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Friday, Mar 19, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* My first week of kinda-real session in more than a year was fun and interesting, but it has me just a little tuckered out. I think it could be nap-time

Swing it, boys

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Springfield: Restricting PBM Tools Will Raise Costs for Consumers, Employers + the State

Friday, Mar 19, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Employers in Illinois provide prescription drug coverage for nearly 6.7 million Illinoisans. In order to help keep care more affordable, employers work with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), who deploy a variety of tools to reduce prescription drug costs and help improve health outcomes. In addition to helping employers, PBMs also work with the Illinois Medicaid program in the same way to help control costs. Over the last five years, PBMs have saved the state and taxpayers nearly $340 million.

Today, Illinois faces a multibillion budget shortfall as more Illinoisans are relying on Medicaid to help meet their health care coverage needs. As legislators work to address these challenges, one way to help ensure continued cost savings is by strengthening the PBM tools that the State and employers use, which are poised to save employers, consumers and the State $39 billion over the next 10 years. These are meaningful savings that will help continue to contain costs, ensure consumer access to medicines and drive savings in public health programs.

Amid a pandemic and economic challenges, now is the time to strengthen, not limit, the tools that employers, consumers and the State rely on to manage costs and ensure consumers can access the medicines they need.

Learn more

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More like this, please

Friday, Mar 19, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* This is the sort of person the state needed to begin with at IDVA. A veteran with actual management experience over actual veterans’ homes. My goodness, what a strange concept for Illinois…

Gov. Pritzker Announces 31-Year Navy Veteran Terry Prince to Serve as Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs

Building on a strong team of diverse experts in their fields, Governor JB Pritzker named Terry Prince, a 31-year United States Navy veteran with experience leading veterans homes in Ohio, to serve as Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs, pending confirmation by the Illinois Senate.

“Having served as the Superintendent of Ohio’s veterans’ homes, Director of the U.S. Navy Hospital Corps and Force Master Chief of Navy Medicine, Terry Prince brings to Illinois exemplary experience in caring for our veterans and their families, and I’m deeply proud to welcome him to Illinois as Acting Director of the Illinois Department of Veteran Affairs,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “As the proud son and grandson of Naval officers, it’s my mission that Illinois will provide every possible support for our military men and women, their families and our veterans, and I have complete confidence in Terry’s ability to advance that mission on behalf of those who have made sacrifice upon sacrifice for the nation we proudly call home.”

“I’ve dedicated my life to serving those who’ve served us, and as a veteran myself, I know the value of compassionate and meaningful support centered around our nation’s greatest heroes and their families,” said Acting Director of the Illinois Department of Veteran Affairs Terry Prince. “I’m honored to return to the State of Illinois, where my wife and I have previously served in uniform, with the chance to bring my experience in veterans’ affairs and healthcare to the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs. I want to thank Governor Pritzker for the opportunity to serve and empower Illinois’ veteran community through every stage of life.”

Prince is a senior executive leader and 31-year United States Navy veteran. Most recently, Prince served as Superintendent of the Ohio Veterans Homes where he oversaw three facilities, including the nation’s 5th largest skilled nursing home and an independent living community. Previously, he served as Force Master Chief and Director of the United States Navy Hospital Corps. In that role, Prince served as a senior advisor to the Surgeon General of the United States Navy and a member of the Navy Medicine’s Executive Steering Committee. Prior, he served as Senior Enlisted Leader at the Defense Health Agency and at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Prince began his military career in 1986, serving in the Dental Technician and Hospital Corpsman ratings. Prince has received a number of awards including the Legion of Merit, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Joint Meritorious Service Medal and many more. He retired from the military in July 2017. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Chapman University and is a graduate of the Navy Senior Enlisted Academy, Command Master Chief Program and the National Defense University Keystone Fellowship.

  9 Comments      


Get the lead out

Friday, Mar 19, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Michael Hawthorne at the Tribune

More than 8 of every 10 Illinoisans live in a community where brain-damaging lead was found in the tap water of at least one home during the past six years, a new Chicago Tribune analysis found.

The alarming results are from a limited number of samples collected under federal regulations by the state’s 1,768 water utilities. Depending on the number of people served by each utility, only a handful or a few dozen homes are occasionally monitored, but when combined the tests provide snapshots of a widespread threat to public health that for decades has been largely ignored. […]

The U.S. EPA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stress that lead is unsafe to consume at any level. More than 400,000 deaths a year in the U.S. are linked to the toxic metal. Even tiny concentrations can permanently damage the developing brains of children and contribute to heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney failure and other health problems later in life.

Yet federal regulations allow the vast majority of water utilities to hide the hazards from customers. Once a year, water bills include a brochure that almost always declares tap water is safe to drink. […]

Earlier this month the Biden EPA suspended regulations adopted during the last days of the Trump administration that effectively delayed lead service line replacements for up to three decades and, in some cases, allowed cities to keep toxic pipes in the ground indefinitely.

Not to mention the apparent connection between lead poisoning and increased violence. This needs to be fixed. Pronto.

Go read the whole thing.

…Adding… Press release from last month…

Illinois Rep. Lamont J. Robinson (D-Chicago) has introduced the Lead Service Line Replacement and Notification Act (HB 3739), a bill creating a feasible and equitable plan, funding, and timeline for Illinois water utilities to identify and replace all lead service lines—the most effective way to eliminate toxic lead in drinking water. Illinois Sen. Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake) will file a Senate companion version.

No amount of lead is safe to consume, yet for decades lead was used for water service lines, the pipes that bring drinking water into our homes. Congress banned the installation of lead service lines in 1986, but most lines installed before then were never removed. At least 686,000—and potentially many more—remain in Illinois, the state with the most lead service lines in the nation. In addition, Black and Latinx Illinois residents are disproportionately affected by exposure to lead.

“Lead service lines are as common in Illinois as they are dangerous, but that danger isn’t borne equally across our state,” said Rep. Robinson, chief House sponsor. “A disproportionate number of these lead service lines are found in predominantly Black and Brown communities, displaying yet again the legacy of environmental racism at work in our most vulnerable communities.”

Even low levels of lead exposure can lead to learning disabilities, stunted growth, lower IQ, impaired hearing, and behavioral issues in children. Adults who have been exposed have higher risks of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and kidney and reproductive problems. These serious health problems come with staggering costs that accrue to all of us. For example, in 2017, 1,470 Illinoisans died prematurely from heart disease that was attributed to lead exposure, costing nearly $28 million in hospitalization costs alone.

“Illinois children live in a state with the largest number of lead service lines, increasing their risk of neurological and behavioral abnormalities due to lead exposure. That is unacceptable,” said Sen. Bush, chief Senate sponsor. “Given all we know about the severity of lead exposure, particularly among children and expecting parents, it should go without saying that the state of Illinois has a clear mandate to responsibly plan for the replacement of toxic lead service lines.”

The Lead Service Line Replacement and Notification Act would require all water utilities to find and replace their lead service lines while setting forth a feasible timeline based on national best practices. The bill would also establish a funding source to aid utilities in creating an inventory and replacing lead lines for all affected communities.
“The reality is that Illinois is out of time. A decade ago the United Nations declared safe, affordable, accessible, clean drinking water and sanitation a human right—essential to the full enjoyment of life. Illinois must step up and take action to replace the thousands of contaminated pipes throughout the state, particularly in Black and Brown communities that are struggling with countless other crises like health and a lack of community-oriented economic development. Babies, pregnant mothers, seniors—all residents have a right to clean water,” said Naomi Davis, founder and CEO, Blacks in Green.

Replacing all of Illinois’ lead service lines could also help put Illinoisans back to work by generating thousands of good jobs in the skilled trades. Over 20 years, lead service line replacement could create some 11,225 jobs per year and over $1 billion in related economic activity, according to an analysis by the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC).

“On behalf of the union plumbers and pipefitters of the Illinois Pipe Trades Association, we pledge our support in addressing the growing public health crisis of lead in our drinking water. We urge the Illinois General Assembly to take immediate action to resolve the issues of our state’s aging water infrastructure. Millions of Illinois citizens are impacted by unsafe levels of lead in drinking water, disproportionately affecting our poorest communities and our most vulnerable citizens. Without action this year, the human and financial toll will only continue to grow,” said Rick Terven, Jr., legislative and political director, Illinois Pipe Trades Association.

The bill includes numerous provisions to ensure equity. Establishing a funding source is one important component to leveling the playing field.

“In communities within close proximity to industrial facilities, it is imperative to mitigate cumulative exposures to toxins such as lead. Mandating lead service line replacement would reduce exposure to the risk of lead in the water, bringing some sense of security to the Black and Brown communities disproportionately impacted by environmental harms. Equitably funding lead service line replacement is critical to ensuring that those most vulnerable to exposure can access any resulting program and attain clean and safe drinking water in their homes,” said Brenda Santoyo, policy associate at the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization.

In addition, utilities would be required to prioritize replacement at facilities used by high-risk populations, such as preschools and daycares. Also, a portion of the fund would provide water rate assistance for low-income families.

“This bill gives every community in Illinois the resources they need to replace the legacy infrastructure in their communities,” said Josh Ellis, vice president, MPC, which recently did an analysis showing that Black and Latinx residents in Illinois are twice as likely as whites to live in communities with the most lead service lines. “This is especially important for Black and Latinx Illinoisans, who are not only the most likely of Illinois residents to live with lead service lines, but who also are disproportionately exposed to other sources of lead, such as paint and soil.”

“Lead service lines demonstrate the direct connection between environmental policy and public health,” said Colleen Smith, deputy director of the Illinois Environmental Council. “Now, the COVID-19 pandemic has elevated the already urgent need for action. All Illinoisans must have access to safe, clean water.”

The bill would prevent a practice known as partial replacement, in which only the utility’s side of the lead line is replaced, while the portion of the line that runs under a private property remains. This practice can disturb the lead material in the remaining pipe, actually increasing the risk of lead leaching into drinking water.

“The federal government has yet to take meaningful steps to address lead in our drinking water, and it’s more critical than ever for Illinois’ legislature to step up and take bold action,” said Jeremy Orr, senior attorney, Safe Water Initiative, NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council). “Illinois must mandate full lead service line replacement, ban the dangerous practice of partial replacement, and establish an equitable revenue source that ensures individual homeowners and ratepayers won’t have to shoulder the burden of paying to replace these lead pipes.”

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Pritzker accelerates vaccine eligibility to more groups of essential workers

Friday, Mar 19, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* He’s getting in front of the city on some workers and allowing for others to be vaccinated at the same time they become eligible in Chicago on March 29th…

As the state continues to utilize every available dose of vaccine, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced new essential workers that will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in the coming days, ahead of the universal eligibility on April 12. This comes as the state reaches 100,000 COVID-19 vaccinations each day with weekly shipments of vaccine projected to surpass one million doses in April.

Beginning Monday, March 22, higher education staff, government workers, and media will be eligible for vaccination at the more than 900 location in the state’s provider network. Beginning Monday, March 29, food and beverage workers, construction trade workers, and religious leaders will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.

“From the very beginning of our COVID-19 vaccine rollout, Illinois has ensured our most vulnerable residents receive first access to these life-saving doses, from our healthcare workers and long-term care residents and staff, to our 65 and over population and those living with pre-existing conditions, to frontline essential workers who are more exposed to COVID-19 at their workplaces,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Before Illinois expands eligibility to all residents 16 years and older on April 12, I’m proud to announce expanded eligibility for additional groups of more vulnerable populations. With weekly shipments to Illinois surpassing one million doses in April, we are on track to save lives and bring this pandemic to an end.”

“As more vaccine becomes available in the coming weeks and months, we will continue to make sure we are reaching people who are at greater risk of exposure to the virus or from suffering severe illness due to COVID-19,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “While we will continue to prioritize individuals who are 65 years and older, as well as health care workers and individuals with underlying medical conditions, we want to maintain our momentum going forward and continue to increase our march towards herd immunity.”

    Date - Eligible Groups
    December 15, 2020 Healthcare workers and long-term care facility staff and residents
    January 25, 2021 Frontline essential workers (including first responders, K-12 teachers and other public-facing industries) and residents age 65 and up
    February 25, 2021 Residents with high-risk conditions or disabilities, age 16 and up
    March 22, 2021 Higher education staff, government workers, and media
    March 29, 2021 Restaurant staff, construction trade workers, and religious leaders
    April 12, 2021 Any resident age 16 and up

Since its first day in office, the Biden Administration has nearly doubled weekly vaccine distribution to states from 8.6 million to over 16 million this week. The first delivery to Illinois in December was about 109,000 doses, a figure that has grown to more than 800,000 the week of March 15 and is projected to surpass one million doses per week in April.

For more information on COVID-19 vaccine eligibility, go to https://coronavirus.illinois.gov/s/vaccination-plan-overview. To find a COVID-19 vaccine provider near you, visit the coronavirus.illinois.gov website for vaccination locations. Individuals who do not have access to online services or need assistance navigating online services to make an appointment can call the Vaccine Appointment Call Center at 833-621-1284.

This means legislative staff will soon be eligible. But state and federal workers who live in the city and in any suburban county that hasn’t moved beyond 1B yet will have to find their doses elsewhere until the 29th.

  13 Comments      


Question of the day

Friday, Mar 19, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Taken last night after the Rep. Chris Miller resolution debate and just before session was gaveled to a close…

* The Question: Caption?

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2,380 new confirmed and probable cases; 12 additional deaths; 1,132 hospitalized; 242 in ICU; 2.5 percent average case positivity rate; 2.8 percent average test positivity rate; 102,775 average daily doses

Friday, Mar 19, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* These new cases represent a 65 percent increase over the past two weeks with approximately the same number of reported tests. We’re essentially back to where cases were three weeks ago. We’re down about 200 hospitalizations in the past three weeks, but up about 200 hospitalizations from two weeks ago. Deaths (a significant lagging indicator) are down 78 percent from three weeks ago and down 64 percent from two weeks ago. Keep wearing those masks and get your shots

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 2,380 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 12 additional deaths.

    Cook County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 80s
    Dewitt County: 1 male 70s
    DuPage County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 90s
    Kankakee County: 1 female 70s
    Lake County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s
    LaSalle County: 1 female 70s
    Morgan County: 1 male 40s
    Rock Island County: 1 male 90s
    Whiteside County: 1 male 70s

Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,218,470 cases, including 21,034 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 92,161 specimens for a total of 19,481,259. As of last night, 1,132 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 242 patients were in the ICU and 105 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.

The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from March 12-18, 2021 is 2.5%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from March 12-18, 2021 is 2.8%.

A total of doses of 5,251,055 vaccine have been delivered to providers in Illinois, including Chicago. In addition, approximately 414,900 doses total have been allocated to the federal government’s Pharmacy Partnership Program for long-term care facilities. This brings the total Illinois doses to 5,665,955. A total of 4,510,696 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight, including 359,850 for long-term care facilities. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 102,775 doses. Yesterday, 135,525 doses were reported administered in Illinois.

*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. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.

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CNN: Rodney Davis claims that saying “Kung flu” no different than saying “UK variant”

Friday, Mar 19, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* I’m curious if Rodney has noticed during his trips to Chambana that the UIUC campus has lots of Asian and Asian-American students who are helping that place thrive. CNN…


Yeah, that’ll work well in a statewide general.

* IDCCA…

Following public reports highlighting Illinois Congressman Rodney Davis’ defense of offensive remarks from his colleagues regarding violence and racism against Asian-Americans, President Kristina Zahorik of the Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association (IDCCA) released the following statement.

“Inflammatory and xenophobic language from elected officials is part of the problem. Our organization has said it before and we will say it again: words matter, particularly from those who were elected to lead by example. Rodney Davis’ decision to double-down on offensive and dangerous rhetoric while the country mourns and confronts violence and discrimination against Asian-Americans is troubling. Rodney Davis should apologize, and work to set an example for his constituents by being part of the solution and not part of the problem.”

Davis’ remarks came in defense of Texas Congressman Chip Roy who referenced hanging criminals from a tree — lynching — during a House Judiciary Committee Hearing on the rise of anti-Asian American violence and discrimination. Per CNN, Davis said the “relation between rhetoric and hate crimes against Asian Americans is ‘all political correctness.’ Davis instead said phrases like ‘Kung flu’ or ‘China virus’ are no different than saying ‘UK variant.’”

…Adding… DPI…

The following statement is from Congresswoman Robin Kelly, Chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Illinois, in response to the comments made by Congressman Rodney Davis in which he likened condemnation of hate speech to mere “political correctness.”

“It is offensive for Rep. Rodney Davis to dismiss condemnation of hate speech as ‘political correctness.’ Eight people are dead, Asian Americans throughout our country have experienced an increase in hate crimes in the last year and our fellow citizens are traumatized. Rodney Davis has to choose if he is going to be part of the solution or will he continue to contribute to the problem? Let’s stop with the reckless and hateful rhetoric.”

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Three Months To Make History: Time Is Running Out To Pass The Path To 100 Act

Friday, Mar 19, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

The US is surging ahead on clean energy while Illinois falls behind. The Path to 100 Act (HB 2640 / SB 1601) was introduced more than two years ago to address the crisis facing renewable energy in Illinois.

Since then:

    • Illinois Power Agency ran out of funding for renewable energy and stopped approving new projects
    • More than 3,000 solar projects have been placed on waitlists and won’t be built unless the general assembly acts
    • Illinois’ solar industry lost an estimated 3,500 jobs
    • California, Colorado, Maine, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Washington and Virginia all passed 100% clean energy legislation – and pulled renewable energy investment and talent away from Illinois
    • President Biden campaigned and won on a promise to decarbonize the electricity sector by 2035

If we don’t fix Illinois’ renewable energy policy this session, we will lose thousands more wind and solar jobs and be left behind as the rest of the country gets to work building to clean energy. Take action at www.pathto100.net.

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It’s just a bill

Friday, Mar 19, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From Speaker Chris Welch’s weekly email to his constituents…

“Yesterday was a phenomenal day for the Illinois House. When we adopted rules for remote legislating, we promised to get to work quickly and diligently—and that’s exactly what we did yesterday. I thank all of my Reps. Lilly, Ramirez and Stuart for getting these critical pieces of legislation across the finish line. This is just the beginning of our work to deliver for Illinois residents and I look forward to collaborating with our counterparts in the Senate,” said Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch.

The COVID-19 Federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program Act (HB 2877), led by Rep. Delia Ramirez, offers a holistic approach to address the unprecedented economic instability for renters, homeowners and landlords caused by the pandemic. Provisions of the bill include:

    • codifying measures of the federally funded emergency rental assistance program that will roll out this year,
    • temporarily halting foreclosure proceedings for homeowners and small landlords, alleviating pressure for them and their tenants,
    • protecting tenants from the long-term consequences of eviction records, and
    • prohibiting rental tenant screening companies from sharing sealed eviction court records.

Meanwhile, the Illinois Health Care and Human Service Reform Act (HB 158), led by Rep. Camille Y. Lilly, will address disparities in medical care and other services in Black communities. As one of the pillars of the Black Caucus’s ‘Black Agenda’, it will:

    • implement a hospital closure moratorium to address Illinois’ long-standing health inequities,
    • create an Anti-Racism Commission that will identify and propose statewide policies to eliminate systemic racism and advance equitable solutions,
    • require implicit bias training for medical professionals,
    • create a Community Health Worker Certification to improve relations between medical professionals and the specific community they serve, and
    • allow Medicaid reimbursement for doulas – non-medical professionals who reduce racial bias in health care by providing individually tailored and client-centered care and advocacy for pregnant and postpartum women.

The House also passed HB 1871, led by Rep. Katie Stuart, to sustain curbside and mail-in voting. The bill calls for allocating federal funds from the Help America Vote Act to establish ballot drop boxes around the state. It expands curbside voting as well and reduces postage barriers for mail-in voting.

* Press release…

Attorney General Kwame Raoul applauded committee passage of his legislation to expand and strengthen Illinois’ Address Confidentiality Program (ACP) to include protections for survivors of human trafficking. The ACP is administered by the Attorney General’s office and currently provides survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking, and members of their households, with a substitute address to use as home, school and work addresses.

Senate Bill 593, which passed out of the Senate Human Rights Committee, was initiated by Raoul and sponsored by Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton to allow survivors of human trafficking to apply for the protections the ACP provides. The legislation also strengthens protections for all participants by preventing participants’ addresses and phone numbers from being disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act, ensuring participants can obtain a Real ID driver’s license using the program’s substituted address, and clarifying the process for participants to register to vote. The legislation passed unanimously and will move to the full Senate. Similar language is also included in House Bill 625, sponsored by Rep. Jeff Keicher and Rep. Terra Costa Howard, which unanimously passed out of the House Judiciary Criminal Law Committee earlier this week and will move to the full House.

“For survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking, the Address Confidentiality Program can help provide peace of mind, and this legislation will provide that same protection to survivors of human trafficking,” Raoul said. “Abusers can be incredibly manipulative and committed to finding survivors, and the provisions in the legislation recognize this and add layers of protection to prevent this from happening. I appreciate the support from the Senate and House committees and encourage full passage of this important measure.”

“Survivors of human trafficking, domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking deserve to feel safe in their communities,” Glowiak Hilton said. “This legislation gives survivors that measure of comfort and security and ensures that they are protected from their abusers.”

* Related…

* Vote-by-mail, curbside voting expansion passes House

* Health care reform legislation passes state House: The bill is also subject to appropriations, which Lilly said will result in Democrats working with Republicans to determine what parts of the bill will be fully funded, and what provisions will see a cut when it comes to negotiating the state’s operating budget.

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President Obama Wants Lawmakers To Stop Gerrymandering

Friday, Mar 19, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Are we going to continue with political maps hammered out in backroom deals or are our lawmakers ready to strive for the ideals set out by President Obama?

“The movement for fair maps will determine the course of progress on every issue we care about for the next decade.” - August, 2019

“I think people don’t completely appreciate how much gerrymandering affects the outcome [of elections],” Obama said. “You can draw a district that almost guarantees one party is going to win instead of another because you have voter histories and you have a sense of where people are typically going to vote.” - September, 2020

“I’d love to see changes at the state level that reduce political gerrymandering.” - January, 2015

“Regardless of our party affiliations,”
he says, gerrymandering is “not good for our democracy.” - July, 2018

“We have to end the practice of drawing our congressional districts so that politicians can pick their voters and not the other way around.” - January, 2016

Learn more at CHANGEIL.org.

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Speaker Welch dissolves Madigan’s caucus campaign committee, forms new Democrats for the Illinois House committee

Friday, Mar 19, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Press release…

Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch officially launched the new “Democrats for the Illinois House (DIH)” political committee, which will serve as the new campaign arm of the House Democratic Caucus. The following is a statement from Speaker Chris Welch:

“Today, I am proud to announce the creation of our new caucus campaign committee, Democrats for the Illinois House (DIH). DIH’s mission will be based on our united effort to work across the state to elect a diverse coalition of Democrats to the Illinois House and continue our caucus’ work on behalf of middle-class families and communities of color in every single corner of our state. These next few years are critical to shaping our state’s future, while reversing the damage done by the Trump Administration that put a dangerous, extreme agenda ahead of meaningful solutions for pandemic recovery and building a more equitable state. I am excited to get to work with our Democratic allies and partners across the state to support and elect Democratic candidates who share our values and commitment to building a stronger state for all Illinoisans.”

The DIH will also include a Fundraising Committee to lead the caucus’s fundraising efforts year-round:

    Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, Chair
    Rep. Jay Hoffman, Vice Chair
    Rep. Carol Ammons
    Rep. Kam Buckner
    Rep. Deb Conroy
    Rep. Theresa Mah
    Rep. Bob Morgan
    Rep. Delia Ramirez
    Rep. Mike Zalewski

Click here for more info.

…Adding… Sun-Times...

The new speaker said the new committee will be a lot more inclusive and will have a lot of input from members in the caucus and “we’re going to be working together to raise money.

“It won’t just be the Chris Welch Show, there will be other Democrats out there helping me raise money on behalf of our caucus, this will be a total team effort,” Welch said. “It’s important that we work together, in collaboration and in partnership. When we work together we can achieve some great things.” […]

“I think it’s important when a new leader comes into a position as important as this one that we don’t just ponder about it being a new beginning and a fresh start, we take action, and I believe that this was one of the actions we are taking or have taken to show that this is a fresh start. It’s also a promise that I made to my caucus members that we’re going to do things in a different way.”

A fresh committee is a fresh beginning, Welch said when asked about why he chose to create a new fund instead of just renaming the old one.

The new start will allow Welch and the House Democrats he now leads to distance themselves from Madigan, who has the cloud of a federal investigation looming over him after federal prosecutors brought a $1.3 million bribery case against ComEd that implicated the former speaker last July.

  2 Comments      


57 House members vote to condemn Rep. Chris Miller

Friday, Mar 19, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* WBEZ

The Illinois House Thursday censured downstate Republican Rep. Chris Miller for attending the Jan. 6 “Save America” rally that preceded the fatal insurrection of the Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump.

Miller was in Washington, D.C., with his newly elected congresswoman wife, U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, and told Facebook followers after the Trump rally he was devoted to waging “a great cultural war” to avert “the tyranny of socialism and communism under the dangerous Democrat terrorists that are trying to destroy our country.”

Images of the state lawmaker’s pickup truck, parked at the Capitol that day, also circulated on social media and showed a rear-window decal with the emblem of the Three Percenters, a far-right anti-government militia group implicated in the insurrection.

The resolution by Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Deerfield, condemning Miller alleged his words and actions violated his oath of office and “created an environment that potentially threatens not only the sanctity of the Illinois General Assembly but also the safety of the members and their staff.”

The measure was adopted by the House on a partisan 57-36 vote, with five members voting present and 19 others not voting. It carries symbolic weight but doesn’t impose consequential penalties against Miller, like expulsion.

The full resolution is here. Roll call is here.

* Tribune

During House debate on the resolution Thursday, Miller said he went to his wife’s congressional office after the rally on Jan. 6 and remained there throughout the lockdown that occurred when Trump supporters stormed the Capitol.

“I had no part in the violent events at the Capitol that day, and I condemn any and all violence,” Miller said. “I can assure you that my dedication to the safety and security of our state and our country’s citizens is second to none.”

Many Democrats continued to be unswayed by Miller’s explanations.

“How many times do we have to hear Rep. Miller call Democrats ‘terrorists’ or ‘the enemy’ before we can start taking his words seriously?” state Rep. Daniel Didech of Buffalo Grove said. “How many times does Rep. Miller have to ‘accidentally’ find himself supporting the overthrow of the United States government before we can stop pretending we don’t see what’s going on here?”

* Sun-Times

Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin rose to oppose Miller’s condemnation, saying that the resolution’s “bold, broad claims, and conclusions” could not be supported and that it was the role of the legislative inspector general to investigate Miller. […]

After the vote, state Rep. Deanne Mazzochi, R-Elmhurst, accused the Democratic majority of “libel” for condemning Miller.

“You uttered a lot of the words you did today precisely because you know that Chris Miller has enough grace that he is not going to retaliate against you. He’s not going to try to do you harm, which, of course, undermines the whole theory of the motion,” she said.

“How many of you have the courage to go say what you said today to Chris Miller, in his home on his farm? Where maybe the consequences of your words would actually have consequences.”

Rep. Mazzochi seems to be developing a knack for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

  36 Comments      


Sen. Sims chased by alleged gunman

Friday, Mar 19, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* SJ-R

A Chicago lawmaker says he feared for his life after being threatened with a gun while driving this week in Springfield.

Adding to the trauma and loss of sleep, state Sen. Elgie Sims said Thursday, was the fact that the man who allegedly threatened him Monday night was released from the Sangamon County Jail the next day after posting $15,000 bail.

“By him being released on bail, he’s free to do this again,” Sims said.

Sims was the Senate sponsor of legislation that will eliminate the state’s cash-bail system in two years. The legislation, which Gov. JB Pritzker signed in February, is designed to eliminate what many Democratic lawmakers call a bail system that unfairly benefits people with means and penalizes people for being poor because they often can’t afford to post bail.

Sims, 50, a Democrat, told The State Journal-Register that he thinks the man who threatened him would have been detained and remained behind bars if the court system, as the new law will require, had to perform a more thorough analysis on whether releasing a suspect would pose a risk to public safety.

I told subscribers about this story the other day. You really gotta click here and read the whole thing. Sen. Sims went through some harrowing stuff.

  29 Comments      


SEIU Healthcare slams city for withholding vaccines from hospital

Friday, Mar 19, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* WBEZ

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration cut off the flow of COVID-19 vaccines to the West Side’s Loretto Hospital on Thursday, hours after hospital administrators admitted for the second time this week that they made “mistakes” in allowing people who were not eligible yet to have access to vaccines.

Loretto admitted Thursday it made a mistake — its second admission in a week — after WBEZ reported that 13 Cook County Circuit Court judges were given the opportunity to get coronavirus vaccines at the hospital in the Austin neighborhood on March 8.

It followed Loretto’s mea culpa after Block Club Chicago first revealed that the health-care provider wrongly gave COVID-19 vaccines to workers at the Trump Tower in downtown Chicago, far from the hospital that serves mostly Black and low-income patients on the West Side.

The hospital promised to prevent a repeat of those scenarios, but it was apparently too late to avert the city’s dramatic response to the alleged favoritism in vaccinations by Loretto. […]

On Thursday, though, Loretto’s president and CEO, George Miller, issued a statement erroneously claiming that judges were allowed to get vaccines under a section of phase 1b in the city of Chicago’s “vaccination plan,” which allows for shots to go now to city elected officials.

In fact, city Public Health Department officials confirmed that the ongoing phase 1b does not include judges. Being a judge alone will not make someone eligible for COVID-19 shots until the next phase, which begins March 29.

So, aldermen can be vaxed, but not judges. Seems odd.

* SEIU Healthcare Illinois President Greg Kelley…

“While we understand the need to ensure that vaccine protocols are followed, as the union of frontline healthcare workers putting their lives on the line at Loretto Hospital and other facilities across the city, we strongly object the decision by the Chicago Department of Public Health to withhold vaccine doses from a safety net serving high-risk and underserved, majority black and brown communities.

“Instead, we call upon the Board of Directors to hold the individuals responsible for breaking vaccine protocols accountable. The dedicated frontline staff of Loretto and the Austin residents dependent upon Loretto in order to receive life-saving COVID-19 vaccinations don’t deserve to suffer as a result of the actions of two people.

“The vaccination program at Loretto, administered by its frontline staff, has already successfully vaccinated 90% of the hospital’s workforce and conducted crucial vaccine outreach to the community as part of the Chicago Plus program.

“Workers at Loretto have already sacrificed enough in their frontline roles at a safety net hospital in the high-needs Austin community during a pandemic. It’s crucial that the Board limit their corrective action to the two individuals responsible for this lapse in judgment–and not punish workers and the community they serve.”

Thoughts?

  31 Comments      


You can’t please everyone

Friday, Mar 19, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* WBBM Radio

A west suburban restaurant owner fighting state COVID restrictions says Gov. JB Pritzker’s phased plan to fully reopen the Illinois economy will do more harm than good.

KC Gulbro, owner of Foxfire in Geneva, says linking the full reopening to restaurants with vaccination rates is a needless delay, given the dropping rates of coronavirus infections.

Um, yeah, about that infection rate. He filed a lawsuit against the state in October when his county’s average positivity rate was 11.5 percent.

* Sen. Darren Bailey

“This week it’s a bridge, tomorrow it’s a ferry, maybe next week it could be another flight to Florida for his family. Despite declining numbers of people who are sick and increasing numbers of those who are vaccinated, the Governor continues to drag his feet on the process of letting Illinoisans get back to work and live their daily lives. The Governor is continuing to make decisions behind closed doors that affect every part of people’s lives. He refuses to engage the legislature in the process or offer transparency about how he decided to set what seems like more arbitrary metrics. The Governor has spent the last year running the state alone through executive orders. It’s time for that to end and for Illinois to reopen.”

So classy to drag in the man’s family.

* But, hey, the notoriously grumpy Tribune editorial board was almost giddy

But for the first time in months, the state and the city seem to be waking up. Making plans. Putting dates on the calendar.

Maybe it was the warmer weather last week, which quickly disappeared, as March in Chicago would have it. Maybe it was the restart of high school sports or the announcement that baseball is coming. Maybe it was higher vaccination rates giving the homebound more confidence to venture out. Maybe it was a few optimistic headlines.

Whatever it was, we’ll take it. And hope it lasts. Beep. Beep. Beep.

Mark today on your calendars, kids. You might not see the likes of this again soon.

  15 Comments      


Open thread

Friday, Mar 19, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Talk about anything you want, as long as it’s somehow about Illinois and you’re polite to each other. Thanks.

  24 Comments      


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Friday, Mar 19, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Friday, Mar 19, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller

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