* Good question…
* Marni Pyke at the Daily Herald…
Power shifts at the Illinois tollway are raising “who’s on first” questions from at least one state lawmaker after the board recently voted to delegate authority to Chairman Will Evans to reorganize departments and administrators’ duties.
The decision on Oct. 21 has resulted in significant changes in leadership responsibilities, according to tollway documents.
For example, the chief financial officer, who oversees important functions such as budgeting and securing loans, previously reported to Executive Director Jose Alvarez.
Now, however, CFO Cathy Williams reports to Evans as well as Alvarez. In addition, the chief procurement and compliance officer and the head of the information technology department will now report to Williams, not Alvarez.
* Back to Hannah…
In the next few days after the reorganization, two of Alvarez’s former direct reports, Chief Administrative Officer Kimberly Ross and Chief Procurement Compliance Officer Dee Brookens separated from the Tollway. Rozek declined to confirm the pair were terminated from their jobs, but said they no longer work for the agency.
Alvarez now only has one direct recruit: the Tollway’s chief operating officer, who now directly oversees many of the eight executive staff positions Alvarez used to oversee. The chief financial officer, now overseen by Evans, will also directly manage the Tollway’s chiefs of IT and business systems — two positions Alvarez also no longer oversees.
Rozek said that’s another move for better oversight.
“It is beneficial to have all “Order to Cash” operations tightly integrated with the Finance team, and in the Tollway’s case, Procurement, IT and Business Systems are a major part of these operations,” Rozek said in a statement.
* And…
Hopefully, Hannah and Marni can figure out what the heck is going on.
* Meanwhile…
Gov. J.B. Pritzker ousted the chair of the Illinois State Police Merit Board just days after a new executive director was appointed, the latest shake-up at the agency that oversees hiring, promotions and discipline at the department.
The Democratic governor late Friday withdrew his request for the Senate to confirm Andrew Berlin for reappointment as chair, ending his service on the board immediately. […]
Pritzker booted Berlin only days after the five-member merit board he chaired had promoted Emily Fox, the agency’s program director, to the role of executive director.
Fox succeeded Jack Garcia, a former Illinois State Police deputy director who joined the merit board in 2017 and just recently left to become public safety director in southwest suburban Burbank. […]
In September, Jenny Thornley, the board’s finance officer, was indicted on theft, forgery and official misconduct charges alleging she stole between $10,000 and $100,000 by pumping up her paycheck with unauthorized overtime. She has pleaded not guilty.
* Related…
* Illinois tollway reaps rating benefit from state upgrade, traffic recovery: Ahead of the sale, Moody’s Investors Service raised the rating to Aa3 from A1 and assigned a stable outlook to the deal and $6.4 billion of outstanding bonds. Fitch Ratings and S&P Global Ratings affirmed the agency’s AA-minus rating and stable outlook.
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Question of the day
Tuesday, Nov 2, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* News reporter at WBAP/KLIF…
This was yet another bizarro QAnon thing.
* NBC News reporter…
* The Question: Aside from Abe Lincoln, what deceased Illinois statesperson would you most like to meet? Please explain your response.
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* NBC 5 story on Gov. Pritzker talking about the mask mandate today…
“We look at the numbers, I talk to the doctors at IDPH, especially [IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike], and what we’re trying to evaluate is: are the hospitalization numbers, for example, increasing, decreasing, staying the same?” Pritzker said. “We want them to decrease. They’re not currently, just to be clear.”
Pritzker noted the new hospitalizations remain flat across the state.
“That is not a good sign,” he said. “That’s not what’s happened in previous dips from surges. We went down for a while here, but now we’ve leveled out at a level that is much higher than the summer. And so the question is, is that just a temporary situation? Are we going to start heading downward in those numbers?” […]
“The second, of course, is the the number of vaccinations,” Pritzker said. “You know, just watching, are we actually protecting people more and more? Are they getting their first shots? Are people getting vaccinated and are boosters widespread, particularly among older people? Because that’s where we’ve seen breakthrough, you know, disease has sometimes taken lives at a higher rate than in other age groups. And so we want to make sure that boosters are getting out there, especially to seniors in long-term care facilities or a nursing home. So this is all in the mix of consideration.”
He then said this…
Most importantly, of course, just overall, if hospitalizations are heading downward, if the number of people in the hospital with COVID-19 is heading downward, that’s a really good sign. It means that we’re, getting more and more optimistic about removing indoor mask mandates outside of the schools.
“Outside of the schools.” He’s apparently not giving in on that one.
* OK, the last time Pritzker lifted the mask mandate was on May 17 [for vaccinated people following CDC guidelines] and then on June 11 [for everyone]. Hospitalizations on May 17 were 1,503, down from a peak of 2,160 on April 16. They were at 784 on June 11. Hospitalizations continued to fall, bottoming out at 400 on July 2nd.
Then the delta variant started spreading and hospitalizations began rising again in late July and early August. Pritzker reimposed the mask mandate on August 27th.
Hospitalizations peaked at 2,346 on September 9. They were at 1,274 yesterday, which is lower than when Pritzker lifted the mask mandate [for vaxed people] in May, but well above the June 11 number. Pritzker’s right that the indicator has plateaued for the past couple of weeks or so.
As far as vaccines go, we hit a seven-day average low of about 19,000 vaxes per day in mid-September. Aside from a brief dip, that average is now up to about 60,000 per day, but I’m guessing lots of those are boosters. IDPH doesn’t break down its daily totals into categories of who’s getting what.
Anyway, get your shots, people. According to IDPH, just 0.035 percent of the state’s fully vaccinated population has wound up in the hospital. It’s your best bet.
* Meanwhile, one of Tom DeVore’s TROs has been dissolved…
November 2, 2021 COVID Update from our Superintendent stating the reinstatement of mask requirement at the Hillsboro Community Schools starting tomorrow, November 3, 2021.
Posted by Hillsboro Community School District No. 3 on Tuesday, November 2, 2021
Masks work.
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* Daily Herald…
A judge denied a preliminary injunction for six Naperville firefighters who are suing the city, Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Edward-Elmhurst Health over a COVID-19 vaccine and testing mandate.
Judge John R. Blakey made the ruling Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, deciding the mandate will stay in place for the firefighters. After Blakey issues his ruling in writing in the next 10 days, Jonathan Lubin, the attorney for the firefighters, will have the opportunity to appeal. […]
Also at Monday’s hearing, Blakey discussed the possibility of reassigning two similar lawsuits, one against the city of Chicago and another against Cook County, so all three lawsuits could be heard by Blakey. Consultation with the judges in the other lawsuits, though, first needs to occur.
* Meanwhile, at the local level…
Meh.
* It’s actually a pretty good opinion and follows the law…
Both sides, the City and the police unions, make compelling arguments rooted in public policies that favor their respective positions. The City reminds us that the COVID pandemic has presented the worst public health crisis in over a century with a staggering loss of life and untold human suffering. But out of that crisis has come a remarkable scientific achievement: lifesaving vaccines that are both safe and effective. The City’s vaccination policy represents a legitimate (indeed laudable) effort to protect the health of its employees as well as the public at large. All true.
The police unions argue that their right to engage in collective bargaining and pursue grievances in arbitration is deeply rooted in the public policy of the state of Illinois. The Illinois Public Labor Relations Act enacted expressly provides as much:
It is the purpose of this Act to prescribe the legitimate rights of both public employees and public employers, to protect the public health and safety of the citizens of Illinois, and to provide peaceful and orderly procedures for protection of the rights of all.
Indeed, in approving the Senate bill that would become the Public Labor Relations Act, Governor James R. Thompson declared collective bargaining a “fundamental right.”
The Illinois Appellate Court has further recognized police officers and other public safety employees are prohibited from striking in exchange for the promise of an effective mechanism for resolving labor disputes.
This case then presents two competing public interests, but one interest need not be scuttled in favor of another. The City’s public health objective and the police union’s desire to pursue their grievances are not wholly irreconcilable. I do not credit any suggestion that the City’s vaccination policy is anything other than an effort to safeguard the health of its employees. Likewise, I do not accept that the police unions’ grievances and alternate proposals are anything other than an effort to protect their members. Indeed, the labor movement has a proud history of advocating for measures to protect the health and safety of workers. It is worth remembering that in the darkest days of the pandemic and the months that followed, when I worked remotely in the safety of my home, the men and women of the Chicago Police Department showed up to work. It should be no surprise then as the City tells us that COVID was the leading cause of death among police in the United States in 2020 and 2021. In light of that terrible sacrifice, the police unions’ request just to have their grievances heard seems a pretty modest ask. […]
Mindful that judicial intervention in labor disputes is disfavored, my intention is to enter the narrowest possible order to preserve the unions’ right to a meaningful arbitration. The balance of the City’s vaccination policy remains fully in effect, including the reporting and testing obligations.
A lesser remedy would be to order the parties to arbitrate the unions’ grievances on an expedited basis, i.e., before December 31. The appellate court has done just that on at least one occasion. The City, however, tells me that I cannot lawfully order expedited arbitration since, under the collective bargaining agreements, such a proceeding must be mutually agreed. The City’s counsel suggested at oral argument that it might be possible to arbitrate the grievances before December 31, 2021, but that is a matter for the parties to resolve among themselves. So, the only remedy left to protect the unions’ right to meaningful arbitration is to stay compliance with the December 31 vaccination requirement until such time as the arbitration is complete. The effect of this Order is to send these parties back to the bargaining table and to promote labor peace by allowing them to pursue the remedies provided for in the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act. The City has it within its own power to avoid any burden, harm, or inconvenience occasioned by this Order simply by pursuing an accelerated arbitration.
That is exactly right and it’s what the state is doing with AFSCME at this moment: Bargain it in good faith, and if there’s an impasse send it to arbitration. The likelihood of the FOP or AFSCME winning in arbitration doesn’t appear to be all that high, as the federal case at the top of this post would indicate. But the state is doing it by the book and the city is just kinda winging it.
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* Not really my sort of story, but I couldn’t resist…
A Northwest Indiana school corporation is suing its former legal counsel for allegedly advising district officials they could receive additional Indiana tuition support payments by enrolling students who live in Illinois.
In January, the State Board of Accounts demanded the South Newton School Corp. repay $751,907.53 distributed to the district by the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) between 2014 and 2020 to cover the instructional costs for students district officials knew were living in Illinois.
According to the State Board of Accounts, Indiana law permits out-of-state students to attend schools in the Hoosier State, but only if they pay the full cost of their attendance.
[Insert Nelson Muntz “HaHa!” gif here]
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Push to end car air freshener law
Tuesday, Nov 2, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I don’t think I even knew this law existed, and hadn’t considered that it could be used as a pretext to pull someone over. Interesting…
Democrat candidate for Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias and State Rep. LaShawn Ford want to repeal an existing state law, which prohibits hanging items from a vehicle’s rear view mirror that often serve as a pretext for racially motivated traffic stops.
Illinois is one of just a handful of states that ban items from hanging from a vehicle’s rear view mirror or affixed to a windshield on the grounds that they obstruct a motorist’s vision. The current law allows police to stop motorists for minor vehicle code offenses, but in many cases those encounters can lead to verbal or physical confrontations with deadly consequences.
“Amending the current law will result in greater equity on the road and improve relationships between police and community by eliminating discriminatory traffic stops,” said Giannoulias, the former State Treasurer. “Pulling someone over for merely having an air freshener attached to their rear view mirror is not only archaic, it’s ridiculous. Prohibiting traffic stops that encourage discriminatory practices will ultimately make our streets safer for drivers and police officers.”
Representative Ford (D-8) has spearheaded changes in the law and is working with Giannoulias to sponsor legislation in the General Assembly’s spring session that would amend the Illinois Vehicle Code to abolish the air freshener law.
“We need to do everything we can to reduce the need for police interactions with people for non-violent and non-threatening violations,” Ford said. “There is no reason for police to pull over a vehicle just because they have an air freshener on their mirror or for many other minor infractions. Making this change in the law is too important to wait because it’s a safety issue for both the public and law enforcement. Law enforcement is overworked and understaffed. Springfield must use taxpayers’ resources wisely to catch the violent criminals that make all our communities less safe by repealing laws like the air freshener ban.”
Records show that police pull over a disproportionate number of drivers of color for minor traffic violations and result in motorists being unfairly stopped and searched for Driving While Black. Figures released by the state last summer show Black drivers and pedestrians in Illinois are close to three times more likely than whites to be stopped by police.
As part of his campaign, Giannoulias is also working with Representative Ford in seeking to push additional legislation that would curtail the use of pretextual stops for other low-level infractions that have disproportionately targeted Black and Latino motorists.
Other states and municipalities are taking similar action. In October, the Philadelphia City Council passed the Driving Equality Bill with the support of local law enforcement. The new ordinance classifies several offenses — including improperly displayed registration or emission stickers — as “secondary violations” that police cannot use as the sole reason for pulling over motorists. Violators of these infractions would still receive citations, but tickets would be mailed to the driver’s residence instead.
Chicagoan Daunte Wright was killed earlier this year in Minnesota after a police officer mistook her gun for a taser after pulling Wright over for having an air freshener hanging from the rearview mirror of his vehicle. Former Illinois resident Sandra Bland in Texas and Walter Scott in South Carolina each died following encounters with police involving pretextual stops.
Giannoulias and Representative Ford made clear that these efforts would not prohibit law enforcement officers from making legitimate public safety stops, especially in cases of reasonable suspicion or if the driver is suspected in criminal activity.
* There are those who want to end the use of police for traffic stops altogether…
On a hot June evening in Berkeley, California, last year, while his groceries sweated on the couch, 24-year-old Darrell Owens sent a tweet that changed his city.
“Traffic enforcement needs to be totally removed from the police …” it began.
Just a few weeks earlier, Owens had watched George Floyd being murdered in an intersection and had joined in the protests. The Berkeley city council had since promised police reform. But Owens, who, at 6 foot 6, is known by one city-council member as the “youngest, tallest, and only Black” regular attendee of transportation-commission meetings, had been stewing on a more specific idea. His Twitter thread laid out his argument for transforming law enforcement by transforming city streets: “I prefer license plate cameras … and mailed tickets over: ‘ok make sure nobody does anything that justifies this cop pumping 4 rounds of lead into me.’”
To his surprise, the city responded. A council member retweeted his thread. A month later, the city council passed “BerkDOT,” a first-in-the-nation measure to shift traffic enforcement to unarmed Department of Transportation workers.
In the summer of 2020, cities across America made similar commitments: to curtail the use of force, shrink police budgets, and fund fleets of civilian officers. But Berkeley was the first to target the traffic cop. By doing so, it is rethinking police power at its root.
Traffic stops are by far the most common reason that police officers initiate contact with members of the public; they account for 84 percent of encounters, according to data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics. In fact, before cars, ordinary citizens rarely came in contact with law enforcement. As we rebuilt cities around the automobile, historians contend, drivers came to expect to be policed. And communities of color have paid the highest price.
In Berkeley, Black drivers are six times as likely to be stopped as white drivers, and four times as likely to be searched. Stops for minor infractions––a broken taillight, speeding––are also more likely to turn deadly for Black and brown drivers, as the deaths of Philando Castile, Sandra Bland, and Daunte Wright illustrated.
* Chicago Ald. Nick Sposato kinda let the cat out of the bag last month…
“When you get pulled over, anybody can get out of a ticket. All you have to do is cooperate with the police,” Sposato said. “White people just know how to talk their way out of a ticket. They just cooperate.”
Aside from the shady nature of the companies involved, that’s one reason so many people hate red light and speed cams. They can’t talk their way out of those tickets.
* Related…
* The data doesn’t lie: Traffic stops reveal age-old biases in Chicago policing: In Evanston this week, an advisory panel appointed by Mayor Daniel Biss proposed a prohibition on traffic stops based on equipment, license plate or registration violations, and an end to so-called “consent” searches—instead requiring a warrant or probable cause.
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* Kelly Bauer of Block Club Chicago and David Jackson of the BGA…
The FBI is investigating Loretto Hospital’s COVID-19 vaccination program following reports that doses went to ineligible people with ties to hospital administrators, government records show.
Two federal grand jury subpoenas were issued to the Illinois Department of Public Health in May and September after Block Club Chicago revealed the hospital vaccinated ineligible people at Chicago’s Trump Tower, where Loretto’s chief financial officer, Dr. Anosh Ahmed, lived, as well as a luxury jewelry shop and a high-end Gold Coast steakhouse where Ahmed hung out.
The subpoenas, issued “pursuant to an official criminal investigation,” seek patient records and other documents over a two-day period in March when Chicagoans were scrambling to secure scarce vaccination appointments.
Loretto administrators did not respond to requests for comment.
The subpoenas represent demands for records and information and made no allegations of wrongdoing against any Loretto official. They also do not spell out the scope of the grand jury investigation or its targets.
Still, those documents signal a new depth to the turmoil swirling around the small safety-net hospital on the West Side. The Illinois Attorney General’s Office is already investigating the hospital following reports from Block Club and the Better Government Association that revealed one of Ahmed’s friends won contracts worth $4 million from the nonprofit hospital while Loretto board members took hospital-funded Caribbean trips, among other benefits.
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* Politico…
Rep. Bill Foster has taken his concerns about the latest congressional map to his supporters. In a fundraising letter, he said, “Last week new Illinois maps were released, and frankly the results don’t look great for me: My existing 11th District was cut into four pieces. The main city, Aurora, which has stayed with me through thick and thin throughout my political career, was cut in two. Our second major Democratic city, Joliet, was transferred entirely into another district. Our third city, Naperville where I live, remains split in two. Conservative rural areas more than an hour away replaced much of the missing population from the loss of these cities.”
He adds, “most worryingly… our Democratic senator and governor only received 48 percent of the vote in this new district — the worst performance of any Democratic district in Illinois.” With that, he says, he needs supporters’ financial help.
* According to Scott Kennedy’s analysis, Pritzker and Duckworth both won the district…
But Foster’s right that his new district won’t be an easy win, so he had better work extra hard and maybe spend less time out of state.
*** UPDATE *** McHenry County Blog…
U.S. Army Major Michael D. Pierce (ret.) of Naperville filed an amended Statement of Candidacy with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to challenge Congressman Foster’s reelection for an 8th term in Congress.
Pierce, who grew up in Elgin, Aurora and Kankakee, established roots in DuPage County when he enrolled in school at North Central College in Naperville in 1983, and voted in his first election in 1984 in DuPage County.
While working his way through school, Pierce was a youth minister in Ingalls Park (by Joliet), Genoa (DeKalb County) and in Aurora.
After graduating from North Central College in 1988, Pierce was an assistant cross country track coach at UIC for a season, and also coached track at the Illinois Math and Science Academy among other employment at that time.
Pierce enlisted in the U.S. Army in the early 1990s. After his first years as an enlisted man, he was recommended for Officer Candidate School, and earned his officer commission.
Retiring from the Army after 20 years, including a 15-month deployment to Iraq, Pierce published a book on organizational leadership and did project work for the Department of Defense.
McHenry County Blog has learned Pierce will be appearing November 14 with On Target Radio Show at 9PM CST to discuss his candidacy with hosts David Lombardo, and co-host Gretchen Fritz.
Other media appearances will be shared as information becomes available.
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* The executive order is here. Press release…
Joined by legislators, stakeholders, and community leaders, Governor JB Pritzker today declared gun violence a public health crisis and announced support for a $250 million state investment over the next three years to implement the Reimagine Public Safety plan, a data-driven and community-based violence prevention initiative.
Stakeholders have been a driving force behind the plan to coordinate and maximize hundreds of millions of dollars in future funding. The state will begin issuing Notices of Funding Opportunities for qualified organizations before the end of 2021 with a goal of enabling work to be well underway before the summer of 2022. […]
“Government’s first duty is to center public safety by and for the people,” said State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago). “We must abandon the status quo because it continues to let us down and invest into the collective samaritan such as our Illinois communities and neighborhoods; and this plan will do just that. With this, we’re on a path away from decades of policies that have led us to this point, and towards providing vital, trauma informed services so no child, no parent, and no neighbor are left alone and isolated. This will be the beginning of creating and maintaining public safety for all and not a few.”
The new resources draw from federal and State funding, including $50 million from the fiscal year 2022 state budget. The administration will work with members of the General Assembly on additional $100 million appropriations in the budgets for fiscal years 2023 and 2024, building on the state’s existing anti-violence investments. The governor has more than doubled violence prevention funding since taking office, with the state now appropriating $507 million for violence prevention, diversion, and youth employment programs in FY22, including $125 million in funds made available from the American Rescue Plan Act. […]
The Reimagine Public Safety Act (RPSA), sponsored by Senator Robert Peters and Representative Justin Slaughter, establishes the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention (OFPV) to focus on reducing firearm violence in communities with the highest rates of gun violence.
“Law enforcement alone can never be the sole answer to reducing violence in our communities,” said Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot. “Violence reduction and intervention are critical components to the modern public safety landscape as well as our holistic approach to combating crime. I commend our State partners for making this investment, which will help residents both in Chicago and across Illinois feel that much safer in the communities they call home.” […]
“This violence prevention plan is so much more than just the $250 million in community-based grants,” said House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch (D-Westchester). “It is an evidence-based model that relies on collaboration between state agencies, academic organizations and our local violence prevention groups who know their communities
best to achieve meaningful and lasting change the people of our state deserve.” […]
Additionally, the Governor issued Executive Order 2021-29, declaring gun violence a public health crisis and launching a comprehensive, statewide approach to reducing gun violence and establishing the Reimagine program. The Executive Order requires relevant state agencies to work with the new Office of Firearm Violence Prevention (OFVP) to address the systemic causes of firearm violence and to develop trauma-informed and equity-based strategies.
The overall violence prevention approach includes four key elements:
• High-risk youth intervention programs that have been proven to reduce involvement in the criminal or juvenile justice system, referrals of teens into therapeutic programs that address trauma recovery and other mental health services.
• Violence prevention services, including street-based violence interruption work, emotional or trauma related therapy, housing, employment, job training/placement, family engagement, and wrap-around support services.
• Youth development programs, including after school and summer programming to increase school attendance and school performance, reduce criminal justice system involvement, and build social-emotional persistence and intelligence.
• Trauma recovery services for young people, funded by Medicaid, designed and implemented by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, to address trauma recovery from chronic exposure to firearm violence. A team-based model of care will include case management and school support services, group and individual therapy, and evidence-based family systems interventions.
$250 Million in Community-Based Grants
In the coming weeks, the OFVP will announce competitive funding opportunities for grants focused on technical assistance for violence prevention and youth development and intervention. Fifty million dollars in funding has been budgeted for the remainder of the state’s fiscal year 22, and $100 million for each of the subsequent two fiscal years will be requested.
ICJIA and IDHS have launched technical assistance and training opportunities for community organizations across the state to apply for funding that will help address factors that contribute to gun violence.
For information on available technical assistance and upcoming funding opportunities, visit the IDHS website at https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx.
Office of Firearm Violence Prevention
Anti-violence funding will support the enactment of RPSA, which establishes the OFVP within the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) to focus on reducing firearm deaths and injuries in communities with the most gun violence. […]
To develop sound recommendations on reducing incidents of gun violence, the OFVP is required to identify and work with violence prevention conveners in Chicago neighborhoods with the highest rates of violence. In areas outside of Chicago, the OFVP will form community advisory groups designed to lower firearm injuries and deaths.
Community-Based Violence Prevention and Intervention Action Plans
The Reimagine Plan aligns with the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority’s (ICJIA) recently published violence prevention plan, a statewide effort structured on evidence-based strategies and practices and focused on measuring incidents of gun violence across the state and analyzing indicators that can predict acts of violence.
ICJIA’s researchers laid out five areas of focus to guide future prevention efforts:
1. Stop the violence, promote safety;
2. Support children, youth, and families;
3. Advance equity;
4. Support health; and,
5. Promote collaboration across state, municipal, and community-based agencies.
The ICJIA violence prevention plan, the Reimagine Plan, and today’s Executive Order build on existing state and federally funded youth jobs programs, career-training efforts, and the first of its kind Restore, Reinvest, and Renew (R3) initiative. Through R3, ICJIA has devoted tens of millions of dollars of revenue from adult-use cannabis sales into equity and community-based programs across Illinois.
“ICJIA released the Statewide Violence Prevention Plan in September which supports the administration’s goals of breaking the cycles of violence caused by years of failed criminal justice policies and economic disinvestment in Black and Brown communities,” said Acting ICJIA Executive Director Delrice Adams.“Developed in collaboration with over 130 community violence prevention stakeholders and seven state agencies, the plan aligns with the Reimagine Public Safety Act by providing a coordinated strategy to reduce gun violence across the state.”
Executive Order 2021-29
Governor Pritzker issued Executive Order 2021-29 to support IDHS in its implementation of the RPSA, a critical component of the violence prevention plan. The newly formed OFVP, established by the act, will coordinate with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), ICJIA, the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS), and other relevant state agencies to establish a public health approach to reducing gun violence.
“Because gun violence is one of the leading causes of premature death in Illinois and the United States, it is a critical public health issue,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “Last year, approximately 1 of every 3 deaths in Illinois among those aged 15-24 years involved a gun. While gun violence affects people of all ages and races, it has a disproportionate impact on young adults, males, and racial/ethnic minorities. We must all work together to identify the roots of gun violence and what role each of us play in ending it. Gun violence is not inevitable; it is preventable.”
“Firearm violence is devastating to communities and individuals long after acts of violence occur,” Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services Director Theresa Eagleson said. “Offering trauma recovery services with individual case management and therapy to young people who have been continuously exposed to violence is an essential step in the healing process and is in line with the Department’s efforts to address the social determinants of health.”
RPSA requires HFS to submit a State Plan Amendment to Illinois’ Medicaid program that could result in federal matching reimbursement for some of these services.
Further advancing the Pritzker administration’s work to reduce violence across the state, last month the Illinois State Police (ISP) announced a significant increase in its gun license revocation efforts as part of its larger work to rebuild the Firearms Services Bureau with a focus on public safety.
Since 2019, ISP’s Division of Criminal Investigation has conducted more than 450 firearms enforcement details, with over 1,300 prohibited persons brought into compliance and over 10,000 firearms dispositions accounted for.
…Adding… Democratic State Rep…
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* Daily Herald op-ed by Sheldon H. Jacobson, Ph.D., “a professor of computer science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research group on computational redistricting is committed to bringing transparency to the redistricting process using optimization algorithms and artificial intelligence”…
To illustrate how poorly the new [congressional district] map serves the people of Illinois, District 2 now mixes several South Side Chicago communities in the north with Danville and other East Central rural downstate communities. How can a representative of such a district, now classified as majority-minority, serve such a diverse set of constituents?
What the new map does is ignore and dismiss the interests of the citizens of Illinois, breaking up communities of interest throughout the state.
OK, first of all, this is US Rep. Robin Kelly’s district, which currently runs south of Kankakee to Chebanse. Under the new map, the district’s southern boundary has been extended about 70 miles south to include Danville. It’s basically just a larger version of her current district, and all districts had to get bigger this year because the state lost a seat during reapportionment. And to preserve three districts drawn to comply with the Voting Rights Act, the 2nd, like the other two, had to take in more white precincts. Also, c’mon, it’s also obviously about politics. And politics, like it or not, is an allowable factor in redistricting.
* And since Professor Jacobson brought up Danville, as of 10 years ago, Danville was 24 percent Black and about 5 percent Latino. Also…
For only the second time in 32 years, the City of Danville has elected a new mayor and elected its first African-American mayor.
If Jacobson had his way, Danville residents would continue to be represented by someone like Mary Miller, a white, upper-income farmer who lives more than 50 miles south of Danville and whose district office in Danville was closed at last check.
So, I asked Jacobson some questions via email. He didn’t really provide much of a response to my questions and I still haven’t heard back on this last one…
Again, why did you choose to center the interests of white people over people of color? Why is it seemingly preferable to have a white congressperson representing Black people?
If he gets back to me, I’ll be sure to post whatever he says.
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* Sarah Zhang has an excellent piece in The Atlantic, so you should definitely read the whole thing…
To prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed, the key group we need to vaccinate is really the elderly. The risk of hospitalization for an unvaccinated person over 80 is 25 times that for an unvaccinated person under 18. A Financial Times analysis of data from the U.K. found vaccinating 25,000 children had the same effect on hospitalizations as vaccinating just 800 adults over age 60. Unvaccinated elderly adults are just that much more likely to become severely ill with COVID-19. You can’t compensate for a low vaccination rate among older adults by vaccinating more people in younger groups, says Müge Çevik, a virologist at the University of St. Andrews.
The U.S. still has too many unvaccinated elderly people—or rather, parts of the U.S. do. States such as Vermont and Hawaii have done well, given almost 100 percent of people over 65 immunized at least one dose. But in Idaho, Arkansas, and Mississippi, the percentage is languishing in the 80s. Even small differences in this percentage can have an outsize impact on hospitalization outcomes. For example, two communities with 90 versus 99 percent of the elderly vaccinated actually have a tenfold difference in the number of people at risk for hospitalization. “You don’t need a lot of infections in the unvaccinated over 65 to give you a problem,” Hanage says. During the summer wave in the U.S., the community vaccination rate in people over 65 correlated with hospitalization trends. The trend, he says, is “extremely clear.”
Illinois is also languishing. Our vax rate for those 65+ is just 83.58 percent. Not great to be lumped in with states like Idaho, Arkansas and Mississippi.
* Um, no…
* According to the ISBE, only one district was still on probation…
ISBE issued emergency rules, effective October 28, that make changes to the processes and procedures regarding recognition status changes of districts and schools. As a result, ISBE reinstated the recognition status of the one public school district still not in compliance with the universal indoor masking requirement in order to proceed with the oversight process as outlined in the new administrative rules for recognition. ISBE will continue to take swift action to ensure compliance with the public health requirements that are in place to protect the health and safety of students and educators and to ensure students can continue to learn safely in-person. Please find the process described in the communication attached.
The attachment is here.
* From the governor’s event today…
Stay classy.
* Um, no. They could always be fired. Some folks were using a novel interpretation of a state law that was designed to protect certain rights of healthcare providers by giving them the ability to sue their employers and recover treble damages, including for pain and suffering…
Employees refusing to be vaccinated or tested for COVID-19 on religious or moral grounds could be fired under a change in Illinois’ Health Care Right of Conscience Act approved Friday by the General Assembly.
Also, those employees have certain federal religious rights that won’t go away when this law takes effect.
* Not a single court ever ruled pre-COVID that this state law applied to anyone but medical providers…
For more than four decades, the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act has protected people from having to provide or receive medical treatments that conflict with their religious or moral beliefs.
The amount of misinformation in the mainstream media on this legislation boggles the mind. The bill slightly narrows a narrowly and perhaps erroneously perceived right to sue. And almost all of this rigamarole has to do with people who are refusing to take regular COVID tests after opting out of the vaccine mandate.
Sheesh.
* Friday at the federal level…
Late Friday, a federal judge shot down an emergency request by Chicago firefighters, paramedics and other city workers to halt city and state vaccine mandates. That ruling came down hours after the City Council voted down a proposal from a group of aldermen to repeal the mandate and remove the power over such measures from the mayor. […]
[U.S. District Judge John Lee] said the plaintiffs failed to show that the government orders were irrational or outrageous or violated any of the employees’ constitutional or religious rights.
* Monday at the county level…
A Cook County judge ruled Monday that the city’s vaccination mandate can remain in place for now, but unionized Chicago Police Department employees can’t face consequences for not getting vaccinated until the policy goes through arbitration.
The written decision by Judge Raymond Mitchell to grant a partial temporary restraining order centers on the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police’s lawsuit against the city following a directive for all employees to report their vaccination status by Oct. 15, which thousands of first-responders did not do.
…Adding… Forgot about this…
* Other stuff…
* AG Raoul asks IL Supreme Court to move DeVore’s student mask lawsuits to Cook or Sangamon counties
* COVID-19’s global death toll tops 5 million in under 2 years
* Nursing homes in 3 states face profit limits as Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey move to improve care
* Moderna: FDA Delaying Decision on Its Shot for Adolescents
* COVID Vaccines for Kids Under 12: What Still Needs to Happen Before Shots Can Begin
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* Institute of Government and Public Affairs…
The University of Illinois Flash Index in October fell to 105.4 from its 106.0 level last month. This decline in Illinois followed the broader national pattern of a slowing recovery from the short, but sharp COVID-19 recession of 2020.
The small recovery the index made in September was wiped out, but the reading remains above the 100-level dividing line between economic growth and decline. See the full Flash Index archive.
“This drop is likely the result of the return of some restrictions because of the emergence of the Delta variant, along with supply chain bottlenecks that have slowed the economy,” said University of Illinois economist J. Fred Giertz, who compiles the monthly index for the Institute of Government and Public Affairs. “While the short-term outlook remains clouded, there is still optimism for 2022. This is based on the apparent receding of the Delta variant surge and the strong pent-up demand from consumers whose spending has been limited during the COVID-19 crisis.”
Giertz said that supply chain problems are also expected to ease, although more slowly than anticipated. Growth rate expectations, while still positive, have been tempered somewhat by these recent developments.
The Illinois unemployment rate dropped to 6.8% from last month’s 7.0% level. However, it remains a full two percentage points above the national rate. Inflation-adjusted corporate and sales tax receipts were up from the same month last year, while individual income tax receipts were down. As noted below, these results are impacted by changing payment patterns as well as basic state economic activity.
The Flash Index is a weighted average of Illinois growth rates in corporate earnings, consumer spending and personal income as estimated from receipts for corporate income, individual income, and retail sales taxes. These are adjusted for inflation before growth rates are calculated. The growth rate for each component is then calculated for the 12-month period using data through October 31, 2021.
Even though more than a year has passed since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, ad hoc adjustments will still be needed for some time because of the timing of the tax receipts resulting from state and Federal changes in payment dates both this year and last year.
* History…
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SoS finally changes its goofy website name
Monday, Nov 1, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* There was a time when people out to make a buck convinced newbie website owners that their sites should have their own new identities apart from the ones that the organizations/companies had worked for decades or even longer to establish. So, for example, the St. Louis Post Dispatch’s online name became “St. Louis Today.” Lots of Downstate TV stations got into the act as well. I always thought it was a stupid idea and, before the age of easy Googling, even harmful. And the same goes for the Illinois SoS website name. CyberDriveIllinois.com? What?
But it turns out there’s an even better reason to change that silly name. Press release…
Secretary of State Jesse White announced that the Illinois Secretary of State’s office has changed its official web address from “cyberdriveillinois.com” to “ILSOS.gov.” The change is designed to help combat fraud. A “.gov” website address designates it as an official government website, which is exclusively provided to federal, state and local government entities.
“Changing the website address to ILSOS.gov will help combat fraud at a time when scams designed to defraud Illinoisans have been proliferating,” said White. “Because the new address uses a .gov suffix, you can rest assured it belongs to a federal, state or local government agency – in this case the Illinois Secretary of State’s office – which adds to your peace of mind when transacting business online with my office.”
White noted that Illinoisans who type cyberdriveIllinois.com into the browser will be directed to ILSOS.gov.
In addition to the website address change, White’s office unveiled a redesigned website that is designed to make it easier for the public to locate services quickly. The website prioritizes the most frequently used services, such as driver license, ID card and license plate renewals. It also breaks down online services into a specific section to help customers who wish to conduct business online.
Popular features, such as Safe Driver Renewal, DL/State ID Card Renewal, Facility Finder, Pick-a-Plate, License Plates Renewal and Business Services filings remain prominently featured.
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* Tribune…
Decision day dawned early Friday for members of Congress from Illinois confronted with a new district map drawn by Democrats in an effort to maximize power in Washington, avoid legal challenges and create an opportunity for adding a second Latino to the state’s delegation.
The fallout from the new map came quickly. First it was six-term Republican U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Channahon, an outcast in his own party over his opposition to former President Donald Trump, taking himself out of a primary matchup against the four-term U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood of Peoria, a staunch Trump supporter. […]
Still to be heard from is controversial freshman Republican U.S. Rep. Mary Miller of Oakland who was mapped into a district with four-term U.S. Rep. Mike Bost of Murphysboro [who announced for reelection last week]. Miller could choose to challenge five-term U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, whose neighboring district includes some of her current district.
Then there’s Davis, himself, who was left alone by Democratic mapmakers in a heavily Republican central Illinois district. Always active in state GOP politics, Davis has said his political future depended on how Democrats treated him in drawing a new district. Davis has been considering a possible bid for the Republican nomination for governor.
* Politico…
While a run for U.S. Senate seems logical, an insider who has seen polling numbers says it would be a suicide mission for Kinzinger to run against Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth. He’d also have to get out of a primary first, which would be a challenge for Kinzinger in any race while Trumpism remains potent within the party.
Other possible scenarios: Kinzinger takes a talking-head job at CNN or MSNBC, writes a book about battling former President Donald Trump, earns millions of dollars to secure his family’s future while also raising funds for his super PACs — and then makes a run for president in 2024. Wouldn’t a Trump v. Kinzinger race be something?
Still another GOP insider wouldn’t be surprised if Kinzinger were to take a military-type appointment under a Biden administration. Conservatives like to dream. […]
Miller, meanwhile, may decide to run in Davis’ seat instead of the 12th District, where she’s been placed to face-off against Rep. Mike Bost.
Why that’s interesting: Miller, a Trump devotee, might be a better fit for the more conservative 12th District, but it would be difficult to challenge GOP veteran Bost, who has his own Trump credentials. The former president even campaigned for Bost in 2020. Miller might see a bigger opening by challenging Davis, who supported establishing a commission to investigate Trump’s actions on Jan. 6.
Candidates don’t have to live in the district they’re seeking to represent. It wouldn’t be unusual for Miller to run in the 15th since it encompasses a chunk of her current district and because her family farm is just over a mile from the district.
…Adding… Oops, forgot to post this…
* Fact-check: Rep. Mary Miller’s claim of caravan the size of Minneapolis off by factor of 100
…Adding… For what it’s worth, I agree with Lynn Sweet…
If Kinzinger and his team thinks it would have been an “all-consuming race” just to run for a House seat, imagine the time and money it would take to mount a statewide bid.
Running for governor, with its state-focused issues, does not seem to animate Kinzinger, so let’s rule that out for now.
The Senate is a better match.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., 53, running for a second term in 2022, had $5.77 million cash-on-hand as of Sept. 30.
She will have no significant Democratic primary, so she can save for the general election. Kinzinger as of Sept. 30 had $3.35 million in his congressional war chest and would have to budget for an expensive primary.
Kinzinger, 43, will have other shots at the Senate.
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DPI hires Jake Lewis, Maralea Negron
Monday, Nov 1, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Press release…
Today, the Democratic Party of Illinois announced two new staff hires: Jake Lewis will serve as Deputy Director overseeing all communications and Maralea Negron will serve as Operations Director.
“We’re thrilled for Jake and Maralea to join the DPI team,” said Congresswoman Robin Kelly, DPI Chair. “Both Jake and Maralea bring unique skills and experiences to the DPI that will support our work in making the party more active, inclusive, and transparent. Jake has been a leading voice in some of our most recent progressive political and legislative fights and he will be critical in helping us connect with voters about Democratic successes while holding Republicans accountable. Maralea’s experience working with Springfield legislators and advocating for the most vulnerable individuals throughout our state will serve the DPI well as we continue to grow our capacity and build our party.”
Jake Lewis will serve as Deputy Director and will oversee all communications. Previously, he worked as the Director of Communications for the Chicago Federation of Labor where he was responsible for internal and external communications. Jake also worked as the Campaign Director for Illinois Working Together, a labor coalition fighting for working families during the Rauner Administration, as a strategist for the political consultancy 270 Strategies and as field director for now Sen. Tammy Duckworth in her 2012 run for Congress.
“I am thrilled to join the DPI team and work to support Democrats up and down the ballot,” said Lewis. “Illinois Democrats have led the charge at the local, state, and federal levels to grow jobs, end the pandemic, protect our environment, and build a stronger economy that works for everyone. I look forward to helping the DPI communicate with voters, party leaders, and activists about the Democrats’ vision for the future as we head into a major election year.”
Maralea Negron will serve as Operations Director, working hand-in-hand with DPI leadership to ensure the party grows in size and scale to work with all Democrats this cycle. Previously, she worked as Chief of Staff to Rep. Kelly Cassidy, developing policy by engaging grassroots advocates and stakeholders on issues, tracking legislation, and serving as a liaison to the community and constituents. She also serves on the Guardianship and Advocacy Commission of the Illinois Department of Human Rights.
“I couldn’t be more excited to join the DPI team,” said Negron. “Now more than ever, our communities need Democratic leaders who will stand up for what is right and take on the toughest challenges we all face. I am eager to be a part of the DPI team as it continues to grow to meet Chair Kelly’s vision of an inclusive, effective state party.”
Jake won a Golden Horseshoe Award for his work at Illinois Working Together.
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* My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
The current topsy-turvy political landscape was on full display in the Illinois House and the Senate last week as the chamber debated and passed a bill to slightly narrow the scope of the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act.
A bedrock Republican Party principle over the years has been to help shield employers from frivolous lawsuits. But every single Republican voted against a bill in the two chambers that would effectively prevent anyone who is fired or punished after refusing to take regular COVID-19 tests from suing their employer and recovering triple damages, including pain and suffering.
Public school teachers, for example, must now either be vaccinated or submit to regular virus testing, yet several unvaccinated teachers are suing because they do not want to take any tests. A court loss by those districts could be very costly, but some judges are siding with plaintiffs and concluding that a law designed to protect doctors who refuse to perform abortions also applies to people who don’t want to be vaccinated or get tested.
Democrats are usually all-in on the right of employees to sue, but definitely not in this instance. Like I said, topsy-turvy.
Also, for a year and a half now, Republicans have been demanding that the super-majority legislative Democrats vote on bills related to the pandemic rather than sit idly by while Gov. J.B. Pritzker issues executive orders.
But, when the Democrats finally took up the Health Care Right of Conscience Act legislation last week, folks like Rep. Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur) argued that the General Assembly ought to drop this issue and instead allow the courts to decide whether the HCRCA applies to the current controversy over vaccines and testing.
That makes no sense considering the endless GOP demands that the General Assembly “do something.” But, in reality, that demand for legislative action has mainly been a rhetorical device to allow the Republicans to avoid commenting directly on a range of pandemic topics. Last week’s vote, however, smoked them out.
Pretty much all polling shows that the majority of Republican voters oppose things like COVID-19 vaccine and mask mandates. So, it’s no surprise that Republican legislators would also be opposed to this change, particularly in a redistricting year when legislators will have new turf to defend and primary opponents can always pop up out of the blue.
What is a tiny bit surprising, though, is that the Republican Party has become so completely monolithic.
The party has for decades in this state included several legislators who were willing to break ranks on things like taxation, labor unions and abortion. But those members have left office, lost primaries to more conservative Republicans, lost general elections to more liberal Democrats or, in the case of folks like Sen. Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) who voted for the 2017 tax hike, lurched to the far right. It’s also easier to be unified in the super-minority party, mainly because there is so little pressure or enticement to participate in actual governance. The age of Donald Trump has forced the entire party into a niche, whether party members like it or not.
Unlike the Republicans, House Democrats were not totally unified on the HCRCA legislation last week. It probably didn’t help that tens of thousands of electronic witness slips were filed in opposition to the bill.
Seven House Democrats wound up voting against the measure: Carol Ammons of Urbana, Kelly Burke of Evergreen Park, Anthony Deluca of Chicago Heights, Stephanie Kifowit of Oswego and John D’Amico, Mary Flowers and Fran Hurley of Chicago. Two voted “Present”: Angie Guerrero-Cuellar of Chicago and Rita Mayfield of Waukegan.
In the Senate, six Democrats sided with the opposition: Rachelle Aud Crowe of Glen Carbon, Suzy Glowiak Hilton of Western Springs, Mike Hastings of Frankfort, Patrick Joyce of Essex, Meg Loughran Cappel of Shorewood and Doris Turner of Springfield. Four Democrats didn’t vote: Tom Cullerton of Villa Park, Napoleon Harris of Harvey, and Rob Martwick and Tony Muñoz of Chicago.
That Democratic opposition was enough to bring the final tallies below the threshold needed for an immediate effective date on the legislation, so it won’t take effect until June 1 of next year. But it’s likely the two chambers will vote on it again in January, when it can take effect immediately. In the meantime, the governor’s and attorney general’s offices believe the action was probably enough to stave off the lawsuits.
All because some folks who won’t get vaccinated say they have some mysterious conscientious objection to being tested for a disease and would sue any employer who claims otherwise.
Ridiculous.
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Open thread
Monday, Nov 1, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Let’s hope this doesn’t become, um, viral…
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* Background is here if you need it. From the attorney general’s filing…
Pursuant to Illinois Supreme Court Rule 384, the Attorney General of the State of Illinois, Kwame Raoul, on behalf of Governor Jay Robert Pritzker, in his official capacity, the Illinois Department of Public Health, the Illinois State Board of Education, Dr. Carmen I. Ayala, in her official capacity as the director of the Illinois State Board of Education, and Dr. Ngozi Ezike, in her official capacity as Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health (“State Defendants”), hereby move this Court to: (1) transfer the above-captioned cases that are currently pending in the Circuit Courts of Kendall (No. 2021-MR-255), Macoupin (No. 2021-MR-91), Montgomery (No. 2021-MR-112), Sangamon (Nos. 2021-MR-1259 & 2021-CH-79), and Vermilion Counties (No. 2021-MR-432), to the Circuit Court of Cook County; and (2) consolidate those cases with the case currently pending in the Circuit Court of Cook County (No. 2021 CH 4914). In the alternative, the State Defendants respectfully request that the Court: (1) transfer the above-captioned cases that are currently pending in the Circuit Courts of Cook, Kendall, Macoupin, Montgomery, and Vermilion Counties to the Circuit Court of Sangamon County, and (2) consolidate those cases with the cases currently pending in the Circuit Court of Sangamon County (Nos. 2021-MR-1259 & 2021-CH-79).
Such relief is appropriate because these cases all challenge the executive orders and emergency rule issued by the State Defendants requiring students to wear face coverings while in school and/or requiring schools to exclude students from in-person learning if they come into close contact with someone who has COVID-19. These cases all seek similar declaratory or injunctive relief to nullify these requirements for students and school districts. Accordingly, transfer and consolidation would conserve resources, allow for a more efficient resolution of the cases, and avoid public confusion over the validity of the State Defendants’ actions to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Transfer to the Circuit Court of Cook County is warranted because the vast majority of the students who would be the subject of the sought relief are located in Cook County. Alternatively, Sangamon County is an appropriate forum as the venue of the first-filed case, and where counsel for the majority of the plaintiffs is already engaged in similar litigation against some of the State Defendants. In support of this motion, the State Defendants submit a supporting record and state the following.
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COVID-19 roundup
Friday, Oct 29, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Daily Herald…
Preliminary state data released today confirms what many educators and parents predicted about the pandemic-impacted 2020-21 school year, but is not without hopeful signs.
Statewide, chronic absenteeism worsened, fewer students met grade-level expectations in English language arts and mathematics and the effects of remote learning were hardest on minority students and English language learners, according to preliminary and partial 2021 Illinois Report Card data released Friday morning. […]
Preliminary spring testing data from most schools statewide show steep declines in students attaining proficiency in math and English language arts across grade levels — 17.8% and 16.6%, respectively.
Among English learners, the decline in meeting standards was stark, 51.5% in English language arts and 54% in math. Similarly, low-income students saw a 31% drop in English and 38.7% dip in math, while special needs students saw declines of 30.4% in English and 23.5% in math.
The data show larger decreases in proficiency among younger students who likely struggled more to engage in remote learning than their older peers, officials said
Click here to see the data.
* IDPH…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 14,616 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 183 additional deaths since reporting last Friday, October 22, 2021. Of Illinois’ total population, 69% has received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose and 54% of Illinois’ total population is fully vaccinated.
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,695,524 cases, including 25,771 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Since reporting on Friday, October 22, 2021, laboratories have reported 796,018 specimens for a total of 35,288,616. As of last night, 1,256 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 281 patients were in the ICU and 133 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from October 22-28, 2021 is 1.8%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from October 22-28, 2021 is 2.2%.
A total of 15,542,790 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 49,742 doses. Since reporting on Friday, October 22, 2021, 348,196 doses were reported administered in Illinois.
*All data are provisional and will change. Additional information and COVID-19 data can be found at http://www.dph.illinois.gov/covid19.
Vaccination is the key to ending this pandemic. To find a COVID-19 vaccination location near you, go to www.vaccines.gov.
* NBC 5…
A suburban community has announced that it will no longer abide by the terms of a mask mandate issued by the Illinois Department of Public Health and Gov. J.B. Pritzker, saying that masks will now be optional in businesses.
Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson made the announcement this week. He says that the village has been following science, and is now acting to make masks optional as the number of COVID patients in the community, and in the state, continue to decline.
“People are doing well, and I think a bigger reason than that is that people are getting vaccinated,” he said. “As I’ve been saying since January, ‘vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate,’ and it’s working.”
According to the latest data from IDPH, 67.33% of Elk Grove Village residents who are eligible for the vaccine are fully vaccinated, with just over 70% of residents having received at least one dose.
* IDPH…
As we head into the holiday season, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is issuing updated guidance to help people celebrate more safely as we continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Last year, many people held off getting together with family and friends during the holiday season due to the pandemic,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “This year, we have a safe and effective vaccine to help protect against severe illness due to COVID-19 that will allow friends and families to more safely celebrate together. Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself, your friends and family, and your community, but there are other actions you can take to celebrate more safely.”
Travel safety considerations:
• Delay travel until you are fully vaccinated, or wait until you get a booster shot if eligible
• If you’re not fully vaccinated, test 1-3 days before and 3-5 days after traveling
• Travel during off-peak times to avoid crowds
• Drive a private vehicle to reduce exposure to COVID-19
• If using public transportation, try to travel during non-peak times. Masks are required on/in all areas of mass transit
Guests and gatherings:
• Keep indoor gatherings small
• Arrange seating and other areas to allow for physical distance
• Increase air flow by opening windows and/or doors
• Avoid having people congregate, such as in the kitchen or at the buffet
• Clean and sanitize the kitchen, bathrooms, and other areas used by guests
People who are sick with fever, cough, or other symptoms of COVID-19, or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, should not travel or gather for holiday events during that time.
More information on COVID-19 Holiday Season Safety can be found on the IDPH website at https://dph.illinois.gov/covid19/community-guidance/holiday-season-safety.html.
* The governor has threatened to veto this bill…
The Illinois General Assembly is advancing a proposal that would allow educators to be able to isolate for COVID-19 without having to use their sick days. Two amendments to the state school code will require all school districts, community colleges, and public universities to allow their employees ample paid leave to abide by “public health guidance, mandates and requirements issued by the Department of Public Health.” The amendments would also apply if an educator has a child who must isolate after virus exposure. The measure is headed to Governor J.B. Pritzker’s desk, where he will decide whether or not to sign it.
* Related…
* Is Moderna Really Better Than Pfizer—Or Is It Just a Higher Dose? It’s possible that a good deal of the difference in the shots’ performance can be summed up with a simple phrase: More is better.
* Cook County prepares to roll out COVID vaccine for kids 5 to 11 pending federal approval
* Chicago aldermen pass Lightfoot’s $16 billion budget, buoyed by federal COVID-19 relief funds
* Upcoming plays work COVID-type scenarios into the plot
* Trick-or-Treating, Masks and More: Here’s the Halloween Guidance for Illinois
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* I checked with the Lightfoot people and here is how the poll question was asked…
Do you support or oppose a coronavirus vaccine mandate for city workers, including first responders?
* Results…
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* Brenden Moore looks at the new congressional districts…
12th — This rural district covers Southern Illinois, including almost everything south of Interstate 70. It also includes some outlying portions of Metro East. This heavily Republican seat includes the homes of Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, and Rep. Mary Miller, R-Oakland.
* Here’s the district map. The purple district above it now belongs to US Rep. Rodney Davis. The red dot in the upper right corner is the location of Rep. Miller’s house…
* Ally Mutnick…
The new southern district is a combination of Bost’s and Miller’s current seats and a small rectangular arm just out of the northern border to grab Miller’s hometown of Oakland.
“They didn’t do that on purpose,” Bost joked, referring to the Democrats. “They didn’t draw that little area like that.”
Still, he said he plans to run no matter what, even if it meant challenging a colleague.
Miller, meanwhile, began to scurry away when POLITICO asked whether she is planning to run for reelection. A freshman who has faced repeated controversies, Miller perhaps leans more right than the other Republicans in the delegation. She has attended press conferences with the House Freedom Caucus, including one calling for the removal of two GOP colleagues from their committees: Kinzinger and Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.).
Still, when asked whether she was weighing running against one of her GOP colleagues over another, she suggested she wouldn’t be intimidated by the new maps.
“I have no idea,” she said, “but I can say I laughed when I read that they think they’re terrorizing me. Because I am not scared.”
Bost had $647K cash on hand, compared to Miller’s $432K.
*** UPDATE *** Bost…
U.S. Representative Mike Bost (IL-12) today announced that he is running for re-election in Illinois’ 12th Congressional District:
“With Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi running roughshod in Washington, D.C., Southern Illinoisans need a battle-tested conservative fighting for them now more than ever. Today, I’m proud to announce my candidacy for re-election in the 12th Congressional District. I have never wavered in defense of our constitutional conservative values; and I will always stand up for the hardworking families, veterans, farmers, and job creators of Southern Illinois who feel abandoned by the liberals in Washington.”
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* Press release…
Today, Illinois Congresswoman Marie Newman announced she intends to run for re-election to Congress in the newly drawn 6th District, where her current constituents make up more than 40% of the population, representing a plurality of voters.
“As someone born and raised on Chicago’s Southwest Side and a lifelong resident of its surrounding suburbs, fighting for workers, small businesses, and the middle-class in these communities is in my DNA, and that fight is not going to stop now,” said Representative Marie Newman. “Last year, we made history by bringing together a coalition of neighbors, working families, volunteers, and voters from every corner of our communities to stand up against decades-old Machine politics, billionaires, and deep-pocketed special interests — and, we are doing it again. I am proud to announce that I am once again running to represent the residents of Chicago’s Southwest Side and our neighbors in the surrounding west and southwest suburbs. The lion’s share of this new district is made up of the communities and residents I represent today and I look forward to continuing to serve them in Congress.”
“From our grassroots organizers to our door-knockers on the ground, our coalition is ready to deliver for the workers, working families, and communities of this new district. From Elmhurst to Orland Park, I’m looking forward to working with everyone to build a stronger, more equitable future for our residents of the new IL-06.”
Under the new congressional map passed by the Illinois General Assembly after midnight on Thursday, Illinois will have 17 members, just six of whom are women currently serving in Congress.
Thoughts?
…Adding… Politico…
As of the end of last month, Casten had $1 million banked, compared to Newman’s $440,000. Both are progressive, but Newman would likely try to run to Casten’s left.
Some Casten allies have wondered if AIPAC or Democratic Majority for Israel, two pro-Israel groups, might get involved in a matchup because Newman was one of only a handful of Democrats who opposed funding the Iron Dome defense project earlier this year.
…Adding… Casten…
U.S. Congressman Sean Casten has released the following statement regarding the 2022 elections:
“Since the beginning of the redistricting process, I have never wanted to see friends run against friends. I believe the shared goal of every House Member is to maintain and expand our House majority and work on behalf of all constituents and community members who fought tirelessly to elect us. As I said last night, I look forward to continuing to serve the people of the 6th district as we work to make historic investments in climate action, and for families and workers.”
…Adding… Sun-Times has a brief blurb about yesterday afternoon’s problems passing a map…
Sources told the Chicago Sun-Times that the initial lack of votes on the third congressional map proposal is partly due to Casten putting pressure on some state legislators in his congressional district to improve the map in his favor — or oppose the third draft map, released Wednesday night, because it heavily favored Newman.
…Adding… From Frank…
She’s got the home field advantage, for sure.
…Adding… Those may be her precincts, but she didn’t do so great in the ones that were moved to the new 6th…
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* That escalated quickly…
* From the video…
I cannot focus on both a reelection to Congress and a broader fight nationwide.
…Adding… And…
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* Brenden Moore…
Illinois lawmakers approved gaming legislation Thursday that would allow for some betting on in-state college sports teams while putting a lid on local governments imposing “amusement push taxes” on video gaming terminals. […]
In the new bill, bets will be permitted on the final outcome of games but not individual performance. There is a July 1, 2023 sunset on the provision, meaning lawmakers will have to address it again in a few years if they wish to continue allowing the wagering activity. Bets must be made in-person.
Meanwhile, the proposal would prevent additional municipalities from enacting a “push tax,” which is placed on each bet made at video gaming terminals. Lawmakers have sought to put a lid on the practice, which they said would eat into revenue coming into the state. […]
However, the handful of cities, including Decatur, that have already enacted the tax will be grandfathered in, allowing them to continue collecting the tax, which has been subject to several lawsuits.
* Mitchell Armentrout…
Under the bill, which passed the state Senate 44-12 and the House 100-11, wagers on local college teams would have to be placed in person at a casino, limited to bets on the outcomes of games, not individual performances. The in-state ban would be reinstated in two years unless lawmakers pass another bill allowing it. […]
While the legislation will allow fans of DePaul and Northern Illinois to get in on the action, it won’t provide the betting boon it would if it allowed wagers outside brick-and-mortar casinos. The vast majority of legal bets in Illinois are placed online, accounting for upwards of 97% of the statewide handle, or the amount of money wagered. […]
Wintrust Arena would be allowed to open a sportsbook. While the 2019 gambling expansion allowed sports venues with capacities of 17,000 or more to open books, the South Loop home of the WNBA champion Chicago Sky only holds about 10,000.
Illinois residents would be able to sign up for sports betting accounts from their phones or computers beginning March 5, instead of doing so in person at a casino as required under the 2019 law. That so-called “penalty box” requirement, which was created to give casinos a head start on the industry over large online sports betting companies, originally had not been scheduled to expire until late 2022.
* Jerry Nowicki…
The bill also adds fire protection districts to the list of entities that can receive a charitable raffle license […]
The bill caps an annual fee that non-home rule municipalities can charge on video gaming terminals at $250, up from $25. […]
The bill also allows fraternal organizations, such as VFW posts and American Legions, to apply for gambling machine licenses, even if the municipality in which they reside has a local ban on them. Those provisions would not apply, however, to such facilities in Chicago and Cook County.
The bill also makes changes to the horse racing industry, loosening the requirements for the “Illinois Conceived and Foaled” racing program, such as allowing stallions owned by non-Illinois breeders to bring their horses to Illinois to breed with Illinois mares.
It also provides that semen from an Illinois stallion may be transported outside of the state.
I do believe that is the first time the phrase “semen from an Illinois stallion” has ever been posted on this-here website. Even so, let’s try to keep it clean in comments. Thank you kindly.
…Adding… Churchill Downs Inc. CEO Bill Carstanjen blamed the state for his company’s decision to sell Arlington International Racecourse to the Bears…
Carstanjen called the decision to sell Arlington “a comment on the archaic racing laws that really haven’t been changed in a material way in [Illinois] in 30-plus years, and no longer worked.”
In fact, those laws changed drastically in 2019 with the passage of a massive gambling expansion that allows horse racing tracks to become “racinos” with slot machines and table games as a means of supplementing dwindling purses for the state’s struggling horse racing industry. Churchill Downs had lobbied for that privilege for decades alongside other gambling interests, only to pass on the opportunity, blaming high taxes.
Carstanjen dismissed that legislation, saying “it wasn’t really passed in a form that was enough to make up for the racing paradigm in the state.”
So instead of investing in the 93-year-old track, the Lousiville-based corporation is opting to sell it to the Bears, who outbid a group led by former Arlington International Racecourse president Roy Arnold that wanted to keep the ponies running.
That is such hooey on Carstanjen’s part. The company didn’t want competition to Rivers Casino from a large and nearby racino.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Algonquin is one of several municipalities now looking to implement a local video gaming “push tax” before the Nov. 1 deadline. Click here.
*** UPDATE 2 *** The video gaming industry is now tracking 15 communities which may attempt to beat the Nov. 1 push tax deadline.
* Also…
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2021 veto session cheat sheet
Friday, Oct 29, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Passed both chambers…
* SB 1169 - Narrowing of lawsuit opportunities with treble damages under Health Care Right of Conscience Act
* HB 370 - Parental Notification of Abortion repeal
* HB1769 - Reimagining Electric Vehicles in Illinois Act
* HB3136 - Gaming bill [Story here]
* HB3401 - Midwife legalization
* SB0536 - Election omnibus
* HB1291 - Congressional redistricting
* SB1784 - Chicago elected school board clean up
* HB3666 - Energy trailer - prevailing wage on EV rebates
* HB307 - Revisory
* HB2778 - Education employee paid COVID-19 leave
* Passed Senate, pending in the House…
* HB3512 - Criminal justice reform update
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* As subscribers know, Speaker Welch overcame one heck of a lot of objections today…
Democrat voting No: Guerrero-Cuellar.
Democrat not voting: Cassidy.
*** UPDATE *** I’ll post react as it comes in. Casten…
U.S. Congressman Sean Casten released the following statement regarding the congressional maps approved by the Illinois General Assembly:
“Each decade, our state assembly has an important constitutional obligation to ensure Illinoisans have congressional representation that reflects the vast geography and diversity of our state,” said Rep. Sean Casten. “I remain focused on fighting for my constituents as we work to make historic investments in climate action, families, and workers for the sixth district of Illinois.”
* Wasserman may not be wrong, but…
* Speaker Chris Welch…
I want to congratulate everyone who had a hand in this incredibly successful and historical veto session. We were able to ensure our state has effective tools to fight this pandemic. We repealed the final anti-abortion law on the books in Illinois. We provided incentives for electric vehicle manufacturers to ensure Illinois remains at the forefront of a clean energy future. And, we approved a historic map that offers a new coalition district for minority representation. This is the type of work the people of our state deserve. I want to thank my colleagues in the House and Senate, as well as the numerous advocacy groups and grassroots organizations who helped us achieve these momentous victories
* Sen. Barickman…
State Senator Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington) released the following statement following the Illinois Senate’s vote to approve a new Congressional map:
“One things that’s become clear throughout the legislative process, is that Governor Pritzker and his allies have no interest in doing what is best for the people of Illinois. Governor Pritzker already broke his clear promise to voters when he signed two state legislative maps into law. Now as we’ve moved into the Congressional map process, Pritzker is not only going along with the gerrymandering process, he has been confirmed to be an active participant, through secret, closed-door meetings and backroom deals. The product of this broken process will take away choices from voters, further entrench politicians with extreme viewpoints, and disenfranchise people from one end of the state to the other.”
* Rep. Kelly Cassidy…
The evolution of this map resulted in two women I strongly admire getting short shrift. I am strongly supportive of the creation of a second Latino district and know that hard choices had to be made to accomplish that, but I couldn’t bring myself to support a process that left two strong women leaders’ voices out. As we work to ensure the map reflects the diversity of our state, it does a lot to accomplish that goal but falls short in terms of recognizing the need for more women in leadership roles as we watch the steady march towards the reversal of Roe v Wade.
* Illinois House Latino Caucus…
After a long, public process led by one of our own, Leader Lisa Hernandez, the Illinois House Latino Caucus applauds the historic congressional map passed by both chambers tonight. A product of notable collaboration, we are pleased this map will include a second district of significant Latino representation. This would be the first time in Illinois’ history that the Latino community can influence two congressional districts. If signed into law, this map will only add to Illinois’ reputation as being a model for the nation when it comes to minority representation.
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* Both the House Speaker and the Senate President have said they want a shortened and lighter spring session next year. Well, click here for the 2022 Senate calendar. They start spring session on January 4 and will adjourn on April 8. Expect them to come back for a brief period in May to do the budget.
I’ve been covering Illinois politics since 1990 and the earliest adjournment I’ve ever seen was April 15 when Pate Philip ran the Senate.
*** UPDATE *** As expected, the House has the same schedule…
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* Press release…
Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods) announced today that long-time state legislator and current Senate Republican Chief of Staff Dale Righter will be departing his role in the Senate Republican Caucus to focus on building a practice in his hometown of Mattoon, IL.
McConchie also announced the elevation of current Deputy Chief of Staff Jenna Mitchell to the Chief of Staff post, effective when Righter departs on Nov. 12. Mitchell will become the first-ever female Chief of Staff for the Illinois Senate Republicans.
“I am grateful for Dale’s work leading and managing a substantial modernization of our Caucus’ operational structure, and helping to craft our legislative agenda,” McConchie said. “He is a trusted friend and colleague and I wish him much success as he pursues his expanded private sector opportunities. I am confident in Jenna’s ability to build upon the foundation Dale has laid and look forward to working with her in her new role.
“To work with, and on behalf of, the Senate Republican Caucus has been a treasure and blessed opportunity,” Righter said. “While I will be leaving my everyday work at the State Capitol, I will always cherish the memories of my time here and in the years to come, look forward to continuing the many lifelong friendships I have built. The future of this organization is made brighter by the prism of energy and ideas that Jenna will bring to the Caucus in her new role.”
“I had the honor of working for Dale during his time as a Senator and then with him in my role as Deputy Chief of Staff,” Mitchell said. “His mentorship and friendship have had a profound and positive impact. My years as a member of the Senate Republican Staff have ingrained in me a strong sense of duty to Leader McConchie, the members of the Senate Republican Caucus, and our incredible staff. I look forward to our next chapter and expanding on that which we have achieved thus far.”
After earning her B.A. in Political Science from Eastern Illinois University, Mitchell began her career in Illinois government in 2013 where she spent five years on the Senate Republican Appropriations Staff with a focus on education funding and capital infrastructure projects. In 2018, she took on the role of Director of State Relations at Northern Illinois University, then returned to the Senate Republicans as Deputy Chief of Staff in 2021.
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* Click here for the new map. Click here for demographic data.
…Adding… That map was posted by the House. But I’m told the Senate will also post it on its website. Adding: The Senate copy has been posted.
…Adding… The bill language is here. It was introduced by Senate President Harmon.
*** UPDATE 1 *** In this version, US Reps. Chuy Garcia and Marie Newman are in the 4th CD together. That’s really bad news for Newman. Sean Casten is in the 6th CD.
Mary Miller and Mike Bost are still together in 12.
Adam Kinzinger and Darin LaHood are still mapped together in the 16th.
…Adding… Comparisons…
*** UPDATE 2 *** Here you go…
*** UPDATE 3 *** US Rep. Marie Newman…
For the past month, hundreds of diverse community members from Chicago’s Southwest Side and suburbs have attended and overwhelmingly voiced their opinion at every single public input opportunity held by the Illinois General Assembly on the proposed congressional maps. Even after attending every single hearing in large numbers and delivering hundreds of testimonies, letters, calls and witness slips from voices in the district, the most recently proposed map is a clear attempt to appease one person and a small handful of affluent insiders at the expense of workers and working families on Chicago’s Southwest Side and suburbs. Illinois residents deserve fair representation and a fair map that includes public input — not one that turns a blind eye to it. This map undoubtedly does not live up to what Illinois residents deserve.
The “one person” is Sean Casten.
…Adding… Perhaps not coincidentally, Speaker Welch’s mobile phone is being bombarded with angry calls and texts about the new map.
*** UPDATE 4 *** The Senate floor vote was strictly along partisan lines 41-18.
…Adding… Press release…
The Illinois Senate approved a new map of congressional boundaries that will ensure communities across Illinois receive fair and equal representation in Washington.
The boundaries are designed to comply with federal and state law and incorporate suggestions gathered during several public hearings, including the creation of a new district designed to give the state’s growing Latino population greater say at the ballot box.
“I want to thank those who participated in our hearings for their constructive input. This is a fairer map for it,” said Senate President Don Harmon, who sponsored the map legislation. “This map reflects the wonderful diversity of the people of the great state of Illinois.”
Population shifts over the last decade meant the number of residents in previous congressional districts were unbalanced, with major population differences from one district to another. In addition, the loss of a congressional district meant that each district also had to incorporate approximately 50,000 additional people. This map creates districts with nearly identical population counts in each district so that every community in Illinois has an equal say in Congress.
The proposed boundaries can be viewed at www.ilsenateredistricting.com. The measure now heads to the House for approval.
Under the leadership of Senate Democrats, this year’s redistricting process focused on gathering as much public input as possible, allowing for the diversity of Illinois to be reflected at every level of government. In addition to gathering feedback during public hearings, Democrats established the state’s first online map making portal so residents could draw and submit proposed boundaries for lawmakers to consider. Proposed maps drafted using other methods were also accepted via email at redistrictingcommittee@senatedem.ilga.gov.
*** UPDATE 5 *** Trouble…
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It’s been a whipsaw day for the remap
Thursday, Oct 28, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Capitol News Illinois…
During a meeting of the Senate Redistricting Committee on Thursday morning, Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, said he expected the latest draft to be put into bill form later in the day. But he also said he expected that bill to be introduced first in the House, and as of midafternoon Thursday the House Redistricting Committee had not scheduled a meeting.
Just before 5 p.m. Thursday, House Redistricting Committee Chair Lisa Hernandez, D-Cicero, declined an interview request with Capitol News Illinois, noting she was working with fellow lawmakers.
“I don’t know yet,” she responded when asked if the maps would pass Thursday night or be delayed until January.
Part of the problem lawmakers face is the fact that, under the Illinois Constitution, any bill passed after May 31 cannot take effect until June 1 of the following year, unless it receives a three-fifths majority in both chambers. That’s 71 votes in the 118-member House, and 36 votes in the 59-member Senate.
And if three House Democratic members object, the bill can’t pass.
* But…
And Marty might be right.
Stay tuned.
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Caption contest!
Thursday, Oct 28, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* This is not the caption contest photo…
The actual caption to the above photo…
Mark and Patricia McCloskey gained instant notoriety after video of them waving and pointing guns at Black Lives Matter demonstrators from the front yard of their St Louis mansion spread across the internet.
* Yesterday…
Republican Missouri Senate candidate Mark McCloskey told an audience last week he believes 13-year-old rape and incest victims should not be allowed to have abortions, stating he had a client who was raped at 13 but who gave birth to a child who now has a master’s degree.
* This is the caption contest photo…
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Question of the day
Thursday, Oct 28, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I didn’t even know that House Majority Leader Harris was an attorney…
* The Question: What should be “US Attorney” Harris’ first act on the job?
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* Press release…
State Sen. Jil Tracy (R-Quincy), in her role as Chairwoman of the Legislative Ethics Commission, called a meeting this morning to select a new Legislative Inspector General, but a vote was stalled by several Democrat members.
Current Legislative Inspector General Carol Pope has indicated she will resign that post as of Dec. 15, 2021.
Despite much effort, debate, and encouragement from the Republican members of the Commission, several Democrat members in attendance left the meeting before a vote was taken, and said they did not want to “rush the process.” Tracy said there are no legislative days left to confirm a replacement before the LIG’s resignation date.
Chairwoman Tracy released the following statement after the Legislative Ethics Commission missed its last opportunity to confirm a new LIG before the current LIG’s resignation takes effect.
“Confirming a candidate before the approaching deadline is my top priority for this Commission to ensure that Illinois will continue to have a Legislative Inspector General. Unfortunately, that priority was not shared by some of the members of the opposition.
Our search committee met expectations, interviewed multiple candidates and complied with the reasonable timeline that was outlined. We had ample opportunity to make a selection and I am disappointed that several of the Democrat members of the Commission did not commit to seeing this process through.
Now, we are in a situation where in just six weeks, we could have complaints coming into the Commission and not have without a Legislative Inspector General in place to address them. Allowing this position to go unfilled is a major disservice to the people of Illinois who deserve an accountable and transparent government.”
Chairwoman Tracy said she intends to take all possible action, including asking the current LIG to extend her resignation date, to ensure that Illinois is not left without a Legislative Inspector General.
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* From the synopsis of Senate Floor Amendment 1 to HB716, the new elections omnibus bill…
In provisions concerning limitations on campaign contributions for a candidate political committee for a candidate seeking nomination to the Supreme Court, Appellate Court, or Circuit Court, provides that the political committee may not accept contributions from any group that is not required by law to disclose the identity of its contributors or accept contributions from any out-of-state source.
Provides that “contribution” includes expenditures made by any person in concert or cooperation with, or at the request or suggestion of, a candidate, his or her designated committee, or their agents and the financing by any person of the dissemination, distribution, or republication, in whole or in part, of any broadcast or any written, graphic, or other form of campaign materials prepared by the candidate, his or her campaign committee, or their designated agents. Prohibits the making and accepting of anonymous contributions.
This is an obvious dig at Ken Griffin and folks like him as we prepare for the Supreme Court races. But those dark money groups and out-of-staters could still do independent expenditures.
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One Central tries to get sneaky
Thursday, Oct 28, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Recent Sun-Times editorial…
The proposed developer of One Central Chicago, the megaproject planned for the Metra property west of Soldier Field, seems to be papering the town as of late with new renderings of the planned initial phase of the $20 billion effort.
The images are impressive, depicting a transit and entertainment hub featuring a series of sleek indoor and outdoor spaces devoted to restaurants, gatherings and other assorted happenings — all teeming with people and built on a 32-acre rail yard between the stadium and the Central Station development.
We like the images. But here’s one thing we don’t like: The project’s developer, Landmark Development, wants state taxpayers to ultimately buy the transit portion of the facility for $6.5 billion in 20 years.
Given the state’s perpetual shaky fiscal climate, the notion of forking over that kind of cash should’ve been run out of town on one of those nearby Metra rails when the One Chicago proposal started making the rounds two years ago.
* And then this happened…
Yep. It checks out.
* From the synopsis of Senate Amendment 3 to HB594…
Amends the Public-Private Partnership for Civic and Transit Infrastructure Project Act. Changes the definition of “public agency” to mean the Illinois Finance Authority (rather than the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget). Provides that the public agency, in consultation with the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget, shall have the authority and shall take all necessary steps to enter into a public-private agreement with a private entity to develop, finance, construct, operate, and manage Civic and Transit Infrastructure Projects; provided that the final public-private agreement must be approved by the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget prior to execution. Requires the public agency to take all reasonable steps to ensure that the public-private agreement is promptly negotiated with the private entity and that the public-private agreement is in substantially final form within 120 days following the effective date of the amendatory Act and to submit a report on the status of the public-private agreement to the General Assembly no later than 120 days following the effective date of the amendatory Act.
* Since Rep. Buckner’s tweet was sent, a brand new Senate Amendment 4 was filed. It’s identical to Senate Amendment 3, but without the One Central stuff.
…Adding… Greg Hinz…
A spokeswoman for Lightford said the clause was part of a larger omnibus bill that she agreed to carry but which was not the senator’s idea. The spokeswoman referred further calls to a spokesman for Senate President Don Harmon, who had no immediate comment.
* Landmark Development…
The original legislation contemplated that the P3 agreement would be handled by Governor’s office or Management and Budget or an agency designated by the State. The amendment does nothing more than assign the IFA as the agency to administer the development of the P3 Agreement and report to the legislature on the status in 120 days. The P3 Agreement will require approval of Governor’s Office of Management and Budget so if anything this heightens “transparency” by having a second agency working on the development of the agreement
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The rest of the story
Thursday, Oct 28, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Center Square has a story entitled “Pritzker calls concerns about changes to Right of Conscience Act ‘Facebook fakery’”…
Pritzker Wednesday called some concerns “Facebook fakery.”
“It’s a very, very narrow adjustment that is focused only on COVID-19 and getting through this pandemic,” Pritzker said.
Pritzker said the HCRCA is being “misinterpreted and used in court cases to try to allow people who just don’t want to get vaccinated, the anti-vaxxers, the anti-maksers, to avoid the rules.”
* The governor used the “Facebook fakery” response to this rather odd question from a mainstream media reporter…
Governor, the Healthcare Right of Conscience Act. How is that not the proverbial camel’s nose under the tent? How many people are actually using the act to avoid vaccination? Is it really a problem? And are you just emasculating the Right of Consciousness [sic] Act by making these carve-outs?
Whew.
* Pritzker’s response…
No, that’s Facebook fakery, that last part.
[cross-talk] The fact is that the law that we’re talking about, the Healthcare Right of Conscience Act, it kind of was never intended to cover a pandemic where we’re trying to keep people alive. This is a law that was passed decades ago that was intended, I think with good intention, to allow healthcare providers and people who work for healthcare providers to by virtue of their conscience, not provide services that they don’t want to.
That’s very different than someone refusing to get tested when they’re walking into a school. That’s not a health care provider. That’s just an individual just yelling out ‘Conscience!’ and saying, ‘I don’t want to do it!’ isn’t good enough. We have to keep people healthy and safe. That’s the whole purpose of the mitigations that we’ve put in place. The Healthcare Right of Conscience Act is being misinterpreted and used in court cases, to try to allow people who just don’t want to get vaccinated, or anti vaxxers, the anti maskers to avoid the rules.
We’ve got to get through this pandemic. So the Attorney General came to me and said that, you know, he believes that we should try to get a change in the law or, you know, adjustment to the law. It’s a very, very narrow adjustment that is focused only on COVID-19 and getting through this pandemic.
Also, the number of cases involving this law was reported by Hannah Meisel earlier in the week.
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Remap trouble
Thursday, Oct 28, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* SJ-R…
The Senate Redistricting Committee has scheduled a 9 a.m. hearing Thursday on proposed congressional redistricting maps. The full House and Senate could vote Thursday to finalize a new congressional map in legislation and send a bill to Pritzker’s desk.
* There’s a whole lot going on behind the scenes. Subscribers know more and I’ll hopefully have an update soonish, but this is the basic gist of some of it…
But it’s far from clear this latest version of the map has the votes to pass. According to Springfield insiders, a problem has arisen, concentrated in the Latino caucus.
Details were not available, but multiple sources in Springfield and Washington report the split is severe enough that House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch may well be short of the 71 votes needed to approve the map now.
That in turn raises a real possibility the remap will be kicked over until the Legislature’s January session, when only 60 and not 71 votes will be needed.
Right now, it’s looking like January, which could be a very dangerous thing for the Democrats if the federal judiciary takes control.
…Adding… Not that the majority party cares, but…
…Adding… Tribune…
After unveiling their third version of a state congressional map, Illinois Democrats were back at work Thursday to try to deal with concerns from suburban and Latino lawmakers.
Within hours of latest map’s release by Democrats late Wednesday night, internal criticism surfaced over how two Democratic incumbents were put into a single suburban district, and how some parts of the state’s lone Latino district were shifted into what could become a second Latino district. […]
Though creation of the district was applauded by the Latino Caucus of the Chicago City Council, some Latino lawmakers want a map that gives Garcia greater influence on the Southwest Side and nearby suburbs.
Subscribers know more.
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HCRCA amendment coverage roundup
Thursday, Oct 28, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* WCIA…
The Illinois House voted 64-52 on Wednesday night to alter the Health Care Right of Conscience Act to shield employers from civil suits if they enforce Coronavirus vaccine or testing mandates.
The Senate could send the measure to Governor J.B. Pritzker’s desk on Thursday. Attorney General Kwame Raoul (D-Illinois), who represents school districts and state agencies against lawsuits in court, was seen speaking with representatives moments before the debate began.
Several Republicans opposed the changes, arguing individuals should have rights to make health care decisions for themselves without being coerced by their employers.
The bill won’t take effect until June 1, 2022, but could still influence pending court cases.
* Capitol News Illinois…
In floor debate, Gabel said the HCRC Act was initially passed “to preserve the ability of health care providers, including pharmacists, to refuse to perform or provide health services related to abortion and reproductive health care that violate their conscience.”
The reason for her bill was to clarify that existing law, she said, because it should not be applicable to mitigation measures aimed at slowing a deadly pandemic. Those with health care or religious concerns regarding mandate compliance can still access federal exemptions, she said.
“Contrary to rampant misinformation campaigns, this bill is not a vaccine mandate,” she said. “In fact, it does not require anyone to do anything. As the bill itself says, this is simply a declaration of existing law and shall not be construed as a new enactment.”
The only thing this bill really does is delete treble civil damages including for pain and suffering if an employee is disciplined for not following COVID-19 mitigations. It’s basically a tort reform bill.
* Tribune…
Republicans blasted the effort as a continuation of Pritzker’s “unilateral authority” during the pandemic, a “backdoor” vaccination mandate and “an end run around the judicial branch.”
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is absolutely atrocious,” said Rep. Adam Niemerg, a Republican from Dieterich. “This is unbelievable we’re considering this on the House floor. This is not about the Health Care Right of Conscience. This is about the last 18 months and unilateral authority from the governor.” […]
“I want you to know that people have come into my office and said they get the flu shot every year,” said Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer, a Republican from Jacksonville. “But they are concerned about this vaccine because it hasn’t been around for very long.”
Gabel often answered questions from Republicans opposed to the amendment by repeating her same talking points: The new measure was merely inserted into the right of conscience act to clarify the law, not change it. And the new measure “doesn’t affect any of their other rights under any other laws, particularly under federal law.”
* Sun-Times…
Still, seven Democrats broke ranks on the measure to vote no, and another two Democrats voted present.
The proposed amendment to that law, sponsored by state Rep. Robyn Gabel, D-Evanston, is intended to make clear that public officials and private companies can impose COVID-19 requirements as part of conditions of employment.
Previous language in her amendment said those who don’t comply with the requirements could be fired, but that language was eliminated in a new amendment filed Wednesday — though officials and companies would still be able to “enforce” the COVID-19 measures or requirements and would not be considered in violation of the act.
Gabel said the removal of that language came from “feedback in committee.”
* WTTW…
State Rep. Mark Batinick, R-Plainfield, said the change will cause those who are hesitant or scared about getting vaccinated to dig in their heels.
He said the legislature is to blame because the General Assembly has avoided passing laws to fight COVID-19, relying instead on Pritzker to use his executive authority.
“We haven’t done our job for 20 months debating these nuances,” Batinick said.
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PNA repeal coverage roundup
Thursday, Oct 28, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
The House voted 62-51 to repeal a quarter-century-old law requiring parental notification when a minor seeks an abortion. The measure, approved Tuesday in the Senate, now heads to the desk of Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who has expressed his support. […]
Those pushing for repeal of the 1995 abortion notification law say it does nothing to protect the most vulnerable young people — those living in unsafe and unstable households. Opponents of the repeal argue that parents shouldn’t be kept in the dark about their children’s well-being, particularly when they decide to have an abortion, though they also tied it to larger concerns about parental rights.
Supporters also are seeking to secure Illinois’ place as a stronghold for abortion rights that are being restricted in other states.
“Illinois is different,” said state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, a Chicago Democrat who supported repeal. “In Illinois, we trust women to make decisions about their bodies. We trust people to control their reproductive health.”
* WCIA…
Rep. Anna Moeller (D-Elgin), the lead sponsor of the proposal, described the Parental Notification Act as “the last anti-abortion law that we have on the books in Illinois.” Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago), who sponsored the Reproductive Health Act in 2019, described the current notification law as a “gaping hole” in the state’s “firewall to protect reproductive health.”
Illinois Democrats have sought to respond to the recent abortion restrictions enacted in Texas. That law, which is being challenged before the U.S. Supreme Court, bans abortion after a heartbeat is detected, which is around six weeks into the pregnancy and before most women know they are pregnant.
“Anti-abortion politicians all across the country are seeking to curb our access to abortion for anyone and everyone,” Cassidy said during floor debate. “They literally want to just force us all to keep every pregnancy to term regardless of what’s happening, regardless of the risks to our lives.” […]
“This is no easy, minor bureaucratic process,” Moeller said on the House floor. “This involves a young woman hiring an attorney on her own setting up a court date; finding a way to get to court standing in front of a judge in a courtroom that’s generally a venue for criminal activities; explaining why she’s pregnant; explaining why she needs to have an abortion, and why she can’t go to her parents to let them know about that.”
* Center Square…
“I have reviewed and I know the medical evidence, and I know that forced parental involvement laws serve no valid purpose and can hurt young people and delay care,” said Dr. Erin King, executive director of the Hope Clinic for Women.
State Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer, R-Jacksonville, said the legislation will allow some kids to bypass their parents.
“I think you are opening this up where supportive families will not be involved in these incredibly difficult decisions, and that is a major, major problem,” Davidsmeyer said.
With the law in place, minors are allowed to go through judicial bypass proceedings if a girl fears her family situation, where telling her parents could result in her harm. A judge then decides whether she is mature enough to decide for herself.
Retired Judge Susan Gillis presided over numerous judicial bypass proceedings as permitted by the current law.
“That law in my experience as a judge tasked with deciding these waivers is unnecessary, overly punitive and places burdens on young women seeking health care,” Gillis said.
* Sun-Times…
In an impassioned speech opposing the bill, state Rep. Avery Bourne, R-Morrisonville, said a vote for the repeal is not just “failing girls — it’s failing good parents.”
“We’re not talking about 17-year-olds exclusively who are months away from being 18, we’re talking about middle schoolers — potentially parents of middle schoolers — not having the right to know that their daughter is going through this and not having the foreknowledge to know what happens afterwards,” Bourne said.
The Legislature passed the Parental Notice of Abortion Act in 1995, but it didn’t go into effect until 2013 due to legal challenges. It requires a doctor providing care to a young person under age 18 who is seeking an abortion to notify a designated adult family member at least 48 hours before the procedure.
* WTTW…
Cassidy said the notification requirement treats minors differently if they want an abortion rather than other forms of health and reproductive care.
“You can get pregnant. You can stay pregnant. You can give birth, you can have a C-section, you can give a child up for adoption, all without ever having anybody call your parent. To say that this is not about abortion, that this is about some high-minded protection for you all is a flat out lie,” Cassidy said.
* Capitol News Illinois…
Opponents of the bill, however, argued that the issue is not about a pregnant minor’s right to seek an abortion but rather the right of parents to be involved in their child’s health care decisions.
“No abortion clinic should be able to perform irreversible surgery on either of my daughters without telling me,” Mary Hallan FioRito, an attorney with the Catholic Women’s Forum, told the committee. “At a time when there is so much division in our state, in our country, the Parental Notice of Abortion Act is a popular and broadly supported and reasonable safeguard that allows parents to properly exercise responsibility for the care of their children.”
* ABC 7…
Planned Parenthood Illinois is one group supporting the repeal and said this is an especially important step at a time when reproductive rights are under severe attack across the country.
“By passing the Youth Health and Safety Act, Illinois has ensured that young people can choose to involve the people they trust in their health care decisions and are protected from harmful domestic situations and unnecessary judicial interactions. In short, all Illinoisans, regardless of age, now have the full legal autonomy to make decisions about what’s best for their bodies. We look forward to Governor Pritzker upholding his promise to sign this bill when it crosses his desk,” the organization said.
On the other side, Catholic Conference of Illinois was disappointed by the decision. They said in part that Wednesday’s “vote is and will be a tragedy for many families, young girls and so many unborn children. We pray for the day when every human life may be cherished from conception to natural death.”
At a time when abortion laws are getting tighter nationwide, Illinois is now one step closer to doing the opposite with this now headed to Governor J.B. Pritzker’s desk. The governor has previously said he supports it.
“As more states consider and adopt increasingly draconian bans on access to abortion service, Illinois stands out for recognizing that everyone should have the power to make decisions about their reproductive health without government interference. We encourage Governor Pritzker to sign this measure as soon as possible,” the ACLU said in a statement.
* I missed this quote during Senate passage…
Illinois State Senator Darren Bailey says minors shouldn’t be able to get an abortion without talking with their parents first.
“I’m going to call it what it is…other than just an absolute godless mindset. What’s driving this — to allow a 12-year-old girl to make her own decision without the consent of her parents,” Bailey said.
“I simply cannot fathom the recklessness of a bill like this.”
It’s notification, not consent, but proponents of the legislation say the two are actually one in the same.
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Support Regulated Pet Stores And Defeat Puppy Mills
Thursday, Oct 28, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Illinois families will soon be losing their opportunity to purchase dogs and cats from safe, highly-regulated local pet retailers, such as Petland, who offer their customers the choice of a pet that best fits their needs and provide health warranties. This change is coming because the state’s Animal Welfare Act has been updated through HB 1711 which bans the retail sales of dogs and cats obtained from licensed and regulated professional breeders.
But HB 1711 needs fixing, because while singularly blocking retail pet sales, it fails to strengthen any animal standards or protections at unregulated puppy mills across the state. Consumers looking for particular breeds will have no choice but to purchase dogs from unregulated breeders or dog auctions – thus perpetuating puppy mills. Responsible breeders and retailers will be heavily penalized while HB 1711 does nothing to address the issue of substandard breeders across the state.
Petland is dedicated to improving animal welfare and we have publicly demonstrated this commitment; in fact, we support the Humane Society’s petition effort to improve standards of care. Petland’s breeder pledge is a commitment to provide more space, more exercise, and more socialization for their pets plus numerous other improvements to standards of care.
Home - Protect Our Pets Illinois
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*** UPDATED x5 *** EV bill prospects looking up
Thursday, Oct 28, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I’ve been telling subscribers about the glitches in the electric vehicle industry bill for a while now. As of last night, things were looking much better. It’s not completely there yet, however, and a formal deal has not been struck. But it does appear to be on track at least for now. Here’s Greg Hinz…
In better shape at the moment is the [electric-vehicle manufacturing incentive] package, which would offer potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in incentives aimed at luring electric vehicle makers and suppliers here to follow downstate’s Rivian—and at helping Ford’s South Side plant and the Stellantis facility near Rockford to make the transition from producing gas-powered cars to vehicles of the future.
After a long day of bargaining, insiders tell me a deal has been struck between the industry and labor groups that appears satisfactory to both sides.
The terms were not available, and nothing is done until it’s done. But I’m told that it looks good.
Unions have been asking for a “labor peace” agreement at any new EV facility, essentially clearing the way for unionization of plant workers. The industry had very, very strongly objected, and sent signals that such a clause would be a deal-killer.
On a related note, the folks at Rivian took me for a ride in their new truck yesterday. It’s pretty darned nifty. And, wow, is it ever fast. It accelerates from 0-60 in 3 seconds and that heavy torque makes it feel like riding in a space ship.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Looks like ABATE is getting its wish. From the synopsis to Senate Floor Amendment 2 to HB1769…
In the definition provisions of the Reimagining Electric Vehicles in Illinois Act, removes electric motorcycles from an exclusion to the definition of “electric vehicle”.
*** UPDATE 2 *** The legislation is being teed up in the Senate for passage.
*** UPDATE 3 *** From ABATE…
Senate Amendment 2 was withdrawn in committee due to auto dealers objections.
Senate Amendment 1 was adopted with a promise to get Amendment 3 on the floor. Unfortunately amendment 3 doesn’t have motorcycle language in it, so we believe motorcycles are once again excluded.
Going to be an interesting evening
*** UPDATE 4 *** ABATE misread Amendment 3…
They ditched amendment 2 in committee because of objections from the auto dealers. So the language regarding manufacturing incentives and getting motorcycles included is right at the top of amendment 3. As well as the requested language from auto dealers.
*** UPDATE 5 *** ABATE…
ABATE of Illinois Congratulates Illinois General Assembly on Passage of Reimagining Electric Vehicles Act
Legislators show the path to growing electric vehicle industry is including all electric vehicles
ABATE of Illinois would like to congratulate the members of the Illinois General Assembly for passing the Reimagining Electric Vehicles in Illinois Act. This Act provides manufacturing incentives for electric vehicle companies and component manufacturers who choose to build their businesses in Illinois. It also makes changes to the procurement code, incentivizing government adoption of EVs. More importantly, this Act recognizes electric motorcycles as part of the electric vehicle industry.
ABATE thanks the many Senators and Representatives who realize the best path forward in growing the electric vehicle industry is to include all electric vehicles.
We would like to thank Senator Steve Stadelman for working on amendments to make sure motorcycles were a part of this future for Illinois, along with Senator Jason Barickman who advocated for motorcyclists during committee hearings on the bill.
ABATE would also like to thank Representative Dave Vella for talking with us and Rivian representatives about this legislation along with Representatives Stephanie Kifowit & Kelly Cassidy for their advocacy on the House floor.
With the passage of this Act, ABATE hopes to see electric motorcycles placed on equal footing as their four wheeled counterparts in Illinois transportation planning and incentives. ABATE will work with legislative partners and other advocacy groups to remove language contained in the recently passed Energy Transition Act that excluded electric motorcycles from participating in infrastructure planning and incentives. Senate Bill 2940 has bipartisan support and would treat motorcycles as equal. ABATE looks forward to continuing work with Illinois legislators on developing the future of Illinois transportation.
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Illinois: Tell Congress To Count All Copays
Thursday, Oct 28, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Many patients in Illinois rely on copay assistance to access and afford their prescription medications, often in instances when no generic option exists. Recognizing the important role copay assistance plays for patients, Illinois took legislative action to prohibit health plans from instituting “copay accumulator” policies that don’t apply copay assistance towards patient out-of-pocket costs.
Illinois stood with patients then – and must do so again.
Illinois can show leadership by ensuring patients are protected from these policies and have the guarantee that their copay assistance will count. At a time when Illinoisans are struggling financially from COVID-19, the state should protect the broadest set of patients to help them access critical medications for conditions like cancer and HIV.
Patient advocates are calling for our leaders in Springfield to stand with patients. We hope they answer that call. Tell Congress to count all copays. Stand with patients and support HR 516.
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Open thread
Thursday, Oct 28, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Had some late-breaking news to attend to for the subscriber edition. Whew. What a morning. I need to go make more coffee. Talk amongst yourselves.
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