Corngate continues!
Wednesday, Sep 8, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* We talked about “Corngate” yesterday…
The results are in and Gary Rabine, candidate for Governor, was the clear winner of the Illinois State Fair Straw Poll.
The Illinois Republican Party tent conducted a straw poll during the State Fair. Fair goers had the option of putting corn in the jar of their favorite candidate and Gary Rabine was the undisputed straw poll winner.
The ILGOP jumped in to note that the party didn’t actually conduct a straw poll…
The “Corn Poll” was not monitored, no one counted the corn at the end of each day and it started over new the next day as a fun thing for folks to do when inside the tent.
* Sen. Darren Bailey objected to Rabine’s victory claim by, um, posting photos showing that “other/undecided” were ahead at one point…
* The post brought out the weird and the funny…
* And then today, Rabine refused to give up the crown of corn…
The gift that keeps on giving.
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* The Southern…
Employees of the Clyde L. Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center took to the streets Tuesday to protest Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s mandate that state employees be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Early in the day, about a dozen protestors stood at the intersection of Vienna and Main streets with signs protesting. Most had worked the midnight shift at the center before attending the protest. Later, leaders of the group said the crowd grew to about 30 people as those working days at the center got off work and joined the protest. […]
State Sen. Terri Bryant, R-Murphysboro, agreed.
“I have always been in favor of encouraging improved access and availability to vaccines for citizens who make the personal choice to be vaccinated. However, the Governor’s recent vaccine mandate is just the latest example of the Governor’s massive overreach when it comes to the state’s pandemic response,” Bryant told The Southern.
Click here to watch the video of the small group of anti-vax protesters, who are supposed to be caring for some of our state’s most vulnerable individuals, and make sure to check out the top pic. Ouch.
…Adding… Senate Republican staff…
Good morning Rich! Hope you are well.
In regard to your post titled “Sen. Bryant calls state worker vax mandate “massive overreach,” I wanted to provide you with Sen. Bryant’s full statement on the issue. The Southern only ran the first part.
“I have always been in favor of encouraging improved access and availability to vaccines for citizens who make the personal choice to be vaccinated. However, the Governor’s recent vaccine mandate is just the latest example of the Governor’s massive overreach when it comes to the state’s pandemic response.
“The Governor’s recent actions to mandate vaccinations is a slippery slope. People’s rights are being threatened single-handedly by one person. The right for someone to make the personal choice to get the vaccine shouldn’t be left to the Governor’s unilateral discretion.
“While I understand and respect any and all efforts to protect our most vulnerable residents, I firmly believe that a one-size-fits-all approach isn’t the answer.”
Thanks!
Not sure how that context helps her, but whatever. Many of the Choate residents are profoundly disabled. They cannot be cared for at home. And their care requires close human contact because many have to be moved. And yet some state workers believe their own mythical “rights” that do not exist in this nation’s history outweigh the health and safety of their co-workers and the people they are being paid to help.
* Related…
* 3 Choate Mental Health administrators indicted on felony charges
* Clyde L. Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center: How an archaic system results in tragic consequences for people with disabilities
* Your ‘personal choice’ not to get COVID vaccine is putting our ‘healthcare heroes’ at risk
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*** UPDATED x1 *** Get off Facebook!
Wednesday, Sep 8, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* My southern Illinois brother reached out to me the other day to tell me the region’s rumor mill was blowing up about a school shutdown in the region. I checked it out for him and reported back that it was bunk. Some people, however, don’t bother to check out social media rumors before inserting both feet into their mouths…
In his weekly letter to parents Highland Superintendent Michael Sutton said it’s crystal clear that the most difficult challenges are still ahead, and went on to mention that he has heard a rumor that the Governor is talking about a shutdown and mandating vaccines for kids 12 and older.
“As soon as we were eligible for the vaccine, we all got it,” said Stehlik.
Governor JB Pritzker’s office vehemently denied those rumors. In a statement they said:
“There is absolutely no truth to this rumor, the Governor is not closing down schools. The Governor and the Illinois State Board of Education have worked closely with school districts to ensure the wellbeing of students, teachers and communities by requiring masks, establishing a vaccine mandate for teachers and staff, and ensuring students have access to remote learning if they are required to quarantine. School district leaders have a responsibility to lead with honesty and integrity while putting policies in place to ensure that students can learn and grow in a safe environment.”
…Adding… Gov. Pritzker’s chief of staff…
*** UPDATE *** Please, stop listening to evil crackpots and grifters…
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Question of the day
Tuesday, Sep 7, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* This one will be for the old-timers and Illinois history buffs…
* The Question: Your memories of Adlai Stevenson III?
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* Politico…
Watch for Republican tech entrepreneur Jesse Sullivan to throw his hat in the ring to run for governor this week. He’s notified friends that he’ll be announcing Thursday. Sullivan lives in Petersburg but is also founder of the Alter Global venture capital firm in San Francisco. He’s been reaching out to potential donors, telling them he has $5 million in commitments, according to a fundraising booklet obtained by Playbook. Sullivan also has pulled together a campaign team, including campaign manager Noah Sheinbaum, a management consultant who worked for Bain & Co., and Eric Wilson, a digital strategist who also worked on Sen. Marco Rubio’s campaign. Sullivan would face state Sen. Darren Bailey, former state Sen. Paul Schimpf, and business owner Gary Rabine, in a June 2022 primary.
* He has some good stories to tell. From 2010…
Petersburg native Jesse Sullivan is living in a tent during one of Washington, D.C.’s worst winters on record to help raise money to provide emergency shelter for the people of Haiti.
2012…
When Jesse Sullivan arrived in Tor Ghai, a community in the Nahr-e-Saraj district of Helmand province in southern Afghanistan, it was riddled with violence.
Gun battles were routine, and improvised explosive devices were a constant threat.
Sullivan, 27, was there as part of a U.S. Army human terrain team. Made up of civilian and military personnel, the teams are embedded with brigades to help military commanders gain a deeper understanding of the social and cultural environments in which they operate.
* Sullivan has never contributed to a state or local campaign, but he did volunteer for a Democratic congressional candidate in 2008 against Aaron Schock.
* From Sullivan’s plan to win…
• Over-perform and drive up turnout among rural and religious base voters
• Bring back the Suburbs! Message to college educated female and suburban voters with an appealing message
• Activate the youth vote with a future-focused campaign centered on economic growth and opportunity
Not sure how he does the first two at the same time. He also thinks he’ll be the early frontrunner, which he claims will avoid candidates being forced to take extreme positions, even though there’s likely no way of convincing people like Darren Bailey to get out.
Also, his campaign manager has never had any high-level campaign experience, but I’m sure this is the second coming of the “Best Team in America” ™.
* Speaking of Bruce Rauner…
Ken Griffin, the GOP megadonor and billionaire founder of the hedge fund Citadel, donated $5 million to DeSantis’ campaign in April — the largest donation he has received this year. DeSantis also raked in $500,000 in May from WeatherTech founder David MacNeil, $250,000 in March from Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus and $250,000 in February from former Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner, who moved to Florida after he lost re-election.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Press release…
The results are in and Gary Rabine, candidate for Governor, was the clear winner of the Illinois State Fair Straw Poll.
The Illinois Republican Party tent conducted a straw poll during the State Fair. Fair goers had the option of putting corn in the jar of their favorite candidate and Gary Rabine was the undisputed straw poll winner.
“The results, of course, are not scientific but a win is a win,” Rabine said. “We are building momentum every day and we will continue our march to a victory not only in the primary but also against JB Pritzker. We can’t keep doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. I am the outsider our state needs right now.”
*** UPDATE 2 *** Text from an ILGOP official…
We did not conduct a straw poll. The “Corn Poll” was not monitored, no one counted the corn at the end of each day and it started over new the next day as a fun thing for folks to do when inside the tent.
*** UPDATE 3 *** FRAUD AT POLLS!…
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*Alexi Giannoulias fundraising pitch…
Dear Friends,
Let’s face it. It’s hard to find anyone who loves their driver’s license photo.
But what if you could do a retake?
Earlier today, our campaign announced a plan that would allow Illinoisans to choose the photo placed on their driver’s license.
Under our proposal, the Secretary of State’s office would allow Illinoisans to take up to three additional photos when they renew their license or state identification card at one of the Secretary of State’s facilities.
The Secretary of State’s office would charge $10 for each additional photo taken. The additional cost would only apply to those who want to have their photo retaken.
Revenue generated from the extra photos would go towards a new driver safety fund to support education, safety and training programs.
Will you help us keep our policy driven campaign going by contributing $25, $50 or $100?
There are many important policy issues involving the Secretary of State’s office that we have discussed and initiatives we’ve proposed. This isn’t one of them.
But we want to give Illinoisans a choice and have the opportunity for a more flattering photo while generating new revenue to make our roads safer.
Sincerely,
Alexi
The change wouldn’t take effect until the current long lines finally dwindle.
Your thoughts on this?
*** UPDATE *** Potential Republican challenger issues formal response…
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* Looks like he’s putting pressure on everyone to come to a final deal…
The Illinois House plans to return on Thursday, September 9th for the purpose of considering legislative measures related to a comprehensive energy proposal.
“I am pleased to see negotiations moving forward on a comprehensive energy proposal that prioritizes a greener future for Illinois, as well as meaningful ethics reform and maintaining our current workforce,” said House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch. “I cannot thank Leaders Evans, Gabel, and Hoffman enough for their dedication and ensuring all stakeholders are heard throughout this process. I am confident that we will have a plan that Illinois can be proud of and will be viewed as a model for many other states.”
Information on the current energy proposals can be found at ilga.gov.
…Adding… CNI…
The latest House amendment is carried by Rep. Ann Williams, D-Chicago, a longtime renewable energy advocate who was the sponsor of the Clean Energy Jobs Act that provides much of the framework for the negotiated bill. It has the backing of leading environmental groups making up the Clean Jobs Coalition.
“I think the decarbonization piece, for many of us, many members of the General Assembly, is an important part of any clean energy package,” Williams said in a phone call Tuesday. “For me, it’s not good enough to do yet another utility bill without addressing the elephant in the room, which is our looming and ever-increasing climate crisis.”
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Get your shots, please
Tuesday, Sep 7, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Too much ill-informed click-bait is a big reason for this…
* From that story…
In an unvaccinated person, a viral load is akin to an enemy army facing little resistance. In a vaccinated person, the human immune system launches a powerful response and tends to prevail quickly — often before the host body gets sick or infects others. That the viral loads were initially similar in size can end up being irrelevant. […]
But at least one part of the American anxiety does seem to have become disconnected from the facts in recent weeks: the effectiveness of the vaccines. In a new ABC News/Washington Post poll, nearly half of adults judged their “risk of getting sick from the coronavirus” as either moderate or high — even though 75 percent of adults have received at least one shot.
In reality, the risks of getting any version of the virus remain small for the vaccinated, and the risks of getting badly sick remain minuscule.
In Seattle on an average recent day, about one out of every one million vaccinated residents have been admitted to a hospital with Covid symptoms. That risk is so close to zero that the human mind can’t easily process it. My best attempt is to say that the Covid risks for most vaccinated people are of the same order of magnitude as risks that people unthinkingly accept every day, like riding in a vehicle.
…Adding… From comments…
As a vaccinated person you’re now far more likely to die of any number of things that have nothing to do with Covid. And if we reported on those risks the way we do breakthrough infections you’d probably never leave your house. If a 1 in 5,000 chance of getting Covid is too high of a risk for you to take on, you might want to revisit any number of activities you’re engaged in on a daily basis.
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AFSCME flooded with vax mandate feedback
Tuesday, Sep 7, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Form response letter from AFSCME Council 31…
Thank you for your feedback regarding vaccination mandates. We’re sorry to reply with this form letter, but we have had far too many letters from members (both for and against mandates) to respond to each individually.
We wanted to be sure you know that AFSCME supports the same kind of mandate that President Biden has put in place for federal government employees and that Governor Pritzker has put in place for all teachers and other school and university personnel, as well as for hospital and nursing home employees. This form of mandate requires that employees either be vaccinated or provide proof of weekly (or even twice weekly) testing.
We believe that state employees—or city or county employees—should be treated no differently than teachers and staff in our schools or nurses and doctors in our hospitals, and our bargaining is pressing for the same treatment for all.
Council 31’s position was developed in consultation with local union leaders from across the state. It is not anti-mandate, as some in the media have implied, but against a rigid, punitive mandate that would result in the discharge of every employee who does not get vaccinated by early October.
Our position is the same that most other unions are taking, and we are coordinating with some of those unions in the bargaining now underway with various employers.
AFSCME has been and will continue to be a leading voice in promoting COVID vaccinations. We have distributed informational materials and handouts, developed videos, held webinars and posted information on the Council 31 website and Facebook page, all with the goal of encouraging members to get vaccinated—and many thousands have done so!
In addition, our union has relentlessly advocated for appropriate protective measures in the worksites where tens of thousands of union members have been working every day since the outbreak of this pandemic—measures that employers have often been all too slow to put in place.
AFSCME’s overriding priority is to protect the health of our members and the public they serve. We will continue to act with that imperative front and center.
We appreciate you taking your time to write and express your opinion.
As I told subscribers last week, AFSCME is basically asking for the status quo ante. But that hasn’t stopped outbreaks in the state’s congregate facilities and it has rewarded employees who refuse to be vaxed with unlimited paid time off.
Get your shots.
…Adding… From comments…
The difference is that a student or a parent of a student can choose to avoid unvaccinated teachers through remote learning or homeschooling. Others that rely on state services, such as those in prisons or those in veteran homes, do not have that choice. By ignoring those that are dependent on state services, AFSCME’s argument of status quo is invalid.
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* Jordan Abudayyeh…
The Governor strongly supports the compromise presented in House Amendment 1 to SB1751 that will be filed this weekend. The amendment builds on the progress made in Senate Bill 18 by requiring a 100 percent reduction in carbon emissions for municipal coal by 2045 with the additional goal of reducing emissions by 45 percent by 2035. We know our planet cannot afford to wait more than two decades before significant progress at reducing carbon emissions is made, and this bill is a reasonable path forward. The administration looks forward to continuing discussions with our partners in the House.
The Senate sent a bill to the House this week which did not reduce carbon emissions on the two municipally owned plants until the 2045 closure date.
* ICJC…
Today, Illinois took another step toward an equitable clean energy future for all with the introduction of SB1751, House Amendment 1 which will take action on climate, protect communities from pollution, and launch a generation of new, good-paying jobs that lift up those who need it most.
In response, the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition (ICJC) released the following statement:
“The Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition strongly supports SB1751, House Amendment 1. This language — which mirrors energy legislation passed by the Illinois Senate (SB18) on September 1 and includes an important new element — is the reasonable path forward to a true climate and equitable jobs bill.
“In addition to a specific timeline for the closure of coal plants, this bill as amended also includes interim carbon pollution reductions for the Prairie State coal plant and CWLP’s Dallman coal plant in Springfield. These critical reductions are in line with climate science and will protect the public health of Illinoisans during the decades it will take to decarbonize. It is our understanding that this is the bill Governor Pritzker will sign.
“We are proud to advocate alongside the Governor and legislative Green Caucus in support of this legislation that meaningfully addresses our climate crisis, takes bold action on creating equitable jobs across the state particularly in Black and Brown communities, and enacts tough utility accountability measures.
“An urgent and nation-leading opportunity is within our reach. We encourage lawmakers to take this comprehensive climate and equitable jobs bill across the finish line next week.”
The amendment is not yet posted online.
Awaiting response from Speaker Welch and Senate President Harmon.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Here’s the language. It doesn’t mandate closure, but permanent 100 percent carbon reduction would be the same thing…
*** UPDATE 2 *** Speaker Welch…
I am confident Leaders Evans, Gabel, and Hoffman will continue to facilitate collaboration between all stakeholders and caucus members now that we have two proposals in bill language, and the House stands ready to act when consensus is reached.
Translation: When concensus is reached, a bill will move.
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Another cannabis muck up
Friday, Sep 3, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sun-Times…
State officials on Friday announced that a fourth lottery for cannabis dispensary licenses will now be held to give six applicant groups a chance to win additional permits after they were wrongfully excluded from drawings in an earlier lottery.
The latest development in the convoluted and acrimonious pot shop licensing process came just before the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation announced the final list of winners of the next 185 permits, which still can’t formally be issued due to a Cook County judge’s order.
Toi Hutchinson, Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s senior adviser on cannabis control, explained in a call with reporters that a “clerical oversight” led to some groups having less chances than they deserved and others having more shots in the July 29 lottery. The errors affected the drawings for five of the 17 regions where the licenses are designated.
The new lottery aims to give the affected firms the same odds of winning they would have had in the initial drawings, although it wasn’t immediately made clear how those odds will be determined. Additional licenses will be issued to the winners, but officials didn’t say how many could be dished out.
* Tribune…
At each step on the way, as regulators discovered errors, they acted to correct them, Hutchinson said, describing the process as a marathon, not a sprint.
“It’s been painful to watch how long this has taken,” she said. “As we move forward. this could get better every single year.”
* From a state press release…
Only six applicants did not receive the correct number of entries. The additional lottery will not impact applicants who were selected for the opportunity to be issued a conditional license in the previously held lotteries.
…Adding… Center Square…
Cannabis sales for the month of August dipped $5.8 million from the month before, bucking a consistent trend, but the governor’s lead advisor for the industry said things will continue to evolve.
In July, nearly $128 million of adult-use cannabis was sold. The following month, $122 million was sold. The only other declines month to month were in February 2021 and 2020, and a slight decline from October to November 2020.
It’s unclear if demand has peaked. Before Augusts’ sales numbers were revealed, Toi Hutchinson, the senior advisor for cannabis control to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, said that is something the law she helped craft as a state Senator requires review.
“The biggest thing is we designed this to study at every step of the way so that we could try to make the best policy decisions we could make with no breadcrumbs from any other state,” she said.
She couldn’t say what the ceiling was for sales.
“I could not even begin to tell you,” Hutchison said. “I will tell you that in February we surpassed liquor tax money.”
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* Press release…
As hospitals and schools work to implement additional COVID-19 testing programs and accountability measures, Governor JB Pritzker and Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike today announced a two-week extension of vaccination requirements for individuals in high-risk settings.
All healthcare workers, including nursing home employees, all P-12 teachers and staff, as well as higher education personnel and students will now be required to receive an initial dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by September 19, 2021. The extended deadline came at the request of the Illinois Health and Hospital Association (IHA), as well as education leaders including the Illinois Education Association (IEA), Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT), Illinois Association of School Administrators (IASA), and Illinois Principals Association (IPA), who best understand the localized needs of hospitals and schools implementing their own testing, vaccine and accountability protocols.
Entities continue to be permitted and encouraged to put in place more stringent vaccination requirements. The Executive Order does not prohibit any entity from implementing a requirement that personnel, contractors, students or other visitors be fully vaccinated without providing the alternative to test on a weekly basis consistent with applicable law.
“Vaccines remain our strongest tool to protect ourselves from COVID-19, the Delta variant, and most crucially, to maintain our healthcare system’s ability to care for anyone who walks through their doors in need of help,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “While hospitals and schools move forward in good faith, this extension ensures they are prepared to meet this requirement to better protect our most vulnerable residents and children who are not yet eligible to get vaccinated.”
“Even as our hospitals and schools are taking the necessary steps to ensure compliance with the testing and accountability measures mandated in Executive Order 2021-22, we recognize that some institutions will need additional time in which to establish procedures that will guarantee they are compliant,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “Our primary goal is to make sure that healthcare workers, education employees and students are protected, along with their families and communities, and this extension will help us achieve that goal.”
To combat the more contagious Delta variant, on August 26, 2021, the Governor announced that all healthcare workers, P-12 teachers and staff, higher education personnel and students would be required to receive the COVID-19 vaccine or submit to regular testing requirements. With Executive Order 2021-22, workers and students in applicable settings must receive the first dose of a two-dose vaccination series or a single-dose vaccination by September 19, 2021. The two-week extension will allow for more schools and hospitals to implement the new accountability measures. The second doses of either two-dose vaccine must be received by 30 days after the first dose, as directed by vaccine providers.
“I deeply appreciate how hard schools are working to protect students and educators while offering the highest quality in-person learning experience,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Carmen I. Ayala. “Our school leaders said they needed more time to plan and communicate, and I thank Gov. Pritzker and Dr. Ezike for providing this extension. While testing is an option for all school personnel, vaccination is the safest and most effective defense against COVID-19. I encourage everyone who works with our students to use this extra time to get vaccinated.”
The extension will also allow for more time to put additional testing protocols in place, given that individuals who are unable or unwilling to receive the vaccine are required to get tested for COVID-19 at least once per week to prevent further spread. IDPH and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) may require increased testing in the event of positive cases. Healthcare professionals, school workers, and higher education personnel and students who do not provide proof of vaccination will be required to follow the testing protocol in order to enter healthcare and educational facilities.
There’s more, but you get the idea. The EO is here.
…Adding… Illinois Education Association President Kathi Griffin…
“Today’s announcement of the two-week deadline extension on the governor’s Executive Order on vaccines is welcome news. We have said all along that the best place for students to be is in the classroom, as long as it’s safe. We believe the governor’s executive order – which encourages all education employees from preschool through college to be vaccinated and if they can’t, or won’t, then to be tested weekly – will help keep schools open and all those who work and learn inside them safe.
“Ultimately, keeping everyone safe and healthy while they are working and learning is the main goal. Extending the deadline will give school districts and higher education institutions more time to bargain the details and the impact of the order with employees, an important step that must take place to ensure that our members’ concerns are addressed. It will also give school leaders time to develop plans, secure testing and even offer vaccination clinics.
“We support public health strategies that work. Vaccines are the most effective way to ensure safety. And, vaccines combined with other known effective mitigation strategies, such as wearing masks, washing hands, keeping socially distanced, appropriate building ventilation and a vibrant testing program for students and staff will help all of us meet the goal of keeping doors open and everyone safe and healthy.”
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* The House Executive Committee has just posted a hearing for next Thursday morning, September 9. The bill is SB18, the climate/energy measure which passed the Senate this week. Speaker Welch is the chief sponsor.
It’s a virtual hearing, so we don’t know yet whether the posting signals a return to Springfield that day or not.
I’ve reached out with questions, so you’ll know more when I know more.
…Adding… A House Democratic spokesperson said she was told the posting was done primarily to be meet posting requirements “in case we do come back.” So, we wait.
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* I have yet to receive a single press release from an Illinois Republican politician praising the US Supreme Court’s ruling or the Texas law the high court allowed to stand. The Illinois House and Senate Republican leaders are both anti-abortion advocates, but they’ve been quiet. The Illinois Republican Party has been similarly mute. Heck, even US Rep. Mary Miller and Sen. Darren Bailey haven’t tweeted about it.
…Adding… US Rep. Miller and the rest of the state’s Republican delegation signed on to an amicus brief in late July asking the US Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Either the dog has finally caught the car and doesn’t know what to do with it, or they realize how unpopular the law is in Illinois with all-important suburban women, or both. The Democrats are not nearly so shy…
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Thursday that he’s “very concerned” about the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision not to block a new Texas law banning most abortions in the state, and vowed Illinois would continue to welcome women from elsewhere who need reproductive health care.
“Shame on those Texas lawmakers for taking away, not just women’s rights, but women’s health,” Pritzker, a first-term Democrat, said at an unrelated news conference in Chicago. “Banning abortion does not keep women safe.”
A deeply divided high court allowed the Texas law to remain in force in the nation’s biggest abortion curb since the court legalized abortions nationwide almost half a century ago. The court voted 5-4 to deny an emergency appeal from abortion providers and others but also suggested that their order likely wasn’t the last word and that other challenges can be brought.
* NBC 5 takes a look at the Illinois impact…
Illinois has “very strong pro-reproductive rights laws,” said Carolyn Shapiro, professor of law and co-director of Chicago-Kent College of Law’s Institute on the Supreme Court of the United States.
So women’s rights in the state likely won’t be threatened by the Texas law “in the short term,” she said. […]
Shapiro noted that if Roe v. Wade is overturned and Congress debates the possibility of a nationwide abortion restriction, then the impacts could be felt in Illinois.
“If there are national efforts to change the law in Congress to impose different types of abortion bans - as Congress did with what they call the partial birth abortion ban, which the Supreme Court upheld - they could then… that would obviously have enormous effects here in Illinois and would be quite frightening.”
* Tribune…
Activists from both sides of the abortion debate believe Illinois will see an uptick in travel here for the procedure.
“I think we’re definitely going to be seeing higher abortion rates in Illinois,” Scheidler said. “That trend will continue as other states enact other pro-life measures, whether we’re talking about measures that have already been upheld by the Supreme Court or measures that are completely new like this Texas law.”
Thousands of women already travel to Illinois from other states each year to access abortions. In 2019, roughly 7,500 crossed state lines for the procedure, about 16% of all terminated pregnancies in Illinois that year. The number of out-of-state abortions has increased every year since 2014, according to Illinois Department of Public Health data.
While it’s impossible to know the reasons for each individual decision to travel for the procedure, many experts have attributed the overall rise to increasing restrictions in other states.
* Sun-Times editorial…
The Texas law actually bars state officials from enforcing the law. You won’t see Texas Rangers closing down abortion clinics that continue to perform abortions after six weeks. Instead, the law grants private individuals the authority to sue anybody — except the actual patient herself — who “aids and abets” such an abortion, including doctors, counselors and drivers.
The bounty is $10,000. That’s how much the State of Texas will pay if you sue and win. Plus, the state will pick up your legal bills. You don’t even have to have some connection to the abortion. You can live in Peoria and sue a stranger in Houston.
But what if you are the person who is sued and you win? Texas will not pay your legal fees. And the state sure as heck won’t fork over $10,000.
* AP…
A Missouri law that took effect last week allows citizens to sue local law enforcement agencies whose officers knowingly enforce any federal gun laws. Police and sheriff’s departments can face fines of up to $50,000 per occurrence. The law was backed by Republicans who fear Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration could enact restrictive gun policies.
In Kansas, a new law prompted by frustration over coronavirus restrictions allows residents to file lawsuits challenging mask mandates and limits on public gatherings imposed by counties. Last month, the Kansas Supreme Court allowed enforcement of the law to proceed while it considers an appeal of a lower court ruling that declared the law unconstitutional.
Utah also took a similar strategy on pornography last year, passing a law that allows citizens to sue websites that fail to display a warning about the effects of “obscene materials” on minors. Though adult-entertainment groups warned it was a violation of free speech, many sites have complied with the law to avoid the expense of a possible onslaught of legal challenges.
* Related…
* Texas abortion providers say they’ve been forced to turn away patients under new law: Rebecca Tong, who operates an abortion clinic in neighboring Oklahoma, said she’s become inundated with out-of-state calls. “The phones have just been ridiculous,” said Tong, co-executive director of Trust Women. “About two-thirds of our call volume right now is Texas people.”
* Texas’s new abortion law threatens women’s health and well-being: In 1947, for example, Chicago police captured eight women outside the building of a midwife-abortionist, put them in police cars and drove them to a medical office for internal pelvic examinations by a doctor searching for evidence of an abortion in progress. The state claimed that the police “escorted” the women, who “consented” to the exams and volunteered to testify. But there was nothing voluntary about the women’s role in this investigation; it was entirely coercive. Police had cursed at them, threatened to call a paddy wagon if they resisted and manhandled them into police cars.
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* Tribune…
A voting advocacy group said Thursday state legislative district maps approved by Democrats earlier this week fail to maximize Black representation and would reduce the number of Black-majority districts in the state.
Illinois African Americans for Equitable Redistricting sent a letter to a panel of three federal judges overseeing legal challenges to the map asking them to use their “leverage” to approve a redistricting plan that “provides optimal opportunity for Black voters to exercise their right to elect candidates of their own choosing.”
Republicans and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund have filed separate federal lawsuits over the maps. MALDEF, in a status hearing Wednesday, told the court panel it plans to challenge the latest map on federal Voting Rights Act grounds, contending it underrepresents a Latino population that grew by 15% over the last decade and reduced the number of legislative districts with a Latino voting-age majority.
* Press release…
Members of Illinois African Americans for Equitable Redistricting (IAAFR) have reviewed the Legislature’s final redistricting plan and they are not happy. “From what we can see, Black voters in the state of Illinois are worse off under the revised plan than we were under the plan enacted in June”, said Valerie F. Leonard, the group’s convener. “In fact, every redistricting plan the Legislature has come up with after 2011 has done progressively more harm to Black voters”.
In 2011, the redistricting plan was drawn with 16 majority Black Representative districts, and 8 majority Black Senate districts. This past spring UCCRO developed a redistricting proposal with 18 representative districts with 50% or more Black population. They also drew 9 Black Senate districts.
A recent review of the data that supports the maps enacted in June revealed that the Legislature drew 12 Black Representative districts and 6 Black Senate districts. The amended plan reduced the number of Black Representative districts from 12 to 8, and the number of Black Senate districts from 6 to 4. Black people made up 14% of Illinois population in 2011 and 14% of the state’s population in 2021. The latest redistricting plan drew fewer than 7% of the new districts as majority Black.
We know the Legislature can figure out a way to balance their political agenda with optimizing Black voting rights”, Leonard said. Speaker Madigan did this in 2011, and the data show that it is possible to do it again. For some reason, they decided not to go that route this time around.”
IAAFR shared their concerns in a letter to the Court overseeing the lawsuit brought by MALDEF and the Republican leaders.
The letter is here.
I asked the group’s convener Valerie Leonard if the group plans to sue. “We are exploring our options,” she replied.
Lots of districts are near to a Black majority, however. And voting history has shown that white folks in the state are willing to vote for Black candidates, which is one of the arguments the Democrats will likely make.
* Meanwhile…
As the Illinois House and Senate passed new redistricting maps on August 31, community members organized by the non-partisan United Congress of Community and Religious Organizations (UCCRO) urge Governor JB Pritzker to veto the maps and meet with UCCRO about its Unity Map proposal that protects the ability of communities of color to elect candidates of our choice. The passed maps weaken the voting power of Black and Latino community members and largely ignore Asian American and Arab American communities. The rushed and exclusionary mapping process has imposed significant challenges to Black and Brown communities who are trying to work together toward win-win outcomes.
WHO:
Rod Wilson, UCCRO
Reverend Robin Hood, UCCRO
Latino Policy Forum
IL Muslim Civic Coalition
Enlace Chicago
Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community (CBCAC)
Erica Knox, Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights
WHERE: Outside the James R. Thompson Center (100 W. Randolph Street, Chicago IL)
WHEN: 10:00 a.m. CT, Friday, September 3, 2021
*** UPDATE *** Henry Olsen at the Washington Post on the Illinois remap…
The new map is so brazen that progressive elections analyst Drew Savicki found it would create up to 85 districts expected to be Democratic in the 118-seat state House, even though only 69 Democrats would be elected in a map that fairly reflected the proportional strength of each party. So while Democrats would naturally win a majority because they dominate the state, the Democratic plan would net them nearly 80 percent of the seats from less than 60 percent of the votes.
That’s a ridiculous assumption based on the numbers I’ve seen.
* But, there’s no doubt the map is gerrymandered…
Calabrese estimated that House Democrats, who hold a 73-45 majority, will pick up at least five seats in the 2022 election. […]
On the Senate side, he suggested Democrats may lose a seat or two, putting a slight dent in their current 41-18 margin. Calabrese said Democrats decided to redraw Senate districts in a way that ensures virtually all of them will be overwhelmingly Republican or Democratic, impervious to a general election challenge.
Calabrese’s numbers that I’ve seen and published show at most (not at least) a five-seat gain for House Democrats, but those are just numbers on paper and I do not totally agree. Some Republicans, like Reps. Mark Batinick and Bradley Stephens, have proved to be quite adept at overcoming Democratic trends.
And I’m not yet convinced that the Senate Democrats will definitely lose two seats. Both districts he’s labeled as possible losses have been won by Democrats in the past even though the districts had more Republicans then than they have now.
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Unclear on the concept
Thursday, Sep 2, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Gov. JB Pritzker was asked today about outbreaks at schools…
Remember, an outbreak is one in which there are five or more kids or people at that school who have tested positive.
And then he insisted the criteria was “five or more” again after being pressed.
* Tribune…
The criteria for an outbreak was previously five or more cases but recently changed, said IDPH spokeswoman Melaney Arnold.
“Outbreaks at schools are two or more cases epidemiologically linked — people were in the same space at the same time,” Arnold said in a statement.
And if you go to the IDPH website, you’ll see that, of 26 outbreaks, 20 are classified as less than five cases.
…Adding… With thanks to a commenter, this is from the CDC…
Definitions for COVID-19 outbreaks are relative to the local context. A working definition of “outbreak” is recommended for planning investigations. A recommended definition is a situation that is consistent with either of two sets of criteria:
• During (and because of) a case investigation and contact tracing, two or more contacts are identified as having active COVID-19, regardless of their assigned priority.
OR
• Two or more patients with COVID-19 are discovered to be linked, and the linkage is established outside of a case investigation and contact tracing (e.g., two patients who received a diagnosis of COVID-19 are found to work in the same office, and only one or neither of the them was listed as a contact to the other).
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* After getting whacked by the courts during the 1981 remap process, the Democrats have always tried to appease Latino groups in the redistricting process to avoid another lawsuit. As we discussed yesterday, the new do-over maps passed this week have so far not dissuaded the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund from moving ahead with its legal challenge. And now comes the Latino Policy Forum…
The Latino Policy Forum urges Governor Pritzker to veto the Illinois legislative maps passed by legislators this week, which do not equitably reflect the state’s Latino community.
Despite recent 2020 census data indicating that Illinois added 309,832 Latinos (the largest population increase among racial/ethnic groups statewide), no Latino-majority districts were added in the maps passed by the general assembly. In fact, preliminary analysis and reports show that some Latino-majority districts are diluted even more, further hindering the community’s ability to elect the representatives of their choice.
Furthermore, as with the maps from the spring, the Illinois legislature did not provide advocates with a reasonable timeline that would enable community input.
The Forum supports and stands alongside efforts led by the United Congress of Community and Religious Organizations (UCCRO), the IL Muslim Civic Coalition, the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, and other allies that denounce the passed maps.
…Adding… Leader Durkin…
Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) released the following statement on Governor Pritzker’s comments today about the new legislative maps:
“The Governor needs to live up to his campaign pledges for a fair map and veto another attempt by the legislative Democrats to silence communities across Illinois. The Governor does not just work for the Democratic insiders who got him elected. He needs to listen to the voices of groups like Latino Policy Forum and the IL Muslim Civic Coalition so that all Illinoisans feel that equity and inclusion are part of the mapmaking process.”
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* Wall Street Journal…
States that ended enhanced federal unemployment benefits early have so far seen about the same job growth as states that continued offering the pandemic-related extra aid, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis and economists.
Several rounds of federal pandemic aid boosted the amount of unemployment payments, most recently by $300 a week, and extended them for as long as 18 months. The extra benefits are set to expire nationwide next week. But 25 states ended the financial enhancement over the summer, and most of them also moved to end other pandemic-specific unemployment programs such as benefits for gig and self-employed workers.
Nonfarm payrolls rose 1.33% in July from April in the 25 states that ended the benefits and 1.37% in the other 25 states and the District of Columbia, the Journal analysis of Labor Department data showed. The payroll figures are taken from a government survey of employers. The analysis compared July totals with April, before governors in May started announcing plans to end or reduce the benefits during the summer.
Economists who have conducted their own analyses of the government data say the rates of job growth in states that ended and states that maintained the benefits are, from a statistical perspective, about the same.
“If the question is, ‘Is UI the key thing that’s holding back the labor market recovery?’ The answer is no, definitely not, based on the available data,” said Peter Ganong, a University of Chicago economist, referring to unemployment insurance.
* Bar graph…
This is the second study we’ve covered on this topic. The other one is here.
Econ 101 has wrecked more peoples’ minds than anything else in higher education and has led to some pretty cruel policies.
*** UPDATE *** CBS 2…
The U.S. Department of Labor estimates 15,404 new unemployment claims were filed during the week of August 23 in Illinois, according to the DOL’s weekly claims report released Thursday. […]
Illinois’ estimated claims are among 340,000 total claims filed across the country last week. […]
There were 21,499 new unemployment claims filed during the week of August 2 in Illinois.
There were 20,019 new unemployment claims were filed during the week of July 26 in Illinois.
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* Daily Herald…
People living in the suburbs make up 44% of the state’s population, but in August they accounted for just 26% of COVID-19 deaths in Illinois.
That’s the suburbs’ smallest portion of COVID-19 deaths for any month since the pandemic began, according to a Daily Herald analysis of Illinois Department of Public Health records. […]
People living in 96 counties outside the Chicago metropolitan area make up 34.5% of the population and have experienced 36% of deaths.
But that share is increasing.
More than half the state’s COVID-19 deaths in both July and August were from the 96 downstate counties, where less than 40% of the population is vaccinated against COVID-19. That compares to 53% that are vaccinated in the state as a whole.
* And southern Illinois is getting hit hard by people who won’t get themselves and their families vaccinated…
A Tribune analysis of state data shows that southern Illinois’ rate of hospitalizations is nearly as high as it was at its peak last fall: a rate of nearly 41 per 100,000 residents, compared with a rate of 43 just after Thanksgiving.
Its hospitalization rate is by far the highest in Illinois, and more than triple the rate in the city of Chicago.
About 37% of southern Illinois residents are fully vaccinated, compared with nearly 54% in Chicago. […]
Across the region’s 22 hospitals, many are delaying elective surgeries and keeping patients in beds in their emergency departments while they wait for other beds to become available, said Arien Herrmann, regional hospital coordinating center manager for region five, which encompasses the southernmost part of Illinois.
* The Southern…
Memorial Hospital of Carbondale has 22 COVID-19 patients in critical care and all of them are on ventilators. The youngest is 28 years old, SIH said.
Three of the patients have been fully vaccinated and are over age 65. Harre said most of those 22 patients in critical care are in their 20s, 30s or 40s.
“The Delta Variant is really hitting the younger population,” [SIH Chief Nursing Officer Jennifer Harre] said. “Once they go on a ventilator, it is really hard to get off the vent.”
With the original COVID-19 virus, most of the patients in ICU at the hospitals were from congregate living situations or over age 65.
* Meanwhile, in Chicago…
Chicago Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said the mask mandate that has been in effect for a little over a week is already resulting in positive COVID data for the city.
“We’re doing quite well in Chicago. We’re averaging 473 cases per day,” essentially the same as the daily rate a week ago. Chicago’s daily case rate per 100,000 people stands at 17.5—half the national rate of 39 people per 100,000 per day.
“What I’m pleased about is we’re seeing some real flattening here, I think that is largely a result, actually, of putting the masks back on indoors,” Arwady said. […]
The positivity rate is similarly flat at 4.4%. “We’ve actually not yet gone over 5%, that’s a very good sign, it shows us we’re testing well,” Arwady continued. The average daily hospitalization rate is 22—down 29% from the prior week.
Get your shots and wear your mask.
…Adding… Dr. Tracey Smith at the Illinois Public Health Association…
Hi Rich,
We saw your post this morning about the ongoing situation in southern Illinois. Below is a statement that should be attributed to Dr. Tracey Smith, director of Community Health and Programs at the Illinois Public Health Association:
As you alluded to this morning, there are people throughout Illinois grappling with some very dire situations. Community Health Workers have been on-the-ground for months doing all they can to slow the spread of COVID-19. This includes helping people in isolation and quarantine who might otherwise be disconnected from critical services.
The state’s Pandemic Health Navigator Program, which is managed by the Illinois Public Health Association and funded by IDPH, is still available to anyone who needs help finding basic human needs, such as:
• Getting meals and medications
• Mobility and mental health support
• Safer living conditions
• Work and income resources
Your readers could help their constituents by sending them to helpguidethrive.org. There they will find a directory of Community Based Organizations and Federally Qualified Health Centers throughout Illinois that provide these services and more.
* Related…
* A new study found half of hospitalized Covid patients had lingering symptoms one year later: “The need to understand and respond to long Covid is increasingly pressing,” said an editorial The Lancet published about the study. “Symptoms such as persistent fatigue, breathlessness, brain fog, and depression could debilitate many millions of people globally.” It added: “Long Covid is a modern medical challenge of the first order.”
* SIH officials say staff is stretched thin taking care of COVID patients
* Hospital data from southwest IL continues to show COVID impacts the unvaccinated hardest
* Petersburg PORTA cancels second straight game because of COVID-19 protocols
* IHSA has no policy for quarantine, exposure, or return to play for COVID-19: Troha said there have been 12 canceled games in week one and even one team, Urbana high school, that canceled their season altogether.
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