* Many thanks to my dad for showing me that working for someone else was way overrated. The rest of the stuff in this song, which was like my own personal anthem for years, I “learned” on my own…
Always took candy from strangers
Didn’t wanna get me no trade
Never want to be like papa
Working for the boss ev’ry night and day
With less than three weeks until in-person classes resume, Chicago Public Schools has announced it will require all teachers and staff to get a COVID-19 vaccine by the fall.
CPS on Friday announced the vaccine mandate will affect all employees, from school-based teachers and staff to central office workers, vendors and all other Board of Education employees.
“The science is clear: higher populations of vaccinated people means better health outcomes in communities, safer places of work and public spaces,” interim CPS CEO Jose Torres said in a statement. “This is the right move for the greater good of our school communities and will help ensure we have a successful and healthy school year starting on Monday, August 30.”
Under the new policy, all CPS employees must submit proof of full vaccination by Oct. 15, except those who qualify for a medical or religious exemption. Staffers who are without an approved exemption and aren’t fully vaccinated by Oct. 15 will be ineligible to work and won’t be paid until they are fully vaccinated and provide confirmation to the district.
Per CPS, 67% of the district’s 38,000 employees are fully vaccinated as of June, the most recent data available, while 78% of all employees are either fully vaccinated, partially vaccinated or had a vaccination scheduled.
The Chicago Teachers Union supported the mandate but said the city “must do much more.” CTU leaders have called on the district to adjust the metrics that would call for a return to remote learning, and to expand school-based vaccination programs.
“We urge the mayor’s CPS team to build on this safety standard by concretely addressing critical outstanding safety issues, and investing CPS’ and the City’s $4 billion in federal relief funds in what our students and families need to return to schools safely this fall, and for schools to remain open,” the union said in a statement.
Kids as young as 12 are eligible to be vaccinated. Students are not required to be vaccinated for the upcoming school year.
Between 80% and 90% of Chicago Teachers Union members are fully vaccinated, CTU Deputy General Counsel Thad Goodchild told reporters in a virtual news conference Friday.
“Vaccines are the best tool we have to provide safety during the pandemic, to end the pandemic,” Goodchild said. “They protect not only vaccinated individuals, but all the people that vaccinated individuals come into contact with, including students under 12 years old who are not yet eligible for vaccines. So we’ve been fighting to get CPS and the city to do more in using the school system to expand vaccination program efforts.”
He continued: “It’s not our members that the city is having the most trouble getting vaccinated. It’s members of school communities and neighborhoods across the city who have good reasons not to trust local government, but they do trust the teachers in their schools. And CPS and the city need to accept our help, our members’ help in getting more Chicagoans vaccinated.”
* Pollsters always ask questions the exact same way so they can track responses over time and distance. They know that if they change the questions that the results will usually change, so comparisons become somewhat apples to oranges.
Keep that in mind when you read this from the US Census Bureau about their new questions, with emphasis added by me…
The 2020 Census used the required two separate questions (one for Hispanic or Latino origin and one for race) to collect the races and ethnicities of the U.S. population — following the standards set by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in 1997.
Building upon our research over the past decade, we improved the two separate questions design and updated our data processing and coding procedures for the 2020 Census.
This work began in 2015 with our research and testing centered on findings from our 2015 National Content Test and the designs were implemented in the 2018 Census Test.
The improvements and changes enabled a more thorough and accurate depiction of how people self-identify, yielding a more accurate portrait of how people report their Hispanic origin and race within the context of a two-question format.
These changes reveal that the U.S. population is much more multiracial and more diverse than what we measured in the past.
We are confident that differences in the overall racial distributions are largely due to improvements in the design of the two separate questions for race data collection and processing as well as some demographic changes over the past 10 years.
We are also confident, as shown in our research over the past decade, that using a single combined question for race and ethnicity in the decennial census would ultimately yield an even more accurate portrait of how the U.S. population self-identifies, especially for people who self-identify as multiracial or multiethnic. […]
It is important to note that these data comparisons between the 2020 Census and 2010 Census race data should be made with caution, taking into account the improvements we have made to the Hispanic origin and race questions and the ways we code what people tell us.
“Caution.”
* With that clear warning in mind, here’s the Tribune…
Overall, in the five collar counties, the white population declined by 183,869 over the past decade with the most significant drops in DuPage, down 54,689, and Lake, down 50,352. DuPage’s population has gone from 70.5% white to 63.4%, while Lake’s population has moved from 65.2% white to 57.2%.
At the same time, the five suburban counties showed an increase of 102,725 Latino residents. Will County’s loss of 37,159 white residents was offset by an increase in 31,975 Latino residents. DuPage’s loss of whites was countered by an increase of 22,785 Latino residents as well as an increase of 27,189 Asian residents.
Cook County’s population, including Chicago, also has grown more diverse and, like the collar county suburbs, has seen a significant drop in the number of white residents.
Over the decade, the county’s white population declined by 143,115 and now represents 40.5% of its residents. The county’s Black population also declined, by 80,177, and now makes up 22.5% of the population. In contrast, the Latino population increased by 138,016 and they now make up the county’s second largest racial or ethnic group, increasing to 26.2% of the population.
The number of people listed as white alone, 7.8 million people, represented 64% of the population, but that category dropped 14.3% during the 10-year period. The number saying they were white and at least another race rose by 334%, or 820,879.
Those listing their race in the Census as Black alone, 1.8 million people, dropped 3.1% between 2010 and 2020, but the number saying they were Black and at least one other race increased by 76,243, or almost 89%.
The data released Thursday reflected overall growth trends and demographic shifts for the Chicago region that have been reflected in census estimates the past few years — stagnant growth overall with little or no growth for white and Black residents, while the numbers of Latinos and Asians increase at much faster rates.
The data show that white residents are Chicago’s largest group, but their numbers grew by just 1% over the past decade from roughly 855,000 in 2010 to about 864,000 in 2020. While annual census estimates the past few years had established that white residents surpassed Black residents as the city’s largest group, this is the first decennial census count to reflect that since 1980.
Latinos and Asians were the fastest growing groups in those areas with their numbers increasing across the board at levels ranging from 7% to 39%. Conversely, the number of white residents declined in each of those areas at levels ranging from 7% to nearly 11%.
“These changes reveal that the U.S. population is much more multiracial and more racially and ethnically diverse than what we measured in the past,” said Nicholas Jones, from the U.S. Census Bureau. “We are confident that the differences in overall racial distributions are largely due to improvements in the designs of the two separate questions for race data, collection and processing, as well as some demographic changes over the past 10 years.”
* Meanwhile, this Capitol News Illinois story is interesting…
The Census Bureau also developed what it calls a “diversity index,” which attempts to measure how racially diverse a given population is. It is based on the probability that any two people chosen at random from the population would be from different races.
Illinois’ diversity index was listed as 60.3 percent, which is just below the national average but still in the second-highest quintile of states. Hawaii was ranked as the most diverse, with an index value of 76 percent, while Maine was the least diverse, at 18.5 percent.
* Background is here if you need it. From Dan Kovats, Executive Director, Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association…
Dear IDCCA Supporter,
We look forward to seeing you at the 2021 Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Brunch.
We have received a strong response from Democrats all over the state. Our friends, colleagues and allies are eager to welcome our special guest, US Senator Jon Ossoff of Georgia, hear from our outstanding Democratic leaders and also share in the pride as we honor John Penn and the late Barb Brown.
BRUNCH WILL BE HELD OUTSIDE AT THE CROWNE PLAZA - SPRINGFIELD
The 2021 IDCCA Annual Brunch will be held outdoors under a tent with open sides to further mitigate any concerns from attendees about the coronavirus. Plan to spend the morning outside under the tent. Pay attention to the weather forecast, we can expect heat and humidity, and dress accordingly. The schedule remains the same, but here are some new details.
IDCCA Annual Brunch Wednesday, August 18th
7:15am – Shuttle Bus from parking lot starts
7:30am – On-Site Registration Opens
9:00am – Program Begins Crowne Plaza- Springfield, 3000 S. Dirksen Parkway, Springfield
Covid Guidelines
1. We recommend that everyone in attendance wear a mask.
2. Seating capacity is limited with special precautions given to wide rows of seats and space between seats for social distancing.
3. All meals will be in boxes that you will be given when you arrive. Items in the boxes will be wrapped. Packaged hot sandwiches will be provided.
4. We have modified our ticket pick up and have a virtual option to participate.
5. Crowne Plaza staff will be taking all proper precautions.
6. We will have access to the Crown Plaza for restrooms and cooling off. Inside the Crowne Plaza you will be required to wear a mask.
Ticket Pick-Up Tickets will be held under the name of each guest.
On Tuesday, August 17th, tickets will be available for pick up from 12:00pm to 8:00pm at the Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association Office – 318 E Monroe St, Springfield.
We are asking everyone to pick up their tickets on Tuesday afternoon. This will help reduce the long lines on the morning of the Brunch. If you are unable to make it to our office on Tuesday afternoon, your ticket will also be available for pick up the morning of the Brunch starting at 7:30am outside of the Crowne Plaza.
Please note, tickets will be required for entry.
If you have not already done so, please submit the individual names for your tickets to xxxxx@ildccabrunch.org ASAP!
Parking
You will not be able to park at the Crowne Plaza, unless you have a handicapped permit. We have provided free parking at the Capitol City Shopping Center just south of the Crowne Plaza, with a shuttle starting at 7:15am running continuously until 11:00 am. Note: You will be required to wear a mask while on the shuttle. Special Accommodation We are providing ASL interpreters and accessible seating for those with need. For more information or to request special accommodations please contact xxxxx@ildccabrunch.org
Again, thank you for your support of the Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association and this year’s County Chairs’ Brunch.
Questions? Please contact our staff at xxxxx.
I’ll be asking for a response from the Pritzker campaign in a moment.
*** UPDATE *** From Pritzker’s campaign spokesperson…
After deciding not to attend the IDCCA brunch the Governor made plans with his family back in Chicago. He will be sending a video message about the importance of electing Democrats up and down the ballot and will still be hosting a scaled-back outdoor event on the Director’s Lawn in honor of Governor’s Day.
A governor who can afford a private jet can make plans like this, I suppose. Still.
(To address potential comments, yes, he’s coming back to his State Fair event that afternoon.)
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 21,334 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 92 additional deaths since reporting last Friday, August 6, 2021. Currently, 76% of Illinois adults have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose and more than 59% of Illinois adults are fully vaccinated, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,457,687 cases, including 23,594 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Since reporting on Friday, August 6, 2021, laboratories have reported 421,009 specimens for a total of 27,609,781. As of last night, 1,652 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 345 patients were in the ICU and 162 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from August 6-12, 2021 is 5.1%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from August 6-12, 2021 is 5.9%.
A total of 13,510,873 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 30,737 doses. Since reporting on Friday, August 6, 2021, 215,157 doses were reported administered in Illinois.
*All data are provisional and will change. Additional information and COVID-19 data can be found at http://www.dph.illinois.gov/covid19.
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said Thursday that Normal is a finalist for a new Samsung battery manufacturing plant that could add thousands of jobs adjacent to Rivian’s facility and cement central Illinois as a Midwestern electric vehicle hub.
Rumors about a potential massive economic development project have swirled in Bloomington-Normal for the past week. Economic Development Council chief Patrick Hoban teased the project Aug. 5 during an event at Illinois Wesleyan, as WGLT first reported. He didn’t specify which industry or company was involved, but said a potential “billion-dollar deal” was possible, and that Bloomington-Normal was one of three finalists for the project. […]
“We’re competing for a major Samsung battery facility,” Durbin said. “The delegation came from (South) Korea this week. I spoke to them, and others did as well. This Samsung facility, we hope, would be located next door to Rivian. That decision has not been made. Having that battery facility will also create thousands of jobs.”
State Rep. Dan Brady, a Bloomington Republican, told WGLT on Thursday that he’s heard the Samsung plant will employ up to 3,200 people.
Sen. Durbin might’ve been better off keeping his mouth shut, but whatever. Too late now.
* DCEO’s Lauren Huffman had a purposefully vague response to my query, likely to not upset the company…
The Pritzker administration is bullish about building a clean energy future for Illinois – and part of that is making a concerted effort to boost electric vehicle and supplier manufacturing here in Illinois. We remain in regular conversation with a number of companies in this space but it is against our policy to comment on any specifics.
Last month, Reuters reported that Samsung SDI, an affiliate of Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (005930.KS), may build a battery cell plant in the United States. Reuters also reported that Samsung SDI has been in talks to supply batteries manufactured at a potential U.S. factory with electric vehicle makers including Stellantis (STLA.MI) and Rivian, which is backed by Amazon (AMZN.O) and Ford Motor Co (F.N). read more
The South Korean battery maker is considering investing at least 3 trillion won ($2.62 billion) to manufacture batteries for Stellantis and a minimum of 1 trillion won for batteries to Rivian, according to the source.
The source added that Samsung SDI has not yet decided whether to launch the U.S. plant as a joint venture with carmakers, or as an independent manufacturing site.
Samsung SDI officials have been making business trips to Detroit recently to discuss battery supply issues with Stellantis, a person with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.
* Again, we’ll get to demographics in a bit. Brenden Moore…
All but 14 of Illinois’ 102 counties experienced population decline this past decade, but the distribution was uneven, with eight counties in populous northeastern Illinois (Cook County, the five suburban “collar” counties and exurban Grundy and Kendall counties) combining for nearly 149,000 in population growth. […]
With state legislative Democrats controlling the [remap] process, it is likely conservative downstate will lose representation as the party seeks to maximize its political advantage, which lately has been the Chicago suburbs.
“That’s the area that has become the political battleground,” Redfield said. “If the Democrats are gaining ground in the suburbs and losing ground downstate or the Republicans are gaining ground downstate and losing ground in the suburbs, then those demographic trends obviously favor the Democrats.”
“Some of the narratives we have of decline haven’t really been that accurate,” Paral said. “The suburban portion grew too — barely — but it held its own.” […]
Perhaps a partial reflection of the slowing suburban trend lines, Chicago’s growth came during a decade when the city poached dozens of corporate headquarters from nearby suburbs and saw an influx of young professionals and baby boomers snapping up condos and apartments in and near downtown. […]
Since 1950, the Chicago suburbs in many cases have experienced rapid, double-digit growth, decade over decade. Prior to the 2020 census, 8% marked the smallest population increase for suburban Cook combined with the five surrounding collar counties of DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will.
Over the last decade, those suburbs grew collectively by just 1.4%.
Paral, however, noted that while the growth was smaller, all of the counties in the region did increase their individual populations — including suburban Cook County, which he said is beset with some struggling suburbs that make it more prone to population loss.
Suburban areas grew at roughly the same pace as Chicago. Suburban Cook County and the five collar counties — DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties — each witnessed growth of less than 3%. […]
Aurora remains the second-largest city in Illinois, but it saw a steep drop in population, falling from about 198,000 in 2010 to about 181,000 in 2020, according to the data released Thursday. With more than 150,000 residents, Joliet has overtaken Rockford as the state’s third-largest city. Naperville ranks fourth, and Rockford slides to fifth.
Naperville grew by 5% over the past decade, bringing its population to 149,540, according to 2020 U.S. Census Bureau statistics released Thursday. […]
Newly released census data also shows the populations in DuPage and Will counties rose 2% and 3% respectively over the 10 years. Both counties encompass a portion of Naperville.
DuPage remains the second largest county in the state with 932,877 residents, up from 916,924 in 2010. That gives it a population density of 2,845.9 people per square mile.
Will County is the fourth largest in Illinois. With 696,355 residents counted in 2020, compared to 677,560 in 2010, it has a population density of 833.1 people per square mile.
Aurora kept its standing as the second-largest city in Illinois, but its population decreased by around 17,000 residents over the past decade, according to U.S. Census Bureau statistics released Thursday. […]
Aurora officials are concerned about a possible serious undercount of residents during the census, and are doing a deeper dive into the numbers.
Aurora had a number of outreach efforts designed to get people to take part in the census, including a census day in late September 2020 where city officials and volunteers hit the streets in some of the city’s harder-to-count areas in hopes of getting as many people counted as possible before the Sept. 30, 2020, census deadline.
City officials have pointed out in the past that each person that goes uncounted costs the city about $1,800 in lost gas, sales and income tax from the state, as well as in federal funding. That adds up to $18,000 a person when figured over the next 10 years.
Chicago remains the 3rd largest city in the U.S., according to data released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau. The city’s population grew by nearly 51,000 from 2010 to 2020.
Chicago rebounded from a hefty population loss in the first decade of the 2000s to add about 50,000 residents over the last 10 years, but once-robust growth in the surrounding suburbs has slowed to a crawl, according to new 2020 census data released Thursday. […]
The decennial population count put Chicago’s total at 2,746,388 residents — a 1.9% increase over the 2010 census. The six-county region grew to 8,445,866 people — a 1.6% increase over a decade ago. […]
Chicago’s overall population gain is in striking contrast to the previous decade, when the city lost 200,000 residents, a 6.9% decrease. […]
Rob Paral, a researcher with the Great Cities Institute at the University of Illinois Chicago, called the results showing Chicago’s population gain a “good census” for the city, noting that it bucked expectations from previous surveys that predicted population losses.
“Some of the narratives we have of decline haven’t really been that accurate,” Paral said. “The suburban portion grew too — barely — but it held its own.”
Even though the city added more than 50,000 Chicagoans since 2010, it still has almost 150,000 fewer people than 20 years ago, a total decrease of about 5.1 %. […]
Overall, the city’s population grew nearly 2% from 2010 to 2020 — from 2.6 million residents to 2.7 million, according to data released from the 2020 census. That’s a change from the population decline the city had experienced from 2000 to 2010, when the city lost nearly 7% of its population. […]
Chicago did not grow as much as other large American cities. Houston, the fourth-largest city in the U.S., grew by nearly 10% in its population from 2010 to 2020, according to the census. Houston now has a population of 2.3 million people. […]
The growth in Chicago follows a national trend of more Americans living in metropolitan areas, said Marc Perry, a senior demographer with the bureau. In 2000, 84% of the country’s population lived in metropolitan areas, but that number grew to 86% by 2020.
Among the nation’s 10 largest cities, Chicago’s growth was the smallest at 1.9 percent. New York added more than 600,000 people, Los Angeles a little more than 100,000 and Houston about 200,000.
Phoenix grew 11.2 percent to a little more than 1.6 million, displacing Philadelphia as the nation’s fifth-largest city.
Not sure if you’ve heard, but they say everything is bigger in Texas. Everything except the state’s largest city, apparently.
While Houston couldn’t pass Chicago this time around, in our hearts we know it deserves the top spot in every single category.
I admit I’ve never even been to Illinois, so I asked new Chronicle reporter and Chicago transplant Sam González Kelly to tell me about the place he calls home.
Houston, listen to this nonsense — you’ll be madder at Chicago than that time it stole Whataburger from us.
* We’re going to take yesterday’s Census news in chunks today. We’ll start with Downstate…
“We see a strong relationship to population size with small counties tending to lose population and more populous counties tending to gain people,” [Marc Perry, senior demographer in the US Census Bureau’s Population Division] said.
In general, across the country, Perry said people are moving to larger cities.
“Counties with 1,000 to 5,000 people, 5,000 to 10,000 people and 10,000 to 50,000 people also lost people this decade on average,” Perry said. “Only two categories of counties showed growth. Counties with between 50,000 and 100,000 people grew by 4.1% while counties with 100,000 or more people grew by 9.1%.”
Downstate Illinois is continuing to hollow out, with U.S. Census data, released Thursday afternoon, confirming the region’s losses as the main driver of the state’s population loss over the past 10 years.
All but 14 of Illinois’ 102 counties experienced population decline this past decade, but the distribution was uneven, with eight counties in populous northeastern Illinois (Cook County, the five suburban “collar” counties and exurban Grundy and Kendall counties) combining for nearly 149,000 in population growth.
But, the rest of the state combined to lose nearly 167,000 people, creating a net loss of more than 18,000 residents and making Illinois just one of three states to lose population this decade. […]
There were some pockets of downstate growth, with Champaign’s population increasing 8.2% to 88,302, making it one of the state’s 10 largest cities. Bloomington also registered a 2.6% jump to 78,680.
Other areas of growth included Carroll, Effingham, Johnson, Monroe and Williamson counties.
The Danville, Illinois, area was among 72 metro areas that lost population between the 2010 and 2020 census. The area just west of the Illinois/Indiana border saw the third-largest percentage decline of those 72, losing 12.5% of its population, according to the Census Bureau.
Kendall County, located about 50 miles southwest of Chicago and home to communities including Oswego and Yorkville, was Illinois’ fastest-growing county, growing nearly 15%.
Downstate, Carroll, McLean, Champaign, Effingham, Monroe, Williamson and Johnson counties showed slight growth.
But several downstate counties suffered significant population losses of at least 10%, including some in western and southern Illinois. Alexander County at the southwestern tip of the state had the biggest loss, shedding 36% of its residents over the decade, shrinking from 8,238 people to 5,240.
* And while some college towns increased population, others did not…
Coles County’s population dropped nearly 13% in the past decade, from 53,873 in 2010 to 46,863 in 2020, according to new U.S. Census numbers.
This came as a disappointment for Mattoon City Administrator Kyle Gill.
“I figured we might see a drop in numbers, but I didn’t expect it to be that much,” said Gill. “Especially for the whole county.”
Mattoon dropped from 18,555 people in 2010 to 16,870 in 2020. Charleston also shrank in population from 21,838 to 17,286. […]
Jackson County, home of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, was down 12%. McDonough County, home of Western Illinois University, had a 16.5% decline.
In Sangamon County, 2010’s population of 197,465 dropped 0.57%, or 1,122 people, to 196,343. The city of Springfield’s population dropped 1.5%, from 116,250 in 2010 to 114,394 in 2020. […]
Molly Berns, executive director of the Springfield-Sangamon County Regional Planning Commission, said the drop in Springfield and Sangamon County’s population wasn’t as large as predicted based on 2019 population estimates from the Census Bureau.
“You never want to be pleased with a population decline,” she said. “I was kind of bracing myself. We knew there was going to be some sort of drop in the population.”
Berns said Springfield and Sangamon County, like communities across Illinois and the Midwest, are experiencing the effects of an aging population, couples having fewer children, a reduction in manufacturing and other good-paying jobs, and the allure of major metropolitan areas for young adults and warmer climates for older people.
— Congresswoman Mary Miller (@RepMaryMiller) August 3, 2021
But, here’s the thing. Miller lives in Coles County, which lost 13 percent of its population in ten years. The Danville area is also in her district and lost 12.5 percent of its population.
So, maybe try a little less Chicago-bashing and a whole lot more focusing on solving the very real problems in her own neighborhoods?
The wife of a state trooper issued an impassioned plea to distracted drivers as Governor JB Pritzker signed a law to toughen enforcement of Scott’s Law.
Scott’s Law requires drivers to slow down and move over for first responders to protect them as they do their job.
“I got the phone call that every spouse of a first responder dreads and all they said is it’s bad, but he’s breathing,” said Lauren Frank, Illinois state trooper’s wife.
That phone call came on a snowy day in February. Illinois State Trooper Brian Frank made one final stop at the end of his shift to help a motorist. A driver doing 80 miles per hour on I-55 slammed into the back of Frank’s squad car, leaving him with traumatic brain injuries.
“Today Brian remains in a minimally conscious state. The roller coaster that we’ve been on for six months has been excruciating. And it was all preventable,” Frank said.
Preventable if the driver had slowed down and moved over as Scott’s Law requires.
Seventeen crashes involving Illinois state troopers or their vehicles have occurred in 2021 as a result of violations to the state’s traffic law known as “Scott’s Law.”
Gov. JB Pritzker signed a new law Thursday, Senate Bill 1913, allowing judges to issue community service among other penalties to those violating the law, which requires drivers to slow down and change lanes when there is a first responder present with flashing lights stopped on the roadway. The measure was sponsored by Sen. Julie Morrison, D-Lake Forest, and Rep. Janet Yang Rohr, D-Naperville, and will take effect in January. […]
[Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly] said one of the laws signed by Pritzker, House Bill 3656, makes it easier to prosecute drivers violating the law.
That language says, “Drivers of vehicles approaching a stationary emergency vehicle in any lane shall heed the warning of the signal, reduce the speed of the vehicle, proceed with due caution, maintain a safe speed for road conditions, be prepared to stop, and leave a safe distance until safely passed the stationary emergency vehicle.”
That law, sponsored by Chicago Democrats Rep. Fran Hurley and Sen. Antonio Muñoz, also creates a “Move Over Early Warning Task Force” made up of members appointed by state agencies and law enforcement entities to study ways to better enforce road safety and alert drivers to hazards.
In addition to strengthening Scott’s Law, the state is making mental health services easier to access for paramedics, police and firefighters.
“Our first responders face intense physical and mental health challenges every single day on the job. We want our first responders and their loved ones to know the signs to know what they need and most importantly, to how to get help,” Pritzker said. […]
Emergency professionals experience higher rates of PTSD and depression than the general population.
Friday, Aug 13, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Illinois’ clean energy future—and the thousands of union jobs in line to build it—is in jeopardy if Springfield doesn’t act by Aug. 31.
Tell your state legislator to pass a clean energy bill that creates new union jobs, expands apprenticeships for Black and Latinx communities, safeguards the state’s clean-energy nuclear plants and increases energy efficiency for public schools.
Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) was heckled by a Republican Senate candidate at a recent fundraising event after he refused to say that the 2020 presidential election was stolen.
“There are certain states with problems, but don’t kid yourself into believing that’s why we lost,” Crenshaw told Bobby Piton, a 2022 Senate candidate for the state of Illinois, referring to Donald Trump’s baseless claims that the 2o20 election was fraudulent. “It’s not; it’s not. I’ll tell you openly.”
Crenshaw’s refusal to validate lies pushed by the former president and his supporters prompted Piton to shout, “You’re wrong. You’re wrong!”
The Texas Republican maintained that he was not wrong, which led to Piton claiming he had “proof in Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Georgia.”
An aggravated Crenshaw noted that Piton had already told him about his thoughts on the ballot review of Maricopa County, adding, “And how’d that turn out?”
Piton went on to say that the audit would flip the election results, which Crenshaw assured the crowd would not happen.
Chicago grew by about 50,000 residents over the last decade, according to 2020 U.S. Census data released Thursday.
The decennial population count put Chicago’s total at 2,746,388 residents — a 1.9% increase over the 2010 total. The Chicago number was revealed during a Washington news conference. More detailed county and regional data is expected later Thursday.
Chicago’s gain in population is a stark contrast to the previous decade, when the the city lost 200,000 residents — a 6.9% decrease.
Chicago remains the third largest city in the U.S. despite worries about population loss, according to data released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau. […]
But Illinois lost population from 2010 to 2020, according to the data, mostly in the southern and western part of the state.
* Click the pic for a better view if you need it of Chicago’s historical demographic trend from Frank Calabrese…
Interesting stuff there. This post will likely be updated.
* From 32nd Ward Democratic Committeeperson Scott Waguespack and 43rd Ward Democratic Committeeperson Lucy Moog to Cook County Central Committee Chair Toni Preckwinkle…
August 2, 2021
Toni Preckwinkle Chair
Cook County Democratic Party 134 N. LaSalle
Chicago, IL 60602
Dear Chairwoman Preckwinkle:
On June 5, the Cook County Democratic Party held a candidate forum for IL Secretary of State. When the candidates were questioned by the Committeepeople, former State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias was asked whether he had ever endorsed a republican candidate; and specifically, whether he did so, in the 2014 race for Illinois Treasurer of Mike Frerichs vs. Tom Cross. Mr. Giannoulias replied that he said a few nice things about Tom Cross but did not endorse.
We are reaching out today to ask a formal request of the party to explore and determine whether an endorsement was made in 2014 by then Treasurer Giannoulias. If a candidate for the Democratic nomination were to have endorsed a republican in the past, this would be critical information for our fellow Committeepeople to know before going into the Party slating process this fall. Just this past year, we investigated and sanctioned one of our own Committeepersons for supporting a republican candidate for countywide office, recognizing our duty and importance of supporting the Democratic ticket.
We are available to answer any questions about this this request and hope that a subcommittee can get to the truth of what transpired in the fall of 2014. To keep a strong and vibrant party, we need to make sure everyone is playing for the same team with commitment and loyalty.
Thank you for your consideration.
Waguespack has endorsed Ald. Pat Dowell for SoS. Moog has endorsed Anna Valencia.
* Preckwinkle’s reply…
August 11, 2021
Committeepersons Waguespack and Moog:
We are in receipt of your letter dated August 2 in reference to a statement made by Secretary of State candidate Giannoulias at our June 5 forum. The Executive Committee met on August 9 and chose to provide this response.
Mr. Giannoulias’ actions regarding the 2014 race for state treasurer were widely covered at the time in local media outlets, so additional research on our part is unnecessary. Articles appeared in both the Chicago Tribune (https://www.chicagotribune.com/politics/chi-democrat-giannoulias-backs-republican-cross-for-state-treasurer-20140921-story.html) and Chicago Sun Times (https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2014/9/21/18592294/giannoulias-a-democrat backs -republican-cross-for-treasurer). We have also searched the Illinois State Board of Elections and have not found any records of Mr. Giannoulias making a donation to Republican Tom Cross. Please feel free to share this public information as you see fit.
* Giannoulias, a Democrat, backs Republican Cross for treasurer: Former state treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, a Democrat, is throwing his support behind Republican Tom Cross in the current race for treasurer, opting to not support fellow Democrat Mike Frerichs.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Hanah Jubeh…
Seven years ago, Alexi said something nice about a candidate from another party. It was not an endorsement and it is certainly not what voters care about. Alexi is running to protect voter rights and modernize the office so we can reduce the lines at driver’s license facilities across the State. These false attacks are exactly what’s wrong with politics today and are what frustrate voters. Right now, people want to elect candidates who care about public service, are committed to restoring faith in government and will work hard for them to make a positive impact in their daily lives.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Greg Hinz got Frerichs on the record…
“He called me this spring, and apologized for endorsing Cross,” Frerichs told me. And Giannoulias did use the word “endorsed” in their talk, Frerichs said. “From my perspective, this all is in the past now.”
* I’m not a huge fan of focusing on case counts these days since people are vaccinated and, therefore, fewer will wind up hospitalized than they would have last November. But the vax rate in Jackson County is under 40 percent, and that’s a recipe for possible disaster…
A single-day record for new COVID-19 cases has been set in Jackson County.
The Jackson County Health Department was notified of 115 cases Wednesday, eclipsing the previous daily record of 87 cases from November 12.
Through the first 11 days of August, the department says there have been 451 new cases in Jackson County, which exceeds every monthly case total except for Nov. 2020 through January 2021.
25 percent of August cases have been in teenagers and younger children.
Get your shots and mask up, folks. We don’t want to wind up like Florida or Texas.
Federal public health officials say COVID-19 is now spreading at a high rate across nearly all of Illinois as the Delta-fueled surge lifts infections to the highest level seen statewide in four months.
Transmission is considered high in all but 13 of Illinois’ 102 counties, including the entire Chicago area except for northwest suburban McHenry County, according to metrics set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And the spread is still labeled “substantial” in McHenry and nine of the other remaining counties.
The CDC laid out the sobering color-coded state map Wednesday as the Illinois Department of Public Health reported 3,933 new cases of the disease, the most in a day since April 9.
The state is now averaging nearly 3,000 new COVID-19 diagnoses each day, a rate that has multiplied by eight since the first week of July.
The seven-day average statewide positivity rate is up to 5.1%, which marks a seven-month high, while the total of 1,558 hospitalized coronavirus patients is the greatest burden facing Illinois care centers since May 15.
Some two weeks after the opening day of Lollapalooza, the music festival shows no signs of having been a “super spreader event,” the city’s top public health official said Thursday.
Of the approximately 385,000 people who attended, 203 attendees have been diagnosed with COVID-19, Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Allison Arwady said Thursday during a news conference at City Hall. As of Wednesday, none of those who tested positive have had to be hospitalized or have died, Arwady said.
For instance…
There was a time Pritzker/Ezike said restaurants/bars were driving spread, citing data, Lightfoot/Arwady said no then reversed themselves.
Outdoor events are safer than most. No doubt. Lolla probably wasn't as bad as naysayers thought. But, it's definitely complicated. https://t.co/f1V76v87hk
* The governor’s people admitted to me that he misspoke at the very end because, in context, he was actually talking about people dying from getting the vaccine, not from the disease. Still, he should be more careful because all he’s doing is giving ammo to those who would sow doubt…
A digital civil rights group says Illinois’ “Vax Verify” program is a step in the wrong direction, and the worst they’ve seen yet.
Electronic Frontier Foundation Director of Engineering Alexis Hancock reviews such systems from around the country and said Illinois’ program requiring people to verify their information through credit tracking firm Experian is severely flawed.
“This system is horrible in Illinois,” Hancock said. “Using Experian is definitely one of the worst ones I’ve seen yet.”
Hancock raised concerns about what that means for people who are not vaccinated, or may even be undocumented residents with little to no trackable credit history, among other issues.
“If you have frozen your credit for whatever reason, you have to unfreeze your credit with Experian in order to actually access a vaccination record from this Vax Verify system.”
Then there’s what she called “scope creep,” and how consumers could be impacted without proper protection to prevent private businesses from tracking citizens. […]
A spokesperson for the ACLU of Illinois said showing vaccine proof is good for public health and expects such measures would withstand legal challenges.
Yeah, I think I’d go with the ACLU on this sort of thing.
This year billions of dollars in U.S. pandemic relief for small businesses finally made it to minority neighborhoods, reaching hair salons, daycares and restaurants in some of the poorest and most-segregated urban areas of the nation.
So far the infusion of Paycheck Protection Program funds has failed to translate into a meaningful economic recovery in many of these neighborhoods, data compiled by Bloomberg show.
Nowhere is this more on display than in Chicago, the only metro area tracked by Bloomberg where majority-Black zip codes have received more stimulus dollars per capita than White areas—albeit by a small amount—yet the pace of business reopenings is lagging and the local rate of Black unemployment is high. PPP loans are forgiven if businesses use a large part of the funds to keep employees on payroll, and the struggle to access federal aid early on in the crisis meant many small firms couldn’t stave off layoffs or even closures.
* The folks in Marissa and everywhere else need to finally come to the realization that this is not 2020 COVID…
The number of kids infected with Covid-19 is soaring as the highly contagious Delta variant spreads and schools reopen, pushing children’s hospitals around the country to the brink.
Nearly 1,600 kids with Covid-19 were hospitalized last week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — a new seven-day record and a 27 percent increase from the week before. Tennessee’s health commissioner expects the state’s children’s hospitals to be full by the week’s end. Louisiana reached that point more than a week ago. And Arkansas’ only children’s hospital has just two ICU beds remaining.
As dire as the situation is now, hospital leaders and public health officials predict it will get even worse in the coming weeks. They are already contending with unseasonably high levels of RSV, a respiratory virus that can be dangerous for young children and infants. Flu season is on the horizon. And schools across the country are welcoming children back, creating opportunities for Covid-19 and other viruses to spread even faster.
Edward Hospital in Naperville and Elmhurst Hospital, which are part of the same system, saw patients nearly double in a week, with 52 on Wednesday compared to 28 on Aug. 4.
Sixteen of the 52 patients were vaccinated, spokeswoman Janet Hosey said. “The vaccinated COVID-19 inpatients are predominantly immunocompromised or elderly,” she said.
* How the Pandemic Now Ends: The ventilation in our buildings can be improved. Scientists should be able to create vaccines against the existing coronaviruses. Western people can wear masks when they’re sick, as many Asian societies already do. Workplaces can offer paid-sick-leave policies and schools can ditch attendance records “so that they’re not encouraging people to show up sick,” Wiley said. All of these measures could be as regular a part of our lives as seat belts, condoms, sunscreen, toothpaste, and all the other tools that we use to protect our health. The current pandemic surge and the inevitability of endemicity feel like defeats. They could, instead, be opportunities to rethink our attitudes about the viruses we allow ourselves to inhale.
* Background is here if you need it. From the attorney for Timothy Christian Schools to the Illinois State Board of Education…
August 11, 2021
Via Electronic Mail
Mr. Derreck Langwith
Illinois State Board of Education
100 W. Randolph Street, Suite 14-300 Chicago, IL 60601
RE: Nonpublic Recognition Status of Timothy Christian Schools
Good evening, Mr. Langwith:
Our client, Timothy Christian Schools, is in receipt of a letter from Dr. Ayala notifying the school that ISBE is removing its status as a recognized nonpublic school, effective immediately, based on ISBE’s perception that the school will not comply with the universal masking requirement in Executive Order 2021-18.
First, Timothy Christian Schools never communicated its intent to be non-compliant with the Order; and second, neither staff nor students have returned to school for SY21-22, as classes do not begin until August 25th. This was communicated in written and video messages to the Timothy community, and was explicitly told to Dr. Ayala when she called Superintendent Matt Davidson late this afternoon.
Nevertheless, in order to be crystal clear, on behalf of Timothy Christian Schools, we are writing to inform you that Timothy has no intention of defying the Executive Order; Timothy will observe the Order effective immediately, even though school is not in session for two weeks. We trust this statement will be sufficient to reinstate the school’s recognition status, effective immediately, and without blemish to the school’s record.
With this behind us, I would welcome the opportunity to have an amicable conversation about the rules under which the school’s recognition was “immediately” revoked, in order to clear up any misunderstanding of the State’s authority. Regardless of our understanding, please know that Timothy will fully comply with the Executive Order.
We thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Vanessa V. Clohessy
* From Timothy Christian Schools Superintendent Matt Davidson to parents…
Team Timothy:
The support for our school is overwhelming. Thank you! Our mission here at Timothy is all about the kids and always has been about the kids. Therefore, we are working with ISBE on the restoration of our recognition status and have informed them that Timothy intends to comply with the Executive Order. We expect to hear from them shortly, so stay tuned. We are hopeful. Please continue to pray.
Our professional conviction is that we cannot allow such significant consequences as outlined by ISBE to adversely impact our children. Many of our high school students are looking forward to IHSA athletics and other activities; many are counting on college scholarships and opportunities; many of our families are receiving much-needed scholarship money from the Invest in Kids Act; and as a PreK-12 school, it particularly doesn’t feel right to have our children used as leverage.
As a reminder, we never stated that we would not comply with the universal mask requirement in the Executive Order to begin the school year. We simply made a schoolwide commitment to you that we would use the time before school starts to investigate this further, and I also made a clear personal pledge that I would not support outright defiance if we hit a dead end. If you haven’t watched the video, yet, I encourage you to do so. We did exactly what we said we were going to do — nothing more, and nothing less. This has never been a political matter for us. As I clearly stated in the video. This was never a fight, but rather an exploration.
Based on the current situation, we’ve determined that we will follow the Executive Order. Additional details on face coverings can be found here (see pp. 10-13). Note: face coverings are not required outdoors, so let’s plan to see each other’s faces outside.
Some will interpret this as wise…some will interpret this as cowardly…but I believe most here in the Timothy community will at least nod their head and understand the situation. This community is strong. Your support goes a long way in bringing calm for our kids. Hang in there!
More information will be coming soon. In the meantime, our entire staff is enthusiastically preparing for the start of school and welcoming your children! Let’s make this the best year in our school’s history.
* Gov. JB Pritzker signed so many bills sponsored by Sen. Robert Peters (D-Chicago) one day that somebody made the joke that it was Robert Peters Day in Illinois. The Democratic Socialist Peters gave a wide-ranging interview to Current Affairs magazine, but let’s look at this part about his methods…
Right now we have 41 out of, I believe, it’s 59 senators. 41 are Democrats. You need 30 to pass a bill. […] I will always say that I generally have about 27, 28 votes that I can rely on, generally. And I go around on every vote. I have a binder and in the binder I have a roll call sheet. I have fact sheets. I have the bill language. And so I was able to pass I think 17 bills this year, and a large part of that is I went around with my binder to everyone’s desk, every one of my colleagues. And I talked to them about the legislation. Everyone. Not only did I do that, if there was someone who was quote unquote a “moderate” Republican, I still talked to them. I said, “You know what, it’s your job to answer the question that I’m throwing at you. It’s not my job to answer it for you.” So I’m going to go up to you with my binder. And I’m going to ask you. One of the things that stands out to me: me and senator Terri Bryant, she’s a pretty right-wing Southern Illinois Republican. She has four prisons in her district. We generally don’t agree on anything. But we had a conversation about, I can’t remember what bill it was. And she said she supported it. And then she got on the floor and she praised me, the most left person in the Senate.
And my colleagues who are a little bit more moderate, they were like, “Robert, can you believe, Robert?” I said, “You know what? I just went around. I asked a question, she agreed, and we were able to move it.” Now, I don’t know if I should be saying this out loud, because I’m sure this could be used against Terri Bryant. And that would be a horrible thing. I don’t want to be someone’s negative attack ad. But the idea is being able to have those conversations.
So there’s a few bills. Some that I want to talk about publicly and some I don’t, because I want to make sure that before I introduce or work on a piece of legislation with folks that we’re in the right place and we’re ready to build on it. But there were some things I wasn’t able to get done this year that left me very disappointed. One of them is the name change bill. Particularly transgender folks who were incarcerated being unable to change their names in the public record, and often times they’re left with their dead name and it causes so many problems and so much pain and trauma for folks, so I want to make sure make people aren’t having to be re-traumatized with a dead name, so they can go buy a house, or if they’ve had a divorce, they don’t have to have that linger. So we’re going to keep pushing on this.
Either to end solitary confinement or get as close as we can to ending solitary confinement. There’s this guy Anthony Gay, he was incarcerated in solitary confinement, he hurt himself so he could be out of solitary and see the sun. I think that’s something we can move from, and I’m hopeful we can get that done, but it’s going to be tough work. I’ve talked to Anthony, to organizers, and we’re just going to have to really convince people that this doesn’t do anything to help people who are incarcerated.
The other one is protecting the end of cash bond. I know with the fact that there has been a heightened level of violence, those that represent the status quo are going to make up whatever excuse they need to to continue the incarceration machine. They’re going to try to roll back what Illinois did. I’m committed to fight them tooth and nail to prevent that from happening.
* OK, I know we generally don’t talk about stuff like this, but we do have a local angle and it’s an interesting story…
A group of U.S. lawmakers who flew from South Korea to Taiwan in June hid their itinerary from officials in Seoul so they could deny knowledge of the trip and avoid a diplomatic fallout with China, Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) revealed at a conference on Tuesday.
Duckworth, who was part of the highly watched whirlwind visit to Taipei along with Senators Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and Chris Coons (D-DE), said the morale-boosting trip—sanctioned by the Biden administration—showed the Taiwanese public “that America would not abandon them” during the island’s politically charged vaccine shortage earlier this summer.
Taiwan’s vaccine procurement was “being blockaded by China,” the senator said at an event hosted by the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). During their three-hour visit on June 6, the senators announced the donation of 750,000 Moderna vaccines to Taiwan—an amount later tripled to 2.5 million doses. […]
[Duckworth] said: “We got to South Korea, and it was very much touch and go. We weren’t sure we were going to be able to get to Taiwan. There were no commercial flights. The administration agreed with us and actually sent a military aircraft, and flew us in from a military base in South Korea to Taiwan. […]
Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen, whose government faced political pressure amid a coronavirus outbreak and a vaccine shortage at the time, met the senators at the airport. In brief remarks, she said Taiwan would “forever remember” the U.S.’ support.
llinois State Fair officials unveiled the treasured Butter Cow Wednesday in the Dairy Building on the Illinois State Fairgrounds. This year marks the 100th Anniversary of the unofficial icon, which is one of the most photographed subjects at the fair.
The 2021 Butter Cow features the Dairy Building theme “Embracing Tradition” and has been constructed to signify the 13 essential nutrients found naturally in milk, by having 13 hearts hidden into the mold. Along with the heart the cow features a young exhibitor embracing the animal.
“After a year where the world stopped, I felt including an exhibitor embracing the cow signifies the joy our youth are experiencing as they return to the fair,” said Sarah Pratt, 2021 Illinois State Fair Butter Cow Sculptor. “You only get one chance to celebrate the 100th Anniversary and hope this year’s Butter Cow will invoke those feelings of nostalgia people have experienced for generations.”
“For a lot of families, it is a picture they take year after year,” said Illinois Agriculture Director, Jerry Costello II. “To have such an iconic stop at the Illinois State Fair for 100 years is priceless.”
“Illinois Dairy Farmers are proud to carry on the tradition of the iconic butter cow at the Illinois State Fair,” said Kendra Anderson, Midwest Dairy Farmer Relations Manager. “We are especially delighted that the 2021 butter cow celebrates the return of youth exhibitors to the show ring and the other great traditions that surround the Illinois State Fair.”
The iconic sculpture will remain on display in the Dairy Building for the duration of the fair and be viewable live via the Butter Cow webcam.
Mitigations in place at the fair include: mask mandates at indoor venues, and proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test for ticketholders in the grandstand track. The Illinois Department of Public Health will have six vaccination sites at the fairgrounds.
Asked, “Should we even be here?” Pritzker responded that the conditions in 2021 aren’t comparable to 2020, when the fair was canceled.
“The big difference is we have vaccines,” the governor said, “and the vaccines work.”
* And this is from the Sun-Times story on Pritzker not attending the Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association’s indoor brunch on Governor’s Day…
State Senate President Don Harmon plans to attend and speak at the brunch, but a spokesman for the Senate Democratic leader didn’t respond to a question about whether the Oak Park Democrat will attend Pritzker’s event.
Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch will be out of town, a spokesman for the Hillside Democrat said.
Most candidates running to succeed outgoing Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White still plan to attend the county chairs’ brunch as well as host other events.
32-year-old Mario Cruz-Cortes is grateful to be alive. Just a few days ago he needed the help of a machine just to breathe.
Cortes caught a case of COVID-19 that knocked him off of his feet, seemingly overnight.
Up until a couple of weeks ago he never had health issues. He had never been in a hospital bed in his life.
Now he wants everyone to know, if he could go back in time, he’d do one thing differently: “If you could go back in time would you get the vaccine? Yeah, I would get the vaccine because…what I went through, I don’t want no one to go through it,” Cruz-Cortes shared.
Cruz-Cortes was discharged from OSF Heart of Mary Medical Center in Urbana Wednesday afternoon after spending nearly two weeks in a hospital bed, about half of that time was spent on a ventilator.[…]
The 32-year-old was brought here to OSF from Taylorville on July 30. Cruz-Cortes said he had no idea how serious the coronavirus was until he was in the thick of it, and it happened really fast.
“One day you’re moving. The next day you cannot move anymore,” he explained. […]
Cruz-Cortes told us at least one of his friends, that was originally hesitant to get vaccinated, has gotten the shot since he’s been hospitalized. He said he hopes what he went through will encourage as many people as possible to do it for their safety, and for everyone around them.
I know a lot of folks have no sympathy for those who aren’t vaccinated and then become ill. But people like Cruz-Cortes might help save a whole lot of lives.
The Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce today announced it is calling on businesses to review and implement policies that require all employees to be vaccinated before returning to the worksite, unless a valid health or religious reason is presented, or have stringent masking and testing protocols in place if vaccine requirements are not possible.
“Vaccines have been essential in the fight against Covid-19 and it’s time for businesses to make the necessary decision to mandate vaccinations,” said Jack Lavin, President & Chief Executive Officer, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce. “Many organizations, including Chamber members, have already made the decision to mandate that employees be vaccinated before returning to the office. Businesses are in a unique position to help change the direction of the pandemic, and we encourage businesses of all sizes and industries to require vaccinations so we can protect ourselves, those around us, and continue on our path to economic recovery.”
“Putting in place a vaccination policy will not only protect an organization’s own employees, but it will also protect employees across our country — from healthcare workers to teachers to delivery drivers, all of whom we would like to express our gratitude for all their support throughout the Covid-19 pandemic,” Lavin added.
