The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) reported that more than 1.1 million Illinoisans have received a dose of the new, bivalent COVID-19 vaccines since they were approved for use in early September, including 207,000 doses in the last week. Since the approval of the updated booster shots, daily vaccination numbers have been trending at the highest level since early February, during the major surge in illnesses caused by the Omicron variant. The new bivalent vaccines are designed to offer added protection from the now-dominant strains of the Omicron variant.
The announcement comes as the CDC released data showing that 26 counties in Illinois are at an elevated level for COVID-19, up from 16 a week ago. This includes three counties at High Community Level for COVID-19. IDPH is reporting 11,955 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in Illinois, including 43 deaths since October 14.
“I am encouraged to see the large and growing numbers of Illinoisans who are taking action to protect themselves and their families with the new bivalent booster,” IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said. “For those who have not gotten the new bivalent booster or the flu shot, NOW is the best time to get fully immunized and protected, while COVID-19 community levels are still relatively low. As we are currently experiencing a sharp increase in severe pediatric respiratory diseases that is resulting in a shortage of pediatric beds – and at the same time facing the prospect of a fall and winter surge of COVID-19 and other illnesses affecting all of us – I am strongly recommending the latest COVID-19 and flu shots for all those who are eligible. These immunizations are especially important for anyone over 50, immunocompromised, or those with chronic medical conditions.”
IDPH is working with the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (ICAAP) to encourage physicians and parents to ensure children are fully protected from COVID-19 and the flu. ICAAP is providing resources for doctors and parents HERE.
IDPH reported that over the last week, an average of more than 29,000 doses of the new bivalent vaccines were administered across the state each day. This is more than triple the daily average for all vaccinations for most of the summer.
The CDC authorized two new bivalent booster vaccines on September 1 that include an mRNA component of the original strain to provide an immune response that is broadly protective against COVID-19 and an added mRNA component in common between the omicron variant BA.4 and BA.5 lineages to provide better protection against COVID-19 caused by the omicron variant.
Initially, the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent, was authorized for use as a single booster dose in individuals 18 years of age and older and the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent, was authorized for use as a single booster dose in individuals 12 years of age and older. On October 12, the CDC authorized the updated COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech for children ages 5 through 11 years, and from Moderna for children and adolescents ages 6 through 17 years.
The updated boosters are available at pharmacies, hospitals, and other healthcare providers. The best way to locate a vaccine provider near you is to visit www.vaccines.gov and search for bivalent booster availability.
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 3,796,038 cases, including 35,168 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois since the beginning of the pandemic.
As of last night, 1,060 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 124 patients were in the ICU and 51 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators. The preliminary seven-day statewide case rate is 94 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 Illinoisans.
* The Question: Have you received your bivalent booster yet? Explain.
Intro: German Shepherd barking with a mother and son carving pumpkins on the porch.
Mike: “Nothing’s better than a good watch dog to protect the family - keep you safe when you’re not looking.
As State Treasurer, that’s what I’ve done.
When big banks and tech companies tried to rip us off, I made them pay back over 1.5 billion dollars to taxpayers.
And I forced life insurance companies to pay families back over $800 million in unclaimed benefits.
It’s your money and I’m proud to be your watch dog.”
In about a month, 58 states attorney’s sued the state over the SAFE-T Act. Now, they are being consolidated into a single county.
A court document published Thursday shows all parties involved decided to consolidate all the cases into Kankakee County. Kankakee State’s Attorney Jim Rowe was the first state’s attorney to sue the state over the SAFE-T Act. All parties were consulted before the motion was filed.
“Allowing one court to resolve the challenges to the SAFE-T Act will thus not only avoid the risk of conflicting rulings and relief, but also minimize the expenditure of resources by and before multiple courts,” the document reads.
By the way, if you want a copy of Sen. Scott Bennett’s reform legislation, click here.
A claim seen by many PFA opponents is that county jail populations will see significant reductions once it goes into effect in January 2023. However when asked on Wednesday, [Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell] said it was still undetermined whether those incarcerated prior to Jan. 1 would be let out retroactively.
Still, having to “prepare for the worst,” the sheriff recounted the number of people currently in the Sangamon County Jail and gave an assessment. Looking at county jail statistics from August, he said approximately 100 out of the approximate 330 inmates in the county jail could be let out.
“That’s about a third of the jail, but again that may not happen,” Campbell said, who previously joined with Wright in a lawsuit against the state over the SAFE-T Act.
A question raised from the audience was about the elimination of requiring a sworn affidavit when filing a complaint against a police officer or department, but [Quincy Police Chief Adam Yates] said that won’t affect Quincy.
“We haven’t required that for about 20 years,” he said. “If we get a complaint through any means, we investigate all of those.”
I have never understood the opposition to anonymous complaints because law enforcement has heavily relied on anonymous tips forever.
* Hearings were held on a proposed omnibus bill for months and months. The Illinois Supreme Court even formed a study commission in 2017, which included a wide range of stakeholders, and which released a report in 2020. So, this claim is exaggerated for effect…
The sponsors of the SAFE-T Act have asserted they were addressing flaws in our state’s criminal justice system. If this was true, then input should have come from judges, state prosecutors, public defenders, private criminal defense attorneys, law enforcement officers, probation officers, civil rights advocates, victim’s rights groups and clerks of the circuit courts.
The proper way to address the merits of a bill is to hold hearings, allow proponents and opponents to be heard and allow the members of the General Assembly to discuss both the purpose of the proposed law and the precise statutory language to be adopted.
In other words, create a legislative history.
The 764-page SAFE-T Act was introduced in the Illinois Senate at 4 a.m., and it passed at 5 a.m. It took the Illinois Senate only one hour to radically alter Illinois’ justice system. Hours later, the SAFE-T Act was introduced in the Illinois House for the first time. It passed at 11 a.m. No bona fide hearings or debates occurred. There was no opportunity for input from proponents or opponents. Ramrodding through any bill, let alone one that will profoundly affect the lives and safety of nearly 13 million Illinoisans, is irresponsible, improper and wrong.
* CPD Superintendent…
In response to a question from Ald. Marty Quinn, Brown calls for changes to be made to the criminal justice reform law (known as the SAFE-T act) that would require defendants with a history of violent crimes to be held before they are tried.
Rich – A statement from Ald. Quinn in regard to Cherone’s tweet you posted. Thanks!
“When I spoke in opposition of the SAFE-T Act today, I offered Supt. Brown my help in repealing the portion of the Act that allows electronic monitoring to more individuals. He was open to that, and I’m glad he saw things in a similar way.”
* Illinois SAFE-T Act: McHenry County board OKs resolution to oppose controversial new law: County board members voted 13-8 at a Tuesday night meeting to pass a resolution opposing the SAFE-T Act after listening to the public’s comments and engaging in a “robust debate” on how to protect the interests of McHenry County constituents, a statement said.
* I’m a pastor, policy advocate and mom, and I support the Pretrial Fairness Act: If you have some questions about what’s happening with money bond and incarceration in our state, I totally understand. Illinois has been inundated with lies regarding the Pretrial Fairness Act, the portion of the SAFE-T Act that will end our state’s use of money bond in January. As disinformation and scare tactics spread, the Winnebago County Board passed a resolution calling for the repeal of this legislation. While their resolution has no actual legal effect, I was disheartened by the messaging.
* Taxes, public safety among topics in Kane County Board District 18 election: Williams, 52, of Blackberry Township, said issues for voters include the SAFE –T Act and taxes. In regard to the SAFE –T Act, Williams said there are concerns about “the no-cash bail provision of the law.” Public safety has been a concern as crime seems to be migrating from Chicago to areas west of the city, he said. “There has been an influx of crime in the area from people coming in from the city. We’ve had several instances in my subdivision where stolen cars have entered and people’s belongings and homes have been invaded,” Williams said.
* Should possession of a little fentanyl, cocaine and heroin be a misdemeanor, not a felony?: McHenry County officials don’t think so, judging by what State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally and Coroner Dr. Michael Rein told a county board committee recently. “As with the SAFE-T Act, the supermajorities in the House and Senate are attempting to quietly remake the criminal justice system in extreme ways that jeopardize public safety,” Kenneally said in a release after the meeting. “Decriminalizing marijuana was the first step toward legalization, and that appears to be the track Springfield is now on with fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, PCP, LSD, methamphetamines and Ecstasy. … “Consequences are an incredibly important part of treating drug addiction,” he said. If charges for personal-use amounts of heroin, fentanyl and cocaine are reduced to misdemeanors, he said, defendants will not be eligible to participate in drug-court programs.
According to [AdImpact, a Chicago media analytics firm], combined spending on TV and radio since July 1 has hit the $65 million mark. A few more ads likely will be purchased, but the $65 million includes payments for ads that will run over the next two and a half weeks before the Nov. 8 election.
Either way, it appears to be a record figure. In 2020, a reported $47 million was spent on political media ads here. That was a drop from 2018 when the total was $62 million. But that election featured the battle of the billionaires for governor with J.B. Pritzker taking on the well-off then-incumbent Bruce Rauner and his super-rich friend, Ken Griffin.
However, particularly notable is spending, even on broadcast TV, for seats in the state House and Senate. Any single House district represents only a tiny fraction of the Chicago area, less than 2%. So 98% of the money spent on those ads by a particular candidate is, in a sense, wasted. But those ads are still coming and, anecdotally, more state rep candidates are on Chicago TV than ever before.
In 2020, the House Democrats ran Chicago broadcast ads for 11 candidates, about what they’re doing this year so far. But they went up pretty early this year in some races.
Subscribers have been getting a full rundown of these ads in both chambers, including another one today. And, sure, those ads reach far more people who don’t live in the district than those who do. But the spending is about reaching as many people who vote in the district as possible, and broadcast is still a valuable tool which has been shown to work time and time again.
* Foster, Casten and Schneider are targeted by a Dick Uihlein-funded PAC…
As Governor, my administration will oppose mandating COVID vaccines for grade school, college and employment. We all know the mandate candidate, J.B. Pritzker, will force it on your kids because he thinks the government knows better than parents. #twill
The radio interview grew intense when Thomas accused Pritzker of taking Blacks for granted during his first term in office.
Thomas said, “The reason I’m doing what I’m doing right now is not because they’re paying me $50,000. Keep in mind I got expenses too. I got to pay people that work with me. But why I’m doing this is because of this, ‘if you ain’t a Democrat, you ain’t Black.’ This [President] Joe Biden BS. I’m tired of that. I’m not going to do that anymore. And I’m not going to have JB Pritzker come up here and talk about he’s going to give us equity in the weed business, and we got nothing. Zero. He took us for granted. He played us.”
When asked where Bailey stands on the cannabis issue, Thomas replied, “Darren Bailey voted against cannabis being legalized. But I did ask him very pointedly, I said, ‘what would you have done if you had been governor and the legislature Democratic supermajority overruled you and legalized cannabis despite your veto? He said, well I would have to make sure everybody got their fair share. And I said does that mean Black folks would have got 15 to 20 percent of the stores that are already there. He said, ‘well I guess so if that is what equity is.’
“I guess so.” Well, that changes everything. /s
* ILGOP…
“From Pritzker’s tax increases to Bidenflation, Nikki Budzinski has made a career out of making life more expensive for Illinois residents,” said Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy. It’s troubling that as Illinois residents struggle with Pritzker’s taxes and Biden’s inflation - that she helped cause as Budget Director - that Budzinski has been able to do so well for herself.”
* I missed this one from the other day…
Indicted former Speaker of the Illinois House Mike Madigan’s latest corruption charges involving AT&T amplify just how complicit current Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch and Democratic Party of Illinois Chair and State Representative Lisa Hernandez - both major recipients of Madigan Money - were in allowing corruption to run without restrictions in the Democratic party.
“Speaker Welch and Chairwoman Hernandez abdicated their responsibility to the people of Illinois to cover for Mike Madigan and were rewarded for their loyalty by obtaining major leadership positions in the Democratic Party,” said Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin. “What do they have to say now about the corruption charges against their leader and political godfather? The people of Illinois deserve to know.”
Two years ago, after ComEd admitted to a nearly ten-year scheme to bribe former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan, Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin demanded the creation of a special committee to investigate Madigan’s corrupt activity and determine grounds for discipline. Instead of running a real investigation, Welch, who was chosen to ‘lead’ the committee by Madigan, called it a “show trial” and shut down the committee without issuing any conclusions or findings after only three sham meetings, one witness and no subpoenas.
“Welch and Hernandez presided over a sham ‘Special Investigation’ into then-Speaker Madigan’s role in the ComEd scandal. They used it to provide him political cover, and were rewarded for their ‘hard work’,” said Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy. “The Democrats talk about the defining choice in this election, and they are correct - we are very different. Democrats cover for corruption to protect their power and Republicans want to take it away and give it back to the people of Illinois.”
Welch called the investigation a “political show that was concocted” by Republicans as a “power grab” for the minority party – but federal investigations prove otherwise as corruption charges against Madigan and his accomplices continue to grow.
After successfully shutting down the House investigation into Madigan, Welch was promoted to Speaker of the House and Hernandez was elected as the new chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Illinois. All three Democrats on the investigative panel were funded by campaign committees controlled by Speaker Madigan who had given about $585,000 to Manley, nearly $133,000 to Hernandez and more than $100,000 to Welch, according to state election board records as reported by WBEZ.
“Speaker Welch and Chairwoman Hernandez had the opportunity to live up to their oaths of office and end the pervasive corruption that has plagued our state,” said House Deputy Republican Leader Tom Demmer who served on the committee. “Instead, they chose to protect the power of politicians and political insiders. They failed the committee, they failed the people of Illinois and they continue to remain silent and actionless as the culture of corruption continues to operate.”
* Press release…
A press conference in support of HB 5785/SB 4229 will be held Friday, Oct. 21, in Rockford. Together with State Rep. Dave Vella of Rockford and State Sen. Christopher Belt of Swansea, Illinois Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza is championing a measure to ensure timely compensation for the next of kin of fallen first responders and members of the armed forces.
The state’s Line of Duty Compensation Act provides benefits for the families of law enforcement officers, members of the armed forces, firemen, paramedics and other first responders killed in the line of duty. However, the appropriations for these benefits can sometimes run out before the end of a fiscal year, requiring the state legislature to approve supplemental appropriations. That needlessly costs families time when they need support the most urgently. This measure aims to ensure a continuing line of appropriation so that there is no delay to the families.
* Laying the groundwork for a “stolen election” claim? Maybe…
New Poll Shows Darren Bailey Within Striking Distance of J.B. Pritzker in Illinois https://t.co/lMdEh5u8hE
That poll claimed 44 percent of the electorate say they’re Republicans, compared to 47 percent who said they were Democrats. I don’t know of any other Illinois statewide polls in the last 20 years which show a spread that even.
The Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) was able to help thousands of homeowners with their mortgage payments last spring. Now, the Pritzker administration is reopening the mortgage assistance program to help more people who struggled to make payments throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
IHDA is making $115 million available to eligible homeowners starting Nov. 1. People can receive up to $30,000 from the Homeowner Assistance Fund, which is paid directly to a mortgage service or lender.
…Adding… New ad…
I'm fighting to stop Biden and Pelosi's radical agenda and protect our Southern Illinois values. Check out my newest TV commercial that is airing district-wide! pic.twitter.com/irLfu2PtUo
The @illinoissbe has updated early vote totals (10/21/22): Total VBM requested: 780,487 Total VBM returned: 235,002 Total VBM outstanding: 545,485 Return Rate: 30% Total Early Vote: 60,021 Total Grace Period: 828 Total Already Voted: 295,851https://t.co/44ga6AxRbY
* Foster, Lauf on opposite sides of abortion debate: But after winning the 11th District GOP primary in June, Lauf removed a section about her stance on abortion from the site. The missing text can be found on the nonpartisan Ballotpedia website.
* Illinois gubernatorial candidates asked about gender affirming care for minors: “Just look at the Parental Notification Act, Governor Pritzker allows children to make their own decisions without their parents involved, and it is wrong,” Bailey said. “I believe parents have the best interest in mind for their children and that parents should be making that decision, not teachers or doctors or governors.”
* Schakowsky’s fundraising towers over GOP challenger Rice’s: Schakowsky, of Evanston, collected $166,898 during the year’s third quarter, records show — far from the million-dollar hauls that U.S. Reps. Sean Casten of Downers Grove or Lauren Underwood of Naperville reported for their respective races in the 6th and 14th Districts.
* Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza touts a financial rebound while her GOP opponent questions her ties to Madigan: Teresi entered October with a little more than $26,000 in her campaign fund after raising more than $38,000 from July through September, including $21,000 from the campaign fund of Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin, who headed Griffin’s slate of Republican candidates but finished third in the GOP primary for governor. Mendoza had more than $1.4 million on hand at the start of the month, having raised more than $623,000 and spent a little more than $184,000 in the previous quarter.
* 18th State House District candidates Gabel and Hutchinson talk key Illinois issues ahead of the election: Hutchinson said the [SAFE-T] act has made Illinois’ neighborhoods unsafe. He said he supports providing police with more resources to address crime in communities instead. Gabel, who supports the act, said because it has not gone into effect yet, it has not affected neighborhood safety. She said she supports the act because it seeks to reform systemic racism in the criminal justice system by addressing use of force, body camera usage and pretrial detention, among other issues. The two candidates did, however, agree that banning automatic assault weapons would better protect communities from gun violence.
* Incumbent Joe Aiello faces newcomer Daniel Pittman in race for Sangamon County treasurer: This is Pittman’s first time running for elected office. He has received endorsements from Vote Vets, New Politics and Run For Something. Aiello works closely with organizations such as Veterans Administration, American Legion, St. John’s Breadline and others. As for endorsements, “The most important endorsement is from the voter on Election Day,” Aiello said.
* Recruiters at breweries, schools to fix poll worker shortage: As Adams noted, part of the challenge in recruiting more poll workers is reaching younger people. That’s something Cook County, Illinois (where Chicago is located) has been working hard at. Sally Daly, the deputy clerk of communications at Cook County Clerk’s Office, explained that they’ve been doing outreach with high school students. Even before the students are old enough to vote, they can sign up to work the polls. “We go into [high schools] and make a pitch to students .. .and let them know if they’re 16 years or older they can serve as an election judge. And we pay, they can make some money for a day and also serve their democracy,” she said.
* Posted in the order they were received. Pritzker campaign…
Today, the JB for Governor campaign released a new ad featuring two-term Democratic President and South Side resident Barack Obama sharing his endorsement of Governor JB Pritzker and Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton for reelection.
President Barack Obama: Illinois will always hold a special place in my heart. You believed in me before anyone else did. And you believed in JB Pritzker, too.
He’s made Illinois a national leader on so many issues we care about: raising the minimum wage, protecting voting rights, cracking down on the sale of illegal guns.
JB also signed a landmark law protecting a woman’s right to choose.
That’s why I’m proud to cast my ballot to reelect JB Pritzker.
That’ll be on broadcast TV, as well as other platforms.
…Adding… Looks like Obama taped other candidate endorsement ads in the same room. Click here.
* Proft’s PAC…
People Who Play By The Rules PAC has launched a new ad, “POLITICIAN VS. PROSECUTOR.” It is available on YouTube, the PBR PAC Facebook Page and will run on statewide media this week.
Both are Democrats, but only one is telling the truth.
Pritzker: “There’s no such thing under the SAFE-T Act as ‘non-detainable offenses.’ No one is getting out of jail, if prosecutors do that that’s on them.”
VERSUS
Glasgow: “Well obviously, that is not the truth. We have about 640 people in jail. Half of them would walk out on Day 1, and that’s not on the prosecutor, that’s on the statute.”
* Illinois is the second-largest sports betting market in the US. WGN…
The latest data release by the Illinois Gaming Board shows $565 million in gross gaming revenues for the state in August alone, $8 million more than New Jersey.
According to PlayIllinois.com, an online blog based in Las Vegas devoted to news about legal and regulated gambling in Illinois, those revenues were up 9% from July and a whopping 41% from August 2021.
PlayIllinois attributes the growth to a March 2022 change in legislation which allowed Illinois residents to register for sportsbooks through the internet rather than at one of the state’s land-based casinos.
The August data also shows the state has passed the $1 billion mark in gross gaming revenue from online activity since it began 29 months prior. That amount accounts for 94% of all sports bets made, meaning only 6% of sports bets are made in physical books across Illinois.
A proposal to relocate and expand Aurora’s Hollywood Casino is cleared for a final vote at the Aurora City Council meeting Oct. 25.
If the deal passes — the 12 City Council members had no objections to the proposal at Tuesday’s Committee of the Whole meeting — the new resort will be located on Farnsworth Avenue, across from the Chicago Premium Outlets on the city’s east side.
The new Hollywood Casino campus would move from its current location on the Fox River to the I-88 corridor where it would occupy a space that would include a 200-room hotel and a 10,000-square-foot event space, officials said. The city-owned site most recently housed two hotels and a car dealership. […]
The funding includes a $50 million bond issuance from the city, which officials said would be repaid from increased property taxes received from the new site, not from general funds from taxpayers.
“As an added assurance, if property taxes aren’t enough to cover payment in any given year, Penn has agreed to make up the difference,” Clayton wrote in an email.
CBS 2’s Shardaa Gray spent Wednesday speaking with business owners near the existing casino, some who want it to stay, while others say good riddance.
One business said they’d like to see the casino stay because it brings in customers. Another business said they’ll do fine if they stay or leave, but one restaurant said the casino is hurting their business. […]
Despite council members wanting to move forward, some residents are against the move.
“I want you to think about this check and next week when I come back, if you vote yes, I’m going to ask you to sign this check,” said Aurora resident David Cannon during a city council meeting.
While other suburban casinos are moving to new locations, Elgin’s Grand Victoria Casino is not only staying put but unveiling a new $4 million renovation that adds a Caesars Sportsbook and a World Series of Poker Room to its downtown operation. […]
Staying competitive in an Illinois gaming market that is “evolving just about every time you turn your head” is the goal, he said, and they’re always looking for ways to add new gaming experiences.
While competitor Hollywood Casino plans to move its Aurora and Joliet casinos to new locations — the former is leaving its downtown spot for a higher traffic area near Interstate 88 and Farnsworth Avenue — Grand Victoria won’t be going anywhere, Guerrero said.
“We are committed to the city of Elgin, to our region,” he said. “We are happy with the support and the assistance we’ve gotten through the community, and we hope to continue those relationships going forward.”
* More…
* Bally’s Chicago Comes to Project Labor Agreement: Bally’s Corporation (NYSE: BALY) today announced that it has signed a Multi-Project Labor Agreement (PLA) with the Chicago & Cook County Building & Construction Trades Council (CCBT) and the AFL-CIO Building and Construction Trades Department as it relates to construction of its flagship Bally’s Chicago casino.
* Bullets, Ballots And Bribery Define Early Illinois Gambling History: In Illinois’ early days, Americans generally accepted gambling as entertainment. But, when gambling commercialization took over, criminality followed, and the pastime became associated with laziness and vice —particularly among the upper classes. By 1830, Chicago’s protestant clergy denounced the activity, and city officials followed suit, jailing the owners of at least two local betting parlors.
* Rivers Tops Illinois Casinos Again In September: Last month, all 11 brick-and-mortar casinos in Illinois combined to hold over $113.8 million of gamblers’ wagers on slots and table games. Rivers accounted for about 41.3% of that total with $47 million in gross receipts. The next strongest performer in September 2022 was the Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin. Gross revenue from slots and table games there for the month came to about $12.1 million. The only other Illinois casino to post gross revenue of at least $10 million in September 2022 was Harrah’s Casino & Hotel in Joliet.
* 2,200 housing units near casino site get plan commission’s OK: The proposal envisions four high-rises, the tallest being 620 feet, or roughly 60 stories. Developer Jeffrey Shapack said he would start the multiphase project by converting a Salvation Army building at 509 N. Union Ave. into a hotel with 141 rooms.
* Darren Bailey makes stops in Southern Illinois Thursday on his state wide bus tour: “Gas, groceries, heating our homes. It has become too much. It’s too much. And it’s unfortunate that the little things, the sweetest things in life. We’re having to cut those out and it shouldn’t be that way. We can fix that. We can fix that. And we will. And it will start on November nine, Friends.” Bailey and Trussell also made a stop in Mt. Vernon, Anna, and Harrisburg. They were joined by Senator Terri Bryant and Representatives Paul Jacobs and Patrick Windhorst.
* Formerly incarcerated people in Illinois would get help finding jobs if a proposed bill passes: With the national unemployment rate for formerly incarcerated residents standing at about 27%, compared to 5% in the general population, according to the Prison Policy Initiative, a nonpartisan think tank. Now, Illinois lawmakers and advocates hope the proposed SAFER Communities Act will further help returning citizens — while at the same time helping small businesses and communities, too.
* As candidates fill the airwaves, spending on campaign ads hits a record pace: According to the firm, combined spending on TV and radio since July 1 has hit the $65 million mark. A few more ads likely will be purchased, but the $65 million includes payments for ads that will run over the next two and a half weeks before the Nov. 8 election.
* Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza touts a financial rebound while her GOP opponent questions her ties to Madigan: Teresi, 38, has since run a low-profile campaign in her bid to unseat Mendoza, attempting to tie her opponent to Democratic corruption while arguing that her financial credentials make her better suited for the relatively obscure state office, which oversees the state’s checkbook. Mendoza, 50, who made a failed bid for Chicago mayor in 2019 and is often seen to still have higher political ambitions, isn’t shy about taking credit for a modest rebound in the state’s finances during her six years in office — she was elected to a full term two years after winning a special election in 2016.
* Senate District 36: Candidate Halpin answers questions on pandemic, jobs and public safety: “Like throughout Western Illinois what Galesburg needs is jobs, jobs, jobs. We’ve seen over the years companies continue to shift jobs overseas and down to Mexico. I mean it’s been happening for 20 years or more. Maytag leaving in 2004, Gates Rubber shutting down divisions, any number of businesses throughout western Illinois. And so we need to start bringing things back,” Halpin said.
* Our public servants are getting old. Are toxic politics scaring away young people?: “We need a new generation,” U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Oct. 9. “We need new blood, in the House, the Senate and White House. I think that the country has been saying that.” I’ll add that we need new blood on city councils, village boards, township boards, park boards, library boards and other local units of government.
* Beyond the Race for Governor, This Illinois Election Will Feature Some Big Decisions: The balance of the state’s Supreme Court, which brings with it questions over major issues like abortion; races that could determine control over the U.S. House of Representatives; whether or not Illinois’ constitution will change and more could all be decided
* Anti-Pritzker signs are being planted on public ways on Chicago’s South Side…
Here's the other. They currently run from the Dan Ryanish to Ashland. Every 20 feet. That graphic is sort of tire tracks? Tractor tracks? Can't begin to think who they're pitching this to. Same with the Devore signs every 10 feet lining 55th through Jackson Park pic.twitter.com/14SS0fSxjV
Illinois GOP nominee for governor Darren Bailey is desperately trying to get voters to forget that he groveled for an endorsement from Donald Trump for months.
At this week’s debate, when asked about endorsing a candidate for president in 2024, Bailey dodged saying whether or not he would support Trump.
This completely contradicts his Trump loyalist primary campaign, where he unapologetically embraced the MAGA platform and said Illinois would “roll the red carpet out” for Trump in 2024.
“Darren Bailey is trying to mislead voters and hide that he’s been completely loyal to Trump and the far-right all along,” said DGA Senior Communications Advisor Christina Amestoy. “Illinois voters deserve a leader with a track record they can trust, not someone who changes positions to whatever gets them further ahead.”
* MLL…
Today, the Lightfoot for Chicago campaign published a microsite highlighting quotes from Paul Vallas and Darren Bailey, quizzing Chicagoans on who said which MAGA-like comment.
The website is formatted as a guessing game where users are given direct quotes and are asked if each quote is attributed to Vallas or Bailey. Similarities run rampant between the two men, and many times, it’s hard to tell the difference and who is more extreme and wrong for Chicago.
“Paul Vallas for years now has been an extreme, conservative Republican masquerading as a Democrat,” said Lightfoot campaign spokesperson Christina Freundlich. “When compared to a far-right candidate who walks and talks like Donald Trump, Vallas’s disguise completely falls away. Vallas proves to be indistinguishable from MAGA role model Darren Bailey, and neither leader is right for Chicago.”
Last week, IL13 Republican congressional candidate Regan Deering decided to fully embrace Kevin McCarthy’s radical policy agenda for if Republicans win back the House this November, including expanding school vouchers and gutting Illinois’ public school system.
This is already in line with Deering’s position, who earlier this summer outlined her plan to effectively end public education in Illinois, even saying that “One of my prime issues is going to be advocating for universal school choice [vouchers].”
Nikki Budzinski, Democratic congressional candidate for IL-13, released the following statement: “As the granddaughter of a public-school teacher and someone that comes from a family of educators, this attack on our public schools is especially offensive.
“It’s not surprising that Regan would be so excited to end public education as we know it now. She has proved time and again that she is completely out of touch with working people in Central and Southern Illinois, and this is another example of that.”
* Deering…
Illinois Candidate for Congress Regan Deering released the following statement on the recent Better Government Association investigation into Nikki Budzinski’s special interest payments:
“Nikki has spent millions of dollars calling me an out-of-touch heiress and yet, she made her own millions working for politicians and special interest groups where she always seems to be just outside the line of corruption.
“Her hypocrisy is on full display as she talks about good government and eliminating dark money from politics, but acts as just another part of the Madigan Machine that has held the people of Illinois down for far too long.
“I am running to help end this vicious cycle of corrupt, pay-to-play politics by removing political insiders profiting off the state like Nikki Budzinski from the process. The people of Illinois deserve a representative who will help improve working people’s economic opportunities - not her own.”
* No relation…
A national grassroots Christian organization has named Rep. Mary Miller to its list of 20 “False Prophets” as part of a new initiative to counter Christian nationalism’s distortion of the Gospel and its threat to democracy and equal rights during the 2022 midterm season and beyond.
“There’s nothing Christian about far-right nationalism. Although faith in Jesus has no boundaries, Rep. Mary Miller consistently contorts Christianity to justify her extremist and hateful agenda,” said the Rev. Dr. Dwain DePew, Illinois resident and Faithful America member. “The words and actions of Christian nationalists like Rep. Miller stand for power and hatred, ignoring Jesus’s counter-cultural teachings of love and peace.”
A secondary list of False Prophet “Dishonorable Mentions” also includes gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey.
Leaders of Faithful America, the Christian organization behind the “False Prophets Don’t Speak for Me” campaign against this heretical ideology, note that the list includes both lawmakers who hijack faith to attack democracy and demonize equal rights (such as Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano, Senator Josh Hawley, and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene) as well as pastors and religious-right strategists (including Franklin Graham, Steve Bannon, and Tony Perkins) who build the Christian nationalist organizing infrastructure of the religious right.
Researchers define Christian nationalism as a political ideology that merges American and Christian identities with the goal of seizing power for conservative Christians and destroying the separation of church and state.
The name “False Prophets Don’t Speak for Me” is a reference to Matthew 7:15: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”
“Christian nationalism is a grave threat to both American democracy and the church,” said the Rev. Nathan Empsall, executive director of Faithful America. “Christian nationalist leaders like Mary Miller come to us in sheep’s clothing, claiming to speak for Christ, but prove themselves to be ravenous wolves by distorting Scripture, spreading misinformation, and inciting political violence. The good news is that these false prophets don’t speak for the vast majority of American Christians, many of whom are speaking out to finally deflate the claims of a right-wing monopoly on faith, reclaiming our religion and its prophetic voice for the Gospel’s true values of love, truth, peace, equality, and social justice.”
* Chicago early vote totals…
The most up-to-date Early Vote and Vote By Mail totals in Chicago, night of Wednesday, October 19, 2022.
The Early Vote total stands at 3,087 ballots cast.
Additionally, 20,120 Vote By Mail ballots have been returned to the Board – total VBM applications stands at 187,516.
The grand total is 23,207 ballots cast so far in Chicago for the November 8th General Election.
* Isabel’s roundup…
* Rep. Casten calls for federal decriminalization of possessing small amounts of cannabis: “We should not be putting people in jail for low-level drug offenses,” Casten told the Daily Herald in a recent online interview. Casten’s Republican challenger in the mostly suburban 6th Congressional District, Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau, refused to participate in the interview or answer questions about the nation’s drug laws and other subjects.
* Underwood has big financial lead over Gryder in 14th Congressional District race: Underwood’s campaign raked in about $1.2 million between July 1 and Sept. 30 — more than three times Gryder’s $348,041 quarterly fundraising haul. Likewise, Underwood has raised about $6.4 million since the campaign began — more than 14 times Gryder’s $439,720 total for the cycle. Neither has gotten much financial help from their respective political parties — indicating party leaders expect an Underwood victory, said Kent Redfield, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Illinois Springfield.
* Election day is around the corner, how is Candidate Jack Vrett feeling?: Arlington Heights veteran and attorney Jack Vrett is challenging Mark Walker for State Rep. in IL District 53. He and the Steve Cochran Show talk about how the mood of the country has shifted towards the “middle”, how he’s going to fight corruption, and he weighs in on recalling State’s Attorney Kim Foxx.
* New grant targets political violence prevention in southern Illinois: “I don’t think the right or the left has a full monopoly on violence,” Weerarante said. “So whether you are on the right or the left you can have violent elements with your group.”[…] “The first part of the grant is we are going to do a survey of people in southern Illinois and the second part is based on the data that we get from the survey where we do training sets,” Weeraratne said.
* Regan Deering takes on Nikki Budzinski: In a congressional district drawn to favor Democrats, Republicans believe they have reason for optimism. But just how much optimism is justified remains a bit of an open question for the Illinois 13th Congressional District, which pits Republican Regan Deering against Democrat Nikki Budzinski.
Hiring precinct election judges and poll watchers has traditionally been routine work for state political parties and candidates trying to ensure ballots are cast and counted properly leading up to Election Day.
But this year, the Illinois Republican Party and its candidate for governor, Darren Bailey, have classified those roles as part of a broad “election integrity” effort that is a follow-up to baseless claims the 2020 presidential election was stolen. What’s more, that effort is being led in part by individuals who support former President Donald Trump’s debunked assertions. […]
For their “election integrity” efforts, Bailey and the state GOP have enlisted help from Carol Davis of Carol Stream. She is a former west suburban tea party activist who for years has held election training sessions as head of the Illinois Conservative Union and now is a leader in a national network of election deniers along with top former Trump aides. […]
Davis contends “there is fraud in every election in this country.” She has signaled belief that left-wing, anti-fascist or antifa groups, rather than Trump supporters, were behind the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. She expressed disappointment that a cold kept her away from the “Stop the Steal” rally in Washington, D.C., on that day. She has questioned the integrity of election machinery. And she has said vote-by-mail ballots are susceptible to fraud and are part of a Democratic plot to do away with in-person voting.
Davis: Well, absolutely not. Monty and our experience over years of investigating elections, learning everything there is to know about elections and learning how to spot fraud teaches us that there is fraud in every election in this country.
Q: Especially here in Illinois, we’re the champion of that.
Davis: Absolutely. You know, Illinois, unfortunately, has got that reputation and it’s well deserved and their methodology of how to swing an election has been taught throughout the country. And I’m not saying they put people in classrooms, or private meetings and teach it. But I’m saying that the things that have worked to sway elections in the Chicago area and throughout the state are working now across the country. Let’s say the best practices of deceit have been picked up by many organizations.
Oof
* When poll watchers were brought up during the debate, Bailey dodged…
Q: Let’s talk about the popular subject these days, threats to democracy. A NextStar, Emerson College, the Hill poll found that threats to democracy is the second most important issue driving voters to the polls this November. Senator Bailey, on Facebook you said your campaign has signed up nearly 2,500 people to be poll watchers on November 8, but very few instances of fraud have been reported here. What specifically are your concerns for election security?
Bailey: My entire concern is the fact that people have lost confidence in the election process. And the very fact that this last primary only drew out 18% of eligible voters. That’s a problem. Peoria County, 9% of the voters showed up, registered voters. And as a matter of fact most times during general elections 40%, sometimes 50% at a high show up to vote. They’re not showing up because they have lost confidence in our election. There’s constitutional positions called election judges and poll watchers. And we need to make sure that we put people in place so that we rebuild integrity to our election process and that we make sure that people show up to vote. The brave men and women that served our country, they fought to protect our freedoms. And today it’s up to us, we the people to get involved with the process and uphold our freedoms. Otherwise, as you suggest, constitutional freedoms are at risk.
Swarms of form letters have been sent to election officials here threatening legal action for unsubstantiated claims of wrongdoing and voter fraud, WBEZ reporters Dan Mihalopoulos and Dave McKinney reported last week.
The letters, which of course offer no proof of misconduct, demand access to voter records the nonpartisan website Votebeat said cannot even be used to demonstrate fraud. But that detail isn’t important to these scribes, who sent the copycat missives to places across the country, including Chicago’s Board of Election Commissioners, the Cook County clerk’s office and the Illinois State Board of Elections. […]
Here in Illinois, Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey said there is no doubt Biden won the election fair and square. Still, he keeps pushing the narrative that election fraud is rampant and has vowed to get close to 4,000 poll watchers for the November general elections.
David Paul Blumenshine, the man Bailey enlisted to recruit poll watchers, also doesn’t deny the 2020 election results. But it is hardly comforting to know Blumenshine attended the Jan. 6 rally that descended into violent chaos at the U.S. Capitol.
State Sen. Steve McClure, R-Springfield, will be joined this week by Morgan County State’s Attorney Gray Noll and others for a discussion on changes being made to the criminal justice system through the massive Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today Act — commonly known as the SAFE-T Act.
* Wednesday press release…
This evening, Faith Coalition for the Common Good came together with concerned community members to disrupt Sen. Steve McClure and Rep. Sandy Hamilton’s SAFE-T Act Town Hall. This disruption was in response to misinformation that has been spread by right-wing political operatives seeking to undermine the law’s success.
“Over the last few weeks, right-wing operatives have spread misinformation about the Pretrial Fairness provision of the SAFE-T Act. These lies are rooted in racism and are meant to protect mass incarceration.
“The Pretrial Fairness Act was designed to protect everyone’s right to the presumption of innocence and ensure that nobody is jailed simply because they’re too poor to pay a money bond. Throughout Illinois, Black people are disproportionately jailed while awaiting trial. By passing the Pretrial Fairness Act, the Illinois legislature took a significant step towards addressing the harm pretrial incarceration has caused communities across our state. For decades, people have lost jobs, housing and even custody of their children, not because they were a danger to the community, but simply because they couldn’t afford to pay bond to secure their freedom.
“We oppose efforts to repeal the Pretrial Fairness Act or roll it back, like SB42228 which would further fuel mass incarceration, worsen racial disparities, and create a pretrial system that is far worse than the one in place today. Instead of suing the state or building opposition against this crucial reform, Sen. McClure, Rep. Hamilton and our county stakeholders should be working together to ensure this historic reform is properly implemented.”
Some video from last night…
Advocates for the Pretrial Fairness Act clashed with local State’s Attorneys and legislators during a Chatham town hall tonight: #twillpic.twitter.com/ph7Zli9Ruy
The Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice (INPJ) protested today in Dupage and Will Counties outside of the local state’s attorneys’ offices calling the state’s attorneys’ SAFE-T Act trailer bill (SB4228) unconstitutional and a violation of people’s rights. The group penned an open letter signed by more than 120 organizations calling on the Illinois General Assembly to protect the Pretrial Fairness provisions of the SAFE-T Act and oppose the State’s Attorneys proposal for gutting this historic legislation.
“It is absolutely essential that any future amendments to the Pretrial Fairness Act are made in the same spirit in which it was written.” said Katrina Baugh of The People’s Lobby. “Using this historic legislation as a vehicle for incarcerating more Black and brown people would be a slap in the face to the communities that have suffered under the injustices of the money bond system for decades.”
“The State’s Attorneys Association has not productively engaged in implementation conversations to ensure the safe and effective implementation of the Pretrial Fairness Act,” said Reverend Marilyn Pagán-Banks of A Just Harvest. “Following the lead of right-wing operatives like Dan Proft, Jeanne Ives, and Dick Uihlein who’ve funded racist misinformation campaigns, the State’s Attorneys Association is exploiting this moment immediately before an election and attempting to use SB4228 to increase their power to jail vulnerable Illinoisans.”
The result of the State’s Attorneys Association’s political machinations is power-grab that would make the criminal legal system worse, not better.
“SB4228 is unconstitutional because it creates a presumption of detention in some cases, requiring the accused person to prove they deserve pretrial release,” said Em Gonzalez of Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice. “The Illinois Constitution grants a presumption of release to legally innocent people, and requires that the prosecution prove jailing a person pretrial is necessary and that that burden not be placed on a legally innocent person.”
Protestors also pointed out that SB4288 extends the timeframe a person must be brought to trial to 120 days from 90 days, making the right to a speedy trial even further out of reach and prolonging pretrial incarceration.
Worse still, that SB4228 would allow prosecutors to use evidence in their arguments for detention that would not have to be shared with the defense prior to a hearing. This would mean that accused people would have no way to challenge the evidence being used against them.
“The Constitution protects the presumption of innocence,” said David Cannon of West Suburban DSA. “Now these prosecutors don’t even want people to be able to properly defend themselves. It’s outrageous.”
If passed, the state’s attorneys’ bill would cause the number of people jailed while awaiting trial to skyrocket and exacerbate racial disparities in Illinois jails–the exact opposite of what the Pretrial Fairness Act was intended to achieve. Meanwhile, state’s attorneys representing counties that make up 50% of Illinois’ population support the Pretrial Fairness Act, and State’s Attorneys representing 60% of Illinois’ population support eliminating money bond. By contrast, many of the State’s Attorneys leading opposition to the Pretrial Fairness Act represent counties where Black residents make up at most 14% of the population, but up to half of the people admitted to their jails. Specifically:
“Illinois is currently jailing thousands of people simply because they’re too poor to pay a bond, not because they pose a danger to anyone,” said James Baugh, a resident of DuPage County. “While the current system limits who can be denied bond, SB4228 would allow prosecutors to ask that anyone be jailed indefinitely, far beyond the authority they had prior to the passage of the SAFE-T Act. We must protect the Pretrial Fairness Act”
From today’s event…
Illinois State's Attorneys are trying to gut the Pretrial Fairness Act and increase mass incarceration.
We're outside State's Attorney Bob Berlin's Office to tell him: Hell no! We will not go back! pic.twitter.com/nrDM8JbIgN
People Who Play By The Rules PAC has launched a new ad, “FALL OF FEAR.” It is available on YouTube, the PBR PAC Facebook Page and will run on statewide media this week.
JB Pritzker’s Purge Law has put you in danger. That’s what Democrats are telling you:
“…Significant increases in violent crime…” – Justin Hood, Hamilton County State’s Attorney, Democrat
“…Endangers our communities.” – Zachary Gowin, Alexander County State’s Attorney, Democrat
“What you see in Chicago, we’ll have here.” -Democrat State’s Attorney Jim Glasgow
AT HOME.
CHICAGO MAN HAD TO RUN AWAY WITH HIS CHILD DURING CARJACKING IN UKRAINIAN VILLAGE – CBS 2 CHICAGO
“You just started freaking out, thinking ‘Oh my God it happened, it happened, what we’ve been talking about and fearing forever just happened to us.” – Josselyn Kula, Mother
AT WORK.
MOVING OUT. BUSINESSES MOVING OUT OF BIG CITIES DUE TO CRIME.
“The city of Chicago has become Gotham City except we don’t have the Batman. We can’t even walk down the street without looking over our shoulder.” – Uzma Sharif, Chocolatier
Bailey discussed his vision of a “zero-based” budget that he believes will better serve the taxpayer. The candidate said during the Friday forum that he would appoint the proper department heads to serve this mission.
“They will account for every dollar that is going to be spent and, finally, the people of Illinois will be able to look and see directly where there money is being spent,” he said. “I believe that is how we are going to ferret out the waste that is currently in our budget.”
Bailey still won’t say how he’d cut roughly a third of the state’s budget that he believes to be “waste.”
When asked directly for three proposed budget cuts, Bailey didn’t name any. […]
The only number Bailey cited in the discussion was $2 billion in fraudulent claims paid out by the Illinois Department of Employment Security amid nationwide unemployment fraud of a new federal pandemic-related program.
It’s certainly an example of fraud, but it’s not an example of state spending.
The defrauded program was entirely federally funded.
* To the debate…
Q: Senator Bailey, we’re gonna play for you what you said about wanting to enact zero-based budgeting.
Bailey: Once we do a zero-based budget, I believe there’s $10 to $15 billion in that budget of waste. And we can take that and begin to get our state healthy again.
Q: And you’ve also said that everything is on the table. What in the $10 to $15 billion you plan to cut, name three things. You have 60 seconds for that.
Bailey: We’re going to fire all of the agency directors because they failed. We’re going to place business-minded men and women in those positions. They will be tasked with coming up with a zero based budget. Maybe people don’t understand what that means. But that means accounting for every dollar that’s spent. Governor Pritzker hasn’t even read the 5000-page budget that he’s created over the last four years. No one knows what’s in it. And as a matter of fact, just this last year $2 billion of fraud, of fraudulent payments was discovered in the Department of Employment. Governor Pritzker ignored it, he didn’t do anything about it. And it took some doing to actually get an account to find that money. Now I want to suggest to you that if $2 billion were just recently found as fraudulent unemployment payments, can you imagine how much more fraud or waste exists in each one of these agencies? A zero-based budget will ferret that out.
Q: I think I want to hear something a little more tangible. You say you’re gonna fire everybody and put more people in there, you’re gonna be paying them the same, right?
Bailey: Right. Agency directors that Governor Pritzker has put in place. They failed this because there’s not one state agency that’s doing its job.
Q: So where are you cutting the money then?
Bailey: That is the purpose of a zero-based budget. To find that waste.
This is basically just a dodge to avoid answering reporters’ questions and to look like he has a plan. What we all discovered during the Rauner years is that about 90 percent of state funding is mandated. If we try to cut it, the courts will step in. The other ten percent goes to fund a myriad of programs and services. OK, so cut 10 percent of that and you’ve saved less than $500 million. That’s a far cry from $15 billion.
Also, the $2 billion lost in that federal program was through fraud, not waste. And it was a lot less than a third of the overall pricetag. Bailey’s estimates are clearly being pulled out of thin air.
Dozens of counties in Illinois are labeled “Maternity Deserts ‘ meaning there are no maternal resources in the area. […]
After the recent closure of labor and delivery services at OSF in Danville, mothers in the community had to travel around 40 miles to deliver their babies.
Brenda Adams from the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program located in Danville stated that doctors from the Champaign county area are helping fill in the gap over in Danville to make sure all mothers can be seen. […]
Along with WIC services, the Gibbson Area Hospital and Health Services provide maternal care to patients from eight surrounding counties. Helping care for maternity desert areas in Illinois.
That’s according to a report released Tuesday by March of Dimes, a nonprofit focused on maternal and infant health. It finds that 36% of counties nationwide — largely in the Midwest and South — constitute “maternity care deserts,” meaning they have no obstetric hospitals or birth centers and no obstetric providers.
It paints a slightly grimmer picture than the organization’s last such report, which was released in 2020. Five percent of counties have a worse designation this time around, and there’s been a 2% increase in counties classified as maternity care deserts — accounting for some 15,933 women living in more than 1,000 counties.
March of Dimes says these changes are driven primarily by the loss of obstetric providers and hospital services within counties, as a result of financial and logistical challenges including the COVID pandemic.
And it warns the result is disproportionately harming rural communities and people of color: One in 4 Native American babies, and 1 in 6 Black babies, were born in areas with limited or no access to maternity care services.
On Chicago’s South Side, maternal care offerings are severely limited. Between 2019 and 2020, the number of South Side hospitals offering maternity services dropped from seven to three. The lack of options available to women on the South Side has created what the Chicago Tribune called a “birthing desert,” meaning expectant mothers must travel far beyond where they live to seek prenatal care.
How can we begin to address this crisis? A start would be to invest in community-based approaches that include certified practicing midwives providing Black families with holistic, culturally informed and science-based maternal health care before, during and after birth. These approaches can reduce maternal mortality and lead to improved outcomes such as lower rates of C-sections and fewer instances of pre-term or low-birth-weight infants.
Research shows that community-based approaches to maternal care, like doulas and freestanding birth centers (particularly when Black-owned), make a difference. This is why the organization I lead, Chicago Beyond, provided funding for Jeanine Valrie Logan, a birth-equity champion who works to address disparities in Black maternal health. Valrie Logan is bringing a nonprofit, Black midwife-led, culturally concordant, community-focused birth center to the South Side. […]
The truth of the matter is that systemic failures often prevent Black mothers and babies from receiving necessary care. And though we may never live in a perfect world, investing in community-based approaches can promise that healthy and safe birthing
COVID-19 drove a dramatic increase in the number of women who died from pregnancy or childbirth complications in the U.S. last year, a crisis that has disproportionately claimed Black and Hispanic women as victims, according to a government report released Wednesday.
It finds that pregnancy-related deaths have spiked nearly 80% since 2018, with COVID-19 being a factor in a quarter of the 1,178 deaths reported last year. The percentage of preterm and low birthweight babies also went up last year, after holding steady for years. And more pregnant or postpartum women are reporting symptoms of depression.
“We were already in the middle of a crisis with maternal mortality in our country,” said Karen Tabb Dina, a maternal health researcher at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “This really shows that COVID-19 has exacerbated that crisis to rates that we, as a country, are not able to handle.”
Governor JB Pritzker today signed two bills designed to provide better access to healthcare for rural Illinoisans. SB3017 amends the Loan Repayment Assistance for Physicians Act to address the shortage of healthcare providers, particularly for obstetrical services, in rural committees. SB1435 amends hospital licensing procedures to clear the way for health center mergers and increased healthcare coordination in rural districts.
Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker outspent Republican challenger Darren Bailey more than 23-to-1 in July through September, according to quarterly campaign finance reports.
The reports show Pritzker spending nearly $38.5 million — including $15.2 million for other state and local candidates — the previous three months.
Dan Proft’s People Who Play by the Rules PAC spent $17 million in the third quarter to help Bailey.
The governor has faced plenty of criticism over his prodigious spending on his political campaigns, shelling out more than $150 million on his reelection efforts.
He says that his spending compares to that done by Republicans and opposing political action committees.
“We’re going head-to-head with them,” he said. “$100 million and more has been spent attacking me. It has to have an effect on the public while they’re doing that, and it’s a tough campaign. I’m certainly telling people what I think about Darren Bailey.”
* Former Teamsters boss John Coli asks judge for home confinement, probation: Duffy wrote that Coli is now “a thoroughly humbled man” who, at 63, has been “barred for life from associating with the Teamsters —the organization he has been devoted to his entire professional life.” Coli is set to be sentenced Wednesday.
* Lawmaker to IDPH at administrative committee: ‘The pandemic is over’: But at JCAR’s meeting in Chicago on Tuesday, state Rep. Steven Reick, R-Woodstock, objected, arguing that “the department has been issuing an awful lot of emergency rules lately.” […] “The pandemic is over,” he said. “It is time for us to get back to normal way of doing business, and the normal rulemaking process should be the one that is used instead of emergency rulemaking when the time is available to do that.”
* No, those Illinois tax rebate checks aren’t bouncing: WGN Investigates contacted Illinois comptroller Susana Mendoza’s office which issues the checks. A spokesperson said the check didn’t bounce due to lack of funds. Instead, the ink likely smeared on the routing numbers rendering the checks worthless.
* Tracking where Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Darren Bailey and their running mates have visited on the campaign trail: From July 1 through the end of last month, Pritzker and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton had made 105 stops in 52 Illinois cities, making appearances at labor rallies, speaking with faith and equity leaders, and meeting with Democratic groups in various counties throughout the state. Bailey, a state senator from downstate Xenia, and his running mate, Stephanie Trussell, had made 208 stops in 124 cities since the start of July. The Bailey campaign has organized frequent bus tours, attended county fairs and fundraising events, and met with local chapters of law enforcement, as well as religious and conservative action groups.
* Illinois to take center stage in battle over union rights vote: Tim Drea, president of Illinois AFL-CIO, which is pushing for passage, said union counterparts from around the country have been calling him about the ballot measure. “They are watching this very, very closely,” he said
* Bailey Vows To Cut Billions From State Budget, Won’t Say How Government Jobs Would Be Affected: Bailey contends that through “zero-based budgeting,” where every dollar spent has to be justified, he can identify and eliminate $10 to 15 billion in wasteful spending. Speaking to reporters after a Springfield rally Wednesday, one day after his final debate with Governor JB Pritzker, Bailey did not answer when asked how many state jobs might be eliminated by cutting that much spending from the budget. Payroll is generally one of the largest expenditures each year for state government.
* Illinois elections: Big money funnels into lower-profiles state races: “State representative districts are not very big and those ads are very expensive,” ABC7 political analyst Laura Washington said. “They reach millions, but only a very small fraction of people you are targeting.”
