We have a much much better chance of passing a major bill when we have three ingredients: When we have the support of environmental activists; when we have the support of organized labor; and when we have the support of Democrats and Republicans.
We are this close to reaching that agreement, and I am confident that we will get that done.
There are still some points of contention between two critical constituencies, between labor and the environmental activists. I believe they’re going to be continuing to meet as early as this evening to try to work out those differences and the Senate stands ready, willing and able to return as soon as an agreement is reached.
* More Harmon…
The caucus made it very clear to all of us that we don’t want to vote for something that puts us in the middle of a fight between friends, between key constituencies, between organized labor and the environmental community. There is a deal to be reached, and we just need to get them back at the table and push a little bit harder. I’m confident we’re going to be able to do tha. […]
I am confident that the bill as proposed would not have passed today.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Press release…
The following statement may be attributed to the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition:
“On May 31, there was a tentative deal on a comprehensive energy bill, but it was stopped at the last minute. On June 1, Senate President Harmon said he ’stand[s] with the Governor on de-carbonization targets that need to be in a final deal,’ but now the Senate is headed home without action on that plan. Thousands of union workers and solar installers may now lose their jobs, while the climate crisis worsens and Black and Brown communities continue to struggle. We are deeply disappointed the Senate adjourned without taking action on a carbon-free energy future, but stand ready to enact the Governor’s plan as soon as possible.”
* Back to Harmon…
I don’t think we’re gonna have to wait until August. I think parties are going to sit down again as early as this evening and recommence negotiations. And I think there’s a fairly clear path to a relatively rapid resolution. That said, Exelon is on the cusp of a $700 million subsidy. If they close plants out of spite tomorrow, they were going to close those plants anyway. So I think we have a little bit of time here. And if we don’t, it’s not because of the failure to act legislatively today. We’ll be back this summer I predict.
* Climate Jobs Illinois…
We agree with Sen. Harmon’s statement this evening that there is a deal to be reached on clean energy legislation that addresses climate change and protects Illinois workers. Like everyone involved in these discussions, we recognize that we collectively face the biggest challenge of our generation, and we cannot afford inaction. We applaud the hard work of everyone who has come to the table to debate these issues for months, and we remain committed to seeing through a comprehensive, equitable clean energy plan that protects good-paying union jobs, secures communities and allows for a just transition to a cleaner, fairer future for all Illinoisans.
* The Senate is now in session, so I highly recommend that you click here and keep an eye on the live coverage post to keep up with everything in real time.
* The Question: Your opinion about what Illinois should do with coal-fired power plants?
From Speaker Welch’s spokesperson Jaclyn Driscoll…
Allowing for remote participation is a temporary change. By no means is this option encouraged nor preferred, but it was a decision the Speaker’s Office came to after consulting staff and members. Some members have flagged urgent family or medical emergencies and cannot leave their loved ones or put them at risk, particularly since we cannot assure all members of the House have been vaccinated. While we are in Phase 5 of our state’s reopening plan, we are still very much in a pandemic that requires precaution. This is a sound option for a one-day session and we look forward to getting these final-action items across the finish line quickly, efficiently, and safely.
Today, after the completion of his first legislative session, Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch announced he has promoted Tiffany Moy to be his new Chief of Staff. Moy has served as the Issues Development Director since January and was the unit’s Deputy Director prior to that. In addition to having strong experience managing a wide range of people and functions, Moy brings the necessary institutional knowledge to help the Speaker operationalize a new leadership ethos within the Illinois House of Representatives. As Moy is also the first person of color in this position, this selection represents Speaker Welch’s continued commitment to uplift a new generation of leadership that reflects the diversity of our state.
“I am proud to announce Tiffany Moy as the new Chief of Staff. Tiffany has an incredibly impressive background and has fostered strong relationships within the Illinois House of Representatives. She understands the legislative process, but even more so, Tiffany knows the issues that matter most for working families throughout the state. I am so grateful for the work and service of our current Chief of Staff, Jessica Basham, and I know that she will help Tiffany grow into this role before she leaves the Office of the Speaker. I am excited for this fresh path forward as we continue fostering a new day here in Springfield.”
…Adding… Moy won the Golden Horseshoe Award in 2020 and in 2018.
To the Honorable Members of The Illinois Senate, 102nd General Assembly:
Today, I return Senate Bill 2800 with specific recommendations for change so that the various sets of appropriations included in the bill will take effect at the necessary time.
Senate Bill 2800 is the omnibus appropriation bill for Fiscal Year 2022. It includes the Fiscal Year 2022 appropriations for both the operating budget and the capital budget. In addition, it includes a number of necessary supplemental appropriations for Fiscal Year 2021. Appropriations to implement the Fiscal Year 2022 budget require an effective date of July 1, 2021 so that they take effect on the first day of the fiscal year. In contrast, supplemental appropriations for Fiscal Year 2021 require an immediate effective date so that they can be available for use during the remainder of Fiscal Year 2021.
Article 999 – the effective date provision in Senate Bill 2800 – references many of the bill’s articles and, depending on whether the particular article contains new appropriations for Fiscal Year 2022 or supplemental appropriations for Fiscal Year 2021, specifies either a July 1, 2021 or an immediate effective date for each article. However, as is evident from the language in the bill, some articles were assigned the incorrect effective date, and many articles of the bill were not referenced in Article 999 and thus were not assigned a specific effective date.
It is evident that the errors and omissions in the effective date provision of Senate Bill 2800 were inadvertent as all appropriations bills traditionally have effective dates that align with the language of the appropriations. I believe that the legislative intent for Senate Bill 2800 was for new appropriations for Fiscal Year 2022 to have a July 1, 2021 effective date and for supplemental appropriations for Fiscal Year 2021 to have an immediate effective date. Without this amendatory veto, many of the appropriations in the bill would not take effect until June 1, 2022, eleven months into Fiscal Year 2022.
Therefore, pursuant to Article IV, Section 9(e) of the Illinois Constitution of 1970, I hereby return Senate Bill 2800, entitled, “An ACT concerning appropriations,” with the following specific recommendations for change:
On page 3088, delete lines 8 through 12 and insert in lieu thereof the following:
“ARTICLE 999
Section 999. Effective Date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law, except that Articles 25 through 129, Articles 137 through 173, and Article 997 take effect July 1, 2021.”
With this change, Senate Bill 2800 will have my approval. I respectfully request your concurrence.
Sincerely,
JB Pritzker
GOVERNOR
Suffice to say it was a massive error in a tiny paragraph.
…Adding… Press release…
In response to Governor Pritzker issuing an amendatory veto on the state budget, SB2800, Deputy Minority Leader Tom Demmer (R-Dixon) released the following statement:
“Governor Pritzker’s amendatory veto once again highlights the need for an honest and transparent process in budgeting. Dropping a massively flawed budget in the last minutes of session is unfair to democracy and the residents of Illinois. Instead of working to fix a budget that increases lawmaker’s salaries, hikes taxes on businesses and has over $1 billion in new unvetted pork spending, the Governor chose to just make sure the law goes into effect sooner.”
* As we’ve all seen, viruses start small, but they can spread pretty darned fast. A reminder from the Wall Street Journal…
The Covid-19 virus infected people in five U.S. states in December 2019 and early 2020 before those states reported their first cases, according to a large new government study, providing new insights into the first, unseen weeks of the nation’s deadly epidemic.
Scientists analyzing blood samples taken for a National Institutes of Health research program identified seven people in states from Mississippi to Wisconsin to Pennsylvania who were infected with the new virus days or weeks before the first cases were confirmed in their areas. At least a couple had mild symptoms. […]
Two samples, one taken from a person from Illinois and another from a person from Massachusetts, date to Jan. 7 and 8, 2020, respectively, the researchers said. Antibodies found in the samples appear about two weeks after a person has been infected, the researchers said.
The number of Covid-19 cases found in the frozen, stored blood samples is small, suggesting the early cases in the U.S. were sporadic.
All told, the researchers found evidence of infection in just nine out of 24,079 participants whose blood samples were taken between Jan. 2, 2020, and March 18, 2020, for the NIH research program.
More than 90% of Covid cases in the UK are now down to the coronavirus Delta variant first discovered in India, data has revealed, as the total number of confirmed cases passed 42,000.
Also known as B.1.617.2, the Delta variant has been linked to a rise in Covid cases in the UK in the past weeks. It is believed to spread more easily than the Alpha variant, B.1.1.7, that was first detected in Kent, and is somewhat more resistant to Covid vaccines, particularly after just one dose. It may be also associated with a greater risk of hospitalisation.
June 21 was supposed to mark England’s “freedom day,” when the country’s remaining coronavirus restrictions would end, but the government has opted to keep them in place at least through July 19 because of concern over rising cases and a fast-spreading variant.
Boris Johnson announced the delay late Monday. “I am confident we will not need more than four weeks and we will not go beyond July 19,” he said. “But now is the time to ease off the accelerator.”
In the U.S., cases caused by the variant are roughly doubling every two weeks, according to former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb and now account for at least 10% of new cases, he told CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday.
The Delta variant of the coronavirus, which was first discovered in India and believed to be highly transmissible and more dangerous, is present in Illinois, state health officials told WTTW News.
More than 107 cases of the COVID-19 variant, also known as B.1.617.2, have been discovered in Illinois since the end of March, concentrated in the northeastern and central parts of the state, said Melany Arnold, a spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Public Health.
* Watch it goooooooo!…
2) We are expecting the #DeltaVariant to continue growing in the US, outpacing all other variants just like it has in India 🇮🇳 and UK 🇬🇧, and become dominant in US by end of July, if not earlier.
* GISAID is a public/private partnership that promotes the rapid sharing of data. But the current GISAID data, which the IDPH has also relied on, is a bit high, according to the CDC. The CDC has changed how it classifies B.1.617.2 to a “variant of concern” from a “variant of interest” and is now sending its own data to states. The updated IDPH numbers will show 64 cases of the Delta variant in Illinois when its site is updated today.
Again, while still very small, we’ve seen how these things can spread enough times to know we have to keep an eye on things. And wide swaths of this state have horribly low vaccination rates, which means the potential for spread is quite real. Use common sense, and for crying out loud, get your shots.
* Related…
* If you want to avoid the ICU, get a COVID-19 shot, doctors say: “There are five people clinging to life in our ICU who did not get vaccinated,” said Dr. Jeff Huml, medical director of critical care at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield. “The pandemic is definitely not over. Vaccination is the only way that we’re going to close the door on this pandemic. What causes me grave concern is the number of individuals who consciously make the decision not to get vaccinated. What they have to realize is when they make that decision, they are potentially putting their life in jeopardy, the lives of their loved ones in jeopardy, and the lives of (others) they come into contact with in jeopardy.”
Facing almost certain defeat, Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Monday threw the kitchen sink of arguments against a proposed 21-member elected board to run Chicago Public Schools — a plan favored by the Illinois General Assembly. […]
“A lot of the conversation that has been had over the course of this last legislative session is about dividing up the spoils of CPS. It’s about power. It’s about paying back somebody’s political patron. But it’s not been centered around our children. That’s telling. But it’s also frightening.”
*** UPDATE *** One of the compromises being proposed by House members is to run a trailer bill later to try and address some of the mayor’s concerns. From the above story…
“We fought too long and too hard over the course of many, many years to make sure that we’re providing real supports for people who have come to the city who want to raise their families, do the right thing, contribute to our tax base. Yet, we’re gonna vote on a bill that disenfranchises them and then say, ‘We’ll take care of it on a trailer bill?’” said Lightfoot, her voice rising as she referenced plans to pass followup legislation to address issues like how undocumented parents could vote, among other issues.
“Too little, too late. If you know that the bill is flawed, wait. Fix it.”
As a lobbyist on another issue said to me last night, “If you don’t pass a bill, you can’t fix it later.” Just sayin…
In the years since a man who should not have been able to legally have a gun in Illinois fatally shot five people at a manufacturing plant in Aurora in early 2019, state legislators have failed to reach a consensus on legislation to help prevent similar incidents.
That may change come Wednesday, when the Illinois House is set to debate legislation (House Bill 562) that would establish a structure for law enforcement to remove guns from people whose Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) cards have been revoked.
The Aurora shooter’s FOID card had been revoked when a background check found he’d previously committed a felony, making him ineligible for a gun license in Illinois. But police never confiscated his guns.
State Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea, said he plans to call the measure for a vote when the House returns for what’s scheduled to be a one-day special session.
“This I believe will save lives, and provide for a way to eliminate the (FOID card) backlog by modernizing it, and will encourage fingerprinting so you’re more easily able to have your card renewed,” Hoffman said. “It goes a long way to making sure that guns are kept out of the hands of non law-abiding citizens.”
Hoffman said it’s the first time in memory that a gun measure has the blessing of principal gun-control groups like the Gun Violence Prevention Action Committee and the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence, even as the Illinois State Rifle Association, a gun rights group, is neutral.
Tuesday, Jun 15, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Prairie State is the largest single source of planet-warming carbon pollution in Illinois (and in the top ten polluters in the country when it comes to CO2). Its closure would provide significant benefits to public health and the climate.
According to the report, Prairie State’s emissions each year are equal to “2.7 million typical passenger cars—more than twice as much CO2 as any other point source in Illinois.”
It’s also the state’s top emitter of many pollutants that harm human health: it “emits more methane, SO2, and NOX than any other power plant in the state,” according to RMI’s report. Those toxins take a toll on Illinoisans: Prairie State causes about one premature death every week.
It’s time for Illinois to support a just transition away from the disastrous, dirty, Prairie State coal plant. Our wallets, our lungs, and our climate will be better off.
*** UPDATE 1 *** The Senate has apparently given up on a comprehensive bill and is now working on what’s being called a “skinny bill” which would address “time sensitive matters.” Provisions include a moratorium on nuclear plant closures (which would certainly prompt a court challenge), some Exelon ethics provisions and a “solar cliff fix” with related equity issues. “Yep, so a bill that cuts out everything environmentalists want,” said one top enviro lobbyist.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Senate President Pro Tempore Bill Cunningham is confirming to the Senate Energy and Public Utility Committee that the decarbonization process is still the sticking point. The enviros and the Pritzker administration, he said, want “descending caps” that could lead to plant closures before 2035 and 2045.
*** UPDATE 3 *** From Jordan Abudayyeh…
Reporters—
Since Deputy Gov. Christian Mitchell was not called to testify in committee this afternoon, I’ve attached his remarks as prepared for delivery here. The latest draft of the bill is also attached. The administration has not seen any other language that has been presented at this time.
We can’t understand why those who oppose this measure would ignore the jobs I’ve just listed to try to preserve jobs that may go away decades in the future
*** UPDATE 4 *** It doesn’t sound like the “skinny” bill has any real support outside the Senate, including with labor.
[ *** End Of Updates *** ]
* From Gov. Pritzker’s policy advisor…
See attached for the last draft of the energy proposal, reflecting the Governor’s most recent offer on decarbonization, in response to labor’s continued requests. A summary of the new structure is as follows:
• Prairie State and CWLP: no unit-specific emissions cap; with IEPA approval of carbon capture and sequestration (must capture and store at least 90% of greenhouse gas emissions) by 2034, they can stay open until 2045
• Declining caps with a 20% aggregate emissions reductions requirement over a 5-year period (does not apply to specific units)
• Units with best available control technology can stay open longer than dirtier units
• Ripcord provision allows a plant to stay open if the RTO deems it necessary for reliability purposes
• IEPA rulemaking must consider the impact on the ability of resources to meet reliability requirements
• Phase out coal by 2035 (except PS/CWLP w/ 90% capture)
• Phase out natural gas by 2045
The two other substantive changes are: insertion of two low income pilot solar projects in Peoria and East St. Louis, as requested by Ameren Illinois and approved by the legislative workout group, and a clarification that the 10% set aside for equity eligible contractors applies specifically for those with that designation (responsive to a request by members of the black caucus).
There are a few other technical changes caught by various parties, including a telecom clarification requested by AT&T.
We stand by for questions, but believe this bill is ready for passage, and the Governor is ready to sign it.
The 2035 deadline for coal was a huge sticking point for organized labor, their legislative allies and some Republicans, particularly when it came to two coal-fired plants, Prairie State Energy and Springfield’s CWLP. Then they raised the natural gas issue, which was a big issue during last night’s negotiations.
* Organized labor still won’t budge, however. “If a plant is clean — why should they be forced to shut down?” texted a top labor leader to me this morning when I asked about the status of the proposal.
If they won’t bite on 2045, then I don’t know how much further the enviros can move. From an enviro lobbyist…
If in 2045 we have technology that allows for 100% CCS, then we can change the law in the next 25 years and they’ll be able to stay open. But why shouldn’t we plan for the likelihood (if not inevitability) that such technology is not feasible and/or affordable?
The carbon capture technology is at least four times as expensive as a carbon tax, which the governor proposed and the unions and the Senate President both opposed. WBEZ…
The Prairie State Energy Campus is represented by the lobbying firm that once employed Harmon’s chief of staff, Jacob Butcher, a relationship that has drawn scrutiny and questions about a potential conflict of interest from within some political circles at the statehouse.
But Harmon sharply defended his top aide in his first public comments on the issue and insisted Butcher’s past association “does not factor in at all” in the push by Senate Democrats to find some way to keep Prairie State from the green-energy chopping block.
“Jake Butcher left lobbying behind when he returned to public service at my request, and he works for me and he gives me good advice and I appreciate his wealth of knowledge. But his prior representations of anybody, including renewable companies, has no bearing on energy policy in the Senate Democratic caucus,” Harmon said.
And when asked about how he viewed some at the statehouse questioning Butcher being in the room as Prairie State’s future is debated, Harmon said going after legislative staffers is off-limits.
“I’m trying to bite my tongue,” Harmon said. “I would not call out the governor’s staff or the speaker’s staff for decisions or actions that the governor or the speaker take. Our caucus operates as a collection of elected representatives of the people who send us here to Springfield. We couldn’t do our jobs without an incredibly able staff. But we don’t throw staff under the bus. We’re the ones who are accountable to the people who send us here.”
Dykota Morgan, a 15 year old from Bolingbrook, IL, was tragically taken from her parents and family within 72 hours of exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms. She contracted COVID-19 and passed away one week before the vaccine was approved for use in children ages 12-17. Listen to her parents, Krystal and Rashad tell her story and why it is so important to them to ensure children get vaccinated.
* This public service ad is now running on cable TV in the county. Watch it…
Tuesday, Jun 15, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Nominations are open now for the inaugural Paul Simon-Jim Edgar Statesmanship Award. Inspired by the service of former U.S. Senator Paul Simon, a Democrat, and former Illinois Governor Jim Edgar, a Republican, the award will affirm and celebrate the best traditions of Illinois politics and government.
The Simon-Edgar Award will be presented each year to an elected Illinois official at the state or local level who has demonstrated a pattern of public service characterized by vision, courage, compassion, effectiveness, civility, and bipartisanship.
We seek guidance from fellow Illinoisans and urge citizens from the Prairie State to nominate someone from local or state government who has displayed exceptional leadership. We are not seeking the perfect public servant, but a leader who has consistently endeavored to serve the public good and prepare their constituents for future challenges and opportunities.
* Letter to Gov. Pritzker today signed by leaders of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, BOMA, Illinois Municipal League, Illinois Chamber of Commerce, Chemical Industry Council of Illinois and several others…
In 1997, Illinois deregulated the energy market resulting in billions of dollars in savings for homeowners and businesses. Our low-cost energy prices and reliable grid have been cited by governors time and again as reasons why businesses should stay in or relocate to Illinois.
Twenty-four years later, instead of building on this strength, the proposed energy legislation being circulated will be the largest rate hike on consumers and businesses in history. At least as it has been described to us by several of those who have been fortunate enough to be included in the discussions.
This legislation not only includes a rate hike for low-income families in every part of this state, but also on every business and organization large and small. Lobbyists for the environmental community and many others appear to have had unfettered access in writing a bill that imposes massive costs on others. On several occasions we have requested economic, reliability, and rate impact studies and the raw data inputs that undergird them. Those requests have been ignored. These are landmark energy changes will upend Illinois’ competitive energy marketplace. Ironically, as the state and Chicago proudly announced the Phase 5 reopening many of those same businesses and organizations are going to be saddled with significantly higher electricity costs, as reflected by those industries that have signed this letter.
At a minimum, we project the first installment of the cost increase on businesses and municipalities to be $700 million annually; including an additional $215 million to pay for new programs paid for by ratepayers without their input. Due to the lack of transparency and accountability in this process – meaning there is no data provided to outline the costs of every fee, mandate, and regulation in this bill – we are calling this legislation an installment because this legislation will only keep sending higher bills every step of the way. In a nutshell, this legislation will be a credit card that keeps spending money without any accountability. Period.
Since 1997, there has never been energy legislation subject to less transparency or accountability. Given the lack of transparency under which it has been developed, rate payers and policy makers deserve the benefit of full disclosure and independent verification of the cost impacts.
On behalf of the people most impacted by this legislation, we urge you to delay this legislation and meaningfully engage the consumers, business owners, organizations and municipalities that will be saddled with the costs.
I’ve asked the governor’s office for a response.
*** UPDATE *** Jordan Abudayyeh…
The Governor’s Office involved the business community in over 30 working group meetings that informed the clean energy package. Transparency and accountability have been nonnegotiable for the Governor, which is why the legislation contains critical ethics reforms, such as restitution, tax repayment, and more robust reporting requirements.
The latest draft of the energy bill also contains policy proposals that IMA and IRMA voiced support for, such as an option for large commercial and industrial users to opt out of energy efficiency requirements and increased support for combined heat and power.
The Governor also heard loud and clear that the business community did not want a new ratemaking structure to compromise reliability. That’s why, under the new system, reliability will be a performance metric. That means that ComEd and Ameren will be rewarded for improved reliability and penalized for decreased reliability.
* Meanwhile, here’s a weekend press release from Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition…
After more than three years of community organizing and leadership, today the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition (ICJC) announced its support for the nation’s most comprehensive and equitable climate and energy plan proposed by Governor Pritzker.
“After years of hard work and community collaboration, the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition is proud to support Governor Pritzker’s energy proposal, the only plan which takes a monumental leap forward on climate change and equity. ICJC welcomed the opportunity to work with the Governor, legislators, and community stakeholders to help bring this plan to fruition.
“The Governor’s proposal is a bold, equity-centered plan that shares the goals, vision, and values of the Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA). This will put Illinois on a path to a 100% clean energy future with hard dates for phasing out coal and gas in the power sector while providing a just transition for workers and communities historically dependent on dirty fossil fuels, enacting some of the toughest utility accountability measures in the nation, and creating thousands of jobs and wealth in Illinois’ communities of color.
“This is an overdue victory for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities who are often the first to suffer the negative consequences of pollution but the last to reap the health and economic benefits of a clean energy future.
“The plan also saves 1,000 union jobs at nuclear plants without giving Exelon the huge bailout they demanded, a giant subsidy which would have cost ratepayers nearly $5 billion more over 10 years. And, it holds utilities like ComEd and Ameren accountable by ending formula rate increases that burden consumers and small businesses, and places an independent ethics monitor inside all utility headquarters to prevent another ComEd-type scandal.
* Illinois PIRG…
Omnibus energy legislation under consideration by the Illinois General Assembly this week maintains key formula rate policies, the value of which could be higher than the legislation’s reported Exelon subsidy, according to new analysis published today by Illinois PIRG.
The legislation maintains a key formula rate policy that guarantees utility profits, while also increasing utility profit margins, providing what could be a significant windfall for ComEd and Ameren.
The report analyzed a scenario based on projections ComEd’s parent company Exelon presented to its shareholders, using a profit level in line with recent Illinois practice, to calculate an indicative view of potential ComEd profits under the legislation. Under such a scenario, ComEd would swiftly be authorized to collect over $1 billion in annual profits from customers, resulting in an additional $664 to $893 million in profits over four years.
“Completely ending formula rates is the bare minimum we should expect from our elected leaders in response to the ComEd scandal. This legislation fails to,” said Abe Scarr, Illinois PIRG Director. “Illinois needs to marshall all its resources to reach our climate and clean energy goals, not direct billions of dollars in excess profit to ComEd and Exelon.”
Drafts of the omnibus legislation circulated last Thursday allow the current formula rate law to continue through the end of 2022, meaning proposed ComEd and Ameren rate increases will go through this year, and both can file for an additional formula rate increase next year.
Additionally, the legislation would allow ComEd and Ameran multiple end-of-year formula rate true-ups, or “reconciliations” based on actual costs, the key policy that guarantees their profits, beyond formula rate’s 2022 sunset.
The legislation’s new rate-making structure also includes an annual reconciliation based on actual costs, called an ‘Annual Adjustment” in the proposed legislation. The Annual Adjustment includes two of three accounting practices codified by a 2013 law ComEd advocated for after not getting its desired outcomes from regulators.
Because the formula created in 2011 tied profit margins to interest rates, which have remained historically low, profit margins under formula rates have been relatively low. Under the proposed legislation, utility profit margins would be set by regulators who typically set higher profit margins than those set by formula rates.
Illinois PIRG is calling on Governor Pritzker and legislative leaders to amend the legislation to immediately end formula rate increases and to completely remove key formula rate policies from future ratemaking structures.
A Pritzker spokeswoman defended the measure, saying in an email that the “absolute worst parts of formula rates are gone.”
In an emailed statement, ComEd took aim at PIRG, saying it didn’t understand the regulatory process and hadn’t participated in most of the ICC’s regulatory reviews of ComEd rates over the past decade.
“Our review of the public draft of the governor’s energy bill shows that if it’s enacted, Illinois will return to a traditional process for setting rates, with the ICC determining utility compensation based upon performance,” ComEd said.
Utility rates go up as they invest in the power grid. ComEd originally won support for the formula in return for a promise to spend $2.6 billion to install smart meters in every home and business and make the grid more reliable. It’s done that. But its capital spending budget for the next four years is at levels equivalent to the highest-spending periods during the smart-grid period. Given the higher returns ComEd is expected to earn on that investment, the effect on rates will be more dramatic than they were under the formula rate that all the parties now supporting the Pritzker bill profess to abhor.
A bipartisan group of 52 lawmakers from the House and Senate have signed a letter to Gov. JB Pritzker in opposition to plans to prematurely close not-for-profit coal-fired power plants, warning such a move would raise utility bills on consumers, eliminate jobs, place new financial burdens on communities forced to find replacement sources of power and threaten energy grid reliability.
Lawmakers are asking not-for-profit plants operated by City Water, Light & Power in Springfield and the Prairie State Energy Campus in Marissa to be excluded from the 2035 premature closure date proposed in energy legislation under consideration this week by the General Assembly. This will allow for a more responsible transition to a cleaner energy future that gives communities time to put in place new power sources, train and develop workers, keep utility costs stable and protect grid reliability.
The letter follows similar request to exempt the plants by organized labor and mayors from across the state led by the Illinois Municipal League.
— Eyewitness News WTVO/WQRF (@MyStateline) June 14, 2021
* Press release…
Gov. Pritzker Activates State Emergency Operation Center, Deploys National Guard to Respond to Chemical Fire in Winnebago County
Residents Within Two-Mile Radius Evacuated, Encouraged to Wear Masks Out of an Abundance of Caution
State Officials from Multiple Agencies Coordinating with Local Authorities to Keep People Safe
ROCKTON – Governor JB Pritzker has activated the State Emergency Operation Center to mobilize emergency response personnel and operational facilities to monitor a large chemical fire in Winnebago County. Upon notification of the emergency, the State notified authorities in Winnebago, Stephenson and McHenry counties. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) and Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) dispatched crews to the area to assist local jurisdictions to expedite assistance and resources. The Illinois State Emergency Operations Center in Springfield was activated and members of the Illinois National Guard and mobile response vehicles were dispatched to the area
Out of an abundance of caution, local authorities have evacuated a two-mile radius around the Rockton facility. Residents are encouraged to seek shelter at Roscoe Middle School, 6121 Elevator Road in Roscoe. State health officials are recommending that residents within the evacuation zone to northern part of Rockford utilize the use of masks or face coverings for the time being. This is to prevent the inhalation of particulate matter (soot). As this emergency progresses, it is important for residents to stay informed by monitoring local media for changing instructions.
“I am monitoring this situation closely and will make all resources available to the surrounding communities as we work to keep people safe,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Teams from multiple state agencies are on the ground and coordinating closely with local authorities and we will continue to make additional information available as soon we have it. To those impacted, please listen to guidance from emergency officials and know that the state of Illinois is doing everything possible to protect you and your loved ones.”
Shortly after 7:00 a.m., a large fire broke out at Chemtool, 1165 Prairie Hill Road in Rockton. Chemtool is the largest manufacturer of grease in the United States. Chemtool participates in the Tier II program. Tier II is an annual federal report that is mandatory for companies that store hazardous materials. This report is used by state and federal authorities to track and enforce rules related to the storing of hazardous materials in a facility. It also helps local authorities in the event of an emergency, such as a fire.
Personnel from the following State agencies and organizations are responding to this emergency:
Illinois Emergency Management Agency
Illinois State Police
Illinois Department of Transportation
Illinois Department of Public Health
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
Office of State Fire Marshal
Illinois National Guard
Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS)
American Red Cross
Salvation Army
In addition, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency has activated its Radiological Emergency Assessment Center (REAC) and the Illinois National guard Civil Support Team to monitor the environment to establish air monitoring to validate plume modeling. These teams are used to make environmental recommendations to keep the general public safe.
The plant sits next to the Rock River, so they’re letting it burn for fear that contaminated water could flow into the river.
Note: On Friday, June 11, Governor J.B. Pritzker issued a significant modification to the state’s eviction moratorium, which is the most restrictive moratorium in the nation. The change allows county sheriffs to execute orders of possession that were issued by a judge prior to the pandemic. These pre-Covid orders of possession are the last-step in a months-long eviction process. They will affect residents who stopped paying rent or otherwise violated the conditions of their lease in 2019 or at the beginning of 2020, but who have remained in their units throughout the pandemic. The Governor has indicated the moratorium will be completely lifted by August. For additional background material please click here.
June 14, 2021 (Chicago, Ill.) As the State of Illinois and the City of Chicago enters Phase 5 of its recovery plan, the Neighborhood Building Owners Alliance (NBOA) thanks those residents who worked with their housing providers to meet the housing challenges of this pandemic.
The Governor’s modified executive order is limited to those residents who have clearly been taking advantage of the moratorium. This action will help to stabilize housing after such a difficult year when housing providers were required by law to provide a public service but were rarely if ever provided with public support.
Michael Glasser, president of NBOA, said, “As we join all of Illinois in celebrating the many sacrifices that led to the lifting of pandemic restrictions, we especially thank those neighborhood housing providers who, often at great personal cost, kept all their tenants housed and safe during this long year.”
NBOA research indicates that housing providers are owed over $1 billion in delinquent rent. It also shows most housing providers had to cut spending on repairs and maintenance, and one-third of neighborhood housing providers lack the funds for basic building expenses such as the mortgage, property taxes, utilities, and payroll.
Fortunately, rental assistance programs were eventually created to assist tenants and housing providers with these problems. Glasser added, “We are grateful to the Illinois Housing Development Authority, Cook County Bureau of Economic Development, and the Chicago Department of Housing for administering the federal rental assistance programs which provided funding for those who had fallen behind on their rent.”
Evictions are always a last resort for any housing provider. Not only are they emotionally draining, they are also time consuming and expensive. As the statewide eviction moratorium is lifted, it is important that residents know most housing providers are willing to negotiate an amicable solution to their problems.
The NBOA is asking members of the media to inform the public that should they continue to have difficulty in paying their rent, they should not wait to contact their housing provider to ask for assistance. In most cases a housing provider and resident can come to an amicable solution if the lines of communication are open. Moreover, the City of Chicago’s emergency rental assistance program is still open for applicants through Tuesday, June 15, 2021.
* Conservative all-white Downstate editorial board which serves a liberal and diverse university/health care community quotes Martin Luther King, Jr. in its lede about the pandemic, tosses in a reference to chains (and, later, handcuffs) for effect and then mocks people with legit anxiety…
Free at last? Let’s hope so.
The chains are off — mostly.
People — finally — are going about their business in a normal way, save for the relatively few having trouble coming to grips with independence.
* Related…
* Experts: ‘Reopening Anxiety’ is Real, Widespread and to Be Expected
…Adding… Yep…
1) 15 months, not 16. 2) We were never in "lockdown"; the stay-at-home order lasted 2.5 months and didn’t include a curfew or punishment? 3) Mitigations have been gone and everything’s been back open since February with expanded capacity since May. 4) Masks aren’t handcuffs. https://t.co/7nV4RTWJ2qpic.twitter.com/r0ATNmmDuD
* Mark Palmer asks: “Any insight on which IL Bill re: Juneteenth will @GovPritzker sign this week (SB1965 or HB3922)? Or is there a process where they are combined, or otherwise?”
The differences between the two bills include the effective dates and the days off if June 19th falls on a Sunday or Saturday. From SB1965…
Amends the State Commemorative Dates Act. Provides that Juneteenth National Freedom Day shall be observed on June 19 of each year as a holiday throughout the State (currently, not a holiday and is observed on the third Saturday of June of each year). Provides that when June 19 falls on a Sunday, the following Monday shall be held and considered the holiday. … Effective immediately.
Provides that when June 19 falls on a Saturday or Sunday, neither the preceding Friday nor the following Monday shall be held or considered as a paid holiday (rather than the following Monday being considered a holiday). Effective January 1, 2022.
Juneteenth falls on a Saturday this year.
* The only hint the governor’s office gave me was pointing to the Statute on Statutes…
Two or more Acts which relate to same subject matter and which are enacted by the same General Assembly shall be construed together in such manner as to give full effect to each Act except in case of an irreconcilable conflict. In case of an irreconcilable conflict the Act last acted upon by the General Assembly is controlling to the extent of such conflict. The Act last acted upon is determined by reference to the final legislative action taken by either house of the General Assembly
Final passage for SB1965 was May 27th. Final passage for HB3922 was May 31st. So if he signs them both, HB3922 becomes controlling and there will be no Monday off this year and it won’t take effect until next year (when it falls on a Sunday).
Nearly a year to the day after ruling it out as too costly, Mayor Lori Lightfoot declared Monday that Chicago will recognize June 19th, known as Juneteenth, as an official city holiday to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States.
The mayor’s surprise announcement came during an event at Daley Center Plaza that kicked off a week-long Juneteenth celebration. […]
On Monday, the mayor explained her change of heart just days before Gov. J.B. Pritzker is set to sign a bill declaring Juneteenth a state holiday.
* Sheldon H. Jacobson, Ph.D., professor of computer science at the University of Illinois, writing in the News-Gazette…
However, when evaluating the likely outcome in the next election, the new maps position Democrats to win two additional Senate districts and four additional House districts, everything else being equal. This is something that the committee did not want you, the voters, to know.
Although Republicans fight against gerrymandering in Illinois, in neighboring states like Wisconsin or Indiana, Republicans hold the redistricting power and draw maps to serve their interests. However, with a Democratic governor holding veto power in Wisconsin, that division of power will create more balance in their final maps.
These remapping efforts also serve as a precursor to when Illinois’ congressional district map is redrawn later in the year. There is nothing to prevent the same partisan process being followed and the same egregious results achieved.
Gerrymandering is not a Democrat or Republican problem, it is an ethical problem, and any political body or people that willfully gerrymanders or is complicit with such activities is exhibiting questionable ethics. Are these the people you want running the state?
Now that these maps are law, the stage is set for Illinois to have another 10 years of dysfunctional government, a structurally imbalanced tax system and other artifacts of gerrymandering, effectively excluding voters from the democratic process. It is no surprise that people are fleeing Illinois en masse.
Numbers are numbers, but tossing in a screed on the “Illinois Exodus” is kind of a tell. Jacobson told me he used 2016 election results as a basis for these claims.
My ratings of the new Illinois state senate districts for the 2022 elections. Republicans will likely pick up 1 or 2 seats, but Democrats still retain a supermajority. The only toss-up is a Metro East district that voted twice for Trump with a D incumbent #twill#ElectionTwitterpic.twitter.com/6L2s3tth4A
Calabrese told me today that the key to rating these races is to plot the addresses of the incumbents. “I don’t think these other people did that. It takes a long time.” He did say, however, that he thought the House Democrats have a shot at as many as 5 more seats. But, as with everything, it will take some effort, the right candidates and could depend on what happens in DC.
*** UPDATE *** Good point…
I am skeptical of any analysis that attempts to predict the outcome of the 2022 elections based on geography and top of the ticket past performance alone, too many other factors will also matter.https://t.co/JaaOMIm24P
Monday, Jun 14, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Prairie State is the largest single source of planet-warming carbon pollution in Illinois (and in the top ten polluters in the country when it comes to CO2). Its closure would provide significant benefits to public health and the climate.
According to the report, Prairie State’s emissions each year are equal to “2.7 million typical passenger cars—more than twice as much CO2 as any other point source in Illinois.”
It’s also the state’s top emitter of many pollutants that harm human health: it “emits more methane, SO2, and NOX than any other power plant in the state,” according to RMI’s report. Those toxins take a toll on Illinoisans: Prairie State causes about one premature death every week.
It’s time for Illinois to support a just transition away from the disastrous, dirty, Prairie State coal plant. Our wallets, our lungs, and our climate will be better off.
It offers a glimpse at how Covid-19 ravaged the psyche of the mayor’s office. She and staffers worked 24/7, trying to respond to one crisis after another. That January week in particular was strenuous.
She sent the email Jan. 28, the same day that Chicago Public Schools and its teachers union were in the throes of a battle to get children back in classrooms. In an interview that evening, the mayor told WTTW’s Brandis Friedman that the CTU had just proposed “defunding police and having the CTU dictate housing policy in the city. Neither of those two things are appropriate for bargaining a teachers’ contract.” Lightfoot looked tired and frustrated.
Earlier that week, the mayor was on the phone with the Biden administration pressing for more vaccines. The day before she sent the email, Lightfoot headed a six-hour City Council meeting that focused on a disturbing number of car-jackings in the city. On top of all that, the mayor’s spokesman, Michael Crowley, resigned, a move that by all accounts had been known for two months. Still, it couldn’t have made the week any less stressful.
“A lot was coming down on her that week,” a source close to the mayor’s office told Playbook. “A lot was happening. Her intentions were good,” though there were times during the most stressful days of the pandemic that Lightfoot was “completely awful” as a manager.
Yeah, OK.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Oh, this is rich…
I took a look at Lightfoot’s January calendars this morning and she usually had office time on her schedule.
…Adding… I didn’t notice this at the end of the Politico story…
The mayor’s job is tough. It’s not hard to imagine her predecessors — Rahm Emanuel or Richard M. Daley — erupting similarly. Hers was just memorialized in an email.
Um, no.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Response…
Lightfoot on this: "Obviously to write an email like that comes after a lot of conversation and born of frustration. We got beyond that and solved the challenges that were at the heart of that email which was written five-plus months ago so I think we’re in a better place." https://t.co/Xsn4Jjgc1q
*** UPDATE 3 *** MLL should probably read this morning’s subscriber edition because this fight is pretty much ovah…
On the elected school board bill in Springfield, Mayor Lori Lightfoot says she's quoting Gen. MacArthur, "I have not yet begun to fight!" It was actually Captain John Paul Jones.
On Nov. 19 last year, the number of Illinois House Democrats who had publicly stated they would not vote to reelect Speaker Michael Madigan grew from 12 to 17, meaning that Madigan at that point did not have enough votes to win. By Dec. 1, two more House Democrats, including a member of Madigan’s own leadership team, had turned against him. “The 19” became a real force in Illinois politics.
The fight didn’t end there, of course. Unions, the Black Caucus, the Latinx Caucus and others tried to reverse the tide, but it was no use. Madigan couldn’t reach the 60 votes he needed to win reelection and he eventually stepped aside. Rep. Chris Welch was quickly elected to replace him, becoming the first Black House Speaker in Illinois history.
Almost all of the media analysis of Speaker Welch’s first spring session has centered around the opinions of Republicans. Members of the super-minority party didn’t say too many nice things about their chamber’s new leader.
But I was curious what those 19 House Democrats had to say about Speaker Welch’s freshman session. Not everyone initially supported him, after all, and Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) didn’t vote for him when the House formally cast its votes.
All 19, down to a person, gave Welch glowing reviews on his first session. Even Cassidy said Welch “did really well” during the session.
Rep. Cassidy also said she agreed with a statement sent to me by Rep. Anne Stava-Murray (D-Naperville). Stava-Murray said she’s been “impressed” with Welch’s leadership, saying that he brought their diverse caucus together, which was also reflected in his leadership team.
“There were wins that seem small but were huge, like having digital access to our bill analyses anywhere beyond the House floor,” she said, adding that the remap and budget processes went “relatively smoothly,” and concluded, “All in all, I’m proud of what we’ve been able to get done for the people of Illinois under the leadership of Speaker Welch.”
One member of Welch’s new leadership team is Rep. Robyn Gabel (D-Evanston), who was also one of the 19. “I think he performed very well,” Assistant Majority Leader Gabel said. “We were able to pass significant legislation. The new speaker is accessible and fair to all.”
“He made real strides on building a new house that has some bad muscle memory,” said Rep. Lindsey LaPointe (D-Chicago). Like a lot of her colleagues, Rep. LaPointe praised Welch’s accessibility. “He seems to care about us as humans and our success, instead of as just cogs in a larger machine,” LaPointe said, noting that small things like “the use of a shared Google drive” has made life easier.
Rep. Maurice West (D-Rockford) was the only Black Caucus member to openly break with Madigan. “I think he’s doing a fine job thus far,” West said of Welch. “Morale is different than it was before. It feels good to have a speaker who is accessible.”
Rep. Ann Williams (D-Chicago) made a bid for the chamber’s top post, but said Welch has done a “great job” during a difficult period, “both with regard to managing caucus dynamics and empowering individual members to have an enhanced role in policymaking, which I’ve not experienced before.” Williams said later that she didn’t realize how little input she had until Welch became speaker and opened up the process so that member priorities were addressed.
Rep. Kathy Willis (D-Addison) was the 19th person to register her opposition to reelecting Madigan and was on Madigan’s leadership team at the time. She also ran for Speaker herself, but said she thought Welch did an “excellent” job this spring. Like most everyone else, she praised his openness and willingness to listen and singled out his caucus management skills as a big plus.
Rep. Stephanie Kifowit (D-Oswego) also made her own bid for the top job. I talked to Rep. Kifowit last and told her that not one member of the “19” had said a bad thing about Welch and asked if that surprised her. It didn’t.
“I think that the caucus had been starved for so long that a fresh glass of water is just thrilling,” she said. “We were treated so horribly that it is a breath of fresh air to have somebody that respects you enough to meet you where you’re at, or to actually listen to you, look you in the eye and listen to you, not gloss over it.”
I honestly expected at least a little criticism from at least some of those 19 people. I heard none.
Monday, Jun 14, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Nominations are open now for the inaugural Paul Simon-Jim Edgar Statesmanship Award. Inspired by the service of former U.S. Senator Paul Simon, a Democrat, and former Illinois Governor Jim Edgar, a Republican, the award will affirm and celebrate the best traditions of Illinois politics and government.
The Simon-Edgar Award will be presented each year to an elected Illinois official at the state or local level who has demonstrated a pattern of public service characterized by vision, courage, compassion, effectiveness, civility, and bipartisanship.
We seek guidance from fellow Illinoisans and urge citizens from the Prairie State to nominate someone from local or state government who has displayed exceptional leadership. We are not seeking the perfect public servant, but a leader who has consistently endeavored to serve the public good and prepare their constituents for future challenges and opportunities.
* We raised over $23K to help this young lady pay some of her college expenses after her father died. There’s no doubt that Wordlsinger would’ve been so proud of Emma…
As the state enters Phase 5 and fully reopens, the Senate is updating its guidelines for media access.
As of today, you will no longer be required to display a negative COVID-19 test to enter the Senate press boxes, TV galleries, committee rooms or offices.
Face masks will still be required at all times, regardless of vaccination status.
The public gallery will also reopen for media members. The plexiglass barriers have been removed from the press boxes, and there is no longer a capacity limit in the boxes or TV gallery, although social distancing is still encouraged.
A few more key points:
• Face masks must be worn, covering the nose and mouth, at all times in Senate areas, including the Senate chamber and committee rooms.
• Virtual meetings and phone conferences are still strongly encouraged.
• Appointments are strongly encouraged but not required for in-person meetings with Senators or staff.
• The North wing doors and elevators will still require an ID badge to access Senate staff offices.
• Senate galleries will be open; however, social distancing is encouraged.
• The benches outside of the chambers will remain closed.
Thank you all for your understanding and cooperation during the spring session.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions.
Best,
Liz Mitchell
Deputy Press Secretary
Senate President Don Harmon
Illinois Democrats used inadequate data and an opaque process to draw new legislative districts, a Latino civil rights organization argued in the latest lawsuit seeking to block the maps from being used for statehouse elections over the next decade.
The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund sued top Democrats and state election officials late Thursday on behalf of five Latino registered voters from Illinois, saying the new maps are “malapportioned,” or not drawn to ensure equal representation of all populations. That could result in Latinos and other minority groups not being equitably represented in the Illinois General Assembly, according to the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago. […]
Pritzker and other Democrats who control Illinois state government dismissed the GOP lawsuit as partisan politics and said the maps are fair because they “ensure representation for diverse communities.” But the challenge from MALDEF expands the source of objections to the very groups whose voting rights Democrats say they are protecting.
“The answer is we don’t know,” said Thomas Saenz, MALDEF president and general counsel. “We don’t know because of a lack of data and because of using wrong data.”
Hi, Rich. I wanted to share with you the Secretary of State’s plans for reopening the Capitol Building and Stratton Building.
• The Illinois State Capitol Building and Stratton Office Building will be open to the public as of Monday, June 21, 2021. Until June 21, the current Secretary of State COVID-19 mask protocols will remain in place.
• Beginning June 21, members of the public entering the buildings will be informed that individuals who have been vaccinated are not required to wear masks or maintain social distancing; those who have not been vaccinated are requested to wear masks and maintain social distancing.
• Public tours of the Capitol Building will resume on June 21, and permits will be issued as of that date for gatherings, displays and demonstrations.
• Please note that offices within these buildings that are not under the control of the Secretary of State may adopt different protocols for access by the public.
Still waiting on the Senate’s protocols for next week.
Friday, Jun 11, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Prairie State is the largest single source of planet-warming carbon pollution in Illinois (and in the top ten polluters in the country when it comes to CO2). Its closure would provide significant benefits to public health and the climate.
According to the report, Prairie State’s emissions each year are equal to “2.7 million typical passenger cars—more than twice as much CO2 as any other point source in Illinois.”
It’s also the state’s top emitter of many pollutants that harm human health: it “emits more methane, SO2, and NOX than any other power plant in the state,” according to RMI’s report. Those toxins take a toll on Illinoisans: Prairie State causes about one premature death every week.
It’s time for Illinois to support a just transition away from the disastrous, dirty, Prairie State coal plant. Our wallets, our lungs, and our climate will be better off.
* This will be our last daily post of this information. Get vaxed, please…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 401 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 22 additional deaths. In addition, almost 69% of Illinois adults have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose and 52% of Illinois adults are fully vaccinated, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Cook County: 1 male 30s, 2 females 50s, 1 male 50s, 1 female 60s, 2 males 60s, 2 females 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 90s
- DuPage County: 2 males 50s, 1 female 80s
- Jefferson County: 1 male 80s
- Kane County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 90s
- Kankakee County: 1 male 80s
- Lawrence County: 2 females 80s
- Livingston County: 1 male 80s
- Peoria County: 1 female 60s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,387,029 cases, including 23,035 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 39,661 specimens for a total of 25,073,580. As of last night, 707 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 185 patients were in the ICU and 94 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from June 4-10, 2021 is 1.0%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from June 4-10, 2021 is 1.3%.
A total of 11,863,456 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 48,012 doses. Yesterday, 42,083 doses were reported administered in Illinois.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. Information for a death previously reported has changed, therefore, today’s numbers have been adjusted. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
This past February, Governor Pritzker proposed a General Fund Budget for FY 2022 that essentially held spending on public services level in nominal dollars level with FY 2021. Which means if that budget passed as proposed, total General Fund spending on services in FY 2022 would have ended up being less in real, inflation-adjusted terms than in FY 2021.
At the time, CTBA described the proposal as “sobering,” because it would effectively constitute a year-to-year cut in real General Fund spending on education, healthcare, human services and public safety, given that 95 cents of every dollar of General Fund spending goes to those four, core service areas.
However, on March 11, 2021, which was shortly after the proposed budget was announced, President Joe Biden’s administration secured passage of the American Rescue Plan Act (the “ARPA”). Under ARPA, Illinois is targeted to receive $13.7 billion in federal funding, as part of a national relief package designed to help state and local governments cope with fiscal challenges created by the pandemic, including $7.5 billion to assist the state government.
ARPA came on the heels of various federal initiatives that passed in 2020—like the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”)—which were also intended to help state and local governments cover pandemic related costs. Combined, Illinois state government received some $13.2 billion under these federal relief packages, which the state has the authority to spend over fiscal years 2021, 2022, and 2023.
Without this financial support from the feds, the General Assembly would not have been able to increase year-to-year spending on K-12 Education in FY 2022 by $300 million, after flat funding it last year.
Meanwhile, Illinois enacted state legislation that, beginning in FY 2022, will generate an estimated $666 million in new General Fund revenue annually, through the elimination of various tax expenditures that had primarily benefited corporations. (For more information about why elimination of these tax expenditures made sense, see CTBA’s report, Recommended Changes to Illinois Tax Expenditures, FY 2022.
Yet, despite obtaining the aforesaid new federal and state funding, and the promising year-to-year increase in education funding, the FY 2022 General Fund budget that passed into law over Memorial Day weekend still holds overall net spending on core services in FY 2022 to an amount that’s $100 million less in nominal dollars than in FY 2021. Which means that, after adjusting for inflation, General Fund spending on services in FY 2022 is now scheduled to be $688 million less in real terms than in FY 2021.
This was done in an attempt to get the enacted FY 2022 General Fund close to having an “on-budget” balance, which simply means that, without accounting for any carry-forward deficit that remains at the end of FY 2021, in-year projected spending and revenue for FY 2022 will be equivalent. The attempt came close, with projected total General Fund spending for FY 2022 coming in at $41.64 billion, which is $200 million below the $41.85 billion in projected revenue for the year.
Trying to achieve an “on budget” balance between revenue and expenditures is of course a fiscally responsible thing to do. But, as CTBA has emphasized previously, what it takes to get there is sobering.
That is because, without both enhancing state General Fund revenue by $666 million, and receiving the substantial federal aid outlined previously, Illinois would not have been able to keep spending on core services essentially flat in nominal dollars on a year-to-year basis in FY 2022, unless decision makers were willing to increase the already significant, as in $6.4 billion, “accumulated deficit” in the state’s General Fund. An “accumulated deficit” typically represents the dollar value of unpaid bills that remain outstanding at the end of a fiscal year.
The reason Illinois keeps struggling to maintain General Fund spending on core services over time is simple: the state’s existing mix of taxes and their respective structures are so flawed, they simply do not work in a modern economy, and instead have created a “structural deficit.” A “structural deficit” exists when annual revenue growth is not sufficient to cover the cost of providing the same level of public services from one fiscal year into the next adjusting solely for changes in inflation and population—even during a normal, non-pandemic economy.
Which means when the pandemic ends and enhanced federal financial assistance ends with it, Illinois will not have the fiscal capacity to continue enhancing its investment in education—or indeed to continue investing adequately in any of the four core service areas—without enactment of the structural tax policy reforms needed to create long-term revenue generation that grows with the economy.
Q. Did you ever think of handing over the department to someone who specialized in epidemiology or virology?
A. For this whole experience there are so many skill sets that are required. I would love to see that superhuman who is a specialist in everything, but I think my role was to be able to quickly and efficiently gather all of the important information from all the different groups of specialists … and be able to make sure we had an effective, unified plan going forward and to be a spokesperson in terms of communicating all of these important plans to our many stakeholders. […]
Q. What does your future at IDPH look like?
A. You know I have been absolutely honored to serve in this role. I’m so grateful to have been at the helm (of IDPH) during this incredible global effort. I have put everything I have into this role. Many people have been in similar roles around the country and have been asked to leave, or forced out or had to leave for security reasons. I’ve been fortunate to be in this role for the past two-plus years and I am grateful for every day I can say that. I will continue to give my 150% until I’m not in the role anymore.
* Coming a bit late to this. The Southern Illinoisan…
Walker’s Bluff Casino & Resort in Carterville is a step closer to reality.
The Illinois Gaming Board voted Wednesday to grant a determination of “preliminary suitability” for the project, a crucial step forward in the licensing process.
It comes as Walker’s Bluff officials and organized labor expressed confidence that a project-labor agreement for construction of the $150 million complex could be signed soon, a necessity due to legislation signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Thursday.
The proposed facility, which would be built and operated by Iowa-based Elite Casino Resorts, would include a casino with 650 slots and 20 table games, a sportsbook, a 116-room hotel that includes a pool and spa, an events center for weddings and meetings and several restaurants.
Hard Rock Casino Rockford took a major step forward Wednesday when the Illinois Gaming Board said it could seek construction approvals, accepted a list of 51 investors including three executives and granted a supplier license to the casino’s landlord.
Those significant steps come 20 months after Rockford City Council chose Hard Rock from among three finalists seeking to build a casino.
“Now that the owner of the proposed temporary site and the proposed permanent site for the casino in Rockford has been licensed, that project can move forward with requesting approval to commence construction on the temporary and permanent facility,” Illinois Gaming Board Administrator Marcus Fruchter said.
Wednesday’s Illinois Gaming Board agenda didn’t include any items regarding Danville’s casino license application.
Illinois Gaming Board Administrator Marcus Fruchter gave a brief update on the new casino license applicants’ processes.
The board doesn’t comment on the status of pending applications. The board continues processing, vetting and investigating new casino applicants, including the applicant from the City of Danville.
Fruchter said of the 2019 gambling expansion legislation that included a Danville casino license, the board had spent seven months working on Danville’s first applicant.
The first casino applicant selected by Danville withdrew its application on July 30, 2020, after it was determined to be “deficient and incomplete,” Fruchter said. Danville then selected a second applicant and that applicant submitted its application to the IGB on Nov. 23, 2020.
Exelon customers would be on the hook for $694 million in higher subsidies to keep three Illinois nuclear plants afloat under a sprawling, revised green-energy package that surfaced late Thursday and could be voted on by state lawmakers next week.
The 866-page omnibus pushed by Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker could move one of the major unresolved issues from the spring legislative session closer to fruition and would fulfill a Pritzker campaign pledge to reduce the state’s reliance on fossil fuels if it prevails.
But equally significant, the measure, if it passes, could hand the state’s most powerful utility company a financial boost even as its corporate subsidiary, Commonwealth Edison, remains at the center of a still active federal criminal investigation that cost former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan his job earlier this year.
The plan would phase out coal use in Illinois by 2035 and natural gas by 2045 and authorize $4,000 rebates for purchasers of electric vehicles as part of a strategy aimed at getting 1 million of those vehicles on Illinois roads by 2030.
The legislation also would end a controversial ratemaking formula that delivered windfall profits to ComEd, which last year acknowledged engaging in a long-running bribery scheme to curry favor with Madigan by showering no-work jobs and contracts on his close associates. Madigan has not been charged.
To: Members of the Energy Legislative Working Group and Invited Stakeholders From: Governor’s Office
Date: June 10, 2021
Re: Omnibus Energy Bill
Dear Members,
In response to the statement made by the Senate President that the legislature would return to take up the energy bill negotiated by Governor Pritzker, the Governor’s Office worked with the Clean Jobs Coalition and other stakeholders to revise the May 31 energy draft to include key missing pieces – like decarbonization – and make page and line edits to ensure that the programs can be implemented by the relevant agencies. This memo summarizes the changes in the accompanying LRB draft and provides an overview of the legislation itself, including areas of agreement reached by the legislative working group.
Also highlighted are the measures in the bill that pertain to the Prairie State Energy Campus, which remains subject to the declining caps on greenhouse gases. An exemption for the nation’s seventh largest polluter remains unacceptable to the Governor, as well as the nearly 50 legislators that have indicated they will not support a bill that does so.
The Governor stands ready to sign this bill should the General Assembly choose to pass it next week in Springfield.
As we have said all along, Illinois can and must lead on clean energy, and it must lead in the light of day—ethically, honestly, and toward the collective goal of empowering Illinoisans to lead the United States in transitioning to a clean energy economy. We look forward to discussing tomorrow at 10 AM and then returning to Springfield next week to support passage of a bill that protects consumers and the climate.
Summary of Changes in the Attached LRB Draft:
• Decarbonization: phases out coal by 2035 and natural gas by 2045 through declining caps on greenhouse gas emissions, prioritizing equity investment eligible communities and dedicating $2M/year in ratepayer funds to fund Prairie State’s 2035 decommissioning costs.
• Prairie State Transition Task Force: creates a new task force to investigate carbon capture and sequestration and debt financing options for Prairie State and affected municipalities (request of affected legislators).
• Restitution docket: requires the ICC to initiate an investigation into how ratepayer funds were used in connection with the conduct outlined in ComEd’s Deferred Prosecution Agreement, and requires that any funds used in furtherance of DPA covered conduct be remitted to ratepayers.
• Tax repayment: requires the ICC to initiate a docket to provide for the refunding of excess deferred income taxes by the end of 2025.
• Beneficial electrification plans: modifies language around transportation plans that utilities must file with the ICC to better support investment in equity investment eligible communities and support for medium-duty and heavy-duty buildout.
• CHP: includes support for combined heat and power (CHP) and waste heat to power (WHP) in the definition of distributed renewable energy generation device and renewable energy resources, as requested by manufacturers and large industrials.
Full Summary of Bill:
Ethics:
• Expands statement of economic interest requirements to include any spouse or immediate family member employed by a public utility in Illinois.
• Subjects the Illinois Power Agency to ex-parte communication requirements.
• Creates a Public Utility Ethics and Compliance Monitor to ensure utility companies are
meeting the highest level of ethical standards.
• Requires the ICC to initiate an investigation into how ratepayer funds were used in
connection with the conduct outlined in ComEd’s Deferred Prosecution Agreement, potentially putting refunds back into residential ratepayers’ pockets.
Consumer Protections:
• Eliminates the customer deposit requirement and late fees for low-income utility residential customers.
• Eliminates the online payment fee for all customers’ utility bills.
• Requires utility companies to accurately report to the ICC on the number of shutoffs and
reconnections on a monthly basis.
• Provides utility-funded compensation to non-profit representatives of consumer
interests that intervene in ICC proceedings in order to increase public engagement and
transparency, expand information available to the ICC, and improve decision-making.
• Requires the ICC to conduct a comprehensive study to assess whether low-income
discount rates for residential customers are appropriate and the design and
implementation of such rates.
• Requires the ICC to initiate a docket to provide for the refunding of excess deferred
income taxes by the end of 2025, putting around $0.08/month back in residential
ratepayers’ pockets.
• Makes changes to the Energy Assistance Act (same provisions as Chairman Hastings’
initiative, SB 265).
Decarbonization:
• Phases out coal by 2035 and natural gas by 2045 through declining caps on greenhouse gas emissions, prioritizing equity investment eligible communities and dedicating $2M/year in ratepayer funds to fund Prairie State’s 2035 decommissioning costs
• Provides $694 million in financial support over 5 years for the Byron, Dresden, and Braidwood nuclear plants, which will also keep the LaSalle nuclear plant viable and cost the average residential ratepayer an estimated $0.80/month. This subsidy fits within the parameters of Synapse’s independent assessment.
• Creates a coal to solar program to support the transition of coal plants to renewable energy facilities.
• Requires utilities to implement a public schools carbon-free assessment program.
• Authorizes the Governor to create a commission on market-based carbon pricing
solutions.
• Creates a Prairie State Transition Task Force to investigate carbon capture and
sequestration and debt financing options for Prairie State.
Renewable Energy:
• Provides that it is the policy of the State to move toward 100% clean energy by 2050.
• Makes changes to the Illinois Power Agency Act to double the state’s investment in
renewable energy, put the state on a path to 40% renewable energy by 2030, and shift to indexed Renewable Energy Credits, costing residential ratepayers around $1.22/month.
• Requires prevailing wage on all wind and solar projects, except for single-family and multi-family residential buildings and allows a 5-year exemption from prevailing wage for equity eligible contractors.
o NOTE: This section was previously drafted with an understanding between labor, equity advocates, and the Black and Latino Caucuses and is currently under review. The Governor’s Office remains ready to assist in developing solutions that ensure the renewable energy industry reflects the diversity of the state and leads to good-paying, union jobs for all.
• Requires project labor agreements on all utility-scale wind and solar projects.
• Requires the ICC to initiate an energy storage proceeding.
• Allows the ICC to grant a certificate of public convenience and necessity to construct,
operate, and maintain a qualifying direct current project.
• Requires the ICC to open an investigation to develop and adopt a renewable energy
access plan to achieve transmission capacity to support renewable energy expansion.
Ratemaking:
• Ends formula rates and transitions to performance-based ratemaking.
• Requires an independent audit of the current state of the grid and expenditures made
since 2012.
• Allows utilities to file a Multi-Year Rate Plan (MYRP) where they will be rewarded and
penalized based on achievement of ICC-approved performance metrics, which will be based on reliability and resiliency, peak load reductions attributable to demand response programs, supplier diversity expansion, affordability, interconnection response time, and customer service performance. This will help align utility performance with state public policy goals.
• Requires annual performance evaluations to evaluate utilities’ performance on their metric targets during the previous year.
• Requires utilities to file a Multi-Year Integrated Grid Plan to support the state’s clean energy goals, providing additional transparency to the ICC and stakeholders, and overall comprehensive grid planning. This is required whether a utility files an MYRP or traditional rate case.
• Creates a new Division of Integrated Distribution Planning at the ICC.
Workforce Development:
• Creates the Energy Transition Assistance Fund to allocate funding from ratepayers to support around $215 million in state clean energy programs.
• Allows local governments to engage in community energy and climate planning.
• Creates a displaced worker bill of rights, administered by DCEO and IDES, to provide
state support to transitioning energy sector workers.
• Requires plant owners to provide written notice of a plant closure to DCEO and
community leaders and provide assistance to impacted communities through displaced energy worker dependent transition scholarships, an energy transition barrier reduction program, and just transition grants to promote economic development in eligible communities.
• Creates a Clean Jobs Workforce Network Hubs Program, establishing 13 program delivery hub sites that leverage community-based organizations to ensure members of equity-focused populations have dedicated and sustained support to enter and complete the career pipeline for clean energy and related sector jobs.
• Requires DCEO to develop a Climate Works Pre-apprenticeship Program and provide funding to three Climate Works Hubs throughout the state which will recruit, prescreen, and provide pre-apprenticeship training to equity focused populations.
• Creates a clean energy contractor incubator program to provide access to low-cost capital and financial support for small clean energy businesses and contractors
• Creates a returning residents clean jobs training program to provide training for careers in the clean energy sector to individuals who are currently incarcerated
• Creates a clean energy primes contractor accelerator program to mentor and support businesses and contractors through business coaching and operational support
• Creates a jobs and environmental justice grant program to provide upfront and seed capital to support community ownership and development of renewable energy projects
• Establishes the Energy Workforce Advisory Council within DCEO to make recommendations to the state on clean energy workforce programs
Climate Financing:
• Designates the Illinois Finance Authority as the climate bank and allows the Authority to aid clean energy efforts by providing financial products and programs to finance and otherwise develop and implement clean energy.
• Creates a clean energy jobs and justice fund and board to finance and support clean energy investments.
Just Transition:
• Creates an Energy Transition Workforce Commission to report on the anticipated impact of the energy transition and recommend changes to the workforce through 2050.
• Requires DCEO to establish a grant program to award grants to promote economic development in eligible communities.
• Requires DCEO, in collaboration with IDES, to implement a displaced worker bill of rights that provides benefits to displaced energy workers, including notice of a plant closure.
• Requires DCEO to administer a transition scholarship program to support youth who are deterred from attending or completing an educational program at an Illinois institution of higher education because of his or her parent’s layoff from a retiring power plant.
• Requires DCEO to create or commission a report on the energy worker and transition programs.
• Allows a local unit of government to establish Community Energy and Climate Plans, which are intended to aid local governments in developing a comprehensive approach to combining different energy and climate programs and funding resources.
• Requires plant owners to notify employees and public officials of a plant closure two years in advance.
Transportation:
• Increases the adoption of electric vehicles in the state to 1,000,000 by 2030.
• Requires electric utilities to file beneficial electrification plans with the ICC.
• Requires IEPA to award rebates or grants that fund up to 80% of the cost of the installation of charging stations and requires recipients to pay prevailing wage on installation projects.
• Requires IDOT to conduct a study to consider how the adoption of EVs will adversely
affect resources needed for transportation infrastructure.
• Creates an up to $4,000 rebate for consumers who purchase an electric vehicle.
Energy Efficiency:
• Requires CDB, in consultation with DCEO, to create and adopt a stretch energy code to allow municipalities and projects authorized or funded by CDB to achieve more energy efficiency in buildings than the Illinois Energy Conservation Code.
• Establishes a process for setting cumulative annual savings goals for utilities through 2040 and expands low-income weatherization efforts, costing residential ratepayers around $0.86/month.
• Allows large private energy customers to opt out of energy efficiency programs, and instead report its plans to reallocate funding toward internal energy efficiency efforts.
• Requires public utilities to adopt an Equitable Energy Upgrade Program to permit customers to finance the construction of energy projects through tariffs on their bills.
Some of those changes could be tough to pass with a three-fifths vote. We’ll see.
In Ohio, Republican Gov. Mike DeWine created a lottery offering $1 million prizes for vaccinated adults and full-ride college scholarships for children. Ohio’s lottery kicked off a wave of similar incentive lotteries nationally.
DeWine’s May 12 announcement of the state’s Vax-a-Million program had the desired effect, leading to a 43% boost in state vaccination numbers over the previous week. But the impact was short-lived, with vaccinations falling again the following week.
On May 12, 42.29 percent of the state’s population had received at least one dose. As of today, it’s 46.75 percent. 41.5 percent of Ohio’s population is fully vaxed, compared to 44.6 percent of Illinois’ population. Illinois is considering a lottery program as well.
Approximately 60% of White or Asian Chicagoans have received at least the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, outpacing Black and Latino Chicagoans who are significantly more likely to contract the virus and suffer severe illness or die, according to city data through Tuesday.
Approximately 36% of Black Chicagoans have gotten the first shot, while approximately 43% of Latino Chicagoans have gotten at least one dose, according to the city’s data.
Illinois will move to a full reopening, also known as Phase 5, the final phase of the Restore Illinois plan, on Friday, June 11, 2021. On Friday, the state will eliminate all capacity limits on businesses, large-scale events, conventions, amusement parks, and all other venues. Mask requirements for vaccinated and non-vaccinated individuals continue to align with CDC guidelines.
The state reaches this point as it records the lowest number of people in the hospital with COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, the lowest test positivity rate, and more than 68% of Illinois residents age 18 and over who have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
“A strong economy requires that people not only feel safe, but truly be safe, as they go about their lives as workers, neighbors, consumers, and friends – and thanks to the lifesaving power of vaccinations, that day is finally here for Illinois,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I invite all Illinoisans to feel the hope and joy of this moment while also recognizing that this pandemic is still very present for the world at large – not to mention those here at home who have not been or cannot be vaccinated. As we take this next step forward, let’s do so with a renewed commitment to empathy, to community, and to making each day together count. You did it, Illinois.”
Today the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is reporting 366 new confirmed and probable cases, 764 people in the hospital with COVID-19, and a test positivity rate of 1.3%. These are some of the lowest COVID-19 statistics reported in Illinois to date. Additionally, IDPH is reporting 209 people with COVID-19 in the ICU and 103 people on ventilators. These are also some of the lowest counts we’ve seen since the pandemic began.
Currently, 11.9 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to Illinois residents. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reporting more than 68% of residents age 18 and older in Illinois have received at least one dose of vaccine and 51% of adults are fully vaccinated. Additionally, more than 88% of Illinois seniors have received at least one dose of vaccine.
“It is a very exciting time as we reach the point where businesses can operate without capacity limits and we are seeing the return of large events we’ve enjoyed in the past,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “However, it is important to remember that we are still in a world pandemic and not everyone has the protection of one of the safest and most effective vaccines ever. Currently, there is not a vaccine authorized for children younger than 12 years and some adults have chosen not to be vaccinated. For these reasons, it is important for unvaccinated people to continue to wear masks while in public and to socially distance. The virus can continue to spread among unvaccinated individuals, which could lead to additional mutations and new, more virulent variants.”
In accordance with guidance from the CDC, fully vaccinated people in Illinois can resume activities without wearing a mask except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.
Consistent with CDC guidance, fully vaccinated and non-vaccinated persons are required to wear a face covering in certain situations including (1) on public transportation, planes, buses, trains, and in transportation hubs such as airports and train and bus stations; (2) in congregate facilities such as correctional facilities and homeless shelters; and (3) in health care settings. Individuals in schools and day cares must also continue to wear face coverings per guidance issued by the Illinois State Board of Education, Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, and the Illinois Department of Public Health.
According to the CDC, it is critical that schools use and layer prevention strategies. Schools providing in-person instruction should prioritize two prevention strategies:
Universal and correct use of masks should be required; and
Physical distancing should be maximized to the greatest extent possible.
Municipalities and businesses in most industries may choose to continue to implement public health mitigations as they deem appropriate, including requiring face coverings.
To help businesses recover from the pandemic, the Governor, in partnership with the General Assembly, announced $1.5 billion in funding next year to support business grants, tourism, workforce, affordable housing, violence prevention, capital projects and other investments throughout Illinois. This investment follows the $580 million invested last year for Business Interruption grants to aid businesses in pandemic impacted industries and childcare providers.
“Today’s advancement to Phase 5 is a significant milestone in our work to combat the virus and get the Illinois economy back on track. Through Governor Pritzker’s Restore Illinois plan, we have continued to lead on testing, vaccines and providing economic relief programs that are essential to supporting the return of workers and businesses amid the pandemic,” said Acting DCEO Director Sylvia Garcia. “Now, as businesses are set to fully reopen across the state, DCEO remains committed to implementing key programs that will not only reinvigorate our small businesses, workforce, and tourism, but that will build back our state’s economy stronger than ever before.”
Businesses and communities can learn more about Phase 5 recommended public health practices by visiting IDPH’s website.
* The Question: Will you be doing anything special tomorrow or this weekend to celebrate? Tell us about it.
The Chicago Police Department has been slow to make critical changes that could improve its taxpayer-funded body camera program, the city’s watchdog found.
The department made little progress on changes recommended by the Chicago Inspector General (IG) two years ago, the oversight agency said in a report released Thursday. In 2019, the IG found lax oversight by supervisors who are required to check officers’ body camera videos, and an oversight committee that failed to meet regularly.
The IG made a series of recommendations, including that CPD take “corrective measures” to ensure lieutenants do their required reviews of body camera videos. Those reviews are a key accountability measure designed to make sure officers use their cameras properly.
Since 2017, nearly every CPD officer has been equipped with a body camera. The technology cost taxpayers more than $16 million, and department policy outlines clear requirements for turning on and using the cameras.
A Chicago cop has been issued a five-day suspension for his ties to the far-right Proud Boys and is now facing a second internal probe into allegations of sexual abuse, the Sun-Times has learned.
Officer Robert Bakker is the subject of four internal investigations that were all opened last year, according to records obtained by the Sun-Times.
Though the inquiry into Bakker’s cozy relationship with the Proud Boys initially resulted in the suspension, he hasn’t yet served it because the case was later reopened at the request of Inspector General Joseph Ferguson’s office, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation. The inspector general’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ald. Andre Vazquez (40th) previously raised alarms about Bakker to Police Supt. David Brown and Mayor Lori Lightfoot that he said fell on deaf ears. In an interview Wednesday, Vazquez said Bakker’s interactions with the controversial group should have resulted in “an immediate dismissal or some kind of punitive action.”
Despite having a license plate number and name, police haven’t arrested or cited the woman who drove through a family’s yard and hit a neighbor’s car over the weekend.
The inaction has angered Far Northwest Siders who say she needs to be held accountable for dangerously escalating clashes between supporters and critics of Ald. Jim Gardiner (45th).
Pete Czosnyka, who thinks his home was targeted by the driver because of his criticism of Gardiner, said he identified the woman from multiple tips and license plate information provided by witnesses. Czosnyka said he gave that information to police, who looked up the driver’s plates within an hour of the incident and told him “she lived close” but did not provide a name, he said. […]
The fact that officers from the 16th District have not made moves on the case is concerning, Czosnyka said — especially because one of the officers who came to his house is the vice president of the Northwest Side GOP Club and the 41st Ward Republican committeeman.
The 41st Ward GOP Committeeperson is Ammie Kessem.
A woman who allegedly threatened a Jefferson Park family over their criticism of a Northwest Side alderman before mowing down their garden with her car has been arrested, police said Thursday.
Officers arrested a woman before noon Thursday and said charges are pending against the individual, whose name was not yet released, a Police Department spokesman said.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 366 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 18 additional deaths. In addition, more than 68% of Illinois adults have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose and more than 51% of Illinois adults are fully vaccinated, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Cook County: 1 male 50s, 2 females 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s
DuPage County: 1 male 40s, 1 female 60s, 1 male 80s
Franklin County: 1 male 50s
Grundy County: 1 male 50s
Macon County: 1 male 90s
Peoria County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 80s
Rock Island County: 1 female 50s, 1 female 80s
Tazewell County: 1 female 40s
Winnebago County: 1 female 80s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,386,628 cases, including 23,014 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 42,403 specimens for a total of 25,033,919. As of last night, 764 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 209 patients were in the ICU and 103 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from June 3-9, 2021 is 1.0%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from June 3-9, 2021 is 1.3%.
A total of 11,821,373 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 49,572 doses. Yesterday, 62,268 doses were reported administered in Illinois.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. Information for a death previously reported has changed, therefore, today’s numbers have been adjusted. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
* In the wake of the Republicans filing a federal lawsuit yesterday against the Democrats’ new legislative map, let’s circle back to Mark Maxwell’s interview of House Speaker Chris Welch about the Republicans’ offer to support whatever map was produced by the bipartisan commission that would be triggered by the June 30th constitutional deadline. Some reform groups also demanded that the Democrats allow the maps to go to the commission. Democrats worried that the commission would deadlock yet again and the Republicans would have a 50-50 chance at winning the lottery to draw the new maps. Reformers were almost completely silent about that objection. Anyway…
Maxwell: They have offered to allow an independent commission to draw the maps. That independent commission would hand it to, it being the map, they would hand it to the Bipartisan Commission. And Republicans have said, ‘We’ll sign that one.’ Did you not trust them to do that?
Welch: No.
Maxwell: It’s a bit of a trust deficit then.
Welch: We’re Democrats, they’re Republicans. There are key differences in us. We believe in different core values. Across this country, Republicans are making it a part of their party platform to disenfranchise voters. They believe in voter suppression. We believe in letting the people vote. We believe more participation in our democracy is important. They want less. And so do I believe that a party that wants less participation is going to do the right thing when it comes to our maps? Of course not.
My public health insurance option plan, called IllinoisCares, would allow even more Illinoisans to be covered and would give middle class families and small businesses a break on the high cost of health insurance. I will work with legislators and healthcare stakeholders to implement this public option to provide another choice in the health insurance marketplace. It will act as a buffer against rising premiums and market uncertainty – at no cost to taxpayers.
You have to give Pritzker credit for keeping or at least trying to keep a lot of his campaign promises, but there’s been no progress on that one. Not even a mention.
Nevada Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak signed a law Wednesday, creating a new state health insurance plan to compete with private insurers.
With the governor’s signature, Nevada became just the second state with a public option. The other is Washington.
The Nevada Public Option essentially allows the state to work with private insurers to craft low-cost policies. The policies will not become available until at least 2026, the law said.
Pritzker has said in the past that Medicaid needs to be strengthened here before the state can implement IllinoisCares. Illinois’ Medicaid reimbursement rate is among the lowest in the country, so it’s tough as it is finding physicians without adding potentially millions more people to the system. But the whole thing has completely dropped off the radar screen.
Also, a key House Republican who has three nuke plants in his district (and a possible primary) says the agreement is inadequate, but is still saying he supports https://t.co/sEbS7bt2hE
Put the unions together with the Republicans and there’s trouble.
* But Greg Hinz recently pointed out an interesting spring trend. Labor wasn’t nearly as successful as it had hoped to be…
This year, when a bill was introduced dealing with state tax incentives for in the chemical and oil refining business, an amendment was quickly added requiring that a growing percentage of workers in “high risk” jobs be graduates of an apprenticeship program. Almost all apprenticeship programs are run by unions. The bill passed the Senate and is awaiting final action in the House.
A little later, Rep. Bob Rita, D-Chicago, introduced a bill tweaking the state’s laws on casinos. Included was a clause requiring the Illinois Gaming Board to consider whether license applicants had signed [a labor peace agreement] covering not only technical positions such as building engineers but “gaming” and “hospitality” workers. In other words, pretty much anyone. And exactly what that LPA would require—other than the union’s nod—was left a little vague.
Then came an amendment to an otherwise routine measure tweaking Pritzker’s data-center tax credit program, which the governor says has pulled in $5 billion of investment here. Sponsored by Rep. Mark Walker, D-Arlington Heights, it would require all qualifying data centers—existing and proposed—to have an LPA covering water-management and other engineering jobs within 180 days.
The refining and data center bills went nowhere in the Senate. The gaming bill, Greg reports, was stripped of the LPA provision.
But, again, pair Democratic union allies with Republicans and you’ve probably got enough to stop most anything, at least in the House and especially when bills require a three-fifths vote for passage.
* On the other side of the coin are the activists, and they’re already leery of the legislation. Fox 32…
A source close to the negotiations says the deal pays Exelon $600 to $700 million over the next five years for the three nuclear plants being added to the deal. A utility watchdog says that is unfair to electricity consumers.
Abe Scarr of Illinois PIRG urged lawmakers to reject the proposal if it comes to a vote when the House and Senate reconvene next week.
“We have an outside, independent look at their plants and a recommendation, based on evidence, that they don’t need more than $350 million over the next five years. But somehow we’re still giving them potentially twice that much,” he said.
As it has for years, Exelon/ComEd threatens to shut down several of the nuclear power plants. Governor JB Pritzker wants to keep them all online, not least because they generate more than half the Chicago area’s electricity, without sending climate-changing carbon into the atmosphere.
“People are gonna have a stable source of electricity,” Pritzker recently said on Flannery Fired Up. “And they’re gonna know that we’re saving the planet.”
A source close to the talks said Exelon/ComEd initially demanded $1.5 billion. The source said former Governor Bruce Rauner’s subsidy deal for two nukes paid Exelon more than $15 per megawatt hour. The source said Pritzker should be praised because the tentative deal for three additional plants would pay Exelon only one-sixth of that: $2.55 per megawatt hour.
* Also…
As negotiations on an energy bill wrap up, I want to be super clear:
It's not a "clean energy" bill if we exempt Illinois's dirtiest coal plant.
A month after Gov. J.B. Pritzker took office in 2019, giving Democrats complete control in Springfield, flaws in Illinois’ gun laws were exposed when a convicted felon whose state firearm owner’s identification card had been revoked opened fire in an Aurora warehouse, killing five co-workers and wounding a sixth along with five police officers.
The case became a rallying point for gun safety advocates, who’ve pushed for mandatory fingerprinting for FOID card applications, universal background checks for gun buyers, and a system that ensures people whose FOID cards are revoked hand over their weapons to authorities.
More than two years later, however, Pritzker and the Democratic-controlled legislature haven’t enacted those policies or any other major gun safety measures, even as they successfully pushed progressive measures that range from legalizing marijuana to abolishing cash bail. […]
A 2019 Tribune investigation found that as many as 30,000 guns were potentially in the hands of people who’d had their FOID cards revoked in the previous four years. A follow-up review last year found improved compliance but also an increase in the number of firearms that were unaccounted for.
Despite stopping short of requiring fingerprints, the Senate measure has the support of the Gun Violence Prevention PAC, also one of the main proponents of the stricter House proposal.
The Illinois State Rifle Association is neutral on the Senate bill.
There appear to be some personality conflicts here as well as some general stubbornness by the House Democrats. Whether it’s the House Speaker or the governor, somebody needs to nudge them into agreement.
The persistent delays in issuing Firearm Owner’s Identification cards in Illinois that has doubled in the last year-and-a-half continues after a federal judge shot down a motion this week seeking to force the state to issue backlogged cards. […]
A judge Wednesday struck down their motion to force the state to immediately issue backlogged cards, saying while the delays are a burden, it’s not severe enough to render the process unconstitutional.
Thursday, Jun 10, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Nominations are open now for the inaugural Paul Simon-Jim Edgar Statesmanship Award. Inspired by the service of former U.S. Senator Paul Simon, a Democrat, and former Illinois Governor Jim Edgar, a Republican, the award will affirm and celebrate the best traditions of Illinois politics and government.
The Simon-Edgar Award will be presented each year to an elected Illinois official at the state or local level who has demonstrated a pattern of public service characterized by vision, courage, compassion, effectiveness, civility, and bipartisanship.
We seek guidance from fellow Illinoisans and urge citizens from the Prairie State to nominate someone from local or state government who has displayed exceptional leadership. We are not seeking the perfect public servant, but a leader who has consistently endeavored to serve the public good and prepare their constituents for future challenges and opportunities.
