During routine COVID testing today a member of the Governor’s Office staff tested positive for COVID-19.
This employee was NOT in close contact with the Governor today or in previous days.
All staff members identified as a close contact will follow CDC protocol for quarantine.
The positive employee had recently received their first dose of vaccine.
The Governor’s Office continues to follow COVID-19 safety protocols including testing staff multiple times per week, weekly deep cleaning procedures, mask wearing, social distancing, and limiting the number of staff reporting to the office for in person work.
* The governor has been quite silent and the Republicans want to hear his thoughts…
Representative Elizabeth Hernandez
Chair, House Redistricting Committee
109 Capitol Building
Springfield, IL 62706
Senator Omar Aquino
Chair, Senate Redistricting Committee
627 Capitol Building
Springfield, IL 62706
Dear Chairs Hernandez and Aquino:
Comments from Members of the Democratic party during hearings on the 2021 redistricting process lead us to believe that the majority fully plans to enact new maps for both the Legislature and U.S. House of Representatives through a process that includes Governor Pritzker signing legislation by June 30, 2021.
To date, not a single House or Senate hearing has included testimony from the Governor or anyone representing his office.
We request the Governor, or a high-level member of his office, testify at our only scheduled joint House-Senate hearing on Monday, April 19, 2021, 5:00 p.m. in East St. Louis.
In March of 2018, then-candidate JB Pritzker said that without a constitutionally-implemented independent commission, “I would urge Democrats and Republicans to agree to an independent commission to handle creating a new legislative map”.
On January 30, 2020, Governor Pritzker stated “we should have compact, contiguous districts as best we can.” Additionally, the Governor added “I am going to veto any unfair map that gets presented to me.”
On January 5, 2021, the spokesperson for the Governor reiterated the position by saying the Governor “has been clear he will veto a partisan map.”
Given the Governor’s numerous stated positions in favor of fair mapping, as well as a commission process for redistricting, it is vital that both the people of Illinois and our Committees hear directly from the Governor in a public hearing as to his views and plans for redistricting.
We ask that you immediately invite and confirm the Governor’s presence at the April 19 hearing so plans can be made accordingly.
Sincerely,
Senator Jason Barickman
Spokesman, Senate Redistricting Committee
Representative Tim Butler
Spokesman, House Redistricting Committee
Frankly, I wouldn’t mind seeing that, either. I’ve asked Pritzker’s office for comment.
*** UPDATE *** Jordan Abudayyeh…
As the Governor has said, he believes legislative maps should reflect Illinois’ gender, racial, and geographic diversity, along with preserving the Voting Rights Act decisions that help ensure racial and language minorities are fully represented in the electoral process.
The statement below can be attributed to Sen. Omar Aquino, D-Chicago, Chair of the Senate Redistricting Committee, and Sen. Elgie Sims, D-Chicago, Vice Chair of the Senate Redistricting Committee:
“As Republicans nationwide seek to silence Black and Brown communities, Democrats in Illinois remain committed to the creation of a fair map that reflects the great diversity of our state. We have invited communities of interest across Illinois to participate in this process, including establishing an online portal that allows anyone to draw and submit their own proposed maps. Meanwhile, Republicans are presenting the public with a false choice by promoting legislation that is legally unsound. They know a bill cannot supersede the Illinois Constitution, which requires the General Assembly to undertake the redistricting process every ten years. Democrats are focused on inclusion, not legally questionable distractions.”
* Related…
* Tom Kacich: Will Illinois Democrats opt for inferior data in map-making?
* Aurora hearing gives residents chance to speak out on redistricting
* Who Draws The Line? - Northern Illinois Residents Discuss Redistricting During Recent Hearing
* Chicago never opted in to legalized video gaming, so those gray-market sweepstakes games have popped up all over. The same sort of thing is now happening with the slow rollout of cannabis dispensaries and on-site consumption…
A growing number of Chicago businesses are now exploiting a loophole in federal law that appears to allow the unfettered sale of a trendy hemp byproduct called Delta-8-THC, which has commonly been described as “marijuana-lite” or “diet weed.”
Retailers across the city have started selling a variety of Delta-8 products in settings that resemble licensed cannabis dispensaries but aren’t subject to the same stiff regulations. Many sell everything from edibles to vaping cartridges, as well as smokable hemp flower sprayed with Delta-8 extract.
Some places are dosing food and drinks with Delta-8 and allowing customers to consume it on site. That flies in the face of a hard-fought provision in the state’s marijuana legalization law that tightly regulates on-site consumption, which isn’t allowed in Chicago yet. […]
Pam Althoff, a former state senator who now serves as the association’s executive director, said Delta-8 sellers are increasingly cropping up in “cannabis deserts,” where licensed pot shops haven’t opened.
…Adding… This could turn into whack-a-mole, but we’ll see…
Rich -
Saw your “An unintended…” post. Wanted to flag that my legislation (expecting it to be voted out of the House this week, bipartisan support and supported by the IL Department of Agriculture and IDPH) would provide regulatory authority for the first time to the Illinois Department of Agriculture to oversee and regulate CBD and Delta 8 products.
Attorneys today filed suit on behalf of the family of 90-year-old Richard Cieski, Sr., a Korean War veteran who died in November 2020 following exposure to the novel coronavirus at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home.
The facility was negligent in failing to protect their husband and father from the virus, the family says, citing the facility’s apparent lack of precautions or preparation from the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020 to the start of the November outbreak that ultimately resulted in the death of 36 residents.
Mr. Cieski died on November 15, 2020, having been exposed to the virus during that outbreak.
Media reports at the time said that many staff members attended an off-site Halloween party that could have led to the outbreak. Other reports indicated that staff members were given 3-day tests for the virus and continued to work at the facility during the 3-day period while they awaited results. The state’s Department of Veterans Affairs has admitted that hand sanitizer used at the facility was found ineffective against the virus, and has identified multiple, systemic failures at the facility including improper symptom screening, staff members not practicing social distancing, and staff touching residents without performing hand hygiene or disposing of gloves in between use.
According to state records, it took 12 days for a representative from the Illinois Department of Public Health to go to the home and investigate the November outbreak. Several Illinois legislators are calling for an independent investigation and State Senator Sue Rezin is sponsoring a bill that would require IDPH and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs to make on-site visits within one business day of when an outbreak is identified.
Levin & Perconti, a law firm nationally renowned for its work representing victims in nursing home abuse and neglect cases, launched multiple investigations on behalf of families whose loved ones died from COVID-19 following exposure at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home and has already filed suits on behalf of COVID victims in a dozen private nursing homes across the state. The Cieski family’s suit is believed to be the first against an Illinois veterans’ home.
“After seeing what was happening with outbreaks at facilities nationwide, LaSalle Veterans’ Home had plenty of time to order enough PPE and properly staff the home to care for the residents,” said Levin & Perconti partner Michael Bonamarte. “Richard Cieski’s death could have been avoided had LaSalle taken appropriate precautions.”
“By November, CDC protocols and Illinois Department of Public Health guidelines were clear and well-known,” added Levin & Perconti partner Margaret Battersby Black. “There were standards in place that should have been followed and practices that could have been enforced. An appropriately fast and comprehensive response to potential staff exposure to the virus could have saved lives, but, instead, the outbreak spread for 12 days before anyone from the state of Illinois even arrived to investigate it. This suit is about holding officials accountable for that failure and ensuring that it never happens again.”
* Let’s do a roundup. Another press release…
The Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) is resuming in-person visitation at its correctional facilities, affording incarcerated people the opportunity to see their loved ones for the first time in more than a year. With most people in IDOC custody now vaccinated, the Department’s Office of Health Services and Operations Unit worked closely with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to develop a multi-phase plan for resuming in-person visits in the safest manner possible. To prevent the potential for COVID-19 infection spread, IDOC, after consultation with IDPH, suspended visitation on March 14, 2020. East Moline Correctional Center is now accepting visitors and the Department’s remaining correctional facilities are preparing to reopen their visiting rooms over the next few weeks.
Visitation Start Dates
April 12, 2021: East Moline Correctional Center
April 19, 2021: Graham, Taylorville, Jacksonville, Dixon, Centralia, and Stateville Correctional Centers; Stateville Northern Reception Center; Fox Valley, Crossroads and North Lawndale ATCs; Elgin Treatment Center
April 26, 2021: Pinckneyville, Sheridan, Big Muddy River, Pontiac, Shawnee, Vienna, Hill, Lawrence, Illinois River, Robinson, and Vandalia Correctional Centers; Joliet Treatment Center; Peoria ATC; Kewanee and Murphysboro Life Skills Re-Entry Centers
May 3, 2021: Southwestern Illinois, Decatur, Logan, Lincoln, Western Illinois, Danville, and Menard Correctional Centers
“Maintaining family connection is a vital component of an incarcerated person’s mental and emotional well-being,” said IDOC Acting Director Rob Jeffreys. “Because of the aggressive measures the Department has taken to mitigate COVID-19 within our facilities, IDOC is one of the few correctional systems in the nation now reopening to visitors.”
Everyone who enters an IDOC correctional facility is symptom screened, temperature checked, and provided a surgical mask. Plexi-glass barriers have been installed on visiting tables, which are spaced apart to allow for proper social distancing. Visiting rooms and restrooms are deep cleaned between visits. IDOC is utilizing an online system to schedule visits and limit the number of visitors permitted at one time. More information on the resumption of in-person visitation is available on the Department’s website.
Hotels in Illinois suffered 80% revenue losses during “devastating” pandemic closures, and occupancy rates and the price of hotel rooms lag behind rivals in other states where restrictions have been lifted, an industry lobbyist said.
“We’ve already lost business to states like Florida, Indiana, Wisconsin, Missouri, that have been opened up quicker,” Michael Jacobson, president & CEO of the Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association, said on Capitol Connection. “Illinois is certainly lagging. And many states that have had these restrictions in place are definitely lagging compared to states that have reopened quicker.”
“We’re hopeful — especially with that bridge phase announcement, and eventually advancing into phase five — hopeful that this summer that we’ll be in a position to host those larger gatherings come later this year and into 2022,” he said. “So we’re hopeful that we’ll be in a position to be able to bring those people back and that we’ll be able to start rehiring our workers. The question becomes, ‘are we going to be in a position to just hold on that long while we wait for those large events to come back next year?’”
Jacobson urged the state to provide $250M in grant funding for a ‘Hotel Job Recovery Program’ that he says would allow hotels to rehire staff laid off during the pandemic.
* Press release…
The Illinois Department on Aging (IDoA) and Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) have distributed over 1,100 connectivity and assistive devices to older adults and persons with disabilities who have been disproportionally affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, after receiving $1.7 million from the federal Administration for Community Living in May 2020.
Specifically, the funding was used to purchase technology devices; including iPads, tablets and internet / Wi-Fi / hotspot access to combat social isolation and loneliness among older adults and individuals who are disabled. The devices have applications like FaceTime, Zoom, mental stimulation and others so individuals can connect with family members and friends. Devices were distributed throughout Illinois beginning in August. Personal accounts of how these devices truly Made Connections, can be viewed here.
CPS ‘firmly committed’ to reopening high schools next week despite CTU’s threat to stay remote
CTU members vote to work remotely starting Wednesday if high school reopening agreement isn’t reached
After Kamala Harris visit, business jumps at Brown Sugar Bakery on Chicago’s South Side
The state has also seen an increase in coronavirus hospitalizations over the last month. As of Saturday night, 1,834 beds were occupied by COVID-19 patients — up 23% from last week. Of those, 409 were in intensive care units and 173 were on ventilators, officials said.
* I need to run to the Stratton and get tested for session. Since we haven’t chatted in a while, let’s do a wellness check. How are you and yours getting by these days?
The state of Illinois must pay two former Democratic state senators salary hikes they voted to reject while in office, a Cook County judge ruled late Thursday.
The ruling stems from a lawsuit Michael Noland of Elgin and James Clayborne of Belleville brought against Democratic state Comptroller Susana Mendoza’s office. The senators argued that laws freezing legislative salaries from 2009 to 2016 violated the Illinois Constitution, which prohibits lawmakers from changing their pay during their current term.
Noland, now a Kane County judge, sued in 2017 seeking back pay for himself and “all others impacted” by the eight bills lawmakers passed to give up the annual cost-of-living raises they are automatically granted under state law.
The lawsuit, which Clayborne joined as a plaintiff in 2018, also takes issue with unpaid furlough days lawmakers approved for themselves each year from 2009 through 2013.
Then-Cook County Judge Franklin Valderrama ruled in July 2019 that the state constitution is “unambiguous” in prohibiting such action.
Comptroller Susana Mendoza pledged to appeal the decision and called the former lawmakers “shameless grifters” pursuing a “brazen money grab.” […]
The decision Thursday applies only to them, not other lawmakers who were in office, because they filed the lawsuit as individuals, not public officials, the Chicago Tribune reported.
Noland could get about $71,000, while Clayborne is in line for $95,000.
Ironically, Clayborne voted in favor of turning down the raises. Noland voted against the legislation only once, the Tribune reported.
* Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie on the day of the ruling…
“Today’s court ruling, which essentially allows legislators to cast politically popular votes refusing pay increases and then, by judicial fiat, receive those pay increases anyway, is yet another vivid example of why Illinois citizens do not trust their state government. Illinoisians are growing increasingly weary of politicians saying that which is popular, while at the same time finding a path to benefit themselves and harm taxpayers.
“The votes of past General Assemblies to refuse pay increases were policy decisions, and not decisions into which the courts should intervene. I call upon the Attorney General and the Comptroller to immediately and vigorously pursue an appeal of this ruling, and continue to fight for a reversal until the taxpayers are vindicated.”
The court is right. The Constitution is clear. Legislator pay cannot be reduced during a legislator’s term of office. It’s the same sort of thing with pension reductions. Legislators were playing games, just like they did last year when they didn’t appropriate legislator pay raises even though legislator pay is subject to continuing appropriations. That’ll wind up in a lawsuit some day as well.
One day, maybe they’ll figure out that this stuff always catches up to them.
* Remember that Sundays generally have lower numbers, particularly deaths, because locals aren’t filling out the forms. Hospitalization numbers are generally accurate, though…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 2,433 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 18 additional deaths.
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,282,205 cases, including 21,523 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 53,115 specimens for a total of 21,225,122. As of last night, 1,998 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 418 patients were in the ICU and 177 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from April 5-11, 2021 is 4.4%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from April 5-11, 2021 is 4.9%.
The total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses for Illinois is 9,001,105. A total of 7,243,383 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 132,188 doses. Yesterday, 64,772 doses were reported administered in Illinois. The Illinois National Guard has administered more than one million doses of COVID-19 vaccines at state-supported vaccination sites around the state.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in real-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
*** UPDATE *** Tribune…
In the 20-county region that stretches from Kendall and Grundy counties to the Quad Cities, the seven-day average of available intensive care beds has dipped below 20% for four straight days beginning Thursday.
The percentage of available staffed ICU beds was one of the bench marks used to trigger tighter restrictions under Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plan. Health officials recently have said they’re reevaluating those criteria, which were developed before vaccines were available.
The test positivity rate is also rising in the region, home to Peoria and Bloomington-Normal, reaching a seven-day average of 7.2% as of Friday, up from 6.5% a week earlier.
Under the rules that were enforced during the fall surge, a rolling test positivity rate of 8% or higher for three consecutive days triggered tighter restrictions.
In suburban Cook County, where officials have been warning since last week that stricter rules could be coming if trends don’t reverse, the seven-day average for ICU bed availability was 20% Sunday for the second straight day.
With a new nationwide poll showing Republicans three times more likely than Democrats to avoid getting COVID-19 shots, a Central Illinois congressman and loyal member of the GOP said Thursday he wants to reduce vaccine hesitancy regardless of political affiliation.
“I want to encourage everyone that this is safe,” U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, said during a visit to the COVID-19 mass-vaccination site operated by the Sangamon County Department of Public Health and Illinois National Guard at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield. […]
“Putting a political litmus test on the vaccination process is something that I’m trying to warn against,” Davis said. “We, right now, have to believe in our scientists that actually do the clinical trials and the private-sector ingenuity that has allowed us to get safe and effective vaccines.
“And if you’re worried about the vaccines being safe, I will tell you, I don’t feel a computer chip in my arm, and also, hundreds of thousands of people right here in Central Illinois have safely gotten all three of these vaccines,” Davis said. “It’s safe. It’s effective. Go get it done.”
The latest NPR/Marist poll shows that 46 percent of Republican men say they won’t be vaccinated. That’s in line with its previous polling which had the “No” answer at 49 percent. 40 percent of Donald Trump voters also say they won’t be vaccinated.
Meanwhile, just 22 percent of Black respondents said they wouldn’t take the shot and a mere 9 percent of Democratic women are also refusing the vaxes.
* As NPR points out, we can’t get to herd immunity until more folks like those Republican men are vaccinated. Ironically, many of those same folks were insisting last year that the all-important herd immunity could be reached if the virus was simply allowed to run its course. That argument didn’t hold up so well when more than half a million people died. But now that there’s a real chance to reach herd immunity with vaccines, too many are balking.
More Republican Party leaders need to step up here like Davis did. Some have, but many more need to follow the lead of Black politicos and set a very public example, especially now that positivity rates are on the rise. Effingham County’s positivity rate, for example, is now 7.4 percent, as is McHenry County’s.
* Let’s start with this surprise press release on April 5…
On Monday, the eight members of the Illinois State Board of Elections voted unanimously to place Executive Director Steve Sandvoss on administrative leave after he reported being the victim of an online extortion attempt last week. Director Sandvoss reported the attempt to the Illinois State Police, which has begun an investigation.
Based on Director Sandvoss’ description, the attempted extortion scheme appeared typical of many such online scams.
However, because this attempt targeted a top official at the Illinois State Board of Elections, and out of an abundance of caution, the board has taken the cautionary step of placing Director Sandvoss on administrative leave. The board authorized Assistant Executive Director Bernadette Matthews to assume directorship at this time.
The board also authorized the agency’s Chief Information Security Officer, Jeremy Owens, to cooperate fully with the law enforcement investigation, as well as conduct an internal assessment of all SBE devices to which Director Sandvoss had access and ensure the security of the Board’s systems.
At this time, there is no reason to believe that any election data or information has been compromised. All further questions regarding the investigation should be addressed to the Illinois State Police at isp.pio.personnel@illinois.gov.
If you read the release closely, it looks like the board doesn’t believe that Sandvoss’ problems were state-related. But the probe is in the hands of the Illinois State Police, so the board isn’t 100 percent certain of what exactly happened. I-Team…
However, what prompted the alleged extortion attempt they will not disclose, nor will they discuss the nature of the communication, what was being demanded of the state election director, whether it was made on a state computer or Sandvoss’s personal device, or what they are referring to by describing the attempted extortion as typical of many such online scams.
The Illinois State Police are investigating to determine who was behind this alleged extortion attempt, and how and why Sandvoss apparently became targeted.
State police officials told the I-Team that their investigation of the reported extortion “remains open and ongoing.”
* Anyway, the board has called a special meeting for this afternoon at 3 o’clock. Their only agenda item is an executive session. By law, the board has to summarize what went on during the executive session, so we’ll likely know more later today.
Somebody’s personal business is their own personal business, but Russian hackers targeted the board in 2016 and Sandvoss apparently has a security clearance, so he’s held to a much higher standard than if a low-level state worker got catfished, or whatever. Hopefully, the board clears this up today.
The management of the pandemic was on trial in these school board races, much like Pritzker’s management will be in 2022. The fact that so many incumbent school board members performed so well in hotly contested suburban races will no doubt be welcome news for Pritzker’s team.
Four other candidates ran on re-opening classrooms sooner in Libertyville. They all lost. In DuPage and Lake County, the board members who followed scientists cautious advice performed well, and a lot of candidates who raged against remote learning didn’t.
Numerous incumbents in DuPage County’s most contentious school board races appeared to hold onto their seats Tuesday, fending off a flood of opposition candidates in an election largely seen as a referendum on COVID-19 restrictions and the pace of reopening classrooms.
Unofficial results indicated voters seemed to favor experience over new blood as many districts shifted to return to in-person learning after spring break while navigating a possible pandemic resurgence in DuPage.
From Naperville to Glen Ellyn, sitting board members fought off challengers who focused their campaigns on expediting school reopenings.
The debate sparked protests across the suburbs as frustrated parents called for their children to return to classrooms while school leaders said they were following the advice of health experts. It also made for clear fault lines in large fields of candidate
Janice Krinsky, school board president in Elk Grove Township Elementary District 59, appears to have been ousted by the political strength of widespread teacher opposition.
Krinsky, of Arlington Heights. had lost the backing of the faculty because of her previous support for departing Superintendent Art Fessler, the subject of controversy among teachers partly because of how he introduced a new currciulum.
Teachers instead backed the other four candidates in the race: longtime incumbent Mardell Schumacher of Elk Grove Village, incumbent Roberto Mancilla Jr. of Arlington Heights and challengers Daisy Espino of Mount Prospect and Joseph Sagerer of Elk Grove Village.
* Jeanne Ives…
When only 15% of voters show up to vote, expect more tax hikes, more indoctrination at your school with less learning, more public debt, overly generous public employee contracts, and more wokeness from your school boards.
The teachers union - who has kept your schools closed and property taxes high - cleaned up in the suburbs because many people didn’t care to vote.
The Illinois Education Association’s local union chapters vetted and endorsed candidates in 38 school board and college trustee races statewide. Of 132 union-backed candidates, 107 were elected, according to unofficial results.
Additional union-endorsed candidates could prevail once all votes are counted, including provisional ballots and late-arriving mail votes, IEA President Kathi Griffin said Friday.
“Some of the races are quite close,” Griffin said. “Basically, we have about 81% (of candidates) currently successful, as of yesterday.” […]
Political groups trying to influence local school board elections is cause for concern, say leaders of the nonpartisan League of Women Voters.
“It changes the game,” said Heidi Graham, president of the League of Women Voters of Arlington Heights, Mount Prospect, Buffalo Grove and surrounding areas. Graham said the league supports getting special interest money and influence out of local nonpartisan elections.
While Graham opposes political parties in local elections, teachers unions also should get out of the business of endorsing candidates, she said.
Or, they could move these elections to presidential/governor years.
* Related…
* Slowik: Integrity squeezed as politics creeps further into south suburban public higher education
Suburban parents are rightfully angry. They pay among the highest residential property taxes in the nation and most of it goes to the public schools.
And they’ve agonized as parochial and private schools have been mostly open through the pandemic while their public schools have been closed and their children waste away on remote learning. […]
Elizabeth Bauer is a writer for Forbes and a suburban mom running for the District 214 board in the northwest suburbs. The district includes John Hersey High School and schools in Mount Prospect, Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove Village, Rolling Meadows and Wheeling. Bauer knows how to read a budget. She’s well-known on Twitter as @JanetheActuary. I respect her.
The other day Bauer wrote a superb op-ed in the Tribune asking parents to run for school board seats. The headline: “Want to reopen schools and hold them accountable? Run for office.” […]
“I suppose this is a test, in my own small way, to determine if Illinois is broken at all levels,” Bauer said. “I guess we’ll find out.”
if I hadn’t lost a weekend of door-knocking due to the emotional hit of the board-meeting blindside?
if the Daily Herald editorial board hadn’t endorsed the incumbent slate despite their admission that they operate behind the scenes?
if the union hadn’t sent out its postcard using the D214 logo to imply endorsement, and the Superintendent hadn’t refused to comment?
if the Superintendent hadn’t timed the full reopening to coincide with the election?
if an unrelated personal matter hadn’t taken much of my time and energy in an unplanned way?
if I hadn’t been navigating the strategy and trying to work out, from scratch, how to best get my message out, and if I hadn’t been learning as I went along, about what my key concerns were, as I watched the academic year play out and researched the board’s actions?
Conservative activist John Tillman, founder of the Illinois Policy Institute and other right-leaning groups, has started a new project aimed at electing Republicans in 2022, the Washington Post reports under the headline “stealth persuasion machine.”
The American Culture Project uses data collection and digital ads to target potential voters. That’s a standard practice in politics these days.
But what’s unusual about the American Culture Project, experts tell the Washington Post, “is how it presents its aims as news dissemination and community building. It touts transparency and civic engagement using an online network whose donors remain private — part of a bid to shape public opinion as local news outlets crater and social networks replace traditional forums for political deliberation.”
Simply put, the organization creates programming and ad messages around conservative issues but is able to skirt campaign finance laws because it’s a nonprofit. It doesn’t disclose its donors nor whether it pays federal income taxes, reports the Post.
The group is already active in five states, including Illinois, Florida, Michigan, Ohio and Virginia. It is seeking to expand to six more: Arizona, Iowa, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin.
Tillman’s assets extend well beyond a handful of Facebook pages focused on battleground states. In addition to the American Culture Project and the Illinois Policy Institute, tax filings identify him as chairman of the Franklin News Foundation, a nonprofit media company that draws revenue from DonorsTrust, a donor-advised fund that backs conservative causes and allows its contributors to remain anonymous.
The news foundation recently received a $50,000 grant from DonorsTrust for a coronavirus-related news project. “This program will offer an alternate perspective to legacy media’s unfair coverage of individuals who disagree with state shutdowns as radical or heartless and will be republished around the country in state and local newspapers, which are starved for local covid-19 news content,” states the announcement from DonorsTrust, which did not respond to a request for comment.
The news network, which publishes articles on a website called the Center Square, concentrates its coverage on 36 states, with a particular focus on some of the Midwestern states where the American Culture Project is seeking an online foothold. Arise Ohio and other pages in Tillman’s network often post stories produced by the Center Square.
You gotta wonder if the newspapers that run those stories know who’s paying for it.
A Wall Street rating agency that alone gave Chicago a junk bond rating on Friday branded as “credit negative” a bill Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed over Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s objections boosting pensions for thousands of Chicago firefighters.
“The legislation is credit negative for the city of Chicago,” said the advisory from Moody’s Investors Service, “because it will cause the city’s reported unfunded pension liabilities, and thus its annual contribution requirements, to rise.”
With pension contributions consuming 17% of the city’s operating revenue and total liabilities pegged at $46.6 billion in 2019, pensions are the “largest credit challenge facing Chicago,” Moody’s said.
Pritzker signed the bill on Monday, arguing the new law “creates a system that gives all firefighters certainty and fair treatment.” But Lightfoot, who had urged the fellow Democrat not to sign it, blasted it as a “fiscally irresponsible” law typical of Springfield’s “back room deals.”
Moody’s on Friday gave Lightfoot more ammunition.
Governors who veto bills that pass with veto-proof majorities tend to get rolled. It would also have helped if the mayor had convinced at least one Senator from the city’s delegation to vote “No” back in January. But the mayor was apparently very angry…
* Moody’s did have other things to say about the new law…
House Bill 2451 eliminates a formula based on birth date that provided lower pension COLAs to certain retired firefighters. As a result of the new law, all retirees that are considered “Tier 1” members of the FABF will now receive a 3% COLA annually on their pension, with no cumulative cap. Before House Bill 2451, retired firefighters in Tier 1 would have received a 1.5% COLA, subject to a 30% cumulative cap, if born on or after January 1, 1966. Members of the FABF receive Tier 1 benefits if hired before January 1, 2011, while those hired on or after January 1, 2011 receive less generous Tier 2 pension benefits.
One potentially advantageous effect of House Bill 2451 is that it forces immediate recognition of 3% COLAs for Tier 1 members. The state law governing Chicago firefighter pension COLAs has been amended on several occasions in the past to alter the birth date that would determine eligibility of a Tier 1 retiree for a 3% COLA versus a 1.5% COLA. The most recent such change occurred in 2016, when the law was updated to provide a 3% COLA to all Tier 1 firefighters born before January 1, 1966, compared to January 1, 1955, before the change. That change, in addition to several other provisions, triggered a roughly $227 million (4.5%) increase to the actuarial accrued liability reported by the FABF as of the December 2016 actuarial snapshot.
Since increases to benefit provisions generate new unfunded liabilities that must be amortized over time, shifting to 3% COLAs with periodic changes to state law would produce a more backloaded contribution pattern for the city, compared with an immediate recognition of the higher benefit levels. That said, now with House Bill 2451 signed into law, the flexibility to forego expanding the number of Tier 1 firefighters receiving 3% COLAs is no longer available. Whether the state will enact similar legislation for any of Chicago’s other retirement systems is uncertain. For example, the law governing the city’s retirement system for police officers contains similar birth date related COLA distinctions.
* From Pritzker’s press release…
Building on efforts to protect Illinois’ first responders and frontline workers, Governor JB Pritzker today signed legislation that codifies longstanding benefits in the Chicago firefighter pensions system. House Bill 2451 ensures firefighters are treated fairly by fulfilling promises made to firefighter pensioners.
“I’ve always believed that hardworking men and women who have earned their pension shouldn’t pay the price for local or state budget challenges,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “HB 2451 creates a system that gives all firefighters certainty and fair treatment. And to make sure that the city can meet its obligations, my administration is working to sell the James R. Thompson Center, which will return to the city’s property tax rolls and is projected to generate $45 million annually for the city and its sister agencies.”
“By signing this bill, Gov. Pritzker has once again demonstrated his commitment to fiscal responsibility and protecting future generations of middle class Chicagoans from massive tax increases,” said State Senator Robert Martwick (D-Chicago). “If we ever hope to right our financial ship, we must finally put an end to the irresponsible behavior that put us here in the first place. This law simply ensures that the city confronts the true costs of its pension obligations and makes the difficult decisions it needs to make today.”
HB 2451 addresses disparate pension benefits among Chicago firefighters. Currently, employees eligible for a pension in the Firemen’s Annuity and Benefit Fund of Chicago (FABF) who were born after January 1, 1966 are granted a 1.5 percent COLA. However, firefighters who may have started on the force the same day, may unfairly receive different benefits based on their dates of birth. The legislation addresses this discrepancy by adjusting the COLA for these firefighters from 1.5 percent to 3 percent.
The legislation eliminates the 30 percent cap on cumulative COLA adjustments. For employees eligible for a 1.5 percent COLA, they would have hit the cap at 20 years. The reforms made in this legislation provides firefighters the ability to plan for themselves and their families.
Monday, Mar 29, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Employers in Illinois provide prescription drug coverage for nearly 6.7 million Illinoisans. In order to help keep care more affordable, employers work with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), who deploy a variety of tools to reduce prescription drug costs and help improve health outcomes. In addition to helping employers, PBMs also work with the Illinois Medicaid program in the same way to help control costs. Over the last five years, PBMs have saved the state and taxpayers nearly $340 million.
Today, Illinois faces a multibillion budget shortfall as more Illinoisans are relying on Medicaid to help meet their health care coverage needs. As legislators work to address these challenges, one way to help ensure continued cost savings is by strengthening the PBM tools that the State and employers use, which are poised to save employers, consumers and the State $39 billion over the next 10 years. These are meaningful savings that will help continue to contain costs, ensure consumer access to medicines and drive savings in public health programs.
Amid a pandemic and economic challenges, now is the time to strengthen, not limit, the tools that employers, consumers and the State rely on to manage costs and ensure consumers can access the medicines they need.
Monday, Mar 29, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
The US is surging ahead on clean energy while Illinois falls behind. The Path to 100 Act (HB 2640 / SB 1601) was introduced more than two years ago to address the crisis facing renewable energy in Illinois.
Since then:
• Illinois Power Agency ran out of funding for renewable energy and stopped approving new projects
• More than 3,000 solar projects have been placed on waitlists and won’t be built unless the general assembly acts
• Illinois’ solar industry lost an estimated 3,500 jobs
• California, Colorado, Maine, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Washington and Virginia all passed 100% clean energy legislation – and pulled renewable energy investment and talent away from Illinois
• President Biden campaigned and won on a promise to decarbonize the electricity sector by 2035
If we don’t fix Illinois’ renewable energy policy this session, we will lose thousands more wind and solar jobs and be left behind as the rest of the country gets to work building to clean energy. Take action at www.pathto100.net.
Monday, Mar 29, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Representative democracy works best when people actively engage in policy discussions and elections, ensuring that communities of color, long disenfranchised, are prioritized. Historically, Illinois’ redistricting process favors incumbents and is dominated by partisan, rather than community, objectives.
In 2021, we can create a fair map for Illinoisans that puts their interests first with a process that:
● Invites broad, meaningful public input through at least 35 public hearings for community members
● Requires fairness standards that prioritize people of color through the Federal Voting Rights Act, the Illinois Voting Rights Act, and communities of interest
● Allows for the public to weigh in on a map proposal through a public hearing and responses to suggestions before a final vote
● Is transparent, with a centralized website including all remap records and discussions and a compliance report detailing how the map meets these standards
About ten years ago, a retired firefighter used his pension to start a new energy efficiency company called Verde Energy Efficiency Experts. Now, the Ravenswood-based business has 28 employees and is hoping to grow even more in the coming years. Even at the height of the pandemic, they were able to keep their employees on the payroll while supporting other small businesses through cost-saving energy efficiency improvements.
To be clear, these aren’t just jobs - they’re good jobs. Employees at Verde have long-term employment, healthcare, retirement plans, student loan assistance, and more. So how did they do it, and what can Illinois do to keep supporting small businesses like theirs? We recently interviewed Beth Holaday, Partner Relations Manager at Verde, to learn more.
As Beth said, Verde is a great company, but if the state doesn’t take action to support clean energy jobs, businesses like this one might not survive the next ten years. That’s why she is urging Governor Pritzker and the legislature to pass the Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA) this spring!
CEJA recently passed the House Energy and Environment Committee and has a growing list of 43 cosponsors in the House. Learn more at ilcleanjobs.org.
* Click here to see that the US Bureau of Economic Analysis claims Illinois had the best GDP growth of the ten largest states from the end of 2019 to the end of 2020.
* I will be traveling this afternoon, so blogging will be light to perhaps nonexistent. Please check the feeds at the side of the page and the live coverage post for breaking news. As I told subscribers this morning, I’m outta here for spring break. My brain is a bit mushy from session and I’m kinda grumpy, so I’ll be relaxing for part of the time and then visiting my parents who I haven’t seen since the pandemic started. Everyone in the group will be fully vaccinated by then.
* The Question: On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the most concerned, how worried are you about a virus resurgence in Illinois? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please…
Friday, Mar 26, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
The US is surging ahead on clean energy while Illinois falls behind. The Path to 100 Act (HB 2640 / SB 1601) was introduced more than two years ago to address the crisis facing renewable energy in Illinois.
Since then:
• Illinois Power Agency ran out of funding for renewable energy and stopped approving new projects
• More than 3,000 solar projects have been placed on waitlists and won’t be built unless the general assembly acts
• Illinois’ solar industry lost an estimated 3,500 jobs
• California, Colorado, Maine, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Washington and Virginia all passed 100% clean energy legislation – and pulled renewable energy investment and talent away from Illinois
• President Biden campaigned and won on a promise to decarbonize the electricity sector by 2035
If we don’t fix Illinois’ renewable energy policy this session, we will lose thousands more wind and solar jobs and be left behind as the rest of the country gets to work building to clean energy. Take action at www.pathto100.net.
Illinois Taking Aggressive Action to Address First Signs of Possible Resurgence
IDPH Authorizes Local Health Departments with Low Demand to Vaccinate Residents 16+ as Federal Projections Show State Expected to Receive 1 Million Doses Next Week
Rapid Response Vaccination Teams to Deploy to Areas Seeing Upticks to Accelerate Vaccine Administration
State Hasn’t Met Metrics for Bridge Phase Reopening as Hospitalizations and Cases Increase in Chicago, Cook County, and Region 1 (Rockford area)
To address a concerning possible trend in increasing COVID hospitalizations and case rates, the State of Illinois is launching Rapid Response Vaccination Teams to five counties and expanding vaccine eligibility where demand appears to have waned.
The Illinois Department of Public Health has seen vaccine demand slow in several counties throughout the state, with early signs of unfilled appointments and increased vaccine inventory. IDPH is authorizing those communities to begin vaccinating all residents 16 and older at their immediate discretion, in order to use the vaccine doses they currently have available.
“Recent increases in hospital admissions and test positivity are concerning new developments and we don’t want to go down the same path we’ve seen before and experience a resurgence in the pandemic, which is why Governor Pritzker directed us to use all our resources to halt these upticks,” IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said. “We cannot move forward if our metrics are going backward. The vaccine will help get us to the end of the pandemic, but we need to continue to reduce spread of the virus by wearing a mask, avoiding large crowds, keeping six feet of distance, getting tested after seeing others, and getting vaccinated as soon as possible.”
Expanded Eligibility
The federal government is projecting that Illinois will receive nearly 1 million doses next week for distribution, an all-time high. Steady vaccination operations are the best tool to keep Illinois residents safe. Reductions in demand result in inventory that could be unused, and all inventory should be used as quickly as possible to protect residents.
Residents should contact their local health department to learn whether they have expanded eligibility.
“The number one goal for the state is to get as many people vaccinated, as quickly and safely as possible in order to stay ahead of variants,” Dr. Ezike said. “This shift is similar to what we saw when expanding vaccine eligibility from Phase 1B to Phase 1B+ where some parts of the state were ready to move forward, while others were not. Each county is different and local health departments know better how to vaccinate people in their communities as soon as and as equitably as possible.”
While all communities will continue to receive their baseline allocation of doses, new doses above that baseline will be allocated to high-demand areas where at-risk eligible residents face long waits for appointments.
Rapid Response Vaccination Teams
To bend the trend in a region seeing increased vulnerability and protect vulnerable residents, several teams are being deployed for rapid operations.
Mobile rapid response vaccination teams will deploy over the next two weeks in five counties in Region 1 where IDPH epidemiologists have determined there is a need to administer doses quickly to blunt increasing trends. These doses are on top of the allocation to the local health departments. These mobile teams will be providing single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine to county residents. Appointments will be coordinated by the local health department.
Residents of Region 1 are also encouraged to visit the existing mass vaccination site set up in Winnebago County.
Bridge Phase Update
Since March 8, Illinois has seen 10 days of increases in the seven-day rolling average for hospital admissions. The COVID-19 test positivity on March 10 was 2.5%. Today’s reported test positivity is 3.3%. While these rates are certainly significantly lower than the peak, they represent a potential early warning sign about a possible resurgence.
Chicago has seen its daily case rate increase by nearly 50% since last week, along with six days of increases in test positivity. Suburban Cook County has seen its daily case rate increase more than 40%, along with nine days of increasing hospital bed usage. Region 1, the Northern portion of the state including Rockford and surrounding communities, has seen eight days of increasing hospital bed usage and six days of increasing test positivity.
To advance into the Bridge Phase that is the final step before the full reopening, the entire state must achieve several metrics:
• 70% of residents 65 years and older must have received a first dose;
• Hospitals must maintain 20% or greater ICU bed availability;
• Hospitalizations for COVID-19, admissions for COVID-like illness and deaths must hold steady or decline over a 28-day monitoring period.
As outlined in the March 18 update to the Restore Illinois plan, IDPH will evaluate statewide performance against the metrics by looking back at the data from the preceding 28 days.
While Illinois is on pace to reach 70% first doses for residents 65 years and older in the coming days, IDPH is monitoring an increase in new hospital admissions for COVID, which will need to be appropriately addressed and resolved before moving into the Bridge Phase. IDPH epidemiologists will continue to focus on the most recent 10 days to monitor any acute trends that prevent the state from reaching the Bridge Phase.
Statewide reopening metrics can be found at http://www.dph.illinois.gov/statewidemetrics.
Information regarding vaccination locations as well as details on how to book an appointment to receive the vaccine can be found at the state’s COVID website, coronavirus.illinois.gov. Residents who don’t have access to or need assistance navigating online services can call the toll-free IDPH hotline at 833-621-1284 to book an appointment. The hotline is open 7 days a week from 6am to midnight with agents available in English and Spanish.
* Press release…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 3,002 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 33 additional deaths.
- Cook County: 1 teen, 1 male 40s, 1 female 60s, 2 females 70s, 2 males 70s, 3 females 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 male 90s
- Johnson County: 1 male 60s
- Kane County: 1 male 70s
- Lake County: 1 male 60s
- LaSalle County: 1 male 70s
- Lee County: 1 male 60s
- Macoupin County: 1 female 60s
- Madison County: 1 male 30s, 1 female 50s, 1 female 60s, 1 male 60s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 90s
- Marshall County: 1 female 30s
- McLean County: 1 male 90s
- Peoria County: 1 male 60s
- Sangamon County: 1 male 80s
- St. Clair County: 2 males 60s, 2 females 80s
- Will County: 1 male 70s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,232,900 cases, including 21,203 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 76,774 specimens for a total of 19,972,391. As of last night, 1,302 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 264 patients were in the ICU and 120 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from March 19-25, 2021 is 2.9%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from March 19-25, 2021 is 3.3%.
A total of doses of 6,146,815 vaccine have been delivered to providers in Illinois, including Chicago. In addition, approximately 414,900 doses total have been allocated to the federal government’s Pharmacy Partnership Program for long-term care facilities. This brings the total Illinois doses to 6,561,715. A total of 5,281,618 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight, including 364,302 for long-term care facilities. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 99,449 doses. Yesterday, 126,710 doses were reported administered in Illinois.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in real-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. Information for deaths previously reported has changed, therefore, today’s numbers have been adjusted. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
A union-backed bill to establish a 21-person elected school board in Chicago is regaining momentum in Springfield. But critics including business groups and the city’s mayor remain opposed.
That hasn’t stopped the bill from passing a key committee this week and heading to the House floor. But Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s opposition, which some suggest helped derail previous versions of the bill, has encouraged opponents to push for a compromise proposal, to reduce the size of the elected board or seek a hybrid model with some members appointed and others elected.
Earlier this week, at a House Ethics and Elections Committee hearing, a Lightfoot deputy hinted at an alternate proposal in the works. When asked, her spokeswoman would not provide specifics.
“We are working toward some governance changes for the district,” said Patrick Hall, the deputy director of intergovernmental affairs. (Lightfoot campaigned on an elected school board but recently told the New York Times that reopening campuses amid the COVID-19 pandemic would not have been possible without mayoral control.)
A bill to stop illegal gun ownership in Illinois could be closer to becoming law. […]
“It insures we do background checks, it ensure we obtain finger prints, it ensures were are giving the Illinois State Police the ability to take the guns of folks that shouldn’t have them and it makes sure that we’re getting funding, life-saving mental health funding, to the communities that have been most impacted by gun violence ,” Sen. Ram Villivalam said. “The time to act is now.”
The senator says he has 25 co-sponsors in the state Senate and needs five more to sign on.
The Classrooms First Act aims to free up school district administrative dollars and target the money to schools. […]
The bill would create the school District Efficiency Commission which would then make recommendations on consolidation. The recommendation would go directly to voters, allowing parents, teachers and taxpayers living within that school district to make the final decision. The goal is to reduce the total number of school districts by 25%.
The bill faces opposition from the Illinois Association of School Boards and from over 100 school administrators. According to Illinois Policy, 21 of the administrators make a salary above $200,000 a year.
In Illinois, district-level general administration costs $598 per student, which is 2.5 times the national average. In the past 4 years, both student enrollment and teacher employment at Illinois K-12 public school districts fell by 2%, while the number of administrators grew by 1.5%, according to Illinois Policy.
Members of the Illinois House Revenue and Finance Committee advanced a bill Thursday that would allow suburban Chicago counties to spend tax revenue that is protected by the state constitution’s lockbox amendment on “nonvehicular public travel, sidewalks, and bike paths.”
State Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Highwood, said his bill would not require counties to use the revenue in this way, rather just give them the choice. […]
Republicans feared the expansion of the protected funds would further siphon money away from the state’s ailing roads and bridges.
“It’s probably better-served that most sidewalks, bike paths, things like that are covered by other counties, municipalities, park districts and things where people expect some of those projects to be funded from,” said Rep. Tim Ozinga, R-Mokena. “Nearly 80% of the voters made it very clear that they want their motor fuel tax and road funds to be used for their roads.”
Ozinga is the vice president of Ozinga Bros. Inc., which lays concrete and participates in projects that likely use the aforementioned tax revenues.
* ACLU Illinois…
ACLU Celebrates Approval of House Bill 1727 - The Bad Apples in Law Enforcement Accountability Act - by the Illinois House Restorative Justice Committee
“Today’s vote in Committee is significant. In response to repeated examples of egregious police misconduct – often captured on videotape for the world to see – Illinois residents are told that these horrific experiences reflect “just a few bad apples” in law enforcement. But the public is often frustrated by the reality that these supposed “bad apples” rarely are held accountable. For too long, special protections like qualified immunity create an almost insurmountable barrier to justice for people whose constitutional rights have been violated by police. HB 1727 changes that and provides the people of this state a chance to hold bad police officers accountable when they violate someone’s constitutional rights.
In polling conducted late in 2020, nearly 70% of Illinois voters supported this initiative. We thank Representative Tarver for his leadership in moving this bill forward and look forward to a vote on the floor of the House. Now is the time for the General Assembly to take action. We can’t afford to wait.”
Republican state senator Darren Bailey (R-Louisville) won praise from several of his social media followers for proposing the state transition to “paper ballots only,” with many of them voicing distrust in the security of elections. […]
Illinois already requires election officials to keep a permanent paper record of every ballot. While most voters use paper ballots, there are some exceptions where voters use technological assistance to pick their preferred candidates.
“There are some where they do use touchscreens, but that produces a paper receipt,” Illinois State Board of Elections spokesman Matt Dietrich explained. “There is a paper record for every single vote that’s cast in Illinois. Not all of them are with pen on paper, and I don’t know how that would work, because disabled people need to use screens.
“There are people who cannot write on a paper ballot,” he said. “Visually impaired people can use audio cues to guide them through a ballot on a touch screen. That wouldn’t be possible under this bill.”
Interestingly enough, Springfield Democrats come and the biggest problem that they have with this, the biggest [laughs], the biggest gripe is that disabled people will not be able to vote.
* I’ve isolated his comment and included Miller’s (no relation) harsh response…
Tom is usually an even-keeled sort of guy. I’ve never heard him go off on a guest like that.
…Adding… Some folks think Tom was agreeing with Bailey. OK, upon further review I can see the point, but let’s try to stay on topic here.
* Meanwhile, from the rather weird news network OAN…
Illinois state Rep. Chris Miller (R) has become the latest target of cancel culture from the left after he argued securing U.S. elections would be the best way to ensure our elected leaders are not bullying their way into office and abusing their power.
As millions of Illinoisans are still waiting for their chance to be vaccinated against COVID-19, and even those who are eligible are scrambling for appointments, at least one group is largely giving up its place at the front of the vaccine line: people who work in Illinois prisons. […]
”I’m appalled because, of course, I think it’s pretty clear now from the science that the only way to stay safe from this deadly disease is to get vaccinated,” [Alan Mills, executive director of the Uptown People’s Law Center] said. “I’m not surprised because up until the vaccines, we also knew the best way to prevent the spread of the COVID virus was to wear masks. And what we hear from [inmates] is that the rate of mask-wearing among … guards was also abysmally low.”
The state started vaccinating most of its prison workers in mid-February and finished the first round of vaccinations at the state’s 25 correctional centers earlier this month. Only 27% of staff took the shot, according to the Illinois Department of Corrections. Experts say because prisons have been coronavirus hotspots, the low vaccination numbers endanger not only prison inmates and correctional officers, but also the families and communities the officers return to when they leave work. […]
Anders Lindall, a spokesman for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, said 4% more staff had signed up to be vaccinated this week, which would bring the total number of staff to get the first shot above 30%. AFSCME is the union that represents prison workers.
Illinois population growth/decline by state house district. Population growth on the northside of Chicago, the outer suburbs (especially Fox River Valley), and some college towns. Population decline in Chicago west and southsides, downstate, and Rockford. #twill#electiontwitterpic.twitter.com/DJA7×61dx8
Districts on the rise: Rep. Kam Buckner’s 26th District, which includes the Gold Coast and the Lakeshore East development — new since the 2010 census — has seen a 6 percent population increase. Rep. Ann Williams’ Lincoln Park-area district swelled by 10 percent. And the Andersonville neighborhood represented by House Majority Leader Greg Harris saw a population increase of 6 percent.
Republican-led districts in the Chicago metro area also saw population growth. Rep. Mark Batinick’s 97th District is up 10 percent, and Rep. Dan Ugaste’s 65th District rose 7 percent.
Districts showing declines: Democratic Reps. Maurice West’s 67th District in Rockford, Bob Rita’s 28th District on the far South Side, and Jay Hoffman’s 113th District in the Metro East area, all lost about 5 percent in population.
First-term Republican Rep. Patrick Windhorst, whose 118th District is in southern Illinois, also saw population drop 5 percent from 2010 to 2018. And so did the western Illinois area represented by Republican Rep. Noreen Hammond in the 93rd District.
* The original bill was the only Legislative Black Caucus “Pillar” that did not pass during the January lame duck session. A big difference with this version is it subjects almost all of its new spending programs to the appropriations process. Sun-Times…
A massive health care reform bill, the fourth and final “pillar” of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus agenda, passed the state Senate Thursday, the final step before heading to Gov. J.B. Pritzker for his signature.
Sponsored by Chicago Democratic state Rep. Camille Lilly and state Sen. Mattie Hunter, the measure is designed to eliminate racial and other inequities in the state’s health care system, and includes provisions to expand medical services available to low-income residents and residents of color.
Specifically, the bill addresses access to health care, hospital closures, managed care organization reform, community health worker certification and reimbursement, maternal and infant mortality, mental and substance abuse treatment, and medical bias.
“For Black lives to truly matter, their right to quality health care must [not] be inhibited,” Hunter said in Senate floor debate. “It is our responsibility as elected officials to create laws that create an enriched, lasting impact on the communities we represent. This legislation does just that, and there is no better time to enact than now.”
Of more immediate impact, the legislation would extend a moratorium on hospital closures through the remainder of the coronavirus public health emergency.
Republicans said that while the legislation highlights many important issues, the cost to the state — which they pegged at $12 billion, based on an estimate from the Department of Healthcare and Family Services — is too high.
“We just can’t afford it, and that’s what it really comes down to,” said GOP Sen. Steve McClure of Springfield.
With the exception of a dementia training program for adult protective services workers, the programs created in the bill would have to be funded by the legislature through the normal budget process, Hunter said.
Pritzker released a statement lauding the effort Thursday night.
“For too long, our healthcare system has left behind Black and brown communities creating disparities in health outcomes. But today, here in Illinois, our legislature has passed a remarkable piece of legislation to build a healthier future for all of our communities,” he said in the statement. “From standing up a process to certify and train community health workers, to funding new services like doulas and home visiting, to increasing oversight and transparency around Medicaid managed care system for its customers, this bill roots out racism from our healthcare system and state government – a cause I’m proud to advance. I want to congratulate Senator Hunter and Representative Lilly on bringing the Illinois Health Care and Human Services Reform Act to the finish line as well as Leader Lightford for her transformational leadership passing all pillars of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus’ agenda. I’m proud to be your partner in shaping the Illinois our residents deserve.”
Illinois moved another step back from the ratings brink Thursday afternoon, as Moody’s Investors Service revised the outlook to stable from negative on its Baa3 rating, which was affirmed.
The action gives Illinois a bit of space above speculative-grade status, though the rating itself remains at the lowest investment grade.
S&P Global Ratings on March 9 moved the outlook to stable on its BBB-minus rating; Fitch Ratings remains at BBB-minus with a negative outlook.
* From Moody’s…
Moody’s Investors Service has revised the outlook of the state of Illinois to stable from negative, while affirming the Baa3 rating on the state’s general obligation bonds. […]
Affirmation of the state’s rating and the revision of its outlook to stable reflect the state’s financial performance through the pandemic, in combination with increased levels of federal support that will moderate near-term fiscal and economic pressure. State and local government funds expected under the latest federal aid package may help the state repay deficit financing loans, support its financially pressured local governments and spur employment, income and tax revenue growth. While credit risks raised by the pandemic during the past year are receding, the longer-term challenges associated with the state’s very large unfunded post-employment liabilities remain. The state’s Baa3 rating is supported by a large, diverse economy with above-average wealth, and it benefits from powers over revenue and spending. […]
RATING OUTLOOK
The stable outlook indicates the state’s capacity to manage near-term fiscal pressures while carrying a heavy long-term liability burden.
FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OF THE RATINGS
- Enactment of recurring financial measures that support sustainable budget balance
- Decisive actions to improve funding of the state’s main pension plans
- Progress in lowering a backlog of unpaid bills that does not rely on either long-term borrowing or a significant decrease in non-operating fund liquidity
FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO A DOWNGRADE OF THE RATINGS
- Fiscal measures that greatly add to the state’s near- or long-term liabilities, including reductions in pension contributions to provide fiscal relief
- Large or persistent structural imbalance that leads to significant increase in the state’s unpaid bills or other liabilities
- Substantial assumption of debt or pension liabilities accrued by local governments
So, if the state can really tackle that bill backlog, a ratings increase may be in the cards. Never would’ve figured that could happen when this pandemic started.
*** UPDATE *** Comptroller Mendoza…
Moody’s Investors Service has changed its outlook on Illinois bonds from “negative” to “stable.” That’s a signal to investors that Illinois’ financial stability is moving in a better direction.
It follows S&P Global Ratings’ announcement March 9 that the rating agency was changing its outlook on Illinois bonds from “negative” to “stable.”
Moody’s cited “the state’s financial performance through the pandemic, in combination with increased levels of federal support that will moderate near-term fiscal and economic pressure.”
“Illinois still has a long way to go, but these two changes in outlook signal to investors that Illinois is heading in a better direction,” Illinois State Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza said. “The ratings agencies make clear that Illinois using its funds from the American Rescue Plan to pay down debt is the most responsible path forward for the state’s finances and the best way for the state to achieve an upgrade in its ratings.”
A bill to expand the use of vote-by-mail and curbside voting in future elections passed the Illinois Senate Thursday, meaning it needs only a signature from the governor to become law.
House Bill 1871, which was approved by the House last week, would revise the state election code to make permanent some of the changes that were widely adopted across Illinois for the 2020 general election in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
If the bill is sent to the governor and signed quickly enough, it would take effect immediately, possibly in time for the April 6 elections.
The changes include allowing election authorities to install drop box sites where voters can submit mail-in ballots without postage during and on Election Day. The bill also permits curbside voting where people can fill out ballots outside the polling place during early voting and on Election Day.
State Sen. Julie Morrison, a Democrat from Deerfield, brought the legislation, House Bill 1871, to the Senate floor with support from the Illinois Association of County Clerks and Recorders. The legislation passed in the Senate 48-7, with all seven no votes coming from Senate Republicans who did not give their reasons. Senate Minority Leader Dan McConchie of Hawthorn Woods voted present.
The legislation would allow local election authorities to establish curbside voting during early voting periods and on Election Day, with election judges from opposite parties working in pairs to collect ballots. The legislation also would establish that all ballot drop-boxes are to be locked and opened only by election authorities.
The law specifically authorizing ballot drop boxes and curbside voting for the 2020 election expired on Jan. 1. Some election authorities, including in Cook County, have continued to use drop boxes for the February primary election and the upcoming April 6 election.
Lake County Clerk Robin O’Connor supports the legislation, saying the vote-by-mail provisions are “very safe and very secure.”
Due to the pandemic, the expansions were originally set up in anticipation of a surge in mail-in ballots in the 2020 vote. But the changes expired at the beginning of January.
That left many counties who wanted to use drop-boxes for municipal elections on April 6 in limbo, said Matt Dietrich, spokesman for the Illinois State Board of Elections.
“A lot of election jurisdictions that had used drop-boxes in the general election in November intended to use them again for April,” he said. “The language was no longer there to authorize [drop-boxes], but there was nothing in the existing election code that prohibited their use. So it was important that the election code be amended to have explicit permission to use drop-boxes.” […]
Another change that would be made permanent is curbside voting, which allows voters to fill out ballots from their vehicles, instead of going inside the polling places. […]
“You look around the country today, and there are states that are trying to limit one’s ability to vote. Let’s take a look at Georgia, trying to limit drop-box access and are making it a crime to give food or drinks to those waiting in line to vote,” [Sen. Michael Hastings, D-Tinley Park] said. “Coming off of COVID some people still just don’t feel comfortable voting. And that’s why we should focus on expanding one’s ability to vote and the security of that vote.”
Though its historic 2019 capital infrastructure plan was estimated to boost Illinois’ state transportation revenues by almost $2 billion dollars annually, state transportation and transit agency revenue generated $1 billion less than expected over the past year due to pandemic-related declines in fuel consumption, sales taxes, and transit ridership, according to a new study by the non-partisan Illinois Economic Policy Institute (ILEPI). […]
The state’s major transportation revenue streams—motor fuel taxes and transit system fees—saw their steepest declines in the two months immediately following the state’s March 21st stay-at-home order. During this period, statewide vehicle miles traveled (VMT) were as much as 40% less in 2020 compared to 2019. The state’s overall VMT finished the first year of the pandemic down 15% compared with pre-pandemic levels, and ridership for various Chicago area transit systems fell an average of between 50% and 90%. As of yet, neither has recovered back to pre-pandemic levels.
“Because the historic Rebuild Illinois plan doubled the motor fuel tax, the good news is that despite the drop in VMT, Illinois is still generating $800 million more in gas tax revenue than it was prior to the passage of the capital plan,” [ILEPI Transportation Analyst Mary Tyler] added. “The bad news is that because of the decrease in VMT, gas tax revenue still ended up being $308 million less than was projected pre-pandemic.” […]
“According to publicly available data, local sales taxes generated $96 million less for the RTA between March and November 2020 compared with the year prior,” Tyler added. “And combined farebox revenue from the CTA, Pace, and Metra generated $645 million less in 2020 compared to 2019.” […]
“According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 35% of Illinois workers who commuted prior to the pandemic are now working from home,” Tyler said.
According to BOMA, between 88% and 92% of workers who would normally be in their office are still not back. The rate of office subleases is at an all-time high. And the Chicago Tribune reports the overall Loop office building vacancy rate is 15% and could go higher. […]
“The experience of the office and your experience downtown is going to need to shift and change,” said Sheryle Shultze, who leads repositioning and landlord services for the design firm Gensler.
A survey the company published revealed that 70% of respondents plan to go back to the office, all or most of the week, while 30% said they wanted flexible work schedules.
a survey of chief executive officers from KPMG, which said last August, 69 percent said they would downsize their company’s physical space. When asked this spring, it was down to just 17 percent.
To the Honorable Members of The Illinois House of Representatives, 102nd General Assembly:
Today I veto House Bill 3360 from the 101st General Assembly, which provides for the recovery of prejudgment interest on all damages set forth in a judgment in any action brought to recover damages for personal injuries or wrongful death, whether by negligence, willful and wanton misconduct, intentional conduct, or strict liability of the other person or entity. HB 3360 would be effective immediately.
While I support joining the majority of states that allow prejudgment interest in personal injury cases in order to encourage their prompt resolution, the provisions of HB 3360 would be burdensome for hospitals and medical professionals beyond the national norm, potentially driving up healthcare costs for patients and deterring physicians from practicing in Illinois. The majority of Illinois hospitals are self-insured, and, as a result, would be required to pay the costs of this legislation directly, at a time when they can least afford this added expense.
HB 3360 imposes a rate of 9% per annum prejudgment interest, which would begin to accrue on the date the defendant has notice of the injury. Even states with prejudgment interest, such as Michigan or Wisconsin, provide a more reasonable rate structure by tying the interest rate to market conditions such as the federal prime rate, as opposed to a flat rate. The proposed 9% flat rate is higher than many of these market-based rates adopted by other states, even when accounting for additional percentages that many states add to the market- based rates as part of the calculation of prejudgment interest. Because many businesses have been severely and negatively affected by today’s economic climate, 9% interest is high and tying to market conditions would be less onerous. A 9% rate could similarly be damaging to entities like hospitals.
Further, HB 3360 would allow for prejudgment interest to be calculated on non-economic damages such as pain and suffering and loss of normal life. Again, when we compare this legislation to states that have prejudgment interest, many of them exclude non-economic damages from the calculation. For example, the prejudgment interest statutes in Massachusetts and Minnesota limit the application of prejudgment interest in personal injury cases to pecuniary damages. Minnesota law explicitly excludes future, punitive or noncompensatory damages.
While I appreciate the hard work of the House and Senate sponsors of the bill and their commitment to advocate for injured Illinoisans, HB 3360 simply didn’t receive sufficient input from some of the most impacted parties, including health care providers. At a time when the health care industry and the medical professionals who have dedicated their lives over the past year to combating a deadly virus are in need of support, I cannot in good conscience sign a bill that would place these individuals and entities in further financial distress.
I have urged the sponsors to return to negotiate a compromise that includes stronger protections for health care providers while encouraging the faster resolution of these cases that can leave families devastated for years. It is in the best interest of all Illinoisans for this issue to be fully negotiated with an opportunity to for input from all stakeholders, advocates, and other interested parties.
I understand that this compromise legislation is now advancing through the General Assembly with these suggested changes and additional feedback from stakeholders.
Therefore, pursuant to Section 9(b) of Article IV of the Illinois Constitution of 1970, I hereby return House Bill 3360, entitled “AN ACT concerning civil law,” with the foregoing objections, vetoed in its entirety.
…Adding… Illinois State Medical Society President Robert W. Panton, MD…
The physicians of Illinois are deeply disappointed that, now, a second plaintiff lawyer-backed bill has cleared the Illinois General Assembly. When it became apparent that Governor Pritzker would veto a previously-passed prejudgment interest measure (HB 3360), the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association moved around a few words and numbers to come up with a slightly modified bill (SB 72) that delivers virtually the same harm as the initial legislation. ISMS vehemently opposes SB 72 and calls on Governor Pritzker to veto it.
If enacted, this new law would allow for imposition of six percent prejudgment interest annually in medical liability cases. This is a wholly new form of “punitive” damages not previously allowed in Illinois. Prejudgment interest will drive up the cost of medical liability insurance, force doctors away from our state and increase the cost of health care. Bottom line, patients will suffer.
ISMS advocates for policies that improve Illinois’ healthcare system and expand access to medical care for patients. SB 72 runs counter to both of these goals.
* IMA…
“We urge Gov. JB Pritzker to veto this legislation, which will dramatically increase litigation costs on manufacturers, hospitals, and doctors that have been on the front lines during the pandemic. Manufacturers across Illinois that have created life-saving vaccines, produced personal protective equipment for first responders and health care professionals and kept grocery stores stocked with safe and nutritious food will be hit with tens of millions of dollars in additional costs,” said Mark Denzler, president & CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “Illinois’ manufacturers need support from policy makers to create jobs and spur investment in communities around the state, not higher costs that will only stand in the way of our economic recovery.”
* Leader McConchie…
“During the global pandemic, Illinois health care workers answered the call to serve their country - and all of us - in a time of crisis,” said Illinois Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods). “Right now, other states are working to protect businesses and health care workers from frivolous COVID-19 lawsuits. Here in Illinois, instead of thanking these life-saving heroes, we are instead exposing them to more liability.
“Today, the Illinois Senate Democrats voted to increase these liabilities and payouts for all personal injury lawsuits.
“Additionally, this legislation will increase costs for Illinois small business owners who are simply attempting to get people back to work in our communities. The cost increases caused by President Harmon’s bill will be passed along to consumers or force reductions in health care, retail products, services and, most importantly, Illinois jobs.
“People who are harmed by the negligence or wrongdoing of other parties deserve to be compensated, and they ought not be limited or obstructed in their search for justice. But SB 72, addresses these noble aims with punishments and regulations that will put small businesses and health care workers at risk, unfairly punish any party wishing to dispute claims against it, and drive up health care, product and insurance costs for almost everyone in Illinois.
“Our job as legislators is to come together to make Illinois a safer, fairer and more prosperous place to work and live. This legislation does none of the above. It just hurts the Illinoisans who need us the most right now.
“I strongly urge Gov. Pritzker to veto SB 72 so the legislature may bring the business, insurance and health care communities to the table to discuss a more reasonable strategy that will protect both jobs and justice in Illinois.”
Supporters of President Donald Trump sparred with counter-protesters during a downtown rally Thursday as they pushed the false claim that wide-scale fraud had swung the election for his Democratic rival, Joe Biden.
“Four more years!” a group of roughly 60 defiant Trump backers, mostly maskless, shouted as they congregated in Millennium Park after marching from Trump’s riverfront skyscraper. The crew included Edgar “Remy Del Toro” Gonzalez, president of the Chicago chapter of the far-right Proud Boys, as well as other marchers touting the pro-police “Back the Blue” movement.
The former leader of the Chicago chapter of the Proud Boys says he plans to run for the Illinois Senate after being present for the violent riot at the U.S. Capitol that’s prompted federal criminal charges against roughly 20 other members of the far-right group.
Edgar “Remy Del Toro” Gonzalez told the Sun-Times that he’s collecting signatures to challenge state Sen. Antonio Munoz, D-Chicago, in next year’s election. Munoz’s 1st District covers portions of the city’s South and West sides.
“I will be the voice and the muscle for many in our state,” said Gonzalez, who plans to run as an independent, in a series of Twitter messages.
Though Gonzalez no longer serves as president of the Proud Boys’ Chicago faction, he is still a member of the all-male neo-fascist group’s overarching Northern Illinois chapter. In recent months, he has been photographed alongside some of the group’s most prominent leaders.
Kinda doubting that he’s circulating petitions this early, since I don’t even think he can legally do it yet. Also, he’s gonna need a ton of those signatures and he’ll be showing up at doors or at supermarkets looking like this…
Lovely.
*** UPDATE *** According to the Illinois State Board of Elections, independent candidates can’t start circulating petitions until March 29, 2022, more than a year from now.
New jobless claims fell to the lowest levels of the pandemic era, federal data shows, with a better-than-expected 684,000 being filed last week.
Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had expected to see a number near 735,000 after filings spiked to 781,000 the week before. The latest tally is less than the pre-pandemic weekly high of 695,000, set in October 1982.
The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) reported 15,595 new unemployment claims were filed during the week of March 15 in Illinois, a significant decrease from the previous week.
For comparison, during the same timeframe last year, 126,716 people filed claims in Illinois. That’s an 87.7% decrease. […]
There were 71,175 new unemployment claims filed in Illinois during the week of March 8.
That seems… very odd. But click here. According to the feds, we’re half the national total of reductions.
...Adding…Add in Ohio, and our two states account for more than the total national net reduction in new weekly claims.
*** UPDATE *** I asked for a response from IDES and here it is…
In the last two months, Illinois has added 44,300 jobs, and the last week of claims data is confirming that improved job market indicator. Additionally, continued claims for the last two weeks have fallen below the comparable weeks of the 2007 recession, which is further confirmation that the data is moving in the right direction.
“I’ve never applied for unemployment,” Nugent said.
So an email he received Tuesday morning was such a surprise. It claimed to be from IDES, directing him to a link to claim his $1,400 unemployment payment.
“I’ve got a pretty good spam filter, but somehow, this made it through,” Nugent said.
It was even from a dot-gov email account – but not one from Illinois. The dot-gov was Seattle.gov. […]
The City of Seattle said nearly two dozen of their employees fell for an email phishing scam Monday night and the city has now disabled those accounts.
* IDES…
The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today that the unemployment rate decreased -0.3 percentage point to 7.4 percent, while nonfarm payrolls were up +21,100 jobs in February, based on preliminary data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and released by IDES. The January monthly change in payrolls was revised from the preliminary report, rising from +9,700 to +23,200 jobs. The January unemployment rate was unchanged from the preliminary report, remaining at 7.7 percent.
The February payroll jobs estimate and unemployment rate reflects activity for the week including the 12th. The BLS has published FAQs for the February payroll jobs and the unemployment rate.
In February, the three industry sectors with the largest over-the-month gains in employment were: Leisure and Hospitality (+32,300), Trade, Transportation and Utilities (+2,400) and Information (+700). The industry sectors that reported the largest monthly payroll declines were: Construction (-5,600), Professional and Business Services (-4,500) and Government (-2,200).
“IDES and the Pritzker administration remain committed to supporting claimants and families with the services they need as the state moves toward a full reopening and the economy begins to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Deputy Governor Dan Hynes. “IDES continues to serve an unprecedented number of claimants while working on process improvements that make navigating unemployment and job-seeking services as easy as possible.”
“Under Governor Pritzker’s leadership, Illinois has prioritized a safe and measured reopening of our state – with data driven metrics updated on an ongoing basis to continue bringing people back into the workforce,” said Sylvia Garcia, Acting Director of the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). “The latest unemployment data demonstrates Illinois is poised to continue making progress in returning key industries, supporting workers, and restoring our economy.”
The state’s unemployment rate was +1.2 percentage points higher than the national unemployment rate reported for February, which was 6.2 percent, down -0.1 percentage point from the previous month. The Illinois unemployment rate was up +3.8 percentage points from a year ago when it was 3.6 percent.
Compared to a year ago, nonfarm payroll employment decreased by -461,200 jobs, with losses across all major industries. The industry groups with the largest jobs decreases were: Leisure and Hospitality (-185,700), Educational and Health Services (-62,900) and Government (-54,100). Illinois nonfarm payrolls were down -7.5 percent over-the-year as compared to the nation’s -6.2 percent over-the-year decline in February.
The number of unemployed workers fell from the prior month, a -4.0 percent decrease to 454,200, and was up +100.6 percent over the same month for the prior year. The labor force was down -0.1 percent over-the-month and down -3.4 percent over-the-year. The unemployment rate identifies those individuals who are out of work and seeking employment. An individual who exhausts or is ineligible for benefits is still reflected in the unemployment rate if they actively seek work.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 2,190 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 35 additional deaths.
- Cook County: 2 females 60s, 2 females 80s, 3 females 90s, 2 males 90s, 1 female 100+
- Douglas County: 1 male 80s
- DuPage County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 male 90s
- Henry County: 1 male 60s
- Kane County: 1 female 70s
- Knox County: 1 male 80s, 1 male 90s
- Lake County: 1 male 60s
- Macon County: 1 male 60s
- Madison County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
- Marion County: 1 male 80s
- Massac County: 1 male 70s
- McHenry County: 1 female 60s
- Menard County: 1 female 70s
- Randolph County: 1 female 70s
- Saline County: 1 male 70s
- Sangamon County: 1 female 90s
- St. Clair County: 1 male 70s
- Tazewell County: 1 male 70s
- Whiteside County: 1 male 60s
- Will County: 1 male 80s
- Williamson County: 1 female 80s
- Winnebago County: 1 female 90s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,229,898 cases, including 21,171 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 90,101 specimens for a total of 19,895,617. As of last night, 1,251 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 267 patients were in the ICU and 119 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from March 18-24, 2021 is 2.7%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from March 18-24, 2021 is 3.2%.
A total of doses of 6,091,965 vaccine have been delivered to providers in Illinois, including Chicago. In addition, approximately 414,900 doses total have been allocated to the federal government’s Pharmacy Partnership Program for long-term care facilities. This brings the total Illinois doses to 6,506,865. A total of 5,154,908 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight, including 364,144 for long-term care facilities. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 101,175 doses. Yesterday, 118,544 doses were reported administered in Illinois.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in real-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
The Illinois Constitution allows the Democrat-controlled General Assembly to keep control only if it approves legislative maps by June 30. The job then goes to an eight-member bipartisan commission, but that commission has to get it done by Aug. 10. At that point, a ninth member’s name is pulled out of a hat, making him or her the tiebreaker and kingmaker.
That’s nuts. […]
Rather than spending time devising ways to keep control, Illinois Democrats should open up how remapping is handled. Naming a bipartisan commission to govern the process would tamp down the impact of the missed state deadlines through a good-faith effort to reach a consensus, no matter when the census numbers come in.
This might be unrealistically optimistic.
Yeah, I’m kinda thinking that ignoring the constitution with a “good faith” effort at an alternative bipartisan commission might just possibly be a wee bit on the unrealistically optimistic side.
Back in November, I called him on his birthday to wish him a happy birthday and he had a cough. Two days later - he’s only 56 - he was at Northwestern Memorial Hospital fighting for his life for 41 days. And then about a month later - a month he spent in an inpatient rehab - he’s had tremendous complications. He’s suffered mini strokes in his brain while he was in the hospital. Total, complete kidney failure, so he’ll be on dialysis for the rest of his life.
And I share it because I think it’s important for people to know that when we hear about a 99% survival rate, you know, think about my brother’s situation. Sure he survived, and it’s a blessing for us, but it breaks my heart to see the complications for somebody who’s dedicated his life to public service and to protecting the public as he’s going through this. And it’s no joke. This is very real, and we’re thankful that he’s still with us, but many people are going through something similar. Many people have lost their loved ones. And I seriously, both as a sister and as a comptroller, you know, when we have to order things like body bags, it really hits close to home. And I just ask people, please get vaccinated the first chance you get. Please, do everything to protect yourself and protect your loved ones and let’s get through this together.
* Phil Ponce then mentioned that Mendoza’s brother has moved in with her…
I would just say it’s pretty devastating. And I’m so thankful that I can take care of my brother right now when he needs me. There’s so many families who probably feel completely overwhelmed. And I was one of them. I mean, honestly, I never thought I’d tell you that the easiest part of my life right now is managing billions in state debt, but it truly is. I feel so confident and sure of what I’m doing as the comptroller, but it’s certainly a lot heavier of a lift to try to keep my brother healthy. That’s where we’re at. Thank you for asking. I mean, it is something that I can relate to and I know that we’re not alone. Lots of families in Illinois and across the country are going through similar or even worse scenarios with having lost loved ones. But, it’s real and I just ask you to take care of yourselves, please.
Thursday, Mar 25, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Employers in Illinois provide prescription drug coverage for nearly 6.7 million Illinoisans. In order to help keep care more affordable, employers work with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), who deploy a variety of tools to reduce prescription drug costs and help improve health outcomes. In addition to helping employers, PBMs also work with the Illinois Medicaid program in the same way to help control costs. Over the last five years, PBMs have saved the state and taxpayers nearly $340 million.
Today, Illinois faces a multibillion budget shortfall as more Illinoisans are relying on Medicaid to help meet their health care coverage needs. As legislators work to address these challenges, one way to help ensure continued cost savings is by strengthening the PBM tools that the State and employers use, which are poised to save employers, consumers and the State $39 billion over the next 10 years. These are meaningful savings that will help continue to contain costs, ensure consumer access to medicines and drive savings in public health programs.
Amid a pandemic and economic challenges, now is the time to strengthen, not limit, the tools that employers, consumers and the State rely on to manage costs and ensure consumers can access the medicines they need.
As for a vaccination passport to prove a person has been inoculated against the coronavirus, Pritzker says a vaccination app would be useful, but should not be required to enter an event or facility.
“As long as it is your choice,” Pritzker said. “If people ask you to show that for a particular venue or private venue, they have the ability and right to do that. You don’t have to show that to them. You don’t have to be to go to that venue or be engaged in that activity.” […]
The U.S. is not distributing vaccination passports and there are concerns over falsified records and also potentially violating federal health care privacy laws.
U.S. Airlines and others in the travel industry are voicing support for vaccine passports to boost pandemic-depressed travel, and officials in Europe have been talking about the idea in time for the peak summer vacation season.
* The House is sending a huge number of bills to the floor this spring and this is one of them…
A proposal that cleared a legislative committee in Springfield this week aims to fully legalize the delivery and possession of any amount of marijuana — a move that would also allow for the automatic expungement of more serious pot offenses and set free those who are currently incarcerated for those crimes.
State Rep. Mary Flowers, D-Chicago, said she introduced the bill to further address the toll of the drug war and its disproportionate impact on people of color.
Pot firms are currently cashing in on the newly legalized drug and selling millions of dollars in weed each month. But Flowers noted that some Illinoisans are still languishing in prison for cannabis-related crimes, while others are dogged by their past records.
In addition to the state’s existing stamp, Illinois lawmakers are working on adding another fee for those who want permission to fish in the state’s rivers and various water holes that would go toward fighting off the spread of invasive Asian carp.
Lawmakers in the House Agriculture and Conservation Committee forwarded House Bill 2744 to the floor for consideration Monday after approving it along party lines. If enacted, it would implement the aquatic conservation stamp, a $5 stamp that fishermen must purchase before they’re able to legally fish in the state. It would be the same cost for in-state residents and those from elsewhere. It would become active in 2022.
Republicans in the committee rejected the plan because of the extra cost on fishermen.
“It is still a fee increase that everybody would pay,” said state Rep. Andrew Chesney, R-Freeport.
Former GOP Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti testified in favor of a Democratic-backed bill Wednesday, and a fellow Republican blew up.
HB 2775 calls for the Illinois Human Services Department to step in and help landlords when tenants can’t pay their rent. Sponsoring Rep. La Shawn Ford, a Democrat, calls it “a human rights bill” that helps prevent homelessness among veterans, those with disabilities, families and seniors.
Sanguinetti supports the bill in her position as executive director of HOPE Fair Housing Center, prompting fireworks from fellow Republicans and signaling the challenge of who and what issues define the GOP right now.
During her testimony before the Housing Committee’s virtual hearing, she noted her GOP credentials more than once — she was Bruce Rauner’s No. 2 after all, a governor that engaged in a bruising fight with Illinois Democrats.
When she finished speaking, GOP Rep. Andrew Chesney erupted, saying it was “repulsive” that an avowed Republican would support such a progressive “anti-business” bill at a time the state is losing jobs and population.
He also criticized the bill, saying it would require all landlords to accept Section 8 housing vouchers mandating that private citizens or companies accept federal and state subsidies.
One of Loretto Hospital’s top executives resigned Wednesday night after Block Club revealed people at three businesses he had close ties with were vaccinated early with doses from the West Side hospital.
Loretto Hospital’s Board of Trustees accepted the resignation of Chief Operating Officer Dr. Anosh Ahmed in a unanimous vote Wednesday, according to a news release. Ahmed’s resignation came just hours after Block Club reported ineligible people who work at a steakhouse frequented by Ahmed were vaccinated early.
The board thanked Ahmed for his work — but said it will “continue to investigate any and all deviations from the rules and regulations” for vaccinations. Ahmed was hired in 2018.
“If our review should uncover anything further that indicates our processes were compromised, there will be additional consequences imposed on those responsible for these actions,” board Chairman Edward Hogan said in a statement.
Thoughts?
*** UPDATE *** SEIU Healthcare Illinois President Greg Kelley…
“On behalf of our 190 members who work at Loretto Hospital, and of our wider membership of frontline healthcare workers across Chicago and across the state of Illinois, I want to express our appreciation for the Loretto board’s seeking and accepting the resignation of Dr. Anosh Ahmed.
“Our members at Loretto were daily witness to vaccination irregularities and were early voices in raising the alarm that vaccine doses were being improperly redirected away from the high-risk Austin community which has already experienced a disproportionate share of the suffering, illness, and loss inflicted by this pandemic.
“With this important step, the board is signaling their willingness to take the concerns of both workers and community members seriously. It is our fervent hope that the board will now take the additional steps needed to ensure that worker and community voices are heard both in redressing the impact of these misappropriated vaccine doses, and in addressing the longstanding issues of racial and income based disparities in healthcare access that have plagued the Austin neighborhood for decades.
“There is an immediate need at present to make sure that Austin residents are able to get timely access to vaccinations. And then, there is a need to address the larger, largely ignored scandal—the redirection, through legal and officially sanctioned means of funding and resources away from the health needs of communities like Austin and into the bank accounts and stock holdings of much larger, wealthier hospitals in the richest zip codes of the city.
“We urge the board to listen to and work with our members and Austin residents to address both the immediate need for vaccine access, and to move quickly to develop a program that ensures vaccinations are truly accessible for all Austin residents who seek them.
“Additionally, we take this opportunity to call for a renewed commitment by those involved in the daily running, resourcing and regulation of the city’s hospitals to accessible and affordable healthcare in all of Chicago’s high-risk and low-income communities, from Austin and Loretto to the South Shore communities recently threatened by the closure of Mercy Hospital and beyond.”
