* IDPH reported 5,183 hospitalizations as of midnight. Our seven-day average daily decrease is now 2.9 percent, a little below yesterday’s average of 3.11 percent. The seven-day average daily decrease for ICU usage is 2.34 percent, down a tic from yesterday’s average of 2.74. But, hey. The trend is still friendly. These are steady declines, no matter how you look at it.
* Chicago hospitalizations down that much in a single week is really quite something. That’s a four percent average daily decrease. As explained in comments, those are new hospitalizations. The average daily decrease is actually 3.29 percent, which is still pretty darned good…
Chicago's COVID-19 test positivity is 7.9% per @ChiPublicHealth. 7 days ago, it was 14.1%
On average, per day, during the past week: ➡️There are 1,919 COVID-19 cases, down 48% ➡️The number of tests ⬇️ 3% ➡️154 people were hospitalized with COVID-19, down 28% ➡️19 people died
On Monday, 29,570 more COVID-19 shots were administered. The seven-day average is 41,692.
So far, 8,330,026 people have been fully vaccinated or 65.7% of Illinois’ 12.7 million population, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. The CDC defines fully vaccinated as two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or one dose of Johnson & Johnson’s.
Of those people who are fully vaccinated, 46% have received a booster shot.
Maybe it’s the weather, or maybe the fear and concern over omicron are subsiding a bit leading to a dip in recent vaccines.
Highland Park’s city council on Monday decided to extend a temporary order requiring proof of vaccination.
The order requiring proof of vaccination for “on-premise dining establishment” began Jan. 7 and was extended to Feb. 14 at the council’s meeting Monday night. […]
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, 82.39% of Highland Park residents are fully vaccinated.
Nearly 10,000 women traveled from out of state to have an abortion in Illinois in 2020, a roughly 29% increase compared with the previous year, according to the most recent Illinois Department of Public Health data available.
State health statistics show 9,686 out-of-state women terminated a pregnancy in Illinois in 2020, comprising about 21% of all 46,243 abortions performed statewide. This was over 2,000 more than the 7,534 women who came here from another state in 2019. State data from 2021 was not available. […]
The number of women crossing state lines to come to Illinois for the procedure has risen every year since 2014. […]
Overall, the total number of abortions in Illinois decreased slightly during the same period, from 46,517 in 2019 to 46,243 in 2020. There was a decline in the number of Illinois residents who terminated a pregnancy, from 38,756 in 2019 to 36,174 in 2020.
Lots more in the story, including a very helpful graph, so click here.
In 2016, homicides among Chicagoans aged 15 to 24 drastically spiked. Then in 2017, youth homicides boomeranged back to lower, pre-2015 levels. One likely contributor to this is the two-year pause in state funding, reports a new Northwestern University study.
Starting July 1, 2015, the State of Illinois underwent a two-year budget impasse — the longest standstill of its kind in the state’s history. During that time, funding was cut for state programs that serve Chicago’s most vulnerable populations. These include after-school programs, recreational leagues, summer job programs, social services and counseling.
“When the state came to its budget impasse in 2015, and budgets were really cut, the staffs were laid off and services were closed, it temporally correlates with the big uptick in youth homicides,” said corresponding study author Maryann Mason, associate professor of emergency medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “Then, when the budget was reinstated in 2017, you can see the big decline in homicides.”
The study will be published Jan. 24 in the journal BMJ Open.
“The state budget provides things like street-violence interruption and supports all the things you’d think of as keeping kids productively busy and increasing positive connectivity,” said Mason, who also is the associate director of Feinberg’s Buehler Center for Health Policy and Economics. “We have to consider state funding and social services as part of a violence-prevention strategy.”
Competing theories for youth homicides spikes, declines
Several competing theories attempt to explain the rapid spike and decline in youth homicides, such as the 2015 consent agreementwith the Chicago Police Department to reform “stop and frisk.”
“You see that spike in 2016, which is right after the consent decree, but then you see the youth homicide rate decline so rapidly again in 2017, and there was no change to the ’stop-and-frisk’ practice,” Mason said. “So in my mind, that rules out the police action as being a contributing factor.”
A 77% spike in monthly youth homicides in 2016
The study applied a novel approach to examine homicide count data from the National Violent Death Reporting System. It included information on 2,271 people between the ages of 15 and 24 who died by homicide between Jan. 1, 2009, and Dec. 31, 2018. Of these decedents, 92.9% were male; 79.1% were non-Hispanic Black; and 94.9% died from a firearm injury.
In 2009, the annual homicide rate among this population was 51 per 100,000 people (average monthly rate of 4.3 per 100,000 people). At the peak in 2016, the annual rate was 90 per 100,000 people (average monthly rate of 7.5 per 100,000 people), meaning there was a 77% increase in monthly youth homicides in 2016. In 2018, the annual rate returned to earlier levels: 51 per 100,000 (average monthly rate of 4.3 per 100,000 people).
Something to think about while the same team which ran Bruce Rauner’s 2014 campaign are bringing us yet another candidate.
The prospect of disastrous Raunerite “governance” imposed on us again keeps me up at night. For starters, Richard Irvin and Ken Griffin need to be accessible to the news media.
I saw on your blog [yesterday] a reference to The Center Square article on HB 4305. The author states, “As Illinois law stands today, parents can be charged with neglect if they leave children under the age of 14 home alone – even for a short time. The law is rarely enforced.” The author is correct that it is rarely enforced, likely because that isn’t Illinois law.
Despite what a conservative “policy” institute has been pitching the past couple of years, Illinois law actually allows you to leave children under 14 home alone. The specific section of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 that is often erroneously cited states minors are neglected when: (d) any minor under the age of 14 years whose parent or other person responsible for the minor’s welfare leaves the minor without supervision for an unreasonable period of time without regard for the mental or physical health, safety, or welfare of that minor;
I emphasized the second half as this seems to be the part that is conveniently left out. Under this section, you can leave your 13-year-old child home alone, in a safe environment, while they babysit. What you can’t do is leave that same 13-year-old home alone babysitting in a house with no heat while their parents go on a two-week vacation. Factors already listed in the act determine what constitutes unreasonable time and regard for mental or physical health, safety, or welfare. Factors that include things like: does the child have special needs, what are the conditions of the house, whether the minor’s movement was restricted, whether there was food or a way to call for help, etc.
It isn’t about the age in Illinois but the factors and conditions in which you left the minor unsupervised. Honestly, we are still unsure why a previous General Assembly inserted the age under 14 in this section. As an association, we don’t believe a 14+ minor should be left home alone for an unreasonable amount of time in unsafe conditions either.
While it is apparent that parents need clarity around unsupervised minors, that clarity needs to occur in a way that doesn’t further erode protections for Illinois minors who are legitimately being neglected. We are confident the sponsor’s final version of HB4305 will accomplish that.
Kyle Hillman
Director, Legislative Affairs
National Associaton of Social Workers, Illinois Chapter
Illinois would extend two pension buyout programs by two years funded by $1 billion in additional borrowing authority under legislation being advanced during the current session.
The existing buyout programs began in 2018 under the administration of former Gov. Bruce Rauner. Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the legislature in 2019 extended it to June 30, 2024. The buyouts are funded by $1 billion in general obligation borrowing capacity, $175 million of which was tapped in the state’s last bond sale last December. Only $115 million in authority remains.
House Bill 4292, sponsored by Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Deerfield, which cleared a House committee in a bipartisan vote last week would push the expiration to June 30, 2026, and permit another $1 billion of borrowing.
It’s “a completely voluntary way” to remove the onerous 3% compounded cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) out of the equation for eligible pension fund participants “that would reduce our long-term unfunded liability and in turn reduce how much money every year we have to put into our pensions,” Morgan told the House Personnel and Pensions Committee.
* Not a state bill, but…
Congresswoman Mary Miller (R-Illinois) introduced two bills to fully re-open our schools and put students first. The Make Our Schools Great Again Act would prohibit federal funding from going schools that impose mask or COVID-19 vaccine mandates and the Liberating Learning for Kids Act would prohibit federal funding from going to schools that do not provide in-person instruction for all students.
“It’s time to put our students first,” Miller said. “Children have lost four school years, and we now have 8th graders preparing for high school who haven’t had a normal school year since 5th grade. Our country will fall further behind China because weak politicians are afraid to stand up to the woke teachers’ union,” Miller said. “Our government cannot continue to fund schools that put our children last. If we allow these requirements to continue, our children will lose their curiosity, love for learning, and emotional resilience. Our nation’s children and their parents deserve better.”
* Press release…
To give consumers options in contracts set to automatically renew, State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs) introduced a measure to require companies to give a clear notification of the agreement’s terms before the consumer accepts.
“Automatic renewal contracts have become increasingly popular in recent years due to streaming services, retail, cell phone companies and more,” said Glowiak Hilton, chair of the Senate Commerce Committee. “To ensure consumers are aware of the automatic renewal commitment, this initiative requires companies to reiterate the contract before consumers accept its terms.”
These consumer protection initiatives make several updates to the state’s Automatic Contract Renewal Act. Current protections are improved by requiring companies to give written notice to consumers before a contract renews and explain what the terms will be, and allowing consumers to end contracts obtained online by visiting the website or by calling.
Businesses who offer a free trial period will also be required to give written notice to the consumer before the promotional period ends.
“Consumers deserve to know what’s in their contracts with large companies through clear communication,” Glowiak Hilton said. “We can offer protection from deceitful business practices by discussing and advancing measures that work to ensure consumers are aware of the contract’s terms and have the opportunity to cancel if they wish.”
Senate Bill 3447 awaits to be assigned to a committee.
* Press release…
Following a ProPublica report that found a patient at a Chicago-based psychiatric ward knowingly sexually assaulted another patient but was not reported to the police, State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Lake Forest) is leading a measure through the General Assembly to legally require such incidents to be immediately brought to law enforcement.
“Timely investigations into alleged mental, physical or sexual misconduct must be taken seriously – especially when the victim is already facing grave mental health struggles,” Morrison said. “This isn’t just about transparency – it’s about human safety and decency.”
Morrison’s proposal requires hospital staff to report to law enforcement and the Illinois Department of Public Health if a patient physically, mentally or sexually abuses another patient. Currently, only abuse committed by a staff member of a health care facility must be reported.
On June 24, a patient in the psychiatric unit of Roseland Community Hospital was caught on a surveillance video committing – what is said to most likely be – sexual assault toward another patient. However, the facility did not immediately contact law enforcement until it was questioned by ProPublica months later.
To ensure patients are given the same protections against other patients as they are against hospital staff, Morrison is leading the charge to update the Hospital Licensing Act to include patient-on-patient abuse as misconduct that must be immediately reported.
“By not immediately contacting law enforcement and launching an investigation, we are signaling to the survivor that we don’t care and signaling to the perpetrator that they can harm someone else,” Morrison said. “Passing this measure shouldn’t need to be a conversation – it is common sense.”
Senate Bill 2977 awaits a hearing in the Senate Health Committee.
Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine announced today that a Sangamon County judge has granted a temporary restraining order (TRO) halting the implementation of the recently-enacted legislation creating new judicial subcircuits in Madison County.
The TRO was in response to a lawsuit Haine filed on January 21 on behalf of Madison County which challenges the constitutionality of the subcircuit legislation. Judge Ryan Cadagin of Illinois’ Seventh Judicial Circuit issued the ruling on January 24, 2022 after an in-person hearing in Springfield, and the text of the order was released today, January 25.
The four-page TRO prevents the Governor, the State Board of Elections, and the Clerk of the Supreme Court “from taking any steps to enforce or institute the Judicial Circuits Districting Act of 2022.” Specifically it orders the Clerk of Supreme Court to “recertify the original vacancies of the Honorable David Dugan and the Honorable Richard Tognarelli, as they were before the passing of the Act.” The order also mandates that “Any petitions collected on or between January 22 and January 24 for a sub-circuit election [for the above vacancies] shall be accepted by the State Board of Elections for the reinstated county wide residency election.” And it states that it “shall continue in full force and effect until the court conducts a hearing on Plaintiff’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction.”
The preliminary injunction hearing is set for February 15.
“I recommend everyone read the text of this important order, just released this morning. We are very happy that, as requested, this binding TRO preserves Madison County’s at-large judicial elections for the time being,” Haine said. “This is not a partisan issue, it is a Constitutional issue. I appreciate the Judge’s diligent work in allowing our Madison County judicial elections to go forward without being burdened by this seriously flawed subcircuit law, which has many constitutional issues. We will formally move for a Preliminary Injunction in the coming days asking the court to continue this protection past February 15.”
“This has been a true team effort,” Haine added. “I’d like to especially thank the incredible legal work of ASA’s John Hanson and Emily Johnson, whose legal skills have served Madison County very well in this case.”
* I received an email today from “Lori Lightfoot Watch Dogs” with the subject “Lori Lightfoot wants us to stop talking about crime”…
Friend, Lori Lightfoot wants us to stop talking about crime.
FIRST, Chicago is ravaged by an angry mob of rioters and looters in the summer of 2020
THEN, Lori Lightfoot proposes cutting $80 million from Chicago’s police budget
NEXT, Chicago records the DEADLIEST year in 25 years
THEN, Lori Lightfoot pleads with the federal government to get support to the city
“Right now, today, there are simply too many violent people walking our streets and wreaking havoc in our neighborhoods,”
-Lightfoot, December 21, 2021
AND NOW, Lori wants us to IGNORE and STOP TALKING ABOUT the rising surge in homicides, assaults and theft.
2021 was Chicago’s most deadly year in recent history and yet Lori Lightfoot wants us to ignore the carnage in the streets of Chicago because it makes “it look like we don’t know how to run our cities,” she said in an interview with Politico.
Lori can talk about the violent crime in Chicago, but not the rest of us - just like she can go maskless during an indoor party while elementary students have to wear a mask all day at school.
LORI SAYS ONE THING AND DOES ANOTHER
It’s time we PUT AN END to Lori Lightfoot styled government. If you want to see corrupt and anti-police politicians like Lightfoot and Governor JB Pritzker put out of office, we need your help.
DONATE $8 TO HELP END CORRUPTION >>
DONATE $13 TO HELP END CORRUPTION >>
DONATE $22 TO HELP END CORRUPTION >>
Thank you for taking a stand and talking about crime, it’s more than our leaders know how to do,
Lori Lightfoot Watch Dogs
At the bottom…
Heh.
* Meanwhile, subscribers were told about all these things earlier. Politico…
— Jonathan Swain has made it official, filing for the IL-01 seat that Rep. Boby Rush now holds. Swain, a Hyde Park businessman and nonprofit CEO, is also assembling his campaign team and advisers, including Jeffrey Wright as campaign treasurer. […]
— Norma Hernandez, who is a Triton College trustee. launched her campaign for state Representative in the 77th House District and has already received an endorsement from Congressman Chuy García (IL-04). Hernandez is challenging Democratic Rep. Kathy Wililis [sic], which is interesting given Willis believed Garcia wouldn’t get involved in the race.
— John Fritchey, a former state Rep and a former Cook County commissioner, announced his run for judge in the 8th Subcircuit for the June 28 primary. “I am confident that my experience, background and beliefs would enable me to be an effective judge who can apply the law fairly while never forgetting the impact our system has on all of us,” he said in a Facebook post announcing his run.
— Former state Rep. Wayne Rosenthal is running for the newly drawn 108th House seat. Rosenthal, a Republican, represented the area before leaving the General Assembly to head the Illinois Department of Natural Resources during Bruce Rauner’s administration.
* Press release…
Today, Alderman Gilbert Villegas earned the endorsements of numerous labor unions, state legislators, and local mayors in his campaign to represent Illinois’ 3rd District in Congress.
Villegas, a former bakery truck driver and Teamster shop steward, picked up the endorsement of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Joint Council 25, Administrative District Council 1 of Illinois of the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers, and United Steelworkers of America, Decorators Union Local 17U. Together, these unions represent tens of thousands of working people in the Chicagoland area.
Villegas also announced the endorsements of State Representatives Fred Crespo and Marty Moylan as well as Mayor Nick Caiafa of Schiller Park, Village President Rodney Craig of Hanover Park, Village President Dave Guerin of River Grove, Mayor William McLeod of Hoffman Estates, Mayor Barrett Pedersen of Franklin Park, and Mayor Frank Saverino of Carol Stream.
“Before I pursued public service I was a bakery truck driver and proud Teamster, so having support from the working people of organized labor and these local leaders is particularly meaningful to me. I’m humbled that our message of getting things done for ordinary people is resonating throughout our community and look forward to building on our momentum together,” said Alderman Gilbert Villegas.
Villegas has already received the support of a diverse coalition of leaders, including U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego of Arizona’s 7th Congressional District, Cook County Clerk of the Court and former senator Iris Martinez, State Senator Cristina Castro (22nd District), Ald. and Committeeman Felix Cardona (31st Ward), Ald. Samantha Nugent (39th Ward), Ald. and Committeeman Ariel Reboyras (30th Ward), Ald. and Committeeman Chris Taliaferro (29th Ward), Ald. and Committeeman Scott Waguespack (32nd Ward), State Representative Eva-Dina Delgado (3rd District), Elmwood Park Mayor Angelo “Skip” Saviano, Bensenville Village President Frank DeSimone, Committeewoman Angee Gonzalez Rodriguez (26th Ward), and Former State Rep. John D’Amico.
* Press release…
Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau is a leader who puts people over politics—and one who will protect citizens’ safety and their pocket books. It is that commitment that has impressed current and past Illinois lawmakers, several of whom offered their endorsements and strong words of support for his candidacy this week:
• Jeanne Ives, former State Representative: “The contrast between Keith and the two Democrats running against him could not be clearer. You might as well be represented by Nancy Pelosi if you choose to be represented by left-wing extremists like Sean Casten or Marie Newman. By electing Keith Pekau, we’ll finally have someone representing us in Congress who will reign in spending, keep us safe and believes in American exceptionalism.
As a fellow veteran, a military mom, and a suburban taxpayer, I trust Keith Pekau. He is the best mayor in Illinois and during the pandemic acted responsibly, but with a light touch letting businesses and people interact as they wish. As Mayor of Orland Park, he made his community the safest in the state, lowered taxes, and helped create jobs - unlike others, Keith has a proven record of accomplishment.”
• Margo McDermed, former State Representative: “As a mom, and a former state representative, I am endorsing Keith Pekau in his run for Congress because he is exactly the type of leader we need serving the residents and families of the 6th district. There are two things, in particular, that stand out to me about Keith’s proven record of results—he puts people over politics and stands up for our families and children.
Democrats on the local, state, and federal levels are masters at putting party politics, special interests, and political agendas ahead of what’s best for the people they’re supposed to represent. Keith has seen it as Mayor of Orland Park and I’ve seen the political games played in our state capitol. But when Keith tells the people of Orland Park he will do something, he does it, and I trust he’ll do the same for our communities. As a founder of the Mokena Educational Foundation, I care deeply about the future of our children, and Keith has been a steadfast leader in keeping our families safe and ensuring children are the focus in our education system. I know Keith is the right person to stand up to the progressives in Washington and help retake the House. His leadership is rare, and we need him in Congress helping guide our country now more than ever.”
• Tim Ozinga, State Representative: “Keith Pekau is the voice Illinois desperately needs in Congress. I’m proud to endorse him, and I look forward to our state having a strong leader in Washington—a leader who puts people over politics.
As Mayor of Orland Park, Keith has consistently shown that he is unwavering in his efforts to establish and maintain safety for our families and their neighborhoods. Keith also understands for our neighborhoods to thrive, our business climate must grow. The urgency for an honest, intelligent man like Keith to help restore our economy has never been greater. Keith has displayed great poise and leadership for Orland Park through disciplined government spending and lowering taxes. I am eager to see Keith bring his talents and tenacious work ethic to Washington.”
The strong support from experienced legislators is emblematic of the trust that Keith Pekau has earned during his time in public office. For a full list of endorsements and quotes, visit KeithPekau.com/Endorsements.
In response to these legislators’ comments, Keith Pekau remarked, “I’m honored and humbled to receive the support of these respected state leaders. I thank them for their endorsements, and I believe that, by putting people over politics, we can give Illinois the kind of leadership our families deserve.”
* Press release…
Litesa Wallace, Democratic candidate for Congress in Illinois’ 17th District, today was endorsed by three Democratic women legislators who applauded Dr. Wallace for her stalwart commitment to voting rights, reproductive freedom, and access to healthcare.
“During my six years in the Illinois House, I was honored to serve alongside Representatives Deb Conroy, Carol Ammons, and Kelly Cassidy,” Dr. Wallace said. “Today, I am so proud to announce their endorsement of my campaign for Congress, and I know their fierce advocacy for the people they represent will inspire and guide my work when I get to Washington.”
“Litesa Wallace brings so much professional expertise and life experience to her work as a legislator,” said State Rep. Deb Conroy (D-Villa Park), Chair of the House Committee on Mental Health and Addiction and the Democratic Women’s Caucus Whip. “Whether she’s fighting to protect the rights of women and children, defending access to healthcare, or speaking out on behalf of people suffering from mental illness and addiction, she is always a powerful champion for the people she represents. Litesa Wallace is the right choice for the people of the 17th District, and I look forward to her victory in the June 28 Democratic primary.”
“Throughout her service in the General Assembly, Litesa Wallace was a strong, progressive voice for the people of Illinois,” said State Rep. Carol Ammons (D-Champaign), co-chair of the Illinois House Progressive Caucus and the first Black woman elected to represent Illinois’ 103rd District. “I am inspired by her strength, her compassion, and her determination. Illinois needs Litesa Wallace’s leadership in Congress.”
“Litesa Wallace has the heart of a warrior,” said State Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago), a member of the Illinois General Assembly LGBTQ caucus and former legislative director for the National Organization for Women. “Her unshakable advocacy throughout the fight to pass HB40 helped to make sure that women in Illinois will still be able to make their own decisions about their reproductive health – even if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade.”
“It means so much to me to earn the endorsement of these strong, principled women leaders,” Dr. Wallace said. “When I get to Congress, their support and advice will be invaluable as I work to make childcare more affordable, expand healthcare, reform our criminal justice system, protect women’s rights, and defend our democracy.”
Dr. Wallace, who holds an Ed.D. in Educational Psychology from Northern Illinois University, previously served three terms in Springfield as the State Representative from Rockford’s 67th District. She gained national attention in 2018 when she ran for Lt. Governor alongside Daniel Biss in the Democratic primary for Governor.
She is running to represent the new 17th District in northwestern Illinois, which includes most of Peoria, Rockford, the Quad Cities, Bloomington-Normal, and Galesburg.
* I’ve seen some mentions online of a recent Quinnipiac poll, but not a whole lot of news media coverage, so I wanted to highlight this part here…
In a sharply divided country, Americans agree on this: the bigger danger to the United States comes from within. Seventy-six percent say they think political instability within the country is a bigger danger to the United States compared to the 19 percent who think other countries that are adversaries of the United States are the bigger danger, according to a Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pea-ack) University national poll of adults released today.
Democrats say 83 – 13 percent, independents say 78 – 19 percent, and Republicans say 66 – 29 percent that political instability in the U.S. is the bigger danger.
A majority of Americans, 58 – 37 percent, think the nation’s democracy is in danger of collapse.
Republicans say 62 – 36 percent, independents say 57 – 39 percent, and Democrats say 56 – 37 percent they think the nation’s democracy is in danger of collapse.
* The Question: Do you think the nation’s democracy is in danger of collapse, or don’t you think so? Take the survey and then explain your answer in comments, please…
In a politically damaging development for Rep. Marie Newman — locked in a Democratic primary battle with Rep. Sean Casten — the House Ethics Committee on Monday announced it will continue its probe of whether she promised a government job to Iymen Hamman Chehade in exchange for him not running against her in 2020.
The House action follows an Oct. 25 recommendation from the Office of Congressional Ethics — an independent agency — urging the panel to pursue a case against Newman.
The continuing investigation also has serious ramifications for Chehade, who is running in the Democratic primary for the open seat in the newly created 3rd Congressional District. He was suddenly added to Newman’s campaign staff last summer as a high-paid part-time consultant two days after a lawsuit he filed against her was settled, with the terms undisclosed.
Documents released by the House Committee on Monday included the OCE report, which concluded, “there is substantial reason to believe that Rep. Newman may have promised federal employment to a primary opponent for the purpose of procuring political support.”
A spokesman for Newman stated that a “right-wing organization filed a politically-motivated complaint” with the Office of Congressional Ethics, adding, “The materials produced during the OCE’s review overwhelmingly demonstrate that the ethics complaint is completely meritless.” […]
Chehade has not cooperated with the board’s investigation, and it has recommended that the committee subpoena him.
An attorney representing Newman told the committee in December that the congresswoman “cooperates completely with the review,” but, that OCE “has prejudged the matter from the beginning.”
* ILGOP…
“In addition to being a left-wing radical and outwardly hostile to taxpayers, add very corrupt to the list of ways to describe Marie Newman,” said ILGOP Spokesman Joe Hackler.
In a suit, Chehade alleged that Newman failed to follow through on a promise to give him a $130,000-a-year job as a foreign policy adviser if he’d drop a 2020 primary bid against her. The issue later was picked up by a conservative political group which filed a complaint with the ethics office.
According to the documents released today, the ethics office concluded the allegations had merit.
“The OCE found that Mr. Chehade’s policy expertise was not the only reason she contracted to employ him in the future. Instead, Rep. Newman likely was motivated to enter the agreement to avoid competing against Mr. Chehade in the next Democratic primary,” the office said in its report to the ethics committee. […]
Casten isn’t commenting, but the Republican National Committee sure is, From a statement, “Another day that ends in ‘y,’ another corrupt Chicago Democrat has been caught breaking the law. While voters deserve and demand better from Marie Newman, Illinois Democrats will do as they’ve always done: Sweep it under the rug.”
To my eyes, this looks pretty simple: She signed a contract promising a potential primary rival a six-figure federal job if she won the election. She’s now arguing that “Newman in her private capacity could not bind Newman in her public capacity.” Ridic. It’s kinda like when she claimed that since she announced her campaign first, Casten was running against her.
Bailey also told WMBD Illinoisans are tired of being left in the dark when it comes to taxes and believes high taxes are driving people out of the state. […]
Bailey, a former school board member in the North Clay CUSD #25, voted on many tax hikes during his tenure but said any tax hikes were explained to voters. He believes those hikes are not the reason people are leaving Illinois.
“It’s a much different scenario. Taxing bodies have the ability to levee a certain amount,” Bailey said. “100% of the time at the North Clay District we brought our community in, and we educated them. We told them this is what it’s going to cost per household, this is why we need the money, this is where it’s going to go, are you okay with that.”
“Many times it was $5 a household and I think one time the max was $19 a household, we had over 95% input buy-in every time,” Bailey said. “If government operated that way in the State of Illinois, our residents would feel a lot more comfortable.”
So, lemme get this straight: Tax hikes and PPP loans are good when he does them and bad when anyone else does? Roger Wilco.
ANNC: A riotous mob. The police, outnumbered — but backed up by their mayor.
Richard Irvin called in the Guard. Closed exit ramps. Shut down the riots.
IRVIN: Aurora will be ready for you if you come to our community wreaking havoc.
We will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. We will not put up with this BS and foolishness…
…this, I guarantee.
ANNC: They tried to burn his city down. Richard Irvin took it back.
Elect Irvin Governor, we’ll take back our state.
*** UPDATE 1 *** DPI…
Irvin Lies to Voters on TV While Continuing to Hide From Them In Real Life
Today, in an unprecedented move for a statewide candidate, Richard Irvin went up with his first paid TV ad of the campaign. The only problem? Irvin has still not met with voters, held a public event, or answered questions from the media.
In the ad, Irvin spreads the same lies he told in his announcement video, including the claim that as mayor, he called in the National Guard to Aurora. Only the governor can call in the National Guard and despite being fact-checked for this lie, he continues to repeat it on air. Clearly, Irvin and the rest of the Rauner Reboot slate think they can avoid accountability for their words as long as they can avoid talking to voters or reporters.
Richard Irvin would prefer to not answer basic questions like where he stands on a woman’s right to choose, who he voted for in the 2016 Democratic primary, if he thinks the 2020 election was stolen, or why he flip-flopped from saying Black Lives Matter to All Lives Matter. And why won’t Irvin or the slate answer simple questions? Because Ken Griffin won’t let them.
For Griffin and his Rauner Reboot slate, this election isn’t about solving the big challenges facing Illinois families. They just want to implement disastrous policies to take us backwards — and they aren’t interested in being held accountable by voters, reporters, or anyone else.
…Adding… DGA…
Today, Richard Irvin released his first TV ad despite not meeting with voters, holding a public event, or answering questions from the media in the week since declaring his candidacy.
You can track how long Radio Silent Richard has been hiding at this new site.
The ad features the same lies and hypocrisy Irvin has based his entire campaign on. He claims he called the National Guard to Aurora, even though he was called out for this lie before. Only the governor — who Irvin himself has praised numerous times — can call in the National Guard. And since the protests shown in the ad, Irvin has flip-flopped from saying Black Lives Matter to All Lives Matter.
Instead of speaking with Illinoisans about the challenges they face, Irvin is busy parroting big donor Ken Griffin’s agenda of dragging Illinois back to the failed policies of Bruce Rauner.
By dodging events and interviews, Irvin has avoided the tough questions like why he’s voted for Democrats in the past and where he stands on a woman’s right to choose.
“Richard Irvin doesn’t know where he stands — which is why his only strategy is to dodge questions or lie,” said DGA Senior Communications Advisor Christina Amestoy. “Once Illinoisans hear Irvin’s true intentions of a Rauner reboot, they’ll see the Griffin slate is more interested in undoing progress than moving forward.”
*** UPDATE 2 *** Gary Rabine…
“Pretend Republican candidate for Governor, Richard Irvin, continues the deception today as he rolls out his commercials claiming to be the law-and-order candidate. Let’s do a reality check. Irvin has spent the last twenty years representing criminals and doing his best to keep them out of jail. His clients aren’t just low-level criminals but rather the full range of bad guys from domestic violence offenders to murderers. The crime rates during his tenure as Mayor of Aurora, his support for defunding the police, sanctuary cities and BLM, tells us loud and clear that his approach to law and order is right out of the Kim Foxx - JB Pritzker woke playbook, where victims are an afterthought and justice is only served when the jails are empty.” “But it goes beyond helping criminals beat the rap. Last election, ‘Democrat-running-as-a-Republican-Irvin’ fully supported his criminal defense attorney law partner as she ran against a law-and-order Republican in Kane County. Yes, the guy seeking the nomination for Governor as a Republican fully and actively supported a far-left criminal defense lawyer over a law-and-order Republican. Don’t be fooled by the smoke-screen. Richard Irvin is a left-leaning Democrat and does not support the polices that will end the crime wave in Illinois. We do not need another Democrat as Illinois Governor.”
That is more than Irvin’s Republican opponents have raised lately, but it’s not enough to stay on TV for very long. And once you go off, your message is lost.
The Illinois AFL-CIO Executive Board voted today to endorse several candidates for the Democratic Primary Election in June. The endorsements are considered early, as the organization’s Committee on Political Education (COPE) meets in April to consider all primary election endorsements.
The IL AFL-CIO endorsed incumbents U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Gov. JB Pritzker, Attorney General Kwame Raoul, Treasurer Michael Frerichs, and Comptroller Susana Mendoza for the June 28 Primary.
Also endorsed today were Supreme Court candidates Elizabeth Rochford (2nd District) and Mary Kay O’Brien (3rd District).
“We feel it’s important to get a jump on some races where there will clearly be large sums of anti-union money being spent bankrolling opponents,” said Illinois AFL-CIO President Tim Drea. “These endorsements reflect the fact that they have been there for working people. We’re going to be there for them.”
State legislation was approved last year that drew new Supreme Court districts – the first redistricting since the 1960’s. Rochford and O’Brien’s races represent union member dense areas that voter turnout will play an important part.
“As we’ve seen play out nationally and here in Illinois, a fair and impartial judiciary is vital to not only workplace rights, but our democracy,” Drea said. “We have to get it right. Mary Kay O’Brien and Elizabeth Rochford are perfectly suited for the Supreme Court.”
Rochford is up against Democrat Nancy Rotering, among others.
Last week, Rep. Dan Caulkins, R-Decatur, virtually attended a House energy and environment committee meeting while driving himself and his wife back to Illinois.
“I was returning from Rochester, Minnesota,” said Caulkins. “I pulled over, and we switched places.” […]
Caulkins said that working remotely has hurt his ability to be an effective lawmaker.
“It’s awkward,” said Caulkins. “We should be able to meet in-person, spread out and look each other in the eye.”
Caulkins added that he thinks the result of remote work isn’t “as good of a product” as when lawmakers can meet face to face.
Madison County has filed a lawsuit to stop the state from dividing the Third Judicial Circuit into four subcircuits.
Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine on Saturday announced he has filed a lawsuit to halt the enforcement of the recently-enacted House Bill 3138 splitting the circuit, which includes Madison and Bond counties, into four subcircuits.
The suit seeks a temporary restraining order “barring defendants from taking any steps to enforce or institute” the new law until the court can consider the county’s request for preliminary injunction. […]
On Jan. 13, following a special Madison County Board meeting on the new subcircuits, Haine indicated the lawsuit was imminent. The board voted 21-2, with five absent, at that meeting to condemn the state law signed Jan. 7 by Pritzker that divides the Third Judicial Circuit into four subcircuits.
The bill, amended and passed within hours on Jan. 5 by both houses of the General Assembly, required candidates for one of the new Madison County subcircuits to begin circulating nominating petitions on Thursday, Jan. 13.
The bill’s sponsors argued the new sub-circuits would allow voters to choose more diverse judges in some counties.
But while most Illinois judicial circuits that had judicial sub-circuits added won’t use them to choose judges until 2024, the law takes immediate effect in the state’s Third Judicial Circuit covering Madison County, where two Republicans appointed to fill vacancies are up for election to full six-year terms in November.
“This sub-circuit law has serious Constitutional issues and is being rushed forward in a reckless way,” Haine said in a statement Saturday. “We are arguing that a pause is warranted here to let clearer heads prevail. With this pause, our upcoming 2022 judicial elections can be held countywide, as they have always been, while the courts closely review this very dubious new sub-circuit scheme.”
Democrats tried to get some Democrats in and Republicans are trying to keep their local control.
There’s a hearing today at 3 pm.
* Press release…
Illinois Secretary of State candidate Dan Brady, a Bloomington Republican, today announced his enthusiastic support for a newly-authorized program that can create additional jobs to help the economy while easing the supply chain delays that are plaguing the country.
The Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot Program authorized by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration allows those between 18 and 20 years of age who hold a Commercial Driver’s License to cross state lines after extensive training. Trucking companies will soon be able to establish apprenticeships for under-21 drivers as part of the program.
“More truck drivers means more goods can be delivered, shortages can be eased, young people can earn a living wage in a lucrative career, and our economy can literally get moving again,” Brady said. “Illinois has the third most total highway miles of any state, and with more truck drivers on our roads we stand to gain more tax revenue while getting our industrial, commercial and personal goods delivered on time again.”
The Illinois Secretary of State issues licenses to truck drivers in Illinois, and if elected Brady pledges to make sure that licensure process becomes more efficient for truck drivers of all ages while retaining all of the measures that keep the state’s roads safe. The Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot Program requires two lengthy probationary periods with an experienced driver, strict apprentice driver performance benchmarks, and the use of special safety features in trucks being driven by apprentices.
“We rarely have a chance to do something like this that fires on all cylinders,” Brady said. “I support this apprenticeship program, and as your next Secretary of State I will work closely with participating firms to make sure their drivers are licensed, safe and ready to go to work.”
After productive conversations, Gov. Pritzker, the Illinois Education Association, the Illinois Federation of Teachers and other stakeholders announced that they have negotiated a compromise that will keep students and teachers safely in the classroom without penalizing vaccinated employees for taking COVID-required sick time.
“Vaccines are a vital tool in preventing the deadly effects of COVID-19, and those who take the steps to be fully vaccinated against this virus are doing their part to keep everyone safe,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “They deserve to be able to take the time they need to respond to the ongoing devastating impacts the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have on them and their families. This collaborative initiative will provide paid administrative leave for education employees who, despite doing all they can to keep themselves and their communities safe, continue to have their lives and livelihoods disrupted by COVID-19.”
“Keeping schools open and those inside them – and their families – safe has been our number one priority from the start of the pandemic,” said Kathi Griffin, President of the Illinois Education Association. “We want people to stay home when they’re sick, to be able to care for their children when their children need them the most, and to be paid when the circumstances that close their buildings are completely beyond their control. This bill protects school and university employees and all those they teach, drive to and from school, feed and care for in so many ways. Health care professionals and scientists have given us a path out of this pandemic and we should follow it.”
“The pandemic has been physically, emotionally, and economically challenging for us all, and certainly no less so for educators, school staff, and their families,” said Illinois Federation of Teachers President Dan Montgomery. “This legislation provides important relief and ensures that education personnel can afford to take time off if they or they families become ill with COVID.
“We applaud Governor Pritzker for his steady support of science and good public health and thank him for working with us to provide teachers, school staff and higher education professionals with critical resources that will help them keep kids safe and schools open,” added Montgomery.
This joint initiative provides the following protections for educators, school employees, and their families:
• Paid administrative leave for every employee of a public school district established under Article 10 or Article 34 of the School Code, public university, and public community college who is
o fully vaccinated or has received the required doses to become fully vaccinated within five weeks of the effective date of the Act and who
o is required, or whose child is required, to be excluded from school because of a positive COVID-19 test result or close contact with a person who had a confirmed case of COVID-19.
o has been required by the school or school district policy to be excluded from school district property due to COVID-19 symptoms.
• Restoration of sick leave for every employee of a public school district, public university, and public community college who
o is fully vaccinated or has received the required doses to become fully vaccinated within five weeks of the effective date of the Act, and
o who has previously used their sick time because they or their child were required to be excluded from school because of a positive COVID-19 test result or close contact with a person who had a confirmed case of COVID-19
o has been required by the school or school district policy to be excluded from school district property due to COVID-19 symptoms.
• Maintains wage protections in HB 2778 for all hourly school employees, including but not limited to, custodial, transportation, food service providers, classroom assistants, or administrative staff. This protection applies for the entire 2021-22 school year, including any days that a school has already closed or switched to e-learning which caused the paraprofessional to go without pay or take their own earned paid time off.
As a result of this collaboration, the Governor is vetoing House Bill 2778.
“Fully vaccinated” at the moment means two shots (or one J&J). If the CDC says a booster is required, the state requirement will change for future benefits.
* Excerpt from the FAQ…
What if I have a religious or medical exemption from my district?
The bill does not impact any federal protections regarding religious or medical exemptions from vaccination requirements. Those employees who were granted a medical or religious exemption from vaccination by their employer pursuant to federal law are eligible for this benefit.
What does this mean for teachers who aren’t vaccinated and do not have a recognized medical or religious exemption from their employer, but who are tested every week?
They will not receive any additional leave beyond what they receive in their contract.
Why are only vaccinated teachers eligible for these benefits?
Vaccines prevent serious illness, hospitalization and death, and decrease the chances of an employee spreading the virus which is in furtherance of public health and means that schools will be able to operate more consistently over time, with fewer staff in need of sick time. Vaccinations are widely available through many publicly available sources.
What wage protection is provided under this Act?
If a school district temporarily closes because of COVID-19 or switches to e-learning, paraprofessionals and school related personnel must continue to be paid even if they cannot perform their regular scheduled duties. For instance, if you are a 180-day paraprofessional and your district goes remote for 10 days, this Act requires you to be paid for those days even if you were not required to work those days. This protection applies for the entire 2021-22 school year, including any days that a school has already closed or switched to e-learning which caused the paraprofessional to go without pay or take their own earned paid time off.
Will you apply this sick leave policy to preschool teachers and day care staff?
The COVID-19 paid sick leave policy in this bill only applies to employees of public school districts, public universities, and public community colleges.
Alison Maley, Government & Public Relations director for the Illinois Principals Association, said the group is reviewing the latest agreement but remains concerned about staff shortages.
“We appreciate the Governor’s action on HB 2778 and look forward to reviewing language on this new agreement,” Maley said. “Acknowledging the difference in exclusion requirements for vaccinated and unvaccinated educators and staff is an important step to maintaining in-person learning. We continue to be concerned about the shortage of substitute teachers and staff to accommodate administrative and sick leave and look forward to working with the General Assembly and the Governor on addressing short and long-term solutions for this ongoing crisis.”
I reached out to the IASA and the IASB and never heard back.
* Rep. Kelly Cassidy touts a few of her new bills to constituents…
HB4164: Allows that a member of the General Assembly may visit the institutions, facilities, and programs of the Department of Corrections, upon request of the member, for the purpose of inquiring into the affairs and conditions of the Department. Currently, the law only allows this access to the Governor, and legislators must seek permission to visit which doesn’t allow for effective oversight.
HB4671: Will prevent juveniles under the supervision of the Department of Juvenile Justice from being sent to the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice due to failing rehabilitation treatment. It takes many people multiple attempts to get clean and address their sobriety issues. Finding a way to offer an alternative to jail for minors with solely drug offenses will help solve the underlying issue. Jail is not a forever solution and can just cause more strain on our systems while creating potential future offenders who could have turned their life around if given appropriate responses to treatment challenges
HB3659: Our Mandatory Supervised Release system is often a series of tripwires leading to reincarceration without much meaningful programming to assist with re-entry. To better focus the limited services available, this bill proposes removing mandatory supervised release as a condition of release for Class 4 felonies (the lowest level felony), allowing prioritization of services for higher need offenders.
As Illinois law stands today, parents can be charged with neglect if they leave children under the age of 14 home alone – even for a short time. The law is rarely enforced.
State Rep. Sue Scherer, D-Decatur, told The Center Square that people want the law changed.
“I have lots of constituents who have reached out to me about this,” Scherer said. “It’s causing a lot of hardship on our working families.”
She filed legislation in House Bill 4305 that will lower the home alone age in Illinois to 12.
…Adding… Rep. Barbara Hernandez is also working on a child marriage bill. HB4588.
* Press release…
State Rep. Terra Costa Howard, D-Glen Ellyn, today introduced HB4699, which will make it possible for a person who wants to relinquish a newborn baby to call 911 and ask for a first responder to take the infant to safety, with no questions asked.
The new bill would amend Illinois’ Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act, which allows an unharmed newborn, up to 30 days old, to be handed over to staff at a hospital, emergency medical care facility, police station, firehouse, college/university police station, or Illinois State Police district headquarters, without fear of prosecution.
“When a baby is born in desperate circumstances, we need to do everything we can to make it possible for a new mother to relinquish that infant safely, legally, and responsibly,” Costa Howard said. “Just a few weeks ago, an infant died of exposure after being left outside an unstaffed firehouse in Chicago. With this bill, we can prevent that kind of tragic loss by making it possible to call a first responder to come in and take the baby to safety.”
Under the bill, a 911 dispatcher could send a law enforcement officer, firefighter, or emergency medical technician to respond to a call from a parent who is unable or unwilling to travel to a firehouse or other designated location to relinquish an infant.
“Since the Safe Haven law went into effect in 2001, 148 babies have been relinquished safely,” said Dawn Geras, one of the founders of the Chicago-based Save Abandoned Babies Foundation. “Sadly, there have been 90 illegal abandonments since then, and more than half of those infants died. We hope this new law will help to prevent any more needless infant deaths.”
Costa Howard said she hopes this bill will bring more public attention to the Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act. “We need to make sure that people know this law saves infants’ lives and also protects parents from potential criminal charges,” Costa Howard said. “Together, we can find safe new homes for these babies and bring new help to people in crisis.
* Press release…
State Rep. Maurice West, D-Rockford, introduced a bill earlier this month requiring Illinois schools to teach Native American curriculum beginning in the 2023 – 2024 school year. The bill aims to require the teaching of Native American curriculum in order to inspire students to respect the dignity of all races and peoples and to forever abandon discrimination.
“This legislation will ensure that our students learn about the Native American experience and contributions to the development of our country,” said West.
The legislation takes steps to guarantee that curriculum developed by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) will be informed by federally recognized Native American tribes and individuals, especially those with ties to Illinois and the Midwest. The curriculum developed by ISBE will be implemented by school districts and will be monitored by the regional superintendent of schools for compliance.
“This legislation is a first step towards ensuring we are teaching our children how to properly respect the heritage and culture of Native Americans,” West added.
House Bill 4548 was filed on January 13th and is currently awaiting assignment to a committee.
* IDPH is reporting 5,238 covid hospitalizations as of midnight. That’s down 29 percent from January’s peak of 7,380 set on the 12th. That gives us a seven-day rolling average daily decrease of 3.11 percent, which is significantly improved from Friday’s average daily decrease of 2.04 percent.
ICU usage also continues its decline. The seven-day rolling average daily ICU decreaseis 2.74 percent. ICU bed usage is down 23 percent since its peak on the 12th.
The St. Charles Public Library will remain closed for in-person visits following a near altercation between patrons Thursday afternoon as well as phone calls threatening staff and patrons over the library’s mask policy.
“Our number one goal is the safety of our patrons and our employees,” library board President Robert Gephart said during a virtual board meeting Saturday. “Late Thursday afternoon, we narrowly avoided a patron-on-patron altercation. Afterward, the library started receiving phone calls threatening the health and safety of our staff and patrons. Looking at social media amplified our level of concern. At that time, with the cooperation of the St. Charles Police Department, it was determined that it was in the best interest of public safety to close the library.”
The DuPage Children’s Museum’s COVID mitigation policy for children drew scores of protesters to its Naperville address Saturday.
Protesters, including parents with young children, lined the sidewalk in front of the museum at 301 N. Washington St., many holding signs calling for allowing children to “play.” […]
“A significant number of our guests are under age 5 and not yet eligible to be vaccinated. CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recommends that the best way to protect these young children is to ensure all eligible people around them are vaccinated.” [the museum’s statement read]
The museum anticipates ending the policy when hospitalizations and infections dip below Illinois threshold metrics.
More than 250 demonstrators sent a message Sunday in Port Clinton Square in downtown Highland Park saying people should be free to choose whether to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or wear masks as a preventive measure. […]
People opposed to the Highland Park mandate were carrying signs saying “My body, my choice,” and “Passports for travel and not for tacos.” Another sign compared Dr. Anthony Fauci to Josef Mengele, the Auschwitz concentration camp doctor.
Rachael Wachstein of Highland Park, who helped organize the counterprotest, said Illinois Against Tyranny has presented ideas at rallies in Arlington Heights and other suburbs comparing mask and vaccination mandates to policies in Nazi Germany.
“When you do that you trivialize the Holocaust and the millions who were murdered,” Wachstein said. “Believing that is disrespecting the 6 million who were killed and that is a form of antisemitism.”
* Crazies gonna crazy, but that Holocaust comparison is so awful and disgusting…
Exploiting of the tragedy of people who suffered, were humiliated, tortured & murdered by the totalitarian regime of Nazi Germany - including children like Anne Frank - in a debate about vaccines & limitations during global pandemic is a sad symptom of moral & intellectual decay.
*** UPDATE *** Statement from Chris Kennedy on his brother’s statements about the Holocaust…
The use of this analogy diminishes the horror of the Nazi regime, the Holocaust of the Jews, and the loss of more than 400,000 American men and women who served our country, millions of allied troops, and two of our own uncles.
America fought a justifiable war against the Nazis. To make a comparison between the Nazis and our government is to suggest that there is a justifiable war against the government of the United States, and there is no place for such a call to political violence in our democracy.
Nazis perfected the use of fake science and real lies to commit atrocities — those same elements that are being used to stop people from getting vaccinated. It was wrong then, and it is wrong now.
I love my brother but could not disagree with him more. He is wrong about vaccines and even more wrong to make such an analogy. I hope he withdraws it.
* A Very Simple Way to Get America Boosted: Nudging people toward third shots with financial incentives may be one of the lowest-hanging fruits in pandemic policy making.
Day 4 of Pritzker Silence on secret Madigan spending
Pritzker previously gave $10 million to Madigan funds, said he was “grateful” for Madigan
The Better Government Association Friday revealed a massive investigation into millions of dollars of infrastructure projects requested by Mike Madigan that were approved and coordinated by Governor JB Pritzker and his key budget staff.
——— BGA REPORT ———-
It took the intervention of the Weglarz brothers’ longtime property tax lawyer — then House Speaker Michael J. Madigan — to find a solution. Now Illinois taxpayers are footing the $98 million bill for what would undoubtedly be one of the most expensive brake jobs in history.
….
In addition to the $98 million brake job, Madigan delivered another $31 million for a charter school that provided the BGA records detailing only $1.5 million in requests to lawmakers, $9 million for a Chicago high school even though nobody from the Chicago Public Schools sought it and another $6 million for a suburban airport control tower a Madigan political ally wanted for years.
…
A BGA examination of public records found at least $144 million went to just four projects backed by Madigan, the longest-serving house speaker in U.S. history. Each of those projects benefitted those to whom the former speaker has personal, professional or political ties.
In addition to the $98 million brake job, Madigan delivered another $31 million for a charter school that provided the BGA records detailing only $1.5 million in requests to lawmakers, $9 million for a Chicago high school even though nobody from the Chicago Public Schools sought it and another $6 million for a suburban airport control tower a Madigan political ally wanted for years.
….
“I also confirmed that Speaker Madigan has submitted the request to the Governor’s office,” she wrote to Bria Scudder, one of Pritzker’s top deputies. Emails show Scudder quickly forwarded the message to the director of the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget, which plays a critical role in releasing state grant funds.
————————-
The Illinois Republican Party calls on JB Pritzker to end his silence on his Madigan corruption.
Will Pritzker release all communications between the Office of the Speaker of the House and the Governor’s office, the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget, and/or the Illinois Department of Transportation?
Will Pritzker release all communications between the Governor’s Office and both the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget and the Department of Transportation regarding Rebuild Illinois projects?
Will Pritzker release the full Madigan project list?
* DPI…
Griffin’s Rauner Reboot Slate Continues to Hide From Reporters, Voters
Today, we hit the one-week mark since the announcement that Richard Irvin is running for governor, the centerpiece of Ken Griffin’s Rauner Reboot slate. Since Irvin’s announcement, he has met with a grand total of zero reporters, taken zero questions, and held zero campaign events with voters. In fact, none of the Rauner Reboot candidates have done a single interview since announcing their respective campaigns. Let’s take a look at the stats:
• John Milhiser: 20 days silent
• Tom Demmer: 13 days silent
• Shannon Teresi: 12 days silent
• Steve Kim: 11 days silent
• Richard Irvin and Avery Bourne: 7 days silent
Why are the Rauner Reboot candidates so shy? When will any of them take questions from the press? How many conversations have they had with Ken Griffin, Bruce Rauner, or Rauner’s campaign team while they hide from voters? How long are they going to play this game of hide-and-seek?
While the Rauner Reboot slate talks a big game on transparency and accountability, their campaigns have been anything but. Here’s the most basic question of all: why are they hiding?
ICYMI: DGA Launches Accountability Clock Counting Up the Days Radio Silent Richard Irvin Has Avoided Talking to the Press
Richard Irvin has been dodging interviews since entering the Illinois GOP primary for governor a week ago — and now a new website is counting up the days Irvin’s remained radio silent.
The DGA launched GriffinSlate.com last Friday. View the site here.
Billionaire Ken Griffin is hand-selecting a slate of candidates to drag Illinois back to the days of Bruce Rauner — and Irvin is likely to top the list. Despite being the face of the Rauner reboot campaign, Irvin has yet to take an interview with the press.
“Radio Silent Richard is desperate to walk back his past support of Gov. JB Pritzker and learn Ken Griffin’s talking points before telling reporters where he really stands,” said DGA Senior Communications Advisor Christina Amestoy. “Irvin has been in this race for a week, and he’s already hiding from the press and his primary opponents. There’s a long, brutal primary ahead — and he can’t stay silent much longer.”
The coronavirus pandemic has brought more than 20 months of uncertainty. And through the mask mandates and vaccination debates, Americans have developed a complicated and somewhat surprising set of voices they trust about the virus, according to the latest NBC News poll.
The poll asked a simple question —”In general, do you trust what _____ has said about the coronavirus or not?” — and subbed in a series of possibilities into the blank space.
Through all the names and groups that were mentioned, one thing jumps out in the data: Americans seem more likely to trust people they know directly or people with whom they have direct contact. For instance, the group that ranked highest was “your employer.”
* Check out the current number for governors and how much it has moved since April of 2020…
It’s only one poll, but a rampant disinformation campaign coupled with incompetent messaging and inaction from the CDC, the White House, etc. are combining to put us all in a very dangerous spot.
We’re just over a week out from Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s annual big speech laying out budget and other priorities, and the big scramble is on behind the scenes to claim a piece of the pie.
As usual, one key question is how much schools will get. Given that it’s an election year, they’ll probably do all right.
Another is, with tax receipts running better than expected both here and nationally, whether Pritzker will follow the lead of New York’s Kathy Hochul—like Pritzker, a Democrat—and include some form of relief for taxpayers, especially property owners. Doing so, even if the amount is small, sure would look good out there on the campaign trail.
For the business community, the big issue is whether Pritzker will allot a sizable share of the remaining $3 billion or so in unallocated federal COVID relief funds to fill a portion of the $4.5 billion hole in the state’s unemployment insurance trust fund.
* Ten days ago, a friend was polled and took copious notes…
Interesting poll… The only candidates mentioned by name were Richard Irvin and Darren Bailey. But the only matchup asked about was Bailey v Pritzker.
And she asked about policy positions on some kinda interesting stuff
- one-year suspension of grocery tax
- eliminate small biz franchise tax
- eliminate license and registration fees for 200K nurses in IL
- provide incentives for ppl to become nurses w free community college
- eliminate regulatory fees for small businesses
- expand EITC
- freeze property taxes statewide
- Ensure College Illinois! is fiscally stable to guarantee families don’t lose their investments
- fully fund special ed w $200M more
- direct cash payments $200/child for every family earning below $50K
- eliminate scheduled increase to the gas tax this summer
- increase funding for programs that support minority-owned businesses that serve underserved
- eliminate regulatory fees for alcohol for restaurants and bars for one year … hit hard by pandemic
- increase penalties for organized retail theft
I haven’t been able to confirm who did that poll, but it looked to my eyes like a Pritzker endeavor. But, hey, I could be wrong.
Anyway, is there anything on that list which you like more than others?
* I don’t usually post these sorts of things, but Tina is a good friend and all of us are glad she’s returning to Illinois…
Mac Strategies Group, one of the state’s premier strategic communications and government relations firms, announced today that former Politico White House reporter and Chicago Sun-Times political reporter Tina Sfondeles has joined the firm as Vice President of Public and Media Relations.
In this role, Sfondeles will develop effective communication strategies for issue-oriented public relations and public affairs campaigns, using her experience covering Illinois and national politics and government to drive meaningful conversations in media outlets across Illinois.
“We are excited to welcome Tina to our team,” said Ryan McLaughlin, President and CEO of Mac Strategies Group. “Her deep familiarity with the media landscape as well as state and national politics will further our ability to communicate complicated and nuanced subjects, allowing us to more effectively tell important stories and secure successes for our clients.”
Sfondeles will be based in Chicago, where she began her career in journalism, starting as a transportation reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times before eventually being elevated to political reporter. Sfondeles covered numerous elections and administrations, including the historic two-year state budget impasse. She has been a frequent guest on television and radio, providing expert commentary to help the public easily understand the complex issues and personalities driving public policy. In 2020, Sfondeles moved to Washington where she covered Joe Biden’s presidential campaign as a politics correspondent for Business Insider. In 2021, she joined Politico as a White House reporter and co-author of the influential West Wing Playbook, a newsletter about the people and power centers in the White House. An advocate for mentorship and professional development, Sfondeles has also served as an adjunct professor at her alma mater Loyola University Chicago, teaching students about essential writing skills, professional and business speaking and reporting.
“After a whirlwind experience in Washington, I’m so proud to be returning home to Chicago for my next adventure. I’m looking forward to working with Ryan and the Mac Strategies Group team to help drive conversations on important public policy issues that affect many people,” Sfondeles said. “As an added bonus, I get to work alongside Monique Garcia, a former competitor turned close friend whose personal and professional skills I have admired for years.”
Founded in 2008 by McLaughlin, Mac Strategies Group has a proven track record of conducting widely successful media relations and communication programs, earning more than thirty industry awards and becoming one of the most effective agencies for directing successful issue advocacy campaigns. The firm secures consistent earned media for clients, while also providing strategic counsel to meet goals and objectives.
As Mac Strategies Group continues the expansion of its capabilities with the addition of Sfondeles, Monique Garcia has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Public and Media Relations. A former Chicago Tribune Statehouse reporter, Garcia joined the firm in 2018 and helps lead its operations in Springfield. The firm’s roster of talent also includes Matt Butterfield, a Peabody Award-winning Chicago broadcast journalist, as well as Matt Murphy, former deputy leader of the Illinois Senate, and Anne Schaeffer, who previously managed a multi-state government affairs practice for a global Fortune 500 company. Murphy and Schaeffer lead the firm’s government affairs practice.
Irvin might not be enough of a Republican for the purists. And Democrats might want to weaken Irvin in the Republican primary for governor by pointing to some of the nice things he’s said about Democrats (including the governor) over the years. But Richard Irvin is still a Republican.
I’ve covered and watched the Aurora mayor for years, and it’s always been obvious to me that he’s a Republican.
If he was a Democrat, why would then-U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, Sen. Dick Durbin, Sen. Tammy Duckworth and House Speaker Michael Madigan all campaign against a Black candidate over the years and instead work to elect various white, openly Democratic opponents? Those Democrats were trying to stop Irvin from gaining any kind of foothold because they all knew he was talented enough that he could eventually do something really damaging to their party, like running for governor as a Republican with plenty of cash to spend. Oops.
Maybe he’s not a pure Republican for gubernatorial candidates like state Sen. Darren Bailey, who took a Democratic primary ballot in 2008; or Jesse Sullivan, who appeared to back Obama in 2008; or Gary Rabine, who financially supported Ald. Ed Burke and his ward organization. But if somebody tells you for two decades they’re a Republican while fending off numerous, well-funded, high-profile Democratic attacks, I’d believe them.
And, while I’m at it, Gov. J.B. Pritzker needs to stop helping and enabling the far-right wing of the GOP in this state. No way would Jeanne Ives have given Gov. Bruce Rauner such a run for his money in the 2018 Republican primary had it not been for the generous intervention of the Democratic Governors Association (funded by Pritzker) on Ives’ behalf.
The governor regularly bemoans the fact that Republicans here are too tied to Donald Trump and Rauner, and they don’t want to come to the table and negotiate. Yet, he seems fully prepared to unsubtly support the ultra-right Republican Bailey.
I get that Pritzker doesn’t want to have to face someone backed by Ken Griffin, who is worth almost 10 times what Pritzker is. But if he wants to stamp out the far right, then don’t fund it.
I also get that Pritzker and pretty much everyone else have good reasons to suspect Irvin won’t be his own man. Irvin could very well turn out to be a wholly owned subsidiary of the billionaire Griffin, who once said rich people have “insufficient influence” over politics in this country. Irvin should definitely have to answer for that on a constant basis. Not to mention that almost his entire campaign team elected Rauner in the first place. Who are they bringing us now?
Irvin should also expect to get a much closer once-over than any of the other announced Republicans have received. Hardly anybody has so far taken any of the other Republican hopefuls seriously. The election would effectively end on primary day, so why even bother vetting them?
Irvin, though, is the opposite of that. He may not make it through the primary, but if he does win, he has a shot at giving Pritzker a run for his money. And so he will likely be vetted much more closely.
And how can Irvin win the primary? Griffin’s money, for one. He also threw around some buzzwords in his kickoff video about children being “indoctrinated” and how “All lives matter” and crime is skyrocketing, and the state is broke, and all those other things written by Griffin’s people. Much of it seemed out of place because that’s not the Richard Irvin we’ve seen over the years. But every consultant’s dream candidate is one who says and does whatever he’s told.
Slightly more than half the Republican primary electorate lives downstate, but former Gov. Jim Edgar pointed out to me that if you count the exurban counties within the Chicago media market, that’s most of the primary vote. Even so, it’s still an uphill climb.
It’s also past time for Griffin to publicly account for the tens of millions of dollars he’s spent on campaigns here. Whatever else you can say about the billionaire Pritzker, he (and the self-funding Rauner before him) regularly takes questions from reporters on whatever subjects they want to talk about. Griffin’s money defeated a Supreme Court justice and killed a graduated income tax, and he is now reportedly trying to elect a governor and several others without once ever having the guts to submit himself to public questions. That’s the opposite of democratic.
* The Tribune editorial board kinda tiptoes around the GOP billionaire…
We respect the rights of Pritzker and Griffin, highly successful men, to spend their fortunes as they choose and to engage in ideas involving the future of our state. But here’s the other bizarre thing. While Pritzker is self-funding his campaign, Griffin’s name apparently will not be on the ballot. Rather, he is selecting a preferred candidate he intends to bankroll.
* National Restaurant Association press release excerpt…
The restaurant industry was hit hard by the latest surge of COVID-19 cases caused by the omicron variant. Forced to adapt to deteriorating consumer confidence, restaurants reduced hours/days of operation, cut seating capacity, and shutdown, pivoting to off-premises dining with the end result being lower sales volumes in 2021 than in 2019.
According to the survey, we know:
• 88% of restaurants experienced a decline in customer demand for indoor on-premises dining in because of the omicron variant.
• 76% of operators report that business conditions are worse now than three months ago.
• 74% say their restaurant is less profitable now than it was before the pandemic.
Over $111 million dollars in relief funds have gone out to small businesses in Illinois who struggled throughout the pandemic.
These grants were given out to help small shops with challenges from the pandemic like rehiring staff or paying for PPE.
Ms. D’s Kitchen here in Springfield says COVID-19 initially closed her doors but this state relief money is giving her the push to expand.
“We don’t have money anyway, “said the owner of Ms. D’s Kitchen, Magalene Daniel. “If you have a business and can get a little help to do things, you can get started.” […]
This latest wave of back-to-business grants was especially geared toward industries that hit the hardest like hotels, restaurants, salons, and gyms.
More than half of the back-to-business grants sent out have gone to owners of color.
The hotel industry will continue moving toward recovery in 2022, but the path will be uneven and potentially volatile, and full recovery is still several years away, according to the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA)’s 2022 State of the Hotel Industry Report. The report, which reveals shifts in consumer and business sentiment, was created in collaboration with AHLA Silver Partner Accenture and is based on data and forecasts from Oxford Economics and AHLA Platinum Partner STR.
The top findings of the report include:
• Hotel occupancy rates and room revenue are projected to approach 2019 levels in 2022
• The outlook for ancillary revenue, which includes food & beverage and meeting space, is less optimistic
• Hotels lost a collective $111.8 billion in room revenue alone during 2020 and 2021
• Leisure travelers will continue to drive recovery: in 2019, business travelers made up 52.5% of industry room revenue; in 2022, it is projected to represent just 43.6%
• Business travel is expected to remain down more than 20% for much of the year, while just 58% of meetings and events are expected to return; the full effects of Omicron are not yet known
• Changing traveler segments, including the rapid rise of bleisure travelers—those who blend business and leisure travel—are impacting how hotels operate. In fact, one study of global business travelers found 89% wanted to add a private holiday to their business trips in the next twelve months
• In this new environment, technology will be even more critical to a property’s success, according to AHLA Platinum Partner Oracle Hospitality—with hotels investing in technology to meet the needs of both guests and employees today and in the future
…Adding… Press release…
Dozens of local South Side businesses were recently awarded over $2.4 million in funding from the Back to Business Program to help them recover from the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to the support of State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago).
“Businesses across the state have been negatively impacted in the last two years, especially Black and Brown-owned small businesses and in the hospitality industry,” Peters said. “These grants are giving South Side businesses a much needed boost to get back on their feet as we continue to recover.”
The B2B program grants are awarded by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity using funds allocated to them by the American Rescue Plan through last year’s state budget. So far – thanks to strong support from Sen. Peters – DCEO has provided $111 million in B2B grants to nearly 3,000 small businesses throughout the state with an emphasis on disproportionately impacted areas.
In the district Peters represents, 81 businesses were awarded grants ranging from $5,000 to $145,000 to help them cover the costs of safely staying open in these unpredictable times. Businesses ranged from barber shops to photography studios and more.
“The B2B program’s focus on hard hit sectors like restaurants, salons, fitness centers and organizations focusing on the arts really make it a nation-leading example of small business recovery,” Peters said. “I am glad to see so many businesses in our community receive this important assistance.”
* Jordan Elder at WICS filed a very moving story about Saturday’s funeral for slain DCFS worker Deidre Silas. Here’s an excerpt but you should go watch it…
[Silas’ father] Roy Graham tells us he requested the casket be propped open, a white mesh sheet over his daughter’s body, so that people could see what happened to his little girl.
No parent wants to plan or attend a funeral for their child, and the Grahams say Saturday’s service filled them with both sorrow and gratitude.
“It shows she was really loved, and the impact she had on these people, and kids in general too,” Roy Graham told us after the service.
Deidre was described as the heartbeat of every room she was in, fearless, giving, and kind.
She was known as Nadia to her family members and “Momma D” to the children she helped in St. Charles when she worked in juvenile justice.
Loved ones told stories about her bright smile, her passion to further her education, and her phone calls intended to last five minutes that usually lasted about an hour.
Her dedication to Illinois children always at the forefront.
“Deidre dedicated her young life, her too short life, to saving the lives of children,” said Roberta Lynch, the executive director of AFSCME Council 31. “We will go forward in that mission, each of us in our own way.”
Dozens of DCFS workers came to support Silas and her family.
Department director Marc Smith was also in attendance.
Flags at Illinois state office buildings were lowered for three days to honor a child welfare worker who was stabbed to death this month.
Gov. JB Pritzker ordered that U.S. and Illinois flags be set at half-staff beginning at sunrise Thursday in honor of Deidre Silas, a child protection specialist for the Department of Children and Family Services. Flags were to be returned to their traditional spot at sunset Saturday.
Silas, 36, was responding to a call about possibly endangered children at a home in Thayer, south of Springfield, on Jan. 5.
She was met at the door by an assailant who stabbed her and fled, according to authorities.
The purpose for this fund is for her children. Her husband André Silas will no longer be able to come home and smell the Jamaican food cooking in the air, their daughter Amelia who is just 2 years old will no longer hear her mom sing to her, play with her, or struggle to tidy her room up with Amelia coming in behind her pulling down her toys just so mom can pick them up again.
Her son Ashton who is 5 years old and still not talking as he is autistic will not be able to come to his mom to comfort him after watching his favorite show that also makes him cry, he won’t be able to bring his bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios for constant refills.
