To the question the other day about if they should threaten to send vaccines to Chicago as a ploy to get people vaccinated that are hesitating to get one. I decided to conduct a little experiment on a Facebook friend that is antivax and always ranting about Chicago. I sent him a message that I heard this might happen and this morning on facebook he posted that he got his first dose because he didn’t want someone else to get it. So the tactic worked and we got one more person in region 2 with their first dose. A victory!
* Well, it’s kinda/sorta happening. Here’s Jordan Abudayyeh…
The federal government allocates vaccine doses to states based on population. The City of Chicago is treated as its own entity separate from the state and is also allocated doses based on its population. As the state entered phases 1A, 1B, 1B+ of the vaccine roll out doses were distributed to local health departments based on population. In addition, the state allocated doses to mass vaccine sites throughout the state, 12 of which are in suburban Cook County and the collar counties. Doses were also allocated to FQHCs, safety net hospitals and rural teams. On top of these various allocations the federal government is also supplying vaccine directly to pharmacy partners that are based in all regions of the state.
Over the past several weeks as demand has started to shift in various regions of the state, local health departments have begun requesting fewer doses or skipped ordering their allocation altogether. When that occurs, IDPH reassigns those doses mass vaccine sites in areas where demand is higher, like Cook and the collar counties. Beginning this week, the local health department first dose allocations distributed to local health departments will be based on demand identified by the local health department instead of population. This shift in policy aims to address remaining inventory some local health departments have, while also directing doses to areas where demand exceeds current allocations. You will see in the attached spreadsheet that if you look at the percent of population with first doses, DuPage County is actually number one, Cook County is number five, indicating that recent redirection of doses is making an impact in those communities with higher demand.
On Tuesday, IDPH announced it is transferring 100,000 doses of vaccine to City of Chicago (50,000 first and 50,000 second doses).
All redirected doses (doses the local health department didn’t order) either get put back in the overall state pot and are distributed the next week (benefitting the larger counties) or, in the last two weeks for example, we sent Moderna vaccine not ordered by the local health departments to Cook County. Last week, that was 11,000 doses, and the previous week it was 4,800.
Just looking at the Moderna vaccine allocation, the following are the number of doses from the listed counties that redirected doses to the state for reallocation, by week.
• 3/15 – 900 returned
o (Egyptian, Logan, Pike, Stickney)
• 3/22 – 2200 returned
o (Brown, East Side, Egyptian, Hamilton, Pike Scott, Wayne)
• 3/29 – 3400 returned
o (Bureau, Cass, East Side, Egyptian, Fulton, Hamilton, Henderson, Jefferson, Logan, Pike, Putnam, Richland, Scott, Shelby, Vermilion, Wayne)
*** UPDATE *** Clarification from the governor’s office…
DuPage County did not reject their dose allocation like other counties. The county requested they get their doses next week because they are second doses and will be due next week. We apologize for the misunderstanding. DuPage County has been administering doses at a quick pace and their mass vaccination site is incredibly efficient.
Many people struggle to pay processing fees for housing applications when they have little to no income. Democratic state lawmakers want to create a special grant program to provide assistance for anyone left in that situation.
Rep. Anne Stava-Murray (D-Downers Grove) wanted to create the Emergency Solutions Grant program to help families who don’t make enough to have a place to call home. The plan could prohibit landlords, mortgage companies, and rental property owners from charging administrative fees on housing applications submitted by people using this assistance.
Assistance previously came from the Emergency Shelter Grant program which was created through the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act.
Property owners would still have the ability to conduct background checks on applicants. However, anyone violating this legislation could face unlawful practice charges under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act.
The Illinois House approved a proposal Thursday to add sexting curriculum to sex education courses in schools.
Rep. Maurice West (D-Rockford) championed this plan last year when it unanimously passed out of the House. However, it couldn’t get approval from the Senate before the COVID-19 pandemic cut session short.
His plan covers age-appropriate content for students in sixth grade through senior year of high school. The Democrat reintroduced the bill because he feels students need to understand the consequences of sending or sharing sexually explicit messages.
West’s proposal could require sex education courses to include information on the long-term social, legal, and academic consequences of sharing or forwarding suggestive photos, videos, or messages. He also noted there’s a disturbing increase in sexting online.
“60% of sextortion, as the detective told me who I had a conversation with, 60% are from individuals that they know. 40% comes from gaming, the games that they play,” West said.
Lawmakers advanced a bill Thursday to make it a felony offense if a person kills or injures a police animal while driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Rep. Joe Sosnowski, R-Rockford, sponsored House Bill 3019, which passed with 72 votes in favor. He said it was brought to him by a state’s attorney from his district.
“We had an unfortunate circumstance of a drunk driver who hit a police safety vehicle, instantly killing a rescue canine that was within that vehicle,” Sosnowski said. “Unfortunately what came out of this was that there’s actually nothing that could be charged to that particular drunk driver if nothing else had happened.”
Newly proposed legislation intends to prevent poor dental health among Illinois youth.
State Sen. Julie Morrison, D-Lake Forest, filed Senate Bill 346.
This bill would allow preventative dental services in schools.
If passed, SB346 would let the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services implement a school-based dental program that would allow out-of-office preventative services, such as teeth cleanings.
The Illinois Municipal League is working with municipal leaders across the state in a legislative platform that aims to ensure long-term funding for cities, towns and villages.
It’s called “Moving Cities Forward” and calls for initiatives that protect municipal revenues. One is the protection of the Local Government Distributive Fund, which sets aside a percentage of state income tax revenues for municipalities and other local governments. […]
Local elected officials are also asking state lawmakers to address the fiscal strain posed by downstate public safety pension funds by extending the amortization schedules, so municipalities are better equipped to meet their obligations to both public safety personnel and taxpayers.
The “Moving Cities Forward” platform also addresses the need for local governments to provide economic relief to local businesses as they work to overcome the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Cole said IML’s proposal would allow municipalities to provide grants, subsidies or loans to local businesses within Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts that have experienced business interruptions.
* Jeanne Ives…
Dear Friend,
In 2019, Illinois passed a $45 Billion Capital spending plan.
Unbeknownst to nearly everyone, the plan included $25 million to pay off up to $40,000 of other people’s student loans if they purchase a home in Illinois.
It also gives them an additional $5,000 for a down payment. It is called the SmartBuy Program.
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The state allocated up to $25 million to the program in Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s 2019 Rebuild Illinois capital plan.
To date, the agency has paid off an average of $24,100 in student loan debt.
So, expect this program to grow exponentially over the next few years unless there is significant push back on state lawmakers from Illinois voters – remember, the nature of government is to expand, not reform or contract.
Worse still, Illinois voters / taxpayers had no voice in this decision.
The City of Rockford pays a lobbyist to advocate on its behalf, and city officials and local lawmakers say that’s a good thing.
Exactly one week ago, the BMO Harris Bank Center got millions from the state, but few saw the work behind the scenes in Springfield.
“We use our lobbyist in a very efficient and effective manner and try to maximize the return on investment for us,” Rockford City Administrator Todd Cagnoni explains.
For the last decade, Rockford has paid Michael Cassidy, who is now with his own firm, Zephyr Government Strategies, to lobby and advocate for the city.
“Typically, on an annual basis, our Legislative and Lobbying Committee, in conjunction with our City Council, approves a number of priorities for our lobbyist to focus on,” Cagnoni says.
Rockford City Council approves Cassidy’s contract on an annual basis. A couple weeks ago, it re-upped his $120,000 contract for this year.
In addition to BMO Harris, Cagnoni says infrastructure improvements, youth outreach, and COVID grants for bars and restaurants are a few more recent successes for Cassidy, the city, and residents.
Local lawmakers on both sides of the aisle say Cassidy has been helpful in meeting the city’s goals.
* The Question: What are your thoughts on local governments hiring Statehouse lobbyists?
A national clean energy trade organization has released a report showing growth in electric transportation-related jobs in Illinois could position the state to lead the domestic supply chain.
Advanced Energy Economy, an industry association which promotes advanced energy technologies and services, released its “Electrifying Illinois” report which shows the state is on pace to reach 83 percent job growth in electric transportation-related work by 2024, regardless of legislative action.
The report was funded by the AEE and prepared by the research group BW Research Partnership with a focus on examining economic and job opportunities as the automotive industry transitions to electric.
The anticipated growth would drive the workforce numbers up from the current 5,200 workers in Illinois to roughly 9,500 workers within the next three years, or less than three years, according to the study, which used multiple data collection methods to analyze the state’s electric vehicle supply chain.
The Illinois car dealer lawsuit against electric automaker Rivian is the latest chapter in a nationwide debate over the options consumers have to buy cars.
Many states, including Illinois, have laws to restrict new car sales to independent dealers. University of Michigan law professor Daniel Crane said those are a product of the days the Big Three manufacturers Ford, General Motors and Chrysler dominated car sales, as opposed to the variety of automakers that exist now.
“They had disproportionate bargaining power vis-a-vis their franchise dealers,” said Crane. “You had just the Big Three, dealers were mostly mom and pop organizations, and the argument that dealers made was that the Big Three were taking unfair advantage of them.”
Dealerships aren’t necessarily mom and pop businesses anymore. According to the National Automobile Dealers Association, the average new car dealer in Illinois made close to $49 million in sales last year. That’s before taking services and parts into account. […]
For a time, the Illinois Secretary of State’s office said it wouldn’t renew Tesla’s dealer licenses because the company-owned showrooms broke state law. Eventually, Tesla reached a compromise with the Secretary of State and the auto dealers. That deal allowed Tesla to have up to 13 dealer licenses. The Secretary of State’s office assured dealers at the time it wouldn’t grant licenses to other manufacturers.
But Rivian’s entrance onto the scene has forced state agencies to take another look at the laws in place. Last July, an informal opinion from the Attorney General’s office said state law doesn’t explicitly require manufacturers to go through independent dealers to sell their vehicles. The Secretary of State office has subsequently stood by that opinion.
I don’t understand what’s going on. I don’t think most of America understands what’s going on in our news and with our headlines and with these police shootings. Friends, it’s very simple. If you’re pulled over, if you’re asked on the street for questions good grief why wouldn’t you cooperate? There’s one thing in common with every one of these shootings and that’s that these people decided not to comply, not to cooperate with law enforcement. The men and women of law enforcement of our police force are here for one purpose, that is to serve and protect. To keep us and our communities safe. Why would you run and not stop if you’re innocent? Why would you do that? We have got to start teaching our children the importance of right and wrong. I think that’s what we’re missing today, we’re living in some interesting times and we know that. […]
People in downtown Chicago, they’re not the churches, they don’t desire this nonsense. It’s just simply that they’ve heard a singular message for a long time and they’ve heard nothing else and they don’t know any different. That seems to be the case from many of our conversations. But they want the law enforcement, they want police officers, they want to be safe in their communities. Yet we have these instances and events where one person you know takes off running from law enforcement and bad things happen. […]
Every day brings a new story in the headlines and it’s amazing. But the one thing again that I see that we have this all of this has in common is from people who are concerned that they’re not innocent, they run from the law. When you do that, we’re gonna have problems. Don’t put these people in that kind of position. God help our Governor that stands up and speaks in agreement with this stuff, that’s our problem. When you have leaders in Springfield and in Washington who stand with this stuff then that’s a fair sign that we’ve got to get engaged and we’ve got to stop this.
* Gov. JB Pritzker at the conclusion of an unrelated event today to announce $1.6 billion in federal aid to expand access to early childhood education and child care…
Today I come to this event that is really about great joy about our future and our children’s future, but I come with a heavy heart and profound grief. And I hope I speak for all Illinoisans who are aching for Adam Toledo and his family. The video of Adam’s death is devastating, just devastating. It is unbearable to think of his family, seeing these last moments of his life. And it is searing to know that a 13 year old lost his life in this way. It’s abundantly clear that our entire system failed Adam. The appropriate authorities must move quickly to investigate and adjudicate what happened that night in Little Village in the interests of justice and accountability. For all of us, we also have much work to do. And I asked all of us to commit to this work and to pray for Adams’s Family, for his friends, and for his community. And to pray that all Illinoisans can be safe, especially our young people.
…Adding… From comments…
Interesting, so Bailey thinks we should comply with the law?
Tell me more about his anti-mask anti-quarantine actions and positions?
Friday, Apr 16, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Visiting a healthcare professional can be consequential: Cancer is diagnosed, patients are supported as they manage chronic conditions, and services and treatment are delivered to support mental health. During the pandemic, accessing healthcare in person was difficult, especially early on when non-emergent care was put on hold.
Telehealth saved the day, offering a safe option for Illinoisans to continue needed care. A recent editorial in the Chicago Tribune identified telehealth as one of a handful of pandemic-related changes that caused “the public and elected officials to reconsider some of the laws and regulations that had long been taken for granted.” Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers all began fairly reimbursing healthcare professionals for telehealth visits—recognition of telehealth’s integral role in healthcare.
The editorial says, “Virtual consultations and treatment have expanded options for both medical professionals and patients. They have been shown to work well, saving patients time and travel expenses…. Once the pandemic has subsided, there is every reason that telehealth should be expanded and retained as a way to deliver care and counseling.” The Coalition to Protect Telehealth couldn’t agree more. Learn how permanent telehealth coverage will continue to provide Illinoisans’ access to quality, appropriate care.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 3,866 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 21 additional deaths.
- Bureau County: 1 female 80s
- Cook County: 1 male 40s, 2 males 70s, 2 males 80s
- DuPage County; 1 female 50s, 1 male 90s
- Henry County: 1male 80s, 1 female 90s
- Jefferson County: 1 female 90s
- Kane County: 1 male 70s, 1 female 90s
- Lake County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s
- LaSalle County: 1 male 70s
- Madison County: 1 female 90s
- McDonough County: 1 male 80s
- Tazewell County: 1 male 40s, 1 male 50s
- Will County: 1 male 60s
Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,296,381 cases, including 21,630 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 93,602 specimens for a total of 21,571,023. As of last night, 2,058 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 468 patients were in the ICU and 205 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from April 9-15, 2021 is 4.2%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from April 9-15, 2021 is 4.9%.
The total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses for Illinois is 9,777,825. A total of 7,779,290 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 129,664 doses. Yesterday, 166,885 doses were reported administered in Illinois.
*All data are provisional and will change. In order to rapidly report COVID-19 information to the public, data are being reported in real-time. Information is constantly being entered into an electronic system and the number of cases and deaths can change as additional information is gathered. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
Illinois approved more than 25,000 new wind and solar projects in a few years before the state’s program went over the funding cliff in 2020.
Now thousands of Illinois residents and businesses are lined up to invest in renewable energy, but our state policy has put everything on hold.
The Illinois Power Agency ran out of funding to approve new renewable energy projects in December. With state incentives in limbo, many solar businesses across the state haven’t sold a new system all year. That puts thousands of jobs at risk unless we pass legislation to fix this.
Customers are ready to invest, solar installers are desperate to get to work and our clean energy goals are slipping further out of reach. The General Assembly needs to act before it’s too late. Take action at www.pathto100.net
The Democratic Party of Illinois (DPI) today announced it has requested an advisory opinion from the Federal Election Commission.
In a letter, DPI presented three possible scenarios for a governance structure to the FEC for its input. Once the FEC provides its guidance, DPI will put a governance structure in place to ensure compliance with all state and federal campaign finance laws. See letter to the FEC attached.
Congresswoman Robin Kelly is not the first federal officeholder to chair a state party. The Democratic Party of Georgia is currently chaired by Congresswoman Nikema Williams and until recently the Republican Party of Colorado was chaired by Congressman Ken Buck. However, the FEC has not previously issued guidance on how a federal officeholder can lead a state or local political party and ensure compliance with federal campaign finance laws and regulations.
“I’ve pledged to lead the state party in a more inclusive manner with more voices at the table, and we are seeking guidance from the FEC that would allow for additional members of the state central committee to serve in a leadership role,” Kelly said. “We’ve provided several approaches to the FEC that adhere to the law and solidify our collective vision to engage more people and voices in the state party platform. As the first woman and first woman of color to chair the Democratic Party of Illinois, and with the involvement of a diverse set of voices across our state, I’m confident we’ll move forward electing Democrats up and down the ballot.”
The FEC is expected to provide a response within 30-60 days, and DPI has requested an expedited response.
Additionally, election attorney Michael Dorf has been named chair of DPI’s state fund, ensuring compliance with all state campaign finance laws while DPI waits for guidance from the FEC.
This advisory opinion request deals with the last of these restrictions, specifically 52 U.S.C. § 30125(d)’s prohibition of a Federal candidate or officeholder, or an entity that is “established, financed, maintained, or controlled by” a Federal candidate or officeholder, from raising or spending funds in non-Federal elections unless those funds do not exceed limits imposed under the Act, and do not come from sources prohibited under the Act (collectively, the “Non-Federal Funds Ban”).
The Non-Federal Funds Ban was “premised on Congress’ judgment that if a large donation is capable of putting a Federal candidate in the debt of the contributor, it poses a threat of corruption or the appearance of corruption.” As Senator John McCain, one of the principal sponsors of BCRA, explained, the Non-Federal Funds Ban was part of a “system of prohibitions and limitations on the ability of Federal officeholders and candidates, to raise, spend and control soft money” in order “to stop the use of soft money as a means of buying influence and access with Federal officeholders and candidates.”
• Whether the Congresswoman has the authority or ability to direct or participate in the DPI State Account’s governance through provisions of constitutions, bylaws, contracts, or other rules, or through formal or informal practices or procedures.
• Whether the Congresswoman has the authority or ability to hire, appoint, demote, or otherwise control the DPI State Account’s officers or other decision-making employees or members.
• Whether the Congresswoman provides funds or goods in a significant amount or on an ongoing basis to the DPI State Account, such as through direct or indirect payments for administrative, fundraising, or other costs.
• Whether the Congresswoman causes or arranges for funds in a significant amount or on an ongoing basis to be provided to the DPI State Account.
Option 1: The Special Committee
Under Option 1, the DPI would establish a Special Committee, consisting entirely of individuals who are not Federal candidates or officeholders, to administer the DPI’s State Account. The Special Committee would have complete responsibility for the State Account’s operations and activities, without the review or approval of Congresswoman Kelly. Among other things, the Special Committee would be responsible for the State Account’s fundraising (including solicitations), and spending (including decisions related to contributions by the State Account, advertising on behalf of candidates, and transfers). In carrying out these responsibilities, the Special Committee could delegate responsibilities to one or more individuals associated with the DPI, provided that the individuals in question are not Federal candidates or officeholders.
Congresswoman Kelly would also be restricted from “financing” the State Account. Among other things, the Congresswoman would not make contributions or transfers to the State Account from her personal funds or her Congressional campaign, nor would the Congresswoman solicit non-Federal funds on behalf of the State Account.
Option 2: The Delegate
Under Option 2, the DPI would delegate the administration of the DPI’s State Account to a Vice Chair. Much as under Option 1, that Vice Chair would have complete responsibility for the State Account’s operations and activities, without the review or approval of Congresswoman Kelly. Among other things, the Vice Chair would be responsible for the State Account’s fundraising (including solicitations), and spending (including decisions related to contributions by the State Account, advertising on behalf of candidates, and transfers). As under Option 1, the Vice Chair would be permitted to delegate responsibilities to one or more individuals associated with the DPI, provided that the individuals in question are not Federal candidates or officeholders. The same restrictions on “financing” described under Option 1 would also be in place under Option 2.
Option 3: Recusal
Under Option 3, Congresswoman Kelly would recuse herself from all matters involving the State Account. Among other things, Congresswoman Kelly would not participate in decisions regarding: (i) the State Account’s fundraising, including solicitations; (ii) spending, including decisions related to contributions by the State Account, advertising on behalf of candidates, and transfers; or (iii) personnel, including the supervision and review of individuals tasked with running the State Account. The same restrictions on “financing” described under Option 1 would also be in place under Option 3.
All of these proposed options are basically the same objections raised by the other side during the campaign for DPI chair.
* Rep. Edgar Gonzalez, Jr. (D-Chicago) speaking today on the House floor about the police shooting of Adam Toledo in his district, just four blocks from his house…
Did you see the video? It just came out yesterday. I watched it on the floor here at my desk. The officer said, ‘Police! Stop! Stop right effing now!’ So what did Adam do? He stopped. The officer said, ‘Hands! Show me your effing hands!’ What did Adam do? He put his hands up.
So if you put your hands up, they shoot. If you put your hands down, they shoot. If you walk, you run, you hide, you sleep, you do exactly as they say, they still shoot. So, I ask the members of this chamber: What are we supposed to do? What the hell are we supposed to do?
Will County Republicans voted overwhelmingly Thursday night to censure Rep. Adam Kinzinger for his vote to impeach former President Donald Trump.
The 111 to 5 vote (and one abstention) for censure “is meant to remind the representative who he represents: the people who elected him, not his self-interests,” said Will County Republican Chairman George Pearson, adding that Kinzinger’s decision to start a PAC that “goes against other Republicans was a betrayal.” Pearson said his next task is to find a challenger for Kinzinger’s seat.
* An April 13 letter from Will County Republican Central Committee (WCRCC) Chair George Pearson to GOP township chairs in his county…
Fellow Chairs,
The WCRCC has received two (2) notices from our landlord and the Lockport Township Organization’s former chair. I entered the office today to find both notices on my desk.
The first, more pressing, is an eviction notice for rent in the rears of $6,000.00. Due to the Central Committee not having our first quarter fundraiser, we have not met our obligations. I have sent out multiple fundraising letters and have received promises but no checks as of yet. The question becomes, do we push to keep the space or vacate our location in Crest Hill?
Between our townships, can we raise the cash between us to cover? A committee has been formed to create a fundraiser on June 18th, the “Freedom Dinner” with possible guest speakers of Texas State Party Chair Col. Allen West (Ret.) or North Carolina Lt. Governor Mark Robinson. Both I know will draw big crowds.
I, for one, appreciate having an office to conduct our business and store signs for our candidates during races. Voters have enjoyed having a place to come in and learn about the issues. We have hosted several training classes and a few township organization meetings. I am asking for your assistance in keeping our location. What say you?
The second notice is more troubling than anything. Pete Delany (former Lockport Township Republican Chair) has reversed his original donation to the Central Committee of the office furniture in lieu of their rent. Pete Delany did a verbal deal with me for the work in the space like painting, striping, and waxing the floors as well as donating the furniture in lieu of rent contribution for LTRO utilizing the space for their meetings. The former chair of Lockport Republicans is displaying his anger over his slate lost during his December caucus. That slate also had a democrat elected at their caucus who neither side bothered to check his voting record. The Lockport Republican slate on the ballot (represented by Jim Louch - Lockport Township High Commissioner) had more people show up to the Lockport caucus and passed rules that favored the “visiting” team. That pushed Pete Delany (former chair), the new chair, Bill Passiglia, and their new vice-chair, Ed Piante, to promote the Democrat slate in Lockport Township. After multiple meetings with Pete, Jim, and Jessica Cannady, an offer was made to Pete’s wife, Barb Delany, to join Jim Louch’s slate, the Delanys refused. That caused some extremely tight races in Lockport, which gave the Democrats an advantage for most of the seats. The Delany’s, Bill Passaglia, and Ed Piante all displayed Democrat signs on their lawns. Now, I get a notice from Pete stating he is giving the furniture to LTRO, when two months ago, he was trying to give it away to Joel Johnston, the guy renting space in the back of our office.
If we are moving with keeping the office, I would like to make an offer to Pete to finalize a written agreement for the furniture issue with Pete.
It’s likely further COVID-19 mitigations will be imposed in the next few weeks as metrics continue to trend in the wrong direction, but health officials on Thursday were still trying to determine what exactly that will mean.
Will restaurants be shut down? Will organized sports be halted?
“We are waiting for IDPH to get some more clarification on that,” said Monica Hendrickson, administrator for the Peoria City/County Health Department. “There is a likelihood that mitigations will come in. Will it look like what we saw in the fall? Not necessarily. We have to recognize that we are living in a different environment where vaccine availability does exist.”
Local mitigations will be based on the metrics, which are very different from when Illinois’ COVID-19 plan was created, said Hendrickson.
“When the mitigation plans were first put forward in the fall, we were in a landscape where vaccines did not exist. Now it looks considerably different, and we are also looking at a different population that is being impacted,” she said.
Peoria is in Region 2. Its latest available average test positivity rate was 7.6 percent. Counties within the region…
Bureau: 6.9%
Fulton: 6.6%
Grundy: 6.7% (with the latest one-day positivity rate of 17.3 percent)
Henderson: 0.7% (hardly anyone tested)
Henry: 6.2% Kendall: 8.8%
Knox: 3.1%
LaSalle: 5%
Livingston: 3.4% (with a recent one-day positivity rate of 13.6 percent)
Marshall: 5.8%
McDonough: 3.8%
McLean: 5.9%
Mercer: 5.9% Peoria: 12.8%
Putnam: 4.1% (very few tests)
Rock Island: 5.1% (two days in past week at 9 or above) Stark: 17.6% (very few tests) Tazewell: 10.9% (eight days this month in double digits)
Warren: 3.1% Woodford: 8.6%
Peoria residents facing financial hardships from COVID-19 are receiving a helping hand from the local government to help them pay their electric, gas, and water bills.
The city council Tuesday night agreed to shift Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) dollars to set up a utility assistance program.
The city is making almost $302,000 available. The maximum grant is $5,000 per household for up to six months of utility assistance.
Eligible applicants must prove they’ve been negatively impacted by the pandemic, and their bills must be overdue.
Today, the federal government is in the midst of one of the biggest expansions of the social safety net in U.S. history, committing $5 trillion over the last year to keeping American families afloat. President Biden predicted the flood of aid could cut child poverty in half.
And yet for all its successes, the trillions in aid have often failed to reach the poorest Americans in places like the south end of Peoria. Because many in Shawna’s neighborhood have jobs that paid them in cash and because they didn’t report their income to the government, they were unable to qualify for unemployment insurance. Because they moved frequently, failed to file taxes or owed fines for back child support or past criminal activity, they often didn’t receive their full stimulus checks.
As the pandemic dragged on month after month, hundreds struggled simply to keep the lights on. Last fall, 5.4 percent of all residences in Shawna’s 61605 Zip code — about 300 houses — were cut off for failing to pay their power bill. Another 250 houses in a neighboring Zip code — or about 4 percent of all residences — also lost power.
The disconnections, which were reported to the state government by private utilities, should have been a flashing red light that the social safety net was missing Peoria’s poorest.
And yet the cutoffs throughout Peoria’s south end went largely unnoticed. Local charities with money to help with power bills reported no surge in requests for assistance. City officials speculated that the disconnection statistics must be wrong. “They don’t seem real,” said Ross Black, Peoria’s community development director. “We get calls any time someone loses power. … Our phones would have been ringing off the hook.”
Mike Madigan has spent over $2.7 million on lawyers so far this year alone.
The Southwest Side Democrat is no longer the speaker of the Illinois House, a state representative or leader of the state Democratic Party.
But he’s still Public Official A, the name given to him in a federal document that implicates him in a long bribery scheme that ended his political career — and continues to cost him in legal fees.
A total of $6,798,304.20 to be precise.
That’s because the latest $2,744,828.83 comes on top of $4,053,475.37 Madigan had already shelled out to lawyers since early 2018, a total that included fighting lawsuits filed by former political rivals and other legal troubles.
House Republicans said Thursday morning that Democrats constantly ignore the need for reforms in Illinois.
They claim more than 600 House bills have passed out of the committees since January. Of those proposals, Republicans say 82% have Democratic sponsors while only 18% came from their caucus.
Rep. Amy Elik (R-Alton) recalled when Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch took office with a pledge to keep his door open and have accessibility for members from both parties. She noted that the Hillside Democrat explained all lawmakers could work together to solve the issues facing Illinois. However, she feels Welch hasn’t lived up to that promise.
“Here we are, with 45 days until session adjournment and the Democrat-controlled legislature has failed to put forth any meaningful or substantive legislation dealing with fighting corruption, providing tax relief, and unfortunately no plan put forth to adopt a balanced budget,” said Elik.
Republicans argue ethics reform and property tax rates are the largest issues facing Illinois. Rep. David Welter (R-Morris) explained it’s been months since the Com-Ed scandal implicating former Speaker Mike Madigan.
* From Speaker Welch’s spokesperson Jaclyn Driscoll…
Bipartisanship has been an integral part of Speaker Welch’s legislative career, and it remains a top priority. Republicans should work across the aisle and come to the table to discuss bills that will help build a better future for the people of this state. Unfortunately, many of their bills are designed to eat up precious time during a pandemic on issues that voters have already rejected at the ballot box
*** UPDATE *** From Rep. Mark Batinick in response to Welch…
“From the Speaker’s statement, it is clear that the Democrats have no interest in addressing our state’s most pressing issues if bills on ethics reform, pension reform and property tax reform are considered a ‘waste of time’ to their caucus. The only issue Illinois voters have rejected at the ballot box is the Democratic-led graduated income tax that was resoundly dismissed by voters of all parties.
Tensions over the legislative process boiled over on the House floor on Thursday. State Rep. Dan Brady (R-Bloomington) expressed cynicism with the upcoming discussion over the consent calendar — a list of bills and resolutions that are deemed non-controversial and do not warrant lengthy debate.
“There’s quite a bit of apprehension from many of us on this side of the aisle, and I think understandably so, after a letter came out taking off of the consent agenda close to a dozen bills of House Republicans with no explanation, no insight, no discussion from our side of the aisle that we’re aware of,” Brady said.
State Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago) responded that his side of the aisle has been focusing on Democrats’ priority legislation and “working on a balanced budget.”
“We will be continuing to have meetings on rules in the future, and we will certainly notify you when those discussions happen,” he said.
Three times the number of African Americans were arrested for marijuana-related offenses in Chicago than other ethnicities combined in 2020, according to Chicago Police Department arrest totals retrieved under a Freedom of Information Act request. […]
During the first year of marijuana legalization, Black people led all ethnic groups in arrests with 2,311, making up more than three-quarters of all marijuana arrests in Chicago. Latinos made up the second highest number of arrests with 506.
Whites made up about 4% of arrests in Chicago, with 117 arrests across the city for the entire year. Asians and Pacific Islanders made up fewer than 1% with just 25 arrests. […]
The arrests don’t represent people smoking pot on the sidewalk or inside their homes. Most arrests involve possessing or attempting to sell amounts over the legal limit of 30 grams. Smoking marijuana while driving remains illegal.
Friday, Apr 16, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
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