Question of the day
Monday, Sep 13, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* After the climate/energy bill passed today, Senate President Don Harmon and others involved with the legislation held a press conference. There were a couple of off-topic questions, including this one…
Q: President Harmon, another beautiful thing of the General Assembly is to provide a check to the governor’s authority. When are you guys gonna take up the various mandates, going on 19 months of executive orders?
A: Well I think that, in particular, right now, we are so focused on getting kids back into school safely and keeping them there. The governor seems to have been following the science and it seems to be working. And I’m going to keep my fingers crossed that my daughter is going to stay through her high school year without interruption, and that kids across the state are going to be able to say the same thing.
Q: Isn’t that the job of the General Assembly to have some skin in this game, to have the local elected representatives actually sound off on these things and cast those votes?
A: Again, I don’t think there’s been any shortage of debate at the local level or at the state level. I think that we are all comfortable following the science and everything does seem to be working so [knocks on the podium] knock wood we’re gonna keep going in the right direction.
* The Question: How satisfied are you with the Illinois General Assembly’s response to the pandemic? Make sure to explain your answers, please.
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Legislators respond to somewhat odd hit piece
Monday, Sep 13, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Chicago Magazine…
Here is a list of some of Chicago’s least-known residents: Eva Dina Delgado. Lakesia Collins. Frances Ann Hurley. Lindsey LaPointe. Lamont J. Robinson Jr. Cristina H. Pacione-Zayas.
You’ve probably never heard of these people because they don’t work in Chicago; they work in Springfield as members of the Illinois General Assembly.
In Chicago politics, there is no lower form of life than a state legislator. If you’re looking to lie low or hide out from your enemies, run for the legislature. No one will bother to hunt you down in the state capital — an exceedingly dull three-hour drive down Interstate 55.
I dunno, maybe the magazine should be writing more about Illinois government so its readers wouldn’t have to be given such a ludicrous premise?
* Response…
What has Chicago Magazine substantively done over the years to invite readers into the world of state government and politics?
Thank you Chicago Magazine for introducing us to your base in case they have not been in touch with the impactful contributions - both before and during a public health and economic crisis - of the General Assembly members you highlighted in Opinion: There’s No More Invisible Politician than an Illinois State Legislator. Any search on ilga.gov will produce a solid list of successful legislative measures that reflect our deep work on the ground on behalf of the approximately 108,000-216,000 people we each represent. The named group of individuals are legislating with significant impact. Here are some recent examples:
● Lead service line replacement,
● First responder mental health,
● Streamlining Business Enterprise Program Certification for small businesses,
● State designated cultural districts to spur economic recovery,
● Protection of first amendment for youth in care,
● Increased access to higher education pathways,
● Affordable and accessible child care, and
● Increased support and real opportunities for youth and adults with disabilities.
Singling out legislators who are predominantly people of color, women, and openly gay (coincidentally all members of minoritized* groups in the General Assembly) compels us to ask, is it a coincidence or by design that it is difficult to find any statement of solidarity with the national uprising and accelerated civic engagement that many news outlets and socio-political influencers adopted, amplified and implemented in the wake of George Floyd’s murder? This is especially perplexing because these same legislators championed and executed the charge to address the root causes of failed policy for communities that have been historically marginalized in past sessions.
Furthermore, each of us represent communities that may not have broad readership of your magazine which can safely perpetuate the racism, sexism, and homophobia in this opinion piece without any accountability from constituents and supporters who are more than familiar with our track record. Performing a simple Google search, perusing our social media channels, or speaking to our constituents will reveal significant evidence of outreach, engagement, activism, and collaboration within our districts and across Illinois.
While we understand the purpose of an opinion piece, we are left searching for an application of journalistic standards. It’s disheartening that you allowed something this off-base and unconstructive to be included in your publication given that it promotes itself as “the most highly honored city magazines in the nation.” Instead of leaving readers with inflammatory words strung together by a writer rudderless toward a solution to the disengagement he laments, here’s what we propose your readers consider:
● Becoming acquainted with state lawmakers is a shared responsibility between constituents, the media, and elected officials. The work is bidirectional and the law professor who admitted to not knowing, or caring to know, his state senator is more of a poor reflection on him given his area of expertise.
● Confirm if the media source has correspondents covering the subject criticized in opinion pieces (i.e. Does Chicago Magazine have a Springfield correspondent?). Critical consumption of media is a central skill in the 21st century, especially with information overload.
● Verify opinion pieces like these with BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color), Latinx, LGBTQ, and women-led sources that offer nuance and uncover complexities that center the world perspectives that are often ignored and diminished by mainstream media and glossy publications.
Chicago Magazine, we disagree with both your tagline, “We (Chicago Magazine) are Chicago,” and the bottom line from this opinion piece that the cited General Assembly members are hiding behind a conflated title of “state legislator” and living a “cush” life with no accountability. Many of us have endured sacrifices to operationalize the role of “public servant.” It is a dishonor to our ancestors, descendants, and co-conspirators in this work who inform our strategy to upend
systemic -isms and transform government to be for, by, and with the people. You can and should do better.
State Representative Lakesia Collins
State Representative Eva-Dina Delgado
State Representative Frances Ann Hurley
State Representative Lindsey LaPointe
State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas
State Representative Lamont Robinson
Kinda on the professorial side, but whatevs. Your thoughts?
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Governor JB Pritzker and Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) Secretary Grace Hou today announced a series of nation-leading investments to strengthen access to childcare for parents seeking to reenter the workforce while simultaneously bolstering childcare providers and their employees. As families across Illinois continue to get back on their feet amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, IDHS is expanding Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) eligibility to include three months of free coverage for unemployed parents who meet the CCAP eligibility requirements to help residents get back to work.
The Pritzker administration is also providing bonuses of up to $1,000 for eligible childcare workers. These bonuses will be followed by two more rounds of childcare restoration grants, plus an additional phase of grants in 2022, with $300 million to be made available to providers across the state.
Today’s announcement builds on the administration’s ongoing commitment to providing affordable, accessible childcare for all Illinois families. Earlier this year, the Governor announced CCAP co-pays would decrease for 80% of families who participate in the program. Families who meet certain income eligibility requirements, with income below 100% of the Federal Poverty Level have seen their monthly co-pays reduced to $1.
Since the pandemic began, the State has invested more than $700 million in COVID-19 relief funding in the state’s childcare industry. Through the first round of Child Care Restoration Grants, over 5,000 providers have received monetary support, representing 85% of eligible childcare centers and 40% of licensed family childcare homes. On average, childcare centers have received over $270,000 each and childcare homes have received an average of $13,000.
“Childcare is an essential part of a strong and equitable economy, and I’m proud that Illinois is leading the nation in supporting families and providers,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Without safe and affordable childcare, too many caregivers – especially women – can’t return to the workforce. We’re taking a major step to address this problem in Illinois, and rebuild our childcare ecosystem – and rebuild it better.”
Beginning October 1, 2021, parents who are unemployed and actively seeking employment will be eligible for three months of Child Care Assistance, provided they meet the standard CCAP eligibility requirements. If parents become employed or enroll in an education program before the end of the three-month period and meet all other CCAP eligibility requirements, their eligibility will continue for 12 months in total.
Families interested in applying for support through the Child Care Assistance Program, can contact their local Child Care Resource & Referral Agency (CCR&R) which can be found online at https://www.inccrra.org/about/sdasearch or by calling 1-877-202-4453 toll-free.
In addition, DHS will launch the Child Care Workforce Bonus program next month. Through the program, all staff at licensed and license-exempt childcare centers and homes will be eligible to receive up to a $1000 bonus, provided they meet all licensing and health and safety requirements. Childcare workers will receive the payment through their employer between October 2021 and March 2022.
Application information about the program will be available for employers via the Illinois Network of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (INCCRRA) in the coming weeks. Employers are required to pay staff 100% of the bonus amount awarded by the state.
“Thanks to the unwavering leadership of Governor Pritzker, our administration is mobilizing federal recovery dollars to provide grants that will help Illinois businesses continue with reopening, bring back their staff, and rebuild stronger,” said IDHS Secretary, Grace B. Hou. “At IDHS, we have taken necessary steps to support front line workers who are the fabric of communities across the state. The childcare network is essential to rebuilding our economy.”
The administration will also launch a final round of 2021 Child Care Restoration Grants and later this year will open applications for 2022 Stabilization Grants. The Child Care Restoration Grants administered through IDHS continue to offer childcare providers access to funds that can help counterbalance losses due to COVID-19 and take advanced steps to rebuild from the impacts of the pandemic. The program has been in place since 2020, when it provided $290 million to small businesses and childcare providers across the state. $270 million in additional funds have been invested in providers, to date, in 2021.
“Access to early childhood has the power to change the future of our city and state. on behalf of children and families, I’m incredibly grateful to have a governor whose COVID-19 response and recovery plan includes a significant investment in early childhood. Our children’s learning needs to start early, and parents need to be back at work. The plans the Governor outlined today will make sure that’s possible,” said Libby Shortenhaus, Chief Executive Officer, Christopher House.
The administration’s comprehensive support programming has prevented the mass closure of childcare facilities across the state and provided parents with safe places to care for their children as they reenter the workforce. Of the licensed childcare centers who received a state grant in 2020, 98% are still open and serving children. Approximately 30% fewer childcare centers closed over the last year than closed on average each year from 2016 to 2018.
Gov. Pritzker said the “vast majority” of the dollars announced today are federal dollars.
…Adding… Not sure why, but the governor was asked today whether this program was campaign-related. He denied it.
…Adding… Just a few years ago, you may recall, childcare eligibility was cut to 50 percent of the federal poverty level via an emergency rule.
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* New York Times…
As it prepares to deliver its first electric pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles this year, Rivian has spent around $1.5 billion renovating and expanding a factory once owned by Mitsubishi. On a typical day the 3.3-million-square-foot plant hosts several hundred construction workers alongside more than 2,500 workers employed by the company, which expects to eventually double its local head count.
The effects are hard to miss in Normal and nearby Bloomington, a metropolitan area of about 170,000. Hotels are frequently booked up, pandemic or not; hundreds of housing lots are being developed; and many employers looking to hire a full-time plumber are basically out of luck. […]
The ramp-up has made labor, already in short supply during the pandemic, even more scarce. A branch of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, which has helped contractors like Mr. Mosier staff up, says it has fully booked the roughly 280 licensed union electricians in the area.
To meet the demand, the union brought in a few hundred electricians from elsewhere in the country this year.
A nearby community college started a program this fall to train electric vehicle technicians, and Illinois State University, which abuts Uptown, is building an engineering school partly in response to Rivian.
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COVID-19 roundup
Monday, Sep 13, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
For much of the pandemic, the rate of new COVID-19 infections among people younger than 20 trailed the rates for other age groups. But that’s changed. In the most recent week’s worth of data, those under 20 experienced the highest rate of new infections.
For the week ending Sept. 4, Illinoisans under 20 saw more than 300 new cases per 100,000 people in that group. That’s 22% higher than the state average, which is near 245 per 100,000 residents. […]
The state’s southern region topped 1,320 weekly new cases per 100,000 kids [12-17] — or six times the rate of that age group in Lake and McHenry counties. The good news, for the southern region, is its latest figures were slightly lower than the prior week, stopping what had been a steep climb since mid-August. […]
The average number of kids admitted [to hospitals] each day in Illinois with confirmed cases of COVID-19 has risen from less than one a day in July to about six now. When adding in suspected cases upon admission, the number increases to nearly 44 kids a day, on average, which is about as bad as the spring 2021 surge and close to levels of last fall’s surge.
* Also from the Tribune…
President Joe Biden’s newly issued mandate that companies with 100 or more employees must require vaccinations or weekly COVID-19 testing among their workforce may be just what the doctor ordered for a number of Chicago-area companies, including WeatherTech, the southwest suburban car floor mat manufacturer.
The company, which has 1,700 employees on its sprawling Bolingbrook campus making everything from dog bowls to cellphone holders, has no vaccine or testing mandates in place, despite having “several very sick employees” and one death from COVID-19, according to WeatherTech founder and CEO David MacNeil.
MacNeil, a strong proponent of COVID-19 vaccinations for his employees, said the legal landscape for imposing a company mandate was unknown — at least before Biden announced his proposed mandate Thursday.
“I welcome government help in getting the job done,” MacNeil said Friday.
Keeping employees and their families healthy is good for business. Period.
* And Chicago is attempting to use the fight against COVID as one angle in its business recruitment program…
Chicago is taking aim at Texas’ new social policies with a full-page ad in Sunday’s Dallas Morning News, urging companies uncomfortable with the state’s recently enacted abortion and voting laws to head to the windy city.
World Business Chicago, the city’s public-private economic development arm, purchased the print ad, which opens with “Dear Texas” before jumping into reasons companies should consider moving north. It cites the Midwest city’s startup ecosystem, attraction of tech and engineering graduates and a top-ranked logistics and transportation sector as strengths.
Then it hones in on what it perceives as Texas’ new weakness.
“In Chicago, we believe in every person’s right to vote, protecting reproductive rights and science to fight COVID-19,″ the ad states.
* On that same topic, here’s the New York Times…
Like other Republican governors around the country, Tate Reeves of Mississippi reacted angrily to the coronavirus vaccine mandates President Biden imposed on private businesses. Declaring the move “terrifying,” he wrote on Twitter: “This is still America, and we still believe in freedom from tyrants.”
There is a deep inconsistency in that argument. Mississippi has some of the strictest vaccine mandates in the nation, which have not drawn opposition from most of its elected officials. Not only does it require children to be vaccinated against measles, mumps and seven other diseases to attend school, but it goes a step further than most states by barring parents from claiming “religious, philosophical or conscientious” exemptions.
Resistance to vaccine mandates was once a fringe position in both parties, more the realm of misinformed celebrities than mainstream political thought. But the fury over Mr. Biden’s mandates shows how a once-extreme stance has moved to the center of the Republican Party. The governors’ opposition reflects the anger and fear about the vaccine among constituents now central to their base, while ignoring longstanding policy and legal precedent in favor of similar vaccination requirements.
…Adding… A truly dumb take…
With a majority of colleges in Illinois requiring students to be vaccinated for COVID-19 before attending classes, one organization is pushing back.
Young Americans for Liberty is coordinating with student leaders at 23 public campuses around the country, including at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana, to speak out against the forced mandates.
Spokesman Eric Brakey says the organization is not anti-vaccine, but rather anti-vaccine mandate at taxpayer-funded academic institutions.
“That is not what America is supposed to be,” Brakey said. “Those are the kind of policies we saw in the Soviet Union that we used to make fun of a generation ago.”
* Related…
* A Second Major Seasonal Virus Won’t Leave Us Any Choice: Businesses and schools must adapt, because the dual threat from COVID and the flu will be too severe.
* Galesburg doctor says new COVID-19 cases are more severe, ICU patients younger: Carpenter said all six ICU beds at OSF St. Mary Medical Center were filled during his shift Tuesday. All six were COVID-19 patients and all six were on ventilators. “We are seeing a higher number of patients requiring ventilator care than with the previous round,” Carpenter said. Likewise, this spike is having more serious effects on a younger demographic.
* Springfield family of fully vaccinated COVID-19 victim sends a message to doubters in her obituary: “Vaccinated individuals with other health conditions … may not have developed as strong of an antibody response with the vaccine as others and may not be able to fight off their illness and COVID as well,” said Gail O’Neill, director of the Sangamon County Department of Public Health. That apparently was the case with Candace Ayres, who had dealt with debilitating rheumatoid arthritis the past 10 years, her son said.
* Chicago Public Schools parents plan to protest at Mayor Lightfoot’s home in call for remote learning
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* Folks who refuse to trust a vaccine in wide usage that’s been approved by the FDA and instead demand an alleged treatment that the FDA has not approved and that its manufacturer and every legit medical association has warned against using never cease to amaze me. This death is heartbreaking, but there’s no getting around the fact that she celebrated her opposition to the vaccine and now the grifter crazies and their gullible followers are all predictably furious…
A hospitalized COVID-19 denier whose attempts to be treated with deworming drug ivermectin inspired a far-right harassment campaign against her hospital died early Monday, sparking cries among QAnon conspiracy theorists that she had been the victim of “medical murder.” Before her COVID-19 diagnosis, Veronica Wolski was a prominent Illinois booster of the QAnon conspiracy theory who recorded herself hanging pro-QAnon banners over bridges and flouting mask laws in stores, once declaring, “I have never once worn a mask.”
After she was hospitalized in Chicago two weeks ago with COVID-19, Wolski’s supporters in QAnon and other far-right groups besieged the medical center with hundreds of phone calls and even some death threats, demanding that she receive ivermectin, whose effectiveness as a COVID-19 treatment is unproven. Top QAnon leaders like former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn embraced her cause, with pro-Trump lawyer Lin Wood calling the hospital and demanding she receive ivermectin shortly before Wolski’s death. On Monday morning, Wood announced in a post on social networking app Telegram that Wolski had died shortly after midnight and called her death a “medical murder,” urging his followers to “go to war.”
* More…
“I have just learned that Veronica Wolski saw the face of God this morning at 12:44 a.m.,” Wood said.
“It is our responsibility to ensure that these medical murders stop NOW and the perpetrators be brought to justice.
“Veronica will be on her bridge in Heaven looking down on us. We must do our best to make sure Veronica did not leave this Earth in vain.”
Just hours before reporting her death, Wood posted a video online where he called hospital staff and demanded that she be released from hospital, claiming the person on the call would be guilty of murder if she did not.
* More…
In the Telegram channel Wolski once ran, her supporters posted hundreds of messages of sympathy but also urged others to spam the social media account of Amita Health with messages about her “murder.”
Across other QAnon channels where Wolski is being hailed as a martyr, a patriot, and a hero, a common refrain is that she was “kidnapped and murdered” by the hospital and that this “medical tyranny” must end now.
“RIP one of the biggest Patriots of current times. I called that extermination camp Amita many times last night, and police district 16 to report attempted murder,” one typical commenter wrote.
* Related…
* Illinois anti-government militia leader to be sentenced in Minnesota mosque bombing
* Freedom Rally met with counter-protestors: A couple hundred people attended a Freedom Rally Sunday in a parking lot on Mulligan Drive in Bradley. The group has been organizing protests in Kankakee County against forced vaccinations and Gov. JB Pritzker’s mandated COVID-19 mitigations including required face masks. Counter-protesters gathered near the rally.
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Sullivan insists he’s not a San Francisco guy
Monday, Sep 13, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Dave Dahl…
Illinois’ newest candidate for governor is trying to explain who he isn’t.
Jesse Sullivan, the fourth person to declare for the 2022 Republican primary, is a venture capitalist from Petersburg – near Springfield and the home of Lincoln’s New Salem – who says he moved back to his hometown to raise his family.
His opponents, as well as the Democratic Party, have tagged him as a “San Francisco venture capitalist,”
“I am through and through a Midwesterner from central Illinois, a small town of 2,000 people,” Sullivan told WTAX News. Responding to a question about how he will escape his rivals’ labeling of him, “I’m a central Illinois guy who shares central Illinois values, and so anybody who tries to paint me in a different way – it’s all politics.”
While Sullivan and his campaign are disavowing the labeling, his company’s web site does not. He is the founder of Alter Global, whose site is alter.vc. A check of that site, including Sullivan’s own page on the site, reveals no mention of Lincoln, nor the small-town, Midwestern roots on which Sullivan is campaigning.
The company has apparently since updated its site…
And Sullivan no longer has a page on the site as of 10:19 this morning.
But the company’s Twitter and LinkedIn and Facebook pages still list San Francisco or the Silicon Valley as its headquarters.
* I mean, it seems so trivial, but the campaign has reportedly been pushing back hard against media outlets which have labeled him a San Francisco businessperson. They’ve also released a new video on the topic whacking the media…
Um, I’m pretty sure he’s telling us he’s from the Midwest by loudly insisting he’s from the Midwest.
* Perhaps this not so subtle dog whistle is why Sullivan is so insistent about separating himself from San Francisco…
State senator Darren Bailey, who recently pointed to a jar full of corn kernels to declare himself as the Republican frontrunner, cast Sullivan as a different kind of outsider because of where he has lived
“We have witnessed San Francisco’s values on full display in our great state—it’s not good,” Bailey said. “We need a Governor who understands the Heartland, made a life here and shares our values. Our so-called ‘elites’ and their big checkbooks have had their run of things for too long. We think it’s time the regular folks in this state have their say.”
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* Two pretty good pieces today about what’s in the climate/energy bill that the Senate is scheduled to take up later on final passage. You should read all of both stories. Here’s the Tribune…
The proposal sets a goal of moving the state to 100% “clean” energy by 2050, with interim goals of 40% of the state’s power coming from renewable sources by 2030 and 50% by 2040.
To get there, subsidies for wind and solar projects would roughly double, to about $500 million per year. The plan also would allow the state’s large electric utilities to spend about $317 million in previously collected funds on renewable energy projects rather than refunding it to customers. Under existing law, the money was supposed to pay for projects that came online by May 31 of this year, but many were delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. […]
Opponents have raised concerns about the cost to municipalities that invested in Prairie State and to the city of Springfield, and they’ve also questioned whether closing coal and natural gas plants would hurt reliability of the energy grid.
But the plan would allow specific units to remain open if regulators determine they’re essential for reliability and stability of the grid.
* SJ-R…
Opponents say by saving thousands of northern Illinois jobs in nuclear plants, the bill would mean the loss of more than 1,000 jobs by the premature closure of coal-fired plants operated by CWLP and at Prairie State. Opponents also say downstate communities could be forced to rely on energy produced in other states burning fossil fuels.
The legislation gives CWLP and Prairie State until June 30, 2038, instead of Jan. 1, 2035, to reduce their carbon-dioxide emissions by 45%. If that level of reduction couldn’t be reached, one or more generating units would have to close,
Prairie State has two generating units, which would allow at least one of the two to continue operating until coal-fired generation would be banned in 2045. CWLP officials said it appears the bill would allow the Dallman Power Station to keep operating until 2045.
The bill would count the December 2020 closure of coal-fired units Dallman 31 and 32, along with the planned 2023 closure of Dallman 33, toward the 45% carbon-emission reduction requirement in the bill.
*** UPDATE 1 *** The climate/energy bill passed Senate 37-17-3. They had remote voting issues, among other things. But that’s two votes less than the last time they passed the bill.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Gov. Pritzker…
Governor JB Pritzker released the following statement on the Senate passage of the comprehensive energy package, Senate Bill 2408, that puts consumers and the climate first:
“Today, with the Senate passage of SB 2408, the State of Illinois is making history by setting aggressive standards for a 100 percent clean energy future. After years of debate and discussion, science has prevailed, and we are charting a new future that works to mitigate the impacts of climate change here in Illinois.
“SB 2408 puts the state on a path toward 100% clean energy and invests in training a diverse workforce for the jobs of the future. Illinois will become the best state in the nation to manufacture and drive an electric vehicle, and equity will be prioritized in every new program created. SB2408 puts consumers and climate at the forefront, prioritizing meaningful ethics and transparency reforms, and institutes key ratepayer and residential customer protections.
“I’d like to thank Leaders Cunningham and Hastings and Sen. Villanueva for the many hours spent in working group meetings and negotiating sessions. I am proud of the collaborative work between stakeholders, Senate President Don Harmon and Speaker Welch that resulted in a package that makes meaningful progress in protecting our climate and consumers.
“I look forward to signing this historic measure into law as soon as possible, because our planet and the people of Illinois ought not wait any longer.”
* CJI Executive Director Joe Duffy…
We commend our partners in the Senate for their steadfast leadership and their commitment to getting this bill over the finish line. What this legislation proves is that we don’t have to choose between jobs and a cleaner, fairer future. We can do both.
With this landmark legislation, we will build the clean energy economy of the future—powered by union jobs—to reverse generations of carbon emissions and build a pathway to the middle class for new generations of highly trained workers from historically disinvested communities. We will justly transition from fossil fuels and raise the bar on transparency and accountability for utilities and energy developers in the greater interest of ratepayers and consumers.
This bill is the most pro-worker, pro-climate legislation in the country and will establish Illinois as a leader in fighting the climate crisis. The urgent need for bold climate action cannot wait any longer, and we can’t wait to get to work building a cleaner, fairer future for Illinois. We urge Gov. Pritzker to immediately sign this legislation.”
SB 2408 sets the strongest clean energy labor standards in the country and promises to raise the bar for other states seeking to enact new labor and employment policies for building and maintaining clean energy developments.
The bill will create thousands of new clean energy union jobs, expand union apprenticeships for Black and Latinx communities, increase energy efficiency for public schools and safeguard thousands of union workers at the state’s nuclear plants that currently generate the bulk of Illinois’ zero-emissions energy.
* Sierra Club Illinois Director Jack Darin…
“Today is a historic day, not just for Illinois, but for the entire nation. Today, legislators listened to the voices of all Illinoisans in passing the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, and Illinois will act on climate change with a plan for a 100% clean energy future that centers equity and racial justice.
“This bill came about through a coalition-led community engagement process that centered people’s needs today and their hopes for the future, and not utilities or special interests.
“We applaud the work of legislators and stakeholders that helped reach this agreement, and particularly the bold leadership of Governor Pritzker in delivering this historic win for Illinois communities and our planet.”
* ICJC…
“The Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition applauds the Senate on today’s passage of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act. We are on the verge of history in Illinois, poised to take significant steps to address our climate crisis, create equitable, good-paying jobs across the state particularly in Black and Brown communities, and enact tough utility accountability measures.
“We would like to thank Governor Pritzker, House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, Senate President Don Harmon, and legislative champions in addition to thousands of diverse advocates who have been organizing for a clean energy future for more than three years.”
* Speaker Welch…
“With the Senate’s passage of this comprehensive energy proposal, the Illinois legislature has positioned our state as a national leader for clean energy policies,” said House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch. “I was elected to lead the House chamber eight months ago today, and I’m so proud to see all of the hard work we’ve put into this bill finally come to fruition. I look forward to seeing Governor JB Pritzker sign it into law so we can put Illinois on the path to a greener future, while also prioritizing jobs, a diversified energy sector and much-needed utility ethics reforms.”
* Senate President Don Harmon…
The threat to our planet is real.
Our goal all along was to enact reliable, renewable and affordable energy policies that position Illinois to lead the nation in combatting climate change and growing a green energy economy.
That is exactly what we are doing here today.
From the beginning, this has been a shared goal and I want to thank the Senate, House and governor’s team for all their work in putting this together.
* Paul Schimpf…
Democrats have once again chosen special interest groups over the people of Illinois by passing SB 2408. Their environmental virtue signaling will not impact global climate change, but will result in the largest rate increase in Illinois history, raising utility prices for working families and making our energy supply less reliable. Illinois families and businesses can’t afford to pay more for Springfield’s wreckless spending and dealmaking. JB Pritzker should stand up for the people of Illinois, not the special interest groups, and veto this bill.
* IEC…
Illinois Environmental Council (IEC) Executive Director Jen Walling on today’s historic Senate vote on SB2408, the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act:
“This is a story about the power of people and the environmental movement in Illinois standing up to big fossil fuel and utility companies–and winning. The passage of this bill is proof that years of education, advocacy and movement building have secured a strong climate action majority in the Illinois General Assembly.
“Gov. JB Pritzker and environmental champions in the House and Senate sided with their constituents over polluting fossil fuel industries who, until today, dictated energy policy in our state. IEC extends our sincere thanks for their dedication to passing a true climate bill with nation-leading equity standards, which will create thousands of good-paying jobs and put Illinois on a path to a 100% clean energy future. These legislators have provided a just transition for workers and communities historically dependent on dirty fossil fuels. They have enacted some of the toughest utility accountability measures in the nation. And, through this legislation, they will create jobs and wealth in Illinois’ Black and Brown communities, who have too often been the first to suffer the negative consequences of pollution, but the last to reap the health and economic benefits of a clean energy future.
“The legacy of fossil fuels in the power sector poisoning our communities and driving the climate crisis will officially come to an end in 2045. There is still more work to do, but today we celebrate this leap forward in creating a more equitable and thriving environment for generations to come.”
* Path to 100…
Today, Illinois passed major clean energy legislation that commits the state to reaching 40% renewable energy by 2030 and 50% renewables by 2040. The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act puts Illinois at the forefront of the fight against climate change all while creating tens of thousands of jobs, expanding diversity in the renewable energy industry, and providing more than $1 billion in electricity bill savings for consumers.
The 40% renewable energy standard was first introduced in the Path to 100 Act by Representative Will Davis and Senator Bill Cunningham in 2019. The renewable energy impacts of the legislation include:
· The 40% renewable energy goal will spur the construction of over 4,000 MW of new wind, 4,000 MW of new utility-scale solar, and 5,800 MW of new rooftop and community solar.
· The Illinois Power Agency will procure approximately 2.5 million new renewable energy credits (RECs) by June 2022 and 3.8 million new RECs per year from 2022-2030.
· The RECs will support wind energy (45%) utility-scale solar (25.85%) brownfield solar (1.65%) and community, rooftop and residential solar through an adjustable block program (27.5%).
· Credits in the adjustable block program are divided among community solar (30%), large distributed generation (20%), small distributed generation (20%), schools (15%), equity eligible projects (10%) and Community driven community solar (5%).
“As a result of this landmark legislation, Illinois is now ready to embark on its clean energy future,” said Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). “Opening the Illinois market is critical to the growth of energy sources that will clean the air, create jobs and jumpstart the state’s economy. Illinois is now a national leader in crafting renewable energy solutions and we want to thank Governor Pritzker, Senate President Harmon, Speaker Welch, Senator Cunningham and Representative Davis for their leadership on this important bill.”
“Illinois kept its promise to the solar workers who have dedicated their careers to building our renewable energy future,” said Lesley McCain, executive director of the Illinois Solar Energy Association. “After years of advocacy, we now have a path to reverse job losses and deliver clean electricity for families across Illinois.”
In addition to growing clean, renewable energy, the bill includes important requirements for diversity, equity and inclusion in the renewable energy industry that were supported by community advocates and wind and solar businesses. Key equity provisions include supplier diversity requirements for companies that participate in the state’s renewable energy program, a dedicated block of renewable energy incentives for businesses from underserved communities and requirements for utility-scale renewable energy projects to complete project labor agreements that directly address the hiring of minority employees.
“Expanding access to low-cost renewable energy through community solar is vital for Illinois to make the transition to clean energy in a manner that is equitable and just,” said Laurel Passera, policy director for the Coalition for Community Solar Access (CCSA). “We applaud the legislature for passing a bill that will provide the needed pathway to improve Illinois’ energy infrastructure, create good-paying jobs, and provide access to many thousands of residents, businesses and community organizations who do not currently have the opportunities to participate in the clean energy economy.”
The bill also includes the strongest labor provisions in the nation and guarantees that renewable energy growth will create tens of thousands of good union jobs in Illinois. All workers building commercial and community-scale renewable energy projects will be paid prevailing wages and utility-scale projects will complete project labor agreements with organized labor.
“SB2408 is landmark legislation that shows what is possible when industry and labor work together,” said Joe Duffy, executive director of Climate Jobs Illinois. “This law will make Illinois a national leader in building the clean energy economy of the future, and it will open up new opportunities for historically disadvantaged communities, creating thousands of union jobs and expanding apprenticeship opportunities that will pave the way to the middle class for a new generation of homegrown, highly trained workers. We hope Gov. Pritzker will sign this legislation right away so we can get our members and new trainees to work in the fight against climate change.”
Illinois’ renewable energy workforce will be on the job immediately building the projects the state needs to reach its aggressive clean energy goals. The renewable energy industry will continue to collaborate with policymakers and other stakeholders to create Illinois’ clean energy future.
…Adding… DPI Chair Robin Kelly…
“Illinois Democrats have once again shown we lead the nation in addressing our most pressing issues. This was an unprecedented effort by Democrats at all levels to craft legislation that puts Illinois on a path to a clean energy future, creates sustainable jobs and climate equity throughout our state’s many diverse communities. I applaud our Democratic leaders, including Gov. Pritzker, Speaker Welch and President Harmon, for ensuring critical stakeholders were at the table, including community leaders, climate and environmental justice advocates, faith leaders, Black and brown business leaders, labor leaders and engaged citizens. Our state’s future is brighter because of this process.”
* Sen. Michael Hastings…
“Today’s historic agreement is the culmination of a difficult, but worthwhile negotiation process where we refused to accept anything less than the best for Illinois’ clean energy future,” Hastings said. “Our work product is one that is renewable, reliable, and affordable for all Illinoisans.”
Under Senate Bill 2408, the largest investment in renewable energy in state history, Illinois will embark on an aggressive path to complete clean energy generation by 2050.
Additionally, this plan preserves nearly 28,000 direct and indirect jobs and $149 million in local economic impact.
“Job preservation and economic viability for often forgotten communities remained a focal point for me throughout this process,” Hastings said. “Not only were we able to preserve these jobs, but we also created the opportunity to train for thousands of new, good-paying jobs in the clean energy sector.”
* Sen. Sue Rezin…
“For over two years, we have spent countless hours fighting to preserve our state’s entire nuclear fleet. On the day that the Byron Generating Station was scheduled for decommission, we finally passed a bill that makes that a reality.
“While I don’t agree with everything that is included in Senate Bill 2408, it does keep our nuclear plants online, saves thousands of Illinois jobs, and puts our state on a realistic path to 100 percent clean, carbon-free energy.
“Without this bill, any hope of bringing a carbon-free energy future to Illinois by 2050 will be all but impossible and thousands of good-paying jobs would be lost throughout our state.”
* More resources…
* State Week: Energy Package Powers Through
* Podcast: What does the energy bill do?
* Illinois to become first Midwest state to adopt carbon-free electric grid
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* From an Eric Krol story for the Center for Illinois Politics…
Republicans have been fighting internally in Illinois for decades. But the central issues that sometimes divided the party have gone from gun control, gay rights and abortion to mask wearing, vaccines and Trump loyalty. Opposing mask wearing, voicing vaccine skepticism and falsely claiming Trump won the election could play well with a decent-sized chunk of GOP primary voters. Those positions also could scare off some suburban voters come November 2022.
[House Republican Leader Durkin] said he would like House Republican candidates to focus on crime, taxing and spending, President Joe Biden’s handling of the departure from Afghanistan, and inflation fears. Durkin accused top Democrats of having “all turned their back on law enforcement” by making the criminal justice system “softer and kinder on hardened criminals,” pointing to a law that will end cash bail.
“I would say (we’re looking for candidates) that fall more into the center. And they are out there,” he said.
Asked about opposition to vaccines and masks, Durkin said: “That will not be part of the equation. We are laser focused on Springfield.”
Jeanne Ives, who nearly upset Rauner in the 2018 governor primary by appealing to conservative GOP voters, suggested a different direction.
“In Illinois, you are really going to make a decision whether or not you want the government to impose its will on you in every aspect of your life, or whether you think that there are still decisions that you as an American should be responsible for making,” said Ives, a former House lawmaker who now runs a conservative policy nonprofit. “Do you still think as an American the government can only go so far in making decisions about you, your kids, your business?”
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A new day and a new way
Monday, Sep 13, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
“This is what decentralized, collective leadership looks like,” declared House Speaker Chris Welch’s spokesperson Jaclyn Driscoll not long after the chamber approved the climate/energy bill on an unexpectedly lopsided 83-33 roll call on September 9.
The vote was without a doubt a spectacular victory, especially considering the Senate was not able to put together its own package that could pass both chambers and be signed into law.
Not only did all but one House Democrat vote for the bill after starting the day miles from that point, but eleven House Republicans ended up on board even though House Republican leadership had said the day before that there was “nearly zero” support for it and only two Senate Republicans had voted for their chamber’s version.
The House Black Caucus has for years specialized in blowing up important bills in order to pry concessions loose for their constituency. So, Speaker Welch put Assistant Majority Leader Marcus Evans, an African-American South Sider, into the lead negotiator’s role after the Senate punted the issue to his chamber. And when the Black Caucus expectedly demanded more concessions, Leader Evans was able to make some changes and then convincingly explain to the caucus how Black folks were getting a decent deal.
Speaker Welch probably could’ve tried to strong-arm the climate/energy bill through the House with the absolute bare minimum of 71 votes (a three-fifths majority), and he might have been successful. Instead, Welch told Gov. JB Pritzker that he had to finally come to terms with Assistant House Majority Leader Jay Hoffman, who had been relentlessly advocating for an approach that would bring the state’s two municipally owned coal-fired electricity plants to a neutral bargaining position. Hoffman was one of Pritzker’s earliest supporters in the 2018 campaign, but the Metro East Democrat’s strong advocacy for coal-related jobs had put him on the outs.
Hoffman had made his pitch to Welch, but his cause was aided by House Republican Leader Jim Durkin. Welch needed votes and he asked Durkin for help but was turned down because Durkin opposed the bill. The Republican did, however, say that coal was a big issue for his caucus. At Welch’s behest, Pritzker immediately dispatched his point-person, Deputy Gov. Christian Mitchell, to Rep. Hoffman’s office. The Senate Democrats claimed for months that Mitchell was the main obstacle to closing a deal, but Mitchell and Hoffman were able to fairly quickly work out an arrangement.
Assistant House Majority Leader Robyn Gabel, Welch’s third point-person on the climate/energy bill and the most liberal of the bunch, listened closely to the enviros and effectively communicated their wants and had the political savvy to turn those wants into a doable reality. Her strong credibility also ensured that the enviros stayed in line when a deal was cut that was not close to everything the greens wanted. Leader Gabel’s role cannot be understated. This simply doesn’t happen without her.
So, yeah, Driscoll was right. This was a collective win. But Welch still deserves an enormous amount of credit for masterminding this thing across the finish line. And, frankly, for all the moaning about how Mike Madigan would’ve sealed the deal earlier, I don’t think there’s any way the former House Speaker could’ve ever gotten that many votes on a bill like this. It’s a new day and a new way.
The governor, too, played his cards right in the end. As we all know, Pritzker and Senate President Don Harmon still have, um, issues, so the two men apparently couldn’t bring themselves to make a deal with one another when the bill was in the Senate. Harmon finally accepted that reality and agreed to kick the ball to the House, where Pritzker was obviously more comfortable and willing to do whatever it took to work with Welch, including taking a deal that he might possibly have rejected if it had been made by the Senate (some insist the House bill wasn’t as strong as Harmon’s best effort last month).
Also, in retrospect, it was probably a good thing for the governor that talks with the Senate broke down at the end of May. If the bill had passed back then, the entire focus would’ve been on the huge bailout for Exelon’s nuke plants. Instead, the public conversation shifted to coal and climate change, which is a far more politically advantageous spot for Pritzker.
Whatever. It’s over now. Harmon graciously accepted the terms, and we won’t have to deal with this issue again until the inevitable “cleanup” bills surface.
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Open thread
Monday, Sep 13, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Anyone want to talk about the Bears or would you rather talk about Illinois politics and government?
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