That’s more than double the infection rate seen in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, where confirmed cases account for about 7% of residents, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. Of about 1,650 people who live in the seven developmental centers, which are scattered throughout the state, at least 355 have tested positive, or 21.5%. Eight residents have died, as have four workers.

House Majority Leader Greg Harris, D-Chicago, said there was no other way: “If we had gone to the scorched earth policy that some want to cut 35 percent of our state budget to shutdown hospitals, to defund our universities, to defund our school systems, that’s a world you guys can have. That’s not a world that I want.”

“Well there’s no doubt that we’re going to have to revisit the budget if the federal government doesn’t come through,” Pritzker said when asked if the state had a plan for a revenue stream to pay back the borrowing. “I think all 50 states are going to have to be revisiting their budgets if the federal government doesn’t come through.”

The governor says Democratic budget negotiators told him it was removed from either the appropriations bill or budget implementation (BIMP) proposal. “I do not think legislators will in fact get a raise this year.”

At least six states, including Illinois, have introduced legislation that would also shield more than just health care workers and facilities, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). Experts note that even if U.S. lawmakers reach a deal on a liability shield, states may be in a stronger position than Congress to adjust state tort laws, which provide remedies for civil wrongs and injuries.

So far, the state’s website has guidelines for manufacturing facilities, health and fitness centers, offices, personal care services, retail, outdoor recreation, service counters, day camps, youth sports and restaurants and bars.

“The judiciary aren’t experts at public health. Taking these things to court doesn’t resolve the public health matter,” Pritzker said.

“When you watch the national news, it’s all about the massive amount of cases in Chicago and Cook County. But we’re not seeing that. In this area, we’re only seeing our small businesses suffering,” said Chris Lain, mayor of Savanna, a northwest Illinois river town of about 3,000 people. Many businesses suffered over the winter and then went straight into the shutdown, leaving reserves tapped.

“It’s very much of a status quo budget. To keep it where it is now,” said Sen. Heather Steans, D-Chicago, a principal architect of the budget. “There’s a few places that there’s some increases for critical areas that couldn’t keep up, like DCFS. But it is pretty much keep everything as is.”

Fox 32 noted that some neighbors are not happy with the project, and especially the message it seems to send. “Just crazy. I drive by all the time and there’s at least 20, 30 trucks a day working on this place. Which is great, keep people working. But you don’t want our Illinois residents working. I really don’t understand that,” said a resident named Mike Wendricks.

“Mostly we saw lawmakers, though not thrilled to be meeting during a pandemic, deciding that, what the heck, they’d better get something done. Meanwhile, the pandemic continues. And Illinois waits on Washington. And the full extent of the wallop to the state’s finances remains to be seen.”

One key to making the budget work is a plan to borrow up to $5 billion from the Federal Reserve’s Municipal Liquidity Facility program. It also authorizes another $1.5 billion in borrowing between the general revenue fund and various other state funds in order to maintain cash flow throughout the year.

In the Senate, Sen. Jason Barickman, R-Bloomington, said the measure fell “wildly short” of actual oversight of the governor and his wide-reaching executive orders.

“But the way I see it, we’ve given up our liberties quickly, in a matter of weeks, on the word of experts and politicians afraid of being wrong. The experts have seen the data change by the day, and so have their expert recommendations on what to do. It’s all been so stunning. The rise of the technocratic elite. The eager capitulation of the people. The shutdown. The jobs and businesses lost. Our liberty lost.”

“There are no words that would do justice to describe what Judge McHaney said during his ruling.”

Restaurants and bars, which were forced to close their doors to customers since mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic, have been pleading for the ability to sell to-go cocktails as a means of helping their businesses stay afloat.