Based on information available to the Gaming Board from Illinois sports wagering operators as of the date of this release, the approximate sports wagering handle and adjusted gross receipts (“AGR”) for Super Bowl LV on February 7, 2021 are as follows:
No member may be elected as Speaker for more than five General Assemblies, including any term in which the member was
elected to fill a vacancy in the office […]
The same term limit applies to the Minority Leader.
Updates to follow.
* Here’s a nod to bipartisanship. If for whatever reason the Assistant Clerk of the House position becomes vacant, the House Speaker is allowed to appoint the replacement. The new rules would require the Speaker to consult with the Minority Leader.
* “The Speaker and the Minority Leader shall not serve as members of are each eligible to be appointed to the Rules Committee.”
* Remote legislating is in the rules. Here’s one…
Notwithstanding any other provision of these Rules, members of the Rules Committee may participate remotely in its
meetings.
* More Rules Committee changes…
During odd-numbered years, the Rules Committee shall refer any House bill initially before it to a standing committee or a special committee prior to the deadline for House committee consideration of House bills, provided that referral shall not be required for a House bill that is introduced after the introduction deadline for House bills or for which the Principal Sponsor has submitted a written request to hold the bill in the Rules Committee.
That has been odd-numbered years practice for several years, but now it’s codified.
* Remote Participation in Committees and Task Forces…
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of these Rules, in the case of pestilence or public danger upon declaration of the Speaker, members may participate remotely in hearings for committees and task forces. A member of the committee or task force participating remotely shall be considered present and in attendance at the committee hearing, including for purposes of voting in accordance with Rule 49 and determining if a quorum is present. Action taken by a member of a committee who is participating remotely shall have the same legal effect as if the member were physically present when the action is taken.
(b) The Speaker may establish additional procedures for remote participation under this Section and shall designate the technology or software that must be used. The technology or software must, at a minimum, be sufficient to (1) verify the identity of a member who is participating remotely, (2) allow the public, including representatives of the press, to hear or view each member and witness who is participating remotely, and (3) allow witnesses to testify as permitted under Rule 26.
* Those who wish to testify in committee must now submit a form on the General Assembly website. The era of paper slips is over.
* No lobbyists at in-person hearings? Looks like it…
For meetings of committees during a disaster proclaimed by the Governor due to the COVID-19 virus, access to the room in which the committee is held shall be limited to members and officers of the General Assembly, majority and minority staff, and no more than 5 members of the public who are representatives of the press, except as otherwise authorized by the Speaker. The Speaker shall designate one or more locations outside of the committee room for the public to safely watch and listen to the proceedings of the House and its committees via a live audio/video broadcast. Access to such locations may be limited as necessary to maintain safety, including, but not limited to, requiring that persons at such locations follow the decorum requirements of Rule 51.5(a). Notwithstanding any other provision of these Rules, testimony at a committee hearing during a disaster proclaimed by the Governor due to COVID-19 virus may be limited to written testimony at the discretion of the Chairperson. This subsection shall only apply to meetings in which members are physically present and may not be suspended.
(This was in the rules change passed last year except for the final sentence.)
* This looks to be special language to reimburse folks for the challenge to Rep. Eva Dina Delgado’s appointment…
Adoption of Reports in Contests and Challenges […]
If the committee fails to file a final report prior to the end of the General Assembly term, each party may, within 60 days of the beginning of the next General Assembly term, file with the Clerk of House a request for reimbursement including a detailed statement of attorney’s fees and expenses incurred by that party in connection with the case. The request shall be referred to the Rules Committee which may refer it to a standing committee, special committee, or a committee created under this Article X for consideration. The committee may make recommendations to the House concerning reimbursement of attorney’s fees and the expenses of the parties. The recommendation for reimbursement under this Section shall not exceed a sum that is reasonable, just, and proper.
* Cleanup language after the experience of the Madigan Special Investigating Committee…
Notwithstanding any other provision of these Rules, if the Speaker is a petitioner or the subject of the petition, the highest ranking member of the majority caucus who is not a petitioner or the subject of the petition shall have the powers and duties of the Speaker in connection with the Special Investigating Committee, and if the Minority Leader is a petitioner or the subject of the petition, the highest ranking member of the minority caucus who is not a petitioner or the subject of the petition shall have the powers and duties of the Minority Leader in connection with the Special Investigating Committee.
The new rules would also allow chairs of those special committees to establish their own rules as long as they don’t conflict with the House’s rules.
* I think that’s it. Did I miss anything?
* A commenter noted that the House is now supposed to convene at noon instead of 12:30.
*** UPDATE *** HGOP spokesperson Eleni Demertzis…
“With the exception of allowing remote committee meetings during the pandemic, the House Rules are functionally identical to the Madigan-led sessions of the past. The Speaker retains centralized control over every bill, amendment, or motion. Nothing in these House Rules improve transparency or bring sunlight to legislative proceedings. The same problems previously pointed out by good government advocates—like taking a midnight vote on a several-hundred-page amendment or budget only moments after it has been filed—are allowed by and re-authorized in these Rules for the next two years.”
* Speaker Chris Welch’s 50th birthday was Saturday. I was searching for something else today and came across this 2019 pic with Darren Bailey and couldn’t pass it up…
* New aspects to the Chicago Public Schools’ tentative agreement with the CTU, according to CPS…
• Expediting Vaccination Opportunities and Prioritizing Individuals who live with Vulnerable Family Members: The district is doing everything in its power to vaccinate staff and educators as quickly as possible in an equitable manner. Through a partnership with Walgreens and the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH), 2,000 pre-k and cluster staff and staff without an accommodation who have medically vulnerable household members will be offered vaccinations beginning this week. To ensure doses are prioritized for employees who will be supporting school operations, staff members who live with medically vulnerable family members and accept this expedited vaccination opportunity must commit to returning to school within two weeks of receiving their first dose.
Through the district’s own vaccination sites — which will open later this month and will be available exclusively for CPS employees — we will be able to provide vaccination doses to 1,500 CPS employees per week out of the city’s limited supply. Staff who work in the city’s 15 most impacted and vulnerable communities may also be offered vaccinations through the city’s Protect Chicago Plus initiative.
• Metrics to Pause In-Person Learning District-Wide: Under the tentative agreement, the district will revert to online learning for at least 14 calendar days if the city’s COVID-19 test positivity rate (7-day rolling average) meets the following criteria:
1. Rate increases for 7 consecutive days:
2. Rate for each of the 7 consecutive days is at least 15% higher than the rate one week prior; and
3. Citywide positivity rate on the 7th day is 10% or greater.
CPS will resume in-person learning after 14 days or when the positivity rate no longer meets all of the criteria above — whichever occurs at a later time. The agreement also establishes pause metrics for individual pods and schools:
• Pausing in-person learning for individual pods: CPS will pause in-person instruction in a classroom (pod) when there has been one confirmed positive COVID-19 case.
• Pausing in-person learning for individual schools: CPS will implement a school-wide operational pause when there are three or more confirmed positive cases in three or more different classrooms at a school within a 14-day period. If cases are traced to identified exposures from in-school or non-school circumstances, the impacted classrooms and individuals will remain quarantined and other classes can resume. If cases cannot be linked and in-school transmission cannot be ruled out, the school will remain closed for 14 days.
• Accommodations and Leave: CPS has granted and will continue to grant approval for telework accommodations to employees at increased risk for severe illness due to COVID-19 and to employees who serve as primary caregivers for family members at increased risk for severe illness due to COVID-19, provided employees complete the application with proper documentation. All other accommodation requests will continue to be granted when operationally feasible and consistent with providing a high quality learning experience to in-person students. Any CTU member without an accommodation who is not fully vaccinated may take a job-protected unpaid leave of absence, with full benefits during the third academic quarter.
* Already agreed-to language…
• Health and Safety Protocols: The health and safety of everyone in CPS schools is priority number one, and the district has worked with the Chicago Department of Public Health to ensure its plan meets and exceeds the recommendations for safely operating during the pandemic. Key mitigations include health screenings and temperature checks, access to hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes, face coverings and PPE, regular cleaning and disinfection protocols, and social distancing.
• Ventilation: In addition to the Centers for Disease Control’s primary recommendations for preventing the spread of COVID-19, the district has undertaken an extensive effort to ensure all classrooms used this year are properly ventilated. Independent, state certified environmental specialists have tested every school’s indoor air quality, and engineers have done ventilation checks in all classrooms. To provide an additional layer of protection, the district has invested $8.5 million in HEPA air purifiers for all classrooms and office spaces. Families can view the results of their school’s air quality assessments at cps.edu/airquality.
• Contact Tracing: To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, the district has established a 10-person contact tracing team, which investigates all known cases of COVID in district schools. Working in close coordination with the Chicago Department of Public Health, the district’s contact tracing team notifies all close contacts and ensures that proper notifications are sent to each school community in a timely manner.
• Health and Safety Committees: To ensure union members and other school staff have a role to play in promoting safe learning environments, the district will establish district- and school-level health and safety committees charged with ensuring safety and mitigation measures are implemented appropriately and consistently.
Bull Valley resident Gary Rabine, CEO and founder of Schaumburg-based paving, roofing and snow removal company Rabine Group, said Sunday he intends to run for governor in 2022 as a Republican. […]
“Gary Rabine would be a great governor for Illinois,” McHenry Mayor Wayne Jett said. “I believe he can win the primary and ultimately be the next governor.”
McHenry Township Trustee Steve Verr suggested Rabine would be a better governor than fellow Republican Bruce Rauner. […]
“He’s hardly a career politician. Just a brave fellow who can see several steps ahead and the downward spiral of the state under terrible hacks like Rauner and (Gov. J.B.) Pritzker,” he added.
McHenry County businessman Gary Rabine is considering running for the Republican nomination for Governor.
He says he will make an announcement by mid-February. […]
In this past year’s 14th congressional district primary election, he endorsed Catalina Lauf, explaining at a Trump rally he hosted at the Bull Valley Country Club (in which he has an ownership interest) that he was a good friend of winner Jim Oberweis, but that Catalina had asked him first.
Republican National Finance Chairman Todd Ricketts was one of the speakers at the event.
Donations to the conservative student activist group Turning Point USA have more than doubled, leading it to expand its footprint to some 2,000 colleges, universities, and high schools, and deploy thousands of supporters to challenge the wave of young liberal protests tearing down statues and calling the United States systemically racist.
In new tax documents, the Indiana-based group and its affiliates, one of which hosted President Trump in the packed Phoenix Dream City Church yesterday, showed contributions jumped from $10 million in 2018 to $24 million in 2019, and gross receipts at over $30 million. […]
Fundraising support was offered by Friess, who set up “challenge” grants, and conservative philanthropists Bill and Rebecca Dunn and the Jack Roth Charitable Foundation. Others include Tom Sodeika, president of Precision Payroll of America, Rabine Group Founder Gary Rabine, and Doug DeGroote.
Recently, Rabine has become the leader of an informal political organization called Save Illinois, which organizes to replace Illinois politicians who they feel are bad for the economic well-being of residents, Rabine said. The group has hosted a number of rallies in support of Trump and other local candidates that they think will “save Illinois from the fiscal depths that we’re up against,” he said.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 1,747 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 35 additional deaths.
Boone County: 1 male 90s
Cook County: 1 male 40s, 1 female 50s, 2 males 50s, 3 males 60s, 1 female 70s, 2 males 70s, 1 female 80s, 3 males 80s, 4 males 90s
DuPage County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 80s, 1 female 100+
Hardin County: 1 female 90s
Kane County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 90s
Kendall County: 1 male 30s
Knox County: 1 male 60s
Lake County: 1 male 70s
Montgomery County: 1 male 40s
Morgan County: 1 male 80s
Peoria County: 1 male 80s
Richland County: 1 female 60s
Washington County: 1 male 90s
Whiteside County: 1 male 90s
Winnebago County: 1 male 70s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,148,088 cases, including 19,668 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 47,210 specimens for a total of 16,683,795. As of last night, 2,161 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 469 patients were in the ICU and 251 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from February 1–7, 2021 is 3.3%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from February 1–7, 2021 is 4.1%.
A total of 1,638,125 doses of vaccine have been delivered to providers in Illinois, including Chicago. In addition, approximately 496,100 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 2,134,225. A total of 1,358,967 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight, including 212,256 for long-term care facilities. The 7-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 51,794 doses. Yesterday, 16,110 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. 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.
* I am a fierce hair libertarian. I think I’ve told you the story about how the lunch ladies refused to serve me in grade school because I had bangs. My father gave me never-ending grief about the length of my hair when I was in high school and beyond.
So, I decided very early in life that I would never be judgmental about someone else’s hair. Punk rock spikes? Cool by me. Women and balding men shaving their heads? Awesome option. Daughter shows up one day with dyed hair? Smile and suggest she try some other colors.
So, I gotta say I’m kinda loving the hairdo on newly appointed Illinois Sen. Mike Simmons. He’ll most definitely stand out in that otherwise staid chamber. Who knows, maybe he’ll even start a new legislative trend. His official photo…
He definitely has a certain panache. Let’s give him a friendly welcome.
The Tribune spoke to more than a dozen health officials, researchers, doctors and families, and analyzed federal, state and local datasets to try to assess a system that’s considered key to ending the pandemic but, so far, has attracted widespread frustration.
As of Friday, roughly 960,000 Illinoisans have received at least one shot — and about 270,000 of them have received both shots. But the state’s pace has ranked in the bottom third of the country for residents vaccinated, when adjusted for population sizes.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration has pointed to different metrics to argue the state is doing relatively well at vaccinating people, particularly recently. And echoing other states’ complaints, Illinois officials have blamed rollout frustrations on scarce supplies and poor planning by the Trump administration. […]
Still, Illinois’ lagging vaccination numbers have become political fodder in the national finger-pointing over the slow rollout. At that same congressional hearing, a West Virginia Republican noted Illinois had used up less than 60% of vaccine it had received, compared with his home state, which had used up more than 80% by then.
Gov. Pritzker promised to actually run the government, unlike several of his predecessors. The state, therefore, deserves the best possible response without excuses. The article points out numerous problems, with one being that the state appeared to get a late start, then abandoned its management plan.
The coronavirus variant that shut down much of the United Kingdom is spreading rapidly across the United States, outcompeting other strains and doubling its prevalence among confirmed infections every week and a half, according to new research made public Sunday. […]
The spread of the variant, officially known as B.1.1.7, and the threat of other mutant strains of the virus, have added urgency to the effort to vaccinate as many people as possible as quickly as possible.
I completely understand about the international shortage and the national problems since the vaccine was approved. I think most of us are willing to cut everyone some slack. And, yes, there are some local public health agencies which aren’t holding up their end and the big pharmacy companies appear to have bungled the nursing home vaccination program.
But I don’t care what it takes, I don’t care what the governor has to do, this needs to be fixed and it needs to be fixed right freaking now. I hate it that other states are doing better than us, even though that’s admittedly a silly metric. We definitely need a better national plan, but until that happens, Illinois has got to up its game.
Karen Lewis, the charismatic former head of the Chicago Teachers Union, has died, her spokeswoman confirmed.
“The nation has lost a true champion. Karen Lewis was one of the most powerful and prolific voices in public education, advocating for students, their families and the communities in which they live,” said Stephanie Gadlin, a spokeswoman for Lewis.
“For her tenure as president of the Chicago Teachers Union, she was the architect of today’s fight for education justice. As her spokeswoman, I cannot tell you how inspired I was by her leadership as well as her vulnerability as she navigated the treacherous terrain of Chicago politics. …
“Our city has lost a great voice. I send my heartfelt condolences to her loved ones, friends and to the 25,000 members of the CTU. May her memory reign for all days to come and she find rest in the bosom of God.”
Lewis, who retired from her role in CTU in 2018 to focus on her health, was first diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive type of brain cancer, in 2015 as she was considering a run for Chicago mayor. In 2017, the one-time chemistry teacher revealed she suffered a stroke.
The fiery Lewis was known for speaking her mind. She led the Chicago Teachers Union and its 32,000 members in a style hadn’t been seen in years and tangled with then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel. […]
The Chicago union wasn’t the first to use that strategy. But its leadership, including Lewis, acted when teachers nationwide felt unions’ political power and clout had been severely weakened, said John Rogers, a professor of education at the University of California, Los Angeles.
“Chicago was a dramatic moment, when this set of ideas coalesced and was enacted and then caught the attention of other unions,” Rogers said.
Born Karen Jennings, Lewis grew up in Hyde Park. Her parents were both CPS teachers. She attended Kozminski Elementary School and Kenwood Academy High School, according to her official union biography, before accepting early admission at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts.
She later transferred to Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. Lewis frequently pointed out she was the sole black woman in the college’s graduating class of 1974, but it was not a happy time. Dartmouth began enrolling women in 1972.
“Dartmouth was a really bad experience for me, but it made me stronger,” she told the school alumni magazine in an interview published in 2011.
“I was the only black woman in my class, and it was clear that women weren’t wanted. That did teach me that top-down decisions usually take a while for people to buy into.”
Lewis was a gifted cook, opera aficionado, and film buff who could speak Italian, French, and Latin. She converted to Judaism as an adult and celebrated her bat mitzvah at age 59.
Senate President Don Harmon statement on the passing of Karen Lewis:
“I cherished Karen’s friendship and mentorship and will always be better for it. She was an amazing person, devoted teacher, champion of the professional educator and skilled leader. She was one of a kind, dedicated to her core to challenging and changing lives and communities. We are indebted to her service and leadership, for which she will be remembered and forever missed.”
…Adding… Press release…
The following is a statement from SEIU Illinois State Council President Tom Balanoff regarding the passing of Chicago Teachers Union President Emerita Karen Lewis:
“Karen Lewis never shied away from a fight. She unflinchingly took on politicians and special interests, usually in her own humorous and disarming way.
“The 2012 teachers’ strike changed the course of Chicago and our entire country. Karen’s leadership inspired teachers across the country to fight for quality public education that their communities deserve.
“Through her work and vision, Karen transformed CTU into the powerful organization it is today and reminded the world how unions are a potent force for the common good. Her legacy lives on through the millions of working people she inspired to fight for collective justice.”
…Adding… Lt. Gov. Stratton…
Today we mourn the loss of a dynamic woman who had an amazing impact on the education of Chicago school children and the people who dedicate their lives to teaching them. Karen Lewis led the Chicago Teachers Union with brilliance, grit, love, and style. She often found herself in rooms and spaces where she was the only woman and person of color, and she never failed to bring her authentic self to the table where decisions were made. I learned from Karen Lewis that when you find yourself in these rooms and spaces, you never dim your light to make others feel comfortable. My heartfelt condolences to her loved ones and the CTU family. May she rest in power.
…Adding… Press release…
Illinois Federation of Teachers President Dan Montgomery issued the following statement on the passing of former Illinois Federation of Teachers Executive Vice President and Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis.
“Karen Lewis was a warrior, an undeniably powerful presence, and she spoke truth to power like no one else. She was one of the most committed unionists I have ever known, and she did absolutely nothing half way for the cause of labor. To stand beside her and see her members’ love for her at rallies on the streets of her beloved hometown of Chicago was a sight I’ll always cherish.
“Karen dedicated her life to the fight for equality, fairness, and respect for all people. She led the revival of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) and sparked the reinvigoration of teacher unionism across the nation. Under Karen’s leadership during the historic strike of 2012, CTU won a fair and equitable contract for members, and reframed the education debate in Chicago around the schools all children deserve.
“Karen was hilariously funny and could be daringly acerbic. More than anyone I’ve ever known, she contained multitudes and could smartly discuss anything from opera to critical theory to medicine to where to eat in Montreal. In her heart she was a teacher, a nationally board-certified chemistry teacher, no less. It was a privilege to work with her in her role as IFT executive vice president, a position she held for nearly a decade before retiring in 2019. It was an honor to call her a distinguished colleague. Most importantly, it was a joy to call her a friend.
“On behalf of the members of the IFT, I send our love to Karen’s husband, John, and their family. May her memory be a blessing and may she rest in peace.”
…Adding… Speaker Welch…
“This morning, we learned we lost the great Karen Lewis—a giant among giants. Of course, as president of the Chicago Teachers Union, her leadership in education justice, student advocacy and labor rights will forever be sketched in history. But before that, she was a teacher born to parents who were themselves teachers. With fire and fury, she dedicated her life to the promise that we will leave the world better for our children than we inherited ourselves. For that and a life full of love, we thank you, Karen.”
…Adding… Press release…
The Chicago Federation of Labor released the following statement regarding the passing of Karen Lewis, Chicago Teachers Union president emerita and former CFL Executive Board member:
“Chicago has lost a legend. A teacher, a leader, a trailblazer, and a friend, Karen Lewis was someone who stood tall not only for the educators of this city, but for every single worker in Chicago. She never compromised on the values she held dear, fighting for her students and their families with a fierce determination that will never be matched. Karen’s leadership gave rise to a generation of activists across the country, sparking a renewed energy in the fight for public education that continues to this day. She also inspired countless Chicagoans within and outside of the labor movement as she spoke truth to power without fear. She was beloved and revered as a member of the Chicago Federation of Labor Executive Board, serving as a role model of the solidarity we hold dear. Her voice – unique, uncompromising, brilliant, and kind – will be forever missed.”
CFL President Bob Reiter: “Karen Lewis was my friend. We started out as seatmates and as the new people in the room. We had our own little corner of the table and we built a relationship that was fun, loyal, and personal. That relationship between us became more than just the table. And I have stories of my friend. She was a great leader, but she was a person too. We made light of situations happening around us. I ran interference for her. She ran interference for me. I believed in her. She believed in me. We shared. We talked. We supported each other. I’ll miss her and I’m heartbroken. John and the rest of her family have my undying support for sharing her with me, Chicago, and the entire labor movement. I love you Karen.”
CFL Secretary-Treasurer Don Villar: “We will never forget Sister Lewis’ courage, charisma, and passion for teachers and the labor movement. From the classrooms at Lane Tech to city hall, she inspired students, teachers, families, and labor activists in her fight for equity, dignity, and respect for educators. Sister Lewis is that once in a lifetime legend, a game changer. In leading CTU, she sparked a renewed call for activism in the labor movement that spread across the country.”
…Adding… IEA…
The following statement is attributable to former IEA President Ken Swanson:
“I’m very saddened to learn of Karen Lewis’ passing. Karen was a tenacious advocate for teachers, support staff and students. She was never afraid to speak truth to power, as she saw it. Her compass was always pointing her in the direction of relentless, passionate advocacy to empower staff and the students of Chicago Public Schools. I have always wondered how different things might be today had she not developed cancer and successfully run for mayor. My deepest sympathies to Karen’s family, friends and colleagues in Chicago, across Illinois and across the nation.”
The statement below is attributable to current IEA President Kathi Griffin:
“The Illinois Education Association would also like to add its condolences on the loss of Karen Lewis, a charismatic and dedicated public education warrior who provided a strong voice for not only the Chicago Teachers Union and their students, but for educators and students across the nation. Our hearts go out to all who knew her.”
…Adding… MJM and Shirley…
The following is a statement from Chairman and Mrs. Madigan:
“Shirley and I are saddened to hear of Karen Lewis’ passing. Karen was an outspoken voice and passionate advocate who championed equality in public education and a better future for the children of Chicago. Karen’s impact on the Chicago Teachers Union will be felt for generations to come. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family, friends and members of the CTU. Most of all we valued her strength and friendship.”
The immediate partisan reaction to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reversal on whether legislators should be allowed to get vaccinated during Phase 1B was fairly predictable.
“Gov. Pritzker is prioritizing young healthy felons and Springfield politicians over high-risk adults,” the Illinois Republican Party seethed.
However, no such press release was issued the week before when U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, a 52-year-old Republican, cheerfully announced that he’d been vaccinated. And not a harsh word was uttered by the state GOP when federal prisoners received vaccinations during the Trump administration.
Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie’s office first denounced Senate President Don Harmon’s decision to cancel floor sessions and hold committee hearings online this month, saying it was time to get back to work. The very next day, McConchie said that allowing legislators to be vaccinated was “ridiculous,” without any apparent sense of irony.
There’s more, but you get the idea.
It’s the outrage of the day and the arguments don’t have to be consistent because it’s about generating heat. Plus, almost nobody ever calls out the Republican critics on their contradictory logic, so it’s a free shot. They are very successful at ginning up this sort of outrage, even if it’s only for a few days. And then they’ll move on to the next one.
With the national Republican Party in disarray after President Donald Trump’s reelection loss, the seditionist riots on Jan. 6 and the bizarre influence of the even more bizarre QAnon cult, perhaps the best way forward is to do what pretty much every party member can agree on — attack Democrats night and day.
So get used to it. It’s the Republican version of unity.
In a weird way, though, the more public heat Pritzker takes over this flip-flop, the more loyalty he can earn from at least some rank and file Democrats. Others appear to be hanging back while the social media winds are swirling and may end up blaming Pritzker. Such is a governor’s life.
Taking one for the team is just part of the governor’s job, something Rod Blagojevich and Bruce Rauner would never dream of doing and Pat Quinn only occasionally showed that he understood. Unlike those three fellows, Pritzker didn’t run as a bomb-throwing populist. He ran on a platform of getting big things done, and you can’t get big things done if you treat the General Assembly purely as a nuisance or an obstacle.
You also can’t get anything at all done if lots of legislators say they don’t want to return to Springfield unless and until they’re vaccinated. With the cancellation of most of last spring’s session and the entire fall veto session due to the pandemic, and the possibility that much of this spring’s session could be in jeopardy, the governor needed to find a way to drag his voluminous legislative agenda out of a very deep ditch.
And it didn’t go unnoticed when Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who doesn’t have the greatest relationship with her City Council, not only allowed aldermen to get vaccinated but seemed to advance their place in line, though the council meets remotely. Remember, multiple COVID-19 cases were reported after January’s in-person lame duck state legislative session.
“It is beginning to feel like the governor is purposely working against the Legislature returning to do the work of the people,” Rep. Stephanie Kifowit (D-Oswego) emailed Pritzker’s chief legislative aide last week, according to WCIA TV. Kifowit pointed to Mayor Lightfoot’s decision to vaccinate aldermen and pointedly noted, “The longer the governor denies the legislature a safe way to work, the longer it will take to pass significant legislation that the state needs.”
So, on balance, this policy change should help. And perhaps allowing a few key staff members who must regularly be on the House and Senate floors access to vaccinations could also help. No formal request has been made to the governor’s top staff about legislative staff vaccines, but there may have been a conversation with one of the leaders about it. You’ll recall that the only name released of anyone who caught the virus during the lame duck session was Speaker Chris Welch’s chief of staff.
And while nothing huge can change until more vaccine is manufactured, a faster distribution system and some effective member education has to happen PDQ because legislators are getting pretty darned fed up with all the frantic constituent calls.
Republicans such as state Rep. David Friess of Red Bud are also dubious about Welch’s recent olive branch to the GOP and to Minority House Leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs. Welch says he plans to keep “an open line of communication” with Durkin, who led an effort to remove Madigan from office last year, Capitol News Illinois reported.
“I’m curious to see whether or not the joke that he’s not speaker in name but he’s going to be speaker behind the scenes will come true,” Friess said. “I hope, given the fact that he could not muster up the support in his own caucus, that he moves on and that he lets Speaker Welch act as speaker on his own.”
If southern Illinois Republicans want to address worries about business and guns back home, they’re going to have to work with the Democratic supermajority in Springfield, said John Jackson, a visiting political professor at the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute in Carbondale.
“Southern Illinois legislators have to got change their tactics or it’s just not going to be in the cards,” Jackson said. “They have to learn to build coalitions and work with the realities of Illinois politics.”
That assumes they actually want to get something done.
* The initial vote was divided, but then the Democratic committeepersons voted for Mike Simmons by acclamation to replace Sen. Heather Steans As I told you Thursday, the 40th Ward Democratic Organization and the 47th Ward Democratic Organization were deadlocked between Rep. Kelly Cassidy and Mike Simmons and that today could be interesting. Cassidy was considered almost a lock. Didn’t happen.
I’m sure there’s going to be a wild back story on this. Ald. Harry Osterman, who shares an office with Rep. Cassidy, went with Simmons, for example.
That’s two Black people appointed to the Illinois Senate today. Both replaced white people.
Simmons—who is Black (half African-American, half Ethiopian) and gay—is the founder and CEO of Blue Sky Strategies as well as deputy director of My Brother’s Keeper, a national program based at the Obama Foundation that works to remove the opportunity gap for young men of color. According to Blue Sky’s website, the firm specializes “in equitable urban planning, youth empowerment, government accountability, and anti-racist public policy.”
In a bio Simmons submitted to Windy City Times, he added that he is the son of a Black woman and single mother of two (and Rogers Park business owner who owned and ran her small business, Salon Pastiche, for 25 years), and an Ethiopian immigrant to Edgewater. He stated that his family was one of the first Black families to integrate Lincoln Square, in 1981. He currently lives in Chicago’s Uptown area with his partner.
The political candidate and former Equality Illinois board member also stated that he worked as a policy director for then-Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, where he led efforts to build new grocery stores in the city’s food deserts. […]
In an email to Windy City Times, Simmons said, “The district is home to many, many LGBTQ households. There are so many people in this district whose voices need to be heard in the State Senate, and I am stepping forward to be that voice. We have a historic opportunity to appoint the first Black person on the North Side to State Senate, and only the third openly gay, Black state senator in the country. And my public policy experience and community level experience have equipped me to serve at this level. I’m here for it!”
He was also a Crain’s 40 Under 40 award-winner.
*** UPDATE *** Press release…
Following is a statement from Rep. Cassidy on the appointment of Mike Simmons to the Illinois Senate seat to be vacated by Sen. Heather Steans:
“I congratulate Mike Simmons on his appointment to the 7th District Senate seat long held by Sen. Steans. I thank our community members and the Democratic Party leadership in our area for their support, and for leading this process. I also thank the other candidates who stepped up and put their names forward on behalf of their communities. Finally, I am profoundly grateful to Sen. Steans, for her friendship and guidance over the years, and for her leadership on so many matters of critical importance to our communities. From COVID relief to tackling our budget challenges, from making sure our communities are fairly represented in redistricting to continuing to build on the progress in criminal justice reform forged by the Black Caucus, I pledge to continue to be a relentless voice for our values in the Illinois House of Representatives.”
Members of the Illinois Republican Party on Saturday picked a former gaming board chief to be the next head of the state party.
Don Tracy, a Springfield attorney who was appointed to lead the Illinois Gaming Board by former Gov. Bruce Rauner, won the backing of members of the state GOP’s central committee.
Tracy was not immediately available for comment.
In a statement earlier this week, Tracy said the “state is in danger” of “becoming a depopulated, left wing, one party, over-taxed, and anti-police financial basket case.”
* I don’t have a press release from the ILGOP, but I do have one from the IDCCA…
Following the Illinois Republican Party electing Raunerite Don Tracy as their new Party Chair, President Kristina Zahorik of the Illinois Democratic County Chairs Association (IDCCA) released the following statement:
“It is rich that the Illinois GOP appointed a new chair with a history of corrupt behavior. We repeatedly watch Illinois Republicans cry crocodile tears over political corruption, and today they proved they’re the Grand Old Party of hypocrisy with their appointment of Don Tracy.”
The State of Illinois Office of Inspector General found that Don Tracy illegally made campaign contributions through his wife while serving on the Illinois Gaming Board. The report said Tracy “made loans and contributions either directly, or through his wife, to political committees” in violation of state law. Tracy was appointed to the Gaming Board by former Republican Governor Bruce Rauner in 2015.
*** UPDATE 1 *** From Mary Morrissey, Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Illinois…
“As the Republican Party struggles to take control of its party back from white supremacists and violent extremists, Illinois Republicans have chosen a leader whose ties to Donald Trump and Bruce Rauner promise a return to the failed policies of the past. The Illinois GOP has deemed Don Tracy, a Trump supporter who resigned as the Illinois Gaming Board chair after steering illegal contributions to former Governor Rauner’s campaign, as their best hope to carry their party into the future. It will be interesting to see if the Illinois Republican Party will continue to embrace questionable leadership, division and extremism or consider working with Democrats to find solutions that lift up workers and families across Illinois. We aren’t holding our breath.”
*** UPDATE 2 *** ILGOP…
In December of 2020, outgoing Illinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider announced a transition plan in which there would be an open and transparent process for the selection of a new chairman. Today, after lengthy interviews with the three finalists, spirited discussion, and a weighted vote amongst the ILGOP State Central Committee, Don Tracy of Springfield has been chosen as the next chairman of the Illinois Republican Party and has unanimous support from the committee.
Tim Schneider immediately offered his resignation and Don Tracy accepted the role of chairman to fill the remaining two years of Schneider’s term.
Chairman Don Tracy has released the following statement in response to his selection:
“I am truly honored and excited to have been chosen by the State Central Committee to serve as Chairman of the Illinois Republican Party. I want to thank each member for the opportunity to serve. I promise to lead with honesty, integrity, and the vigor we need to turn Illinois around. I also want to thank the other two finalists - Mark Shaw and Scott Gryder - for their tireless work on behalf of the Republican Party. I look forward to working with them to elect more Republicans.
I ran for this position because I love Illinois - it’s my home - and I believe the ILGOP can be a tremendous catalyst for change in this state. The upcoming election cycle can be monumental if we seize on the tremendous opportunities before us. We have a weakened Governor who can be defeated; we have a US Senate seat to win; we are well-positioned to win back Congressional seats; we can claw back seats in the state legislature if we recruit the right candidates; and lastly, we have an historic opportunity to elect a fourth Republican to the state Supreme Court for the first time ever.
The only way we can capitalize on these opportunities in 2022 is if we unite the party. My number one priority is to give every Republican a seat at the table and give every Republican a voice. Regardless of our differences, Republicans are the only hope for turning Illinois around and keeping it from becoming a depopulated, over-taxed, and anti-police financial basket case. There’s too much at stake in 2022 to be anything less than a united band of brothers and sisters in the fight to save Illinois.
So, whatever your political leanings, wherever you live - if you want to fight corruption, restore fiscal sanity, grow our economy, and stand for law and order - you’re on our team. It’s time to suit up, work together, and bring home some wins for the people of Illinois.”
Don Tracy is a successful businessman and lawyer from Springfield, Illinois. Born and raised in rural Mt. Sterling (Brown County, Illinois), he is the oldest of twelve children. Don and his eleven siblings own the thriving family business, Dot Foods, Inc., a national redistributor of food and related products, and other national businesses. Headquartered in Mt. Sterling (population: 2,025), Dot Foods, Inc. was founded in 1960 by Don’s father and currently employs 6,000 people across the United States and Canada.
Don is the first chairman of the Illinois Republican Party from outside Chicago and the collar counties since 1988.
*** UPDATE 3 *** House GOP Leader Jim Durkin…
The stark contrast between Don Tracy and Public Official A, who is still the chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois, will speak volumes in Illinois households this upcoming election cycle. Don Tracy will work diligently to rebuild the Republican Party in Illinois so we can continue our momentum in the 2022 election cycle and take over the majority in the Illinois House and Senate chambers.
*** UPDATE 4 *** Some members of the Eastern Bloc…
State Representatives Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City), Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville), Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur), Chris Miller (R-Oakland) and Adam Niemerg R-Dieterich) are issuing the following statement on the election of Don Tracy as Illinois Republican Chairman.
“Despite some news reports, Don Tracy is Chairman of the Illinois Republican Party because several of the most conservative legislators in the state who represent the areas with the most weighted vote were involved and backed him.
We talked directly with Tracy and supported him based on his commitment to continuing to engage working families and support the values of working people.
This isn’t a Trump or anti-Trump deal. It’s about putting the Republican Party in the best position to win by speaking to the middle class and working class families in Illinois who have disproportionately shouldered the burden of poor policies from our state’s one-party rule for far too long.
We have been and will continue to be engaged in this process, and we look forward to working with Chairman Tracy. Make no mistake about it- the election of Don Tracy as State Party Chairman is a big win for conservatives.
*** UPDATE 5 *** Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie…
“I want to offer my sincere congratulations to new Illinois Republican Party Chairman, Don Tracy,” said Illinois Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods). “I am confident that Don’s business and political experience will be of great value to our party as we begin to rebuild and grow the GOP in our state.”
On Saturday, February 6th, the 48th Legislative District Committee met to discuss the qualifications of the eight finalists for the State Senator appointment. All eight candidates were highly qualified, and it made for a tough decision for the Committee. In the end, one candidate stood out above all else.
The Democratic County Chairs’ of the 48th Legislative District Committee voted unanimously to appoint Doris Turner to fill the remainder of the term for State Senator.
Committee Chair Pam Monetti, Chair of the Macoupin County Democratic Party, released the following statement:
“I am proud of the work that the 48th Legislative District Committee has done in selecting Doris Turner for the appointment. From the start, we wanted to make sure that this was an open and transparent process. We wanted to make sure that the candidate we selected would share our values and commitment to our communities. We wanted to find someone who would be a bold fighter for the families in the 48th District. We know we found that in Doris Turner.”
Newly appointed State Senator Doris Turner released the following statement:
“I am thankful to receive the support and appointment of the County Chairs’ in the 48th District. This is an honor of a lifetime and not something that I will take for granted. We are facing a difficult road ahead as our state rebuilds from the devastation of COVID-19. The gravity of this will weigh on me every day as I work to get our kids back in school and our businesses reopen. From Bunker Hill to Decatur and everywhere in between, it’s time to roll up our sleeves and get to work.”
* It’s been so cold outside this week that I thought we needed some warm play-out music. But first, here’s one of my State Fair golf cart videos to put you in the mood. “Watch the tree. Watch the tree! Watch the tree!!!”…
The State Fair people used to really hate me for posting videos about abusing their golf carts. I’ve since reformed myself. I no longer post the videos.
* Greene County (pop. 13,886) got a shout-out from Gov. Pritzker today for its vaccination success…
We’ve taken very seriously the direction of local public health departments and the needs that they have. We’ve provided some grants, we’ve tried to offer any help that we can at… the state level. We can’t make decisions for local counties with regard to what is best in a certain part of their community versus another part of their community, if they know the county better than we do. We want to take their advice and just try to help them accomplish the goal of getting people to those sites where they can get vaccinated. But believe me we want to, we have some of our rural counties by the way that are some of the best in the state, our rural counties delivering vaccines.
Greene County is an example. And I’ve mentioned them before in press conferences because it’s kind of remarkable for a small county to be able to do what they’ve done, to get the vaccines off the shelf into people’s arms as quickly as they have. I’m very proud of that, but also of the many counties that really stepped up to get this job done.
* The governor’s chief of staff also raved about the county’s efforts today…
Greene County, IL is small but mighty & they’ve done an excellent job getting their vaccine doses out quickly and efficiently. They made this video which really shows the amazing work of their local health department on vaccine administration & logistics. https://t.co/n4qVi7UYSe
Some parts of Illinois are further along. In small, downstate Greene County, about an hour north of St. Louis, the public health department has already started vaccinating teachers and others who have been exposed to the virus.
That includes Kathy Burkholder, 77. As a volunteer with Meals on Wheels, she delivers food inside people’s homes. Burkholder got her shot last week.
By the time Christopher Miller showed up at his estranged wife’s backdoor in September 2019 with a pistol in his waistband, state authorities already had declared him too dangerous to own firearms.
He had lost his gun license 20 months earlier after being charged with aggravated battery for brutally beating a man in a Naperville parking lot. He disregarded orders to relinquish any weapons, and no one made sure he complied.
Miller startled his wife that autumn afternoon as she moved around the kitchen making a snack for her daughter. With cocaine and alcohol in his system, he stared at Cassandra Tanner Miller with hazel eyes so dilated they appeared black.
“Are you all ready to die today?” he asked as he suddenly burst into the Joliet house.
He then choked his estranged wife and shot and killed their 18-month-old boy before killing himself.
Cassandra did everything she was supposed to do to protect herself and her children from Christopher after they separated. She said law enforcement, the Illinois National Guard, and the judicial system all let her down.
Christopher shouldn’t have had a gun. His FOID card was revoked in January 2018 for an aggravated battery charge in DuPage County.
Illinois State Police sent out a letter notifying Christopher he was required to surrender his gun, but he never did.
Cassandra also sounded the alarm to the Illinois National Guard, reporting his violent behavior and drug use.
“That he was hearing things, that he wasn’t being responsive the way that he should, and I was just pretty much told to mind my own business and they kind of just stopped answering my phone calls,” she said.
Tanner-Miller says that authorities failed in their duty to protect her and her family, and she says it was because they were biased because of her husband’s military service.
Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart is calling for changes in how the judicial system handles defendants with revoked gun licenses following a Tribune investigation into the ballooning backlog of people declared too dangerous to own firearms and the state’s failure to address it. […]
The move comes after the Tribune highlighted the story of Christopher Miller, a Joliet man who fatally shot his 18-month-old son, Colton, with a gun he should have relinquished after having his firearm owner’s identification card revoked more than a year earlier. According to a Tribune analysis, Miller was among the more than 70% of revoked FOID permit holders statewide who ignored police orders to account for their weapons.
During his 20 months on the revocation list, Miller appeared before judges in two separate counties on criminal charges and never once was asked if he complied. No one at the hearings — one in DuPage County and one in Cook County — ordered the Illinois National Guardsman to give up the multiple firearms he kept in violation of state law.
His wife even warned DuPage officials about the weapons and his FOID revocation by the Illinois State Police, but no one acted on the information. DuPage prosecutors told her to seek an order of protection if she was afraid. […]
Under Dart’s proposal, the FOID revocation status of all defendants would be checked and shared with a judge before bond is set.
* Tanner-Miller has been working with Rep. David Welter to change state law…
Representative Welter is also working on a new law called, “Colton’s Law” which will push for GPS monitoring for violent offenders like Chris. GPS monitoring is used in many states, and will alert victims of domestic violence if their abuser is nearby. Had that system been used in Cassandra’s case, the outcome could’ve been drastically different.
Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart, a Democrat, suggested the bill would end the notion that cash bail correlates with the risk posed by the offender.
“These commonsense reforms will prevent tragedies like the case of Cassandra Tanner-Miller, in which her abuser posted $5,000 and then killed their 18-month-old child,” he said in a statement.
* But Ms. Tanner-Miller participated in a House Republican press conference yesterday with Rep. Welter to highlight opposition to the criminal justice reform bill. From a press release…
Cassandra Tanner-Miller lost her young son because her abusive ex-husband, Christopher Miller, was released without a cash bond. Ms. Tanner-Miller barely survived the assault and has been an advocate for survivors and reforming Illinois law ever since. She expressed deep concerns that the provisions in HB 3653 that loosen regulations on the standard for threat and willful flight for detention will make it more difficult to hold violent offenders.
“HB 3653 will be a complete dismantling of victims’ safety and rights,” said Ms. Tanner-Miller. “Illinois legislators need to work together with all entities, to build upon our criminal justice system, to ensure criminals who knowingly are breaking laws have accountability for their choices. Eliminating cash bail will be detrimental to victims and more Christopher Miller’s will be walking out of the courthouse free, putting victims and their families in direct danger. I know this personally because my son’s murderer had been released on a ‘no cash bail’ just weeks before our tragedy took place. We cannot go backward in our criminal justice system. We need to work proactively towards a safer Illinois.”
He was released from Cook County on an I-Bond after being busted for cocaine.
* Advocates for domestic violence victims, however, spoke up in favor of the legislation. The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence represents over 40 organizations that “provide direct services to domestic violence survivors, including court advocacy.” The groups also administer the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline…
The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence applauds the concern for the safety of domestic and sexual violence survivors from the law enforcement community. We would reiterate that the use of citation does not apply to domestic or sexual violence cases. As we work to ensure the criminal justice system is fair and safe for all, we encourage our law enforcement partners to read carefully the safeguards for survivors in the PFA. During the 24-to-48-hour period of detention, law enforcement should notify survivors of the bond hearing and, if desired by the survivor, communicate with them about safety concerns. This is an important step in ensuring survivor-led justice. Connections can also be made to local domestic and sexual violence service providers and to the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-877-863-6338.
* Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation…
[The Pretrial Fairness Act] ensures victims have more opportunities to be heard during the pretrial release process, providing input that goes beyond assessing whether a person who causes harm is rich or poor. It is long past time that the criminal justice system learns how to accurately, fairly, and in a non-racist or classist manner, attend to the real threats that people charged with a crime do or do not pose–especially to victims of gender-based violence.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 3,660 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 83 additional deaths.
Adams County: 1 male 70s
Coles County: 1 male 50s
Cook County: 1 male 30s, 1 male 40s, 1 female 50s, 1 male 50s, 8 males 60s, 1 female 70s, 3 males 70s, 3 females 80s, 7 males 80s, 4 females 90s
DuPage County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 2 males 80s, 1 female 90s
Effingham County: 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s
Fayette County: 1 male 60s
Grundy County: 1 male 70s
Jasper County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
Kane County: 1 male 40s, 1 male 50s, 2 females 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s
Kankakee County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 90s
Kendall County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s
Lake County: 1 male 40s, 1 male 60s, 1 male 70s, 2 males 80s
Lawrence County: 1 male 60s
Lee County: 1 female 90s
Livingston County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
Macon County: 1 male 70s, 1 male 90s
Marshall County: 1 female 80s
McHenry County: 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s
McLean County: 1 female 60s
Montgomery County: 1 male 80s
Pike County: 1 male 80s
Rock Island County: 1 male 50s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s, 2 males 90s
Sangamon County: 1 male 80s
St. Clair County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s
Vermilion County: 1 male 40s
Will County: 1 male 60s, 2 females 80s, 1 male 90s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,141,219 cases, including 19,526 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 105,085 specimens for a total 16,464,740. As of last night, 2,318 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 491 patients were in the ICU and 254 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from January 29–February 4, 2021 is 3.3%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from January 29–February 4, 2021 is 4.3%.
A total of 1,635,925 doses of vaccine have been delivered to providers in Illinois, including Chicago. In addition, approximately 496,100 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 2,132,025. A total of 1,231,418 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight, including 188,351 for long-term care facilities. The 7-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 49,082 doses. Yesterday, Illinois set a new one-day vaccination record with a total of 74,965 doses 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. 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.
Emails show Rep. Stephanie Kifowit (D-Oswego) was one of the state lawmakers lobbying @GovPritzker to move politicians up in vaccine line.
“It is beginning to feel like the Governor is purposely working against the legislature returning to do the work of the people,” she wrote. pic.twitter.com/UGGGfdSDH9
State Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, a Democrat from Oswego, said she is leaning toward waiting but plans to make a decision after consulting her doctor — something she said every lawmaker should do. Kifowit said vaccinating lawmakers is important to state government’s ability to function.
*Facepalm* Just own it, please. C’mon.
* She still managed to get in a dig at Republicans, though…
Kifowit found it ironic that Republicans who voted against remote voting in the legislature would also be critical of Pritzker’s adding lawmakers to Phase 1B of vaccine distribution.
“They must not believe in the continuance of government like I do,” Kifowit said. “I think that we need to get to work. We need to do everything in our power to make sure we can do the work of the people.”
Um, OK.
…Adding… Eleni Demertzis from the HGOP…
Legislators can easily do their jobs by wearing a mask and following the guidelines put forth by IDPH on how the General Assembly can meet safely. Follow the science and stop thinking you are better than the hundreds of thousands of workers that have to show up to their jobs everyday, including your dedicated legislative staff.
* Meanwhile, WCBU has a story about some central Illinois Republican legislators who say they won’t be vaccinated until it’s their turn. But the reporter also interviewed a member of the Senate’s 41-member super-majority…
Meanwhile, State Sen. Dave Koehler, D-Peoria, said he and his wife, who already were in phase 1B prior to the governor’s change on Wednesday, have received the first dose of the two-dose vaccine.
“I think that whatever the governor does, (the Republicans are) gonna have a criticism,” said Koehler. “The legislature does need to meet.”
He said the General Assembly has numerous concerns it needs to deal with, including the state budget.
“I think this helps to ease the feelings that we can meet and somehow be safe,” Koehler said. “I think the real issue is that we have to have more vaccine, it has to be distributed quicker, in a more ethical way.”
* I did not get to this yesterday. Sorry about that. Here’s CBS 2…
The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) reported 40,008 new unemployment claims were filed during the week of Jan. 25 in Illinois, a 58% decrease from the week before, when 95,481 people filed claims.
For comparison, during the same timeframe last year 9,762 people filed claims in Illinois. That’s a 309% increase. […]
There were 95,472 new unemployment claims were filed during the week of Jan 11 in Illinois.
There were 94,944 new unemployment claims filed during the week of Jan. 4 in Illinois.
There were 45,387 new unemployment claims were filed during the week of Dec. 27 in Illinois.
There were 110,486 claims filed in Illinois the week of Dec. 20.
The Illinois job market also outperformed the U.S. labor market during the week. Nationwide, according to U.S. Department of Labor numbers, first-time jobless claims fell 2.8%, to 816,247.
The federal government, as part of its $2 trillion relief package approved in March, significantly expanded jobless aid, making it a richer target for fraud. By November, states across the country said they had paid as much as $36 billion in improper benefits, with a significant portion obtained through fraud, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.
The fraud is so widespread that California issued payments to someone using the name of U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, and in Ohio, Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, his wife, Fran, and Republican Lt. Gov. Jon Husted all learned that fraudulent claims were filed in their names.
Now, unemployment agencies could face another onslaught — this time from people requesting corrected tax forms.
“It does open a can of worms,” said Rob Seltzer, a certified public accountant in Los Angeles and a member of the California Society of CPAs. “It really depends upon how fast the (state) is able to send out a corrected form.”
With fissures dividing the national Republican Party as it searches for direction and a message after the presidency of Donald Trump, the Illinois GOP is waging its own, lower profile quest for unity as members prepare to pick a new leader who can bring them together.
But rather than disagreeing over Trump, freshman Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, stolen elections or other conspiracy theories, the Illinois Republican Party’s challenge is to bridge ideological differences, reach out to minority and urban voters — and go back to winning elections.
Members of the state GOP committee are planning to meet Saturday to elect a successor to outgoing Chairman Tim Schneider, who’s been in the seat since 2014.
Illinois Republicans are hoping a new face at the head of their party will bring the “new energy” and “new ideas” needed to unite Republicans and “appeal to the most people possible” to make gains in the statehouse, Senate and other higher offices.
That’s because the votes of the committee members — each representing one of the state’s congressional districts — are weighted based on the number of people who voted in the March 2020 Republican primary. Rural districts tend to have more Republican voters — and thus a higher weighted vote.
Of the state’s 18 districts, the 15th District, represented by Republican Mary Miller of downstate Oakland, had the most GOP voters in that election. The 18th District, represented by Republican Darin LaHood of downstate Dunlap, had the second-highest total. Third place went to the 14th District, represented by Democrat Lauren Underwood of Naperville.
Northeastern Illinois is overwhelmingly blue, with every Chicago-area congressional seat except one — Republican U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger’s 16th — now held by a Democrat. That would have been unfathomable a generation ago, when the suburbs were solidly Republican.
U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois was one of 11 Republicans to cross party lines Thursday and support Democrats in stripping GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of her House committee assignments in a rebuke to her controversial past statements supporting false conspiracies and violence against politicians. […]
The vote to remove Greene, a freshman Republican from Georgia, from her positions on two committees, Education and Labor, and Budget, was 230-199. Except for Kinzinger, Illinois’ congressional delegation of 13 Democrats and five Republicans voted along party lines. […]
Appearing on CNN hours prior to the vote, Kinzinger noted that during the House Republican Conference held Tuesday night, Greene received a partial standing ovation, which he called an “embarrassment” and “disappointing by factor of a thousand.”
Kinzinger also was critical of House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy for not taking action to remove Greene from her committee posts.
Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger criticized House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy Thursday for not taking action against far-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and said the GOP leader “needs to stand for truth.”
“Kevin needs to be very clear that he’s going to stand for truth in this party,” Kinzinger told CNN’s John Berman on “New Day.” “He needs to stand for truth and he needs recognize this party, the future is not going down to Mar-a-Lago and being with Donald Trump.”
* And…
Also waking up “literally laughing” is not normal.
If his goal is to move the Overton window to the center for the national GOP after decades of rightward lurches, then I can see where he’s going here. And the Lincoln Project has proved there is money to be raised for this sort of message, so maybe his new PAC will take off (Lynn Sweet reports there has been a “strong response so far,” but didn’t specify any dollar amount). Other than that, his congressional career appears to be over and I’m not all that confident he can win a statewide primary here even if he gets really lucky.
*** UPDATE *** Press release…
Ten Republican members of the US House of Representatives have formally voted to impeach former President Donald Trump, and a few in the Senate may join them as well. This action has created widespread division and anger among the Republican party both nationally and here in Illinois. In response the Illinois Republican Party has released the following statement:
“We strongly disagree with any Republican, Congressman Adam Kinzinger included, who voted to impeach President Trump or those who vote to convict him in the U.S. Senate, but we will let the voters be the arbiters of any vote taken by an elected official.
As we prepare to select a new chairman of the Illinois Republican Party on Saturday, it’s our collective belief that uniting the party will be the single greatest endeavor of the new chairman. Our elected officials must unite behind defeating President Biden’s radical left-wing agenda. In just two weeks in office, the President has already given into extremists by cancelling the Keystone pipeline, refusing to enforce our immigration laws, and cowering to the teachers unions who refuse to educate our children in-person despite all the evidence of its necessity.
The stakes of the 2022 election here in Illinois - defeating Gov. JB Pritzker and Sen. Tammy Duckworth, winning back congressional seats, and electing Republican judges to the Illinois Supreme Court - are too monumental to engage in a circular firing squad. We cannot play into Democrat hands by fighting amongst each other, so we encourage all Republicans to focus on the future rather than relitigating the past.”
Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and CPS CEO Dr. Janice K. Jackson today issued the following statement regarding negotiations with the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU):
“Yesterday afternoon, we received a counter proposal from CTU leadership and responded with our last, best, and final offer. We expect a response from CTU leadership today. We will be making further statements later today about school on Monday”
*** UPDATE 1 *** Not looking great…
Here’s part of latest email to #CTU members explaining why last, best and final offer does NOT work for union: pic.twitter.com/PbnnePTG7M
Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and CPS CEO Dr. Janice K. Jackson today issued the following statement regarding negotiations with the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU):
“We have yet to receive a formal response in writing today from CTU leadership. The ball is in their court.”
Illinois gamblers now have their first chance ever to lay down legal bets on the Super Bowl, but forget about wagering on the length of the national anthem or what commercial is coming up next.
Unlike in some other states — and on plenty of illegal offshore sportsbooks — Illinois bettors will have to stick to on-field action.
Illinois Gaming Board administrator Marcus Fruchter said at a meeting last week his agency will only allow bets on “activity directly within the control or jurisdiction of the NFL and/or individuals subject to the NFL integrity policy.”
Fruchter acknowledged such novelty prop bets — such as whether a winning player will declare he’s going to Disney World, or if a halftime performer will suffer a wardrobe malfunction — are good for “the growth and success” of the industry.
But he said it’s “imperative that sports wagering be conducted with the highest standards of integrity, and without any appearance or possibility of potential impropriety.”
* The Question: Do you think the state should allow prop bets? Make sure to explain your answer.
Southern Regional Republican County Chairmen Condemn the Actions of Congressman Adam Kinzinger against President Donald J. Trump
In a Southern Regional Zoom Meeting on January 19th, 2021 of Illinois County Chairmen, it was agreed that the acts of US Representative Adam Kinzinger of the 16th Congressional District should not go unnoticed but rather, should be condemned.
Adam Kinzinger Refuses to consider claims of Illegality and fraud in the 2020 Presidential Election evidenced by his statement released on January 6, 2021, Representative Kinzinger was dismissive of claims of voter fraud stating “the will of the people was made clear—Joseph R. Biden will be the 46th President of the United States {} … our Constitution, was upheld.”
Adding insult to the appalling injury already felt to the thousands of voters in Southern Illinois that supported President Trump and our beloved Constitution, Representative Kinzinger congratulates Joe Biden on his Inauguration, just days after calling for President Donald Trump’s Impeachment.
The baseless public claims that Representative Kinzinger has made against President Trump do not reflect the beliefs of the Southern Regional Chairmen nor largely those that we represent. It has certainly taken its toll on our Country and our Party.
We encourage One Mind One Strength and No Division. We Thank President Trump for his Service to this Country, and wish the New Administration All the Best.
To Date the following 36 Republican Chairmen/ leaders have echoed their concerns and concurrence from the following counties throughout the 12th, 13th and 15th Congressional Districts in the Southern Region of State of Illinois:
Alexander;Christian;Clay;Clinton;Crawford;Cumberland;Edwards;Effingham;Fayette;Franklin;Gallatin; Greene;Hamilton;Hardin;Jackson;Jasper;Jefferson;Johnson;Lawrence;Madison;Marion;Massac; Montgomery;Perry;Pope;Pulaski;Randolph;Richland;Saline;Shelby;Union;Wabash;Washington;Wayne; White; and Williamson.
Whew. So much to unpack there. Have at it. I’m a bit busy with other stuff.
* I see little chance of myself being vaccinated anytime soon, considering my age and the international shortage, etc. But a very informed pal of mine has been sending me some studies and articles lately that piqued my interest. The first thing he sent me was a small study from the American Society for Microbiology…
The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine has been theorized to provide protection against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Our aim was to determine whether any MMR IgG titers are inversely correlated with severity in recovered COVID-19 patients previously vaccinated with MMR II. […]
Hence, while our study provided clear evidence linking mumps seropositivity to COVID-19 severity, we do not dismiss the possibility that there are links between measles or rubella seropositivity that have not yet been identified. […]
While the associations that we have observed between MMR II and COVID-19 do not prove causation, the significant associations lend further support to the theory that the MMR II vaccine may provide long-term, cross-protective immunity against COVID-19.
One notable example of the difference in death rates and MMR vaccination efforts in Venezuela. The country recently gained control of a large measles outbreak through a country-wide vaccination campaign geared toward nine million children between 6 months to 15 years.3
Gold says that delivering 13 million doses of the MMR vaccine was unmatched with vaccination efforts in neighboring countries such as Colombia and Brazil. By 2019, Venezuela had reduced the number of deaths by 91%—reporting only 548 cases and three deaths.
Gold noticed that increased MMR vaccination appeared to be associated with decreased COVID-19 deaths. “Venezuela has had only 39 deaths per million from COVID-19,” he says. “On the other hand, its immediate neighbors Colombia and Brazil have each had 957 deaths per million and 986 deaths per million respectively.”
The US deaths per million is 1,366. Venezuela has more than twice the population of Illinois and just 1,209 deaths. Illinois has reported 19,444 deaths. But, Venezuela is a bizarre country, so I’m not sure I trust its numbers. Still, if that’s even close to accurate, it’s worth a look.
* Many have noted that children don’t seem to suffer from the COVID virus nearly as much as adults. The theory is the MMR vaccine might possibly play a role in this, since most kids get that shot…
In March 2020, Jeffrey E. Gold, a data analyst, thought it was interesting that children were relatively spared from severe COVID-19 disease. He wondered whether a specific intervention, like vaccination, protected them, whereas the COVID-19 death rate climbs quickly for people over the age of 50. CDC statistics reveal 97% of COVID-19 deaths have occurred in those aged 45 and older. The timing of one vaccine in particular, the MMR vaccine — against measles, mumps, and rubella — seemed to best fit the bill. First introduced in 1971, most recipients fall into the under 50 age group.
Looking deeper, Gold found that a number of countries with low COVID-19 death rates had conducted large-scale measles-rubella vaccination campaigns over the last few years. For instance, physicians in American Samoa vaccinated nearly 90% of the population with MMR, including children and adults, during a widespread measles outbreak in September 2019. American Samoa has seen just 3 cases of COVID-19 — all contracted outside the country — and no deaths from the virus. As a comparison, COVID-19 penetration seemed far more extensive in countries with lower MMR vaccination rates, like Italy. Due to public mistrust in vaccines, following the publication of Andrew Wakefield’s fraudulent research linking the MMR vaccine and autism in 1998, Italy’s measles vaccine coverage was one of the lowest in Europe.
It’s important to note these associations might just be coincidental.
But then there is this. Like SARS-CoV-2, measles, mumps and rubella viruses are also RNA viruses with spike proteins. The spike proteins on the measles, mumps and rubella viruses share 30% of their protein structure with the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. The reason I am telling you this is because the degree of similarity might cause the body to “think” COVID-19 is related to measles, mumps, or rubella virus and therefore, fight it pre-emptively.
The study’s findings fall short of recommending adult booster shots. Gold stresses that more clinical trials need to be completed and show successful results. There is currently a clinical trial to see if the MMR vaccine can prevent COVID-19 in 30,000 healthcare workers who are at high risk of repeated exposure to the virus.
Jeffrey Gold is a data person, not a doctor. Just remember that.
“So, with that as our basis and understanding, we did a similar analysis here with our Mayo Clinic data. What we did is we compared the rates of test positivity for COVID between those who’ve had vaccines and those who haven’t had vaccines and stratified that according to vaccine type,” explained [Andrew Badley, the Chair of the Mayo Clinic COVID Research Task Force].
What they found was that specifically, the MMR vaccines–which protects against measles mumps and rubella, as well as the flu vaccine and several others–had a protective effect against getting COVID-19. As for further implications for what this research could mean when it comes to COVID-19, Badley said, “certainly there will be numerous studies looking at all of the things we’ve talked about in the future, including the immune response.”
Some further research on the MMR vaccine and COVID-19 has prompted hypotheses that the reason many children aren’t more susceptible to COVID-19 is because they’ve had their vaccines more recently than adults. The Mayo Clinic says there’s no definitive answer as to whether that’s true.
“Should you rush out and get extra vaccines? No, not at all. You should rush out and see your healthcare provider and update your health maintenance and if that means you are not updated on your flu or MMR, you should get it,” said Badley.
After analyzing the results, we saw that there were no significant differences between the rate of SARS-CoV-2 infection for any of the vaccines. However, we did find statistically significant differences with respect to the severity of COVID-19 and the MMR vaccination status (p = 0.013). The MMR vaccine has been administered on a mandatory basis to all Spanish children in the context of the national vaccination program since 1981. In our study, most of the physicians infected with SARS-CoV-2 who had received the MMR vaccine (67.92%) presented with mild symptoms of COVID-19. None of those who had to be hospitalized due to COVID-19 remembered having received the MMR vaccine or having been immunized against any of the viruses included in this vaccine. No significant differences were observed with respect to the severity of COVID-19 and the BCG and hepatitis B vaccination status (p = 0.608 and 0.911, respectively).
Some hypotheses link vaccination against MMR with an improved and faster innate immune response against COVID-19. This fact could explain the benign course of the disease in children and those under the age of 40 in our country. Other studies state that the MMR vaccine can induce neutralizing antibodies that cross-react with other viruses. Cases have been described in which patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 generate cross-neutralizing antibodies against MMR.
The most remarkable limitations of this study are the low number of critically ill patients included in it and the fact that other risk factors were not analyzed in a multivariant analysis, as this was not the purpose of our research. With the publication of these results, we aim to draw the attention of the health authorities and research centers with a view for them to promote studies that will allow to confirm the existence of an association between MMR vaccination and a lesser severity of COVID-19. Until a safe and effective vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 is developed, we believe that it is justifiable to promote new studies and clinical trials that might clarify the role of trained immunity with other vaccines in the mitigation of the severity of COVID-19 and of foreseeable future pandemics caused by other coronaviruses.
However, if revaccination is requested, there is no immunologic or safety reason to deny the request.
And back to that study from the top of the post, here’s coauthor David J. Hurley, PhD, professor and molecular microbiologist at the University of Georgia…
“The MMR II vaccine is considered a safe vaccine with very few side effects. If it has the ultimate benefit of preventing infection from COVID-19, preventing the spread of COVID-19, reducing the severity of it, or a combination of any or all of those, it is a very high reward low risk ratio intervention. Maximum seropositivity is achieved through two vaccinations at least 28 days apart. Based upon our study, it would be prudent to vaccinate those over 40 regardless of whether or not they already have high serum MMR titers.”
Maybe, or maybe not, but what the heck. I called Walgreens yesterday and was told by the pharmacist that I can just walk right in and get an MMR vaccine without an appointment. It won’t hurt me, and if I do get the shot I’m not going to change my life or anything. It’ll just be an added precaution while I wait for the real thing.
On February 1, 2021, the 40th Ward Democratic Organization and the 47th Ward Democratic Organization held a joint virtual forum to allow community members to meet the candidates vying for the appointment to the 7th state senate district. The vacancy was created by the retirement of Senator Heather Steans. Afterwards, the 47th Ward Democratic Organization held a Recommendation committee vote to determine who to support for the 7th Senate district appointment:
The forum was attended by over 60 community and Democratic party activists from the North Side neighborhoods that make up the 7th Senate district. The forum was publicized on many media and social media outlets and six candidates applied for the position through a process that was created by the Chairman of the 7th district appointment process, Committeeperson Harry Osterman (48).
Each candidate was given 20 minutes to introduce themselves, share their vision, and answer questions from the audience. All six shared core beliefs in progressive policies and causes. Committeeperson Maggie O’Keefe (40th) said, “we have learned that our community wins when we create an open and inclusive approach. This appointment process is another example that we have ended the era of old machine style politics in our community.”
Afterwards, the 47th Ward Democratic Organization (comprised of 20 people) held a Recommendation committee vote to determine who to support for the 7th Senate district appointment, resulting in a tie between Rep. Kelly Cassidy and Mike Simmons. Committeeperson Rosenfeld said, ”It was great to see all six candidates, who are truly committed to public service, attend our candidate forum. However, two of the candidates, Kelly Cassidy and Mike Simmons blew us away! I have no doubt that either of these candidates would be an incredible State Senator for our community. I will be honored to cast my vote for either of these candidates.”
The Democratic Committeepeople who make up the 7th Senate district will meet on Saturday, February 6th, to decide on who shall fill the vacancy. Rosenfeld and O’Keefe will be seeking more input for their communities before making their final decision.
The two wards combined have about 38 percent of the weighted vote. Add in Sean Tenner’s 46th Ward and they’re at about 48 percent. Tenner is part of this trifecta. Might be an interesting Saturday. Stay tuned.
* I told you on Monday (and updated since then) about how many vaccine doses that various public health departments had on-hand as of Friday. The lone exception was the City of Chicago, which wasn’t reporting its vaccine stockpile data to the state.
After much back-and-forth and claims that they didn’t have the number, I was finally able to get what Andrew Buchanan at the Chicago Department of Public Health says are its current numbers as of yesterday…
No other information was provided. But, if you click here and do a little math, you’ll see that Chicago’s average daily doses administered is 5,125 over the past 7 days. So, at this rate, it’ll take the city a little over 23 days to use up that stockpile.
…Adding…A different page within the city’s public health site shows an average dosage delivered at 10,338 per day when including those vaccinated who do not live in Chicago. It’s not clear if all those doses came from the city’s supply, but give ‘em the benefit of the doubt.
To put that number further into context, the Chicago Teachers Union has about 20,000 members and the union is clamoring for vaccinations for its membership before returning to work. The city could comply with that demand and still have 20 days’ supply on-hand at the current vaccination rate (or about 10 days when adding non-residents to the equation).
Just sayin…
…Adding… Andrew Buchanan at the Chicago Department of Public Health…
(T)hese numbers reflect vaccine that is being put into arms today and over the coming week, it’s been promised to people and providers who have appointments to fill. We receive our vaccine allotments on a weekly basis (typically arriving Monday-Wednesday) but they’re allocated already for appointments over the following week. For example, we received 10,725 doses of Pfizer that were just delivered to CDPH – that’s part of the 19,572 I reported to you – but all of our vaccine supply is already scheduled for appointments over the next week.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 3,328 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 69 additional deaths.
- Coles County: 1 female 90s
- Cook County: 1 male 40s, 1 male 50s, 4 females 60s, 2 males 60s, 2 females 70s, 4 males 70s, 3 males 80s, 3 female 90s
- Cumberland County: 1 female 70s
- DeKalb County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 70s, 1 male 90s
- DuPage County: 1 female 50s, 1 male 50s, 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s
- Edgar County: 1 male 90s
- Effingham County: 1 female 70s
- Fulton County: 1 male 80s
- Grundy County: 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s
- Iroquois County: 1 female 80s
- Jasper County: 1 female 90s
- Jefferson County: 1 male 50s
- Kendall County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 70s
- Lake County: 2 females 80s, 1 male 90s
- Livingston County: 1 male 60s
- Macon County: 1 male 80s
- Macoupin County: 1 female 80s
- McHenry County: 1 male 70s
- McLean County: 1 male 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
- Montgomery County: 1 female 90s
- Pulaski County: 1 female 50s
- Rock Island County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
- St. Clair County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
- Tazewell County: 1 female 90s
- Vermilion County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s
- Wayne County: 1 male 80s
- Whiteside County: 1 male 90s
- Will County: 1 female 50s, 2 males 70s, 3 females 80s, 1 male 80s
- Winnebago County: 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,137,559 cases, including 19,444 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 101,307 specimens for a total 16,359,655. As of last night, 2,341 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 513 patients were in the ICU and 265 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from January 28–February 3, 2021 is 3.4%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from January 28–February 3, 2021 is 4.4%.
A total of 1,629,550 doses of vaccine have been delivered to providers in Illinois, including Chicago. In addition, approximately 496,100 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 2,125,650. A total of 1,156,453 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight, including 178,848 for long-term care facilities. The 7-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 46,709 doses. Yesterday, a total of 62,318 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.
1,156,453 vaccines administered equals 9.1 percent of the state’s population.
* Also…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced Region 4 (Bond, Clinton, Madison, Monroe, Randolph, St. Clair, Washington) is moving to Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois Plan effective today. Additional information about which tier and phase regions are in can be found at the top of the IDPH website homepage.
There’s going to be a lot of complaining about Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s decision Wednesday to make state legislators eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine now instead of requiring them to wait until the next phase later this year, but I have no objection.
Legislators have an important job that’s best accomplished by meeting in person, and this should allow them to safely do that, eventually.
I just have one little caveat:
If they want to actually get vaccinated, legislators should be required to go through the same maddening process as the rest of us who are eligible but are still looking for an appointment. […]
If legislators want to get the vaccine, they should jump through the same hoops as the average person in the Phase 1B grouping who became eligible in Illinois last week — which includes frontline essential workers and anyone age 65 and older.
There are those out there who are claiming that legislators are being allowed to jump to the front of the line. Not true. They’re being moved to 1B and have to fend for themselves like everyone else. Also, unlike the governor, Mayor Lightfoot appears to have actually moved herself and city council members to the very front of the line for shots and got exactly zero heat for that. Maybe equal treatment from the news/opinion media is in order here as well.
But I do figure that some or even most legislators will try to use their connections, like everyone else who has connections. That doesn’t make it right. And I also figure that some of the folks who screamed the loudest yesterday will find a way to discreetly get their shots.
* Also too, it would help if legislators who complained the loudest would step up now. For instance…
If it’s essential for us to gather with 200 people almost every week, then we are essential enough to get a vaccine. We had an outbreak at session this week. Do we need to pass de-coupling, cannabis, etc bills or no? Vaccinate legislators and staff so we can work. @GovPritzker
Emails show Rep. Stephanie Kifowit (D-Oswego) was one of the state lawmakers lobbying @GovPritzker to move politicians up in vaccine line.
“It is beginning to feel like the Governor is purposely working against the legislature returning to do the work of the people,” she wrote. pic.twitter.com/UGGGfdSDH9
So far, neither legislator has posted follow-up tweets about the governor’s policy shift in their favor, although Rep. Didech did speak to the Tribune…
“This has been framed as politicians jumping to the front of the line, but it’s really not about that,” Didech said in a phone interview. “It’s us being responsive to our constituents who want us to get back to work and doing it in a safe way that we’re not causing superspreader events.”
*** UPDATE *** I’m told that in response to requests from legislators, the Pritzker administration will set up a central location in Springfield for state legislators to receive the vaccine in the next few weeks.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot changed communications directors before she had even served 100 days in office.
Now, it’s happened again, fueling questions about whether the crisis-filled times coupled with Lightfoot’s abrasive management style might be making it difficult for her to hold onto good people.
Lightfoot’s communications director Michael Crowley abruptly resigned Friday after 18 months on the job. He replaced communications director Marielle Sainvilus, who didn’t last four months. […]
In addition to Sainvilus, press secretary Anel Ruiz, chief risk officer Tamika Puckett, deputy mayor for public safety Susan Lee, chief of security Jim Smith, deputy communications director Lauren Huffman, deputy press secretary Pat Mullane and chief engagement officer Juan Carlos Linares are among those who didn’t make it to mid-term.
More recently, Lightfoot fired Corporation Counsel Mark Flessner, her longtime friend and former colleague in the U.S. Attorney’s office, in the fallout from a police raid on the wrong home that forced Anjanette Young to stand naked, humiliated and pleading for more than 40 minutes while male police officers searched her home.
[Lightfoot’s city council floor leader] Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th) went public Tuesday to announce the resignation he had told the mayor about six weeks ago. He was promptly replaced by Rules Committee Chairman Michelle Harris (8th), one of the most popular Council members. Ald. George Cardenas (12th) will serve as deputy floor leader. […]
The resignation came as no surprise to Villegas’ City Council colleagues.
They say Lightfoot’s thin-skinned propensity to take things personally, lash out at critics and get even would have made it virtually impossible for the best of floor leaders to function.
But, they argued further, Villegas wasn’t the best. He did not have the strong working relationships with colleagues or the open lines of communication with the mayor’s office a floor leader needs to be most effective.
It is unusual for floor leaders to resign. Former Ald. Patrick O’Connor (40th Ward) served as Emanuel’s floor leader for all eight years of his tenure after serving in the same role for former Mayor Richard M. Daley.
Villegas often exhorted Lightfoot to work on her relationships with aldermen. When she announced a $1.2 billion budget shortfall for 2021 and said she needed to work more closely with people with whom she disagrees, Villegas’ response was “Hallelujah!”
“Sometimes members of her staff say, ‘The mayor’s not a politician.’ And I counter that when you run for mayor of Chicago and you win, you’d better become a politician,” Villegas told the Tribune last May.
While praising the Trump administration’s Operation Warp Speed in helping researchers develop a vaccine quickly, Durbin said “they did not follow through” with a vaccine distribution plan.
“When (Biden) became president there was more vaccine in the freezers than there was in the arms of Americans — we’re changing that,” he said.
He also said that although Gov. J.B. Pritzker was doing “a good job” of rolling out the vaccine in Illinois, more needs to be done and many Illinoisans have told him they’re frustrated by the slow pace of the distribution.
“It’s a hard job, but we’ve got to keep the pressure on him (Pritzker), he’s got to do more,” Durbin said. “We’ve got to have a better system of producing, distributing and actually injecting these vaccinations into the arms of people in Illinois.”
*** UPDATE *** From Sen. Durbin…
Thanks to Governor Pritzker’s leadership, Illinois was one of the first states to vaccinate one million residents, has prioritized an equitable distribution, and is among the very top states nationwide in getting vaccines in arms. As Gov. Pritzker continues to lead this challenging effort across our state, the federal government must keep its foot on the accelerator. That means we need to ramp up production, increase allocations for distribution, and provide more funding for the workforce, technology, and capacity to boost our rate of injections.
From securing tests and PPE to bolstering our hospital capacity and public health strategy, Governor Pritzker has guided Illinois through this pandemic with a steady hand and tough decision making. He has worked tirelessly to keep us safe from this deadly virus and ramp up our vaccination capability. When former-President Trump left office, more vaccines were in freezers than arms, and our states were grappling with no national plan and poor communication from federal agencies. We are all anxious to get this vaccine, and I will continue to work at the federal level to help provide Illinois with the resources we need to break the back of this pandemic. That starts by passing President Biden’s American Rescue Plan as soon as possible.
As proof, “our website this morning saw nearly 1.9 million hits in the first hour,” Cook County Department of Public Health spokeswoman Deborah Song said. She was describing the onslaught of people trying to hook up with vaccinations at a second Cook County mass inoculation site opening Wednesday at Triton College in River Grove.
“We booked more than 3,400 appointments in the first 35 minutes,” Song said. “At its peak, the website experienced 65,810 hits in a single minute, which can slow down some of the functionality.”
* I reached out to Donald Bolger at the Cook County Department of Public Health, who said these were not unique site visits and the site stopped booking appointments after the first 3,400.
A “hit” is defined as “a request to a web server for a file.” Depending on the page, there can be numerous hits per page-view, and, take it from me, people can generate a ton of page-views by constantly refreshing their browsers.
We went through all this “hit” vs. “visits” vs. “unique visits” with reporters and others decades ago when the Web was still relatively young and people were unclear on the concept. There’s no excuse for that now.
This is not to say there isn’t intense interest out there, but the headlines are no less goofy and misleading.
“We are pleased to announce that Cook County Health has released additional availability of vaccine appointments to Phase 1A and 1B residents of Cook County…To find an appointment, please click” — and an internet link was provided [Sunday evening].
I jumped for joy. Shouted to my wife that we were in. And clicked on the link.
Sorry, Charlie, there are no openings. Just toying with you, buddy.
The next day, in the morning, I received another text message:
“The additional availability of vaccine appointments at Cook County Health sites has been fully booked. More will be released as vaccine is received. Please be patient.”
Phil went on to write that he’d seen Gov. Pritzker vaccinated, which is false. Maybe he was thinking of Mayor Lightfoot.
* Tony was probably best known these days for owning the Pasfield House, but he has a long local history…
Tony Leone, who served as clerk of the Illinois House of Representatives and ran the Pasfield House bed-and-breakfast near the Illinois Capitol Building, died Wednesday in Springfield.
He was 69. His cause of death was not clear.
Leone served as assistant clerk and clerk of the House from 1979 to 1992.
Leone was a longtime executive director of the Sangamon County Republican Foundation. He was also assistant treasurer of the state GOP.
My condolences to his many friends and to his family. I was able to confirm yesterday that arrangements are being handled by Boardman-Smith Funeral Home.
*** UPDATE *** Rosemarie Long also passed away, and the ILGOP has sent out a press release…
“When I think about someone who exemplifies the perfect union of a kind heart, genuine character, and commitment to a cause - I think of Rosemarie Long. Few people have made a greater impact on their community than she has. Sangamon County, Central Illinois, and the statewide Republican Party have lost a giant today. But more importantly, her family, countless friends, and loved ones have lost a beautiful soul. We hold them up in our thoughts and prayers at this time.” - Tim Schneider
The LaSalle County Republican Party reports its central committee has voted, with 88% of members agreeing, to censure Cong. Adam Kinzinger. The party disapproves of him for not meeting with the central committee in the last six years and for voting to impeach Pres. Trump. Chairman Larry Smith says the party has received hundreds of messages via text, email, and telephone from LaSalle County and beyond about Kinzinger.
Censure is a strong statement of disapproval. It doesn’t remove Kinzinger from office or boot him out of the party. The message behind it says the party’s most ardent supporters won’t support him. That increases his vulnerability if someone runs against him in a primary or if he wants to use party resources in a campaign.
— La Salle County Republican Party (@lasallecntyGOP) February 4, 2021
That county party hasn’t been the most moderate entity over the years. It stood strongly with then-Rep. Jerry Lee Long when he was accused of harassment, and even after the House GOP pulled the plug on the incumbent and walked away.
In a statement to Playbook, Kinzinger spokeswoman Maura Gillespie responded: “While Capitol Police Officer [Brian] Sicknick was being honored in state for his ultimate sacrifice — defending our democracy — the LaSalle County GOP was condemning Congressman Kinzinger for trying to hold the president accountable for the actions that led to his death.”
