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Question of the day

Wednesday, Aug 25, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Background is here if you need it. From the Sun-Times

How about turning the James R. Thompson Center into a waterpark resort, complete with thrilling waterfalls? Or adding a conical spire to showcase 3D LED images? Maybe its glass skin could be tinted, with occupants controlling it for their comfort.

Those were among the proposals chosen as finalists in a competition for ideas to reuse the longtime hub for state government at 100 W. Randolph St. The distinctive product of the late architect Helmut Jahn and regarded by many as landmark-worthy is an asset the state wants to sell, raising the specter of its demolition.

Seven proposals for saving the 17-story building were named finalists Tuesday in a competition sponsored by the Chicago Architecture Center and the Chicago Architectural Club. A jury of leading experts in design and preservation chose the finalists from 59 entries. A winner will be announced Sept. 14.

Scott Kennedy’s tongue-in-cheek idea to convert the building into a water park was submitted as a proposal by David Rader, Jerry Johnson, Ryan Monteleagre and Matt Zelensek of Perkins & Will. And it’s now a finalist for the prize.

* I asked Kennedy for comment today…

I actually love that this has taken on an energy of its own. It’s outgrown me and that’s great.

…Adding… Here’s the thread that started it all


* The Question: If by some miracle this becomes reality, what should the new water park be named?

  63 Comments      


Pritzker to Jacobson: “You come in here with a political agenda and you spread misinformation”

Wednesday, Aug 25, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Far-right radio talk show host Amy Jacobson was at Gov. JB Pritzker’s press conference today

Jacobson: I wanted to ask you about that menu of options of mitigations you mentioned yesterday. There are school closings a part of that? Is schools closing down on that list of options? Because if so, then we can talk about mental health issues that parents want to hear.

Pritzker: Right.

Jacobson: So, is that on the list?

Pritzker: Well, as you know, if all of a sudden we started to see that there was a widespread, delta, or something that was overcoming, for example, the vaccines that people have already taken, and sending people to the hospital who are already vaccinated, then we would have to look at a whole new set at the bottom of the list of things that we left far in the distance last year. Then we might have to revisit those things, but that’s not something that I would say is currently highlighted on that menu of options.

Jordan Abudayyeh: We’ll do one more.

Jacobson: You had, there was a protest out there this morning and parents were crying, screaming ‘Oh my God.’ As governor, you should try and calm people’s nerves maybe or can you because there are low risk groups…

Abudayyeh: Amy, as a supposed reporter, you should probably stop the misinformation, we are done here. Thank you.

Pritzker: Thank you.

Abudayyeh: You know how you prevent schools being from being closed? You stop complaining about mask wearing.

[People start to leave, and I’m told that Jacobson asked Abudayyeh off-mic for the studies that face masks work. That’s when the governor returned to the podium. The mic was still off when he started speaking, but the following is what was recorded on audio.]

Pritzker: [I would like to] respond to that. Let me just say this: You are spreading misinformation. I wish you would stop spreading this information. You come in here with a political agenda [cross talk] and you spread misinformation. And I just think you should stop. We now need to protect our children, we need to protect the people in our communities, parents, grandparents, teachers. You are working against that [cross talk], and it is extremely upsetting for all of us who are trying to keep the rest of the state safe.

Please pardon all transcription errors.

Thoughts?

  56 Comments      


COVID-19 roundup: Kids; Schools; IDES

Wednesday, Aug 25, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Tribune

This month, an average of more than 30 Illinois children a day have been admitted to hospitals with confirmed or suspected COVID-19, with the rolling seven-day average reaching 40 admissions last Wednesday. A year ago at this time, average daily admissions were around 20 in early August before peaking at 35. […]

Still, the increase in childhood hospitalizations in Illinois is far less severe than in states where some pediatric wards are filling up fast. In Florida, for example, admissions are running roughly triple what they were last August, at one point approaching 100 confirmed or suspected childhood cases a day, on average.

Florida’s population is 70 percent larger than ours, so we’ve got a little ways to go before getting that bad. And it could, especially with this attitude


Last week we delivered nearly 45,000 petitions to Pritzker’s office to demand he rescinds his unilateral mask mandate on our schools. I'm delivering YOUR voice.

Posted by Darren Bailey for Governor on Tuesday, August 24, 2021

* Southern Illinois

Hardin County CUSD #1 has closed for the remainder of the week.

The school announced that over 25% of the school called in absent Tuesday.

Superintendant Andy Edmondson did not disclose what prompted the closure, but said “we need to focus on getting our students healthy.”

“I want to apologize for the short notice and the inconvenience this will bring, but the health of our students is our top priority,” Edmondson added.

* From the governor’s office last night…

* Daily Herald

Of three suburban private schools that had their recognition status pulled by the Illinois State Board of Education last week after officials said they flouted a COVID-19 mask mandate, just one has been reinstated.

Bethany Lutheran School in Naperville and Lutheran School of St. Luke in Itasca remained on ISBE’s list of sanctioned schools as of Tuesday, the agency reported.

* CBS 2

COVID-19 isn’t the only problem schools are facing as students head back to schools. There’s also a teacher shortage.

The superintendent of LaSalle-Peru High School said the pandemic has accelerated a teacher shortage years in the making.

Nearly a third of educators say the pandemic has led them to plan on leaving teaching earlier than expected.

* AP

Most epidemiologists say they still believe that in-person school can be conducted safely, and that it’s important considering the academic, social and emotional damage to students since the pandemic slammed into American schools in March 2020.

In some cases, experts say, the reversals reflect a careless approach among districts that acted as if the pandemic were basically over.

“People should realize it’s not over. It’s a real problem, a real public health issue,” said Dr. Tina Tan, a Northwestern University medical professor who chairs the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Infectious Diseases. “You have to do everything to prevent the spread of COVID in the school.”

Tan and others say that means not just masks in schools but a push for vaccination, social distancing, ventilation and other precautions, providing multiple layers of protection.

* IDES press release…

The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today that it will begin the phased restoration of in-person workforce and limited unemployment services at American Job Centers throughout the state on an appointment-only basis starting Thursday, August 26. In-person appointments will be available at the following locations as part of the first phase of the plan:

    Rockford | 303 North Main Street
    Harvey | 16845 South Halsted
    Champaign | 1307 North Mattis Avenue
    Mt. Vernon | 333 Potomac Boulevard, Suite E

To schedule an appointment, individuals should call via the IDES Scheduling Hotline at 217.558.0401 and request a callback. Appointments must be scheduled a minimum of 24 hours in advance of the appointment time. An appointment may be scheduled for one of the following reasons:

    Identity verification for an unemployment insurance claim
    Assistance registering with IllinoisJobLink.com
    Assistance documenting work search activities
    Employment services, including resume and job search guidance
    Request to use the Resource Room to use computers with internet and other resources

Appointments will be available Monday through Friday between 8:30am and 5:00pm. To ensure efficiency, each appointment will be 20 minutes in length and visitors will be afforded a 10-minute grace period. Visitors who schedule an appointment must bring a photo ID and any other documentation required for the appointment. A scheduled appointment is required for entrance into one of the offices. Individuals who arrive at an office without an appointment will be asked to schedule an appointment via the Scheduling Hotline for a later date.

Masks or face coverings are required when entering an office. If a visitor has been experiencing any symptoms or has been exposed to someone with COVID-19 within 14 days prior to their appointment, they will be required to reschedule the appointment.

In the coming weeks, IDES will continue to reopen additional offices on a phased basis and will announce the availability of phone appointments to further assist claimants.

Claimants are strongly encouraged to use the IDES website to apply and certify for benefits, enroll in direct deposit, change passwords, engage in work search, and connect with an employment services professional, among other services. Claimants can also continue to speak with an IDES expert over the phone, by requesting a callback at 800.244.5631. As a reminder, if a callback is received at an inconvenient time, claimants may reschedule the callback for a specific time with a call center agent.

* More…

* Quinnipiac: 6 In 10 Floridians Support Requiring Masks In Schools, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; 61% Say Recent Rise In COVID-19 Cases In Florida Was Preventable

* DuPage County plans large clinics for COVID-19 booster shots

* Delta Air Lines to require that employees be vaccinated or pay $200 monthly health insurance surcharge

* What if wearing masks makes us more free?

  16 Comments      


*** UPDATED x1 *** AFSCME opposes state employee vax mandate, points to union members “who remain fearful of the COVID vaccine”

Wednesday, Aug 25, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From AFSCME Council 31…

AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR AFSCME MEMBERS IN ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT

RIGID VACCINE MANDATES WON’T WORK

Vaccinations are an essential tool in halting the spread of the coronavirus and our union has worked diligently to educate members about the importance of getting vaccinated to protect themselves, their families, and their co-workers. Thousands have already done so.

Oppose Rigid, Universal Mandate

However, we know there are union members who remain fearful of the COVID vaccine, as well as others who have medical contraindications or religious objections. That’s why AFSCME opposes rigid, universal vaccine mandates that effectively threaten employees with termination if they do not get vaccinated.

And that’s why our union is opposed to the plan Governor Pritzker recently put forth to mandate COVID vaccinations for all state employees who work in congregate facilities in DOC, DJJ, DHS, and DVA.

Employees in these facilities have been on the job daily since the onset of this pandemic, providing care for some of our state’s most severely disabled individuals and ailing veterans, as well as maintaining order and providing rehabilitative services in prisons and youth centers.

A punitive universal mandate only serves to undermine morale and heighten the stress of these already stressful jobs.

Bargaining Required

While the courts have consistently affirmed that employers have the right to mandate vaccinations (as they have done in the past to address other types of health threats), both private sector (NLRA) labor law, as well as state public employee labor laws (e.g. IPLRA), require employers to bargain over the impact (implementation) of such a decision.

In announcing this employee mandate earlier this month, Gov. Pritzker recognized the administration’s duty to bargain with unions representing state employees and quickly moved to initiate such negotiations with our union.

With a union bargaining team that includes all members of the Council 31 Executive Board who currently work in a state congregate facility, those negotiations are now underway.

A Better Path

Based on input from local union leaders from around the state, the AFSCME team pointed out to management that a key problem in controlling the spread of the virus is operational laxity in the administration of some of the congregate facilities: Too often safety protocols are neglected, testing is not rigorous, visitors are often not required to wear masks, and quarantines are frequently not put in place in the wake of exposure to the virus.

AFSCME argued that the State should work with the Union to address these unsafe conditions before turning to employee vaccination mandates. CMS responded that they are prepared to work cooperatively to address these safety problems, but they want to do so in conjunction with a mandatory vaccination program.

The union bargaining team has also pointed to the federal government and other state governments that have put more flexible forms of vaccination programs in place, such as providing for a strict testing regimen as an alternative for those who object to vaccinations.

In addition, we have expressed serious concern that if a significant number of employees are discharged as a result of this plan, understaffing in these agencies—which are finding it increasingly difficult to hire new employees—would be greatly exacerbated and overtime pressures on the remaining employees would grow.

Noting that it is now well documented that the Delta variant can also strike the vaccinated, as well as the unvaccinated, the Union is also urging that if the Employer is serious about combatting COVID in these settings, it should act immediately to restore the policy whereby employees who become sick with COVID—or are quarantined by the employer or a public health body—are granted paid time off rather than having to file workers’ compensation claims.

Bargaining Should “Freeze” Implementation

The governor’s plan sets October 4th as the deadline for employees to be fully vaccinated—and the relevant agencies have been notifying employees that they must get vaccinated in the next few weeks in order to be in compliance. That’s flat-out wrong. AFSCME has informed Management that pursuant to state labor law, the employer cannot proceed to implementation of its plan while negotiations are ongoing.

Standing Together

Our union will continue to push for flexibility rather than the rigid, universal vaccination plan that the State is now proposing for state employees. We take very seriously our obligation to safeguard the health and safety of union members, as well as the public they serve. Our actions have been—and will continue to be—guided by the conviction that encouragement and education, not punitive measures, are the best path forward in combatting the deadly coronavirus and its variants. Our best hope of achieving that goal is rooted in the grassroots solidarity that has long been the hallmark of our union.

Pandering of the worst sort.

*** UPDATE *** OK, let’s go through this a bit. First, a religious exemption is required under Supreme Court rulings, so AFSCME knows it will be in there. And federal law requires medical exemptions. Those are red herrings.

Second, who controls actual access to prisons and other congregate settings? Well, that would be AFSCME members. If they have a beef about visitors not wearing masks, then enforce the policy. Also, while testing is being performed pretty frequently right now, it could be ramped up more. But, really, this should go beyond testing, particularly in the veterans’ homes and homes for mentally and developmentally disabled. AFSCME should stop pandering to IDOC workers.

Third, unlimited extra paid time off for unvaccinated workers seems just bizarre to me. If you’ve got a legit exemption, fine. If you get a little sick after taking the shot, fine. If you have a breakthrough case and you’re sick, fine.

/rant

  144 Comments      


*** UPDATED x3 - CFL responds - FOP compares mandate to Nazi Germany - CFL opposes *** Chicago requires all city workers be vaccinated

Wednesday, Aug 25, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Press release…

Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot today announced that, effective October 15, 2021, the City of Chicago will require all City employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, joining many other major municipalities and government agencies in taking this important preventive step. While masking and social distancing requirements in the workplace remain, the best protection against COVID-19 is vaccination.

“As cases of COVID-19 continue to rise, we must take every step necessary and at our disposal to keep everyone in our city safe and healthy,” said Mayor Lightfoot. “Getting vaccinated has been proven to be the best way to achieve that and make it possible to recover from this devastating pandemic. And so, we have decided to join other municipalities and government agencies across the nation, including the U.S. military, who are making this decision to protect the people who are keeping our cities and country moving. We have also been in close communication with our partners in the labor movement to create a vaccination policy that is workable, fair and effective,”

“Fully vaccinated” means two weeks past the second dose of a two-dose mRNA vaccine (Pfizer, Moderna) or two weeks past a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Employees will be asked to submit their proof of vaccination via a secure, online COVID-19 Vaccine Portal.

“We have worked closely with our partners to ensure that the reporting system is secure, effective, and confidential,” said Commissioner Christopher Owen, Chicago Department of Human Resources. “Human resource leads within every City department are prepared and available to assist employees through this process and answer their questions.”

This policy applies to all City employees and volunteers. Employees can apply for medical or religious exemption from this policy. Such requests will be reviewed by the Department of Human Resources on a case-by-case basis.

“The data shows that getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself and those you come in contact with from serious illness, hospitalization, or death from COVID-19,” said CDPH Commissioner Allison Arwady, M.D. “Adopting and implementing this requirement is the responsible, common-sense approach, which is why we’re seeing so many other government agencies, companies, institutions, and organizations pursue this course of action.”

More than 70 percent (more than 1.6 million) of Chicago residents over 18 have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. COVID-19 vaccines are widely available at pharmacies, health care offices, and through special events across the City at no cost to the public. No insurance or government ID are required to receive a vaccination. To learn more, visit Chicago.gov/COVIDvax or call 312-746-4835.

The FOP is about to flip its lid. But, whatever.

Your move, Gov. Pritzker.

*** UPDATE 1 *** CFL sides with anti-vaxer union members…

Chicago Federation of Labor President Bob Reiter released the following statement regarding the announcement of a vaccine mandate for City of Chicago workers:

“City of Chicago and other public employees have been sacrificing their health from the very beginning of this crisis, putting their own safety on the line to keep this city moving. The Chicago labor movement has worked tirelessly to protect these heroic workers, from fighting for proper safety procedures to holding vaccination clinics for thousands of union members that were hailed as a ‘model for the country’ by Vice President Kamala Harris.

“We believe in the benefits of vaccination to help protect workers and residents, but we do not believe punitive mandates are the right path to significantly increase vaccine uptake. In fact, we believe this announcement may harden opposition to the vaccine instead of protecting the workers who have sacrificed so much over the past 18 months. We are still in very preliminary discussions with the city about a proposed vaccination policy and we hope this process can be resolved through policymaking, not public communications. However, any discussion around a vaccine policy should include not only medical and religious exemptions, but also testing alternatives as we continue to build trust around the benefits of voluntary vaccination.”

*** UPDATE 2 *** Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara in the Sun-Times

“This has literally lit a bomb underneath the membership. They’re more engaged in this than they were even in the contract. And what are they gonna do when four or five thousand coppers say, ‘Screw you. I’m staying home. You’re not making me get this f—ing vaccination. Don’t pay me. That’s fine. We’ll see you in court.’”

Catanzara said he’s not threatening a blue-flu style protest. He claims the city is literally talking about “putting people on no-pay status who refuse to get” the vaccination.

“You’re not gonna pay me. You’re gonna make me stay home. But you’re gonna have thousands of coppers willing to stay home, not getting paid to not get a vaccine and then, what are you gonna do for manpower on the streets?” he said.

“They’ll be drowning in the creek. They won’t just be up a creek. They’ll be sinking in the creek.” […]

“We’re in America, G-ddamn it. We don’t want to be forced to do anything. Period. This ain’t Nazi f—ing Germany, [where they say], ‘Step into the f—ing showers. The pills won’t hurt you.’ What the f–k?” he said.

*** UPDATE 3 *** CFL President Reiter called and said he took umbrage with my characterization of his statement. From our conversation…

We believe in vaccines. We’re very clear in our statement. We are saying we have to negotiate a policy with the city. And we believe that testing should be provided as an alternative as we educate people more on the vaccine because government intervention in a punitive way could set us back as we look to get people vaccinated going forward and getting booster shots. … And the way to build trust and confidence is not to announce a mandate on anything before we’ve had an opportunity to work through what the policy actually is. We’ve barely sat down with the city to move forward with this. So we are still at the beginning of this. I don’t think it’s fair to put us in the same category as other people that are rejecting the advocacy of vaccines.

I stand by my remark.

  86 Comments      


Welch appoints retired appellate justice to inspector general search committee

Wednesday, Aug 25, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Press release…

Illinois Speaker of the House Emanuel “Chris” Welch is pleased to announce the appointment of Justice Marcus Salone to serve on the Legislative Ethics Commission’s search committee.

“Justice Salone is a man of integrity who brings with him a resume filled with accomplishments and experience in our legal system,” said Speaker Welch. “Between his credentialed background and consistent commitment to professional ethics, I am confident Justice Salone is uniquely qualified to vet applicants for our next Legislative Inspector General. He understands the weight of this appointment and will ensure we fill the position with someone who will hold elected officials to the highest of ethical standards and work diligently to restore trust in Springfield.”

Justice Salone currently serves on the Cook County Board of Ethics and is a retired Presiding Justice of the Illinois Appellate Court, First District, and 3rd Division. Prior to that, Justice Salone served 10 years as a Chicago Police Officer before he began his legal career as a Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney. He has also served as an Associate Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County and a Judge in the Criminal Division of the Circuit Court.

“I humbly accept and am incredibly honored to be chosen as Speaker Welch’s nomination for the Legislative Ethics Commission search committee,” Salone said. “The importance of the role of Legislator Inspector General is not lost on me and I am committed to ensuring we fill this position with a qualified candidate who holds sacrosanct transparency, integrity and the rule of law.”

During his time as a Judge in the Criminal Division of the Circuit Court from 1993 until March 2011, Justice Salone presided over criminal matters ranging from felony theft to death penalty cases. On March 8, 2011 the Illinois Supreme Court appointed Justice Salone to the Illinois Appellate Court.

Civically, Justice Salone has served on a number of boards as a director, including: the Cook County Board of Ethics, The John Marshall Law School Alumni Board of Directors, the John Howard Association and the Ancona School. He has also participated in the Chicago Public School’s “Principal For A Day” program since its inception and is a mentor in the “We Care” mentoring program coordinated by the Chicago Police Department, in conjunction with the Chicago Public Schools. Recipient of numerous honors and accolades, Justice Salone received the 2018 Presidential Award from the National Bar Association.

The youngest of seven children, Justice Salone was born into Chicago Housing Authority public housing and raised on Chicago’s Westside until going away to college. He attended the University of Illinois at Chicago where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences in 1974. Justice Salone’s formal education was interrupted by a stint in the United States Army, which included a tour in the Republic of Viet Nam. In 1978, Justice Salone enrolled at The John Marshall Law School and passed the Illinois State Bar examination in 1981. Two years later, he and his wife, Valée, formed The Law Offices of Salone and Salone.

* There is an oppo file of sorts on Salone. This story is from 1991

One of the recently elected associate judges to the Cook County Circuit Court once infiltrated community organizations for the Chicago Police Department to determine if their members were communists.

Marcus Salone, 41, who was elected to one of 10 associate judge posts by the vote of full circuit judges Wednesday, infiltrated the Organization for a Better Austin, and was its president from 1972 to 1974, during his assignment to investigate civic groups.

Salone was one of four police officer recruits deemed the ‘’Red Squad,'’ whose duties were so secret the four bypassed police academy training to ensure their identities as police officers would be kept unknown.

Long time ago, of course.

  4 Comments      


White expanding office appointment program, running new ads to promote the change

Wednesday, Aug 25, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* SoS press release

Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White is reminding the public that beginning the first week of September, customers will be required to make an appointment for behind-the-wheel road tests, REAL IDs, standard driver’s licenses and ID cards at three Chicago facilities. The facilities are Chicago North, 5401 N. Elston Ave. beginning Sept. 1; Chicago West, 5301 W. Lexington St. beginning Sept. 2; and Chicago South, 9901 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive beginning Sept. 3. Vehicle services, such as renewing a license plate sticker or applying for a vehicle title, do not require an appointment.

The week of Sept. 7, many other metro Driver Services facilities will also require appointments. These facilities and the dates they go live include Schaumburg and Bridgeview on Sept. 7; Lombard and Des Plaines on Sept. 8; Waukegan and Naperville on Sept. 9; and Aurora, Plano and Joliet on Sept. 10.

Lake Zurich, Melrose Park, Midlothian and Woodstock have been serving as appointment facilities since early this year and will continue requiring appointments.

All 16 appointment-based facilities will have the same standardized days and hours of operation: Tuesday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Customers and employees are required to wear masks. Customers are encouraged to bring their own masks.

Customers can visit www.cyberdriveillinois.com to schedule an appointment up to 10 days in advance during this phase of the program. New appointment slots will be available each day at www.cyberdriveillinois.com.

Secretary White emphasized that seniors, veterans, persons with disabilities and expectant mothers will be served as walk-ins at all 16 of the designated appointment facilities. They also have the option to make an appointment.

Beginning in September, customers can schedule an appointment online or by calling the appointment helpline at 844-817-4649. The Secretary of State is partnering with the Chicago Lighthouse to provide these call center services. The Chicago Lighthouse’s call centers offer career opportunities for people who are blind, visually impaired, disabled, veterans and economically disadvantaged.

White is launching a comprehensive media campaign this week, which includes television, radio, newspapers, digital display and social media ads that will run in English and Spanish in the Chicago metro area.

White noted that not all facilities will go to the appointment-based system. Many small, rural facilities will not require the appointment system because they do not encounter the heavy customer volume that large facilities encounter.

Larger central and downstate Illinois facilities will implement a customer scheduling system in the near future.

More details at the link.

* One of the new TV ads

Thoughts?

* Related…

* Valencia Running for Illinois Secretary of State: More than a year before the election, one of the candidates for Illinois secretary of state is visiting the Quad Cities. Anna Valencia met with local Latino leaders Sunday, and Monday is talking with labor, faith, and Democratic party leaders. Valencia was first elected City Clerk for the city of Chicago in 2017, and says her main goal for state wide office is to modernize it so more services are available online. “So you don’t have to take a day off of work, drive thirty miles, wait in line, find child care, and transportation. You can do things on your mobile device. Whether that’s you taking your vision test, paying online, appointment dates, all your renewals should be on your mobile services so that’s priority one.”

  14 Comments      


Just get it done, already

Wednesday, Aug 25, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* I told subscribers this morning about this week’s climate/energy bill negotiations and the governor’s stance and the warnings he’s sending to the Senate Democrats and others in the room. Here’s Politico

The most powerful player in the complicated negotiations for a clean-energy bill isn’t state Senate President Don Harmon, state House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, labor leaders, trade unions, coal plant owners, Exelon or environmentalists. It’s Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

He wants the bill done right and isn’t going to waver to accommodate the whims of any one constituency. Pritzker doesn’t need to. The drawn-out discussions on the energy bill don’t hurt the governor politically, observers say.

The nuclear and coal plants that hinge on staying open because of the clean-energy bill are located in areas of the state that don’t exactly favor Pritzker. He’s not losing votes there. If anything, Pritzker looks like the good guy standing up against Exelon, which wants state funding to keep nuclear plants open.

Sticking to his guns on decarbonization targets (Pritzker wants zero emissions by 2045) and making sure Illinois is a leader on climate is a win with the environmentalist voters who matter to the Democratic governor.

Point being: The folks at the table don’t have a Michael Madigan to massage and maneuver legislation to make it work their way. The guy with the power is the governor.

The Prairie State Energy campus is in St. Clair County, which has a whole lot of Democrats. That plant is a big reason why Assistant House Majority Leader Jay Hoffman is at the table.

What the three Democratic leaders need to do very soon is meet and bring this thing home.

  27 Comments      


7 in 8 people who saw benefits reduced or eliminated by states did not find employment

Wednesday, Aug 25, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* CNBC

States that withdrew early from federal unemployment programs pushed few people back to work and fueled a nearly $2 billion cut in household spending, potentially hurting their local economies, according to new research.

Twenty-six state governors — all Republican, except one — opted out of the pandemic-era programs several weeks before their official expiration on Labor Day. Enhanced benefits were keeping the unemployed from looking for jobs and fueling a labor shortage, they claimed.

That bet seems to have had a limited payoff so far, according to a paper authored by economists and researchers at Columbia University, Harvard University, the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the University of Toronto. […]

States that ended federal benefits early saw larger job gains among the unemployed: Their employment jumped 4.4 percentage points relative to jobless individuals in states that kept benefits flowing, according to the paper, which analyzes data through the first week of August.

However, that translates to just 1 in 8 unemployed individuals in the “cutoff states” who found a job in that time period. The majority, 7 out of 8, didn’t find a new job. [Emphasis added.]

Illinois did not reduce benefits.

Thoughts?

  54 Comments      


Pritzker extends eviction moratorium to September 18

Wednesday, Aug 25, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* NBC 5

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has quietly extended a statewide ban on residential evictions after many residents indicated they fear they could face homelessness in the coming months.

While there is already a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention health order banning all evictions nationwide through October, that ban only applies to areas with high COVID-19 transmission rates.

The recently extended statewide moratorium applies to all Illinois counties, even in areas reporting low transmission rates.

Tucked away in the Governor’s COVID-19 Executive Orders signed this past Friday, the residential eviction moratorium was extended through Sept. 18. A previous iteration of the moratorium lasted through Sept. 3.

Pritzker’s office did not respond to NBC 5 Responds’ questions about the moratorium extension.

* There was an addition in the new EO

Executive Order 2021-13 (Residential eviction moratorium):

Sections 1, 4, 5, 7, and 8 Executive Order 2021-13, as amended by Executive Order 2021-14, are re-issued and extended through September 18, 2021.

Executive Order 2021-13 is further amended and revised as follows:

Section 9. Nothing in this Executive Order shall preclude a person or entity with a legal right to pursue an eviction or possessory action from challenging the truthfulness of a tenant’s, lessee’s, sub-lessee’s, or resident’s Declaration in court, as permitted by law and the applicable Court’s rules.

  14 Comments      


New laws

Wednesday, Aug 25, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Tribune

A bill requiring student ID cards to include suicide prevention hotline numbers — legislation proposed by a Naperville Central High School teen and her student-led organization — has been signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

“It’s amazing just to see the impact it will have on over 1 million students,” said Aparna Ramakrishnan, who came up with the idea after seeing something similar on her sister’s college ID. “It will provide easy resources that could be life saving.”

All school IDs issued for junior/middle school, high school and college/university students will be required to include the suicide prevention information starting in the 2022-23 school year.

* Press release…

Illinois Doctors Support Governor Pritzker for Snuffing Out Youth Vaping!
Statement Attributable to Illinois State Medical Society President Regan Thomas, MD

The Illinois State Medical Society (ISMS) has a long history of opposing smoking in any form, so are grateful to see the governor and state legislature acting to prohibit underage persons from engaging in the use of electronic cigarettes. This new law, supported by ISMS, seeks to stop the dramatic rise in teenage smoking rates by increasing the state and local law enforcements’ ability to crack down on persons who sell or distribute electronic cigarettes and other vaping products to anyone under the age of 21. It also targets those industries that include dangerous flavored additives and market those products in a manner attractive to kids.

The scientific evidence is clear and has been for nearly 60 years – smoking and tobacco use of any kind is harmful to one’s health. One of the most important steps we can take to improve the health of young people is to stop them from starting to use tobacco products of any kind.

* Press release yesterday…

Today Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker celebrated the passage of critical legislation that expands contraceptive care for thousands of Illinois women who lack access to high-quality reproductive health services. Senate Bill 697 expands the Illinois Medicaid plan, through enactment of a Family Planning State Plan Amendment, so that individuals who don’t qualify for full-benefit Medicaid still have coverage for preventive contraceptive care.

Illinois Contraceptive Access Now (ICAN!) is an organization that works to close the contraceptive coverage gap in Illinois through an integrated model of health care that lowers financial barriers for patients. 1 in 4 reproductive-aged women in Illinois still have an unmet need for contraceptive services. In the first year, ICAN! estimates that 70,000 individuals who otherwise would not qualify for traditional Medicaid will become eligible for coverage that will include contraceptive services and supplies, as well as preventive care (such as STI or cervical cancer screenings).

Below is a quote from Kai Tao, Principal with ICAN!:

“The Family Planning SPA supports individuals’ rights to decide if and when to be pregnant while removing the burden of any financial barriers related to accessing all FDA contraceptive methods,” said Kai Tao, Principal, Illinois Contraceptive Access Now (ICAN!). “It is a fiscally prudent policy as the federal government covers 90% of expenses for all family planning services while the state is responsible for the remaining 10%. Most importantly, the SPA is crucial to expanding family planning services to BIPOC communities and rural areas. ICAN! is committed to improving contraceptive quality so care is trauma informed, respectful, unconscious-bias checked, evidence-based, and reproductive well-being centered.”

  12 Comments      


Musical interlude: Loving Cup

Wednesday, Aug 25, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Charlie Watts knew all the way down to his very soul that it isn’t so much the notes you play, it’s the spaces between those notes that truly matter. He also knew when to just sit quiet and when to come in hard and drive a song - and his band - forward. He does both so impeccably well here

Feel your mouth kissing me again
What a beautiful buzz, what a beautiful buzz

  5 Comments      


Open thread

Wednesday, Aug 25, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Anything else on your mind?…


  13 Comments      


Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)

Wednesday, Aug 25, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

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*** LIVE COVERAGE ***

Wednesday, Aug 25, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Follow along with ScribbleLive


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Kinzinger asks Biden to step in to keep two Exelon nuke plants open

Tuesday, Aug 24, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Sauk Valley Media

U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Channahon, asked the Biden Administration to use executive authority to keep the Byron and Dresden nuclear power stations operating.

Kinzinger, in a letter addressed to President Joe Biden, asks that emergency powers be used until the legislative process in Illinois or Washington offers a solution. […]

“I am gravely concerned about both the nationwide trend of a thinning nuclear fleet as well the parochial interests involved with the decommissioning of Byron and Dresden stations, the result of which will be disastrous for individuals and municipalities in my district.”

Kinzinger wrote that the Defense Production Act and the Federal Power Act both offer routes the president could take to keep the stations open for reasons of national defense and public interest.

  18 Comments      


Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Updated fundraiser list

Tuesday, Aug 24, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Could Scott Kennedy’s dream become reality?

Tuesday, Aug 24, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Gorgeous…



We should definitely do this.

  32 Comments      


Pritzker warns of mitigations “that I think we don’t want to go to” if “the hospital beds and ICUs get full”

Tuesday, Aug 24, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Gov. JB Pritzker was asked today where he stands with current union negotiations on his limited vaccine mandate and if he planned to expand the mandate to all state workers

Well, I want to remind you that we’ve already implemented a number of significant mitigations. And we’re always looking at whether we need to impose more. One is, of course, the indoor mask mandate in schools. We’ve required vaccinations for all of our state employees in congregate settings, we’ve got a vaccination requirement for nursing home personnel across the state of Illinois, we’ve required masks in all of our state buildings, we do regular testing in our congregate settings. And we’ve adopted the CDC guidelines for masking indoors. So we’re consistently looking at the menu of options that we may need to impose in order to bring down the numbers.

I will remind you that if we are not able to bring these numbers down, if hospitals continue to fill, if the hospital beds and ICUs get full, like they are in Kentucky, that’s just next door to Illinois, if that happens, we’re going to have to impose significantly greater mitigations. So those are things that we don’t want to go back. Those are, you know, phases, situations, things on the menu that I think we don’t want to go to. But right now, I think, you know, again, we want everybody to wear a mask everywhere. indoors. And, you know, we’ve recommended that that’s what the CDC has recommended. And then we’ve got a variety of mandates already in place.

Please pardon all transcription errors.

* Pritzker was then asked about Mayor Lightfoot’s decision to mandate vaccines for all state employees. Was it an overreach?

No. What I would say is that, and I’ve said this for a year and a half during this pandemic, that local leaders need to make decisions for their local populations, to make sure to keep them safe. And those decisions need to be made in a serious fashion, to make sure that they’re doing everything that they can to keep everybody safe. But that means mitigations that are tougher than the ones that are in the state of Illinois more broadly. So we set a standard in the state of Illinois, a minimum, but local officials should react properly to the data in their local areas in order to keep everybody safe.

* “So far, 51 school districts out of 859 are defying your mask mandate and allowing parental choice. Are you really going to withdraw funding, take away their sports and deny their high school diplomas, or was that just an idle threat?”

Am I really going to do that? Yes, we are really going to do that. And by the way, many school districts are heeding our call to have mask mandates in their schools. And so they’re reversing their position. What I would tell you is that it’s extraordinarily important that we keep our kids safe. Remember, the numbers are going up before schools went back in session. And now, [crosstalk] I’m just explaining to you that look at all of the other states around the country where schools have reopened, and now you’ve seen schools close right back up again, or have massive numbers of kids who need to stay at home because they’ve caught COVID, or because they’ve been exposed to COVID. So, let’s get serious about this.

I mean, I realize that there are people who like to show up and shout at local school boards, at the local school board members. But the reality is that the vast majority of people in Illinois want to make sure that the children of Illinois, their parents, their communities are safe. And having a mask mandate operative in schools will help to do that.

* Meanwhile…

More than 1,200 K-12 schools across the state have signed up to use the SHIELD Illinois COVID-19 saliva test for the start of the 2021-22 academic year. More than 650,000 students in Illinois will now have access to the test, pioneered by researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC).

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) recently expanded access to free SHIELD testing to all K-12 public schools statewide outside of Chicago, which had earlier received its own federal funding.

IDPH is utilizing funding from the CARES Act and the American Rescue Plan to fund testing in public schools. Funding for testing in non-public schools statewide comes from the U.S. Health and Human Services’ Midwest Expanded Testing Coordination Hub, which is run by Batelle, a non-profit technology development company.

* Related…

* 52 Students Quarantined In DuPage County District 45 After 7 COVID Cases

* Earlier: District 45 school board ends face masks meeting without vote after reported physical altercation

  41 Comments      


Charlie Watts

Tuesday, Aug 24, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* This says it all for me

* Ok, there’s also this

* Allright, there’s this

* And, yes, of course, this

* Come to think of it, there’s just too much to post here

* Current mood

* The Rolling Stones wouldn’t ever have been a thing without Charlie Watts’ swing. RIP, man

It was hard to imagine the Stones without Watts even then, though. His light touch, singular rhythmic sense, and impeccable feel, as heard on canonical rock songs such as “Paint It, Black,” “Gimme Shelter,” and “Brown Sugar,” made him both the engine that powered the Stones’ music and one of the most famous and respected drummers of all time.

As Keith Richards said in 1979: “Everybody thinks Mick and Keith are the Rolling Stones. If Charlie wasn’t doing what he’s doing on drums, that wouldn’t be true at all. You’d find out that Charlie Watts is the Stones.”

  34 Comments      


New laws

Tuesday, Aug 24, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Press release…

Yesterday, Governor Pritzker signed bipartisan legislation filed by State Representative Chris Bos (R-Lake Zurich) to support students. House Bill 3359 ensures students with developmental disabilities attending public universities or community colleges will be able to have their personal support workers at their sides during classes.

“I’m honored I was able to serve as the lead sponsor for this bipartisan legislation and see it signed into law by the Governor,” said Bos. “When I became aware of the situation involving a constituent in my district, I was frankly shocked. The fact that not one, but two, public community colleges had prevented a student with developmental disabilities from having his support worker with him in class didn’t make sense. Yesterday, we made sure this won’t happen again in Illinois and ensure all students will have access to the support they may need to be successful in the classroom.”

As Bos referenced, a student in the 51st House District had been denied the ability to have his support worker with him in class in pursuit of coursework in photography. To correct this problem, HB 3359 provides that if a student has a support worker, the governing board of the public university or community college district must permit the support worker to attend class with the student but is not responsible for providing or paying for the support worker. It further provides that if the support worker’s attendance in class is solely to provide personal support services to the student, the governing board may not charge the support worker tuition and fees for such attendance.

HB 3359 received unanimous support in both the Illinois House and Senate, where the legislation was carried by Illinois Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods)

* Restore Justice press release…

Restore Justice Applauds Governor Pritzker, Senator Fine, Representative Gabel, and the Illinois Department of Corrections for Supporting Families with Incarcerated Loved Ones

We applaud Governor JB Pritzker, Senator Laura Fine, Representative Robyn Gabel, and the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) for their partnership in taking a step towards better supporting families with incarcerated loved ones. Senate Bill 1976 was signed into law on August 20, 2021, after unanimously passing through the Illinois House and Senate.

Senate Bill 1976 creates a Family Liaison within IDOC to receive complaints, suggestions, and requests from visitors and help to resolve issues. Previously, those with incarcerated loved ones had to rely on the staff at a particular facility to address visitation issues, including conflicts over visitation rules, concerns with staff behavior, or questions. These same staff members may have been directly involved in the issue.

One family member explained the significance of this bill by recalling an earlier experience when they needed help. “I drove 6 plus hours to visit my son and I brought his brother to see him. We had not seen him in over a year. The officer at the front desk stated my 12-year-old son needed a state ID even though it isn’t part of IDOC’s policy. I had brought his birth certificate but that was not enough. When I asked to speak to a supervisor I was told, ‘I am the supervisor.’ I had to turn around and drive home without seeing my son. I wish I would have had someone I could call.”

Visits can also be stressful and humiliating for families. Another family member shared, “They gave my friend a stapler to staple her blouse closed because they felt it showed too much of her collarbone. Yet, they denied another woman her visit for the same thing.”

Regular in-person visits have substantial benefits to people who are incarcerated as well as their families. Senator Laura Fine and Representative Robyn Gabel sponsored Senate Bill 1976. These legislators are champions of families and understand the importance of visits to promote rehabilitation, successful reentry, and increasing family stability.

* Press release…

Senator Linda Holmes’ (D-Aurora) legislation to allow pregnant women to use a disabilities vehicle placard or sticker in their third trimester was signed into law by the governor Friday.

Holmes was motivated to sponsor the legislation, originally introduced by Representative Keith Wheeler (R-North Aurora) in the House, after hearing the story of Wheeler’s district office director Ben Marcum and his family, who inspired the measure.

“This family suffered a devastating loss that may have been avoided if this accommodation for expectant mothers had been in place two years ago,” Holmes said. “This can prevent future heartbreak if an expectant mother in her third trimester can get temporary disability parking access.”

When Marcum’s wife was pregnant with their first child in 2019, she faced a long, difficult walk from her car to her office, which only became more grueling as her pregnancy progressed. When Marcum tried to secure disability parking privileges for his wife, he was shocked to learn that pregnancy was not considered a qualifying condition. Unfortunately, his wife went into early labor at 21 weeks, and their son Henry only survived an hour.

The legislation would allow an expectant mother in her third trimester to use a disabilities placard for up to 90 days. To qualify, an individual would have to provide documentation proving that they have entered the third trimester.

“In memory of Henry Marcum and in honor of pregnant women who could use some additional support during their third trimester, I’m am happy to sponsor this commonsense measure,” Holmes said. “I’m grateful to Rep. Wheeler for bringing it to my attention.”

House Bill 3027 will take effect Jan. 1, 2022.

* A result of new laws

Today, Illinois State Senator Robert J. Peters, Illinois State Senator Elgie R. Sims, Jr., and Illinois State Representative Justin Slaughter were presented with the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers’ (NACDL) Champion of State Criminal Justice Reform Award at NACDL’s 20th Annual State Criminal Justice Network (SCJN) Conference. The award recognizes an individual or group whose tremendous efforts have led toward progressive reform of a state criminal justice system.

Senator Peters, Senator Sims, and Representative Slaughter ushered in the passage of the monumental 2021 Illinois Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today (SAFE-T) Act. The SAFE-T Act, also called the Criminal Justice Reform Omnibus, contains long-awaited comprehensive public safety reforms, including ending cash bail and reforming the pretrial system, policing reform, sentencing and prison reform, and victim service reform. This Act makes Illinois a national leader in public safety reforms and begins the process of addressing and untangling decades of racist, ineffective criminal legal system policies, in addition to making communities left behind by the criminal legal system safer. The legislators worked with numerous stakeholders across the state and spent countless hours drafting a bill that puts evidence-based reforms at the forefront, addresses widespread racial disparities, and improves support systems for victims of crime. All three legislators have dedicated their careers to addressing racism and inequity to better their communities and transform their state’s criminal legal system.

* Press release

A measure led by State Senator Patricia Van Pelt (D-Chicago) to expand the amount of birthing center licenses in Illinois was signed into law Friday by Governor JB Pritzker.

“Tragically, 75 women die every year while pregnant or within a year of pregnancy,” Van Pelt said. “It is even more heartbreaking to know that four out of five pregnancy-related deaths could have been preventable. That is why this measure is so important – we must do everything we can to combat the issues of maternal mortality, including increasing birthing centers.”

Currently, the Alternative Health Care Delivery Act provides for 10 birthing center licenses: four birthing center licenses in the Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, or Will Counties; three in municipalities with a population of 50,000 or more not located in the collar counties; and three in rural areas.

This initiative expands the available licenses for birthing centers under the Alternative Health Care Delivery Demonstration Program from 10 to 17, providing that birth center alternative health care models shall be located in the Westside of Chicago, the Southside of Chicago and East St. Louis.

  2 Comments      


COVID-19 roundup

Tuesday, Aug 24, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The state peaked at 1,289 ICU beds in use on April 29th last year, then 1,224 ICU beds on November 25th, and 506 on April 25th this year. ICU bed usage is now at 487. We found out last year that ICU beds can be created fairly quickly. But after a year and a half of this, hospitals are dealing with extreme staff burnout, so finding nurses and doctors to actually staff those beds ain’t easy, especially with the American South burning with COVID. With that in mind, here’s NBC 5

Thirty-seven Illinois counties and Chicago are now at “warning level” for intensive care unit bed availability, according to COVID-19 data from the state health department.

The Illinois Department of Public Health is reporting that the following areas are experiencing limited ICU bed availability: Alexander, Bond, Boone, Carroll, Chicago, Clinton, Cook, DeKalb, Edwards, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson, Jefferson, Jo Daviess, Johnson, Lee, Madison, Marion, Massac, Monroe, Ogle, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Randolph, Saline, St. Clair, Stephenson, Union, Wabash, Washington, Wayne, White, Whiteside, Williamson, Winnebago.

* Vice

Since the start of the global pandemic, more police officers have died of COVID than all other causes combined in the line of duty. Just by the nature of their work, having to interact with the public on a near-daily basis, exposure to the virus is almost a certainty.

But despite the mounting death count, law enforcement officers in the country are simply not getting vaccinated. Their reluctance—whether over politics, retaliation for growing criticism toward their profession, or distrust for something as new as the COVID-19 vaccine—is putting themselves, and the communities they’re supposed to serve, at risk. And their bosses are running out of ways to convince them otherwise.

“In the profession as a whole, you generally find a lot of skepticism inside law enforcement,” Atlanta Police Chief Rodney Bryant told VICE News. “Police officers are just overly cautious about things they don’t understand. They don’t move quickly into place without a lot of detail and a lot of information. That apprehension is shared throughout the profession.”

* Sun-Times

Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Monday there “absolutely” will be a vaccine mandate for city employees — but the police union vowed to go to court to stop it. […]

Not on the same page with the mayor is Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara, whose union represents rank-and-file Chicago police officers.

“It cannot be mandated. It’s that simple. Our members don’t want to be mandated to do anything like that,” Catanzara said Monday. “This vaccine has no studies for long-term side effects or consequences. None. To mandate anybody to get that vaccine, without that data as a baseline, amongst other issues, is a ‘Hell, no’ for us.”

* American Medical Association…

“The FDA has approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and the meticulously collected evidence from more than 100 million vaccinated Americans is clear: the vaccines we have to defeat COVID-19 are safe, effective, and the only way out of this pandemic.

“For months, physicians have advocated for vaccination against COVID-19, urging our patients to take the step that will save their lives and protect those closest to them. States have even offered numerous incentives – from lotteries with a chance to win a million dollars or scholarship money to cash prizes. Vaccine supply is ample, and for months, access has been easier.

“But these incentives have not gotten us where we need to be. With the highly transmissible and more virulent Delta variant wreaking havoc and emergency departments once again overwhelmed, physicians and all frontline health care workers need help. The way to regain the upper hand in this fight is requiring vaccinations – specifically vaccine mandates.

“The simple fact is unless a significant percentage of our population is vaccinated against COVID-19 – we could be stuck fighting this virus for many more months or even years to come. Now is the time for the public and private sectors to come together, listen to the science, and mandate vaccination.

“The AMA has robust policy on vaccine mandates - a tool that has been used across the U.S. and around the world for generations to defeat polio, measles, and other vaccine-preventable disease. And now, we urge similar mandates to defeat the COVID-19 pandemic. Physicians and frontline health care workers have taken tremendous risks during this pandemic, and we continue today risking our own safety and well-being—putting our families at risk—to treat mostly unvaccinated people afflicted with COVID-19. Help us win this fight, follow science, and end this pandemic by requiring vaccination.”

* I’m hearing about lots of school quarantines these days, but I’m wondering if the mayor looked around before making this blanket statement

“Our schools are safe. We have a mountain of evidence of that fact starting back in February of this year when we first opened elementary schools,” Lightfoot said at an unrelated news conference.

While it’s true that far more people are vaccinated now than in February, the delta variant wasn’t much of a thing in the spring. But it’s clearly hitting people hard these days.

* More…

* IHSA mask mandate enforcement policies: If the school is still on probation on the date of seeding (or the list of participant entry deadline) in that sport they will not be allowed to participate in the State Series. [More here.]

* Edward-Elmhurst, Amita requiring COVID-19 employee vaccinations: “We recognize that not everyone will agree with this decision,” said Mary Lou Mastro, Edward-Elmhurst’s CEO. “The ethical framework under which we operate, however, means that it is our responsibility to do good, and an individual’s right to autonomy ends when that person’s actions may harm others.”

* What does full Pfizer approval mean in suburbs? More vaccinations, work mandates and TV ads

* Will more Illinois residents get vaccinated now that Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine has FDA approval?

* Faith leaders pray for hospitalized Rev. Jesse Jackson and his wife, Jacqueline: Jesse Jackson, who has Parkinson’s disease, received his first dose of the vaccine publicly in January to encourage the Black community and others to receive the immunization. His wife has not been vaccinated, according to longtime family spokesman Frank Watkins. He declined to elaborate Monday.

  15 Comments      


*** UPDATED x1 *** Question of the day

Tuesday, Aug 24, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Press release…

Gov. Pritzker Signs Legislation Creating the Local Journalism Task Force

Task Force Aims to Promote and Aid Local Journalism

Governor JB Pritzker signed into law Senate Bill 134, which creates the Local Journalism Task Force. The Task Force will conduct a comprehensive study of the status of journalism and make recommendations for improvement to the Governor and General Assembly.

“Many communities across our country have become news deserts – through this legislation, Illinois is taking a step toward addressing that challenge,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Robust local journalism is vitally important and I look forward to reviewing the recommendations from the Task Force as we seek to maintain and grow a strong press corps in Illinois.”

“I’ve dedicated years of my life to journalism, so I understand the importance of having access to local news,” said State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford). “People deserve to know what’s going on in their community, regardless of where they live.”

“Many of the residents of the state are deprived of comprehensive local news coverage,” said State Rep. Dave Vella (D-Rockford). “Local news coverage provides a shared sense of community and a vital check on local government. SB134 creates a task force that seeks to find out what can be done to save it.

Senate Bill 134 creates the Local Journalism Task Force, which will:
• conduct a comprehensive study relative to communities underserved by local journalism in Illinois,
• review all aspects of local journalism including, but not limited to, the adequacy of press coverage of communities, print and digital business models for media outlets, the impact of social media on local news, strategies to improve local news access, and public policy solutions to improve the sustainability of local press business models and private and nonprofit solutions, and
• submit findings and recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly by January 1, 2023.

The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity will be required to provide administrative and other support to the Task Force. The Task Force is also required to meet a minimum of five times.

The membership of the Task Force will consist of the following 15 members:

    • one member of each chamber appointed by the caucus leader,
    • one member appointed by the Governor,
    • one representative of the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications at Northwestern University,
    • one representative of the Public Affairs Reporting Program at the University of Illinois at Springfield,
    • one representative of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,
    • one representative of the School of Journalism at SIU-C,
    • one representative of the Illinois Press Association,
    • one representative of the Illinois Broadcasters Association,
    • one representative of the Illinois Legislative Correspondents Association,
    • one representative of the Illinois News Broadcasters Association,
    • one representative of the Illinois Public Broadcasting Council, and
    • one representative of the Illinois Municipal League.

SB 134 is effective January 1, 2022.

The legislation was supported by numerous publishing/broadcasting groups.

* The Question: What are your suggestions to improve local news?

*** UPDATE *** How about we start with not running ubiquitous and goofy stories like this?

A Freeport lawmaker wants the state to let local school boards and health departments determine if students and staff should wear masks at school.

Rep. Andrew Chesney (R) filed HB 4131 on Friday. […]

Rep. Chesney hopes the bill be discussed during the state’s Special Session on Aug. 31 to discuss the political maps.

Um, yeah, no. The bill hasn’t even been assigned to a committee yet and the only way it will be “discussed” during the special session called for a specific purpose that has nothing to do with masks in schools is if Chesney gets up to speak about it during a lull. A quick phone call could’ve cleared that up.

Facebook is helping kill off local journalism, but that doesn’t mean local news stories ought to be just like Facebook posts. How about, maybe, you know, report the thing out a bit? There’s literally nothing in that story which actually challenges Chesney’s claims.

  42 Comments      


Federal prosecutors respond in ComEd-related case

Tuesday, Aug 24, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* June 1st story about federal defendants Michael McClain, Anne Pramaggiore, John Hooker and Jay Doherty

Defense attorneys for four former ComEd executives and consultants with close ties to former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan are seeking to dismiss some of the federal charges filed against them last year, arguing the bribery indictment against them “fails to allege any quid pro quo.” […]

“The indictment loosely strings together an assortment of events over a ten-year period of time—largely hiring decisions made by ComEd made at the recommendation of Public Official A—and alleges that, because such recommendations were made in the same decade that legislation affecting ComEd was passed, a crime must have been committed. But the indictment fails to allege any connection between these hiring decisions and any agreement or understanding with Public Official A that he would take (or refrain from) any action on ComEd’s behalf in exchange for the things of value Defendants allegedly provided,” attorneys wrote.

Further, the defense team argued that accepting federal prosecutors’ stance that an explicit quid pro quo is not necessary to uphold the bribery charges “would put huge numbers of American citizens at risk of prosecution for their ordinary participation in the political process.”

“These gaps are fatal to the indictment because giving things of value to public officials can be perfectly legal. The Supreme Court has unanimously held that it is not a crime to give something to a public official ‘to build a reservoir of goodwill that might ultimately affect one or more of a multitude of unspecified acts, now and in the future,’” defense attorneys wrote.

The attorneys argued that allowing the bribery charges to stand without an explicit quid pro quo “would provide the government essentially unlimited discretion to prosecute anyone who has provided a benefit to a public official, and convict them on evidence that the public official took some official act that the defendant favored, without ever proving that the official’s actions were taken in exchange for the benefit provided, or even that the defendant understood or expected that the benefit would influence the official’s actions.”

* Last night’s Sun-Times article by Jon Seidel

Federal prosecutors argued Monday that a bid from four members of ex-House Speaker Michael Madigan’s inner circle to convince a judge to toss part of the indictment filed against them ignores the alleged corruption at the heart of the case.

“The illegal conduct alleged in the indictment did not consist merely of lobbying, and it did not include campaign contributions made by ComEd,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu wrote in a new 74-page court filing.

Instead, Bhachu wrote, the four allegedly delivered benefits to Madigan’s associates with the hope Madigan “would give favorable treatment to ComEd legislation” — an arrangement that could be understood as a quid pro quo. […]

Bhachu countered Monday that the four sought “to influence and reward Public Official A in his capacity as Speaker of the House of Representatives with significant power over legislation affecting ComEd’s interests.

“These were not bona fide arrangements made in the usual course of business,” Bhachu wrote, “and there is no legal basis to dismiss these charges from the indictment.”

Thoughts?

…Adding… Tribune

But in a 74-page response filed late Monday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu wrote the federal bribery law does not require a quid pro quo, and even if it did, the allegations in the indictment make clear that Madigan — identified only as Public Official A — was in on the scheme. […]

“Here, the charges are not based on political logrolling, but rather, on private benefits in the form of jobs, contracts, and payments offered to be paid by a private company in order to influence and reward a legislator in carrying out his official duties,” the motion stated.

Bhachu also blasted arguments by the defendants that some of the bribery charges should be dismissed because they could not be tied to a specific “official act,” citing former Republican Gov. George Ryan’s corruption conviction.

Bhachu said the 7th Circuit ruled in the Ryan case that a “stream of benefits” was provided to the governor over time, “more like a meal plan in which you don’t pay for each item on the menu.” The indictment in the ComEd case alleges a similar scenario, he said.

* Related…

* Ed Burke’s lawyers say feds spent four years investigating him before tapping phones: Additionally, Burke’s lawyers responded to a revelation by the feds last spring that Burke allegedly made a “distasteful” comment about Jewish people. His attorneys insisted Friday the comment is too prejudicial, and any relevance to the racketeering case is outweighed by “the risk that the jury will infer from the statement that Ald. Burke is anti-Semitic.”

  52 Comments      


City’s OIG study shows ShotSpotter alerts “rarely produce evidence of a gun-related crime”

Tuesday, Aug 24, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Press release

The City of Chicago Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) Public Safety section has issued a report on the Chicago Police Department’s (CPD) use of ShotSpotter acoustic gunshot detection technology and CPD’s response to ShotSpotter alert notifications. OIG concluded from its analysis that CPD responses to ShotSpotter alerts can seldom be shown to lead to investigatory stops which might have investigative value and rarely produce evidence of a gun-related crime. Additionally, OIG identified evidence that the introduction of ShotSpotter technology in Chicago has changed the way some CPD members perceive and interact with individuals present in areas where ShotSpotter alerts are frequent.

OIG issued its descriptive analysis on the outcomes of ShotSpotter alerts to provide the public and City government officials—to the extent feasible given the quality of the Office of Emergency Management (OEMC) and CPD’s data—with clear and accurate information regarding CPD’s use of ShotSpotter technology. ShotSpotter is a gunshot detection system that uses a network of acoustic sensors to identify and locate suspected gunshots, and currently operates in more than 100 U.S. cities. Chicago’s $33 million, three-year contract with ShotSpotter began on August 20, 2018; in December 2020, well before the end of the contract term, the City exercised an option to extend the contract, setting a new expiration date for August 19, 2023.

The CPD data examined by OIG does not support a conclusion that ShotSpotter is an effective tool in developing evidence of gun-related crime. If this result is attributable in part to missing or non-matched records of investigatory stops that did take place as a direct consequence of a ShotSpotter alert, CPD’s record-keeping practices are obstructing a meaningful analysis of the effectiveness of the technology.

OIG analyzed data collected by CPD and OEMC regarding all ShotSpotter alert notifications that occurred between January 1, 2020, and May 31, 2021, and investigatory stops confirmed to be associated with CPD’s response to a ShotSpotter alert. OIG’s analysis of OEMC data and investigatory stop report (ISR) data revealed:

    • A total of 50,176 ShotSpotter alerts were confirmed as probable gunshots, issued an event number—a unique record identification number assigned to distinct “events” of police activity—and dispatched by OEMC; each of these resulted in a CPD response to the location.
    • Of the 50,176 confirmed, 41,830 report a disposition—the outcome of the police response to an incident. Of those dispositions, a total of 4,556 indicate that evidence of a gun-related criminal offense was found, representing 9.1% of CPD responses to ShotSpotter alerts.
    • Among the 50,176 confirmed and dispatched ShotSpotter alerts, a total of 1,056 share their event number with at least one ISR, indicating that a documented investigatory stop was a direct result of a particular ShotSpotter alert. That is, at least one investigatory stop is documented under a matching event number in 2.1% of all CPD responses to ShotSpotter alerts.
    • Through a separate keyword search analysis of all ISR narratives within the analysis period, OIG identified an additional 1,366 investigatory stops potentially associated with ShotSpotter alerts whose event number did not match any of the 50,176 confirmed and dispatched ShotSpotter alerts.

OIG’s analysis of ISR narratives further revealed that the presence of the technology is changing police behavior. Specifically, OIG reviewed instances in which CPD members rely, at least in part, on a perceived aggregate frequency of ShotSpotter alerts in an area to form the basis for an investigatory stop or as part of the rationale for a pat down once a stop has been initiated. Additionally, better data on law enforcement outcomes from ShotSpotter alerts would be valuable to support the City’s future assessments of whether to extend, amend, or discontinue its contractual relationship with ShotSpotter.

“Our study of ShotSpotter data is not about technological accuracy, it’s about operational value,” said Deputy Inspector General for Public Safety Deborah Witzburg. “If the Department is to continue to invest in technology which sends CPD members into potentially dangerous situations with little information––and about which there are important community concerns–– it should be able to demonstrate the benefit of its use in combatting violent crime. The data we analyzed plainly doesn’t do that. Meanwhile, the very presence of this technology is changing the way CPD members interact with members of Chicago’s communities. We hope that this analysis will equip stakeholders to make well-informed decisions about the ongoing use of ShotSpotter technology.”

The full report is here.

  20 Comments      


*** UPDATED x1 - Davis campaign responds *** Rate the Budzinski announcement video

Tuesday, Aug 24, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Press release…

Today, Nikki Budzinski, a labor activist, former senior advisor to Governor JB Pritzker, and former member of the Biden administration at OMB announced her campaign for Congress in Illinois’ 13th congressional district with a coalition of support.

Born in Peoria, Nikki’s parents taught her the importance of family, community, and service to others. From her grandpa, a union painter, she saw how unions built and sustained the middle class. From her grandma, a public-school teacher, she learned the value of a good education. After graduating from the University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign, Nikki traveled the country fighting to get hard-working people the pay and workplace protections they deserve while working with the IAFF firefighters union and UFCW.

As Governor JB Pritzker’s senior advisor, Nikki helped pass a $15 minimum wage in Illinois and expand high speed internet across the state. As the Chief of Staff in President Biden’s Office of Management and Budget, she helped implement the American Rescue Plan and established the Made in America office.

Budzinski also announced the endorsement of UFCW Local 881, Pastor Ray McJunkins, the Lead Pastor of Union Baptist Church in Springfield, State Representative Katie Stuart, Sangamon County Democratic Chairman Bill Houlihan, Christian County Democratic Chairman Ben Curtin, Jersey County Democratic Chairman Mark Pohlman, Calhoun County Democratic Chairman Paul “Snow” Herkert, and Macoupin County Democrats Chairwoman Pam Monetti.

Budzinski made the following statement: “I’ve spent my whole life fighting for working people and I’ll do the same in Congress. I want to make sure every Illinoisan has access to the same middle-class opportunities that my grandparents did as union painters and teachers.

Rodney Davis isn’t getting the job done. The stakes are too high for middle class families like the one I grew up in to have ineffective leaders in Congress and I plan to go to Congress and deliver for Illinois.”

Steve Powell, President of Local 881 and UFCW International Vice President made the following statement: “Nikki has spent her entire professional life fighting for working people. As we recover from COVID19 and build a new 21st-century economy, we need leaders like Nikki in Congress that are going to stand up for our members and make sure labor has a seat at the decision-making table. My job is to deliver for our members and having advocates like Nikki in Congress makes that easier. That’s why UFCW Local 881 is supporting Nikki.”

Pam Monetti, Chairwoman of the Macoupin County Democrats made the following statement: “Working people need allies in Congress that will make sure middle-class families get a fair shake. We haven’t gotten that from Rodney Davis the entire time he’s been in office. We need a true ally to working people which is why I’m supporting Nikki. She’s walked the walk - working in the labor movement, working to pass a $15 minimum wage in Illinois, and working on the American Rescue Plan in President Biden’s administration. Nikki will get the job done and I encourage others to support her.”

Pastor Ray McJunkins made the following statement: “Nikki Budzinski’s career spans over 20 years as a public servant. With an impressive and extensive background in government and political science Nikki is an exceptional individual when it comes to her passion of making a difference. She understands the importance of involvement in the decision-making process while working for the common good. With her education and experience, I am confident she will be a strong voice for the working class. Nikki Budzinski will bring to Capitol Hill knowledge, skill, experience, integrity, determination, and character. In fact, my descriptive summary of Nikki includes words such as competent, committed, talented, and innovative. She is an asset to local and state government and will be an even greater asset to federal government as she works for the people.”

* Video

Keep in mind that we don’t yet know what the districts will look like, and probably won’t until late October.

*** UPDATE *** Aaron DeGroot at the Rodney Davis campaign…

Hey, Rich.

Here is a quote from me as Davis campaign spokesperson regarding the Nikki Budzinski announcement:

    “Nikki Budzinski is a lifelong Democrat political operative who is steeped in corrupt, Madigan-style politics. When she was a top staffer for Governor Pritzker, she helped Mike Madigan put his allies in patronage jobs throughout state government. Illinois voters have had enough of corrupt Madigan Machine politicians like Budzinski.”

And since Budzinski is Dick Durbin’s candidate for Congress against Rodney, I’ll note that Durbin is 0-5 against Rodney.

Thanks,

Aaron

  48 Comments      


Federal court punts remap case until after legislative special session

Tuesday, Aug 24, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* I gave this info to subscribers yesterday, but it’s been picked up by another outlet and wasn’t quite reported right, so I thought I should take off the password protection. This docket entry was filed yesterday by a federal judge (not the Illinois Supreme Court, as reported elsewhere) in the lawsuit against the new redistricting law after a Monday morning hearing

Taking into account the parties’ written submissions and the discussion held on the record this morning, Defendants’ motion to adjourn the expert discovery schedule and to set status conference for September 1, 2021 is granted in part and denied in part. Opening expert reports and supporting materials, which are due today under the existing schedule, are still to be exchanged no later than August 25, 2021. All other expert deadlines and expert discovery are stayed until further order of the Court and will be discussed either with the three−judge panel on September 1, or with Magistrate Judge Jantz, or both. Plaintiffs’ motion to expedite briefing schedule with respect to pending dispositive motions is denied. The pending dispositive motions remain under advisement, though the panel observes that in the event that the General Assembly enacts an amended redistricting plan in next week’s special session, the parties may need to consider whether to amend the pleadings and motions that currently are on file. The panel also reiterates the comments made on the record urging the General Assembly to take into account the views of the Plaintiffs in crafting any amended plan with the objective of presenting for the Court’s consideration a plan that satisfies all constitutional and statutory obligations, not just those raised in the existing pleadings and motions. To the extent that an amended plan still raises viable legal challenges, the parties should expect to update their pleadings, motions, and expert work (including proposed revisions or alternatives to the map(s) under consideration) on a highly compressed schedule given the need for an expeditious conclusion to this litigation to accommodate the 2022 election calendar. As a housekeeping matter, the motions to dismiss the original (and now superseded complaint) are stricken as moot. In view of the foregoing, the status conference previously set for 8/24/2021 at 12:30 p.m. is stricken and reset to 9/1/2021 at 12:30 p.m. Information regarding the video link for the panel and counsel and the telephone link for members of the public and media will be provided in a separate minute order. Finally, the notice of motion date of 8/27/2021 on Plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment is stricken and no appearances are necessary on that date.

* Basic translation: The Republicans wanted the court to step in before the special session, but that was a no-go and the GOP’s motion to expedite the briefing for summary judgment was denied. Instead, the court punted the case until after the scheduled August 31st legislative special session on the remap. Democrats were urged to listen to plaintiffs on the constitutionality of the new remap plan (I’m told that means in particular the plaintiffs arguing insufficient Hispanic origin districts) because this could be their last chance to save their map.

In other words, the Democrats better get it done and get it right next week or they could lose control of the map-making process to a federal three-judge panel.

  7 Comments      


Open thread

Tuesday, Aug 24, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* What’s your beef?

  21 Comments      


*** LIVE COVERAGE ***

Tuesday, Aug 24, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Follow along with ScribbleLive


  Comments Off      


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* Isabel’s afternoon roundup (updated)
* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Fundraiser list
* Feds approve Medicaid coverage for state violence prevention pilot project
* Question of the day
* Bost and Bailey set aside feud as Illinois Republicans tout unity at RNC delegate breakfast
* State pre-pays $422 million in pension payments
* Dillard's gambit
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* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition
* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today's edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
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