* I somehow missed this video release in April. Ray Wylie Hubbard, Ringo Starr, Chris Robinson, Don Was and Joe Walsh? Wow. Guess I was distracted with other things…
Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced on Friday that Illinois’ ban on evictions would be extended until Nov. 22, as state officials continue to send grants to Illinois residents struggling to make ends meet.
Pritzker has extended the ban on evictions four times since he lifted the stay-at-home order at the end of May, when the state began to make significant progress in slowing the spread of the coronavirus.
The state’s ban on evictions will stretch into a seventh month with the governor’s order.
State officials are in the process of notifying those who won grants from a lottery used to distribute more than $300 million in help to landlords and tenants struggling to make ends meet. Funds began to flow on Thursday to those who applied for assistance paying their rent and mortgage, and should be completed by Nov. 10, according to officials with the Illinois Housing Development Authority.
PEOPLE v. FOLLIS
Cates Concurred In An Opinion Throwing Out A Man’s Confession To Sexually Assaulting A Child
In 2012, Ross D. Follis Jr. Was Charged With Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault Of A Child. “The State appeals from an order of the circuit court of Washington County granting the motion to suppress filed by defendant, Ross D. Follis, Jr. The issue raised in this appeal is whether the trial court erred in concluding that defendant was in custody at the time of the interview. We affirm. FACTS Defendant, age 18, was charged by information with one count of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child (720 ILCS 5/11-1.40(a)(1) (West 2010)) for allegedly committing an act of sexual penetration on the victim, who was 3 years of age, by inserting his finger in the victim’s vagina.” (Opinion, People v. Follis, Illinois 5th District Court of Appeals, Case #5-13-0288, 6/6/14)
When Interviewing Follis, An Officer Told Him That He Was Not In Custody, But Read Him His Miranda Rights And Had Him Initial A Form Indicating He Understood His Rights. “Even though the police officers said defendant was not in custody, Styninger read defendant his Miranda rights (Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 (1966)) from a police-department-issued form. Defendant nodded his head a few times, which Styninger interpreted as meaning that defendant understood his rights. Defendant initialed the individual paragraphs and signed the form. The interview was conducted in a room approximately 10 by 12 feet with the door closed, except when Officer Reel would occasionally leave.” (Opinion, People v. Follis, Illinois 5th District Court of Appeals, Case #5-13-0288, 6/6/14)
During The Interview With Police, Follis Confessed To Sexually Assaulting His Father’s Girlfriend’s Daughter. “The alleged victim was his father’s girlfriend’s daughter. During the interview, defendant admitted that he touched the victim’s vagina and the victim touched his penis. Defendant never admitted inserting a finger or anything inside the victim. Defendant agreed to make a statement. Defendant told Styninger what occurred and Styninger wrote it down. Defendant then signed the paper. Styninger testified that he never told defendant he was under arrest, but did tell defendant ‘multiple times’ that he could go home that day. Defendant asked the police officers after making the statement whether he needed a lawyer. Styninger responded that was up to defendant.” (Opinion, People v. Follis, Illinois 5th District Court of Appeals, Case #5-13-0288, 6/6/14)
The 5th District Appeals Court Affirmed The Lower Court’s Ruling Suppressing Follis’ Statement, Ruling That “It Is Abundantly Clear From The Record Before Us That The Defendant In This Case Did Not Knowingly And Intelligently Waive His Miranda Rights.” “Under these circumstances, we find the trial court did not err in finding that defendant was in custody during the interrogation by police on December 6, 2012. Both experts who examined defendant concluded that defendant could not knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily waive his Miranda rights. It is abundantly clear from the record before us that the defendant in this case did not knowingly and intelligently waive his Miranda rights. The State does not even attempt to argue to the contrary here. Accordingly, we hereby affirm the order of the circuit court of Washington County which found defendant was in custody at the time of the interrogation and granted defendant’s motion to suppress.” (Opinion, People v. Follis, Illinois 5th District Court of Appeals, Case #5-13-0288, 6/6/14)
Cates Joined In The Opinion, But Did Not Write It. (Opinion, People v. Follis, Illinois 5th District Court of Appeals, Case #5-13-0288, 6/6/14)
(Opinion, People v. Follis, Illinois 5th District Court of Appeals, Case #5-13-0288, 6/6/14)
After His Confession Was Suppressed, Follis Was Able To Plead To A Lesser Charge And Avoid Jail Time
After His Confession Was Suppressed, Follis Pled Guilty To A Lesser Charge – Aggravated Battery To A Child Under The Age Of 13, Resulting In Bodily Harm – And Was Sentenced To 30 Months Probation. “A 20-year-old man was sentenced today in Washington County court to 30-months probation, after he pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of aggravated battery to a child under the age of 13, resulting in bodily harm – a Class 3 felony. Ross Follis was originally charged in the 2012 case with Class X felony predatory criminal sexual assault of a 3-year-old girl, but the Illinois Appellate Court ruled that Follis was indeed in custody at the time of an interrogation, and granted a defense motion that his confession be thrown out. Both experts in the case testified that Follis could not knowingly, intelligently and voluntarily waive his Miranda rights and prosecutors did not argue against that finding. The experts found Follis has the cognitive abilities of a 10-year-old and that both his short and long-term memory are impaired. In addition to serving 30-months probation, Follis also agreed to have no contact with the victim, pay $1,000 in fines and costs, plus a $250 DNA fee. He must also complete an evaluation and complete any specified treatment.” (“Nashville Man Gets Probation After Sex Crime Confession Tossed,” X95Radio, 1/27/15)
PEOPLE v. BURGUND
Cates Concurred In An Opinion That Granted A New Trial To A Man Who Confessed To Molesting His One- And Three-Year Old Daughters
In 2012, Michael S. Burgund Was Convicted Of Five Counts Of Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault Of A Child After He Repeatedly Molested His Two Young Daughters, Who Were Both Less Than Three Years Old When The Abuse Occurred. “The charges against the defendant stem from allegations that he committed acts of sexual penetration upon his two minor daughters, M.B. and K.B. At the time of the trial, M.B. was five years old, and K.B. was three years old. The alleged abuse occurred when M.B. was between the ages of 1 and 3½, and K.B. was between one and two years old.” (Opinion, People v. Burgund, 5th District Court of Appeals, Case #5-13-0119, 11/22/16)
Burgund Confessed To Police On Tape That He Had Molested His Daughters. “The State’s evidence of the defendant’s guilt consisted largely of a videotaped confession that he voluntarily gave to a detective with the Alton police department at a time when he was not under any suspicion of any wrongdoing.” (Opinion, People v. Burgund, 5th District Court of Appeals, Case #5-13-0119, 11/22/16)
Burgund Claimed That He Had Been Psychologically Manipulated Into Giving A False Confession By His Wife And Her Mother, Who Told Him They Had Supernatural Powers Of “Discernment.” “The defendant testified in his defense and denied abusing his daughters. His defense was based on a claim that he gave a false confession because of coercion, suggestion, and manipulation by Melissa and Buttry. He claimed that they created a coercive and accusatory psychological environment throughout his marriage. He emphasized that he, Melissa, and Buttry had deeply held religious beliefs and that Melissa’s and Buttry’s coercion involved religious overtones, false accusations of sexual lust, and claims by both Buttry and Melissa as to having God-gifted, supernatural powers of “discernment.” He maintained that the coercion ultimately caused him to falsely believe and confess that he had abused his children. He claims that, after his arrest and removal from Melissa’s and Buttry’s influence, he realized that he had given a false confession to crimes that had never occurred.” (Opinion, People v. Burgund, 5th District Court of Appeals, Case #5-13-0119, 11/22/16)
Burgund Appealed His Conviction, Saying The Trial Court Had Improperly Excluded Expert Testimony To Collaborate His Claim That He Had Been Manipulated Into A False Confession. “On appeal, the defendant argues that the circuit court improperly excluded testimony from witnesses who would have corroborated important aspects of his testimony concerning the psychological conditions leading up to his false confession, particularly his description of continual accusations by Melissa involving religious and sexual overtones and her claim to have the power of discernment. The defendant also argues that the court improperly excluded testimony from a psychological expert who would have opined that his psychological conditions made him highly suggestible and easily led, especially in matters involving religious or sexual overtones.” (Opinion, People v. Burgund, 5th District Court of Appeals, Case #5-13-0119, 11/22/16)
The Appeals Court Agreed With Burgund And Ruled That He Be Given A New Trial. “In the present case, we agree with the defendant that the circuit court improperly excluded evidence that was relevant to his version of the facts and the credibility of his confession. The errors unfairly impaired his substantial right to fully present his defense to the jury ‘so it may decide where the truth lies.’ Washington v. Texas, 388 U.S. 14, 19 (1967). As explained in detail below, because of the trial errors, we cannot confidently state that the defendant’s trial was fundamentally fair. Accordingly, we are obligated to order a new trial.” (Opinion, People v. Burgund, 5th District Court of Appeals, Case #5-13-0119, 11/22/16)
Cates Joined In The Opinion, But Did Not Write It. (Opinion, People v. Burgund, 5th District Court of Appeals, Case #5-13-0119, 11/22/16)
(Opinion, People v. Burgund, 5th District Court of Appeals, Case #5-13-0119, 11/22/16)
GLENN HOWARD
Cates Got Charges Against An Accused Child Molester Thrown Out
In 1989, Glenn Howard Was Accused Of Misdemeanor Sexual Abuse After Allegedly Making Sexual Advances On Multiple Girls Aged 5 To 9 Years Old, But Was Freed After The State Failed To Bring Him To Trial Quickly Enough. “Parents of four girls who are reported to have been sexually abused say they are fuming at prosecutors because the man charged with the attacks has been ordered freed. St. Clair County Associate Judge Robert Hillebrand threw out last week charges against the suspect, Glenn Howard, 35, of Mascoutah, after ruling that the St. Clair County state’s attorney’s office had failed to bring Howard to trial within 160 days. ‘’I'm mad at the state’s attorney’s office,'’ the father of one of the girls said. ‘Someone in that office should have kept track of the 160 days.’ ‘He got out of it and it’s just not right,’ said the mother of an 8-year-old girl whom Howard was accused of molesting. Howard was charged in July 1988 with four counts of misdemeanor battery for sexual advances he was alleged to have made to four girls. The girls, who were from 5 to 9 years old at the time, lived in the same neighborhood in Mascoutah. In January, the state’s attorney’s office added four counts of misdemeanor criminal sexual abuse against Howard. At that time, he and his attorney, Judy Cates of Belleville, asked for a speedy trial.” (“Sex-Case Suspect Freed; Girls; Parents’ Livid,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 5/30/89)
Cates Was Howard’s Lawyer, And Moved To Dismiss The Charges Against Him Despite The Fact That She Had Caused The Trial To Be Delayed So She Could Go On Maternity Leave. “St. Clair County State’s Attorney John Baricevic said Tuesday that charges against a man accused of sexually abusing four girls should be reinstated on appeal. The charges were thrown out last week by Associate Judge Robert Hillebrand because the case had not been tried within 160 days as the law requires if a defendant asks for a speedy trial. But Baricevic said the defense attorney, Judy Cates, had asked for a delay last fall for maternity leave. The dispute, Baricevic said, is when the time started running again. ‘Nothing slipped through the cracks,’ he said. ‘In my opinion, there’s 20 days left to try the case.’ The defendant, Glenn Howard, 35, is accused of misdemeanor battery for purportedly making sexual advances to four girls, ages 5 to 9, who lived in his neighborhood in Mascoutah. Baricevic said that in January, after Cates returned to work, the case was given a trial date in March. There were about 70 days remaining of the 160 allowed under Illinois’ speedy trial rules, he said.” (“Baricevic Defends His Office In Handling Of Sex-Abuse Case,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 5/31/89)
DONALD SAX
Cates Represented A Police Officer Who Sued The Belleville News-Democrat For Reporting That He Had Targeted Black Motorists
In 1991, Cates Represented Donald Sax – A Belleville Police Officer Who Had Been Reported To Have Targeted Black Motorists – In A Lawsuit Against The Belleville News-Democrat, Which Had Reported The Allegations Against Sax. “A police officer asked a judge Monday to order the Belleville News-Democrat to provide records that would help him decide whether to sue over a series of articles containing allegations of harassment of black motorists. Circuit Judge Jerome F. Lopinot of St. Clair County said he would decide today on the request by officer Donald Sax that the newspaper provide the records on which it based a story June 4 and subsequent stories about Belleville Police Department policies toward blacks. The first story said Sax wrote 77 percent of his tickets to blacks while on a special unit that a former officer and other unnamed sources told the newspaper was formed to harass blacks in the west end of Belleville. The newspaper said Sax had written the most tickets to blacks of all the officers on the unit. An attorney assisting Sax, Judy Cates, told Lopinot on Monday that a rule passed by the Illinois Supreme Court in 1989 allowed Sax to get the information before filing a suit because he did not know who had compiled the statistics for the News-Democrat. Cates said Sax could use the information to decide whether he would file a suit.” (Charles Bosworth Jr., “Officer Seeks Records Used By Paper In Alleging Harassment Of Blacks,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 7/16/91)
Sax Was Allegedly Part Of A Four-Officer Unit That Was Formed With The Express Purpose Of Harassing Black People. “The newspaper reported in June that its analysis of thousands of traffic tickets written in the late 1980s showed a high percentage going to blacks in west Belleville. The stories said that supported allegations by a former officer and 12 unidentified officers that a four-officer unit had been formed by Police Chief Robert Hurst to harass blacks. Hurst has denied that, saying the unit had been formed because of a series of burglaries in the area.” (Charles Bosworth Jr., “Officer Withdraws Petition Seeking Paper’s Records,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 7/31/91)
“The First Story Said Sax Wrote 77 Percent Of His Tickets To Blacks While On A Special Unit That A Former Officer And Other Unnamed Sources Told The Newspaper Was Formed To Harass Blacks In The West End Of Belleville.” (Charles Bosworth Jr., “Officer Seeks Records Used By Paper In Alleging Harassment Of Blacks,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 7/16/91)
Cates Sought To Force The Belleville News-Democrat To Turn Over Records It Had Used To Verify The Allegations Against Sax, Saying She Believed They Had Been “Altered.” “The stories said Sax had written 77 percent of the 160 tickets the team issued to blacks. Hurst has denied the allegations. He said the unit was formed in response to an outbreak of burglaries in that area. An attorney assisting Sax, Judy Cates, argued before Lopinot on Monday that Sax did not know who compiled the statistics used in the stories nor whom to sue if the figures were wrong. Cates said that before Sax could decide whether to sue, he needed the newspaper’s computations and the information from Tuft. Cates said Sax believed that the figures were wrong. She told the judge, ‘We need the documents we believe very strongly were altered to accentuate’ the newspaper’s allegations about harassment of blacks.” (Charles Bosworth Jr., “Give Data To Officer, Judge Says Belleville Newspaper Balks At Handing Over; Records,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 7/17/91)
The Belleville News-Democrat Was Initially Ordered By A St. Clair County Judge To Turn Over The Records Cates And Sax Were Seeking. “The Belleville News-Democrat was ordered by a judge Tuesday to provide its records to a police officer to help him decide whether to sue over a series of articles containing allegations of harassment of black motorists. The decision, by Circuit Judge Jerome F. Lopinot of St. Clair County, also orders a News-Democrat reporter, Carolyn Tuft, to submit to questioning about the stories she wrote. An attorney for the News-Democrat, Robert B. Hoemeke, said Tuesday that the order was unprecedented and went beyond concern over the rights of the press under the First Amendment.” (Charles Bosworth Jr., “Give Data To Officer, Judge Says Belleville Newspaper Balks At Handing Over; Records,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 7/17/91)
• Attorneys For The Belleville News-Democrat Said They Would Appeal, Saying The Order Violated The Illinois Reporter’s Shield Law. “Attorneys for the newspaper filed a notice that they would appeal the order issued Tuesday by Circuit Judge Jerome F. Lopinot of St. Clair County on a petition by Officer Donald Sax of Belleville. Lopinot ordered the News-Democrat to provide the records it used as the basis for its articles, and to make available the reporter, Carolyn Tuft, to answer questions under oath about her stories. Lopinot agreed to hear the request for the delay on July 30. The motion by Robert B. Hoemeke, an attorney for the News-Democrat, said Lopinot’s order violated the Illinois Reporter’s Shield Law, which allows questioning of news reporters only after exhausting other means of getting the information.” (“Paper Seeks Delay On Providing Data,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 7/18/91)
The Court Order Was Denounced By The St. Louis Post-Dispatch In An Editorial, Calling It A “Serious Threat To Any Newspaper’s Ability And Right To Gather Information Unhindered.” “A police officer in Belleville is so upset with the Belleville News-Democrat about stories that allege he harassed black motorists that he thinks he may want to sue. But he isn’t sure, so he has gone to court seeking access to the newspaper’s files to check its information. A judge in St. Clair County has agreed to give him that access. That decision is wrong and is a serious threat to any newspaper’s ability and right to gather information unhindered.” (Editorial, “Police Harassment,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 7/23/91)
Cates Ultimately Withdrew Her Petition, Saying She Would Review The Public Records Which Were The Basis Of The Report. “A police officer withdrew a petition Tuesday that had led to a judge’s order requiring the Belleville News-Democrat to provide its records to the officer. The officer, Donald Sax of Belleville police, had wanted the records to help him decide whether to sue the newspaper over articles about the alleged harassment of black motorists. Judy Cates, an attorney for Sax, said the petition had been withdrawn because the Illinois Reporter’s Shield Law requires that all other means of getting the information used in a story be exhausted before a reporter can be questioned or forced to produce records. She said that had not been done. Even though Circuit Judge Jerome F. Lopinot of St. Clair County ordered the newspaper on July 16 to provide the documents, Cates said Tuesday that she was seeking the dismissal until she had a chance to review the public records the newspaper said were the basis of the stories.” (Charles Bosworth Jr., “Officer Withdraws Petition Seeking Paper’s Records,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 7/31/91)
Cates Continued To Defend Sax’s Conduct, Saying The Belleville News-Democrat Had Failed To Report How Many Convictions Resulted From The Tickets Sax Wrote To Black Motorists. “Cates criticized the newspaper for reporting that a high percentage of black motorists were given traffic tickets in west Belleville without including the percentages of those charged who were convicted. ‘That’s a real important consideration,’ Cates said. ‘But we don’t get that information. Obviously, the News-Democrat doesn’t want us to get that information.’” (Charles Bosworth Jr., “Officer Withdraws Petition Seeking Paper’s Records,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 7/31/91)
* Cases are up, but so is testing. More importantly, hospitalizations are still increasing, as is the positivity rate. Press release…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 4,554 new confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, the highest one-day case total, including 38 additional confirmed deaths. On September 4, 2020, IDPH reported 5,368 new cases of COVID-19 after a slowdown in data processing delayed reporting of some additional aggregate numbers. Cases not reported in the previous several days were included in the September 4, 2020 total. The slowdown did not affect the reporting of positive or negative results to individuals in any way.
Christian County: 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s
Clay County: 1 female 50s, 1 female 80s
Cook County: 1 female 40s, 3 male 50s, 1 female 70s, 2 females 80s, 1 male 80s
DuPage County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 90s
Fayette County: 1 male 80s
Ford County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 90s
Jefferson County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 90s
JoDaviess County: 1 male 80s, 1 male 90s
Lake County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 90s
Lawrence County: 1 male 70s
Madison County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 70s
McHenry County: 1 female 60s
Ogle County: 1 male 70s
Richland County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 90s
Rock Island County: 1 male 60s
Sangamon County: 1 female 80s
St. Clair County: 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s
Wayne County: 1 male 90s
Will County: 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
Williamson County: 1 male 70s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 336,174 cases, including 9,165 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from October 9 – October 15 is 5.1%. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 87,759 specimens for a total of 6,618,768. As of last night, 2,016 people in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 410 patients were in the ICU and 151 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
IDPH is including both molecular and antigen tests in the number of statewide total test performed in Illinois. Previously, due to the limited number of antigen tests and limited information about antigen test accuracy, antigen tests were not included in the total number (which comprised less than 1% of total tests performed). Antigen tests, like BinaxNOW™, are now becoming more readily available, therefore, IDPH will include both molecular and antigen tests in its total number of tests starting October 15, 2020.
Following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, IDPH is now reporting separately both confirmed and probable cases and deaths on its website. Reporting probable cases will help show the potential burden of COVID-19 illness and efficacy of population-based non-pharmaceutical interventions. IDPH will update these data once a week.
*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.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Press release…
he Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 34 counties in Illinois are considered to be at a warning level for novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). A county enters a warning level when two or more COVID-19 risk indicators that measure the amount of COVID-19 increase.
Thirty-four counties are currently reported at a warning level – Adams, Alexander, Boone, Cass, Christian, Clay, Clinton, Crawford, DeKalb, DeWitt, Jasper, Jefferson, Jo Daviess, Johnson, Kane, Lee, Macon, McDonough, McHenry Mercer, Monroe, Pike, Pulaski, Randolph, Saline, Stephenson, Union, Vermilion, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Whiteside, Will, Winnebago.
Although the reasons for counties reaching a warning level varies, some of the common factors for an increase in cases and outbreaks are associated with gatherings in people’s homes, weddings and funerals, bars and clubs, university and college parties as well as college sports teams, family gatherings, long-term care facilities, correctional centers, schools, and cases among the community at large, especially people in their 20s.
Public health officials are observing businesses blatantly disregarding mitigation measures, people not social distancing, gathering in large groups, and not using face coverings. Mayors, local law enforcement, state’s attorneys, and other community leaders can be influential in ensuring citizens and businesses follow best practices.
Several counties are taking swift action to help slow spread of the virus, including increasing testing opportunities, stressing the importance of testing to providers, hiring additional contact tracers, working with schools, and meeting with local leaders.
IDPH uses numerous indicators when determining if a county is experiencing stable COVID-19 activity, or if there are warning signs of increased COVID-19 risk in the county. A county is considered at the warning level when at least two of the following metrics triggers a warning.
• New cases per 100,000 people. If there are more than 50 new cases per 100,000 people in the county, this triggers a warning.
• Number of deaths. This metric indicates a warning when the weekly number of deaths increases more than 20% for two consecutive weeks.
• Weekly test positivity. This metric indicates a warning when the 7-day test positivity rate rises above 8%.
• ICU availability. If there are fewer than 20% of intensive care units available in the region, this triggers a warning.
• Weekly emergency department visits. This metric indicates a warning when the weekly percent of COVID-19-like-illness emergency department visits increase by more than 20% for two consecutive weeks.
• Weekly hospital admissions. A warning is triggered when the weekly number of hospital admissions for COVID-19-like-illness increases by more than 20% for two consecutive weeks.
• Tests performed. This metric is used to provide context and indicate if more testing is needed in the county.
• Clusters. This metric looks at the percent of COVID-19 cases associated with clusters or outbreaks and is used to understand large increase in cases.
These metrics are intended to be used for local level awareness to help local leaders, businesses, local health departments, and the public make informed decisions about personal and family gatherings, as well as what activities they choose to do. The metrics are updated weekly, from the Sunday-Saturday of the prior week.
A map and information of each county’s status can be found on the IDPH website at https://www.dph.illinois.gov/countymetrics.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker warned Illinois residents Friday that the entire state is seeing a surge in confirmed cases of the coronavirus, as the state set a single-day record for new infections and reported 38 deaths linked to the virus.
“I am deeply concerned,” Pritzker said. “We are in a new wave here.” […]
Despite the surge, Pritzker said he was not considering imposing another stay-at-home order. Instead, he said he would impose restrictions region by region to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
The mayor of Rockford is among leaders in northwest Illinois pushing back on a state mandate that shut down indoor dining in the region.
Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara said the order from Gov. J.B. Pritzker to move Region 1 into Tier 2 mitigation status with additional restrictions because of an increase in positive COVID cases amounts to a death sentence for local bars and restaurants.
“They have implemented every single one of the mitigation factors that we have asked them to do,” McNamara said. “They take reservations. They’ll check temperatures. They’ll use hand sanitizer. They’ll not place utensils at the table. But to be closed down for indoor dining, as we are going into the colder weeks and months, we’re really just saying close your doors, you’re not going to make it through the holiday season.”
If they had actually been following the guidelines, then the region wouldn’t be so out of whack. Winnebago County’s latest one-day positivity rate was 14.7 percent.
Today, Betsy Dirksen Londrigan’s campaign released three new television ads highlighting the contrast between Dirksen Londrigan’s campaign focused on access to quality, affordable health care, beating this pandemic and rebuilding our economy, and Congressman Rodney Davis’ failure to support Central Illinois families. The 30-second ads will air in the Champaign-Springfield-Decatur and St. Louis media markets as part of a districtwide buy that includes broadcast, cable, and digital platforms.
In “Leader,” Dr. Bob Vautrain, former Chief Medical Officer for SIU Physicians & Surgeons, reminds voters of Davis’ disastrous health care record: Davis voted to strip pre-existing condition protections each of the 11 times he voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act without a replacement. Repealing the Affordable Care Act would strip health care coverage from millions, including more than 31,000 in Illinois’ 13th District alone, and remove protections for the more than 282,500 13th District residents with pre-existing conditions.
“Problem” tells the story of Ross Richardson, the owner of a Springfield staple, The Feed Store, who got the runaround while applying for Paycheck Protection Program loans to save his family business during the pandemic. While The Feed Store, and many small businesses like it across the district, struggled to access the program, Davis’ own family got to the front of the line, receiving more than $1 million in PPP loans two days after they became available.
Meanwhile, Davis voted twice against much-needed transparency for the PPP loans. Davis voted against the TRUTH Act as well as against the formation of a House committee to oversee COVID-19 relief spending and prevent waste and abuse of the funds.
“Back” features Dirksen Londrigan laying out her plans to beat COVID-19 with access to quality, affordable health care, lower premiums and prescription drug prices. Then rebuilding the economy by rebuilding manufacturing, creating job training programs, and helping local small businesses create jobs.
Together, the ads emphasize the stark contrast between Dirksen Londrigan and Davis. Dirksen Londrigan entered this race to improve health care for families across Illinois and fight for her community in Congress. Meanwhile, Davis has spent his time in Congress supporting special interests over Illinois voters’ interests, including his repeated votes to gut health care, keep drug prices high, and put the interests of corporations over people in Central Illinois.
Betsy: This is what the coronavirus has done to our economy.
I’m Betsy Dirksen Londrigan.
It’s going to take a lot of work, but we can bring our cities and towns back.
It starts by beating this virus with access to quality, affordable health care for everyone, lower premiums and prescription prices, rebuilding manufacturing here at home, job training programs, and help for local small businesses to create jobs.
I approve this message because this is how we get Illinois open for business again.
Officially, state funding for higher ed is flat this budget year. But as the pandemic continues, experts warn its unlikely public universities will survive unscathed. Absent more federal aid, Governor JB Pritzker’s threat of 5% to 10% across-the-board budget cuts could be disastrous for some public universities. The pandemic has created an estimated $6.5 billion dollar budget shortfall in Illinois this year. When there’s economic recessions, higher ed is usually the first to see cuts.
“Higher ed is facing a cliff,” said Jennifer Delaney, a higher education policy professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “We’ve been delayed a bit by the federal stimulus money, but by the start of the year, certainly in next academic year, we’re going to fall off the cliff in terms of the state’s ability to fund higher ed.”
This is especially unwelcome news to regional public universities like Eastern or Western Illinois. Many are still recovering from the budget impasse that forced mass layoffs and pushed a few public universities to the brink of closure. An infusion of money since then by Governor Pritzker was quickly undercut by COVID-19.
“We thought the budget impasse was bad,” Applegate said. “We didn’t know it was just bootcamp training for the pandemic.”
The pandemic hasn’t just hurt revenue streams, but it’s increased costs as well. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has spent $44 million on reopening so far this fall, including on personal protective equipment, quarantine housing and their expansive COVID-19 testing operation.
* We’re going to look at this BGA story in two different posts. Let’s start with this…
In recent months, IDES has issued around 1% of its unemployment checks within seven days of the initial applications, making it the slowest state in the nation by that measure. Before the pandemic, it was among the fastest.
On some key federal measurements for processing unemployment claims, IDES performed better during the pandemic than other big states or than the nation as a whole. Still, Illinois failed to meet standards in five of 10 performance measures collected by federal authorities, ranging from timely benefits distribution to the soundness of internal audits that detect fraud and underpayments. The Pritzker administration denied a request for these scorecards, but the BGA obtained them anyway. […]
In 2010, the year after Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn took office, the agency headcount stood at almost 2,000. That number declined to around 1,300 when Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner took over in 2015. When Pritzker assumed office in 2019, there were 1,100, records show.
By April, the IDES staff level had slipped to 1,041, according to state records.
“Illinois had been struggling to onboard new employees faster than the rate of attrition,” Chan told the state’s Employment Security Advisory Board.
“In other words, heading into this downturn, our baseline staffing numbers, the employees hired to operate our programs and meet minimum federal performance standards, were, despite our best efforts, at an all-time low.”
What’s more, experience had been drained from the agency.
In 2014, Chan told the panel, about 86% of IDES’ workforce had more than five years’ experience with the agency. By June it had dropped to 67%. Managers “are serving in multiple roles and performing the work of multiple employees,” Chan said, according to the board’s meeting minutes.
Amid the pandemic, on April 29, IDES contracted with a private accounting firm to bolster the force of 100-plus IDES staffers answering phones. But those new agents often did not have adequate training to answer even the simplest questions, instead transferring claimants to the better-trained IDES employees, records show.
Emails between Hynes and then-IDES Acting Director Thomas Chan — obtained by the BGA through a public records request — detail the pressure inside IDES as Illinois’ PUA program was rolled out.
“Folks — I am counting on you to launch the independent contractor unemployment system ASAP and no later than May 11,” Pritzker wrote to Chan and Hynes at 7:43 a.m. on May 4. “Can you confirm that will happen? JB.”
IDES hustled to update its policies and computer code, and minutes before midnight on May 10 Chan emailed Hynes that he and aides did a test run by filing a small sample of claims.
“Minor hiccups but no show stoppers,” Chan wrote.
Within 10 minutes of Illinois’ PUA system going live the next morning, on May 11, more than 1,500 people applied for benefits through the state portal, records show. Hynes conducted his own test minutes later.
“I called the 800 number. Hit the correct prompts for PUA,” Hynes wrote in an email to Chan at 8:01 a.m.
An automated voice told Hynes there was a high volume of calls. Then it hung up on him, Hynes emailed.
“It’s not even 830,” Hynes wrote. “This is not good.”
…Adding… I was just telling someone on the phone that I figured the “slowest state in the nation” would find its way into the 2022 campaign. The opposition isn’t waiting that long…
“It was under Governor Pritzker’s watch, and his watch alone, that the state’s unemployment agency was hollowed out, leaving them understaffed and vulnerable at a time when millions of Illinoisans were depending on assistance,” said Kayleen Carlson, executive director of Illinois Rising Action. “For months, hardworking Illinoisans were misled by Governor Pritzker and his administration for the reasons as to why they could not properly file and receive their unemployment benefits. These failures rest solely at the feet of Governor Pritzker and his administration.”
That statement is just downright ridiculous and false. But it’s par for the course for that outfit. And ‘22 is gonna be just like this if the GOP fields a candidate with enough money and gall to make it a race.
* Very top of the page at The Southern Illinoisan’s website…
Overstreet is a Republican running for the Illinois Supreme Court against Democrat Judy Cates.
The ad links to a page sponsored by the Clean Courts Committee. The recently created campaign committee filed a $421,400 A-1 the other day. Click here and you’ll see the contributors are all major trial lawyer firms.
Despite a temporary rule that extends the expiration dates for Firearm Owners Identification cards and concealed carry permits, many Illinois gun owners are still finding it difficult to buy weapons and ammunition.
That was one of the issues that came up Wednesday during a meeting of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, a legislative body that oversees the state’s regulatory processes.
“The problem that that a lot of my constituents are having is firearms dealers and businesses are not accepting the FOID cards that are expired, even though they know … that the state of Illinois has said, hey, they’re still good beyond the expiration date,” state Sen. Paul Schimpf, R-Waterloo, said during the hearing.
Schimpf was speaking to officials from the Illinois State Police, which recently renewed an emergency rule first adopted in April that extends the expiration date of FOID cards and concealed carry permits by 12 months, as long as the permit holder submits a renewal application. On Sept. 3, the agency extended that rule to 18 months.
ISRA Executive Director Richard Pearson said it’s been months for some and “a right delayed is a right denied.”
“This is a right, whether people like it or not,” he said. “It’s in the Bill of Rights and it is a fundamental right and you’re denying these people their fundamental rights because you’re delaying them.”
With tens of thousands of backlogged FOID and concealed carry cards, some consumers have reported they can’t buy guns and ammunition. That’s despite ISP filing an emergency rule to make expired cards valid during the pandemic and for 12 months after. However, some retailers won’t accept expired cards.
“The ISP Firearms Services Bureau encourages FOID cardholders and CCL holders to keep a copy of their confirmation from their submitted renewal application as additional verification of compliance,” ISP spokesperson Mindy Carroll said.
But it’s not just brick-and-mortar stores that may deny a sale in the case of an expired card. Pearson said some may be out of luck online too.
“They can’t get it locally and so they have to try to order [from an internet retailer] and they can’t get it because they don’t have a valid FOID,” he said.
Republican congressional candidate Jim Oberweis will continue to air a misleading advertisement about Democratic rival Lauren Underwood.
The Daily Herald, the Chicago Sun-Times and the Better Government Association’s PolitiFact Illinois fact-checking enterprise have disproved the 30-second commercial’s implication that Underwood described recent looting and riots as “beautiful protests.”
But that hasn’t been enough to sway Oberweis to pull the spot.
“The ads are staying up,” campaign spokesman Travis Akin said in an email this week.
The ad begins by saying, “Betsy Londgrigan is lying to you,” then using a quote of her saying, “I have not taken any money from Speaker Madigan.”
The narrator continues, “The truth is Madigan spent nearly $300,000 to elect Londrigan.”
That $300,000 did not come from the controversial Illinois Speaker of the House, but from the Democratic Party of Illinois.
While Madigan is the chairman of the party, the group party is dedicated to electing Democrats to offices in all of Illinois and makes donations to numerous Democratic candidates.
The [Dirksen Londrigan] ad goes to state, “The PPP loan debacle; Davis’ family got to the front of the line for a million dollar payout.”
It’s true that Davis’ father and brother own several fast food franchises in central Illinois and they did receive federal PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) funds.
But there is no evidence showing Rep. Rodney Davis had anything to do with his family getting PPP.
And the Davis campaign stated that he “has no financial stake or involvement in his dad and brother’s franchises and was not involved in their PPP loan application through their local bank.”
The claim is misleading because there was no line to get PPP, and to date almost 700,000 businesses received government aid.
The ad also says, “and he (Davis) voted to keep it secret while businesses and families suffered.”
Davis did vote “No” in those measures, which did not pass the U.S House, but the first bill cited in the ad would only have disclosed those business that received more than $2 million in PPP. Davis’ family received less than that.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker didn’t answer questions Wednesday about why the Vote Yes For Fairness campaign spent more than $10,000 with Facebook to promote a fake tweet in an effort to persuade voters to support a progressive income tax amendment.
Pritzker has given $56.5 million to Vote Yes For Fairness, which is working to persuade voters to change the state’s flat income tax to a progressive income tax system with higher rates for higher earners. Voters will decide on the constitutional amendment on Nov. 3.
On Oct. 9, Vote Yes For Fairness shared a screenshot on Facebook of a tweet from @Liz_Uihlein. The Uihlein family owns Uline, one of the largest companies in Illinois. Vote Yes For Fairness also spent between $10,000 and $15,000 to promote the fake tweet on Facebook, with a potential reach of more than 1 million people, according to publicly available information from the social media giant.
The fake account purportedly belonged to Liz Uihlein, president of Uline. But Liz Uihlein said through a spokesperson that the Twitter account was fake. The account soon was removed from Twitter. But Vote Yes For Fairness kept its Facebook ad promotion of the fake tweet going through Tuesday, several days after it was disavowed.
Monroe County State’s Attorney Chris Hitzemann filed a “motion for nolle prosequi” Thursday, declining to prosecute a citation issued by Illinois State Police to Washy’s Saloon in Waterloo last month when it failed to abide by mitigation efforts as ordered by Gov. JB Pritzker that prohibited indoor service of patrons.
“The citation in this matter states that defendant violated 20 ILCS 2305/8.1, particularly Rule 690.40, by allowing indoor service of patrons,” the filing states. “No such rule exists; however, the state presumes that the citation intended to cite Rule 690.50. Nowhere in (that rule) is indoor service of patrons prohibited.”
On Sept. 17, ISP visited Monroe County to see if bars and restaurants were complying with mitigation measures aimed at curbing the spread of the virus in the metro east. Those mitigations have since been lifted in the metro east. […]
“In response to a consistently high positivity rate in Region 4 and complaints about a small number of businesses violating public health rules, the Illinois Department of Public Health requested assistance from the Illinois State Police in our role of helping to enforce IDPH emergency rules,” ISP Central Acting Deputy Chief Mindy Carroll said at the time. “As outlined in the administrative rule, enforcement is an incremental process starting with a notice of non-compliance. If businesses continue to not comply, as has been the case in some instances in Region 4, state or local law enforcement can issue the business a misdemeanor citation, similar to enforcing indoor smoking laws. Local state’s attorneys determine how to proceed as they would in any other misdemeanor case.”
A nolle prosequi is the formal entry of record by the prosecuting attorney by which he or she declares that he or she is unwilling to prosecute a case.
That’s it. And with the restrictions now lifted in the region, why even bother?
Attached are the state and federal tax return summaries for JB and MK Pritzker for 2019.
With the Fair Tax in place, JB and MK Pritzker and trusts benefitting JB Pritzker would have paid approximately $10.5 million in Illinois taxes, an additional $3.7 million over what was due this year.
According to the information provided by the trustees, in 2019, trusts benefitting JB Pritzker paid $6.7 million in Illinois taxes at a rate of 6.45% and $33 million in federal taxes.
JB and MK Pritzker made $1.1 million in personal charitable donations last year.
They never disclose their trust income tax returns, just summaries of their personal returns. Click here.
The records show the Pritzker and his wife, M.K., had $2.4 million in state taxable income in 2019, down from nearly $4.4 million in 2018 and nearly $55 million in 2017. The Pritzkers personally owed $118,255 in state taxes and $419,853 to the federal government in 2018, according to their returns.
But the top pages of the federal and state tax returns released by the campaign don’t paint a full picture of the couple’s vast wealth, much of which is held in domestic and offshore trusts. The trusts benefiting J.B. Pritzker, many of which were set up in the Bahamas by his grandfather, paid $6.7 million in Illinois taxes at a rate of 6.45% and $33 million in federal taxes in 2019, according to the governor’s campaign. […]
The governor also has said the rules governing his family trusts don’t permit them to be placed in a blind trust. He pledged to relinquish any decision-making power in those trusts, which he has not identified by name or location, and has said he doesn’t receive reports on their performance.
* US Rep. Mike Bost was recently on Will Stephens’ radio show and was asked, “Even with all of these folks wired up and wandering around the Capitol Building, is Mike Madigan insulated enough that he’s going to remain unscathed?” Bost’s response…
That’s a good question. Believe me, Mike Madigan is, if anybody could remain unscathed, it will be Mike Madigan. Because he’s an expert of the Illinois Constitution and an expert of the Illinois law because he wrote most of it. He also knows where the line is going up to the edge of the cliff. And he might not, and he won’t step over the line on the edge of the cliff. He might grab someone else and throw them over to get his [garbled] done. But he won’t do that.
Now, let me tell you that there is a precedent, though, that quite often that someone who didn’t do something can still be charged on the fact that they were, there is a presumption that they knew. The best example of that was a guy by the name of George Ryan. They never got George Ryan for doing anything himself.
The investigation finally reached the former governor, and in December 2003, Ryan and lobbyist Lawrence Warner were named in a 22-count federal indictment. The charges included racketeering, bribery, extortion, money laundering and tax fraud. The indictment alleged that Ryan steered several state contracts to Warner and other friends; disbursed campaign funds to relatives and to pay personal expenses; and obstructed justice by attempting to end the state investigation of the license-for-bribes scandal. He was charged with lying to investigators and accepting cash, gifts and loans in return for his official actions as governor. On September 19, 2005, the case went to trial. […]
On April 17, 2006, the jury found Ryan and Warner guilty on all counts. However, when ruling on post-trial motions, the judge dismissed two counts against Ryan for lack of proof.
* These are the worst numbers in a long time. You have to go back to June 14 to see hospitalization numbers like this. Press release…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 4,015 new confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 53 additional confirmed deaths. On September 4, 2020, IDPH reported 5,368 new cases of COVID-19 after a slowdown in data processing delayed reporting of some additional aggregate numbers. Cases not reported in the previous several days were included in the September 4, 2020 total. The slowdown did not affect the reporting of positive or negative results to individuals in any way.
Adams County: 1 female 80s
Bureau County: 1 male 70s
Carroll County: 1 female 70s
Champaign County: 1 female 60s
Christian County: 1 female 60s
Clark County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 90s
Clay County: 1 male 70s, 2 females 80
Cook County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s, 3 males 70s, 3 females 80s, 1 male 80s, 2 males 90s
DuPage County: 1 female 60s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
Fayette County: 1 male 80s
Jackson County: 1 female 70s
Jefferson County: 1 female 90s
Kane County: 2 males 80s
Kendall County: 1 male 60s
Knox County: 1 male 20s
Lawrence County: 1 male 80s
Marion County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
McLean County: 1 male 60s
Moultrie County: 1 male 70s
Peoria County: 1 female 90s
Richland County: 1 female 60s
Rock Island County: 1 female 70s
Saline County: 1 female 70s
Shelby County: 1 male 70s
St. Clair County: 1 female 80s
Tazewell County: 1 female 70s
Wabash County: 1 female 60s
Wayne County: 1 male 70s
Will County: 1 male 50s, 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
Winnebago County: 1 male 80s, 1 male 90s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 331,620 cases, including 9,127 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from October 9 – October 15 is 4.9%. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 67,086 specimens for a total of 6,531,009. As of last night, 1,932 people in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 388 patients were in the ICU and 147 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
Starting today, IDPH is including both molecular and antigen tests in the number of statewide total test performed in Illinois. Previously, due to the limited number of antigen tests and limited information about antigen test accuracy, antigen tests were not included in the total number (which comprised less than 1% of total tests performed). Antigen tests, like BinaxNOW™, are now becoming more readily available, therefore, IDPH will include both molecular and antigen tests in its total number of tests starting October 15, 2020.
Following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, IDPH is now reporting separately both confirmed and probable cases and deaths on its website. Reporting probable cases will help show the potential burden of COVID-19 illness and efficacy of population-based non-pharmaceutical interventions. IDPH will update these data once a week.
*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.
Q. As you may know, Governor JB Pritzker has restricted high school contact sports like football, soccer and volleyball from returning this fall citing the advice of medical professionals. Do you support or oppose the governor’s decision?
Support the governor’s restrictions on high school contact sports 55%
Believe we should restrict all high school sports 7%
Oppose restricting any high school sports 31%
Unsure 7%
With all the media uproar, you’d think the opposition would be higher. Nope.
Q. Which comes closer to your view about where Illinois stands in the Coronavirus pandemic?
Worst is behind us 31%
Worst is yet to come 35%
Don’t know 34%
Q. Thinking about you, personally, has the Coronavirus outbreak had a major impact, minor impact, or no real impact on your own daily life?
Major impact 47%
Minor impact 36%
No impact 14%
Unsure 2%
Q. In general, would you say that you are more concerned about the economic impact of the Coronavirus pandemic – that is, the effect on the economy, unemployment and the stock market, or are you more concerned about the public health impact – that is, the spread of the disease and additional deaths.
Economic Impact 36%
Public health impact 54%
‘Unsure 9%
Q. Which of the following best describes your current work status as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic?
You are continuing to work like you did before 30%
You are continuing to work, but doing it remotely or from home 18%
You are continuing to work, but your hours and/or pay have been reduced 9%
You have been laid off, furloughed or unable to work because of the pandemic 11%
You were not working or were retired prior to the outbreak 31%
Q. Do you believe that your local elected officials understand the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on you personally?
Completely understand 22%
Somewhat understand 33%
Don’t really understand 18%
Don’t understand at all 18%
Unsure 8%
This poll was conducted by We Ask America between September 27th and 29th, 2020 using a blend of automated calls to landlines and live-operator calls to cell phones. In all, 800 interviews were achieved among registered voters in Illinois. 400 of these responses came from cell phones. The margin of error for this survey is +/- 3.46% at a Confidence Interval of 95%.
The Labor Department said Thursday that another 898,000 people filed jobless claims last week, highlighting how new layoffs are persisting at historical highs more than six months since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last week’s initial unemployment claims tally also shows a concerning spike of more than 53,000 compared to the previous week’s revised figure.
The government also said the total number of people claiming state and federal unemployment benefits topped 25.2 million for the week ending Sept. 26. In comparison, 1.4 million people claimed benefits for the same week last year.
The level of new weekly unemployment claims has stagnated near the 850,000 mark for the past few weeks, a significant drop from when they peaked at 6.9 million in the last week of March. For context, the previous record for weekly unemployment claims was 695,000 in 1982 — a record that has been shattered for 30 straight weeks in 2020.
The DOL said the states that saw the largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Oct. 3 were Florida, Illinois and Massachusetts. New Jersey, Kansas and Pennsylvania saw the largest decreases during that same time.
The U.S. Department of Labor estimates 46,072 new unemployment claims were filed during the week of Oct. 8 in Illinois, according to the DOL’s weekly claims report released Thursday. […]
There were 36,267 new unemployment claims filed across the state the week of Sept. 28.
IDES reported 27,384 new unemployment claims across the state during the week of Sept. 7.
There were 25,478 new unemployment claims filed across the state the week of Aug. 31.
That’s an 81 percent increase since the week of Aug. 31.
State Representative David Allen Welter (R-Morris) issued the following statement today after testing positive for COVID-19:
“I want to let my constituents know that I tested positive for COVID-19 last night. I am experiencing mild symptoms and visited Morris Hospital to be checked out. I have already begun following up with people I have been in contact with in recent days to notify them of my positive test. I take COVID-19 seriously, as we all should, and will quarantine for 14 days as recommended by the CDC. I would like to express my thanks to the Morris Hospital staff and all our frontline health care workers for their exceptional care during this pandemic. They are truly our local heroes.”
Representative Welter represents the 75th District, which includes portions of Grundy, Kendall, LaSalle and Will Counties.
Decatur Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe announced Thursday morning that she has tested positive for COVID-19.
Moore Wolfe made the announcement during her daily coronavirus update interview on Byers & Co. on WSOY-AM.
“I did test positive for COVID,” Moore Wolfe said, adding she got the positive test result Wednesday afternoon.
“We are in quarantine in our house and hopefully we haven’t been spreading it,” Moore Wolfe said, adding a second family member also has tested positive.
Best wishes to both for a quick and full recovery.
Among their findings: negative net migration peaked in IL 2016-2017, which was: 1. During the budget impasse 2. When the state’s personal income tax rate dropped from the 5% level it was in 2015, to 3.75% during the first two years of Governor Rauner’s administration.
Net out-migration also declined after the income tax was raised in 2017.
* More…
This doesn't necessarily speak to the broader question of our overall tax landscape. WSJ Edit Board says the hike would bring Illinois "into Dante’s ninth ring of tax hell, ahead of only New Jersey, New York and California" for tax competitiveness:https://t.co/5fAbah0qyF
* Meanwhile, the Illinois Farm Bureau has been a major opponent of the proposed graduated income tax. But here’s more from the CTBA…
61,398 farms, or 84.5% of total farms in Illinois, are considered sole proprietor farms. Of the sole proprietor farms, only 64% of those farms realized a profit. The remaining 36% of sole proprietor farms realized a loss and farms that realized losses would not owe taxes, as seen in Figure 3.
For a sole proprietor farm with a profit, the average profit was $94,084 per farm.
In Illinois, about 20% of sole proprietor farms share farm profits and losses among 2 or more households.[ix] This is important because it means that even when an average sole proprietor farm realizes a profit of $94,084, that profit could be shared, and each household would actually realize a profit that is less than the total farm profit.
In order to conservatively estimate how the Fair Tax compares to the current flat tax, we chose to assume that the sole proprietor farms are operating with one owner and profit per farm is not shared among multiple owners.
The average profitable sole proprietor farm would experience about $64 in tax relief and an effective tax rate of 4.88% […]
4,597 farms, or 6.3% of farms in Illinois, are considered small businesses, displayed in Figure 5. This means these 4,597 farms pay individual income taxes on the profits for each individual owner‘s share of said profits. […]
The average profit for a small business farms was $224,926 per farm. […]
The average small business farm with a profit would experience about $65 in tax relief and an effective tax rate of 4.92%
Just 5.5 percent of farms are categorized as corporate farms, and they have an average profit of $287,212 per farm, meaning the average corporate farm would pay $2,843 more in taxes.
Bottom line: The opposition to the graduated income tax among farmers, like the opposition as a whole, is being driven by a small handful of upper-income folks.
Q: A friend who knows national politics, when I told him that Madigan was implicated in this Commonwealth Edison deferred prosecution, he said – Madigan is too smart and too careful to get caught in this kind of thing. Is that some kind of consensus politically in Illinois – he’s too careful to get caught at something like this?
A: “Absolutely. Mike Madigan doesn’t use email. He doesn’t text. I don’t want to be unfair to him. He’s an incredibly smart guy. He holds court in his office. He slices an apple while he’s listening to these things. He sends out what we call Madigan’s minions. All of the people implicated in this are people who used to be lawmakers who were mentored by Madigan and installed in large measure by Madigan. They are now lobbyists, many of them lobbyists for Commonwealth Edison. These connections and layers were built over decades.”
“The feds are probably not going to catch him on the telephone. They tried. They are not going to be able to document his electronic communications because he doesn’t have any.”
“This is all speculation, but I’m guessing they are trying to build a case with insiders. They are squeezing people – people like Mike McClain and Mike Zelewski. These are former politicians, long time Madigan allies, and Commonwealth Edison lobbyists.” […]
Q: Were these lobbyists wearing a wire inside Madigan’s office?
A: “We don’t know that. I don’t even know for sure who they have flipped, if anybody. We do know that they are squeezing people. They are issuing subpoenas and raiding offices of the people in Madigan’s orbit. How far they have gotten is difficult to determine.”
Democrats don’t put much stock in the poll, and think BUSTOS is going to wallop KING. BUT … BUSTOS did just go negative on KING, knocking her from being from Chicago and looking to cut health care.
– THE DCCC RESPONDS: “The rumors are true — Chairwoman Bustos represents a district that swung 17 points toward Republicans in 2016 to vote for Donald Trump, and her constant focus on the needs of the communities she serves is why she’s continued to win her district handily year after year. What’s unclear is who the NRCC troll factory thinks they’re surprising with this poll when they have much bigger problems to deal with on every front.
“The fact that Cheri Bustos has won big in a Trump district is exactly the reason she is the right person to ensure the 30 Democrats in this caucus who also represent Trump won districts come back in three weeks.”
A lawyer representing three Rockford restaurants has submitted a cease and desist letter to the Winnebago County Health Department, claiming intimidation tactics in the enforcement of Gov. JB Pritzker’s latest coronavirus mitigation orders.
Thomas DeVore, Managing Attorney of Silver Lake Group, Ltd., sent a letter addressed to WCHD Director Dr. Sandra Martell on Wednesday, on behalf of Fozzy’s Bar & Grill, Nora’s Place and Casey’s Pub.
Nick Fosberg, the owner of Fozzy’s Bar and Grill, says he wants proof that restaurants and bars are the reason behind the spike.
The Winnebago County Health Department is taking enforcement action against some locally owned businesses for continued defiance of Gov. JB Pritzker’s latest Region 1 COVID-19 restrictions.
On Wednesday, Neighbor’s Bar and Grill, Fozzy’s Bar and Grill, and Doc’s Diner were all given Order of Closures by the WCHD.
Health officials say that “a reasonable belief exists that the premises identified in this Order has engaged or is suspected of engaging in a significant amount of activity likely to spread the following dangerously contagious or infectious disease: COVID-19.”
Attorneys argued over the extent of Gov. JB Pritzker’s emergency authority Wednesday, but will have to wait on a decision in the case.
Sangamon County Circuit Judge Raylene Grishow said she will rule as soon as possible, but it appears that won’t happen for more than a week. She gave attorneys until Oct. 23 to submit final paperwork that could be used in her decision.
Grishow heard arguments on three issues Wednesday, the biggest being whether lawsuits filed in six counties challenging Pritzker’s authority to issue stay at home orders and other measures to fight the coronavirus pandemic should be dismissed. […]
Pritzker’s attorneys initially argued that DeVore shouldn’t be allowed to make oral arguments Wednesday because he missed deadlines to file briefs, deadlines Grishow said would be strictly enforced. Grishow said that while she wanted her
deadlines met, she could allow DeVore to make his case.
He’s had how long to prepare briefs and still missed the deadline after a warning from the judge?
During a hearing Wednesday, Assistant Attorney General Darren Kinkead argued that all of the cases should be dismissed because, in the case of public health emergencies, the state’s Emergency Management Act gives the governor broad authority to act proactively in order to prevent the spread of a disease.
Specifically, the law allows for the declaration of a public health emergency whenever there is “widespread exposure to an infectious or other toxic agent that poses a significant risk of substantial future harm to a large number of people in the affected population.”
Kinkead argued that it was “legally irrelevant” whether or not there have been a large number of cases or deaths in a particular county because the statute requires only the existence of widespread exposure and a risk of substantial future harm.
And even if the plaintiffs could get past that hurdle, Kinkead argued, the cases should still be dismissed because the plaintiffs had not provided evidence that there is no public health emergency in their county. […]
As the hearing ended, Judge Raylene D. Grischow said she intends to rule within the next two or three weeks. She gave attorneys on both sides until Oct. 23 to submit proposed orders. She said she will use one of the proposals as the basis for the final order.
“Data is power in this day and age,” said David Williams, director of policy research at Opportunity Insights, a nonprofit group based at Harvard University. “So we’re very thankful for the partnerships we have.”
The group has used its partnerships to compile a continuous readout of the vital signs for the national and metro economies, including Chicago’s. Some information goes down to the ZIP code level. It’s all openly accessible at tracktherecovery.org, where users can view comparisons among regions. […]
(E)mployment rates in Chicago are off about 30% this year for low-income workers, vs. about 3% for those on the high end, the group’s latest data show. It also found Chicago’s small-business revenue is down 25% this year, with those in leisure and hospitality sustaining the worst declines.
Explore how your community performs on the Distressed Communities Index. Users can visualize how well-being varies across zip codes, counties, and congressional districts. Click on a geography to activate the tool. Scroll below the map to dig deeper into the factors that make up the index and the demographic composition of each community.
* I had to delete some open thread comments yesterday because they strayed too far into national politics. If you want to discuss that topic, please find another venue. Keep it Illinois-centric and polite, please. Thank you kindly.
A group of Chicago lawyers, who for decades have helped lead the effort to combat patronage hiring in Springfield and Chicago, have asked a federal judge to hold off for at least six months on a request by Gov. JB Pritzker to end court oversight of state hiring practices, saying it will allow time to learn the truth of the governor’s claims that the state has fixed the decades-old patronage problems.
Late last month, attorney Michael Shakman and his associates in the firm of Miller Shakman Levine & Feldman LLP and Locke Lord LLP, all of Chicago, filed a brief in Chicago federal court, pushing back on Pritzker’s patronage claims. […]
Shakman said he and his co-plaintiffs wish to eventually end the oversight, just as the governor does.
But they said that can only come when the state institutes a new system, with strong rules and penalties for failure to follow them.
Shakman said he and his associates “want to finish the job, not prolong it.”
“But they (the Shakman plaintiffs), and the classes they represent, are entitled to assurance that whatever plans and practices the State adopts will provide a durable remedy warranting termination of the Decree, and not be just one more of the many official State acknowledgments that patronage practices need to stop, unsupported by effective enforcement mechanisms and sanctions for non-compliance,” he said.
Shakman said he would like the judge to reject Pritzker’s motion to end oversight under the decrees.
However, he said, for now, the Shakman plaintiffs would ask the court to also consider putting Pritzker’s request on hold for six months. That, he said, would allow Brennan to “gather the facts necessary” to help the judge decide whether or not Pritzker’s assertions concerning continued state government patronage hiring are correct.
* I asked the Pritzker administration for a response. I didn’t think I’d get one, but here’s Jordan Abudayyeh…
In their effort to keep this case going, the Plaintiffs are making arguments that ignore the facts and the law.
After six years of work, the Special Master and the State have finished all of the tasks ordered by the Court – creating a list of all exempt positions and an Exempt Hiring Plan.
Now, Plaintiffs want to oversee (and demand changes to) all employment policies – including provisions required in collective bargaining agreements. And they demand that the State implement an electronic hiring system, which they also want to monitor until they have decided it meets their standards.
But they can’t identify any reason under federal law to allow their requests. So, their last ditch argument is to ask the Court for just six more months – without ever explaining why six years is not enough, but six and a half is.
* I told subscribers about this story yesterday and forgot to post it for the rest of y’all. Here’s David Giuliani at the Patch…
On May 5, 2016, [before she was a legislator, Rep. Deanne Mazzochi, R-Elmhurst] weighed in on President Barack Obama and then-Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in a “Snark of the day” post.
“We just had a president who was clearly in it to get historic revenge against ‘colonialist white men.’ Now we’re supposed to elect a revenge-hungry shrew who wants to punish all men in general? No thanks,” Mazzochi wrote. […]
Mazzochi wrote the post when she was the chairwoman of the College of Dupage Board of Trustees. […]
In 2016, she wrote a number of tweets in defense of then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, although she won’t say these days whether she’ll vote for him. […]
“If you favor liberty then the President should be a white, male Republican. Because only then will the Deep State and the Media keep him in check,” she wrote.
* An Equality Illinois press release this afternoon is what reminded me…
Newly exposed discriminatory comments show it’s déjà vu in DuPage County following racist and homophobic remarks by State Rep. Amy Grant last month.
This week, thanks to diligent reporting by the Patch, voters learned State Rep. Deanne Mazzochi (House District 47) made transphobic comments on Facebook in 2016 while she was serving on the College of DuPage Board of Trustees. She called it snark, but we aren’t laughing at her transphobia.
Mazzochi’s comments are beyond shameful. As a leader at an institution of higher education, she was entrusted with the well-being of all students and the cultivation of affirming learning environments. Instead, she sent the exact opposite message: trans students should be stereotyped and mocked. Even worse, she posted her comments just three days after the United States Departments of Justice and Education offered guidance to schools about the fair treatment of trans students.
Contrary to Mazzochi’s posts, trans people are disproportionately the victims of violence. At least 27 trans people were killed in the United States in 2016, the same year Mazzochi posted to Facebook. And 2020 has surpassed the previous five years, with at least 32 trans people killed in violent attacks in the United States.
Trans people also experience harassment and stigma in Illinois educational institutions. Eighty percent report mistreatment in K-12 schools, and 27% experience verbal, physical, or sexual harassment in colleges and vocational schools.
When Mazzochi had the opportunity last year as a state representative to support legislation that would make schools safer and more affirming for LGBTQ youth, she voted NO.
Mazzochi fails the basic test of acting in accordance with Illinois values of equality and inclusion. Since she is clearly unable to represent all of her constituents with equal care and respect, Rep. Mazzochi does not deserve re-election.
Since late last year, Patch has been trying to get an answer about why state Rep. Deanne Mazzochi did not vote yes or no on a proposal to cap insulin prices. She voted present in November, even after she took a vocal stand against the measure.
If Mazzochi, R-Elmhurst, had voted no, she would have been in a small minority. The bill sailed through the House 100-13 and the Senate 43-1. She was the only one who voted present. Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the bill in January. […]
In an interview last week, Mazzochi questioned what good a dissenting vote would have done. And she raised the prospect of negative campaign mailers. She is running against Democrat Jennifer Zordani of Clarendon Hills in the Nov. 3 election.
Mazzochi said she was against a price cap because it would remove pharmaceutical companies’ incentive to charge a price lower than the cap. With the politics involved, she said, one firm decided to stay out of the insulin market and that others would likely follow.
Jennifer Zordani, D-Clarendon Hills, is running against Mazzochi in the November election. She said Mazzochi’s firm is tied to pharmaceutical companies and that she is tilted toward them in the Legislature. Zordani cited Mazzochi’s present vote on the insulin issue.
Zordani said Mazzochi’s effort for an ethics bill that targets property tax lawyers such as Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan is fair. But she said it should be broadened to include those with other conflicts, referring to Mazzochi’s ties to pharmaceutical firms, where she said the lawmaker has an “inherent bias.”
“The entire problem with Illinois politics is we don’t have strong enough standards,” Zordani said.
With a mission to expand local food options and continue efforts to remove Asian carp from Illinois waterways, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), together with Sorce Freshwater Company and the Midwest Fish Co-op, and with continued support from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, this Saturday will offer free Asian carp meals at nine locations across the state.
The events, which have been made possible with help from local partners including regional planning commissions, universities, food distribution companies and restaurants, will showcase the versatility and nutritional benefits of Asian carp.
“Removing Asian carp from our waterways has long been one of our best and most well-known tactics when it comes to keeping these invasive fish from the Great Lakes,” said Colleen Callahan, director, IDNR. “But what is lesser known when it comes to Asian carp is the overwhelming benefit as both a food source and potential menu item for restaurants. To showcase its nutritional benefits and adaptability as protein source, we’re partnering with businesses to provide free meals across the state.”
Locations include:
• Chicago, Logan Square: Unity Park, 2636 N. Kimball Ave. from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Asian carp tacos will be prepared by El Rancherito Restaurant
• Chicago, Lincoln Park: Dirk’s Fish & Gourmet Shop, 2070 N. Clybourn Ave. from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Asian carp burgers will be prepared and served by owner Dirk Fucik.
• Chicago, Pilsen: Open Books Chicago, 905 W 19th St. from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Asian carp tacos will be prepared by Mole Village Mexican Restaurant.
• Peoria: Kelleher’s Restaurant, 619 SW Water St. from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. In partnership with the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission, Greater Peoria Economic Development Council and Distillery Labs, Kelleher’s will serve a chef’s choice of regular Asian carp daily specials.
• East Peoria: Levee District, 370 W Washington St. (tent near Target parking lot) from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. In partnership with the City of East Peoria, Tri-County Regional Planning Commission, Greater Peoria Economic Develop Council and Distillery Labs, a chef provided by Sorce Enterprises will prepare and serve Asian carp.
• Springfield: Carter’s Fish Market, 1900 S. Grand Ave. East from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Owner Clint Carter will prepare and serve Louisiana style Asian carp hush puppies drizzled with a Remoulade sauce. Beginning Oct. 21, customers can enjoy a fish taco special at The Barn located at 1501 Wabash Ave.
• Quincy: Red Light Bar & Grill, 428 Maine St. from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Red Light Bar & Grill will prepare and serve Asian carp sliders; the sliders also will serve as a daily special for the week following the Asian carp cookout.
• Carbondale: Giant City State Park Visitors Center (tent in parking lot), 235 Giant City Rd., Makanda, from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Chefs from Cristaudo’s Café, Bakery and Catering will prepare and serve a Jamaican Escovitch fish taco filling for park visitors to pick up and consumer at their leisure. Cristaudo’s also will serve this dish at upcoming Southern Illinois Collaborative Kitchen events in the coming weeks.
• Carterville: Walker’s Bluff Vineyard, 326 Vermont Rd. from 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Chefs from Walker’s Bluff Vineyard prepare and serve the Asian carp in the winery’s tasting room.
Additionally, students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Southern Illinois University-Carbondale also will have the opportunity to taste Asian carp creations at select dining hall locations.
“You know that old expression, ‘Take lemons and make lemonade?’ Well, that’s what we’re doing here,” Callahan said. “We’re just taking fish and making fish tacos, sliders, and a host of other food items Illinoisans love. It’s a win-win.”
* The Question: Would you try Asian carp? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please…
* If you click here, you can calculate what your state income tax would be if the governor’s graduated income tax plan is implemented.
The math does not favor the wealthy. For instance, if your state-based adjusted gross annual income is $100 million, your taxes will rise by $3,040,000 under the “Fair Tax.”
* Gov. Pritzker and others have long warned that if the graduated income tax fails at the ballot box, then the state’s flat income tax would likely have to be increased by at least a percentage point.
In that one-point flat-tax scenario, the aforementioned $100 million earner would see their current state income tax bill rise by $1 million, from $4,950,000 to $5,950,000. While still an increase, that’s a savings of $2 million a year over the proposed graduated income tax rate. Pretty darned sweet.
Even if the flat tax is increased by two points, that $100 million earner would still save a million bucks a year compared to the graduated income tax rate.
It’s just a no-brainer for the self-interest of the super-wealthy. I don’t blame them one bit for fighting it.
Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s cousin Jennifer Pritzker donated $500,000 on Tuesday to a group pushing for the defeat of the governor’s signature agenda item on the Nov. 3 ballot — a proposed state constitutional amendment to impose a graduated-rate income tax.
“There is evidence that the tax hike amendment could eventually raise taxes on the middle and working classes. With so many families and small businesses struggling to recover from the ravages of the pandemic, raising taxes is not a financial solution Illinoisans can afford to enact,” said Jennifer Pritzker, like her cousin a wealthy heir to the Hyatt Hotel fortune.
Please.
…Adding… For the “what about” people in comments, this same argument applies to $10 million AGR or $2 million AGR. Makes no difference. They’re gonna pay less when the flat tax is increased vs. a new graduated income tax.
* Highest number of hospitalizations since June 11. Press release…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 2,862 new confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 49 additional confirmed deaths.
Adams County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
Christian County: 1 male 60s
Coles County: 1 male 80s
Cook County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 3 males 90s
DeKalb County: 1 female 60s
DuPage County: 2 females 80s
Ford County: 1 female 80s
Franklin County: 1 female 100+
Jefferson County: 1 male 70s
Jersey County: 1 female 90s
Jo Daviess County: 1 female 90s
Kane County: 1 male 80s
Knox County: 2 females 80s, 1 male 80s
Logan County: 2 male 80s
Madison County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 90s
Marion County: 1 male 80s
Marshall County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s
Peoria County: 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s
Randolph County: 1 male 80s
Rock Island County: 2 males 60s
Sangamon County: 1 male 50s, 2 males 70s
St. Clair County: 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
Vermilion County: 1 male 80s
Will County: 1 female 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 2 female 90s
Winnebago County: 1 female 40s, 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s
Woodford County: 1 female 60s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 327,605 cases, including 9,074 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from October 7 – October 13 is 4.6%. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 52,669 specimens for a total of 6,463,923. As of last night, 1,974 people in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 390 patients were in the ICU and 153 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
Beginning today, IDPH is adjusting how data for Region 6, east central Illinois, is reported to most accurately capture spread across the region. Champaign County and its data will continue to be included in Region 6, but University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign saliva testing will be broken out separately. This will allow us to better identify testing needs and trends in the region.
Starting tomorrow, IDPH will begin including both molecular and antigen tests in the number of statewide total test performed in Illinois. Previously, due to the limited number of antigen tests and limited information about antigen test accuracy, antigen tests were not included in the total number (which comprised less than 1% of total tests performed). Antigen tests, like BinaxNOW™, are now becoming more readily available, therefore, IDPH will include both molecular and antigen tests in its total number of tests starting October 15, 2020.
Following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, IDPH is now reporting separately both confirmed and probable cases and deaths on its website. Reporting probable cases will help show the potential burden of COVID-19 illness and efficacy of population-based non-pharmaceutical interventions. IDPH will update these data once a week.
*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.
* Southern Illinois’ Region 5 hit the 8 percent positivity rate yesterday, but it dropped back down to 7.7 percent today. Gov. Pritzker warned today that three days above an average 8 percent positivity rate would trigger mitigations.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 26 counties in Illinois are considered to be at a warning level for novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). A county enters a warning level when two or more COVID-19 risk indicators that measure the amount of COVID-19 increase.
Twenty-six counties are currently reported at a warning level – Cass, Christian, Clay, Clinton, Coles, Crawford, Effingham, Fayette, Henderson, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Knox, Lake, Lee, Mason, Massac, Pulaski, Richland, Saline, Shelby, Union, Vermilion, Whiteside, Winnebago, Warren.
Although the reasons for counties reaching a warning level varies, some of the common factors for an increase in cases and outbreaks are associated with large gatherings and events, bars and clubs, weddings and funerals, university and college parties as well as college sports teams, family gatherings, long-term care facilities, correctional centers, schools, and cases among the community at large, especially people in their 20s.
Public health officials are observing businesses blatantly disregarding mitigation measures, people not social distancing, gathering in large groups, and not using face coverings. Mayors, local law enforcement, state’s attorneys, and other community leaders can be influential in ensuring citizens and businesses follow best practices.
Several counties are taking swift action to help slow spread of the virus, including increasing testing opportunities, stressing the importance of testing to providers, hiring additional contact tracers, working with schools, and meeting with local leaders.
After learning of an individual who tested positive for COVID-19 and visited a bar, the Whiteside County Health Department (WCHD) worked with the business and quickly alerted the community of potential exposures, helping limit spread of the virus. Additionally, WCHD provides pre-event consultations for establishments planning events that may draw larger crowds. Pre-event consultations include, educating businesses about the importance of masking and social distancing, as well as reviewing emergency rules, and guidance, and other ways to keep attendees and the community safe.
IDPH uses numerous indicators when determining if a county is experiencing stable COVID-19 activity, or if there are warning signs of increased COVID-19 risk in the county. A county is considered at the warning level when at least two of the following metrics triggers a warning.
New cases per 100,000 people. If there are more than 50 new cases per 100,000 people in the county, this triggers a warning.
Number of deaths. This metric indicates a warning when the weekly number of deaths increases more than 20% for two consecutive weeks.
Weekly test positivity. This metric indicates a warning when the 7-day test positivity rate rises above 8%.
ICU availability. If there are fewer than 20% of intensive care units available in the region, this triggers a warning.
Weekly emergency department visits. This metric indicates a warning when the weekly percent of COVID-19-like-illness emergency department visits increase by more than 20% for two consecutive weeks.
Weekly hospital admissions. A warning is triggered when the weekly number of hospital admissions for COVID-19-like-illness increases by more than 20% for two consecutive weeks.
Tests performed. This metric is used to provide context and indicate if more testing is needed in the county.
Clusters. This metric looks at the percent of COVID-19 cases associated with clusters or outbreaks and is used to understand large increase in cases.
These metrics are intended to be used for local level awareness to help local leaders, businesses, local health departments, and the public make informed decisions about personal and family gatherings, as well as what activities they choose to do. The metrics are updated weekly, from the Sunday-Saturday of the prior week.
A map and information of each county’s status can be found on the IDPH website at https://www.dph.illinois.gov/countymetrics.
Little more than three weeks remain of Chicago Public Schools’ fall quarter, but CEO Janice Jackson and Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Tuesday would not say when they will let everyone know if schools will reopen for the winter.
“We know that parents are anxious to hear from us on this, and we’ve committed to making an announcement very soon,” Jackson said during an unrelated news conference at City Hall. “We know that the second quarter is approaching quickly and we want to be sure that the plan that we put out will be as thoughtful as our parents anticipate.”
When a reporter pressed for specifics, asking, “This week?” Lightfoot simply said, “Soon.” Fall quarter ends Nov. 5.
The state has established some guidelines, but the final decision to reopen schools has been left up to individual districts.
CB: The Chicago Teachers Union has said it wants to see a strict protocol for contact tracing if schools should reopen to students. The archdiocese did institute a contact tracing protocol. How does it work?
JL: We have a team made up of people that have experience in doing interviewing and investigative work, as well as two nurses. We also trace within our parishes because we believe it’s part of our responsibility as a large organization. It begins with a report coming in to our central team, which reacts by immediately contacting the principal to get more details. Is it a positive case? Is it an exposure to a positive case? Or is it a presumptive positive (a case when a patient tests positive by a public health laboratory, but results have not been confirmed by the CDC)? Each of those we triage, and we take care of the positive cases first. We immediately gather data about the individual, and we quarantine the cohort. We have a standard procedure for notifying the families of students that are in a quarantined cohort, about what to do and where to go. We, of course, maintain privacy, and we never identify the individual.
I would say the overwhelming numbers of positive cases we get in our schools come from familial contacts of transmissions or transmissions in group settings outside of the school. We have many cases where the family or the parents or older siblings went to a party where social distancing was not observed, where masking was not done. We’ve had situations where there are sport leagues for students that are not run by the archdiocese or by our schools, where the precautions may not have been taken as completely as they should have been.
And so we’re really comprehensive. And that’s led to really very, very good outcomes for us. So in all cases in Chicago, where we’ve had a case reported in one of our cohorts, there’s only been one situation where a second case was reported within the 14 days of the infection time. Now, we have 40,000-some students and 5,000 staff in our schools, and in the city of Chicago alone, we have 91 schools with a population of 19,000 students, plus another 2,700 staff. That’s pretty good.
CB: Are you able to share how many cases you have had across your schools, and how many times your students have had to quarantine as a result?
JL: I don’t have the exact number, but I can tell you that our positivity rate, which is a key rate, is less than 1%. That is a very, very fine showing.
* There are competing claims about the dangers involved. From The Atlantic…
Texas reported 1,490 cases among students for the week ending on September 27, with 1,080,317 students estimated at school—a rate of about 0.14 percent. The staff rate was lower, about 0.10 percent.
These numbers are not zero, which for some people means the numbers are not good enough. But zero was never a realistic expectation. We know that children can get COVID-19, even if they do tend to have less serious cases. Even if there were no spread in schools, we’d see some cases, because students and teachers can contract the disease off campus. But the numbers are small—smaller than what many had forecasted.
Predictions about school openings hurting the broader community seem to have been overblown as well. In places such as Florida, preliminary data haven’t shown big community spikes as a result of school openings. Rates in Georgia have continued to decline over the past month. And although absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, I’ve read many stories about outbreaks at universities, and vanishingly few about outbreaks at the K–12 level.
One might argue, again, that any risk is too great, and that schools must be completely safe before local governments move to reopen them. But this approach ignores the enormous costs to children from closed schools. The spring interruption of schooling already resulted in learning losses; Alec MacGillis’s haunting piece in The New Yorker and ProPublica highlights the plight of one child unable to attend school in one location, but it’s a marker for more. The children affected by school closures are disproportionately low-income students of color. Schools are already unequal; the unequal closures make them more so. Virtual school is available, but attendance levels are not up to par. Pediatricians have linked remote schooling to toxic stress.
A study of more than a half-million people in India who were exposed to the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 suggests that the virus’ continued spread is driven by only a small percentage of those who become infected.
Furthermore, children and young adults were found to be potentially much more important to transmitting the virus — especially within households — than previous studies have identified, according to a paper by researchers from the United States and India published Sept. 30 in the journal Science.
Researchers from the Princeton Environmental Institute (PEI), Johns Hopkins University and the University of California, Berkeley, worked with public health officials in the southeast Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh to track the infection pathways and mortality rate of 575,071 individuals who were exposed to 84,965 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. It is the largest contact tracing study — which is the process of identifying people who came into contact with an infected person — conducted in the world for any disease. […]
The researchers found that the chances of a person with coronavirus, regardless of their age, passing it on to a close contact ranged from 2.6% in the community to 9% in the household. The researchers found that children and young adults — who made up one-third of COVID cases — were especially key to transmitting the virus in the studied populations.
“Kids are very efficient transmitters in this setting, which is something that hasn’t been firmly established in previous studies,” Laxminarayan said. “We found that reported cases and deaths have been more concentrated in younger cohorts than we expected based on observations in higher-income countries.”
Children and young adults were much more likely to contract coronavirus from people their own age, the study found. Across all age groups, people had a greater chance of catching the coronavirus from someone their own age. The overall probability of catching coronavirus ranged from 4.7% for low-risk contacts up to 10.7% for high-risk contacts.
Have you ever been a principal officer, manager, board member or owner of a business or not-for-profit organization, other than a cannabis business, that had its license or registration fined, censured, suspended or revoked? This does not include non-disciplinary or non-public administrative orders. If yes, provide the name, address, type of business, and an explanation of the discipline below.
* While this person would not be disqualified under that language, the oppo doesn’t look so great…
For nearly three years, Jeffrey Rehberger has fought the state of Illinois’ attempts to take away his company’s lucrative video-gambling license.
Gambling regulators say Rehberger’s Lucky Lincoln Gaming violated state law, doing business in a way “that would discredit or tend to discredit the Illinois gaming industry or the state of Illinois,” records show.
And they also allege Rehberger engaged in “witness harassment” to try to get a former sales representative to change his testimony against him in an Illinois Gaming Board investigation.
But those big licensing problems with the gaming board did not prevent Rehberger from putting himself in prime position to cash in on the huge, new state-regulated bonanza — cannabis dispensary licenses.
Go read the rest, particularly the part about the armed robbery.
After serving as one of Illinois’ top cannabis regulators, Cook County Commissioner Bridget Degnen confirmed Tuesday she has an ownership stake in a company vying for the right to open multiple pot shops across the state.
A spokeswoman for Degnen told the Sun-Times Tuesday the commissioner is part owner of Americanna Dream and was paid a stipend to write dispensary applications for the company.
The Highland Park-based firm submitted 17 perfect applications, beating out hundreds of other applicants to become a finalist in the state competition for the next round of dispensary licenses. The company has the maximum 10 spots in a lottery that will determine the winners of the 75 new licenses, each of which will likely be worth millions of dollars.
But Degnen’s ownership stake isn’t worth anything unless the company wins a license, according to her spokeswoman, who wouldn’t confirm how much Degnen’s been paid so far or what percentage of the company she owns.
The Chicago Democrat — who represents the county’s 12th District and campaigned on a promise to serve as a “full-time” commissioner — also issued a statement Tuesday defending her work for the “majority Black-owned social equity dispensary applicant.”
Breaking her promise to voters is not good, particularly since she whacked her opponent hard for his outside work. But it’s not legally disqualifying. And articles that use the term “dope shop” and claim that Degnan was “flooded” with a total of not even $20,000 in contributions (without mentioning she’s raised a total of $448K) tend to undermine their impact in my eyes.
People are making a whole lot of claims off the record about that operation. If they’re right about even half of it, I could definitely see serious trouble ahead. But, so far, nothing has emerged that proves anything particularly nefarious aside from a broken campaign promise.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed the Trump administration to end the 2020 Census count now, concluding a contentious legal battle over the once-in-a-decade household count despite fears of an undercount that would fall hardest on minority groups.
The court put on hold a lower-court order that said the count should continue until the end of the month, because of delays brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. The court did not provide a reason, which is common in disposing of the kind of emergency application filed by the administration.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor was the only justice to note dissent.
“The harms caused by rushing this year’s census count are irreparable,” she wrote. “And respondents will suffer their lasting impact for at least the next 10 years.”
The administration said last week in an emergency request to the justices that it needs to wind down the census count right away in order to have enough time to process the census data and meet a key statutory deadline at the end of the year. A group of local governments and nonprofit groups, led by the National Urban League, said that ending the count early will result in an undercount of immigrants, low-income people and other groups that are difficult to count.
In a one-paragraph, unsigned order, the court granted the emergency request from the Department of Commerce, which conducts the census. The order is framed as a temporary pause of a district judge’s ruling that directed the department to proceed with the count through Oct. 31. But due to the compressed timeline for completing the census, the order is likely to be the definitive say on the matter. […]
In response to the National Urban League’s lawsuit, a district judge in California ordered the department to stick to its earlier plan and keep counting until Oct. 31. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit upheld that directive.
In its emergency appeal to the Supreme Court last week, the department said that, if forced to keep field operations in place, it would be unable to meet a Dec. 31 statutory deadline by which it must send state-by-state population totals to the president. Those population totals are then used to reapportion congressional seats among the states.
The administration asked the Supreme Court to intervene, saying that only by shutting down field work now could the bureau meet the Dec. 31 deadline, which is set by statute. “The district court’s order constitutes an unprecedented intrusion into the executive’s ability to conduct the census according to Congress’s direction,” Jeffrey B. Wall, the acting solicitor general, told the justices in a brief filed on Wednesday.
“As the law stands,” Mr. Wall wrote, “assessing any trade-off between speed and accuracy is a job for Congress, which set the Dec. 31 deadline and has not extended it, and the agencies, which acted reasonably in complying with that deadline.”
On Saturday, Mr. Wall wrote that as of Oct. 9 the bureau had counted over 99 percent of households in 49 states. But that was widely questioned by census and demographic experts, who cast the number as a public relations estimate that concealed broad gaps in the accuracy of the tally.
“Each of us is at risk of losing representation in Congress, so we’re pretty certain Illinois is going to lose at least one representative in the House of Representatives,” said Maria Fitzsimmons, 2020 census director for the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee rights. “That just dilutes the amount of voices in Congress speaking for our needs.”
The representation and funding of neighborhoods across the country may well have been capped with the abrupt end of the census count.
“It will increase poverty among people as a result of this decisions. And it could potentially affect the redistricting process if a full census is undertaken. So it has all kinds of consequences,” said Rep. Chuy Garcia (D-IL 4). “This could have a devastating impact on marginalized, lower income communities across the country.”
The Supreme Court’s ruling Is not exactly the final word. An appeals process could play out in a lower court, but the case won’t be argued before the original October 31 deadline, so the last day to submit your census response is this coming Thursday, October 15.
The Supreme Court’s decision to allow President Donald J. Trump to cut the Census short is wrong. It means an undercount in communities that can least afford it, perpetuating generations of disinvestment that make our nation weaker.
Earlier [yesterday], my administration announced an additional $1 million in funding for Census outreach, on top of our historic & nation-leading $29 million investment.
Despite [yesterday’s] decision, know that every person counts in Illinois, and we will always provide quality services to all in need.
One of the attorneys challenging Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s COVID-19 mitigation efforts in court is also challenging the governor’s assertion that business prohibitions work to slow the spread of the virus.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration last week said the relaxation of mitigation efforts Friday in the Metro East St. Louis region was because of “proven and targeted mitigation efforts.”
“We are excited to see that after weeks of mitigation measures and sacrifice, Region 4 has reduced its positivity rate and can return to Phase 4,” Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said. “It takes communities working together to reduce the spread of the virus and lower the positivity rate. I want to thank Region 4 for its hard work to decrease the risk for all of Illinois.”
Attorney Thomas DeVore, who’s challenged the governor’s unilateral orders in court, told WMAY that’s not true.
“Down here in Region 4, I promise you, I was here, I go to all these counties, I worked in these counties, the overwhelming majority of the small business owners did not close down,” DeVore said. “The governor doesn’t want you to know that. He won’t tell you that. But that’s the truth because I am here. And I can tell you in Region 1, it’s the same thing.”
Region 1 still has mitigations in place prohibiting indoor service at bars and restaurants.
DeVore expects to be in a Springfield court Wednesday for a hearing about cases he brought challenging whether there are county-level health emergencies. He cautioned people who say a case has been decided when a judge denies a temporary restraining order, as has happened with cases across Illinois. He said a decision one way or another on a TRO isn’t based on the merits of the case.
“So when a court doesn’t grant one, or when a court grants one, lawyers know that at the end of the day that’s not a big deal and it’s not a test of whether that case has any merit or not,” he said.
* Jordan Abudayyeh at the governor’s office…
Tom DeVore has spent a baffling amount of time during this pandemic fighting commonsense solutions backed by science that keep people healthy and safe.
The most absurd part of his charade is that he’s lost every single case outside of Clay County, where the positivity rate is currently 13.4 percent thanks in part to his antics.
While it doesn’t fit the naysayers’ agenda, the positivity rates in regions 4 and 7 went down because of mitigations designed by public health experts, not magic.
