Chicago’s Dan Proft: “[W]hat has changed since Trump was elected serves only to reinforce why he was elected and the bases upon which he will be re-elected.”

“I think it’s been very wise not to dictate one way or the other, because it can’t be done the same everywhere,” said Mark Klaisner, President of the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools. “I’ve had superintendents say to me they’d like to have all kids back in the classroom, but they just can’t make it work. Some schools are able to do it and some aren’t.”

Officials said 390 coronavirus patients were hospitalized in intensive care units, well within capacity but still the highest number in about two months. Of those, 151 patients were on ventilators, the most since July 28.

Illinois Black Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Larry Ivory said 40 percent of businesses may not survive the economic impact of COVID-19 restrictions and because of the state’s poor business climate pre-pandemic, people needing jobs are already being hurt by businesses leaving the state.

Earlier this week, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said the administration was working on setting up additional benefits for unemployment, but he didn’t say when that would be completed.

“I am demanding that veto session takes place as scheduled, because the Black agenda cannot wait. The Black agenda, which will be rolled out in the coming days, is going to demand equity and inclusion and in several areas,” said State Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch.

“The ‘fair tax’ proposal would hurt the pandemic recovery of Illinois’ most dynamic jobs creators, imposing new taxes up to 47% higher on over 100,000 small businesses – drying up funds that could create jobs or allow businesses to return to normal.”

“Besides plenty of evidence that state leaders have the fiscal restraint of inebriated mariners on hiatus – 20 years of state budget deficits, the nation’s worst pension debt and a near-junk credit rating – original research by the Illinois Policy Institute shows replacing Illinois’ flat tax with a progressive tax system would cause deep hurt to already overburdened taxpayers and suffering for a state economy attempting to recover.”

“Claim: We need this tax to pay for education – or else. Reality: Despite billions in increased education funding each year, most of these funds have been diverted from classrooms to pay for pensions.”

Jeffrey Tobolski is the latest Illinois politician charged in a wide-ranging federal corruption probe into bribes, insider deals, cronyism and red-light cameras.

“(T)he mandated closing of all restaurants by 11 p.m. when our residents can simply drive less than one mile to an adjacent town and eat and drink until 2 a.m.,” the mayor said. “This arbitrary closing time only serves to hurt our local Homer Glen businesses – with no evidence that it will reduce the positivity rate of our region.”

Jim Dey: “Its not easy to calculate the cost of corruption — special-interest legislation and profitable public contracts greased by timely campaign contributions and high-paying jobs for unqualified but connected job seekers barely scratch the surface of shady dealings in the Land of Lincoln. The mind reels at the possibilities.”

The U.S. Department of Labor estimates 21,956 new unemployment claims were filed during the week of August 10 in Illinois, and 22,387 new claims during the week of August 3.

Antioch residents are reeling from the arrest of a 17-year-old boy, who police say fired several shots in Kenosha, Wisconsin Tuesday night, killing two people and seriously injuring a third.

“This is the part where COVID-19 is going to be with us for a while, and it’s at this point where states like Illinois that have refused to maintain any level of fiscal sobriety for decades are caught flat-footed,” said Sen. Chapin Rose, a Republican from Mahomet. Residents would be unable to afford a 30 percent hike in property taxes, he cited as an example, to compensate for lost revenues.

Adam Schuster, Illinois Policy Institute: “Illinoisans should pay close attention to recently proposed income-tax increases in California’s state legislature. California shows that not even the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression can persuade politicians addicted to spending and debt to think beyond asking struggling taxpayers to pay more. Progressive income-tax systems make it easier for them to do just that.”

The Dresden and Byron facilities employ more than 1,500 full-time employees and 2,000 supplemental workers during refueling outages. The two plants, which supply about 30 percent of the state’s carbon-free energy, pay nearly $63 million in taxes each year.

Adam Schuster, senior budget and tax research director at the Illinois Policy Institute: “Decades of bad decisions put us in this predicament. Politicians promised, repeatedly, to deliver on politically popular perks that were too good to be true, and they promised, repeatedly, that skimming more tax revenue from the people of Illinois could make the numbers work. It hasn’t worked yet. The latest scheme, the progressive income tax, won’t work, either.”

“We acknowledge plaintiffs believe (Executive Order 50) imposes serious hardship on numerous sheriffs’ offices throughout the state and is unwise and unfair,” the court wrote in its ruling. “However, we do not pass judgment on whether the governor’s actions are unwise or unfair, but rather on whether the governor’s actions are authorized.”

“One critic who doesn’t like the Pritzker ‘fair tax’ is Ted Dabrowski, budget analyst from wirepoints.org. He believes that without structural reform, meaning cuts in government spending and changes in the pension deals, all we’re doing is wasting our money…’What Illinois politicians keep forgetting is that all Illinoisans need to do to leave behind Illinois’ high taxes and massive debts is to move right over the border. It’s already happening.'”

“But there’s more. So much more: 107,000 more identity theft claims that came through under a new federal benefit called Pandemic Unemployment Assistance.”

“Illinois needs to protect and preserve its competitive energy market, which has saved Illinois businesses and residents billions of dollars over the past two decades,” said Illinois Manufacturers’ Association President and CEO Mark Denzler.