THE ILLINOIZE: Why do prison inmates get the vaccine first?...How an Illinois congressman is dividing his party...Brady, Manar replacements...More indoor dining opening up

January 22, 2021

Good morning.

There’s a new President. National Guard troops scared away any potential protestors at the Illinois Statehouse. And Dr. Fauci is back and better than ever. Oh, and there’s still state politics and government.

Let’s do this thing.

VACCINATING INMATES FIRST

Around 10,000 inmates in Illinois prisons have caught COVID-19 since last March. That’s a little more than one-third of the entire population in state prisons. So, it wouldn’t surprise you that the Pritzker administration is going to make vaccinating prisoners a priority.

But, as our Ben Garbarek reports, some lawmakers are upset that prison inmates have been moved ahead of other adults with “high-risk medical conditions.”

So, someone in the clink is ahead of cancer survivors, diabetes, asthma, or neurologic disorders like multiple sclerosis or Parkinson’s.

“I think that’s wrong,” said Sen. Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro). “There have been massive outbreaks in assisted living facilities, as there has been in prisons. If they’re healthy, they’re healthy whether they’re locked up or free. If they’re sick, they’re sick and those are the people we should be giving it to right now, free or incarcerated.”

The Department of Public Health says because of the high risk environment of a prison, the fact corrections personnel comes in contact with so many inmates each day, and the fact that it’s hard to socially distance when inmates are packed into cells made it necessary to move inmates up the chain.

It definitely brings up a lot of questions about the social construct of rights. I won’t get too philosophical, but we often agree that convicted criminals who are incarcerated give up a certain number of their rights. But, they have access to health care in the prison system, so we don’t take away that “freedom,” if you will. Being crammed into a 6’x8’ cell with shared air and crummy ventilation makes inmates more likely to get COVID-19. And they don’t have the ability to stay home like we do. It’s an interesting debate that I’m sure will continue.

Check out Ben’s story and let us know your thoughts.

IS KINZINGER STARTING A GOP CIVIL WAR?

Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-Channahon) was one of just 10 Republican members of Congress to vote for second impeachment of now-former President Donald Trump.

It really didn’t come as a surprise that Kinzinger made the vote, because days earlier, after the insurrection attempt at the Capitol, he called on then-Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove Trump from office.

Kinzinger is a model of what Republicans in Illinois should be looking for. He’s young, handsome, well-spoken, smart on foreign policy, and served in the Air Force. But when you start throwing stones at a Republican President with a high popularity mark within the party, you’re going to tick off some of your base.

With potential aspirations for a run for Governor or U.S. Senate in 2022, there are plenty of questions about whether Kinzinger has poisoned his chances to get through a big primary next spring.

Read our story about Kinzinger and the GOP rift here.

BRADY REPLACEMENT COULD COME THIS WEEKEND

The seat of former Senate Republican Leader Bill Brady could be filled as early as this weekend.

County Chairmen from Logan, McLean, Sangamon, and Tazewell Counties will interview 9 candidates for the seat this weekend.

Whoever gets the appointment will serve the final two years of Brady’s term.

You can find all nine names in that race here.

MORE INDOOR DINING OPENING UP

Another region is allowed to open for indoor dining. That’s Region 7, which includes Kankakee and Will counties.

Currently, Regions 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 7 can have limited indoor dining and bar service. (Here’s the map.)

The City of Chicago and most of the suburbs have yet to qualify for indoor dining and bar service.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Happy Birthday today to former Congresswoman Melissa Bean. The “Blue Dog” Democrat served in DC from 2005-2011 and is now President and CEO of Mesirow Wealth Management.

Tomorrow, former Congressman Bobby Schilling turns 57. He won the Quad Cities-based congressional seat in 2010, lost to Cheri Bustos in 2012, and lost in a rematch in 2014. Last year, he actually ran for Congress in Iowa, where he now lives. He lost the GOP primary.

On Sunday, former Lt. Governor Dave O’Neal celebrates a birthday. He was Jim Thompson’s first Lite Guv, lost a tight race for U.S. Senate in 1980, and resigned in 1981, famously saying he was “bored.” Says a lot about the job.

BEFORE WE GO…

Governor JB Pritzker is scheduled to meet the media today. He was originally supposed to speak yesterday, but the news conference was postponed at the last minute. We’re planning to be there and will have a story up on www.theillinoize.com this afternoon.

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