* On Wednesday, I wondered aloud if the story about Speaker Chris Welch’s comments on another graduated income tax vote were “actually anything beyond some public spitballing during a webcast.”
* Well, Speaker Welch did another event today, and Greg Hinz was the moderator…
At the top of my list as moderator was asking Welch how serious he was when he suggested during an interview earlier in the week with the Economic Club that officials take another run at enacting a graduated income-tax amendment, one that would dedicate much of the proceeds to paying off $144 billion in state pension debt.
Welch described that as “spitballing,” saying he only was talking about what might happen “if” the subject returned again. Welch said the General Assembly will “probably not” revive the issue this spring, in time for a new referendum in 2022. But he also described the state’s current tax code as “unfair to working families,” a suggestion he’d still like to see some change.
* The Question: How do you think Speaker Welch is doing so far? Make sure to explain your answer.
In late September, before covid-19 swept through southern Illinois like a prairie fire, before nearly every single resident of a nursing home in Du Quoin was infected, before the disease pushed Perry County’s rural health-care system to the breaking point, confidence was in the air.
The county clerk, Beth Lipe, realized the pandemic wasn’t causing any rush for absentee ballots. Of 9,300 applications she mailed out, she got back fewer than 1,000 requests, about the same as any other year.
The staff of the St. Nicholas Brewing Co. on a Friday afternoon set up 10 tables for their evening food and bar service next door in the parking lot of the Du Quoin State Bank. As usual, fewer than half their customers showed up in masks.
Fairview Rehabilitation and Healthcare, on East Jackson Street, had yet to see a single case of covid-19, six months into the pandemic. “I had escaped it,” said the home’s owner, Scott Stout. “We hoped and we prayed.” That month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded the nursing home a $19,000 incentive grant recognizing its superior infection-control procedures, one of thousands of such grants across the nation. […]
When [November] began, Perry County, population 20,000, had experienced fewer than 500 coronavirus cases over seven months, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. By Nov. 12, when word came of the first positive test at Fairview, the county had 653 cases. By the end of the month, 1,238. By the end of January, 2,940, or nearly 15 percent of the county’s residents. That’s almost double the percentage of New York City’s caseload. Fifty-six have died.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 2,441 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 55 additional deaths.
Champaign County: 1 male 90s
Christian County: 1 male 70s
Coles County: 1 female 80s
Cook County: 2 females 40s, 3 males 40s, 1 female 50s, 1 male 50s, 2 females 60s, 4 males 60s, 3 females 70s, 3 males 70s, 1 female 80s, 4 males 80s, 2 females 90s, 1 male 90s
Crawford County: 1 male 70s
DuPage County: 1 male 50s
Grundy County: 1 male 70s
Kane County: 1 male 80s
Kendall County: 1 female 90s
Lake County: 1 male 70s
LaSalle County: 1 male 70s
Livingston County: 1 male 70s
Massac County: 1 female 80s
McHenry County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 80s
McLean County: 1 male 60s
Mercer County: 1 female 80s
Peoria County: 2 females 90s
Sangamon County: 1 female 80s
St. Clair County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 90s
Vermilion County: 1 male 50s
Warren County: 1 female 90s
Will County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 90s
Winnebago County: 1 male 70s, 1 male 90s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,183,667 cases, including 20,460 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 92,256 specimens for a total of 17,988,085. As of last night, 1,393 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 336 patients were in the ICU and 174 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from February 19–25, 2021 is 2.5%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from February 19–25, 2021 is 2.7%.
A total of doses of 2,726,745 vaccine have been delivered to providers in Illinois, including Chicago. In addition, approximately 444,500 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 3,171,245. A total of 2,543,620 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight, including 307,382 for long-term care facilities. The 7-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 68,988 doses. Yesterday, 102,670 doses were administered in Illinois, marking the second highest reported amount of vaccines administered to date.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in real-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
* Kass’ recent column asked whether crime victims received a pen from the governor when he signed the criminal justice reform bill into law…
Pritzker said critics “don’t want any change, don’t believe there is injustice in the system and are preying upon fear of change to lie and fearmonger in defense of the status quo.”
I decided to call someone who has much more experience than Pritzker or Foxx in criminal law:
But instead of calling any legitimate groups that represent crime victims, he called a judge who retired rather than face the voters last year.
It’s a free country, but maybe if you write about crime victims you could at least briefly chat with people who run groups that help crime victims, like, for instance, the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation, which, among other things, offers legal representation for sexual assault survivors.
The pen victims got was more precious than a souvenir. It was one used to help ink this law. Survivor advocates like [the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence], [The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence] & [the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation] were at the table. Our input was based on experience that cash bail does not equal safety.
The #PretrialFairnessAct ends cash bail, replacing the practice of using wealth to determine who’s free before a trial with a system based on assessing risk. That’s particularly important to survivors of gender-based violence, who gain a stronger voice in the new process.
Releasing ppl who can pay bond w/ little regard for threat they may pose is nonsense. These reforms ensure ppl held for forcible felonies (including domestic/sexual violence) are kept up to 48 hr, providing time to determine if they’re a risk. Those who are remain detained.
Yes! IL is the 1st state to entirely end cash bail. That came about w/ support from the community of people who have survived sex crimes & domestic violence. Learn more about why we support the #PretrialFairnessAct here
Through our work with survivors of sexual violence, we know how the criminal legal system often fails them. That’s why we are cheering the signing of the Pretrial Fairness Act into law. It ends money bail, replacing the practice of using wealth to determine who has their freedom before a trial with a system based on assessing risk. This is particularly important to survivors of gender-based violence, who gain a stronger voice in the new process.
Survivor advocates like CAASE had a seat at the table in crafting this transformative bill. Our input was anchored in our understanding of why criminal justice reform is so important to the safety of survivors and the whole community. When it’s implemented in January 2023, people with low incomes will no longer be locked up simply because they can’t pay bail. People won’t be incarcerated pre-trial because of racist and classist stereotypes that perpetuate fear against Black men, in particular. Survivors can advocate for what they need to feel safe and secure.
These reforms are based on lessons learned from other states, with Illinois being the first to abolish cash bail with support from the community of survivors. This law empowers them to be part of the process and allows people who have caused harm to repair their lives and be restored to the community. It’s a step towards a system rooted in equity and safety, rather than fear.
In other words, dangerous people with access to money can currently avoid jail. More folks need to keep that in mind.
Q: [To Sen. Durbin] You and the governor do not agree on who should lead the state Democratic Party […]
Durbin: The good news is, the people who have been mentioned as potential party chair, all three are excellent. All three can lead our party effectively. We may have a difference of opinion on which may be better at the moment, but I think there’s a common belief that all three are excellent.
Q: And family feud? Seems like there’s quite a fight behind the scenes.
Durbin: If it was a real family feud, I wouldn’t be here today. We let our responsibility as public officials really guide us, number one; and number two, long-term friendships will take us through even rocky periods.
Q: Gov. Pritzker, can you talk about [unintelligbile] that there’s really been a hard sell on your part, of phone calls and promises made? Why is that necessary to get Michelle Harris through?
Pritzker: Well, there are no specific, no special promises being made. I’ve called members of the state central committee to let them know why I’m supporting Michelle Harris and how she’s been an activist, somebody who has really built a ground operation to get Democrats out to vote. She has one of the most productive wards in the city of Chicago in terms of getting votes out, someone who’s a listener and a leader. So, I’ve made that case to people on the state central committee. When you say ‘necessary,’ there are a lot of calls that are going on around the state. You saw some state reps and others trying to weigh in on this. Look, I just believe that we need great leadership for building the Democratic Party of Illinois, which really has been something that hasn’t been done for a number of years. We have a great opportunity to do Latino outreach, to communities of color broadly. We need great leadership and we need forward momentum. And I’m very excited about the leadership that I think Michelle Harris will offer.
…Adding… This just in…
Special Meeting of the Central Committee
Dear Chair Karen Yarbrough:
We, the undersigned, wish to co-sign yesterday’s request from fellow State Central Committee Members in calling for a meeting of the Central Committee on March 6, 2021.
Our colleagues deserve the opportunity to discuss this cohesively as a group. Additionally, we should ensure transparency by providing a live stream for the media and general public to view all candidates for Chair presenting their credentials to the Central Committee.
Sincerely,
Hon. Chuy Garcia
State Central Committeeman IL-6
Hon. Cristina Castro
State Central Committeewoman IL-8
* More complaining about the proposed corporate tax loophole closures in Crain’s…
The tax hike only adds to the “ticking (fiscal) bomb” that is Illinois’ $144 billion in unfunded pension liability here, says another relocation consultant, Boyd Co.’s Jack Boyd. Combined, his clients, including some now in Illinois, increasingly are looking at places such as Texas, he says.
In fairness to Pritzker, Illinois is not the only state to be moving its tax structure in his proposed direction, at least in part. For instance, according to the Tax Foundation, a Washington research group that’s fairly conservative but also frequently cited in economic circles, only 16 states grant the full accelerated depreciation that’s now in federal tax code. Pritzker’s proposed change there is worth $214 million a year.
On the other hand, the largest change the governor wants—capping deductions of corporate losses at $100,000 a year for three years, worth $314 million a year—would absolutely make Illinois an outlier relative to other states, says Taxpayers Federation of Illinois President Carol Portman. Such unpredictability is what really irks business, she says. Beyond that, according to the Tax Foundation, Pritzker’s changes overall would reduce Illinois’ business-tax-climate rating from a weak 36th of the 50 states to an even sadder 39th.
What in some ways is most concerning about all of this is the aura of payback Pritzker and his aides seem to have embraced. The message seems to be: Hey, business, you beat my graduated tax amendment, so now you have to pay.
Tens of millions of dollars were spent against a graduated tax rate last year. Deleting specialized loopholes makes the tax structure flatter. Careful what you wish for. /s
* Also…
Nestled delicately within this piece is saying the quiet part out loud: what businesses really want is stability. But, it’s way easier to vilify “Springfield” in the hopes good ideas get worn down.
PolitiFact: “Natural gas, not wind turbines, main driver of Texas power shortage. Of the power shortfall that hit Texas, over 80% was due to problems at coal- and gas-fired plants.”
Chicago Tribune: “Texas blackouts in winter storm falsely blamed on renewable energy, Green New Deal”
Texas Governor Greg Abbott: “It’s frozen in the pipeline. It’s frozen at the rig. It’s frozen at the transmission line. The natural gas providers are incapable of being able to come up with the gas that feeds into the generators that send power to people’s residences …”
Kansas City Star: “One lesson that should not be taken away from this weekend: that it underscores the need for more natural gas and fossil fuel production…”
When Illinois experienced the Polar Vortex in 2019, it was coal plants that shut down in freezing temperatures.
Reject the noise. Get the facts in this new video from the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition.
Comptroller Susana Mendoza requested that former Rep. Edward Guerra Kodatt, in the spirit of good governance, decline the full month’s salary he was entitled to under current Illinois law for the days he served.
She is pleased to announce that Kodatt informed the Comptroller’s office via email today that, “In the spirit of good governance and in the best interest of the people of the state of Illinois I decline the one month salary to which I am entitled by law.”
Comptroller Mendoza is making a similar request of newly appointed Rep. Angelica “Angie” Guerrero-Cuellar, who will serve these last two business days of February but is entitled to a full month’s pay under the law.
Former Speaker Michael Madigan’s final paycheck for a full month’s salary has already gone out for him representing the 22nd district for most of the month of February.
“Taxpayers should not have to pay three different representatives three full months’ salary for the same seat for the same month,” Mendoza said.
Comptroller Mendoza has introduced legislation, SB484 and HB3104, sponsored by State Sen. Cristina Castro, D-Elgin, and State Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville called the “No Exit Bonus” bill which would provide that legislators going forward are paid on a pro-rated basis for each day of service – not a full month’s salary for a day or two of service. She expects broad bipartisan support.
[I’ve made a couple of typo corrections at the request of the comptroller’s office.]
The Biden Administration, Governor JB Pritzker, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth today announced eligible Illinoisans from every part of the state will be able to be vaccinated starting March 10 at a new United Center site that prioritizes access for seniors and equity for the hardest hit populations.
The Biden Administration is opening pilot Community Vaccination Centers across the country. The United Center site will open on March 10 with the capacity to administer 6,000 doses per day, all of which will be provided directly by the federal government and not taken out of the state or city’s allotment.
The site will be by appointment only; seniors will have first access to appointments before the site opens, and if appointments remain available after seniors have had their exclusive registration period, any remaining available slots will be open to any Illinoisans eligible under the state’s guidelines. After the launch on March 10, registration will continue to be open for all Illinoisans eligible in the state’s Phase 1B+.
Preparations and buildout of the United Center Community Vaccination Center are now underway. Information about where and how to make appointments will be available in coming days. Demand is anticipated to be high.
The United Center will be open to all Illinois residents currently eligible to be vaccinated under the state guidelines and will be managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency with support from the Department of Defense, State of Illinois, Cook County and the City of Chicago.
The United Center site builds on an expanding network of state-supported sites operating across southern, central and northern Illinois. The United Center location is one of the best places in the country to advance key equity priorities through its proximity to medically underserved communities and goals of reaching those most vulnerable to the COVID-19 virus.
“The United Center is one of the best locations for vaccinating large numbers of people in America: it’s easy to get to, is in the midst of a medically underserved community, can handle large crowds and is well known to everyone in Illinois,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Thanks to FEMA, the United Center is just our most recent among a growing number of state-supported mass vaccination location for residents. To date, the Illinois National Guard has launched 15 state-supported sites, including locations in Springfield, Rockford, Carbondale and Metro East – and that’s on top of mass vax sites operated by our 97 local health departments. I am deeply grateful to the Biden-Harris administration for working closely with us to bring on this high-capacity site, and I’m particularly proud that we’ve worked together to prioritize seniors in this process, moving us that much closer to putting this pandemic to an end.”
“The federal government is committed to the equitable distribution of vaccines across the country and in the state of Illinois,” said Kevin M. Sligh, acting regional administrator, FEMA Region 5. “The goal of establishing these joint federal pilot centers is to continue expanding the rate of vaccinations, with an explicit focus on socially vulnerable or underrepresented communities.”
“The opening of the federal mass vaccination site at the United Center brings us another step forward in our equity-centered COVID-19 vaccination plan,” said Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. “From our seniors to the communities hardest hit by the pandemic, we will not stop until we get shots into the arms of our residents who patiently wait to see the light at the end of this pandemic.”
“The new United Center mass vaccination site is a game changer for Chicago and the entire region,” said Mayor Lightfoot. “This is what Presidential leadership looks like—bold, collaborative, and science-based. With this new site, we’ll now be able to take our vaccination success to a whole new level and bring to bear the historic and inclusive recovery that is soon to come.”
“Getting vaccine shots into the arms of Americans will help break the back of this pandemic. This site in the City of Chicago, which Senator Duckworth and I have been working for, will help our most vulnerable communities get the protection they desperately need. I applaud Governor Pritzker, Cook County President Preckwinkle, and Mayor Lightfoot for working with us and the Biden Administration to make this site a reality. Help is on the way, Illinois,” said U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL).
“This new mass community vaccination center is an important step in our efforts to overcome this pandemic, and it will help get shots in the arms of Illinoisans at a much higher rate, especially in the communities hit hardest by COVID-19,” U.S. Senator Duckworth said. “Senator Durbin and I worked closely with the Biden Administration to help bring this center to Chicago, and I am also thankful for the support of Governor Pritzker, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Mayor Lightfoot in bringing this facility to Chicago.”
This federal pilot site will not divert allocations from other jurisdictions, as vaccine will be provided direct by the federal government to the site. The site will operate seven days a week for eight weeks under the federal government’s vaccination pilot program.
The United Center was selected by the Biden administration in coordination with state, county and city partners to fulfill the administration’s commitment to expanding the rate of vaccinations across the country in an efficient, effective and equitable manner, with a keen focus on making sure that communities with a high risk of COVID-19 exposure and infection are not left behind.
In addition to the United Center, Illinois has 15 state-supported mass vaccination sites already open across the state. These sites are currently open to any eligible resident via appointment. For more information on how to make an appointment to receive the vaccine, updates on the state’s plan and eligibility, and answers to frequently asked questions about the COVID-19 vaccine, go to coronavirus.illinois.gov.
Seems like a good plan. And despite it being open to every Illinoisan, let’s hope this helps Chicago catch up with the rest of the state on vaccinations. As we’ve discussed before, the city is lagging at getting shots into arms and nobody in the Chicago media seems willing to press the issue. The city is also refusing to move into “1B+” even though the other cities which also receive direct vax shipments from the CDC have done so. Philadelphia, New York City, San Antonio and Houston are all in 1B+ as Chicago stubbornly refuses to join them. If it takes the state stepping in, then so be it. Chicago is part of Illinois, too. Its residents deserve a chance at their shots like everyone else in the state.
* From the United Center…
We are proud to partner with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the City of Chicago, Cook County, and State of Illinois leadership, to transform the United Center campus to help expedite vaccine distribution. From the onset of this pandemic, the United Center’s team of dedicated professionals have worked tirelessly with relief agencies, first responders, City, County and Federal agencies and the public on a wide array of initiatives to support the region’s Covid-19 relief efforts. It is our hope that by partnering with FEMA to create a mass vaccination center, we are one step closer to putting this pandemic behind us. We are grateful for the dedication of our United Center professionals, and our incredibly supportive vendors and partners, to help turn these plans into a reality. Without their support this effort would not be possible.
* Sens. Durbin and Duckworth…
“Getting vaccine shots into the arms of Americans will help break the back of this pandemic. This site in the City of Chicago, which Senator Duckworth and I have been working for, will help our most vulnerable communities get the protection they desperately need. I applaud Governor Pritzker, Cook County President Preckwinkle, and Mayor Lightfoot for working with us and the Biden Administration to make this site a reality. Help is on the way, Illinois,” said Durbin.
“This new mass community vaccination center is an important step in our efforts to overcome this pandemic, and it will help get shots in the arms of Illinoisans at a much higher rate, especially in the communities hit hardest by COVID-19,” Duckworth said. “Senator Durbin and I worked closely with the Biden Administration to help bring this center to Chicago, and I am also thankful for the support of Governor Pritzker, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Mayor Lightfoot in bringing this facility to Chicago.”
Durbin is scheduled to be at today’s event with the governor, which should be interesting considering they’re on opposite sides of the state party battle. Duckworth is with Pritzker on this one.
*** UPDATE *** Press release…
Today, Uber announced its Uber Zone at the United Center will host a COVID-19 mass vaccination site with the City of Chicago, FEMA, the United Center, and ZocDoc. The Uber Zone site will become the primary vaccination location in the city of Chicago, helping to increase the number of Chicagoans who can get vaccinated against COVID-19. Uber also announced that it is providing 20,000 free rides in partnership with the City and ZocDoc to help remove transportation barriers that may prevent some Chicagoans from accessing these lifesaving vaccines. While these free rides to and from the vaccination site are available citywide, Uber credits will be targeted to residents on the South and West sides to help close equity gaps on vaccination access.
* Press release from Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi…
“The opening of the United Center’s mass vaccination site and its capacity of more than 6,000 vaccines per day is a crucial step forward for the efforts of the Chicago region, and Illinois overall, to achieve universal inoculation against the coronavirus. In my position on the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, I will continue to fight to expand vaccine production, access, and transparency until everyone in Illinois and our country is able to receive this life-saving vaccine.”
In honor of spring training kicking off this weekend, thought I would share a couple of photos of Secretary White when he played AAA ball for the Salt Lake City Bees. He played for the Bees in 1963 and 1964.
Attachments…
If I was fully vaccinated, I’d probably already be blogging from Arizona.
Ald. Michelle Harris Announces More State Central Committee Member Endorsements For Party Chair
“I’m proud to announce the endorsement of several more of my colleagues in my campaign for Chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois,” Ald. Michelle Harris said.
The following State Central Committee (SCC) members have endorsed Ald. Michelle Harris for Chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois:
Hon. Michael Cudzik, CD-8
Hon. Vivian Robinson, CD-15
Hon. Tom Walsh, CD-16
Hon. Don Johnston, CD-17
“I am honored by the trust of these esteemed members of the SCC, and I will continue to listen to their thoughts and concerns and those of the members who remain undecided,” Ald. Michelle Harris continued. “The future of the Democratic Party of Illinois is one that must include Democrats from every part of the state and if selected, I promise to work each day as Chair together with other SCC members to build a party we can all be proud of.”
So far, several members of the Democratic Central Committee have committed to a candidate, giving Chicago Ald. Michelle Harris (8th) an edge with nearly 40 percent support. Congresswoman Robin Kelly has 10 percent, and state Sen. Cristina Castro, 4 percent. (Each member holds a different weighted vote.)
But half of the committee still hasn’t committed, including former state Sen. Carol Ronen and Board of Review Commissioner Mike Cabonargi, whose votes have sway in the contest. They represent the 9th District, which has a combined 10 percent of the vote. Neither returned a request for comment.
Ronen, Cabonargi and other Democrats have sent a letter to acting party Chairman Karen Yarbrough calling for a public meeting March 6 to hear the candidates talk about their priorities. Kelly signed the letter, too.
* Here are the weighted vote totals for each member of the central committee…
A pickup truck parked in a restricted area designated for members of Congress during the deadly January 6th insurrection bore the insignia of a right-wing anarchist militia group and a government-issued license plate belonging to an elected official from the Land of Lincoln.
The truck belongs to Illinois state representative Chris Miller (R-Oakland), a 66-year-old second-term statehouse Republican, and his wife Mary Miller, a newly elected member of Congress who recently apologized for quoting Adolf Hitler the day before the pro-Trump rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to disrupt the certification of the 2020 election.
The image of the truck was first identified online by a group of web sleuths that scours social media for video evidence of the insurrection incident and calls itself the ‘Sedition Hunters.’
Deeply troubled by this embrace of an anti-government extremist symbol by @RepMaryMiller and IL State Rep Chris Miller. Just last week we shared with @RepMaryMiller a map of 54 incidents of hate, extremism, antisemitism, and terrorism in and just outside the 15th CD from 2019-20. https://t.co/SG3scFHqkcpic.twitter.com/Fyal6o72ah
But in an email to The Daily Beast, Chris Miller, Rep. Miller’s husband and a member of the Illinois House of Representatives, conceded the truck belonged to him even as he pleaded ignorance about the militia group.
“Army friend gave me decal. Thought it was a cool decal. Took it off because of negative pub,” Miller wrote in an email late Thursday. He says he “never was member” of the militia and “didn’t know anything about 3% till fake news started this fake story and read about them.”
* And then came this statement via his spokesperson last night…
I have never been a member of the 3 percenters. My son received the sticker that was on my truck from a family friend who said that it represented patriotism and love of country. The original group, which has disbanded, was not a violent anti-government group. They were not involved in the Jan. 6th riots. They have issued a statement distancing themselves from the extremists who have copied their name. I have since removed the sticker. My intention was to display what I thought was a patriotic statement. I love our country and consider myself a patriot. My intention was not to hurt or offend anyone but simply to express what I thought was a statement of patriotism. God bless America.
Yes, because I’m constantly putting stickers on my own $50K truck about groups that I know nothing about. Right. Sure. Totally believable.
*** UPDATE 1 *** IDCCA…
Following multiple public reports showing State Representative Chris Miller in attendance at the January 6, 2021, rally that led to an insurrection of the U.S. Capital, President Kristina Zahorik of the Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association (IDCCA) submitted a request to the Office of the Legislative Inspector General to investigate Miller’s involvement in the day’s events. A copy of the letter is below.
“Representative Chris Miller swore an oath of office to support the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of the State of Illinois. Miller’s attendance at the rally that turned into a mob and insurrection of our nation’s Capitol is troubling, and to date many unanswered questions remain about his subsequent actions and whereabouts that day. The Legislative Inspector General, at a minimum, should investigate to what extent Miller played a role in the events of January 6, 2021.”
The Office of the Legislative Inspector General receives and investigates complaints of violations of any law, rule, or regulation or abuse of authority or other forms of misconduct by members of the General Assembly. As criminal charges accumulate for those involved in the attack on the Capitol, Representative Miller has removed his social media posting showing he attended the rally suggesting he hopes to distance himself from the insurrection.
* Letter to LIG…
Dear Inspector General Pope:
Following public reports showing State Representative Chris Miller was in attendance January 6, 2021, at the rally in Washington, D.C. that led to a deadly insurrection, we are calling on the Office of the Legislative Inspector General to open an investigation into Representative Miller’s presence and involvement in the day’s events.
• Mark Maxwell, Twitter, January 7, 2021: https://twitter.com/MarkMaxwellTV/status/1347236821512695810
• Huffington Post, January 22, 2021: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/republican-lawmakers-at-the-capitol-riot_n_6009e17cc5b6df63a91e5cf4
• Huffington Post, February 13, 2021: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/57-gop-officials-at-capitol-insurrection_n_6026e5e2c5b6f88289fb90a6
• The Daily Beast, February 26, 2021: https://www.thedailybeast.com/rep-mary-millers-husband-owns-three-percenter-militia-truck-at-capitol-riot
As federal charges accumulate against those who stormed the nation’s Capital — ranging from unlawful entry in a restricted building to assault on a federal officer — very little is known about Representative Miller’s activity that day. Miller has since deleted his social media posting showing himself at the aforementioned rally.
As the United States Congress pursues the creation of a commission to investigate the mob attack of January 6, it is only appropriate that the Office of the Legislative Inspector General investigate any potential violations of any law, rule, or regulation or abuse of authority or other forms of misconduct by a member of the General Assembly. At minimum, this constitutes the type of conduct that is unbecoming of a legislator and warrants an investigation by the Inspector General.
Conducting unbecoming is what the Republicans used against Speaker Madigan last year. I’ve asked Speaker Welch’s spokesperson for comment.
*** UPDATE 2 *** The state GOP has been mighty quiet today…
Rep. Miller put a militia sticker on his car and is suspected to have been at the insurrection. Our party needs to handle this and I support further investigation. #RestoreOurGOP#CountryOverPartyhttps://t.co/IxCbEt1DRP
The happiest place in medicine right now is a basketball arena in New Mexico. Or maybe it’s the parking lot of a baseball stadium in Los Angeles, or a Six Flags in Maryland, or a shopping mall in South Dakota.
The happiest place in medicine is anywhere there is vaccine, and the happiest people in medicine are the ones plunging it into the arms of strangers.
“It’s a joy to all of us,” says Akosua “Nana” Poku, a Kaiser Permanente nurse vaccinating people in Northern Virginia.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had an experience in my career that has felt so promising and so fulfilling,” says Christina O’Connell, a clinic director at the University of New Mexico.
The man who called me, a long-retired Chicago police officer, was alternately charming and curt. He insisted he had nothing to do with the murder.
“All the things you wrote in your letter to me are not true,” he said, speaking slowly, his voice occasionally shaky. “Everything in there is a f****g lie.”
In the letter, I had asked him about a murder I’d been examining: the unsolved killing of a prominent Black politician in Chicago. I had reason to think he knew something about it.
On Feb. 26, 1963, Ben Lewis, the first Black elected official from Chicago’s West Side, won what was set to be his second full term on the City Council. Lewis, 53, appeared to be climbing the political ladder. Newspapers were reporting talk — encouraged by the alderman himself — that his next stop would be Congress, a move that would have made him one of the highest-profile Black politicians in the country.
* No central committee members on this release, but a pretty strong show of support…
Latinx leaders back State Senator Cristina Castro to lead the State Democratic Party
Dear State Central Committeepersons:
Our bloc of Latinx elected officials wholly endorse and stand with Senator Cristina Castro to be the next Chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois.
The Democratic Party of Illinois is undergoing a generational transformation. The party needs new consensus leadership that can unite party members across the state. Senator Castro is in the best position to be the consensus leader that Democratic leaders across the state yearn for.
Despite population shifts in parts of Illinois, Senator Castro hails from the areas experiencing the highest growth. This growth, centered around suburban Cook County and collar counties, is spearheaded by the Latinx community. Last year Census estimates reported that the state’s population had declined for the sixth year in a row. Notwithstanding, the Latinx population in Illinois grew by nearly 10% over the last decade, making the group the second largest in the state. Furthemore, there are a substantial number of Latinx residents poised to become new voters, both becoming of voting age and via naturalization initiatives.
Failure to incorporate Latinx growth into party leadership would be overlooking a very important and growing constituency. The party must commit to investing in Latinx communities to secure the future of the State of Illinois. We urge the State Central Committee to elect Senator Cristina Castro to Chair the Democratic of Illinois.
Sincerely,
Aarón M. Ortíz, State Representative (1st District)
Elizabeth Hernandez, State Representative (24th District)
Karina Villa, State Senator (25th District)
Celina Villanueva, State Senator (11th District)
Edgar Gonzalez Jr, State Representative (21st District)
Barbara Hernandez, State Representative (83rd District)
Dagmara Avelar, State Representative (85th District)
Alma E. Anaya, Cook County Commissioner (7th District)
George Cardenas, Alderman City of Chicago (12th Ward)
Michael D. Rodríguez, Alderman City of Chicago (22nd Ward)
In my conversations with you all, I’ve emphasized transparency, inclusivity, and accountability. These are our shared values, and that is why one of the first things I would do is call for a full audit of the Democratic Party of Illinois’ finances. Our bylaws state the Chair may call for “an annual audit of the funds of the Central Committee by a Certified Public Accountant and make available a full financial statement including income and expenditures to the members of the Central Committee.” Rules of the Democratic State Central Committee, Art. VI.22 (“Annual Financial Statement”). I will make sure we do that - and more.
In that regard, it has just come to my attention our Democratic Party of Illinois’ (DPI) transferred $2,000,000 on February 19, 2021 from our federal and non-federal ($1,000,000 from each) accounts to the Democratic Majority. On February 22, 2021, Democratic Majority transferred $2,000,000 back to DPI.
On first review, it would appear that $1,000,000 from DPI’s federal account — “hard” money that is raised under stricter, smaller contribution amounts — has now been converted to “soft” non-federal dollars after the transfer back from Dem Majority.
If this is the case, it presents serious questions as to why DPI would have converted funds that are more difficult to raise into state-level funds. Whatever the answer may be, I pledge to you if I am fortunate enough to be elected Chair, I will keep State Central Committee Members informed of the party’s financial decisions — especially ones of this magnitude.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to me on this issue or others. I want the Democratic Party of Illinois to be inclusive, transparent, and a place where we share ideas and information.
Sincerely,
Rep. Robin Kelly (IL-2)
& State Central Committeewoman
Those were some odd transfers, which happened before Speaker Welch took over Democratic Majority. I’ve asked for an explanation.
* S&P looks at the governor’s budget, but won’t yet evaluate its credit rating, so the question it asks isn’t really answered…
S&P Global Ratings acknowledges that this is only a budget proposal and there is uncertainty about the pace of economic recovery and prospects for additional federal stimulus. Future credit direction will be evaluated as greater clarity is available on these key issues.
* Key takeaways…
- Although Illinois ‘proposed fiscal 2022 general fund operating budget is slightly smaller than the previous year’s proposal, and balanced in terms of current-year obligations, we do not view it as structurally balanced due to the treatment of pension obligations.
- Pension contributions are budgeted to fully meet increasing statutorily set amounts but are still less than actuarially determined amounts.
- The state expects to close fiscal 2021 with a small surplus, after prepaying the next fiscal year’s municipal liquidity fund’s debt service.
- Illinois has a bill backlog, limiting flexibility, but this is markedly reduced from this time last year.
- The COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect state economic activity with unemployment through December 2020 above the national average, with 2021 activity improving employment conditions.
* Potential risks…
Federal uncertainty: The budget does not rely on additional federal aid, but educational enhancements and further efforts to retire MLF borrowing obligations early could be aided by further stimulus. Should additional aid materialize, the state could adjust budget expectations.
Pensions remain a high fixed cost: Included in the budget is $9.4 billion for general fund contributions to the state’s various pension systems. This is a $739 million increase over the previous budget contribution. The statutory contributions are forecast to continue to increase, but the state projects its share of the budget will remain at about 25% of expenditures through 2045.
Challenge in changing tax structure: The fiscal 2022 budget relies on changing business tax provisions to generate an estimated $932 million in additional revenues. Legislative scrutiny of the tax-structure proposal could limit change and revenue projections.
Prolonged economic disruption: Outside the timing of vaccine distributions, any long-term permanent changes in business, travel, or consumer patterns in and around Chicago will likely have a material effect on the state’s economic recovery.
* Capital program debt…
We view Illinois’ general obligation (GO) debt burden positively. With more than 75% of GO debt retired in 10 years and the state in the third year of a long-term $45 billion Rebuild Illinois capital improvement plan, it is expected to maintain debt ratios at similar levels. As of Feb. 1, 2021, the state has $27.2 billion of fixed-rate GO debt outstanding and $2.845 billion of GO MLF debt, equating to debt per capita of about $2,375, which we consider moderate.
*** UPDATE *** Something weird is going on. Check out this press release, which doesn’t seem to be written by the same people who wrote the actual report…
Illinois’ Proposed Fiscal 2022 Budget Could Signal The State Is Turning The Corner, Report Says
BOSTON (S&P Global Ratings) Feb. 25, 2021—The Illinois governor’s proposed fiscal 2022 general fund operating budget could be a small step toward putting the state on firmer financial footing, S&P Global Ratings said today in a report titled “Is Fiscal Stabilization On The Horizon For Illinois?”.
The $41.7 billion general fund budget is slightly smaller than the initial $42 billion budget proposed last year before the COVID-19 pandemic began, and $1.8 billion or 4.2% less than the estimated final spend in fiscal 2021. The introduced budget is designed to generate a $120 million surplus.
However, the state still faces fiscal challenges, including a significant bill backlog, underfunded pension plans, and the ongoing effects of the pandemic.
“Although Illinois’ proposed fiscal 2022 general fund operating budget is slightly smaller than the previous year’s proposal, and balanced in terms of current-year obligations, we do not view it as structurally balanced due to the treatment of pension obligations,” said S&P Global Ratings credit analyst Geoff Buswick.
Weekly unemployment claims fell far more than expected last week, as the labor market recovery took a stride forward even as harsh winter weather compounded with the coronavirus pandemic over the past several weeks.
The Department of Labor released its weekly report on new jobless claims Thursday at 8:30 a.m. ET. Here were the main metrics from the report, compared to consensus data compiled by Bloomberg:
Initial jobless claims, week ended February 20: 730,000 vs. 825,000 expected and revised 841,000 during prior week
Continuing claims, week ended February 13: 4.419 million vs. 4.460 million expected and revised 4.520 million during prior week
The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) reported 68,383 new unemployment claims were filed during the week of Feb. 15, a nearly 10% increase from the previous week, when 62,369 people filed.
CBS 2 is tracking over 3.1 million total claims filed since early March.
There were 40,008 new unemployment claims were filed during the week of Feb. 1 in Illinois.
There were 95,481 new unemployment claims filed during the week of Jan. 18 in Illinois.
There were 95,472 new unemployment claims filed during the week of Jan. 11 in Illinois.
The cost of Tuesday’s Decatur City Council primary election has not yet been determined, but Macon County Clerk Josh Tanner said one thing is certain.
“It is a lot of money per vote, I will tell you that, because the fixed costs are always the same,” he said.
From the $150 owed to each election judge to the printing of election materials to the cost of voting machines, there was a high cost for an election that only brought out about 7% of registered voters in Decatur.
* Press release…
With the appointment of Angelica Guerrero Cuellar to state representative of the 22nd District, the Coalition for Change IL3 once again denounces the undemocratic process that left out community voices. […]
We urge Rep. Guerrero Cuellar to commit to systemic change to this undemocratic appointment process. We need to enact a statute to clearly define how the appointment process works in the short-term, and change the Illinois Constitution to shift to special elections after resignations in the long-term.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 1,884 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 32 additional deaths.
- Adams County: 1 female 80s
- Christian County: 1 female 80s
- Cook County: 1 male 20s, 1 male 50s, 2 males 60s, 4 males 70s, 2 females 80s
- DeKalb County: 1 male 60s
- DuPage County: 1 male 80s
- Jersey County: 1 male 70s
- Kane County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 80s
- Kankakee County: 1 male 80s
- Lake County: 1 male 90s
- Logan County: 1 female 80s
- Madison County: 1 female 30s, 1 male 80s
- Monroe County: 2 females 80s
- Pike County: 1 male 80s
- Randolph County: 1 female 50s
- Rock Island County: 1 female 90s
- Whiteside County: 1 male 80s
- Will County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 90s
- Winnebago County: 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,181,226 cases, including 20,406 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 91,292 specimens for a total of 17,895,829. As of last night, 1,463 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 334 patients were in the ICU and 168 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from February 18–24, 2021 is 2.5%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from February 18–24, 2021 is 2.7%.
A total of doses of 2,693,345 vaccine have been delivered to providers in Illinois, including Chicago. In addition, approximately 445,200 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 3,138,545. A total of 2,440,950 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight, including 295,909 for long-term care facilities. The 7-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 66,274 doses. Yesterday, 130,021 doses were administered in Illinois, marking the highest reported amount of vaccines administered to date.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in real-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
A Chicago gym spurred an outbreak of at least 55 COVID-19 cases over the summer after infected people attended indoor high-intensity exercise classes — including several who had already tested positive for the virus, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report released Wednesday.
Infrequent mask use also likely contributed to the superspreader event, which occurred over about a week of multiple group classes, said the report, which was done by the CDC and the Chicago Department of Public Health.
Two of the patrons who caught COVID-19 visited the emergency room, and one was hospitalized for eight days. No deaths were reported from any of the cases linked to the gym. […]
Three people attended these exercise classes “on the same day or after they received a positive test result,” the report said; others attended an exercise class on the day symptoms began or after.
ICYMI: Speaker Welch’s first priority is a tax hike
Just one month into the job, new Speaker of the House Chris Welch has proposed that Illinois Democrats should try again to pass a constitutional amendment implementing a progressive income tax.
“We have to tell the voters what we’re going to do with that money,” Welch said during a virtual event hosted by the Economic Club of Chicago. “I certainly think tying that new revenue to pensions would be a winner.”
ILGOP Spokesman Joe Hackler responded, saying, “What the new Speaker doesn’t understand is that the people of Illinois did not reject the Madigan-Pritzker tax hike amendment because they were confused on what the revenue would be used for. They rejected the tax hike amendment because new revenue would be sent to Springfield to be squandered by the same corrupt politicians and Democratic party that got us into this financial crisis in the first place.”
Speaker Welch’s ill-conceived proposal not only shows a lack of judgment, but it also reveals his true priority: paying off those inside state government while the rest of us pick up the tab.
As more and more former elected officials and insiders are indicted as part of former Speaker Madigan’s corruption scheme (including just last night), Democrats in Springfield continue to plead for more money. The reality is that the Madigan-Pritzker tax hike amendment was defeated overwhelmingly last year because Illinoisans don’t trust the corrupt insider system that has controlled state government for years.
Sometimes, it takes a while before new leaders fully appreciate how every word they say will be examined and even twisted. Welch never said it was his first priority, for instance, but he walked right into this.
Even so, the ILGOP appears to prefer magic fairy dust to actual solutions. “Just make it go away and never bother us again” is not a constitutional option here.
*** UPDATE *** Sean Anderson on behalf of Speaker Welch…
As usual on this subject, Illinois Republicans have nothing constructive to offer because their only solution is to cut programs and services for underserved populations and communities of color. They can send their little press releases to play petty politics, but the Speaker is focused on having serious conversations to find solutions that benefit working class people across the state.
Over the past few days since announcing my intention to seek the nomination for Chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois, I have had dozens of conversations with members of the State Central Committee seeking their support. Today I am proud to announce the endorsement of a regionally diverse group of IL State Central Committee members:
Hon. Bobby Rush, CD-1
Hon. John Cullerton, CD-5
Hon. Cynthia Santos, CD-5
Hon. Danny Davis, CD-7
Hon. Karen Yarbrough, CD-7
Hon. Jerry Costello, CD-12
Hon. Kathy West, CD-12
Hon. Brandon Phelps, CD-15
I am honored to have the support of this group of Illinois State Central Committee members from around the state. These individuals, many of whom are current or former public servants, work every day to make the Democratic Party in Illinois more inclusive and welcoming to people all across the state. My reason for running to become Chair is because I want to build a party that works for every Democrat in all 102 counties, and the ideas and activism of all my colleagues on the State Central Committee will help me ensure we hit the ground running to accomplish that goal.
* Meanwhile…
February 25, 2021
Dear State Central Committeepersons:
We are proud to endorse Congresswoman Robin Kelly for Chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois.
There is an urgent need for a leader of the Democratic Party with the experience and dedication to elect Democrats up and down the ballot from every corner of the state.
Robin’s experience as a State Representative, Chief of Staff of the Illinois Treasurer’s Office, and as a United States Congresswoman is what the party needs. Her integrity is unmatched, and can help build the bench from the ground up.
Democrats have made unprecedented gains in Lake County in recent years, and we know that Robin is the right partner to solidify our progress and help us continue to elect strong candidates at all levels of government.
We urge the State Central Committee to pass the baton to U.S. Congresswoman Robin Kelly.
Sincerely,
Illinois State Representative Daniel Didech (59th District)
Illinois State Representative Rita Mayfield (60th District)
Illinois State Representative Bob Morgan (58th District)
Illinois State Representative Sam Yingling (62nd District)
No Senators on that list of people who are not on the central committee.
Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch on Wednesday declined to weigh in on who should replace Mike Madigan as state Democratic Party leader, downplayed his contact with Madigan’s short-lived House successor and defended allowing party officials to take another crack at filling the vacancy.
“If there’s a vacancy they have a right to do that,” Welch said of the Democratic leaders legally charged with making such appointments. “I do believe that different committeepeople do different things, and we could probably encourage and hope that they would do things in a more open and transparent manner.” […]
He steered clear of the “inner-party squabbles” that Madigan’s resignation as chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois sparked, saying he’s going to “support the Democrat — whoever wins that race, I think, will be someone with the ability to lead our party.”
“I want that person who is leading the party to work with me to help get Democrats elected to the Illinois House, and I’m confident that any of those people … will help us get Democrats elected,” Welch said. “I think the best thing for me to do is to sit back and let that thing resolve itself.”
* The Democratic committeepersons of the 22nd House District appointed Angie Guerrero Cuellar to the open seat this morning without debate. Cuellar was supported by Ald. Silvana Tabares at Sunday’s meeting. 13th Ward Democratic Committeeperson Mike Madigan announced yesterday he would also be supporting her after the abrupt resignation of his own candidate, three-day apppointed state Rep. Ed Kodatt. After the meeting, Madigan spoke briefly with reporters…
Q: Was it a lack of vetting?
A: The events developed as they developed. The action of the committee taken on Sunday was nullified because of the resignation, creating a vacancy, and so today we fill the vacancy. I don’t plan to speak to background questions. I don’t plan to speak to the background questions.
Q: You’re normally very meticulous…
A: I think that proper questions were asked, proper questions were asked.
Q: Proper questions were asked or weren’t?
A: They were, the answer is yes. As I said, the events developed, Mr. Kodatt resigned creating the vacancy, today we filled the vacancy. I’m interested in moving forward with Angie Guerrero Cuellar. She’s been anchored in the community. As you can read from her resume, she’s worked with various community organizations in the Southwest Side of Chicago. Therefore, she’s had good experience and understanding of the needs and the desires of the people of the Southwest Side.
Q: People have a certain social media life that some of us older folks don’t. Is that something you’ve neglected to look at, their social media and what might have been evident had his name been put out there ahead of time, a little more vetting.
A: His name was put out in advance like everybody else. It was a complete circulation of resumes. Every resume that was submitted…
Q: That morning. It wasn’t until that morning. It wasn’t enough time for folks to really take a look at who he was.
Q: So, when you say questions were asked, does that mean the answers were not true.
A: See, I’m not going to get into that. I’m just not going to speak about…
Q: When did you first learn about the…
A: A little bit ago. A little bit ago.
Q: Was it after he was named, though?
A: Yes.
Q: People like Pritzker and Sen. Durbin, they blame you for the failure of the Fair Tax or Democrats have a disappointing election day…
A: I’m not going there. I’m not going there. I’m not going there.
Q: Why not?
A: Because I don’t want to?
Q: Is what happened to Mr. Kodatt another manifestation of the cancel culture? Are you concerned about that?
A: What culture?
Q: Cancel culture.
A: Uh-huh. Really. [Looks puzzled at the question.]
Q: The new chairman is going to be selected. Do you have a preference of who that would be?
A: You know what, I’m anxious to move out of here and wish all of you a good day. [Walks away.]
Subscribers know more about why and how the questions were asked and what happened after they were asked.
He appeared unflappable. I never witnessed a heated exchange with a reporter. He might make a wry comment about a news outlet with a smile on his face. At most, his anger might lead him to ignore a question. He was honest in answering the questions he did answer, but what would sound like a good answer to a question, was, upon further reflection, often an answer that could be interpreted more than one way, which made it hard to determine if he flipped on an issue or was dishonest. […]
One evening, I was lucky enough to catch Madigan alone walking back to his office, asking about some controversial legislation. It was an adversarial but polite exchange. He kept walking at the same pace. He was not trying to run away like many others seem to do when questioned by a reporter. Yet he never directly answered the question. We got to his office door, and he calmly, matter-of-factly, shut it in my face. That is what it was like to cover Madigan.
Springfield Alderman Chuck Redpath had a different take. As someone with a law enforcement background, he said the new law makes him sick to his stomach and is a “slap in the face” for law enforcement.
“I saw the picture this morning of the governor touting how much he’s going to fix racism in police departments and surrounded by all these people from Chicago, the most corrupt city in not just the state of Illinois but probably the country and they’re going to tell us how to reform our police departments,” Redpath said. “Are you serious?”
Um, you mean pics like this Chuck?…
Gee, I wonder what my alderman could’ve been talking about.
[Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police] Executive Director Ed Wojcicki called the bill the “anti-police bill” in a statement Monday but noted law enforcement was already working with the bill’s supporters “to fix the most serious problems.”
[Sen. Elgie Sims], however, said despite months of pushback he has yet to see what language opponents of the bill would rather see in the law.
“I have heard from and talked to a number of organizations related to different parts of the new law,” he said. “Like others, I am still waiting for specific proposals.”
In a statement earlier this month, Wojcicki referenced a “powerful” conversation he had with Black senior law enforcement personnel, and noted it was “painful to hear” their experience of being mistreated because of their race.
“They think that our association and I should acknowledge that the bill did not emerge from nowhere. It emerged from festering frustration from the black community about personal negative experiences with the police during their lives,” he said in the statement, while praising their ability to shape the conversation in a way that will build trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.
* The pearl-clutching over the governor’s push-back is quite something to behold, particularly considering some of the things they’ve said…
“This is a very devastating piece of legislation for law enforcement and the communities that we serve,” said Lower, who serves on the Illinois Sheriffs Association’s legislative committee, to WCBU. “It will basically gut law enforcement. It takes away all of law enforcement’s ability to do our job.”
* But, give Pritzker credit. Instead of just waiting in silence for the heat to blow over, the governor went on a Downstate barn-storming tour with Black Caucus members and others yesterday, including those who didn’t start out supporting some of the bill’s provisions…
State Sen. Scott Bennett, D-Champaign, said he initially opposed ending cash bail, but eventually came around to supporting it.
“What I’ve learned … is that cash bail doesn’t keep anybody safer,” he said. While judges may think they’re sending a message with a high bond, that doesn’t work if the suspect has access to money, he added.
“The next thing you know, no matter how high the bond was set, they were out and the witnesses and the victims were very scared,” Bennett said. “If you’re not a violent offender, you should have a chance to prove you’re willing to come to court the next time, until you prove that you’re not going to take that seriously.”
* However, you have to read to the end of this story to see a single substantive argument from the prevailing side…
During the more than hour-long news conference at Proctor Center, legislators lauded the new law. Among them was Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth of Peoria, who adamantly objected to the notion that the new law makes communities less safe.
“That’s simply not true,” she said. “They will tell you that … there are victims out there who are now going to be in danger. That too, ladies and gentlemen, is not true.”
Gordon-Booth’s own family has been traumatized by violent crime. Her stepson Derrick Booth Jr. was fatally shot in the spring of 2015.
“My family’s story is like so many families’ stories across this country. Families from communities like this, they are the most harmed, they are the least served. And the fact of the matter is that victims’ voices have been leveraged to create an industrialized prison system that does not make communities more safe. Those policies have actually made communities far less safe,” said Gordon-Booth.
A longtime political operative at the center of the investigation into former Ald. Daniel Solis has been charged in a scheme to steer a massive Chicago Public Schools contract to a Cleveland-based company in exchange for donations to Solis’ campaign.
In addition to the alleged contract fraud, Roberto Caldero was also accused in an indictment filed in U.S. District Court with offering $100,000 in bribes from a suburban business owner to Solis in exchange for the alderman’s help securing an honorary street name for the businessman’s father and renaming a city park after his grandfather.
Solis was already cooperating with the FBI at the time and helped keep the ruses going for investigators, including pushing the street renaming in the City Council, according to the 20-page indictment.
Caldero, 68, was charged in the eight-count indictment made public late Wednesday with wire fraud, federal program bribery and facilitating bribery. An arraignment date had not been set.
Caldero’s name came to light in a bombshell federal court affidavit first obtained by the Sun-Times in January 2019. Among other things, it alleged that Solis and Caldero had made plans to exchange Viagra or visit massage parlors.
Solis helped prosecutors build their case against Burke, and Burke’s defense lawyers have said in court filings that Solis struck what’s known as a deferred-prosecution agreement with the feds. That deal was also allegedly made in January 2019.
The indictment against Caldero alleges he offered Soto jobs, champagne and admission to an annual museum benefit for his help landing the CPS contract for the Ohio company, GCA Educational Services Central States Inc. As part of the scheme, Soto allegedly joined an evaluation committee considering the bids and then gave “non-public” and confidential information to Caldero in 2016 and 2017.
* Unlike most people who are indicted, Caldero told reporters he did nothing wrong. WBEZ…
Caldero told WBEZ he vehemently denied all the charges in the eight-count, federal grand jury indictment.
“I never bribed any elected official,” Caldero said Wednesday evening, soon after the case against him was unsealed in U.S. District Court in Chicago. “I never once made a statement to any government official or elected official that I would give them something in return for something. Never, ever, OK?
Caldero noted his vast experience in government and his long relationships with a wide range of local political leaders.
“I’ve dealt with commissioners and elected officials since Harold Washington days,” he said, referring to the Chicago mayor from the 1980s. “I’ve had very close friends who were commissioners — city, state, county and all over the place. Nobody ever said I went to them and offered them a bribe. It’s not my style. It’s not something I would even think of doing.”
Caldero acknowledged supporting Solis, but he said he did not do that as part of any quid pro quo arrangement.
“I went to every fundraiser for Danny Solis for 20 years,” Caldero said. “I’ve raised probably $100,000 for Danny, if not more. But I never did a donation or raised money for him and said, ‘But you got to do this for me.’ If I did something like that inadvertently or whatever, it’s something I know nothing about at the moment.”
Former Illinois state Rep. Edward Acevedo was indicted on tax charges Wednesday.
Acevedo was first elected to the Illinois House in 1997, representing several South and Southwest Side neighborhoods, and served until 2017. He was also a Cook County correctional officer and a Chicago Police officer, and was connected to former House Speaker Mike Madigan.
The indictment said in 2017, Acevedo received a gross income of $130,775, including about $82,533 from a company named only as Company A. On the gross income, he owed $19,582, the indictment said.
But Acevedo did not file a 2017 Form 1040 with the IRS before Oct. 15, 2018 as required by law, the indictment said. The indictment accused him of receiving payments in cash so as to conceal his gross income, making cash deposits into his personal bank account to conceal the source of the payments, directly depositing checks into his own bank account for services rendered by Company A, and avoiding the creation of business and accounting records.
Alex Acevedo, who failed in his own attempt to win a legislative seat, was charged with two counts, both alleging he understated his gross income for 2017 and 2018.
Michael Acevedo faces four counts, with prosecutors alleging that he understated his income in 2015 and didn’t file tax returns in 2016, 2017 and 2018.
All three family members have at various times been registered lobbyists of state government.
Eddie Acevedo previously told the Tribune he had worked as a consultant paid by former state Rep. John Bradley, a Democrat from Downstate Marion and a onetime contract lobbyist for ComEd. Acevdeo said he had been paid as much as $5,000 a month by Bradley.
Pritzker’s announcement came on the same day the county received continued good news about the coronavirus. It was the second straight day local health officials reported no deaths.
More than 80% of Peoria County’s residents over age 65 and around 55% of those eligible for a vaccine under 65 have already gotten at least one dose, Pritzker said in a tweet.
Illinois lawmakers probably ought to take another whack at passing a graduated income tax amendment but should specifically tie much of the proceeds to paying off old pension debt.
That was the suggestion today from the new speaker of the Illinois House, Emanuel “Chris” Welch, as he came under strong questioning [during a webcast event hosted by the Economic Club of Chicago] about how the state should handle $144 billion in unfunded pension liability for state workers and educators. […]
Welch did not say what share of a new amendment should be promised to pensions. But he did predict that given the state’s fiscal problems, the income tax issue isn’t going to disappear.
“If we don’t change (the current flat tax) . . . we’re going to be talking about this in another five years,” Welch said. Adopting a graduated tax like most other states have is “one of the structural changes we need.”
I reached out to Welch’s spokesperson Sean Anderson, who said the House Speaker was “simply highlighting the unfairness” of the state’s tax system and that Welch “doesn’t think anything should be taken off the table.”
Asked if Welch was prepared to move legislation this spring, Anderson said “I think he’s prepared to have a conversation with his caucus and with the governor on the best way to move forward, given the budget, given the deficit.”
Considering that the Fair Tax seemed to drive Republican turnout last year and that many House Democrats were actively running away from it by the fall, I’m thinking they’re gonna need a much different approach than last time, if this is actually anything beyond some public spitballing during a webcast. Tying it to debt might help, I suppose, but people would rather pay for things they can touch and fixing past mistakes by throwing money at them is never an easy sell. And maybe applying it to annual income over a million dollars could work, too. Madigan put an advisory referendum on the ballot to do just that back in the day and it got a lot of votes.
Thoughts?
*** UPDATE *** I asked Jordan Abudayyeh for a response…
The Governor believes the fair tax was the best option for addressing the state’s long term structural challenges, but for this year he looks forward to working with the General Assembly to pass a balanced budget that lifts up working families who have suffered amid this pandemic and that continues to rebuild our economy.
Unfortunately, under current state law, Illinois state legislators can claim a full month’s salary for just a day’s work. For this reason, Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza last year introduced her “No Exit Bonus” bill that would pro-rate legislator salaries so they get only a day’s pay for a day’s work.
Edward Guerra Kodatt was sworn in as state representative from the 22nd District on Sunday, Feb. 21. Two days later, on Tuesday, Feb. 23, Kodatt submitted his resignation. Our office has received his notice of resignation, but has not yet received his payroll information. Under current law, he is entitled to a full month’s salary, $5,788.66.
“In the spirit of good governance, I ask Mr. Kodatt to decline the month’s salary he is entitled to under this arcane law,” Comptroller Mendoza said.
Comptroller Mendoza introduced her “No Exit Bonus” bill in 2020 following a series of high-profile examples of bad behavior by state legislators of both parties caught in ethical clouds delaying their resignations until the first day of the following month so they could collect a full extra month’s salary.
Former State Rep. Luis Arroyo, charged with bribery; the late former State Sen. Martin Sandoval, who pleaded guilty to federal bribery and tax charges; and former State Rep. Nick Sauer, charged with online sex crimes, all exploited the same loophole in state law.
In all those cases, state taxpayers had to pay a full month’s salary to both the legislators resigning under an ethical cloud and also to their successors.
In this case, taxpayers could be on the hook for three full months’ salaries for: 1) Former House Speaker Michael Madigan; 2) former State Rep. Edward Guerra Kodatt; and 3) whoever committeemen now appoint to replace them, as early as Thursday.
“I would also ask the new appointee once she or he is sworn in to help restore faith in government by taking the principled stand to not take 30 days’ pay for two and a half days’ service – and to sign on as a co-sponsor of my ‘No Exit Bonus’ legislation,” Comptroller Mendoza said.
Comptroller Mendoza’s “No Exit Bonus” bill was introduced in the last legislative session, which was truncated because of COVID-19. The “No Exit Bonus” bill was one of many not acted on, though it was included in an ethics package introduced in the House on the last day of session.
This session, the proposal, SB484 and HB3104, has been introduced again by State Sen. Cristina Castro, D-Elgin, and State Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville. It may also be included as part of omnibus ethics legislation.
“Taxpayers don’t get a month’s pay for one or two days’ work, and taxpayers should not have to fund that undeserved gift for elected officials,” Comptroller Mendoza said. “It’s time to throw the General Assembly’s ‘Exit Bonus’ on the trash heap of bad traditions.”
Not sure he was even around long enough to fill out all the paperwork, but it’s still a good bill.
Amends the Election Code. Provides the procedure for filling a vacancy of a Senator or Representative in the General Assembly. Provides that within 3 days after a vacancy, the committee for that legislative or representative district shall create a uniform application for candidates seeking appointment and determine the date, time, and location at which the committee shall make the appointment (allowing for at least 7 days of public notice). Provides that applications received within 2 days before the appointment shall be made publicly available. Provides that candidates shall be granted an opportunity to present their credentials publicly and take questions from the committeepersons. Provides for a proxy for a committeeperson that is ineligible to vote for an appointment. Effective immediately.
With carjackings on the rise in Chicago and elsewhere, a South Side Democratic state representative has introduced a bill that would ban the sale of Grand Theft Auto and other violent video games.
Rep. Marcus Evans Jr. wants to amend a 2012 law preventing some video games from being sold to minors. Friday, he filed HB3531, which would amend that law to ban the sale to anyone of video games depicting “psychological harm,” including “motor vehicle theft with a driver or passenger present.”
Evans had been contacted in January by Early Walker, who started Operation Safe Pump to prevent carjackings at gas stations and shopping centers. Safe Pump positions security guards from the Kates Detective and Security Agency in areas with high numbers of carjackings.
“The bill would prohibit the sale of some of these games that promote the activities that we’re suffering from in our communities.” Evans said.
I contacted Evans, to get his reaction, floating the idea that there’s no connection between violent video games and real-life violence.
“That statement is an opinion about what doesn’t work, based off data,” said Evans, who represents the 33rd District on the South Side. “You say it doesn’t work. But it could be five kids, 10 kids, who it makes think this is normalized behavior. There is a reason we don’t have slavery games, games where we’re raping women, anti-Semitic games. You just don’t want to normalize behavior.”
He said studies are one thing, personal experience another.
“I’m talking to these kids,” he said. “I grew up at 85th and Blackstone. I know kids who are carjacking. They steal the car, they drive it around. They’re stealing these cars because this behavior is being normalized. Some of them do believe it’s fun and games. I’m telling you, it’s reality. They’re scaring the sh-t out of women. My mom lives in this neighborhood, and she’s afraid. This is an emergency situation that needs all the attention we can give it. That’s why I filed the legislation, proudly.”
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 2,022 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 44 additional deaths.
- Cook County: 1 female 60s, 3 males 60s, 4 females 70s, 3 males 70s, 2 females 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
- DuPage County: 1 male 60s
- Ford County: 1 male 80s
- Henderson County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s, 2 females 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
- Johnson County: 1 male 70s
- Kane County: 1 female 60s
- Kendall County: 1 female 70s
- Lake County: 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s
- LaSalle County: 2 females 90s
- Macoupin County: 1 male 60s
- McHenry County: 2 males 80s
- Monroe County: 1 female 70s
- Saline County: 1 female 70s
- Stephenson County: 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
- Union County: 2 males 60s
- Will County: 1 female 70s
- Winnebago County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,179,342 cases, including 20,374 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 82,976 specimens for a total of 17,804,537. As of last night, 1,511 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 338 patients were in the ICU and 172 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from February 17–23, 2021 is 2.6%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from February 17–23, 2021 is 2.8%.
A total of doses of 2,584,125 vaccine have been delivered to providers in Illinois, including Chicago. In addition, approximately 445,200 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 3,029,325. A total of 2,310,929 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight, including 291,273 for long-term care facilities. The 7-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 58,141 doses. Yesterday, 55,947 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. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
Wednesday, Feb 24, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Governor Pritzker,
Happy Black History Month? The State of Illinois does not do enough to ensure that Black people and businesses get a fair opportunity. What’s worse, the state often tries to silence those Black voices that speak out. That, in itself, is racism. A systematic process that oppresses Black people. And if that is racist, then one can only reasonably assume the State of Illinois is racist. That would mean that you Governor, whether intended or not, now head a racist institution. The truth hurts. So, fix it. Not half-heartedly, but really take the uncomfortable steps to make Black people feel like they matter. Be courageous. Be intentional. Be a Governor that isn’t looking for friends every four years, but rather an ally to the Black community who truly understands our plight. Especially, during this one short and cold month dedicated to remembering our pain, suffering, abuse, trauma, rape, murder… but also our triumph, perseverance, courage, strength, determination and hope. We spent this whole month showing you glaring issues facing Black businesses. We are asking our ally, the Governor of the State of Illinois, to please DO SOMETHING…ANYTHING…BUT ESPECIALLY…SIGN SB1608!
As of Monday, state data showed the DuPage health department held a vaccine inventory of 3,120 doses, while providers had 45,487. The county overall had a total inventory of 28,386 doses available for use in the first week of the month.
“Like every state in the country, Illinois receives limited doses from the federal government, so it’s imperative that every single dose coming to the state is used as quickly as possible,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh said. “DuPage County currently has three times more doses on hand than other collar counties.”
Abudayyeh said, “IDPH has urged local health departments with large numbers of vaccine doses on hand, like DuPage County, to reach out to providers to express a sense of urgency and provide support so any backlog can be administered as soon as possible.”
“As the state’s allocation is expected to increase in coming weeks,” she said, “it is vital that county health departments get a handle on their inventory and operations so they can manage the next phases of vaccine rollout efficiently and vaccine is not sitting on shelves in their community.”
It’s actually a few thousand less than that because of a coding error that put Copley in DuPage. But click here for the spreadsheet and you’ll see where the doses are sitting.
The county needs to tell its provider partners to get a move-on or they’re taking the doses back before the state steps in and does just that. DuPage has plenty of vaccines, but they’re deflecting blame on others when the problem is in their own back yard.
Illinois expects to begin administering an average of 100,000 doses per day by mid-March, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said after touring a vaccination site in West Peoria on Wednesday. He said the increase is based on “public commitments from the White House and from vaccine manufacturers.” […]
With the Food and Drug Administration’s decision on Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine moving forward this week, the governor added that an approval of the third vaccine would result in a 20% increase in the state’s incoming vaccine supply by the end of March.
The FDA on Wednesday confirmed the J&J vaccine, which is 66% effective at preventing moderate to severe COVID-19, compared with Pfizer’s 95% and Moderna’s 94.1%.
In terms of preventing death and severe illness, all three vaccines are 100% effective, Monica Hendrickson, public health administrator for the Peoria County Health Department, said Wednesday.
* Comcast’s latest ad buy report shows the Republican Accountability Project has made a small $3,090 cable TV ad buy in Rockford, Pontiac, Joliet, DeKalb, La Salle-Peru, Streator-Ottawa, Sterling-Rock Falls and Pontiac. Here it is…
* Meanwhile, here’s Politico with its usual deadpan manner…
CATALINA LAUF, who spoke at the Republican convention last summer, is challenging Rep. Adam Kinzinger in the 16th Congressional District GOP primary, setting the stage for one of the most high-profile primaries in the country as former President Donald Trump targets Republicans who have been disloyal to him.
Lauf declined to say whether she’s talked to Trump about her entry into the race. But it’s no secret she’s a darling of the right. Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski tweeted his support Tuesday night, calling Lauf a “strong candidate…She can win and will support the American First Agenda,” which is a Trump motto.
Lauf told Playbook the race “isn’t just about [Kinzinger] voting for impeachment… He’s just not representing the values of voters in the district.”
If elected, she said she would focus on “preserving free enterprise,” fixing problems with immigration, and supporting individual liberties.
Should Trump declare his support, Lauf will likely see a swell in fundraising. Watch for Trump donors like Dick Uihlein to emerge in this race.
Kinzinger, a six-term congressman, has had an easy go of elections in recent years. In the 2020 General Election, he secured 65 percent of the vote in his district. Trump, by comparison, won the district by 56.9 percent over President Joe Biden’s 40.9 percent. A primary, however, is different.
Lauf ran unsuccessfully in the GOP primary for the 14th Congressional District last year. She doesn’t have to live in the district to file to run in the 16th. The upcoming remap may include her current address, which she said is near the border of Kinzinger’s district. And she’s willing to move if the remap doesn’t include her current home.
She may be a darling of the DC right, but she finished third last year in an open-seat race despite getting loads of coverage from the national conservative media hive…
A conservative young Latina from Illinois is running for Congress as the anti-AOC.
Republican Catalina Lauf, 26, who is hoping to snag a Democratic-held seat outside Chicago, supports President Trump’s border wall, cites Ronald Reagan as an idol and hopes to be a counterweight to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s congressional “Squad.”
If Lauf wins the seat, she would break the Bronx-Queens representative’s record as the youngest woman ever elected to Congress.
* Her announcement video…
Fake Republican Adam Kinzinger won’t put AMERICA FIRST— I will.
That’s why I’m challenging him for his seat in Congress
I am the daughter of LEGAL immigrants, a small business owner, & PROUDLY served in the Trump administration.
Exelon Corp. (Nasdaq: EXC) today announced its Board of Directors has approved a plan to separate Exelon Utilities (RemainCo), comprised of the company’s six regulated electric and gas utilities, and Exelon Generation (SpinCo), its competitive power generation and customer-facing energy businesses into two publicly traded companies with the resources necessary to best serve customers and sustain long-term investment and operating excellence. The separation gives each company the financial and strategic independence to focus on its specific customer needs, while executing its core business strategy. […]
SpinCo will operate the nation’s largest fleet of carbon-free nuclear power plants, which produced 150 million megawatt hours of electricity last year – enough to power 13.6 million homes and avoid more than 106 million metric tons of carbon emissions. The company also operates approximately 12,000 megawatts of hydroelectric, wind, solar, natural gas and oil generation assets, which provide a mix of baseload, intermediate and peak power generation. These characteristics make SpinCo uniquely positioned to advance the nation’s clean energy strategy and priorities.
To maintain the generation fleet’s legacy of safety, operational excellence and financial stewardship, the company will retire uneconomic assets that negatively affect its ability to provide a reliable source of clean power to tens of millions of American homes and businesses.
So, the fight over closing Illinois nuke plants will continue.
Approvals are needed from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and New York’s utility regulators. Illinois, where Exelon is based, will have no official say.
Exelon has faced calls from consumer advocates and others for years that it ought to split its regulated utilities like Commonwealth Edison from its unregulated power plants like the nuclear stations in Illinois.
…Adding… Illinois PIRG Director Abe Scarr…
Exelon’s ownership of ComEd has created long-standing conflicts of interests and Illinois consumers have suffered as a result.. Separating Exelon’s generation assets from its regulated utilities is good news for ComEd’s customers and the public. At the same time, Illinois policymakers should recognize that conflicts persist and take action to address them.
Every year, Exelon bills hundreds of millions of dollars of services to ComEd, a subsidiary it controls, a subsidiary which can fully recover those costs from its captured customers. Illinois policy has so far failed to adequately recognize, much less mitigate, the numerous potential conflicts inherent in this relationship.
The Illinois General Assembly has the opportunity this spring to begin undoing the policy harms of the ComEd bribery scandal. That means winning restitution for ComEd customers, restoring effective utility regulation by ending automatic rate hikes through formula rates, and reforming utility political influence by no longer allowing utilities to charge their customers for charitable contributions. Addressing the conflicts of interest that persist beyond an Exelon breakup should remain on the General Assembly’s agenda.
Wednesday, Feb 24, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Most of the young women in my practice involve a parent or trusted adult in their abortion decision. And the younger the teen, the more likely she is to involve an adult. These facts are true in my office and throughout Illinois. Those who do not involve an adult do so with good reason — often because they are survivors of abuse or neglect. Some fear for their safety or the loss of shelter and food if their parents discover their pregnancy or their abortion decision. Others believe they will be forced to continue a pregnancy they did not plan and do not want.
Long expected by racing industry observers and feared by horse owners, trainers and fans, Arlington International Racecourse’s status as a gem for the sport of kings is about to come to the finish line.
Churchill Downs Inc., owner of the storied Arlington Heights track where horses have raced since 1927, announced Tuesday it plans to put the 326 acres near Euclid Avenue and Wilke Road up for sale. Churchill will use Chicago-based real estate firm CBRE to market the “redevelopment opportunity,” officials announced in a Tuesday afternoon news release.
And after previously casting doubt on whether a 2021 race meet would be held, Churchill officials on Tuesday said they’re committed to running Arlington’s 68 live race dates, scheduled from April 30 to Sept. 25.
They said they don’t expect a sale to close before the end of the race meet, or that the sale process will affect Arlington’s racing operations this year.
* React from the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association…
Illinois thoroughbred owners and trainers appreciate the opportunity to race this year at Arlington Park, a world-class track, but are disappointed that Churchill Downs will renege on its longstanding promise to preserve and grow jobs in Illinois racing while also serving the best interests of Illinois taxpayers.
Churchill spent two decades lobbying Illinois lawmakers for the authority to develop a casino at Arlington. But since purchasing the majority stake in the nearby Rivers Casino, Churchill has all but abandoned any meaningful commitment to Illinois racing. Churchill abruptly reversed course, deep-sixed that Arlington development plan, and instead devoted itself to ensuring that Arlington could not become a gaming competitor to Rivers.
Churchill’s anticompetitive behavior was so brazen, in fact, that its CEO publicly dismissed the prospect that racing might continue at Arlington under another owner and insisted the property would “have a higher and better purpose for something else.” Even in its statement today, announcing its plan to sell the Arlington property, Churchill obviously is disingenuous when it claims that it will move the Arlington racing license to elsewhere in Illinois.
“The license is not Churchill’s to move,” said Mike Campbell, ITHA president. “Moreover, the notion that a seasoned gaming operator would relocate a racing license away from a state of the art, modern racing facility near the heart of the Chicago metropolitan region to some yet-to-be-determined location is absurd. Churchill is just trying to obfuscate from the fact that it cares only about maximizing profit and will gladly sacrifice the spirit of Illinois law and the livelihood of working Illinoisans to serve its greed.”
The Illinois gaming expansion law was intended to boost overnight purses and otherwise invigorate thoroughbred horse racing in this state for the purpose of creating jobs, sparking economic opportunity and diversifying the tax base for the state and local communities. Illinois owners and trainers are appalled by Churchill’s contempt for live racing and the working men and women, from backstretch workers to breeders, who have devoted themselves to Illinois racing and who depend on racing opportunities and overnight purses to support themselves and their families.
Biss’ challengers are Evanston resident and grassroots activist Lori Keenan and 2018 Evanston Township High School graduate Sebastian Nalls. Last Sunday, Evanston Fight for Black Lives published a statement on Facebook endorsing Nalls.
Nalls responded in a statement Thursday that Pritzker’s endorsement of Biss showed “desperation.”
Results for the Democratic primary election for Calumet City mayor were unclear Tuesday, according to unofficial results.
State Rep. Thaddeus Jones, D-Calumet City, had recently been returned to the ballot to challenge incumbent Mayor Michelle Markiewicz-Qualkinbush, who is seeking a fifth term.
With all 24 precincts reporting, the Cook County clerk’s election website showed Markiewicz-Qualkinbush had 100% of the vote but no totals for Jones.
*** UPDATE *** The Illinois Supreme Court ordered the results suppressed yesterday because the other side asked it to take up the appellate court decision that restored Jones to the ballot. So, while Rep. Jones is declaring victory today, it’s up to the top court to decide whether he was on the ballot legally to begin with…
The results of the elections in Calumet City are clear, I have won the Democratic Nomination to become the First African American Mayor in the 120-year history of Calumet City! I want to thank the voters of Calumet City for believing in me and for wanting a new direction for Calumet City. I want to thank my family and friends for their loyalty and support. My wife Saprina and sons Thaddeus Jr and Preston Jones. I also want to thank Speaker Chris Welch, Senator Napoleon Harris and Rep Rita Mayfield who played a enormous part in this election. Today, it is time to get to work on behalf of all residents of Calumet City.” Jones received an estimated 1655 (54%) votes out of the 3,029 ballots cast and the Mayor received 1,374 votes. Jones will be having a zoom announcement at 10:30am today.
Former state senator and gubernatorial candidate Sam McCann of Plainview pleaded not guilty Tuesday to federal charges that allege he illegally spent more than $200,000 in campaign funds on cars, debts, other personal expenses and pay for himself. […]
Public defender Rosie Brown entered McCann’s not guilty plea, and McCann didn’t comment during the hearing except to answer questions from Long about whether he understood the charges against him and when describing his finances, his education and medical needs. […]
He said his wife’s earnings as a nurse working in the Washington, D.C., area, make up his sole income, and he has $500 in a personal checking account. He said he lives in Plainview with his 13-year-old daughter and 18-year-old son. […]
McCann must meet several conditions to remain free while his case goes through court, including the sale or transfer of 75 firearms in the personal collection at his home, [U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Eric Long] said.
Governor Pritzker sounded off on State Sen. Darren Bailey’s campaign kick-off event that took place Monday night with a mostly maskless crowd.
“I heard that that announcement last night was in a room of hundreds of people and no one was wearing a mask,” Pritzker said at an event on Tuesday. “So I am concerned about a super spreader event being caused by someone who’s running for governor.”
This is the second event Bailey has held in Effingham this month with a largely maskless crowd. The first was a forum on February 8th. At that event, WCIA Capitol Bureau Chief Mark Maxwell pressed him on concerns of coronavirus transmission.
“As a matter of fact, my jacket’s sitting over there,” Bailey told him at the event. “I carry the mask with me everywhere. I wear it when I feel like I need to wear it. There are places, you know, that mandate it and if I need to go in there, I did this from day one, I’ve always had a mask and got one of my masks.”
But, as Lask reports, there is a mask mandate at the Keller Convention Center, which was the Monday night venue.
Governor Pritzker says, he admits that we’ve lost population for years. But he says it’s no big deal. 150,000 people is not a trickle, governor. It’s a torrent. That’s more population than the combined cities of Aurora, Naperville, Joliet, Rockford and Springfield. Gone. People are leaving our state not because of problems with our state, they’re leaving our state because of problems of a failed government.
I’ve been working on this since day one. This was a problem before I became governor. I think you all know that we had more people leaving the state than coming to the state. We had a significant deterioration of immigration to the state over the last several years as a result of former President Trump and his policies.
What I’ve been working on is making sure that we’re attracting and keeping students in the state because that’s been part of the numbers of people who have left the state. Many students who are eligible to go to school at a reduced rate in the state of Illinois, get a better deal leaving the state to go to another school, out of state. That shouldn’t be and that’s why I’ve increased every year the amount that we put into our scholarships and made it easier at the schools for kids who are at median income levels and families are or below to get a free education. And we’ve seen that at many of our universities now since I took office.
So these are that’s just one way that we’re trying to make it better for the state to attract more people to the state, to keep people in the state.
And lastly, I think it’s very important to recognize that building jobs from the ground up, building up our small businesses, which is really where most of the job growth takes place in every state all across the United States, that is what we ought to be focused on. And in the wake of the pandemic, that’s where we ought to be putting our resources.
You know I’ve talked about the corporate loopholes that we need to close in order to balance our budget. The corporate loopholes that were closing, the vast majority of that is all about and effects the largest corporations, who we all know did extraordinarily well during this pandemic. Wealthy people and wealthy corporations did very very well. You know who got hurt? It’s everybody who earns roughly $40,000 and under. We need to be able to create new jobs, new businesses and make sure that those folks have an opportunity to get a job, a new job or the job back that they already had.
[Bumped up to Wednesday from Tuesday night for visibility.]
* I’ve been working on a story about newly appointed state Rep. Ed Kodatt (D-Chicago) since yesterday. This is from 13th Ward Democratic Committeeman Michael Madigan and 13th Ward Ald. Marty Quinn…
“After learning of alleged questionable conduct by Mr. Kodatt, it was suggested that he resign as state representative for the 22nd District. We are committed to a zero tolerance policy in the workplace.”
There’s some question about whether a resignation was properly filed today.
Anyway, the guy replaced the longest-serving House Speaker in history for what may be the briefest period in history.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Madigan says he will back Angelica Guerrero Cuellar this time around. She was supported by Ald. Silvana Tabares last Sunday. Ald. Tabares, you will recall, refused to make the appointment vote unanimous…
13th Ward Committeeman Michael J. Madigan issued the following statement on the process to select the next representative of the 22nd Illinois House District:
“After a fair and robust process on Sunday, we are prepared to proceed with selecting a replacement for the 22nd District Illinois House seat from the pool of candidates who already presented to the selection committee. I believe the most equitable way to proceed is to nominate the candidate who received the second-highest vote count. It is my intention to nominate Angelica Guerrero Cuellar.”
WHO:
Committee members
Michael J. Madigan (13)
Rep. Aaron Ortiz (14)
Ald. Derrick G. Curtis (18)
Ald. Silvana Tabares (23)
Vince Cainkar (Stickney)
WHERE:
Balzekas Museum ballroom
6500 S. Pulaski Rd.
2nd Fl.
Chicago, IL 60629
WHEN:
Thursday, Feb. 25
10 a.m.
Doors will open at 9:30 a.m.
Due to COVID restrictions set by the Centers for Disease Control and the Illinois Department of Public Health, in-person seating will be limited.
*** UPDATE 3 *** Food for thought…
As far as I can tell with some quick Googling, only three living former state legislators served in an Illinois General Assembly that didn't include Michael Madigan: Nonagenarians Harris Fawell and Raymond Ewell and 26-year-old Edward Kodatt.
U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today released the following statement after it was reported that the Biden Justice Department will retain John Lausch as United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois until his successor is confirmed. Durbin and Duckworth first voiced their desire to retain Mr. Lausch until his successor is confirmed in November 2020. On February 9, they wrote a letter to the President renewing this request.
“We are pleased the Biden Administration is acting on our request to retain U.S. Attorney Lausch until his successor is confirmed by the Senate. Mr. Lausch has served with professionalism and without partisanship. While the President has the right to remove U.S. Attorneys, there is precedent for U.S. Attorneys in the Northern District of Illinois to remain in office to conclude sensitive investigations. After our repeated calls, we appreciate that Mr. Lausch will be given this opportunity.”
No word on whether they intend to push Lausch for another term.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is facing a decision on legislation that will either anger a group of those he’s politically allied with or others who represent the front line in the pandemic response. […]
Should he sign it, personal injury lawsuits in the state would be subject to an annual prejudgement interest of 9%. That means a potential civil monetary judgment would see a required increase in the payout for any time that passes between when the injury occurs and the date of a potential settlement.
Prejudgment interest would represent a major shift in trial dynamics in Illinois and, according to Paul Gaynor, Healthcare Heroes Illinois spokesman, a devastating blow to the state’s front lines in the COVID-19 pandemic response.
“Doctors, nurses and first responders have risked their lives to protect patients since day one of this pandemic. In return for their steady, selfless service, the General Assembly passed a bill that would place an even greater financial burden on health care providers,” Gaynor said. “Gov. Pritzker needs to stand up for all those providers who responded to the call of duty by vetoing this lame-duck legislation that was designed to enrich the TV lawyers who are seeking to profit off the pandemic.” […]
The governor’s office has said it’s concerned with the financial ramifications of the bill.
The Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, a powerful force in Illinois politics and prominent supporter of Illinois Democrats, says the legislation simply places Illinois in line with the majority of other states.
“Stalling and delaying resolution of meritorious claims exacerbates the harm suffered by the wrongfully injured,” ITLA President Larry Rogers Jr. said in a Jan. 13 statement. “Justice that is delayed is justice denied.”
Pushing infrastructure reform as a matter of racial equity, Chicago business and civic groups have launched a legislative campaign to get state transportation officials to throw out the pork barrel and instead use detailed, apolitical criteria in deciding how to spend billions of dollars on road and transit projects.
In a press conference, the Metropolitan Planning Council and the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club announced their support for a measure introduced by Rep. Kam Buckner and Sen. Ram Villivalam, both Chicago Democrats.
The bill would direct the Illinois Department of Transportation to develop “risk-based” and “needs-based” systems to use in deciding which projects to fund—and which not to fund.
Illinois transportation funding often has devolved to a political scrum, with projects such as building a third airport or the proposed Illiana Expressway advancing or failing because of political factors.
* Press release…
Ill. Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago) and Ill. Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) are co-sponsoring a bill to establish more transparent and equitable investment practices for state infrastructure expenditures. Transparency “will help ensure the most beneficial projects are selected every year, and taxpayers can easily understand the reasoning behind them,” according to a new report by the Illinois Economic Policy Institute.
Illinois’ historic capital bill passage in 2019 infused billions into state coffers, but taxpayers don’t currently have visibility into which transportation projects are funded and why. This opaque process erodes trust in government and misses an opportunity to garner the greatest public good from each infrastructure dollar. Meanwhile, our transportation outcomes show troubling trends: an increase in traffic crashes, particularly involving pedestrians, and people struggling to access jobs and services.
There is a better way to achieve greater transportation outcomes and public accountability; it’s performance-based planning, a commitment to using data to compare proposed infrastructure projects. Buckner and Villivalam’s bill would require the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to use performance metrics in evaluating projects.
“Whether we want to improve a highway or update a train station, there are equity- and data-driven methods to guide our decision making,” said Ill. Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago), Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee.
Performance-based planning is akin to when automobile shoppers build a spreadsheet to compare one car model to another before purchasing. It’s not a strict playbook, but rather a flexible technique.
“This isn’t about any particular project,” said Ill. Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago). “This is a simple, but consequential change: visibility. Billions of dollars shouldn’t be locked in a black box. We want to ensure we’re being accountable to our taxpayers across the region.”
IDOT has implemented successful reforms to some of its programs in the recent past. For example, IDOT reformed its State Planning and Research program by opening it up to a public call for projects and publishing the criteria it uses to evaluate projects. The state also established a new way to rank and select projects when it received funding from a new freight program created by Congress in 2016. Lastly, the General Assembly included a legislative requirement to transparently evaluate and rank projects competing for the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program (ITEP), a joint federal-state program that provides funding for bicycle, pedestrian, and other projects that improve transportation. Transparent decision-making can promote access to jobs, improve safety, aid the environment, increase public health, advance equity, and offer multimodal choices.
“What you see on Google Maps is one thing, but the reality on the ground looks different,” said Rochelle Jackson, member of the North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council. “I spent two weeks documenting with a friend broken sidewalks, missing signs, and dangerous intersections in our neighborhood. These aren’t just inconveniences. They make it difficult to get to work, to live our lives.”
Performance-based planning is a best practice within the transportation industry, common in many states including Minnesota, Ohio, Kentucky, and Virginia. The Federal Highway Administration is strongly supportive of the practice.
“States with performance-based project selection systems are required to show how specific economic, safety, or maintenance needs are driving project selection,” said Mary Tyler, transportation policy analyst, Illinois Economic Policy Institute. “A performance-based program for project selection would ultimately give the public more confidence that these massive investments will deliver the best possible returns.”
In an era in which a pandemic further stresses our limited public dollars, the time is right for honest conversations. The stakes are high.
“Transportation investment is one of best tools Illinois has to attract and retain businesses to our state, but we can’t know which projects produce the best benefits without measuring how these projects impact economic growth, improve access to jobs, or reduce the costs of transportation,” said Tom Kotarac, senior vice president, Transportation and Infrastructure, Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago.
“I have lived next to roads like Pulaski, Cermak, Ogden, and Cicero, and there is a stark difference between walking and biking on these roads compared to other roads in Chicago. These differences impact the livability of my neighborhood and at times, severely impacted my mobility,” said Chicago resident Ruth Rosas.
Success looks different in different places. That’s why Buckner and Villivalam’s bill does not require IDOT to evaluate projects across the state the same way. Metrics will and should vary by geography.
“We want to make sure that every project is the best it can be at solving any given transportation problem in any part of the state, whether that is access to jobs, improved active transportation, or better freight connections,” said Audrey Wennink, director of transportation, Metropolitan Planning Council. “The beauty of performance metrics is that they allow us to get the most benefits out of our public dollars.”
Better infrastructure helps Illinois residents live better lives. Roads, bridges, trains, sidewalks, and bike lanes impact how people spend their time, and ultimately their access to opportunities. We can do more to improve people’s lives through transportation access and reliability by accounting for equity when making transportation decisions.
* Let’s start with the Politico story, which is pretty good…
Gov. J.B. Pritzker made his move to have greater control of the party by joining with Sen. Tammy Duckworth to endorse Chicago Ald. Michelle Harris.
Harris is seen as a strong candidate because she’s worked behind the scenes in Democratic circles. Harris served in the Cook County Democratic Party on committees handling recruitment, pre-slating and other appointments. Harris’ challenge could be that her career is focused on Chicago and Cook County politics, but Pritzker knows that to win statewide elections, northern Illinois is where the votes are.
“The next leader of the Democratic Party of Illinois must continue the progress we’ve made by supporting Democratic candidates who will help working families at the local, state and federal levels equally,” Pritzker and Duckworth said in a joint statement, adding they believe Harris “is best qualified” to do that.
Loyalty could matter, too. Harris was an early backer of Pritzker’s run for governor, and her daughter works for Duckworth.
Another big name in play is Rep. Robin Kelly, who tweeted her interest in the job and is endorsed by Sen. Dick Durbin and Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Iris Martinez. Kelly’s challenge is that she would have to split her time between D.C. and Illinois, so she likely would lean on Durbin’s downstate aide, Bill Houlihan.
In a statement, Durbin praised Harris as “a proven leader” but endorsed Kelly, noting she lived 20 years in Peoria and was a statewide candidate when she ran unsuccessfully for Illinois treasurer. “Her experience in Congress, the state legislature, and managing an Illinois constitutional office afford her a breadth of important experience and skill sets,” he said, adding he “can’t think of a better person” to lead the party.
While Kelly could be a good fundraiser for the party — which was Madigan’s strength — it’s Pritzker’s wealth that is likely to fuel the organization in the coming years. And if that’s the case, he’d want his own candidate in the top position.
Latino activists are pushing state Sen. Cristina Castro for party chairman. She is a member of the Democratic Central Committee. Still, other candidates could emerge in the next 30 days when an appointment must be made. In the meantime, Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough will serve as interim chair.
Durbin and Houlihan have had their eyes on the state party for a very long time. And while it’s true that Pritzker’s wealth would be a boon to the party’s finances, and that in most normal states the governor is the party’s titular head (and that’s also true here with Republican governors), what happens after he leaves?
Here are some other questions I’m still trying to find answers for: Why would the state’s senior US Senator go up against his party’s governor and his state’s junior US Senator in a battle over control of the state Democratic Party? And how far will Durbin and Pritzker push this? And what happens if Pritzker loses yet another political fight? And where’s the mayor in all of this?
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 1,665 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 27 additional deaths.
- Christian County: 1 female 90s
- Cook County: 1 female 40s, 1 male 60s, 2 females 70, 8 males 70s, 1 female 90s
- DuPage County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 90s
- Kane County: 1 male 60s
- Knox County: 2 females 70s, 3 females 80s, 1 male 80s
- Madison County: 1 male 90s
- Marion County: 1 male 70s
- Winnebago County: 1 male 20s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,177,320 cases, including 20,330 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 61,400 specimens for a total of 17,721,561. As of last night, 1,488 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 361 patients were in the ICU and 172 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from February 16–22, 2021 is 2.8%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from February 16–22, 2021 is 3.0%.
A total of doses of 2,307,685 vaccine have been delivered to providers in Illinois, including Chicago. In addition, approximately 445,200 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 2,752,885. A total of 2,254,982 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight, including 291,269 for long-term care facilities. The 7-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 55,917 doses. Yesterday, 43,282 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. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
* Meanwhile, from a press release…
A federal district court judge presiding over the Society Insurance Business Interruption Coverage MDL, which involves the potential applicability of insurance coverage for restaurants suffering financial losses due to COVID, ruled late Monday (Feb. 22, 2021) that the cases may move forward in determining whether their insurance policies cover such losses.
The Hon. Edmond E. Chang, U.S. District Court Judge of the Northern District of Illinois, ruled in a 31-page written opinion that plaintiffs in the consolidated bellwether cases survive defendant’s motions to dismiss and for summary judgment. The court granted summary judgment only as to the coverage theories under the Civil Authority and the Contamination provisions of the policies. All of the restaurants in the MDL maintain coverage by Society Insurance, headquartered in Wisconsin.
Shannon M. McNulty, partner at Clifford Law Offices who heads the class action/mass torts practice area at the firm and a co-lead counsel of one of the bellwether cases, said, “This decision is highly significant for businesses, particularly here in the Midwest, who have suffered financial losses due to the pandemic and paid insurance premiums to protect against those losses. We will continue to work on behalf of our client in the bellwether case, Valley Lodge Corp., as well as all of the businesses with claims pending in the MDL, to see that justice is carried out to the end under their insurance policies.”
Valley Lodge has two restaurants in Illinois in the northern suburbs of Chicago.
In its decision, the court recognized that, “All have been forced to modify their normal business operations due to the pandemic – for example, suspending in-person dining and relying only on take-out orders – and all alleged that they have lost significant revenue as a result” in the past year since the pandemic took hold.
After quoting significant and relevant passages from plaintiffs’ insurance policies, the court found at the very least that its “policy does not contain a specific exclusion of coverage for losses due to a virus or pandemic … a standard exclusion in the insurance industry.” [Italics in original] In fact, the court held that, “Exclusions are narrowly or strictly construed against the insurer if their effect is uncertain” and “a reasonable jury can find that the Plaintiffs did suffer a direct ‘physical’ loss of property on their premises.”
Notably, the court stated that Society Insurance may have acted in bad faith in denying coverage to the Illinois plaintiffs and that issue may be litigated as the bellwether cases of Valley Lodge Corp. and Big Onion Tavern Group, LLC, move forward. The court, citing to Plaintiffs’ arguments that “Society, which denied coverage across-the board, allegedly misrepresented the true scope of the insurance policies; failed to investigate individual claims, as required, and instead issued hasty denials not based on individual claims; and Society’s actions have caused an improper and lengthy delay in receiving payment,” ruled that these matters must be decided by a jury and not as a matter of law at the pleadings stage.
Indiana opens up COVID-19 vaccine to residents age 60 to 64
Wisconsin, Indiana moved down on Chicago’s emergency travel order that now exempts vaccinated people
Cinemark 18 closes, leaving downtown Evanston without a movie theater
Hundreds of Oak Park educators, staff receive COVID-19 vaccine at health department clinics
Cosmetic procedures are in demand during the pandemic, suburban plastic surgeons say
Park District to finally reopen lakefront, playgrounds, as well as indoor pools
New state mass vaccination site opens Tuesday in Rockford
Woman who died after transplant surgery in Michigan got COVID-19 from donated lungs
*** UPDATE *** Press release…
Gov. Pritzker Announces One Million Illinois Children to Receive Monthly Food Aid Following Expansion of Pandemic EBT Program
Up to $110 Million Federal Dollars Will be Brought into State Per Month, 200 Thousand More Children to Receive Support This Year
SPRINGFIELD – Governor JB Pritzker today announced that beginning next month, approximately one million children across Illinois will receive additional federally funded food benefits, valued at up to $110 million per month. Following a state request to expand eligibility for the program, the additional food support, funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service, is expected to reach about 200,000 more eligible children this school year compared to last year.
Eligible children across the State will automatically receive these benefits on an “EBT Card” mailed directly to their homes. The funding will be distributed by the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) in partnership with the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) to Illinois students who are eligible for Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) support.
“Today, we move another step closer to ending hunger for all of Illinois with a benefits program that will support approximately 1 million children across our state. Starting next month, eligible families across Illinois can be on the lookout for a benefits card in the mail to provide additional, federally funded food benefits for their children,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I’m excited to announce that we’ll be able to serve about 200,000 more children who have previously received this support, each with a larger daily benefit than in the past. My administration is proud to secure more federal funding for Illinois to make this expansion possible.”
Illinois’ P-EBT program brought approximately 764,000 children more than $259 million worth of nutrition benefits during the 2019-2020 school year. In the coming weeks, eligible Illinois families will begin to receive this year’s expanded benefits. Families will receive $6.82 for each day the child did not have access to school meals. This represents a 19% increase over the 2019-2020 school year, when the daily benefit was $5.70.
“At IDHS, we are committed to ensuring Illinois school children and their families have access to food assistance when they need it and will continue to apply for and maximize any opportunities,” said IDHS Secretary Grace B. Hou.” “We are proud to be one of 16 states to receive the federal approval from the USDA to continue these critical P-EBT benefits that put food on the table for Illinois families and bring in hundreds of millions of federal dollars to Illinois.”
Through P-EBT, eligible school children receive temporary emergency nutrition benefits loaded on EBT cards that are used to purchase food. Children who would have received free or reduced-price meals under the National School Lunch Program if their schools were not closed or operating with reduced hours or attendance for at least 5 consecutive days are eligible.
“Research shows that children who are hungry are not able to focus and learn,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Carmen I. Ayala. “Schools have served more than 113 million meals to students since the pandemic began, and the P-EBT builds on this care and commitment to ensure all Illinois children have their nutritional needs met. The fact that eligible families do not have to take any action and will receive these benefits automatically is a huge sigh of relief. We are proud to collaborate with other state agencies to make this happen and excited share this good news with our students’ families across the state.”
Families do not need to apply for this round of P-EBT benefits. In the coming weeks, they will receive one P-EBT card per eligible child, and the cards can be used to purchase food items at EBT-authorized retailers, which include most major grocery stores in Illinois. Cards will be mailed to the address the school has on file for the child.
Additionally, in the coming month, the Illinois Commission to End Hunger – a public-private partnership organized by the Governor’s office and stakeholders from across the state – will release a new “Roadmap” to end hunger in Illinois. The forthcoming plan focuses on strategies to better connect Illinoisans to nutrition assistance programs, including P-EBT, and promote equitable food access.
Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) is part of the U.S. government response to the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information, go to https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=131776.
He also took aim at opponents of the law, saying they “don’t want any change, don’t believe there is injustice in the system and are preying upon fear of change to lie and fear monger in defense of the status quo.”
* I asked the governor’s office for a point by point response…
When the Governor, bill sponsors and advocates decry the misinformation from opponents who want to protect the status quo, this social media post is exactly what they are talking about. Misinformation can easily spread on social media, and those who oppose efforts to make our criminal justice system more equitable prey on fear and misinformation to keep a system in place that disproportionately harms black and brown communities around our state.
The SAFE-T Act (HB 3653), does not prevent police officers from using force against individuals who actively threaten people’s lives. If a person does not pose such a risk, the law requires that officers prioritize non-lethal methods, including de-escalation, citations, and non-lethal force, as appropriate and based upon the totality of the circumstances. This law is consistent with best practices for law enforcement and will improve public safety for both the community and our police officers. Through additional training and codifying these best practices, the law aims to end the fear and trauma black and brown communities deal with every day because of the systemic racism that is part of our criminal justice system.
In each of these scenarios, the description of how the police can respond under the new law blatantly ignores the options that continue to be available to police who are seeking to protect the safety of an individual or the community.
1. “Critical Situations: There is an Active Shooter at a local high school. Police arrive and the suspect flees the scene. Uniformed officers catch up to the suspect who is still armed, no longer actively shooting and forcibly resisting arrest. The officers know who the suspect is and he could be identified & apprehended at a later date. Officers cannot use force against the suspect even though he just shot people moments ago.”
• The SAFE-T Act does not prevent law enforcement from appropriately using force against a person who poses an imminent threat of serious bodily harm or death to another person or people. In order for an officer to use deadly force, the shooter must be an active threat. This bill does not change that requirement.
2. “Criminal Trespass: You arrive home and notice an unknown person sitting in your backyard. You call the police and wait for them to arrive. The police confront suspect and he refuses to leave. The individual cannot be arrested & no force can be used to make him leave, only a ticket can be issued.”
• This description of how police can respond under the new law ignores the clear provision in the law giving officers discretion to respond to individuals who pose a threat to the community or any person. Specifically, the SAFE-T Act amends the Code of Criminal Procedure to require that “a law enforcement officer shall issue a citation in lieu of custodial arrest . . . for those accused of traffic and Class B and Class C criminal misdemeanor offenses, or of petty and business offenses, who pose no obvious threat to the community or any person . . . .” Outside of these low-level offenses, officers retain discretion to arrest.
3. “Disorderly Conduct: You own a local store and an individual is causing trouble. The suspect is being loud and yelling obscenities at customers. Police arrive and realize he’s disturbing the peace of the store. The suspect will be issued a ticket, a court date within 21 days and officers will leave. The suspect cannot be forcibly removed & the store owner is left with the same problem.”
• Under the SAFE-T Act, police have the authority to cite instead of arrest for a breach of the peace violation, which is a Class C misdemeanor. However, police have discretion to arrest if the individual poses an obvious threat to the community or any person, or who has an obvious medical or mental health issues that poses a risk to their own safety.
4. “Obstructing: Police are investigating a homicide. A body is on the ground & the area is surrounded with crime scene tape. A person decides to enter the area after being told not to by a uniformed officer, walks through the crime scene and jeopardizes the investigation. This person would no longer be arrested for obstructing a police investigation & force cannot be used to remove the individual from the scene.”
• The SAFE-T Act does not prohibit an officer from making an arrest for the described offense.
…Adding… I checked in with sponsoring Sen. Elgie Sims to see if he had any differences with the governor’s responses and he said he did not. “Those are right on point.”
Text from former Governor Bruce Rauner celebrates the end of Madigan’s career: “In the end, we took each other out.”
Except Democrats voted Madigan out after federal prosecutors weakened him. If anything, Rauner was the one last ingredient galvanizing Democrats to back Madigan.
The Republican Rauner strengthened and unified unions and Democrats in this state more than anyone in my lifetime ever has, and they flocked to Madigan for protection. A big reason why Madigan survived the intense 2018 sexual harassment scandals was because Rauner was still in office.
Tuesday, Feb 23, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
The facts about voter support for House Bill 3653:
9 out of 10 (91%) Illinois voters support legislative efforts that hold police accountable for misconduct.
69% of voters agree that reform is necessary now because of racial bias in policing. Nearly 9 out of 10 Illinois voters back:
• Holding law enforcement accountable for violating individuals’ constitutional rights (89% say it should be a major priority)
• Establishing clear and consistent statewide limits surround the use of force by police, including deadly force (80% say it should be a major priority)
• Training all police to a clear and consistent standard surrounding the use of force by police, including deadly force (90% say it should be a major priority)
• Rules mandating that officers are held responsible when they use force without justification resulting in a death (88% support)
• Establishing consequences for not turning on dashboard or body cameras (88% support)
More than 3 out of 4 voters in Illinois support:
• banning chokeholds (76%)
• requiring a state agency to report when a police officer uses force (78%)
• 69% of voters want to end special protections for police officers – known as qualified immunity – that allows officers to escape from many lawsuits, denying victims of real harm a day in court.
“We’ve been used, we’ve been mocked, we’ve been marginalized,” Bailey said. “People in Illinois have been ignored based on their race. They’ve been ignored based on their class, their zip code, or by special interest, all while a political class has done absolutely nothing but enrich themselves while destroying our state and robbing our children and our grandchildren of our future.”
“… the days of putting the interests of the corrupt political class above the people is over,” Bailey said.
It’s the victim campaign.
Bailey’s campaign committee had $179,214.29 at last report.
Criticizing Pritzker’s signature on community justice legislation opposed by law enforcement groups, Bailey said he was “going to be eager to see what kind of law enforcement protection” the governor had in touring the state. The legislator credited law enforcement for working to “protect and serve” in the wake of “just demoralizing behavior that seeks to destroy everything you stand for.”
He also cited progressive efforts to change the state’s college curriculum for incoming teachers aimed at avoiding personal biases, as another example of Chicago and liberal idealism interfering with Downstate cultural values.
“Now, right in the heartland of America, Illinois has become a stronghold for this evil, wicked stuff. So we just got to take it back and then we’re going to reverse all this,” he said to his Facebook followers. “Something’s going to start here in Illinois, in the heartland of this land and it’s going to spread across this nation.”
* WCIA…
Bailey’s base is the religious right. His “Standing for you” slogan comes from the Bible passage painted on the door of his campaign bus, which suggests he sees his mission in politics as one to stand up and fight “spiritual wickedness in high places.” pic.twitter.com/buJwA55mZo
When we got here, there were multiple bowls of wristbands - each color signifying social distancing comfort levels. I’m told not too many people have picked up the red ones. pic.twitter.com/lax6UnAlUc
Speech ended. We hurried out. I spotted this table in lobby as we were leaving. Doesn’t look like too many masks were picked up. pic.twitter.com/mN2PGverJA
