State Sen. Dan McConchie: “While we should never abandon our values, beliefs or advocacy, we must stop perceiving the opposition party as our enemy. We are all equals, dedicated to participating in the political process that is essential to maintaining our status as a great nation.”

IHSA asked IDPH to review the risk levels of all remaining sports and consider lowering the risk levels of some. “There was no expectation that a single meeting would resolve all our questions. However, we believe that collaboration with state officials is vital for the IHSA to be able to develop an informed plan for the 300,000-plus student-athletes and over 800 high schools that encompass the Association.”

The Illinois Fraternal Order of Police called it “the worst thing to happen to our profession” and “the end of the law enforcement profession as we know it” in a statement released Tuesday. And the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police wrote “it might as well be a crime to be a law enforcement officer in Illinois.”

There were no arrests or incidents reported at the Illinois protest, according to Henry Haupt, a spokesman for the Illinois Secretary of State, who estimated it was attended by 40 to 50 people. The Secretary of State Capitol Police force is assigned to the nine buildings comprising the State Capitol Complex.

The letter signed by four governors reads, in part, “Our states are ready to work alongside the federal government to expand vaccine distribution so that we can protect the wellbeing of all our residents, families, small businesses and our economy.” NOTE: This article links to the full letter.

“The idea that IDES has disproportionate trouble processing new claims or paying out claims is misleading,” Acting Director Kristin Richards said. “A claimant who provides all the necessary data and submits their claim will be processed in a timely and efficient manner and will receive benefits if they are deemed eligible and continue to certify.”

Illinois is one of the only states that’s yet to implement spending reductions of any substance since the pandemic began, though Pritzker says savings are happening behind the scenes within his agencies.

As Illinois school districts transition back to in-class instruction, a new study shows that classrooms don’t pose as big of a risk in spreading the virus as previously thought. “I believe it was extremely important to try to define better what the real risk factors are for children and COVID transmission,”said Dr. Charlotte Hobbs, professor of pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

“Is this just lip service or are we actually going to see changes that need to be made and who is enforcing these changes,” State Sen. Sue Rezin said. “Right now we’ve just been told by the administration ‘everything has taken care of and we’ve corrected the problems,’ but we don’t know for sure.”

House Bill 163 was amended with 611 pages this week. What was initially a measure for prescription drug monitoring turned into a measure full of changes to the state’s criminal code and change to how law enforcement is regulated.

Reductions in revenue could force Rockford and other cities across the state and region to consider cuts to core services like policing and snow removal. It could also force them to consider implementing a property tax increase, Mayor Tom McNamara said.

“In a pandemic that has contained far too many tragic milestones, today’s marking of one million cases of COVID-19 diagnosed in Illinois deserves particular recognition,” Gov. JB Pritzker said in a press release.

Illinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider, who announced last month that he is stepping down, said Miller’s comments were “disgusting…That language is wrong and disgusting. We urge Congresswoman Miller to apologize.”

“We know that this pandemic has not impacted students equally. Because there were inequities in our system that had existed even prior to this pandemic. This has only been exacerbating that,” said Jessica Ramos, who led efforts on the report for Advance Illinois.

“To support what is happening in DC today is to violate that principle. Supporting violence and rioting is Anti-American. The Illinois GOP condemns any and all violence towards our government officials and law enforcement,” writes Illinois GOP Chairman Tim Schneider.

IHSA executive director Craig Anderson sent an e-mail to ADs, encouraging them to make contact with local state representatives in an effort to bring together the IHSA, governor’s office and IDPH. It’s the latest attempt in the ongoing saga. “The general assembly will be organizing again this Friday in Springfield,” Anderson said. “It may be timely for us to collectively solicit support for this meeting.”

The 45,387 new unemployment claims filed during the week of Dec. 27 in Illinois mark a 59% decrease from the week before.

“Because of today’s events incited by the President, I had to ask the Illinois State Police and other law enforcement resources, engaged in important life-saving missions, to redeploy to heighten their presence at government buildings and the Capitol in Springfield,” Pritzker added.