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.
With lawmakers back in Springfield this week, bipartisan working groups have begun discussions on how lawmakers plan to appropriate taxpayer dollars.
Lawmakers have a May 31 deadline to pass an approximately $42 billion spending plan. That’s just the state’s side of the spending. There’s also the nearly $53 billion in federal funds the state is expected to appropriate this year. The total spending plan, including state and federal sources, is $95.5 billion, up 2.2 percent from the previous fiscal year, according to the National Association of State Budget Officers.
Then there’s the $7.5 billion the state is getting in federal COVID-19 stimulus funding.
State Rep. Mike Zalewski, D-Riverside, said there has been an ongoing discussion among Democrats about the state’s budget, but this week they brought in Republicans. […]
Several measures at the statehouse would drop that [trailer license registration fee] from $118 to where it was before the 2019 change to $18, but those measures have not advanced despite having bipartisan support.
Zalewski declined to comment on the fee. But, lawmakers are expected to adopt the overall revenue estimate.
“In a year when federal stimulus is a concern of ours, to not interfere with it with tax credits or tax deductions or tax cuts, I think it makes sense to wait for the federal government to offer guidance on that,” Zalewski said.
A proposal moving through the Illinois General Assembly would require video game developers to warn players of the financial and psychological risks of a particular in-game microtransaction — “loot boxes”.
“Loot boxes” are randomized digital items that either improve a player’s gameplay, like unlocking weapons, or alter a player’s aesthetics.
However, State Rep. Barabara Hernandez (D-Aurora) believes many younger players may not realize the virtual currency they use to purchase additional content like loot boxes are tied to real money, and as a result kids can run up substantial bills.
Senator Elgie Sims, Jr. (D-Chicago) passed legislation out of a Senate committee today to give community college boards of trustees and local housing authorities permission to develop affordable housing for community college students.
“This is about bettering the college experience for every student in this state,” said Sims. “Research shows that students who live on campus have higher GPAs. When students live on campus they are more plugged-in to the campus community and have more opportunities to join clubs, attend events and meet new people.”
A Chicago state senator wants to withhold funding from schools that apply dress codes to hairstyles. School associations and the Illinois State Board of Education are worried the bill’s punishment mechanism goes too far.
In the Senate Education Committee, Sen. Mike Simmons, D-Chicago, said policies that ban certain hairstyles in schools are outdated. He said he thinks schools will want to be on the right side of history if the amendment to SB817 becomes law. […]
Under the bill, districts out of compliance would have their names listed on the state board’s website, in addition to having their state funding kept at the previous school year’s level. Districts would receive the additional funding once they comply with the bill.
Amanda Elliott, the director of legislative affairs for the state board of education, said there are a variety of already-existing enforcement mechanisms that can be used when schools don’t comply with legislation, including a process to revoke recognition from a district. Elliott said in almost a decade with the board, she hasn’t seen a district have their recognition, and thus their funding, revoked.
“We have threatened it several times, which results in pretty quick compliance,” said Elliott. “Districts generally don’t want that to happen and come into compliance with the mandate.”
…Adding… Sen. Simmons is amending his bill.
* Press release…
A bill that would allow some public benefit recipients to purchase feminine hygiene products with their respective benefits introduced by state Rep. Barbara Hernandez, D-Aurora, recently passed unanimously out of the Illinois House of Representatives and is awaiting consideration in the Senate.
“Feminine hygiene products are not optional luxuries that most women can neglect to use, but unfortunately many low income women find themselves in situations where they cannot afford these products, which could result in very serious health concerns,” said Hernandez. “I am working to ensure that all women have access to feminine hygiene and menstrual products, no matter their income.”
Hernandez introduced House Bill 155, which would allow recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Women, Infant, and Children program (WIC) and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program (TANF) to use their benefits to purchase feminine hygiene products, including tampons, sanitary napkins and feminine wipes.
Addressing menstrual inequalities has been a top priority of Hernandez’s throughout her time in office. In addition to passing House Bill 155 with bipartisan support, Hernandez also brought forward legislation that would require schools to provide menstrual products in bathrooms for students. She has also hosted a handful of local events about this issue including menstrual equality town hall events and feminine hygiene product donation drives to help support local women’s shelters.
“Feminine hygiene products are necessities that many low income women lack, and they should not have to choose between buying food or other goods and affording these products,” said Hernandez. “Denying access to feminine hygiene products to anyone who needs them is denying a basic human right, and we must continue to work on this issue to ensure all women have access to feminine products.”
…Adding… Another one…
State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago) is continuing an effort to decriminalize the transmission of human immunodeficiency virus.
“Having HIV is a health care concern, not a crime,” Peters said. “People living with HIV don’t need to worry about facing criminal charges for simply living.”
A portion of the Criminal Code – referred to as the Criminal Transmission of HIV – provides that individuals living with HIV can be criminally prosecuted, charged with a Class 2 Felony, and jailed for having consensual sex, sharing needles, or donating organs or bodily tissues or fluids. Despite the reference “transmission” in the criminal code, actual transmission is not required. Peters’ proposal repeals this portion of the criminal code.
Currently, HIV is the only communicable disease in Illinois that is criminalized.
“Those living with HIV deserve to be able to receive treatment for their condition, and not risk arrest or incarceration,” Peters said. “It’s time we end the stigma surrounding sexually transmitted diseases and start treating them like the medical conditions that they are.”
House Bill 1063 had passed the House of Representatives with bipartisan support in April. On Wednesday, the Senate Executive Committee approved it, also with bipartisan support, and it will now be sent to the full Senate for further consideration.
