* From Katie Prout’s profile of Chicago blues singer Mary Lane…
The blues are not linear; they circle around the listener like smoke or spiral stairs, returning again to the same rounded corner, or what feels like the same. For that, they can sound repetitive, deceptively simple. But it’s not the same stair; you and your ghosts are one floor up. It’s not the same line; there’s a stronger chord, an “I said” where there wasn’t one before, which acts as a streak of lightning in the same dark and illuminates, briefly, the world around you and your place in it.
* As I told subscribers this morning, I’m taking next week off. But, before I do, I’d like to ask y’all one more time to please, pretty please wear a mask, keep your distance and use actual common sense, unlike these folks…
Rod never had a lick of common sense, which is a big reason why he ended up in the pokey.
* Alas, I must say the same about these folks…
Speaking to manufacturers and small business owners this morning at @TMAInfo in Schaumburg this morning. We had a great conversation and I look forward to working with them to bring jobs back to Illinois! pic.twitter.com/2XGXHbvp91
Across Illinois, many small cities and counties are facing a financial abyss caused by plummeting sales tax and other lost revenue related to pandemic shutdown orders.
They say no real relief is coming their way, despite the money Congress allocated to help state and local governments in the CARES Act. Of the roughly $3.5 billion sent to Illinois, the General Assembly carved out $200 million specifically for small cities and counties. […]
“And then, as the state, through DCEO, developed guidelines on what it could be used for, and the restrictions placed on it, essentially, are going to make most of that money inaccessible to us,” [Carbondale City Manager Gary Williams] said. […]
Under the reimbursement program, Carbondale is eligible for up to just more than $1 million — incidentally, about the same amount the city has lost in sales tax. But Williams said he projects only being able to draw down about 10% of that amount.
* I reached out to Mr. Williams to ask him to explain the ten percent number…
That’s actually not what I said during the interview, I told the reporter that it was doubtful that we use even 10% of our allocation which is a little over $1 million. I also told her that it was an estimate at best and we wouldn’t know for a while yet. The reason why we expect to use little of our allocation is that most of our expenses to date would have been for PPE which we received free from IEMA. To date, our total costs are a little under $30,000 which 75% is reimbursable through IEMA. We can recover the additional from CURE, which we’re grateful for, but like every other city I’ve talked to, we would prefer to use the funds for revenue losses which to date are over $1 million.
* And then I asked Jordan Abudayyeh at the governor’s office for comment…
NONE of the federal funding we’ve received can be used for revenue losses, at the state level or at the local level. It can only be used to cover additional costs that are related to COVID. There’s some talk at the federal level about relaxing the rules on it. Wouldn’t so much help the state because all of our federal money is allocated already.
* The Belleville News-Democrat took a look at what information Metro East schools were and, more importantly, weren’t divulging about COVID-19 cases…
Collinsvile District 10 confirmed last week that it had confirmed “more than one” case. When asked by a reporter exactly how many tested positive, whether they were students or staff members, and in which of the district’s 15 buildings they were present, Public Relations Liaison Kimberly Collins said the district “won’t be sharing a tally.”
Yumi Hohm, a parent of two Highland District 5 students, said she and other parents have been doing “detective work” on Facebook to see which families in the community were posting about being quarantined.
She says they are looking for information parents should already be getting from the school district. Hohm’s own kids are taking the remote learning option through the district.
“As a citizen, you shouldn’t have to find something out for yourself during a pandemic,” Hohm said. “This is something that should be transparent and available.”
In Madison County, a sample letter was sent to superintendents, with the recommendation that districts follow the template when communicating to parents and staff about COVID-19 cases, Regional Superintendent Robert Werden said.
The letter, which came from the Illinois Department of Health, suggests districts say an individual or individuals at a particular school tested positive for COVID-19 without specifying how many. [Emphasis added.]
That’s the same Rob Werden, by the way, who is an old friend of this blog and its proprietor (me).
* The Question: Should schools be required to divulge more information about new cases? And if so, how much info? And if not, why?
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 30 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 counties are currently reported at a warning level – Bureau, Carroll, Cass, Clinton, Cook, Cumberland, Effingham, Fayette, Greene, Grundy, Henderson, Henry, Jasper, Jersey, Jo Daviess, Johnson, Madison, Monroe, Morgan, Perry, Pike, Randolph, Sangamon, Shelby, St. Clair, Union, Warren, White, Will, and Williamson.
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 weddings, large gatherings, long-term care facilities and other congregate settings, travel to neighboring states, bars, and spread among members of the same household who are not isolating at home. Cases connected to schools are beginning to be reported. General transmission of the virus in the community is also increasing.
Public health officials are observing people not social distancing, gathering in large groups, and not using face coverings. In some counties, local law enforcement and states’ attorneys are not enforcing important mitigation measures like social distancing and the wearing of face coverings.
Several counties are taking swift action and implementing mitigation measures to help slow spread of the virus, including increasing testing opportunities, working with schools, meeting with local leaders, and educating businesses and large venues about the importance of mitigation measures.
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 perform. 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.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced 2,149 new confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 20 additional confirmed deaths.
- Cook County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 2 male 80s
- DeKalb County: 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s
- Douglas County: 1 male 90s
- Greene County: 1 female 70s
- Iroquois County: 1 female 80s
- Jefferson County: 1 female 90s
- Jersey County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s
- Lake County: 1 male 20s
- Richland County: 1 male 90s
- Rock Island County: 1 male 80s
- Union County: 1 male 50s
- Will County: 1 female 70s
- Williamson County: 1 female 70s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 229,483 cases, including 7,997 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 48,383 specimens for a total of 3,924,305. The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from August 21 – August 27 is 4.1%. As of last night, 1,546 people in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 352 patients were in the ICU and 132 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
Following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, IDPH is now reporting 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. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
Aside from Regions 4 and 7, no other regions are in immediate danger of mitigations. Region 1 does have seven days of a rising positivity rate, but would need a lot more hospitalization increases to trigger anything. Reminder of how that works: pic.twitter.com/dyKmhHp6Uc
Illinois election authorities are confronting higher levels of pushback from polling sites wary of hosting this year because of concerns and closures related to COVID-19. With early voting scheduled to begin Oct. 19, and the deadline to finalize sites set for early September, election administrators don’t have much time left.
“It’s been difficult,” McHenry County Clerk Joseph Tirio said. “We have received word from a number of locations — and that changes from day to day — that no longer wish to participate.”
But, scroll down and it’s really not that dire in other counties surveyed. Will County has lost two early voting sites, but they’re both expected to come back into the fold. Lake County isn’t having serious problems. Cook County claimed securing sites was “a little bit more work” than in the past. College of DuPage has withdrawn as an early voting site, but that was the only problem mentioned.
If positivity rates, cases, hospitalizations and deaths continue to rise, then yeah, fear will definitely spread and we could see some very big problems.
Please, wear a mask, keep your distance, wash your hands and use actual common sense.
*** UPDATE *** Press release…
In preparation for the 2020 elections, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has issued guidance to protect the safety and health of voters as they cast ballots at polling locations throughout the state during early voting and Election Day. The “COVID-19 Guidance for Election Polling Places” guidance can be found here.
“Voting is a right and a privilege,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “While the safest way to cast a ballot this year is voting by mail, we are and will continue to take the necessary steps to ensure that Illinoisans can exercise their right to vote in person, in the safest possible environments during this COVID-19 pandemic.”
In accordance with the guidance, all local election authorities will be required to develop written COVID-19 prevention plans for all polling sites within their jurisdiction. Plans will contain specific COVID-19 safety and training instructions along with the names of individuals responsible for implementation of the plan.
Election authorities are being strongly encouraged to relocate polls previously housed in long-term care facilities and senior living residences to protect voters and residents – particularly those who are most vulnerable.
All locations will have signage to encourage voters to wear masks and maintain a distance of 6 feet, while inside the polling places. If voters show up to a polling place without one, election authorities are required to offer them a face covering outside of the polling place. Polling booths will be set up at least 6 feet apart and foot traffic will be one-directional.
Additional recommended preventative actions in the guidance include using Plexiglas barriers between election officials and voters, large print instructions to facilitate communication, routine cleaning of frequently touched surfaces, and polling place personnel to remind voters to maintain physical distance. While election officials are prohibited from preventing a voter without a face covering from casting a ballot, the guidance requires they take every reasonable action to separate noncompliant voters, ensuring they are socially distanced from those voters who are compliant.
More than 1 million Illinois voters have requested vote-by-mail ballots for the November election, as voters respond to a statewide push for mail voting amid concerns over COVID-19.
The number of requests puts Illinois on pace to substantially exceed the record it set for voting by mail in the 2018 general election, when 430,000 votes were cast by mail, accounting for 9.3 percent of all ballots. In the 2016 general election, 370,000 votes – 6.5 percent of all ballots — were cast by mail.
This summer, the state’s 108 local election authorities sent mail ballot applications to 6.4 million Illinoisans who had voted in the 2018 general, 2019 consolidated or 2020 primary elections. The mailings were required under a series of special election laws passed by the Illinois General Assembly and signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The 1,111,387 mail ballot applications received to date likely is lower than the true total, as 28 Illinois election authorities have not yet reported their totals.
“We are encouraged by the strong response to the ongoing vote-by-mail effort,” said State Board of Elections Executive Director Steve Sandvoss. “Voting by mail provides a safe, secure and convenient voting option for those concerned about COVID-19. It also will help ease congestion at in-person polling places during early voting and on Election Day.”
Man, that’s a lot. Ballots won’t even be mailed to voters until September 24th.
State Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, is backing legislation to promote fair contracting opportunities for minority- and women-owned businesses in the public and private sector.
“For too long, Black-owned businesses, other minority-owned businesses, and women-owned businesses have been shut out of opportunities to provide services to public and private sector institutions,” Welch said. “I am fighting to ensure that institutions in government and the private sector are giving businesses owned by African Americans, women, and other minorities a fair shot to provide services to other businesses or to their government.”
Welch is sponsoring House Bill 5824, an initiative to promote the use of diverse contractors within the public and private sector. Under Welch’s bill, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) will be required to hold matchmaking workshops to connect diverse vendors with various institutions seeking services including colleges and universities, hospitals, casinos, racetracks, and health insurance companies.
Welch’s measure also strengthens fair contracting reporting requirements for public sector entities. Any insurance company with assets of more than $50 million and all health insurance companies with Medicaid contracts will be required to file a supplier diversity report with the state. Additionally, all recipients of the state’s Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) tax credits will be required to file a supplier diversity report with the state. Previous legislation to require supplier diversity reports for utilities led to a more than 400% increase in the use of diverse vendors for that sector.
“Ensuring better connections between diverse businesses and large institutions seeking services is one way we can increase the use of businesses owned by African American, other minorities, and women,” Welch said. “For public institutions and businesses relying on special tax breaks, we go even further by requiring public reporting on the use of diverse businesses in order to ensure fair contracting opportunities for Black-, minority- and women-owned businesses.”
“I am demanding that veto session takes place as scheduled, because the Black agenda cannot wait,” Welch, a Hillside Democrat, said during a video news conference. “The Black agenda, which will be rolled out in the coming days, is going to demand equity and inclusion and in several areas.”
Welch was referring to a package of legislation expected to be put forward by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus. Ahead of that announcement, however, the Maywood Democrat said he will push for passage of House Bill 5824. It would improve contracting opportunities for minority- and women-owned and operated businesses, he said.
“This isn’t something new. It’s something that we’ve been consistently fighting for year after year after year,” Welch said. “And I think in this watershed moment that we are (at) in history, this is the time, now more than ever, that we should be given fair contracting opportunities.” […]
Illinois currently has a statute that sets a goal of awarding at least 20 percent of the total dollars of state contracts to businesses owned by minorities, women and people with disabilities, but Welch said many of the state’s largest purchasing institutions, including its higher education system and Medicaid program, have consistently failed to meet that target.
“I have spent the summer looking at data in all of these industries. And the data is abysmal, particularly in the managed care organization industry,” he said.
The leader of the Illinois Black Chamber of Commerce said Gov. J.B. Pritzker doesn’t like for black businesses to have an opinion about the proposed income tax amendment that would change the state’s flat tax rate to a structure with higher rates for higher earners.
Illinois Black Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Larry Ivory said it is the wrong time for changing Illinois flat income tax to one with higher rates for higher earners.
Ivory said 40 percent of businesses may not survive the economic impact of COVID-19 restrictions and because of the state’s poor business climate pre-pandemic, people needing jobs are already being hurt by businesses leaving the state.
State Rep. LaShawn Ford, D-Chicago, said the proposed graduated income tax makes sense for Illinois.
“If we can make sure that those that make more can pay more we should do that,” Ford said.
Ivory said it’s “ridiculous” to think that raising taxes on businesses won’t affect their employees. He said taxing higher earners at higher rates will impact job creators and limit job offerings, which will in turn hurt the Black community.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Thursday took the next step in the push for a Chicago casino, putting out a request for gambling operators and real estate developers to submit plans about how they would build and run what is expected to be a gigantic betting parlor in the city.
The request for information from the operators was the expected next step after Springfield lawmakers came through with the changes to the casino tax structure the mayor wanted to the legislation that allowed a gambling hall in the city.
“After securing favorable legislation that had eluded us for decades, Chicago can finally pursue a once in a generation opportunity to bring a casino to our city, generating hundreds of millions in new gaming revenues to shore up the City’s pension obligations and drive huge levels of infrastructure funding in Illinois as well as creating thousands of new and much needed jobs for local residents,” Lightfoot said Thursday.
The request for information asks applicants to talk about their thoughts on operating a temporary casino while a permanent one is under construction, and asks them to weigh in on what factors the city should prioritize for the location of the casino, including how many acres of land will be required.
Firms have until Oct. 21 to submit their pitch for this “once-in-a-generation opportunity for new gaming and entertainment development in the heart of a major American city,” as described by city officials.
Those plans should envision a Chicago casino “that would provide much-needed city and state revenues, as well as create well-paying jobs for Chicago residents,” according to the request for information packet released Thursday.
The city is looking for a company that has “demonstrated excellence in casino design, development, sustainability and operations, financial stability, accommodation of multi-modal transportation needs and giving back to the community” to operate the casino, according to the request. […]
The city also asked firms to weigh in on what impact the coronavirus pandemic will have on a Chicago casino. Illinois’ other casinos have been operating at a reduced capacity of 50% or less since the stay-at-home order was lifted at the end of May.
Last summer, her office offered up five South and West side sites — a list she stressed is “not definitive” — for a state-mandated consultant to evaluate. They included the Harborside Golf Course area at 111th Street and the Bishop Ford Freeway; Pershing Road and State Street; Roosevelt Road and Kostner Avenue; and the former U.S. Steel parcel at 80th Street and Lake Shore Drive.
But “the slate is clean” for developers to opine on where the casino should go, according to Samir Mayekar, Lightfoot’s deputy mayor for economic and neighborhood development.
“We are very interested in what developers will come back with, the acreage they envision, the entertainment district possibilities, all of those factors,” Mayekar said. […]
The city is asking developers to submit packets of information by Oct. 21.
After reviewing those, Lightfoot’s team will begin planning public meetings and planning when to request firm proposals from developers, Mayekar said.
* And a dude who represents potential Chicago casino competitors freely admits to bad-mouthing the city to potential investors…
One industry player underlined questions about how viable a Chicago casino is right now, with COVID-19 still running loose.
In an email, consultant Guy Chipparoni, who represents clients seeking casino licenses in Rockford and in the south suburbs, says he’s urged potential Chicago bidders who have approached him to go slow. Financing will be difficult “amidst a consolidating industry that has taken a big hit with the pandemic,” he said. And there is more competition for the gambling dollar. The real question, in his view: “Are deep-pocketed companies willing to plow through this with social equity in mind? Can they see through the issues in our city’s windshield today?”
* They sent us ventilators when times were tight, so this is the right thing to do. Press release…
Gov. JB Pritzker announced today a CH-47F Chinook helicopter, six Illinois National Guard (ILNG) soldiers and the required mission equipment will deploy to California to assist with efforts to contain wildfires in northern California. These first responders hail from B Company, 2nd Battalion, 238th General Support Aviation based in Peoria. The team will be deployed to the Golden State for 14 days.
The CH-47F Chinook is a versatile, twin-engine, tandem rotor heavy-lift helicopter. The unit comes equipped with a Bambi Bucket which can hold 2,000 gallons of water for fire suppression missions. The team, which includes two pilots, two crew members to operate the Bambi Bucket and two maintenance personnel, will also provide operational assistance for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CALFIRE).
The LNU Lightning Complex fire in northern California has charred more than 350,000 acres, destroyed nearly 1,000 structures, forced the evacuation of thousands and already claimed five lives. Rising temperatures could fuel this raging fire over the coming days and into the weekend.
“This spring, California Governor Gavin Newsom came to our state’s aid by loaning Illinois 100 ventilators in our time of need, and right now we have an opportunity to return the favor,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “California first responders are not only battling wildfires, they’re doing so in a COVID environment under the threat of severe heat and rolling blackouts. Our team of Illinois National Guard airmen will be coming in to provide additional manpower and equipment to help tackle this disaster. Our airmen are well-trained for these types of missions and will be a valuable resource for the Golden State.”
“This is a great example of how the Illinois National Guard can use its military capabilities to help others in need,” said Brig. Gen. Richard Neely, the Adjutant General of the Illinois National Guard. “These Soldiers just returned from their annual training in Nevada where they practiced many of the high altitude and high temperature aviation skills they will now put to use in helping our fellow citizens in California. I couldn’t be more proud of these Soldiers and the families and employers that support them. This is what it means to be a member of the National Guard.”
The soldiers and helicopters from Co. B 2/238th Aviation previously deployed for rescue operations in 2018 during Hurricane Florence (North Carolina) and in 2011 to aid in Hurricane Sandy (Vermont) relief efforts.
Requests for assistance are coordinated through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), a mutual aid agreement that allows states to request assistance from other states during emergencies. Officials from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) have been in regular contact with their Californian counterparts and remain committed to meet additional needs of the state of California.
“In a period when states are stretched thin due in terms of personnel and resources due to extensive or repetitive disasters, EMAC becomes a vital tool to bolster manpower, expertise and various other resources needed for disaster response,” said IEMA Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau. “EMAC allows states to help other states be safe, secure and resilient against all hazards. That partnership and collaboration is more important now than ever before.”
The ILNG unit will depart Saturday from Peoria Air Wing after receiving event identification, mission and safety briefings and mobilization assistance. This process ensures the accountability and readiness of personnel and state assets prior to departure. All costs associated with these deployments will be paid for by California.
* In the past few days, some commenters seemed unclear on the concept about how these fires started. Here’s Popular Mechanics…
In recent years, Pacific Gas & Electric’s poorly maintained infrastructure have sparked a number of large fires, several have been ignited by discarded cigarette butts, and a handful of blazes have spiraled out of control at homeless encampments or been set off by fireworks.
Fighting these fires in California’s varied terrain is undoubtedly challenging, as firefighters have deep canyons and steep hills to contend with. The spread of COVID-19 has complicated the response to many of these fires this year; resources are tight, and agencies are stretched thin without the help of inmate firefighters, who typically assist in the effort. With high winds and crushing heat expected this week, the outlook is grim. […]
There is no question that climate change has played a significant role in shaping the number and intensity of these fires. In recent years, California’s climate has gotten hotter. Drier conditions mean less snowpack in the Sierras, less runoff in the spring, and less moisture for vegetation. These conditions have made it especially easy for massive wildland fires to ignite and quickly burn through parched vegetation.
As the The New York Times reports, nine of the 10 largest fires in the state’s history have occurred in the past ten years, and it’s no coincidence that nine of the ten hottest years on record have happened since 2000. In 2016, the hottest year on record, the average global temperature was 1.78 degrees Fahrenheit above the 20th-century average, according to NOAA.
The infrastructure referenced above is mainly about old, above-ground power lines.
In the exercise of the general administrative and supervisory authority over the courts of Illinois conferred on this Court pursuant to article VI, section 16, of the Illinois Constitution of 1970 (Ill. Const. 1970, art. VI, sec. 16); in view of the state of emergency that has been declared by the Governor of the State of Illinois in order to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus; and in the interests of the health and safety of all court users, staff, and judicial officers during these extraordinary circumstances, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that subpart F of the Court’s March 17, 2020 order is rescinded and reserved, and this order is adopted as follows:
F. Individuals, including judges, court staff, parties, attorneys, jurors and witnesses, should not enter any courthouse if they
1. are not wearing a mask or face covering;
2. have new flu-like symptoms including fever, cough, or shortness of breath (excluding such symptoms caused by chronic conditions);
3. currently have been directed to quarantine or isolate at home by any medical provider or public health official; or
4. reside or have regular close contact with a person currently subject to a quarantine or isolation direction issued by a medical provider or public health official.
Masks or face coverings should be worn at all times while in the courthouse unless the person is (1) otherwise instructed by court personnel; (2) under the age of 2; or (3) incapacitated, having trouble breathing, or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance. If available, masks should be provided to individuals who do not have them.
If a touchless/contactless thermometer is available, a temperature check as individuals enter the courthouse should be considered. Individuals with a temperature that is 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher should not enter any courthouse.
All courts should implement procedures for when an individual is denied entry based on the above.
Woulda been nice to have that order in place during those insane and mostly maskless Clay County hearings. Just sayin…
…Adding… From comments…
Kinda tips their hand on whether the Governor has the authority to issue successive emergency declarations when the Supremes cite to the declaration in an administrative order.
The elected head of the Bloomingdale Township highway commission has been charged in federal court in Chicago with taking $280,000 in kickbacks from the owner of an excavation company in exchange for approving road contracts for road work that in most cases was never performed.
Robert Czernek was charged in a 20-count indictment made public Thursday with taking the kickbacks from Debra Fazio, owner of Bloomingdale-based Bulldog Earth Movers Inc., over a period of more than eight years.
In exchange, Czernek used his official position to approve more than $700,000 in payments for stone delivery, dump leveling, and storm sewer invoices submitted by Fazio’s company to Bloomingdale Township, according to the indictment.
Czernek approved the invoices knowing that much of the work and services had not actually been performed, the indictment states.
Czernek allegedly left handwritten notes for Giannini on Bloomingdale Township Highway Department property as part of the scheme.
The 20-count indictment charges Czernek, Fazio and Giannini with 14 counts of honest services wire fraud. Fazio is also charged with six counts of money laundering. Arraignments for the trio have not been scheduled.
Federal authorities in January sought various records from the Bloomingdale Township Highway Department, including its surveillance systems, Czernek’s desk calendar and “any handwritten notes describing construction, excavation and/or road work purportedly performed.”
* Should the state force Exelon to try to sell the two nuclear power plants that it wants to shut down? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please…
The Cook County medical examiner already has ruled on 10,000 deaths for the year, nearly 4,000 more than in all of 2019, with about half of this year’s cases involving COVID-19-related deaths, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said Wednesday. [Emphasis added.]
“If you walk into a grocery store, and you see 99 people wearing a mask, and you see a sign that says, ‘Please wear one,’ and you think to yourself, ‘Nah, I’m not gonna do that,’ you’re kind of a jerk, right?”
Now patrons must wear a mask during any interaction with wait staff, food service workers and other employees at restaurants and bars. Face coverings must be worn over the nose and mouth when customers are approached by staff, including when employees take orders, deliver food and beverages, and service tables.
Staff with Medici, 120 W. North St., haven’t faced any pushback against the rules so far and said guests have generally been understanding of the requirements, Slane said.
“Ever since it all started, we’ve had a guest here and there that aren’t really receptive to the mask issue to begin with,” he said. “Quite honestly, over the last couple of weeks, that has reduced from what it was before.”
Slane and other local restaurant owners said it seems as though people have become more compliant as more cases of COVID-19 are reported through the McLean County Health Department.
Out of an abundance of caution, the Effingham Driver Services facility (444 S. Willow) is closed until Sept. 8 as a precaution because of an employee who tested positive for COVID-19.
The Illinois Department of Public Health has been consulted. Employees who work at the facility are being quarantined for 14 days and the facility is scheduled to be cleaned and sanitized according to CDC guidelines.
* Putting his residents in danger to own the libs…
New mitigation efforts in Region 7 has one local mayor issuing a statement saying he will not enforcement new mitigation efforts set forth by Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health. Homer Glen Mayor George Yukich says while he and the Village Board have been supportive of past mitigation efforts, he says, “current requirements do not appear to be based on science and seem to be arbitrary. Region 4, which includes the Southwest area of Illinois has been under different resurgence mitigation requirements than our region. Their positivity rates have been higher for a longer period of time, but with fewer restrictions imposed on them. For example, their restaurants have been allowed to remain open for indoor dining. This is not being allowed for our region.” While the Village does not have a police department, they contract with the Will County Sherriff’s Department for public safety and law enforcement and will refer to the State of Illinois to enforcement new guidelines.
Abbott’s new COVID-19 test produces results in 15 minutes: Here’s how it works
Abbott to hire 2,000 in Gurnee to produce COVID-19 test
More than half of the deaths reported so far this year in Cook County were related to COVID-19 — 5,030 as of Wednesday, according to the medical examiner’s office.
A key Chicago Public Schools official with close ties to the CEO has been charged with lying to the FBI about a controversial private custodial contract worth at least $1 billion, federal court records show.
Pedro Soto, the onetime chief of staff to CPS CEO Janice Jackson, allegedly made a false statement Dec. 17 about whether he had given out “nonpublic information” to an unnamed individual during a bidding process. He allegedly told the FBI, “he would want to get information but I don’t think I gave him anything.”
CPS had been soliciting bids in April 2016 for “custodial services, engineering operations and other trade services” worth up to $1 billion, with Soto on the committee evaluating the proposals. The company the FBI was asking about wasn’t named.
Defendants charged in an information as opposed to an indictment typically intend to plead guilty. Soto could not immediately be reached for comment, and no lawyer was listed for him on the criminal case docket. […]
At the time of the contract bid, Soto was chief of school operations, responsible for coordinating and implementing policy across all educational departments. His salary at the time was $161,000 a year, according to public databases.
So, reading between the lines, he’s going to plead guilty to this one count and potentially blow the lid off of insider dealing on that huge and controversial janitorial contract.
…Adding… Hmm…
CPS CEO Janice Jackson, in a letter responding to federal criminal charges filed against chief of staff Pedro Soto, says Soto resigned from the school district last Friday.
In reading the comments from readers in your blog post about the latest CPS corruption scandal, you replied to Kyle Hillman that “plenty of elected people have been convicted of corruption.” Very true. In fact, this is a line I use often when I talk about an elected school board. Nothing about an elected school board will stop someone from breaking the law. However, that’s not really the point. The point is that in addition to these brazen acts of corruption, there have been a ton of questionable decisions that have had a huge impact on the system of public education in Chicago. In fact, while this story is about corruption related to a contract for janitorial services, the actual move to privatize these services under the Emanuel administration was hugely unpopular, and in the end, a horrible decision. The shameful scandal involving special education services under Forest Claypool resulted in his complete withdrawal from public and political life in Chicago. The decision to close 50 neighborhood schools in the most economically disadvantaged neighborhoods was horrible, but not illegal. Finally (reaching way back to the beginning of this debacle), the appointed board skipped pension payments for a DECADE, leading a once overfunded pension system into near insolvency and putting the burden of fixing that incredibly stupid mistake on the back of every taxpayer in the City of Chicago for at least the next 2 generations. None of those mistakes are anything that result in a prison sentence. However, at the risk of repeating myself, that’s not the point. The point of the movement for an ERSB is that the system of democracy in this country guarantees accountability over the actions of the people who raise taxes, spend money, and make decisions. Given that you could almost set your watch according to the regular and persistent scandals at CPS, including both those worthy of prosecution and those that are not, it is high time that the residents, taxpayers, students and teachers had access to the elected accountability they deserve.
Fitch Ratings has assigned a ‘BB+’ rating to the following Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA) (Illinois) McCormick Place expansion project bonds:
–$67.325 million expansion project refunding bonds, series 2020B;
–$49.065 million expansion project refunding bonds, series 2020C (taxable);
–$46.27 million expansion project bonds, series 2020D (taxable).
The bonds will be sold via negotiation on or about the weeks of Aug. 31 or Sept. 7, 2020.
Appropriation Requirement Links Rating to State: MPEA’s ability to make full and timely payment of debt service is contingent on the state legislature’s annual appropriation of revenue, including of state sales tax deposits and authority taxes, to the indenture trustee. This appropriation requirement caps the rating at one notch below the state’s IDR, well below Fitch’s assessment of the underlying credit quality of the debt structure. The rating does not consider MPEA’s operations as state sales tax deposits are collected and owned entirely by the state before being appropriated directly to the bond trustee.
Robust Coverage and Resiliance: Given the legal leverage limitations on the Build Illinois bonds and the statutory cap on state sales tax deposits for expansion project bonds, state sales taxes can sustain a significant level of decline and still maintain ample debt service coverage on all obligations. This is consistent with a ‘aaa’ assessment of resilience through moderate economic declines.
Modest Revenue Growth Anticipated: Illinois’ economic performance, while positive, has lagged that of the U.S. as a whole, and Fitch anticipates state sales taxes will grow essentially in line with inflation. This is consistent with a ‘a’ assessment for pledged revenue growth prospects. [Emphasis added.]
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced 1,707 new confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 24 additional confirmed deaths.
- Cook County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 4 males 80s, 1 female 90s
- DuPage County: 1 male 70s
- Hancock County: 1 female 80s
- Jefferson County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 90s
- Lake County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
- LaSalle County: 1 female 80s, 1 female 100+
- Madison County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 male 90s
- St. Clair County: 1 female 50s, 1 female 60s
- Whiteside County: 1 female 70s
- Will County: 1 male 60s
- Winnebago County: 1 male 70s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 227,334 cases, including 7,977 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 44,510 specimens for a total of 3,875,922. The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from August 20 – August 26 is 4.1%. As of last night, 1,631 people in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 390 patients were in the ICU and 151 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
Following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, IDPH is now reporting 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.
COVID-19 has killed 37 more Illinoisans, public health officials announced Wednesday, marking the state’s highest number of deaths attributed to the virus in a single day in seven weeks.
The Illinois Department of Public Health also said 2,157 more coronavirus cases have been confirmed, the seventh time the state has crossed the 2,000-case threshold so far this month.
Cases have trended upward in Illinois since early July, and experts have warned that a spike in deaths would follow.
Wednesday’s toll marked only the fifth time the state has tallied 30 or more deaths since July 7, when 37 lives were also lost.
Hospitals throughout Illinois are reporting the highest number of COVID-19 patients since July 1.
According to Illinois Department of Public Health figures, 1,631 patients were hospitalized with the respiratory disease at the start of the day Thursday. Over the past four days alone, hospitals statewide have added 182 new patients, an average of 46 new hospitalizations each day.
[House Republican Leader Jim Durkin] said “masks are the right thing to do,” and he hopes science “is able to prevail” over politics.
“Everything is politicized — every small thing, every large thing — and, unfortunately, that is the nature of the DNC and the RNC and, sadly, the pandemic has been politicized,” Durkin, who said he wears a mask whenever he’s out in public, said Wednesday. […]
As for whether Trump chooses to wear a mask, Durkin said “that’s a decision for him.”
“I think that’s an issue that, at the end of the day, I’m not sure voters are going to be too distracted with that,” Durkin said. “I’m sure they’ll put their focus on other things because this will come to an end.”
The election will end by November (hopefully), but not the virus.
Rauner has not made campaign donations in his own name to anyone in Illinois during the current two-year election cycle, state records show.
House Republican Leader Jim Durkin said he has spoken with Rauner several times about getting involved. And Durkin still seemed to be holding out hope the venture capitalist might help House GOP candidates.
“He’s aware of what we have at stake,” Durkin said.
On Monday, DraftKings CEO and co-founder Jason Robins did not hold back his thoughts on Rush Street Gaming. Robins fired off some harsh words showing that he is unappreciative of competitor Rush Street jockeying in the Illinois sports betting field.
On Friday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker decided to reverse his decision on in-person registration to go back to registering online. Rush Street Gaming, who is operating the BetRivers Sportsbook, also wanted online registration
“Feels so good to be taking mobile registrations in Illinois. Especially after the corrupt idiots at Rush Street Gaming tried to block us in the state. Over the long run, good policy always wins. I commend @JBPritzker for doing what’s right for the citizens of Illinois,” Robins tweeted on Monday before deleting two hours later.
DraftKings launched in Illinois last month after partnering with Casino Queens and rebranding its sportsbook operations. Right before the launch, Gov. Pritzker suspended online registration and forced people to sign up in-person at an operating casino. This hurt DraftKings Sportsbook as they are located in Alton, Illinois, about four and a half hours south of Chicago.
Although in-person registration was suspended, that did not stop FanDuel Sportsbook and PointsBet to try and enter the Illinois market. They all received temporary operating permits in the same week during July.
With the Illinois sports betting market heating up, Pritzker then reversed his reversal and allowed online registration to happen in the state. This was big news for sports betting as multiple books were able to benefit from new customer signup.
A spokesman for Rush Street — billionaire Rivers casino chairman Neil Bluhm’s gaming company — fired back by noting “Rush Street has never been asked to leave a state, pays taxes on every wager, and has not been named in multiple consumer class action suits,” referring to DraftKings’ past legal issues in some markets. […]
“As the state imposes stricter mitigations to combat the spread of COVID-19, the administration has reinstituted online sports betting through the Governor’s emergency powers,” Pritzker spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh said in an email. “Increased mitigation measures are impacting the capacity limits and hours of operation at casinos in regions seeing higher rates of the virus and online sports betting will allow for an even playing field across the industry.” […]
[DraftKings’] top online competitor FanDuel is poised to break out of the penalty box, too, as the betting website has a deal in place to launch through a partnership with the Par-A-Dice Casino in East Peoria, according to a report published by the sports betting website SportsHandle.com.
In all, seven Illinois casinos and one racetrack, Hawthorne Race Course in Stickney, have received Illinois Gaming Board approval to open sportsbooks.
* Maybe they should should just sell the plants and let somebody else try to make some money off of them…
Exelon Generation announced today that it intends to retire its Byron Generating Station and Dresden Generating Station in fall 2021, resulting in the loss of four nuclear generation units that together supply clean, zero-emissions energy to more than four million homes and businesses in northern Illinois. Byron, located just outside Byron, Ill., will close in September 2021, and Dresden, located in Morris, Ill., will close in November 2021.
Dresden is licensed to operate for another decade and Byron for another 20 years. Together, they employ more than 1,500 full-time employees and 2,000 supplemental workers during refueling outages, most from local union halls. The plants pay nearly $63 million in taxes annually to support local schools, fire, police and other services. The two plants supply 30 percent of Illinois’ carbon-free energy and are essential to meeting the state’s goal to achieve 100 percent clean energy.
“Although we know in our heads that shutting down the uneconomic Illinois plants is necessary to preserve even more jobs elsewhere, our hearts ache today for the thousands of talented women and men that have served Illinois families for more than a generation and will lose their jobs because of poorly conceived energy policies,” said Christopher Crane, president and CEO of Exelon. “But we are only about a year away from shutdown and we need to give our people, the host communities, and regulators time to prepare.”
“We recognize this comes as many of our communities are still recovering from the economic and public health impacts of the pandemic, and we will continue our dialogue with policymakers on ways to prevent these closures,” said Crane. “To that end, we have opened our books to policymakers and will continue to do so for any lawmaker who wishes to judge the plants’ profitability.”
“We agree with Governor Pritzker that policy reform is urgently needed to address the climate crisis and advance Illinois’ clean energy economy, and we support the objectives of the Governor’s recent energy principles,” added Crane. “That’s separate from today’s announcement to retire these two zero-carbon nuclear plants, which was not a decision made lightly and is one that has been in the works for some time.”
Despite being among the most efficient and reliable units in the nation’s nuclear fleet, Dresden and Byron face revenue shortfalls in the hundreds of millions of dollars because of declining energy prices and market rules that allow fossil fuel plants to underbid clean resources in the PJM capacity auction, even though there is broad public support for sustaining and expanding clean energy resources to address the climate crisis. The plants’ economic challenges are further exacerbated by a recent FERC ruling that undermines longstanding state clean energy programs and gives an additional competitive advantage to polluting energy sources in the auction. As a result of these market rules, Exelon Generation’s LaSalle and Braidwood nuclear stations in Illinois, each of which house two nuclear units and together employ more than 1,500 skilled workers, are also at high risk for premature closure.
Studies have shown that when nuclear plants close, plants that burn fossil fuels operate much more often, increasing harmful carbon and air pollution, especially in disadvantaged communities. In January 2019, Illinois committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions consistent with the targets set in the Paris climate agreement. While the state is currently at roughly 85 percent progress towards the 2025 goal, if the four economically challenged nuclear plants (Dresden, Byron, Braidwood and LaSalle) prematurely retire, Illinois will drop to only 20 percent of the way toward the goal. Electric sector emissions in Illinois will increase by 70 percent.
Despite these consequences, Exelon Generation must act now to prevent further shortfalls and give its employees, contractors and community partners time to prepare for the loss of jobs and tens of millions of dollars in taxes, donations and local purchasing. The notification also is necessary to give PJM enough time to conduct an analysis confirming that retiring Byron and Dresden will not cause a shortage of generating capacity in northern Illinois during times of peak demand.
In the days and weeks ahead, Exelon Generation will file a deactivation notice with PJM and inform key stakeholders and regulatory agencies of the retirements. In addition, the company will:
Make official shutdown notifications to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission within 30 days;
Terminate capital investment projects required for long term operation of Dresden and Byron; and
Scale back the refueling outages scheduled for this fall at Dresden and Byron. The move will result in spending reductions of $50 million and the elimination of up to 1,400 of the more than 2,000 mostly union jobs typically associated with the two refueling outages.
While retirement preparations are underway, employees will continue to operate the plants at world-class levels of safety and operational excellence until they are decommissioned. Exelon Generation will work to place affected plant employees at other Exelon facilities or help them transition to positions outside the company, wherever possible.
…Adding… Press release…
In response to Exelon’s decision that it is closing two nuclear power plants, State Senator Michael E. Hastings (D-Frankfort), who chairs the Senate Energy and Public Utilities Committee, released the following statement:
“It’s truly unfortunate that Exelon has announced two plant closures during the middle of a pandemic. The negative economic impact of these closures cannot be understated. The Senate Energy and Public Utilities Committee has been committed to working on legislation and consumer assistance since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and we remain committed to working with the men and women of organized labor and all stakeholders to find solutions to secure the future of clean energy in Illinois.”
…Adding… Press release…
Illinois PIRG director Abe Scarr made the following statement in response:
“The era of Exelon holding Illinois’ energy policy hostage must end.
“Exelon’s threats underline the importance of Gov. Pritzker’s call for Exelon to provide certified costs in an independent financial report before securing new subsidies.
“Any additional support for Exelon’s aging, expensive power plants must come within a comprehensive plan to transition Illinois to 100 percent renewable energy, including firm closure dates for nuclear power plants.”
*** UPDATE 1 *** Illinois Senate President Don Harmon agrees with me, apparently…
Independent market monitors believe these plants can be profitable. I intend to look into legislative options including requiring these plants be put up for sale before they can be shuttered. We owe it to these workers and communities to see if someone else can successfully run these assets.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Jordan Abudayyeh…
First, let’s remember that Exelon already receives a ratepayer-funded subsidy of $235 million dollars per year to run nuclear plants in Illinois. While they couch their messaging in their desire for a clean energy future, their primary purpose is to dramatically increase those subsidies on behalf of their shareholders. Like the Governor said earlier this year, transitioning to a clean renewable energy economy is a top priority for his administration, but the utility companies will not write the legislation to get the state there. The Governor has been clear that establishing a program to reward clean energy sources and phase out dirty energy is a critical part of any comprehensive energy framework, but that framework needs to be developed based on a transparent understanding of the economics involved with the nuclear plants. Any financial benefit to the nuclear plants must be right-sized and protect Illinois ratepayers.
We have seen these threats before, and this time Exelon’s threats will need to be backed up by a thorough and transparent review of their finances – including why the profits of the company as a whole cannot cover alleged operating losses at a few plants. The administration looks forward to working with lawmakers and stakeholders to pass legislation centered on consumers and the climate that creates and retains good paying, union jobs in communities across the state.
…Adding… Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition…
We have said it before and we will say it again. We can and must combat climate change in a way that puts thousands of people back to work statewide, especially in communities of color, without raising electric rates, hiking taxes or giving a bailout to Exelon and fossil fuels.
…Adding… Illinois Chamber…
“The Illinois Chamber was disappointed to learn that Exelon has once again threatened to close two of their nuclear facilities next year — plants that it has acknowledged continue to be profitable — unless they receive another bailout funded by ratepayers,” said Illinois Chamber President and CEO Todd Maisch. “Exelon is demanding a bailout without completely opening its books to a truly independent third party. PJM’s Independent Market Monitor should conduct a thorough audit.
“The Chamber does understand, however, that the closure of power plants can have a significant economic impact on employees and the communities where those facilities are located, and that’s why we support Senate President Pro Tempore Bill Cunningham’s Senate Bill 3837, which includes a number of tools to mitigate these impacts. For instance, SB 3837 would create the Community Impact Mitigation Fund to mitigate the impacts of lost property taxes and jobs, and decreased economic development as a result of closures.
“The Chamber will continue to work with policy makers and energy stakeholders to craft a balanced energy policy that ensures reliable and affordable electricity.”
…Adding… US Sen. Richard Durbin…
“The closure of Byron and Dresden Generating Stations will have significant impacts on the local economy and Illinois workers. In the days and months ahead, I am committed to fighting for these jobs and helping to create additional good paying jobs in these communities, and creating a clean energy economy with policies like my America’s Clean Future Fund Act.
“Unfortunately, for the past three and a half years, President Trump and Congressional Republicans have pursued policies that hurt nuclear energy and the thousands of good paying jobs that they support. The Trump Administration passed a rule to nullify Illinois’ clean energy program that supported nuclear power plants like Byron and Dresden. And Congressional Republicans supported the Trump Administration’s efforts to overturn the Obama-era Clean Power Plan, which helped support nuclear energy.
“I encourage Congressman Kinzinger and the entire Illinois Congressional Delegation to work with me to undo the disastrous policies put into place by the Trump Administration and Congressional Republicans, which have hurt these plants and employees, and work to pass smart legislation that supports clean energy jobs.”
…Adding… Illinois AFL-CIO…
The Illinois AFL-CIO, representing the thousands of working men and women and their families and communities who would be directly affected, is deeply disappointed and concerned about today’s announcement by Exelon of planned closures of the Byron and Dresden nuclear plants in northern Illinois.
Our state has many economic challenges today. The coronavirus pandemic has only made those challenges more real, and working families are struggling across Illinois.
Energy is an important part of our lives. When we turn the lights on, we expect them to come on and stay on at a reasonable price. The nuclear energy at these and other Illinois plants is critical to the safe, reliable and affordable power supply we all enjoy today. Not only would these plant closures devastate the communities and families employed there directly, we all will pay a steep price from losing access to the high-quality, affordable power the plants produce.
We cannot afford to let these nuclear plants close. We stand ready to work on a clean energy policy for Illinois that preserves these critical jobs, and supports the affordable and reliable energy we have today and need for a successful tomorrow.”
This right here is what happens when Illinois corruption is allowed to run wild.
This morning’s announcement that the Byron and Dresden nuclear power plants will be closed is absolutely devastating to our communities, and yet another casualty of Mike Madigan’s ComEd bribery scandal. When an industry is told it has to pay-up to exist, the corrupt win and the rest of us lose. It didn’t even end up being Pay-to-Play, this was Pay-to-Die.
I have fought tirelessly for many years at the federal level to save and preserve our nuclear fleet, which offers affordable, safe, and clean energy and thousands of fantastic jobs here at home. But at the same time, on the state level, Mike Madigan’s Machine cared more about draining the industry through bribes than saving these anchors of our communities — not to mention their goal of a zero carbon future is impossible without nuclear energy.
This is an absolute disgrace, and my first step will be demanding that the $200 million in fines collected by the DOJ from the scandal be directed to the communities and families who are the casualties of this disgusting corruption. After that, it’s time, once and for all, to take out Madigan and the Cronies who screwed us while enriching themselves.
With few other outlets, statehouse Republicans are considering their own public hearings with stakeholders if Democrats won’t address Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. […]
State Rep. Tim Butler, R-Springfield, floated the idea with his fellow House Republicans to let their Democratic colleagues know they want public hearings. If there’s no response, he said the GOP needs to hold their own public hearings “where we have people in to talk about these issues.”
“I’m sure there’s plenty of people involved that would want to talk about these issues,” Butler told WMAY. “If the Democrats don’t want to join us in holding people responsible, I think we need to have our own, and get the issues out there, and hold our own hearings.” […]
State Rep. Blaine Wilhour, R-Beecher City, said having the GOP lawmakers hold their own hearings is a good idea, but there are other avenues to put pressure on the Pritzker administration to be transparent.
“Ultimately, the people of Illinois, they’re the ones that need to stand up and say ‘enough’s enough,’” Wilhour said.
The House Republicans used to do this sort of thing a lot, but several Republicans are busy with their campaigns and there is this little issue with the virus.
* Not to mention that the whole thing could easily turn into a circus…
The Illinois Department of Public Health has hired a former U.S. Attorney to review the department’s failure to investigate complaints of abuse and neglect in long-term care facilities for more than three months during the pandemic, but some lawmakers want public hearings on the issue. […]
[Rep. Tom Demmer, R-Dixon] said public hearings are needed.
“They should be honest about the fact, and they were, that they dropped the ball on this, they’re trying to take some corrective steps,” Demmer said. “I think it will be really good to have those discussions in public and talk about what we can do and some of the lessons learned to make sure that if we find ourselves in this circumstance like this again that we can make good on the investigation portion.”
In another unhinged tweet on Friday, Sean Casten mocked Marco Rubio, a Cuban American Republican Senator, for tweeting out a Bible verse. In his tweet, Casten equated an expression of faith with mental illness.
For the time will come when people will read Senator Rubio's random bible verse tweets and say "yeah, verily, these were a cryeth for help." https://t.co/gfsLl15Uuz
“Does Sean Casten think people of faith are mentally ill,” asked Jeanne Ives, a West Point graduate and candidate for Congress in Illinois’ 6th Congressional District. “Why would an expression of faith on Twitter be met with mockery and shaming by a public official? Apparently Sean Casten wants to Keep Twitter Toxic.
“The media chooses to ignore Sean Casten’s extremely questionable behavior, but the truth is people of all religions should be concerned about the Congressman’s disdain for people of faith and his objections to the free expression of that faith. Especially given the Casten family’s large donations to the Center for Inquiry (CFI), an organization which states as its mission, ‘encourage[ing] effective action to keep religion from infecting public policy…’, Sean Casten represents a district where there are numerous churches, mosques, temples, faith-based schools and service organizations, like Catholic Charities, St. Vincent DePaul, Wheaton College, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Bartlett. Does he think these organizations should lose their (c)3 status if they have conscientious objection to a policy Sean Casten advocates? It is a legitimate question on which he should have to face his constituents and answer. Maybe that’s why he’s hiding from a real debate with me.”
* Jeanne Ives campaign…
Sean Casten should either stop talking or start debating. He continues to make radical, weird and concerning statements and issue unhinged tweets.
In a webinar with college students over the weekend, Congressman Casten told young voters: “Having small genitals is not a sufficient reason to own a gun.” Perhaps Sean Casten is unaware that first-time gun ownership among women spiked amid the COVID shutdown and riots.
On the same call, he made an argument for decriminalizing all drugs by referencing his own college drug use, ignoring the fact that college students make up one of the largest groups of drug abusers nationwide, and are among the most at risk of addiction.
“Maybe Sean Casten thinks overgrown frat boys are cool,” said Jeanne Ives, candidate for Congress (IL-06). “On behalf of women everywhere: overgrown frat boys are not cool. They are pathetic, and they can’t be trusted to make sound decisions on other people’s lives. It is clear he is not the moderate we were sold in 2018. It’s well past time that Sean Casten answered for his deeply concerning rhetoric and radical policy positions.”
His genitals joke is here. The drugs comment is here. He was talking about not ruining lives with criminalization.
* Jeanne Ives campaign…
Yesterday morning Congressman Sean Casten tweeted out a statement referencing Cardi B.’s controversial new music video (W.A.P). before his campaign pulled it down [the tweet is still up]. The article Casten posted contained a link to the video.
Wherein @emorwee makes a strong case to join the staff at @rapgenius, if only to explain the subtext behind Cardi B's homage to better home weatherization. https://t.co/8DePacPxbj
Jeanne Ives, candidate for Congress (IL-06), said in a statement: “Once again, Congressman Sean Casten puts forth a deeply concerning statement and the media says nothing. He is a sitting Congressman who represents decent, professional people. And he seems to think using a sexually explicit music video to make a point about home weatherization is appropriate. This is gratuitous, attention-seeking behavior that is beneath the office. If you can’t make a public policy argument without Cardi B. in leather and fishnets, then you can’t make an argument. If he were a Republican, a powerful man objectifying women for personal gain would be headline news. But the media chooses to ignore Leftist Sean Casten’s deeply concerning character and comments.”
Among the remarks Casten has made that have received little to no media scrutiny:
When asked to identify a leader he looks to for guidance, Sean Casten selected a virulent, profane bigot named Dan Savage who has called evangelical Christians “pieces of sh*t” and said of Republicans, “I wish they were all f**king dead.”
Sean Casten doesn’t disavow such language, he doubles down on it as he did when he compared the President of the United States to Osama bin Laden.
Recently, Congressman Sean Casten, in an interview with supporters on discussing environmental and racial justice, stated, “The first places to fall are the places white, wealthy people move away from…” [”and we know how that movie plays out, unfortunately”]
In the another interview with Indivisible DuPage, Casten bragged about using his Twitter account to cyberbully his political opponents and implied that his GOP opponents were Nazi sympathizers. [“come 2021, the majority of my colleagues believe that Democracy is a good thing; that the Enlightenment was a good thing, that the good guys won World War II.”]
And in the same weekend, Casten put out a tweet likening those who disagreed with him politically to traitors [”To be on Trump is to bet against the American people”] and Indivisible DuPage called all Republicans “killers.”
Sean Casten is not at all the moderate he portrayed himself to be in 2018. His most recent tweet makes it clear Sean Casten is not making America better. He is only making it bitter, and more cynical. And the liberal Chicago and suburban press have given Casten a pass by not reporting his hateful and really strange comments.
“Reasonable people can disagree on policy and politicians,” Ives continued. “But there can be no disagreement over how out-of-step Sean Casten is with this district - and, frankly, with the suburban women who elected him. Casten isn’t the anti-Trump dignitary they bargained for. The guy is weird as hell. And the fact that Chicago and Suburban media continue to ignore his radical ideas and whacky statements just shows how illiberal, unbalanced and unfair these outlets have become, and how disinterested they are in the truth.”
* Jeanne Ives fundraising email…
Dear Friend,
There’s a word I have for when a politician gets a taste of their own medicine.
It’s called a Boomerang.
Just two years ago, Casten demanded five debates against his opponent- one for each of the five counties in IL-06.
He said: ‘Debates are healthy and important for our democracy, and voters demand them because they want to participate in the election process…I believe voters deserve the opportunity to see and hear us where they live.’
In a recent letter to the Casten campaign, I asked for 5 debates - one for each county in IL-06.
No response. Crickets.
Chip in $5, 10, $25, $50, or $100 right now to tell Sean Casten that you want to see him try to debate me.
Our campaign is working day-in and day-out to make sure voters understand the truth about Sean Casten.
With your help, they will know better than to take what Sean says at face value in 2020.
In 2018, he said “voters deserve the opportunity to see and hear us where they live.” In 2020, the prospect of a debate sent him into hiding.
Sean Casten is afraid to debate me on his own terms.
And this only means one thing.
Sean Casten Boomeranged himself. Hard.
Someone get him some ice.
Donate to my campaign right now to tell Representative Casten that the people of IL-06 deserve debates!
Governor JB Pritzker today announced Illinois was chosen to host two of the five new National Quantum Information Science Research Centers led by Argonne National Laboratory and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in affiliation with the University of Chicago. Each project is projected to received $115 million in federal funding to support breakthroughs in quantum information and science. As part of the state’s historic Rebuild Illinois capital program, Gov. Pritzker made sure the state invested $200 million in the Quantum Exchange to put Illinois at the forefront of creating jobs for the next century. The Quantum Exchange is hub for researchers, both academic and industrial, oriented around the goal of advancing efforts in the science and engineering of quantum information.
Today’s announcement builds on the progress Illinois has made to create an ecosystem to support groundbreaking advances in science and innovation. In addition, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will receive federal funding for two research institutes focused on artificial intelligence. Seven AI institutes will receive federal funding in partnership with existing academic research groups. With the new investments, Illinois is the only state nationwide to receive funding for two hubs.
“This is one of the most exciting developments for the economic vitality and prestige of our state. I could not be more delighted that Illinois will be home to not one, but two of the five quantum research centers in the U.S.— opening the newest chapter in the storied history of scientific and technological innovation in the state of Illinois,” said Governor J.B. Pritzker. “I’m also proud to see one of our world class public universities, the University of Illinois, recognized for their groundbreaking research on artificial intelligence that will revolutionize industry. Our outstanding ecosystem of world-class academic institutions, national labs, Fortune 500 companies and tech startups has changed the world before, and it is poised to do so again. With our state’s investment in science and technology alongside the university and the Department of Energy, we lay the groundwork for scientific achievements that will shape Illinois, the nation—and the globe—for decades to come.”
In 2017, the University of Chicago invested $100 million and partnered with Argonne and Fermilab on a project called the Chicago Quantum Exchange.
While the University of Illinois may be better known for its supercomputing and internet breakthroughs, which led to pretty much everything digital that we take for granted today, the institution has been studying quantum physics since the early 1950s. It joined the exchange in October. […]
Gov. J.B. Pritzker has been involved with high-tech development for years in the private sector, and he says he’s familiar with quantum physics. He also knew about U of C’s $100 million investment and its search for more partners. So he decided to commit $100 million from his $45 billion infrastructure bill to the U of I in hopes of not only bringing some of the best minds in the world to Illinois, but also possibly creating an economic boom along the lines of Silicon Valley, the Boston area’s Biomedical Corridor and Boulder, Colo.’s gigantic data storage industry.
“If you catch the wave of a technology as it’s being commercialized, there is really endless opportunity,” Pritzker tells me.
* The attorney general’s office sent me a list of active cases it’s handling. Click the pic for a larger image…
Whew.
* Meanwhile, as you’ll recall, the governor obtained a TRO against a handful of schools which refused to implement the state’s mask requirement. Those schools have since appealed. The state’s conclusion…
Finally, it is worth pointing out that Defendants’ argument that the TRO is really a preliminary injunction actually undermines their position in this appeal. If that were true, their appeal lies under Supreme Court Rule 307(a), not Rule 307(d), and this appeal should be dismissed. In any event, Defendants have not identified any basis to conclude that the circuit court’s order under review, if deemed a preliminary injunction, is invalid.
The schools are represented by Thomas DeVore, who is also handling Rep. Darren Bailey’s case.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced 2,157 new confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 37 additional confirmed deaths.
- Bureau County: 1 male 90s
- Cook County: 1 female under 20, 1 female 70s, 2 males 70s, 4 females 80s, 1 male 90s
- DuPage County: 1 male 70s
- Kane County: 2 males 70s, 2 females 90s
- Lake County: 1 male 50s
- LaSalle County: 1 female 80s
- Livingston County: 1 female 80s
- Macon County: 1 female 60s, 1 female 70s
- Morgan County: 1 female 80s
- Peoria County: 1 female 90s
- Perry County: 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
- Pope County: 1 female 60s
- Rock Island County: 1 female 60s, 2 females 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
- St. Clair County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 90s
- Warren County: 1 male 70s
- Will County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 90s
- Williamson County: 1 male 80s
- Winnebago County: 1 female 70s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 225,627 cases, including 7,954 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 50,362 specimens for a total of 3,831,412. The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from August 19 – August 25 is 4.0%. As of last night, 1,573 people in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 350 patients were in the ICU and 132 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
Following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, IDPH is now reporting 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. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
Illinois State University President Larry Dietz said Monday he’s closely monitoring the rapid increase in COVID-19 cases among students.
The current tally is 273 ISU student cases in just over a week of classes. Dietz said several things in addition to the raw case count affect any potential decision whether to close the campus.
“It will have to do with isolation capacity. It will have to do with how many folks are hospitalized, and thankfully at this point I’m not aware of any. It’s a moving target we’re monitoring, so I don’t have any specific date or time,” said Dietz.
Dietz said there are 24 students in isolation through on-campus housing, and the campus has plenty of space left for more isolation cases.
Dietz said he believes on-campus behavior by students and staff is in good compliance with mask and social distancing policy. He said he’s aware that off campus and on the weekends, that behavior has not been as consistently safe. He urged students to observe safety protocols and avoid large gatherings.
(A)t the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, between 35,000 and 40,000 students returned to campus to begin a mix of online and in-person classes that started Monday. The university has said it believes it can contain the virus, partly by testing students twice a week and processing 10,000 tests a day on campus.
The university expected that between 200 and 300 students would arrive on campus already infected with Covid-19 and that total new cases among students, faculty and staff would reach about 500 this semester. Two university professors, Nigel Goldenfeld, a professor of physics, and Sergei Maslov, a professor of bioengineering and physics, estimated that without the school’s program of frequent testing, contact tracing and isolation, the virus would spread to 20,000 students within a month.
The university’s modeling predicts that most transmission of the virus will occur at restaurants, bars and parties and in classrooms. Its saliva-based test received emergency authorization from the Food and Drug Administration earlier this month.
According to UI campus testing data, there were 263 positive cases in the five days from Wednesday through Sunday, with the average rolling positivity rate for the most recent five days being 0.74 percent.
New cases from campus testing for the five days included 30 cases Wednesday, 59 cases Thursday, 65 cases Friday, 50 cases Saturday and 59 cases Sunday.
The mayors of both Champaign and Urbana, the home of the University of Illinois, have issued orders requiring bar and restaurant patrons to to stay seated most of the time. In Champaign, Mayor Deb Feinen issued an order limiting customer seating at Campustown restaurants and bars to outdoors areas only now through Labor Day. Emergency orders from the two mayors also set crowd limits and require face masks and social distancing at private parties on and near the U of I campus.
The University of Illinois requires all students and staff to be tested for COVID-19 twice a week. A study from Harvard and Yale suggests that is the minimum threshold to safely open.
DeKalb Mayor Jerry Smith said Monday that ’several large gatherings’ were held around Northern Illinois University campus over the weekend, and said he met Monday with NIU President Lisa Freeman and other leaders to talk COVID-19 virus prevention.
“I think everybody is concerned about Northern,” Smith said. “And the fact that there may be not only some positivity but over the weekend there were several large gatherings.” […]
For students, they can pay a $7.90 per credit hour health fee to utilize nasal swab testing services at Northwestern Medicine Student Health Center in the Health Services Building on campus. Testing for students living off campus or in Greek housing is not required, the website states.
“Those who do not should seek out testing from their local providers,” she said.
Rockford University is a much smaller private school but have had to take their own precautions. Randy Worden is the university’s VP for Student Life. They have 350 students living on-campus, which is what they expected. Over the summer, he says they thought it could be much fewer because of safety restrictions.
“The actual reality has been kind of the opposite of that,” he said. “It seems like people were so ready to have a different experience than what they were having, maybe at home. Students were willing to say, ‘Okay, I understand it’s not going to be 100% of normal kind of collegiate experience, but if it’s 70 or 75, that’s good enough.”
RU removed around half of the furniture in common areas. Buildings cut occupancy in half or capped them at 50 people.
In classes, available seats have signs taped to them to try and ensure distancing. RU has installed yards of plexiglass around campus, especially in buildings and offices where hundreds of students have to interact with one person.
Northwestern University’s campus in Evanston is going to feel less crowded this fall, with residence hall capacity reduced to about 70% and more than half of all employees still working from home, school officials said Tuesday.
But those estimates didn’t fully assuage concerns from residents that students will instead move into neighborhood apartments and throw raucous parties, potentially accelerating the spread of COVID-19 in a suburb that has so far avoided an uncontrollable outbreak.
Residents raised the issue Tuesday evening during a 90-minute Zoom meeting, billed as a “community town hall,” to discuss NU’s plan for repopulating its suburban campus when classes begin next month.
In Chicago, Loyola University has closed its dorms and plans to host most classes online. DePaul University plans to offer classes in-person and online.
Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington reported 40 total COVID cases among its student population. They have returned home to isolate or are doing so in off-campus housing of their own or in university-provided housing.
Two Eastern unions are urging Eastern to “put the safety of students, employees and the community first” as the university opens this semester.
The two unions, AFSCME Local 981, which represents building service, clerical, technical and food service workers, and University Professionals of Illinois Local 4100’s Eastern chapter which represents faculty and academic support professionals, are contacting Eastern after the university’s administration ordered clerical and technical employees back to campus after months of successful work from home. […]
“We’ve tried to work with the EIU administration to protect employees, students and the community, but the answer to our proposals has consistently been ‘No’,” AFSCME Council 31 staff representative Natalie Nagel said. “EIU claims it treats employees like family. So why aren’t they enacting common-sense health and safety protocols?”
Officials at Illinois Wesleyan University announced 11 additional students have tested positive for coronavirus.
“We determined that all 11 new cases are connected to the outbreak announced last week, stemming from off-campus social gatherings in the week before classes began, where the consistent use of masks and physical distancing did not occur,” according to a news release Monday.
Originally, SIU was not going to inform the public of COVID-19 outbreaks on campus. It cited privacy concerns as the reason and refused to even release general numbers.
Although SIU eventually reversed its decision, the university will only provide one weekly generic update.
These weekly updates provide a false sense of security. The statistics published do not show every positive case on or off campus, as it is optional for students, faculty and staff who test positive for COVID to report that they work at or attend the university. Currently, the updates do not disclose any locations or the number of students in quarantine.
Additionally, anyone not living in Jackson County will not be included in the SIU count if they test positive for the virus and inform the university.
*** UPDATE *** WILL reporter…
Interesting tale of two universities here:
UIUC: Rolling COVID positivity rate: 0.7% COVID tests conducted: 105K Total enrollment (as of Fall 2019): 51,196
ISU: Rolling COVID positivity rate : 19.3% COVID tests conducted: ~2K Total enrollment (as of Fall 2019): 20,878
George Pearson, Will County Republican Chairman, told a livestream that the state GOP has helped launch the Illinois Black Republican Coalition. He and other black party leaders mean for this to be a working group for people who believe in free enterprise, school choice and self-reliance.
Bremen Township GOP Committeeman Kevin Suggs said black Republicans will combine their expertise to, in his words, “turn Illinois around.”
He said the Illinois Black Republican Coalition will be an alliance of people who share values like entrepreneurship and educational excellence.
“This is not just something we are redoing, or retooling, recreating. This is something that we believe in that we are going to make happen and we have the right people, at the right time, and are going to let the past go, we are going to move forward, in saying, ‘hey what are the key plans and steps we need to take to turn Illinois around?’” Suggs said.
“It is not about outreach. We know that there are a lot of blacks and African Americans that are out there that live this principle every single day - their business life, their family life, every single day. We are trying to build a coalition to show that you have support out here to say if you are a Republican,” he said. […]
He said the Illinois Black Republican Coalition will be an alliance of people who share values like entrepreneurship and educational excellence.
The Illinois Black Republican Coalition will supposedly be launched next month. It has no website and no Facebook page.
The Will County Republicans do appear to be walking the walk. The county party chairman, George Pearson, is an African-American as is its executive director Alyssia Benford (who ran against Rep. Natalie Manley in 2018 and got just 36 percent of the vote). And Cook County’s Bremen Township GOP Committeeman Kevin Suggs is as well. McHenry County Board member Chuck Wheeler, a Black man, also attended the announcement.
Illinois being Illinois, there are undoubtedly those who think this new project is just some election-year vaporware. We’ll see soon enough.
Illinois Republicans, facing the tug of appealing to their base and the pull of trying to grow, acknowledged the need to reach out to Hispanics and Blacks on Tuesday as part of their second-day events tied to the Republican National Convention.
But a conversation on GOP outreach hosted on Facebook by the Illinois Republican Party turned introspective with the admission that the party needs to do more to encourage support among minority communities.
“Republicans in a lot of ways have not gone to these communities. Republicans have not addressed the Hispanic community or marginalized communities,” said Catalina Lauf, an unsuccessful northwest suburban congressional candidate featured during prime time on the convention’s opening night broadcast.
A whopping 87 percent of communities replying to an Illinois Municipal League survey say they have suffered revenue losses so far, with the median decline 20 percent to 30 percent.
That’s a big, big number when most budgets generally don’t change more than a few percentage points year to year. And there are indications the figure will rise because some revenues lag and the full impact is not yet known, says league Executive Director Brad Cole.
According to the survey—227 municipalities around the state replied—reduced sales tax income is the most common source of problems, with 21.2 percent of municipalities reporting it as a “significant” cause of revenue woes in the period since March 1. Lagging gaming tax and motor-fuel tax revenues followed, at about 17 percent each, with receipts from income taxes collected by the state and passed on to local communities at 14.7 percent.
Cole said his group projects that when the money actually is passed on, his members will see an average drop of 10 percent in income tax receipts.
Survey results are here. 46.5 percent say they plan to reduce municipal personnel and/or services.
And the US Senate and House are still on vacation.
As new coronavirus cases continue to decline nationally, health officials and business leaders in rural parts of Illinois are raising alarms about rising infection rates that are fueling a steady increase in positive cases statewide.
In the past two weeks, eight of the 10 counties in Illinois with the fastest rates of new Covid-19 cases per capita were in smaller nonmetropolitan counties across the state, compared with two metro counties, according to an analysis of data tracked by Johns Hopkins University.
This is a reversal from an earlier trend, which saw Cook County, which includes Chicago, leading the state in coronavirus infections. Since March, Cook County has accounted for about 55% of the state’s Covid-19 cases. But its contribution has slowed as cases have spread to other corners of the state. In the week prior to Aug. 17, Cook County accounted for 38% of the state’s new cases.
In rural Effingham County, with a population of 34,000, cases recently surged from a few dozen in mid-July to 427 as of Sunday. That increase gave the county the highest rate of cases by population for the week ended Aug. 17, with more than 400 cases per 100,000 residents. By contrast, Cook County had a rate of about 100 cases per 100,000 residents for that week.
Effingham County had a 7.7 percent test positivity rate last week, according to IDPH data. Chicago’s rate was 5 percent. Effingham County reported 251 new cases per 100k population, while Chicago reported 84.
There will be a local Republican gathering on the final night of the Republican National Convention.
The event is planned for 7 pm Thursday at the [Effingham] Holiday Inn.
State Representatives Blaine Wilhour, Darren Bailey, and Brad Halbrook are scheduled to attend, along with Congressional candidate Mary Miller and Judge David Overstreet.
Half of Illinois high school students reported using an electronic tobacco product last year, a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey found, “erasing gains” made by health advocates in recent years to curb tobacco use.
That trend of increasing e-cigarette, hookah and vape pen use is on par with the U.S. at large, which the nation’s wellness protection agency noted was a factor that prompted the surgeon general to proclaim electronic tobacco use an “epidemic.”
Fighting traditional cigarette, cigar and smokeless tobacco use “has always been a multi-prong approach,” Shana Crews, Illinois government relations director for the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network, said in an interview. State officials and advocates passed “strong smoke-free laws” and secured increased funding for tobacco cessation and education programs.
But in Illinois, electronic cigarettes are not included in a statewide ban of smoking at virtually all public places, taxes on the products are not “at parity” with traditional tobacco products and legislative proposals to ban flavored electronic products were not addressed by the General Assembly this session.
“We need to make sure that we’re treating electronic cigarettes just as we are combustible cigarettes,” Sen. Julie Morrison, a Democrat from Deerfield and long-time anti-tobacco advocate, said in a phone interview. “We were doing so well on changing the culture of smoking and now, especially the younger generation has gone backward.”
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