business. As one example, the insurer said it has received nearly 13,000 claims and paid out more than $4.2 billion to California homeowners who suffered losses during the intense wildfires that spread across the Los Angeles area earlier this year. But even going into 2025, the company said other claims were becoming too costly. State Farm said it paid out $1.26 in claims for every $1 premium collected from Illinois homeowners last year, including $638 million in hail damage claims, second to only Texas. In a statement on Friday, State Farm spokesperson Gina Morss-Fischer said the insurer welcomes 'the opportunity for ongoing discussion with the Department of Insurance, lawmakers, and consumers about the challenges facing the home insurance market' and that the company's recent rate filing in Illinois 'reflects the risk we see in this state.' 'The core promise of homeowners' insurance, that your insurer pays your claim according to your policy, only works if the policy's rates match the underlying risk,' Morss-Fischer said. 'Over-regulation and refusal to allow companies like ours the ability to charge accurate rates leads to a less competitive market and fewer choices for consumers.' Industry officials and some legislators echoed the argument additional regulation of Illinois' insurance market would lead to higher costs. State Rep. Jeff Keicher of Sycamore, a ranking Republican member of the House Insurance Committee, said Illinois has lower insurance rates than other markets because of its 'open and competitive marketplace.' More insurers offering coverage means more competition, which keeps costs lower. Keicher is a 30-year State Farm agent but said he was speaking as a legislator and not a company representative. If Illinois tries to control insurance rates, providers could threaten to pull out of Illinois, Keicher said, similar to what has happened in California. 'The worst thing we can do is force insurers to underprice and go out of business and leave homeowners without a way to get their home fixed if the worst happens,' Keicher said. The Illinois Insurance Association, a trade group for property and casualty insurers, also opposes further regulation. Kevin Martin, executive director of the association, said that insurance markets ebb and flow between 'hard and soft' markets. For the last six to eight years, Martin said, due to increased storms, Illinois has experienced a hard market, meaning that homeowners insurance costs keep climbing. 'It's just a cycle that happens and has happened consistently over the last 40 years, which is reflected in what people have to pay in premium,' Martin said. 'We are hoping we come out of this hard market and costs soften, and people will be able to reduce costs for homeowners insurance.' Martin said his group has talked with legislators in Springfield and the state insurance department about why insurance rates are skyrocketing and how insurers can be more transparent. His group recommends that homeowners shop around for alternative policies annually or biannually from the more than 200 insurance providers in Illinois. Keicher said legislators are also considering a 'state-recognized mitigation plan' for how homes are built and repaired to minimize rebuilding costs as the number of billion-dollar disasters from climate change-related events goes up. Keicher said he thinks the insurance industry would get behind that kind of proposal. State Rep. Thaddeus Jones, a Democrat from Calumet City who chairs the House Insurance Committee, called the insurance rate issue 'complicated' and said the insurance committee has had other priorities. Jones told the Tribune in June that he will now focus on burgeoning homeowners insurance costs and would call hearings soon, inviting residents to testify. Keicher said he supports Jones' calls for hearings. Jones also said he hopes more communities will participate in the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Community Rating System, which allows local municipalities to mitigate their flood insurance costs by meeting certain reduced flood risk requirements. Calumet City has been able to lower some of its homeowners insurance costs by participating, said Jones, who also serves as mayor of the south suburb. 'We don't want people choosing between their (home) insurance or prescription drugs or food,' Jones said. 'We want them to be able to live comfortably in their house, but at the same time not feel like they are being forced out of their house and scared to get insurance and make sure it is affordable to them so that families are safe and take that worry off their plate.' 'I think insurance companies are willing to work with us. Let's identify the issues first so we can all talk the same language to help homeowners stay in their houses,' Jones said. Solve the daily Crossword
Chicago Tribune
3 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Gov. JB Pritzker joins letter demanding release of federal education funding, with billions still in limbo
Gov. JB Pritzker signed a letter with 17 other Democratic governors Thursday, calling on the Trump administration to release nearly $7 billion in withheld federal education grants. The grants, already appropriated by Congress, were abruptly frozen the day before they were set to be disbursed July 1. The paused funding included $241.8 million for Illinois schools and community colleges, supporting a wide range of programs including English-language instruction and migrant education. The White House initially said the funds were under review because they were being used to advance 'a radical left-wing agenda.' 'The U.S. Department of Education's failure to distribute these funds is unacceptable,' the letter said. 'It disrupts school operations, undermines student services, and violates the Department's obligation to administer funding in a timely and responsible manner.' On Friday, the White House's Office of Management and Budget said it had completed its review of one of the grants, releasing $1.3 billion for after-school programs. That still leaves billions of funding in limbo as schools scramble to set their budgets for the upcoming school year. A coalition of 24 states including Illinois and the District of Columbia had sued the Trump administration July 14, accusing officials of illegally withholding the already-approved funds. 'The Trump administration is not only openly flouting the law, they are abandoning their responsibility to our students,' Pritzker said in a statement Thursday. 'This unprecedented and irresponsible withholding of lawful, bipartisan funding will force cuts to critical programs and hold back the next generation from reaching their full potential.' In Illinois, the impacted grants include $75.6 million for teacher training and professional development, $30.4 million for English learners, $56.6 million for student support and school upgrades, $1.9 million for migrant education, $20 million for adult education and $3 million for adult English learners and civics education. The absence of funding has 'caused unnecessary chaos for schools,' who rely on the allocations to support students and low-income families, according to the letter. 'This delay is arbitrary, unprecedented, and indefensible,' the letter said. The letter was addressed to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought. Along with Pritzker, it was signed by the governors from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Maine, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington and Wisconsin.
Politico
8 hours ago
- Politico
A Democratic family feud averted
Happy Monday, Illinois. And a h/t to my neighbors who made the block party a hit. TOP TALKER STAYING NEUTRAL: The Cook County Democratic Party has opted to support an open primary for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Dick Durbin, rather than endorse a specific candidate. That means a Democratic family drama has been averted, at least for now. A battle looms among Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, U.S. Reps. Robin Kelly and Raja Krishnamoorthi and a few other lesser known candidates ahead of the March primary. The party didn't share who supported whom, but Stratton heralded the backing she got from 14 committee members, each of whom has a weighted number of votes based on their constituency. The Democrats' non-endorsement came after Gov JB Pritzker's team talked to committee members ahead of the vote, and Krishnamoorthi and Kelly also made calls to gather support. It would have been a challenge for any of the three to get the 50 percent plus one needed to win the endorsement. There's still family drama: Patrick Hynes, the Lyons Township assessor, won the endorsement nod for Cook County assessor after he organized support against incumbent Assessor Fritz Kaegi. Kaegi is now running as an outsider, a position he's familiar with since that's how he first was elected in 2018. More from the Tribune's Rick Pearson and A.D. Quig. And in the scramble to replace Susana Mendoza as state comptroller, state Rep. Margaret Croke won the party leaders' backing, even amid complaints from Senate President Don Harmon and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle that the Democratic-backed ticket lacks Latino and/or Asian voices. Capitol News' Andrew Adams has details. The next question is whether state Sen. Karina Villa and Lake County Treasurer Holly Kim stay in the primary race. They would join George Danos, the Champaign County auditor, who's also running for state comptroller and also presented at slating. Here's a full list of endorsements by the Cook County Democrats. THE BUZZ DUTY CALLS: Christian Mitchell, who was just tapped as Pritzker's lieutenant governor running mate for the 2026 campaign, is already taking a break from the campaign trail. There's a good reason: 'I've been called into active training with the Air Force,' he told Playbook. Mitchell is a JAG officer, serving as a judge advocate and lawyer in the Guard. Mitchell serves one weekend a month plus two weeks a year. This time, it's a longer stint. Timing isn't great, but … Mitchell says the service can't be paused. 'Tens of thousands of people in the National Guard are nurses, firefighters, teachers. When the state called during Covid or the 2019 floods, they answered. I don't want to do any less,' he told your Playbook host after he stood before Cook County Democrats on Friday for their slating event. Pritzker's take? 'The governor's been very supportive,' Mitchell said. When he returns to the campaign trail in the fall, the political season will be getting into full swing as campaign teams will be gathering petition signatures. If you are Don Harmon, Playbook would like to hear from you! Email: skapos@ WHERE'S JB At the Salt Shed at 6 p.m. for the Aspen Ideas: Climate conference WHERE's BRANDON At 1116 West Argyle Street at 8:30 a.m. for the CTA Red and Purple Modernization Project Argyle Station grand opening Where's Toni No official public events Have a tip, suggestion, birthday, new job or a (gasp!) complaint? Email skapos@ SPOTTED BIPARTISAN MOVES: Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy sat down together Sunday in Chicago to talk about the issue that transcends partisan politics — climate. 'It could be one of those issues that keeps dividing the country, or it's a real opportunity to bring the country together on a whole host of things,' Dunleavy said during their appearance at the Aspen Ideas: Climate conference in Chicago This wasn't about politics, but … Whitmer took a careful swipe at her party for fixating on ideological purity. 'There are folks who want things to end up perfect — and perfect is often just not possible,' she told the crowd gathered at the David Rubenstein Forum at the University of Chicago. Also at the conference: U. of C. economics professor Michael Greenstone (who moderated the Whitmer/Dunleavy Q&A), Intersect Illinois CEO Christy George, state Rep. Kimberly Du Buclet, Illinois Finance Authority Executive Director Chris Meister, ComEd CEO Gil Quiniones, World Business Chicago innovation Chair Mark Tebbe, Hire360 Executive Director Jay Rowell, Ariel Investment Senior VP John Oxtoby, former White House climate adviser Ali Zaidi, Evergreen Climate Innovations CEO Michelle Carr, Climate Jobs Illinois' Chynna Hampton, P33 Chicago's Tifair Hamed MaRS Climate Innovation board member Natalia Moudrak, climatologist Tom Skilling and Kobi Weinberg and Rachel Star, co-founders of Chicago Climate Corps. BUSINESS OF POLITICS — Paul Kendrick is exploring a run for the Illinois 12th District House seat that's now opened up with state Rep. Margaret Croke running for state comptroller. Kendrick works for the education organization Hope Chicago. He's also an Obama White House alum and worked on the 2018 Pritzker for governor campaign. — The Anosh Inc. Foundation, a nonprofit focused on community development and public service, has formed an Illinois Super PAC. The foundation was founded by Chicago physician and philanthropist Dr. Anosh Ahmed. The PAC will address local issues such as rising property taxes, public safety, and transparent governance, according to a statement. THE STATEWIDES — Companies warn Illinois will be 'toxic tort' capital if bill is signed, but lawyers call it 'fundamental fairness: 'The legislation would allow anyone harmed by exposure to a toxic substance anywhere in the U.S. to file a lawsuit in Illinois against the company that's responsible, provided it's registered with the state,' by the Daily Herald's Marni Pyke. — Chicago activists urge Pritzker to pass law to make polluters pay for climate change damages, by the Tribune's Adriana Pérez — Conservation practices needed to protect Illinois farmers as topsoil loss increases, experts say, by the Tribune's Brandon Chew — Opinion | State Rep. Anna Moeller on Medicaid cuts: 'Illinois will be hit particularly hard,' via the Daily Herald CHICAGO — Inside America's quiet safety revolution: How local leaders are cutting crime without more cops: ' Johnson's administration has invested in public schools, parks, and programs to support vulnerable residents—all while navigating a politically resistant city and statewide apparatus,' says Insha Rahman, vice president of advocacy and partnerships at the Vera Institute of Justice, via Richard Fowler in Forbes. — Chicago mayors and their inspector generals: a contentious relationship that almost always ends badly: 'Deborah Witzburg decided not to seek the second term that Mayor Brandon Johnson almost certainly would deny her. It's not the first time that the relationship between a Chicago mayor and inspector general has soured,' by the Sun-Times' Fran Spielman. — NASCAR Chicago street race isn't coming back next year, but could, by Block Club's Stephen Montemayor — ICE arrests increase across Chicago under Trump, many with no convictions, data shows, by the Tribune's Joe Mahr and Nell Salzman COOK COUNTY AND COLLARS — Bridget Degnen joins exodus from Cook County Board: 'Once rumored to be thinking about running for board president if incumbent Toni Preckwinkle stepped down, Degnen instead said she would serve the remainder of her term through December 2026, and then consider her next career move,' by the Tribune's A.D. Quig. — Suburban mayors worry that pending transit legislation would reduce their authority over land use near stations, by the Daily Herald's Marni Pyke — First look inside Northwestern's $862M new Ryan Field, by Front Office Sports' Colin Salao. — Aurora City Council to vote on doubling hotel room tax, by the Aurora Beacon-News' R. Christian Smith — Home values: The National Association of Counties has endorsed Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi's request that the federal government's Federal Housing Finance Agency release appraisal information on home interiors, according to a statement. Kaegi, who's seeking re-election, says the data would help to more accurately determine property values. ILLINOIS' POPE — Will Pope Leo forge greater LGBTQ+ inclusion? Chicago-area Catholics pray for 'reconciliation rather than division,' by the Tribune's Angie Leventis Lourgos — Pope Leo XIV renews his call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, by Dario Artale and the Associated Press Reader Digest We asked who the best Marvel superhero would be as president. Matthew Beaudet: 'Captain America, not for his physical strength but because he's still Steve Rogers — the scrawny kid who stood up to bullies and put others and the country above himself.' Carol Hughes: 'Captain America, though I also would vote for Black Widow. Both are proven leaders with a heart.' Charles Keller: 'Groot, because he already has a waste management company and could haul the trash out of DC.' Jim Lyons: 'Captain America.' Terry Poulos: 'Superman. He always tells the truth, except when snakes like Lex Luthor require 'handling.'' Ed Mazur: 'The Scarlet Witch who can alter reality itself and can tap into magical forces.' Alison Pure-Slovin: 'Wonder Woman for her strength, compassion and commitment to truth and justice. AND because she is a WOMAN!' Eira Corral Sepulveda: 'With climate change being the greatest existential threat of our times, my vote goes to Storm.' Peter Skosey: Superman of course, 'Truth, Justice and the American Way!'' Matt Sullard: 'Captain America! His penchant for fairness and doing the right thing would be very welcome, as would his eternal and inspiring hope.' Erika Weaver: 'Queen Ramonda of Wakanda! Wakanda forever.' NEXT QUESTION: What album would you take with you on a desert island? KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION — Bipartisan legislation: Republican Congressman Darin LaHood (IL-16) and Democratic Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08) joined in introducing the Combating PRC Overseas and Unlawful Networked Threats through Enhanced Resilience (COUNTER) Act of 2025. It would require the U.S. to develop a strategy to counter China's growing military base network. THE NATIONAL TAKE — How the Trump tax cuts ballooned, by POLITICO's Taylor Miller Thomas, Paula Friedrich and Jonathan Lai — Republicans' food aid cuts will hit grocers in many towns that backed Trump, by POLITICO's Rachel Shin — Andy Beshear introduces himself to South Carolina, with an eye toward 2028, by POLITICO's Elena Schneider KUDOS — C-Strategies, a Chicago-based communications and public-affairs firm, won two national Bulldog PR Awards, including silvers for midsize agency of the year and PR professional of the year for Becky Carroll, who heads the firm. IN MEMORIAM — First District Appellate Court Justice Thomas E. Hoffman dead at 77: 'His opinions were golden,' by the Sun-Times' Violet Miller — Ed Feulner, founder of the Heritage Foundation and an Illinois native who served as an aide to Republican Congressman Phil Crane, has died. Details here — Frederick Ford, first Black president of Union League Club, dies at 98, by the Sun-Times' Kade Heather TRANSITIONS — Janice Jackson has been named executive director of Aspen Institute's education and society program, which is focused on improving public education outcomes by working with education and policy leaders. She was CEO of Hope Chicago nonprofit and before that was CEO of Chicago Public Schools. TRIVIA FRIDAY's ANSWER: Congrats to La'Mont Williams for correctly answering that Cincinnati Base Ball Club (aka the Cincinnati Red Stockings) was the first pro sports team to play a game in Illinois. The team traveled to Quincy to play the local amateur Occidental Senior Base Ball Club on Oct. 18, 1869. The Red Stockings received a $250 fee plus expenses and won the game 51 to 7. TODAY's QUESTION: What South Side building was known for its large ballroom and being the center of Jazz and Blues music? Email skapos@ HAPPY BIRTHDAY State Sen. Bill Cunningham, Cook County Circuit Court Judge Erika Orr, Cook County Circuit Court Judge John Mulroe, We Are RALLY Director Sean Anderson, Law Center for Better Housing Executive Director Mark Swartz, campaign consultant Enza Raineri, PR pro Amanda Berrios and NBC 5 political reporter Mary Ann Ahern -30-
