Champaign HRC and NAACP Recommendations

The Champaign Human Relations Commission and the Champaign County NAACP met again after November's presentation of their report and recommendations on criminal justice reform (previous post on that here). From the News-Gazette today:

Champaign Human Relations Commission taking action on NAACP's suggestions
Whether it's improving housing availability for formerly incarcerated people or implementing restorative practices in local schools, members of Champaign's Human Relations Commission have taken heed of recommendations made to them by the county's NAACP chapter in the fall and are devising a plan of attack...

Of the half-dozen recommendations presented to the commission, members voted unanimously Monday to schedule meetings with First Followers and the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce to look at ways they can support improving access to housing, jobs and social services for people getting out of prison and returning to Champaign-Urbana.

Commissioners also voted to schedule private meetings with Champaign school district administrators to help integrate restorative practices, address high suspension rates among African-American students and stop what NAACP Justice Reform Chairman Thomas Moore called a "kindergarten-to-prison pipeline."

Full article here, including another HRC recommendation for the Champaign City Council to address the reentry housing issue that allows a discrimination loophole in the City's Human Rights Ordinance. More information on that here. This is a followup of a previous post on the NAACP's original presentation to the HRC last November:

This week's City of Champaign Human Relations Commission meeting (agenda here) included a presentation of the NAACP report on criminal justice. Thomas Moore argued that the report is an educational tool as opposed to a road map and what we've tried over the past forty years hasn't worked. He argued for a new focus on the ineffectiveness of punishment in the system of mass incarceration. He noted that jails are a big part of the problem and a local issue. Video is available here and the NAACP report begins at the 6:20 mark.

Previous post available here. Original News-Gazette article on that here.

Organization Updates

Two of the organizations highlighted at the last Champaign County Community Coalition meeting were in the news recently. From a previous Cheat Sheet post on that meeting:

The Young Adult Reentry Program at the Regional Planning Commission presented and overview of their new program targeting 18-24 year olds reentering from the criminal justice system in high crime and high poverty areas of Champaign County including Champaign-Urbana, but several surrounding communities. A quick overview is available in a PDF brochure here as well as more information on the grant from the RPC website here.

The Youth Assessment Center through the RPC also gave an update about its new location and an overview of Moral Reconation Therapy which "rewires" the brain to take responsibility for ones actions and to make moral decisions instead of selfish ones. It's common enough that you'll see the MRT acronym thrown around in a lot of programs dealing with reentry and treatment needs in relation to recidivism.

The RPC's Young Adult Reentry Program was highlighted on WILL (with audio interview as well): Champaign County Program Aims To Cut Recidivism, Boost Employment For Young Adults

CU One to One Mentoring is looking for mentors to be matched with a large stack of available mentee applications. January is National Mentoring Month and there are upcoming training opporturnities for interested mentors at the end of this month and the beginning of February. There is an additional shortage of male mentors if you know anyone who might be great at it who could use the nudge. This program goes through the school system so the time commitment is during the week on school days and roughly an hour weekly.

The News-Gazette highlighted CU One to One Mentoring and its need for more mentors, especially male mentors: Schools seek more adults, especially men, for mentoring program. From that article:

That kind of dialogue and long-term relationship is something those involved with CU One-to-One Mentoring always want for more area students, but with only 37 percent of the program's current mentors being male, their need isn't just more — it's more men.

"The (ratio) has always been skewed that way," said community outreach coordinator Lauren Smith. "It is this way nationwide, it's not just our community. We're probably a little bit above average if anything."

Smith said she spoke recently with one of the program's male mentors, who'd tried to co-opt some of his friends into mentoring with him, perhaps using their lunch hour like he did.

"He said his friends told him they were all too busy," she said. "The guys who do do it, they'll say, 'Well, you eat lunch anyway, right?'"

Mentoring takes up to an hour per week during the school day, and mentor/mentee pairs spend that time on school grounds, either in a mentoring room or some other designated area on campus. Some spend that time talking. Others play games or do homework.

 Full article here.

Area Measles Update

 

There was a potential for the spread of the measles recently that included multiple locations in the Champaign and campus area. Below is an update excerpt with some additional information and links. From the News-Gazette today:

3-4 more being tested for measles after last week's confirmed case
Three or four people are being tested for measles after an unidentified person was diagnosed with the highly contagious disease last week, according to the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District.

The people have symptoms, or were unvaccinated and possibly exposed to the initial patient, said Julie Pryde, the health district's administrator...

The initial patient appears to have been a University of Illinois student or had some connection to the university, having spent time in the last couple weeks at various buildings on campus, and at the Texas Roadhouse in west Champaign.

The UI sent a mass email about the local measles case, saying the McKinley Health Center is working with the health district to identify at-risk individuals.

Full article here. Additional information on the measles from the Illinois Department of Public Health here. WCCU looked into information on the number of area people who may be at risk due to a lack of vaccinations and found it to be very small:

According to the data reported by the district, about 98 percent of its students have received their measles vaccinations.

The district reported 76 unvaccinated students — 52 of them citing religious objections, eight for medical reasons, two students with scheduled immunizations at the time the data was collected and three students exempt under a homeless assistance act.

Out of the 76 unvaccinated students, Unit 4 officials said 11 of them were documented as in non-compliance with the law.

According to Unit 4, these 11 students wouldn’t be allowed to attend school until they got vaccinated.

Full blurb here. The News-Gazette also listed the known exposure sites (map available at the link here):

Jan. 12 and 13
— Between 3 p.m. and close at Texas Roadhouse, 204 N. Country Fair Drive, C.

Jan. 14
— Between 8 a.m. and noon at the University of Illinois' Mumford Hall, 1301 W. Gregory Drive, U.

— Between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. at the UI's David Kinley Hall, 1407 W. Gregory Drive, U.

— Between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the UI Psychology Building, 603 E. Daniel St., C.

— Between 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. at County Market, 2901 W. Kirby Ave., C.

Jan. 15
— Between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. at the UI Agricultural Engineering Science Building, 1304 W. Pennsylvania Ave., U.

— Between 3:30 and 6:30 p.m. at the Illini Union Bookstore, 809 S. Wright St., C.

Jan. 17
— Between 8 and 11 a.m. at the UI's McKinley Health Center, 1109 S. Lincoln Ave., U.

Jan. 18
— Between 2 and 5 p.m. at McKinley Health Center.
Saturday

— Between 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. at the emergency room at Carle Foundation Hospital, 600 W. Park St., U.

Full article available here. The full Health District press release as well as a video segment is available from the WCIA News here. Excerpt from article:

Officials are now warning people what to watch out for. One person got the virus and exposed the infection at several locations in Champaign and Urbana. Even though those places are now safe, the Public Health District is still putting out an alert because it is highly contagious.

The patient was put in isolation immediately after being diagnosed and is recovering. But the virus has an incubation period of four days before and after the rash starts. So there are some things they want people to know to make sure you don't have it.

Most people got the measles vaccination as a child. Those who didn't are at a high risk. Champaign-Urbana Public Health District Director Julie Pryde says, "If you're not vaccinated and you're exposed, nine out of ten people will get it. So it's very contagious."

So far, only one person in Champaign County was reported to have contracted the virus. But that person didn't realize it for days. Pryde says, "The person was in public places before they were aware they were sick."

Full article here.

White Nationalist Terrorists Plead Guilty

This past week in one of the strangest local political stories in the last couple years, two white nationalist terrorists pleaded guilty to the attempted bombing of a women's health clinic in Champaign among other terrorist acts. From last Friday's News-Gazette:

2 more alleged Ford County militia members plead guilty to terrorist acts
Two East Central Illinois men who admitted their roles in firebombing an Islamic mosque in Minnesota, trying to firebomb a women’s health clinic in Champaign and other violent acts during 2017 and 2018 associated with a homegrown terrorist group face 35 years to life behind bars.
...
The attempted arson happened Nov. 7, 2017, at Women’s Health Practice, 2125 S. Neil St., C. An employee found a broken window and a homemade pipe bomb that apparently failed to ignite on the floor of a surgery room. At the time, the clinic performed abortions.

McWhorter said he was the lookout at the clinic while Morris admitted breaking the window and tossing in the incendiary device, which fizzled.

More at the full article here. A couple weeks after their March 2018 arrests and the details of the group's other firebombing, weapons, explosives, and crimes to fund their terrorist activities, the Women's Health Practice ended their abortion services, including surgical abortion services which are no longer available in Champaign County:

Women seeking abortions at Women's Health Practice are being referred to the Planned Parenthood clinic in Champaign, Reynolds said.

Planned Parenthood's Champaign health center doesn't offer surgical abortion. It provides the abortion pill, which is an at-home medication effective for up to 10 weeks after the start of the last menstrual period.

The organization said pregnant women beyond 10 weeks are referred to other abortion providers in the area.

For women in Champaign County, the referral for in-clinic abortions (using suction or suction and medical tools) is to Planned Parenthood's clinic in Springfield, according to Julie Lynn, spokeswoman for the agency.

More on that from the News-Gazette Health Reporter Q&A on the subject here. The leader of the group, Michael B. Hari had a long history of far right political activism dating back to protesting the 1993 Branch Davidian siege at Waco. From the Minneapolis Star Tribune:

In Clarence, a town of fewer than 100 people scattered between barely two dozen homes in various stages of remodeling, Hari was a well-known figure who had a long history of confrontation with authority. He attended college in Texas, and protested at the Branch Davidian compound in Waco during the deadly 1993 standoff between the religious separatist group and federal law enforcement. He later told a newspaper in Illinois that the event, which led to the deaths of more than 75 Branch Davidians, had “galvanized” his beliefs.

Back in Illinois, he worked as a corrections officer and deputy sheriff before being let go in 1997 for what Doran called “odd behavior.”

The News-Gazette also had a timeline of his political activities, eccentricities, and legal battles here. In his version of events he quit his job as Deputy Sheriff, but the Star Tribune's details of the incident seems more compelling. One of the items that stands out was his concern about immigrants, especially Mexican immigrants replacing Illinois residents. For example from that same timeline:

In April 2017, Hari told The Chicago Tribune that he drafted a $10 billion plan to build a wall along the border with Mexico, citing President Donald Trump's call for such a wall. Hari drew up the proposal after launching a security company, Crisis Resolution Security Services, the newspaper said.

In it's call to arms on its website (link from the internet archive), the group declared a state of war between the people of Illinois and the government it believed to be illegitimate. It made arguments for armed revolution while carefully dancing around legal disclaimers against the violence they otherwise advocated:

The government of the State of Illinois is guilty of not only of betraying her republican roots, but also of actual treason against her people.  While the people of this state have been fleeing in record numbers, fleeing the abusive government of this state for friendlier places, the governor and legislature have devised a replacement for them:  illegal aliens fleeing the more abusive societies south of the Rio Grande.  Coming off better than the regimes of banana republics is small praise, but for millions suffering under such governments Illinois still seems a paradise.

On the 28th of August of 2017, “Republican” Governor Bruce Rauner showed up at a Mexican restaurant in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood.  With a Mexican Mariachi band performing in the background, Rauner officially welcomed Illinois new replacement population by signing the Illinois TRUST Act.  The act prohibits Illinois police from arresting illegal aliens or holding illegal or criminal illegal aliens on federal detention requests.  It also prohibits police from asking people about their immigration status.  By doing so, Rauner and the legislature have consciously and intentionally chosen a new population to replace the Illinoisans they are driving out. A Mexican population fleeing violence and chaos in the south is more agreeable to the somewhat lesser violence and chaos in Illinois, and with no tradition of self-government, these people won’t miss the constitutional protections that Rauner and Madigan are doing away with.  It is an act of treason against their own people to conspire to replace them with foreigners.  

It also asked for support from the Trump administration for its top objective of restoring a lower-case "r" republican form of government guaranteed by Article IV, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution (but which he occasionally also cites the 6th Amendment):

Objectives

1.         To restore republican government, guaranteed by the 6th Amendment to the US Constitution to the State of Illinois.

...

Appeal for Assistance

We reach out to the Trump Administration to hear our plea and join our revolution—intervening to guarantee us our 6th Amendment rights, and to all other public officials of good will to join with us in our struggle.  We fight because we do not know what else to do.  We call upon all freedom loving Americans to come to our state and fight by our side for our rights.

What country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. the remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon & pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots & tyrants. It is its natural manure.—–Thomas Jefferson Nov. 13. 1787

This report and declaration is issued by the Illinois Revolutionary Commission Government and their fighting arm, the Patriot Freedom Fighters. 

The grievances on the archived website vary, but they all will sound familiar to those who have studied the white nationalist or militia movements in the United States. Even the tactics of funding terrorist acts with robberies and other crimes to commit bomb attacks is familiar from The Turner Diaries, a how-to manual (ADL information link here) used for decades by white nationalist terrorists, including Timothy McVeigh, similarly radicalized by the Waco siege.

Most of the threats involve feminism, foreigners, non-Christians, LGBT groups, and Marxist conspiracy theories of other modern white nationalist groups. The evolution from more overt and white supremacist and militia movement groups to today's more "colorblind" language of groups dancing around the same promotion of the supremacy of the white Christian male's culture, features, and divine exceptionalism is described and defended. For example they link to a hate group (more info form the Southern Poverty Law Center here) that points to divine male authority and these same threats listed above to it.

"Political correctness" is listed as a threat as well and used to excuse the implications and slip-ups that are racial, xenophobic, etc... by blaming people for being overly sensitive. Unfortunately this technique effectively muddles the issue when it conflates more legitimate cultural debates. This distracts from the issue of using euphemistic rhetoric and marketing techniques for the same old white nationalist agenda.

If that wasn't strange enough, days after the Mosque attack, the White House suggested it may have been part of a series of "fake hate crimes" perpetrated by the left and were waiting on "local authorities to provide their assessment." It was part of an odd and often reality averse statement that preceded the yet undetected terrorist group's attacks in downstate Illinois, including here in Champaign County:

After evading capture for the mosque attack (Trump advisor Sebastian Gorka took to Twitter to suggest the bombing was a fake hate crime staged by “the left”), the fledgling militia allegedly took the crime spree further. In November, they allegedly attempted to bomb a women’s health clinic. The bomb, a potentially devastating thermite device, never detonated. In December, the group allegedly carried out a series of robberies on Wal-Mart stores and people they suspected of being involved in drug trafficking.

And on January 17, the group allegedly attempted to explode a section of Illinois railroad track and then tried “to extort money from the railroad by threatening additional attempts to damage the railroad tracks if the railroad did not pay a ransom,” according to an indictment filed in Illinois.

Blurb from The Daily Beast here, and more from Newsweek here.

It is a very unusual story that has affected Champaign County on the abortion issue where opposition and support to access is debated passionately on a regular basis in regular letters to the editor, protests at remaining clinics, and in political debates everywhere. While the public arrests and information on the terrorist group immediately preceded the end of  surgical abortion services in Champaign County, the clinic declined to specify its reasons. Peaceful protesters I've talked to and in the press like to think their prayers and other efforts were the reason behind the sudden change and have moved their efforts to other clinics now. One imagines that whatever role, if any, the terrorist attack had would not be acknowledged to avoid encouraging more clinic attacks, here or elsewhere.

Whatever ones views on the abortion issue itself, the confluence of national and local politics was dramatic. And not only because of that particular heated issue, but the range of far-right issues that motivated this group's call to arms. For example: the far-right motivations driving shutdowns over walls to prevent Americans from being replaced by Mexicans was a side project and motivation for the leader of this terrorist organization. He appealed to the Trump administration for support after it had effectively blamed its first attack on their shared political enemies.

It's a political issue that is often fought on the margins of making the services unavailable to those who believe they have a right to them in more and more places. Restricting access in Champaign County appears to have been gained through violence in our own home by those who would gladly divide us further by race, religion, sexual orientation, etc. Are the new limitations on access permanent? Will there be a push to bring those services back to the area? Time will tell.

County Home Sales and Employment Data

The News-Gazette had the most recent data in articles over the past couple weeks. First on home sales:

55 more homes sold in 2018 over 2017 in Champaign County; average price holds steady
Fifty-five more homes were sold in 2018 than the year before in Champaign County, with a total of 2,938 sold, according to a year-end report from the local Realtors group.

And sale prices remained level, with the 2018 average at $174,453, virtually the same as the 2017 average of $174,570.

"2017 and 2018 both seemed to be good years. Good for buyers and good for sellers," said Eric Porter, president of the Champaign County Association of Realtors. "There weren't a lot of dramatic turns either way. And I was very pleased that the average sale price remained at around that $174,000."

Porter said that means homes are keeping their value, instead of falling as they were during the housing crisis.

More at the full article here, with  more information on why Porter isn't expecting any downturn in 2019. Nationally, the 2019 outlook was looking less optimistic after a weaker 2018 and much lower December with the shutdown. Those numbers here.

Employment numbers from today's News-Gazette:

Unemployment rate up in C-U, Danville in December over 2017
The local unemployment rate increased a bit in December compared with the same month in 2017, from 3.7 to 4.4 percent in the Champaign-Urbana metro area.

All of the 13 metro areas in Illinois saw an increase except the Chicago area, which saw a decrease from 4.9 to 3.6 percent.

Statewide, the unemployment rate dropped from 4.7 a year ago to 4.4 percent in December.

More at the full blurb here. The Illinois State numbers are 0.1% higher than an earlier blurb, so I don't know if that's simply a more recent adjustment from the same source (Illinois Department of Employment Security). Reports on jobless aid applications for federal workers increasing due to the federal government shutdown last week here were matched with overall lower jobless aid applications on the whole here.

January County Board Meetings

I'll update with video links on the County Clerk's YouTube once they're up (normally available here). This post covers the January 15th Special Meeting and Committee of the Whole and January 24th regular County Board meeting.

Special Meeting: (video)

The special meeting, rescheduled from the previous week due to a lack of enough board members available to form a quorum, again was aimed at Nursing Home debts. The home which still has yet to change hands due to compliance and other delays (more posts here), is still the responsibility of the County government for now. From the News-Gazette last week:

Champaign County Board OKs another $6M in nursing home expenses
...
At a special meeting Tuesday night, the board voted 16-4 to appropriate $1,980,400 to pay off bills to nursing home vendors dating back to the 2015 fiscal year.

County Executive Darlene Kloeppel said the payments will make the vendors whole. She said some services they provide have been at risk in recent weeks because of the large amounts owed.

Kloeppel said the payments also will eliminate some late fees and penalties being paid by the county.

In addition, she said, the nursing home business office and county auditor's office won't have to re-enter hundreds of invoices and vouchers into the accounting systems because they were not paid.

The county board then voted 20-0 to write off more than $4 million in bad debt from the nursing home.

Full article here. The Illinois Department of Public Health recently fined the Nursing Home for safety violations. More on that here. These violations don't appear to be delaying the sale further as happened with previous compliance violation delays. From last November:

County admin: Deficiencies delaying sale of nursing home
Finalizing the sale of the Champaign County Nursing Home is being delayed as a result of a state inspection of the home last month in which 21 deficiencies were identified that require correction, according to a county official.

"The county simply has not met a condition to close," said Van Anderson, temporary special projects administrator for the county.

That condition, specifically, is that there aren't any outstanding life safety code or Illinois Department of Public Health violations at the home that haven't been corrected at least three business days before the sale is closed, he said.

The county first sought a one-month extension on a required Nov. 30 closing date from state regulators. Then last week, county officials filed a second request for a three-month extension until March 1, 2019.

That full article here.


Committee of the Whole: (video)


There was a presentation by the Champaign County Drug Court's Circuit Judge Jeff Ford and Coordinator Amber Edmonds (presentation slides here and video here). In a brief summary the Drug Court deals with those convicted of a crime in a voluntary program that requires participants to get treatment, maintain a year of sobriety, avoid criminal trouble, and life skill program to graduate. Life skills include education, employment, or volunteer work per the individual's ability and medical needs. The gist of the presentation was a cost benefit analysis showing the millions the program may save the community in crime and other costs compared to the recidivism and costs of systems without a drug court. During the Q & A afterward they emphasized their desire to expand services is primarily limited by their time access to a single Sheriff's Deputy to manage cases and also a need for drug testing on the weekends.

Other measures on the agenda passed without much discussion or argument, but there was yet another discussion on the parliamentary rules for committee chairs during these Committee of the Whole meetings. It fell again on the technical issue of who is "chair" or "acting chair" to make or ask for a motion and a second on their committee votes. The new County Board rules under the County Executive form of government has caused some confusion compared to typical Roberts Rules of order. The technicalities could be relevant if someone gets litigious on any of the issues being voted on attempting to claim a rule or policy wasn't properly passed.

A few specific issues worth pointing out is that an additional $2,000 in Drug Court funding got advanced. This will allow for some weekend drug testing mentioned above (more from the News-Gazette here). Another law enforcement issue was the new NIVAN criminal database for Champaign County. This would help with analyzing evidence and connecting it to suspects that the County currently has to go through Springfield and its backlog to use.

There were also a few technological issues being moved. One was a new LIDAR topographical survey of 4-8 points per square meter (important to the various data crunching GIS information that local governments rely on to manage various functions and infrastructure). The last LIDAR survey was in 2008 and at 2 points per square meter resolution at best. Another involved predictive technology for traffic crashes in order to plan better for future transportation infrastructure. A lot of transportation planning and changes are dependent on accident and injury data. Unfortunately this often means tragedy precedes changes, but it would also be cheaper to budget, in the long run, if such needs could have been anticipated.

There was also a budget report (link here when available). Next month's report may be more interesting as it will likely include the Nursing Home debts dealt with in the Special Meeting before this meeting, however.

Regular County Board Meeting: (video)

I didn't attend this one personally, but the News-Gazette had a summary earlier this week (full video here):

Champaign County Board OKs 1,600-acre solar farm southeast of Sidney
...
On Thursday night, the Champaign County Board voted 15-2 to authorize construction of the 150-megawatt solar farm proposed by Irvine, Calif.-based Bay-Wa r.e. Development LLC.

All previous solar farms approved by the county are 2- to 4-megawatt projects.

Bay-Wa plans to build the Prairie Solar farm on 1,609 acres of land east and south of Sidney, though the solar panels would only take up 1,191 acres, according to attorney Patrick Fitzgerald of Meyer Capel, representing Bay-Wa.

Construction is set to begin in 2021 and will take an estimated 18 months...

In other business, the board also voted 15 to 2 to issue a $1,980,400 taxable general obligation promissory note to finance operating expenses related to the Champaign County Nursing Home, and authorized the sale of the promissory note to Hickory Point Bank and Trust.

More at the full article here, including an explanation that this solar farm will cover more acreage than 18 Disneylands. Very big. WILL had some more details:

Champaign County Board Approves 1200-Acre Solar Farm Near Sidney
...
The project, to be developed by California-based BayWa R. E., would more than double Illinois’ current solar power generating capacity, which is currently estimated at 80 to 100 megawatts.

BayWa’s initial plans called for solar farm acreage to wrap around Sidney, from the southwest to the southeast. But County Board member Eric Thorsland (D-Champaign) says the company listened to the concerns of Sidney village officials about blocking future development.

“They were very proactive with the village, and moved a good portion of (the solar farm location) so that it wouldn’t box in Sidney,” said Thorsland, who also serves on the Environment and Land Use Committee. “Most of the development in Sidney’s going to the west, and they moved it from the west.”

Sidney village officials still opposed the project. And the mayors and village presidents of several small towns in Champaign County have voiced their opposition to solar farms that encroach on their ability to control what development happens within 1.5 miles of their borders.

BayWa has obtained Renewable Energy Credits which will allow it to take part in a state program under which the major utility companies in the state must obtain a certain percentage of their electricity from renewable sources.

State officials say the program, part of the 2016 Future Energy Jobs Act, is aimed at increasing the state’s solar power generating capacity by thirty-fold, to 3,000 megawatts by 2030.

Full WILL article here.

Beyond possible Nursing Home arguments (full video now available here) it appears that the Board passed funding for a new contract with NICOR for the County's weatherization assistance program through the Regional Planning Commission. According to the resolution information in the agenda packet, it will expand the assistance to 10 additional eligible households.

States Attorney on Criminal Justice Transition Committee

Champaign County States Attorney Julia Rietz talked about the transition committee she was appointed to by Illinois' new governor, JB Pritzker. It's unclear what role the committee will have after the inauguration yet, but in the interview she described her input during the transition process. from WILL:

Champaign County State’s Attorney: Pritzker Should Take Downstate Concerns To Heart
In a recent interview, Champaign County State’s Attorney Julia Rietz said any conversation about criminal justice reform in Illinois must include the concerns of those living outside of the Chicago area.

Rietz was appointed in November to newly inaugurated Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s Restorative Justice and Safe Communities Committee. The group is one of eight established after Pritzker won the governor’s seat on Nov. 6...

Rietz said she brought two priorities to the table in discussions with committee members. First, she said, it was important to her that the new administration take into consideration the needs and concerns of downstate residents when it comes to law enforcement and prosecutorial policies.

“We have some different issues (than Chicago). We have some similarities. But we can't just let what's going on in Chicago with the Chicago Police Department, the issues that they face necessarily are not the same and shouldn't entirely run the conversation,” Rietz said.

She added that she also made an effort to represent victims’ needs in discussions about restorative justice...

In a press release announcing the formation of the committee, Pritzker describes the state and the nation’s criminal justice system as “broken.”

Rietz said she wouldn’t describe the system as “broken,” but as one that needs improvement.

"When it comes to dealing with individuals with mental health issues and with substance abuse issues, we find ourselves in the criminal justice system as a primary provider of care when that's really not our role,” she said. “And we're also really evolving as far as whether our role is punishment or whether it's rehabilitation, or whether it's some some combination of the two.”

More at the full article here.

Court Appointed Special Advocates Training

Champaign County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) is looking for volunteers. From yesterday's News-Gazette:

Champaign County CASA to begin training new advocates next week
The Champaign County Court-Appointed Special Advocates begin training classes for new advocates next week.

Volunteer advocates are the "eyes and ears of the court" for more than 380 abused and neglected children whose parents are the subject of court action in Champaign County.

Their job is to work with the child and social-service agencies to ensure that the best interests of the child are met throughout the court process..

No experience is necessary, and CASA will train interested advocates who are at least 21 years old, willing to make the time commitment and can pass a background check.

The 30-hour training program for new advocates begins Jan. 22. Training is held three times per week through Feb. 13. The deadline to apply is Jan. 20.

Full blurb here. A brief overview from the CASA website here:

Having a CASA volunteer means having a trained and committed adult, by your side, who has been appointed by a judge to watch over you and advocate for your best interests. That volunteer will make sure you don't get lost in the overburdened legal and social service system or languish in an inappropriate group or foster home. They will be there for you until your case is closed. It can make the difference between homelessness and a safe home, between dropping out and completing school, between unemployment and success, between jail and becoming a productive member of society.

Champaign County CASA currently serves approximately 350 children, thanks to our 100 volunteer advocates. The children we serve range in age from newborn to 18 years of age. Last year over 35% were under age 6.

If you are interested in learning more, please contact our office at 217-384-9065 or by email at casa@casa4kids.org.

Solar Farm Updates

The proposed solar farm near Sidney would be the largest private solar farm in the area if approved later this month by the full County Board. The News-Gazette had updates on the ongoing approval process in the county government required to build in the area:

Second Champaign County panel OKs proposed large solar farm near Sidney
...
On Thursday, the Champaign County Environment and Land Use Committee voted 6-0 to recommend that the county board approve a 150-megawatt solar farm proposed by Irvine, Calif.-based Bay-Wa r.e. Development LLC...

If the development, to be called Prairie Solar, gets final approval from the board on Jan. 24, Bay-Wa r.e. plans to build it on 1,609 acres of land east and south of Sidney...

"Bay-Wa has a strong commitment to being a good corporate citizen," Fitzgerald said. "The proposed Prairie Solar facility satisfies and, in many aspects, exceeds the requirements of the Champaign County solar ordinance."

Fitzgerald said in cooperation with landowners, the entire project area will be pattern-tiled so as to not disturb drainage.

Fitzgerald also announced Thursday night that the Illinois Power Authority has awarded the Prairie Solar facility a full subscription of renewable-energy credits, which would lower the price of electricity to the buyer.

The project was previously approved by the county's Zoning Board of Appeals on Nov. 29 in a 4-2 vote.

Full article here. In other solar farm news the University of Illinois received recognition for its efforts in Climate leadership, including its solar energy intiatives:

UI selected as recipient of ninth annual Climate Leadership Award
The University of Illinois was selected for the ninth annual Climate Leadership Award from the Boston-based nonprofit Second Nature, in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council.

One four-year university and one two-year college are chosen annually for the award, which recognizes innovation and leadership in climate action...

The awards are based on advances in climate innovation, collaboration and student preparedness. The UI was cited for:

— The breadth of its sustainability, energy and environmental research.

— Efforts to make the campus and its buildings more sustainable, including a solar farm, purchase of renewable energy, conservation efforts and a framework developed in the Illinois Climate Action Plan to reach carbon neutrality no later than 2050.

— Courses in sustainability across campus, with participation from almost every college and the majority of academic units.

— Initiatives to change behavior and engage students, including the Certified Green Office and Laboratory Programs, zero-waste athletic events, and student organizations and events dedicated to sustainability.

Full article here.

Local Flu Updates

There was a regional spike in influenza like illnesses (ILI) in the area and flu levels remain higher in the Champaign region. From the News-Gazette last week:

Four area hospitals restricting visitors amid uptick in flu cases
Four area hospitals are imposing visitor restrictions starting today due to an increase in flu cases.

Both Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana and Carle Hoopeston Regional Health Center have begun limiting the number of visitors to two at a time in a patient room.

OSF Heart of Mary Medical Center in Urbana, OSF Sacred Heart Medical Center in Danville and the two Carle hospitals are also restricting visitors to age 18 and older and asking that anyone with symptoms of respiratory illness or flu refrain from visiting patients.

Carle hospitals are further requesting that visits to patients in isoloation due to flu  be limited to those vital to the patients' well-being.

Carle has recently seen about a 7 percent increase in flu cases over the same time last year, according to Carle spokeswoman Jamie Mullin...

The Illinois Department of Public Health typically starts calling on hospitals to begin visitor restrictions when flu reaches the widespread level, meaning outbreaks have occurred in at least half of the regions in the state.

As of late December, the level of flu-like illness being reported by providers in the Champaign region was higher than those levels reported in the other six regions in the state, according to IDPH data.

More at the full article here. The spike has leveled down some, as you can see from the latest data (available here from the Illinois Department of Public Health and explanation of "MMWR weeks" here):

As usual, health officials strongly encourage people who can get a flu shot to get one to protect themselves and others from the misery, lost income, but also tragedy like the recent death of a three year old.

Shutdown Local Effects

Various local and county services are facing delays, closures and complications due to the partial federal shutdown. Here's a few examples from the local and county level:

Local farmers are facing various challenges and delays from trade-war bailout applications to commodities pricing. From the News-Gazette Wednesday:

Farmers get more time to apply for bailout funds
...
Champaign County Farm Bureau Manager Brad Uken said closing the local FSA offices is "kind of a big deal."

"A number of programs that are initiated at the federal level are then implemented at the local level through that office," he said. "When they're closed, they don't get implemented or administered."

He said that has affected the trade payments and the processing of farm loans for the coming year.

The local USDA offices in west Champaign have been half closed and half open.

The FSA and Rural Development are closed, but the Natural Resources Conservation Service, which has its state headquarters in Champaign, is open, state spokeswoman Paige Buck said...

Farmers have also been indirectly impacted by the absence of reports from the National Agricultural Statistics Service, which drive commodity markets and help growers decide what to grow and when to sell their crop...

The NASS has already said a slew of reports scheduled to come out Friday will be delayed, even if the shutdown ends before then.

Full article with more information here. Research dependent on federal funds and agencies has also been affected. From Tuesday's News-Gazette:

For federal researcher, government shutdown impedes office, maternity planning
...
LeRoy is a hydrologist at the U.S. Geological Survey's Central Midwest Water Science Center at 405 N. Goodwin Ave., U, where 40 to 50 full-time employees have been furloughed because of the shutdown...

Employees are allowed to check email for a short time once a day, she said.

They've received one partial paycheck since Dec. 21 that included work done before the shutdown. LeRoy isn't sure what will happen with the next one and said they haven't gotten any word about potential back pay...

Meanwhile, at the UI, more than 30 federal employees of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research service have been directly affected by the shutdown, according to Professor Adam Davis, head of the Department of Crop Sciences.

Davis said last week that at least nine USDA researchers who are affiliated UI professors were furloughed. But with all scientists and support staff members included, the number totals 31, Davis said Monday.

"This indirectly, and negatively, affects dozens of UIUC graduate students and post-docs who conduct research in these labs," he said.

Full article with more information here. This article was following up on another that highlighted the mixed bag of effects on the University, with some mitigated by the partial nature of the shutdown. The longer the shutdown drags on the more complicated and problematic it becomes, however:

UI mostly unaffected by government shutdown — for now
...
Students can still get loans and fill out their Free Application for Federal Student Aid as usual, although they could see a delay if extra documentation is needed from the Internal Revenue Service, said Dan Mann, UI associate provost for enrollment management...

The bigger issue is research funding, especially if the shutdown drags on.  Among the science agencies affected are NASA, the National Science Foundation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Institute of Standards and Technology, U.S. Geological Survey, and Environmental Protection Agency...

Money for current research grants has already been disbursed, but the authority to spend it could be affected if the shutdown lasts more than 30 days, said Bill Gropp, director of the National Center for Supercomputing Applications...

Davis said the larger worry is the potential delay in submitting, and reviewing, new research proposals. Federal granting agencies typically post new requests for proposals for new research opportunities at this time of year, but many are now closed, Davis said.

If the shutdown lasts for a month or more, "it may cause an issue with the next round of grant competition," agreed Evan DeLucia, director of the Institute for Sustainability, Energy and Environment, which works closely with the recently furloughed agricultural researchers.

Full article here. Various State and local social programs could face interruptions and complications as well. The proposed reentry transitional housing program mentioned in a post earlier this week is also facing possible delays due to the shutdown's effect on the department of Housing and Urban Development, which oversees the Housing Authority of Champaign County.

These are just a few examples and this is certainly not an exhaustive list. One thing you learn very quickly following local government is how intertwined local programs can be on multiple sources of funding, including federal grants and agencies. The Illinois' State budget impasse or a federal government shutdown aren't just some furloughed bureaucrats in Washington D.C. It people losing medical care, kids going without food, access and opportunities in education lost, homes lost, and lives threatened. They're your neighbors and fellow citizens right here in your community.


UPDATE: Addendum with additional related shutdown news stumbled upon.

• Parkland's testing for Federal Aviation Licenses was interrupted and when test results will become available is unclear. From a WILL article.
• If the shutdown continues, SNAP benefits could be threatened and in turn increase reliance on food banks and other food services in the area. Many of these also rely on federal funding, though later in the calendar. WILL article. 
• The Housing Authority of Champaign County warned that if the shutdown continues, local residents and programs may be affected. WILL article.

Champaign County Community Coalition in 2019

The first meeting of the Champaign County Community Coalition this year had a packed house with representatives from community organizations, local government liaisons, police department chiefs and other representatives all in one place to collaborate on needs and services for the community. Tracy Parsons, the group and meeting facilitator, described the full crowd going into the new year as humbling. He and one of the police chiefs pointed out that there is interest in other Illinois communities to build similar coalitions. Parsons noted that the willingness of local law enforcement agencies to come to the table is a blessing and key to building a coalition.


Police Chiefs Updates:

The Police Chiefs Updates included gun violence events since the last meeting throughout the area as well as a rundown of 2018's final tally including the Christmas Eve shootings and the rest of December. Total gun violence incidents were 116 with 76 in Champaign, 32 in Urbana, 0 on campus and 8 in the surrounding County jurisdiction. Urbana Police broke down their numbers to show that of the 32 shooting events, there were 9 victims, and 2 of those had died. There had also been a shooting event shortly after midnight in the new year which appeared to be "celebratory" gunfire according to a preliminary investigation.

Both police and anti-violence organization members emphasized the need for outreach to and from the community to both prevent violence but also to help solve and prosecute violent crimes. Working through the very real issues of trust and mistrust between the community and law enforcement continues to be central goal of the coalition going forward.


Organization Updates and Presentations:

The CU Trauma and Resiliency Initiative highlighted their "resiliency rocks" project to raise awareness in the community on the need to address trauma and its ripple effect through our lives. They pointed out that "'hurt people' hurt people." The art project involves painting literal rocks that encourage social media sharing and participation to spread awareness. They have a toolkit for groups interested in participating in the project that has already launched and will continue throughout the year. They're also looking for people interested in donating toolkit supplies and volunteers to work on outreach.

CU Fresh Start gave a brief synopsis of the three men they're working with right now in housing transition. She pointed out the extreme hurdles involved with people reentering from the criminal justice system, especially for housing. They're establishing a Resource Committee towards navigating them to that end.

A crisis plan is being worked on by the gun violence subcommittee of the the Community Coalition. As a community we have plans for fires and tornadoes and other tragedies, but the chaotic aftermath of gun violence still results in uncoordinated needs for trauma care, counseling, up to and including opposing gangs fighting in emergency rooms while health care providers desperately try to save lives. But it also includes a need to interrupt patterns of retaliation and community intervention to tamp down on the multiplicative effect that can have.

There's another training for the community Peace Keepers and Violence Interrupters to train to become involved in that process on January 25 and 26th. It appears to be a followup to the December Training led by Tio Hardiman, the former Ceasefire director, that was covered last month here. More details on the upcoming training soon. There was a question about funding from local government, but it was explained that funding isn't the primary hurdle (although more funding would also be helpful), but at issue is the community's will. Another question on ER safety issues elicited an explanation of the National Hospital Interrupter Model being implemented with Carle Hospital and the hope that similar models could be used in Champaign Schools as well.

Laura Weis, from the Champaign Chamber of Commerce, highlighted the upcoming "I Read, I Count" program they're supporting to improve education outcomes in Champaign by helping students become proficient readers. They're looking for volunteers who would work one hour a week with kids for 11 weeks to help kids learn critical skills from a curriculum that may seem basic, but can make a world of difference for struggling kids. She explained that they're starting with four pilot schools on reading skills and hope to expand to more schools and math skills in the future. She pointed out there will be additional information on the Chamber website in the coming days.

The Young Adult Reentry Program at the Regional Planning Commission presented and overview of their new program targeting 18-24 year olds reentering from the criminal justice system in high crime and high poverty areas of Champaign County including Champaign-Urbana, but several surrounding communities. A quick overview is available in a PDF brochure here as well as more information on the grant from the RPC website here.

The Youth Assessment Center through the RPC also gave an update about its new location and an overview of Moral Reconation Therapy which "rewires" the brain to take responsibility for ones actions and to make moral decisions instead of selfish ones. It's common enough that you'll see the MRT acronym thrown around in a lot of programs dealing with reentry and treatment needs in relation to recidivism.

CU One to One Mentoring is looking for mentors to be matched with a large stack of available mentee applications. January is National Mentoring Month and there are upcoming training opporturnities for interested mentors at the end of this month and the beginning of February. There is an additional shortage of male mentors if you know anyone who might be great at it who could use the nudge. This program goes through the school system so the time commitment is during the week on school days and roughly an hour weekly.

There are a full week of Martin Luther King Day events announced including a countywide celebration event and unity breakfast at the Urbana Vineyard church. There are a couple upcoming events at Krannert. There are also other activities like the Day of Service on campus, "walking the talk" campus event on the 23rd (see calendar), and a poverty simulation event.

There was more that I'm sure I missed and endless opportunities to connect and collaborate as usual. If you're looking to get involved in some of the more critical work to make our community a better and safer place for everyone, there are more opportunities than volunteers. Even some of the smallest commitments can change lives for the better when we work together.

Champaign County Reentry Council 2019

The first meeting of the year for the Champaign County Reentry Council started off with data breakdowns and ended with a bit of decorum drama. Overall the new year brings many of the challenges from last year, including the ongoing effects of the partial federal shutdown.

There was a lot of discussion on improving data representations for the reentry population and linkages to needs and services. One of the goals of the Reentry Council is information sharing between the various participating organizations, many of which use professional jargon and shortcuts within their agencies that can be difficult to understand by other agencies or lay people from community organizations. The executive committee will be taking input from today's meeting to adjust the work project for data presentation.

A proposal for a reentry transitional housing program was discussed including a draft plan for consideration by the Housing Authority of Champaign County and HUD. It would be targeted at those reentering with unstable housing situations. The program is modeled after a shelter program collaboration between the United Way and the Regional Planning Commission that helped transition people from shelters to landlords over time. It had case managers to help clients meet the demands of the voucher program requirements.

In this proposal shelters for men and women provided by local organizations such as First Followers and Women in Transition mentioned in the discussions today. The program would have an initial HUD exemption to work requirements due to the haphazard nature of reentry, including severe difficulties in getting work, or even getting the required documentation to get a valid ID to get access to needed services (a seriously a convoluted nightmare in and of itself). The idea is to eventually transition them successfully to landlords and reduce common factors in recidivism (housing, employment, service needs).

The meeting ended on the old business of First Followers' James Kilgore's recommendation that the Reentry Council's executive committee ensure that at that level of decision making at least one member organization represents affected communities such as First Followers. This had caused some concern and consternation from the Champaign County Board representative Jim McGuire who believed that it was a move to make the Champaign County Reentry Council effectively dominated by one reentry council organization in the area. I asked him about it after it came up during a by-laws discussion previously. He explained his concerns like so:

I would like to let you know that I like the work that First Followers does as a community Re-entry program they have access to the community we may not have. They also both of course advocate for their program and fundraise for their program directly in the community separately from the “Re-entry” program we all are part off. Now it seems they want to have a seat on the executive board to have some sort of executive direction over this Re-entry program also.

The co-chairs had attempted to split the difference it seemed by using more general terms for an additional executive committee member with lived experience by using three criteria:

1. Illinois Department of Corrections or Champaign County Jail experience.
2. Willing and able to make the additional time committment.
3. On a path towards success.

Kilgore pointed out that it wasn't really what he had in mind as he felt that his organization was specifically ideal for a selection decision given their history and involvement on the issue in the community. Co-chair Lenhoff and McGuire explained that this would likely have that very effect in spite of the general language.

Kilgore pressed his concern that the language doesn't appear to distinguish between someone with lived experience versus a decision maker within a represented organization with lived experience and/or representing the interests of affected communities.

McGuire appeared to accuse First Followers of some sort of take over attempt, which elicited denials from Kilgore and a breakdown of decorum as McGuire repeatedly talked over the chair trying to restore order and eventually walking out. Somewhere in there the discussion was effectively tabled. The meeting adjourned soon afterward when things had settled down a bit.

The nature of criminal justice reform inherently places people with diverging philosophies and passions in a room together to build trust where distrust typically reigns. As a naturally stubborn and obnoxious person myself, I believe I am inordinately restrained by decorum rules. When passions or tempers get the best of us, however, it tends to renew the appreciation for civility and parliamentary mundanity (at least among a majority of a quorum!).

Cornerstone Training

Imagine someone you love is driving through a small town on their way to visit relatives over the holidays and they get hit by a drunk driver. Their chances of survival depend on the training and efficiency of local fire department personnel to extract them from the wreckage and get them life saving medical treatment. The Illinois Fire Service Institute's Cornerstone Training program (brochure information here) helps bring that training to fire departments across the state for free.

Today was the unveiling of specialized equipment training trailers that will be distributed across Illinois and mobilized from regional training centers. The IFSI is the State's fire academy and its 28 acre campus is located right here in Champaign south of the University Research Park. IFSI trains over 64,000 students across Illinois and 11,000 in the the Cornerstone Program. The new trailers will make $174,000 worth of training equipment available as part of that training for departments with limited resources. One big highlight is the "big red door" training tool that has a cornucopia of entry training widgets that range from industrial to household scenarios and replaceable wooden blocks to simulate the resistance involved to bypass or break through:

The most recent Cornerstone Program brochure goes through the various skills and scenarios that it brings to train departments throughout the state, including volunteer fire departments that sometimes have very limited resources for training and equipment. At the unveiling Fire Marshal Matt Perez was credited with making the additional trailer project and funding possible via grant money and business partners. From the News-Gazette's preview of the event last week:

Four trailers and equipment for them were purchased with $175,000 in state of Illinois money secured by the state fire marshal’s office. Fire Marshal Matt Perez was instrumental in lobbying for and getting the funds.

A spokeswoman for FSI said the money is funneled through the institute’s “Cornerstone Program,” which delivers fundamental training to local fire departments, Mutal Aid Box Alarm System divisions and Mutual Aid Associations.

Full blurb here and follow up coverage here. Tim Meister of the East Central Illinois regional training center read a letter from the Mattoon fire department thanking them for the training. He explained the difference it made in having the tactics and readiness to deal with a particularly emotional and life threatening vehicle extrication. He highlighted the confidence in knowing exactly how to tackle the situation with the resources available to give the victim a fighting chance to survive.

An IFSI advisor, Brian R. Brauner explained to me that the training they receive goes into so many possible scenarios and complications that it led to his first fire experience being undramatic, "That was it?" It's worth remembering that these dangerous life or death scenarios may be the worst day of our entire lives, but firefighting personnel have to deal with those scenarios efficiently and tactically daily. Behind the Culver's and Arby's on South Neil Street in Champaign thousands of people are training for your worst possible day.

That training has just become a little bit better and more accessible to fire departments throughout the State, for free, including rural and volunteer fire departments. This often includes the efforts of firefighters who take time away from their families to help out in other areas. It includes volunteers and some uncompensated work to help save lives for that day. Someday it might just give someone you love a fighting chance too.

Special Meeting on Nursing Home

[UPDATE: The News-Gazette had the reason for the cancellation in a blurb today:

Tuesday was to be the night the board voted on whether to write off more than $4 million in bad debt from the county nursing home. But due to out-of-town trips, County Executive Darlene Kloeppel said there weren’t enough board members available to cast the 15 votes needed on the measure.]

Last night's special meeting on the Nursing Home was apparently canceled, but there's an agenda for a rescheduled one next Tuesday at 6pm prior to the regularly scheduled Committee of the Whole meeting at 6:30pm. A description of the original meeting from the News-Gazette's blurb yesterday morning:

Champaign County Board to vote on writing off $4 million in nursing home debt
The Champaign County Board could soon write off more than $4 million in bad debt from its nursing home.

At a special meeting tonight, board members will consider a budget amendment appropriating $4,192,062.10 as a bad debt expense to the nursing home fund.

County Executive Darlene Kloeppel said that amount of debt is more than 210 days old, "and due to that age should be considered uncollectable at this point."

Kloeppel said writing off the expense "does not preclude the county from still collecting on these obligations if it is able."

The full blurb here includes a brief reminder of the Nursing Home's delay in sale due to compliance issues. More on that from a post on the previous board meeting here. The only other issue listed so far are the appointments of the standing committee members. I don't see an agenda for the Committee of the Whole meeting yet, so that'll have to be in a future update.

Moms Demand Action in 2019

Tuesday night was the Moms Demand Action first meeting of the New Year. They also have their daytime meeting Wednesday at 9am for those who missed the regular evening meeting. Here's a quick overview from a previous post:

Moms Demand Action is a national organization for reforming gun policy with a local chapter here in Champaign-Urbana (facebook page here). They have regular monthly meetings and other events, but their main focus heading into the midterm elections is supporting what they call "Gun Sense" candidates. Gun Sense is a shorthand for what they view as common sense solutions to gun violence. More information on that at the Everytown for Gun Safety website on the subject.

Tonight's Meeting:

A slate of Unit 4 school board candidates introduced themselves and answered some questions. Elizabeth Sotiropoulos explained how they were running as a slate of candidates in the upcoming April 2nd municipal elections. Vote by mail applications are already available: information here, update on online request problem here.

Michael Foellmer described his anxiety dropping off his daughter at school in the current environment worrying about gun violence. He described his platform as being whole school, whole community, and whole child. He emphasized the need to address the full spectrum of issues kids face in education today.

Jennifer Enoch focus was on equity issues in schools and dealing with the modern segregation issues and their effect on outcomes throughout the educational process. She described her work on a school's equity committee and concerns about the recent teachers union negotiations that led to her decision to run for the school board. One specific concern she mentioned from the teacher's union proposal involved concerns that the board was using active shooter training negotiations as a bargaining chip (proposal here from the related Smile Politely article). This view was disputed by incumbent board member Kathy Richards who asked for her incumbent colleagues running for re-election to have an opportunity to answer questions at a future MDA meeting.

Elizabeth Sotiropoulos then explained her interest in running for several years and her roots in the community. She highlighted both her own education and the educational firm she manages, Illini Tutoring and Academic Coaching, and the challenges faced by parents and students of Unit 4. On the issue of gun violence she highlighted the need to address racism and racial segregation and its role in gun violence in our communities. She also highlighted the need for training and resources to prevent suicide within our community in general, but our schools specifically.

In the Q & A portion the candidates all opposed efforts to arm teachers as a solution to school shootings and a general opposition to opening up the state to such measures at the state level and via pressure in the Illinois Association of School Boards. There appeared to be a general consensus to improve racial sensitivity training, including implicit bias training for staff. An emphasis was made for leadership from affected communities and a need for their concerns to be really listened to and their experiences taken seriously.

The overall idea for violence was to address the underlying causes and to remove the need for armed and otherwise extreme defensive measures while navigating the need for preparedness in the event of a tragedy in the mean time. Active shooter training, non-lethal weapons, and panic buttons were discussed, but also the need to address the dangers of letting fear and anxiety add to or create more trauma. A representative from Truce noted that for solutions to be realistic our appreciation of the danger needs to be grounded in objective reality.

The rest of the meeting mostly ran through the status updates and upcoming events. They'll be confirming an "advocacy day" to lobby State representatives next month. At the state level they're still pushing for the Gun Dealer Licensing reform from the last legislative session. Federal legislation on universal background checks is being floated with the new Democratic Congress and they're looking to educate and build momentum to overcome the political barricades of an otherwise overwhelmingly popular concept.

They are liaising with the campus Students Demand Action and otherwise reaching out to other local organizations and government bodies (e.g. TRUCE and the City of Champaign) towards their goals to reduce violence in the community. The Champaign-Urbana Area Project quickly explained their need for diverse support from the community after the training and collaboration (more on that at an older post here). They explained that their ability to prevent violence depends on all lines of communication from the community.