Vaccine supply will be the biggest bottleneck in the short term. States are expected to run out of doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine within days. States have had to cancel thousands of vaccine appointments. Adding to the crunch is that hospitals have a limited supply of syringes that can extract the most doses from a single vial — up to seven doses are in one Pfizer vial and 11 doses in a Moderna vial.
Biden invoked the Defense Production Act today to boost available vaccine doses and syringes, but pharma executives say they won’t be able to immediately dramatically increase capacity. In a few months additional vaccine candidates, especially one from Johnson & Johnson that requires only one dose, will also help boost vaccine supply.
Within weeks: This will be the largest mass adult vaccination campaign in U.S. history. And it requires two doses. There is no process to make sure that everyone who got their first dose can and will come back for their second doses. There is no central database tracking who got the vaccine and which one they got. Ideally, Hotez said, there would be one federal registry that would track that information, but right now providers largely have to depend on those who got a first dose to remember to get a second shot.
Many patients are struggling to even get a first appointment and there’s no guarantee that they will be able to come back a second time. “Anytime you have a two-dose regimen, some people aren’t going to come back,” said Amesh Adalja, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
Finding people to administer doses, especially in rural or remote locations without health care providers, is also shaping up to be a major obstacle. About 20 states, including West Virginia and North Dakota which have led the country in distributing vaccines, have activated the National Guard to help with vaccine distribution. But in order to meet the pace of 2 to 3 million doses a day, states would need a plan to bring back retired health care workers or train others to administer the vaccine. Some are doing this, even bringing on vets and dentists, but more workers are needed.
[Had to delete an identical post because I discovered emojis can’t be put into my headlines. Oops.]
JOINT ANNOUNCEMENT
Senate President Don Harmon & Minority Leader Dan McConchie
January 21, 2021
To the Members of the Illinois Senate:
Legislating in the midst of a global pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges, and we are diligently working together to overcome each one. Our goal is to conduct a Spring Session that is as normal as possible while ensuring the safety of legislators, staff, and the public.
As we continue to develop policies and implement best practices that will allow us to safely conduct legislative business, it is in our best interest to announce that legislative session scheduled for the week of January 26th is canceled. It is our intent to have the proper procedures in place for a safe return to Springfield in February, hopefully by our next scheduled date, Tuesday, February 9 , 2021.
Between now and our return, we plan to begin conducting Senate business by way of remote committee hearings. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact our respective Chiefs of Staff, Jake Butcher or Dale Righter.
Sincerely,
Don Harmon Senate President
Dan McConchie Minority Leader
This new virus variant has public health officials totally spooked, with expectations of a massive third wave heading our way because of the absolutely unconscionable fiddling by Washington, DC since the vaccine was approved.
A sharply divided Naperville City Council rejected a resolution calling on Governor Pritzker to veto the criminal justice reform bill recently passed by the General Assembly.
The criminal justice reform bill passed by state lawmakers would end cash bail and eventually require every police officer in the state to be equipped with a body camera. It is now heading to Governor Pritzker’s desk. […]
House Republican leader Jim Durkin spoke at the virtual city council meeting.
“It’s an insult to people who really truly believe in police reform, but also, it is an insult to the men and women - the 99.9 percent I mentioned earlier, who wear the badge and do it with honor,” he said.
“It is a monstrosity consisting of 764 pages. A hodgepodge of changes between a police certification proposal and a massive police reform bill.”
Some opponents also accused the original bill of defunding the police as well as the communities they serve, due to a provision that would cut state funds to areas where law enforcement agencies didn’t follow mandatory body cameras laws.
On the third day of the lame duck session, the Black Caucus held a news conference regarding their agenda. Sims, one of the criminal justice bill’s chief architects alongside Rep. Justin Slaughter, D-Chicago, noted their openness to compromise. Specifically, he cited the cash bail provision: While the bill’s original language would end the practice immediately, Sims said they were planning on pushing back the date two years at the behest of Illinois courts to make the transition to a new system easier.
Sen. Laura Ellman, D-Naperville, tweeted after the lame duck session about this period of negotiation. According to Ellman, she and other moderate Democrats opposed the more controversial provisions and withheld crucial votes that halted the advance of the legislation while these measures remained. […]
On Jan. 13, the last day of the lame duck session, the final version of the legislation was introduced well after midnight. Much of the bill’s language remained consistent with earlier drafts, but provisions affecting collective bargaining and ending qualified immunity for officers were removed in the final draft, muting the opposition from some of the key players, including the AFL/CIO.
* The cash bail provision was also altered. From Sen. Ellman…
cash bail discussion – that incorporated crucial language suggested from Illinois states attorneys; and the courts will have until 2023 to implement the changes. There were positive changes for everyone in the state that didn’t hit the headlines that I think you should know about
, too: •The legislation strengthens supports for survivors of crimes; •It expands the use of diversion to drug and mental health courts; and •It sets standards for police across Illinois that have already been championed by our local police departments in the 21st district.
Congressman Adam Kinzinger of IL’s 16th CD congratulated Joe Biden on his inauguration Wednesday, just days after calling for Donald Trump’s impeachment. Voters within Illinois’ 16th CD are not happy with Kinzinger’s comments and positions - so much so, a movement is simmering to censure the congressman.
Following the lead of Republicans in Congresswoman Liz Cheney’s Wyoming district who unanimously agreed to condemn their US representative to Congress, Republican Precinct Committeeman Austin Davies called for Kinzinger to be censured.
WHEREAS, said article of impeachment charges, inter alia, that President Donald J. Trump “repeatedly issued false statements asserting that the Presidential election results were the product of widespread fraud and should not be accepted by the American people or certified by State or Federal officials”; and
WHEREAS, said article of impeachment charges, inter alia, that President Donald J. Trump “willfully made statements that, in context, encouraged—and foreseeably resulted in—lawless action at the Capitol, such as: ‘if you don’t fight like hell you’re not going to have a country anymore’”; and
WHEREAS, said article of impeachment charges, inter alia, that President Donald J. Trump “gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of Government. He threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a coequal branch of Government. He thereby betrayed his trust as President, to the manifest injury of the people of the United States”; and
WHEREAS, without evidence that President Donald J. Trump committed any High Crimes or Misdemeanors, Representative Adam Kinzinger voted in favor of these articles to impeach President Donald J. Trump;
“We’ll consider the proposal that was made and let the facts drive the choice. We don’t want to be reactionary,” Winnebago GOP Vice Chairman John Guevara told Playbook.
WHEREAS, throughout the 2020 presidential election there had been widespread and credible accounts of voter fraud, some which have resulted in prosecution; and
WHEREAS, during the January 6, 2021 protest at the United States Capitol, Representative Adam Kinzinger made baseless, public claims that “This is a coup attempt,” that President Donald J. Trump is “not protecting the country,” and that “You are done and your legacy will be a disaster”; and
WHEREAS, video and photographic evidence suggests that Black Lives Matter or similar terroristic groups like Antifa instigated the violence at and incursion into the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, the FBI has admitted it has evidence that the incursion was planned weeks in advance of the President’s rally and speech that took place on January 6, 2021, and on January 14, 2021, the day after the House approved the article of impeachment, Black Lives Matter organizer John Earle Sullivan, who can be seen disguised in photos on January 6, 2021 at the Capitol wearing a Trump hat, was arrested for his involvement in the violent acts that day; and
The fraud claim is such totally ridiculous nonsense. People who believe insane lies are responsible for their own actions. And those actions cannot be excused.
* I asked Kinzinger’s campaign office for comment…
The Congressman, along with his team, has enjoyed a long relationship with the Winnebago County GOP. Congressman Kinzinger looks forward to building on that solid foundation as they work together to navigate these next four years under a Democrat majority and through the course of this pandemic, keeping the focus on serving the community and the shared interests of the party
Adam is a friend of mine but in this case he made a mistake. People are very angry with him. They believe he overreacted before doing his homework. Instead of calling out those who broke the law, some who have now been proven not to be Trump supporters he joined Pelosi in a political impeachment not a legal one.
Politically it becomes a problem. Locally Democrats are saying he supported Trump’s initiatives all these years and he did this just to try to get cover going into remapping. And Republicans also think the motive was political.
He has a difficult road ahead.
No, Senator. Your party has a difficult road ahead.
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum will begin welcoming visitors again on Monday, Jan. 25, with clear, simple safety protocols to protect all guests.
Visitors will need to schedule their appointments in advance so the number of people in the building at any one time can be held to safe levels. Visitors will also have to wear masks that cover the mouth and nose, answer basic health questions and have their temperatures taken before they can enter.
The facility has been meticulously cleaned and disinfected, and protective barriers have been installed in key places to ensure guest and employee safety. Visitors will be also be encouraged to stay one “Lincoln” apart – 6 feet, 4 inches, the equivalent of President Lincoln’s height.
“New public health guidelines allow us to open the museum doors again. It will be wonderful to see visitors exploring Lincoln’s life and taking inspiration from his accomplishments,” said Acting Executive Director Melissa Coultas. “We will continue to be mindful of the threat of Covid-19, and we ask our visitors to do the same.”
The library portion of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum will not immediately be open to visitors. Its reopening date has not been set yet. In the meantime, researchers can access a wealth of information by visitingwww.PresidentLincoln.Illinois.gov or emailing alplm.reference@illinois.gov.
Measures to maximize public safety include:
• Requiring tickets be purchased in advance, either online or by telephone
• Requiring face masks at all times
• Installing signs with outlines of Lincoln’s feet to help visitors maintain proper physical distance
• Reducing the number of theater performances and maintaining safe guest distancing throughout the shows (theaters will be cleaned and disinfected after each performance)
• The temporary closure of the “Mrs. Lincoln’s Attic” play area
• Establishing a strict cleaning and sanitation regimen for the museum and library.
The museum will maintain its usual schedule of being open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week. Visitors can buy tickets up to two weeks in advance atwww.PresidentLincoln.Illinois.gov.
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum uses a combination of rigorous scholarship and high-tech showmanship to immerse visitors in Lincoln’s life and times. The library holds an unparalleled collection of Lincoln books, documents, photographs, artifacts and art, as well as some 12 million items pertaining to all aspects of Illinois history.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 4,979 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 123 additional deaths.
- Adams County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 90s
- Bond County: 1 male 80s
- Boone County: 1 male 80s
- Christian County: 1 male 60s
- Coles County: 1 female 20s
- Cook County: 1 male 50s, 2 females 60s, 8 males 60s, 3 females 70s, 9 males 70s, 9 females 80s, 4 males 80s, 5 females 90s, 4 males 90s 1 female 100+
- Douglas County: 1 male 80s
- DuPage County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s
- Effingham County: 1 male 80s
- Henry County: 1 male 80s
- Iroquois County: 1 male 70s
- Jackson County: 1 male 80s
- Jersey County: 1 female 70s
- Kane County: 1 male 40s, 1 female 60s, 1 male 60s, 2 females 70s, 2 males 70s, 3 females 80s
- Kankakee County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s
- Knox County: 1 male 70s, 1 male 90s
- Lake County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 2 males 80s
- Lee County: 1 male 80s
- Livingston County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 90s
- Macoupin County: 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s
- Madison County: 1 male 50s, 1 female 90s
- Marion County: 1 male 60s
- Massac County: 1 female 80s
- McHenry County: 1 male 90s
- McLean County: 2 females 80s
- Montgomery County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
- Peoria County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s
- Pike County: 2 females 80s
- Pope County: 1 male 90s
- Randolph County: 2 females 80s
- Saline County: 1 male 70s
- St. Clair County: 1 male 50s, 1 female 60s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
- Tazewell County: 1 female 80s
- Will County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
- Winnebago County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
- Woodford County: 1 male 70s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,086,333 cases, including 18,520 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 99,036 specimens for a total 15,083,685. As of last night, 3,281 in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 662 patients were in the ICU and 358 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from January 14–20, 2021 is 5.4%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from January 14–20, 2021 is 6.5%.
As of last night, 901,025 doses of vaccine have been delivered to providers in Illinois, including Chicago. In addition, approximately 524,050 doses have been allocated to the federal government’s Pharmacy Partnership Program for long-term care facilities. This brings the total Illinois doses to 1,425,075. IDPH is currently reporting a total of 572,389 vaccines administered, including 90,752 for long-term care facilities. Yesterday, a total of 34,649 doses were administered. The 7-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 22,585 doses.
If all the mitigation metrics continue to improve, Region 4 will move into Tier 2 on Friday, January 22, 2021.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in real-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. Information for deaths previously reported has changed, therefore, today’s numbers have been adjusted. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
* Meanwhile…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced Region 6 (Champaign, Clark, Clay, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, De Witt, Douglas, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Iroquois, Jasper, Lawrence, Macon, Moultrie, Piatt, Richland, Shelby, Vermillion) is returning to Phase 4 of the Restore Plan and Region 7 (Kankakee and Will) is advancing to Tier 1. Information about which tier and phase regions are in can be found at the top of the IDPH website homepage.
“I am excited that 10 out of our 11 regions have moved out of Tier 3 mitigations,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “However, this does not mean we can let our guard down. We must continue to practice actions to protect ourselves from the virus – wear our masks, avoid large gatherings, and get the vaccine when it is our turn. This is particularly critical as new variants circulate, which early studies show spread much more rapidly. We are headed in the right direction once again, so let’s stay the course.”
IDPH will continue to closely monitor test positivity, ICU bed availability, and the number of people in the hospital with COVID-19. Should data show regions trending in the wrong direction, based on the established mitigation metrics, regions could once again find themselves in a higher tier with increase measures.
The Republicans could easily - and I emphasize that - could easily be a majority party in the House and the Senate if we were dealing with fair maps like they do in places like Iowa. But unfortunately, you know, we’ve been gerrymandered to a degree where we’re in the minority in both chambers. But, if you look at election results for Illinois, I don’t think the representation of the General Assembly is a good reflection of the state as a whole politically.
Um, I would really like to see that data.
There’s no doubt the GOP could be somewhat more competitive, but the party got blown out at almost every level in the suburbs over the past four years.
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Former Illinois state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias has ramped up fundraising in his 2022 campaign for Illinois Secretary of State, a position long held by Jesse White, who’s retiring after this term.
Giannoulias has secured hundreds of thousands of dollars in financial support for the open seat, including $400,000 raised in a single week, according to filings with the state Board of Elections.
Big-name donors include clean-energy innovator Michael Polsky, Black Opal CEO Desiree Rogers, and top Democratic Party contributors Michael Sacks and Bob Clifford, who each donated $6,000 (their wives each donated $6,000, too). Starting in January, the limits for individual contributions rose from $5,800 to $6,000 and corporate donors can now donate $12,000, up from $11,600.
Giannoulias’ team says he also has the support of Ariel Investments Co-CEO John Rogers Jr., former U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, and Vistria Group Co-CEO Marty Nesbitt, as well as organized labor. Rogers, Duncan and Nesbitt got to know Giannoulias on the campaign trail for former President Barack Obama’s first presidential run when they were known to play pick-up basketball games.
The former state treasurer, a position he held 10 years ago, filed paperwork for his candidacy on Jan. 11 and was putting out feelers weeks before that. He most recently conducted six virtual town halls focused on communities around the state. He ran a statewide race for U.S. Senate against Republican Mark Kirk.
Money was never going to be the issue with Giannoulias. His ability to put together a campaign that can guide him through what could be a crowded primary is and will remain the question.
Some members of the Illinois State Board of Education are voicing concerns that the state will soon adopt high school graduation requirements too burdensome for schools to enforce.
ISBE members made their comments during an ISBE board meeting Wednesday, one week after the General Assembly passed an omnibus education bill pushed for by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, which included the new requirements.
The bill, one of a slate of equity-focused legislation passed by lawmakers during Lame Duck session last week, includes requirements for three new courses: computer science, laboratory science, and foreign language.
Both laboratory science and foreign language will be required for high school graduation. Schools will have until the 2024-2025 school year to offer laboratory science content, and until the 2028-2029 school year to implement foreign language instruction.
However, certain state education board members believe the legislature may have adopted such requirements without truly considering individual school districts’ capability or effective educational science.
“What’s the best time to teach a foreign language? It is not high school,” Board member Christine Benson said Wednesday. “What’s the second worst time to teach a foreign language? It’s junior high. [Lawmakers] did no research on this, they just added it on.”
More than 80 percent of the Chicago Teachers Union House of Delegates — the Union’s 600-member governing body — voted to pass a resolution tonight authorizing all CTU members at CPS district schools to conduct remote work only, starting on January 25, 2021, or on whatever date Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s handpicked Chicago Board of Education requires educators teaching kindergarten through eighth grade to appear in person.
The resolution will now go to full rank-and-file membership for an electronic ballot vote on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
“This is about a pandemic that has killed 400,000 Americans, and an overwhelming majority of our delegates are resolved to putting safety first and continuing to teach remotely,” CTU President Jesse Sharkey said. “In the absence of an actual commitment on safety from CPS leadership, the best assurance we have for the safety of our students and school staff right now is to continue remote learning.”
“Our members are resolved to continue working, teaching their students and doing so safely,” President Sharkey added. “Only the mayor can force a strike, and if it comes to that, that’s her choice. We choose safety.”
COVID has now surfaced in over 50 schools since CPS began forcing pre-kindergarten teachers and special education cluster teachers back into school buildings on Jan. 4. Despite that, the mayor and CPS have refused to commit to basic safety measures such as providing clear procedures for closing a building if there is a school based outbreak, testing procedures or a meaningful health metric to determine when to move between in-person and remote learning.
CPS plans to force an additional 10,000 educators back into buildings on January 25 — the same day those workers become eligible to begin receiving a COVID vaccine as members of the 1B class of essential workers.
In Chicago — where Black and Brown communities continue to shoulder a disproportionate burden of disease and death from COVID — positivity rates remain in double digits, with roughly one in eight residents in many communities testing positive for COVID. While CPS has stalled on releasing student attendance numbers since pre-K and cluster students began returning on January 11, educators are reporting near-empty or totally empty classrooms even as CPS continues to insist that members teach from unsafe classrooms instead of the safety of their home workspaces.
Public opposition to Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s dangerous reopening plan continues to grow. Forty-two out of 50 aldermen have now signed onto a letter urging Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot to hold off on reopening schools until CPS and the CTU have bargained to agreement on a safe plan to return to school buildings. At the same time, a growing number community organizations and local school councils also have formally urged the mayor to hold off on reopening unsafe school buildings.
The Union will continue to bargain with the Board this week.
* CPS email to teachers today threatening to classify collective no-shows as an “illegal strike”…
Typically, 75% of the CTU’s rank-and-file members would need to vote in favor of a walkout for a strike to be authorized. In this case, only a simple majority approval would be required, a CTU spokeswoman said, because members would be walking out over an alleged unfair labor practice — CPS’ supposed refusal to negotiate.
As of Friday, CPS had labeled 87 employees as absent without leave after they refused to show up to their schools. The district said those employees would be locked out of their Google education accounts and would not be paid until they report to their buildings in person.
CPS CEO Janice Jackson has repeatedly stated she believes a deal with the union can be struck — but she said the two sides need to focus on how to reopen safely, not whether schools should reopen.
CPS has said it spent more than $100 million to ensure school buildings are safe for students and staff, and has put in place safety protocols to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. But teachers say that’s not enough, and some who have reported to schools said there are still issues.
“I know people are infatuated with this word ‘strike,’” CTU Vice President Stacy Davis Gates said during a press conference Wednesday morning ahead of the delegate vote, “but I am saying very clearly that our activity has been and continues to be specifically about allowing space for safety and making sure that our members, our teachers, our (paraprofessionals), our clinicians are able to continue to operate instruction remotely.”
Both CPS and CTU officials, along with their respective supporters, have expressed frustration over the monthslong back-and-forth over reopening.
In her statement, Bolton also said: “In each of the more than 60 sessions that we have had with CTU leadership concerning safely re-opening our schools, the district has come to the table in good faith, and we remain committed to reaching a mutually-acceptable agreement. We have agreed to the CTU’s safety demands every step of this process and we are ready to come to a resolution that provides our families the smooth transition to in-person learning they deserve.”
She added: “CTU leadership wants to close schools that are already safely open to students, and cancel in-person learning for the tens of thousands of students who are relying on their dedicated educators to provide in-person learning in the coming weeks.”
Hats off to members of the Black caucus in the Illinois General Assembly.
They introduced four major bills — criminal justice, education, health care and economic equity — on Jan. 8 and passed three of them through the House and Senate in six days. The health care bill was approved in just one of the two legislative bodies.
Their political play using last-minute action by a lame-duck legislature could not have been handled with more sophistication and raw power. The legislation now goes for signature by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
It will be amazing if he, in deference to the politics of the moment, doesn’t swallow them whole.
But while political calculations may have been splendid, the policy questions remain wide open.
And if you read on, there’s not a single actual policy argument made in the editorial. It’s all about process.
The bills all passed in a lawful manner. Individual legislators were free to vote however they wished. Some huge compromises were made with opponents, some fixes were promised down the road. Also, human beings tend to push things off to the deadline, which is why so many people file their taxes on April 15th.
Process can certainly be an issue. The horrific schedule of the lame duck session is most definitely worth criticism. But I can’t help but wonder if a lot (not all) of the criticism of this “process” is more about the legislators who were pushing the bills and the people who were opposed rather than the substance. And some of it is just wrong…
Defenders of this process argue that the Black caucus held a series of online hearings to listen to interested parties discuss general concepts related to these extremely complicated policy proposals.
But those discussions did not result in substantive legislation until Jan. 8, when the measures were introduced by Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford. She later explained she did not show her hand until the last minute to avoid having to submit them to public scrutiny and debate.
There were hearings during the lame duck session. I wrote about some of them and watched many of them. And they all resulted in changes to the legislation, sometimes even drastic changes. The health care bill didn’t pass partly because of those hearings.
* Also, if editorialists were truly concerned about process, you’d think we would see something written about the new Senate rule that allows the Assignments Committee to send the same bills to multiple committees, which is likely going to be a huge boon to Statehouse contract lobbyists who spend most of their time killing legislation.
At a September news conference announcing the agenda, Black Caucus Chair Kimberly Lightford, a state senator from Maywood, acknowledged the national scrutiny and building momentum as a chance to address longstanding grievances and reforms sought by Black lawmakers and activists.
“This moment in time is presenting us with an unlimited opportunity to at long last address systemic racism and oppression that has plagued our communities for generations,” she said.
That same day, the Black Caucus held its first subject matter hearing, both for the agenda and for its criminal justice policy pillar. The topic was use-of-force laws and police transparency, and witnesses included representatives from the American Civil Liberties Union and the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police who clashed in their testimonies.
This scene would be repeated more than four months later on the House floor, where many of the use-of-force provisions discussed in that hearing were included in the Black Caucus criminal justice bill. The ACLU and IACP would again disagree on use-of-force provisions as witnesses in a House Criminal Judiciary Committee hearing during the lame duck session.
Following that first subject matter hearing in September, Senate committees held eight more hearings through November. Police certification, mandatory minimum sentences, drug laws, collective bargaining and transparency issues were all debated with input from relevant stakeholders months before the bill was introduced.
Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, lowering claims to 900,000, still a historically high level that points to further job cuts in a raging pandemic.
The Labor Department’s report Thursday underscored that President Joe Biden has inherited an economy that faltered this winter as virus cases spiked, cold weather restricted dining and federal rescue aid expired. The government said that 5.1 million Americans are continuing to receive state jobless benefits, down from 5.2 million in the previous week. That signals that fewer people who are out of work are finding jobs.
New viral infections have begun to slow after months of relentless increases, though they remain high and are averaging about 200,000 a day. The number of deaths in the United States from the pandemic that erupted 10 months ago has surpassed 400,000.
Economists say one factor that likely increased jobless claims in the past two weeks is a government financial aid package that was signed into law in late December. Among other things, it provided a $300-a-week federal unemployment benefit on top of regular state jobless aid. The new benefit, which runs through mid-March, may be encouraging more Americans to apply for jobless benefits.
The U.S. Department of Labor estimates 108,892 new unemployment claims were filed during the week of Jan 11 in Illinois, according to the DOL’s weekly claims report released Thursday. […]
There were 94,944 new unemployment claims filed during the week of Jan. 4 in Illinois.
There were 45,387 new unemployment claims were filed during the week of Dec. 27 in Illinois.
There were 110,486 claims filed in Illinois the week of Dec. 20.
There were 145,054 new unemployment claims filed across the state, the week of Dec. 13.
Illinois reported 138,359 unemployment claims during the week of Dec. 6.
Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch announced the members of his House Democratic leadership team Thursday, including state Reps. Jehan Gordon-Booth, Robyn Gabel, Jaime M. Andrade, Jr., and Jay Hoffman.
Welch released the following statement:
“As we begin a new day in the House, I’m committed to assembling a Democratic leadership team that values those things that have made our caucus so successful while also pursuing needed changes to strengthen our caucus, our House and our state. Throughout their careers, Reps. Gordon-Booth, Gabel, Andrade and Hoffman have all brought leadership, integrity and unique perspectives to our chamber. They have spoke passionately for their communities and also extended their hands to their colleagues in compromise. I look forward to working closely with them, and with all members of this chamber, to meet the challenges and seize the opportunities of this moment.”
The following can be attributed to state Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria, who will serve as deputy majority leader and speaker pro-tempore:
“As Speaker Welch begins a historic speakership, I’m proud to be a part of a leadership team that recognizes that the diversity of our caucus is our strength. Last week, Democrats stood together to move forward on landmark legislation advancing justice for all – something that required each of us to think beyond our own experience and listen to one another. While there is a lot of work ahead, we will continue to work together in this way to build a stronger Illinois.”
The following can be attributed to state Rep. Robyn Gabel, D-Evanston, who will serve as assistant majority leader:
“Speaker Welch has called on every member of this House to work together to meet the challenges of this moment. We come to the table prepared to advocate for the critical services families and small businesses need to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, smart budget solutions that invest in our future, the health of our families, our environmental resources, strong schools and a strong economy.”
The following can be attributed to state Rep. Jaime M. Andrade, Jr., D-Chicago, who will serve as assistant majority leader:
“This leadership team reflects the diversity and geography of our state, and we share a commitment to doing what is right for every part of Illinois. The challenges ahead of us are clear, but Speaker Welch has made it clear this is no time to hide from these challenges – it’s time to confront them head on and work together to strengthen our state.”
The following can be attributed to state Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea, who will serve as assistant majority leader:
“The work ahead of our state is so critical. We are tasked with bringing Illinois through an unprecedented pandemic, repairing the budgetary damage that crisis has created, and building a stronger, more just state. Democrats stand united with Speaker Welch in this effort. We’re enthused by this new moment and remain committed to continuing our work for a stronger middle class, an economy that works for everyone, and a better Illinois for all.”
Welch’s full leadership team will consist of:
• State Rep. Greg Harris - Majority Leader
• State Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth - Deputy Majority Leader / Speaker Pro-Tempore
• State Rep. Mary E. Flowers - Deputy Majority Leader and Dean of the Caucus
• State Rep. Jaime M. Andrade, Jr. - Assistant Majority Leader
• State Rep. Robyn Gabel - Assistant Majority Leader
• State Rep. Elizabeth Hernandez - Assistant Majority Leader
• State Rep. Jay Hoffman - Assistant Majority Leader
• State Rep. Natalie Manley - Assistant Majority Leader
• State Rep. Marcus C. Evans, Jr. - Assistant Majority Leader
• State Rep. Delia Ramirez - Assistant Majority Leader
• State Rep. Carol Ammons - Democratic Conference Chair
In addition to these leadership posts, Welch has tapped leaders within each caucus of the House Democratic delegation to serve as a caucus whips. These members will be empowered to rally the various caucuses around legislation and issues of importance to the entire Democratic Caucus. This team will be:
• State Rep. Will Guzzardi - Progressive Caucus Whip
• State Rep. Kam Buckner - Black Caucus Whip
• State Rep. Theresa Mah - Asian Caucus Whip
• State Rep. Larry Walsh, Jr. - Downstate Caucus Whip
• State Rep. Deb Conroy - Women’s Caucus Whip
• State Rep. Aaron Ortiz - Latinx Caucus Whip
Welch and his full leadership team are preparing new changes to the House rules, based on input from both sides of the aisle.
Democratic state representatives moving up to the role of assistant majority leader are North Siders Jaime Andrade and Delia Ramirez, South Sider Marcus Evans Jr. and Robyn Gabel of Evanston.
State Rep. Carol Ammons of Urbana moves up to chair of the Democratic Caucus. That position was previously held by state Rep. Kathleen Willis of Addison, who also ran for speaker but dropped out to support a candidate other than Welch.
Democratic Reps. Natalie Manley, of Joliet, Elizabeth Hernandez of Cicero and Jay Hoffman of Swansea will remain as assistant majority leaders in Welch’s ranks. Hoffman was also an unsuccessful candidate for speaker.
Gone from leadership posts are Reps. Fred Crespo of Hoffman Estates and Will Davis of Homewood, who both served as assistant majority leaders.
Members of the Latinx and Black caucuses held elections for their leaders and submitted names to Welch for inclusion in the team, the new speaker said.
* Certain folks in April: Gov. Pritzker must stop applying the same COVID-19 mitigations to the entire state.
Certain folks in January: My House district has three IDPH regions, and my constituents aren’t following the rules, so obviously the program is a disaster and it’s all the governor’s fault…
Just south of Springfield, state Rep. Blaine Wilhour, R-Beecher City, said his district spans over three of the governor’s regions and they each have different mitigation put on them by the governor.
As of Tuesday afternoon per the governor’s plan, one region in Wilhour’s district, Region 4, indoor dining is prohibited. Another, Region 6, there can be 25 percent capacity. And another, Region 5, can have 50 percent capacity.
“But I’ll be honest with you, the folks in my district by and large, they stopped listening to the governor months ago,” Wilhour said. “He’s moved the goalposts so many times. It’s so confusing. He has no credibility.”
“They’ve been doing it safely and responsibly and I think that ultimately we’re going to be in a better situation because of that,” Wilhour said of businesses open in defiance of indoor prohibition. “We’ve had less restaurants shutdown and close their doors and things of that nature. Where it really hits us hard is with our schools.”
The governor hasn’t closed any schools. That’s a local decision.
State Representative Andrew Chesney (R-Freeport) had harsh words for Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s plan to move up prisoner vaccination ahead of vaccinating adults with high-risk medical conditions.
“I support offering vaccinations to prison and jail staff as early as possible due to their high-risk of exposure and risk of community spread, but to put prisoners before medically vulnerable adults who do not live within congregate living facilities is a slap in the face to the public,” said Chesney. “Governor Pritzker has a strange fascination with putting prisoners before the public.” […]
“For all the talk we just heard from Democrats about prioritizing the needs of pre-trial detainees because they are not yet convicted of a crime, we now see the bald truth put to the lie. Clearly, Pritzker prioritizes prisoners above the medically vulnerable public. This is shameful,” chided Chesney.
“It’s in line with CDC guidance,” said Jordan Abudayyeh, a spokeswoman for Gov. J.B. Pritzker. “The federal government already began vaccinating prisoners in federal facilities back in December. Illinois has included all (federal) recommendations for congregate facilities as part of (phase) 1b.”
Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain said his office plans to make the jail’s vaccination plan available as soon as possible and the priority for staff is corrections officers because of the close quarters in which they work. He is hopeful the vaccine supply will be enough to inoculate staff and detainees simultaneously.
Sgt. Chris Covelli, a spokesman for Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg, said about 50 inmates have expressed interest in receiving the vaccination, which represents about 10% of the jail’s population. However there are concerns about providing one dose of the two-dose regimen to an inmate who might be released before he is due to receive the second dose. […]
The McHenry County jail also houses federal detainees for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office. They are working with federal authorities regarding vaccination plans for those detainees as well, officials said.
After days of mixed messages about how restaurants in Macon County can operate when it comes to indoor dining, the state came through Monday with news everyone wanted to hear. […]
The news came just days after the Macon County Board amended its food sanitation ordinance to allow for limited indoor dining, a move that went against state restrictions and limited the county health department’s ability to enforce the state rules. The Decatur City Council discussed similar action last week.
* An Illinoisan was President of the United States for 8 years and Sen. Richard Durbin was in leadership during that period of history as well. The state didn’t really get anything particularly special then, and I’m not holding my breath now, either…
Dick Durbin’s position as an experienced leader in the party that is about to take control of what issues will be considered by the U.S. Senate can’t help but benefit Illinois, and his respectful demeanor could bring more civility to Washington, D.C., political observers say. […]
What’s easier to predict, Shaw said, is that Durbin’s stature means Illinois’ needs will receive a high level of attention in Congress. […]
Durbin said he doesn’t want to overstate his role in leadership, but it will definitely benefit Illinois.
“When important decisions are made, Illinois is going to be at the table,” he said. “Sen. Duckworth and I will both make sure of that.”
State Sen. Heather Steans, a veteran North Side Democrat who was one of the driving forces behind legalizing recreational marijuana in Illinois last year, is resigning her seat as of Jan. 31.
Steans was appointed to the Senate in 2008 and elected to a new two-year term in November. Her resignation announcement coming five days after she was sworn in for another term.
Steans said one factor in her decision was increasing family obligations, including helping care for her mother, who has Alzheimer’s disease, she said. But Steans said she has no immediate career plans. […]
Steans and her fellow budget negotiator, former Sen. Andy Manar of Bunker Hill, both publicly backed Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford of Maywood in last year’s contest for Senate president, a role that ultimately went to Sen. Don Harmon of Oak Park. Manar resigned last week and as of Tuesday is a senior adviser to Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
A legislative source tells Playbook that Steans could follow former Sen. Andy Manar to work in Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration. The source says Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford might want to jump ship, too.
The governor’s office told me yesterday that Steans was not heading their direction. And Leader Lightford just told me that after shepherding the Black Caucus’ “historic” legislative agenda through the lame duck session, she sees no reason to leave now. “After 22 years of heartbreak and being labeled as the angry Black woman, I’m going to see these life changing pillars through the implementation process.”
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 4,822 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 107 additional deaths.
- Adams County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
- Champaign County: 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s
- Christian County: 1 male 60s
- Clinton County: 1 male 70s
- Coles County: 1 female 90s
- Cook County: 1 male 40s, 1 female 50s, 3 males 50s, 1 female 60s, 1 male 60s, 5 males 70s, 4 females 80s, 5 males 80s, 2 females 90s, 1 male 90s
- DuPage County: 1 male 50s, 1 female 60s, 2 males 60s, 1 male 80s, 1 male 100+
- Ford County: 1 female 90s
- Franklin County: 1 male 80s
- Iroquois County: 1 female 90s
- Jackson County: 1 female 90s
- Jersey County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s
- Kane County: 2 females 60s, 2 males 60s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 male 90s
- Kankakee County: 1 female 80s
- Kendall County: 1 male 70s
- Knox County: 1 male 80s
- Lake County: 4 females 80s, 1 male 80s, 2 females 90s, 1 male 90s
- Lee County: 1 female 90s
- Logan County: 1 female 80s
- Macon County: 1 female 50s, 1 male 60s, 1 male 70s
- Madison County: 1 male 60s, 2 males 70s, 1 female 80s
- Mason County: 1 female 50s
- McHenry County: 1 male 80s
- McLean County: 1 female 80s, 2 males 80s
- Mercer County: 1 male 70s
- Monroe County: 1 male 80s
- Montgomery County: 1 female 80s, 1 female 100+
- Morgan County: 1 female 50s, 1female 90s
- Peoria County: 1 female 30s, 1 female 50s, 2 males 50s, 1 female 60s
- Richland County: 1 female 50s
- Rock Island County: 1 male 60s
- St. Clair County: 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
- Stephenson County: 1 male 70s, 2 females 90s
- Tazewell County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 90s
- Vermilion County: 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s
- Whiteside County: 1 male 70s
- Will County: 2 males 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
- Winnebago County: 3 females 80s, 1 male 80s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,081,354 cases, including 18,398 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 86,121 specimens for a total 14,984,649. As of last night, 3,284 in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 722 patients were in the ICU and 379 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from January 13–19, 2021 is 5.5%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from January 13–19, 2021 is 6.8%.
As of last night, 864,150 doses of vaccine have been delivered to providers in Illinois, including Chicago. In addition, approximately 524,050 doses have been allocated to the federal government’s Pharmacy Partnership Program for long-term care facilities. This brings the total Illinois doses to 1,388,200. IDPH is currently reporting a total of 537,740 vaccines administered, including 86,180 for long-term care facilities. Yesterday, a total of 29,008 doses were administered. The 7-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 21,869 doses.
If all the mitigation metrics continue to improve, Region 6 will move into Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois Plan on Thursday, January 21, 2020, and Region 7 is on target to move into Tier 1.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in real-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov
Amid a slew of late-night actions in his final hours at the White House, President Donald Trump pardoned Casey Urlacher, a suburban mayor and the brother of Bears Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher.
Casey Urlacher, 41, faced federal charges alleging he acted as a recruiter and bagman for a sports gambling ring that raked in millions of dollars from hundreds of Chicago-area bettors. Urlacher, who is the mayor of the tiny Lake County suburb of Mettawa, pleaded not guilty to the charges last March.
A little more than a week after his brother was in a packed federal courtroom entering his not guilty plea, his famous brother paid a visit to Trump at the White House.
“This was a once in a lifetime experience!” Brian Urlacher posted on Instagram along with a photo of his Bears jersey laid out on the Resolute Desk in front of a smiling Trump. “Got to hang in the Oval Office with President Trump and my family. He could not have been any nicer or accommodating to all of us.”
* Urlacher finished second in a three-way Republican primary for state Senate behind Dan McConchie, who is now the Senate Republican Leader. I asked McConchie’s spokesperson for a comment on his constituent and former rival…
“I frankly don’t understand why President Trump would pardon someone who has yet to be convicted of a crime, except when it’s in the national interest,” said Illinois Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie. “Pardons should be done on the merits of the case, not based on a relationship with the President. This sort of practice undermines the public’s faith in our system. We’re supposed to be a nation of laws, not one based on people getting benefits just because of who they know.”
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot emerged from the Illinois General Assembly’s abbreviated session bruised by new legislation that will worsen the city’s financial woes and weaken her hand with public-sector unions.
One bill passed in the session sweetens Chicago firefighter pensions, adding hundreds of millions of dollars to the city’s pension tab. Another gives the Chicago Teachers Union, already one of the sharpest thorns in the mayor’s side, bargaining powers it lost in 1995. And leaders in the Illinois Senate are committed to taking away her power to appoint school board members even though the effort is delayed for now. […]
Still, the defeats highlight Lightfoot’s lack of the deep political relationships and leverage that helped her predecessors get their way in Springfield. For example, Rahm Emanuel staved off the broader CTU negotiating power and elected school board bills for years because his friend, then-Senate President John Cullerton, didn’t call them for votes. Some observers say Lightfoot might not have suffered such quick defeats on the firefighter pension and CTU bargaining bills if she had more legislators watching out for Chicago’s interests.
In order to have more legislators watching out for her priorities, she needs more allies.
Lightfoot’s spokesperson points out that she supported the Section 4.5 repeal and an elected school board during her mayoral campaign. However, the mayor’s team fought hard against the bills in the recently ended session.
A Chicago Police lieutenant sued the city Tuesday, alleging he blew the whistle on “illegal policing” and was re-assigned after refusing to comply with arrest and traffic stop quotas forced on the newly created Community Safety Team (CST).
Franklin Paz, Jr., 48, was assigned to supervise dozens of officers and sergeants, referred to in at least one email as a “platoon,” on the special team formed by Supt. David Brown.
Brown created the CST in the summer of 2020 to specifically focus on reducing violent crimes and improving relationships in the community.
But in Paz’s whistleblower lawsuit, he said the team is doing the opposite with a practice of quota-based policing during investigatory stops of civilians.
“[The head of the unit, Deputy CPD Chief Michael Barz] demanded certain numbers relating to police activity, regardless of the criminal or traffic activity justifying police intervention,” the complaint states. “In other words, regardless of the criminal activity occurring that day, his officers were required to make the same number of stops.”
Specifically, Barz wanted to see more “blue cards,” according to the complaint, which are documents created by officers who detain a person but don’t formally arrest them or issue them a traffic citation.
Paz alleged that Barz soon began requiring officers to hit daily quotas, and started criticizing him and his officers over their low number of blue cards. In one conversation detailed in the complaint, Barz allegedly singled out a sergeant who reported to Paz and said that person was going to be removed from their assignment if they didn’t begin “producing” more police activity.
“When Paz tried to defend the sergeant by explaining that in the past, they had focused on community policing efforts and quality of life issues in their areas, which do not result in the data that Barz wanted, Barz’s response was to say ‘f—k community policing, I need activity,’” the complaint states.
In September, Paz allegedly sent an email to Barz explaining that he “can not in good faith and will not mandate Officers to bring in ‘x’ amount of numbers and activity,” stating that these types of actions are “the exact reason” why the CPD remains under a federal consent decree.
This is not the first time Barz has faced accusations in a whistleblower lawsuit by a fellow officer. He was once accused in a deposition by former Chicago police Officer Shannon Spalding of detaining her during his time as a sergeant in the Bureau of Internal Affairs, in exchange for her dropping a lawsuit against police department officials.
In that suit, Spalding — without naming Barz as a defendant — accused her police bosses of retaliating against her for working with the FBI in its investigation into Sgt. Ronald Watts, a former public housing officer who went to prison for shaking down drug dealers for protection money and pinning false cases on those who wouldn’t pay. City officials settled that whistleblower suit for about $2 million in 2016, a settlement that was reached with the city shortly before then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel would have been forced to take the witness stand in the case.
According to Paz’s lawsuit, , the lieutenant said Barz instructed him and other supervisors to generate specific amounts of police activity during their shifts.
“When a unit engaged in a high number of stops, Barz congratulated the supervisors of the unit by telling them that their (teams) were ‘crushing the numbers,’” the lawsuit alleges. “By the ‘numbers,’ Barz meant traffic stops, arrests, citations, and other documented contacts with people on the street.”
* ACLU Illinois legal director Nusrat Choudhury…
Data about traffic stops in other cities that have experienced dramatic increases similar to the one we are witnessing in Chicago suggests that the rise in traffic stops is fueled by stops that are unjustified or, at best, are based only on suspicion of minor violations, like vehicle equipment regulations and low-level traffic violations. But blanketing entire neighborhoods with traffic stops that are entirely unjustified or justified only by minor infractions make people feel harassed for engaging in normal, everyday conduct and alienates the communities that police are supposed to protect and serve. This overpolicing of communities of color for low-level infractions alienates Black and Brown communities and is a serious problem in Chicago.
The criminal justice reform bill, by the way, increases protections for police whistleblowers.
More than 16 years after authorities say a Chicago police officer took part in one of the biggest scandals in department history, city officials have quietly moved to fire him.
Officer Thomas Sherry faces dismissal for alleged misdeeds he carried out as a member of the disgraced Special Operations Section, a specialized unit that was disbanded when some of its officers committed home invasions and robberies in the 2000s.
Sherry was taken off the street and placed on paid desk duty when he was charged criminally in the scandal, only for those charges to be dropped a few years later.
But Chicago police officials kept him in that role for more than a decade anyway, prompting him in 2018 to file a federal lawsuit against the city, alleging that CPD violated his due process rights by refusing to hold a disciplinary hearing in his case before the Chicago Police Board.
“No, it’s not the end of the party,” said Pat Brady, former Illinois Republican Party chairman and political consultant. “The party is strong, but we need to get back to the issues people care about and become less of a party focused on the personality of one man.” […]
“In Illinois we focus on the suburban voters, particularly suburban women who are open to a message of law and order. A lot of people worry about crime,” he said.
While Brady said the Republican Party needs to move away from Trumpism, former Cook County GOP chair Aaron Del Mar said the party must include Trump supporters to survive.
“People like Adam Kinzinger who thinks a path forward in Illinois are going to be greatly surprised when he can’t get through a Republican primary because of some of his rhetoric with the president,” Del Mar said. […]
“To win in Illinois, you are going to need all Republicans, and a good chunk of Independents, and soft Democrats to be successful,” said Del Mar.
* Meanwhile, a certain Eastern Bloc member has taken to demanding that the ILGOP step in and do something about Kinzinger…
The state’s COVID-19 seven-day average case positivity rate dropped to 5.7 percent Tuesday, the lowest it has been since Oct. 23.
The positivity rate peaked at 13.2 percent on a rolling average as of Nov. 13, and the entire state entered strict Tier 3 mitigations on Nov. 20. Since then the positivity rate has been on a continual downward trend except for the two weeks following Christmas day when it rose from just under 7 percent to over 8.5 percent before beginning to fall again.
Hospitalizations for the disease continued on a gradual downward arc as well, decreasing for the eighth week in a row as of Sunday night after peaking the week ending Nov. 22.
There were 3,335 people reported hospitalized for COVID-19 in Illinois as of Monday night, while there were 3,473 people hospitalized on average each night for the seven days prior. That marked a 7 percent decrease from the week prior and a 43 percent drop from its peak the week ending Nov. 22.
Intensive care unit beds have followed similar trends with 713 of them in use by COVID-19 patients Monday night and 728 in use on average each night for the seven days prior. That marked a 5.9 percent decrease from the week prior and a 40 percent decrease from the week ending Nov. 29, when there were 1,209 in use on average.
While hospitalizations have declined here by 43 percent since November 22nd, they’ve increased nationally since that same date by 48 percent. Also, every Great Lakes state has a higher test positivity rate than Illinois. Ohio’s is the highest at 13.1. Michigan is the lowest at 6.4.
A hate crime investigation is underway after two nooses were found at the York Community High School football field in west suburban Elmhurst.
The nooses - made of rope - were found hanging from metal bleachers at the field between noon and 2:30 p.m. Sunday by a group of adults who had gathered to play an informal game of soccer, police said.
The group took the nooses down and contacted authorities Monday, police said. Investigators found messages on the tape used to attach the nooses to the bleachers.
One message read “Let them play!” and the other read “Hear us now! Please!” police said.
In a letter to parents, the superintendent of Elmhurst Community School District 205 wrote in part, “Regardless of intent, this act decries the principles, values and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose holiday we paused to celebrate today… We further pledge to be courageous leaders, who will ensure that symbols of hatred, oppression and violence have no place in our school district and in the city of Elmhurst.”
Ain’t nobody gonna listen to your argument on anything if that’s how you behave.
Hopefully, the folks advocating for restarting high school sports will universally condemn this despicable nonsense. The rhetoric is getting way out of hand as it is.
Illinois marijuana sales brought in over a billion dollars last year.
The sales tax from cannabis can help cities like Springfield, but because of a state law, the capital city can’t currently use any of the sales tax revenue.
“It’s a conundrum for us because here we are getting this money, we want to spend it and allocate it, but we can’t because our hands are tied due to state law,” City of Springfield Budget Director Bill McCarty said.
The reason being that Springfield only has two dispensaries selling recreational products — both owned by the same company, Ascend Wellness.
If McCarty were to disclose the revenue the city’s received from the tax, he would in effect be disclosing their sales, which is a violation of state law.
The only people with access to the confidential information are McCarty, Mayor Jim Langfelder, deputy mayor Bonnie Drew and city attorney Jim Zerkle.
Per guidance received from the Illinois Department of Revenue, McCarty said the city would need at least five recreational dispensaries before it could disclose cannabis revenue as the law is currently constructed.
“Therefore, we’re simply sitting on the money,” McCarty said. “I know how much has come in, but it’s all mixed in with our regular sales tax. So it’s not reported individually out there anywhere, and I’m not reporting it. We’re also not putting it in the budget, and we’re also not spending it.”
* So, I checked with the governor’s office…
The administration remains committed to ensuring the new adult-use cannabis industry benefits communities across the state which is why the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act does not prevent municipalities from spending revenue received from taxes imposed on the sale of cannabis. Though Springfield is currently home to only one dispensary, they are legally allowed to spend tax dollars received from the dispensary if they do not identify the source of the funding in their budget.
Background…
Springfield is one of 44 municipalities with only one dispensary. The IL Dept. of Revenue includes cannabis dollars in lump sum payments to municipalities, which include general sales tax and the motor fuel tax, which publicly protects the source of any cannabis tax dollars.
As President Donald Trump prepares to leave office with his party in disarray, Republican leaders including Sen. Mitch McConnell are maneuvering to thwart his grip on the GOP in future elections, while forces aligned with Trump are looking to punish Republican lawmakers and governors who have broken with him. […]
Republicans on both sides of the conflict are acknowledging openly that they are headed for a showdown.
“Hell yes, we are,” said Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, one of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump.
Kinzinger was equally blunt when asked how he and other anti-Trump Republicans could dilute the president’s clout in primaries.
“We beat him,” he said.
* Meanwhile, in Illinois, here’s Democratic US Rep. Sean Casten…
ince the results of the elections in November were certified, multiple members of the Illinois Republican Party have continued to question the outcomes without valid justification. Local Republican officials have been demanding a full recount of votes in DuPage County, mobilizing rallies and using incendiary rhetoric that directly echoes language used by the Proud Boys and other domestic terror groups who attacked the United States Capitol last week.
In one of several mass communications calling for a recount on the basis of factually inaccurate claims, the DuPage County Republican Party Chairman falsely claimed the DuPage County Clerk is breaking the law and that she needs to be held “accountable.” While these individuals are now attempting to distance themselves from the violence on January 6th, we cannot ignore their contributions to the disinformation campaign that led to it. The language being used by those seeking to overturn a free and fair election in DuPage County is virtually identical to the language being used by those groups who are planning those attacks—from the “stop the steal” battle cry that’s since been removed from Facebook for its threat to public safety to suggesting that supporters “fight” election results extrajudicially. Any political party who fails to curtail this language must, if only out of an abundance of caution, be assumed to be supporting these insurrectionists.
Words matter, and the events of the last week have made it abundantly clear what these particular words can incite. U.S. intelligence agencies have informed us that there are multiple terror groups seeking to mobilize attacks on the U.S. Government and all fifty state capitals in or around January 20th; Our entire national security, intelligence and civil protection apparatus, including federal, state, and local agencies are focused on identifying and stopping these actors.
To that end, I call on the leadership of the Illinois Republican party, and upon public officials at all levels of state and local government, to immediately and publicly disavow and condemn these actions, affirm the certified results of the November election, and use their position of leadership to make it abundantly clear that while the terrorists who attacked the Capitol last week may have had a political agenda, they do not have the support of the party of Lincoln.
I asked for a comment from the ILGOP last week and heard nothing back. The state Republican Party regularly demands reporters ask questions of Gov. Pritzker, so turnabout, etc.
Trump will no longer be a handicap to Republicans in the Chicago suburbs and in places like Champaign County, where he could manage no more than 37 percent of the vote and where the once-dominant GOP lost six countywide offices since Trump became president. Democrats also have gained a pair of seats in both the Illinois House and Senate since 2016.
Trump’s loss, combined with the demise of Michael J. Madigan, the longtime Speaker of the House who has bedeviled Republicans in the Legislature for 50 years, makes January 2021 one of the best months for the Illinois GOP in years.
The political pendulum may finally be moving in favor of Republicans in the Land of Lincoln.
The worst of it may be over for the party for now, but the suburbs have been trending more Democratic since the 1990s just as Downstate has been trending more Republican. Neither trend is likely to stop.
What I’m saying is that Illinois Republicans have opportunity, even now. Democrats are quite capable of soiling their own nest. But to reach millions of voters in the middle, the GOP somehow has to cleanse a brand that now is horridly tarnished. Please, give me real choice on Election Day.
Easier said than done. Party leaders can only do so much. If the GOP base doesn’t settle down, those primaries are gonna be something to behold.
State Senator Heather Steans (D-Chicago) today announced her resignation after 12 years of service, declaring “it’s time for fresh faces and new energy” in Springfield.
“It’s been the privilege of a lifetime to represent the most diverse Senate district in the State of Illinois,” Steans said. “I’ve benefited tremendously from the many perspectives of the people a I’ve represented. We’ve made great progress together, and now it’s time to pass the baton.”
During her tenure, Steans has been a leader on issues affecting women and the LGBTQ community, introducing and passing the historic bill that legalized gay marriage in Illinois, the first state to address this vital civil rights issue through the legislative process. She sponsored and passed the landmark House Bill 40, which will ensure that abortion remains legal in Illinois if the Roe v. Wade decision is ever overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court. And Steans was the Senate sponsor of the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which was finally ratified by the Illinois legislature in 2018.
“For every significant piece of legislation expanding women’s or LGBTQ rights in the past 12 years, Heather has been a leading voice,” said Terry Cosgrove, President and CEO of Personal PAC. “Her fingerprints are all over the tremendous gains we’ve made in Illinois in ensuring that our fundamental rights are protected.”
Steans played the key legislative role in expanding access to healthcare to hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans under the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare. She was a strong supporter of social equity legislation, including sponsoring the legalization of cannabis in Illinois that contained the largest criminal drug records expungement and social equity considerations in the country.
The cannabis legalization law, which Steans wrote and passed through the Senate, contains strong social equity requirements that have yet to be realized in the law’s implementation. It was the first legal cannabis law in the nation to be created through legislation rather than by referendum and has brought tens of millions of dollars of revenue to state and local coffers during the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus.
“Heather has been a valiant partner in forcing state government to address the historic racism and discrimination that has left too many of our families behind,” said former-state senator Toi Hutchinson, now serving as the Illinois Cannabis Regulation Oversight Officer. “Heather’s voice and leadership in that ongoing battle will be missed.”
Steans said that one of her greatest joys as State Senator was working with the many not-for-profit organizations throughout her district, which includes the Rogers Park, Edgewater, Andersonville and Ravenswood neighborhoods of Chicago.
“There are hundreds of people across our community who are working and fighting every day to protect our most vulnerable and give everyone a shot at a better life,” Steans said. “It’s been my privilege to work closely with those citizen-activists over the past 12 years and I will continue to support their efforts after leaving the Senate.”
Steans’ resignation is effective January 31, 2021. Her successor will be chosen by a weighted vote of the Democratic committeemen and committeewomen from the wards that make up the Seventh Senate District. Whoever is appointed will serve out the final two years of Steans’ term and must run to retain the seat in the 2022 election, when all Illinois House and Senate seats will be on the ballot.
Her two House members are Reps. Greg Harris and Kelly Cassidy.
*** UPDATE 1 *** From Rep. Cassidy…
I intend to seek the appointment to the Senate.
…Adding… Press release…
Illinois Senate President Don Harmon issued the following statement regarding Senator Heather Steans’ decision to leave the Illinois Senate.
“Heather Steans forever changed this state for the better. People across Illinois had their rights recognized and protected thanks to her leadership.
She is a forceful advocate for progress and problem solving, who fearlessly tackled many of the biggest issues in our society and was always looking for her next challenge.
“I wish her the best in her next adventures and thank her for all she has done for the Senate and the great state of Illinois.”
…Adding… Numbers…
If @RepKellyCassidy becomes Sen. Cassidy and is replaced in the House by someone with no prior GA service (and likewise for former Sens. Manar and Brady) here's how the ol' chart will look.
“For as long as I’ve known and worked with Senator Heather Steans, she has been a clear eyed and hardworking champion for services and supports for persons with disabilities and mental illnesses. In the nearly 50 years IARF has advocated on behalf of our social safety net, few legislators have as consistently and effectively taken up the mantle of ensuring Illinois government met its obligation to adequately support our service array as Senator Steans. From leading the charge to increase wages for direct support professionals to constantly working to improve the Medicaid program for enrollees and social service providers, Heather gave a strong voice in the General Assembly to those who so often felt they never had one. We wish Senator Steans all the best in her future endeavors..she will be missed.”
*** UPDATE 2 *** This looks like a done dealio…
Illinois House Majority Leader Greg Harris has indicated he's not pursuing the soon-to-be vacant state Senate seat now held by Sen. Heather Steans. State Rep. Kelly Cassidy is interested in moving to the Senate. She's the clear frontrunner for the seat.
I deleted an earlier tweet that incorrectly said Cassidy would have total power to pick her House replacement. Neither she nor Osterman quite has enough votes on their own to break the 50%-plus-one threshold.
…Adding… Colleen Connell, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois…
“We join those across Illinois in recognizing the incredible accomplishments of Heather Steans during her tenure in the Illinois Senate. Over the past 12 years, the ACLU of Illinois has been proud to stand by her side in advancing marriage equality, advancing access to reproductive health care for all women in Illinois, protecting children under the care of DCFS, implementing critical protections from discrimination in health care based on religion and the effort to legalize cannabis. Senator Steans has been a leader for progress in Illinois and her voice in the Senate will be missed.”
…Adding… IWIL Training Academy President Barbara Flynn Currie…
“Few women in Illinois have done more to press for equality in public life and promote women in public office than Senator Heather Steans. IWIL Training Academy is enormously proud of her service in the General Assembly and to the numerous graduates of our academy who call her a mentor and friend. We salute her accomplishments in the Senate and look forward to her next chapter.”
Senator Heather Steans serves as Vice-President of IWIL Training Academy and is a long time member of the board of directors.
Illinois Women’s Institute for Leadership (IWIL) Training Academy prepares and trains Democratic women to run for elected office, seek public appointments, and govern effectively at all levels in Illinois. Each year, IWIL Training Academy accepts a diverse class of twelve women from around the state into an intensive year-long training program. The organization provides participants with the expertise and support needed to put together successful campaigns and lead in their communities. IWIL Training Academy is one of only a handful of groups around the country dedicated to ensuring that when women seek political office, they are prepared.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 4,318 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 33 additional deaths.
- Champaign County: 2 females 60s, 1 male 60s
- Clay County: 1 male 70s
- Cook County: 1 male 60s, 3 females 70s, 5 males 70s, 3 females 80s, 3 males 80s, 2 females 90s, 2 male 90s
- DuPage County: 2 females 80s
- Effingham County: 1 female 80s
- Marion County: 1 male 60s
- Montgomery County: 1 female 90s
- Peoria County: 2 females 90s
- Rock Island County: 1 male 70s
- Sangamon County: 1 female 70s
- Vermilion County: 1 male 60s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,076,532 cases, including 18,291 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 71,533 specimens for a total 14,898,528. As of last night, 3,335 in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 713 patients were in the ICU and 395 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from January 12–18, 2021 is 5.7%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from January 12–18, 2021 is 6.9%.
As of last night, 781,350 doses of vaccine were delivered to providers in Illinois, including Chicago. In addition, approximately 304,600 doses have been allocated to the federal government’s Pharmacy Partnership Program for long-term care facilities. This brings the total Illinois doses to 1,085,950. IDPH is currently reporting a total of 508,732 vaccines administered, including 69,976 for long-term care facilities. Yesterday, a total of 13,169 doses were administered. The 7-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 22,134 doses.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in real-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
With the state of Illinois launching multiple health care staffing contracts to increase hospital staffing, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is adjusting its mitigation metrics to reflect the additional staff. With the change, Regions 8, 9, 10, and 11 will move from the most restrictive Tier 3 to Tier 2. In addition, Region 1 and 6 have met the metrics to move to Tier 1, and Regions 3 and 5 have met the metrics to return to Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois Plan.
Hospital leaders and local health departments have communicated to IDPH that their primary capacity challenge is the need for additional staffing and stressed that state-facilitated staffing contracts will be critical in addressing this challenge. With this surge staffing program, IDPH and hospital leaders feel confident that metrics can safely move away from utilizing medical/surgical bed limits to move across mitigation tiers, allowing more regions to advance. The adjustment also recognizes the substantial progress the state has made since November 20, 2020 when Tier 3 mitigations were put in place.
“Hospital leaders have made clear the importance of staffing in their continued response to this pandemic and conveyed that staffing contracts will be extraordinarily valuable in their ability to meet the needs of their communities,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “We are pleased to see most of our regions move out of Tier 3 mitigations with this change, and it is critical that we maintain this progress. With new variants of COVID-19 spreading, it is more important than ever to follow the public health guidance that keeps people safe – wear your mask and watch your distance.”
To address capacity issues reported by Illinois hospitals, IDPH, in partnership with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and the Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS), has launched a surge staffing program. The program leverages the state’s larger contracting power to engage multiple staffing vendors and create access to a talent pool at greater scale than any individual hospital could achieve. Hospitals with rooms available to increase capacity but lacking the personnel to staff their beds may partner with the state to procure the staff they need. Hospitals that create orders will enter into a contract with the state to access this new staffing pool.
Hospital leaders have conveyed that due to the progress the state has made as well as the volatility in medical/surgical capacity this time of year, the state’s remaining metrics will appropriately monitor capacity and spread. While IDPH is working to allow regions greater flexibility in lifting the most stringent mitigations, public health officials will continue to carefully monitor hospital needs and test positivity in order to maintain the state’s progress.
This is particularly critical as new variants circulate. Early studies for the SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7, which was first identified in the United Kingdom, have shown the variant may spread more rapidly and easily than what we have seen previously. Experts are predicting another possible surge due to this new variant in the next several months. Because of this, it is vital for people to remain vigilant and continue to wear their masks, keep 6-feet of distance, avoid large gatherings, and get vaccinated when they are eligible.
Four cases of COVID-19 were confirmed Thursday in the Capitol Complex and Bank of Springfield Center shortly before or after the Illinois House and Senate concluded their sessions for the week.
It’s unclear whether the outbreaks will play a role in when lawmakers will return to Springfield.
One case was confirmed in the Capitol Complex — which includes the Capitol building where the Senate met from Friday through Wednesday.
Three cases were confirmed through rapid testing at the BOS Center, where the House met from Friday through Thursday to accommodate social-distancing recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Steve Brown, an aide to House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside.
Earlier this month, Sangamon County put out the call to health care responders – the group of people known for vaccination purposes as “Phase 1A” – to fill up available weekend slots for receive the dose at the Department of Public Health. But that weekend, I began to notice social media postings from people who weren’t health care workers who had gotten their appointment to get a shot. Curious, I tried it, too. The online form asked if I was a health care worker. I accurately answered “no”… and it then proceeded to take me through the rest of the process and schedule my appointment.
I called the health department, which acknowledged a “glitch” in the online system that allowed the general public the ability to schedule appointments. While the glitch is now fixed, the department decided to honor the appointments that had been made. I asked if I should proceed with my appointment, and was told that I should, for a couple of reasons:
* The county is going to considerable expense to schedule staff on weekends to keep up a fast pace of vaccinations. They want to make sure every slot is filled, and not a single dose goes to waste. So when appointments are made, they want to make sure they are carried out.
* County health officials are hoping that media members like myself can help spread the word about the importance of the vaccine and clear up misconceptions about it and the vaccination process. In reality, members of the media are also part of Phase 1 because of the role we play in communicating important health and safety information to the public. You may question whether we are “essential” workers; in fact, you may vehemently disagree with that characterization. And you may have a point. But that is the system that’s been set up.
* As we all know, members of Congress have been offered vaccinations under an Obama-era executive order about continuity of governance. But members of the Illinois General Assembly have to wait their turn. Growing numbers are not happy…
If it’s essential for us to gather with 200 people almost every week, then we are essential enough to get a vaccine. We had an outbreak at session this week. Do we need to pass de-coupling, cannabis, etc bills or no? Vaccinate legislators and staff so we can work. @GovPritzker
* I asked Gov. Pritzker on Friday whether legislators should be vaccinated. As I told subscribers that afternoon, Pritzker said elected officials will receive the vaccination when they are eligible with the rest of the population. So, for example, if they’re over 65, they can qualify when those folks are vaccinated. Pritzker pointed out that he hasn’t yet been vaccinated and that legislators would, like himself, not be eligible for “special dispensation.”
* The Question: Should legislators receive the COVID-19 vaccination ahead of the spring session? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please…
* Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford wrote an op-ed in response to a misleading (surprise!) Tribune editorial…
I’ve seen misguided criticism that we are eliminating cash bail too fast. It’s a two-year phase-in. Two years. How much bureaucratic foot-dragging did they want?
Others complain about new training requirements that are designed to familiarize police with uncomfortable situations and hopefully reduce violent encounters. It’s exactly what community voices have been calling on for decades. They argue that trust won’t be restored between the police and the public until training, supervision and accountability reforms ensure everyone is protected without bias. […]
Before the Senate adjourned in May, we changed our rules so Senate committees could meet via Zoom during this pandemic. Over the summer and fall, the Senate hosted 32 legislative hearings covering well over 100 hours of testimony regarding the Legislative Black Caucus agenda.
These were public hearings. We invited Illinois House members. Law enforcement groups testified. Media outlets covered the hearings. As we had discussions, we also negotiated legislation.
Nothing should have been a surprise to anyone paying attention.
Lobbyists for law enforcement groups were invited to be part of the process. In fact, police groups won key concessions. It’s hard to claim you were shut out when your lobbyists were getting things changed.
As a result of that lobbying, the elimination of qualified immunity was removed from the bill as were restrictions on collective bargaining rights.
* But the misinformation is overwhelming. Here’s a Sun-Times op-ed by Jason Johnson, the president of a group called the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund…
And the public — especially communities hard-hit by violence and crime — want more police, not less. Residents of impoverished and often dangerous urban areas overwhelmingly want more (53%) or the same (41%) police presence in their communities according to a poll conducted this summer by Gallup for the Center for Advancing Opportunity after the George Floyd incident. A similar Gallup poll found a staggering 68% of residents in Chicago’s South Side wanted the police to spend more time in their neighborhood — only 5% wanted the police around less.
Um, there’s nothing in the bill that would reduce police presence in those communities.
* Notice the sheriff doesn’t say how this bill would be so devastating to law enforcement…
I’m very sorry to announce the dismantling of public safety as we know it. The elected officials that snuck and voted in…
What we’re seeing here is a group of people accustomed to always getting their way being told they can’t have veto power.
* And the usual process argument…
Thank you to the over 650 of you who signed the petition urging Gov. Pritzker to veto HB3653. I transmitted our letter to Gov. Pritzker today. We could have gotten many more signatures, but I wanted the Governor to receive our letter before he takes action on this legislation. pic.twitter.com/4JONcpsqfZ
Like he’d have been a “Yes” if they had more hearings. Right.
* A trailer bill will likely be needed and laws can always be altered in the future if things go awry…
Legislators have taken a giant step toward reforming the criminal justice system in Illinois by approving a bill that would do away with cash bail, but the experiences of other states that tried similar reforms show it’s not a sure thing.
If Gov. J.B. Pritzker signs the measure into law, Illinois will become one of a handful of states that have enacted major changes regarding cash bail.
California and New York passed similar laws in recent years, but they were dropped because of public opposition. New Jersey, which was one of the first states to eliminate cash bail, under a reform passed in 2014, has weathered challenges and is seen as a success.
“Other jurisdictions who have implemented similar reforms offer important lessons that we would be wise to pay attention to — both in terms of what to do and what not to do,” said Roseanna Ander, director of the University of Chicago Crime Lab.
People just need to take a breath and stop believing all the outlandish rhetoric. We saw where that got us with the recent election.
* Not even remotely as severe, and Leader McConchie has really stepped up about the insanity in DC, but still a starkly mixed message tweeted in sequence…
Today we celebrate the birth and extraordinary life of an American hero. We must also remember his death at the hands of those who sought to tear this country down rather than build it up. Thank you #MLK and all those who fight for justice throughout America. https://t.co/2CNlFrJEAr
…Adding… I forgot I had this prisoner inoculation response in my in-box. From Jordan Abudayyeh…
The facts are clear: despite taking all precautions, prisons across the nation and in Illinois have had major outbreaks with hundreds of staff going in and out every day. As a result, the risk of infection for incarcerated individuals and staff working in the facilities has been very high. The federal government’s guidance is clear that because of the high risk of infection, incarcerated individuals should be vaccinated in Phase 1B, along with personnel. Indeed, the federal Bureau of Prisons has already been vaccinating federal inmates.
If Donald Trump had invoked the Defense Production Act to produce more vaccine or encouraged people to wear masks to prevent infections, we wouldn’t find ourselves with such scarcity and rapid spread.
“Increased rates of transmission have been observed in congregate living settings. Based on local, state, or territorial epidemiology and implementation considerations, jurisdictions may choose to vaccinate persons who reside at congregate living facilities (e.g., correctional or detention facilities, homeless shelters, group homes, or employer provided shared housing units) at the same time as the frontline staff, because of their shared increased risk of disease. CDC, 12/20)”
Deaths from COVID per 10,000:
DOC staff – 1
DOC inmates – 24
IL Adults – 18
The state’s only departure from ACIP and CDC guidance has been to lower the age from 75 to 65 for those in Phase 1B, a policy change that days later the federal government decided to adopt as well.
The goal is to get as many high risk individuals vaccinated as quickly as possible and the state is committed to following the best practices from the experts to accomplish that goal.
…Adding… Leader McConchie response…
“All human life is precious and prisoners deserve to be vaccinated along with the general population,” said Illinois Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie. “Additionally, I believe inmates with pre-existing conditions that put them at greater danger of death from COVID-19 should be vaccinated along with those with pre-existing conditions in the general public. The point is that people with pre-existing conditions who are at the highest risk, whether they be incarcerated or in the general public, deserve the opportunity to be vaccinated next. Right now, it’s not even an option for those under 65 with high risk medical conditions to get the vaccine, even if a doctor insists it is needed to help protect their life or health.”
Days after being deposed as Illinois House speaker, Michael Madigan has vacated his Springfield apartment, fueling speculation that he will resign the Illinois House seat he has held since 1971.
Madigan’s decision to vacate his apartment at Lincoln Tower, about a block from the Illinois State Capitol, was first reported by Mark Maxwell, a television reporter in Springfield.
The pic…
Looking more and more like someone other than Michael Madigan will represent his district in Springfield for the first time in 50 years. Spotted staffers clearing out his apartment furniture today. No official resignation yet. pic.twitter.com/LK0AxA9dOM
There’s widespread speculation that after losing the powerful speaker’s chair, Madigan isn’t long for the legislature.
“I don’t have any intel on this but my instinct is I just can’t see a situation where he would stick around as a rank and file member. I just don’t,” said Rep. Buckner.
However, Madigan is still chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party and controls millions in campaign funds. Rep. Zalewski doesn’t see him holding on to that role, either, or the role of chief architect of the 2021 remap.
“I think as the year progresses you’ll see the speaker address his future in a number of ways. The chairmanship of the party will be part of that, the leadership of the party’s political arm will be part of that. This isn’t going to be hard to figure out. He’s going to transition out. I think you’ll see him retire to a private life and I wish him the best on that. And I think Chris will be the quarterback on the remap,” said Zalewski.
* Mitchell Armentrout writes a perspective. Here’s the beginning, but you should read the whole thing…
When Mike Madigan first took office in Illinois, same-sex marriage was unheard of, gambling was limited to racetracks and computers were confined to laboratories.
Fast-forward through nearly a quarter of Illinois’ 202-year existence, and the Southwest Side powerhouse has finally given up most of his grip on a state that has undergone tectonic shifts both culturally and politically.
Lots more will be written about this topic. But just imagine the 1970 Madigan being told about the 2021 MJM. The power may not have surprised him, but the dramatic shift in his ideology likely would.
Go to the 2:06 mark and you’ll see Madigan denying he ever recommended anyone for work at ComEd or Exelon or had ever referred anyone. “No,” Madigan said while shaking his head.
* State Week: The End of an Era: This week, Illinois lawmakers wrapped up the work of the 101st General Assembly. And there is a new House Speaker - Chris Welch - after Michael Madigan lost the support of his caucus after nearly four decades in power. Rich Miller of Capitol Fax joins the panel.
* Mark Brown has an excellent column about Speaker Chris Welch’s rise to power. He reminds us that Welch stood up to be the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit against then-Comptroller Leslie Munger over her blatantly unconstitutional refusal to pay legislator salaries…
By taking the heat for them, Welch earned the appreciation of his fellow legislators, Democrats and Republicans.
As Michael J. Madigan proved over a nearly four-decade career as House speaker, the speakership doesn’t depend on popularity with the public but on the speaker’s standing among his members.
Welch’s ascendance was years in the making — the result of thoughtful efforts to build relationships with other lawmakers while enhancing his profile as a leader.
He took a leading role in 2019 in getting Black and Latino legislators to work together to create the state’s Access to Justice Program, funding legal services for immigrants and for people who need help getting their criminal records expunged.
That paid off in the speaker contest when Welch, after gaining the support of the 22-member Black Caucus, persuaded the House’s nine Latino members to back him — putting him more than half way to 60.
* And Derrick Blakley talked to actual House Democrats about Welch’s rise…
“Chris’ history of serving as chair of the Executive Committee, the heaviest committee in Springfield where all the huge legislation come through, and his experience with the special (Madigan) investigatory committee he chaired this year,” said Rep. Buckner. “And it was important to me that we find somebody who could get to 60 votes by putting together a coalition of downstate moderates, suburban women, and the Black and Latino caucuses.” […]
After decades under Madigan’s tight-fisted rule, lawmakers are looking for more freedom under Welch.
“I think that his personality is collaborative and being new, he knows that we all have to work together,” said Rep. Kifowit. “He’s promised a 10 year term limit on leadership. He’s very accessible. He’s always been open and ready to listen to new ideas. We can contact him. By email. By cellphone!” […]
Legislators also chafed at Madigan’s tight control on legislative matters. Until recently, lawmakers had to choose three bills to prioritize and no more. On the political side, candidates in swing districts were counseled to shy away from progressive stances.
“They’ve been told in the past under Madigan, being in a district that can flip-flop, they can’t or shouldn’t vote on certain things. There were a lot of folks who took umbrage with that. I think Chris wants to give people a little more independence, a little more autonomy, “said Rep. Buckner. […]
“Speaker Madigan just presented the rules and we’d vote on them without discussion from anybody,” said Rep. Harper. “But Speaker Welch said in a spirit of collaboration, he would wait until he gets input from members of both parties on the rules before we vote on them. It’s a new day when it comes to having a little bit more input on matters that used to be only decided by leadership or a small group of people.”
* Related…
* New state House Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch made commitments for reform to force out Madigan. Can he keep them?: “With diversity, you’re going to have a lot of thought. And with a lot of thought you’re going to get a lot of opinions. When you get a lot of opinions, you’re going to get a lot of disagreements. Well, we’re going to learn from each other because we’re all going to be around that table,” he said. “That was an overwhelming theme that I heard from my colleagues and they’re going to be in the room.”
* Commentary: Reflections give insight into new Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch: The Institute recently asked 25 prominent Illinoisans to recommend five books about the state to provide students a nuanced, well-rounded understanding of our state. We received recommendations from U.S. Sen. Richard Durbin, former Gov. Jim Edgar, former U.S. Congressman and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, Rep. Welch, and others. Mr. Welch’s intriguing recommendations were “Boss: Richard J. Daley of Chicago” by Mike Royko, “Mayor Harold Washington: Champion of Race and Reform” by Roger Biles, “Dreams from My Father” by Barack Obama, “Our Culture of Pandering” by Paul Simon, and “American Pharaoh,” the book I had given him.
“The legislature is going to be a check on the executive branch,” newly elected House Speaker Chris Welch flatly declared to me in an interview the other day.
Welch was responding to a question I posed to him about his Jan. 13 inaugural address, when he asked not-so-rhetorically, “Why is it difficult to ensure that families’ unemployment checks continue unabated and arrive on time so struggling families can feed their children? Why is that hard to grasp?”
Welch’s predecessor as House speaker, Michael J. Madigan, stayed completely mum about Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis and resulting mass unemployment, though the governor occasionally took verbal shots at Madigan and called on him to resign if he refused to answer questions about the ComEd investigation.
Not a single House committee hearing has been held about the backlog of unemployment checks at the Illinois Department of Employment Security or, for that matter, all the other migraine headaches legislators have been dealing with as desperate constituents turn to them for assistance when they can’t get through to a state agency. That could very well change.
Rep. Fred Crespo, D-Hoffman Estates, warned the governor last week via the publication Center Square that the House could “hold up some of these funds, even federal dollars” to IDES if members don’t start getting answers to their questions. Crespo was instrumental in corralling votes for Welch and has been the chair of the House General Services Appropriations Committee.
“It’s not a threat, I think it’s more, I think it’s an education,” Crespo told Center Square. “They’re new, and make sure they understand the process.”
“I’m going to have an open and ongoing relationship with the governor to express what I’m hearing from our members,” Welch told me.
Welch didn’t come right out and say it, but what he is hearing from his members about the governor ain’t all that great these days, as Rep. Crespo could attest.
In the just-concluded lame-duck session of the Legislature, in which both of Pritzker’s top priorities failed to pass, the governor’s administration appears to have gotten a taste of what may come later this year.
A bill to decouple the state from federal business tax breaks (depending on whom you talk to) worth $400 million to $1 billion to the state coffers received just 50 votes in the wee hours of last Wednesday morning. Nine Black Caucus members did not vote for the bill. Most voted either “present” or took a walk, but Rep. Debbie Meyers-Martin, D-Olympia Fields, voted “No.”
Black Caucus members are usually reliable votes for revenue increases. Not that day.
Welch didn’t vote on the decoupling bill, either. He explained early on Wednesday morning that he was “distracted” (though the roll call was held open for quite a long while) and would vote for the bill again when the time came, but that time never came.
The Senate played games with the governor’s must-have cannabis cleanup bill, waiting until almost 2 a.m. on Wednesday to pass it pretty much as the governor wanted. But by then it was too late for the House to act.
The Senate seemed to many to be deliberately slow-walking important bills for the governor and for others during the last couple days of session. “I’m pretty sure this bill that we’re debating right now was sent to us about six hours ago from the House,” grumbled one senator at 5:37 a.m. on Wednesday.
The House Democrats were heavily distracted by their election of a new speaker, and some white north suburban Democrats were prepared to go “on strike” if the cannabis bill was passed without allowing their dispensaries to move to better locations, which was a deal-killer for the Black Caucus.
In the end, the lame-duck session was a significant failure for the Pritzker administration. Yes, there were tons of extenuating circumstances. But the administration knew ever since the veto session was canceled in November that a lame-duck session was a distinct probability. They had two months to prepare and now have precious little to show for it except for the Black Caucus agenda that they weren’t in charge of.
Pritzker’s huge legislative success in 2019 was an aberration. It was a legislative expression of joy and relief at having a governor who wanted to work with them to get big things done after 12 years of gubernatorial ineptitude and outright hostility toward the General Assembly. But if they don’t address whatever issues there are with Senate President Don Harmon, woo the new House speaker and start tending to member egos, they’re in for a very rough spring.
