Our sorry state
Tuesday, Mar 23, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sarah Mansur at Capitol News Illinois …
A joint report from two state agencies and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs found Illinois’ four state-run veterans homes lack standardized infection prevention policies despite previous audits suggesting they be implemented.
The report from the Interagency Infection Prevention Project, or IIPP, calls for the facilities to create a new infection control position and increase staffing and training.
The goal of the IIPP is to “support an integrated and comprehensive response to COVID-19” at the state’s veterans homes, according to the joint report of the Illinois Department of Public Health, Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs and USDVA. […]
The LaSalle home has reported 36 resident deaths due to COVID-19 since November. The homes at Quincy and Manteno have also experienced coronavirus outbreaks that have resulted in 24 and 19 resident deaths, respectively. The home in Anna did not report any resident deaths resulting from COVID-19 related illnesses, according to the report.
Go read the rest.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, we need a real debate about whether the state should even be involved in directly providing this service.
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Pollapalooza
Tuesday, Mar 23, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Normington Petts poll taken for the Illinois Education Association February 11-21 of 1,000 Illinois adults reached via phone and online. Margin of error was +/-3.1 percent…
Would you say things in Illinois today are generally headed in the RIGHT DIRECTION or would you say things are off on the WRONG TRACK?
RIGHT DIRECTION 41%
WRONG TRACK 51%
DON’T KNOW 7%
The perception of the state is still underwater, but those are the best numbers I’ve seen in quite a long time. The Simon Poll has been showing a steady increase in the state’s “right direction” number since the 2018 election…
* OK, on to the IEA’s press release…
The Illinois Education Association (IEA) today released its third annual State of Education report, the only bipartisan poll asking Illinoisans about all aspects of public schools. There is a teacher shortage and the results show that Illinoisans believe COVID-19 will only make the problem worse. Also, the data show the COVID-19 pandemic has made teaching and learning more difficult, Illinoisans continue to trust educators most when it comes to all school-related matters and there is wide support for IEA’s health and safety related standards for schools during a pandemic.
“The people have spoken. They understand that COVID-19 has been difficult for students, educators and everyone else in our public-school system,” IEA President Kathi Griffin said. “In addition, they also support solutions that will make health and safety a top priority and ensure everyone in our schools is safe.”
Seventy-nine percent of Illinoisans are in favor of the following:
• Establish clear metrics, so districts know when to switch to remote learning to keep students and staff safe;
• Enforce guidance and requirements put forth by the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois State Board of Education, and heed the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control;
• Provide rapid COVID-19 testing in schools so infected students and staff can be identified before they spread the virus;
• Ensure education employees are not forced to work while ill.
The data show that on the whole, the public is very concerned about the teacher shortage and COVID-19 exacerbating the problem.
* Some selected questions and responses…
Do you think that public school teachers in your community are paid too little, too much or about right?
Too little 51%
Too much 12%
About right 31%
(Don’t know) 4%
I support the new law that sets the minimum teacher salary in Illinois at $40,000 per year
As you may know, teachers in Illinois don’t pay into and therefore do not collect Social Security when they retire. Do you think that Illinois teachers should receive their full pension, see their pensions cut some or see their pensions eliminated?
Full pension 73%
Cut some 16%
Eliminated 6%
(Don’t know) 5%
Thinking about public school teachers in Illinois over the last year or so during the pandemic, do you think that teaching during the coronavirus pandemic has been much easier, somewhat easier, somewhat harder, or much harder for teachers?
* Also, respondents were asked to rate these priorities from zero to ten. Here are the “high” ratings, in other words, the percent of those who chose 8-10…
Having high quality public schools 76%
Cleaning up corruption in state government 76%
Lowering taxes 65%
Reforming the state pension systems 49%
Balancing the state budget 65%
Reducing crime 74%
Jobs and economic growth 77%
Reducing racial divisions 63%
Reforming health care 64%
These pension-related responses are not unique to this poll, by the way. People are far more supportive of retirees than some folks would have you think.
More results and crosstabs are here.
* Also, you may have read a Tribune article this week about The COVID States Project’s polling. But the survey’s reporting is incredibly opaque. They only tell you approval numbers for governors and leave out results for disapproval and no opinion (and won’t provide them when asked), which seems silly to me. Also, while they claim the February polling for Illinois had a margin of error of “6,” they don’t disclose how many people were surveyed. And there’s some question about its nonprobability methodology, but that method is picking up adherents these days after some success last year (including with the polling I commissioned).
With that being said…
Ongoing surveys conducted by The COVID States Project, involving researchers from a four-university consortium that includes Northwestern, have monitored public attitudes surrounding the pandemic.
The group found that public approval of Pritzker’s handling of the pandemic has gone from 63.2% in the second half of April, about one month into his issuance of emergency restrictions, to 44.7% in February, the lowest of any sampling period in the survey.
That seems to be the norm…
The average governor has witnessed a small drop in approval since October (dropping from 48% in October to 46% in February, part of a long term decline in governor approval since we began our survey in April, when it was 64%).
However, the project found that Democratic governors tended to see an increase in approval, which Pritzker did not.
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* Press release…
Building on efforts to create more equitable access to economic growth and recovery, Governor JB Pritzker today signed four pieces of landmark legislation that expand economic opportunity in Illinois. The legislative package further advances the administration’s priorities of establishing strong economic policies and programs for all Illinoisans, with a heightened equity focus on communities and residents that have been disproportionally impacted by longstanding disinvestment.
This package is comprised of four bills: Senate Bill (SB) 1480, SB 1608, SB 1792, and SB 1980. The legislation includes measures that aim to prevent employers from discriminating against people with criminal records, expand access to state contracts for minority-owned businesses, women, and individuals with disabilities, reduce interest on payday loans, and improve access to public housing.
“Together, these four bills mark significant progress in our efforts to close the racial gaps and eliminate barriers that have for too long unfairly held Black and Brown Illinoisans back,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This pillar advances our common vision of equity and inclusion by recognizing and addressing communities that have historically been cut out of the conversation. I want to recognize the extraordinary work of those who helped shape these bills: the entire Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, the Illinois Department of Human Rights and Department of Labor, and the many advocates engaged in the fight for economic justice. While there is more work to do, we are a better state for what’s in this legislation today.”
“Communities of color have waited for far too long for this kind of economic equity reform. It is long overdue,” said House Speaker Chris Welch (D-Westchester). “This is a monumental step toward our mission of addressing systemic racism by expanding economic access and opportunity. I applaud Governor Pritzker and the advocates who fought for this critical legislation and I look forward to continue to work on bringing about economic equity in the lives of all Illinoisans.”
“Since this nation’s inception, there’s been a massive disparity in access to economic opportunity in America. This imbalance affects all aspects of life, especially housing and access to capital,” said Sen. Chris Belt (D-Centreville). “If the federal government won’t take the lead, Illinois will. It’s time our state reaches its full potential, giving Middle America a beacon to strive toward.”
“These measures are a major step forward not only for the residents of undeserved and disadvantaged communities, but the state as a whole. This package will help give a pathway to opportunity for Illinoisans who have had obstacles in their path due to systemic problems facing communities including disinvestment and racism,” said ILBC Joint Caucus Chairperson State Rep. Sonya Harper (D-Chicago).
Extended Human Rights Protections
The Employee Background Fairness Act, Senate Bill 1480, extends protections outlined in the Illinois Human Rights Act (IHRA) to any Illinois resident with a conviction record. Under this new law, Illinois employers can no longer disqualify a job applicant or employee with a conviction record unless it is substantially related to the job.
Illinois currently has measures in place to protect justice impacted individuals, including barring discrimination based on arrest records and inquiring about an applicant’s criminal history until later stages of the application process. SB 1480 adds another layer of protection for anyone who has come into contact with public law enforcement. Any person who believes they are experiencing discrimination at work or with a potential job because of their conviction record can now file a charge of discrimination with the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR).
“The IDHR is proud to have supported this fundamental, long-overdue piece of legislation,” said IDHR Director Jim Bennett. “Today’s SB 1480 signing is a major step in ensuring anyone - no matter their past - is treated with dignity and respect when searching for work in Illinois. The IDHR is looking forward to working with Illinois employers as we implement these changes.”
Gregory Chambers from Restoring Rights and Opportunities Coalition of Illinois said, “I just want a fair chance to be a productive member of society. This bill gives me a fair chance to get a job and provide for my family.”
To assist Illinois employers and jobseekers, the IDHR has developed a comprehensive FAQ. For more information, please visit IDHR’s website.
Senate Bill 1480 also strengthens the Illinois Equal Pay Act, requiring private-sector employers of more than 100 employees to obtain equal pay registration certificates from the Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL). The legislation requires qualifying employers to provide proof of the total wages paid each employee during the prior year as well as the gender, race and ethnicity of the employees.
The law also contains audit provisions and whistleblower protections, and provides for a civil penalty in an amount equal to 1 percent of the business’s gross profits for a business that does not obtain a certificate, or if a business’s certificate is suspended or revoked after an investigation by the Illinois Department of Labor.
Businesses subject to the new law are required to recertify with the Illinois Department of Labor every two years.
“The Department of Labor is in the process of implementing the new requirements of the law. We continue to meet with stakeholders on this new law and will be communicating instructions for registration,” said Illinois Department of Labor Director Michael Kleinik.
The legislation takes effect immediately.
Expanded Economic Opportunity
The Economic Opportunity Bill (SB 1608) creates the Illinois Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). This new act sets state standards for the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) to examine low- and moderate-income lending by state-chartered banks, credit unions and non-bank mortgage lenders. The Act aims to incentivize more safe lending into low- and moderate-income communities by Illinois financial institutions. Illinois becomes the first state in the Midwest to pass a state level CRA and is just the second state in the country to include non-bank mortgage lenders-institutions that are not covered in the federal CRA.
“The Illinois Community Reinvestment Act gives IDFPR the authority to ensure that the financial institutions of this state, including state banks, credit unions, and non-mortgage lenders, are incentivized to provide lending and general banking services to economically disadvantaged communities,” said Chasse Rehwinkel, IDFPR Acting Director of Banking.
Senate Bill 1608 also amends the existing Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities Act (BEP Act), updates the state’s procurement code to increase the diversity of businesses contracting with the State and establishes policies and commissions that strive to increase economic opportunity for all Illinois residents, regardless of race or background. The legislation grants the BEP Council the ability to review contracts granted by state agencies or public institutions if the contract has a history of disparities and establish a strategy to remove the root-causes for the disparity.
To ensure state contractors are reflective of Illinois’ communities, the legislation amends the Illinois Procurement Code to include diversity for consideration during the request for proposal (RFP) process. The bill also establishes new criteria for the evaluation of RFPs, requiring 20 percent of points given during the scoring of state contracts to be awarded based on the vendor’s commitment to diversity and additional equity measures.
Other provisions outlined in the legislation include, but are not limited to: creation of a Commission on Equity and Inclusion, the establishment of an African Descent Citizens Reparations Commission by the Illinois Central Management Services (CMS), a new annual required report from all state agencies and public higher-education institutions on race and gender that includes salary information, and the development of a new community development loan program that will guarantee small business loans and consumer loans to borrowers of color or who reside in low-income communities and would not otherwise qualify.
“Our nation’s systems were designed to keep Black people from owning businesses, buying homes and fostering economically prosperous communities. To achieve real equity in Illinois, we must dismantle these systems and rebuild them in a way that gives African Americans the chance to succeed,” Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) said. “This package of legislation is a critical step toward leveling the playing field and empowering Black Illinoisans to rise to their full potential as entrepreneurs, homeowners, company executives and more.”
“CMS is proud to support the realization of SB 1608 which expands economic development opportunities and greater representation and participation of historically disinvested communities of color. The agency is also eager to work with the Commission to review and develop additional measures that ensure equity and equality,” said Janel L. Forde, CMS Director.
SB 1608 takes effect immediately except for Articles one and 40, which take effect January 1, 2022.
Predatory Loan Prevention
The Predatory Loan Prevention Act (SB 1792), would directly address long-standing inequities by prohibiting lenders from charging more than 36 percent APR (annual percentage rate) on consumer loans. High-cost, small-dollar loans heighten the racial wealth gap, and stopping high interest payday lending is a significant step toward immediate relief for consumers.
In Illinois, the average APR on a payday loan is 297 percent, and the average APR on a title loan is 179 percent. While the existing federal law already protects active-duty military with a 36 percent APR cap, this legislation would extend the same protection to Illinois veterans and all other consumers.
Illinois families pay over $500 million per year in payday and title loan fees, which is the fourth highest in the nation. With this legislation, Illinois will join a bipartisan, nationwide trend that provides families with more economic stability. Currently, 17 states in addition to the District of Columbia have caps of 36 percent or lower.
“Just as it is with redlining, with bias in insurance rates, and with the ongoing disparity in home lending, this is not just about financial ethics. It’s about racial justice,” said Sen. Jaqueline Collins (D-Chicago). “There is a growing understanding among Illinoisans that these financial systems target people of color and entrench racial poverty. When we have honest, hard conversations, we can topple barriers.”
“Providing access to affordable, small loans to assist families during times of economic stress, such as vehicle breakdowns and unexpected medical bills, is an important and just way to lift families out of debt, particularly in communities of color that have historically been disproportionately impacted by high cost loans,” said Deborah Hagan, Secretary of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. “I applaud the historic work of Governor Pritzker and the Black Caucus and look forward to implementing this new law to benefit of Illinois consumers.”
“Some lenders charge 179%-297% interest. That is just criminal. I commend the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus and Governor Pritzker for making this legislation a reality at such a critical time as more people are struggling to make ends meet and turning to payday and auto title lenders,” said Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza.
“We applaud Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus for championing the passage of the Predatory Loan Prevention Act,” said Rachel Ruttenberg, Director of Policy at Heartland Alliance. “This important law provides financial security and stops predatory, high-cost lending practices, which have widened the racial wealth gap and disproportionately targeted communities of color with payday and car title lending.”
“Today is the culmination of over 20 years of advocacy,” said Brent Adams, Senior Vice President of Policy & Communication at Woodstock Institute. “Thanks to the leadership of the Legislative Black Caucus, Illinois will go from being home to some of the worst abuses in the industry to setting a new bar in consumer financial protection.”
SB 1792 takes effect immediately.
Equity in Public Housing Access
The Public Housing Access Bill (SB 1980 HFA2) allows an individual with a felony conviction to live in federally assisted housing, helping to end the cycle of recidivism. While there are more than 100 Illinois Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) in Illinois, too many families are unable to access these resources. Currently, each PHA sets their own admissions criteria, with varying regulations for granting housing to individuals with criminal records.
To create more housing stability and address the risk of homelessness, SB 1980 HFA2 creates standards for PHAs to use in the criminal background screening process. A few provisions in this screening process includes limiting PHAs from considering records that did not lead to a finding of guilt, expunged or sealed records, or juvenile records. It would require each PHA to keep records of the number of individuals who were in the criminal legal system who apply for public housing. Additionally, the process would establish an internal reviewer to examine criminal history reports, identify eligible offenses for consideration, and only share the relevant records with the decision-makers in the public housing authority.
“Everyone deserves a place to lay their head at night without the shame of their past following them,” said Josephine Horace-Jackson, a Restoring Rights and Opportunities Coalition of Illinois member. “Increasing access to public housing is a vital step in ending homelessness and ensuring formerly incarcerated individuals have a fair opportunity for a better future. We would like to thank Governor Pritzker, Senator Christopher Belt, Senator Jacqueline Collins, Representative Sonya Harper, Representative Delia Ramirez, and all the members of the Illinois General Assembly for supporting this legislation.”
SB 1980 takes effect immediately.
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It’s just a bill
Tuesday, Mar 23, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Finally, some good news for Pembroke Township…
This afternoon, State Rep. Jackie Haas (R-Kankakee) presented her first bill before committee for the first time as a lawmaker. House Bill 3404 specifically addresses the energy accessibility concerns of Pembroke Township. Upon the bill’s passage, Rep. Haas released the following statement:
“I am pleased to report that this important legislation was approved by the House Public Utilities Committee. The bill has bipartisan support from local, state and federal government officials because it makes a decades-old dream of extending a natural gas pipeline into Pembroke Township a reality. Residents lack utilities and services that so many of us take for granted. Currently, they rely on propane, wood-burning stoves and electrical space heaters. Natural gas is both an economic driver for underdeveloped communities—keeping residential fuel costs affordable and attracting new businesses–and environmentally, a major contributor to global emissions reductions. Providing safe, reliable and clean energy to Pembroke Township presents a unique opportunity to chart a better trajectory for our neighbors who have to this point been left behind.”
Next, the bill will be considered by the full chamber on the House floor.
On background:
* Pembroke Township is located in the eastern section of the 79th legislative district, on the Illinois-Indiana border. It is a rural area known to have many disparities—limited access to jobs, services, little to no economic development, and food deserts chief among them.
* According to 2019 Census estimates, there are about 1,700 residents with a median income of $18,900.
* A steering committee headed by Hopkins Park Mayor Mark Hodge has met for nearly two years to address the following issues: energy accessibility, economic development, infrastructure, funding and grants, and broadband connectivity. Committee stakeholders include State Rep. Haas, State Sen. Patrick Joyce (D-Park Forest), Rev. Jesse Jackson and the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, Nicor Gas, county elected officials and chambers of commerce, local business owners and residents.
Politicians have promised improvements to Hopkins Park for years and nothing much has ever really happened. George Ryan wanted to build a prison there in order to finally get sewer, water and gas service to the community, but Rod Blagojevich killed it and instead gave them some gravel for their sand roads (not a joke).
Nicor is pushing this bill, so kudos to them.
* Injustice Watch…
A bill in the Illinois Senate would require judges in the state to attend more training about issues like trauma, racial bias, and cultural competency.
The Judicial Quality Act, which was introduced by Sen. Omar Aquino, D-Chicago, passed the Senate executive committee Wednesday by a vote of 11-6, despite opposition from the Illinois Supreme Court.
The bill’s backers say the current training for Illinois judges – 30 hours every two years – is insufficient, and that judges need more focused education on topics like domestic violence, child abuse, racial bias in sentencing, the impact of trauma on brain development, and the LGBTQIA community. […]
The Illinois Supreme Court, which oversees training for judges and other court personnel through the Illinois Judicial College, opposes the Judicial Quality Act.
“The educational opportunities for Illinois judges are among the very best in the nation,” Chief Justice Anne M. Burke said in a statement Tuesday afternoon. “(The Judicial College) continues to develop excellent and diverse programs and I am very proud of how the Judicial Branch pivoted during COVID to move educational programming from in-person conferences to our eLearning portal.”
* Center Square…
A new bill has been filed that would give water customers a say before their public utility goes private.
Marking World Water Day 2021 on Monday, state Sen. John Connor said his bill would require private water companies to give taxpayers an individual vote before their city or village sells the public water system.
The Citizen’s Utility Board said Illinois’ two largest private water companies have hit consumers with more than $220 million in higher water bills to cover a shopping spree as it bought up 34 water and wastewater systems around the state.
* Press release…
A bill that would install a public health approach to drug use in Illinois today cleared a key House Committee in Springfield. Rejecting the failed policies of the “War on Drugs,” House Bill 3447 reduces penalties for small-scale drug possession from a felony to a misdemeanor. Testimony before the Committee demonstrated the compelling need for shifting the State’s approach to drug use. The vote in favor of the bill was 12 to 7.
“Over just three years 20,000 people were convicted of felonies in Illinois for possessing small amounts of drugs and 7,500 were imprisoned,” the bill’s chief sponsor, Rep. Carol Ammons (Urbana) told the committee.
Representative Ammons was joined at the hearing by a diverse panel of witnesses who argued that the measure would address fundamental problems in our criminal legal system and make communities safer by connecting people who need treatment for substance use disorders with community-based services instead of jail. Experts agree that a public health approach is proven to work better to address the harms associated with drug use.
Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg championed the bill, telling committee members, “People dealing with addiction need their safety net of support reinforced, not taken from them through incarceration. Unfortunately, this is exactly what stiff criminal penalties associated with lower-level drug possession offenses do. Our communities deserve investment in recovery services and not steep involvement in the criminal justice system when an addiction crisis affects our community members.”
Committee members also were told that Illinois voters agree with a change of approach in our state. In a poll conducted for the ACLU of Illinois last year, voters made clear that they support changes to punishments handed down for those arrested for possessing illegal drugs. A commanding 79% of voters support making possession of small amounts of drugs a misdemeanor and decreasing sentences for all drug offenses. 84% of voters agree that the state should provide mental health and substance use disorder treatment on demand in Illinois.
The bill now moves to consideration by the full House of Representatives. Advocates for the bill said today that they hope to secure passage in both chambers of the legislature by the May 31st session end.
“New policies around drug sentencing allow us to break the cycle in which punishment and incarceration, rather than treatment and support, are the default responses to substance use disorders,” said Ben Ruddell of the ACLU of Illinois. “This bill builds pathways to community-based treatment for those who need it, and includes expungement and resentencing provisions that will help people with past convictions move on with their lives.”
The polling information released today is drawn from a poll of 600 voters in Illinois conducted by Global Strategy Group from October 27 - November 4. The survey has a margin of error of +/- 4.0% and was conducted online using a voter file match. Care was taken to ensure the poll represented the registered voter universe.
…Adding… Sen. Ram Villivalam…
“Last week in Atlanta, a gunman murdered eight people, six of whom were Asian American women. Earlier that same week in Chicago, two people were killed in a mass shooting at a party that wounded 13 other people. And, last night in Colorado, a gunman murdered 10 people, including a police officer, in a grocery store.
“Hate-fueled mass murders in the United States aren’t slowing down. In 12 months we figured out how to prevent COVID and are taking steps to do so. But how is it possible that, despite hundreds of mass murders throughout the decades, we still haven’t done enough to prevent mass gun violence?
“We know how to do it. We need to pass House Bill 3245, which requires background checks and obtains fingerprints so that guns are purchased only by responsible FOID holders. In states that have already passed similar laws, gun violence decreased by 40%.
“This legislation is supported by hundreds of stakeholders, ranging from law enforcement like the Illinois State Police to violence prevention organizations like Chicago CRED, as well as faith-based and health care organizations.
“The Illinois General Assembly and Governor Pritzker need to act to ensure the safety of the people we were elected to serve. There is nothing political about safety. It’s time for lawmakers to join me in working to block illegal gun ownership.”
* Other stuff…
* Illinois bill looks to make curbside and dropbox voting permanent
* Illinois Association of School Boards director on restraint and isolation ban: It’s a challenge
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* Press release…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 1,832 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 13 additional deaths.
- Champaign County: 1 male 80s
- Cook County: 2 females 60s, 3 males 60s, 2 males 80s, 2 females 90s, 1 male 90s
- St. Clair County: 1 male 50s
- Tazewell County: 1 female 70s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,224,915 cases, including 21,116 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 49,739 specimens for a total of 19,726,135. As of last night, 1,270 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 272 patients were in the ICU and 117 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from March 16-22, 2021 is 2.5%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from March 16-22, 2021 is 2.9%.
“Even as we’re getting more and more vaccine doses, we cannot let our guard down, especially with these virulent new strains circulating,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “We’ve come so far and are so close to a more normal time, but we’re already seeing some concerning plateaus and even increases in hospitalizations and cases. We’re not out of the woods yet so continue to wear your masks, avoid large crowds, and keep six feet of distance.”
A total of doses of 5,796,305 vaccine have been delivered to providers in Illinois, including Chicago. In addition, approximately 414,900 doses total have been allocated to the federal government’s Pharmacy Partnership Program for long-term care facilities. This brings the total Illinois doses to 6,211,205. A total of 4,818,097 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight, including 363,235 for long-term care facilities. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 91,000 doses. Yesterday, 70,252 doses were reported administered in Illinois.
IDPH is working with the federal government on discrepancies in some of the vaccine administration data. The result of the discrepancy could be that the number of doses actually administered at this time may be underreported. IDPH will update the data as soon as the discrepancy is resolved.
*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. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
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* You undoubtedly saw that Gov. JB Pritzker contributed $35 million to his campaign committee. He filed the report last Friday, but reported the contribution date as March 12th.
The timing is important because state law would require Pritzker to file a Notification of Self-Funding with the Illinois State Board of Elections if that disclosed contribution date was after March 15th. The reason? The 2022 primary is on March 15th and State Board of Elections spokesperson Matt Dietrich confirmed today that the state’s contribution caps are only blown if contributions of more than $250,000 are received within 12 months of the candidate’s next election. If those contributions were dated after March 15th, the caps would’ve been blown.
And the amount in the law is important because gubernatorial candidate Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) reported loans from himself and his mother totaling exactly $250,000 on March 22nd. But Dietrich pointed out today that the caps are only blown for anything above $250K. So far, Bailey is right at the limit.
Clear? Good.
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A Fair Map Prioritizes Voting Rights And Public Input
Tuesday, Mar 23, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Representative democracy works best when people actively engage in policy discussions and elections, ensuring that communities of color, long disenfranchised, are prioritized. Historically, Illinois’ redistricting process favors incumbents and is dominated by partisan, rather than community, objectives.
In 2021, we can create a fair map for Illinoisans that puts their interests first with a process that:
● Invites broad, meaningful public input through at least 35 public hearings for community members
● Requires fairness standards that prioritize people of color through the Federal Voting Rights Act, the Illinois Voting Rights Act, and communities of interest
● Allows for the public to weigh in on a map proposal through a public hearing and responses to suggestions before a final vote
● Is transparent, with a centralized website including all remap records and discussions and a compliance report detailing how the map meets these standards
Learn more at CHANGEIL.org.
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[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Employers in Illinois provide prescription drug coverage for nearly 6.7 million Illinoisans. In order to help keep care more affordable, employers work with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), who deploy a variety of tools to reduce prescription drug costs and help improve health outcomes. In addition to helping employers, PBMs also work with the Illinois Medicaid program in the same way to help control costs. Over the last five years, PBMs have saved the state and taxpayers nearly $340 million.
Today, Illinois faces a multibillion budget shortfall as more Illinoisans are relying on Medicaid to help meet their health care coverage needs. As legislators work to address these challenges, one way to help ensure continued cost savings is by strengthening the PBM tools that the State and employers use, which are poised to save employers, consumers and the State $39 billion over the next 10 years. These are meaningful savings that will help continue to contain costs, ensure consumer access to medicines and drive savings in public health programs.
Amid a pandemic and economic challenges, now is the time to strengthen, not limit, the tools that employers, consumers and the State rely on to manage costs and ensure consumers can access the medicines they need.
Learn more
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* Press release…
– State Rep. La Shawn K. Ford, D-Chicago, releases this statement regarding the recent situation at The Loretto Hospital.
“I am very disappointed with the recent developments at The Loretto Hospital regarding its use of coronavirus vaccine entrusted to the hospital. Yesterday, I submitted my resignation to The Loretto Hospital’s Board Chairman Edward Hogan because I strongly disagreed with how the reprimand of the hospital leadership was handled. As the state representative for the hospital and as a resident in its service area, I will continue to fight for resources for The Loretto Hospital, a safety-net hospital in the Austin community.”
Sun-Times…
In a phone call Tuesday, Ford said, “It’s critical that consequences are more transparent.”
Ford previously told the Chicago Sun-Times the two would face “harsh reprimands.”
* Also, you may recall that Loretto set up an offshore insurance company in the Caymans…
Twice since 2013, Lightford has used campaign funds to stay at the Ritz-Carlton in the Cayman Islands, racking up hotel bills of $3,931 during her two stays. […]
Loretto Hospital in Chicago was in danger of losing its insurance, which could have forced closure, explains Lightford, who is on the hospital board. After exhausting other possibilities, she said that the hospital set up a captive insurance company, essentially a form of self insurance, in the Cayman Islands.
“We cannot convene in the United Sates because it’s a captive in the Cayman Islands,” Lightford says. “Our meeting every fall is in the Caymans so that our auditors can come in, and we have our yearly meeting there. That’s (the Ritz-Carlton) the location that we stay when we’re there.”
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The Google is your friend
Tuesday, Mar 23, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* A couple of weeks ago, we discussed how Better Government Association President and CEO David Greising’s Tribune op-ed claimed that Senate President Don Harmon “has yet to utter a quotable phrase — on or off script” even though one of the BGA’s lobbyists had said that Harmon “made a big statement by giving up his outside job.”
Greising in the Tribune this week…
One comment [by House Speaker Chris Welch] in particular stood out because, with it, the new speaker laid down a marker on an issue that has ramifications across state government: fixing the state’s badly gerrymandered electoral maps.
Welch’s comment — stating that he will view any proposed map based on its impact on equitable representation — is important because it is the first by a major player in the mapmaking process to specifically state a nonnegotiable demand.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker has said he won’t approve a gerrymandered map, but he so far has declined to be specific about the parameters for his decision. Senate President Don Harmon hasn’t pinned himself down either.
* Tribune last week…
Like House Speaker Welch, Harmon said “a fair map is one that reflects the diversity of our state” and “provides for fair and equal representation of all communities.”
Harmon quote from NPR Illinois…
I think Speaker Welch hit the nail on the head when he said a fair map is one that reflects the diversity of our state. I would like to see everybody at the table — all communities of interest — heard, and through a thorough and thoughtful redistricting process, come up with a map that fairly and equally represents the communities across the state.
* Recent Pritzker quote…
The governor’s “view is that legislative maps should reflect Illinois’ gender, racial, and geographic diversity, along with preserving the Voting Rights Act decisions that help ensure racial and language minorities are fully represented in the electoral process,” Jordan Abudayyeh, Pritzker’s spokesperson, said in a statement to Playbook.
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* Capitol News Illinois…
Less than a week after a deadly attack on Asian Americans in Atlanta, Gov. J.B. Pritzker and members of the General Assembly’s Asian American Caucus spoke out against the murders and against discrimination generally toward the Asian American community.
“I do not pretend to know the pain of this moment, for those who look at the Atlanta victims and see their own mothers, daughters and sisters, or themselves,” Pritzker said at a news conference Monday in the Chinatown neighborhood in Chicago.
“But I want the (Asian American Pacific Islander) community in Illinois to know that I see you, and I see the fear and anxiety that these events have forced into your lives and the lives of your loved ones, and I want you to know that Illinois is your home.
“You are our friends and our neighbors and our family members, and I will do everything in my power as governor to protect you and to welcome you.”
Pritzker was accompanied by members of the Asian American Caucus, including Democratic Reps. Theresa Mah of Chicago, Janet Yang Rohr of Naperville, Denyse Wang Stoneback of Skokie and Sen. Ram Villivalam, a Democrat from Chicago.
* Related…
* Rep. Theresa Mah On Addressing Anti-Asian Hate At The State And Federal Levels: “Asian Americans had been largely invisible,” said State Rep. Theresa Mah. “It wasn’t until last week’s horrific events that the issue was brought into the spotlight.”
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And now for the not-so-good news
Tuesday, Mar 23, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Axios…
Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said Monday she’s concerned the U.S. could experience “another avoidable surge” in coronavirus infections due to new variants, if people don’t follow mitigation measures like mask-wearing and social distancing.
Why it matters: A growing number of states have moved to reopen despite the spread of new variants. States are increasingly attributing their coronavirus cases to variants, Walensky noted. […]
What she’s saying: “We must act now, and I am worried that if we don’t take the right actions now, we will have another avoidable surge — just as we are seeing in Europe right now and just as we are so aggressively scaling up vaccination,” Walensky said.
* Daily Herald…
New cases of COVID-19 have risen by more than 22% in the last seven days, Illinois Department of Public Health data showed Monday.
Daily cases from March 16 to Monday totaled 12,970, or 1,853 a day, compared to 10,596 infections, or 1,514 a day, March 9-15.
There have been fluctuations in caseloads recently with tallies from early this month reaching 11,678, or 1,668 a day, March 2-8. But experts are watching the numbers as the state loosens restrictions on activities and cases of more contagious variants of COVID-19 inch up.
The IDPH recorded 143 COVID-19 variant cases Sunday: 135 of a COVID-19 mutation originating in the United Kingdom, five of a Brazilian version, and three of a South African variant. That contrasts with 126 reported Tuesday: 120 of the United Kingdom variant and three each of the Brazilian and South African ones.
* Chicago is still having supply and delivery issues…
Chicago public health officials said they have no plans to open a vaccination site that would be open 24 hours a day — as some other cities have done.
At a press conference on the city’s vaccinations efforts, officials were asked about the possibility of opening an around-the-clock center to speed up vaccines and increase accessibility for essential workers. Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said the main focus right now is increasing vaccine supply.
“At this point, there’s not plans for a 24-hour situation,” Arwady said “We’ll see what the demand looks like and we’ll see what the vaccine supply looks like.”
* Related…
* COVID Vaccine Appointment Frustration Rises In Will County As Eligibility Increases in Illinois
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A bit of good news
Tuesday, Mar 23, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* ABC 7…
On Friday, a former big box store in Forest Park will be up and running as Cook County’s second largest mass vaccination site coordinated with effort with the Army National Guard.
“This location which will be able to administer up to 1,000 doses per day, at launch, and then over 2,000 soon after,” Gov. JB Pritzker said.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said it will be able to increase that to 5,000, depending on supply. The goal of the site is to vaccinate those most in need.
“If we are going to put an end to this pandemic and resume our regular lives, we need to prioritize the vaccine for those who are most at risk and marginalized from access to medical care,” said Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch, Illinois House Speaker.
* Capitol News Illinois…
With 64 percent of the state’s seniors having received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, Illinois is nearing the “bridge” phase of reopening that will allow for greater capacity limits at businesses and social gatherings.
That number must hit 70 percent to enter the bridge phase, which would trigger another 28-day monitoring period. If virus transmission and hospitalization metrics don’t worsen during the monitoring period, Phase 5 can begin, removing all capacity restrictions.
The vaccination rate for seniors age 65 and older is up from 58 percent on Thursday, when Gov. JB Pritzker first announced the bridge phase. […]
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health website, 13.8 percent of the state’s population has been fully vaccinated. Pritzker said “about one in three” Illinoisans age 16 and older had received at least one vaccine dose, a number that must reach 50 percent for the state to enter Phase 5 of reopening, which is essentially back to normal in terms of capacity restrictions.
* Paducah Sun…
Walk-ins are welcome this week at COVID-19 vaccine clinics organized by the Southern Seven Health Department in southern Illinois.
On Monday, Southern Seven held two vaccine clinics: one at Massac County Head Start in Metropolis and the other at Main Street Center in Anna. […]
“We have been appointment-only for COVID-19 vaccine clinics so far up to this point, and we’re getting to a point where we got a lot of vaccine supply coming into us,” [Nathan Ryder, contact tracing outreach coordinator for Southern Seven] said. “So we’ve seen those supplies increase on a weekly basis, and we’re beginning to get through all those waitlists that we had backed up for our seven counties. So now that we’ve exhausted our waitlist and now that we’re taking appointments, we also have some extra vaccine available for folks who just want to walk in on a daily basis.”
* SJ-R…
Sangamon County surpassed the 100,000 mark Monday for residents who have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, a county spokesman said.
That number meant 64.8% of residents 16 and older had received at least an initial dose and almost 52% of the county’s entire population had received a shot, spokesman Jeff Wilhite said.
He said both vaccination sites operated by the county have begun serving additional groups of people newly eligible for COVID-19 vaccine in Illinois. The eligibility expansion, which took effect Monday, affected higher education staff members, government workers and the news media.
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Open thread
Tuesday, Mar 23, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Illinois topics only, please. And try to be nice to each other. Thanks.
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* Block Club Chicago on December 15, 2020…
Chicago’s vaccination campaign has officially begun, marking the beginning of the end of the pandemic, officials said.
The city gave its first dose of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine to doctors, nurses and a patient care technician Tuesday morning at Loretto Hospital. It kicked off what officials say will be a year-long effort to get as many people as possible vaccinated in Chicago to end the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This is, I fully believe, the beginning of what will be the end of COVID-19 here in Chicago,” said Dr. Allison Arwady, head of the Chicago Department of Public Health.
* Block Club Chicago today…
Loretto Hospital vaccinated ineligible people at a luxury Gold Coast watch and jewelry shop where the hospital’s chief operating officer is a high-spending and frequent customer.
Loretto Hospital and its executives, including Chief Operating Officer Dr. Anosh Ahmed and Chief Executive Officer George Miller, are already embroiled in controversy for steering doses toward organizations with which they have ties. Ahmed was heavily criticized after Loretto held a vaccination event at Trump Tower — where Ahmed and another hospital leader live — and after Ahmed told people he vaccinated millionaire Eric Trump.
Block Club has learned Loretto Hospital also held a March 3 vaccination event at a Gold Coast shop called Geneva Seal, which sells jewelry and designer watches worth $20,000 — and more. Ahmed is a frequent customer there and has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars at the shop, a source said.
Credit: Loretto HospitalDr. Anosh Ahmed is the chief operating officer of Loretto Hospital.
The shop at 112 E. Oak St. is far from Loretto Hospital — and the vaccinations were offered to ineligible people who own and work at the high-end boutiques along the Gold Coast, as well as their family and friends, sources said. The Austin hospital is meant to serve and vaccinate people on the West Side, where coronavirus has devastated communities of color.
* The hospital’s board of trustees includes two state legislators, Sen. Kimberly Lightford and Rep. La Shawn Ford. Both attended a media event with the governor today, but the video conked out and I’ve been waiting to see if they took questions about the hospital. But let’s go to Block Club Chicago again…
Loretto Hospital’s board said it has reprimanded two of its chief executives the same day Chicago’s health chief said the hospital let “well-connected” people jump the vaccination line.
Board members would not say what punishments will be doled out to Loretto Hospital CEO George Miller and COO Dr. Anosh Ahmed — but the hospital already has had its supply of coronavirus vaccine doses cut off by the city. Dr. Allison Arwady, chief of the city’s health department, said officials are investigating events where the hospital vaccinated ineligible people and gave shots outside of the West Side community.
Arwady expressed serious concerns about Loretto’s vaccination program during a Friday call with reporters, saying the hospital has lost community trust and officials don’t feel comfortable sending precious vaccine doses there for the time being. The accusations against the hospital are particularly “unacceptable” because Loretto is in Austin, a Protect Chicago Plus neighborhood that has been hit hard by COVID-19 and where the city has been trying to boost vaccinations, Arwady said.
The hospital’s board has taken “appropriate actions of reprimand against Miller and Ahmed for their role in the mistakes of judgment,” Rep. LaShawn Ford, who sits on Loretto’s board and represents the area in the state Legislature, said in a statement.
It would be nice to know what measures they took. Their last 990 form shows the hospital’s former CEO made $840,000 a year while its best-paid physician made just $165K.
…Adding… Press release…
AFSCME Local 1216—the union representing nurses at Loretto Hospital on the West Side of Chicago—issued this statement following the latest in a series of revelations about the alleged misappropriation of COVID-19 vaccine doses by the hospital’s top management.
“As the safety net hospital for the city’s West Side, we have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said D Sutton, a registered nurse and the president of AFSCME Local 1216. “Loretto nurses have been on the front lines of our COVID unit. I and many others have been sickened in the line of duty, some of us so seriously that we had to be hospitalized ourselves.
“Now that the safe, effective COVID vaccines are available, we have been the ones delivering the shots to protect our community. Our work is critically important and we do not want it disrupted.
“We call on the city to restore Loretto Hospital’s supply of vaccine doses. Our community which has been systematically ignored and under-resourced for decades should not be punished now for the reported actions of a few.
“To our community, know that Loretto nurses are here for you, working to keep you healthy and safe. Understand that taking the vaccine is the way to protect yourself, your family and get back to normal in Chicago as quickly as we can.”
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* Lynn Sweet…
A fundraiser for Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., will be headlined by Karl Rove and co-hosted by a who’s who of Illinois Republicans, a show of political strength coming as ex-President Donald Trump vows revenge against GOP House members who voted to impeach him.
The co-hosts — there are more than 150 on the invitation obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times — include two high-ranking Trump appointees from Illinois: Ron Gidwitz, Trump’s former ambassador to Belgium and acting ambassador to the European Union, and Barbara Stewart, the ex-chief executive officer of AmeriCorps.
Kinzinger is one of 10 Republicans to vote with House Democrats to impeach Trump for “incitement of insurrection” for his role in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol as Congress was taking the final steps to validate Joe Biden’s presidential election. […]
The list of top Illinois GOP donors co-hosting the Kinzinger funder include John Canning and his wife, Rita; Craig Duchossois and his wife, Janet; Susan Crown and her husband, William Kunkler; David Herro; Michael Keiser; Barry MacLean; John Rowe; and Muneer Satter.
The co-hosts also include Mark Denzler, president & CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association; International Union Of Operating Engineers Local 150 PAC; Todd Maisch, president and CEO of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce; Grundy County GOP Chair Aren Hansen; former Sen. Mark Kirk; and state Sen. Sue Rezin, whose legislative district turf overlaps on some of Kinzinger’s congressional district.
* From Kristina Zahorik, President of the Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association…
“Let us not forget that Adam Kinzinger is a tried and true Republican who voted with Donald Trump more than 90% of the time and repeatedly voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act. And now, Adam Kinzinger is teaming up with Karl Rove, one of the architects of the war in Iraq, who helped elect George W. Bush — someone who, after Trump, is one of the worst Presidents in modern history — and to this day still defends the Bush administration’s use of torture.”
“Adam Kinzinger is attempting to rebrand his image so people will forget how extreme his voting record is. But even while Adam Kinzinger is now throwing Donald Trump under the bus, he continues to align him himself with some of the worst members of his party. We can acknowledge Kinzinger for standing up and impeaching Trump, but we can’t forget who he has always been — an extreme Republican.”
Karl Rove has a history of incorrigible behavior and practices, including just last year his use of racially loaded language when he attacked President Obama for speaking at a historically black college and, in Rove’s words, committing a “political drive-by shooting.”
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Question of the day
Monday, Mar 22, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* It’s Monday, which means it’s Senate COVID test day, so I have to run into town for a bit. Let’s do a wellness check. How are you and yours holding up?
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* Press release…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 1,220 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 22 additional deaths.
- Cook County: 1 female 50, 1 male 60, 2 females 70s, 1 male 70s, 2 females 80s, 5 males 80s, 1 female 90s, 3 males 90s
- DeKalb County: 1 female 20s, 1 male 60s
- Lake County: 1 male 60s
- Marshall County: 1 male 80s
- Rock Island County: 1 male 80s
- Will County: 1 male 80s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,223,083 cases, including 21,103 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 47,374 specimens for a total of 19,676,396. As of last night, 1,182 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 233 patients were in the ICU and 98 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from March 15-21, 2021 is 2.6%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from March 15-21, 2021 is 2.9%.
A total of doses of 5,341,895 vaccine have been delivered to providers in Illinois, including Chicago. In addition, approximately 414,900 doses total have been allocated to the federal government’s Pharmacy Partnership Program for long-term care facilities. This brings the total Illinois doses to 5,756,795. A total of 4,747,845 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight, including 361,971 for long-term care facilities. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 92,148 doses. Yesterday, 41,343 doses were reported administered in Illinois.
*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. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
* Sunday…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 1,431 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 22 additional deaths.
Cook County: 1 male 30s, 2 females 50s, 1 male 50s, 2 males 60s, 1 female 70s, 2 males 70s, 1 female 80s, 4 males 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
DuPage County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 90s
Fulton County: 1 male 60s
Grundy County: 1 male 80s
Madison County: 1 male 70s
McDonough County: 1 male 60s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,221,863 cases, including 21,081 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 70,102 specimens for a total of 19,629,022. As of last night, 1,132 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 236 patients were in the ICU and 97 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from March 14-20, 2021 is 2.5%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from March 14-20, 2021 is 2.8%.
A total of doses of 5,341,895 vaccine have been delivered to providers in Illinois, including Chicago. In addition, approximately 414,900 doses total have been allocated to the federal government’s Pharmacy Partnership Program for long-term care facilities. This brings the total Illinois doses to 5,756,795. A total of 4,706,502 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight, including 361,886 for long-term care facilities. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 95,171 doses. Yesterday, 75,380 doses were reported administered in Illinois.
* Saturday…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 1,962 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 25 additional deaths.
Cook County: 1 female 30s, 1 male 50s, 1 female 60s, 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s, 2 males 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
Douglas County: 1 female 90s
Franklin County: 1 female 90s
Madison County: 2 females 70s, 1 male 70s
McHenry County: 1 male 80s
McLean County: 1 female 90s
Moultrie County: 1 female 100+
Ogle County: 1 male 80s
Sangamon County: 1 female 90s
St. Clair County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 80s
Will County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,220,432 cases, including 21,059 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 77,661 specimens for a total of 19,558,920. As of last night, 1,179 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 228 patients were in the ICU and 103 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from March 13-91, 2021 is 2.6%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from March 13-19, 2021 is 2.8%.
A total of doses of 5,341,895 vaccine have been delivered to providers in Illinois, including Chicago. In addition, approximately 414,900 doses total have been allocated to the federal government’s Pharmacy Partnership Program for long-term care facilities. This brings the total Illinois doses to 5,756,795. A total of 4,631,122 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight, including 360,941 for long-term care facilities. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 98,165 doses. Yesterday, 120,426 doses were reported administered in Illinois.
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Where there’s a will, there’s a way
Monday, Mar 22, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Crain’s…
As part of Illinois’ latest reopening plans, customers with proof of full vaccination or a recent negative COVID-19 test will not count against the capacity limits that have hamstrung businesses for the past year.
Some struggling business owners say that provision has the potential to be a big help. But implementing it? That could be a logistical nightmare.
“It’s great that the governor is looking for ways to get businesses back open quicker at a place where people feel safe,” said Scott Weiner, co-owner at Fifty/50 Restaurant Group, which operates 17 restaurants, including Roots Handmade Pizza and West Town Bakery. “I just hope that there’s a way to actually roll it out.”
There is no universal vaccine passport being distributed in the United States, and some worry about patrons fabricating vaccine records. There’s also a concern establishments could violate privacy laws in requesting health care information.
Restaurants shouldn’t be asking customers for private health records, but nothing can stop customers from offering up their own proof.
So, if the customer is silent when reserving a table, then that reservation would be counted toward the capacity limits (50 percent for outdoor seating, 30 percent for indoors). But if the reserving customer says that all four of the people in the reservation will supply proof upon arrival that they’ve received their final shots at least two weeks prior to the reserved date, then those folks won’t be counted toward the capacity limits. Leave it up to the customers to make their own decisions.
Since there is no uniform vaccination card, some scammers may try to get through the system. But even fully justifiable rules will not stop all dishonest people. It’s just human nature and is not a reason to have no rules at all. And, frankly, if you’re going to the sort of restaurant which could be heavily populated with dishonest COVID scammers, you might wanna frequent a different restaurant.
I’ve been using this same argument for media access to the House and Senate press boxes. Right now, the Senate limits occupancy to three per box and the House limits it to two per box. But reporters who are willing to show they are fully vaxed and “ripened” for at least two weeks should be allowed into the boxes above the capacity caps.
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Unclear on the concept
Monday, Mar 22, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Wirepoints…
The Illinois legislature’s biggest failure during the pandemic has been its complete abdication of responsibility over the management of the pandemic itself – Gov. Pritzker has been running the state’s response via executive fiat for over a year.
The result has been a disaster for democratic norms. Lawmakers should have stepped in and authorized the governor’s emergency rules or passed their own laws at the start of the pandemic. But they did neither.
No matter their excuses, Illinois lawmakers no longer have reasons for inaction. The curve has been flattened. There’s no risk of running out of hospital beds or ICU resources. Daily cases have collapsed. And most importantly, vaccines are being rolled out at an increasing rate. Herd immunity is expected by the end of April.
Gov. Pritzker should be stripped of his powers by the legislature immediately. That’s especially true now that Pritzker has added another incremental phase to his plan instead of fast-tracking a full reopening.
Yes, because a body that officially sat in near silence throughout the pandemic ought to now step up and run the state because that would somehow be better.
I often get the distinct impression reading takes like this that either the authors know nothing about how the General Assembly operates, or are being totally disingenuous.
…Adding… And yes I’m aware, as commenters have pointed out, that their “facts” are ridiculous as well. In my defense, I just figured that was a given.
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* Friday…
If you click the link, you’ll see that Pritzker wrote the check on Friday, March 11th, a week before he reported depositing it.
* Tribune…
Pritzker has repeatedly dismissed questions about his political future as the 2022 campaign season has begun, saying he is focused on public health efforts to deal with COVID-19 and help restore the state’s economy in a post-pandemic environment.
“I’m just focused on the job that I’ve got today and making sure we get through this pandemic and get everybody vaccinated,” Pritzker said Monday in an interview with the Tribune.
That interview took place three days after Pritzker wrote the check. So, apparently, he wasn’t telling the entire truth when he said he was “just focused” on his job as governor. And he said that in pretty much every interview. From his interview with Hannah Meisel…
“My focus really has just been keeping people healthy, safe and keeping the economy going,” Pritzker told NPR Illinois. “The politics will take care of itself in the end.”
Not sure why he would undercut his own words like that, so we’ll see how that works out for him.
* Sun-Times…
The $35 million contribution isn’t exorbitant for Pritzker, whom Forbes has dubbed the richest politician in the nation with a net worth of $3.5 billion.
It’s only a fifth of the $171 million Pritzker spent to defeat multi-millionaire Republican ex-Gov. Bruce Rauner in 2018, a clash of investment titans that went down as one of the most expensive gubernatorial races in American history.
And it’s well short of the $58 million Pritzker dumped into an ill-fated ballot initiative last fall to amend the state constitution to allow for a graduated state income tax system. The governor was outdueled in November by fellow billionaire Ken Griffin, whose $53 million helped persuade voters to reject the plan.
It’s also short of the $50 million Rauner plunked down just before the beginning of the 2018 cycle.
* Crain’s…
Asked about when the governor might formally announce or whether such a large donation should be viewed as a sign Pritzker is worried about his chances, campaign spokesman Quentin Fulks said in an email, “Given the increasing number of Republicans who have declared their candidacies for governor in 2022, Gov. Pritzker wanted to ensure that he was ready to respond to their false and misleading attacks if necessary.”
A handful of Republicans have already tossed their name in for the 2022 race: state Sen. Darren Bailey, businessman Gary Rabine, former state Sen. Paul Schimpf and Christopher Roper, a downstate resident.
“Over the past two years, the governor has led Illinois through a global pandemic by listening to the experts, not the anti-science conspiracy theorists currently running in the Republican primary, while improving the lives of millions of Illinoisans through his actions,” Fulks said, also citing other Pritzker accomplishments on infrastructure spending, health care, and women’s rights.
*** UPDATE *** Tribune…
He did so again Monday during an event touting a new mass vaccination site in Forest Park. “I’m focused on getting us past this pandemic keeping people safe and healthy in the state of Illinois,” Pritzker told reporters.
“Any of that support for my committee is really designed as a preventive measure in the event that Republicans continue in any more public way to try to attack the Democratic agenda of standing up for working people or to frankly lie about the Democratic agenda,” Pritzker said.
“We’re doing what’s right for people all across the state of Illinois, making sure that working families get what they need to stay in their homes, to get jobs, to raise their wages, etc. And so, those resources will be used simply to fend off those illegitimate attacks,” he said.
Whatever. He deliberately played reporters for chumps. Not cool.
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* My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
I’ve given Gov. J.B. Pritzker some grief for his failures in the past few months.
His graduated income tax proposal went down in flames in November. He failed to pass his top priorities during January’s lame duck session of the Legislature. And his candidate for chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois lost to U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly earlier this month.
What follows, then, is an edited-for-space transcript, with further reporting from me, of our recent interview on two of these topics:
Pritzker: “Rich, I think you’re forgetting an awful lot. Remember in the midst of a pandemic… because that’s where we’ve been, I stood up the largest rental assistance program in the entire country. The childcare assistance program that we stood up is now hailed as a model for the nation. This was the one we did in the midst of the pandemic, the one that my team, Theresa Hawley, Jesse Ruiz, the folks at ISBE, the folks in our Early Childhood Office of the Governor put together. Those are two examples of major programs. Don’t forget the Business Interruption Grants, which for many thousands of businesses helped them pay rent or pay utilities to keep their doors open.
“Those were things that I stood up during the last six months, and they’re enormous successes, the people who have been beneficiaries of those have been enormous successes.
“And then don’t forget over the summer I laid out criminal justice pillars. And look what happened with the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, which did a tremendous amount of work and really deserve a tremendous amount of credit. But the pillars that I set out over the summer were worked on with them during the summer. And then, what do you know, that’s the bill that I signed, the Safe-T Act.”
It was Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford who led the Black Caucus’ efforts to pass their “pillars,” including criminal justice reform. Lightford told me that Sen. Elgie Sims and Rep. Justin Slaughter worked with the governor’s office on criminal justice reform before COVID hit.
“They continued to meet with the governor’s team after the George Floyd incident and of course the efforts grew as a result” Lightford told me in a written statement. “However, I created the Pillars.”
Lightford said “the conversations stopped” with the governor’s team after Pritzker released his “seven guiding principles” for criminal justice reform in early October. “We kept working and building out our pillar that included their points and additional items,” she said.
Pritzker’s list did have many of the items included in the final legislation. But claiming authorship might not be the greatest idea going forward.
Anyway, back to my interview with the governor:
Pritzker: “So we’ve had many victories. I think that when you’ve got a lot of goals, as I do, for moving the state forward, we’re going to win on a lot of them, we’re going to lose on some of them. But you keep moving forward. And I think the totality of the record has been one where a lot of progress has been made. I think I’m genuinely considered to be the most progressive governor in the Midwest, if not in the country right now. And Illinois has moved tremendously forward on the things that I campaigned on. I put a lot of policies forward while I was running, and we’ve accomplished almost all of them.”
Miller: “But, I mean, it’s kind of hard to overlook, though. The graduated income tax. It’s like a once in a lifetime thing that gets on the ballot. And then it didn’t pass.”
Pritzker: “I didn’t say overlook it, Rich. I think it’s a demonstration of my values that I put forward a very hard thing to get on the ballot, nobody’s been able to do that before. I know that the Senate president has been fighting for this for many, many years, and we were allies in trying to get this on the ballot and making sure that people understood it and so on. And the fact that it didn’t pass is frankly not something that I think I would point to. Instead, I would point to the fact that what we’re trying to do is change the way people are taxed in the state of Illinois so that middle class people and working class people pay less and wealthy people pay more. I don’t know who expected me to be the leader of that effort, but I can tell you that it’s something I fought hard for. And just because we didn’t win doesn’t mean it wasn’t the right thing to do.”
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