Metro East fast approaching danger zone
Monday, Jul 20, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I started warning my subscribers about the Metro East last Tuesday after I checked into why the southern region was posting higher positivity rate numbers than anywhere else. Here’s WGN…
A region of Illinois counties outside St. Louis hit health officials’ “warning” number of days with an increase in the percent of coroanvirus tests which come back positive Monday, approaching the state’s “failsafe” level where reopening measures could be rolled back.
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, the “Metro East” region in southwest Illinois has seen an increase in test positivity rates for seven over the past 10 days, hitting the “warning” level outlined in the updated “Restore Illinois” plan.
Moreover, the region’s rate was at 7.1 percent as of July 17 and is approaching 8 percent, the point at which Governor JB Pritzker previously said reopening measures would likely be rolled back as part of a “failsafe” if cases exceed that level for three days.
The region includes Bond, Clinton, Madison, Monroe, Randolph, St. Clair and Washington counties.
The state’s numbers are lagging behind by three days. We need updated numbers, for crying out loud.
Also, the state has issued no alerts about this Metro East problem that I’ve seen. Those folks are gonna be blindsided if the state has to take action. The local governments need to step in now and get their hotspots under control. Maybe people like the Monroe County sheriff can finally order his deputies to start enforcing counter-measures while he recovers from COVID-19.
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* Press release…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced 1,173 new confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 6 additional confirmed deaths.
Cass County – 1 female 90s
Cook County – 1 female 70s, 1 male 90s
DuPage County – 1 male 70s
Peoria County – 1 female 100+
Will County – 1 female 50s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 162,748 cases, including 7,301 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 34,598 specimens for a total of 2,279,109. The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from July 13 - July 19 is 3.0%. As of last night, 1,410 people in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 308 patients were in the ICU and 133 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The governor said today that he was frustrated about how hospitalizations and the positivity rate are both staying level, rather than decreasing.
* Press release…
IFT President Dan Montgomery and educators and school staff from around the state today called for remote learning this fall in Illinois’ schools, colleges, and universities. […]
With infection rates becoming unstable and rising in some regions of the state, the union and our members are gravely concerned about the safety of students, educators, and staff. According to a recent Kaiser Foundation study, nearly 24 percent of educators are at high-risk due to underlying health conditions, which further bolsters the need to begin the year with online learning. […]
Though the union believes some types of in-person instruction can be achieved with health and safety mitigation, in the absence of a practical safety plan that includes clear guidance like the union has provided, a return to in-person instruction right now is too great a risk. Too many schools and campuses cannot currently achieve critical safety benchmarks.
Included in the IFT’s guidance for an eventual reopening of schools:
• A call for all school districts and institutions to negotiate safe, effective learning plans with their unions, students, and parents.
• The right of teachers to determine the best mode of instruction.
• Required social distancing and a limit of 15 students per classroom in PreK-12 schools.
• Temperature checks or health screenings for all students, staff, and visitors.
• Adequate testing availability, especially in rural communities.
• Required two-week quarantines for students or staff who test positive or have high-risk exposure to COVID-19.
More here.
* The Southern…
Community colleges in Southern Illinois are preparing for the start of an unusual fall semester with plans to offer a mix of online, in-person and hybrid courses. Though the formats and degree to which in-person classes will be offered vary somewhat from campus to campus, the plans that have been outlined thus far are similar.
The colleges said they are following guidance put forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Illinois Department of Public Health and local health departments and the Illinois Community College Board. They also noted that their plans are flexible and include the ability to rapidly shift to distance learning-only platforms if necessitated by the spread of COVID-19.
* May 15…
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is threatening to use local law enforcement and state police against businesses that reopen in defiance of his policies.
The governor gave the stern warning on the same day Madison County officials have gone against the governor’s public health orders and started to reopen.
The Monroe County Sheriff Neal Rohlfing posted this statement to the department’s Facebook page today:
“It has been very frustrating to watch this public health issue cause the many problems that we face today. I know many of our residents are struggling with the restrictions we are facing from the state. I will always side with our residents Constitutional Rights regardless to what consequences I may have. I was elected by the residents of Monroe County and I will continue to provide the highest level of public safety as long as I am Sheriff!”
* Yesterday…
A county sheriff in southwestern Illinois has tested positive for COVID-19, according to officials.
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Department said Sheriff Neal Rohlfing has been in quarantine since he had symptoms earlier this month. He received a positive test on Wednesday, according to a department statement.
“The sheriff has been lucky and has experienced very mild symptoms,” the statement said.
Glad to hear that he’s going to be OK.
* Tribune’s live blog…
Wisconsin’s largest teachers unions call for online school due to the coronavirus pandemic
Residential buildings to set guest limit at 5 as part of new COVID-19 restrictions announced Monday
COVID-19 took a big toll in Illinois. Will deaths surge again?
Opioid overdoses skyrocket in the face of COVID-19 pandemic; stronger drugs, scarce treatment blamed
The risk of drownings has rarely been higher as Chicago endures a pandemic and one of its hottest summers
Sticky notes on the bathroom door and wipes by the coffee pot. Employees find new rules as they return to the office.
* Sun-Times live blog…
UK COVID-19 vaccine prompts protective immune response in early trial
What we don’t know about how COVID-19 affects kids
‘A dangerous environment’: As churches reopen, coronavirus outbreaks are sprouting and some are keeping doors shut
Even with patrons spaced far apart, moviegoing feels safe and communal
In Arizona, more than 2,000 people went to an ER with coronavirus symptoms on a single day, July 7.
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* From Gov. Pritzker’s Q&A in Peoria today…
Have you had more time to look at Speaker Madigan’s ties to the ComEd charges and do you still think of him as a political ally?
Zing.
* The governor’s response…
Only… Well, you know, let’s set apart the last point that you’re making.
I, you know, let’s just say it’s been very important to me that Speaker Madigan step forward to answer the questions that are raised in that ComEd - I don’t what it’s referred to, information, indictment, I’m not sure. Um, I, so, you know, that’s something that, that has got to get done. I, look, people who serve in public office owe a duty of integrity to the people that they serve. Um, and, and there are allegations that are, some made and some just implied in that document. It raises a lot of questions and I think the speaker is going to have to answer those questions.
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The Madigan problem
Monday, Jul 20, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* It’s no surprise that many suburban legislative districts don’t look too great for Republicans this year. Depending on how far the G goes, even the Madigan stuff might not break through in some races because of a heavily nationalized election. But in districts where President Trump did well, that could be a different story. HGOP press release…
State Representative candidates Amy Elik, Lisa Ciampoli, and David Friess released the following statements regarding the ongoing corruption scandal surrounding House Speaker Michael Madigan and State Representatives Monica Bristow (IL-111), Katie Stuart (IL-112), Nathan Reitz’s (IL-116), continued silence on the matter.
“This is another example – of far too many – that Illinois has a corruption problem,” said Amy Elik, state representative candidate for the 111th district. “While public officials betray the public’s trust, Monica Bristow’s continued silence is just as concerning. She is prioritizing her political ambitions ahead of her sworn duty as a state legislator while Illinois taxpayers continue to be the forgotten voices as tax dollars are mismanaged.”
“Corruption is consuming Illinois government,” said Lisa Ciampoli, state representative candidate for the 112th district. “It’s time to put Illinois on a new path, and the first step is to replace those that fail to speak out against rampant corruption in state government. Katie Stuart’s continued silence shows she is prioritizing party loyalty over taxpayers’ pocketbooks. From day one, I will push for meaningful ethics reform in Springfield.”
“Every time another state corruption investigation is announced, it’s a reminder that our tax dollars are under attack by those choosing to enrich themselves over fulfilling their duty to public service,” said David Friess, state representative candidate for the 116th district. “It’s time for Nathan Reitz to end his silence and join me in calling for Madigan to resign.”
This incident is not the first time area state representatives failed to speak out. When WBEZ covered the story alleging a “powerful former Springfield lobbyist and close friend of House Speaker Madigan” covered up a rape in Champaign and ghost payrolling of government workers, State Representatives Bristow, Stuart, and Reitz failed to hold Madigan accountable.
Alaina Hampton, the individual who sued and settled with Madigan’s operation for sexual harassment, noted in a July 26, 2019 tweet to the Democratic Women’s Caucus, saying:
“I’ve now been waiting a year & a half for you to support me publicly, or even address me by name in a statement. Where are you? What is your stance? We all want to know.”
What does it take for Representatives Bristow, Stuart, and Reitz to speak up?
Trump won Bristow’s district by 16 points, he won Stuart’s by 5.5 and he won Reitz’s by 36. Yes, 36.
* And this is from a suburban/exurban congressional race…
In light of recent news report revealing that House Speaker Michael Madigan is “Public Official A” in the federal bribery investigation of ComEd, Jim Oberweis is calling on Lauren Underwood to cut ties with funds controlled by Speaker Madigan.
The Lauren Underwood Victory Fund is a joint fund-raising committee connected to the Democrat Party of Illinois, which is controlled by House Speaker Michael Madigan. Oberweis is calling on Underwood to cut ties with the Speaker by ending her joint fundraising efforts with organizations he controls.
“It is time for Underwood to stop partnering with Speaker Madigan to raise money for her campaign,” Oberweis said. “The people of the 14th District deserve better. I urge Underwood to do the right thing and end her partnership with the Speaker and condemn his actions. Unfortunately, I suspect all we will get from Rep. Underwood is more silence.”
Underwood has a long history of silence when it comes to Speaker Madigan. She walked away from a question on leaked emails from one of Madigan’s top confidants’ suggesting a rape had been covered up. Instead of answering the question, Underwood walked away in silence. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wy4cwRI3Gag&feature=youtu.be).
“Either she is blind to the cloud of corruption surrounding the Speaker or she is willfully choosing to ignore the truth,” Oberweis said. “Either way, her silence is unacceptable. It is time for Democrat officials at all levels of government to demand new leadership. Michael Madigan is the head of her party. Why is she content to allow a corrupt politician like Speaker Madigan to continue to lead her party? The people of the 14th District deserve answers.”
The attachment is here. Trump won that district by 3.7 percentage points.
Discuss.
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Skillicorn jokes about pandemic deaths
Monday, Jul 20, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* This guy…
* I reached out to his Democratic opponent Suzanne Ness for a reaction…
Over 7400 Illinoisans have lost their lives to this terrible pandemic and Allen Skillicorn chooses to make a joke about it. And while our families have made major changes in their lives to stop the spread of the virus, Skillicorn made two trips to Trump rallies in Oklahoma and Arizona, without a mask or PPE, risking bringing coronavirus back to our community from these virus hotspots. He has shown us again and again that he either isn’t taking this seriously, he doesn’t get it, or he just doesn’t care. Yet again another example of poor leadership. It’s time for a change.
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* Press release…
Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot, the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) announced today a re-tightening of COVID-19 restrictions for bars, restaurants, gyms and personal services as a precautionary move in response to a recent increase in community cases of the virus. Throughout the pandemic, data has guided every move made by the City, and the recent uptick in cases as well as surging COVID-19 activity in other states around the country is cause for concern and motivated this move to dial back reopening in certain high-risk environments.
The reinstatement of certain restrictions will go into effect Friday, July 24 at 12:01 a.m., in order to allow businesses time to prepare. Restrictions will include:
• Bars, taverns, breweries and other establishments that serve alcohol for on-site consumption without a Retail Food license will no longer be able to serve customers indoors.
o Restaurants that serve alcohol will be allowed to continue to operate as long as they abide by ongoing COVID-19 guidance and existing regulations.
o Establishments without food may still provide outdoor service as they did under phase three.
• Maximum party size and table occupancy at restaurants, bars, taverns and breweries will be reduced to six people.
• Indoor fitness class size will be reduced to a maximum of 10 people.
• Personal services requiring the removal of face coverings will no longer be permitted (shaves, facials, etc.).
• Residential property managers will be asked to limit guest entry to five per unit to avoid indoor gatherings and parties.
“We have made so much progress here in Chicago in containing the spread of the virus, protecting our health system and saving lives, and in general, the virus remains under control locally. But we are again seeing a steady increase in new cases,” said Mayor Lightfoot. “While we aren’t near the peak of the pandemic from earlier this year, none of us wants to go back there, and we feel these restrictions will help limit further community spread.”
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* Tribune…
Federal prosecutors in Chicago are amassing records related to property tax assessments conducted under former Cook County Assessor Joe Berrios, including a tax break given to Gov. J.B. Pritzker after toilets were removed from a Gold Coast mansion he owned. […]
In all, the U.S. attorney’s office requested records related to more than 100 properties, obtaining the information through emails sent to current Assessor Fritz Kaegi. […]
In addition to seeking records on the assessments of Pritzker’s side-by-side mansions on Astor Street in the Gold Coast, the U.S. attorney’s office also requested information related to assessments and appeals filed by the Schmidt, Salzman & Moran law firm “on behalf of entities affiliated with the Pritzkers, including (the) Hyatt (hotel chain), Astor Street and Pritzker Group, from Jan. 1, 2016 to present,” according to documents provided to the Tribune through an open records request. […]
A federal source with knowledge of Blanchard’s report said it was unlikely to lead to any criminal charges. However, the source cautioned, the federal government has a number of ongoing public corruption investigations, and authorities do not know where all those efforts ultimately could lead.
Most of those 100 properties do not appear to be Pritzker-related. Go read the whole thing for more.
It’s telling that they’re only requesting public info via email instead of through grand jury subpoenas, which would be used in an actual investigation. As the source noted, one never knows where stuff like this can lead, but this is much less worrisome than the Madigan/ComEd stuff. Right now, anyway, there’s no comparison.
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* Sun-Times editorial board…
But as we read the stunning “statement of facts” that prosecutors laid out Friday that implicated Madigan — but didn’t formally charge him with any crimes — our focus also sharpened on the company that admitted to a series of outrageous bribery schemes: electricity giant ComEd.
The power company admitted to using lobbyists to shower jobs, contracts and payoffs all over Springfield for the sole purpose of gaining favor with Madigan, who denies any wrongdoing but, at minimum, is standing in a bad storm.
ComEd’s criminal conduct is clear and undisputed, and almost comical in its audacity, breadth and sheer enthusiasm.
It’s a wonder — and a shame — that ComEd has only been fined — $200 million — and nobody as of now will be going to prison. The U.S. attorney’s office has deferred criminal charges against the company and its executives for three years, provided they “fully and truthfully cooperate” in the investigation of other “individuals or other entities.” The stock price for ComEd’s parent company, Exelon, closed more than 3% higher in the wake of the news.
It’s a wonder as well, we suppose, that ComEd, a pillar of the Chicago community, could try to work Springfield like a criminal enterprise so aggressively for so long. If nothing else good has come of this, the utility has served up an excellent object lesson in the dangers of tissue-thin regulations on political lobbying in Illinois.
We would hope that every big corporation calls a Zoom meeting next week with their armies of lobbyists to review basic ethical guidelines.
Go read the rest.
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* Hmm…
Yeah, I’m really wondering what happens if she uses that sort of framing during a legislative committee hearing.
* From the transcript…
Mark Maxwell:
“Last week we heard from John Bouman, the head of the — formerly with the Shriver Center on Poverty Law — who now heads up a ballot initiative committee trying to persuade voters to ‘Vote Yes for the Fair Tax.’ That’s what their ballot initiative is called. Of course, it refers to the graduated income tax rate structure that would require Illinois to abolish the flat tax we have in place embedded in our Constitution right now. This week, we hear the counter argument from Cindy Neal, who was the chair of the Leadership Council for the NFIB, the National Federation of Independent Business and a business owner in Peoria helping recruit employees and find them jobs in that area. Cindy, it’s good to have you with us.”
Cindy Neal 3:03
Thank you. Thank you, Mark.
Mark Maxwell 3:05
You were at that big press conference that coordinated statewide push a week ago trying to persuade voters of the downside of this. From your vantage point, is there something fundamentally unfair with a graduated income tax rate structure? For example, should the federal government change from where they are now to a flat income tax?
Cindy Neal 3:31
I would love to see the federal government change to a flat income tax. I think that that is what a fair tax is all about. If you pay, if everybody pays the same percentage on your income, I don’t know what could be more fair than that. So if you’re a multimillionaire versus someone who’s at entry level, I think that’s fair and it mathematically is beautiful and perfect.
Mark Maxwell 3:53
It’s a round number. It’s a clean number, but there’s also the reality that the supporters of this graduated income tax — one that has been, you know, in our federal system for decades now — they point out that the people who only make 20 or $30,000 a year, once they pay their taxes and their mortgage and their rent and all that, they live paycheck to paycheck, and they have very little left over. Someone who makes $250,000 a year or a million dollars a year pays their taxes and their mortgage and they have this much bigger chunk of the pie leftover. They have more disposable income. Is that not fair for people who are doing quite well for themselves in this system to kick in a little more to the systems that they take advantage of?
Cindy Neal 4:36
You know, I think that the people that are in those higher income brackets tend to be who I call the makers, and the folks that are in the lower income brackets tend to be what I call the takers. And I do believe that as somebody starting out in life and trying to raise your family, sometimes you need help from different programs and agencies and that’s why we all pay into our tax system to help those folks. But I don’t want to take away from the makers or make them pay more because those are the folks technically, that are reinvesting in businesses, providing employment opportunities for those people that are working their way up the career ladder and are trying to support their families locally.
Mark Maxwell 5:16
I don’t know if Abraham Lincoln would have used some of that same phrase, he often referred to a labor of being worthy of their of the spoils of their labor. You’re calling them takers. These are people who work their way through life.
Cindy Neal 5:29
No, I no… I wouldn’t necessarily I… Takers because they are still needing assistance. So, maybe that’s not the greatest terminology, but it rhymes with makers. So, there are people that make opportunities for others as far as in their business. And normally the folks that are in the higher income brackets, turn around and reinvest that money in new capital equipment, hiring more workers in
Mark Maxwell 5:51
Or their bigger house or their yacht, or a boat.
Cindy Neal 5:56
Sure. As you alluded to Lincoln, why not enjoy the spoils of your labors?
Discuss.
…Adding… React…
“The so-called low income ‘takers’ are the 97% of Illinoisans, many of whom are our nurses, teachers, grocery store clerks and other essential workers, who have been unfairly carrying the tax burden in our state for far too long. The Fair Tax is our chance to finally set things right,” said Quentin Fulks, Chairman of Vote Yes For Fairness. “Cindy Neal and opponents of the Fair Tax are only out to protect the millionaires and billionaires who benefit from our current broken system: one that enables the wealthy, so-called ‘makers’ to get away without paying their fair share. This attack on low-income Illinoisans coming from someone who two weeks ago claimed to be part of a ‘grassroots’ organization opposing the Fair Tax is not only despicable, it’s pure hypocrisy.”
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Can Madigan make it through again?
Monday, Jul 20, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
One of the most politically powerful entities in this state, ComEd, has basically admitted bribing the most politically powerful person in this state, House Speaker Michael Madigan, and agreed to pay $200 million and continue cooperating with federal investigators for at least the next three years.
And, yet, Madigan himself was not charged, although he was finally served with federal subpoenas the same day ComEd’s “deferred prosecution agreement” with the feds was announced.
If it wasn’t clear before (and it should’ve been), it’s completely obvious now that the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District John Lausch wants to take down the longest-serving House speaker in history.
But first, the prosecutor may need some folks to flip on Madigan or find a paper trail that leads directly to Madigan’s door.
Right now, the federal government has recordings or witness accounts of people close to Madigan demanding or at least soliciting favors on the speaker’s behalf — everything from internships in Madigan’s ward, to a ComEd corporate board seat for a Madigan pal.
However, as former federal prosecutor, 2018 Democratic attorney general candidate and cable TV legal analyst Renato Mariotti wrote on Twitter: “proving that ComEd was involved in a scheme to bribe Madigan is different than proving that Madigan knowingly participated in the scheme.”
Some of the folks close to Madigan may never flip. Mike McClain, Madigan’s closest confidante for decades and ComEd’s former top lobbyist/consultant, indicated to WBEZ that he won’t ever cooperate and, knowing him as I have over the years, I tend to believe him.
But others might crack under pressure.
One Madigan associate was allegedly paid millions by ComEd to hire Madigan’s pals who did little to no work. A law firm close to Madigan saw its billable hours reduced by ComEd and Madigan’s people allegedly put the arm on the company to make the firm whole.
As for Madigan, his office claimed in a statement that he has never asked anyone to hire a no-show worker, nor did he ever “expect to provide anything to a prospective employer if it should choose to hire a person he recommended.”
“He has never made a legislative decision with improper motives and has engaged in no wrongdoing here,” the statement claimed.
ComEd got some truly huge bills passed while it was providing all that largess to Madigan’s organization, but someone telling the company a request was for Madigan is different than proving Madigan ordered it to happen.
Even so, the depth and breadth of Madigan’s apparent influence over ComEd was spectacular and the lengths to which the company would go to pass its legislation through Madigan’s House was mind-boggling. I mean, who gives up a corporate board seat like that unless they badly needed something done and figured it would work?
Gov. J.B. Pritzker quickly announced that Madigan should resign if the allegations were true. But that didn’t prompt much of an outpouring by Madigan’s House Democratic members.
I reached out to three dozen of Madigan’s 73 current members to ask for comment. Most didn’t respond. Some declined to talk. A few issued non-committal statements.
But two did follow Pritzker’s line about what should happen next.
“These allegations are very serious and we must be consistent in our efforts to respect the public trust that is given to us by our residents and the people of Illinois,” Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego, told me. “If the allegations are true, then he must be held to the same standard we have held other former elected officials in our chamber and resign.”
“The conduct alleged is outrageous, and comes at the end of a long chain of unacceptable breaches of the public trust not unlike the pattern of ‘lather, rinse, repeat I referenced a few years ago in discussing the allegations of sexual harassment in his office,” said Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago, about Madigan. “I agree with the Governor. If any of these allegations are true and Speaker Madigan or those closest to him are involved, then he must resign.”
But it will take more than two angry members to force Madigan out without a federal indictment.
Keep an eye on the growing ranks of young, progressive House Democrats. They held their fire the day this all came out, but they don’t rely on Madigan’s campaign or patronage help like many of his suburban, Downstate and older members do. If they do ever break against him, things could start changing in a hurry.
I wrote that column on Friday afternoon. As subscribers already know, the House Progressive Caucus sent me a statement Sunday. The caucus issued a press release this morning…
Twelve members of the Illinois House Progressive Caucus issued the following joint statement Monday morning:
On Friday, the US Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois released the deferred prosecution agreement it has reached with ComEd. The behavior alleged in this document is an unacceptable breach of the public trust. If these allegations are true, Speaker Madigan and any other elected official involved in this scheme must resign from public service.
We founded the Progressive Caucus because we believe that government can be, and must be, a force for fairness and justice in people’s lives. This kind of behavior is exactly why so many Illinoisans have lost faith in that notion. We deserve better, and we must demand better.
SIGNED,
Carol Ammons, Caucus Co-Chair
Will Guzzardi, Caucus Co-Chair
Theresa Mah, Caucus Co-Chair
Delia Ramirez, Caucus Secretary
Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, Caucus Treasurer
Kelly Cassidy
Robyn Gabel
Lindsey LaPointe
Anna Moeller
Anne Stava-Murray
Ann Williams
Yoni Pizer
Others have also come forward.
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