* Jordan Abudayyeh…

At the request of members of the General Assembly, any of the 177 state legislators who wish to be inoculated will be allowed to receive their vaccine in Phase 1b. The State of Illinois has urgent and vital business that must be addressed, and we hope that the General Assembly will engage in a robust and productive schedule in coming weeks and months.

…Adding… Center Square…

Illinois Senate Minority Leader Dan McConchie, R-Hawthorn Woods, said putting state legislators ahead of transplant patients in the line for COVID-19 vaccines is “ridiculous.”

Illinois has been administering vaccines since Dec. 15. As of Wednesday morning, more than 1 million doses have been administered. Around 1.8 percent of the state’s population has been fully vaccinated, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

McConchie said Wednesday during an unrelated press conference that he’s been critical of the governor’s vaccine efforts, such as advancing prisoners in front of people younger than 65 with life-threatening health conditions.

“My understanding is the governor is making an announcement today in regards to legislators getting vaccines [ahead of others] which I think is ridiculous when yesterday in, my office I had a transplant recipient who necessarily has to take immunosuppressant drugs and is very vulnerable to COVID-19 but because they’re under 65, there are zero mechanisms, there is no ability, for them to get the vaccine even if their doctor says their life depends on it,” McConchie said.

…Adding… I’m told the governor will continue to wait his turn to be vaccinated.

…Adding… The Sun-Times reported yesterday that the Senate Republicans were upset that Senate President Harmon canceled in-person session days and would hold remote committee hearings…

But Senate Republicans blasted Harmon for the Oak Park Democrat’s reliance on meeting remotely during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Illinois Senate Republicans continue to be concerned about the lack of public and media access through an online-only legislative option,” said Whitney Barnes, press secretary for Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie. “Other state legislatures are meeting in person and have for months. We need to move towards a more transparent legislative process with safety measures and testing, instead of delaying another entire month.”

One could say that “safety measures” could include vaccinations.

…Adding… Speaker Welch…

“I commend the Governor’s decision to allow state legislators to get the COVID-19 vaccine in the 1B phase. While part of my job as Speaker is to relay the range of opinions among all House members, it was important that this decision rest with the Governor and his team of health experts. The issues and challenges facing the General Assembly are enormous, so this is a welcomed step in the interest of government functionality and safety. Whether or not to get a vaccine is a personal choice for every member, but I encourage those who are at-risk or have vulnerable family members to strongly consider it.”

…Adding… Sun-Times…

House Republican Leader Jim Durkin, of Western Springs, echoed McConchie’s concerns. Durkin said he and others have received calls and emails from people who are “extremely frustrated” by the vaccination process because they qualify for the vaccine but aren’t able to get an appointment to get it.

“We need to wait our turn,” Durkin said. “And if we have members of the General Assembly who have preexisting conditions, they will have an opportunity to go before most of the public, but we should not leapfrog over anyone in this crisis.”

…Adding… ILGOP…

It was announced today that Governor JB Pritzker has made the unilateral decision to allow Illinois politicians to jump to the front of the line in receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. The Governor changed his mind saying, “The State of Illinois has urgent and vital business that must be addressed.”

Illinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider expressed his disagreement with the decision, saying, “For months, thousands of Illinois workers have been going to work and diligently abiding by safety precautions as they performed their jobs. Springfield politicians are capable of doing the same and waiting in line like everyone else to receive their vaccine. Despite some of them believing so, Illinois legislators are not more important or worthy than the rest of us.”

The Governor’s decision comes on the heels of his prior mandate to have prisoners in state custody receive a vaccine in Phase 1b ahead of vulnerable individuals with known comorbidities.

“Let’s be clear here, Governor Pritzker is prioritizing young healthy felons and Springfield politicians over high-risk adults. These decisions display a shameful lack of judgment by the Governor. He should reverse course.” added Schneider.

…Adding… Senate President Harmon…

The Illinois Senate has been prepared to follow whatever rules Gov. Pritzker and public health experts put in place.The General Assembly has important work to do this spring, some of which will certainly have to be done in person. Vaccines would help those most at risk participate without jeopardizing their health. Ultimately this is a personal, individual decision. I would encourage those with underlying medical conditions to seek out an appointment. At the same time, we have a vaccine shortage and millions of hardworking Illinoisans are waiting to get their shots. I hope that a national COVID strategy under the new Biden administration will bring about a fast, efficient and equitable vaccine distribution process across the country.

…Adding… Uptown People’s Law Center…

Prisoners were assigned to Group 1B in Illinois’ vaccination plan. In a statement released today, the Illinois Republican party attacked the state’s decision to prioritize vaccinating “young healthy felons…over high-risk adults.”

Alan Mills, executive director of Uptown People’s Law Center, had this to say:

“All prisoners are neither young, nor healthy. In Illinois, more than 20 percent of them are over age 50, and over 50 percent have a health condition of some kind. Just like people in nursing homes, they live in congregate settings, with no ability to social distance. Failure to prioritize vaccinating prisoners would be a clear violation of the ‘cruel and unusual punishment’ clause of the Eighth Amendment to the US Constitution. Furthermore, this decision is backed by science. Governor Pritzker is following CDC guidelines, as well as the advice of hundreds of doctors and scientists across the country.”

A policy paper outlining why prioritizing vaccines for prisoners is important for public health is available here.

…Adding… I asked John Patterson if Senate President Harmon would get vaccinated in 1b…

The Senate President is not seeking an appointment for the vaccine.

He is a generally healthy 54 year old.