THE ILLINOIZE: Happy Tournament Day...House condemns Miller...Pritzker's re-opening plans...Man pulls gun on State Senator...Redistricting won't be pretty...Tax Day moved back...Baby Demmer
March 19, 2021
Good morning.
It was a full week in Springfield. The Senate was in Tuesday and Wednesday and the House held a one-day marathon of a session until last night.
Senators seem to have drastic differences in how, when, and with what data they believe new legislative and congressional maps should be drawn.
Governor JB Pritzker announced the new “bridge phase” for re-opening yesterday, which I’m still going to call “Phase 4 1/2,” because that sounds cooler than the bridge.
But, most importantly, Illinois basketball kicks off its pursuit of its first national championship (and first Final Four since 2005) today at 12:15 in Indianapolis. The Governor of Indiana has picked Illinois to win it all. I asked Governor Pritzker’s office if he completed a bracket, but I haven’t heard back. (His schools, Duke and Northwestern, aren’t in the tournament.)
Here’s my bracket, if you’re interested.
Go Illini.
Let’s get to the latest.
DEMS CONDEMN REP. CHRIS MILLER
As this happened pretty late last night, we’ll start here. In what was, generally, a party line vote, House Democrats voted to “condemn” State Representative Chris Miller (R-Oakland) for his comments on a livestreamed video after former President Donald Trump’s rally in Washington the day Trump supporters invaded the Capitol in an attempted insurrection.
In the video, Miller said “We are engaged in a great cultural war to see which world view will survive. Whether we will remain a free people under free market capitalism or whether they will put us under the tyranny of socialism and communism under the dangerous Democrat terrorists that are trying to destroy our country.”
Just for the record, as a conservative who has worked a lot of races against Democrats, I’ve never met a single one who wants to “destroy” America. We all just have vastly different ways of trying to reach a place where everyone prospers. This kind of rhetoric grinds my gears.
On the House floor last night, Miller made it clear he had no part in the insurrection, but Miller did not address the comments in his livestreamed video, nor did he apologize.
The House voted 57-36 to condemn Miller. Only Democrats voted in favor. It has no real impact, and we’re told it’s unlikely Democrats pursue an action to expel Miller from the House. Though, the Legislative Inspector General is investigating the incident.
THE PRITZKER BRIDGE
Considering he has a few billion dollars at his disposal, I’m sure Governor JB Pritzker could build himself a bridge to somewhere, but yesterday, he introduced a “bridge phase” between the current “Phase 4” of re-opening and “Phase 5,” which is basically going back to pre-pandemic normal. If anything is normal anymore.
Our Ben Garbarek reports the re-openings are based on vaccination rates.
The Governor said Illinois will get to the bridge phase when 70 percent of people over the age of 65 have had at least one dose of a vaccine. So far 58 percent of seniors statewide have at least one dose of the vaccine.
When the threshold is met, the capacity limits for most retail businesses, offices, gyms, and salons will increase to 60%. The largest change would be allowing conventions up to 1,000 people if space permits. The full guidance can be found here.
Pritzker didn’t give a firm date on when the bridge level might as vaccination numbers go up and down, but it could happen in about two weeks at the current pace of 100,000 doses given a week.
Once half of all Illinoisans 16 years old and above have had one dose, Illinois can enter Phase 5. So far 28 percent of adults in the state have had one dose.
Pritzker also announced Thursday all Illinoisans over the age of 16 would be eligible to get the vaccine beginning April 12. The Biden Administration’s deadline to open vaccinations to all adults is May 1.
MAN PULLS GUN ON SEN. SIMS
This is just astonishing and frightening.
A Springfield-area man was arrested this week after he pulled a gun on Sen. Elgie Sims (D-Chicago). It’s unreal.
Here’s Sen. Sims’ take:
“As I spoke with my wife on the phone, a man began following my vehicle, tried to make me hit his vehicle and pulled a gun while yelling, “Let’s go.” I immediately sped off and called 9-1-1.
I can’t speak to what motivated his behavior but I will say this: If this was a response to the recently approved SAFE-T Act, or any other legislation or positions I have endorsed as an elected representative of the people of the 17th Senate District, it has only hardened my resolve to create a safer Illinois. Progress invites backlash, always. I appreciate the law enforcement officers who have worked to keep me and my family safe at home and in my Capitol and District offices. I have committed my career to protecting crime survivors and making communities more safe and now, like so many other crime survivors, I place my faith in the justice system to protect the public and my interest to keep a repeat of this disturbing behavior from happening.”
Frighteningly enough, Sen. Sims was also at the Orland Park mall when there as a shooting in the building in 2019.
Michael Hoyle, 54, of New Berlin, a community of around 1,500 in western Sangamon County, was arrested on preliminary charges of unlawful use of a weapon, possession of a firearm despite having a revoked Firearm Owners Identification card, aggravated assault/use of a deadly weapon and possession of ammunition with no valid FOID card. He has, apparently, posted bond, which he likely wouldn’t be able to do under Sims’ criminal justice reform bill.
REDISTRICTING IS GOING TO BE A FIGHT
If you took anything from the first Senate Redistricting Committee hearing this week, you learned two things:
Senate Democrats are going to do everything they can to rush a map through by June 30, whether there’s accurate census data or not.
Senate Republicans are going to kick, scream, stall, and claw to hold up the process. The longer they hold it back, the better chance they have at drawing the map.
If the legislature doesn’t draw the map by June 30, there would be a bipartisan commission. If it stayed deadlocked, the Supreme Court would pull a Republican or Democrat name out of a hat.
It gives the GOP a chance to draw the map even if they’re in the superminority in both chambers.
Let the games begin.
TAX DAY DELAY
Just in case you missed it, tax day has been pushed back a month. The IRS moved the federal date to May 17 earlier this week. The state followed suit yesterday. But, if you’re like me and file estimates, those are still due on April 15.
Boo.
DEMMER CAUCUS GROWS
Congratulations to Rep. Tom Demmer (R-Dixon) and his wife, Becca, for growing the ranks of the Demmer caucus by one this week. John Patrick Demmer was born earlier this week. Babies look like aliens to me, but I’m told this one is cute.
Little John, no, not ‘Lil Jon,’ has an older sister, Katie, who is 4.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
State Representative Tim Butler celebrates tomorrow.
Former Lt. Governor Bob Kustra, who famously quit the job for a radio gig in 1994, turns 78 on Sunday.
ONE MORE THING…
If you’re trying to reach me this afternoon, good luck. Illinois plays at 12:15 CT. The Governor has an event at 1. Let’s be real, he could announce he’s invading Wisconsin and I couldn’t care less.
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Have a wonderful weekend.