REAL ID deadline extended to May 3, 2023
Tuesday, Apr 27, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The feds ought to just jettison this whole silly program unless they can prove that it actually works…
Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White commended the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for extending the federal REAL ID deadline to May 3, 2023. DHS cited that it extended the deadline due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the impact the virus is having on the general public and driver’s license and ID card-issuing agencies nationwide. White, along with other state and business leaders from around the country, had called on DHS to extend the REAL ID deadline due to the pandemic.
“I applaud the decision by DHS to extend the REAL ID deadline to May 3, 2023 – 19 months past the old deadline of Oct. 1, 2021,” said White. “This is the proper and necessary action in response to the pandemic.”
With the extended federal deadline of REAL ID, current Illinois driver’s licenses or ID cards will continue to be accepted at airports and secure federal facilities until May 3, 2023.
As a reminder, White has expanded online services and encourages the public to visit his office’s website at www.cyberdriveillinois.com instead of visiting a Driver Services facility. Many transactions can now be conducted online, including renewing standard driver’s licenses and ID cards for those who are eligible.
In addition, White has extended all driver’s license and ID card expiration dates until Aug 1, 2021. This extension does not apply to commercial driver’s licenses (CDL) and CDL learner’s permits.
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Question of the day
Tuesday, Apr 27, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Let’s go back to Amanda Vinicky’s interview with House Speaker Chris Welch…
During his inauguration speech, Welch made other promises. He said that politics has gotten too divisive, and that he’ll usher in a “new day” by working with lawmakers from both sides of the aisle.
Rep. Tim Butler, R-Springfield, last week called that pledge “B.S.”
Even as the House debated a flurry of bills, Butler said Welch jammed a bill he’s sponsoring (House Bill 2994) that would pave the way for voters to choose whether two central Illinois townships could merge, despite Butler’s plan having bipartisan support. […]
Bills sponsored by Democrats have passed the House at a 4-1 ratio compared with those sponsored by Republicans.
Welch said it’s rhetoric to insinuate that he’s not working across the aisle, saying that the lopsided bill passage makes sense given that Democrats outnumber Republicans in the House by 73-45.
“We’re a supermajority. Those number are never going to be even,” Welch said.
More Welch from the video…
And so that’s why it’s just rhetoric to insinuate that we’re not working across the aisle. I’ve had Republicans in my office, and for the first time they’re saying ‘We’ve never seen the inside of this office.’ Their bills are passed because they’re working with the Speaker of the House. […]
And so, we can’t use one person’s rhetoric to cast aspersions on the entire process. The process is I’m being very intentional about reaching across the aisle and working with them. But as I said in that clip, there’s going to be some things that we agree on, there’s gonna be some things we disagree on as well. And we have to just be consistent and persistent and we’re going to continue to do that.
* The Question: When it comes to partisanship, have things changed in the House or not? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please…
survey services
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* ISRA press release…
White County Resident Judge T. Scott Webb has ruled Illinois’s FOID card law unconstitutional, paving the way for the Illinois Supreme Court to take up the issue, according to Richard Pearson, executive director of the Illinois State Rifle Association.
The case is The People of Illinois vs. Vivian Claudine Brown. In March of 2017, Brown was accused of possessing a firearm without a FOID card. In dismissing the charges against Brown, Judge Webb also ruled the FOID card unconstitutional.
In his ruling, Judge Webb stated, “A citizen in the State of Illinois is not born with a Second Amendment right. Nor does that right insure when a citizen turns 18 or 21 years of age. It is a façade. They only gain that right if they pay a $10 fee, complete the proper application, and submit a photograph. If the right to bear arms and self-defense are truly core rights, there should be no burden on the citizenry to enjoy those rights, especially within the confines and privacy of their own homes. Accordingly, if a person does something themselves from being able to exercise that right, like being convicted of a felony or demonstrating mental illness, then and only then may the right be stripped from them.”
Pearson said he is hopeful for a positive outcome when the Illinois Supreme Court takes up this case.
“The rights afforded to us in the Constitution are rights guaranteed to every American,” Pearson said. “The right to bear arms should not be contingent on paying a fee. Right now, there is legislation pending in Springfield to make these fees even costlier. It is absolutely ridiculous that honest citizens should have to pay fees, fill out applications and wait on government to respond to their requests just to be able to exercise their rights. Illinois is one of only four states with the arcane FOID laws. We need to join the other 46 states that place a premium on our Constitution liberties.”
Another local trial judge legislating from the bench.
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*** UPDATED x1 *** Hey, Illinois Senate!
Tuesday, Apr 27, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From the new CDC guidelines…
Fully vaccinated people can: […]
• Refrain from testing following a known exposure, if asymptomatic, with some exceptions for specific settings
• Refrain from quarantine following a known exposure if asymptomatic
• Refrain from routine screening testing if asymptomatic and feasible
Look, I don’t mind the saliva tests. But it would help if the Senate finally moved into April and recognized that many of us are fully vaccinated and adjusted its very strict lockdown accordingly.
*** UPDATE *** Tribune…
Gov. J.B. Pritzker will revise his statewide mask mandate to align with new federal guidelines that say it’s safe for fully vaccinated people to go outdoors without face coverings in many situations, the governor’s office said Tuesday. […]
Illinois’ current rules require masks outdoors in situations where people aren’t able to maintain at least 6 feet of distance, including at places like farmers markets, baseball stadiums and amusement parks.
It wasn’t immediately clear exactly what changes Pritzker will make to the state’s mask rules, which have been in effect since last May. But the new CDC guidelines say fully vaccinated people don’t need to wear masks when attending small outdoor gatherings, even if unvaccinated people also are present. Masks are still recommended for most indoor activities, including small gatherings where unvaccinated people are present, and for crowded outdoor events like concerts or sporting events, according to the CDC. […]
[Chicago public health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady] hinted that there could be further loosening on gathering restrictions in the city, possibly within days, but only for people who are vaccinated.
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* The Chicago Tribune and the “Illinois Exodus”…
* 2021 John Kass column: Illinois has lost close to a quarter-million taxpayers in the past 10 years in the great Illinois Exodus.
* 2020 Tribune editorial: In 2019, the U.S. Census Bureau calculates, our population fell by about 51,250 people. That’s the equivalent of everyone in Hoffman Estates packing up and heading out.
* 2020 Tribune editorial: Several recent Chicago Tribune stories on tax hikes and population losses may have caught your eye. Against the backdrop of rising taxes in Chicago for 2020, U.S. Census Bureau numbers released Dec. 30 showed Illinois losing population for a sixth straight year.
* 2020 Kristen McQueary column: You’ve seen the numbers. U.S. census data released in December showed Illinois’ net population since 2013 has dropped by more than 223,000 residents, roughly the equivalent of Naperville and Bolingbrook wiped off the map. That number includes births, deaths, domestic and international migration.
* 2019 Kristen McQueary column: Reality check: The number of residents fleeing Illinois for other states jumped to 93,704 in 2014 from 68,204 the previous year. It increased in 2015 to 106,544, and in 2016 to 109,941. More exodus in 2017 of 114,779 and last year, another 114,154.
* 2019 Tribune editorial: Who wants to be the last ones at the party? It only means you’ll have to clean up the mess. That’s what we mean by the Illinois Exodus.
* 2019 Tribune editorial: If [Mayor Lightfoot] keeps talking truth around her fellow Illinois Democrats, Chicago’s next mayor will make them squirm. She must be ignoring the memos instructing her to “Shush up about the ‘Illinois Exodus.’ Bad for our brand.” Lightfoot offered her comment to the Tribune’s Lisa Donovan about U.S. census data showing that the Chicago metro area lost another 22,000 residents from 2017 to 2018.
* 2019 Tribune editorial: Last year’s estimated net reduction of residents hit 45,116, the worst of five straight years of population decline.
* 2019 Tribune editorial: The early numbers show Illinois’ net population dropped from July 2018 to July 2019 by 51,250, down slightly from last year’s net loss of 55,757 residents, an updated number. The figures continue to confirm a sorry trend.
* 2018 Tribune Editorial: People are fleeing. Last year’s net loss: 33,703.
* 2018 Tribune editorial: By the tens of thousands each year, Illinoisans are fleeing this state’s rising taxes and mediocre jobs climate.
* 2018 Tribune editorial: In the big picture, Illinois is shrinking. It lost a net 33,703 people in 2017, and was 1 of 8 states to see a decline. This was Illinois’ fourth year in a row of population decline.
* 2018 Tribune editorial: The release on Wednesday of new census data about Illinois was alarming: Not only has the flight of citizens continued for a fifth straight year, but the population loss is intensifying. This year’s estimated net reduction of 45,116 residents is the worst of these five losing years.
* 2017 Tribune editorial: People are fleeing Illinois in record numbers. For four years running, this state has bled population. In 2017, Illinois lost a net 33,703 residents
* Actual net Illinois population loss according to the official US Census: 18,124. [And subtract 10,289 from that to account for Illinois residents living overseas and it’s a net decline of 7,835.]
It’s not that the Tribune was wrong. The census estimates were way off. But the Tribune did everything it could to hype those numbers and propose solutions to a problem that, while still quite real, was never as bad as was claimed. I’m not sure I’d hold your breath waiting for a clarification.
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* Again, more than half the deaths were people in their 60s or below, hospitalizations continue their decline and average daily doses are nowhere near where they need to be. Press release…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 2,556 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 23 additional deaths.
- Champaign County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s
- Cook County: 1 male 40s, 1 male 50s, 2 females 60s, 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s, 3 males 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 90s
- Kane County: 1 male 70s
- Logan County: 1 male 60s
- Madison County: 1 male 90s
- Peoria County: 1 female 30s, 1 male 60s
- Tazewell County: 1 male 50s, 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s
- Will County: 1 female 30s,1 female 50s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,325,726 cases, including 21,858 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 62,724 specimens for a total of 22,381,515. As of last night, 2,180 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 502 patients were in the ICU and 251 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from April 20-26, 2021 is 3.5%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from April 20-26, 2021 is 4.1%.
The total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses for Illinois is 11,149,675. A total of 8,942,127 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 105,757 doses. Yesterday, 81,152 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. Information for a death previously reported has been changed, therefore numbers have been adjusted. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
We need 24/7 vaccine clinics. Closing down the shots at 5:30 isn’t smart.
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* Press release…
In a major step forward in the work to expand health equity across Illinois, Governor JB Pritzker today signed the Health Care and Human Services Reform Act into law.
The legislation, which represents the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus’ healthcare pillar, takes sweeping action to address health inequities and obstacles while establishing new programs, increasing oversight and trainings, building out a Community Health Worker certification and training program and improving transparency.
“Today, it’s my privilege to sign the fourth and final pillar from the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus into law, the Illinois Health Care and Human Services Reform Act,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This legislation advances a key belief of mine that I know is shared by everyone standing with me, and millions of residents across Illinois: healthcare is a right, not a privilege. Thanks to the Black Caucus’ four pillars, now law, Illinois is a few steps closer to the justice our residents deserve.”
This legislation builds upon significant administration efforts toward health equity including expanding telehealth coverage in order to increase healthcare access to vulnerable and rural populations, including mental health services; eliminating the Medicaid backlog; bringing an additional $250 million in federal healthcare funding to Illinois; signing the Healthcare and Hospital Transformation bill into law; and working with the General Assembly to make Illinois the first state in the nation to offer healthcare access assistance to undocumented seniors.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has underlined the systemic economic, educational and health disparities that have historically plagued African Americans across our country. For centuries, Black people have been disrespected, abused and misused in the name of health care, starting with the abuse of the enslaved,” said Senate Majority Caucus Chair Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago). “To prevent future harm to one of our most vulnerable populations, we have enacted this informed policy, with the goal of deep, intense reform.”
“The four pillars of the ILBC Black Policy Agenda to address systemic racism and will provide justice while improving the lives of underserved families across Illinois,” said State Representative Camille Y. Lilly (D-Chicago). “The Illinois Health Care and Human Services Reform Act will improve the quality of healthcare, ensure dignity for our seniors as they age, increase the availability of mental health services, improve hospital access and combat medical racism and implicit bias in order build trust between Black, Brown and poor communities and health care providers.”
“People in the Black community have lost faith in Illinois’ health care system because of unequal access to care. Quality health is a necessity and should be available to everyone, regardless of race or income,” said Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood). “The Black community’s health and our care has been devalued for far too long. With this law, we are taking the first steps to reshape the direction of our state’s health care, leading with diversity, inclusion, and justice at the center.”
“The Healthcare pillar for the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus is about equity and access to quality healthcare,” said State Representative LaToya Greenwood (D-East St. Louis). “The importance of implicit bias training for hospital staff and perinatal doula services and evidence-based home visiting services to be covered under the medical assistance program for persons who are otherwise eligible for medical assistance will be critical to all Illinoisans. We have more work to do to address black maternal mortality which is a health crisis in our state, but this is another step in the right direction,”
“This legislation takes a wide range of steps to address the inequities that exist in health care for too many people across our state, particularly for people of color, but also for people in rural communities and working families across the state,” said Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services Director Theresa Eagleson. “Removing barriers and making sure all Illinoisans can reach the services they need is critical to achieving better health outcomes for children, adults, and families, and will make for a healthier Illinois.”
The Health Care and Human Services Reform Act will:
Expand Health Care Access and Equity
• Creates a Community Health Workers program which will include training and certification, ensuring Illinoisans are better able to access help from trained health workers.
• Adds implicit bias training to the required training for interns, residents and physicians so that they are better prepared to serve all of Illinois’ residents.
• Creates the Underlying Causes of Crime and Violence Study Act, which will study how to create a process to identify high violence communities, also known as R3 (Restore, Reinvest, and Renew) areas, and prioritize state dollars to address underlying health issues and underlying causes of violence.
• Reduces taxes on all blood sugar testing products to 1%.
• Amends the Employee Paid Sick Leave Act to include care of children, parents, step-parents, in-laws, and grandparents.
• Requires the Health Facilities and Services Review Board conduct a racial equity impact assessment for all future hospital closure applications that is publicly viewable.
• Creates the Health and Human Services Taskforce which will review health and human service departments and programs with the goal of improving health and human service outcomes for Illinois residents.
• Creates the Anti-Racism Commission to identify and propose statewide policies to eliminate systemic racism.
• Creates the Medicaid Business Opportunity Commission within HFS to develop a program to support and grow minority, women, and persons with disability owned businesses.
Improve Children’s Health, Women’s Health, Mental Health and Addresses Substance Abuse
• Requires day care providers to be trained in childhood emotional learning, trauma, and adverse experiences.
• Creates the Special Commission on Gynecologic Cancer to study issues relating to gynecologic cancer and present a report to reduce disparities and promote best practices.
• Prevents a person who seeks or obtains emergency medical assistance for an overdose or someone experiencing an overdose from being arrested or charged.
• Expands coverage of doula services and home visiting services for pregnant women.
• Increases payment rates for psychiatric treatment at hospitals serving primarily low-income patients.
Improve Quality of Care for All Illinois Residents
• Requires that any intern, resident, or physician providing services at a hospital have proper credentials and any required certificates for ongoing training.
• Instructs hospitals to provide N95 masks to all physicians and nurses free of charge.
• Increases dementia training and requires continuing annual trainings.
HB 158 takes effect immediately.
*** UPDATE *** Eleni Demertzis of the House Republicans…
Today, the governor signed a bill that will cost billions of dollars of fantasy money we just don’t have. Anyone who believes his inaccurate rhetoric on costs of this bill should refer to his false statements on independent redistricting.
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Some good news for deep southern Illinois
Tuesday, Apr 27, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From the Alexander Cairo Port District…
The construction of a new inland port at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers took another step forward today as the Alexander Cairo Port District completed a project labor agreement (PLA) with the Illinois AFL-CIO. The project labor agreement ensures that more than 500 jobs created by the construction of the Cairo port will be filled by local Illinois union workers.
The Alexander-Cairo port represents one of the largest investments in Southern Illinois in decades. Eighty percent of the nation’s inland barge traffic travels past Cairo, and the site is served by three major interstate highways and class 1 rail lines so this new project is expected to have a major impact on the U.S. shipping and logistics industry and the regional economy. Cairo is protected from flooding by recently reinforced levees and remains a deep, ice-free site year-round.
“The Cairo port district represents the best of Rebuild Illinois: investing in not only infrastructure, but also jobs and economic prosperity for a region left out for far too long,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Thanks to the Alexander Cairo Port District and the Illinois AFL-CIO, more than 500 Illinois workers and their families will have access to good union jobs in the next stages of the port’s construction – opportunities that couldn’t come at a better time for the people of Illinois. Our building trades are top notch, and I have every faith the team on the ground will deliver the state-of-the-art infrastructure Southern Illinois deserves.”
“With the inclusion of this PLA, we know that these well-paying construction jobs will go to Illinoisans, boosting our local economy and investing in the region,” said State Sen. Dale Fowler (R-Harrisburg). “I am confident that Alexander-Cairo port will be game-changing for our state, spurring additional economic development and growth. With such a big undertaking, we could not move forward with this project without the incredible local labor workforce of Southern Illinois spearheading its development.”
“The Cairo Port is exactly the kind of project Illinois needs,” said Tim Drea, president of the Illinois AFL-CIO. “This port has the potential to transform the region and the men and women of Illinois organized labor have the talent to build it. Our craftsmen and tradesmen are second to none and we can’t wait to show it yet again on the Cairo Port project.”
“All the construction trades in our region are proud to see the Cairo port moving forward and are thrilled to be part of the project,” said Tate Wright of the Egyptian Building & Construction and Building Trades Council. “This port will use our location at the confluence of America’s two largest rivers to drive jobs, industry and investment to Southern Illinois.”
“We are ensuring that the jobs and economic growth created by this port flow back to Cairo and the surrounding region,” said Larry Klein, chairman of the Alexander Cairo Port District. “This labor agreement is another reason why the Cairo Port will be a game changer for Southern Illinois.”
“We are building a world-class port in Cairo and need the highest quality labor force to make it happen,” said Todd Ely, lead consultant for the port district and president of Ely Consulting Group. “We know we can depend on the women and men of Illinois’ building trades to make this project a success.”
In August 2020, Governor JB Pritzker announced that the Rebuild Illinois capital plan would provide $40 million in state funding for construction of the port. The Port District is securing additional private investment and will structure the Cairo port as a public-private partnership.
Major logistics and commodities businesses have already committed to using the new port to move crops, container shipments and bulk products once it is completed.
That could be transformational for the region. Too often, these projects are all talk and no action. But Sen. Fowler has done a remarkable job at seeing this through. Legislators in both parties can learn something from that guy.
But, hey, governor, maybe it’s time to figure out how to get more people vaccinated in Alexander County? Just 10.6 percent of residents there are fully vaxed right now, so they’re still in last place in the state. The statewide vaccination rate was 29.75 percent as of yesterday.
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* Let’s once again go back to March 5, 2018 and my question to all gubernatorial candidates…
Will you pledge as governor to veto any state legislative redistricting map proposal that is in any way drafted or created by legislators, political party leaders and/or their staffs or allies? The exception, of course, would be the final official draft by LRB.
* JB Pritzker’s response…
Yes, I will pledge to veto. We should amend the constitution to create an independent commission to draw legislative maps, but in the meantime, I would urge Democrats and Republicans to agree to an independent commission to handle creating a new legislative map. That designated body should reflect the gender, racial, and geographic diversity of the state and look to preserve the Voting Rights Act decisions to ensure racial and language minorities are fully represented in the electoral process.
* Gov. Pritzker today…
Well as I said I will veto an unfair map. I have also said that in order for us to have an independent commission, we needed to have a constitutional amendment, something that would actually change the way the process operates today in the Constitution. That did not happen. So now, as we reach the end of this session and I look to the legislature for their proposal for a redistricting map, I’ll be looking to it for its fairness. And that’s something that’s vitally important for our state, as an effect on the next 10 years and representation throughout the state.
The Illinois Constitution does not need to be changed to create a fair map process. It can be done by statute or even a joint resolution of both chambers. And while Pritzker preferred a constitutional amendment in 2018, he clearly didn’t predicate an independent commission on an amendment.
* More Pritzker today…
Well, I do believe that Democrats and Republicans should get together to adopt this map. I hope that Republicans will choose to work with Democrats on the map. Right now it looks like they’re just saying ‘no,’ they’re not really engaging and all they’re doing is fighting in these redistricting hearings, which I think have been so important for hearing what people across the state really want in a redistricting map.
Hardly anybody went to those hearings.
* More…
Well actually I would say that the map that was put together for the last 10 years started out with a very strong leaning toward fairness, which was the Supreme Court rulings of the past, dictated the drawing of minority districts in the state. To start with, that map, and then you have to draw from there. As you know Dave, there are parts of the state that are overwhelmingly one party or another party, and it’s very difficult to draw competitive districts in those areas. But I do believe that once you put these Supreme Court rulings onto the map face, then you can begin to put this fair map and something that is inclusive of all of our diversity across the state into that map.
Your thoughts?
…Adding… House Republican Leader Jim Durkin…
“The Governor seems to suffer from retrograde amnesia on this important topic. The Governor needs to lead and ensure that an independent body draw the maps as he promised.”
Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy…
“The people of Illinois fundamentally do not trust our leadership in Springfield to spend their money wisely, to do the right thing, or to reform our system. Absolutely nothing fuels that fire more than politicians who say one thing to get elected and then do another once in power. Governor Pritzker lied to the people of Illinois and promised to turn our partisan and corrupt system of redistricting over to an independent commission.
The Governor should come to his senses and keep his word by vetoing the politician’s map. A man is nothing without his word. Pritzker still has the chance to keep his.”
US Rep. Rodney Davis…
“Governor Pritzker lied to people of Illinois, plain and simple. When he was a candidate for Governor in 2018, Pritzker made an ironclad promise to voters that he would veto any redistricting proposal that was drawn by legislators. That turned out to be a lie. Now that he’s in power and the Democrats have maintained their supermajority control of the General Assembly, Pritzker is enabling a partisan redistricting process that will be used to tighten his party’s grip on power for another decade. That’s wrong, and it’s not what the people of Illinois want. Governor Pritzker has turned out to be the latest failed, self-serving, Illinois politician who lied his way into office by saying one thing to voters and doing another once in office.”
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Path To 100 Act Saves Consumers $1.2 Billion
Tuesday, Apr 27, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Study Finds Expanding Illinois’ Renewable Energy Program Will
Lower Energy Costs for All Illinois Consumers
• A study by former Illinois Power Agency (IPA) director shows that passing Path to 100 (HB 2640 / SB 1601) will lower energy costs for all ratepayers
• Consumers save more than $1.2 Billion over ten years by fully funding Illinois’ renewable energy program to 40% by 2031
• Path to 100 would create 53,000 new construction jobs
Why more renewables = lower costs:
1. Wind and solar generators have zero fuel costs, so they win wholesale energy auctions and displace more expensive power plants. These savings are passed on to all consumers.
2. Rooftop and community solar reduce peak demand, which reduces the amount of capacity that grid operators need to buy. These savings are passed on to all consumers.
3. Rooftop and community solar customers receive direct savings on their bills.
Read the study and take action at www.Pathto100.net
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Define “everything,” Mr. Speaker
Tuesday, Apr 27, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* WTTW…
In 2016, [House Speaker Chris Welch] also favored an independent commission.
In an op-ed, he wrote that he backed a constitutional amendment (HJRCA0058) that would disqualify current and recently elected officials from drawing a map; instead, an eight-member appointed panel would be tasked with the job.
“This proposal is a win-win for Illinois,” Welch wrote, saying that the commission would be required to draw districts that “reflect the ethnic, gender, and racial demographics of Illinois.”
A commission would also “make the redistricting process more transparent and take the process out of the hands of elected officials,” he wrote at the time.
We asked Welch what’s changed since then.
“Everything I pushed for then … I’m pushing for now. Like protecting minority representation and ensuring one person one vote. That’s exactly what I’m fighting for now. We are doing this through a very thoughtful, transparent and community driven process,” he said. “The principles that I stood for in 2016 are the same principles I stand for now.”
* From his op-ed…
The commission will be made up of eight members appointed by the Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court and the most senior justice from the opposing political party. Current and recently elected officials are disqualified from serving on the panel, as are lobbyists, business owners who contract with the state and state employees. This proposal is a win-win for Illinois.
The proposed constitutional amendment is here.
Suffice it to say that Speaker Welch is most definitely not currently pushing for an independent map-making commission appointed by Supreme Court justices.
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Another day, another lawsuit
Tuesday, Apr 27, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Edgar County Watchdogs…
Silver Lake Law Group ltd. attorney Tom Devore is representing Kirk Allen and John Kraft, founders of the Edgar County Watchdogs Inc. in a recently filed Declaratory Judgment action against Governor Pritzker in relation to his perpetual issuance of disaster proclamations.
ECWd was the first to expose the fact Governor Pritzkers Executive Orders do not trump the people’s due process rights in this article on March 15th, 2020. Two weeks later we provided this article, Illinois Business and Citizen Road Map to Freedom that outlined the people’s rights in relation to Governor Pritzkers overreach in his Executive Orders relate to COVID 19.
Here we are over a year later and Governor Pritzker is still issuing Disaster Proclamations and to date 76 Executive Orders. It is our opinion, as well as our attorney’s, the emergency powers under section 7 are not without limits.
It appears from an additional Executive Order that the Governor has no intention of recognizing his limited powers. As we exposed in this article, “The King Has No Clothes”, the Governor has issued Executive Orders that amount to legislative action, a power never given.
* From the lawsuit…
COUNT I
DECLARATORY JUDGMENT FINDING EACH SUBSEQUENT DISASTER PROCLAMATION WAS VOID FOR FAILING TO MEET THE DEFINITION OF A DISASTER AS DEFINED IN THE IEMAA […]
COUNT II
DECLARATORY JUDGMENT FINDING PRITZKER HAD NO STATUTORY AUTHORITY TO UTILIZE EMERGENCY POWERS AFTER APRIL 08, 2020 […]
COUNT III
DECLARATORY JUDGMENT THAT SECTION 7 OF THE IEMAA VIOLATES THE ILLINOIS CONSTITUTION
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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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Census and reapportionment roundup
Tuesday, Apr 27, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* AP…
Altogether, the U.S. population rose to 331,449,281 last year, the Census Bureau said, a 7.4% increase that was the second-slowest ever. Experts say that paltry pace reflects the combination of an aging population, slowing immigration and the scars of the Great Recession, which led many young adults to delay marriage and families.
The new allocation of congressional seats comes in the first release of data from last year’s headcount. The numbers generally chart familiar American migration patterns but also confirm one historic marker: For the first time in 170 years of statehood, California is losing a congressional seat, a result of slowed migration to the nation’s most populous state, which was once a symbol of the country’s expansive frontier.
It all marks the official beginning of once-a-decade redistricting battles. The numbers released Monday, along with more detailed data expected later this year, will be used by state legislatures or independent commissions to redraw political maps to account for shifts in population.
Those shifts have largely been westward. Colorado, Montana and Oregon all added residents and gained seat a seat each. Texas was the biggest winner — the second-most populous state added two congressional seats, while Florida and North Carolina gained one. States losing seats included Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
Neighborhood counts mattered. Census said if New York had counted 89 more residents, the state would have kept its seat and Minnesota would have lost one.
Man, can you imagine being the person in charge of making sure New York’s count went well?
Oof.
* On to Illinois…
Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., the most prominent Illinois Republican, said if Democrats carve up his district, he may instead run for senator or governor in 2022. Whether GOP Reps. Rodney Davis and Darin LaHood make statewide bids also may depend on the remap.
Downstate freshman Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., is the Republican seen as most at risk in a remap.
Reapportionment is the step that takes place before a remap — that is, drawing new congressional district lines based on the latest census data. Each state gets at least one seat; after that, the remaining 385 seats are distributed according to population, with the aim to have about the same number of people in each district.
No matter the number of seats in the House, this system for distributing them has been in place since the first census in 1790.
* Illinois Policy Institute…
Illinois’ population count was 12,812,508 in 2020, a drop of 18,124 since 2010, according to new data released April 26 by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Last December, the US Census was estimating the state’s population loss at around a quarter-million.
* Tribune…
Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Monday he was “concerned” about the decline in congressional representation.
“Over a decade, we’ve lost population, so we’ve got to turn that around,” he said at an unrelated news conference in Aurora, while also noting that Illinois spent more than $30 million in outreach and counting activities for the 2020 census. […]
The state’s high property taxes have been cited as a major reason for people leaving, a group that includes retirees who have moved to other states even though Illinois does not tax retirement income.
Pritzker on Monday offered another reason, saying one of the largest groups moving out of Illinois in the last decade has been college-age students choosing schools in other states because “they couldn’t afford to go to college in Illinois.”
* More Pritzker from NBC 5…
“Unfortunately, this has been happening for more than a decade, we’ve had out-migration from the state. When I took office, this unfortunately had continued,” Pritzker said when asked about the Census data at an unrelated news conference.
“And I looked very closely at the numbers of people, who they are, where they come from, why they’re leaving and what you see when you look at the out-migration is actually the largest portion of the population that was moving out were young people who were choosing to go to college out of state because tey couldn’t afford to go to college in Illinois,” he continued, highlighting things like MAP grants and other initiatives to make college more affordable for Illinois residents.
“We might lose one or two seats but that’s something that unfortunately, before I became governor was really, you know, a bit set in at least clay if not stone, and now we’re working very hard to make sure that we’re going the right direction,” Pritzker added.
* AP…
The decrease will likely spell a loss of federal funding while at the same time strengthening Democrats’ political grip on the state.
“Most people who build a statistical model on how much federal money does a state get will find that more seats means more money,” said Brian Gaines, political scientist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. […]
With Democrats holding 13 of the state’s 18 congressional seats, controlling the governor’s office and dominating the state Legislature, little else should change, Gaines said. The 14th Congressional District, running from the top to the bottom of the Chicago metropolitan area on its far western edge, will likely be redrawn to boost Rep. Lauren Underwood, a Democrat who narrowly won a second term last fall by just over 1 percentage point against Republican state Sen. Jim Oberweis.
* ABC 7…
“The majority party that has sent the population packing and people fleeing the state of Illinois should not be uniquely taking the initiative to select their own voters,” said State Rep. Ryan Spain (R-Peoria).
Democrats are already in the process of redrawing the district map; by state law, they must draw new congressional and legislative districts by June 30.
“They don’t appear to be in any mood to offer the Republicans a gift allowing them to get in on the party,” noted Chris Mooney, professor of political science at UIC.
But Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL 2nd District), who is also chair of the Illinois Democratic Party, said she’s confident the process will be fair.
“They’ll dictate my seat also, but I expect them to be fair and to do the best job they can do and take into consideration we are losing a seat,” she said.
* I posted some other react yesterday, but here’s US Rep. Rodney Davis…
“It’s unfortunate, yet unsurprising, that Illinois lost population over the past decade. Democrats continue to push corruption, tax hikes, and job-killing policies, which have only made our outmigration problems worse. Governor Pritzker has done nothing to stem the flow of families and has only made it worse by encouraging the tax-and-spend habits of the Democrats in the General Assembly. As state lawmakers determine the course for redistricting, I urge the Democrats to keep their word on supporting independent redistricting, particularly Governor Pritzker, who pledged to veto any partisan-drawn map. The politicians in charge should not be using the census to pick their own voters and protect their own power.”
* Senate Democrats…
The statement below can be attributed to Sen. Omar Aquino, D-Chicago, Chair of the Senate Redistricting Committee, and Sen. Elgie Sims, D-Chicago, Vice Chair of the Senate Redistricting Committee:
“We are reviewing the information released today by the U.S. Census Bureau and remain committed to working with our partners in Washington to ensure Illinois continues to receive the federal resources and support our communities need. While the Census Bureau confirmed full redistricting information may not be released until September, we will not abandon our duty to craft a map by June 30 as required by the Illinois Constitution. As others seek to delay and distract, we are focused on gathering input from communities of interest across Illinois to create a fair map that reflects the diversity of our great state.”
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Abby Witt named new DPI executive director
Tuesday, Apr 27, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Subscribers had a heads-up about this today…
The Democratic Party of Illinois (DPI) today named Abby Witt as its new Executive Director. An Evanston native, Witt has spent nearly two decades working with progressive campaigns and causes, building programs that successfully bring more people into the political process to advance Democratic values.
“Abby has a proven track record of building inclusive organizations, has established solid relationships throughout the state, and has the vision to lead our party as its Executive Director,” said Congresswoman Robin Kelly, DPI Chairwoman. “As DPI looks to the future, especially the 2022 election, Abby’s ability to work with Democratic elected officials, candidates, donors, stakeholders and the grassroots community will be a valuable asset.”
Witt comes to DPI from Arena, a national organization dedicated to training and supporting the next generation of candidates and campaign staff. As a partner at Arena, Witt helped create and scale the organization’s ability to train more than 1,200 aspiring campaign staffers, place more than 500 of them in campaign roles, and support 130 candidates at the congressional, statewide, and state legislative levels, the majority of which were women and people of color.
“Chairwoman Kelly has never shied away from a challenge, and I’m honored to join her in this one: to build a new, inclusive Democratic Party of Illinois,” said Witt. “We have a generational opportunity to transform our Party, to rebuild trust with voters, and to elect Democratic candidates, beginning with re-electing Gov. JB Pritzker and Sen. Tammy Duckworth in 2022. I’m excited to get to work.”
Witt also played several key roles in the Obama presidential campaigns and administration, including as the Associate Director for the White House Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs, and as the Director of Political Operations for President Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign. Following the President’s re-election, Witt was a founding member and Managing Director of Organization for Action, a national organization dedicated to advancing a progressive agenda through grassroots mobilization and training. At OFA, Abby was part of the core team who harnessed the power of the grassroots movement that twice elected Barack Obama as president, and converted it into 154 trained, active, and empowered volunteer chapters across the country, which exist as lasting grassroots muscle to make an impact in their communities and in D.C.
“In 2018, I was a first-time candidate trying to unseat a four-term Republican in Illinois’ 14th Congressional District,” said Rep. Lauren Underwood (IL-14). “When others wouldn’t, Arena supported me and was instrumental in my victory by providing training and strategic support throughout my campaign. Abby helped Arena expand on that work to provide the same game-changing support to candidates across the country. I’m thrilled that Abby is bringing her experience home to Illinois, and joining my friend, Chairwoman Robin Kelly, to lead our Party.”
“We are all committed to a new direction for the Democratic Party of Illinois, one that is inclusive and uses the experience and expertise of the state central committee and elected officials, candidates, and activists across the state,” said Democratic State Central Committeewoman and DPI Transition Co-Chair Iris Martinez. “I’m so excited to have Chairwoman Robin Kelly and now Abby Witt as Executive Director leading our work. Abby is the right choice to build a party that doesn’t just keep our state blue, but does the work to grow our party, and elect more Democrats up and down the ticket.”
“In all of her roles, Abby played a key role in making President Obama’s goals a reality,” said Michael Strautmanis, a longtime Obama senior aide and advisor. “A trusted colleague and leader, Abby was always placed in the middle of the action. Whether it was in the field or at the White House, she embodied the President’s organizing values to navigate a wide variety of stakeholders and deliver. With Chairwoman Kelly and Abby, the Democratic Party of Illinois couldn’t be in better hands.”
“Working for Abby, I saw firsthand her ability to lead and bring people together,” said state Sen. Robert Peters. “Abby has the talent and values to lead the work needed to build a Party that will be progressive, inclusive and win. We need true transformational change to bring about true safety and justice for all, and Abby is a perfect fit to build a Party that can bring about that change.”
Witt has also served multiple roles on campaigns up and down the ballot, including leading Daniel Biss’ 2018 Illinois gubernatorial campaign. In addition, she’s also helped drive political engagement at organizations like the Center for American Progress, the Common Purpose Project, and the Chicago Public Schools.
Witt replaces Mary Morrissey, who has served as Executive Director of DPI since February 2019.
“Mary has led the party through some tough challenges, including running our victorious 2020 coordinated operation during the pandemic, and she has been a valuable partner to me since I became chair in early March,” Kelly said. “This has been a smooth transition, due in large part to Mary’s hard work and professionalism. I cannot thank her enough.”
She’ll be paid with federal funds. [This sentence was based on a conversation with Witt earlier this morning. It appears, however, that the funds to pay her will be split with state funds.]
Arena is an interesting organization and her experience there should help her now.
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