The Illinois House and Senate have until May 3 to approve a joint resolution that would change the process of how congressional and state legislative maps are drawn in Illinois. Each house would need to approve with a three-fifths vote – 71 votes in the House and 36 in the Senate. Gov. JB Pritzker campaigned on reforming the redistricting process, often saying he would veto any map he thought was unfair.

The governor said his administration is working with experts and business leaders to determine how they can protect workers and customers beyond telling them to stay 6 feet apart or wear a mask.

The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) and the federal government have made significant changes to the laws governing the availability of unemployment insurance benefits.

“Gov. JB Pritzker hasn’t been forthcoming with information on state spending on the virus. He’s been asked several times at his daily briefings for some kind of numbers, but he’s so far not divulged anything. It’s often accompanied by some commentary about being more concerned with saving lives, as if disclosure and still addressing the pandemic are mutually exclusive.”

“Between the legislature not being in and losing conventions that were scheduled for March, April and May, if you’re just talking this spring, we’ve lost hundreds of millions of dollars,” said Lisa Clemmons Stott, executive director of business nonprofit Downtown Springfield Inc.

Illinois is expected to receive a total allocation of $4.9 billion. Governor JB Pritzker has said the State itself will keep $2.7 billion, with $2.2 billion going to large local governments, and has called on Congress to provide more aid to address revenue shortfalls. But the Civic Federation, interpreting the language within the legislation itself, estimates the funding will be split $3.5 billion for Illinois and $1.4 billion for local governments.

By actuary Mary Pat Campbell.

Pritkzer said the “millions” of gloves and masks will be taken to state warehouses to be checked and inventoried before they’re distributed to health care professionals and first responders.

The Winnebago County leaders — of communities ranging in population from roughly 1,300 to 23,000 people — said in a Friday letter to Pritzker that thousands of employees are being unnecessarily harmed because they’re not considered essential workers. They said the need for financial aid has exceeded resources.

The facility employs more than 800 workers, many of whom have been sent home on paid leave.

Comment: That’s textbook economics, right? Raise taxes in a recession and possible depression?

The US Department of Labor says they offered every state assistance with updating their unemployment computer systems. Eleven states accepted while Illinois did not. “Even the federal government, sometimes especially government, doesn’t do things as well as the private sector. What I can tell you is that we’ve got private sector consultants — big ones — to come in and put up the proper websites we need,” Pritzker said.

“What I say to the folks who are trying is keep trying. We are doing everything we can,” said Sen. Tammy Duckworth.

Nine of the state’s 102 counties reported no COVID-19 infections as of Saturday, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. That does not mean the rural communities have been spared the pain. Hospital workers’ hours have been reduced, small businesses have closed and farmers are taking losses on their crops and livestock. And in small towns, that has big consequences.

All agree that the many uncertainties surrounding the pandemic and what health officials will next recommend has hampered their abilities to form specific reopening plans. “It’s really tricky to give people access to the collections and the building and not have it be a place where germs are spread,” noted Susan Dove Lempke, of the Niles-Maine District Library. “We are trying to bear public and staff safety in mind.”

“As a Democrat, I’m all for J.B. as governor, but he just doesn’t seem genuine. He seems like he’s enjoying this too much,” Ford said. “He’s got an answer for everything. Everything’s going well. Talk about fake news.”