* We sure had our ups and downs this year. It’s depressing that we’re ending the year on such a negative note as far as the virus goes. But with new treatments just over the horizon and the greatest scientists this world has ever seen, maybe we really can return to some semblance of normalcy in 2022. I hope we can all recharge ahead of the new year and what’s likely to be a grinding “spring” session.
* The 2021 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best State Agency Director goes to Alicia Tate-Nadeau…
IEMA has had to do a ton of work on COVID and vaccinations, and while IDPH has been more the public face of the response…well, that’s how IEMA would prefer it, and a testament to the fact that they’ve screwed up very little. As a bonus, I thought the response to the tornadoes last week was textbook how state government is supposed to do it.
Dr. Ezike should probably own this award, but Tate-Nadeau received some really strong nominations, including that one.
* The 2021 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Spokesperson goes to Jordan Abudayyeh…
Jordan is a force and beyond that you can count on her to solve just about any problem, not even just a communications one. She works around the clock, always has a cynical joke ready and truly understands the inner workings of everything she deals with on a daily basis. JB is lucky to have her in his corner because I would not want her on the opposite team.
* The 2021 Wordslinger Golden Horseshoe Award for Best CapitolFax.Com Commenter goes to Candy Dogood…
She’s engaging, thought provoking, and always has a little gem to throw in at the end to make you think.
Oswego Willy got a lot of nominations, but he also nominated Candy Dogood, so that tipped the scale.
He’s taking a giant pile of institutional knowledge with him that will take decades to replicate. I’d also consider his leadership during the Speakership transition to be really underrated right now. There was a real threat that the caucus would turn into Lord of the Flies and he stepped up as an honest broker. That remarkable display of leadership capped a lifetime of it.
* Congratulations to everyone who won this year…
Best Legislative Assistant/District Office Manager - House Republicans: Cheri Hermes
Best Legislative Assistant/District Office Manager - House Democrats: Mika Baugher
Best Legislative Assistant/District Office Manager - Senate Democrats: Mavilen Silva
Best Legislative Assistant/District Office Manager - Senate Republicans: Tracy Weiters
Best House Democratic Campaign Staffer: Jon Maxson
Best Senate Democratic Campaign Staffer: Magen Ryan
Best House Republican Campaign Staffer: Ryan Tozer
Best Senate Republican Campaign Staffer: Roxanne Owens
Best Senate Republican Non-Campaign Staffer: Whitney Barnes
Best House Republican Non-Campaign Staffer: Joe Sculley
Best Senate Democratic Non-Campaign Staffer: Mary Hanahan
Best House Democratic Non-Campaign Staffer: Erik Lowder
Best House Democrat: House Speaker Chris Welch
Best House Republican: Rep. Seth Lewis
Best Senate Democrat: Sens. Elgie Sims and Rob Martwick
Best Senate Republican: Sen. Don DeWitte
Best Contract Lobbyist: Bukola Bello
Best In-House Lobbyist: Adrienne Alexander
Best Do-Gooder Lobbyist: Khadine Bennett
Best Legislative Liaison: Laura Vaught
Best Statewide Staffer: HW Devlin
Best State Agency Director: Alicia Tate-Nadeau
Best Spokesperson: Jordan Abudayyeh
Best CapitolFax.com Commenter: Candy Dogood
Lifetime Achievement: House Majority Leader Greg Harris
Building on efforts to make Illinois a national leader in safeguarding reproductive rights, Governor JB Pritzker signed House Bill 370, repealing the harmful Parental Notification Act (PNA). Rescinding the PNA ensures that while a pregnant minor can choose to involve a family member or legal guardian in their decision to have or not have an abortion, vulnerable youth – such as victims of rape, incest, and domestic abuse – are not compelled to do so under the law.
“With reproductive rights under attack across the nation, Illinois is once again establishing itself as a leader in ensuring access to healthcare services,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This repeal was essential, because it was the most vulnerable pregnant minors who were punished by this law: victims of rape and physical abuse in unsafe homes. I thank Representative Anna Moeller, Senator Elgie Sims and the lawmakers and advocates who have fiercely fought to repeal this law and keep vulnerable young people safe. I’m proud that Illinois continues to be a national leader in protecting reproductive rights.”
The Parental Notification Act of 1995 required doctors to notify a pregnant minor’s parent within 48 hours prior to an abortion procedure. This obstruction harmed the state’s most vulnerable youth, including victims of rape and domestic abuse, by preventing young people from accessing all of their healthcare options without fear.
“With reproductive rights under attack around the country, today we are once again affirming that in Illinois, access to reproductive healthcare will be available to those who need it,” said State Representative Anna Moeller (D-Elgin). “With the signing of the Youth Health and Safety Act, we are protecting the most vulnerable young people in our state- young people who live in such dangerous family situations that they fear abuse, homelessness or forced pregnancy and marriage when they face an unplanned pregnancy and need to access reproductive healthcare. I am grateful to Governor Pritzker for signing this legislation, my colleagues in the Illinois House who voted for this bill, House Speaker Chris Welch, House Chief of Staff Tiffany Moy and Brigid Leahy at Planned Parenthood, Khadine Bennett at the ACLU and Terry Cosgrove at Personal Pac for their tireless advocacy on this issue.”
“While several states are denying women access to reproductive health care, Illinois has again stepped forward to protect that right,” said State Senator Elgie R. Sims (D-Chicago). “Current law causes harm by placing barriers to care for young women in unsafe family situations. Personal decisions about reproductive health care will now rightfully be up to individuals and their health care providers.”
“After years of work, the Youth Health and Safety Act successfully repeals the last anti-abortion law on the books in Illinois,” said Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch (D-Hillside). “With the Governor’s signature, we are ensuring that everyone, regardless of age, has bodily autonomy and can choose who they involve in their most private and personal health decisions. I want to congratulate Reps. Anna Moeller and Kelly Cassidy for their tenacious advocacy, working alongside organizations like Planned Parenthood, ACLU and many more to ensure Illinois sends the very clear message that we will always protect the right to safe reproductive health care.”
“Access to sexual and reproductive health care starting at a young age is crucial,” said State Senator Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake). “By providing resources and education, we are giving young girls vital information to allow for free expression and bodily autonomy. The signing of House Bill 370 signals to young women that we are prioritizing them today and for generations to come.”
“When the Texas legislature, aided by the United States Supreme Court, declared open season on people seeking reproductive health care, it became very clear to me that our state is in a unique position to reach out our hands and offer a safe haven to people from Texas and other states that seek to restrict reproductive rights,” said State Representative Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago). “By repealing the Parental Notice Act, we can ensure that the most vulnerable among us are able to safely make the best decision for their own health and safety.”
To ensure lasting change, the bill also creates the Youth Health and Safety Advisory Working Group to identify laws and policies that impact parenting and pregnant youth under the age of 18. Under the purview of the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), the group will focus on reproductive safety for pregnant and parenting youth as well as preventing human trafficking. The working group will discuss topics around consent to medical care, treatment, pregnancy and post-pregnancy, and healthcare provisions. The Governor will appoint four members with at least two members under the age of 18. The advisory group is required to present a report and any recommendations by July 1, 2023.
“The Parental Notice of Abortion was designed to restrict access to abortion without regard for the harm suffered when essential health care is denied,” said Colleen K. Connell, executive director of the ACLU of Illinois. “We saw that unnecessary harm PNA inflicted on young people, including young people forced to parent, kicked out of their homes, fearing physical and verbal abuse and losing the opportunity to finish high school or go to college. Over the past eight years, we have represented hundreds of young people forced to go to court and share the most personal aspects of their lives with a stranger. Repealing PNA at this critical moment continues the effort in Illinois to ensure that all people have the ability to make their own reproductive health care decisions. With courageous champions the House and Senate – and leadership in the Governor’s office – Illinois can continue to be a beacon for reproductive freedom across the country.”
“As a volunteer judicial bypass attorney who has represented more than 35 young women who face violence, physical and emotional abuse, sexual assault, and devastating trauma in their homes, Governor Pritzker has my deepest appreciation for signing this repeal and putting an end to this dangerous and unjust law,” said Melissa Widen, Personal PAC Board Member. “We should all be proud of Illinois’ leadership in protecting, rather than harming, the health and lives of our young people.”
“Thank you Governor Pritzker for signing the Youth Health and Safety Act into law,” said Jennifer Welch, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Illinois Action. “Together, we’re ensuring that young people can involve whomever they trust in their health care decisions, protecting them from harmful domestic situations and unnecessary judicial interactions. At a time when reproductive rights are hanging by a thread across the country, today’s bill signing means that in Illinois, regardless of age, people now have the full legal autonomy to make reproductive health care decisions that are best for their bodies.”
“It takes a village to make a movement like this,” said the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health. “Youth especially were the game changers every step of the way as a necessary voice and for constantly reminding adult accomplices that to #TrustYouth is to advocate WITH and FOR youth. Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health cannot thank youth organizers enough for putting in the work to get us to this point and believing in us to achieve this repeal. We especially need to give a shoutout and thank you to ICAH Youth Leaders Hannah and Taylor who testified!”
“Thank you, Governor Pritzker, and all of the incredible representatives of Illinois who worked so hard to make this happen,” said the Chicago Abortion Fund. “Having the Youth Health and Safety Act signed into law will be transformative for the young people who call the Chicago Abortion Fund helpline and allow them to have full autonomy over their reproductive decisions. We trust youth! Illinois trusts youth! The repeal of PNA represents an essential step forward in an increasingly hostile abortion care landscape in the United States. Illinois must continue to be a model for abortion access across the nation - so many futures depend on it.”
This legislation builds upon the administration’s commitment to ensure all residents have access to basic health care and family planning with the freedom to make their own choices. In 2019, Illinois established in state law a fundamental right to reproductive healthcare, including abortion and maternity care, through the Reproductive Health Act. In July of 2021, Illinois became the second state in the Midwest to require birth control be available through a pharmacist, without a doctor’s visit.
Amid a wave of legislation and court action across the nation restricting a woman’s right to choose, more out-of-state patients are now traveling to Illinois to receive reproductive care. According to the most recent data from the Illinois Department of Public Health,
7,534 nonresidents received abortions in Illinois in 2019, compared with 2,970 in 2014 and 5,528 in 2017.
HB 370 is effective January 1, 2024.
* Press release…
Below is a statement from State Representative Avery Bourne (R- Morrisonville) on Governor JB Pritzker’s repeal of the Parental Notification Act, a change that will strip parents of the right to be informed when minor children receive abortions:
“Today’s bill signing by the Governor strips parents of their basic right to know what is happening in their minor daughter’s life. Even more concerning, removing this common sense protection will increase the likelihood of sexual abuse, exploitation and allow the trafficking of minor girls to continue unchecked.
This significant change in our law is out of touch with a majority of Illinoisans and puts girls in Illinois—and across the Midwest—in danger. Parents deserve the right to know if their minor child is seeking any major medical procedure, especially one like an abortion where there can be serious short and long term consequences. Instead, today the Democrat majority has chosen to recklessly push those rights to the wayside.”
…Adding… Eric J. Scheidler with the Pro-Life Action League…
J. B. Pritzker has betrayed Illinois parents today by repealing our state’s Parental Notice of Abortion Act, which has saved thousands of young women from making the horrible choice to abort their children. Sexual predators will celebrate, as it will now be easier to have evidence of their crimes swept away by the abortionist. Adding insult to injury, Pritzker signed this bill late on a Friday, just a week before Christmas, avoiding any public protest. Illinois parents will not forget this act of cowardice and injustice in next year’s gubernatorial election.
* Sen. Rezin…
Senate Republican Deputy Leader Sue Rezin (R-Morris) issued the following statement after the Governor signed House Bill 370 into law, which officially repeals the Parental Notice of Abortion (PNA) Act of 1995:
“By signing the repeal of Parental Notice of Abortion Act, the Governor has made it clear to the parents of our state that he doesn’t care about their rights.
“It’s the obligation of parents to provide for the physical and mental health as well as the safety of their children. This repeal will undoubtedly impede parents’ ability to uphold those obligations and will leave young girls throughout the state without the care and support they need during a critical time in their lives.
“As a mother of two daughters, there aren’t enough words to truly express the anger and disappointment I feel about the Governor’s decision to erode the rights of parents who only wish to be a support system for their daughters.”
…Adding… Leader McConchie…
“I believe parents matter,” said Illinois Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods). “Legislation that removes parental involvement declares they don’t. This is just another example of the governor’s overreach into the lives of Illinois families to remind them that he, rather than they, knows what is best for their kids.”
* Gary Rabine…
Today, in yet another blow to parental rights, JB Pritzker repealed the parental notification law requiring parents be informed when their child seeks an abortion. Your underage kid can’t get an aspirin at school without parental consent but thanks to JB they can now get an abortion without you knowing. Under Pritzker’s rule, Illinois is now the most pro-abortion state in the country.
This is yet another way JB Pritzker is continuing to limit Illinois parents’ ability to make decisions on how they raise their children. Like losing Democratic Governor candidate Terry McAuliffe of Virginia, who said parents should not be involved in their kids’ educations, JB Pritzker believes parents should be removed from decisions regarding their childrens’ physical and mental health.
Much attention has been paid to Illinois’ enrollment losses during the pandemic and why almost 70,000 public school students left their districts. Less has been paid to students who stay but don’t attend school regularly — a pattern that can cause them to fall behind, miss learning, struggle to catch up, and possibly drop out of school. […]
Statewide chronic absenteeism rose to 21.2% in 2021, up almost 5 percentage points from 2019, when it stood at 16.5%. Students are considered chronically absent when they miss 18 to 20 days of the school year — an average about two days a month — with or without a valid excuse for being absent.
Regulators on Thursday turned down Arlington International Racecourse’s request to operate off-track betting parlors in Illinois next year, citing its shutdown of live horse racing at the track.
The Illinois Racing Board voted 5-5 on whether to issue Arlington a license to operate OTB facilities, meaning that the request was rejected.
The former Illinois State Police Merit Board financial officer charged with theft and forgery for allegedly falsifying overtime reports is now being accused of falsely listing the agency’s top lawyer as her treasurer in a campaign for a local office in Springfield.
Dan Dykstra, the board’s chief legal counsel, asked the Illinois State Board of Elections this month to strike his name as treasurer from political action committee records filed by Jenny Thornley in her unsuccessful 2019 run for a seat on the Springfield convention center board.
Though his signature is on the Thornley campaign paperwork, Dykstra wrote in a letter to the elections board that “it appears Ms. Thornley used a signature stamp to affix my signature to the form.”
Watch for former Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti to announce she’s running for DuPage County clerk. […]
Planned Parenthood Action Fund is hedging its bets and endorsing both Reps. Sean Casten and Marie Newman in their bids for the 6th Congressional District.
State Rep. Will Davis (30th) is running for the 2nd Congressional District Democratic State Central Committee seat that opened up when state Rep. Al Riley announced last month he wouldn’t seek re-election for the position.
Controlling the growth of the contagion is critical, making universal vaccination a moral imperative. Receiving the full series of vaccination injections, as well as considering boosters that could augment our protection against the latest variant, is not just about protecting oneself from this scourge. It is also about protecting others from the virus. It is about each of us doing our part to stop helping the virus mutate, and to ensure that this disease will not paralyze our health care systems.
Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White announced Friday that the expiration dates for driver’s licenses and ID cards have been extended an additional three months from Jan. 1, 2022, to March 31, 2022. This extension does not apply to commercial driver’s licenses (CDL) and CDL learner’s permits. White noted this will be the final extension.
Another name that could pop up is former radio host Mancow Muller. He floated the idea on YouTube, where he said he’ll announce his intention early next month.
“One of the main reasons I got out of radio was to run for governor because I can’t do both,” Muller said. “If elections are fair, I will be the next governor and you will for the first time in your life have freedom.”
U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill) today announced that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has awarded more than $4 million to three state agencies to reduce the DNA processing backlog, combat internet crimes against children, and improve adult reentry programs. The Illinois State Police will receive $2,596,295 to reduce the DNA processing backlog. The Illinois Attorney General’s Office will receive $550,852 to combat internet crimes against children. The Illinois Department of Corrections will receive $899,941 to improve adult reentry programs
“These funds will be used to make our communities safer by solving crimes, proactively protecting our children, and reducing the amount of repeat offenders,” said Davis. “It is important we continue to adequately fund our law enforcement and give them the tools they need to do what they do best - protect and serve.”
Project Details
Recipient: Illinois State Police
Amount: $2,596,295
Project Title: Illinois State Police BJA FY21 DNA Capacity Enhancement for Backlog (CEBR) Program […]
Recipient: Illinois Attorney General’s Office
Amount: $550,852
Project Title: Illinois Attorney General’s Office ICAC Task Force Program […]
Recipient: Illinois Department of Corrections
Amount: $899,941
Project Title: Expanding Literacy Attainment and Special Education Opportunities in the Illinois Department of Corrections
* I asked the governor’s office whether Davis had anything to do with this money. Jordan Abudayyeh…
These were competitive federal grants that our agencies applied for. Ya know, the agencies that Rodney Davis claims Gov. Pritzker isn’t running effectively.
Today, President Joe Biden announced that he has appointed the following individuals to serve in key regional leadership roles at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) […]
Betsy Dirksen Londrigan, USDA State Director, Rural Development, Illinois
Betsy Dirksen Londrigan is a graduate of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and former Director at the University of Illinois Springfield. She brings over 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, working with community, regional and state leaders to effect positive change. She is a lifelong resident of Springfield, Illinois and is proud that her family members still own and operate the centennial farm in Central Illinois where her grandmother was raised. Dirksen Londrigan is committed to working with rural communities to bring investments to every corner of Illinois to support local and regional initiatives to power economic development and grow local economies.
Commonwealth Edison has proposed giving consumers $21.1 million in refunds through credits on their bills to address Illinois Commerce Commission probes into the bribery scandal that led to ex-Speaker Michael Madigan’s ouster.
The amount of the refunds is mostly tied to pay and benefits received by former ComEd executives whose misconduct was outlined in the deal struck with federal prosecutors last year in which the company agreed to pay a $200 million fine.
But utility watchdog Abe Scarr of Illinois PIRG called the proposed refund “chump change” for a utility that is soon expected to rake in $1 billion a year in profits and may not offer the credit until the spring of 2023.
* Cases are up about 10K over last week, deaths are up by 50, hospitalizations have increased by 500, ICU usage has increased by around 120 and ventilator usage has increased by over 50….
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 59,312 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including an increase of 316 deaths since December 10, 2021.
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,944,056 cases, including 27,117 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Since Friday, December 10, 2021, laboratories have reported 1,222,722 specimens for a total of 42,033,355. As of last night, 3,783 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 787 patients were in the ICU and 353 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from December 10-16, 2021 is 4.9%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from December 10-16, 2021 is 6.2%.
A total of 18,475,621 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 66,816 doses. Since Friday, December 10, 2021, 467,715 doses were reported administered in Illinois. Of Illinois’ total population, more than 70% has received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose and more than 63% of Illinois’ total population is fully vaccinated according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Yesterday, CDC endorsed its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendation expressing a clinical preference for individuals to receive an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech) over Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) vaccine. ACIP’s unanimous recommendation followed a discussion of the latest evidence on vaccine effectiveness, vaccine safety and rare adverse events, and the abundant U.S. vaccine supply. ACIP reaffirmed that receiving any vaccine is better than being unvaccinated.
All data are provisional and will change. Additional information and COVID-19 data can be found at https://dph.illinois.gov/covid19.html.
Vaccination is the key to ending this pandemic. To find a COVID-19 vaccination location near you, go to www.vaccines.gov.
The most intriguing unknown—the one in which we might like to place our hopes—is whether Omicron could be milder than Delta. But a milder, more transmissible virus can easily sicken so many people that it ends up increasing hospitalizations and deaths on the whole. Here is some simple math to explain the danger: Suppose we have two viruses, one that is twice as transmissible as the other. (For the record, Omicron is currently three to five times as transmissible as Delta in the U.K.—though that number is likely to fall over time.) And suppose it takes five days between a person’s getting infected and their infecting others. After 30 days, the more transmissible virus is now causing 26, or 64, times as many new cases as the less transmissible one. Exponentials are one hell of a growth hack. If we are banking on the idea that Omicron is more mild to get us through winter, then we had better hope that it’s really, really mild.
Vaccines will lower the proportion of hospitalizations quite a bit in those extra cases, especially because Omicron is infecting lots of vaccinated people. But it’s a long climb down that exponential curve. Moreover, when so many cases pile up all at once, their effects start spilling over into the lives of those who aren’t sick. If Omicron runs through a workplace it may present a temporary inconvenience. But if that workplace is a school, then the school will have to close, disrupting the lives of every child and parent. If that workplace is a hospital, then doctors and nurses are unable to work. This has been an issue in South Africa, where Omicron is already dominant and nearly 20 percent of the health-care staff have COVID. Even if most of these cases are mild, huge numbers of people getting sick all at once will alter everyday reality.
* None of the lobbyist nomination tallies were even close this year. The 2021 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Contract Lobbyist goes to Bukola Bello…
Bukola got the midwife bill passed after years of work, and made what other contract lobbyists weren’t able to get make happen, possible. She’s kind, determined, dependable and a joy to be around. She has a vast array of relationships across the aisle and both chambers. She works hard for her clients, no matter their budget.
Honorable mentions go to Liz Brown-Reeves and Dave Sullivan.
* The 2021 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best In-House Lobbyist goes to Adrienne Alexander…
(I)n the past session she helped win a badly needed wage increase for direct-service personnel who serve people with developmental disabilities in community agencies, successfully navigated both criminal justice reform and the budget, and did all that while also winning the biggest investment in a decade in public mental health services in the City of Chicago budget, staying on top of Cook County issues, and proving instrumental in assisting with political and legislative relations adjacent to organizing new members such as at the Niles and Oak Lawn libraries and the Art Institute of Chicago. She did all that by being brilliant, trusted and respected, and a tireless worker who’s always on. Those qualities enabled her to tackle the sizable challenges of the past year of lobbying virtually, which often meant monitoring hearings via Zoom and talking to legislators and staff by phone and text. Finally, while many people are familiar with Dri’s authoritative Twitter persona, those lucky enough to know her IRL respect her devotion to her family and friends, her faith and her union. Adrienne not only deserves all the awards she is an inspiration.
Honorable mention to Litesa Wallace.
* The 2021 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Do-Gooder Lobbyist goes to Khadine Bennett…
(A)n incredibly hard, focused worker. She works on a range of issues and doesn’t stop until the bills cross the finish line. One of the big bills she got done this session was the PNA repeal bill that didn’t make it over the finish line until veto. She never gave up and kept working it until the vote, including on the sex ed bill. She works well with opposition and allies alike.
Honorable mentions to Randy Witter and Mike Ziri.
* The 2021 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Legislative Liaison goes to Laura Vaught…
I don’t wish working at IDPH during a pandemic on anyone, and having to be the main point person with legislators during that time is basically impossible, but Laura has handled it wonderfully. She’s pleasant to work with and is somehow responsive even in the midst of the craziness.
Honorable mention to Ashley Wright.
* The 2021 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Statewide Staffer goes to HW Devlin…
Always helpful and kind to everybody. Very responsive and seems to really care about public service. SOS will be going through a change in the near future and I bet it will be a smooth transition because of staffers like HW who will make sure we don’t miss a beat and keep SOS heading in the right direction.
Honorable mention to Sydney Holman.
* OK, on to today’s final categories…
Lifetime Achievement
Best CapitolFax.com Commenter
Make sure to nominate in both categories. Also, make sure to explain your nominations. Lifetime Achievement is open to anyone connected to state government and politics. Thanks!
And keep in mind that I’m shutting things down at 4:30 today for the holidays. So, let’s get on it.
* Darren Bailey does a Facebook Live broadcast just about every morning. From today’s…
I’ve just got to one word of wisdom to the people out there who who, you know, the names that are being mentioned, Mr. Griffin and others: You guys are smart. You’ve worked hard for your money. You’ve got common sense. And I know you know all about taking risks. And I’m here to tell you that I’m a farmer. I won’t give up. I’m a hard worker. I have common sense. I’ve been the only one standing up for the state of Illinois and the people there and our friends in Chicago are realizing the same thing. So I hope you don’t waste your money and you put it to good work and that would only obviously be behind me.
So how’s that for a sales pitch because I know you’re watching.
I think he said that knowing he had no chance of success, but to make sure his followers knew he’d at least tried.
The head of a dark money group that helped defeat last year’s graduated income tax measure is behind a campaign to elect a Republican candidate to run against Gov. JB Pritzker in 2022. And the money behind the effort will come from billionaire Ken Griffin.
Mike Zolnierowicz, who was former Gov. Bruce Rauner’s first chief of staff, is working the levers of this operation, according to two Playbook sources. The former governor, however, is not involved. Zolnierowicz, or Mike Z, did not return a request for comment.
Interviews with potential candidates have been held in secrecy with Zolnierowicz. Word got out, however, that there’s interest in Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin to run for governor and state Rep. Avery Bourne to join the ticket as lieutenant governor. Neither returned requests for comment.
It’s part of a plan for Griffin to bankroll a slate of GOP candidates, reports Lee Enterprises’ Brenden Moore.
A source familiar confirmed that Irvin is among multiple candidates being considered for the top of the ticket, but no final decisions have been made.
Griffin, who is Illinois’ wealthiest person, denied that he has settled on a specific gubernatorial candidate to take on Pritzker, whom he has pledged to go “all in” to defeat next year.
“We have real problems in Illinois with violence, corruption and profligate spending and I look forward to supporting candidates — be it Republican or Democrat — who will address these issues that plague our state,” Griffin said in a statement.
A source close to Griffin said that “the field for next year’s election hasn’t fully formed yet and Ken hasn’t made a decision” and reiterated that “there is also no spending number as there is no candidate.”
Besides Irvin, who was elected as Aurora’s first Black mayor in 2017, the tentative ticket also includes state Rep. Avery Bourne as lieutenant governor. Bourne, 29, a three-term lawmaker from Downstate Morrisonville, is widely viewed as a future star in the party. […]
But some Republicans are questioning the strategy of a Griffin-backed slate being pushed through a cash-hungry state GOP.
“These Griffin people behind the curtain, we don’t know. Is it like the Wizard of Oz?” said one prominent Republican who asked not to be identified because he didn’t want to anger Griffin.
“I’m not saying they don’t have any credibility, but it’s a little bold to say to the Republican State Central Committee, ‘OK boys and girls, line up. This is what we’re going to do,’“ the source said.
The Republican said he also didn’t see the existing candidates for governor dropping out of the race, opening the door to further divisions within the state GOP.
It isn’t really all that bold. The state party has no money, no real organizational ability and little credibility with Republicans on the ground. They’ll do what they’re told. And the division already exists. That’s what open primaries do.
Irvin was raised by a single mother in Aurora’s public housing, according to a bio on the city’s website. The East Aurora High School grad enlisted in the Army and served in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
He was also an assistant state’s attorney in the office of the Cook County State’s Attorney and a prosecutor in the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Should he decide to enter the Republican gubernatorial field he’ll likely be made to answer for his voting history.
His voting record shows he’s pulled Democratic ballots for the 2014, 2016 and 2020 primaries, according to Kane County officials. Irvin requested a Republican ballot in 2018 when then-Gov. Bruce Rauner was facing a challenge from then-state Rep. Jeanne Ives.
* Natalie Edelstein at the Pritzker campaign…
Ken Griffin’s insistence on bringing Bruce Rauner’s failed style of leadership back to the governor’s office is a disservice to working families everywhere. Mr. Griffin has been transparent about his desire to install someone in Springfield that will do his bidding, and this latest announcement is further proof that Ken will stop at nothing to push his pawns in this radical, out of touch game of GOP chess.
Governor Pritzker is focused on putting working families first and will always have their backs, no matter what.
A federal judge has tossed a lawsuit from an Oak Lawn school board member and Republican congressional candidate who sought to overturn Gov. JB Pritzker’s mandate on masks inside school buildings.
Rob Cruz, who sits on the board of Oak Lawn Community High School District 229, is a Republican primary candidate for Illinois Sixth Congressional District, a seat held by Rep. Sean Casten, D-Downers Grove. On Aug. 19, Cruz and another parent, Scot Jones, sued Gov. JB Pritzker and Illinois State Board of Education Director Carmen Ayala, as well as his own school board, challenging an Aug. 4 executive order requiring masks for anyone older than 2 years, inside an Illinois school, regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status.
The state moved to dismiss the complaint, which argued the mask mandate violates the 14th Amendment’s due process clause as well as parents’ “fundamental liberty interest in the care, custody, education and control of their children.”
In an opinion issued Dec. 14, U.S. District Judge Sharon Coleman agreed to dismiss the complaint.
In essence, plaintiffs argue that their liberty interest in raising their children and making medically-related decisions for them extends to the context of mask mandates during the COVID- 19 global pandemic. “To allege a viable substantive due process claim, [plaintiffs] would need to allege conduct under color of state law that ‘violated a fundamental right or liberty” and was so ‘arbitrary and irrational’ as to ‘shock the conscience.’” Nelson v. City of Chicago
Here, plaintiffs have failed to plausibly allege that the mask mandate in schools, which was enacted to prevent the spread of the deadly coronavirus among students, teachers, faculty, and visitors, is so egregious and outrageous as to shock the conscience. Indeed, the Court would be hard-pressed to conclude that the Governor’s executive order, which is intended to save lives during an ongoing public health crisis that has taken at least 800,000 American lives, amounts to egregious or outrageous conduct. The Court is not alone in this conclusion. […]
In Count II, plaintiffs seek injunctive relief arguing that Governor Pritzker exceeded the emergency powers granted to him under the Illinois Constitution and IEMAA when he enacted EO21-18. Because the “Eleventh Amendment immunizes state officers from federal injunctions based on state law,” plaintiffs cannot seek to enjoin Governor Pritzker for allegedly misusing his emergency powers.
Cruz was represented by an attorney at appellate court candidate Tom DeVore’s firm, Silver Lake Legal Group.
Despite the chilly weather and winds reminiscent of those that damaged the Midwest the previous night, approximately 60 individuals gathered Saturday afternoon at the courthouse bandstand in Waterloo for We the People of Southern Illinois’ “Mental Health and Constitution” rally.
Six speakers addressed the crowd, including U.S. Senate candidate Peggy Hubbard of Belleville and attorney Thomas DeVore, who has challenged the legality of schools’ masking mandates in several courts across the state.
Judging from his lawsuit failure rate and his vitriolic outbursts, I’m not sure he knows much about either mental health or the Constitution.
Before attending Stanford and Oxford, Sullivan attended St. Louis University, where he founded a controversial, Anti-Israeli magazine called “One World.” […]
Most troubling though, are the multiple pieces of Anti-Israeli propaganda published during his tenure as Editor and CEO, including an article he wrote personally.
The third issue of One World was published in spring of 2007, while Sullivan was a Senior at the school, and Editor-In-Chief of the magazine.
The issue included photographs of The West Bank in Israel that had been taken By Brendan Kottenstette, from “SLU Solidarity With Palestine.”
One caption says: “The Wall Has Completely Cut Some Off From Their School. For Others, The Many Hours At The 316 Checkpoints In The West Bank Has Become An Obstacle That They Cannot Overcome. Some Even Lose Entire Semesters Because Of Absences Due To Checkpoint Closures.”
Another caption says Israelis view all Palestinians as terrorists: “On Their Side Of This Wall, As Their Entire Lives Are Controlled By Martial Law, All The Palestinians See Of Israel Are The Soldiers, Tanks And Guns… All The Israelis See Are Terrorists.”
The magazine viciously attacked Israel yet again In Spring 2009, when One World published an article titled “Obstructing Freedom In The Occupied Territories,” by Saint Louis University student Sharifa Barakat.
Barakat attacked Israel’s “occupation” of Palestine, and called for boycott and divestment campaigns targeting Israel.
I mean, he was basically a kid when he founded that magazine. But, man, it has sure proved to be target-rich.
Most city of Chicago employees — including Chicago’s firefighters — must be vaccinated against COVID-19, an arbitrator ruled, handing Mayor Lori Lightfoot a significant victory, WTTW News has learned.
The decision, issued Wednesday, applies to Chicago employees represented by Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 21, the Service Employees International Union, Local 73, Teamsters Local 700, and all Coalition of Unionized Public Employees trade unions, officials said.
A separate arbitration, set to take place before Dec. 31, will determine whether Chicago Police officers represented by the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7 must be vaccinated against COVID-19. However, the decision indicates that Lightfoot’s vaccine mandate is likely to be upheld for employees of the Chicago Police Department as well.
“The city is pleased that a neutral arbitrator selected by both parties upheld the City’s right to issue a vaccine mandate to its employees,” according to a statement from Law Department spokesperson Kristen Cabanban.
Illinois Department of Corrections employees are likely to get the same outcome pretty soon. These mandates are legal.
A surge of COVID-19 patients is filling up multiple UnityPoint Health hospitals in central Illinois.
All three of its Peoria-area hospitals — Methodist, Proctor and Pekin — are at capacity, said Jaymee Barra, a spokeswoman for the health care company.
“Other patients needing critical care are being kept in the emergency department until a bed becomes available,” she said. “At the same time, our emergency departments are full and patients needing care are experiencing longer than usual wait times.”
On Wednesday night, UnityPoint had 62 COVID patients, 16 of them in the ICU. Most of the COVID patients, 87%, were unvaccinated, said Barra.
The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 11,858 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 52 additional deaths Thursday.
It’s the most new cases in a day since December 1, 2020. The state is now averaging more than 8,000 new cases a day for the first time since December 16, 2020.
State health officials today reported 3,725 COVID-19 patients were being treated in hospitals throughout Illinois.
That’s up 111 patients from Wednesday.
Of those hospitalized, 772 are in intensive care, according to Illinois Department of Public Health records.
IDPH officials also reported 52 more deaths from the virus, as well as 11,858 new cases of the disease statewide.
That brings the state’s COVID-19 death toll to 27,065, while 1,933,291 infections have been diagnosed since the start of the pandemic.
The state’s seven-day case positivity rate is at 4.7%, up from 4.5% the day before.
That’s a hospitalization increase of 547 admissions compared to a week ago. 391 people were on ventilators, which is the most since early January.
* Keep in mind that hospitalizations and deaths are a lagging indicator, which is not acknowledged here…
On Wednesday, Britain announced that it had recorded 78,610 new cases — a daily increase not seen at any point during the pandemic, even during the initial wave of delta. Hospitalizations have increased, too, though at a slower rate, while deaths are at worst flat.
And even if Omicron is milder, greater transmissibility will likely trump that reduced virulence. Omicron is spreading so quickly that a small proportion of severe cases could still flood hospitals. To avert that scenario, the variant would need to be substantially milder than Delta—especially because hospitals are already at a breaking point. Two years of trauma have pushed droves of health-care workers, including many of the most experienced and committed, to quit their job. The remaining staff is ever more exhausted and demoralized, and “exceptionally high numbers” can’t work because they got breakthrough Delta infections and had to be separated from vulnerable patients, John Lowe told me. This pattern will only worsen as Omicron spreads, if the large clusters among South African health-care workers are any indication. “In the West, we’ve painted ourselves into a corner because most countries have huge Delta waves and most of them are stretched to the limit of their health-care systems,” Emma Hodcroft, an epidemiologist at the University of Bern, in Switzerland, told me. “What happens if those waves get even bigger with Omicron?”
Building on the successes of last week, the State of Illinois and Cook County Health are offering another Sunday of mass vaccination booster clinics in an effort to improve access and availability of the COVID-19 vaccine at a time when new variants and increased transmission levels threaten our most vulnerable residents.
The State of Illinois and Cook County Health will once again operate a one-day mass vaccination booster clinic on Sunday, December 19 at three regionally located clinics within Cook County: Blue Island, Arlington Heights, and North Riverside. Last week’s one-day booster clinics administered 2,886 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, further underscoring the need and demand for this vaccine.
A class-action lawsuit was filed Dec. 13 by 88 teachers and school staff from across Illinois in opposition to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s COVID-19 school mandates on vaccination, testing and masks.
The lawsuit naming 22 different school districts, the Illinois Department of Public Health, the Illinois State Board of Education and the governor as defendants seeks an emergency injunction blocking Pritzker’s health requirements for school personnel.
The challenge in Sangamon County Circuit Court argues the vaccination and testing program violates the state’s Health Care Right of Conscience Act.
“The educators object to the vaccination and testing of the coronavirus as both health care services violate their moral conscience,” the lawsuit states. “Should the educators object to these proposed health care services, the law prohibits the defendants from discriminating against them.”
The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today that the unemployment rate fell -0.3 percentage point to 5.7 percent, while nonfarm payrolls increased by +19,500 in November, based on preliminary data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and released by IDES. The preliminary report for October monthly payrolls was revised from +40,900 to +42,000 jobs. The October unemployment rate was unchanged from the preliminary report, remaining at 6.0 percent. […]
In November, the three industry sectors with the largest over-the-month gains in employment were: Leisure and Hospitality (+8,200), Trade, Transportation and Utilities (+8,200), and Construction (+3,800). The industry sectors that reported monthly payroll declines were: Professional and Business Services (-5,500), Other Services (-200), and Mining (-100). […]
The state’s unemployment rate was +1.5 percentage points higher than the national unemployment rate reported for November, which was 4.2 percent, down -0.4 percentage point from the previous month. The Illinois unemployment rate was down -2.4 percentage points from a year ago when it was at 8.1 percent.
I couldn’t pull up details of the December, 2019 report because they’ve disappeared from the Internet, so I used November of 2019 instead. The state is down about 300K jobs since that point in 2019. A third of that loss has been in the Leisure and Hospitality field. We’re pretty reliant on tourism and conventions and those two things aren’t doing well.
The Professional and Business Services segment is down about 40K, Educational and Health Services is down about 55K, Government is off 53K and Manufacturing is down about 44K.
* The 2021 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Senate Democrat is a tie. Sen. Elgie Sims…
(H)e took the complicated issue of police reform and got it across the finish line and then kept working with all stakeholders to address their concerns. Add to his resume, his work on the Budget, which led to a credit upgrade and Redistricting, the guy is a force to be reckoned with.
Sen. Martwick for the win with the CPS elected school board. Years in the making and with massive opposition from the mayor and even members of his own caucus he still muscled it through, rather impressive.
He stuck with Pembroke Township through thick and thin. He had a no-brainer bill that would help some of his poorest constituents, and the environmental lobby lost its mind. Joyce was patient, effective, and got it done. If it had been me, I would’ve filed bills to turn off natural gas in the district of every legislator who thought they knew best for his constituents. Instead, he kept his cool, worked the vote, and came away with a big win.
* The 2021 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Senate Republican goes to Sen. Don DeWitte…
(A) classy guy who represents the “just get it done and don’t embarrass us” attitude most of his constituents (of all political stripes) hold. His work with Sen. Villivalam on the Transportation Committee is a model for bipartisan collaboration.
It’s not easy to be a leader in today’s Republican Party, but McConchie has admirably kept a lid on the intra-party craziness happening everywhere else. He had his first Eastern Bloc Senator to deal with this year, and he’s already on his way out. He dodged the far right’s ire without sacrificing his dignity or principles. That’s about all you can ask for these days.
Congratulations to all.
* On to our next categories…
Best Legislative Liaison
Best Statewide Staffer
As always, make sure to nominate in both categories and explain your nominations or they won’t count. Thanks!
* If you click here, you’ll see that Illinois slightly trails Minnesota when it comes to fully vaccinated rates, but leads every other state on this list in that category. The other major difference is that Illinois is the only state in the Midwest with a statewide mask mandate, although some states have local mask mandates.
This particular chart from the governor’s office covers deaths and hospitalizations during the past 90 days as of Sunday December 12th…
Cook County’s chief public defender: End the criminalization of gun possession.
In an op-ed for The Nation, Sharone Mitchell Jr. lent his support to an amicus brief filed by public defenders against New York’s gun licensing policy, decrying how it’s largely young men of color who are affected when illegal gun possession cases are prosecuted. “Despite the Second Amendment’s claimed protections — that have only expanded in the last 60 years — Black and brown men in New York, Chicago, and other localities around the country aren’t protected like white gun owners: We’re arrested, prosecuted, and warehoused in prisons,” he writes.
Mitchell expressed support for many policies of the gun reform movement — including funding community violence intervention, repealing the gun industry’s unique legal protections, and restricting assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. But he argued that the cost of gun possession prosecutions has been too high for Black and brown communities, while also failing to cut the supply of guns to those areas.
I think about a college classmate, who is Black. A licensed gun owner in another state, he was visiting family in Illinois—a state with different licensing laws. He left his licensed gun in his bag, which he put through the metal detector at a bar where he planned on watching the Air & Water Show. The bag set off the detector and my classmate was arrested and prosecuted for possession of a firearm. I became his public defender. Because of his arrest, he served time in jail, lost his job, and faced housing instability. The shame and trauma stay with him to this day.
I think about a man my office represents, a father of four kids and professional driver, who purchased a firearm after being caught in the cross fire of a shooting on the freeway. He was willing to do anything to keep himself and his family safe. But he was Black. Shortly after he started carrying a gun for his own protection, suburban police arrested him and prosecutors charged him with a felony for not having the right license.
I also think about the hundreds of young Black men my office represents every year, arrested and facing years in prison for simple possession of a gun because they were terrified, but didn’t have enough money, the wherewithal, or time to purchase a license. Often, they are denied a license because of a prior drug conviction—an obstacle to licensure that their white counterparts, far less likely to be arrested for drug possession than Black and brown Americans, do not face.
I think about how differently they would be treated by police and prosecutors if they were born a different color, lived in a different area of the state. Here’s the stark reality of injustice: Over 75 percent of firearm possession convictions in Illinois occur in Cook County, in a few Chicago neighborhoods.
Most critically, however, my office sees the profound and oppressive impact of disproportionate gun arrests on the people we represent. We see how, far from ending gun violence, this form of “gun control” completely undermines public health and safety. The people we serve face a dual threat: harm from a community awash in violence—and harm from a system awash in incarceration. And throughout it all, guns don’t disappear, and shootings continue.
The truth is, laws criminalizing gun possession not only devastate Black and brown communities; they also fail to achieve one of their primary objectives: reducing the supply of guns on our streets. As the Chicago Police Department seizes thousands of guns on the street, thousands more exist on the market and access to them remains far too easy.
* I decided to post the public defender’s op-ed after reading this tweet from a pro-gun exurban Republican legislator and figured they would go together well…
What the heck! 19 armed robberies with semi automatic weapons in Lakeview and Lincoln Park within the last month. Any parents concerned about their kids living here?
With the school shooting at Oxford High School near Detroit, Mich., two weeks ago still fresh in the minds of many teachers and parents, some wonder what school officials might have missed leading up to the tragedy.
The Illinois Education Association stated members across the state continue to report violence in their schools. Now, the organization is pushing for school leaders to follow proper safety protocols.
Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill into law in 2019 requiring all schools to identify staff for threat assessment teams and create a procedure to handle threats by February 2020. IEA President Kathi Griffin is working with a bipartisan group of state lawmakers to craft a bill to track schools that aren’t complying with that law.
Griffin says Illinois school administrators who don’t have a plan in place must act now to keep their students, staff, and school communities safe. […]
The state doesn’t know how many districts follow the school threat assessment law right now. Despite that, Rep. Fred Crespo (D-Hoffman Estates) and Rep. Tony McCombie (R-Savanna) say school districts must step up and follow the mandate.
They plan to file language soon for a trailer bill to ensure the state can monitor and enforce the law. Crespo said school leaders need to understand they’re on the hook when it comes to safety.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed four bills Friday that range from requiring restaurants to include milk with kids’ meals with calorie limits, to half-staff flag protocols.
Lawmakers passed several bills in October during what is traditionally fall veto session. Friday, Pritzker’s office announced four of those bills are now law. Around a dozen bills remaining on his desk. At least one could face a veto.
Among the bills Pritzker signed Friday is House Bill 3490, which says if a restaurant includes milk as a default beverage in a kid’s meal, the drink must be dairy milk and contain no more than 130 calories per container or serving. The law takes effect immediately.
* The underlined words are what was recently added to existing state law and the lined-through words were struck from existing law…
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a restaurant shall, by default, include one of the following default beverages with a children’s meal sold by the restaurant:
(1) water with no added natural or artificial sweeteners;
(2) sparkling water with no added natural or artificial sweeteners;
(3) flavored water with no added natural or artificial sweeteners;
(4) nonfat or 1% dairy milk containing no more than 130 calories per container or serving as offered for salewith no added natural or artificial sweeteners
(5) nondairy milk alternatives:
(A) with no added natural or artificial sweeteners;
(B) containing no more than 130 calories per container or serving as offered for sale; and
(C) meeting the standards for the National School Lunch Program as set forth in 7 CFR 210.10; or
(6) 100% fruit or vegetable juice or juice combined with water or carbonated water, with no added sweeteners, in a serving size of no more than 8 ounces.
Determined to reduce childhood obesity, Mayor Lori Lightfoot moved Wednesday to stop Chicago restaurants from automatically serving kids meals with sugary, high-calorie drinks.
At a City Council meeting, Lightfoot joined City Clerk Anna Valencia in introducing an ordinance that would prohibit Chicago restaurants from serving or marketing pop and other sugary drinks as the “default beverage” with kids meals. […]
Instead, the “default” beverages on kids meals would be:
• Water or sparkling water or flavored water with “no added natural or artificial sweeteners”
• Nonfat or 1% dairy milk containing “no more than 130 calories per container or serving offered for sale.”
• 100% fruit or vegetable juice or juice combined with water or carbonated water with no added sweeteners in a serving size of no more than 8 ounces.
• “Nondairy milk alternatives” that meet National School Lunch Program standards, contain “no added natural or artificial sweeteners” and have “no more than 130 calories per container or serving for sale.”
Every beverage “listed or displayed on a restaurant menu or in-store advertisement for children’s meals” would have to be one of those “default” beverages, the ordinance states. City inspectors would make sure of it.
Hilarious.
…Adding… Illinois Beverage Association…
Earlier this year, the Illinois Beverage Association partnered with the American Heart Association, members of the General Assembly and Illinois restaurants to support legislation (Public Act 102-0529) establishing menu guidelines for children’s meals. The Mayor’s ordinance simply reflects state law that has already passed with the industry’s support. Unfortunately, Mayor Lightfoot’s team apparently was unaware of the coalition in support of the state policy when introducing their ordinance yesterday. Members of the Beverage Association are proud of their track record of offering low and no-calorie choices to consumers and support marketing guidelines for kids.
…Adding… From Clerk Valencia’s spokesperson…
Just wanted to reach out and let you know that Clerk Valencia did not join the Mayor in the introduction of legislation regarding the prohibition of sugary drinks at Chicago restaurants.
* I think it’s safe to say that the first part of this tweet is correct and the second part of this tweet is not quite there yet. You may recall that Mayor Irvin took himself out of contention for governor in October. He then went on to declare a Dr. Ezike Day in Aurora a few days later. He’s since had a change of heart about running. The president’s lousy poll numbers are very enticing to Republicans, however, and others are also now reportedly interested. Anyway, I’ve long been told to not expect any Griffin-related kickoff/rollout until after the holidays, so stay tuned…
Multiple sources: Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin is strongly considering a run for Illinois governor. Billionaire Ken Griffin and multiple elected Republican officials would back Irvin over the rest of GOP 2022 field, per sources. pic.twitter.com/ZY4kxFwVqB
* I haven’t been able to confirm this dollar amount, but it’s gonna be substantial…
Multiple Sources: Billionaire Ken Griffin has decided on IL GOP candidate to contribute $300M to oppose @GovPritzker and it’s NOT any of the declared candidates #ILGov22
The second part of the tweet is completely accurate, but we’ve known that all along.
…Adding… With a hat tip to a commenter, here’s Illinois Review…
While Irvin is often considered Republican, his voting record shows he’s pulled Democrat primary ballots more than GOP ballots over the last five or six elections.
Zia Ahmed, a spokesman for Griffin, denied the reports as inaccurate.
But sources familiar with the matter believe Griffin has indeed identified a candidate he’s willing to support, and is insisting that party leaders raise millions of dollars first in support of this person. Griffin would then more than match that money raised with his own fortune, the sources say.
A campaign spokesman for Irvin, who said in October there was “no way” he would be running for governor, did not return a request for comment. Two days ago an Irvin spokesman again denied the rumors.
Illinois’ richest man Ken Griffin is vetting multiple candidates to run for Governor beyond just Aurora’s mayor Richard Irvin. However, former Governor Bruce Rauner sees Irvin as a “good guy” who has the “best chance of the current field.” Others still interested, too.
Illinois’ richest man Ken Griffin attempted to shoot down rumors Thursday that he had found his gubernatorial candidate, saying in a statement he looks forward to supporting Republicans or Democrats who “will address” issues “that plague our state.”
“We have real problems in Illinois with violence, corruption and profligate spending and I look forward to supporting candidates — be it Republican or Democrat — who will address these issues that plague our state,” Griffin said in a statement.
A source close to Griffin sought to clarify the Citadel founder and CEO’s position even further, saying he “has not decided yet who to support for governor.” […]
“They’ve been after him for awhile, and [Irvin’s] been going back and forth,” said one Republican source, who’s talked with members of Griffin’s team. “But there’s no doubt that he’s the christened choice.”
Meanwhile, the chatter about Griffin may be setting off other developments in the Republican Party. One of them concerns Todd Ricketts, the finance chairman of the Republican National Committee and a co-owner of the Chicago Cubs.
Ricketts had previously announced he would not run for governor. But asked about that possibility today, his spokesman discouraged, but did not rule out, such a possibility, saying, “Ricketts has no current plans to run for governor.”
Forces aligned with billionaire Ken Griffin are pushing the Illinois Republican Party to back his preferred slate of candidates for 2022 and are focusing on Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin as a candidate for governor, sources familiar with the planning said Thursday.
In exchange for the Illinois GOP’s first modern-day endorsement of a slate of statewide candidates, Griffin would help underwrite the state party financially while also pumping at least $150 million into the race for governor, the sources said. […]
Besides Irvin, who was elected as Aurora’s first Black mayor in 2017, the tentative ticket also includes state Rep. Avery Bourne as lieutenant governor. Bourne, 29, a three-term lawmaker from Downstate Morrisonville, is widely viewed as a future star in the party.
* We are running out of time. It’s my fault for not starting early enough. So, we’re going to have to do a couple of posts today and tomorrow make at least some of those posts longer than usual. Here’s part one…
Best In-House Lobbyist
Best Contract Lobbyist
Best Do-Gooder Lobbyist
I know I’m throwing a lot at you here, but I am sure you can handle it. Please make sure to explain your responses or they won’t count and please do your best to nominate in all three categories or I may ignore you. Thanks much! I’ll announce yesterday’s Senate winners later today when we do are second round of nominations.
State Rep. Adam Niemerg, a Republican, has been against the continuance of the mask mandate and said that other options should be considered.
“As usual, the Governors’s only answer is to shut down businesses, mask our children, vaccination, vaccination,” Niemerg said. “We need to actually examine what we are doing, remove political theatre from these decisions and give Illinoisans a clear path to combatting this virus.”
…Adding… Good points in comments, including…
If the Eastern Bloc had to “remove political theatre” they would have nothing left.
Speaker Welch deserves the award this year for the historical appointment and navigating the House through a monster session on several policy fronts. The writer of this blog said Welch’s handling of the energy bill was a “spectacular” accomplishment. Greg Harris has had a magnificent career and deserves an honorary mention; but this award goes to the best House Democrat in 2021. That has to be Welch for exceeding beyond all beliefs and keeping it all together.
I was pretty much ready to hand it to Greg Harris until I saw that nomination. The person is right on both counts.
* The 2021 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best House Republican goes to Rep. Seth Lewis…
A reasonable guy who votes his district, even when it means breaking with most of his caucus. Hope he continues his approach when he moves over to the Senate.
I was super hesitant to go with a freshman, in his first year no less. But he received some strong nominations and I asked folks in both parties for their opinions and decided what the heck. There will be a lifetime achievement award for each party, so maybe the Batman and Leader Harris will win those.
* On to today’s categories…
Best Senate Democrat
Best Senate Republican
Do your best to vote in both categories and make sure to explain your votes or they won’t count. Thanks.
More than 18 million doses later, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is recognizing the one-year anniversary of the first COVID-19 vaccines administered in Illinois. On December 15, 2020, roughly 450 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine were administered to health care workers after being delivered to the state the day before.
IDPH and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency have partnered with communities to host more than 5,600 vaccination clinics around the state, including 1,400 youth-school clinics and approximately 1,900 equity-based clinics. Another 870 events have already been scheduled.
“One year and 18 million doses later, the COVID-19 vaccine has saved countless lives across Illinois,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I am incredibly grateful for the scientists, researchers and public health professionals who made this historic effort possible, allowing us to reunite with loved ones, return to small businesses, and engage with our communities once again. As we recognize the progress we’ve made, I urge all eligible Illinoisans to receive their vaccine or booster and protect themselves and their families this holiday season.”
A federal appeals court has refused to prohibit United Airlines from putting unvaccinated employees on unpaid leave while a case challenging the airline’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate makes its way through court.
In a divided ruling, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit rejected the bid Monday from employees challenging the Chicago-based airline’s policy on religious grounds. Employees allege the airline’s plans to put those who received religious exemptions on unpaid leave violates federal civil rights law.
Phoenix-based Banner Health is at its most overwhelmed since the pandemic began, leading the company’s officials to issue a warning Tuesday that its hospital system may have to eventually choose who can receive care.
Some of Banner’s hospitals in one of Arizona’s largest health care systems are operating above 100% capacity, said Dr. Marjorie Bessel, the company’s chief clinical officer.
COVID-19 hospitalizations make up one-third of Banner’s hospital patients but there there is also an extremely high volume of patients who delayed preventative care or are in the late stages of an illness, she said.
The company has 18 hospitals in Arizona. As of Tuesday, 10 of them were running above 100% of their ICU staffed bed capacity. Five of them were operating 100% above staffed in-patient bed capacity, according to spokesman Corey Schubert.
The prevalence of omicron jumped sevenfold in a single week, according to the CDC, and at such a pace, the highly mutated variant of the coronavirus could ratchet up pressure on a health system already strained in many places as the delta variant continues its own surge. […]
Officials stress that early data shows that individuals who are fully vaccinated and received a booster shot remain largely protected against severe illness and death from omicron. But they worry about how few Americans have been boosted to date. Over 55 million people in the United States have gotten the additional shots, out of 200 million who are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.
The newest modeling scenarios have been shared among senior administration officials as they discuss politically fraught decisions about how, when and whether to take new steps to suppress the virus and keep hospitals from being overwhelmed.
The second scenario outlines a smaller omicron surge in the spring. It’s unclear which scenario is more likely. The modeling was done by experts tapped by CDC Director Rochelle Walensky in August to deliver real-time outbreak forecasting and analytics. The experts work with other teams inside and outside the government.
Chicago Public Schools says it will distribute about 150,000 take-home COVID-19 test kits this week to 309 schools in communities hit hard by the pandemic.
The news comes after CPS reported its highest weekly COVID-19 case count last week — 768 students and 251 adults. The district also reported its highest daily case count on Monday — 225 students and 59 adults. Last month CPS was recording about 300 to 400 total cases a week.
Schools picked to receive test kits are said to be in neighborhoods designated high risk for COVID-19, or they are elementary schools in neighborhoods deemed medium risk. Families who receive the kits are “strongly encouraged” to test students Dec. 28 and drop the sample at their nearest FedEx Drop Box that day.
Governor JB Pritzker today announced the selection of a proposer for the sale of the James R. Thompson Center (JRTC). After a competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) process to select a purchaser for the JRTC, the State plans to enter into exclusive negotiations with JRTC Holdings, LLC for the purposes of acquiring and redeveloping the site located at 100 West Randolph Street.
Following the evaluation of submitted proposals, the State elected to move forward with a public-private partnership structure, which includes:
• An up-front payment of $70 million to the State for the purchase of the property
• The selected purchaser preserving and substantially renovating the JRTC
• The State purchasing and occupying approximately 425,000 sq ft of newly renovated, Class-A office space at the JRTC
• The State will save approximately $20 million a year for the next 30 years through operating cost reductions and lease consolidations alone.
• The redevelopment of the JRTC is expected to result in thousands of new construction jobs, new tax revenues for Cook County, the City of Chicago, and its sister agencies, while maintaining thousands of jobs and operations with heavy public interactions in the LaSalle Street corridor
“Today I’m proud to announce that for the first time, we’re taking a massive step forward with a plan that will result in the sale of the Thompson Center and that will save taxpayers $800 million,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I came into office with a promise to manage state government resources more efficiently and to support local governments. By returning vital real estate in downtown Chicago to private ownership, tens of millions in revenue will be generated for Chicago Public Schools and for property taxpayers. This is a new era of responsible governance for Illinois – one that protects our taxpayers, and fosters the jobs and opportunities that working families deserve.”
From the beginning of the Pritzker administration, the Department of Central Management Services (CMS) not only prioritized completing the long-anticipated sale of the JRTC and the timely relocation of State offices and employees, it also focused on the realignment of the State’s real estate portfolio and looked for consolidation opportunities to maximize space utilization in state-owned and leased properties. This effort to identify opportunities for efficiency improvements, space consolidation and the cost avoidance of deferred maintenance repairs will result in over $800 million in taxpayer savings.
“The State can no longer afford to support unsustainable costs for the maintenance and operation of the JRTC or delay its disposition,” said Director of CMS Janel L. Forde. “This strategic public-private partnership allows us to retain a smaller presence in the property while partnering with an established development team to transfer significant financial risk and responsibility for the much-needed capital improvements at the JRTC to a third-party.”
* Renderings and other stuff…
Here is the architectural renderings of what the Thompson Center will look like after a $280 million dollar makeover that is expected to take two years pic.twitter.com/5UBd5cXQTz
Prime Group principal Michael Reschke: "were a bit cynical because of the reputation building" but "we took a very hard conscientious look at the opportunity." Reschke says his firm does NOT plan to demolish the building, which would be an "absolute travesty."
Reschke says the open atrium "is the strength of the building and will be the feature of the building going forward" but a new glass curtain wall will be installed to address problems like acoustics, which he says are "horrible" under current conditions.
Renovation will take 2 yrs, Reschke estimates. It could be quicker, but they want to keep the building open during the process. Says state will continue to lease offices here:
Governor JB Pritzker and Lt. Governor Julianna Stratton today announced $45 million in Restore, Reinvest, and Renew (R3) program funding to support community organizations that serve neighborhoods most impacted by economic disinvestment, violence, and the war on drugs. Managed by the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA), this latest round of grants is making $40.5 million available for organizations that provide services within the five priority funding areas: civil legal aid, economic development, re-entry from the criminal justice system, violence prevention, and youth development. Additionally, $4.5 million is available for capacity-building grants to help small organizations expand.
Organizations interested in applying for funding can review the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) at R3.Illinois.gov.
“As we launch applications for the second round of R3 grants, I know our recipients will keep transforming lives with their work, and in turn transform our cities and state. Because when we reinvest in the potential of our people, we invite the economic activity that creates resiliency,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “When we renew hope in communities historically left out, we inspire the next generation to pursue a brighter future. And in public service, that is our obligation.”
Created by the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act which Governor Pritzker signed into law in 2019, the R3 program is funded using 25% of adult-use cannabis tax revenue. R3 is a key component of the Pritzker-Stratton administration’s commitment to equity and repairing the severe harms caused by the failed war on drugs, which disproportionately hurt communities of color.
“R3 epitomizes one of the key tenets of restorative justice, that the wisdom is in the room,” said Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton. “Solutions to the challenges that our neighborhoods face can be found in those very communities, and R3 seeks to invest in organizations that have the closest ties to the communities they serve.”
Areas eligible for funding were identified using community-level data on gun injury, child poverty, unemployment, and state prison commitments and returns, combined with disproportionately impacted areas identified by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO).
Of the available funds, 75% will be dedicated to organizations that have been in operation for less than five years or have a budget of less than $2 million. To improve small organizations’ access to state funds, ICJIA offers an online, self-guided technical assistance course. ICJIA will also offer several online webinars to provide guidance about specific components of the application for R3 funds. For more information about technical assistance opportunities, visit R3.illinois.gov.
* The Sun-Times did a story on these sorts of programs earlier in the month. Here’s an excerpt…
One grantee, Derek Brown, grew up in North Lawndale during the height of the crack epidemic, charting an all-too-familiar course for kids raised on Chicago’s South and West sides. Nicknamed “Shotgun” earlier in his life, Brown said he joined the Vice Lords when he was 13, went to the penitentiary at 17 and was shot two years later.
Brown, 45, said he eventually had an epiphany in 2009 as he sat watching a group of kids “going down the same destructive path.”
“Those babies were doing the same thing that I was doing,” he said, “and I had to do something.”
So he started Boxing Out Negativity, a boxing program that operates out of a gym near 16th Street and Pulaski Road and aims to “empower at-risk youth to realize the best within themselves in a safe and supportive environment,” according to its mission statement.
In July, Brown’s program was among 21 organizations that received $3.5 million in R3 grants to combat the historical uptick in violence during the summer months.
Brown said his organization used the nearly $200,000 it received for gang intervention efforts in North Lawndale that were “bigger than the boxing program.” The work was much needed: city data shows the neighborhood has seen at least 43 homicides so far this year, up from 39 all of last year and 23 in 2019.
Brown noted that his team helped mediate more than 100 conflicts, including a longstanding beef between gang factions that ultimately reached a treaty. A mental health specialist also held weekly appointments and business owners offered some kids job opportunities, he said.
Thirty-seven Illinois state lawmakers are asking the state education board to apply due diligence before voting on a new, multimillion-dollar standardized testing system.
In a letter to the Illinois State Board of Education, lawmakers question a $228 million proposal to replace the annual Illinois Assessment of Readiness, which tests students’ math and reading proficiency in third through eighth grades each spring, with an assessment that would be taken three times a year. The proposal includes optional testing for students in kindergarten through second grade three times yearly.
State Superintendent Carmen Ayala brought the proposal to the state board in April as part of her goal to overhaul the state’s standardized testing system. But a final vote has been pushed back. Some educators believe testing students multiple times during a school year is a better measure of growth and progress than a one-time test.
Lawmakers have raised concerns about over-testing students, particularly in low-income Black and brown communities, and expanding testing to the early grades. Their letter will be delivered to Ayala and the board ahead of its Wednesday meeting.
The Illinois Assessment of Readiness Test that Illinois school districts give every spring is a mandate that takes up valuable classroom time, said Mark Klaisner, president of the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools. Illinois is obligated to give a standard state-wide test because Illinois schools depend on the $1 billion in federal funding that goes with it. […]
“You can’t just not have a test because Illinois does not want to sacrifice that money. We should get better – not just eliminate the test,” Klaisner said.
Illinois State Schools Superintendent Carmen Ayala has been advocating for a new approach and a better statewide assessment package for years.
Testing gives teachers data to evaluate how each student is learning, Klaisner said. Some kids may already be ahead of the curve and need a more challenging curriculum. Some children may be behind. When the teacher finds that out, the teacher can pivot and make sure that the children who need to catch up can do that.
“WIthout good assessment data, it’s hard to know when to support struggling learners or whether to accelerate those who have already mastered the standards for that particular grade level,” Klaisner said.
The way Illinois testing is done now, the state-wide standardized test happens in March. In some districts, testing disrupts classroom routine for two weeks – a drain on time that teachers resent. The results don’t come back until the summer. By the time the data is distributed and evaluated, the student has moved on to the next grade.
“It’s almost borderline ridiculous,” Klaisner said. “What we really need is streamlined testing that is more useful,” he said.
llinois moved closer to allowing midwifery to be a licensed profession on Tuesday under legislation signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker that he and others hoped would save lives.
“Reproductive health is not one size fits all,” Pritzker said. “Whether it’s an expectant mother with a preexisting condition, or a woman looking for culturally informed care, these deeply personal needs and procedures require comprehensive options.”
Those options will now include midwives after the bill goes into effect in October.
Certified nurse-midwives provide women with primary health care, including gynecological exams, delivering babies and prenatal and postnatal care, according to the Illinois Affiliate of the American College of Nurse-Midwives.
The legislation Pritzker signed into law Tuesday allows for midwives to go through a newly created licensing process to provide care before, during and after delivery that can be “life saving,” Pritzker said.
I know people who’ve waited for this day for a very long time. I’m happy for them.
Currently, only midwives with nursing degrees can practice in Illinois.
The legislation states that a person must be certified by the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) and requires completion of an accredited postsecondary midwifery education program in order to be licensed to perform out-of-hospital births.
Those who have been accredited by NARM but have not completed the necessary education program can still be licensed if they have practiced as a certified professional midwife for more than three years and hold other certifications. […]
* This doesn’t mean a whole lot in the real world unless they leave the position vacant for an inordinate period. But it’s definitely a bad look. Center Square…
Another vacancy in the office that oversees state lawmakers means complaints won’t be investigated until the position is filled.
Legislative Inspector General Carol Pope is the most recent inspector to resign from the position. She gave notice six months ago, calling the office a “paper tiger.”
In a letter to members of the bipartisan Illinois Legislative Ethics Commission in July, Pope said she hoped to make a difference from the inside and improve the public’s view of the legislature by bringing true ethics reforms.
“Unfortunately, I have not been able to do so,” Pope said. “This last legislative session [in the spring] demonstrated true ethics reform is not a priority. The LIG has no real power to effect change or shine a light on ethics violations, the position is essentially a paper tiger.”
Her departure date is Dec. 15. She was approved for the job in 2019.
State Sen. Jil Tracy, R-Quincy, who chairs the Legislative Ethics Commission, said it’s troubling they can’t keep a watchdog in place.
“They’ve made it very clear that subpoena power is important, that their ability to investigate without getting permission from the commission would be very important,” Tracy told The Center Square on Tuesday. “I know I’ve been part of legislative initiatives filed to do just that and they’ve not gone anywhere, they’ve not gone through the legislative process, and so these inspector generals quit out of frustration.”
The commission meets Thursday where a nominee to replace Pope could be considered. But, the full General Assembly wouldn’t be able to approve anything until they return early next month at the earliest.
The most recent quarterly report issued at the end of September indicated there were 34 allegations received to the LIG, where six investigations were initiated. The total number of allegations referred by the LIG to any law enforcement agency was four. The total number of allegations referred to another investigatory body was five.
*** UPDATE *** I reached out to Sen. Jil Tracy, who co-chairs the Legislative Ethics Commission. Sen. Tracy said she spoke to LIG Pope yesterday, who said she doesn’t want to see the office vacant.
“I think she and staff will hang on through January 6,” Tracy said.
* Buried in today’s Tribune article about yesterday’s Cook County Democratic Party slating was this nugget…
West Side Ald. Walter Burnett, 27th, a member of the committee and a longtime ally of [Secretary of State Jesse] White’s, told slatemakers that the incumbent would issue his endorsement in the race next month.
Anything you’d like to say to Secretary White? Speak now or forever hold your peace.
Today, State Senator Melinda Bush announced she will not seek re-election to the Illinois State Senate. First elected in 2012, Senator Bush has built an unparalleled record of fighting for women’s rights and equality in Illinois, from enshrining women’s reproductive health rights into law to passing strict anti-harassment protections and advancing women running for elected office at all levels of government.
“Serving the residents of the 31st District for the last nine years has been the honor of my life. It’s not a place I ever expected to be, but I’m so grateful to all of the amazing people I’ve met as I have traveled across our district and our state working to make Illinois a better place for all who call it home,” said State Senator Melinda Bush. “I’m immensely proud to have helped advance policies that have moved our state forward: making Illinois the most pro-choice state in America; passing landmark legislation to make Illinois a global leader in the fight against climate change; changing the way our state funds education to ensure all students, regardless of zip code or economic status, receive a quality education; and so much more. While I will not be seeking re-election, I will remain an engaged voice on behalf of my community and am committed to lifting up the voices of women throughout Illinois.”
Senator Bush has successfully championed women’s rights and equality throughout her time in office. She was the chief sponsor of the Reproductive Health Act in 2019, which ensures abortion will remain legal in Illinois if Roe vs. Wade is overturned at a time as states across the country continue to enact restrictive abortion policies. She also led efforts to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment in Illinois, an important step toward bringing equal justice to women.
At the height of the #MeToo movement, Senator Bush chaired the bipartisan Senate Task Force on Sexual Discrimination and Harassment Awareness and Prevention. The task force resulted in the passage of some of the strictest sexual harassment and discrimination protections in the country, keeping Illinoisans safe for decades to come and fundamentally changing both the way the legislature and private businesses operate in the state of Illinois. As a member of the Anti-Harassment, Equality and Access Panel, Senator Bush traveled across Illinois and heard women tell their stories about sexual harassment, discrimination, and the way political parties excluded them from the process. As a result, she started the Lake County Democratic Women, which has trained, supported and funded more than 45 Lake County women at the state and local level in the last five years.
Senator Bush has also built a long record of advocating for environmental justice, fighting to combat the opioid crisis and standing up for Lake County citizens and their communities. She’s sponsored critical legislation, including:
• The Lead Service Line Replacement and Notification Act, landmark legislation to replace the state’s lead pipes and ensure clean drinking water for our children
• The nation-leading Clean Energy Jobs Act to ensure Illinois achieves 100% renewable energy by 2050
• Numerous pieces of legislation to address the opioid crisis, expanding access to the life-saving heroin antidote Naloxone, strengthening prescription monitoring to prevent the over-prescription of opioids, and providing resources and treatment options to those struggling with substance abuse
• Legislation to bring millions of dollars in infrastructure funding to the 31st district
“Of all our accomplishments, I am most proud of the work that my team and I have done in our 31st District communities. From day one, we wanted to provide the best services and assistance to those we represented, and I sincerely believe we have done just that,” added Senator Bush. “When I first went to Springfield, I used to carry a frog necklace in my pocket to represent the old adage about a boiled frog, reminding me to be hyper-aware of how your environment can change you. I’m confident that during my time in office, I’ve been able to stay true to my ideals and values as we’ve worked to make life better for thousands of Lake County families.”
Senator Bush was born and raised in Lake County. Prior to running for Senate, she was a small business owner and a Lake County Board Member. She lives in Grayslake with her husband Andy.
* Ditto for her…
Today, the Marijuana Policy Project announced that Toi Hutchinson will join the organization as its new president and CEO. Hutchinson, a former Illinois state senator, most recently served as senior advisor to Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker on cannabis legalization implementation.
For the past year, MPP Executive Director Steven Hawkins has led both MPP and the United States Cannabis Council (USCC). Hawkins will now exclusively focus his efforts on federal cannabis reform at USCC. MPP will remain a member of USCC and continue to share staff, board members, and resources.
“Toi’s unique resume is perfectly suited to lead MPP as we finish our reform work state-by-state across the country,” said MPP Board Chairman Sal Pace. “Toi worked alongside MPP as one of the initial authors of the Illinois adult-use cannabis legislation to ensure that the law contained a strong social justice framework that included decriminalization in addition to legalization. MPP has always been focused not only on legalization but also on doing it right and ending the war on drugs.”
“I am proud of what we have accomplished at MPP and look forward to working alongside Toi in the fight to end cannabis prohibition,” said Steven Hawkins, president and CEO of USCC. “MPP played a pivotal role in incubating USCC, and we are now taking that work to the next level. Toi is an incredible leader, and I know that our organizations will work tirelessly to advance our shared goals.”
“The MPP Board is thrilled with the work Steve accomplished during his four-year tenure. These past four years have been the most productive years yet for marijuana reform. MPP will continue to work with Steve as a member organization of USCC, including continuing to share some staff between the two organizations,” said Sal Pace, MPP Board Chair.
“I’m pleased to be joining the team at MPP, where I will continue my years-long effort to develop and support cannabis legalization legislation that centers on equity and repairing the harms of the past,” said Toi Hutchinson. “We are incredibly proud of the hard work and lessons learned in Illinois, standing up programs to invest in equity entrepreneurs, reinvesting in communities, and clearing hundreds of thousands of arrests and criminal records.
“Steve Hawkins’ work at MPP was stellar, and I look forward to working with him in his new capacity along with legislators and partners across the country to advance the goals and mission of MPP by harnessing our collective power to advocate for changes to federal cannabis policies.”
In addition to her position as senior advisor to Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, Toi also served as an Illinois state senator and an attorney at the law firm of Chapman and Cutler. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences (English) from the University of Illinois and a Juris Doctor from Northern Illinois University College of Law.
Toi is a member of the Chicago Federation of Women, the Illinois Women’s Institute for Leadership, Links, International, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Since MPP was founded in 1995, it has spearheaded most of the major state-level reforms that have occurred over the past two decades.
MPP played a leading role in 10 of the 18 adult-use legalization laws, starting with the historic 2012 Amendment 64 initiative in Colorado, which was the first state to legalize cannabis for adults. MPP also led the coalitions that passed initiatives to legalize and regulate cannabis in Alaska, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Michigan, and Montana between 2014 and 2021.
In addition to managing ballot initiative campaigns, MPP has also enacted numerous policies by passing laws through state legislatures. MPP spearheaded the advocacy campaigns that made Vermont and Illinois the first two states to legalize cannabis for adults through the legislative process and played a critical role in enacting the most recent legalization law to pass via state legislature—in Connecticut earlier this year.
…Adding… Terry Cosgrove…
Filling the shoes of Senator Melinda Bush will be close to impossible. Elected and re-elected from a district that was never considered “safe,” Bush fought for what she believed in time after time, knew standing up for what was right and just, being unafraid to tell people why she took the positions she did, was not only good policy, but good politics. The Illinois General Assembly is losing a pro-choice hero, a champion of justice, and one of the greatest examples of what the people of this state deserve in an elected official. Thank you Senator Bush for staying in the fight with us in the years to come as we will need you more than ever!
As “smash-and-grab” robberies continue to terrorize consumers and retailers, House Republican Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) has filed legislation targeting the organized theft rings behind these headline-grabbing crimes.
“Smash-and-grab retail theft has become disturbingly commonplace and these criminals are only becoming more brazen,” said Durkin. “These crimes have many victims, from the people who own and operate these stores, to their employees and customers. We cannot let this stand. These criminals are sophisticated and organized like the street gangs that terrorize our communities and must be treated the same.”
Retailers, from small mom and pop stores to large companies, lost between $3.7 and $4 billion worth of merchandise to retail theft in Illinois alone last year, according to a recent report from the Illinois Retail Merchants Association. Additionally, billions in stolen goods means the state loses out on millions in sales tax revenue. These thieves are not reselling on street corners or out of car trunks, but through anonymous online marketplaces.
Durkin’s legislation, House Bill 4275, creates the crime of organized retail theft, a felony punishable by up to 15 years in jail if the value of the stolen goods is more than the state’s current felony threshold of $300.
Under Durkin’s proposal, a person commits organized retail theft when they:
• Work with one or more people to steal merchandise with the intent of selling or returning the merchandise for profit.
• Work with two or more people to receive, purchase or possess merchandise they believe to be stolen.
• Act as an agent of another individual or group of individuals to steal merchandise from one or more merchant’s premises as part of an organized plan to commit theft.
• Recruit, coordinate, organize, supervise, direct, manage or finance another person to undertake any of these actions.
Durkin’s legislation also allows for organized retail theft to be charged in one of several locations. Charges can be brought either where the theft took place, where the merchandise was recovered, or where stolen merchandise was resold. For instance, if a store on Michigan Avenue was robbed, but the organized crime ring attempted to sell the stolen goods in DuPage County, the crime could be charged in Cook or DuPage County.
“States Attorney Foxx and Governor Pritzker continue to coddle criminals and disregard the victims of their crimes. It is time we reset our criminal justice system and hold those who disregard our laws accountable. Our citizens and our merchants are desperate for action,” said Durkin.
* I asked for a response from Rob Karr, the president & CEO of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association…
While we appreciate Leader Durkin’s continued support of the retail community as well as his efforts to ensure retailers can continue to operate safely in Illinois, we are in need of policies that best addresses the many complexities of organized retail crime. To that end, we will soon be unveiling a proposal that advocates for comprehensive solutions. With profits from organized retail crime driving other illicit activities such as illegal firearms purchases, human trafficking, and in worst cases terrorism, as well as eroding sales tax revenues and threatening retail viability, it is far from a victimless crime. Indeed, Illinois has become the epicenter for these types of crimes, with organized retail theft growing over 60% in just the last five years. It is more important than ever before that elected officials work with members of the retail community to ensure Illinois is no longer an easy target.
* Related…
* Kim Foxx rethinking retail theft policy: In an emailed statement, Foxx spokeswoman Cristina Villareal confirmed the office is reviewing its policy. “We believe the retail threshold at $1,000 for felony charges is in line with the rest of the country, but we have committed to look at available data and engage with partners to see if this is still the best policy,” she wrote. “It’s important to note that cases of retail theft are not the same as ‘smash and grab’ and organized theft rings. We will also be taking a look at our policies around those issues.”
A Chicago consultant pleaded guilty today to a federal tax offense for willfully attempting to evade and defeat the assessment of income taxes.
EDWARD ACEVEDO, 58, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to a tax evasion charge before U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly. The conviction is punishable by a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. Judge Kennelly set sentencing for March 9, 2022.
The guilty plea was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Justin Campbell, Special Agent-in-Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago; and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amarjeet S. Bhachu, Diane MacArthur, Sarah E. Streicker, Timothy J. Chapman, Michelle Kramer, and Julia Schwartz.
Acevedo worked as a self-employed consultant. He admitted in a plea agreement that he willfully failed to file an individual income tax return for the calendar years 2015 through 2018, causing a loss to the IRS of at least approximately $37,380. Acevedo further admitted that he attempted to evade taxes by handling his affairs in a manner so as to avoid the creation and maintenance of customary business and accounting records.
After discovering that he was under investigation by the IRS, Acevedo provided incomplete information to his accountant concerning the sources of Acevedo’s income and expenses for 2017 and 2018, causing the accountant to prepare incomplete federal tax returns for those years, the plea agreement states.
Though the indictment stemmed from the ComEd probe, Acevedo’s plea will make no mention of it, or Public Official A, and he has no cooperation deal with the feds
Public Official A is former House Speaker Michael Madigan, in case you’ve been living under a rock. So, this was a one-off.
Republican candidate for governor Darren Bailey on Monday named Stephanie Trussell, a former right-wing radio talk show host in Chicago, as his running mate for the June 28 primary.
Bailey became the first of four announced GOP candidates to pick a lieutenant governor contender. Under state law, candidates for governor and lieutenant governor must run as a team. Team Bailey links a white farmer and state senator from rural downstate Xenia with a Black suburban woman. […]
In her social media posts in 2016, Trussell was opposed to Donald Trump’s Republican presidential nomination. She used the #NeverTrump hashtag on her Twitter account as she wrote Trump “is a despicable human being,” saying he “will donate to #Satan for a land deal” and that her “skin crawls when pundits call #Trump the leader of the #GOP. He doesn’t represent my values.”
Trussell also has used her social media platform to liken Planned Parenthood to the Ku Klux Klan and question the validity of health care professionals calling for vaccinations to deal with the pandemic.
* The governor was asked today about Trussell’s anti-Trump comments coming back on her…
It’s a complete mess over there. I do not know how they’re going to resolve all of this. The cult of personality around Donald Trump is a major factor in the Republican Party, seemingly. And I think they’re going to have lots of disagreements about who’s more Trumpy than the other person. But I know what I’m focused on. And you know what I’m focused on and I’ve been doing it for the last three years and that’s just the people of Illinois, the working families of Illinois
* Trussell had this to say today on the campaign trail…
I support President Trump 100 percent. Like a lot of people, we all had some issues with candidate Trump. My issue with him is that we didn’t think he was conservative enough, that was my issue with him. But you know what? I was so happy to be wrong about him. I voted for Trump in 2016. I campaigned and voted for Trump in 2020. And I will never apologize to the trolls on the Internet for who I am and what I am. I know what I am, that’s unshakeable.
She does more than her share of Internet trolling, as we’re about to see.
* As I told you yesterday, Trussell pulled down her Twitter account not long after people started posting about her. She put it back up at some point, and this was still there…
I asked the Bailey campaign for comment and haven’t heard back. I asked the ILGOP for comment twice (including on one of their Twitter posts about race) and haven’t heard back. I also asked some Democrats for comment, and House Black Caucus Chair Kam Buckner stepped up…
Stephanie Trussell and Darren Bailey should be ashamed of the past remarks regarding President Obama––but we all know they won’t be. These offensive, incendiary comments are unacceptable for someone seeking one of the highest offices in our state, and I look forward to hearing about the mental gymnastics Mrs. Trussell must do to justify these disturbing statements. Stephanie Trussell is exactly the kind of pick we’d expect from this field of far-right extremists, but she doesn’t represent us and never will.
…Adding… Real tough guy, eh?…
Bailey’s bus relocates to the back door so he can escape the press, despite multiple requests for on camera interviews. His campaign staff physically blocked reporters from approaching him as he refuses to take any questions.
*** UPDATE *** Statement provided by the Bailey campaign…
I wouldn’t expect a basement blogger to do his job and add context to a sarcastic tweet from 7 years ago, but here you go: In 2014, Michelle Obama told black voters, “I give everyone full permission to eat some fried chicken after they vote.” This ridiculousness is the kind of stuff we’ve grown to expect from pandering liberals and the left-wing media, though. They put black people in a box, tell us to keep our heads down, our hands out, and vote Democrat. Well, these elitist politicians have failed us. Our streets aren’t safe, our schools are failing our children, our communities lack opportunities, and we need change. I’m proud of being a black woman raised on the Westside of Chicago, and I won’t apologize to the left-wing media or the out-of-touch career politicians who have been selling out Illinoisans for years. We’re here to fight for change for every Illinoisan and turn this state around.
Hilarious. Also, Buckner has been in office not quite three years. Also, too, I don’t think Obama said anything about malt liquor and watermelons.
…Adding… This is hilariously ironic…
Waiting for the #Trump pic of him eating fried chicken and watermelon under the heading: "I Love Black People". #Buffoonery!
— The Stephanie Trussell Show (@ReaganMom) May 6, 2016
State health officials today reported 3,628 COVID-19 patients are being treated at hospitals throughout Illinois.
That’s up 115 patients from the day before.
Of those hospitalized, 743 are in intensive care, according to Illinois Department of Public Health records.
IDPH officials are also reporting 28 more residents have died of COVID-19, while 7,390 new cases of the respiratory disease were diagnosed. That brings the state’s death toll from the virus to 26,934, and 1,911,649 infections have been recorded since the outset of the pandemic, IDPH records show.
The state’s seven-day case positivity rate is at 4%, the same as the day before. Case positivity is the percentage of new cases derived from a batch of tests. A seven-day average is used to account for any anomalies in the daily reporting of those figures.
Amy Jacobson: The governors of New York and California have implemented new mask mandates, but both of their governors have given their people end dates of January 12. What about giving Illinois a mandate [end]?
Gov. Pritzker: Here’s why we have a mask mandate: because we need to keep people safe. We need to stop pretending that masks don’t work. They do. Countless studies show that masks do work to reduce the transmission of infection. We also know that the most important thing you can do is to get vaccinated and if you’ve been vaccinated to get boosted, that is what keeps people out of the hospital. It’s what keeps people safe. And so I encourage everybody to please wear your mask indoors. Please make sure that you go get vaccinated if you’ve not been and if you haven’t had your booster yet. We just opened booster shot vaccination clinics across Cook County as well as in other parts of the state. We have vaccination clinics that are open to people who want to get booster, so I just want to encourage everybody to do the right thing. We are in the state of Illinois and we’re gonna keep doing it. Following the science.
Amy Jacobson: But we went from 300 cases in Chicago to a thousand…
Gov. Pritzker: Look, every time the numbers go down, you say you want everybody to take the masks off. Every time the numbers go up, you say you want everybody to take the masks off. I know what you stand for. Let’s keep moving on. I’d like to talk to reporters.
The World Health Organization said Wednesday that omicron, which is being reported in 77 countries, is spreading at a faster rate than previous coronavirus variants and delivered a stark warning against dismissing it as mild.
WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that even if data eventually confirms that omicron causes less-severe disease than other variants, the sheer number of infections could “once again overwhelm unprepared health systems.”
* However, if this turns out to be true, then maybe, just maybe we can all get a break from the insanity…
A highly anticipated study of Pfizer’s Covid pill confirmed that it helps stave off severe disease, the company announced on Tuesday.
Pfizer also said its antiviral pill worked in laboratory studies against the Omicron variant, which is surging in South Africa and Europe and is expected to dominate U.S. cases in the weeks ahead.
“We are confident that, if authorized or approved, this potential treatment could be a critical tool to help quell the pandemic,” Albert Bourla, Pfizer’s chief executive, said in a statement.
Last month, Pfizer asked the Food and Drug Administration to authorize the pill, known as Paxlovid, based on a preliminary batch of data. The new results will undoubtedly strengthen the company’s application, which could mean that Americans infected with the virus may have access to the pill within weeks.
See below for a statement from Illinois Secretary of State candidate Anna Valencia on today’s Cook County Democrats slating, which resulted in an endorsement for her opponent, Alexi Giannoulias, in this race:
“Nothing worth doing comes easy in life. That’s the story of my parents, working families across Illinois and women across the country. Even so, when things get tough, they continue to fight on. I am in this race for them, and I am staying in the race because I plan to win so that I can be a voice for working families like my own and to show little girls everywhere what’s possible when they persist.”
…Adding… More…
All 3 Giannoulias rivals say they will stay in the race.
With mental illness and drug addiction surging across the United States, it’s more likely than ever that emergency calls could involve a person experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis. Those calls are often received by 911 call centers, which recent Pew research suggests lack the resources and training needed to dispatch tailored responses. Instead, law enforcement officers typically are sent to manage situations that often require specialized services related to health, mental health, and housing.
New research from the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, in partnership with The Pew Charitable Trusts, suggests that a program developed in Dallas might serve as a blueprint for policymakers who want to move their crisis response systems toward a health-centered approach instead of relying solely on police.
Since 2018, the city has employed a multidisciplinary model known locally as Rapid Integrated Group Healthcare Team (RIGHT) Care, which brings together teams of mental health professionals, paramedics, and specialized law enforcement officers who can better direct people in distress to community-based care and services. According to the Meadows Institute report, these teams responded to 6,679 calls from Jan. 29, 2018, to June 7, 2020. The analysis found that:
• 62% resulted in a connection to care (community service, or voluntary or involuntary hospitalization).
• 40% resulted in a connection to some sort of community service, such as a referral to health or housing services.
• 29% were resolved on scene with no further services needed.
• Only 14% resulted in emergency detention.
• 8% resulted in a person being taken to a hospital or psychiatric facility.
• Only 2% resulted in arrests for new offenses.
• While mental health visits to the emergency department at Dallas’ Parkland Hospital increased by 30% from 2017 to 2019, areas served by RIGHT Care saw a 20% decrease in mental health-related admissions.
In addition to the on-patrol three-member units, Parkland provides the RIGHT Care team with licensed mental health professionals to assist with navigating 911 calls involving behavioral health crises. That’s important, because recent research by Pew suggests that few 911 call centers have staff with the training or resources needed to manage these calls and dispatch appropriate responses. Dallas’ initial success shows how a properly resourced call center can improve outcomes.
Based on the positive data from Meadows—a Dallas-based, data-driven nonprofit focused on providing efficient behavioral health care to Texans when and where they need it—city officials earlier this year expanded RIGHT Care throughout the city. They added two new teams, increasing active units from nine three-person units to 15, and moving closer to the goal of RIGHT Care responding to 40% of mental health calls in the city.
* The 2021 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Senate Republican Non-Campaign Staffer goes to Whitney Barnes…
I think the quantity and strength of the nominations she’s received really speak to her character. While it’s true that she’s smart, hard working and respected by members of the caucus and the media, it’s how she interacts with the people around her that makes her a standout to me. Simply put, Whitney is a good person who treats everyone around her with respect and kindness - something that is sadly becoming increasingly rare in this arena.
Whitney announced this week that she’s leaving to join Nicor as its communications manager. Her departure will create a giant hole on that staff. Best of luck!
* The 2021 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best House Republican Non-Campaign Staffer goes to Joe Sculley…
When you see how prepared the HGOP is with nearly everything budget you can look to Sculley. He is an excellent partner with Demmer and because of their relationship and oversight the HGOP can land plenty of budget punches when the rest of the world is wondering what GOMB is doing. A true artist at his craft who has an attention for detail that benefits the HGOP in so many ways. Also super fun.
When somebody gets a nomination like that they have to win.
* On to today’s categories…
Best House Democrat
Best House Republican
As always, explain your answers or they won’t count and nominate in both categories, please. And, remember, it’s 2021. The nominations are for activity in this year, not last year, or last decade or whatever. Thanks.
The north side of the [Edwardsville] warehouse “is where the vast majority of our employees and partners went,” Kelly Nantel, Amazon’s director of media relations, said at the news conference.
“A small handful, and we speculated … it was because of the work that they were doing at the time, they congregated on the southern side of the facility,” she said.
Amazon cargo driver Austin J. McEwen, 26, was an only child who loved to listen to rapper Mac Miller and hunt with his friends.
He died trying to shelter from a powerful tornado in the bathroom at an Amazon.com warehouse on Friday night, according to a coworker. […]
Several employees told Reuters that they had been directed to shelter in bathrooms by Amazon managers after receiving emergency alerts on mobile phones from authorities. […]
“I was at the end of my route. I was just getting in the building and they started screaming, ‘Shelter in place!’” said David Kosiak, 26, who has worked at the facility for three months. “We were in the bathrooms. That’s where they sent us.”
Jaeira Hargrove and Etheria Hebb loaded up their delivery vans Friday morning at an Amazon facility near Edwardsville and spent the day delivering packages in the Glen Carbon area.
When the weather started turning bad, they returned and quickly parked their vans. A woman told them to head to the bathroom because of a tornado warning, Hargrove said Sunday in an interview with the Post-Dispatch. […]
“We were just standing there talking. That’s when we heard the noise. It felt like the floor started moving. We all got closer to each other. We all started screaming,” Hargrove said.
The building collapsed as an EF3 tornado smashed into it.
Both Hargrove and Hebb were knocked to the floor. Hargrove was calling out to Hebb, but Hebb didn’t respond. She was one of the six people who were killed in the building’s collapse.
The “take shelter” location is the restrooms, said delivery driver Alonzo Harris.
* Yet, Amazon almost appears to be blaming the workers who died or just chalking their deaths up to tragic bad luck…
Six that died in Edwardsville, Illinois Amazon warehouse were not in the designated shelter in place: Amazon spokeswoman said that the designated shelter in place is an interior section of the warehouse not a room. The workers who gathered there survived and the 6 persons who died were on the south side of the building where the tornado struck.
Amazon’s 3.8-million-square-foot fulfillment center at the southeast corner of Harlem Avenue and Vollmer Road in Matteson opened in October and is designed to withstand winds of at least 110 mph, according to Ernest Roberts III, the village’s director of community development.
The National Weather Service said Saturday night that the tornado that hit the Amazon building reached the EF3 category — the third-strongest rating on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, with winds between 136 mph and 165 mph.
We’re relying upon not only the local investigation, but the OSHA investigation to look at issues around whether there are structural challenges with the way those warehouses and that particular one was built. People have said that they were built to code. If they were, then we need to look, and I’ve talked to legislators about this, we need to look at whether the code needs to be strengthened. Because I think we all are quite well aware that storms are getting more severe, that climate change is affecting businesses and homes and individuals all across the nation, not to mention here in Illinois. And so if we need to strengthen those codes because of climate change, we should go do that.
* Gov. Pritzker was asked at an unrelated press conference today about the recent New York Times story claiming he’d talked privately about running for president…
I have never spoken privately with anybody or publicly about that. I, first of all, and second, I love my job as governor of Illinois. And I intend to keep doing it on behalf of the working families of Illinois, making sure that we’re lifting up our children making sure they get the education that they deserve, that families get the health care that they need, and that we’re growing our economy and of course, working our way out of this pandemic. So I’m going to continue doing the job.
* Reporters persisted, peppering him with more questions…
I have no intention of running for anything except reelection as governor. […]
Of course, people have mentioned this to me on occasion, but I’ve never had a conversation with anybody about it. […]
I am focused on this job. I love this job. I really love the job of being governor and I’m going to continue doing it as long as I can. […]
I think I’ve been pretty clear about this. I want to be governor of Illinois. I want to continue to be governor of Illinois. I’m doing the job that I love.
And that’s just some of the responses.
* My “favorite” question was whether he’d consider running for president if he lost reelection next year. I did not make that up. His response was that he’d have more time to spend with his family.
…Adding… ILGOP…
“Governor Pritzker and his team should focus more on fixing the problems that ail our struggling state instead of dreaming of the White House. JB has surrounded himself with a bunch of depressed Clinton 2016 alums who still believe the right to lead the country is theirs. Now they’ve found a billionaire benefactor to make another go of it and Pritzker, it seems, is happy to indulge in the fantasy.
Newsflash to team Pritzker, our economy lags behind all our neighbors, violent crime is destroying communities, rampant inflation is busting the budgets of already overtaxed Illinoisans, and public corruption still defines our political system. Get to work, Governor, and stop dreaming.” - ILGOP Chairman Don Tracy
* The 7th US Court of Appeals has ruled that the pandemic and Gov. Pritzker’s resulting emergency order closing down businesses did not trigger insurance policies covering income reductions caused by “direct physical loss.” Here’s Steve Daniels at Crain’s…
In the linchpin cases—suits by Sandy Point Dental in Lake Zurich, the owner of the Hyatt Place hotel in East Moline and a Southern Illinois restaurant owner against Cincinnati Insurance—a three-judge panel decided that Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s actions in the spring of 2020 to keep the virus from spreading out of control didn’t constitute a “physical loss” that virtually every business policy requires for payment of claims.
In the decision, Judge Diane Wood emphasized that businesses were able to function in part even during the most restrictive phases of Pritzker’s orders. Restaurants could serve takeout orders. The dentists’ office could perform emergency work.
“(T)he businesses’ preferred use of the premises was partially limited, while other uses remained possible,” she wrote. “Without any physical alteration to accompany it, this partial loss of use does not amount to a ‘direct physical loss.’”
With this ruling, the 7th Circuit joins four other federal judicial circuits around the country in arriving at this interpretation. Unless another circuit rules that insurers are liable for these losses, the U.S. Supreme Court is highly unlikely to weigh in on what last year looked like it might be one of the most intense insurance industry legal wars in years.
In other words, incorporating the stated definition of “loss,” the Businesses were covered for income losses resulting from direct physical loss or direct physical damage to property. Thus, to survive Cincinnati’s Rule 12(b)(6) motion, they needed to allege that either the virus or the resulting closure orders caused direct physical loss or direct physical damage to covered property. […]
Sandy Point insured its property, not its ideal use of that property. Having alleged neither a physical alteration to the property nor its equivalent in its amended complaint, Sandy Point failed adequately to allege a “direct physical loss” under the Policy. […]
Bend Hotel has not alleged loss of use so substantial as to amount to a physical dispossession of its property. […]
To state a claim under the Policy before us, the Businesses needed to allege more than a partial loss of their preferred use of the insured properties. But they alleged neither a physical alteration to property nor an access- or use- deprivation so substantial as to constitute a physical dispos- session. They thus have not managed to state claims upon which relief could be granted.
The deficit in the state’s Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund remains over $4.3 billion and interest payments on the debt began accruing on Sept. 6.
Thus far, more than $6 million in interest has accrued on the money Illinois owes the federal government, according to the U.S. Treasury, and interest will continue to accrue at a rate of 2.27 percent. The state earmarked $10 million for interest payments this fiscal year.
* Comptroller Mendoza press release…
State financial officers are asking the federal government to reinstate the waiver on interest being charged for fund advances given to the states to cover COVID-19 unemployment insurance.
These advances were provided to the states interest free so that unemployment benefits could be made without disruption during the worst phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. The interest waiver on these advances expired Sept. 6, 2021.
“Taxpayers should not be on the hook for interest just because the pandemic is lasting longer than projected,” Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza said. “States are wrestling with how best to replenish their COVID-depleted unemployment funds and they should not have to do that with the meter running.”
Illinois’ interest tab is nearly $20 million as of today. That could reach more than $100 million if left unpaid for a year.
State officers, representing more than 75 million residents from New York, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Minnesota joined Comptroller Mendoza in cosigning the attached letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen, seeking the administration’s support for reinstating the interest waiver.
“We believe the waiver deadline was originally determined under the assumption that the pandemic would likely be over and that the economy and state governments would be in recovery mode,” the signatories wrote. “However, it is quite plain to see that this public health crisis is not over, and the benefit provided by this interest waiver is still necessary.”
They emphasized that the pandemic is clearly not over and that states that are having to pay interest on more than $39 billion on federal advancements need more time to figure out how to address repayment of these advances.
“The cost of covering this federal initiative to extend unemployment benefits during the pandemic should not fall completely on the shoulders of businesses and labor,” said Illinois Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza, who convened her fellow financial officers from the most-affected states to seek the extension.
“Colorado has over $1 billion in outstanding advancements,” said Colorado Comptroller Robert Jaros. “Accrued interest is almost $4 million as of today and will grow to over $20 million if not paid within a year. The State supports reinstating the interest waiver for advancement loans for UI benefits. Colorado needs more time to address the repayment of the outstanding advancements.”
Illinois owes $4.5 billion in outstanding advancements. The advances are generating federal interest at a rate of 2.27%, amounting to more than $187.5 million as of Dec. 6, 2021. Illinois has accrued $19.6 million in interest since the waiver expired and after paying $6.3 million in September.
“I’m not running against Mr. Casten. I announced my reelection first, and then he announced his reelection,” she said. “My reelection was requested by my entire district, voters and constituents. So I’m running for the district.”
