* After several minutes of speeches urging calm and decorum, just two Republican House members, Reps. Blaine Wilhour and Adam Niemerg, refused to wear a mask to comply with House rules. They were escorted off the floor and there was no mass GOP walkout like last week.
This post will be updated in a bit with excerpts from the aforementioned speeches.
*** UPDATE 1 *** They’re redoing the roll call because the Democrats neglected to allow Republicans to vote remotely. Rep. Caulkins has joined the anti-maskers and will also be removed.
*** UPDATE 2 *** As promised, here are excerpts from Rep. Lakesia Collins’ floor speech today…
For those who don’t know me, or know my story, I lost my mother at five. And the people who were supposed to love me and protect me did not do that. I experienced physical, verbal and sexual abuse until I became a teenager and found my voice to say ‘No more.’ I lived in several different communities stretching from the city of Chicago all the way out to the suburbs. I lived on couch the couch. I experienced trauma at the trauma was switching from house to house. So in that moment when I was being confronted by my colleague and when my colleagues said to me, in that moment I was triggered. I was scared. I felt unprotected. And I was shocked that this even transpired. […]
My colleague did try to offer me an apology that day, 10 minutes after the altercation. But in that moment, it wasn’t the right time. Especially when I stated I felt unsafe. What I took from this is that we can all agree to disagree, but we have to move forward and do the work we were elected to do. As a black woman, we are told to be strong, but at the same time to be quiet, to tone down, don’t be too aggressive. And our concerns oftentimes go unheard. I’m thankful for my colleagues who stood to the ready to separate us and to the leadership over here who acted so quickly. I hope that we can all put this behind us and keep the people we represent at the forefront. We’re all imperfect people. We may not always see eye to eye but we can always be civil and respectful of one another. […]
I really hope that we can do what we have come here to do, what we were elected to do. And that’s to get the work done and to deliver to the people who rely on us to be their voice in this chamber.
Please pardon all transcription errors for all speakers.
* Excerpts from what Rep. Steve Reick had to say next…
I was taught that you don’t take an insult, you don’t take something that is wrong lightly. And when I heard my name being mentioned as one who was violating the mask mandate, I took umbrage at that. Because I’m also a rules guy. … I disagree with the mask rule completely. But that’s the rules and hopefully the day is soon approaching when we will not have to do that on this floor. The fact remains is that my name being called out as being in violation of a rule that I am bound to follow and respect in spite of my disagreement gave me a little bit, or more than a little bit, a lot of concern because I’m not that kind of guy. I’m just not. I’m big, I’m wild, sometimes I’m profane, but I’m not that kind of guy. So when I went over to the representative and had words with her it came from an anger of the fact that I was being somehow made into something I was not. I regret those words. I regret those actions … I want to say that regardless of how the actions were perceived, or the words were perceived, there was no intent at all to cause harm. I hope you understand that. I think you know me well enough to know that I’m blunt, but I don’t try to cause him harm.
Ten minutes after this happened, I went back and offered an apology, offered to give the representative an apology and she acknowledges that. But I was told by the speaker that it was not the time, it was not the time to apologize. One of the other things I was brought up with was the fact that if you screw up, you make it right up right away. You don’t wait until it’s convenient for you to do it, you make sure that you make an effort immediately when you’ve made a mistake, and that’s what I tried to do, but I was not allowed to do that.
And so what happened was over the weekend, letters started to come back and forth, demanding things. Threatening unstated sanctions, possibly unless I gave a public apology. I will say again, I’m sorry for what I said. And I said that to the representative in Speaker Welch’s office this morning and offered to do it immediately thereafter, and this all could have been diffused, but now it’s in the public realm. There are letters that are out there and there are those who will perceive this as having been done as a result of demands, and threats of unspecified sanctions. I’m offering up an apology but it’s no different than the apology I would have offered up had she been willing to listen to me ten minutes after this happened that this never would have had to occur. That’s how you do these things. You’re honest, you take care of business you clean up your own mess and you move on. It’s what I intend to do with this. These are my last words on the thing.
* Excerpts from Leader Jim Durkin’s speech…
Last week I made a statement on the floor about how we need to take the temperature down. And as I process what happened with Representative Reick and Collins … I stand by what I said. Sometimes we forget that we represent 13 million Illinoisans. They look up to us, they want us to solve problems that they have, the family has, businesses ask us, help us with this issue. When I think about that, I think about, overall, that we have much more in common than you really think. We all have different backgrounds, we were raised differently in different parts of the state. We have different vocations. But at the end of the day, I know full well one thing that is the most important thing that I could say is that we all love the state of Illinois. That’s why we’re here. That’s why we take up this very noble position. And I do believe it’s a noble position of serving in the Illinois House of Representatives. I love my job. I have passion for my job. And what I just heard right now, from both Representative Reick and Collins, they are team members that have great passion for what they do. Great passion for their constituency. But more importantly, we’ve been able to lower the temperature, which we need to do on a regular basis. […]
But also remember to think about this, we have people watching us right now and there will be a point at which we will have people in the gallery, adults, children. Think about that. Let’s respect what’s going on on the floor. Let’s listen to somebody’s questions. Let’s listen to somebody explaining their bill. […]
We do that by exercising civility. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t have a robust debate about language in the bill or whether or not any one particular proposal is right for the state. We will continue to have that type of dialogue and I’m no stranger to that. But let’s move forward and make a commitment towards civility, respect everyone’s positions, their life story or constituents and we will be a better place for that.
So at the end of the day, just remember, we need to be the adults in the state. And I’m glad that both my colleagues spoke frankly about a very unfortunate situation. And I hope that we will never get there again. But let’s say that if there are problems in the future, what we did today, myself and the Speaker, we talked about it. We did what adults do. And if that happens again, we’ll do it again.
* Excerpts from Speaker Chris Welch’s speech…
Leader Durkin, I join you on the floor today to make a public request to bring civility back to our great chamber. Today, I did have a chance to sit down with the leader to discuss how our caucuses can productively work together as the duly elected representatives from our communities all across this great state.
After a couple incidents that took place in this chamber last week, I had some serious concerns about our ability to work together as Democrats and Republicans.
13 months ago, I meant what I said. It’s important that we work together as Democrats and Republicans, as the House of Representatives.
I think it is fair to say that many of us, many of us were concerned about the public discourse that was on display last week. And I will say that today I left the meeting with Leader Durkin, Rep. Collins, Rep. Reick, our Chiefs of Staff feeling very optimistic about where we’re headed. Our meeting was cordial, productive. And I’m grateful for that. That’s the way we conduct business around here. That’s the way we should work together as Democrats and Republicans. As I’ve said since I was elected Speaker, we must work to lower the divisive rhetoric. I know it can be hard sometimes. We are all passionate about the communities that elected us, but we can be respectful while we’re being passionate at the same time. Let’s lower the divisive rhetoric. That’s what we’re talking about. Don’t lose your passion. Come ready to debate the issues. But let’s lower the divisive rhetoric. We must always conduct ourselves with mutual respect for one another. And we must make an effort at all times find ways to work together. Not only is this how the democratic process should work, it’s what the people of our state expect and deserve.
With the statements that you’ve already heard from Leader Durkin, Rep. Collins and Rep. Reick, I think it’s clear we want to put all of this behind us and get serious about the work ahead of us these next seven weeks.
I think it’s also important to note that as leader Durkin mentioned last week, it was very clear when he said this. The rules are the rules. Those rules are in place for a reason. You may not agree with them in your life outside of this chamber. But these rules were approved by a majority of this chamber. They’re the house rules adopted by us, consistent of our powers granted in the state constitution. We should follow the rules and lead by example.
We have a few weeks left here. We can’t afford a COVID 19 outbreak amongst ourselves and our staff. More importantly, we have colleagues in this body who have children or family members who are immunocompromised. Let’s do our part to make sure we can all go home see to see our loved ones.
Yes, we disagree. There’s people sitting here right now not following the rules of this chamber. I’m not a dictator. I believe in democracy. We all voted on those rules. And there are people here right now not following our rules. We know there will be times we passionately disagree in the coming weeks. I encourage that passionate discussion. That’s okay. The diversity of this state is what makes us strong. Diversity of this state is what makes us the great state of Illinois. But when we disagree we need to do so civilly and respectfully. Making our colleagues feel unsafe at anytime in this body will not be tolerated. It won’t. Civility is important. We have constituents watching. Remember that they’re watching everything we’re doing. We have kids at home, watching what we’re doing.[…]
Let’s work together to find solutions and a common purpose in this chamber. You’ve got my commitment on that. Let’s work together even though we’re going to have disagreements on how we get there. Let’s work together, Leader Durkin, and make this an even better state than it is already. Thank you all. Mr. Speaker, let’s go to work. Thank you all so much.
Days after Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White backed Anna Valencia to succeed him, Governor JB Pritzker today announced he has also endorsed Valencia:
“As a veteran, community leader, and elected official, Jesse White has been a model of public service in Illinois for over half a century. The first African American ever elected as Illinois Secretary of State, and one of the most popular Democratic candidates in state history, Jesse will leave behind an unmatched legacy. For decades he has been a powerful voice for those who have been historically underrepresented––something Anna Valencia has dedicated herself to both personally and professionally.
“I am proud to join Jesse White and Senators Durbin and Duckworth and many others in endorsing Anna Valencia for Secretary of State. Anna is a capable leader with a proven record of success, and she represents the bright future of the Democratic party. In this Democratic primary for Secretary of State we are lucky to have three capable candidates. However, I believe Anna is the best choice. I am thrilled to support her history-making candidacy to be the first woman and first Latina to serve as Illinois Secretary of State,” said Governor Pritzker.
“I am grateful for Governor Pritzker’s endorsement, which adds to the growing momentum around our campaign,” said Anna Valencia. “Governor Pritzker has fought for working families like the one I grew up in, advocated for our women and girls, helped me reform our fines and fees system and notched big wins in Springfield that are making a difference in the lives of Illinoisans. I look forward to joining the Governor on the ballot this fall, rallying our diverse coalition of voters and partnering with him as Secretary of State to fight for all Illinoisans.”
Since entering the race in June 2021, Valencia has built a strong statewide coalition of support from a robust slate of highly-respected elected officials, business leaders, political groups and labor unions—including the Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois (AFFI) and Illinois Nurses Association-The Nurses Union (INA). Both of Illinois’ US senators, Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, have endorsed Valencia. She has also secured support from the national Latino Victory Fund, EMILY’s List and other influential organizations and leaders from across the state and nation.
I guess the next question is whether the governor will help her catch up to Giannoulias’ fundraising.
…Adding… David Moore…
Again, I’m not surprised by Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s endorsement of my opponent. We know that he has a very close relationship with Secretary of State Jesse White. Although, I am an elected official, I am not viewed as part of the establishment. The party establishment didn’t support my candidacy the first two times I ran for alderman. I didn’t ask permission then and I’m not asking permission now. The voters will decide who they want to be the Democratic nominee for Illinois secretary of state.
Rep. Marie Newman (D-IL) is already under investigation for allegedly inking an improper contract with a rival to keep him from running against her. But it turns out that rival isn’t the only one who scored a sweet deal with the freshman Democrat; one of his top political allies got one, too.
In her deposition to the Office of Congressional Ethics late last year, Newman attested that not only did she sign documents as a 2020 candidate guaranteeing a six-figure job to would-be primary competitor Professor Iymen Chehade, but she also made a similar pact with her current chief of district affairs, Shadin Maali. What’s more, sources told The Daily Beast, Maali conducted outreach and introductions on behalf of Chehade’s never-official bid for what is now Newman’s Chicagoland seat. […]
“I can’t think of another time I’ve seen this kind of thing happening,” Jordan Libowitz, communications director for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, told The Daily Beast. “It kind of makes you ask what the congresswoman was getting out of it. Why sign a contract guaranteeing jobs to these people?” […]
The office also asserted that no contract between Maali and Newman was ever “executed,” despite Maali’s employment in House and on the campaign. Her team would not speak to the congresswoman’s testimony to the Office of Congressional Ethics that she had signed such an agreement.
I dunno. We’ll see, I suppose. While the story mentions Newman’s deposition and makes a claim about what she said, no actual quote about a Maali contract was provided and neither was a link to the deposition.
A little-known provision in Illinois’ sweeping criminal justice reform legislation is sowing chaos in the race for Cook County sheriff, with at least two would-be challengers to incumbent Tom Dart furious over the prospect that they could be deemed ineligible to run.
Tucked into the end of the 700-page bill signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker in February 2021, the new law that went into effect this year requires all candidates for sheriff to be certified law enforcement officers, starting this year. Sitting sheriffs are exempt.
But at least two of Dart’s potential challengers — fellow Democrat Carmen Navarro Gercone and Chris McCluster, who says he hasn’t decided if he’ll seek to run with a party affiliation — are worried. They fear that even if they secure the required number of signatures in candidate petitions, the law could unfairly knock them off the ballot because they are trained correctional officers, who are considered distinct from certified law-enforcement officers. […]
“Sheriff Dart was not aware this new law was being considered or that it was introduced,” the [Dart campaign] statement says. “He only became aware of it when reviewing the lengthy legislation after it was passed and signed into law. It was a surprise to him and he has always welcomed competition and believes deeply in the democratic process.”
“Chaos” seems a bit much. The union folks who want Dart out apparently didn’t do their homework.
* NRCC…
Hi there –
Socialist Pramila Jayapal fundraised on Saturday for vulnerable Democrat Lauren Underwood, which Jayapal admits was to build “alliances across the party to pass parts of the progressive agenda.”
In other words, Underwood is going to have to pay the piper.
NRCC Comment: “Lauren Underwood will support her party’s socialist agenda to try and keep her seat, regardless of how Democrats’ policies are crushing Illinois voters.” – NRCC Spokeswoman Courtney Parella
House Democratic moderates facing some of the toughest races next year in swing districts are getting help from the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, whose members have occasionally butted heads with their more centrist colleagues.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal(D-Wash.) has donated tens of thousands of dollars to almost all members in competitive districts identified as frontliners. She also started hitting the campaign trail with these vulnerable incumbents, appearing at a fundraiser earlier this month.
Jayapal said her donations to these members serves a dual purpose: helping Democrats keep control of the House and building alliances across the party to pass parts of the progressive agenda.
“Part of our success as the Progressive Caucus over the last year has been that ability to build relationships across the Democratic caucus,” she said in an interview.
…Adding…Chainman: one who searches tax and assessment records in order to compile lists of mortgages, deeds, contracts, and other instruments pertaining to real-estate titles…
* My old pal Amanda Vinicky asked if I’d highlight the upcoming FOIA Fest, and I cannot say no to reasonable requests from folks like AV…
FOIA Fest is back and bigger than ever. The Chicago Headline Club will host its 10th annual conference devoted to public records-driven journalism, taking place virtually Feb. 24-26.
Tickets are on sale now through Feb. [24].
From cub reporters to seasoned vets, community organizers to everyday residents, FOIA Fest helps equip attendees with the tools needed to better understand and use public records for impactful investigations and everyday life.
FOIA Fest will kick off with a keynote address by Pulitzer Center Executive Editor Marina Walker Guevara on the evening of Thursday, Feb. 24. This will be followed by two full days of programming on Friday, Feb. 25 and Saturday, Feb. 26.
FOIA Fest is the Chicago Headline Club’s signature training event. The conference is designed to help reporters, community organizers and everyday people learn about freedom of information requests — from the basics to finishing long-term investigative projects. The conference helps equip attendees with the tools needed to better understand and use public records for impactful investigations and everyday life.
Click here to buy your tickets. If you can’t swing the fee, there are some alternatives. Either check with Amanda or go to a watch party.
* I mentioned this twice earlier today, but it was buried both times, so let’s give it its own post…
Tom DeVore, the downstate lawyer behind many of the legal challenges to Gov. JB Pritzker’s use of emergency powers in the name of fighting COVID-19, and the main architect behind the successful bid, to date, to undo Pritzker’s school mask mandates, appears poised to seek statewide office, potentially as Illinois Attorney General.
* The Question: Your own suggestions for Tom DeVore for Attorney General campaign slogans?
…Adding… From comments…
I’m still laughing at field 5a on his newly filed D-1.
What could possibly go wrong with the top law enforcement office in the state being unable to read directions on a one page form?
The question on the form is what counties or districts the campaign will be operating in and then instructs candidates: “if operating statewide or supporting/opposing statewide candidates or ballot Initiatives, leave blank.)”
Democratic Party of Illinois Executive Director Abby Witt released the following statement regarding Tom DeVore’s announcement he would see the Republican nomination for Illinois Attorney General:
“For nearly two years, Tom DeVore has used the pandemic as his personal publicity tour, filing countless absurd and frivolous lawsuits in an attempt to grab headlines, enrich himself, and undermine our state’s public health apparatus. Now, DeVore wants to take his circus act statewide, running for Attorney General in a pathetic gambit to extend his 15 minutes of fame and further gin up his followers against the local leaders who are working to protect the public. Sadly, the Illinois Republican Party has seemingly abandoned any shred of decency, inviting extremists like DeVore to the forefront. Illinois voters want sensible, honest, reasonable leadership from their elected officials, and there is no better example than Kwame Raoul.”
Saying private dollars shouldn’t be used to pay public employees, an Illinois lawmaker has introduced legislation that would prevent Gov. J.B. Pritzker from paying state employees out of his pocket on top of the salaries taxpayers already pay for.
Pritzker doles out $1.5 million a year to subsidize the salaries of 15 employees in his administration in addition to the $1.6 million taxpayers pay.
Senate Bill 2213 introduced by state Sen. Jason Plummer, R-Edwardsville, provides that no state employee may receive compensation from any private party for their work within the scope of his or her employment by a state agency.
“Pretty audacious that it is even happening, but on top of that, the complete lack of transparency on the issue is what really caught my attention as well,” Plummer said.
The Senator’s bill would amend the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. But there’s also the Campaign Disclosure Act which allows Sen. Plummer and others to use their campaign funds to give their own staffs a pay boost…
Officeholders, candidates and committees are allowed to spend campaign funds to offset the “customary and reasonable” expenses of an officeholder carrying out their governmental duties or performing public service functions. For example, a member of the General Assembly may use campaign funds to operate a district office. For more information about expenditures and for a more detailed explanation of the prohibitions, read section 9-8.10 of the Campaign Disclosure Act.
Hawthorne Race Course Thursday picked up one more of Arlington Park’s shuttered off-track betting parlors — this one in Rockford — giving the Cicero racetrack its maximum 16 allowed under state statute.
But there’s legislation proceeding in Springfield this week that would remove that cap.
* Media advisory…
Many farm equipment manufacturers prevent Illinois farmers from accessing the software tools they need to fix their modern tractors. That forces farmers to turn to corporate-authorized dealers for many problems, which can lead to high repair bills and delays that can put their crops—and their livelihoods—at risk. While farmers have always relied on local dealerships for help, more and more those dealerships have been bought up by large chain networks, further reducing competition and exacerbating the problems farmers already face due to repair restrictions.
WHAT: The release of a new report, “Deere in the Headlights II,” which demonstrates how consolidated dealerships have become and how these large chains can reduce choice for Illinois farmers. We will reveal which tractor-maker’s dealerships are most consolidated and talk about how this trend impacts farmers’ livelihoods and how the Right to Repair could dramatically increase farmers’ repair choices.
WHO: Representative Michelle Mussman, author of the Digital Fair Repair Act (HB3061)
Robert Davies, Incoming President at Illinois Farmers Union
Willie Cade, Midwest Regional Director at Repair.org
David J Lee, Associate at Illinois PIRG
WHEN: Thursday, February 24, 2022 @ 10:00 AM to 10:30 AM CT
* From Friday…
More than 500 Illinoisans mobilized today for an environmental justice-focused lobby day and rally. Participants urged their legislators to pass bills that address environmental injustices impacting historically marginalized communities across Illinois. The environmental justice movement strives to ensure communities disproportionately affected by industrial pollution, environmental racism and institutional neglect are protected from environmental and health hazards. Today, Illinoisans raised their voices to make it clear: environmental injustice has no home in Illinois.
In meetings with their members of the Illinois General Assembly, concerned advocates lobbied for the Environmental Justice Act (EJ Act HB4093/SB2906), which would reform the industrial permitting process and give environmental justice communities a greater say in development projects. They also advocated for bills protecting communities that are home to aging power plants (HB4358/SB3073), as well as a technical fix to the historic Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (HB4390/SB3866) and voting rights legislation (SB828).
“Black, Brown and Indigenous communities across Illinois have disproportionately experienced generations of concentrated, toxic industrial pollution resulting in costly, chronic health impacts,” said JD Dixon, rally emcee and environmental justice organizer with the United Congregations of Metro East. “The only way to equitably reform zoning policies that have fueled environmental racism is to give residents more say in the process for rewriting and implementing those policies.”
The EJ Act, an effort led by the Chicago Environmental Justice Network, aims to reform the state’s air permitting processes, give environmental justice communities a greater say in the development projects sited within their communities and require a review of the cumulative impact of proposed air pollution sources.
* Press release…
Illinois will soon fund and maintain a 24-hour suicide prevention hotline available to people in crisis, thanks to legislation sponsored by State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview).
“Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in our country,” Senator Fine said. “It saddens me that many of these deaths could have been prevented if mental health resources were more accessible. Providing access to behavioral and mental health resources with this hotline will be essential to saving lives.”
Senator Fine’s measure would create the Statewide 9-8-8 Trust Fund, which would be used by the Department of Human Services to establish and maintain a statewide 9-8-8 suicide prevention and mental health crisis system.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline’s 9-8-8 number will be live across the nation by July 2022, pursuant to the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020. However, people in crisis should continue to call the Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) until then.
“Mental health is as important as physical health. There should be accessible and quality resources available in the event of an emergency,” Senator Fine said. “This initiative will make treatment in times of crisis accessible for anyone who dials 9-8-8.”
SB 2945 passed the Senate floor Wednesday. It now goes to the House for further consideration.
* Press release…
The Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Alliance today urged Illinois Senators to support Senate Bill 2976 to help provide relief for Illinois wineries that have experienced a drop in tourism and increase in licensing fees during the COVID-19 pandemic and provide an equitable pathway for growth for the industry.
SB 2976, sponsored by Sen. Rachelle Crowe, would reduce a significant licensing fee increase imposed on Illinois wineries during the height of the pandemic when many wineries struggled to stay afloat. The bill would also provide balance for wine production and self-distribution limits compared to counterparts in the beer and spirits industries.
While Illinois is one of the top wine-drinking states in the country, and the Illinois wine industry has grown in esteem, the state’s wineries are prohibited from producing and selling their wine at levels that compare with their peers in the beer and spirits industries.
As a growing attraction in many Illinois communities, from Chicago to Carbondale, the changes under SB 2976 would allow the state’s wine industry to grow, recover from the pandemic, and continue providing good jobs and contributing to local economies.
“With ongoing challenges created by the pandemic, the wine industry in Illinois is still working to bounce back and prove its resilience,” Sen. Crowe said. “By increasing the production cap and allowing makers to sell more wine directly to retailers, Illinois can offer support to one of its vital but struggling industries.”
Specifically, SB 2976 will:
• Reduce a 60% increase in licensing fees for Illinois wineries implemented last year;
• Increase limits on wine production and self-distribution on par with the beer and spirits industries; and
• Eliminate negative impacts of a loss of premise license for wineries that decide to expand manufacturing operations to include beer or spirits.
“For more than a decade now, we have been deprived of the right to self-distribute our own wines directly to our small volume customers, liquor stores, restaurants and other venues that wish to offer our products,” said Andres Basso, general manager at Lynfred Winery in Roselle. “We have worked arduously to attract and maintain distributors interested in our brand to keep our business operating. It would seem fair that we would be able to sell cases of wines directly to those customers without having to involve a middleman or other large distributors just like brewers and distillers do in our state.”
“If we had the ability to increase the volume of wine that we’re distributing, we could expand our coverage area and better serve retailers with more product variety at a lower price – all of which would benefit our consumers,” said Jim Ewers, general manager of Blue Sky Vineyard in Makanda. “Allowing us to produce and directly distribute more would also lead to more work, more jobs, and greater benefits to our local economy as well. It really makes no sense to keep these caps in place that have only limited our growth.”
“With our winery sitting directly across the river from Missouri, we see firsthand the differences in the way the state of Missouri treats their wineries compared to Illinois,” said Mike Nikonovich, owner of the Grafton Winery in Grafton, Ill. “Missouri’s license fee is capped at $300 annually, with very minimal rules related to production and self-distribution. Additionally, Illinois wineries pay over $2 more per case in state gallonage taxes than Missouri wineries. While that may not seem like much, it does add up over the course of the year, especially when you also factor in the higher Illinois property taxes.”
According to a 2019 economic impact report commissioned by the Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Alliance before the pandemic, the Illinois wine industry had a $5.7 billion total economic impact. The report also found the Illinois wine industry:
• Paid $878 million in federal, state and local taxes;
• Employed over 52,000 full-time jobs;
• Paid $2.15 billion in wages; and
• Entertained more than 278,000 tourists.
The study defines the Illinois wine industry as wine grape growers, wine producers, wine wholesalers, wine retailers (on and off premise), wine tourism, wine research and education, and wine grape growing associations in the state.
Democratic Rep. Kam Buckner is unhappy with how Republican Rep. Steven Reick spoke to Democratic Rep. Lakesia Collins [after she moved to have him ejected from the House floor] and wants an apology.
During floor debate, Collins had called out the Republicans who didn’t wear masks, and she included Reick. The Woodstock Republican, however, had been wearing his mask, and so his name was taken off the list of those kicked out. Still, Reick approached Collins after floor debate to complain. Reick “was upset his actions were mischaracterized,” a GOP spokesperson told Playbook.
The Chicago Democrat said Reick put his finger in her face and said “Keep my f***g name out of your mouth.” Collins was startled by his tone and felt “threatened,” she told Playbook.
Two other lawmakers stepped between Collins and Reick to diffuse the situation, but Collins said she was shaken nonetheless.
Buckner sent a letter to Reick, with copies to Welch and House Minority Leader Jim Durkin, calling for Reick to make a public apology since the confrontation was on the House floor for all to see.
“This type of behavior is not only against our rules, it is beneath this body,” according to the letter obtained by Playbook.
The House Republicans say there are two sides to this story, but are hoping to calm things down. House Republican Leader Jim Durkin and House Speaker Chris Welch are meeting this morning to try to get the chamber back on track.
* Before that meeting was scheduled, however, Welch sent this letter to Leader Durkin…
February 22, 2022
Leader Durkin,
Last week you stood up on the House floor and declared “the rules are the rules.” You said your members would “accept the consequences” of not following those House rules that have been in place for two years, of which many members of the Republican Caucus voted to put in place in order to keep our colleagues, our staff and our families safe.
Last week, we saw members of the Republican Caucus attempt to stop the work of the people at every opportunity. We witnessed a Republican member not accept the consequences and remain in the chamber while in violation of the rules that were approved by a majority of duly elected representatives.
We witnessed a member of the Republican Caucus ask the judicial branch to restrict the ability of the legislative body from operating as laid out in the Illinois State Constitution. The frivolous lawsuit, both a waste of state resources and tax dollars, is an incredibly dangerous precedent to set regarding the separation of powers. I suspect an officer of the court such as yourself can also agree the importance of keeping our institutions of the state clearly divided to safeguard liberties.
We witnessed Representative Steven Reick’s unbecoming behavior on the House floor toward one of our colleagues. Let me be clear: this behavior will not be tolerated. The representative should make a formal apology to Representative Lakesia Collins and the entire House chamber. I hope that as the leader of the Republican Caucus, you will facilitate that apology.
Your stated desire for civility and working together is welcomed. I appreciate your words and look forward to seeing you follow through. I hope to see you ensure members of your caucus follow the House rules in order to get the people’s work done while keeping everyone as safe as possible.
As you stated last week, civility is important and we do have people watching us. Let’s make sure we can be proud of our behavior, the message we’re sending to the entire state, and the work we’re accomplishing on behalf of citizens.
Sincerely,
Emanuel “Chris” Welch
Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives
7th District
*** UPDATE 1 *** “Let’s get to work,” Durkin said he advised his members…
We caught up with House Republican Leader Jim Durkin as he left Speaker Welch’s office. He’s calling on GOP to “get to work.”
Hat tip to Rich Miller @capitolfax for his scoop that they were meeting privately about cooling down the tensions on the floor. pic.twitter.com/rgzzEKUqAa
Lawmakers question Pritzker’s staff about the ‘grown-up table’ […]
“During this budget cycle especially, seats at the grown-up table will be off-limits to those who aren’t working in the public’s best interests,” Pritzker said.
State Rep. Tom Demmer, R-Dixon, said the lawmakers and the governor should be working together on what’s best for the people.
“This comment that individuals that are welcome at something called a grown-ups table when they are concerned about the public’s best interest, we agree that being concerned about the impact of taxes on Illinois families is in the best interest of the public,” Demmer said.
Fed up with mask requirements at the Illinois State Capitol, Republican Representative Blaine Wilhour is suing House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch.
“We’re trying to move the ball forward and we’re trying to ultimately restore some sanity in Springfield,” Wilhour told WGN News. “Why should we have to wear a mask in there when the science is now pretty clear that — especially cloth masks — don’t work at all?”
That’s not exactly accurate. The CDC has said that cloth masks do not offer as much protection as surgical masks or respirators.
The lawsuit comes after a group of Republican representatives who refused to wear face coverings last week were barred from the House floor. […]
“The whole thing is just ridiculous,” Wilhour said. “We made a decision that we were going to not participate any longer in things that don’t make sense.”
Oh, the possibilities for non-participation are just endless, Rep. Wilhour. Heck, folks might even wonder why they’re still in the House if they would stop and think about them, I’d wager.
“For the last year at least, I contend two years, the observed science, scores of studies, real world observations have told us there is absolutely no observed or clinical data that indicates any benefit whatsoever to masking K-12 students in schools,” Wilhour said. […]
Wilhour said there is absolutely no observed or clinical data that indicates any benefit whatsoever to masking K-12 students in schools.
Clinical studies cannot be conducted on this issue because of the risk they would pose to unprotected children, but observational data shows masks are beneficial in reducing transmissions in schools.
NOW COMES the Plaintiffs, by and through their attorneys Thomas G. DeVore, and the Silver Lake Group, Ltd., and pursuant to 735 ILCS 5/11-101, and moves this Court for entry of a Temporary Restraining Order without notice against the Defendant, and hereby plead:
1. Wilhour has a right to insist he not be compelled to undergo quarantine, which includes masking, which is purported to limit the spread of an infectious disease, unless Wilhour is first afforded his procedural and substantive due process rights as provided under Illinois law.
2. DeVore has a right to insist his duly elected representative not be excluded from the house floor except as may be authorized by law.
3. There can be no doubt Welch is attempting to compel quarantine upon Wilhour in an attempt to allegedly prevent the spread of an infectious disease.
4. When Wilhour did not comply, his was forcefully removed from the House Floor by law enforcement on February 17, 2022 and is permanently excluded unless he submits himself to quarantine.
5. Wilhour has been removed by force from the house floor and as a result DeVore, and all other citizens of the 107th District, are currently left without representation.
6. Such matters are so harmful and egregious to Wilhour and DeVore, as well as all citizens of the 107th District, that Plaintiffs will be too irreparably prejudiced by waiting until such time as the Court can set the TRO for hearing.
7. The Illinois legislature has delegated to IDPH authority on these matters, and IDPH in turn delegated the authority to certified local health departments.
8. The House of Representatives has adopted this unlawful rule to allegedly prevent the spread of an infectious disease.
9. Welch does not have any lawful authority to demand or require any type of quarantine, upon Wilhour to allegedly prevent the spread of an infectious disease, and certainly not without having first provided the clear due process provided by Illinois law.
10. Welch is not the certified local health department acting pursuant to its lawful authority under 20 ILCS 2305 et seq.
11. Even if the certified local health department desires to seek such compliance from Wilhour, the same can only be accomplished by providing procedural and substantive due process as provided by law.
12. At no time, has any relevant certified local health department taken any action against Wilhour in regard to quarantine by seeking consent or a lawful order of court.
13. Quite simply, Welch is infringing upon the lawful right of Wilhour to be free to choose for himself whether to undergo quarantine for the purpose of limiting the spread of an infectious disease, absent a court order.
14. As a result, DeVore, and all other citizens of the 107th District, are being irreparable harmed by having their representative unlawfully removed from the legislative process.
Forcefully removed by law enforcement?
…Adding… From comments…
Weird, I was watching session last week and didn’t see anyone get forcibly removed. McCombie refused to comply and was allowed to remain in her seat. Also, the journal from that day shows Wilhour casting votes on every matter before the House.
Tom DeVore, the downstate lawyer behind many of the legal challenges to Gov. JB Pritzker’s use of emergency powers in the name of fighting COVID-19, and the main architect behind the successful bid, to date, to undo Pritzker’s school mask mandates, appears poised to seek statewide office, potentially as Illinois Attorney General.
DeVore has begun distributing petitions to supporters to place his name on the ballot in June for the Republican primary election for Attorney General.
That followed an appearance a few days earlier, in which DeVore hinted strongly to his intent to seek the GOP nod to oppose Democratic incumbent Kwame Raoul in November.
On Wednesday, Feb. 16, speaking at a conservative rally in St. Charles, headlined by Turning Points USA founder, activist Charlie Kirk, DeVore drew a standing ovation from the crowd when he began speaking about the need for a Republican candidate willing to challenge incumbent Attorney General Kwame Raoul, a Democrat and ally of Pritzker.
During his remarks, DeVore assailed Raoul for acting as “the governor’s personal attorney,” rather than “the people’s legal counsel.”
…Adding… Rep. David Welter (R-Morris) went back into the chamber…
Welter, who was removed for not wearing a mask, returned to the House floor following the break, this time with a face covering.
“I put the mask back on to comply and came back to do the people’s business,” Welter said. “I was not going to let this statement and demonstration negatively impact the constituents I represent.”
Welter said the statement was to push back against the mask mandate following an ongoing court case that placed a temporary restraining order on dozens of schools and the rejection of COVID-19 mitigation protocols in schools by a bipartisan legislative committee earlier this week.
“Hopefully this sends a little bit of a message that people are done with it,” he said.
Pritzker’s biggest political vulnerability is: “There will be people mad about the way he handled the pandemic. I think he did a pretty good job.
“… There’s no doubt he’s, he’s more liberal, probably on some issues, than I think probably the state is … and his party is more liberal, too.”
While Republicans have a “long -term” problem with the Trump wing, “I think the Democrats have a real problem with the far left” with Democrats “even farther left to Bernie Sanders. So Gov. Pritzker has to deal with that, and I think that that can be an issue. I think he’s the favorite going into this race.
“An incumbent governor, unless they really mess up, and I don’t think he’s messed up really bad — there are some things I disagree with — they have an advantage.”
And “he’s not going to lack money. We know that. And he’ll spend it.”
* Meanwhile, the state GOP claims the wheels are falling off…
The wheels really are coming off for Pritzker
Another day, another bad story for JB Pritzker.
In case you missed it, Pritzker’s disastrous Tollway reorganization took another wrong turn last week as the governor’s Madigan-approved tollway board chairman resigned following what the Chicago Sun-Times called a “tumultuous tenure.” It’s another case of promises made, promises broken from JB Pritzker.
In 2019, Pritzker asked the Illinois General Assembly To pass legislation that would allow him to fire the entire Illinois Tollway board and replace them with people of his choosing. The legislature obliged and Pritzker appointed a new board in February 2019, claiming “our new leadership will uphold the highest ethical standards.
Pritzker selected former Peoples Gas President Will Evans to serve as the chairman of the Tollway and the new board selected former Chicago Housing Authority Chief Operating Officer Jose Alverez to be its new executive director. Both picks were “strongly endorsed” by former ComEd executive John Hooker, who was charged in 2020 “with orchestrating an elaborate bribery scheme with utility giant Commonwealth Edison that allegedly funneled money and do-nothing jobs to Madigan loyalists.”
Evans would soon come under fire from the General Assembly for firing the Tollway’s chief procurement officer and its chief administrative officer, and for putting himself in direct oversight of procurement and other operations.
Pritzker has never accepted responsibility for the mess at the Tollway today – even though the reorganization was his idea and Evans was his Madigan-approved chairman.
News of Evans resigning was the latest embarrassment in a series of problems plaguing Pritzker.
Last week, the governor melted down when asked about his culpability in rising crime in Illinois. Pritzker refused to answer questions about a politically-connected arsonist he pardoned. The governor started to sweat a bit more as a federal court denied a motion to dismiss in the ongoing Madigan corruption trial (speaking of Hooker and Comed!). And a state appellate court sided against Pritzker’s school mask mandate after the legislature voted to reject the governor’s emergency rule.
Of the more than 20 Republicans running for Congress in the North, Northwest and Western suburbs, just four said they agree with the Republican National Committee’s description of last year’s deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol as “ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse.”
Only one candidate outright rejected the RNC’s characterization.
Five candidates denounced the rioters but wouldn’t say if they agreed or disagreed with the RNC’s statement. Others refused to answer questions about the historic event or couldn’t be reached.
* Let’s plot some of this out. First up, the one candidate who rejected the RNC’s characterization was Gary Grasso, the mayor of Burr Ridge who has been endorsed by House Republican Leader Jim Durkin and DuPage County Board Chair Dan Cronin. He’s running in the 6th District…
“The storming of the Capitol by force was not legitimate political discourse,” Grasso said. “It was a riot causing significant injuries and death, with deliberate destruction of sacred national ground.”
Lauf is hoping to face Democratic US Rep. Bill Foster in the fall. And aside from saying a clarification was needed from the RNC, fellow Republican candidate Cassandra Tanner Miller would only say “These are not simple yes-or-no questions.”
On Republican candidates who dodge answering questions about whether President Biden is the elected president and the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol was an effort to overturn the presidential election: “I think it’s a legitimate question. It’s a major issue, particularly if you’re talking law and order this campaign.”
This past weekend, the Chicago Tribune published an in-depth report on Richard Irvin’s 15-year career as a criminal defense attorney, a chapter in his history that Irvin conveniently leaves out of his official made-for-TV narrative. Irvin worked three times longer as a defense attorney than a prosecutor, making money off clients accused of heinous crimes like kidnapping, domestic violence, and sexual assault.
As the Tribune reported, Irvin’s clients included a man accused of kicking a police officer in the face and a gang member who pled guilty to a crime involving the abduction of eight people. A key piece of Irvin’s business was defending those accused of domestic abuse, and his firm’s website gave potential clients tips about how to beat abuse charges. But you won’t see anything about the constitutional right to counsel in Irvin’s slick TV ads, nor will Irvin or his campaign answer questions about his career as a defense attorney.
Ken Griffin and the Rauner Reboot team think they can use big money TV ads to hide the truth about Irvin’s past. They want to remake Irvin as tough-on-crime prosecutor even though he spent far longer defending criminals than locking them up. This comes after Irvin already reversed himself on several previous positions like his stance COVID mitigations, his belief that Black Lives Matter, he effusive praise of Gov. JB Pritzker, and his long history of voting in Democratic primaries.
Clearly, Richard Irvin is happy to say whatever his campaign handlers want as he tries to get elected. But the truth about Richard Irvin is just beginning to come out. So, the questions remain: who is Richard Irvin and what does he actually believe?
This is the story I posted about during the Lincoln birthday holiday break.
As a Republican candidate for governor, Richard Irvin has promoted himself as a no-nonsense, law-and-order candidate who as a onetime prosecutor put “gangsters, drug dealers and wife beaters” in jail.
Irvin was a prosecutor in Cook and Kane counties from 1998, shortly after getting his law license, until 2003. But he then worked for almost 15 years as a criminal defense attorney, specializing in defending people accused of the same types of crime he rails against in his campaign ads. […]
In a widely aired campaign TV spot, Irvin portrays himself as being on the front lines in the fight against crime. “When I was a prosecutor, I’d go around with these guys. We raided crack houses and busted up gangs,” he says, implying he’s with a police officer. “This apartment complex over here? It was bad. But we took it back.” […]
To be sure, working as a criminal defense attorney is not at odds with support of law enforcement. But voters who only know of Irvin from his TV ads and campaign rhetoric will have only a partial picture of the varied roles he has played in the criminal justice system.
…Adding… As you can see by these redacted (by me) court records, Henry Pratt shooter Gary Martin was twice represented by Reginald Campbell, and the documents have the name of Irvin’s firm on them…
Irvin and Campbell both say Irvin had no involvement in the case.
This entire controversy over Sangamon County Judge Raylene Grischow’s odd ruling earlier this month that statewide mask/vaccine/testing mandates at schools are a “type of quarantine” and therefore fall under the state’s quarantine laws (which include individual due process protections) could’ve all been prevented with a simple bill last year.
Most who’ve watched this closely knew that Judge Grischow’s temporary restraining order against enforcing the state emergency rules containing the school mandate language was a possibility, however remote. Southern Illinois attorney Tom DeVore has been making this “mask mandates are quarantines” argument for a very long time, but he has, shall we say, a less than impressive win-loss record in his pandemic portfolio.
DeVore recently described himself as a “hayseed,” and he comes off as not credible to many. The governor has even referred to him as a “grifter,” for which DeVore is suing him (and the lawyer will probably lose because of executive immunity). DeVore is also using his recent infamy to possibly launch a statewide Republican bid for attorney general at the end of February.
But despite DeVore’s win-loss record and his many idiosyncrasies, all it takes is one judge who is fed up with following pandemic rules and an appeals court that clearly doesn’t want to touch a political hot potato and policy disaster can strike.
And, boy did it strike last week when an Illinois appellate court punted and ruled that Gov. JB Pritzker’s appeal of Grischow’s TRO was moot because the legislature’s Joint Committee on Administrative Rules had voted to suspend the emergency rule in question days earlier – even though both the governor’s office and DeVore had told the justices further action was needed.
The General Assembly hasn’t done much to hold up its end during the pandemic. Until this month, the courts have mostly sided with the governor’s executive orders, so there was no real perceived need to change that many laws. And the less they did, the better for everyone, was the prevailing mood. The governor didn’t have additional legislative distractions, and legislators could sit back and point fingers as needed.
Legislators did step in last year when some school staff started using the state’s Right of Conscience Act, which was designed to protect anti-abortion medical care providers, to claim they couldn’t be forced to take vaccines or be regularly tested for the coronavirus. As a result, that never became a thing.
If legislators at the time had also approved similar legislation to further clarify state law that the legislature never intended that mask mandates, etc. are a type of quarantine, then there’d be no case to discuss today. Such an argument would’ve had the added benefit of being absolutely true. As with the Right of Conscience Act, no such result could’ve possibly been envisioned at the time of passage. School mask mandates are quarantines? Are you nuts?
But the governor’s people say that legislative leaders wouldn’t consider the quarantine language change proposal. Members were already being inundated with angry, even threatening contacts from constituents and outsiders who’d been ginned up by disinformation outlets to what we thought at the time was the max over the Right of Conscience Act fix. Tossing more fuel on the fire wasn’t something that enough Democratic legislators wanted to do, even though doing both at once could’ve saved a whole lot of grief down the road.
What’s done is done. Or, in this case, what wasn’t done is now done.
The appellate court’s punt to Judge Grischow means her TRO stands, but Attorney General Kwame Raoul claims that the governor’s executive orders on school mask mandates is still in effect for school districts that are not part of the cases in front of Grischow.
Pritzker is appealing to the Illinois Supreme Court, which has been more reluctant than even the legislature to step into this pandemic topic. The state sometimes seems to be just chock full of finger-pointers and responsibility shirkers.
The unanswered question, of course, is what happens during the next covid variant wave (if any) or the next pandemic if a mask requirement is ultimately deemed a legally defined quarantine. The future will likely not look back with kindness and the governor should not allow such a result to be part of his legacy.
At a time of intense division in the nation, First Lady MK Pritzker announced that she is donating an iconic bust of President Lincoln to his presidential library in Springfield to inspire unity among Illinoisans and Americans.
Acclaimed sculptor Leonard Volk created the commanding depiction for the 1860 presidential campaign. It proved incredibly popular and helped establish Lincoln’s image among voters eager to know more about the presidential candidate.
The bust being donated to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum once belonged to Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln and was displayed in their Springfield home.
“President Lincoln’s vision for national unity amid poisonous and violent division rings true today more than any other time in my lifetime,” said First Lady MK Pritzker. “This iconic bust of President Lincoln is valuable for more than just the history it represents; it is valuable for the future that it inspires. I hope that the people of Illinois visit his presidential library to take in this breathtaking sculpture, and have the opportunity to reflect on the need for unity in our own time.”
Gary Johnson, chairman of the ALPLM’s Board of Trustees thanked First Lady Pritzker for the generous donation.
“This treasure helps tell the story of Abraham Lincoln’s journey from politician to president to national icon. It humanizes Lincoln while still managing to capture the strength and determination the nation would soon need,” Johnson said.
“We were overjoyed to learn that this amazing piece of President Lincoln’s legacy is coming to the ALPLM. It’s both a powerful piece of art and an important piece of history that deserves to be seen by Lincoln fans everywhere,” said Christina Shutt, the Library and Museum’s Executive Director. “We plan to display the bust as soon as possible so Lincoln admirers everywhere can visit us and appreciate its impact.”
First Lady Pritzker purchased the bust at auction last week for $400,000. The bust is being shipped directly to the ALPLM.
Volk’s sculpture helped blunt attacks Lincoln faced when he ran for president, explained Dr. Ian Hunt, the presidential library’s head of acquisitions.
“The image captured by Volk dispelled criticism of the future president as awkward, homely or weak. Volk’s work instead conveyed a sense of strength, integrity and character which certainly helped propel Lincoln into the White House,” Hunt said.
This copy of the bust was given to the Lincolns by the sculptor on May 18, 1860, the day after Lincoln won the Republican nomination for president. They kept it until moving to Washington, D.C., in February 1861. Instead of taking it with them, they gave it to neighbor and family friend Noyes Miner, and it remained in his family until purchased by the first lady.
Miner’s descendants were also owners of a rare Lincoln Bible that they donated to the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in 2019.
* Click the pic for more photos of the sculpture and more info…
MLB: “We regret that, without a collective bargaining agreement in place, we must postpone the start of Spring Training games until no earlier than Saturday, March 5. All 30 Clubs are unified in their strong desire to bring players back to the field and fans back to the stands.”
3/agreement that is fair to each side. On Monday, members of the owners’ bargaining committee will join an in-person meeting with the Players Association and remain every day next week to negotiate and work hard towards starting the season on time.”
* The Sun-Times piece starts with a comparison to Michael and Lisa Madigan and devolves from there…
There’s a familiar ring to it — the Illinois House speaker using his political muscle to help get a family member elected to a plum political post.
But this time it isn’t former House Speaker Michael J. Madigan, who orchestrated the election of his daughter Lisa Madigan first to the Illinois Senate and then as Illinois attorney general.
Madigan’s successor as House speaker, Emanuel “Chris” Welch, is trying to get his wife ShawnTe Raines-Welch elected a Cook County judge — even going door to door to collect signatures from registered voters to ensure she can get on the June 28 Democratic primary ballot, sources say.
She’s running for one of two open judgeships in a judicial district that includes a portion of the south, west and northwest suburbs that fall, in part, within Welch’s legislative district.
Wow, yeah. That’s exactly the same. Right.
And, oh my goodness, he’s going door-to-door himself to help his spouse collect signatures? Such a scandal.
* The Richard Irvin campaign says Irvin has had no access to or control of the law firm website since 2017, when he left the firm. From the DGA…
Richard Irvin may claim he’s “tough on crime” but for 15 years, he advertised his law firm to the very individuals he claims to want behind bars. The Richard C. Irvin & Associates’ website, which was registered in 2006, suddenly went dark last night. So what is Irvin trying to erase from his record?
Maybe it’s his use of language that downplays the severity of domestic violence, blaming it on how “emotions can run hot” or “tempers can flare,” or how his “Aurora domestic violence attorneys will zealously defend” the rights of violent abusers.
Or Irvin’s direct appeal to violent offenders like burglars, armed robbers, and home invaders.
It could be his defense of abusive and neglectful parents.
Or maybe it is how he brazenly advertised his five years as a prosecutor as the reason he can “craft effective defense strategies?”
Irvin has a lot to hide in his record, so he erased the whole thing — just like he erased his past support of Gov. JB Pritzker, history of voting in Democratic primaries, and former support for public health mandates.
“Like every other part of his platform, Richard Irvin’s ‘tough on crime’ attitude is a campaign illusion,” said DGA Senior Communications Advisor Christina Amestoy. “Irvin wants to hide his history of defending domestic abusers and other violent criminals because he knows it’ll hinder his political aspirations — but we have the receipts. Try as he may, Irvin can’t erase his horrible record on crime.”
Response from Eleni Demertzis…
JB Pritzker should spend less time concerned with a deleted website that’s been fully documented and more time explaining why he cleared the way for a convicted arsonist to become a fire chief.
More than three months after a political rival asked for them, Chicago City Clerk and Illinois secretary of state hopeful Anna Valencia finally has released hundreds of emails sought under the state’s open records law, and they do raise questions about how she appears to mix public, private and family business. […]
Other issues are more serious.
In July 2017, one email indicates Valencia was scheduling a lunch with Monterrey CEO Juan Gaytan. The lunch finally was scheduled for Sept. 19, and eventually canceled shortly before then. In the meantime, [her husband, Reyahd Kazmi] was signing up to do lobbying work for Monterrey as the firm struggled to retain a contract covering Soldier Field.
Early in 2018, Valencia thanked Gaytan for “your willingness to make introductions” to officials from the Chicago Fire, Chicago Bears and Chicago Sky for potential partnership with the CityKey municipal ID program her office runs for undocumented immigrants and some others without papers. The Fire, who play at Soldier Field along with the Bears, responded affirmatively, offering a detailed term sheet of ticket discounts it would make available to CityKey holders. Valencia, on her official city email account, forwarded the term sheet to her husband’s personal email account.
She set up a lunch that was canceled? Get the feds on Line 1.
— Richard Boykin has received $35,000 from former Senate candidate and local philanthropist Willie Wilson in his bid for Cook County Board president. Boykin filed his paperwork for his campaign with the Board of Elections yesterday.
— Karin Norington-Reaves, a candidate for Congress in the 1st District, has been endorsed by the Collective PAC, a political action committee focused on increasing Black representation in government.
* Operating on the proposition that governors own is one thing. They do. But…
Aurora Mayor and Gubernatorial Candidate Richard Irvin today called on Glenbrook School Board Member Joel Taub to resign from the board after publicly cursing out an individual for not wearing a mask at the Glenbrook School Board Meeting this week where children were present.
Statement attributable to Richard Irvin:
“No one should ever speak to others the way Mr. Taub did at that school board meeting, which is why he must resign. Mr. Taub’s outrageous behavior is yet another example of the disrespect and assault on parent’s rights from school board members who take their lead from J.B. Pritzker and his govern by fiat agenda. It is imperative that we restore respect and parents’ rights in our local school systems.”
The Illinois tollway’s embattled chairman Will Evans has resigned and will be replaced with a banking executive, officials said Friday. […]
Evans was appointed in early 2019 by Pritzker as part of reforms at the tollway that included hiring Executive Director Jose Alvarez following an uproar over patronage issues under the previous governor.
But clashes between the two men drew scrutiny from Illinois senators who held a hearing in October over a tollway reorganization instituted by Evans that several lawmakers said diminished Alvarez’s authority to run day-to-day operations.
Evans has not attended the December, January or February board meetings either in person or virtually.
Administration officials have said that Evans has been attending to a very ill family member.
* Press release…
Governor JB Pritzker announced his appointment of Dorothy Abreu as the new Illinois Tollway Board Chairwoman. Abreu is a senior vice president at PNC Bank with over 20 years of experience in financial services, significant public sector experience and an active track record of service to the community.
Illinois Tollway Board Chairman Will Evans announced his intention to step down from his role, effective immediately, and return to retirement after more than three years of service. During his tenure, the Tollway continued to deliver on a $14 billion capital program, expanded opportunities for minority contractors, and launched a historic amnesty program for Tollway customers which helped to substantially reduce outstanding and future fines on unpaid tolls.
“I am pleased to announce Dorothy Abreu as the new Board Chairwoman for the Illinois Tollway. I am confident her two decades of banking experience in the private sector and her impressive work with government entities and non-profit organizations will lend itself to continued growth and fiscal responsibility at the Tollway,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Chairman Evans led the Tollway to historic progress and leaves behind a stronger, more accessible, and more equitable Tollway system. He has been a valued partner over the past three years, and I wish him all the best on his well-deserved retirement.”
Abreu has enjoyed a long and successful career in the Illinois banking sector, with responsibilities spanning commercial lending, community development banking, and asset management. A graduate of North Park University, Abreu is currently a senior vice president for PNC’s Corporate and Institutional Banking group, where she leads the delivery of financial solutions and banking advisory services to public institutions and non-profit organizations in the state. In particular, she has worked with clients to manage pandemic-related disruptions and operational funding needs. She has also led financing for high-impact projects focused on driving economic development and affordable housing in Illinois’ low- to moderate-income communities.
“I am honored to serve as the next Tollway Board Chairwoman and CEO and am committed to building on the strong progress made over the past several years,” said Dorothy Abreu. “The Tollway is a state-of-the-art system with hundreds of miles of roadways connecting millions of customers to work, family, and their daily lives. With an eye towards strengthening collaboration, equity and transparency, I am eager to get to work to and provide our customers with the experience they deserve.”
Abreu has extensive experience serving on boards of several high-profile organizations. She is the current president of the Latino Policy Forum, a member of the board of directors of the Chicago Community Loan Fund, a member of the governing board of Chicago Commons, and a member of the board of directors of Chicago Habitat for Humanity.
Latino legislators appear to have won this battle.
* Hospitalizations are down 33.19 percent from last Thursday (Friday, you will recall, was a holiday). However, the governor’s projection last week of just 500 hospitalizations by tomorrow turned out to be way off track. That projection was used to buttress the argument in favor of lifting the state mask mandate on February 28th. Barring a miracle, the actual number will be around three times that. “As long as they’re still going down, that’s all we need to see,” a spokesperson told me today. So, the end of the mandate is still on track. IDPH press release…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 20,896 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including an increase of 417 deaths since February 11, 2022.
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 3,013,709 cases, including 32,299 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Since February 11, 2022, laboratories have reported 884,390 specimens for a total of 53,621,982. As of last night, 1,590 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 303 patients were in the ICU and 132 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from February 11-17, 2022 is 2.4%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from February 11- 17, 2022 is 3.1%.
Due to decreased demand at the state community-based testing sites (CBTS) and the availability of free at-home COVID-19 tests, the state testing locations will now be open on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays beginning this weekend. Locations previously open on Sundays will be closed this Sunday. The hours of operation at the locations will remain the same and can be found on the IDPH website COVID-19 testing page. We have seen an 87% drop in testing across the 10 state CBTS locations from the first of the year until now, and most locations are averaging fewer than 500 tests a week. To order free at-home COVID-19 tests from the federal government, go to covidtests.gov.
A total of 20,971,401 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 20,003 doses. Since February 11, 2022, 140,021 doses were reported administered in Illinois. Of Illinois’ total population, almost 76% has received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, 67% of Illinois’ total population is fully vaccinated, and more than 48% boosted according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
All data are provisional and will change. Additional information and COVID-19 data can be found at https://dph.illinois.gov/covid19.html.
Vaccination is the key to ending this pandemic. To find a COVID-19 vaccination location near you, go to www.vaccines.gov.
It’s suddenly become acceptable to say that COVID is—or will soon be—like the flu. Such analogies have long been the preserve of pandemic minimizers, but lately they’ve been creeping into more enlightened circles. Last month the dean of a medical school wrote an open letter to his students suggesting that for a vaccinated person, the risk of death from COVID-19 is “in the same realm, or even lower, as the average American’s risk from flu.” A few days later, David Leonhardt said as much to his millions of readers in the The New York Times’ morning newsletter. And three prominent public-health experts have called for the government to recognize a “new normal” in which the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus “is but one of several circulating respiratory viruses that include influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and more.”
The end state of this pandemic may indeed be one where COVID comes to look something like the flu. Both diseases, after all, are caused by a dangerous respiratory virus that ebbs and flows in seasonal cycles. But I’d propose a different metaphor to help us think about our tenuous moment: The “new normal” will arrive when we acknowledge that COVID’s risks have become more in line with those of smoking cigarettes—and that many COVID deaths, like many smoking-related deaths, could be prevented with a single intervention.
The pandemic’s greatest source of danger has transformed from a pathogen into a behavior. Choosing not to get vaccinated against COVID is, right now, a modifiable health risk on par with smoking, which kills more than 400,000 people each year in the United States. Andrew Noymer, a public-health professor at UC Irvine, told me that if COVID continues to account for a few hundred thousand American deaths every year—“a realistic worst-case scenario,” he calls it—that would wipe out all of the life-expectancy gains we’ve accrued from the past two decades’ worth of smoking-prevention efforts.
The COVID vaccines are, without exaggeration, among the safest and most effective therapies in all of modern medicine. An unvaccinated adult is an astonishing 68 times more likely to die from COVID than a boosted one. Yet widespread vaccine hesitancy in the United States has caused more than 163,000 preventable deaths and counting. Because too few people are vaccinated, COVID surges still overwhelm hospitals—interfering with routine medical services and leading to thousands of lives lost from other conditions. If everyone who is eligible were triply vaccinated, our health-care system would be functioning normally again. (We do have other methods of protection—antiviral pills and monoclonal antibodies—but these remain in short supply and often fail to make their way to the highest-risk patients.) Countries such as Denmark and Sweden have already declared themselves broken up with COVID. They are confidently doing so not because the virus is no longer circulating or because they’ve achieved mythical herd immunity from natural infection; they’ve simply inoculated enough people.
And, like tobacco smoke, what comes out of your mouth and nose can harm others.
California became the first state to formally shift to an “endemic” approach to the coronavirus with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s announcement Thursday of a plan that emphasizes prevention and quick reaction to outbreaks over mandated masking and business shutdowns.
The milestone, nearly two years in the making, envisions a return to a more normal existence with the help of a variety of initiatives and billions in new spending to more quickly spot surges or variants, add health care workers, stockpile tests and push back against false claims and other misinformation.
“We are moving past the crisis phase into a phase where we will work to live with this virus,” he said during a news conference from a state warehouse brimming with pandemic supplies in Fontana, east of Los Angeles. […]
A disease reaches the endemic stage when the virus still exists in a community but becomes manageable as immunity builds. But there will be no definitive turn of the switch, the Democratic governor said, unlike the case with Wednesday’s lifting of the state’s indoor masking requirements or an announcement coming Feb. 28 of when precisely schoolchildren can stop wearing face coverings.
And there will be no immediate lifting of the dozens of remaining executive emergency orders that have helped run the state since Newsom imposed the nation’s first statewide stay-home order in March 2020. […]
Newsom’s plan sets specific goals, such as stockpiling 75 million masks, establishing the infrastructure to provide up to 200,000 vaccinations and 500,000 tests a day in the event of an outbreak, and adding 3,000 medical workers within three weeks in surge areas.
His administration has devised an easy-to-remember acronym for the new strategy: SMARTER, which stands for Shots, Masks, Awareness, Readiness, Testing, Education and Rx, the last of which refers to prescription medications for COVID-19.
California ended indoor mask requirements for vaccinated people Wednesday and will announce Feb. 28 how long the mandate for schools will remain in place.
The approach moving forward will emphasize increased vaccination and testing, fighting misinformation, stockpiling medical supplies and flooding areas of virus surge with temporary medical workers. The plan also calls for boosting the state’s surveillance, including increased monitoring of virus remnants in wastewater to watch for the first signs of a surge.
You may have heard that Illinois is among the top 10 states nationally in business startups for 2021, with nearly 200,000 businesses formed last year. That’s up from 170,400 in 2020. And 2020 was also a very good year.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker took credit for this positive development, declaring the state to be “back, and open for business” and touting some of his pet economic projects.
The governor’s triumphant recent statement, which claimed Illinois was sixth in the nation when it came to the number of 2021 startups, omitted any reference to the flip side of business startups: business failures. Unfortunately, a lot of Illinois businesses went bust in the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, though we don’t have a figure comparable to the U.S. Census count of “business applications” that Pritzker equated with startups (which is only a rough approximation, at that).
The governor also overlooked how severe layoffs early in the pandemic drove some of the suddenly unemployed to launch their own ventures out of desperation, and how the anemic growth of the labor force continues to put a drag on business creation nationwide.
And did he mention that business startups appear to be slowing, so that 2022 is likely to be below the 2021 peak? Or that business failures probably will run high in 2022, partly because new ventures often fail in their first year or two?
…Adding… OneMan with an all-time classic in comments…
Glad to see Debbie Downer is writing for the Trib.
The Trib Editorial Board Writes For Other Parts Of The Paper
Weddings:
The bride and groom were all smiles despite the fact half of all marriages end in divorce.
High School Sports:
The coach said he was happy to win the state championship, he didn’t mention how this might be the peak of some of his players’ lives and it might be all downhill from here.
Business:
When mentioning how they were pleased with store-to-store performance increases over the year McDonald’s executives didn’t address the fact that eventually, every single one of their current customers will die.
* I mean, even that grumpus David Greising is starting to come around a bit, albeit while avoiding any direct credit for the governor because maybe Griffin…
Mendoza introduced the concept before the pandemic hit in 2020. She’s bringing it back because the economy is recovering and the strong outlook for state revenues makes the idea of mandatory payments toward pensions and the rainy-day fund more politically palatable.
Pritzker’s budget proposal, delivered earlier this month, could set the stage for what Mendoza is trying to accomplish. He has earmarked $500 million between now and the end of the next fiscal year toward one-time pension payments and roughly $900 million toward rebuilding the rainy-day fund, formally known as the budget stabilization fund.
“You can see where it’s not traditionally in the wheelhouse to put $800 million or $500 million or $200 million into the rainy-day fund because there are so many interests that want that money right now,” Mendoza said. “But saying we’re going to put that money to protect ourselves from a fiscal downturn is a very disciplined approach.”
Such a law would mark a sharp change for one of the most profligate states in the union. Gov. J.B. Pritzker has celebrated the state’s credit upgrade last year, its first in two decades, with reduced taxes on gas and groceries and a property tax rebate: $1 billion in all. He calls the package the Family Relief Plan, which has a nice election-year ring to it.
* The House adjourned this morning until Tuesday before taking any votes, so no mask drama today. Three of the members ejected from the floor yesterday were given excused absences today: Reps. David Friess, Blaine Wilhour and Joe Sosnowski.
The Governor is disappointed in the appellate court’s decision and concerned for the health of those in schools – particularly vulnerable children and adults – and the ability to continue in-person learning. The administration is working with the Attorney General to request an expedited review of this decision from the Supreme Court.
In the meantime, the Governor urges everyone to continue following the doctors’ advice to wear masks so students can remain safely learning in classrooms, and is encouraged that the court made it clear that school districts can continue to keep their own mitigations in place.
…Adding… Republican AG candidate Steve Kim…
“JB Pritzker and Kwame Raoul have continued this needless crusade instead of addressing the issues that are holding this state back. It’s time for Kwame Raoul and JB Pritzker to stop pursuing frivolous mandates and address crime and corruption that is costing our state millions every year.
“The courts have spoken. We must empower our families and their civil liberties and end the mandates to return liberty to parents and their children.”
…Adding… Senate GOP Leader Dan McConchie…
The Governor’s quest for total control over our schools appears to be continuing as he once again is doubling down on his mask mandate on students. Pritzker is failing to accept defeat as his ego and desire for power continue to lead him through his decision-making process. It’s clear that the Governor can’t stand the thought of loosening his grip on ruling unilaterally through the pandemic, thus he is willing to go to every extent possible to maintain that power. The fact that he is easing the mask mandate on nearly everyone but students just proves his true intentions.
*** UPDATE *** Press release…
Attorney General Kwame Raoul today issued the following statement regarding the late-night decision issued by the Illinois Appellate Court of the 4th District.
“Late last night the Appellate Court declined to issue a substantive decision in the appeal, and we are disappointed by the court’s ruling. The Appellate Court’s failure to address the important legal issues in question has added to the confusion resulting from the circuit court’s decision prioritizing a relatively small group of plaintiffs who refuse to acknowledge science or the need for public health measures to protect vulnerable Illinois residents.
“The Appellate Court’s ruling focuses exclusively on the emergency rulemaking process used by the Illinois Department of Public Health with respect to a single technical rule. That rule does not affect the executive orders issued by the governor under the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act, including the governor’s executive order requiring the use of masks in school, the exclusion from school of persons exposed to COVID-19, and testing of unvaccinated school employees working on school premises. That order continues to apply to all persons not specifically named as plaintiffs in the Allen, Austin, Graves and Hughes matters.
“While the Appellate Court’s ruling does not affect the enforceability of the governor’s executive orders, the decision does fundamentally misapply important principles of Illinois law related to the issuance of temporary restraining orders, such as the order issued by the trial court. Attorney General Raoul intends to immediately ask the Illinois Supreme Court to address these significant legal errors and preserve the integrity of the rule of law in Illinois. The COVID-19 pandemic is not over, and the Attorney General is committed to defending the governor’s actions to mitigate the spread of a virus that has resulted in more than 32,000 deaths in Illinois alone, and to protecting the health and safety of all Illinois residents.”
* With one big caveat, this commenter pretty well summed things up in a single sentence…
JCAR acted as it did entirely because they were waiting to see what the courts said. And the courts are now saying well, thanks to that, we don’t really need to rule at all
I would definitely not say “entirely.” Instead, I’d say “at least outwardly,” meaning, for public consumption. But, yeah, let’s take a look at their public comments.
Democratic state Rep. Mike Halpin of Rock Island said he was voting to block the revised rule from taking effect because “we’re currently in a situation where the (temporary restraining order) says this rule is not enforceable.”
“It’s possible, if not probable, that this might change on appeal, but for now as we sit here, for that reason, I’ll vote” to block the rule, Halpin said.
Two other Democrats who voted with Republicans, Chicago Reps. Curtis Tarver and Frances Ann Hurley, gave the same reasoning.
It takes 8 votes to suspend an emergency rule. The Republicans only have 6 members on that committee.
On February 14, 2022, IDPH renewed the aforementioned September 17, 2021, emergency rules. However, on February 15, 2022, the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) objected to and suspended IDPH’s renewal. Thus, none of the rules found by the circuit court to be null and void are currently in effect. Accordingly, for the following reasons, we dismiss defendant’s appeal because the expiration of the emergency rules renders this appeal moot.
And we still have no word from the governor’s office.
Illinois’ House speaker faces a lawsuit after Democrats voted to eject nine members who refused to follow the chamber’s mask rule. […]
Later in the day, attorney Thomas DeVore, who has a temporary restraining order against the governor’s mask mandates in schools, filed suit against House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, in Bond County Circuit Court. The lawsuit, DeVore said, is on behalf of his state Rep. Blaine Whilhour, R-Beecher City, and himself as an individual.
“Speaker Welch has no authority whatsoever to place quarantine measures on the peoples’ representatives to keep them out of that chamber,” DeVore told The Center Square. “It doesn’t even make any sense.” […]
Welch’s office didn’t immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
After being ejected from the chamber, ejected members were able to take part remotely when the House reconvened. At least one lawmaker, state Rep. Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, was prevented from voting on a resolution in person. She said her key was removed and she wasn’t allowed to vote.
DeVore said that’s a problem.
“They’re gonna say ‘you put a mask on or we’re going to exclude you from a foundational principle of representing your constituents,’” DeVore said. “They’re playing those games and completely eradicated her district from the process. There’s no way the courts are going to stand for that.”
Rep. Whilhour was still able to vote. He was ejected for following the chamber’s rules. Rep. McCombie was also ejected and then chose to not vote remotely. The House rules were followed, and the rules and the resolution to eject were passed with majority votes. Both members routinely participate in remote committee hearings, by the way.
Also, the Senate routinely denies floor access to all males who aren’t properly attired in a jacket and tie. Maybe that’s why the leader of this crew, Sen. Darren Bailey, has been so dutifully compliant with the rules since he was elected to that chamber.
* Also from yesterday…
State Representative Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich) along with State Representatives Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville); Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur); Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City); and Chris Miller (R-Oakland) defied the Illinois House mask rules and were forced to vote on bills remotely instead of on the House floor.
They are issuing the following statement on what transpired on the House floor today.
“For the third day in a row, we refused to comply with the House mask mandate because of our commitment to highlight the unnecessary school mask mandate and because we are tired of rules and policies that don’t make any sense. This time the Democrat majority followed through with their threat to remove us from the House floor and we were forced to vote on bills remotely instead of in person on the House floor.
At one point House Speaker Emanuel Chris Welch stated that there were more important things to do than spend time on the House floor debating masks. His statement illustrates how out of touch the Democrat majority is when it comes to the frustration of parents across the state of Illinois. These parents are tired of the cruelty brought on their children with these senseless mask mandates at schools. They are tired and frustrated and they want someone to listen to them. What can be more important than the concerns of parents about what is happening to their children?
Our message to Illinois parents is simple. We are listening to you. We stand with you, and we support you. The Democrats are feeling the heat because the public has had enough of the two years of the mandates and the disregard for their concerns. We must be resolved now more than ever to return Illinois to normalcy. We are going to keep fighting for your rights as parents to make healthcare decisions for your kids and we hope you will keep fighting too.”
Such drama junkies.
Rep. Caulkins was out sick yesterday and voted remotely. And being “forced” to participate remotely isn’t exactly an undue hardship. Your voice is still heard and your vote still counts. The rest of it is just patting themselves on the back for disruption. You’ve had your fun. Get back to work.
* Back to DeVore, who is soliciting clients for a new lawsuit…
Is your school district requiring masks on buses stating it’s a violation of law related to the mask requirement on public transportation? Our analysis of the law finds it is NOT. According to [USC02] 49 USC Ch. 53: PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, school bus service is NOT defined as public transportation, and there is no federal jurisdiction in this matter.
We are looking for up to 4 plaintiffs per school district who want to bring this issue before the court for a flat fee of $2500.00
We will not be seeking class certification at this time; instead, we hope that should the court rule in our favor, the school district would let it apply to ALL students.
Should the court rule in our favor and the school district chooses not to allow the ruling to apply to all students who are riding buses and we will offer other parents the option at that time to join the case for a one time fee of $259
Not providing a link to that, but you can find it yourself if you want.
Illinois’ House speaker faces a lawsuit after Democrats voted to eject nine members who refused to follow the chamber’s mask rule.
After three days of debate about the House rules requiring masks, temperature checks and social distancing, state Rep. Lakesia Collins, D-Chicago, motioned to eject members that weren’t wearing masks per the House rules. […]
“Every minute we waste talking to you all while you over there whining about wearing a mask, those people are still suffering and need your help,” Collins argued. “So do your job and comply with the rules of this House. If not, go remote. Simple.”
The Democratic-controlled Illinois House pushed through a new legislative watchdog on Thursday over objections from Republicans who charged that the majority party skirted the law to install its hand-picked candidate.
Michael McCuskey, a retired Democratic judge who served on the state and federal benches, was approved as the new legislative inspector general on a near-party-line vote Thursday in the House after a straight party-line vote a day earlier in the Senate. […]
Members of a bipartisan ethics panel deadlocked along party lines over naming Pope’s replacement, with each side accusing the other of obstruction.
Let’s not hide behind a process argument. We know what you mean by process. You know that means ’slow everything down.’ Let’s slow everything down and grind it to a halt, like some of have said in the press, in those press conferences that you hold.
Let’s slow everything down, like we saw here today. And yesterday. When we know it’s committee deadline week. And we’re here on the floor arguing about House rules that have been in place for two years. Arguing about something as simple as putting on a mask to protect the health and wellbeing of everyone in this chamber. Why are we arguing about masks today? Slow everything down to bring this place to a halt.
Let’s slow it down, even on something as monumentally important as filling the role of the legislative inspector general, even if an exceptionally qualified jurist is brought before us. You heard it from Rep. West. This impasse should have never happened. You can bemoan the process, even while you ignore your own sides’ culpability in that process because you certainly can’t stand up here and deny Judge McCuskey’s qualifications. Every single person that spoke praised Judge McCuskey. He’s an honorable man.
Sadly, our best efforts for four months, four months, process has failed. Because as you said in the media, you want to bring it to a screeching halt. As you use our rules here, every single time we’ve come here over the last 13 months. Slow everything down. Let’s get to work. Time to act is now. The games stop today.
We’ll see today if he can back up his words when the House convenes at noon.
An Illinois appellate court dismissed Governor J.B. Pritzker’s appeal of a lower court’s ruling against his mask mandate in schools, calling the request “moot” after a legislative committee suspended the requirement’s renewal.
On Thursday, the Illinois Fourth District Appellate Court rejected the appeal, noting that the state’s department of public health on Feb. 14 had renewed the emergency rules, originally enacted in September 2021, but that a legislative committee had then suspended that renewal this week.
“Thus, none of the rules found by the circuit court to be null and void are currently in effect,” the court wrote in its ruling on Thursday. “Accordingly, for the following reasons, we dismiss defendant’s appeal because the expiration of the emergency rules renders this appeal moot.”
While the public is rightfully interested in the propriety of the circuit court’s determination that the emergency rules are “null and void,” such circumstances do not automatically make the issue one of a public nature as defined by the public-interest exception. Further, given the changing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic—which affects the State defendants’ response to the pandemic—and JCAR’s decision on February 15, 2022, it is not clear these same rules would likely be reinstated. As a result, we do not find the public-interest exception applies in this case.
Man, the three House Democrats on JCAR really put the state’s position in a bad spot when they voted to suspend that emergency rule.
* And what about the governor’s executive orders? Pritzker believes they are still in effect for schools that are not part of the case, but nobody really knows for sure. From Justice Holder White’s dissent…
As it stands, the majority’s decision leaves open the question of whether the circuit court properly enjoined the enforcement of the executive orders.
…Adding… Jesse Sullivan…
Gubernatorial candidate Jesse Sullivan issued the following statement:
“This governor will stop at nothing to ensure he alone controls the lives of our schoolchildren. More than 500 Illinois school districts were already ignoring his hollow threats. Now, the appellate court has sided with parents in striking down Pritzker’s mandate. The governor has proven he only cares to listen to the most extreme ideologues within the Chicago Teachers Union and Washington D.C. As governor, I promise to put parents’ voices first.”
…Adding… CPS…
Chicago Public Schools (CPS) stands by our proven COVID-19 safety mitigation measures and is pleased the Appellate Court has confirmed that the Temporary Restraining Order does not prohibit school districts from independently requiring masks, vaccinations for staff, and requiring individuals who have tested positive or have been exposed to COVID-19 to learn/work from home. Our schools will continue to enforce these policies, including mandated universal masking.These safety measures are what have allowed us to provide our students with the in-person learning environment they need throughout this school year. We will continue to follow these protocols until such time as our public health partners advise us that restrictions can be safely lifted.
We are encouraged to see COVID-19 cases dropping, and we remain optimistic about what this will mean for our school communities in the future. Our top priority remains the safety and stability of CPS students, staff, and families.
Background
• February 4, a downstate court issued a legal decision regarding Governor Pritzker’s requirements for COVID-19 safety measures in schools. This decision was immediately appealed by the Illinois Attorney General. Today the appellate court upheld local control, clarifying the TRO does not prohibit school districts from implementing their own safety policies and protocols with the following language:
“We note the language of the TRO in no way restrains school districts from acting independently from the executive orders or the IDPH in creating provisions addressing COVID-19. Thus, it does not appear the school districts are temporarily restrained from acting by the court’s TRO.”
…Adding… IFT…
Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) President Dan Montgomery issued this statement following the 4th District Appellate Court’s ruling on the motion for a stay.
“The Illinois 4th District Appellate Court’s decision released late last night makes one thing clear: school districts are free to implement their own safety measures around COVID-19. And they should. Since the beginning of this pandemic, we have insisted that proper mitigations are in place to protect students, teachers and staff, and their families. This was to reduce sickness and death and to keep schools open for in-person learning as much as possible. Today’s appellate court ruling does nothing to change that calculus.
“We continue to insist that school districts statewide abide by existing collective bargaining agreements that are in place to promote health and safety in schools and to follow our laws around safe schools and workplaces. As cases continue to decline, discussions about removing these mitigations must be based on good public health decisions. Medical science tells us that vaccinations, masking, and proper ventilation have been the best ways to maintain health in schools. Schools have been able to remain open because of the implementation and enforcement of these mitigation strategies designed to protect everyone in school communities, including their families.”
…Adding… IEA…
The following is attributable to Illinois Education Association (IEA) President Kathi Griffin regarding the 4th District Appellate Court ruling on the State of Illinois’ appeal of Judge Grischow’s Feb. 4, 2022, Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) in the Sangamon County COVID school litigation:
“We appreciate the clarity brought forth in the Fourth District Appellate Court’s decision last night dismissing defendants’ appeal of the temporary restraining order (TRO) finding that the expiration and non-renewal of Illinois Department of Public Health and Illinois State Board of Education emergency orders regulating COVID mitigations in schools made their arguments moot. There has been much confusion over what Circuit Court Judge Raylene Grischow’s original ruling even meant. It appeared to apply only to those districts named in the original court cases, which would be about 150. But according to school administrators, there are at least 500 mask-recommended districts now in Illinois.
“Students crave consistency. But, Judge Grischow’s Feb. 4 decision to enter a TRO in the case sent schools into chaos.
“A bright spot in the decision clarifies for which parties the TRO applies. The appellate court affirmatively stated that ‘the language of the TRO in no way restrains school districts from acting independently from the executive orders or the IDPH in creating provisions addressing COVID-19.’
“These past few weeks have been tumultuous in schools around the state. They have been described by some as the worst time in our teachers’ and education employees’ careers. They’re getting angry emails, having to comfort scared students and are working to help calm other students who are dealing with the trauma that this pandemic has caused. Schools are supposed to be students’ safe haven. That’s not what we’ve been seeing at many of our schools recently. We know school board meetings have been canceled and schools have shut down because of threats and protests. This has to stop.
“Mitigation efforts are not political. They are put in place to keep students and school staff from getting sick, or from bringing home COVID-19 to loved ones who may be susceptible.
“As the weather gets warmer and as hospitalizations continue to decline, we are hopeful that school districts will adhere to their duty to bargain in good faith with local associations over health and safety issues, including mitigation efforts, and remind all that any existing collective bargaining agreements or memoranda of understanding around these issues remain intact.
“We need people to remember we are all in this together – parents, community members, educators and our students. There is a light at the end of this long, dark tunnel. We need to come together to find thoughtful solutions to bring some calm back to our schools, which will provide a better environment for our teachers and staff to provide students the important learning and emotional support that they need.”
…Adding… Irvin campaign…
Gubernatorial candidate and Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin released the following statement following the Appellate Court’s dismissal of Governor Pritzker’s appeal to reinstate the statewide mask mandate for schools:
”The court’s decision is a win for parents and schools across our state who have been victims of Pritzker’s unilateral control over the last two years. This is just the first step in restoring parents’ rights and getting local communities back to the table when it comes to the decision-making process.”
Earlier this week, bipartisan legislators in Springfield voted unanimously to block the Governor’s emergency powers to mandate masks in schools. Parents and communities across the state have been outspoken critics of Pritzker’s attempts to keep kids masked after announcing that the indoor mask mandate would end for everyone else.
