Gov. J.B. Pritzker warned Wednesday that “the region of northwest Illinois that includes Rockford and Northern Illinois University and borders Wisconsin and Iowa could soon see stricter rules aimed at curbing the spread of coronavirus. The nine-county region, as defined by Pritzker’s reopening plan, had a 7.5% test positivity rate as of Wednesday, which has climbed ‘at a concerning rate,’ the governor said at a news conference in Chicago.” Pritzker’s warning came soon after he announced last Friday that Will and Kankakee counties can reopen bars and resume indoor dining as their test positivity rate came down following successful mitigation measures that had been in place for weeks.
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to create economic problems for Illinois and the Chicago area. The credit rating agency S&P wrote in a new report that Illinois’ chances of balancing its state budget without additional borrowing “are looking slimmer as congressional agreement on further federal assistance remains elusive.” Illinois’ rating from S&P Global Ratings is BBB- with a negative outlook. Additionally, a Crain’s Chicago Business report found that one out of every eight jobs disappeared after Gov. Pritzker ordered all non-essential businesses to close. There has been some rebound in employment as segments of the economy reopened, but 426,600 Illinois jobs, or 7 percent, still hadn't been recovered by the end of August. Ilinois small business owners, however, remain optimistic according to a National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) survey which “shows the national Optimism Index slightly above the historical 46-year average.”
Gov. Pritzker announced Monday a procedure for letting applicants for recreational marijuana licenses in Illinois correct their applications or get rescored. The new procedure ensures that any applicant who didn’t get a perfect score of 252 will receive a notice of deficiencies in their application. The applicant will also receive a score sheet identifying where they lost points in their application and will be given the opportunity to ask the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to rescore their original application if they believe there was an error in scoring. This rescoring will give unsuccessful applicants a second opportunity to qualify for the lottery for dispensary licenses, which was harshly criticized after so few applicants – many of whom are connected to wealthy interests – advanced to the final lottery round.
Governor J.B. Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle held a rare joint press conference on Wednesday expressing outrage over the Breonna Taylor grand jury decision. Pritzker called the decision a “gross miscarriage of justice” that “doesn’t come close to capturing the injustice of what we know to have happened.” Lightfoot said the decision was “absolutely heartbreaking,” leaving more questions than answers.
Republican Rep. Amy Grant was criticized for comments she made regarding her Democratic opponent, Ken Mejia-Beal, which became public this week. In a recorded fundraising call, Grant said Mejia-Beal is “just another one of the Cook County people. “The only thing we need is another person on the Black Caucus,” Grant said in another clip. Grant said that Mejia-Beal is “afraid to come into the district,” maybe because “he’s afraid of the reaction that people might give him. Not because he’s Black, but because of the way he talks — he’s all LGBTQ.” Grant apologized and said in a statement her comments did not “reflect my heart or my faith.”
Grant’s comments prompted significant contributions from Democratic donors, including from Governor Pritzker who contributed $55,000 this week, bringing his total contributions to the maximum limit. Since Grant’s comments were released, Mejia-Beal reported raising nearly $160,000.
Important Upcoming Dates – Statewide
- November 3, 2020 – Election Day
- November 17-19, 2020 – First week of Veto Session
- December 1-3, 2020 – Second week of Veto Session
- December 15, 2020 – Final Day for Local Government to Submit Reimbursement Requests to DCEO
In the News
Pritzker, Lightfoot, Preckwinkle outraged over Breonna Taylor grand jury decision, urge peace — The Daily Line, September 24, 2020
In a rare joint press conference, Gov. JB Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle on Wednesday expressed outrage over a Louisville grand jury’s decision in the death of Breonna Taylor while urging Illinoisans to peacefully protest and avoid violence. The trio of Democratic leaders, who were joined by Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, Chicago police Supt. David Brown, the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Jahmal Cole, founder of My Block My Hood My City, widely criticized the grand jury’s decision to indict one of three police officers involved in the shooting on a charge of wanton endangerment. Pritzker called the decision a “gross miscarriage of justice” which he said “doesn’t come close to capturing the injustice of what we know to have happened.”
Gov. J.B. Pritzker warns northwest Illinois region could be headed for stricter COVID-19 regulations — Chicago Tribune, September 23, 2020
Gov. J.B. Pritzker warned Wednesday the region of northwest Illinois that includes Rockford and Northern Illinois University and borders Wisconsin and Iowa could soon see stricter rules aimed at curbing the spread of coronavirus. The nine-county region, as defined by Pritzker’s reopening plan, had a 7.5% test positivity rate as of Wednesday, which has climbed “at a concerning rate,” the governor said at a news conference in Chicago.
S&P warns delayed spending cuts could push Illinois into 'non-investment grade' territory — The Center Square, September 23, 2020
Illinois’ chances of balancing its state budget without additional borrowing or a “sizable increase” in the state’s bill backlog “are looking slimmer as congressional agreement on further federal assistance remains elusive,” analysts for credit rating agency S&P wrote in a new report. Illinois’ rating from S&P Global Ratings is BBB- with a negative outlook. That’s one notch above speculative status, sometimes called junk bond status or non-investment grade. If the state's credit rating slips further, it will cost the state – and taxpayers – more when the state issues bond debt.
Pritzker and fellow Democrats open wallets to defeat GOP legislator who made disparaging remarks about Black LGBTQ challenger — Chicago Sun-Times, September 23, 2020
Since a trio of state House Democrats held a news conference Monday playing the recordings and denouncing state Rep. Amy Grant, Democrat Ken Mejia-Beal has taken in $158,828.90 in donations – bringing his total campaign war chest to $417,185.90. Gov. J.B. Pritzker has joined the parade of Democrats giving money to the party’s challenger to Republican Rep. Amy Grant, the Wheaton Republican who apologized over comments she made about her Democratic opponent’s race and sexual orientation in a recorded telephone call.
Pritzker Administration Announces $20 Million in Rebuild Illinois Funding for Unsewered Communities — Illinois e-News Release, September 23, 2020
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) Director John Kim today announced two grant opportunities with $20 million in funding available to assist communities with inadequate or nonexistent wastewater collection and treatment facilities. Illinois EPA is making $100 million available through Governor Pritzker’s bipartisan Rebuild Illinois Capital Plan over the next five years for construction grants for wastewater collection and/or treatment facilities. Illinois EPA is also making $1 million available for the next four years for planning grants to assist small and disadvantaged communities in developing a project plan that identifies a solution to wastewater collection and treatment needs.
Senators Schimpf and Plummer Call for JB Pritzker to Reopen the Metro-East. — NPR, September 22, 2020
Illinois State Senator Paul Schimpf (R-Waterloo) is calling on Governor JB Pritzker to immediately remove the tightened restrictions on the Metro east, because of what the Senator says, are flaws in the way the Illinois Department of Public Health is reporting the state's COVID-19 cases. Schimpf says roughly 30 percent of Metro east resident cross the river to Barnes-Jewish Healthcare, in St. Louis, and he says there were reports BJC HealthCare was only reporting positive cases to IDPH.
Illinois Environmental Council names Hyde Park state legislators 'emerging environmental champions' — Hyde Park Herald, September 22, 2020
The Illinois Environmental Council named Hyde Park–Kenwood's Springfield delegation "emerging environmental champions" for their freshman-year voting records. “I will always support legislation that leads to a greener, more sustainable future for our communities, state, country and planet,” said Sen. Robert Peters (D-13th) in a statement. “Climate change continues to pose an existential threat, and I vow to continue fighting alongside the IEC until the climate change crisis has been dealt with, no matter how long that may take.”
Gov. Pritzker puts Illinois National Guard ‘in a state of readiness’ ahead of Kentucky announcement in Breonna Taylor case — Chicago Tribune, September 22, 2020
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration said Tuesday night that it “is putting the (Illinois National) Guard in a state of readiness" to ensure members are available as Kentucky’s attorney general is expected to announce whether he’ll file charges in the controversial police killing of Breonna Taylor. The Louisville woman’s death has been a central theme for protests in several U.S. cities this summer against police brutality. Pritzker and Mayor Lori Lightfoot met Tuesday morning and discussed the issue, the governor’s office said in a statement.
Landlords lament Pritzker's eviction moratorium — Crain’s Chicago Business, September 18, 2020
Gov. J.B. Pritzker's moratorium on evictions protects the multitude of apartment tenants in Illinois who can't pay their rent due to the coronavirus. It also gives renters who can pay a reason not to. That's what bothers landlords like Jeff Cunningham, who can't do anything about it when they don't. The chorus of apartment owners grousing about Pritzker's eviction moratorium is growing louder as the pandemic and recession drag on, putting more financial pressure on landlords due to falling occupancies and rents and rising tenant delinquencies. Pritzker issued the freeze in March and has been extending it on a monthly basis, most recently pushing its expiration date to Oct. 22.
Survey Says Illinois Small Businesses Optimistic — WBGZ, September 20, 2020
Illinois small businesses generally are optimistic about the state of the economy. That’s according to Mark Grant, Illinois director of the National Federation of Independent Business, and mirrors the results of a new survey by the NFIB that shows the national Optimism Index slightly above the historical 46-year average. “If you're in certain industries, like trucking, construction, manufacturing, those kinds of things are really picking up and certain service industries haven't really fallen off that much either,” Grant said. “They're really some good signs coming their way.”
Tracking COVID's impact on Illinois jobs — Crain Chicago Business, September 18, 2020
After six months, nearly half a million are still looking for work. And economists worry about a second wave of layoffs as federal coronavirus relief funds run out. One out of every eight jobs disappeared after Gov. J.B. Pritzker ordered all but the most essential businesses to shut down. There has been some rebound in employment as segments of the economy reopened, but 426,600 Illinois jobs, or 7 percent, still hadn't been recovered by the end of August. That's slightly lower than the nationwide decline of 7.6 percent.
Will, Kankakee counties can reopen bars, resume indoor dining as COVID-19 positivity rate comes down — Chicago Tribune, September 18, 2020
Weeks after the region that includes Will and Kankakee counties suffered a rollback in restrictions, bars can reopen and indoor dining can resume as the coronavirus positivity rate has come down, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Friday. The governor made the announcement as the state’s known COVID-19 case tally pushed past 270,000. Also Friday, DuPage County was removed from a list of counties at “warning level” for a possible resurgence of COVID-19.
Fair tax or tax hike? Emotional arguments project hope and fear as voters set to decide what could be Illinois’ biggest taxation shift in decades — Chicago Tribune, September 18, 2020
Before Illinois voters consider any candidate on the Nov. 3 ballot — the presidential contenders, a member of Congress, a state lawmaker or a local judge — they will be asked to cast a simple yes or no vote on what could become the biggest change in state taxation in decades. The question at the top of the ballot is whether the Illinois Constitution should be amended to replace a mandated flat-rate income tax with a graduated-rate tax structure that increases the levy as income rises.
Important Upcoming Dates – Statewide
