* Hospitalizations still look like they might possibly be plateauing. Thursday’s hospitalizations were 7,096, down two from last Wednesday. They edged up just a little bit over the weekend and now they’re at 7,114, which is essentially back to where they were on Wednesday. But that’s still basically a record number of people in the hospital. Much the same is happening with ICU beds and ventilators. Hopefully, the trend starts moving the other way soon. Here’s Marni Pyke at the Daily Herald…
New cases of COVID-19 reached 77,833 over the weekend with 207 more people dying from the respiratory disease, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported.
Illinois hospitals were treating 7,114 COVID-19 patients Sunday night. The highest tally in Illinois since the pandemic began was 7,170, recorded on Saturday night, coming amid a surge in patients contracting the highly contagious omicron variant of COVID-19.
The state’s seven-day case positivity rate decreased to 13.4% compared to 15.2% Friday. The dip reflects in part a record number of COVID-19 tests processed Saturday totaling 488,873.
The IDPH reported 29,011 new cases on Saturday, 29,585 on Sunday and 19,237 on Monday. Deaths came to 98 on Saturday, 75 on Sunday, and 34 on Monday. The state does not update data on weekends.
…Adding… Hannah Meisel digs into the numbers here.
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Campaign notebook
Monday, Jan 10, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Politico…
Within days we’ll also see what other Republicans might jump into the governor’s race. Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin is expected to get in.
“He’s got charm and charisma. Twice elected mayor in a racially mixed city, he demonstrates broad appeal,” writes Laura Washington in this Sun-Times’ analysis piece.
Don’t be surprised if Irvin, who is Black, announces his entry in a symbolic way. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a week from today.
Gary Rabine, who’s already entered the GOP race for governor, has picked his lieutenant governor: Aaron Del Mar, a businessman and Palatine Township Republican committeeman.
Who won’t be gathering petitions (at least this time around): Todd Ricketts, the Cubs co-owner and former national GOP finance chairman. “Todd has no current plans to run for office but is certainly interested in the future of his community, his state and his country,” spokesman Brian Baker said.
From what I was told, Griffin wanted to show respect for Ricketts and wait until he came to a decision before acting. Irvin is back at the top of the list. Published reports have indicated that Rep. Avery Bourne will likely be the lt. governor pairing.
* Press release…
Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky today announced her endorsement of Nancy Rotering for the Illinois Supreme Court, 2nd District.
“I am happy to join nearly 100 elected officials and leaders in Illinois’ legal community who have made an early endorsement of Nancy Rotering because we know she is the best candidate for Illinois Supreme Court Justice in the 2nd District. Nancy’s lifetime commitment to advocacy and justice and her broad range of legal experience make her the most qualified candidate in the race,” said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. “With the balance of the Illinois Supreme Court to be decided in 2022, and so many critical issues at stake, we must nominate the strongest candidate for the general election to ensure the Justice from the 2nd District shares our Democratic values - and that candidate is Nancy Rotering.”
* Press release…
On Sunday, the campaign of Nabeela Syed, candidate for State Representative in Illinois’s 51st House District, announced the endorsement of neighboring State Representative Mark Walker (D-Arlington Heights), also the Wheeling Township Democratic Committeeman.
“We need leaders in Springfield like Nabeela – she’s smart, energetic, passionate about her community, and understands the struggles families face daily,” said Walker. “I look forward to creating new solutions addressing property taxes, restoring trust in government, and recovering from the pandemic with a new generation of leaders like Nabeela.” […]
Nabeela Syed has also been endorsed by State Senator Ram Villivalam and State Representative Theresa Mah – an indication that Democrats are eyeing the district, currently held by a Republican.
* Press release…
This morning, State Representative Tim Butler announced his plans to run as a Republican in the newly drawn 95th House District, which includes Sangamon, Christian, and Macon Counties as well as communities of Springfield, Rochester, Chatham, Edinburg, Kincaid, and Boody. […]
Butler is also pleased to announce that his campaign for re-election is endorsed by the three local Republican County Chairmen in the district. “We enthusiastically endorse Tim Butler for re-election in the new 95th house district. Tim is a fighter for our conservative values and beliefs. After working with him for many years, we know he will be an asset to our county parties to help Republican candidates win up and down the ballot next fall.” said Dianne Barghouti Hardwick (Sangamon), Seth McMillan (Christian), and Bruce Pillsbury (Macon).
* Sunday…
Today, Democrat Karin Norington-Reaves announced her bid for Illinois’ First Congressional District. She would be the district’s first woman and woman of color to hold the position. For the past decade, Karin has served as the CEO of the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership, the nation’s most extensive and effective publicly-funded workforce development system.
“Our district needs a representative that uplifts all of its people, listens to their voices, and is a tireless advocate for their needs. Today I’m announcing my candidacy to serve our community as that representative,” said Norington-Reaves. “As a job creator and workforce development expert, I’ve witnessed firsthand how investments in people transform lives. But we must do more. As our next representative, I’ll fight for systemic change to create quality jobs, improve public education, and make our communities safer.”
…Adding… Press release…
Since announcing his campaign for the Illinois’ 14th Congressional District on November 15th 2021—a mere eight weeks ago—Koolidge for Congress has raised over $100,000 via over 150 donations. This impressive and enthusiastic support sends a clear message that Mike Koolidge is the frontrunner in the race to defeat Lauren Underwood.
“I am tremendously grateful and humbled for the support I’ve received since announcing my run for Congress,” said Koolidge. “With equal parts rural, suburban and urban, there are few districts in America as representative of the country as the 14th District of Illinois. This is the race to watch in November. The road to Republicans retaking the House and removing Nancy Pelosi as Speaker runs through our pivotal district.”
Making Koolidge’s fundraising milestone all-the-more impressive is that he’s a first-time congressional candidate who has only been fundraising for half a quarter. Not only that, but this fundraising occurred during the holiday season, historically a more difficult time for candidates to fundraise. By comparison, Underwood raised only $75,379 in her first-ever (full) fundraising quarter in 2017.
…Adding… Media advisory…
Tomorrow, Paul Schimpf, Republican candidate for Illinois Governor, plans to announce his 2022 running mate in Crystal Lake, followed by a statewide announcement tour.
Who: Paul Schimpf and 2022 Running Mate
What: Official Press Announcement of 2022 running mate in Crystal Lake followed by a three-day statewide announcement tour to share the campaign’s plan to fire Pritzker and renew Illinois.
When & Where:
January 11th
Official Running Mate Announcement: 10am—Raue Center for the Arts (26 N. Williams St), Crystal Lake, IL
* More…
* Illinois 2022 GOP Congressional primary races to watch
* Tom Kacich: Miller holds Trump card over Davis in 15th District primary
* Davis has edge over Miller despite Trump’s nod, experts say
* Jim Dey: Battle for secretary of state heats up in both parties
* Who is running for secretary of state? Here’s a look at recent race developments
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And now for something completely different
Monday, Jan 10, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Is this really still a thing?…
Bigfoot has apparently been spotted near what’s being called a “hot spot” for Sasquatch activity in Illinois.
A group called Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization reports a sighting on November 27, 2021 in Cass County. The expert spoke to the witness and calls it a ‘very reliable’ sighting. […]
The witness reported he saw a large animal jump into the road about 40 yards ahead of his vehicle. He says when the animal hit the road he could see very large legs spread wide with large swinging hair arms. He said it lept across the road in two jumps. […]
A YouTube Documentary called the “Sasquatch Theory” recently released a video about a possible sighting near the Mark Twain Forest in Missouri. This is quite some distance from central Illinois but some wondered if the two incidents could be related.
Some have wondered!
I suppose they could be promoting anti-vax propaganda instead. But that’s a pretty low bar.
…Adding… Oh my goodness, the Tribune did a story on this last month. A bit less credulous, though.
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* CBS 2…
In a stunning move, a Cook County Juvenile Court judge issued two contempt of court orders against Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) Director Marc Smith for violating the rights of two children left languishing in facilities for months. DCFS could soon be fined as much as $2,000 a day until those children are properly placed. […]
The court order describes how a 9-year-old girl suffered years of physical and sexual abuse at home. Then after entering DCFS care, she was put into a psychiatric hospital. She was medically ready to be discharged back in June 2021, but she’s still hospitalized.
A judge wrote DCFS disobeyed numerous court orders to get the child out of the hospital in October and November. This is why DCFS Director Smith is being held in contempt.
The girl has been confined in the psychiatric hospital for 221 days since the date she was supposed to be discharged.
“I’ve seen judges threaten to hold DCFS in contempt of court many times,” said [Cook County Public Guardian Charles Golbert]. “I’ve been working in juvenile court for more than 30 years. I cannot recall a single case where a judge actually held the DCFS director in contempt of court.”
The rulings are here and here.
* Sun-Times…
One of the children awaiting placement is a 9-year-old girl who was malnourished as an infant and physically and sexually abused by family, records show. The girl, who’s been a DCFS ward for two years, was put into psychiatric care in April and has been ready to be discharged since June. Seven months later, she’s still there.
The other case involves a 13-year-old boy with “severe mental health issues” who was forced to sleep in a utility room before he was placed in a temporary housing shelter in Mount Vernon, about five hours away from Chicago. The shelter was supposed to be a “temporary” placement of no more than 30 days, but he’s been there now for more than 145 days. […]
Golbert offered some short- and long-term solutions for DCFS, including having existing partners expand capacity, and finding more partners to offer housing.
“I know what they’re gonna say, they’re gonna say, ‘Oh, this is so expensive. Oh, this is so hard.’ No. 1, these are children and DCFS is responsible for these children, and these children are our future, and it’s not acceptable for them to be locked up in psych wards for seven months like this little girl was,” he said. “No. 2, DCFS would actually save the taxpayers a lot of money by doing right by these kids,” Golbert said, adding that psychiatric hospitalization is “far more expensive than even the most expensive other types of placements.”
* From the judge…
Lauren Williams, an associate Deputy Director, testified that DCFS has closed 460 residential beds in Illinois since 2015. According to her testimony the agency planned to replace these residential beds’ with “therapeutic foster homes.” However, the agency has, to date, opened less than 30 of these therapeutic homes and only 10 in Cook County. In that same case, a DCFS expert, Dr. Marc Friedman who is board-certified in both child and adult psychiatry, testified that he did not understand why the Department took away these necessary residential beds. He stated that shuttering these facilities caused a “crisis.”
The testimony of these two individuals along with others was that DCFS intended to change its philosophy from residential to “highly structured therapeutic” foster homes. These witnesses implied that in hindsight this was a mistake. The highly structured therapeutic homes were never opened and the residential beds never replaced. Instead, all judges in this division consistently are told by DCFS agents to be patient while they try to place an increasingly number of disturbed children into a decreasing number of residential placements and appropriate “specialized” homes. Several years ago this argument had some merit. But after years of children deteriorating in inappropriate and dangerous placements the courts must act.
…Adding… CBS 2…
Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin (R-Westchester) called for hearings and an investigation after state Department of Children and Family Services Director Marc Smith was held in contempt of court for violating the rights of children. […]
Durkin on Monday issued a letter to state Rep. Camille Lilly (D-Oak Park), chairperson of the Human Services Appropriations Committee. Durkin noted in the letter that the DCFS receives more than $1 billion in state support per year, and is “tasked with protecting the state’s most vulnerable residents, a mission both Republicans and Democrats can agree is essential to the state.
“That is why it is so heartbreaking to see that DCFS Director Marc Smith is being held in contempt of court for failing to do his job,” Durkin wrote.
* Related…
* Social workers’ field safety remains concern after killing
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In case there was any doubt, vaccines work
Monday, Jan 10, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Jake Griffin at the Daily Herald…
Before COVID-19 vaccines became available in late 2020, the virus had claimed 145 of every 100,000 Illinois residents.
That was the 11th highest mortality rate for COVID-19 among the 50 states and Washington, D.C., in 2020.
In 2021, after the vaccines had been introduced and made widely available, Illinois recorded the 17th lowest per capita mortality rate in the country, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The virus killed 102 of every 100,000 residents here.
In fact, CDC data show states with higher rates of fully vaccinated residents have significantly lower COVID-19 per capita mortality rates. […]
Only one of the 14 states with the highest COVID-19 per capita mortality rate in 2021 has a vaccination rate above 58%, according to CDC data.
* Meanwhile, here’s Mark Maxwell…
The Illinois Department of Labor filed new rules on Friday to officially adopt the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate for public and private sector employers with more than 100 workers.
According to the federal guidelines, employers must require their workers to show proof of vaccination or wear a mask and submit to testing to enter the workplace. The rules would also order employers to bar workers from the premises if they test positive for COVID-19. […]
While the Supreme Court suggested states could have more legal authority to implement a vaccine mandate over private business than the federal government, a spokesperson for Governor Pritzker said this new OSHA and Department of Labor rule would not be the mechanism to implement that kind of state-led mandate.
“If the court reversed the federal mandate, then our rule will also be rescinded,” Pritzker spokesperson Jordan Abudayyeh said. “We just have to match the feds with whatever happens and filing the rule gives people time to plan if it’s upheld.”
The state was facing a deadline to update the Illinois Department of Labor rule on Friday, which coincided with the Supreme Court’s arguments over the matter.
* Speaking of the US Supreme Court case…
Justice Clarence Thomas asked [Ohio Solicitor General Ben Flowers], who is arguing against the OSHA mandate on behalf of the state of Ohio, “Would the state of Ohio, and I’m not saying this would be an approach that you would take, but you had earlier a discussion about whether or not the federal government had police powers in the workforce and you suggested that the state has these police powers. Could the state of Ohio do what you say OSHA cannot do?”
“My position,” stated Flowers, who clerked for the late Justice Antonin Scalia, “is that the state of Ohio could mandate vaccinations not only for workers but for all individuals. I think that’s an important point to stress as we’re talking as though OHSA is the only entity that can regulate this.”
Emphasis added.
…Adding… Hmm…
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* This bill passed without any interest group opposition…
Illinois House members on Wednesday approved and sent to the governor’s desk follow-up legislation to make it easier for police to carry out the controversial criminal-justice reform bill passed and signed into law one year ago.
Senate Bill 3512 was approved on a 67-42 vote in the House, with no Republican votes. The bill passed the Senate in October on a 40-17 vote. […]
The bill’s language, which was negotiated with the chiefs group and other law-enforcement organizations, also would delay until July 1 the effective date of new police training requirements and a new police officer decertification process. […]
[Ed Wojcicki, director of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police] said he supports the delays because personnel need more time to be trained to carry out the law.
* Capitol News Illinois…
The bill outlines that when someone is detained, law enforcement must allow them to make up to three phone calls within three hours of being detained. If the individual is moved from one detention center to the next, the three phone calls and three hours will restart.
But House Minority Leader Jim Durkin, R-Western Springs, argued that the bill did not provide enough clarification between the words “police custody” and “detention”.
“Police custody means that they’re not free to leave. That means that they’re sitting in a squad car and under the way you’ve drafted your bill, that means that the police have to give that person three phone calls,” Durkin said.
But the bill clarifies that the definition of “detention” is police stations, places that operate municipal police departments, county police departments and other law enforcement agencies.
That was not a serious objection. But I suppose it’ll make for a cheap direct mail hit.
* Center Square…
Durkin warned the measure could lead to witness tampering and intimidation, particularly in domestic violence situations.
“What you’re describing is felony tampering of a witness, leader,” Slaughter said.
“It doesn’t make a difference, you’re still allowing that phone call to be made,” Durkin said. “Sure they can get charged down the line but the fact is the call is going to be made and they’re going to scare the hell out of that victim who has been the subject of abuse by the family member.”
They could do that with only one phone call. But, again, direct mailers galore.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Oops. I forgot about Greg Hinz’s interview of Speaker Welch that also touched on a new anti-crime package…
Welch: We’re still early in the process. We’ve only had one day of session this year. But there’s some things that we’re looking at. Certainly in the carjacking space. We’re looking at things in organized retail theft space. We’re looking at all of the things that we can possibly do, legally, constitutionally that we will be able to agree on, Democrats and Republicans. Everyone’s at the table right now. I do anticipate some things getting done this session that’s going to continue to build on success we had 2021. But specifically around carjackings, organized retail theft in particular.
[Hinz brings up Mayor Lightfoot’s “contention that there are people released on electronic monitors who shouldn’t be.”]
Welch: On the electronic monitoring issue that the mayor is raising, our lawyers are looking at that. You’ve got to remember the things that we have to do also have to pass constitutional muster. […]
Welch: Crime is a concern to all of us, that you do the crime you should do the time. We should also want to make sure our friends in law enforcement have the resources that they need, that law enforcement needs to be properly funded. That they need to be trained and educated. Those are things that we can help do in on budget as well. And those are part of the conversations that are ongoing as well.
Please excuse all transcription errors.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Feigenholtz is backtracking…
State Sen. Sara Feigenholtz (6th), who was a proud supporter of last year’s massive criminal justice reform bill, appeared to have a severe case of buyer’s remorse during the Zoom session.
“We are looking very closely to some of the reforms that we enacted,” Feigenholtz said. “It’s a big bill, and we’re gonna have to go back and make a lot of changes and remediate.”
“I don’t think that anybody bargained for repeat offenders and people who were in possession of a gun and accused of violent crime to be released on a [recognizance] bond,” she continued. […]
“We have a lot of work to do,” Feigenholtz said.
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Campaign notebook
Friday, Jan 7, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Press release…
Congressman Bobby Rush announced his endorsement of Democrat Alexi Giannoulias for Illinois Secretary of State along with a group of African-American elected officials who had previously endorsed Alderperson Pat Dowell for the statewide office.
Rush made his endorsement in a video, stating, Giannoulias has “always been there for our community. He knows our community. He understands our community. He knows what we need. He will be a partner to solve some of the issues that we are confronting…He will be with us and for us.”
Meanwhile, several present and former elected officials who had endorsed Dowell are now pledging their support Giannoulias as the Democratic nominee to replace Secretary of State Jesse White who is not seeking re-election in 2022. […]
The list of new endorsements includes: Ald. Howard Brookins (21st); Committeeperson Preston Brown Jr. (34th); State Sen. Mattie Hunter (3rd); former Illinois State Senate President Emil Jones, Jr; former U.S. Senator Carol Moseley Braun; MWRD Commissioner Kimberly Neely Du Buclet; Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle; Ald. Rod Sawyer (6th); and Ald. Christopher Taliaferro (29th).
The video is here.
* He announced his reelection on January 6th? Sends a message…
State Rep. Chris Miller, R-Oakland, is running for reelection to the Illinois House in the new 101st district, he announced Thursday.
Miller’s announcement comes a year to the day he attended a Washington, D.C., rally where President Donald Trump spoke, an event that preceded the attack on the U.S. Capitol, and earned Miller the ire of his Democratic colleagues.
“As Democrats continue their assault on our way of life, I am eager to stay in the fight to preserve our freedom in this state and to push back on J.B. Pritzker and the Chicago Democrats’ hostile takeover of Illinois,” Miller said in a statement.
* Press release…
Today, the International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers Union announced their endorsement of Nikki Budzinski in Illinois’ 13th Congressional District. The Ironworkers (IW) represent 120,000 members in North America. The union represents ironworkers who work on bridges, structural steel, ornamental, architectural, and miscellaneous metals, rebar and in shops across North America.
The Ironworkers’ endorsement is the latest in a broad coalition of support that Budzinski is building, including U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, the Illinois AFL-CIO, EMILY’s List, State Treasurer Mike Frerichs, Rep. “Chuy” García, Rep. Sean Casten, Rep. Cheri Bustos, Rep. Jan Schakowsky, State Senator Christopher Belt, Assistant Majority Leader Jay Hoffman, House Democratic Caucus Chair LaToya Greenwood, State Representative Katie Stuart, UFCW Local 881, United Brotherhood of Carpenters (UBC), Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT), SEIU State Council, United Steelworkers (USW), IBEW Locals 51, 146, 193, 309, 601 and 649, Communications Workers of America (CWA), Sheet Metal Air Rail and Transportation Workers’ Union, Heat and Frost Insulators, Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois (AFFI), Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (BAC) Local 8, Elect Democratic Women, Pastor T. Ray McJunkins, County Chairs Bill Houlihan (Sangamon), Mark Pohlman (Jersey), Paul “Snow” Herkert (Calhoun), Ben Curtin (Christian) and Pam Monetti (Macoupin).
* Politico has a story on Wednesday’s elections bill passage…
Five new [Cook County] subcircuit court districts were created, which will include judges that serve under the county’s purview. That means that over the next 10 years, some 55 judicial vacancies will no longer be countywide seats. They would be in a subcircuit court district.
The goal of the bill carried by Rep. Elizabeth Hernandez and Senate President Don Harmon is to create smaller judicial districts that better represent communities and allow for more minority candidates in judicial seats.
But yesterday, a day after the bill passed both chambers and was sent to the governor, lawmakers realized the measure might have some unintended consequences.
Because those seats would move out from under the purview of Cook County, the Cook County Democratic Party would lose power to slate — or endorse— some judicial candidates. Getting slated means the party promotes candidates on glossy fliers, makes robocalls and knocks on doors. It’s difficult for candidates not slated to compete against that kind of muscle. Those who get slated, judicial candidates and everyone from the governor to water reclamation commissioners, pay $40,000 each for the perk.
Last month, for example, nine judicial candidates were slated for vacancies, which comes to $360,000 in the Cook County Democrats’ coffers.
Along with decentralizing the judicial process, the bill could see Cook County Democrats’ coffers depleted. So there’s already some talk about reworking the bill.
Harmon, though, says the concerns are overblown. There still should be plenty of judicial vacancies filled by the county, he told Playbook. “Our intent was to follow the model from 1991, where some but not all judicial vacancies were assigned to subcircuits. If people are reading it differently, we would certainly correct it.”
…Adding… Press release…
Illinois State Representative Kelly Cassidy and Chicago Alderwoman Maria Hadden (49th Ward) have announced their endorsement for Illinois Secretary of State Democratic candidate Anna Valencia. Cassidy and Hadden now join Women for Valencia—a growing coalition of more than 50 prominent women leaders across the state, including U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood, Ulta Beauty Chairwoman Mary Dillon and more—in calling for Illinoisians to rally behind Valencia, now the only woman remaining in the race.
“With another Republican candidate entering the Illinois Secretary of State’s race this week, we need to make sure the Democratic Party puts forth its best candidate. There is too much at stake,” said Representative Cassidy. “I am endorsing Anna Valencia because her unparalleled passion for public service and unwavering commitment to fighting for women and other marginalized communities is needed at the state’s table. I encourage Illinoisians to join me in the critical support of a proven leader, who can guide the Secretary of State’s Office into the next era.”
“Anna Valencia’s impressive record as City Clerk of Chicago speaks for itself—from streamlining and modernizing government services, to her innovation and leadership on the CityKey ID program for residents with barriers of access to government-issued identification,” said Alderwoman Hadden. “I am proud to endorse Anna, a qualified woman of color with strong experience, leadership and ethical values, who will give the Democratic Party the best chances at winning in November.”
Cassidy and Hadden’s support come on the heels of a momentous week for Valencia’s campaign, which just secured the support of U.S. Senator Dick Durbin on Tuesday. Following the news, fellow U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth reinforced her support for Valencia with a call to action for Illinois voters and donors.
“Now as much as ever, we must do everything we can to ensure women, including women of color, are represented at all levels of government,” said Senator Duckworth. “I urge Illinoisans to join me in helping elect Anna Valencia. As the first woman to serve as our Secretary of State, I know she will help us build a better, more equitable Illinois for everyone.”
Valencia entered the race in June 2021. In just six months, the Granite City, Ill. native has built a strong statewide coalition of support from a robust slate of highly-respected elected officials, business leaders, political groups and labor unions—including the Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois (AFFI) and Illinois Nurses Association - The Nurses Union (INA). Valencia has also secured support from the national Latino Victory Fund and other influential organizations and leaders from across the state and nation.
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* Tribune…
CTU’s proposal submitted last week called for a negative test result to return to buildings and an expansion of the in-school weekly testing program that’s mandatory for unvaccinated staff members and voluntary for students. About 33,000 tests were administered the last week of school before winter break, with district officials promising for months that capacity would reach 40,000 weekly tests. CPS CEO Pedro Martinez expressed frustration again Wednesday that the testing program has not grown faster.
Lightfoot said Wednesday that the CTU wants the program mandatory for all, unless parents opt out, a plan she opposes because it’s “morally repugnant” to take the decision out of parents’ hands. COVID testing, she said, is a “quasi-medical procedure.”
As of late last month, 41,690 students and 24,933 staff members were registered for the testing program, according to the district. CPS officials said some students may have registered before getting vaccinated in the fall and decided later not to show up for weekly testing.
Morally repugnant? That’s odd.
CPS administers nasal swab tests. I do not know why they don’t use the SHIELD test from the U of I. All you do with those tests is spit into a test tube, which makes them less than the “quasi-medical procedure” swab (although that’s silly as well and the General Assembly acted on this very point last year by exempting testing from the Right of Conscience Act, so her legal argument doesn’t hold up, either). They’ve been made available by the state to all school districts.
* Illinois Families for Public Schools did some research on opt-out testing and found this…
Despite Mayor Lightfoot’s claims that an opt out procedure would be a legal nightmare, we did some research over the past couple of days and found 34 districts in IL doing notification plus opt-out testing along with at least two CPS charters, CICS Ellison and Horizon Science Academy Belmont. These districts include:
Barrington 220, Bethalto 8, CICS Ellison 299, Crystal Lake/Round Lake CCSD 46, Des Plaines CCSD 62, Evanston 65, Evanston 202, Fenton 100, Flossmoor 161, Georgetown-Ridge Farm CUSD 4, Glenbrook HS 225, Homewood 153, Horizon Science Academy Belmont 299, Huntley 158, Joliet Township 204, Kirby 140, Macomb 185, Naperville 203, New Trier 203, Northbrook 28, Northbrook Glenview 30, Oak Lawn HS 229, Oak Park 97, River Ridge CSD 210, River Trails 26, Riverside 96, Skokie/Morton Grove 69, Speed SEJA 802, Streator 44, Streator Township 40, Thornton 205, West Chicago 33, West Northfield 31, Will Co 92, Woodland 50.
The full list, with supporting links, is here.
…Adding… Mark asked the bishops this very question at a Statehouse press conference…
…Adding… With a hat tip to a commenter, “Dr. Robert Murphy is a professor of infectious disease at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and is the executive director for the Institute of Global Health” and was asked this morning on WGN whether he thought “Chicago public schools are safe enough to open and have in person learning”…
It is not safe to open the schools. I’m sorry. It’s very bad to do home learning. I mean, that doesn’t work as good, everybody knows that. But look at what’s happening. They can’t even keep the schools open. They didn’t have enough employees to work to keep the schools open.
If that’s the case then we need federal intervention right freaking now. What’s a single mom going to do if she has to leave her job to take care of her kids? If she’s fired for non-attendance or quits, she won’t be receiving any extra unemployment assistance. And there’s no longer an eviction moratorium to protect her and her family.
Most school districts are trying to do what’s right and taking a targeted approach rather than shutting down entirely. Then again, most school districts are run better than CPS and have unionized workforces who are more interested in collaboration than CTU.
In my own opinion, Mayor Lightfoot should back away from this fight, which she and the CTU have obviously personalized, and hand the keys to the district’s CEO and board chair. Maybe they can do what she obviously cannot.
…Adding… Bloomberg…
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has asked the Biden administration for Covid-19 tests to help resolve the latest dispute between Chicago Public Schools and its teachers union, a disagreement that’s led to the cancellation of classes for three straight days.
“I spoke in the last couple of days with the White House to ask them for help for Chicago Public Schools,” Pritzker said in an interview Thursday. “There is a challenge all over the nation in need of testing but I think there is an urgent need in Chicago because we want to get those kids back in school.” […]
“Parents are suffering, children are suffering when they can’t get back in school and I understand teachers need to be safe in school as kids are,” he said. “The parties need to come together and find common middle ground and I have not yet seen that but I am hopeful.”
…Adding… Sun-Times…
As the Omicron variant shatters Illinois COVID-19 case and hospitalization records, suburban doctors say they’re seeing more children come down with severe coronavirus cases than ever before.
Advocate Children’s Hospital locations in Park Ridge and Oak Lawn have had up to 38 kids admitted with the virus this week, a figure that has tripled over the past month, Advocate Aurora Health leaders said Thursday.
About a quarter of the infected youngsters have required intensive care, according to the hospital’s chief medical officer, Dr. Frank Belmonte. It’s the most children the network has treated for COVID since the pandemic hit, and Omicron is presenting a new set of challenges.
…Adding… This number shows the opposite of what I think the Sun-Times was trying to say. It’s a pitifully small number when you consider there are well over 300K kids in CPS…
An online petition that seeks a return to in-person learning criticizes the union’s latest labor action as “a step in the wrong direction that defies the opinions of public health leaders and puts our kids’ safety and health back at risk.” By Thursday night, it had received more than 2,100 signatures.
Yawn.
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