Citizen Suburban Times Weekly 1-22-2020

Citizen Week of Jan. 22, 2020

| Vol. 3 | No. 24 | www.citizennewspapergroup.com

SUBURBAN TIMES WEEKLY

POLITISCOPE

Children of color already make up the majority of kids in many US states PAGE 2

ART SCENE

Howard Receives Collection of African American Art PAGE 4

NEWS

Sen. Julie Morrison, a Democrat from Deerfield, speaks on Feb. 5 during a news event in Springfield about raising the minimum age to purchase tobacco products in Illinois to 21. The legislation passed later in the session. Capitol News Illinois photo by Peter Hancock

AAMA Releases New Assessment-Based Certificate in Pediatrics Program PAGE 5

HEALTH ADVOCATES, LAWMAKERS WANT STRONGER REGULATIONS OF VAPING

Some Illinois lawmakers say a new U.S. Food and Drug Administration policy responding to a growing trend of youth e-cigarette use does not go far enough. SEE PAGE 2

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2 | CITIZEN | Suburban Times Weekly | Week of Jan. 22, 2020

COMMUNITY

Health advocates, lawmakers want stronger regulations of vaping Continued from page 1

BY REBECCA ANZEL Capitol News Illinois ranzel@capitolnewsillinois.com

Springfield – Some Illinois lawmakers say a new U.S. Food and Drug Administration policy responding to a growing trend of youth e-cigarette use does not go far enough.

The federal public health watchdog announced in a memo recently that it would crack down on the “manufacture, distribution, and sale” of fruit- and mint-flavored electronic smoking cartridges for cigars, hookahs and cigarettes, among others.

The guidance excludes menthol and tobacco flavors. But that addresses only part of the problem, say health advocates and legislators who sponsor related bills.

Even though the U.S. Congress banned all flavored cigarettes — except for menthol — over a decade ago, menthol is still popular among youth. A 2016 study found more than half of those smokers use menthol-flavored cigarettes, compared to roughly one-third of adult smokers.

Vicki Vasconcellos, president of The Smoke Free Alternatives Coalition of Illinois, does not dispute that youth are “abusing” flavored products. She argues, though, lawmakers’ priority should be enforcement of the Tobacco 21 statute which prohibits the sale of products containing nicotine to those under the age of 21.

That provision is also included in a 2019 amendment to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The FDA, in its memo, explained the policy change as prioritizing enforcement against companies that market to customers without actively taking steps to prevent minors from accessing their products. It also considers the potential risks created by extended availability of new tobacco products without scientific review, according to the document.

Deerfield Democratic Sen. Julie Morrison said she is “glad they went as far as they did,” but a loophole remains in curbing youth’s access to flavored products. “The FDA was ruling only on the pods, and one of the other sources obviously is the large containers that are sold so you can fill your own,” she said. “I think that should be subject to the same restrictions.”

Her legislation, proposed in late October, would prohibit all flavors of those goods — bottled liquid users need to fill cartridges themselves — and other nicotine devices.

Chicago Democratic Sen. Mattie Hunter agreed. She said fully “addressing the issue calls for a complete ban.”

Shana Crews, government relations director for the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network, said the administration’s action “doesn’t preempt any strong, comprehensive state or local policies on tobacco, so Illinois can go forward and put a public health strategy in place to prevent kids [from]

becoming addicted to e-cigarettes and other tobacco products.”

Morrison’s bill is similar to one introduced by Rep. Deb Conroy, a Democrat from Villa Park. Sen. Jim Oberweis, a Republican from Sugar Grove, and Rep. Grant Wehrli, a Republican from Naperville, both proposed measures that would allow the sale of menthol, mint and tobacco flavors.

All three did not return requests for an interview.

Legislative efforts to regulate flavored electronic smoking devices during the fall veto session were unsuccessful, Morrison said, due to the “short period of time” the General Assembly had to consider the initiative. She added attempts were further slowed because “big tobacco is a huge interest.”

Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s “top priority is the health and safety of our young people, that’s why he supports banning flavored vaping products that entice our youth,” a spokesperson said in an email, though she did not say definitively if he agrees further state action is necessary.

The federal administration’s policy “should have a minimal impact” on vape shops, according to its memo. Vasconcellos, who owns several such stores, said her “knee-jerk” reaction is small business owners will not shutter as they “likely” would if a more restrictive state law is passed. At least 85 percent of the products Illinois shops sell, she estimated, are

flavored. “We are breathing a sigh of relief that we can continue to feed our families and pay our mortgages,” she said. Vasconcellos added, “We’re not tobacco. We’re anti-tobacco.”

The FDA has authority to regulate e-cigarettes and vapes, for example, through the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. In August 2016, it reinterpreted the legal definition of a tobacco product to include all electronic smoking devices.

Manufacturers of e-cigarettes are required to apply for authorization before marketing their products as a “modified tobacco” device.

That process “(ensures) that FDA has the necessary information to exercise adequate, timely oversight over these relatively novel and potentially harmful products,” according to the new policy.

Because no electronic nicotine delivery systems have been authorized “to date,” all such products are “considered illegally marketed,” according to the administration.

The FDA’s guidance is not binding, which means it can be changed at any time the public health watchdog deems necessary.

A spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Public Health said the agency is “ready to review any legislation from the General Assembly.”

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said in a news release he believes the announcement is a positive step, “but it is far from a comprehensive one.”

POLITISCOPE

Children of color already make up the majority of kids in many US states

BY ROGELIO SÁENZ AND DUDLEY L. POSTON, JR.

Demographers project that whites will become a minority in the U.S. in around 2045, dropping below 50% of the population.

That’s a quarter-century from now – still a long way away, right?

Not if you focus on children. White children right now are on the eve of becoming a numerical minority.

The U.S. Census Bureau projects that, by the middle of 2020, nonwhites will account for the majority of the nation’s 74 million children.

Children in 2018 The share of the U.S. non-Hispanic white population has fallen since the mid-20th century.

Between 2010 and 2018, the number of white children fell by 2.8 million, or 7.1%. In contrast, nonwhite children grew by 6.1%.

In 2018, the last year for which data are currently available, the pro-

portion of people in the U.S. under 18 years of age was just barely more white than nonwhite.

However, children under 11 were more nonwhite than white.

In almost one-third of U.S. states, nonwhite children outnumber all white children under 18 in 14 states – including Nevada, Hawaii, Georgia and Maryland – plus the District of Columbia.

Nonwhite children currently outnumber white children ages 0 to 4 in these 15 states and in Louisiana.

In the next few years, the same will be true in North Carolina, Illinois and Virginia, followed a little later

by Connecticut and Oklahoma.

In the coming decades, the percentage of all white children will drop – from 49.8% in 2020 to 36.4% in 2060.

A growing trend Why will white children become the numerical minority?

We draw on the insights of demographer Kenneth Johnson and his

colleagues to understand this trend.

First, the declining number of white children reflects the significant aging of the white population.

Whites in the U.S. have a median age of 43.6, much higher than those of all other racial or ethnic groups.

Latinos, in particular, are much younger, with a median age of 29.5.

Slightly more than one-fifth of whites are age 65 and older, while elders account for only about onetenth of nonwhites. Indeed, today in the U.S. there are more white elders than white children.

The older age of whites is mainly due to fewer white births than white deaths. Between July 2017 and July 2018, there were 0.88 white births in the U.S. for every 1 white death. In the case of Latinos, the ratio was 5 births for every 1 death.

Whites also have lower fertility rates than most other racial and ethnic groups.

Even if white women increased their fertility levels, their actual numbers www.citizennewspapergroup.com

of births would not go up that much, because there is a shrinking number of white women of childbearing age.

Only 41% of white women aged 15 and older are in the childbearing ages of 15 to 44, when most births occur, compared to 57% of nonwhite women.

What the future holds In the coming decades, people of color will have an increasing presence in all U.S. institutions, in higher education, the workforce and the electorate.

Americans are already seeing the consequences of these demographic shifts in higher education. Between 2009 and 2017, the number of white undergraduate students in the U.S. dropped by 1.7 million, while the number of Latino undergraduates rose by 1.1 million.

In addition, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projections show that, between 2014 and 2024, the white share of the civilian labor force is declining, while the share of nonwhites is estimated to rise.

Furthermore, people of color will increasingly be part of the voter rolls and slates of political office seekers in the coming decades.

Despite these expected changes, one thing is certain. The white population is not going to disappear.

The U.S. Census Bureau projects that whites will still be the largest racial or ethnic group, accounting for 44.3% of the nation’s population in 2060 and outnumbering Latinos, the second largest group, by 67.9 million.

The reality is that whites will not dominate demographically as they have throughout most of U.S. history, when they accounted for as much as 90% of the country’s population. Roughly speaking, the share of the U.S. white population in 2060 will be the same as it is now in Las Vegas, about 44%.

Rogelio Sáenz is a Professor of Demography at The University of Texas at San Antonio. Dudley L. Poston, Jr. is a Professor of Sociology at Texas A&M University

CITIZEN | Suburban Times Weekly | Week of Jan. 22, 2020

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NEWS Attorney General seeks accelerated ratepayer refund from electric utilities Asks Commerce Commission to rethink decision giving companies decades to repay $543 million

BY PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com

Springfield – Two of the state’s largest electric utilities owe their customers a combined $543 million in refunds, according to state regulators, but there is sharp disagreement over how much time the companies should have to pay it back.

At issue for Ameren Illinois and Commonwealth Edison, also known as ComEd, is money they collected to pay future tax bills before federal tax cuts which took effect in 2018 lowered those anticipated rates.

When the corporate tax rate was slashed from 35 percent to 21 percent, both companies found themselves holding onto large surpluses, known as “excess deferred income taxes,” or EDIT. For ComEd, which serves 4 million customers in Chicago and northern Illinois, the excess amounted to $385 million. For Ameren, which serves about 1.2 mil-

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, D-Chicago, (pictured in 2009) is calling on the Illinois Commerce Commission to re-examine a decision that would give energy companies more than 30 years to pay rebates to consumers.

lion customers in central Illinois and the Metro East area, it amounted to $158 million.

In a pair of rulings last year, the

Illinois Commerce Commission, which regulates public utilities, said ComEd could pay off its EDIT over 38 years and Ameren could pay off its bill over 35 years. But recently, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced he is asking the ICC to reconsider that decision and shorten the payout period to just five years.

“Consumers paid public utility rates to ComEd and Ameren reflecting the higher federal tax rate, and now that the federal tax rate has lowered, fairness dictates that consumers should get that money back,” Raoul said in a news release. “Allowing an unreasonable refund period of close to 40 years nearly guarantees many customers will never get their fair share of the refunds.”

The issue has to do with how utility rates are set and regulated.

Essentially, companies are allowed to recover their cost of providing service and make a “reasonable” rate of return, or profit. The cost of service includes such things as the cost of building and operating power

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plants and transmission lines.

It also includes the cost of taxes owed to various levels of government. When a company builds a plant, it recovers that cost over the expected useful life of the plant, typically around 40 years.

In their cases before the ICC, ComEd and Ameren acknowledged that the tax law change reduces their cost of service, but they argued that the duty to return the excess deferred tax money they collected should be spread out over the life of their facilities so that both current and future ratepayers will be treated evenly.

But it also means customers will see a reduction in their bills of only a few pennies per month instead of a few dollars, according to Jim Chilsen, spokesman for the Citizens Utility Board, a nonprofit entity established by the state to represent residential and small-business customers in utility rate cases.

In testimony before the ICC, both Raoul’s office and CUB argued future customers are not entitled to

the benefit of a refund because they aren’t the ones who paid the higher-than-necessary rates. They also argued the longer payout period will mean that many customers who were charged higher rates prior to the change in tax law will never see their full refund.

CUB argued in favor of a seven-year payout schedule while Raoul’s office argued for five years.

“We completely agree that it’s only right that ComEd and Ameren consumers get their money back over a more reasonable time period,” Chilsen said in an email statement.

“Making customers wait decades to get their money means that a significant number of those customers won’t be able to enjoy their full refund. That’s not right, that’s not fair.”

He also noted that many other states — including Missouri, where Ameren also operates — have adopted 10-year payout schedules.

The ICC has not said whether it will grant the request for reconsideration.

4 | CITIZEN | Suburban Times Weekly | Week of Jan. 22, 2020

ART SCENE

Howard Receives Collection of African American Art Internationally renowned scholar and activist Ronald W. Walters, Ph.D., was recognized as a leading political strategist and expert on issues affecting the African diaspora.

A dedicated leader, Walters served as a professor in Howard University’s Department of Political Science for 25 years and was department chair for nearly a decade. In honor of Walters’ legacy, his wife, Patricia Turner Walters, is gifting Howard University with her coveted collection of African American art, valued at $2,519,950.

“It is an incredible honor to receive this generous gift of precious art from the Walters family,” said President Wayne A. I. Frederick.

“This collection of sculptures and portraits and paintings will be an excellent complement to our gallery and a beneficial focus of training in our art history courses.”

Additionally, the University will establish the first Ronald W. Walters Endowed Chair for Race and Black Politics to continue Walters’ legacy of expanding the University’s capacity as a leader in emerging scholarship in Black politics.

The chair will be housed in the Ronald W. Walters Leadership and Public Policy Center at Howard University. It is intended to spur interdisciplinary collaborations across the University on critical issues of race and Black politics, especially those issues that affect Americans of the African diaspora.

“Dr. Walters was a giant among scholars here at Howard University, nationally and internationally, and this endowed chair is designed to be a reflection of his unique history as an activist, a political strategist and a trail-

blazing academic professor. This gift comes at the perfect moment to expand our students’ involvement in the political conversations of our time,” said Frederick.

The gift of art includes 152 pieces of African American art of various forms. The collection includes original pieces, sculptures, rare prints, photographs and pieces from notable eras, including the Harlem Renaissance.

“I could not be more delighted about the decision to give my art collection to Howard, the institution that my husband cared so deeply about,” said Walters. “I always knew I wanted to do something like this to honor my husband’s legacy, but I never imagined that I would get to see it happen in my lifetime. I am grateful to President Frederick for working with me to make this possible. I could not be happier.”

Patricia Walters began her collection in the late 1980s, amassing most of her pieces after 2002. The collection, dear to the Walters family, became a notable part of the couple’s collective legacy as people in their community reveled at the collection over the years.

It features artists like Robert S. Duncanson, Edward M. Bannister, Grafton Tyler Brown, Aaron Douglas, Norman Lewis and Romare Bearden, as well as contemporary artists like Kehinde Wiley, Barkley Hendricks, Kerry James Marshall and others.

More information about the art collection and endowed chair will be available during the spring semester. For more information about Ronald W. Walters, Ph.D., visit the Ronald W. Walters Leadership and Public Policy Center website.

In honor of the late political strategist Ronald W. Walters, Ph.D., his wife, Patricia Turner Walters, is gifting the institution with her collection of African American art, including an Elizabeth Catlett sculpture titled ‘Glory.’ Additionally, Howard University will establish the first Ronald W. Walters Endowed Chair for Race and Black Politics to continue Walters’ legacy of expanding the University’s capacity as a leader in emerging scholarship in Black politics.

TRAVEL

Defendants Who Helped Blast Consumers with Millions Of Cruise Line Robocalls Settle FTC Complaint Three individuals and a telephone call center that helped Florida-based Grand Bahama Cruise Line LLC (GBCL) and others to make millions of illegal robocalls to consumers settled a Federal Trade Commission complaint and are permanently barred from making telemarketing robocalls.

The FTC will litigate in federal court against GBCL and six other defendants involved in the massive operation, who have not agreed to settle.

“This case shows the FTC’s sustained effort to tackle illegal robocall operations that bombard consumers with unsolicited calls,” said Andrew Smith, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer

Protection. “It also demonstrates that anyone who provides substantial assistance to illegal robocall operations may be liable for substantial civil penalties.”

According to the FTC’s complaint, the defendants involved in the GBCL operation made or facilitated millions of illegal calls to consumers nationwide pitching free cruise vacations between Florida and the Bahamas. Starting in 2014, the defendants operated their own in-house call center, employing telemarketers to contact consumers nationwide.

The FTC alleged that, through 2017, the GBCL operation hired various call centers, including several other defendants, which

marketed the cruise vacation packages. GBCL’s telemarketing operation allegedly bought call lists from lead generators that conducted illegal survey robocalls to identify potential customers.

In addition to delivering millions of illegal robocalls through 2018, the defendants never scrubbed their lists against the agency’s Do Not Call Registry, and called phone numbers on the Registry, the FTC alleged. The defendants also illegally called consumers who asked not to be called, and failed to transmit accurate caller ID information, in violation of the agency’s Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR).

Proposed settlement orders against the defendants Christowww.thechicagocitizen.com

pher Cotroneo and call center Cabb Group, LLC, and Christina and Robert Peterson II ban them from robocalling, including assisting others in making robocalls.

The orders also bar the defendants from violating the TSR. The orders impose judgments totaling more than $7.8 million, which are suspended because of the defendants’ inability to pay, except for $2,500 to be paid by Cotroneo.

The Commission vote approving the complaint and proposed final orders was 5-0. The FTC filed the complaint and proposed orders in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.

A press release noted that the Commission files a complaint

when it has “reason to believe” that the named defendants are violating or are about to violate the law and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. Stipulated final orders have the force of law when approved and signed by the District Court judge.

The Federal Trade Commission works to promote competition, and protect and educate consumers. You can learn more about consumer topics and file a consumer complaint online or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (3824357). Like the FTC on Facebook, follow them on Twitter and read their blogs for the latest FTC news and resources.

CITIZEN | Suburban Times Weekly | Week of Jan. 22, 2020

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NEWS

AAMA Releases New Assessment-Based Certificate in Pediatrics Program Parents want the best for their children, so employers need the best medical assistants to help them care for their pediatric patients. From infants to young adults, this patient population requires diverse, specialized health care.

To help providers ensure that they have knowledgeable medical assisting personnel on their staff, the American Association of Medical Assistants® (AAMA) has launched the Assessment-Based Certificate in Pediatrics (ABC-P) program.

The program is meant to expand and advance the health care professionals’ knowledge and understanding of important aspects of — and medical assistants’ role within — pediatric care.

To earn the certificate, individuals must complete the following four courses and pass a final exam: l Course 1: Well-Child Care l Course 2: Newborn Care l Course 3: Common Childhood Illnesses, Conditions, and Injuries

l Course 4: Psychological Aspects of Pediatric Care While the benefits of this program are applicable to all health care professionals, medical assistants possessing CMA (AAMA)® certification will be able to take the courses for a total of 16 continuing education units (CEUs) toward recertifying their credential.

The courses may also be purchased and taken individually, but then may not be used for achieving the Assessment-Based Certificate in Pediatrics.

More information on the program can be found at http://ow.ly/ EAg350xQwWT. The Certified Medical Assistant® (AAMA) — or CMA (AAMA) — credential represents a medical assistant who has been credentialed through the Certifying Board (CB) of the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA).

The CB and its CMA (AAMA) Certification Program are the only medical assisting certifying body

and certification program (respectively) that hold accreditation under both International Standard ISO/ IEC 17024 and the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). The National Board of Medical Examiners constructs and administers the CMA (AAMA) Certification Exam.

To remain accredited, the CB must ensure that only candidates who have met the appropriate and necessary prerequisites should be eligible to obtain the CMA (AAMA) credential.

Certification status is a matter of public record and may be released.

Every day, the AAMA responds to more than 100 employer requests for CMA (AAMA) certification verification — for both current and potential employees.

According to a press release, the mission of the American Association of Medical Assistants is to provide the medical assistant professional with education, certification, credential acknowledgment, networking

American Association of Medical Assistants

opportunities, scope-of-practice protection, and advocacy for quality patient-centered health care.

For more information, visit www. aama-ntl.org or call the AAMA at 800/228-2262.

If it were up to me, we’d have all the healthcare we need.

The 2020 Census informs funding for walk-in clinics, Medicare and all types of health services. Rest assured your answers are safe and secure.

Learn more at:

2020CENSUS.GOV Paid for by U.S. Census Bureau.

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MAK E SW EET M EM O RIE S

Get a FREE dining plan for kids (ages 3–9) when you purchase a non-discounted 4-night/4-day Walt Disney Travel Co. package for you and the kids that includes a room at a select Disney Resort hotel, Theme Park tickets and a dining plan.

Take advantage of this offer when you book by February 26, 2020 for arrivals most nights May 25 – August 28, 2020.

Call 407-W-DISNEY, contact your Travel Agent or visit DisneyWorld.com

The number of rooms allocated for this offer is limited. Tickets must be used within 7 days from check-in. Everyone in the same room must be on the same package. Child must stay in room with adult. Cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion. Advance reservations required. Disney dining plans exclude gratuities. Children ages 3–9 must order from the children’s menu, if available. Some Table-Service restaurants may have limited or no availability at time of package purchase. Theme Park admission is required for some dining locations. Offer excludes the following room types: 3-bedroom villas, campsites, Cabins at Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Bungalows at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows, The Little Mermaid Standard Rooms at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort.