Top Illinois Stories
All Illinois regions out of Tier 3 mitigations as Metro East Region 4 moves to Tier 2 – WGNTV (Chicago)
IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike warns precaution must continue. "During the summer, we were on this same path. We know that we must continue to take precautions and be smart about how we relax some of the mitigation measures."
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Illinois Senate cancels session next week – The Pantagraph (Bloomington)
A letter to senators from Senate President Don Harmon and Minority Leader Dan McConchie said it's in the Senate's "best interest" to cancel the upcoming session days and reconvene Feb. 9. "Legislating in the midst of a global pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges, and we are diligently working together to overcome each one. Our goal is to conduct a spring session that is as normal as possible while ensuring the safety of legislators, staff and the public."
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Lame Duck Look Back: How the Black Caucus passed criminal justice reform – Capitol News IL
The Illinois General Assembly passed a massive criminal justice omnibus bill on Jan. 13 with only Democratic support, navigating initial opposition from labor unions and municipal interest groups, as well as intense Republican and law enforcement pushback.
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Unemployment insurance fraud is growing in Illinois. Here’s what you need to know. – Chicago Tribune*
Illinois has stopped more than 350,000 fraudulent claims since March 1, according to the state’s Department of Employment Security. The Illinois Attorney General’s office has received more than 1,400 complaints since June from people who allege someone else filed an unemployment insurance claim in their name.
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Column: Why Must We Pretend Pritzker Pandemic Metrics Aren’t Meaningless? – Patch Chicago
Mark Konkol: "Pritzker could have shown himself to be a leader by engaging with industry leaders, pushing for adequate contact tracing data and using a wide range of data to develop pandemic policies that balanced the needs to save businesses and lives. It might have helped him realize sooner that those benchmarks he set early in the pandemic for determining the rate of virus transmission in regions didn't end up being statistics to drive public policy."
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More Highlighted Illinois Stories
Illinois House use of Springfield convention center cost $187,000 – Center Square
“That’s $300,000 that we don’t have,” said state Rep. Steven Reick, R-Woodstock. “The Senate has been able to meet in the capitol building and I don’t see any reason why we can’t exercise some social distancing and things like that and get into the capitol building to do that kind of stuff.”
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With No Oversight, Illinois Cities Flout State Law That Encourages Affordable Housing – WBEZ (Chicago)
The board is part of the Illinois Affordable Housing Planning and Appeal Act, which was originally passed in 2003. That law requires cities with at least 1,000 residents and with less than 10% affordable housing to submit affordable housing plans to the state. The law is intended to encourage affordable housing, but resistance is rampant.
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LaHood seeks lift of sports restrictions – State Journal-Register (Springfield)
"If 'low risk and medium risk sports' that are played indoors have been deemed safe to resume, I am confident that schools and coaches, in consultation with local health officials and IHSA (Illinois High School Association), can find ways to move forward responsibly with all sports," state Rep. Darin LaHood wrote to Gov. JB Pritzker.
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Union Iron, Decatur’s oldest manufacturing company, ceases production at local plant – Herald and Review (Decatur)
Manufacturing ceased near the end of December and operations are being relocated to facilities in Nebraska, Kansas and Canada, according to AGI General Manager David Wernsing. Staff that remains in Illinois will focus on inside sales, customer service, and distribution.
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Illinois awards $31.5 million in grants funded by marijuana revenue – Capitol News IL
The law also provides that 25 percent of that revenue be used to fund grants in communities that have suffered from economic disinvestment, violence, and the severe and disproportionate damage caused by the war on drugs, which are largely low-income communities of color.
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Illinois’ congressional delegation split on ‘Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act’ – Center Square
U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider said in a statement after filing the bill the riots in the U.S Capitol on Jan. 6 were from “domestic terror groups and extremists,” and fighting “white supremacy” isn’t a Republican or Democratic issue.
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Illinois looks to federal government for bailout money – Center Square
Other states are dipping into rainy day fund to cushion the losses caused by the pandemic. Illinois can’t do that because its rainy day fund is nearly empty. “Certainly not the time to say ‘you should have saved better’ or anything liked that, but it does point to really the importance of states working to drive dollars during the good times into those reserve accounts,” said Wes Tharpe, deputy director for State Policy Research for the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
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Resolution to make Chicago 51st state to be filed even as some hope to address rural-urban divide – Center Square
State Rep. Brad Halbrook, R-Shelbyville, plans to refile his resolution to make Chicago the nation’s 51st state, an effort that didn’t advance in the last term. “We’ve further defined the matter, the issue. Just focusing on this rural-urban divide, the difference of what’s happening in rural Illinois versus urban Illinois.”
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City of Springfield to provide clarification on ‘more restrictive’ local COVID-19 guidelines – State Journal-Register (Springfield)
This week, the city — in coordination with the Sangamon County health department — plans to provide clarification on the local mask mandate, in addition to other restrictions the city of Springfield will keep in place during Phase 4.
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A bad bill awaiting Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s signature would drive doctors out of Illinois – Chicago Sun-Times*
Robert W. Panton, president, Illinois State Medical Society: "Illinois already is a challenging and expensive state in which to practice medicine. This egregious action against health care professionals ultimately will hurt patients."
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Ordered To Return Unemployment Overpayments, Illinoisans Still Waiting For State To Decide If It Will Grant Waivers – CBS2 (Chicago)
"Perhaps the bigger hold-up in granting waivers is something that could affect all taxpayers. We asked if the state government would be on the hook to the federal government for overpayments it forgives. The feds told us no, but IDES said it is still 'seeking guidance.'"
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Illinois gets ‘caution’ grade for highway safety laws – Center Square
The organization gave every state a rating in five categories: Occupant protection, child passenger safety, teen driving, impaired driving and distracted driving.
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Efforts continue to seek independent redistricting in Illinois – Center Square
“The longer we wait, the less likely this is to happen, and the more we’re going to get trapped in the old ways we’ve drawn maps in Illinois on a partisan basis,” Rep. Tim Butler said. “Whether it’s Democrats or Republicans, we’ve both taken advantage of gerrymandering districts to our own benefit. People are done with it.”
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Boarded up windows at Illinois capitol coming down; cost taxpayers $30,000 – Center Square
Andrea Aggertt, The Architect of the Capitol, had not heard of any reports of any vandalism to the property over the duration of the past week.
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Over 95,000 Unemployment Claims Filed In Illinois Last Week Amid COVID-19 Pandemic – CBS2 (Chicago)
That's an increase of less than 1% from the week before. For comparison, during the same timeframe last year 14,807 people filed claims in Illinois. That’s an 545% increase.
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Analysis: COVID-19 vaccine ad void leaves states with millions of doses – Center Square
In Illinois, Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office in August signed off on a $5 million ad campaign to promote masking. But the governor’s website homepage makes no mention of the vaccine, listing only new positive case rates. The state is sitting on 43% of the 1 million vaccine doses it has received and has yet to spend anything on vaccine awareness.
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Huts, bubbles still popular even with indoor dining allowed – Champaign News-Gazette*
“It will be a slow process for guests to get comfortable with eating in restaurants,” one restaurant owner said.
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Millions Of Dollars Still Up For Grabs From State For Illinois Families To Get Help With Utility Bills And More – CBS2 (Chicago)
Illinois received $90 million dollars extra in utility assistance from the federal government last year. That’s help for at least 100,000 more families than normal. Seven months have gone by and less than half of the free money has been claimed.
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Kass: Biden calls for an end to ‘uncivil war,’ but will he defend free speech? – Chicago Tribune*
"And so, what was missing in Joe Biden’s speech? A full-throated commitment to defending the core values of the Constitution and Bill of Rights, which include the right of all Americans to speak their minds without fear of retribution. And I don’t mean wing nuts calling for violence of any kind."
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Pritzker: Biden Plan To Aid Illinois – Alton Daily News
Pritzker said the COVID-19 pandemic has put holes in local budgets managed by Democrats and Republicans alike and the prospect of federal funds is a welcome one. “I’ve had numerous conversations with the incoming administration to share the challenges the states have faced and what role the federal government must play in our recovery. So, too, have Republican governors ... I have every reason to be optimistic for the future of Illinois and the nation.”
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Decoupling plan could come back once House returns – State Journal-Register (Springfield)
New House Speaker Chris Welch said that a new plan could be worked on quickly in the new term in order to help Gov. JB Pritzker fill a $3.9 billion budget hole. "It likely can pass. We can do things quickly like we did a couple of years ago with the minimum wage."
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A Rare Chance to End Illinois’s Notoriously Corrupt System – National Review
"Beyond ethics reform, effective pension reform is necessary to address the debt crisis that is in part the result of politicians’ sitting across the negotiating table from the union officials who fill their campaigns’ coffers and volunteer lists. This would protect many Illinoisans, from those reliant on social services to public employees who deserve retirement security to taxpayers who can’t afford to pay more and more for unsustainable government spending."
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Column: Jordan’s rules had nothing on ‘Madigan Rules’ – Champaign News-Gazette*
Jim Dey: "This vast control Madigan maintained is a tribute both to his political genius and insatiable appetite for power. He had the vision to see what the speaker’s post could be if correctly leveraged"
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Lame Duck Look Back: Education bill to revamp social studies classes – Capitol News IL
The bill also calls on every elementary and high school to develop a curriculum that includes one unit of studying pre-enslavement Black history. That unit will cover the period from 3,000 BCE to 1619, when the first enslaved Africans were brought to America. Black history units will also have to include the study of the reasons why Black people came to be enslaved and the study of the American civil rights movement.
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Districts considering extending school year to address learning loss – Center Square
In a letter to school administrators, State Superintendent of Education Carmen Ayala said districts should begin planning now to reimagine the school calendar, a move she said will help mitigate remote learning loss by offering more educational opportunities; the $2 billion in COVID-29 relief that Illinois is getting from the federal government could make it possible.
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House Speaker Welch promises oversight of executive branch amid COVID-19 restrictions – Center Square
State Rep. Blaine Wilhour, R-Beecher City, has for months decried the governor’s unilateral authority and said Democrats failed to speak up under Madigan. “I think that Speaker Welch has said specifically that it’s his intention for the legislature to be a check on the executive branch and I welcome that with open arms."
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90% Of Illinois’ COVID Victims Were Over 60, Half From Long-Term Care Facilities – ZeroHedge
A republication of our Wirepoints article.
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Youth sports practice depends on ‘complicated’ COVID-19 tier scheme – Center Square
“With 11 different regions and each one separately having it’s potentially own little criteria above and beyond what even local districts need to approve, if and when in some sports they can compete, are they or aren’t they going to have spectators, because in certain tiers you may be able to have some spectators,” IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson said. “I get it, it’s complicated.”
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With COVID-19 mitigations relaxed in Southern Illinois, restaurants welcome guests inside – The Southern Illinoisan (Carbondale)
When asked if reopening makes her nervous, restaurant owner Katy Cannell said she was of two minds. She said she felt totally safe working in her restaurant, cooking, serving customers and engaging with staff. But when she takes the apron off, it’s a different story. “I’m not really comfortable going to a restaurant eating inside."
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Here’s what southwestern Illinois lawmakers said about the criminal justice reform bill – Belleville News-Democrat
The Illinois Legislative Black Caucus passed their economic, education and health and human services initiatives despite Republican opposition, but the criminal justice pillar caused the most controversy.
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Top Chicago Area Stories
Struggling kids, fed-up parents: Chicago families that want CPS schools open say they’re being drowned out by ongoing teachers union pushback – Chicago Tribune*
“How did we get here? Politicians and union leaders will all tell their tale of ‘who did what to whom?’ As CPS parents, we don’t care. The rhetoric, the walkouts, the fighting. These are having a devastating effect on families across this city,” reads a letter from a grassroots organization of parents dubbed the Chicago Parents Collective, which organized earlier this month.
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If Chicago teachers walk out, it would be ‘illegal strike,’ district warns – Chalkbeat Chicago
“These past months, we have met with CTU leadership more than 60 times,” reads the letter, signed by Matt Lyons, the district’s chief talent officer, and sent Thursday morning. “The union’s input has in many cases strengthened our reopening plan, and we remain committed to continuing negotiations in good faith with union leadership... An agreement is within reach, so long as we continue working hard together.”
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Lightfoot plans ‘re-union weekend’ to invite Blacks who fled Chicago to ‘come back home’ – Chicago Tribune*
"We’ve lost a lot of population over the last 10-plus years. People leaving Chicago, particularly Black Chicago, going to other places in the country — Atlanta, Dallas and even just moving to the suburbs because they didn’t feel like Chicago was welcoming and their home,” the mayor said.
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More Highlighted Chicago Area Stories
Judge tosses business group’s challenge to Chicago’s Fair Workweek ordinance – Cook County Record
Judge Thomas Durkin further said it makes sense to cover seven industries where demand for workers fluctuates and to apply rules to people who earn less than $50,000 per year or $26 per hour, “given the potentially serious economic and personal impacts a late schedule change could have on them over others with more income. That is especially so because such employees may hold multiple jobs.”
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Teachers, do what’s best for your profession and your students and vote ‘no’ on a strike – Chicago Sun-Times*
"A 'yes' vote would be a vote to disrupt the education of some 6,000 preschoolers and special needs students who have been back in school since Jan. 11. A 'yes' vote would say 'forget it' to thousands of families that have opted for in-person learning, fully aware of the pandemic and the need to be careful, because remote instruction simply hasn’t worked for their children."
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CPS Teachers Work Outside Avondale Shops To Protest School Reopening: It’s ‘Not Just About Us’ – Block Club Chicago
Thursday’s action came just hours after Chicago Teachers Union delegates voted to plan for collective action where teachers will refuse to work at schools but continue to teach online starting Monday.
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CPD Adds Detectives, Works With Federal Prosecutors to Curb Carjackings – NBC5 (Chicago)
Chicago Police Supt. David Brown said, on average, the city's carjacking crimes are committed by individuals between the ages of 15 and 20, with one offender as young as 12.
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Op-ed: A CTU strike would be wrong — and likely illegal – Chicago Tribune*
Attorney Jeffrey Schwab, who won the Janus v. AFSCME U.S. Supreme Court case against government unions: "After nearly a full academic year without students receiving in-person learning drawn out by CTU’s threats of illegal strikes — on top of 11 missed days of school in 2019 — it has become clear that kids are collateral damage for the union’s political and financial leverage."
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Growing Concerns That New Spike In Child Deaths Is Side Effect Of Social Distancing – CBS2 (Chicago)
Two things are concerning these child advocates. One is that parents and guardians are tired and worried and getting careless. The other is that COVID-19 is precluding the adequate monitoring of families with a prior history of problems.
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‘We have the infrastructure’: Mayors eye larger role in vaccination effort under Biden – Politico
“We need to get more first doses on a consistent basis,” Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said. “The vaccine is the most important tool that we have.”
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Lightfoot: ‘Lack of urgency’ from police union standing in way of new contract – Chicago Sun-Times*
"In the end of June, this contract will have expired for four years. Four years. The union leadership needs to have a sense of urgency so that we can get done what needs to be done around reform, accountability and get back pay to those officers who are working their tails off every single day and need to be compensated,” Lightfoot said.
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Chicago shuts down restaurant with nearly 100 patrons, cites 12 other businesses for indoor dining violations – FOX32 (Chicago)
Those locations are among 416 businesses cited and 8,000 other investigated for violating citywide coronavirus restrictions since the pandemic began. Chicago has had a citywide ban on indoor service since October.
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Chicago Teachers Union asks members to refuse in-person teaching; voting by rank-and-file to start Thursday – Chicago Tribune*
Union vice president Stacy Davis Gates also said the union, which wants teachers to remain remote until such time as they feel it’s safe to report to buildings, has the support of a supermajority of the City Council and 70% of families with students in the city’s public schools.
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CTU House Of Delegates Passes Resolution Allowing Teachers To Work Remotely When CPS Schools Reopen For K-8 Education – CBS2 (Chicago)
But the district has said teachers and staff who don’t show up as required won’t be paid or be able to reach their email and remote teaching tools. That is something that could force a strike.
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‘I’m excited about the possibilities:’ Lightfoot said she is hopeful as Biden Administration begins – WGNTV (Chicago)
“I woke up this morning with a smile on my face,” she said. “There’s a lot of hard work ahead of us but it will make an enormous difference to Chicago and our residents have someone in the White House who understands the importance of cities and in particular the importance of Chicago on the national landscape.”
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City Nursing Home Inspector Didn’t Visit Any Facility For A Year Despite Filing Dozens Of Reports, Watchdog Says – Block Club Chicago
The unnamed “elder protective investigator” in the city’s Department of Family and Support Services was supposed to inspect nursing and rehab facilities on behalf of the family support agency.
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Chicago Inspector General Investigating Mayor Lightfoot’s Office, City Officials for ‘Possible Misconduct’ in Anjanette Young Raid – CBS2 (Chicago)
A separate investigation was launched by COPA in 2019 into the officers who wrongly raided Young’s home in February that same year. The officers failed to do basic police investigative work to verify a tip from a confidential informant.
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President Trump Pardons Casey Urlacher in Offshore Gambling Case – NBC5 (Chicago)
Urlacher, currently serving as the mayor of Mettawa, was one of 10 individuals named in a grand jury indictment in 2020, and was accused of helping to run an illegal offshore gambling business. In a press release, the White House cited Urlacher’s “commitment to public service” as part of his reasoning behind issuing the pardon.
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Inspector general’s quarterly report chock full of bad behavior — again – Chicago Sun-Times*
Among the findings are that an inspector assigned to nursing homes during a pandemic that has raged through those homes who claimed to have made site visits, when none had taken place.
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Lightfoot Extends Stay-at-Home Order Until Jan. 30 – WTTW (Chicago)
Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced a 30-day stay-at-home advisory on Nov. 12, saying that Chicago was facing a sustained and dire second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. The advisory took effect on Nov. 16, and has now been extended by the mayor three times.
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Activists rally in Federal Plaza ahead of Biden inauguration – Chicago Sun-Times*
The 50-or-so who gathered under the Flamingo sculpture spoke out on a variety of complex issues, including abortion rights, criminal justice reform, access to health care and housing, as well as the environment. About two dozen Chicago police officers kept an eye on the rally from across the street.
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Chicago Teachers Union Could Call For Strike Authorization Vote As Dispute With CPS Reopening Plan Continues – CBS2 (Chicago)
In order to authorize a strike, CTU would need at least 75% of its membership to to vote in favor of a work stoppage. It’s also possible the union will consider alternatives to a full-on strike, such as having teachers continue working remotely until they receive a COVID-19 vaccine, forcing CPS to decide between locking teachers out from remote work or striking a deal with the union.
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Chicago’s City Hall, Cook County Building Will Close to Public Wednesday Ahead of Inauguration – NBC5 (Chicago)
Officials say that they anticipate that the city and suburban Cook County will remain peaceful during the inauguration, and the agencies involved in the decision to close the buildings “are not aware of any activity being planned in Chicago or suburban Cook County.”
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Lightfoot pushes Pritzker to ease restrictions as dining resumes in southern, central Illinois – Illinois Policy
"If you live in Carbondale or Springfield, you can head to the local bar and restaurant. If you are in Chicago, Rockford, Peoria or Belleville, you are still eating takeout and drinking at home."
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The Area was a close-knit Englewood community and subject of a searing documentary. Has anything changed in Chicago since residents were forced out? – Chicago Tribune*
“All these fights going on in the city, and this one fell underneath the radar,” Ald. Jeanette Taylor said. “This whole community was wiped out for a deal that the community didn’t want or ask for. But that’s historically what’s been done to Black and brown folks — they wouldn’t have pulled this crap on the North Side.”
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Chicago Teachers Union delegates could set a strike vote this week as impasse looms over schools reopening during the COVID-19 pandemic – Chicago Tribune*
Chicago Public Schools CEO Janice Jackson said the district is “incredibly interested” in coming to a resolution and the parties are continuing to meet regularly. “We are still having conversations around staffing and I think we’ll get to a resolution on that. It has to be that we are talking about how to reopen schools safely, not a debate around whether or not schools should reopen.”
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State Loosening Coronavirus Restrictions In Chicago, Allowing Museums To Reopen And Sports To Return – Block Club Chicago
Region 11 has not technically met the state’s criteria for moving down to Tier 2, as it hasn’t met hospital capacity requirements. But the Illinois Department of Public Health announced Monday it’ll allow the area and other regions to move to Tier 2 even if they haven’t met the hospital capacity goal because the state is bringing in more health care workers who can work at hospitals, effectively increasing the number of sick people they can handle.
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Chicago Might Be Able To Make COVID Vaccine Available To All By May; Officials Hope To Reopen Indoor Dining Soon – CBS2 (Chicago)
Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison cautioned the scheduled vaccine rollout is “purely speculative” based on how much vaccine the city is getting from the federal government. The city is currently receiving approximately 34,000 first doses of the vaccine per week.
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After Finding Controversial Novel On School’s Summer Reading List, Teenage Twins Push For Change In State Law – CBS2 (Chicago)
“It’s going to be called the Pierce Twins Bill,” said Illinois State Rep LaShawn Ford (D-Chicago). That’s right. Ford is taking the 13-year-old Bolingbrook sisters to Springfield. The culturally and racially diverse bunch want to craft legislation that would mandate every teacher’s book assignments be approved at the district level; a sort of checks and balances.
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‘What the hell is happening in Chicago’: Trump’s love/hate relationship with our city -WGNTV (Chicago)
When the economy roared, Chicago’s Trump Tower still struggled. Retail space along the Chicago River was never occupied. Realtors reported the sale price of condos coincided with the president’s approval rating.
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Up! Up! And Away! Carjacking reports are soaring even higher in 2021, CPD data shows – CWB Chicago
CPD logged an average of six carjackings per day during the first ten days of 2021, according to the department’s stats. A source said there were 110 cases by midday on January 15.
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‘Chicago Reader’ Columnist Agitates for ‘Tribune’ Columnist John Kass to be ‘Deplatformed’ – Breitbart
“Now, in light of Kass’s role in encouraging Donald Trump’s campaign of lies that the election was stolen, which reached a traitorous, bloody crescendo with last Wednesday’s storming of the U.S. Capitol during the Electoral College vote count, it’s time for Tribune leadership to get rid of Kass’s column for good,” Chicago Reader columnist John Greenfield writes.
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Start the lower-risk high school sports: Chicago, most suburbs now in Tier 2 – Chicago Sun-Times*
Per the Illinois High School Association’s announcement on Monday those teams can begin practice immediately and can play games “at a future day to be determined by the board.” Medium-risk sports in Tier 2 regions will be allowed to practice.
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Wirepoints Commentary and Research
Compulsory Political Ideology for Illinois K-12 Teachers And Classrooms Moves Closer To Finalization – Wirepoints
A sweeping, radical rule is pending for Illinois K-12 teachers that should prompt everyone, of all political stripes, to fear about the fundamental roles that teachers and classrooms are assigned to fulfill.
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Legislators ignore COVID, economy in favor of spending even more – Wirepoints on WJOL’s Slocum in the Morning
Ted Dabrowski was on WJOL's Slocum in the Morning talking about how Illinois' last legislative session failed to tackle the items hurting residents the most: COVID-19 and the economy. Instead, politicians passed a slew of bills that will increase the cost of government.
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New Zillow study shows contrast in home values across ethnicities – Quicktake
The home-value gap for blacks is particularly big for Chicago -- 37% -- which is higher than the ten other largest cities in America and well above the national average gap of 16%.
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Illinois’ COVID-19 data: Daily update for Jan. 22, 2021 – Wirepoints
Daily COVID-19 data update for January 22, 2021. Includes new data on vaccinations in Illinois.
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How Illinois can save more lives by vaccinating the elderly first and how the inconsistency of Illinois’ lockdown rules create more chaos – Wirepoints on AM 560’s The Morning Answer
Ted was on AM 560's The Morning Answer this week talking about how Illinois can save more lives by giving the elderly the COVID vaccine before any other group, the inconsistency of Illinois' destructive lockdown rules, and how Illinois' leadership doesn't appear to have any real plan to bring the COVID crisis to an end.
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The Feds may force well-run states to bail out Illinois, Iawmakers’ emboldened spending, and Pritzker’s failed $500 million business tax hike. – Wirepoints on AM560’s Black and Right with John Anthony
Ted was on Black and Right with John Anthony this week talking about the how the Biden stimulus will ultimate force taxpayers in well-run states to pay for Illinois' self-inflicted crises, how Madigan's departure might hasten Illinois' decline because big-spending politicians have more power, and lawmakers' failure to pass Pritzker's $500 million tax hike on businesses.
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More Wirepoints Original Stories
Want to save more Illinoisans from COVID? Vaccinate the elderly first. – Wirepoints
Now that vaccines are finally available, Pritzker is including a host of “essential workers,” at the same level of priority as the elderly and calling it an “equity-centric vaccination approach.” It’s a huge mistake to give all those groups equal priority.
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Proposal To Expand CTU Strike Power Would Betray History – Wirepoints
Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it, it’s often said. But what can we say about undoing a history lesson already learned?
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Madigan’s loss, Illinois’ damaging COVID restrictions and the potential impact of Biden’s new stimulus – Mark Glennon on AM 560’s The Steve Cortes Show
Mark was on the Steve Cortes Show this week talking about Mike Madigan's historic fall from power, the continued destruction wrought by the state's overly-restrictive COVID lockdowns, and the potential size and impact of Biden's stimulus plan.
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Illinois may be in line for nearly $14 billion in federal help for state and local government – Quicktake
President-elect Joe Biden on Friday provided some details on his proposed $1.9 billion pandemic relief bill, called The American Rescue Plan. It includes $350 billion for state and local governments.
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Please, Illinois, lift the ban on high school sports – Wirepoints
Tragedy should beget solace, but not silence.
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Illinois A.M. (After Madigan) – Wirepoints
Mike Madigan’s tenure as House Speaker is over after nearly 40 years at the helm. In his place, Democrats have elected Hillside Democrat Emanuel “Chris” Welch to lead the chamber. Madigan’s loss of power is a monumental change, but just because he’s gone it doesn't mean Illinois’ problems are over.
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The potential end of Mike Madigan, why federal aid won’t help Illinois, and the new laws politicians are passing – Ted on AM 560
Ted was on with with Dan Proft and Amy Jacobson discussing Madigan's chances of being reelected Speaker, how a federal bailout of Illinois will only makes things worse for the state and how pols are passing their equity agenda instead of reforms.
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ILLINOISANS NEED PENSION REFORM,
NOT TAX HIKES.
Wirepoints Original Stories
Compulsory Political Ideology for Illinois K-12 Teachers And Classrooms Moves Closer To Finalization – Wirepoints
A sweeping, radical rule is pending for Illinois K-12 teachers that should prompt everyone, of all political stripes, to fear about the fundamental roles that teachers and classrooms are assigned to fulfill.
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Legislators ignore COVID, economy in favor of spending even more – Wirepoints on WJOL’s Slocum in the Morning
Ted Dabrowski was on WJOL's Slocum in the Morning talking about how Illinois' last legislative session failed to tackle the items hurting residents the most: COVID-19 and the economy. Instead, politicians passed a slew of bills that will increase the cost of government.
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New Zillow study shows contrast in home values across ethnicities – Quicktake
The home-value gap for blacks is particularly big for Chicago -- 37% -- which is higher than the ten other largest cities in America and well above the national average gap of 16%.
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Illinois’ COVID-19 data: Daily update for Jan. 22, 2021 – Wirepoints
Daily COVID-19 data update for January 22, 2021. Includes new data on vaccinations in Illinois.
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How Illinois can save more lives by vaccinating the elderly first and how the inconsistency of Illinois’ lockdown rules create more chaos – Wirepoints on AM 560’s The Morning Answer
Ted was on AM 560's The Morning Answer this week talking about how Illinois can save more lives by giving the elderly the COVID vaccine before any other group, the inconsistency of Illinois' destructive lockdown rules, and how Illinois' leadership doesn't appear to have any real plan to bring the COVID crisis to an end.
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Top Illinois Stories
All Illinois regions out of Tier 3 mitigations as Metro East Region 4 moves to Tier 2 – WGNTV (Chicago)
IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike warns precaution must continue. "During the summer, we were on this same path. We know that we must continue to take precautions and be smart about how we relax some of the mitigation measures."
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Illinois Senate cancels session next week – The Pantagraph (Bloomington)
A letter to senators from Senate President Don Harmon and Minority Leader Dan McConchie said it's in the Senate's "best interest" to cancel the upcoming session days and reconvene Feb. 9. "Legislating in the midst of a global pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges, and we are diligently working together to overcome each one. Our goal is to conduct a spring session that is as normal as possible while ensuring the safety of legislators, staff and the public."
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Lame Duck Look Back: How the Black Caucus passed criminal justice reform – Capitol News IL
The Illinois General Assembly passed a massive criminal justice omnibus bill on Jan. 13 with only Democratic support, navigating initial opposition from labor unions and municipal interest groups, as well as intense Republican and law enforcement pushback.
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Unemployment insurance fraud is growing in Illinois. Here’s what you need to know. – Chicago Tribune*
Illinois has stopped more than 350,000 fraudulent claims since March 1, according to the state’s Department of Employment Security. The Illinois Attorney General’s office has received more than 1,400 complaints since June from people who allege someone else filed an unemployment insurance claim in their name.
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Column: Why Must We Pretend Pritzker Pandemic Metrics Aren’t Meaningless? – Patch Chicago
Mark Konkol: "Pritzker could have shown himself to be a leader by engaging with industry leaders, pushing for adequate contact tracing data and using a wide range of data to develop pandemic policies that balanced the needs to save businesses and lives. It might have helped him realize sooner that those benchmarks he set early in the pandemic for determining the rate of virus transmission in regions didn't end up being statistics to drive public policy."
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Other Illinois News
Illinois House use of Springfield convention center cost $187,000 – Center Square
“That’s $300,000 that we don’t have,” said state Rep. Steven Reick, R-Woodstock. “The Senate has been able to meet in the capitol building and I don’t see any reason why we can’t exercise some social distancing and things like that and get into the capitol building to do that kind of stuff.”
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With No Oversight, Illinois Cities Flout State Law That Encourages Affordable Housing – WBEZ (Chicago)
The board is part of the Illinois Affordable Housing Planning and Appeal Act, which was originally passed in 2003. That law requires cities with at least 1,000 residents and with less than 10% affordable housing to submit affordable housing plans to the state. The law is intended to encourage affordable housing, but resistance is rampant.
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LaHood seeks lift of sports restrictions – State Journal-Register (Springfield)
"If 'low risk and medium risk sports' that are played indoors have been deemed safe to resume, I am confident that schools and coaches, in consultation with local health officials and IHSA (Illinois High School Association), can find ways to move forward responsibly with all sports," state Rep. Darin LaHood wrote to Gov. JB Pritzker.
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Union Iron, Decatur’s oldest manufacturing company, ceases production at local plant – Herald and Review (Decatur)
Manufacturing ceased near the end of December and operations are being relocated to facilities in Nebraska, Kansas and Canada, according to AGI General Manager David Wernsing. Staff that remains in Illinois will focus on inside sales, customer service, and distribution.
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Illinois awards $31.5 million in grants funded by marijuana revenue – Capitol News IL
The law also provides that 25 percent of that revenue be used to fund grants in communities that have suffered from economic disinvestment, violence, and the severe and disproportionate damage caused by the war on drugs, which are largely low-income communities of color.
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Top Chicago Stories
Struggling kids, fed-up parents: Chicago families that want CPS schools open say they’re being drowned out by ongoing teachers union pushback – Chicago Tribune*
“How did we get here? Politicians and union leaders will all tell their tale of ‘who did what to whom?’ As CPS parents, we don’t care. The rhetoric, the walkouts, the fighting. These are having a devastating effect on families across this city,” reads a letter from a grassroots organization of parents dubbed the Chicago Parents Collective, which organized earlier this month.
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If Chicago teachers walk out, it would be ‘illegal strike,’ district warns – Chalkbeat Chicago
“These past months, we have met with CTU leadership more than 60 times,” reads the letter, signed by Matt Lyons, the district’s chief talent officer, and sent Thursday morning. “The union’s input has in many cases strengthened our reopening plan, and we remain committed to continuing negotiations in good faith with union leadership... An agreement is within reach, so long as we continue working hard together.”
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Lightfoot plans ‘re-union weekend’ to invite Blacks who fled Chicago to ‘come back home’ – Chicago Tribune*
"We’ve lost a lot of population over the last 10-plus years. People leaving Chicago, particularly Black Chicago, going to other places in the country — Atlanta, Dallas and even just moving to the suburbs because they didn’t feel like Chicago was welcoming and their home,” the mayor said.
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Other Chicago News
Judge tosses business group’s challenge to Chicago’s Fair Workweek ordinance – Cook County Record
Judge Thomas Durkin further said it makes sense to cover seven industries where demand for workers fluctuates and to apply rules to people who earn less than $50,000 per year or $26 per hour, “given the potentially serious economic and personal impacts a late schedule change could have on them over others with more income. That is especially so because such employees may hold multiple jobs.”
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Teachers, do what’s best for your profession and your students and vote ‘no’ on a strike – Chicago Sun-Times*
"A 'yes' vote would be a vote to disrupt the education of some 6,000 preschoolers and special needs students who have been back in school since Jan. 11. A 'yes' vote would say 'forget it' to thousands of families that have opted for in-person learning, fully aware of the pandemic and the need to be careful, because remote instruction simply hasn’t worked for their children."
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CPS Teachers Work Outside Avondale Shops To Protest School Reopening: It’s ‘Not Just About Us’ – Block Club Chicago
Thursday’s action came just hours after Chicago Teachers Union delegates voted to plan for collective action where teachers will refuse to work at schools but continue to teach online starting Monday.
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CPD Adds Detectives, Works With Federal Prosecutors to Curb Carjackings – NBC5 (Chicago)
Chicago Police Supt. David Brown said, on average, the city's carjacking crimes are committed by individuals between the ages of 15 and 20, with one offender as young as 12.
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Op-ed: A CTU strike would be wrong — and likely illegal – Chicago Tribune*
Attorney Jeffrey Schwab, who won the Janus v. AFSCME U.S. Supreme Court case against government unions: "After nearly a full academic year without students receiving in-person learning drawn out by CTU’s threats of illegal strikes — on top of 11 missed days of school in 2019 — it has become clear that kids are collateral damage for the union’s political and financial leverage."
