* Press release…
Governor JB Pritzker today announced his support for SB 3070 in the General Assembly that will increase penalties for individuals who commit crimes against Illinois Department of Childhood and Family Services (DCFS) employees. The legislation, known as the Knight-Silas Bill, comes in response to the tragic deaths of two DCFS caseworkers, Deidre Silas and Pam Knight, who were killed while on the job.
“Our DCFS workers dedicate their careers to our most vulnerable children, living in pursuit of the belief that every child should have a safe place to call home,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “These professionals do everything in their power to protect children, so it’s time for the legal system to treat them like the first responders they are. I’m working with the General Assembly to enhance the penalties for adults who harm DCFS workers to align with the protections for other first responders – in honor of Deidre Silas, in honor of Pam Knight, in honor of all our DCFS employees, and in honor of all who live in service to others.”
Under the proposed legislation, DCFS employees would be granted the same protections as police, firemen, private security employees, correctional officers, and community policing volunteers. The legislation allows for a person who causes great bodily harm or permanent disability or disfigurement to a DCFS employee to be charged with a more serious Class 1 felony as opposed to a Class 3. Just like other first responders, it is not the extent of the harm or injury that allows the aggravated battery charge to be brought, but rather the status of the victim as a DCFS employee.
“The hard work and commitment of the employees of the Department of Children and Family Services help keep children safe, provide brighter futures for many families and strengthen communities across our state,” said DCFS Director Marc Smith. “They deserve the same support and protection as other frontline workers in Illinois. Our workers are sometimes called upon to enter challenging situations, and we believe this legislation will help ensure their safety and deter acts of violence against those who have dedicated their lives to helping others.”
Currently, individuals who commit physical crimes against a DCFS employee are only charged with aggravated battery if they cause great bodily harm, permanent disability, or disfigurement, or if the battery occurred publicly. Aggravated battery in those circumstances is a Class 3 felony.
“The senseless death of Deidre Silas, a DCFS investigator who dedicated her career to helping at-risk youth, is devastating,” said State Senator Doris Turner (D-Springfield). “My heart goes out to all who love her during this difficult time. This line of work is challenging and can clearly be dangerous. The legislation we’re proposing today sends a clear message – acts of violence against social workers will not be tolerated in our state. We all deserve to work in peace, freedom and under safe circumstances, and I am committed to protecting those who work in this field.”
“As we mourn the senseless death of Deidre Silas, a DCFS caseworker and a hero, it is our responsibility as legislators to look at ways to make certain that this does not happen again to another DCFS worker who is putting their life on the line every day to protect children around our state,” said Leader LaToya Greenwood (D-East St. Louis). “I look forward to sponsoring legislation that would ensure the protection of DCFS employees the same way that police, firemen, private security employees, correctional officers, and community policing volunteers are protected under the law.”
“Each day, social workers, caseworkers and DCFS employees put their lives on the line to protect our state’s most vulnerable youth. These children need a guardian angel in their lives to make sure they’re being kept out of danger – and that guardian angel is often a compassionate DCFS employee,” said State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Lake Forest), Chair of the bipartisan DCFS Working Group. “Yet, without greater protections and a more complete workforce, DCFS employees will continue to be put in helpless deadly situations. Tragedies against employees whose main goal is to help our at-risk youth must come to an end – and I am hopeful this legislation is the start.”
“My heart goes out to the family of Deidre Silas, a courageous and dedicated front line worker who lost her life, making sure children were safe,” said State Senator Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago). “I will continue to fight to ensure that our kids in child welfare system and the workers responsible for their welfare are kept out of harm’s way.”
“We have to make it clear that we will not tolerate any kind of violence against the people who are working to protect kids and families,” said State Senator Steve McClure (R-Springfield). “I am proud to be a chief co-sponsor of this legislation, as I was honored to be a chief co-sponsor of similar legislation in the past, including HB 1482 in the 101st General Assembly. I am hopeful that we can finally advance this idea, particularly to honor the memory of Deidre Silas and her public service to our state’s most vulnerable children and families.”
“We are proud to co-sponsor legislation that values our Department of Children and Family Services staff. As a caucus, we have been fighting for this legislation since the murder of DCFS social worker Pam Knight in 2018. This bill is the first step to provide justice for those that serve to protect the most vulnerable amongst us. We grieve for the friends and family of Pam Knight and Deidre Silas and pray that we will work together for meaningful change within the department to better protect our front line,” said State Representatives Tony McCombie (R- Sterling) and Dan Caulkins (R- Decatur).
Progressive Democrats like Pritzker don’t usually support penalty enhancement bills.
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Another record day for hospitalizations
Thursday, Jan 6, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Jake Griffin…
State health officials today reported 7,098 COVID-19 patients were being treated in Illinois hospitals, 256 more than the previous day.
Of those hospitalized, 1,119 are in the ICU, a 10.8% increase from a week ago, according to Illinois Department of Public Health figures.
IDPH officials also reported 104 more COVID-19 deaths, along with 44,089 new cases of the respiratory disease.
It’s the first time more than 100 COVID-19 deaths have been recorded in a single day since Feb. 11, 2021. It’s also the highest number of new cases reported in a single day.
The 7-day rolling average case positivity rate is 14.7 percent. It’s 18.6 percent for the average test positivity rate.
Did you get your booster yet?
* Meanwhile…
The number of children needing hospitalization for COVID-19 has roughly tripled over the last month at Advocate Children’s Hospital, doctors said Thursday, as Illinois continues to see record numbers of cases.
Since mid-December the children’s hospital, which has campuses in Park Ridge and Oak Lawn, has had about 25 to 38 kids in the hospital on a daily basis because of COVID-19 or COVID-19-related issues, said Dr. Frank Belmonte, the hospital’s chief medical officer, during a news conference. About one-fourth of those children are in the intensive unit, he said.
About 94% of the kids are unvaccinated, with many coming from homes where no one is vaccinated.
About half of the children hospitalized at Advocate for COVID-19 or COVID-19-related issues are younger than 5, he said. Children under the age of 5 are not yet eligible for COVID-19 vaccines.
* Speaking of kids…
CPS reported record new daily case numbers on Tuesday — 422 students and 274 adults. That was part of the first data to emerge from the two days of school that took place after the two-week winter break and before the cancellations.
Those figures are double the number of cases CPS was reporting when students and staff members started their holiday vacation last month.
As of Wednesday evening, about 9,000 students and a record 2,300 staff members were in isolation because they tested positive for COVID-19 or quarantine because they had come in close contact with an infected person.
…Adding… Plainfield SD 202…
Due to logistical transportation and staffing issues related to a rise in COVID related cases, we will be using an emergency day tomorrow (Friday, January 7th).
It will be a day of non-attendance for students and staff. There will not be remote learning tomorrow.
The day of attendance for January 7th will be made up on May 27, 2022, as part of our 5 emergency days budgeted into the 2021-22 school year.
* The Southern…
Southern Illinois University Carbondale is delaying the start of most in-person classes for the spring semester, opting for a week of remote instruction.
The university announced the plan in an email to the campus community Thursday morning. The spring semester is scheduled to begin Monday, Jan. 10.
In the announcement Chancellor Austin A. Lane said the delay of on-campus instruction will allow students and faculty to undergo COVID-19 testing prior to beginning in-person classes.
* WCIA…
The University of Illinois released updates for their spring coronavirus guidelines. They’re remaining virtual for the first week of class
* WCIA…
University of Illinois officials said they are now requiring students, staff and faculty to get a COVID-19 booster shot when they are eligible.
* Rockford Register-Star…
The Winnebago County Health Department announced 588 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday, the highest number of cases reported in a single day since the start of the pandemic.
The rolling 7-day test positivity rate has climbed to 16.6%. To date, there have been over 645 deaths in Winnebago County attributed to COVID-19.
Additionally, this week, Rockford hospitals — Mercyhealth, OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center and UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital — are providing in-patient care for over 200 patients who have tested positive for COVID-19 and persons suspected of being COVID-19 positive.
All local emergency departments are operating at peak capacity. As a result, the hospitals have voluntarily postponed some elective surgeries and procedures to preserve critical resources, including staff.
* Peoria Journal Star…
Faced with a record number of COVID-19 cases, area hospitals are limiting and suspending elective surgeries.
On Wednesday morning, UnityPoint Health announced that it was indefinitely suspending all elective surgeries at its central Illinois hospitals. Later in the day, OSF HealthCare announced that it, too, was temporarily delaying elective procedures – but on a case-by-case basis.
While officials at UnityPoint Health had been managing elective procedures since early December and temporarily postponing them as needed, the total suspension came suddenly when the number of hospitalized patients rose significantly this week, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Samer Sader said.
“We reached our peak numbers in the last 48 hours,” he said. “Over the last two days, we’ve broken our record from the previous wave (in December 2020 through March 2021).”
Current intensive care unit capacity is nearly exhausted, and about 80% of those beds are filled with COVID patients, Sader said.
* Headlines from the NBC5 live blog…
Bears Add Justin Fields to COVID-19 List
IDPH Follows CDC Recommendation, Urges Boosters for Kids Ages 12-15
* From a story in The Atlantic entitled “Should I Just Get Omicron Over With?”…
The problem, though, is that none of this is assured, especially when factoring in the thorny variable of time. Viruses that linger too long in the body could exact a punishing cost—transmission, disease, death. But if they’re cleared out too fast, they might not have enough time to teach the body something new. And those dynamics depend partly on when someone got their last immunological boost. Someone who’s very recently received a vaccine, for instance, might still be flush with antibodies that could swiftly sweep out the virus. Ellebedy, who was exposed to his COVID-sickened wife about a month after boosting and had pretty minor symptoms, thinks that’s what happened to him, which is great from a disease-severity standpoint, and potentially a transmission one. But a truncated infection might also cut short the immune system’s review session on the virus itself. Bodies will sometimes try to calibrate their defense to match the opponent’s offense, and trifling infections aren’t always worth a massive reinvestment in protection. A later encounter with the virus might spur cells to react more dramatically and squirrel away another slew of safeguards—but at the risk of a longer, more dangerous, and more contagious infection.
A bevy of other factors, too, can influence the magnitude of protection that’s tickled out by a breakthrough: age and health status; vaccine brand, dosing, and timing; the genetic makeup of the variant. (Most people have no way of knowing for certain whether they caught Delta, Omicron, or another SARS-CoV-2 flavor.) And while each dose of a particular vaccine offers essentially identical amounts of immunity-titillating stuff, actual infections don’t serve up the same dose to every person they hit. “The amount of heterogeneity in people’s immune responses is just incredible,” Taia Wang, an immunologist at Stanford, told me. Some recently infected people might experience only a modest bump in protection—which might not be enough to meaningfully stave off another infection in the not-so-distant future.
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Question of the day
Thursday, Jan 6, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Let’s lighten things up a little…
* The Question: What other folks should have their own official Illinois days? Explain.
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* From this past June…
House GOP Leader Jim Durkin, of Western Springs, said he believes in local control, but not when the Chicago Teachers Union is part of the equation.
* Press release…
As Chicago Public Schools remain closed for a second day, with no end in sight, House Republican Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) is calling on Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker to intervene.
“The current crisis with Chicago’s public education system is causing incredible hardship and trauma for students and families, who have become pawns in this power struggle. Evidence has shown that the last three wasted school years have had a long-term impact on our children and their future, and we cannot let this go on any longer. Just as he ignores the escalating crime plaguing the city, Governor Pritzker has turned a blind eye to all the Chicago students and families he represents. He must immediately intervene in this emergency to get schools open safely and students back in the classrooms where they belong.”
* I followed up by asking what specific action Durkin wants Pritzker to take. Response…
The Governor has all the resources of the state available to him and instead of leading on an issue impacting hundreds of thousands of Illinois families, he’s sitting on his hands.
* Jordan Abudayyeh…
Leader Durkin and his party have tried to undermine proven COVID mitigations at every turn, particularly as they stand with those who are attempting to overturn the mask mandate in schools right now. Meanwhile, the Governor has worked tirelessly to get students back to the classroom safely. The Governor has taken numerous effective steps, including instituting a mask mandate because masks work, supplying ongoing help to every school district in the state with testing, masks and on-site vaccine clinics. The Governor is hopeful that the parties can resolve their differences in students’ best interest, because like parents around the state, the Governor’s top priority is to make sure students are in classrooms, learning safely.
I’m really not sure what he could do except to offer to intervene and, frankly, if nobody wants to listen, intervention is worthless.
* Also, not trying to single out Paul here, but I’ve seen several statements like this in the past couple of days…
I asked Vallas four hours ago what directive he was talking about. No answer.
* From ISBE’s communication with school districts…
In general, an adaptive pause should not be necessary if the school is following all appropriate mitigation strategies. If the school is following guidance regarding masking, testing, and identifying and excluding COVID-19 cases and their close contacts, then an adaptive pause should not be necessary to mitigate an outbreak, and students are best served by continuing to provide in-person instruction.
Please note that an adaptive pause means a temporary shift to remote learning for attendance days. A school or school district may only enter into an adaptive pause with remote learning in consultation with the local health department and consistent with guidance or requirements from such local health department.
Alternatively, schools may choose to take nonattendance days at any time for any reason and make up those attendance days later in the year or use one of their five Emergency Days, which do not need to be made up.
So, there really is no state directive to remain open, as long as they make up the days or use their five emergency days.
Click here for the different types of remote options currently allowed in Illinois law.
…Adding… From the latest CPS statement…
CPS is not authorized under state law to satisfy the union’s demand for District-wide remote learning.
That’s not true. See above. They can transition to remote if Dr. Arwady approves, like other local public health departments have done elsewhere in Illinois. But Arwady opposes remote learning.
A few examples…
This week, school district U-46 in Elgin announced that five of its schools — Highland Elementary, Huff Elementary, Independence Early Learning Center, Parkwood Elementary and Ridge Circle Elementary — will be closed due to staffing shortages. In addition, Lincoln-Way District 210 announced Monday that all of its schools will be in remote learning due to staffing shortages. West Chicago District 33 also has its students in remote learning due to covid cases among students and staff, as more than 10 percent of the entire district workforce is out with covid.
Niles School District 219 moved to remote learning for the next two weeks. District 300 in suburban Chicago announced that they would be closing their schools. In a statement, the district superintendent noted, “District staff will use January 3rd to better understand the Omicron Variant’s full impact on staffing and student attendance. Additionally, we hope to receive clarification on the updated quarantine guidelines from the Illinois Department of Health (IDPH) and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) based upon the latest CDC quarantine guidelines. ”
Buffalo Tri-City School District in central Illinois has gone to remote learning through at least Jan. 10.
Virginia School District in central Illinois has announced it will go to remote learning as well, as schools in that district have 32.9 percent of students testing positive for covid or having had close exposure to someone with the virus.
In addition, Pike County’s Pleasant Hill School district in central Illinois is also going remote, due to an outbreak of cases of both covid and the flu.
…Adding… ILGOP…
This week the Chicago Teacher’s Union (CTU) - a political arm of the Democratic party - voted to refuse to show up for in-person work until their “conditions” are met, leaving Chicago students locked out of school to fend for themselves.
Despite Chicago Public Schools receiving (and spending) more than $100 million in federal aid specifically for school re-opening, the CTU has once again put their agenda ahead of students. ILGOP Chairman Don Tracy has released the following statement calling on Governor JB Pritzker to stand up to his political friends:
“When it comes to standing up to political allies, the Governor conveniently forgets that he is the leader of this state with influence and power. Previously, the Governor actively funded the Madigan machine and then later stood by silently while the former Speaker was under investigation. Now those being directly harmed by the Governor’s silence are the children of Chicago Public Schools who desperately need in-person instruction so they don’t continue falling further and further behind. It’s time for Pritzker to finally be a leader and stop favoring teacher union bosses over school children.”
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Campaign notebook
Thursday, Jan 6, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Zero surprise…
Leading Trump critic U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., who in October said he would not seek another term in the House but left open the potential of running for senator or governor, on Wednesday said he will, in his next chapter, devote himself “full time” to working against the extremism that led to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
Kinzinger closed the door to a statewide Illinois run the day before the first anniversary of the Capitol insurrection, where a Trump-supporting mob tried to prevent Congress from formalizing the election of Joe Biden as president.
* Some “plausible deniability” in Politico…
Chicago CEO and Illinois political donor Ken Griffin wants to set the record straight. He hasn’t backed, endorsed or funded any candidate for statewide office yet, according to a source close to him. “Ken is watching and waiting to see how things unfold.” The only thing Griffin stands by right now is wanting to see Gov. JB Pritzker defeated, the source said.
Call it misplaced speculation. Griffin has been linked to some potential and current GOP candidates for statewide offices because of their connection to GOP campaign consultant Mike Zolnierowicz, known as Mike Z. (He’s the former chief of staff to Gov. Bruce Rauner.) Griffin’s name has become connected to Mike Z in recent weeks in part because the Citadel CEO largely funded the opposition campaign that Mike Z led to defeat the graduated income tax measure in 2020. Griffin philosophically supports Mike Z’s work to identify potential candidates for various races, but that’s it — for now.
Yes, Griffin has not yet written a check or issued any formal endorsements. Yet.
But, c’mon.
* Press release…
In the midst of consecutive successful terms as Orland Park’s Mayor, Keith Pekau has built a reputation as a leader who puts people over politics. Mayors from throughout the 6th District and surrounding area believe that reputation is well-deserved, endorsing Pekau’s run for Congress. This group of leaders expressed their support for Pekau’s candidacy this week, highlighting aspects of his qualifications and experience.
• Tim Balderman, Mayor of New Lenox: “In my experience working directly with Keith Pekau as mayor, he makes decisions based on what he believes is best for his community’s safety, economy, and growth first. That’s the type of local leadership we need in Washington.”
• Michael Einhorn, Mayor of Crete: “Under Keith Pekau’s leadership, his community has led the charge in reducing violent crime in neighborhoods. I know he’ll bring those same solutions to Congress which is why he has my full support.”
• John Egofske, Mayor of Lemont: “Over the past four years I have seen firsthand Keith’s work ethic and progress in recruiting and developing new economic development into Orland Park. I am supporting Keith because of his hard work in growing quality businesses along with his fiscally responsible policies. Both of these qualities are much needed in Congress.”
• Frank Fleischer, Mayor of Mokena: “Having worked with Keith Pekau the last four-plus years, I have been very impressed by what he has accomplished in his first term as mayor. His instincts as a successful small businessman have served him well and will continue to do so in Congress.”
• Bob Kolosh, Mayor of Thornton, President of South Suburban Mayors and Managers: “Keith Pekau is a true leader who knows what it takes to grow jobs and bolster the economy. He has my full support as he runs for Congress.”
• Gary L’Heureux, Mayor of Midlothian: “Keith Pekau and I share a deep concern about growing violent crime trends in and around Chicago. That’s why we’ve fought to keep our residents and businesses safe. That’s why I support Keith Pekau for Congress.”
• Steve Streit, Mayor of Lockport: “Keith Pekau is one of those rare political figures that can critically think about a situation, formulate a plan, and then have the courage to act upon it. Keith would be a pragmatic and tireless advocate for the people of the 6th Congressional District.”
• Mary Werner, Mayor of Worth: “Keith Pekau’s approach to fiscal and economic policy is sorely needed to push back against high taxes and runaway inflation. I support his candidacy, and I look forward to seeing what he’ll do to help grow the economy and create good-paying, middle-class jobs.”
• George Yukich, Mayor of Homer Glen: “Keith Pekau simultaneously managed to cut taxes and invest in local infrastructure using his experience as a successful small businessman. He has had a positive impact on our entire region as mayor and will be able to do even more for the region in Congress. We need a man like this and he keeps his word.”
• Ed Zabrocki, Former Mayor of Tinley Park: “With the extremism we’ve seen from many in Washington, a common-sense voice like Keith Pekau’s will be a welcome and necessary change. He’ll fight back against those who put ideological partisanship first—and he’ll put people over politics.”
This list is a “who’s who” of south suburban local leaders, and their endorsement of Keith Pekau reflects a deep belief in his proven track record as an effective leader. For a full list of endorsements and quotes, visit KeithPekau.com/Endorsements.
“I sincerely appreciate the kind words of my colleagues and fellow mayors,” Pekau said. “I look forward to having the opportunity to show that their belief in me is well-founded. By putting people over politics, we can bring a welcome change to Washington.”
Related…
Some municipalities in Cook County have decided they will not enforce the county’s vaccine requirement for citizens to enter indoor businesses.
The vaccine requirement was issued on Dec. 23, 2021, and went into effect on Jan. 3. The COVID-19 mitigation requires indoor businesses to enforce a vaccine requirement for patrons ages five and older. So far leaders from Orland Park, Niles, Morton Grove and Lincolnwood have chosen to not enforce the vaccine mandate in their towns.
The Village of Orland Park and its town officials have been against the enforcement and Mayor Keith Pekau criticized the way Cook County officials have handled the situation.
* Back to Politico…
— Rep. Marie Newman has been endorsed by seven congressional colleagues in her bid to win reelection in the new 6th District: House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), House Small Business Committee Chairwoman Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.), Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Rep. Andre Carson (D-Ind.), Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Rep. Kai Khele (D-Hawaii), Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.).
— Rep. Mary Miller has been endorsed by FreedomWorks for America, a conservative advocacy group. Miller is running in the 15th Congressional District.
* Another candidate emerges for Rep. Yingling’s seat…
Local 10th Congressional Democratic State Central Committeeman Thomas Maillard announces today that he is running for the 62nd Illinois State House District. The seat is currently held by Representative Sam Yingling who is running for Illinois Senate. Thomas serves in local government leadership for the City of Waukegan and has experience guiding environmental protections, infrastructure improvements, economic development, and expanding community internet access. Thomas is the youngest Democratic State Party leader, who along with his family of community organizers, has helped Democrats win elected office for over fifteen years.
“I have the proven track record of getting things done to improve the lives of our residents, and I’m just getting started,” said Maillard. “High property taxes are forcing our neighbors to move out of the state or live with less. Hard working families are suffering and need a real fighter. I will relentlessly advocate for the residents in Grayslake, the Round Lakes, Libertyville, Gurnee, Waukegan, Lindenhurst, Hainesville, Old Mill Creek, Gages Lake, Lake Villa, Ingleside, and everywhere in between.”
“I want to ensure we keep our children and future generations in Illinois, and we will do that by pursuing meaningful change. I will help families get through COVID-19 so we can return to normal instead of accepting a new normal, protect our towns from polluters who destroy our communities and precious waterways, support our unions who ensure a quality and dignified workplace for our families, protect a women’s right to choose, fight rising prescription drug prices, and be an advocate for all the people of the 62nd District. There’s so much work to be done, and with my experience and energy, I will hit the ground running.”
…Adding… Missed this one…
A complaint has been filed with the U.S. Department of Defense against Congressional candidate Esther Joy King, accusing King of violating DOD policies by wearing her military uniform in several campaign ads.
King is a Republican candidate for Illinois’ 17th Congressional District and a member of the U.S. Army Reserves.
Jim Garbett of Moline is a veteran of the U.S. Army Reserves and Illinois National Guard. He filed the complaint last week with the DOD Office of Inspector General. […]
“As a member of the military, Esther considers it her duty to hold high standards,” Tuttle said. “Throughout the campaign, she has consulted her ethics officer, her Army commander, legal counsel and members of Congress who also serve in the Reserve.”
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* Press release…
Six months of stalling by legislative Democrats over selecting a new Legislative Inspector General has needlessly left Illinois without an urgently-needed ethics watchdog for state lawmakers, and thus more vulnerable to government corruption, according to State Sen. Jil Tracy (R-Quincy) during a press conference today.
January 6 marks the final day that outgoing Legislative Inspector General (LIG) Carol Pope will be in office to perform her official duties. Following today, the Office and its staff will be empty, leaving complaints of wrongdoing unanswered and uninvestigated. Pope announced on July 14, 2021, that she would resign that post on Dec. 15, 2021, calling the LIG Office a “paper tiger” after a bill passed earlier in 2021 did not create meaningful ethics reform in Illinois. After an impasse within the Legislative Ethics Commission (LEC) to fill the vacant LIG position, Pope agreed to stay on through January 6.
As Chair of the LEC, Sen. Tracy has been working tirelessly for many months to find a replacement for Pope. However, several Democrat members of the LEC left a meeting before a vote was taken in October, saying they did not want to “rush the process,” and have since employed several other stalling tactics to confound the process and push for a candidate that was not recommended by the LEC’s Search Committee.
“Confirming a candidate before LIG Pope left has always been my top priority. It is unfortunate that my goal was not shared by some of the Democrat members of the LEC who did what they could to stall and circumvent the selection process,” Tracy said. “Our Search Committee interviewed multiple candidates and recommended two qualified candidates, and we should have been able to fill this position in a timely manner. But several Democrat members of the LEC did not commit to seeing the process through, and we find ourselves without a qualified LIG to address legislative ethics complaints.”
The 47th District Senator is also working to further empower the LIG – once a replacement is named – to root out corruption in the General Assembly. She is introducing legislation that would make important changes in the way the LEC processes ethics complaints against state lawmakers.\
Sen. Tracy is proposing common-sense reforms, Senate Bill 3030, that will:
· Require LEC meetings to be open to the public, and have the meetings publicly posted;
· No longer allow elected officials to serve as members of the LEC; and
· Provide the LIG with subpoena power to investigate ethics complaints against members of the Illinois General Assembly.
“One of the major issues our Caucus focused on last year was attacking government corruption, and we took a major step toward rooting out the kind of unethical behavior and deception that plagues the Capitol. More common-sense reforms are needed, however. Illinoisans deserve an accountable and transparent government,” Tracy said. “The LEC should conduct its business in a public forum, and its members should not be elected officials. We are also seeking to give the LIG the tools to independently and effectively investigate allegations of ethical misconduct against state lawmakers.”
Sen. Tracy also serves as Chair of the Senate Ethics Commission, and a member of the Senate Ethics Committee.
*** UPDATE 1 *** From Sen. Cristina Castro, a Democratic member of the Legislative Ethics Commission…
I’m disappointed that Senator Tracy continues to politicize a process that was intentionally set up to try to keep politics out. The fact is the Ethics Commission has been prepared to send names to the General Assembly but Senator Tracy and other Republicans blocked those votes. If not for those actions, we could have had a new inspector general in place
*** UPDATE 2 *** Sen. Tracy…
Using your supermajority to hand pick a candidate by going around the independent search committee is politicizing the process. The search committee dedicated many hours and thoroughly vetted each candidate. To completely disregard their recommendation is insulting and a disgrace to the people of Illinois who are demanding a corrupt-free government.
*** UPDATE 3 *** LEC Republican member Rep. Avery Bourne…
Republicans on the commission have all voted consistently to appoint to the office of LIG the unanimous selection of the independent and bipartisan search committee appointed by the four legislative leaders. We’re not playing politics, but the Democrats sure make it easy to point out their insincerity in calling for ethics reform. The last democratic chair of the LEC was indicted. Dem majorities passed a bill that further disempowered the LIG’s office forcing the resignation of LIG Pope. Democrats have voted against the unanimous selection of the search committee forcing a vacancy in the office. It’s more evidence Illinois Democrats are not serious about true anti corruption reforms.
*** UPDATE 4 *** LEC Democratic member Rep. Kelly Burke…
Senator Tracy’s claims today are wildly mischaracterizing the situation. Democrats have sought to advance two candidates for final selection, both of whom have been deemed qualified by the search committee and the LEC. Republicans have blocked that effort, insisting on only advancing their preferred candidate—even though both candidates have worked for former Governor Rauner and have demonstrated nonpartisan, professional expertise. In fact, both are also former federal prosecutors.
As we’ve said all along, this should be a straightforward process and we must end the political theater so we can fill this critical position. Senator Tracy is right on one thing, the people of Illinois deserve better.
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* Center Square…
State Rep. Tim Butler, R-Springfield, said there’s been virtually no input from anyone in the judiciary he’s spoken to.
“This is politics at its worst form,” Butler said during the hearing. “This is a complete power grab by you, the supermajority, and by the governor to completely redo the court system in your little progressive ways and it’s really a shame that this is how you’re conducting it.” […]
Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, said the measure won’t create more judges. It will create a more diverse judiciary. He also said there were other considerations.
“Certainly partisanship is a component that is considered when evaluating the constructing of subcircuits,” Harmon said.
There’s the admission. Plain as day.
* Capitol News Illinois…
The same would be true for Lake County, where the proposal would double the number of subcircuits from six to 12.
In the 17th Circuit, which covers Winnebago and Boone counties, the bill calls for consolidating four subcircuits into two.
The bill also would create subcircuits for the first time in DuPage County, the state’s second-largest county, while establishing a “resident judge” model in Champaign, Peoria and Rock Island counties, which are all part of multicounty circuits. That means judges in those counties would be elected from within the county rather than from the entire circuit.
Similar changes are proposed for the 3rd Circuit, which includes Madison and Bond counties, and the 7th Circuit, which includes Sangamon County and five surrounding counties.
* SJ-R…
The 7th Circuit bench is entirely white and always has been. There has never been a Black or Hispanic judge elected in the 7th Circuit.
Now, whether or not that will happen under this remap is anyone’s guess…
Data released by Democrats in the Illinois Senate show that the first proposed subcircuit, containing the urban core of Springfield, is 22.22% Black and 3.31% Hispanic and has a population of 104,435. This subdistrict would have a significantly higher number of minority residents than the other proposed subdistricts.
The other subdistricts would range in population from 91,908 to 4,949.
Democrats said the legislation wouldn’t increase the number of judges but give people in minority communities more of a chance to elect judges who look like them.
The other subcircuits are here.
Of the six counties in the 7th Circuit, four have Black and Brown populations of less than 1 percent. Morgan was 6 percent Black in the 2010 census, and Sangamon was 11.8 percent Black.
But, again, this looks like more about electing Democratic judges. Same for Champaign, Peoria and Rock Island counties, which are surrounded by Republican counties.
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* Tribune…
They came from the city, the suburbs and from deep Downstate. Some allegedly conducted themselves like brawlers, others wandered around like tourists. All have come under the federal hammer.
Nineteen people from Illinois have been charged so far for allegedly taking part in the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Six have pleaded guilty. One has received a short jail sentence. […]
Robert Pape, a University of Chicago political scientist who just published an analysis of the more than 700 people charged in the incursion, said the variety of the Illinois defendants matches the national profile. His research found that those arrested are much closer to the average voter than they are to violent, right-wing extremists.
Such ordinariness, he said, is worrying.
“It shows us that this is not part of the fringe — this is part of mainstream America,” he said. “That means we have to be very concerned about the 2022 election season as a tinderbox. … There’s a big change that’s happened, and that is that political violence is now coming from the mainstream.”
Go read the rest if you can.
* Press releases are crowding my inbox. Let’s start with the governor…
Today, on the one-year anniversary of the January 6 Insurrection, Governor JB Pritzker released the following statement.
“One year ago, a vicious attack on American democracy left five police officers dead and scores of others severely injured. A violent mob of Trump supporters, fueled by the Big Lie and Trump’s allies, stormed the United States Capitol in an attempt to sabotage the transition of power––a transition that for centuries had been peaceful. Even after these insurrectionists were removed, most Republican lawmakers voted to thwart the will of the majority of voters.
As Americans, we have a sacred responsibility to stand up for democracy and hold accountable those who incited and carried out this attempted coup. We must not allow the Republican Party to rewrite history and sweep the events of January 6 under the rug. The preservation of democracy is not a guarantee, and our 245-year-old experiment in self-governance depends upon our ability to restore respect for our institutions and protect the will of the people as expressed by their votes.
Anyone seeking public office today should be able to forcefully denounce the actions of those who attacked the Capitol and, in no uncertain terms, proclaim that Joe Biden was the legitimate winner of the 2020 Presidential election, and that they will accept as legitimate the results of the 2022 midterm elections when all the votes are counted. Responding affirmatively to these questions must be a prerequisite for holding public office. Failing to do so puts the future of our great nation in grave jeopardy.
MK and I send our deepest condolences to the families of the Capitol Police Officers who lost their lives while defending our democracy on January 6. I promise to do everything in my power to ensure their sacrifices were not in vain.”
* DPI…
One year ago, our state and our nation witnessed one of the darkest days in American history as a coup attempt unfolded at the U.S. Capitol. It is unquestionable that Donald Trump and Republicans incited the violent siege after working to sow doubt in the results of the 2020 Presidential Election, spurring extreme distrust in our elections among angry Trump supporters, and allegedly helping to coordinate the “Stop the Steal” rally that sparked the violent riot.
In the year since, Republicans, including Republicans here in Illinois, have repeatedly failed to denounce the insurrectionists and extremism in their own ranks:
“Again and again, Illinois Republicans have demonstrated they just don’t care about what happened on January 6,” said Democratic Party of Illinois Executive Director Abby Witt. “They don’t care about the attack on our free and fair elections, they don’t care about the police officers who died or were injured on that day, and they don’t care about getting to the bottom of what really happened. What they do care about is demonstrating their undying loyalty to Donald Trump.”
* US Rep. Schneider…
Today, Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10) released the following statement:
“January 6th is a day seared into my memory. From escaping the House Gallery as a violent crowd tried to break through the chamber doors to defiantly returning later that evening to fulfill our job and certify the count of electoral ballots, the day for me represented the steely resilience of our democratic institutions. Despite the siege of the Capitol, the insurrection, orchestrated by some at our government’s highest levels, failed at the end of the day, Congress completed its constitutional duties and two weeks later we witnessed a peaceful transition of power to a new administration.
“We rightly celebrate the victory of democracy over violence last year. But we must also recognize that, one year later, many of the underlying causes of the tragedy of January 6th remain – including continued disinformation campaigns, hyperpartisanship, and emboldened extremists willing to circumvent our electoral system.
“There are no guarantees that our nation will persist as the kind of representative democracy our founders envisioned 250 years ago. If we want to continue pursuing the American experiment, fundamentally, every American today should be working to ensure that every ballot can be cast safely, that it will be counted fairly, and that the outcome of our elections will reflect the true will of the people. To secure faith in our elections, I urge the Senate to pass the Freedom to Vote Act. To combat rising extremism, I urge my colleagues to pass the bipartisan Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act introduced last year with my Senate colleague Dick Durbin
“Let us also always remember that our survival last January 6th did not come without costs. The U.S. Capitol Police and D.C. Metro Police suffered a terrible burden in defending the Capitol: more than 140 officers were injured, Officer Brian Sicknick died following the violence, and Officers Howard Liebengood, Jeffrey Smith, Kyle DeFreytag, and Gunther Hashida were all lost to suicide. Each of them bravely defended the Capitol. Their absence is keenly felt by their family and friends; their memories will forever be a blessing for our nation.
“Responsibility for the blood shed and lives lost on January 6th lies firmly in the hands of the rally’s organizers. The deaths of Kevin Greeson, Benjamin Phillips, Rosanne Boyland, and Ashli Babbitt were all tragic, and wholly avoidable. The fact that so much remains unknown about those responsible for the day’s carnage only underscores the importance of the work of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol.”
* US Rep. Newman…
Today, U.S. Representative Marie Newman (D-IL-03) released the following statement on the one-year anniversary of the January 6th insurrection:
“One year removed from this deadly insurrection, I still remain in disbelief from the events that took place. Three days into being sworn in, I found myself sheltering my staff in our office away from violent domestic terrorists, who vandalized, desecrated and forced their way into the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to stop lawmakers from holding up the will of the American people.
“January 6th, 2021 was undoubtedly one of the darkest days in modern American history, one that illustrated just how fragile our democracy can be. It showed us first-hand what happens when inciteful, dangerous rhetoric from our public leaders goes unchecked. And yet, even with the violence and trauma endured that day, I know our nation will prevail. It’s the same reason why at the late hours of that same night, we did not go home but instead, reconvened to certify the election of Joe Biden as the next President of the United States.
“Without the Washington, D.C. and Capitol Police officers protecting us that day, this act of democracy would never have been possible. More than 140 officers were physically harmed while defending our democracy that day. Officers like Daniel Hodges, who was violently attacked and nearly crushed to death while attempting to block hundreds of insurrectionists from entering the Capitol. We also tragically saw several officers lose their lives in its aftermath, including Capitol Police Officers Brian Sicknick and Howie Liebengood, and Metropolitan Police Officers Jeffrey Smith, Gunther Hashida and Kyle DeFreytag. They were heroes. Today, I encourage all members of the public to take a moment of silence to remember the courage, bravery and sacrifice those officers and many others demonstrated during that tragic day.
“We are forever in debt to the hundreds of officers who risked their lives to protect members of Congress, staffers, cafeteria workers, custodians and everyone at the Capitol campus on January 6th. Today and every day, we must continue to honor their legacy by protecting the very democracy they fought to defend.”
I’ll post others as they come in. So far, my inbox is devoid of Illinois Republican statements.
* Related…
* A year after controversy, Mary and Chris Miller look to hang on
…Adding… Congressional candidate Villegas…
Today, Alderman Gilbert Villegas released the following statement on the 1st Anniversary of the January 6th Capitol Insurrection:
“I took an oath 34 years ago as a United States Marine to defend our country against all enemies foreign and domestic. Today is a reminder that the perpetrators of the January 6th insurrection against our Capitol savagely and viciously attacked our law enforcement community, our elected representatives, and our democracy. My oath has no expiration date and as the next member of Congress from the 3rd District of Illinois, I will protect and defend this country from anyone, anytime, no matter the cost,” said Alderman Gil Villegas.
…Adding… Comptroller Susana Mendoza…
Today we honor the sacrifices of our law enforcement heroes like Capitol Hill Police Officer Brian Sicknick who defended the U.S. Capitol and our elected representatives of all parties during a violent attempted insurrection a year ago today. In total, about 150 police officers were injured defending our democracy. Let us never take for granted our democratic way of life so many have fought for and died to preserve.
* Illinois Democratic County Chairs Association President Kristina Zahorik…
“We cannot forget the death and destruction caused by the Pro-Trump insurrectionists on January 6, 2021, and as Americans we all have a responsibility to speak out against what happened that day, as well as condemn the type of political violence January 6 has inspired. As President Biden said this morning, “You can’t love your country only when you win. You can’t obey the law only when it is convenient. You can’t be patriotic when you embrace and enable lies.””
“Illinoisans should not forget Representatives Mary Miller and Mike Bost bowed to the demands of insurrectionists when they voted against counting electoral college votes. Nor should we forget Representative Darin LaHood would not support a bi-partisan commission to even investigate the insurrection.”
“I hope all Illinois Republicans, including Mary Miller, Mike Bost, and Darin LaHood, show that they love their country even though their candidate lost, that they support and believe in the rule of law by denouncing the Big Lie, and will be patriotic by publicly condemning the type of political violence we witnessed January 6, including telling their supporters political violence of any type is never justified in America.”
* Senate President Don Harmon…
It has been one year since a violent mob attacked the United States Capitol, seeking to overturn a democratic election.
I will never forget watching the horrible scenes unfold that day.
January 6 was a reminder that the democracy we hold dear is only as strong as we make it.
We must never deny or diminish the truth of what happened that day. We must unequivocally condemn those who attacked our Capitol.
And we must continue to work with anyone, no matter their political party, who shares a willingness to uphold our democracy.
* Senator Durbin…
On the first anniversary of the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke on the Senate floor regarding the anniversary of the insurrection and the continued threat to our democracy posed by Donald Trump’s “Big Lie.” During his speech, Durbin paid his respects to the law enforcement officers who defended the Capitol on that day.
“The videos don’t lie. The facts are the facts. Individuals are paying a criminal price and their lives will be changed because of their bad decision to leave a Trump rally and follow his instructions to come up to this building. That is the reality of what happened that day. But the grimmest reality was the death of five of our law enforcement officials who have been named and should be named every time we stand on this floor: Officer Brian Sicknick, Officer Howard Liebengood, Officer Jeffrey Smith, Officer Gunther Hashida, and Officer Kyle DeFreytag—and 140 other law enforcement officials who were assaulted, many of them seriously and still paying a price for that day in their lives when they stood in defense of us and defense of this building. That is the reality.”
Durbin continued, “If nothing more comes of this speech and commemoration today, I hope that all of us, regardless of our political persuasion—the most conservative Republican to the most progressive Democrat, independents in between, Black, white, and brown, men and women, rural, urban, across America—will finally come to an agreement on one thing: violence has no place in a democracy.”
Durbin concluded, “This is a sacred place. It is not sacred because I serve here or anyone else does. It’s sacred because it was built to be a symbol of this great nation. It was during the administration of a man from Illinois named Lincoln who completed the Capitol dome in the midst of the Civil War so that this building would always be a symbol of the unity of our nation and the promise of our nation. That symbol was desecrated on January 6. And now the question rises – will we summon the courage to come together and lead, to extend the opportunity to vote to more and more Americans, to make this democracy more complete and more just? Or will we step back and accept the verdict of history that we are going to go back in time instead of forward as a nation? I trust we’ll move forward… We are blessed to live in this country and we each bear a responsibility to its future.”
* Close enough, I suppose…
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* CBS 2…
A war zone. That’s how a state lawmaker describes a North Side neighborhood where bullets flew through a family’s window—narrowly missing a 7-year-old girl.
Morning Insider Tim McNicholas is searching for solutions to the violence in Albany Park.
Dario Agudo says his daughter was finishing homework Sunday night when a bullet missed her by inches. […]
[Rep. Jaime Andrade, (D-Chicago] pointed out that if no people are hit, Chicago police often classify shootings as “criminal damage to property” as they did Sunday.
He plans on introducing legislation to change that.
“This should be classified as damage to personal property by gunfire. There has to be a difference, because this gets lumped to just as if someone threw a rock through a window, and it can’t be,” he said.
Agudo’s daughter wound up taking an extra day off school.
“They didn’t rest enough,” Agudo said.
He’s just happy he’s dealing with broken glass—and not a broken heart.
Thoughts?
Also, keep in mind before you comment that no single idea should ever be considered a panacea. You may think other things should be done. That’s fine. I’m asking you what you think of this idea.
*** UPDATE *** An eagle-eyed reader noted that this is already a Class 1 felony…
(a) A person commits aggravated discharge of a firearm when he or she knowingly or intentionally:
…Adding… Good point in comments…
Some commenters are confusing reporting and charging. In this type of situation, all you have is a bullet through a wall. No other evidence, no one in custody. You have no evidence to support an aggravated discharge (i.e. that the weapon was discharged “knowingly or intentionally”), aggravated assault (i.e. shooter was shooting at a person on the street but missed and the bullet went through the wall unintentionally), reckless discharge (i.e. recklessly endangers the bodily safety of an individual, such as by firing the gun on the public way), etc.
Andrade’s idea will allow these shooting incidents to be more accurately documented, allowing a more accurate picture of the crime and safety conditions of a given area.
…Adding… Seeing a lot of “but the state’s attorney!” in comments, so here are some numbers from today’s Sun-Times…
Meanwhile, arrests have fallen significantly.
Through December of last year, less than 12% of 203,530 reported crimes resulted in an arrest, according to city data analyzed by the Sun-Times. That’s way down from the numbers from 2019 that were presented during the meeting. That year, arrests were made in more than 21% of the 260,889 reported crimes.
Note also that reported crimes were down 22 percent from 2019.
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