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* UPDATED x1 * Lightfoot appears to defy a state crowd-size limit

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* Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot still refuses to open the beaches and playgrounds, even though she could tomorrow. But she’s also apparently going beyond the governor’s Phase 4 limit on the size of social gatherings. WBEZ’s Tony Arnold has been working on this for a couple days now…

Overall, the state is limiting all social gatherings at 50 people. Since local governments can establish more stringent rules, however, Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration is distinguishing between social gatherings inside versus outside. The city has put a limit on social gatherings outside – such as at an outdoor wedding or picnic – at 100 people.

A spokesman for the mayor’s office argued that requirement falls within the state’s 50-person cap so long as two groups of 50 people stay 30 feet apart. When asked about the city’s 100-person limit on outdoor gatherings earlier this week, Pritzker said getting 100 people together is “a goal,” and reiterated that local governments cannot have looser guidelines than what the state has put forward.

*** UPDATE *** The governor was asked about this today…

She has not called me about this. It’s very clear our state has set guidelines and every municipality has the obligation to follow the guidelines, or they can put in guidelines that are more strict than the ones that we’ve set out, but not less strict. So I think that’s known by the city and understood by really all municipalities across the state.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Jun 25, 20 @ 12:53 pm

Comments

Ah yes, invite 100 people to a wedding, separate them into two groups of 50, and tell each group they can’t come within 30 feet of the other. A very realistic idea which I’m sure will also be enforced.

You know what happens to rules when the people charged with upholding them encourage the citizenry to give ‘em a little bend? They break, and fast.

Lightfoot had to be dragged into enforcement by Pritzker at the start of this, and I can’t believe that, three months in, with cases on the rise again, she’s looking for loopholes by playing math games.

Comment by Roadrager Thursday, Jun 25, 20 @ 1:13 pm
So we can open up Soldier Field for Bears games as long as all 1,200 groups of 50 people pinky-promise to stay apart!

Comment by Swoosh Thursday, Jun 25, 20 @ 1:14 pm
I think it’s a loophole that’s going to be heavily exploited by event planners and event venues. The guidelines say that excess of 50 can attend, but requires each group of 50 to be in a separate room/area and not intermingle. For instance at conference - rather than have folks move about to see various displays, hear various speakers the people would stay put and the speakers would be the ones moving from room to room. For a wedding - put one group of 50 in each tent, and I suppose hope they stay put.

Comment by DownSouth Thursday, Jun 25, 20 @ 1:31 pm
If more get invited from the bride’s side does that mean that after the first 50 show up the rest get seated on the groom’s side?

Comment by West Side the Best Side Thursday, Jun 25, 20 @ 1:39 pm
I despise Toni Preckwinkle and yet despite that, I’ve rarely if ever regretted a vote more than the one I cast for MLL.

Between her needing to be dragged by Pritzker (we pulled our kids a week before she shut schools) to the policing issues to the general incompetence of her Administration to the plethora of completely unforced errors, her year-plus at the helm has been a disaster.

Comment by Joe Bidenopolous Thursday, Jun 25, 20 @ 1:49 pm
I’m Irish When my brother married an Italian girl, there was no mingling between families at reception. Noi problem haveing two separate groups at our weddings.

Comment by Altgelds Ghost Thursday, Jun 25, 20 @ 1:54 pm
The Mayor’s NY Times interview said that as a lawyer, she sees nuance everywhere. Sometimes you have to fight the temptation to overlawyer.

Comment by Keyrock Thursday, Jun 25, 20 @ 2:22 pm
Here’s an opportunity for the Eastern Bloc to say something nice about the Mayor of Chicago.

Comment by Candy Dogood Thursday, Jun 25, 20 @ 2:35 pm
=The Mayor’s NY Times interview said that as a lawyer, she sees nuance everywhere.=

Kind of like justifying a haircut during a lockdown because you take personal hygiene seriously. I see contradiction.

Comment by Pundent Thursday, Jun 25, 20 @ 2:42 pm
I’m guessing the beaches are not opening yet because they need to hire lifeguards. Sounds like a small glitch but they need to make sure they are qualified.
I also heard they want to do lakefront repairs before they open. Last winter was brutal on the lakefront.

Comment by Because I Said So.... Thursday, Jun 25, 20 @ 2:44 pm
What the…?

Comment by Shytown Thursday, Jun 25, 20 @ 3:45 pm
Joe Bidenopolous, that’s funny. My feelings are inverse to yours.
I liked Preckwinkle and voted for her. While she and Lightfoot had the same vision for the city, she had more experience. I didn’t want some newbie stumbling around. Also what goes with Preckwinkle’s experience was the bitter pill she had to swallow with the sugary drink tax. I knew she would’t want to go through something like that again unless circumstances were dire.
So you know the rest, Lightfoot won and she has done ok. She has faced some intense challenges like a bitter teachers’ strike and a global pandemic. She still stumbles around and makes newbie mistakes but what did y’all expect?

Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Friday, Jun 26, 20 @ 7:39 am