* Capitol News Illinois…
Lawmakers from both parties told officials from Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration on Thursday that the General Assembly should have some say in how the state spends the $7.5 billion in federal funds that Illinois expects to receive from the newly-enacted American Rescue Plan.
Those comments came during a virtual hearing of the House Revenue and Finance Committee that took place just hours after President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill into law.
“I think the legislature would like a say in appropriating money, given our role,” Rep. Michael Zalewski, D-Riverside, said to the director of the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget, Alexis Sturm. “So my hope is that you could convey that to the governor’s office and we can develop a framework to work together on that.” […]
In a separate interview Thursday, however, Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza said officials should not get too excited over the sudden influx of federal money.
“I think that, the first thing to keep in mind is that the majority of that money is spoken for, I do believe that,” Mendoza said. “As soon as we get that, the first thing that we should spend that stimulus money on is to pay back the money that we borrowed from the Federal Reserve for the state’s COVID and other medical expenses.”
* From the governor’s office late this afternoon…
“The Governor spoke with the Speaker and Senate President today about how the administration and the General Assembly can again collaborate on how to best use federal funds from the American Rescue Plan. The Governor appreciated the collaboration with the General Assembly last May to determine how to best use federal resources, and the partnership resulted in state investments that led the nation – especially in supporting childcare, small businesses and housing assistance.
“The administration has reached out to schedule initial meetings with members who lead the General Assembly’s appropriations work, and the Governor continues to look forward to collaborating again to build on the progress we made together last year. The Governor fundamentally believes that these one-time funds must be used responsibly to address the state’s debt and inject resources into the areas where they will have the most economic impact, with a special eye toward equity.”
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* Sun-Times earlier this week…
In a bid to vaccinate more people of color in neighborhoods hit hard by COVID-19, city officials Wednesday limited registration for United Center appointments to Chicagoans in a handful of South and Southwest Side neighborhoods.
Anyone who lives in the 60608, 60619, 60620, 60649 or 60652 ZIP codes can sign up for an appointment at events.juvare.com/chicago/UCPOD/ with the code “CCVICHICAGO,” or by reaching the multilingual call center at (312) 746-4835.
Chicago residents from outside those ZIP codes who try to sign up will have their appointments canceled, according to a city flyer circulated by several community groups.
Chicago will be allotted 60% of the vaccines administered at the United Center for its residents, while Cook County and the state determine rules for other residents. That’s the latest change in a signup process that has caused confusion from the start.
* Just got an anecdotal report about the United Center being a veritable ghost town…
A group of Illinois’ Democratic U.S. House members sent a letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Friday condemning this week’s rollout of the highly trumpeted United Center mass vaccination site, arguing the decision to restrict appointments to Chicago and Cook County residents on behalf of equity goals has angered some of their most vulnerable constituents.
The letter to acting FEMA Administrator Robert Fenton was signed by 11 of Illinois’ 13 Democratic House members, who represent at least parts of the suburbs and collar counties, and initiated by U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, a Deerfield Democrat.
“Many of our constituents who fall in the vulnerable category, but who don’t live in Chicago, felt frustrated with the recent determination to limit eligibility at the United Center Federal Mass Vaccination Center for Illinois residents,” the letter reads. “Their confusion was exacerbated with the abruptness of the announcement, and the consequent uncertainty surrounding their future access to a vaccination appointment.” […]
Other representatives who signed the letter were: U.S. Reps. Jan Schakowsky, of Evanston, Danny Davis, of Chicago, Sean Casten, of Downers Grove, Robin Kelly, of Matteson, Bill Foster, of Naperville, Jesús “Chuy” García, of Chicago, Raja Krishnamoorthi, of Schaumburg, Bobby Rush, of Chicago, Mike Quigley, of Chicago, and Marie Newman, of La Grange.
The letter from the representatives said they too share the goal of equitable distribution, but completely barring some of their constituents from United Center appointments was an unfair “departure” from the operation’s original purpose of serving Illinoisans, they said. The lawmakers also lambasted the last-minute changes as particularly anguishing for those with health conditions that put them at higher risk of severe illness or death from COVID-19.
Interestingly enough, every Black and Brown US Rep. signed that letter [except for Lauren Underwood, but she has an exurban district].
* Yesterday…
On Thursday, Gov. Pritzker explained the recent limitations added to the United Center vaccination site.
It comes after complaints, frustration and accusations that the rules were changed in the middle of the game. […]
“It’s not a state site, it’s a federal site. We’re very glad to have it. Let me be clear,” Pritzker said. “We get 6,000 doses a day.”
The United Center’s mass vaccination site was hailed at the largest in the state, run by FEMA. It was initially open to the public for anyone 16 and over with an underlying condition, but that soon changed.
“FEMA decided to change the rules,” Pritzker said. “FEMA decided that there wasn’t enough equity that was being achieved with the location at the United Center. They had hoped to get more Black and Brown people in to get shots so they changes some of the rules, locations and zip codes for people.”
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It’s just a bill
Friday, Mar 12, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Oops. Back to the ol’ drawing board…
State Rep. Charlie Meier, R-Okawville, introduced a bill in committee Wednesday that would have created the Eviction Moratorium Clarification Act. It provides that in any eviction moratorium issued by the governor through Executive Order or legislation passed by the General Assembly, the moratorium shall not prohibit the eviction of some people.
Meier told the House committee Wednesday he wants to go after so-called “bad actors” who receive federal rental assistance, but don’t pay their rent.
“We believe that if the tenants have taken the rent money while working, buying new vehicles, going on vacations, that the landlord should have been paid,” Meier said. […]
State Rep. Will Guzzardi took issue with the wording of the bill at a House committee hearing Wednesday.
“That is not how the program works,” he said. “The money was sent to the landlords and not to the tenants, so I believe that this bill maybe attempting to solve a problem that is not if fact happening.”
* Greg Hinz…
A coalition of progressive union and activist groups has unveiled its wish list for this spring’s legislative session, and sponsors certainly are dreaming big, seeking everything from background checks for all gun transfers to statewide sex-education standards for grade and high schools, to 100 percent use of clean energy, and restored voting rights for prison inmates.
The package “demonstrates the Forward Illinois commitment to our shared values of inclusion, opportunity, equity, justice, security, and the freedom to be who you are,” Myles Brady, communications director at Equality Illinois, said in a statement and in a web press conference. […]
Each of the bills backed by Forward Illinois has been introduced in written form and has a sponsor and at least some prospect of advancing in the Democratic-controlled General Assembly. But passage is far from guaranteed, with foes of all of the proposals likely to surface and some splits even among left-leaning groups.
* There’s only so much the GA can do…
A new Illinois law caps insulin prices for those with state-regulated insurance plans, but some lawmakers are saying that is not enough and more needs to be done to address prescription drug prices.
In January, Illinois became the second state in the country to cap insulin costs. The law caps out-of-pocket insulin costs at $100 per month, but only for people covered by a state-regulated insurance plan. That covers about 20% of the plans available in the state. As a result, many Illinoisans still pay much more for insulin.
State Rep. Will Guzzardi, the sponsor of the law, said he’s heard stories about what he calls miscommunication around the question of what it means to be state-regulated.
“You may have seen reports in the media of people who saw that this bill took effect on January 1st of this year and raced down to the pharmacy to get their prescription filled and found out that their plan wasn’t covered by the cap and they’re still paying these high prices,” Guzzardi said.
* Related…
* Lawmakers want role in spending federal stimulus money
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* Press release…
Public Health Officials Announce 1,763 New Cases of Coronavirus Disease
Approximately 54% of those 65 years and older vaccinated in Illinois
SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 1,763 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 39 additional deaths.
- Adams County: 1 male 80s
- Cass County: 1 male 80s
- Clark County: 1 female 50s
- Cook County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 70s
- DuPage County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s
- Edwards County: 1 male 90s
- Fulton County: 1 female 90s
- Grundy County: 1 female 70s
- Iroquois County: 1 female 70s
- Kane County: 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
- Lake County: 1 female 80s
- Madison County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 60s, 1 male 70s, 1 male 90s
- Massac County: 1 female 80s
- McDonough County: 1 female 60s
- McHenry County: 1 male 90s
- Morgan County: 1 male 80s
- Peoria County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 90s
- Saline County: 1 male 70s
- Sangamon County: 1 female 80s
- Shelby County: 1 male 80s
- St. Clair County: 1 female 70s
- Stephenson County: 1 female 80s
- Washington County: 1 male 50s
- Will County: 1 male 50s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s, 2 females 90s
- Williamson County: 1 female 90s
- Winnebago County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 90s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,206,172 cases, including 20,901 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 93,913 specimens for a total of 18,988,565. As of last night, 1,128 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 240 patients were in the ICU and 108 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from March 5-11, 2021 is 2.3%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from March 5-11, 2021 is 2.6%.
A total of doses of 4,501,155 vaccine have been delivered to providers in Illinois, including Chicago. In addition, approximately 414,900 doses total have been allocated to the federal government’s Pharmacy Partnership Program for long-term care facilities. This brings the total Illinois doses to 4,916,055. A total of 3,791,273 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight, including 353,655 for long-term care facilities. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 95,121 doses. Yesterday, 110,570 doses were reported administered in Illinois.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in real-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. 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.
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* I told subscribers about this on Monday…
Democratic Party of Illinois Chair Robin Kelly today announced she has formed a Transition Committee to gather input from Democratic leaders on the vision for the future of the Democratic Party of Illinois.
“Over the last several weeks, I have seen the energy and excitement of so many Democratic leaders and Democrats across Illinois who share in my vision of a more inclusive and engaged Democratic Party of Illinois,” Kelly said. “With input from a tremendous group of Democratic leaders around the state, we will begin the work of inspiring and expanding our party.”
The DPI Transition Committee will be chaired by Democratic State Central Committee Member Iris Martinez and political consultant Scott Kennedy, and co-chaired by Robert Blackwell Jr., Commissioner Michael Cabonargi, Sen. Cristina Castro, Rocco Claps, Michael Cudzik, Ald. Michelle Harris, Hanah Jubeh, Nancy Shepherdson, Patrick Watson, and Abby Witt. The Transition Committee includes other DSCC members and Democratic leaders with unique experiences to shape the vision of DPI. A full list of Transition Committee members is attached.
All recommendations and input from the Transition Committee will be brought to the DSCC before final decisions are made. Kelly also encouraged Democratic leaders with specific ideas to share to email contact@ildems.com.
I worked with Hanah Jubeh on more stories the last few weeks than I have in quite a while. Besides her work for Kelly, she also worked for 23rd Ward Democratic Committeeperson Silvana Tabares during the Madigan replacement saga.
* Anyway, this transition committee is kinda on the huge side…
* Related…
* Women that make Bradley’s history
* Robin Kelly’s election as Illinois Democratic Party chair signals start of more open era
* U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly speaks in Springfield
* Suburban Democrats view Kelly’s party chair victory as a win for suburbs
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COVID-19 roundup
Friday, Mar 12, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Read the whole thing…
Abandoning masks and social distancing now would be the worst possible move for Americans and their political leaders. The 1918 pandemic teaches us why. […]
(I)n the past several months, different variants have surfaced almost simultaneously in Britain, South Africa, Brazil, and now in California and New York. Each of these variants has independently developed similar and in some cases identical mutations and achieved greater transmissibility by binding more efficiently to human cells.
A virus that binds more efficiently to cells it infects would, logic suggests, also be more likely to bind to a larger number of cells, which could, in turn, increase disease severity and lethality. On Wednesday, BMJ, formerly the British Medical Journal, reported that Britain’s so-called U.K. variant was 64 percent more lethal than the virus it replaced.
There is not enough data to evaluate the variants first identified in South Africa and Brazil, but whether or not they are also more lethal, one thing is certain — more variants will arise. Mutations are random. Most either make the virus so defective it can’t function or have no impact at all. But this virus has already demonstrated that it can become more deadly and evade some immune protection, making vaccines less effective. If we allow the virus additional opportunities to mutate, it will have more opportunities to become the worst version of itself. […]
There is no reason to expect that this virus will suddenly turn into 1918. There are limits as to how far it can mutate. But the more people who abandon masks and social distancing, the more infections can be expected — and the more variants will emerge.
* Unreal…
More here from the Tribune.
* NYT…
As spikes in virus infections and exposures have forced more educators to stay home, the teacher shortage — exacerbated by limited access to COVID-19 testing and contact tracing — is among the main reasons that schools and even entire districts have had to shut down in-person instruction, often for weeks on end.
* Mitch Dudek at the Sun-Times…
Soldiers running the mass vaccination site at the United Center have been hungry because they haven’t been fed enough food, a problem the Army says it’s aware of and trying to fix.
There are 222 soldiers, most from the 101st Airborne Division, who are staffing the vaccination site that opened Tuesday.
The soldiers arrived in Chicago on Friday and the food that’s been supplied to them since through a vendor hasn’t been adequate, Capt. Harpa Magnusdottir, an Army spokeswoman, acknowledged Wednesday. […]
Military spokesman Tim Lundberg said the issue arose because the contract with the vendor “wasn’t in firm enough language to ensure the food requirement was being met.” […]
[The wife of one of the soldiers working at the site] pointed to one meal consisting of a small salad and an orange and said her husband had lost weight since he’d been in Chicago.
Oh, for Pete’s sake.
* Kyra Senese and Eric Fan at the Sun-Times…
When the coronavirus first hit Chicago and Cook County last spring, Black residents bore the brunt of the surging death toll.
But over the past year, as Cook County deaths have climbed toward 10,000, the virus has wreaked havoc in nearly every corner of the region. Low-income communities of all ethnicities have been hit especially hard, from the heavily Hispanic neighborhoods around Cicero to majority-white areas like Niles and Oak Lawn.
Early pandemic hot spots like South Shore have been surpassed by communities like Cicero, where two low-rated nursing homes and a profusion of multifamily apartment buildings have led to consistently high death rates, according to interviews with public health experts and government officials and an analysis of Cook County death data and medical records by the Chicago Sun-Times and the Brown Institute for Media Innovation’s Documenting COVID-19 project.
The number of total deaths in Cook County is only below the dense counties that makeup New York City and Los Angeles. Cook County also ranks in the top third of large U.S. counties in per-capita COVID-19 death rate, at 193 deaths per 100,000 people — far behind the nation’s hardest-hit areas, such as the Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn, but far worse than metro areas like Cleveland, Dallas and Manhattan.
* Manny Ramos at the Sun-Times…
Linda Blunt sat anxiously in the lobby of the Garden House Apartments in Maywood on Thursday, awaiting her turn to receive the single-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.
She chatted merrily with her neighbors, bounced her legs and held her registration papers tight. Blunt, 65, was more than ready to move on, a year after the pandemic led to a lockdown that has kept her away from her family. […]
Blunt was among 100 residents, caregivers and staff of the senior living community, 515 S. 2nd Ave. in Maywood, who registered to get COVID-19 shots at Cook County Public Health’s pop-up vaccination event. […]
Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch grew up just down the street from the Garden House. It was a special moment for him, Welch said, to see his constituents and neighbors finally being vaccinated.
* Chicago Tribune live blog headlines…
City investigators cite eight businesses for COVID-19 violations
Fully vaccinated but scared to remove your mask? Experts say getting back to a mask-free norm may take time for some.
One year after the St. Patrick’s party raged, Chicago bars say they can’t risk bending the rules: ‘The challenging part will be turning people away’
How did life change during the last year of the pandemic? Here’s what readers told us, in 7 charts.
Biden sets May 1 target to have all adults vaccine-eligible, outlines plan for ‘independence from this virus’ by Fourth of July.
Health experts say not to hold out for a certain vaccine. But Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson doses are available in Illinois. Can you choose?
Cook County deploys mobile vaccination teams as details of United Center sign-ups for suburban residents to come next week.
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MLB open thread
Friday, Mar 12, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I have an errand to run, but it shouldn’t take too long. Until then…
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* Sarah Mansur at Capitol News Illinois…
State Rep. Thaddeus Jones’ name was legally placed on a February primary ballot seeking the Democratic nomination for Calumet City mayor, according to an Illinois Supreme Court opinion released Thursday.
But it’s unclear whether the opinion authorizes the Calumet City Democrat to be sworn in as that city’s mayor if he wins the April 6 General Election and remains a state lawmaker, according to an attorney for the city. That’s still in question, because the residents of Calumet City passed a referendum in November prohibiting anyone who holds an office created by the state’s constitution from serving as mayor.
The Supreme Court was ruling on an issue of timing regarding the local referendum’s effective date, not on the legality of Jones holding both positions – state law allows members of the General Assembly to hold another elected office.
Jones filed his nomination papers for Calumet City mayor on Nov. 16. Nearly two weeks earlier, on Nov. 3, voters in Calumet City passed a local referendum that prohibited a person from seeking mayoral office “if, at the time for filing nomination papers, that person also holds an elected, paid office created by the Constitution of the State of Illinois.” […]
According to [Ross Secler, attorney for the city] it is possible that Calumet City, the Cook County State’s Attorney or the Illinois Attorney General could seek to enforce the newly passed referendum and prevent Jones from being seated as mayor.
Or, Secler said, it is possible that Jones will resign from his position as state representative.
Secler is an associate with Burt Odelson’s law firm.
The Illinois Supreme Court opinion is here.
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* Center for Tax and Budget Accountability…
The FY 2022 Proposed General Fund Budget (the “FY 2022 GF Proposal”) makes one fact abundantly clear: spending on services is not driving the state’s fiscal problems. After acknowledging bolder plans for the upcoming fiscal year, Governor Pritzker ultimately proposed spending $27.748 billion on public services, which is roughly the same in nominal dollars as FY 2021. After adjusting for inflation, however, the total amount of spending on services proposed for FY 2022 would be $434 million less in real terms than in FY 2021.
Which means the often repeated contention that Illinois’s fiscal problems are caused by profligate spending on services is simply not supported by the data. Indeed, quite the contrary is true. As Governor Pritzker noted during his budget address: “Illinois state government already spends less money per person than the majority of states in the nation.”
Big picture, Illinois’ ongoing disinvestment in General Fund services is harming communities across the state for one simple reason: over 95 percent of all such spending goes to the four, core areas of Education (including Early Childhood, K-12, and Higher Education), Healthcare, Human Services, and Public Safety.
So what drove Illinois to embark on its long-term course of disinvesting in core, General Fund services? A structural deficit caused by flawed tax policy that generates inadequate revenue growth over-time; and the unaffordable back-loaded schedule for repaying the debt the state owes to its five public pension systems.
The full report is here.
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* Emily McCormick…
U.S. states saw new jobless claims fall more than expected to reach a four-month low last week, as impending spring weather and more vaccine-driven business reopenings allow hiring to pick up.
The Department of Labor released its weekly report on new jobless claims on Thursday at 8:30 a.m. ET. Here were the main metrics included in the report, compared to consensus data compiled by Bloomberg:
• Initial jobless claims, week ended March 6: 712,000 vs. 725,000 expected and a revised 754,000 during the prior week
• Continuing claims, week ended February 27: 4.144 million vs. 4.200 million expected and a revised 4.337 million during the prior week
* CBS 2…
The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) reported 57,483 new unemployment claims were filed last week, a nearly 16% decrease from the week before, when 68,111 people filed.
For comparison, during the same timeframe last year, 8,727people filed claims in Illinois. That’s a 559% increase. […]
Illinois’ latest claims make up about 8% of the estimated 712,000 filed across the country last week.
There were 68,383 new unemployment claims filed during the week of Feb. 15 in Illinois.
* Lourdes Duarte, Andrew Schroedter at WGN…
There appears to be no end in sight to the avalanche of fraudulent unemployment filings in Illinois.
In the latest twist, the owner of a Northwest Side bridal shop called WGN Investigates after a stack of letters from the Illinois Department of Employment Security arrived at her business. The letters asked her to verify unemployment claims for 10 people.
But here’s the rub: They were sent to her address, but she didn’t recognize a single name. Not one person had worked at the bridal shop. There was even one in her mother’s name. […]
“The states are so overwhelmed, they haven’t figured out how to keep this from happening,” Terry Savage, a personal finance expert, said.
Savage has been tracking trends in fake unemployment claims since the start of the pandemic. Savage said scammers are constantly coming up with different ways to trick the system, including using random addresses to file claims.
*** UPDATE *** IDES…
The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today that the unemployment rate decreased -0.3 percentage point to 7.7 percent, while nonfarm payrolls were up +9,700 jobs in January, based on preliminary data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and released by IDES. The December monthly change in payrolls was revised from the preliminary report, from -2,500 to -9,200 jobs. The December unemployment rate was revised from the preliminary report, rising +0.4 percentage point to 8.0 percent.
The January payroll jobs estimate and unemployment rate reflects activity for the week including the 12th. The BLS has published FAQs for the January payroll jobs and the unemployment rate.
In January, the three industry sectors with the largest over-the-month gains in employment were: Professional and Business Services (+11,500), Leisure and Hospitality (+5,100), and Other Services (+2,400). The industry sectors that reported the largest monthly payroll declines were: Financial Activities (-6,400), Construction (-3,200), and Government (-1,800).
“While the unemployment rate and job markets continue to be impacted by the ongoing effects of COVID-19, with vaccination rates continuing to increase, we are focused on building a strong recovery on the other side of this pandemic,” said Deputy Governor Dan Hynes. “This administration is fully committed to supporting individuals displaced from their jobs and ensuring small businesses and working families have the support they need to recover and grow in a post-pandemic economy.”
“Today’s data shows that Illinois is making steady progress in restoring jobs and building towards economic recovery,” said Sylvia Garcia, Acting Director of the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). “Under Governor Pritzker’s leadership, we have deployed over $1 billion to date in emergency relief programs to help some of the hardest hit businesses and communities in our state. The recent passage of the American Rescue Plan will further support our economic recovery with additional emergency relief to help build back key industries, support our workforce, and provide targeted investments for businesses and communities that need it most.”
The state’s unemployment rate was +1.4 percentage point higher than the national unemployment rate reported for January, which was 6.3 percent, down -0.4 percentage point from the previous month. The Illinois unemployment rate was up +4.2 percentage points from a year ago when it was 3.5 percent.
Compared to a year ago, nonfarm payroll employment decreased by -504,800 jobs, with losses across all major industries. The industry groups with the largest jobs decreases were: Leisure and Hospitality (-216,600), Government (-71,100) and Educational and Health Services (-65,400). Illinois nonfarm payrolls were down -8.2 percent over-the-year as compared to the nation’s -6.3 percent over-the-year decline in January.
The number of unemployed workers fell from the prior month, a -3.6 percent decrease to 473,000, and was up +114.0 percent over the same month for the prior year. The labor force was down -0.1 percent over-the-month and down -3.5 percent over-the-year. The unemployment rate identifies those individuals who are out of work and seeking employment. An individual who exhausts or is ineligible for benefits is still reflected in the unemployment rate if they actively seek work.
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* WJBC…
A Pekin woman said she wants to be Illinois’ next U.S. Senator, replacing incumbent Democrat Tammy Duckworth.
Allison Salinas said she’s running as a Republican, having gained attention for staging “Open Graduations” last year because commencement ceremonies were prohibited in Illinois due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Salinas also organized “Back the Blue” and “Open Business” rallies in several communities to show support for people in uniform and small businesses.
* WMBD TV…
Allison Salinas is running on a platform of healthcare, school choice, infrastructure, and immigration. She has previously hosted “Back the Blue” rallies in Peoria. […]
Regarding school choice, Salinas believes public schools are saturated with government and unions dictating what children learn. She would prefer for parents to be aligned with what their children learn.
Lots more at the link.
* Meanwhile, lots of folks were all atwitter about this topic yesterday…
And people wonder why I refuse to cooperate with cable TV shows. I know everyone will be tempted to blow a gasket over this, but try to keep the vitriol to a minimum in comments, please. Thanks.
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* Sun-Times…
Illinois counties, municipalities and townships will receive $250 million for transportation needs Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Thursday, unveiling the third installment of funds as part of the Rebuild Illinois capital program.
Chicago will receive $29.6 million for its infrastructure projects, according to the governor’s office.
“This difficult year has brought a whole lot of challenges, but it’s also underscored the vital importance of smart investments that open stable and steady doors for our working families and that fortify the bonds that tie our neighborhoods together,” Pritzker said. “Rebuild Illinois is exactly the kind of job-creating, community-shaping initiative that makes things happen for our people from construction to completion.” […]
In 2020, the state improved 1,700 miles of highway, over 120 bridges and completed 600 highway projects. In the first half of the current fiscal year, the state has improved 1,300 miles of highway, 65 bridges, awarded 270 new projects and completed “major initiatives” like the Chicago Veterans Home, Pritzker said.
Illinois Secretary of Transportation Omer Osman said the money announced Thursday will be the third of six installments for transportation infrastructure projects.
The list is here.
* Yesterday’s announcement in DeKalb was bipartisan…
“I was proud to help pass legislation for Illinois to once again invest in our infrastructure. We live in an incredible state with unlimited potential,” said Rep. Jeff Keicher (R-Sycamore). “We can realize the dreams of generations if we work together on platforms for success like this. We can and will put Illinois on a path to a prosperous tomorrow with our hard work today.”
“Access to a robust transportation network makes it possible for new jobs and projects to come to cities and towns across Illinois. Today’s investment is made possible by a historic capital bill that provided new transportation funding and made Illinois more economically competitive. We’re already seeing many positive results from that legislation here in DeKalb County,” said Rep. Tom Demmer (R-Dixon).
* Meanwhile…
MORRIS - Building on efforts to ensure the equitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine across Illinois, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced that nine critical access hospitals were selected as part of the Safety Net Direct Vaccine Allocation Pilot program.
This is the next phase of the vaccine pilot program the administration announced on March 3, 2021, in which five federally qualified health centers and four safety net hospitals started receiving vaccine doses directly from the federal government. This next phase specifically targets rural communities, providing hundreds of doses to each site per week.
That announcement was also bipartisan. A small sampling of quotes..
“As we continue with the state’s vaccination rollout, it’s crucial that the more rural areas of Illinois are not forgotten and overlooked,” said Sen. Dale Fowler (R-Harrisburg). “Especially here in Southern Illinois where gaining access or traveling to vaccine sites proves to be more of a challenge, we have to ensure that we are doing everything we can bring vaccine availability to our residents. I’m encouraged to learn that Hamilton Memorial Hospital will be receiving critical vaccine dosages and hope that we continue to expand vaccine access in the region.”
“The medical teams and staff at both Taylorville Memorial Hospital and Hillsboro Area Hospital have been working diligently to improve the health of those within their communities and this substantial increase in the COVID-19 vaccine supply is urgently needed,” said Sen. Doris Turner (D-Springfield). “We are certainly making strides to bring this pandemic to an end as we’ve seen more hospitals receive additional dosages. I am proud of this administration’s efforts to target vulnerable areas where residents have experienced limited access to the vaccine.”
* One more press release…
Governor JB Pritzker today announced a new plan for ending food insecurity across the state put forward by the Illinois Commission to End Hunger. The new plan, titled “From Food Insecurity to Food Equity: A Roadmap to End Hunger,” advances a three-part strategy for connecting residents in need to nutrition assistance programs while simultaneously promoting equitable access to food. The plan was compiled with input from various state agencies and stakeholders located across the state and will guide the administration’s work to achieve meaningful progress towards ending hunger in the coming years. To view the complete plan, click here.
Bipartisan statements as well…
“This road map identifies a three-pronged strategy that is critically needed to address the food insecurities that far too many Illinoisans face every day,” said Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris). “I look forward to working with the other members of the Commission to End Hunger as we continue our efforts to ensure that no one in Illinois has to face hunger ever again.”
“Too many were struggling from food insecurity and lack of access to nourishment even before the pandemic,” said Sen. Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago). “Lack of nourishment is linked to a plethora of health problems and must be put to an end. Everyone deserves access to healthy food, regardless of race, region, or income. I am happy to support this initiative and see these disparities eradicated in Illinois.”
* But not everything was sweetness and light yesterday…
Following the Grundy County mass vaccination site’s opening ceremony, State Senator Sue Rezin (R-Morris) is continuing to raise questions regarding the state’s vaccine rollout, and released the following statement:
“While I am overjoyed that Grundy County has received the additional vaccines we have been seeking on their behalf, the Illinois Senate Republican Caucus still has several outstanding questions regarding the Pritzker Administration’s vaccination rollout.”
“After speaking with over 45 local county health departments, our Caucus compiled a vaccination rollout report that identifies the top logistical issues they shared with us along with their suggestions for improvement. We sent the Governor this report on March 4, and have still received no response. We have continually asked the Governor’s administration to provide more transparency on his vaccination rollout data, including his formula for allocation and why some counties are receiving far more vaccinations than others, so we can better understand the process and communicate it to our constituents.
“We all want to do everything we can to save as many lives as possible and to quickly bring an end to this public health crisis. The governor has chosen a go-it-alone approach from the very beginning of this pandemic and it is up to him to improve the transparency of his operation so everyone – legislators, public health officials and the general public alike – can understand his process.”
Click here to view a copy of the Illinois Senate Republicans’ vaccination rollout report. Additionally, click here to view a copy of the letter that Leader Dan McConchie and Deputy Leader Sue Rezin sent to Governor Pritzker on March 4.
* Response from Jordan Abudayyeh dated March 8th…
Illinois has administered over 3.1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to our residents, the fifth highest in the nation – including 132,000 shots on Thursday, a new one-day record for Illinois. So far, more than 21% of Illinoisans 16 and over have been vaccinated, including over 47% of our seniors 65 and over. As of the morning of March 5th, Illinois is first among the ten largest states for percentage of population receiving at least one dose of the vaccine.
While we – and the nation – have a ways to go in getting vaccine into the arms of everyone who wants one, Illinois’ relative strength to date is a product of the great work of our 97 local public health departments, pharmacies, hospitals, federally qualified health centers, Illinois National Guard, state-run mass vax sites and healthcare professionals across the state. The COVID-19 vaccination rollout will prove one of the most difficult tasks of our lifetimes, and while Illinois’ network of local health departments are doing an incredible job reaching their communities, the process is undeniably exhausting for our frontline healthcare heroes who have been working so hard for months – not just in the vaccine rollout, but for the entirety of the last year. For that reason and more, IDPH continues to provide LHDs with a host of resources and opportunities for feedback as we navigate this process together – and, because LHDs can’t go it alone, IDPH continues to expand the number of providers in the state able to distribute vaccine, such as the recently announced FQHC expansion program direct from the state’s allocation.
The administration welcomes all willing partners in combating misinformation about vaccines, educating constituents about the vaccine availability timeline, spreading the word about vaccination opportunities, helping less tech-savvy family members access appointments, and lifting up our local health departments as they charge ahead in this final marathon stretch.
1. Vaccine allocation
• Doses delivered to the state of Illinois have increased in recent weeks, but still fall short of demand. The Biden Administration recently started providing states with longer lead time on projected dose deliveries, a major improvement for planning purposes both at the state and local level. Local health departments started receiving projections for the upcoming three weeks of deliveries on February 12. Doses are distributed to counties based on population. Counties that have demonstrated the ability to manage vaccination efforts efficiently have had additional doses directed to their region, while IDPH has directed resources and additional personnel to counties that have had doses sitting in inventory longer than necessary. IDPH is currently working to publish the county allocation numbers and that information will be publicly available soon.
• It is important to note local health departments outside of Chicago are not the only entities the state is allocating doses to. The state has more than 850 sites, including nearly 20 state-supported Illinois National Guard sites, and we’ve worked with our federal partners to establish a FEMA site at the United Center, bringing thousands of weekly doses into Illinois outside of our state-specific allocation. The federal government also delivers doses directly to pharmacies and federally qualified health centers in Illinois beyond our state allocation. To further expand our support for underserved communities, Illinois is sending additional deliveries from our state allocation to federally qualified health centers and safety-net hospitals around the state starting early next week.
• Allocations are already publicly available by state from the CDC, such as the National Weekly Pfizer and Moderna allocation dashboards.
• Illinois makes inventory, # of administered vaccines, and % population fully vaccinated available on a by-county basis.
2. Vaccine availability
• Local health departments are receiving vaccine as quickly as the state can get it to them, but as President Biden recently stated, the national supply won’t match the adult population until the end of May – an incredible feat by public health standards, but still a frustrating timeline for those who have not yet received a vaccine. To date, the CDC has only sent about 110 million doses of vaccine (and since the vast, vast majority of those represent a two-dose regimen, that’s only enough vaccine to vaccinate roughly 15 percent of Americans). As of March 5th, Illinois has given at least a first dose to 21 percent of our 16+ population, including to over 47 percent of our seniors.
• Illinois is building out our vaccination administration infrastructure so that no resident has to drive an exorbitant distance to access the vaccine – what’s more, we recognize that not every resident has access to long-haul transportation. While state government cannot go out and purchase more vaccine that would arrive more quickly than what the federal government has already secured, the federal government continues to ramp up supply, with more than 100,000 doses slated to come into Illinois per day on average starting later this month.
3. Delivery Communication
• The administration is in constant communication with our local health departments, understanding that this is a task far greater than anything they’ve taken on previously. In additional to weekly calls and multiple weekly opportunities for engagement, including office hours with the Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases and the Assistant Director, IDPH offers webinars, guidance, and collaborative opportunities for departments to learn from one another. IDPH has also assigned regional health officers and emergency response coordinators for each region.
• Local health departments and IDPH have a historic working relationship that continues to serve as the backbone of this all-hands-on-deck rollout.
4. Qualified Technicians
• IDPH has already expanded the number of people who can administer the vaccine while still recognizing the specific clinical background that best supports vaccine administration.
• Illinois has no lack of qualified technicians – currently, we have more doctors able to administer the vaccine than we have supply. As vaccine supply grows, more and more of these localized physicians offices will come online as micro-distribution sites.
5. Financial resources
• Of Illinois’ $90 million allocation, $25 million went to local health department for their vaccination efforts. The vast majority of the money is specifically earmarked for the broad COVID-19 response, not just vaccination, including testing and contact tracing.
• The state is not sitting on a blank check. We run mobile teams, provide PR and education marketing support, and have contracted with additional 3rd party vendors.
• The American Rescue Plan, which passed the House without a single vote from Illinois’ Republican Congressional delegation, contains an additional $20 billion to create a national COVID-19 vaccination program. As we have more funding coming in from the federal government, the local health departments will see their fair share.
6. Vaccine Registration
• Illinois makes all vax sites in the state available at coronavirus.illinois.gov and includes booking information for all sites. IDPH has incentivized all local health departments to use our centralized EM Track booking service in order to free up more manpower for vaccinations. IDPH continues to work with LHDs to bring this service online if they haven’t already
• The state hotline for appointments will be up and running shortly.
• The United Center, the largest vaccination site in the state available to residents of every county, has a website and a phone number available to make appointments. As of March 5th, over 30,000 seniors have signed up during the senior-exclusive booking period that runs through this coming Sunday afternoon. Tens of thousands of appointments remain available as of this morning.
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Question of the day
Thursday, Mar 11, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* At the end of a 1200-word Chicago Crusader piece entitled “Lisa Madigan for Governor?”…
With the political climate in bloom for female political leaders and her strong reputation, Lisa Madigan may have a chance at beating Pritzker in 2022. There may also be challenges. Some voters may have forgotten about Lisa Madigan, and others may confuse her with her father’s tarnished reputation.
Retired U.S. Senator Roland Burris, who served as Illinois Attorney General from 1991 to 1995, said Lisa Madigan would have a difficult time defeating an incumbent Democratic governor because of the limited Democratic voter base in Chicago and Illinois.
“I think she would have a tough time in the Primary. If she can win the Primary, she can win the General Election.”
However, Burris acknowledged that Lisa Madigan would win because of her name and reputation.
“Lisa is smart, shrewd, tough and very confident,” he said.
I don’t know whether to laugh about this story or try to take it seriously.
* The Question: Laugh or serious? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please…
survey hosting
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President Obama Wants Lawmakers To Stop Gerrymandering
Thursday, Mar 11, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Are we going to continue with political maps hammered out in backroom deals or are our lawmakers ready to strive for the ideals set out by President Obama?
“The movement for fair maps will determine the course of progress on every issue we care about for the next decade.” - August, 2019
“I think people don’t completely appreciate how much gerrymandering affects the outcome [of elections],” Obama said. “You can draw a district that almost guarantees one party is going to win instead of another because you have voter histories and you have a sense of where people are typically going to vote.” - September, 2020
“I’d love to see changes at the state level that reduce political gerrymandering.” - January, 2015
“Regardless of our party affiliations,” he says, gerrymandering is “not good for our democracy.” - July, 2018
“We have to end the practice of drawing our congressional districts so that politicians can pick their voters and not the other way around.” - January, 2016
Learn more at CHANGEIL.org.
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* Question asked of Senate President Don Harmon this week…
Q: You have been arguing for years that Illinois needs a graduated income tax to fix the state’s structural deficit. In fact you sponsored the constitutional amendment that voters rejected last fall. Do you still think Illinois needs a graduated income tax? And if so, when would be the right time to make that argument again?
A: As you said, I sponsored this and worked on it for a long time. I think as a policy matter it’s an important tool. But the message I took from the voters rejection of this proposal was they would like us to go back to the drawing board and make hard decisions about how we spend the money they send to Springfield. So I expect we’re going to be going through that exercise, looking at difficult decisions. But I do not anticipate any sort of a general tax increase, nor do I anticipate quickly to put a fair tax back on the ballot.
* Same essential question for Harmon by a different outlet with a very similar response…
“The lesson I took from the election in 2020 was that the voters aren’t ready for the ‘Fair Tax,’” Harmon said, referring to the drubbing voters gave the proposal last fall. “I still think it’s the right policy, but I’m listening to the voters, and I think they’ve asked us to come down here, sharpen our pencils, and come up with a responsible balanced budget without a general tax increase.”
Case closed, move on.
* Speaking of the budget, Mark Maxwell asked about the federal American Rescue Plan Act…
“We’re reviewing it,” [Harmon] said. “I hope it will provide some one-time resources to solve one-time problems. We still have to look at our structural budget issues.”
“We should not look at this as a windfall,” state senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield) cautioned on Monday.
She mimicked some lawmakers might think, ‘Oh, gosh, isn’t this great? Now we don’t have to worry about being thoughtful and creative in our budgeting.’”
“Absolutely the opposite,” she said. “Illinois’ economy, as we know, has got a lot of issues, a lot of long-term problems. We need to not take this as a gift, but just as a break — a pause — so that we can stabilize a little bit.”
* More on that topic from Center Square…
Illinois’ state budget is set to get $7.5 billion.
Comptroller Susana Mendoza said $3 billion of that will pay down short-term borrowing the state took on.
During an Illinois House committee hearing Wednesday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s budget director Alexis Sturm said they’ll be evaluating how to spend the money.
“I think most people are interested in the state stabilization dollars, recovery dollars, those we kind of need to wait and see what the funds can be used for,” Sturm said. “Primarily the expectation is that it’s going to be used for necessary expenditures for COVID response, so things that are COVID related. That could be healthcare costs, it could be our direct response. We’ll see what the guidance says from the federal government.”
“They do mention water, sewer and broadband specifically,” she said. “So those do align with projects we have appropriations for in our budget.”
Just, please, pretty please, heed Harmon and don’t create a bunch of new long-term programs with one-time cash infusions that will require the state to find the money to pay for them when the federal money runs dry.
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* Not a great result for the governor…
A new poll shared with Playbook indicates Illinois residents have a mixed opinion about Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who has now spent a third of his term managing the coronavirus pandemic.
The survey, conducted by 1892 Polling, a firm that counted former Gov. Bruce Rauner as a client during his successful 2014 gubernatorial campaign, shows 40.6 percent of Illinois residents view Pritzker favorably, compared to 41.0 percent who don’t and 18 percent who so far have no opinion.
Most of the other questions examine education issues and culture wars. The survey of 800 residents was commissioned by the American Council on Trustees and Alumni, a conservative nonprofit group that advocates for trustees to have a greater role in decision-making on college campuses and pushes against what it sees as liberal ideas related to intolerance. Lynne Cheney, wife of the former Vice President Dick Cheney, previously headed the organization.
Interviews were done Feb. 17 through 21 by cell phones and landlines for the poll that has a ± 3.5 percent margin of error. The poll states 39 percent of respondents identified as Democrats, 25 percent were Republican, and 27 percent Independent and many had mostly favorable views of the Black Lives Matter movement, police officers, teachers unions, and their local school boards.
But multiple questions in the survey address ACTA’s interest in culture wars issues, particularly around academia and race.
One question asks if public universities in Illinois are too liberal or conservative (35 percent of respondents said too liberal, 36 percent said fair, and 6 percent said too conservative).
And while 42 percent of those interviewed think Americans are “too politically correct,” 41 percent think Americans aren’t politically correct enough or are just right.
Other areas of the poll address “culturally responsive” education, which was passed by the Illinois General Assembly last month, and show a slant to the questioning. Republicans have criticized the effort as serving up liberal politics in the classroom and the poll reflects that by asking people whether teachers should “embrace progressive viewpoints” and prioritize “social justice advocacy” (rather than plainly describing what those mean). A statement about whether public universities should combat systemic racism by teaching students about white privilege is set as the sole counterpoint to a more neutral position about whether those schools should teach the nation’s founding principles as “the basis for reasoned debate and civil dialogue.”
Asked whether K-12 schools should institute a new curriculum that teaches that America is “founded on slavery” or demonstrates principles for a “free and democratic country” — nothing in between — 38 percent chose the new curriculum and 48 chose the old.
Another question on racism touched on an episode that recently came up at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It asks if “Obstructing Jewish students from expressing support for the State of Israel is a form of anti-Semitism” (50 percent agree, 25 percent disagree, and 25 percent were unsure).
1892 is a pretty darned good firm, by the way, so the governor and the U of I should take note. Click here for the full topline results. I was hoping to get crosstabs by now, but they haven’t yet arrived and I got tired of waiting.
I think the last poll on Pritzker is from one I had done for subscribers in October which had him at 48-45 fave/unfave with likely voters, so something appears to have happened since then. That same poll, conducted by Change Research, had the graduated income tax proposal at 42-51 fave/unfave and had support for it at 47 “Yes” and 48 “No” with 4 percent undecided. It also had Biden over Trump by 17 points, had the Illinois Republican Party’s fave/unfave at 31-51 and Speaker Madigan’s at 8-70 (not a typo). I’ve been thinking about doing another one on the governor and others in the near future.
*** UPDATE *** Crosstabs are here.
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* Press release…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 1,700 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 55 additional deaths.
- Adams County: 1 male 90s
- Alexander County: 1 male 70s
- Bureau County: 1 female 60s
- Cass County: 1 male 70s
- Cook County: 1 female 20s, 1 male 30s, 2 females 40s, 1 female 50s, 2 males 50s, 1 female 60s, 3 males 60s, 4 females 70s, 5 males 70s, 5 females 80s, 2 males 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 males 90s, 1 female over 100
- DuPage County: 2 males 80s
- Edwards County: 1 male 60s
- Fayette County: 1 male 80s
- Grundy County: 1 male 50s, 1 female 80s
- Jackson County: 1 female 70s
- Lake County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 80s
- Madison County: 1 male 70s
- McHenry County: 1 female 20s
- McLean County: 1 male 70s
- Montgomery County: 1 male 60s
- Peoria County: 1 male 80s
- Perry County: 1 female 70s
- St. Clair County: 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s
- Union County: 1 male 70s
- Will County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 60s
- Williamson County: 1 male 50s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,204,409 cases, including 20,863 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 89,893 specimens for a total of 18,894,652. As of last night, 1,118 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 231 patients were in the ICU and 102 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from March 4-10, 2021 is 2.2%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from March 4-10, 2021 is 2.5%.
A total of doses of 4,488,655 vaccine have been delivered to providers in Illinois, including Chicago. In addition, approximately 414,900 doses total have been allocated to the federal government’s Pharmacy Partnership Program for long-term care facilities. This brings the total Illinois doses to 4,903,555. A total of 3,680,703 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight, including 353,125 for long-term care facilities. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 98,166 doses. Yesterday, 112,776 doses were administered in Illinois.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in real-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. 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.
* Meanwhile…
In a move that will be critical to bringing more students back to classrooms but will likely be met with skepticism from teachers and some parents, Illinois education officials reduced the 6-foot social distancing requirement in schools to 3 feet as long as educators are vaccinated.
Officials pegged the new guidance released this week by the Illinois State Board of Education and Illinois Department of Public Health as a way to help school districts reopen sooner and with higher student capacity.
“It reflects what we have learned about the transmission of COVID-19 in school settings, as more students in Illinois and across the country have returned safely to in-person learning during the 2020-21 school year,” State Supt. of Education Carmen Ayala wrote in a letter to school leaders statewide.
“This joint guidance supports the return to in-person instruction as soon as practicable in each community.”
* One year ago today…
World Health Organization Declares COVID-19 Pandemic
CHICAGO – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today is announcing six additional individuals have tested positive at the IDPH laboratory for coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
“More cases in more places in Illinois means we are seeing growing transmission of the virus in the community,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “Today the World Health Organization characterized COVID-19 as a pandemic. We will see additional cases in Illinois and I urge people to take steps now to reduce the impact this will have on their daily lives.”
Public health officials are still investigating the travel history of these individuals and any potential contact with a known COVID-19 case. Public health officials will identify and contact people who are considered close contacts of these cases.
At this time, we can release the following information regarding the new cases:
Chicago:
80s male
70s male
70s male
50s female
40s male
Lake County:
For information about how you, your school, workplace, and community can prepare, please visit Preventing COVID-19 Spread in Communities. For general questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
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One year ago today
Thursday, Mar 11, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* This tweet prompted me to set the Wayback Machine to March 11, 2020…
* From the subscriber edition a year ago today…
WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH SESSION? Despite a growing number of moves across the country to ban some public gatherings, close down universities, move polling places, etc., no state legislatures have yet decided to cancel or drastically curtail spring sessions.
A few committee hearings have been postponed in Texas, Florida’s House chamber was sanitized after five legislators attended conferences where the novel coronavirus was present (the legislators were not tested because they had no symptoms, but were told to practice social distancing and then they all walked onto the House floor together). Alaska’s legislative leaders recently announced restrictions on out-of-state travel for legislators and staff. The state of Washington, which has been particularly hard-hit by the virus, is preparing to close its statehouse if the virus is discovered there. But aside from that sort of thing, legislators are continuing to do their jobs across the country.
“We continue to monitor the situation,” said Senate President Don Harmon’s spokesperson John Patterson yesterday. “We’ve participated in briefings and conference calls and like other employers and workplaces will look for any advice from the state’s public health and emergency preparedness professionals.”
House Speaker Michael Madigan’s spokesman Steve Brown said almost exactly the same thing as Patterson when asked yesterday about the spring session schedule and the chamber’s cooperation with public health officials.
Gov. JB Pritzker’s press secretary Jordan Abudayyeh released a statement yesterday saying: “IDPH and IEMA are working around the clock to monitor this situation as it develops and are studying best practices for containing and mitigating the spread of COVID-19. As we learn more information and the situation develops, the administration will be in contact with our partners in the General Assembly to implement policies that protect the health and wellbeing of Illinoisans.”
A spokesperson for Secretary of State Jesse White, whose office controls the Statehouse, could not say yesterday what it planned to do about already scheduled “lobby day” gatherings and the traditional visits by busloads of school children.
The General Assembly is scheduled to reconvene a week from today, the day after the spring primary. It’s still possible that a session change could be announced. These things tend to escalate quickly, as we saw when Boston all of a sudden decided to cancel its St. Patrick’s Day parade.
Speaking of the parade, Gov. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot are holding a press conference this morning at 9:15 to discuss COVID-19 issues. It’s expected that an announcement about the city’s St. Patrick’s Day parades could be in the cards. Check the blog and stay tuned.
And then all heck broke loose.
* Blog headlines for March 11th from earliest in the day to latest…
* Downtown Chicago’s St. Patrick’s Day parade is called off (updated numerous times)
* It’s probably time to start thinking about remote legislating (updated x3 with legislative-related cancellations)
* More on the latest AVR snafu (updated)
* COVID-19 morning roundup (updated with news that we were officially in a worldwide pandemic)
* HDems gonna HDem, but the schtick is really getting old
* ICJL says be wary of judicial candidates with Irish surnames during St. Patrick’s Day voting
* Emptying my campaign in-box (updated)
* Session canceled for next week (updated with Senate cancellation)
* Pritzker announces 6 additional COVID-19 cases, for a total of 25 (updated numerous times during his briefing)
* Secretary White bans large groups from Statehouse (updated several times)
* Pritzker will file emergency rules to provide benefits to people unemployed due to COVID-19
* ISU extends spring break, switches to online instruction, closes down university housing (updated with closure of CME trading floor)
* U of I goes online
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*** UPDATED x1 *** It’s just a bill
Thursday, Mar 11, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Capitol News Illinois…
State lawmakers are considering changes to an internet privacy law that recently led to a $650 million settlement between Facebook and more than 1 million of the website’s users in Illinois.
A state House judiciary committee advanced House Bill 559 on Tuesday, a measure that would revisit the Biometric Information Privacy Act of 2008, known as BIPA, to include provisions which sponsors say will protect small businesses but detractors say will render the privacy law obsolete.
House Minority Leader Jim Durkin, R-Western Springs, introduced the bill, saying thousands of BIPA related lawsuits have been filed against big businesses and small businesses alike, hitting the “small guys” the hardest. […]
“Since that case (Rosenbach v. Six Flags), we’ve seen an explosion,” Kearicher said. “As of last month, we were up to 1,076 cases filed, both open and closed, in a two year period here in Illinois alone.”
* Also from CNI…
A bill that would expand the use of political campaign funds to include child care and elderly home care expenses advanced out a state Senate committee on Wednesday.
Senate Bill 536 would amend the state election code to allow candidates to spend political committee funds on part-time or full-time child care or dependent elder home care expenses, as long as those expenses are “necessary for fulfillment of political, governmental or public policy duties, activities or purposes,” the bill states.
The bill would also apply to candidates running for political office, as well as officeholders, campaign staff or volunteers.
Sen. Melinda Bush, a Democrat from Grayslake who sponsored SB 536, said the measure “helps us level the playing field for people that want to run for office, and maybe don’t have the financial wherewithal to cover those childcare, and eldercare expenses.”
* WICS…
Another proposed bill, HB374, would allow community colleges and local housing authorities to collaborate and build affordable housing for college students.
“I was in discussions a few years ago with our local community college board here, Danville Area Community College, about maybe trying some affordable housing projects for the college,” Rep. Michael Marron, R-Danville, said. “I think we came to realize it wasn’t legally possible at that time.”
Marron says he believes the Danville community is interested in pursuing more affordable housing for local community college students.
* Press release…
An Illinois law that requires a young person seeking an abortion to involve an adult family member is dangerous for youth in the state, violates their human rights, and threatens their health and safety, Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Illinois said in a report released today. The Illinois General Assembly should repeal the law, the Illinois Parental Notice of Abortion Act, as a matter of urgency according to the report.
Under the Parental Notice of Abortion Act, a doctor providing care to a young person under age 18 seeking an abortion in Illinois must notify a designated adult family member – a parent, grandparent, step-parent living in the home, or legal guardian – at least 48 hours beforehand. If there is a reason that the young person is not able to have one of these family members notified, the young person can go to court and ask a judge for permission to have the procedure without this forced family involvement, in a process known as “judicial bypass.”
The 73-page report, “‘The Only People It Really Affects Are the People It Hurts’: The Human Rights Impacts of Parental Notice of Abortion in Illinois,” is the product of a collaboration between Human Rights Watch and the ACLU of Illinois. The groups found that young people often seek judicial bypass because they fear physical or emotional abuse, being kicked out of the home, alienation from their families or other deterioration of family relationships, or being forced to continue a pregnancy against their will. The groups also documented the hardships faced by young people forced to involve unsupportive family members in their abortion decision or navigate an unfamiliar court system to obtain a judicial bypass, and the additional stress and delays in seeking care this caused.
The report is here.
* Almost three weeks after it’s filed and suddenly it’s an issue? Also, no co-sponsors and it’s still in Rules Committee…
“I’m flabbergasted;” New bill proposal would require bachelor’s degree for officers
A bill proposed by Rep. Jaime Andrade (D – 40th District) would require police and corrections officers to have bachelor’s degrees with majors or minors in social work in order to move from probationary to permanent officers.
He filed it February 22, the same day Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a sweeping criminal justice reform bill into law.
Some law enforcement officials are worried this legislation doesn’t reflect the realities of the job.
*** UPDATE *** A zinger from Kyle Hillman, the Director of Legislative Affairs for the National Association of Social Workers, Illinois Chapter…
While we appreciate the sponsor’s acknowledgement of the importance of social workers for their knowledge of human development and behavior, of social, economic, and cultural institutions, and their understanding of how all these factors interact—we also recognize that today’s modern law enforcement would never agree to abide a social worker’s code of ethics. And likewise, today’s social worker would never agree to have their profession co-opted by today’s law enforcement.
While we can’t imagine a scenario where this bill passes in the Illinois General Assembly, and while we are focused on how to replace armed interventions with therapeutic ones, if this bill was ever to move, it would be a hard no from us.
Ouch.
* Arguing that a bill doesn’t solve all problems…
Opponents to the legislation, including Rep. Tom Demmer, R-Dixon, said the bill would not relieve other pressures that lead to pharmacies closing, including financial pressures.
“A pharmacy could still have other business pressures that jeopardize their success, individuals could just choose not to go to a certain pharmacy and that could lead to their closure,” Demmer said. “There are a number of factors at play there.”
* Read to the bottom line…
An Illinois lawmaker wants to get rid of a required test for teachers before they can step into the classroom.
ADVERTISEMENT
The test is called edTPA. It’s a performance-based and subject-specific exam. […]
State Sen. Darren Bailey, R-Louisville, said the test is expensive, and requiring it is making the teacher shortage worse. […]
[Illinois Regional Superintendent Kyle Thompson] believes instead of requiring the edTPA exam, local schools should be allowed to evaluate the candidate and determine if they are qualified to teach in their classrooms.
* Related…
* Bill to make exceptions to Illinois eviction ban fails to pass committee
* Illinois Senator wants to tax your carpet [ADDING: Sen. Melinda Bush points out that the only carpet manufacturers which will pay this new fee are located in Georgia]
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* WCIA…
A review of state records shows the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity sent at least $1.1 million in Business Interruption Grants to 72 companies the state considers “dissolved.”
In order to qualify for the Coronavirus relief funding, state application forms show the businesses had to attest that they were open on March 1st, 2020, they would try to stay open all year, and would use the money “exclusively for costs and losses incurred due to the business interruption” caused by Covid-19.
Business registration records kept at the Secretary of State’s office showed at least 72 of the companies that won grant funding were considered dissolved or terminated long before the pandemic began. […]
The Illinois Department of Revenue found as many as 17 of those 72 still have active accounts open with the state, another sign the entities are collecting sales taxes or withholding income taxes.
However, the tax agency confirmed it had no records of 19 of the companies who won grants, and 33 others had closed their doors. […]
Lauren Huffman, a spokeswoman with DCEO, said any company that won grant money that is later found to be in “violation of their agreement will put their grant status in jeopardy and could result in the state pursuing a return of funds.”
The total was never mentioned in the online text version of the story (it was mentioned in the actual on-air story) to provide some context, but the BIG program handed out over $275 million in funding before closing in January. So, $1.1 million would be 0.4 percent. And some of those businesses appear to have just not renewed their state paperwork.
* ILGOP…
Pritzker’s schtick in running for this office was to be responsible and get back to the basics of governing. Whether it’s been the disaster at IDES, the tragic death of over 30 veterans at a state-run facility, or this colossal waste of taxpayer money - the Pritzker administration has been a complete failure at running state government.
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* Joe Mahr has a stats-packed piece in the Tribune today about excess deaths…
Looking at federal estimates of excess deaths — how many more people died than is usually expected — Illinois ranked among the 10 worst states (including the District of Columbia) for the 10-month period from March through December.
In Illinois, nearly 111,000 people died from March 1 through Jan. 2, as tallied on a weekly basis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s 27% higher than the average for 2015 through 2019, which was about 87,000 deaths for the same 44-week period. […]
The hardest hit may not be a surprise — it’s New York — because of the massive number of deaths there during the first wave. Even with generally milder stretches later in 2020, New York state saw an increase in deaths of nearly 37% during the last 10 months of 2020. […]
The data suggests it’s because Illinois, unlike most places, suffered not one but two significant waves, and deaths were still higher than normal in between. […]
And then came the fall, when Illinois saw an even deadlier wave, with death figures from mid-November to mid-December hovering between 50% to 60% more deaths than average. This surge was broader, across the entire state
Too many people and, more importantly, local government officials outside Chicago and Cook County figured that since they were relatively safe during the first wave they didn’t have to worry about a second wave. Deadly consequences.
* You really should go read the whole thing, but here are a few charts…
If you have questions about the charts, click here and look them up in the article.
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*** UPDATED x1 *** Locals behaving badly
Thursday, Mar 11, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Edgar County Watchdogs…
It has come to our attention that the Village of Poplar Grove has been using its official Facebook page for electioneering purposes - in favor of the current Village President, Owen Costanza.
Use of official government communications, like email and social media, for electioneering purposes, is wrong and we urge residents of Poplar Grove to file an official complaint to either the Village’s Ethics Commission (if there is one) or the Illinois State Board of Elections.
This gives an unfair disadvantage to other candidates and gives the impression that the Village is taking sides in the upcoming election. No amount of couching it as an informative listening session or “coffee talk” while advertising it as a “Re-elect Costanza” event could bring it into compliance.
These advertisements also pulled Illinois State Representative Joe Sosnowski into the electioneering issue, since his name is listed as a speaker at this event. He should have known better.
*** UPDATE *** Press release…
State Representative Joe Sosnowski, R-Rockford, issued the following statement today in response to the coffee he hosted in Boone County earlier this week at which Poplar Grove Village President Owen Costanza was a guest:
“The Coffee Talk held at the Boone County Family Restaurant on March 8 was my event, organized by my legislative office as an opportunity for me to update constituents on state issues and listen to feedback from members of the community. As a benefit to constituents, I invited Poplar Grove Village President Owen Costanza to be a guest at the coffee. I have spoken with Village President Costanza, and he has acknowledged that he accidentally shared an invitation on the Village’s Facebook page with his political logo attached to it, making it appear that the event was sponsored by his campaign. Upon being made aware, he immediately removed the image.
“I will take additional precautions when scheduling these events in the future to ensure that all are aware that these are official events not to be associated in any way with an individual campaign or political purpose.”
* Not good…
* Meanwhile, from the BGA…
Nearly a year-and-a-half after federal agents raided Lyons Village Hall as part of a sweeping corruption investigation, clean government has become a top issue in the west suburb’s upcoming election as controversial Mayor Chris Getty seeks a fourth term.
Getty, the son of a former mayor who went to federal prison for stealing from the village, is fending off a challenge from residents vowing reform. At the same time, the current mayor has spent nearly $100,000 in campaign funds on legal fees as part of the wide-ranging probe that has hit suburban mayors, state lawmakers, contractors and utility giant Commonwealth Edison.
At stake for Getty is not only maintaining his political power and access to campaign cash, but a significant payday. Should Getty win, he stands to make at least $70,000 in salary for each of the next four years as mayor and liquor commissioner. That’s compared to $10,000 he made in both jobs when he was first elected in 2009. The salaries have been growing steadily since Getty himself pushed the pay hikes through a compliant Lyons Village Board. With insurance and retirement, his total compensation at the end of 2021 will exceed $109,000.
Richard Gatz Jr., a longtime resident of the working-class suburb who was a village board member nearly 20 years ago, is running for mayor along with a slate of board member and clerk candidates on the Village Integrity Party ticket.
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[Bumped up from late last night for better visibility.]
* Greg Hinz at Crain’s…
In an interview, Deputy Gov. Dan Hynes says that, with COVID infection and hospitalization numbers now nearing record low levels and vaccinations speeding up, the administration wants to send a clear message that “conventions will return. There’s a way to bring them back safely. Signaling that is important.”
Added Hynes: “It’s our intention to allow and plan for conventions at McCormick Place and other locales during the summer, and certainly by July, which is when the Chicago Auto Show will occur.” […]
“We have faith we can host the auto show on July 15, barring some dramatic change in the trajectory of the pandemic,” Hynes said. […]
Industry sources said the event could run five to seven days starting on or around July 15, with events both inside McCormick Place’s West Building and outside. Hynes said that, for economic reasons, “several thousand people at any one time” would have to be on hand, but state believes that’s doable within safety guidelines.
…Adding… Sen. Sara Feigenholtz…
“Establishing a Tourism and Hospitality Committee in the Senate was the brainchild of Senate President Don Harmon. Putting me in the chair — also his decision.”
“The Senate Committee proved to be a catalyst once it convened and provided a public forum for labor, conventions, hotels and restaurants to discuss the impact of the devastating job loss to their respective industries”
“The Governor’s announcement came at the perfect time. It tells the public that Illinois government is quite capable of following the science and simultaneously making a plan to safely bring back an industry for events that are six months away.”
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Open thread
Thursday, Mar 11, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Heh…
Please keep it Illinois-centric and polite. Thanks.
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Fitch stays with negative Illinois outlook
Wednesday, Mar 10, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* WBEZ…
Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker hailed the expected final passage today of President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus package as a major fiscal win for the state’s cash-strapped coffers and for Illinoisans awaiting $1,400 stimulus checks.
The governor and Democratic U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, whose House subcommittee helped shape how much state and local governments would receive, dissected one of the largest spending packages ever assembled in Congress during a joint appearance on WBEZ’s morning newscast. […]
Pritzker has made clear one of his first spending priorities once that money reaches Illinois will be the repayment of $2.875 billion in loans the state took out last year from the Federal Reserve’s Municipal Liquidity Facility to help offset the fiscal impact of COVID-19.
That commitment caught the eye of some of the bond-rating agencies, which for years have consistently rated Illinois’ state government as a notch above junk-bond status because of its long-running budgetary ills.
“If the state focuses use of the significant one-time infusion to reduce liabilities and on other one-time needs, it could support stabilization of the state’s fiscal resilience and rating outlook,” according to a statement released Tuesday by Fitch Ratings.
* Toplines from Fitch…
RATING SENSITIVITIES
Factors that could, individually or collectively, lead to positive rating action/upgrade:
– Enactment of the ARP, followed by a clear dedication of the state to using new federal aid to unwind one-time budgetary measures taken over the past year and restore fiscal resilience, would support stabilization of the Outlook and potentially upward rating movement toward its pre-pandemic level.
– A quick and sustained recovery in Illinois’ economic activity and revenue collections could support stabilization of the Outlook by allowing the state to preserve financial resilience and minimize exacerbating its structural budget challenges. Such a recovery is more likely now than even a few months ago given the rollout of multiple vaccines nationally and globally as well the high likelihood of substantial new federal economic stimulus. Similarly, structural changes that lead to materially higher revenues or reduced spending could also support stabilization of the Outlook.
Factors that could, individually or collectively, lead to negative rating action/downgrade:
– A downgrade could be triggered by the lack of a credible path to reversing the state’s current pandemic-driven use of non-structural budget measures or by a reliance on short-term measures that materially compound the state’s long-term challenges such as its pension liability burden. Specifically, Fitch will assess any additional federal aid that could mitigate the state’s fiscal challenges and the long-term structural implications of the state’s fiscal 2022 budget currently under legislative consideration. Actions that materially exacerbate structural budget challenges, such as substantial use of one-time federal aid for recurring expenditures, could trigger negative rating action.
–More severe economic weakness than envisioned in Fitch’s coronavirus baseline scenario that triggers greater than anticipated, sustained and deep revenue declines and materially erodes the state’s gap-closing capacity could lead to negative rating action. Fitch’s assessment of the state’s long-term economic growth prospects could also be fundamentally weakened from an already modest level. This would pressure all aspects of the state’s credit profile.
Go read the rest. The legislature absolutely, without a doubt has to avoid putting that federal aid into the spending base. Period.
* Bond Buyer…
On Tuesday, the legislature’s Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability revised its revenue estimates for the current fiscal year upward from last fall.
Warnings of a $4 billion gap last November due to the failure of the graduated income tax amendment on the November ballot and decision against tapping the full legislative authority to borrow $5 billion from the MLF overshadowed the positive news that $2.3 billion more in tax revenue was expected.
Base revenues were revised upward Tuesday again by another $596 million for the current fiscal year. That estimate tracks closely with the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget’s $485 million revision, said Jim Muschinske, COGFA revenue manager.
The state now expects $40.4 billion of general fund revenue for fiscal 2022, down from $41.6 billion this year, which was inflated by the windfall of income tax that flowed to coffers at the start of fiscal 2021 due to the extension of the tax filing deadline. Otherwise collections will continue to grow with personal income taxes rising by 3% and sales by 2.8%, slightly better than the administration’s forecast. Those figures don’t account for the impact of Pritzker’s proposals.
* Press release…
Illinois State Comptroller Susana Mendoza issued this statement Wednesday after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan:
“Thank you, members of the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Senate, for responding to the needs of America to survive COVID-19. This financial relief is needed in Illinois to pay back billions of dollars we borrowed from the federal reserve that allowed us to cover the state’s health care bills as we fight our way through this pandemic.
“As I said in my guest column in Crain’s Chicago Business today:
• Yes, Illinois and all states need the stimulus package.
• No, it’s not a ‘bailout’ of blue states by red states. People in blue, red, and purple states are hurting and need help. From 2015 to 2019, Illinois taxpayers sent $16.4 billion more to the federal government than they got back in federal spending. Illinois has dutifully served as a top donor state, helping some of those same dependent states whose senators now mislabel this stimulus as a “bailout.”
• Before we spend money on anything else, any stimulus money that comes to Illinois is earmarked to pay back money we borrowed from the Federal Reserve for the state’s COVID-19 and other medical expenses during this pandemic.
• Restaurants and hotels were closed and not paying sales taxes. Employees were laid off. Not only were they not earning a paycheck and not paying personal income taxes to the state, people who’d never sought unemployment benefits had to file for the first time and avail themselves of other state services. The state had less money coming in and more demand for services. It was a double whammy to the people and to the state budget, and it will take years to recover.
• No, we are not going to spend a penny of the stimulus on old pension debt that predated the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Yes, 76% of Americans support the stimulus, including 60% of Republicans.”
…Adding… Speaker Welch on the passage of the American Rescue Plan…
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating effect on our state. Although we will never forget the lives we have lost and the hardships we have faced, we now know that help is on the way. Today, President Biden and the United States Congress officially approved a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill. The state of Illinois will receive $7.5 billion in assistance and local governments will receive another $6 billion. This is funding that will go towards schools, vaccine distribution, improved administration and operations for critical agencies like the Illinois Department of Employment Security, small business support and financial aid. This act will give direct payments of $1,400 to millions of Illinoisans. It will also extend and enhance unemployment benefits and expand the child tax credit, which will put more money directly in the pockets of our most low-income families. I am grateful to Senators Durbin, Duckworth, and our congressional delegation for making sure Congress took bold, swift action. Once guidelines are issued by federal authorities, I look forward to working with the Pritzker administration and our budget leaders on how to best appropriate these funds so they meet the needs of our most vulnerable communities. While I know the road to recovery will not be easy, this bill gives us the funds necessary to simultaneously address this health and economic crisis.
* Related…
* Taxes on unemployment benefits helped improve Illinois’ revenue estimate
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Question of the day
Wednesday, Mar 10, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* HB724…
Conservators of the peace. After receiving a certificate attesting to the successful completion of a training course administered by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board as required under Section 10.5 of the Illinois Police Training Act, all members of the General Assembly shall be conservators of the peace.
Those persons shall have power (i) to arrest or cause to be arrested, with or without process, all persons who break the peace or are found violating any municipal ordinance or any criminal law of the State, (ii) to commit arrested persons for examination, (iii) if necessary, to detain arrested persons in custody over night or Sunday in any safe place or until they can be brought before the proper court, and (iv) to exercise all other powers as conservators of the peace prescribed by State and corporate authorities.
* Illinois Policy Institute…
State Rep. Dan Caulkins, R-Decatur, has raised concerns about the proposed bill.
“Who’s going to carry the liability insurance? Who’s going to wear body cameras and when is that going to be required?” Caulkins said to WAND-TV. “Do you want political people with the power to arrest someone that they may not agree with politically? I mean, I think there’s a lot to be thought about.” […]
[Chicago] Alderman have been considered “conservators of the peace” under Illinois law since 1872, granting them the power to make arrests and carry a concealed handgun in the case they or someone else is under immediate threat of bodily harm. They also have badges. […]
The bill was assigned to the House Executive Committee on March 2.
* The Question: Should state legislators be given these police powers? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please…
polls
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It’s just a bill
Wednesday, Mar 10, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Looks like the House Democrats have this newbie on the program…
House Bill 2428 would stop state lawmakers from joining the [pension] system. State Rep. Dave Vella, D-Rockford, introduced the bill as one of his first after winning a close race against former state Rep. John Cabello.
Vella also refused to enroll in the retirement system.
“We need to make sure we are not wasting resources to fund unnecessary perks for politicians,” Vella said. “As our state continues to face financial problems, we should not be adding new financial burdens by promising to pay for the retirements of career politicians.”
* Rep. Moylan was a solid “No” on cannabis legalization and was also totally on the opposite side of Rep. Cassidy’s battles to oust Speaker Madigan, so no surprise here…
State Rep. Marty Moylan (D-Des Plaines) has now introduced legislation that would strengthen conflict of interest provisions in the legalization law that aim to prevent lawmakers, regulators and their families from profiting off the industry.
“For far too long in Illinois we have seen public officials abuse the public trust for their own benefit. It is time we enact much stronger ethics laws, especially concerning the growing cannabis industry where a lot of money is now flowing,” Moylan, a staunch critic of the legalization effort, said in a statement announcing the bill last month. […]
Moylan’s bill appears to target Candace Gingrich, the spouse of state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, a Chicago Democrat who led the effort to legalize recreational marijuana.
Just a month after Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed that law, Gingrich was announced as the vice president of business development for Revolution Florida, a “sister company” to the Streeterville-based pot firm Revolution Global. Because Revolution already earned a license to grow recreational pot in Illinois, Moylan believes Gingrich should be barred from working for its Florida subsidiary.
Interesting that his bill only applies specifically to the cannabis industry.
* Ben Szalinski with the State Journal-Register…
State Rep. La Shawn Ford, D-Chicago, proposed legislation to make it easier for someone who has charges against them dropped or is acquitted in court to have the charges erased from their record immediately. Under House bill 434, a person can immediately petition the judge to expunge their record of the charges that did not result in a conviction, but the prosecution can also object to the possible expungement. […]
“As a society, what we have to start doing is looking at the unintended consequences of not (expunging records). We have so many unintended consequences of not doing the right thing,” Ford said, adding this legislation is about addressing mistakes the criminal justice system has made and not the mistakes of individuals. […]
Ford also brought forward legislation in House bill 350 to make it easier for a convicted defendant to pay fines assessed in the conviction. The bill would allow judges to make determinations on a defendant’s ability to pay the fines and fees before the judge assesses them.
* WTTW…
Opponents of the payday lending industry say they’re worried about a series of bills circulating in the General Assembly right now that they say would gut some of the protections that are in the bill awaiting the governor’s signature.
Sponsors of two such bills in the House and Senate declined to be interviewed for this story.
The two camera-shy sponsors are Democratic Rep. Jonathan Carroll and Republican Sen. Sue Rezin.
* Press release…
A coalition of consumer, environmental, and community advocates along with legislative champions announced legislation today to end a gas utility surcharge contributing to higher heating bills across the state.
The coalition pointed to numerous examples of rapidly rising bills from one end of the state to the other: Peoples Gas customers are paying more than 10 times the amount legislators were told the surcharge would cost, and a staggering 29 percent are behind on their bills. The surcharge, similar to the rubber-stamped “formula” rate hikes ComEd won through a corrupt scheme, has significantly contributed to a recent $76 million Ameren Illinois gas increase and a record-breaking $293 million Nicor Gas rate-hike request.
The legislation (HB3941, state Rep. Joyce Mason, SB570, state Sen. Ram Villivalam) would phase out the surcharge, called the “Qualified Infrastructure Plant” (QIP) charge, at the end of 2021 instead of at the end of 2023 and restore traditional regulatory oversight over gas utility spending. Gov. J.B. Pritzker endorsed the policy in his August energy principles, and Mayor Lightfoot and the Chicago City Council called for similar action last spring.
“This year has made clear that we need to restore utility oversight in Illinois,” Rep. Mason said. “As families are tightening their belts, we can no longer allow unaccountable utility spending to raise heating bills unchecked.”
In announcing the legislation, the coalition also released new data from reports the utilities file with state regulators showing that Peoples Gas customers were collectively about $147 million behind on their gas bills as of January 2021. That is $26 million more than ComEd customers, even though ComEd has about 3 million more residential customers. A staggering 29 percent of Peoples Gas customers–nearly a third of the utility’s customer base–were behind on their bills as of January.
“I think it’s important to remove this charge. The utilities know we need these services and it’s not fair that they keep hiking up bills, knowing that we can barely pay it as it is,” said Donna Carpenter, a West Englewood resident and parent leader with COFI POWER-PAC IL. “It would be a big help, not just to me but to others in the community as well. We’re in a situation where we can’t go in person to get help and a lot of people don’t know how to apply for help on the computer, and all of these bills adding up–it’s affecting us.”
The surcharge has not only contributed to higher utility bills, it has also limited state oversight. Despite well documented mismanagement and affordability problems with the Peoples Gas pipe replacement program, the Illinois Commerce Commission concluded in 2018 that it could not regulate the program, saying that the surcharge law “tied its hands.” Critics have argued that the pipe-replacement program fails to prioritize addressing safety risks in the Peoples Gas system.
Last week almost 1,300 Peoples Gas customers in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood lost service for at least one day. Peoples Gas has yet to explain the cause of the outage. Logan Square ranks 10th out of all neighborhoods for the number of gas main breaks or cracks from 1981 through 2018. The neighborhood is also 19th in the city for its average pipe segment risk ranking, under the company’s pipe segment risk index. Despite these indications of relatively high risk, Peoples Gas is not planning to conduct its pipe-replacement program in the neighborhood until 2032-2036.
The coalition supporting the legislation is led by AARP Illinois, COFI - POWER PAC, CUB Illinois, the Environmental Law and Policy Center, and Illinois PIRG. More than 30 organizations have endorsed the legislation.
* Related…
* House lawmakers pass bill placing restrictions on Illinois pet owners
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* I dunno about this…
With burdensome student loan debt often cited as the reason young adults postpone buying homes, an Illinois agency has begun paying off student loans for people who want to become homeowners. […]
Aspiring home buyers who meet certain income limits can get up to $40,000 in student loan debt wiped out, changing their debt-to-income ratio to something that makes obtaining a mortgage easier. The buyers have to meet certain income standards—in Cook County, the individual income limit is about $109,000—and agree to live in the property they buy for three years to get the student loan debt forgiven. […]
The $25 million program, called SmartBuy, has a goal of helping 500 to 1,000 young adults buy homes, said Javier Gumulcio, IHDA’s director of homeownership
I mean, I suppose I’ll be happy for the folks who qualify, but imagine the amount of people who qualify for that aid in this state who will have to rely on dumb luck to “win” this money.
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* Press release…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 1,682 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 30 additional deaths.
- Christian County: 1 female 90s
- Coles County: 1 female 50s
- Cook County: 2 males 50s, 1 female 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 2 males 80s, 1 female 90s
- Edgard County: 1 male 50s
- Fayette County: 1 male 70s
- Jefferson County: 1 male 60s
- Kane County: 1 male 30s, 1 female 70s
- Kendall County: 1 female 70s
- Lake County: 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s
- Ogle County: 1 female 80s
- Perry County: 1 male 50s
- Rock Island County: 1 female 60s
- St. Clair County: 1 male 50s, 1 male 60s, 2 females 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s
- Stephenson County: 1 male 70s
- Will County: 1 female 80s
- Winnebago County: 1 female 80s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,202,709 cases, including 20,810 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 71,488 specimens for a total of 18,804,759. As of last night, 1,157 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 242 patients were in the ICU and 111 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from March 3-9, 2021 is 2.3%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from March 3-9, 2021 is 2.6%.
A total of doses of 4,323,145 vaccine have been delivered to providers in Illinois, including Chicago. In addition, approximately 414,900 doses total have been allocated to the federal government’s Pharmacy Partnership Program for long-term care facilities. This brings the total Illinois doses to 4,738,045. A total of 3,567,927 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight, including 349,983 for long-term care facilities. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 95,369 doses. Yesterday, 104,777 doses were administered in Illinois.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in real-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. 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.
* By the way, DuPage, Kane and McHenry counties saw a major two-day spike in their positivity rates at the beginning of the month, but those have since dissipated. The spikes were attributed to a lag in reporting some positive results. Even so, rates are creeping back up in all three counties.
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Stacey Smith needs our help
Wednesday, Mar 10, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* GoFundMe for a well-known and beloved campaign fundraiser and political consultant…
Stacey Smith is a kind, adventurous, fun-loving, passionate, hard-working young woman who so many of us love and adore with all our hearts.
She is a world traveler and a seeker. She is a fiercely loyal, dedicated, intelligent, vibrant human and is the kind of person that just makes you feel good to be around. She is a bright light––and right now, she needs our help.
In July 2019, while on one of her many adventures, Stacey had a water-skiing accident that led to a traumatic brain injury (TBI). This injury has wreaked havoc on everything in her life that she loves … she can’t work, drive, read, listen to music, cook, or travel. Basic daily tasks cause immense, debilitating pain and other symptoms that make life very difficult.
Stacey has been doing everything possible to recover and return to the things she loves, but has recently hit some serious road blocks. In February, she had to be hospitalized for several weeks to treat complications associated with her TBI. This has been a heartbreaking development, but it has brought Stacey’s family, friends, and colleagues together to do whatever it takes to get her back on her feet.
Stacey cannot work right now, and based on her recovery so far, she will likely not be able to work for the foreseeable future.
We are raising money to help cover medical bills from her most recent hospital stay and follow-up treatments. We are also raising funds to help cover the cost of exploring the newest innovative treatments for TBIs, which are not yet covered by insurance. We have learned so much about how difficult it is to treat TBIs, and we are exploring every option available so Stacey can finally have relief from the painful and debilitating effects of her injury. We need help paying for those experimental treatments.
If Stacey has touched your life the way she has touched ours, please consider a donation. Together, we can raise the resources we need to get Stacey back in the driver’s seat of her life and on to bigger and better things.
Thank you for your consideration.
Please, click Stacey’s pic to donate…
Thanks.
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The map is only part of the reason
Wednesday, Mar 10, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Question asked of Senate President Don Harmon…
I do want to ask you about redistricting. Senator Durbin, Senator Duckworth, Governor Pritzker all got about 55 percent of the vote in Illinois when they ran statewide. President Biden did a little better than that. But in the Illinois Senate, Democrats hold 69 percent of the seats. Is that healthy for a representative democracy as we look at drawing new district boundaries?
It’s an interesting point, but it’s a question that doesn’t consider the context of what’s happening in Illinois down-ballot races. Yes, the map obviously favors Democrats. But it’s also done so in ways that no Democrat likely could’ve predicted 10 years ago when the maps were originally drawn.
* Take a look at the 25th Illinois Senate District as just the most recent example. That district was represented for years by Republican Jim Oberweis. In 2012, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney won the 25th by 8 points and Oberweis won it by 15.
In 2014, Bruce Rauner won the district by 30 points and Mark Kirk won it by 13. The only statewide Democrat to win the district that year was Jesse White.
But things started to change in 2016 when Hillary Clinton beat Donald Trump in the district by 3 points. Even so, Republican candidates for US Senate and comptroller both won (by 4 and 16 points, respectively). Sen. Oberweis won reelection that year by almost 10 points.
The 2018 midterms allowed Democrats to move ever closer to the Republicans. JB Pritzker lost the district by 3 points, but that was still a 33-point swing from Rauner’s 2014 result. Comptroller Susana Mendoza won it by 6 points.
Last year, the Senate Democrats won the Oberweis seat by about 2 percentage points. Why? One reason was that Oberweis chose to run for Congress, so it was an open contest. Latinx candidates (like Mendoza) have proved to be popular there and the SDems’ successful candidate was Karina Villa. And Joe Biden won the district by 10 points, a big 18-point swing from Barack Obama’s showing in 2012. Sen. Durbin won it by almost 7 points, an 11-point swing from his 2014 showing.
And this district is not unique to either chamber or to congressional seats. 2018 was just horrific for suburban Republicans. Districts that were drawn to be pretty solidly GOP ten years ago are now in Democratic hands. Seriously, if I told you in 2011 that Oberweis’ seat would flip to the Democrats in 2020 you probably would’ve thought I was daft. But gigantic national trends and, to some extent significant local demographic changes (in this case, the district is more Latinx than it was) have combined to pad the Democrats’ majorities.
The Republicans didn’t have a great candidate in an open seat, the Democrats did have a good candidate, the Republicans were outspent and the top of the ticket was a disaster for them. The map wasn’t a real issue.
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Caption contest!
Wednesday, Mar 10, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I’d have a “count the masks on indoor faces” contest, but that would be too easy…
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A tale of two proposed Will County bridges
Wednesday, Mar 10, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* WJOL…
Congressman Bobby Rush is demanding that Governor Pritzker take action that could bring ten-thousand jobs to the Joliet area. Rush called on the governor to sign a bill in order for construction of a Compass Global Logistics Hub otherwise known as NorthPoint to proceed in Joliet.
The two-billion-dollar hub would serve as a relay point for goods arriving by rail. The project was approved by the Joliet City Council in December. But groups such as Stop NorthPoint have filed lawsuits against the City of Joliet to stop NorthPoint. The group is also encouraging Governor J.B. Pritzker to protect Abraham Lincoln National cemetery from the truck noise, pollution. Plus they want the Governor to keep the proposed bridge in local control.
Meanwhile, Warehouse Workers for Justice held protest in Joliet Friday, to rally residents and encourage Governor J.B. Pritzker to hold his ground and not intervene in the Elwood bridge situation.This protest follows growing unrest around large warehouse and logistics centers in the southland and more plaintiffs joining lawsuits against Northpoint and Joliet. WWJ was joined by local residents, current and former warehouse workers and members of the group Just Say No To Northpoint to demand local officials honor the wishes of Elwood.
* Also WJOL…
Contracts have been signed for the Houbolt Road 200-million dollar extension. The 1.5 mile roadway project will extend from the existing Houbolt Road/Route 6 intersection south to the Schweitzer/Vetter Road intersection. The project will create a new access point to facilitate the efficient flow of traffic and safety. The route provides a more direct path for trucks to access I-80, taking traffic off local road likes Route 53. The Houbolt Road Extension Joint Venture will use an open road all-electronic toll system integrated with I-Pass.
The City of Joliet is expected to get $1-million a year from tolls and Will County expected to make $500,000 a year in collected tolls.
The Houbolt Road Extension is a business partnership between CenterPoint Properties and United Bridge Partners.
In Will County up to one-third of the country’s freight movement is generated by, attracted to, or passes through our region.
Artist rendering of the Houbolt bridge…
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Insert Senate/Rodney Dangerfield joke here
Wednesday, Mar 10, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* WICS…
Three session dates for the Illinois House have been canceled.
House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch canceled the session dates scheduled for March 16, 17, and 19. […]
The Illinois House will reconvene at noon on Thursday, March 18.
* Politico…
House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch has called his chamber back to Springfield for one day next week to tackle at least two bills that need floor action. […]
State senators are already back in the state Capitol tending to legislation. There are fewer members in the Senate, making it easier to manage amid the pandemic.
Welch is monitoring virtual committee action and talking to chairs and ranking members about bill status, according to Sean Anderson, the speaker’s spokesman.
Except for a half-day meeting last month to vote on House Rules, this will be the first meeting in the state Capitol in more than a year. Representatives spent the abbreviated spring and veto sessions in the Bank of Springfield Center a mile away to allow for more social distancing, especially during the height of the pandemic in Illinois.
News flash: Michael J. Madigan is no longer in the House. The Senate is again a co-equal legislative branch. And they’re back in session, unlike the House.
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A Fair Map Prioritizes Voting Rights And Public Input
Wednesday, Mar 10, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Representative democracy works best when people actively engage in policy discussions and elections, ensuring that communities of color, long disenfranchised, are prioritized. Historically, Illinois’ redistricting process favors incumbents and is dominated by partisan, rather than community, objectives.
In 2021, we can create a fair map for Illinoisans that puts their interests first with a process that:
● Invites broad, meaningful public input through at least 35 public hearings for community members
● Requires fairness standards that prioritize people of color through the Federal Voting Rights Act, the Illinois Voting Rights Act, and communities of interest
● Allows for the public to weigh in on a map proposal through a public hearing and responses to suggestions before a final vote
● Is transparent, with a centralized website including all remap records and discussions and a compliance report detailing how the map meets these standards
Learn more at CHANGEIL.org.
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* Sen. Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) writing in Crain’s…
Governor J.B. Pritzker deserves high marks for his management of the pandemic, considering the abysmal lack of leadership and inadequate support from Washington.
But now we are at the one-year mark. Vaccinations for all adults are promised by May. In any case, the light at the end of the tunnel is visible, making it critical to unveil a plan to bring back conventions now.
Conventions and other events like weddings require at least a six-month planning ramp. Choose Chicago has estimated that Chicago has lost more than 60 conventions, with just 29 remaining on the books for 2021. Radio silence on a plan from decision makers has resulted in three conventions pulling the plug just last month.
Comparable states like Michigan, Colorado, Nevada and Ohio have unveiled forward-thinking plans allowing convention centers to increase their numbers of visitors, albeit incrementally. These mitigation plans act like a thermostat dial, rather than an on/off switch.
Illinois must hastily adopt a similar strategy or more events will be in peril and perhaps even lost forever to other states.
* I asked for a response from the Pritzker administration. Here’s Jordan Abudayyeh…
At every step of this pandemic the Governor has worked with public health officials to balance the health and safety of our residents with economic concerns. The Governor has been on the frontlines of this pandemic response making the tough decisions between bad and terrible choices in order to save lives and it has pained him to see our hospitality industry suffer as we have kept our distance and canceled the events that bring us joy throughout the past year. As we look forward to the end of this phase of the pandemic response with mass vaccination on the horizon, the Governor is once again turning to the medical experts on how best to move forward in a measured way to ensure continued progress in our fight against coronavirus. The administration has always welcomed input from industry and members of the General Assembly and hopes vaccine allocation and uptake will increase in the weeks ahead as we inch closer to a new normal.
Discuss.
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* The Southern…
State Sen. Elgie Sims Jr., D-Chicago, is trying to dispel myths about the newly signed criminal justice reform bill. […]
“This is a pro-safety, pro-reform, pro-community piece of legislation that is now law,” Sims said during a live-streamed event Monday hosted by the Carbondale Public Library. […]
“It does not defund the police. It does not remove qualified immunity for law enforcement officers. It does not change or take away collective bargaining rights,” Sims said of the law’s impact on law enforcement. “It does not mean that individuals will not be held accountable for their actions as a result of the Safe-T Act.” […]
He said part of the continued push for criminal justice reform is aimed at changing police culture. He said reformers are hoping to shift the focus from the warrior mindset to the guardian mindset. Above all he said supporting law enforcement to do this kind of work is essential.
“Law enforcement officers want to be problem solvers and we want to give them the tools,” Sims said.
Sen. Sims also pointed the audience to this explainer website.
* WBEZ…
In DuPage, [State’s Attorney Bob Berlin] and [Sheriff James Mendrick] believe the elimination of cash bail will mean more missed court dates and more repeat offenders committing crimes while awaiting trial.
Hull, the Kane County chief judge, is not expecting that impact in his jurisdiction. Hull said Kane County started using pre-trial risk assessments and reminding defendants about court dates about five years ago, and it led to a big drop in missed court dates. He’s expecting that trend to continue.
Smart administration instead of punitive administration is apparently the key here.
* From the same story…
With the end of cash bail, Berlin is expecting a lot more cases to go to trial because fewer defendants will feel pressured to plead guilty to get out of jail.
“That means there’s a burden on victims, witnesses, police and prosecutors,” Berlin said. “Does that result in a more fair system? You know, I’m not convinced that that’s the case … I believe that most people who plead guilty plead guilty because they are guilty. I know that some believe that in certain cases, people will plead guilty just to get out of jail. I think that’s a very small percentage of people.”
I asked Sharone Mitchell of the Illinois Justice Project for a response to Berlin via DM…
I would disagree that given our system’s history of mass incarceration and wrongful conviction that this is a feature we should be proud of or believe is an effective approach to administering justice.
I’d question whether a prosecutor, given the structure of our justice system cannot talk to the vast majority of accused people, is in the best position to guess why people plead guilty and at what percentage.
But, he said, “I respect the hell out of Berlin.”
* House GOP Leader Jim Durkin writing in the Tribune…
There are other examples of newly imposed duties upon law enforcement that serve no purpose other than to trip up an officer. This law also allows for an officer’s dismissal based on anonymous complaints, without that officer being confronted by his or her accuser.
This bill is not about fairness but is outright vilification of law enforcement in Illinois.
At one of the most lawless times in our state’s history, punishing the men and women who wear the badge will not make our streets and communities safer. If you want to reform policing and the criminal justice system in an effective manner, repeal this horrible law and start over.
This is not fearmongering. This is reality.
Police regularly solicit anonymous tips about others. Just sayin…
Also, one of the most lawless times in our state’s history? C’mon.
* Related…
* Illinois Prison Guard Expected To Plead Guilty In Prison Beating Death Case: The officers are charged with civil rights violations and obstruction for trying to cover up the incident and lying to investigators.
* With methadone lawsuit concluded, DuPage County Jail looks to expand opioid addiction treatment
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[The following is a paid advertisement.]
The Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board recently urged legislators to finally pass the Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA, HB804, SB1718). Here are a few excerpts:
“It’s time for the Legislature to get charged up about passing a comprehensive energy bill that would help the environment, assist ratepayers, benefit communities that need jobs and help workers displaced by the shift from fossil fuels.”
“Here’s just one reason: Illinois has not only gone over the so-called “solar cliff,” but it has also crashed on the ground like Wile E. Coyote. Because CEJA was not enacted in time, payments will be yanked away for solar installations that have already been started around the state. Others won’t begin. Fossil fuels will be burned unnecessarily.”
“Here’s another reason: Illinois has missed the window to protect ratepayers from unnecessarily paying higher power bills to support fossil fuel companies. The Trump administration is the culprit, but it will take years to unwind that on the federal level. CEJA would throw ratepayers a lifeline more quickly.”
We must pass the Clean Energy Jobs Act to create equitable jobs, lower electric bills, and hold utilities accountable. Read the full editorial here and learn more at ilcleanjobs.org.
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* Here you go…
* Tribune…
There was little doubt that Duckworth, 52, the state’s junior senator, would seek a second term. Shortly after securing his own reelection in November, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, the state’s senior senator and No. 2 Democrat in the chamber, began issuing fundraising emails and social media notices on her behalf.
So far, no major Republican candidate has surfaced to take on Duckworth next year. […]
She was the first woman with a disability elected to Congress and in 2018 became the first senator to give birth while in office.
Duckworth is planning a more formal announcement on March 30 in a virtual fundraiser headlined by all of the state, city and county’s major Democratic officeholders.
A link to that announcement/fundraiser is here.
* Sun-Times…
Duckworth’s main political account had a Dec. 31 cash on hand balance of $2,673,948.87.
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Open thread
Wednesday, Mar 10, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Polite and Illinois-centric convos only, please. Thanks.
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Unclear on the concept: Bill backlog
Tuesday, Mar 9, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Center Square…
From the $1.9 trillion spending plan the Senate passed, federal taxpayers are poised to send the state of Illinois $7.5 billion for the state budget.
That’s not enough to cover the state’s bill backlog.
Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza said on social media she and Gov. J.B. Pritzker agreed that federal dollars the state is expected to get should be prioritized to pay back recently borrowed federal funds.
The state has borrowed about $3 billion from federal programs during the pandemic and is slated to pay back the borrowing over several years. […]
But that doesn’t leave enough to cover backlogged bills that as of Monday was in excess of $5.8 billion for vendor services already rendered.
The state reaches a normal 4-week payment cycle once the backlog is reduced to around $3 billion. So, yes, there’s enough money to pay the bills and end what is actually the backlog and even provide a bit of a cushion.
Also, to show you how things can fluctuate, the comptroller’s site has the current backlog at $5.6 billion.
…Adding… I assume that a chunk of that federal money will be churned through federal matching accounts, like Medicaid, which will produce even more revenue. So, it’s tough to say how much that will all add up to when all is said and done.
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* S&P…
S&P Global Ratings revised the outlook to stable from negative and affirmed its ‘BBB-’ long-term rating on the State of Illinois’ general obligation (GO) debt outstanding, its ‘BB+’ rating on the state’s appropriation-backed debt, and its ‘BB-’ rating on the state’s moral obligation debt. At the same time, S&P Global Ratings assigned its ‘BBB-’ long-term rating to Illinois’ $1.259 billion GO bonds series A-C of March 2021.
In addition, we revised the outlook to stable from negative and affirmed our long-term ratings on various revenue bonds, including Build Illinois and the Metropolitan Pier & Exposition Authority bonds, rated under our “Priority-Lien Tax Revenue Debt” criteria (published Oct. 22, 2018), which factors in both the strength and stability of the pledged revenues, as well as the general creditworthiness of the linked obligor, in this case the State of Illinois (GO rating). The priority-lien rating on these bonds is limited by the state’s general creditworthiness.
“The revised outlook reflects the waning of fiscal and economic uncertainty stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic downturn,” said S&P Global Ratings credit analyst Geoff Buswick.
When we revised the outlook to negative from stable one year ago, we viewed the state’s lack of a reserve fund, history of liquidity challenges, and very high fixed costs as potentially limiting flexibility in addressing the economic and budget demands stemming from the pandemic. However, the administration has had adequate controls to maintain liquidity (including accessing the municipal liquidity facility), revenues for the most part have been stronger than forecast, and expenditure cuts or freezes have provided budgetary flexibility. Because the outlook revision is directly related to COVID-19 and the state’s budgetary actions during the pandemic, we view this as a remaining, but lessening, social risk in our environmental, social, and governance factors. Credit risks remain and the ‘BBB-’ rating is appropriate, in our view, but the economic conditions, federal support, and administrative actions have pulled the rating away from the speculative-grade category and support the stable outlook.
Credit weaknesses supporting the ‘BBB-’ rating include:
• An empty budget stabilization fund that would further limit budgetary flexibility;
• The remaining still-sizable bill backlog;
• Pension funding practices where the statutory pension funding is designed to attain a 90% funded status in 2045, which is one of the least conservative funding methodologies in the nation among peers;
• A recurring practice of relatively late audit reports. The audit for the fiscal year ended June 2019 was not released until April 2020 and the fiscal 2020 audit is still not published; and
• The unknown pace of recovery out of the pandemic-induced downturn.
Credit strengths include:
• On the revenue side of the budget, various tax revenues have held up stronger than forecast during the depths of the economic trough, and the likely receipt of unbudgeted federal stimulus to help bridge the gap to a fully functioning economy;
• On the expenditure side of the budget, whereas in the recent past the state has hesitated to make expenditure cuts during times of fiscal stress, the administration made more than $700 million in budget cuts and freezes in fiscal 2021 during the budget year, and the proposed fiscal 2022 budget includes another $1.269 billion in modifications and freezes. Not all cuts and freezes were general fund-related, but the recurring actions indicate a potential change in practice;
• Additional federal stimulus is not required in the governor’s budget proposal and any form of further aid would likely have a positive fiscal and economic effect; and
• The political gridlock that stymied governance a few fiscal years ago has dissipated.
The rating also reflects our opinion of governance risks that we view as being above the sector norms due to the constitutional limits the state faces to modify its rising pension costs, and that the state is not contributing to meet static funding, limiting current and future budgetary flexibility. However, we view the state’s environmental risks as in line with our view of the sector. Our outlook revision also reflects our view that the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the state’s economy, budget, and forecast is a social rating factor elevating the public health and safety issues.
We could lower the rating if we believe Illinois’s bill backlog is climbing meaningfully or the state’s liquidity position weakens to a level that jeopardizes its ability to finance core government services in a timely manner. Given the state’s high fixed costs, particularly pension and other postemployment benefits, and a lack of reserves, we believe that if Illinois does not address these conditions, downward pressures will return. Given the state’s recent tenuous fiscal position, near-term progress toward resolving the ongoing structural imbalance and realizing budgetary control targets is critical to maintaining an investment-grade rating.
Any upside to the state’s creditworthiness, however, remains somewhat constrained by the poorly funded pension systems and other outsize liabilities. But even with these, the state’s economic base could support a higher rating pending improvement in fiscal operations and overall budget management. If Illinois were to make sustainable progress toward structural balance, including meeting its pension obligations, further reducing its bill backlog, and increasing reserves, we could raise the rating.
I can’t remember the last time a ratings agency hinted at an improved Illinois credit score.
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* Press release…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 1,510 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 16 additional deaths.
- Champaign County: 1 male 40s, 1 male 60s, 1 male 80s
- Cook County: 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
- Kane County: 1 female 30s
- Lake County: 1 female 60s, 1 female 70s
- LaSalle County: 1 female 80s
- Madison County: 1 male 60s
- McHenry County: 1 male 80s
- Monroe County: 1 male 90s
- Rock Island County: 1 female 90s
- Winnebago County: 1 male 60s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,201,027 cases, including 20,781 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 53,445 specimens for a total of 18,733,271. As of last night, 1,177 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 263 patients were in the ICU and 132 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from March 2-8, 2021 is 2.3%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from March 2-8, 2021 is 2.7%.
A total of doses of 4,182,905 vaccine have been delivered to providers in Illinois, including Chicago. In addition, approximately 414,900 doses total have been allocated to the federal government’s Pharmacy Partnership Program for long-term care facilities. This brings the total Illinois doses to 4,597,805. A total of 3,463,150 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight, including 348,629 for long-term care facilities. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 92,180 doses. Yesterday, 75,372 doses were administered in Illinois.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in real-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. Information for deaths 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.
* USA Today…
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released guidelines Monday designed to ease restrictions for Americans who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
The agency’s guidance says those who have received a full course of COVID-19 vaccine may get together with other fully vaccinated individuals in small groups inside their homes without masks or physical distancing. They can visit with unvaccinated people from one other household who are at low risk for severe disease.
The guidelines say fully vaccinated people don’t need to quarantine or take a COVID-19 test if they’ve been exposed, unless they’re symptomatic. They should still monitor for symptoms for 14 days even if they’re not in quarantine.
“You can visit your grandparents if you’ve been vaccinated and they have been, too,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in a White House briefing Monday. “If grandparents have been vaccinated, they can visit their daughter and her family even if they have not been vaccinated, so long as the daughter and her family are not at risk for severe disease.”
* Tribune live blog headlines…
Parents angered by ‘bullying’ at school board meetings come to the defense of Indian Prairie district officials
Glenview residents 65 and older can sign up Tuesday afternoon for mass vaccination event at Glenbrook South
United Center opens as COVID-19 mass vaccination site: ‘We are now a live clinic.’
Parents from 9 school districts to hold rally in downtown Naperville demanding students return to the classroom
With teachers vaccines up and COVID-19 cases down, some high schools eye plan for near-total reopening.
* NBC Chicago live blog headlines…
United Center COVID Vaccine Site Opens Tuesday
Zocdoc Glitches Plague Registration for United Center COVID Vaccine Appointments
United Center COVID Vaccine Eligibility Changes, Causing Confusion and Frustration
More CPS Students Return to Schools for In-Person Learning
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[The following is a paid advertisement.]
The Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board recently urged legislators to finally pass the Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA, HB804, SB1718). Here are a few excerpts:
“It’s time for the Legislature to get charged up about passing a comprehensive energy bill that would help the environment, assist ratepayers, benefit communities that need jobs and help workers displaced by the shift from fossil fuels.”
“Here’s just one reason: Illinois has not only gone over the so-called “solar cliff,” but it has also crashed on the ground like Wile E. Coyote. Because CEJA was not enacted in time, payments will be yanked away for solar installations that have already been started around the state. Others won’t begin. Fossil fuels will be burned unnecessarily.”
“Here’s another reason: Illinois has missed the window to protect ratepayers from unnecessarily paying higher power bills to support fossil fuel companies. The Trump administration is the culprit, but it will take years to unwind that on the federal level. CEJA would throw ratepayers a lifeline more quickly.”
We must pass the Clean Energy Jobs Act to create equitable jobs, lower electric bills, and hold utilities accountable. Read the full editorial here and learn more at ilcleanjobs.org.
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It’s just a bill
Tuesday, Mar 9, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From HB192’s synopsis…
Creates the Firearm Violence Prevention and Reduction Study Act. Requires the Department of Public Health to conduct a study on methods to prevent and reduce firearm violence in Illinois.
Rep. Deanne Mazzochi (R-Elmhurst) speaking in opposition to the proposal in committee today…
I’m always very concerned about having mission creep within agencies.
Rep. Mazzochi’s HB3378…
Amends the Humane Care for Animals Act. Requires the Department of Agriculture to establish an animal sourcing database for the purpose of compiling information regarding the origin of animals that have been forfeited to animal shelters in this State. Provides that the database shall keep record of specified information concerning each animal.
* WEEK…
The Energy and Environment Committee approved a bill today that could stop people from endangering animals with plastic from balloons.
House bill 418 could make it illegal to knowingly release a large amount of balloons outside. That would include organized releases for celebrations, funerals or other gatherings. If caught, you could be charged a $500 fine.
Some committee members had concerns about how strict the rules would be. One lawmaker asked if people could be held responsible for accidentally letting go of balloons outside.
“If you’re walking, lets say in your scenario, and you have 20 balloons and the wind catches it and they take them out of your hand, that’s not a knowing release, that’s an accidental release,” said Representative Sam Yingling (D-Grayslake).
Rep. Yingling also said he doesn’t intend to hold children responsible for accidentally letting go of a balloon. He said he plans to add an amendment to clarify the difference between a knowing release and an accidental one.
* Capitol News Illinois…
A House transportation committee on Monday advanced two bills, one lowering toll rates for small trailers and another creating a forum on future railway infrastructure.
House Bill 394 and House Bill 399 were both sponsored by Rep. Martin Moylan, D-Des Plaines. Both received a unanimous 13-0 vote to move to the House floor.
HB 394 states that the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority shall not charge a toll for a vehicle pulling a single axle trailer at a rate higher than twice the regular car rate. For example, if a toll is $1.40, then the small trailer should only be charged an additional $1.40 for the extra axle, Moylan said this would be more reasonable.
“If you’re driving your car on the tollway and you’re pulling a small motorcycle, a small trailer with a four wheeler or a jet ski, or even if you’re going to cut your grandmother’s lawn, and you’re hauling a lawn mower, you are paying between $6.80 and $9.25 per toll, sometimes as high as $18,” Moylan said.
* Related…
* Chalkbeat: Five bills that we will be watching during the March legislative session
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Everyone has their own priorities
Tuesday, Mar 9, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Amy Jacobson’s question to the governor at today’s press conference about the vaccination program at the United Center…
It’s almost been a year since the flag has been at half staff and, you know, when we were kids we didn’t have cell phones the Internet [to know] when somebody significant passed away when the flag was lowered. When are you going to be raising it because now you know we have five COVID deaths yesterday so that was good news. Our last positivity rate is below 3%. What’s the metrics that you’re using in order to raise the flag?
* Part of the governor’s response…
I want to make sure, whether it’s a flag, or in some other ways, that we do remind people that this pandemic is not over yet. We’re going to be in this for months. For months. And we don’t know how long the vaccines last. We don’t know if you’re vaccinated, will you have to get vaccinated once a year, or will it be once every two years or perhaps a shorter length of time. We still don’t know that. We need to continue that testing all across the state. We need to continue to worry about the variants that are here now, although the most dangerous ones seem to be covered by the vaccinations that we have available, but there may be other variants that develop as you’ve seen. And so, we take all that into consideration. I, like you, revere particularly our members of our military have passed away and want to make sure that we honor them appropriately. So we take that all into consideration and we honor them in so many different ways the flag is on the wall.
More than half a million Americans are dead because of this pandemic.
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* Monday press release…
Today, the Illinois State Rifle Association and the Second Amendment Foundation have filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking to force the Illinois State Police (ISP) to comply with the mandated 90 and 120-day requirements to issue a Concealed Carry License if the applicant meets all qualifications.
“We hear every day from people frustrated with the delays in the Concealed Carry License process,” Richard Pearson, ISRA executive director. “The law gives the Illinois State Police a certain amount of time to respond to license applications and they routinely far exceed the allotted time. The delays are unacceptable and a lawsuit at this point seems to be the only way to get them stopped.”
The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, on behalf of Nicholas A. Luce, Joseph R. Stacho, III, David M. Rice, Jerry J. Robinson. They are represented by attorneys David G. Sigale of Wheaton, Ill, and Gregory A. Bedell of Chicago. The lawsuit is known as Luce v. Kelly. Named as defendants are ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly and ISP Firearms Services Bureau Chief Jarod Ingebrigtsen, in their official capacities.
The Illinois State Legislature requires the Illinois State Police (“ISP”) to either approve or deny an application for a CCL card within either 90 days (if the applicant submits fingerprints with the application) or within 120 days (if the applicant does not submit fingerprints). But despite this statutory command, the Illinois State Police routinely ignores these requirements and takes months and months to respond to these requests.
“Honest citizens should not have to wait excessive periods of time just to exercise their Constitutional rights,” Pearson said. “The Illinois State Police needs to comply with the law in responding to Concealed Carry License applications. It is unfortunate that we have to file a lawsuit to ensure these applications are processed in a timely manner.”
* Sun-Times…
The Illinois State Police declined to comment on the lawsuit specifically, but a spokeswoman defended the agency’s handling of Firearm Owner Identification Cards, which are required to possess guns, and Concealed Carry Licenses, which allow the holder to carry the firearm in unrestricted locations.
“Ensuring that FOID cards and concealed carry permits are promptly issued to Illinois’ citizens lawfully entitled to them is a priority for the Illinois State Police,” said Mindy Carroll, an agency spokeswoman. “For the safety and security of Illinois residents, it is imperative that all FOID and concealed carry applications are reviewed thoroughly and that all relevant background information is rigorously verified and researched.
“This is a time consuming and deliberate process. At times, the review process is lengthened due to the volume of applications, background verifications, and other operational considerations.”
Carroll noted that the Illinois State Police has added 25 Firearms Eligibility Analysts since March of last year to process these applications and seven more staff members starting this month.
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* Tara Molina at CBS 2…
— The Illinois Department of Employment Security is finally admitting that callback times are getting worse, not better. […]
How many phone numbers are sitting in the IDES callback queue? The total is 155,765 as of our last filled public records request from late February. […]
Acting Director Kristin Richards has insisted for weeks callback times have been cut to one to two weeks. But facing pressure from Illinois state representatives, she admitted in a hearing on employment security that the worst off are waiting much longer.
“The current response time is upwards of four weeks,” Richards said.
Sheesh. It’s been a year, for crying out loud.
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* Rep. Jones has been trying to get elected mayor of Calumet City for eight years, but has faced local and court roadblocks at every turn. The town now has its first Black mayor even though it’s 74 percent Black…
Thaddeus Jones’ quest to become the city’s first black mayor took a big step forward Monday thanks to a favorable ruling by the Illinois Supreme Court in a lawsuit over his eligibility to be on the Feb. 23 primary ballot.
The Supreme Court affirmed an appellate court ruling last month that restored Jones’ name to the ballot in the Democratic mayoral primary against 18-year incumbent Michelle Markiewicz Qualkinbush.
A Calumet City electoral board had ruled Jones ineligible to run in the wake of a November referendum passed by city voters that banned mayoral candidates who held an office created by the Illinois constitution.
Jones, who was elected Calumet City’s first black alderman in 1997 and served until 2017, has been a state representative since 2011.
The electoral board’s decision was upheld by the Cook County Circuit Court before being overturned by the 1st District Appellate Court, whose ruling was affirmed by the Supreme Court.
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* Jerry Nowicki at Capitol News Illinois…
llinois State Board of Education officials on Monday made their case for an added $362.1 million to the state’s evidence-based funding formula and $50 million in early childhood education grants, pushing back on the governor’s proposal to keep state K-12 education funding flat next fiscal year. […]
ISBE Superintendent Carmen Ayala told the committee that in fiscal year 2018, there were 168 school districts at or below 60 percent of funding adequacy. Three years later, only 10 districts are at or below that number. […]
If the funding formula is to be successful in driving districts to the 90 percent adequacy target by 2027, Ayala said, the state would need to allocate an added $799 million each year for the next six years. Thus, the $362.1 million increase to the formula is the middle ground, according to ISBE officials.
Rep. Will Davis, a Democrat from Suburban Homewood who was a lead negotiator in the House for the evidence-based formula in 2017, said there are “a number of” House Democrats “who are not happy with the governor’s introduced budget” as it relates to the evidence-based funding formula.
He suggested the state should treat the funding increase as it does pension or bond debt, which is considered a baseline expense that other state spending should be built around.
* Related…
* Illinois school districts continue to report teacher shortages
26 Comments
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Do better
Tuesday, Mar 9, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Better Government Association testimony to the Joint Commission on Ethics and Lobbying Reform last year…
Last week, new Senate President Don Harmon made a big statement by giving up his outside job, recognizing that his new responsibilities would need his full-time attention. I’ll note that still another ethics commission (in 2009) suggested making this a requirement for the House Speaker and Senate President — and paying them the same salaries as Supreme Court justices to make up for it. President Harmon might appreciate that idea.
* Better Government Association President and CEO David Greising’s Tribune op-ed last week…
Don Harmon, just beyond his one-year anniversary as state Senate president, has yet to utter a quotable phrase — on or off script.
31 Comments
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Protect BIPA Now!
Tuesday, Mar 9, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Comments Off
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Open thread
Tuesday, Mar 9, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Illinois-centric and polite, please. Thanks.
7 Comments
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