* Press release…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 802 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 37 additional deaths. In addition, 66% of Illinois adults have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose and more than 49% of Illinois adults are fully vaccinated, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Bureau County: 1 male 50s
Carroll County: 1 female 90s
Clinton County: 1 male 70s
Cook County: 1 female 40s, 1 female 50s, 1 male 50s, 1 female 60s, 5 males 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 male 90s
DuPage County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s
Iroquois County: 1 female 50s
Johnson County: 1 female 80s
Kankakee County: 1 male 80s
Macon County: 1 male 50s, 1 male 80s
Madison County: 1 female 70s
Randolph county: 1 female 80s
Saline County: 1 male 60s
St. Clair County: 1 male 70s
Stephenson County: 1 male 70s
Warren County: 1 female 70s
Whiteside County: 1 female 50s
Will County: 1 female 50s
Williamson County: 1 male 50s
Winnebago County: 1 male 50s, 1 male 60s
Woodford County: 1 female 90s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,381,063 cases, including 22,776 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 61,125 specimens for a total of 24,551,788. As of last night, 1,164 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 313 patients were in the ICU and 164 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from May 22-28, 2021 is 1.8%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from May 22-28, 2021 is 2.2%.
A total of 11,230,429 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 55,252 doses. Yesterday, 54,773 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-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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Just FYI: A quick programming note
Saturday, May 29, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* As usual, I’ve been posting press releases and other stuff on our live coverage post today, as well as retweeting things that then show up on the same post. You really should be following that post for all the latest updates throughout the day and into the evening. New blog posts are also announced on the live coverage post. So, click here.
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“I never knew no Godfather”
Saturday, May 29, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
When reading last week’s indictment of Tim Mapes, it’s important to remember that federal prosecutors have been trying to prove that his old boss, former House Speaker Michael Madigan, was directing the effort to allegedly “bribe” him with favors.
Madigan’s longtime chief of staff was indicted on May 26 for allegedly lying to a federal grand jury and attempting to obstruct the grand jury’s corruption investigation.
It says right there in the indictment that the grand jury is investigating “efforts by [Madigan], and efforts of [Madigan’s former consigliere Mike McClain] on [Madigan’s] behalf, to obtain for others private jobs, contracts and monetary payments, in order to influence and reward [Madigan] in connection with [Madigan’s] role as Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives.”
So, they asked Mapes questions about whether Madigan had directed Mike McClain “to perform sensitive tasks,” or whether Madigan had directed McClain to exercise Madigan’s “power and authority,” or whether Madigan or his staff had sought McClain’s advice, or whether McClain had performed work for Madigan or received assignments from him or served as his communications conduit, or whether McClain assisted Madigan “with matters concerning the Illinois House of Representatives, its members, its lobbyists, or with the entities or individuals having pending matters before the Illinois House of Representatives.”
While these are all central questions to the feds’ probe of Madigan, they are not necessarily questions that would criminally implicate Mapes. The government obtained an order from Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer in March to give Mapes immunity for his grand jury testimony. He could respond without incriminating himself.
Anyone with even basic knowledge of the case against Mike McClain would know that the feds had tapped and then seized his phone and his computer. It’s no surprise, therefore, that the FBI possessed numerous conversations between McClain and Mapes, and prosecutors asked Mapes about those convos during the grand jury proceeding.
Did McClain tell Mapes anything he’d discussed with Madigan or what he was doing on behalf of Madigan during 2017-2019? “No,” Mapes said, according to the indictment. Did Mapes know about any “tasks or assignments” for McClain from Madigan in 2017 and 2018 or any time after McClain officially retired from lobbying in 2016? “No.” Etc.
Mapes’ attorneys claim the questions were “vague and imprecise” and were about events that took place “many years ago.”
Maybe some of the questions could’ve been vague, but Tim Mapes was infamous for making it his business to know everything and never seemed to forget anything. He was a detail guy and had a voracious appetite for news and gossip. And the record shows that McClain never made it a secret to almost anyone that he was doing things for Madigan after he supposedly retired from lobbying at the end of 2016.
The feds’ tapes and emails of McClain’s conversations with Mapes himself may have proved just that. As an example, McClain “described to Mapes work and assignments from [Madigan] between 2017 and 2019,” the indictment claimed. Mapes also allegedly provided McClain messages communicated to Mapes from Madigan about tasks McClain was performing “on behalf” of Madigan.
That Mapes would allegedly lie to a grand jury when he most certainly knew what the government had on him is either profoundly stupid and careless or some real-life Hollywood stuff.
“I never knew no Godfather,” Frankie Pentangeli said during his congressional testimony in Godfather Part II. “I was in the olive oil business with his father, but that was a long time ago; that’s all.” Presumably, Mapes’ brother wasn’t sitting in the grand jury room at the time.
It’s natural to be paranoid about the timing of this indictment, coming just five days before the spring session’s adjournment and during a very difficult negotiation over ComEd parent company Exelon’s demand for yet another giant ratepayer subsidy for three more nuclear power plants. The feds have had a habit for a couple of years of announcing indictments at crucial points during Illinois legislative sessions, and this may have been no different. Part of the Madigan probe centers around the 2016 Exelon nuclear bailout, after all.
The indictment contains a single mention of ComEd’s current CEO, although it doesn’t even hint at even a tiny bit of scandal. Mapes was simply asked whether he had any knowledge of Madigan’s “impressions” of the guy. But the feds did throw in that name check, which could make people wonder what the heck is going on because the feds don’t generally toss around names without some sort of purpose — even if that purpose may be chaos.
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[The following is a paid advertisement.]
The Tribune covers Illinois’ renewable energy crisis:
“…business owners who planned to build a career on Illinois’ solar panels say they are waiting to see whether the state legislature will pass a new bill with additional funding so they can start work on the backlog of projects left in limbo.”
“We’ve been able to minimize laying off folks. We voluntarily took pay deductions. Some people took furlough just so we could maintain our work force …”
“If legislators don’t renew the subsidies by the end of the session on Monday, a number of owners said they will be forced to lay off staff, move to other states or shut down completely.”
Read the story here and take action at www.pathto100.net
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* I told subscribers about this floor speech early this morning, but I thought you might appreciate the full quote. Rep. Andrew Chesney (R-Freeport) during floor debate last night on the redistricting bill…
To the bill. You know, I understand why my colleagues talk about independent maps. I really do. When we see lawmaker lobbyists we all scratch our heads when we run for for election we say there’s no way you can go the General Assembly vote on a bill and they get paid on the side. So we run for office and we say, yeah, we want an independent map, we want a fair process. I’ve seen members on the other side of the aisle scratch your head, if we had the face mask off it would be a lot better.
But they’re wondering, how the hell do we get tampons in male bathrooms? How does that happen? That’s because you don’t have an independent map.
Sex education today just passed with 60 votes. It’s like a mini HBO porno. How does that happen? It’s because you don’t have independent maps. You need a little balance. Voting booths in county jails. How does that happen? How does that happen? You need to have an independent map, you need to have a fair map. You can’t let politicians, this is what happens when you let politicians pick their voters. They get to vote in county jail. How about for illegal immigrants, the right to vote for their college trustees? That’s legal in Illinois as well.
* Related…
* Excerpts from Illinois House leaders during debate on legislative redistricting bill
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*** UPDATED x1 *** What else happened Friday?
Saturday, May 29, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sun-Times…
Utilities providing water in Illinois would be required to replace all lead service lines, and schools across the state would need to follow new standards for sex education curriculums under bills that advanced in the General Assembly Friday.
The proposed Lead Service Line Replacement Notification Act would require “water utilities statewide to replace all lead service lines and creates a low-income water assistance program to help fund financial assistance and water projects that include lead pipe replacement,” according to a news release announcing the passage of the bill. […]
After a heated debate, House members passed legislation that would change the state’s sex education curriculum to “provide comprehensive personal health and safety education in kindergarten through the 5th grade and comprehensive sexual health education in the 6th through 12th grades in all public schools.”
Starting in second grade, students would learn to define consent, gender identity and different types of families, including co-habitating and same-sex couples. […]
The state Senate also took up a bill barring law enforcement agencies from stopping, arresting, searching or detaining someone “solely based on an individual’s citizenship or immigration status.”
Republicans objected, saying it would “tie the hands” of law enforcement.
* Capitol News Illinois…
The Illinois Senate passed a bill Friday which would strengthen legal protections for immigrants and require the closure of immigrant detention centers in the state.
Senate Bill 667, known as the Illinois Way Forward Act, would amend the Illinois Transparency and Responsibility Using State Tools, or TRUST, Act, which took effect in 2017.
The bill would prevent state and local law enforcement agencies from collaborating with federal agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or from otherwise inquiring about an individual’s immigration status unless presented with a federal warrant.
* More Sun-Times…
State legislators on Friday passed a long-sought bill aimed at ensuring better racial diversity in the state’s cannabis licensing process.
State senators passed the House bill in a 50 to 3 vote Friday afternoon, sending the measure to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who later announced he planned to sign it.
The legislation, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford, D-Maywood, attempts to fix Illinois’ recreational cannabis law, creating two additional lotteries of 110 total adult-use license dispensaries “for people who are social equity applicants — i.e. from a Black or Brown community,” according to a news release announcing the passage of the bill. In addition, those applicants won’t be subject to rules requiring dispensaries be located at least 1,500 feet apart.
“Existing dispensary owners, all non-minorities, have already taken many of the prime locations in the state,” Lightford said in a statement. “Dispensary owners from disadvantaged communities deserve a fair chance to make a profit by having access to lucrative business locations and not being locked out by distance requirements.”
Those additional lotteries will be broken in two and consist of 55 licenses each round.
* Crain’s…
Despite strong pushback from business leaders and a series of high-level negotiation sessions, it looks a bill that critics say could endanger Illinois’ data-center boom is teed up for final passage.
As now written, the labor-backed bill would require data centers and their tenants to sign a “labor peace argreement” with a union representing those who work on “but not limited to, pumps, chillers and coolers, fire line safety equipment, backup power generators, building automation system controls and water treatment systems.”
In most cases, that means hiring not only union labor but specific job candidates sent to a company.
After meetings involving Deputy Gov. Dan Hynes and others, sponsors have agreed to delay the effective date of the legislation from shortly after passage until Jan 1. That, as one insider puts it, will give the industry time this summer to “make nice and work something out with” labor, particularly the politically powerful International Union of Operating Engineers.
That isn’t Local 150, by the way. It’s a smaller local.
*** UPDATE *** The amended data-center bill passed the House and heads back to the Senate.
* Related…
* Latino Caucus lays out undocumented immigrant protection agenda
* DCFS reform bills head to governor’s desk
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* MarketWatch…
A measure of business conditions in the Chicago region had another strong reading in May, reaching its highest level in 47 years, a trade group said Friday.
The Chicago Business Barometer, also known as the Chicago PMI, jumped to 75.2 in May from 72.1, which had been the highest reading since December 1983.
Economists polled by the Wall Street Journal forecast decline to a 68 reading.
Readings over 50 signal expansion.
The surveyed economists apparently read the Tribune editorial page.
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Remap roundup
Saturday, May 29, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* WBEZ…
Illinois Democrats pushed through their plans Friday night to redraw the district boundaries of the state legislature, state Supreme Court and the Cook County Board of Review – despite objections from Republicans and groups concerned with minority representation.
Movement on the politically-charged political remap, which could lock in Democratic majorities in the General Assembly and the state’s high court for the next decade, dominated a busy legislative day in Springfield as a planned Monday adjournment looms with a stack of still-unfinished business.
The state Senate and, later, the House both approved new legislative maps on partisan roll calls with the top Democrat in the Senate insisting the new political boundaries reflect the true demographic face of Illinois.
“These are fair maps that live up to our promise to reflect the diversity of this state,” said Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park.
* Tribune…
The delay in the census, in part due to the pandemic and also due to unsuccessful efforts by the Trump administration to avoid counting noncitizens, is at the center of the debate over the Democratic efforts to redraw state and federal political districts.
“We would not be here if Donald Trump’s Commerce Department had even a passing interest — even a passing interest — in an accurate and a prompt census,” Senate President Don Harmon, an Oak Park Democrat, said over audible groans from Republicans on the Senate floor.
* Daily Herald…
The admission that some districts were drawn for political reasons ignited a debate on the House floor about whether an independent commission should have been created. On the floor, Mazzochi called out Democrats who once supported an amendment to create an independent mapmaking panel: Conroy, Terra Costa Howard of Glen Ellyn, Kathleen Willis of Addison, Michelle Mussman of Schaumburg and Stephanie Kifowit of Oswego.
“Many in this room finally have a chance to put their vote where their mouth is and keep their promises to their districts,” Mazzochi said.
Kifowit called the Republicans’ argument “smoke and mirrors” in her floor statement, saying Democrats draw the map because they are the ones who win the votes in Illinois.
“Instead of putting up a smoke screen and talking about how this map is something, this map is just a snapshot in time,” Kifowit said. “The party is what connects with voters, represents the voters and therefore gets elected by the voters. That is the true essence of being an elected official.”
* Sun-Times…
“Transparency is important in our government, and we have had ample time to alert the public about a variety of measures that will be undertaking today, and we have chosen, in every step of the process, to obfuscate the intentions to operate in secrecy and deprive the people of the state of Illinois, or in this case the people, the great people of Cook County, the opportunity to weigh in on to this subject and many more,” said state Rep. Ryan Spain, R-Peoria.
During their debate on the bills, Republicans questioned their colleagues across the aisle, but some of their questions — like who drew the maps — were met by Democrats who at times answered, “I don’t know.” […]
State Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago, said Republicans were “trying to run [out] the clock and gamble on a random drawing.”
“Let’s not pretend that the folks on the other side of the aisle — if the roles were reversed —would be doing anything differently,” Cassidy said.
* Capitol News Illinois…
Lawmakers also approved new maps for the Supreme Court districts outside of Cook County.
The Illinois Constitution requires that those districts have “substantially equal” populations, but the district maps have not been redrawn since the early 1960s.
Voters in those districts also elect judges for the appellate courts. Each of those districts also elects a justice for the Illinois Supreme Court.
Democrats currently have a 4-3 majority on the Supreme Court. But last year, Justice Thomas Kilbride, a Democrat from the 3rd District covering north-central Illinois, lost his bid for retention, setting up an open race in 2022.
* WCIA…
Representative Jay Hoffman said it was the Legislature’s constitutional duty to draw the map. He cited house republican spending on the redistricting political battle while questioning where their version of the map is.
“I have a 4 year old grandson,” Hoffman said. “He draws with Crayons. He’s drawn a better map than you guys have. You didn’t even put one together.”
* Center Square…
Several Democrats characterized Republicans as not working on changes to help disadvantaged communities, but Republicans countered Democrats are ignoring the voices of a broad array of ethic and religious minority groups who want the maps based on accurate data.
State Rep. Blaine Wilhour, R-Beecher City, criticized the origins of the bill hinting at the poor economic performance and gerrymandering under Democratic control.
“I too found the (original) title of this bill very peculiar,” Wilhour said. “Cemetery oversight … I don’t know if it was a hat tip to your voting block or a premonition of Illinois’ future under your leadership.”
* Tribune…
Illinois lawmakers are likely to push back next year’s March primary election until June because of delays in receiving U.S. Census data they will use to draw new state congressional districts, three sources familiar the plan confirmed Friday.
Under the timeline for the currently scheduled March 15, 2022 primary, candidates could begin circulating their nominating petitions to appear on the ballot at the end of August, with filing set to begin on Nov. 22. If lawmakers don’t approve a congressional map until sometime in the fall, as expected, that would leave little time to qualify for the ballot under the current timetable.
The detailed census data that is usually used for the every-decade process of redrawing political boundaries is not expected until at least mid-August, delays due in large part to the pandemic as well as efforts by former President Donald Trump’s administration to eliminate noncitizens from the count.
While the state constitution sets a June 30 date for state legislative mapmaking, no such deadline exists for drawing up a congressional map. Challenges in federal court to new congressional map lines over issues like federal voting rights violations and one-person, one-vote requirements, are much more likely if the boundaries are drawn with estimated survey data rather than actual specific census figures.
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Saturday open thread
Saturday, May 29, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I don’t expect a huge number of comments today, so blogging will be condensed and light, but I hope to keep it timely. Anyway, I really thought Leader Hoffman was going to launch into another Willie story yesterday, but no such luck…
How’s your weekend going?
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* This escalated quickly…
And then…
* Followed by this press release…
McConchie: Governor must come out of hiding and veto politician-drawn map
“Once again, the politicians running Illinois reminded us all why we cannot trust anything they say or do,” said Illinois Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods). “Today, less than 24 hours after it was introduced, the Senate Democratic Majority voted to pass a politician-drawn, gerrymandered legislative map.”
“This kind of backroom, power-at-all-costs dealing is exactly why the people of Illinois don’t – and shouldn’t – trust the Democratic Majority running our state government.
“As a candidate, Gov. Pritzker made a promise to the people of Illinois to veto any map like the one they passed today, that was drawn by politicians and their allies.
“We are in the final days of session and Gov. Pritzker hasn’t held a media availability since May 19.
“It is not too late for the governor to come out of hiding and keep his promise that he made to the people of Illinois.
“If he doesn’t, he will have broken the people’s trust once and for all.”
Pretty sure there was at least one leaders meeting this week.
I’ve asked the governor’s office for a response.
*** UPDATE *** Jordan Abudayyeh…
Gov. Pritzker has held more consecutive press conferences than any other Governor in Illinois history, and he will be available to answer questions from the press after he finishes critical negotiations—just as he has every other session.
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* Background is here if you need it. Late Friday afternoon before a holiday weekend while the rest of the news media is focused on the remap. Not buried at all /s…
Today, Governor JB Pritzker took the following bill action:
Bill Number: SB 72
Description: Allows plaintiffs to collect pre-judgment interest on personal injury and wrongful death claims, aligning Illinois with 46 other states. Pre-judgment interest would not apply to state, local governments, school districts, community colleges, any other government entity or consumer debt, nor would it apply to settlements.
Action: Signed
Effective: July 1, 2021
…Adding… Illinois State Medical Society…
When the residents of Illinois have trouble finding a doctor to attend to their medical needs, one of the things they can point to is Senate Bill 72, which was just signed into law.
The new law will inflict deep harm on the state’s already challenged medical liability climate by adding a prejudgment interest penalty at the rate of 6% that starts to accrue on the date an action is filed. This is a system designed to badger defendants and line the pockets of the plaintiffs’ bar, instead of seeking fair resolution to medical liability claims.
The consequences of this new law will be felt when physicians decide Illinois is too expensive of a state to practice medicine. Prejudgment interest will drive up medical liability payouts, force doctors away from our borders and increase the cost of health care. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: The bottom line is that patients will suffer.
…Adding… IMA…
“This measure will dramatically increase litigation costs on manufacturers, hospitals, and doctors that have been on the front lines throughout the pandemic. Across Illinois, manufacturers have developed life-saving vaccines and treatments, produced personal protective equipment for first responders and health care professionals and have kept grocery stores stocked with safe and nutritious foods. Instead of being supported, these essential facilities will now be hit with tens of millions of dollars in additional costs,” said Mark Denzler, president & CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “Policy makers should be focused on supporting manufacturers to spur economic recovery from the pandemic, not making it harder for businesses to hire workers and invest in our communities.”
…Adding… Background from the governor’s office on negotiated changes to the bill…
• Interest reduced to 6% from 9%
• Pre-judgement interest no longer begins to accrue upon notice to defendant, it now begins when a case is filed.
• Pre-judgement interest would no longer accrue on punitive damage, sanctions, statutory attorney’s fees, or statutory costs.
• Removed the State from pre-judgement interest.
• If a plaintiff voluntarily dismisses a case then the interest will be tolled during the time it’s dismissed.
• Caps the accrual period for interest at five years.
• Effective date moved to 7/1/21 (was immediate in previous version).
• Within the first 12 months if a defendant makes an offer for settlement and it is not accepted or rejected in a timely manner by the plaintiff then the interest amount will be determined by the difference between the offered amount and the ultimate amount of the judgement.
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Question of the day
Friday, May 28, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Senate President Don Harmon in March…
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.
* So, I asked the spokespersons for the House Speaker and Senate President if they would reconvene their chambers after the detailed Census numbers finally come out in August/September if the data shows that the Democrats could’ve drawn even more favorable maps for protected racial and ethnic minorities.
This is from Jaclyn Driscoll of the House Democrats..
“We feel very confident in the data we used to draft this proposed map, but we intend on taking a close look at the census data as well. Our goal from the beginning has been to ensure we have the best product that adheres to state and federal laws while reflecting the diversity of Illinois.”
John Patterson with the Senate Dems…
“We’ll review future information at a future time”
* The Question: Should the General Assembly reconvene and then reconfigure the state legislative district maps if the Census data shows that the maps do not fully reflect the diversity of Illinois? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please…
picture polls
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*** UPDATE 1 *** The House has passed the Cook County Board of Review remap 72-45. The chamber is now debating the Illinois Supreme Court remap bill.
*** UPDATE 2 *** The House just passed the Supreme Court map 72-45. Keep an eye on the live coverage post for moment-by-moment updates and debate coverage.
*** UPDATE 3 *** The House is debating the resolution describing the intent of the remap. Within that resolution, the Democrats claim that changes were made to the district to unpack House Republicans from districts with fellow House Republicans “Following the request of Republicans.” The Republicans say they made no request (see below) and Rep. Keicher specifically asked that his name be removed from the resolution.
*** UPDATE 4 *** The Senate is now taking up the legislative redistricting bill, HB2777.
*** UPDATE 5 *** The Senate has passed the redistricting bill, HB2777, which now heads to the House.
*** UPDATE 6 *** The House has passed the legislative redistricting resolution.
*** UPDATE 7 *** The Senate has approved the new Supreme Court maps on a partisan roll call. It will be sent to the governor.
*** UPDATE 8 *** The Senate has passed the Board of Review remap. It will be sent to the governor.
*** UPDATE 9 *** ILGOP Chair…
“Illinois Democrat legislators conducted an embarrassing and nontransparent process to create the exact type of map Governor JB Pritzker pledged to veto. The Governor now has a choice. He can either keep his word to veto a partisan map drawn by politicians or turn his back on the people of Illinois. Pritzker can do the right thing or outright break his promise.”
*** UPDATE 10 *** The House has passed the legislative redistricting bill 71-45. And that’s it. Both chambers have passed their resolutions, and both chambers have now passed all the remap bills.
[ *** End Of Updates *** ]
* Crain’s…
After a week of absolutely tone-deaf public relations, Illinois Democrats finally got a little smarter last night, rolling out slightly revised proposed new maps for Illinois House and Senate districts.
But the changes, which are expected to start moving through the House later today and make it to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s desk by the time you’re back at work next week, effectively only tweak around the margins of maps that leave Democrats solidly in control of the General Assembly. […]
“It was a ploy to get us to go along, and we didn’t bite,” says one ranking Republican. “They tried the exact same thing 10 years ago. It’s the same playbook.”
This was a power move, and those aren’t popular with reporters and pundits. You just put your head down and listen to your lawyers. The second map is part of the whole process and, as noted above, was used before…
The once-in-a-decade event is always acrimonious, but partisan bickering and even tiffs between members of the redistricting committees and witnesses weighing in on the mapmaking process have dominated conversations surrounding the new district boundaries.
The chief complaint from advocacy organizations is Democrats’ insistence on using non-Census data to draw the maps, as the COVID pandemic delayed the 2020 Census data until August — more than two months after a constitutional trigger that takes the redistricting process out of lawmakers’ hands and punts it to an eight-member bipartisan appointed commission, which has ended in deadlock three of four times it’s ever been used.
As a deadlocked commission is a forgone conclusion, Democrats don’t want to risk giving Republicans a 50/50 chance to control the mapmaking process with the random selection of an additional partisan member of the panel, who would cast the deciding vote in one of the party’s favors.
* Tribune…
Democrats late Tuesday also acknowledged the use of “public election data” in drawing the maps. The party preference of Illinois voters who cast primary ballots is public record.
In addition the Democrats said 15 of the new districts are at or above 50% Black population and 14 districts are at or above 50% Latinx.
The state’s Latinx population has supplanted the Black population behind the state’s white population.
Those are not Citizen Voting Age Population numbers, however. There are 12 Black and 5 Latinx-majority districts when accounting for CVAP.
* Capitol News Illinois…
Republicans on Wednesday tried to tie an indictment of a longtime lieutenant of former House Speaker Michael Madigan to the Democrats’ effort to redraw legislative district lines ahead of the General Assembly’s May 31 adjournment.
The latest indictment came Wednesday with just six days remaining in the legislative session, as former Madigan chief of staff Tim Mapes faced charges of lying to a grand jury about his knowledge of Madigan’s involvement with a prominent lobbyist who has also been indicted. Madigan has not been charged.
Republicans on a redistricting committee used the indictment as a new line of attack, complementing their claims that Democrats are trying to forge ahead with inadequate population data and a complete lack of transparency as to how the maps were drawn.
Rep. Tim Butler, R-Springfield, pointed out that Mapes was heavily involved in Madigan’s redistricting efforts, the most recent of which took place in 2011 after the previous decennial census.
“The new boss has the old boss’s ways. It came home to roost today in the indictment of the man who used to run this entire operation, and whose shadow was cast across these proceedings,” Butler said. “Let’s get transparent, let’s get the data out.”
* The new boss may have “improved” on the old boss’ ways…
Mapes, by the way, pleaded not guilty today.
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* House Republican Leader Jim Durkin earlier this week…
“Today’s indictment of former chief of staff Tim Mapes underscores the criminal enterprise operated under the dome by former Speaker Michael Madigan, also known as Public Official A.”
Much of that criminal enterprise involved ComEd. And now ComEd’s parent company Exelon is trying to strong-arm the General Assembly into forking over hundreds of millions of dollars in ratepayer subsidies to keep three nuclear power plants open, even though an independent audit showed it only needs a fraction of that cash mountain.
* Today, the labor front group for Exelon hosted a Statehouse rally and Leader Durkin spoke. While saying he wanted a “fair” result for consumers, he also said this to the gathered Exelon workers and other political dignitaries…
Your voices have been heard. Our caucus, the House Republicans, standing with each and every one of you to ensure that our nuclear fleet will continue to operate and serve the better of Illinois. So with that, I thank you, keep up the work. Make sure your voices are loud. We are behind you. Have a great day.
This is the 2016 playbook all over again. I don’t think it’ll work this time around, but as I told you Wednesday, firming up Republican support is crucial for Exelon as the session enters its final days.
* Related…
* Ex-state Sen. Annazette Collins pleads not guilty after feds file new indictment: The former politician-turned-lobbyist had originally been indicted March 31 in connection with the feds’ ongoing bribery investigation revolving around ComEd and Springfield politics.
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* Get your shots, people…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 982 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 21 additional deaths. In addition, more than 66% of Illinois adults have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose and more than 49% of Illinois adults are fully vaccinated, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Cook County: 1 male teen, 1 female 50s, 1 female 60s, 2 males 60s, 1 female 70s, 2 males 70s, 2 males 80s
- DuPage County: 1 male 80s
- Kane County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 70s
- McHenry County: 1 female 70s
- Peoria County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 80s
- Will County: 2 males 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s
- Winnebago County: 1 female 50s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,380,261 cases, including 22,739 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 56,438 specimens for a total of 24,490,663. As of last night, 1,216 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 314 patients were in the ICU and 172 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from May 21-27, 2021 is 1.9%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from May 21-27, 2021 is 2.3%.
A total of 11,175,656 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 58,378 doses. Yesterday, 62,274 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-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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It’s just a bill and/or almost a law
Friday, May 28, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Apparently, one of these facilities was using some non-union labor and a small union beefed and a business group has its hair all on fire while others are actually trying to work out a more acceptable compromise…
A little-noticed clause that’s starting to pick up steam in Springfield threatens to kneecap what has been a rare Illinois economic development success story of late: the growth of data centers here.
Under terms of a measure awaiting action by the Illinois House, operators of all new and prospective data centers would be required to sign a “labor peace agreement” with a union representing those who work on “but not limited to, pumps, chillers and coolers, fire line safety equipment, backup power generators, building automation system controls and water treatment systems.”
Data centers typically employ such workers, and industry officials say many such agreements in effect elsewhere in Illinois, usually construction jobs, require employers to fill all vacancies from a list of applicants supplied by the union. While it’s not explicit in the legislation, as a practical matter it would mean data centers almost certainly would need to use union-supplied labor.
The Tribune editorial board does what it does…
So what’s got us worked up about data centers? Legislation with an amendment sponsored in the House by state Rep. Mark Walker, an Arlington Heights Democrat, that would require new and prospective data centers to sign so-called peace labor agreements with unions representing workers who maintain typical data center infrastructure, such as cooling and fire safety equipment, backup generators and water treatment systems. The measure is part of an amendment to the state’s 2-year-old tax credit program for data centers, which Republicans pushed, that so far has brought in $5 billion in private investment to Illinois’ data center industry. […]
What was Walker thinking? No clue.
Um, maybe pick up the phone and ask?
Either way, this provision would cover a teeny-tiny number of workers, so the Democrats really need to figure this out and move the heck on.
* Tribune…
A bill that would make Juneteenth National Freedom Day the 13th official state holiday was approved without opposition by the Illinois House on Thursday.
The bill would make June 19 a school holiday and a paid day off for all state employees. If June 19 falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the holiday would be on the following Monday.
The Senate previously passed the bill, and it will now head to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s desk. If signed, it would take effect immediately.
* BFC…
May 27, 2021
Dear friends and former colleagues,
This year, you face a challenge unlike any I ever faced in my decades in state government. COVID-19 has strained state and local budgets, and put huge pressure on all our institutions. This pandemic has also strained families who were already struggling to pay the bills. The virus has hit low-income families and communities of color especially hard. And the economic effects of the virus have been devastating.
For those who need help the most, I urge you to expand the state’s Earned Income Credit (EIC). The EIC, the state’s companion to the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), is a targeted and effective tool in the battle against poverty embraced across the partisan divide. It means low-income working families can keep more of the money they earn. At the end of tax season, families receive the EIC in the form of an income tax refund. For most families, this is the largest check they’ll get all year; many build their budgets around it.
Many low-income Illinoisans who pay taxes aren’t currently eligible for the credit. Illinois follows the federal eligibility guidelines. This means workers under age 24 and over 65 are excluded, as are some taxpaying immigrants and family caregivers. This, when many families have had to cut their hours or step away from work to care for others during the pandemic. Other states, like California and Maine, have expanded their state EITC to include these hard-working residents. We should, too.
It’s time to limit the tax burden on our neighbors in need. Let’s take a step toward tax equity and economic security. HB2792/ SB2184 would expand Earned Income Credit eligibility so more hard-working families can get a refund. I respectfully urge you to turn these bills into law.
Sincerely,
Hon. Barbara Flynn Currie
Former House Majority Leader
* More…
* Springfield Legislators Face Long To-Do List Near Session’s End: Budget Negotiations; Hospitality Pandemic Recovery; Parent Notice Abortion Repeal ; Gun Ownership
* Springfield set to act on Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund unrest
* Senate passes ‘sexting’ measure, bill lifting benefit ban for those with drug convictions
* GOP Lawmakers Say ‘National Sex Education Standards’ Are Too Explicit For Illinois Schools
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Because… Madigan! No, really
Friday, May 28, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The national Democrats should probably send some observers to Illinois campaigns because nobody has ever once written a story complaining that Illinois Democrats (or Republicans) were being too nice and bipartisan in their advertising…
As Democrats face a 2022 midterm landscape that could cost them the House, they are grappling with hard strategic challenges. Democrats in tough districts with many Republican voters in them feel twin pressures: one is to emphasize their bipartisan outreach. The other is to refrain from prosecuting the case against GOP radicalization too forcefully.
A new analysis of House Democratic losses in 2020 done by a progressive donor and strategy group — which is circulating among Democratic strategists — suggests some counterintuitive answers for Democrats navigating these pressures.
The analysis — which was done by the group Way to Win and was provided to me — suggests large TV-ad expenditures on emphasizing bipartisan outreach do not appear to have paid dividends for House Democrats in the 2020 elections. […]
As it happens, the DCCC’s own internal analysis, reported on by Paul Kane, has similarly concluded that Democrats were caught off guard by the potency of GOP attacks.
Hilarious. And the chair of the DCCC last year was an Illinoisan, albeit one without any state-level campaign experience.
Go read the rest. And there’s more here.
…Adding… ILGOP fundraising email…
Friends,
It has never been more important to FIRE PRITZKER than it is now. 2022 is rapidly approaching, and it’s past time Illinois had a change in leadership.
With Pritzker in the Governor’s Mansion (no, not the mansion he pulled all of the toilets out of to avoid paying taxes), here’s how Illinois has fared:
🚫 NO protection for our police officers
🚫 An economy in SHAMBLES
🚫 Government CORRUPTION
🚫 RADICAL LEFTWING policies
Is this the kind of state we want to live in? Is this the kind of leadership we want representing us? NO.
The ILGOP is fighting back. But we need YOUR help to do so. Big change starts with small donations, so chip in and become part of the change!
CHIP IN TO FIRE PRITZKER!
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Dem remap locks in Board of Review seat
Friday, May 28, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The Cook County Board of Review’s 1st District had been represented by Republican Dan Patlak until Democrat Tammy Wendt won last November. The remap solidifies the 1st District as Democratic, but also makes it a Latinx influenced district. Wendt is an attorney who was on the defense team for former Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke…
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Today’s oddest quote request
Friday, May 28, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Center Square…
Numerous Republican lawmakers say Pritzker should abandon his proposed tax changes, or “corporate loopholes,” in the midst of a pandemic economy, especially with revenues up due to stronger-than-expected revenues. They also oppose limiting a discount for retailers who collect state sales taxes, which may be a tough sell to Democrats, especially as small businesses have suffered as a result of the pandemic and the governor’s COVID-19 restrictions.
A request for comment from the Democratic Party of Illinois was not answered.
Not sure why the media outlet would contact DPI, which is run by a US Rep., about why the governor should reduce his state revenue options and increase his state spending plans to placate the GOP.
Also, subscribers know more about the budget talks. I didn’t ask DPI for a comment or insight, however.
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“This isn’t a hair bill”
Friday, May 28, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
The Illinois House on Thursday approved a bill that would prohibit schools from issuing policies on hairstyles traditionally associated with race and ethnicity, including braids, dreadlocks and cornrows.
The bill passed the Senate last week. Before going to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s desk for his signature, however, the legislation is headed back to the Senate for approval of an amendment that would refer to the act as “the Jett Hawkins Law,” after a 4-year-old Chicago boy who was ordered to take his braids out due to his school’s dress code earlier this year. […]
“(A school) would no longer be able to maintain their dress code and hair code moving forward if this passes, in a private school that for years and years and years has maintained a certain look of their students, regardless of race?” Rep. Anthony DeLuca, a Chicago Heights Democrat, asked on the House floor Thursday.
“I think a lot of things have been done in the country for years and years and years … and that doesn’t always make them right or good,” Harris said. “If we need to make this accommodation to treat people with respect, I think that’s a worthwhile goal.”
* SJ-R…
“I hope that everyone understands that this isn’t a hair bill, it’s about treating people right, respecting people, allowing people to be who they want to be,” said state Rep. La Shawn Ford, D-Chicago.
Harris clarified the bill does not stop schools from having a dress code, but that was not satisfactory for state Rep. Tom Morrison, R-Palatine.
“I encourage other members to vote no,” Morrison said. “This does affect private schools, and I think this is an issue that is best left up to that individual school administration and the parents that choose to send their children there.”
* Sun-Times…
“I think this is an issue that’s just best left up to that individual’s school administration along with the parents that choose to send their children there, so I would encourage a no vote,” state Rep. Thomas Morrison, R-Palatine, said.
Harris, who sponsored the House version, stood with the bill’s lead Senate sponsor, state Sen. Mike Simmons, D-Chicago, during the debate.
Harris said the goal was to address past wrongs.
“I think a lot of things have been done in the country for years and years and years and years because that’s the way they’ve been done for years and years and years and years,” the North Side Democrat said. “That doesn’t always make them right or good, and if we need to make this accommodation to treat people with respect, I think that’s a worthwhile goal.”
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* By Jennifer Smith Richards, Chicago Tribune, and Jodi S. Cohen, ProPublica…
Illinois school workers physically restrained or secluded nearly 2,400 students more than 15,000 times this school year, a period when many schools were closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, new state data shows.
The data, obtained Thursday by the Chicago Tribune and ProPublica, shows that even with new rules put in place early last year, schools continued to use physical restraints and isolated timeout thousands of times. The data includes public schools, private schools and regional cooperatives that exclusively serve students with disabilities.
The release of the information comes as Illinois lawmakers weigh whether to more strictly limit when school workers can put students in seclusion and physically restrain them. The Senate voted early this week to ban locked seclusion and to prohibit schools from using other types of isolation unless students or staff are in “imminent danger” of harm. The bill, which also would end the use of prone, or face-down, restraint by the end of the next school year, awaits a vote in the House, where similar legislation stalled this year.
“This magnifies even more why we must absolutely pass this legislation and the governor must sign it into law,” said Rep. Jonathan Carroll, D-Northbrook, who has championed a seclusion ban in the House. “We have to have legislation because it has to stop.”
Opposition has stemmed mainly from a few suburban private schools that have argued prone restraint should be allowed for students in crisis. The current legislative session ends Monday. […]
More than 90% of the students subjected to the interventions since July 2020 were students with disabilities, according to a Tribune-ProPublica analysis of the data. More than 8 in 10 were boys, and a quarter were Black. Less than 17% of students in the state’s schools are Black.
More than 60% of students whom schools physically restrained or placed in timeout were in kindergarten through fifth grade. Two of every 10 students were in prekindergarten, kindergarten or first grade. This is the first time ISBE has tracked the age of students affected by seclusion and restraint.
Enough, already. Just… enough.
…Adding… Rep. Jonathan Carroll…
This morning, we were able to move HB219 out of committee and hopefully it will pass the house this weekend getting us closer to ending these practices. Despite my optimism with our legislation, I’m very disappointed that these practices are still happening in our schools. I’d like to know how during a pandemic we’re still seeing kids being treated like criminals?
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* Chicago Sun-Times editorial…
Allow us to suggest another 415 million reasons for the state Legislature to reject a bill to create a fully elected school board for Chicago.
That’s $415.4 million, to be exact — the amount of money the City of Chicago kicked into the Chicago Public Schools’ budget for fiscal year 2021.
Good luck collecting that kind of cash in the future, no matter how pressing the need, if Chicago’s chief executive — the mayor — no longer has authority over the public schools.
The city as a whole has its own financial problems, as any mayor would be sure to point out, and other priorities, such as not raising property taxes, would come first. Let the 21 members of an elected school board solve their own problems.
Yeah. The mayor is just gonna walk away from the school system and let it collapse if s/he doesn’t fully control it. Right. Well, OK, maybe this mayor might try, but she can’t do it.
* Our trusted pal Amanda Kass fact checks…
From reading the pension code and CPS financial reports, my understanding is that the City of Chicago is responsible for the cost of pension benefits for all members of the [Municipal Employees’ Annuity and Benefit Fund of Chicago], which would include the non-teaching CPS staff. In other words, even though CPS is the employer for all CPS staff, the City of Chicago is legally responsible for the employer contribution for CPS staff that are part of the MEABF.
Both CPS and the CTU have said the pension cost of CPS staff in the MEABF is the City’s responsibility. CPS has explicitly stated this in past financial reports […]
As a means of relieving some of that fiscal pressure the City, under Mayor Lightfoot’s leadership, is looking to have CPS pay the pension cost for the CPS employees that are in MEABF. The way this has been structured is that the City pays the money to MEABF, and CPS makes a payment to the City (rather than CPS just paying into MEABF). This began with the City’s 2020 budget and is outlined in this intergovernmental agreement between the City and CPS. City leadership is referring to this as a “pension reimbursement”, but I think of it more as a cost shift since the City has historically paid for the CPS-MEABF member pensions.
In 2020, CPS paid $60 million, and from the IGA it looks like CPS will pay $100 million in 2021. To sum, the context for why this is happening now is that the City is looking to have CPS pay for CPS staffs’ pensions that the City has historically paid for as the City’s required contributions increase over time.
Bringing it back to the topic of the Sun-Times editorial, their argument (and the Civic Federation who they link to) seem to be arguing that without Mayoral control, the City can’t (or won’t) make the pension payments for the CPS-MEABF members. But, again, CPS’ legal interpretation is that the payments are the City’s, not CPS’, obligation. In other words, this isn’t something the Mayor has discretion and is choosing to do. As such, the implications of an elected school board may be the reverse: that without Mayoral control, the City can’t get CPS to pay for the CPS-MEABF pensions. [Emphasis added.]
So, the city is already trying to get out of its commitment, but it is ultimately responsible for paying the tab. And if mayoral control evaporates, the city could be even more on the hook.
Heh.
Somebody got duped.
[Headline explained here and here.]
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* I get emails…
HI,
Passing through the senate today is a bill (HB 1879) that honors the discovery of the mold in Illinois that was the precursor of the one used to make the penicillin antibiotic for WW2 is used even today. The bill is to designate Penicillium rubens as Illinois state Microbe. This mold was discovered on a cantaloupe found in a down town Peoria, IL market during the early part of WW2. Earlier, a mold brought from Britain to Peoria wasn’t productive enough so mold samples were collected from around the world to screen them for greater production of penicillin. Of those the Peoria mold was selected to produce the life saving drug that saved thousands of military lives during WW2 and millions since. A recent program on Public TV (Extra Life: A Short History of Living Longer: Medicine) mentioned that penicillin was equal to the atomic bomb in importance. We are past due to have this mold as our state microbe.
Other states, such as Oregon and New Jersey already have named theirs. New Jersey’s mold is of particular interest because it was the second mold (Streptomyces griseus) to produce the important antibiotic, streptomycin. The initial mass production work to make this antibiotic and other antibiotics was done in Illinois at Peoria. Streptomycin is considered as the second most important antibiotic discovered. Penicillin is considered as number one. All the discoveries found to mass produce penicillin allowed other antibiotics to be produced likewise. It’s time that penicillin is recognized for its importance.
The current bill in the statehouse to name an Illinois state microbe has some history. It was first SB 1857 an introduced in the 2019 Spring Session of the Illinois Senate. A recent analysis DNA done found that the species (chrysogenum) was incorrect. Initial classification had been done as to the physical structure of the mold. It was now to be Penicillium rubens. So a correction was done to the bill’s wording. That slowed the bill’s passing through each state house and it didn’t pass in the 2019 Spring Session. In November of 2019, the bill was on the docket during the Fall Veto Session. It didn’t make it to the floor. The 2020 Pandemic Spring Session also saw no progress. Dual new bills were introduced in the 2021 Spring Sessions of the IL Senate and IL House. They were SB 2004 and HB 1879. The House bill is currently the official bill. As previously said, it is now in the Senate for a second reading. Time is short for it to get passed through the House and on to the Governor’s desk sometime this summer.
The historical work done here in the great state of Illinois on penicillin has impacted the health of all people in the world. It’s past time for a state microbe.
Gary Kuzniar
Co-Chair
Illinois State Microbe Designation Project
The bill designates Penicillium rubens NRRL 1951 as Illinois’ official state microbe.
That’s quite a mouthful. Can we give it a nickname?
*** UPDATE *** Passed the Senate…
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[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Telehealth has become a way of life for many Illinoisans, a reliable option to seek needed healthcare that eliminates access barriers such as transportation, childcare and time off work. The Coalition to Protect Telehealth urges the General Assembly to pass House Bill 3308/Senate Committee Amendment 1 so Illinoisans can enjoy the same access to telehealth after the pandemic.
Why is passing HB3308/SCA 1 so important?
• It will allow for access to innovative telehealth services, reduce access barriers and improve patient outcomes.
• It will continue to drive a reduction in missed appointments, increase care plan adherence and improve chronic disease management.
• It will empower patients to address healthcare needs swiftly, preventing conditions from worsening and avoiding unnecessary visits to urgent care or a hospital.
• It will give healthcare professionals the certainty needed to continue investing in and utilizing new care delivery tools.
In recent weeks, the Coalition to Protect Telehealth has shared stories in the space about the power of telehealth. It saved the life of a Chicago man and a Central Illinois woman. Telehealth also was a lifeline for individuals to continue mental health care.
Telehealth saves lives and empowers patients. Pass HB3308/SCA 1 to preserve access to telehealth. Learn more at https://protectillinoistelehealth.org/
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* The setup…
* Rep. Lisa Hernandez, Chair of the House Redistricting Committee last night…
Following the release of the proposed legislative map, Republicans in the legislature made public comments criticizing the number of incumbent Republicans who would be located in the same district. A number of those districts have been reconfigured to accommodate the concerns of Republicans.
* House Republicans last night…
Chairwoman Hernandez’s claims of accommodating Republican concerns are deceptive and downright untrue. The only concerns Republicans voiced were the use of inadequate data, and politicians drawing their own maps to pick their voters.
The HGOPs have pushed back hard on this claim that they asked for changes based on GOP packing.
* But…
[Rep. Tony McCombie, R-Savanna] called the new maps “politically driven.”
“If you don’t think that in my district, you can certainly see it across the state when you have two or four (Republican) House seats drawn in together and then empty seats right next to them,” she said. “I think the courts will tear them apart for two reasons: not using the U.S. Census, and for how blatantly politically they are drawn.”
Um, ma’am, your public complaint might have given them a legal justification for using home addresses to draw the maps.
* Rep. McCombie does her own thing, so that was probably to be expected. But Rep. Ryan Spain (R-Peoria) is on the Redistricting Committee and should know better…
“The only thing that seems to matter are the home addresses of incumbent politicians, so the Democrats can be protected and Republicans can be punished,” said Spain.
Close to the line, but did he cross it?
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* Press release…
The Second Amendment Foundation has filed a lawsuit in federal district court in Illinois, challenging the state’s ban on concealed carry by young adults between the ages of 18 and 21, alleging the ban violates the Second and 14th Amendment rights of those citizens.
Joining SAF are the Illinois State Rifle Association, Firearms Policy Coalition, Inc., and three private citizens in the 18-21-year age group, David Meyer, Eva Davis and Mitchell Nalley. They are represented by attorneys David G. Sigale of David G. Sigale, P.C. in Wheaton, Ill., Christian D. Ambler of Stone & Johnson in Chicago and David H. Thompson, Peter A. Patterson and William V. Bergstrom, all with Cooper & Kirk PLLC in Washington, D.C. The case is known as Meyer v. Raoul.
Named as defendants are Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly, State’s Attorney of Fayette County Joshua C. Morrison, State’s Attorney of St. Clair County James Gomric, State’s Attorney for Kendall County Eric Weis, Fayette County Sheriff Christopher Palmer, St. Clair County Sheriff Richard Watson and Kendall County Sheriff Dwight A. Baird, in their official and individual capacities.
“All law-abiding citizens of this country are considered adults at the age of 18 for nearly all purposes,” noted SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. “They can vote, enter into contracts, start businesses, get married and join the military. But the state prohibits them from exercising the fundamental right to bear arms, that is, to carry a handgun outside the home or in an automobile, even though the state allows other adults to obtain a license to carry firearms in public.
“This is not our first legal encounter in Illinois,” he noted. “First we had the landmark McDonald v. City of Chicago Supreme Court victory that nullified Chicago’s handgun ban and incorporated the Second Amendment to the states via the 14th Amendment. That opened the doors for other cases around the country. We successfully litigated Ezell v. City of Chicago when the city tried to get creative with its handgun law. We won again with Moore v. Madigan, forcing the Illinois Legislature to adopt a concealed carry statute, which we’re very proud of. And we’ve had other successful legal battles, so Illinois is familiar ground to us.
The lawsuit notes, “Moreover, young adults between eighteen and twenty-one were fully protected by the Second Amendment at the time of its ratification. Hundreds of statutes from the colonial and founding eras required 18-to-20-year-olds to keep and bear arms.”
“We’re asking the court to remedy this situation by issuing an injunction against further enforcement of the ban on our individual plaintiffs and other young adults facing the same situation,” Gottlieb said. “Citizens in this age group enjoy nearly all of the rights guaranteed by the Constitution except when it comes to the Second Amendment. This cannot be allowed to stand.”
Thoughts?
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Open thread
Friday, May 28, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* As somebody else said, Dylan Cease is gonna put White Castle out of business with this slider…
Anything you’d like to say about whatever?
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