Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Thursday, Oct 20, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Press release…

People Who Play By The Rules PAC has launched a new ad, “FALL OF FEAR.” It is available on YouTube, the PBR PAC Facebook Page and will run on statewide media this week.

:30 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Akqy4uyoIz8 [Fixed link]
TV Script:

JB Pritzker’s Purge Law has put you in danger. That’s what Democrats are telling you:

“…Significant increases in violent crime…” – Justin Hood, Hamilton County State’s Attorney, Democrat

“…Endangers our communities.” – Zachary Gowin, Alexander County State’s Attorney, Democrat

“What you see in Chicago, we’ll have here.” -Democrat State’s Attorney Jim Glasgow

AT HOME.

CHICAGO MAN HAD TO RUN AWAY WITH HIS CHILD DURING CARJACKING IN UKRAINIAN VILLAGE – CBS 2 CHICAGO

“You just started freaking out, thinking ‘Oh my God it happened, it happened, what we’ve been talking about and fearing forever just happened to us.” – Josselyn Kula, Mother

AT WORK.

MOVING OUT. BUSINESSES MOVING OUT OF BIG CITIES DUE TO CRIME.

“The city of Chicago has become Gotham City except we don’t have the Batman. We can’t even walk down the street without looking over our shoulder.” – Uzma Sharif, Chocolatier

Civilization is on the ballot November 8th.

It’s Pritzker or your personal safety.

You can’t have both.

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Many Illinois counties are maternity deserts

Thursday, Oct 20, 2022 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* WCCU…

Dozens of counties in Illinois are labeled “Maternity Deserts ‘ meaning there are no maternal resources in the area. […]

After the recent closure of labor and delivery services at OSF in Danville, mothers in the community had to travel around 40 miles to deliver their babies.

Brenda Adams from the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program located in Danville stated that doctors from the Champaign county area are helping fill in the gap over in Danville to make sure all mothers can be seen. […]

Along with WIC services, the Gibbson Area Hospital and Health Services provide maternal care to patients from eight surrounding counties. Helping care for maternity desert areas in Illinois.

* More background on the study from NPR…

That’s according to a report released Tuesday by March of Dimes, a nonprofit focused on maternal and infant health. It finds that 36% of counties nationwide — largely in the Midwest and South — constitute “maternity care deserts,” meaning they have no obstetric hospitals or birth centers and no obstetric providers.

It paints a slightly grimmer picture than the organization’s last such report, which was released in 2020. Five percent of counties have a worse designation this time around, and there’s been a 2% increase in counties classified as maternity care deserts — accounting for some 15,933 women living in more than 1,000 counties.

March of Dimes says these changes are driven primarily by the loss of obstetric providers and hospital services within counties, as a result of financial and logistical challenges including the COVID pandemic.

And it warns the result is disproportionately harming rural communities and people of color: One in 4 Native American babies, and 1 in 6 Black babies, were born in areas with limited or no access to maternity care services.

You can take a look at the map here

* Last month in Crain’s…

On Chicago’s South Side, maternal care offerings are severely limited. Between 2019 and 2020, the number of South Side hospitals offering maternity services dropped from seven to three. The lack of options available to women on the South Side has created what the Chicago Tribune called a “birthing desert,” meaning expectant mothers must travel far beyond where they live to seek prenatal care.

How can we begin to address this crisis? A start would be to invest in community-based approaches that include certified practicing midwives providing Black families with holistic, culturally informed and science-based maternal health care before, during and after birth. These approaches can reduce maternal mortality and lead to improved outcomes such as lower rates of C-sections and fewer instances of pre-term or low-birth-weight infants.

Research shows that community-based approaches to maternal care, like doulas and freestanding birth centers (particularly when Black-owned), make a difference. This is why the organization I lead, Chicago Beyond, provided funding for Jeanine Valrie Logan, a birth-equity champion who works to address disparities in Black maternal health. Valrie Logan is bringing a nonprofit, Black midwife-led, culturally concordant, community-focused birth center to the South Side. […]

The truth of the matter is that systemic failures often prevent Black mothers and babies from receiving necessary care. And though we may never live in a perfect world, investing in community-based approaches can promise that healthy and safe birthing

* AP reported a link between COVID-19 and increases in pregnancy-related death…

COVID-19 drove a dramatic increase in the number of women who died from pregnancy or childbirth complications in the U.S. last year, a crisis that has disproportionately claimed Black and Hispanic women as victims, according to a government report released Wednesday.

The report lays out grim trends across the country for expectant mothers and their newborn babies.

It finds that pregnancy-related deaths have spiked nearly 80% since 2018, with COVID-19 being a factor in a quarter of the 1,178 deaths reported last year. The percentage of preterm and low birthweight babies also went up last year, after holding steady for years. And more pregnant or postpartum women are reporting symptoms of depression.

“We were already in the middle of a crisis with maternal mortality in our country,” said Karen Tabb Dina, a maternal health researcher at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “This really shows that COVID-19 has exacerbated that crisis to rates that we, as a country, are not able to handle.”

…Adding… From this past May…

Governor JB Pritzker today signed two bills designed to provide better access to healthcare for rural Illinoisans. SB3017 amends the Loan Repayment Assistance for Physicians Act to address the shortage of healthcare providers, particularly for obstetrical services, in rural committees. SB1435 amends hospital licensing procedures to clear the way for health center mergers and increased healthcare coordination in rural districts.

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Live coverage

Thursday, Oct 20, 2022 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Follow along with ScribbleLive…

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*** UPDATED x1 *** Campaign notebook

Wednesday, Oct 19, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller

*** UPDATE *** Wondering when we would see something like this…

Chicago City Council Latino Caucus rejects Darren Bailey’s hateful rhetoric against immigrants from the southern border. Read full statement here: pic.twitter.com/A1TxeOSih2

— Chi Latino Caucus (@ChiLatinoCaucus) October 19, 2022

…Adding… State Senator…

(2/3): with our Southern border.’ Baileys’ unprompted connection between migrants and gang violence go far beyond a dog whistle; it is unabashed racism that has no place in Illinois. While Bailey continues to scapegoat Latinos for problems he has no plans to solve.

— Cristina Castro (@CastroforIL22) October 19, 2022

* Press release…

If the Illinois Primary election was any indication, voters are going to get pummeled with political robocalls and robotexts between now and Election Day next month.

This was true in 2020 when Americans received approximately 8.25 million robocalls on Election Day, and over the past two months Illinois ranks 24th in robocalls on a per capita basis.

Political robocalls, according to this source…

For the month of August, Illinois received around 123,406 robocalls.
For the month of September, Illinois received around 311,919 robocalls.
For the first two weeks of October, Illinois received around 281,917 robocalls.

From 8/1 to 10/16, Illinois received 717,242 robocalls.

* State early vote totals…

The @illinoissbe has updated early vote totals (10/19/22):
Total VBM requested: 764,930
Total VBM returned: 200,084
Total VBM outstanding: 564,846
Return Rate: 26%
Total Early Vote: 49,153
Total Grace Period: 560
Total Already Voted: 249,797https://t.co/44ga6AxRbY

— IL Election Data (@ILElectionData) October 19, 2022

* Chicago early vote totals…

the most up-to-date Early Vote and Vote By Mail totals in Chicago, night of Tuesday, October 18, 2022.

The Early Vote total stands at 2,694 ballots cast.

Additionally, 17,866 Vote By Mail ballots have been returned to the Board – total VBM applications stands at 185,745.

The grand total is 20,560 ballots cast so far in Chicago for the November 8th General Election.

* ILGOP…

“Pritzker’s policies have turned Chicago into a dystopian version - Pritzkerville - which may soon spread into the suburbs and downstate. Only by electing a new Governor can we begin to rebuild from the damage he caused and once again make our communities safe for residents and businesses. That is the message that Darren Bailey delivered last night,” said Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy.

* Press release…

After begging for Donald Trump’s prized endorsement for months, GOP gubernatorial nominee Darren Bailey tried to buck Trump’s support at last night’s debate — but voters know the truth.

Bailey scored Trump’s “complete and total endorsement” at a rally in June, where Bailey said unequivocally: “I’ve made a promise to President Trump that in 2024, Illinois will roll the red carpet out for him because Illinois will be ready for President Trump.”

At yesterday’s debate, he tried desperately to rewrite history, saying: “Nobody’s announced their run for president.”

But voters won’t forget the truth: after soliciting Trump’s endorsement for months, Bailey threw his full, unconditional support behind the former president because he knew it was key to winning the GOP nomination — and he did that all while campaigning with January 6th insurrectionists and spreading the same lies that sparked the violent attack.

Voters will remember where Darren Bailey’s true allegiance lies — and that he himself said: there is “no” daylight between him and Trump.

* Pritzker in the spin room…

* From the Tribune’s debate coverage…

“Gov. Pritzker tries to inject his radical gender ideology into our classrooms,” Bailey said.

But Pritzker pointed to the Full Armor Christian Academy school Bailey founded that uses curriculum connected to conservative South Carolina’s Bob Jones University. The university’s press has offered history books that taught that not all slaves were mistreated, that the women’s movement in society carried societal costs and that when the Bible and science are in conflict, the Bible is correct.

From the debate…

Q: Let’s talk about reproductive rights, gentlemen, shall we? Senator Bailey, just tonight you said nothing is going to change about Illinois abortion laws if you’re elected. But last week, the Executive Director of Illinois Right to Life promised you will work to undo extremism. If elected, would you pursue pro life policies through executive orders? You’ve got 60 seconds.

Bailey: Well, let’s talk about extremism. Governor Pritzker is perfectly fine with our children needing abortions without their parents knowing anything about it. I think that’s extreme. Governor Pritzker is perfectly fine injecting his gender curriculum, the first of its kind in the nation into our schools, woke ideology. I think that’s extreme. Governor Pritzker, his family foundation is the primary sponsor for experimental gender surgeries (Pritzker: That’s not true) in childrens’ hospitals (Pritzker: That’s not true) all across this nation right here in Chicago. (Pritzker: False.) I think that’s extreme. Governor Pritzker tries to inject his radical gender ideology into our classrooms, and most school districts have rejected that.

That accusation is based on a conspiracy theory about how the governor is supposedly in cahoots with his trans cousin Jennifer, who contributed to Bruce Rauner, Richard Irvin’s 2022 campaign and against the governor’s graduated income tax. The conspiracy theory was pushed by Dan Proft’s papers.

* Press release…

Chairman Scott Gryder released his new ad “Leader” which highlights his priorities in Congress, and his commitment to people, not politics:

“During her tenure as our representative, Lauren Underwood has put big government special interests and her own agenda first – at the expense of every individual in this district. She has made our lives more expensive and less safe. We deserve better.

That’s why I’m running for Congress.

I’ll go to Washington to end reckless spending and lower taxes, giving us back our financial freedom. I’ll also restore safety to our neighborhoods by standing with law enforcement and ensuring that they receive the funding and resources they need to effectively do their job.”

Watch the ad with link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPllDDfxvw0

“Scott Gryder is a leader, not a D.C. politician.

Gryder will stand with law enforcement and fight crime.

And Gryder will stop inflation and cut your taxes.

Scott Gryder for Congress.

I’m Scott Gryder, and I approved this message.”

* Anti-abortion groups are upset with DuPage County Board member Greg Hart as he runs for county chair, but their protest of his recent fundraiser was sparsely attended, to say the least…

We’re protesting DuPage County Chairman candidate Greg Hart who has done a 180 degree turn on his pro-life stance and now says he’ll never stand in the way of a woman’s “right to choose” with the help and funding of the illinois GOP. Eric Scheidler, our executive director, has some thoughts:

Posted by Pro-Life Action League on Tuesday, October 18, 2022

Still, if this contest is close and staunch pro-lifers skip over that race…

* Cable TV ad for Scott Britton for Cook County Commissioner…

* Isabel’s roundup…

* Cook County Voters to Weigh Forest Preserves Tax Increase in Upcoming Election: It’s rare when newspaper editorial boards and fiscal watchdog groups recommend that residents vote to increase their property taxes. But that’s exactly the case as Cook County voters face a binding question on their election ballot: Do you want to pay a little more to help fund the Cook County Forest Preserves? Outside groups have waged a public campaign to convince voters to say yes, because they believe the investment will pay growing dividends.

* Six takeaways from the second Illinois gubernatorial debate: Bailey had a message. He undercut that message by repeatedly refusing to get specific, but even a casual viewer would get the gist: At a time when the economy is bumpy, taxes are high and the streets of Chicago and other cities are dangerous, Illinois needs a change. Good and simple. Pritzker’s message was that things have improved on his watch, particularly with state finances, and that voters ought to stick with him. But “stick with me” is not much of a second-term agenda. In the closing weeks of the campaign, the governor might do well to spell out what a vote for him means, other than not electing Bailey.

* Illinois’ 6th Congressional District candidates offer stance on education: Pekau said Democrats are pushing their views in Illinois classrooms throughout the state. “We need to stop the agenda they are trying to push, it is unacceptable,” Pekau said. “We need to teach the skills that need to be [taught]. If you want to talk U.S. History, you talk about the good and the bad. We don’t do it through a racial based lens, we do it through an American lens.” […] Casten suggests “providing universal early childhood education” and to “ensure that all students have access to a top-quality elementary, high school, and trade school or higher education.”

* Opinion: In public education debate, don’t overlook community colleges: The ongoing gubernatorial campaign got a mild injection of interest earlier this month when one candidate said it might be time to reduce state spending on K-12 public education. The other countered by pledging further investment and making sure private schools aren’t enriched at taxpayer expense. You know which is which, but the point here isn’t settling the debate between two candidates, but discussing the larger issue of postsecondary education and workforce development.

* Latest fundraising has Vallas eager for campaign fight: A $500,000 donation from prominent GOP donor and golf course magnate Michael Keiser has left an opening for some opponents, including the Chicago Teachers Union, to attack Vallas, a former CPS CEO, as a closet Republican

* Biz community opens wallets for Vallas mayoral bid: With help from execs at Madison Dearborn, Citadel and other firms, Vallas pulls closer to Lightfoot and Wilson in the mayoral race for cash: Other candidates running are way back in the dash for cash. State Rep. Kam Bucker, D-Chicago, pulled in nearly $100,000 in cash and donated services for his mayoral campaign committee during the third quarter, but half of that was a transfer of funds form his state rep account.

* Daily Herald Endorsement: Moylan for state representative in 55th District

* Daily Herald Endorsement: Pettorini for House Dist. 61

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