Bob Molaro was well known for his jovial spirit, positive attitude and innate ability to bring people together and build consensus. He had a way of making everyone comfortable, even in challenging times and debates. Bob will be greatly missed by all who knew him. My thoughts are with his family and loved ones.
Bob served in both the Senate and then the House before he became a lobbyist. He was diagnosed late last year with pancreatic cancer and passed away Monday evening surrounded by family. Bobby had a lot of friends in this business and they are heartbroken right now.
RIP Bobby - How do you create on homage to a guy like Bob Molaro? Coffee. I hope it doesn’t come off trite, because coffee was everything good about Bobby. He used it for kinship, advice, bonding, listening, laughter and mentorship. No matter his mood, you always got the best of him. When I got the job in 2009, he insisted I understand that it was a blessing, a thing to be cherished and used to advance good things. He gently reminded me that when you get elected, you’re on 3rd base, and don’t forget everyone else who hit the triple to get you there. I’ll miss him beyond words, and am thinking of Barbara, Robyn, Sam, Mike, Miranda, and Alex. Cancer is a thief, and Monday it stole too much.
It is with a heavy heart that we mourn the death of Bob Molaro. He was a true steward of the horseracing industry, which frankly would no longer exist in Illinois were it not for the impassioned, persistent and selfless leadership of Bob. As a legislator, he wrote laws so that Illinois horseracing would have an honest chance to survive and thrive. Though he was personally a fan of racing, he lobbied tirelessly on behalf of the industry because he cared so deeply about people, from the backstretch to the teller line, from the grandstand to the farm. He had genuine empathy for everyone. Especially in the most difficult times, Bob sought to build consensus, to lead with the best possible ideas and to provide relief with humor and humility. Always the optimist and always the storyteller, Bob shared a clear and exciting vision for the future of Illinois horseracing with anyone who would listen. In tribute to his undying spirit, we look forward hopefully to that future, and we pledge to “do all the good we can do” in loving memory of our dear friend.
When I first arrived in Springfield I quickly learned there were few people you could count on to tell you truths. Bob Molaro was one of those people for me. He was my political father figure. In 2007 he asked me to work on this little project with him, which turned out to be the first draft of the Chicago casino and statewide gaming bill. He made me attend countless negotiation sessions and take copious notes and later told me it was all because he wanted me to listen and learn. He saw something in me I hadn’t yet realized. Or he was just messing with me. Either way, it worked. In one of those meetings a legislator asked me to get him a cup of coffee and Bob said, “She’s not your maid. She’s a lawyer. Get your own damn coffee.” Through the years whenever I felt less than or unsure, Bob was there to push me along and be a cheerleader. No one told stories like Bob. I remember sitting listening to him for hours, usually wondering when there would be a punchline or a point. I swear he talked about pensions for 3 hours straight. We frequented the same coffee shop back home and I’d sometimes run in to him accidentally on purpose to hear his stories and get his advice. Bob cared about people. The harsh reality is many never have or will care the way Bob did. When you had has attention, he gave it to you fully. He actually cared about making people’s lives better. And now he’s gone.
I will miss his advice, his stories, and the way he made me laugh. I will miss his love of the horse tracks and perpetually saying “one more thing” before he proceeded to tell me 5 more things. He was an original. And I will miss him so much.
He was indeed an original. And, boy, was it ever hard to shut him up. But just about everyone loved him. He co-announced the House vs. Senate softball games with me the past few years and he was a natural. I mean, the man could’ve been a play-by-play announcer. Who knew? I was always in awe of his gift of gab. And he was so funny and learned things so quickly.
I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for Bob Molaro. He was my friend, my mentor in the legislature and one of the smartest people I have ever known. Bob was the “go-to” guy. Someone you could always depend on to look out for your best interests. More than anyone, I trusted him because I knew he would steer me in the right direction. Like a lot of my colleagues through the years, I looked to Bob as a navigator and he never let me down. To this day, in gaming and other areas, we are still building off the work he started as a lawmaker. I’ll miss him more than I can say. I’ll miss our dinners together, I’ll miss his support, his wisdom and his guidance. My heart goes out to his family, we have all lost one of the greats.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced 546 new confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 87 additional confirmed deaths.
- Champaign County: 1 male 40s
- Cook County: 1 male 40s, 3 females 50s, 1 male 50s, 3 females 60s, 6 males 60s, 5 females 70s, 6 males 70s, 6 females 80s, 6 males 80s, 9 females 90s, 4 males 90s
- DeKalb County: 1 male 90s
- DuPage County: 1 male 60s, 2 males 70s
- Jackson County: 1 male 40s, 2 males 60s
- Kane County: 1 male 40s, 2 females 80s, 1 female 90s
- Kankakee County: 1 male 70s
- Kendall County: 1 male 30s
- Lake County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 90s
- Macoupin County: 1 male 60s
- McHenry County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 90s
- Peoria County: 1 female 80s
- St. Clair County: 1 female 40s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 female 100+
- Tazewell County: 1 female 80s
- Union County: 1 female 90s
- Vermilion County: 1 male 70s
- Will County: 1 female 60s, 2 males 60s, 1 female 70s, 2 females 80s
- Winnebago County: 1 male 40s, 1 female 90s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 134,185 cases, including 6,485 deaths, in 101 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 29,987 specimens for a total of 1,258,328. The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from June 10–June 16 is 3%.
Following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, IDPH is now reporting both confirmed and probable cases and deaths on its website. Reporting probable cases will help show the potential burden of COVID-19 illness and efficacy of population-based non-pharmaceutical interventions. See CDC definition of a probable case on its website. IDPH will update these data once a week.
Today, Governor JB Pritzker joined members of the Black, Latino and Asian Caucuses of the state legislature and small business owners to announce a package of state grant programs to support communities and businesses impacted by the pandemic and recent civil unrest.
The package includes more than $900 million across more than ten programs and four state agencies to help working families and small businesses who have been hit the hardest by COVID-19’s economic impacts, which was compounded by recent property damage and civil unrest.
“We are in a moment that requires a historic effort to mitigate this virus’s devastating effects on the health and livelihoods of the residents of this state,” said Governor Pritzker. “We must do so in a way that prioritizes those who were hurting long before we’d ever heard of COVID-19 – to be there for people who are in need, people who are falling through the cracks, people who never expected themselves to need a helping hand from anyone else – but now they do. With assistance from the federal CARES Act and in partnership with the General Assembly, including from the Black Caucus, Latino Caucus, and Asian Caucus, my administration has put together a support package of over 900 million dollars to lift up small businesses, working families and Black and Brown communities who have been hit the hardest by COVID-19’s financial impacts. I’m deeply proud to lead a state government so committed to being there for the people we serve.”
The economic toll of the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted residents across Illinois but has disproportionately affected households with limited resources who are least able to weather financial hardship. Businesses across every industry sector have faced significant economic strain.
To ensure families and businesses receive ongoing support to maintain their livelihoods, the new package of grant programs operate with equity requirements, ensuring that disproportionately impacted areas (DIAs) receive their fair share of support.
EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
The Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) is launching a $150 million program with $5,000 grants to provide emergency rental assistance to Illinois tenants who are unable to pay their rent. The Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERA) is expected to reach approximately 30,000 renters who are disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. The program will launch in August 2020 and run through the end of the year. Governor Pritzker will extend the ongoing residential eviction ban through July 31 to provide a smooth transition into the assistance program.
To address housing instability due to COVID-19, renters who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic will be prioritized in the grants process. Eligible tenants must already carry an unpaid rent balance from March through present day and certify that the reason they were unable to pay rent was due to a COVID-19 related loss of income on or after March 1, 2020. The assistance will be paid directly to a property owner or landlord on behalf of the tenant and as a condition of accepting the assistance, landlords must agree not to evict the tenant for the duration of the ERA. Assistance will be available on a first-come, first-approved basis until the funds are exhausted.
EMERGENCY MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
IHDA is also launching a separate $150 million program for eligible Illinois homeowners with grants of up to $15,000 to provide support with mortgage payments. The Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program (EMA) is expected to assist approximately 10,000 eligible homeowners who are unable to pay their mortgage. The program is also expected to launch in August 2020 and provide assistance through the end of the year.
Building upon efforts to mitigate housing instability, homeowners who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic will also be prioritized in the grants process. Homeowners’ income prior to the pandemic cannot exceed 120% of the area median income (AMI). Therefore, only homeowners with mortgage arrearages, or in forbearance, on or after March 2020 through present day may be eligible to apply. Eligible homeowners must be able to certify that the reason they could not pay their mortgage in full was due to a COVID-19-related loss of income on or after March 1, 2020. The assistance will be paid directly to the mortgagor’s loan servicer on behalf of the homeowner. Assistance will be available on a first-come, first-approved basis until the funds are exhausted.
NEW BUSINESS INTERRUPTION GRANTS PROGRAM
The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) will launch the first round of Business Interruption Grants (BIG) by providing $60 million to businesses experiencing losses or business interruption as a result of COVID-19 related closures. The BIG Program is available for up to 3,500 businesses that experienced a limited ability to operate due to COVID-19 related closures. DCEO will begin distributing funds to qualifying businesses in early July. The total program funding will amount to at least $540 million in grants for small businesses, $270 of which has been set aside for childcare providers, and is funded by the CARES Act.
In the first wave of grants, priority will be given to small businesses that have been heavily restricted or completely shut down during the pandemic and are located in DIAs. Businesses eligible for the program must have experienced extreme hardship, demonstrated by eligible costs or losses in excess of the grant amount, since March and may continue to face depressed revenues or closure. Businesses must also have been in operation for at least three months prior to March 2020. An emphasis will also be placed on those businesses that are located in areas that have experienced recent property damage due to civil unrest, exacerbating the economic impacts of COVID-19.
Specifically, the program includes support for:
Businesses in DIAs - $20 million for businesses that are located in a subset of DIAs that have recently experienced significant property damage, providing 1,000 grants of $20,000 each
Bars and Restaurants - $20 million for bars and restaurants unable to offer outside service, providing at least 1,000 grants of up to $20,000 each
Barbershops and Salons - $10 million for barbershops and salons, providing 1,000 grants of $10,000 each
Gyms and Fitness Centers - $10 million for gyms and fitness centers that have lost significant revenue due to COVID-19, providing 500 grants of $20,000 each
DCEO will make the application for BIG available on Monday, June 22.
DISTRESSED CAPITAL PROGRAM
The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s new economic recovery program will provide $25 million to support Illinois businesses that have sustained property damage as a result of civil unrest during the recent protests and demonstrations on or after May 25, 2020.
The Distressed Capital Program will reimburse the costs to repair structural damages, including repairs to storefronts and entrances, improving electrical systems, and restoring exterior work.
The program will prioritize small businesses, women and minority-owned businesses, underinsured or uninsured businesses, businesses that have a high community impact – such as grocery stores – and businesses in communities that have experienced historic disinvestment.
The Rebuild Distressed Communities NOFO will solicit applications from regional and local organizations that will perform outreach, coordinate local qualified vendors, and provide funds to cover the cost of repairs and building improvements for businesses in their region. The Distressed Capital Program also includes provisions to ensure BEP-certified contractors, including minority- and women-owned businesses, are the first in line to do the repair work.
DCEO will invite applications for the Distressed Capital Program with a NOFO made available on Monday, June 22.
POVERTY ALLEVIATION STRATEGIES
The Department of Human Services (IDHS) will provide $32.5 million in an effort to immediately mitigate poverty in Illinois and respond to the needs of hard-hit communities by COVID-19 and by the civil unrest. The program will support more than 73,000 people across the state by building upon contracts and services to target communities disproportionately affected by the pandemic. The actions will begin in June and extend through the summer.
Specifically, the IDHS strategies will provide:
Unemployed Adults - Stipends of up to $4 million to help rebuild businesses
Summer Youth Providers – More than $6 million to empower and engage youth and help rebuild communities
Foods Banks - $2 million to expand the capacity to feed hungry families in the hardest hit areas
Illinois Black and Brown Farmers - $1 million to increase the availability of fresh food and produce
Mental Health Services - $2 million to help meet the increased demand for crisis services and better serve diverse communities
Community-Based Organizations - $5 million to provide small grants for healing circles, restorative justice circles, and other healing activities
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) - One-time $500 payment to help ensure food security, totaling $11.5 million
Additionally, the Department on Aging will expand the Emergency Senior Services Funds by providing up to $5 million to support senior residents in need of meals, groceries, medicine, and medical care. The funding will assist seniors who may not have been able to access necessary supplies due to damages to physical locations in their communities. The department will utilize the statewide case coordinator units (CCUs) throughout the Aging network to take referrals from all Aging providers for services.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul advocated for a new state licensing program to register local law enforcement officers in an interview that aired Sunday on Capitol Connection.
Raoul, the state’s top legal officer, said a statewide licensing program would instill a “greater fear of consequence” to serve as a deterrent to prevent police abuses of power.
“I think the vast majority of law enforcement officers are quite frankly p****d off that they all get painted with a bad, broad brush,” Raoul said, adding that a state licensing program is “in the interest of preserving the reputation of law enforcement in general and lifting up the trust of the public and police officers.”
Raoul credited his former colleague Tim Bivins, a former Republican state Senator and Lee County Sheriff, with coming up with the proposal to license local law enforcement officers years ago, although the proposal was left out of a package of reforms that became law.
“I don’t agree with those who say we should just get rid of police officers,” he said. “I don’t agree with those who have been throwing stuff at police officers, or who have lit a police department on fire, or destroyed police cars, or rammed their car into a police car, or done other harm to police officers, because these are men and women who go out every day and put themselves on the line in the interest of public safety. So it’s on behalf of them that I propose this to create a consequence and a deterrence to the bad officer that gives them all, unfortunately, a bad name.”
Ed Wojcicki, head of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, said there could be some good discussions.
“We recognize that the public wants accountability from the police and licensing, if done properly, might be a way to get that done better,” he said. […]
State Rep. John Cabello, R-Machesney Park, who is also a police officer, said the discussion takes away from dealing with public corruption within the state legislature.
“I will talk about that after we start maybe licensing some of our state representatives and senators,” Cabello said.
Legislators are essentially licensed every two years in the House and every 2-4 years in the Senate, John.
Creating another layer of state bureaucracy also would not be cheap or quick. When it comes to how much it would cost and how long it would take, the attorney general acknowledges, “We’re figuring it out.” There are tens of thousands of sworn law enforcement officers in Illinois. Licensing them all would be a lengthy, expensive undertaking that may not pass the cost-benefit test.
Um, people generally pay for their own licenses. But they’re right that it will take quite a while to set this up and roll it out.
* Chicago Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara…
Now we want to create another layer of oversight, now we want to license officers. It’s just another way to try and circumvent the collective bargaining rights of our members to try and fire them. Because if they can get them, if they force them to have licenses, now you can suspend your license and now you’re basically out of work anyway.
That’s probably true.
OK, with the obvious caveat that there are never any single magical fixes that will solve every problem…
* The Question: Do you support the concept of licensing all police officers in Illinois? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please…
The novel coronavirus can be a killer — or no big deal. It can put a person in the intensive care unit on a ventilator, isolated from family, facing a lonely death — or it can come and go without leaving a mark, a ghost pathogen, more rumor than reality.
Six months into a pandemic that has killed more than 400,000 people globally, scientists are still trying to understand the wildly variable nature of covid-19, the disease caused by the virus.
Among their lines of inquiry: Are distinct strains of the coronavirus more dangerous? Does a patient’s blood type affect the severity of the illness? Do other genetic factors play a role? Are some people partially protected from covid-19 because they’ve had recent exposure to other coronaviruses?
Much of the research remains provisional or ambiguous, and for now scientists can’t do much better than say that covid-19 is more likely to be worse for older people — often described as over the age of 60 — and for those with chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, lung disease and heart disease.
China raised its emergency warning to its second-highest level and canceled more than 60% of the flights to Beijing on Wednesday amid a new coronavirus outbreak in the capital. It was a sharp pullback for the nation that declared victory over COVID-19 in March and a message to the rest of the world about how tenacious the virus really is.
New infections spiked in India, Iran and U.S. states including Florida, Texas and Arizona as authorities struggled to balance restarting economic activity without accelerating the pandemic.
European nations, which embarked on a wide-scale reopening this week, looked on with trepidation as the Americas struggled to contain the first wave of the pandemic and Asian nations like China and South Korea reported new outbreaks.
Chinese officials described the situation in Beijing as “extremely grave.”
Texas still appears to have ample hospital/ICU beds, but this is why testing and contact tracing are so important during reopenings. In order to prevent hospital systems from being overrun (which could happen in Arizona), you’ve gotta quickly identify hotspots and then quarantine the exposed. Florida, by the way, doesn’t publish daily hospitalization totals, which is just bizarre this deep into the pandemic.
* The Midwest and Northeast are the only regions in the country to successfully bend the curve downward. And Illinois is one of the five most successful states in the nation…
Here are the five states with the greatest change in the number of people currently hospitalized.
Much of Illinois is moving toward entering Phase 4 of the governor’s re-opening plan on June 26.
Gov. JB Pritzker said that’s a week from Friday, as he reminded people to be aware of the lingering coronavirus. He noted Monday other states have been experiencing spikes in COVID-19 cases after reopening, perhaps too soon.
“I think you have seen in the other states, they moved very quickly, and they’ve seen a spike, and now they have to move backward,” he said during an appearance in Belleville. “You can imagine how damaging that is to small businesses. They get ready to open, they put more money into opening, they get open, and then they have to close again.”
Illinois is currently in Phase 3 of the Restore Illinois plan, which has allowed more business sectors to reopen and eased restrictions on many activities, such as golf and boating. Under Phase 4, restaurants will be able to serve diners inside with reduced seating capacity to preserve social distancing; they have been allowed to serve diners in outdoor settings.
* Vice President Pence has been encouraging governors to downplay the spikes by claiming they were simply due to increased testing (not actually true)…
Thanks, but no thanks, Mr. Vice President.
I’ll stick to the truth: covid-19 is still out there, and because we’re remaining vigilant, Illinois is seeing the largest decrease in new cases in the nation.https://t.co/StSI7yypfE
The Grand American, the largest trapshooting event in the world, is leaving Illinois and heading to Missouri this year.
The Illinois Department of Public Health and the Department of Natural Resources ruled that the annual event cannot take place near Sparta because of COVID-19 health concerns. Restrictions regarding the size of public gatherings under Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plan left organizers scrambling.
“The health and safety of participants who would attend, as well as spectators and staff, must remain top-of-mind,” Illinois Department of Natural Resources Director Colleen Callahan said.
In anticipation of the decision, the Amateur Trapshooting Association had determined if the event could not be held near Sparta, Illinois, it would be relocated to Linn Creek, Missouri, in Lake of the Ozarks.
* Planning for the future: Organizers look toward 2021 Illinois State Fair: The [2020] show rings will be quite different without fans in the stands to see the livestock and competitors. Participants will still be able to show their animals in the Junior Livestock Expo, but Gordon says the animals won’t stay on the fairgrounds this year. They are calling it a “show and go” event this fall. “We’re gonna do it over two weekends in September. They’ll pull in and bring the animal off the trailer,” Gordon said. “They’ll bring them into the show ring. He’ll show, and then they’ll go home and be on their way.”
Amid a sprawling federal corruption probe, Commonwealth Edison quadrupled its payments last year to a powerhouse Chicago-based law firm that’s representing the utility giant in the investigation of its Springfield lobbying practices, WBEZ has learned.
Federal regulatory documents show ComEd paid Jenner & Block nearly $2.4 million in 2019 — more than what the power company had reported paying the law firm in the previous four years combined.
WBEZ first reported last year the feds are investigating whether ComEd hired politically connected consultants — some with ties to powerful Illinois House Speaker and state Democratic Party boss Michael Madigan — in order to win favorable government actions in Springfield, including electricity rate hikes. […]
Two sources with knowledge of the federal probe told WBEZ that Jenner & Block is helping the company deal with federal authorities who are conducting the investigation.
In addition, two former consultants for ComEd said they had been contacted by the company to see whether they would sit for interviews with Jenner & Block attorneys as part of the utility’s own internal investigation. According to one of the former ComEd consultants, who was interviewed, the lawyers for the company made clear they were sharing their findings with the feds.
Anyone who cast a ballot in the last three years or who registered to vote or changed addresses after the March primary will be sent an application to vote by mail in the Nov. 3 election.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a bill expanding the program Tuesday. In a news release, Pritzker’s office said the program is aimed at ensuring “safe and active participation in the 2020 general election during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.”
The measure also expands early voting hours at permanent polling places and makes Election Day a state holiday.
Local election authorities must mail or email the applications to voters who cast a ballot in the 2018 general election, the 2019 consolidated election or the 2020 general primary election, as well as to voters who registered or changed addresses after the March primary. Any eligible voter who submits an application by Oct. 1 will receive their ballot by Oct 6.
During the State Board of Elections’ monthly meeting Tuesday, board member Bill Cadigan said staff had voiced doubts last month about the ability to meet every deadline.
“Are we any more comfortable that local elections authorities can meet these real aggressive deadlines to implement this legislation?” Cadigan asked.
Elections board legislative director Angela Ryan pointed out that the association representing Illinois’ 108 local elections authorities supported the bill but said the timeline for implementation would be “tight.” […]
Ryan said there are no penalties included in the new law if local elections authorities failed to meet deadlines but said the Board of Elections could vote to withhold federal money from the CARES Act, which is helping fund the expanded vote by mail initiative.
Local elections authorities who fail to fully implement the expanded vote by mail program could also be challenged in court, Ryan said.
New permanent regulations that govern licensed firearms dealers in Illinois have finally been approved 18 months after Gov. JB Pritzker signed the bill into law.
The General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, or JCAR, gave its okay to the rules at a meeting Tuesday in Springfield. […]
The new law requires anyone with a federal firearms license who operates a retail gun store, which does not include gun shows, to also obtain a state certificate and to comply with regulations adopted by the Illinois State Police. Those were to include, among other things, rules on maintaining alarm systems, video surveillance systems and ways to secure the store’s inventory after business hours.
The Illinois State Rifle Association and several Illinois gun dealers filed suit challenging the law’s constitutionality in Sangamon County Circuit Court. That case is still pending.
During the JCAR meeting Tuesday, Sen. Paul Schimpf (R-Waterloo) and Rep. Steven Reick (R-Woodstock) praised ISP for working with lawmakers to find compromises on the new rules that were agreeable to all parties.
[JCAR] did, however, object to the Department of Children and Family Services’ emergency rule on reopening licensed daycare centers during the Covid-19 pandemic. Instead it chose not to suspend the rule altogether and let it proceed with a promise from DCFS that the rule would be adjusted to clarify potential penalties.
JCAR member State Rep. Tom Demmer (R-Dixon) said while the body had concerns about the “improper use of a rule” — in this case that DCFS did not actually incorporate its guidelines into its childcare reopening rule, but only referred to the guidelines on its website — no one wanted to suspend it “because we want childcare centers to open and to have guidance.”
Days after Illinois House members completed four session days at the Bank of Springfield Center in May, they were told that an employee of the convention center had tested positive for COVID-19.
But Monday, Brian Oaks, general manager of the building, said it turned out the employee — a part-time security guard — actually tested negative for the virus.
“He was very sick,” Oaks told The State Journal-Register.
“My understanding is, wherever he went to test, they told him, ‘We believe you have COVID, and you need to proceed as though you have COVID.’ They took names and contact numbers to start doing contact tracing. And he then got a letter in the mail five or six days later that said, ‘We’ve gotten your results and you’re not actually positive.’
Salem Media Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: SALM), owner of AM 560 The Answer, announced that Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has invited Salem Media journalist Amy Jacobson back to his press briefings in response to a federal lawsuit filed against him and his press secretary.
Jacobson, a longtime Chicago journalist, sued together with her station AM 560 The Answer after the governor barred her from attending press briefings. Jacobson and the station are represented by attorneys from the Liberty Justice Center, a public interest law firm that won the 2018 Supreme Court case Janus v. AFSCME.
In a letter sent on behalf of the governor, Jacobson “is eligible to participate in the Governor’s press access on the same basis as other journalists … Jacobson may participate fully in the Governor’s press access, including but not limited to press briefings and conferences, to the same extent that any other media is allowed to participate.”
Liberty Justice Center President and co-founder Pat Hughes said the governor’s response to the lawsuit represents a major victory for all Illinoisans who seek to hold their elected officials accountable.
“Gov. Pritzker’s ban on Amy Jacobson was a complete overreach and he’s right to walk it back. The governor may not like when journalists ask tough questions and he may not always agree with their coverage, but Americans have a constitutional right to hold their elected officials accountable. One of the most important ways they do this is through a free and vibrant press,” Hughes said.
I’m told she attended a press conference at the Thompson Center a few days ago.
Up until recently, there were two ways to ask questions of the governor during his daily news media briefings: 1) You could contact one of the pool reporters who were selected by electronic and print reporters and they would ask your question; or 2) You could log in to the state’s Webex page with a password provided by the governor’s press office and submit your question that way. Jacobson was no longer being sent the daily password, which is what the suit was about. But the governor’s press office stopped using the Webex system on June 5th.
*** UPDATE *** I am told that Amy Jacobson is the only reporter at today’s Pritzker press conference. Might wanna click here to watch.
…Adding… It sounds like reporters have texted Jordan Abudayyeh some questions.
In a press conference this morning, the Illinois Republican Party announced they have filed a federal lawsuit against Governor JB Pritzker for his violations of the First Amendment. In recent weeks, the Governor has selectively endorsed and participated in large scale rallies and gatherings of thousands of individuals not practicing social distancing. Meanwhile, his COVID-19 executive orders ban Illinois Republicans, and other groups, from gathering in groups larger than 10 people.
“Governor Pritzker is ruling Illinois like an unaccountable king where only he gets to decide which violations of his executive order have his blessing. The Illinois Republican Party will not sit idly by while the Governor of Illinois applies one rule for himself and his political allies and another rule for everyone else. We agree that peaceful protesters have just cause to exercise their first amendment rights, but they aren’t the only ones. The days of Governor Pritzker picking winners and losers is coming to an end. The hypocrisy has to end. The violation of our First Amendment rights has to end.” - ILGOP Chairman Tim Schneider
This past week, the Illinois Republican Party was forced to hold its’ quadrennial convention virtually, eliminating in-person collaboration, networking, and training. The 2020 general election is five months away and the only opposition to Pritzker and Illinois Democrats’ control is indefinitely barred from meeting for normal party functions.
This isn’t the first time Governor Pritzker has played by a different set of rules. When restrictions barred travel to vacation homes and the Governor lectured Illinoisans daily about not crossing state borders, Pritzker’s family was traveling to and from their equestrian estates in Florida and Wisconsin. And now, we see Pritzker continue to restrict funerals, weddings, festivals, youth sports - and political gatherings - at the same time he marches with thousands of protesters on a crowded street.
The lawsuit was filed yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The Illinois Republican Party will be represented by the Liberty Justice Center.
Political parties are for political expression what churches are for religious expression: the corporate manifestation of speech and interaction within a community of shared belief. Political parties’ events and rallies are also like protest rallies and marches. And like churches and marches, political parties operate in a world where time matters; the 2020 election is only months away. Also similarly, they operate best in a physical setting; in-person contact is the most persuasive form for communicating ideas.
Yet, unlike churches, political parties are barred from gathering in groups greater than 10 under the Governor’s Executive Order 2020-38. And unlike protestors against police brutality, they have not been given an exemption based on his sympathy, recognition, and participation. This disparate treatment of similar expressive activities violates both the First and 14th Amendments.
“This is about scoring political points and criticizing civil rights protests supporting the Black Lives Matter movement. The courts have repeatedly upheld the Governor’s executive orders as based on public health guidance. And as the Republicans who attended protests against the public health guidance are well aware, the State has never prevented people from exercising their First Amendment rights” said Jordan Abudayyeh, the Governor’s Press Secretary, in a statement. […]
Mary Morrissey, Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Illinois:
“We recall large groups of Republicans freely gathering at the Capitol and in downtown Chicago to protest Governor Pritzker’s handling of how to reopen the state without legal ramifications. This lawsuit is a distraction from the real issue — a Republican president who the IL GOP considers the ‘man of our time,’ but has let over a hundred thousand Americans die because of his inaction. We support Governor Pritzker and the exemplary leadership he’s shown throughout this public health crisis,” said a prepared statement, from Mary Morrisey, Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Illinois.
* The ILGOP is also fundraising off the issue…
As you can imagine…suing a billionaire governor is expensive. We’re expecting Governor Pritzker will throw whatever he needs at this battle to silence it. But we won’t stop fighting, especially if we have you behind us.
Can you chip in $5, $10, $20 or whatever you can afford to our official Sue JB Pritzker Fund?
We’re relying on donations from supporters throughout the state to break through this case and bring justice to our state.
Don’t sit this one out. This is big time.
The attorney general handles lawsuits like this one.
*** UPDATE *** The 7th US Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday ruled against a church which wanted to prevent Gov. Pritzker from ever reimposing his 10-person limit on church service attendance. From that opinion…
Feeding the body requires teams of people to work together in physical spaces, but churches can feed the spirit in other ways.
