* Background is here if you need it…
…Adding… Last week, Bailey was making fun of Richard Irvin for not answering questions and abruptly ending an interview…
Now, friends, you’ve got to scroll down and watch the last post that we posted last night with this Democrat Mayor Irvin that the Republican establishment has propped up to to run for governor. You’re going to love this. He’s had that, for the first time and two weeks since they’ve announced he’s been starting to having interviews. He is bombing them bad. Last night, you know, he said he was no one’s pushover. And yesterday in my live I mentioned that well, you know, you don’t push puppets you pull puppets. And in an interview last night he was asked about the abortion issue. And you could hear someone in the background saying this interview is over. And then he looked at them, he paused and he said well, I think this interview is over. Watch the one and a half minute clip that we posted. It was on Fox 32 last night.
He will not answer the Trump question. He won’t talk about who he voted for in the past. And it just seems like we’re living in some crazy days here in Illinois.
Indeed, Senator. Indeed.
…Adding… More…
…Adding… Does the candidate have a hearing problem?…
…Adding… From the campaign…
IN A PRESS CONFERENCE ABOUT MANDATES Senator Bailey was asked “do you believe President Trump when he said it was unvaccinated people driving hospitalizations and deaths…” He replied that he didn’t agree Trump said that in regard to mandates. He then stated his opposition to mandates. Senator Bailey believes vaccines have helped save lives, but believes it should be a personal choice.
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* Sam Toia, President and CEO, Illinois Restaurant Association…
“We are encouraged by the Governor’s decision to end the mask mandate in Illinois as Covid-19 cases have dropped to their lowest levels in more than two months. Restaurants continue to do their part to keep their diners and team members safe, and are eager to take this next step toward normalcy and recovery. This is a sure sign of hope for many restaurants throughout our state still struggling to rebuild their businesses.”
* Gary Rabine…
Illinois kids and parents go into day five of JB Pritzker’s mask mandate mess. Today, he will compound the chaos by beginning to lift the mandate for the general public but keep it in place for schools. Other states, including those with Democratic Governors, have figured this out. But when politics, not people, are your main concern as Governor, this is what happens. COVID chaos and a crime epidemic are Pritzker’s legacy. It’s time to take our state back.
* Center Square…
House Minority Leader Jim Durkin, R-Western Springs, criticized the governor’s go-it-alone dictates that supermajority Democrats have left untouched. He said he has not been briefed by the governor on the plan.
“This is the typical approach of the governor over the past two years,” Durkin said during an unrelated news conference Wednesday. “I don’t know what he plans to say today, but I hope he does what other Democratic governors throughout the nation are doing saying that the masks are done. Let’s get back to business as usual. Let’s let business operators finally get back to work. Let’s let parents and children go back to schools without having to deal with this mask situation.” […]
The campaign of Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin, who’s seeking the Republican nomination for governor for the right to challenge Pritzker in the November election, sent a statement before the governor’s announcement.
“A few short days ago, this Governor refused to end mandates saying we needed to ‘follow the science’ but today says everyone can remove their masks except the lowest risk population,” Irvin said in a statement. “Illinois is being led by a Governor who puts politics and special interests ahead of parents and their children. Enough is enough.”
* SGOP…
Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie released the following statement in regard to the Governor’s new partial mask mandate, in which he failed to provide the specific data used to make his decision that schools must remain masked while lifting the mandate for everyone in most other places.
“One has to wonder if this is just about winning a lawsuit and maintaining his ability to exercise power over the people of this state.
“The Governor’s continued piecemeal approach isn’t working and leads to confusion and frustration. It’s time to get back to living in a sense of normalcy and that begins with empowering individuals to be responsible for themselves. Learning to live with COVID-19 means getting to the point where we trust individuals and families to make the best decisions for their own health and safety.”
* Sullivan…
Gubernatorial candidate Jesse Sullivan issued the following statement:
“Under J.B. Pritzker’s new round of orders, Illinois kids don’t have to wear masks in restaurants, stores, museums or church - but they do in schools.
Mandates in schools won’t be lifted for weeks and he is already talking about reinstating them in the future.
This isn’t real science. It’s political science.
That’s unacceptable. It’s time to return parental control to our kids’ education.”
This post will likely be updated.
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*** UPDATED x1 *** That dog won’t hunt
Wednesday, Feb 9, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* When Gov. Pritzker announced the reinstatement of the mask mandate on August 26, 2021, hospitalizations were at 2,240, not 1,700 as claimed below. The mandate didn’t take effect until August 30, when 2,266 people were in the hospital, so Illinois was on an upswing, eventually peaking at 7,380 hospitalizations on January 12.
Illinois is currently at 2,496 hospitalizations, that’s 10 percent more than were in the hospital when the mandate went back into effect in August. During the past three weeks, hospitalizations have fallen 60 percent. It is not a stretch to believe that Illinois will be below, even well below, 2,266 hospitalizations by February 28th. Heck, they could even be below the mythical 1,700 at this rate.
From today’s press conference…
Q: Despite all that’s been said just now, and I’m not gonna surprise you, there are people who are still questioning this decision and say, ‘Is it really about the science or is it about your reelection?’ On Monday you said ‘hospitalizations’ three times.
A: Yes
Q: Well, when you put the mask mandate in place, hospitalizations were at 1,700. We’re not at 1,700 now.
A: No, we’re not.
Q: So why pick February 28?
A: Because we’re seeing a trajectory of those hospitalizations. We’ve come from 7,300, more than that, down to under 2,500 just in the last couple weeks. And over the next couple of weeks before we get to February 28 I think we all expect to see a continuation of that trend.
If you’re gonna claim politics are involved in this mask decision, find a better argument.
*** UPDATE *** I didn’t notice this before, but the state is projecting that just 500 people will be hospitalized with covid ten days from now, on February 19th. We haven’t been to that level since mid-July of last year. Click the pic for the full document…
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* Background is here (scroll down) for Leader Durkin’s letter to Gov. Pritzker if you need it…
February 9, 2022
House Republican Leader Jim Durkin
316 State House
Springfield, IL 62706
Dear Leader Durkin:
Thank you for your thoughtful letter. I’m sure it’s been as difficult for you as it has been for me to see the terrible toll this deadly pandemic has taken on our state. In Cook, DuPage and Will counties, excluding the City of Chicago, 9,628 Illinois residents lost their lives and 31,570 Illinoisans across the state had their lives cut short. I know we both agree that every life lost is a tragedy.
Throughout this pandemic it is the strength of the people of Illinois that has reminded me that together we can overcome the obstacles this disease continues to throw at us. Unlike at the beginning of this pandemic, we now have mitigation tools that help us prevent the spread of Covid-19, including vaccines and boosters, masks and testing. Many people have embraced the call to do all we can to keep each other safe, and it’s worked. Here in Illinois almost 70% of people 5 years and older are fully vaccinated, and for people 65+ —those who are most vulnerable to the debilitating impacts of this disease—over 85% are fully vaccinated. And Illinois has fared better than its neighbors because of mitigation efforts we’ve all undertaken. For instance, on August 30th, in the face of a growing threat from the Delta variant, Illinoisans put their masks back on – and we closed out 2021 with fewer COVID-19 hospitalizations per capita than anywhere else in the Midwest.
However, it’s unfortunate and disheartening that at the same you’re requesting that members of your caucus be more involved in decision-making about mitigation strategies, your members are spreading misinformation campaigns intended to confuse and plant seeds of doubt in the minds of the public. It’s shameful and harmful. Members of your caucus and of your party are riling up the most extreme activists against science and mitigation efforts. In recent social media posts, these fringe activists, fueled by elected Republican officeholders, threw in references evoking images of Nazis and concentration camps to appeal to the lowest forms of fear and hate humans possess. It would be helpful if you, as the leader of the House Republican caucus, would join me in both condemning their actions and standing up for science. I’m disappointed that that seems to be something you’re unwilling to do.
Despite your caucus’ attempts to undermine science-backed mitigation, I’m pleased to tell you that masks and other mitigation efforts have been so successful that, assuming hospitalization trends remain the same as they are today, I am able to lift the statewide mask mandate as of February 28th 2022.
Again, I want to emphasize that our state’s progress has been in spite of the best efforts of your members to undermine the hard work of scientists and perseverance of the people of Illinois. For your reference, I’ve attached a few examples of the shameful behavior members of your caucus have engaged in.
My team is briefing your caucus on elimination of the statewide mask mandate as you read this letter. It is my understanding that some local governments or businesses may wish to continue requiring masking. I support those efforts on the local level, and I hope you will support them as well.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or if you decide it’s time to collaborate in our science-based fight against this deadly disease.
Sincerely,
Governor JB Pritzker
* Attachment…
Mazzochi: Conroy Bill Permits Cynical, Backdoor Approach to Vaccine Registry (repmazzochi.com)
By Deanne Mazzochi
Feb. 1, 2022
- Mazzochi (R-Elmhurst issued the following statement regarding HB 4060…Now Deb Conroy wants to move HB 4640, which will have the effect of doing covertly and dishonestly, what Rep. Morgan tried to do overtly and honestly–expand the power of IDPH, and any local public health authority, to attain peoples’ private medical records to create the registry, without patient knowledge or consent, so long as it created under the guise of “research.” After the people of Illinois spoke so strongly on this issue, it is an insult to try to achieve the same results through a sneaky back door approach. I call on Rep. Conroy to table the bill, and for Illinois residents to yet again explain to Rep. Conroy that they do not appreciate this cynical effort to have their private medical records targeted in this way, and for this purpose.”
Halbrook ‘adamantly opposed’ to latest Illinois COVID-19 bill | Chambana Sun
By Chambana Sun
Feb 6th, 2022
- Rep. Halbrook is quoted attacked Rep. Conroy’s bill and the article in general contains multiple false claims including that natural immunity is better than the vaccine.
Death threats and disunity- POLITICO
By Shia Kapos
Feb 2, 2022
- Conroy told Playbook she has closed down her office and is being escorted by police while investigators try to track down the origin of the threats, including a phone message that said, “I’ll take you by gunpoint.”
Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » The attacks on Rep. Deb Conroy are some of the most vile and revolting things I have ever heard and read in my entire life
By Rich Miller
Feb. 4, 2022
- …but I feel strongly that at least some of the voicemails left for Rep. Deb Conroy about her innocuous bill ought to be shared. But I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything like this in all my years. They are profanity-laden, disgusting, misogynistic messages from hateful and violent-sounding people.
‘No thank you’: McLaughlin pans ‘any means necessary’ in Illinois COVID-19 laws | Lake County Gazette
Lake County Gazette
Feb. 3, 2022
- Conroy’s bill would allow the state to “isolate or quarantine persons who are unable or unwilling to receive vaccines, medications, or other treatments.” “Former Illinoisan Ronald Reagan said it best, ‘The most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the government and I’m here to help,’” McLaughlin said. “ Uh ….no thank you on HB 4640 Rep. Conroy.”
Illinois House Republican wants to make discrimination over COVID-19 vaccines illegal
By Mike Miletich
Dec. 8, 2021
WIFR23
• Niemerg claims state leaders have used the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to “strip away rights” guaranteed in the United States constitution. He says his legislation is necessary to restore the right of conscience for Illinoisans.
Republicans predict hospitality industry will be challenged by mandates, not COVID
By Greg Bishop
Jan 4, 2022
The Center Square
• “I find it reprehensible that you need less information to vote or enter the country, it seems, than to go to a local pancake restaurant in Cook County,” McLaughlin said. “I’ve had enough frankly of elected officials acting as part-time epidemiologist telling us ‘it’s either vaccine or ventilator.’”
A collection of social media posts from House GOP members and County GOP Committees
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Politics makes strange bedfellows
Wednesday, Feb 9, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Synopsis of SB4053…
Amends the Chicago Police and Chicago Firefighter Articles of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that beginning January 1, 2023, the minimum widow’s annuity shall be no less than 150% (rather than 125%) of the Federal Poverty Level for all persons receiving widow’s annuities on or after that date, without regard to whether the deceased policeman or fireman is in service on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Makes a conforming change. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement by the State. Effective immediately.
An unfunded state-mandated pension sweetener supported by both the Chicago FOP’s John Catanzara and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot which is sponsored by Rep. Rob Martwick, and the Republicans on the committee all voted for it today.
If you’re at all confused by the references, just click those links.
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Pritzker previews mask mandate announcement
Wednesday, Feb 9, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The governor will have a press conference at 2 pm today to talk about the mask mandate issue, but he was asked a question about the reports about him partially lifting the mandate at his morning event…
People are tired of wearing masks, that’s for sure. But I have to say, I mean, an enormous compliment to the people of Illinois. We have done such a good job, you have done such a good job of keeping each other safe. We have lots of people who are vulnerable, or seniors who are immunocompromised, and lots of people who don’t know that they’ve got an underlying condition that when they’ve been hit with COVID-19 it devastates them and, and unfortunately, we’ve seen many, many people die.
But Illinois has done better than almost every state in the Midwest. In fact, we’re better than all of the states around us at keeping people healthy and safe and certainly out of the hospital during this last omicron wave, in part because people wear their masks.
So my intention is as we’ve seen these numbers peak at about 7400 hospitalizations, and heading downward significantly. We’re now I think, under 2500 hospitalizations, so that’s almost a third of where we were at the peak and heading even further downward. The intention is to lift the mask mandate in indoor locations by February 28.
Of course, we still have the sensitive locations of K-12 schools, where we have lots of people who are joined together in smaller spaces, thousands of people interacting in one location at a time. And so that’s something that will come weeks hence.
But very importantly, things are getting better across the state of Illinois. And that’s really a credit to leaders across the state, but really to the people of Illinois.
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* This has popped up on my feed a few times…
* So, I finally clicked the link…
Just six months ago while signing into law critical domestic violence legislation, the Governor spoke of being on a journey to end domestic violence. Yet domestic violence was the only essential service that lacked a significant investment in the Governor’s proposed budget. The minimal proposed increase will lead to a further depleted community of advocates and more survivors without access to services. The gender-based violence community maintains its request for an allocation of $50 million to address survivor needs.
The majority of Domestic Violence Advocates earn less than $40k annually while providing critical crisis intervention services with more hours and higher caseloads. As a result, Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline staff worked over 2,024 hours of overtime in the last two years.
Domestic violence programs remained open throughout the pandemic-providing a critical safety net for survivors. With limited funding, service providers are unable to provide the necessary wage to maintain an adequate and equipped staff. Investing in service providers means sustaining and increasing the capacity of domestic violence organizations to continue providing essential, quality services.
In 2021, the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline received contacts from more than 32,000 individuals seeking assistance. This is over an eight percent increase in contacts from 2020, which was already a record-breaking year. Hotline texts saw a drastic increase of 42% from 2020 to 2021.
Throughout the pandemic, over 50% of surveyed providers reported receiving increased requests for services. Between pre-pandemic 2019 and 2021 service needs increased: shelter (4%), legal advocacy (123%), and counseling (26%). Regions in the state experienced over 2 months without domestic violence shelter beds, cribs, or bed and cribs in 2021.
Every year thousands of survivors are turned away from services as providers do not have the capacity to meet the need. Service providers have substantial waitlists that continue to grow. Programs are unable to provide critical legal and counseling services due to increased need and loss of staff capacity. With a lack of substantial investment in services and continuing increase in needs, more survivors will continue to be turned away or added to waitlists. One survivor was even murdered by the person causing them harm while on a service provider waitlist.
Survivors are also experiencing increased forms of violence as reflected by the drastically increasing rates of domestic violence homicides and shootings[8]. The number of these homicides and shootings in Chicago is already on track to outpace 2021 rates which were already 29% and 130% higher than pre-pandemic 2019, respectively. Law enforcement officials have said on record that the only way to reduce domestic violence shootings and violence is to increase services.
From what I could gather, nobody came forward during the governor’s budget drafting process to request significantly more money, so it wasn’t included. But that could change.
* I asked the governor’s office for a response. Here’s Jordan Abudayyeh…
The Governor supports the critical work of addressing domestic violence and we look forward to working with advocates and legislators to continue supporting their efforts to keep families safe and healthy.
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Question of the day
Wednesday, Feb 9, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The replies to this tweet were amusing…
* The Question: Do you have problems with open tabs? Please explain how you deal with them or why you don’t have any such problems.
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* Sun-Times…
A Cook County grand jury has declined to indict a man on a first-degree murder charge in connection with a December shooting that left a woman dead when she was struck by a stray bullet in Austin.
The case appears to be the first of it’s kind brought in the county since the state’s felony murder statute was changed as part of the SAFE-T Act — a landmark criminal justice reform bill that became state law last year.
The rewritten felony murder law was designed to narrow who could be charged with the state’s most serious offense — which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison — to a person alleged to be directly responsible for committing the murder. […]
Andrews faces a sentence of up to 14 years in prison. None of the current charges are eligible for probation. […]
“For decades, the legal system has relied on the practice of overcharging to coerce guilty pleas. Specifically, the felony murder rule has enabled the state to prosecute people for someone else’s actions, and sometimes even the state’s own actions,” the [Cook County Public Defender’s] office said. “As a result, far too many people in Illinois have served or are serving decades-long sentences for murders they did not commit and did not intend for anyone else to commit.”
* Richard Irvin campaign…
In response to the news that a man responsible for the shooting death of an innocent bystander will escape charges for her death due to JB Pritzker’s pro-criminal law, Mayor Richard Irvin released the following statement:
“An innocent life was lost, and the violent criminal will not be held accountable for her death because of the dangerous policies in JB Pritzker’s pro-criminal law. Unfortunately this is just the beginning of increases in crime and violence as more parts of this law take effect. Illinoisans deserve to feel safe in their communities, and need a Governor who will protect the working class over the criminal class.”
Just yesterday, Irvin launched a petition to repeal the dangerous anti-police policies that have empowered criminals and crippled law enforcement throughout Illinois.
I’ve asked the governor’s campaign for a response.
* Media advisory…
MEDIA ADVISORY: HGOP Calls for Repeal of SAFE-T Act After Pritzker Law Lets Criminal Evade Justice
WHO: House Republican Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs), Representatives Patrick Windhorst (R-Metropolis), Dan Ugaste (R-Geneva).
WHAT: House Republican legislators will discuss the devastating real life consequences of abolishing Illinois’ felony murder rule, a critical component of the SAFE-T Act.
WHEN: 11 AM on Wednesday, February 9, 2022.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Cook County Public Defender Sharone Mitchell, Jr…
Hey Rich, the SAFE-T Act did not abolish the felony murder rule, it just changed it.
Now to be charged with felony murder, you or another participant in the underlying felony have to be the cause of the death.
So if people A, B and C were accused of robbing a bank together and either A, B or C killed D; A, B and C can still all be charged with felony murder no matter who pulled the trigger.
The change basically says to be charged with felony murder, you or someone in your group has to be accused of murdering someone.
The rule was routinely abused; cops chasing someone in a car, the cops runs into someone in a chase, they charge the guy being chased with murder.
…Adding… Restore Justice Illinois…
In 2021, Illinois narrowly tailored its felony-murder rule. The necessary change only ensures someone is culpable for first-degree murder before they face our state’s harshest possible punishment.
Today, Illinois House Republican members are holding a press conference to call for repeal of the SAFE-T Act and to mislead the public about the scope of the Act’s changes to the felony-murder rule.
FACTS
• The SAFE-T Act did not abolish the felony-murder rule.
• The change brought Illinois into line with the majority of other states.
• Under the current law, prosecutors may still charge people with felony murder in a variety of scenarios.
• The SAFE-T Act only narrowed the scope of the felony-murder rule. It removes the possibility of charging a person with first-degree murder when the killing was committed by a third party (i.e. a store owner or a police officer).
• Felony-murder is still a viable charge, and prosecutors can continue to use it to hold people accountable for deaths caused by themselves or other participants in the underlying felony.
• Lesser - but still severe - charges are always available in cases where felony murder is not appropriate. Many of these charges include long prison sentences with no possibility of parole or early release due to rehabilitation.
Before the SAFE-T Act, Illinois had one of the broadest felony murder laws in the country. People were charged with first-degree murder when a police officer, store owner, or other third party killed someone. Some states don’t have felony-murder laws, and in the majority of those that do, people can only be held accountable for deaths they or their co-defendants cause. The SAFE-T Act moved Illinois into that category.
Under the current law, a person can be charged with murder when they or their co-defendant directly cause the death but not when a third party kills someone.
Charging people with felony-murder, which is first-degree murder and carries a minimum sentence of 20 years (45 years if a gun is used), is an overreach in cases in which a third party kills a co-defendant. People convicted of first-degree murder today must serve their entire sentences; Illinois does not offer time off for rehabilitation nor does it offer parole-for-release opportunities to people 21 and over convicted of murder.
Long sentences do not deter crime. They continue to cause pain in the communities already torn apart by violence and over-incarceration. We need evidence-based responses to violence in Illinois’s communities.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Pritzker campaign…
Travis Andrews is facing a serious sentence, which will result in him going to prison for a long time if he is found guilty. Additionally, prosecutors still have a host of other charges available to them. The fearmongering from Republicans continues to know no bounds. Richard Irvin knows better than anyone the severity of felony charges without the possibility of parole, considering his marketing materials and how much money he’s made freeing criminals from accountability. The GOP’s near-constant exploitation of crime for their personal, political gain is disappointing, but not at all surprising.
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* Lynn Sweet…
What happened: On Friday, the RNC on a voice vote approved a resolution to censure Kinzinger, of Illinois, and Cheney, of Wyoming, and “no longer support them as members of the Republican party.”
Illinois National Committeeman Richard Porter and Illinois National Committeewoman Demetra DeMonte, members of the RNC, supported the measure.
Backfire: The censure resolution has backfire potential for Republicans because it said that Kinzinger and Cheney, the only two Republicans on the Jan. 6 panel, are participating in “a Democratic-led persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse, and they are both utilizing their past professed political affiliation to mask Democrat abuse of prosecutorial power for partisan purposes.”
The problem: This “ordinary citizens” statement. Obviously, the Democrats can exploit this — the ad writes itself about violent rioters being “ordinary citizens.” On the other side of the coin, Republicans in primaries trying to out-Trump their competition — and make heroes out of the Jan. 6 mob — got a gift. […]
“It will be used against hundreds of elected Republicans who were not consulted in its drafting and do not endorse its sentiment. To the extent that the party did not intend this as the meaning — and RNC chair Ronna McDaniel, already doing damage control, says it was not meant that way — its wording is political malpractice of the highest order coming from people whose entire job is politics.” [wrote the National Review editorial board]
* Greg Hinz…
Here in Illinois, as I recently wrote, the GOP is in the early stages of rebuilding itself. It has a nice slate of candidates for statewide office, a financier in Citadel’s Ken Griffin, and issues like crime and taxes with the power to attract votes.
But because Trump tried to do what no American president ever has done—retain power by any means necessary, be it misreading the Constitution, encouraging a riot or indicating he may well pardon the rioters if he regains the White House—Trump has set up a new threshold issue for every Republican running everywhere. And that is: Where do you stand? With Trump or against him?
Ergo a few days ago, barely had I mentioned the name “Trump” in an interview with GOP gubernatorial hopeful Richard Irvin when Irvin declared without prompting that Joe Biden is the president of the United States. But Irvin wouldn’t answer when I asked him three different times who he actually voted for in 2020. He’s between a GOP primary rock and a general election hard place.
Irvin has good reason to be skittish. In recent weeks, even as we’ve become numbed to the latest Trump revelations, just as we’ve become sick and tired of anything COVID, the threat that Trump posed and poses has become clearer than ever.
* Crain’s…
But it was Kinzinger himself who basically argued Monday in a pair of cable-news appearances that the response to the RNC’s censure should be considered a political litmus test for the GOP. On MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” he called it “a defining moment for the party and I think it’s a defining moment for every member of the House or the Senate or any Republican leader.”
Kinzinger called for the media and for voters to “pin down every Republican and say, ‘Do you side with what the RNC did or do you condemn what they did?’” He added, “Trust me, politicians are really good at kind of skirting around that answer. Don’t let them on this one. I think it’s so defining.”
He said of the RNC: “Those that are driving the train have lost any sense of democracy mattering,” and went on to paint a stark picture of where the nation stands. “The RNC deserves every aspect of backlash that is going to come down on it,” Kinzinger said. “This is a defining moment in American politics and in the RNC’s future. Are you for authoritarianism? Are you against democracy? Or are you going to wake up to that slide and get back to actual democracy again?”
…Adding… DPI…
The fallout continues from the RNC’s disgraceful decision to call the violent January 6 insurrection “legitimate political discourse.” Yesterday. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell split with the national party and correctly described the day as “violent insurrection for the purpose of trying to prevent the peaceful transfer of power.” His counterpart in the House, Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, refused to state the obvious, instead running from reporters when asked his opinion of the RNC’s description. Meanwhile, Illinois Republican Adam Kinzinger called on the media to question members of his own party, saying reporters should “pin down every Republican and say, ‘Do you side with what the RNC did or do you condemn what they did?’”
Where does that leave Illinois Republicans? We do know that RNC Committeeman and recent Irvin/Bourne backer Richard Porter supported the shameful language last week, along with RNC Committeewoman Demetra DeMonte. But to date, the Illinois Republican Party has been silent about the “legitimate political discourse” flap, while Republican Congressional candidates across the state continue to hide from the question.
The question is simple: do Illinois Republicans agree with Mitch McConnell or Kevin McCarthy? Do they acknowledge Jan. 6 was a violent insurrection intended to undermine our democracy or are they willing to gaslight Illinoisans with “legitimate political discourse” spin? The voters deserve to know.
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* Sun-Times…
Gov. J.B. Pritzker will lay out a plan on Wednesday to phase out his mask mandate for Illinois residents in most indoor settings, sources said.
Pritzker teased the rollback earlier Tuesday, telling residents to “stay tuned” for an update on the masking policy that has been back in effect for about six months — and which has faced pushback over the past week as Illinois’ COVID-19 metrics sink to the lowest levels seen since the onset of the Omicron variant.
While Pritzker is expected to wind down the mandate for the public at large, state officials plan to continue waging a legal battle to keep masks on in schools, which present a different ongoing challenge in the pandemic, according to the Democratic governor.
“We’re very close,” Pritzker said at an unrelated Springfield news conference Tuesday afternoon. “The challenge in schools … is because it’s such a central focus of communities, and literally sometimes thousands of people are interacting in a school in a single day in one location.”
* NBC 5…
It is not known when the mandate will be fully removed, but sources tell NBC 5 that the plan is to have the mandate dropped before March 1.
* ABC 7…
The source said the changes will impact malls, restaurants, bars and places of business, but not schools. Schools are governed by a separate mandate, and will be addressed separately.
“Because it’s such a central focus of communities, and literally sometimes thousands of people are interacting in a school, we’ve got to be very careful about how we remove those mask mandates,” Pritzker said previously. […]
The changes will also not impact prisons or nursing homes, the source said, or healthcare facilities or public transit, which are under a federal mask mandate.
…Adding… Richard Irvin campaign…
Based on initial news reports of JB Pritzker’s upcoming announcement, Richard Irvin released the following statement in response to Pritzker’s refusal to end the indoor mask mandates for all:
“A few short days ago, this Governor refused to end mandates saying we needed to ‘follow the science’ but today says everyone can remove their masks except the lowest risk population. Illinois is being led by a Governor who puts politics and special interests ahead of parents and their children. Enough is enough.”
*** UPDATE *** Excerpt from the announcement…
With statewide COVID-19 hospitalization rates declining faster than any other point in the pandemic, Illinois is on track to lift the statewide indoor mask requirement on Monday, February 28, 2022. Mask requirements will continue where federally mandated, such as on public transit and in high-risk settings including healthcare facilities and congregate care. Masking requirements will also continue to apply in all daycare settings. The state intends to continue masking requirements in P-12 schools subject to pending litigation which impacts a number of schools. As the CDC reaffirmed just today, masks remain a critical tool to keep schools safe and open.
The state reaches this point with more than 21.4 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine administered to Illinois residents. Per the CDC, Illinois continues to lead the Midwest in people who have received at least one shot, with 75.7% of people having received their first dose. Illinois also has the most fully vaccinated 17-and-under population in the region, though across the nation, youth vaccination rates continue to trail adult rates.
“We are now seeing the fastest rate of decline in our COVID-19 hospitalization metrics since the pandemic began. If these trends continue — and we expect them to —then on Monday, February 28th, we will lift the indoor mask requirement for the State of Illinois,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I want to be clear: Many local jurisdictions, businesses and organizations have their own mask requirements and other mitigations that must be respected. Throughout this pandemic, we’ve deployed the tools available to us as needed. Our approach has saved lives and kept our economy open and growing.”
Today the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is reporting 4,742 new confirmed and probable cases and 2,496 people in the hospital with COVID-19. IDPH is also reporting 449 people with COVID-19 in the ICU and 243 people on ventilators. With 20% of ICU beds now available statewide, this marks the fastest rate of decline in the hospital metrics since the pandemic began.
“While masks will no longer be required in most indoor locations beginning February 28, they are still recommended,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “Masks offer a layer of protection and for people who have an underlying health condition or who are around those who do, you may choose to continue wearing a mask. Similarly, if you find yourself in a crowded, indoor setting, a mask can still help protect you. We will continue to recommend masks.”
…Adding… Press release…
House Republican Leader Jim Durkin offered the following response to Governor J.B. Pritzker’s announcement Wednesday regarding COVID mitigations, noting that Pritzker has no plan for schools.
“Governor Pritzker’s failure to have a clear plan in place for schools to give parents and children hope of returning to a normal life is astounding. It is year three of this pandemic, and continuing to leave these families in the dark, with no data or metrics presented, is unconscionable and a clear sign the Governor should not be trusted to get us out of this pandemic.”
The governor publicly advised schools that weren’t part of the case to continue doing what they had been doing. Not sure what the beef is there.
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