chicagotribune--2020-05-21--Malort made from beer released Friday as a creative solution to a serious problem: Kegs expiring due

Malort made from beer released Friday as a creative solution to a serious problem: Kegs expiring due to coronavirus

As stay-at-home orders took root , breweries mostly stopped filling kegs as almost all beer sales in the U.S. shifted @ @ @ @ @ But hundreds of thousands of kegs were already filled , waiting to head into the @ @ @ @ @ have repurposed some of that beer for sales in cans .
Others have donated kegs @ @ @ @ @ sanitizer .

When a pandemic hands you old beer, you don’t make lemonade. You make Malort.
In this case, the old beer was 160 kegs of Revolution Brewing’s flagship Anti-Hero IPA that were about to fall out of code while most bars and restaurants remain closed to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.
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Rather than dump the beer, Revolution teamed up with Chicago’s CH Distillery to create a first: Malort made from beer.
The product, which goes on sale Friday at Revolution, CH Distillery and Binny’s, pairs two modern Chicago icons: the city’s top-selling craft beer and the city’s most iconic spirit, an intensely bitter liqueur that doubles as a civic badge of pride.
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But it’s also a playful solution to a serious problem for breweries large and small: What to do with all those useless kegs?
As stay-at-home orders took root, breweries mostly stopped filling kegs as almost all beer sales in the U.S. shifted to bottles and cans. But hundreds of thousands of kegs were already filled, waiting to head into the market. The smallest breweries have repurposed some of that beer for sales in cans. Others have donated kegs to turn beer into hand sanitizer.
The majority of kegs, however, won’t be salvaged. As they go out of code, breweries and wholesalers have hatched plans to deal with an unprecedented issue.
Jordan Kanter, packaging manager for Revolution Brewing, empties kegs of Anti-Hero IPA at CH Distillery on April 21, 2020, as the beer was to be distilled and turned into Malort. (Tremaine Atkinson)
Lester Jones, chief economist for the National Beer Wholesalers Association, said about 10 million gallons of beer — the equivalent of about 645,000 standard-sized kegs and valued at about $1 billion — were stranded in the market as shutdown orders took effect in mid-March.
A small amount of beer already on tap was sold in growlers by bars and restaurants, Jones said. But the vast majority needed somewhere to go as it became clear it would never reach beer drinkers before expiring.
Solving the problem has amounted to shared sacrifice between breweries and their distributors.
Anheuser-Busch, Molson Coors and Heineken USA all have said they will split the cost with distributors to pull back out-of-code kegs. Constellation Brands, which makes leading Mexican brands including Modelo and Corona for the U.S. market, has said it will cover 70% of the cost of returned kegs.
Craft breweries including New Glarus and Summit have pledged to absorb all the cost of recalling out-of-code kegs.
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“It’s going to be a backbreaking chore to extract all those kegs from all those independent bars and taverns,” Jones said. “That’ll be a lot of work and it won’t be as easy as driving up to the local stadium and unloading a bunch of kegs.”
Revolution Brewing founder Josh Deth said his brewery will split the cost 50-50 with distributors, which maps out to a loss of more than $50 per keg for each party. He said there are more than 1,000 kegs of Anti-Hero in the market that will need to be resolved — plus other Revolution brands.
“We have budgeted several hundred thousand (dollars), but won’t know for sure (the impact) until the kegs all come back,” Deth said.
Malort made from Anti-Hero was intended to be a fun solution to the vexing problem. Revolution and CH Distillery each will donate $5,000 of proceeds from the project to the Comp Tab Relief Fund, which supports workers in the hospitality industry.
“It was never about making us whole on the financial side,” Deth said. “It’s more like we’re bored and we had all this beer.”
As kegs of Anti-Hero sat at the brewery, Deth reached out to CH founder Tremaine Atkinson in April with the idea of distilling something from the beer, though he wasn’t sure what.
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“You hate to see something you value wasted — that’s the biggest thing," Deth said.
Efficiency, he said, “is in the lifeblood of the brewer; no one wants to waste beer at this point.”
Atkinson suggested they make Malort. The bottles will retail for $25, a $5 increase from the standard bottle of Malort. Deth and Atkinson will discuss the collaboration Saturday at 4 p.m. on a web chat hosted by the Chicago Brewseum.
Revolution sent several workers to the Pilsen distillery across multiple days for the effort. Atkinson said he hoped to tease out new flavors in Malort, a product known largely for its mouth-twisting bitterness.
They separated the distillate into three flavor profiles — malty-sweet, floral-hoppy and bitter-hoppy — then blended the three to a result that accents Anti-Hero’s malty character as well as the floral notes from its hops, Atkinson said.
Hops also lend bitterness, which accents the bitterness already present in Malort due to its herbaceous key ingredient, wormwood.
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“At first it’s like, ‘OK, that’s Malort,’ and then 30 seconds later you’re like, ‘Holy (expletive), that’s bitter,’" Atkinson said. “It bites hard at the end.”
IPA-distilled Malort is the second major diversion for the brand during the pandemic. Last month, CH introduced Malort hand sanitizer, which was initially available only as a donated product to health care workers.
Malort hand sanitizer has since been made available to the public via CH Distillery, seven Ace Hardware stores, Fringe/A hair salon, Dark Matter Coffee and breweries including Pipeworks, Lo Rez and Haymarket.
Atkinson said he has another 160 kegs of Anti-Hero that he would like to use to make a schnapps. Whether he makes another Malort from beer is to be determined.
“We’re not planning to make it an ongoing product, but I could see maybe doing it again next year,” he said. “Then again, there won’t be all this waste beer next year — knock on any hard surface.”
jbnoel@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-05-21--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what happened May 20 with COVID-19 in the Chicago area

Health officials on Wednesday announced 2,388 new known cases of the coronavirus .
There were also 147 additional deaths confirmed , bringing the death toll to 4,525 since the pandemic began .
Statewide , there have been 100,418 confirmed cases of COVID-19 .
As lawmakers returned to Springfield on Wednesday , Republicans continued their offensive against Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s reopening plans even as the governor withdrew his emergency rule that allowed businesses violating his stay-at-home order to be charged with a misdemeanor .
Sen. Bill Cunningham , D-Chicago , co-chairman of the legislature ’ s Joint Committee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the governor ’ s office have agreed to work on a bill this week that would address how to enforce Pritzker ’ s order .
Following through with Mayor Lori Lightfoot ’ s promise to take action against churches that violate social distancing rules , the Chicago Police Department issued $ 500 fines to three separate houses of worship that held services over the weekend , city officials said .
A downstate court is expected to rule Friday on a request to invalidate the stay-at-home order in Illinois , part of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of measures meant to contain the spread of the coronavirus .
Clay County Judge Michael McHaney said he plans to resolve the case of Rep. Darren Bailey , a Republican , who challenged Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s executive order that closed most businesses and churches , and kept people at home with some exceptions .
McHaney previously ruled that Bailey was not bound by the order , but now Bailey ― who was removed from the General Assembly meeting Wednesday for refusing to wear a mask — is seeking to eliminate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citizens of the state .
The legal battle is playing out even as Pritzker moves to relax some restrictions May 29 as part of a phased reopening plan .
Read more here .
— Robert McCoppin Of the 530 , 27 are civilian staffers and 503 are sworn members .
All have had their diagnosis ’ confirmed through the medical section of the department .
– Rosemary Sobol 6:20 p.m. : Illinois restaurants and bars can go al fresco as soon as next Friday as Gov .
J.B. Pritzker nods to reopening pressure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reopen with limited outdoor seating as soon as next week , Gov .
J.B. Pritzker announced Wednesday amid mounting pressure from thousands of establishments that have suffered severe economic losses during the state ’ s two-month shutdown .
With all regions of the state on track to move to the next phase of Pritzker ’ s “ Restore Illinois ” reopening plan next Friday , bars and restaurants were at risk of being left behind .
The governor ’ s program had banned any dining-in or drinking at restaurants and bars until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier than late June .
The Illinois Restaurant Association wanted to bump that up to May 29 , the likely start of phase three .
The al fresco dining option represents a slight softening of the plan for Pritzker as many neighboring states have moved much faster to allow restaurants to reopen .
Read more here .
— Bill Ruthhart , Louisa Chu and Nick Kindelsperger 5:59 p.m. : Family remembers 12-year-old boy who died from COVID-19 .
‘ Absolutely heartbroken , we are trying to stay strong ’ Standing 6 feet apart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s teachers bid him farewell with white roses Wednesday as his family drove past his elementary school on their way to the cemetery .
`` Our hearts remain broken for Ernesto and his family .
Acero Marquez teachers , scholars , staff and families continue to mourn with Ernesto ’ s family .
We are thankful for the opportunity to be a part of Ernesto ’ s remembrance .
His spirit fills us with love and only fuels our commitment to service .
He is our light now , ” an Acero @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20 teachers and school staff members waited for the procession that briefly stopped in front of the school .
As part of a symbolic goodbye , a funeral home worker placed a cross with white flowers by the sidewalk .
Read more here .
— Laura Rodríguez Presa 5:45 p.m : Good news for Illinois golfers : Phase 3 would allow foursomes , single-rider carts and 10 minutes between tee times Gov .
J.B. Pritzker has said all four regions of Illinois are on track to move to phase three of his reopening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bring significant changes to the state ’ s golf courses .
All of that would be a welcome change for golf course management businesses that have taken a financial hit because of Pritzker ’ s “ strict safety guidelines , ” which since May 1 have called for twosomes spread 15 minutes apart .
Now there ’ s the potential to sell 24 green fees an hour , rather than eight .
And cart revenue will increase because players will not have to prove they have a “ physical limitation.
” Forecaddies service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reading greens , raking bunkers and cleaning golf balls — though the latter figures to be discouraged if not banned .
And as of now , in this time of “ touchless ” golf , bunkers don ’ t have rakes .
A spokeswoman for Mayor Lori Lightfoot did not immediately reply to a question regarding policies in Chicago .
Courses such as Harborside International and Cook County Forest Preserve courses Indian Boundary , Billy Caldwell and Edgebrook were shuttered May 8 with no specific explanation .
Chicago Park District courses such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have remained closed all along , as has the Diversey Driving Range .
Read more here .
— Teddy Greenstein Metra is encouraging riders to buy the pass using the Ventra app , so they can show their phones to rail conductors instead of handing them a ticket .
Metra has in the past only offered daily pass bargains during special events , such as Lollapalooza .
It already offers a $ 10 weekend pass .
Metra ’ s ridership has fallen by 97 % compared to pre-pandemic levels due to commuters working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The system projects it will lose $ 535.5 million in ticket and sales tax revenues over the next two years .
“ If you are ready to come back to Metra , we are ready for you , ” Metra CEO/Executive Director Jim Derwinski said in a statement .
Read more here .
— Mary Wisniewski The Illinois House voted Wednesday to remove Republican state Rep. Darren Bailey from the legislative session a the Bank of Springfield center Wednesday afternoon after he refused to wear a face covering as required in newly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote , the Illinois House adopted rules on Wednesday that include a requirement for members , staff members and visitors to the special session to wear a face-covering over their nose and mouth , if they are medically able to do so .
Bailey was asked to come into compliance with the requirement and replied , “ I will not.
” Democratic Rep. Emanuel “ Chris ” Welch made a motion to remove Bailey from the House proceedings .
Bailey , of downstate Xenia , has been an outspoken critic of Gov .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ which includes requirements for face coverings in many social settings .
Read more here .
— Jamie Munks 3:16 p.m. : When can Illinois reopen ?
Check our daily charts on where each region stands .
The plan to reopen Illinois — from restaurants and salons to open space to non-COVID-19 procedures at the hospital to concerts and festivals — depends on a host of metrics laid out by Gov .
J.B. Pritzker .
The metrics focus on a rolling average of positive coronavirus cases and hospitalizations to keep track of the direction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of hospital beds and ventilators that would be needed to handle a possible surge .
There are also benchmarks for testing and tracing positive tests .
A key element of the plan is that a region can move both forward and backward , where more parts of society can open and shut depending on the seriousness of the outbreak .
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said a gradual reopening of the city is “ on the horizon ” but could be jeopardized if residents stop abiding by the stay-at-home order .
“ If we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the wind , we ’ re going to see a setback and that means we ’ re going to delay a gradual reopening that I think is on the horizon , ” Lightfoot said .
Lightfoot also said the city is looking to identify a range of businesses that can reopen safely .
The city ’ s coronavirus recovery task force is also looking at specific guidelines “ focused on protecting employees and protecting patrons , ” Lightfoot said .
Lightfoot didn ’ t directly say whether the city will be ready @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 29 , as Illinois Gov .
J.B. Pritzker has hinted .
Read more here .
—Gregory Pratt 2:58 p.m. : Outdoor seating at bars , restaurants to be allowed in next phase of state ’ s reopening plan Gov .
J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday announced he would allow bars and restaurants to open for outdoor seating on May 29 when the state is expected to enter its next phase for reopening businesses .
Pritzker ’ s gradual reopening plan previously did not allow bars and restaurants to open to dine-in service until phase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would not hit until late June .
However , the governor announced he ’ s reconsidered that stance after consulting with individuals in the bar and restaurant industry and will allow those establishments to hold outdoor dining only in phase three , which all regions of the state are expected to meet next week .
“ We have to put public health first , and that means the safety of consumers and employees alike , but the epidemiologists now believe that summer offers us an opportunity , ” Pritzker said .
“ Today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ option for bars and restaurants interested in resuming operations early , opening for outdoor seating when phase three begins likely for everyone just nine days from now.
” Pritzker also announced that in phase three camping and boating in groups of 10 or less would be allowed as well as at indoor and outdoor tennis centers .
The governor also said concession stands would be allowed to reopen under state guidelines and that foursomes once again would be allowed at golf courses and golf carts would be permitted with a limit of one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We are seeing a decrease in the numbers of people hospitalized in the numbers of people in the ( intensive care unit ) and the numbers of individuals on a ventilator associated with COVID-19 , ” Ezike reported during Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s daily press briefing .
As of Tuesday night , the state reported 3,914 individuals hospitalized with coronavirus , with 1,005 of those individuals in intensive care and 554 of them on a ventilator .
Ezike said it was “ the lowest number since we were capturing these numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hospital.
” State health officials announced 2,388 new known cases of the coronavirus on Wednesday and 147 additional deaths confirmed , bringing the death toll to 4,525 since the pandemic began .
Statewide , there have been 100,418 confirmed cases of COVID-19 .
—Bill Ruthhart 1:52 p.m. : Pritzker pulls back on rule that threatened a misdemeanor for businesses that reopen in violation of his order As lawmakers returned to Springfield on Wednesday , Republicans continued their offensive against Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s reopening plans even as the governor withdrew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his stay-at-home order to be charged with a misdemeanor .
Sen. Bill Cunningham , D-Chicago , co-chairman of the legislature ’ s Joint Committee on Administrative Rules , said legislative leaders and the governor ’ s office have agreed to work on a bill this week that would address how to enforce Pritzker ’ s order .
Read more here .
—Jamie Munks and Dan Petrella Protesters gathered outside the Bank of Springfield Center Wednesday chanting “ Open Illinois , ” waving Trump 2020 flags and holding signs that read “ Pritzker the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t let the mask become a muzzle ” and “ J.B get your foot off my throat.
” Few of the 150 or so demonstrators wore masks , a requirement of a modified statewide stay-at-home order that took effect May 1 for people who aren ’ t able to maintain six feet of distance from others in public .
The state House is set to meet at 1 p.m. in the downtown convention center , an accommodation for social distancing because of the coronavirus pandemic .
The gathering was smaller than some previous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of protesters out to the Capitol steps and lawn .
The protesters cheered and chanted “ Thank you ” when Republican state Rep. Darren Bailey of Xenia walked through the crowd to enter the convention center through the public access point .
Bailey has said he would not wear a mask for session , and he entered the building not wearing one .
10:53 a.m. : Republicans take aim at Pritzker ’ s reopening plan as legislators set to reconvene in Springfield As lawmakers return to session in Springfield on Wednesday , Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pritzker ’ s reopening plans and an emergency rule that allows businesses violating his stay-at-home order to be charged with a misdemeanor .
House and Senate Republicans issued a joint statement Wednesday contending the measure will “ criminalize individuals trying to protect their livelihoods and support their families , ” the Republicans said , calling it “ a vast government overreach at a time when business owners are doing everything they can to stay afloat.
” “ We believe these emergency rules are also in direct contradiction to the governor ’ s own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keeping businesses deemed as non-essential closed for up to an additional five months , ” the statement says .
“ We should not punish those who are the backbone of our state ’ s economy for trying to survive.
” The GOP called on the legislature ’ s bipartisan Joint Committee on Administrative Rules , scheduled to meet Wednesday morning , to block Pritzker ’ s emergency rule .
The would take votes from eight members of the 12-member panel , made up of an equal number of Democrats and Republicans from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ held a Zoom news conference Wednesday morning calling for a vote on Pritzker ’ s phased-in plan to reopen the state , all the while acknowledging that they don ’ t expect such a vote to be called in the Democratic-controlled General Assembly during this week ’ s three-day special session .
“ I don ’ t think that the Democrats will agree with us on this , I think that ’ s the whole point is the fact that the governor has enacted this massive government program , really , under Restore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Rep. Tim Butler , a Springfield Republican .
Republican lawmakers have criticized Pritzker ’ s five-phase reopening plan as too strict , and have called extensions of his statewide stay-at-home order and the emergency rule for businesses that flout his restrictions “ overreach.
” Pritzker ’ s reopening plan divides the state into four regions , a continued stay-at-home order with modified restrictions that took effect May 1 .
All four regions are currently on track to advance to the third phase of reopening on May 29 .
Pritzker has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including calls for him to amend it to divide the state into more than four regions , and has said he has acted within the powers given to the governor under the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act .
“ One of the things that business owners who are foaming at the mouth trying to get their businesses reopened in a safe manner and can do that are asking for us , their representatives , to be their voice , ” Rep. Dan Brady , a Republican from Bloomington , said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One of the ways you do that is to have input on plans , on the Restore Illinois plan.
” —Jamie Munks and Dan Petrella 10:52 a.m. : Lightfoot introduces new tenant eviction rules , advocates say they don ’ t do enough to protect Chicago renters Mayor Lori Lightfoot is moving ahead with an ordinance to require more notice and in some cases payments to renters from landlords who are evicting them , despite some progressive aldermen saying the measure doesn ’ t go nearly as far as the tenant protections housing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the administration .
The package Lightfoot introduced to the City Council Wednesday increases to 90 days from 30 days the amount of heads-up landlords would have to give renters before evicting them .
And it requires owners of buildings bigger than six units who are removing tenants in order “ to substantially rehabilitate or demolish such dwelling unit ” to make a one-time $ 2,500 payment to tenants they evict .
Northwest Side Ald .
Daniel La Spata , 1st , said housing advocates were pressing for much stronger pro-tenant rules , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a considerably broader range of reasons than the ones covered in the mayor ’ s proposal .
La Spata noted the “ Just Cause ” ordinance backed by tenants ’ rights groups would have required the landlords to pay tenants before evicting them , while Lightfoot ’ s allows the payment to be made a week later .
“ That defeats the purpose of the payment , ” La Spata said .
“ Tenants need that money to help them find new homes , not after they ’ ve already relocated.
” And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too much on landlords self-reporting their reasons for evicting people .
“ The mayor is basically proposing new rules on notice , and that ’ s not what we need right now in Chicago to protect tenants , ” La Spata added .
Read more here .
—John Byrne and Gregory Pratt 10:16 a.m. : Ford temporarily closed its Chicago Assembly Plant after two employees contracted the coronavirus a day after reopening A day after resuming operations at Ford ’ s Chicago Assembly Plant on the city ’ s Southeast Side , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for disinfection because two employees tested positive for COVID-19 .
The Torrence Avenue plant , which makes the new 2020 Ford Explorer , Lincoln Aviator and Police Interceptor SUVs , is open again with two shifts , Ford spokeswoman Kelli Felker said Wednesday .
The Dearborn , Michigan-based automaker said it notified workers known to have been in close contact with the infected individuals and asked them to self-quarantine for 14 days .
“ It is important to note that due to incubation time , we know these employees did not contract COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in place to help stop the spread of the virus , ” Felker said in a statement .
Read more here .
—Abdel Jimenez 8:20 a.m. : Oprah Winfrey provides $ 5 million to start COVID-19 relief network in ‘ home city ’ of Chicago The $ 5 million donation starts Live Healthy Chicago , a consortium of food , religious , medical and other community organizations .
It is part of a larger , $ 12 million relief effort from the Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation , she said , aimed at helping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way to fame and fortune .
“ I wanted to not try to serve the world but go back to the places that have given to me , ” she said .
In addition to Chicago , the cities where organizations are receiving grants are Nashville and Baltimore , where she had early broadcast jobs , and Milwaukee and Kosciusko , Miss.
, where she grew up .
“ If this had been the pandemic when I was a kid , what would have happened to me ?
I would have gone hungry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Zoom call from her home in Santa Barbara , Calif. , where she moved after ending her eponymous talk show made in Chicago in 2011 , following 25 years in national syndication .
“ My mother wouldn ’ t have been able to get on that bus to go to the suburbs to clean white people ’ s houses , and I would have gone hungry .
So I am trying to do for those kids who would have been me ... what I would have wanted somebody to step up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ —Steve Johnson and Darcel Rockett 8:16 a.m. : Three Floyds closes legendary brewpub indefinitely due to coronavirus , even as Indiana moves to reopen businesses Even as Indiana allows businesses to reopen , Floyd said he chose to furlough staff at his Munster pub , which has become one of the nation ’ s quintessential brewpubs .
“ I can ’ t put people in danger ; no one should die over a beer , '' Floyd said by text message .
`` I would die for beer and probably will , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people endanger themselves.
” There was the time this month when Taylor Swift announced she would air her “ City of Lover ” concert on television .
The time that the cast of “ The Office ” reunited for an 18-minute-long Zoom wedding .
And the time last month that the Pentagon posted three videos that showed unexplained “ aerial phenomena.
” Just over a week after “ Plandemic ” was released , it had been viewed more than 8 million times on YouTube , Facebook , Twitter and Instagram , and had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here .
—The New York Times 7:47 a.m. : Chicago Teachers Union sues Trump administration and CPS over special education The Chicago Teachers Union is unhappy with how U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and Chicago Public Schools are handling special education during the coronavirus crisis .
And now Trump ’ s education chief and CPS are the targets of a federal lawsuit by CTU that seeks an emergency halt to federal and local policies that they say are creating an “ impossible burden ” on special education teachers and families in CPS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aim at what they say is a directive from CPS to rewrite about 70,000 individual lesson plans for special education students before the school year ends on June 18 .
Read more here .
—Diana Wallace 7:02 a.m. : Fifth CTA employee dies from COVID-19 , agency announces The CTA has confirmed the death of a fifth employee from COVID-19 .
The bus driver , whose name , age and sex were not released , was a bus operator who started working for the Chicago Transit Authority in 2012 , according to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is with great sadness that CTA announces the passing of a fifth member of the CTA family from COVID-19 , ” according to the emailed statement , which did not say when the driver died .
The agency announced its first employee death from the coronavirus on April 11 .
In less than six weeks , four other employees would die as a result of COVID-19 , including the worker who died most recently .
“ The entire CTA family extends its heartfelt sympathies to the family , friends , loved ones and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” the statement quotes CTA President Dorval R. Carter Jr. as saying .
“ We will collectively remember and honor this employee ’ s service and commitment to Chicagoans and our city.
” It wasn ’ t immediately clear how many of the CTA ’ s some 11,000 staffers have contracted the virus .
By April 19 , that number was less than 100 , according to the CTA .
—Katherine Rosenberg-Douglas 6 a.m. : Illinois General Assembly returns to Springfield as pandemic drives partisan politics and rocks budget plans The Illinois General @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first time in nearly 11 weeks , meeting in a special session that figures to be driven by pandemic-heightened divides between Democrats and Republicans , and urban and rural splits over how to move the state forward in the new world of the coronavirus .
Lawmakers are scheduled to meet for just three days to try to put together a spending plan for the budget year that begins July 1 .
And they also will have on their plates a coronavirus response package that covers employment , education , health care and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for November , and a program to provide funding for safety-net hospitals that care for the poor .
But the pandemic has created plenty of unknowns , not the least of which is how far work on a budget can progress without a clear picture of how much relief will be coming from Washington to counter plummeting tax receipts — even as demands for dealing with the state ’ s most vulnerable residents grows .
The reconvening of the legislature also holds the potential for creating a forum for Republicans eager to challenge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay-at-home orders and plans to reopen Illinois ’ economy .
The first item up for consideration in the newly reconvened House provides potential for partisan pandemic pandemonium .
With a few Downstate Republican lawmakers declaring they will not wear face masks — as recommended by Illinois Department of Public Health guidelines — to show their defiance to Pritzker ’ s orders , Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan is proposing a change to the chamber ’ s rules to require masks , daily temperature checks and physical distancing .
“ After the motion passes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rule change will face discipline , including potentially being removed from the chamber by a vote of the House , ” Madigan said in a statement .
Read more here .
—Rick Pearson , Jamie Munks , Dan Petrella 6 a.m. : As pandemic upends 2020 census , group turns to StreetWise vendors to reach undercounted community StreetWise magazine vendors are shifting to census outreach work among the homeless in Chicago .
They will be paid by the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago , which is among organizations getting state money to communities that risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers can help them overcome challenges presented by the pandemic .
Many of the StreetWise vendors live in SROs , are homeless or frequent social services where they come across others they can talk to about the census , according to Julie Youngquist , executive director of StreetWise .
“ Those are communities and areas that they are accessing anyways as part of their daily existence , ” she said .
The COVID-19 outbreak and stay-at-home orders caused the U.S. Census Bureau to push back its timeline for the decennial count .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the country ’ s population by July 31 , but that date has been pushed back to Oct. 31 .
The agency was going to work with local service organizations to count the homeless during a three-day operation in late March .
It ’ s now uncertain when that will happen in Chicago .
Read more here .
—Elvia Malagón Here are five things that happened Tuesday that you need to know : Here are five things that happened Monday that you need to know :

We have lifted the paywall on this story. To support essential reporting, please consider becoming a subscriber .
Paca Kujtim of Arlington Heights self-administers a COVID-19 test in his car at the Arlington International Racecourse on March 31, 2021 in Arlington Heights. Kujtim was getting testing as a precaution for upcoming travel. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Health officials on Wednesday announced 2,388 new known cases of the coronavirus. There were also 147 additional deaths confirmed, bringing the death toll to 4,525 since the pandemic began. Statewide, there have been 100,418 confirmed cases of COVID-19.
As lawmakers returned to Springfield on Wednesday, Republicans continued their offensive against Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plans even as the governor withdrew his emergency rule that allowed businesses violating his stay-at-home order to be charged with a misdemeanor.
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Sen. Bill Cunningham, D-Chicago, co-chairman of the legislature’s Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, said legislative leaders and the governor’s office have agreed to work on a bill this week that would address how to enforce Pritzker’s order.
[ COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood ]
[ How will Illinois reopen? Three charts breaking down Pritzker’s plan ]
[ As the coronavirus spreads, the Tribune is tracking Illinois cases here ]
Here’s what’s happening Wednesday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
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9:23 p.m.: Chicago Police fine three churches for violating stay-at-home order; businessman Willie Wilson says he’ll pay
Following through with Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s promise to take action against churches that violate social distancing rules, the Chicago Police Department issued $500 fines to three separate houses of worship that held services over the weekend, city officials said.
Police cited Elim Romanian Pentecostal Church, Philadelphia Romanian Church of God and Metro Praise International for their services.
Police also acknowledged temporarily banning parking near churches “as a precaution to prevent planned large gatherings from taking place.” Read more here. —Gregory Pratt
8:26 p.m.: Court hearing Friday is latest round in battle over legality of Illinois stay-at-home order
A downstate court is expected to rule Friday on a request to invalidate the stay-at-home order in Illinois, part of a legal process that could determine the fate of measures meant to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
Clay County Judge Michael McHaney said he plans to resolve the case of Rep. Darren Bailey, a Republican, who challenged Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s executive order that closed most businesses and churches, and kept people at home with some exceptions.
McHaney previously ruled that Bailey was not bound by the order, but now Bailey ― who was removed from the General Assembly meeting Wednesday for refusing to wear a mask — is seeking to eliminate the governor’s order for all citizens of the state.
The legal battle is playing out even as Pritzker moves to relax some restrictions May 29 as part of a phased reopening plan. Read more here. — Robert McCoppin
7:30 p.m.: 530 Chicago police staffers stricken with COVID-19
Chicago Police confirm 530 of its approximately 13,000 members have tested positive for COVID-19, according to a statement from its media affairs department on Wednesday evening.
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Of the 530, 27 are civilian staffers and 503 are sworn members. All have had their diagnosis’ confirmed through the medical section of the department. – Rosemary Sobol
6:20 p.m.: Illinois restaurants and bars can go al fresco as soon as next Friday as Gov. J.B. Pritzker nods to reopening pressure
Illinois restaurants and bars will be allowed to reopen with limited outdoor seating as soon as next week, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Wednesday amid mounting pressure from thousands of establishments that have suffered severe economic losses during the state’s two-month shutdown.
With all regions of the state on track to move to the next phase of Pritzker’s “Restore Illinois” reopening plan next Friday, bars and restaurants were at risk of being left behind.
The governor’s program had banned any dining-in or drinking at restaurants and bars until phase four, which would arrive no earlier than late June. The Illinois Restaurant Association wanted to bump that up to May 29, the likely start of phase three.
The al fresco dining option represents a slight softening of the plan for Pritzker as many neighboring states have moved much faster to allow restaurants to reopen. Read more here. — Bill Ruthhart, Louisa Chu and Nick Kindelsperger
5:59 p.m.: Family remembers 12-year-old boy who died from COVID-19. ‘Absolutely heartbroken, we are trying to stay strong’
Standing 6 feet apart and wearing face masks, Ernesto Guzman’s teachers bid him farewell with white roses Wednesday as his family drove past his elementary school on their way to the cemetery.
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Ernesto is the youngest person in Cook County to die from COVID-19. He was 12.
"Our hearts remain broken for Ernesto and his family. Acero Marquez teachers, scholars, staff and families continue to mourn with Ernesto’s family. We are thankful for the opportunity to be a part of Ernesto’s remembrance. His spirit fills us with love and only fuels our commitment to service. He is our light now,” an Acero Marquez Elementary School statement said.
Nearly 20 teachers and school staff members waited for the procession that briefly stopped in front of the school. As part of a symbolic goodbye, a funeral home worker placed a cross with white flowers by the sidewalk. Read more here. — Laura Rodríguez Presa
5:45 p.m: Good news for Illinois golfers: Phase 3 would allow foursomes, single-rider carts and 10 minutes between tee times
Gov. J.B. Pritzker has said all four regions of Illinois are on track to move to phase three of his reopening plan May 29, and that would bring significant changes to the state’s golf courses.
Pritzker spokeswomen Charity Greene confirmed that the following, all currently restricted, would be allowed:
Threesomes and foursomes.
Single-rider carts, with members of the same family allowed to share a ride.
Outdoor dining.
Forecaddies.
A 10-minute spread between tee times.
All of that would be a welcome change for golf course management businesses that have taken a financial hit because of Pritzker’s “strict safety guidelines,” which since May 1 have called for twosomes spread 15 minutes apart.
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Now there’s the potential to sell 24 green fees an hour, rather than eight. And cart revenue will increase because players will not have to prove they have a “physical limitation.”
Single-rider carts are considered safer than dual-rider ones because of social distancing.
Forecaddies service a group by finding stray shots, reading greens, raking bunkers and cleaning golf balls — though the latter figures to be discouraged if not banned. And as of now, in this time of “touchless” golf, bunkers don’t have rakes.
A spokeswoman for Mayor Lori Lightfoot did not immediately reply to a question regarding policies in Chicago. Courses such as Harborside International and Cook County Forest Preserve courses Indian Boundary, Billy Caldwell and Edgebrook were shuttered May 8 with no specific explanation.
Chicago Park District courses such as Jackson Park and Robert A. Black have remained closed all along, as has the Diversey Driving Range. Read more here. — Teddy Greenstein
4:19 p.m.: Struggling with severely reduced ridership, Metra offers a new $10 daily pass
Struggling with severely reduced ridership because of the coronavirus pandemic, Metra hopes to draw in more passengers with a $10 daily pass.
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Metra is encouraging riders to buy the pass using the Ventra app, so they can show their phones to rail conductors instead of handing them a ticket. Metra has in the past only offered daily pass bargains during special events, such as Lollapalooza. It already offers a $10 weekend pass.
Metra’s ridership has fallen by 97% compared to pre-pandemic levels due to commuters working from home, or losing their jobs. The system projects it will lose $535.5 million in ticket and sales tax revenues over the next two years.
“If you are ready to come back to Metra, we are ready for you,” Metra CEO/Executive Director Jim Derwinski said in a statement. Read more here. — Mary Wisniewski
4:00 p.m.: Republican state Rep. Darren Bailey removed from House session for refusing to wear a face covering
The Illinois House voted Wednesday to remove Republican state Rep. Darren Bailey from the legislative session a the Bank of Springfield center Wednesday afternoon after he refused to wear a face covering as required in newly adopted House rules.
In a bipartisan vote, the Illinois House adopted rules on Wednesday that include a requirement for members, staff members and visitors to the special session to wear a face-covering over their nose and mouth, if they are medically able to do so.
Bailey was asked to come into compliance with the requirement and replied, “I will not.” Democratic Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch made a motion to remove Bailey from the House proceedings.
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The House voted 81-27 in favor of Bailey’s removal.
Bailey, of downstate Xenia, has been an outspoken critic of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order, which includes requirements for face coverings in many social settings. Read more here. — Jamie Munks
3:16 p.m.: When can Illinois reopen? Check our daily charts on where each region stands.
The plan to reopen Illinois — from restaurants and salons to open space to non-COVID-19 procedures at the hospital to concerts and festivals — depends on a host of metrics laid out by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
The metrics focus on a rolling average of positive coronavirus cases and hospitalizations to keep track of the direction of the outbreak as well as availability of hospital beds and ventilators that would be needed to handle a possible surge. There are also benchmarks for testing and tracing positive tests.
A key element of the plan is that a region can move both forward and backward, where more parts of society can open and shut depending on the seriousness of the outbreak.
Here is a breakdown of where each region stands. —Chad Yoder, Nausheen Husain, Jennifer Smith Richards and Jonathon Berlin
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3:11 p.m.: Lightfoot says Chicago reopening ‘on the horizon,’ but warned against ignoring stay-at-home order
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said a gradual reopening of the city is “on the horizon” but could be jeopardized if residents stop abiding by the stay-at-home order.
With the weather warming, Lightfoot said she hopes the city doesn’t have a setback due to increased socializing.
“If we retreat from that and throw all caution to the wind, we’re going to see a setback and that means we’re going to delay a gradual reopening that I think is on the horizon,” Lightfoot said.
Lightfoot also said the city is looking to identify a range of businesses that can reopen safely. The city’s coronavirus recovery task force is also looking at specific guidelines “focused on protecting employees and protecting patrons,” Lightfoot said.
Lightfoot didn’t directly say whether the city will be ready to move to phase three on May 29, as Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has hinted. Read more here. —Gregory Pratt
2:58 p.m.: Outdoor seating at bars, restaurants to be allowed in next phase of state’s reopening plan
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday announced he would allow bars and restaurants to open for outdoor seating on May 29 when the state is expected to enter its next phase for reopening businesses.
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Pritzker’s gradual reopening plan previously did not allow bars and restaurants to open to dine-in service until phase four, which regions of the state would not hit until late June. However, the governor announced he’s reconsidered that stance after consulting with individuals in the bar and restaurant industry and will allow those establishments to hold outdoor dining only in phase three, which all regions of the state are expected to meet next week.
“We have to put public health first, and that means the safety of consumers and employees alike, but the epidemiologists now believe that summer offers us an opportunity,” Pritzker said. “Today, I’m announcing an additional option for bars and restaurants interested in resuming operations early, opening for outdoor seating when phase three begins likely for everyone just nine days from now.”
Pritzker also announced that in phase three camping and boating in groups of 10 or less would be allowed as well as at indoor and outdoor tennis centers. The governor also said concession stands would be allowed to reopen under state guidelines and that foursomes once again would be allowed at golf courses and golf carts would be permitted with a limit of one golfer per cart. —Bill Ruthhart
2:36 p.m.: Illinois passes 100,000 total COVID-19 cases
As the state topped the grim milestone of 100,000 COVID-19 cases, Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike reported “good news” on hospitalizations.
“We are seeing a decrease in the numbers of people hospitalized in the numbers of people in the (intensive care unit) and the numbers of individuals on a ventilator associated with COVID-19,” Ezike reported during Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s daily press briefing.
As of Tuesday night, the state reported 3,914 individuals hospitalized with coronavirus, with 1,005 of those individuals in intensive care and 554 of them on a ventilator. Ezike said it was “the lowest number since we were capturing these numbers that we have for COVID patients in the hospital.”
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State health officials announced 2,388 new known cases of the coronavirus on Wednesday and 147 additional deaths confirmed, bringing the death toll to 4,525 since the pandemic began. Statewide, there have been 100,418 confirmed cases of COVID-19. —Bill Ruthhart
1:52 p.m.: Pritzker pulls back on rule that threatened a misdemeanor for businesses that reopen in violation of his order
As lawmakers returned to Springfield on Wednesday, Republicans continued their offensive against Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plans even as the governor withdrew his emergency rule that allowed businesses violating his stay-at-home order to be charged with a misdemeanor.
Sen. Bill Cunningham, D-Chicago, co-chairman of the legislature’s Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, said legislative leaders and the governor’s office have agreed to work on a bill this week that would address how to enforce Pritzker’s order. Read more here. —Jamie Munks and Dan Petrella
12:18 p.m.: Protesters chant ‘Open Illinois’ outside Springfield convention center where state House will meet
Protesters gathered outside the Bank of Springfield Center Wednesday chanting “Open Illinois,” waving Trump 2020 flags and holding signs that read “Pritzker the real virus,” “Don’t let the mask become a muzzle” and “J.B get your foot off my throat.”
Few of the 150 or so demonstrators wore masks, a requirement of a modified statewide stay-at-home order that took effect May 1 for people who aren’t able to maintain six feet of distance from others in public.
The state House is set to meet at 1 p.m. in the downtown convention center, an accommodation for social distancing because of the coronavirus pandemic.
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The gathering was smaller than some previous Springfield protests on weekends that brought hundreds of protesters out to the Capitol steps and lawn.
The protesters cheered and chanted “Thank you” when Republican state Rep. Darren Bailey of Xenia walked through the crowd to enter the convention center through the public access point. Bailey has said he would not wear a mask for session, and he entered the building not wearing one.
Bailey has filed one of several lawsuits over Pritzker’s stay-at-home order. —Jamie Munks
10:53 a.m.: Republicans take aim at Pritzker’s reopening plan as legislators set to reconvene in Springfield
As lawmakers return to session in Springfield on Wednesday, Republicans continued their offensive against Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plans and an emergency rule that allows businesses violating his stay-at-home order to be charged with a misdemeanor.
House and Senate Republicans issued a joint statement Wednesday contending the measure will “criminalize individuals trying to protect their livelihoods and support their families,” the Republicans said, calling it “a vast government overreach at a time when business owners are doing everything they can to stay afloat.”
“We believe these emergency rules are also in direct contradiction to the governor’s own ‘Restore Illinois’ plan by potentially keeping businesses deemed as non-essential closed for up to an additional five months,” the statement says. “We should not punish those who are the backbone of our state’s economy for trying to survive.”
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The GOP called on the legislature’s bipartisan Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, scheduled to meet Wednesday morning, to block Pritzker’s emergency rule. The would take votes from eight members of the 12-member panel, made up of an equal number of Democrats and Republicans from the House and Senate.
Four House Republicans held a Zoom news conference Wednesday morning calling for a vote on Pritzker’s phased-in plan to reopen the state, all the while acknowledging that they don’t expect such a vote to be called in the Democratic-controlled General Assembly during this week’s three-day special session.
“I don’t think that the Democrats will agree with us on this, I think that’s the whole point is the fact that the governor has enacted this massive government program, really, under Restore Illinois without any input from the legislature,” said Rep. Tim Butler, a Springfield Republican.
Republican lawmakers have criticized Pritzker’s five-phase reopening plan as too strict, and have called extensions of his statewide stay-at-home order and the emergency rule for businesses that flout his restrictions “overreach.”
Pritzker’s reopening plan divides the state into four regions, a continued stay-at-home order with modified restrictions that took effect May 1. All four regions are currently on track to advance to the third phase of reopening on May 29.
Pritzker has repeatedly deflected criticism of the reopening plan, including calls for him to amend it to divide the state into more than four regions, and has said he has acted within the powers given to the governor under the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act.
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“One of the things that business owners who are foaming at the mouth trying to get their businesses reopened in a safe manner and can do that are asking for us, their representatives, to be their voice,” Rep. Dan Brady, a Republican from Bloomington, said. “And that’s simply understood. One of the ways you do that is to have input on plans, on the Restore Illinois plan.” —Jamie Munks and Dan Petrella
10:52 a.m.: Lightfoot introduces new tenant eviction rules, advocates say they don’t do enough to protect Chicago renters
Mayor Lori Lightfoot is moving ahead with an ordinance to require more notice and in some cases payments to renters from landlords who are evicting them, despite some progressive aldermen saying the measure doesn’t go nearly as far as the tenant protections housing advocates have been trying to negotiate with the administration.
The package Lightfoot introduced to the City Council Wednesday increases to 90 days from 30 days the amount of heads-up landlords would have to give renters before evicting them.
And it requires owners of buildings bigger than six units who are removing tenants in order “to substantially rehabilitate or demolish such dwelling unit” to make a one-time $2,500 payment to tenants they evict.
Lightfoot brought forward her plan after months of talks with tenants’ groups and their aldermanic allies failed to produce a compromise plan the two sides deemed workable.
Northwest Side Ald. Daniel La Spata, 1st, said housing advocates were pressing for much stronger pro-tenant rules, including $10,600 payments to those evicted for a considerably broader range of reasons than the ones covered in the mayor’s proposal.
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La Spata noted the “Just Cause” ordinance backed by tenants’ rights groups would have required the landlords to pay tenants before evicting them, while Lightfoot’s allows the payment to be made a week later.
“That defeats the purpose of the payment,” La Spata said. “Tenants need that money to help them find new homes, not after they’ve already relocated.”
And he said the Lightfoot plan relies far too much on landlords self-reporting their reasons for evicting people.
“The mayor is basically proposing new rules on notice, and that’s not what we need right now in Chicago to protect tenants,” La Spata added. Read more here. —John Byrne and Gregory Pratt
10:16 a.m.: Ford temporarily closed its Chicago Assembly Plant after two employees contracted the coronavirus a day after reopening
A day after resuming operations at Ford’s Chicago Assembly Plant on the city’s Southeast Side, the U.S. automaker temporarily closed its facility Tuesday for disinfection because two employees tested positive for COVID-19.
The Torrence Avenue plant, which makes the new 2020 Ford Explorer, Lincoln Aviator and Police Interceptor SUVs, is open again with two shifts, Ford spokeswoman Kelli Felker said Wednesday.
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The Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker said it notified workers known to have been in close contact with the infected individuals and asked them to self-quarantine for 14 days.
“It is important to note that due to incubation time, we know these employees did not contract COVID-19 while at work. Our protocols are in place to help stop the spread of the virus,” Felker said in a statement. Read more here. —Abdel Jimenez
8:20 a.m.: Oprah Winfrey provides $5 million to start COVID-19 relief network in ‘home city’ of Chicago
Calling Chicago one of her “home cities,” Oprah Winfrey Wednesday launched a major relief effort aimed at fighting food insecurity and providing medical aid in African American and Latinx communities that face increased risk of severe COVID-19 consequences.
The $5 million donation starts Live Healthy Chicago, a consortium of food, religious, medical and other community organizations. It is part of a larger, $12 million relief effort from the Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation, she said, aimed at helping the places where she lived on her way to fame and fortune.
“I wanted to not try to serve the world but go back to the places that have given to me,” she said. In addition to Chicago, the cities where organizations are receiving grants are Nashville and Baltimore, where she had early broadcast jobs, and Milwaukee and Kosciusko, Miss., where she grew up.
“If this had been the pandemic when I was a kid, what would have happened to me? I would have gone hungry,” she said, becoming emotional on the Zoom call from her home in Santa Barbara, Calif., where she moved after ending her eponymous talk show made in Chicago in 2011, following 25 years in national syndication.
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“My mother wouldn’t have been able to get on that bus to go to the suburbs to clean white people’s houses, and I would have gone hungry. So I am trying to do for those kids who would have been me... what I would have wanted somebody to step up and do.” Read more here. —Steve Johnson and Darcel Rockett
8:16 a.m.: Three Floyds closes legendary brewpub indefinitely due to coronavirus, even as Indiana moves to reopen businesses
Northwest Indiana’s legendary Three Floyds Brewing has shuttered its brewpub indefinitely due to safety concerns during the coronavirus pandemic, brewery founder Nick Floyd said late Tuesday.
Even as Indiana allows businesses to reopen, Floyd said he chose to furlough staff at his Munster pub, which has become one of the nation’s quintessential brewpubs.
“I can’t put people in danger; no one should die over a beer," Floyd said by text message. "I would die for beer and probably will, but I’m not going to make people endanger themselves.”
He is concerned for both customers and staff, he said. Read more here. —Josh Noel
8:13 a.m.: How the falsehood-filled ‘Plandemic’ movie spread widely online on YouTube, Facebook
There have been plenty of jaw-dropping digital moments during the coronavirus pandemic.
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There was the time this month when Taylor Swift announced she would air her “City of Lover” concert on television. The time that the cast of “The Office” reunited for an 18-minute-long Zoom wedding. And the time last month that the Pentagon posted three videos that showed unexplained “aerial phenomena.”
Yet none of those went as viral as a 26-minute video called “Plandemic,” a slickly produced narration that wrongly claimed a shadowy cabal of elites was using the virus and a potential vaccine to profit and gain power. The video featured a discredited scientist, Judy Mikovits, who said her research about the harm from vaccines had been buried.
“Plandemic” went online May 4 when its maker, Mikki Willis, a little-known film producer, posted it to Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo and a separate website set up to share the video. For three days, it gathered steam in Facebook pages dedicated to conspiracy theories and the anti-vaccine movement, most of which linked to the video hosted on YouTube. Then it tipped into the mainstream and exploded.
Just over a week after “Plandemic” was released, it had been viewed more than 8 million times on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and had generated countless other posts. Read more here. —The New York Times
7:47 a.m.: Chicago Teachers Union sues Trump administration and CPS over special education
The Chicago Teachers Union is unhappy with how U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and Chicago Public Schools are handling special education during the coronavirus crisis.
And now Trump’s education chief and CPS are the targets of a federal lawsuit by CTU that seeks an emergency halt to federal and local policies that they say are creating an “impossible burden” on special education teachers and families in CPS.
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Specifically, the union is taking aim at what they say is a directive from CPS to rewrite about 70,000 individual lesson plans for special education students before the school year ends on June 18. Read more here. —Diana Wallace
7:02 a.m.: Fifth CTA employee dies from COVID-19, agency announces
The CTA has confirmed the death of a fifth employee from COVID-19.
The bus driver, whose name, age and sex were not released, was a bus operator who started working for the Chicago Transit Authority in 2012, according to a statement from the CTA.
“It is with great sadness that CTA announces the passing of a fifth member of the CTA family from COVID-19,” according to the emailed statement, which did not say when the driver died.
The agency announced its first employee death from the coronavirus on April 11. In less than six weeks, four other employees would die as a result of COVID-19, including the worker who died most recently.
“The entire CTA family extends its heartfelt sympathies to the family, friends, loved ones and colleagues of this dedicated bus operator,” the statement quotes CTA President Dorval R. Carter Jr. as saying. “We will collectively remember and honor this employee’s service and commitment to Chicagoans and our city.”
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It wasn’t immediately clear how many of the CTA’s some 11,000 staffers have contracted the virus. By April 19, that number was less than 100, according to the CTA. —Katherine Rosenberg-Douglas
6 a.m.: Illinois General Assembly returns to Springfield as pandemic drives partisan politics and rocks budget plans
The Illinois General Assembly returns to Springfield on Wednesday for the first time in nearly 11 weeks, meeting in a special session that figures to be driven by pandemic-heightened divides between Democrats and Republicans, and urban and rural splits over how to move the state forward in the new world of the coronavirus.
Lawmakers are scheduled to meet for just three days to try to put together a spending plan for the budget year that begins July 1. And they also will have on their plates a coronavirus response package that covers employment, education, health care and the courts, an enhanced vote-by-mail program for November, and a program to provide funding for safety-net hospitals that care for the poor.
But the pandemic has created plenty of unknowns, not the least of which is how far work on a budget can progress without a clear picture of how much relief will be coming from Washington to counter plummeting tax receipts — even as demands for dealing with the state’s most vulnerable residents grows.
The reconvening of the legislature also holds the potential for creating a forum for Republicans eager to challenge Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home orders and plans to reopen Illinois’ economy.
The first item up for consideration in the newly reconvened House provides potential for partisan pandemic pandemonium.
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With a few Downstate Republican lawmakers declaring they will not wear face masks — as recommended by Illinois Department of Public Health guidelines — to show their defiance to Pritzker’s orders, Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan is proposing a change to the chamber’s rules to require masks, daily temperature checks and physical distancing.
“After the motion passes, any member in violation of this rule change will face discipline, including potentially being removed from the chamber by a vote of the House,” Madigan said in a statement. Read more here. —Rick Pearson, Jamie Munks, Dan Petrella
6 a.m.: As pandemic upends 2020 census, group turns to StreetWise vendors to reach undercounted community
StreetWise magazine vendors are shifting to census outreach work among the homeless in Chicago. They will be paid by the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago, which is among organizations getting state money to communities that risk being undercounted.
Census organizers are hoping workers can help them overcome challenges presented by the pandemic.
Many of the StreetWise vendors live in SROs, are homeless or frequent social services where they come across others they can talk to about the census, according to Julie Youngquist, executive director of StreetWise.
“Those are communities and areas that they are accessing anyways as part of their daily existence,” she said.
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The COVID-19 outbreak and stay-at-home orders caused the U.S. Census Bureau to push back its timeline for the decennial count. The agency had planned to finish collecting data on the country’s population by July 31, but that date has been pushed back to Oct. 31.
The agency was going to work with local service organizations to count the homeless during a three-day operation in late March. It’s now uncertain when that will happen in Chicago. Read more here. —Elvia Malagón
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chicagotribune--2020-05-23--Chicago’s first lady launches ‘My Chi. My Future.’ campaign to find opportunities for city’s young p

Chicago’s first lady launches ‘My Chi. My Future.’ campaign to find opportunities for city’s young people this summer and beyond

“ We believe that this work that usually takes place in an out-of-school space is critical to youth development , @ @ @ @ @ Part of their development should be connected to experiences , particularly outside of school , @ @ @ @ @ interests , discover their talents , connect to peers ( find their people ) among @ @ @ @ @ connect to caring adults who can be a part of their social network and help @ @ @ @ @ what the future could look like , but actually build a pathway to that future @ @

My CHI. My Future. is Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s multiyear youth-focused initiative designed to harness the collective power and resources of government, philanthropy, academia and the private sector. It launches Memorial Day weekend 2020. (City of Chicago)
Connecting every young person in Chicago to a meaningful opportunity this summer. That’s the immediate goal of the city’s “My Chi. My Future.” initiative, which launches Saturday.
With the school year almost at an end, and the city of Chicago on pace to cautiously begin reopening in June, young people are looking for ways to stay engaged during the summer months. That’s why first lady Amy Eshleman and Deputy Mayor for Education and Human Services Sybil Madison are launching the My Chi. My Future. initiative — Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s youth-focused campaign that hopes to connect young people with opportunities geared toward their interests and mentorship that will help them on the path to success.
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“Some communities don’t have as many of these opportunities as others or don’t have as rich a number of opportunities as other communities. There are communities in which young people and their families are afraid — there are physical and emotional barriers in just moving around,” Madison said. “And then there’s just barriers in terms of information. A big part of this effort is putting all these opportunities in one place, so it’s easier for caring adults to have the information that youth needs to connect to these opportunities.”
Work on the site began last year. Lightfoot and Eshleman are announcing the launch of the “My Chi. My Future.” social media campaign during an invite-only virtual youth summit Saturday afternoon (with a public youth concert to follow at 3 p.m.). The website went live the same day.
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The My Chi. My Future. website offers hundreds of local organizations the ability to share their digital programs and content with young people, and allows young people to explore those activities and events in one place. Webinars and live experiences are posted in categories such as computers, food and performance, and are classified by age, cost and location. Other resources on the site include DIY projects, gaming, mental wellness, employment and basic needs (food and housing).
The website is also intended to be used by parents and caregivers who can use it to find “extracurricular” activities for youth to plug into while they are still mostly sheltered at home and engaging in remote learning. As the city moves out of sheltering in place, My Chi. My Future. will expand the catalog of experiences to include in-person programs.
According to Madison, the space is less about learning and more about creating avenues for young people to check out things that they’re really interested in. Open mic Mondays, workout Wednesdays, having talent shows and brainstorming ideas on what could be livestreamed on a daily basis are being discussed or implemented, Madison said.
“We want to create that space for them and make it easier for them to connect and feel connected,” she said. Eshleman said it’s something that’s going to have a life beyond the current administration, if done the right way. Programmatic, digital and financial support for the site comes from a combination of city government ($305,000 from the city’s corporate fund in the 2020 budget); academic, corporate and philanthropic entities, including Northwestern University’s Office of Community Education Partnerships; and other academic institutions.
Faculty and student researchers at DePaul University are documenting the process, analyzing the impact of the initiative and creating a framework that supports data-informed, community-driven conversations among youth program providers about their local learning infrastructure, and how to transform it to be more equitable and responsive to youth interests. Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Chicago is also supporting the community-level work for MCMF.
“I think one of the really unique things about this project is it’s bringing together the best of Chicago — city government, academia, the philanthropic community and corporate Chicago all coming together to invest in our young people,” Eshleman said. “It’s been incredibly important to the mayor. She talks about equity inclusion being her North Star, and for me, that begins with our young people. We have to give them a reason to feel good and loved and hopeful in the city, and that’s what I think this initiative is grounded in.”
Having worked with over 200 community organizations, the youth-serving city departments and the mayor’s Youth Commission, Eshleman and Madison said the mayor’s first citywide initiative is about reaching out to young people who on their own don’t connect to the city’s resources, youths who may be a little cautious about trying something new, and those whose families are working double shifts and don’t have time to look up programs except on the last day of school.
“We believe that this work that usually takes place in an out-of-school space is critical to youth development,” Madison said. “Part of their development should be connected to experiences, particularly outside of school, that help them explore their interests, discover their talents, connect to peers, (find their people) among their peers, and also connect to caring adults who can be a part of their social network and help them not only dream about what the future could look like, but actually build a pathway to that future.”
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Madison said this is just the beginning. Partnering with communities to make sure every young person is connected to a meaningful opportunity this summer is the goal.
“We feel like that’s where the power is. It’s in caring adults, in schools, in communities, in households saying: ‘We can do this. We can get every young person connected.’ That’s the stake in the ground that the mayor wants us to put down, and we are putting that stake in the ground still, even in this environment,” Madison said.
“Over time we see this evolving in a way that the city can ensure that this opportunity ecosystem is rich and robust in every community in the city and ensure that we are holding ourselves accountable to getting as many young people connected and that we’re paying attention to where we’re falling short, so that we can do the work to get more youth connected.”
drockett@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-05-23--As need for food assistance soars, schools expand from meal pickup to grocery delivery: ‘We are seei

As need for food assistance soars, schools expand from meal pickup to grocery delivery: ‘We are seeing more demand every day.’

“ We ’ re hearing from students ’ families who are facing eviction and can ’ t pay their ComEd @ @ @ @ @ of a job , or sometimes , the loss of two jobs , ” Ahsell @ @ @ @ @ to make sure our kids are safe and fed , so we ’ re trying @ @ @ @ @ many Band-Aids as we can , and do it as fast as we can .
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Township High School District 211 service workers hand out some of approximately 5,000 bags of groceries to families in need in the parking lot at Hoffman Estates High School in Hoffman Estates on May 15, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune)
With one out of three students in suburban High School District 211 qualifying for free or reduced lunch, administrator Stacy Lenihan said the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic has been especially devastating for families who were struggling even when the economy was healthy.
But as Lenihan orchestrated a recent distribution of 5,000 bags of groceries for families in the Palatine-based district, she realized a growing number of recipients who have come to count on the weekly curbside delivery likely never imagined they would be needing such assistance.
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“We’re now well over our free and reduced numbers. ... We’re hearing from our students’ families who were fully employed, and now, both mom and dad are out of a job, and having trouble getting by week to week,” Lenihan said, adding: “I’ve gotten multiple letters and cards, and people are pulling up in cars with signs saying, ‘Thank you so much, District 211,’ which is incredible, and very emotional.”
Following the statewide school shutdown in mid-March, officials from school districts across the Chicago area wasted no time in launching meal delivery programs to ensure that students from low-income families would still have access to breakfast and lunch.
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Two months later, those fledgling efforts have grown to include expansive school district-based grocery distribution programs, the majority of which are funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service.
Earlier this month, the USDA announced the extension through August of three nationwide waivers intended to give those that operate child nutrition programs, including schools, the flexibility needed to provide meals for families while following social distancing guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a result of the pandemic, schools and youth programs across the U.S. have been using federal funding — which in normal times is allotted through the USDA’s Summer Food Service Program — to distribute groceries and prepared meals at neighborhood drive-thru pickup sites, as well as with deliveries to students homes.
At Evanston Township High School, officials have collaborated with Evanston-Skokie Elementary School District 65 and the city to distribute roughly 1,600 bags of groceries each week, adding up to about 16,000 meals since the start of the school shutdown, said Kim Minestra, the high school’s director of nutrition services.
While around 40% of students at the high school qualify for free and reduced lunch, Minestra said she anticipates “that number could dramatically increase during the pandemic.”
“This is definitely unprecedented, but we’re just happy to be able to support our families in need, which we’re seeing more of, and it does not look like this will be ending anytime soon,” Minestra said.
With 56% percent of students at Community Consolidated School District 59 coming from low-income families in Des Plaines, Elk Grove Village, Mount Prospect and Arlington Heights, Assistant Superintendent Katie Ahsell said the district qualified for the federal summer lunch program even before the COVID-19 crisis.
But officials are bolstering the federal funding for the meal program with private dollars donated by the community through the creation of a new District 59 Empowerment Fund, which aims to help families dealing with job losses pay their rent and other essential household expenses.
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“We’re hearing from students’ families who are facing eviction and can’t pay their ComEd bill because of the loss of a job, or sometimes, the loss of two jobs,” Ahsell said. “We need to make sure our kids are safe and fed, so we’re trying to come up with as many Band-Aids as we can, and do it as fast as we can.”
Only 4% of students at New Trier High School in Winnetka qualify for free or reduced lunch, but officials say the coronavirus has also had a negative financial impact on families living in the affluent North Shore community.
“There has certainly always been some need in the community, but now, people are experiencing a sudden loss of income, and this is a very expensive area to live,” said Christopher Johnson, assistant superintendent for finance and operations.
The concerns about how families are faring during the pandemic have prompted New Trier officials to lower fees for incoming freshmen and freeze fees for other students.
Similar to New Trier, only 4% of students at Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire qualify for free or reduced lunch, but officials are providing a week’s worth of healthy meals to economically disadvantaged families with a curbside pickup service.
As the student meal provider for dozens of charter schools in Chicago, Elgin, Rockford, Milwaukee and Detroit, officials with Gourmet Gorilla began making home deliveries to families after schools were closed in March, CEO and co-founder Danielle Hrzic said.
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Because many of the company’s school clients serve a large number of economically disadvantaged families, Hrzic said home delivery was necessary for those who lack adequate transportation options to pick up meals at schools.
To comply with social distancing rules, crews leave boxes on porch steps or outside apartment complexes, then notify families by text of their arrival.
The private company, which receives funding through the federal school lunch program, is also participating in the USDA’s new Farmers to Families Food Box. Part of the Coronavirus Farm Assistance Program, Farmers to Families is approved to purchase and distribute to people in need up to $3 billion of agricultural products, according to the USDA website.
“We are seeing more demand every day. ... I’ve looked at some of the photos our workers have taken of the refrigerators of some of our families and they hold just our meals, nothing else,” Hrzic added.
Back in the northwest suburbs, it’s all hands on deck at Arlington Heights School District 25, where Coletta Hines-Newell, the longtime director of the food and nutrition department, arrives on the loading dock at 3 a.m. every Wednesday to await the arrival of the food delivery.
While only 10% of students at the district’s nine schools qualify for free or reduced lunch, since mid-March the school system has distributed around 8,200 bags of groceries to Arlington Heights families, as well as students in two nearby school districts.
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“There was really no template for this, so we had to ask ourselves, how do we run it here with the goal of providing the best food we could, yet minimizing the contact for our families and our staff, ” Hines-Newell said.
Despite some coronavirus-related disruptions to the food supply chain, Hines-Newell said each bag of groceries usually holds a gallon of milk, fresh produce and meals like chicken breast sandwiches and high-quality hamburger patties.
The district is also delivering groceries via a school bus for about 130 students, she said.
Only around 565 students qualify for free or reduced lunch, but Hines-Newell said, “We’re definitely seeing so many families. ... It’s about double that count, and every story is a little different.”
“In 21 years at this job, this is the first time I’ve experienced anything like that. It’s an emergency situation,” she said.
kcullotta@chicagotribune.com
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chicagotribune--2020-05-23--Cook County Jail sees signs of COVID-19 containment

Cook County health and jail officials say widespread testing indicates that a series of measures taken since mid-March when the @ @ @ @ @ worked to control the spread of COVID-19 at the jail .

A gym at Division 16, the Cook County Jail's isolation and quarantine facility for detainees who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Chicago. The facility was set up but never used for COVID-19 patients. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)


chicagotribune--2020-05-23--With growing anger over shutdown, Republicans saw opportunity to send a message in special pandemic

With growing anger over shutdown, Republicans saw opportunity to send a message in special pandemic session

“ But that ’ s the problem .
You have the extremists who look irresponsible .
They ’ re betting @ @ @ @ @ wrong and they ’ re also betting that people are so fed up with it @ @ @ @ @ to agree with this sort of thing , ” he said .
“ Take masks @ @ @ @ @ person without a mask , do you see this as a symbol of freedom or @ @ @ @ @ a danger sign ?
”

Illinois Senate Republican Leader Bill Brady, R-Bloomington, stands with Senate Republicans during a news conference on May 22, 2020, outside the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield, as they called for a longer session to deal with more issues. (Justin L. Fowler/The State Journal-Register)
The Illinois legislature’s historic pandemic-driven special session ended in overtime early Sunday morning after lawmakers approved a maintenance-level $40 billion state budget that depends heavily on federal funds and made another effort to get a Chicago casino off the ground.
Both the House and the Senate on Saturday passed a bill that would revamp the tax structure for a Chicago casino, a step toward overcoming what has been seen as a key obstacle to getting one built. Mayor Lori Lightfoot has long pushed for tax changes, and the House vote was the furthest her proposal has gotten in the General Assembly.
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The measure now goes to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who has pledged to sign it when it reaches his desk.
A Chicago casino is seen as key to the $45 billion capital bill the legislature passed last year.
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“This is good for everyone for jobs and development — having a Chicago casino be real," Blue Island Democratic Rep. Bob Rita, the bill’s sponsor, said.
[ Illinois legislators pass bill sought by Mayor Lori Lightfoot that could bring Chicago casino closer to reality ]
The Senate early Sunday joined with the House to pass a budget plan that would maintain funding for many parts of state government from the current budget, except for health care agencies significantly impacted by the pandemic, despite Republican complaints that it ceded too much legislative authority to the state’s Democratic chief executive.
“The budget the General Assembly has sent to my desk today recognizes that massive economic disruption leads to difficult decisions,” Pritzker said in a statement. “This budget begins to address the financial upheaval we are facing, but more hard choices about how to spend and save these dollars wisely remain to be made.
House Majority Leader Greg Harris, a Chicago Democrat, characterized the budget as representative of “a series of tough choices” that resulted in a combination of “working with the Federal Reserve and setting ourselves on a path to a slow, sustainable return to some fiscal normalcy.”
“Our state has been ravaged by the pandemic, just like our nation,” Harris said. “People are struggling, families are struggling, local governments are struggling, our schools are struggling. And yes, we as the state are struggling too.”
The 68-44 House vote was largely along party lines.
In the Senate, the budget passed by a 37-19 vote and was opposed by all Republicans, who objected to a small increase in state spending at a time full of fiscal uncertainty.
[ Illinois lawmakers send Gov. J.B. Pritzker $40 billion maintenance budget that relies heavily on federal funding ]
Sen. Dale Righter of Mattoon said he appreciated that the budget doesn’t count on any revenue from the proposed graduated-rate income tax, which voters will have their say on in November. But he noted outstanding questions about what other revenues will look like in the coming months and called it "an enormous gamble as we stand here on May 23.”
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Democratic Sen. Andy Manar of Bunker Hill, a lead budget negotiator, said it was the wrong time to make cuts.
“We made a choice not to present a budget to this chamber that slashes the state budget at a time when we’re dealing with a global pandemic,” Manar said shortly before the vote was taken. “That was our choice. That was a simple choice for me because the last thing we need to be doing is cutting public health programs, cutting health care programs, cutting school funding, cutting programs for small businesses, or cutting pensions or laying off state employees.”
The proposal would give Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker sweeping authority to move agency operating funds around and to put a hold on some spending as a contingency.
The plan counts on up to $5 billion in loans from the Federal Reserve that would be repaid with anticipated but still uncertain direct federal aid from Washington. The state also is hoping to get flexibility on how it spends $3.5 billion in federal coronavirus relief funding it has already received.
Harris called the borrowing a “line of credit” until Congress overcomes differences between Democrats and Republicans and approves a new coronavirus relief bill to assist states and local governments.
“We don’t know when or if discussions (in Washington) will come to fruition. We don’t know when or how much, if they do come to fruition, will come to Illinois. And we don’t know when that happens if we would be physically able to return to Springfield to reappropriate monies if we decided to take no further action today,” Harris said of the dependence on borrowing.
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But Rep. Tom Demmer of Dixon, the Republican’s budget spokesman, said the Democratic-led spending plan wrongly relied upon hopes from Washington.
“What we’ve heard today is a budget that is balanced only on a wing and a prayer. It relies on $5 billion in borrowing or magical revenue that comes from the federal government with no strings attached,” Demmer said. “We also see unprecedented levels of authority over Illinois taxpayer dollars being granted to one person, being ceded from the legislature to the governor through emergency rule, through appropriations that well exceed the amount of money that’s been currently received.”
The budget appropriation for the General Assembly would not fund previously scheduled cost-of-living pay increases for legislators, Democrats said.
The spending plan also would not provide local school districts with the $350 million increase in state aid that was promised as part of a major rewrite of the formula used to distribute state aid in 2018. Districts would instead receive the same amount they got this year. Universities also would be funded at the current level.
Agencies dealing with public health and welfare, particularly affected by trying to deal with the pandemic, would receive funding increases.
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The Department of Human Services would get $683 million, a 6% increase, to allow for hiring 300 new caseworkers to process Medicaid eligibility claims. The state estimates that due to large unemployment, anywhere from 200,000 to 1 million new people could become eligible for the state-federal taxpayer subsidized health care.
The Illinois Department of Public Health would see an overall budget of $1.6 billion, up 144% primarily due to federal coronavirus funding. The figure includes $416 million in federal funds for increased testing for the coronavirus and related services.
The Department of Children and Family Services would get a 20% increase in state funding, bringing its overall state-funds budget to more than $1 billion. The funds include hiring 123 more investigators and to provide rate increases to providers. Funding for foster care would increase by $80 million due to an expected increase in caseload.
The spending plan would make the state’s statutory required contribution to Illinois’ massively underfunded public employee pension systems at a cost of more than $9 billion. The amount includes $266.8 million as a state share to the Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund.
After lawmakers last year approved a massive gambling expansion that authorized six new casinos across the state and legalized sports wagering, a study found that the tax structure for the Chicago casino, which is higher than for the other casinos in the state, could make it difficult to attract investors.
In addition to a new tax structure for the casino, the legislation passed by both chambers would extend from two to six years the amount of time casino owners would have to make a reconciliation payment, another change Lightfoot has pushed.
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The legislation also delays by a year, until July 1, 2021, the time by which gaming applicants must pay license fees.
The coronavirus pandemic is driving that change, which is intended to help existing casinos in the state that have been closed and “would be very helpful for them in terms of how they’re going to reopen,” Rita said.
“We still don’t know what that looks like, when they’ll be able to reopen and how they will be able to reopen — whether it be able to fill a blackjack table with six players or three or with social distancing. So they’re going to have some changes in how they operate.”
Springfield Republican Rep. Tim Butler called the Chicago casino “tremendously important” for the whole state because of its role in funding part of a massive statewide construction plan lawmakers approved last year.
The changes for the city casino would send an estimated $500 million in annual revenue to the state for the statewide infrastructure program, Rita said.
Revenue from the casino allocated to building projects under the state’s “Rebuild Illinois” infrastructure plan was one of the sticking points for lawmakers last fall. Along with concerns the legislation amounted to a “special deal” for Chicago, the revenue issue kept the legislation Lightfoot wanted from passing.
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The city’s share of the casino revenue would be dedicated to underfunded police and fire pensions
The legislation also includes technical changes for the casino in Danville in relation to gambling on the state fairgrounds in both Springfield and Du Quoin.
Late Saturday, legislators overwhelmingly approved a measure aimed at helping bars and restaurants who’ve been forced to close for dine-in service during the pandemic.
The bill would allow establishments to sell cocktails for pickup and delivery in sealed containers. Third-party services like Grubhub and DoorDash would be prohibited from making cocktail deliveries.
The measure, which was approved unanimously in the Senate and by a 104-6 margin in the House, also extends liquor licenses for 120 days and delays license fees for six months after restaurants and bars are allowed to reopen to the public. It would take effect immediately upon the governor’s signature and expire in one year.
“This will allow people to maintain jobs, and it’s a lifeline to the bars and restaurants, our beloved bars and restaurants,” said Rep. Lindsey LaPointe, a Chicago Democrat.
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Lawmakers also approved a measure that would create a “Restore Illinois Collaborative Commission,” a panel of eight Democrats and six Republicans, to provide “input on plans to revive the state’s economy” with an initial report due in July.
Republicans had pushed for more oversight over Pritzker’s phased-in plans to reopen the state’s economy, including an up-or-down vote, and deemed the commission idea as too weak for a co-equal branch of government.
Republican Sen. Jason Barickman of Bloomington said the more than two dozen executive orders Pritzker has issued since his coronavirus disaster proclamation have touched on every aspect of life for Illinois residents without sufficient input from the legislature.
The oversight commission created in the legislation approved Saturday “falls wildly short of those expectations that my constituents have for this body,” Barickman said.
“Let’s demand that this governor work with us as a body, demonstrating mutual respect for the two co-equal branches of government, so that we can work together with him to solve the many problems that face our communities and our people in our state,” he said.
The bill’s sponsor, Democratic Sen. Elgie Sims of Chicago, encouraged Barickman to seek one of his party’s appointments to the panel
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