Rent control preemption bill praised, criticized
Wednesday, Mar 24, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From Lift the Ban…
The Lift the Ban Coalition applauds members of the Illinois House of Representatives’ Housing Committee for voting to pass HB116 (Chief Sponsor Rep. Will Guzzardi, D-39) out of the committee during a hearing on March 24.
HB116 would lift the 1997 Rent Control Pre-Emption Act, allowing Illinois’ municipalities to choose to enact rent control, a policy that limits the amount a landlord can raise rent at the end of a tenant’s lease and has been proven to stabilize communities by keeping families in their homes. The upcoming floor vote will be a referendum on whether Illinois’ Democrats choose to support working-class renters of color or the wealthy corporate real estate lobby.
Since 1997, the ban has prevented any Illinois city from stabilizing rents through rent control. Half of all renter households in Cook County are “rent burdened,” paying more than 30% of their income on rent [source]. There is no legal protection against a landlord raising a tenant’s rent by any amount.
“In these trying times, our state legislators should give local municipalities every tool that’s possible to stabilize and protect Illinois residents,” said Rod Wilson, executive director of the Lugenia Burns Hope Center. “Protecting renters should take precedence over protecting the real estate lobby and their price gouging of renters.”
The Coalition looks forward to continued collaboration with legislative allies including State Senator Robert Peters (D-13) to pass this legislation, and will continue the fight to bring rent control to Chicago and communities across the state.
* Neighborhood Building Owners Alliance…
Declining rent collections and rising rent arrearages are threatening the stability of neighborhood housing, and instead of finding ways to support this crucial industry, state legislators today advanced a measure that will further threaten housing.
Throughout the entire pandemic housing providers have exhausted their resources to operate and keep their buildings open despite many tenants unable or unwilling to pay rent. Instead of focusing on this problem, the Illinois House of Representatives Housing Committee passed legislation allowing for rent control throughout the State. In cities across the world, every major study has shown that rent control has actually harmed renters by reducing the supply of affordable housing and boosting rents for first-time renters. Rent control encourages housing providers and their bankers to exit markets where these measures are in place. In short, rent control makes housing more scarce and more expensive.
A recent survey conducted by the Neighborhood Building Owners Alliance (NBOA), which represents smaller to medium sized housing providers, revealed that due to the pandemic one-third of smaller housing providers have expenses exceeding their revenues. In other words, these neighborhood housing providers, who provide the bulk of housing in region, no longer have the funding for basic building repairs. The following can be attributed to the NBOA:
“Legislators should be focused on the real housing crisis right in front of us which is property owners can no longer maintain their buildings as so many of their tenants are unable or unwilling to pay rent. Policy makers at the state and local level should focus on how the pandemic has forever changed housing before they enact new policies.”
Discuss.
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* Center Square…
Illinois school districts that offer in-person learning to all grades made up 29.5 percent of the total as of Feb. 22, the 26th highest share among all 50 states, according to an online instructional tracker developed by the American Enterprise Institute.
Among the remainder of the Illinois districts, 50.2 percent were classified as hybrid, while 20.3 percent had fully remote instruction, according to the instructional tracker, which was created in partnership with Davidson College.
Fully in-person districts are defined as allowing students in all grades to have in-classroom instruction. Hybrid districts provide in-person instruction for only a portion of each week or only certain grades. And fully remote districts mandate online instruction for all grades, with the exception of some small groups.
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* Kelly Bauer and Bob Chiarito at Block Club Chicago…
Employees at an expensive Gold Coast steakhouse were able to get vaccinated early, sources say — making it the third business where people with ties to Loretto Hospital’s chief operating officer were seemingly able to cut the line.
Loretto Hospital and its executives, including Chief Operating Officer Dr. Anosh Ahmed and Chief Executive Officer George Miller, are already embroiled in controversy after early doses were sent to groups with which they have ties. Ahmed was heavily criticized after Loretto held a vaccination event at Trump Tower — where Ahmed and another hospital leader live — and after Ahmed told people he vaccinated millionaire Eric Trump.
A luxury watch and jewelry shop on the Gold Coast frequented by Ahmed was vaccinated by Loretto in early March, as well; and more than 200 people at the hospital CEO’s suburban church got vaccinated by Loretto. Ineligible Cook County judges were also offered shots at Loretto, WBEZ reported. Dr. Allison Arwady, head of the city’s health department, has said Loretto used its doses on “well-connected” people, “letting them jump the line.”
Now, multiple sources have told Block Club employees at another location where Ahmed is a regular was able to get early access to vaccines: Maple & Ash, a trendy, high-end steakhouse at 8 W. Maple St. Reservations at the steakhouse require a $100 deposit, and steaks cost up to $180.
Ahmed is a frequent customer of the Gold Coast restaurant, and vaccinations were offered to higher-up workers who would’ve been ineligible to be vaccinated, multiple sources told Block Club. The Austin hospital Ahmed leads is meant to serve and vaccinate people on the West Side, where coronavirus has devastated communities of color.
Go read the rest. Guy had the sweet hookup.
* Since the judges were mentioned, this is from the Office of the Chief Judge…
This is in response to press inquiries regarding some judges who are not in the county’s “1B” category receiving COVID-19 vaccinations at Loretto Hospital.
Judges who have received the shots were informed that the vaccines were already mixed and would be destroyed if not used by the end of the day, so they could get shots after 3:30 p.m., supply permitting. The Loretto Hospital website makes clear that COVID-19 vaccinations are given up until 3 p.m., so shots given after this would be surplus. Judges who received shots did not take shots away from other eligible persons, but used shots that would otherwise have been destroyed.
Currently, judges in Cook County who are under 65 are not classified as 1B, the group currently eligible for the vaccine. However, the Illinois Supreme Court’s position is that vaccines should be available for all court officials and staff that have regular contact with the public and others in congregate setting, and judges under 65 in many other counties have already been vaccinated, according to Supreme Court spokesman Chris Bonjean.
Despite multiple precautions taken by the Office of the Chief Judge to protect court personnel and members of the public during the coronavirus pandemic –which has included conducting most proceedings by videoconference and teleconference — judges and other court employees have not been immune from this virus. A total of 286 employees of the Office of the Chief Judge and 21 judges have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.
COVID-19 vaccination is to protect against a deadly virus, and judges under 65 who have been able to get these shots violated no ethical rules, but acted in a responsible manner to protect themselves, their loved ones and the public, while not taking shots away from others in the 1B category.
…Adding… I’d say Amy Jacobson has become a parody of herself, but that happened a while ago…
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Please, don’t do this
Wednesday, Mar 24, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Rep. Jawaharial Williams (D-Chicago) asks questions about a bill while sitting behind the wheel of an automobile during the House Labor & Commerce Committee hearing today. If you watch the live feed, you can see he’s driving…
I warned people about stuff like this in today’s subscriber edition.
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* Subscribers know more…
Following eight weeks of rigorous competition, the Self-Regulating Traffic Signal Heater manufactured by Termico Technologies in Elk Grove Village has been declared the winner of the second annual “Makers Madness” contest, earning the title of The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois.
Presented by Comcast Business, the competition shines a light on Illinois’ diverse manufacturing sector, which has played a critical role in the state and nation’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. Manufacturers are developing life-saving vaccines and treatments, producing needed personal protective equipment, keeping store shelves stocked with important goods and nutritious foods, and powering our homes and businesses.
Manufactured by Termico Technologies in Elk Grove Village, the Self-Regulating Traffic Signal Heater uses conductive particles to heat traffic signals so they remain visible and free of ice and snow so traffic can safely navigate our roadways. As municipalities and departments of transportation around the country have transitioned away from traditional traffic signals to new LED versions, this innovative technology has become vital to protecting motorists and ensuring our transportation system continues to operate efficiently during winter weather.
Voters chose the Self-Regulating Traffic Signal Heater from a field of 311 individual products initially nominated from across the state, with over 300,000 votes cast over the course of the competition.
“The Self-Regulating Traffic Signal Heater is an outstanding example of the innovation and ingenuity of our state’s manufacturing sector and has rightfully earned the title of The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois. This unique, energy efficient product from Termico Technologies impacts our lives every day by making sure the people and goods that travel on our roadways get where they’re going safely and efficiently,” said Mark Denzler, president and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “Manufacturing has always played a vital role in Illinois, especially during the pandemic when manufacturers ramped up production to produce supplies needed to combat the virus. The men and women on factory floors across the state deserve our recognition and appreciation and the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association is proud to advocate on their behalf each and every day.”
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin joined the IMA in a virtual awards ceremony at www.makersmadnessil.com to help announce the winner of the contest.
“Manufacturing is a cornerstone of our state’s economy and this contest is a wonderful showcase for the many innovative products made here in the Land of Lincoln,” said U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL). “Time and again, manufacturers have risen to the challenge, including playing a vital role in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic over the past year. I’d like to extend my congratulations to all the participating businesses and to the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association and its partners for the success of this year’s Makers Madness Contest.”
“Seeing Makers Madness unfold first-hand has been really exciting, and Comcast Business is proud to help the IMA make it happen,” said Sean McCarthy, Comcast’s Regional Vice President of Business Development and Strategic Initiatives. “The contest created a showcase for Illinois manufacturers and the innovative products they’re bringing to the world stage. Congratulations to Termico Technologies for earning the title of The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois this year.”
Statewide, manufacturing generates more than $304 billion in economic output, contributing 12 percent to the state’s Gross Domestic Product – the largest share of any industry in Illinois. Manufacturers employ 556,300 women and men in Illinois at an average salary of $88,691, providing $52 billion in wages and benefits.
Though manufacturing remains an economic powerhouse in Illinois, manufacturers here and across the country are facing the threat of an aging workforce. Over the next decade, it is estimated that 300,000 men and women will leave the industry as baby boomers begin to retire, presenting numerous career opportunities. Nationally, there are 460,000 open manufacturing jobs today.
“We are honored and proud to have the Termico Technologies Self-Regulating Traffic Signal Heater win the IMA’s 2021 Coolest Thing Made in Illinois Contest. Our traffic safety innovation keeps drivers safe and saves lives by eliminating the snow and ice buildup on LED traffic signals,” said Mike Cubon, Chief Technical Officer at Termico Technologies. “We would like to thank the entire Tramec Family and the many others who have supported Termico Technologies throughout this incredible experience. We would also like to thank all of the other Illinois manufacturers whose products and innovations have made this a fun and competitive contest. Lastly, we would like to thank the IMA and Comcast Business for holding this event and allowing all the companies in Illinois an opportunity to showcase their products.”
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Shenanigans!
Wednesday, Mar 24, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Kim Shute of Shaw Media…
A Spring Valley mayoral candidate used the public comment portion of Monday’s council meeting to issue attacks at his opponents, ultimately finding himself escorted out by police after several warnings to tone down his rant.
John French told the council he wanted to address the issue of theft in Spring Valley, but indicated it wasn’t theft in general; he’s concerned about the 300 political signs of his he said have been stolen. French said police have been notified but have done nothing to mitigate his losses. […]
“I’m not like any of these aldermen sitting here, I’m going to do something with downtown. I’m the best man that’s ever gonna run this town. I’m not like you Walt, I’m gonna do something. I’m gonna fix the downtown at no charge, at my expense.” […]
French, who interrupted the mayor, several aldermen and his fellow candidates a number of times was escorted out of the meeting by Police Chief Adam Curran after a rant in which he said alderman Ken Bogacz told him the mayor hired people to run against him.
“You ain’t gonna do it buddy, that’s twice you tried. I’m gonna win this election and I’m gonna fix this town.”
You gotta watch the videos. Click here.
* Mr. French shortly before he was escorted out by the police chief on the left…
* Follow-up story by Kim Shute…
“That video makes me look like a clown,” [French] said. “I’m not a bad person.”
French said the night before the meeting, an unnamed man, who he said is an associate of Venegas, threatened he and his wife, ending in a 911 call.
French also said he was not escorted out of the meeting as was reported by Shaw Local News Network Monday night, saying Spring Valley Police Chief Adam Curran left the meeting with him to discuss the investigation into the theft allegations. In a video recorded and shared by Shaw Local News Network, Curran is heard instructing French repeatedly “public comment is over” as he walks behind him to the council chambers’ exit. […]
Curran said he is aware of a disturbance call involving the Frenches and a person unknown to him on Sunday night. He said he discussed with French whether he wanted to pursue charges because “the situation described to him sounded like circumstances that could merit possible charges.”
[Hat tip: Rod Thorson]
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* That’s a jump of well over 900 cases in a single day with an accompanying uptick in the positivity rate. Press release…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 2,793 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 20 additional deaths.
- Champaign County: 1 female 60s
- Cook County: 1 female 60s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
- Franklin County: 1 male 70s
- Fulton County: 1 female 70s
- Henry County: 1 female 60s
- Kane County: 2 females 70s
- Macon County: 1 male 50s
- McHenry County: 1 male 70s
- McLean County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s
- Rock Island County: 1 female 80s
- Shelby County: 1 male 60s
- St. Clair County: 1 female 70s
- Stephenson County: 1 female 90s
- Winnebago County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 90s
- Woodford County: 1 male 80s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,227,708 cases, including 21,136 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 79,381 specimens for a total of 19,805,516. As of last night, 1,261 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 269 patients were in the ICU and 130 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from March 17-23, 2021 is 2.8%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from March 17-23, 2021 is 3.1%.
A total of doses of 5,853,915 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 6,268,815. A total of 5,036,364 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight, including 363,711 for long-term care facilities. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 97,680 doses. Yesterday, 107,219 doses were reported administered in Illinois.
Vaccine data has been adjusted to address the previously reported data discrepancy, and now includes doses administered on previous days that were initially excluded from the system. They were not uploaded because the records included only partial information about recipients. In order to more accurately reflect the total number of doses actually administered, changes to software coding were made to allow the system to accept reports with only partial information. This accounts for roughly 100,000 doses. IDPH has reached out to our pharmacy partners to remind them of the importance of entering information in all fields when vaccine is administered.
IDPH has also updated its long-term care facility interim guidance to reflect guidance from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The updated guidance allows more interaction with visitors at long-term care facilities and can be found on the IDPH website.
*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.
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It’s just a bill
Wednesday, Mar 24, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* There was a bit of goofy push-back in comments yesterday to legislation which would finally bring natural gas service to one of the poorest townships in the country…
The trouble with Nicor’s bill is that it creates a massive subsidy by existing customers to pay for line extensions to new customers.
According to Nicor, the project would cost existing customers 15-16 cents annually. Barely over a penny a month. So, spare me the silliness.
* SJ-R…
The House Judiciary Criminal committee passed a bill on Tuesday reducing penalties for possession of small amounts of controlled substances in an effort to better address addiction as a public health problem.
House Bill 3447, sponsored by state Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Urbana, passed the committee by a 12-7 vote after proponents of the bill argued addiction problems cannot be solved by sending someone to jail. Opponents raised concerns about how those seeking addiction treatment would access help, which the bill does not address.
The bill would make possession of all controlled substances below certain amounts for each type of substance a Class A misdemeanor instead of a felony. Multiple misdemeanor charges for possession will also not result in future stiffer penalties. […]
“We have to expand treatment options and make sure there are adequate treatment options available,” said state Rep. Patrick Windhorst, R-Metropolis. “My concern is by taking this from a felony to a misdemeanor is we’re going to remove the incentive individuals have to get the treatment they need.”
* Oops?…
Proposed legislation placing Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 under state supervision — introduced by state Rep. Rita Mayfield, D-Waukegan, in February — will not proceed through the legislative process.
“I’m not moving the bill,” Mayfield said during an interview Tuesday.
Mayfield made her decision after a March 15 telephone conversation with district officials, including Superintendent Theresa Plascencia and Gwendolyn Polk, the associate superintendent of business, because Mayfield was convinced the district is in sound financial condition.
“The finances are in really good condition,” Mayfield said. “Gwen Polk did an excellent job of showing the financial condition. The district does not have a financial problem.”
* IDCCA…
Following the introduction of legislation to eliminate pension protection language in the Illinois Constitution by Republican State Senator Darren Bailey, President Kristina Zahorik of the Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association (IDCCA) released the following statement:
“Darren Bailey has just shown the cornerstone of his platform for Governor: gutting the middle class. Working and middle class families are the backbone of Illinois, and Darren Bailey has singled them out with his bill to gut guaranteed, protected pensions for those workers and retirees.”
“Public servants do not go into careers in government to get rich, they enter those fields to help people. And after they serve, the State of Illinois makes a promise to help them when they retire. Darren Bailey wants to break that promise. Illinois can and must help address its pension problems but cutting benefits for Illinoisans who put in the time to serve our state is the wrong way. Shame on Daren Bailey.”
As reported by WMAY Springfield, “…Bailey’s proposal would allow pension benefits to be reduced or changed, regardless of whether those benefits have already been earned or when they were established.”
The Illinois Education Association just released polling that showed 73% of Illinoisans believe retired teachers deserve their full pension when they retire.
I thought the new state party was supposed to be stepping up on things like this?
* Press release…
Today, the Ensuring Success in School Law (ESSL, HB 3223) was advanced from committee to the Illinois House Floor. The bill, which is sponsored by Rep. Anna Moeller (D-Elgin) and Sen. Kimberly Lightford (D-Maywood), is designed to ensure K-12 students who have experienced gender-based violence or harassment and those who are pregnant or parenting are appropriately accommodated by schools so they can complete their education.
“HB 3223 is an important step towards protecting child victims of sexual assault and harassment and young parents so they can stay in school and lead productive lives. This bill is the culmination of listening sessions and discussions with young survivors, teenagers who are parenting, advocates for survivors and students, and schools,” says Rep. Moeller.
Survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, and gender-based harassment often endure lasting mental, physical, and social consequences—and, as a result, experience a decline in academic performance. 1 in 4 girls experiences sexual violence before age 18 and survivors tend to have lower rates of graduation. It’s critical to eliminate barriers that stand between survivors and their education! Teens who become parents face challenges too, accounting for 26% of students who drop out of high school.
This bill gives schools clear parameters for what they must do to support survivors. It does not require additional resources but mandates that the correct measures be taken to help vulnerable students succeed by:
• Allowing excused absences related to a student surviving gender-based violence, being pregnant, or parenting.
• Ensuring one staff member is trained to help advocate for students and connect them to resources inside and outside of school.
• Creating confidentiality protocols to help students feel safe to disclose when they need help.
• Eliminating inappropriate questioning by clarifying what proofs of violence are necessary so child survivors of trauma are only interviewed by trained professionals.
“School children are offered less support through laws and policies than their parents would receive from their workplace or their older sibling would receive from their college if they experience gender-based violence,” says Madeleine Behr, Public Policy and Advocacy Manager with the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (CAASE). “We can’t leave K-12 students, some of our state’s most vulnerable people, to fend for themselves!”
Advocacy efforts for this bill are being led by CAASE and it has been endorsed by Raise Your Hand for Illinois Public Education, the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault (ICASA), Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV), Women Employed, Equality Illinois, The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence, Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center (ChicagoCAC) and many other organizations.
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Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing
Wednesday, Mar 24, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Daily Herald…
A newly appointed member of the state panel that regulates the horse racing industry didn’t take long to call out the owner of Arlington International Racecourse for its decision to put the storied track up for sale.
Alan Henry, a journalist and author appointed last month to the Illinois Racing Board by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, criticized Churchill Downs Inc. Tuesday for what he called “a shortsighted and self-defeating posture” not to sell to another racing entity.
The Louisville-based horse racing and gambling corporation — whose namesake track is home of the Kentucky Derby — has created a “gauzy connection” in the public’s mind, Henry argued, with that storied race, its iconic twin spires and the tradition of thoroughbred racing.
And so selling Arlington to someone who will keep the sport there would be an opportunity to burnish, rather than diminish, Churchill’s brand, Henry said.
* Sun-Times…
“While [Churchill Downs’] stock is currently riding high, the corporate graveyard is full of companies whose leaders lost sight of their brand, and in doing so, lost the loyalty of their customers,” Henry said during a virtual Racing Board meeting. “The corporate graveyard is full of companies whose leaders lost sight of their brand.”
Nice try, I suppose, but publicly shaming that gigantic company probably ain’t gonna work at this point.
* But maybe the Illinois Racing Board could’ve stepped in a year ago. According to a letter from Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association President Mike Campbell’s attorney sent in January of 2020 to IRB Chair Jeffrey Brincat, trainer Louie Roussel allegedly told Brincat was of a $200 million offer to buy the track and any new casino gaming license that was immediately rejected.
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Don’t bring a gun to a rhetoric fight
Wednesday, Mar 24, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The legendary Lee Provost at the Kankakee Daily Journal…
The husband of Kankakee City Clerk candidate Destini Sutherland-Hall was arrested Tuesday on charges that he brought a gun inside the Kankakee Public Library at that evening’s clerk debate.
Just as Tuesday’s candidate forum between the two Kankakee City Clerk candidates had begun, a Kankakee police officer entered the room.
The officer approached Raymond J. Hall, 50, the husband of Republican Party candidate Sutherland-Hall and after only a few moments, the two walked out of the fourth-floor room where the debate was taking place.
It was later learned that Raymond Hall was carrying a handgun. Illinois law prohibits a gun from being brought into a public library even if the owner has a concealed carry permit.
* This has been an interesting week for Ms. Sutherland-Hall…
On Monday morning, the three-member Kankakee Electoral Board unanimously voted that Republican Party city clerk candidate Destini Sutherland-Hall should not have a place on the ballot for the election which concludes April 6.
Sutherland-Hall is opposing Democratic Party candidate Stacy Gall for the position which will be open as 20-year city clerk Anjanita Dumas did not seek re-election.
She’s appealing the decision.
How are local campaigns looking in your neck of the woods?
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[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Last week, the Chicago Sun-Times wrote about the need for major ethics reforms and accountability in the wake of last year’s ComEd scandal, saying “Illinois is more than ready for utility ethics reform.”
They specifically highlighted the Clean Energy Jobs Act (HB804/SB1718), the only comprehensive energy legislation that holds utilities accountable, lowers electric bills, and creates clean energy jobs in the communities that need them most - all without a bailout for big energy companies. Here is an excerpt:
“… the Clean Energy Jobs Act advanced out of committee last week with stronger ethics language for utilities, including making permanent the hiring and lobbying reforms ComEd agreed to over the life of its deferred prosecution agreement and installing an independent monitor at each of the state’s utilities… returning some of the excess profits ComEd made through its scheme to ratepayers; conducting a thorough, independent investigation of ComEd… and restoring the oversight authority by utility regulators that has been chipped away over time.”
The Clean Energy Jobs Act recently passed the House Energy and Environment Committee, and has a growing list of 43 co-sponsors in the House. Learn more at ilcleanjobs.org.
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* Daily Line…
Like their Republican counterparts in previous meetings, McClure and Stoller throughout Monday’s hearing raised questions about future meetings and the type of data that would be used for redistricting. They also offered critiques about the lack of advance notice for meetings.
McClure said the low attendance for Monday’s hearing was partially due to a lack of advance notice. And the Republicans weren’t the only ones who highlighted the late notice of the meeting. Sen. Sally Turner (D-Lincoln) said she couldn’t attend the meeting in person because she received “such short notice.”
Um, Sen. Sally Turner (from Beason, not Lincoln) is a Republican. Point being, the complaints were not bipartisan.
Also, according to the General Assembly’s dashboard, that March 22nd hearing in Peoria was officially posted six days earlier on March 16th. Also, too, does she not have any staff?
…Adding… CHANGE Illinois fundraising email…
Illinois lawmakers have said time and time again that they will work with the public in the redistricting process to make Illinois districts as representative of their communities as possible.
Though they’ve said they want public input in committee hearings, little has been done to advertise the hearings. A promised public access portal that will allow Illinoisans to submit maps of their communities have not yet been revealed. The public deserves transparency during this critical map-drawing time, especially with the expected delay in delivery of census data.
CHANGE Illinois Executive Director, Madeleine Doubek said this about transparency in the process: “We need to ensure that people in every corner of this great diverse state of ours have a chance to participate to provide their input and have it responded to.”
In these uncertain times of delayed census data, transparency is key when it comes to redistricting. Lawmakers are planning to draw our political districts for the next 10 years and It is vital that our voices be heard as our districts are drawn.
Are you aware that Illinois Senators already have held four public hearings on new political districts? Only a handful of residents have been present to provide input.
I dunno, maybe they could help get the word out by using that fundraising list to blast out notices about the hearings?
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Today’s quotable
Wednesday, Mar 24, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Nadig Newspapers on Speaker Chris Welch’s recent speech to the 38th Ward Democrats…
Welch said he was making his way through security to go to [lame duck] session Monday morning when he got a call from Madigan [telling him he was suspending his reelection bid]. […]
He said Madigan asked him if he wanted to be speaker, told him his colleagues have a lot of admiration for him and that he thought he would do a good job in leadership.
Welch said Madigan then offered four tips.
“He said, ‘First, get the Black Caucus together to unite behind your candidacy and get them together quickly, you don’t have a lot of time. And if you get the Black Caucus, the next thing you can do is talk to the Latino Caucus and see if they can join you and the Black Caucus to support your candidacy. If you do that, I want you to go talk to Representative (Sue) Scherer and a couple of other reps in the downstate area. They may not support you but assure them that you’re going to be a representative and a speaker that always listens and you’re going to do your best to help them,” Welch said. “And then the fourth thing, and I probably should have started with the fourth thing, is call your wife, because if she doesn’t support this, then none of this matters in the first place.”
Good advice.
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* The Tribune’s Ryan Ori with the scoop…
A downtown alderman is proposing a zoning change that could clear the way for the James R. Thompson Center to be replaced by one of Chicago’s tallest skyscrapers.
Ald. Brendan Reilly, 42nd, wants to allow more than 2 million square feet of space on the sprawling state-owned site, at 100 W. Randolph St., that is up for sale. The proposed ordinance is expected to be introduced Wednesday to the City Council’s zoning committee, and it could be up for a vote by the committee — and eventually the full City Council — as soon as April, he told the Tribune Tuesday. […]
Pritzker sought the change because “the state is moving forward in earnest to market the property for a future sale,” Reilly said.
“Restoring the underlying zoning will allow it to reach true market value,” Reilly added. “Now everyone will have clarity on what is within the art of the possible for this site.”
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Good news, bad news
Wednesday, Mar 24, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Good news…
The Illinois Public Health Department approved a new set of rules from the federal government that not only approve in person visits [at nursing homes], but also allows people to hug and touch their loved ones, and it’s allowing places like Swann Special Care Center in Champaign to truly open their doors.
* Bad news…
City officials are cutting off vaccine supply to a private clinic that was contracted to vaccinate Chicago Public Schools employees but “knowingly misallocated” 6,000 doses to people with no ties to the district, the Chicago Department of Public Health said Tuesday.
The leaders of Innovative Express Care took some of those vaccines that had been set aside for second doses for CPS employees and instead used them for first doses for non-CPS patients, officials alleged.
* Good news…
Cook County Courts Pass Reopening Test For First COVID-19 Era Trial
* Bad news…
Enrollment is down at many Illinois colleges and universities since the pandemic began, continuing a long-term downward trend. Community colleges have been hit especially hard.
Enrollment is down by 14% percent this fall and spring compared to last school year at Illinois community colleges, according to the Illinois Community College Board. This includes City Colleges of Chicago. Low enrollment at two-year schools is greater among Latino students, who are among the most affected by the pandemic.
This trend has caused concerns among experts who say once students disenroll from college, it’s harder to get them back. Studies have shown the percentage of students coming back after dropping out of school is generally low.
* Good news…
Krispy Kreme is providing a sweet incentive to encourage more people to roll up their sleeves for the COVID-19 vaccine: Free doughnuts through the end of 2021.
Consumers who show a valid COVID-19 vaccination card at locations nationwide will get a free Original Glazed doughnut, the Winston-Salem, North Carolina-based chain announced.
* Bad news…
Chicago public health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady warned the city, particularly its younger adults, on Tuesday that coronavirus metrics were once again creeping into a danger zone that resembled a previous second surge during last October.
She echoed Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s Monday remarks that cautioned the city will lose its recent gains under its reopening plan if younger adults do not “remain diligent” in masking and social distancing. […]
Though the seven-day rolling average of positive cases in Chicago sits at a low-risk 3.2%, Arwady during a Tuesday question-and-answer session said it is “heading the wrong way” and is up from the previous week’s 2.9%. And the daily average cases rose by 23% from last week, according to the city’s dashboard, showing a rise from 285 to 350 cases that can’t be attributed to more testing because daily tests only rose 6%. The city’s caseload is at a “high-risk” category when it hits 300.
Though intensive care unit visits remain at their lowest since the pandemic started, Arwady said those numbers tend to lag case spikes and that emergency department visits from COVID-19 are up 45% in the past two weeks.
* Let’s end on some good news from the Metro East…
Also on Monday, the state health department listed metro-east Region 4 as having a seven-day average positivity rate of 3.0%, down from 3.3% on Sunday. The state reported a daily positivity rate of 2.3% on Monday, down from 3.2% on Sunday.
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Bill-signing coverage roundup
Wednesday, Mar 24, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Dean Olsen at the SJ-R…
A massive legislative package that caps payday loan interest at 36% annually and subjects employers to human-rights complaints for denying hiring and promotions to people based on criminal history was signed into law Tuesday by Gov. JB Pritzker.
The four bills, part of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus’ efforts to address systemic racism, also are designed to expand access to state contracts for minority-owned businesses, women and people with disabilities. And one of the bills allows a person with a felony conviction to live in federally assisted housing.
* Evan Weinberger at Bloomberg Law…
Interest rates on payday loans, which usually mature every 2 weeks, have reached as high 404% in Illinois, according to consumer advocates who backed the legislation.
The state’s new 36% rate cap also applies to installment loans, which typically are paid back with fixed payments over longer time periods. […]
Some lenders said the bill will reduce access to credit for those borrowers most in need.
“It was rushed through the legislature without substantive input from key stakeholders and an appreciation of its hurtful impact on consumers, and we are disappointed that Governor Pritzker signed this legislation into law,” Mary Jackson, the CEO of the Online Lenders Alliance, said in a statement.
Sen. Lightford specifically warned reporters yesterday against the claim that the legislation was rushed…
The whole idea of we pushed, we rushed, we pushed it through, it was done in a short period of time, it’s just absolutely not true. A lot of work, a lot of hours spent, a lot of involvement from people all across the state created what you see here today.
* CNBC…
Research conducted by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau found that nearly 1 in 4 payday loans are reborrowed nine times or more. Plus, it takes borrowers roughly five months to pay off the loans and costs them an average of $520 in finance charges, The Pew Charitable Trusts reports. That’s on top of the amount of the original loan.
* Center Square…
Steve Brubaker from the Illinois Small Loan Association said the legislation will put people out of business.
“I’m worried about the members of our association, and number two, all their employees that have to try to find a job during COVID which is going to be awful, but also, you are taking a billion dollars away from customers,” Brubaker said.
* Suburban Democratic state Representative with a business career in a formerly Republican district…
* Tribune…
The measure also aims to expand access to state contracts for businesses owned by minorities, women and people with disabilities by amending the state’s procurement code to include diversity for consideration during the request for proposal process.
Sun-Times…
Another bill increases the state’s goal for contracts awarded to businesses owned by minorities, women or people with disabilities from 20% to 30% and mandates the state’s Department of Central Management Services establish “committed diversity aspirational goals for state contracts” and “concerted outreach efforts to businesses owned by minorities, women, and persons with disabilities.”
That could be huge.
* WIFR…
Similarly, Pritzker signed into law a measure allowing people with felony convictions to live in public housing. The state’s more than 100 public housing agencies set their own rules. Sponsors said those that bar residents with criminal records contribute to homelessness and recidivism.
Another law requires state review of of the low- and moderate-income loans by banks and other lenders to improve investment in lower income communities.
Illinois’ Director of Banking on that last bit…
* Back to the Sun-Times…
One bill amends the Farmer Equity Act and creates a cannabis equity commission to ensure the goals the state set as part of its legalization of cannabis are met. Critics have complained that despite earlier promises, the developing recreational marijuana industry remains white-dominated. […]
It also requires the Department of Agriculture to study the disparities associated with farm ownership and farm operations in the state. […]
Republicans had expressed concerns that the implementation of the legislation would turn the state’s contracting process into a “disaster,” as Rep. Deanne Mazzochi, R-Elmhurst, put it. […]
“For people who will say ‘oh, this is unfair, it’s unworkable, we can’t make it happen’ that is false, and if there were remedies that they had, they could have brought them to the table,” [State Rep. Carol Ammons, an Urbana Democrat] said.
* Some dot points from Brenden Moore…
• A provision allowing those with felony convictions to live in federally-assisted housing
• The establishment of an African Descent Citizens Reparations Commission by the Illinois Central Management Services
• A new annual report from all state agencies and public higher-education institutions on race and gender that includes salary information
• A new community development loan program that will guarantee small business loans and consumer loans to borrowers of color or who reside in low-income communities
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Question of the day
Wednesday, Mar 24, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I try to avoid national politics whenever I can, but this guy put Pritzker in the pic, so which table would you choose? Make sure to explain your answer…
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Open thread
Wednesday, Mar 24, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Polite conversation about Illinois issues, please. Thanks.
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[Bumped up from last night for visibility.]
* Media advisory…
Daily Public Schedule: Wednesday, Mar. 24, 2021
What: Gov. Pritzker to give a COVID-19 update and to receive his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Where: Orr Building (Illinois State Fairgrounds), 66 4H Road, Springfield
When: 11:30 a.m.
Watch live: https://www.Illinois.gov/LiveVideo
…Adding… Just to be clear here, government employees became eligible to receive the shots two days ago.
*** UPDATE *** Gov. Pritzker told reporters today that he was receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which is a single dose.
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Our sorry state
Tuesday, Mar 23, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sarah Mansur at Capitol News Illinois …
A joint report from two state agencies and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs found Illinois’ four state-run veterans homes lack standardized infection prevention policies despite previous audits suggesting they be implemented.
The report from the Interagency Infection Prevention Project, or IIPP, calls for the facilities to create a new infection control position and increase staffing and training.
The goal of the IIPP is to “support an integrated and comprehensive response to COVID-19” at the state’s veterans homes, according to the joint report of the Illinois Department of Public Health, Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs and USDVA. […]
The LaSalle home has reported 36 resident deaths due to COVID-19 since November. The homes at Quincy and Manteno have also experienced coronavirus outbreaks that have resulted in 24 and 19 resident deaths, respectively. The home in Anna did not report any resident deaths resulting from COVID-19 related illnesses, according to the report.
Go read the rest.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, we need a real debate about whether the state should even be involved in directly providing this service.
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Pollapalooza
Tuesday, Mar 23, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Normington Petts poll taken for the Illinois Education Association February 11-21 of 1,000 Illinois adults reached via phone and online. Margin of error was +/-3.1 percent…
Would you say things in Illinois today are generally headed in the RIGHT DIRECTION or would you say things are off on the WRONG TRACK?
RIGHT DIRECTION 41%
WRONG TRACK 51%
DON’T KNOW 7%
The perception of the state is still underwater, but those are the best numbers I’ve seen in quite a long time. The Simon Poll has been showing a steady increase in the state’s “right direction” number since the 2018 election…
* OK, on to the IEA’s press release…
The Illinois Education Association (IEA) today released its third annual State of Education report, the only bipartisan poll asking Illinoisans about all aspects of public schools. There is a teacher shortage and the results show that Illinoisans believe COVID-19 will only make the problem worse. Also, the data show the COVID-19 pandemic has made teaching and learning more difficult, Illinoisans continue to trust educators most when it comes to all school-related matters and there is wide support for IEA’s health and safety related standards for schools during a pandemic.
“The people have spoken. They understand that COVID-19 has been difficult for students, educators and everyone else in our public-school system,” IEA President Kathi Griffin said. “In addition, they also support solutions that will make health and safety a top priority and ensure everyone in our schools is safe.”
Seventy-nine percent of Illinoisans are in favor of the following:
• Establish clear metrics, so districts know when to switch to remote learning to keep students and staff safe;
• Enforce guidance and requirements put forth by the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois State Board of Education, and heed the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control;
• Provide rapid COVID-19 testing in schools so infected students and staff can be identified before they spread the virus;
• Ensure education employees are not forced to work while ill.
The data show that on the whole, the public is very concerned about the teacher shortage and COVID-19 exacerbating the problem.
* Some selected questions and responses…
Do you think that public school teachers in your community are paid too little, too much or about right?
Too little 51%
Too much 12%
About right 31%
(Don’t know) 4%
I support the new law that sets the minimum teacher salary in Illinois at $40,000 per year
As you may know, teachers in Illinois don’t pay into and therefore do not collect Social Security when they retire. Do you think that Illinois teachers should receive their full pension, see their pensions cut some or see their pensions eliminated?
Full pension 73%
Cut some 16%
Eliminated 6%
(Don’t know) 5%
Thinking about public school teachers in Illinois over the last year or so during the pandemic, do you think that teaching during the coronavirus pandemic has been much easier, somewhat easier, somewhat harder, or much harder for teachers?
* Also, respondents were asked to rate these priorities from zero to ten. Here are the “high” ratings, in other words, the percent of those who chose 8-10…
Having high quality public schools 76%
Cleaning up corruption in state government 76%
Lowering taxes 65%
Reforming the state pension systems 49%
Balancing the state budget 65%
Reducing crime 74%
Jobs and economic growth 77%
Reducing racial divisions 63%
Reforming health care 64%
These pension-related responses are not unique to this poll, by the way. People are far more supportive of retirees than some folks would have you think.
More results and crosstabs are here.
* Also, you may have read a Tribune article this week about The COVID States Project’s polling. But the survey’s reporting is incredibly opaque. They only tell you approval numbers for governors and leave out results for disapproval and no opinion (and won’t provide them when asked), which seems silly to me. Also, while they claim the February polling for Illinois had a margin of error of “6,” they don’t disclose how many people were surveyed. And there’s some question about its nonprobability methodology, but that method is picking up adherents these days after some success last year (including with the polling I commissioned).
With that being said…
Ongoing surveys conducted by The COVID States Project, involving researchers from a four-university consortium that includes Northwestern, have monitored public attitudes surrounding the pandemic.
The group found that public approval of Pritzker’s handling of the pandemic has gone from 63.2% in the second half of April, about one month into his issuance of emergency restrictions, to 44.7% in February, the lowest of any sampling period in the survey.
That seems to be the norm…
The average governor has witnessed a small drop in approval since October (dropping from 48% in October to 46% in February, part of a long term decline in governor approval since we began our survey in April, when it was 64%).
However, the project found that Democratic governors tended to see an increase in approval, which Pritzker did not.
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* Press release…
Building on efforts to create more equitable access to economic growth and recovery, Governor JB Pritzker today signed four pieces of landmark legislation that expand economic opportunity in Illinois. The legislative package further advances the administration’s priorities of establishing strong economic policies and programs for all Illinoisans, with a heightened equity focus on communities and residents that have been disproportionally impacted by longstanding disinvestment.
This package is comprised of four bills: Senate Bill (SB) 1480, SB 1608, SB 1792, and SB 1980. The legislation includes measures that aim to prevent employers from discriminating against people with criminal records, expand access to state contracts for minority-owned businesses, women, and individuals with disabilities, reduce interest on payday loans, and improve access to public housing.
“Together, these four bills mark significant progress in our efforts to close the racial gaps and eliminate barriers that have for too long unfairly held Black and Brown Illinoisans back,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This pillar advances our common vision of equity and inclusion by recognizing and addressing communities that have historically been cut out of the conversation. I want to recognize the extraordinary work of those who helped shape these bills: the entire Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, the Illinois Department of Human Rights and Department of Labor, and the many advocates engaged in the fight for economic justice. While there is more work to do, we are a better state for what’s in this legislation today.”
“Communities of color have waited for far too long for this kind of economic equity reform. It is long overdue,” said House Speaker Chris Welch (D-Westchester). “This is a monumental step toward our mission of addressing systemic racism by expanding economic access and opportunity. I applaud Governor Pritzker and the advocates who fought for this critical legislation and I look forward to continue to work on bringing about economic equity in the lives of all Illinoisans.”
“Since this nation’s inception, there’s been a massive disparity in access to economic opportunity in America. This imbalance affects all aspects of life, especially housing and access to capital,” said Sen. Chris Belt (D-Centreville). “If the federal government won’t take the lead, Illinois will. It’s time our state reaches its full potential, giving Middle America a beacon to strive toward.”
“These measures are a major step forward not only for the residents of undeserved and disadvantaged communities, but the state as a whole. This package will help give a pathway to opportunity for Illinoisans who have had obstacles in their path due to systemic problems facing communities including disinvestment and racism,” said ILBC Joint Caucus Chairperson State Rep. Sonya Harper (D-Chicago).
Extended Human Rights Protections
The Employee Background Fairness Act, Senate Bill 1480, extends protections outlined in the Illinois Human Rights Act (IHRA) to any Illinois resident with a conviction record. Under this new law, Illinois employers can no longer disqualify a job applicant or employee with a conviction record unless it is substantially related to the job.
Illinois currently has measures in place to protect justice impacted individuals, including barring discrimination based on arrest records and inquiring about an applicant’s criminal history until later stages of the application process. SB 1480 adds another layer of protection for anyone who has come into contact with public law enforcement. Any person who believes they are experiencing discrimination at work or with a potential job because of their conviction record can now file a charge of discrimination with the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR).
“The IDHR is proud to have supported this fundamental, long-overdue piece of legislation,” said IDHR Director Jim Bennett. “Today’s SB 1480 signing is a major step in ensuring anyone - no matter their past - is treated with dignity and respect when searching for work in Illinois. The IDHR is looking forward to working with Illinois employers as we implement these changes.”
Gregory Chambers from Restoring Rights and Opportunities Coalition of Illinois said, “I just want a fair chance to be a productive member of society. This bill gives me a fair chance to get a job and provide for my family.”
To assist Illinois employers and jobseekers, the IDHR has developed a comprehensive FAQ. For more information, please visit IDHR’s website.
Senate Bill 1480 also strengthens the Illinois Equal Pay Act, requiring private-sector employers of more than 100 employees to obtain equal pay registration certificates from the Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL). The legislation requires qualifying employers to provide proof of the total wages paid each employee during the prior year as well as the gender, race and ethnicity of the employees.
The law also contains audit provisions and whistleblower protections, and provides for a civil penalty in an amount equal to 1 percent of the business’s gross profits for a business that does not obtain a certificate, or if a business’s certificate is suspended or revoked after an investigation by the Illinois Department of Labor.
Businesses subject to the new law are required to recertify with the Illinois Department of Labor every two years.
“The Department of Labor is in the process of implementing the new requirements of the law. We continue to meet with stakeholders on this new law and will be communicating instructions for registration,” said Illinois Department of Labor Director Michael Kleinik.
The legislation takes effect immediately.
Expanded Economic Opportunity
The Economic Opportunity Bill (SB 1608) creates the Illinois Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). This new act sets state standards for the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) to examine low- and moderate-income lending by state-chartered banks, credit unions and non-bank mortgage lenders. The Act aims to incentivize more safe lending into low- and moderate-income communities by Illinois financial institutions. Illinois becomes the first state in the Midwest to pass a state level CRA and is just the second state in the country to include non-bank mortgage lenders-institutions that are not covered in the federal CRA.
“The Illinois Community Reinvestment Act gives IDFPR the authority to ensure that the financial institutions of this state, including state banks, credit unions, and non-mortgage lenders, are incentivized to provide lending and general banking services to economically disadvantaged communities,” said Chasse Rehwinkel, IDFPR Acting Director of Banking.
Senate Bill 1608 also amends the existing Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities Act (BEP Act), updates the state’s procurement code to increase the diversity of businesses contracting with the State and establishes policies and commissions that strive to increase economic opportunity for all Illinois residents, regardless of race or background. The legislation grants the BEP Council the ability to review contracts granted by state agencies or public institutions if the contract has a history of disparities and establish a strategy to remove the root-causes for the disparity.
To ensure state contractors are reflective of Illinois’ communities, the legislation amends the Illinois Procurement Code to include diversity for consideration during the request for proposal (RFP) process. The bill also establishes new criteria for the evaluation of RFPs, requiring 20 percent of points given during the scoring of state contracts to be awarded based on the vendor’s commitment to diversity and additional equity measures.
Other provisions outlined in the legislation include, but are not limited to: creation of a Commission on Equity and Inclusion, the establishment of an African Descent Citizens Reparations Commission by the Illinois Central Management Services (CMS), a new annual required report from all state agencies and public higher-education institutions on race and gender that includes salary information, and the development of a new community development loan program that will guarantee small business loans and consumer loans to borrowers of color or who reside in low-income communities and would not otherwise qualify.
“Our nation’s systems were designed to keep Black people from owning businesses, buying homes and fostering economically prosperous communities. To achieve real equity in Illinois, we must dismantle these systems and rebuild them in a way that gives African Americans the chance to succeed,” Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) said. “This package of legislation is a critical step toward leveling the playing field and empowering Black Illinoisans to rise to their full potential as entrepreneurs, homeowners, company executives and more.”
“CMS is proud to support the realization of SB 1608 which expands economic development opportunities and greater representation and participation of historically disinvested communities of color. The agency is also eager to work with the Commission to review and develop additional measures that ensure equity and equality,” said Janel L. Forde, CMS Director.
SB 1608 takes effect immediately except for Articles one and 40, which take effect January 1, 2022.
Predatory Loan Prevention
The Predatory Loan Prevention Act (SB 1792), would directly address long-standing inequities by prohibiting lenders from charging more than 36 percent APR (annual percentage rate) on consumer loans. High-cost, small-dollar loans heighten the racial wealth gap, and stopping high interest payday lending is a significant step toward immediate relief for consumers.
In Illinois, the average APR on a payday loan is 297 percent, and the average APR on a title loan is 179 percent. While the existing federal law already protects active-duty military with a 36 percent APR cap, this legislation would extend the same protection to Illinois veterans and all other consumers.
Illinois families pay over $500 million per year in payday and title loan fees, which is the fourth highest in the nation. With this legislation, Illinois will join a bipartisan, nationwide trend that provides families with more economic stability. Currently, 17 states in addition to the District of Columbia have caps of 36 percent or lower.
“Just as it is with redlining, with bias in insurance rates, and with the ongoing disparity in home lending, this is not just about financial ethics. It’s about racial justice,” said Sen. Jaqueline Collins (D-Chicago). “There is a growing understanding among Illinoisans that these financial systems target people of color and entrench racial poverty. When we have honest, hard conversations, we can topple barriers.”
“Providing access to affordable, small loans to assist families during times of economic stress, such as vehicle breakdowns and unexpected medical bills, is an important and just way to lift families out of debt, particularly in communities of color that have historically been disproportionately impacted by high cost loans,” said Deborah Hagan, Secretary of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. “I applaud the historic work of Governor Pritzker and the Black Caucus and look forward to implementing this new law to benefit of Illinois consumers.”
“Some lenders charge 179%-297% interest. That is just criminal. I commend the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus and Governor Pritzker for making this legislation a reality at such a critical time as more people are struggling to make ends meet and turning to payday and auto title lenders,” said Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza.
“We applaud Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus for championing the passage of the Predatory Loan Prevention Act,” said Rachel Ruttenberg, Director of Policy at Heartland Alliance. “This important law provides financial security and stops predatory, high-cost lending practices, which have widened the racial wealth gap and disproportionately targeted communities of color with payday and car title lending.”
“Today is the culmination of over 20 years of advocacy,” said Brent Adams, Senior Vice President of Policy & Communication at Woodstock Institute. “Thanks to the leadership of the Legislative Black Caucus, Illinois will go from being home to some of the worst abuses in the industry to setting a new bar in consumer financial protection.”
SB 1792 takes effect immediately.
Equity in Public Housing Access
The Public Housing Access Bill (SB 1980 HFA2) allows an individual with a felony conviction to live in federally assisted housing, helping to end the cycle of recidivism. While there are more than 100 Illinois Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) in Illinois, too many families are unable to access these resources. Currently, each PHA sets their own admissions criteria, with varying regulations for granting housing to individuals with criminal records.
To create more housing stability and address the risk of homelessness, SB 1980 HFA2 creates standards for PHAs to use in the criminal background screening process. A few provisions in this screening process includes limiting PHAs from considering records that did not lead to a finding of guilt, expunged or sealed records, or juvenile records. It would require each PHA to keep records of the number of individuals who were in the criminal legal system who apply for public housing. Additionally, the process would establish an internal reviewer to examine criminal history reports, identify eligible offenses for consideration, and only share the relevant records with the decision-makers in the public housing authority.
“Everyone deserves a place to lay their head at night without the shame of their past following them,” said Josephine Horace-Jackson, a Restoring Rights and Opportunities Coalition of Illinois member. “Increasing access to public housing is a vital step in ending homelessness and ensuring formerly incarcerated individuals have a fair opportunity for a better future. We would like to thank Governor Pritzker, Senator Christopher Belt, Senator Jacqueline Collins, Representative Sonya Harper, Representative Delia Ramirez, and all the members of the Illinois General Assembly for supporting this legislation.”
SB 1980 takes effect immediately.
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It’s just a bill
Tuesday, Mar 23, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Finally, some good news for Pembroke Township…
This afternoon, State Rep. Jackie Haas (R-Kankakee) presented her first bill before committee for the first time as a lawmaker. House Bill 3404 specifically addresses the energy accessibility concerns of Pembroke Township. Upon the bill’s passage, Rep. Haas released the following statement:
“I am pleased to report that this important legislation was approved by the House Public Utilities Committee. The bill has bipartisan support from local, state and federal government officials because it makes a decades-old dream of extending a natural gas pipeline into Pembroke Township a reality. Residents lack utilities and services that so many of us take for granted. Currently, they rely on propane, wood-burning stoves and electrical space heaters. Natural gas is both an economic driver for underdeveloped communities—keeping residential fuel costs affordable and attracting new businesses–and environmentally, a major contributor to global emissions reductions. Providing safe, reliable and clean energy to Pembroke Township presents a unique opportunity to chart a better trajectory for our neighbors who have to this point been left behind.”
Next, the bill will be considered by the full chamber on the House floor.
On background:
* Pembroke Township is located in the eastern section of the 79th legislative district, on the Illinois-Indiana border. It is a rural area known to have many disparities—limited access to jobs, services, little to no economic development, and food deserts chief among them.
* According to 2019 Census estimates, there are about 1,700 residents with a median income of $18,900.
* A steering committee headed by Hopkins Park Mayor Mark Hodge has met for nearly two years to address the following issues: energy accessibility, economic development, infrastructure, funding and grants, and broadband connectivity. Committee stakeholders include State Rep. Haas, State Sen. Patrick Joyce (D-Park Forest), Rev. Jesse Jackson and the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, Nicor Gas, county elected officials and chambers of commerce, local business owners and residents.
Politicians have promised improvements to Hopkins Park for years and nothing much has ever really happened. George Ryan wanted to build a prison there in order to finally get sewer, water and gas service to the community, but Rod Blagojevich killed it and instead gave them some gravel for their sand roads (not a joke).
Nicor is pushing this bill, so kudos to them.
* Injustice Watch…
A bill in the Illinois Senate would require judges in the state to attend more training about issues like trauma, racial bias, and cultural competency.
The Judicial Quality Act, which was introduced by Sen. Omar Aquino, D-Chicago, passed the Senate executive committee Wednesday by a vote of 11-6, despite opposition from the Illinois Supreme Court.
The bill’s backers say the current training for Illinois judges – 30 hours every two years – is insufficient, and that judges need more focused education on topics like domestic violence, child abuse, racial bias in sentencing, the impact of trauma on brain development, and the LGBTQIA community. […]
The Illinois Supreme Court, which oversees training for judges and other court personnel through the Illinois Judicial College, opposes the Judicial Quality Act.
“The educational opportunities for Illinois judges are among the very best in the nation,” Chief Justice Anne M. Burke said in a statement Tuesday afternoon. “(The Judicial College) continues to develop excellent and diverse programs and I am very proud of how the Judicial Branch pivoted during COVID to move educational programming from in-person conferences to our eLearning portal.”
* Center Square…
A new bill has been filed that would give water customers a say before their public utility goes private.
Marking World Water Day 2021 on Monday, state Sen. John Connor said his bill would require private water companies to give taxpayers an individual vote before their city or village sells the public water system.
The Citizen’s Utility Board said Illinois’ two largest private water companies have hit consumers with more than $220 million in higher water bills to cover a shopping spree as it bought up 34 water and wastewater systems around the state.
* Press release…
A bill that would install a public health approach to drug use in Illinois today cleared a key House Committee in Springfield. Rejecting the failed policies of the “War on Drugs,” House Bill 3447 reduces penalties for small-scale drug possession from a felony to a misdemeanor. Testimony before the Committee demonstrated the compelling need for shifting the State’s approach to drug use. The vote in favor of the bill was 12 to 7.
“Over just three years 20,000 people were convicted of felonies in Illinois for possessing small amounts of drugs and 7,500 were imprisoned,” the bill’s chief sponsor, Rep. Carol Ammons (Urbana) told the committee.
Representative Ammons was joined at the hearing by a diverse panel of witnesses who argued that the measure would address fundamental problems in our criminal legal system and make communities safer by connecting people who need treatment for substance use disorders with community-based services instead of jail. Experts agree that a public health approach is proven to work better to address the harms associated with drug use.
Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg championed the bill, telling committee members, “People dealing with addiction need their safety net of support reinforced, not taken from them through incarceration. Unfortunately, this is exactly what stiff criminal penalties associated with lower-level drug possession offenses do. Our communities deserve investment in recovery services and not steep involvement in the criminal justice system when an addiction crisis affects our community members.”
Committee members also were told that Illinois voters agree with a change of approach in our state. In a poll conducted for the ACLU of Illinois last year, voters made clear that they support changes to punishments handed down for those arrested for possessing illegal drugs. A commanding 79% of voters support making possession of small amounts of drugs a misdemeanor and decreasing sentences for all drug offenses. 84% of voters agree that the state should provide mental health and substance use disorder treatment on demand in Illinois.
The bill now moves to consideration by the full House of Representatives. Advocates for the bill said today that they hope to secure passage in both chambers of the legislature by the May 31st session end.
“New policies around drug sentencing allow us to break the cycle in which punishment and incarceration, rather than treatment and support, are the default responses to substance use disorders,” said Ben Ruddell of the ACLU of Illinois. “This bill builds pathways to community-based treatment for those who need it, and includes expungement and resentencing provisions that will help people with past convictions move on with their lives.”
The polling information released today is drawn from a poll of 600 voters in Illinois conducted by Global Strategy Group from October 27 - November 4. The survey has a margin of error of +/- 4.0% and was conducted online using a voter file match. Care was taken to ensure the poll represented the registered voter universe.
…Adding… Sen. Ram Villivalam…
“Last week in Atlanta, a gunman murdered eight people, six of whom were Asian American women. Earlier that same week in Chicago, two people were killed in a mass shooting at a party that wounded 13 other people. And, last night in Colorado, a gunman murdered 10 people, including a police officer, in a grocery store.
“Hate-fueled mass murders in the United States aren’t slowing down. In 12 months we figured out how to prevent COVID and are taking steps to do so. But how is it possible that, despite hundreds of mass murders throughout the decades, we still haven’t done enough to prevent mass gun violence?
“We know how to do it. We need to pass House Bill 3245, which requires background checks and obtains fingerprints so that guns are purchased only by responsible FOID holders. In states that have already passed similar laws, gun violence decreased by 40%.
“This legislation is supported by hundreds of stakeholders, ranging from law enforcement like the Illinois State Police to violence prevention organizations like Chicago CRED, as well as faith-based and health care organizations.
“The Illinois General Assembly and Governor Pritzker need to act to ensure the safety of the people we were elected to serve. There is nothing political about safety. It’s time for lawmakers to join me in working to block illegal gun ownership.”
* Other stuff…
* Illinois bill looks to make curbside and dropbox voting permanent
* Illinois Association of School Boards director on restraint and isolation ban: It’s a challenge
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* Press release…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 1,832 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 13 additional deaths.
- Champaign County: 1 male 80s
- Cook County: 2 females 60s, 3 males 60s, 2 males 80s, 2 females 90s, 1 male 90s
- St. Clair County: 1 male 50s
- Tazewell County: 1 female 70s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,224,915 cases, including 21,116 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 49,739 specimens for a total of 19,726,135. As of last night, 1,270 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 272 patients were in the ICU and 117 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from March 16-22, 2021 is 2.5%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from March 16-22, 2021 is 2.9%.
“Even as we’re getting more and more vaccine doses, we cannot let our guard down, especially with these virulent new strains circulating,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “We’ve come so far and are so close to a more normal time, but we’re already seeing some concerning plateaus and even increases in hospitalizations and cases. We’re not out of the woods yet so continue to wear your masks, avoid large crowds, and keep six feet of distance.”
A total of doses of 5,796,305 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 6,211,205. A total of 4,818,097 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight, including 363,235 for long-term care facilities. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 91,000 doses. Yesterday, 70,252 doses were reported administered in Illinois.
IDPH is working with the federal government on discrepancies in some of the vaccine administration data. The result of the discrepancy could be that the number of doses actually administered at this time may be underreported. IDPH will update the data as soon as the discrepancy is resolved.
*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.
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* You undoubtedly saw that Gov. JB Pritzker contributed $35 million to his campaign committee. He filed the report last Friday, but reported the contribution date as March 12th.
The timing is important because state law would require Pritzker to file a Notification of Self-Funding with the Illinois State Board of Elections if that disclosed contribution date was after March 15th. The reason? The 2022 primary is on March 15th and State Board of Elections spokesperson Matt Dietrich confirmed today that the state’s contribution caps are only blown if contributions of more than $250,000 are received within 12 months of the candidate’s next election. If those contributions were dated after March 15th, the caps would’ve been blown.
And the amount in the law is important because gubernatorial candidate Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) reported loans from himself and his mother totaling exactly $250,000 on March 22nd. But Dietrich pointed out today that the caps are only blown for anything above $250K. So far, Bailey is right at the limit.
Clear? Good.
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A Fair Map Prioritizes Voting Rights And Public Input
Tuesday, Mar 23, 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
Learn more at CHANGEIL.org.
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[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.
Learn more
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* Press release…
– State Rep. La Shawn K. Ford, D-Chicago, releases this statement regarding the recent situation at The Loretto Hospital.
“I am very disappointed with the recent developments at The Loretto Hospital regarding its use of coronavirus vaccine entrusted to the hospital. Yesterday, I submitted my resignation to The Loretto Hospital’s Board Chairman Edward Hogan because I strongly disagreed with how the reprimand of the hospital leadership was handled. As the state representative for the hospital and as a resident in its service area, I will continue to fight for resources for The Loretto Hospital, a safety-net hospital in the Austin community.”
Sun-Times…
In a phone call Tuesday, Ford said, “It’s critical that consequences are more transparent.”
Ford previously told the Chicago Sun-Times the two would face “harsh reprimands.”
* Also, you may recall that Loretto set up an offshore insurance company in the Caymans…
Twice since 2013, Lightford has used campaign funds to stay at the Ritz-Carlton in the Cayman Islands, racking up hotel bills of $3,931 during her two stays. […]
Loretto Hospital in Chicago was in danger of losing its insurance, which could have forced closure, explains Lightford, who is on the hospital board. After exhausting other possibilities, she said that the hospital set up a captive insurance company, essentially a form of self insurance, in the Cayman Islands.
“We cannot convene in the United Sates because it’s a captive in the Cayman Islands,” Lightford says. “Our meeting every fall is in the Caymans so that our auditors can come in, and we have our yearly meeting there. That’s (the Ritz-Carlton) the location that we stay when we’re there.”
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The Google is your friend
Tuesday, Mar 23, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* A couple of weeks ago, we discussed how Better Government Association President and CEO David Greising’s Tribune op-ed claimed that Senate President Don Harmon “has yet to utter a quotable phrase — on or off script” even though one of the BGA’s lobbyists had said that Harmon “made a big statement by giving up his outside job.”
Greising in the Tribune this week…
One comment [by House Speaker Chris Welch] in particular stood out because, with it, the new speaker laid down a marker on an issue that has ramifications across state government: fixing the state’s badly gerrymandered electoral maps.
Welch’s comment — stating that he will view any proposed map based on its impact on equitable representation — is important because it is the first by a major player in the mapmaking process to specifically state a nonnegotiable demand.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker has said he won’t approve a gerrymandered map, but he so far has declined to be specific about the parameters for his decision. Senate President Don Harmon hasn’t pinned himself down either.
* Tribune last week…
Like House Speaker Welch, Harmon said “a fair map is one that reflects the diversity of our state” and “provides for fair and equal representation of all communities.”
Harmon quote from NPR Illinois…
I think Speaker Welch hit the nail on the head when he said a fair map is one that reflects the diversity of our state. I would like to see everybody at the table — all communities of interest — heard, and through a thorough and thoughtful redistricting process, come up with a map that fairly and equally represents the communities across the state.
* Recent Pritzker quote…
The governor’s “view is that 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,” Jordan Abudayyeh, Pritzker’s spokesperson, said in a statement to Playbook.
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* Capitol News Illinois…
Less than a week after a deadly attack on Asian Americans in Atlanta, Gov. J.B. Pritzker and members of the General Assembly’s Asian American Caucus spoke out against the murders and against discrimination generally toward the Asian American community.
“I do not pretend to know the pain of this moment, for those who look at the Atlanta victims and see their own mothers, daughters and sisters, or themselves,” Pritzker said at a news conference Monday in the Chinatown neighborhood in Chicago.
“But I want the (Asian American Pacific Islander) community in Illinois to know that I see you, and I see the fear and anxiety that these events have forced into your lives and the lives of your loved ones, and I want you to know that Illinois is your home.
“You are our friends and our neighbors and our family members, and I will do everything in my power as governor to protect you and to welcome you.”
Pritzker was accompanied by members of the Asian American Caucus, including Democratic Reps. Theresa Mah of Chicago, Janet Yang Rohr of Naperville, Denyse Wang Stoneback of Skokie and Sen. Ram Villivalam, a Democrat from Chicago.
* Related…
* Rep. Theresa Mah On Addressing Anti-Asian Hate At The State And Federal Levels: “Asian Americans had been largely invisible,” said State Rep. Theresa Mah. “It wasn’t until last week’s horrific events that the issue was brought into the spotlight.”
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And now for the not-so-good news
Tuesday, Mar 23, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Axios…
Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said Monday she’s concerned the U.S. could experience “another avoidable surge” in coronavirus infections due to new variants, if people don’t follow mitigation measures like mask-wearing and social distancing.
Why it matters: A growing number of states have moved to reopen despite the spread of new variants. States are increasingly attributing their coronavirus cases to variants, Walensky noted. […]
What she’s saying: “We must act now, and I am worried that if we don’t take the right actions now, we will have another avoidable surge — just as we are seeing in Europe right now and just as we are so aggressively scaling up vaccination,” Walensky said.
* Daily Herald…
New cases of COVID-19 have risen by more than 22% in the last seven days, Illinois Department of Public Health data showed Monday.
Daily cases from March 16 to Monday totaled 12,970, or 1,853 a day, compared to 10,596 infections, or 1,514 a day, March 9-15.
There have been fluctuations in caseloads recently with tallies from early this month reaching 11,678, or 1,668 a day, March 2-8. But experts are watching the numbers as the state loosens restrictions on activities and cases of more contagious variants of COVID-19 inch up.
The IDPH recorded 143 COVID-19 variant cases Sunday: 135 of a COVID-19 mutation originating in the United Kingdom, five of a Brazilian version, and three of a South African variant. That contrasts with 126 reported Tuesday: 120 of the United Kingdom variant and three each of the Brazilian and South African ones.
* Chicago is still having supply and delivery issues…
Chicago public health officials said they have no plans to open a vaccination site that would be open 24 hours a day — as some other cities have done.
At a press conference on the city’s vaccinations efforts, officials were asked about the possibility of opening an around-the-clock center to speed up vaccines and increase accessibility for essential workers. Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said the main focus right now is increasing vaccine supply.
“At this point, there’s not plans for a 24-hour situation,” Arwady said “We’ll see what the demand looks like and we’ll see what the vaccine supply looks like.”
* Related…
* COVID Vaccine Appointment Frustration Rises In Will County As Eligibility Increases in Illinois
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A bit of good news
Tuesday, Mar 23, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* ABC 7…
On Friday, a former big box store in Forest Park will be up and running as Cook County’s second largest mass vaccination site coordinated with effort with the Army National Guard.
“This location which will be able to administer up to 1,000 doses per day, at launch, and then over 2,000 soon after,” Gov. JB Pritzker said.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said it will be able to increase that to 5,000, depending on supply. The goal of the site is to vaccinate those most in need.
“If we are going to put an end to this pandemic and resume our regular lives, we need to prioritize the vaccine for those who are most at risk and marginalized from access to medical care,” said Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch, Illinois House Speaker.
* Capitol News Illinois…
With 64 percent of the state’s seniors having received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, Illinois is nearing the “bridge” phase of reopening that will allow for greater capacity limits at businesses and social gatherings.
That number must hit 70 percent to enter the bridge phase, which would trigger another 28-day monitoring period. If virus transmission and hospitalization metrics don’t worsen during the monitoring period, Phase 5 can begin, removing all capacity restrictions.
The vaccination rate for seniors age 65 and older is up from 58 percent on Thursday, when Gov. JB Pritzker first announced the bridge phase. […]
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health website, 13.8 percent of the state’s population has been fully vaccinated. Pritzker said “about one in three” Illinoisans age 16 and older had received at least one vaccine dose, a number that must reach 50 percent for the state to enter Phase 5 of reopening, which is essentially back to normal in terms of capacity restrictions.
* Paducah Sun…
Walk-ins are welcome this week at COVID-19 vaccine clinics organized by the Southern Seven Health Department in southern Illinois.
On Monday, Southern Seven held two vaccine clinics: one at Massac County Head Start in Metropolis and the other at Main Street Center in Anna. […]
“We have been appointment-only for COVID-19 vaccine clinics so far up to this point, and we’re getting to a point where we got a lot of vaccine supply coming into us,” [Nathan Ryder, contact tracing outreach coordinator for Southern Seven] said. “So we’ve seen those supplies increase on a weekly basis, and we’re beginning to get through all those waitlists that we had backed up for our seven counties. So now that we’ve exhausted our waitlist and now that we’re taking appointments, we also have some extra vaccine available for folks who just want to walk in on a daily basis.”
* SJ-R…
Sangamon County surpassed the 100,000 mark Monday for residents who have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, a county spokesman said.
That number meant 64.8% of residents 16 and older had received at least an initial dose and almost 52% of the county’s entire population had received a shot, spokesman Jeff Wilhite said.
He said both vaccination sites operated by the county have begun serving additional groups of people newly eligible for COVID-19 vaccine in Illinois. The eligibility expansion, which took effect Monday, affected higher education staff members, government workers and the news media.
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Open thread
Tuesday, Mar 23, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Illinois topics only, please. And try to be nice to each other. Thanks.
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* Block Club Chicago on December 15, 2020…
Chicago’s vaccination campaign has officially begun, marking the beginning of the end of the pandemic, officials said.
The city gave its first dose of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine to doctors, nurses and a patient care technician Tuesday morning at Loretto Hospital. It kicked off what officials say will be a year-long effort to get as many people as possible vaccinated in Chicago to end the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This is, I fully believe, the beginning of what will be the end of COVID-19 here in Chicago,” said Dr. Allison Arwady, head of the Chicago Department of Public Health.
* Block Club Chicago today…
Loretto Hospital vaccinated ineligible people at a luxury Gold Coast watch and jewelry shop where the hospital’s chief operating officer is a high-spending and frequent customer.
Loretto Hospital and its executives, including Chief Operating Officer Dr. Anosh Ahmed and Chief Executive Officer George Miller, are already embroiled in controversy for steering doses toward organizations with which they have ties. Ahmed was heavily criticized after Loretto held a vaccination event at Trump Tower — where Ahmed and another hospital leader live — and after Ahmed told people he vaccinated millionaire Eric Trump.
Block Club has learned Loretto Hospital also held a March 3 vaccination event at a Gold Coast shop called Geneva Seal, which sells jewelry and designer watches worth $20,000 — and more. Ahmed is a frequent customer there and has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars at the shop, a source said.
Credit: Loretto HospitalDr. Anosh Ahmed is the chief operating officer of Loretto Hospital.
The shop at 112 E. Oak St. is far from Loretto Hospital — and the vaccinations were offered to ineligible people who own and work at the high-end boutiques along the Gold Coast, as well as their family and friends, sources said. The Austin hospital is meant to serve and vaccinate people on the West Side, where coronavirus has devastated communities of color.
* The hospital’s board of trustees includes two state legislators, Sen. Kimberly Lightford and Rep. La Shawn Ford. Both attended a media event with the governor today, but the video conked out and I’ve been waiting to see if they took questions about the hospital. But let’s go to Block Club Chicago again…
Loretto Hospital’s board said it has reprimanded two of its chief executives the same day Chicago’s health chief said the hospital let “well-connected” people jump the vaccination line.
Board members would not say what punishments will be doled out to Loretto Hospital CEO George Miller and COO Dr. Anosh Ahmed — but the hospital already has had its supply of coronavirus vaccine doses cut off by the city. Dr. Allison Arwady, chief of the city’s health department, said officials are investigating events where the hospital vaccinated ineligible people and gave shots outside of the West Side community.
Arwady expressed serious concerns about Loretto’s vaccination program during a Friday call with reporters, saying the hospital has lost community trust and officials don’t feel comfortable sending precious vaccine doses there for the time being. The accusations against the hospital are particularly “unacceptable” because Loretto is in Austin, a Protect Chicago Plus neighborhood that has been hit hard by COVID-19 and where the city has been trying to boost vaccinations, Arwady said.
The hospital’s board has taken “appropriate actions of reprimand against Miller and Ahmed for their role in the mistakes of judgment,” Rep. LaShawn Ford, who sits on Loretto’s board and represents the area in the state Legislature, said in a statement.
It would be nice to know what measures they took. Their last 990 form shows the hospital’s former CEO made $840,000 a year while its best-paid physician made just $165K.
…Adding… Press release…
AFSCME Local 1216—the union representing nurses at Loretto Hospital on the West Side of Chicago—issued this statement following the latest in a series of revelations about the alleged misappropriation of COVID-19 vaccine doses by the hospital’s top management.
“As the safety net hospital for the city’s West Side, we have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said D Sutton, a registered nurse and the president of AFSCME Local 1216. “Loretto nurses have been on the front lines of our COVID unit. I and many others have been sickened in the line of duty, some of us so seriously that we had to be hospitalized ourselves.
“Now that the safe, effective COVID vaccines are available, we have been the ones delivering the shots to protect our community. Our work is critically important and we do not want it disrupted.
“We call on the city to restore Loretto Hospital’s supply of vaccine doses. Our community which has been systematically ignored and under-resourced for decades should not be punished now for the reported actions of a few.
“To our community, know that Loretto nurses are here for you, working to keep you healthy and safe. Understand that taking the vaccine is the way to protect yourself, your family and get back to normal in Chicago as quickly as we can.”
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* Lynn Sweet…
A fundraiser for Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., will be headlined by Karl Rove and co-hosted by a who’s who of Illinois Republicans, a show of political strength coming as ex-President Donald Trump vows revenge against GOP House members who voted to impeach him.
The co-hosts — there are more than 150 on the invitation obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times — include two high-ranking Trump appointees from Illinois: Ron Gidwitz, Trump’s former ambassador to Belgium and acting ambassador to the European Union, and Barbara Stewart, the ex-chief executive officer of AmeriCorps.
Kinzinger is one of 10 Republicans to vote with House Democrats to impeach Trump for “incitement of insurrection” for his role in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol as Congress was taking the final steps to validate Joe Biden’s presidential election. […]
The list of top Illinois GOP donors co-hosting the Kinzinger funder include John Canning and his wife, Rita; Craig Duchossois and his wife, Janet; Susan Crown and her husband, William Kunkler; David Herro; Michael Keiser; Barry MacLean; John Rowe; and Muneer Satter.
The co-hosts also include Mark Denzler, president & CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association; International Union Of Operating Engineers Local 150 PAC; Todd Maisch, president and CEO of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce; Grundy County GOP Chair Aren Hansen; former Sen. Mark Kirk; and state Sen. Sue Rezin, whose legislative district turf overlaps on some of Kinzinger’s congressional district.
* From Kristina Zahorik, President of the Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association…
“Let us not forget that Adam Kinzinger is a tried and true Republican who voted with Donald Trump more than 90% of the time and repeatedly voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act. And now, Adam Kinzinger is teaming up with Karl Rove, one of the architects of the war in Iraq, who helped elect George W. Bush — someone who, after Trump, is one of the worst Presidents in modern history — and to this day still defends the Bush administration’s use of torture.”
“Adam Kinzinger is attempting to rebrand his image so people will forget how extreme his voting record is. But even while Adam Kinzinger is now throwing Donald Trump under the bus, he continues to align him himself with some of the worst members of his party. We can acknowledge Kinzinger for standing up and impeaching Trump, but we can’t forget who he has always been — an extreme Republican.”
Karl Rove has a history of incorrigible behavior and practices, including just last year his use of racially loaded language when he attacked President Obama for speaking at a historically black college and, in Rove’s words, committing a “political drive-by shooting.”
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Question of the day
Monday, Mar 22, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* It’s Monday, which means it’s Senate COVID test day, so I have to run into town for a bit. Let’s do a wellness check. How are you and yours holding up?
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* Press release…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 1,220 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 22 additional deaths.
- Cook County: 1 female 50, 1 male 60, 2 females 70s, 1 male 70s, 2 females 80s, 5 males 80s, 1 female 90s, 3 males 90s
- DeKalb County: 1 female 20s, 1 male 60s
- Lake County: 1 male 60s
- Marshall County: 1 male 80s
- Rock Island County: 1 male 80s
- Will County: 1 male 80s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,223,083 cases, including 21,103 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 47,374 specimens for a total of 19,676,396. As of last night, 1,182 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 233 patients were in the ICU and 98 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from March 15-21, 2021 is 2.6%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from March 15-21, 2021 is 2.9%.
A total of doses of 5,341,895 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 5,756,795. A total of 4,747,845 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight, including 361,971 for long-term care facilities. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 92,148 doses. Yesterday, 41,343 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.
* Sunday…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 1,431 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 22 additional deaths.
Cook County: 1 male 30s, 2 females 50s, 1 male 50s, 2 males 60s, 1 female 70s, 2 males 70s, 1 female 80s, 4 males 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
DuPage County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 90s
Fulton County: 1 male 60s
Grundy County: 1 male 80s
Madison County: 1 male 70s
McDonough County: 1 male 60s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,221,863 cases, including 21,081 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 70,102 specimens for a total of 19,629,022. As of last night, 1,132 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 236 patients were in the ICU and 97 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from March 14-20, 2021 is 2.5%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from March 14-20, 2021 is 2.8%.
A total of doses of 5,341,895 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 5,756,795. A total of 4,706,502 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight, including 361,886 for long-term care facilities. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 95,171 doses. Yesterday, 75,380 doses were reported administered in Illinois.
* Saturday…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 1,962 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 25 additional deaths.
Cook County: 1 female 30s, 1 male 50s, 1 female 60s, 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s, 2 males 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
Douglas County: 1 female 90s
Franklin County: 1 female 90s
Madison County: 2 females 70s, 1 male 70s
McHenry County: 1 male 80s
McLean County: 1 female 90s
Moultrie County: 1 female 100+
Ogle County: 1 male 80s
Sangamon County: 1 female 90s
St. Clair County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 80s
Will County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,220,432 cases, including 21,059 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 77,661 specimens for a total of 19,558,920. As of last night, 1,179 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 228 patients were in the ICU and 103 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from March 13-91, 2021 is 2.6%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from March 13-19, 2021 is 2.8%.
A total of doses of 5,341,895 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 5,756,795. A total of 4,631,122 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight, including 360,941 for long-term care facilities. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 98,165 doses. Yesterday, 120,426 doses were reported administered in Illinois.
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Where there’s a will, there’s a way
Monday, Mar 22, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Crain’s…
As part of Illinois’ latest reopening plans, customers with proof of full vaccination or a recent negative COVID-19 test will not count against the capacity limits that have hamstrung businesses for the past year.
Some struggling business owners say that provision has the potential to be a big help. But implementing it? That could be a logistical nightmare.
“It’s great that the governor is looking for ways to get businesses back open quicker at a place where people feel safe,” said Scott Weiner, co-owner at Fifty/50 Restaurant Group, which operates 17 restaurants, including Roots Handmade Pizza and West Town Bakery. “I just hope that there’s a way to actually roll it out.”
There is no universal vaccine passport being distributed in the United States, and some worry about patrons fabricating vaccine records. There’s also a concern establishments could violate privacy laws in requesting health care information.
Restaurants shouldn’t be asking customers for private health records, but nothing can stop customers from offering up their own proof.
So, if the customer is silent when reserving a table, then that reservation would be counted toward the capacity limits (50 percent for outdoor seating, 30 percent for indoors). But if the reserving customer says that all four of the people in the reservation will supply proof upon arrival that they’ve received their final shots at least two weeks prior to the reserved date, then those folks won’t be counted toward the capacity limits. Leave it up to the customers to make their own decisions.
Since there is no uniform vaccination card, some scammers may try to get through the system. But even fully justifiable rules will not stop all dishonest people. It’s just human nature and is not a reason to have no rules at all. And, frankly, if you’re going to the sort of restaurant which could be heavily populated with dishonest COVID scammers, you might wanna frequent a different restaurant.
I’ve been using this same argument for media access to the House and Senate press boxes. Right now, the Senate limits occupancy to three per box and the House limits it to two per box. But reporters who are willing to show they are fully vaxed and “ripened” for at least two weeks should be allowed into the boxes above the capacity caps.
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Unclear on the concept
Monday, Mar 22, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Wirepoints…
The Illinois legislature’s biggest failure during the pandemic has been its complete abdication of responsibility over the management of the pandemic itself – Gov. Pritzker has been running the state’s response via executive fiat for over a year.
The result has been a disaster for democratic norms. Lawmakers should have stepped in and authorized the governor’s emergency rules or passed their own laws at the start of the pandemic. But they did neither.
No matter their excuses, Illinois lawmakers no longer have reasons for inaction. The curve has been flattened. There’s no risk of running out of hospital beds or ICU resources. Daily cases have collapsed. And most importantly, vaccines are being rolled out at an increasing rate. Herd immunity is expected by the end of April.
Gov. Pritzker should be stripped of his powers by the legislature immediately. That’s especially true now that Pritzker has added another incremental phase to his plan instead of fast-tracking a full reopening.
Yes, because a body that officially sat in near silence throughout the pandemic ought to now step up and run the state because that would somehow be better.
I often get the distinct impression reading takes like this that either the authors know nothing about how the General Assembly operates, or are being totally disingenuous.
…Adding… And yes I’m aware, as commenters have pointed out, that their “facts” are ridiculous as well. In my defense, I just figured that was a given.
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* Friday…
If you click the link, you’ll see that Pritzker wrote the check on Friday, March 11th, a week before he reported depositing it.
* Tribune…
Pritzker has repeatedly dismissed questions about his political future as the 2022 campaign season has begun, saying he is focused on public health efforts to deal with COVID-19 and help restore the state’s economy in a post-pandemic environment.
“I’m just focused on the job that I’ve got today and making sure we get through this pandemic and get everybody vaccinated,” Pritzker said Monday in an interview with the Tribune.
That interview took place three days after Pritzker wrote the check. So, apparently, he wasn’t telling the entire truth when he said he was “just focused” on his job as governor. And he said that in pretty much every interview. From his interview with Hannah Meisel…
“My focus really has just been keeping people healthy, safe and keeping the economy going,” Pritzker told NPR Illinois. “The politics will take care of itself in the end.”
Not sure why he would undercut his own words like that, so we’ll see how that works out for him.
* Sun-Times…
The $35 million contribution isn’t exorbitant for Pritzker, whom Forbes has dubbed the richest politician in the nation with a net worth of $3.5 billion.
It’s only a fifth of the $171 million Pritzker spent to defeat multi-millionaire Republican ex-Gov. Bruce Rauner in 2018, a clash of investment titans that went down as one of the most expensive gubernatorial races in American history.
And it’s well short of the $58 million Pritzker dumped into an ill-fated ballot initiative last fall to amend the state constitution to allow for a graduated state income tax system. The governor was outdueled in November by fellow billionaire Ken Griffin, whose $53 million helped persuade voters to reject the plan.
It’s also short of the $50 million Rauner plunked down just before the beginning of the 2018 cycle.
* Crain’s…
Asked about when the governor might formally announce or whether such a large donation should be viewed as a sign Pritzker is worried about his chances, campaign spokesman Quentin Fulks said in an email, “Given the increasing number of Republicans who have declared their candidacies for governor in 2022, Gov. Pritzker wanted to ensure that he was ready to respond to their false and misleading attacks if necessary.”
A handful of Republicans have already tossed their name in for the 2022 race: state Sen. Darren Bailey, businessman Gary Rabine, former state Sen. Paul Schimpf and Christopher Roper, a downstate resident.
“Over the past two years, the governor has led Illinois through a global pandemic by listening to the experts, not the anti-science conspiracy theorists currently running in the Republican primary, while improving the lives of millions of Illinoisans through his actions,” Fulks said, also citing other Pritzker accomplishments on infrastructure spending, health care, and women’s rights.
*** UPDATE *** Tribune…
He did so again Monday during an event touting a new mass vaccination site in Forest Park. “I’m focused on getting us past this pandemic keeping people safe and healthy in the state of Illinois,” Pritzker told reporters.
“Any of that support for my committee is really designed as a preventive measure in the event that Republicans continue in any more public way to try to attack the Democratic agenda of standing up for working people or to frankly lie about the Democratic agenda,” Pritzker said.
“We’re doing what’s right for people all across the state of Illinois, making sure that working families get what they need to stay in their homes, to get jobs, to raise their wages, etc. And so, those resources will be used simply to fend off those illegitimate attacks,” he said.
Whatever. He deliberately played reporters for chumps. Not cool.
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* My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
I’ve given Gov. J.B. Pritzker some grief for his failures in the past few months.
His graduated income tax proposal went down in flames in November. He failed to pass his top priorities during January’s lame duck session of the Legislature. And his candidate for chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois lost to U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly earlier this month.
What follows, then, is an edited-for-space transcript, with further reporting from me, of our recent interview on two of these topics:
Pritzker: “Rich, I think you’re forgetting an awful lot. Remember in the midst of a pandemic… because that’s where we’ve been, I stood up the largest rental assistance program in the entire country. The childcare assistance program that we stood up is now hailed as a model for the nation. This was the one we did in the midst of the pandemic, the one that my team, Theresa Hawley, Jesse Ruiz, the folks at ISBE, the folks in our Early Childhood Office of the Governor put together. Those are two examples of major programs. Don’t forget the Business Interruption Grants, which for many thousands of businesses helped them pay rent or pay utilities to keep their doors open.
“Those were things that I stood up during the last six months, and they’re enormous successes, the people who have been beneficiaries of those have been enormous successes.
“And then don’t forget over the summer I laid out criminal justice pillars. And look what happened with the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, which did a tremendous amount of work and really deserve a tremendous amount of credit. But the pillars that I set out over the summer were worked on with them during the summer. And then, what do you know, that’s the bill that I signed, the Safe-T Act.”
It was Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford who led the Black Caucus’ efforts to pass their “pillars,” including criminal justice reform. Lightford told me that Sen. Elgie Sims and Rep. Justin Slaughter worked with the governor’s office on criminal justice reform before COVID hit.
“They continued to meet with the governor’s team after the George Floyd incident and of course the efforts grew as a result” Lightford told me in a written statement. “However, I created the Pillars.”
Lightford said “the conversations stopped” with the governor’s team after Pritzker released his “seven guiding principles” for criminal justice reform in early October. “We kept working and building out our pillar that included their points and additional items,” she said.
Pritzker’s list did have many of the items included in the final legislation. But claiming authorship might not be the greatest idea going forward.
Anyway, back to my interview with the governor:
Pritzker: “So we’ve had many victories. I think that when you’ve got a lot of goals, as I do, for moving the state forward, we’re going to win on a lot of them, we’re going to lose on some of them. But you keep moving forward. And I think the totality of the record has been one where a lot of progress has been made. I think I’m genuinely considered to be the most progressive governor in the Midwest, if not in the country right now. And Illinois has moved tremendously forward on the things that I campaigned on. I put a lot of policies forward while I was running, and we’ve accomplished almost all of them.”
Miller: “But, I mean, it’s kind of hard to overlook, though. The graduated income tax. It’s like a once in a lifetime thing that gets on the ballot. And then it didn’t pass.”
Pritzker: “I didn’t say overlook it, Rich. I think it’s a demonstration of my values that I put forward a very hard thing to get on the ballot, nobody’s been able to do that before. I know that the Senate president has been fighting for this for many, many years, and we were allies in trying to get this on the ballot and making sure that people understood it and so on. And the fact that it didn’t pass is frankly not something that I think I would point to. Instead, I would point to the fact that what we’re trying to do is change the way people are taxed in the state of Illinois so that middle class people and working class people pay less and wealthy people pay more. I don’t know who expected me to be the leader of that effort, but I can tell you that it’s something I fought hard for. And just because we didn’t win doesn’t mean it wasn’t the right thing to do.”
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More like this, please
Friday, Mar 19, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* This is the sort of person the state needed to begin with at IDVA. A veteran with actual management experience over actual veterans’ homes. My goodness, what a strange concept for Illinois…
Gov. Pritzker Announces 31-Year Navy Veteran Terry Prince to Serve as Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs
Building on a strong team of diverse experts in their fields, Governor JB Pritzker named Terry Prince, a 31-year United States Navy veteran with experience leading veterans homes in Ohio, to serve as Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs, pending confirmation by the Illinois Senate.
“Having served as the Superintendent of Ohio’s veterans’ homes, Director of the U.S. Navy Hospital Corps and Force Master Chief of Navy Medicine, Terry Prince brings to Illinois exemplary experience in caring for our veterans and their families, and I’m deeply proud to welcome him to Illinois as Acting Director of the Illinois Department of Veteran Affairs,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “As the proud son and grandson of Naval officers, it’s my mission that Illinois will provide every possible support for our military men and women, their families and our veterans, and I have complete confidence in Terry’s ability to advance that mission on behalf of those who have made sacrifice upon sacrifice for the nation we proudly call home.”
“I’ve dedicated my life to serving those who’ve served us, and as a veteran myself, I know the value of compassionate and meaningful support centered around our nation’s greatest heroes and their families,” said Acting Director of the Illinois Department of Veteran Affairs Terry Prince. “I’m honored to return to the State of Illinois, where my wife and I have previously served in uniform, with the chance to bring my experience in veterans’ affairs and healthcare to the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs. I want to thank Governor Pritzker for the opportunity to serve and empower Illinois’ veteran community through every stage of life.”
Prince is a senior executive leader and 31-year United States Navy veteran. Most recently, Prince served as Superintendent of the Ohio Veterans Homes where he oversaw three facilities, including the nation’s 5th largest skilled nursing home and an independent living community. Previously, he served as Force Master Chief and Director of the United States Navy Hospital Corps. In that role, Prince served as a senior advisor to the Surgeon General of the United States Navy and a member of the Navy Medicine’s Executive Steering Committee. Prior, he served as Senior Enlisted Leader at the Defense Health Agency and at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Prince began his military career in 1986, serving in the Dental Technician and Hospital Corpsman ratings. Prince has received a number of awards including the Legion of Merit, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Joint Meritorious Service Medal and many more. He retired from the military in July 2017. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Chapman University and is a graduate of the Navy Senior Enlisted Academy, Command Master Chief Program and the National Defense University Keystone Fellowship.
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Get the lead out
Friday, Mar 19, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Michael Hawthorne at the Tribune…
More than 8 of every 10 Illinoisans live in a community where brain-damaging lead was found in the tap water of at least one home during the past six years, a new Chicago Tribune analysis found.
The alarming results are from a limited number of samples collected under federal regulations by the state’s 1,768 water utilities. Depending on the number of people served by each utility, only a handful or a few dozen homes are occasionally monitored, but when combined the tests provide snapshots of a widespread threat to public health that for decades has been largely ignored. […]
The U.S. EPA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stress that lead is unsafe to consume at any level. More than 400,000 deaths a year in the U.S. are linked to the toxic metal. Even tiny concentrations can permanently damage the developing brains of children and contribute to heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney failure and other health problems later in life.
Yet federal regulations allow the vast majority of water utilities to hide the hazards from customers. Once a year, water bills include a brochure that almost always declares tap water is safe to drink. […]
Earlier this month the Biden EPA suspended regulations adopted during the last days of the Trump administration that effectively delayed lead service line replacements for up to three decades and, in some cases, allowed cities to keep toxic pipes in the ground indefinitely.
Not to mention the apparent connection between lead poisoning and increased violence. This needs to be fixed. Pronto.
Go read the whole thing.
…Adding… Press release from last month…
Illinois Rep. Lamont J. Robinson (D-Chicago) has introduced the Lead Service Line Replacement and Notification Act (HB 3739), a bill creating a feasible and equitable plan, funding, and timeline for Illinois water utilities to identify and replace all lead service lines—the most effective way to eliminate toxic lead in drinking water. Illinois Sen. Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake) will file a Senate companion version.
No amount of lead is safe to consume, yet for decades lead was used for water service lines, the pipes that bring drinking water into our homes. Congress banned the installation of lead service lines in 1986, but most lines installed before then were never removed. At least 686,000—and potentially many more—remain in Illinois, the state with the most lead service lines in the nation. In addition, Black and Latinx Illinois residents are disproportionately affected by exposure to lead.
“Lead service lines are as common in Illinois as they are dangerous, but that danger isn’t borne equally across our state,” said Rep. Robinson, chief House sponsor. “A disproportionate number of these lead service lines are found in predominantly Black and Brown communities, displaying yet again the legacy of environmental racism at work in our most vulnerable communities.”
Even low levels of lead exposure can lead to learning disabilities, stunted growth, lower IQ, impaired hearing, and behavioral issues in children. Adults who have been exposed have higher risks of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and kidney and reproductive problems. These serious health problems come with staggering costs that accrue to all of us. For example, in 2017, 1,470 Illinoisans died prematurely from heart disease that was attributed to lead exposure, costing nearly $28 million in hospitalization costs alone.
“Illinois children live in a state with the largest number of lead service lines, increasing their risk of neurological and behavioral abnormalities due to lead exposure. That is unacceptable,” said Sen. Bush, chief Senate sponsor. “Given all we know about the severity of lead exposure, particularly among children and expecting parents, it should go without saying that the state of Illinois has a clear mandate to responsibly plan for the replacement of toxic lead service lines.”
The Lead Service Line Replacement and Notification Act would require all water utilities to find and replace their lead service lines while setting forth a feasible timeline based on national best practices. The bill would also establish a funding source to aid utilities in creating an inventory and replacing lead lines for all affected communities.
“The reality is that Illinois is out of time. A decade ago the United Nations declared safe, affordable, accessible, clean drinking water and sanitation a human right—essential to the full enjoyment of life. Illinois must step up and take action to replace the thousands of contaminated pipes throughout the state, particularly in Black and Brown communities that are struggling with countless other crises like health and a lack of community-oriented economic development. Babies, pregnant mothers, seniors—all residents have a right to clean water,” said Naomi Davis, founder and CEO, Blacks in Green.
Replacing all of Illinois’ lead service lines could also help put Illinoisans back to work by generating thousands of good jobs in the skilled trades. Over 20 years, lead service line replacement could create some 11,225 jobs per year and over $1 billion in related economic activity, according to an analysis by the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC).
“On behalf of the union plumbers and pipefitters of the Illinois Pipe Trades Association, we pledge our support in addressing the growing public health crisis of lead in our drinking water. We urge the Illinois General Assembly to take immediate action to resolve the issues of our state’s aging water infrastructure. Millions of Illinois citizens are impacted by unsafe levels of lead in drinking water, disproportionately affecting our poorest communities and our most vulnerable citizens. Without action this year, the human and financial toll will only continue to grow,” said Rick Terven, Jr., legislative and political director, Illinois Pipe Trades Association.
The bill includes numerous provisions to ensure equity. Establishing a funding source is one important component to leveling the playing field.
“In communities within close proximity to industrial facilities, it is imperative to mitigate cumulative exposures to toxins such as lead. Mandating lead service line replacement would reduce exposure to the risk of lead in the water, bringing some sense of security to the Black and Brown communities disproportionately impacted by environmental harms. Equitably funding lead service line replacement is critical to ensuring that those most vulnerable to exposure can access any resulting program and attain clean and safe drinking water in their homes,” said Brenda Santoyo, policy associate at the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization.
In addition, utilities would be required to prioritize replacement at facilities used by high-risk populations, such as preschools and daycares. Also, a portion of the fund would provide water rate assistance for low-income families.
“This bill gives every community in Illinois the resources they need to replace the legacy infrastructure in their communities,” said Josh Ellis, vice president, MPC, which recently did an analysis showing that Black and Latinx residents in Illinois are twice as likely as whites to live in communities with the most lead service lines. “This is especially important for Black and Latinx Illinoisans, who are not only the most likely of Illinois residents to live with lead service lines, but who also are disproportionately exposed to other sources of lead, such as paint and soil.”
“Lead service lines demonstrate the direct connection between environmental policy and public health,” said Colleen Smith, deputy director of the Illinois Environmental Council. “Now, the COVID-19 pandemic has elevated the already urgent need for action. All Illinoisans must have access to safe, clean water.”
The bill would prevent a practice known as partial replacement, in which only the utility’s side of the lead line is replaced, while the portion of the line that runs under a private property remains. This practice can disturb the lead material in the remaining pipe, actually increasing the risk of lead leaching into drinking water.
“The federal government has yet to take meaningful steps to address lead in our drinking water, and it’s more critical than ever for Illinois’ legislature to step up and take bold action,” said Jeremy Orr, senior attorney, Safe Water Initiative, NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council). “Illinois must mandate full lead service line replacement, ban the dangerous practice of partial replacement, and establish an equitable revenue source that ensures individual homeowners and ratepayers won’t have to shoulder the burden of paying to replace these lead pipes.”
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* He’s getting in front of the city on some workers and allowing for others to be vaccinated at the same time they become eligible in Chicago on March 29th…
As the state continues to utilize every available dose of vaccine, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced new essential workers that will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in the coming days, ahead of the universal eligibility on April 12. This comes as the state reaches 100,000 COVID-19 vaccinations each day with weekly shipments of vaccine projected to surpass one million doses in April.
Beginning Monday, March 22, higher education staff, government workers, and media will be eligible for vaccination at the more than 900 location in the state’s provider network. Beginning Monday, March 29, food and beverage workers, construction trade workers, and religious leaders will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.
“From the very beginning of our COVID-19 vaccine rollout, Illinois has ensured our most vulnerable residents receive first access to these life-saving doses, from our healthcare workers and long-term care residents and staff, to our 65 and over population and those living with pre-existing conditions, to frontline essential workers who are more exposed to COVID-19 at their workplaces,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Before Illinois expands eligibility to all residents 16 years and older on April 12, I’m proud to announce expanded eligibility for additional groups of more vulnerable populations. With weekly shipments to Illinois surpassing one million doses in April, we are on track to save lives and bring this pandemic to an end.”
“As more vaccine becomes available in the coming weeks and months, we will continue to make sure we are reaching people who are at greater risk of exposure to the virus or from suffering severe illness due to COVID-19,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “While we will continue to prioritize individuals who are 65 years and older, as well as health care workers and individuals with underlying medical conditions, we want to maintain our momentum going forward and continue to increase our march towards herd immunity.”
Date - Eligible Groups
December 15, 2020 Healthcare workers and long-term care facility staff and residents
January 25, 2021 Frontline essential workers (including first responders, K-12 teachers and other public-facing industries) and residents age 65 and up
February 25, 2021 Residents with high-risk conditions or disabilities, age 16 and up
March 22, 2021 Higher education staff, government workers, and media
March 29, 2021 Restaurant staff, construction trade workers, and religious leaders
April 12, 2021 Any resident age 16 and up
Since its first day in office, the Biden Administration has nearly doubled weekly vaccine distribution to states from 8.6 million to over 16 million this week. The first delivery to Illinois in December was about 109,000 doses, a figure that has grown to more than 800,000 the week of March 15 and is projected to surpass one million doses per week in April.
For more information on COVID-19 vaccine eligibility, go to https://coronavirus.illinois.gov/s/vaccination-plan-overview. To find a COVID-19 vaccine provider near you, visit the coronavirus.illinois.gov website for vaccination locations. Individuals who do not have access to online services or need assistance navigating online services to make an appointment can call the Vaccine Appointment Call Center at 833-621-1284.
This means legislative staff will soon be eligible. But state and federal workers who live in the city and in any suburban county that hasn’t moved beyond 1B yet will have to find their doses elsewhere until the 29th.
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* These new cases represent a 65 percent increase over the past two weeks with approximately the same number of reported tests. We’re essentially back to where cases were three weeks ago. We’re down about 200 hospitalizations in the past three weeks, but up about 200 hospitalizations from two weeks ago. Deaths (a significant lagging indicator) are down 78 percent from three weeks ago and down 64 percent from two weeks ago. Keep wearing those masks and get your shots…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 2,380 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 12 additional deaths.
Cook County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 80s
Dewitt County: 1 male 70s
DuPage County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 90s
Kankakee County: 1 female 70s
Lake County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s
LaSalle County: 1 female 70s
Morgan County: 1 male 40s
Rock Island County: 1 male 90s
Whiteside County: 1 male 70s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,218,470 cases, including 21,034 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 92,161 specimens for a total of 19,481,259. As of last night, 1,132 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 242 patients were in the ICU and 105 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from March 12-18, 2021 is 2.5%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from March 12-18, 2021 is 2.8%.
A total of doses of 5,251,055 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 5,665,955. A total of 4,510,696 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight, including 359,850 for long-term care facilities. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 102,775 doses. Yesterday, 135,525 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.
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* I’m curious if Rodney has noticed during his trips to Chambana that the UIUC campus has lots of Asian and Asian-American students who are helping that place thrive. CNN…
Yeah, that’ll work well in a statewide general.
* IDCCA…
Following public reports highlighting Illinois Congressman Rodney Davis’ defense of offensive remarks from his colleagues regarding violence and racism against Asian-Americans, President Kristina Zahorik of the Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association (IDCCA) released the following statement.
“Inflammatory and xenophobic language from elected officials is part of the problem. Our organization has said it before and we will say it again: words matter, particularly from those who were elected to lead by example. Rodney Davis’ decision to double-down on offensive and dangerous rhetoric while the country mourns and confronts violence and discrimination against Asian-Americans is troubling. Rodney Davis should apologize, and work to set an example for his constituents by being part of the solution and not part of the problem.”
Davis’ remarks came in defense of Texas Congressman Chip Roy who referenced hanging criminals from a tree — lynching — during a House Judiciary Committee Hearing on the rise of anti-Asian American violence and discrimination. Per CNN, Davis said the “relation between rhetoric and hate crimes against Asian Americans is ‘all political correctness.’ Davis instead said phrases like ‘Kung flu’ or ‘China virus’ are no different than saying ‘UK variant.’”
…Adding… DPI…
The following statement is from Congresswoman Robin Kelly, Chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Illinois, in response to the comments made by Congressman Rodney Davis in which he likened condemnation of hate speech to mere “political correctness.”
“It is offensive for Rep. Rodney Davis to dismiss condemnation of hate speech as ‘political correctness.’ Eight people are dead, Asian Americans throughout our country have experienced an increase in hate crimes in the last year and our fellow citizens are traumatized. Rodney Davis has to choose if he is going to be part of the solution or will he continue to contribute to the problem? Let’s stop with the reckless and hateful rhetoric.”
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It’s just a bill
Friday, Mar 19, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From Speaker Chris Welch’s weekly email to his constituents…
“Yesterday was a phenomenal day for the Illinois House. When we adopted rules for remote legislating, we promised to get to work quickly and diligently—and that’s exactly what we did yesterday. I thank all of my Reps. Lilly, Ramirez and Stuart for getting these critical pieces of legislation across the finish line. This is just the beginning of our work to deliver for Illinois residents and I look forward to collaborating with our counterparts in the Senate,” said Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch.
The COVID-19 Federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program Act (HB 2877), led by Rep. Delia Ramirez, offers a holistic approach to address the unprecedented economic instability for renters, homeowners and landlords caused by the pandemic. Provisions of the bill include:
• codifying measures of the federally funded emergency rental assistance program that will roll out this year,
• temporarily halting foreclosure proceedings for homeowners and small landlords, alleviating pressure for them and their tenants,
• protecting tenants from the long-term consequences of eviction records, and
• prohibiting rental tenant screening companies from sharing sealed eviction court records.
Meanwhile, the Illinois Health Care and Human Service Reform Act (HB 158), led by Rep. Camille Y. Lilly, will address disparities in medical care and other services in Black communities. As one of the pillars of the Black Caucus’s ‘Black Agenda’, it will:
• implement a hospital closure moratorium to address Illinois’ long-standing health inequities,
• create an Anti-Racism Commission that will identify and propose statewide policies to eliminate systemic racism and advance equitable solutions,
• require implicit bias training for medical professionals,
• create a Community Health Worker Certification to improve relations between medical professionals and the specific community they serve, and
• allow Medicaid reimbursement for doulas – non-medical professionals who reduce racial bias in health care by providing individually tailored and client-centered care and advocacy for pregnant and postpartum women.
The House also passed HB 1871, led by Rep. Katie Stuart, to sustain curbside and mail-in voting. The bill calls for allocating federal funds from the Help America Vote Act to establish ballot drop boxes around the state. It expands curbside voting as well and reduces postage barriers for mail-in voting.
* Press release…
Attorney General Kwame Raoul applauded committee passage of his legislation to expand and strengthen Illinois’ Address Confidentiality Program (ACP) to include protections for survivors of human trafficking. The ACP is administered by the Attorney General’s office and currently provides survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking, and members of their households, with a substitute address to use as home, school and work addresses.
Senate Bill 593, which passed out of the Senate Human Rights Committee, was initiated by Raoul and sponsored by Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton to allow survivors of human trafficking to apply for the protections the ACP provides. The legislation also strengthens protections for all participants by preventing participants’ addresses and phone numbers from being disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act, ensuring participants can obtain a Real ID driver’s license using the program’s substituted address, and clarifying the process for participants to register to vote. The legislation passed unanimously and will move to the full Senate. Similar language is also included in House Bill 625, sponsored by Rep. Jeff Keicher and Rep. Terra Costa Howard, which unanimously passed out of the House Judiciary Criminal Law Committee earlier this week and will move to the full House.
“For survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking, the Address Confidentiality Program can help provide peace of mind, and this legislation will provide that same protection to survivors of human trafficking,” Raoul said. “Abusers can be incredibly manipulative and committed to finding survivors, and the provisions in the legislation recognize this and add layers of protection to prevent this from happening. I appreciate the support from the Senate and House committees and encourage full passage of this important measure.”
“Survivors of human trafficking, domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking deserve to feel safe in their communities,” Glowiak Hilton said. “This legislation gives survivors that measure of comfort and security and ensures that they are protected from their abusers.”
* Related…
* Vote-by-mail, curbside voting expansion passes House
* Health care reform legislation passes state House: The bill is also subject to appropriations, which Lilly said will result in Democrats working with Republicans to determine what parts of the bill will be fully funded, and what provisions will see a cut when it comes to negotiating the state’s operating budget.
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President Obama Wants Lawmakers To Stop Gerrymandering
Friday, Mar 19, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
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Are we going to continue with political maps hammered out in backroom deals or are our lawmakers ready to strive for the ideals set out by President Obama?
“The movement for fair maps will determine the course of progress on every issue we care about for the next decade.” - August, 2019
“I think people don’t completely appreciate how much gerrymandering affects the outcome [of elections],” Obama said. “You can draw a district that almost guarantees one party is going to win instead of another because you have voter histories and you have a sense of where people are typically going to vote.” - September, 2020
“I’d love to see changes at the state level that reduce political gerrymandering.” - January, 2015
“Regardless of our party affiliations,” he says, gerrymandering is “not good for our democracy.” - July, 2018
“We have to end the practice of drawing our congressional districts so that politicians can pick their voters and not the other way around.” - January, 2016
Learn more at CHANGEIL.org.
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* Press release…
Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch officially launched the new “Democrats for the Illinois House (DIH)” political committee, which will serve as the new campaign arm of the House Democratic Caucus. The following is a statement from Speaker Chris Welch:
“Today, I am proud to announce the creation of our new caucus campaign committee, Democrats for the Illinois House (DIH). DIH’s mission will be based on our united effort to work across the state to elect a diverse coalition of Democrats to the Illinois House and continue our caucus’ work on behalf of middle-class families and communities of color in every single corner of our state. These next few years are critical to shaping our state’s future, while reversing the damage done by the Trump Administration that put a dangerous, extreme agenda ahead of meaningful solutions for pandemic recovery and building a more equitable state. I am excited to get to work with our Democratic allies and partners across the state to support and elect Democratic candidates who share our values and commitment to building a stronger state for all Illinoisans.”
The DIH will also include a Fundraising Committee to lead the caucus’s fundraising efforts year-round:
Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, Chair
Rep. Jay Hoffman, Vice Chair
Rep. Carol Ammons
Rep. Kam Buckner
Rep. Deb Conroy
Rep. Theresa Mah
Rep. Bob Morgan
Rep. Delia Ramirez
Rep. Mike Zalewski
Click here for more info.
…Adding… Sun-Times...
The new speaker said the new committee will be a lot more inclusive and will have a lot of input from members in the caucus and “we’re going to be working together to raise money.
“It won’t just be the Chris Welch Show, there will be other Democrats out there helping me raise money on behalf of our caucus, this will be a total team effort,” Welch said. “It’s important that we work together, in collaboration and in partnership. When we work together we can achieve some great things.” […]
“I think it’s important when a new leader comes into a position as important as this one that we don’t just ponder about it being a new beginning and a fresh start, we take action, and I believe that this was one of the actions we are taking or have taken to show that this is a fresh start. It’s also a promise that I made to my caucus members that we’re going to do things in a different way.”
A fresh committee is a fresh beginning, Welch said when asked about why he chose to create a new fund instead of just renaming the old one.
The new start will allow Welch and the House Democrats he now leads to distance themselves from Madigan, who has the cloud of a federal investigation looming over him after federal prosecutors brought a $1.3 million bribery case against ComEd that implicated the former speaker last July.
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* WBEZ…
The Illinois House Thursday censured downstate Republican Rep. Chris Miller for attending the Jan. 6 “Save America” rally that preceded the fatal insurrection of the Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump.
Miller was in Washington, D.C., with his newly elected congresswoman wife, U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, and told Facebook followers after the Trump rally he was devoted to waging “a great cultural war” to avert “the tyranny of socialism and communism under the dangerous Democrat terrorists that are trying to destroy our country.”
Images of the state lawmaker’s pickup truck, parked at the Capitol that day, also circulated on social media and showed a rear-window decal with the emblem of the Three Percenters, a far-right anti-government militia group implicated in the insurrection.
The resolution by Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Deerfield, condemning Miller alleged his words and actions violated his oath of office and “created an environment that potentially threatens not only the sanctity of the Illinois General Assembly but also the safety of the members and their staff.”
The measure was adopted by the House on a partisan 57-36 vote, with five members voting present and 19 others not voting. It carries symbolic weight but doesn’t impose consequential penalties against Miller, like expulsion.
The full resolution is here. Roll call is here.
* Tribune…
During House debate on the resolution Thursday, Miller said he went to his wife’s congressional office after the rally on Jan. 6 and remained there throughout the lockdown that occurred when Trump supporters stormed the Capitol.
“I had no part in the violent events at the Capitol that day, and I condemn any and all violence,” Miller said. “I can assure you that my dedication to the safety and security of our state and our country’s citizens is second to none.”
Many Democrats continued to be unswayed by Miller’s explanations.
“How many times do we have to hear Rep. Miller call Democrats ‘terrorists’ or ‘the enemy’ before we can start taking his words seriously?” state Rep. Daniel Didech of Buffalo Grove said. “How many times does Rep. Miller have to ‘accidentally’ find himself supporting the overthrow of the United States government before we can stop pretending we don’t see what’s going on here?”
* Sun-Times…
Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin rose to oppose Miller’s condemnation, saying that the resolution’s “bold, broad claims, and conclusions” could not be supported and that it was the role of the legislative inspector general to investigate Miller. […]
After the vote, state Rep. Deanne Mazzochi, R-Elmhurst, accused the Democratic majority of “libel” for condemning Miller.
“You uttered a lot of the words you did today precisely because you know that Chris Miller has enough grace that he is not going to retaliate against you. He’s not going to try to do you harm, which, of course, undermines the whole theory of the motion,” she said.
“How many of you have the courage to go say what you said today to Chris Miller, in his home on his farm? Where maybe the consequences of your words would actually have consequences.”
Rep. Mazzochi seems to be developing a knack for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
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Sen. Sims chased by alleged gunman
Friday, Mar 19, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* SJ-R…
A Chicago lawmaker says he feared for his life after being threatened with a gun while driving this week in Springfield.
Adding to the trauma and loss of sleep, state Sen. Elgie Sims said Thursday, was the fact that the man who allegedly threatened him Monday night was released from the Sangamon County Jail the next day after posting $15,000 bail.
“By him being released on bail, he’s free to do this again,” Sims said.
Sims was the Senate sponsor of legislation that will eliminate the state’s cash-bail system in two years. The legislation, which Gov. JB Pritzker signed in February, is designed to eliminate what many Democratic lawmakers call a bail system that unfairly benefits people with means and penalizes people for being poor because they often can’t afford to post bail.
Sims, 50, a Democrat, told The State Journal-Register that he thinks the man who threatened him would have been detained and remained behind bars if the court system, as the new law will require, had to perform a more thorough analysis on whether releasing a suspect would pose a risk to public safety.
I told subscribers about this story the other day. You really gotta click here and read the whole thing. Sen. Sims went through some harrowing stuff.
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* WBEZ…
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration cut off the flow of COVID-19 vaccines to the West Side’s Loretto Hospital on Thursday, hours after hospital administrators admitted for the second time this week that they made “mistakes” in allowing people who were not eligible yet to have access to vaccines.
Loretto admitted Thursday it made a mistake — its second admission in a week — after WBEZ reported that 13 Cook County Circuit Court judges were given the opportunity to get coronavirus vaccines at the hospital in the Austin neighborhood on March 8.
It followed Loretto’s mea culpa after Block Club Chicago first revealed that the health-care provider wrongly gave COVID-19 vaccines to workers at the Trump Tower in downtown Chicago, far from the hospital that serves mostly Black and low-income patients on the West Side.
The hospital promised to prevent a repeat of those scenarios, but it was apparently too late to avert the city’s dramatic response to the alleged favoritism in vaccinations by Loretto. […]
On Thursday, though, Loretto’s president and CEO, George Miller, issued a statement erroneously claiming that judges were allowed to get vaccines under a section of phase 1b in the city of Chicago’s “vaccination plan,” which allows for shots to go now to city elected officials.
In fact, city Public Health Department officials confirmed that the ongoing phase 1b does not include judges. Being a judge alone will not make someone eligible for COVID-19 shots until the next phase, which begins March 29.
So, aldermen can be vaxed, but not judges. Seems odd.
* SEIU Healthcare Illinois President Greg Kelley…
“While we understand the need to ensure that vaccine protocols are followed, as the union of frontline healthcare workers putting their lives on the line at Loretto Hospital and other facilities across the city, we strongly object the decision by the Chicago Department of Public Health to withhold vaccine doses from a safety net serving high-risk and underserved, majority black and brown communities.
“Instead, we call upon the Board of Directors to hold the individuals responsible for breaking vaccine protocols accountable. The dedicated frontline staff of Loretto and the Austin residents dependent upon Loretto in order to receive life-saving COVID-19 vaccinations don’t deserve to suffer as a result of the actions of two people.
“The vaccination program at Loretto, administered by its frontline staff, has already successfully vaccinated 90% of the hospital’s workforce and conducted crucial vaccine outreach to the community as part of the Chicago Plus program.
“Workers at Loretto have already sacrificed enough in their frontline roles at a safety net hospital in the high-needs Austin community during a pandemic. It’s crucial that the Board limit their corrective action to the two individuals responsible for this lapse in judgment–and not punish workers and the community they serve.”
Thoughts?
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You can’t please everyone
Friday, Mar 19, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* WBBM Radio…
A west suburban restaurant owner fighting state COVID restrictions says Gov. JB Pritzker’s phased plan to fully reopen the Illinois economy will do more harm than good.
KC Gulbro, owner of Foxfire in Geneva, says linking the full reopening to restaurants with vaccination rates is a needless delay, given the dropping rates of coronavirus infections.
Um, yeah, about that infection rate. He filed a lawsuit against the state in October when his county’s average positivity rate was 11.5 percent.
* Sen. Darren Bailey…
“This week it’s a bridge, tomorrow it’s a ferry, maybe next week it could be another flight to Florida for his family. Despite declining numbers of people who are sick and increasing numbers of those who are vaccinated, the Governor continues to drag his feet on the process of letting Illinoisans get back to work and live their daily lives. The Governor is continuing to make decisions behind closed doors that affect every part of people’s lives. He refuses to engage the legislature in the process or offer transparency about how he decided to set what seems like more arbitrary metrics. The Governor has spent the last year running the state alone through executive orders. It’s time for that to end and for Illinois to reopen.”
So classy to drag in the man’s family.
* But, hey, the notoriously grumpy Tribune editorial board was almost giddy…
But for the first time in months, the state and the city seem to be waking up. Making plans. Putting dates on the calendar.
Maybe it was the warmer weather last week, which quickly disappeared, as March in Chicago would have it. Maybe it was the restart of high school sports or the announcement that baseball is coming. Maybe it was higher vaccination rates giving the homebound more confidence to venture out. Maybe it was a few optimistic headlines.
Whatever it was, we’ll take it. And hope it lasts. Beep. Beep. Beep.
Mark today on your calendars, kids. You might not see the likes of this again soon.
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Open thread
Friday, Mar 19, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Talk about anything you want, as long as it’s somehow about Illinois and you’re polite to each other. Thanks.
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