The DeWitt/Piatt Bi-County Health Department earlier this week announced four new cases of the coronavirus in DeWitt County.
Three share a household and live in Farmer City. They include a 44-year-old female and her two sons. Contact tracing is at a stand-still due to a lack of cooperation.
The Illinois Municipal League (IML) and state business leaders today called on the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) to amend a proposal that would prevent local governments from directly receiving millions of dollars in federal funds to support economic development and help businesses stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic.
The move by DCEO would limit economic recovery in communities across the state by diverting federal funds away from cities, villages and towns where local leaders are best equipped to make decisions for their communities. Downstate and suburban communities that did not qualify for direct federal aid are particularly at risk, as the state will be able to reallocate these funds elsewhere.
This decision goes against provisions in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act that allows local governments to provide economic support to businesses during the pandemic, which passed Congress with overwhelming support and was backed by every member of the Illinois Congressional Delegation. It also defies the intent of state lawmakers who believed they were sending direct aid to local governments and employers when voting for this year’s budget package.
“Local officials know their communities best. It’s disappointing the state wants to take away their ability to decide how federal dollars are spent to support economic development, especially as they watch shops, restaurants and other businesses close around them at an alarming rate,” said Brad Cole, IML Executive Director. “This decision undermines federal efforts to keep local economies afloat during the pandemic and demonstrates how out of touch state officials are with the needs of communities across Illinois.”
Under the CARES Act, local governments can use federal relief funds to provide economic support to businesses that have struggled during the pandemic. However, DCEO recently filed rules with the Joint Commission on Administrative Rules that would prevent economic development expenditures from being eligible for reimbursement. These guidelines would be more restrictive than those put in place by the federal government and will prevent municipal leaders from providing support to local businesses at a time many are struggling to survive. This economic assistance program is especially important in downstate and suburban communities, as only larger governments including Chicago, Cook County and DuPage County received direct funding under the CARES Act. DCEO also wants to shorten the timeframe for which municipalities are eligible for reimbursement of funds used to respond to the pandemic by 60 days, creating additional burdens to receive help.
Joining the IML in opposition to these harmful and unnecessary restrictions are leaders of the state’s business community, including the Illinois Retail Merchants Association (IRMA) and the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA).
“Retailers large and small have been devastated by the pandemic, with many struggling to make ends meet. Without this help, many local stores, restaurants, taverns, and entertainment venues may close for good,” said Rob Karr, President and CEO of IRMA. “The retail sector employs one-fifth of workers in Illinois, is the largest sales tax revenue generator for local governments and the second largest revenue generator for the state. Failure to help revive the retail sector will harm our state and communities for many years to come.”
“The state has repeatedly noted throughout this pandemic that local officials are best positioned to make judgements about what their communities need, and this must be extended to decisions regarding local economic development,” said Mark Denzler, President and CEO of IMA. “We are calling on the administration to rescind these restrictions to ensure federal relief funds are properly invested in our communities, including manufacturers who have stepped up during the pandemic to produce personal protective equipment, medical devices and ensure our food supply remains strong.”
* From the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity…
The claim that the state is preventing local governments from receiving federal funds is simply false. The General Assembly created the Local Coronavirus Urgent Remediation Emergency (Local CURE) Support Program to deploy $250M in Federal Coronavirus Relief Fund dollars to reimburse local governments for the costs they’ve incurred to address the COVID-19 pandemic beginning this month. The State separately created the $636 million Business Interruption Grant program to directly support businesses with grants to cover losses due to the pandemic. In developing the Local CURE reimbursement program, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) sought input by various local government groups including IML on how to fairly and equitably deliver the funds to cover ongoing costs for COVID response. At the same time, the State created the BIG program to directly support businesses for losses they’ve experienced.
* Background from DCEO…
• The Local CURE program was developed to help local governments by reimbursing emergency costs incurred since March and draws upon funding appropriated to the department for use as a local government support program. This program has always been intended to mitigate costs for local government operations; it is not a relief program for businesses, which the state is addressing separately.
• It is the administration’s intent to release Local CURE funds in a way that addresses the needs on the ground – which is why this program is formula based and looks to release funding equitably per capita as well as with a needs based approach determined in partnership with IDPH to grant relief to communities with higher concentration of COVID-19 cases.
• DCEO has begun working with local governments to prepare for reimbursement, including issuing an application for other units of local government to submit their request. Despite what IML is saying, DCEO intends to distribute all of these funds to local governments. Local CURE program contemplates a reallocation ONLY if a local unit of government does not present costs eligible for reimbursement. DCEO has determined costs eligible for reimbursement in accordance with US Treasury guidance, and those include: public safety related costs, public health, PPE materials, and more.
• The state statute established Local CURE as a reimbursement program for costs incurred. Adding economic development to this via rules would require local governments to stand up new grant programs with their own funds, an impractical outcome given the difficult fiscal circumstances local governments are in. This would also result in an extended review period for applications to Local CURE, ultimately resulting in a delay in local governments seeing their reimbursements.
• Local CURE contemplates reimbursement for eligible costs submitted by nearly 100 counties and thousands of other local units over governments and is aligned with US Treasury guidance for allocating CRF. The average County allotment for reimbursement is $532,183; and the average municipal allotment for reimbursement is $132,599.
• BIG allocates 2.5 times the CRF money for BIG and applies it exclusively for economic development. The historic $636 million BIG program just closed its first round of funding applications this week. The administration is working diligently to ensure these funds are expedited for purposes of economic recovery, and the program places priority on communities and businesses hit hardest.
* From Jordan Abudayyeh…
Supporting economic development and ensuring local governments have the resources they need to fight COVID-19 are top priorities for the governor. The General Assembly created programs to support local governments through the pandemic using federal dollars and the Governor continues to call on Congress to pass additional state and local funding to ensure continued support throughout the pandemic response.
Background..
The $250 million Local CURE program reimburses local governments for additional spending related to COVID-19 and DCEO is charged with administering the program within the confines of state statute.
Similarly, the General Assembly also created the $650 million BIG program to ensure businesses were supported during this unprecedented time.
House Speaker Michael J. Madigan released the following statement Thursday:
“While reading Sidney Blumenthal’s book ‘All the Powers of Earth’ concerning the pre-Civil War period a few months ago, I learned of Stephen Douglas’ disturbing past as a Mississippi slave owner and his abhorrent words toward people of color. I advised my staff to research and confirm the history to support removing the Douglas portrait from the House chamber. I became more resolute in my decision to remove the Douglas portrait as we witnessed the tragic killing of George Floyd and the bravery of so many who have stood up and spoken out against injustice that has never been fully addressed.
“So today, I am taking the first important step of removing this unnecessary reminder of our country’s painful past. When the Illinois House returns in the fall, I will offer a resolution to be voted on by the House to authorize removal of the Douglas portrait and be replaced with a portrait of President Barack Obama, a more fitting representation of the modern-day Democratic Party. In the meantime, I am looking into ways the portrait can be covered immediately.
“Memorializing people and a time that allowed slavery and fostered bigotry and oppression has no place in the Illinois House, where the work of all Illinoisans is conducted. We can only move forward in creating a more just world when these symbols of hate are removed from our everyday lives.
“I am calling for the removal of the Douglas and Pierre Menard statues from the Capitol grounds, as well as moving the statue of Martin Luther King, Jr. to a location of more prominence and honor. I ask that the Office of the Architect move expeditiously on this matter to take a vote in the coming days to remove these statues. Further, I am asking the Office and its board to work with all Illinoisans to conduct a thorough review of all statues, portraits and symbols on the Capitol grounds to ensure any inappropriate fixtures are removed and all feel welcome.
“Of course, removing these images does not erase our history, but it is one more step in acknowledging the suffering of so many and committing to creating a better Illinois for everyone.”
*** UPDATE *** Senate President Don Harmon…
Stephen Douglas’ role in Illinois history does not warrant commemoration today with a statue on the statehouse grounds.
I believe it’s a good time to review exactly who’s being honored and why in both the Capitol Building and on the surrounding grounds, and then make some changes.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced 1,018 new confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 20 additional confirmed deaths.
- Cook County: 1 male 40s, 1 female 60s, 2 males 60s, 3 males 70s, 4 females 80s, 1 male 80s, 1 male 90s
- DuPage County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 70s
- Kane County: 1 female 90s
- Kendall County: 1 male 50s
- McLean County: 1 female 80s
- Out of State: 1 female 50s
- St. Clair County: 1 female 90s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 150,450 cases, including 7,119 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 36,180 specimens for a total of 1,878,756. The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from July 2 –July 8 is 2.6%. As of last night, 1,507 people in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 317 patients were in the ICU and 153 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
Following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, IDPH is now reporting both confirmed and probable cases and deaths on its website. Reporting probable cases will help show the potential burden of COVID-19 illness and efficacy of population-based non-pharmaceutical interventions. IDPH will update these data once a week.
There were 1,326 COVID-19 patients in the hospital on July 4. Cases are going up, hospitalizations are going up. 7-day positivity rate is still fairly steady, however.
* Meanwhile…
Here are the changes the IHSA has made to Stage 4. It’s significant. All the basketball leagues and football 7 on 7’s will have to be canceled for now. pic.twitter.com/P5roieBOjC
This is just my personal interpretation and hope - not as an insider or even as a Superintendent.
If the guidelines in place from @IHSA_IL are in place for all of Phase 4 - we should flip football and soccer to the Spring and move track, base/soft ball to the Fall
At least 26 legislators and 10 others who work at Mississippi’s Capitol have tested positive for the coronavirus, a public health official said Wednesday, as the governor implored residents to take precautions amid a rapid rise in confirmed cases statewide.
The 174-member Legislature ended its annual session July 1, and many people in the Capitol did not wear masks or maintain distance between themselves and others during the last few weeks. Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann and House Speaker Philip Gunn are among those who publicly acknowledge testing positive for COVID-19. They are now quarantined at home.
The number of people infected at the Capitol could actually be higher. The reported number only reflects those who were tested recently in Jackson, said the state’s top public health official, Dr. Thomas Dobbs. Some legislators have also been tested since returning to their hometowns.
* IDES has had acting directors, Thomas Chan and Gustavo Giraldo before him, since early 2019. The agency has been under extreme fire throughout the pandemic. Richards was Senate President John Cullerton’s chief of staff and was inherited by Senate President Don Harmon. Harmon has had what some folks call a “shadow” chief, Jake Butcher, since his election…
Today, Governor JB Pritzker announced his decision to appoint Kristin Richards, current Chief of Staff to the Senate President, to serve as the Director of the Illinois Department of Employment Security.
“I’m proud to appoint an 18-year veteran of state government with deep experience and commitment to lifting up Illinois families to be our state’s next IDES Director,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Kristin Richards is keenly aware of the economic hardship too many are facing and has dedicated her career to improving the lives of all our state’s residents. As Illinoisans have faced unimaginable hardship due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Department of Employment Security has processed a historic number of claims. These are not normal times, and I remain committed to doing everything in my power to support our residents when they need it most. I want to thank Thomas Chan for leading IDES during a period of unprecedented volume and need for the people of Illinois. I appreciate his dedication to public service.”
“After almost two decades in public service, I have seen up close and personal how state government can help our residents overcome challenges and create opportunities for their families,” said Kristin Richards, Incoming Director of the Illinois Department of Employment Security. “It’s an honor to have the opportunity to lead this vital state department, and I look forward to joining the Pritzker administration as they continue to enact policies that lift up working families across the state.”
Richards has served two governors and two senate presidents during her 18-year tenure in public service, overseeing nearly two dozen state agencies and seven state budgets. Since 2016, Richards has been the Chief of Staff in the Office of the Senate President, where she leads a 120-member office and serves as management adviser for 40 Senate district offices. She’s provided guidance through the Covid-19 pandemic on issues ranging from health care to unemployment, established a robust HR infrastructure that protects workers, and partnered with the Senate president and minority leader to develop the bi-partisan plan that ended the two-year budget impasse. Prior, Richards served as the office’s Policy and Budget Director from 2009 to 2016. During the seven-year period, she prepared, negotiated and passed the state’s annual operating and capital budgets, which surpassed $426 billion in combined state and federal spending, and collaborated with federal and state officials to create the $31 billion Illinois Jobs Now! capital program. From 2007 to 2009, she was the Deputy Chief of Staff in the Office of the Governor, serving as the policy development lead on P-20 education and capital planning. As a Policy Adviser from 2003 to 2006, Richards oversaw eight state agencies, including Departments of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Corrections; Illinois EPA; and Illinois State Police. She began her career in public service as James H. Dunn Fellow in the Governor’s Springfield office. Richards earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois.
Congratulations to Kristin Richards on being chosen as director of IDES! I commend Gov. Pritzker for seeking out talent with proven experience. I’ve enjoyed working with Kristin in her various management roles with previous administrations and most recently as President Cullerton’s chief of staff. I look forward to supporting her as she takes on this new challenge during this critical time. She’s a true public servant, an inspiration and a powerhouse of a woman. Shine on Kristin!
Richards is, indeed, incredibly capable.
…Adding… Senate President Don Harmon…
Kristin Richards has been a phenomenal chief of staff. I don’t know how we would have gotten through our recent legislative session without her leadership and pragmatic attention to detail in the midst of a public health pandemic. Her work has been behind all the recent success we have had in the Senate.
What most people don’t know is that since we adjourned, she has thrown herself into working on the unemployment system, personally handling casework for senators and providing a human, caring touch in helping people navigate the bureaucracy during this economic crisis.
I have complete confidence in her ability to successfully take on these responsibilities and wish her the very best.
* Rep. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) was on an Effingham radio station yesterday and was asked by the host: “I keep hearing that you’re running for governor, that that’s the end game. True or not?” Bailey’s response…
I want to be a part of the solution, first of all. Governor Pritzker needs to be held accountable, second of all. Thirdly, as people know me and get to know me, they know that I am a terribly passionate person. So I think that’s what we have something here that nobody else has seen before. They’ve seen, they’re witnessing and me someone who believes in literally what they’re doing. So to be accused of grandstanding, a stunt or something, I don’t do that. I do this for a very specific reason. […]
So, whatever I can do, wherever I can be of service, wherever I can exert my influence, if I got the permission from God and my family, I’ll move forward. And if that’s a cheesy answer, I’m sorry, but it’s a sincere answer.
He’s in a serious bubble if he actually believes he could accomplish that statewide goal.
* He also had this to say about mask-wearing in schools...
So, number one, we’re being told currently schools gonna open. Number two, we’re being told that schools gonna open and the students and staff are expected to wear masks.
Teachers can get by without masks, maybe they need to wear face shields. But there’s also some print that allows for a doctor’s permission not to wear, it doesn’t necessarily say a medical condition, it says if you have a problem with, so that can be anything. Because honestly, for a small student or a small child, I’d be very concerned about, too many people have been passing out because of, you know, breathing their own CO2 all day.
The State Board of Education says face shields aren’t acceptable. Also the CO2 thing is a myth. Also, so nice of him to look for loopholes so parents can evade the mandate.
House Republican Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) raked in more than $731,000 this quarter.
Senate Republican Leader Bill Brady (R-Bloomington) raised more than $203,000 during the same time period. The personal campaign committees of both leaders are currently the strongest they’ve ever been. […]
House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) has also been fundraising during the pandemic. The four campaign accounts he controls have raised more than $857,000 collectively in the last quarter, according to state campaign finance records. The combined current cash on hand for the four committees is over $23 million.
The House Speaker’s personal committee has the most cash on hand it’s ever had at nearly $14 million. Madigan in August donated $100,001 from his personal bank account to his campaign committee, triggering a campaign fundraising loophole allowing him to raise unlimited funds for the 2020 election cycle.
According to Hannah, Durkin had $2.25 million in his personal account and Brady had $1.1 million. Senate President Don Harmon had $4.26 million in his personal account and $1.3 million in the ISDF account.
* I’m told the governor’s office has been inundated with this formulaic email, mainly from suburban moms…
I am writing you as a resident of IL with 17 year old twins who are heading into their senior year of HS in one of the large Northwest suburban high schools [Redacted].
I have carefully read the Illinois Department of Public Health Phase 4 rules that were released yesterday. Gov Pritzker indicated that children can return to school this fall.
Sure, they can , technically under these rules. But the rules are so burdensome that they make returning to school nothing like school was Pre-C19.
In a large high school, the 50+ person limit will not allow for things such as Friday night football, pep rallies, homecoming dances, band, musicals, eating with friends in the cafeteria — all of which are important for a teen’s social development — which is a critical part of their education. Even “passing periods” in the hallways will become a logistical nightmare.
Given these restrictions, it’s also becoming evident that there is no way that a high school could even have that many kids in the building at one time for purely academic learning. So that means some sort of hybrid plan of in-person vs. e-learning. I will not apologize for saying this, but anything but 100% in school learning is an unacceptable compromise for our children. E-learning was an abject failure this past spring and the thought of students continuing w/e-Learning in any capacity for this upcoming school year is unacceptable.
Our kids have already sacrificed a LOT for the greater good of society. It is time for their lives to be returned to them. All the research indicates that children are not severely impacted by this virus. So, let them go to school. They were “locked in” last spring to prevent the vulnerable in society from catching C19 so that our hospitals would not be overwhelmed. The hospitals met their goals, so let the kids get their lives back.
By keeping kids out of school, our government is making a mockery of promises that were made to society of doing our part to “flatten the curve”. I preached this loudly to my children last March and we all did our part. They now, rightly so, feel duped by our gov’t officials and feel that they’ve been lied to. I do, too.
I understand that some families might be uncomfortable sending their kids back. Perhaps they can work w/the school district for an e-learning plan. Additionally, some teachers might not feel comfortable either. Sounds harsh, but MANY people are returning to work and have to accept the risks associated with them. Why are teachers “special” in this regard?
Please remove these burdensome restrictions so that our local school districts can do “right” by our children,
President Donald Trump might want all schools to reopen their buildings this fall, despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, but Mayor Lori Lightfoot said it’s too early to say what Chicago Public Schools will do, and she insisted the question of reopening must be left up to local school districts.
“This really has to be a localized decision. Candidly, I don’t put much weight into what President Trump says, particularly given his lack of leadership over the course of this pandemic, but making those kinds of decisions has to lie with the local school district, because we and they are the ones that know what’s actually happening in local circumstances,” Lightfoot said Wednesday morning.
In a series of tweets on Wednesday, Trump accused Democrats of plotting to keep schools closed before the November election, and threatened to “cut off funding” if schools don’t reopen in the fall.
If folks in DC were truly interested in reopening the schools, they would offer some financial and logistical assistance. But the White House does appear to be tapping into a strong sentiment from at least some parents that schools absolutely must be fully reopened.
* I did a quick search and didn’t see any July polling, but here’s one from June…
Overall, a combined 54 percent of American voters said they are somewhat uncomfortable or very uncomfortable with reopening K-12 schools for the beginning of the coming school year. Fifty-eight percent of voters said they’re uncomfortable with reopening day care centers, according to the online survey of close to 2,000 registered voters.
Forty-eight percent of voters said they were very or somewhat uncomfortable with reopening colleges and universities, while 43 percent said they were comfortable with the idea.
The survey also suggests Black voters hold some of the biggest worries about schools reopening. […]
A combined 73 percent of surveyed Black voters said they were somewhat or very uncomfortable with reopening day care centers. Forty percent of surveyed Black voters said they were very uncomfortable with reopening K-12 schools, while 27 percent said they were somewhat uncomfortable with the idea. Thirty-five percent of surveyed Black voters said they were very uncomfortable with reopening colleges and universities this fall.
With President Trump ramping up pressure on states and districts to return to normal school operations, many of the nation’s principals have deep misgivings that schools and districts can keep students and staff members safe when buildings reopen in the fall, according to a new poll of school leaders.
Twenty-nine percent of principals were “unsure” that they or their school district could keep students safe when schools reopen, according to a poll released Wednesday by the National Association of Secondary School Principals.
And the remainder of the responders were nearly evenly split: 34.9 percent of school leaders said they were not confident they could keep students and staff safe and healthy while 35.2 percent felt confident they’d be able to do so, according to the poll.
Among those who responded to the poll, 15 percent said they were “not at all confident” that they could “preserve the health of staff and students” when buildings reopen this fall. Only 12.4 percent of respondents were “extremely confident,” while 22.8 percent were “somewhat confident.” […]
The survey of 1,450 school administrators was conducted Tuesday and Wednesday amid the calls from Trump and members of his administration to fully reopen schools.
For families, the most important assurances for return to in-person instruction:
1) Strict 6-foot social distancing and group size limits – 4,296 1 , 2,462 2 choice
2) Use of face coverings at all times even if social distancing is maintained – 2,907 1st choice, 2,099 2nd choice
3) Frequent cleaning of high-touch surfaces – 1,464 1st choice, 2,385 2nd choice
4) Frequent adult-supervised hand-washing or sanitizing routines - 1,675 1st choice, 2,857 2nd choice
5) Clear protocols for communicating cases if COVID-19 – 1,695 1st choice, 1,070 2nd choice
6) No sharing of objects without disinfection before use – 441 1st choice, 1,607 2nd choice
The U.S. Department of Labor estimates 38,897 new unemployment claims were filed during the week of June 29 in Illinois, according to the DOL’s weekly claims report released Thursday.
While this number is based on advanced estimates, the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) will be releasing a final number later Thursday.
There were 1,314,000 new claims filed across the U.S. last week.
Illinois’ unemployment claims decreased from the week prior, when 45,752 new claims were filed. This is the most significant decrease I’ve seen over the last month.
There were 1,427,000 new claims filed across the U.S. during the week of June 22.
*** UPDATE *** I forgot to post this IDES email, but it’s important because the agency is basically admitting that the current system is a mess…
Effective July 9, 2020, we have implemented the callback only model as a temporary solution to effectively honor the order in which callers attempt to reach the call center for assistance. This new model will be in effect for the following call centers: Claimant Services Center (800.244.5631), IllinoisJobLink.com (877.342.7533), Benefit Payment Control (800.814.0513) and Employer Hotline (800.247.4984). What this means to you is that rather than wait on hold or call multiple times, you will receive a call when you are next in line without losing your place.
When you call us, it is important that you select the appropriate numeric option that best describes the reason for your call. This ensures that you will be served in the order that we receive your call. You will be called back Monday through Friday. Call back hours are as follows:
Claimant Services Center- 7:30 AM -7:00 PM
IllinoisJobLink.com, Benefit Payment Control and Employer Hotline- 8:30 AM-5:00 PM
You can only have a single pending callback scheduled in the system at a time. The call you receive from IDES should display on Caller ID as 800-244-5631 under normal circumstances. In certain cases, this number could be blocked by your phone carrier.
It is important that you answer the phone when the callback is made. If you miss your callback, IDES staff will attempt to leave you a voice mail. We will call you again shortly after the first attempt. If you cannot be reached after the second attempt, you will be required to contact the call center to schedule another callback.
Just hope you’re not in the shower when they call.
Video gaming magnate Rick Heidner, who has been of interest to the FBI amid sprawling corruption probes that have wracked state and municipal politics, is not himself the target of an investigation, according to a letter obtained by WTTW News from the U.S. attorney’s office.
Heidner and his company Gold Rush Amusements, one of the state’s largest operators of video gaming consoles that dot the state, were listed in the search warrant executed during a raid of former state Sen. Martin Sandoval’s capitol office last fall as part of a bribery investigation.
The feds likewise sought records relating to Heidner and Gold Rush when they carried out searches days later in the villages of Lyons and McCook.
In a letter dated June 26, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois John Lausch wrote: “In the context of a criminal investigation, a ‘target’ is a person who is linked by substantial evidence to the commission of a crime and who, in the prosecutor’s judgment, is likely to be charged.”
Lausch continues: “At this time, your client is not a target of this investigation.”
That may change, Lausch writes, and he makes explicit that the U.S. attorney “has made no other representations or promises.”
That’s a very unusual move by the US Attorney. But it also reminds me of that line in Syriana, “In this town, you’re innocent until you’re investigated.” Not everyone mentioned on a search warrant is a crook.
Denied a bid to open a suburban racetrack-casino and fighting state regulators’ effort to revoke his video gambling license, suburban developer Rick Heidner says an Illinois Gaming Board employee leaked mountains of his sensitive information to three federal agencies in a data breach revealed last month. […]
Heidner says it wasn’t until Jan. 31 that the Gaming Board told him it was his information that had been improperly accessed, including troves of sensitive financial records and personal information not only on Heidner and Gold Rush, but also on his wife, two of his children and dozens of business partners from among the 500-plus establishments statewide that house Heidner’s slot machines. […]
Heidner says the leaks started in October, the day after a Chicago Tribune report detailed his business ties to a banking family with mob connections. His name also surfaced in search warrants released that week revealing federal agents were interested in items related to Heidner and his gambling company last summer when they raided the offices of former state Sen. Martin Sandoval, who has since pleaded guilty to a federal bribery charge.
That prompted Gov. J.B. Pritzker to pull the plug on a racino plan Heidner had forged with Hawthorne Race Course president Tim Carey. They had appeared on path to state approval before Pritzker’s office refused to sell state land for the project in light of the revelations.
* Governor Pritzker held an event on the South Side today…
During a visit to a mobile testing site at Coles Elementary School, Governor JB Pritzker announced the expansion of the state’s mobile testing operation with twelve COVID-19 mobile testing teams operating throughout Illinois. These twelve teams will offer mobile testing to residents in hard-hit communities and visit facilities like homeless services centers and nursing homes. The mobile testing sites offer drive-through and walk-up tests free of charge to any Illinois resident who wants to be tested. In addition to the site operating at Coles Elementary, the remaining testing sites are located in Rock Island, Cicero, Brighton Park, Springfield, and East St. Louis.
“We now have 12 mobile teams that can be moved anywhere on any given day to mitigate and suppress emerging outbreaks, including places like meatpacking plants, nursing homes, migrant worker housing and other communities less able to access traditional testing clinics. That puts us on the cutting edge nationally in flexible testing to meet the demands of a more open economy – and I’m thrilled that Illinois is leading the way,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “And to be clear, these mobile teams are in addition to our 11 free, state-run drive through and walk up testing sites across the state. Illinois has built one of the largest testing programs in the nation, and that’s partly the reason we have made so much progress fighting COVID-19 statewide. Performing nearly 30,000 tests per day allows us to monitor the progress of our mitigation strategies, target our testing toward vulnerable populations, and reduce the spread of this virus.”
Again, I appreciate very much all of you joining us here today. I’m happy to take any questions that any members of the media may have. And of course the elected officials behind me are also used to taking your questions, I’m sure they would be happy to answer any.
[Long pause]
Or, we don’t need to. [Laughter.]
Thank you very much. [Applause]
No questions? That’s pretty rare, especially since he made news today with his testimony to a congressional committee.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced 980 new confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 36 additional confirmed deaths.
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 149,432 cases, including 7,099 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 32,742 specimens for a total of 1,842,576. The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from July 1 –July 7 is 2.6%. As of last night, 1,518 people in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 331 patients were in the ICU and 151 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
Following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, IDPH is now reporting both confirmed and probable cases and deaths on its website. Reporting probable cases will help show the potential burden of COVID-19 illness and efficacy of population-based non-pharmaceutical interventions. IDPH will update these data once a week.
Lots of testing is finding lots of cases, but the positivity rate is holding steady overall.
* Press release…
The Lake County Health Department is reporting an upward trend in new Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) cases among teenagers and young adults in the past two weeks. Since June 25, 2020, cases reported in Lake County residents under age 30 have been rising while cases in the general population have remained steady.
“During our case investigations, we are finding that many young people who attended social gatherings with their friends have become infected with COVID-19,” said Dr. Sana Ahmed, Medical Epidemiologist for the Lake County Health Department. “Youth are just as likely as adults to get and spread this virus, and your risk is higher if you and those you spend time with are not following social distancing, handwashing, and masking guidelines. We ask that everyone continue to take these risks seriously and contact the Health Department if you think you have been exposed. We need your help to keep this virus under control.”
The Illinois Attorney General’s Office has filed a motion to dismiss Count I in a lawsuit brought by Rep. Darren Bailey against Gov. Pritzker.
Rep. Bailey, R-Xenia, filed a lawsuit in Clay County Circuit Court on April 23, claiming Pritzker had exceeded his authority and violated the civil rights of Illinoisans by issuing and extending the stay at home order. […]
In the motion filed Tuesday night, the Attorney General (AG) says the Clay County judge’s ruling on July 2 was a non-final and non-appealable ruling because one of the counts wasn’t resolved, Count I.
The AG is now asking for that count to be resolved.
If you like what’s happening with COVID-19 numbers in early-opening states like Florida, Texas, Arizona and California, you’ll love Illinois state Rep. Darren Bailey and 4th Judicial Circuit Judge Michael D. McHaney. Be forewarned, though. They don’t much care about you or your safety. […]
But along the way, there are a couple of points that Illinoisans should consider regardless of where they live.
One is reflected in a McHaney statement from the bench that provides chilling insight into the legal mind that produced his ruling. The Chicago Daily Law Bulletin reports that during the two-hour hearing Thursday, the justice frequently questioned the credibility of public health experts and COVID-19 research and expressed doubts about both the number of positive COVID-19 cases and the virus-related death statistics in Illinois. His concern? “Illinois citizens cannot be mandated to cede their constitutional rights to some alleged experts,” he said,
“Some alleged experts.” Or, as other observers might put it, almost all of the leading infectious disease researchers in the world. Apparently Justice McHaney has his doubts about the validity of the scientific case underpinning the restrictions most states and all responsible Americans have undertaken to combat the spread of the deadly coronavirus pandemic.
Ever since the coronavirus emerged in Europe, Sweden has captured international attention by conducting an unorthodox, open-air experiment. It has allowed the world to examine what happens in a pandemic when a government allows life to carry on largely unhindered.
This is what has happened: Not only have thousands more people died than in neighboring countries that imposed lockdowns, but Sweden’s economy has fared little better.
“They literally gained nothing,” said Jacob F. Kirkegaard, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington. “It’s a self-inflicted wound, and they have no economic gains.”
Despite Trump’s push for nation’s schools to reopen this fall, Lightfoot says the decision should be local
State extends deadline on expiring driver’s licenses, vehicle stickers to Nov. 1
Lightfoot marks kickoff of virtual Taste of Chicago amid coronavirus pandemic
For the 1st time since March, fans took in a live sporting event in Chicagoland with the Chicago Dogs home opener: ‘We just wanted to get on with our lives a little bit’
Chicago students earning stipends through online summer program
Demand escalates for pet food pantries during COVID-19 crisis: ‘We didn’t know how we were going to manage’
* Mark Maxwell interviewed Richard Guebert of the Illinois Farm Bureau after yesterday’s simultaneous press conferences called to oppose the governor’s graduated income tax proposal. Watch starting at the :50 mark…
Mark Maxwell, WCIA : Right now, Governor Pritzker and the House and Senate Democratic plan would start out by raising taxes only on the top 3 percent of income earners in Illinois. Those are people who earn more than $250,000 a year. It just so happens that some of the people speaking at these press conferences today fall into that category.
Richard Guebert, Illinois Farm Bureau: Those in that 3 percent tax bracket are gonna figure out a way not to pay the taxes and they have the resources to do that. And probably they may even leave the state.
Maxwell: Wouldn’t it raise your taxes?
Guebert: No. Not this, not under this proposal, it would not. But…
Maxwell: The 2018 990s for the Farm Bureau show that you make north of $300,000. [Image of the IFB’s 990 disclosure flashes on screen.]
Guebert: Um. Yes.
Maxwell: So wouldn’t this raise your taxes?
Guebert: Yes, it would.
Look, it’s no crime to make three hundo a year. Just cop to it. The extra tax he’d have to pay on income above $250K is pretty small anyway.
Follow-up questions have become a lost art with too many reporters. Maxwell would not be one of those reporters.
Also, farmers can’t just pick up their land and head to Indiana.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker urged federal lawmakers on Wednesday to adopt a nationwide face-covering requirement as the number of cases of COVID-19 increases in some states.
During a virtual hearing of the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security Wednesday, Pritzker criticized the federal government for not implementing the Defense Production act early on in the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said states were bidding against each other to buy personal protective equipment.
“States were forced to play some sick hunger games game show to save the lives of people,” Pritzker said. “This is not a reality TV show. These are real things that are happening.” […]
“This might be the most important thing that we can do to save lives,” Pritzker said. “We need a national masking mandate. We instituted ours in Illinois on May 1, one of the first in the nation, and it aligns with our most significant downward shifts in our infection rate.”
Pritzker detailed the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic since March, a month when he issued sweeping measures that included closing down schools for in-person instruction and a statewide stay-at-home order.
The state’s coronavirus positivity rate at one point this spring stood at 23%, and is now 2.5%, Pritzker said.
”That isn’t to say that the cascade of decisions that got Illinois to this point were easy,” Pritzker said Wednesday. “In fact, every one of them has been a choice between bad and worse — muddled further by the White House’s broken promises on testing supplies and PPE deliveries.”
“It’s the federal government’s job to make sure that a nurse being properly equipped in Peoria, Illinois, doesn’t come at the cost of a doctor being ready for work in San Antonio, Texas. There was no national plan to acquire PPE or testing supplies, and as a result, people died.”
Pritzker also urged the Trump administration to take steps to bolster insurance for testing and federal funding for state and local governments.
“The federal administration also needs to provide clarity on insurance coverage or COVID-19 testing,” he said. “Testing is not a one-off tactic. We need regular testing across our population, and that means people need to know that their insurance will cover their testing, every time.”
Pritzker also described the impact COVID-19 could have on local governments after an economic recession resulted in severe losses in local and state tax revenues. He told members of Congress, “without help, there will be massive layoffs of public servants, teachers and firefighters.”
The Piatt County State’s Attorney’s office has filed misdemeanor charges against five of six county board members, alleging they violated the Illinois Open Meetings Act during an online meeting held May 13.
During the meeting, the Zoom conference was apparently disconnected when the board went into a closed session to discuss the salary of the Circuit Clerk position. Some members of the public said they were not reconnected when the board came back into open session to vote on the salary.
“There were several members of the public who contacted the state’s attorney’s office and reported that they had been either cut off from the conference call after waiting for the board to return from executive session, or been unable re-enter the meeting after the executive session,” said Piatt County Assistant State’s Attorney Elizabeth Dobson.
Judge Karle Koritz last week found that State’s Attorney Dana Rhoades had a conflict of interest when her office filed misdemeanor criminal charges against five county board members alleging that they violated the Open Meetings Act on May 13 when a county board meeting held via Zoom conference was apparently disconnected for a closed session. Some members of the public were not able to reconnect after the board returned to open session. […]
“The authority to appoint a special prosecutor lies solely with the court,” said Kortiz, who chastised Rhoades for not going through that procedure.
“The court is bewildered as to why a state’s attorney’s office that recognizes its own conflict would choose to file charges before seeking the appointment of a special prosecutor,” he wrote in his July 1 ruling.
In response to Carroll’s request for an independent prosecutor, the state’s attorney’s office conceded that they are witnesses and “would not and could not, serve as prosecutors.”
With that admission, Koritz wrote “then it would follow that it should not make a charging decision. The decision whether to charge an individual and what charge to file are the two most fundamental and powerful exercises of prosecutorial discretion. Having recognized that ‘it would not and could not serve as prosecutors,’ the state’s attorney’s office has nevertheless filed no petition to recuse itself.”
Judge Koritz appointed the Illinois State’s Attorney’s Appellate Prosecutor to handle the case.
* I’m not saying, I’m just saying that what the Piatt County board did pales in comparison to what happened in the city…
The Better Government Association filed a lawsuit on Friday [June 12th] against the Chicago City Council over a recent series of conference calls that violate the Open Meetings Act.
The calls were arranged by Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s staff and have been described as informational briefings between the administration and aldermen.
The meetings “violated nearly every meaningful OMA requirement, including the statutory obligation to provide notice of meetings, to allow public comment at meetings, and to make meetings ‘convenient’ and ‘open’ to the public,” according to the lawsuit.
“The Open Meetings Act ensures that the actions of our government are not conducted in improper secrecy,” said Josh Burday, an attorney with Loevy and Loevy, which represents the BGA. “Transparency in government is critical, and the right of the public to attend and speak at meetings ensures that transparency.”
Recordings of some of the meetings have been shared with reporters and circulated on social media. According to news accounts, the discussions focused on the city’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its handling of protests in Chicago following the death of George Floyd during an encounter with Minneapolis police.
The Open Meetings Act says citizens have a right to attend “all meetings at which any business of a public body is discussed or acted upon in any way,” except under limited and specific circumstances. Even if those circumstances exist, a meeting can’t be closed to the public without a majority vote, taken in an open meeting.
Orland Park bars, restaurants and other businesses could reopen to full capacity before the end of the month under a plan approved by village trustees. […]
Orland Park officials believe they have authority to offer their own guidelines for a local restoration of business activity after a southern Illinois judge last week voided the governor’s executive orders that restrict the activities of residents or businesses. […]
Trustees Kathy Fenton and Dan Calandriello said they were still concerned about the village sponsoring the concerts and Taste of Orland, which draws in the neighborhood of 40,000 people.
Calandriello said it would potentially increase the risk of transmission of the virus, and that maintaining social distancing would be virtually impossible.
“People are on top of each other” at Taste, he said.
* The Question: Got any suggestions for rebranding the 2020 Taste of Orland?
A coalition of advocacy groups is calling on Gov. J.B. Pritzker to move residents from nursing homes and other congregate care settings into community settings, like hotels, to allow for proper social distancing and to stop the spread of COVID-19.
“Gov. Pritzker and the state of Illinois have an opportunity to intervene and mandate people in nursing homes and other institutions are evacuated from dangerous living situations and transition into the community, where (they will) be safer and happier,” said Esther Sanders, a transition coordinator for the Progress Center for Independent Living and member of the Institutional Rescue and Recovery Coalition. […]
The coalition is not demanding nursing care facilities be completely emptied, according to Tobin.
“We want to reduce the population (of these facilities) so that two things happen: One is folks that are significantly at risk are removed from that more dangerous setting to (a community setting) like hotel rooms on an emergency basis and that reduces the population in a facility so it’s down to one person per room,” Tobin said. “So (residents) have the possibility of social distancing to stop the spread of the virus, (and) it makes residents who remain and those working in the facility safer.”
Misty Dion, CEO of Roads to Freedom Center for Independent Living, echoed that sentiment. “We are asking (the governor) to give people a choice, so they have the choice to self-isolate or social distance,” she said.
* Jordan Abudayyeh’s response…
The administration has always listened to advocates who come to us with serious input for discussion on how to protect our most vulnerable residents. But moving medically fragile people from their homes and placing them into hotels entirely unequipped to care for them, is not something public health experts endorse. Instead, the administration has worked to scale up testing at our congregate facilities, provide PPE to employees, and train them in infection control and best practices. Families are free to move their loved ones home if they see fit.
Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White announced that expiration dates for driver’s licenses/ID cards and license plate stickers have been extended an additional month – from Oct. 1, 2020, to Nov. 1, 2020. This new Nov. 1 extension also includes those who have July, August and September expiration dates. As a result, expired documents will remain valid until Nov. 1 so customers do not need to rush into Driver Services facilities, especially during the current heat wave.
“Extending expiration dates until November 1 means people with an expired driver’s license, ID card or license plate sticker do not need to rush into a Driver Services facility immediately,” said White. “During this current heat wave, I would suggest residents consider delaying their visit to a facility. But if you must visit a facility, please come prepared to wait outside due to social distancing, which limits the number of people inside a facility at one time.”
White continues to urge the public to consider using online services when possible instead of visiting a facility due to heavy customer volume. Customers who can conduct business online may go to www.cyberdriveillinois.com to take advantage of online services – such as renewing license plate stickers – from the comfort of their own home. People who conduct online transactions will avoid waiting in line at a facility.
White noted that online transactions continue to flourish, with June 2020 seeing an increase of 110 percent in online license plate sticker renewals when compared to June 2019.
Through July 31, Driver Services facilities are serving ONLY new drivers, customers with expired driver’s licenses/ID cards and vehicle transactions. Face masks are required. Customers who must visit a facility are asked to be patient due to heavy volume and prepared to wait outside in various types of weather. This is due to social distancing, which limits the number of people inside a facility at one time.
In addition, customers who must visit a facility to renew their driver’s license or ID card are encouraged to first use the preregistration application at www.cyberdriveillinois.com, which will speed up their transaction while at the facility.
Governor JB Pritzker extended the Disaster Proclamation an additional month, which in turn extended the expirations for driver’s licenses/ID cards and vehicle registration stickers an additional month to Nov. 1.
* Scott County had been the only county in the state without a confirmed COVID-19 case until last week. Neal Earley with the Sun-Times headed over there to have a look around. It’s a good piece, so you should read the whole thing, but here’s one excerpt…
Like so many other parts of Illinois, the county is eager to return to normalcy, [Winchester mayor Rex McIntire] said.
But some restaurant owners say they’re not seeing a return to that normalcy. In Winchester, many townspeople are still wary of returning to indoor dining.
At the Pitt Stop, a restaurant along the main square in Winchester, business remains slow. Owner Jeff Pittman attributes it to coronavirus concerns and summer heat keeping customers away.
Pittman, who serves as an alderman in Winchester, said he mostly closed his restaurant to indoor seating. He was the only one working at this restaurant Monday night. […]
A few weeks ago, a visitor from the Chicago suburbs showed up at Winchester Bowl, a popular restaurant and bowling alley in town […]
But even back then, business was slow and has yet to pick-up, limited to carry-out food orders. Few are bowling. Around happy hour on Monday, Granger had just one customer.
It’s not the disaster proclamations, it’s the virus. People need to wear masks, keep their distance and use actual common sense until there’s an effective treatment and/or vaccination.
Throwing people to the zombies is not the answer here.
*** UPDATE *** Greg Hinz has some national poll results from Harris…
Forty-three percent of those surveyed said mayors should make limiting the spread of COVID-19 the priority over reopening business, with 35 percent saying both should be equal priorities. Just 15 percent—about 1 in 6—said reopening should be the priority. […]
Asked specifically about reopening offices, 8 percent said workplaces should reopen immediately without restrictions, and another 56 percent said sometime this summer, with safety requirements in place. But 19 percent said offices should wait until “fall/winter” to reopen, and an additional 17 percent said offices should stay shut “indefinitely.” […]
Safety masks are popular, at least in theory. Seventy-seven percent of those surveyed say they wear masks every time/most of the time when they are out in public. But only 49 percent say all or almost all of those they see out are doing so.
Illinois’ chief election authority told a federal appeals court Monday it wants to continue its appeal of looser election rules for third-party candidates.
If an appeals court agrees, the matter is unlikely to be settled before the July 20 petition filing deadline granted by Rebecca Pallmeyer, chief judge of the Northern District of Illinois. She extended the cutoff established by statute in response to a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the state’s election rules during COVID-19.
While the appeals court’s decision is unlikely to affect ballot access for third parties in the current general election cycle, its decision could have implications on future elections as the state continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic.
In its court filing, the Illinois State Board of Elections acknowledged that date is “quickly approaching,” but points out “it has not passed.” The issue presented in the case — “a District Court’s authority to rewrite Illinois’ statutory requirements that govern how the board conducts an orderly election during the COVID-19 global pandemic” — is one that might resurface.
* I don’t know if the season will happen, or even if it should. But you gotta love this heart…
Drafted by @whitesox traded several times and now a pandemic, Gio Gonzalez asked if he ever doubted he'd pitch for the Sox, he said yes. But now he has a simple goal: …"I just want to throw at least one pitch in a White Sox uniform — at least one pitch."
