• Achieving the same amount of zero emissions power through renewables and storage would be 12 times more expensive than continuing to run Illinois’ nuclear plants and cost the state’s consumers $80 billion, Exelon CEO Chris Crane said during the company’s Q1 earnings call on Wednesday.
• State and federal officials are exploring ways to keep nuclear plants open as they are considered a key part of any plan to decarbonize the power sector. However, a proposal from Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, D, to support Exelon’s Byron and Dresden plants, is “not adequate,” Crane said.
A bill needs to pass before the end of the regular session, and it needs to provide adequate support for continuing to invest in the Illinois fleet. Current market prices do not continue to meet — do not allow us to continue to meet our payroll, paying our property taxes, and covering other significant costs and risks of operating these assets. Without adequate policy, as I’ve stated, to you that we will retire uneconomic plants beginning this fall.
If you take a look at what happened in New Jersey last week, the Board concluded that the financial challenges faced by nuclear plants there justified a maximum ZEC of $10 per megawatt hour. The same voices that are arguing in Illinois that our plants are profitable were overruled in New Jersey’s decision. The commission in New Jersey emphasized that maintaining the existing nuclear plants was critical to achieving the state’s emission goals and — significantly less costly than replacing nuclear with other 0 free carbon generation. This is true in Illinois. Keeping the nuclear plants running is better option for the customers than trying to replace them with all renewables in storage. At 12 times the cost, higher cost than preserving the nuclear plants, it would cost the Illinois consumers over $80 billion more to achieve the same emissions.
That’s pretty much the same exact argument as organized labor’s front group used with me the other day.
But the Union of Concerned Scientists disputed Crane’s remarks regarding the cost of replacing nuclear with renewables and storage in Illinois.
“Crane’s comment that renewables plus storage would cost 12 [times] or $80 billion more than keeping the existing nuke plants running is ridiculous. I’m guessing he’s comparing the incremental cost of keeping them running (basically the subsidies) to the all-in cost of adding new renewables plus storage and the tax credits,” said Steve Clemmer, director of energy research for the UCS Climate and Energy Program.
* During the same earnings call, ComEd CEO Joe Dominguez signaled support for the way the union proposal would change its currently lucrative formula rate…
As we emerge from the formula and we come to a more normalized ROE, there will be an opportunity for expanded earnings at ComEd. […]
So some of the ideas that have been proposed are aimed at looking at a longer-term transparent investment direction coming out of the company and being reviewed by the commission. For example, the labor proposals would have us produce reports every four years, showing all the investments that we’re going to make. And it would give stakeholders an opportunity to take a look at that. We wouldn’t necessarily get an approval from that. But it would give people a good understanding of what we’re trying to do, what we’re trying to invest in the system as we integrate renewables and build on the resilience of the system.
* If you didn’t watch it yesterday, I highly recommend taking a look at the hugely entertaining, crisply edited Mark Maxwell story on the House Democrats’ “secret” map room…
It really should win some sort of award.
* Maxwell certainly knows how to sweeten a story. Here he is saying that in order to get from the Capitol Building to the Stratton’s secret map room, he had to walk through a tunnel. He could’ve just walked across the lawn and parking lot, but that wouldn’t have been nearly as dramatic as tunnel video…
The knock at the end is priceless.
* Rep. Bob Morgan’s deer in the headlights reaction is hilarious…
* Rep. Nick Smith gets the Vince Demuzio “Well, we’ll sit down and draw a very fair map” prize this year…
Friday, May 7, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Study Finds Expanding Illinois’ Renewable Energy Program Will
Lower Energy Costs for All Illinois Consumers
• A study by former Illinois Power Agency (IPA) director shows that passing Path to 100 (HB 2640 / SB 1601) will lower energy costs for all ratepayers
• Consumers save more than $1.2 Billion over ten years by fully funding Illinois’ renewable energy program to 40% by 2031
• Path to 100 would create 53,000 new construction jobs
Why more renewables = lower costs:
1. Wind and solar generators have zero fuel costs, so they win wholesale energy auctions and displace more expensive power plants. These savings are passed on to all consumers.
2. Rooftop and community solar reduce peak demand, which reduces the amount of capacity that grid operators need to buy. These savings are passed on to all consumers.
3. Rooftop and community solar customers receive direct savings on their bills.
* From Gov. Pritzker’s press conference earlier today…
Q: What about state workers who have been working remotely? Do you have a plan of when are they returning? Are they coming back five days a week? Or are you going to have a hybrid plan?
A: Each agency has a plan for bringing its workers back. As you know, some agencies are right on the front lines talking directly to consumers, residents of our state or directly to businesses. And other agencies don’t interact with the public in person, but rather by the phone typically. And so each agency has a plan for bringing bringing back their workforce. All of them are in the process of doing exactly that.
Q: And just to follow up on that, Governor, what does this mean for the Thompson Center and for state offices that are there? Is that going to reopen to the public?
A: Well, we’re first reopening to workers and state government. That’s the most important thing. We want to make sure that we’re adhering to the right disciplined, reopening measurements that the IDPH has set out for buildings. So you’ll be seeing the public eventually being able to come into the Thompson center. The first thing that’s got to happen is to get all of our workers back in the Thompson center working.
…Adding… Speaking of reopening…
This week brought positive news for Illinoisians who have been looking forward to getting back to normal. Governor JB Pritzker announced a few days ago he was optimistic Illinois was on the path to be fully reopened by July 4th. Earlier this week, Governor Pritzker stated he was looking forward to this year’s State Fair in Springfield. And yesterday more good news. The Governor announced, barring reversals in metrics, Illinois will move into Phase 5 — normal business operations — as soon as Friday, June 11th.
For 34 years, the Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association (IDCCA) has kicked off Democrat Day (now Governor’s Day) at the Illinois State Fair. This year’s County Chairs’ Brunch is scheduled for Wednesday, August 18th at 9am at the Crowne Plaza Springfield.
IDCCA President Kristina Zahorik released the following statement:
“Thanks to Governor Pritzker and the thousands of frontline healthcare workers, there is light at the end of the tunnel. I cannot wait to see so many friends from throughout the state at the County Chairs’ Brunch on August 18th. We followed the science, and for more than a year did virtual events, masked up, and socially distanced, so we could come together again. It will be amazing for everyone to feel the energy in the room and to connect in person.”
“This year’s Brunch will have an added hybrid feature to allow virtual participation. We will strictly adhere to all public health recommendations. This will allow people to participate in whatever way they feel comfortable.”
The keynote speaker for the 2021 Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Brunch will be announced closer to the event. Previous guest speakers include US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg (who filled in last minute for President Joe Biden), and US Senator Amy Klobuchar. Tickets are expected to go on sale mid-June.
Friday, May 7, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Milani Varela’s twice-a-week routine of attending individual and group therapy transitioned to telehealth sessions over Zoom during the pandemic. Telehealth services have meant Varela, of Chicago, and others could continue their care at a time when mental health has worsened.
House Bill 3498 will ensure access to telehealth services after the pandemic. The Coalition to Protect Telehealth urges senators to pass this bipartisan legislation to reduce access barriers and improve patient outcomes.
During the pandemic, four in 10 American adults have reported symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder. Between January and June 2019, one in 10 adults reported these symptoms, according to Kaiser Family Foundation.
“For some people, I find that because of specific mental health issues, like depression, they really can’t get out of bed to actually go to therapy,” Varela said. “I see people that would not be in the group therapy because they couldn’t travel.”
Among millennials, 48% prefer seeing a doctor virtually, according to a Harmony Healthcare IT survey. “When it comes to therapy, I feel it’s a little easier to do it through Zoom,” said Varela, 33. “I would love to keep it that way.”
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 3,321 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 36 additional deaths.
- Boone County: 1 male 60s
- Clark County: 1 female 80s
- Cook County: 2 females 50s, 1 male 50s, 4 females 60s, 1 male 60s, 2 males 70s, 3 males 80s, 2 males 90s
- DuPage County: 1 male 50s
- Franklin County: 1 male 50s
- Fulton County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 70s
- Grundy County: 1 male 40s
- Jefferson County: 1 female 70s
- Knox County: 1 female 90s
- Lake County: 1 male 50s, 1 male 70s
- LaSalle County: 1 female 80s
- Macon County: 1 male 80s
- Monroe County: 1 male 70s
- Peoria County: 1 female 70s
- St. Clair County: 1 female 60s
- Tazewell County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s
- Will County: 2 males 50s
- Williamson County: 1 female 70s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,351,497 cases, including 22,171 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 101,005 specimens for a total of 23,204,489. As of last night, 1,977 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 464 patients were in the ICU and 239 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from April 30-May 6, 2021 is 3.1%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from April 30-May 6, 2021 is 3.7%.
A total of 9,719,958 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 65,750 doses. Yesterday, 73,526 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 updated. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
* Yesterday, Assistant House Majority Leader Lisa Hernandez, House Majority Leader Greg Harris, Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, House Deputy Majority Leader Mary Flowers and Assistant House Majority Leader Marcus Evans held a press conference.
Leader Hernandez, who also chairs the chamber’s redistricting committee, led the press conference. Leader Harris gave a rare budget and revenue briefing [subscribers know more]. Rep. Gong-Gershowitz talked about Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and the increase in racist attacks and her legislative efforts to combat it. Leader Flowers spoke about her Statue and Monument Review Task Force. Leader Evans talked about workers’ rights.
It was quite the show. Not the presentations, but the questions, which (except for a couple like “Why are we even in tomorrow?”) almost all focused on the remap…
The Democratic majority at the Illinois statehouse is continuing on with their process of drawing new legislative boundaries for the next ten years, despite minority Republicans criticizing the process.
Several leading House Republicans held a news conference Thursday outside of a room inside a building at the capitol complex in Springfield they say Democrats are secretly drawing maps. […]
Later in the day at a separate news conference, House Majority Leader Greg Harris, D-Chicago, said they’re looking at all the information brought forth in public hearings. Asked why not invite Republicans to the Democrats’ room, Harris said “we haven’t been invited in their rooms either.”
Spain said Republicans have a map room and they opened it up to the press.
“Which is just a computer screen, the Democrats’ website up, and we’re clicking buttons showing that there’s no public testimony, not data presented, no transparency whatsoever,” Spain said.
That’s quite the framing, by the way. The Democrats should stop doing something just because the GOP complains?
Across the street from the Illinois State Capitol in the backroom of a government office building, Democrats are huddled behind closed doors drawing the legislative maps that will be used over the next ten years.
At his first news conference as his chamber’s top leader in January, state House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch called for a “new day” following the decades-long reign of former Speaker Michael Madigan, saying the redistricting process would be “as transparent as possible.”
But less than four months later, Welch is using the same backroom Madigan used ten years ago to draw the maps in secret. […]
“I asked the chair of the House redistricting committee … if she had anything for me. And she said no. So, we have asked to be involved, we want to be involved. But the Democrats won’t let us,” the Springfield Republican [Rep. Tim Butler] said.
That Democratic chair, state Rep. Lisa Hernandez, called the redistricting process “amazing” at a separate news conference Thursday. She noted that the House has held 30 public redistricting hearings, which was 13 more than were held when the maps were last redrawn a decade ago.
“Amazing” is one word for it. Also, the news media treated the “discovery” of that “secret” meeting room as some sort of big news, when, as the Sun-Times notes, it’s been used for that purpose for quite a long time. House Republican staffers were telling reporters earlier this week where the map room was and encouraged them to go check it out and it was treated as a bright, shiny ball.
Democrats have not said exactly what data has been used in the mapmaking process thus far. They did, however, point to the House Redistricting Committee’s 30 public hearings on the matter, noting they heard testimony from advocacy groups and the public providing input on the process.
During an unrelated news conference Thursday, Democratic leaders brushed off the Republicans’ criticisms, saying this is the normal process that state lawmakers have used in years past.
“We are just following the process like we always do, (the Republicans are) doing the same thing,” said Rep. Lisa Hernandez, D-Cicero, assistant majority leader and chair of the Redistricting Committee.
She said ACS data is just one source, but not the sole source being used to draw the maps.
Look, I get the “secret” room stuff. But, the Democrats ought to be a whole lot more forthcoming about which numbers they’re using. That’s a far more legitimate issue than a super-majority party locking out a super-minority party from the remap process.
“Politicians should not be allowed to select their own voters,” Spain said, looking down the hall at the locked door on the room Democrats had used. “Today, we actually get to see exactly where it happens. It is completely an injustice to democracy that we bear witness to this kind of action.
“This is the doorway to further corruption in the state of Illinois, and it needs to stop,” Spain said.
Added Rep. Avery Bourne, R-Morrisonville, another Redistricting Committee member, “This map has huge consequences for the next 10 years, and if we see this kind of backdoor process play out, that is not one that empowers voters.”
Kudos to the HGOPs for once again winning the media cycle.
The Lion Electric Company (NYSE: LEV) (TSX: LEV) (“Lion” or the “Company”), a leading manufacturer of all-electric medium and heavy-duty urban vehicles, today announced that it has selected Joliet, Ill., for the construction of its U.S. manufacturing facility. The new facility will represent the largest dedicated production site for zero-emission medium and heavy-duty vehicles in the U.S. and Lion’s biggest footprint in the market, giving the company the ability to meet the increasing demand in the marketplace for “Made in America” zero-emission vehicles, while simultaneously bringing production closer to its customers. As part of its agreement with the government of Illinois, Lion has committed to an initial investment of at least U.S. $70 million over a 3-year period.
The 900,000 sq-ft facility, for which building ramp up is anticipated in the second half of 2021, is expected to add a minimum of 745 clean energy direct jobs to the region over the next three years, with an annual production capacity of up to 20,000 all-electric buses and trucks. This additional production capacity will aid Lion in scaling electric bus production as the U.S. market moves to electrify a large portion of its school bus fleet, as well as to produce a larger number of heavy-duty zero-emission trucks as governments and operators throughout the U.S. look to decarbonize freight and transportation fleets. Lion anticipates that the first vehicles will roll off the production line in the second half of 2022. […]
The Will County region has a rich history of manufacturing, and Lion plans to build a robust local supply chain within the area. In addition, the Joliet location offers Lion a geographically centralized base of manufacturing and operations, with access to key infrastructure and distribution channels.
“It’s another exciting opportunity here in Joliet and Will County,” remarked Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant during an interview with Joliet Patch on Friday morning.
Joliet’s history included “an old generation of manufacturing” and Friday’s news of Lion Electric opening a large vehicle factory on Youngs Road “welcomes a new generation of manufacturing.
“It’s a great comeback after the pandemic,” Bertino-Tarrant added, saying the Lion Electric construction project marked a $130 million capital investment and 1,400 permanent jobs.
…Adding… A Lion executive said at the press conference that 1,400 jobs would be created over 5 or 6 years.
…Adding… DCEO says the company is receiving an Edge tax credit worth a total of $7.9 million if they put $70 million into capital investments in the site create more than 700 jobs within the first three years of the agreement.
* Pritzker press release excerpt…
“Lion’s historic investment to bring its largest production facility to Illinois represents not only a win for our communities, but a strong step forward in our work to expand clean energy alternatives and the jobs they bring to our communities,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “The new Joliet facility will put Illinois at the forefront of a national movement to transition to zero-emission vehicle use, advancing our own goals of putting one million of these cars on the road by 2030. In Illinois, we know that a clean energy economy is about more than just vehicles – it’s about healthier communities and jobs for those who live there. We are excited to welcome Lion to the Land of Lincoln and look forward to their future success here.”
The new 900,000 SF facility represents Lion Electric’s largest dedicated production site in the U.S. The company’s expansion helps respond to increasing demand in the marketplace for “Made in America” zero-emission vehicles, while simultaneously bringing production closer to its customers. Lion’s investments also help bring Illinois closer to its own clean energy goals, with plans to increase adoption of EV’s in the state to one million by 2030.
“Lion is the leader in electric school buses and has always been dedicated to the U.S. market, and our commitment to be close to our customers is one of the core values we have as a company,” said Marc Bedard, CEO and Founder of Lion. “This significant expansion into the U.S. market will not only allow us to drastically increase our overall manufacturing capacity of electric trucks and buses but to also better serve our customers, while adding critical clean manufacturing jobs that will form the backbone of the green economy. I also want to acknowledge the crucial role that P33 and Intersect Illinois, civic groups committed to developing a long-term roadmap for the local tech industry, played in connecting Lion with the Chicago area’s business and civic community to help further commercial traction, as well as engagement with key workforce and supplier partners.”
* One of their school buses…
Lion Electric commends Mayor @BilldeBlasio for plan to⚡️100% of #NYC’s school bus fleets by 2035.🔋
* From the Illinois State Board of Education yesterday…
Hi Rich,
This week is Teacher Appreciation Week. Throughout the pandemic, teachers have gone above and beyond to care for our students and our communities. ISBE launched the Thank a Teacher Challenge to encourage people to tell a short story about their favorite teachers, and then tag someone else to do the same. Dr. Ayala, Gov. Pritzker, Lt. Gov. Stratton, Treasurer Frerichs, and President Harmon all posted short videos as part of the challenge. Comptroller Mendoza and Leader McConchie have been “tagged” as well.
Would you consider asking your readers to share a story about who their favorite teacher is as your question of the day tomorrow to close out Teacher Appreciation Week?
Thank you for your consideration.
Best,
Jackie
* The Question: You heard her. Have at it, but please make sure to explain your answer. Thanks.
Q: A Republican, a friend of yours on the other side of the aisle, said ‘Busy session? All we’ve done this week is resolutions. And why are we going to be in session tomorrow?’ You talked about working with the committee chairs and on the other side of the aisle. Are you doing enough work?
Majority Leader Greg Harris: Well I know I am and I know the members of the appropriation committees are. I don’t know which Republican’s texting you, but perhaps they should try an approp committee and start doing some of the real work of budgeting for the state of Illinois.
OK, the deadline for House committees to approve Senate bills is a week from today. House committees have so far moved 77 bills to the floor this week. That ain’t a huge amount, but sponsors have been busy working their bills and lining up votes and it’s a big chunk of the bills sent over by the Senate. Next week, because it’s a deadline week, we’ll see a whole lot of committee activity. And floor votes will pick up after that, with the Third Reading deadline falling on May 28th.
* We’re a bit late to the game on this. From April 30…
Adam Kinzinger came to Texas this week to hunt unicorns.
The Illinois congressman was looking for Republicans who, like him, see former President Donald Trump as a scourge on their party and a threat to democracy. Kinzinger met privately with one sympathetic Republican, former President George W. Bush, on his first day in the state. And on the second, he had lunch with Michael Wood, the only openly anti-Trump Republican competing on Saturday in a crowded special election for a seat in Congress.
Kinzinger, a 43-year-old Air Force pilot who flew missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, is positioning himself as a leading antagonist to Trump in a party that is largely refusing to move on from the former president. The congressman’s nascent political organization, Country First, has endorsed every House Republican who voted to impeach Trump for inciting the deadly Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. And as Kinzinger eyes a potential run for higher office himself, he came to Texas to test how many other Republicans share his outlook.
Kinzinger’s hope lies in Wood, another fresh-faced combat veteran, who is fighting to stand out in a field of 23. If none of the candidates on Saturday’s ballot earns 50% of the vote, the top two will compete in a runoff election later in the spring.
Michael Wood — a strongly conservative Republican, small business owner, military combat veteran and handsome father of four — finished in fifth place among Republicans with just 3.2% of the vote in a special election Saturday in Texas’ 6th U.S. Congressional District.
Wood, who’d been endorsed by the Dallas Morning News as “a bridge to the GOP regaining its focus,” was the only Republican to speak ill of former President Donald Trump among the 11 members of his party in the open, 23-candidate field. He’s reminiscent of Illinois U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Channahon, also a strong conservative military man with anti-Trump bona fides.
* As we’ve already discussed, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot told an investor conference yesterday that she wants to “force a reckoning with Springfield” over pensions and said, “We know what the solutions are, but we lack the political will.”
So, I emailed the quote to the mayor’s spokesperson and asked…
What solutions does she mean?
Thanks
* The reply…
The Mayor is committed to securing the retirement of working people by partnering with allies from organized labor, the State, and other stakeholders to secure the unfunded pensions. Pensions are a promise. But that promise will become illusory if we don’t act with a sense of urgency. Moreover, she has repeatedly said that a collaborative and transparent conversation with all stakeholders–including Springfield leaders and labor movement partners–is the only way to reach a workable solution to this problem. The Mayor has spoken many times about the need to address the City’s pension challenges for the long-term, and the importance of this in the context of our city’s future financial health. Chicago is making strides in continuing to hold up its end of the bargain and to guarantee the pension benefits that tens of thousands of previous and current City workers rely upon. In recent budgets, the City has taken steps to climb the pension ramp–reaching actuarial levels for the first time ever for the city’s police and fire pension funds. The passage of the casino was also an important step forward, as it will provide access to additional revenue so that the City can afford its pension payments. The City’s annual pension payment (for all four funds) is expected to increase by another $1 billion in the coming years. That’s why this administration has made clear that doing nothing is not an option–our escalating pension costs will not be sustainable.
Whew. 244 words, people.
* My follow-up…
But that doesn’t answer my question. What specific solutions was she pointing to?
* The reply…
The parameters of any solution will have to be worked out through a collaborative process with labor and legislators.
* My follow-up…
But the Illinois Supreme Court says pensions are an individual, not a collective contract and right. And the last time a mayor and organized labor worked out a deal, it was struck down as unconstitutional [link]. So, again, she’s the one who said we know what the solutions are. What are they?
* Mettawa Mayor Casey Urlacher, who was pardoned by President Donald Trump in January after he was indicted on a couple of sports gambling-related charges, has filed a new Statement of Organization (D-1) with the Illinois State Board of Elections with the intention of running for the 26th Senate District seat.
That district is currently represented by Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie. Leader McConchie defeated Urlacher in the 2016 Republican primary by just shy of 4 percentage points in a pretty rough race.
On January 7th, the day after the insurrection attempt at the US Capitol, Leader McConchie penned an op-ed for the Sun-Times that expressed horror at the violence, called for unity and took a thinly veiled swipe at the POTUS. “The Republican party is not, and has never been, one person,” McConchie wrote at the time.
After a difficult year for Illinois police, officers from around the state gathered at the Illinois Police Officers Memorial outside the state Capitol on Thursday to remember those who died in the line of duty.
Sixteen Illinois officers were killed in the line of duty between 2019 and 2020. COVID-19 killed several of those officers in 2020. In 2019, multiple officers were killed in traffic accidents or by gunfire. Six other officers who lost their lives in previous years also were honored. […]
This was the first time the ceremony was held at the memorial since it was renovated. In addition to a statue with the names of Illinois’ line of duty deaths surrounding it, a wall with various inscriptions and a thin blue line on the ground was added. The memorial ceremony has been annually since the early 1990s. […]
Sheriff’s departments, suburban Chicago police departments, the Chicago Police Department and Illinois State Police were among the departments in attendance. The day began with a memorial service at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield, followed by a procession of the officers in their cars to the Capitol.
* Response from Quentin Fulks at the Pritzker campaign…
The antisemitic incidents and attacks on campus are reprehensible, but it is disgusting to accuse JB Pritzker—the ancestor of a refugee fleeing the pogroms in Eastern Europe—of ‘letting’ anti-semitism happen. From leading the campaign to build the Illinois Holocaust Museum, to protesting against the Trump administration’s Muslim ban, to personally funding programs across the world to fight anti-semitism and genocide, Governor Pritzker has always stood up against hatred in any form.
* I haven’t yet been able to track down anyone affiliated with this group…
It’s possible that the proposed One Central megadevelopment would be good for downtown transit. But so far Wisconsin-based Landmark Development has failed to make a case that the project, which would include a transit hub created by capping a long stretch of Metra tracks west of Soldier Field in the South Loop, would have enough public benefits to justify the $6.5 billion in state financing the developer is seeking. As such, state representative Kam Buckner is trying to put the brakes on what he characterizes as “underhanded” efforts in Springfield to get the subsidy approved.
* Press release…
Speaking alongside other advocates for Illinois children and families, State Senator Mike Simmons (D-Chicago) argued the necessity of his plan to institute a $600-per-child income tax credit at the state level before the Illinois Senate Revenue Committee Wednesday.
Simmons’ legislation, Senate Bill 2132, would offer a tax credit of $600 per child for single parents making less than $40,000 annually or jointly filing parents earning less than $60,000. The credit amount would decrease incrementally for families in higher income brackets.
“We have to face the reality that working families in particular have struggled through this pandemic, and targeted relief is what they need to recover,” Simmons said. “Supporting businesses is important, but any economic recovery effort we make at the state level cannot leave our working families behind.”
Mitch Lifson, Vice President of Voices for Illinois Children, spoke in favor of the legislation, citing its ability to help families in poverty in Illinois, who are disproportionately families of color.
“This legislation makes a long-term commitment to our children and families,” Lifson said during testimony. “Every child deserves the opportunity to grow up safe, healthy and well-educated, and this legislation will further that goal.”
Faith Arnold, Executive Vice President of SEIU Healthcare, also spoke out on how a tax credit could help families who have been struggling with child care throughout the pandemic.
“Working parents have already had to make far too many sacrifices during this pandemic, and their children with them,” Arnold said. “This child tax credit would support precisely those residents who need the most help. It’s just the right thing to do.”
Janet Soto, a resident of Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood, spoke about her experiences as she chose to remain home after her child care provider shut its doors due to the pandemic. While Soto said her family is getting by, she’s spoken with many others who were already struggling with employment and child care, and now are doing so in ways deeply exacerbated by the pandemic.
“My heart just breaks knowing people that were already on the edge of needing real, substantial help, have now been pushed far over that edge, and it’s going to take time for economic recovery to happen,” Soto said. “They need the support this Senate bill would provide.”
Senate Bill 2132 passed the Senate Revenue Committee and awaits consideration before the full Senate.
Illinois lawmakers hope to make a small change to Scott’s Law. They want to make sure people face more than a fine for not moving over.
The law covers situations where people must move away from a side of the road where emergency crews are helping someone. Currently, those who violate Scott’s Law receive a $250 fine.
Now, Rep. Janet Yang Rohr (D-Naperville) is sponsoring a proposal to add community service as a punishment if you break the law.
* Press release…
State Senator Sally Turner (R-Beason) and Senate Republican Deputy Leader Sue Rezin (R-Morris) today joined with Sangamon County Clerk Don Gray, Tazewell County Clerk John Ackerman, Logan County Clerk Theresa Moore, Marshall County Clerk Jill Kenyon and Mason County Clerk Summer Brown to announce legislation that would instill transparency and uniformity to the state’s election process.
“The Election Standardization Act is about adding standardized practices and increased transparency to our election system,” said Sen. Turner. “As a former county clerk myself, the election process is a very important issue to me. I have spent over 20 years of my career working to ensure the safety, transparency, and efficiency of our election system. My passion for this continues as I continue my public service as a state senator.”
“The ability to vote in free and fair elections is one of our country’s greatest rights,” said Sen. Rezin. “This legislation does not hinder that right in any way. In fact, it improves upon the process for every Illinois voter by increasing transparency and integrity. It ensures they have better access to information regarding the process as well as providing them with consistency every time they vote.”
The Election Standardization Act, Senate Bill 1326, was created after State Sen. Sally Turner, who is the former Logan County Clerk and Recorder, convened an Election Reform Working Group to help improve the election process in the state. The group explored ways to increase transparency and uniformity within the state’s current election system. It drew upon ideas and feedback from key stakeholders, including the State Board of Elections, individual county clerks, and the Illinois Association of County Clerks and Recorders.
“I was honored to be picked by Senator Turner to participate in her election reform working group,” said Don Gray, Sangamon County Clerk. “The Election Standardization Act is the culmination of months of thoughtful and hard work. I truly believe this bill will help create a more transparent and better election process for every Illinoisan.”
The Election Standardization Act does the following:
· Standardizes election judge training by requiring election authorities to use specific guidelines provided by the State Board of Elections. Training topics must include voter verification, campaign free zones, electioneering, vote-by-mail processing, provisional voting, and ballot handling and processing.
· Requires election authorities to post on their websites the reason for any reporting delay that is five hours past close of polls.
· Requires the State Board of Elections to audit the post-election vote-by-mail processing requirements and procedures of five percent of the state’s election authorities.
· Requires election authorities to post on their websites the procedures for processing vote by mail ballots, which could simply be a posting of the state’s legal requirements for vote by mail processing.
“Senate Bill 1326, will greatly improve the transparency and standardization of many of the duties that election authorities throughout the State of Illinois must perform,” said Sandy Leitheiser, Montgomery County Clerk and Recorder. “I appreciate Senator Turner’s leadership with this valuable legislation, which sends a reassuring message to our constituents that elections will be administered in an open and efficient manner.”
“All of the provisions included in this legislation are designed to better our state’s elections and to help build confidence in our election system,” said Theresa Moore, Logan County Clerk & Recorder. “They create additional transparency for voters and uniformity among all election authorities.”
“I’m happy to support Sen. Turner and Sen. Rezin on their efforts to bring these much-need, common-sense ideas to the election process,” said Jill Kenyon, Marshall County Clerk & Recorder. “As county clerks, it’s our responsibility to ensure voters have a smooth and easy method to their 15th Amendment right. This legislation strengthens our laws to ensure we are doing just that.”
“With only a few weeks left before the end of the spring legislative session, time is running out on this much-needed legislation,” said John Ackerman Tazewell County Clerk & Recorder. “I sincerely urge the General Assembly to move the Election Standardization Act, so we can strengthen our existing electoral procedures.”
Senators Turner and Rezin say these proposed reforms are not partisan ideas and should be embraced by every Illinoisan.
Thursday, May 6, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Over 750 women in Illinois died while pregnant or within a year of pregnancy between 2008 and 2017. In response, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) pointed to telehealth as one of several key recommendations to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity.
IDPH’s Illinois Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Report says, “health insurance plans, including Illinois Medicaid, should reimburse for telehealth, including phone-based services, regardless of patient or provider location.” The Coalition to Protect Telehealth emphatically agrees with this recommendation. Without legislative action from the Illinois General Assembly, Illinois residents will abruptly lose access to the telehealth services they have relied on during the pandemic.
Telehealth offers convenience, especially for women juggling responsibilities, and breaks down barriers to accessing healthcare, such as transportation and time off work. Telehealth also addresses health disparities. IDPH’s report found that Black women were about three times as likely to die from a pregnancy-related condition as white women, with obesity and hypertension highest among pregnant Black women.
IDPH’s report emphasized that payment of telehealth services by private insurers and Medicaid “can ensure all women receive comprehensive health care during and after pregnancy.” Telehealth access prevents conditions from worsening and requiring unnecessary visits to urgent care or a hospital.
I’m in favor of an elected school board. I think that the legislature and the people on both sides of whether we should have a hybrid or fully elected board have gotten together, it seems, to come to some compromise. And I welcome a compromise and certainly I’ll be looking forward to what the legislature produces.
* The Question: Where do you stand on an elected school board for Chicago?
I want to talk about another piece of good news that came out this week. Our state revenues are outpacing the estimates and the expectations that experts gave us earlier this year, our state and our economy, have shown tremendous resilience. While we have still far too many who are struggling, our collective economic and fiscal outlook is brighter than it was even three months ago.
Back in February when faced with financial uncertainty to the state and the prospect of billions of federal dollars going directly to our schools. I presented a flat operational budget for the state, which was all we could afford.
Because our outlook has improved I have informed legislative leaders that I am now in a position to propose increasing evidence based funding for schools by $350 million
That means that parents, students and educators can breathe a sigh of relief. As an education advocate myself I am really all too happy that our improved economic fit and fiscal condition allows us to increase educational funding.
This doesn’t erase Illinois’s structural budget problems, but I remain committed to finding long term sustainable solutions that don’t put the burden on working families who can least afford it. That’s why I will continue to pursue closing corporate tax loopholes, corporate welfare that mostly benefits large international businesses that have profited greatly even during the pandemic.
We are all in this together, and it’s time that everyone stepped up to help us recover.
We are all glad the Governor has remembered his commitment to fully fund education. Now hopefully he can find a cure for his retrograde amnesia and veto the gerrymandered maps drawn by democratic legislators.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Rep. Will Davis, who chairs the House Elementary & Secondary Appropriations committee…
I am happy the Governor followed through on his commitment to the EBF. Funding education should never be in question. It should always be prioritized in the same manner as pensions and Medicaid. My goal is to make it an above the line or mandatory expense.
Whenever we reach Phase Five, we will continue to follow CDC guidelines on masking to keep this pandemic at bay.
This good news comes with a caveat. We have all seen throughout this pandemic that this virus and its variants have proven to be unpredictable. Metrics that look strong today are far from a guarantee of how things will look a week, two weeks, a month from now. We saw that last August. And again, last March. But what we do know is that we have tools in our arsenal, like vaccinations, and wearing masks that if we all use them, have proven extremely effective.
Please excuse all transcription errors.
* More…
Folks, this pandemic is not over. But if we’re going to truly end it, we have to make sure that we don’t see another surge in the virus. And the best way to do that is for everyone to get vaccinated. […]
If you can, talk to someone in your life about why you got vaccinated, and then help them do the same. We’ll get through this the same way that we’ve been able to get through this from the very beginning, helping each other and working together.
* Dr. Ezike…
As the governor mentioned, smaller providers like your family doctor your pediatrician are now eligible to order COVID-19 vaccines directly from ICARE, our state immunization registry. So we’re encouraging providers who have not already enrolled ICARE to do so, and to help make the vaccine, as accessible as possible for every single Illinoisan. We know that when it comes to our health, the person that we tend to trust the most is our own personal physician. Any provider can go to the IDPH website and search for the ICARE access enrollment packet to sign up. The enrollment and approval process will take about one to two weeks, and then after that providers will be able to administer COVID-19 vaccines to their patients in their offices. We know that there are some logistical challenges with the vaccine, namely the ultra cold storage requirements, and the number of vials that are typically shipped to a provider, but we are working with that, we’re going to work with hospitals and healthcare organizations to identify ways in which smaller doctors offices can work with one another and share the doses so that even a provider who may only administer a dozen or two dozen doses a week can still have access to this valuable resource.
* Dr. Rodney Alford of Iroquois Memorial Hospital in Watseka…
As we are exiting the COVID-19 pandemic. We are now entering the pandemic of misinformation and incomplete information which may usher in a new COVID-22 pandemic.
By the end of this year, we will have four populations of people in my belief. One, those that get COVID-19 get sick or died. Two, those that get COVID-19 and later on get the vaccine. The third group of people are those that refuse the vaccine, but live in fear, or in denial, with or without a mask. And the fourth group of people are those that get the vaccine or have already had the vaccine, and have confidence and freedom from fear of the virus, and free of mask wearing.
I choose freedom. I choose health. I choose life.
I myself belong to that community that has vaccine hesitancy, I belong to the Black and Brown community. I belong to the conservative Christian community. I belong to the urban community. I now live in a rural community, but I am not hesitant to live without fear. I am truly free, defeating this pandemic of vaccine resistance, and hesitancy is a matter of education and trust. You might want to believe and trust the internet, or other media accounts, or media outlets, or you might want to trust me, your doctor.
…On to questions… The governor was asked if he wears a mask outdoors…
I do when I’m in a large group. I try to, you know, it’s, look, you know I don’t count heads when I walk into a place, but the fact is you know you can tell when people are very close to one another, not wearing masks or people are wearing masks, it’s appropriate to wear one in a crowded space. But I have been outside with people who are unmasked and masked but, you know, obviously being outdoors in a small group is safe.
* Howard Feldman, the defense attorney for former Secretary of State employee Candace Wanzo, during Wanzo’s sentencing hearing for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the state…
“As a crime, this makes no sense,” Feldman said. “What she’s lost in pension benefits far exceeds what she ever would have gained.”
Wanzo got 18 months in prison and was ordered to pay more than $72,500 in restitution. She was making about $87K working for the SoS.
With federal and state efforts, 85% of Illinoisans 65 years and older have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 1,778 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 40 additional deaths.
- Adams County: 1 male 70s
- Cook County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 60s, 3 females 70s, 2 males 70s, 2 females 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s
- DuPage County: 1 male 70s
- Franklin County: 1 female 70s
- Fulton County: 1 female 60s
- Grundy County: 1 female 60s, 1 female 90s
- Kane County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s
- Kankakee County: 1 male 50s
- Lake County: 1 female 60s
- LaSalle County: 1 male 60s
- Macon County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s
- McLean County: 1male 30s, 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s
- Morgan County: 1 male 60s
- Peoria County: 1 female 70s
- Perry County: 1 male 50s
- Pike County: 1 male 70s
- Rock Island County: 1 female 40s
- Sangamon County: 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s
- St. Clair County: 1 female 90s
- Tazewell County: 1 male 70s
- Whiteside County: 1 male 50s, 1 female 60s
- Will County: 1 female 70s
- Winnebago County: 1 female 60s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,348,176 cases, including 22,136 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 96,296 specimens for a total of 23,103,484. As of last night, 2,055 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 483 patients were in the ICU and 243 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from April 29-May 5, 2021 is 3.0%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from April 29-May 5, 2021 is 3.8%.
A total of 9,646,432 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 70,063 doses. Yesterday, 99,599 doses were reported administered in Illinois.
Vaccination data posted on the IDPH website include vaccines administered in Illinois and are pulled from the Illinois Comprehensive Automated Immunization Registry Exchange (I-CARE). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website includes both federal and state vaccination efforts and represents not only vaccines administered in Illinois, but vaccines administered to Illinois residents while in a different state. As a result, CDC’s percentage for those receiving at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine is higher than the state’s percentage.
*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.
COGFA: APRIL REVS CHANGE COURSE FROM LAST YEAR’S PERFECT STORM—RECEIPTS SNAP BACK DUE TO TIMING & STRONG UNDERLYING ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE…1 year removed from receipts dropping $2.74B as pandemic abruptly manifested in April 2020 revs, base gf revs in April 2021 grew $1.779B….
— yvette.shields@arizent.com (@Yvette_BB) May 5, 2021
One year removed from receipts dropping $2.74 billion as the pandemic abruptly manifested in April 2020 revenues, base general funds revenues in April 2021 grew $1.779 billion. Continued strong performance from both personal income and corporate income tax receipts were again complemented by an impressive month for sales tax revenues. In addition, federal sources also posted an impressive monthly gain. The number of receipting days were the same as last year.
For the month, gross corporate income taxes jumped $767 million, or $614 million on a net basis. Much of the comparative gain can be attributed to last April’s delayed final payments, which fell into early FY 2021. In addition, preliminary analysis suggests that corporations, in the face of pandemic disruptions, quickly adjusted down their estimated payments in the first half of tax year 2020. However, as the economy recovered much quicker than originally expected, those lower estimated payments were insufficient to meet tax year 2020 liabilities and higher final payments have been the result. [Further analysis of component data is needed to confirm this view].
Gross personal income taxes also grew substantially in April as receipts rose $619 million, or $533 million on a net basis. A couple of key reasons likely comprise this level of growth. While the deadline for final personal income tax payments were extended, as they were last year, they were only done so for an extra month [as compared to last year’s three-month extension]. Consequently, taxpayers were less incentivized to put off filing their final return. Preliminary estimated payments, whose deadline was not extended, but reflecting anticipated economic improvement, also appear to have been very strong [again, component breakdowns of monthly data will have to be examined before definitive conclusions can be made].
Gross sales tax receipts jumped $301 million, or $297 million on a net basis. This dramatic year-over-year gain is the consequence of the manifestation of the economic shutdown in last April’s sales tax receipts, coupled with the timing of the most recent stimulus payments and further increase in consumer confidence. […]
Year To Date
Excluding borrowing related activity, through the first ten months of the fiscal year, base receipts are up $4.920 billion. In addition to a surge in federal sources, that growth also reflects the timing of income tax receipts related to last year’s [2020] filing deadline extension, as well as the positive trajectory of underlying economic conditions. Through April, combined net income tax receipts are up $3.406 billion. While approximately $1.3 billion of those gains continue to be attributed to the shift of FY 2020 final payments into early FY 2021, stronger than previously expected income tax performance continues to impress. Also viewed positively is the continued upward trend of sales tax receipt performance as net receipts are up $557 million. Only now beginning to compare against those months most impacted by the economic shutdowns of a year ago, sales taxes seem to be reflecting positive consumer reactions to stimulus payments, improving job picture, and stronger consumer confidence. […]
While the full story of FY 2021 revenues has yet to be written, given the onset of the pandemic, receipts clearly have performed much better than any prognosticator could have foretold one year earlier. Despite periodic upward revisions in the revenue projections throughout the course of the fiscal year, each time those updated expectations have been met and exceeded. That said, as illustrated by the previous section which demonstrates the extreme volatility of some key revenue sources, often times swings in one direction are met with opposing subsequent pressure, particularly when viewed in terms of year-over-year growth measures. Underlying economic performances of the major revenue sources are sometimes trumped by aspects of receipt timing, tax policy changes at the state and/or sometimes federal level, and other unforeseen extraneous events. While uncertainty is less heading into upcoming FY 2022 than last year, it still is much higher than normal. The unwinding of the various stimulus programs such as direct stimulus payments, augmented unemployment benefits, rental assistance and other business and consumer focused benefits, will likely create some headwinds related to growth rates. All that without mentioning the specter of the return of the virus in the fall and/or resistant variant strains.
Remember, this is for the current fiscal year. But this will likely cause at least some readjustment in revenue forecasts for next fiscal year during budget talks.
Chicago hosting its investor conference today. Begins with talk btwn CFO Jennie Bennett and Mayor Lightfoot. More than 375 bondholders in attendance (virtually), a record high, Bennett says. City has also invited more than 80 real estate developers. #muniland
"intensify. At some point it’s my hope everyone involved will get serious and come to the table, we know what the solutions are but we lack the political will…it’s not enough if we don’t attack core problem which is a pension system that’s unsustainable in its current state"
investor asks what's biggest hurdle city faces over near term to upward fiscal trajectory. Lightfoot: "Pensions pensions pensions." Says she and other mayors across the state need to use their bully pulpit to "force a reckoning with Springfield." #muniland
Investor asks if Springfield has offered any help w/ city's pension costs, etc. Lightfoot says no. "Springfield can’t keep doing this to us. They have to listen to us. we’re suffering the same way the state is and we can’t keep shouldering the burden of unfunded mandates."
So it appears the ILGOP is trolling the House GOP which is trolling the Democrats for not waiting until mid-August when the granular census data for redistricting will be released. https://t.co/z2ZZapzaDW
Our news cameras were rolling as dozens of House Democrats filed in and out of a locked door on the Capitol Complex grounds. Inside, members of House Speaker Chris Welch’s staff showed members one-by-one where the lines of their new districts could be drawn.
“Meeting with members is nothing new,” Welch’s spokeswoman Jaclyn Driscoll said in an emailed statement. “In fact, the room we’re talking to members in is actually the same we met in 10 years ago. This is and will remain a transparent process.”
“It’s just preliminary drafts for each district,” Rep. Nick Smith (D-Chicago) said on his way into the room.
Several other state representatives avoided questions about the meetings or gave evasive answers. Others who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed that they were reviewing the early drafts of the House district maps. Some members felt there weren’t many recognizable changes, but pointed out that the lines could still change several times before they’re finalized.
Not really a big dealio because it happens every ten years, but the full story does get in some zings at Democrats who promised “transparency”…
* HGOP media advisory…
MEDIA ADVISORY: Illinois House Republicans to Highlight the Democratic “Transparency” in Redistricting Process
WHO: Illinois House Republican State Representatives Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield), Avery Bourne (R-Morrisonville), Tim Butler (R-Springfield), Tom Demmer (R-Dixon) and Ryan Spain (R-Peoria)
WHAT: House Republicans to highlight the Democratic “transparency” in the redistricting process.
WHEN: 12:30 PM on Thursday, May 6th, 2021
WHERE: MAP ROOM – 401S in the Stratton Building (by the mounds of old furniture), Springfield, IL. This will be streamed on Blueroom and on the House Republican Facebook Page.
It ain’t much, but it’s all they’ve got at the moment.
Thursday, May 6, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
We can’t have fair maps if those maps aren’t drawn using the full set of detailed Census data. But, due to census delays, Illinois politicians are planning to use outdated, estimated numbers to draw election maps that will last for a decade.
We know those estimates missed tens of thousands of us. We need the next set of election district maps to fully reflect our communities, and the only way that can happen is if those maps are drawn with current, complete Census data to give all our communities accurate and fair representation.
Call Governor Pritzker’s office today to ask that he push lawmakers to seek court permission to delay the process so that the next set of election maps are drawn with COMPLETE Census data, NOT old estimates.
The number of Americans seeking unemployment aid fell last week to 498,000, the lowest point since the viral pandemic struck 14 months ago and a sign of the job market’s growing strength as businesses reopen and consumers step up spending.
Thursday’s report from the Labor Department showed that applications declined 92,000 from a revised 590,000 a week earlier. The number of weekly jobless claims — a rough measure of the pace of layoffs — has declined significantly from a peak of 900,000 in January as employers have ramped up hiring.
At the same time, the pace of applications is still well above the roughly 230,000 level that prevailed before the viral outbreak tore through the economy in March of last year.
The U.S. Department of Labor estimates 14,822 new unemployment claims were filed during the week of April 26 in Illinois, according to the DOL’s weekly claims report released Thursday. […]
There were 17,141 new unemployment claims filed during the week of April 19 in Illinois.
There were 15,248 new unemployment claims were filed during the week of April 12 in Illinois.
here were 18,986 new unemployment claims were filed during the week of April 5 in Illinois.
There were 16,182 new unemployment claims were filed during the week of March 29 in Illinois.
There were 14,189 new unemployment claims were filed during the week of March 22 in Illinois.
New research shows pandemic-related child care burdens have magnified economic inequalities for women in the workforce in Illinois.
That research was included in The Child Care Crisis in Illinois: A Survey of Working Mothers During the COVID-19 Pandemic, conducted by the Project for Middle Class Renewal at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the Illinois Economic Policy Institute nonprofit research organization.
A data review in that report showed the workforce participation rate among women hit its lowest level in more than three decades in January 2021, at 57 percent nationally.
One of the most significant findings, according to the researchers, was that 40 percent of working moms who were employed at the beginning of the pandemic were out of work or saw reduced hours as a result of the pandemic.
Enrollment declines at Illinois colleges and universities continue to outpace other states, with community colleges shouldering the brunt of the losses, as the coronavirus pandemic looms over another school year, according to new national and state data.
The state’s community colleges saw enrollment plunge by 13% this spring compared with spring 2020, when the pandemic and schoolwide lockdowns were just beginning, according to research from the National Student Clearinghouse. Total postsecondary enrollment in Illinois dropped by 5.2% and undergraduate enrollment slid by 7.5%. All three figures are worse than the national average. […]
Many students at [Elgin Community College] had never taken online courses and needed time to adjust, Robinson said. The community college will offer more in-person classes this fall but will also continue to provide hybrid and online courses, particularly for lecture-based disciplines. […]
A different data set from the Illinois Community College Board shows spring enrollment dropped by 14.2%, or 39,715 students. The report, published in March, notes that more than 65,000 students graduated from the state’s 48 community colleges in 2020 despite the enrollment dip, the sixth highest annual graduation rate.
Thursday, May 6, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Employers in Illinois provide prescription drug coverage for nearly 6.7 million Illinoisans. In order to help keep care more affordable, employers work with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), who deploy a variety of tools to reduce prescription drug costs and help improve health outcomes. In addition to helping employers, PBMs also work with the Illinois Medicaid program in the same way to help control costs. Over the last five years, PBMs have saved the state and taxpayers nearly $340 million.
Today, Illinois faces a multibillion budget shortfall as more Illinoisans are relying on Medicaid to help meet their health care coverage needs. As legislators work to address these challenges, one way to help ensure continued cost savings is by strengthening the PBM tools that the State and employers use, which are poised to save employers, consumers and the State $39 billion over the next 10 years. These are meaningful savings that will help continue to contain costs, ensure consumer access to medicines and drive savings in public health programs.
Amid a pandemic and economic challenges, now is the time to strengthen, not limit, the tools that employers, consumers and the State rely on to manage costs and ensure consumers can access the medicines they need.
* From the Darren Bailey for Governor Facebook page…
JB Pritzker unilaterally locked down healthy people while putting our most vulnerable at risk. He shuttered businesses, destroyed livelihoods and jeopardized mental health. He failed to provide PPE and essential resources to the people who needed it most, and this is sadly the result of his failed leadership. Our veterans and every person across the state deserve better.
Thursday, May 6, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
The Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA) would transition Illinois’ power sector completely away from dirty fossil fuels by 2030, support workers and communities impacted by the decline of coal, and significantly expand clean energy generation and good-paying clean energy jobs in our state. That’s why CEJA can’t wait.
President Biden recently announced an ambitious climate agenda that includes drastically reducing greenhouse gas pollution through decarbonization. States like Illinois must lead the way by transitioning away from fossil fuels, while supporting environmental justice communities.
In addition to spewing dangerous pollutants into the air and soil, these coal plants simply aren’t profitable anymore. More than half of Illinois’ coal plants have closed since 2009, cutting and running on workers and communities often with little notice. Vistra’s CEO even admitted that coal is “on its way out.”
Illinois needs a plan for an orderly retirement of fossil fuel plants that gives workers years of notice, provides for their future, and advances clean economic development for these communities. That’s what CEJA does and why it can’t wait.
Defense attorneys have told a judge overseeing the federal bribery case involving members of former House Speaker Michael Madigan’s inner circle that prosecutors are on the “brink” of filing a superseding indictment in the case.
Such an indictment could mean additional charges and more defendants in the case.
“We know they are apparently on the brink of a superseding indictment. When are they going to tell us?” attorney Michael Monico said during a teleconference Wednesday with U.S. District Court Judge Harry Leinenweber to discuss the case.
Monico represents onetime ComEd vice president John Hooker, one of four defendants in the case.
At least two former Illinois House Democrats have gone before the federal grand jury within the last week to explain the full scope of Madigan’s power and control of the legislative process while he was speaker, according to sources familiar with the investigation.
At least one of the lawmakers had changed a vote on the House floor that opposed a key piece of ComEd legislation and then supported Gov. Pat Quinn’s veto of the measure, a source said.
The ex-lawmakers themselves were not accused of doing anything improper but were asked a series of questions about the basic way the House operated under Madigan, a source said.
In addition, a third former lawmaker told the Tribune they were recently interviewed by federal authorities, and said questions included “Madigan’s role in the process” about ComEd and other issues.
That second paragraph is more than a little obtuse. The 2011 “Smart Grid” override received more votes than the bill did when it initially passed. But it’s possible that the excerpt is referring to a cleanup “trailer bill” that also included some consumer protections. That proposal was called for a vote the same day as the veto override motion. From the next day’s subscriber edition…
The real heart of the matter here is that all four legislative leaders strongly supported the legislation. That’s a tough combo to beat. And, as usual in cases like this, House Speaker Michael Madigan’s backing was crucial. Madigan has whacked ComEd, Exelon and Ameren quite a few times in the past. His proudest legislative achievement was creating the Illinois Power Agency in the wake of huge electric rate hikes. He believed the IPA would force the lower rates that the Illinois Commerce Commission couldn’t provide. Madigan is a former ICC attorney, and believes he understands the weaknesses on both sides of the never-ending regulatory battles. Madigan’s aides say he believes the ICC has failed miserably to upgrade the state’s aging electrical infrastructure, so he was open to ComEd’s proposal. The fact that his best friend and top ComEd lobster Mike McClain made this issue an almost obsessive priority probably didn’t hurt the company’s cause. Madigan has told McClain “No” several times in the past, but the Speaker more than just relented on this one. He worked in favor of it.
The Speaker asked some of his members this week to support the trailer bill. The bill was abruptly called for a vote yesterday while about 20 of Madigan’s members were attending a budget briefing. Madigan’s staff voted most of the absent legislators “Yes,” except, of course, for their political targets. The members hurried back to the floor, but by then it was too late. The bill had already passed with 91 votes. One Democrat after another subsequently rose to ask that their “Yes” votes be changed to “No” in the House Journal.
* Hannah Meisel at NPR Illinois recently interviewed all four legislative leaders. This post will focus on pensions…
“Right now I don’t get a sense of urgency out of the Democrats to say that we’re going to stop this insane, insane appropriation to our pension systems without at least reining in the cost,” Durkin said.
Durkin says he wants to at least try to pass the other option lawmakers could have gone with in 2013: a negotiated pension reform dubbed the “consideration model” in which organized labor would agree to certain cuts in pension benefits. Then Senate President John Cullerton championed the approach, but ultimately lost out to Madigan’s proposal.
McConchie agrees, noting the extreme political unlikelihood that Illinois’ constitution would be amended to weaken or remove the pension protection clause — an idea floated by groups like the libertarian-leaning Illinois Policy Institute. McConchie says attempting a negotiated settlement would at least help guarantee both the state’s pension systems and smaller municipal pension systems don’t implode for future generations of public employee retirees like teachers.
“We need to have reforms that actually get our pension systems onto the track that they can fulfill the promises that were made to the people who essentially have put all their eggs in that basket,” McConchie said. “These people do not qualify for Social Security…And if counted on this pension, we need to do what we can to guarantee them that their pension will be there long-term.”
* Here’s Senate President Don Harmon’s take from the audio recording…
Well, first of all, I am one of those who thinks a constitutional amendment would do nothing to erase the legacy debt. And I don’t even think a constitutional amendment would change benefits for people participating in the system. Those benefits are protected, not only by the Pension Clause, but also by the Contracts Clause of the state Constitution and the United States Constitution. So, there are a lot of people who would like to wish away the Constitution when it’s inconvenient.
But the short answer is, on the legacy debt, we’re going to have to pay it. The consideration model that has been in play may have worked at the time, but in the face of a seven to nothing Supreme Court decision that, as you said, pretty much closed the door on changing current benefits. It is ironclad.
But also lost in this entire conversation is the enormous reforms enacted in 2010 to create a second tier to pension benefits for every public employee in the state hired after January 1 of 2011. A much-reduced set of benefits, so low in fact, Social Security may ding us and force us to raise some of those benefits. That’s a $50 billion by the estimates I remember from the time, and it got almost no coverage in the press because it didn’t take any pensions away from anyone. But that transition from a tier one pension model to a tier two pension model will solve this problem over time. It’s a problem that took a century to get into this deeply, it’s going to take decades to get out.
More than 60% of Illinois adults have gotten at least one coronavirus vaccine dose so far, public health officials announced Wednesday.
The state crossed that threshold almost five months after the first shot was injected in mid-December. Almost 9.6 million doses have been doled out across Illinois since then, with 4.2 million people now fully vaccinated — nearly a third of the population. […]
About 80% of Illinois seniors have gotten at least one shot, which is close to the national average. That rate is only about 67% for Chicagoans who are 65 or older, according to Chicago Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady. The city also slightly trails the statewide rate with about 56% of Chicago adults having received at least one dose.
“Our age 65-plus category is still lagging,” Arwady said Tuesday. “If you know anybody over 65 especially, please, please, please, help them get vaccinated.”
She’s right that we should all do our part, but the city obviously needs a new strategy.
…Adding… We shall see…
For what it is worth, I asked Lightfoot about that directly on Tuesday, and she said the city planned to use J&J to get vaccine directly to residents, while going back to nursing facilities & reaching out older folks’ kids and grandkids to get whole families jabbed.
