Michael J. Madigan today announced he will resign as the Chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois (DPI), and Vice Chair Karen Yarbrough will be appointed as interim chair of the party until a new chair is named.
First elected in 1998, under Madigan’s leadership, Democrats have held steady as the ‘blue wall’ in the Midwest, held supermajorities in the legislature, passed landmark legislation that has made Illinois a leader in progressive policy, and significantly increased the numbers of women, people of color and members of the LGBTQ community serving in state elected office.
“Over the last two decades, we have elected a diverse array of Democrats across Illinois and helped send a hometown Chicago leader to the White House, turning Illinois into a Democratic stronghold in the Midwest,” Madigan said. “Together, we faced conservative extremism and stood up for working men and women. I’m confident the Democratic Party of Illinois will continue to cement our place as a beacon of progressive values. My work would not have been possible without the support of my family, Shirley, Lisa, Tiffany, Nicole and Andrew. I thank each of them for their unwavering love and support that has allowed me to do this work for so long.”
Karen Yarbrough will move into her new role as interim chair after most recently serving as vice chair of DPI.
“One thing everyone knows about Illinois is that it’s a reliably blue state in the Midwest and throughout the country, and that’s in large part because of the leadership of Mike Madigan,” Yarbrough said. “Democrats across Illinois owe Chairman Madigan a huge debt of gratitude for the support, resources and time he’s dedicated to candidates and races at every level. While our party enters a transition and looks to the future, I hope we don’t lose sight of the extraordinary contributions he has made. I thank him for his leadership and wish him the best in his next chapter.”
Madigan’s resignation as chairman is effective immediately. Madigan’s current four-year term as state central committeeman ends following the March primary in 2022. Pursuant to the Illinois Election Code, the 36 members of the Democratic State Central Committee will meet within 30 days to select a new chair to serve for the remainder of the term.
* Speaker Welch…
“I thank Michael Madigan for his 20+ years of service as the chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois, which has left us with a supermajority in both chambers of the General Assembly. I have full confidence in the state central committee’s ability to select a new chair. The Illinois Democratic party remains strong, and we will continue our work to create a more equitable state.”
…Adding… From Madigan to party members…
Dear Friends,
I am writing you today to inform you that I am stepping down as the Chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois. Vice Chair Karen Yarbrough will serve as interim chair until the Democratic State Central Committee meets to choose a new chair.
I want to use this opportunity to express how honored I have been to lead Illinois Democrats through both challenging and rewarding times. Over the last two decades, we’ve increased the number of women, people of color and members of the LGBTQ community serving in elected office in Illinois and helped send a hometown Chicago leader to the White House. We’ve faced conservative extremism and always stood up for the hardworking women and men of Illinois. Together we’ve held steady as the ‘blue wall’ in the Midwest, held supermajorities in the legislature and passed landmark legislation that has made Illinois a leader in progressive policy.
On a personal note, I’ve enjoyed working alongside all of you. Your commitment to Democratic ideals and progressive values has helped make our tent even bigger and put Illinois at the forefront on the most critical issues facing our country.
I’m confident the Democratic Party of Illinois will continue to cement our place as a beacon of progressive values and defender of hardworking men and women.
Of course none of this work would have been possible without the support and sacrifice of my family, Shirley, Lisa, Tiffany, Nicole and Andrew. I thank each of them for their unwavering love and support that has allowed me to do this work for so long.
With kindest personal regards, I remain
Sincerely yours,
Mike
*** UPDATE *** Notice, US Sen. Durbin is not on this list…
U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, Illinois Governor today announced their support for Alderman Michelle Harris to be the next Chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois:
“As our nation moves on from the chaos of the Trump years and our state begins charting a brighter path forward under new legislative leadership, 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. We believe Alderman Michelle Harris is best qualified to lead our party forward in the years ahead and are hopeful the State Central Committee will select her to serve as the next Party Chair.”
Durbin has wanted to control the state party for a very long time. Stay tuned, but I doubt he can win this one.
…Adding… I was asked to remove the reference to Lightfoot from the release. Apparently, the statement hadn’t been approved yet by her.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Press release…
Rep. Robin Kelly (IL-2) Announces run for Chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois
“Today I am announcing my intention to run for Chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois. With democracy under siege, it’s more important than ever that we have leaders of our party that can appeal to the broad sector of our electorate that represent all 102 counties of our state. The Congressional district I represent is urban, suburban and rural which is a microcosm of the State and gives me a unique perspective and understanding to lead our party forward. I’ve been a strong leader in the party, I have the voice to move Illinois forward. As Chair, I will bring a fresh approach that includes my collaborative and inclusive work ethic. In the coming days, I look forward to sharing my vision about the future of the Democratic Party of Illinois with the members of the State Central Committee. I want to thank Mike Madigan for his service to the Democratic Party.”
*** UPDATE 3 *** Sen. Durbin…
“Democrats in Illinois are in our strongest position ever. We cannot rest on our laurels, and we must take this opportunity to look honestly at where we are now, as well as look to the future and lead by example. That is why I am supporting my friend, Congresswoman Robin Kelly, to be the next Chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois.
“Robin spent twenty years in Peoria. She’s traveled to every corner of Illinois as a statewide candidate. And she represents a district that’s urban, suburban, and rural. Her experience in Congress, the state legislature, and managing an Illinois constitutional office afford her a breadth of important experience and skill sets. I cannot think of a better person to lead Democrats moving forward in Illinois.
“Alderwoman Michelle Harris is a friend, and she’s a proven leader — clearly evidenced by the trust the Mayor of Chicago has placed in her as City Council floor leader. I want to thank her for her candidacy, and know that whoever is Chair, our party will be in good hands.”
*** UPDATE 4 *** A member of the State Central Committee…
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I support my Good Friend Congresswomen Robyn Kelly to lead the Democratic Party of Illinois as our next Chair it’s time for a woman to lead this party. I am with Robyn 💯
I’m thinking this caption contest probably won’t be successful because 1) He’s a former Senator and y’all hate commenting about the Senate no matter what; and 2) He lost to Radogno in 1996, which is a very long time ago. But, whatevs. Let’s see. Maybe there’s enough old-timers interested in the Senate to push this up to double digits.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 1,246 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 34 additional deaths.
- Christian County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 90s
- Cook County: 2 males 40s, 1 male 50s, 1 female 60s, 5 males 60s, 1 female 70s, 6 males 70s, 2 females 80s, 5 males 80s, 1 female 90s
- DuPage County: 1 male 40s, 1 male 80s
- Kane County: 1 male 50s
- Lake County: 1 male 70s
- LaSalle County: 1 female 90s
- Livingston County: 1 female 80s
- Madison County: 1 male 60s
- Peoria County: 1 male 70s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,175,655 cases, including 20,303 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 37,361 specimens for a total of 17,660,161. As of last night, 1,504 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 377 patients were in the ICU and 169 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from February 15–21, 2021 is 2.8%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from February 15–21, 2021 is 3.1%.
A total of doses of 2,256,975 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 2,702,175. A total of 2,211,700 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight, including 282,820 for long-term care facilities. The 7-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 55,499 doses. Yesterday, 59,748 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.
* Dr. Ezike has an op-ed in the Tribune which reminds folks that the WHO didn’t think there’d even be a vaccine until mid-summer of this year at the earliest…
To date, Illinois has administered the fifth highest number of vaccine doses in the nation, punching above our population rank to do so. Indeed, 12% of our population has received their first dose, which is 15% of our 16+ population — higher than New York and Texas, and tied with California and Florida at time of writing. Ours was one of the first states to announce that those 65 and older would be eligible for vaccine in Phase 1b, because the federal cutoff of 75 and older would deny vaccine to too many Black and brown Illinoisans who were dying at a much earlier age.
But none of this changes a simple truth: There is not enough vaccine in America, or anywhere in the world. And because of it, residents across the nation are scrambling, desperate to secure a place in line for themselves and their loved ones.
The numbers are clear: As of Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has delivered about 73 million doses nationwide, including roughly 2.7 million to Illinois. While the federal government earmarks which doses are first doses, which are second doses, which are for long-term care facilities and which are for large cities, like Chicago, let’s ballpark those numbers: To date, enough vaccine has gone out the door to vaccinate 36 million Americans, or roughly 11% of the population.
* Tribune live coverage blog headlines…
Far fewer COVID-19 deaths in Illinois nursing homes, where residents and workers were prioritized for vaccination.
A tight job market is forcing some Chicagoans to switch careers, return to school in hopes of landing a job
Preckwinkle, Evanston mayor to tour popup vaccine clinic at senior apartment building
With doses in short supply, thousands of frustrated COVID-19 vaccine seekers are turning to social media for help and getting it
3 days, 10,000 doughnuts. Community rallies around Palatine bakery that asked for help online
Suburbanites are getting COVID-19 vaccine appointments on Chicago’s South and West sides. But should they?
* Yes, I know that he hasn’t even signed the bill as this is published, but my inbox is filling up. Posted in the order they were received starting with the IPHA…
Tom Hughes, Executive Director of the Illinois Public Health Association (IPHA), released the following statement on Monday:
“As leaders of local health departments, we serve on the frontlines of defending the public’s safety. It is our responsibility to not only protect communities from threats to their health, but to also address threats to the safety of people’s lives and wellbeing, which includes those lost or hurt by systemic racism. Today, we fully recognize the fact that racism is a public health crisis, and commend Gov. JB Pritzker for taking steps to end this crisis by signing House Bill 3653 into law and reforming the criminal justice system in Illinois.”
“In 2020, we joined communities in mourning the lives lost to systemic racism, including the horrific killing of George Floyd, as well as the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade and countless others. Structural racism has existed in the criminal justice system for far too long, and House Bill 3653 seeks to make significant changes to help ensure the protection of the civil rights of all people and abolish discriminatory law enforcement strategies, which are goals also shared by the IPHA.
“Structural and systemic racism are woven into everyday life for people of color. We have stood with the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus in raising their voices against the injustices that have occurred in the past, and we thank them for developing policies to help prevent acts of racism and violence from happening in the future. As an organization, the IPHA will continue to encourage local health departments to educate the public on ways that structural racism damages lives and communities, and to take an active role in tracking and analyzing data on how racism creates further disparities in health and safety.
“Today marks a historic chapter in advancing our state and improving the physical, mental and emotional health of residents in Illinois. Again, we thank the governor for signing this legislation into law that will help end an epidemic that has threatened and claimed too many lives in our state. We look forward to continue working with the governor, our state legislature and our local community leaders to complete our mission of making a safer and healthier Illinois for all.”
Today Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is set to sign a dangerous bill into law that would end cash bail in Illinois.
Police officers say Illinoisians are “going to see a lot of criminals let loose on the streets.” New York’s experience with cashless bail law is evidence that they’re probably right.
So why have Sean Casten, Lauren Underwood, and Cheri Bustos been silent about a reckless policy that will put their constituents in danger?
Do Sean Casten, Lauren Underwood, and Cheri Bustos support Pritzker’s pro-crime agenda?
* Press release…
Since 2016, the Coalition to End Money Bond and (since 2019) the Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice have been organizing alongside impacted communities, advocates, legislators, and faith leaders to end wealth-based pretrial incarceration. Today, that system will face its demise when Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signs the Pretrial Fairness Act into law. The legislation, written by members of the Coalition and Network, transforms the state’s pretrial justice system by implementing a series of common sense reforms, most notably ending the use of money bail to determine who is released while awaiting trial. A diverse array of organizations from across the state endorsed the historic legislation, including racial justice activists, former law enforcement officials, and advocates against domestic violence and sexual assault. In all, more than 100 community, faith-based, and policy organizations have endorsed the legislation, which will have a dramatic effect on the state’s pretrial system.
The Pretrial Fairness Act is contained in HB 3653, criminal justice omnibus bill championed by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus. The omnibus bill was developed in response to Black Lives Matter protests that erupted in every corner of Illinois and across the nation last summer. Legislators saw the unprecedented protests as a mandate to bring sweeping changes to the state’s criminal justice system.
“By signing this historic legislation into law, Governor Pritzker and the Illinois legislature have taken a bold step to stand with the millions of people that took to the streets in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. All too often, these calls for desperately needed changes to our criminal justice system have been met with empty rhetoric. By ending money bond, Governor Pritzker and the Illinois legislature are setting an example of what prioritizing racial justice and implementing real criminal justice reform looks like,” said Olivia Butts of Black Lives Matter Bloomington-Normal, a member organization of the Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice.
From Rockford to East St.Louis and everywhere in between, wealth-based incarceration has destabilized communities by caging people not because they pose a danger to the community but because of the size of their bank account. Ninety percent of people incarcerated in Illinois’ 92 county jails are awaiting trial, and a majority of them are caged only because they can’t afford to pay a money bond. This destabilization has made our communities less safe, even while claiming to be done in the name of public safety. The Pretrial Fairness Act will impact tens of thousands of people every year who previously would have been incarcerated while awaiting trial, sometimes for years at a time, due to poverty.
“In 30 seconds, a judge set my money bond at $20,000 and changed the course of my life. I spent 14 months in jail. As a consequence, I lost my business, housing, and I nearly lost custody of my children. When I heard that Governor Pritzker was signing the Pretrial Fairness Act, I began to cry knowing that never again will families in our state experience the pain mine did,” said Lavette Mayes, an advocate with the Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice and the Coalition to End Money Bond.
“The signing of the Pretrial Fairness Act is a victory for people across the state. It shows what is possible when communities organize together to address racism and systemic inequality. People incarcerated pretrial are coerced into accepting plea deals that result in longer prison sentences and even more arrests in the future. By ending money bond, Illinois is not just ending wealth-based pretrial incarceration, we are beginning to meaningfully address mass incarceration,” said Sharone Mitchell, Director of the Illinois Justice Project, a member organization of the Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice and the Coalition to End Money Bond.
* Leader Durkin…
Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) released the following statement on the signing of House Bill 3653 into law:
“The Governor’s support of House Bill 3653 is an insult to our first responders, law enforcement and the law-abiding citizens of Illinois who want to live free of violence and destruction from the criminal element. It’s clear that Governor Pritzker does not understand this bill and what it means to our criminal justice system. Illinois and its citizens will not be safer because of this bill.
We live in a civilized state where our elected officials’ greatest responsibility is the health and safety of Illinois citizens. This past year, Chicago has been traumatized with epic acts of violence through murders and car-jackings with no apparent end in sight. At a crucial time when we should coalesce around the good men and women of law enforcement, Governor Pritzker has turned his back on them with his signature on House Bill 3653.”
* Rep. Mazzochi…
State Representative Deanne Mazzochi (R-Elmhurst) released the following statement in response to the signing of House Bill 3653, an omnibus crime and policing bill:
“Governor Pritzker today is signing HB 3653 at a vacant college campus, and heralding it as a model of reform. It was a bill that could only be passed by squelching debate, the barest of majorities, in the dead of night, in a lame duck session. It was opposed by a bipartisan coalition of DuPage legislators. It also was opposed by the law enforcement agencies and municipalities in my and surrounding districts.
No-one disputes our police should be accountable to the people they protect and serve. But for any bill, you have to ask, who is better off as a result of this bill? Not honest police officers. Not prosecutors and judges who try to keep dangerous people off the street. Not families who live in neighborhoods that need law enforcement to keep them safe.
Governor Pritzker is one of the wealthiest men in the nation. He can afford to hire personal security and insulate himself from the consequences of this legislation. The rest of us are on our own.
In 2018, the General Assembly enacted sweeping bail reform changes so that the rest of Illinois would have to follow Chicago practices. It has not made us safer or better. In DuPage County we experienced the negative impacts of the last “reform”, including increased failures to appear in court; increased carjackings; and home invasions. As just one example, in August, three men terrorized and threatened two families in DuPage. One of those men was wearing an ankle monitor from a previous arrest and was able to participate in these heinous crimes as a result of previously lowering bail standards.
Rather than learn from that, the Democrats in the General Assembly and Governor Pritzker today are doubling down on dysfunction.
It is shameless pandering for political favor within the activist wing of the Democratic party, and comes at the cost of people’s personal safety. This is not acceptable.
Governor Pritzker is failing at Government 101: keeping our residents protected, safe, and secure in their homes and lives.”
I will probably put most legislative responses on the live coverage post, but I wanted to give you a sample here. Also, to my knowledge, the bill’s sponsors do not have bodyguards.
…Adding… ILGOP…
“Governor Pritzker will regret signing HB 3653, an outgrowth of the “defund police” movement. In signing this bill, the Governor is willfully undermining public safety - endangering citizens, emboldening criminals, and making Illinois less safe for families.
Don’t just take it from me. Every police association in this state has condemned this bill.
With the ending of cash bail, HB 3653 mandates the immediate release of persons arrested for burglary, arson, and kidnapping onto our streets while they await trial. The bill legalizes resistance to arrest in many cases and allows anonymous complaints to end a police officer’s career. If a body cam malfunctions or is not turned on properly during an incident, the police officer could now face a class 3 felony and up to five years in jail. Pritzker’s signing of this bill has ensured that police protection in Illinois will become more passive and criminals will become more aggressive.
It’s no surprise that in a recent statewide poll of law enforcement, 66% of police officers will now consider retiring early. Standing firmly behind the thin blue line, Illinois Republicans are appalled at the signing of this bill representing an all out attack on both public safety and the brave men and women who provide it.” - Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy
This anonymous complaints thing is truly weird to me. If somebody is eventually prosecuted for wrongdoing, who cares how the first tip came in the door? I mean, the police have been soliciting and acting on anonymous tips forever.
* Paul Schimpf…
Today, Senator Paul Schimpf, Republican Candidate for Governor released the following statement in response to Governor Pritzker signing House Bill 3653:
“By signing HB 3653 into law today, JB Pritzker failed the people of Illinois in terms of both policy and leadership. Adamantly opposed by nearly all Illinois law enforcement leaders, HB 3653 makes Illinois communities and families less safe. Even more troubling, the legislation’s passage during an overnight, lame-duck session vote lacked meaningful scrutiny and review. As Governor, I will veto all legislation that fails to comply with minimum levels of transparency.”
* The Illinois Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) State Lodge, FOP Labor Council, FOP Chicago Lodge 7, Illinois Sheriffs’ Association and the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police…
“In signing this bill into law, Governor Pritzker chose to listen to a few strident political voices rather than the 120,000 petition signing citizens who plainly saw the bill for what it is. This new law is a blatant move to punish an entire, honorable profession that will end up hurting law-abiding citizens the most. Because we are sworn to protect and serve the public, we sincerely hope that we will not be proven right about this new law, that it won’t cause police officers to leave the profession in droves and handcuff those who remain so they can’t stop crimes against people and property. Please don’t let us measure its dismal failure by the shattered lives it produces. We urge all citizens to remember who supported this law, and keep that in mind the next time they look to the police in Illinois for the protection they can no longer provide.”
* Alliance for Safety and Justice…
Governor J.B Pritzker today signed a comprehensive public safety reform package – spearheaded by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus – that prioritize rehabilitation and supports communities most impacted by crime but least served by the current criminal justice system. The legislation’s reforms include improvements to the state’s sentence credit program to reduce recidivism and over-incarceration, as well as a lowering of barriers for crime survivors to access victim services – changes championed by the Alliance for Safety and Justice, with widespread support among crime survivors throughout Illinois. HB 3653 is part of a years-long effort to make communities safer by tackling unaddressed trauma and ending cycles of crime.
“For far too long, the criminal justice system has focused on over-incarceration policies and ignored crime survivors’ public safety priorities – but today, Governor Pritzker has set Illinois on a course towards a safer and more equitable future,” said Aswad Thomas, managing director of the Alliance for Safety and Justice’s flagship program, Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice. “These reforms are critical to addressing trauma and fostering healthier communities, while focusing on rehabilitative approaches that stop cycles of crime. Governor Pritzker, the Legislative Black Caucus, and Attorney General Kwame Raoul deserve immense credit for prioritizing crime victims and public safety with this historic legislation.”
“Thanks to Governor Pritzker and the state legislature, Illinois is making major progress toward rethinking public safety and advancing new approaches to make communities safer,” said Lenore Anderson, President of the Alliance for Safety and Justice. “Through investments in prevention, rehabilitation, and the expansion of victim services, Illinois leaders are supporting communities that have been long neglected by the current system. Improving public safety and public health go hand in hand.”
“I know firsthand about the trauma and pain that comes from losing a loved one, but with today’s bill signing, communities across Illinois will now have the tools to heal and be made safer,” said Bertha Purnell, coordinator of the Chicago chapter for Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice. “Illinois crime survivors supported this bill because we need policies addressing the root causes of crime, as well as expanded victims services for communities left behind by the current system. Thanks to Governor Pritzker, today is a victory for crime survivors and for those who want safer communities for all.”
“Today, Illinois has become a shining example for how we can approach public safety to make our communities safer, fairer, and more just,” said Speaker Pro Tempore Jehan Gordon-Booth. “With the signing of this bill, we’re standing firmly on the side of crime survivors as we commit to addressing trauma and ending cycles of crime. The reforms we’ve enacted will shift our priorities towards prevention and rehabilitation – which has been proven to make communities safer. I’m proud to support this historic legislation alongside Governor Pritzker and the Legislative Black Caucus as we look towards a safer and fairer Illinois.”
* ILBC…
Members of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus (ILBC) joined Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton Monday to celebrate the signing of House Bill 3653, a historic measure to advance fairness and equity in the criminal justice system, into law.
“These landmark reforms begin a process of building trust through accountability and addressing elements of our criminal justice system that contribute to mass incarceration and the unjust criminalization of people of color,” said state Rep. Sonya Harper, Joint Chair for the ILBC. “These measures begin to build a smarter system where sentencing and bail decisions are based on the safety of the public rather than the wealth and skin color of the defendant, and where bad actors in our police departments are held accountable while those who serve with integrity have the resources they need.”
“These reforms should merely be the first steps we take to transform criminal justice in Illinois,” said state Sen. Elgie Sims, D-Chicago, the chief sponsor of the law in the state senate. “We must reimagine accountability. We must reimagine transparency. We must reimagine incarceration. These reforms are a beginning.”
“This historic moment is the result of a monumental effort on the part of countless people, from those who testified during the 30 hours of public hearings on these issues, to those who have pushed for some of these reforms for years, and especially to the Illinoisans who signaled their support,” Sims said. “I thank them for lifting up their voices and never giving up, and I thank Gov. Pritzker for making these measures the law of the land. The journey continues.”
“HB 3653 is a bold and transformative initiative that comprehensively brings fairness and equity to our criminal justice system,” said state Rep. Justin Slaughter, D-Chicago, who shepherded the measure through the state house. “By effectively addressing police reform, mass incarceration and violence reduction, HB 3653 enhances public safety for all communities.”
“Today is a historic first step toward winning real safety and justice in our communities,” said Black Caucus Senate Chair state Sen. Robert Peters, D-Chicago. “The road to this point has been long and has been filled with difficulties, but after we celebrate today’s victory, we must keep up the fight. The public health, economic and systemic racism crises are still impacting our lives on a daily basis.”
“This is a great day for our community, and it also holds a special place for me personally. Long before I joined the Senate, I was a community organizer, and one of the major issues I fought for was ending money bond,” said Peters. “It’s a bit surreal to be standing here today to see that the fight paid off and money bond will soon be abolished at a state level, and it inspires me to keep up advocating for our communities. At the end of the day this isn’t about me, but all of us, working toward making everyone in this state whole.”
“The signing of HB 3653 is monumental. We built a broad coalition, led by advocates and activists, to push to create real reform. This legislation is a step forward to address generations of systemic inequity. We’ve called this criminal justice reform, but the truth is that we don’t actually have a criminal justice system because we have seen no justice,” said Black Caucus House Chair state Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago. “No justice for victims, no justice for the criminally accused and criminally involved, and no justice for the communities that have been left in the wake. We have a criminal legal system that focuses more on convictions, sentencing and profits than on addressing deficiencies, people and correction. We now have an opportunity to lead the nation by showing what a more just, equitable, transparent and accountable system looks like. It’s time for all of us to turn the corner and push Illinois in the right direction.”
“I was touched when I heard from so many people from every walk of life that enough was enough during the Black Lives Matter movement protests last spring. That spurred me, as chair of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, to initiate our four-pillar policy reform process,” said Senate Majority Leader Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford, D-Maywood, who served as Black Caucus chair from January 2015 to January 2021. “I am so proud that we have taken this historic step to rid Illinois of systemic racism. As a Black woman and a mother, I look forward to a day when our children can turn to the police with trust instead of fear, and this law is the first step we need to get there.”
* Illinois Justice Project…
This package of criminal justice reforms is nothing short of historic. Long debated and long necessary, the changes in policing, prosecution and incarceration will make the system more fair and our communities safer.
Many in law enforcement have acknowledged the need for improvements and have embraced change. Yet, some opponents used scare tactics in an attempt to derail the reforms. We commend Gov. Pritzker for rejecting their demagogic and false claims and urge everyone in the system to work together to implement these steps to make our communities safer.
We are especially grateful to the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, whose members fought so hard for these reforms, listened to all sides and refined the bill for months prior to passage by the General Assembly. Sen. Elgie Sims and Representatives Robert Peters and Justin Slaughter were tenacious in their pursuit of these reforms, especially the abolition of the requirement to pay cash to leave jail before trial.
The end of cash bond – one of the most important reforms – will put meaning into our criminal justice system’s ‘presumption of innocence.’ When effective in two years, judges will be able to detain anyone determined to be a threat to the community or unlikely to return for a court date, but no one else will be required to come up with cash to buy their release from jail prior to a trial.
The dozens of organizations and individuals making up the Coalition to End Money Bond are indicative of the large number of supporters, which includes two of the state’s leading prosecutors – Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx and Lake County State’s Attorney Eric F. Rinehart.
* John Howard Association…
JHA is thrilled that the Governor signed House Bill (HB) 3653, omnibus criminal justice reform legislation, now known as the SAFE-T Act (Safety Accountability Fairness Equity Today) into law. There is more work to be done, but with the enactment of this law, Illinois takes an important step towards achieving a better system for our state — one that prioritizes equity and fairness along with public safety and smart resource allocation.
JHA is Illinois’ only independent citizen correctional oversight organization. Our work and mission are focused on increasing the transparency of our criminal justice system and shining a light on problems and unfairness in order to address issues and hold systems accountable. It is in identifying what we are doing wrong, exposing it, and advancing reforms to rectify these wrongs that we can begin to have a system that recognizes and respects the dignity and humanity of all people.
This legislation, in pieces, has been a long time in coming. Some key reforms ushered in by the SAFE-T Act include:
Eliminating a wealth-based system of bail that penalizes the poor without improving public safety or justice system outcomes
Reforming how police are trained, should behave on the job, and held accountable to performing their responsibilities with honesty and fairness
Recognizing the need to increase publicly available information about the men and women who die while in the custody of criminal justice agencies without loved ones available
Reducing unnecessary restrictions of liberty imposed upon criminal justice-involved people
These are not new ideas, conversations, or even legislative proposals in Illinois. It has taken years to recognize and respond to the urgent needs of people impacted by our criminal justice system that have too long been discussed but not addressed.
Improved systems of policing, criminal legal processes, and correctional outcomes help our communities and make better use of limited resources and taxpayer funds.
JHA believes that HB 3653 will lead to important system improvements. Included in the SAFE-T Act are two specific provisions that we championed: the modernization of the Mandatory Supervised Release (MSR) statute and the establishment of the Death in Custody Reporting Act (DCRA).
* Speaker Welch…
“For too long, systemic racism has plagued our criminal justice system. In fact, it has been used to perpetuate a system of injustice. Today, I am proud to say that our state is taking steps to end that. I applaud Governor Pritzker for swiftly signing this bill into law; and I especially applaud my colleagues in the General Assembly who have been working towards this for years. Being Black or Brown in America is not a crime. Being poor in America is not crime. Today our laws will reflect that a bit more. But there’s certainly more to do.”
* Restore Justice…
Thank you, Governor JB Pritzker and members of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus. This afternoon, Governor Pritzker signed House Bill 3653, Senate Amendment 2 into law.
This extensive, multi-faceted legislation will address some of the most devastating, racially unjust practices that plague Illinois communities. It will end wealth-based pretrial incarceration, improve Illinois’s sentencing laws, ensure police officers wear body cameras, require the Illinois Department of Corrections to provide information about deaths in custody, and end prison gerrymandering, among other much-needed changes. Here’s a summary of the omnibus legislation.
Restore Justice is particularly grateful legislators included felony-murder reform in this bill. Read our testimony about the felony-murder law. Until this newly passed proposal takes effect, Illinois has one of the broadest felony murder-statutes in the country. This law incarcerates children and young adults for murders they didn’t commit. It doesn’t make us safer, but it does rob these young people of their futures and their families and communities of their voices. The majority of states either don’t have felony-murder statutes or only hold people accountable for deaths they or their co-defendants cause. HB 3653, SA 2 will move Illinois into that category.
It’s long past time to make Illinois’s laws fairer and to acknowledge the role racism plays at every stage of the criminal legal system. Passing this omnibus bill and fixing the felony-murder statute are important steps in advancing justice in our state.
Lawmakers held more than 30 hearings about this bill and have been discussing the provisions for years. Committee leaders invited all stakeholders to the table for these conversations. The Illinois Legislative Black Caucus crafted the bill and included proposals that have been debated and made progress in previous sessions. Thank you to the entire Legislative Black Caucus, especially Illinois Senate Criminal Law Committee Chairman Elgie Sims (D-Chicago), Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago), and Representative Justin Slaughter (D-Chicago). Thank you for leading the way to make Illinois a better state.
…Adding… Gov. Pritzker…
Building on efforts to create a more equitable and safe criminal justice system, Governor JB Pritzker signed landmark legislation that transforms Illinois’ criminal justice system. This landmark legislation ends a pretrial detention system that benefits the wealthy, expands training and wellness programs for law enforcement, modernizes sentencing laws, and prioritizes treatment and rehabilitation for low-level drug crimes.
“This legislation marks a substantial step toward dismantling the systemic racism that plagues our communities, our state and our nation and brings us closer to true safety, true fairness and true justice,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “In this terrible year, in the middle of a brutal viral pandemic that hurt Black people and Brown people disproportionately, lawmakers fought to address the pandemic of systemic racism in the wake of national protests. This bill was also infused with solutions from individuals most directly impacted: survivors of domestic violence, survivors of crime, and those who have been detained pre-trial only because they are poor. Today we advance our values in the law – progress secured despite the pandemic, because of the passion and push of the Legislative Black Caucus, activists, advocates, and residents intent on leaving a better Illinois for all our children.”
“Black History is about monumental moments and movements that serve as catalysts for change. Today, with the signing of HB 3653, it is both,” said Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton. “I have a tremendous amount of gratitude for Governor Pritzker and members of the Illinois Black Caucus. They used their seats of power to effectuate change that will alter the trajectory of lives, families, and entire communities for generations to come.”
House Bill 3653 expands safety, fairness, and justice by transforming the state’s criminal justice system and enacting statewide police reforms through the following:
• Moves Illinois from a system of pretrial detention that prioritizes wealth, to one that prioritizes public safety.
• Diverts low-level drug crimes into substance use programs and treatments.
• Modernizes sentencing laws and streamlines the victims’ compensation system.
• Requires more investments in officer training, mental health, and officer wellness.
• Expands training opportunities for officers, requires health and wellness services for officers, and protects officers from unjust lawsuits based on their reasonable actions.
• Sets statewide standards on use of force, crowd control responses, de-escalation, and arrest techniques.
• Requires the use of body-worn cameras by police departments statewide.
• Professionalizes policing through the creation of a more robust certification system and lays out clear standards and processes for decertification.
• Expands accountability across police departments by requiring the permanent retention of police misconduct records and removes the sworn affidavit requirement when filing police misconduct complaints.
• Requires police departments to develop plans to protect vulnerable people present during search warrant raids.
• Eliminates license suspensions for unpaid fines and fees due to red light camera and traffic offenses.
• Ends prison gerrymandering.
• Expands services for crime victims.
“These reforms should merely be the first steps we take to transform criminal justice in Illinois,” said State Senator Elgie Sims. “We must reimagine accountability. We must reimagine transparency. We must reimagine incarceration. These reforms are a beginning. This historic moment is the result of a monumental effort on the part of countless people, from those who testified during the 30 hours of public hearings on these issues, to those who have pushed for some of these reforms for years, and especially to the Illinoisans who signaled their support. I thank them for lifting up their voices and never giving up, and I thank Gov. Pritzker for making these measures the law of the land. The journey continues.”
“HB 3653 is a bold and transformative initiative that comprehensively brings fairness and equity to our criminal justice system,” said State Representative Justin Slaughter. “By effectively addressing police reform, mass incarceration, and violence reduction, HB 3653 will enhance public safety for all communities. The time is now to go from protest to progress.”
“As a former community organizer, I fought side by side with the Coalition to End Money Bond,” said State Senator Robert Peters. “Today, to see that the fight paid off and that money bond will soon be abolished at the state level inspires me to continue fighting for our communities. Together we must continue to work toward making everyone in this state whole.”
“The historical inequities of our criminal justice system do not just disappear with the passage of time; that takes effort and courage,” said Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. “Today I thank the Governor and our legislators for their effort and courage, doing what it takes us to lead us into a brighter future. For a decade now we’ve worked to reduce our reliance on the antiquated system of cash bail in Cook County; and our efforts have shown that we have been able to do so safely. This work, coupled with the decades of advocacy and expertise from throughout the state and from the communities most affected by crime, have informed this brave and just piece of legislation.”
“The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence commends Governor Pritzker on signing into law HB 3653,” said Amanda Pyron, Executive Director of The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence. “This bill provides for detention hearings for those accused of domestic and sexual violence, while ensuring those accused of non-violent crimes are not punished for being poor. Survivors will have notice of hearings and the opportunity to obtain orders of protection in the pre-trial phase. The Network applauds Governor Pritzker and the Legislative Black Caucus for protecting survivors and advancing racial equity through criminal justice reform. Justice for survivors cannot be achieved without racial and economic justice.”
HB 3653 was the result of years of work by community advocates, lawmakers, and members of law enforcement. The legislation was an initiative of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus and the culmination of nine public hearings, 30 hours of testimony, and countless meetings with law enforcement, community members, and advocates.
HB 3653 is effective July 1, 2021, except for certain provisions that are effective either January 1, 2022 (use of force changes), January 1, 2023 (Pretrial Fairness Act), and January 1, 2025 (prison gerrymandering).
* AG Raoul…
Attorney General Kwame Raoul today applauded Governor JB Pritzker for signing into law criminal justice reform legislation that includes Raoul’s initiative to improve the police certification and decertification process. The measure is part of Attorney General Raoul’s ongoing work to advocate for policies that make lasting, systemic change to policing in Illinois. The new law also includes Raoul’s proposals to allow the Attorney General’s office to conduct pattern-and-practice investigations of civil rights violations by law enforcement and improve services for survivors of crimes.
“By signing this law, Governor Pritzker puts Illinois firmly on the path toward improved services for crime victims, comprehensive criminal justice reform and constitutional policing,” Raoul said. “I am proud of the continued work and collaboration between my office, law enforcement, advocates and legislators to enact meaningful new laws that will not only promote professionalism, increase transparency and restore the public’s trust in law enforcement, but also enhance services available to victims of crime. While today is a significant step forward, lasting reform is a constant work in progress, and I am committed to continuing to work alongside our partners in law enforcement to improve policing in communities across Illinois.”
“This legislation marks a substantial step toward dismantling the systemic racism that plagues our communities, our state and our nation and brings us closer to true safety, true fairness and true justice,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “In this terrible year, in the middle of a brutal viral pandemic that hurt Black people and Brown people disproportionately, lawmakers fought to address the pandemic of systemic racism in the wake of national protests. This bill was also infused with solutions from individuals most directly impacted: survivors of domestic violence, survivors of crime, and those who have been detained pre-trial only because they are poor. Today we advance our values in the law – progress secured despite the pandemic, because of the passion and push of the Legislative Black Caucus, activists, advocates, and residents intent on leaving a better Illinois for all our children.”
House Bill 3653 was sponsored by Sen. Elgie Sims and Rep. Justin Slaughter and includes Raoul’s proposal for improving the police certification and decertification process that focuses on three key areas for reform: creating uniformity for officers and departments across the state, promoting professionalism in law enforcement, and increasing transparency.
Before this new law, the ways in which law enforcement and state’s attorneys investigate and take action in response to officer misconduct varied from department to department. Additionally, the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (ILETSB) could decertify an officer only in the event of a felony conviction and a limited list of misdemeanors. Raoul’s measure will improve the police certification and decertification process in Illinois by creating uniformity during the review process to allow for investigations of serious officer misconduct that may not automatically lead to decertification but still warrants a review of the officer’s actions. The law also promotes professionalism by creating a mandatory reporting system to ensure officers are in compliance with state professionalism standards. Additionally, Raoul’s measure will increase transparency by improving information sharing between hiring departments, departments and prosecutors, and the ILETSB and the public.
Attorney General Raoul’s proposal to give the Illinois Attorney General’s office clear authority under state law to investigate and resolve patterns or practices of unconstitutional policing by local and state agencies also was included in the legislation and signed into law today. Raoul previously led discussions with Congressional leadership to ensure federal law gives state attorneys general authority to conduct investigations into patterns or practices of unconstitutional policing. The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020 was amended as a result, and the legislation was passed last year by the U.S. House of Representatives – but not by the U.S. Senate. The law signed today codifies the Illinois Attorney General’s authority to conduct such investigations in state law.
Additionally, Governor Pritzker signed into law Raoul’s improvements to the state’s Crime Victim Compensation Program that would enable the Attorney General’s office to more efficiently administer benefits in order to make resources more accessible to survivors. Modernizing the program not only will allow the Attorney General’s office to better meet crime victims’ immediate needs but also will contribute to breaking the cycle of community violence.
The Attorney General’s Civil Rights Bureau enforces state and federal civil rights laws to prohibit discrimination in Illinois, and advocates for legislation to strengthen those laws. Raoul encourages people who need to file a complaint to do so online or by calling the Civil Rights Hotline at 1-877-581-3692.
Attorney General Raoul encourages individuals who have been impacted by a violent crime to call his office’s Crime Victims Assistance Line at 1-800-228-3368 or visit the Attorney General’s website.
* Sen. John Curran on behalf of the SGOP caucus…
On Monday, Governor JB Pritzker signed House Bill 3653 into law. The 700+ page legislation makes sweeping changes to Illinois’ criminal justice system, and the bill was opposed by nearly every law enforcement organization in the state. In response to the signing of the legislation, Illinois State Senator John Curran (R-Downers Grove) issued the following statement:
“Gov. Pritzker has enacted this hyper-partisan legislation against the strong objections of nearly every law enforcement organization in the state, and against the great concern of the general public.
“This 700-plus page proposal was rammed through in the middle of the night with just hours left in a Lame Duck session without the transparency and discourse expected in a democratic process.
“There are some positives in this legislation – specifically the changes that make it easier to reprimand and de-certify bad actors in law enforcement who have broken the public’s trust. Unfortunately, the negatives, which could have been further negotiated had the sponsors been open to bipartisan support, will undoubtedly make our communities less safe.
“Since House Bill 3653 passed, Senate Republicans have hosted about 30 virtual town halls with our local law enforcement groups in an attempt to better understand how these provisions will negatively affect their departments and our communities. We will be addressing some of their biggest concerns through legislation to be introduced this session to help ensure Illinois communities are safe for all.”
* Press release…
Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said Monday he was proud to participate in the enactment of a law adding new criminal justice protections including the end of cash bail, a mandate for police body cameras and increased police training.
The SAFE-T Act, which includes the Pretrial Fairness Act, was signed into law Monday by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
“While we are finally ending the injustice of dangerous people buying their freedom, we are also codifying what each of us know to be true — no one should be in jail simply because they are poor,” State’s Attorney Rinehart said.
He joined several other officials, including Attorney General Kwame Raoul, in explaining the importance of the new law in establishing both equality and increased safety.
“Unjustly jailing those who pose no risk to the community creates a ripple effect, perpetuating cycles of poverty and crime,” Rinehart said, thanking the governor, as well as other leaders and legislators, who championed the reform bill.
“Thank you to the General Assembly for boldly proclaiming that the criminal justice system must do more to protect all people,” he said.
State’s Attorney Rinehart said reforms in the bill will better protect victims from their abusers, “because judges can end the turn-style that releases those who would use their wealth to evade jail.”
“For this reason, the most pre-eminent victims’ advocate groups support this reform,” he said. “The most accomplished and passionate advocates for victims support this bill”
The State’s Attorney said that instead of turning questions of liberty and justice “into ones of dollars and cents,” judges will have to clearly state why they believe someone should be held or released.
“This transparency will take us inside a judge’s reasoning, and is critical in a system that has failed to live up to the ideal of “’equal justice for all,’” he said
“Good and principled people now have the tools they need to fight systemic discrimination, to bring transparency and accountability to policing, and to ensure that justice is determined by the merit of the matter, and not race, gender, access to money,” Rinehart said.
* Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities…
“With Governor JB Pritzker’s signature on House Bill 3653, Illinois has taken real steps to further safety, justice, and behavior health interests for all communities across the state.
The TASC Center for Health & Justice’s recommendations to the State’s deflection statute, incorporated in the new law, move deflection toward a broader public health and prevention design, encouraging implementation consistent with emerging best practices, and supporting development and implementation in marginalized communities.
The new law connects substance use programs with first responder duties by expanding the definition of “deflection” to also make non-law enforcement first responders—EMS and fire departments—eligible to lead deflection programs and apply for state grant money. The law also explicitly acknowledges co-responder approaches that incorporate behavioral health professionals, social workers, or peers at the scene and in follow-up care.
Moreover, an end to the State’s wealth-based incarceration through the elimination of cash bail and an end to prison gerrymandering that counts people in prison at their prison residences (rather than legal home residences) for purposes of redistricting are fundamental, needed, and transformational changes.”
* Sen. Jason Barickman wants to recriminalize small amounts of cannabis possession for those under 21 with SB299…
Amends the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act. Provides that a person under 21 years of age who possesses 30 grams or less of cannabis is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor (rather than a civil law violation). Provides that a person under 21 years of age who possesses more than 30 grams of cannabis is subject to the penalties provided in the Cannabis Control Act. Effective immediately.
* Meanwhile, similar telehealth legislation was proposed last May and didn’t survive…
The Coalition to Protect Telehealth has announced support for a legislative proposal to protect Illinoisans’ access to the innovative telehealth services they have relied on receiving from health care professionals and providers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Introduced by State Rep. Deb Conroy (46th House District), House Bill 3498 ensures quality, affordable and safe virtual healthcare that improves patient outcomes by reducing access barriers will continue to be provided after the COVID-19 pandemic. Critically, the legislation aligns telehealth coverage and payment with in-person care, making appropriate patient access to care the priority.
“Over the last year, we’ve seen significant, rapid development in telehealth technology. Initially spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, both state and federal government enacted policy changes to make telehealth services easier to access and, as a result, healthcare providers, professionals and patients have seen that virtual care preserves quality and safety, while also accommodating patients’ individual needs,” said Rep. Conroy. “Illinois should support this continued investment in telehealth and the important role it will play in modernizing healthcare delivery and empowering patients.”
Importantly, House Bill 3498 prohibits geographic or facility restrictions on telehealth services, and allows patients to be treated via telehealth in their home. The legislation establishes patients will not be required to use a separate panel of providers or professionals to receive telehealth services, nor would they be required to prove a hardship or access barrier in order to receive telehealth services. The legislation further protects patient preference by establishing a patient cannot be required to use telehealth services.
Additionally, House Bill 3498 gives healthcare providers and professionals the professional latitude to determine the appropriateness of specific sites and technology platforms for telehealth services, while upholding federal and state privacy laws.
Even as in-person visits have resumed, telehealth use has remained at a persistent and significant level, with strong indication from patients, healthcare providers and professionals that this flexibility to access care must be maintained permanently.
Telehealth use has been demonstrated to increase care plan adherence and improved chronic disease management, and in recent surveys, over 70% of Illinois hospital respondents and 78% of community-based behavioral healthcare respondents reported that telehealth has helped drive a reduction in the rates at which patients missed appointments. Surveys of Illinois physicians, community health centers, and specialized mental health and substance use disorder treatment providers have also revealed similar dramatic reductions in missed appointments.
Like clockwork, an Illinois lawmaker proposes a bill each legislative session to remove public notices from newspapers and instead post them only on government websites.
This session is no different. Rep. Jonathon Carroll (D-Northbrook) has introduced House Bill 811 with two co-sponsors — Rep. Daniel Didech (D-Buffalo Grove) and Rep. Sam Yingling (D- Round Lake Beach). So far, the proposal has not been assigned to a committee.
But just as bills that have come and gone before it — Rep. Joseph Sosnowski introduced a similar proposal that was defeated in 2017 — HB 811 is a bad idea. And again, lawmakers should reject it.
Newspapers have played a vital role in providing transparency about government by publishing public notices. It has worked for more than 150 years. As the neutral third party, newspapers help protect government from denying the public information they have the right to know about such as meetings, hearings, court actions, contract bidding, unclaimed funds and more. Along with open meetings, freedom of information laws, public notices are an essential element to keeping government transparent.
But with Madigan still heading the statewide Democratic Party — the party to which Welch, Pritzker and Senate President Don Harmon of Oak Park belong — and with Madigan’s continuing control of the political funds, Republicans would have even more ammunition to tie Democratic candidates to “dirty money” from Madigan, according to Redfield.
Madigan’s involvement with the campaign money also could confuse donors who in the past maximized the amount of money they could legally give to Democrats by donating to one of four funds controlled by Madigan, Redfield said. Madigan was able to legally transfer the money between funds.
But with Madigan no longer directly involved with legislation, donations to some of those funds would come with less assurance the money would influence bills or gain access to lawmakers, Redfield said.
Um, setting the “Madigan” question aside, wouldn’t it be a good thing if DPI contributions were no longer tied to state legislation? Some parts of that story were just… odd. For instance, despite the “Madigan” warnings to Senate Democrats, that caucus actually picked up a net seat last year, which wasn’t mentioned.
Bill Houlihan, a Springfield resident and an Illinois Democratic State Central Committee representative for the 18th Congressional District, wouldn’t comment on whether Madigan should resign.
Houlihan is Dick Durbin’s guy. Durbin has long wanted to control the state party and called on Madigan to quit the DPI chairmanship last year. Interesting that Houlihan wouldn’t comment now.
“I’m going to be an active Democrat. I will be an active Democrat in whatever role is available to me,” he said. Asked if he had made a decision about stepping down from the state party chairmanship, Madigan said, “We haven’t gotten to that bridge yet.” Asked when that would be, he said, “I have no idea.”
“I don’t feel a need to step down,” he said.
Others would differ, of course. Lots of others.
* The Question: Should Michael Madigan step aside as DPI Chair? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please…
* WGN-TV Political Reporter Tahman Bradley recently interviewed House Speaker Chris Welch. An excerpt…
TB: Let’s move on and discuss what the House will look like under Speaker Welch. Now, all bills filed on time will be required to be assigned to committees, but the committee chairmen can still decide whether or not they come to a vote. In other words, your committee chairmen can kill Republican ideas before they’re even brought up. So what’s different?
SCW: Well I mean first of all, I think that this is representative of a democracy. We are a super majority and we have the ability to govern the state because we won elections. But what our colleagues on the other side of the House should do is instead of complaining about rules that they helped to write many, many years ago - many of these same rules were in place when Lee Daniels was a Republican Speaker of the House - they should work their bills, they should work with those chairmen and get those bills out of committee, because the chairmen are in charge of those committees. And I think that’s very important. Not the speaker, not the minority leader, it’s each individual chairperson of those committees. They taught me as a freshman legislator eight years ago, work your bills, go to both sides of the aisle. Democrats and Republicans and my friends on the other side of the aisle should do that as well.
TB: Mr Speaker, why not allow an up or down vote on every bill that’s filed?
SCW: Well, you know, one of the things that the rules allow us to do is manage this process. Tahman, you’ve covered Springfield for a long time, a lot of bills get filed. We have to be out of there by May 31st at midnight, or a different process kicks in. And our friends on the other side of the aisle use a tactic to slow things down. We want to get things done, and they want to slow things down. And so if you don’t have rules in place that allow you to manage the process, they’ll kill good legislation just by slowing you down.
TB: Mr. Speaker, the Springfield practice of unveiling major pieces of legislation at the 11th Hour has long been complained about. What steps have you taken to end the practice of a lawmaker filing an amendment with only a few hours left in session? There are a couple minutes of debate and the next thing you know people are voting on something they’ve not read.
SCW: Well let me correct something that you said there. It’s been a long standing practice, but not because it’s a surprise. The negotiation process, many times you’re in working groups that have been going on for weeks and months, and the work of those working groups come about the agreement at the very last minute. And so, we have to eliminate the political spin and get past that rhetoric and recognize that a lot of amendments that are filed is the work of bipartisan working groups, agencies and several different parties. Just like with this past lame duck session with the Black Caucus pillars. Those bills were worked on for months, several people at the table. And so when there’s this talk that amendments were popping out at the last minute, that’s not quite true. Those things have been worked on for weeks and months as part of the process.
* The governor included funding for programs connected to the criminal justice reform bill in his proposed budget last week. The only real question was when he would sign the bill. Today’s the day…
Gov. JB Pritzker will sign a massive criminal justice reform bill Monday.
The bill, which is over 700 pages in length, will eliminate cash bail in Illinois. It will let [accused] criminal offenders be set free without waiting in jail for their court date if they cannot afford bail. A judge would issue pre-trial release conditions for Illinois offenders.
In addition, the bill would mandate the use of police body cameras for all officers and limit the use of force, among other changes.
The bill was met with some criticism by law enforcement and groups such as the Illinois State’s Attorney’s Association, which said the bill “will profoundly undermine public safety and overturn long-standing common-sense policies and practices in the criminal justice system.” Others were critical of the bill potentially not being fully read through before it passed.
“In the wake of the last summer’s protests against police violence and the responses to the release of the video showing the humiliation and harassment of Anjanette Young, there is little doubt about the strong support for additional police accountability and criminal justice reform,” said Khadine Bennett, director of advocacy and intergovernmental affairs at the ACLU of Illinois in a statement.”
“Some of the backlash that you were hearing that you’re talking about is partisan in nature, so it shows to me that it is not about policy – it is about politics,” said state Sen. Elgie Sims Jr. (D-Chicago).
“There are some provisions in the bill that do take time to accomplish – so they don’t necessarily – the bill’s signed, and they need to implement it tomorrow,” said state Sen. David Welter (R-Morris). “There are portions of this bill that’ll be one, two years out.”
* It used to be, Bernie or somebody would ask statewide candidates if they’d ever smoked pot. Now, there may be a new question for Republican hopefuls…
Former state senator Paul Schimpf (R-Waterloo) and 2022 GOP gubernatorial hopeful said he had no regrets voting for former President Donald Trump in 2020, but acknowledged that Trump “had his day in court” and “did not win.”
* It’ll be fun to hear Bailey answer this same question…
For the past week, State Sen. Darren Bailey, R-Louisville, has been teasing an “important announcement about the future of Illinois” on Monday night.
Bailey is expected to announce he’s running for Illinois governor in the 2022 election.
His kickoff event is scheduled Monday from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Thelma Keller Convention Center in Effingham.
Bailey has already announced a multi-day tour through downstate Illinois with events in Marion, Highland, Bloomington, Utica, Loves Park and Shorewood throughout this week.
Schimpf also broke with former Illinois Republican Governor Bruce Rauner and said he thought the U.S. Supreme Court “wrongly decided” the case of Janus vs. AFSCME when the high court ruled in favor of an Illinois state worker who objected to paying non-member union dues.
“I would say I’m a centrist on union issues,” Schimpf said. “I think that unions play a positive force for good. When I think they are they are right, I will agree with them. For instance, I am opposed to right to work. But when I think they are wrong, for instance, when the unions heavily pushed for an increase in the minimum wage for Illinois teachers, I voted against that.”
His lifetime AFL-CIO voting record as of the end of 2019 was 35 percent.
“The 22nd District is a garden,” then-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan told reporters several years ago when asked about his House district. Some thought it was funny, but he was serious. And he’s most definitely the head gardener.
I’ve often said that Madigan, who officially resigned from the House on Thursday after more than 50 years in the Legislature, ran the speaker’s office like he ran his ward and district offices. So the House was an even bigger garden than his home turf.
Madigan was, of course, a master fixer who took care of his members’ every need. And since he often preferred electing the sort of folks to his chamber who, um, didn’t always have the ability to fend for themselves, electorally or otherwise, his entire operation was like a big feedback loop. He elected members who needed his help and then he would help them whenever they asked, whether that was something as simple as tickets to a ballgame, campaign money, jobs and contracts, or even moving a state prisoner closer to home. You name it, he probably did it.
The more he did for them, the more control he had over them, although nothing was ever explicitly said. Favors for favors don’t have to be explained.
But it was far more than just mundane things. Madigan made the House’s trains run on time, and the way he did it required an immense amount of work and control. He said he was a fan of the way President Franklin Delano Roosevelt would bring all sides to the table to try and work out agreements, but balancing competing interests on countless pieces of legislation every year was never an easy task.
The result, however, was that most folks — including business groups — knew they could get a fair shake as long as Madigan was controlling things, even if they had to take it on the chin occasionally. There’s a reason why Illinois approved only tiny minimum wage increases until a billionaire liberal governor demanded much more.
Madigan spent endless hours every Sunday during session months reviewing details of every single introduced bill and amendment and figuring out what to do about the proposals and the sponsors and the involved interests groups. Conference committee reports used to be a thing (when there were disputes between the two chambers over amendments, small special committees were appointed to resolve the differences) but Madigan put an end to them after people other than himself tried to sneak through big stuff during the end of session rush.
Madigan wanted total control. He was convinced that was a good thing for his members, the House and, by extension, the state. And what he wanted, he usually got.
The careful planning, preparation, execution and, most importantly, control extended to the political side of his endeavors. Actually, it was all one thing. He set up some flimsy firewalls, but there was no real difference. His House chief of staff was also the executive director of his state party. His alderman ran his field operation. His best former campaign staffers became successful contract lobbyists and then oversaw House campaigns. A tiny handful of those elite lobbyists/campaigners even sat in on those aforementioned Sunday bill review meetings.
I asked Madigan years ago if he thought he’d ever get tired of it all. He said he viewed the job as a big, challenging puzzle, and as long as he enjoyed putting the puzzle together he would stick around. In the end, he didn’t have a choice in the matter. But the word I hear most from people who speak to him these days is that he’s “relieved” to be done with it all.
It just wasn’t fun anymore. Madigan took some big and justified heat a couple of years ago for his approach to sexual harassment within his sprawling operation. He’d always tried to quiet things down with, in his own words, “knock it off” warnings to the violators. In his mind, at least, that worked for years, but he belatedly realized it wasn’t enough. In order to maintain control, he was forced to dramatically change courses.
That intense scandal was the beginning of the end. The deep well of support for Madigan no longer was there when the feds busted ComEd and indicted some of his pals and publicly zeroed in on “Himself” like never before. And some of his members also grew tired of having their noses forcibly wiped for them and the submission to a flawed leader that act required. Enough of them revolted that they blocked his reelection as speaker, and now Madigan is left to tend a much smaller, friendlier garden, supposedly in peace.
* Meanwhile, here’s a roundup of the stories written about yesterday’s appointment of Madigan’s House successor Edward Guerra Kodatt and Madigan’s first press availability in many moons. Hannah Meisel’s story, posted first, has a special treat at the end…
* I have to run some errands for a bit, so I’ll be back later this afternoon. From WJBC…
On Wednesday, Gov. Pritzker unveiled his 2021 budget proposal, which did not include a tax hike. However, Senator Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington) said the speech did have unnecessary rhetoric.
“First of all, I was stunned at the harsh partisan rhetoric that I heard from the Governor in his budget address. I can’t point you to another budget address for which the person standing at the microphone took so many just over-the-top rhetorical political swings at Republicans. And for me, I’m a guy who worked with this Governor over the years. I mean, I’ve broken with the party and worked with him to try to forge bipartisan agreements.
“For him to make those attacks, I think, were totally unjustified. I think the public is fed up with that level of rhetoric, and they expect more. I tell you, I expect more out of all of us, including the Governor.”
Two months ago I asked Republicans in the General Assembly for their proposals to close this year’s budget deficit. I was met with silence. Apparently their idea of bipartisanship ends when hard choices must be made.
I won’t pretend that these tough decisions don’t have a human impact, because we are operating within one of the most bare-bones government infrastructures in the country. While the right-wing carnival barkers have used our state as a laboratory to undermine essential public investments, the fact of the matter is Illinois state government spends less money per person than the majority of states in this nation.
Twenty years ago Illinois had about 30% more employees than it does today. We had 40% more Illinois State Police to protect the 58,000 square miles of our state. Our Environmental Protection Agency had nearly 60% more people protecting our air and water. And state government’s share of spending on education has steadily dropped to the lowest in the nation – leading your cities and your counties and your school districts to impose suffocatingly high property taxes in order to maintain quality public education. Government cannot be bloated, but it must have the resources to provide for the needs of our state’s residents. […]
For decades, Illinois has been forced to send billions more tax dollars every year to the federal government than we receive back from them in support of our citizens. Federal spending is rigged against Illinois. We’ve been subsidizing public services for other states, like Iowa, Kentucky, Indiana, and Missouri.
You deserve better. I’m fighting for better. Congress must act decisively, and I urge every Illinoisan to add their voice to this demand. So far, not a single Republican Congressman from Illinois has supported you getting back what you paid for. If not in a national crisis, when will they stand up for us? Now is the time.
Let’s be clear. Congressional action will help us today, but it won’t solve Illinois’ remaining fiscal challenges. That’s why any money we receive from the federal government needs to be spent wisely, by paying down borrowing and our bill backlog. Anything remaining must be used to invest in expanding jobs and economic growth. More jobs, more businesses, more economic activity – means a higher standard of living for our citizens, a healthier budget and a healthier state government.
* The Question: Was the governor’s rhetoric justified or unjustified? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please…
Around 50% of patients who have been hospitalised with severe COVID-19 and who show raised levels of a protein called troponin have damage to their hearts. The injury was detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans at least a month after discharge, according to new findings published today in the European Heart Journal.
Damage includes inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis), scarring or death of heart tissue (infarction), restricted blood supply to the heart (ischaemia) and combinations of all three.
The study of 148 patients from six acute hospitals in London is the largest study to date to investigate convalescing COVID-19 patients who had raised troponin levels indicating a possible problem with the heart.
This ain’t the flu, campers. Be careful out there.
For the second year in a row, the Illinois State Board of Education is seeking a waiver from the U.S. Department of Education for standardized tests normally given during schools’ spring semester.
Earlier this month, State Superintendent Carmen Ayala sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Education asking for the waiver on assessments, noting that more than a million Illinois students are still receiving their education completely through remote learning.
“We believe that bringing students back in-person only to immediately begin state assessments will have a very harmful effect on their social-emotional wellbeing, mental health, and more importantly their re-connection with the school community,” Ayala told the Board of Education during its monthly meeting Thursday.
If the feds agree, tests like the SAT and certain graduation requirements — like high school civics — would be waived for the Class of 2021.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot defends spending $281.5 million in federal COVID-19 relief money on police payroll, says criticism is ‘just dumb’
Chicago reports improvement in COVID-19 vaccine distribution efforts among city’s Black and Latino population
Lightfoot, city officials to give vaccine update
“In 22 minutes, everything was full”: Thousands of Chicagoans receive COVID-19 vaccine at UIC arena as dentistry, nursing and medical students pitch in.
Illinois identifies 17 more cases of U.K. coronavirus variant.
Will County approves $3 million for health department COVID-19 vaccinations.
Lan’s Old Town restaurant shut down after weekend party violates COVID-19 restrictions.
In a Feb. 17 story about Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s budget proposal, The Associated Press erroneously reported that the proposal relied for revenue on federal COVID-19 relief money still under debate in Congress to close a $3.9 billion deficit. The budget plan does not rely on any of that money. In addition, after adjustments for recent tax revenue performance, the deficit is $2.6 billion, not $3.9 billion.
We all make mistakes. Stuff happens. Good on them for issuing a correction.
The two linchpins to Pritzker’s budget: D.C. and Democrats
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s proposed budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1 depends on two main events: COVID-19 relief money from Washington and compliant Democratic lawmakers here in Illinois. He might get both.
Waiting…
*** UPDATE *** An example of a newspaper editorial board trying to be helpful, but unclear on the facts…
But critics of Pritzker’s proposal are rejecting his idea of planning on federal aid.
Arguing against the federal government sending Illinois billions of dollars in pandemic relief aid is baffling. To what end? The state won’t get style points or extra credit for rejecting federal funds.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot is urging Gov. J.B. Pritzker to veto a bill boosting pensions for thousands of Chicago firefighters, arguing it would saddle beleaguered taxpayers with perpetual property tax increases and cripple a pension fund dangerously close to insolvency.
The bill, introduced by state Sen. Robert Martwick, D-Chicago, a Lightfoot political nemesis, passed in the waning hours of the lame duck session and awaits Pritzker’s signature or veto.
It removes the “birth date restriction” that prohibits roughly 2,200 active and retired firefighters born after Jan. 1, 1966 from receiving a 3% annual cost of living increase. Instead, they get half that amount, 1.5% — and it is not compounded.
Martwick has argued the “birth date restriction” already has been moved five times as a way of masking the true cost to the pension fund.
Lightfoot strongly disagreed.
Her letter to Pritzker argues that the bill amounts to ill-timed and unaffordable pension sweetener that would saddle Chicago taxpayers with up to $823 million in added costs by 2055.
There’s really nothing to strongly disagree with. The city has routinely moved the birth date restriction, but it’s been done in a way that the costs are not funded, which pushes the fund closer to insolvency. This bill would essentially take that routine practice, make it official and force the city to finally pay for it.
…That’s the utter turmoil that seems to have overtaken one of the larger public retirement systems in the state, the $11 billion Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund, which receives a nice chunk of Chicago homeowners’ property tax payments every six months.
When I last looked at the fund in October, its executive director and other key officials had just resigned, one commissioner had been censured by other board members, and board President Jeffery Blackwell was publicly complaining of an agency “culture of intimidation, intentional misinformation, discrimination, slander, misogyny, fear-mongering, blatant racism, sexism and retaliatory actions.” But interim Executive Director Mary Cavallaro said in a statement there was no reason to worry, and that “the fund is committed to ensuring financial stability, operational efficiencies and seamless service to members.”
Well, guess who now has resigned—with a blast? That would be Cavallaro. “I can no longer tolerate the chaos and toxicity of the boardroom, along with the vile disrespect and insults directed toward me, the leadership team and the hard-working staff of the fund by certain misinformed trustees,” she said in a letter to the board. “I have grave concerns about the ability of fund operations to sustain the continued loss of key staff members because of bad trustee behavior and poor board governance.”
Public Health Officials Announce 2,219 New Cases of Coronavirus Disease
Over 2 million vaccines administered in Illinois and highest single day total of over 83,000 vaccines administered in past 24 hours
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 2,219 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 63 additional deaths.
- Adams County: 1 female teen, 1 female 90s
- Champaign County: 2 females 70s
- Clinton County: 1 female 60s
- Cook County: 1 male 30s, 1 male 50s, 3 females 70s, 3 males 70s, 2 females 80s, 1 male 80s, 3 females 90s, 2 males 90s
- Cumberland County: 1 female 80s
- Douglas County: 1 female 60s
- DuPage County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s
- Edgar County: 1 male 60s
- Effingham County: 1 male 80s
- Ford County: 1 female 90s
- Henry County: 1 male 70s
- Kane County: 1 male 30s, 1 male 80s
- Lake County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
- Livingston County: 1 male 80s
- Macon County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 90s
- Macoupin County: 1 male 50s, 1 female 70s
- Madison County: 1 male 70s
- Massac County: 1 male 70s
- McLean County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 90s
- Peoria County: 1 male 70s
- Piatt County: 1 female 80s
- Pike County: 1 male 90s
- Rock Island County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 90s
- Saline County: 1 female 80s
- St. Clair County: 2 females 50s, 1 female 70s, 2 males 70s
- Stephenson County: 1 male 80s
- Tazewell County: 1 male 50s
- Union County: 1 female 60s, 1 female 80s
- Wayne County: 1 male 70s
- White County: 1 female 50s, 1 female 60s
- Williamson County: 1 female 80s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,170,902 cases, including 20,192 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 85,963 specimens for a total of 17,474,319. As of last night, 1,596 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 366 patients were in the ICU and 190 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from February 12–18, 2021 is 2.8%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from February 12–18, 2021 is 3.3%.
A total of doses of 2,186,775 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 2,631,975. A total of 2,060,706 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight, including 271,142 for long-term care facilities. The 7-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 59,460 doses. Yesterday, 83,673 doses were administered, marking the highest single day amount of vaccines 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.
* From Cook County Public Guardian Charles P. Golbert…
The Child Welfare Advisory Council (CWAC) is an important council that advises DCFS on all aspects of child welfare policy and practice. To the best of our institutional memory, for the entire history of the council, our office, which represents nearly half of the children and youth in DCFS’s care, has always had a representative. Until now.
Last month, Marc Smith, the Acting Director of DCFS, advised us that we would no longer have a seat at the table. In fact, there is no one on the current roster who is appointed to represent children in their Juvenile Court cases. Most of the appointees work for organizations under contract with DCFS.
This is part of a disturbing recent pattern of DCFS seeking to silence dissenting voices. Recent examples include the midnight replacement of DCFS’s outspoken Inspector General (IG) with someone with no child welfare experience. The new IG released his first annual report last month. The report is wholly lacking in substance, in fact, the shortest IG report in 20 years. Another recent example is DCFS’s attempt to stop a 17-year-old from speaking to the press about his experience being locked up in a psychiatric hospital for more than 2 months of his life because DCFS had nowhere to place him. We had to file emergency motions in court to vindicate the youth’s First Amendment rights to free speech and expression to talk about his ordeal, which the court granted.
DCFS’s widespread dysfunction will improve only if dissenting viewpoints can be heard. We call on DCFS to reverse this unfortunate decision.
* I asked DCFS for a response. Here are Child Welfare Advisory Council co-chairs Zack Schrantz, Strategic Advisor for UCAN, and Beverly Jones, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Lutheran Child and Family Services…
As leaders of the Child Welfare Advisory Committee, we recognize the importance of diverse voices in our committee and made a commitment to increase diversity in CWAC membership. As such, we followed a fair and inclusive process to recruit and vet new members, which resulted in an increase of 10 more diverse voices at CWAC. We doubled our African American representation and tripled LatinX representation, while also adding an alumni representative and the first parent advocates, along with a representative from the Shriver Center.
We were pleased to submit such a diverse group for our committee, and excited to note that for the first time ever, CWAC is even more diverse than the youth that we are serving. We look forward to working with all members to influence changes to DCFS systems, policies and practices. We recognize and appreciate the previous contributions all past members, including those from the Office of the Public Guardian. Even if previous members were not nominated, and do not have an official position on the committee, they are still welcome to participate and contribute to our meetings and work. It is our intent to be inclusive and not exclusive.
* DCFS Spokesman Bill McCaffrey…
DCFS has emphasized the importance of diversity to all of our advisory boards, as it is important that we listen to the broad array of voices from across the varied communities in our state. We are working to eliminate bias and achieve parity in the services we provide, and we believe the best way to make lasting, impactful change is by allowing new voices an opportunity to contribute. These voices complement, as opposed to replace, long-time advocates such as the Office of the Public Guardian, who still meet regularly with DCFS on a variety of issues.
* Meanwhile, CBS 2 has an horrific story about systemic failure of a little girl who was allegedly sexually abused by several men…
Police and child protective services are scrambling to explain why multiple men who sexually abused a 10-year-old girl remain free, even though the suspects are known.
CBS 2 Investigator Dave Savini revealed Thursday night how the system failed to protect the little girl, despite years of warnings and calls for help.
At the Grand Motel at 10022 S. Halsted St., on the top floor, in room 324, something terrible happened to a little girl just 10 years old. Not even out of elementary school yet, she was taken there by a 47-year-old man from her neighborhood and sexually exploited. […]
No one from the motel would talk about the incident. But CBS 2 Investigators obtained police records showing motel staff called 911 and told officers the man’s name and date he checked in with the girl. It has been four months, yet no one has been arrested. […]
The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) was alerted to these and other abuses dating back to 2016. Numerous reports called into the abuse hotline including calls from her school.
President and CEO of the Illinois Restaurant Association
Toia was noticeably missing from the November 5 press conference where the mayor announced emergency relief grants for Chicago restaurants and bars. By then, he was on to bigger things — namely, advocating for federal restaurant stimulus funds. Early on, he’d been an optimistic team player for statewide messaging on business restrictions. When those restrictions started to bite as the COVID crisis dragged on, Toia became a consummate political tactician, pushing back against indoor dining bans without alienating the governor, with whom Toia has spoken regularly throughout the crisis, while reining in angry restaurateurs, who might have invited a harsher crackdown had they flouted the bans in large numbers, as happened in other states.
Dude brought a guy to a meeting with the governor who later tested positive for COVID.
Also, if he’s speaking regularly with the governor on behalf of his members, shouldn’t he register as a lobbyist?
Officials from the hotel, restaurant and convention industries told a state Senate panel Thursday that they need a clear plan for how they will be allowed to reopen as the COVID-19 pandemic wanes, warning that without such a plan, many will go out of business permanently.
“We need to know … a strategy, we need to know the metrics as we move forward because we cannot, we cannot lose another summer here in the state of Illinois,” Sam Toia, president and CEO of the Illinois Restaurant Association, told the state Senate’s newly-formed Tourism and Hospitality Committee during its first virtual hearing. […]
Currently, all regions of the state are under Phase 4 mitigations, which limits private gatherings to no more than 50 people. But Toia argued that many restaurants are capable of handling larger numbers of people safely, and he said there should be a more specific plan that would allow bars, restaurants and hotels to gradually move out of Phase 4 toward Phase 5, which is full reopening.
“We just want to know when we can go back to having conventions, having parties, private parties, figuring out when we can have some fans in stadiums. This is very, very unclear,” he said. “And we just want to get adjusted of what Phase 5 is going to look like. I don’t think we can wait 12 to 18 months.”
How is anyone supposed to know that for sure right now? There are international, national, state and local supply problems, distribution issues, variants popping up.
* Most of the coverage focused on yesterday’s press releases and well-known references to the past. I figure we’ll see more retrospectives in the coming days, but here’s Brenden Moore…
Lawmakers and political observers in downstate Illinois say his first focus was ultimately Chicago, but that Madigan also had a statewide lens that he used to both pass policies that helped areas outside the city and to elect Democrats from those areas.
“He understood that for Democrats to be a vibrant force in Springfield, they needed to have some power outside of Chicago,” said John Shaw, director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. “So I do think that he worked to advance the statewide agenda, and not just the Chicago exclusive agenda.” […]
But there are almost no Democrats left who represent mostly rural, conservative constituencies, a stark change from the early days of Madigan’s House tenure, when his best friend, the now-indicted Mike McLean, was a Democrat from Quincy. And Jim McPike, a Democrat from Alton, was his majority leader from 1983 to 1995.
Yet, just as the elder Daley — Madigan’s political mentor — worked with the opposite political party, Madigan “was willing to work with downstate Republican governors like (Jim) Edgar and George Ryan,” Shaw said.
Edgar, a native of Coles County who was the state’s moderate Republican governor from 1991 to 1999, said that “downstate probably did better off of Madigan’s speakership than they might have thought.”
Even as he battled to maintain his grip on the speaker’s gavel, Madigan remained a prodigious fundraiser, bringing in more than $6 million in contributions to his Friends of Michael J. Madigan campaign fund in the final three months of 2020.
Altogether, the four funds under his control, which also include the 13th Ward Democratic Organization, the Democratic Party of Illinois and Democratic Majority, ended 2020 with more than $18.8 million in the bank.
Madigan’s main campaign fund continued to cover his legal fees related to the ongoing federal investigation, paying more than $1 million to law firm Katten Muchin Rosenman in the final three months of 2020, according to state campaign finance records. In all, his campaign fund paid Katten more than $1.7 million in legal fees last year.
State campaign finance law allows Madigan to continue covering legal expenses out of his campaign fund regardless of whether he remains in office.
Michael J. Madigan, never one to tell anybody outside the family what he’s thinking, let us in Thursday on a surprising secret.
Not that he was resigning the Southwest Side legislative seat he has held for 50 years. No, that’s been expected since he was supplanted as House speaker last month.
The surprise was to learn that Madigan cares what the public thinks about him.
In a carefully crafted announcement laying out his accomplishments in office, the oft-maligned Democratic politician took a belated stab at reshaping his tarnished legacy.
Where many of us saw a career chiefly characterized by the shrewd accumulation and exercise of power, Madigan now asks us to see a life of public service dedicated to improving “the lives of the most vulnerable” and helping “hardworking people build a good life.”
* Related…
* PHOTOS: The career of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan
Friday, Feb 19, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
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.
Will County Republicans voted overwhelmingly Thursday night to censure Rep. Adam Kinzinger for his vote to impeach former President Donald Trump.
The 111 to 5 vote (and one abstention) for censure “is meant to remind the representative who he represents: the people who elected him, not his self-interests,” said Will County Republican Chairman George Pearson, adding that Kinzinger’s decision to start a PAC that “goes against other Republicans was a betrayal.” Pearson said his next task is to find a challenger for Kinzinger’s seat.
* Press release…
Following the Will County GOP vote tonight to censure the Congressman for his vote of conscience and vote to defend democracy, Adam Kinzinger released the following statement:
“Not long ago, Will County was a staunchly conservative county where Republicans controlled the board and held county wide offices. Unfortunately, the current leaders of the Will County GOP have changed that. Under their leadership, Democrats took control of the County Board and Republicans have lost all county wide offices over the course of multiple elections.
“The leaders of the Will County GOP have proven they are unable to assist Republican candidates in winning these especially important elections. As the last federal Republican official representing Will County, I have been saddened by this ineptitude.
“Maybe if the Will County GOP spent the same amount of time and energy helping local Republicans as they do with petty censure votes to go after those that vote their conscience, they might actually win a few races.
“I look forward to continuing my part in helping Republicans get elected in Will County to make up for the lack of support they are receiving on the local level. As I have long said, we need leadership—and we need it now.”
He ain’t wrong about the decline of the Will County GOP’s influence and power.
The Iroquois County Republican Central Committee has censured Congressman Adam Kinzinger.
Committee Chairman Lyle Behrends said the committee voted on the censure Feb. 14. Kinzinger has faced criticism from Republicans since he voted to impeach President Donald. J. Trump.
In a statement from the committee sent over the weekend, committee chairman Lyle Behrends wrote, “Congressman Kinzinger, your vote to impeach President Trump has made crystal clear what many of us have known for years: You don’t represent the majority of voters in Iroquois County. When you were first elected to Congress, we were confident that you would reliably serve and advance the conservative principles of the 16th District in Washington. Unfortunately, you have chosen again and again to serve your personal and political agenda. At a time when our nation is imperiled by the left’s radical agenda, you have chosen to impeach President Trump, the foremost defender we had against the left’s obvious program to encroach on our liberties. We have made a choice as well, Congressman Kinzinger. The Republican Committeemen of Iroquois County have voted to censure you for your self-serving vote to impeach President Trump.”
“While representing the hardworking constituents of Iroquois County, Congressman Kinzinger has delivered for them again and again. He delivered by supporting policies that led to Iroquois County constituents keeping more of their hard-earned money. He delivered by supporting policies that benefited the agriculture community and the family farms. Kinzinger delivered by ensuring much-needed broadband was brought to Iroquois County, and perhaps most importantly, Congressman Kinzinger prevented Iroquois Memorial Hospital from closure during a pandemic.
“Congressman Kinzinger has reliably served Iroquois County and delivered real results for his constituents. Some — not all — members of the ICRCC believe blind loyalty to one man is how best to represent the interests of Iroquois County constituents. And Congressman Kinzinger does not agree with that method.”
*** UPDATE 1 *** As subscribers know, there was an attempt to slow this down today. Didn’t work. MJM gonna MJM. Looks like no Latino replacement…
NEW: Sunday 10am Committeemen will meet to choose Madigan successor, hearing Madigan’s favorite to replace him appears to be 13th Ward Superintendent Moeen Zahdan, however this may not sit well with those who want a Latino chosen #MadiganResigns
Madigan has more than half the weighted vote, so the other committeepersons don’t really matter.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Here’s the meeting notice…
WHAT:
Committee hearing to seek a replacement to the 22nd Illinois House District seat.
WHO:
Anyone interested in seeking to serve as state representative in the 22nd Illinois House District seat can present their resumes and field questions from constituents.
WHERE:
Balzekas Museum ballroom
6500 S. Pulaski Rd.
2nd Fl. North
Chicago, IL 60629
WHEN:
Sunday, Feb. 21
10 a.m.
His district/ward/campaign offices are in the museum building.
*** UPDATE 3 *** Press release…
Congresswoman Marie Newman gave the following statement regarding the resignation of Michael Madigan and the forthcoming process to appoint a successor to his 22nd District State House seat.
“For the first time in more than half a century, Chicago’s Southwest Side will have a brand new state representative. Public officials at every level of government have a fundamental obligation to ensure the voices of 22nd District residents are heard loud and clear when choosing Michael Madigan’s successor. We cannot allow history to repeat itself. Allowing this Individual to handpick his own successor not only shortchanges our residents and effectively shuts them out of the process but also discredits any sense of transparency and inclusion that our government strives for. It is absolutely imperative that this process is open and transparent and that the public is involved at every step so we can finally ensure that the residents of the 22nd District receive the representation they deserve.”
*** UPDATE 4 *** As I just told subscribers, 13th Ward Ald. Marty Quinn says Moe Zahdan will not be getting the appointment.
A legislative panel on Wednesday allowed the Illinois State Board of Education to move forward with new rules that call on colleges and universities in the state to change the way prospective teachers and administrators are trained in order to make them more accommodating to diverse students.
On a party-line vote, the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, or JCAR, declined to block the new “Culturally Responsive Teaching and Leading Standards” from going into effect, despite objections by Republicans who argued the rules would ultimately require licensed teachers and administrators to adhere to a particular political ideology. […]
“So I do believe that what you’re doing is you’re taking teachers who may object to some of the things that are in this rule, and thus are saying that their inability or unwillingness to abide by this (is) making them, in effect, incompetent,” [Rep. Steve Reick, R-Woodstock] said.
But Amanda Elliott, executive director of legislative affairs for the state board, said the new rules do not change the way licensed teachers or administrators are evaluated, only the way they are trained in schools of education.
Opponents made this out to be some kind of thought police by which teachers would have to admit bias. State Rep. Andre Thapedi (D-Chicago) asked the state school board’s Amanda Elliott, “Are these rules designed to in any way affect potential internal biases in terms of developing their craft?”
“It is meant for teachers to recognize those biases and how they may affect their teaching practices,” said Elliott, the Illinois State Board of Education’s executive director of legislative affairs. “We want to make sure they are accepting all students and making sure the students feel welcome in their classroom.”
Elliott said the hope is to recruit minority teachers into what’s become a high-turnover profession.
Cultural responsiveness means recognizing and incorporating all that a student brings into the classroom, so you can bring the curriculum to life in a way that is relevant to their lived experience. As a person of faith, I understand that examining and reflecting upon the way you view the world can be uncomfortable and difficult. But self-reflection gives us the opportunity to learn about ourselves and grow, which is ultimately what education is all about. All educators must be prepared to teach and serve children whose cultural backgrounds and identities are different than their own. These standards will support classrooms that embrace multiple viewpoints, experiences, and perspectives; promote inclusiveness; and encourage critical thinking. This will ultimately foster classroom and school environments that are more, not less, inclusive of all students, regardless of race, upbringings, potential language barriers, or any other aspect of one’s identity. As the data shows, creating environments that provide students with a sense of belonging is one that will nurture engagement, which will lead to academic success — something I believe we all want for Illinois’ students.
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.
Citadel founder Kenneth Griffin named and shamed local corporations that have taken tax incentives from the state’s financially strapped government in a Monday evening speech to a prominent Chicago business group.
“The last election cycle I called a local CEO to talk to him about supporting a pro-business candidate … ,” Griffin, a billionaire and Republican hedge fund manager, told the Economic Club of Chicago. “And I asked straightforward and simple, and he said, ‘No. No. I’m not going write a check. You see, if Illinois is not hospitable to my business. We’re just going to move.’
“And then I learned what the word ‘hospitable’ meant. For a few weeks later, it was announced that his company received tens of millions of dollars in tax incentives. His silence was bought and paid for,” Griffin said.
Griffin said the story was “sadly’ not unique. Citing Chicago Tribune reporting, Griffin put logos of Illinois businesses that had accepted tax incentives on a large screen behind him.
A few people in the sold-out crowd at the Palmer House Hilton began to applaud, but many appeared stunned as the names of corporations, either theirs or those run by people they knew in the audience, appeared on screen.
Just something to consider when reading budget coverage this week.
Two LGBTQ+ bills have already been introduced in this year’s General Assembly session.
One bill would make it easier for transgender and intersex people to change the gender on their birth certificate. The current law requires a statement from a health care professional. The version proposed in the Illinois House right now would remove that requirement altogether.
Lars Avis, a trans man who’s the secretary for Peoria Proud, said the bill would have made his transition easier. He said the bill is a matter of safety, especially for people who haven’t been able to get their gender marker changed. […]
Democratic lawmakers in the state House and Senate also reintroduced the REACH Act this month, which would require age-appropriate sex education in Illinois public schools. The bill calls for instruction that’s inclusive of “people of diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions.” […]
“In Illinois, only 10% of LGBTQ students receive any kind of LGBTQ inclusive sex ed,” said [Mike Ziri, the director of public policy with Equality Illinois]. “We want to change that.”
* From the International Pentecostal Assembly Ecumenical and the Community Action Network…
IPAE is announcing a campaign for the creation of the DWAIN (Driver Was Assaulted In Need) Alert System as well as the DWAIN Community Academy. The DWAIN Alert System will be named after retired Chicago Lieutenant Fireman Dwain Williams who was killed during a daytime carjacking on the south side of Chicago on December 3, 2020. Incidents like the one that involved Lieutenant Williams and hundreds of others have sparked a need for community involvement.
The DWAIN Alert System will respond in similarity as the Amber Alert System, a national early warning system to help find abducted children. It will notify the community of carjackings, allow them to report the location of carjacked automobiles, giving police the opportunity to prevent other crimes and carjackings.
Illinois State Senator Patrick Joyce (40th District) will sponsor legislation to create the DWAIN Alert System. Legislation will focus on funding and implementation to make this effort a reality to provide an additional layer of public safety for citizens throughout the State of Illinois.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, IDES has seen a deluge of 1.8 million new unemployment claims. With all of the new claims and people entering into the unemployment system for the first time, the agency has struggled to keep up with the demand.
The Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund, which funds unemployment payments, is in the red.
Rob Karr, president of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, said the current deficit is far worse than during the Great Recession of 2008.
“We have to keep in mind the problem that is front of us,” Karr said. “The Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund projected deficit over three years is somewhere between $8 to $11 billion dollars. To put that in perspective, the biggest challenge we’ve had in the past was $2.35 billion.”
…Adding… Meant to include these stories and forgot…
Weekly unemployment claims unexpectedly surged last week, rising above 800,000 as the labor market recovery stalled.
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 13: 861,000 vs. 773,000 expected and an upwardly revised 848,000 during prior week
Continuing claims, week ended February 6: 4.494 million vs. 4.425 million expected and an upwardly revised 4.558 million during prior week
The U.S. Department of Labor estimates 67,750 new unemployment claims were filed during the week of Feb. 8 in Illinois, according to the DOL’s weekly claims report released Thursday. […]
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 Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 1,966 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 72 additional deaths.
- Carroll County: – 1 female 90s
- Champaign County: 1 male 90s
- Cook County: 1 male 40s, 1 female 50s, 1 female 60s, 4 males 60s, 1 female 70s, 4 males 70s, 4 females 80s, 9 males 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 female 100+, 1 male 100+
- DeKalb County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 80s
- DuPage County: 1 male 50s, 2 females 80s, 2 males 80s, 3 females 90s
- Grundy County: 1 female 80s
- Hancock County: 1 male 70s
- Kane County: 2 males 60s
- Kankakee County: 1 male 70s
- Kendall County: 1 female 90s
- Lake County: 1 female 40s
- LaSalle County: 2 females 70s
- Macoupin County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s
- Madison County: 1 female 70s, 3 females 80s
- McLean County: 1 male 30s
- Menard County: 1 male 80s
- Peoria County: 1 female 80s
- Rock Island County: 1 male 70s, 1 male 90s
- St. Clair County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 90s
- Stephenson County: 1 male 90s
- Tazewell County: 1 male 60s
- Whiteside County: 1 male 40s
- Will County: 1 female 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s
- Winnebago County: 1 male 30s, 1 male 50s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 90s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,168,683 cases, including 20,129 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 67,542 specimens for a total of 17,388,356. As of last night, 1,655 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 386 patients were in the ICU and 184 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from February 11–17, 2021 is 2.7%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from February 11–17, 2021 is 3.3%.
Weather continues to cause vaccine delivery delays from the federal government. We are in contact with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and other federal agencies to understand the logistical challenges and if there is anything Illinois can do to expedite getting vaccine. A total of doses of 2,106,800 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 2,552,000. A total of 1,977,033 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight, including 266,037 for long-term care facilities. The 7-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 61,132 doses. Yesterday, 73,091 doses were administered.
*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.
* You have to wade through a whole lot of heat to get to the light, but at least there is some in this Capitol News Illinois story, including…
The budget calls for a full pension payment and increases funding for the Department of Children and Family Services by 7.9 percent. Pritzker also asked lawmakers to pass a standalone bill increasing spending for the Illinois Department of Employment Security by $60 million in federal funds for the current fiscal year and called for an added $73 million for the current fiscal year in federal funds. […]
Pritzker’s budget proposal also calls for an 8 percent reduction, or $638 million, in Medicaid expenses. That’s because the federal government has increased its share of Medicaid funding by 6.2 percentage points through the end of 2021 as part of its pandemic response plan.
Local governments also would see a cut in financial assistance they get from the state. The Local Government Distributive Fund, or LGDF, which gives local governments a share of the income tax revenue the state collects, would only be funded at 90 percent, but officials in the governor’s office said they expect that cut to be offset by gains the municipalities would realize through the closing of corporate tax loopholes.
Budget officials also claimed the budget shortfall for the current fiscal year has been addressed through the federal borrowing, $700 million in operational cuts and revenues performing better than projections. The state is now projecting a surplus of $77 million for the current fiscal year, along with the ability to prepay some of the Municipal Liquidity Facility borrowing from the previous fiscal year.
City and county leaders in McLean County said Wednesday one of Gov. JB Pritzker’s budget proposals is a bad idea.
The governor has proposed taking 10% of the income tax money it currently shares with cities, towns, and counties through the Local Government Distributive Fund.
Normal Mayor Chris Koos said the proposal is ruinous.
“This will be crippling to municipalities across the state of Illinois if this is to go through. We’re already seeing a significant decrease in revenues because of COVID-19 and this is just another slap to cities,” said Koos.
I mean, even the Illinois Municipal League admits it…
However, the Governor is also proposing that various tax loopholes for corporations be closed or modified. The Governor’s Office projects that these changes, if enacted as proposed, will provide local governments with an increase of $228 million statewide in LGDF disbursements.
That would more than offset the proposed $152 million reduction.
State Sen. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia, who is expected to announce a run for governor in 2022, said he sat for “30-plus minutes today and listened to a grown man whine, complain and blame absolutely everything — past and present — except himself and his own party, as to the woes and the demise of the state of Illinois.
“This budget remains at least $1.7 billion out of whack,” Bailey said. “And this budget has several provisions that he claimed as corporate loopholes that are nothing but tax increases on business and job killers for the state.”
The Senate Republicans are claiming the budget is $1.7 billion out of balance because politically difficult statutory changes will be required to capture that revenue (corporate loopholes and fund transfers). It’s a legit hit.
But, Senator, now you know how the rest of us feel about your antics.
Click here for a one-pager on the loophole closures. Click here for more on the proposed fund transfers.
“Just months ago, the voters of this state rejected the administration’s attempt to increase personal income taxes and now that tough decisions have to be made to compensate for the governor’s irresponsible spending, the governor is doubling down,” Bryant said in a statement provided to the newspaper.
“The budget put forth today is $1.7 billion out-of-balance, cuts funding to our Department of Corrections, redirects critical funding from Illinois’ infrastructure and eliminates hundreds of millions of dollars in business incentives.
“At a time when the hardworking families and the job creators of this state need responsible leadership the most, Gov. Pritzker is once again failing them,” Bryant said.
You can’t really say it’s $1.7 billion out of balance if you also claim it eliminates corporate loopholes because that’s where the money is coming from to fill the hole. Also, most of the IDOC decrease is due to phasing out Illinois Correctional Industries. They’re going with a more rehab-oriented system.
Rep. Amy Elik (R-Alton) says it fails to include a plan to pay off $5 billion in unpaid bills.
“And there is no realistic plan to pay of the $4.3-billion the state recently borrowed,” Elik says, as a Certified Public Accountant, she doesn’t believe it’s at all a balanced budget.
The state’s bill “backlog” is indeed about $5 billion. But when it gets to somewhere around $3 billion, the state can pay bills within 30 days. Paying off the complete backlog wouldn’t make much sense at a time like this. Then again, it always seems like we’re having those times.
And the state is budgeting for some debt repayment this and next fiscal year, although payments on some internal debt to special funds is being pushed off.
Republicans immediately pounced, criticizing the plan for relying on unrestricted federal aid to help fund state health departments and pay off debt. Pritzker’s plan does not include any additional stimulus money from the Biden administration.
Pritzker’s budget will now be dissected by the Democratic-led General Assembly, where lawmakers will have their way with the numbers.
What really sticks in the craw of Republicans is Pritzker’s proposal to pull back on tax loopholes for businesses, which the governor’s offices says would create $1.5 billion in new revenue. They see it as Pritzker seeking vengeance on business groups who opposed the graduated income tax measure that failed in November.
No doubt there’s at least some vengeance here, but you gotta get the money from somewhere.
And it seems like everything sticks in their craw these days.
* The Tribune skipped past most of the budget and went right to politics…
“None of these items are loopholes. They are incentives to grow jobs and educate children,” Durkin said.
“Loopholes, on the other hand, are what tycoons use to avoid paying taxes in Illinois, like parking money in the Cayman Islands or using questionable property tax exemptions,” he said, making note of personal tax practices for which the billionaire governor previously has been criticized.
While Pritzker seems eager to blame Republicans for the failure of the graduated income tax proposal, Durkin said, it was rejected by a “tri-partisan effort” of Republicans, Democrats and independents.
“It’s time for the General Assembly to bring the governor back to reality,” he said.
Thursday, Feb 18, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
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.
As of last month, Michael Madigan has dedicated 50 years of service to the Illinois House of Representatives. I thank the former Speaker for his sincere and meaningful contributions to our state. Under him, we’ve had strong, sustained Democratic leadership in Springfield. We legalized same-sex marriage, abolished the death penalty and solidified abortion rights. Illinois also became the first state in the Midwest to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour. These laws gave underserved populations a new sense of hope.
Now we must build on that with a new generation of leadership focused on racial and gender equity in all dimensions, improving government transparency, and leading with the kind of conviction, compassion and cooperation expected by our constituents. I truly appreciate his contributions and I join Illinoisans across the state in wishing him well.
I’m thinking this post will be updated.
…Adding… Illinois AFL-CIO…
The Illinois AFL-CIO, representing nearly 1 million working families across the state, today issued the following statement on the retirement of longtime Illinois House Speaker and State Representative Michael J. Madigan:
“The Illinois AFL-CIO and all of organized labor in Illinois wish to sincerely thank Michael J. Madigan for his indelible impact on Illinois public policy and politics, and his historic legacy of accomplishments for working families.
For the past 50 years, Michael J. Madigan has had unprecedented influence on our legislative process. Time after time, he has put the interests of working men and women first, even under dire circumstances and serious threats.
Speaker Madigan knew better than anyone that leading the Legislature means keenly understanding each legislative district and how best to support legislators representing their constituents back home and in Springfield. He knew how to bring people together behind the most important initiatives to move our state forward, while making the right political calculations to ensure his majorities grew and never lost touch with the will of the people.
When Illinois needed revenue to support the vital public services and programs we all depend on, Speaker Madigan put together the right recipe to get the job done. When Illinois desperately needed capital construction programs to create and support thousands of good-paying jobs, Speaker Madigan led the way.
When Bruce Rauner and other radical politicians threatened working families, Speaker Madigan stood firm.
And when legislators needed his help to advance the agenda that supports working men and women, time and time again Speaker Madigan was there for them.
Speaker Madigan strengthened and protected the prevailing wage to build our communities, stabilized our workers’ compensation system costs while protecting injured workers, fought for our collective bargaining rights, stopped senseless right-to-work crusades and expanded voter access for working families.
We wish Michael J. Madigan, his wife Shirley and his family well on his well-deserved retirement. Thank you for making Illinois a better place for working families, today and tomorrow.”
Tim Drea, President
Pat Devaney, Secretary Treasurer
* CFL…
Chicago Federation of Labor President Bob Reiter released the following statement regarding the resignation of Michael J. Madigan from the Illinois House of Representatives:
“Speaker Michael J. Madigan has been a steadfast, dedicated, and courageous champion of workers and their families in Illinois for a generation. His leadership in the fight for collective bargaining rights and worker protections in the state of Illinois spans more than five decades. In that time, Speaker Madigan partnered with labor on countless pieces of legislation to protect workers and protect the middle-class, keeping Illinois a strong pro-union state while many of our neighboring states joined the race to the bottom.
“Under Speaker Madigan’s leadership, the Illinois General Assembly enacted sweeping ethics reform laws, the first campaign finance limits in state history, equal pay requirements for women, landmark education funding reform, health care protections for individuals with pre-existing conditions, minimum wage increases, and many more pieces of vital legislation to move Illinois forward. He led the charge for increased infrastructure investment that has resulted in countless Illinoisans receiving a decent paycheck and benefits while building the foundation of our state.
“Speaker Madigan served alongside seven different governors, finding common ground and moving our state forward by working in a bipartisan way with lawmakers from across the political spectrum. However, he never compromised on his core values and he stood strong for four years against the attacks of former Gov. Bruce Rauner, the most fervent anti-union ideologue Illinois has ever seen.
“Speaker Madigan never forgot the constituents he served nor did he lose sight of the needs of working families in Illinois. His leadership and partnership will be missed, and we wish him and his entire family well as he begins the next chapter in his life.”
* David Orr…
The sudden resignation of former Speaker Mike Madigan is a clear indication Democrats are moving towards a more progressive political direction. Old politics has done extraordinary harm and enveloped around Madigan, leading to the loss of Democratic state seats, the recent Fair Tax Amendment, and most importantly the trust in government by Illinois voters. We can thank those who stood up to Madigan for change, clearing a path for a new speaker and a more accountable government for Illinois residents.
* Terry Cosgrove…
On behalf of Personal PAC, I extend my deep gratitude to Speaker Madigan for his many years of leadership in helping to steer Illinois in the direction of protecting the health care decisions of all women. First and foremost, he worked with Personal PAC to recruit, elect and re-elect our many outstanding pro-choice leaders in the Illinois General Assembly which has put Illinois at the forefront of protecting reproductive rights. Speaker Madigan fully understands that good politics is good policy and vice-versa. When Governor Rauner and his operatives were working overtime to sabotage HB 40 in the Illinois General Assembly, Speaker Madigan stood down Governor Rauner and helped to ensure that HB 40 landed squarely on Rauner’s desk where he was finally forced to keep his word and sign the bill into law. Speaker Madigan worked with then President Cullerton and Governor Pritzker in making the Reproductive Health Act (RHA) the law of our land in response to Trump’s numerous attacks on reproductive rights. In my 32 years at Personal PAC, beyond reproductive rights, the people of Illinois have witnessed unthinkable progress just a decade or two earlier, including marriage equality, abolishment of the death penalty and real criminal justice reform. Thank you Speaker Madigan for leaving Illinois in a much more equitable and better place than how found it 50 years ago.
* Former Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie…
“As Michael J. Madigan resigns his post in the Illinois House of Representatives, it’s time to recognize the contributions he made that have led to better lives for people across the state of Illinois.
“I served with Mike for 40 years, more than half as Majority Leader. Mike led the battle to improve and protect the state’s Freedom of Information Act, providing people the opportunity to know more about how their public officials, state and local, were making decisions affecting them. He took the lead on efforts to establish reasonable limits on campaign contributions and spending. And it was he who championed ethics reform and an end to pay-to-play politics in the state’s executive branch.
“Without Mike’s leadership, Illinois would not have approved same-sex marriage before the U.S. Supreme Court established that right nationwide. Without Mike’s leadership, the state would not have expanded voting opportunities for our citizens. Without Mike’s leadership, the state would not have led the nation in criminal justice reforms.
“With Mike at the helm, Illinois expanded access to health care and strengthened reproductive rights. With several increases in the minimum wage, Illinois showed its people that we value workers and their families.
“I am grateful for Michael J. Madigan’s leadership. He understood the meaning of public service: helping those in need and ensuring everyone a chance to succeed. His legacy is a proud one, and I am confident his successors in Springfield will continue to build on that legacy.”
* Secretary of State Jesse White
As a state legislator, I had the honor of working with Mike Madigan for 16 years. During that time, I found Speaker Madigan to be one of the smartest people to ever serve in state government. His in-depth knowledge of so many issues was and is incredible. His commitment to those most in need in our society and the working men and women of our state was unwavering. In my current role as Secretary of State, Speaker Madigan was a strong supporter of our office’s road safety agenda, including legislation to strengthen teen driving laws, battle distracted driving, and toughen DUI laws. I wish Speaker Madigan and his wife Shirley the very best.
* IRMA…
“Throughout his historic service to the state, former House Speaker Mike Madigan proved time and again he was sensitive to the needs of the retail community. He demonstrated a keen awareness of the importance of the retail sector to the state economy and its unique position as a major contributor to state and local governments,” said Rob Karr, president & CEO, Illinois Retail Merchants Association. “Even in time of disagreement, he encouraged and ensured genuine dialogue and worked in a collaborative fashion. On behalf of the state’s retail industry, IRMA thanks the former Speaker for his distinguished service and wishes him, Shirley and his family well.”
* Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters Executive-Secretary Treasurer Gary Perinar…
“On behalf of the 30,000 hardworking men and women of the Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters, I thank Speaker Madigan for a truly distinguished career in government highlighted by his unparalleled record of fighting for the working families of Illinois. No other elected official in our state has done more to advance the cause of the labor movement, and we will always be grateful for his stalwart leadership.
While organized labor is perennially under attack in states across the nation through Right-to-Work laws, bans on Project Labor Agreements, and other anti-worker initiatives, that has never been case here in Illinois during Speaker Madigan’s tenure. Thanks to his leadership, workers’ rights are protected and labor unions in Illinois have the strength to collectively bargain for their members so they can earn fair and decent wages and benefits that ultimately lift the middle class.
We are forever grateful for Speaker Madigan’s commitment to the labor movement.”
* ILGOP Chairman Don Tracy…
“Chairman Madigan’s legacy is that of presiding over the decline of a once great state, ballooning pension liabilities by hundreds of billions of dollars, and the accumulation of historic political power that primarily benefited government insiders and special interests. Chairman Madigan may no longer be a state representative, but he is still Chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois where he personally controls over $15 million in campaign cash.”
* House Republican Leader Jim Durkin…
“Today’s news of Rep. Madigan’s retirement comes as no surprise to me and every other Illinoisan, and I have been looking forward to this ‘new day’ in Illinois for some time. I urge the Democrats in both Chambers and the Governor to reflect on how we can use this opportunity to improve Illinois. Rep. Madigan’s autocratic rule over the decades has not made Illinois a more prosperous nor competitive state. Our state is in shambles – financially, structurally and ethically. New ideas and sincere collaboration between the parties is the only pathway forward.”
* Gov. JB Pritzker…
“When you dedicate your career to public service, it’s your loved ones who make the biggest sacrifices – whether it’s because you’re away from home, working long hours or spending time with constituents,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Michael J. Madigan and his family dedicated countless hours to serving Illinois families, particularly during the Rauner years, when he served as the bulwark against constant cruelty to the most vulnerable.
Over his decades in office, he shepherded through some of the most consequential changes to our state: bringing about the legalization of gay marriage, fighting on the frontlines for workers’ rights, raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, expanding access to voting and protecting women’s reproductive rights. The people of Illinois have much to be grateful for thanks to his dedicated public service, and the many sacrifices he and his family made to make a difference in our lives. I know how dearly he loves his wife Shirley, their children and grandchildren, and I hope that in this next chapter, his family can begin to make up for lost time.”
* Former Gov. Rauner…
React to #MadiganResigns from former Gov Bruce Rauner: “One of best birthday presents I’ve ever had.” Today is Rauner’s 65th birthday.
“Leading by example, Speaker Madigan has taught me many invaluable lessons. His unwavering commitment to his family has instilled in me how to be a good husband and father. Speaker Madigan has always fought for the little guy, ensuring people have the opportunities to build a good life for themselves and their families. I’m particularly proud of our accomplishments to provide nearly $250 million in quality educational opportunities to students of all ages throughout the district. Working alongside Speaker Madigan has been the honor of a lifetime. The immense sacrifices the entire Madigan family has made for the people of Illinois and the residents of the 22nd district will be felt for years to come.”
* Lt. Gov. Stratton…
Michael Madigan has retired after 50 years as state representative of the 22nd district. He worked tirelessly on behalf of the residents in his southwest side district, and fought for the rights of all Illinoisans when it came to advancing resources and rights in gaining fair wages, voting, women’s empowerment, and more. He leaves a legacy of service and sacrifice that is to be admired and is deserving of our gratitude.
It is simply not possible to give so much to the people of Illinois without sacrifice. From my family to his, I wish him and his wife Shirley happiness and joy as they enjoy these retirement years together after a long career in public service.
* Rep. Lindsey LaPointe
Today marks the end of an era in Illinois politics.
In looking back, all of us who share a progressive vision for Illinois owe a debt of gratitude to Speaker Madigan for his tireless and successful efforts on behalf of workers’ rights, marriage equality, reproductive healthcare, and many other issues that are crucially important to the people of Illinois.
I also have deep gratitude for my House colleagues and others who stood up for increased public integrity and accountability and called for new leadership for Illinois that will put power back in the hands of the people, where it belongs.
As we begin the 2021 legislative session, I am hopeful that this will be a turning point, and that a new generation of leaders will meet this moment, lead us out of the current crisis, and rebuild people’s trust in both government and politics.
The following is a statement from Michael J. Madigan:
“Today I am announcing that I will resign as state representative of the 22nd district at the end of the month. It has been my great honor to serve the people of Illinois as speaker of the House and state representative of the 22nd District. This journey would not have been possible without my wonderful wife, Shirley, and children, Lisa, Tiffany, Nicole and Andrew, who have stood by my side year after year, providing their love and support despite the pressure of growing up in the public spotlight. I am fortunate to have them in my life.
“Fifty years ago, I decided to dedicate my life to public service. Simply put, I knew I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives. I believed then and still do today that it is our duty as public servants to improve the lives of the most vulnerable and help hardworking people build a good life. These ideals have been the cornerstone of my work on behalf of the people of Illinois and the driving force throughout my time in the Illinois House.
“As speaker, legislator and member of the Illinois Constitutional Convention, I worked to make the General Assembly a co-equal branch of government, ensuring it acted as a check on the power of the governor and the executive branch, especially around a governor’s abuse of the amendatory veto. Many heated battles were fought to keep governors from rewriting legislation sent to them by the General Assembly.
“I am particularly proud of our work to increase the diversity of voices in the House Democratic Caucus to include more women, people of color and members of the LGBTQ community. In my tenure as Illinois House speaker, we worked to elect representatives across all backgrounds and beliefs to truly represent the interests of the people of our state.
“With the partnership of this diverse and talented group of Illinois Democrats and with our colleagues across the aisle, we were able to level the playing field and strengthen the middle class while workers in other states saw their wages diminished.
“We achieved school funding reform to increase investment for schools in need and address inequalities in our state’s education system. We made Illinois a welcoming state by passing the Illinois Dream Act and providing drivers’ licenses for undocumented residents.
“We strengthened the rights of workers, increased the minimum wage, expanded access to health care for Illinois’ most vulnerable residents, and protected a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions.
“We upheld the rights of all Illinois residents by passing marriage equality, finally recognizing the rights of men and women to marry the people they love. We enacted criminal justice reforms to break down laws that too often target people of color and led the country in expanding voting rights as other states weakened them.
“Collaborating with leaders in the retail, hospitality, manufacturing, health care and other industries, we built a partnership with job creators to encourage economic development and address crises in our unemployment insurance and workers’ compensation systems. We also expanded opportunities in the tourism and film industry, created the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority that reinvented McCormick Place and Navy Pier, and established the Illinois Sports Facility Authority that kept the White Sox in Chicago.
“When were confronted with the Rauner administration and the interests of the wealthy, who sought to weaken unions and the labor movement in Illinois, we stood up for working people.
Rauner went on to plunge our state into a budget crisis, nearly bankrupting social service agencies, eliminating funding for higher education, and racking up billions of dollars in state debt in the process. House Democrats stood as the last line of defense to protect our state from collapse.
“Under my leadership, we increased transparency of state and local government by creating the Freedom of Information Act and protecting it from attempts to water it down, impeached Rod Blagojevich and repeatedly strengthened the state’s ethics and campaign finance laws.”
“It’s no secret that I have been the target of vicious attacks by people who sought to diminish my many achievements lifting up the working people of Illinois. The fact is, my motivation for holding elected office has never wavered. I have been resolute in my dedication to public service and integrity, always acting in the interest of the people of Illinois.”
“My achievements would not have been possible without the hard work and commitment of many members of my staff through the years. I thank them for their efforts on behalf of the House Democratic Caucus and the people of Illinois. I also want to thank the many volunteers and supporters who worked on behalf of the residents of the 22nd District. It is with the collective support of many that we have made Illinois a bastion of Democratic values.
“I leave office at peace with my decision and proud of the many contributions I’ve made to the state of Illinois, and I do so knowing I’ve made a difference.”
Altamont Unit 10 will continue its search for a superintendent after “rather excessive” community backlash to the hiring of a former professional wrestler and Jerry Springer guest caused him to withdraw.
David Martin plans to remain in his current position as superintendent at the Tennessee School for the Blind in Nashville, Tennessee. He told the Effingham Daily News that he didn’t want to be a distraction in Altamont.
“The board was very supportive and wanted me to come up and still be the superintendent there,” Martin said in a phone interview on Tuesday. “But after the community responded in the way that it did, I just felt it was important for the community not to be a distraction and do what’s right for them. That’s why I asked them to be released from the contract.”
Martin said he wrestled professionally in Memphis and Nashville from 1996 to 2002, during a time when “The Jerry Springer Show” hired professional wrestlers as guests.
When it gets really cold, it can be hard to produce electricity, as customers in Texas and neighboring states are finding out. But it’s not impossible. Operators in Alaska, Canada, Maine, Norway and Siberia do it all the time.
What has sent Texas reeling is not an engineering problem, nor is it the frozen wind turbines blamed by prominent Republicans. It is a financial structure for power generation that offers no incentives to power plant operators to prepare for winter. In the name of deregulation and free markets, critics say, Texas has created an electric grid that puts an emphasis on cheap prices over reliable service.
It’s a “Wild West market design based only on short-run prices,” said Matt Breidert, a portfolio manager at a firm called TortoiseEcofin.
And yet the temporary train wreck of that market Monday and Tuesday has seen the wholesale price of electricity in Houston go from $22 a megawatt-hour to about $9,000. Meanwhile, 4 million Texas households have been without power.
To get a sense of the magnitude of the power crisis hitting Texas, take a look at how it compares to the blackouts that roiled California last summer during a searing heat wave.
The California grid was short about 1 to 2 gigawatts for two evenings, while Texas has been short about 15 to 25 gigawatts for two straight days, according to Andy DeVries, a power analyst at CreditSights. And while California’s rolling blackouts left customers in the dark for a couple of hours at a time, customers in Texas have been without power for more than a day.
“Texas is a gas state,” said Michael Webber, an energy resources professor at the University of Texas at Austin.
While Webber said all of Texas’ energy sources share blame for the power crisis, the natural gas industry is most notably producing significantly less power than normal.
“Gas is failing in the most spectacular fashion right now,” Webber said.
* Texas also has a power grid that covers 90 percent of the state and is isolated from the rest of the country, so they can evade federal regulations, but that also means state shortages can’t be replaced with out of state electricity…
During this power shortage, Texas could be tapping into electricity sources from far-flung parts of the country if it were connected.
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s 2020 Interconnections Seam Study found that the cost savings from a nationwide high-voltage transmission network would outweigh the investments needed to build it. An expansive transmission buildout would not only enhance the resiliency of the grid, it would also help to balance wind and solar resources as they reach higher penetrations, O’Boyle said.
* The wind power failure argument made by elements on the right turns out not to be true…
Wind power is currently producing about 4,000 MW, or 2/3 of the ~6,000 MW that ERCOT was counting on wind to contribute during winter peaking events. Solar is coming online now and helping during daytime, exceeding the <300 MW it is counted on for in system planning. pic.twitter.com/51VkbEHDZF
* So, I asked the chairs and minority spokespersons of the two legislative energy committees a question via text: Are there any lessons to be learned in Illinois from the Texas blackouts?
Here are their responses in the order they were received.
* Rep. Ann Williams, House Energy & Environment Chair…
Despite what we’ve been seeing on social media, the reality is that the crisis in Texas is primarily a result of the fact that two-thirds of coal and gas plants went offline because their equipment is frozen, or they cannot get gas from the pipelines. The fossil fuel plants throughout Texas and the Plains states are trying to recover from a major and unprecedented winter storm event that they simply weren’t prepared for.
Of course, wind farms in Illinois and Minnesota do just fine when the temperature gets down below zero. This is a problem with Texas, not wind farms!
Texas has one of the most hands-off approach to energy policy in the country, and the fate and livelihood of millions of residents and businesses are now in the hands of companies who chose to save a few dollars building their coal and gas plants, or building gas pipelines, that couldn’t stand up to the weather. Weather proofing and prepping for an extreme emergency like this needs to happen across the board not just in one particular segment of the industry. Any focus on wind turbines freezing as the cause of the Texas grid crisis is just right wing talking points without basis in fact. It’s like something Trump would say - I guess his approach to messaging continues, facts notwithstanding!
* Sen. Michael Hastings, Senate Energy and Public Utilities Chair…
We have a reliable energy source, namely our nuclear fleet, which provides billions of dollars in economic activity and thousands of jobs across Illinois. Our newly assembled General Assembly must address the potential closures of our baseload while investing in other clean energy resources across the state.
* Rep. David Welter, House Energy & Environment Spokesperson…
We need to keep our nuclear plants OPEN, productive and strong!
* Sen. Sue Rezin, Senate Energy and Public Utilities Spokesperson…
The ongoing brownouts in Texas should serve has a reminder to all Illinoisans how important our nuclear fleet is to our electrical grid. All six of Illinois’ nuclear plants have been able to run 24/7 despite the extreme weather conditions we have been experiencing the last few days.
Currently, our nuclear fleet produces around 50 percent of our state’s electricity. Without this reliable and carbon-free source, it could be quite possible that Illinois would be experiencing the same devastating brownouts.
[The IMA’s Mark Denzler] charged that Team Pritzker is mischaracterizing the biggest proposed shift: limiting the corporate net operating loss deduction to $100,000 a year per company. In fact, all the Trump tax bill did was boost the percentage of losses that could be claimed at once, from 80 percent to 100 percent, Denzler said. The idea of a flat-dollar cap is new, and many Illinois companies will lose, he said, pointing to the aviation, automotive and hospitality sectors in particular.
Illinois Chamber of Commerce CEO Todd Maisch said that cap would give Illinois the most restrictive loss-deduction law of any state in the country. He points to a Tax Foundation study showing only a handful of other states limited such deductions, all of them at much higher rates. (Click here to read the study, page 58.)
“This is a massive tax increase, and it comes after the governor’s graduated income tax plan was resoundingly defeated by voters,” Maisch said. Whatever help Pritzker gave business in recent months, “They’re going to take all of the money back, and then some. Effectively, we’re getting a huge tax increase in the middle of a recession.”
* From the governor’s office…
An estimated 80 percent of Illinois corporate income taxpayers carrying [net operating losses] will not be impacted by the limit. In the 2018 tax year, 2,805 corporations had NOLs totaling over $6.4 billion, over half of which was claimed by only 89 corporations. Those that are impacted will only be delayed in using their NOL deductions; they will not lose them. However, with this change, it is estimated that an additional $314 million in corporate income tax revenues for the general funds will be collected in fiscal year 2022 and $21 million for local governments.
* This post will be updated, of course. Posted in the order they were received. First up, the IFT…
Westmont, Illinois – Following Governor Pritzker’s budget address, Illinois Federation of Teachers President Dan Montgomery released this response.
“Despite the pandemic, Governor Pritzker has made huge strides in moving our state forward. We’re pleased to see that his proposed budget does not rely on increasing taxes or layoffs that would only hurt working families. We support his decision to close corporate tax loopholes to fund vital services and protect our hardest hit.
“When it comes to funding education, the Governor has done the best he can with the dire fiscal hand he has been dealt by COVID and the millionaire-led effort to prevent fair taxation in our state. When Illinois adopted the Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) plan, we all hoped education dollars would flow to our neediest communities and the state’s share of education funding would steadily increase. Yet Illinois remains near the bottom of the country in equitable education funding, and for the second year in a row, it will not be increased. And higher education is still suffering from decades-long disinvestment.
“We remain hopeful that Governor Pritzker will increase funding for schools in FY22 if revenue projections continue to improve and that he will fully fund EBF and higher education in future years. The IFT will continue to advocate for additional sources of state revenue and increased funding for schools, colleges, and universities.
“Recovering from the pandemic is vital to Illinois’ economic well-being, and it will take our collective power to make that happen. The IFT stands ready to work with Governor Pritzker to ensure that the recovery is focused on our most vulnerable.”
* Comptroller Mendoza…
Illinois State Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza released the following statement regarding the governor’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2022:
“Today, the governor presented a cautious but morally responsible plan that recognizes the predicament Illinois finds itself in at this time, without seeking to balance the budget on the backs of working families. I’m pleased he’s prioritizing health care and human services, because they are vital to helping people survive the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The last thing we need right now is to shred our social safety net again to save money. And I’m happy he is keeping his focus on prioritizing repayment of our COVID-related debt. I am optimistic Illinois will get the federal help we so desperately need. As we all know, nearly every dollar coming into Illinois is already spoken for. I hope lawmakers will remember this as they begin budget discussions and work together to pass a responsible budget for the state.”
State Senator Cristina Castro (D- Elgin) released the following statement following Gov. JB Pritzker’s budget address:
“This year has been unimaginably difficult for families in Illinois and across the country. As we have adjusted to the new reality, it is important that our state budget focuses on how to best support those who have been hit the hardest by the pandemic.
“While the budget proposal isn’t perfect and we continue to negotiate how to utilize the funds that we have, I look forward to working with my colleagues to provide stability for residents of our state.”
* Sen. Peters…
Gov. JB Pritzker gave his annual budget and state of the state addresses this morning, after which State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago) issued the following statement:
“The COVID-19 pandemic requires all of us to shift our priorities. The governor’s proposed budget is not perfect, but considering the circumstances, it can’t be. However, it takes into account the realities of our state’s economic and fiscal situations, and it’s a good place to begin the grueling process of drafting our first full budget after the economic downturn caused by the pandemic.
“However, I do wish the proposed budget would have made a greater commitment to funding programs that will work to bring safety and justice in our communities. There is a modest increase proposed, but this past year showed us that much more is needed.
“I know we have a lot of work in store for us over the next few months. This may be the most difficult and unique budget in Illinois history, and I know that when it is all said and done, it will be a budget that works for all Illinoisans and that it will go a long way toward making everyone in this state whole.”
* Responsible Budget Coalition…
The Responsible Budget Coalition issued the following statement in response to Governor JB Pritzker’s budget address.
As a coalition of the state’s leading advocacy, human service, community and labor organizations, we judge any budget by these principles: It must contain adequate revenue, fairly raised, and it must avoid cuts to vital programs and services.
We support Governor Pritzker’s call to close corporate tax loopholes and decouple Illinois from unwise federal tax provisions. We also urge the state’s Congressional delegation to join together for significant federal COVID relief that has been blocked for far too long.
“But we are in the middle of a pandemic. Since March of last year, Illinois has seen more than 20,000 people die from COVID-19, record levels of unemployment, dramatic increases in food insecurity, and an explosion of our state’s affordable housing crisis. Black and Latinx people have been disproportionately impacted by sickness, death, and economic hardship,” said Jeremy Rosen, Co-Chair of the Responsible Budget Coalition and Director of Economic Justice at the Shriver Center on Poverty Law. “At a time like this, the State of Illinois needs a budget that makes bold investments to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic. Unfortunately, the Governor’s proposed budget simply does not meet this moment.”
The working people of Illinois are fighting to get back on their feet. Cuts to vital programs will hurt not help them. RBC member organizations will work with legislators to identify revenues that can prevent cuts and invest in a more equitable Illinois.
* TMA…
TMA President Steve Rauschenberger issued the following statement today in response to Governor Pritzker’s State of the State Address:
“We heard the governor loud and clear during his State of the State Address—he wasn’t making a plea for unity or a promise of hope for struggling businesses. Instead, the words he spoke today echo his intentions to continue hurting manufacturers who are trying desperately to recover from the pandemic.
The day after voters overwhelmingly rejected his progressive tax in November, the governor responded by threatening the business community for leading the charge against his prized tax hike. Today, he followed through on that threat by proposing a nearly $1 billion tax hike on our small businesses—taking money from our job creators and placing it in the hands of Springfield politicians so they can continue their insatiable spending habits.
This massive tax hike will hurt TMA members as they fight to compete regionally, nationally, and globally, especially eliminating the manufacturing & equipment exemption and the research & development tax credit. Manufacturers can’t afford greater strains imposed by our own government if we’re going to recover from the pandemic’s economic hit. We urge the governor to stop championing policies that will put Illinoisans on the unemployment lines and force our job creators and innovators to leave our state to survive.”
Um, the budget doesn’t eliminate the M&E exemption and R&D credit. Not sure what world he’s living in.
* We Are One Illinois…
We Are One Illinois coalition of unions responds to governor’s budget address
“Illinois faces a budget crater caused by the pandemic and the defeat of the Fair Tax amendment that would have required the very rich to pay their share.
“We support Governor Pritzker’s proposed steps to address the budget shortfall by closing tax loopholes that big corporations exploit at the expense of the people of our state, and by decoupling Illinois from unwise federal tax changes.
“But our communities need essential public services now more than ever. More must be done to invest in schools, health care, public safety, help for the unemployed, for children and seniors, people with disabilities and more.
“Part of the solution lies with Congress. Like every state, city and town, Illinois needs the significant federal assistance found in President Biden’s American Rescue Plan.
“Further action from Springfield may be needed, as well. As the budget process goes forward, we will work with legislators and the governor to identify revenue-raising measures that can prevent harmful cuts and strengthen our state.”
We Are One Illinois is an unprecedented labor coalition working on behalf of more than over 1 million statewide members.
* IMA…
The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA) released the following statement regarding Gov. JB Pritzker’s annual budget address:
“In the midst of a global pandemic that has caused widespread economic disruption, the Governor’s repeated attempts to hike taxes on small businesses and job creators is unacceptable, especially after voters overwhelmingly rejected his last plan to raise taxes. Illinois should be looking for ways to support businesses, create good-paying jobs, and jump-start investment in our communities. Instead, this administration wants to not only hike taxes but also cut job training funds intended to build a skilled workforce. Meanwhile, other states have embraced policies to grow the economy by cutting taxes, reducing regulations and adopting liability protections,” said Mark Denzler, president & CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “Throughout the pandemic, manufacturers answered our nation’s call by making and donating personal protective equipment, creating life-saving vaccines and therapies, and stocking our grocery stores with safe and nutritious food. The industry stands ready to lead our economic recovery, but it’s imperative the governor and lawmakers work with manufacturers, not against us.”
…Adding… IML…
The Illinois Municipal League (IML) issued the following statement regarding Gov. JB Pritzker’s budget address for State Fiscal Year 2022:
“The COVID-19 pandemic has posed significant challenges to municipalities across Illinois, from revenue shortfalls to additional health and safety costs. While we recognize the need to address the state’s fiscal challenges, additional cuts to the Local Government Distributive Fund (LGDF), which designates a portion of state income tax revenue to cities and counties, will exacerbate the current challenges communities face. Every dollar cut from LGDF is a dollar added to property taxes or a dollar taken away from much-needed local programs and services.
“Additionally, further cuts to LGDF could result in higher unfunded pension liability costs, all at a time when all aspects of society continue to endure the ongoing pandemic and revenue sources are limited. We urge the Governor and the General Assembly to reverse the cuts made to LGDF over the past several years and support initiatives that promote the wellbeing of our shared constituencies, the residents of Illinois,” said Brad Cole, IML Executive Director.
* SEIU Healthcare…
The following was released by SEIU Healthcare Illinois President Greg Kelley in response to Governor JB Pritzker’s State of the State Address:
CHICAGO – “As a union of over 90,000 essential healthcare workers who have been serving on the frontlines for the entirety of this pandemic, we are grateful for the steps the Governor’s proposed budget would take towards fairer and more equitable revenue sources but also aware that these measures will be insufficient to fund the recovery that the working people of Illinois so desperately need.
“Our members applaud Governor Pritzker’s leadership in his support of closing corporate tax loopholes and decoupling Illinois from ill-advised Federal tax provisions. These are crucial steps in the right direction. But the devastation of this pandemic, and its disproportionate impact on Black, brown and low-income workers and their communities, call upon us to do more. Our members have faced daily risks on the job of getting sick, spreading the virus to those they care for, and also of increased economic insecurity. While rightly being celebrated by many as heroes, they have paid a high price for the essential roles they have played. And they continue to pay that price.
“We must avoid cuts to vital programs and services, as these are more desperately needed now than ever before. But more is still needed—it is time for us to make bold investments in the resources and support structures that will enable a full recovery for all of Illinois—a recovery that includes the essential workers who continue to put their lives on the line every day to provide crucial services to our state’s most vulnerable.”
* IPHA…
Tom Hughes, Executive Director of the Illinois Public Health Association (IPHA), released the following statement on Wednesday:
“On behalf of the 88 certified local health departments our association represents, we commend the governor for a budget proposal that prioritizes the public’s health and the services needed to protect Illinoisans as we continue to face the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This budget recognizes the importance of those who work on the frontlines to protect the public’s health and safety, including local health departments.
“This pandemic has placed an incredible strain on frontline workers and members of our association who continue to work around the clock to keep Illinoisans safe. It has also further revealed the incredible need for local health officials and professionals to help provide protection on a local level to individual communities and counties. The governor has made tough decisions based in science to help protect the public and save lives, and we thank him for that. We seek to continue to work with him and the Illinois General Assembly to increase funding to local health departments so they can continue their service of protecting the public throughout this pandemic and into the future.”
* ILGOP…
Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy released the following statement in response to Governor Pritzker’s Budget Address:
“Spurned by the progressive tax defeat last November, Governor Pritzker is taking his anger out on the people of Illinois with his latest budget proposal. Despite a global pandemic that has forced families and businesses to cut costs to survive, Pritzker’s plan, riddled with accounting gimmicks, spends the same record amount as last year at the same time cutting funding for public schools, eliminating scholarships for poor children, and hiking taxes on small businesses. Other than front-line healthcare workers, no one has sacrificed more during the pandemic than small business owners and our school-age children. This budget hits them the hardest. It’s quite simple - Pritzker is a sore loser who has proposed a truly nasty budget.”
* Speaker Welch…
SPEAKER WELCH RELEASES STATEMENT ON BUDGET ADDRESS
“As expected, given the challenges of COVID-19 and the accompanying job loss and business disruption, this year’s budget requires hard decisions by the legislature and the governor. As the governor said, we must always be grounded by equity and empathy.
Today’s address was the first step in a process that involves all of us coming to the table and working line-by-line to build a budget that reflects our priorities: our COVID-19 response, improving operations for the Illinois Department of Employment Security, funding veterans homes, and providing resources for schools and job training efforts. To do this, we need to close corporate tax loopholes that have made it easy for them to avoid paying their fair share.
All said, one thing is clear: we need federal assistance. For the past year, state and local governments have been hit with a host of new expenses as a result of COVID-19, such as testing, mitigation efforts, and vaccine distribution. I’m glad we finally have an administration that takes this seriously and understands that this is not a red versus blue issue.”
* IEA…
The following statement is attributable to Illinois Education Association President Kathi Griffin:
“We appreciate that the governor is willing to look at a variety of ways to continue the state’s funding obligations by closing tax loopholes rather than increasing taxes on all struggling families and we urge state government to continue to look for more funding resources. Our state legislature made a brave decision in 2017 and changed the formula for funding education in Illinois. Part of that change included boosting education funding by at least $350 million a year for 10 years to try to get the state up to 80 percent of its base funding level required by our state’s constitution – 80 percent – and to try to give Illinoisans property tax relief. And, while we understand there was an economic downturn that caused flat funding last year and a worldwide pandemic this year that caused fiscal challenges, we can’t move forward if we keep holding ourselves back. Funding the formula needs to be high on the list for any new revenue, as does increasing funding for higher education. We hold out hope that as vaccinations increase and cases decrease, the economic outlook for Illinois can continue to improve and education can be funded to the fullest extent.”
* Chamber…
Illinois Chamber President and CEO Todd Maisch released the following statement on Governor Pritzker’s Budget Address.
“The Illinois Chamber is opposed to the massive tax increase proposed by the Governor’s budget plan under the guise of “closing corporate loopholes.” We understand that the state has fiscal problems to address, however, the Governor’s plan will have a long-term negative impact on job creation and tax revenues for the state as it produces an unfair increase on taxpayers after they resoundingly defeated the graduated income tax. This not only will expand what will get taxed, but will also reduce key tax credits for vital sectors of the economy.”
“We know the administration faces a tough fiscal task. However, these tax increase proposals will only paper over our short-term problems but accelerate Illinois’ long-term economic crisis. In particular of the many problems in the Governor’s proposals, a particular concern is the elimination of the single sales factor in assessing Illinois income tax. This misguided proposal has the impact of increasing taxes on Illinois based businesses at a time we can least afford it.”
* Empower Illinois…
Governor Pritzker’s plans to make devastating cuts to Illinois’ Tax Credit Scholarship Program–that serves low-income and working-class families–in addition to withholding required public education funding increases, is harmful to students across Illinois. Making these cuts to the Tax Credit Scholarship Program does not help support those most in need, and scholarships for kids are not “corporate loopholes.”
During this challenging time, kids need more quality education options, not fewer. And while Illinois’ financial challenges are significant, the State should not balance its budget on the backs of children from low-income and working-class communities or the schools that serve them so well.
We are hopeful that the Governor and Illinois General Assembly will come to support the low-income and working-class scholarship families. We are ready to work together to realize this vision.
* IRMA…
The Illinois Retail Merchants Association (IRMA) released the following statement regarding Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s budget proposal:
“Retailers have served a vital role throughout the pandemic, ensuring safe and reliable access to food and supplies to now helping vaccinate the state and nation. Despite immense challenges, including government closures, capacity restrictions, denial of access to PPE, and civil unrest that forced some businesses to rebuild not once but twice, retailers were repeatedly called upon to lead the way. This includes establishing health and safety protocols the government soon followed. While the governor claims he is focused on rebuilding the state’s economy, it is counterintuitive that his first step is to raise costs on businesses by eliminating the retail discount, which only partially reimburses store owners for administering and collecting sales tax on behalf of the state,” said Rob Karr, president & CEO, Illinois Retail Merchants Association. “Claiming this change would only impact ‘big’ retailers ignores the fact that it is a partial reimbursement for costs incurred on behalf of the state and attempts to deceive smaller retailers into believing they won’t be touched. Action in other states proves the government will continue to redefine ‘big.” Shifting more of the cost of administration and collection onto retailers does nothing to support struggling businesses and indicates the governor fails to fully appreciate all that retail contributes to our state, which prior to the pandemic employed one-fifth of all workers in Illinois and served as the second largest revenue generator for state government and the largest revenue generator for local governments. As I’ve long said, as goes retail, so goes Illinois.”
* Chicagoland Chamber…
“The Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce is keenly aware of the many fiscal challenges facing Illinois, ranging from the state’s ever-growing unfunded pension liabilities to a budget that has only worsened due to the pandemic. As the voice for Chicago’s business community, we know first-hand how these challenges have created additional hardships for employers as they struggle to remain open, pay rising property tax bills and employ workers. We will fight for policies and a budget that helps small businesses, creates jobs and provides a pro-growth environment that our state needs for economic recovery.
We will continue to advocate for additional Federal aid to come to Illinois which will help with these immediate budget challenges. In the event it does, we urge Governor Pritzker and the General Assembly to prioritize small businesses and workforce development programs that provide the education, training and resources our businesses need to get people back to work and prepare our workforce for the post-COVID world.
The Chamber stands ready to work with Governor Pritzker and other elected officials to address these challenges, particularly the unfunded pension liabilities, and put in place policies that will ensure the long-term wellbeing of the business community. These policies will welcome new employers to our state and create job opportunities for our residents,” said Jack Lavin, President & CEO, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce.
* IFRA…
The Illinois Fuel and Retail Association, representing Illinois gas stations and convenience stores, today issued the following statement in response to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2022 as outlined in his speech today:
“At a time when so many small businesses and families they support are teetering and on the brink of disaster, this new Illinois budget proposal would push many over the edge.
“Proposing to close millions of dollars in ‘tax loopholes’ and ending other incentives for businesses that were negotiated just a couple of years ago will undermine any progress we might be able to make in climbing out of the pandemic hole in 2021 if they become law. Make no mistake, these will be tax increases on businesses – and Illinoisans will suffer because of them.
“Particularly concerning for my members is more quickly ending an exemption for the sale of biodiesel at the gas pump, valued at $107 million. This change would add approximately 20 cents to a gallon of diesel fuel and is especially egregious considering that Illinois is one of only six states that already imposes a sales tax on motor fuels. Ending this incentive would also be incredibly damaging to our vital agriculture community in Illinois and hurt my small business members at a time when it’s so easy for customers to drive across state lines to fill up their vehicles.
“Congress created the CARES Act to provide a lifeline of support for businesses across the country after the devastating effects of the pandemic. The Legislature soundly rejected the idea of decoupling from federal tax aid for small businesses during the lame duck session a few weeks ago, but the issue is not dead yet. Now, as businesses are filing their tax returns this spring, this bad idea is even worse and we urge our policymakers to reject it.
“We call on the Governor and legislators to work on a better state budget framework this spring that recognizes the pain caused by the pandemic, and doesn’t add further to the misery many small businesses and families are facing. It’s time to do better.”
* IL Business Alliance…
Jared Carl, president of the Illinois Business Alliance, issued the following statement in response to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s budget address today:
“Today, Gov. Pritzker attempted to pay lip service to the Illinois businesses community. His actions tell a different story.
“Pritzker’s time as governor marks one of the most negative business climates in Illinois history. In the spring of 2020, Pritzker ordered Illinois businesses closed. Many remain closed today, and some will never reopen. The price of Pritzker’s actions was demonstrated in Illinois’ high unemployment rates. At its peak last year, unemployment topped 1 million; today, too many Illinoisans remain unemployed.
“Pritzker’s budget banks on skimming nearly $1 billion from the business community through a variety of measures. But make no mistake: No matter what Pritzker calls it, forcing businesses to send more money to Springfield is a tax increase.
“Voters soundly rejected Pritzker’s last attempt to raise taxes on businesses when they voted down the graduated income tax amendment on the November ballot. The message then was as loud and clear as it is today: Illinoisans don’t want to send the state government more money.
“Instead of raising taxes on businesses, Pritzker and state lawmakers should focus on reopening the economy and addressing the long-standing and systemic problems with Illinois’ finances. The state’s budget was in terrible shape long before the pandemic due to decades of fiscal mismanagement, unaffordable pension costs and corruption. These long-standing problems are where the governor should have focused today.”
* AALC…
The Affordable Assisted Living Coalition (AALC) released the following statement on Wednesday following Governor J.B. Pritzker’s budget address:
“On behalf of the thousands of seniors and people with disabilities that we are entrusted to protect, we commend the governor for presenting a Fiscal Year 2022 budget that holds human services level and protects 3.2 million Illinoisans on Medicaid during the worst global health crisis in modern history,” said Karin Zosel, Executive Director of the Affordable Assisted Living Coalition. “We plan to work further with the Illinois General Assembly and administration to help craft and implement a budget based on the governor’s recommendations that will protect our most vulnerable residents. We thank the governor for his efforts to do so and look forward to working together to make Illinois the leading state nationwide in care for our aging population and those with disabilities.”
* Senate President Harmon…
Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) issued the following statement on Gov. JB Pritzker’s proposed budget:
“This proposal is a good-faith effort by the governor to both recognize our state’s financial realities and honor our commitments and priorities.
“Coming out of this pandemic, we need to get people back to work. Our first priority with any tax incentive needs to be jobs for hardworking Illinoisans.
“So, I think it’s fair to ask what the hardworking taxpayers of Illinois are getting in return for these corporate tax breaks. It’s entirely appropriate to put some of these incentives under the microscope to see what works and get rid of what doesn’t.
“Senate Democrats, however, are always interested in finding resources for education. I suspect this year will be no different.”
* ISG…
Illinois farmers grow sustainable and high-quality soybeans that provide feed, fuel and food for Illinois and the world. As part of the sustainable cycle of soybean production, a major byproduct is soy-based biodiesel. Biodiesel is a direct alternative to petroleum-based diesel and is cleaner burning with up to 80 percent lower carbon emissions per gallon. Illinois uses 180 million gallons of biodiesel each year, returning an estimated value of $600 million to Illinois’ family farms annually. Since 2003, Illinois has been using B11 and higher biodiesel blends, supported by the exemption of those fuels from state sales tax. This policy for a homegrown Illinois product has made our state a national leader in using cleaner burning fuels and improving air quality.
Today, Governor Pritzker proposed the elimination of the sales tax exemption that has resulted in enhanced biodiesel utilization and cleaner air. Illinois Soybean Growers (ISG) is committed to clean fuel and supports HB229 which continues Illinois’ leadership in reducing dependence on fossil fuels and instituting the statewide use of B20 and higher blends. ISG commits to continued discussion with Governor Pritzker and cleaner fuel advocates to reconcile the proposals in a way that enhances the use of biodiesel in Illinois for improved air quality outcomes.
Today, ISG Chairman, Doug Schroeder, a soybean farmer from Mahomet, Ill., releases the following statement: “As a farmer who understands that there are markets around the world for my crop, I am always reminded of the value that biodiesel has right here at home. Biodiesel adds value to my farm, my community, and my state. This last year and COVID-19 have put extra attention on air quality for all Illinoisans. Sustaining our use of B11 at a minimum and moving to B20 and higher biodiesel blends helps in promoting an Illinois product, all while reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. I look forward to continuing the conversation, and working with all partners to use more biodiesel to improve our economy and public health.”
* Speaker Pro Tempore Gordon-Booth…
State Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria, issued the following statement after Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s budget address:
“Illinois needs a balanced, fair budget that helps our communities recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and that invests in building stronger families, stronger neighborhoods and stronger schools. As the highest-ranking legislator from downstate Illinois, I will fight to make sure that we receive our fair share of funding for COVID-19 relief, community development, education and job training. Even as we face a tough budget outlook, we must continue to prioritize these critical investments. Crafting a fair and responsible budget will not be easy, but I am confident that by working together, the legislature and the governor can put families first in a fiscally responsible manner.”
* llinois House Legislative Black Caucus Chair Kam Buckner…
“This isn’t the first time Illinois has faced tough budget decisions and it won’t be the last, but I am committed to ensuring that we continue to invest in our future by protecting education funding and supporting job training and development. Especially as we work to recover and build back better from the COVID-19 pandemic, we cannot turn our backs on programs that protect children, families and seniors.
“A budget that is balanced on the backs of our most vulnerable Illinoisans is not a budget that will work for our state, morally or fiscally. Even with the difficulty the state faces, I am confident that legislators can craft a balanced budget that is fair and responsible while prioritizing critical needs including COVID-19 relief, jobs and schools.”
* Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition…
The Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition appreciates the unforeseen and unprecedented challenges the state is working hard to overcome. We’re all in this together. COVID is new, but the climate crisis not. In fact, the pandemic has only exacerbated many of the problems the Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA) would solve.
But in an 11-page speech, Governor Pritzker spent less than one sentence talking about how clean energy can create equitable jobs, lower bills, and hold utilities accountable. He says it’s time to get to work … when? It’s past time.
Eduardo and his neighbors in Waukegan have been breathing in toxic pollution for their entire lives - and it’s even more dangerous during this pandemic. They can’t afford to wait any longer.
Gina is a 4th generation SE Sider, activist, and mother who has experienced disinvestment for years, and these communities are especially vulnerable to COVID. Environmental justice communities like hers can’t wait.
Michelle started a successful clean energy business in Springfield, but the lack of action at the state level has made it extremely difficult for them to grow. We should be supporting small businesses right now, not leaving them behind.
Other Governors have managed to address the climate crisis and confront this historic pandemic. We can do that in Illinois, too. #CEJACantWait
* Leader McConchie…
“Unfortunately, the governor continued the budget gimmicks of his predecessors and ignored his constitutional responsibility to present a budget within current revenues,” said Illinois Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods). “By skipping out on the hard work of reform, he is continuing to punt on those fundamental changes so necessary to put Illinois on a stable financial path.
“Instead, the governor proposes to balance the budget by taking money away from roads and bridges, levying tax increases on employers during the pandemic, removing incentives designed to create blue collar jobs, and seeking to repeal recent efforts to revitalize the manufacturing industry in Illinois.
“This continues to show just how out of touch he is with how Illinois families live and operate. It is my sincere hope that the governor will rethink this proposal and work with the legislature to come up with a plan that will actually move our state forward.”
* Catholic Conference…
The proposal by Gov. J.B. Pritzker to slash the Invest in Kids Tax Credit Scholarship program reduces the most effective state program for low-income and working-class students in Illinois. Even during the pandemic, scholarship recipients have been attending high-quality, nonpublic schools. Students at Catholic schools have been learning in-person since August and have surpassed nationally-certified benchmarks. This is the time to expand the program so that more low-income and working-class students can attain educational achievement that will lead to a successful future.
We urge the governor to reconsider and work towards expanding educational opportunities instead of restricting them.
* ASNCH…
– Following Gov. JB Pritzker’s budget address, Tim Egan, board member of the Illinois Association of Safety Net Community Hospitals (ASNCH) and President and CEO of Roseland Community Hospital, released the following statement on Wednesday:
“As safety net hospitals, we serve as frontline healthcare providers to some of the most vulnerable populations in Illinois, who often have no other place to turn for their care. Today, we are encouraged by the Governor’s words about communities of disinvestment and the actions taken by the Governor and his administration to help remedy and reinvest in those vulnerable communities when they need it more than ever.
“Safety net hospitals are the both the economic and healthcare anchors of minority communities and have faced incredible challenges throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. This health crisis has laid bare what safety net providers have said for many years: that access to care is dependent on the color of one’s skin and their financial resources. The time has come and passed for this to end.
“We are pleased to see a budget proposal that makes the proper investments in healthcare and services so that providers like us can continue to serve the at-risk populations that need us. We now implore the Illinois General Assembly to follow the governor’s proposal and to ensure that hospitals and providers are able to continue to provide care to any person that needs it in our state. This begins with making investments in healthcare in under-resourced, minority communities, which have been divested in for decades.”
“We thank the Governor for the tough decisions he has made throughout this pandemic to save lives, and look forward to working together with him to ensure that everyone in Illinois has access to quality healthcare, no matter their race or the amount of money they have.”
* Climate Jobs Illinois…
Climate Jobs Illinois today applauded Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s call for a clean energy bill that preserves Illinois’ nuclear fleet and expands the state’s wind and solar industries. But the labor coalition stressed that any energy legislation must include strong labor standards to create true economic opportunities for Illinois families.
“Gov. Pritzker is right to prioritize clean energy legislation this year that preserves the state’s nuclear fleet as part of a comprehensive plan to transition Illinois toward a clean energy economy,” said CJI Executive Director Joe Duffy. “However, any clean energy legislation must put Illinois’ working families first and include comprehensive labor standards so these new clean energy jobs provide a path to the middle class, especially for communities disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change.”
Among Climate Jobs Illinois’ policy recommendation to move Illinois to a 100% clean energy economy is to stabilize the state’s nuclear plants to ensure adequate baseload availability from clean energy sources and to save 24,000 jobs in communities that rely heavily on the tax revenue generated by these plants to fund education and critical local government services.
The union coalition has proposed including the Braidwood, Byron, Dresden and LaSalle nuclear plants in the Zero Emission Standard (ZES) program and adopting the Fixed Resource Requirement process, or a similar process that allows the nuclear fleet to remain competitive in future capacity auctions. Currently, only the Clinton and Quad Cities nuclear plants are included in the program and receive zero emission credits (ZECs), which compensate for the environmental benefits of carbon-free energy generation.
* U of I…
Under the fiscal year 2022 budget proposed today by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, funding for the University of Illinois System would remain flat, matching the state appropriation for the current fiscal year. The governor also recommended a $28 million increase for the Monetary Award Program (MAP), which provides financial aid to support Illinois students, including thousands across the U of I System’s universities in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago and Springfield.
The governor’s budget proposal also reauthorizes all capital funding initially approved in fiscal 2020 for bricks-and-mortar projects across the system, including funds for development of the Discovery Partners Institute (DPI) and the Illinois Innovation Network (IIN). In December, DPI and IIN received about $142 million in the first round of funding from $500 million in capital funds approved for the initiatives.
“We are grateful for Gov. Pritzker’s support of higher education and increased funding for MAP grants during these historically difficult times, with state revenues strained by an ongoing global pandemic,” said Tim Killeen, president of the University of Illinois System. “We hope the legislature adopts his spending plan, and approves funding to support the students, faculty and staff whose talents will help move Illinois beyond the current crisis and into a bright, prosperous future.”
“We are also grateful for the governor’s continued support of capital funding to ensure our facilities match the excellence of our world-class academic programs. His support for DPI and IIN is building a pioneering education and research enterprise that will move Illinois, the Midwest and our nation forward, creating the jobs and businesses of tomorrow.”
* Sen. Hastings…
Following Governor JB Pritzker’s annual budget address, State Senator Michael E. Hastings (D-Frankfort) offered the following statement:
“The proposal outlined by Governor Pritzker today is just the start of what will certainly be a challenging negotiation process. The COVID-19 pandemic has presented our people with generational economic challenges, and there is no question that this is going to be an incredibly difficult year for the state of Illinois. That is why our focus must be providing critical services to the people we represent, improving the unemployment system, assisting small businesses impacted by the pandemic, and putting people back to work through investment in infrastructure projects.
This is going to be a delicate budget making process, but the situation we find ourselves in calls for a reassessment of how we spend money in Illinois. I look forward to working to implement a budget that tightens the state’s belt, restricts reckless spending, and puts us back on track.”
* AFSCME…
Governor Pritzker’s budget plan for the 2022 fiscal year provides Illinois with a path forward. While we will need to review all the details in greater depth before taking a position on this plan, it appears to maintain vital services, continues to battle the coronavirus pandemic and meets the state’s pension obligations. In addition, we’re pleased to note that the governor has rejected the calls from some quarters to place an unfair burden on state employees in addressing the state’s fiscal challenges.
Illinois faces steep budgetary challenges for two reasons: the defeat of the Fair Tax constitutional amendment—which would have allowed higher tax rates for the wealthy—and the devastation of the COVID pandemic that has battered every state.
To overcome these challenges, everyone must do their part.
For big corporations, the time for tax loopholes is over. We strongly support Governor Pritzker’s call to end these unfair special deals. Profitable corporations should not get tax giveaways when so many working people have lost their jobs and are struggling to pay their bills.
For Congress, significant COVID relief to states is long overdue. Approve the American Rescue Plan that President Biden has put forward.
For Illinois legislators, consider additional revenue measures. Ideas already employed by neighboring states can help stabilize our state’s finances.
For our union, AFSCME members in the public service will continue to serve their communities as they have throughout the pandemic, despite the risk to themselves and their families. We stand ready to work with the governor’s office to find efficiencies and innovative approaches that can save money in state operations.
Finally, for Republican leaders who worked to defeat the Fair Tax, it’s time to accept responsibility. The depth of the budget shortfall stems from their crusade to defeat the Fair Tax amendment, yet for months they have offered nothing but empty criticism combined with periodic calls to cut the pay of state workers. Now they oppose ending loopholes for big business, without putting forward a single, sensible alternative to help close the state’s budget gap.
* IABH…
The following statement on Governor JB Pritzker’s FY 2022 budget can be attributed to Illinois Association for Behavioral Health CEO Jud DeLoss:
“During the 2018 gubernatorial election, Governor Pritzker campaigned on his support for mental health and addiction treatment, and he has kept his promise. The governor’s Fiscal Year 2022 budget provides a 22% increase in addiction treatment and a 3% bump for mental health services, and this money will be crucial to fight the opioid overdoses breaking records in counties such as Cook, DuPage, Lake and elsewhere in the state in 2020 and to address the surging mental health needs triggered during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is good news in a bad news budget year.”
* TASC…
The following statement on Governor JB Pritzker’s FY 2022 budget can be attributed to Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities, Inc. (TASC) CEO Pamela Rodriguez:
“Despite the gaping, $3 billion, pandemic-driven Illinois budget hole, Governor JB Pritzker was able to preserve core addiction treatment and case management services in his Fiscal Year 2022 budget needed for individuals in the criminal justice system who are working to rebuild their lives on exiting prison or who are being diverted from incarceration by participating in treatment as an option. The governor deserves credit for keeping core services intact.”
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 1,795 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 24 additional deaths.
- Cook County: 1 male 40s, 2 females 70s, 1 male 70s, 3 females 80s, 1 male 80s, 2 females 90s
- DuPage County:1 female 30s, 1 male 50s, 1 female 70s
- Lake County: 1 female 50s
- Macoupin County: 1 male 70s
- Madison County: 1 male 70s
- McHenry County: 1 male 60
- Mercer County: 1 male 70s
- Morgan County: 1 female 70s
- Rock Island County: 1 female 70s
- St. Clair County: 2 females 50s, 1 male 80s
- Will County: 1 female 90s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,166,717 cases, including 20,057 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 49,937 specimens for a total of 17,320,814. As of last night, 1,719 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 375 patients were in the ICU and 176 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from February 10–16, 2021 is 2.8%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from February 10–16, 2021 is 3.4%.
Due to adverse weather across the country, the number of doses of vaccine delivered to Illinois is delayed. While this week’s allocation from the federal government was approximately 365,000 doses, we have only received approximately 55,000 doses of that allocation so far this week. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has indicated some shipments may go out today. A total of doses of 2,102,500 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 2,547,700. A total of 1,903,942 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight, including 256,114 for long-term care facilities. The 7-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 60,552 doses. Yesterday, 40,380 doses were administered. Weather will most likely contribute to reduced vaccinations over the next several days.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in real-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. Information for deaths previously reported has changed, therefore, today’s numbers have been adjusted. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
* Click here, here or here to watch the governor’s budget address. Click here to read the address in full. Click here for the budget briefing issued by the governor’s office this morning. Some excerpts…
Closing the FY2022 Projected Deficit
FY2021 and FY2022 General Funds Revenues Summary
✓ Base General Funds revenues are estimated to total $41.7 billion, a $226 million, or 0.5%, increase from FY21 revised base estimates.
✓ Total General Funds revenues for FY22 reflect a $1,772 billion, or 4.1% decrease from FY21 due to the one- time nature of the $1,998 million in MLF borrowing.
✓ Individual income taxes are forecasted to be below FY21 due to the extension of the April 2020 tax filing deadline to July 2020 – in FY21.
✓ Revenues from adult-use cannabis are expected to generate $69 million for transfer to the General Funds in FY22.
✓ Federal revenue forecast equals $3,971 million, a reduction from FY21 due to only a half year of enhanced Medicaid match.
✓ FY22 revenue forecast benefits from proposed closure of several tax loopholes.
FY2021 and FY2022 General Funds Expenditures Summary
✓Proposed FY22 General Funds operating expenditures total $30.0 billion, a $4.2 million decrease from FY21.
✓The proposed budget reflects full payment of the certified FY22 pension contribution.
✓Total FY22 General Funds expenditures are $41.6 billion, a $1.8 billion (4.2%) decrease from FY21.
✓ Estimated FY22 budgetary surplus of $120 million.
Closing Corporate Loopholes - “Off the Top” Expenditures of State Tax Dollars
Efficient and Effective Government
✓State Employee and Retiree Health Care Savings – the administration has negotiated over $900 million in health care cost savings.
✓ Estimated $650 million in collectively- bargained cost savings with employees through FY23.
✓ An additional $260 million in savings achieved through negotiated insurance rates and contract terms with providers.
✓Agency Efficiency Savings –
✓ Electronic and web-based alternatives to save postage and paper.
✓ Merging anti-fraud program at Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission with anti-fraud unit at Department of Insurance.
✓ $10 million in reductions to contractual and commodities appropriations at the Department of Corrections.
✓ Optimizing the State Workforce – Since 2002, the state’s workforce is down >22%. ✓ Agencies carefully manage on-board headcount.
✓ Approximately 5,000 current vacancies.
Higher Education
Provides Stability to Our Colleges and Universities
Supports college affordability and focuses on closing equity gaps in Illinois education.
✓ Increases Monetary Award Program (MAP) funding to protect awards for current students - $28 million
✓ Maintains general funds state support for ✓ Universities – $1.157 billion
✓ Community Colleges - $249.5 million
✓ Adds first annual payment to stabilize College Illinois - $20 million
✓ Funds the Common Application Partnership Program - $1 million
✓ Provides funding to help implement the new equity-driven strategic plan for higher education institutions - $250,000
✓ Federal assistance through Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) will go directly to higher education institutions.
Investing in Economic Development - Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity:
✓ Includes funding from the Federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program to execute rental and housing assistance programs through IHDA and DHS - $570 million
✓ Continues funding to support entrepreneurs and communities harmed by the decades-long war on drugs with the Cannabis Social Equity Loan Program - $18 million
✓ Invests in broadband deployment to maximize all opportunities for federal funding - $25 million
✓ Supports the administration of the Illinois Works Jobs Program Act- $2 million
✓ Reappropriates capital funding to provide competitive matching grants that expand access to high-speed broadband internet across the state - $375 million
✓ Continues competitive grant funding to provide infrastructure improvements, such as street, highway, bridge, park district and recreation improvements to benefit local communities - $202 million
✓ Reappropriates Minority-Owned Small Business Capital Grant funding to allow DCEO to continue equipping small, minority- owned businesses and community organizations with the resources to create jobs, build capacity, increase revenues and expand regionally - $25 million
✓ Includes a reappropriation for competitive capital grant funding to fund economic development opportunities including the Shovel Ready Sites Program, opportunity zone investments, development of wet lab space and targeted investments in economically depressed areas - $303 million
Historical research for Governor Pritzker’s remarks came by way of a broad coalition of libraries and archives from around the state. The story of Hallie Staley Kinter was documented in a 1977 oral history interview available from the Oral History Collection of the University of Illinois at Springfield. In no particular order, the Governor’s Office offers its gratitude to:
• Hallie Staley Kinter Memoir, Oral History Collection, Archives/Special Collections, Norris L Brookens Library, University of Illinois Springfield
• Chicago Public Library Archives and Special Collections
• Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
• STORIED, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Office of the Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement
• Illinois Digital Newspaper Collections, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library
• Curtis Mann and the Sangamon Valley Collection at Lincoln Library
• McLean County Museum of History
• Illinois State Library
• Illinois Digital Archives
• Illinois Department of Agriculture
• Illinois Department of Public Health
• The Mahomet Daily
• Mauricio Peña/Block Club Chicago
• Frank O. Lowden Papers, Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library
• Chicago Magazine
• Chicago History Museum
• The Midway Village Museum via the Rockford Register Star
• The Kankakee County Museum Photo Archive via the Daily Journal
In his prepared remarks, Pritzker blistered Republicans nationally and locally for seeking to block further federal assistance to states, saying, “In essence, they eliminated the fire department, burned down the house and poured gas on the flames — and now they’re asking why we’re not doing more to prevent fires.”
“In a normal year, I might have more patience for their hypocrisy. But this is not a normal year,” he said. Of Republicans refusing to offer up proposed budget cuts, Pritzker said, “Apparently their idea of bipartisanship ends when hard choices must be made.”
The third spending plan offered by Pritzker in his term in office, along with his view of the state of the state, comes at a critical time for the Democratic governor, setting the stage for an expected 2022 reelection campaign in which his pandemic restrictions are expected to become a central theme. The governor has faced an increasingly restless audience of voters and lawmakers despite a state COVID-19 death toll of more than 20,000.
Please. He should be so lucky if his restrictions become a central theme. They’re popular. It’s the mistakes and blunders that will likely be a problem, including the veterans’ home mass die-off.
Scrambling to plug a $3 billion budget gap, Gov. J.B. Pritzker aims to raise $900 billion by closing “corporate tax loopholes.”
Yet he won’t consider closing the biggest loophole of all, one that costs Illinois as much as $3 billion annually. This loophole exempts half the economy—the faster-growing half, by the way—from a tax that applies to the other half.
I’m talking about the loophole that exempts services from sales tax, which Illinois levies almost exclusively on merchandise sales. Illinois has lagged far behind national trends in modernizing its sales tax system to reflect the long-term shift toward a more service-based economy. A generation ago, services accounted for about one-third of the economy; today it’s half or more, depending on how the data is compiled.
This has been debated endlessly for decades. It’s not a bad idea, but Pritzker campaigned against it, so supporting it now would be a huge flip-flop. Still, as the old saying goes, a statesman is a politician who flip-flops in your policy direction.
Under normal circumstances and in a normal state, I would support a progressive income tax system. But these aren’t normal times, and Illinois is far from a normal state. We’re in the midst of a steep recession triggered by the coronavirus pandemic. Raising taxes on anybody during a recession puts more downward pressure on the economy.
Even before the virus-induced downturn, Illinois was mired in a fiscal bog of its own making, thanks to decades of irresponsible political leadership. A graduated income tax would reward many of the same politicians who created the mess, entrusting them with more money and greater taxing power. Bad idea.
So, lemme get this straight. High earners during a recession shouldn’t face an income tax hike, but everyone including the unemployed should pay taxes on services during the same recession?
Out of power and divided about their future, Republicans see an opportunity to begin winning back the suburban voters they lost under Donald Trump’s presidency by capitalizing on widespread frustration with pandemic life and directing it at an old enemy: teachers unions. […]
Seeking to protect members, particularly older teachers, from contracting Covid-19, some teachers unions have pushed for no return to in-person learning until teachers can be vaccinated, while others have demanded additional safety measures — ranging from better ventilation to increased cleaning — before agreeing to a return. […]
But the frustration over shuttered schools, kids being kept home and other Covid-19 restrictions are real and even some progressives say the unions are overreaching. (Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot accused them of wanting to “take over” not just the schools, but also the city.) And Republicans think they can channel that anger into a grassroots uprising to drive a wedge between suburban voters and the Democratic Party. […]
Democrats and union leaders say they are unconcerned with the GOP strategy, noting widespread vaccination should allow schools to almost completely reopen before any major elections.
They point to a string of recent polls that show support for teachers unions has, if anything, grown slightly during the pandemic. Many Republicans, they add, are publicly opposed to Biden’s stimulus plan, which they say would accelerate school openings.
The “progressive” label on Mayor Lightfoot would be news to a lot of Chicago progressives. Also, in Illinois, school districts make their own decisions about reopening under certain guidelines, like mask requirements. And while public health experts say schools should be reopened, there are always some major caveats that schools may not be able to meet (like adequate ventilation, for instance). Not to mention that for decades the GOP has demanded “local control” over schools.
* OK, with that in mind, here’s the NRSC…
Senator Duckworth has remained completely silent on reopening schools, choosing to cower to the teachers unions that fund her campaign rather than fight for students across the country.
Democrats stated on the campaign trail that scientists and Center for Disease Control (CDC) officials should make the determination on how and when America’s children should return to school. After numerous scientific studies, over $80 billion invested into making schools safer, and clear guidance from CDC officials, the answer is clear: the time to return to school is now.
When given an opportunity to put her money where her mouth is, Senator Duckworth has gone mute.
Statement from NRSC Chairman, Senator Rick Scott: “So much for ‘following the science.’ Classrooms are among the safest places in the country for children and teachers and the consequences of keeping children away from in-person learning are incalculable. In the face of overwhelming evidence, Senator Duckworth refuses to speak out against the union bosses and support reopening our schools. She’s gone completely mute. The question every Illinois voter should be asking is, ‘why does our Senator fight for teachers unions instead of our kids?’”
…Adding… With a hat tip to a commenter, here’s a recent poll…
55% of GOP voters said schools should be reopened even if all teachers aren’t inoculated, while 74% of Democrats said schools should wait.
48% of all voters approve of President Biden’s handling of education issues, but the share who disapprove has increased 4 points over two weeks, to 32%.
Democrats, Republicans most likely to agree on trusting local school administrators, boards of education with the issue of in-person fall classes.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday will propose rolling back several tax policies he agreed to in 2019 to win Republican support for his infrastructure plan and budget in his first year in office, according to sources familiar with the plan.
The proposed tax policy changes, aimed at closing what Pritzker describes as $932 million in “corporate tax loopholes,” include: […]
The tax policies Pritzker is targeting were part of an eleventh-hour deal he struck with House Republican leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs in 2019 to help deliver major legislative wins for the rookie Democratic governor.
More recently, Pritzker has blamed Republicans and their allies in the business community for helping defeat his preferred budget solution — a graduate-rate income tax — at the ballot box in November.
Click here for the list. The House Republicans are not happy campers, of course.
In a preview of Governor J.B. Pritzker’s third budget address on Wednesday, Comptroller Susana Mendoza (D-Illinois) warned state lawmakers against a temptation to redirect any federal Coronavirus relief funds towards pet projects.
“I do not want the legislators, or anyone else for that matter, to get excited about any new federal stimulus dollars coming in,” Mendoza said Tuesday afternoon. “Because honestly, it’s not going to be like Christmas morning. There is not going to be a new Lexus in the state’s driveway with the big red bow.”
Mendoza said any federal relief funding, which President Joe Biden’s administration has floated in his American Rescue Plan, would effectively help the state prevent “our family pickup truck from being repossessed,” she said. “That’s how people should see this. Those dollars are spoken for.”
“We have to learn to live within our means,” she said. “We cannot count on future revenues from federal stimulus towards this budget.”
State Rep. Fred Crespo, a Hoffman Estates Democrat and the chair of the House Appropriations Committee, said Pritzker’s expected education funding plan will be a “big issue of contention” if it doesn’t pay for the state’s evidence-based education model. Pritzker last week said he is confident that “significant federal funding for education will provide additional support for schools while the state maintains its existing investment.”
The evidence-based model of education funding approved by lawmakers in 2017 promised to inject $350 million of new money into education every year. However, that did not happen in 2020, and Pritzker’s initial overview made no mention of the $350 million this year.
“(Pritzker is) feeling federal dollars can be used to offset $350 million, but it doesn’t work that way,” Crespo said.
State Rep. Terra Costa-Howard, a Glen Ellyn Democrat and a member of the House K-12 appropriations committee, said the state’s education system cannot afford to miss the $350 million payment again.
The 2022 campaign cycle is already underway with statewide candidates from both parties announcing their intentions. The Illinois Republican Party is joining the fray, launching a cycle-long campaign to oust incumbent Illinois Governor, Democrat JB Pritzker. ILGOP Chairman Don Tracy has released the following statement announcing the campaign:
“From Cairo to Chicago, Quincy to Danville, the people of Illinois are saying enough is enough. No more tax hikes, unbalanced budgets, and radical leftist agendas - and no more unaccountable rule by one man shutting down our economy and destroying Illinois’ future. It’s time we FIRE PRITZKER.
The Illinois Republican Party is committed to spending the time, energy, and resources it will take to rid Illinois of our failed Governor. Pritzker ran as an autocrat who would get back the basics of running government. Instead, we got a campaign to raise taxes, a ‘police reform’ bill that makes us less safe, indoctrination of our students, an incompetant unemployment system, over 30 dead veterans at a state facility, and king-like rule during the pandemic - indefinitely shutting down our economy and never consulting the legislature.
Pritzker’s leadership has been terrible for Illinois and people are voting with ‘For Sale’ signs in their front yards. In just the last year, 80,000 Illinoisans - second in the nation - fled the state for lower taxes, less corruption, and better opportunities. The ‘FIRE PRITZKER’ campaign is about harnessing the anger over our friends and family leaving and putting it to good use, defeating JB Pritzker in 2022.”
The ILGOP has launched FirePritzker.org, a website hub where individuals can get involved in the movement to defeat JB Pritzker in the next gubernatorial election by signing up to volunteer, donating, or buying gear such as yard signs, t-shirts or bumper stickers.
If anyone has time, talent, or resources to give to the cause, they should visit FirePritzker.org and sign up today.
Discuss.
*** UPDATE *** DPI…
Morning, Rich – A response from Mary Morrissey, Executive Director of DPI:
“What exactly is the GOP plan for the state of Illinois other than denying science and voting against COVID relief funds? We’ve heard the same tired attacks against Governor Pritzker since he took office, but we’ve yet to hear any solid plans to support our workers and families and move past this catastrophic pandemic. I guess we’ll keep waiting.”
A dangerous trend has returned to Illinois, two years after three Illinois State Police troopers were killed.
Scott’s Law crashes involving Illinois State Police troopers are on the rise so far in 2021, with 10 crashes reported since Jan. 1. Three of the Scott’s Law crashes happened on just one day—Feb. 16.
Scott’s Law, also known as the Move Over Law, requires Illinois drivers to slow down and safely change lanes when a vehicle with flashing hazard lights is on the side of the road. […]
Out of the 10 Scott’s Law crashes in 2021, six have left troopers with injuries. One of the crashes, in Will County on Feb. 15, left a trooper seriously injured. None of the crashes in 2021 have been deadly, however Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly said one Scott’s Law crash is too many.
“…this about more than just obeying the law,” Kelly said. “It’s about basic decency and respect for the very lives of the brave souls on our streets simply trying to help the public.”
State Senator Steve McClure (R-Springfield) said Pritzker and the state legislature are in “an impossible position,” but called for Pritzker to slash state agency spending by 7-8% across the board, while protecting education funding.
You'd probably have to file another resolution in a few years creating another taskforce to decommission that taskforce because nobody ever showed up for a meeting
