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When the coronavirus pandemic hit hard in March, it prompted shutdowns of schools, businesses, sports venues, national parks and other sites. Legislatures across the country halted sessions, the Illinois General Assembly among them. The suspensions were a justified response to a grave public health emergency.

But a crisis of this severity is no time for lawmakers to stop doing the public’s business altogether. More than two dozen legislatures across the country quickly moved to let members vote or participate in floor deliberations or committee meetings by virtual means. In Vermont, legislators have used Zoom for most of their business since March. New York’s lawmakers approved a budget remotely. But the Illinois House voted down this approach.

In May, it met at a Springfield convention center to allow members to socially distance in the interests of safety. But it canceled its fall veto session rather than meet in person or figure out a way to meet virtually. Senate President Don Harmon and House Speaker Michael Madigan said face-to-face contact would be too hazardous at a moment when the pandemic is surging across the state.

Have they not heard of this thing called Zoom?

* Has the Tribune not looked at the remote legislating roll call?…

* Speaking of which…

It's HAPPENING!!! Time to #RescueIllinois☀️

🗓️December 5th
🕐1:00
🌆Daley Center Plaza, Chicago (Loop)

Speakers include @Paulvallas @AmyJacobson @DarrenBaileyIL @deannemazzochi @janthonyspeaks & others!

Residents of all states welcome!!! 🥳 pic.twitter.com/YHXl7p8LoP

— Emma Woodhouse (@EWoodhouse7) November 25, 2020

So, Mazzochi has gone full Darren Bailey. Interesting.

Reps. Mazzochi and Bailey both voted against the remote legislating bill, but I assume they believe it’s safe to gather again, notwithstanding the coronavirus spike in the state and the likelihood of things worsening in the wake of Thanksgiving.

* Also, it’s a bit surprising that Rep. Mazzochi is demanding the General Assembly get back to work considering she missed 285 floor votes in 2019, mostly during the crucial month of May.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Dec 1, 20 @ 11:42 am

Comments

Good to see Paul Vallas keeping busy in all of the right circles…

Comment by NIU Grad Tuesday, Dec 1, 20 @ 12:00 pm
Remote or otherwise, why isn’t the so-called essential legislature meeting again? A lot of those lawsuits questioning the Governor’s emergency authority during the pandemic could have been more easily beaten back or dissuaded if the original bill had been clarified or strengthened.

Didn’t see much effort there. Although I am a frequent critic of Pritzker, the legislature’s basic (non)performance is fair game for criticism.

Comment by Louis G Atsaves Tuesday, Dec 1, 20 @ 12:11 pm
Do Paul Vallas and Amy Jacobson on the same stage seem odd to anyone else?

Comment by BigLou Tuesday, Dec 1, 20 @ 12:13 pm
Hilarious rollcall vote to show, right after the piece from batinick.

Comment by TheInvisibleMan Tuesday, Dec 1, 20 @ 12:13 pm
” A lot of those lawsuits questioning the Governor’s emergency authority during the pandemic could have been more easily beaten back or dissuaded if the original bill had been clarified or strengthened.”

Lol, yeah, that definitely would have dissuaded Very Serious Lawyer Tom DeVore and his ilk.

Comment by The Opinions Bureau Tuesday, Dec 1, 20 @ 12:14 pm
Vallas showing he’s pretty much slipped into irrelevancy at this point.

Comment by Our Joe Tuesday, Dec 1, 20 @ 12:14 pm
Any time someone like Ron Sandack or John Anthony is involved in something I just chuckle and move on.

Comment by Gob Bluth Tuesday, Dec 1, 20 @ 12:15 pm
Is it a pool party? Figured it was since Amy was attending.

Comment by Henry Tuesday, Dec 1, 20 @ 12:16 pm
Vallas GOP 2022? Weird.

Comment by 1st Ward Tuesday, Dec 1, 20 @ 12:22 pm
Ah the Tribune ignorance is bliss.
Damn Madigan and all those GOP votes he controls to stop remote legislating.

Comment by Frank talks Tuesday, Dec 1, 20 @ 12:23 pm
Mazzochi is a hypocrite, sure, but I agree with the overall assessment. They should meet, if only to quickly hold another remote legislating vote. Or to pass a bill to shut Devore up that clearly outlines govs ability to declare ongoing disaster procs. If I were a conspiracy theorist, I’d think that if Rauner were still governor they’d have already come back to look into the COVID outbreak at the VA home. Or that the speaker and his mushrooms just don’t want to go anywhere that they will be peppered with socially-distant questions about ComEd and pending indictments. Not being a conspiracy theorist, however, I can only assume they aren’t meeting out of sheer laziness. At this point it feels like they’re basically using COVID as an excuse to not do their jobs.

Comment by Lester Holt’s Mustache Tuesday, Dec 1, 20 @ 12:24 pm
Vallas has been irrelevant for quite a while.

Comment by Northsider Tuesday, Dec 1, 20 @ 12:26 pm
== the legislature’s basic (non)performance is fair game for criticism.==

Good grief, I can’t believe that Illinois dems have gotten to a place where I agree with counselor Atsaves on something

Comment by Lester Holt’s Mustache Tuesday, Dec 1, 20 @ 12:26 pm
Paul Vallas picking up the Eastern Block endorsement. Is a 2022 run in the GOP part of future? I don’t see why else he would be here with these people.

Comment by 1st Ward Tuesday, Dec 1, 20 @ 12:30 pm
=Paul Vallas picking up the Eastern Block endorsement. Is a 2022 run in the GOP part of future? I don’t see why else he would be here with these people.=

I mean, I don’t think you’re necessarily wrong. But he’s always been a kook of sorts, so it tracks

Comment by Joe Bidenopolous Tuesday, Dec 1, 20 @ 12:34 pm
Oh boy…

“Residents of all states…”

Why would residents of all states care about Illinois? Aren’t these the same blokes too that talk of the “Illinois Exodus”?

So, the people leaving IL need to come back to IL to protest IL?

Is that how this all works too?

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Dec 1, 20 @ 12:45 pm
==Paul Vallas picking up the Eastern Block endorsement.==

Maybe being Quinn’s running mate in 2014 got to his head a little too much, especially with possible Eastern Bloc-supported stuff like pension reform.

Comment by Chatham Resident Tuesday, Dec 1, 20 @ 12:52 pm
=== So, Mazzochi has gone full Darren Bailey.===

Winning this last term will seem easy compared to where they might now re-map her giver her Bailey tilt showing.

For me, Mazzochi is a member that confuses. The more that appears the more “huh” I keep finding.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Dec 1, 20 @ 12:56 pm
Bailey Tossing His Hat In ?
Odds 50 - 50 for Saturday ?
But ought to get Quarantined at City Limits

Comment by Red Ketcher Tuesday, Dec 1, 20 @ 12:58 pm
The death cult is doing its thing. Vallas has succumbed to the desperate desire to do anything to avoid irrelevancy. I think it’s now being called the Giuliani syndrome. Pat Quinn is one of Illinois’s other known sufferer.

At one point Vallas was a rational actor. What a shame.

Comment by Norseman Tuesday, Dec 1, 20 @ 12:58 pm
Let’s see, 125 deaths scattered over 49 of our 102 counties just yesterday and this group wants everything to fully reopen? What could go wrong?

Comment by Gruntled University Employee Tuesday, Dec 1, 20 @ 1:04 pm
Charter school Vallas, Pool Party Jacobsen, No Mask Bailey, and “(Vote) Present” Mazzochi. All you need is a laugh track and a pilot offer from NetFlix.

Comment by Jocko Tuesday, Dec 1, 20 @ 1:12 pm
Regarding Vallas: I haven’t heard much from him lately, but I wonder if he’s there to advocate reopening schools. There is a good case to be made that schools can be made safe to reopen, under certain conditions. (However, that requires us to be much more militant about the spread of the virus in places like stores and restaurants, and we’re clearly still having problems with that.)

Comment by Benjamin Tuesday, Dec 1, 20 @ 1:14 pm
Why Daley Plaza? Why not relocate the gathering to Madison/Pulaski on the near west side. Give a little love and spend time and money in the local shops and restaurants nearby. Support local business. Rescue Illinois.

Comment by Rudy’s teeth Tuesday, Dec 1, 20 @ 1:15 pm
Vallas hitching his wagon to this crew was so avoidable… I blame his fear of flying as the genesis of his downturn.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Dec 1, 20 @ 1:15 pm
Wow. That’s a lineup that can’t even rescue themselves from their respective professional failures, and they want to ‘rescue Illinois”??
Good for plenty laughs, that’s about it though.

Comment by thisjustinagain Tuesday, Dec 1, 20 @ 1:32 pm
Wait, wait. You mean to tell me that the GOP voted against remote legislating en masse? But that’s not what the Trib thinks so that’s not possible.

Sigh.

Comment by Chicago Cynic Tuesday, Dec 1, 20 @ 1:33 pm
“I haven’t heard much from him lately, but I wonder if he’s there to advocate reopening schools”

Has regular posts on FB railing against Lightfoot, city budget, and unions and supporting police and pension reform. quote from his post yesterday on schools “unions forced schools to wholesale close or operate under convoluted hybrid models after science proved they could safely reopen.”

Getting support from the Raunerites and throwing his hat in the ring seems plausible. His posts recently sound more like campaign speeches with some policy laden in-between. JB ran on the Fair Tax the State GOP populism is running on pension reform.

Comment by 1st Ward Tuesday, Dec 1, 20 @ 1:35 pm
Forget Paul Vallas…What about Santa Paws? He needs to count his blessings and stay out of politics.

Comment by Only in 2020 Tuesday, Dec 1, 20 @ 1:37 pm
Iss this a Polar Plunge with 2P and Zock? Not sure Paul understands.
BTW Tribbie Edit Board also WRONG about ban committee meetings…but nobody actually reads all that Chapman writes.

Comment by Annoin' Tuesday, Dec 1, 20 @ 1:40 pm
Statehouse Chick, and the Editorial Board, doesn’t read her own paper and rarely knows what happens in Springfield unless there’s a right-wing talking point to any action.

Roll call? Meh.

Keep in mind, of course, Statehouse Chick was still “Statehouse Chick” well after not visiting the statehouse as a beat for a “considerable” amount of time.

It was a rebranding, not an acknowledgement that Statehouse Chick had zero connection with anything… statehouse.

Statehouse Chick… the irony… and that roll call.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Dec 1, 20 @ 1:43 pm
“Damn Madigan and all those GOP votes he controls to stop remote legislating.” No no no, they voted to open, but Hugo Chavez rose from the grave and flipped those votes from green to red. /s

Comment by Skeptic Tuesday, Dec 1, 20 @ 1:45 pm
Deanne Mazzochi is another example of everything that is wrong in Illinois politics. She accuses Madigan of conflict of interest in his legal firm doing property tax appeals.

But, Mazzochi herself seems to have a conflict of interest with her law firm’s work in pharmaceutical patents, etc.

https://patch.com/illinois/westernsprings/why-did-western-springs-lawmaker-avoid-taking-stand-issue.

Not to mention Mazzochi’s involvement in the College of DuPage Board of Trustees infighting and scandal a few years ago.

The whole Rescue Illinois thing is Mazzochi jumping on the trend of the last 20-30 years of the GOP train heading for Libertarian land i.e. no or small government in order for the rich to get even more powerful. Hence missing 285 floor votes. She has no interest in government.

Comment by Big Jer Tuesday, Dec 1, 20 @ 1:59 pm
===“(Vote) Present” Mazzochi===

Wasn’t anything “present” about Mazzochi in 2019.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Dec 1, 20 @ 2:21 pm
So when is the GOP House Caucus going to condemn this? Or do they plan to own this branding?

Comment by Candy Dogood Tuesday, Dec 1, 20 @ 4:22 pm