The $3 billion governor’s emergency education relief fund was established as part of the coronavirus stimulus bill. U.S. Department of Education granted the money to governors to support schools during an emergency. Illinois was allotted about $108.5 million from that $3 billion and has one year to award the funds; unspent money will be returned to the federal government.

“As a voter, you’re supposed to trust Illinois politicians. Trust that they’ll give you property tax relief. Trust that they’ll start passing smarter budgets. Trust that they’ll undo some of their past mistakes. Oh, and trust that they’ll only slap this top itty-bitty 3% of taxpayers with higher tax rates.”

“The U.S. Treasury allows it. You have taken a step to limit it,” said state Sen. John Curran, R-Downers Grove. “I would surmise, you’ve got that wrong.”

Per the law, 8 percent of that revenue will be shared with local governments, while the Illinois Department of Revenue estimates $25.9 million from excise and sales taxes will be directed to the state’s General Revenue Fund.

When the Legislature met for a special session in May, guidelines established that only issues “narrowly confined” to COVID-19 could be considered, House Minority Leader Jim Durkin said. Instead of addressing reforms previously proposed, the Democratic majority focused on “spending taxpayer money we don’t have.”

Mark Grant, Illinois director of the National Federation of Independent Businesses, said that with many workers still furloughed and with companies still trying to figure out how to reopen, now is a terrible time to burden businesses with a mandated wage increase.

Truth in Accounting CEO Sheila Weinberg said the COVID-19 pandemic has put states in challenging financial situations, but the federal government could go back to a state’s 2019 finances to determine how much aid should be paid out.

Said Abe Scarr, coordinator of Open Safe Illinois, a coalition of 25 health, labor, aging, and public interest organizations: “But some states currently experiencing uncontrolled spread were recently in a similar position. We must remain vigilant, including being prepared to quickly reinstate additional containment measures in line with the ‘Restore Illinois’ plan.”

“Gripped by one of the deepest recessions since the 1930s, state governments across the country have to race to catch up with escalating demand for unemployment assistance…Rick Suryk, 68, was one of the lucky ones…He went 16 weeks without getting an unemployment check but received $9,800 in benefits from late March to June.”

The 2020 United States Prosperity Index measures performance across 11 pillars of prosperity using more than 200 indicators grouped into 48 policy-focused elements.

Comment: We, too, wrote earlier about problems in the Vendor Assistance Program.

“Tax rates for more than 100,000 small businesses could jump as much as 47%, from 6.45% to 9.49%. Small businesses have been responsible for 60% of the state’s job creation and have been Illinois’ economic engine since the Great Recession.”

City and state public health officials charged with leading the response to the pandemic don’t have the power to force hospitals to take transfers. And a statewide portal that hospitals are supposed to enter data into every day about their ability to treat patients doesn’t paint a complete picture.

The lawsuit claims the rules are “the illegal product of collusion between state agencies, Anderson and the IHSA,” and that the IHSA went beyond its authority in following the state’s directives.

Of the calls received this year, less than 1 percent were answered. State Rep. Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) is calling for a public hearing “where we can ask some questions of Deloitte” and its contract.