Illinois Education Association (IEA) intervenes in Edwardsville-Triad lawsuit; seeks enforcement of mandates for masks, vaccines, testing
Today, the unions representing teachers and support staff in the Edwardsville and Triad school districts filed a motion to intervene in a Madison County lawsuit in an effort to protect the safety of the workplaces and the health and lives of students and employees by keeping the governor’s vaccine-or-test order in place.
In late September, three teachers from the Triad Community Unity School District #2 and seven from the Edwardsville Community Unit District #7 filed a lawsuit claiming the districts did not have the authority to tell school employees they need to either be vaccinated or to test at least once a week for the COVID-19 virus. Instead, the suit says, these decisions should be left solely to local health department authorities and that the order should be lifted.
The court filings today were made on behalf of the 660 combined members of the Edwardsville Education Association (EEA) and Edwardsville School Service Personnel Association (ESSPA), and another 361 members of the Triad Education Association (TEA), Triad Educational Support Personnel Association (TESPA) and the Triad Custodial, Maintenance and Utlity Association (TCMUA), combined.
The TEA surveyed its members in regard to the pandemic mitigation measures. And, the district has provided information on the number of vaccinated employees.
“Ninety percent of our members are vaccinated and the majority of those who aren’t are willingly complying with the testing process,” said Andrew Frey, president of the Triad Education Association. “We have been in person, almost entirely, since the start of the 2020-21 school year. We want that to continue. We know it’s what’s best for our students. But, we only do that if it’s safe for them and safe for all of the staff who work with them. We have trusted the science all along and we continue to do so.”
Safety is not limited to those who are in the buildings.
“I have two members who are married and have a child who goes to school in the district who was born with a severe lung issue,” said Jennifer Fowler, co-president of the EEA. “The only reason she has been allowed to attend school in person is because of the mitigation factors that have been put in place. The only reason this child’s parents have been able to work is because those mitigation factors have been put in place. It’s imperative to the lives of so many, and to the lives of so many they love, that the school environment be kept as safe as possible during this pandemic.”
Oral argument on the case is expected to be set in the coming days.
“The IEA proudly represents the educators in these districts and this filing represents those members’ true will,” said Kathi Griffin, president of the IEA. “We are respectfully asking the court to support the districts and the educators in this matter to ensure continued in-person instruction in a safe environment. We believe the governor did what was legal, prudent and necessary to provide the best educational environment for students and that the districts followed those executive orders because they were following the law, doing their best to keep our students and members safe.”
The five local associations represent more than 1,000 education employees in the two school districts. Those employees include teachers, school psychologists, social workers, speech/language specialists, nurses, custodial workers, food service workers, paraprofessionals, security and secretarial staff. There are about 11,500 students in the two districts.
* Bruce Rauner tried the same sort of thing with AFSCME and it didn’t work. I suppose we’ll see soon enough. Press release…
After recently reaching Illinois’ first union agreement requiring vaccines for certain state workers, Governor JB Pritzker announced two new agreements with the Illinois Nurses Association and Illinois Federation of Public Employees that will ensure nearly 1,300 more state employees are protected with the COVID-19 vaccines.
The agreement with the Illinois Nurses Association covers about 1,100 nurses working in 24/7 facilities like McFarland Mental Health Facility, Quincy Veterans’ Home and Jacksonville Correctional Center. The agreement with the Illinois Federation of Public Employees covers about 160 employees working in Human Services and Veterans’ Affairs. Employees must receive their first shot by October 14. Should an employee elect a two-dose vaccine, they must receive the second shot by November 18.
State employees who remain unvaccinated pose a significant risk to individuals in Illinois’ congregate facilities. Therefore, if employees do not receive the vaccine or an exemption by the dates identified, progressive disciplinary measures will be implemented, which may ultimately lead to discharge. The agreement includes a process whereby employees can seek an exemption based on medical contraindications or sincerely-held religious beliefs.
“Vaccinations are helping to keep our schools and businesses open, protecting our children, our workers and our customers from getting sick with this deadly virus,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “We’ve now reached three agreements to ensure the workers at our congregate facilities will be taking the most powerful action they can by getting vaccinated to keep themselves and the residents they serve safe. I’m proud to reach these agreements and applaud the Illinois Nurses Association and Illinois Federation of Public Employees for working to keep our state safe. Millions more residents are being called to do their part, and I thank President Biden for his leadership in rallying employers to keep people healthy.”
Illinois reached its first union agreement with VR-704 on September 20, 2021, covering 260 supervisory employees at the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) and the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ). The first agreement came after Gov. Pritzker announced that all state workers who work in state-run congregate facilities would be required to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, spanning IDOC, DJJ, the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) and the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs (IDVA), subject to bargaining. Negotiations between the unions representing the rest of the workforce impacted by this mandate are ongoing.
To further encourage vaccinations under the agreement with the unions, employees will receive an additional personal day. If the vaccine administration is not available during an employee’s regularly scheduled shift, the employee may be compensated at their regular pay for the time taken to receive the vaccine. In addition, vaccinated employees will receive paid “COVID time,” so that if a vaccinated employee gets COVID-19, or must quarantine due to COVID-19, they will receive a period of paid time off without using their benefit time.
“We are pleased that we were able to collaborate with CMS to reach this agreement. Our union always strives to ensure that members’ rights and safety are protected, and their voices are heard,” said Matt Emigholz, President of the Illinois Federation of Public Employees, Local 4408. “We believe that this agreement provides options for employees while offering them a way to do what they are committed to — providing excellent service to the citizens of Illinois.”
The administration has taken extensive measures to make the COVID-19 vaccine equitable and accessible. The Pritzker administration established 25 mass vaccination sites. The Illinois National Guard supported more than 800 mobile vaccination clinics on top of an additional 1,705 state-supported mobile sites that focused on communities hardest hit by the pandemic, young residents, and rural communities. The COVID-19 vaccine has been available for healthcare and nursing home workers since December 15, 2020, and open to teachers since January 25, 2021.
Vaccination is the key to ending the COVID-19 pandemic and returning to normal life. All Illinois residents over the age of 12 are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at no cost and proof of immigration status is not required to receive the vaccine. To find a vaccination center near you, visit vaccines.gov.
Moments ago, the Illinois House of Representatives Redistricting Committee concluded their first public hearing on the redistricting of Illinois’ Congressional map. U.S. Representatives Darin LaHood (IL-18), Rodney Davis (IL-13), Mike Bost (IL-12), Adam Kinzinger (IL-16), and Mary Miller (IL-15) released the following joint statement on the Illinois Democrats’ sham redistricting process:
“In Springfield and Washington, Illinois Democrats like to talk about empowering voters, but their sham redistricting process shows they only care about protecting their own political power. Illinois citizens have been clear that they want an independent redistricting process free of political influence, but as we speak, Democrat lawmakers are picking their own voters behind closed doors.
“We would hope Governor Pritzker keeps his campaign promise to veto any map drawn by politicians, but our failed governor has shown twice already that he’s perfectly fine with lying to the people of Illinois if it means his party can stay in power. The Democrats’ corruption in Illinois will continue as long as Pritzker and Democrats in Springfield can pre-ordain the results of elections before voters cast a ballot.”
Not only are cases of COVID-19 decreasing among Southern Illinois adults, but instances of the virus among school-aged children also is dropping.
“We have seen some really good signs with the number of COVID infections among school-age children across the area,” explained Nathan Ryder, community outreach coordinator for the Southern Seven Health Department COVID-19 team. “That’s a good sign and tells us that the procedures that are in place in the schools to mitigate the exposure to COVID-19 are working and so we are seeing less peer-to-peer transmissions in school students.”
Statewide, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported 4,291 reported cases of COVID-19 among ages 5-17 for the week ending Sept. 25. That’s down 30 percent from two weeks prior when more than 6,100 cases were reported.
Additionally, the IDPH website shows no significant school outbreaks of COVID-19 in the region with the exception of Okawville Grade School, where more than 16 cases were reported in September.
“Schools are doing very well working with the health departments, monitoring students and staff and monitoring possible potential cases,” said Cheryl Graff, regional superintendent for the Regional Office of Education #30, which includes Alexander, Jackson, Perry, Pulaski and Union Counties.
* It’s not even a bill yet, but when it’s finally drafted and filed it’s going nowhere. Without right wing media and Facebook, nobody would’ve ever even noticed…
In response to a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for California students, a state representative for the 64th house district, based in Fox Lake, is filing a bill to prevent such vaccine mandate in Illinois.
State Representative Tom Weber, R-Fox Lake, is drafting the bill and expects it to be filed this week, according to his office.
* More…
* COVID-19 update: 1,676 hospitalized, 36 more deaths, 3,371 new cases, 2.2% positivity rate
* Pfizer Asks FDA to Authorize Its COVID Vaccine for Kids Ages 5 to 11
* America Is Running Out of Everything: The container situation is even weirder than it looks. With demand surging in the United States, shipping a parcel from Shanghai to Los Angeles is currently six times more expensive than shipping one from L.A. to Shanghai. J.P. Morgan’s Michael Cembalest wrote that this has created strong incentives for container owners to ship containers to China—even if they are mostly empty—to expedite the packing and shipping of freights in Shanghai to travel east. But when containers leave Los Angeles and Long Beach empty, American-made goods that were supposed to be sent across the Pacific Ocean end up sitting around in railcars parked at West Coast ports. Since the packed railcars can’t unload their goods, they can’t go back and collect more stuff from filled warehouses in the American interior.
State Sen. Dave Syverson announced his candidacy for re-election Tuesday by touting experience and a track record of serving constituents regardless of what party is occupying the governor’s office.
Incumbent Illinois Sen. Dave Syverson, R-Cherry Valley, announced his candidacy for re-election Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2021, at a campaign event at the Radisson Hotel & Conference Center in Rockford. […]
Syverson, R-Cherry Valley, said during his nearly 30 years in Springfield he and his staff worked to bring back to the are more than half billion dollars in capital projects such Mercyhealth Sportscore, the developing Hard Rock Casino as well as “roads, bridges, schools and other projects that we hope has reduced some of the reliance on property taxes.” […]
When [fellow Republican Eli Nicolosi], 42, of Loves Park, announced his candidacy [against Syverson] in July, he spoke of a desire to see term limits become law.
“Anything more than 10 years, you are pushing it,” he said. “And what I can tell you is 30 years is too long.”
* The Question: Is 30 years too long to be in one elected office? Make sure to explain your answer in comments, please.
Thursday, Oct 7, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Illinois families will soon be losing their opportunity to purchase dogs and cats from safe, highly-regulated local pet retailers, such as Petland, who offer their customers the choice of a pet that best fits their needs and provide health warranties. This change is coming because the state’s Animal Welfare Act has been updated through HB 1711 which bans the retail sales of dogs and cats obtained from licensed and regulated professional breeders.
But HB 1711 needs fixing, because while singularly blocking retail pet sales, it fails to strengthen any animal standards or protections at unregulated puppy mills across the state. Consumers looking for particular breeds will have no choice but to purchase dogs from unregulated breeders or dog auctions – thus perpetuating puppy mills. Responsible breeders and retailers will be heavily penalized while HB 1711 does nothing to address the issue of substandard breeders across the state.
Petland is dedicated to improving animal welfare and we have publicly demonstrated this commitment; in fact, we support the Humane Society’s petition effort to improve standards of care. Petland’s breeder pledge is a commitment to provide more space, more exercise, and more socialization for their pets plus numerous other improvements to standards of care.
The share of the Democratic presidential vote in the Midwest declined most precipitously between 2012 and 2020 in counties that experienced the steepest losses in manufacturing and union jobs and saw declines in health care, according to a new report to be released this month.
The party’s worsening performance in the region’s midsize communities — often overlooked places like Chippewa Falls, Wis., and Bay City, Mich. — poses a dire threat to Democrats, the report warns.
Nationally and in the Midwest, Democratic gains in large metropolitan areas have offset their losses in rural areas. And while the party’s struggles in the industrial Midwest have been well-chronicled, the 82-page report explicitly links Democratic decline in the region that elected Donald J. Trump in 2016 to the sort of deindustrialization that has weakened liberal parties around the world. […]
Nine of the 10 states included in the survey have accounted for 93 percent of the loss of union members nationwide in the last two decades. And just in the last 10 years, these states have lost 10 percent of their union membership — an average that is three times greater than nationally.
Lots of small blue-collar cities in this state. They went for Reagan in the 80s, trended back Democratic somewhat, then went for Trump.
Illinois political strategist Porter McNeil contributed to the research that he says played out in some Illinois counties, too — Rock Island, Macon and Winnebago, to name a few. “These manufacturing counties are spread throughout key regions critical to winning legislative and congressional seats across the Midwest in 2022. Democrats need to change their game plans to reverse this trend,” he said.
* But it’s not as pronounced in Illinois, perhaps partly because our small town factories were decimated long ago…
• A 2 million vote shift away from Democrats: In our 10 states, Obama in 2012 had a net vote margin of +1,966,304 votes over GOP nominee Mitt Romney. Eight years later, Biden’s net margin in these 10 states was a negative 38,175 votes. Combined, that’s a staggering net shift of –2,004,479 votes away from the Democratic nominee in these 10 states.
• A flip of partisan support in midsize manufacturing counties: In our 10 states, Obama won midsize manufacturing counties by +105,848 votes in 2012. In 2016, Hillary Clinton lost them by 814,690 votes. While Biden improved on Clinton’s performance in these midsize factory towns, Trump still had a net margin of +660,831 votes in these counties, a shift of –4.4 percentage points away from Democrats from 2012.
• Huge growth by the GOP in small manufacturing counties: In factory town counties during this time period, Republican net margins skyrocketed, especially in small Factory Town counties. In this segment, the GOP gained a net +1,868,210 votes in 2020 compared to 2012 – a gain of +8.6 percentage points. Despite his working-class background, Biden won only 11 of these 480 counties. In contrast, GOP vote share grew in 470 of these 480 small manufacturing counties. […]
• Eight of 10 states have shifted away from Democrats: Only Minnesota and Illinois have gained. Eight other states have suffered a net shift of votes away from Democrats, ranging from a loss of 136,160 in Upstate New York to a 641,939 shift in Ohio. On average, 200,448 votes have shifted away from Democrats in each of the 10 states we studied.
• Dems in all 10 states lost votes in factory town segments: Though some states realized an increase in Democratic performance in metro, college, or suburban county types, all 10 states saw Democratic declines in small and midsize manufacturing counties. This vote shift away from Democrats ranged from a high of 582,372 in Ohio to a shift of 133,540 votes away from Dems in Upstate New York. The average factory town vote shift away from Democrats was minus 263,489 votes.
A judge in Effingham County has issued a temporary restraining order against the Illinois State Board of Education and reinstated the recognition status of two public schools that aren’t following the governor’s COVID-19 mask mandate.
The case was brought by attorney Thomas DeVore on behalf of Red Hill, Woden-Herrick and Beecher City school districts.
While Red Hill schools were at one point on probation for not having a mask mandate, they complied with ISBE’s mandate and their status was returned to recognized.
“Beecher City and Cowden-Herrick’s recognition status is hereby restored to ‘fully recognized’ instanter [immediately] until such time as the Court has held a preliminary injunction hearing and ruled on the District’s request for a preliminary injunction,” the judge’s order Wednesday says. “The State Superintendent is hereby enjoined from altering the recontamination status of the Districts except as authorized during the annual compliance provisions.”
* The ADL describes Nicholas Fuentes as a “white supremacist leader and organizer and podcaster who seeks to forge a white nationalist alternative to the mainstream GOP.” He was a featured speaker at the “We Will Not Comply” (with COVID mandates) rally in Springfield last weekend. If any reporters showed up, they didn’t write about it that I could find. Here’s his 37-minute speech in full, but just remember what type of person this is before clicking play…
The frantic chanting of “Christ is king!” was particularly repulsive.
The closing speaker, Nick Fuentes, a far-right activist, gave them more momentum before they all left; making it well known there is no way he is getting a vaccine.
“They are going to knock my door down, kill my dog and shoot me before I take a COVID-19 vaccine,” Fuentes said.
Plaintiffs in two lawsuits challenging the state’s legislative redistricting plan have filed new complaints in federal court charging that the district maps that lawmakers approved in August dilute Latino voting power and thus violate the U.S. Constitution and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational fund, or MALDEF, and legislative Republican leaders both argue that while the Latino population in Illinois experienced strong growth over the last 10 years, the new maps actually reduce the number of Latino “opportunity” districts – those in which Latinos make up 50 percent or more of the voting-age population.
“The General Assembly did not merely fail to create more Latino opportunity districts, it created fewer of them,” MALDEF argued in its latest filing. […]
In both cases, plaintiffs are now asking a three-judge federal panel to declare the maps unconstitutional under the one-person-one-vote doctrine as well as illegal under the federal Voting Rights Act, which prohibits states from using any “standard, practice or procedure” that results in the denial of the right of any citizen to vote on the basis of race or membership in a recognized language minority group.
In their amended complaints, both sets of plaintiffs argue that while Illinois lost population overall between 2010 and 2020, the Latino population grew by more than more than 300,000, to just over 2.3 million, while the Latino voting-age population – people 18 years of age and older – grew to just over 1 million. That meant their overall share of the state’s population grew to 18.2 percent, up from 15.8 percent, while their share of the voting-age population grew to 11.2 percent, up from 8 percent.
* Meanwhile…
The House Redistricting Committee will hold a series of public hearings to gather public input as the General Assembly begins the process of creating new congressional and judicial subcircuit boundaries.
As Democrats remain committed to enacting a fair map that reflects the broad racial and geographic diversity of Illinois, hearings will be held at several locations throughout the state. In addition, all of the hearings will include a virtual component to ensure stakeholders from across the state can safely participate during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Members of the public will have the option to provide testimony in person or virtually, submit electronic testimony or submit electronic witness slips in advance of the hearings via the General Assembly website www.ilga.gov or through email at redistrictingcommittee@hds.ilga.gov.
House hearings are as scheduled:
· Thursday, Oct. 7 at 12 p.m. – Subject Matter: Congressional Map
o Michael A. Bilandic Building, 160 N LaSalle St, Chicago, IL
· Friday, Oct. 8 at 12 p.m. – Subject Matter: Cook County Subcircuit Map
o Michael A. Bilandic Building, 160 N LaSalle St, Chicago, IL
· Tuesday, Oct. 12 at 12 p.m. – Subject Matter: Congressional & Subcircuit Map
o Plumbers Local 130 UA, 2114 S. I-80 Frontage Road, Joliet, IL
· Wednesday, Oct. 13 at 12 p.m. – Subject Matter: Congressional & Subcircuit Map
o Belvidere Recreation Center, 412 Lewis Ave., Waukegan, IL
· Thursday, Oct. 14 at 10 a.m. – Subject Matter: Congressional & Subcircuit Map
o Illinois State Capitol, 301 S. 2nd Street, Springfield, IL
· Thursday, Oct. 14 at 12 p.m. – Subject Matter: Congressional & Subcircuit Map
o Peoria Public Library Auditorium, 107 NE Monroe, Peoria, IL
· Friday, Oct. 15 at 2 p.m. – Subject Matter: Congressional Map
o Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville National Corn to Ethanol Research Center,
400 University Park Drive, Edwardsville, IL
“As this redistricting process continues, our goal remains the same: to pass a map that adheres to state and federal law while ensuring the final product is reflective of the great diversity of this state,” said Rep. Elizabeth Hernandez, D-Cicero, Chairperson of the House Redistricting Committee. “I look forward to hearing from the public so that we can ensure Illinois has a strong representation in Congress.”
The House Redistricting Committee has relaunched the online map making portal to allow residents to draw and submit proposed boundaries for lawmakers to consider. The map making portal can be accessed at www.ilhousedems.com/redistricting. While the portal will remain open for the duration of these redistricting efforts, residents are encouraged to submit their proposals as soon as possible so that they may be considered as the new boundaries are drawn. Returning users that have previously used the portal do not need to create a new account.
For more information visit www.ilhousedems.com/redistricting, or www.ilga.gov .
State Senators Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet), John Curran (R-Downers Grove), Jil Tracy (R-Quincy), Steve McClure (R-Springfield), and Brian Stewart (R-Freeport) today unveiled a package of legislation specifically designed to empower law enforcement and other members of the community to take on the crime wave that has enveloped the state.
The legislative package includes:
Fund the Police Act
· SB 2918: Creates Fund the Police Grant Fund with $100,000,000 with appropriations to the ILETSB to make grants to local governments and universities to hire police officers, purchasing equipment designed to prevent gang violence, motor vehicle theft, carjacking, or sale of contraband, and training for law enforcement in preventing gang violence, motor vehicle theft, carjacking, or the sale of contraband. This includes mental health, hiring and retention incentives, and overtime.
Eliminate Good Time for Weapons Offenses and Attacks on Law Enforcement Officers
· SB 2916: Requires a defendant who commits Aggravated Battery to a Police Officer to serve at least 85 percent of their sentence.
· SB 2917: Requires a defendant who brings a weapon or contraband into a penal institution serve at least 85 percent of their sentence.
Ending Deadly Delay
· SB 2927: Requires Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority to track gun crimes by convicted felons. Amended to include real time reporting by county of gun offenses charged and outcome of the case.
· SB 2926: Gun Crime Charging and Sentencing Accountability and Transparency Act. Requires State’s Attorneys to provide written justification when a weapons offense is plea bargained down to a lesser offense or non-weapons offense. Similarly, in imposing a sentence, the judge shall set forth in a written sentencing order his/her reasons for imposing the sentence or accepting the plea agreement.
· SB 2924: Allows a school or school district to employ qualified retired law enforcement officers to carry out the duties of a school resource officer.
Getting Serious on Gun Crime:
· SB 2928: ‘10 and life’ for violent firearms offenses. First time conviction of the following offenses receives a mandatory 10-year sentence, second offense receives life sentence.
o Aggravated Discharge of a Firearm.
o Use of a stolen or illegally acquired firearm in the commission of an offense.
o Unlawful use or possession of weapons by felons.
o Armed Habitual Criminal.
o Aggravated Vehicular Hijacking, or Aggravated Carjacking.
· SB 2925: Mandatory minimum penalty for Gun trafficking/Straw purchases. Imposes a 10-year minimum on those who sell or give a firearm to a convicted felon.
Juvenile Court Reforms:
· SB 2929: Juvenile commitment to the Department of Juvenile Justice for use or discharge of a firearm in a school that results in bodily injury or death to any person.
· SB 2923: Restore offenses of aggravated vehicular hijacking and armed robbery committed by juveniles with a firearm to the automatic transfer provisions of adult court.
· SB 2922: Prevent “catch and release” of juvenile carjackers by requiring a shelter care hearing to determine if it is safe to release the juvenile or continue holding until the adjudicatory hearing.
Bail Reform:
· SB 2020: Deny bail for previously convicted gun offenders or a felon charged with a gun offense.
· SB 2921: Adds violation of bail bond, escape, and aggravated fleeing and attempting to elude to the more serious “Category A” bond provisions.
· SB 2919: Allows counties to opt out of Bail Reform Act provisions if county board adopts a resolution to do so.
Mental Health Reform:
SB 1649: Amends the Community Mental Health Act. Provides that upon receipt of all the annual moneys collected from the tax levied under the Act, each governmental unit that levies that tax shall immediately deposit 20% of those moneys into a special fund directly controlled by the county sheriff to be used for mental health services within the county jail.
“The people of Illinois need action right now,” said Rose. “We are demanding that Senate President Harmon (D-Oak Park) call these bills for a full vote of the Senate this veto session.”
All bills have been filed and language can be found here. The legislation will show up www.ilga.gov after the next perfunctory session.
In addition to calling for $100 million in funding for police training, overtime, and retention incentives, Rose wants to make the sentencing guidelines stricter and simpler for criminals convicted on felony gun charges. His proposal would impose 10-year sentences for first-time felony firearm offenders, and a life sentence for repeat offenders.
“I wish it was that simple,” Champaign County State’s Attorney Julia Rietz responded. “I don’t think we need any stiffer penalties.”
Rietz said it’s often a lack of hard evidence, not lenient laws, that allows violent criminals to go free. She called for greater resources to fund street surveillance cameras and lab equipment to process evidence. […]
She described difficult cases with scant evidence as a “poker game” where the suspect is playing a hand and betting the government doesn’t have a strong case. She scoffed at Rose’s proposal that would require prosecutors to show their hand and justify any plea bargains in writing, warning such a requirement could backfire and put cooperating witnesses in harm’s way.
Rose said his plan would “require any State’s Attorney in this state who plea bargains down a gun crime to put it in writing so the citizens who elect them will be able to hold them accountable for the decisions they made.”
“He should know better,” Rietz said, referring to Rose’s prior work as a traffic court prosecutor.
“I was a prosecutor and I wouldn’t have liked that at the time,” Rose acknowledged, “but you know what, it’s the right thing to do. People are sick and tired of the plea bargain nonsense that’s leaving people to shoot buses on our streets.”
Also, none of the bills were amended onto existing legislation, which would make their passage difficult in the veto session even if the majority wanted to go along. And the majority obviously does not…
Rose’s plan would allow counties to opt out of ending cash bail if the county board adopts a resolution supporting it. That plan was not well-received by Senate Democrats, who hold a supermajority in the chamber.
“This is not a solution,” Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago) responded. “This is dog whistle politics from people who just like to round up poor people. They don’t know what they’re talking about.”
* From the governor’s office…
Since taking office, Governor Pritzker has worked to rebuild the hollowed out government left by his predecessor Bruce Rauner. Over the last three years, the state has invested record amounts of funding into gun violence prevention programs, increased investments in social services like mental health and substance abuse treatment and prioritized investments in communities grappling with higher crime rates because of years of disinvestment. On top of rebuilding our social safety net, the budgets signed by Gov. Pritzker have provided hundreds of millions of additional dollars to local governments to support communities. Those same budgets, that Republicans voted against, included funding for multiple new cadet classes to help Illinois State Police restore their hollowed out ranks. A new crime lab that will provide quicker evidence processing is being built with Rebuild Illinois funding signed into law by Gov. Pritzker. Republicans voted against increased funding for training and mental health assistance for officers across the state and have opposed criminal justice reforms that will make our criminal justice system equitable. Spewing rhetoric is easy, taking the votes to support the public policy you claim to care about are what matter. The Senate Republicans have shown us time and time again they care more about getting headlines than supporting solutions.
*** UPDATE *** From the Senate Republicans…
Sen. Rose and his colleagues just unveiled several actual solutions to the current uptick in violent crime with actual legislation filed in the General Assembly – not the media. If the Administration and Democratic Majorities are truly serious about addressing violent crime in Illinois, they can prove it by calling for the package to be heard in committee and voted on in the General Assembly this month. While they may not agree with all proposals, allowing the bills to be heard is an opportunity for both Democrats and Republicans to discuss and debate solutions to these very real problems. As they said, spewing rhetoric is easy, taking the votes to support public policy you claim to care about are what matter.
* The great Ray Wylie Hubbard once sang, “The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations, those are good days.” I’ve gotten this backward in the past because I thought I was somehow ahead of the game. Nope.
