‘Everyone in the system is beholden to the speaker’: Opening statements kick off trial of ex-AT&T boss accused of bribing Madigan. AT&T Illinois had tried for years to win powerful House Speaker Michael Madigan’s support for a bill ending mandated landline service, but it wasn’t until the company’s president agreed to secretly pay thousands of dollars to a Madigan associate for a do-nothing contract that the deal got done, federal prosecutors told a jury Wednesday.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is a case about a corporate executive paying off the most powerful politician in Illinois to help pass his company’s prized piece of legislation,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Mower said in his opening statement in the bribery trial of former AT&T Illinois President Paul La Schiazza.
The trial is the latest chapter in the blockbuster federal investigation of Madigan and his once-vaunted 13th Ward political operation, a probe that helped put an end to Madigan’s record run as both the leader of the House and the state Democratic Party.
While Madigan was not physically in court Wednesday, prosecutors wasted no time putting his smiling driver’s license photo on display as Mower walked the jury through the vast influence the Democratic leader wielded for decades in the state legislature.
“That power was no secret — including to the defendant,” Mower said, displaying emails where La Schiazza himself referred to the speaker as “King Madigan” and told colleagues, “Everyone in the system is beholden to the Speaker … he rules the House with an iron fist.”
So when Madigan’s right-hand man, Michael McClain, came to AT&T in early 2017 and asked them to kick some money to former state Rep. Edward Acevedo, a longtime Madigan acolyte, La Schiazza jumped, Mower said.
“Lets move quickly to get this done,” La Schiazza emailed to his internal lobbying team in March 2017, according to a copy shown by Mower in his opening statement. “We did get the GO order … Gotta love it! Try to get him for $2500/mon.”
Read more on this story from the Chicago Tribune.
HIGHER EDUCATION
University of Illinois enrolls a record number of students. Reporting on the 2024 fall term, the University of Illinois announced that they had enrolled 97,772 students. This enrollment total encompassed the University’s three campuses in Chicago, Springfield, and Urbana-Champaign, as well as a wide variety of ancillary locations and online student groupings that are part of the U of I’s overall system. The reported number marked a 3.2% increase over the corresponding 2023 fall term, a growth rate that sharply exceeded overall Illinois population trends among college-aged residents.
The University of Illinois’ enrollment announcement included the enrollment of 9,008 freshmen at its flagship Urbana-Champaign campus, a record number. More than two-thirds (71%) of the freshmen are from Illinois, continuing their higher education in-state. They became part of the 59,228 total student body at Urbana-Champaign. As a research university campus, the UI-UC’s enrollment far exceeds the number of undergraduates in its system. Urbana-Champaign enrollment totals also included 20,765 graduate students, itself a record.
JOBS
Big Lots bankruptcy; chain announces Illinois store closures. The nationwide discount retail superstore chain Big Lots has filed for bankruptcy. This filing affects the status of the 29 Big Lots stores located in Illinois. Under the chain’s current filing, nine of the 29 stores are scheduled to close. The targeted store locations are holding going-out-of-business sales.
Each Big Lots store has approximately 20 employees, counting both full-time and part-time associates. The Big Lots closing cycle could lead to the loss of approximately 180 Illinois jobs, including many jobs in the Chicago area. The Big Lots closure announcement was released on Tuesday, September 10. It is possible that further Big Lots stores, including additional Illinois locations, will be affected by the continuation of the reorganization process.
The burden of stacked costs on Illinois manufacturers. As the economic landscape in Illinois becomes increasingly challenging, small businesses – particularly manufacturers – are finding it more difficult to thrive. The phenomenon of "stacked costs" has become a significant hurdle, imposing financial burdens that stifle growth, innovation, and job creation.
Stacked costs are the cumulative financial pressures arising from various regulatory requirements, litigation risks, and economic factors. For manufacturers, these costs have become an almost insurmountable barrier to success when combined with the high energy and wage costs local businesses experience.
As a result, Illinois manufacturers are seeing a decline in output and orders, layoffs are becoming a norm, and plants are closing and going out of business. While we continue to see more tax increases and regulatory pressure, it’s just a matter of time before doing business in Illinois is no longer an option if a manufacturer wants to survive.
During a recent visit by Illinois State Reps. Martin McLaughlin and Tom Weber, hosted by my company HM Manufacturing in Wauconda, the impact of these burdens was clearly highlighted.
The representatives witnessed firsthand the precision and dedication required to produce exceptional products.
However, this dedication is being undermined by unrelenting increases in operational costs. High tort expenses, escalating insurance premiums, and the constant threat of litigation are diverting resources away from innovation and production, which are essential for economic growth.
Like other manufacturers, I’m focused on running my business and getting high-quality products out the door. The constant threat of lawsuits from trial lawyers detracts from production and the economic output we would be adding to our state’s economy.
This sentiment resonates across the manufacturing sector in Illinois, where businesses are being forced to allocate substantial resources to navigate the complex web of regulations and legal challenges.
The economic impact report from CALA-IL revealed that Illinois faces direct losses of $14.48 billion annually due to frivolous lawsuits, translating into a hidden "tort tax" of more than $1,800 per person.
Read more of this op-ed from The Center Square.
PEORIA TRIBE
Peoria Tribe of Indians collaborates with Peoria Museum. Last month, in a special dedication ceremony, the Peoria Riverfront Museum unveiled display cases that would ultimately feature duck decoys. But it wasn’t the decoys that were the subject of the celebration. It was unprecedented collaboration that resulted in the first business deal in generations between a central Illinois entity and the Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma.
Members of The Peoria Tribe hand-crafted the 14 state-of-the-art display cases to house some of the finest museum-quality duck decoys in the world, including those on loan from New York’s American Folk Art Museum.
Chief Craig Harper of the Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma spoke at the dedication of the newly upgraded Center for American Decoys at the Peoria Riverfront Museum. He explained that decoys were long used by indigenous peoples to hunt waterfowl and was honored to take part in preserving and showcasing the past.
“We took a very practical thing, and we made it beautiful. We see those old things; we see them new again. We see those old things brought back and showcased. Those of the next generations will come back and be inspired. We love the educational component of that,” Harper said.
The Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma is a confederation of Kaskaskia, Peoria, Piankashaw and Wea Indians united into a single tribe in 1854. The tribes which constitute The Confederated Peorias, as they then were called, originated in the lands bordering the Great Lakes and drained by the mighty Mississippi. They are Illinois or Illini Indians, descendants of those who created the great mound civilizations in the central United States two thousand to three thousand years ago.
FALL IN ILLINOIS
Illinois’ apple orchards provide family fun. Illinois is home to an array of apple orchards that offer a delicious harvest and fun-filled adventures for the whole family. Across the state, orchards open their gates to visitors eager to enjoy crisp autumn days filled with apple picking, hayrides, and tasty treats.
Illinois’ apple orchards are a significant part of the state’s agricultural landscape. With over 1,000 acres dedicated to apple orchards, Illinois ranks among the top 25 apple-producing states in the country. Popular varieties grown across the state include Honeycrisp, Gala, and Jonathan, which thrive in the state’s fertile soil and temperate climate.
Starting in northern Illinois, Royal Oak Farm Orchard in Harvard is a standout. Boasting over 17,000 apple trees with more than 30 varieties, this orchard is known for its expansive grounds and unique features like the Apple Tree Maze. With activities like a carousel and fresh cider donuts, it’s an ideal destination for families looking for a full day of fun.
Heading to central Illinois, Curtis Orchard and Pumpkin Patch in Champaign is a must-visit. Known for its free admission, this orchard lets visitors enjoy apple picking alongside homemade meals at the Flying Monkey Cafe. From late August through December, families can take in the orchard’s charm, complete with a pumpkin patch and delicious apple treats.
In southern Illinois, Rendleman Orchards in Alto Pass offers an unforgettable experience nestled in the Shawnee National Forest. Known for its picturesque setting, this orchard allows families to pick apples while exploring the beauty of the region. Rendleman also features farm-fresh products like jams, jellies, and cider, making it a perfect spot to stock up on fall favorites.
For those in the western part of the state, Tanners Orchard in Speer has been a family tradition since 1947. This orchard spans over 80 acres and offers 11,000 apple trees to pick from. Families can enjoy wagon rides, a corn maze, and the ever-popular Apple Bin Bakery, famous for its apple cider donuts and freshly baked pies.