Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Friday that he and state health officials will no longer be holding daily coronavirus briefings, but will provide updates “as needed.”
Pritzker said he and Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike will end in-person COVID-19 updates because coronavirus numbers are “moving in the right direction.”
“I’ll start with some housekeeping that might bring some relief to our tireless press corps this holiday season,” Pritzker said. “We are moving away from daily press conferences, and instead returning to an as-needed basis.”
Friday marked the 42nd consecutive weekday coronavirus press briefing for the Illinois officials and the 155th since the pandemic began.
He took a break from them last summer and then ramped back up in the fall.
* Manny Sanchez is out as chairman of the Sports Facilities Authority. No word yet on why.
* The Senate has a new spring session schedule. Click here. It’s easier to cancel days than add them, so don’t count on the chamber being in session all of those days. No lame duck session days have yet been scheduled, although Senate President Harmon told me several days ago that he had asked his members to set aside the five days before inauguration, which would mean a January 8th return. And, of course, we’re still waiting on the House to issue its own calendar. The Senate apparently got tired of waiting.
* The SDems also released a list of new laws. Click here.
Governor JB Pritzker today announced the administration has provided over $1.3 billion in funding this year for businesses and families through COVID-19 emergency assistance programs. The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) has so far overseen the distribution of $214 million in funding to over 7,500 small businesses through the Business Interruption Grants program, with the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) providing more than $269 million in funding to 4,987 childcare providers through the same program. DCEO also oversees the Help for Illinois Families Initiative which includes programs that offer energy assistance to Illinois residents in need as well as emergency assistance for rent, temporary shelter and other necessities. The Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) has provided $325 million in emergency rental and mortgage assistance to 54,500 families.
“Over the summer, in partnership with the General Assembly, I announced a series of programs dedicated to supporting our small businesses and our working families hit hard by the economic impacts of COVID-19 – and structuring each with a significant on equity, ensuring that disproportionately impacted communities receive their fair share of support,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I’m especially proud to say Illinois led the nation in ensuring that our CARES dollars went to the front lines of the economic dislocation impacting the lives of the people we serve. From housing assistance to grants for small business impacted by the virus, the efforts launched by my administration amount to a unique and historic effort in Illinois to mitigate this virus’s devastating effects on the health and livelihoods of the residents of this state. While there is so much need that is still unmet and for which we need further support from Congress, Illinois has been a leader in protecting workers and small businesses with our CARES Act dollars.”
Help for Illinois Families Program
As of today, DCEO has provided $93 million in emergency funding to more than 155,000 households across the state through the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and the Community Services Block Grants (CSBG) programs, which are both part of the Help for Illinois Families initiative. Launched by the administration in June, the $275 million initiative was created to assist the growing number of families experiencing economic hardship as a result of COVID-19 by directing additional funding from the federal CARES Act and an expanded eligibility threshold to ensure more families statewide could benefit from assistance on utilities and other basic household bills.
“Given the enormous economic challenges facing many in our state as a result of COVID-19, state programs like Help for Illinois Families are being provided to help residents across our communities make ends meet,” said DCEO Director Erin Guthrie. “Under Governor Pritzker’s leadership, DCEO is proud that we’ve made record investments to serve more families this year, as part of more than $1 billion in aid launched so support communities in the wake of the crisis. For those still struggling– it’s not too late to apply, and we encourage that families in need reach out to DCEO or our community agency partners for help with basic household needs that may currently be out of reach.”
As a result of the Governor’s investments in this program, more than$80 million has been provided to 119,000 households for LIHEAP, with more than$13 million in direct client assistance costs provided to 36,000 households as part of the CSBG program. Funding has been provided to families in all 102 counties statewide, with tens of thousands of new households served so far this program year.
The Pritzker administration worked with the General Assembly to expand the program’s eligibility requirements to boost the income eligibility threshold to 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level, making an additional 1 million residents eligible for the program. The administration also adjusted requirements to LIHEAP to make it possible for undocumented families to receive assistance through the program for the first time.
“Since the pandemic has begun, CEDA has seen an unprecedented increase in the number of individuals seeking help with making ends meet,” said Harold Rice, Jr., Chief Executive Officer and President, CEDA. “Thankfully, the Governor’s Help for Illinois Families program recognizes the urgent needs our neighbors face as they struggle to pay bills, and provides critical assistance that will allow them to provide for their families and rebuild. We remain committed to ensuring every family has peace of mind during these challenging times.”
While many have already benefitted, the administration is urging families to claim the more than $180 million which remains available to help offset costs on heating, utilities, water, rent, food and other forms of basic assistance. To make applying for relief funding easy, DCEO has taken steps to streamline the process, providing a new virtual application process, technical assistance and other infrastructure that allows residents to complete the application from the comfort of their home. A new Help for Illinois Families hotline launched earlier this year offers assistance in over 30 languages, and CAAs provide services in a variety of languages to ensure access for all communities.
“The Champaign County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC) has certainly been on the frontlines of assisting families and individuals during this COVID -19 pandemic utilizing the Governor’s Help for Illinois Families programs,” said Dalitso Sulamoyo, Chief Executive Officer of CCRPC. “Our staff have applied a combination of approaches to be able to reach many families and individuals who have not sought our assistance in the past so that they get the help they desperately need during this challenging moment of our history. We are appreciative of Governor Pritzker’s leadership in ensuring that Illinois’s families and individuals are able to get the help they need.”
This program remains open and is accepting applications. For more information on how to apply and to find out about relief programs available near you, please visit www.helpillinoisfamilies.com today.
Business Interruption Grants
The Business Interruption Grant (BIG) program is a $540 million initiative Governor Pritzker developed in partnership with the Illinois General Assembly to provide economic relief for small businesses hit hardest by COVID-19. BIG is the largest program of its kind in the nation and uses federal CARES Act funds to provide grants to businesses in need. The program devotes $270 million for childcare businesses, and $270 million for all other small businesses demonstrating a significant impact or limited ability to operate during the pandemic.
DCEO, which oversaw the small business portion of the BIG program, recently concluded the second round of applications for grant funding. To date, the department has issued more than $214 million in grants to over 7,500 businesses statewide, using an equity framework to ensure that the hardest hit businesses in the hardest hit geographies would be prioritized for funding. As a result, grants have been deployed to a wide range of businesses representing more than 500 cities across the state, with nearly half of the grants provided to minority owned businesses, $98 million for restaurants and taverns, and nearly $80 million for downstate businesses. Moreover, the program has helped direct funding for the smallest and most vulnerable businesses in the state, with 85 percent committed to the smallest sized businesses, those with revenues of $1 million or less.
DCEO continues to review applications for the program and will make grants weekly over the next several weeks. BIG applicants will be notified if they will receive a grant award by December 30, 2020. More information on the DCEO program can be found here: https://www2.illinois.gov/dceo/SmallBizAssistance/pages/c19disadvantagedbusgrants.aspx.
As part of the broader BIG program, IDHS facilitated the release of $270 million in funding to aid child care providers across the state through the Child Care Restoration Grants (CCRG). The grants leveraged funds received by the state from the CARES Act, making Illinois the only state to dedicate this level of federal aid for child care programs.
“Under the bold and compassionate leadership of Governor Pritzker, one of our administration’s top priorities is investment in early childhood programs and the workforce that powers it – child care providers, teachers, and other caregivers. Providing support to these essential workers is critical to our economic recovery and getting families back to work. Thousands of children and families will benefit from the BIG grants. We will continue to work alongside DCEO, to help childcare businesses across the state get every dollar possible to help rebuild after an unprecedented pandemic,” said Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) Secretary Grace Hou.
Beginning in March, the majority of child care programs closed due to COVID-19, with the exception of providers who served the children of essential workers. The CCRG program offered relief to child care programs, with priority given to child care businesses serving disproportionately impacted areas.
“Operating a child care center during a pandemic has been difficult on many levels. The extra expenses we are incurring (cleaning supplies, PPE, extra staffing expenses), combined with a lowered capacity, make an already tight budget even tighter. We are thankful for the Child Care Restoration Grant,” said Chris Gansauer of Magic Building Block Child Care Center in Fairview Heights.
IDHS has released a total of $270 million in grant funding to nearly five thousand child-care providers located across the state. All outstanding BIG grantee applications will receive notification regarding potential funding by December 30, 2020.
“The grant worked well for me because it allowed me to continue to pay my assistant and keep my day care opened during these very low attendance months I am having due to COVID-19. I was able to continue my day to day operation without having to worry about closing down and losing my home or car due to inadequate income,” said home child care provider Monica Pierce.
Emergency Housing Assistance
In August, Governor Pritzker and IHDA announced two programs to help renters and homeowners who have lost a job or income due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the Emergency Rental Assistance and Emergency Mortgage Assistance Programs, IHDA allocated $325 million to help income-eligible residents across the state pay their rent or mortgage during the pandemic.
“Stable housing is essential to help Illinois families stay safe during this crisis, and IHDA remains committed to providing this critical support to the families and communities who have been hit hardest by the pandemic,” said IHDA Executive Director Kristin Faust. “Under the leadership of the Pritzker administration, IHDA mobilized to disburse these funds as equitably and as quickly as possible to provide much needed security against eviction and foreclosure, and we will continue to work diligently to help struggling households access this assistance before the end of 2020.”
Through the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERA), IHDA offered funding to support Illinois tenants unable to pay their rent due to a COVID-19-related loss of income. Eligible tenants whose applications were approved received a one-time grant of $5,000 paid directly to their landlord to cover missed rent payments beginning March 2020, as well as prepay on payments through this month, or until the $5,000 is exhausted. IHDA received nearly 79,000 applications for the program and assisted 38,000 households with rental payments.
IHDA also aided homeowners who experienced a COVID-19 related loss of income resulting in past due mortgage balances starting in March 2020. The Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program (EMA) provided eligible homeowners with up to $25,000 in grants paid directly to their mortgage servicer. The assistance provided covered the homeowner’s past due or forbearance balance and their regular mortgage payments through the end of this month, or until the funding was exhausted. IHDA received more than 18,000 applications and to date have assisted about 9,500 homeowners with $84 million total in grants. Applications for both programs have closed and repayment is not required.
Financial assistance for both housing programs was funded through Illinois’ allocation of federal Coronavirus Relief Funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (P.L. 116-136). Passed in March 2020, the CARES Act provided $3.5 billion in Coronavirus Relief Funds to the State of Illinois to help residents and businesses impacted by the pandemic. In May, the Illinois General Assembly directed this funding to IHDA to provide direct assistance to struggling renters and homeowners.
Local CURE Program
The Pritzker administration worked with the Illinois General Assembly and local government partners to launch the Local Coronavirus Urgent Remediation Emergency (CURE) program, aimed at leveraging federal CARES Act dollars to help municipalities reimburse costs incurred during the ongoing pandemic.
To date, more than $158 million has been paid out or is in the pipeline to help over 700 downstate communities cover the costs of COVID-19. This funding provides an essential boost, with funds that can be used for: PPE, payroll, contact tracing and other emergency public health expenses. Reimbursable expenses must be incurred between March 1 – December 30, 2020.
While a significant amount of payments have been made to date, much more funding remains available, and nearly 350 local governments have yet to claim their allotted costs. DCEO is working to support the remainder of cities and towns with submitting eligible costs through the program and has facilitated over 4,000 direct calls and emails to assist local leaders and to get the word out about the program. As a result of extensive outreach and technical assistance, payments to local governments through the program have more than doubled in the last month alone.
It’s not too late to claim costs through this program. The state of Illinois and DCEO continue to urge local governments to take advantage of their allocation and to leave no costs on the table. The program will continue accepting applications for eligible expenses through January 31, 2020. For more on Local CURE and to determine eligibility, please visit: https://www2.illinois.gov/dceo/Pages/CURE.aspx.
Yates told me I wasn’t asking the right questions. What I should have been asking was about how the coronavirus vaccine will implant people with the biblical “mark of the beast” from the Book of Revelation and allow them to be taken over by Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates.
* Catholic Conference of Illinois…
Recent days have brought hopeful news to the global fight against the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. A COVID-19 vaccine has been approved by federal regulators, shipped across the country and used to inoculate front-line health care workers. Authorization of another vaccine appears imminent.
As a faith community concerned about the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death, we realize that many may be questioning the moral permissibility of these vaccines. We, the Catholic bishops of Illinois, join entirely the document released by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “Moral Considerations Regarding the New COVID-19 Vaccines.” The document offers a detailed analysis of the origin of current vaccines and concludes that the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are morally acceptable. We urge all Catholics to read this document.
We thank the dedicated health care workers who have tended to and comforted those afflicted by the coronavirus, as well as their families. We express our gratitude to the resourceful scientists who have produced vaccines in record time and offer encouragement to those pursuing additional remedies. And we pray for all affected by this global health crisis, be it from the death of a loved one, illness from the virus, financial hardship or isolation from families and friends.
* Press release…
U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has awarded a total of $9.709 million in federal funding to Illinois to provide critical COVID-19 public health infrastructure support, such as data monitoring capabilities, for vaccination distribution and administration. The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) will receive $6,691,329 for vaccine distribution, laboratory support, and other activities, and the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) will receive $3,017,831 for these coronavirus response efforts.
Healthcare workers who treated the first COVID-19 cases in Illinois back in January at St. Alexius Hospital in Hoffman Estates are now getting inoculated with the Pfizer vaccine Friday.
“Today, I feel hopeful, because you know we’re able to get the vaccine now,” said Registered Nurse Claire Antemann.
The hospital made headlines almost a year ago when the second known COVID-19 case in the country walked through the doors and soon after, her spouse became the first person-to-person transmission of the virus in the U.S.
Friday, some of the frontline workers, physicians, nurses and more that helped care for that exact couple, is getting care themselves with a shot in the arm.
Pfizer is pushing back on the Trump administration’s suggestion that the company is having trouble producing its COVID-19 vaccine, saying it’s ready to ship millions more doses – once the government asks for them. As the company spoke out, several states said their vaccine allocations for next week have been sharply reduced.
*** UPDATE *** Press release…
U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after receiving the first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine:
“The Attending Physician of the Capitol notified all Members of Congress and staff that, consistent with Presidential Policy Directive, Congress and the Supreme Court – along with Executive Branch agencies – would be provided and encouraged administration of the COVID-19 vaccine to meet the requirements for continuity of government operations. Therefore, I received my first Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination today. I trust our public health and medical experts and encourage everyone, in consultation with your personal physician, to do the same as the distribution process continues so we can collectively end this pandemic.”
* The Case for Vaccinating Prisoners: For example, a study of the Cook County Jail in Chicago early in the pandemic found that inmates going in and out of the facility accounting for 55 percent of the variance in case rates across zip codes in Chicago and 37 percent in Illinois. Neighborhoods where prisoners were being released, in other words, had higher rates of infection.
The 34-year-old Illinois House Deputy Minority Leader has most recently been in the news as the leading Republican on the House Special Investigating Committee of Democratic Speaker Michael Madigan. He’s also one of the House Republicans’ lead negotiators on the state budget and Medicaid legislation.
“Tom, I think, fits the profile of what the Republican Party needs to put forward in this next election cycle,” Durkin said in a phone call this week, praising Demmer’s budget skills and ability to distill the complicated document into “common language.”
Jeffrey Brincat – a political donor who supported Rauner’s two campaigns, was appointed by the former governor to the Illinois Racing Board and served as finance chair on the campaigns of former U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk and former U.S. Rep. Bob Dold, both Republicans – said in a phone call this week he will also back Demmer.
Whether for governor, U.S. Senate or another position, he has not decided.
I actually like Demmer a lot and think he would be a good face for his party. Personally, I hope he runs for reelection because I think he’s a highly valuable member of Durkin’s team. But, hey, I get it, people catch the move-up itch. As a friend said today, maybe he’ll wind up running for Congress if Adam Kinzinger aims for governor. The state would be fortunate to have him in DC.
It’s just kinda odd that CNI would expend so much energy on a story about a legislator who hasn’t yet decided what office to seek.
State and local governments face about $500 billion in revenue shortfalls from the pandemic, spread over three fiscal years, research published this fall by the Brookings Papers on Economic Activity estimates. […]
Calculations from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office support the case for more aid, concluding that money for states and localities provided the most cost-effective economic boost of any of the provisions in the first wave of economic assistance this spring. […]
Influential conservative groups like Americans for Tax Reform and Heritage Action for America have called the issue a “red line for conservatives.”
“When you have less money, it makes you do reforms to reduce spending,” said Grover Norquist, the president of Americans for Tax Reform. “Don’t bail them out,” he said, “or there will be no normal budget discipline.”
The CBO report is here. Of all the items in the spring stimulus package, the aid to state and local governments had the best projected GDP return, including direct payments to individuals. Also, the chief economist at Moody’s Analytics said several months ago that the $500 billion in revenue shortfalls could shrink GDP by 2 percent.
Six of the seven states that are expected to suffer the biggest revenue declines over the next two years are red — states led by Republican governors and won by President Trump this year, according to a report from Moody’s Analytics.
States are still broadly hurting from the economic crisis. But California now expects a one-time windfall this fiscal year. Wisconsin said it might still be able to sock away some revenue in its rainy day fund. Maryland nudged up its projected revenues, for the second time this fall. And Minnesota now forecasts a surplus.
This good news reflects in part the dire economic expectations of six months ago; even modest numbers look good now compared with the worst fears written into state budgets in the spring. And state officials say they’ll still need federal help, as they expect the pandemic’s effects to drag on for years and to batter local governments. Federal help, after all, is part of what has buoyed them so far.
The states with rosier forecasts also complicate the political fight in Washington over state aid, which is likely to get pushed into the new year after lawmakers dropped the aid from a year-end stimulus deal nearing completion. Republicans have characterized state aid as a bailout for profligate blue states. But many states that are looking better now have among the most progressive tax structures in the country, and that is part of what has rescued them this year.
This recession, distinct from many before it, has piled its worst effects on low-wage workers. That means that state budgets that rely the most on wealthier residents to fund government haven’t been hurt as much by an economic crisis that left the well-off largely unscathed. [Emphasis added]
Many of the same people who are now arguing against federal money for state and local governments also argued against a graduated income tax here. Just sayin…
* Good to see the test positivity rate fall below 10 percent. Press release…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 7,377 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 181 additional deaths.
- Adams County: 1 male 80s
- Boone County: 1 male 80s, 2 females 90s, 1 male 90s
- Cass County: 1 female 70s
- Clay County: 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
- Cook County: 2 males 40s, 2 females 50s, 4 males 50s, 6 females 60s, 8 males 60s, 7 females 70s, 14 males 70s, 11 females 80s, 9 males 80s, 8 females 90s, 5 males 90s
- Cumberland County: 1 male 90s
- DeKalb County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 70s
- Douglas County: 1 male 90s
- DuPage County: 1 male 40s, 1 male 50s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
- Effingham County: 1 female 100+
- Ford County: 2 males 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
- Fulton County: 1 male 80s
- Grundy County: 1 male 80s
- Hancock County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s
- Iroquois County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s
- Jasper County: 1 male 80s
- Jefferson County: 1 male 50s, 1 female 60s, 1 male 80s
- Jersey County: 1 female 90s
- Kane County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s
- Kankakee County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s
- Knox County: 1 male 70s
- Lake County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 70s, 3 females 80s, 1 male 80s, 5 females 90s
- LaSalle County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s
- Lawrence County: 1 male 70s
- Livingston County: 1 male 70s, 2 females 80s
- Logan County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
- Madison County: 1 female 60s, 1 female 80s
- Marion County: 1 female 50s, 2 males 70s
- McHenry County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
- McLean County: 1 female 60s
- Morgan County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 90s
- Ogle County: 1 male 70s
- Peoria County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 90s
- Rock Island County: 2 males 70s
- Sangamon County: 1 male 50s, 1 female 60s, 1 male 70s, 1 male 90s
- Shelby County: 1 male 70s
- St. Clair County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
- Stephenson County: 1 male 80s
- Tazewell County: 2 females 80s, 1 male 90s, 1 female 100+
- Warren County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
- Wayne County: 1 male 70s
- White County: 1 female 70s
- Whiteside County: 1 female 80s
- Will County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 3 males 80s, 1 male 90s
- Williamson County: 1 male 60s
- Winnebago County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s
- Woodford County: 2 females 80s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 886,805 cases, including 15,015 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 112,292 specimens for a total 12,259,595. As of last night, 4,690 in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 1,023 patients were in the ICU and 589 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from December 11 – December 17, 2020 is 8.0%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from December 11 – December 17, 2020 is 9.7%.
*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 a death 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.
Attorneys have launched multiple investigations on behalf of families whose loved ones died from COVID-19 following exposure at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home.
The families of Korean War veterans Richard Cieski and Anthony Samolinski want to know how the facility could have failed to protect the men, who shared a lunch table, from the novel coronavirus.
Since reporting began in March, the veterans home has reported 209 infections and 33 COVID-19 related deaths. A massive outbreak at the state-run facility in November led to 75 veterans and 48 staff members testing positive for the virus. Media reports say that many staff members attended an off-site Halloween party that might have led to the outbreak, the second experienced by the veterans facility. Other reports indicate that staff members were given 3-day tests for the virus and continued to work at the facility during the 3-day period while they awaited results. The state’s Dept. of Veterans Affairs has admitted that hand sanitizer used at the facility was found ineffective against the virus.
The home had a previous outbreak in May that resulted in 53 coronavirus cases and two deaths.
Levin & Perconti, a law firm nationally renowned for its work representing victims in nursing home abuse and neglect cases, is working with the Cieski and Samlinski families to investigate the causes of the November outbreak and could file lawsuits on their behalf. The firm has already filed suits on behalf of COVID victims in a dozen private nursing homes across the state.
“What we’ve seen in looking at other cases is that there’s a consistent pattern of gross negligence among facilities where these massive outbreaks happen,” said Levin & Perconti founding partner Steven Levin. “There are well-documented ways to protect nursing home residents from infection, clearly outlined in federal guidelines, but when leaders fail to put those protocols into practice, we see the results. These are predictable and avoidable tragedies.”
* The 2020 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Legislative Liaison goes to Amanda Elliot at ISBE…
Amanda is the go to person at ISBE for legislators, lobbyists and staff. She knows her stuff. She’s passionate and believes in what she is working on. She always returns calls and emails and I wouldn’t want to be on the other side of any bill she is against!
* The 2020 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Statewide Staffer goes to Ellen Andres with the Comptroller’s Office…
As you may have seen, she was profiled in a number of articles for taking extreme measures early on during the COVID crisis - when much was unknown and people were experiencing a lot of fear - to ensure that PPE could be obtained by the state for front line service providers. This included a 3.5 hour race against the clock down I-55 to make a payment to a vendor who then deposited a check to purchase PPE in China.
Her office never closed. Staff was rotated in and managed in shifts on site so that payments - many millions of checks - have been delivered.
Dr. Ngozi Ezike received some nominations, but I don’t consider an agency director to be a staffer. Also, as I mentioned several days ago, I unilaterally awarded her the 2020 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best State Agency Director.
* On to today’s category…
Lifetime Achievement
This can be for an elected official, lobbyist, staff member, etc. The person doesn’t have to be retired or deceased. But it would probably be helpful if the person did something particularly important this crazy year, as well as in prior years. And, as always, please make sure to explain your nomination or it won’t count. Thanks.
Guns were drawn, even on small children, when Chicago officers raided a family’s home. Dave Savini is investigating why this happened and how this family will never be the same.
“One guy said you better shut the F up if you know any better,” said Peter Mendez.
Peter was 9 when the trauma began. It was dinner time when Chicago police busted his front door open, invading his family’s home.
“Assault rifles, maybe like a few pistols,” Peter recalled.
His little brother Jack was by his side that night shaking with fear. […]
The CBS 2 investigators found officers from the 11th district used a search warrant filled with mistakes, even the judge’s printed name as required by police order is missing.
In fact, police tell CBS2 they don’t even have their own copy of the warrant or any record the warrant even exists.
“I think the Chicago Police Department needs to be held accountable. They came in and tore our home up. They tore our lives upside down, and we’ve never been the same,” said Hester Mendez.
She says police refused to show her the warrant but after an hour of searching she caught a glimpse of it and saw the two people actually named in the warrant lived in a different unit in that same apartment building.
Last year Peter Mendez tearfully told his story of police wrongly raiding his home and pointing guns at him and his family. Now he is thrilled because Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Peter Mendez Act this week.
It’s a new law to protect kids and is the result of a CBS 2 investigation. […]
[Sen. Jacqueline Collins, D-Chicago] sponsored the legislation requiring police training on how children experience trauma by police actions and training on de-escalation tactics for when children are involved.
* The Sun-Times published a letter from Sen. Collins today…
What remedy exists for what happened to Anjanette Young in February 2019? What restitution is truly just when police, acting on poor information, raided her home and handcuffed her while she was naked and pleading with them, only to be yelled at and told to calm down?
Nearly two years later, there has been no disciplinary action against the officers. Indeed, we only heard of Anjanette’s terrifying situation 22 months after it occurred, following what appears to be a coordinated, bureaucratic effort to deny giving her footage of the incident from officers’ body cameras.
The City of Chicago and the Chicago Police Department remain more concerned with covering up these wrongful raids than stopping them.
Ms. Young was not guilty of any crime, and police raided her house in error. As I made clear when I sponsored the Peter Mendez Act (Public Act 101-224) mandating better training in the event of raids on homes where children are present, raids like these are civil rights violations.
Bursting into the home of someone who has not been convicted of a crime and handcuffing them naked, then forcing them to air this indignity publicly to have any hope for justice, is a civil rights violation whether or not that person is eventually convicted of a crime. These actions are not about public safety or deterring criminal activity. It is about sending a message that police may do as they please.
More than a year since the documentary “[un]warranted” aired young Peter Mendez’s story, people like Peter’s family and like Anjanette Young must fight tooth and nail for Chicago to even acknowledge the wrongs done to them. This cannot stand. We must see accountability on the part of the Chicago Police Department and the City of Chicago.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Thursday acknowledged that she has known since November 2019 that Chicago police officers handcuffed a naked woman during a mistaken raid of her home in February 2019. […]
Lightfoot acknowledged that the raid — and efforts by city lawyers to prevent Young from getting a copy of the video and to stop CBS2-TV from publishing the video — had damaged her efforts to reform the Chicago Police Department. […]
Officers will now need a top department official to sign off on a no-knock warrant, Brown said. Those warrants will only be approved in cases where there is an imminent risk to someone’s health and safety, Brown said.
Lightfoot on Wednesday said she would not suspend the practice of no-knock warrants, which allow officers to enter a home without announcing themselves, like the one that occurred in Young’s home.
I do not understand why anyone even asks for no-knock warrants if there’s no imminent threat. But the complete lack of humanity displayed by officers in the Anjanette Young case (and others) certainly makes a strong case for much stronger police reforms in general, including strict and tough licensing.
* The BND has a really good story about 2020 today, but here’s a brief excerpt…
Lack of awareness or recognition of the pandemic’s deadliness costs lives, and not just those who are sick with COVID-19, said Dr. Jeff Ripperda, a family medicine doctor at Shawnee Healthcare in Murphysboro.
He had to send a terminally ill cancer patient to a hospital more than a hundred miles away because all the local intensive care units were taken by COVID-19 patients. She needed intensive care to help her die a peaceful death.
“The problem that she ran into? There were no beds available for her. She wasn’t able to stay in Murphysboro because she was too sick. Carbondale, no ICU beds. Herrin, no ICU beds. Marion, no ICU beds. Cape Girardeau, no ICU beds. The metro-east, no ICU beds.
“Someone who wants to go to a bar on Friday night might say ‘that has nothing to do with me’ but they’re wrong, it has everything to do with them.”
A close family member of mine had the very same problem getting admitted to a hospital this week.
If Speaker Madigan wants to continue in a position of enormous public trust with such a serious ethical cloud hanging over his head, then he has to, at the very least, be willing to stand in front of the press and the people to answer every last question to their satisfaction. Written statements and dodged investigatory hearings are not going to cut it. If the speaker cannot commit to that level of transparency, then the time has come for him to resign as speaker.
* From Gov. Pritzker’s news media conference on Tuesday…
Q: The committee looking into Madigan concluded yesterday, and the speaker did not testify, nor has he come out and answered all the questions from the press, or residents of the state. Should Madigan step down as speaker?
A: Well I’ve said time and time again that the speaker needs to answer questions. These are very troubling allegations against him. And the next phase of this is clearly in the hands of the General Assembly, but I’m really disappointed that with the forum of the special committee that that was not taken up as an opportunity to answer questions. But listen, the speaker can call a press conference today, he can call one right now and answer questions and I would hope that he will.
So, as you just heard right there, the governor is no longer calling for the speaker’s resignation, but the speaker never answered any questions in front of the media.
* Maybe a quick check with the governor’s office before making such a bold statement, or perhaps even submitting a question to the governor himself Wednesday or Thursday? So, I checked in with Jordan Abudayyeh just in case I was the one who missed something…
The Governor’s stance on this issue remains the same. The people of Illinois deserve answers and just like the Governor said this week, he stands up and answers questions from the press every day. The Speaker can do the same.
The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District removed the food permit of Apple Dumplin’, 2014 N. High Cross Road, for continuing to serve indoors, but the restaurant continued to operate without the permit, according to health district Administrator Julie Pryde. […]
Earlier Wednesday, Flanigan contended it’s not illegal to serve indoors, and that he believes Gov. J.B. Pritzker would have had to turn to the state Legislature to pass a law banning indoor restaurant and bar service beyond 30 days of the original order back in March.
Apple Dumplin’ restaurant is now under a temporary court order forbidding its continued operation without a valid health permit.
In a hearing Thursday, Judge Benjamin Dyer ruled in favor of the Champaign County Public Health Department — which is staffed and run by the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District — and granted a temporary restraining order prohibiting the restaurant at 2014 N. High Cross Road, U from operating as a food establishment without a health permit. […]
Apple Dumplin’ owners Jim and Kathryn Flaningam had continued to operate their restaurant with indoor service after health district authorities first issued warnings, then revoked the restaurant’s health permit last week. […]
After granting the county’s motion for a temporary restraining order, Dyer also denied a temporary restraining order sought by the Flaningams’ attorney, Thomas DeVore. That was in connection with a separate but related case the Flaningams filed against the Champaign County Public Health Department and Administrator Julie Pryde after their health permit was revoked.
These frivolous, downright harmful lawsuits need to end.
To change things in Illinois, Democrats first must take the courageous step to vote Madigan out of power. And then they must agree to reforms in House rules that start breaking down the hermetically-sealed decision-making structure Madigan has enjoyed all these years — so that we don’t replace him with someone else who can wield the same unchecked power.
The real power move happened earlier this week on the Democratic side of the House. Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch won the majority of votes among Black caucus members to join the House leadership team.
That puts him in a powerful position if things really go south for Madigan. Welch, like 21 of 22 members of the Black Caucus, remains loyal to Madigan and wouldn’t likely run for speaker unless he is out of the race. But if Madigan does make an exit, the calculation changes.
For now, all eyes remain on Madigan and his ninja-like powers to outmaneuver opponents. Madigan doesn’t have 60 votes but he knows no one else does either. There’s widespread speculation that he will broker a deal with some of his 19 Democrats critics, agreeing to step down in two years. He could then direct the remap and exit on his own terms (depending on how much the ComEd scandal continues to spiral). Such a scenario would allow the reformers to say they helped bring down his reign.
Then there will be a new battle for the speakership, with Welch, House Majority Leader Greg Harris, and Reps. Stephanie Kifowit, Jay Hoffman, Jehan Gordon-Booth and Kelly Cassidy lining up for a shot at the gavel.
That rumor about two more years for Madigan has been circulating for more than a month. But she’s not wrong about Welch.
* Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris) attended the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing this week and laid out a timeline for the LaSalle Veterans’ Home outbreak. The facility is in her district…
So, on November 1st, that was what we consider the beginning of the outbreak with four people testing positive for COVID. On November 3rd, there were 29 people, employees and patients combined, testing positive for COVID. And on November 6th, there were 60 employees and veterans testing positive for COVID. I believe on November 6th, the home reached out to the USDVA, according to your testimony, and asked for N95 masks. On November 7th, 103 employees and residents tested positive for COVID. On November 9th, which is the day I believe that you had a WebEx, the Department of Veterans Affairs had a WebEx, kind of touch meeting I believe with the Department of Public Health. And on November 9th there were 131 employees and residents who tested positive for COVID. On November 11th, there were 169 residents employees testing positive for COVID and seven, unfortunately, deaths of our veterans. On November 12th, there were 171 employees and residents who tested positive for COVID with 10 residents passing away. November 13th, there were 171 employees and veterans testing positive with for COVID with 13 veterans who passed away. On November 15th, there were 183 employees and veterans testing positive for COVID with 15 veterans passing away. And then, on November 16th, there was a total of 185 residents and employees testing positive for COVID and 17 deaths of our veterans.
It is absolutely shameful to me that this was allowed to go on so long. Shameful. After the Quincy debacle, the IDVA’s top job has been making sure a mass outbreak of any disease never happened again. Yet, it did and IDPH wasn’t even on-site until November 12th. As mentioned below, they’ve pawned off responsibility to the local public health office, but hasn’t anyone learned anything from this pandemic?
* From the Sun-Times on the LaSalle Veteran’s Home hearing…
At a Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Hearing last month, [IDVA Director Linda Chapa LaVia] said it’s “no coincidence” that cases within the home “began to rise just as cases rose dramatically in the surrounding community.”
The virus had to get in somehow.
* And community spread was rampant at that time. From IDPH…
State Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris, said she was disappointed by the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules failed vote to suspend Gov. JB Pritzker’s emergency rule that would charge businesses with a Class A misdemeanor for violating mask-wearing and other public health orders.
“By not voting to suspend this overreach of power, the Democratic members of the committee chose to support the administration’s efforts to circumvent the entire General Assembly,” Rezin said in a statement Wednesday.
That decision came from the General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, or JCAR, a 12-member, bipartisan, bicameral group that exercises oversight of the state’s regulatory process. […]
The order requires businesses, schools and day care facilities to make “reasonable efforts” to ensure that patrons and employees wear face coverings when they cannot maintain a six-foot distance from others. Reasonable efforts can include such things as posting signage that state face coverings are required, giving verbal warnings to customers to wear face coverings, offering a mask to patrons and asking customers to leave if they refuse.
In one heated exchange, LaVia talked over one representative, arguing she’s doing the best she can with “the resources and tools I have to investigate my own department and see where we went wrong” despite elected officials in LaSalle and elsewhere advising people to not adhere to mitigations set up by Gov. J.B. Pritzker last month.
“But I also want to put something into play. … Our commander in chief Dr. Ngozi [Ezike], from day one, has been requesting people to wear their face masks, to wash their hands, to keep their distance,” LaVia said. “When you have a state’s attorney in LaSalle telling people not to adhere to mitigations in LaSalle, every one of the long-term care facilities had an outbreak, sir …”
* What we need here is a thorough reckoning, starting with the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs. No matter what was going on outside that veterans’ home, the IDVA is responsible for what happens inside it. We as a state have the deaths of 33 residents on our hands. More needs to be done to prepare for the future and to atone for the dead. Much more.
I also haven’t heard one peep from AFSCME about their members’ responsibility here. Why?
And the local officials who, even at the height of the outbreak, were encouraging resistance to, or sowing doubt about the state mitigations need to finally, once and for all, take a good, hard look in the mirror and realize the harm they are doing to the people who look to them for leadership. You can’t have it both ways.
* My brother Devin and my niece Isabel were pool reporters for an event featuring frontline health care workers receiving vaccinations. Click here to see their photos and videos. But make sure to watch this video of Glenda Mills, a PCU Nurse at Southern Illinois Healthcare…
I’ve been a nurse for over two years now at Carbondale. And I’ve worked the COVID unit exclusively for the last few months. And it has been a, a different situation.
I never expected to work in a pandemic. And I have honestly seen things that I really thought was only in the movies. I didn’t expect to see families wiped out. I didn’t expect to stand by people while they died, but that’s what we’ve been going through there.
This is a light at the end of the tunnel, and hopefully we can crawl out of this. We’ve lost over 300,000 people so far to this. And it’s really difficult for us health care workers when we see people who don’t believe this, who think it’s a fake or making it up, but I’ve watched it every night.
Get the shot. Wear your mask. Show some compassion for the other people around us.
So for us, this is a relief. This is the light at the end of the tunnel. And I hope to God we can get out of this without losing any more people.
* The 2020 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Senate Democratic Non-Campaign Staffer goes to Brandy Renfro…
Brandy doesn’t just help with communications, she runs communications for the Senate Democrats. All of those things — member press conferences, social media, townhalls, telephone townhalls and so much more internal work — happen because of her long commitment to and understanding of that caucus as she’s risen up the ranks over the years to be Communications Director. She’s kept building and made Senate Dem communications better than ever.
Gio wins runner-up.
* The 2020 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Senate Republican Non-Campaign Staffer is a tie. Jo Johnson…
Jo has been a cornerstone, not just for SGOP but for the Senate as a whole. Jo has always worked openly and cooperatively with the other side of the aisle and others whose opinions may have differed from her members. Jo is an effective negotiator, a hard worker, and an amazing human being. The Senate as an institution will suffer a huge loss with Jo’s retirement.
Dealing with members, especially at a time when everyone on the R side feels they aren’t being heard is enough to cause a slight case of insanity for most but Rachel handles it so well and provides and level of assurance and guidance that defines what it is to be staff.
They are both well-deserved awards. Congrats to everyone and I’d like to once again say how appreciative I am of all staff at all levels in these trying times.
* On to today’s categories…
Best Legislative Liaison
Best Statewide Staffer
The best statewide staffer category can include US Senate, Auditor General, agencies, etc.
Please try your best to nominate in both categories and make sure to explain your nominations or they will not count. Thanks.
We’re almost at the end of the year –– and that’s why we want to make sure you saw Darin’s message earlier this week about what’s coming to Illinois in 2021.
Democrats are in charge of redrawing our state’s political maps, and we don’t have any faith that they’re going to prioritize Republican representation above their liberal agenda.
That’s why Darin is leading the charge to stop their partisan gerrymandering in its tracks, but he’s going to need OUR help to get the job done, xxxx.
Will you pitch in just $10 or $20 to join Darin on the frontlines of this critical battle?
18th District Congressman Darin LaHood conceded the race yesterday morning during the AM Conversation on WLDS. He said that President Trump deserved his day in court to see if his lawsuits surrounding the election had legal merit: “I’ve said all along that you need to have facts and evidence if you are going to allege that there were voting improprieties. Those have not been brought forth. We saw that on Friday night with the Supreme Court moving swiftly and definitively. Now, I was one that signed on to the brief. I believe that everybody should have their day in court, but the Supreme Court ruled that there was no merit to moving forward with the Texas case. I think we are getting much closer to [a transition]. I think the Electoral College decision [yesterday] will move us closer to an administration with [former] Vice President Biden.”
So, to be clear, if constituents sued Congressman LaHood for focusing on the remap instead of doing his job in DC during an international pandemic and massive unemployment, he’d be all about them having their day in court.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 8,828 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 181 additional deaths.
- Boone County: 1 male 90s
- Bureau County: 1 female 90s
- Carroll County: 1 female 60s
- Champaign County: 1 female 70s
- Christian County: 1 female 80s
- Clinton County: 2 females 90s, 1 male 90s
- Coles County: 1 female 80s
- Cook County: 1 male 20s, 3 males 40s, 6 males 50s, 3 females 60s, 5 males 60s, 10 females 70s, 18 males 70s, 5 females 80s, 6 males 80s, 5 females 90s, 4 males 90s, 1 female 100+
- Crawford County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
- Dewitt County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 90s
- DuPage County: 1 female 50s, 1 female 70s, 2 females 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s, 1 female 100+
- Edwards County: 1 female 80s
- Effingham County: 1 female 60s, 1 female 70s
- Fayette County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 90s
- Ford County: 1 female 80s
- Franklin County: 1 male 80s
- Grundy County: 1 female 100+
- Hardin County: 1 male 80s
- Henry County: 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 female 100+
- Iroquois County: 1 male 80s
- Jackson County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
- Kane County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
- Kankakee County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s
- Knox County: 1 male 50s, 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
- Lake County: 1 male 50s, 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
- LaSalle County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 90s
- Livingston County: 1 female 60s
- Macoupin County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 male 90s
- Madison County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 90s, 1 male 90s
- Marshall County: 1 male 70s
- Mason County: 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s
- Massac County: 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s
- McHenry County: 1 female 50s, 1 male 60s
- McLean County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 3 males 80s, 1 male 90s
- Mercer County: 1 female 80s
- Peoria County: 1 female 90s
- Perry County: 1 female 90s
- Randolph County: 1 male 50s
- Richland County: 1 female 60s
- Rock Island County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 male 90s
- Sangamon County: 1 female 60s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
- Shelby County: 1 female 90s
- St. Clair County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 70s
- Stark County: 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
- Tazewell County: 1 female 80s, 3 males 80s
- Vermilion County: 1 male 60s
- White County: 2 males 80s
- Whiteside County: 1 male 90s
- Will County: 1 male 50s, 1 male 60s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 2 males 80s, 1 female 90s
- Williamson County: 2 males 70s
- Winnebago County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 879,428 cases, including 14,835 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 92,015 specimens for a total 12,147,3093. As of last night, 4,751 in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 1,056 patients were in the ICU and 575 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from December 10 – December 16, 2020 is 8.4%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from December 10 – December 16, 2020 is 10.0%.
*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 a death 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.
* No help from a flailing, dysfunctional federal government and analysts are somehow surprised by this report? Seriously?…
Applications for U.S. state unemployment benefits unexpectedly jumped to the highest level in three months, suggesting the labor market’s recovery is faltering amid the surge in Covid-19 cases and widening business restrictions.
Initial jobless claims in regular state programs rose by 23,000 to 885,000 in the week ended Dec. 12, Labor Department data showed Thursday. On an unadjusted basis, the figure fell by about 21,000.
The state unemployment office says 138,359 new unemployment claims were filed during the week of Dec. 6 in Illinois, according to the weekly report released Thursday.
For comparison, during the same timeframe last year, 15,076 people filed claims in Illinois. That’s an 818% increase. Since early March, CBS 2 has tracked more than 2.4 million total claims in the state. […]
Illinois numbers have not been this high since April 6, when there were over 201,000 new claims filed during the week of March 30.
There were 107,616 new unemployment claims filed in Illinois the week of Nov. 29.
* IDES…
The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today that the unemployment rate fell -0.5 percentage point to 6.9 percent, while nonfarm payrolls lost -20,000 jobs in November, based on preliminary data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and released by IDES. The October monthly change in payrolls was revised from the preliminary report, from -1,100 to +7,000 jobs. The October unemployment rate was revised upward from the preliminary report, from 6.8 percent to 7.4 percent.
The November payroll jobs estimate and unemployment rate reflects activity for the week including the 12th. The BLS has published FAQs for the November payroll jobs and the unemployment rate.
The state’s unemployment rate was +0.2 percentage point higher than the national unemployment rate reported for November, which was 6.7 percent, down -0.2 percentage point from the previous month. The Illinois unemployment rate was up +3.2 percentage points from a year ago when it was 3.7 percent.
In November, the three industry sectors with the largest over-the-month gains in employment were: Trade, Transportation and Utilities (+6,500), Professional and Business Services (+5,300) and Construction (+2,300). The industry sectors that reported the largest payroll declines were: Leisure and Hospitality (-27,400), Manufacturing (-2,900) and Educational and Health Services (-2,000).
“IDES and the Governor’s Office remain dedicated to supporting claimants and their families, as we continue working to strengthen the state’s economy,” said Deputy Governor Dan Hynes. “With critical federal programs set to expire after the week ending December 26th, IDES is working quickly to inform claimants about these impending changes. The department and the Pritzker administration are advocating for continuity at the federal level to support claimants, as we work towards a full recovery from the pandemic’s economic impact on Illinois workers.”
“While the latest unemployment data continue to show the significant challenges COVID-19 places upon workers and businesses throughout our state, we are resolute in our commitment to overcoming the virus, and helping get the economy back on track,” said Erin Guthrie, Director of the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). “From day one, our administration has led with a comprehensive response to protect Illinois communities and to address economic hardship created during this crisis - with over $1 billion launched since March to assist small businesses and communities in need. With the arrival of a vaccine in Illinois this week, and with continued adherence to public health guidelines, we are confident that in the months ahead we’ll continue to progress in reopening major industries, restoring our communities and reviving our Illinois economy.”
Compared to a year ago, nonfarm payroll employment decreased by -412,600 jobs, with losses across all major industries. The industry groups with the largest jobs decreases were: Leisure and Hospitality (-153,900), Educational and Health Services (-57,100) and Government (-51,200). Illinois nonfarm payrolls were down -6.8 percent over-the-year as compared to the nation’s -6.1 percent over-the-year decline in November.
The number of unemployed workers decreased from the prior month, a -8.7 percent decline to 425,900 but was up +80.8 percent over the same month for the prior year. The labor force was down -2.4 percent over-the-month and down -4.6 percent over-the-year. The unemployment rate identifies those individuals who are out of work and seeking employment. An individual who exhausts or is ineligible for benefits is still reflected in the unemployment rate if they actively seek work.
In May, Governor Pritzker launched Get Hired Illinois, a new one-stop-shop website to help connect job seekers with hiring employers in real time. The site features virtual job fairs, no-cost virtual training, and includes Illinois Job Link (IJL), the state’s largest job search engine, which recently showed 49,114 posted resumes with 87,490 available jobs.
* From the Tribune’s LaSalle Veterans’ Home hearing coverage…
Rep. Jeff Keicher, a Republican from Sycamore, called for agency officials to accept more responsibility for the deadly outbreak, setting off a testy exchange with Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs Director Linda Chapa LaVia.
“I haven’t heard why it took two weeks, in the midst of an explosion of this virus in the surrounding community, to screw down on these protocols tighter, to make sure that these obvious issues in hindsight were taken care of,” Keicher said.
“What I’m curious about is, when is someone going to own this?” he asked. “We all feel bad, we all are devastated at the loss of these 33 individuals, but I keep hearing dodges, I keep hearing explanations. I don’t hear ownership.”
Chapa LaVia said she is ultimately responsible for the department, and referenced the ongoing investigation. “If there’s another idea, please bring it forward right now. These are the resources and tools I have to investigate my own department and to see what went wrong,” she said.
We hear this a lot from this administration: If legislators have ideas, they should offer them. But legislators legislate and oversee implementation. The executive branch executes. That branch is responsible for making sure things get done. And things obviously weren’t done properly at the LaSalle home or a quarter of the residents wouldn’t have died.
* This absolutely has to change. No way are local health departments up to this task…
In response to questions about the immediate response from state and local agencies to the outbreak, Hart said the LaSalle County Health Department is the first line of defense.
“(Local department of public health officials) are the people who actually notify IDPH of the outbreak and send updates to IDPH, and I cannot speak for the local health department. But I am aware that they provided extensive guidance to the La Salle Veterans’ Home in the very early days of the outbreak on a number of topics, including how to manage the cohorting of the residents, how to handle the PPE, etc. So there was an active intervention by the local health department in that very early phase,” Hart said.
Hart said an IDPH team visited the home on Dec. 14 to review the infection control practices put in place since the onsite visits.
That health department can’t even convince local elected officials to enforce the mitigations, a topic we’ll get to in a bit.
But the committee wants a specific timeline of events, like when did state health officials do an on-site visit at the LaSalle home? Who requested it and when? How long did it take? How about federal VA officials?
* I asked the governor yesterday why IDPH didn’t send anyone to the hearing. They did send a consultant, but…
A spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Public Health said department officials sent consultant Dr. Avery Hart, but he couldn’t answer all the questions posed by committee members.
“I wasn’t in the mix at that point so I don’t think I would comment,” Hart said. “I know there’s an independent investigation by the inspector general to clarify the timeline.”
Hart had to leave the nearly four-hour meeting early.
Unacceptable. IDPH needs to come clean with the General Assembly about its role.
* And while other states are having these very same problems, that doesn’t excuse Illinois one bit…
At the 150-bed Bill Nichols State Veterans Home, one of Alabama’s largest individual hot spots, 96 residents have tested positive for coronavirus and 46 deaths have been attributed to Covid-19.
In New York, a government-run veterans home had the third deadliest reported outbreak in the state, with 72 confirmed and probable Covid deaths. Massachusetts’ Holyoke Soldiers’ Home was linked to more deaths—at least 76—than any other facility in the state as of late October, leading to criminal charges against two former managers, who both pleaded not guilty.
In New Jersey, the top two nursing homes for Covid deaths were both state-run veterans facilities, including the Menlo Park Veterans Memorial Home, which a Wall Street Journal investigation found is perhaps the deadliest home in the country, with 101 Covid-linked deaths.
* And let’s hope that IDVA has learned its lesson before this current Quincy problem gets even worse…
December 16, 2020
To residents, families or responsible parties, and staff of the Illinois Veterans Home at Quincy:
Since our last COVID-19 update there have been five (5) additional cases of COVID-19 among residents at our home, for a total of seventy-five (75) COVID-19 cases among residents since the start of the pandemic. To date, thirty-eight (38) residents have recovered from COVID-19. Unfortunately, One (1) resident who tested positive for COVID-19 has passed away since our last update, with four (4) residents total having passed away due to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.
Additionally, since our last COVID-19 update there have been four (4) additional cases of COVID-19 among employees at our home, for a total of one hundred thirty-one (131) COVID-19 cases among employees since the start of the pandemic. To date, one-hundred and nine (109) employees have recovered from COVID-19.
I want to know everything that occurred here and that’s why the investigation that is ongoing is going to be extraordinarily informative and, again, I’m going to hold accountable people who deserve to be.
* This Tribune headline got a lot of attention, but the practice is actually national protocol [click here] when there’s a severe staffing shortage due to a COVID-19 outbreak and the infected employees are either working with already-infected residents or are confined to areas where they can’t spread the virus to others. If you read past the scary headline, you’ll see that both happened at LaSalle…
State VA official acknowledges employees with coronavirus allowed to work at LaSalle home where 33 veterans died
Staff members at LaSalle were not required to work after testing positive for the virus, but some chose to do so, Tony Kolbeck, chief of staff for the state VA department, said after being asked by legislators at a state House committee hearing whether employees were pressured to stay on the job.
“There were occasions in the overnight shift in which an individual was alerted that they were positive, they were in the COVID unit already,” Kolbeck said during the nearly four-hour House Veterans’ Affairs committee meeting. “They were asymptomatic and they chose to stay the rest of the shift. If they had not, there may have been a concern about not the proper staff being there in that overnight shift.” […]
For one staff member, Kolbeck said, “we were talking 2 o’clock in the morning, 3 o’clock in the morning, and they had exhausted all other avenues when she agreed to stay.”
He also detailed an instance when a maintenance worker came in “at the tail end” of a 14-day quarantine after testing positive to operate HVAC systems because other employees who operate those systems were out. He said the employee came into the work area through a separate entrance, had his own bathroom and did not leave the work area. [Emphasis added.]
This is the first of at least three posts I’m working on about LaSalle today.
*** UPDATE *** This is also old news. From Hannah Meisel’s December 4th report for NPR Illinois…
During that hearing, officials said five staff members who tested positive for COVID-19 volunteered to return to work despite their diagnosis. Centers for Disease Control guidelines do allow for healthcare personnel to return to work after testing positive for the virus to avoid staffing shortages, so long as they are fully donned with PPE and return to care for only patients who are already infected with the virus.
Residents struggling to stay healthy and pay their bills amidst the pandemic and worst recession in our lifetimes joined Illinois legislators for a press conference. Together, they urged Gov. Pritzker and the legislature to close corporate tax loopholes to preserve education, healthcare and other essential community services. Watch (and rebroadcast) the press conference on Facebook: https://fb.watch/2reqkK1lRS/
Jose Serna, a college student and grocery store worker from Bloomington, talked about lost wages and mounting medical bills. Serna’s mother works as a travelling nurse and does not get paid when she is unable to work due to COVID exposure. They are two months behind on rent and just learned his mother’s car will be repossessed.
“I had to come home early from college because of an undiagnosed illness. I have insurance, but already the bills are piling up from my multiple ER visits and four-day hospital stay,” said Serna. “I have a job at the local grocery store, but I haven’t been able to work because of my mom’s exposure to covid and my illness. We are past our breaking point in terms being financially afloat.”
Tina Hammond is a child care provider from West Englewood and a member of SEIU Healthcare Illinois. “The child care industry was in crisis before the pandemic. Parents couldn’t find affordable child care, and providers - mostly Black and Brown women - were not being paid our worth, with many of us making way below the minimum wage”, said Hammond. “It took a pandemic for many to recognize how important our work is to our communities – and our economy – but even still, the recognition as ESSENTIAL did not mean much. During this time, many providers had to shut their doors, some permanently. Some had to let go of staff or spend more on PPE and cleaning supplies to keep our doors open.”
“We can’t ask working and middle class people to accept cuts to essential community services and government responsibilities in the midst of a pandemic and the biggest recession of our lifetimes,” said State Rep. Delia Ramirez (IL-4), Secretary, House Progressive Caucus. “Millions of our residents are at the breaking point, so I will not talk about cuts or regressive taxes when we still have an opportunity to pass progressive revenue.”
“My children attend one of the most underfunded school districts in the state, and we cannot make any more cuts to education without causing great harm,” said State Senator Andy Manar (IL-48) from Bunker Hill Illinois.
“We have to address our state’s finances in a way that’s fair to everyone,” said Rep. Dan Didech (IL-59) from Buffalo Grove. “That means reforming our state tax code so we aren’t giving preferential treatment to wealthy corporations. They don’t need our assistance to be successful, and that have become even wealthier during this pandemic.”
“The state has already instituted cuts in 2011, 2017, and at other times over the past decade,” said Sen. Ram Villivalam (IL-8) from Chicago’s northwest side and suburbs. “The meat has been cut. We are talking about cutting the bone now and that is unacceptable.”
“People in Illinois are in extreme pain,” said State Sen. Robert Peters (IL-13),Chair, Senate Black Caucus, whose district stretches from Chicago’s loop to the Indiana border. “While so many people struggle, 651 billionaires saw their combined wealth jump over a trillion dollars during this pandemic. They are so rich that they could give every American $3,000 and still have more money than they had at the start of the pandemic. It’s time for those that have made money hand over fist to pay their fair share.”
The following legislators joined to urge their colleagues to support the closure of corporate loopholes:
State Rep. Will Guzzardi (IL-39), Co-Chair, House Progressive Caucus
State Rep. Delia Ramirez (IL-4), Secretary, House Progressive Caucus
State Sen. Andy Manar (IL-48)
State Rep. Dan Didech (IL-59)
State Sen. Robert Peters (IL-13), Chair, Senate Black Caucus
State Sen. Ram Villivalam (IL-8)
Rep. Lakesia Collins (IL-9)
Rep. Elect. Dagmara Avelar (IL-85)
The press release did not include a list of their specific proposals.
*** UPDATE 1 *** The Center for Tax and Budget Accountability calls cuts inevitable without federal assistance…
On Tuesday, Governor Pritzker announced $711 million in General Fund spending cuts to address a portion of what is now estimated to be a $3.9 billion budget deficit for FY 2021, which is the state’s current fiscal year. And while some $300 million of those cuts constitute reductions in spending on general government services, a significant portion of the cuts-over $200 million or 28 percent-will result in reduced expenditures on human services, while another $71 million impact public safety.
If a substantial relief package for state and local governments isn’t passed by the federal government during the first few months of the Biden Administration, you can expect more General Fund spending cuts to be implemented before the current fiscal year ends this coming June 30th. Make no mistake, these spending cuts harm people and communities across Illinois, given that over $9 out of every $10 dollars of General Fund spending on services goes to the four core areas of education, healthcare, human services, and public safety.
The Pritzker Administration was put in the unenviable position of being forced to cut spending on human services during a pandemic, because the state’s fiscal condition continues to deteriorate. This deterioration has had three primary drivers. First is the short-term revenue loss which Illinois, like all 50 states, is experiencing because of the decline in economic activity caused by the pandemic. As things stand today, Illinois’ revenue loss from the pandemic could exceed $6 billion over the course of Fiscal Years 2021 and 2022. Second is the estimated $1.2 billion revenue shortfall for the current fiscal year caused by the failure of voters to ratify the Fair Tax initiative during the November election. But third, and ultimately of more long-term importance, is the structural deficit caused by the state’s flawed tax policy, which fails to generate adequate revenue growth from year-to-year, because it simply is not designed to work in the modern economy.
Illinois’ tax policy is so flawed that, even if there never was a pandemic, total General Fund revenue this fiscal year would have been less than it was two decades ago in FY 2000, after adjusting for inflation-and Illinois would have had a General Fund deficit of almost $8.4 billion by the end of FY 2021. For context, this means the state would not have had enough revenue to cover roughly 30 percent of all current spending initially appropriated to cover education, healthcare, human services and public safety this year - if COVID-19 never happened. After factoring in the impact of COVID-19, as well as the failure of the Fair Tax, that year-end deficit is now projected to reach $13.6 billion, or almost 50 percent of all current General Fund appropriations for services.
In case you are wondering, overspending on public services is definitively not driving Illinois’ fiscal problems. In fact, after accounting for the $711 million in cuts just announced by the Pritzker Administration, General Fund spending on services this year in real, inflation adjusted terms, will be at least 22% - or $7.97 billion - less than it was in the year 2000 under Republican Governor Ryan.
Given how all the data show Illinois’ core fiscal problems have been driven by flawed tax policy, Governor Pritzker was justified in castigating those elected officials and wealthy individuals who opposed the Fair Tax, which would have helped modernize Illinois tax system and addressed some of its key flaws. Perhaps most galling, the anti-Fair Taxers not only opposed a rational approach to reforming state policy in a manner that would generate revenue needed to fund core services while correlating tax burden with ability to pay, but have as of yet failed to make any viable proposal for how to fund the core services covered by the General Fund, or failing that, which specific education, healthcare human service or public safety expenditures should be cut.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Illinois Chamber…
“In the wake of last week’s devastating unemployment claims it is unfathomable that we still have legislators who don’t understand that we are in an economic crisis,” said Illinois Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Todd Maisch.
“These legislators have conveniently not detailed which job providers they intend to raise taxes on. They need to have courage in their convictions and tell us what businesses they want to tax. For example, do they want to get rid of the research and development tax credits that help support life-saving medicines and vaccines? Or, will they eliminate many of the agriculture credits that help keep family farms afloat? Are they targeting incentives that help Illinois compete for good paying manufacturing jobs?
“According Opportunity Insights data, as of November 30, the number of small businesses open in Illinois has decreased by a third since January. Are we going to wait until they all close forever to recognize that state government needs to help job providers instead of punishing them with higher taxes? ”
Illinois hospitals are working around the clock in concert with Governor Pritzker, the Illinois Department of Public Health, the entire state pandemic response team and local health departments with the shared goal of ensuring COVID-19 vaccines are appropriately administered in a timely manner.
That process is on track.
Hospitals and healthcare workers have been on the front lines of this pandemic for 10 months and are doing their part to execute on the vaccination plan. Critical to this effort is ensuring our hospitals have the necessary lead time to prepare for the vaccination of hospital staff within the 5-day timeframe before vaccine spoils. The 48-hour window of preparation is needed to ensure we can get vaccines into arms as quickly as possible and make sure no vaccine is wasted.
Reiterating my message from the Governor’s press conference on Monday, “We are urging calm and patience as the vaccination process plays out. Vaccination of the people of Illinois is going to require a thoughtful process that takes months, not days, and we’re committed to doing this right. The stakes are too high to rush through it.”
The extensive and logistically challenging vaccination process is rolling out now, as scheduled, and thousands of vaccines will be administered before the end of the week, as planned.
We are turning the tables on this virus, together.
* The feds need to be more upfront about stuff, though…
Pharmacists have found a way to squeeze extra doses out of vials of Pfizer’s vaccine, potentially expanding the nation’s scarce supply by up to 40 percent.
The Food and Drug Administration said late Wednesday that those extra doses could be used, clearing up confusion that had caused some pharmacists to throw away leftover vaccine for fear of violating the rules the agency set last week.
And that’ll help mitigate the fact that dose shipments were cut in half this week.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Like I said, patience will be a virtue. The feds haven’t even sent the vaccine to Cook, Lake, Madison and St. Clair counties. From Jordan Abudayyeh
Vaccine distribution from the Illinois Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) to Regional Hospital Coordinating Centers (RHCCs) that are a part of the state’s distribution plan received their allotted doses and local health departments have delivered them to hospitals in their region per the local health department’s vaccination plan.
**DuPage County, unlike other jurisdictions in the state, received Ultra-Cold Vaccine in the original Pfizer boxes with dry ice. DuPage County will not be distributing all of this vaccine today, but will be allocating the vaccine per their plan with their providers over the course of the coming days.
It is important to remember that four counties are receiving direct shipments of vaccine from the federal government: Cook, Lake, Madison and St. Clair. That shipment is expected to arrive before the end of the week.
* Also…
For those of you who have asked about the 7 counties that were allotted doses, but did not have hospitals within the county. Here is the breakdown of where those doses went:
Cass LHD (Original Allocation 70 doses) – Returned for distribution to the RHCCs.
Clark LHD (Original allocation 80 doses) – Returned for distribution to the RHCCs.
Cumberland LHD (Original Allocation 40 doses) – Returned for distribution to the RHCCs.
Jasper LHD – (Original Allocation 20 doses) – Directed the doses to Effingham Hospital (St. Anthony’s.) As this is the hospital that serves their population.
Monroe LHD (Original Allocation 85 doses) – Returned for distribution to the RHCCs.
Carroll LHD (Original Allocation 65 doses) – Directed the doses to Freeport hospitals in Stephenson County. As this is the hospital that serves their population.
Stark LHD (Original Allocation 15 doses) – Returned for distribution to the RHCCs.
In addition to the above, IDPH worked to ensure that RHCCs who were not in the top 50 counties for death per capita received an allotment of doses
St. John’s in Springfield received 705 doses. SIU Carbondale received 115, Carle Hospital got 460 and OSF St Francis received 975.
*** UPDATE 2 *** I’d be more willing to be more patient if the federal government wasn’t so amazingly messed up…
Officials in multiple states said they were alerted late Wednesday that their second shipments of Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine next week had been reduced, sparking widespread confusion and spurring the company’s CEO to put out a statement saying it had millions more doses than were being distributed.
The changes prompted concern in health departments across the country about whether Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration’s vaccine accelerator, was capable of distributing doses quickly enough to meet the target of delivering first shots to 20 million people by year’s end. A senior administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal plans, said the revised estimates for next week were the result of states requesting an expedited timeline for locking in future shipments — from Friday to Tuesday — leaving less time for federal authorities to inspect and clear available supply.
But Pfizer released a statement on Thursday that seemed at odds with that explanation, saying the company faced no production issues and had more doses available than were being distributed.
“We have millions more doses sitting in our warehouse but, as of now, we have not received any shipment instructions for additional doses,” the statement read.
* Related…
* Pharmacist explains Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine side effects: “A lot of the other medications that we use that get approved… when they have studies, they have studies of 8,000 people, 6,000 people, and they get approved for their use. This study, in Pfizer alone, had 44,000 people, so the amount of data we have on the safety aspect is more than typical for the standard medication that would be perscribed by your doctor,” explained Laird.
* Our good friend Hannah Meisel was recently interviewed by Public Radio about the current environment…
“The governor came in, and he had a very rosy first year as being governor, and then basically as soon as his 14th month hit, we got a pandemic. So, it’s hard but as is the saying around Springfield, governors own. Governors own all problems.”
* Considering his background, it seems unlikely that Congressman Davis has ever been in the unemployment system, so this IDES reply to Davis is undoubtedly true…
Thank you for bringing this to our attention, @RodneyDavis. As we've seen, this is a nationwide issue with bad actors across the globe using information from the major data breaches of the past to exploit this pandemic. https://t.co/Db44wkEwPe
This is indeed a national problem. Just click here for a sampling of news stories to see for yourself. California is worried that it’s been defrauded out of more than $8 billion.
* But it does seem particularly acute in Illinois as well…
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Central Illinois is working to track business scams and instances of fraud. Jessica Tharp, president, and CEO said they get roughly 15 calls daily regarding unemployment insurance scams throughout the 37 counties the BBB covers.
“Unemployment fraud has really taken a front seat in terms of scams being reported,” Tharp said. “It’s taken a twist where people are receiving benefits for jobs that they still have even or jobs that they don’t have. So, we’re seeing all kinds of things being reported and it comes down to many things, like identity theft.”
In just one day, the Peoria Police Department got 14 reports of identity theft, all involving fraudulent unemployment insurance claims. In almost every case, the victim received a letter, approving them for unemployment insurance benefits, from the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). The victims reported they had not filed for unemployment insurance.
“People don’t realize their information is compromised,” Tharp said.
* But then IDES poked the bear and Davis got all defensive…
It doesn't take you "having my attention" to know that families I represent are struggling in part because our state's economy lags nationally, @GovPritzker's executive actions shut down small businesses, and IDES has been unable to fully respond to this crisis. https://t.co/RE1c3SjUUw
He could try to help the state’s economy, but has argued instead for austerity. Also, the virus has shut things down, and Davis has not exactly been a leader on that front.
State Rep. Mike Marron’s decision to stand in front of state of Illinois offices to draw attention to the problems caused by the Illinois Department of Employment Security has apparently at least opened the lines of communication.
Marron, R-Fithian, said around noon Tuesday he got a call from IDES Director Kristin Richards to schedule a meeting next week to discuss a problem where self-employed workers, gig workers and independent contractors are being notified by the state that they have gotten too much unemployment aid and would have to repay it.
Marron said he and other Republican legislators had become frustrated by IDES and the governor’s office not responding to calls asking for an explanation. […]
He has been receiving numerous calls from individuals saying they had been notified they have to return money given to them by IDES.
“A hairdresser in Oakwood shouldn’t have to take out a personal loan to pay back the state,” Marron said.
As we’ve discussed before, the state is required by the federal government to collect over-payments. Maybe Rep. Marron should also call Congressman Davis to make sure folks who didn’t commit deliberate fraud are spared this problem.
As I’ve said time and again, the federal government needs to act and IDES needs to get its act together.
The state has accurately said, for instance, that federal regulations forbid it from just hiring people off the street and put them to work answering IDES phones without extensive training and certifictation. Perhaps the state could ask for a federal waiver on some of those training mandates instead of just throwing up its hands. And perhaps Congressman Davis could help make that happen instead of getting all defensive on the Twitter.
The congressman has been sniping without helping. The congressman goes to Washington DC and says to everybody that he’s helping, then goes and votes against the things that would be of assistance to us.
Remember that the federal government set up the programs. The federal government is responsible for making the changes that are necessary to these programs. And I’ve not heard a peep from him about what he’s going to do to help.
