* From Gov. Pritzker’s press conference earlier today…
Q: What about state workers who have been working remotely? Do you have a plan of when are they returning? Are they coming back five days a week? Or are you going to have a hybrid plan?
A: Each agency has a plan for bringing its workers back. As you know, some agencies are right on the front lines talking directly to consumers, residents of our state or directly to businesses. And other agencies don’t interact with the public in person, but rather by the phone typically. And so each agency has a plan for bringing bringing back their workforce. All of them are in the process of doing exactly that.
Q: And just to follow up on that, Governor, what does this mean for the Thompson Center and for state offices that are there? Is that going to reopen to the public?
A: Well, we’re first reopening to workers and state government. That’s the most important thing. We want to make sure that we’re adhering to the right disciplined, reopening measurements that the IDPH has set out for buildings. So you’ll be seeing the public eventually being able to come into the Thompson center. The first thing that’s got to happen is to get all of our workers back in the Thompson center working.
…Adding… Speaking of reopening…
This week brought positive news for Illinoisians who have been looking forward to getting back to normal. Governor JB Pritzker announced a few days ago he was optimistic Illinois was on the path to be fully reopened by July 4th. Earlier this week, Governor Pritzker stated he was looking forward to this year’s State Fair in Springfield. And yesterday more good news. The Governor announced, barring reversals in metrics, Illinois will move into Phase 5 — normal business operations — as soon as Friday, June 11th.
For 34 years, the Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association (IDCCA) has kicked off Democrat Day (now Governor’s Day) at the Illinois State Fair. This year’s County Chairs’ Brunch is scheduled for Wednesday, August 18th at 9am at the Crowne Plaza Springfield.
IDCCA President Kristina Zahorik released the following statement:
“Thanks to Governor Pritzker and the thousands of frontline healthcare workers, there is light at the end of the tunnel. I cannot wait to see so many friends from throughout the state at the County Chairs’ Brunch on August 18th. We followed the science, and for more than a year did virtual events, masked up, and socially distanced, so we could come together again. It will be amazing for everyone to feel the energy in the room and to connect in person.”
“This year’s Brunch will have an added hybrid feature to allow virtual participation. We will strictly adhere to all public health recommendations. This will allow people to participate in whatever way they feel comfortable.”
The keynote speaker for the 2021 Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Brunch will be announced closer to the event. Previous guest speakers include US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg (who filled in last minute for President Joe Biden), and US Senator Amy Klobuchar. Tickets are expected to go on sale mid-June.
The Lion Electric Company (NYSE: LEV) (TSX: LEV) (“Lion” or the “Company”), a leading manufacturer of all-electric medium and heavy-duty urban vehicles, today announced that it has selected Joliet, Ill., for the construction of its U.S. manufacturing facility. The new facility will represent the largest dedicated production site for zero-emission medium and heavy-duty vehicles in the U.S. and Lion’s biggest footprint in the market, giving the company the ability to meet the increasing demand in the marketplace for “Made in America” zero-emission vehicles, while simultaneously bringing production closer to its customers. As part of its agreement with the government of Illinois, Lion has committed to an initial investment of at least U.S. $70 million over a 3-year period.
The 900,000 sq-ft facility, for which building ramp up is anticipated in the second half of 2021, is expected to add a minimum of 745 clean energy direct jobs to the region over the next three years, with an annual production capacity of up to 20,000 all-electric buses and trucks. This additional production capacity will aid Lion in scaling electric bus production as the U.S. market moves to electrify a large portion of its school bus fleet, as well as to produce a larger number of heavy-duty zero-emission trucks as governments and operators throughout the U.S. look to decarbonize freight and transportation fleets. Lion anticipates that the first vehicles will roll off the production line in the second half of 2022. […]
The Will County region has a rich history of manufacturing, and Lion plans to build a robust local supply chain within the area. In addition, the Joliet location offers Lion a geographically centralized base of manufacturing and operations, with access to key infrastructure and distribution channels.
“It’s another exciting opportunity here in Joliet and Will County,” remarked Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant during an interview with Joliet Patch on Friday morning.
Joliet’s history included “an old generation of manufacturing” and Friday’s news of Lion Electric opening a large vehicle factory on Youngs Road “welcomes a new generation of manufacturing.
“It’s a great comeback after the pandemic,” Bertino-Tarrant added, saying the Lion Electric construction project marked a $130 million capital investment and 1,400 permanent jobs.
…Adding… A Lion executive said at the press conference that 1,400 jobs would be created over 5 or 6 years.
…Adding… DCEO says the company is receiving an Edge tax credit worth a total of $7.9 million if they put $70 million into capital investments in the site create more than 700 jobs within the first three years of the agreement.
* Pritzker press release excerpt…
“Lion’s historic investment to bring its largest production facility to Illinois represents not only a win for our communities, but a strong step forward in our work to expand clean energy alternatives and the jobs they bring to our communities,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “The new Joliet facility will put Illinois at the forefront of a national movement to transition to zero-emission vehicle use, advancing our own goals of putting one million of these cars on the road by 2030. In Illinois, we know that a clean energy economy is about more than just vehicles – it’s about healthier communities and jobs for those who live there. We are excited to welcome Lion to the Land of Lincoln and look forward to their future success here.”
The new 900,000 SF facility represents Lion Electric’s largest dedicated production site in the U.S. The company’s expansion helps respond to increasing demand in the marketplace for “Made in America” zero-emission vehicles, while simultaneously bringing production closer to its customers. Lion’s investments also help bring Illinois closer to its own clean energy goals, with plans to increase adoption of EV’s in the state to one million by 2030.
“Lion is the leader in electric school buses and has always been dedicated to the U.S. market, and our commitment to be close to our customers is one of the core values we have as a company,” said Marc Bedard, CEO and Founder of Lion. “This significant expansion into the U.S. market will not only allow us to drastically increase our overall manufacturing capacity of electric trucks and buses but to also better serve our customers, while adding critical clean manufacturing jobs that will form the backbone of the green economy. I also want to acknowledge the crucial role that P33 and Intersect Illinois, civic groups committed to developing a long-term roadmap for the local tech industry, played in connecting Lion with the Chicago area’s business and civic community to help further commercial traction, as well as engagement with key workforce and supplier partners.”
* One of their school buses…
Lion Electric commends Mayor @BilldeBlasio for plan to⚡️100% of #NYC’s school bus fleets by 2035.🔋
* From the Illinois State Board of Education yesterday…
Hi Rich,
This week is Teacher Appreciation Week. Throughout the pandemic, teachers have gone above and beyond to care for our students and our communities. ISBE launched the Thank a Teacher Challenge to encourage people to tell a short story about their favorite teachers, and then tag someone else to do the same. Dr. Ayala, Gov. Pritzker, Lt. Gov. Stratton, Treasurer Frerichs, and President Harmon all posted short videos as part of the challenge. Comptroller Mendoza and Leader McConchie have been “tagged” as well.
Would you consider asking your readers to share a story about who their favorite teacher is as your question of the day tomorrow to close out Teacher Appreciation Week?
Thank you for your consideration.
Best,
Jackie
* The Question: You heard her. Have at it, but please make sure to explain your answer. Thanks.
* Mettawa Mayor Casey Urlacher, who was pardoned by President Donald Trump in January after he was indicted on a couple of sports gambling-related charges, has filed a new Statement of Organization (D-1) with the Illinois State Board of Elections with the intention of running for the 26th Senate District seat.
That district is currently represented by Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie. Leader McConchie defeated Urlacher in the 2016 Republican primary by just shy of 4 percentage points in a pretty rough race.
On January 7th, the day after the insurrection attempt at the US Capitol, Leader McConchie penned an op-ed for the Sun-Times that expressed horror at the violence, called for unity and took a thinly veiled swipe at the POTUS. “The Republican party is not, and has never been, one person,” McConchie wrote at the time.
I want to talk about another piece of good news that came out this week. Our state revenues are outpacing the estimates and the expectations that experts gave us earlier this year, our state and our economy, have shown tremendous resilience. While we have still far too many who are struggling, our collective economic and fiscal outlook is brighter than it was even three months ago.
Back in February when faced with financial uncertainty to the state and the prospect of billions of federal dollars going directly to our schools. I presented a flat operational budget for the state, which was all we could afford.
Because our outlook has improved I have informed legislative leaders that I am now in a position to propose increasing evidence based funding for schools by $350 million
That means that parents, students and educators can breathe a sigh of relief. As an education advocate myself I am really all too happy that our improved economic fit and fiscal condition allows us to increase educational funding.
This doesn’t erase Illinois’s structural budget problems, but I remain committed to finding long term sustainable solutions that don’t put the burden on working families who can least afford it. That’s why I will continue to pursue closing corporate tax loopholes, corporate welfare that mostly benefits large international businesses that have profited greatly even during the pandemic.
We are all in this together, and it’s time that everyone stepped up to help us recover.
We are all glad the Governor has remembered his commitment to fully fund education. Now hopefully he can find a cure for his retrograde amnesia and veto the gerrymandered maps drawn by democratic legislators.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Rep. Will Davis, who chairs the House Elementary & Secondary Appropriations committee…
I am happy the Governor followed through on his commitment to the EBF. Funding education should never be in question. It should always be prioritized in the same manner as pensions and Medicaid. My goal is to make it an above the line or mandatory expense.
Whenever we reach Phase Five, we will continue to follow CDC guidelines on masking to keep this pandemic at bay.
This good news comes with a caveat. We have all seen throughout this pandemic that this virus and its variants have proven to be unpredictable. Metrics that look strong today are far from a guarantee of how things will look a week, two weeks, a month from now. We saw that last August. And again, last March. But what we do know is that we have tools in our arsenal, like vaccinations, and wearing masks that if we all use them, have proven extremely effective.
Please excuse all transcription errors.
* More…
Folks, this pandemic is not over. But if we’re going to truly end it, we have to make sure that we don’t see another surge in the virus. And the best way to do that is for everyone to get vaccinated. […]
If you can, talk to someone in your life about why you got vaccinated, and then help them do the same. We’ll get through this the same way that we’ve been able to get through this from the very beginning, helping each other and working together.
* Dr. Ezike…
As the governor mentioned, smaller providers like your family doctor your pediatrician are now eligible to order COVID-19 vaccines directly from ICARE, our state immunization registry. So we’re encouraging providers who have not already enrolled ICARE to do so, and to help make the vaccine, as accessible as possible for every single Illinoisan. We know that when it comes to our health, the person that we tend to trust the most is our own personal physician. Any provider can go to the IDPH website and search for the ICARE access enrollment packet to sign up. The enrollment and approval process will take about one to two weeks, and then after that providers will be able to administer COVID-19 vaccines to their patients in their offices. We know that there are some logistical challenges with the vaccine, namely the ultra cold storage requirements, and the number of vials that are typically shipped to a provider, but we are working with that, we’re going to work with hospitals and healthcare organizations to identify ways in which smaller doctors offices can work with one another and share the doses so that even a provider who may only administer a dozen or two dozen doses a week can still have access to this valuable resource.
* Dr. Rodney Alford of Iroquois Memorial Hospital in Watseka…
As we are exiting the COVID-19 pandemic. We are now entering the pandemic of misinformation and incomplete information which may usher in a new COVID-22 pandemic.
By the end of this year, we will have four populations of people in my belief. One, those that get COVID-19 get sick or died. Two, those that get COVID-19 and later on get the vaccine. The third group of people are those that refuse the vaccine, but live in fear, or in denial, with or without a mask. And the fourth group of people are those that get the vaccine or have already had the vaccine, and have confidence and freedom from fear of the virus, and free of mask wearing.
I choose freedom. I choose health. I choose life.
I myself belong to that community that has vaccine hesitancy, I belong to the Black and Brown community. I belong to the conservative Christian community. I belong to the urban community. I now live in a rural community, but I am not hesitant to live without fear. I am truly free, defeating this pandemic of vaccine resistance, and hesitancy is a matter of education and trust. You might want to believe and trust the internet, or other media accounts, or media outlets, or you might want to trust me, your doctor.
…On to questions… The governor was asked if he wears a mask outdoors…
I do when I’m in a large group. I try to, you know, it’s, look, you know I don’t count heads when I walk into a place, but the fact is you know you can tell when people are very close to one another, not wearing masks or people are wearing masks, it’s appropriate to wear one in a crowded space. But I have been outside with people who are unmasked and masked but, you know, obviously being outdoors in a small group is safe.
So it appears the ILGOP is trolling the House GOP which is trolling the Democrats for not waiting until mid-August when the granular census data for redistricting will be released. https://t.co/z2ZZapzaDW
Our news cameras were rolling as dozens of House Democrats filed in and out of a locked door on the Capitol Complex grounds. Inside, members of House Speaker Chris Welch’s staff showed members one-by-one where the lines of their new districts could be drawn.
“Meeting with members is nothing new,” Welch’s spokeswoman Jaclyn Driscoll said in an emailed statement. “In fact, the room we’re talking to members in is actually the same we met in 10 years ago. This is and will remain a transparent process.”
“It’s just preliminary drafts for each district,” Rep. Nick Smith (D-Chicago) said on his way into the room.
Several other state representatives avoided questions about the meetings or gave evasive answers. Others who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed that they were reviewing the early drafts of the House district maps. Some members felt there weren’t many recognizable changes, but pointed out that the lines could still change several times before they’re finalized.
Not really a big dealio because it happens every ten years, but the full story does get in some zings at Democrats who promised “transparency”…
* HGOP media advisory…
MEDIA ADVISORY: Illinois House Republicans to Highlight the Democratic “Transparency” in Redistricting Process
WHO: Illinois House Republican State Representatives Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield), Avery Bourne (R-Morrisonville), Tim Butler (R-Springfield), Tom Demmer (R-Dixon) and Ryan Spain (R-Peoria)
WHAT: House Republicans to highlight the Democratic “transparency” in the redistricting process.
WHEN: 12:30 PM on Thursday, May 6th, 2021
WHERE: MAP ROOM – 401S in the Stratton Building (by the mounds of old furniture), Springfield, IL. This will be streamed on Blueroom and on the House Republican Facebook Page.
It ain’t much, but it’s all they’ve got at the moment.
More than 60% of Illinois adults have gotten at least one coronavirus vaccine dose so far, public health officials announced Wednesday.
The state crossed that threshold almost five months after the first shot was injected in mid-December. Almost 9.6 million doses have been doled out across Illinois since then, with 4.2 million people now fully vaccinated — nearly a third of the population. […]
About 80% of Illinois seniors have gotten at least one shot, which is close to the national average. That rate is only about 67% for Chicagoans who are 65 or older, according to Chicago Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady. The city also slightly trails the statewide rate with about 56% of Chicago adults having received at least one dose.
“Our age 65-plus category is still lagging,” Arwady said Tuesday. “If you know anybody over 65 especially, please, please, please, help them get vaccinated.”
She’s right that we should all do our part, but the city obviously needs a new strategy.
…Adding… We shall see…
For what it is worth, I asked Lightfoot about that directly on Tuesday, and she said the city planned to use J&J to get vaccine directly to residents, while going back to nursing facilities & reaching out older folks’ kids and grandkids to get whole families jabbed.
