At the request of the City of Chicago, Governor JB Pritzker is activating 125 personnel from the Illinois National Guard to stand by to support the Chicago Police Department with a verdict expected in the trial of Derek Chauvin. Members of the Guard will deploy to Chicago beginning tomorrow, April 20, to pre-position and support the Chicago Police Department as needed.
The Illinois National Guard will carry out a limited mission to help manage street closures and will not interfere with peaceful protestors exercising their First Amendment rights, much the same role as Guard members played in previous deployments.
“At the request of Mayor Lightfoot, I am activating members of the Illinois National Guard to support the city in keeping our communities safe,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “It is critical that those who wish to peacefully protest against the systemic racism and injustice that holds back too many of our communities continue to be able to do so. Members of the Guard and the Illinois State Police will support the City of Chicago’s efforts to protect the rights of peaceful protestors and keep our families safe.”
“Our greatest priority at all times is ensuring the safety and security of the public,” said Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot. “While there is no actionable intelligence at this time, we want to be fully prepared out of an abundance of caution. Our city has a long history of peacefully expressing its First Amendment rights and I encourage residents to exercise their rights to free speech this coming week thoughtfully, respectfully and peacefully.”
“The Illinois National Guard Soldiers assigned to this mission are trained, equipped and prepared to assist law enforcement authorities with protecting lives and property of Illinois residents,” said Maj. Gen. Rich Neely, the Adjutant General of the Illinois National Guard.
Governor Pritzker also directed the Illinois State Police (ISP) to support the Chicago Police Department with additional troopers. The troopers will work closely with the Chicago Police Department and other local law enforcement, supporting efforts to keep the community safe.
“The Illinois State Police will work closely with Chicago Police Department, other local law enforcement and the Illinois National Guard to protect peaceful protests and keep the community safe,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “We appreciate the assistance of these agencies in our continuing mission to protect people, peaceful protests and property.”
The State Emergency Operations Center is monitoring operations throughout the state and is poised to fulfill requests from local governments, if they arise. All Soldiers will be tested for COVID-19 prior to deployment and they will be offered a COVID-19 vaccine. Additionally, Soldiers will be outfitted with personal protective equipment, such as face shields and masks, to address the threats of our current COVID environment.
Soldiers assigned to this mission are from the Illinois National Guard’s 33rd Military Police Battalion. These individuals are specially trained in riot control operations. The 33rd Military Police Battalion is comprised of Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, based in Machesney Park, the 233rd Military Police Company, based in Springfield, the 333rd Military Police Company, based in Freeport, and the 933rd Military Police Company, based in Fort Sheridan. The battalion is drawing Soldiers from each of these companies.
* Dean Olsen at the State Journal-Register about bickering between the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum and the foundation which shares a name and which is now persona non grata…
[Melissa Coultas, ALPLM acting executive director] said the [Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation] has a “parasitic” relationship with the ALPLM, adding that the ALPLM has “faced delay or outright rejection from the foundation when we’ve requested simple information on fundraising efforts and basic finances that purport to support the ALPLM. … I have never experienced anything close to this level of stonewalling and hostility.”
When comparing the foundation’s reported income to what ALPLM receives, Coultas said, “the amount is just over 7 cents on every dollar — a mere 7%.
“We concede some foundation spending, such as payment on its Taper Collection debt, indirectly benefits the ALPLM. But the details on that are hazy — and other spending is a complete mystery to us,” Coultas said.
On the other side, foundation CEO Mast said the ALPLM has issued “misleading narratives that aren’t supported by the facts.” She said the foundation has raised $42 million to benefit the ALPLM since the site’s inception, with half going toward paying for the Taper Collection.
And in the past year, about 70 cents out of every dollar raised or earned by the foundation — not 7 cents — was “put toward ALPLM expenses,” Mast said. She added that the foundation has “robust practices” to promote financial accountability as a nonprofit and posts financial documents that it files with the IRS on its website.
Of that, the foundation spent $823K on salaries and benefits, $407K on interest payments, $90K on office expenses, $65K on lobbying expenses and $61K for “other” expenses, among other things.
In support of the library, the foundation lists $502.5K in direct support, $240.5K for grant expenses, $217K for special events and $25.6K for investment expenses and $24K for investment expenses.
So, that’s neither 70 percent nor 7 percent.
* I reached out to ALPLM spokesperson Chris Wills…
When we talk about seven cents on the dollar, we are examining the Foundation’s claim that it provides about $2 million a year to the ALPLM. Most people hearing that would assume it means giving the ALPLM $2 million to spend on our needs — exhibits, equipment, marketing, etc. That may be the amount that flows through the Foundation’s accounts, but it is wrong to think they give us that amount to spend. In fact, if you look at their wording, the Foundation says the money merely “supported expenses for ALPLM.”
In the attached document, look at the section labeled “Foundation Average Expenditures by Function FY18-20.” That is our best estimate of how the Foundation spends its money.
First, 40 percent of that money goes to the Foundation’s own payroll. Another big chunk, about 19%, goes to interest on the Foundation’s debts. About 12 percent is grant money that comes from other institutions (and ALPLM staff, not the Foundation, are often the ones writing the grant requests and other administrative work). Another 12 percent goes to “special events” which we presume are costs associated with the Foundation’s fundraising events. The Foundation will not explain to us how that money is raised or where it goes. There are other spending categories we don’t fully understand. The amount we can verify that they actually raise and then make available to the ALPLM is about 7.5 percent of their claim.
So of the $2 million they claim, only about 7 cents of every dollar is actually the cash support most people would envision when talking about the Foundation assisting the ALPLM. As we said in the hearing, we think the ALPLM does benefit from some of the other Foundation spending. If they had met with us or even answered our written questions, we might have a clearer idea of the total impact.
I should also note that we put together the attached document because we kept getting questions from our board and from the administration about how the Foundation did or didn’t assist the ALPLM. We could not provide concrete answers from the Foundation, so we did our best to come up with an overview on our own. The Foundation says its financial picture is discussed at meetings that include ALPLM representatives. What they don’t mention is that the ALPLM representatives are NOT given copies of the financial reports their board discusses.
Governor JB Pritzker today announced Gary Johnson will be the new Chair of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum Board (ALPLM). Johnson was appointed to the ALPLM Board of Directors in September 2019 after serving as President of the Chicago History Museum for 15 years. He previously spent 28 years as a lawyer and partner in international law at Mayer Brown and Jones Day.
“The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is a treasured institution that pays homage to not only the country’s first president from Illinois but also our great state’s incredible history,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I am pleased to announce Gary Johnson will serve as Chair of the Museum’s Board, bringing years of prior, award-winning service with him. I am confident he will excel in the role and work to ensure the ALPLM remains a top destination for Illinoisans and visitors alike.”
Under Johnson’s leadership, the Chicago History Museum received the National Medal from the Institute for Museum and Library Service, the nation’s highest award for museums and libraries. He also served for 10 years as President of Museums in the Park. Additionally, he worked as Vice Chair on the Special Commission on the Administration of Justice in Cook County.
“It is an honor to become the chair of this board. This is an important time for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum,” said Gary Johnson. “It has accomplished so much for both Springfield and the nation. At the time of its anniversary, we look ahead to making it become even more relevant in our national dialogues.”
Gary Johnson is a member of the American Law Institute and a Life Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and the Illinois State Bar Association Foundation, and he served as president of the Chicago Council of Lawyers. Johnson earned his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School, his Master of Arts from Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, and his Bachelor of Arts from Yale College. He also holds an honorary doctorate from Lake Forest College.
Johnson’s appointment to ALPLM Board Chair is effective immediately.
Despite broad bipartisan support for measures to reduce the tax Illinois levies on trailers, legislation has failed to advance.
State Rep. Avery Bourne, R-Raymond, has House Bill 636. There are 62 co-sponsors on the bill, more than enough to pass the House with a simple majority of bipartisan lawmakers.
Bourne said there are nine identical bills from Republicans and Democrats that decrease the trailer fee that was increased in the governor’s capital bill enacted in 2019. […]
State Rep. Mike Zalewski, who is the chairman of the House Revenue and Finance Committee, said despite having more than enough cosponsors to pass the measure in the House, he won’t let it out of committee.
“Until I’m provided with a funding alternative, I’m not going to willy nilly send every single bill to the floor,” said Zalewski, D-Riverside.
The following day on the House floor, state Rep. Tim Butler said the fee increase wasn’t negotiated as part of the governor’s capital plan. Some Republicans said they were told it was a drafting error, but Butler said it’s led to as many as 150,000 fewer trailer plate renewals and needs to be addressed because people can’t afford it.
Chairing that committee means telling lots of people “No” when you’d rather just say “Yes.” Zalewski told me last week they’re trying to work it out. We’ll see.
Illinois could be moving closer to a ban on the sale of dogs and cats that have been sourced from breeders at retail pet stores.
House members have approved a measure that would prohibit a pet shop operator from offering for sale a dog or cat that has been obtained through a breeder or a person reselling animals from a breeder. Retail pet stores still would be allowed to offer dogs and cats obtained from an animal control facility or an animal shelter.
State Rep. Andrew Chesney, R-Freeport, says the stores don’t have an incentive to make sure families can take on the financial burdens of these pets, which often end up with serious health problems.
“These pet stores want to buy really, really cheap animals, really, really, really young,” Chesney said. “They want to pull the heartstrings of an uninformed buyer. They want to sell it at a very expensive cost. And any time they get a buyer that’s unhappy, they’re going to just pay them a bunch of money to go away because they have so much profit built into these animals.”
* Email from Rep. Stoneback’s office…
Rep. Stoneback introduced HB 3483 to strengthen our state’s Firearm Restraining Order. The bill is timely in light of all the mass shootings our country has seen this past year. I wanted to bring this to your attention in hopes of having it included as part of your “It’s just a bill” segment. I’ve included a quote below that you may use as part of the post. Thank you for your time and consideration.
“In the wake of the over 150 mass shootings our country has experienced so far this year, our state legislature must do more. The Firearms Restraining Order (FRO) in Illinois is a crucial—but vastly underutilized—tool to prevent tragedies by temporarily removing firearms from those who pose a significant danger to themselves or others. My bipartisan bill, HB 3483, would strengthen this law by closing loopholes and providing much-needed educational resources for law enforcement as well as the general public.”
Provides that the Department of Public Health, subject to appropriation or other available funding, shall conduct a program to promote awareness of firearms restraining orders to the general public. Provides that beginning July 1, 2022, the program must include the development and dissemination, through print, digital, and broadcast media, of public service announcements that publicize the options victims of domestic violence have to seek help with special emphasis on the firearms restraining order. Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Provides that the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board shall develop and approve a standard curriculum for a training program on the Firearms Restraining Order Act. Provides that the Board shall conduct a training program that trains officers on the use of firearms restraining orders, how to identify situations in which a firearms restraining order is appropriate, and how to safely promote the usage of the firearms restraining order in a domestic violence situation. Officers who have successfully completed this program shall be issued a certificate attesting to their attendance. Amends the Firearms Restraining Order Act. Provides that a firearms restraining order includes the seizure of the respondent’s ammunition. Provides that “family member of the respondent” includes a former spouse and a person with whom the respondent has or allegedly has a child in common. Provides that a petition for a firearms restraining order may be filed in any county where an incident occurred that involved the respondent posing an immediate and present danger of causing personal injury to the respondent or another by having in his or her custody or control, or purchasing, possessing, or receiving, a firearm or ammunition. Includes printing a petition for a firearms restraining order for which no fees may be charged by the circuit clerk. Provides that the Illinois State Police shall submit a yearly report to the General Assembly concerning the applications and issuance of firearms restraining orders.
Community colleges across the state now have the ability to provide the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s (UIUC) innovative, saliva-based COVID-19 test at no cost to any state resident who wants one.
The testing will be funded through an agreement between the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and SHIELD Illinois, the University of Illinois System unit that is deploying the test throughout the state.
Under the agreement, the state’s 49 community colleges can test their own students and staff, and can choose to serve as community testing sites where any Illinois resident can get a free test.
There are currently five active SHIELD Illinois community testing sites – Black Hawk College, Heartland Community College, Lincoln Land Community College, Oakton Community College, and Sauk Valley Community College – and more in development.
The agreement is being funded with money the state received through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the American Rescue Plan.
UIUC’s innovative, saliva-based COVID-19 PCR test has held the virus in check at the U of I System’s three universities thanks to widespread testing with rapid results. The test, known as covidSHIELD, was granted emergency use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in February.
The Illinois GOP has never been a fundraising juggernaut, and yet the first quarter numbers were still pretty bleak.
For the first quarter, Illinois GOP reported receiving a little more than $115,000 in donations, leaving $74,374 in the bank after expenses, according to the State Board of Elections.
Usually, the ILGOP does much better with its federal fundraising, but they only raised about $100k in January and February and had about $230K on hand.
House Minority Leader Jim Durkin raised $125,000 in the first quarter and had about $267,00 on hand after expenses. His House Republican Organization, which funds GOP reps’ campaigns, raised $111,000, leaving a mere $200 in the bank after expenses. And Senate Minority Leader Dan McConchie raised $68,000 and has $432,000 cash on hand. His caucus committee raised $206,000 and has $209,000 in the bank.
As I told subscribers on Friday, HRO reported raising $219K since the end of the quarter. Their new House Republican Majority committee reported $48,500 in contributions this month.
The Democratic Party of Illinois, meanwhile, received about $2 million, leaving it with $2.6 million cash on hand. And Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker reports having $35 million in the bank, thanks to his self-funding.
DPI reported raising just $2,500 since Robin Kelly was elected party chair. That $2 million was a transfer from Democratic Majority before Chairman Madigan left office. He then moved half of that back to the caucus committee.
Democrats currently have five active party-wide committees. Each of these committees may broadly distribute funds to other Democratic committees across the state, helping pool and direct party funds to various strategic races. Put together, the five Democratic committees had a total of $5,411,409 in available funds as of March 31st, and raised $3,139,147 from January 1st to March 31st. By contrast, Republicans have four active party-wide committees. As of March 31st, all of them totaled $434,280 in available funds, having raised $432,559.68 from during the same time period - a startling advantage for Democrats, giving them a major financial edge of more than 12 times the current funds of Republicans.
Much the same holds true for the committees of each party’s leadership: Senate President Don Harmon’s individual committee had $5,988,860 in available funds as of March 31st, with newly-elected Speaker Chris Welch holding $1,223,835 (Note: Madigan had over $10 million in his individual campaign account). By contrast, Senate Minority Leader Dan McConchie only had $432,323, with House Minority Leader Jim Durkin holding $266,564. Outside of the General Assembly, Governor Pritzker’s committee currently has $35,084,460 in available funds ($35,000,000 of which was donated by Pritzker himself on March 12th), while Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton’s committee holds $33,663. Once again, Democrats take the lead - and it bears mentioning that funds in these individual committees can also be transferred to other candidates. These well-funded individual committees may also serve as party-wide assets.
Democrats are clearly poised to have a strong financial advantage next year - a lot more money is going to start trickling into political committees as the year goes by, but the Democratic Party has a formidable head start. However, it remains to be seen how much difference it will ultimately make: Democrats poured millions into political committees supporting last year’s progressive tax ballot initiative, yet it still failed to pass when a single Republican donor (Ken Griffin) stepped up and matched the pot. As always, it will ultimately come down to individual Illinoisans, and for whom they choose to cast their vote.
Note: Additional leadership funds were collected by both parties via A -1 filings: Republicans received $133,750 and Democrats received $288,000.
Much colder temperatures bring the possibility of snow beginning late tonight and into Tuesday. Accumulations are expected to be light and mostly confined to grassy areas, but be extra cautious on bridges, overpasses and ramps. #ilwxpic.twitter.com/ristHafAHM
In the House, state Rep. Ann Williams, D-Chicago, is carrying legislation to establish a path for ratepayers to win restitution if a utility company engages in criminal wrongdoing. In its deferred prosecution agreement, ComEd said its corrupt lobbying yielded legislative victories valued at more than $150 million for the company.
Her legislation also would do away with automatic rate increases for ComEd customers based on a preset formula. It would bar utilities like ComEd from billing ratepayers for charitable contributions or for legal fees tied to criminal investigations.
And Williams’ measure would establish a czar to oversee utility ethics compliance at the Illinois Commerce Commission, which regulates utilities.
That czar would have access to a database that ComEd and other utilities would be required to log, showing “requests for anything of value” sought by public officials or their staffs. But those records of potential job or contract asks wouldn’t be directly accessible to the public under current language in Williams’ bill — something she said she’s willing to reconsider.
Her legislation also would prevent ComEd-hired lobbyists from subcontracting, which the company acknowledged in its deferred prosecution agreement as a way political friends of Madigan’s were funneled rewards. That practice, which evaded state lobbying disclosure rules, enabled ComEd lobbyists to hire Madigan associates as consultants, who did little to no work.
“It’s really a shame that we have to babysit the utilities in this way,” Williams told WBEZ. “But unfortunately, ComEd has shown us that they were really willing to make a mockery of the legislative process.”
* AARP Illinois, Illinois PIRG and the Environmental Law & Policy Center recently released a laundry lists of reforms they’d like to see…
Restitution
Make ComEd really pay for its $200 million settlement by taking it out of future revenues, in turn lowering customers’ bills
Explore other ways to get money back for ComEd customers, as the General Assembly has done before
Regulation
End automatic “formula” rate hikes for ComEd and Ameren
End “Rider QIP,” a mini-formula rate for gas utilities
Commission an independent audit of ComEd’s grid
Establish integrated grid planning for ComEd and Ameren
Provide the Illinois Commerce Commission with increased resources and staffing to effectively carry out its mission
Reform
End utility political giving
No longer allow utilities to charge customers for charitable giving
Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), asked about the $2,000 he got from [embattled US Rep. Matt Gaetz], told Forbes he “probably got 5 million bucks” in campaign contributions in the 2020 cycle and said to “ask the TV stations and radio stations that got my money where it’s at… ask them what charity they’re gonna give it to.”
* Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association President Kristina Zahorik…
“Rodney Davis has now refused to donate to charity the tainted campaign cash he received from Matt Gaetz and continues to deflect from commenting on the damning allegations surrounding Matt Gaetz. While three of Rodney Davis’ colleagues have donated Matt Gaetz’s money to charity, Rodney has only made jokes and now quips that he already spent the money — well we have the receipts.”
“Rodney Davis closed out his reelection with money in the bank, but pretends he’s spent it all to avoid having to unburden himself and his constituents of Matt Gaetz’s dirty money. Either Rodney Davis is lying, or he’s unable to keep his own finances in order just like the FEC has recently questioned him about.”
In 2020, Rodney filed FEC campaign disclosures showing he had $229,247 cash on hand after the campaign, and $140,435 at the end of the year. On February 9, 2021, Rodney Davis’ campaign received a Request for Additional Information (RFAI) from the Federal Election Commission regarding debts he owed. The RFAI mandated a response by March 16, 2021, but Rodney Davis’ campaign has so far apparently not filed the required, amended report with the requested “…clarifying information as to why this activity was not disclosed on your original report.” The FEC states that “Failure to adequately respond by the response date noted above could result in an audit or enforcement action.”
53% of those 18 years and older and 50% of those 16 years and older in Illinois receive at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 1,959 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 22 additional deaths.
- Cook County: 1 female 50s, 3 males 50s, 2 males 60s, 1 male 70s, 3 males 80s, 2 females 90s
- DuPage County: 1 female 50s, 1 female 80s
- Mason County: 1 male 60s
- Peoria County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s
- St. Clair County: 1 female 80s
- Will County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 80s
- Winnebago County: 1 male 50s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,304,200 cases, including 21,685 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 47,506 specimens for a total of 21,776,820. As of last night, 2,128 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 491 patients were in the ICU and 227 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from April 12-18, 2021 is 4.0%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from April 12-18, 2021 is 4.7%.
The total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses for Illinois is 9,930,945. A total of 8,119,867 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 125,212 doses. Yesterday, 65,233 doses were reported administered in Illinois.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in real-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
One month ago today, the average daily doses figure was 102,775. That’s a 22 percent increase.
After a year of grim milestones, Sunday marked a hopeful statistic in America’s fight against the coronavirus. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than half of all American adults have now gotten at least one vaccine dose.
After months of limited vaccine availability, every adult in the country will be eligible to sign up for vaccination on Monday. The only remaining states still with certain adult age restrictions — Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island and Vermont — will open vaccine registration to all people age 16 and older, meeting a federal deadline for all adults to be eligible set earlier this month.
About 130 million adults have gotten at least one vaccine dose, the CDC reported Sunday. And 84 million, or about a third of all adults, are fully vaccinated. (The CDC considers people “fully vaccinated” if they have received two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.) The U.S. has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world.
The City of Chicago has reached a milestone in its vaccine rollout with 50% of Chicago adults having received a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. About four times as many Chicagoans have now received a first dose of vaccine as have ever been diagnosed with COVID. The vaccine numbers – more than a million Chicagoans and another almost 350,000 non-Chicago residents who have received the vaccine – is equivalent to the number of regular vaccines the City would administer in three years.
The City has officially moved into Phase 2 of COVID-19 vaccine eligibility today, meaning all Chicagoans age 16 or older are eligible to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Anyone 16+ living in the City of Chicago can look for vaccine appointments at zocdoc.com/vaccine or use the City’s COVID-19 Vaccine Finder to identify additional vaccine providers. For Zocdoc, Chicagoans under 18 must have a parent or guardian book vaccine appointments on their behalf.
The governor’s office says that 53 percent of 18+ Illinoisans have received at least their first shot. 50 percent of Illinoisans 16+ have had at least one shot.
Just remember, though, that a member of Gov. Pritzker’s own staff who had received their first shot contracted COVID. Unless you got the J&J, one ain’t done.
The nationwide pause in the use of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine is likely to end by Friday, Anthony S. Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-disease expert, said in a series of interviews on Sunday.
“By Friday, we should have an answer as to where we’re going with it,” Fauci said on ABC News’s “This Week.” “I would think that we’re not going to go beyond Friday in the extension of this pause.”
* Back to vaccines. According to IDPH, 26.14 percent of all Illinoisans (3,330,480 people) are fully vaccinated. That’s a tiny bit above the national rate of 25.4 percent, according to the CDC.
The disparity in vaccination rates has so far mainly broken down along political lines. The New York Times examined survey and vaccine administration data for nearly every U.S. county and found that both willingness to receive a vaccine and actual vaccination rates to date were lower, on average, in counties where a majority of residents voted to re-elect former President Donald J. Trump in 2020. The phenomenon has left some places with a shortage of supply and others with a glut.
* Meanwhile, this sort of fraudulent behavior is gonna increase demand for vaccine passports…
One eBay user sold more than 100 blank CDC vaccination cards. The Post found the eBay account belongs to a Chicago-area pharmacist. by @ddiamond. https://t.co/U63A6le7wM
Several private companies have started developing vaccine passport apps that can be downloaded on smartphones. And in late March, New York became the first state to launch a free, voluntary vaccine passport available to all the state’s residents.
In Illinois, Gov. J.B. Pritzker has been relatively mum on the issue. When asked by reporters in March, he said that he likes the idea “that everybody will have with them easily on their device some way to show that they’ve been vaccinated.”
“Look, your friends, your neighbors, we all want to get together,” Pritzker said. “You may also want to show each other that ‘hey, it’s okay, we can take our masks off … as the CDC has allowed, as long as the group of people getting together have all been vaccinated.”
Pritzker said “there’s nothing wrong with that as long as it’s your choice,” but said that a vaccine passport should not be required to enter an event.
* The 2019 budget implementation bill is preventing thousands of autistic kids from getting therapy. Here’s Megan Valley and Raymon Troncoso from the Belleville News-Democrat…
(D)espite a 2014 federal mandate that states cover autism treatment through Medicaid, Illinois was one of a handful of states that didn’t provide Medicaid coverage for behavioral therapy until 2019.
However, an error in implementation created restrictions on who could provide behavioral therapy, an obstacle that has functionally prevented Illinois’ Medicaid plan from covering behavioral therapy despite it technically being included in Medicaid spending on paper. […]
A notice from the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services released in October confirmed that dual credentials would be required to receive Medicaid funds through the department for behavioral therapy.
But the Illinois Autism Task Force, based in the Illinois Department of Human Services, warned in a February letter to Gov. JB Pritzker and the General Assembly that “the dual credential requirement will result in devastating barriers to access.” That same letter said only 26 BCBAs possessed one of the other required certifications and it was unclear whether any of the 26 provided behavioral therapy.
The Autism Task Force, in a 2020 meeting, claimed that $42 million placed in the state’s FY 2020 budget for behavioral therapy through Medicaid remained untouched due to the mistake.
Paul estimated there are about 3,500 ASD-diagnosed children under age 5 who are covered by Medicaid in Illinois.
Former State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias released his first ad of the 2022 campaign season today that features his fight to successfully save jobs at Illinois suit maker Hartmarx and protect worker rights at Republic Windows.
The new ad entitled “Working Together,” which was produced by Adelstein & Associates, discusses the impact of Covid crisis and the resulting hardships facing workers and middle-class families, but it also offers hope.
“When times get hard, it means we need to fight hard,” Giannoulias says in the ad. “Because the stakes are so high. We know what we need to do: Fund projects to put folks back to work; protect the right to organize; and help working families get ahead. We need to do it together, in solidarity. That’s how we win. That’s how we bring back the middle class.”
The ad also highlights Giannoulias’ efforts as Illinois State Treasurer to prevent Hartmarx from closing and laying off hundreds of workers.
Giannoulias threatened to pull the state’s $8 billion investment portfolio from Hartmarx’s main creditor, Wells Fargo, in 2009 after it planned to shut down the plant and liquidate the hundreds of jobs. Wells Fargo relented, agreeing to sell the factory to an owner willing to preserve the jobs at the Des Plaines plant.
In addition, the ad mentions Giannoulias’ role in helping to reach a settlement between Bank of America and Chicago-based Republic Windows to ensure its workers receive wages, vacation and health care after the factory shut down.
“We’re excited to release our first ad and committed to reemerge from this pandemic with a stronger economy that is focused on renewed opportunities for working families, a stronger middle class and better lives for all Illinoisians,” Giannoulias said.
* The Illinois Constitution requires that new legislative maps be enacted by June 30th, but the census data won’t be available until September or so. The National Conference of State Legislatures has suggested using the population estimates from the US Census Bureau’s annual American Community Survey and Illinois Democrats have come up with a bit of spin to cast aspersions on the official numbers…
Democrats have said they intend to finish the legislative mapmaking process by June 30, ensuring they will be relying on alternative data to the actual federal 2020 census.
“That’s our constitutional responsibility and that’s our goal to be done by June 30,” said state Sen. Elgie Sims, the Chicago Democrat who is vice chair of the senate redistricting committee. […]
Illinois’ Constitution does not require the use of federal census data for legislative redistricting, and some leading Democrats question the accuracy of the final census data by pointing to efforts by former President Donald Trump’s administration to block the counting of undocumented immigrants.
“There’s nothing that says that this (census) data is going to be accurate anyway because there were significant steps made to impact and influence some of that data,” Sims said. […]
Kathay Feng, the national redistricting director for Common Cause, said to rely on survey data to draw maps “is a guaranteed malapportionment lawsuit.”
Every redistricting cycle involves lawsuits. You can bet your house there will be filings on this topic.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Speaking of redistricting and possibly getting dragged into lawsuits, here’s Lynn Sweet…
Rep. Adam Kinzinger, the most prominent Republican in Illinois, said if Democrats carve up his congressional district in the pending remap, he would consider a statewide run for senator or governor in 2022.
Kinzinger made the comment Thursday on the Chicago Sun-Times political show “At the Virtual Table. On the show another guest, new Democratic Party of Illinois chairwoman Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., said freshman Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill. — not Kinzinger — should be the Democratic target if a district needs to be eliminated.
With Democrats having the upper hand in a remap and Illinois likely to lose at least one seat because of population declines, Kelly said, “If we have something to say about it, I don’t think that it’ll be Adam’s seat.” […]
It is “fine with me” if “her seat is no longer there,” [Kelly said about Miller].
*** UPDATE 2 *** Meanwhile…
Dear Governor Pritzker:
On Monday, April 12, 2021 we requested from the Chairs of the House and Senate redistricting committees that yourself or a high-level member of your office testify at the only scheduled joint House-Senate redistricting hearing. The hearing is scheduled for this next Monday, April 19, 5:00 p.m. in East St. Louis.
At a House Redistricting Committee the evening of Friday, April 16, 2021, the Chair of the Committee that evening stated House Democrats had yet to receive a response to our request.
As the Spokesmen on the respective Senate and House redistricting committees, we ask for your attendance at this hearing.
Comments from Members of the Democratic party during hearings on the 2021 redistricting process lead us to believe that the majority fully plans to enact new maps, without using decennial census data, for both the Legislature and U.S. House of Representatives through a process that includes your approval of new maps by June 30, 2021.
To date, with over 30 hearings being conducted, not a single House or Senate hearing has included testimony from your office.
Given your numerous stated positions in favor of fair mapping, as well as a commission process for redistricting, it is vital that both the people of Illinois and our Committees hear directly from your office in a public hearing as to your views and plans for redistricting.
Sincerely,
Senator Jason Barickman
Representative Tim Butler
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot rebuked rumors of her resignation that began circulating on social media late Saturday night and early Sunday morning, saying she will serve “today, tomorrow and into the future.”
Community activist Ja’Mal Green said in a now-deleted tweet Saturday night that Lightfoot would resign from her position on Sunday, with later rumors speculating a potential resignation was due to rumors of personal infidelity.
Lightfoot responded to the rumors Sunday morning in a series of tweets, where she said “it’s shocking and disappointing” to see people with a prominent social media presence “peddling this trash as truth.”
“It’s shocking and disappointing to see some media members and verified Twitter handles are peddling this trash as truth,” Lightfoot said. “If people hadn’t noticed, we have major challenges in Chicago we need to address TOGETHER. This nonsense that some apparently have the luxury of indulging in has not fed one person, stopped the pandemic, housed anyone living on the street or saved one young person.”
On Saturday, Activist Ja’Mal Green, a frequent Lightfoot critic, posted — and then deleted — a tweet saying Lightfoot was going to resign. On Sunday, Green tweeted that he was “sorry” he helped spread the rumor that she was resigning. […]
Rumors about politicians are nothing new, particularly on social media. But it’s rare for elected officials to publicly respond to unsubstantiated rumors unless reporters ask about them at a news conference. Lightfoot’s unorthodox decision to address the tweets opens the door to more of the public finding out about the rumors than otherwise would have.
Green said the rumors about Lightfoot were “circulated” by members of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7, the union that represents Chicago’s rank-and-file police officers.
In a Facebook post Sunday, the FOP urged its members to “temper their public comments” while attempting to distance John Catanzara, the union’s embattled president, from the conversation.
“There are many rumors flying around about the Mayor,” the FOP said. “Several posts and comments have mentioned President Catanzara being in possession of proof and that he is pushing the issue. BOTH ARE FALSE!!!”
“Pushing rumors,” the FOP added, isn’t the proper way to address the “extreme differences” between the union and the mayor.
“No parent would want their child to read disgusting rumors about them, including US. Extend that courtesy in this situation also,” the FOP said. “Have some empathy and use common sense.”
* It’s tempting to just laugh this whole thing off, but…
Weaponized gossip. It's designed to undermine the credibility and marginalize the person who is the target. It often has no basis in reality. I know - it happened to me as an elected official. It's got a name. It's a tactic. Recognize it when you see it, and push back.
Attack her on her policies, her positions - have at it. This is the oldest sexist/homophobic/racist trick in the book & some of you peddling this crap should know better. https://t.co/MeNlAQWD8P
Illinois Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford really has her work cut out for her if she wants to forge a compromise on an elected Chicago school board.
Lightford agreed to become the sponsor of Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s alternative school board proposal last week. Sen. Rob Martwick (D-Chicago) has been pushing a bill for years that would elect 21 school board members, which have long been appointed by the city’s mayor. Leader Lightford has a reputation among the education establishment for being an honest broker and, frankly, she excels at negotiations like this, but this one will be particularly difficult.
Mayor Lightfoot’s proposal was privately criticized by numerous House and Senate members in both parties last week when it finally emerged.
It puts off the first school board election until 2026, and then only elects two out of seven members. Seven years from now, in 2028, the city’s voters would elect a third member, but the mayor would appoint three more, giving appointed members an 8-3 majority. Mayor Lightfoot said often during her campaign that she supported a “fully elected” school board. This proposal is more like tokenism.
The mayor can currently appoint school board members without any sort of confirmation process. They are direct appointments without input or oversight by the City Council, and her bill would keep it that way.
Some opponents who testified in committee last week against Sen. Rob Martwick’s elected school board bill criticized the measure for having no provisions to allow undocumented immigrants to serve on the board, as they currently can on local school councils. But Lightfoot’s proposal only requires that the mayor’s appointments “strive to achieve representation that reflects the diversity of the City of Chicago,” although it does remove both citizenship and voter registration requirements for the elected positions (which will create quite a stir on the political right).
Martwick’s bill would prohibit school board employees and contractors from running for the board. Lightfoot’s bill would do essentially the same, but would also require that all election candidates must have served on a local school council, the governing board of a charter school or contract school or the board of governors of a military academy. That would severely limit the types of people who can run for the tiny handful of seats, and particularly helps lock out candidates affiliated with the Chicago Teachers Union, which is the major force behind the Martwick bill.
Leader Lightford criticized Martwick’s proposal in committee for not specifically guaranteeing districts be created on the city’s West Side, but Martwick pointed out that his bill mirrors the city’s representation in the Illinois House. With only two initially elected members and considering the large populations on the city’s North and South Sides, no guarantees can be given that the mayor’s proposal would give the West Side a seat at the table in the first round of elections.
Martwick’s bill would let the General Assembly draw the initial district maps and then turn it over to the elected board for the remap. Lightfoot’s bill would give the mayor pretty much complete and permanent control over the map-making process.
This is the mayor’s first volley, but it’s such a lowball offer that it doesn’t appear to be taken all that seriously by members. Some legislators had been intrigued by the idea of a “hybrid” school board, but this is far more SUV than Prius and they appeared to be laughing it off.
House Republican Leader Jim Durkin claimed during debate on the House’s own elected school board bill that Mayor Lightfoot told him the Democratic leaders had walked away from a hybrid plan and wouldn’t call her proposal for a vote. That was denied, and I doubt the mayor did herself any favors by claiming such a thing.
The House passed its version of the bill, which mirrored Martwick’s legislation except for sunsetting the entire process in five years, with 71 votes. Rep. Tony McCombie (R-Savanna) was the lone Republican in favor. A couple of Democrats voted “Present” and some were absent. The bill was backed by both teachers’ unions.
The Democratic leaders themselves both said through their spokespersons that the mayor’s proposal was under review.
Sen. Martwick pledged to negotiate in good faith, but pointed to the strength of his position (including that House vote and the Senate committee approval) compared to Lightfoot’s.
To the question the other day about if they should threaten to send vaccines to Chicago as a ploy to get people vaccinated that are hesitating to get one. I decided to conduct a little experiment on a Facebook friend that is antivax and always ranting about Chicago. I sent him a message that I heard this might happen and this morning on facebook he posted that he got his first dose because he didn’t want someone else to get it. So the tactic worked and we got one more person in region 2 with their first dose. A victory!
* Well, it’s kinda/sorta happening. Here’s Jordan Abudayyeh…
The federal government allocates vaccine doses to states based on population. The City of Chicago is treated as its own entity separate from the state and is also allocated doses based on its population. As the state entered phases 1A, 1B, 1B+ of the vaccine roll out doses were distributed to local health departments based on population. In addition, the state allocated doses to mass vaccine sites throughout the state, 12 of which are in suburban Cook County and the collar counties. Doses were also allocated to FQHCs, safety net hospitals and rural teams. On top of these various allocations the federal government is also supplying vaccine directly to pharmacy partners that are based in all regions of the state.
Over the past several weeks as demand has started to shift in various regions of the state, local health departments have begun requesting fewer doses or skipped ordering their allocation altogether. When that occurs, IDPH reassigns those doses mass vaccine sites in areas where demand is higher, like Cook and the collar counties. Beginning this week, the local health department first dose allocations distributed to local health departments will be based on demand identified by the local health department instead of population. This shift in policy aims to address remaining inventory some local health departments have, while also directing doses to areas where demand exceeds current allocations. You will see in the attached spreadsheet that if you look at the percent of population with first doses, DuPage County is actually number one, Cook County is number five, indicating that recent redirection of doses is making an impact in those communities with higher demand.
On Tuesday, IDPH announced it is transferring 100,000 doses of vaccine to City of Chicago (50,000 first and 50,000 second doses).
All redirected doses (doses the local health department didn’t order) either get put back in the overall state pot and are distributed the next week (benefitting the larger counties) or, in the last two weeks for example, we sent Moderna vaccine not ordered by the local health departments to Cook County. Last week, that was 11,000 doses, and the previous week it was 4,800.
Just looking at the Moderna vaccine allocation, the following are the number of doses from the listed counties that redirected doses to the state for reallocation, by week.
• 3/15 – 900 returned
o (Egyptian, Logan, Pike, Stickney)
• 3/22 – 2200 returned
o (Brown, East Side, Egyptian, Hamilton, Pike Scott, Wayne)
• 3/29 – 3400 returned
o (Bureau, Cass, East Side, Egyptian, Fulton, Hamilton, Henderson, Jefferson, Logan, Pike, Putnam, Richland, Scott, Shelby, Vermilion, Wayne)
*** UPDATE *** Clarification from the governor’s office…
DuPage County did not reject their dose allocation like other counties. The county requested they get their doses next week because they are second doses and will be due next week. We apologize for the misunderstanding. DuPage County has been administering doses at a quick pace and their mass vaccination site is incredibly efficient.
Many people struggle to pay processing fees for housing applications when they have little to no income. Democratic state lawmakers want to create a special grant program to provide assistance for anyone left in that situation.
Rep. Anne Stava-Murray (D-Downers Grove) wanted to create the Emergency Solutions Grant program to help families who don’t make enough to have a place to call home. The plan could prohibit landlords, mortgage companies, and rental property owners from charging administrative fees on housing applications submitted by people using this assistance.
Assistance previously came from the Emergency Shelter Grant program which was created through the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act.
Property owners would still have the ability to conduct background checks on applicants. However, anyone violating this legislation could face unlawful practice charges under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act.
The Illinois House approved a proposal Thursday to add sexting curriculum to sex education courses in schools.
Rep. Maurice West (D-Rockford) championed this plan last year when it unanimously passed out of the House. However, it couldn’t get approval from the Senate before the COVID-19 pandemic cut session short.
His plan covers age-appropriate content for students in sixth grade through senior year of high school. The Democrat reintroduced the bill because he feels students need to understand the consequences of sending or sharing sexually explicit messages.
West’s proposal could require sex education courses to include information on the long-term social, legal, and academic consequences of sharing or forwarding suggestive photos, videos, or messages. He also noted there’s a disturbing increase in sexting online.
“60% of sextortion, as the detective told me who I had a conversation with, 60% are from individuals that they know. 40% comes from gaming, the games that they play,” West said.
Lawmakers advanced a bill Thursday to make it a felony offense if a person kills or injures a police animal while driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Rep. Joe Sosnowski, R-Rockford, sponsored House Bill 3019, which passed with 72 votes in favor. He said it was brought to him by a state’s attorney from his district.
“We had an unfortunate circumstance of a drunk driver who hit a police safety vehicle, instantly killing a rescue canine that was within that vehicle,” Sosnowski said. “Unfortunately what came out of this was that there’s actually nothing that could be charged to that particular drunk driver if nothing else had happened.”
Newly proposed legislation intends to prevent poor dental health among Illinois youth.
State Sen. Julie Morrison, D-Lake Forest, filed Senate Bill 346.
This bill would allow preventative dental services in schools.
If passed, SB346 would let the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services implement a school-based dental program that would allow out-of-office preventative services, such as teeth cleanings.
The Illinois Municipal League is working with municipal leaders across the state in a legislative platform that aims to ensure long-term funding for cities, towns and villages.
It’s called “Moving Cities Forward” and calls for initiatives that protect municipal revenues. One is the protection of the Local Government Distributive Fund, which sets aside a percentage of state income tax revenues for municipalities and other local governments. […]
Local elected officials are also asking state lawmakers to address the fiscal strain posed by downstate public safety pension funds by extending the amortization schedules, so municipalities are better equipped to meet their obligations to both public safety personnel and taxpayers.
The “Moving Cities Forward” platform also addresses the need for local governments to provide economic relief to local businesses as they work to overcome the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Cole said IML’s proposal would allow municipalities to provide grants, subsidies or loans to local businesses within Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts that have experienced business interruptions.
* Jeanne Ives…
Dear Friend,
In 2019, Illinois passed a $45 Billion Capital spending plan.
Unbeknownst to nearly everyone, the plan included $25 million to pay off up to $40,000 of other people’s student loans if they purchase a home in Illinois.
It also gives them an additional $5,000 for a down payment. It is called the SmartBuy Program.
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The state allocated up to $25 million to the program in Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s 2019 Rebuild Illinois capital plan.
To date, the agency has paid off an average of $24,100 in student loan debt.
So, expect this program to grow exponentially over the next few years unless there is significant push back on state lawmakers from Illinois voters – remember, the nature of government is to expand, not reform or contract.
Worse still, Illinois voters / taxpayers had no voice in this decision.
The City of Rockford pays a lobbyist to advocate on its behalf, and city officials and local lawmakers say that’s a good thing.
Exactly one week ago, the BMO Harris Bank Center got millions from the state, but few saw the work behind the scenes in Springfield.
“We use our lobbyist in a very efficient and effective manner and try to maximize the return on investment for us,” Rockford City Administrator Todd Cagnoni explains.
For the last decade, Rockford has paid Michael Cassidy, who is now with his own firm, Zephyr Government Strategies, to lobby and advocate for the city.
“Typically, on an annual basis, our Legislative and Lobbying Committee, in conjunction with our City Council, approves a number of priorities for our lobbyist to focus on,” Cagnoni says.
Rockford City Council approves Cassidy’s contract on an annual basis. A couple weeks ago, it re-upped his $120,000 contract for this year.
In addition to BMO Harris, Cagnoni says infrastructure improvements, youth outreach, and COVID grants for bars and restaurants are a few more recent successes for Cassidy, the city, and residents.
Local lawmakers on both sides of the aisle say Cassidy has been helpful in meeting the city’s goals.
* The Question: What are your thoughts on local governments hiring Statehouse lobbyists?
A national clean energy trade organization has released a report showing growth in electric transportation-related jobs in Illinois could position the state to lead the domestic supply chain.
Advanced Energy Economy, an industry association which promotes advanced energy technologies and services, released its “Electrifying Illinois” report which shows the state is on pace to reach 83 percent job growth in electric transportation-related work by 2024, regardless of legislative action.
The report was funded by the AEE and prepared by the research group BW Research Partnership with a focus on examining economic and job opportunities as the automotive industry transitions to electric.
The anticipated growth would drive the workforce numbers up from the current 5,200 workers in Illinois to roughly 9,500 workers within the next three years, or less than three years, according to the study, which used multiple data collection methods to analyze the state’s electric vehicle supply chain.
The Illinois car dealer lawsuit against electric automaker Rivian is the latest chapter in a nationwide debate over the options consumers have to buy cars.
Many states, including Illinois, have laws to restrict new car sales to independent dealers. University of Michigan law professor Daniel Crane said those are a product of the days the Big Three manufacturers Ford, General Motors and Chrysler dominated car sales, as opposed to the variety of automakers that exist now.
“They had disproportionate bargaining power vis-a-vis their franchise dealers,” said Crane. “You had just the Big Three, dealers were mostly mom and pop organizations, and the argument that dealers made was that the Big Three were taking unfair advantage of them.”
Dealerships aren’t necessarily mom and pop businesses anymore. According to the National Automobile Dealers Association, the average new car dealer in Illinois made close to $49 million in sales last year. That’s before taking services and parts into account. […]
For a time, the Illinois Secretary of State’s office said it wouldn’t renew Tesla’s dealer licenses because the company-owned showrooms broke state law. Eventually, Tesla reached a compromise with the Secretary of State and the auto dealers. That deal allowed Tesla to have up to 13 dealer licenses. The Secretary of State’s office assured dealers at the time it wouldn’t grant licenses to other manufacturers.
But Rivian’s entrance onto the scene has forced state agencies to take another look at the laws in place. Last July, an informal opinion from the Attorney General’s office said state law doesn’t explicitly require manufacturers to go through independent dealers to sell their vehicles. The Secretary of State office has subsequently stood by that opinion.
I don’t understand what’s going on. I don’t think most of America understands what’s going on in our news and with our headlines and with these police shootings. Friends, it’s very simple. If you’re pulled over, if you’re asked on the street for questions good grief why wouldn’t you cooperate? There’s one thing in common with every one of these shootings and that’s that these people decided not to comply, not to cooperate with law enforcement. The men and women of law enforcement of our police force are here for one purpose, that is to serve and protect. To keep us and our communities safe. Why would you run and not stop if you’re innocent? Why would you do that? We have got to start teaching our children the importance of right and wrong. I think that’s what we’re missing today, we’re living in some interesting times and we know that. […]
People in downtown Chicago, they’re not the churches, they don’t desire this nonsense. It’s just simply that they’ve heard a singular message for a long time and they’ve heard nothing else and they don’t know any different. That seems to be the case from many of our conversations. But they want the law enforcement, they want police officers, they want to be safe in their communities. Yet we have these instances and events where one person you know takes off running from law enforcement and bad things happen. […]
Every day brings a new story in the headlines and it’s amazing. But the one thing again that I see that we have this all of this has in common is from people who are concerned that they’re not innocent, they run from the law. When you do that, we’re gonna have problems. Don’t put these people in that kind of position. God help our Governor that stands up and speaks in agreement with this stuff, that’s our problem. When you have leaders in Springfield and in Washington who stand with this stuff then that’s a fair sign that we’ve got to get engaged and we’ve got to stop this.
* Gov. JB Pritzker at the conclusion of an unrelated event today to announce $1.6 billion in federal aid to expand access to early childhood education and child care…
Today I come to this event that is really about great joy about our future and our children’s future, but I come with a heavy heart and profound grief. And I hope I speak for all Illinoisans who are aching for Adam Toledo and his family. The video of Adam’s death is devastating, just devastating. It is unbearable to think of his family, seeing these last moments of his life. And it is searing to know that a 13 year old lost his life in this way. It’s abundantly clear that our entire system failed Adam. The appropriate authorities must move quickly to investigate and adjudicate what happened that night in Little Village in the interests of justice and accountability. For all of us, we also have much work to do. And I asked all of us to commit to this work and to pray for Adams’s Family, for his friends, and for his community. And to pray that all Illinoisans can be safe, especially our young people.
…Adding… From comments…
Interesting, so Bailey thinks we should comply with the law?
Tell me more about his anti-mask anti-quarantine actions and positions?
Friday, Apr 16, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Visiting a healthcare professional can be consequential: Cancer is diagnosed, patients are supported as they manage chronic conditions, and services and treatment are delivered to support mental health. During the pandemic, accessing healthcare in person was difficult, especially early on when non-emergent care was put on hold.
Telehealth saved the day, offering a safe option for Illinoisans to continue needed care. A recent editorial in the Chicago Tribune identified telehealth as one of a handful of pandemic-related changes that caused “the public and elected officials to reconsider some of the laws and regulations that had long been taken for granted.” Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers all began fairly reimbursing healthcare professionals for telehealth visits—recognition of telehealth’s integral role in healthcare.
The editorial says, “Virtual consultations and treatment have expanded options for both medical professionals and patients. They have been shown to work well, saving patients time and travel expenses…. Once the pandemic has subsided, there is every reason that telehealth should be expanded and retained as a way to deliver care and counseling.” The Coalition to Protect Telehealth couldn’t agree more. Learn how permanent telehealth coverage will continue to provide Illinoisans’ access to quality, appropriate care.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 3,866 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 21 additional deaths.
- Bureau County: 1 female 80s
- Cook County: 1 male 40s, 2 males 70s, 2 males 80s
- DuPage County; 1 female 50s, 1 male 90s
- Henry County: 1male 80s, 1 female 90s
- Jefferson County: 1 female 90s
- Kane County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 90s
- Lake County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s
- LaSalle County: 1 male 70s
- Madison County: 1 female 90s
- McDonough County: 1 male 80s
- Tazewell County: 1 male 40s, 1 male 50s
- Will County: 1 male 60s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,296,381 cases, including 21,630 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 93,602 specimens for a total of 21,571,023. As of last night, 2,058 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 468 patients were in the ICU and 205 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from April 9-15, 2021 is 4.2%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from April 9-15, 2021 is 4.9%.
The total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses for Illinois is 9,777,825. A total of 7,779,290 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 129,664 doses. Yesterday, 166,885 doses were reported administered in Illinois.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in real-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
Illinois approved more than 25,000 new wind and solar projects in a few years before the state’s program went over the funding cliff in 2020.
Now thousands of Illinois residents and businesses are lined up to invest in renewable energy, but our state policy has put everything on hold.
The Illinois Power Agency ran out of funding to approve new renewable energy projects in December. With state incentives in limbo, many solar businesses across the state haven’t sold a new system all year. That puts thousands of jobs at risk unless we pass legislation to fix this.
Customers are ready to invest, solar installers are desperate to get to work and our clean energy goals are slipping further out of reach. The General Assembly needs to act before it’s too late. Take action at www.pathto100.net
The Democratic Party of Illinois (DPI) today announced it has requested an advisory opinion from the Federal Election Commission.
In a letter, DPI presented three possible scenarios for a governance structure to the FEC for its input. Once the FEC provides its guidance, DPI will put a governance structure in place to ensure compliance with all state and federal campaign finance laws. See letter to the FEC attached.
Congresswoman Robin Kelly is not the first federal officeholder to chair a state party. The Democratic Party of Georgia is currently chaired by Congresswoman Nikema Williams and until recently the Republican Party of Colorado was chaired by Congressman Ken Buck. However, the FEC has not previously issued guidance on how a federal officeholder can lead a state or local political party and ensure compliance with federal campaign finance laws and regulations.
“I’ve pledged to lead the state party in a more inclusive manner with more voices at the table, and we are seeking guidance from the FEC that would allow for additional members of the state central committee to serve in a leadership role,” Kelly said. “We’ve provided several approaches to the FEC that adhere to the law and solidify our collective vision to engage more people and voices in the state party platform. As the first woman and first woman of color to chair the Democratic Party of Illinois, and with the involvement of a diverse set of voices across our state, I’m confident we’ll move forward electing Democrats up and down the ballot.”
The FEC is expected to provide a response within 30-60 days, and DPI has requested an expedited response.
Additionally, election attorney Michael Dorf has been named chair of DPI’s state fund, ensuring compliance with all state campaign finance laws while DPI waits for guidance from the FEC.
This advisory opinion request deals with the last of these restrictions, specifically 52 U.S.C. § 30125(d)’s prohibition of a Federal candidate or officeholder, or an entity that is “established, financed, maintained, or controlled by” a Federal candidate or officeholder, from raising or spending funds in non-Federal elections unless those funds do not exceed limits imposed under the Act, and do not come from sources prohibited under the Act (collectively, the “Non-Federal Funds Ban”).
The Non-Federal Funds Ban was “premised on Congress’ judgment that if a large donation is capable of putting a Federal candidate in the debt of the contributor, it poses a threat of corruption or the appearance of corruption.” As Senator John McCain, one of the principal sponsors of BCRA, explained, the Non-Federal Funds Ban was part of a “system of prohibitions and limitations on the ability of Federal officeholders and candidates, to raise, spend and control soft money” in order “to stop the use of soft money as a means of buying influence and access with Federal officeholders and candidates.”
• Whether the Congresswoman has the authority or ability to direct or participate in the DPI State Account’s governance through provisions of constitutions, bylaws, contracts, or other rules, or through formal or informal practices or procedures.
• Whether the Congresswoman has the authority or ability to hire, appoint, demote, or otherwise control the DPI State Account’s officers or other decision-making employees or members.
• Whether the Congresswoman provides funds or goods in a significant amount or on an ongoing basis to the DPI State Account, such as through direct or indirect payments for administrative, fundraising, or other costs.
• Whether the Congresswoman causes or arranges for funds in a significant amount or on an ongoing basis to be provided to the DPI State Account.
Option 1: The Special Committee
Under Option 1, the DPI would establish a Special Committee, consisting entirely of individuals who are not Federal candidates or officeholders, to administer the DPI’s State Account. The Special Committee would have complete responsibility for the State Account’s operations and activities, without the review or approval of Congresswoman Kelly. Among other things, the Special Committee would be responsible for the State Account’s fundraising (including solicitations), and spending (including decisions related to contributions by the State Account, advertising on behalf of candidates, and transfers). In carrying out these responsibilities, the Special Committee could delegate responsibilities to one or more individuals associated with the DPI, provided that the individuals in question are not Federal candidates or officeholders.
Congresswoman Kelly would also be restricted from “financing” the State Account. Among other things, the Congresswoman would not make contributions or transfers to the State Account from her personal funds or her Congressional campaign, nor would the Congresswoman solicit non-Federal funds on behalf of the State Account.
Option 2: The Delegate
Under Option 2, the DPI would delegate the administration of the DPI’s State Account to a Vice Chair. Much as under Option 1, that Vice Chair would have complete responsibility for the State Account’s operations and activities, without the review or approval of Congresswoman Kelly. Among other things, the Vice Chair would be responsible for the State Account’s fundraising (including solicitations), and spending (including decisions related to contributions by the State Account, advertising on behalf of candidates, and transfers). As under Option 1, the Vice Chair would be permitted to delegate responsibilities to one or more individuals associated with the DPI, provided that the individuals in question are not Federal candidates or officeholders. The same restrictions on “financing” described under Option 1 would also be in place under Option 2.
Option 3: Recusal
Under Option 3, Congresswoman Kelly would recuse herself from all matters involving the State Account. Among other things, Congresswoman Kelly would not participate in decisions regarding: (i) the State Account’s fundraising, including solicitations; (ii) spending, including decisions related to contributions by the State Account, advertising on behalf of candidates, and transfers; or (iii) personnel, including the supervision and review of individuals tasked with running the State Account. The same restrictions on “financing” described under Option 1 would also be in place under Option 3.
All of these proposed options are basically the same objections raised by the other side during the campaign for DPI chair.
* Rep. Edgar Gonzalez, Jr. (D-Chicago) speaking today on the House floor about the police shooting of Adam Toledo in his district, just four blocks from his house…
Did you see the video? It just came out yesterday. I watched it on the floor here at my desk. The officer said, ‘Police! Stop! Stop right effing now!’ So what did Adam do? He stopped. The officer said, ‘Hands! Show me your effing hands!’ What did Adam do? He put his hands up.
So if you put your hands up, they shoot. If you put your hands down, they shoot. If you walk, you run, you hide, you sleep, you do exactly as they say, they still shoot. So, I ask the members of this chamber: What are we supposed to do? What the hell are we supposed to do?
Will County Republicans voted overwhelmingly Thursday night to censure Rep. Adam Kinzinger for his vote to impeach former President Donald Trump.
The 111 to 5 vote (and one abstention) for censure “is meant to remind the representative who he represents: the people who elected him, not his self-interests,” said Will County Republican Chairman George Pearson, adding that Kinzinger’s decision to start a PAC that “goes against other Republicans was a betrayal.” Pearson said his next task is to find a challenger for Kinzinger’s seat.
* An April 13 letter from Will County Republican Central Committee (WCRCC) Chair George Pearson to GOP township chairs in his county…
Fellow Chairs,
The WCRCC has received two (2) notices from our landlord and the Lockport Township Organization’s former chair. I entered the office today to find both notices on my desk.
The first, more pressing, is an eviction notice for rent in the rears of $6,000.00. Due to the Central Committee not having our first quarter fundraiser, we have not met our obligations. I have sent out multiple fundraising letters and have received promises but no checks as of yet. The question becomes, do we push to keep the space or vacate our location in Crest Hill?
Between our townships, can we raise the cash between us to cover? A committee has been formed to create a fundraiser on June 18th, the “Freedom Dinner” with possible guest speakers of Texas State Party Chair Col. Allen West (Ret.) or North Carolina Lt. Governor Mark Robinson. Both I know will draw big crowds.
I, for one, appreciate having an office to conduct our business and store signs for our candidates during races. Voters have enjoyed having a place to come in and learn about the issues. We have hosted several training classes and a few township organization meetings. I am asking for your assistance in keeping our location. What say you?
The second notice is more troubling than anything. Pete Delany (former Lockport Township Republican Chair) has reversed his original donation to the Central Committee of the office furniture in lieu of their rent. Pete Delany did a verbal deal with me for the work in the space like painting, striping, and waxing the floors as well as donating the furniture in lieu of rent contribution for LTRO utilizing the space for their meetings. The former chair of Lockport Republicans is displaying his anger over his slate lost during his December caucus. That slate also had a democrat elected at their caucus who neither side bothered to check his voting record. The Lockport Republican slate on the ballot (represented by Jim Louch - Lockport Township High Commissioner) had more people show up to the Lockport caucus and passed rules that favored the “visiting” team. That pushed Pete Delany (former chair), the new chair, Bill Passiglia, and their new vice-chair, Ed Piante, to promote the Democrat slate in Lockport Township. After multiple meetings with Pete, Jim, and Jessica Cannady, an offer was made to Pete’s wife, Barb Delany, to join Jim Louch’s slate, the Delanys refused. That caused some extremely tight races in Lockport, which gave the Democrats an advantage for most of the seats. The Delany’s, Bill Passaglia, and Ed Piante all displayed Democrat signs on their lawns. Now, I get a notice from Pete stating he is giving the furniture to LTRO, when two months ago, he was trying to give it away to Joel Johnston, the guy renting space in the back of our office.
If we are moving with keeping the office, I would like to make an offer to Pete to finalize a written agreement for the furniture issue with Pete.
It’s likely further COVID-19 mitigations will be imposed in the next few weeks as metrics continue to trend in the wrong direction, but health officials on Thursday were still trying to determine what exactly that will mean.
Will restaurants be shut down? Will organized sports be halted?
“We are waiting for IDPH to get some more clarification on that,” said Monica Hendrickson, administrator for the Peoria City/County Health Department. “There is a likelihood that mitigations will come in. Will it look like what we saw in the fall? Not necessarily. We have to recognize that we are living in a different environment where vaccine availability does exist.”
Local mitigations will be based on the metrics, which are very different from when Illinois’ COVID-19 plan was created, said Hendrickson.
“When the mitigation plans were first put forward in the fall, we were in a landscape where vaccines did not exist. Now it looks considerably different, and we are also looking at a different population that is being impacted,” she said.
Peoria is in Region 2. Its latest available average test positivity rate was 7.6 percent. Counties within the region…
Bureau: 6.9%
Fulton: 6.6%
Grundy: 6.7% (with the latest one-day positivity rate of 17.3 percent)
Henderson: 0.7% (hardly anyone tested)
Henry: 6.2% Kendall: 8.8%
Knox: 3.1%
LaSalle: 5%
Livingston: 3.4% (with a recent one-day positivity rate of 13.6 percent)
Marshall: 5.8%
McDonough: 3.8%
McLean: 5.9%
Mercer: 5.9% Peoria: 12.8%
Putnam: 4.1% (very few tests)
Rock Island: 5.1% (two days in past week at 9 or above) Stark: 17.6% (very few tests) Tazewell: 10.9% (eight days this month in double digits)
Warren: 3.1% Woodford: 8.6%
Peoria residents facing financial hardships from COVID-19 are receiving a helping hand from the local government to help them pay their electric, gas, and water bills.
The city council Tuesday night agreed to shift Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) dollars to set up a utility assistance program.
The city is making almost $302,000 available. The maximum grant is $5,000 per household for up to six months of utility assistance.
Eligible applicants must prove they’ve been negatively impacted by the pandemic, and their bills must be overdue.
Today, the federal government is in the midst of one of the biggest expansions of the social safety net in U.S. history, committing $5 trillion over the last year to keeping American families afloat. President Biden predicted the flood of aid could cut child poverty in half.
And yet for all its successes, the trillions in aid have often failed to reach the poorest Americans in places like the south end of Peoria. Because many in Shawna’s neighborhood have jobs that paid them in cash and because they didn’t report their income to the government, they were unable to qualify for unemployment insurance. Because they moved frequently, failed to file taxes or owed fines for back child support or past criminal activity, they often didn’t receive their full stimulus checks.
As the pandemic dragged on month after month, hundreds struggled simply to keep the lights on. Last fall, 5.4 percent of all residences in Shawna’s 61605 Zip code — about 300 houses — were cut off for failing to pay their power bill. Another 250 houses in a neighboring Zip code — or about 4 percent of all residences — also lost power.
The disconnections, which were reported to the state government by private utilities, should have been a flashing red light that the social safety net was missing Peoria’s poorest.
And yet the cutoffs throughout Peoria’s south end went largely unnoticed. Local charities with money to help with power bills reported no surge in requests for assistance. City officials speculated that the disconnection statistics must be wrong. “They don’t seem real,” said Ross Black, Peoria’s community development director. “We get calls any time someone loses power. … Our phones would have been ringing off the hook.”
Mike Madigan has spent over $2.7 million on lawyers so far this year alone.
The Southwest Side Democrat is no longer the speaker of the Illinois House, a state representative or leader of the state Democratic Party.
But he’s still Public Official A, the name given to him in a federal document that implicates him in a long bribery scheme that ended his political career — and continues to cost him in legal fees.
A total of $6,798,304.20 to be precise.
That’s because the latest $2,744,828.83 comes on top of $4,053,475.37 Madigan had already shelled out to lawyers since early 2018, a total that included fighting lawsuits filed by former political rivals and other legal troubles.
House Republicans said Thursday morning that Democrats constantly ignore the need for reforms in Illinois.
They claim more than 600 House bills have passed out of the committees since January. Of those proposals, Republicans say 82% have Democratic sponsors while only 18% came from their caucus.
Rep. Amy Elik (R-Alton) recalled when Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch took office with a pledge to keep his door open and have accessibility for members from both parties. She noted that the Hillside Democrat explained all lawmakers could work together to solve the issues facing Illinois. However, she feels Welch hasn’t lived up to that promise.
“Here we are, with 45 days until session adjournment and the Democrat-controlled legislature has failed to put forth any meaningful or substantive legislation dealing with fighting corruption, providing tax relief, and unfortunately no plan put forth to adopt a balanced budget,” said Elik.
Republicans argue ethics reform and property tax rates are the largest issues facing Illinois. Rep. David Welter (R-Morris) explained it’s been months since the Com-Ed scandal implicating former Speaker Mike Madigan.
* From Speaker Welch’s spokesperson Jaclyn Driscoll…
Bipartisanship has been an integral part of Speaker Welch’s legislative career, and it remains a top priority. Republicans should work across the aisle and come to the table to discuss bills that will help build a better future for the people of this state. Unfortunately, many of their bills are designed to eat up precious time during a pandemic on issues that voters have already rejected at the ballot box
*** UPDATE *** From Rep. Mark Batinick in response to Welch…
“From the Speaker’s statement, it is clear that the Democrats have no interest in addressing our state’s most pressing issues if bills on ethics reform, pension reform and property tax reform are considered a ‘waste of time’ to their caucus. The only issue Illinois voters have rejected at the ballot box is the Democratic-led graduated income tax that was resoundly dismissed by voters of all parties.
Tensions over the legislative process boiled over on the House floor on Thursday. State Rep. Dan Brady (R-Bloomington) expressed cynicism with the upcoming discussion over the consent calendar — a list of bills and resolutions that are deemed non-controversial and do not warrant lengthy debate.
“There’s quite a bit of apprehension from many of us on this side of the aisle, and I think understandably so, after a letter came out taking off of the consent agenda close to a dozen bills of House Republicans with no explanation, no insight, no discussion from our side of the aisle that we’re aware of,” Brady said.
State Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago) responded that his side of the aisle has been focusing on Democrats’ priority legislation and “working on a balanced budget.”
“We will be continuing to have meetings on rules in the future, and we will certainly notify you when those discussions happen,” he said.
Three times the number of African Americans were arrested for marijuana-related offenses in Chicago than other ethnicities combined in 2020, according to Chicago Police Department arrest totals retrieved under a Freedom of Information Act request. […]
During the first year of marijuana legalization, Black people led all ethnic groups in arrests with 2,311, making up more than three-quarters of all marijuana arrests in Chicago. Latinos made up the second highest number of arrests with 506.
Whites made up about 4% of arrests in Chicago, with 117 arrests across the city for the entire year. Asians and Pacific Islanders made up fewer than 1% with just 25 arrests. […]
The arrests don’t represent people smoking pot on the sidewalk or inside their homes. Most arrests involve possessing or attempting to sell amounts over the legal limit of 30 grams. Smoking marijuana while driving remains illegal.
Friday, Apr 16, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
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In 2021, we can create a fair map for Illinoisans that puts their interests first with a process that:
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* Posted in the order they were received. Illinois Latino Agenda…
On March 29, 2021, 13-year-old Adam Toledo was shot and killed by a Chicago police officer. Since the shooting, there have been different narratives formed of who Adam Toledo was. Various media have made allegations saying he was a gang member, had a negligent mother, and possessed a gun.
The Illinois Latino Agenda urges all journalists to maintain a critical lens when publishing such claims. We exist in a world where a young white man like Kyle Rittenhouse can walk around with an AR-15 assault rifle, shoot and kill two people, and still be taken into custody peacefully by police officers. Some media outlets published articles about Rittenhouse that highlighted how he was a cadet who shadowed police officers. They reported that he was protecting the people he idolized, and that cops were his heroes.
Adam Toledo, a boy from Little Village, is not offered that same grace – Brown and Black boys never are. We must grapple with the reality that much of the media upholds white supremacy, and it is evident in the narratives written about youth of color in comparison to their white counterparts.
Many in the media and public at large will begin the blame game: “It was the 21-year-old’s fault.” That young man will have to face his day in court. “It was the white police officer.” He too will have to face critics and the law. But this is the common, lazy narrative espoused by our more cynical media outlets and the politicians who pander to them. Here’s the reality: This was the fault of a system built to vilify young men of color and to arm and militarize police departments, putting these two actors on a collision course, creating tragedy after tragedy.
Here is the story that should run about Adam Toledo: A 13-year-old boy was shot by police in Little Village, a working-class neighborhood on Chicago’s Near West Side. Adam Toledo was a victim of the inability of Chicago and of our county to offer young Brown and Black boys hope and opportunity. He was the victim of a police system in need of major reform. But we have the chance to be the collective heroes in this story. We the People can change the system and deliver justice to all.
Let’s not be lazy. Let’s shun the blame game. If we do not, it will only lead to adding more police, everyone buying firearms, and young Brown and Black men being further vilified and marginalized. Instead, let’s work on the real issues.
We need systematic reform of police departments across the country, starting here in Chicago. We also must commit to substantive, sustained investments in Brown and Black communities. Let’s put a laser focus on creating real futures for young Brown and Black boys.
While we proactively work to eradicate racist policing, we as a society need to apply the same force to expanding opportunities for young men of color to excel in school, the professional world, and life. By focusing on economic empowerment and police reform in communities like the one where Adam Toledo lived, we create a foundation for success that promotes life and stymies senseless murders that kill youth and devastate our communities.
Let’s commit to these changes in Adam Toledo’s memory. Let’s do it for this 13-year-old boy, and for every other child of this city. We grieve for him.
* Joint Statement from Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot, Corporation Counsel Celia Meza, and Toledo Family Counsel, Adeena Weiss Ortiz and Joel Hirschhorn…
Yesterday, the City of Chicago’s Corporation Counsel, Celia Meza, met with Adeena Weiss Ortiz and Joel Hirschhorn, legal representatives for the Toledo family. Based on the Civilian Office of Police Accountability’s announcement that it will be releasing the videos, both parties agree that all material should be released, including a slowed-down compilation of the events of March 29 that resulted in the tragic death of 13-year-old Adam Toledo.
We acknowledge that the release of this video is the first step in the process toward the healing of the family, the community and our city. We understand that the release of this video will be incredibly painful and elicit an emotional response to all who view it, and we ask that people express themselves peacefully.
COPA’s investigation is ongoing as we seek to determine the full facts in this case. To that end, we call for full cooperation with COPA. We remain committed to working together toward reform. We ask that you continue to respect the Toledo family’s privacy during this incredibly painful and difficult time.
* SEIU Local 1 President Tom Balanoff…
“Our region has been rocked by two police killings in a matter of weeks: First, of 13 year-old Chicagoan Adam Toledo and second of Daunte Wright just outside Minneapolis, miles from where officer Derek Chauvin is on trial for the murder of George Floyd. These killings are not unfortunate accidents - they are systemic violence against Black and brown communities.
“2020 saw a nationwide uprising against the brutality inflicted by police on communities of color across the United States. Police will continue to brutalize with impunity until elected leaders heed the calls of their constituents and hold these departments accountable.
“Local 1 members throughout the Midwest - across racial lines and different backgrounds - condemn the killings of Daunte Wright and Adam Toledo by police. The fundamental truth remains that both should be alive today, with a full life ahead and surrounded by loving family.”
* Colleen Connell, Executive Director, ACLU of Illinois…
“The release of the body camera footage and other materials by Chicago police today cannot obscure one, central fact: a 13-year-old boy was shot and killed by those sworn to protect and serve our community. The video released today shows that police shot Adam Toledo even though his hands were raised in the air. The pain of seeing this footage only adds to the pain and grief experienced by the Toledo family and the community. We join all those mourning this loss of life.
The investigation of this death must be complete and transparent. The people of Chicago deserve answers about the events surrounding this tragic interaction, These answers must come through complete disclosure and public reporting, and not through careful assertions crafted by police and prosecutors. Given the long, sad history of the CPD, public accountability must be the guide post for this moment.
The anger and frustration expressed by many in viewing the video is understandable and cannot be ignored. Now is a moment to truly embrace impacted communities in a critical discussion about needed changes to policing – including the adoption of a long-overdue foot chase policy that emerges from true, face-to-face community dialogue and real change.”
* Speaker Chris Welch…
“What happened to Adam Toledo is a tragedy that should never have happened. While I appreciate the release of this video, I can’t imagine what it’s like for Adam’s parents to have to relive their loss. Given that, I hope we can all learn from this heartbreaking event. Adam was a kid who deserved a full, happy life, but the system failed him. That’s what I intend to focus on—not just as a legislator, but as a father. As we work through this tragedy, I plead with everyone to please keep the peace. We all have the right to protest peacefully, but please keep our streets safe so we can focus on fixing the broken system that led to this in the first place.”
* Sen. Dick Durbin…
“In the midst of the trial of Derek Chauvin and the fatal shooting of 20-year-old Daunte Wright, Chicago has come to face the shocking fatal shooting of 13-year-old Adam Toledo. He was a seventh grader at Gary Elementary School in Little Village with his whole life ahead of him. My heart breaks for his family and friends, who are grieving the loss of his young life.
“The Civilian Office of Police Accountability has committed to completing a full, thorough, and objective investigation of the entire incident. That process should move forward in a fair and expeditious manner.
“From Laquan McDonald to Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Sandra Bland, and tragically many other Black and Brown men and women whose names we do not know, their lives have been lost to brutal acts of racial injustice. The evidence shows that we are dealing with a system of justice that isn’t being applied equally—and we need to change that.
“As Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I’m committed to meeting this historic moment with real change.
“I am grateful that protests so far have remained peaceful and urge all Chicagoans to continue to face this tragedy with peaceful resolve in order to honor Adam’s memory and work constructively to bring the change we need.”
* Senate President Don Harmon…
“Everything about Adam’s death is horrifying. As a parent, I can’t imagine having to watch a video like this. This has to stop.”
* llinois Federation of Teachers President Dan Montgomery…
“The members of the Illinois Federation of Teachers join all those who are grieving the loss of another child of color at the hands of police. Our hearts are with the Toledo family during these difficult times. Their grief is unimaginable.
“As a society, we must acknowledge that our current system of law enforcement must be transformed. Quick reforms and larger budgets won’t eradicate systemic racism.
“Now more than ever, we have an opportunity to bring positive change to our communities by investing in education, trauma-informed practices, youth programs, and wraparound services instead of perpetuating a system that disproportionately penalizes, incarcerates, and kills Black and Brown people, especially youth.
“As educators, we condemn violence and pledge to continue to work to dismantle racism to achieve a truly just society for our students and communities. The IFT and our members are committed to that work.”
* Voices for Illinois Children Executive Director Tasha Green Cruzat…
The loss of any child is tragic and painful. As noted by Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, viewing the body camera footage of 13-year-old Adam Toledo’s death will be difficult to watch. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Toledo Family.
In 2019, there were 148 recorded child and teen homicides by firearms in Illinois. Any death is unacceptable. Whether it is poverty, the state’s criminal justice system, or investments in our communities, we have let down our children. We can do better. Voices for Illinois Children remains committed to ensuring that all of our children are safe and have the resources they need to lead productive and healthy lives.”
* Governor JB Pritzker…
The loss of any child is tragic and painful. As noted by Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, viewing the body camera footage of 13-year-old Adam Toledo’s death will be difficult to watch. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Toledo Family.
In 2019, there were 148 recorded child and teen homicides by firearms in Illinois. Any death is unacceptable. Whether it is poverty, the state’s criminal justice system, or investments in our communities, we have let down our children. We can do better. Voices for Illinois Children remains committed to ensuring that all of our children are safe and have the resources they need to lead productive and healthy lives.”
“As a father, I know to my core that Adam Toledo’s family is living a parent’s worst nightmare. My heart goes out to all who love him,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Parents deserve neighborhoods that will nurture their kids. Children deserve to be safe. Communities deserve to live with hope for the future. Adam Toledo, a 13-year-old child, was shot to death. This is a moment that calls for justice for our children and accountability in all our public institutions. The State of Illinois is committed to this work, whether it is transforming our justice system or investing in communities to create durable and long-term progress.”
* LG Stratton…
I honor the humanity of Adam Toledo.
As a mother—as a human being—my heart goes out to his mother, father, and loved ones. I’m thinking of his classmates, the Little Village community, all who are feeling this grief.
— Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton (@LtGovStratton) April 15, 2021
* 22nd Ward Alderman Michael D. Rodriguez…
In the early morning hours of March 29th, a tragedy occurred in our community. A 13-year-old child, Adam Toledo, was shot in the chest and killed by a Chicago police officer. I offer my deepest condolences to the Toledo family. This is a time for us to wrap our arms around the Toledo family as they suffer the most tragic of circumstances.
While we embrace the Toledo family, we must remind ourselves, that this incident, this horrific tragedy is a result of continued failed policies and our inability to provide community-based oversight of the police or implement reforms mandated by the federal consent decree.
We have failed to address these issues. We have failed to pass legislation that would strengthen police oversight, and other measures to implement best practices in policing, and because of this, we have failed Adam.
And we will continue to fail our children, our young black and brown kids, if we do not act. Now is the time to call for civilian oversight of the police.
Chicago should and can lead in the civilian oversight of police. I am committed to supporting the groundbreaking compromise ordinance that grassroots organizations have come together to craft that will lead to increased accountability, better policing, and safer communities.
This is also a time to call for peace and unity in our community. Our community mourns the loss of Adam Toledo. Death and destruction are too commonplace in our community and we cannot afford more of this from anyone in our community. As Elizabeth Toledo, Adam’s mother, stated: “No one has anything to gain by inciting violence,” “Adam was a sweet and loving boy. He would not want anyone else to be injured or die in his name.”
However, being peaceful does not mean to stifle your anger or to lessen our demand for justice. We have to be vocal. We have to be vocal in our demand for justice and our demand for action. I reaffirm my commitment to this as alderman of the 22nd Ward. It is time for the Chicago City Council to take action.
* Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle…
My thoughts right now are on a 13-year-old child who should still be with us.
Adam Toledo.
I grieve with his family and loved ones who mourn the unimaginable. My heart breaks as I think of my own children, grandchildren, and former students.
Let us pray for peace, which, I must admit, even I cannot find in this moment and every single time a person of color is killed by an officer.
There are far too many of these times now.
Adam Toledo was just a child and should still be alive.
We must demand justice and accountability for this tragedy and address the law enforcement system that have allowed this to happen time and time again.
* Moms Demand Action…
The Illinois chapter of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots networks, released the following statement responding to the video and subsequent reports of the fatal police shooting of 13-year-old Adam Toledo in Little Village, Illinois on March 29. Police had claimed that there was an “armed confrontation” and prosecutors said the boy was holding a gun when the officer shot him. Video released by the city today shows Toledo had his hands up when he was shot and shows no indication that Toledo was holding a gun when he was shot. According to the Chicago Tribune, Toledo is the youngest person to be fatally shot by the Chicago police in years.
“We’re heartbroken,” said Valerie Burgest, Senior Survivor Fellow with the Everytown Survivor Network and Illinois Moms Demand Action chapter lead whose son, Craig Williams, was shot and killed in 2013. “Adam Toledo will never have the chance to grow up, a chance cut short by someone supposed to protect and serve. We refuse to accept police violence as normal, and we join Adam’s family and the community in demanding a full investigation.”
Latinx people are twice as likely to be killed in a gun homicide as white people and are also more likely to be fatally shot by police. Black people in the United States are nearly three times more likely to be shot and killed by law enforcement than their white counterparts, and data from Mapping Police Violence shows that most people killed by police are killed with guns and that 99% of killings by the police from 2013-2019 did not result in officers being charged with a crime.
* AG Raoul…
Attorney General Kwame Raoul today issued the following statement in response to the release of the video footage of the shooting of 13-year-old Adam Toledo by a Chicago police officer.
“No parent should have to endure the unimaginable grief of losing a child, and my thoughts are with Adam Toledo’s family and the community as they attempt to heal from this tragedy.
“The video of Adam’s death is shocking and extremely difficult to watch. As we all come face to face with this tragedy, I am particularly mindful of the trauma Adam’s loved ones and members of the community must be experiencing.
“I understand the shock and horror that many feel after viewing the video, and I share it. It is understandable that people in Illinois and across the nation want to gather to express their grief and discontent, and to call for change. They have a constitutional right to do so, but it should be done peacefully.”
* SEIU Local 73…
“SEIU Local 73 is deeply troubled by the shooting of Adam Toledo,” said Dian Palmer, President of SEIU Local 73. “The video clearly shows that Adam Toledo did not have a gun in his hand when he was shot while raising his hands to comply with the police officer.”
“We are praying for justice for Adam and his family. But we know thoughts and prayers are not enough to solve the ongoing systemic racism facing Black and Brown communities. Adam Toledo should be alive today. And we will continue to work to prevent senseless tragedies like this in the future.””
“The use of excessive force by police officers against people of color is a problem we must address together. It’s long past time we create a police accountability system which will ensure public safety.”
“What’s more we need to tackle the issues of poverty and access to quality healthcare including mental healthcare, in our communities.”
* Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez…
“A police officer shot and killed a 13-year-old boy who stopped and put his hands up when the officer told him to. A boy whose body was fully open and vulnerable to a police officer’s weapon. What we see is exactly what happens when police are taught that their lives matter more than anyone else’s.
“Our system protects that broken notion that people — Black and Brown children — are disposable.
“Now is the time to tear down that racist, violent system and fix our city. The Mayor doesn’t have any more chances and our city can’t spare to lose another life. We have to pass police accountability, establish civilian oversight, and truly reimagine what public safety looks like for the communities most exploited for decades by institutionalized injustice and white supremacy.
“My heart is with Adam Toledo’s mom and all mothers who are doing everything they can to raise their kids in a city that protects police impunity before our beautiful children.”
* Chicago City Council Latino Caucus…
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) has released the police body camera footage of the tragic shooting death of Adam Toledo. There is no question of what transpired now: a scared thirteen year old child stopped when he was directed to by police, he raised his hands as directed, and he complied. That did not prevent him from being killed by police.
The body camera footage shows that Adam Toledo was an unarmed child with his hands up when he was shot by a Chicago police officer.
The shooting death of Adam Toledo is a tragedy by all measures. Our deepest condolences and love go out to Adam’s mother and the Toledo family as they mourn the death of their son, a 7th grader at Gary Elementary School, a member of our community — who shared the same struggles, aspirations, and tribulations that our immigrant families often face. Our hearts are with the Toledo family and all the mothers who are doing everything they can to raise their kids in a city that has prioritized police more than our children.
This horrible incident exposes an issue that we all know too well. Policing is broken. It’s been broken for a very long time. As we grieve and mourn another life lost to police violence we want to stress the need to pass the Empowering Communities for Public Safety (ECPS), a unity ordinance born out of the years long efforts from the Grassroots Alliance for Police Accountability (GAPA) and the coalition for a Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC).
ECPS will put the power in the hands of the people to set police policies and hold police accountable. ECPS will be a major step towards fixing our broken policing system. The time to pass ECPS is now.
Beyond enacting community control of the police, we must move away from broken policing and move towards proven public safety strategies. Study after study shows that investing in education, jobs, housing, and health services are far more successful at increasing public safety than police or prisons. The time to divest from broken policing and reinvest in proven public safety measures is now.
Our hearts to the Toledo family, the Little Village community and our city. Adam was our child.
* Rep. Aarón Ortiz…
I would like to extend my most sincere condolences to the Toledo family and peers that knew Adam including his classmates at Gary Elementary. Like many of you, I watched the video in absolute horror. The youth in our neighborhoods undergo constant trauma and after cataclysmic incidents like this we should all be demanding investments into programs to rehabilitate our kids; this is not and should never be accepted as a normal part of life. Our kids should not have to carry the burden of this trauma for the rest of their lives.
Prior to becoming a legislator I was an educator at Back of the Yards College Prep High School. Our school worked with youth, like Adam Toledo on a daily basis to support them and their families through unimaginable circumstances. While hundreds of my students were able to graduate high school and attend college, many were not bestowed with those opportunities because of circumstances out of their control.
The shooting of Adam shook our community, and the aftermath is angering. It took two days for authorities to notify the Toledo family of his death despite the fact that there was an outstanding missing persons report. Nothing less than a thorough investigation should be demanded into the shooting and the promotion of unfactual statements by the Chicago Police Department and the Office of the Cook County State’s Attorney which pushed a now-debunked “official” narrative for two weeks. Had the video not been released it could have remained as such. Events such as the killing of Adam shed light on the need for stronger police oversight and accountability in a broken system.
Adam Toledo was a 13-year old child, he raised his hand and was unarmed before being shot and killed by a member of the Chicago Police Department. The now-retracted “official” accounts following his death lied and only served to further assassinate the character of this child and cast doubt into his “right” to live. Everyone deserves the right to life. Adam Toledo deserved the right to live.
After the 2026 election, the Chicago Board of Education shall be comprised initially of a 7-member board, of which 5 members shall be appointed and 2 members shall be elected pursuant to subsection (b-10).
The Mayor shall appoint 3 more members to the Chicago Board of Education to hold office and serve terms of 4 years, from terms commencing on July 1, 2026, to serve along with the appointed members whose terms run through June 30, 2028 and the members elected in 2026.
Beginning with the 2028 election, the Chicago Board of Education shall transition to an 11-member board, of which 8 members shall be appointed and 3 members shall be elected pursuant to subsection (b-10).
The Mayor shall appoint 5 more members to the Chicago Board of Education to hold office and serve terms of 4 years, from terms commencing on July 1, 2028, to serve along with the members appointed in 2026 and the elected members.
Mayor Lightfoot campaigned in favor of a fully elected school board.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 3,581 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 40 additional deaths.
Adams County: 1 female 80s
Bureau County: 1 female 70s
Champaign County: 1 male 80s
Christian County: 1 male 80s
Clay County: 1 male 90s
Cook County: 1 male 50s, 2 females 60s, 1 male 60s, 2 males 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s, 2 females 90s, 1 male 90s
DuPage County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s
Jersey County: 1 female 80s
Knox County: 1 female 80s
Lake County: 1 female 90s
LaSalle County: 2 females 80s
Lee County: 1 female 80s
Macon County: 1 male 70s
McHenry County: 1 female 80s
Menard County: 1 male 90s
Montgomery County: 1 female 80s
Moultrie County: 1 male 70s
St. Clair County: 1 female 40s, 1 male 60s
Stephenson County: 1 female 60s
Tazewell County: 1 female 90s
Whiteside County: 1 male 50s
Will County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 60s, 1 male 70s, 1 male 90s
Williamson County: 1 female 80s
Winnebago County; 1 female 90s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,292,515 cases, including 21,609 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 105,661 specimens for a total of 21,477,421. As of last night, 2,043 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 468 patients were in the ICU and 190 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from April 8-14, 2021 is 4.2%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from April 8-14, 2021 is 4.9%.
The total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses for Illinois is 9,636,355. A total of 7,612,405 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 129,317 doses. Yesterday, 129,755 doses were reported administered in Illinois.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in real-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. Information for a death previously reported has changed, therefore, today’s numbers have been adjusted. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
A key detail raised in court about the fatal police shooting of 13-year-old Adam Toledo may have been wrong.
During a bond hearing for 21-year-old Ruben Roman, who was with Adam the night of the shooting, Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy described the altercation in a proffer: “The officer tells [Toledo] to drop it as [Toledo] turns towards the officer. [Toledo] has a gun in his right hand.”
But now, in response to a WGN Investigates inquiry, the state’s attorney’s office says the detail about Adam having a gun in his hand the moment he was shot was inaccurate.
“An attorney who works in this office failed to fully inform himself before speaking in court,” Sarah Sinovic, a spokesperson for Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, told WGN Investigates Thursday. It comes just before the Civilian Office of Police Accountability releases several videos of the incident.
* Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot says video of Adam Toledo’s fatal shooting by police ‘incredibly difficult to watch,’ calls for peace as city braces for its release
…Adding… In case you do not want to watch the videos, here’s a description from Block Club Chicago…
Video released Thursday shows a Chicago police officer fatally shooting 13-year-old Adam Toledo as he raised his hands in a Little Village alley on March 29. […]
Video taken from the front door of a Little Village church shows Toledo and 21-year-old Ruben Roman walking down the street before stopping at the corner of 24th Street and Sawyer Avenue, where it appears Roman fired shots at a target that is out of view. Toledo and Roman leave, video footage shows.
Body-camera footage shows an officer chasing Toledo through an alley, with the officer yelling at Toledo to stop. The officer catches up to Toledo, who appears to have stopped running near a gap in a fence between the alley and a church parking lot.
The officer flashes a strobe flashlight at Toledo and says, “Hands! Show me your f***ing hands!” The body-camera footage appears to show Toledo standing near the fence with a gun in his hand, holding it behind his back.
Immediately after commanding Toledo to show his hands, the officer shot the boy at close distance. Toledo’s hands were raised when he was shot, the footage shows. […]
Footage released by police does not show Toledo point or raise a gun at the officer at the conclusion of the chase. Toledo does not appear to be holding the gun as an officer shot him, though video does not clearly show him dropping the gun.
Had a great meet and greet with the Springfield press corp today in my office. I was happy to learn more about the journalists who work to cover the state legislature, and share some common ground with my journalism background working for @WGNNews! pic.twitter.com/pQJ2GBabdj
— Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch (@RepChrisWelch) April 15, 2021
A new kind of power plant that doesn’t add greenhouse gases to the atmosphere is being built in the U.S., potentially providing a way for utilities to keep burning natural gas without contributing to global warming.
Net Power intends to build two natural-gas power plants in the U.S. that will have all its emissions captured and buried deep underground. The startup licensed its technology to developer 8 Rivers Capital LLC, which will work with agriculture giant Archer-Daniels-Midlands Co. to replace some emissions from a coal power plant in Illinois. […]
Net Power’s technology uses a new kind of turbine to burn natural gas in oxygen, rather than the air. As a result, the plant only produces carbon dioxide and water as a byproduct. The water can be frozen out of the mixture and the pure stream of CO₂ can be buried in depleted oil and gas wells or similar geological structures.
The required oxygen is secured by separating it from the air, which needs energy. But Net Power says its turbine is more efficient so that, on balance, the overall efficiency of the system matches that of an advanced natural-gas power plant that pumps its emissions into the atmosphere. Another upside of using oxygen is that Net Power plants do not produce any nitrogen emissions, which would cause local air pollution.
* Press release…
One of the world’s first zero emissions Allam-Fetvedt cycle power plants, the Broadwing Clean Energy Complex, is poised to be built in Illinois, generating 280 MW of clean power to help decarbonize the industrial, transport, and electricity sectors. 8 Rivers Capital, LLC (8 Rivers) and ADM (NYSE:ADM) announced today that they have agreed in principle to locate the Broadwing facility adjacent to ADM’s processing complex in Decatur, storing captured carbon safely a mile and a half underground via ADM’s proven carbon capture and storage system. […]
8 Rivers, through its Zero Degrees development business, aims to reach a final investment decision in 2022 and begin operations by 2025. Warwick Capital Partners LLP (Warwick) will serve as a development financing partner through its targeted investment vehicle Warwick Carbon Solutions. NET Power continues to lead the commercialization of the Allam-Fetvedt power cycle technology that was invented by 8 Rivers and will be deployed at Broadwing.
I checked and they’re not asking for anything special out of the omnibus energy bill, but the project is in an enterprise zone, so they are watching the legislation to make sure it has no impact.
Thursday, Apr 15, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Bribery, corruption, and formula rates have decimated public trust in utility regulation.
Instead of passing another rate hike, let’s pass a comprehensive clean energy bill.
Illinois’ legislature has an opportunity to finally hold utilities accountable, while addressing the climate crisis, creating thousands of equitable clean energy jobs, and lowering electric bills all at the same time.
The Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA) is the only energy bill that installs an independent monitor in the headquarters of ComEd and Ameren. CEJA also refunds customers for ComEd’s violations and creates a new Accountability Division at the Illinois Commerce Commission to protect residents against future offenses. You can read the full list of CEJA’s accountability measures here.
As we get closer to May 31st, profit-hungry utilities are getting more aggressive. Missouri-based Ameren spent more than $35,000 on Facebook ads alone in just the last few weeks as they try to pass a bill that would drastically increase electric formula rates and expand them to gas customers.
We have just six weeks left to pass the Clean Energy Jobs Act. Let’s get it done.
A Springfield man who is alleged to have stormed the floor of the U.S. Senate during the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol that interrupted the Electoral College vote faces federal charges.
Thomas B. Adams Jr., 39, of the 2800 block of Ridge Avenue, was in court at the Paul Findley Federal Building & U.S. Courthouse in Springfield Tuesday, charged with entering a restricted building, violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds and obstructing an official proceeding, according to records filed in federal court.
He is at least the sixth person from Illinois to face federal charges in connection with the riot. The charges against him were filed April 2 in federal court in Washington, D.C., records show.
An FBI special agent explained in a court affidavit that authorities first noticed Adams because of an interview he gave to the publication Insider following the riot. The article said Adams trampled over police barricades, made his way into the Capitol, and eventually reached the Senate chamber after lawmakers had been evacuated, according to the affidavit.
The article also quoted Adams as saying, “It was a really fun time,” and it said he described the scene as “hilarious.”
But only one day after the riot — on Jan. 7 — the FBI was already driving by Adams’ home in Springfield as part of its investigation, records show. An agent then interviewed Adams on Feb. 4, according to the affidavit.
Adams told authorities that, once inside the building, he thought to himself, “What are they going to do if a half a million people are here and standing inside of a building and want to be heard?”
He noted seeing people running into the building and grabbing things to take.
The suspect also recorded videos of himself and his friend inside the Capitol. […]
The Statement of Facts says that Adams confirmed that he was the person seen in this photo holding a Trump flag on the U.S. Senate floor.
The U.S. Department of Labor estimates 16,944 new unemployment claims were filed during the week of April 5 in Illinois, according to the DOL’s weekly claims report released Thursday. […]
There were 16,182 new unemployment claims were filed during the week of March 29 in Illinois.
There were 14,189 new unemployment claims were filed during the week of March 22 in Illinois.
There were 15,595 new unemployment claims were filed in Illinois during the week of March 15.
There were 71,175 new unemployment claims filed in Illinois during the week of March 8.
Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) reported 141,160 new unemployment claims were filed during the week of April 6 in Illinois.
And that was down 60,000 from the previous week.
* The rest of the country is starting to catch up…
The number of Americans filing first-time jobless claims last week fell to the lowest level since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Labor Department.
Data released Thursday showed 576,000 Americans filed for first-time unemployment benefits in the week ended April 10, down from an upwardly revised 769,000 the week prior. Analysts surveyed by Refinitiv were expecting 700,000 filings.
Thursday, Apr 15, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
If lawmakers’ goal is to create a map that ensures representation for communities of color and driven by community input, then why not show the work?
Lawmakers should showcase their redistricting work so all Illinoisans, especially people of color, can see whether the maps are in their best interest.
Let’s start with more notice for public hearings, transparency for map proposals, prioritizing the Federal Voting Rights Act and Illinois Voting Rights Act, and ensuring the public can weigh in and hear back from lawmakers about the final maps before votes are cast.
A compliance report is necessary to show how map-makers used public input and met voting rights acts requirements.
These changes can ensure that constituents in communities across Illinois understand the process.
House members voted in favor of legislation that would amend the state’s insurance code to provide coverage for the “diagnosis and treatment of infertility … without discrimination on the basis of age, ancestry, color, disability, domestic partner status, gender, gender expression, gender identity,” according to the language of the bill.
State Rep. Margaret Croke, D-Chicago, the lead sponsor of the bill, said it’s “about equal access to coverage and will make Illinois insurance far more inclusive. […]
But state Rep. Mark Batinick, R-Plainfield, urged his colleagues to vote no on the bill, saying he thinks it covers “situations that I wouldn’t consider a medical condition. […]
The House also passed a bill Wednesday that would require Illinois schools to teach students about Asian American history following a spike in violence against Asian Americans and the killing of six Asian American women in Atlanta.
State Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz said she introduced the bill because Asian Americans “are part of the American fabric, but we are often invisible.”
The Illinois House Judiciary Criminal Committee advanced two bills Tuesday with unanimous support, one to decriminalize transmission of HIV and another to expand protections for survivors of sexual assault.
An amendment to House Bill 1063, introduced by Democratic state Rep. Carol Ammons, of Urbana, changes several Illinois statutes related to persons living with HIV/AIDS and its transmission. On Wednesday, the House approved the bill 90-9, sending it to the Senate for consideration.
Under current Illinois law, a person who transmits HIV to another person can be charged with “criminal transmission of HIV.”
The AIDS Confidentiality Act, meant to protect Illinoisans from having an HIV-positive status disclosed or used against them, contains exceptions allowing law enforcement officials to subpoena or petition for the HIV status of criminal defendants in order to determine whether they should be charged for potential criminal transmission.
A bill which would implement term limits on leadership roles in the Illinois General Assembly advanced out of committee Wednesday.
House Bill 642, introduced by Rep. Anthony DeLuca, D-Chicago Heights, would bar any individual from serving more than 10 consecutive years in a leadership position in the General Assembly, including speaker of the House, president of the Senate and minority leader positions in each chamber.
The bill, if signed into law, would take effect for all legislators taking office on or after the second Wednesday in January 2023.
While the Illinois House and Senate both passed term limits on party leadership in their respective chamber rules in January, DeLuca said his bill would be important to enforce the new rules via state law.
The Illinois Legislative Inspector General asked lawmakers Tuesday for more independence to investigate claims of wrongdoing by legislators.
Legislative Inspector General Carol Pope told a committee Tuesday her office is supposed to be an independent body. But, she said she has to get permission from the Legislative Ethics Commission to investigate and even issue subpoenas. In one instance, she acknowledged former state Sen. Terry Link was on the commission while he was under investigation and even later charged with tax fraud. Pope didn’t mention Link by name.
“The problem is that person was getting all of my information and I try to be as vague as I can but they are entitled under the way that this commission operates now to know what the allegations are that I am investigating,” Pope said.
* No relation…
Of course, I won't ever apologize for accurately quoting an elected official in a public forum. He's not offending or punishing me at all, he's just ignoring my audience, which happens to span his entire legislative district.
How much is that doggie in the window? It better be from a shelter or similar place, if a bill which has passed the Illinois House becomes law.
State Rep. Andrew Chesney (R-Freeport) says the “puppy mills,” of which there are perhaps 19 he’s targeting, are inhumane to animals and shady to customers, and he says he speaks from experience, as his wife purchased a “mall dog” some years ago, a dog which is now in terrible shape.
While the bill had a hefty margin to get out of the House, some opponents said the bill is anti-business. Others noted Chesney’s voting record on Legislative Black Caucus matters, with one – State Rep. Curtis Tarver II (D-Chicago) – going so far as to say, “This is proof that, in God’s white America, dogs matter more than people.”
Many of you may have already read about the Brood X cicadas that are set to emerge from their underground habitat starting around mid-May 2021 or once temperatures below ground reach 64°F. Once these critters come marching out of the ground, a host of other critters will descend upon them. Cicadas make a tasty meal for many other creatures including birds, amphibians, fish, some mammals, and reptiles including copperheads. Watch out this spring and summer! There may be more copperheads than normal slithering about as they hunt for some crunchy cicada snacks.
These cicadas are special and were last seen in 2004. This year, millions of them will march out from the ground across 15 states, including Illinois, and will first search for higher ground.
The nymphs will shed their external skeleton and will be able to fly - that is, if they survive potential predators and make it to this stage. They then mate, lay eggs, and die several days later. The next Brood X crew won’t emerge for another 17 years.
These insects are incredibly noisy but harmless. But what isn’t harmless is at least one predator - the eastern copperhead.
Yes, eastern copperheads do exist in Illinois. They are found mainly in the southern third part of the state in forests, river bluffs, and rocky outcroppings.
Depending on where you live in the Prairie State, you may not have to worry about these venomous snakes. But if you do live close to where they do and in an area that will also experience a Brood X cicada infestation, let this serve as a warning to watch out!
It’s too early in the day to post the pics, so click here to see them yourselves.
After firearms owners identification card and concealed carry license applications backed up over the last year, lawmakers are trying to address the delay and make the renewal process more efficient with support from Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly.
“The ISP is requesting legislation to consolidate the FOID and CCL card into a single card,” Kelly said at a Wednesday press conference.
If passed, House Bill 745 and Senate Bill 1165 would allow FOID and concealed carry cards to be renewed at the same time to make the process faster and easier for the state police. It would also provide a way for the card to be automatically renewed.
State Sen. Dave Koehler, D-Peoria, said this would “modernize the FOID card.” It would also allow for the card to be digital.
The bill would also allow gun owners to voluntarily submit their fingerprints to expedite renewal. Normally, this idea draws sharp criticism from Republicans. However, state Rep. Dan Caulkins, R-Decatur, said the voluntary nature of this bill can help the ISP deal with the backlog without forcing people to submit fingerprints for state record.
Today Gun Violence Prevention PAC (G-PAC) Illinois released the following statement in anticipation of Senator David Koehler’s press conference on SB 2889, a gun-lobby backed bill that guts critical background check provisions included in real gun safety legislation:
“Senator Koehler’s gun lobby-backed bill guts real universal background checks in exchange for nothing,” said Kathleen Sances, President of Gun Violence Prevention PAC Illinois. “24 Democrats in the Senate are cosponsoring our bill because of their commitment to a safer Illinois, unlike the NRA and ISRA who continue to push desperate legislation like this bill that does nothing to actually close dangerous loopholes in our gun laws.”
COMPARISON: SB568/HB3245 (The Block Illegal Ownership and Fix the FOID Bill) and SB2889/HB745 (The Gun Lobby-Backed Bill)
How do these two differences change the ability of these bills to block Illegal guns from entering the criminal market?
Without background checks on all gun sales and fingerprints to verify the criminal histories of FOID applicants, illegal guns can be sold to prohibited people when:
• A gun is sold by an unlicensed dealer without a background check
• A gun is sold to a prohibited person who has obtained a FOID card with an incomplete criminal history.
Why is Universal Background Checks for All Gun Sales in Illinois Important?
• Current law requires that unlicensed gun dealers see a valid FOID card, but does require them to run the background check to verify a potential gun buyer’s mental health and criminal history.
• Requiring a background check for every gun sale is the foundation of a strong and effective gun violence prevention policy and a valuable tool to help reduce illegal firearm trafficking. For example, a 2009 study found intrastate gun trafficking was 48% lower in cities in states that regulated unlicensed handgun sales.
• Polling shows that 81% of Illinois support expanding background checks to all gun sales.
Why are Fingerprints as Part of FOID Application Important?
• Fingerprinting is the only form of background check search that verifies the identity and criminal history of FOID card applicants. This would better protect the public through rapid completion of background checks and efficient processing of FOID applications. The live scan fingerprint vendor fee is capped at $30 in HB3245/SB568.
• Fingerprints as part of FOID applications would have prevented the Aurora, IL shooting because the shooter’s criminal history was not accurately verified when he applied for and received his FOID card. He was then able to buy and keep illegal guns.
• Polling shows that 88% of Illinoisans support requiring fingerprints to acquire a firearm.
SB2889 is now SB1165.
* Director Kelly was asked yesterday for the ISP’s position on universal background checks at the above-mentioned press conference…
So, after Aurora, the position of the administration has been clear and it continues to be clear and consistent that we support universal background checks. We absolutely do that. That is the position of the administration that we support universal background checks. I think the governor has been very clear that that is the policy of this administration to support legislation that has universal background checks.
But by eliminating and reducing waste in a government system, the background check process, is not one which is mutually exclusive from improving the requirements of the background check.
* Asked about negotiations on the bill, Kelly said…
We will provide information and give feedback and provide specific statistical analysis of the statute as they are based on how they are operating within the Illinois State Police and we provide that to legislators all the time. … We don’t do negotiate. That’s what these these folks do. And I’ll leave it in their capable hands. We will talk to anybody on any issue, whatever the perspective is, as it relates to information from the police, they can make informed decisions about about whatever legislation they’re discussing.
* The ISP later emphasized in a statement that it also supports the G-PAC bill…
The lessons of the Henry Pratt shooting clearly exposed gaps in the state and federal background check system. The FOID processing system and statutes desperately need amending and we support those legislative efforts, while the administration continues to advocate and strongly support stricter, universal background check legislation contained in the BIO bill.
The Illinois State Rifle Association denied backing Koehler’s bill, saying that they were “neutral.”
But Pearson’s group is firing blanks, said a spokesperson for the gun control PAC.
“The gun lobby speaks pretty loudly on just about every piece of gun legislation under the sun, so their silence or claims of neutrality on this bill is deafening,” the spokesperson said.
*** UPDATE *** G-PAC…
“We appreciate the Illinois State Police clarifying yesterday that this administration supports universal background checks and the BIO Bill.”
Thursday, Apr 15, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Employers in Illinois provide prescription drug coverage for nearly 6.7 million Illinoisans. In order to help keep care more affordable, employers work with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), who deploy a variety of tools to reduce prescription drug costs and help improve health outcomes. In addition to helping employers, PBMs also work with the Illinois Medicaid program in the same way to help control costs. Over the last five years, PBMs have saved the state and taxpayers nearly $340 million.
Today, Illinois faces a multibillion budget shortfall as more Illinoisans are relying on Medicaid to help meet their health care coverage needs. As legislators work to address these challenges, one way to help ensure continued cost savings is by strengthening the PBM tools that the State and employers use, which are poised to save employers, consumers and the State $39 billion over the next 10 years. These are meaningful savings that will help continue to contain costs, ensure consumer access to medicines and drive savings in public health programs.
Amid a pandemic and economic challenges, now is the time to strengthen, not limit, the tools that employers, consumers and the State rely on to manage costs and ensure consumers can access the medicines they need.
* Sen. Rob Martwick’s bill to create an elected Chicago school board passed the Senate Executive Committee yesterday, but its fate is still uncertain in the face of a completing plan (not yet introduced) from Mayor Lori Lightfoot that will be sponsored by Majority Leader Kim Lightford. Sun-Times…
Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford voted for the bill, but said it was important to continue negotiations to “come up with the absolute best process and the best model that we can” for students and families.
“There’s so much that goes into this huge change that we will be making, for the better is my hope, but we can’t do it because we’re siding with this group versus that group,” the Maywood Democrat said.
State Sen. Rob Martwick, sponsor of the bill, said he was open to amending it, but the Northwest Side Democrat said concerns mentioned Wednesday were already considered.
“Whether it does it adequately or not, I guess we can debate about that,” he said. “I am always open to hearing how we can improve it.”
Sybil Madison, Chicago’s deputy mayor for education and human services, testified against the elected school board bill, citing progress that public schools have made since 1995, when the state gave the mayor control over the board.
“In 2020, CPS had a record-high graduation rate at 83%. The University of Chicago research shows that CPS’ English language learners have equivalent gains and achievement from K through eighth grade as their peers who never classified as English language learners,” Madison said.
She mentioned that any version of the board should include parents’ voices because they have often felt left out of board decisions.
After public testimony during the committee hearing, Lightford said that while she supported the idea of an elected school board, the Senate proposal for 21 members would be hard to implement. She raised concerns about the number of members, the cost of the board, finances for each race, and how to draw voting districts to ensure that all sides of the city are represented. […]
Lightford has been instrumental in passing ambitious legislation. During the lame-duck session in fall, she pushed through a bill that created new graduation requirements for all Illinois students and more access to advanced courses.
Adrian Segura, Chicago Public Schools’ deputy chief of family and community engagement, also testified, and cautioned that an elected board doesn’t necessarily come with guarantees.
“L.A. has the largest elected school board in the country and currently there are no parents on their board. An election does not guarantee equity among representation, as was seen in the elections in California. They cost millions of dollars, which for most of our parents – at least mine, I know – they don’t have, which brings up the question of special interests and who is funding school board elections and for what reason,” Segura said.
Many parents and community members testified in favor of the bill, saying it would give parents and community members a long-overdue seat at the table when deciding how students in Chicago should be educated. And while many parents want to see elected representatives on the school board, there are a variety of views as to how it should be structured.
* Politico…
Nonprofit leaders have written a letter to legislators asking that they make sure Chicago’s school board represents parents, especially from Chicago’s “disadvantaged and disenfranchised” communities.
The Pritzker administration has hired an outside firm to scrutinize Exelon’s claims that some of its Illinois nuclear plants are losing money.
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency early this month finalized a $215,000 emergency contract with Cambridge, Mass.-based Synapse Energy Economics. The firm, which has done work in the past for consumer advocates like the Illinois attorney general’s office and the Citizens Utility Board, will report back on the financial condition of the nukes by April 1.
It’s tasked with auditing the company’s plants, assessing costs and revenues given now and projecting over the next five years, according to the emergency purchase statement. Among the qualifications the Pritzker administration specified for the role was that the firm chosen could not have done work for Exelon in the past. That disqualified a fair number of bidders.
The move comes as Exelon for the second time in four years has said it would shutter nukes in Illinois unless they’re subsidized by the state. In August, the company announced it would close the Dresden and Byron reactors this coming fall without government action.
* Click here for the completed audit. And here’s today’s Tribune story…
Synapse Energy Economics concluded that keeping Byron and Dresden open would cost dramatically less than the $235 million-a-year bailout negotiated in 2016 by former Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner — a deal that prompted Exelon to back down from its plans to close two other nuclear plants outside the Quad Cities and downstate Clinton. […]
Unlike the Rauner bailout, which guaranteed Exelon subsidies for a decade, Synapse said the Pritzker administration could limit special payments for Bryon and Dresden to five years and provide them during each of those years only if the company opens its books and proves the power plants need the money. The program would cost $150 million a year at most, according to a redacted copy of the audit shared Wednesday with the Chicago Tribune.
It remains unclear if the findings will provide enough political cover to muscle another subsidy package through the Democratic-controlled General Assembly, which is still roiling from a multiyear bribery scheme involving jobs, contracts and payments from ComEd to allies of former House Speaker Michael Madigan.
But there are significant climate and labor ramifications if Byron and Dresden close.
The Pritzker administration’s study, released Thursday, found the plants “do face real risk of becoming uneconomic in the near term.
“This has implications for Illinois’ policy goals because the plants generate carbon-free electricity that is currently undervalued or even ignored within current wholesale electricity markets,” the report by Cambridge, Mass.-based Synapse Energy Economics concluded.
“In addition, the plants employ hundreds of workers directly and contribute to the economies of numerous Illinois communities,” the report continued. “Illinois could reasonably determine that it is in the public interest for the plants to remain in operation, warranting public support.” […]
But whether the company believes roughly a $70 million increase in annual ratepayer subsidies is enough, as Synapse recommends, is another question. Legislation pushed by labor unions aligned with Exelon recommends subsidy levels roughly quadruple what Synapse proposes for the two plants, administration sources said.
“To anyone who’s making a proposal on this that says these numbers are too low, we’re going to want to see their math,” said Deputy Gov. Christian Mitchell, the governor’s point person on utility legislation.
Pritzker is likely to advocate for setting Illinois’ first-ever price on carbon, which would be paid by generators whose plants emit the heat-trapping gas. A modest price, similar to what Northeastern states have imposed for years, would reduce the need for direct subsidies to Exelon. In that case, only Dresden would need support to remain open, the report said. […]
Synapse’s methodology for assessing the plants’ financial health differs from Exelon’s. The auditor questioned the large amount the Chicago-based company labels a “cost” when it in fact is a cushion for scenarios in which the plants don’t operate. […]
Asked whether the governor’s support for another bailout is, in effect, rewarding past bad behavior by the company, [Deputy Gov. Christian Mitchell] said there are clear differences this time compared with four years ago, when the company demanded that policymakers take its word that plants were losing money. “There was a reason Gov. Pritzker called for an audit,” Mitchell said.
The state has more information than it’s ever had on plant financials. And the governor will support only the minimum amount needed by the plants to remain in the black, as well as annual audits. If the plants don’t need as much money in a given year, the subsidies should decline, Mitchell said.
The question will be if organized labor, which is supporting a much larger bailout, can agree.
“We applaud Governor Pritzker for requiring this independent audit, and putting consumers and the goal of 100% clean energy ahead of utility profits. The Synapse study proves there are many different ways Illinois can keep producing carbon-free electricity from nuclear plants, without the giant subsidy Exelon and their allies are demanding. Putting Illinois on a path to a carbon-free power sector by 2030 by passing compressive energy policy as proposed in the Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA) is critical to combating climate change, creating equitable jobs, and ending excessive subsidies to fossil fuels.”
