* HB4080, sponsored today by Rep. Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich)…
Amends the General Assembly Operations Act. Provides that the wearing of masks shall not be required for any member of the House of Representatives, or the staff thereof, while present on the floor of the House of Representatives. Provides that any such rule or provision of law mandating the wearing of masks on the floor of the House of Representatives is void. Effective immediately.
* HB4081, sponsored today by GOP Reps. Andrew S. Chesney, Joe Sosnowski, Blaine Wilhour, Adam Niemerg, Brad Halbrook, Chris Miller and Tony McCombie…
Creates the Vaccine Credential Act. Provides that a unit of local government or the State may not require a person to have a vaccine credential or show a vaccine credential before the person enters a public event or public venue. Limits home rule powers. Defines “vaccine credential” as any written or electronic record evidencing that a person has received a vaccine. Effective immediately.
* HB4083, sponsored today by Rep. Niemerg…
Amends the School Code. Prohibits the State Board of Education, school districts, and elementary and secondary schools from requiring the teachers, other staff, or students of a school to wear a face mask due to the COVID-19 public health emergency disaster declared by the Governor pursuant to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act. Effective immediately.
Not that these bills would’ve gone anywhere anyway, but the Third Reading passage deadline for House bills was weeks ago. These are purely for right-wing social media pops, and maybe a big story on Center Square.
[Headline explained here.]
…Adding… Oops. Forgot this one sponsored today by Rep. David Friess…
Amends the Interscholastic Athletic Organization Act. Provides that any athletic team or sport that is under the jurisdiction of an association or entity that provides for interscholastic athletics or athletic competition among schools and student must be expressly designated as (i) a male athletic team or sport, (ii) a female athletic team or sport, or (iii) a coeducational athletic team or sport. Provides that an athletic team or sport designated as being female is available only to participants who are female, based on their biological sex. Requires a school district or nonpublic school to obtain a written statement signed by a student’s parent or guardian or the student verifying the student’s age, biological sex, and that the student has not taken performance enhancing drugs; provides for a penalty for false or misleading statements. Prohibits a governmental entity or an association or entity that provides for interscholastic athletics or athletic competition among schools and students from entertaining a complaint, opening an investigation, or taking any other adverse action against a school district or nonpublic school for maintaining athletic teams or sports in accordance with these provisions.
*** UPDATE *** Center Square…
State Rep. Adam Niemerg said Wednesday he plans to introduce a bill that would do away with face masks in the Illinois House and in schools, which drew immediate criticism from some lawmakers even though it has yet to be assigned a bill number.
Hilarious.
…Adding… And now the ILGOP spox wants to get into the act…
People who choose to wear a mask outside are hurting nobody, unlike those who refuse to wear masks indoors. So, maybe mind your own business and let them be, bub.
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* Tribune editorial…
A bill moving through the Illinois House and Senate in Springfield has private schools worried. It establishes state-mandated “metrics” that schools must meet before they can offer in-person learning. The concern: The legislation could make it harder for schools to reopen this fall.
Um, no.
The mandated “metrics” were in the introduced version…
In-person instruction at schools. The Department shall establish metrics for school districts and public institutions of higher education to use during the public health emergency in determining if the district or institution may safely conduct in-person instruction or if the district or institution must implement remote learning or blended remote learning to keep students and staff safe. .
That language caused an uproar last month.
* So the original bill was amended to delete the offending “metrics” language and to change the bill’s focus…
The Department shall establish requirements by rule for providing in-person instruction at nonpublic schools and public schools that include, but are not limited to, personal protective equipment, cleaning and hygiene, social distancing, occupancy limits, symptom screening, and on-site isolation protocols and shall disseminate information about those requirements to nonpublic schools and public schools with the assistance of the Illinois State Board of Education. The authority to enforce the rules adopted pursuant to this Section lies with the Department and local departments of public health. Upon receipt of a complaint that a school cannot or is not complying with the Department’s rules under this Section, the Department or local public health department shall investigate the complaint within 45 days after receiving the complaint. If upon investigation, a school is found to be in violation of the rules adopted under this Section, the Department has the authority to take the appropriate action necessary to promote the health or protect the safety of students, staff, and the public, including, but not limited to, closure of a classroom, gym, library, lunch room, or any other school space until such time that the Department determines that the violation or violations have been remedied. Nothing in this Section limits the authority or requirements of the Department or local public health departments. All complaints and related documents shall be maintained and are subject to applicable disclosure requirements under the Freedom of Information Act. […]
In order to provide in-person instruction, nonpublic schools and public schools must follow the requirements adopted by rule by the Department of Public Health under Section 2310-705 of the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code.
In other words, the proposal went from proactive to reactive and basically just codifies what has been happening in Illinois for close to a year. Also, notice that, despite the editorial, local public health departments are involved.
* Back to the editorial…
Many private schools, including most in the Archdiocese of Chicago and other faith-based schools across the state, worked with local health officials last summer and fall to figure out how to safely offer in-person learning when many public school buildings remained closed due to COVID-19. […]
But it also removes local control from all school districts which have shown, particularly during the pandemic, that a one-size-fits-all approach would be the wrong one. Each district, each community, had the ability to shape how and when their students returned to school. This would change that.
While each district and private school has been allowed to set their own specific rules, they all had to follow basic guidelines set forth by the state. There was even a lawsuit over this…
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health have won an injunction against three school districts who said they did not need to mandate face masks for in-person learning this year.
The Archdiocese of Chicago’s rules were primarily based on state rules with additional guidance from the city’s public health department.
The editorial board needs to get off Facebook.
*** UPDATE *** The governor was asked about the bill today and he said work is still being done on the legislation. Again, you’d think the largest newspaper in the state would pick up a phone before getting so far over its skis on something like this.
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* SJ-R…
The state of Illinois will open up vaccinations to 12-15 year olds Thursday, following approval from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to distribute the Pfizer vaccine to that age group.
Vaccination sites across Illinois can begin providing the vaccine to the adolescents with sign up commencing Wednesday afternoon. Memorial Health System and CVS also announced Wednesday that they would begin distribution at their sites Thursday, with appointments and walk-ins accepted.
* New York Times…
According to a new U.S. census estimate, some 30 million American adults who are open to getting a coronavirus vaccine have not managed to actually do so. Their ranks are larger than the hesitant — more than the 28 million who said they would probably or definitely not get vaccinated, and than the 16 million who said they were unsure. And this month, as the Biden administration set a goal of 70 percent of adults getting at least one dose by July 4, they became an official new focus of the nation’s mass vaccination campaign.
In addition to “the doubters,” President Biden said at a news briefing last week, the mission is to get the vaccine to those who are “just not sure how to get to where they want to go.”
If the attention has centered on the vaccine hesitant, these are the vaccine amenable. In interviews, their stated reasons for not getting vaccines are disparate, complex and sometimes shifting.
They are, for the most part, America’s working class, contending with jobs and family obligations that make for scarce discretionary time. About half of them live in households with incomes of less than $50,000 a year; another 30 percent have annual household incomes between $50,000 and $100,000, according to an analysis of the census data by Justin Feldman, a social epidemiologist at Harvard. Eighty-one percent do not have a college degree. Some have health issues or disabilities or face language barriers that can make getting inoculated against Covid-19 seem daunting. Others do not have a regular doctor, and some are socially isolated.
Technically, they have access to the vaccine. Practically, it is not that simple.
* Crain’s…
Northwestern University is another local college to require students to be vaccinated before returning to campus this fall.
“As confidence increases in the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine and the supply has met the demand in Illinois, Northwestern will require students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 for the 2021-22 academic year,” the school said. “COVID-19 vaccines are the most important tool to help end the pandemic, and requiring students to be vaccinated will best support the health of our community and position us for in-person classroom and co-curricular activities for the fall term.” […]
NU is not currently requiring vaccination for faculty and staff. “We have not yet made a decision on whether to require faculty and staff to be vaccinated. We are continuing to evaluate the situation,” a spokesman said in an email.
* ABC 7…
An I-Team analysis of IDPH data since vaccine demand peaked statewide in mid- April reveals in the southern region of Illinois, the seven-day average of vaccines administered is down 60%. For the Northwest regions, demand has dipped 54%. In the suburban regions, including Cook County, there’s a decrease of 46%. Chicago has seen a 48% drop over the same period.
* I received a lot of texts about this yesterday…
Officials across the United States are looking for unique solutions to overcome coronavirus vaccine hesitancy, and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine upped the ante in a big way.
In a series of social media posts Wednesday, DeWine announced that the state of Ohio will randomly select five residents who have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, and those residents will receive a prize of $1 million.
The drawings will begin on May 26, and will occur on each successive Wednesday for five consecutive weeks, DeWine says:
*** UPDATE *** Press release…
Following yesterday’s expansion of vaccine eligibility to 12- to 15-year-olds, Governor JB Pritzker announced that Six Flags Great America – the Thrill Capital of the Midwest – will offer 50,000 free tickets to their parks in Gurnee and Rockford to newly vaccinated Illinois residents.
The value of the donated tickets is $4 million.
“Throughout the pandemic, Six Flags has been All In for Illinois, putting the health of workers and visitors first,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I know it’s been a difficult year – but that just makes it all the more exciting to be back at the park. Thanks to the life-saving power of vaccinations, it feels once again like summer’s in the air.”
“Six Flags Great America is proud to support the state of Illinois vaccination efforts, especially in underrepresented communities,” said Six Flags Great America Park President Hank Salemi. “We’re getting back to the thrills and want to do our part to encourage residents to get vaccinated.”
Health experts agree that getting vaccinated is how we’ll all get back to the things we’ve missed during the pandemic, including thrilling rollercoasters, waterparks and live entertainment.
To make sure the tickets have broad reach, the state is sending Illinois National Guard mobile vaccination teams to their Gurnee location starting the first weekend in June: Saturday the 5th and Sunday the 6th. If turnout is high, vaccination teams will return to continue offering this lifesaving protection to residents. Six Flags Great America will announce additional details in the coming weeks.
In addition, a significant portion of the tickets will be distributed through local health departments to use in the way that will best work in their community. Specific initiatives will be rolled out by the departments of public health in the city of Chicago, Cook County and the Collar Counties — including equity mobile missions in neighborhoods with lower vaccination rates, school-based clinics, full-family vaccination initiatives and mass vaccination clinics. More information will become available on a county-by-county basis.
Finally, to focus on underserved youth and their families, the Vaccine Corps Partnership incubated at Michael Reese Health Trust will deploy the tickets as a part of their hyper-local vaccine education campaign. The organization works with community-led organizations to build trust in the vaccine, primarily in the city of Chicago and Cook County. Learn more about the partnership on their website.
The latest vaccine incentive announcement comes on the heels of the federal authorization of the Pfizer vaccine for 12- to 15-year-olds, which young people can get on its own or along with other routine vaccinations. Residents are encouraged to use the CDC’s vaccine finder tool at www.vaccines.gov to see which locations have vaccine available and to filter by manufacturer.
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* Not unexpected, of course…
* Underwood press release…
Today the U.S. House of Representatives voted to officially dismiss Jim Oberweis’ 2020 election contest, filed in early January after Congresswoman Lauren Underwood was sworn into the 117th Congress. Underwood campaign spokesperson, Jordan Troy, issued the following statement in response:
“Earlier this afternoon, the House of Representatives voted to dismiss Jim Oberweis’ official election contest against Congresswoman Lauren Underwood. For the past six months, he has taken the attention away from the issues affecting our communities by wasting taxpayer resources with his political theater. And while this chapter may finally be over, many members of the Republican Party still continue to question the merits of our democratic process by undermining our free and fair elections.
“With this election contest behind us, Lauren will continue to prioritize the residents of IL-14 by bringing home the resources our hardworking families and businesses need to fully recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
*** UPDATE *** Rick Pearson…
The committee’s Republican minority issued its own recommendation to dismiss Oberweis’ challenge, saying he failed to serve “proper and timely” notice of the challenge to Underwood, calling it “a fatal procedural error.”
The GOP recommendation was issued by the committee’s top minority member, Rep. Rodney Davis, a Republican from downstate Taylorville.
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* COGFA…
(R)eceipts for both March and April have been booked, and despite final payment deadlines for personal income tax being slightly delayed, revenues have been interpreted to continue to significantly outpace expectations. As a result, as discussed in the following revenue update, the Commission is making a revision for FY 2021, as revenues are expected to total $45.616 billion, or $2.025 billion above the March projection.
It is important to note that the majority of those upward revisions will be contained within the FY 2021 estimate and should not be assumed to repeat or be considered “baseable” for FY 2022 due to timing and historical receipt pattern disruptions brought about by the pandemic’s impact. That said, there is a measure of base growth that can be expected to be carried forward from the FY 2021 adjustment, particularly as it relates to continuation of underlying improvement of economic conditions as we distance ourselves from the worst of the pandemics impact. Therefore, the Commission’s revised revenue forecast for FY 2022 improves to $41.188 billion. The updated outlook reflects $792 million in total upward adjustments.
* Center Square has the biz react…
Some, like the Illinois Manufacturers Association, say that means the governor should drop his push to close or limit tax incentive programs to the tune of nearly $1 billion.
“In light of record revenue growth and billions of dollars in federal stimulus, there is no need to raise taxes on Illinois job creators that will only serve to constrain job growth and limit economic investment in the state,” said IMA’s Mark Denzler. “As we emerge from the pandemic, the Governor should be looking at ways to help the business community rather than harm them.”
Jack Lavin, with the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, is advocating the extension of the film tax credit that Pritzker is also advocating for. But, Lavin said if the governor cuts or limits other tax incentive programs on the chopping block, that will hurt the economy, especially during a pandemic.
“There’s only so much money that’s gonna come out of Washington D.C. to help us, what happens when that dries up?” Lavin told WMAY. “We have to have these kinds of tax credits that are helping invest in jobs, create jobs, jobs you can raise a family on.”
Josh Sharp, with the Illinois Fuel and Retail Association, said with the better-than-expected revenues reported, Pritzker should find revenue elsewhere.
Except that FY22 projected revenue increase does not appear to be enough to close the projected state deficit. Also, because of these rosier forecasts, Gov. Pritzker last week called for spending $350 million more on K-12 education.
*** UPDATE *** Slightly different, but still upward projections from GOMB…
The Governor’s Office of Management and Budget revised upward its General Funds revenue estimates by $1.469 billion for fiscal year 2021 and by $842 million for fiscal year 2022, compared to the estimates published with the Governor’s introduced budget in February 2021.
Strong year-to-date receipts in the state’s main revenue sources (individual and corporate income tax and sales tax) have led GOMB to revise its estimates. Through April, fiscal year 2021 General Funds revenues were outperforming revenue estimates from the February estimates by about 5 percent.
“While the increase in revenues is good news, and a sign our economy is coming out of the pandemic, much of these funds are one-time in nature and should not be expected to recur in FY2022,” said Deputy Governor Dan Hynes. “The administration was pleased to propose last week that we increase the state’s education budget for the coming year, using these funds and our proposal to end $1 billion in corporate welfare. However, the pandemic is still with us, and we have a lot of work ahead of us to ensure the state remains on sound fiscal footing, including repaying the federal government for loans used to cover current coronavirus expenses.”
Total General Funds state revenues for fiscal year 2021 are now estimated at $36.703 billion, compared to $35.311 billion in February, with total revenues, including federal sources, estimated at $44.949 billion. Total General Funds state revenues for fiscal year 2022 are now estimated at $35.283 billion, compared to $34.589 billion in February, with total revenues, including federal sources and the governor’s proposed closure of corporate tax loopholes, estimated at $42.552 billion.
The one-time sources of revenue include the double final income tax payments receipted in fiscal year 2021, and the tax receipt benefits from economic activity following individual stimulus payments and a full year of enhanced unemployment benefits throughout fiscal year 2021. Expanded unemployment benefits are currently only extended through September 2021, early in fiscal year 2022.
The resilience of the state’s economy and the continued impacts to the state from stimulus payments to taxpayers by the federal government and extended enhanced unemployment benefits led to the changed forecasts.
The revisions were published in GOMB’s April 2021 Report to the Legislative Budget Oversight Commission (LBOC) issued today. The full report is available here.
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* Kelsey Landis at the BND…
Congressional Republicans voted to remove Rep. Liz Cheney from leadership Wednesday morning over her criticisms of former President Donald Trump, though only one member of Congress from southern Illinois has shared how she voted.
A tweet from U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, R-Oakland, said Cheney “is seriously out of step with Republicans and is no longer capable of effectively leading the party.” […]
Republican U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis of Taylorville echoed Bost’s statement that Republicans need to come together on more pressing issues.
“Liz is a good friend, and I thought she did a good job as conference chair. I’d like to thank her for her leadership. Our country has real problems that are going unaddressed,” Davis said in an emailed statement, “a crisis at the southern border, cyber attack on a major pipeline, gas shortages, inflation and rising food and gas prices, lackluster jobs report, an economy hampered by government, kids still not in school, Israel under attack by Hamas terrorists, the list goes on. Democrats are in total control of Washington, yet they refuse to work on real solutions to these problems we face. I’m 100% focused on policy solutions that will improve the lives of the families and taxpayers I represent, and that’s exactly what Congress should be focused on.”
Notice there’s no revelation about how he voted.
* Davis appeared on WJBC’s Scott Miller Show about an hour before the vote…
Miller: All eyes today are on Rep Liz Cheney. Will US House Republicans dump her as their number three leader? What’s your prediction?
Davis: You know I don’t know if there’s even going to be a vote to be honest with you, I was one who… And Liz is a friend of mine and I think, Lis is doing a good job in a very tough situation. Helped Liz during the last attempt when she was able to get 70% of the vote. And from my perspective, I don’t know how she’s gonna fight, she hasn’t talked to me since this new, this new possibility a vote has come up. So we’ll see what happens in about an hour.
Miller: During a speech yesterday on the House floor she said ‘I am a conservative Republican, and the most conservative of conservative principles is reverence for the rule of law, the election is over. That is the rule of law, that is our constitutional process. Those who refuse to accept the rulings of our courts are at war with the Constitution.’ What’s your opinion on where she stands?
Davis: I don’t disagree with anything she said.
* Davis also said this on the show…
Speaking with WJBC’s Scott Miller, Congressman Rodney Davis (R-Taylorville) said he’s received his vaccine and encourages others to do the same.
“Ca’mon, get the vaccine. If you’ve gone through the first one, go get your second vaccine. All three vaccines (Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson) are 100 percent effective against hospitalizations. And that to me shows, that gives us a .0047 percent chance if you get a vaccine to get reinfected and to have that reinfection hospitalize you. You have a better chance of getting struck by lightning.
“If you want our economy and our facilities to reopen again as we used to know them prior to March 2020, stop giving politicians excuses to keep our communities locked down. Go get the vaccine; I did it. I can tell you I don’t have a computer chip in me.”
Folks… I think he’s running.
…Adding… From Rodney Davis’ campaign committee at 4:01 this afternoon…
Friend,
Governor Pritzker has been a disgrace to Illinois.
He’s committed to protecting corrupt Democrats over serving the people of our great state — and it’s time for him to GO.
Chip in just $10 in the next few hours and receive your own FIRE PRITZKER sticker today!
FIRE PRITZKER
Thank you,
Team Davis
Paid for by Rodney for Congress
…Adding… From Democratic Party of Illinois Executive Director Abby Witt (on her first day on the job) in response to the Rodney Davis fundraising email…
“Congressman Rodney Davis has consistently chosen party politics over the people of Illinois by endorsing Donald Trump’s re-election and voting against the American Rescue Plan, denying Illinoisans critical support when they needed it most. Today in Washington, he cemented his place in history as a Trump-loving extremist, while in Illinois he sent a fundraising email attacking Gov. Pritzker and his successful efforts to protect our state in one of its darkest and most unpredictable times. Congressman Davis hasn’t been there for Illinoisans, and they won’t be there for him.”
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* NPR Illinois…
The state inspector general who headed an investigation into the November COVID-19 outbreak that killed 36 residents at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home told lawmakers Tuesday that communication issues pinpointed as a root cause of the crisis predated the pandemic.
“There are folks at LaSalle home who were expressing frustrations about communication prior to COVID, prior to 2020…multiple people expressing these concerns,” Department of Human Services Inspector General Peter Neumer said.
Neumer appeared in front of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Tuesday, answering questions about the process behind his investigation. The committee’s hearing on the LaSalle home outbreak will continue Thursday, when the panel will grill representatives from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, Department of Public Health and Gov. JB Pritzker’s office.
* WGEM…
The Acting Inspector General for the Department of Human Services spoke with Illinois Representatives Tuesday about his recent report regarding the deadly COVID-19 outbreak at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home.
Peter Neumer explained Gov. Pritzker called for the investigation to figure out what led to the deaths of 36 veterans. Rep. David Welter (R-Morris) asked if the Governor’s Office put any pressure on the Inspector General’s Office during the investigation.
However, Neumer stressed the Pritzker administration didn’t have any direct influence on the investigation.
“Again, I know you are hired or technically hired by the Governor,” said Welter. “I’m sure he didn’t want any negative light on his actual administration. But, quite frankly, I think it’s unacceptable that they weren’t looked at as well.”
Neumer explained his team interviewed employees from the LaSalle facility as well as administration within the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and the Department of Public Health.
* Rep. Welter…
Governor Pritzker gave false hope to the families who lost loved ones when he promised a thorough and independent investigation into what went wrong at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home. It’s not a comprehensive investigation when you exempt key participants in the state’s response as Governor Pritzker did. He owes these families an explanation on why the decisions made by the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Governor’s Office were not worth looking into. This investigation – called by the governor – was not about finding answers; it was about hiding the truth.
Partisan accusations aside, it would be helpful if folks in the governor’s office with responsibity over IDVA testified in a legislative committee about their own involvement.
*** UPDATE *** Deputy Gov. Sol Flores and IDPH Director Dr. Ezike are both testifying tomorrow.
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Pick a lane
Wednesday, May 12, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* To claim the administration is lying about security concerns is basically to believe in a conspiracy theory that Pritzker doesn’t want unemployed people to obtain benefits. Tribune editorial…
So why, at a time when thousands of Illinoisans have struggled to receive the unemployment benefits to which they’re entitled, have Illinois Department of Employment Security offices remained closed? Doors locked to the public? […]
Pritzker this week cited security concerns and threats as the reason for the still-closed offices. He said the agency is working with state police to figure out a safe reopening plan.
But that doesn’t quite add up. The agency’s website says: “In order to protect everyone through social distancing, IDES offices are closed to the public until further notice.” And plenty of other state offices with public-facing services — and probably a frustrated public — have managed to open their doors.
Doesn’t add up? Riots last year, spiking violent crime, rampant unemployment, general anger. Yeah, what could possibly go wrong?
* Meanwhile, from a member of the Chicago Tribune editorial board…
The National Federation of Independent Business says a record 44% of all small-business owners have job openings they cannot fill. And according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, in some states workers can collect unemployment for up to 46 weeks.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce wants to end those extra government payouts because they’re enticing people to stay home.
…Adding… TDL…
Representatives of the hotel, restaurant and retail industry told aldermen on Tuesday businesses they represent are facing roadblocks to filling jobs as the city reopens. At the same time, a lack of childcare options is keeping some Chicagoans from returning to work, they said.
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* Hospitalizations continue to drop. Vaccinations are looking better. Press release…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 1,795 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 26 additional deaths.
- Cook County: 1 female 30s, 1 female 40s, 1 female 50s, 1 male 50s, 1 female 60s, 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s
- Henry County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s
- Kane County: 1 male 70s
- Kankakee County: 1 male 90s
- Lake County: 1 male 80s
- Logan County: 1 male 70s
- Macoupin County: 1 male 90s
- Madison County: 1 female 60s
- Montgomery County: 1 male 80s
- Peoria County: 1 female 80s
- Rock Island County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s
- Schuyler County: 1 male 60s
- St. Clair County: 1 male 60s
- Tazewell County: 1 female 70s
- Winnebago County: 1 male 70s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,359,748 cases, including 22,285 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 70,216 specimens for a total of 23,505,414. As of last night, 1,899 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 466 patients were in the ICU and 246 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from May 5-11, 2021 is 2.7%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from May 5-11, 2021 is 3.3%.
A total of 10,110,969 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 80,591 doses. Yesterday, 73,345 doses were reported administered in Illinois.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in real-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. Information for deaths previously reported has changed, therefore, today’s numbers have been updated. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
*** UPDATE *** Press release excerpt…
In an effort to ensure in-person learning can fully resume as quickly and safely as possible, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced a $235 million investment to expand access to covidSHIELD testing to middle and high schools across the state at low or no cost. The covidSHIELD test, which was developed by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), is a saliva-based test that quickly detects the virus that causes COVID-19, including in people who aren’t exhibiting symptoms. […]
Testing will help quickly identify individuals who are positive for COVID-19 so that people who are close contacts of that individual can be quarantined to prevent further spread. This could include exposure in school, sports, or other extra-curricular activities. The more quickly a case can be identified, the number of potential exposures to other people can be reduced, as well as the number of people needing to quarantine.
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White protégé Burnett says he won’t run for SoS
Wednesday, May 12, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Not exactly a surprise from WTTW…
Although five Democrats are already jockeying to replace Secretary of State Jesse White, Ald. Walter Burnett (27th Ward) told WTTW News that he will not run to replace his political godfather.
Burnett, elected to the City Council in 1995, said he decided that he could not continue to serve as alderman for the West Loop — where the COVID-19 pandemic has only slightly cooled the red-hot pace of development — while running for a statewide office amid the pandemic. […]
Burnett said he would have accepted an appointment from Gov. J.B. Pritzker to replace the 86-year-old White, who was first elected secretary of state in 1998. White won his last term in office with 68% of the vote in 2018, smashing his Republican challenger.
But Burnett said he could never get a commitment from the governor that he would get the nod to replace White as part of a maneuver perfected by Chicago’s Democratic machine during the past several decades to hang onto power by giving the party’s favorite a head start in office via an appointment.
Emily Bittner, a spokesperson for Pritzker, told WTTW News “the governor doesn’t contemplate filling hypothetical vacancies.”
…Adding… Back to hating on RRB…
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* Gov. Pritzker was asked how the state would use some of the American Rescue Plan money...
“The debts that we racked up during the COVID year of 2020, we had to do some federal borrowing in order to cover our bills,” Pritzker said. “We also racked up a bunch of bills, a bill backlog, that needs to be paid back. We need to act responsibly with these dollars.”
Among other things, Illinois owes the Federal Reserve about $3.6 billion from last year. The expectation was that the state could use what now looks like $8 billion to pay that off.
* From the US Treasury Department’s “interim final rule” on the state and local use of American Rescue Plan funds…
Question 17: In the Interim Final Rule, paying interest or principal on government debt is not considered provision of a government service. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this approach, including circumstances in which paying interest or principal on government debt could be considered provision of a government service. […]
Sections 602(c)(1)(C) and 603(c)(1)(C) of the Act provide recipients with broad latitude to use the Fiscal Recovery Funds for the provision of government services. Government services can include, but are not limited to, maintenance or pay-go funded building of infrastructure, including roads; modernization of cybersecurity, including hardware, software, and protection of critical infrastructure; health services; environmental remediation; school or educational services; and the provision of police, fire, and other public safety services.
However, expenses associated with obligations under instruments evidencing financial indebtedness for borrowed money would not be considered the provision of government services, as these financing expenses do not directly provide services or aid to citizens. Specifically, government services would not include interest or principal on any outstanding debt instrument, including, for example, short-term revenue or tax anticipation notes, or fees or issuance costs associated with the issuance of new debt.
Uh-oh.
* Back to Center Square…
The Illinois Comptroller’s office said they continue to review the interim guidance for what’s allowed and plan to provide comment.
“[Governor’s Office of Management and Budget] and our office will be seeking to clarify with the Treasury that guidance against using these funds to pay debts unrelated to COVID-19 does not prevent their use for paying debts accrued for spending related to COVID expenses,” a spokesperson for Comptroller Susana Mendoza said in a statement.
That’s basically our only hope.
* As House Revenue Committee Chair Mike Zalewski implied, unless the General Assembly decides to push budget passage beyond the scheduled May 31 adjournment (or Mendoza somehow succeeds), this won’t really help the state…
*** UPDATE 1 *** Gov. Pritzker was asked about this today…
The Senate president, the speaker and I have committed that we’re going to be paying back the borrowing that we took out over the last year to cover our Coronavirus expenses.
You know that the rules are still being worked on in Washington and we are in daily communication with the offices of the Treasury Department that are deciding about those rules. They put out a preliminary rule, and they know as we do, and this happened, by the way under the last administration when they had rules around the Cares Act, that there would be adjustments that would need to be made. And so we’re following that trail to make sure that we get everything done that we need to, so we can use those. Look the federal government’s sending US dollars and then telling us that we can’t then send those dollars back to the federal government to pay for the borrowing that we took out last year, clearly doesn’t make a lot of sense. And so we’ve talked to the Treasury Department about that.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Greg Hinz…
Abudayyeh said the borrowed money wasn’t for old debts but to make the state whole for COVID-related spending, and therefore ought to be a justified use.
“Right now, I don’t think this is a particularly huge issue,” she said. “These are interim rules. This isn’t a panic moment.”
Msall said the state clearly “needs to get clarification.” But even if Treasury holds to its position, the state may be able to use the ARP infusion to pay for things such as aid to public grade and high schools, normal pension costs, and some capital expenditures that would easily exceed what the Fed is owed. That would free up cash to repay the Federal Reserve debt. The question is “how much fungibility” is allowed.
Illinois House Revenue Committee Chairman Mike Zalewski, who earlier had described the Treasury guidance as a “bombshell,” today was milder in his comments.
Switching money around as Msall suggested wouldn’t be easy, he said, but overall the situation is “problematic, but not insurmountable.”
*** UPDATE 3 *** Comptroller Mendoza…
Honorable Janet Yellen
Secretary of the Treasury
1500 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20220
Re: Interim Final Rule – Question 17 Response
Dear Secretary Yellen:
Thank you for your recent release of the Interim Final Rule providing guidance on the authorized uses of the Fiscal Recovery Funds provided under the American Rescue Plan Act. As offered in the Interim Final Rule, comments are welcomed in response to specific questions presented in the Rule. As the Chief Fiscal Officer for the State of Illinois, this letter is my response to Question 17.
It is my understanding the Interim Final Rule, as worded, would not allow the State of Illinois to use its federal funds for debt payments directly related to some $3.8 billion in short-term borrowing necessary for medical payments to the Illinois healthcare industry at crucial points during the 2020 pandemic.
This short-term borrowing by the State of Illinois in 2020 includes:
April 2020 - $200 million from other state funds allowing the state to purchase urgently needed PPE supplies and equipment;
June 2020 - $1.2 billion in Municipal Liquidity Facility (MLF) funds from the Federal Reserve allowing payment to Illinois Medicaid providers since the state was experiencing a $3.1 billion revenue shortfall in the two months prior;
November 2020 - $400 million from other state funds for Illinois Medicaid providers as a cash-flow bridge to the larger loan in December; and
December 2020 - $2 billion in MLF funds from the Federal Reserve for Medicaid and other medical providers.
This borrowing was essential for the continued performance of government services during the most fiscally challenging times for the state’s cash flow during the pandemic, all directly related to the COVID-19 crisis. It was critical to get state payments out during these periods, as our Illinois healthcare industry was fighting back the adverse impact of COVID-19.
Illinois could not wait for additional federal relief funds to help mitigate the state’s response, and without this short-term borrowing, the state’s recovery would have been imperiled.
Illinois is the only state that utilized short-term borrowing in order to provide essential government services during the pandemic, allowed under prior federal Covid-19 relief programs. These debts would not have been incurred except as a response to the Covid-19 pandemic. We want to promptly repay federal taxpayers for the crucial help they provided us during the pandemic. This is entirely consistent with the spirit of the American Rescue Plan passed by Congress and signed by President Biden. My specific request is for the Department of the Treasury to clarify this Rule to accommodate this unique circumstance; allowing Fiscal Recovery Funds to be used to directly repay Covid-19-necessitated short-term borrowing.
The Covid-19 pandemic continues while the Governor and the legislature work to balance Illinois’ budget for fiscal year 2022 and beyond. The Department of the Treasury’s timely approval of this request is critical for Illinois’ path toward fiscal recovery.
Thank you for considering this important clarification.
Sincerely,
Susana A. Mendoza
Illinois State Comptroller
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