* Sorry that I didn’t get to a question today. We’ll get back to it next week, but we didn’t receive very many responses to our campaign staff question, so I’m not sure what to do with this particular category. Click here and comment over the weekend (I’ll be able to see them, even if nobody else will until Monday) and we’ll see if we can push the numbers up a bit.
Also, I received a very nice note from Lutheran Social Services of Illinois thanking me for the fundraising. But, really, that praise belongs to all of you who have contributed to LSSI this year. If you haven’t yet, please, click here. Thanks.
What would a Chicago redistricting process look like if it included community input? Well, as it currently stands, we wouldn’t know. That’s because the mandated remap process hasn’t traditionally included input from Chicagoans. Instead, the process has been exclusionary, occurring behind closed doors, and effectively splintering neighborhoods while gerrymandering wards to protect incumbent aldermen. […]
Out of 260 survey respondents, 251, or 96 percent, either agreed or strongly agreed that the remap process must include input from people in Chicago’s communities. […]
Those who took the survey live in 39 of Chicago’s 50 wards. […]
Those who participated in the survey represent the diversity of Chicago:
• 58% of respondents identified as female
• 66% respondents were between the ages of 18-39
• 13% of respondents identified as African American/Black
• 19% of respondents identified as Latinx
• 47% of respondents identified as Caucasian
• 4% of respondents identified as East Asian
• 3% of respondents identified as South Asian or Southeast Asian
Um, what? That survey doesn’t “represent” the city’s diversity.
* Gov. Pritzker was asked today if he bears any responsibility for the deaths at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home…
Look, I bear the responsibility of leadership of the state, and that means that everything that happens across state government to some degree or another lands on my shoulders.
The veterans’ homes are extraordinarily important. The people who live there are very important to all of us. We want to keep them healthy and safe. This virus has been so virulent, and particularly in areas where there is a very high prevalence of the disease, and where people who work at the homes live in the community. And in the communities sometimes there is not only a high prevalence of the disease but also people not wearing masks and following any of the mitigations.
These things can happen. And I think, most importantly, the question is, at the time that people become aware on site of what’s happening, what are their reactions, how do they care for people there and make sure that they’re safe? And then what can we learn from that, very importantly, to carry on, you know elsewhere to make sure that we’re keeping all of our veterans safe?
While “These things can happen” is accurate, I gotta figure that’s gonna come back on him.
* The governor was also asked about his criticisms of the Rauner administration’s handling of the Quincy Veterans’ Home deaths and was asked if his administration could’ve saved lives by responding more quickly…
Well first of all, we acted much more intensely and much more intently than the Rauner administration ever did. They tried to cover it up. That is what is so disturbing about what happened to Quincy, of those many those several years ago. We’re doing everything we can to make it transparent. We’ve done inspections, we’ve uncovered things that would need to be changed and we’ve made those changes.
And as I said in answer to Rick’s question, it is our responsibility to take care of these veterans, there’s no doubt about it. And to act as quickly as we can when we know this information.
Remember that families weren’t notified at Quincy several years ago. Families were notified within 24 hours of the testing that took place in 24 hours of the facility knowing that it had a problem.
Is there more that could be could have been done? I don’t doubt that there is more that could have been done. It is easy in retrospect to say that about really almost any situation. But I will also say that our intent here from the get-go has been to take care of these veterans and make sure, not only do we learn what mistakes may have been made, but to rectify them.
Last thing I’ll say is that the Legionnaires Disease is extraordinarily preventable. It is in the water supply, we know where it comes from. We know that you can either deal with it within the water supply, or make sure that on the other end that we’re not causing mist and other things in hot showers or in the delivery of hot water to people that they inhale it. You can prevent all that is known. This is a novel coronavirus today. This is not Legionnaires. And that novel coronavirus means that no matter what we do, and it’s a little bit the answer I gave to Eric as well, no matter what we do, even if we put all the mitigations in the world and sometimes because of the prevalence of the disease because we don’t exactly know everything about it, it’s not preventable for everybody. And so again, I want to make sure that we do everything we can, and learn from the experience and not hide anything, and be as transparent as possible so that we can get better.
Statement from Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White on the Unexpected Death of Inspector General Jim Burns
I am deeply saddened by the sudden and unexpected death of my dear friend and coworker, Illinois Secretary of State Inspector General Jim Burns. Burns was a committed public servant who spent much of his life fighting against corruption and protecting the public trust.
This is why I sought out Jim Burns in April 2000 to serve as my inspector general. When I first became Secretary of State, I had inherited an office under a cloud of controversy and corruption. As a former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Burns worked tirelessly in his role as inspector general to help restore integrity and eliminate all forms of institutionalized corruption and wrongdoing in the Secretary of State’s office.
Burns was a strong, visible and independent inspector general, and I am grateful for all he accomplished. Burns restored the public trust and changed the culture of the office. His legacy of honesty, fairness and transparency leaves an indelible mark on the Secretary of State’s office and the state of Illinois.
Jim was a former All-American basketball player, and I enjoyed talking with him about sports, politics and his love of history.
I send my sincere condolences to Jim’s family – including his wife, three children and grandson – along with his many friends. He will be truly missed.
Reports continue of people receiving unemployment benefits when they didn’t apply for them, and other fraudulent activity. There’s also a slew of reports of independent workers like hair stylists who were shut down by the state in the spring because of COVID-19 being told they have to pay back the money they got for unemployment.
State Rep. Mike Marron, R-Fithian, said he can’t get anyone at the state agency to return his calls after constituents pleaded for help.
“They were shut down by the government,” Marron said. “They were promised relief, help to make sure they got through. That liked to never come but when it finally did get there, now months later after that’s been spent just so these people can just keep their head above water, the government’s demanding that they pay the money back?”
Gov. J.B. Pritzker reacted to the growing reports saying the federally created Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program is faulty because it required the benefactor to self-report their income level.
“They put down what they might have thought was going to be their income for the year otherwise, and the state has to verify those numbers on the backend,” Pritzker said.
Pritzker said Congress created the program and it’s up to them to fix it.
* Pritzker is right that this is a national issue. New York Times…
Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, a federal program that covers gig workers, part-time hires, seasonal workers and others who do not qualify for traditional unemployment benefits, has kept millions afloat. The program, established by Congress in March as part of the CARES Act, has provided over $70 billion in relief.
But in carrying out the hastily conceived program, states have overpaid hundreds of thousands of workers — often because of administrative errors. Now states are asking for that money back.
The notices come out of the blue, with instructions to repay thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars. Those being billed, already living on the edge, are told that their benefits will be reduced to compensate for the errors — or that the state may even put a lien on their home, come after future wages or withhold tax refunds.
Many who collected payments are still out of a job, and may have little prospect of getting one. Most had no idea that they were being overpaid. […]
House Democrats have called for renewed pandemic relief to include a provision allowing states to waive overpayments when workers cannot repay them without severe hardship. The provision would apply to previous and future cases. A separate House bill, with bipartisan sponsorship, provides for forgiveness if the overpayment was not the recipient’s fault and “such repayment would be contrary to equity and good conscience.”
Even so, IDES just has to find a way to be more responsive. And do it, like, now.
*** UPDATE *** Rep. Lindsey LaPointe…
Hi Rich,
I have filed a bill to waive unemployment overpayments during the pandemic if the state is at fault, HB5861. As reporting has outlined, a big source of the overpayments is PUA and we would need federal action to allow states to waive those overpayments.
After some media coverage, I am now receiving emails from residents quite literally from all over the state with their anxiety provoking experiences and desperation. The state is asking them to payback amounts in the range of $1k-11k. Here are a few highlights.
• “I received an email this week saying that I owe the State over $3,000. That’s about 20% of what they paid me to begin with. I understand miscalculations can be made, but how can you be off by 20%? It makes no sense. My entire family had COVID a few weeks ago, and I barely worked the entire month to recover and care for them. Still, I did not file for Unemployment because it is such a headache. Well, since I haven’t worked, I don’t have much money coming in, and Christmas is two weeks away as well. Where am I supposed to come up with $3000? I think this is an injustice. Why is it my problem that you can’t figure out benefits properly? Still, I doubt it is worth my time to appeal.
I’ve never been on food stamps, SNAP, welfare, or collected unemployment before. I just needed a little help to get me through the pandemic, and now I feel like I am being stabbed in the back”. - Byron, IL
• “Today I received a correspondence letter from IDES claiming that I was overpaid by almost 4k. They are demanding I pay this back in less than a month. When the pandemic hit in March, my hours were reduced from 40 hours a week to 10-12 hours a week. I spent several weeks trying to get approved for IDES, from March-May and finally received my benefits in June. They deposited a lump some, it was back pay from the date that I applied. Now they claim that I was over paid every single week that I received pay and they are demanding that I also pay ALL of the additional $600 back. I am utterly, sick to my stomach. I feel like giving up. This feels like a nightmare.” - Chicago, IL
Restaurants and bars in Champaign County that continue to serve customers indoors in defiance of a state order face swift enforcement action, according to the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District.
At least two restaurant and bar owners in Champaign County planned to open in defiance of the order, one of several temporary restrictions that took effect in East Central Illinois Monday morning to try and turn back the growing swell of COVID-19 cases. […]
Jeff Buckler, owner of Buford’s in Sadorus, said that location is normally closed anyway on Mondays, but his Tolono location, Lil Buford’s, was open, serving indoors and busy.
The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District suspended the food permit of Apple Dumplin’, 2014 N. High Cross Road, U, late last week and has now turned the matter over to the Champaign County State’s Attorney’s Office after that restaurant continued to operate without a permit, according to Sarah Michaels, food program manager for the health district. […]
But several others that were visited by health district officials and warned about the loss of their food permits have decided to comply and stop indoor service, she said.
Among them was Jeff Buckler, owner of Buford’s Pub in Sadorus and Lil’ Buford’s in Tolono. […]
[Apple Dumplin’ owner Jim Flaningam] said the health district told him Dec. 3 that his food permit would be suspended, but he had passed his inspection without issues Nov. 24.
“To me, it doesn’t matter,” he said about his food permit being suspended. “Even if they did, they did it wrongly.”
A controversial concert is planned for an area where indoor dining is banned. It’s a restaurant known for defying Illinois Governor J.B Pritzker’s orders and, thus far, getting away with it.
Washy’s Saloon in Waterloo, Illinois defies orders to close down inside, even after the Illinois State Police came by and took the case to prosecutors. The Monroe County prosecutor declined the case.
Now, Washy’s is planning a show Dec. 19 with Platinum Rock Legends, a band so popular it says its crowds cannot be controlled.
The band offers no apologies.
* Um…
The Henry & Stark County Health Dept will be executing a temporary policy to our Henry & Stark County Food Ordinances to allow for the following new guidelines for food establishments which become effective Friday, December 11, 2020 6:00am. Here's a quick, easy to read reference pic.twitter.com/XKabKrrOe7
— Henry-Stark Health Department (@HenryStarkHD) December 9, 2020
After consulting with the Henry County State Attorney’s Office the Henry-Stark County Health Department and Henry County Office of Emergency Management has retracted a previous statement on Wednesday, December 9th saying they would allow indoor dining at bars and restaurants.
According to a statement, the health department will not make any further changes to their current policy and are encouraging all in Henry and Stark Counties to follow Illinois’ Tier 3 guidelines. The new policy was set to take place on December 11th and would have allowed bars and restaurants in Henry and Stark Counties to operate at a maximum of 25% capacity for indoor dining, however with the retraction the changes will not take place.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker was asked yesterday in his daily presser specifically about the new policy to which he replied, “local public health officials are trying their best to manage in these extraordinary circumstances in these unprecedented times and they’re doing the best they can without having elected officials who don’t know much about public health themselves interfere with what’s best for public health of people who live in those counties. So I just discourage elected officials from exercising that kind of political influence.”
Rep. Joe Sosnowski (R) says COVID-19 data shows 70% of outbreaks have occurred in long-term care facilities, and is calling on the Illinois Department of Public Health to loosen restrictions on businesses.
“Restaurants, retailers and houses of worship are not the culprits of community spread of COVID-19 and we need to stop treating them as such. IDPH’s own data demonstrates that most outbreaks of COVID-19 in Illinois are attributable to long-term care and other congregate living facilities. With this undisputed fact in mind, destroying people’s livelihoods and forcing people out of work with extreme statewide restrictions is clearly not based on data and science,” Sosnowski said in a statement on Thursday.
Pritzker responded by saying, “I know Sosnowski does not believe bars and restaurants have anything to do with transmitting or amplifying the disease, but he’s wrong. Medical doctors, epidemiologists, experts on infectious disease all have, nearly universally, said that bars and restaurants are places [where the virus is transmitted] because people aren’t wearing masks for lengthy periods of time.”
JUST IN: Attorneys for the four defendants in the alleged scheme by ComEd to bribe Speaker Mike Madigan say in a motion there's a "serious concern" that COVID-19 precautions led to grand jurors being added that are not "representative of the community."
4 ex-ComEd execs and lobbyists want information about how the grand jurors who indicted them last month were chosen.
Their lawyers argue the grand jury could have been 'whiter, younger, and more male than the community in which this Court is located' because of COVID-19
Among other things, they want to know the race, religion, sex, gender, ethnicity, year of birth, zip code, income and occupation of all grand jurors empaneled during the pandemic. pic.twitter.com/kaBKD4MxWF
^^ This is in the case involving Mike Madigan confidant Michael McClain, ex-ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, former ComEd lobbyist John Hooker and ex-City Club President Jay Doherty.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 9,420 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 190 additional deaths.
- Adams County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s
- Boone County: 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s
- Carroll County: 1 female 70s
- Cass County: 1 male 70s
- Champaign County: 1 female 60s
- Christian County: 1 male 80s
- Clark County: 1 female 90s
- Clay County: 1 male 60s
- Clinton County: 1 female 90s
- Cook County: 1 male 20s, 1 female 30s, 1 male 30s, 2 male 40s, 2 females 50s, 6 males 50s, 5 females 60s, 9 males 60s, 6 females 70s, 11 males 70s, 7 females 80s, 8 males 80s, 5 females 90s, 6 males 90s, 1 male 100+
- DeKalb County: 1 female 80s
- DuPage County: 3 females 80s, 5 females 90s, 3 males 90s, 2 females 100+
- Effingham County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 90s
- Gallatin County: 1 male 80s
- Grundy County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
- Hamilton County: 1 female 70s
- Henry County: 1 female 90s
- Iroquois County: 2 females 80s
- Jefferson County: 1 male 70s
- Kane County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s, 2 males 70s, 2 females 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
- Kendall County: 2 males 70s
- Lake County: 1 male 50s, 2 males 80s, 1 female 90s
- LaSalle County: 1 female 80s
- Lawrence County: 1 male 50s
- Lee County: 1 male 50s, 1 male 90s
- Livingston County: 1 male 80s
- Macon Cunty: 1 male 80s
- Macoupin County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
- Madison County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 70s, 2 males 90s
- Marion County: 1 female 60s
- Massac County: 1 female 60s
- McHenry County: 1 female 50s, 1 female 80s, 2 males 80s
- McLean County: 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s, 1 female 100+
- Menard County: 1 female 70s
- Mercer County: 1 male 90s
- Monroe County: 1 male 80s
- Morgan County: 1 male 50s, 1 female 90s
- Ogle County: 1 female 80s
- Peoria County: 1 male 50s, 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s, 2 males 80s
- Rock Island County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 80s, 2 males 80s, 1 female 90s
- Sangamon County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s
- Shelby County: 1 male 70s
- St. Clair County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s, 2 males 80s
- Tazewell County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 90s
- Vermilion County: 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s
- Washington County: 1 male 70s
- Whiteside County: 1 female 80s, 2 males 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
- Will County: 4 males 60s, 2 males 70s, 1 female 80s
- Williamson County: 1 female 90s
- Winnebago County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 90s
- Woodford County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 832,951 cases, including 14,050 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 104,448 specimens for a total 11,586,296. As of last night, 5,141 in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 1,081 patients were in the ICU and 635 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from December 4 – December 10, 2020 is 9.4%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from December 4 – December 10, 2020 is 11.1%.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in real-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. Information for a death previously reported has changed, therefore, today’s numbers have been adjusted. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
Echoing her career work fighting for Black families and disadvantaged communities, state Rep. Sonya Harper, D-Chicago, was elected Joint Caucus Chair for the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus (ILBC).
“I am honored to receive the trust of my colleagues as we enter what I expect to be an impactful legislative session,” Harper said. “This past year has illustrated the critical need for reform in Illinois to combat systemic racism in the areas of education, economic development, criminal justice, health care and human services. Tremendous sacrifice has led us to this moment, and it is our duty to improve the quality of life for Illinoisans.”
Since its founding in 1968, the ILBC has worked to ensure that the interests of African Americans and Black communities are given equitable representation in the Illinois General Assembly regarding areas of education, health and welfare, minority business enterprise, job creation, consumer education and criminal justice reform. As Joint Caucus Chair, Harper succeeds Illinois Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford.
Harper plans to focus on four policy pillars announced by the Black Caucus this fall to promote racial justice and equal opportunity. The four pillars are:
• Criminal justice reform, police accountability and violence reduction.
• Economic access, equity and opportunity.
• Education and workforce development.
• Health care and human services.
“In addition to working to pass our legislative priorities regarding racial justice, we will continue to focus on assisting students pursuing higher education and sparking greater interest in civics and the legislative process,” Harper said. “I’m grateful for the dedication and hard work exhibited by Senator Lightford and I can’t thank her enough for her incredible leadership and stewardship of the Black Caucus. I look forward to working with the diverse and talented members of our caucus to continue our mission to improve the lives of Illinoisans.”
Harper, a Chicago Democrat, defeated Rep. Carol Ammons for the leadership position.
Also elected to the joint Black Caucus leadership team: Sen. Emil Jones will be treasurer, newly elected Rep. Lakesia Collins is secretary, and Rep. Curtis Tarver II is sergeant-at-arms. All are Democrats.
Separately, the Senate Black Caucus elected Sen. Robert Peters as its chair.
The House Black Caucus will elect its new leadership Dec. 15. There is buzz that Rep. Kam Buckner could be part of the leadership team.
After six years in this role, I leave it with a heavy heart but a content one. My colleagues and I went to battle against a governor who tried to undermine our communities for four years and we still managed to get things done that will have lasting impacts on closing opportunity gaps for the people we serve. And now we have a historic opportunity to undo harm from generations of systemic racism through the passage of our Black agenda. And I’m going to finish what I started because there is nothing more important to this caucus, our communities and our state then putting racism and the structures that have given them life to rest.
The countdown to the 2021 Illinois State Fair is formally underway with fair officials announcing the start of the holiday promotional campaign starring the Mega Pass. A new Jumbo Pass will give fairgoers access to everything the Mega Pass has to offer, but with the added bonus of unlimited rides on a fan favorite, the Giant Slide.
The Illinois State Fair will be offering a Holiday Special on both passes December 15, 2020 through February 15, 2021. During this time the 2021 Mega Pass is just $60, while the Jumbo Pass will be offered at $70. Anyone who purchases a Mega or Jumbo Pass will receive a full refund if COVID prevents the Illinois State Fair from being held.
“You will see all new rides on our midway in 2021, adding more value to your Mega or Jumbo Pass,” said Illinois State Fair Manager Kevin Gordon. “The Double Ferris Wheel (Skywheel) and Mega Drop (Supershot) make their way back to the Illinois State Fair along with numerous other spectacular rides including: The Eclipse, X Scream, Rockstar, Screamer, Catch N Air and Surfs Up, just to name a few of our new attractions.”
Mega and Jumbo Passes will be available for purchase throughout the Fair. However, the price will increase to $70 for the Mega Pass and $80 for the Jumbo Pass on February 16 and increase to $80 and $100 beginning August 1.
Admission Bargain Books and Seasonal Infield Parking Passes are also available and make great stocking stuffers. For just $45, the Admission Bargain Book provides eleven any-day admissions to the 2021 Illinois State Fair. The Seasonal Infield Parking Pass is only $40. This allows you to park on the infield all eleven days of the fair.
More information regarding the 2021 Illinois State Fair will be released in the near future. To be among the first to receive new information about the Illinois State Fair, sign up for alerts at www.illinoisstatefair.info.
Take advantage of these limited time deals in any of the following ways:
Online: www.illinoisstatefair.info
By Mail: Download the application at www.illinoisstatefair.info and mail to the address on the order form.
To Order By Phone or Have Questions: Call 217-782-6661 and leave a message. We will get back to you directly to take your order.
The 2021 Illinois State Fair will take place August 12-22.
*** UPDATE *** Wasn’t expecting this…
The Illinois State Fair is excited to announce seven confirmed Illinois Lottery Grandstand acts for 2021. This is the first time the Illinois State Fair has announced and gone on-sale with grandstand acts prior to the new year. This year’s lineup has something for everyone. Fairgoers who purchase grandstand tickets will receive a full refund if COVID-19 prevents the Illinois State Fair from being held.
Veterans Day at the fair will feature an artist who is no stranger to performing for our troops. Toby Keith takes the stage on Sunday, August 15. Keith has gone on 11 USO Tours and entertained nearly 256,000 troops in 18 countries. Craig Morgan will open for the two-time Academy of Country Music’s Entertainer of the Year.
On Tuesday, August 17, Chris Young will take the stage for Agriculture Day. The “Raised on Country” singer and songwriter will be accompanied by Ingrid Andress and Payton Smith.
Coming straight off her Female Artist of the Year nomination at the Academy of Country Music Awards, Kelsea Ballerini featuring Kylie Morgan will play the grandstand on Friday, August 20.
Saturday, August 14 the sounds coming from the grandstand will change from harmonious melodies to roars of laughter when Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias brings his comedy to the Illinois State Fair. The star of I’m Not Fat…I’m Fluffy and Hot and Fluffy will entertain the whole family.
The grandstand will be rocking for two nights when Badflower and George Thorogood take the grandstand stage. Since their emergence in 2014, Badflower has shared the stage with the likes of Cage the Elephant, Soundgarden and Ghost. They will be on the grandstand stage Thursday, August 19. George Thorogood has been generating hit songs since 1975. The Good to be Bad Tour will bring along 38 Special to the party on Sunday, August 22.
The Traveling Salvation Show will return in 2021, after entertaining crowds with the sounds of Neil Diamond in 2019. This up-tempo, rock-oriented tribute to the legendary singer will have you dancing and singing along to all of Diamond’s classic hits. The free show will be Monday, August 16.
“We are excited about this year’s Illinois Lottery Grandstand lineup,” said Illinois State Fair Manager Kevin Gordon. “Our goal is to have entertainment for everyone and this diverse lineup accomplishes that goal. We will have more to announce soon to give us even more to be excited for in 2021.”
In addition to a fantastic grandstand lineup, fairgoers will now have the option of buying premium tickets in our new seating area called The Blue Ribbon Zone. The price of this ticket includes a seat at a high-top table with accompanying bar stool, finger foods served to ticketholders prior to the concert, and a designated waitstaff at your service throughout the show.
Tickets to all the announced Illinois Lottery Grandstand Stage concerts can be purchased starting December 15 at Ticketmaster.com.
Thursday, August 12: TBD
Friday, August 13: TBD
Saturday, August 14: Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias
Tier 3 - $26 / Tier 2 - $31 / Tier 1 - $36 / Track Seats 1200 Avail. - $46 / Blue Ribbon Zone - $71
Sunday, August 15: Toby Keith with Craig Morgan
Tier 3 - $39 / Tier 2 - $44 / Tier 1 - $49 / SRO Track - $59 / Blue Ribbon Zone - $84
Monday, August 16: The Traveling Salvation Show – A Tribute to Neil Diamond
FREE Concert
Tuesday, August 17: Chris Young with Ingrid Andress and Payton Smith
Tier 3 - $27 / Tier 2 - $32 / Tier 1 - $37 / SRO Track - $47 / Blue Ribbon Zone - $72
Wednesday, August 18: TBD
Thursday, August 19: Bad Flower with TBD
General Admission Seating - $15 / SRO Track - $15/ Blue Ribbon Zone - $50
* At time of purchase, customer will choose whether they are buying Blue Ribbon Zone seats, a general admission seat, or a standing room only track ticket.
Friday, August 20: Kelsea Ballerini featuring Kylie Morgan with Chapel Hart
Tier 3 - $25 / Tier 2 - $30 / Tier 1 - $35 / SRO Track - $45 / Blue Ribbon Zone - $70
Saturday, August 21: TBD
Sunday, August 22: George Thorogood with 38 Special
Tier 3 - $14 / Tier 2 - $19 / Tier 1 - $24 / SRO Track - $34 / Blue Ribbon Zone - $59
Mark your calendars for the 2021 Illinois State Fair, August 12 through 22, in Springfield. Stay up to date with all the latest news and announcements from the Illinois State Fair by connecting with us via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Citing concerns that their division over reelecting Michael Madigan as Illinois House Speaker is giving strength to their political opponents, six Illinois House Democrats are pleading with their 19 colleagues who have committed to not supporting Madigan to “come together as a family” and “unite for a common purpose.”
In a letter marked “Confidential” and obtained by WBEZ on Thursday, the group laid out a lengthy case that the Democratic caucus should unite in order to advance their own substantial agenda. That includes addressing systemic racism, a massive state budget hole caused by a stalled economy due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and even ethics reforms.
While the letter does not overtly call on any of the 19 lawmakers who oppose Madigan to flip back in favor of Madigan, the authors do appear to be challenging the 19 — urging them to talk with the Democrats who remain aligned with Madigan to come up with a solution. […]
They cite a recently-published Chicago Tribune editorial in which the newspaper’s editorial board advocates for Republicans — who hold a super minority of members in the House — to get behind a Democratic lawmaker who is not Madigan to be the next speaker. […]
The letter was signed by six Madigan-aligned state representatives: Michael Zalewski, D-Riverside, Frances Hurley, D-Chicago, John D’Amico, D-Chicago, Nick Smith, D-Chicago, Justin Slaughter, D-Chicago, and Mike Halpin, D-Rock Island.
*** UPDATE *** The letter…
Dear Colleagues,
We write to you during unprecedented times for the House Democratic Caucus. Commonwealth Edison’s deferred prosecution agreement and subsequent indictments have understandably caused many of us to consider the future of our Caucus, who should lead us, and the type of transition process we all wish would occur in the coming months. Each of you has publicly, in your own way, acknowledged that these circumstances have led you to a position where you cannot place your faith in Mike Madigan to continue as House Speaker for the 102nd General Assembly. While many members of the Caucus do not agree with that conclusion, your personal process in reaching your decision deserves respect and recognition, both individually and collectively. You are our brothers and sisters, and we have no doubt through all of this, our Caucus will come out stronger on the other side.
We would be remiss if we didn’t also acknowledge the perilous state our Caucus finds itself in as we enter 2021. Illinois is facing a massive budget crisis, exacerbated by a decimated economy due to COVID-19 and the failure of the Fair Tax proposal. Our state’s congressional and legislative maps must be redrawn next Spring, a process that inevitably will be challenged by forces determined to undermine the racial, ethnic, and socio-economic diversity of this state by insisting that artificial constraints be placed upon our ability to best represent our constituents. The Black Caucus is asking us to address systemic racism, including the fundamental flaws within the criminal justice system, economic inequity, and policing reform. The Governor’s office and environmental groups are prepared to ask us to address an environmental package that will fundamentally change Illinois’ energy market and our approach to environmental justice for generations. Local property taxes continue to rise unabated, and taxpayers will continue to suffer as units of local government struggle to fund education, fire departments, and other necessary services. Ethics reforms to help rebuild faith in our state and local elected officials can’t be implemented until we reconvene. Not to mention the various issues of importance to local communities and the 177 members of the General Assembly. None of this is, nor should be, news to you. But saying it out loud demonstrates the enormity of what lies ahead.
On Sunday, December 6, the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board wrote the following:
Illinois Republicans made minor gains in the November election in Illinois. They recently floated the idea of their House leader, Rep. Jim Durkin of Western Springs, courting Democrats for the January vote to be House speaker. That idea got torpedoed within hours. Democrats might not want to keep reporting to Madigan, but they won’t support a Republican to lead the House.
To be clear, the Editorial Board with a history of animosity toward core issues that our Caucus holds dear has openly called for the House Republican Caucus to intervene in our leadership election. The inherent danger in even considering that premise cannot be understated.
For any outside forces, specifically those with ideological bents against social services, persons of color, women, veterans, public education and labor to even broach the idea that our Caucus’ leadership should be decided by any other voices but our own is disturbing. It poses a risk to our constituents we individually and collectively work to protect. For four years, our caucus stood united as the single barrier between Bruce Rauner, the Republican caucuses, the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board, and others who fought to destroy our state and our values. Meanwhile, we are the Caucus that delivered on promises to allow our citizens to marry who they choose to love; guarantee equal pay for women; raise the minimum wage; repeal the death penalty; legalize and regulate cannabis; mandate corporations prioritize diversity on their boards; develop a first-of- its-kind mental health reporting system for firearm ownership; require disinvestment of State funds from countries such as the Sudan and Iran, and pass a comprehensive capital bill. United, we are capable of fundamentally good things.
The reason the Editorial Board felt it had license to even make the suggestion is because we aren’t united—neither publicly, nor privately. This kind of pressure will only increase in the coming weeks, and, left to fester, cause damage to our mission to serve our constituents best. There is so much on the line. The time is short. The stakes are high.
This letter isn’t meant to persuade you to question your decision, rather it is an invitation to come together as a family and show our opposition that we’re better than they assume. That we, the House Democratic Caucus, can once again unite for a common purpose. That we are more concerned about the collective fate of our state than our individual elections.
We very much hope you consider this in the spirit in which it was intended: a desire to start a dialogue, in the forum of an agreed upon choice, to achieve a path forward for us all. We look forward to hearing from you.
Misinformation and rumors about recently developed coronavirus vaccines are running rampant, public health officials warned. The point was underscored Thursday when a reporter asked Gov. J.B. Pritzker at his daily COVID-19 news conference whether it was true people who receive the vaccine will be prohibited from air travel. (It is not.)
Illinois Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said she recognized some members of the public have concerns about the safety of the vaccine, especially early on in its mass distribution. Public health officials will provide all the information needed for people to make informed decisions for themselves, she said.
“We can’t assume that every single person will want the vaccine, for any number of reasons, but we have the expectation that we will have accurate information available for everyone to make the best decision possible,” Ezike said. […]
“I encourage people to learn for themselves from medical research experts and be able to discern the myths from truths,” she said. “There is a lot of misinformation, so please obtain credible medical research expert information as opposed to just social media myths that are going around.”
Historian D’Ann Campbell argues that the purpose of the wartime posters, propaganda, and censorship of soldiers’ letters [during World War II] was not to foil spies but, “to clamp as tight a lid as possible on rumors that might lead to discouragement, frustration, strikes, or anything that would cut back military production.”
* More than two years of legal maneuvering and no end in site…
Tentative dates have been added to the 2018 Macon County sheriff race trial that could extend it into 2021.
The race between Democrat Tony Brown and Republican Jim Root, which initially came down to one vote, led to a trial involving 1,337 contested ballots. […]
Root’s attorney, John Fogarty, said in opening statements there were 223 ballots without election judge signatures, with 99 of those for Brown and 88 for Root. It was agreed ballots without election signatures would be taken out of the total, but Fogarty said his side will dispute 26 that have more issues than just no signatures.
* Republican Illinois US Reps. Mike Bost and Darin LaHood signed on to an amicus brief with about half the Republican members of Congress in support of the Texas attorney general’s attempt to overturn the presidential election results in four states. This afternoon, Attorney General Kwame Raoul signed on to a much different amicus brief, and here’s his press release…
Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a coalition of 23 attorneys general, today urged the Supreme Court to reject Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s lawsuit asking that the court overturn the 2020 election results in four states.
In an amicus brief filed in Texas v. Pennsylvania, Raoul and the coalition argue that Texas’ unprecedented lawsuit depends on a misreading of the Constitution’s Electors Clause. Texas’ unsupported theory clashes with a century of precedent, denies states the authority to make their own decisions about election administration and oversight, and threatens to upend basic notions of federalism and states’ rights. Further, the lawsuit depends on specious claims of voter fraud, without offering any evidence of systemic fraud in the November election. Raoul and the coalition are asking the court to throw out Texas’ lawsuit.
“It is concerning and dangerous that the president and his allies have spent the weeks following the election seeking to undermine its results, as elections are at the very core of our democracy. Further, it is unconscionable that a state attorney general would use his authority to file a frivolous, unfounded lawsuit aimed at overturning an election,” Raoul said. “The people of the states in question have spoken decisively, and I stand with my colleagues to defend their right to be heard.”
According to the Department of Homeland Security, the 2020 election was “the most secure in American history.” President-elect Joe Biden was declared the winner in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Subsequent recounts in Wisconsin and Georgia confirmed the results, and election officials in all 50 states and the District of Columbia have now certified their results.
While the president’s campaign has continued to make allegations of electoral tampering, neither the campaign nor its supporters have produced any evidence of substantial voter fraud or other forms of wrongdoing. The president and his allies have filed 55 election-related suits since November 3, and federal and state judges have rejected their claims in all but one minor case.
Despite this, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, supported by 17 Republican attorneys general, filed a lawsuit against Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin in the Supreme Court. The lawsuit alleges that the states unlawfully enacted changes to their election laws under the cover of the COVID-19 pandemic. The plaintiffs are asking the Supreme Court to take the unprecedented step of intervening and invalidating the will of the voters in those four states. Tellingly, the lawsuit makes no mention of other states – including Texas and several other states that supported Texas’s lawsuit – that made similar changes to election processes to guarantee residents could access ballots while staying safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Raoul and the coalition filed an amicus brief today in vigorous opposition to Texas’ undemocratic effort to overturn the results of the election. Specifically, the states urge the Supreme Court to deny Texas’ lawsuit on the grounds that:
• Texas’ interpretation of the Electors Clause is contrary to a century’s worth of precedent: The Electors Clause of the Constitution grants the states the power to set their own rules for presidential elections held within their own states. While the Constitution grants this authority to “state legislatures,” since the early 20th century, the Supreme Court has allowed legislatures to delegate authority to elections administrators or other state government entities.
• States have a constitutional right to determine the process for administering their own elections: Federalism is a core component of the Constitution, governing the division of power between the states and the federal government. The Constitution makes clear, and the Supreme Court has affirmed, that the framers granted states the right to administer and oversee presidential elections on their own. Yet Texas’ lawsuit – calling on the Supreme Court to intervene in the elections held by the four defendant states – would infringe on that right, and thus, states’ sovereignty. Further, it would set its own destructive precedent limiting states’ ability to make critical changes to the structure and oversight of elections.
• There is no evidence that the states’ commonsense measures to protect the voting rights and health of residents produced significant voter fraud: Since 2000, more than 250 million people in all 50 states have voted using mail-in ballots. In 2018 alone, more than 31 million Americans – or approximately 25.8 percent of voters – cast their ballots by mail. Moreover, five states – Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah, and Washington – had all-mail voting systems prior to the 2020 election, through which every registered voter receives a ballot in the mail. Despite the prevalence of voting by mail, officials at the state and federal levels have consistently found no evidence of widespread fraud. This remained true for the 2020 election. Despite the president’s claims that the results were tainted by voting fraud, his lawyers and other allies have consistently failed to produce any evidence to substantiate these assertions. Indeed, Republican and Democratic officials overseeing the elections in all four defendant states have repeatedly confirmed that processes were safe and secure.
Joining Raoul in filing the amicus brief are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Guam, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Washington.
* From Raoul’s spokesperson, when asked about Bost and LaHood…
It’s clear the president is asking both state attorneys general and congressmen to take this action, and it is unfortunate.
I’ll be more than happy to post any statement from Bost, LaHood, the Illinois Republican Party or the two GOP legislative leaders in response.
*** UPDATE 1 *** I have yet to hear back from the ILGOP or the two legislative leaders (surprise!), but Congressman LaHood gave a brief statement to Crain’s…
In a statement, LaHood said, “The cornerstone of our democracy is our electoral system and any irregularities presented should be investigated. I support President Trump’s right to make his case and I believe that the Supreme Court is the final venue to examine any election irregularities in full.” He said he believes Illinois’ election results were “accurate and fair.”
“President Trump is using the legal means available to him to ensure that every legal vote is counted,” Bost said in a statement Tuesday, prior signing on to the amicus brief. “At a time of great uncertainty for our country, it is vitally important that the American people have faith in our elections and trust the results.”
Bost followed up after signing the brief with a statement Friday saying the lawsuit represents an effort “to ensure that the American people can have faith in our elections and trust the results.” The Supreme Court, he added, is the “final arbiter in cases of election irregularities.”
* Illinois Democratic County Chairs Association President Kristina Zahorik…
“Darin LaHood and Mike Bost apparently do not believe that the votes and the will of the people matter this election. By signing their name to a legal argument that ignores the rights of a state to determine how to manage their own elections, they are not only showing their hypocrisy when it comes to states’ rights, they are also attempting to undermine votes legally cast by citizens of this country.”
“The IDCCA salutes Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul for standing up for the rights of Americans to vote safely and securely. Shame on Bost and LaHood for tarnishing Illinois’ reputation and for this baseless attack on our democracy.”
*** UPDATE 2 *** The governor was asked about this today…
There are I think more than 100 Congressional Republicans who signed on to that. I am surprised. In the Land of Lincoln, I think of Republicans, Democrats as being a lot more reasonable than the people who have followed Donald Trump down every rabbit hole.
And so I just would say it’s irresponsible.
And it’s a ridiculous lawsuit. I don’t know why they would sign on except for apparently undying commitment and loyalty to a failed president.
*** UPDATE 3 *** Press release…
Rep. Brad Halbrook sends letter to Attorney General Kwame Raoul urging him to join Texas election lawsuit
Reps. Chris Miller; Blaine Wilhour; Darren Bailey; Andrew Chesney; John Cabello and State Reps. Elect Adam Niemberg and Paul Jacobs join Rep. Halbrook in calling for Illinois to join Texas lawsuit
State Rep. Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville) has sent Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul urging him to join Texas and 18 other states that have filed a lawsuit against four states that have failed to follow the US Constitution with changes in election law that were implemented without legislative approval.
“The Constitution makes it clear that it is the sole responsibility of state legislatures to make the rules for presidential elections, but yet in Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Georgia there were changes in the rules that occurred without legislative action that affected the outcome of the election,” Halbrook said. “The failure of these states to follow the Constitution diluted the votes of millions of people living in states that did follow the Constitution. It is important to make sure that we can trust the outcome of this and future elections. We cannot and should not tolerate an unequal application of our laws. It is imperative that we have free and fair elections. This is why it is important for Illinois to join this lawsuit.”
The letter asks Attorney General Kwame Raoul to join Texas and 18 other states in the STATE OF TEXAS, Plaintiff, v. COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, STATE OF GEORGIA, STATE OF MICHIGAN, AND STATE OF WISCONSIN lawsuit. Joining Rep. Halbrook in signing the letter were: State Reps. Chris Miller (R-Oakland); Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City); John Cabello (R-Machesney Park) and Andrew Chesney (R-Freeport) State Rep. Elect Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich) and State Rep. Elect Paul Jacobs (R-Pomona).
“We are hearing everyday from constituents who are upset with what is going on in the swing states of Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania,” Miller said. “They have no confidence in the results of this election. What is happening goes well beyond the President. This is about the integrity of future elections. We need to make sure the American people can trust the outcome of our elections. The future of our Republic depends on it.”
* Also…
Mary Miller, Congresswoman-elect (IL-15), joins the Texas Attorney General and 18 other State Attorney Generals, several elected officials in the states under question, and numerous elected leaders supporting the Texas lawsuit. She released the following statement.
“I support this lawsuit and President Trump’s efforts to ensure the integrity of our election process. The American people deserve an honest and fair election process where all legal ballots are counted, and illegal votes are removed. This is the only way we can all move forward together in confidence,” stated Conservative Mary Miller.
“Sunshine patriots and fair-weather fighters won’t win this fight or stop the radical left’s attempts to push their socialist agenda. President Trump endorsed my campaign because he needed more actual allies in Washington. I will continue to fight the establishment in both parties that wants to defeat President Trump,” Miller added.
Miller continued: “I was elected to promote Illinois agriculture and economic opportunities, to uphold the rule of law, to defend our values of faith, family, and freedom, and to support President Trump.”
Mary concluded: “We have too many politicians who talk the talk to get elected, but when it comes time to uphold it and fight, they’re nowhere to be found. I’m going to Congress to fight for the things I campaigned on and, more importantly, the people in my district. The fight has begun.”
*** UPDATE 4 *** Over…
To explain the statement by Alito and Thomas: This is totally separate from the merits. They think the Supreme Court is required to hear suits between states, so they think they can't just deny the filing. But they also clearly say they would NOT grant relief to Paxton et al.
The surprise jump in new jobless claims filings to the highest level since mid-September signals a weakening in the labor market that could drag down the economy into the first quarter.
Initial claims for state unemployment benefits jumped to 853,000, rising 137,000 during the week ended Dec. 5 from the prior week, the largest weekly increase since the height of economic shutdowns in March. Economists had expected 730,000 claims, according to Dow Jones. They note the Thanksgiving holiday period could have added distortions in both weeks, but the trend is clearly negative.
State continuing claims rose by 230,000 to 5.76 million, the first increase since August.
The Illinois Department of Employment Security reported 107,616 new unemployment claims were filed across the state last week, the week of Nov. 29, the most jobless claims the state has had in nearly eight months.
Illinois’ estimated claims last week were among 853,000 total filed across the country.
The most recent claims represent a 45% increase from the prior week, when 74,131 unemployment claims were filed statewide, and a 627% increase over the 14,798 new claims filed in the same week of 2019.
Illinois numbers have not been this high since mid-April, when there were over 141,000 claims filed the week of April 6.
If these high numbers are due to fraud, as the governor has said, then Illinois is having truly gigantic fraud problems. We have 3.9 percent of the US population and 12.6 percent of the benefit applications?
*** UPDATE *** Text from a reporter buddy…
On unemployment, IL’s situation isn’t quite that bad. (Altho it’s still bad.) Seasonally adjusted national unemployment apps were 853,000. Actual were over 947,000. So IL accounted for 11.3%
“I think we didn’t communicate effectively with voters,” Guzzardi said. “We didn’t tell a clear story about why we needed the money and what we were going to spend it on to help people’s lives. I think we didn’t tell people where to find it on the ballot.
“We didn’t do a good job of pointing people in the right direction,” he added. “And we didn’t really start communicating with voters at all in a serious way. We let a year go by without campaigning at all on the question” after the General Assembly approved the progressive income tax in the spring of last year and passed the ballot initiative on to voters.
Most disturbing, however, was the way the anti-tax TV campaign bankrolled by billionaire Kenneth Griffin gained traction with voters on the issue of “trust” in government.
“I also think we have a credibility problem, a trust problem,” Guzzardi granted. “Illinois voters really responded to the ‘no’ messaging about this campaign. ‘You can’t trust Illinois Democrats with your money.’ And that’s a real problem for us. And it’s going to hinder our ability to solve the state’s challenges going forward. So that’s something we really have to take a hard look at.”
Yep. They had no real-world policy angle, they didn’t adequately inform voters about how to find it on the ballot, they didn’t start communicating at a time when the other side didn’t have any money and there is a serious trust problem which wasn’t adequately addressed with a forceful enough and early enough counter-response to turn voter anger in a different direction.
I’d also add that, like many policy solutions this governor has offered (cannabis legalization, for example), the plan itself was complicated, which allowed the other side to pick it apart.
The “trust” issue resonated after that, even as the General Assembly has seen abundant turnover just in the last few elections. “Next year will be the beginning of my fourth term, and I’m going to be in the top third in seniority,” Guzzardi said, “so a ton of turnover.” Yet voters still bought the argument that they couldn’t trust Springfield, even as this General Assembly little resembles the legislature of 20 or 25 years ago.
Guzzardi explained, “Voters still see the same leadership at the top, and it looks to a lot of voters like Madigan’s been the speaker since time immemorial, so what’s really changed?”
* Hannah Meisel asked Gov. Pritzker on Tuesday if the National Guard was being sent to the LaSalle Veterans’ Home. He gave her the brush-off, saying “I don’t know where you get your rumors from.” That was a needless and disrespectful jab even if it wasn’t true. Turns out, Hannah’s sourcing was right. Here’s her scoop…
Members of the Illinois National Guard staff have been sent to the LaSalle and Quincy Veterans’ homes to assist with COVID-19 testing and screening at the facilities, Gov. JB Pritzker’s office confirmed Thursday.
It’s not a deployment and those going into the facilities are National Guard staff members and not reserve members. But Pritzker spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh said the homes are in need of help with daily COVID-19 testing.
In a statement Thursday, La Salle County Veterans Assistance Commission Superintendent Steven Kreitzer said the staff are “medical units that will be utilized to maintain records of temperature checks and COVID-19 testing as well as make sure PPE is being worn at all times properly.” […]
The extra help comes after a massive deadly outbreak of the virus is mostly under control at the LaSalle facility, and a smaller outbreak at the Quincy home is ongoing. A 33rd resident at LaSalle died this week after testing positive for COVID-19, meaning more than a quarter of the residents in the home since the outbreak was first reported on Nov. 1 have died. There have been two COVID deaths at Quincy.
Hannah also asked Pritzker this week if the LaSalle Veterans’ Home director had been terminated based on new information or information from the initial probe. And if the firing was based on old info, she asked, what took him so long to do it? Pritzker sidestepped the question.
Every time he does something like that, I wonder what else he’s not telling us. And I’m sure I’m not alone.
We also have the Illinois National Guard on the ground, assisting efforts at LaSalle, with their arrival at Quincy and Manteno set for Monday, providing staff support for screening and handling testing data tracking so that medical staff can focus on direct patient support.
Two days ago, I was asked here about the National Guard being deployed to our homes, and I dismissed it as a rumor. In retrospect, I had directed every member of my administration to move quickly to respond with every available resource to assist IDVA, and the National Guard was asked to be of assistance before I was made aware.
That’s a good thing. I want my administration to be nimble and responsive, but I want to apologize for being dismissive when I was asked about it.
I will say this is just one example of how we are directing every available resource to our veterans’ community through the period of exceptional risk here in Illinois. We will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to safeguard our most vulnerable, especially those who lived to serve.
* The 2020 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Senate Democratic Legislative Assistant/District Office Manager goes to Jan’et Scott, Leader Kim Lightford’s former LA…
Jan’et consistently went above and beyond while maintaining her compassionate and professional demeanor. In a year that the Majority Leader ran for Senate President, lost and tried to step down from the ILBC only to be pulled back in, all while responding to the many COVID-19 crises. Jan’et’s commitment to serving the Leader and her constituents is unparalleled.
Runner-up goes to Rich Jacobs, Sen. Castro’s Chief of Staff, for a very strong nomination.
* The 2020 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Senate Republican Legislative Assistant/District Office Manager goes to Shannon Hogan, Sen. Sue Rezin’s Chief of Staff…
Shannon has worked tirelessly on all constituent issues from unemployment to long-term care facilities and the LaSalle Home in their embattled district that has struggled with high covid numbers throughout most of the pandemic.
Runner-up goes to the late Jeanne Greenfield, Sen. Dave Syverson’s former Chief of Staff. Rest in peace.
* On to today’s categories…
Best House Democratic Campaign Staffer
Best Senate Democratic Campaign Staffer
As always, do your best to nominate in both categories and make sure to explain your answer. Also, if you can’t make a nomination today, please donate to Lutheran Social Services of Illinois if you haven’t yet done so. We’ve surpassed last year’s total, but we’ve kinda stalled out. Click here. Any amount is greatly appreciated and goes to a very good cause. Thanks!
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 11,101 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 196 additional deaths.
- Adams County: 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
- Alexander County: 1 male 80s
- Boone County: 1 female 40s, 1 female 80s
- Bureau County: 1 female 80s
- Champaign County: 1 male 90s
- Clay County: 1 female 80s
- Coles County: 1 female 90s
- Cook County: 1 male 30s, 2 females 40s, 1 male 40s, 1 female 50s, 6 males 50s, 2 females 60s, 5 males 60s, 8 females 70s, 13 males 70s, 5 females 80s, 8 males 80s, 2 females 90s, 4 males 90s; 1 female 100+
- DeKalb County: 1 male 70s, 1 male 90s
- Douglas County: 1 male 90s
- DuPage County: 1 male 60s, 3 males 70s, 2 females 80s, 2 females 90s
- Edgar County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
- Fulton County: 1 male 50s, 1 male 70s
- Grundy County: 1 male 60s
- Hamilton County: 1 female 70s
- Hardin County: 1 male 70s
- Henry County: 1 female 80s, 2 females 90s
- Jackson County: 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
- Jo Daviess County: 1 male 30s, 1 female 60s
- Johnson County: 1 female 60s
- Kane County: 1 male 50s, 1 female 60s, 1 male 70s, 4 males 80s, 1 male 90s
- Kankakee County: 1 female 60s, 2 females 80s, 1 male 80s
- Kendall County: 2 males 70s, 2 males 90s
- Knox County: 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
- Lake County: 1 female 50s, 1 male 60s, 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 female 100+, 1 male 100+
- LaSalle County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 70s
- Lawrence County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 90s
- Lee County: 1 female 100+
- Livingston County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s
- Logan County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 90s
- Macon County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 90s
- Macoupin County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 80s, 1 male 90s
- Madison County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
- Marion County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s, 2 females 90s, 2 males 90s
- McLean County: 1 male 70s
- Mercer County: 1 female 60s, 1 female 90s
- Monroe County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 2 males 80s
- Morgan County: 1 female 90s
- Ogle County: 1 female 70s
- Peoria County: 1 female 70s
- Perry County: 1 female 80s
- Pike County: 1 male 80s
- Rock Island County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s
- Sangamon County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 60s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
- St. Clair County: 1 male 50s, 1 female 70s, 3 males 70s, 1 male 80s
- Tazewell County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 70s, 1 male 100+
- Vermilion County: 1 male 70s
- Wayne County: 1 female 70s
- White County: 1 male 60s
- Whiteside County: 1 male 80s
- Will County: 2 males 50s, 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s, 2 males 70s, 2 females 80s, 2 males 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
- Williamson County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s
- Winnebago County: 2 males 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 823,531 cases, including 13,861 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 114,503 specimens for a total 11,481,848. As of last night, 5,138 in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 1,081 patients were in the ICU and 606 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from December 3 – December 9, 2020 is 9.5%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from December 3 – December 9, 2020 is 11.4%.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in real-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. Information for a death previously reported has changed, therefore, today’s numbers have been adjusted. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
Big hospitals in Chicago with highly trained specialists have treated the most patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, newly released federal data shows.
But the data also shows that when small hospitals that mainly treat low-income people of color were full, these larger hospitals at times had plenty of beds to spare.
During the week of Thanksgiving, this reality was stark. St. Bernard Hospital in Englewood on the South Side had no more intensive care beds for the sickest patients. Neither did Mount Sinai on the Southwest Side in Lawndale, about 10 miles away, a WBEZ analysis of the data show.
Sinai’s sister hospital, Holy Cross in Marquette Park had seven beds left. Roseland Community on the Far South Side had six.
Meanwhile, big teaching hospitals Northwestern Memorial in downtown, Rush University Medical Center on the Near West Side and University of Chicago Medical Center in Hyde Park on the South Side had nearly 200 empty ICU beds combined that Thanksgiving week.
* The story glosses over it, but college campuses and hospitals are exempt for the same reason…
Restaurants and bars across the state are banned from serving customers indoors, but there are two places in Chicago where you can still legally drink inside a bar: the city’s airports.
Despite an emergency travel order requiring travelers from 46 states to quarantine upon landing in Chicago, people are still allowed eat and drink alcohol inside bars at Midway and O’Hare. That’s because the airports are exempt from Gov. JB Pritzker’s Tier 3 mitigation measures.
Allowing indoor drinking at high-traffic airports is dangerous, one doctor said, calling the move “ludicrous.”
The rules, which went into effect Nov. 20, say restaurants and cafeterias within airports, hospitals and college dining halls can remain open as other bars and restaurants in affected state regions must close. These places are exempt to ensure people “can eat a meal with no alternatives provided in these venues for eating,” the measure states, and patrons must wear masks when waitstaff approach them when they are not eating or drinking at a table.
The liquor service thing is a serious sore spot, though. This needs a rethink.
* I’m not sure I’d want to be the lawyer who loses this particular client’s case, if you catch my drift…
Despite a statewide ban on indoor dining and drinking, a River West tavern is continuing to serve patrons inside and has put the city on notice: a letter on its door warns staff “will not comply” should city officials attempt to shut them down.
On the front door of Richard’s Bar, 491 N. Milwaukee Ave., a posted note tells patrons the bar is open and asks people to wear a mask when entering. Below, the letter tells government agencies the bar’s owners won’t comply with any department’s shutdown requests and will send citations to their lawyer.
“If you are asking us to shut down our business, we will not comply as that request is unlawful according to the law identified below,” the note reads. “We have legal counsel … representing us and we’re happy to provide any notices or citations to him if that’s necessary.”
The note also threatens legal action if a health department tries to close down the bar or pull its licenses. […]
Thomas DeVore, an attorney for Richard’s Bar, declined to comment before speaking with his client.
* Sticking with the Chicago angle…
Arwady showing the changes in the city's positivity rate.
"Now it's back up sort of in the 13 percent range. We really want to see that come back down."
* Could you get a jab at the dentist office? Maybe…
Illinois officials don’t want to have ample stores of vaccines with limited numbers of people to administer doses, Ezike said.
“Absolutely all conversations are on the table,” she said. “I think dentists maybe do have the ability to take part in this process.”
Illinois State Dental Society Government Relations Director Dave Marsh said the society is preparing staff to be able to help off-site, like at a public health clinic.
“And then as the vaccines change, obviously they might be able to do them in their office,” Marsh said. “The storage issue is the biggest hurdle for any provider to do the vaccines.”
Doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are already in short supply, but that’s not the main reason it will be months before children are able to be inoculated.
“The vaccines have not been tested on children,” explained Dr. Sara Goza, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, headquartered in Itasca. “But now is the time to start enrolling children in the vaccine trials because we should not really expect them to suffer the consequences of COVID-19 without getting the vaccine as well.”
In response to decreased use of health care services through Medicaid managed care organizations throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, state Senate Assistant Majority Leader Dave Koehler, D-Peoria, and state House Assistant Majority Leader Fred Crespo, D-Hoffman Estates, filed legislation today to require companies to return excess profits and reallocate funding to critical health care services.
“While insurance companies and managed care organizations see record-setting profits at the height of a global pandemic, rural communities across the state are experiencing unsustainable strain in their health care systems due to lack of resources,” Koehler said. “The money recouped through this legislation would provide immediate relief for Downstate hospitals that have been devastated by COVID-19.”
Hospitals across the state are facing an unprecedented decline in outpatient procedures and elective surgeries as a result of the pandemic, contributing to severe financial strain on health care facilities that serve Illinois’ most vulnerable populations. Conversely, MCOs in Illinois have benefitted from these declines, as enrollment-based payments have continued despite decreased use of non-emergency health care services.
In response, Koehler and Crespo introduced Senate Bill 4207 and House Bill 5867, respectively, which seeks to reallocate a portion of enrollment-based payments made to Medicaid MCOs throughout the pandemic. From an estimated monthly payment of $1.7 billion, a 20% return would yield $340 million per month that can provide needed relief to hospitals and other health care facilities that have been hit hardest by the COVID-19 crisis. In addition, recouping these funds can provide relief to health care service providers that may be impacted by state budget deficits.
“While safety net and critical care providers are struggling to remain open and serve their communities, MCO’s are continuing to receive over a billion dollars in state and federal funding each month,” said Crespo. “Residents across Illinois are making significant sacrifices in order to protect themselves and their communities, and we’ve even seen the auto insurance and cable television industries return unused money to consumers. It is unacceptable that MCO’s are profiting off of taxpayer dollars that aren’t being used. Clawing back some of the funding that MCO’s have received throughout the pandemic and reallocating those dollars to health care providers in low-income and rural communities could help hospitals remain open amid ongoing financial instability that has been exacerbated by the pandemic.”
* This is how Rep. Crespo explained the bill to WTTW…
“We know that hospitals have not been doing services they normally do, elective surgery,” Crespo said. “So costs have gone down. So the plan here is to say, we should take back 20% of (the managed care organizations’) profits and redirect it to other Medicaid expenses the state has.”
Except he’s not talking about clawing back profits, necessarily. But, yeah, if they’re profiting off of a shift in the types of care provided, they should definitely lose that money.
*** UPDATE *** From Samantha Olds Frey, CEO, Illinois Association of Medicaid Health Plans…
The State of Illinois already has an existing mechanism to protect taxpayers and state from overpaying for underutilization and for 2020 requires that approximately 90% of the capitation received is spent on direct medical care.
While we have seen a shift in utilization we have not seen a 20% decrease in total medical costs for the Medicaid program.
It is important to note that MCOs don’t just pay for hospitals but a comprehensive healthcare benefit; such as: pharmaceuticals, long term care, and behavioral health. The proposed legislation would reduce the necessary resources to the Medicaid program and negatively impact providers and actually harm our most vulnerable residents. IAMHP is opposed to cutting a healthcare program for over 2 million people by 20% especially in the middle of a pandemic.
* Press release…
Illinois legislators and renewable energy businesses are calling for urgent action to save the state’s solar and wind energy jobs, and a new economic analysis shows that the proposed Path to 100 Act would not only save current jobs but would create more than 50,000 new jobs and $8.7 billion in increased economic output by 2033.
On December 4th, the Illinois Power Agency announced the close of state renewable energy incentives for residents in central and southern Illinois. With funding expected to disappear in northern Illinois in coming days, Illinois’ renewable energy program will abruptly end before the end of this year. The end of incentives will immediately impact the ability of homeowners and businesses to go solar and will force thousands of layoffs at solar businesses across the state in the coming months.
Senator Bill Cunningham and Representative Will Davis introduced the Path to 100 Act in early 2019 to address Illinois’ looming renewable energy crisis. The Path to 100 Act would improve and expand Illinois’ existing renewable energy program to allow the state to reach 40% renewable energy by 2030.
A new economic impact analysis of the Path to 100 Act found that, by 2033, the legislation would result in:
• 53,298 jobs created or supported during construction
• 3,215 jobs created or supported annually during operations
• $8.27 billion in increased economic output during construction
• $571 million per year in increased economic output during operations
The analysis was conducted by Dr. David Loomis. Loomis is the co-founder of the Center for Renewable Energy at Illinois State University and the President of Strategic Economic Research and has over 20 years of experience in energy and economic development analysis.
“Fixing Illinois renewable energy program is low-hanging fruit for the General Assembly and should be a top priority – we have a proven way to create jobs, benefit consumers and reduce pollution as well as a backlog of projects that could provide a rapid economic stimulus across the state,” said Representative Will Davis, House Sponsor of the Path to 100 Act. “There is no reason to delay fixing this.”
* This newspaper story is so chock full of misinformation that I had to post it…
Like other COVID restrictions, it all came in the form of executive order, meaning without approval from the General Assembly. […]
“The problem is the executive branch, the governor’s branch, does not make laws,” said John Wagner, administrator of the Monroe County Health Department in the Metro East. “It’s much easier to enforce if the legislators get involved.”
Because the measures aren’t backed by state statute, some law enforcement and prosecutors are leery about bringing cases.
What?
The executive orders derive authority directly from state laws, which, in order to become state laws, had to be approved by the General Assembly. And those laws have been on the books for a lot of years. It’s the main reason why judges have upheld the EOs time and time again. The GA also passed several bills this past May which an appeals court cited in its recent opinion…
Our reading of the Act is bolstered by recent legislation that explicitly refers to the Governor’s authority to issue successive disaster proclamations.
Tom DeVore, a Bond County attorney who represents restaurants that want to remain open, said punitive action, including tickets from Illinois State Police, have “no merit.” DeVore also has worked on the case of Bloomington’s Cadillac Jacks for COVID rule violations.
No context at all in the story about how DeVore has lost every case except for when he was in front of a decidedly odd judge in Clay County. Nobody would seriously interview Jim Oberweis about the best way to be elected to statewide or congressional office. Same applies here.
Also, Cadillac Jacks paid $1500 to avoid losing its liquore license.
* My headlines are automatically posted on Twitter, so this one was specifically designed to freak out those folks. The real story here is that Illinois Retail Merchants Association President and CEO Rob Karr has been elected the new Speaker of the Third House, an organization for lobbyists.
The group held its annual holiday party today via Zoom. Outgoing Speaker Julie Sullivan joked that she had the honor of hosting the lamest Third House party ever. But it did have the smallest bar tab.
Anyway, congrats to Rob, who does a fine job with IRMA. I looked around and couldn’t find a suitable photo to use for a caption contest, so we’ll just have to settle for this story from The Onion that’s going around this week…
GAITHERSBURG, MD—Plotting out a career path that would enable him to one day land his dream job, aspiring lobbyist Christopher Talley told reporters Wednesday that he’d been able to get his foot in the door as a state senator. “Obviously I can’t jump right into my dream gig, but being a state senator and nominally representing the people of this district for a few years will help me work my way up the ladder to something actually worthwhile,” said Talley, who won a state senate seat in November as the first part of his personal 15-year plan to someday pursue the financial interests of agribusiness conglomerates in Washington. “Being in a state senate seat is kind of like having some control over how the government works for business, so this will help me get my feet wet and prove to potential lobbying firm employers that I have what it takes to network with people in the government biz. The money’s not great right now on a public servant salary, but this is just the first step to getting into the House of Representatives, maybe a mid-city mayorship, and finally make it to the lobbyist level. I can’t wait.” Talley also admitted that it did make him nervous to see how many of his state senate colleagues were also competing to be lobbyists someday.
*** UPDATE *** OK, now we got us a caption contest. Here’s Rob Karr at the 1990 holiday party…
Richard Goldberg is being recruited by some members of the Illinois GOP to become party chairman, according to a source close to the selection process. The position opened up over the weekend when Chairman Tim Schneider announced he was stepping down after six years. Goldberg most recently served as a director with the White House National Security Council and before that was chief of staff for former Gov. Bruce Rauner and deputy chief of staff to former Sen. Mark Kirk.
… Goldberg, who’s also an intelligence officer in the Naval Reserve with the rank of lieutenant commander, is seen as someone who can work across all areas of the Illinois GOP and stand up to Democrats. Goldberg would bring the star power that comes from working for Trump. He also could help rebuild the Republican presence in Lake County, where Kirk resides. The area has moved left with each election cycle in recent years.
Don Harmon will be so pleased, but give Richard credit for writing a heck of a press release. /s
The Lake County stuff is a jab at the county’s party chairman Mark Shaw, who chairs the Republican County Chairman’s Association and co-chairs the ILGOP in a deal worked out by the Rauner folks a couple of years ago to keep Tim Schneider in power. The same folks who tried to block Shaw back then are still at it. This was sent by one of them…
* Republicans lost majority control of the Lake County Board in 2018 and lost three more seats in 2020
* The Republican Sheriff was defeated in 2018
* The Republican State’s Attorney was defeated in 2020
* The Republican Coroner was defeated in 2020
* State House of Representatives District 61 was lost in 2018 and never regained
* Republicans lost Lake County in the race for Governor in 2018 and for President in both 2016 and 2020
* Republicans lost the majority on the Lake County Forest Preserve Board
* In 2020, Shaw led the Lake County Republican Central Committee Executive Committee in endorsing Jim Oberweis for Congress in the 14th District—someone who already lost a record six races for Congress, US Senate, and Governor. With all of his negative baggage, Oberweis went on to lose the 2020 election by one percent of the vote, while also losing Lake County.
Also…
Lake County Precinct Committee Members filing for election:
2016 Primary Election:
103 Democrat
224 Republican
2020 Primary Election:
198 Democrat
158 Republican
Precinct committeeman recruiting aside, a lot of this cannot be blamed on the party chairman. Lake County has been trending Democratic for years for the same reasons DuPage has changed: Demographics and the GOP’s presidential candidates.
But the Oberweis thing still sticks in a lot of craws of the folks who believe Sen. Sue Rezin would’ve had a much better shot at winning in November. Rezin will be the deputy leader of the Senate Republican Caucus come January.
* Local topics, polite discussion. What could be better? Well, perhaps a donation to Lutheran Social Services of Illinois to help buy some kids Christmas presents and coats and boots. Click here. Thanks.
