* Press release…
Statement from the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus House
The Illinois Legislative Black Caucus House held a first of its kind Speaker of the House Candidate’s Forum Saturday, December 5th. Out of the 118 members of the Illinois House, only two candidates availed themselves to our process for Speaker of the 102nd General Assembly. After analysis, we believe our caucus is in a more advantageous position under the leadership of Speaker Madigan to deliver on our priorities. We have a daunting task ahead of us to repair harm done to black communities because of long standing systemic disinvestment, the challenges stemming from COVID-19 and of course the underlying reasons why it is important to pass the Black Caucus’ Policy Agenda: Criminal Justice & Police Reform; Education & Workforce Development; Economic Access; and Access to Health Care.
The members of the House Illinois Legislative Black Caucus have taken a Caucus position in support of Representative Mike Madigan as Speaker for the next General Assembly. We need a Speaker that will provide strong, consistent leadership and support for the challenges ahead.
It’s time to refocus on the work in front of us and be prepared to start the next General Assembly’s business immediately.
This means, of course, that now the opposition cannot reach 60 votes for a different House Speaker.
*** UPDATE *** From the only Black Caucus member who has said he will not vote to reelect Madigan…
State Rep. Maurice West Responds to Black Caucus Statement with 4 words
My position hasn’t changed.
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* Press release…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 8,256 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 179 additional deaths.
- Adams County: 1 female 100+
- Bond County: 1 female 60s
- Boone County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s
- Bureau County: 1 male 70s
- Champaign County: 1 male 70s
- Christian County: 1 female 40s
- Cook County: 1 female 40s, 3 males 40s, 3 males 50s, 5 females 60s, 7 males 60s, 5 females 70s, 9 males 70s, 11 females 80s, 11 males 80s, 7 females 90s, 2 males 90s, 1 female 100+
- Crawford County: 1 male 80s
- DeKalb County: 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
- DuPage County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 60s, 2 females 70s, 2 females 80s, 2 males 80s
- Edgar County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 90s
- Effingham County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 2 females 90
- Fulton County: 1 male 80s
- Greene County: 1 male 70s
- Grundy County: 1 female 80s
- Hamilton County: 1 male 80s
- Henderson County: 1 female 90s
- Jackson County: 1 female 90s
- Jefferson County: 1 female 50s, 1 female 80s
- Johnson County: 1 male 40s
- Kane County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
- Kankakee County: 1 male 80s
- Knox County: 1 female 80s
- Lake County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s, 2 male 70s, 1 male 90s
- LaSalle County: 1 female 80s
- Lee County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
- Livingston County: 1 female 90s
- Logan County: 1 female 60s, 2 females 90s
- Macoupin County: 3 females 60s, 1 female 80s
- Madison County: 1 female 40s, 2 females 60s, 1 male 60s, 2 females 80s, 1 male 80s
- Marion County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 90s
- Massac County: 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
- McDonough County: 1 female 70s
- McHenry County: 1 female 70s
- McLean County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 70s
- Morgan County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 90s
- Moultrie County: 1 female 80s
- Peoria County: 1 female 40s, 2 males 70s
- Rock Island County: 2 females 70s
- Sangamon County: 1 male 50s, 1 female 60s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s, 3 females 90s
- Shelby County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
- St. Clair County: 3 females 70s, 1 female 90s
- Stephenson County: 1 male 80s
- Tazewell County: 1 female 90s, 1 female 100+, 1 male 100+
- Vermilion County: 1 male 90s
- Washington County: 1 male 80s
- Will County: 1 male 40s, 1 female 50s, 2 females 60s, 1 male 60s, 2 males 70s, 1 male 80s
- Williamson County: 1 female 60s
- Winnebago County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 812,430 cases, including 13,666 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 92,737 specimens for a total 11,367,345. As of last night, 5,284 in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 1,176 patients were in the ICU and 647 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from December 2 – December 8, 2020 is 9.6%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from December 2 – December 8, 2020 is 11.4%.
*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 a death previously reported has changed, therefore, today’s numbers have been adjusted. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
…Adding… Keep wearing that mask, keep washing your hands and keep on keeping on with the distance thing and maybe the state will get out of this mess…
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* Star Courier on November 25th…
The food permits of several Henry County restaurants have been suspended, the Henry County Health Department confirmed Tuesday. The suspensions were handed down after several area restaurant and bar owners defied the governor’s most recent mitigation measures and continued to serve patrons indoors. […]
As of Tuesday, the Broken Chimney remained closed, but at noontime, Cerno’s Bar and Grill continued to serve food without a food permit, even as the attorney for the restaurant’s owners, Thomas DeVore, appeared in Henry County Court at a preliminary hearing.
On Monday, a complaint for a preliminary injunction was filed against the restaurant owners and a motion for a restraining order barring the restaurant from opening. The hearing was scheduled for Tuesday at 11:30 a.m.
On Tuesday afternoon, the bar and grill owners announced the restaurant’s closing on their Facebook page.
“Today our lawyer went to court for us and battled for our doors to stay open, unfortunately the judge did not rule in our favor. That ruling unfortunately means a temporarily full shut down. The health department is working to decipher the rules on reestablishing our food license,” the post read.
* December 3rd on this here blog…
A lawsuit filed by a Thayer bar against the Sangamon County Department of Public Health on November 25th was thrown out Wednesday afternoon. Represented by Attorney Thomas DeVore, Brewzrz Pub claimed that the Public Health Department violated Illinois law by suspending its food license on November 19, 2020 as a result of the bar’s failure to comply with Sangamon County’s Covid-19 mitigation restrictions prohibiting indoor dining and bar service.
* FOX 2 St. Louis on December 8th…
Seven restaurants in St. Clair County have faced recent aggressive actions from the local health department and more actions are coming soon. It’s a new approach to shutting down indoor dining.
Restaurants defying indoor dining orders did not think Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s order was enforceable. Then the St. Clair County Health Department started stripping businesses of their food licenses.
Why on Earth would they think the order was unenforceable? You guessed it…
“You have a very small segment of county health departments, and it’s 6 or 7 out of the 102 at this point, St. Clair County being one of them, that’s saying, ‘Well, we’re not closing or making your business off limits to the public, we’re just gonna suspend your food license,’” said attorney Tom DeVore. […]
“The suggestion is they can still use their bar or restaurant to teach typewriter maintenance I guess, but you’re not closed and off limits to the public to where we have to follow the law,” he said. “‘We’re just telling you, you don’t have a food license.’ It’s a big work around.”
*** UPDATE *** Gee, I wonder where he got this false information?…
The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District removed the food permit of Apple Dumplin’, 2014 N. High Cross Road, for continuing to serve indoors, but the restaurant continued to operate without the permit, according to health district Administrator Julie Pryde. […]
Earlier Wednesday, Flanigan contended it’s not illegal to serve indoors, and that he believes Gov. J.B. Pritzker would have had to turn to the state Legislature to pass a law banning indoor restaurant and bar service beyond 30 days of the original order back in March.
He said the health district told him last Thursday that his food permit would be removed, but he passed his health inspection without issues Nov. 24.
“To me, it doesn’t matter,” he said about his food permit being removed. “Even if they did, they did it wrongly.”
Selling snake oil to people to ease their headaches is one thing. Marketing it as a cure for desperate people with terminal cancer is quite another. The ARDC, the Supreme Court, the IBA or somebody needs to step in here. Now.
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* Derek Barichello of Shaw Media…
When asked Monday if he would support Madigan, [Rep. Lance Yednock, D-Ottawa] replied: “I will evaluate all candidates to see what their plan is for our state and if those are in line with the values of the Illinois Valley and our working class sensibilities.” […]
In a September interview with the Shaw Media Local News Network editorial board, Yednock said he wanted to wait to see how the investigation goes before he calls for any resignation.
“I’m not going to call for anybody’s removal unless they are convicted,” Yednock said. “I will do that to a friend or political foe. I think due process still has to be the law of the land.”
*** UPDATE *** Jim Dey…
In a bid to keep his job, Democratic Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan appeared over the weekend before members of the Democratic Black Caucus.
He’s expected to win the group’s endorsement, and state Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Urbana, said she intends to follow that lead.
“I’m going to support the position of the caucus,” Ammons said.
She said it will be “no surprise” if the caucus endorses the beleaguered Madigan’s tenuous bid for re-election to another term as speaker because of the assistance Madigan has given to the group’s policy priorities.
Ammons also said she will be pleased to support Madigan because “he’s helped (my) district” on university- and hospital-funding issues.
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* CBS 2…
The National Restaurant Association warns 10,000 American restaurants could close in three weeks unless Congress passes a relief package. That’s on top of 110,000 restaurants that have already closed this year.
* Meanwhile, from the free Daily Line email…
The Chicago Restaurants Association and Fulton Market Association plan to co-host a press conference at 1 p.m. Wednesday at City Wintery at 1200 W. Randolph St. to call on Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Gov. JB Pritzker to restore indoor dining in Chicago to 20 percent occupancy by Jan. 15. They are also calling on Ald. Tom Tunney (44) to be fined the maximum penalty of $10,500 for serving indoor diners at his restaurant. “Chicago restaurant violators must be punished to the full extent of the law, in order to avoid unfair government scapegoating of restaurants as “virus super-spreaders,” according to a press release released by the groups Tuesday.
Thoughts?
*** UPDATE *** Good point…
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* Background is here if you need it. From the governor’s press conference yesterday…
Q: Speaker Madigan was quoted over the weekend saying something about helping you get an income tax increase in light of the failure of the graduated tax proposal. What is he talking about?
A: Well, what I can say is that I’m focused on the cuts that need to be made in state government, making sure that we’re paring back as best we can, making efficiencies in state government, looking to Republican and Democratic leaders as I already have and asking them for their best ideas about what it is that we need to cut in state government. So that’s what I’ve been focused on. And I will say that I have not yet heard back from the leaders about what their best proposals are for what cuts need to be made. And so I’m awaiting their responses.
Thoughts?
*** UPDATE 1 *** Letter from Leader Durkin to Gov. Pritzker…
After the rejection of the progressive tax amendment by voters, the four legislative leaders and yourself spoke on November 12th to discuss the myriad of issues relating to the unbalanced budget passed by the General Assembly in May that you eventually signed into law.
For much of that call, you and I discussed options for reductions in spending. To further our discussion, I asked for a list of spending reductions your agencies proposed in response to your September 2019 order to reduce spending by 6.5 percent. As of today, I have not received that document, and I am now asking again for the list of spending reductions by agency.
Even though Veto Session was canceled against our wishes, I hope you will once again call us together to discuss your proposals for balancing the state’s budget as January fast approaches. Speaker Madigan has stated he will work with you on another tax increase, but I hope that you will respect the will of the voters and instead look to live within our means.
Background to info in that letter is here.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Senate President Don Harmon’s spokesman John Patterson…
Republicans made it clear deep budget cuts were a better alternative to a Fair Tax. The voters have spoken. We now look forward to our colleagues across the aisle offering up the Republican cuts for public review.
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* Craig Wall…
“I think in the wake of what we’ve seen in the murder of George Floyd and the concerns in the city that relates to the consent decree, people want to make sure there’s police accountability, so our top priority is working with the attorney general on police licensing,” [Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx] said.
The head of FOP Lodge 7 said with murders skyrocketing this year, Foxx should focus her attention there. He called the licensing effort retaliation for the union’s support of her opponent Pat O’Brien.
“Since she wants to pick that fight, along with some other people in this state, and she wants to join that chorus, bring it on,” said FOP President John Catanzara, Jr. “You know, we’ve been very clear that licensing is not acceptable in any way, shape or form.”
The FOP claims there has been more accountability, but vowed to work against any lawmaker that supports policing licensing.
“They want blood. They don’t want fairness. They want blood and they’re not going to get it,” Catanzara vowed.
The state’s attorney can only act on murderers after the cops catch them. Just sayin…
*** UPDATE *** With a big hat tip to a commenter…
A federal judge told Chicago’s main police union on Monday that it needs to ensure its member officers are wearing face masks and maintaining safe social distances while on the job, in keeping with public health guidelines around COVID-19.
The pointed reminder from U.S. District Court Judge Robert Dow Jr., who is overseeing sweeping mandated department reforms, came after the Fraternal Order of Police filed a motion alleging the city was violating its own health guidelines. Officers have been put at risk when the Chicago Police Department conducted training sessions that included up to 50 people, the union alleged. […]
“(T)he Court reiterates the importance of the moving party continuing to monitor and insist upon compliance with the guidelines by its own membership, which is a concern given the number of photographs and videos that the Court and the Independent Monitor (overseeing the reforms) have seen during the pandemic showing CPD patrol officers out of compliance with masking and social distancing requirements,” Dow wrote. […]
“Litigants who invoke equity ‘must come with clean hands,’” the judge wrote, referencing language from a noted case, “and during this pandemic, with masked faces as well.”
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