* Mayor Lori Lightfoot and CPS CEO Pedro Martinez…
We are pleased we have come to an agreement that guarantees predictability and stability for the rest of the school year. We all agree we must prioritize the health and well-being of everyone in our school communities including our kids, families, and staff. The science tells us that the safest place for our students is to be in the classroom, which is why, in addition to the over $100 million already spent on COVID mitigation, CPS is providing KN95 masks, augmenting its every school-every week testing program, and strengthening its contact tracing approach. CPS principals will continue to work with their school-based safety teams to make data-informed decisions in the best interests of students and families. We encourage families to get their children vaccinated and to consent to regular testing. We look forward to our continued collaboration with the entire school community
An upswing in positive COVID-19 test results has forced one area school district to cancel classes and another warning it may do the same because of staff shortages.
With nearly one-fourth of its student population out, Galatia Community Unit School District No. 1 has cancelled all classes, extra-curricular activities and sporting events until Tuesday, Jan. 18 and Herrin Superintendent Nathaniel Wilson has said that closures may be coming to his district.
In a letter to parents posted on social media yesterday, Galatia Superintendent Shain Crank said the district had almost 100 students absent Tuesday and with several staff members testing positive for the virus, the district’s ability to staff buildings and serve bus routes has been impacted. […]
Also in a social media post to families Tuesday, Herrin Community Unit School District No. 4 Superintendent Nathaniel Wilson conveyed challenges facing the district because of COVID-19.
Urbana Middle School opted for remote learning through the end of the week, amid an ongoing staff shortage.
“As of this morning, there is still a high number of staff unable to attend in-person for various reasons, this includes COVID and non-COVID absences,” said Urbana District Superintendent Jennifer Ivory-Tatum in a message to families. “We anticipate students returning to in-person learning on Tuesday, January 18, following the MLK Holiday, which was already a non-student attendance day.”
Amid record-breaking hospitalizations during the omicron wave, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced today that 2,048 health care workers have been deployed across the state; 919 are on-site supporting hospitals hit hard by COVID. Another 552 will arrive at hospitals by next Friday. Another 577 are part of “reaction teams” that will respond quickly to overwhelmed hospitals this week and next.
“Even more personnel are being made available to individual hospitals” asking for federal assistance. FEMA-provided personnel are helping hospitals in Rockford. “The vast majority of serious illnesses and deaths are among the unvaccinated,” Pritzker said.
Health workers from out of state will continue to be allowed to work in Illinois hospitals, Pritzker said at a press conference today. He announced initiatives to ease the strain at Illinois hospitals: Doctors who received medical training in another country will be allowed to provide assistance to licensed physicians. And out-of-state physicians, nurses and mental-health providers will be allowed to perform telehealth work if there is a pre-existing relationship between the provider and the patient.
Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, said the state would pay a premium for the additional workers under contracts in place to ensure that hospitals have adequate staff.
Many health care workers have quit, exhausted by a pandemic that is on the verge of entering its third year, while others are in isolation because they contracted COVID-19, Ezike said.
“We are pulling on every lever,” Ezike said. “Records have been smashed.”
* More…
"It's too soon to tell" if we've reached the peak of the omicron surge, IDPH Commissioner Ngozi Ezike says. "Unfortunately, right now, today, the hospitals are bearing the brunt." 9% of hospital ICU beds are available right now.
To declare if we've moved past the peak of omicron, there need to be consistent days of declines. Dr. Ezike says she's "crossing her fingers and toes" and she'd let the public know when we've surpassed the peak.
A significant number of healthcare staff "have left the profession" Ezike said, discussing a call with hospital leaders across IL. In addition, many staff have to isolate or quarantine, reducing the number of staffed beds.
Currently in Region 5, most of southern Illinois, 5 ICU beds of a total 74 staffed beds are available. Region 5 has seen 9 days of COVID-19 patient increases, with 147 individuals currently hospitalized.
Rep. Kathleen Willis, chairwoman of the House Adoption and Child Welfare Committee, was more blunt [about DCFS Director Marc Smith’s contempt charges].
“We’re gonna have to probably blow up this thing to get it right,” the Northlake Democrat said. “I hate to say that, but what we’re doing is not working, throwing money at it isn’t solving the problem.”
One issue she’s pursuing is an overall accounting and cost-analysis study, similar to a private consultant’s top-to-bottom review several years ago of services for the intellectual and developmentally disabled and what the state should be paying for those services.
“When they (DCFS wards) are in transition before they get permanently placed, they’re not in anybody’s books,” Willis told The Associated Press. “I put in a request for a deeper dive into … where these children are, how long they’re in various locations and what services they’re being offered.”
Under another plan, Willis would create a Child Welfare Commission to oversee DCFS and discuss its needs and problems quarterly. “I don’t want to have the General Assembly only responding when a tragedy happens, or when we see an annual report or when they come before us asking for more money.”
* I asked Kyle Hillman at the National Association of Social Workers for comment on Rep. Willis’ ideas…
While Rep. Willis is not wrong in her analysis that DCFS is broken and that reforms are long overdue, we are not sure what changes an audit or yet another group to oversee the department’s deficiencies will materialize. The issues regarding BMN youth-in-care are well documented, and the solutions are known.
The reality is that the leadership in the department doesn’t have the expertise or the willpower to get this done. Not every hire works out, just as we saw in the Department of Veterans Affairs. We are hitting that point where the best solution may be for our Governor to change directions and bring in someone else to fix this department charged with care of our state’s most vulnerable.
Or if the Governor is unwilling, the next commission the General Assembly should create is one empowered to reform the department for him.
Tired of Baby Boomers’ stories of the “good ol’ days,” of Millennials’ tiny attention spans or the fatuous complaints of Zoomers?
You must be part of the “forgotten” Generation X, and the Illinois State Museum wants to hear from you.
The museum’s Springfield facility will open an exhibition entitled “Growing Up X” in October, dedicated to those born generally from 1965 to 1980, described by the museum as “the last generation to have had an analog childhood.”
“We think it’s time Gen X got some love,” said Illinois State Museum Curator of History Erika Holst.
State agencies and local governments in Illinois would be barred from entering into economic development deals where the terms cannot be revealed publicly because of nondisclosure provisions, under a bill that a state lawmaker there filed this week.
Lawmakers in Florida and New York have introduced similar legislation in the past year or so. State Sen. Robert Peters, a Chicago Democrat, is the lead sponsor on the Illinois bill. In an announcement, he said it is meant to curtail practices that enable businesses to reach favorable arrangements with governments without the public knowing the details.
“Public money deserves public scrutiny,” Peters said in a statement. “Keeping the government contracts that our governments enter into a secret allows states and local governments to be played against one another. Taxpayers deserve basic transparency from their economic development agencies.”
* People need to get their bills filed and assigned to committees…
The widespread cancellations were quite something, but I suppose nobody is accustomed to the early timeline.
* This bill has been filed, but it hasn’t even been assigned to committee yet. Still, an early start to kill it isn’t a bad plan…
Illinois residents could be paying more taxes at the pump according to newly introduced legislation that the Illinois Fuel and Retail Association is calling on lawmakers to reject.
House Bill 4424, sponsored by Representative Mike Zalewski (D-Riverside), would allow all municipalities in Illinois to impose their own local gas tax. Taxes continue to increase the high price of motor fuel in Illinois, which according to the Tax Foundation, already has the second highest gas taxes in the country.
“There is never a good time to increase the cost of gasoline for working families, but this is especially true during a period of record inflation,” said Josh Sharp, CEO of the Illinois Fuel and Retail Association. “Given what is happening nationally right now, raising taxes on motor fuel is a terrible idea. Illinois citizens are already facing a huge tax hike come July 1, 2022, when the state’s gas tax will automatically be adjusted for inflation. We strongly urge lawmakers to reject this legislation.
Not only will this measure increase the cost of motor fuel in Illinois beyond what it already is, but it also will create a logistical nightmare for gas stations. This ill-conceived legislation comes at the worst possible time as consumers are struggling to keep up with rising prices due to inflation and supply chain disruptions. We don’t need more gas taxes. Illinois motorists are taxed enough.”
House Bill 4424 has been filed and awaits assignment to a legislative committee.
* Some committees have met…
With a quorum present, #SenMentalHealth is called to order by Chair @SenatorFine. The first measure up today is SB 2945 creating the Statewide 9-8-8 Trust Fund in the State Treasury.
SB 2945, sponsored by @SenatorFine, creates the Statewide 9-8-8 Trust Fund to establish and maintain a statewide 9-8-8 suicide prevention and mental health crisis system pursuant to the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020.
On Tuesday, State Representative Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield) filed legislation that would require the randomization of the order of candidate names on Illinois ballots in primary, general, and consolidated elections. House Bill 4467 would require candidate names to be randomly ordered within each election district or precinct.
“Candidates should not win close elections simply because they won a lottery to be first on the ballot,” said Rep. Batinick. “This occurs often, especially in races where voters vote for more than one candidate, including county, village, and school board elections. I’m proud to file House Bill 4467 to address this issue and increase fairness in elections.”
This legislation also requires the State Board of Elections to choose a vendor for a computer software program to be used by election authorities and the Board would conduct the randomization for elections. It also requires—to the extent that is mathematically possible—each random order is different between all the precincts or election districts that are electing the name or names contained in each race on the ballot.
Rep. Batinick has released additional election integrity legislation in the 102nd General Assembly. This includes House Bill 1920, which would amend the Election Code to require a county clerk or board of election commissioners to cross-check voter registration rolls with the National Change of Address System. He also introduced House Bill 4137 to establish an automatic voter registration program for individuals filing a change-of-address form, renewal application, or application for a FOID card or CCL.
Amends the Election Code. Provides that each petition or certificate of nomination shall include a statement that the person is not affiliated with any socialist organization.
* Daily hospitalizations dropped from 7,353 reported yesterday to 7,219 reported today. That reduces the 7-day rolling average increase to 0.24 percent from 1.1 percent yesterday. It was 5.1 percent during the last week of December. The 14-day rolling average increase is currently 1.9 percent. It was 3.7 percent during the last two weeks of December.
“I know that the data is maybe giving you a sense of some potential relief. I am feeling that, but I can’t say for sure that we are flattening or past a peak,” [Dr. Arwady] said. “But what I can say is there is real good news in terms of some of (our) response.”
The governor is holding a covid press conference today at 1:30, so I’ll either do a separate post or update this one, depending.
As Illinois schools struggle to staff classrooms pummeled by the latest COVID-19 surge, state officials said Tuesday they halved the recommended quarantine time for students and teachers from 10 to five days.
Officials with the Illinois Department of Public Health and the state’s board of education said earlier this month the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recently updated isolation and quarantine guidance, which was slashed from 10 to five days, would only apply to the general public, and would not yet impact schools.
But on Tuesday, officials with the Illinois State Board of Education said effective immediately, the state will follow the CDC’s guidance on shortening isolation and quarantine periods. The guidance applies to all public and nonpublic schools that serve students in prekindergarten through 12th grade.
The guidance says students and school employees who test positive for COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status, must “stay home for a minimum of five days and a maximum of 10 days after the first day of symptoms,” or the date from a positive viral test for those who are asymptomatic, according to the ISBE website. […]
“But this new guidance looks extremely difficult to maintain, because there are so many permutations. … It assumes that every mask is good, and that all schools have the ability to maintain 6 feet of distance,” [Dan Montgomery, president of the Illinois Federation of Teachers] said, referring to a slate of directives that accompanies the CDC’s shorter quarantine recommendation.
The patient surge comes as experts pin hopes on spiraling cases peaking this month. However, hospitalizations trail infection rates, which could mean “two to three weeks before we see a decline,” Edward Hospital Dr. Jonathan Pinsky suggested Tuesday.
Edward, like other hospitals, has been hitting admission highs caused by the highly contagious omicron variant of COVID-19. Staff members “are so exhausted and so tired of this,” said Pinsky, medical director of infection control and prevention.
Some COVID-positive patients are unquestionably hospitalized for COVID: They are mostly unvaccinated, have classic respiratory problems, and require supplemental oxygen. Omicron might be less severe than Delta, but that doesn’t make it mild. “If a virus that causes less severe lung disease affects an extraordinarily large proportion of the population, you’ll still get a lot of them in the hospital with severe lung disease,” Sara Murray, a hospitalist at UC San Francisco, told me. The proportion of such patients varies around the country: In areas where Omicron has taken off, it’s lower than in previous surges, but it remains high in communities that still have a lot of Delta infections or low vaccination rates, as The Washington Post has reported. At the University of Nebraska Medical Center, “the vast majority of our COVID-positive cases are at the hospital for reasons related to their COVID infection,” James Lawler, an infectious-disease physician, told me. […]
These patients whose problems were exacerbated by COVID are often misleadingly bundled together with the smaller group whose medical problems are truly unrelated to COVID. In fairness, there’s no easy way to tell, for example, whether a COVID-positive person’s heart attack was triggered by their infection or whether it would have happened anyway. But health problems don’t line up to afflict patients one at a time. They intersect, overlap, and feed off one another. The entire for-COVID-or-with-COVID debate hinges on a false binary. “The health-care system is in crisis and on the verge of collapse,” Spencer said. “It doesn’t matter whether it’s with or for. It’s a pure deluge of numbers.”
Even the truly incidental cases increase the strain. COVID-positive people must be kept apart from other patients, which complicates hospitals’ ability to use the beds they have. These patients need to be monitored in case their infection progresses into something more severe. If they start dying for unrelated reasons, their family won’t be allowed into their room. The health-care workers who treat them need to wear full personal protective equipment. If they need follow-up care, they can’t be discharged to a nursing home or similar facility. They’re taking up space and attention when hospitals are short on both. “If you’re 90 percent full and you suddenly have 10 percent more patients, I don’t care if it’s half COVID, all COVID, incidental COVID—it just matters that you’re full,” Faust said.
It’s kinda like debating whether a massive ongoing forest fire was lit by matches or a Bic. It’s both and the flames are spreading while y’all suck your thumbs. Do something to help or get the heck out of the way.
A senior [Biden] administration official argued an effort to send N95 or KN95 masks to Americans would make little difference because “half the country won’t wear any mask.”
“It may be popular in certain corners of Twitter, but for masking to work as a public health tool, people need to actually wear them,” the official said. “To prevent spread, the focus should be maximizing the number of people simply wearing a mask in the first place, not shifting the goal posts to urge everyone to go above and beyond to use high filtration masks to make it less likely they themselves will inhale particles.”
Plenty of people wear masks, plenty of people are willing to wear masks, all of those people would happily wear *better masks.* Polls show lots of support for wearing masks, and even if there are corners of the country where this is not the majority view, it’s still a substantial minority view and every little bit helps.
Another reason to do it, like many other things, is to signal that it’s important, to model behavior by putting resources behind it. And, sure, you probably aren’t going to convince the MAGAs to wear them, but making them available for the people *who will wear them* helps! Every little bit helps!
Encouraging (not even requiring) mask wearing is the lowest cost intervention there is, even if it involves mailing out millions of the fancy ones!
I love the swipe at *twitter,* which always come from the people whose brains are absolutely the most poisoned by social media, but who are convinced it’s everybody else with that problem.
And, hey, maybe masks are dumb, but you guys are in charge and you better figure something out, aside from yelling at people to go to work sick.
The Illinois General Assembly will cancel in-person action next week and continue remote committee work amid the ongoing Omicron surge, legislative leaders announced.
“With the continuous rise in coronavirus cases and our hospitals nearing capacity, we cannot put lawmakers, staff, the press and members of the public at risk by bringing them back to the Capitol,” said House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch. “We have the capability to complete committee work remotely for the immediate future and we will continue to closely monitor the COVID-19 situation.
“The people’s work will get done, but we must do that work in a safe way that does not overrun our health systems and place more of a burden on our health care employees. In the meantime, I want to encourage everyone to take advantage of the widely available, free vaccine and booster shot so we can end this pandemic together,” Welch said.
“Keeping people safe is our priority. Given the recent COVID-19 numbers, this is not the time to bring hundreds of people together inside the Capitol,” said Senate President Don Harmon. “Through our remote committee process we have proven that we can get work done, protect people’s health and at the same time expand the legislative process to people who might want to testify but wouldn’t have the time or resources to come to Springfield.
“We’ve set the legislative process in motion for this session and will be prepared for final debates and action when we return to Springfield. I would encourage everyone to take advantage of the vaccines and boosters available,” Harmon said.
Acknowledging the ongoing pandemic, state Rep. Tim Butler, R-Springfield, told The Center Square “it’s unfortunate.”
“This is the schedule that the Democrats put together, the Democrats were the ones that changed the primary date which prompted our schedule to be frontloaded,” Butler said. “And now it looks like, it seems to me, that we’re probably, other than the session day we were in last week, it seems to be going toward we’re probably not going to be in session until after the month is over, maybe into February. I’ve heard rumors we won’t come back until March as well.”
“The latest surge certainly poses many challenges for the legislature, but the Senate Republican Caucus is committed to ensuring the people’s business is accomplished,” said Ellie Leonard, spokesperson for Senate Minority Leader Dan McConchie’s office. “In an effort to mitigate exposure of the latest variant, the Senate Republican Caucus will continue its testing regimen for staff and limit in person interactions as needed to mitigate exposure and ensure safety of all involved.”
I’ve also heard that March rumor, but I don’t think anyone has thought that far ahead. Stuff changes fast in a pandemic.
McHenry County Auditor Shannon Teresi today launched her campaign for Illinois Comptroller. Teresi’s extensive experience in forensic auditing, creating transparency for taxpayers, and fighting corruption give her a sterling background to draw from to help right the ship of Illinois’ disastrous finances.
“Throughout my career, I have seen firsthand how important transparency is in the process of managing taxpayer dollars,” Teresi said. “That’s what I promise to bring to the office of Comptroller: open communication with the taxpayers and an eagle eye to root out the waste, fraud, and abuse our state is plagued by thanks to decades of Madigan Machine politics. Illinois needs a Comptroller with real financial experience, not a career politician controlled by the special interests. As an experienced CPA, auditor, and Certified Fraud Examiner, I have the experience to manage the state’s finances and crush corruption where and when it starts.”
Teresi has served McHenry County as Auditor since 2018 when she was appointed and subsequently elected twice, most recently in 2020 receiving nearly 75% of the vote.
As Auditor, Teresi led the charge to make good government reforms on behalf of the taxpayers. In addition to modernizing the audit process, making it accessible online to taxpayers and creating a system of accountability, she also implemented paperless systems for greater efficiency and cost savings. Teresi also instituted processes ensuring taxpayer dollars are being spent for the good of the county, not the personal benefit of its political leaders.
Prior to becoming McHenry County Auditor, Teresi worked in the Auditor’s office, tackling challenges to save time for county employees and ensuring taxpayer dollars were being spent wisely. She oversaw the County’s financial statements and government accounting. Teresi saw firsthand the amount of waste and inefficiency in county government and set out to correct that on becoming the county’s Auditor.
Teresi is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Fraud Examiner, and a Certified Internal Auditor. Teresi brings years of private sector audit and tax experience having worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers. That time spent working with Fortune 500 companies on their auditing, financial reporting, and taxes helped inform Teresi’s work as County Auditor, where she successfully applied many of the practices to cut out waste from the county’s spending.
Teresi is a life-long McHenry County resident, where she currently resides with her husband, two sons, and dog.
With a reported push from hedge-fund mogul Ken Griffin, signs are growing that a statewide slate of GOP candidates that the party’s big funders are willing to back finally is close to coming together.
One development is state Rep. Tom Demmer, R-Dixon, announcing [yesterday] his candidacy for Illinois treasurer against incumbent Democrat Mike Frerichs.
The bigger news could occur any time, with multiple party sources saying they’ve heard that Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin will be getting into the governor’s race, with Griffin’s support. […]
Griffin’s spokeswoman said she is not aware of any pending big announcements.
* And while we’re on this topic, here’s Marni Pyke…
Suburban Republicans are taking starring roles in what’s shaping up to be a bruising and boisterous primary election for a standard-bearer to challenge Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
For starters, Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin is expected to announce his candidacy for governor in the coming days.
Palatine Township Highway Commissioner Aaron Del Mar is running as lieutenant governor with Gary Rabine of McHenry County, a Schaumburg business owner who is seeking to be the next governor.
And, McHenry County Board Vice Chairwoman Carolyn Schofield will team with gubernatorial hopeful and former state Sen. Paul Schimpf of Monroe County as a candidate for lieutenant governor.
*** UPDATE *** Comptroller Mendoza…
I welcome all candidates and look forward to talking about my lengthy and historic record of accomplishments as Comptroller on behalf of taxpayers with voters in all 102 counties of our great state of Illinois. Through smart financial management and fiscal discipline coupled with tenacious perseverance, I’ve successfully navigated our state through unprecedented fiscal challenges.
As Illinois’ fiscal watchdog, I’ve implemented historic transparency reforms, led our state to its first credit upgrades in decades, delivered the fastest vendor payment cycle in over 20 years, and paid down our bill backlog by over 75% without using federal stimulus funds - in the middle of a global pandemic.
When Illinois voters chose me in 2016 and 2018, they elected a strong, battle tested, proven leader who knows how to get things done. There is no challenge that I will not rise up to for Illinois. I will continue working hard to earn the votes and confidence of every voter across the state, regardless of their political party, and I look forward to the work that has yet to be done
…Adding… Teresi and Milhiser are both using Chain Bridge Bank, which was founded by former US Sen. Peter Fitzgerald and is favored by GOP types in DC. They also both have the same campaign treasurer, Les Williamson of The Larrison Group, a “boutique political consulting firm” in Georgetown that does GOP fundraising.
…Adding… DPI…
Democratic Party of Illinois Executive Director Abby Witt released the following statement regarding the latest candidate announcement from the Ken Griffin ticket:
“We’ve seen this before, haven’t we? In 2016, Bruce Rauner‘s handpicked comptroller candidate was roundly rejected by voters after helping the ‘worst Republican governor in America’ drive the state’s finances into a ditch. Now, Ken Griffin is running the Rauner Reboot, revealing his slate of puppets in a desperate bid to pull Illinois back to the Rauner days of budget impasses and months-long bill backlogs.
“Thankfully, Illinois voters elected Susana Mendoza to fight the Rauner agenda during his disastrous term in office and re-elected her to help clean up the financial mess Rauner left behind. Now, we’re balancing our budget, actually paying our bills on time, and upgrading our credit for the first time in decades.
“No matter who Ken Griffin picks for his latest political game, Illinois voters won’t be fooled — the Rauner Reboot is destined to be a flop.”
…Adding… ILGOP’s Joe Hackler…
“Susanna Mendoza has never been qualified to be comptroller, just to be another corrupt insider politician capitalizing on her relationships with the Machine to advance herself at the expense of Illinois families. Mendoza received huge contributions from Danny Solis (indicted), got married at the home of Ed Burke (indicted), and has been repaid her debts to Mike Madigan (resigned in disgrace, indictment looming) for advancing her career by endorsing JB Pritzker. Mendoza is just another part of the corrupt circle of politicians Illinois Democrats have elevated to state office, and exactly why we need a competent, qualified comptroller to take her place”
Through the first half of FY 2022, overall base receipts are up $918 million. When removing the federal dollars from the equation, receipts are up a strong $1.266 billion. This growth is even more impressive when factoring in the remarkable performance of income tax receipts this fiscal year. In the first six months, income tax receipts are up a combined $266 million. As detailed in earlier briefings, what makes this increase so impressive is that the revenue totals of FY 2022 are compared to FY 2021 receipts that benefitted from last year’s final payment delay, valued at approximately $1.3 billion. Net sales tax also continues to perform well, now up $643 million through the first six months of the fiscal year. All other sources are trailing last year’s levels by a combined $40 million.
Overall transfers are ahead of last year’s pace by $397 million through the first half of the fiscal year. Those gains reflect strong miscellaneous transfers, particularly from the Capital Projects Fund, as well as the return of riverboat transfers. After performing quite well through much of the fiscal year, Federal sources are now down $348 million after factoring in the December 2020 activity, as discussed above.
* Meanwhile, the comptroller is announcing a new weekly report. Here’s the first one…
An average bill payment cycle of just 13.2 working days is just such a foreign concept to this longtime Illinoisan. Wow.
* Press release…
Today, Illinois Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza unveiled a new weekly report that shares key financial data with the public.
“This continues and builds upon my transparency revolution,” said Comptroller Mendoza. “Illinois taxpayers and businesses that work with the state deserve to have easy access to these numbers, which reflect how government is operating and managing their hard-earned tax dollars.”
Each week an updated graphic will be shared via Comptroller Mendoza’s social media accounts. It will highlight the following:
• The General Funds bill backlog. Under Comptroller Mendoza, the bill backlog has shrunk nearly 75%, from $16.7 billion during the worst of the 2015-2017 budget impasse to less than $4.4 billion at the end of the day Tuesday, without using federal stimulus funds. The measure is a snapshot in time, subject to daily fluctuations as bills land at the Comptroller’s office and are paid out.
• The General Funds bill payment cycle. This is a key data point the Office of Comptroller focuses on. Included in the devastation of the budget impasse, some vouchers languished for more than 200 working days. Now, bills are being paid on time, well within the regular 30-day window, the fastest payment cycle for the Comptroller’s office in over 20 years.
• Rainy Day Fund. The state’s savings fund, frankly, leaves much to be desired. That’s why the Comptroller is championing House Bill 4118 that would bolster the fund when the backlog of bills is below $3 billion. For now, the fund includes enough savings to keep the state running for a little more than an hour. That’s not much, but it’s up from less than 30 seconds a year ago.
• Unfunded pension liabilities. This number reported by the state’s Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, based on the market value of assets, reflects the additional amount that would be needed to pay all retirement benefits earned by employees. While the Comptroller’s Office does not determine how pensions are funded, this number is an important piece of the state’s overall fiscal health.
• Aggregate funded ratio of pension liabilities. This shows the aggregate percentage at which the State’s five pension systems are funded as of the end of the most recent fiscal year.
The bill backlog and bill payment cycle numbers will be updated weekly. The Rainy Day Fund numbers will be updated monthly. The pension numbers will be included in the weekly graphic and updated on an annual basis, based on the release of government reports. Anyone can keep up to date with the numbers by checking the Comptroller’s social media accounts, Facebook and Twitter. Further information is available at illinoiscomptroller.gov.
“Transparency breeds accountability. That is why it’s important to consistently keep these numbers in the public eye,” said Comptroller Mendoza.
…Adding… Rockford’s new temporary casino is taking off…
Rockford casino nets $8.4M in first two months of being open […]
In the months of November and December, the casino netted $8,467,105.01 in revenue, according to the Illinois Gaming Board. The temporary casino generated $4,145,967.91 in revenue in the first 22 days it was open.
The temporary casino must pay $1,008,722.48 in state taxes and pay $504,361.28 in local taxes, according to IGB documents.
Daily Public Schedule: Wednesday, January 12, 2022
What: Gov. Pritzker to give an update on the latest COVID-19 surge.
Where: James R. Thompson Center, 15th Floor, Blue Room, Chicago
When: 1:30 p.m.
Watch live: https://www.Illinois.gov/LiveVideo
On the crime issue, the Hillside Democrat didn’t divulge details of what would be in the measure but said his party intends to push back against GOP portrayals that Democrats have been soft on crime.
“We’re early in the session, but I anticipate before we leave, you’re going to see some action on an anti-crime package,” Welch said.
“One of the messages that we’re going to send out loud and clear this session is that we believe that if you do the crime, you should do the time,” he said. “We believe that police should be properly funded and trained and educated. But it’s going to take us all working together to make sure that we bring this violence down.” […]
Welch said he has been in contact with the Illinois Retail Merchants Association about how to confront the rising prevalence of organized retail theft, but neither he nor the organization would divulge specifics of possible legislation. […]
Welch said he is not open to delaying an end to cash bail as part of any anti-crime initiatives this spring.
“I don’t know how we take a look at something that hasn’t even gone into effect yet,” Welch said. “There’s no data on that at all other than fear-mongering by folks on the other side of the aisle. That law doesn’t take effect till 2023 so it clearly hasn’t had any impact on the crime that has taken place last year or the crime that is taking place in the first few days of this year.”
But in mid-term elections the party in power very often loses seats.
“We’re certainly aware of the political climate as we enter election season here in 2022. And what we have to do as Democrats is we have to do the work,” said Welch.
Welch said Democrats can tout to voters successes on the climate and equitable jobs act, and legislation to protect voting rights and women’s reproductive rights.
Welch said he’ll work hard to keep his super-majority, but for now is focused on the upcoming legislative session.
“I think if you talk to folks in this space, they will tell you that it’s been a big difference,” Welch said. “First of all, my style is more collective and working with everyone in a team approach.”
House Republican Leader Jim Durkin views Welch’s first year differently. He says his party’s bills rarely see the light of day.
“The speaker, his predecessor at least, would give us a few bites at the apple and we’re just not getting there,” Durkin said.
“So you had more to eat as a party under Mike Madigan than Chris Welch?” WGN News asked.
“That’s correct,” Durkin answered.
*** UPDATE *** The numbers tell a different story than Leader Durkin’s…
By my count, in 2019 we saw 89 bills with a House Republican sponsor become law. In 2021, 97 bills with a House Republican sponsor became law. That works out to about 15% of the total for either year. https://t.co/cLekjIQvaSpic.twitter.com/TumJHnpsZe
“It’s a very time intensive job,” he said when asked what he’d learned in his first year. “And literally, you’re working seven days a week no-stop. …A lot of work involved. It takes cooperation from your friends from your family, from your employers.”
During his first year, Welch worked to put his own imprint on the speaker’s office, setting a much different tone than Madigan, who seldom gave media interviews and shunned the use of email or social media.
“I certainly think that it’s a new day in Springfield,” he said. “I think Democrats up and down our ranks would agree with that. I think if you get past Republican leadership, the rank-and-file Republicans would agree that it’s a new day.”
“The office of the speaker has been open more than it ever has, I believe in the last 36 to 40 years,” he continued. “Many of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle came into the office of speaker and said they had never been in there before. They came in to meet with me about ideas they were proposing last year in the Legislature, ideas that got out of Rules (Committee), got out of the House, got out of the Senate, and hit the governor’s desk and became law. Many of those rank-and-file Republicans were able to go home and talk about victories that we actually had in the General Assembly. I think they’ll tell you that that’s a new thing for them.”
The Hillside Democrat said lawmakers should continue to work on a path toward financial stability, help people keep a roof over their heads and provide lifelines for businesses struggling during the pandemic. Welch would also like to see the House address the rise in crime with more investments included in the state budget and new policies to curb carjacking and organized retail theft.
Both chambers are starting the first month of session with most of their work done remotely due to the resurgence of COVID-19. However, Welch says that won’t prevent lawmakers from getting important work done this spring.
“Our number one goal is to keep everyone as safe as possible,” Welch said. “We proved last year that we can do the legislative work in a hybrid model. It just turns out that with this surge of COVID-19, we’re going back to doing our committee work virtually. If we were in Springfield in person, all we would be doing is going from committee room to committee room having meetings.”
Welch hopes to see the House and Senate return to Springfield once the number of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations start to decrease and move in a better direction.
The Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) is temporarily pausing intakes from county jails as it responds to COVID-19 outbreaks at correctional facilities. These facilities include the Graham, Logan, Menard and Northern Reception and Classification Centers where county jails transport new admissions. County sheriffs were notified Tuesday afternoon as part of IDOC’s continued commitment to provide them with frequent, transparent communication.
IDOC is utilizing space normally reserved for new admissions to safely quarantine and isolate incarcerated individuals who have been exposed or tested positive for COVID-19. The Department will continue accepting individuals from county jails who are scheduled to be released from custody the same day they are transferred. Individual requests for intakes due to special circumstances, such as medical or safety concerns, will be considered. When COVID-19 cases decline, IDOC expects space to become available for county jail intakes.
“Congregate living facilities present unique infection control challenges due to the lack of quarantine and isolation space,” said IDOC Director Rob Jeffreys. “The Department recognizes the hardships county jails face when we cannot accept admissions, but we must take aggressive action to keep the community and everyone who lives and works in our facilities safe and healthy,” said IDOC Director Rob Jeffreys.
IDOC is continuing its aggressive response to COVID-19 across facilities. All staff and individuals in custody are temperature checked, masked, symptom screened and routinely tested. 75% of the incarcerated population and 66% of staff are vaccinated against COVID-19. Additionally, thousands of individuals in custody and staff have taken advantage of multiple on-site opportunities to receive a booster shot. IDOC continues to work closely with the Illinois Department of Public Health, infectious disease consultants, and correctional agencies across the nation to ensure best practices and protect the health and safety of those inside its facilities.
Five inmates at the DeWitt County Jail are being treated for Covid-19, said DeWitt County Sheriff Mike Walker. […]
The DeWitt County Jail has been housing Champaign County inmates since last August when Covid numbers were lower, Walker said, And, he suspects transporting the inmates back and forth for court hearings may be how the most recent infections originated.
DeWitt County is paid as much as $40,000 per month to house the neighboring inmates, however, due to this most recent outbreak, Walker is making arrangements to return them to Champaign County.
“The money is nice but we are doing what we need to do to keep our people safe.”
* One of those stories that I was going to post and then completely forgot about. Argh! But this might harm Democrats in November if the SoS election is a really close race. Here’s Andrew Adams at the State Journal-Register…
The Libertarian Party of Illinois, a party with eight elected officials across Illinois, is running a candidate for secretary of state.
His name is Jesse White.
If that rings a bell, it’s the same name as current Secretary of State Jesse White, a Democrat. […]
Why are the Libertarians putting forward a candidate with the same name as the current secretary of state?
“Total coincidence,” said Steve Suess, the chair of the Libertarian Party of Illinois.
Earlier today, I tested positive for COVID-19. I am experiencing cold-like symptoms but otherwise feel fine which I credit to being vaccinated and boosted. I will continue to work from home while following the CDC guidelines for isolation. This is an urgent reminder for folks to get vaccinated and boosted as it’s the only way to beat this pandemic.
* Dave Dahl interviewed Speaker Chris Welch this week and asked about the upcoming campaign season…
I think it’s going well, we put together a pretty solid political operation, we made some tweaks to what we’ve been accustomed to. I think you’re going to see in a couple of days that we’re going to post almost $12 million on hand - over $7 million in my personal campaign account, over $4 million in our caucus campaign account.
I was going to tell that to subscribers tomorrow because Welch told me the same thing, but apparently he told more than one interviewer.
* Dave then asked Speaker Welch if there was room to expand the super-majority…
I think 2022 is going to be a tough year for Democrats in general. But I definitely think that if we do what we have to do, and get out there and talk to voters about the kitchen-table issues, the things that we have done to help make their lives better, there’s a lot of opportunity for Democrats. And we’re gonna get out there and do the work. Winners do the work.
Welch: As you know, before I became Speaker, corporate board diversity was near and dear to me. I think diversity and equity inclusion is something that I’ve always fought for, and I wouldn’t be in this position without it. So I certainly would like to take the opportunity to talk about what I’m in the midst of.
[Monday], I had a meeting with university presidents, tomorrow, I’m meeting with managed care organization CEOs to follow up on our efforts for diversity, equity and inclusion. I held a meeting today where I got to see on full display how the priorities that we care about are changing lives. The diversity that exists right there in the president ranks was just awesome to look at. And when I joined the General Assembly in 2013, it was not that diverse. And so our work is changing lives and making a big difference already. And so I’m going to continue working closely with Chairman Ford, who chairs Higher Ed Approp and Chair Stuart, who chairs Higher Ed. We plan to make this a year where we truly plant the diversity flag in Illinois, especially in higher education.
Dahl: Is that something that can or should be legislated?
Welch: Well, as you know, a couple years ago I passed House Bill 3394, with regard to corporate board diversity that was legislated and it was signed into law by the governor.
With regard to higher education, they come before the legislature seeking billions of dollars every year. And, if you’re going to look for taxpayer dollars, you should make sure that you’re spending your dollars on everyone in the state. Diversity of this country and this state, and that should be reflected in how you spend your dollars.
Welch: I certainly don’t see myself as anyone’s boss. As a former baseball player athlete in high school and college, I like to see myself more analogous to the captain on a team. We don’t get anything together unless we’re working together. And it takes all parts of the team working together to be a championship team. And I certainly think we showed in 2021 that we worked collectively together, that we are a team. And that because we work together in that fashion, we had a championship year. So I’m more analogous to a teammate, captain on the team that just keeps us all focused.
Dahl: I want to ask if you got any kind of a ring for that, or a participation trophy.
Dahl: Not all of us can say that. How do you get the most out of the members of the team? How do you encourage the Democrats under you to do what they’re supposed to do, do their best?
Welch: I think every day you have to find ways to lift up each member. Every member is different. You have to find out what their strengths are and tap into their strengths and shine a light on them. I think that it’s important to not miss an opportunity to lift them up, to inspire them. to keep them engaged and empowered. And when you do that, you find people really passionate about being a part of the process. And I think we saw that in 2021. We’re going to continue to build on that in 2022. I think energy bill was a perfect example of that. I think the budget was a perfect example of that. The redistricting process was a perfect example of that. You get so much done when you’re working together and inspiring each and every one of our members to step up and be a part of the process.
* Hospitalizations jumped from 7,114 reported yesterday to 7,353 reported today, a one-day increase of 3 percent.
However, the 7-day rolling average for daily hospitalization increases is now 1.1 percent, which is considerable lower than the 5.1 percent growth average during the last seven days of December.
* Good friend of mine…
As of yesterday, a reported 86% of U.S. adults had received at least one vaccination. Instead of focusing our efforts on the 14% who remain holdouts, why don't we figure out what we can do to get everybody else fully vaxxed and boosted?
— Elizabeth Austin, Mistress of Public Policy (@elizabethaustin) January 11, 2022
For Illinois, the age 5+ gap between the fully vaccinated and those who have received just one dose is about a million people. For those 65 and older, who are most at risk, the gap is about 176,000. That’s a good place to start.
Some of those folks got the single-dose J&J shot, but they do need a booster right away.
The “incompletes” may have had an adverse reaction to their first or second shot and are reluctant to move forward. That was the case in my own circle. A close family member got sick after her second shot (it could’ve just been something else) and didn’t want to take a booster. But then her spouse got sick with what we thought was covid (it wasn’t) and that convinced her to get boosted. She had zero negative reaction to the booster, by the way.
The governor’s office says they’re not just focusing on the holdouts and outlined some of what they were doing to get people boosted and to take the second shot. They have booster clinics where people can also get a first or second dose. They’re doing paid messaging on boosters, etc.
* Even so, the administration sent out this press release today…
With the current surge of COVID-19 cases due to the highly contagious Omicron variant, the State of Illinois launched a new vaccine awareness campaign to explain the power of the life-saving vaccine. The ‘On the Fence’ campaign features 18 meaningful stories from Illinoisans who were initially hesitant but are now fully vaccinated.
As health experts continue to advise unvaccinated individuals to get their life-saving shot, the campaign is directed to residents who are reluctant to get vaccinated. The campaign will roll out over the coming months, including stories from people who reflect the racial and socioeconomic diversity of the state. […]
The initial rollout of the campaign will feature the following videos:
Shannon is a nurse in Quincy, a hotbed of vocal and organized anti-vaxers.
I think Elizabeth makes a great point that the state should focus more attention on those who have only taken one dose. Get those second shots moving and close the gap. I mean, if the unvaxed won’t listen to stuff like this, then what’s it gonna take?…
There are only two ICU beds currently available in Rockford which has forced hospitals to alter routine procedures.
“So if you think you’ve been boosted or you don’t need the vaccine, let’s just hope that you’re not in an accident. Let’s just hope a loved one doesn’t have a heart procedure that’s needed immediately,” Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara said.
[Winnebago County Public Health Administrator Sandra Martell] said about 90% of hospitalizations can be attributed to the unvaccinated.
Regardless of your theories on Covid one thing is clear: The hospitals are at/near capacity and health care workers are overworked. Everyone seems to be getting Omicron. If we hadn't blown it last time, this would be the time to actually "Take two weeks to flatten the curve."
The state’s new subcircuit judicial redistricting maps have “many, many issues that are in need of attention,” according to an internal memo that went out to the Chief Justices of the Illinois Supreme Court on Friday morning.
The subcircuit judicial maps, which Governor J.B. Pritzker signed into law on Friday, convert a total of 33 “at-large” judgeships into “resident” judgeships. The General Assembly’s reorganization of the judiciary would shrink the numbers of Illinois’ 200 at-large judgeships down to 167, and would expand the state’s 245 resident judgeships up to 278. […]
Marcia Meis, the Director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, vented about her frustrations to the Supreme Court justices in an email at 10:28 a.m., two days after Democrats who hold supermajorities in the General Assembly rammed their new court map proposals through both chambers without any Republican support.
Meis could not be reached directly to expand on her memo, but Christopher Bonjean, a spokesman for the Illinois Supreme Court, said, “The Director was in no way referring to the intent or substance of the law, merely the capacity to implement immediately. As we learned with judicial redistricting, implementation is something that takes time.”
The courts would not directly answer questions asking which specific legislators offered assurances to court staff about the bill’s language prior to its passage, nor would a spokesperson explain how the changes in the new redistricting law were different than what they expected. Sources familiar with the process said last minute negotiations stemming around Lake County’s 19th circuit court system, which sometimes supplies judges to hear cases in other circuits across the state, held up the legislative debate last week in the Senate until a deal was finally reached.
* Related…
* HB3138 is now law — what will that mean for Cook County judicial hopefuls?: Through an accident of drafting, Cook County’s existing countywide judicial vacancies appear not likely to be filled in the 2022 election. Maybe this will be fixed. Maybe I’ve got it wrong. If someone explains why I’m wrong to me, I’ll try and explain it to you, too.
*** UPDATE *** I just received this email…
Please see attached an order from the Supreme Court re-certifying the Lake and Madison County vacancies to subcircuits for the 2022 election.
Click here. Looks like they dealt with the “unmitigated disaster.” And there are no other implementation requirements.
— State Rep. Deb Conroy is making it official: She won’t seek reelection to the state House and instead is throwing her hat in the ring to run for chair of the DuPage County Board. “I think I have the ability to bring people together and work bipartisanly. That’s what’s missing out here right now,” she told Playbook. Conroy, now in her fifth term, serves as Women’s Caucus Whip and is an advocate on mental health legislation.
— Greg Hart, a Republican running for the DuPage County Board chairman seat, says he has raised $600,000 in the race.
* He’s had a political target on his back for a while…
The following is a statement from State Representative Tom Morrison:
“It is a distinct honor and privilege to represent and serve the 54th district in the Illinois House. I’m very grateful to our residents for entrusting me with this position over these past 12 years. In 2022, however, I have decided not to seek re-election.
Illinois is a great state of individuals, families, businesses, and institutions. It’s had some difficult times—mostly self-inflicted—over these past several years. Another 54th district resident must now step up to the challenge and continue the fight for the long-overdue fiscal, ethical, and moral sanity that is critical to the state’s recovery.
My staff, volunteers, and family have all greatly assisted me in Springfield and back in our community through the highs and lows of these momentous times. I sincerely appreciate their dedication and partnership.
Once again, I offer a deeply heartfelt thank you to all who’ve worked with me in this position to make a positive difference for our state and local community.”
* Schofield ran twice against former Rep. Allen Skillicorn. She has moderate bonafides and Skillicorn hated her, so she has that going for her…
Today, Paul Schimpf, Republican candidate for Illinois Governor, announced Carolyn Schofield as his Lieutenant Governor and running mate. After Schimpf’s announcement, Schofield shared her enthusiasm about the ticket:
“I am honored and excited to be running with Paul as his Lieutenant Governor candidate. As a parent, I can no longer sit back and watch Illinois families face corruption in our government and danger on our streets. I’m running because Paul and I can make a difference.”
Schimpf and Schofield will clean up corruption in Illinois, keep our veterans, families, and communities safe, and grow our economy for working families. Their shared vision represents a sharp contrast from the failed policies of the Pritzker Administration, which has punished everyday Illinoisans with unaffordable taxes, surging crime, and corruption.
In the wake of J.B. Pritzker’s failures, the state needs leaders who will take responsibility, hold themselves and others accountable, and stand up to special interests. Paul Schimpf and Carolyn Schofield will provide the leadership Illinoisans deserve. They will provide common-sense conservative leadership families can trust to fix Illinois.
“Carolyn is the ideal choice to run on my ticket because she cares about all the important issues facing Illinoisians. Her priorities align with mine, and we will continue to push our Parent’s Bill of Rights to give back to parents the autonomy and respect that they never should have lost in the first place,” Schimpf said.
* Rep. McCombie had considered running for the Illinois Senate, but almost the entire SGOP caucus mobilized against her, so she’s running in an open House district…
Today, State Representative Tony McCombie officially launched her re-election bid for the Illinois House. McCombie will run in the new 89th Illinois House District, which is where her home in Savanna, IL is located.
“During my time in the House, I have challenged leaders in both parties to ensure Illinois taxpayers are protected and hard-working families in Illinois have safe neighborhoods, strong schools, economic opportunities and more freedom. Still there is more work to do to drive success for our region and achieve the ethics and state government reforms needed to promote growth and get Illinois back on track,” said McCombie, who is seeking the Republican party’s nomination in the June 28 Primary Election.
“I look forward to introducing myself, listening and earning the support of all voters who crave a better direction for Illinois. I’m guided by conservative principles, common sense and am committed to delivering results,” continued McCombie.
“Despite the challenges we face because of liberals’ heavy hand in Springfield, the good news is we change Illinois for the better if we stand strong and together. We deserve leaders who are transparent, ethical and focused on protecting Illinois families and our most vulnerable citizens. I’d be honored to continue serving the people of Illinois,” concluded McCombie.
* This unsurprising news was supposed to be embargoed until today at noon, but somebody broke the embargo this morning, so here you go…
Today, Indivisible announced its endorsement of Rep. Marie Newman in the race for Illinois’ 6th Congressional District.
“Through her first term, Marie has been a reliable and consistent progressive voice, organizing her colleagues as a part of Congressional Progressive Caucus leadership and helping shape the Democratic agenda in 2021. She’s pushed for an inclusive recovery that delivers for working families and fought for President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda,” said Indivisible’s Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director Leah Greenberg. “Marie is a fighter for her constituents in Chicago’s suburbs and attempts to silence her through backroom redistricting deals will only make her fight harder. Marie is no stranger to taking on and beating political machines with the help of the grassroots. She’s the clear progressive choice and we’re proud to endorse her again.”
* The governor’s most recent cable TV buy is here. And here’s Politico with another sensational Alexi scoop…
— FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Alexi Giannoulias picked up endorsements from Chicago Ald. Matt O’Shea and his 19th Ward Democratic Organization and the Proviso Township Democratic Organization in the Illinois secretary of state’s race. Both organizations had backed Ald. Pat Dowell before she switched gears to run for Congress. Proviso Townships Democrats are led by Cook County Clerk and committeewoman Karen Yarbrough, who said Giannoulias “will enhance our chances for victory.”
* More…
* Former La Salle County state’s attorney Karen Donnelly will run for state rep: Donnelly will vie for the Republican nomination in the district. Mike Kirkton, a Livingston County board member, who lives in Gridley, also is running for the Republican nomination. The seat was held by Rep. Dan Brady, R-Bloomington, since 2001. The restructured district no longer includes Brady’s home. Brady announced he would not run for re-election, but will instead seek the Secretary of State post.
Former Illinois Secretary of State candidate and Alderman Pat Dowell announced today that she is endorsing former Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias for the Democratic nomination.
Dowell is now running for the open congressional seat in the 1st District after U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush announced that he would not seek re-election later this year.
“Alexi is running a strong, forward-thinking campaign built on bold ideas and sound policy initiatives while assembling an impressive broad-based coalition of progressive and moderate Democrats across the state to establish him as the clear front-runner to win the party’s nomination,” she said. “He has the experience, energy, and know-how to build on Jesse White’s legacy and to beat the Republicans in November.”
In making the endorsement, Dowell applauded Giannoulias’ policy initiatives aimed at protecting voter rights and adding more Illinoisans to the voter rolls; modernizing the office to eliminate wait times and obtain more services remotely; offering more access and programs to public libraries throughout the state; and strengthening the state’s ethics laws to prevent corruption.
Dowell said she will urge her supporters to cast ballots for him in the primary and general elections. As a Democratic Ward Committeeman and member of the Executive Committee of the Cook County Democratic Party, she feels that Democrats should work hard to elect all Democrats on the party slate. Dowell is the second former Secretary of State candidate to throw her support to Giannoulias. State Sen. Mike Hastings, who withdrew from the race in the fall, announced last month that he is supporting Giannoulias as well.
Dowell’s endorsement comes after Congressman Rush pledged his support for Giannoulias last week along with several other African-American leaders who had previously backed Dowellfor Secretary of State, including:
*** UPDATE 2 *** Anna Valencia campaign response…
Pat Dowell’s endorsement of Alexi Giannoulias is baffling considering she referred to him as “a flawed candidate” and “a drag” on the Democratic ticket just two weeks ago. This is the second time in less than two weeks that Pat has flip-flopped on her position. While she backtracks on her stance of supporting women and women of color, our campaign remains more committed than ever to electing Anna Valencia as the first woman as Illinois Secretary of State.
* The far right is making a big deal out of this. The headline above this Fox News story was “Almost half of reported NY COVID-19 hospitalizations are not due to COVID-19″…
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul released data Friday breaking down COVID-19 hospitalizations by those who were admitted due to the virus and those who were admitted for other reasons but were found to have the illness.
Included in the data was a chart showing “how many hospitalized individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 were admitted for COVID-19/COVID-19 complications and how many were admitted for non-COVID-19 conditions.”
* And, of course, one of the state’s most vocal anti-anti-covid legislators says Illinois ought to break out those numbers, too and an outlet which provides free content to Illinois newspapers jumped right in…
Illinois state Rep. Adam Niemerg, R-Dieterich, said Illinois public health officials must follow suit.
“It’s so important and without factual, real data, it’s very difficult to put an actionable plan in place,” Niemerg told WMAY. […]
Niemerg said such context should help inform public policy. He wants more emphasis on what kinds of therapies are available for those that are unvaccinated who get COVID-19 and those who are vaccinated and get a breakthrough COVID-19 positive.
So, he thinks he’s running a hospital now? Look, legislating is a slow process. By the time they pass a bill, a different variant will be upon us. In the meantime, maybe he could volunteer at a hospital to help ease the burden…
Especially hard hit is southern Illinois, where just two of its 80 intensive care unit beds were available Sunday night.
“We have a lot of chronically ill people in the U.S., and it’s like all of those people are now coming into the hospital at the same time,” said Vineet Arora, [Dean for Medical Education of the University of Chicago Biological Sciences Division]. “Some of it is for COVID, and some is with COVID, but it’s all COVID. At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter.” (COVID patients also need to be isolated, which increases the burden on hospitals regardless of the severity of patients’ symptoms.)
NorthShore University Health System told WGN Investigates only 19 of their 141 COVID-19 positive patients at four north suburban hospitals last week were being treated for an ailment other than COVID-19.
Rush University Health System does not differentiate patients being treated “with” COVID-19 or “because” of COVID-19 because it can be difficult to classify the root cause of a patient’s ailment – or a virus that may complicate their recovery.
“Many patients have several serious conditions –a co-morbidity – that exacerbate the other so it’s hard to say which one is the reason they need to be hospitalized,” said Rush spokesperson Charles Jolie.
IDPH reports 43% of in-use intensive care beds are occupied by a patient with a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19. Regardless of the reason a person was initially hospitalized, medical experts have said COVID-19 is particularly dangerous for people with weakened immune systems and those battling other ailments.
* I asked the administration to respond to Rep. Niemurg…
In the middle of a surge that is pushing hospital staff to the brink it would not serve a useful purpose to require hospitals to report distinctions in their data that do not impact day to day management of the pandemic. The important metric public health experts watch is hospital capacity, and right now hospital beds are in short supply regardless of what illness sends a patient to the hospital. We need to focus on proven strategies that prevent the spread of the virus, therefore reducing the number of patients who end up in hospitals across the state.
* Related…
* As an E.R. Doctor, I Fear Health Care Collapse More Than Omicron: Collective actions over the coming weeks — the distribution and use of high-quality masks, staying home if not feeling well and getting vaccinated or a booster if eligible — could help prevent hospitals and health care workers from sliding into crisis. It’s not March 2020. But it shouldn’t have to be for us to take this seriously.
Tom Demmer launched his campaign for State Treasurer today pledging to be a fiscal watchdog for Illinois taxpayers by opposing tax increases and bringing greater transparency to state spending. Demmer, a State Representative, helped lead the State House investigation into former House Speaker Mike Madigan and has spearheaded initiatives to strengthen ethics laws and bring transparency to the state budget.
“Unfortunately, in Springfield right now, the politicians’ answer to every problem is higher taxes and more spending. We know Springfield politicians won’t change overnight, but we can take an important first step by electing a proven fiscal watchdog as state treasurer,” said Demmer. “As Treasurer, I’ll be on the side of Illinois families working to protect their hard-earned dollars and shining a light on how our tax-dollars are spent.”
Demmer has served as State Representative since 2013, rising through the ranks to serve as Deputy Minority Leader and serving as the Republican point-person for state fiscal issues where he took on Democrat maneuvers that hid billions in pork-barrel spending. Demmer has won awards from groups across Illinois for his efforts to innovate and transform Illinois, including the Technet Champion of Innovation Award, the Metropolitan Planning Council “Transform Illinois” Award Winner and the Illinois Chamber of Commerce Champion of Free Enterprise.
“Growing up, and now raising my family in Illinois, I’ve seen too many friends and neighbors leave for better opportunities and lower taxes in other states. And when Illinois families leave, it’s our communities that pay the price, as corruption and bloated government drain taxpayer dollars away from schools, public safety, and community services,” said Demmer. “Now more than ever, we need a Treasurer who will be a fiscal watchdog for Illinois taxpayers and willing to take on the corrupt Springfield machine.”
Demmer’s Democrat opponent, Treasurer Mike Frerichs, has continually supported income tax increases on Illinois families during his 15-years as a Springfield politician and most recently advocated for Governor Pritzker’s tax hike amendment that Frerichs said could ultimately tax retirement income.
“The vast majority of Illinoisans have not heard of Mike Frerichs but he stands tall among the tax and spend Springfield crowd. Throughout his 15 years as a Springfield politician, Mike Frerichs continually voted to raise taxes. And now, he even wants to tax retirement,” said Demmer. “I’m running for State Treasurer because Illinois families deserve someone on their side.”
Tom was the Director of Innovation & Strategy at KSB Hospital, a not-for-profit community hospital with locations in Lee and Ogle Counties. He graduated from the University of Dayton, and was a White House Intern in the Office of the Vice President of the United States. Prior to the General Assembly, Tom served on the Lee County Board. Tom resides in Dixon with his wife Becca, daughter Katie and son John.
Bringing up that Frerichs gaffe about taxing retirement income. Some gifts never stop giving. Also, the video clearly shows that they believe Madigan is still a viable issue.
…Adding… Frerichs…
Michael Frerichs today welcomed Rep. Tom Demmer to the race for Illinois State Treasurer – while cautioning that he would unravel years of progress in Illinois and prioritize the interests of Wall Street.
“Tom Demmer opposed every reform I have championed as Treasurer, even when other Republicans were on our side,” said Frerichs, who has held the office since 2015. “He does not have the conviction to fight for Illinois families, and he does not have the backbone to stand up to special interests.”
Demmer’s record on issues surrounding the State Treasurer’s office “proves he will side with Wall Street and big business and against working families,” Frerichs said.
“When I fought life insurance companies that chose not to pay death benefits, Tom Demmer stood with the life insurance special interests and – literally – against widows and orphans,” he said.
Demmer voted four times against Frerichs’ legislation that required life insurance companies to pay death benefits. (HB 4633 in 2016 and HB 302 in 2017.) State Board of Elections records show that Demmer has taken tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from insurance industry PACs.
“When I fought McKesson Corp. and other drug companies and demanded they take responsibility for peddling their deadly opioids in our communities, Tom Demmer was taking tens of thousands of dollars from Big Pharma,” Frerichs added.
Demmer, a hospital executive who serves as a Republican in the Illinois House, announced today that he will challenge Frerichs to be State Treasurer. Demmer has been a State Representative since 2013 and previously served on the Lee County Board.
As State Treasurer, Frerichs has:
• Created one of the best college savings plans in the country, according to independent analyst Morningstar. Doing so has helped increase college savings from $7 billion to $17 billion and saved families more than $100 million in fees.
• Created a retirement savings program that travels with the worker. The result: more than 99,000 workers who previously did not have a retirement plan now have saved $84 million with Secure Choice.
• Returned a record $1.3 billion in unclaimed property and tripled the number of claims paid per year. Changes in technology, efficiency, and state law streamlined the process to the point that some residents do not even have to file a claim in order to be paid.
“As the product of a small town in Downstate Illinois, I know we can have safe streets, good schools, and local control when we respect each other,” Frerichs said. “Demmer’s record shows he does not respect working families and will not work to bring us together.”
*** UPDATE 1 *** DPI…
Democratic Party of Illinois Deputy Director Jake Lewis released the following statement regarding the news that State Rep. Tom Demmer is running for Illinois State Treasurer:
“Today, another Republican pawn joined billionaire Ken Griffin’s ongoing fantasy to bring back the Bruce Rauner days: Tom Demmer. Demmer’s radical views make him unfit to serve in statewide office. He has voted against increasing the minimum wage, against increasing education funding, against ending the Rauner budget impasse, against the Equal Rights Amendment, and against holding life insurance companies accountable.
“But Demmer’s extremist record doesn’t seem to bother Ken Griffin, apparently the only Republican whose opinion matters in 2022. Griffin has set out to rig the entire Republican primary for his Rauner Reboot slate and he appears to have found willing puppets in Demmer, Secretary of State candidate John Milhiser, and rumored gubernatorial candidate Richard Irvin. Unfortunately for Griffin and his pawns, Illinois voters remember that the original Rauner experiment ended in disaster, and they have no interest in the sequel.”
After State Treasurer Mike Frerichs emerged from hiding today to tout his “accomplishments,” ILGOP Spokesman Joe Hackler released the following statement:
“Throughout his 15 years in Springfield, Mike Frerichs has been amazingly consistent in one thing: raising taxes on Illinois families. Frerichs voted to raise taxes on middle class families, seniors, businesses, supported JB Pritzker’s effort to institute the largest tax hike in Illinois history and even wanted to create a new tax on retirement income. After 15 years, Illinois taxpayers simply cannot afford Frerichs anymore.”
*** UPDATE 3 *** Treasurer Frerichs himself just called. I’m expecting a written statement soon explaining the issue in more detail, but Frerichs pointed out that while Demmer did vote for the bill once, he voted against the legislation and with the insurance industry four other times. And that’s correct.
*** UPDATE 4 *** From Treasurer Frerichs…
Tom Demmer voted four times against Treasurer Frerichs’ legislation that required life insurance companies to check their records and pay death benefits to widows and orphans. He voted “NO” on: • HB4633 on Apr 13, 2016 • HB302 on Apr 25, 2017 • HB302 concurrence on May 31, 2017 • HB302 veto override on Oct 25, 2017
The only time Tom Demmer voted “YES” was to concur in an amendment to HB4633 that weakened the legislation enough that the life insurance industry removed its opposition (Illinois Life Insurance Council and Illinois Chamber of Commerce removed opposition to HB4633 after the amendment). On all five votes concerning unclaimed life insurance benefits Tom Demmer voted exactly the way the life insurance industry wanted him to vote.
Frerichs did, however, praise the bill when it was finally passed and signed into law. Click here.
…Adding… From comments…
Demmer and the insurance industry won round one. The insurance industry got tough regulations removed from House Bill 4633, and Demmer voted in favor of the amendment that removed them.
The following year however, Frerichs took another stab at it, and Demmer voted three times with the insurance industry … but the bill did pass.
I’d say Frerichs won in the end and that’s what counts, but you do have to give credit where credit is due to Demmer and the insurance industry for forcing widows and orphans to wait another year before getting their money.
A proposal for Chicago Public Schools to resume in-person classes Wednesday has been approved by the Chicago Teachers Union’s House of Delegates following a contentious weeklong standoff.
The delegates also voted Monday night to suspend the union’s work action that saw teachers refuse to give their lessons in person, prompting the cancellation of the last four school days. There will be no Tuesday classes though teachers will report to schools for planning.
In addition to a return to in-person teaching Wednesday, the plan the House of Delegates approved will set conditions by which an individual school would return to remote learning, determined by the rate of staff absences and students in quarantine or isolation, as well as whether it’s during a period of high community COVID-19 transmission, where a lower threshold would apply.
CPS didn’t offer to reinstate a threshold for district-wide school closures and didn’t agree to an opt-out testing program, two of the union’s most prominent demands. The district also didn’t agree to return to classrooms Jan. 18 as the union had planned.
But officials did offer to increase testing at all schools to at least 10% of their student population. Students registered for testing would be randomly selected each week. All staff would be offered testing this week.
Though the district stuck with an opt-in testing program, it committed to working with the CTU to increase student testing and vaccination to 100% by Feb. 1. CPS would establish phone banks where staff would help call parents. About 20% of students are signed up for testing.
When it came to individual school closures, CPS compromised with the CTU and agreed to shut down a building for at least five days if 30% or more of its teachers are absent for two consecutive days because of positive cases or quarantines, and if substitutes can’t get the absences under 25%. A school would also close if 40% of its students were quarantining.
The two sides have been meeting regularly since the last safety agreement expired this summer. Lightfoot said this week that those meetings show her team was intent on reaching an agreement, but that the union was not being responsive.
However, even CPS CEO Pedro Martinez admitted that it only became clear a safety agreement was needed as COVID-19 cases surged.
* The outside pressure was also increasing, including from the national union leader…
President Joe Biden’s administration urged Chicago’s mayor and teachers union to strike a deal to return children to classrooms as the high-profile dispute undercuts his push to keep schools open across the nation.
“The president’s been very clear, as we have been clear: We are on the side of schools being open,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Monday, asked about the standoff in Chicago. “We will continue to be in touch with local leaders in Chicago to work to get their schools open.” […]
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, the umbrella union for Chicago teachers, has been urging schools to safely reopen and said this weekend she was “frustrated” by the situation in Chicago.
Referring to Lightfoot, Weingarten said on MSNBC Sunday: “You know how to run this city, get us the testing, the governor has given us that testing, get it into schools on Monday and I bet if you get that into schools on Monday, we’re going to have schools open this week.”
“Last year at this time, you had 40 percent of the schools opened during that surge,” Weingarten told me on Sunday. “This year at this time you have 96 percent.”
Chicago, Weingarten insists, is an anomaly. The city “looms very large, as it always does, but it is one district in which there was a teacher-union-called job action,” she said. “There are plenty of places where teachers are concerned and where there’s groups within school districts that are calling for sickouts. But in terms of my union, there’s no organized effort to do that. In fact it’s quite the opposite.”
* IL GOP condemn Pritzker, Democratic party amid CPS battle with CTU: Gary Rabine, an entrepreneur, says if he were governor, he would take on the CTU. “I believe JB is afraid of the consequences of maybe upsetting these unions for political reasons,” Rabine said. “For the sake of our kids, for the sake of the mental and emotional health of our kids, you’ve got to step up as a leader.”
The respiratory therapist is in one of 19 small rooms ringing Roseland Community Hospital’s busy emergency department, each occupied by a COVID case, each room’s air negative-pressurized to keep droplets of infection from wafting back into the ER. Joseph is trying to draw blood from the man’s right wrist to get a reading of oxygen and carbon dioxide levels.
But the 79-year old twists and writhes.
“He was fighting with me,” said Joseph, coming out, peeling off a yellow plastic protective gown. “When you get COVID, you cannot function. The carbon dioxide makes you lethargic and confused.”
“Cannot function,” “lethargic” and “confused” are apt terms to describe our national response to COVID, a roiling, contradictory crisis: medical disaster intermixed with scientific triumph. The selfless, exhausted labors of skilled doctors and nurses here, butting up against selfish, stubborn public resistance and ignorance there. A roller coaster disaster of peaks and valleys, with no end in sight as our nation finishes its second year fighting COVID-19.
