THE ILLINOIZE: Guest hosted by former IL GOP Chairman Pat Brady...Redistricting ruling could happen this week...Chicago to tighten vaccine and testing requirements, will state follow?
December 21, 2021
Good morning. Our final guest host this month is Pat Brady. Pat is founder Next Generation Strategies, a lawyer, lobbyist, legal and political analyst all over your TV and radio, former federal and state prosecutor, former member of Republican National Committee and former Chairman of the Illinois Republican Party.
He’s one of our favorite people in this political business, and we’re thankful he’s sharing some thoughts with us today. You can follow him on Twitter here.
Let’s get to it.
Congratulations to Patrick on the birth of his first child. (Editor’s note: my wife did the hard work.) Probably for all of us, the birth of the first child is one of the greatest joys in life. Best wishes to all and from one Dad to another-start saving for college, my friend.
Last June, I was asked to be on a panel discussion in Bloomington to discuss whether Illinois can be “fixed.” I joined former Governor Jim Edgar and my cousin, Representative Dan Brady (now a candidate for Secretary of State). The event was moderated by Senator Jason Barickman. We had a lively discussion and the last question to all of us was “what makes Illinois a great place to live?’
Although, in spite of what is often said, the other panelists were able to cite many great things about Illinois. From Chicago, the greatest city in the world, in my opinion, to the rich farmland and natural beauty of the southern part of the state.
My answer was simple: I believe Illinois is a great place to live because of its people. You can’t find any more welcoming, decent, hard-working, and friendly people than you find right here in our home state. That decency applies to our elected officials. Sure, we’ve had some misfires and way too many have gone to prison, but most of the folks I’ve ever dealt with in Springfield and beyond are decent people. They are friendly, helpful, and honestly trying to do the right thing for their constituents.
Partisan rancor gets in the way sometimes and there are a lot of different opinions and agendas. But on whole, the Capitol Building is full of very fine public servants, and so is the State of Illinois.
Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to all -- particularly my political hack friends.
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We’ll have a Free for All tomorrow and maybe Patrick will put together a newsletter Thursday if there’s any pre-Christmas news (see below), otherwise, we’ll be back in your inboxes everyday again beginning January 3.
Give us your 2022 predictions and tips at patrick@theillinoize.com.
REDISTRICTING RULING COULD HAPPEN THIS WEEK
We’ve been talking with folks associated with the redistricting lawsuit currently before a panel of three federal judges, and there is a belief among some the judges could rule on the challenges to the Democratic-drawn legislative maps before Christmas.
Judges have said all along they want to expedite the matter as petition circulation is scheduled to begin next month. After a hearing earlier this month, neither side made additional arguments in filings. Though they did file their PowerPoint presentations from the hearing, which you can read here, here, and here. (We consider this good ‘Uncle Hal drank too much spiked eggnog again so you have to get away’ reading.)
Lawyers on both sides didn’t respond to our questions, but we’re told Republicans consider the suit getting this far “playing with house money” and any changes the court makes will be a win. Democrats, we’re told, are confident their arguments will hold up.
CHICAGO’S LATEST COVID RESTRICTIONS
Paris Schutz of WTTW tweeted last night the City of Chicago will implement a proof of vaccine requirement to enter pretty much any leisure activity indoors starting right after the new year.
Obviously, the latest variant is causing a new wave of cases around the state and country, including the highest daily total of cases of the year Sunday, according to the Sun-Times:
The last time a higher daily total was reported was little over a year ago, when on Dec. 1, 2020, the state reported 12,542 cases.
The main difference is that 11 deaths were reported Monday compared to the 125 deaths that were reported on the first day of December last year — two weeks before the first life-saving vaccinations were administered in Illinois.
It’s the second time in less than a week that a new record daily case count was set for the year. On Thursday a total of 11,858 cases were reported.
Doctors are recommending vaccinations and boosters, per the Daily Herald:
"It's really disappointing especially with the holiday season to see everything turn south," said Dr. Jonathan Pinsky, Edward Hospital's medical director of infection control and prevention.
Of those in the hospital, "we're not seeing too many breakthrough cases this round. I would say that there's an even higher percentage of unvaccinated patients requiring hospitalization compared to previously. ... About 85% of admissions are unvaccinated."
Along with vaccinations for first-timers, health authorities are pushing booster shots for fully vaccinated people ages 16 and older as the best way to protect against the delta variant of COVID-19 and the emerging omicron strain.
The question may be what the state will do next. Governor JB Pritzker hasn’t had a public event since December 15 (and we don’t have his schedule for today as we write this), but he’s been remarkably quiet on these issues the past couple of months.
We’ve heard there are people advising the Governor’s office to close schools again after the holiday break and move everything online, but he may not want to make that move in an election year.
The University of Illinois is already moving classes online for at least the first week after break.
By the way, just eight states continue to mandate masks indoors, and Illinois is the only one between Nevada and New York. Though, if you go south of I-74, there’s little chance you’ll see people observing the order.
DAVIS TROLLS MILLER, HEADS TO COLES COUNTY
Congressman Rodney Davis (R-Taylorville) made one of his first stops in the new 15th district Monday, and it just happened to be down the road from one of his colleagues and potential primary opponents, Congresswoman Mary Miller (R-Oakland). More from Brenden Moore:
"I'm the only member of Congress, Republican or Democrat, that lives in this new 15th district," Davis told Lee Enterprises in an interview Monday morning on EIU's campus. "It's a district that I'm very familiar with."
This potentially sets Davis on a collision course with Rep. Mary Miller, R-Oakland, who currently represents the 15th district. But the district was carved up between the new district that Davis is running in and the Southern Illinois-based 12th district, which barely includes Miller's home at the northern tip along with that of Rep. Mike Bost, R-Muprhysboro.
Miller, a freshman who was one of former President Donald Trump's staunchest allies in Congress, has not made clear her next move.
Some of Miller's supporters have been trying to get Trump to endorse her against Bost or Davis, CNN reported last week. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has reportedly told Trump to stay out of any potential interparty primary.
"They know I'm a conservative, they know that I don't sacrifice my core values and principles," Davis said. "I am staunchly pro-life, staunchly pro-Second Amendment, but I also have a record of getting things done."
Miller was telling county chairs she was planning to run against Mike Bost in the 12th, but she’s in a tough spot either way.
BEFORE WE GO…