* Greg Hinz…
Armed with a somewhat revised pitch and what appears to be a growing need for state financing, the developer of the proposed One Central mega-development on air rights west of Soldier Field is offering a more detailed version of his plan at a virtual community meeting sponsored by Ald. Pat Dowell, 3rd, this evening.
The $20 billion proposal surely is far reaching, even as the COVID-19 pandemic raises questions about the desirability of living and working in the central city. Little had been heard about the proposal for the last year and a half. […]
Neither Pritzker, whose administration backed legislation authorizing Build Illinois infrastructure lending for such a program, nor Lightfoot, who would have to approve zoning and other matters, had any immediate comment on the current version of the proposal. […]
Included is a request to build up to 22.3 million square feet of apartments, shopping and a transit center on 31 acres decked over Lake Shore Drive and Metra Electric tracks, all funded in part by $6.5 billion in state financing.
* I reached out for a response from the governor’s office…
With the pandemic’s economic turmoil upending state budgets around the country, it would be a challenge for any state to provide the significant amount this developer is seeking. The state faces tremendous challenges and our efforts will focus on rebuilding in the aftermath of the pandemic, supporting residents hardest hit by the disease and helping small businesses get back on their feet.
Background…
The state previously took action that would only permit the developer to seek federal funding; had the state not taken action in the FY20 budget, the developer would have been locked out of significant federal grant dollars. However, the state did not commit any funding to the project.
The developer has not shared a transit study with the state that would demonstrate the need for a transit hub.
City approvals would be required before the state could move forward.
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Careful what you wish for
Monday, Jan 25, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Daily Herald…
Rep. Terra Costa-Howard said her understanding is that a group of Democrats will put forward suggested rules.
“In terms of (power) coming back to members I think that is going to be a discussion,” said the Democrat from Glen Ellyn.
A major change backed by suburban lawmakers from both sides of the aisle would ensure that certain bills make it to the House floor, especially if those bills carry bipartisan support.
“If a bill has a certain number of sponsors, that bill should get a vote. We could set some threshold,” said Rep. Thomas Morrison, a Republican from Palatine. “Maybe 10 sponsors or a certain number of bipartisan sponsors and those should be at least given a chance to get a committee hearing.”
Ten sponsors and they get a committee hearing? Yeah, that won’t clog things up at all.
…Adding… Walker in comments…
With unlimited bills allowed to be filed (there are 5000+ now), and as few as 10 sponsors required to move a bill to committee vote and the floor, a small minority could bring the legislature to an effective halt for a year with minor bills and amendments.
We need a very controlled release of pressure, with a system with well-designed valves.
He knows whereof he speaks.
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Question of the day
Monday, Jan 25, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Chicago’s vaccination Phase 1b…
People 65 years of age and older: People 65 years of age and older; where possible, prioritizing Chicagoans 75 years and older and Chicagoans age 65-74 with underlying medical conditions
Non-healthcare residential settings: Homeless shelters, women’s shelters, adult day care programs, correctional settings (jail officers, juvenile facility staff, workers providing in-person support, detainees), and other non-healthcare residential settings that have experienced outbreaks (e.g. convents)
First Responders: Fire, law enforcement, 911 workers, security personnel, school officers
Grocery Store Workers: Baggers, cashiers, stockers, pick-up, customer service, those working in feeding or at food pantries
Education: Teachers, principals, student support, and student aides at pre-K-12 schools, day care staff
Public Transit Workers: Bus drivers, train conductors, flight crews, taxi drivers and ride sharing services (workers that have worked an average of at least 20 hours per week for the last three months), and all persons working for local transit agencies unable to work from home
Manufacturing: Industrial production of goods for distribution to retail, wholesale or other manufacturers
Food and Agriculture: Processing plants, veterinary health, livestock services, animal care, greenhouses and indoor locations where food is grown en masse
Government: U.S. Postal Service Workers; City government leaders and City elected officials critical to maintain continuity of governmental operations and services
* Tribune…
Chicago Public Schools unveiled its coronavirus vaccination plan for teachers Friday, saying the district will start providing doses to staff members in mid-February.
* Press release…
Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH), alongside elected officials and community partners, announced new initiatives today to address racial equity in the COVID-19 response and vaccine distribution, with early data estimates demonstrating low vaccination rates among Black and Latinx Chicagoans. As Chicago moves into Phase 1b of the vaccination effort, City leaders outlined further efforts to bolster the equity plan to ensure that vaccine reaches the individuals and communities most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
* Teachers and others will have to wait, but on the very first day of eligibility, Mayor Lightfoot (age 58) got her shot…
* The Question: In your opinion, is it appropriate for the mayor to have received her vaccination on the first day of eligibility? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please…
bike trail guide
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Durkin’s new leadership team
Monday, Jan 25, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From the House GOP Leader…
* Press release…
State Rep. David Allen Welter, R-Morris, has been appointed House Republican Conference Chairperson for the 102nd General Assembly. At age 29, Welter joins Rep. Avery Bourne R-Morrisonville, as the youngest members of the House leadership team. Welter has represented Illinois’ 75th District since July 2016 serving portions of Grundy, Kendall, LaSalle and Will Counties.
Rep. Welter issued the following statement upon his appointment:
“I am honored to have been selected to join the House Republican Leadership Team. I believe Leader Durkin has shown he is committed to not just the future of our party but also our state with his announcement today. I look forward to using my influence to advocate for a broad energy package which will make Illinois a leader in competitive and reliable energy for generations to come. If we choose to lead together, both Democrats and Republicans, there is no challenge we cannot face, no obstacle we cannot overcome if we are united for the common good. I have shown to be effective working across the aisle, and I will continue to do that when I believe it benefits our area and our state.”
Rep. Welter’s ’s appointment was announced on Monday by House Minority Leader Jim Durkin, R-Western Springs: “As the former Grundy County Chairman at the age of 23, David has proven to be a longstanding advocate for the principles of the House Republican caucus and the values of his district. David recently was involved in the House investigations on the deadly outbreak at the LaSalle Veterans Home. His thorough questioning of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs has pushed the investigation into the right direction. We look forward to David bringing that dedication and energy to the House Republican Leadership team.”
Prior to his appointment to the Illinois General Assembly in 2016, Welter served as Chairman of the Grundy County Board, to which he was first elected in 2010. His private sector experience includes work as the Human Resources Manager for Illinois Truck & Equipment. Welter is also currently a licensed real estate agent practicing in Morris.
Rep. Welter resides in Morris with his wife, Ashley, and their three children.
Keep an eye on that young man.
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* Press release…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 2,944 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 49 additional deaths.
- Boone County: 1 male 60s
- Coles County: 1 male 70s
- Cook County: 1 male 40s, 2 males 50s, 3 females 60s, 2 males 60s, 2 females 70s, 2 females 80s, 2 males 80s, 1 female 90s, 3 males 90s
- DeKalb County: 1 female 80s
- DuPage County: 1 male 60s, 2 females 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 male 90s
- Fulton County: 1 male 80s
- Henry County: 1 male 90s
- Kane County: 1 female 50s, 1 male 50s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 80s
- Lake County: 2 males 50s, 1 female 60s
- Macoupin County: 1 female 80s
- Madison County: 1 female 60s, 1 female 90s
- McHenry County: 1 female 60s, 1 male 70s
- McLean County: 1 female 70s
- Peoria County: 1 male 60s
- Randolph County: 1 male 70s
- Sangamon County: 1 male 60s
- St. Clair County: 1 female 80s
- Tazewell County: 1 female 90s
- Will County: 1 male 80s
- Winnebago County: 1 male 90s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,104,763 cases, including 18,798 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 74,202 specimens for a total 15,484,034. As of last night, 2,962 in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 601 patients were in the ICU and 302 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from January 18–24, 2021 is 4.7%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from January 18–24, 2021 is 5.8%.
A total of 1,112,725 doses of vaccine have been delivered to providers in Illinois, including Chicago. In addition, approximately 550,050 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 1,662,775. IDPH is currently reporting a total of 692,763 vaccines administered, including 110,403 for long-term care facilities. Yesterday, a total of 11,290 doses were administered. The 7-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 28,171 doses.
If all the mitigation metrics continue to improve, regions 8 and 9 will move into Tier 1 on Tuesday, January 26, 2021.
*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.
* Press release…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced Region 1 (Boone, Carroll, DeKalb, Jo Daviess, Lee, Ogle, Stephenson, Whiteside, Winnebago) and Region 2 (Bureau, Fulton, Grundy, Henderson, Henry, Kendall, Knox, La Salle, Livingston, Marshall, McDonough, McLean, Mercer, Peoria, Putnam, Rock Island, Stark, Tazewell, Warren, Woodford) are moving to Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois Plan effective today. Information about which tier and phase regions are in can be found at the top of the IDPH website homepage.
*** UPDATE *** Press release…
Building on the state’s progress as it moves into the early stages of Phase 1B of the COVID-19 Vaccination Administration Plan, Governor JB Pritzker announced a new portal on coronavirus.illinois.gov to provide residents with easily accessible information about the COVID-19 vaccine. Coronavirus.illinois.gov will provide eligible residents with nearby vaccination sites, information on how to make an appointment to receive the vaccine, updates on the state’s plan and eligibility, and answers to frequently asked questions about the COVID-19 vaccine.
“Today, as we launch the newest phase of our Vaccine Administration Plan for frontline essential workers and those 65 and over, I’m proud to announce our statewide vaccination site locator, searchable by zip code and city, at coronavirus.illinois.gov,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This site will serve as a hub of all vaccine-related information, directing residents to the appointment booking homepages of our 97 local health departments and our pharmacy partners, which will total hundreds of locations statewide. That also includes information on our first Illinois National Guard mass vaccination site, opening tomorrow at Tinley Park Convention Center, and will be updated as more state-run sites and hundreds of additional local options come online. As federal supply is currently limited and every state in the nation is facing a shortage, I urge all eligible Illinoisans to check back regularly for available appointments – and in the meantime, mask up, keep our distance, wash our hands, and remember we’ll stay healthy and safe if we look out for each other.”
Beginning today, Walgreens is providing vaccines at 92 sites across the state, eligible residents can schedule an appointment here. Jewel-Osco will begin vaccinating eligible residents tomorrow and the link to schedule an appointment is now live and can be found here.
Over the next few days, additional pharmacy partners will be coming online and opening registration for appointments. Taken together, these pharmacy partners will provide hundreds of sites in every region of the state.
Over 3.2 million Illinoisans are eligible for Phase 1B. Eligible residents will be able to receive a vaccine at one of the Illinois National Guard (ILNG) assisted sites, at a site operated by a local health department, or at a partner pharmacy.
At this time, these sites will be available by appointment only. As the federal supply of vaccines increases and Illinois receives more vaccine, the state will launch walk-in locations and expand sites to additional providers like doctor’s offices and urgent care clinics. More information about those locations will be released in the coming weeks.
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Good advice, so pass it along
Monday, Jan 25, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* And Arnold Schwarzenegger’s advice goes way beyond COVID-19 and vaccines…
I always say you should know your strengths and listen to the experts. If you want to learn about building biceps, listen to me, because I’ve spent my life studying how to get the perfect peak and I have been called the greatest bodybuilder of all time. We all have different specialties.
Dr. Fauci and all of the virologists and epidemiologists and doctors have studied diseases and vaccines for their entire lives, so I listen to them and I urge you to do the same. None of us are going to learn more than them by watching a few hours of videos. It’s simple: if your house in on fire, you don’t go on YouTube, you call the damn fire department. If you have a heart attack, you don’t check your Facebook group, you call an ambulance. If 9 doctors tell you you have cancer and need to treat it or you will die, and 1 doctor says the cancer will disappear, you should always side with the 9. In this case, virtually all of the real experts around the world are telling us the vaccine is safe and some people on Facebook are saying it isn’t.
In general, I think if the circle of people you trust gets smaller and smaller and you find yourself more and more isolated, it should be a warning sign that you’re going down a rabbit hole of misinformation. Some people say it is weak to listen to experts. That’s bogus. It takes strength to admit you don’t know everything. Weakness is thinking you don’t need expert advice and only listening to sources that confirm what you want to believe.
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* Vox…
The Supreme Court announced on Monday that it will not hear a bloc of several cases that threatened to impose dire financial penalties on public sector unions. The cases all involved unions that charged fees to non-members that were legal at the time the unions collected those fees, but were later declared illegal by the Supreme Court in Janus v. AFSCME (2018) (we’ll call that case “Janus I”).
It’s easy to overread the significance of the Court’s decision not to hear a particular case. When the Court denies review of a lower court’s decision, that does not necessarily mean that a majority of the Court agreed with that decision.
Nevertheless, the anti-union cases that the Court decided not to hear on Monday were only the most recent in a train of cases targeting the finances of public sector unions. The Court’s decision to turn these latest cases aside suggests that, even with a 6-3 Republican majority, a majority of the justices believe they have done enough to prevent unions from collecting fees that the Court’s right flank finds objectionable.
The arguments presented by the plaintiffs in these cases, one of which was a continuation of the Janus case itself (we’ll call that one “Janus II”), were quite radical. As a federal appeals court explained in one of these cases, “the Rule of Law requires that parties abide by, and be able to rely on, what the law is,” not what the law may become in the future.
And yet the plaintiffs in these cases sought to impose potentially debilitating financial consequences on unions that complied with the law — only to have the Supreme Court change the law after the unions complied with it.
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Carjacking as a means to “social media fame”?
Monday, Jan 25, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I’ve been wondering about this because the jacked cars aren’t normally being used for anything else. They’re taken and then dumped, sometimes at the scene of another carjacking. According to the ISP, some of this activity is a bizarre form of online entertainment…
In the first 21 days of 2021, there have been 166 carjackings, Deenihan told members of the City Council’s Public Safety Committee on Friday, which held a hearing that lasted more than five hours. Arrests have been made in connection with 65% of those incidents — and most of those facing charges are between 15 and 20 years old.
“Overall, the biggest spike we see right now is people taking cars, driving around for eight or 10 hours, then dumping the car,” Deenihan said.
Some of those thefts are motivated by a desire for social media fame, where videos of teens and young adults speeding in stolen cars while being pursued by police cruisers draw thousands of views, Illinois State Police Col. David Byrd said.
The online videos would appear to explain the high arrest rate.
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* CBS 2…
Delores Garner says a team of Chicago police officers burst into her home, executing a search warrant in August of 2019. But, they raided the wrong home she says and left a trail of destruction behind.
“They broke through this door,” she said while showing it no longer locks.
Garner says officers also damaged property inside her home, including a television, mattress, bathroom vanity and her granddaughter’s iPad. It cost her thousands of dollars.
“I have not gotten a dime,” said Garner about the city not compensating her. She said she even tried to file an insurance claim, which was denied because the damage was from a police raid.
This raid at Garner’s home was unlike any of the other botched raids CBS 2 Investigators have exposed since 2018.
Garner’s home is not in Chicago. She lives in suburban Calumet City.
The complaint for search warrant shows how a bad tip from a confidential informant led to Chicago officers getting a warrant approved by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office and a Cook County Circuit Court judge too. The warrant gave officers the authority to cross into another city looking for a marijuana dealer. […]
CPD does not track these raids to determine if any are wrong raids resulting from officers’ failing to verify they have the correct address before getting a warrant. One of many systemic problems, exposed by CBS 2 Investigators, which led to a consent decree enforcement action demanding CPD make significant search warrant related reforms.
City officials failed to respond to the enforcement action, said lawyers for the consent decree. They filed a motion earlier this month, asking a federal judge to intervene.
1) The police routinely use tips from “confidential informants” to obtain search warrants, yet the police union staunchly opposes allowing the public to submit confidential complaints about police officers.
2) Why is the Cook County State’s Attorney signing off on these warrants?
* Meanwhile, here’s the Rockford Register-Star…
A portion of a more than 760-page criminal justice reform bill approved by the General Assembly would expand the powers of the state to decertify police officers for misconduct.
Until now, a police officer had to be convicted of a felony or certain misdemeanors, such as offering a bribe, prostitution or criminal sex abuse, to lose certification needed to practice law enforcement in Illinois.
If the bill is signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker, that would change starting in 2022 by providing the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board with expanded powers to weed out bad cops if a review panel finds there was misconduct without requiring a conviction. […]
An officer could be decertified if it is determined they committed a felony or a disqualifying misdemeanor, even if they were never convicted or charged, under the bill. Other actions that could result in an officer being decertified include using excessive force; failing to intervene when another officer uses excessive force; tampering with dashboard cameras, body cameras or evidence; and committing perjury or engaging in “unprofessional conduct” such as deceiving or harming the public.
The state board could receive complaints from police agencies, state’s attorneys or the public about police misconduct. The board would conduct a hearing before a newly created Certification Review Panel to determine if decertification is warranted if an investigation finds the complaints are valid.
* News-Gazette…
Supporters also dismissed the notion that the bill was a last-minute surprise. They contended they held multiple virtual meetings in recent months to hear from interested parties, their point being that everyone was up to speed on the bill if they wanted to be.
But Champaign County State’s Attorney Julia Rietz, who testified at one virtual meeting, challenged that claim.
“There is a big difference between saying, ‘We will let you talk’ and ‘We will let you participate in the decision-making,’” she said.
If you want in on the final decision-making powers of the Illinois General Assembly, then run for the House or the Senate. Only the governor has a veto.
*** UPDATE *** Lee Gaines at Illinois Public Media…
Between 2016 and 2019, UIPD arrested more than 3,700 people, according to data obtained via a Freedom of Information request. These arrests include everything from traffic tickets, ordering them to appear in court but releasing them on the scene to physically taking them to jail. Broken down by race, Black people account for about 29% of total arrests, while white people make up 42% of arrests; Asian individuals make up 22% of arrests and Hispanic people account for only about 6% of total arrests.
But during the same time period, more than half (54%) of the 576 people physically taken to jail by UIPD were Black — while only about a third (34%) were white. Black students, however, make up only about 7% of the student body on the campus, and Black people account for about 12% of the metro population, according to Census estimates.
Of those issued traffic tickets or ordered to appear in court, about 24% were Black; while white people accounted for about 43%.
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Ask an expert
Monday, Jan 25, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sun-Times…
Navigating the “pros and the cons of the Madigan legacy” could be the greatest challenge, said Chris Mooney, a professor of state politics at the University of Illinois-Chicago.
Mooney views Welch’s Madigan-related challenges in two ways.
On the one hand, “people will hold Madigan up as the standard in terms of electoral success,” Mooney said.
Welch will be judged on how well he can emulate that political prowess — but escape “the negative side of Madigan, the toxic work environment of the Statehouse.
“I mean it’s been toxic for as long as I’ve been around and certainly long before that, and a lot of that is fueled by hyper partisanship,” the UIC professor said. “And a lot of it flowed from Mike Madigan’s personality — very close to the vest, very uptight, very, you know, very paranoid, you know, not friendly, he’s on everybody’s case.”
If he had created a toxic work environment for most of his members and was unfriendly to them and always on their case, he wouldn’t have been Speaker for a kabillion years. Just sayin…
The cartoon version of Mike Madigan will long outlive Mike Madigan.
* Meanwhile…
Edgar said former Gov. Bruce Rauner, a fellow Republican whose stubbornness to compromise led to a two-year budget standoff with Madigan and other Democrats in the General Assembly, should shoulder more of the blame for the state’s latest budget problems. Those problems include a $3.9 billion shortfall in the current fiscal year.
And regarding Madigan’s role in the pension debt, Edgar said: “The pensions were screwed up before Mike Madigan and I came to Springfield. I don’t think he led the charge to make the pensions bad. … I don’t think you can blame him for it any more than anyone else in Springfield.”
When asked whether Madigan was corrupt, Edgar responded that he will be amazed if Madigan is indicted in the ComEd scandal.
“It depends on your definition of corruption,” Edgar said. “Did he do anything Illegal? … Madigan was always very careful.”
Keep in mind that Edgar has been out of power for 22 years.
Your thoughts?
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Musical chairs
Monday, Jan 25, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* WGLT…
A former Logan County clerk has been chosen to fill out the rest of state Sen. Bill Brady’s term.
Sally Turner of Beason was chosen over the weekend from a field of nine applicants, said McLean County Republican Party chair Connie Beard. The decision by county GOP chairs was unanimous, she said.
Turner served six terms as Logan County clerk and now works in government consulting.
Beard said Turner is a “solid conservative Republican” with “great interest in veterans affairs, election security and law, state budgets and spending controls.”
Brady was appointed to the Senate in 2002 when John Maitland retired.
Sen. Turner’s spouse is former Rep. John Turner, who was appointed to the Illinois Appellate Court in 2001 to fill the Rita Garman vacancy. Jonathan Wright was appointed to fill out the rest of Turner’s House term and then used that as a springboard to successfully run for Logan County State’s Attorney in 2002. He ran for US Senate two years later and finished fifth in the GOP primary.
* Sun-Times…
Committeepeople in a North Side state senator’s district say they’re committed to an open and “transparent process” for picking a replacement, but some in that district say the plan for picking a successor leaves out voters.
Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth, a co-coordinator of the Indivisible chapter, Indivisble IL-9, that encompasses Andersonville and Edgewater — part of Indivisible Illinois, which was founded in 2016 to push back on former President Donald Trump’s agenda — said the process of picking who will serve out the remaining two years in Sen. Heather Steans’ term shuts independent voices out.
“The process leaves behind the voters,” Manaa-Hoppenworth said. “It shuts out … people and independent voices. And who, instead, has the power to give that elected office to a person is a very select few people; they’re political insiders.” […]
Harry Osterman, who represents the 48th Ward as its alderman and committeeperson, said Sunday, while he respects the opinions of Indivisible 9, “The responsibility of the committee is to fill the Senate seat.”
“Given that the state has the challenges it does, I think it’s important that we find the right person who can take [Steans’] place,” Osterman said. “This is a year where redistricting is going to take place. I think having a strong voice representing our communities is going to be critical, and the reality also is that, in probably 10 months, there’ll be petitions on the street where candidates can run for the senate seat … I think residents who live in our communities are going to decide, now and in the future, that we get it right.”
Ald. Osterman was appointed to the House when then-Rep. Carol Ronen was appointed to the Senate.
* Politico…
More candidates are staking claims for seats opening — or potentially opening up — in the General Assembly. State Sen. Heather Steans is stepping down from her 7th District seat, prompting Democratic Party leaders to seek applications. The due date is Jan. 31. Mike Simmons, a Black business owner in Uptown, is putting his name in the hat, joining Rep. Kelly Cassidy, who’s already signaled her interest. Simmons owns Blue Sky Strategies, a firm that develops anti-racist public policy, and he works full time at the Obama Foundation as deputy director of the youth program, My Brother’s Keeper.
… Should Cassidy win Steans’ seat, the 14th District House seat opens up. It’s already prompted a number of up and coming Democrats to prepare to apply. Also interested: Tom Elliott, who owns his own political consulting firm and previously served as comms director for Democrat Daniel Biss’ bid for governor. Elliott also has worked with state Senate Democrats in past political races. Like Simmons, Elliott also is part of the LGBTQ community, which is a large part of Steans’ and Cassidy’s districts… And Angela Inzano is talking to community members and Democratic committee people about the 14th District seat too. Inzano is director of Advocacy & Engagement at the Chicago Bar Foundation and was part of the Illinois Women’s Institute for Leadership Training Academy in 2018.
Rep. Cassidy was appointed to the House when Harry Osterman was elected to the Chicago City Council.
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* My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
House Speaker Michael Madigan avoided calling the General Assembly back into session during the pandemic for several reasons, many of them having to do with himself.
But new Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch told me earlier this month that “The legislature is back in business. We’re going to work in 2021.”
“We’re going to probably use the BOS Center for a little while,” Welch said of the Springfield convention center that the House has been meeting in. “But that’s a pretty costly place. So we’re also trying to explore how to safely transition back into the Capitol. There will probably be a hybrid version of remote committees and limited things at the Capitol, but we’re about to go back to work.”
The remote legislating bill failed to pass both chambers during the recent lame duck session, but Welch said there are some new things they can do, “And we can do it pretty quickly if we’re actually working.”
Here are some more highlights from my interview:
* Chief of Staff: The new Speaker said he’s asked Madigan’s chief of staff Jessica Basham to stay on through the end of the remap process and she has agreed. Basham has been diligently studying the remap process for the past two years, but she is also Madigan’s former appropriations director, which is crucial knowledge and experience to have during what looks to be a possibly horrific budget-making process.
“I’m looking forward to working with Jessica,” Welch said. “I think she’s been a great chief of staff. She knows this process and I’m going to lean on her as well. And I think everyone would understand the need to have a transition period. You don’t come in a door and immediately start making changes, especially when three days ago you didn’t even expect to be in the position.”
* Speaking of the Remap: Welch told reporters after he was elected Speaker that he supports “Fair Maps.” I asked how committed he actually is to the concept of redistricting reform.
“I’ve believed in fair maps since I’ve been in the legislature,” Welch said. “And so we’re going to begin that process. We’re going to work with Democrats and Republicans, we’re gonna work with the Senate, we’re gonna work with the governor. Because my definition of fair maps may be different from what everyone else’s is. So, we have to do this in partnership. Remember that if we’re not doing this in partnership, we already have a difficult task ahead of us, it’s only going to get more difficult if we don’t do this with all the voices around the table.”
* New Rules?: Speaker Welch said he wants to talk with his members before making any decisions on new House rules, “because I heard a lot about that in my conversations,” with House Democrats during his election.
“After I talk to the members, I’ll reach out to [Jim] Durkin,” he said of the House Republican leader. Welch said he will “take a quick, hard look” at the rules “and make changes where we deem appropriate.”
* Campaign Structure: The House Republicans years ago separated their government staff from their campaign staff. Madigan never followed suit. The House Democrats’ Issues Staff does double-duty on campaigns. Does he plan to change that?
“We’re talking through with a number of folks getting guidance, and we’ll see how things go,” Welch said.
“I want to say this,” Welch continued, “because there’s 73 Democrats in the House. Two years ago, we had 74. That’s a super-majority. So Madigan was doing something right. And his structure was doing something right. And so we’re not gonna throw the baby out with the bathwater.
“What we’re gonna do is take a good system and add a little polish to it, and fine-tune it and add some modern touches to it, give it a little bit more transparency. But we’re gonna do some things that are already being done because they’re proven things that elect Democrats.”
Welch said he hasn’t yet talked with Madigan about control of the caucus’ Democratic Majority PAC, “but that’s on the agenda.”
* Madigan: Asked if Madigan had left him a letter of advice like many governors do for their successors, Welch said he hadn’t.
“But you know, he is available to me, we’ve sat and talked twice,” Welch said. “And both of those conversations have been very helpful to me already.
“He has told me to call him for advice on anything I need. And trust me, with his type of knowledge, I’m gonna do that. I’m gonna lean on that institution.”
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* 625 ILCS 5/11-1006(c)…
No person shall stand on a highway for the purpose of soliciting contributions from the occupant of any vehicle except within a municipality when expressly permitted by municipal ordinance. The local municipality, city, village, or other local governmental entity in which the solicitation takes place shall determine by ordinance where and when solicitations may take place based on the safety of the solicitors and the safety of motorists. The decision shall also take into account the orderly flow of traffic and may not allow interference with the operation of official traffic control devices. The soliciting agency shall be:
1. registered with the Attorney General as a charitable organization as provided by “An Act to regulate solicitation and collection of funds for charitable purposes, providing for violations thereof, and making an appropriation therefor”, approved July 26, 1963, as amended;
2. engaged in a Statewide fund raising activity; and
3. liable for any injuries to any person or property during the solicitation which is causally related to an act of ordinary negligence of the soliciting agent.
* Amanda Vinicky…
A federal judge has permanently banned Illinois’ panhandling law from being enforced on the basis the statute violates the First Amendment. The case was part of a yearlong effort by advocates including the American Civil Liberties Union and Chicago Coalition for the Homeless (CCH) to eliminate such laws.
But at least one Chicago alderman said the city wants a new plan to help curtail the aggressive begging that began after Chicago revoked its panhandling ordinance in late 2018.
In the case that resulted in the federal order issued Jan. 11, CCH attorney Diane O’Connell said the plaintiffs — a pair of homeless men, Michael Dumiak and Christopher Simmons — had been ticketed multiple times by Downers Grove police for soliciting for money when suburban homeless shelters were out of space. […]
In a federal decision handed down last week, Judge Robert Gettleman agreed, issuing a permanent injunction based on the finding that Illinois’ law is “a content-based restriction on the freedom of speech that is not justified by any compelling interest and that the provision violates the First Amendment and is unconstitutional on its face under clearly established law.”
The order is here.
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* Press release…
Building on the state’s progress in administering the COVID-19 vaccine, Governor JB Pritzker announced the state will move into the early stages of Phase 1B of the COVID-19 Vaccine Administration Plan beginning on Monday, January 25. While federal vaccine shipments to states remain limited, the state is aggressively building out provider capacity to ensure efficient distribution as soon as more vaccine becomes available. Illinois remains committed to distributing the vaccine in an equitable, accessible way and as a part of Phase 1B, all residents over the age of 65 and frontline essential workers can receive the vaccine. Illinois will begin vaccinating eligible residents by appointment only.
As the state substantially completes Phase 1A, Illinois has surpassed its daily vaccination record multiple times, most recently vaccinating more than 44,000 people in a 24-hour period. The state has administered more than 60 percent of its vaccine allocation outside of Chicago and not including the federal Pharmacy Partnership Program, and substantially more once data lag in the reported administrations is accounted for.
“Illinois is building capacity so that as the vaccine supply increases, we will be ready,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “As the nation awaits greater supplies and we ramp up vaccination sites, every Illinoisan can do their part to fight this pandemic with the tools we know to work – masking and distancing – and over the last 8 weeks we’ve all used those tools and made real progress. Enormous sacrifices are being made to achieve this progress, but those sacrifices are making a real difference.”
“As more vaccine is allocated to Illinois, and more people are eligible to be vaccinated, we are starting to see the finish line coming into focus,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “I am cautiously optimistic with the trends we are seeing in Illinois, but I want to stress how important it is for us to continue our public health actions of wearing masks and avoiding large gatherings. Getting to the end of this pandemic will be about the choices we make. The choice to wear our mask, the choice to keep our distance, and the choice to get vaccinated.”
Over 3.2 million Illinoisans are eligible for Phase 1B. Eligible residents will be able to receive a vaccine at one of the Illinois National Guard (ILNG) assisted sites, at a site operated by a local health department, or at a partner pharmacy. Walgreens is now online in limited number of sites statewide. CVS and Jewel-Osco will be coming online early next week and additional pharmacies such as Hy-Vee, Mariano’s, and Kroger will be joining later next week. Taken together, these pharmacy partners will provide hundreds of sites in every region of the state.
At this time, these sites will be available by appointment only. As the federal supply of vaccines increases and Illinois receives more vaccines, the state will launch walk-in locations and expand sites to additional providers like doctor’s offices and urgent care clinics. More information about those locations will be released in the coming weeks.
In addition, over 18 state and federal agencies, including the ILNG, the Illinois State Police, and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency personnel who could be assisting in COVID-19 response will be vaccinated at McCormick Place in Chicago and the Illinois State Police Academy in Springfield. These sites are not open to the public at this time.
* Meanwhile…
Sports Guidance Under Phase 4
Working alongside the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), IDPH also announced sports guidance for all youth and adult recreational sports under Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois plan. Sports guidance under Phase 4 expands the level of play allowed for all sports to allow play at the intra-conference, region, or league levels.
While regions in the state continue to move toward Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois Plan, the risk of a resurgence, particularly with new variants such as the U.K. variant remains serious. The state urges all Illinois residents to continue following guidance aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19, such as wearing a mask, reducing interactions outside the household, practicing social distancing, frequent hand washing, and receiving the COVID-19 vaccine when eligible.
IDPH will continue to closely monitor test positivity, ICU bed availability, and the number of people in the hospital with COVID-19. Should data show regions trending in the wrong direction, based on the established mitigation metrics, regions could once again find themselves in a higher tier with increased measures.
More on the sports guidance is here.
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Because… George Ryan and Don Harmon!
Friday, Jan 22, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune gonna Tribune, I suppose…
* To the column by the president and chief executive officer of the Better Government Association…
Even so, Welch’s early pronouncements — opposing the gerrymandering of electoral maps and calling for a 10-year limit on terms of legislative leaders — represented at least a verbal departure from Madigan’s methods.
So how will we know if Welch is a “mini-Mike,” or something better than that? We can watch for certain tells.
Madigan used the House Rules Committee to exert unrivaled control over which bills came to a vote and which did not. Welch is launching a rules rewrite. If he’s serious about reform, the new House rules will allow bills he opposes, even those written by Republicans, to still reach the House floor for a vote.
The patronizing attitude is ridiculous enough, but there are also substantive critiques here.
* For about the last decade or so, Speaker Madigan moved all substantive bills out of the House Rules Committee to standing committees during odd-numbered years. The House rules have long limited bills for consideration in even-numbered (election) years to appropriations, emergencies and other top governing priorities. Most people don’t know that because they prefer the cartoon version of Madigan.
The rules to discharge bills from the House Rules Committee are, indeed, onerous. The motions must be signed by no less than three-fifths of the members of both the majority and minority caucuses and all those who sign must be a sponsor of the underlying bill. However, the Senate’s rules to discharge bills from the Assignments Committee are identical, so Madigan most definitely did not exert “unrivaled” control. Curiously, no “to-do list” was also handed to Senate President Harmon. Once again, that would clash with the cartoon version of Illinois politics.
* Now, a whole lot of the bills that were moved out of Rules were assigned to the House Executive Committee, where they went to die (click here to see the list of Leader Durkin’s bills as an example).
However, last night I used the Google and found an explainer of Illinois House rules and procedures published in 1982, the year before Madigan was elected House Speaker and while the Republicans held the chamber and George Ryan was Speaker. Discharging a bill from committee required a three-fifths vote in writing and mandated its inclusion on the daily calendar. The last version of Madigan’s rules only required a simple majority to discharge bills from standing committees.
Beyond all this, there’s also the question about why bills sharply opposed by Democrats in a Democratic super-majority chamber ought to be given the right to floor votes.
* This is not to say that none of the rules should be changed. They should. We’ve discussed this several times before. I’m just arguing for a fact-based approach, unlike the BGA. Also, the Illinois Policy Institute has some rules ideas. Some are decent, some aren’t. Click here to see them.
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* This is a huge increase in the number of cases (4,979 yesterday), but the positivity rates still look OK for now. We’ll see. Press release…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 7,042 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 95 additional deaths.
- Adams County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 90s
- Coles County: 1 female 80s, 1 male 90s
- Cook County: 1 female 30s, 1 female 50s, 3 males 50s, 8 females 60s, 9 males 60s, 1 female 70s, 11 males 70s, 5 females 80s, 4 males 80s, 1 male 90s
- DuPage County: 1 male 70s, 2 males 80s, 1 female 90s
- Hancock County: 1 male 80s
- Kane County: 1 male 60s, 2 females 80s
- Lake County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 male 90s
- Madison County: 1 female 80s
- Marshall County: 1 female 70s
- McHenry County: 1 female 70s
- McLean County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s
- Montgomery County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 male 90s
- Ogle County: 1 male 60s
- Peoria County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s
- Piatt County: 1 male 90s
- Randolph County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s
- Richland County: 1 female 60s
- Rock Island County: 1 male 60s, 1 male 90s
- Sangamon County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s, 1 male 90s
- St. Clair County: 2 males 80s, 3 female 90s, 1 male 90s
- Washington County: 1 male 80s
- Will County: 2 females 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s
- Winnebago County: 1 female 30s, 1 female 90s
- Woodford County: 1 male 70s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,093,375 cases, including 18,615 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 125,831 specimens for a total 15,209,516. As of last night, 3,179 in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 661 patients were in the ICU and 348 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from January 15–21, 2021 is 5.0%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from January 15–21, 2021 is 6.2%.
Beginning today, IDPH has adjusted reporting probable cases, which caused an artificial one day increase in cases of 1,903. Previously, only confirmed deaths were included in the total case count. However, the total case count includes both confirmed and probable cases. Therefore, probable deaths are now being included in the total case count. Confirmed deaths and probable deaths will still be reported separately.
As of last night, 922,325 doses of vaccine have been delivered to providers in Illinois, including Chicago. In addition, approximately 524,050 doses have been allocated to the federal government’s Pharmacy Partnership Program for long-term care facilities. This brings the total Illinois doses to 1,446,375. IDPH is currently reporting a total of 616,677 vaccines administered, including 93,683 for long-term care facilities. Yesterday, a total of 44,288 doses were administered. The 7-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 24,190 doses.
*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.
* Meanwhile…
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced Region 4 (Bond, Clinton, Madison, Monroe, Randolph, St. Clair, Washington) is moving to Tier 2 effective today. All 11 regions have now moved out of Tier 3 mitigations. If metrics continue to improve or are stable, regions 10 and 11 are on track to advance to Tier 1 on Saturday, January 23, 2021. Information about which tier and phase regions are in can be found at the top of the IDPH website homepage.
“With all regions of Illinois now out of Tier 3, we can now see that the entire state is headed down the right path,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “During the summer, we were on this same path. We know that we must continue to take precautions and be smart about how we relax some of the mitigation measures, which are in place to protect our health and safety.”
“We are pleased to hear our region as whole is trending in the right direction,” said St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern. “We will continue to advocate to our residents to mask up, wash their hands, and stay safe so we can continue to increase capacity at our hospitals and reduce our positivity rates. We appreciate the work and partnership of IDPH and Governor Pritzker.”
IDPH will continue to closely monitor test positivity, ICU bed availability, and the number of people in the hospital with COVID-19. Should data show regions trending in the wrong direction, based on the established mitigation metrics, regions could once again find themselves in a higher tier with increase measures.
The governor’s press conference today is focused on youth sports. Stay tuned for updates.
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Learn something new every day
Friday, Jan 22, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* An Illinoisan sent a blast email to legislators last night…
Pritzker got 98% of the black vote. Its time we get a return. He has said “its hard being black…and we must do something about it” this Executive Order is the something.
The person apparently used an old email list which included folks who lost their reelections. Former Rep. John Cabello (R-Machesney Park) hit “reply all” from his official ilhousegop.org address…
Pritzer should be in jail for his crimes.
* Some members were grumbling about it this morning, particularly since Cabello continues to relentlessly troll Pritzker on Twitter. So, I asked why he still has access to his official account, even though he lost reelection. The reply…
Our policy is to shut down all accounts including emails, social media and websites 30 days after a member leaves office. This is to give time for the transition to a new office holder, and allow for any wrap up of constituent work and other outstanding items.
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* WBEZ…
During the final three months of 2020, ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan spent more than $1 million for work by a Chicago law firm specializing in white-collar criminal cases, newly filed state campaign records show.
The $1.03 million the Friends of Michael J. Madigan political fund spent with Katten Muchin Rosenman represents a sharp uptick in legal spending by the Chicago Democrat and comes as a federal bribery probe intensified.
During the first three quarters of last year, Madigan’s campaign committee spent about $726,000 with the firm.
As I’ve told you before, Madigan spent $2.66 million on lawyers between July of 2017 and July of last year.
* Related…
* Madigan no longer ‘Mr. Speaker,’ but he’s still ‘Public Official A’
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Today’s number: $330,000
Friday, Jan 22, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* AP…
The Illinois House spent $187,000 to rent out Springfield’s downtown convention center last week due to fears about conducting business at the Capitol during the coronavirus pandemic, according to documents disclosed to The Associated Press.
Lawmakers in the House have now spent a total of about $330,000 in taxpayer money to rent the center for less than two weeks during the pandemic because officials decided the House chamber does not allow sufficient distance between legislators to avoid transmission of the virus.
The House jammed months of work into last week at the convention center and anticipates 56 more days of legislative action between Feb. 2 and May 31. Considering it’ll likely be months before most people receive a COVID-19 vaccine, continuing the arrangement with the Bank of Springfield Center would be costly. […]
Like last week, the May session saw the House, with 118 elected officials and dozens of support employees, operated from the BoS Center. Facility rental is $5,000 a day, the standard rate, but with catered meals, security, audio-visual equipment and other incidentals, the four-day contract ran to $144,000, according to invoices disclosed under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act. Add to that the $187,000 rung up for this month’s stretch, and it amounts to a daily rate of $30,000.
Click here for the invoice for last May’s special session.
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Aren’t we missing something here?
Friday, Jan 22, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Daily Herald…
New Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch’s leadership team, which he announced Thursday, does not have enough suburban representation and includes too many Michael Madigan loyalists, says Democratic state Rep. Kathleen Willis of Addison.
The team also does not include any of the women who ran for House Speaker — Willis, Rep. Stephanie Kifowit of Oswego and Rep. Ann Williams of Chicago, she noted.
Neither Willis nor Rep. Fred Crespo, a Democrat from Hoffman Estates, was retained by Welch in House leadership.
Suburban representation will include only Reps. Natalie Manley of Joliet and Robyn Gabel of Evanston, plus Rep. Deb Conroy of Villa Park in one of six new positions of caucus whip, which do not pay leadership stipends.
Um, the new House Speaker (remember him?) is from the suburbs.
Rep. Marcus Evans’ district has a big chunk of suburbia. Also, there’s Rep. Elizabeth Hernandez. Last time I checked, Cicero was in the suburbs. [Rep. Mary Flowers’ district also includes a chunk of suburbia.]
* Meanwhile, here’s Rep. Stephanie Kifowit’s take…
“I assumed people would be appreciative and supportive,” she told me earlier this week. “In reality, what I found was my candidacy was not taken seriously.”
I’d say that sentiment could bring an emotional kind of exhaustion to anyone who already was physically tired. But after getting a few days of solid shut-eye following all of last week’s drama, Kifowit, a Marine veteran who does not back down from adversity, insists there are no sour grapes. […]
Even though there’s plenty of speculation that Welch, a Madigan supporter, may be strongly influenced by the former speaker, Kifowit sees that as “a fallacy.” Because he’s in the spotlight and under the gun to turn things around, “I am hopeful,” she said, “he will be independent and tread his own course.”
The good news is that with a strong movement away from the Chicago-machine-style politics that kept him in power too long, “there will never be another Mike Madigan,” she predicted.
…Adding… Rep. Kifowit just told me that despite what Rep. Willis may have implied…
I did not ask Speaker Welch for a leadership position. I am excited to work with him and his new leadership team for the betterment of Illinois. I know there is a lot of work that we all need to do and I have the utmost confidence in the Speaker and his leadership team during these difficult times.
* Related…
* Power shifts from city stronghold to west suburbs
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Good job, Senator
Friday, Jan 22, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* People in charge of things can be so stupid sometimes. Fortunately, it appears to have ended well and no Illinois National Guard members were treated this shabbily…
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Open thread
Friday, Jan 22, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Local topics, polite conversation. Thank you kindly.
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