Under the state’s regional plan, Champaign County’s fate continues to be linked to those of 20 others in its region. But the county’s COVID-19 data is being excluded after Illinois Department of Public Health Director Ngozi Ezike said the University of Illinois’ testing volume is overshadowing trends in the 21-county region.

“We feel that the mitigations should be put back to where they were at about a month ago,” St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern said. “The weather is getting cold outside and indoor dining is going to be a must if we’re going to keep our businesses going.”

While lawmakers have already held six other hearings focusing on informing the four-pillar Black Caucus agenda, Thursday’s joint hearing of four state Senate committees was the first to focus on economic access, equity and opportunity.

Zach Kennedy, a specialist with Community and Economic Development at the University of Illinois Extension, found many Illinoisans were not happy with the way the state and federal government handled things: “I think just the sense of mistrust of political leadership. Something that seems like it should be politically neutral like public health.”

The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity said, as of Sept. 24, it had distributed $1.3 million of the $250 million. Department officials said additional applications were under review. Any funds not claimed would go back into the state’s coffers for COVID-19 related use.

As inflation rises each year, the tax brackets remain unchanged. This phenomenon is known as “bracket creep,” and it means taxes rise on more and more people year after year as their nominal incomes increase due to inflation.

“So Illinois’ income tax structure didn’t create the racial wealth gap. But it ‘is certainly exacerbating the problem,’ as (author Lisa) Christensen Gee says. ‘It’s really crucial that we are not ignoring the unintended consequences of our tax policy decisions.'”

All three have been openly critical of Trump’s handling of the pandemic, with Pritzker in particular regularly expressing disappointment at the lack of a unified federal response.

“Until lawmakers get serious about changing other provisions of this governing law, they don’t deserve a vote on this one, ill-considered tax provision.”

IDPH said officials observed businesses “blatantly disregarding mitigation measures, people not social distancing, gathering in large groups and not using face coverings.”

Denise Budney, who teaches business at Lincoln-Way East High School, is accustomed to reading students’ faces for some informal feedback on her lessons. That’s gotten harder to do with the masks. But she’ll take that over the lack of interaction during online classes that she led from an empty room at school. “Now that we’re back, I’m liking it much more. I like seeing students’ faces … 6 feet apart, anyway.”

“City income taxes now must be imposed on all taxpayers at the same rate. Angering every voter in Chicago, Peoria or Springfield is too great a political risk and the likely reason no Illinois city has an income tax…But the ability to split off taxpayers from the protection of the herd is the heart of the constitutional amendment before voters.”

Illinois and New Jersey, which have negative outlooks on all of their credit ratings, opted for deficit borrowing as neither had reserves to weather the pandemic or cut spending enough to balance their budgets, according to Howard Cure, director of municipal bond research at Evercore Wealth Management.

“Borrowing long-term for operating is a cardinal sin of budgeting,” he said.

A DuPage County judge issued the ruling Thursday, saying that because of the pandemic, what the IHSA did was within their authority under their bylaws and constitution.

Read arguments for and against the referendum that will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot.

“The people Madigan recommends be hired often serve as foot soldiers on the campaigns for the very legislative seats that allow the speaker to stay in power. In turn, that control of the House is key to helping Madigan bring in clients at his law firm, which handles high-dollar property tax appeals on some of Chicago’s biggest buildings.”

“Reamortizing” pensions would only add to the cycle of borrowing or deferring payment, and would be credit negative, says Moody’s.

State Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego, is not facing a Republican opponent in the Nov. 3 election, setting the stage for an inauguration day battle when the new General Assembly is sworn. Her run for speaker now forces House Democrats to make a choice between two members of their party; They can no longer claim voting for Madigan to be the safe alternative to voting for a Republican speaker.