Question of the day
Wednesday, Apr 14, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The good news is that the number of Americans resisting the vaccine has fallen to 21 percent in an April 8-12 Monmouth poll. That’s down from 24 percent in its March poll. The bad news is that 43 percent of Republicans are saying it’s likely they will never get the vaccine if they can avoid it…
Partisanship remains the main distinguishing factor among those who want to avoid the vaccine altogether, with 43% of Republicans versus just 5% of Democrats saying this. Currently, 22% of independents say they want to avoid getting the vaccine altogether. Demographically, adults under age 65 (25%) continue to be more likely than seniors (11%) to rule out getting the vaccine. There are no discernable differences by race, though, with similar number of whites (22%) and people of color (20%) saying they will avoid getting the vaccine if they can.
Just over half (51%) of the adult population reports having already received at least one Covid jab and another 14% say they will get the vaccine as soon as they are allowed. Democrats (67%) are more likely than independents (47%) and Republicans (36%) to report being vaccinated. More white Americans (54%) than people of color (45%) report having already received a shot.
* Many moons ago, I worked for a “buying club” in Kankakee. People paid money in order to get big discounts on all sorts of things, from furniture to cars. One of the sales techniques they taught me was the “take-away.” We would go through the costs and benefits of the club and then tell the potential customer that the program probably wasn’t right for them. It actually worked a whole lot better than I thought it would during training. Some folks were adamant that they wanted to sign up, gosh-darnit, and demanded that I take their checks.
I thought about that former job this week when a buddy of mine half-jokingly suggested that the state tell mainly folks in Downstate areas which trend Republican and aren’t taking full advantage of the vaccines that their allotted doses would be sent to Chicago if they didn’t start signing up for appointments. The city has been asking the state to give it more doses above and beyond its federal allotment and on top of its extra doses for the United Center.
So, it could turn out to be a win-win. If the take-away threat worked, we’d get more shots into Downstate arms. If it didn’t work, Chicago (which has a lot of Democrats, who, according to all the polls I’ve seen, are eager to be vaccinated) would get more doses.
The obvious downside would be that regionalism and even partisanship could be, um, injected into the vaccination program and that could cause resentment and perhaps harden opposition to the shots if people felt cornered. This ain’t some buyers club, after all. It’s literally a matter of life and death.
* The Question: Should the state try the “take-away” approach? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please…
panel management
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* Gov. Pritzker was asked today about Michigan, where cases and hospitalizations are surging hard. He was also asked why he hadn’t imposed mitigations here because the situation was increasing to the point where, the reporter claimed, he had said mitigations would be imposed…
I don’t think we’re past that point. But let me back up. Let me also just mention that I had a number of conversations with folks in Michigan, including the governor, over the last week. And they’re seeing very, very challenging times. It is related to most particularly school sports. They’ve seen an uptick, not just uptick, but outbreaks as a result of some school sports and other activities that are going on, things that we’ve talked about here for some time. And we’ve allowed carefully for sports to come back and for restaurants and bars to come back. And most of the people who are operating those businesses are doing so with the mitigations and doing it properly.
* Washington Post…
In Nevada, the B.1.1.7 variant —[the British variant] which has been confirmed in several studies to be more infectious — has been linked to an outbreak at a recent youth volleyball tournament. In Michigan, cases among those ages 10 to 19 have jumped 133 percent during the past month, faster than any other age group, and the state’s leading epidemiologist said the infections seem to have been spread through activities “including sports, but not limited to sports,” rather than in the classroom.
Many of these outbreaks involving young people “are related to youth sports and extracurricular activities,” said Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at a briefing Monday. She noted that CDC guidance calls for limiting those activities and urged Americans to “please continue to hang in there and continue to do the things that we know prevent the spread.”
Officials say they believe transmission may be happening through athletic activities, rather than in the classroom, because some sports such as wrestling, basketball and volleyball involve close indoor contact. They have also wondered whether outbreaks may be triggered by related interactions such as carpooling, sleepovers and team celebrations, when people let their guard down, rather than from the practices and games themselves.
* New York Times…
Michigan’s troubles drew attention at a White House news conference on the pandemic on Wednesday. The C.D.C. director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, said a team from her agency was in the state working to assess outbreaks in correctional facilities, and to boost testing among participants in youth sports. […]
Minnesota’s health department has attributed recent outbreaks in schools to the variant, and it has urged schoolchildren and teenagers to get tested at least every two weeks through the end of the school year. An outbreak of B.1.1.7 variant cases connected to participants in youth sports in Carver County prompted a warning from health officials last month.
Dr. Ruth Lynfield, a state epidemiologist, said there had been a notable rise in cases over all in people ages 10 to 19, who accounted for about one in six new cases from mid-February to the end of March, compared with just one in nine over a similar period in October and November.
“It’s a race of vaccine against variants,” Dr. Lynfield said. “People really need to work hard and be patient, and continue to wear masks and continue to socially distance.”
* Back to Illinois…
A big change in COVID-19 mitigation policy has been issued for high school athletes in Illinois.
They will not have to wear masks anymore in low-risk sports while playing.
The new rules came from the Illinois High School Association board on Tuesday night.
Those sports include baseball, softball, boys’ tennis, boys’ and girls’ track and field, and bass fishing.
More info here.
* This Illinois data is from June 2020 (when the state entered phase 4) through March 9, 2021, so it’s outdated, but the latest I could find…
College/University sports
• 38 sports related outbreaks across the state
• One outbreak had 146 people connected to it
High school sports
• 34 sports related outbreaks across the state
Youth sports (non-school)
• 25 sports related outbreaks across the state
I’ll update when I get fresh numbers.
* Related…
* How parents of teenagers can help them manage anxiety and stress in current stage of pandemic
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* Press release…
In an effort to ensure that statues and other ceremonial landmarks on state property reflect the values and morals of our state, Speaker of the House Emanuel “Chris” Welch announced the creation of a new special task force to conduct a review of monuments on state property and proposals for new monuments or statues.
“There is a national movement in which local and state governments across the country are re-evaluating public art, the extent to which they accurately reflect history and how they impact people who have been marginalized from our history. The way we present our history matters, and when our public art doesn’t represent positive history that we can all celebrate, it sends a particularly harmful message to people of color that these beliefs are shared by their own government,” said Welch. “By reimagining our publicly displayed art, Illinois has the opportunity to be on the right side of history and show, through action that our state is inclusive to all.”
Welch announced the creation of the bipartisan Statue and Monument Review Task Force, which will be chaired by state Rep. Mary Flowers, D-Chicago, and vice chaired by state Rep. Camille Lilly, D-Chicago. Other Democratic appointees to the task force are state Reps. Anthony DeLuca, D-Chicago Heights; Barbara Hernandez, D-Aurora; Denyse Stoneback, D-Skokie; Maurice West, D-Rockford; and Eva Dina Delgado, D-Chicago. Its creation comes on the heels of a similar monument review in the City of Chicago, in which over 40 monuments were identified for further review and discussion due to promoting narratives of white supremacy or presenting one-sided views of history.
The Statue and Monument Review Task Force will host several public hearings to hear firsthand from historians, advocates, organizations and other members of the public. The task force will then produce recommendations for the removal of existing statues and may also recommend the erection of new statues to ensure Illinois’ public art is historically accurate and reflects the diversity of the state.
“This review is not about erasing history; in fact, the goal of this task force is to ensure that our artwork reflects an accurate retelling of our history and the contributions made by all people,” added Flowers. “Our work in this task force will be the start of a long overdue discussion about the values reflected in our public art and the message of diversity and inclusivity that we are sending to communities of color.”
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* Still a lot of cases, but it’s down from last week’s highs…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 3,536 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 31 additional deaths.
- Carroll County: 1 male 70s
- Cook County: 1 female 20s, 1 female 30s, 1 female 50s, 3 males 60s, 1 female 70s, 4 males 70s, 2 females 80s, 3 males 80s
- DuPage County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 90s
- Kane County: 1 male 30s
- Lake County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 80s
- Madison County: 1 male 70s
- McHenry County: 1 female 90s
- Peoria County: 1 female 40s
- Richland County: 1 female 60s
- Tazewell County: 1 male 80s
- Vermilion County: 1 female 30s, 1 female 70s
- Whiteside County: 1 female 30s
- Will County: 1 male 80s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,288,934 cases, including 21,570 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 88,390 specimens for a total of 21,371,760. As of last night, 2,076 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 453 patients were in the ICU and 198 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from April 7-13, 2021 is 4.2%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from April 7-13, 2021 is 5.0%.
The total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses for Illinois is 9,386,135. A total of 7,482,650 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 132,810 doses. Yesterday, 138,538 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.
* Part of Gov. Pritzker’s response to a question today…
We are seeing upward movement of our cases and hospitalizations, obviously. But we have seen a beginning of maybe a lessening of the rise of cases. I don’t want to predict anything because this virus is unpredictable. But I think at least in the short term that seems to be good news.
Thoughts?
…Adding… Press release…
To further expand availability of the COVID-19 vaccine, Governor JB Pritzker today announced an additional state mass vaccination site in Cook County and that will open to all eligible Illinois residents on Thursday, April 15. As of April 12, all Illinois residents age 16 and older are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine with nearly 19,000 residents receiving vaccinations at state mass vaccination sites in the first 24 hours of universal vaccine eligibility. With the state’s seven-day test positivity rate and hospitalizations on the rise, local and state health officials are urging Illinois residents to seek out a vaccination location near them in order to protect themselves and their families from COVID-19.
“I’m proud to deploy Illinois National Guard teams and additional state resources to Cook County to ensure residents can receive their vaccines as efficiently and equitably as possible,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “The brave men and women of the Guard have already administered over one million vaccine doses to Illinoisans across the state, and as the federal government prepares to increase Illinois’ deliveries to over 100,000 a day in the coming weeks, IDPH and our 97 local health departments are prepared to meet the moment. In the meantime, I encourage all Illinoisans to wear their masks and stay vigilant as we power through to the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Opening on April 15, the former Target location in Matteson is the 12th mass vaccination site located in Cook and the collar counties and is the state’s 21st mass vaccination site open to all eligible Illinois residents. The new site will provide Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. The State of Illinois is committed to improving healthcare access and equity in underserved communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.
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* Rachel Hinton…
Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford said Wednesday she tested positive for COVID-19.
In a brief phone conversation with the Chicago Sun-Times, Lightford said she left Springfield, where legislators are convening for session, and returned home where she will join committee meetings through Zoom.
The Maywood Democrat said after testing positive, she was “aching an awful lot.”
Lightford is the third person connected to state government known to have contracted the virus this week.
Meanwhile, the House told lobbyists and members of the public today that they must be tested in order to access House members. However, House members have not yet been required to take any tests.
*** UPDATE *** Leader Lightford told me she had planned to be vaccinated at the same time as her husband, who needed to wait to be cleared by his surgeon after a battle with cancer. Her husband was confirmed cancer-free and got the green light on Wednesday, she said. The two planned to get their shots together when she returned from session this week.
“All of my family members and staff that I have come into contact with tested negative,” Lightford said.
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It’s just a bill
Wednesday, Apr 14, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Greg Hinz…
It looks like a compromise proposal to dilute, but not eliminate, Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s power to appoint the Chicago Board of Education is about to surface in Springfield.
According to Senate Majority Leader Kim Lightford, D-Maywood, language calling for a “hybrid” board that will be partially elected by the public and partially selected as now by the mayor is being drafted and will be introduced as soon as Wednesday.
Lightford declined to disclose key details, such as how large the board would be, what kinds of qualifications candidates would have to meet and how soon the next election would occur. Lightford said the mayor needs to disclose that herself as negotiations begin.
But the majority leader said she’s introducing the language at the mayor’s request as an alternate version for a fully elected school board backed by the Chicago Teachers Union gains steam in both the Senate and House.
As noted in the story, I told subscribers about Lightford’s move into this topic earlier in the week. Senate President Don Harmon apparently wants a compromise. The CTU is not amused…
* Center Square…
A bill that would ban physical restraint and timeout rooms in Illinois schools passed a Senate Education Committee on Tuesday.
The legislation, Senate Bill 2296 sponsored by state Sen. Ann Gillespie, would require all schools to eliminate reliance on any kind of timeout room and face down physical restraint. In addition, schools could seclude students in unlocked spaces and use other types of restraints only when it is deemed there is a danger of serious physical harm to the student or others.
Schools are now required to report every seclusion or restraint incident to the state and provide more employee training.
Cheryl Jansen, director of public policy with Equip for Equality, an advocacy group for people with disabilities, said the punishment is counterproductive.
“Restraint and seclusion are not therapeutic nor are they educational, in fact, they may exacerbate the very behaviors that they purport to address,” Jansen said.
* SJ-R…
Independent pharmacies and their customers would benefit under a bill to be debated Wednesday that would slap major regulations on intermediary companies that control what pharmacies are paid by Medicaid and private insurance plans.
“It’s really to promote a level playing field,” said state Sen. David Koehler, D-Peoria, the sponsor of Senate Bill 2008. “There has to be fairness to the independent pharmacies and all the customers who need choice.”
Koehler said Tuesday that the bill, which has bipartisan support and is scheduled for a hearing Wednesday in front of the Illinois Senate Insurance Committee, would build upon legislation passed by the General Assembly and signed into law in 2019 by Gov. JB Pritzker that deals with companies called “pharmacy benefit managers,” or PBMs.
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* Politico…
Sen. Tammy Duckworth raised $1.8 million in the first three months of the year, no doubt a result of her national exposure as a candidate for vice president, military veteran, and foil to former President Donald Trump.
The first-term Democrat who last month announced her bid for re-election in 2022 has $3.7 million cash on hand. More than 9,000 Illinoisans contributed to her campaign, and 97 percent of all individual contributions came in under $100, according to her campaign.
* Press release from spring break…
Alexi Giannoulias ended the first quarter of the year with more than $2.1 million in his campaign fund – a year before the 2022 primary election for Illinois Secretary of State.
During the first three months of 2021, Alexi for Illinois raised over $1.4 million, giving the former State Treasurer more than $2.1 million on hand at the end of March. The fundraising total puts his campaign on track to secure the necessary resources to win the Democratic nomination and defeat the Republican nominee in the general election.
“These contributions send a clear message that our vision for the office is resonating with voters across the state,” said Giannoulias, noting that the donor base reflects a broad-based coalition of support from across the state. “Momentum and excitement for our campaign is growing by the day among people who want solutions-driven leadership that brings people together, restores trust in government and delivers results for hard-working families.”
The first-quarter figure is especially encouraging given that COVID-19 restrictions have limited opportunities to reach voters, forcing campaigns to rely on virtual events and individual outreach over the phone. Giannoulias has held more than 75 Alexi Listens events since the start of the year.
“Without the ability to hold in-person events or engage in retail politics, our campaign adapted early on to embrace non-traditional strategies and digital platforms to navigate and overcome these challenges,” Giannoulias said. “Our ability to successfully pivot has paid off as we’ve exceeded our goals and put the campaign in a strong position moving forward.”
As the youngest State Treasurer ever elected in Illinois, Giannoulias, who served from 2007 to 2011, pursued a progressive, reform-based agenda that featured innovative initiatives that curbed ethical abuses, created jobs, safely invested taxpayer dollars and improved the financial futures of all Illinoisans.
In his bid for Secretary of State, Giannoulias has focused on protecting voter rights, modernizing the office through new technology, improving safety on our roadways, strengthening ethics laws to prevent corruption, protecting privacy and safeguarding against financial fraud.
* While we’re on the topic…
Ald. Pat Dowell formally announced her candidacy for the Democratic nomination for secretary of state on Wednesday and pledged not to use the office in its traditional role as a steppingstone for higher office.
“I can absolutely take a pledge today that I would not seek higher office from the secretary of state position,” said Dowell, 63, who has represented the South Side 3rd Ward since 2007.
“My goal for this office is to provide the residents of Illinois with the best customer service possible and not use the office as a personal steppingstone to advance my career,” she said.
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Meanwhile, in Effingham
Wednesday, Apr 14, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
The most recent available average test positivity rate for Effingham County is 7.5 percent…
I guess she doesn't realize that we have a new surge going on in Effingham? Or the importance of masks and social…
Posted by Jack Schultz on Tuesday, April 13, 2021
Ouch.
* In other news…
The 2nd Amendment to the US Constitution, which states that the people’s right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed, has been the subject of discussion at the federal and state levels. Efforts by some to limit the scope of the amendment are worrying some citizens.
As a result, the Legislative and Personnel Committee of the Effingham County Board Monday voted to send an ordinance to the full county board for a vote at next week’s meeting. The measure, the Second Amendment Preservation Act of 2021, states that any action deemed to infringe upon the people’s right to keep and bear arms shall be deemed invalid in Effingham County and having no effect in the county.
The measure prohibits any tax on firearms that isn’t a tax on any other goods or services, but also grants the county sheriff the discretion and authority to deputize US citizens in the county to prevent the enforcement of “any illegal directive infringing on the right to keep and bear arms.”
The proposed ordinance would also subject anyone attempting to enforce the actions deemed illegal in the county to arrest by the Effingham County Sheriff’s Department and that a violator of the ordinance would be subject to a $250 fine for each violation.
The committee voted 8-1 in favor of sending the proposed ordinance to the full board. Once State’s Attorney Bryan Kibler explained that the intent of the proposed ordinance is mainly symbolic, board member Joe Thoele voted No on the measure, as he has on other similar symbolic measures.
Kibler said the measure “tells me and the sheriff what we can do” and said, “It’s another way to tell the State to cut it out” as far as 2nd Amendment issues. County Board member John Perry said if enough counties take similar action, maybe it will stop efforts that could infringe on peoples’ 2nd Amendment rights.
* Elsewhere in the Eastern Bloc…
The opening of a bar earlier this year in rural Illinois was connected to a COVID-19 outbreak that infected 46 people and prompted the temporary closure of a school, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control reported Monday.
On Feb. 17, the Illinois Department of Public Health was informed of a possible outbreak in people who attended the event about two weeks earlier after a cluster of coronavirus cases was found, the CDC said in its report. The name and location of the bar weren’t included in the report, which said the event was held indoors “with no outside air flow.”
Among those infected were three staff members and 26 patrons, including a person who was diagnosed with COVID-19 a day earlier but wasn’t symptomatic and four others who had symptoms and later tested positive. There were also 17 “secondary cases” among individuals who didn’t attend the event, including five school-age children, two student athletes and two residents of a long-term care facility — one of whom was briefly hospitalized.
The outbreak ultimately resulted in a school closure that affected 650 children, the CDC said. The shutdown started Feb. 18 and stretched for two weeks because 13 school staffers were “in isolation, in quarantine, or absent because their own child was quarantined.”
More…
On a bitterly cold February night, residents lined up for the opening of the bar, one of the few establishments in town for locals to gather for some fun after a year of COVID-19 lockdowns.
Owner Ryan Garrett said of the “30 to 40” that attended the grand opening, “most were just close friends or acquaintances.”
No one was turned away if they refused to wear a mask or social distance.
“You can’t make them wear masks,” Garrett told the Sun-Times on Tuesday. “You can’t throw customers out for not wearing a mask.”
You can throw them out for not wearing shoes. Just sayin’…
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More on the J&J pause and Peoria-area variants
Wednesday, Apr 14, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Updated background is here if you need it. Mitchell Armentrout at the Sun-Times…
Federal health officials who recommended shelving the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday did so just under three weeks after the one-and-done shot went into Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s left arm.
That means the chief executive of the state’s pandemic response is still within the three-week window experts have spotlighted since six vaccinated women suffered severe complications from blood clots within that time frame.
But like the overwhelming majority of the other 6.8 million Americans who have gotten the J&J jab, J.B. hasn’t had any problems, according to his office.
“The Governor does not have concerns after receiving the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, nor has he experienced any health issues since receiving his shot,” Pritzker’s press secretary Jordan Abudayyeh said in an email.
* From the Atlantic…
In the six cases reported so far, all in the United States, women ages 18 to 48 developed an unusual type of blood clot within about two weeks of receiving the company’s inoculation.
Experts haven’t yet conclusively determined whether J&J’s vaccine is directly causing these strange clots, or how frequently the condition might be occurring, because they’re relying largely on people reporting their health conditions to federal agencies. Roughly 7 million doses of the vaccine have been administered so far in the United States; among them were about 1 million women under the age of 50. “I think it’s reasonable to say it is a rare event, but I don’t think we should go into false precision in this kind of situation,” Saad Omer, a vaccine expert at Yale, told me. “Our numerators and denominators are still emerging.” […]
Blood-clotting disorders, should they ultimately be tied to this vaccine, won’t necessarily end Johnson & Johnson’s current efforts at COVID-19 immunization. Certain types of estrogen-containing oral contraceptives and hormone therapies carry similar concerns, but have yet to be pulled from the market. (Rasmussen told me that those potential side effects didn’t stop her from using oral birth control for the better part of 20 years.)
The clots reported after J&J immunization—called cerebral venous sinus thromboses—are in an unusual class. A very similar clotting problem has been reported after injections of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, which strongly resembles the J&J shot in formulation; several European countries have restricted the AstraZeneca shot to use in older adults only. One benefit of publicizing the potential problem with J&J right now is that federal health officials can alert doctors to the right treatments. They have advised against deploying heparin, one of the most common blood thinners prescribed for clots, in these patients, because it has the potential to exacerbate this specific condition. Luckily, an entire arsenal of alternative treatments exists. “It’s really important to know what to be looking for right now,” Céline Gounder, an infectious-disease physician at Bellevue Hospital in New York, where some patients have been receiving the J&J vaccine upon discharge, told me.
* Meanwhile, in the Peoria area, where the positivity rate is sky high…
Of 323 positive tests collected last month and pulled last week for sampling, 50 percent were the B.117 [British] variant.
Sixteen were the P.1, or the variant first discovered in Brazil, which is considered by scientists as potentially the most troublesome of the current crop.
“In regards to the P.1 or Brazilian variant, that is vaccine-resistant. And it’s been shown to be more pathogenic,” Rossi said. “So severity of the condition, and once you’re infected, it’s been shown to be worse, as well.”
The first reports of COVID variants in the Peoria area were disclosed by the Illinois Department of Public Health last month. The Peoria City/County Health Department has declined to provide many specifics, such as whether the variants are believed to be attributed to travel or community spread, which would suggest the P.1 variant is no longer isolated. […]
Last week, Peoria City/County Health Department Administrator Monica Hendrickson said 21 variant cases were currently under investigation in the Tri-County region. Those are primarily the B.1.1.7 and P.1. strains.
Rossi said seven Tazewell, six Peoria, one McLean, and one Knox County P.1 cases were identified within the sample of positive tests. The concentration of P.1 cases in central Illinois was “surprising,” Rossi said.
Two cases of the variant originating in South Africa, and 14 Santa Clara (California) variant cases also were detected.
* Related…
* Dr. Anthony Fauci on what the Johnson & Johnson vaccine reactions could mean for women
* CDC to host emergency meeting Wednesday to discuss future of Johnson & Johnson vaccine
* Joint CDC and FDA Statement on Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine
* Why Biden health officials decided to pause J&J’s coronavirus vaccine
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FOID card expiration date extended yet again
Wednesday, Apr 14, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Capitol News Illinois…
The Illinois State Police has given another 150-day extension to people whose Firearms Owners Identification cards or Concealed Carry Licenses have expired due to a backlog in processing renewal applications.
A panel of state lawmakers gave approval Tuesday to that emergency rule after ISP officials assured them that the agency had made significant progress toward clearing a backlog of renewal applications.
“I wouldn’t say we’re over the hump. We’re on top of it,” ISP Lt. Greg Hacker, who heads the agency’s Firearms Services Bureau, told the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules. “Over the past three months, our metrics have shown us that we are starting to bend the curve in our direction.”
Under the emergency rule, a FOID card or CCL that has expired since the start of the pandemic is still considered valid as long as the holder has applied for renewal, paid the required fees, and the card is not subject to revocation, meaning the person has not committed an offense that would otherwise disqualify them from holding the permit.
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Open thread
Wednesday, Apr 14, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Please keep your discussion focused on Illinois issues and be polite to each other. Thanks.
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* Jaclyn Driscoll…
A staff member in Speaker Welch’s office tested positive for the coronavirus. The staff member tested yesterday as part of the required protocols to return to in-person work in the Capitol. Contact tracing was performed, and those who were in contact with the staff member are now quarantining, pending negative tests. The Speaker was not in contact with the staff member and continues to stress the vital importance of public health safety measures as the House of Representatives gets back to work for the people of Illinois. Thanks to the implementation of the U of I Shield testing, the Speaker’s Office was able to catch the positive result prior to the start of session today and it remains a requirement for all staff to be tested regularly.
…Adding… Unlike the Senate, House members are not required to be tested. Instead, they’re just “strongly” encouraged to take the test. I’m sure that’ll end well.
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It’s just a bill
Tuesday, Apr 13, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Pretty decent summation by Politico…
Legislation we’re watching:
Elected school board in Chicago — SCOOP: Watch for Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot to propose her own take on the issue. This comes after Cook County Democrats endorsed Sen. Rob Martwick’s SB 2497, a bill in the General Assembly that would replace the city’s 7-member mayor-appointed school board with a 20-member elected body. The House has a similar version in HB 2908.
The budget and state’s finances: We won’t likely know until closer to the end of the session, May 31, how numbers will play out or to what extent programs will be cut, as Gov. J.B. Pritzker has indicated. Much will depend on how federal relief dollars will be spent.
Renewable energy: There are three bills focused on how to create a renewable energy marketplace and industry and whether it can be economically (and financially) feasible for nuclear power to be part of it. Watch for the bills to be pulled together into one piece of legislation.
Cannabis lottery: More than a year since cannabis has been legal in Illinois, lawmakers are trying to fix the process that would allow more Black and Latino business owners to be part of the industry. Rep. La Shawn Ford and others are working with the Pritzker administration to come up with legislation that will open up at least two lottery rounds for more dispensaries in Illinois.
Ethics: Rep. Kelly Burke is shepherding bills that will address ethics. The Ethics and Elections Committee is holding subject matter hearings on legislation with the goal of crafting an ethics omnibus bill. The next hearing is Tuesday.
Redistricting: Even though lawmakers don’t have final census data, they plan to use the most recent figures from 2019 to pull together maps that they could ideally just tweak in September when the final numbers come out. Republicans and some independent organizations have called for members of the public to draw the map, but critics of that idea, mainly Democrats who don’t want to lose control of the process, say that could also be fraught with problems.
* Bishop Michael McGovern, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Belleville, writing in the Belleville News-Democrat…
Currently, the law of the State of Illinois requires that when a minor girl seeks to have an abortion a parent or guardian must be notified 48 hours before the procedure.
This is a common-sense law that enjoys wide support among residents who fall on both sides of the abortion debate, and for obvious reasons: most reasonable people agree that parents have a right to know if irreversible surgery is going to be performed on their minor daughters.
But now, the Illinois General Assembly is considering two bills, House Bill 1797 and Senate Bill 2190, that, if enacted as law, would repeal our Parental Notification of Abortion Act, allowing an abortion provider to perform an abortion on a minor without her parents’ knowledge.
Enacting such a law would undermine families by separating children from the care, guidance and emotional support of parents. The repeal of the current law would also increase danger for minor girls.
Reputable studies of human sex trafficking patterns indicate that states that have no parental involvement laws for abortion make it possible for an adult male to take a teenage victim of abuse or trafficking to an abortion clinic in the hopes of erasing the evidence of his abuse.
The research he referred to was from Tony Perkins’ Family Research Council.
* There was no subcommittee vote on the bill…
Illinois lawmakers are looking at ways to change their state’s biometric privacy law after complaints from businesses and hundreds of lawsuits.
Members of the Senate Judiciary’s subcommittee on privacy met Monday to hear arguments on Senate Bill 300.
Sponsored by Sen. Jason Barickman, R-Bloomington, the bill would give an entity 30 days to correct a potential infraction of the Biometric Information Privacy Act before a person could file a lawsuit against them unless there was a breach of the information. It would also give legal protection to companies that store biometric information in the form of algorithms. If accessed by a hacker, those groups of numbers would be meaningless, said Clark Kaericher, vice president of government affairs at the Illinois Chamber of Commerce.
“You can take a fingerprint scan and store it as a sequence of meaningless numbers,” he said. “We should encourage companies to do that.”
* This bill made it out of committee (along with hundreds of others) and is now on Second Reading…
State Rep. LaShawn Ford (D-Chicago) has proposed the creation of safe consumption rooms — also referred to as supervised injection facilities. Proponents of similar programs around the world argue they allow people who suffer from addiction to take substances in a safe environment and reduce the likelihood of fatal overdoses.
“We know that not meeting people where they’re at to provide the support that they need to end the struggle of a substance use disorder only harms the community with loose needles [and] only harms families with preventable drug overdoses,” Ford said.
Currently, such facilities are illegal in the United States and only exist in Canada, Australia, and 10 countries in Europe. Like other legalized injection programs around the world, Ford’s proposal would not stipulate that facilities provide illegal drugs, but rather allow patients to bring in their own supply of drugs that they buy off the street.
* This bill is also out of committee and on the House floor…
A proposal to expand the state’s legal definition of infertility is gaining momentum in the statehouse.
Current state law defines infertility as “the inability to conceive after one year of unprotected sexual intercourse, the inability to conceive after one year of attempts to produce conception, the inability to conceive after an individual is diagnosed with a condition affecting fertility, or the inability to sustain a successful pregnancy.”
“Obviously, by that definition, we are leaving out a huge portion of people who want to be parents,” Rep. Margaret Croke (D-Chicago) said on Capitol Connection. “That includes single women, LGBTQ couples, and also women who have issues too.”
“What I’m trying to do with this mandate is make sure that it doesn’t discriminate against people who do want to become parents,” she said.
* Related…
* Illinois businesses looking for limited COVID-19 liability as bills stall in committee
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Won’t see him no more
Tuesday, Apr 13, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* AP a couple of weeks ago…
Former Illinois congressman and U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood in 2019 paid a $40,000 fine for allegedly making misleading statements to federal agents about a loan and failing to disclose it on ethics forms, according to the U.S. Justice Department.
Federal prosecutors disclosed the fine late Wednesday while discussing a California case unconnected to LaHood that concerned illegal political contributions. That case involved Lebanese-Nigerian businessman Gilbert Chagoury, who is prohibited from making political contributions because he isn’t a U.S. citizen.
LaHood, 75, denied to FBI agents he received a $50,000 loan from Chagoury through an intermediary until he was shown a copy of the check. He also didn’t tell agents he knew Chagoury was the ultimate source of the loan. Authorities say LaHood, who was transportation secretary during President Barack Obama’s administration from 2009 to 2013, was suffering financial difficulties at the time.
In an agreement with federal prosecutors, LaHood agreed to repay Chagoury and pay the fine.
Prosecutors said they agreed not to prosecute LaHood because of his “willingness to acknowledge and accept responsibility” for his actions, his cooperation with the government, the nature of the offense and “LaHood’s substantial mitigating factors.”
* You wonder how these conversations even happen. “Hey, Mr. Foreign Billionaire, I’m in over my head and I need a loan to remodel my house.” I just don’t get that sort of thinking…
According to the non-prosecution agreement signed by LaHood in December of 2019, but not made public until Wednesday, LaHood met Chagoury and Toufic Baaklini, one of Chagoury’s U.S. representatives, in July 2009 at a convention in Los Angeles.
In 2011 and 2012, the agreement said, LaHood was suffering “significant financial difficulties in part due to problems from home remediation and sought funds to conduct home repairs.”
* LaHood was appointed by Gov. Pritzker to chair the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in September of 2019, just a few months before he signed that non-prosecution agreement. That took an extraordinary amount of chutzpah to seek out a position while under federal scrutiny. But then he had to step down when the news emerged…
Former U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood on Monday resigned as chairman of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, just days after federal prosecutors said he “willfully” failed to disclose a $50,000 loan from a foreign national while a member President Barack Obama’s Cabinet.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who appointed LaHood to the Springfield museum’s post in September 2019, accepted the former Peoria congressman’s resignation, said spokeswoman Emily Bittner.
“Gov. Pritzker is grateful for Mr. LaHood’s service, and especially his vision in attracting an outstanding and historic new executive director: Christina Shutt. His stewardship of the museum during this pandemic also preserved this remarkable Illinois gem,” Bittner said in statement.
Shutt, 34, was named last month as the library and museum’s fifth executive director. She is the first person of color named to the post.
Seems awful nice considering the circumstances. But maybe Bittner had to say that to get him to leave. Whatever works, I suppose.
* LaHood’s last act on the board was severing ties with the presidential library foundation…
After months of disagreements and negotiations, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation are ending their relationship with each other.
The foundation serves as the fundraising arm of the library and museum, which means it will no longer handle fundraising duties or purchasing items for the museum’s collection. Each organization placed blame on the other.
“The ALPLM feels it is vital for the Foundation to disclose how much money it raises, where that money goes, and what fundraising plans are in the works to support this institution. The Foundation is unwilling to provide satisfactory answers to those questions,” the ALPLM said in a statement.
The Foundation shot back, saying “the State and ALPLM were inconsistent, unreasonable and threatening in their demands, and spreading misinformation about the Foundation, leading us to question if they were indeed negotiating with us in good faith.”
The foundation is a mess, so I suppose LaHood did us all a favor.
* The day the agreement was finally disclosed, an op-ed penned by LaHood was published by the Sun-Times…
As secretary of transportation under President Barack Obama, I traveled to all 50 states. I traveled to 225 cities. I’ve looked at literally hundreds of different plans centered on transit — the infrastructure backbone that built this country. And I can say, without a doubt, that ONE Central is a first-of-its-kind and visionary model that will unlock opportunities for Chicago to be the leader, nationally and internationally, in more equitable economic development and transit infrastructure delivery.
Yeah, I’m thinking his days of hawking gigantic Illinois projects may be over.
* But what gets to me the most was how saintly sanctimonious LaHood was last year when he was going after Supreme Court Justice Tom Kilbride…
“People recognize Kilbride’s name, but they also recognize Madigan’s name. They know that Madigan has been there too long. They know that Madigan has ruined Illinois,” LaHood added. “And they know that Madigan is under investigation by the state of Illinois, the city of Chicago, and the Department of Justice. So who does Kilbride report to? Not the constitution of Illinois. Kilbride reports directly to Speaker Madigan.”
He took a secret personal loan from a foreign national while he was a Cabinet member then lied about it to the FBI and then had the unmitigated gall to say that about Kilbride. Also, his son got some of the Chagoury campaign money. Not shady at all, Ray.
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Question of the day
Tuesday, Apr 13, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Politico…
Republican Kirk Dillard has been approached “by prominent business and Republican leaders” to run for governor, but he told Playbook he’s not interested.
Dillard wouldn’t need training wheels for the job given he was chief of staff to Gov. Jim Edgar and has legislative experience.
“Currently, I have a wonderfully balanced personal and professional life,” he said. “These civic leaders came to me, not vice versa. I am not harboring a desire to run for governor.”
Dillard, who is chairman of the Regional Transportation Authority’s board of directors, said he’s “laser focused” on guiding the Chicago area regional mass transit system out of the pandemic. “It’s an economic engine and an economic equalizer for our local communities and the state of Illinois.”
All eyes are watching to see if Reps. Rodney Davis or Darin LaHood make a move for the governor’s office. They haven’t ruled out running, and their decisions could be based on how their districts are redrawn.
Kirk mentioned his stint as Edgar’s chief of staff more often than Scott Drury talked about being a former federal prosecutor. Anyway, no surprise there. He has a good life after losing two gubernatorial primaries by razor-thin margins.
And LaHood’s voting record would not be great in a general election race for governor, to say the least. And, frankly, neither will Davis’. You can be considered a moderate in DC, but still be a far-right candidate statewide here.
* Meanwhile, from Mark Maxwell…
Six months after his colleagues quietly removed him from power, former Senate Republican Leader Bill Brady is contemplating a political comeback.
In a Wednesday night phone call en route from Florida to Illinois, Brady (R-Bloomington) said he’s considering a potential statewide run for office as Secretary of State, Governor, or perhaps Senator Tammy Duckworth’s seat in the U.S. Senate.
“I’m interested in public service, and I’m entertaining different ways I can serve,” Brady said.
Senate Republicans ousted him in a private meeting last fall, opting instead to hand the reins of the caucus’ top job to Senator Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods). Brady announced his retirement from his Senate seat shortly thereafter.
Go read the whole thing before commenting. Quite the oppo dump in there. Whew.
* The Question: Should Bill Brady run for statewide office? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please…
web survey
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* From a Crain’s Chicago Business op-ed by Gov. JB Pritzker, Senate President Don Harmon and House Speaker Chris Welch…
First, we believe it’s important to pay the remaining $2.5 billion of COVID-related Federal Reserve short term debt, and the unpaid bills and borrowing incurred over the last year that allowed us to protect working families from devastating cuts to our public schools, health care and human services, keeping the lights on in the darkest days of the pandemic. In Illinois, we’re all too familiar with how debt and accrued interest can cripple a state budget. Paying off these bills immediately will avoid interest charges and put us in a stronger fiscal position for the future.
Second, at the heart of our agenda are the working families and everyday Illinoisans who have too often in the past been left out and left behind. That’s why the ARP funds must also be dedicated to spurring job creation and igniting economic growth. Putting people to work and growing our state’s economy means accelerating our infrastructure plans for rebuilding Illinois, supporting small businesses—our greatest job creators—and making sure our educational and health care institutions thrive.
Over the last year, fiscal discipline and a science-based pandemic response has meant that our state economy and fiscal situation are stronger than expected. In fact, over the last month, investors and credit rating agencies have taken a more positive view of Illinois’ fiscal future. That’s an important signal to workers and job creators that Illinois is on a good path toward a firm fiscal foundation.
We need to stay the course by managing our state and federal funds responsibly and we are committed to doing so.
* Greg Hinz has some analysis…
The column particularly deals with the $7.5 billion the state expects to receive in one-time funds under President Joe Biden’s $2.9 trillion national plan, which was approved several weeks ago by Congress on a party-line vote.
The governor and legislative leaders make it clear that repaying loans will be the top priority. […]
According to Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza, outstanding COVID-related debt includes $2.425 billion still owed to the U.S. Federal Reserve under its Municipal Liquidity Facility borrowing program, $1.043 billion in intrafund borrowing to shore up day-to-day spending in the state’s operating (general funds) account and $400 million in other borrowing. […]
After paying that debt and spending other funds that Congress earmarked for specific purposes, between $1 billion and $1.5 billion will be leftover for the Legislature to spend otherwise, Springfield sources say. And it’s in that area that today’s column offers some hints.
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[The following is a paid advertisement.]
4,000 Illinois homeowners and businesses tried to go solar this year – instead, they got waitlisted. A map of the waitlisted projects in each legislative district is here.
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
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Lawsuits! Lawsuits! Lawsuits!
Tuesday, Apr 13, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Capitol News Illinois…
A Kane County restaurant’s legal challenge to Gov. JB Pritzker’s ban on indoor dining can continue, a Sangamon County judge ruled this week.
Attorneys for Pritzker tried to have the lawsuit dismissed but Sangamon County Judge Raylene Grischow on Wednesday declined to do so. While Grischow decided not to dismiss the case, she did not reach a decision on the merits of their argument.
The order is here.
* Cook County Record…
A federal judge has not only refused to grant Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s wish to end federal oversight of state employment and hiring practices, but has also granted a modest expansion of that watchdog duty.
“The message is not getting across to employment decision-makers” that overseers “will root out the problems and that there is a price to pay,” said Judge Edmond Chang.
On March 31, Chang, of U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, denied motions by Pritzker to kill off the so-called Shakman Decrees, court orders requiring federal court oversight of hiring practices in a host of government agencies in Chicago and Springfield. […]
Chang acknowledged the state has made “significant” progress in its employment practices, and he might be receptive to another request late this year to terminate oversight. Chang noted that if the Cook County sheriff, the Cook County Forest Preserve District, the city of Chicago and Cook County have been able to satisfy Shakman, then “so can the State.” These governmental bodies are no longer under federal monitoring. […]
Adding that implementation is “complex,” Chang noted there is “evidence of ongoing noncompliance.” He particularly noted problems with Pritzker’s attempt to persuade the court to place trust in the Inspector General’s office. The judge pointed to an “apparent lack of sanctions for disregarding recommendations” made by the OEIG.
The opinion is here.
…Adding… The governor’s office points to this passage from page 30…
“t bears repeating and emphasis that this is not to cast pejorative criticisms on any particular institution or person. It just is not easy to durably protect State employees from partisan decision-making in employment, because those in power will do much to keep unlawful employment decisions out of the light and employees who lose out naturally fear retribution if they speak up. Nor does the Court downplay the significant progress made by the State, especially in the past two years, toward implementing a durable remedy. Indeed, as the implementation of the CEP continues, and as HEM continues its efforts and—it is hoped—increases its impact on State agencies, then the Court would be receptive to consider another motion to terminate in the last quarter of this year.
* Cook County Record…
A coalition of road construction contractors have asked the Illinois Supreme Court to step into the first court fight over whether an Illinois state constitutional amendment can be used to force Cook County and other local governments to spend money from local transportation-related taxes on actual transportation projects, and not county operations.
This week, attorneys for the group, headlined by trade lobby group, the Illinois Road and Transportation Builders Association, filed a petition with the Illinois Supreme Court, seeking permission to appeal to the state high court of a state appellate court’s decision.
In that decision, a panel of the Illinois First District Appellate Court declared their belief that Cook County is free to spend transportation-related tax dollars as the county government deems fit, despite a state constitutional amendment intended to lock away transportation funding from being spent elsewhere.
In their petition to the state Supreme Court, the road builders said the high court needed step in to set the precedent that local governments – not just the state government – must abide by the language of the so-called Safe Roads Amendment, and dedicate transportation money to transportation projects.
“This is not only a matter of first impression, but one of great public importance,” the road builders wrote. “At stake are hundreds of millions of dollars in transportation tax revenue that, under a constitutional amendment that the people of Illinois overwhelmingly approved, must be invested in our transportation infrastructure.”
The petition is here.
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Told ‘ya
Tuesday, Apr 13, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Mark Maxwell…
More than a month after the Democratic Party of Illinois elected Congresswoman Robin Kelly as the new chair of the party, her name still does not appear on official organizing documents at the state or federal levels while attorneys seek input from the Federal Election Commission.
The new party leaders did file updated documents to report Michael Dorf had taken over as treasurer, but did not report Kelly’s new role. The curious omission reveals how carefully the Congresswoman’s team is reviewing the fine print in election laws to avoid attracting any scrutiny from federal authorities.
Instead, state campaign records list Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough as the chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois. Yarbrough took over the role from former chairman Michael Madigan on an interim basis while the party leaders in the State Central Committee staged an election between Kelly and Chicago Alderman Michelle Harris. Kelly narrowly won by one vote, overcoming objections from the Harris camp that a sitting member of Congress could not run a state party and control its fundraising or spending decisions without running afoul of federal campaign finance laws.
Before Kelly was elected, election attorneys at Perkins Coie, a high-powered law firm with several Democratic clients, issued a legal memo warning that members of Congress could not “establish, finance, maintain or control” a state party apparatus without violating FEC guidelines. The memo also warned members of Congress would have to adhere to the stricter federal fundraising limits, capping how much “soft money” the state party could raise from outside groups like labor unions. […]
“The State Central Committee controls two political funds, a federal fund and a state fund,” said Hanah Jubeh, a spokesperson for Rep. Kelly. “We have updated the statements of organization for each fund listing Mike Dorf as treasurer. Vice-chair Karen Yarbrough remains listed as the chairman of our state fund, something that is permitted under the State Central Committee bylaws, while our lawyers review our structure to ensure compliance with all state and federal campaign finance laws.”
Dorf is listed as both treasurer and custodian of records on DPI’s federal disclosure forms.
Since US Rep. Kelly took over, the party has reported just one campaign contribution - $2500 from Health Alliance. It has contributed $25,000 to the Macon County Democrats, $15,000 to the Maine Township Democrats and $1,000 to the Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association.
* Meanwhile, the IDCCA seems to be stepping in to handle some of the stuff that one would’ve expected from the reconstituted DPI. For example, this is from yesterday…
One week ago the Illinois Democratic County Chairs Association (IDCCA) called upon Illinois Congressman Rodney Davis to give away campaign funds he received from Congressman Matt Gaetz following public reports that the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating Gaetz for allegedly having sex with and trafficking a minor. Today, IDCCA President Kristina Zahorik released another statement calling on Davis to speak out and give away the dirty money:
“More than a week later Rodney Davis remains silent on his political supporter Matt Gaetz’ alleged criminality. And as Illinois Republican Adam Kinzinger calls for Gaetz to resign, Davis has only made jokes and avoided taking action or a position.”
“Matt Gaetz’s partner in crime is striking a plea deal, prompting his lawyer to say ‘I’m sure Matt Gaetz is not feeling very comfortable.’ Rodney Davis, the public evidence is mounting: speak out like your colleague and unburden yourself and your district of Matt Gaetz’s dirty money.”
More public revelations of electronic money transfers continue to lead back to Matt Gaetz. Joel Greenberg, a former tax commissioner in Florida and a friend of Gaetz’s, has been reported by CNN to be striking a plea deal in the face of federal charges that range from identity theft to sex trafficking of a minor. Last Thursday, Illinois Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger called for Matt Gaetz to resign.
Rodney Davis has taken $4,000 from Matt Gaetz, starting in 2018 and then again in 2020. On Monday, April 5, 2021, the IDCCA called on Rodney Davis to return the money to Gaetz or give it to charity like one of his colleagues did.
* And speaking of the Republicans…
It was revealed today that the new Chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois, US Rep. Robin Kelly, gave a February campaign contribution to the reelection campaign of indicted Crestwood Mayor Lou Presta.
WBEZ: “Indicted Crestwood Mayor Lou Presta’s successful re-election campaign got financial support from Congresswoman Robin Kelly — who became the new leader of the Illinois Democratic Party last month.”
“Despite being hit with federal corruption charges in August, Presta won another term as leader of the south suburb in the election a week ago. And in newly filed campaign-finance reports, Presta disclosed that Kelly gave $250 to his political committee on Feb. 12.”
ILGOP Spokesman Joe Hackler issued the following statement in response:
“For over two decades, the DPI was Chaired by political crime boss Mike Madigan, so it’s no surprise his successor Robin Kelly is following his lead in subsidizing public corruption. The people of Illinois are sick and tired of its leaders catering to political grifters and thieves instead of providing honest leadership and good government. Chairman Kelly should apologize for her misguided contribution.”
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* Oy…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 3,193 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 17 additional deaths.
- Bureau County: 1 female 70s
- Cook County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
- DuPage County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 70s
- Jersey County: 1 female 90s
- Lake County: 1 female 80s
- Livingston County: 1 female 60s
- Logan County: 1 male 60s
- Madison County: 1 male 50s
- McHenry County: 1 female 70s
- Peoria County: 1 male 50s, 1 male 60s
- St. Clair County: 1 male 50s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,285,398 cases, including 21,540 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 58,248 specimens for a total of 21,283,370. As of last night, 2,028 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 466 patients were in the ICU and 185 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from April 6-12, 2021 is 4.3%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from April 6-12, 2021 is 5.0%.
The total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses for Illinois is 9,343,775. A total of 7,344,112 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 132,979 doses. Yesterday, 100,729 doses were reported administered in Illinois. The Illinois National Guard has administered more than one million doses of COVID-19 vaccines at state-supported vaccination sites around the state.
*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.
Hospitalizations and ICU admittance are at their highest points since mid-February. And with the ever-increasing cases and positivity rates, expect that lagging indicator to rise.
Peoria County is now at a 12.9 percent average positivity rate. It’s latest daily rate was 16.5 percent. I was told by the governor’s office yesterday that the Brazilian variant is spreading through the area.
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Republican remap roundup
Tuesday, Apr 13, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* If you need a good backgrounder on this topic before reading further, click here for Rick Pearson’s strong story.
OK, let’s start with WMBD…
State Republicans urged Governor J.B. Pritzker on Monday to veto redistricting maps drawn by lawmakers.
Some lawmakers said redistricting needs to be a fair and non-partisan process led by people- not politicians.
“I think the public is demanding an open and transparent process. Many of our colleagues including Governor Pritzker have said in their own words that they would like an open and transparent process,” said U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL).
Davis said more than 500,000 people in Illinois supported a ballot question for an independent redistricting commission. Davis said it didn’t make the ballot and says people want a process where politicians can’t pick their own voters.
Can’t dispute any of that.
* Again, no dispute here…
The idea of an independent redistricting commission has enjoyed bipartisan support in the past. In fact, Monday’s news conference featured a large poster board with a quote from then-candidate JB Pritzker, who said during the 2018 campaign, “We should amend the constitution to create an independent commission to redraw legislative maps, but in the meantime, I would urge Democrats and Republicans to agree to an independent commission to handle creating a new legislative map.”
Rep. Avery Bourne, R-Morrisonville, urged Pritzker to support the GOP plan.
“While the context may have changed, when he was asked that question, it was assumed that Mike Madigan would be drawing the maps,” she said. “His pledge has not and cannot change.”
* But, c’mon, Tim…
“We’ve got fewer Republican congressmen than we had a decade ago and two decades ago,” [Rep. Tim Butler, R-Springfield] said, “and that’s all because of the fact that they use political data to slice and dice these districts for political gain.”
Republicans, including Rodney Davis, now hold two Downstate seats that were drawn for Democrats (Mike Bost is the other) and they came awfully close to picking up a third (Cheri Bustos) last year. But there’s also been a sea change at the suburban level because of the GOP’s national bent. If you had boldly predicted ten years ago that a liberal Black woman would win the exurban 14th District, you might have been laughed out of the state.
* Also…
“The Latino population in Illinois is actually higher than African American population, but that’s not represented in the Illinois General Assembly,” Butler said. “It’s not.”
Hispanic voters make up more than 11% of the state’s voting age population, according to an independent analysis of Illinois’ district maps and demographics. However, Latino elected officials make up just seven percent of the state legislature, and just one of Illinois’ 18 members of Congress. […]
“Should we draw another Hispanic congressional district? Absolutely,” Davis said. “That’s something that these mapmakers ought to take into consideration.”
Butler is a well-informed legislator, so he knows that Latino voter turnout still badly lags. But, they have steadily made gains over the years, picking up seats that were once held by whites (including former Republican Sen. Jim Oberweis’ seat and via an appointment to former Speaker Madigan’s seat, to name two of the most recent). Even so, this remap will undoubtedly be important to solidify Latino population gains. And it doesn’t hurt the Republicans that Democrats will have to put one of their white Chicago-area incumbents on the hot seat to make that happen.
* SJ-R…
Butler also mentioned how Springfield’s Black population must be well represented by new maps.
“We have a very vibrant and engaged African American community here in Springfield, but unfortunately have not had a representative here in Springfield until Sen. Doris Turner was appointed … and that’s largely because the county has been divided up,” Butler said.
Um, no. The House Democrats had a perfect opportunity to elect a Black candidate 9 years ago and decided to back Sue Scherer instead. That district was created by combining Black Springfield precincts with similar precincts in Decatur. It was the only way to get it done. But the HDems took the safe way out.
* WGN…
There is speculation Democrats will erase GOP Congressman Rodney Davis’ 13th district. Davis said Democrats have long targeted his seat.
Democrats are going to play politics with redistricting, they can’t help themselves.
Republicans are pushing a bill that would give ordinary Illinoisans the power to draws the maps. Under the plan, the Supreme Court would appoint citizens to a redistricting commission.
I kinda got the feeling that Congressman Davis was using yesterday’s presser to warn Democrats about messing with his seat, which is kinda the opposite of a blind and fair mapmaking process.
* Meanwhile, here’s a Daily Herald editorial…
Without question, the Illinois General Assembly is in a bit of a bind as a constitutionally imposed June 30 deadline looms for approving new legislative and congressional boundaries.
Because of delays caused by the pandemic, the U.S. Census Bureau has not provided population data for states to use in drawing required new maps — and the bureau doesn’t expect to have the data until the end of September. By that time, potential candidates for statewide and county offices will have barely two months to solicit signatures on petitions to qualify for seats, so leaders have justified concerns to put boundary lines in place as soon as possible. […]
The anti-gerrymandering watchdog group RepresentUs says Illinois’ one-party dominance in both legislative chambers and the governor’s office puts it among 25 states at extreme risk of letting political power rather than objective review of population data determine the boundaries that will shape the state’s legislative and congressional boundaries for the next decade.
Legislative leaders say they’re driven by the desire to meet the constitutional deadline. If they miss it, instead of having boundaries that reflect input from the public and all 177 lawmakers in the House and Senate, the redistricting process will move to a commission of just eight members, whose work, if ultimately deadlocked, will be decided by a one-person appointed tiebreaker. Clearly, that alternative, too, is objectionable. But these are not the map makers’ only options.
The National Conference of State Legislatures has taken note of the problem in states like Illinois and offers suggested actions states can pursue, including appealing to the courts to permit a delay in creating the boundaries.
From that Represent.US report on Illinois…
Democrats hold the governorship and have strong majorities in both legislative chambers. This allows the party to have total power over how to draw the maps, creating clear risk of partisan bias. There’s less of a chance of manipulation if the redistricting commission is tasked with drawing the maps, which could be a real possibility considering the Census delays.
The first part is accurate. The second part is wildly false. Whenever the redistricting commission has been activated, it’s always ended up in a very partisan outcome because the two sides haven’t been able to come to an agreement, preferring to take their chances with a lottery.
From the NCSL…
1. Ask courts for relief.
Redistricters can petition the appropriate state court to seek relief from their statutory or constitutional redistricting deadlines. For example, California successfully pursued this option in mid-2020.
The California legislature successfully petitioned its Supreme Court to delay its constitutional filing deadlines. It doesn’t work that way in Illinois.
* Related…
* Census Delay Complicates Once-a-Decade Redistricting Duty
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* Press release…
Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced the Office of the Attorney General’s network has been compromised. Attorney General Raoul released the following statement:
“In the early hours of Saturday morning, it was discovered that the office’s network was compromised. Since then, information technology staff and investigators from the Attorney General’s office have been working closely with federal law enforcement authorities to evaluate the extent to which the network was compromised.
“This investigation is ongoing, and I am committed to resolving this situation as soon as possible to ensure that the Attorney General’s office can continue to provide critical services to the people of Illinois.”
The investigation into the extent to which the Attorney General’s office’s network was compromised is ongoing. Additional information will be made available at a later date.
I heard yesterday that the AG’s office suffered a massive computer network outage. I haven’t been able to get any confirmation of what exactly caused it, but emails have been bouncing back from the attorney general’s office for at least 24 hours.
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* AP…
The U.S. is recommending a “pause” in using the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine to investigate reports of potentially dangerous blood clots.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday they were investigating unusual clots that occurred 6 to 13 days after vaccination. The clots occurred in veins that drain blood from the brain and occurred together with low platelets. All six cases were in women between the ages of 18 and 48; there was one death and all remained under investigation.
* IDPH…
In accordance with recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) will pause the use of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine out of an abundance of caution. The CDC and FDA are reviewing data involving six reported U.S. cases of a rare and severe type blood clot in individuals after receiving the J&J vaccine.
IDPH has notified all Illinois COVID-19 providers throughout the state to discontinue use of the J&J vaccine at this time. In order to keep appointments, IDPH is strongly advising providers to use Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines.
Moderna and Pfizer make up the vast majority of doses on hand in the State of Illinois. This week, the state’s allocation of J&J was 17,000 doses. For the week of April 18, 2021, the expected allocation for the State is 483,720 total doses. Of that total allocation, 5,800 doses were expected to be J&J.
Per the federal health authorities, people who have received the J&J vaccine who develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their health care provider. Patients with other clinical questions should contact their health care provider.
IDPH will continue to update the public as additional information becomes available.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Johnson & Johnson…
The safety and well-being of the people who use our products is our number one priority. We are aware of an extremely rare disorder involving people with blood clots in combination with low platelets in a small number of individuals who have received our COVID-19 vaccine. The United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are reviewing data involving six reported U.S. cases out of more than 6.8 million doses administered. Out of an abundance of caution, the CDC and FDA have recommended a pause in the use of our vaccine.
In addition, we have been reviewing these cases with European health authorities. We have made the decision to proactively delay the rollout of our vaccine in Europe.
We have been working closely with medical experts and health authorities, and we strongly support the open communication of this information to healthcare professionals and the public.
The CDC and FDA have made information available about proper recognition and management due to the unique treatment required with this type of blood clot. The health authorities advise that people who have received our COVID-19 vaccine and develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their health care provider.
For more information on the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine, click here.
A commenter asked how many people would die from contracting COVID-19 as a result of this pause. It’s a good question.
…Adding… Another good point…
*** UPDATE 2 *** Block Club Chicago…
The state will send 50,000 doses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines to Chicago as the city suspends using its Johnson & Johnson doses. […]
The pause is only expected to last several days, officials have said.
The one-shot vaccine has been administered to tens of thousands of people in Chicago, and officials hoped that, as supply of the doses increased, it would play a significant role in getting residents vaccinated as quickly as possible — especially with cases on the rise in the city.
*** UPDATE 3 *** IDPH…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is developing and implementing plans to move forward with COVID-19 vaccinations in Illinois after putting a pause on administration of the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine, including robust communication with all providers and the transfer of 50,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to Chicago.
Earlier today, at the recommendation of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), IDPH paused the use of the J&J COVID-19 vaccine out of an abundance of caution. The CDC and FDA are reviewing data involving six reported U.S. cases of a rare and severe type blood clot in individuals after receiving the J&J vaccine, out of a total of more than six million Americans who have received the J&J vaccine. In Illinois, of the total 7.3 million doses administered to date, 4% or approximately 290,000 have been J&J. These individuals remain fully vaccinated and do not need to seek out an alternate vaccine. People vaccinated with J&J should consult with their medial provider if they develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination.
“Public health officials made a commitment that any safety signals that came up concerning COVID-19 vaccines would be fully addressed in a transparent manner, which is what is occurring right now with the J&J vaccine,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “The blood clot cases appear to be extremely rare and there are no reported cases associated with either the Pfizer-BioNTech or the Moderna vaccines. IDPH is taking immediate action to ensure as little disruption to Illinois residents as possible during this pause, and I strongly encourage people to continue to get vaccinated. Millions upon millions of people have already been safely vaccinated and it will take millions more before we can put this pandemic behind us.”
Upon learning of the recommendation, IDPH took the following actions to ensure COVID-19 vaccine providers and health care workers in Illinois were aware of the pause and received the support they needed to adjust their planning:
• Immediately sent notification about the pause to COVID-19 providers, local health departments, and health care providers via the State of Illinois Rapid Electronic Notification system, which included follow-up calls, text, and emails.
• Directly emailed and called all local health departments through IDPH Emergency Response Coordinators, to assess impact and work to mitigate using Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines.
• Connected with all mass vaccination sites, Illinois National Guard vaccination missions, and one-day J&J clinics scheduled in EMTrack to develop alternate plans where necessary and ensure the least amount of disruption possible on individuals with appointments.
• Sent notification to hospitals, emergency departments, physicians, and other health care providers about treatment for this specific type of blood clot
The pause on the J&J vaccine will not have a large impact on state vaccination efforts as the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines make up the vast majority of doses on hand in the State of Illinois. No state-supported mass vaccination sites will be closed and no rapid response team clinics, faith-based or equity clinics, or rural clinics have been cancelled at this time. They will all move forward with a different type of vaccine.
The total allocation of J&J vaccine to Illinois, including Chicago, is 760,300, of which 290,615 doses have been administered. This week, the state’s allocation of J&J was 17,000 doses. For the week of April 18, 2021, the expected allocation for the State is 483,720 total doses. Of that total allocation, 5,800 doses were expected to be J&J.
In an effort to vaccinate as many people as possible across Illinois, the State is allocating 50,000 first doses of Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to the City of Chicago over the next seven days to help meet demand. The State will also be allocating 50,000 doses to Chicago when second doses come due to be administered.
IDPH encourages people to register with V-safe After Vaccination Health Checker, a smartphone-based tool that uses text messages and web surveys to provide personalized health check-ins after you receive a COVID-19 vaccine. For more information on v-safe, go to https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/safety/vsafe.html.
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Welcome aboard!
Tuesday, Apr 13, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Catching up on some more old news here. Sean Anderson has been on contract with Speaker Welch since January and Jaclyn Driscoll is a former Illinois Statehouse reporter…
Any unsolicited advice for the newbies?
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* The state’s gigantic drop in weekly unemployment applications has barely registered on the state’s media radar. But here’s a bit more good news from Greg Hinz…
Illinois usually comes out near the bottom of multi-state surveys on business conditions, with concerns over taxes, pensions and related matters rising to the fore. But a report out today suggests that the state is extremely well positioned to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic in a critical area: small business.
According to a study by WalletHub, a personal finance website, small businesses in Illinois are the sixth-best positioned of the 50 states to bounce back from COVID-19 as pandemic-related restrictions are lifted. […]
Though Illinois ranks no better than mediocre on things such as business conditions and financial support, the factor that counted most is the share of small companies and workers employed in industries highly affected by COVID. In other words, Illinois has a lot of firms in the “right” industries for a recovery now, such as arts and entertainment, education and other services.
Click here for the WalletHub stuff.
* Related…
* 28 closed or temporarily closed businesses on the Magnificent Mile: Block-by-block analysis of where North Michigan Avenue stands after impact of pandemic, unrest
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* I tried catching up on as much stuff as possible yesterday, but I still have a ways to go. Here’s my weekly syndicated newspaper column, which was published at the start of spring break…
Since 2006, federal law has capped annual interest rates on payday loans to active duty military members at 36 percent. The interest rate cap was broadened in 2015 to include several more types of personal, unsecured loans.
In Illinois, meanwhile, payday loan borrowers have been subjected to average annual interest rates of close to 300 percent.
Illinois lawmakers tried to tackle this issue in 2005, and passed a rate cap that was widely heralded. But the industry took advantage of a gaping loophole and then kept right on with their business.
That legislation was painstakingly negotiated over many months. Under the old regime of House Speaker Michael Madigan, most every interest was given a seat at the table and then they were told to hammer out their best deals. Madigan often said he was a big fan of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s use of that same method to pass much of his own legislation.
I don’t know about FDR, but MJM also had mouths to feed. The political machine he built (which was copied by the other legislative leaders) provided a path for his most favored former state staffers into contract lobbying jobs, where they continued running his campaign apparatus as well as representing a huge number of interests under the Statehouse dome. Hiring one of Madigan’s former staffers didn’t necessarily guarantee any specific industry a win, mainly because those folks represented all sides of almost every coin. But it did mean they were listened to. And oftentimes bills couldn’t move until their concerns were addressed, sometimes leading to very complicated laws that appeared on the surface to be wins for liberal Democrats, but, as with the payday loan bill, turned out to be paper tigers.
As always, there were notable exceptions during the years, but this overall approach began to change after the 2018 gubernatorial election. A new liberal Democratic governor and empowered progressive legislators and interests were no longer content to settle for incremental surface wins and pushed for big things like a $15 minimum wage. Madigan for decades would only agree to small minimum wage increases, but he quickly realized he couldn’t stand in the way of that freight train.
Then, as the Legislative Black Caucus truly united for the first time during the tumult of 2020 and began working on a massive package of reform legislation, Madigan found himself under fire from all corners. Federal prosecutors were clearly coming after him, and a steadily increasing number of his own caucus members were growing weary of his leadership and wanted him gone. He needed some allies and he needed them fast.
Those two phenomena, combined with a new and untested (because of the pandemic’s cancelation of 2020’s legislative session) Senate president, a national mood shift and numerous other factors, produced an environment that the Black Caucus fully took advantage of to pass a remarkable number of wide-ranging bills on criminal justice, education and the economy during the brief January lame duck session.
The days of Madigan’s “everyone at the table” incrementalism were ended by straight-up progressive bills that were far from watered down. Madigan’s long and storied career also ended in January. His gambit didn’t work.
Last week, Gov. Pritzker signed into law the Black Caucus’ huge package of bills dealing with economic reform. Among them was SB1792, a bill that basically applied the military’s simple but seemingly effective interest rate cap on payday and other personal loans. The payday loan folks expressed outrage at how they’d been cut out of the process and predicted their industry’s imminent demise.
We’ll see if the industry’s dire predictions turn out to be true, but it’s as plain as day that massive change is happening, not just in the types of bills that have passed, but in how they’ve passed.
The question now is whether January’s session was a super-intense brushfire that will burn itself out and/or be extinguished by more moderate Democrats, or whether the path the General Assembly is on will be sustained.
Case in point, Rep. Curtis Tarver’s,D-Chicago, bill to eliminate qualified immunity for police officers advanced out of committee last week.
The Black Caucus’ criminal justice reform bill originally contained that qualified immunity provision, as well as limits on collective bargaining rights for police unions. But their bill was only able to gain enough votes when they agreed to strip out those items at the request of some moderate Democrats.
Tarver’s bill could put more heat on those same moderates and create tension within the party. So, this bill could be one to watch.
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* Friday on Twitter…
* Saturday in the Tribune…
Populationwise, 1 in 5 Black Chicagoans has gotten a first dose while that number is 1 in 4 for Latino residents and 1 in 3 for white Chicagoans.
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[The following is a paid advertisement.]
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Learn more
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Open thread
Tuesday, Apr 13, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Heh…
Please do your best to keep your conversation Illinois-centric and polite. Thanks.
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