* Capitol News Illinois…
Lawmakers from both parties told officials from Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration on Thursday that the General Assembly should have some say in how the state spends the $7.5 billion in federal funds that Illinois expects to receive from the newly-enacted American Rescue Plan.
Those comments came during a virtual hearing of the House Revenue and Finance Committee that took place just hours after President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill into law.
“I think the legislature would like a say in appropriating money, given our role,” Rep. Michael Zalewski, D-Riverside, said to the director of the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget, Alexis Sturm. “So my hope is that you could convey that to the governor’s office and we can develop a framework to work together on that.” […]
In a separate interview Thursday, however, Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza said officials should not get too excited over the sudden influx of federal money.
“I think that, the first thing to keep in mind is that the majority of that money is spoken for, I do believe that,” Mendoza said. “As soon as we get that, the first thing that we should spend that stimulus money on is to pay back the money that we borrowed from the Federal Reserve for the state’s COVID and other medical expenses.”
* From the governor’s office late this afternoon…
“The Governor spoke with the Speaker and Senate President today about how the administration and the General Assembly can again collaborate on how to best use federal funds from the American Rescue Plan. The Governor appreciated the collaboration with the General Assembly last May to determine how to best use federal resources, and the partnership resulted in state investments that led the nation – especially in supporting childcare, small businesses and housing assistance.
“The administration has reached out to schedule initial meetings with members who lead the General Assembly’s appropriations work, and the Governor continues to look forward to collaborating again to build on the progress we made together last year. The Governor fundamentally believes that these one-time funds must be used responsibly to address the state’s debt and inject resources into the areas where they will have the most economic impact, with a special eye toward equity.”
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* Sun-Times earlier this week…
In a bid to vaccinate more people of color in neighborhoods hit hard by COVID-19, city officials Wednesday limited registration for United Center appointments to Chicagoans in a handful of South and Southwest Side neighborhoods.
Anyone who lives in the 60608, 60619, 60620, 60649 or 60652 ZIP codes can sign up for an appointment at events.juvare.com/chicago/UCPOD/ with the code “CCVICHICAGO,” or by reaching the multilingual call center at (312) 746-4835.
Chicago residents from outside those ZIP codes who try to sign up will have their appointments canceled, according to a city flyer circulated by several community groups.
Chicago will be allotted 60% of the vaccines administered at the United Center for its residents, while Cook County and the state determine rules for other residents. That’s the latest change in a signup process that has caused confusion from the start.
* Just got an anecdotal report about the United Center being a veritable ghost town…
A group of Illinois’ Democratic U.S. House members sent a letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Friday condemning this week’s rollout of the highly trumpeted United Center mass vaccination site, arguing the decision to restrict appointments to Chicago and Cook County residents on behalf of equity goals has angered some of their most vulnerable constituents.
The letter to acting FEMA Administrator Robert Fenton was signed by 11 of Illinois’ 13 Democratic House members, who represent at least parts of the suburbs and collar counties, and initiated by U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, a Deerfield Democrat.
“Many of our constituents who fall in the vulnerable category, but who don’t live in Chicago, felt frustrated with the recent determination to limit eligibility at the United Center Federal Mass Vaccination Center for Illinois residents,” the letter reads. “Their confusion was exacerbated with the abruptness of the announcement, and the consequent uncertainty surrounding their future access to a vaccination appointment.” […]
Other representatives who signed the letter were: U.S. Reps. Jan Schakowsky, of Evanston, Danny Davis, of Chicago, Sean Casten, of Downers Grove, Robin Kelly, of Matteson, Bill Foster, of Naperville, Jesús “Chuy” García, of Chicago, Raja Krishnamoorthi, of Schaumburg, Bobby Rush, of Chicago, Mike Quigley, of Chicago, and Marie Newman, of La Grange.
The letter from the representatives said they too share the goal of equitable distribution, but completely barring some of their constituents from United Center appointments was an unfair “departure” from the operation’s original purpose of serving Illinoisans, they said. The lawmakers also lambasted the last-minute changes as particularly anguishing for those with health conditions that put them at higher risk of severe illness or death from COVID-19.
Interestingly enough, every Black and Brown US Rep. signed that letter [except for Lauren Underwood, but she has an exurban district].
* Yesterday…
On Thursday, Gov. Pritzker explained the recent limitations added to the United Center vaccination site.
It comes after complaints, frustration and accusations that the rules were changed in the middle of the game. […]
“It’s not a state site, it’s a federal site. We’re very glad to have it. Let me be clear,” Pritzker said. “We get 6,000 doses a day.”
The United Center’s mass vaccination site was hailed at the largest in the state, run by FEMA. It was initially open to the public for anyone 16 and over with an underlying condition, but that soon changed.
“FEMA decided to change the rules,” Pritzker said. “FEMA decided that there wasn’t enough equity that was being achieved with the location at the United Center. They had hoped to get more Black and Brown people in to get shots so they changes some of the rules, locations and zip codes for people.”
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It’s just a bill
Friday, Mar 12, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Oops. Back to the ol’ drawing board…
State Rep. Charlie Meier, R-Okawville, introduced a bill in committee Wednesday that would have created the Eviction Moratorium Clarification Act. It provides that in any eviction moratorium issued by the governor through Executive Order or legislation passed by the General Assembly, the moratorium shall not prohibit the eviction of some people.
Meier told the House committee Wednesday he wants to go after so-called “bad actors” who receive federal rental assistance, but don’t pay their rent.
“We believe that if the tenants have taken the rent money while working, buying new vehicles, going on vacations, that the landlord should have been paid,” Meier said. […]
State Rep. Will Guzzardi took issue with the wording of the bill at a House committee hearing Wednesday.
“That is not how the program works,” he said. “The money was sent to the landlords and not to the tenants, so I believe that this bill maybe attempting to solve a problem that is not if fact happening.”
* Greg Hinz…
A coalition of progressive union and activist groups has unveiled its wish list for this spring’s legislative session, and sponsors certainly are dreaming big, seeking everything from background checks for all gun transfers to statewide sex-education standards for grade and high schools, to 100 percent use of clean energy, and restored voting rights for prison inmates.
The package “demonstrates the Forward Illinois commitment to our shared values of inclusion, opportunity, equity, justice, security, and the freedom to be who you are,” Myles Brady, communications director at Equality Illinois, said in a statement and in a web press conference. […]
Each of the bills backed by Forward Illinois has been introduced in written form and has a sponsor and at least some prospect of advancing in the Democratic-controlled General Assembly. But passage is far from guaranteed, with foes of all of the proposals likely to surface and some splits even among left-leaning groups.
* There’s only so much the GA can do…
A new Illinois law caps insulin prices for those with state-regulated insurance plans, but some lawmakers are saying that is not enough and more needs to be done to address prescription drug prices.
In January, Illinois became the second state in the country to cap insulin costs. The law caps out-of-pocket insulin costs at $100 per month, but only for people covered by a state-regulated insurance plan. That covers about 20% of the plans available in the state. As a result, many Illinoisans still pay much more for insulin.
State Rep. Will Guzzardi, the sponsor of the law, said he’s heard stories about what he calls miscommunication around the question of what it means to be state-regulated.
“You may have seen reports in the media of people who saw that this bill took effect on January 1st of this year and raced down to the pharmacy to get their prescription filled and found out that their plan wasn’t covered by the cap and they’re still paying these high prices,” Guzzardi said.
* Related…
* Lawmakers want role in spending federal stimulus money
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* Press release…
Public Health Officials Announce 1,763 New Cases of Coronavirus Disease
Approximately 54% of those 65 years and older vaccinated in Illinois
SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 1,763 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 39 additional deaths.
- Adams County: 1 male 80s
- Cass County: 1 male 80s
- Clark County: 1 female 50s
- Cook County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 70s
- DuPage County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s
- Edwards County: 1 male 90s
- Fulton County: 1 female 90s
- Grundy County: 1 female 70s
- Iroquois County: 1 female 70s
- Kane County: 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
- Lake County: 1 female 80s
- Madison County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 60s, 1 male 70s, 1 male 90s
- Massac County: 1 female 80s
- McDonough County: 1 female 60s
- McHenry County: 1 male 90s
- Morgan County: 1 male 80s
- Peoria County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 90s
- Saline County: 1 male 70s
- Sangamon County: 1 female 80s
- Shelby County: 1 male 80s
- St. Clair County: 1 female 70s
- Stephenson County: 1 female 80s
- Washington County: 1 male 50s
- Will County: 1 male 50s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s, 2 females 90s
- Williamson County: 1 female 90s
- Winnebago County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 90s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,206,172 cases, including 20,901 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 93,913 specimens for a total of 18,988,565. As of last night, 1,128 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 240 patients were in the ICU and 108 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from March 5-11, 2021 is 2.3%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from March 5-11, 2021 is 2.6%.
A total of doses of 4,501,155 vaccine have been delivered to providers in Illinois, including Chicago. In addition, approximately 414,900 doses total have been allocated to the federal government’s Pharmacy Partnership Program for long-term care facilities. This brings the total Illinois doses to 4,916,055. A total of 3,791,273 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight, including 353,655 for long-term care facilities. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 95,121 doses. Yesterday, 110,570 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.
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* I told subscribers about this on Monday…
Democratic Party of Illinois Chair Robin Kelly today announced she has formed a Transition Committee to gather input from Democratic leaders on the vision for the future of the Democratic Party of Illinois.
“Over the last several weeks, I have seen the energy and excitement of so many Democratic leaders and Democrats across Illinois who share in my vision of a more inclusive and engaged Democratic Party of Illinois,” Kelly said. “With input from a tremendous group of Democratic leaders around the state, we will begin the work of inspiring and expanding our party.”
The DPI Transition Committee will be chaired by Democratic State Central Committee Member Iris Martinez and political consultant Scott Kennedy, and co-chaired by Robert Blackwell Jr., Commissioner Michael Cabonargi, Sen. Cristina Castro, Rocco Claps, Michael Cudzik, Ald. Michelle Harris, Hanah Jubeh, Nancy Shepherdson, Patrick Watson, and Abby Witt. The Transition Committee includes other DSCC members and Democratic leaders with unique experiences to shape the vision of DPI. A full list of Transition Committee members is attached.
All recommendations and input from the Transition Committee will be brought to the DSCC before final decisions are made. Kelly also encouraged Democratic leaders with specific ideas to share to email contact@ildems.com.
I worked with Hanah Jubeh on more stories the last few weeks than I have in quite a while. Besides her work for Kelly, she also worked for 23rd Ward Democratic Committeeperson Silvana Tabares during the Madigan replacement saga.
* Anyway, this transition committee is kinda on the huge side…
* Related…
* Women that make Bradley’s history
* Robin Kelly’s election as Illinois Democratic Party chair signals start of more open era
* U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly speaks in Springfield
* Suburban Democrats view Kelly’s party chair victory as a win for suburbs
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COVID-19 roundup
Friday, Mar 12, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Read the whole thing…
Abandoning masks and social distancing now would be the worst possible move for Americans and their political leaders. The 1918 pandemic teaches us why. […]
(I)n the past several months, different variants have surfaced almost simultaneously in Britain, South Africa, Brazil, and now in California and New York. Each of these variants has independently developed similar and in some cases identical mutations and achieved greater transmissibility by binding more efficiently to human cells.
A virus that binds more efficiently to cells it infects would, logic suggests, also be more likely to bind to a larger number of cells, which could, in turn, increase disease severity and lethality. On Wednesday, BMJ, formerly the British Medical Journal, reported that Britain’s so-called U.K. variant was 64 percent more lethal than the virus it replaced.
There is not enough data to evaluate the variants first identified in South Africa and Brazil, but whether or not they are also more lethal, one thing is certain — more variants will arise. Mutations are random. Most either make the virus so defective it can’t function or have no impact at all. But this virus has already demonstrated that it can become more deadly and evade some immune protection, making vaccines less effective. If we allow the virus additional opportunities to mutate, it will have more opportunities to become the worst version of itself. […]
There is no reason to expect that this virus will suddenly turn into 1918. There are limits as to how far it can mutate. But the more people who abandon masks and social distancing, the more infections can be expected — and the more variants will emerge.
* Unreal…
More here from the Tribune.
* NYT…
As spikes in virus infections and exposures have forced more educators to stay home, the teacher shortage — exacerbated by limited access to COVID-19 testing and contact tracing — is among the main reasons that schools and even entire districts have had to shut down in-person instruction, often for weeks on end.
* Mitch Dudek at the Sun-Times…
Soldiers running the mass vaccination site at the United Center have been hungry because they haven’t been fed enough food, a problem the Army says it’s aware of and trying to fix.
There are 222 soldiers, most from the 101st Airborne Division, who are staffing the vaccination site that opened Tuesday.
The soldiers arrived in Chicago on Friday and the food that’s been supplied to them since through a vendor hasn’t been adequate, Capt. Harpa Magnusdottir, an Army spokeswoman, acknowledged Wednesday. […]
Military spokesman Tim Lundberg said the issue arose because the contract with the vendor “wasn’t in firm enough language to ensure the food requirement was being met.” […]
[The wife of one of the soldiers working at the site] pointed to one meal consisting of a small salad and an orange and said her husband had lost weight since he’d been in Chicago.
Oh, for Pete’s sake.
* Kyra Senese and Eric Fan at the Sun-Times…
When the coronavirus first hit Chicago and Cook County last spring, Black residents bore the brunt of the surging death toll.
But over the past year, as Cook County deaths have climbed toward 10,000, the virus has wreaked havoc in nearly every corner of the region. Low-income communities of all ethnicities have been hit especially hard, from the heavily Hispanic neighborhoods around Cicero to majority-white areas like Niles and Oak Lawn.
Early pandemic hot spots like South Shore have been surpassed by communities like Cicero, where two low-rated nursing homes and a profusion of multifamily apartment buildings have led to consistently high death rates, according to interviews with public health experts and government officials and an analysis of Cook County death data and medical records by the Chicago Sun-Times and the Brown Institute for Media Innovation’s Documenting COVID-19 project.
The number of total deaths in Cook County is only below the dense counties that makeup New York City and Los Angeles. Cook County also ranks in the top third of large U.S. counties in per-capita COVID-19 death rate, at 193 deaths per 100,000 people — far behind the nation’s hardest-hit areas, such as the Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn, but far worse than metro areas like Cleveland, Dallas and Manhattan.
* Manny Ramos at the Sun-Times…
Linda Blunt sat anxiously in the lobby of the Garden House Apartments in Maywood on Thursday, awaiting her turn to receive the single-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.
She chatted merrily with her neighbors, bounced her legs and held her registration papers tight. Blunt, 65, was more than ready to move on, a year after the pandemic led to a lockdown that has kept her away from her family. […]
Blunt was among 100 residents, caregivers and staff of the senior living community, 515 S. 2nd Ave. in Maywood, who registered to get COVID-19 shots at Cook County Public Health’s pop-up vaccination event. […]
Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch grew up just down the street from the Garden House. It was a special moment for him, Welch said, to see his constituents and neighbors finally being vaccinated.
* Chicago Tribune live blog headlines…
City investigators cite eight businesses for COVID-19 violations
Fully vaccinated but scared to remove your mask? Experts say getting back to a mask-free norm may take time for some.
One year after the St. Patrick’s party raged, Chicago bars say they can’t risk bending the rules: ‘The challenging part will be turning people away’
How did life change during the last year of the pandemic? Here’s what readers told us, in 7 charts.
Biden sets May 1 target to have all adults vaccine-eligible, outlines plan for ‘independence from this virus’ by Fourth of July.
Health experts say not to hold out for a certain vaccine. But Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson doses are available in Illinois. Can you choose?
Cook County deploys mobile vaccination teams as details of United Center sign-ups for suburban residents to come next week.
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MLB open thread
Friday, Mar 12, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I have an errand to run, but it shouldn’t take too long. Until then…
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* Sarah Mansur at Capitol News Illinois…
State Rep. Thaddeus Jones’ name was legally placed on a February primary ballot seeking the Democratic nomination for Calumet City mayor, according to an Illinois Supreme Court opinion released Thursday.
But it’s unclear whether the opinion authorizes the Calumet City Democrat to be sworn in as that city’s mayor if he wins the April 6 General Election and remains a state lawmaker, according to an attorney for the city. That’s still in question, because the residents of Calumet City passed a referendum in November prohibiting anyone who holds an office created by the state’s constitution from serving as mayor.
The Supreme Court was ruling on an issue of timing regarding the local referendum’s effective date, not on the legality of Jones holding both positions – state law allows members of the General Assembly to hold another elected office.
Jones filed his nomination papers for Calumet City mayor on Nov. 16. Nearly two weeks earlier, on Nov. 3, voters in Calumet City passed a local referendum that prohibited a person from seeking mayoral office “if, at the time for filing nomination papers, that person also holds an elected, paid office created by the Constitution of the State of Illinois.” […]
According to [Ross Secler, attorney for the city] it is possible that Calumet City, the Cook County State’s Attorney or the Illinois Attorney General could seek to enforce the newly passed referendum and prevent Jones from being seated as mayor.
Or, Secler said, it is possible that Jones will resign from his position as state representative.
Secler is an associate with Burt Odelson’s law firm.
The Illinois Supreme Court opinion is here.
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* Center for Tax and Budget Accountability…
The FY 2022 Proposed General Fund Budget (the “FY 2022 GF Proposal”) makes one fact abundantly clear: spending on services is not driving the state’s fiscal problems. After acknowledging bolder plans for the upcoming fiscal year, Governor Pritzker ultimately proposed spending $27.748 billion on public services, which is roughly the same in nominal dollars as FY 2021. After adjusting for inflation, however, the total amount of spending on services proposed for FY 2022 would be $434 million less in real terms than in FY 2021.
Which means the often repeated contention that Illinois’s fiscal problems are caused by profligate spending on services is simply not supported by the data. Indeed, quite the contrary is true. As Governor Pritzker noted during his budget address: “Illinois state government already spends less money per person than the majority of states in the nation.”
Big picture, Illinois’ ongoing disinvestment in General Fund services is harming communities across the state for one simple reason: over 95 percent of all such spending goes to the four, core areas of Education (including Early Childhood, K-12, and Higher Education), Healthcare, Human Services, and Public Safety.
So what drove Illinois to embark on its long-term course of disinvesting in core, General Fund services? A structural deficit caused by flawed tax policy that generates inadequate revenue growth over-time; and the unaffordable back-loaded schedule for repaying the debt the state owes to its five public pension systems.
The full report is here.
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* Emily McCormick…
U.S. states saw new jobless claims fall more than expected to reach a four-month low last week, as impending spring weather and more vaccine-driven business reopenings allow hiring to pick up.
The Department of Labor released its weekly report on new jobless claims on Thursday at 8:30 a.m. ET. Here were the main metrics included in the report, compared to consensus data compiled by Bloomberg:
• Initial jobless claims, week ended March 6: 712,000 vs. 725,000 expected and a revised 754,000 during the prior week
• Continuing claims, week ended February 27: 4.144 million vs. 4.200 million expected and a revised 4.337 million during the prior week
* CBS 2…
The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) reported 57,483 new unemployment claims were filed last week, a nearly 16% decrease from the week before, when 68,111 people filed.
For comparison, during the same timeframe last year, 8,727people filed claims in Illinois. That’s a 559% increase. […]
Illinois’ latest claims make up about 8% of the estimated 712,000 filed across the country last week.
There were 68,383 new unemployment claims filed during the week of Feb. 15 in Illinois.
* Lourdes Duarte, Andrew Schroedter at WGN…
There appears to be no end in sight to the avalanche of fraudulent unemployment filings in Illinois.
In the latest twist, the owner of a Northwest Side bridal shop called WGN Investigates after a stack of letters from the Illinois Department of Employment Security arrived at her business. The letters asked her to verify unemployment claims for 10 people.
But here’s the rub: They were sent to her address, but she didn’t recognize a single name. Not one person had worked at the bridal shop. There was even one in her mother’s name. […]
“The states are so overwhelmed, they haven’t figured out how to keep this from happening,” Terry Savage, a personal finance expert, said.
Savage has been tracking trends in fake unemployment claims since the start of the pandemic. Savage said scammers are constantly coming up with different ways to trick the system, including using random addresses to file claims.
*** UPDATE *** IDES…
The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today that the unemployment rate decreased -0.3 percentage point to 7.7 percent, while nonfarm payrolls were up +9,700 jobs in January, based on preliminary data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and released by IDES. The December monthly change in payrolls was revised from the preliminary report, from -2,500 to -9,200 jobs. The December unemployment rate was revised from the preliminary report, rising +0.4 percentage point to 8.0 percent.
The January payroll jobs estimate and unemployment rate reflects activity for the week including the 12th. The BLS has published FAQs for the January payroll jobs and the unemployment rate.
In January, the three industry sectors with the largest over-the-month gains in employment were: Professional and Business Services (+11,500), Leisure and Hospitality (+5,100), and Other Services (+2,400). The industry sectors that reported the largest monthly payroll declines were: Financial Activities (-6,400), Construction (-3,200), and Government (-1,800).
“While the unemployment rate and job markets continue to be impacted by the ongoing effects of COVID-19, with vaccination rates continuing to increase, we are focused on building a strong recovery on the other side of this pandemic,” said Deputy Governor Dan Hynes. “This administration is fully committed to supporting individuals displaced from their jobs and ensuring small businesses and working families have the support they need to recover and grow in a post-pandemic economy.”
“Today’s data shows that Illinois is making steady progress in restoring jobs and building towards economic recovery,” said Sylvia Garcia, Acting Director of the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). “Under Governor Pritzker’s leadership, we have deployed over $1 billion to date in emergency relief programs to help some of the hardest hit businesses and communities in our state. The recent passage of the American Rescue Plan will further support our economic recovery with additional emergency relief to help build back key industries, support our workforce, and provide targeted investments for businesses and communities that need it most.”
The state’s unemployment rate was +1.4 percentage point higher than the national unemployment rate reported for January, which was 6.3 percent, down -0.4 percentage point from the previous month. The Illinois unemployment rate was up +4.2 percentage points from a year ago when it was 3.5 percent.
Compared to a year ago, nonfarm payroll employment decreased by -504,800 jobs, with losses across all major industries. The industry groups with the largest jobs decreases were: Leisure and Hospitality (-216,600), Government (-71,100) and Educational and Health Services (-65,400). Illinois nonfarm payrolls were down -8.2 percent over-the-year as compared to the nation’s -6.3 percent over-the-year decline in January.
The number of unemployed workers fell from the prior month, a -3.6 percent decrease to 473,000, and was up +114.0 percent over the same month for the prior year. The labor force was down -0.1 percent over-the-month and down -3.5 percent over-the-year. The unemployment rate identifies those individuals who are out of work and seeking employment. An individual who exhausts or is ineligible for benefits is still reflected in the unemployment rate if they actively seek work.
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* WJBC…
A Pekin woman said she wants to be Illinois’ next U.S. Senator, replacing incumbent Democrat Tammy Duckworth.
Allison Salinas said she’s running as a Republican, having gained attention for staging “Open Graduations” last year because commencement ceremonies were prohibited in Illinois due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Salinas also organized “Back the Blue” and “Open Business” rallies in several communities to show support for people in uniform and small businesses.
* WMBD TV…
Allison Salinas is running on a platform of healthcare, school choice, infrastructure, and immigration. She has previously hosted “Back the Blue” rallies in Peoria. […]
Regarding school choice, Salinas believes public schools are saturated with government and unions dictating what children learn. She would prefer for parents to be aligned with what their children learn.
Lots more at the link.
* Meanwhile, lots of folks were all atwitter about this topic yesterday…
And people wonder why I refuse to cooperate with cable TV shows. I know everyone will be tempted to blow a gasket over this, but try to keep the vitriol to a minimum in comments, please. Thanks.
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* Sun-Times…
Illinois counties, municipalities and townships will receive $250 million for transportation needs Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Thursday, unveiling the third installment of funds as part of the Rebuild Illinois capital program.
Chicago will receive $29.6 million for its infrastructure projects, according to the governor’s office.
“This difficult year has brought a whole lot of challenges, but it’s also underscored the vital importance of smart investments that open stable and steady doors for our working families and that fortify the bonds that tie our neighborhoods together,” Pritzker said. “Rebuild Illinois is exactly the kind of job-creating, community-shaping initiative that makes things happen for our people from construction to completion.” […]
In 2020, the state improved 1,700 miles of highway, over 120 bridges and completed 600 highway projects. In the first half of the current fiscal year, the state has improved 1,300 miles of highway, 65 bridges, awarded 270 new projects and completed “major initiatives” like the Chicago Veterans Home, Pritzker said.
Illinois Secretary of Transportation Omer Osman said the money announced Thursday will be the third of six installments for transportation infrastructure projects.
The list is here.
* Yesterday’s announcement in DeKalb was bipartisan…
“I was proud to help pass legislation for Illinois to once again invest in our infrastructure. We live in an incredible state with unlimited potential,” said Rep. Jeff Keicher (R-Sycamore). “We can realize the dreams of generations if we work together on platforms for success like this. We can and will put Illinois on a path to a prosperous tomorrow with our hard work today.”
“Access to a robust transportation network makes it possible for new jobs and projects to come to cities and towns across Illinois. Today’s investment is made possible by a historic capital bill that provided new transportation funding and made Illinois more economically competitive. We’re already seeing many positive results from that legislation here in DeKalb County,” said Rep. Tom Demmer (R-Dixon).
* Meanwhile…
MORRIS - Building on efforts to ensure the equitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine across Illinois, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced that nine critical access hospitals were selected as part of the Safety Net Direct Vaccine Allocation Pilot program.
This is the next phase of the vaccine pilot program the administration announced on March 3, 2021, in which five federally qualified health centers and four safety net hospitals started receiving vaccine doses directly from the federal government. This next phase specifically targets rural communities, providing hundreds of doses to each site per week.
That announcement was also bipartisan. A small sampling of quotes..
“As we continue with the state’s vaccination rollout, it’s crucial that the more rural areas of Illinois are not forgotten and overlooked,” said Sen. Dale Fowler (R-Harrisburg). “Especially here in Southern Illinois where gaining access or traveling to vaccine sites proves to be more of a challenge, we have to ensure that we are doing everything we can bring vaccine availability to our residents. I’m encouraged to learn that Hamilton Memorial Hospital will be receiving critical vaccine dosages and hope that we continue to expand vaccine access in the region.”
“The medical teams and staff at both Taylorville Memorial Hospital and Hillsboro Area Hospital have been working diligently to improve the health of those within their communities and this substantial increase in the COVID-19 vaccine supply is urgently needed,” said Sen. Doris Turner (D-Springfield). “We are certainly making strides to bring this pandemic to an end as we’ve seen more hospitals receive additional dosages. I am proud of this administration’s efforts to target vulnerable areas where residents have experienced limited access to the vaccine.”
* One more press release…
Governor JB Pritzker today announced a new plan for ending food insecurity across the state put forward by the Illinois Commission to End Hunger. The new plan, titled “From Food Insecurity to Food Equity: A Roadmap to End Hunger,” advances a three-part strategy for connecting residents in need to nutrition assistance programs while simultaneously promoting equitable access to food. The plan was compiled with input from various state agencies and stakeholders located across the state and will guide the administration’s work to achieve meaningful progress towards ending hunger in the coming years. To view the complete plan, click here.
Bipartisan statements as well…
“This road map identifies a three-pronged strategy that is critically needed to address the food insecurities that far too many Illinoisans face every day,” said Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris). “I look forward to working with the other members of the Commission to End Hunger as we continue our efforts to ensure that no one in Illinois has to face hunger ever again.”
“Too many were struggling from food insecurity and lack of access to nourishment even before the pandemic,” said Sen. Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago). “Lack of nourishment is linked to a plethora of health problems and must be put to an end. Everyone deserves access to healthy food, regardless of race, region, or income. I am happy to support this initiative and see these disparities eradicated in Illinois.”
* But not everything was sweetness and light yesterday…
Following the Grundy County mass vaccination site’s opening ceremony, State Senator Sue Rezin (R-Morris) is continuing to raise questions regarding the state’s vaccine rollout, and released the following statement:
“While I am overjoyed that Grundy County has received the additional vaccines we have been seeking on their behalf, the Illinois Senate Republican Caucus still has several outstanding questions regarding the Pritzker Administration’s vaccination rollout.”
“After speaking with over 45 local county health departments, our Caucus compiled a vaccination rollout report that identifies the top logistical issues they shared with us along with their suggestions for improvement. We sent the Governor this report on March 4, and have still received no response. We have continually asked the Governor’s administration to provide more transparency on his vaccination rollout data, including his formula for allocation and why some counties are receiving far more vaccinations than others, so we can better understand the process and communicate it to our constituents.
“We all want to do everything we can to save as many lives as possible and to quickly bring an end to this public health crisis. The governor has chosen a go-it-alone approach from the very beginning of this pandemic and it is up to him to improve the transparency of his operation so everyone – legislators, public health officials and the general public alike – can understand his process.”
Click here to view a copy of the Illinois Senate Republicans’ vaccination rollout report. Additionally, click here to view a copy of the letter that Leader Dan McConchie and Deputy Leader Sue Rezin sent to Governor Pritzker on March 4.
* Response from Jordan Abudayyeh dated March 8th…
Illinois has administered over 3.1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to our residents, the fifth highest in the nation – including 132,000 shots on Thursday, a new one-day record for Illinois. So far, more than 21% of Illinoisans 16 and over have been vaccinated, including over 47% of our seniors 65 and over. As of the morning of March 5th, Illinois is first among the ten largest states for percentage of population receiving at least one dose of the vaccine.
While we – and the nation – have a ways to go in getting vaccine into the arms of everyone who wants one, Illinois’ relative strength to date is a product of the great work of our 97 local public health departments, pharmacies, hospitals, federally qualified health centers, Illinois National Guard, state-run mass vax sites and healthcare professionals across the state. The COVID-19 vaccination rollout will prove one of the most difficult tasks of our lifetimes, and while Illinois’ network of local health departments are doing an incredible job reaching their communities, the process is undeniably exhausting for our frontline healthcare heroes who have been working so hard for months – not just in the vaccine rollout, but for the entirety of the last year. For that reason and more, IDPH continues to provide LHDs with a host of resources and opportunities for feedback as we navigate this process together – and, because LHDs can’t go it alone, IDPH continues to expand the number of providers in the state able to distribute vaccine, such as the recently announced FQHC expansion program direct from the state’s allocation.
The administration welcomes all willing partners in combating misinformation about vaccines, educating constituents about the vaccine availability timeline, spreading the word about vaccination opportunities, helping less tech-savvy family members access appointments, and lifting up our local health departments as they charge ahead in this final marathon stretch.
1. Vaccine allocation
• Doses delivered to the state of Illinois have increased in recent weeks, but still fall short of demand. The Biden Administration recently started providing states with longer lead time on projected dose deliveries, a major improvement for planning purposes both at the state and local level. Local health departments started receiving projections for the upcoming three weeks of deliveries on February 12. Doses are distributed to counties based on population. Counties that have demonstrated the ability to manage vaccination efforts efficiently have had additional doses directed to their region, while IDPH has directed resources and additional personnel to counties that have had doses sitting in inventory longer than necessary. IDPH is currently working to publish the county allocation numbers and that information will be publicly available soon.
• It is important to note local health departments outside of Chicago are not the only entities the state is allocating doses to. The state has more than 850 sites, including nearly 20 state-supported Illinois National Guard sites, and we’ve worked with our federal partners to establish a FEMA site at the United Center, bringing thousands of weekly doses into Illinois outside of our state-specific allocation. The federal government also delivers doses directly to pharmacies and federally qualified health centers in Illinois beyond our state allocation. To further expand our support for underserved communities, Illinois is sending additional deliveries from our state allocation to federally qualified health centers and safety-net hospitals around the state starting early next week.
• Allocations are already publicly available by state from the CDC, such as the National Weekly Pfizer and Moderna allocation dashboards.
• Illinois makes inventory, # of administered vaccines, and % population fully vaccinated available on a by-county basis.
2. Vaccine availability
• Local health departments are receiving vaccine as quickly as the state can get it to them, but as President Biden recently stated, the national supply won’t match the adult population until the end of May – an incredible feat by public health standards, but still a frustrating timeline for those who have not yet received a vaccine. To date, the CDC has only sent about 110 million doses of vaccine (and since the vast, vast majority of those represent a two-dose regimen, that’s only enough vaccine to vaccinate roughly 15 percent of Americans). As of March 5th, Illinois has given at least a first dose to 21 percent of our 16+ population, including to over 47 percent of our seniors.
• Illinois is building out our vaccination administration infrastructure so that no resident has to drive an exorbitant distance to access the vaccine – what’s more, we recognize that not every resident has access to long-haul transportation. While state government cannot go out and purchase more vaccine that would arrive more quickly than what the federal government has already secured, the federal government continues to ramp up supply, with more than 100,000 doses slated to come into Illinois per day on average starting later this month.
3. Delivery Communication
• The administration is in constant communication with our local health departments, understanding that this is a task far greater than anything they’ve taken on previously. In additional to weekly calls and multiple weekly opportunities for engagement, including office hours with the Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases and the Assistant Director, IDPH offers webinars, guidance, and collaborative opportunities for departments to learn from one another. IDPH has also assigned regional health officers and emergency response coordinators for each region.
• Local health departments and IDPH have a historic working relationship that continues to serve as the backbone of this all-hands-on-deck rollout.
4. Qualified Technicians
• IDPH has already expanded the number of people who can administer the vaccine while still recognizing the specific clinical background that best supports vaccine administration.
• Illinois has no lack of qualified technicians – currently, we have more doctors able to administer the vaccine than we have supply. As vaccine supply grows, more and more of these localized physicians offices will come online as micro-distribution sites.
5. Financial resources
• Of Illinois’ $90 million allocation, $25 million went to local health department for their vaccination efforts. The vast majority of the money is specifically earmarked for the broad COVID-19 response, not just vaccination, including testing and contact tracing.
• The state is not sitting on a blank check. We run mobile teams, provide PR and education marketing support, and have contracted with additional 3rd party vendors.
• The American Rescue Plan, which passed the House without a single vote from Illinois’ Republican Congressional delegation, contains an additional $20 billion to create a national COVID-19 vaccination program. As we have more funding coming in from the federal government, the local health departments will see their fair share.
6. Vaccine Registration
• Illinois makes all vax sites in the state available at coronavirus.illinois.gov and includes booking information for all sites. IDPH has incentivized all local health departments to use our centralized EM Track booking service in order to free up more manpower for vaccinations. IDPH continues to work with LHDs to bring this service online if they haven’t already
• The state hotline for appointments will be up and running shortly.
• The United Center, the largest vaccination site in the state available to residents of every county, has a website and a phone number available to make appointments. As of March 5th, over 30,000 seniors have signed up during the senior-exclusive booking period that runs through this coming Sunday afternoon. Tens of thousands of appointments remain available as of this morning.
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Question of the day
Thursday, Mar 11, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* At the end of a 1200-word Chicago Crusader piece entitled “Lisa Madigan for Governor?”…
With the political climate in bloom for female political leaders and her strong reputation, Lisa Madigan may have a chance at beating Pritzker in 2022. There may also be challenges. Some voters may have forgotten about Lisa Madigan, and others may confuse her with her father’s tarnished reputation.
Retired U.S. Senator Roland Burris, who served as Illinois Attorney General from 1991 to 1995, said Lisa Madigan would have a difficult time defeating an incumbent Democratic governor because of the limited Democratic voter base in Chicago and Illinois.
“I think she would have a tough time in the Primary. If she can win the Primary, she can win the General Election.”
However, Burris acknowledged that Lisa Madigan would win because of her name and reputation.
“Lisa is smart, shrewd, tough and very confident,” he said.
I don’t know whether to laugh about this story or try to take it seriously.
* The Question: Laugh or serious? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please…
survey hosting
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President Obama Wants Lawmakers To Stop Gerrymandering
Thursday, Mar 11, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Are we going to continue with political maps hammered out in backroom deals or are our lawmakers ready to strive for the ideals set out by President Obama?
“The movement for fair maps will determine the course of progress on every issue we care about for the next decade.” - August, 2019
“I think people don’t completely appreciate how much gerrymandering affects the outcome [of elections],” Obama said. “You can draw a district that almost guarantees one party is going to win instead of another because you have voter histories and you have a sense of where people are typically going to vote.” - September, 2020
“I’d love to see changes at the state level that reduce political gerrymandering.” - January, 2015
“Regardless of our party affiliations,” he says, gerrymandering is “not good for our democracy.” - July, 2018
“We have to end the practice of drawing our congressional districts so that politicians can pick their voters and not the other way around.” - January, 2016
Learn more at CHANGEIL.org.
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* Question asked of Senate President Don Harmon this week…
Q: You have been arguing for years that Illinois needs a graduated income tax to fix the state’s structural deficit. In fact you sponsored the constitutional amendment that voters rejected last fall. Do you still think Illinois needs a graduated income tax? And if so, when would be the right time to make that argument again?
A: As you said, I sponsored this and worked on it for a long time. I think as a policy matter it’s an important tool. But the message I took from the voters rejection of this proposal was they would like us to go back to the drawing board and make hard decisions about how we spend the money they send to Springfield. So I expect we’re going to be going through that exercise, looking at difficult decisions. But I do not anticipate any sort of a general tax increase, nor do I anticipate quickly to put a fair tax back on the ballot.
* Same essential question for Harmon by a different outlet with a very similar response…
“The lesson I took from the election in 2020 was that the voters aren’t ready for the ‘Fair Tax,’” Harmon said, referring to the drubbing voters gave the proposal last fall. “I still think it’s the right policy, but I’m listening to the voters, and I think they’ve asked us to come down here, sharpen our pencils, and come up with a responsible balanced budget without a general tax increase.”
Case closed, move on.
* Speaking of the budget, Mark Maxwell asked about the federal American Rescue Plan Act…
“We’re reviewing it,” [Harmon] said. “I hope it will provide some one-time resources to solve one-time problems. We still have to look at our structural budget issues.”
“We should not look at this as a windfall,” state senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield) cautioned on Monday.
She mimicked some lawmakers might think, ‘Oh, gosh, isn’t this great? Now we don’t have to worry about being thoughtful and creative in our budgeting.’”
“Absolutely the opposite,” she said. “Illinois’ economy, as we know, has got a lot of issues, a lot of long-term problems. We need to not take this as a gift, but just as a break — a pause — so that we can stabilize a little bit.”
* More on that topic from Center Square…
Illinois’ state budget is set to get $7.5 billion.
Comptroller Susana Mendoza said $3 billion of that will pay down short-term borrowing the state took on.
During an Illinois House committee hearing Wednesday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s budget director Alexis Sturm said they’ll be evaluating how to spend the money.
“I think most people are interested in the state stabilization dollars, recovery dollars, those we kind of need to wait and see what the funds can be used for,” Sturm said. “Primarily the expectation is that it’s going to be used for necessary expenditures for COVID response, so things that are COVID related. That could be healthcare costs, it could be our direct response. We’ll see what the guidance says from the federal government.”
“They do mention water, sewer and broadband specifically,” she said. “So those do align with projects we have appropriations for in our budget.”
Just, please, pretty please, heed Harmon and don’t create a bunch of new long-term programs with one-time cash infusions that will require the state to find the money to pay for them when the federal money runs dry.
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* Not a great result for the governor…
A new poll shared with Playbook indicates Illinois residents have a mixed opinion about Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who has now spent a third of his term managing the coronavirus pandemic.
The survey, conducted by 1892 Polling, a firm that counted former Gov. Bruce Rauner as a client during his successful 2014 gubernatorial campaign, shows 40.6 percent of Illinois residents view Pritzker favorably, compared to 41.0 percent who don’t and 18 percent who so far have no opinion.
Most of the other questions examine education issues and culture wars. The survey of 800 residents was commissioned by the American Council on Trustees and Alumni, a conservative nonprofit group that advocates for trustees to have a greater role in decision-making on college campuses and pushes against what it sees as liberal ideas related to intolerance. Lynne Cheney, wife of the former Vice President Dick Cheney, previously headed the organization.
Interviews were done Feb. 17 through 21 by cell phones and landlines for the poll that has a ± 3.5 percent margin of error. The poll states 39 percent of respondents identified as Democrats, 25 percent were Republican, and 27 percent Independent and many had mostly favorable views of the Black Lives Matter movement, police officers, teachers unions, and their local school boards.
But multiple questions in the survey address ACTA’s interest in culture wars issues, particularly around academia and race.
One question asks if public universities in Illinois are too liberal or conservative (35 percent of respondents said too liberal, 36 percent said fair, and 6 percent said too conservative).
And while 42 percent of those interviewed think Americans are “too politically correct,” 41 percent think Americans aren’t politically correct enough or are just right.
Other areas of the poll address “culturally responsive” education, which was passed by the Illinois General Assembly last month, and show a slant to the questioning. Republicans have criticized the effort as serving up liberal politics in the classroom and the poll reflects that by asking people whether teachers should “embrace progressive viewpoints” and prioritize “social justice advocacy” (rather than plainly describing what those mean). A statement about whether public universities should combat systemic racism by teaching students about white privilege is set as the sole counterpoint to a more neutral position about whether those schools should teach the nation’s founding principles as “the basis for reasoned debate and civil dialogue.”
Asked whether K-12 schools should institute a new curriculum that teaches that America is “founded on slavery” or demonstrates principles for a “free and democratic country” — nothing in between — 38 percent chose the new curriculum and 48 chose the old.
Another question on racism touched on an episode that recently came up at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It asks if “Obstructing Jewish students from expressing support for the State of Israel is a form of anti-Semitism” (50 percent agree, 25 percent disagree, and 25 percent were unsure).
1892 is a pretty darned good firm, by the way, so the governor and the U of I should take note. Click here for the full topline results. I was hoping to get crosstabs by now, but they haven’t yet arrived and I got tired of waiting.
I think the last poll on Pritzker is from one I had done for subscribers in October which had him at 48-45 fave/unfave with likely voters, so something appears to have happened since then. That same poll, conducted by Change Research, had the graduated income tax proposal at 42-51 fave/unfave and had support for it at 47 “Yes” and 48 “No” with 4 percent undecided. It also had Biden over Trump by 17 points, had the Illinois Republican Party’s fave/unfave at 31-51 and Speaker Madigan’s at 8-70 (not a typo). I’ve been thinking about doing another one on the governor and others in the near future.
*** UPDATE *** Crosstabs are here.
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* Press release…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 1,700 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 55 additional deaths.
- Adams County: 1 male 90s
- Alexander County: 1 male 70s
- Bureau County: 1 female 60s
- Cass County: 1 male 70s
- Cook County: 1 female 20s, 1 male 30s, 2 females 40s, 1 female 50s, 2 males 50s, 1 female 60s, 3 males 60s, 4 females 70s, 5 males 70s, 5 females 80s, 2 males 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 males 90s, 1 female over 100
- DuPage County: 2 males 80s
- Edwards County: 1 male 60s
- Fayette County: 1 male 80s
- Grundy County: 1 male 50s, 1 female 80s
- Jackson County: 1 female 70s
- Lake County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 80s
- Madison County: 1 male 70s
- McHenry County: 1 female 20s
- McLean County: 1 male 70s
- Montgomery County: 1 male 60s
- Peoria County: 1 male 80s
- Perry County: 1 female 70s
- St. Clair County: 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s
- Union County: 1 male 70s
- Will County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 60s
- Williamson County: 1 male 50s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,204,409 cases, including 20,863 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 89,893 specimens for a total of 18,894,652. As of last night, 1,118 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 231 patients were in the ICU and 102 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from March 4-10, 2021 is 2.2%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from March 4-10, 2021 is 2.5%.
A total of doses of 4,488,655 vaccine have been delivered to providers in Illinois, including Chicago. In addition, approximately 414,900 doses total have been allocated to the federal government’s Pharmacy Partnership Program for long-term care facilities. This brings the total Illinois doses to 4,903,555. A total of 3,680,703 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight, including 353,125 for long-term care facilities. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 98,166 doses. Yesterday, 112,776 doses were administered in Illinois.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in real-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. 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.
* Meanwhile…
In a move that will be critical to bringing more students back to classrooms but will likely be met with skepticism from teachers and some parents, Illinois education officials reduced the 6-foot social distancing requirement in schools to 3 feet as long as educators are vaccinated.
Officials pegged the new guidance released this week by the Illinois State Board of Education and Illinois Department of Public Health as a way to help school districts reopen sooner and with higher student capacity.
“It reflects what we have learned about the transmission of COVID-19 in school settings, as more students in Illinois and across the country have returned safely to in-person learning during the 2020-21 school year,” State Supt. of Education Carmen Ayala wrote in a letter to school leaders statewide.
“This joint guidance supports the return to in-person instruction as soon as practicable in each community.”
* One year ago today…
World Health Organization Declares COVID-19 Pandemic
CHICAGO – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today is announcing six additional individuals have tested positive at the IDPH laboratory for coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
“More cases in more places in Illinois means we are seeing growing transmission of the virus in the community,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “Today the World Health Organization characterized COVID-19 as a pandemic. We will see additional cases in Illinois and I urge people to take steps now to reduce the impact this will have on their daily lives.”
Public health officials are still investigating the travel history of these individuals and any potential contact with a known COVID-19 case. Public health officials will identify and contact people who are considered close contacts of these cases.
At this time, we can release the following information regarding the new cases:
Chicago:
80s male
70s male
70s male
50s female
40s male
Lake County:
For information about how you, your school, workplace, and community can prepare, please visit Preventing COVID-19 Spread in Communities. For general questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
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One year ago today
Thursday, Mar 11, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* This tweet prompted me to set the Wayback Machine to March 11, 2020…
* From the subscriber edition a year ago today…
WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH SESSION? Despite a growing number of moves across the country to ban some public gatherings, close down universities, move polling places, etc., no state legislatures have yet decided to cancel or drastically curtail spring sessions.
A few committee hearings have been postponed in Texas, Florida’s House chamber was sanitized after five legislators attended conferences where the novel coronavirus was present (the legislators were not tested because they had no symptoms, but were told to practice social distancing and then they all walked onto the House floor together). Alaska’s legislative leaders recently announced restrictions on out-of-state travel for legislators and staff. The state of Washington, which has been particularly hard-hit by the virus, is preparing to close its statehouse if the virus is discovered there. But aside from that sort of thing, legislators are continuing to do their jobs across the country.
“We continue to monitor the situation,” said Senate President Don Harmon’s spokesperson John Patterson yesterday. “We’ve participated in briefings and conference calls and like other employers and workplaces will look for any advice from the state’s public health and emergency preparedness professionals.”
House Speaker Michael Madigan’s spokesman Steve Brown said almost exactly the same thing as Patterson when asked yesterday about the spring session schedule and the chamber’s cooperation with public health officials.
Gov. JB Pritzker’s press secretary Jordan Abudayyeh released a statement yesterday saying: “IDPH and IEMA are working around the clock to monitor this situation as it develops and are studying best practices for containing and mitigating the spread of COVID-19. As we learn more information and the situation develops, the administration will be in contact with our partners in the General Assembly to implement policies that protect the health and wellbeing of Illinoisans.”
A spokesperson for Secretary of State Jesse White, whose office controls the Statehouse, could not say yesterday what it planned to do about already scheduled “lobby day” gatherings and the traditional visits by busloads of school children.
The General Assembly is scheduled to reconvene a week from today, the day after the spring primary. It’s still possible that a session change could be announced. These things tend to escalate quickly, as we saw when Boston all of a sudden decided to cancel its St. Patrick’s Day parade.
Speaking of the parade, Gov. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot are holding a press conference this morning at 9:15 to discuss COVID-19 issues. It’s expected that an announcement about the city’s St. Patrick’s Day parades could be in the cards. Check the blog and stay tuned.
And then all heck broke loose.
* Blog headlines for March 11th from earliest in the day to latest…
* Downtown Chicago’s St. Patrick’s Day parade is called off (updated numerous times)
* It’s probably time to start thinking about remote legislating (updated x3 with legislative-related cancellations)
* More on the latest AVR snafu (updated)
* COVID-19 morning roundup (updated with news that we were officially in a worldwide pandemic)
* HDems gonna HDem, but the schtick is really getting old
* ICJL says be wary of judicial candidates with Irish surnames during St. Patrick’s Day voting
* Emptying my campaign in-box (updated)
* Session canceled for next week (updated with Senate cancellation)
* Pritzker announces 6 additional COVID-19 cases, for a total of 25 (updated numerous times during his briefing)
* Secretary White bans large groups from Statehouse (updated several times)
* Pritzker will file emergency rules to provide benefits to people unemployed due to COVID-19
* ISU extends spring break, switches to online instruction, closes down university housing (updated with closure of CME trading floor)
* U of I goes online
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*** UPDATED x1 *** It’s just a bill
Thursday, Mar 11, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Capitol News Illinois…
State lawmakers are considering changes to an internet privacy law that recently led to a $650 million settlement between Facebook and more than 1 million of the website’s users in Illinois.
A state House judiciary committee advanced House Bill 559 on Tuesday, a measure that would revisit the Biometric Information Privacy Act of 2008, known as BIPA, to include provisions which sponsors say will protect small businesses but detractors say will render the privacy law obsolete.
House Minority Leader Jim Durkin, R-Western Springs, introduced the bill, saying thousands of BIPA related lawsuits have been filed against big businesses and small businesses alike, hitting the “small guys” the hardest. […]
“Since that case (Rosenbach v. Six Flags), we’ve seen an explosion,” Kearicher said. “As of last month, we were up to 1,076 cases filed, both open and closed, in a two year period here in Illinois alone.”
* Also from CNI…
A bill that would expand the use of political campaign funds to include child care and elderly home care expenses advanced out a state Senate committee on Wednesday.
Senate Bill 536 would amend the state election code to allow candidates to spend political committee funds on part-time or full-time child care or dependent elder home care expenses, as long as those expenses are “necessary for fulfillment of political, governmental or public policy duties, activities or purposes,” the bill states.
The bill would also apply to candidates running for political office, as well as officeholders, campaign staff or volunteers.
Sen. Melinda Bush, a Democrat from Grayslake who sponsored SB 536, said the measure “helps us level the playing field for people that want to run for office, and maybe don’t have the financial wherewithal to cover those childcare, and eldercare expenses.”
* WICS…
Another proposed bill, HB374, would allow community colleges and local housing authorities to collaborate and build affordable housing for college students.
“I was in discussions a few years ago with our local community college board here, Danville Area Community College, about maybe trying some affordable housing projects for the college,” Rep. Michael Marron, R-Danville, said. “I think we came to realize it wasn’t legally possible at that time.”
Marron says he believes the Danville community is interested in pursuing more affordable housing for local community college students.
* Press release…
An Illinois law that requires a young person seeking an abortion to involve an adult family member is dangerous for youth in the state, violates their human rights, and threatens their health and safety, Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Illinois said in a report released today. The Illinois General Assembly should repeal the law, the Illinois Parental Notice of Abortion Act, as a matter of urgency according to the report.
Under the Parental Notice of Abortion Act, a doctor providing care to a young person under age 18 seeking an abortion in Illinois must notify a designated adult family member – a parent, grandparent, step-parent living in the home, or legal guardian – at least 48 hours beforehand. If there is a reason that the young person is not able to have one of these family members notified, the young person can go to court and ask a judge for permission to have the procedure without this forced family involvement, in a process known as “judicial bypass.”
The 73-page report, “‘The Only People It Really Affects Are the People It Hurts’: The Human Rights Impacts of Parental Notice of Abortion in Illinois,” is the product of a collaboration between Human Rights Watch and the ACLU of Illinois. The groups found that young people often seek judicial bypass because they fear physical or emotional abuse, being kicked out of the home, alienation from their families or other deterioration of family relationships, or being forced to continue a pregnancy against their will. The groups also documented the hardships faced by young people forced to involve unsupportive family members in their abortion decision or navigate an unfamiliar court system to obtain a judicial bypass, and the additional stress and delays in seeking care this caused.
The report is here.
* Almost three weeks after it’s filed and suddenly it’s an issue? Also, no co-sponsors and it’s still in Rules Committee…
“I’m flabbergasted;” New bill proposal would require bachelor’s degree for officers
A bill proposed by Rep. Jaime Andrade (D – 40th District) would require police and corrections officers to have bachelor’s degrees with majors or minors in social work in order to move from probationary to permanent officers.
He filed it February 22, the same day Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a sweeping criminal justice reform bill into law.
Some law enforcement officials are worried this legislation doesn’t reflect the realities of the job.
*** UPDATE *** A zinger from Kyle Hillman, the Director of Legislative Affairs for the National Association of Social Workers, Illinois Chapter…
While we appreciate the sponsor’s acknowledgement of the importance of social workers for their knowledge of human development and behavior, of social, economic, and cultural institutions, and their understanding of how all these factors interact—we also recognize that today’s modern law enforcement would never agree to abide a social worker’s code of ethics. And likewise, today’s social worker would never agree to have their profession co-opted by today’s law enforcement.
While we can’t imagine a scenario where this bill passes in the Illinois General Assembly, and while we are focused on how to replace armed interventions with therapeutic ones, if this bill was ever to move, it would be a hard no from us.
Ouch.
* Arguing that a bill doesn’t solve all problems…
Opponents to the legislation, including Rep. Tom Demmer, R-Dixon, said the bill would not relieve other pressures that lead to pharmacies closing, including financial pressures.
“A pharmacy could still have other business pressures that jeopardize their success, individuals could just choose not to go to a certain pharmacy and that could lead to their closure,” Demmer said. “There are a number of factors at play there.”
* Read to the bottom line…
An Illinois lawmaker wants to get rid of a required test for teachers before they can step into the classroom.
ADVERTISEMENT
The test is called edTPA. It’s a performance-based and subject-specific exam. […]
State Sen. Darren Bailey, R-Louisville, said the test is expensive, and requiring it is making the teacher shortage worse. […]
[Illinois Regional Superintendent Kyle Thompson] believes instead of requiring the edTPA exam, local schools should be allowed to evaluate the candidate and determine if they are qualified to teach in their classrooms.
* Related…
* Bill to make exceptions to Illinois eviction ban fails to pass committee
* Illinois Senator wants to tax your carpet [ADDING: Sen. Melinda Bush points out that the only carpet manufacturers which will pay this new fee are located in Georgia]
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* WCIA…
A review of state records shows the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity sent at least $1.1 million in Business Interruption Grants to 72 companies the state considers “dissolved.”
In order to qualify for the Coronavirus relief funding, state application forms show the businesses had to attest that they were open on March 1st, 2020, they would try to stay open all year, and would use the money “exclusively for costs and losses incurred due to the business interruption” caused by Covid-19.
Business registration records kept at the Secretary of State’s office showed at least 72 of the companies that won grant funding were considered dissolved or terminated long before the pandemic began. […]
The Illinois Department of Revenue found as many as 17 of those 72 still have active accounts open with the state, another sign the entities are collecting sales taxes or withholding income taxes.
However, the tax agency confirmed it had no records of 19 of the companies who won grants, and 33 others had closed their doors. […]
Lauren Huffman, a spokeswoman with DCEO, said any company that won grant money that is later found to be in “violation of their agreement will put their grant status in jeopardy and could result in the state pursuing a return of funds.”
The total was never mentioned in the online text version of the story (it was mentioned in the actual on-air story) to provide some context, but the BIG program handed out over $275 million in funding before closing in January. So, $1.1 million would be 0.4 percent. And some of those businesses appear to have just not renewed their state paperwork.
* ILGOP…
Pritzker’s schtick in running for this office was to be responsible and get back to the basics of governing. Whether it’s been the disaster at IDES, the tragic death of over 30 veterans at a state-run facility, or this colossal waste of taxpayer money - the Pritzker administration has been a complete failure at running state government.
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* Joe Mahr has a stats-packed piece in the Tribune today about excess deaths…
Looking at federal estimates of excess deaths — how many more people died than is usually expected — Illinois ranked among the 10 worst states (including the District of Columbia) for the 10-month period from March through December.
In Illinois, nearly 111,000 people died from March 1 through Jan. 2, as tallied on a weekly basis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s 27% higher than the average for 2015 through 2019, which was about 87,000 deaths for the same 44-week period. […]
The hardest hit may not be a surprise — it’s New York — because of the massive number of deaths there during the first wave. Even with generally milder stretches later in 2020, New York state saw an increase in deaths of nearly 37% during the last 10 months of 2020. […]
The data suggests it’s because Illinois, unlike most places, suffered not one but two significant waves, and deaths were still higher than normal in between. […]
And then came the fall, when Illinois saw an even deadlier wave, with death figures from mid-November to mid-December hovering between 50% to 60% more deaths than average. This surge was broader, across the entire state
Too many people and, more importantly, local government officials outside Chicago and Cook County figured that since they were relatively safe during the first wave they didn’t have to worry about a second wave. Deadly consequences.
* You really should go read the whole thing, but here are a few charts…
If you have questions about the charts, click here and look them up in the article.
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*** UPDATED x1 *** Locals behaving badly
Thursday, Mar 11, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Edgar County Watchdogs…
It has come to our attention that the Village of Poplar Grove has been using its official Facebook page for electioneering purposes - in favor of the current Village President, Owen Costanza.
Use of official government communications, like email and social media, for electioneering purposes, is wrong and we urge residents of Poplar Grove to file an official complaint to either the Village’s Ethics Commission (if there is one) or the Illinois State Board of Elections.
This gives an unfair disadvantage to other candidates and gives the impression that the Village is taking sides in the upcoming election. No amount of couching it as an informative listening session or “coffee talk” while advertising it as a “Re-elect Costanza” event could bring it into compliance.
These advertisements also pulled Illinois State Representative Joe Sosnowski into the electioneering issue, since his name is listed as a speaker at this event. He should have known better.
*** UPDATE *** Press release…
State Representative Joe Sosnowski, R-Rockford, issued the following statement today in response to the coffee he hosted in Boone County earlier this week at which Poplar Grove Village President Owen Costanza was a guest:
“The Coffee Talk held at the Boone County Family Restaurant on March 8 was my event, organized by my legislative office as an opportunity for me to update constituents on state issues and listen to feedback from members of the community. As a benefit to constituents, I invited Poplar Grove Village President Owen Costanza to be a guest at the coffee. I have spoken with Village President Costanza, and he has acknowledged that he accidentally shared an invitation on the Village’s Facebook page with his political logo attached to it, making it appear that the event was sponsored by his campaign. Upon being made aware, he immediately removed the image.
“I will take additional precautions when scheduling these events in the future to ensure that all are aware that these are official events not to be associated in any way with an individual campaign or political purpose.”
* Not good…
* Meanwhile, from the BGA…
Nearly a year-and-a-half after federal agents raided Lyons Village Hall as part of a sweeping corruption investigation, clean government has become a top issue in the west suburb’s upcoming election as controversial Mayor Chris Getty seeks a fourth term.
Getty, the son of a former mayor who went to federal prison for stealing from the village, is fending off a challenge from residents vowing reform. At the same time, the current mayor has spent nearly $100,000 in campaign funds on legal fees as part of the wide-ranging probe that has hit suburban mayors, state lawmakers, contractors and utility giant Commonwealth Edison.
At stake for Getty is not only maintaining his political power and access to campaign cash, but a significant payday. Should Getty win, he stands to make at least $70,000 in salary for each of the next four years as mayor and liquor commissioner. That’s compared to $10,000 he made in both jobs when he was first elected in 2009. The salaries have been growing steadily since Getty himself pushed the pay hikes through a compliant Lyons Village Board. With insurance and retirement, his total compensation at the end of 2021 will exceed $109,000.
Richard Gatz Jr., a longtime resident of the working-class suburb who was a village board member nearly 20 years ago, is running for mayor along with a slate of board member and clerk candidates on the Village Integrity Party ticket.
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[Bumped up from late last night for better visibility.]
* Greg Hinz at Crain’s…
In an interview, Deputy Gov. Dan Hynes says that, with COVID infection and hospitalization numbers now nearing record low levels and vaccinations speeding up, the administration wants to send a clear message that “conventions will return. There’s a way to bring them back safely. Signaling that is important.”
Added Hynes: “It’s our intention to allow and plan for conventions at McCormick Place and other locales during the summer, and certainly by July, which is when the Chicago Auto Show will occur.” […]
“We have faith we can host the auto show on July 15, barring some dramatic change in the trajectory of the pandemic,” Hynes said. […]
Industry sources said the event could run five to seven days starting on or around July 15, with events both inside McCormick Place’s West Building and outside. Hynes said that, for economic reasons, “several thousand people at any one time” would have to be on hand, but state believes that’s doable within safety guidelines.
…Adding… Sen. Sara Feigenholtz…
“Establishing a Tourism and Hospitality Committee in the Senate was the brainchild of Senate President Don Harmon. Putting me in the chair — also his decision.”
“The Senate Committee proved to be a catalyst once it convened and provided a public forum for labor, conventions, hotels and restaurants to discuss the impact of the devastating job loss to their respective industries”
“The Governor’s announcement came at the perfect time. It tells the public that Illinois government is quite capable of following the science and simultaneously making a plan to safely bring back an industry for events that are six months away.”
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Open thread
Thursday, Mar 11, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Heh…
Please keep it Illinois-centric and polite. Thanks.
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