“Many of the state’s most vital programs already have been cut close to the bone because of the pension crisis. Inflation-adjusted spending on the state’s pension systems grew 501 percent from fiscal year 2000 to 2020…Higher taxes were accompanied by disinvestment in public safety, public-health programs, higher-education spending, and services for the poor and disadvantaged.”

There was a lot of frustration on display there and he didn’t ease up when he concluded with the idea that hospitals will get filled up and the sick and dying will have nowhere to go. “I promise you, while you’ve failed to take responsibility for your city and your county, that day is coming closer and it will be on you,” he said.

Among Illinois’ 10 largest school districts, eight have paused plans to reopen school buildings or reverted to virtual learning amid a spike in COVID-19 cases.

State Sen. Don DeWitte and State Rep. Dan Ugaste: “Illinois can be a leader in its response to the pandemic, but only if Gov. Pritzker embraces a decision-making process that brings together diverse ideas and disparate viewpoints. Instead, his continued refusal to allow legislators in the process has proved to have catastrophic impacts.”

In the court’s 17-page opinion, Judge Adam Giganti wrote the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate how Pritzker’s administration giving losing firms a second chance would cause irreparable harm, and that “the public interest favors allowing (IDFPR’s) administrative process, including its announced supplemental process, to proceed.”

“The Governor will work with the legislature to identify corporate and business tax loopholes that can be closed and tax adjustments that can be made that will minimize the impact to lower- and middle-class families while ensuring that Illinois can meet its financial responsibilities,” the report said.

Commercial Driver License facilities will remain open for written and road exams. “Commercial truck drivers provide essential services by ensuring goods can be transported safely and efficiently throughout the state and country during this pandemic,” Jesse White said.

“For border counties, I would think that the economic effects would be even stronger,” University of Illinois Springfield Professor Kenneth Kriz said. “People have alternatives. They can go across state boundaries and participate in activities they couldn’t otherwise here.”

By law the process should take 30 days. But ISP said the average wait time has ballooned to 122. “No one would wait 160 days for the Comcast guy to come to your house,” one applicant said.

At his daily coronavirus news briefing, the governor explained the extension will only cover renters who have earned no more than $90,000 in annual income – or $198,000 for joint filers – during the calendar year.

“We know from the data that Illinois is being targeted especially Chicago, Illinois ranks 13th in the nation as states, as far as identity theft,” said Bryan Lewis, CEO of Intellicheck.

Restaurants make up 10-15% of Springfield’s sales tax revenue, so this closure could end up hurting the city budget, but City Budget Director Bill McCarty said he’s also worried it will hurt the city’s character. “Our local businesses, that’s the heart and soul of our community. That’s what makes us unique, so it’s heartbreaking any time we see one of those depart.”

“Although the reasons for counties reaching a warning level varies, some of the common factors for an increase in cases and outbreaks are associated with university and college parties as well as college sports teams, large gatherings and events, bars and clubs, weddings and funerals, family gatherings, long-term care facilities, correctional centers, schools, and cases among the community at large, especially people in their 20s,” the Illinois Department of Public Health said in a statement.

“As a public, we’re running scared because all we hear is this massive increase of cases,” Wirepoints President Ted Dabrowski said. “You’ll never hear the governor talk about how the fatality rate has collapsed, and that’s an important thing for people to know.”

“We get a lot of phone calls from people in Illinois asking if our dining room is open,” said restaurant owner Sam Yfantis said. “We probably get more than a dozen phone calls a day…We want them to come in and enjoy their meal. We’re taking as many precautions as we can.”