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Edited by Rodd Whelpley BIG PEOPLE
ON CAMPUS Professors Donald Marshall and William Bridges called on the faculty senate to examine whether Stukel bypassed the search committee. Nevertheless, the board of trustees is expected to approve the hiring at its July meeting. Manning has served as chancellor since 1999, when David Broski left. She holds a doctorate in English language and literature and has been a professor and an administrator at the University of Southern Califor-nia and the University of Illinois. She came to the U of I in 1994. Feds review bench appointment process Officially, the entire seven-member high court appoints judges to vacant circuit court seats. It's generally accepted, though, that Supreme Court justices pick replacements for their own judicial districts. Freeman said the federal agents asked how the three Cook County justices picked judges in their districts and wanted to know which justice recommended each of the lawyers appointed to temporary judgeships over the past 10 years. Shortly after the justices were questioned, a federal grand jury indicted Cook County Circuit Judge George Smith on charges that he evaded currency transac-tion reporting requirements. The charges apparently stem from the federal investigation into judicial appointments. The U.S. attorney's office alleged Smith structured the withdrawal of $20,100 in such a way that his bank failed to file required reports. Smith's ex-wife reportedly claimed that he withdrew the money to pay a politician to assure his appointment to the bench. Smith pleaded not guilty. Freeman was the Supreme Court justice who backed Smith's first appointment to the bench. It also was disclosed that Freeman had business ties with the family of another Cook County judge, Marvin Leavitt. Freeman also backed Leavitt's bench appointment. Both Freeman and Leavitt have denied improprieties related to the
business ties. QUOTABLE Gov. George Ryan to National
Public Radio on his decision to
place a moratorium on death
penalty executions. In June, a
study by Columbia University
found that between 1973 and 1996
two-thirds of the nation's death
sentences had been overturned on
appeal due to errors in the process.
Illinois matched that error rate. Scandal by the number Last month, a jury convicted former truck driving school instructor Alex McLeczynsky of helping to rig written exams for truck license applicants. Secretary of state staffers used the bribe money to purchase fundraising tickets to benefit George Ryan. McLeczynsky is one of 28 people convicted in the ongoing investigation. Illinois Issues July/August 2000 | 36---Also available in PDF SPRINGFIELD TO SOWETO Illinois explores trade with South Africa Last spring Gov. George Ryan opened the state’s eighth trade office, this one in South Africa. He and 100 other Illinois officials and business representatives spent a week on that continent, visiting Johannesburg, where the office will be located, as well as Cape Town, Pretoria and Soweto. Some members of the delegation, including state Senate Democra-tic leader Emil Jones of Chicago, also met with former South African President Nelson Mandela, who was imprisoned for nearly three decades under apartheid. Illinois, which tallies $33 billion in exports each year, already has offices in Brussels, Budapest, Hong Kong, Mexico City, Tokyo, Toronto and Warsaw. Chicago Tribune reporter Ray Long traveled with the Ryan delegation. While riding on the press bus through Johannesburg, he spoke by cell phone with Rich Bradley, news director at public radio station WUIS/WIPA of the University of Illinois at Springfield. This is an edited version of that conversation. Q. What will be the purpose of this office? Q. Tell us about some of the businesspeople who
are traveling with this trade mission. What kinds
of industry do they represent? Q. What criteria would the governor use to
measure success or failure on this trip? Illinois is one of a handful of states with posts in South Africa. The office will be headed by former state Rep. Monica Faith Stewart, a Chicago Democrat. Illinois Issues July/August 2000 | 37---Also available in PDF Tippler may topple liquor tax increase One man's dissatisfaction over a 90 cent jump in the price of a bottle of Smirnoff vodka could lead to cramped classrooms and rutted roads. Saul Wexler of Evanston sued the state, claiming last year's liquor tax hike is unconstitutional. The tax was enacted to pay a portion of Gov. George Ryan's $12 billion Illinois First infrastructure program. Wexler argues the legislature didn't follow all the steps needed to approve the tax proposal and that the measure included unrelated matters. The state counters proper procedures were followed and that dropping the tax would take money from needed Illinois First projects. Cook County Circuit Judge Alexander White ruled Wexler hadn't proved that the measure is unconstitutional. But the judge decided the 90 cents would be held in a special fund while the case moves forward. Meanwhile, Attorney General Jim Ryan asked the state Supreme Court to overturn Judge White's decision. At presstime, the new liquor taxes are being collected and funneled into the state's general revenues. Except for the 90 cents. Loss of liquor tax revenues could have a crippling effect on Illinois First. According to the revenue department, about $80 million in liquor-related taxes could be collected annually in the next five years. State Supreme Court gives mother her day in court In a May 18 ruling in Jones v. Chicago HMO Ltd. of Illinois, the high court said an HMO may be held legally liable under the theory of "institutional negligence." Jones asserts that Chicago HMO negligently overloaded physician Robert Jordan with more patients than he could handle. Evidence shows he had been assigned between 4,500 and 6,000 patients, says the court's majority opinion. Jones' lawsuit dates to January 1991, when her then-3-month-old daughter Shawndale got sick. The child had medical coverage through the Illinois Department of Public Aid and its contract with Chicago HMO. When Jones called Jordan's office to report her daughter's ailments, an assistant advised giving the girl castor oil. Later, the physician said the same thing. The next day, Shawndale went to a hospital emergency room and was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis. The high court said: "We can easily infer from this record that Dr. Jordan's failure to see Shawndale resulted from an inability to serve an overloaded patient population." Chicago HMO's attorney Joshua Vincent calls the ruling "an unfortunate decision for people." Vincent says, "It may, in the short term, help Sheila Jones in the sense that she gets her shot, her day in court, but it really does a disservice to society at large." According to Vincent, the ruling, while likely to affect only "a very small segment" of the HMO patient population, could alter the way HMOs do business. "It may have a tendency to drive private HMOs out of the business of working with state govern-ment to provide [health] care in the Medicaid context." The result could be less health care for the indigent, who then might not obtain
treatment until they are seriously ill. Illinois Issues July/August 2000 | 38---Also available in PDF ENVIRO UPDATE Calling the program “Illinois Tomorrow,” Ryan also created a balanced growth sub-cabinet made up of officials from the departments of transportation, natural resources, agriculture and commerce and community affairs to coordinate efforts on metropolitan growth and development. Renee Cipriano, a senior adviser to the governor on environmental issues, will chair the group. The sub-cabinet will focus on five major areas: traffic congestion, open spaces, urban reinvestment, potential state and local government partnerships and quality of life. But Cipriano also would like to shine a light on some less visible plans, such as the $32 million Prime Sites program designed to bridge infrastructure projects with job creation and the $6 million Linked Development program intended to encourage two potentially complementary projects. Some programs are already under way. In Arlington Heights, the state contributed about 10 percent of the $4.5 million needed to relocate a Metra commuter train station near a new high-rise development. A Daley takes the reins of the Dems’ presidential bid Daley, who is Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley’s brother, has served as special counsel to President Bill Clinton, coordinating the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Clinton tapped him as commerce secretary in 1997. In that post, Daley has presided over the effort to admit China into the World Trade Organization and the administration of the 2000 census. Daley takes the campaign reins from Tony Coelho. Illinois Issues July/August 2000 | 39---Also available in PDF
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