THE ILLINOIZE: Bipartisan downstate lawmakers upset with Pritzker mitigations...Governor holding up saliva tests?...Bailey and DeVore lose again...our "Illinoisan of the Year"

December 22, 2020

Good morning from Champaign.

I was in town yesterday for some meetings and appointments and will be on the airwaves of my old stompin’ grounds, WDWS-AM, this morning at 9:35. But I thought it would be a good time to focus in this neck of the woods as there’s a lot going on that impacts the rest of the state.

My adopted hometown has been a hub of activity in recent days, with restaurants defying the Governor’s indoor dining mitigations, the University of Illinois still unable to expand its rapid saliva COVID-19 test, and they introduced a new football coach yesterday.

I also intend to track down a cinnamon roll or three from Hopscotch Bakery at some point this morning. Mmmmmm…

Anyway, let’s get into it.

THE CHAMPAIGN COUNTY RESISTANCE

Illinois National Guard members have been dispatched to the LaSalle Veterans’ Home, where 32 residents of the home have died since November 1 in a COVID-19 outbreak.

Guardsmen are also being sent to state-run homes in Quincy and Manteno as outbreaks are underway in those facilities.

Currently, 61 residents at Quincy are infected with the coronavirus, out of around 300 residents. The site reported Wednesday 125 residents and staff have recovered from COVID-19.

Two residents in the Manteno Veterans’ Home in Kankakee County have died as a result of the virus. Since August 21, the site reports 18 residents and 33 employees have tested positive in that facility.

No residents of the facility in Anna in southern Illinois have been infected with COVID-19.

Read our story here.

IS PRITZKER HOLDING UP UI SALIVA TEST EXPANSION?

It certainly seems as if Governor Pritzker could be holding up a larger expansion of the University of Illinois’ wildly successful rapid saliva test for COVID-19.

State Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) sent a letter to Pritzker last week asking him to approve the expansion of the SHIELD saliva test.

It appears the administration has been waiting for Emergency Use Authorization from the federal Food & Drug Administration, but Rose says the federal government gives the Governor the ability to expand the testing.

During a Senate hearing earlier this month, University staff agreed the fastest way to make the so-called SHIELD testing available to the rest of Illinois would be through an Executive Order from the Governor.

“The entire state is waiting on the expansion of SHIELD testing and the promise it brings to reduce the loss of life from this virus,” Rose wrote to the Governor. “Nursing homes, K-12, other public colleges, and private industry could all benefit from the addition of the robust, accurate, and very quick testing regime that SHIELD offers.”

SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES PLEAD AGAINST CUTS

Social service agencies from around the state are asking Governor JB Pritzker not to include cuts to human services in his proposed list of state budget spending reductions.  

Lauren Wright, Executive Director of Illinois Partners for Human Service, which lobbies on behalf of more than 800 providers statewide, released a letter sent to Governor Pritzker last week asking him not to cut social services..

Wright says her group supports closing tax loopholes instead of cutting spending.

“We support revenue-based solutions, including, but not limited to closing loopholes that benefit the wealthy, and investing those revenues in health and human services,” she said. “We recognize there are no easy solutions in a difficult budget year but ask that the administration consider the vital role health and human services will continue to play in rebuilding our communities in the recovery from this pandemic.”

Read the story on the request here.

BAILEY AND DEVORE LOSE AGAIN

State Representative and Senator-elect Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) and his attorney, Tom DeVore of Greenville were dealt another blow in their efforts to overturn Governor Pritzker’s executive orders yesterday. A Sangamon County judge overturned all of the rulings previously made by a friendly judge from Bailey’s home county that received mountains of coverage earlier in the year.

Multiple cases were combined by the Supreme Court of Illinois into one mega-case in Sangamon County.

The basis of Bailey’s legal argument was that under the state’s Emergency Management Act, Governor Pritzker was only allowed one 30-day disaster declaration for the COVID-19 pandemic. Clay County Judge Michael McHaney agreed with Bailey’s reading of the statute.

But, in her opinion issued Monday, Sangamon County Judge Raylene Grischow wrote McHaney’s “reading of the statute produces unjust and harmful results that are contrary to [the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act.]”

From there, she basically blew up Bailey’s argument.

Here’s the story on the Sangamon County ruling.

One of the most frustrating things about the challenges and public perception to the Governor’s actions to the pandemic, especially downstate, is folks usingthe “unconstitutional” language. Unfortunately for them, any jabroni like me can plainly read that argument is bunk. And it’s not even just the outliers like Bailey, it’s level-headed Republicans who I’ve had a lot of respect for over the years that are simply getting the legal part of this wrong.

If you really want to make a forceful statement about how the Governor is using his executive powers, make it about overreach and hypocrisy instead of some faux legal crusade.

34th DEATH AT LASALLE

A 34th resident of the LaSalle Veterans’ Home passed away this weekend in a COVID-19 outbreak that has ravaged the facility since November 1.

Friday, we attempted to ask the administration about who at the Illinois Department of Public Health was in charge of monitoring the situation and why it took 12 days for IDPH to do a site visit. We were cut off then ignored by the Governor’s office.

In that visit, you remember, they found the insufficient hand sanitizer and unapproved PPE. Had they been in there earlier, how many of those lives could have been saved?

We’re going to continue looking into this over the holidays and into the new year.

THAT’S NOT HOW IT WORKS, AMY…

Last week, Chicago talk show host-turned anti-mask advocate Amy Jacobson asked Governor JB Pritzker where he would be spending the holidays. He said his plans were to stay in Illinois in the same way he did for Thanksgiving.

Maybe what Amy forgot in her question was she was asking the Governor on the seventh day of Hanukkah. The Governor is, in fact, Jewish.

Though, we’re assuming the Governor and his son won’t be partaking in the traditional American Jewish Christmas tradition of Chinese food and a trip to the movie theater.

MEA CULPA

Last week I wished a happy birthday to State Senator Chapin Rose. For some reason, I had his birthday marked as December 17, but it is, in fact, December 27. It’s so nice he gets to celebrate it twice this year. He corrected me via text last week and told me his style is “disheveled chic.”

SPEAKING OF BIRTHDAYS

As this is our last scheduled newsletter of the year, we wanted to list birthdays through the end of the year. Obviously, if we’re back with a special newsletter, it’s going to be for something more important than birthdays.

Today- Former Congressman Bill Lipinski

12/23- State Sen. Steve Landek

12/25- State Rep. Edgar Gonzalez (who, by the way, was born in 1996.)

12/26- Former Congresswoman Lynn Morley Martin

12/27- Former Congressman Joe Walsh

12/28- outgoing State Rep. Nathan Reitz

12/29- Former State Rep. Sandy Cole

12/29- Former Senate Majority Leader James Clayborne

12/30- Congressman Mike Bost (60)

12/30- Former State Sen. Chris Lauzen

1/1- State Rep. Tom Demmer

1/1- Former State Rep. Adam Brown

1/3- Former State Rep. Kent Gaffney

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

A few reminders for you…

• We’re almost out of time to help the Salvation Army with our online Red Kettle. Please click here to donate. I will match the first $100 donated today. If you all come up with $1,000 today, the largest donor gets to come up with something embarrassing for me. (pie to the face in the rotunda, growing a pandemic beard, etc.)

• Our survey is still up through the end of the year to help us make better content decisions and help this site and newsletter grow.

• Follow us on Twitter.

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• We have a virtual tip jar if you’re interested in helping us recoup expenses for this venture.

• As always, I welcome your tips, dirt, scuttlebutt, rumors, and all other adjectives for things you’re hearing out there. I want to hear from you. patrick@theillinoize.com.

• We wish you and yours a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year.

• Share this newsletter with your networks, please. Consider it a free Christmas gift to me.

AND FINALLY…

THE 2020 ILLINOISAN OF THE YEAR

DR. NGOZI EZIKE, DIRECTOR, ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH

This is likely no surprise to anyone. Read more about our honoree here.