* From the governor’s press secretary Jordan Abudayyeh…
You’ll recall that the Supreme Court moved Darren Bailey’s Clay County case to Sangamon County and consolidated it with the other DeVore Covid cases. The AG’s Office asked Judge Grischow in Sangamon Co to reconsider Judge McHaney’s July 2nd decision to grant summary judgment to Bailey and against the State. Today, Judge Grischow ruled in our favor – vacating Judge McHaney’s decision entirely. Her ruling is attached.
Also, on October 22nd, Bailey filed a motion before Judge Grischow asking her to find the Governor in indirect civil contempt for failing to comply with Judge McHaney’s summary judgment order. Today, Judge Grischow denied that insane and utterly frivolous motion. Her short ruling is attached.
Judge McHaney’s Order declared that the Governor’s emergency powers under Section 7 of the IEMAA lapsed on April 8, 2020 and that any executive orders relating to COVID-19 were “void ab initio.” In entering this Order, the Clay County court erred in its application of the law. The Governor is not limited to one disaster declaration. […]
Motion for Summary Judgment - Count III
Judge McHaney said the Governor has no constitutional authority as Governor under the cited provisions of the IEMAA to restrict a citizen’s movement or activities and to forcibly close businesses because any such authority was restricted to the Department of Health. This Court has previously held that the State’s police powers authorize measures to be implemented to protect its citizens when confronted with contagious diseases and other threats to public health and safety. Again, this Court reiterates that the state’s police powers are outlined in both the state and federal constitution and supports the Governor’s actions in combating this pandemic. Without such authority the state would be paralyzed to act when needed. The Illinois constitution provides the Governor with supreme executive authority. […]
Department of Public Health
As to Judge McHaney’s opinion that the Governor’s actions are unlawful because such powers have been expressly delegated to the department of public health, this is also improper. The Public Health Act places no restrictions on the Governor’s emergency powers that exist under the IEMAA. Section 2(m) of the Public Health Act specifically states that “nothing in this section shall supersede the procedures set forth in the IEMAA. […]
No legal basis to bind all Illinois citizens
Judge McHaney’s ruling specifies that his order applies to all Illinois citizens. In order to be bound by a judgment, generally, the individual must be a party to the lawsuit. In this case, only Bailey and the Governor were parties on July 2, 2020. This Court did not find any motion requesting class certification, nor did the Court find any pleaded facts to bring the matter within the statutory prerequisites for a class action. This portion of the Judge McHaney’s Order has no basis in law. […]
For all of the reasons outlined above, this Court is vacating the July 2, 2020 Order that granted summary judgment on counts II and III of Bailey’s amended complaint. This court is also vacating the order wherein Judge McHaney applied it to “all citizens of the state of Illinois.”
The denial of Bailey’s request for an order of indirect civil contempt against the governor is here.
* Tom DeVore predicted the other day that the ruling would be unfavorable, but said…
So, the court in Sangamon County has no discretion as it relates to what would be known as Count Two of Mr Bailey’s complaint. She has to reconsider and set that aside, at the moment she doesn’t have any discretion, because again of a completely unrelated [appellate] case up north.
So once that happens, it will probably happen next week, then we will continue in that case because the case doesn’t go away. We will argue, again in front of her probably at the beginning of the year, my client’s position on why the 30 days is improper, which I think if we can do a better job of that, which will ultimately get that in front of the Fourth Appellate District here in Springfield, and they will take that issue up.
Yeah, that’ll work. Right. Also, she ruled against them on Count III and the statewide issue and the civil contempt issue.
Four struggling South Side Chicago hospitals plan to merge into a single health care system with one new, state-of-the-art hospital and a network of community health centers under a $1.1 billion plan announced Thursday.
Advocate Trinity Hospital, Mercy Hospital & Medical Center, South Shore Hospital and St. Bernard Hospital — serving some of the city’s most impoverished communities — had been negotiating the transformation since last year, guided by the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, overseer of the Medicaid program poorer patients rely on.
Four struggling South Side hospitals that had tentatively agreed to combine into one health care system are abandoning their billion-dollar plan after hospital officials say state legislators failed to approve crucial funding. […]
Hospital officials asked for a total of $520 million over five years from the state. That support would have funded a significant portion of the $1.1 billion plan, which also would have finances through existing assets, private philanthropy and future operating revenue. […]
“In this moment, with so many things in flux with our state budget, it was nearly impossible for the General Assembly to go forward with a billion-dollar program,” Gov. JB Pritzker said at an unrelated press conference Wednesday. “I know that timing makes it very, very difficult for those hospitals.”
The lack of funding likely will force hospitals to close or cut more services, officials said in an open letter to Theresa Eagleson, director of the state’s Department of Healthcare and Family Services.
Members of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus expressed concerns about the plan. Democratic Rep. Marcus Evans of Chicago says he didn’t oppose the project, but felt the hospitals didn’t provide enough detail about their plans.
Protesters on Monday blocked a street outside the Thompson Center and called for city and state officials to block the planned closure of Mercy Hospital, which, they say, would result in deaths in the Black community that it serves.
“We’re asking that the governor as well as the mayor do what needs to be done to make absolutely sure that this hospital stays open to service the Black community,” Robert Jones, pastor of Mt. Carmel Baptist Church, said during the protest.
At the conclusion of a “long and brutal” meeting, the six-person Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board unanimously voted this week to deny the hospital’s proposal. Following Tuesday’s decision, Mercy Hospital executives have 14 days to appeal, as well as the opportunity to present the board with a new plan.
“I do not believe Mercy has made a reasonable case that [withdrawing] their services will not have an extremely negative impact on the South Side of Chicago,” board member Dr. Linda Rae Murray said before casting her “no” vote Tuesday.
* But, this is from the Kenwood Oakland Community Organization…
Even with a ruling by the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board that blocks the imminent closure of Mercy Hospital, hospital executives are planning to pursue their shutdown plan. Ultimately, Mercy could take the state to court, or the hospital could just close and be fined. The fine is $10,000, plus another $10,000 for every 30 days the hospital stays closed without permission from the board.
* The hospital’s finances are looking up this year, but are not so great overall…
The transformation plan was developed due to significant changes in MHSC’s health care environment, including substantial declines in both inpatient and outpatient volumes, and cumulative deficiency of revenue over expenses at the Hospital and Medical Center totaling $303.2 million over the last seven fiscal years. […]
The Hospital and Medical Center recorded operating revenue of $275.6 million and excess of revenue over expense of $4.1 million, aided by significant state and CARES Act funding, for the year ended June 30, 2020. During the year ended June 30, 2019, the Hospital and Medical Center recorded operating revenue of $238.5 million, and incurred a deficiency of revenue over expenses of $36.4 million.
* Closing with a KOKO press release excerpt from today…
“We’ve lost four hospitals from the Black community in the last four years,” [Jitu Brown, national director of the Journey for Justice Alliance] said. “And we’ve seen in this pandemic the huge disparity in access to health care that has left our communities fighting to breathe. We need more health care, not less. And we need it now more than ever. Gov. Pritzker represents us, not Trinity. We expect him to follow through on his earlier statements and make sure his administration keeps the doors of Mercy Hospital open.”
In a letter to Trinity’s CEO, Michael Slubowski, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker had noted that Trinity’s other three hospitals operating in the state will net more than $75 million in state aid.
“I implore that you reconsider your decision to close Mercy Hospital and that you work diligently with any potential interested parties who are capable of taking over the operations of Mercy for a health care purpose,” Pritzker said in the letter.
We know that you and your administration agree that health and human services benefit every community, and ensure all Illinoisans can reach their full potential. Thus, we are greatly concerned about the $200 million in budget reductions to health and human services announced this week. On behalf of our 800+ partners around the state, we are writing to request specific information about these budget reductions as soon as possible. Our coalition still needs clarity, predictability, and partnership from your administration.
As we face an unpredictable climate in 2021, our coalition supports solutions that protect lower-income communities from further economic disparity, and that give our partners the tools they need to provide equitable access to care. We know you agree that it’s time to erase the line between health and human services. We wholeheartedly stand with you in calling for structural solutions and the tearing down of systemic health and economic inequalities in our communities. That’s why Illinois Partners for Human Service supported a higher minimum wage and the Fair Tax ballot measure, and why we center the pursuit of equity and the dismantling of systemic racism in our work.
The stable foundation provided by the human services sector has been threatened in recent months by higher costs, due to elevated staffing ratios and COVID sanitation protocols. Simultaneously, human services providers lost revenue, due to cancelled in-person events and fewer billable hours. As a result, almost 50% of human services employers in Illinois are worse off financially entering 2021.
Cuts to health and human services threaten well-being for everyone. Our sector cannot, and does not, “close.” Caseloads may be temporarily suppressed, as COVID-19 throttles access to care and disrupts employment. But, we know that as the state re-opens, this trend will reverse. Our communities will benefit if our human services sector remains well equipped to support all kinds of people across the lifespan. Now is the time to rebuild, not tear down.
We are grateful for your entire administration’s tireless work during this extraordinarily challenging year. We will continue to support your efforts, while remaining firm in our call to invest in health and human services so that all of Illinois’ residents, neighborhoods, and communities can achieve well-being.
Sincerely,
Lauren Wright,
Executive Director of Illinois Partners for Human Service
182 human services stakeholders statewide (see following pages)
* The 2020 Golden Horseshoe Award for Lifetime Achievement goes to Kathy Murray…
For two decades Kathy Murray has been the staff mom for so many young adults. She fed them, she kept them on track, she kept them in good spirits during very late nights and long weekends of working. Staffers missed so many family gatherings because of their loyalty to their work and Kathy always made the staff feel like family. Her humor, songs, and homemade cakes will remain loving memories for 20 years worth of Speaker’s staffers. Kathy Murray is simply the best. A lot of people owe her many thanks for helping them become the professionals they are today.
Vicki Thomas, Sen. Pat McGuire, Julie Sullivan and the late Bob Molaro all receive honorable mention, but Kathy was the overwhelming favorite.
* On to today’s category…
Best Use of Social Media in Illinois Politics
This can go to anyone who is involved in the arena of state politics, including members, administration officials, reporters, lobbyists, staff, etc., etc. Just make sure to explain your nomination or it won’t count.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 4,699 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 98 additional deaths.
Bureau County: 1 male 90s
Champaign County: 1 female 80s
Cook County: 1 male 30s, 2 males 40s, 2 females 50s, 3 males 50s, 5 females 60s, 7 males 60s, 8 females 70s, 8 males 70s, 13 females 80s, 13 males 80s, 5 females 90s, 2 males 90s, 1 female over 100
DuPage County: 1 male 70s, 2 males 90s
Effingham County: 1 male 90s
Hamilton County: 1 male 90s
Kane County: 1 male 50s, 1 male 90s
Lake County: 1 male 60s, 2 female 90s
LaSalle County: 1 female 70s
Madison County: 2 males 70s, 2 males 80s, 1 female 90s
Morgan County: 1 male 80s
Rock Island County: 1 male 50s, 2 females 80s
Stephenson County: 1 female 90s
Tazewell County: 1 female 80s
Washington County: 1 male 80s
Will County: 2 males 80s, 1 male 90s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 905,069 cases, including 15,299 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 86,454 specimens for a total 12,520,979. As of last night, 4,460 in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 981 patients were in the ICU and 546 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from December 14 – December 20, 2020 is 7.5%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from December 14 – December 20, 2020 is 9.3%.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in real-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. Information for a death previously reported has changed, therefore, today’s numbers have been adjusted. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 6,003 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 79 additional deaths.
Adams County: 1 male 70s
Bureau County: 1 female 80s
Christian County: 1 male 80s
Cook County: 1 male 40s, 1 male 50s, 1 female 60s, 9 males 60s,3 females 70s, 4 males 70s, 8 females 80s, 4 males 80s, 3 females 90s, 4 males 90s, 1 female over 100
DuPage County: 1 female 40s, 2 females 80s, 1 male 80s
Fayette County: 1 female 80s
Hancock County: 1 male 90s
Jefferson County: 1 male 80s
Kane County: 2 males 50s, 1 male 80s
Knox County: 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
Lake County: 1 male 70s
Lee County: 1 male 90s
Madison County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 90s
Montgomery County: 1 male 60s
Ogle County: 1 male 80s
Peoria County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s
Perry County: 1 male 70s
Rock Island County: 1 female 70s
Sangamon County: 1 male 50s, 1 female 80s
Tazewell County: 1 male 60s
White County: 1 female 60s
Whiteside County: 2 males 70s, 2 males 80s, 2 females 90s, 1 male over 100
Will County: 1 female 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s, 1 male 90s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 900,370 cases, including 15,202 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 78,079 specimens for a total 12,434,525. As of last night, 4,389 in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 991 patients were in the ICU and 546 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from December 13 – December 19, 2020 is 7.8%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from December 13 – December 19, 2020 is 9.6%.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 7,562 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 108 additional deaths.
Bureau County: 1 male 80s
Champaign County: 1 female 90s
Christian County: 2 females 90s
Coles County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 90s
Cook County: 1 female 50s, 2 males 50s, 2 males 60s, 7 males 70s, 3 females 80s, 4 males 80s, 4 females 90s, 2 males 90s
Crawford County: 1 female 80s
DeKalb County: 2 females 60s, 1 female 70s
DuPage County: 3 males 60s, 1 female 70s, 2 females 80s, 2 males 80s
Edgar County: 1 male 80s
Franklin County: 1 female 80s
Fulton County: 1 female 40s, 1 male 70s
Hancock County: 1 female 70s
Iroquois County: 1 male 70s
Kane County: 1 female 50s, 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s, 2 males 80s, 1 male 90s
Kankakee County: 1 female 60s, 2 females 70s, 1 male 80s
Lake County: 1 female 80s, 2 females 90s, 2 males 90s
LaSalle County: 3 males 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
Lawrence County: 1 female 90s
Lee County: 1 male 80s
Macoupin County: 1 male 70s
Madison County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
Mason County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s
McHenry County: 1 female 80s
Moultrie County: 1 female 80s
Ogle County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 80s
Peoria County: 3 females 80s
Randolph County: 1 female 90s
Richland County: 1 male 70s
Rock Island County: 1 male 60s
Saline County: 1 female 70s
Sangamon County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s
Schuyler County: 1 female 80s
St. Clair County: 1 female 80s
Tazewell County: 1 male 80s
Vermilion County: 1 female 60s
Washington County: 1 female 90s
Will County: 1 female 60s, 1 female 70s, 2 males 70s, 1 female 80s
Winnebago County: 2 males 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s
Woodford County: 1 female 80s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 894,367 cases, including 15,123 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 96,851 specimens for a total 12,356,446. As of last night, 4,624 in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 1,000 patients were in the ICU and 562 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from December 12 – December 18, 2020 is 8.2%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from December 12 – December 18, 2020 is 9.7%.
The chief scientific adviser for Operation Warp Speed explained Sunday that an unpredicted “two-day lag period” is the reason why many states have not received the number of vaccines promised.
“We all made the error or mistake of assuming that vaccine that’s actually produced and being released is already available for shipment, when, in fact, there is a two-days lag between the time at which we generate a lot of data that shows this vaccine vial is actually safe and right and the time we can ship it,” Moncef Slaoui told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union” when asked about the delay. […]
Slaoui’s comments on Sunday about the two-day lag come a day after Gen. Gustave Perna, the chief operating officer of Operation Warp Speed, apologized for miscommunicating the number of vaccine shipments to states.
Q: Before we get off to the county cases. When you look at some of the other states across the country that have been into their Supreme Court months ago. What is it with the Illinois judicial system that seems to be so slow compared to other states?
A: You know, I don’t know that the judicial system itself is that slow. I think that the cases that have been filed in the way that they’ve been managed by the, and again I’m a part of that and there’s reasoning for it, they’ve not been pushed that fast. So, you know, again, without talking about my clients’ strategies too much, there’s been reasoning for that. I don’t know again that anybody’s pushed those issues really fast and again I have my reasoning for that and why I haven’t for my clients but. But again, I don’t know that I could put that on our judicial system I just think it’s the nature of the cases that are present in our state right now.
Translation: He’s been trying to keep these cases out of the supreme court’s hands for months.
Oral arguments in the matter were to be presented Monday in Springfield, but Bailey’s attorney, Thomas DeVore of Greenville and Assistant Attorney General Thomas Verticchio, representing Pritzker, contacted trial judge Raylene Grischow. The attorneys requested the oral arguments be waived, and asked the Court issue a written opinion based on the Governor’s written submissions.
Judge Grischow agreed to issue a written opinion and email it to DeVore and Verticchio when it is completed.
* There’s been some misinformation spread by elements of the far right about hospital bed availability during the past couple of months. As with most such claims, they lack context. The Tribune’s Joe Mahr and Lisa Schencker crunched the actual numbers…
This year, Illinois hospitals reported they built out roughly 10,000 more beds, up from about 25,000 before the spring surge.
That effort led to some odd statistical moments. Over the summer, Illinois hospitals were reporting they had more beds open than they did a year earlier, at a time when there was no pandemic to drive up demand. At one point, roughly 7,000 more hospital beds were available than the previous year. And yet, hospitals also reported they were busier than the year before, treating roughly 2,500 more patients at that point in time, or a 14% higher patient load, according to a Tribune analysis of state figures.
The number of open beds being reported to the state has since shrunk — in part because of staffing issues. Worried that hospitals might not be able to staff all of the beds they said they had available, state regulators in November tightened the rules on what qualified as an open bed, which erased nearly 2,000 open beds overnight.
Meanwhile, the fall surge was putting more people in the hospital. Now, the number of Illinoisans hospitalized — for any reason — is approaching 25,000 a day, about 6,000 more than last year at this time.
* Speaking of misinformation, former state Rep. Jim Sacia spreads a ton of it in his most recent column, including this…
I’m allowed to attend Mass if there is space available to what? Ten percent of the church capacity.
There are no state crowd limits on religious services.
[St. Clair County] had a seven-day average 12.8% positivity rate on Friday, up from 8.2% on Nov. 1. Before this month, the county had never seen that number reach double digits.
On Dec. 1, Westmiller reported [St. Clair County] was averaging 113 cases per day and had a 14.5% positivity rate. It was also averaging about 900 tests a day.
St. Clair County officials called Friday the “best day” the county has seen since Nov. 6, COVID-19-wise, at a daily briefing Friday.
According to officials, St. Clair County had a daily COVID-19 positive rate of 6.9%, the lowest its been since Nov. 6. No new deaths were announced Friday, and 127 new COVID-19 cases were reported, down from Thursday’s total of 224.
The county’s seven-day rolling average was 10.1%.
St. Clair County has done an amazing job. Mitigations work, public education works. But they’ve successfully lowered their positivity rates before, only to shoot back up again when mitigations were eased.
* But not everyone in the county was spared, of course. A heartbreaking loss…
A longtime educator, community leader and the “Dean of Politics” in East St. Louis has died. He had been fighting the novel coronavirus, according to those who knew him.
Eddie Lee Jackson Sr. served in the Illinois House of Representatives for eight years after retiring from a lengthy career as a science teacher and administrator in East St. Louis School District 189. He sat on the East St. Louis City Council for 20 years and is the father of Emeka Jackson-Hicks, the city’s former mayor.
Keith Loukinen has had perhaps the best view of the Illinois Governor’s Mansion of any restaurateur since opening his fine dining establishment across the street in 2017.
But on Saturday, Loukinen, in his full chef uniform, made the short walk to the front of the mansion to join about 100 bar and restaurant owners, employees and patrons to protest the mitigations put in place by Gov. JB Pritzker and enforced by Sangamon County public health officials. […]
“We’re at a crossroads because keeping them closed is hurting more people than catching a disease,” said Ward 10 Ald. Ralph Hanauer. “I think we’re close. I’m hoping that we’re close. And I think that it would be nice if the governor would come out and do it and take the pressure off these counties and the cities as well.”
In addition to Hanauer, elected officials in attendance included state Sen. Steve McClure, R-Springfield, Reps. Mike Murphy, R-Springfield, and Charlie Meier, R-Okawville, and Ward 1 Ald. Chuck Redpath.
In recent months, Aaron Curtis didn’t always wear a mask in public, and he went with his wife to Springfield-area restaurants where people at nearby tables also weren’t wearing masks.
“He didn’t think it would happen to him,” Aaron’s wife, Dia Curtis, told The State Journal-Register.
Aaron, 46, a throat-cancer survivor, now struggles to find the strength to walk to the bathroom in his Waverly home. He’s recovering from damaged lungs caused by a bout with COVID-19.
Aaron’s view of the virus changed after he spent almost three weeks last month in an intensive-care unit at Springfield’s HSHS St. John’s Hospital.
“The moment of reality for me,” he wrote in an email, “was when you are seeing people being wheeled out daily in body bags.”
* People are getting distracted by tangents in the Anjanette Young case, such as why a no-knock warrant was issued in the first place, or how guilty people often insist to the police that they’re innocent, or that the raid was “botched.”
The heart and soul of this story is that Anjanette Young was handcuffed naked by a group of sworn police officers for over 10 minutes, which must have seemed like an eternity. And then the city actually made things worse by fighting tooth and nail to prevent videos of the search from being released to the victim and to the public.
Press release…
The House Democratic Women’s Caucus stands in strong support of Anjanette Young and condemns the horrific and dehumanizing treatment she endured when a no knock warrant was mistakenly served at her home. Every woman can imagine the terror and pain she must have felt that night. Ms. Young deserves justice, accountability and answers – and every human being deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. We are committed to working with all of our colleagues toward that end.
* And as far as bureaucracies go, this should be yet another wakeup call for the CPD, the city’s corporation counsel and the mayor…
“I’m resigning because of the firestorm around the whole tape thing,” [Chicago Corporation Counsel Mark Flessner] told the Tribune in a brief interview. “I’m being accused of trying to hide it, which is not true.” […]
On Sunday, Flessner said he was in his office Monday evening around 5:30 when one of his deputies entered and told him that a lawyer had violated the judge’s protective order in the case. The deputy said “they wanted to go in and make the judge aware that the protective order or the confidentiality order has been violated and I said yes,” Flessner said.
Flessner also said he wasn’t sure whether he reviewed the motion.
In a statement, he said his first involvement in the case was Monday.
Um, when you enforce a protective order on a hugely controversial video, that’s trying to hide it. And how this never got bumped up to Flessner’s desk is beyond me, but it certainly shows how human beings are treated like numbers on a spreadsheet by their own city.
“You don’t train that in the academy. We hire people who we think know right from wrong, and if they don’t know right from wrong, they don’t need to be police officers,” [Chicago Police Superintendent David] said at the same news conference.
Licensing police officers could help with that. Just sayin…
Today, Illinois legislators filed legislation to allow the Illinois General Assembly to meet, conduct legislative business and vote remotely in the event of a pandemic or other emergency which renders it dangerous or impossible to meet in person.
“In March, we had no idea a pandemic would sweep the globe, bringing life as we know it to a halt,” said Rep. Ann Williams (D-Chicago), chief sponsor of the bill in the House. “While we were able to meet for a few days in May to conduct urgent business, we continue to face a crisis of epic proportions – both on the public health front and in terms of our budget situation - that requires legislative attention.”
Sen. Rob Martwick, (D-Chicago), chief sponsor of the legislation in the Senate, drove to Springfield to meet in person for the May session despite a preexisting condition which put his health particularly at risk.
“The Governor has emergency powers to secure the health of our state,” said Martwick. “However, it is the legislature’s responsibility to enact the long term policies, in accordance with the needs of our unique and diverse constituencies, which will chart the path forward as we recover from this pandemic.”
Earlier this year, the Illinois Senate adopted rules to permit legislators to participate remotely as long as a physical quorum is present, as well as provide for virtual committee hearings. A bill to permit virtual lawmaking failed by one vote in the House during the May legislative session, the last time the Illinois General Assembly met.
“The intent of the legislation is to provide for the very rare circumstances where it is extremely dangerous or impossible to meet.” said Williams. “It’s clear that the Legislature operates most effectively in person, when we can all meet and interact with each other more easily.”
Williams and Martwick consider this legislation to be a starting point for discussion, and plan to solicit the input of colleagues on both sides of the aisle as to how best to proceed.
“This impacts each of us, our families and our communities,” said Martwick. “It’s critical we develop an approach which makes sense, can be implemented easily and will work for all of us.”
The Illinois bill provides that if a joint proclamation is made by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate, members of the Illinois General Assembly may participate remotely in session and in committee - and requires the House and the Senate to adopt rules to permit such participation. Remote participation is defined as simultaneous, interactive participation by members not physically present. The bill also permits a quorum to be present remotely - thus allowing all members to participate remotely. Importantly, the bill contains an explicit provision to ensure that members of the public can view such sessions and committee meetings in real time.
“Unfortunately, if we’ve learned anything from the pandemic, it’s that anything can happen and we must be ready,” said Robyn Gabel (D-Evanston), cosponsor of the legislation. “We need to be prepared not just to address the current situation, but for any other emergency which may arise in the future. It is the responsible thing to do.”
“We owe a duty to the people of Illinois to do our jobs and address these critical issues now; we can’t afford to wait the pandemic out to take action,” said Terra Costa Howard (D-Glen Ellyn), cosponsor of the legislation.
State legislatures around the country have taken various approaches to meeting during the pandemic – including convening outside, utilizing hybrid sessions of in-person and virtual hearings, meeting completely remotely, and instituting safety precautions and protocols. Since the beginning of 2020, in 24 states, at least one chamber has adopted legislation allowing for remote meetings, voting, and operations, according to the National Conference of State Legislators. Most of the provisions can only be utilized in times of crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Two states, Oregon and Wisconsin, already had laws in place to allow virtual meetings prior to 2020.
“It has been over 200 days since the Illinois Legislature has met, even as we continue to face the most significant crisis in generations,” said Sen. Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago), cosponsor of the legislation. “It is an abdication of our responsibility not to find a way to make it work. A majority of states have taken action - it’s time for Illinois to follow suit.”
“It is long overdue for the House to be able to remotely hold hearings and pass legislation, following the example set by our colleagues in the Senate earlier this year,” said Rep. Yoni Pizer (D-Chicago). “Under extraordinary circumstances, it is critical that we do what we were elected to do - make important decisions and respond to the needs of our constituents. The COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be such a circumstance.”
“When I voted yes for a remote legislating bill in May that failed to pass, I knew that a second effort was necessary to ensure that we have the ability to conduct legislative business even when being physically together in Springfield isn’t safe,” said Rep. John Connor (D-Lockport). “It’s the 21st century, and we have the technology to let us work remotely while maintaining public access, so let’s pass this bill and give ourselves the framework to do that work.”
* Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield) led the charge against the remote legislating bill in May. I asked him to comment…
Representative Williams and I have been discussing this issue since the spring session adjourned. The fact that the House has not met, and has only had one hearing outside of the Special Investigating Committee, is an indictment of the years of lack of planning for continuity of government. The ability to meet, and especially vote, remotely must be subject to a very high bar. It must respect the ability of the public to fully participate, as well as involve the minority party to ensure all Members have input in this decision. There are technology and decorum issues that must be part of an agreement. My deep-held preference is that the Assembly does “assemble” in person at the seat of government. Yet, I also know we have much work to do and if that means some Members may be doing this work remotely, then we can at least get on with the work of the General Assembly. I look forward to working with both Rep. Williams and Sen. Martwick to find the path forward.
* Like beer distributors, video gaming operators are prohibited from offering any inducements to proprietors. It’s one reason why we’ve seen the disappearance of beer coasters from taverns. But video gaming company Accel cut a deal with Draft Kings and is now looking at a possible $5 million fine from the Illinois Gaming Board, according to Yogonet Gaming News…
According to the complaint, as part of the deal between the betting companies, Accel would offer DraftKings advertising space on its video gambling screens, and then would get $200 from each new customer it drove to the sports betting outfit, provided they met certain conditions. Accel would have the right to share those payments with the establishments – often bars or restaurants – where those video gambling machines were located.
The gaming board quotes an email from Accel’s chief commercial officer, who asks for the agreement to specify that Accel will be sharing some revenue from DraftKings with business owners who have Accel machines.“We want it in the agreement so the gaming board can see that we are operating as a pass through for the commissions,” the email reads, according to regulators.
Another email noted, “We’d like to use the language of ‘participating partner establishments’ and clarify that we are passing these funds from [DraftKings] to the [video gambling establishments]. This is essential as we are not allowed to provide compensation to the partner from our funds as it could violate the [Illinois Gaming Board] inducement rules.”
The gaming board alleges that under the agreement Accel had complete control over the payments and planned to use them to curry favor with current and potential clients.
Six members of the House challenged the Madigan opponents to come together for “unity” in a letter that was leaked to WBEZ. Why push for continued Madigan leadership when he’s under so much heat? In large part because they want and need his expertise during the redrawing of legislative maps in 2021, which will allow them easy reelection prospects and continued one-party control in Springfield. Madigan knows how to draw highly partisan maps that protect the status quo. He has blocked every effort from Illinois citizens to take the process out of the hands of politicians.
The six trying to keep “outside forces” from meddling in “our leadership election” from the leaked letter are: House Democrats Fran Hurley, Justin Slaughter, John D’Amico and Nick Smith of Chicago; Mike Halpin of Rock Island; and Michael Zalewski of Riverside, whose own father has become embroiled in the ComEd investigation. Maybe Zalewski should sit this one out?
These lawmakers in their letter calling for self-preservation, for Democrats to “come together as a family,” claim that the speakership is theirs to decide. “Our” leadership election. Everyone else, stay out? No. They are public servants. Nothing is “theirs.”
To be clear, the Editorial Board with a history of animosity toward core issues that our Caucus holds dear has openly called for the House Republican Caucus to intervene in our leadership election. The inherent danger in even considering that premise cannot be understated.
For any outside forces, specifically those with ideological bents against social services, persons of color, women, veterans, public education and labor to even broach the idea that our Caucus’ leadership should be decided by any other voices but our own is disturbing. It poses a risk to our constituents we individually and collectively work to protect. For four years, our caucus stood united as the single barrier between Bruce Rauner, the Republican caucuses, the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board, and others who fought to destroy our state and our values. Meanwhile, we are the Caucus that delivered on promises to allow our citizens to marry who they choose to love; guarantee equal pay for women; raise the minimum wage; repeal the death penalty; legalize and regulate cannabis; mandate corporations prioritize diversity on their boards; develop a first-of- its-kind mental health reporting system for firearm ownership; require disinvestment of State funds from countries such as the Sudan and Iran, and pass a comprehensive capital bill. United, we are capable of fundamentally good things.
The reason the Editorial Board felt it had license to even make the suggestion is because we aren’t united—neither publicly, nor privately. This kind of pressure will only increase in the coming weeks, and, left to fester, cause damage to our mission to serve our constituents best. There is so much on the line. The time is short. The stakes are high.
They didn’t tell “everyone else” to stay out. They were concerned that certain types could try to step in and influence the outcome of an election that belongs to their own party. Even House Republican Leader Jim Durkin has refused to intervene in that way.
“What if” games are never quite accurate, but I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that Gov. J.B. Pritzker had the opportunity, and most probably the votes, to balance the state budget with an income tax hike during 2019, his “honeymoon” year with the General Assembly.
Instead, the governor came into office and proposed what was essentially a pension payment holiday and other magic budgetary solutions.
I was told in early 2019 by a high-level administration figure with influence over the budget that the Pritzker administration would not take the “easy” route of raising taxes and wanted to instead focus on the “hard” choices.
But hiking the flat tax to balance the budget ahead of a hoped-for 2020 change to the state Constitution to allow for a graduated income tax would not have been the “easy” route. A pension holiday was the easiest route he could’ve possibly taken. There was nothing “hard” about that, except for convincing legislators that shorting the pension funds was the right thing to do.
Pritzker’s budget was eventually saved by an unexpected tax receipt boost in the spring which eliminated the immediate need for a pension holiday, budget cuts or a new revenue infusion.
And then came 2020, the mother of all lousy years.
The international pandemic has punched all states and local governments in the fiscal gut. But the lack of preparedness hit Illinois even harder.
The state’s current revenue situation isn’t that bad in comparison to last fiscal year, partly because the state income tax filing deadline was moved from April to July, which is in the current fiscal year.
But because the governor’s Fair Tax failed, and because the current fiscal year’s budget depended upon those new revenues plus a nearly $5 billion federal bailout from the federal government, the state budget office last month projected a $3.9 billion deficit for the current fiscal year, which is now almost half over.
The immediate deficit projection has been lowered by $2 billion because the state is borrowing that money from the Federal Reserve, less than half the $5 billion it was eligible to receive.
That borrowing leaves the state with a $1.9 billion or so hole to fill by June 30, and Pritzker outlined $711 million in unilateral cuts last week.
$75 million of those reductions relies on an agreement with AFSCME, and the union appeared to reject the notion out of hand. Bruce Rauner’s attempt to wipe AFSCME out of existence backfired so badly that the union has been strengthened to the point where even asking for minor concessions is beyond difficult.
The governor pointed to the failure of his Fair Tax proposal as a big reason for the need to make cuts, and AFSCME countered by saying it was also all-in on the graduated income tax. But while Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden lost Sangamon County to President Donald Trump by just 4.3 percentage points (way down from Trump’s 9-point winning margin in 2016), the Fair Tax lost AFSCME’s home-base county by a whopping 26 points.
Heckuva job.
We can’t go back and change history and it’s often maddening to engage in the exercise. But, if the governor had just done the responsible thing in 2019 and used a flat tax hike to balance the budget when he could’ve drawn on an almost infinitely deep well of goodwill among his super-majority legislature, we wouldn’t be in nearly this mess right now. And he could’ve then painted the 2020 constitutional amendment vote as a very real and substantial income tax cut for 97% of the populace instead of the few dollars he ended up promising.
I’m only writing this now because when I laid out this very scenario in an early 2019 meeting with that high-level Pritzker person who has significant budget influence, I was laughed at and waved off with “We’re not taking the easy way out with a tax increase, Rich.”
Also, the governor said that he’ll need the General Assembly’s cooperation to make more cuts than the $711 million he outlined. That’s not totally true. Under Rauner, the vast majority of the state’s budget was put on auto-pilot, either by statute or by judges. A big chunk of that money falls under various consent decrees entered into by the state. The administration could attempt to change those consent decrees without any help from the legislature.
But doing so would bring enormous heat on the governor because those consent decrees involve things like minimum funding and staffing levels for the state’s care of children.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Friday that he and state health officials will no longer be holding daily coronavirus briefings, but will provide updates “as needed.”
Pritzker said he and Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike will end in-person COVID-19 updates because coronavirus numbers are “moving in the right direction.”
“I’ll start with some housekeeping that might bring some relief to our tireless press corps this holiday season,” Pritzker said. “We are moving away from daily press conferences, and instead returning to an as-needed basis.”
Friday marked the 42nd consecutive weekday coronavirus press briefing for the Illinois officials and the 155th since the pandemic began.
He took a break from them last summer and then ramped back up in the fall.
* Manny Sanchez is out as chairman of the Sports Facilities Authority. No word yet on why.
* The Senate has a new spring session schedule. Click here. It’s easier to cancel days than add them, so don’t count on the chamber being in session all of those days. No lame duck session days have yet been scheduled, although Senate President Harmon told me several days ago that he had asked his members to set aside the five days before inauguration, which would mean a January 8th return. And, of course, we’re still waiting on the House to issue its own calendar. The Senate apparently got tired of waiting.
* The SDems also released a list of new laws. Click here.
Governor JB Pritzker today announced the administration has provided over $1.3 billion in funding this year for businesses and families through COVID-19 emergency assistance programs. The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) has so far overseen the distribution of $214 million in funding to over 7,500 small businesses through the Business Interruption Grants program, with the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) providing more than $269 million in funding to 4,987 childcare providers through the same program. DCEO also oversees the Help for Illinois Families Initiative which includes programs that offer energy assistance to Illinois residents in need as well as emergency assistance for rent, temporary shelter and other necessities. The Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) has provided $325 million in emergency rental and mortgage assistance to 54,500 families.
“Over the summer, in partnership with the General Assembly, I announced a series of programs dedicated to supporting our small businesses and our working families hit hard by the economic impacts of COVID-19 – and structuring each with a significant on equity, ensuring that disproportionately impacted communities receive their fair share of support,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I’m especially proud to say Illinois led the nation in ensuring that our CARES dollars went to the front lines of the economic dislocation impacting the lives of the people we serve. From housing assistance to grants for small business impacted by the virus, the efforts launched by my administration amount to a unique and historic effort in Illinois to mitigate this virus’s devastating effects on the health and livelihoods of the residents of this state. While there is so much need that is still unmet and for which we need further support from Congress, Illinois has been a leader in protecting workers and small businesses with our CARES Act dollars.”
Help for Illinois Families Program
As of today, DCEO has provided $93 million in emergency funding to more than 155,000 households across the state through the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and the Community Services Block Grants (CSBG) programs, which are both part of the Help for Illinois Families initiative. Launched by the administration in June, the $275 million initiative was created to assist the growing number of families experiencing economic hardship as a result of COVID-19 by directing additional funding from the federal CARES Act and an expanded eligibility threshold to ensure more families statewide could benefit from assistance on utilities and other basic household bills.
“Given the enormous economic challenges facing many in our state as a result of COVID-19, state programs like Help for Illinois Families are being provided to help residents across our communities make ends meet,” said DCEO Director Erin Guthrie. “Under Governor Pritzker’s leadership, DCEO is proud that we’ve made record investments to serve more families this year, as part of more than $1 billion in aid launched so support communities in the wake of the crisis. For those still struggling– it’s not too late to apply, and we encourage that families in need reach out to DCEO or our community agency partners for help with basic household needs that may currently be out of reach.”
As a result of the Governor’s investments in this program, more than$80 million has been provided to 119,000 households for LIHEAP, with more than$13 million in direct client assistance costs provided to 36,000 households as part of the CSBG program. Funding has been provided to families in all 102 counties statewide, with tens of thousands of new households served so far this program year.
The Pritzker administration worked with the General Assembly to expand the program’s eligibility requirements to boost the income eligibility threshold to 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level, making an additional 1 million residents eligible for the program. The administration also adjusted requirements to LIHEAP to make it possible for undocumented families to receive assistance through the program for the first time.
“Since the pandemic has begun, CEDA has seen an unprecedented increase in the number of individuals seeking help with making ends meet,” said Harold Rice, Jr., Chief Executive Officer and President, CEDA. “Thankfully, the Governor’s Help for Illinois Families program recognizes the urgent needs our neighbors face as they struggle to pay bills, and provides critical assistance that will allow them to provide for their families and rebuild. We remain committed to ensuring every family has peace of mind during these challenging times.”
While many have already benefitted, the administration is urging families to claim the more than $180 million which remains available to help offset costs on heating, utilities, water, rent, food and other forms of basic assistance. To make applying for relief funding easy, DCEO has taken steps to streamline the process, providing a new virtual application process, technical assistance and other infrastructure that allows residents to complete the application from the comfort of their home. A new Help for Illinois Families hotline launched earlier this year offers assistance in over 30 languages, and CAAs provide services in a variety of languages to ensure access for all communities.
“The Champaign County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC) has certainly been on the frontlines of assisting families and individuals during this COVID -19 pandemic utilizing the Governor’s Help for Illinois Families programs,” said Dalitso Sulamoyo, Chief Executive Officer of CCRPC. “Our staff have applied a combination of approaches to be able to reach many families and individuals who have not sought our assistance in the past so that they get the help they desperately need during this challenging moment of our history. We are appreciative of Governor Pritzker’s leadership in ensuring that Illinois’s families and individuals are able to get the help they need.”
This program remains open and is accepting applications. For more information on how to apply and to find out about relief programs available near you, please visit www.helpillinoisfamilies.com today.
Business Interruption Grants
The Business Interruption Grant (BIG) program is a $540 million initiative Governor Pritzker developed in partnership with the Illinois General Assembly to provide economic relief for small businesses hit hardest by COVID-19. BIG is the largest program of its kind in the nation and uses federal CARES Act funds to provide grants to businesses in need. The program devotes $270 million for childcare businesses, and $270 million for all other small businesses demonstrating a significant impact or limited ability to operate during the pandemic.
DCEO, which oversaw the small business portion of the BIG program, recently concluded the second round of applications for grant funding. To date, the department has issued more than $214 million in grants to over 7,500 businesses statewide, using an equity framework to ensure that the hardest hit businesses in the hardest hit geographies would be prioritized for funding. As a result, grants have been deployed to a wide range of businesses representing more than 500 cities across the state, with nearly half of the grants provided to minority owned businesses, $98 million for restaurants and taverns, and nearly $80 million for downstate businesses. Moreover, the program has helped direct funding for the smallest and most vulnerable businesses in the state, with 85 percent committed to the smallest sized businesses, those with revenues of $1 million or less.
DCEO continues to review applications for the program and will make grants weekly over the next several weeks. BIG applicants will be notified if they will receive a grant award by December 30, 2020. More information on the DCEO program can be found here: https://www2.illinois.gov/dceo/SmallBizAssistance/pages/c19disadvantagedbusgrants.aspx.
As part of the broader BIG program, IDHS facilitated the release of $270 million in funding to aid child care providers across the state through the Child Care Restoration Grants (CCRG). The grants leveraged funds received by the state from the CARES Act, making Illinois the only state to dedicate this level of federal aid for child care programs.
“Under the bold and compassionate leadership of Governor Pritzker, one of our administration’s top priorities is investment in early childhood programs and the workforce that powers it – child care providers, teachers, and other caregivers. Providing support to these essential workers is critical to our economic recovery and getting families back to work. Thousands of children and families will benefit from the BIG grants. We will continue to work alongside DCEO, to help childcare businesses across the state get every dollar possible to help rebuild after an unprecedented pandemic,” said Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) Secretary Grace Hou.
Beginning in March, the majority of child care programs closed due to COVID-19, with the exception of providers who served the children of essential workers. The CCRG program offered relief to child care programs, with priority given to child care businesses serving disproportionately impacted areas.
“Operating a child care center during a pandemic has been difficult on many levels. The extra expenses we are incurring (cleaning supplies, PPE, extra staffing expenses), combined with a lowered capacity, make an already tight budget even tighter. We are thankful for the Child Care Restoration Grant,” said Chris Gansauer of Magic Building Block Child Care Center in Fairview Heights.
IDHS has released a total of $270 million in grant funding to nearly five thousand child-care providers located across the state. All outstanding BIG grantee applications will receive notification regarding potential funding by December 30, 2020.
“The grant worked well for me because it allowed me to continue to pay my assistant and keep my day care opened during these very low attendance months I am having due to COVID-19. I was able to continue my day to day operation without having to worry about closing down and losing my home or car due to inadequate income,” said home child care provider Monica Pierce.
Emergency Housing Assistance
In August, Governor Pritzker and IHDA announced two programs to help renters and homeowners who have lost a job or income due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the Emergency Rental Assistance and Emergency Mortgage Assistance Programs, IHDA allocated $325 million to help income-eligible residents across the state pay their rent or mortgage during the pandemic.
“Stable housing is essential to help Illinois families stay safe during this crisis, and IHDA remains committed to providing this critical support to the families and communities who have been hit hardest by the pandemic,” said IHDA Executive Director Kristin Faust. “Under the leadership of the Pritzker administration, IHDA mobilized to disburse these funds as equitably and as quickly as possible to provide much needed security against eviction and foreclosure, and we will continue to work diligently to help struggling households access this assistance before the end of 2020.”
Through the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERA), IHDA offered funding to support Illinois tenants unable to pay their rent due to a COVID-19-related loss of income. Eligible tenants whose applications were approved received a one-time grant of $5,000 paid directly to their landlord to cover missed rent payments beginning March 2020, as well as prepay on payments through this month, or until the $5,000 is exhausted. IHDA received nearly 79,000 applications for the program and assisted 38,000 households with rental payments.
IHDA also aided homeowners who experienced a COVID-19 related loss of income resulting in past due mortgage balances starting in March 2020. The Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program (EMA) provided eligible homeowners with up to $25,000 in grants paid directly to their mortgage servicer. The assistance provided covered the homeowner’s past due or forbearance balance and their regular mortgage payments through the end of this month, or until the funding was exhausted. IHDA received more than 18,000 applications and to date have assisted about 9,500 homeowners with $84 million total in grants. Applications for both programs have closed and repayment is not required.
Financial assistance for both housing programs was funded through Illinois’ allocation of federal Coronavirus Relief Funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (P.L. 116-136). Passed in March 2020, the CARES Act provided $3.5 billion in Coronavirus Relief Funds to the State of Illinois to help residents and businesses impacted by the pandemic. In May, the Illinois General Assembly directed this funding to IHDA to provide direct assistance to struggling renters and homeowners.
Local CURE Program
The Pritzker administration worked with the Illinois General Assembly and local government partners to launch the Local Coronavirus Urgent Remediation Emergency (CURE) program, aimed at leveraging federal CARES Act dollars to help municipalities reimburse costs incurred during the ongoing pandemic.
To date, more than $158 million has been paid out or is in the pipeline to help over 700 downstate communities cover the costs of COVID-19. This funding provides an essential boost, with funds that can be used for: PPE, payroll, contact tracing and other emergency public health expenses. Reimbursable expenses must be incurred between March 1 – December 30, 2020.
While a significant amount of payments have been made to date, much more funding remains available, and nearly 350 local governments have yet to claim their allotted costs. DCEO is working to support the remainder of cities and towns with submitting eligible costs through the program and has facilitated over 4,000 direct calls and emails to assist local leaders and to get the word out about the program. As a result of extensive outreach and technical assistance, payments to local governments through the program have more than doubled in the last month alone.
It’s not too late to claim costs through this program. The state of Illinois and DCEO continue to urge local governments to take advantage of their allocation and to leave no costs on the table. The program will continue accepting applications for eligible expenses through January 31, 2020. For more on Local CURE and to determine eligibility, please visit: https://www2.illinois.gov/dceo/Pages/CURE.aspx.
Yates told me I wasn’t asking the right questions. What I should have been asking was about how the coronavirus vaccine will implant people with the biblical “mark of the beast” from the Book of Revelation and allow them to be taken over by Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates.
* Catholic Conference of Illinois…
Recent days have brought hopeful news to the global fight against the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. A COVID-19 vaccine has been approved by federal regulators, shipped across the country and used to inoculate front-line health care workers. Authorization of another vaccine appears imminent.
As a faith community concerned about the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death, we realize that many may be questioning the moral permissibility of these vaccines. We, the Catholic bishops of Illinois, join entirely the document released by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “Moral Considerations Regarding the New COVID-19 Vaccines.” The document offers a detailed analysis of the origin of current vaccines and concludes that the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are morally acceptable. We urge all Catholics to read this document.
We thank the dedicated health care workers who have tended to and comforted those afflicted by the coronavirus, as well as their families. We express our gratitude to the resourceful scientists who have produced vaccines in record time and offer encouragement to those pursuing additional remedies. And we pray for all affected by this global health crisis, be it from the death of a loved one, illness from the virus, financial hardship or isolation from families and friends.
* Press release…
U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has awarded a total of $9.709 million in federal funding to Illinois to provide critical COVID-19 public health infrastructure support, such as data monitoring capabilities, for vaccination distribution and administration. The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) will receive $6,691,329 for vaccine distribution, laboratory support, and other activities, and the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) will receive $3,017,831 for these coronavirus response efforts.
Healthcare workers who treated the first COVID-19 cases in Illinois back in January at St. Alexius Hospital in Hoffman Estates are now getting inoculated with the Pfizer vaccine Friday.
“Today, I feel hopeful, because you know we’re able to get the vaccine now,” said Registered Nurse Claire Antemann.
The hospital made headlines almost a year ago when the second known COVID-19 case in the country walked through the doors and soon after, her spouse became the first person-to-person transmission of the virus in the U.S.
Friday, some of the frontline workers, physicians, nurses and more that helped care for that exact couple, is getting care themselves with a shot in the arm.
Pfizer is pushing back on the Trump administration’s suggestion that the company is having trouble producing its COVID-19 vaccine, saying it’s ready to ship millions more doses – once the government asks for them. As the company spoke out, several states said their vaccine allocations for next week have been sharply reduced.
*** UPDATE *** Press release…
U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after receiving the first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine:
“The Attending Physician of the Capitol notified all Members of Congress and staff that, consistent with Presidential Policy Directive, Congress and the Supreme Court – along with Executive Branch agencies – would be provided and encouraged administration of the COVID-19 vaccine to meet the requirements for continuity of government operations. Therefore, I received my first Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination today. I trust our public health and medical experts and encourage everyone, in consultation with your personal physician, to do the same as the distribution process continues so we can collectively end this pandemic.”
* The Case for Vaccinating Prisoners: For example, a study of the Cook County Jail in Chicago early in the pandemic found that inmates going in and out of the facility accounting for 55 percent of the variance in case rates across zip codes in Chicago and 37 percent in Illinois. Neighborhoods where prisoners were being released, in other words, had higher rates of infection.
The 34-year-old Illinois House Deputy Minority Leader has most recently been in the news as the leading Republican on the House Special Investigating Committee of Democratic Speaker Michael Madigan. He’s also one of the House Republicans’ lead negotiators on the state budget and Medicaid legislation.
“Tom, I think, fits the profile of what the Republican Party needs to put forward in this next election cycle,” Durkin said in a phone call this week, praising Demmer’s budget skills and ability to distill the complicated document into “common language.”
Jeffrey Brincat – a political donor who supported Rauner’s two campaigns, was appointed by the former governor to the Illinois Racing Board and served as finance chair on the campaigns of former U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk and former U.S. Rep. Bob Dold, both Republicans – said in a phone call this week he will also back Demmer.
Whether for governor, U.S. Senate or another position, he has not decided.
I actually like Demmer a lot and think he would be a good face for his party. Personally, I hope he runs for reelection because I think he’s a highly valuable member of Durkin’s team. But, hey, I get it, people catch the move-up itch. As a friend said today, maybe he’ll wind up running for Congress if Adam Kinzinger aims for governor. The state would be fortunate to have him in DC.
It’s just kinda odd that CNI would expend so much energy on a story about a legislator who hasn’t yet decided what office to seek.
State and local governments face about $500 billion in revenue shortfalls from the pandemic, spread over three fiscal years, research published this fall by the Brookings Papers on Economic Activity estimates. […]
Calculations from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office support the case for more aid, concluding that money for states and localities provided the most cost-effective economic boost of any of the provisions in the first wave of economic assistance this spring. […]
Influential conservative groups like Americans for Tax Reform and Heritage Action for America have called the issue a “red line for conservatives.”
“When you have less money, it makes you do reforms to reduce spending,” said Grover Norquist, the president of Americans for Tax Reform. “Don’t bail them out,” he said, “or there will be no normal budget discipline.”
The CBO report is here. Of all the items in the spring stimulus package, the aid to state and local governments had the best projected GDP return, including direct payments to individuals. Also, the chief economist at Moody’s Analytics said several months ago that the $500 billion in revenue shortfalls could shrink GDP by 2 percent.
Six of the seven states that are expected to suffer the biggest revenue declines over the next two years are red — states led by Republican governors and won by President Trump this year, according to a report from Moody’s Analytics.
States are still broadly hurting from the economic crisis. But California now expects a one-time windfall this fiscal year. Wisconsin said it might still be able to sock away some revenue in its rainy day fund. Maryland nudged up its projected revenues, for the second time this fall. And Minnesota now forecasts a surplus.
This good news reflects in part the dire economic expectations of six months ago; even modest numbers look good now compared with the worst fears written into state budgets in the spring. And state officials say they’ll still need federal help, as they expect the pandemic’s effects to drag on for years and to batter local governments. Federal help, after all, is part of what has buoyed them so far.
The states with rosier forecasts also complicate the political fight in Washington over state aid, which is likely to get pushed into the new year after lawmakers dropped the aid from a year-end stimulus deal nearing completion. Republicans have characterized state aid as a bailout for profligate blue states. But many states that are looking better now have among the most progressive tax structures in the country, and that is part of what has rescued them this year.
This recession, distinct from many before it, has piled its worst effects on low-wage workers. That means that state budgets that rely the most on wealthier residents to fund government haven’t been hurt as much by an economic crisis that left the well-off largely unscathed. [Emphasis added]
Many of the same people who are now arguing against federal money for state and local governments also argued against a graduated income tax here. Just sayin…
* Good to see the test positivity rate fall below 10 percent. Press release…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 7,377 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 181 additional deaths.
- Adams County: 1 male 80s
- Boone County: 1 male 80s, 2 females 90s, 1 male 90s
- Cass County: 1 female 70s
- Clay County: 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
- Cook County: 2 males 40s, 2 females 50s, 4 males 50s, 6 females 60s, 8 males 60s, 7 females 70s, 14 males 70s, 11 females 80s, 9 males 80s, 8 females 90s, 5 males 90s
- Cumberland County: 1 male 90s
- DeKalb County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 70s
- Douglas County: 1 male 90s
- DuPage County: 1 male 40s, 1 male 50s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
- Effingham County: 1 female 100+
- Ford County: 2 males 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
- Fulton County: 1 male 80s
- Grundy County: 1 male 80s
- Hancock County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s
- Iroquois County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s
- Jasper County: 1 male 80s
- Jefferson County: 1 male 50s, 1 female 60s, 1 male 80s
- Jersey County: 1 female 90s
- Kane County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s
- Kankakee County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s
- Knox County: 1 male 70s
- Lake County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 70s, 3 females 80s, 1 male 80s, 5 females 90s
- LaSalle County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s
- Lawrence County: 1 male 70s
- Livingston County: 1 male 70s, 2 females 80s
- Logan County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
- Madison County: 1 female 60s, 1 female 80s
- Marion County: 1 female 50s, 2 males 70s
- McHenry County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
- McLean County: 1 female 60s
- Morgan County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 90s
- Ogle County: 1 male 70s
- Peoria County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 90s
- Rock Island County: 2 males 70s
- Sangamon County: 1 male 50s, 1 female 60s, 1 male 70s, 1 male 90s
- Shelby County: 1 male 70s
- St. Clair County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
- Stephenson County: 1 male 80s
- Tazewell County: 2 females 80s, 1 male 90s, 1 female 100+
- Warren County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
- Wayne County: 1 male 70s
- White County: 1 female 70s
- Whiteside County: 1 female 80s
- Will County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 3 males 80s, 1 male 90s
- Williamson County: 1 male 60s
- Winnebago County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s
- Woodford County: 2 females 80s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 886,805 cases, including 15,015 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 112,292 specimens for a total 12,259,595. As of last night, 4,690 in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 1,023 patients were in the ICU and 589 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from December 11 – December 17, 2020 is 8.0%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from December 11 – December 17, 2020 is 9.7%.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in real-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. Information for a death previously reported has changed, therefore, today’s numbers have been adjusted. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
Attorneys have launched multiple investigations on behalf of families whose loved ones died from COVID-19 following exposure at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home.
The families of Korean War veterans Richard Cieski and Anthony Samolinski want to know how the facility could have failed to protect the men, who shared a lunch table, from the novel coronavirus.
Since reporting began in March, the veterans home has reported 209 infections and 33 COVID-19 related deaths. A massive outbreak at the state-run facility in November led to 75 veterans and 48 staff members testing positive for the virus. Media reports say that many staff members attended an off-site Halloween party that might have led to the outbreak, the second experienced by the veterans facility. Other reports indicate that staff members were given 3-day tests for the virus and continued to work at the facility during the 3-day period while they awaited results. The state’s Dept. of Veterans Affairs has admitted that hand sanitizer used at the facility was found ineffective against the virus.
The home had a previous outbreak in May that resulted in 53 coronavirus cases and two deaths.
Levin & Perconti, a law firm nationally renowned for its work representing victims in nursing home abuse and neglect cases, is working with the Cieski and Samlinski families to investigate the causes of the November outbreak and could file lawsuits on their behalf. The firm has already filed suits on behalf of COVID victims in a dozen private nursing homes across the state.
“What we’ve seen in looking at other cases is that there’s a consistent pattern of gross negligence among facilities where these massive outbreaks happen,” said Levin & Perconti founding partner Steven Levin. “There are well-documented ways to protect nursing home residents from infection, clearly outlined in federal guidelines, but when leaders fail to put those protocols into practice, we see the results. These are predictable and avoidable tragedies.”
* The 2020 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Legislative Liaison goes to Amanda Elliot at ISBE…
Amanda is the go to person at ISBE for legislators, lobbyists and staff. She knows her stuff. She’s passionate and believes in what she is working on. She always returns calls and emails and I wouldn’t want to be on the other side of any bill she is against!
* The 2020 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Statewide Staffer goes to Ellen Andres with the Comptroller’s Office…
As you may have seen, she was profiled in a number of articles for taking extreme measures early on during the COVID crisis - when much was unknown and people were experiencing a lot of fear - to ensure that PPE could be obtained by the state for front line service providers. This included a 3.5 hour race against the clock down I-55 to make a payment to a vendor who then deposited a check to purchase PPE in China.
Her office never closed. Staff was rotated in and managed in shifts on site so that payments - many millions of checks - have been delivered.
Dr. Ngozi Ezike received some nominations, but I don’t consider an agency director to be a staffer. Also, as I mentioned several days ago, I unilaterally awarded her the 2020 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best State Agency Director.
* On to today’s category…
Lifetime Achievement
This can be for an elected official, lobbyist, staff member, etc. The person doesn’t have to be retired or deceased. But it would probably be helpful if the person did something particularly important this crazy year, as well as in prior years. And, as always, please make sure to explain your nomination or it won’t count. Thanks.
Guns were drawn, even on small children, when Chicago officers raided a family’s home. Dave Savini is investigating why this happened and how this family will never be the same.
“One guy said you better shut the F up if you know any better,” said Peter Mendez.
Peter was 9 when the trauma began. It was dinner time when Chicago police busted his front door open, invading his family’s home.
“Assault rifles, maybe like a few pistols,” Peter recalled.
His little brother Jack was by his side that night shaking with fear. […]
The CBS 2 investigators found officers from the 11th district used a search warrant filled with mistakes, even the judge’s printed name as required by police order is missing.
In fact, police tell CBS2 they don’t even have their own copy of the warrant or any record the warrant even exists.
“I think the Chicago Police Department needs to be held accountable. They came in and tore our home up. They tore our lives upside down, and we’ve never been the same,” said Hester Mendez.
She says police refused to show her the warrant but after an hour of searching she caught a glimpse of it and saw the two people actually named in the warrant lived in a different unit in that same apartment building.
Last year Peter Mendez tearfully told his story of police wrongly raiding his home and pointing guns at him and his family. Now he is thrilled because Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Peter Mendez Act this week.
It’s a new law to protect kids and is the result of a CBS 2 investigation. […]
[Sen. Jacqueline Collins, D-Chicago] sponsored the legislation requiring police training on how children experience trauma by police actions and training on de-escalation tactics for when children are involved.
* The Sun-Times published a letter from Sen. Collins today…
What remedy exists for what happened to Anjanette Young in February 2019? What restitution is truly just when police, acting on poor information, raided her home and handcuffed her while she was naked and pleading with them, only to be yelled at and told to calm down?
Nearly two years later, there has been no disciplinary action against the officers. Indeed, we only heard of Anjanette’s terrifying situation 22 months after it occurred, following what appears to be a coordinated, bureaucratic effort to deny giving her footage of the incident from officers’ body cameras.
The City of Chicago and the Chicago Police Department remain more concerned with covering up these wrongful raids than stopping them.
Ms. Young was not guilty of any crime, and police raided her house in error. As I made clear when I sponsored the Peter Mendez Act (Public Act 101-224) mandating better training in the event of raids on homes where children are present, raids like these are civil rights violations.
Bursting into the home of someone who has not been convicted of a crime and handcuffing them naked, then forcing them to air this indignity publicly to have any hope for justice, is a civil rights violation whether or not that person is eventually convicted of a crime. These actions are not about public safety or deterring criminal activity. It is about sending a message that police may do as they please.
More than a year since the documentary “[un]warranted” aired young Peter Mendez’s story, people like Peter’s family and like Anjanette Young must fight tooth and nail for Chicago to even acknowledge the wrongs done to them. This cannot stand. We must see accountability on the part of the Chicago Police Department and the City of Chicago.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Thursday acknowledged that she has known since November 2019 that Chicago police officers handcuffed a naked woman during a mistaken raid of her home in February 2019. […]
Lightfoot acknowledged that the raid — and efforts by city lawyers to prevent Young from getting a copy of the video and to stop CBS2-TV from publishing the video — had damaged her efforts to reform the Chicago Police Department. […]
Officers will now need a top department official to sign off on a no-knock warrant, Brown said. Those warrants will only be approved in cases where there is an imminent risk to someone’s health and safety, Brown said.
Lightfoot on Wednesday said she would not suspend the practice of no-knock warrants, which allow officers to enter a home without announcing themselves, like the one that occurred in Young’s home.
I do not understand why anyone even asks for no-knock warrants if there’s no imminent threat. But the complete lack of humanity displayed by officers in the Anjanette Young case (and others) certainly makes a strong case for much stronger police reforms in general, including strict and tough licensing.
* The BND has a really good story about 2020 today, but here’s a brief excerpt…
Lack of awareness or recognition of the pandemic’s deadliness costs lives, and not just those who are sick with COVID-19, said Dr. Jeff Ripperda, a family medicine doctor at Shawnee Healthcare in Murphysboro.
He had to send a terminally ill cancer patient to a hospital more than a hundred miles away because all the local intensive care units were taken by COVID-19 patients. She needed intensive care to help her die a peaceful death.
“The problem that she ran into? There were no beds available for her. She wasn’t able to stay in Murphysboro because she was too sick. Carbondale, no ICU beds. Herrin, no ICU beds. Marion, no ICU beds. Cape Girardeau, no ICU beds. The metro-east, no ICU beds.
“Someone who wants to go to a bar on Friday night might say ‘that has nothing to do with me’ but they’re wrong, it has everything to do with them.”
A close family member of mine had the very same problem getting admitted to a hospital this week.
If Speaker Madigan wants to continue in a position of enormous public trust with such a serious ethical cloud hanging over his head, then he has to, at the very least, be willing to stand in front of the press and the people to answer every last question to their satisfaction. Written statements and dodged investigatory hearings are not going to cut it. If the speaker cannot commit to that level of transparency, then the time has come for him to resign as speaker.
* From Gov. Pritzker’s news media conference on Tuesday…
Q: The committee looking into Madigan concluded yesterday, and the speaker did not testify, nor has he come out and answered all the questions from the press, or residents of the state. Should Madigan step down as speaker?
A: Well I’ve said time and time again that the speaker needs to answer questions. These are very troubling allegations against him. And the next phase of this is clearly in the hands of the General Assembly, but I’m really disappointed that with the forum of the special committee that that was not taken up as an opportunity to answer questions. But listen, the speaker can call a press conference today, he can call one right now and answer questions and I would hope that he will.
So, as you just heard right there, the governor is no longer calling for the speaker’s resignation, but the speaker never answered any questions in front of the media.
* Maybe a quick check with the governor’s office before making such a bold statement, or perhaps even submitting a question to the governor himself Wednesday or Thursday? So, I checked in with Jordan Abudayyeh just in case I was the one who missed something…
The Governor’s stance on this issue remains the same. The people of Illinois deserve answers and just like the Governor said this week, he stands up and answers questions from the press every day. The Speaker can do the same.
The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District removed the food permit of Apple Dumplin’, 2014 N. High Cross Road, for continuing to serve indoors, but the restaurant continued to operate without the permit, according to health district Administrator Julie Pryde. […]
Earlier Wednesday, Flanigan contended it’s not illegal to serve indoors, and that he believes Gov. J.B. Pritzker would have had to turn to the state Legislature to pass a law banning indoor restaurant and bar service beyond 30 days of the original order back in March.
Apple Dumplin’ restaurant is now under a temporary court order forbidding its continued operation without a valid health permit.
In a hearing Thursday, Judge Benjamin Dyer ruled in favor of the Champaign County Public Health Department — which is staffed and run by the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District — and granted a temporary restraining order prohibiting the restaurant at 2014 N. High Cross Road, U from operating as a food establishment without a health permit. […]
Apple Dumplin’ owners Jim and Kathryn Flaningam had continued to operate their restaurant with indoor service after health district authorities first issued warnings, then revoked the restaurant’s health permit last week. […]
After granting the county’s motion for a temporary restraining order, Dyer also denied a temporary restraining order sought by the Flaningams’ attorney, Thomas DeVore. That was in connection with a separate but related case the Flaningams filed against the Champaign County Public Health Department and Administrator Julie Pryde after their health permit was revoked.
These frivolous, downright harmful lawsuits need to end.
To change things in Illinois, Democrats first must take the courageous step to vote Madigan out of power. And then they must agree to reforms in House rules that start breaking down the hermetically-sealed decision-making structure Madigan has enjoyed all these years — so that we don’t replace him with someone else who can wield the same unchecked power.
