Budget, vote-by-mail, Chicago casino pass
State ends long weekend with lowest daily COVID death toll in seven weeks
The state Capitol saw a rush of business last week, even with the House meeting in the Bank of Springfield convention center to meet requirements for social distancing. (One Illinois/Ted Cox)
By Ted Cox
The General Assembly passed a stopgap state budget, expanded voting by mail, and tax reforms for a Chicago casino over a long short week that extended well into the Memorial Day weekend.
After legislators gathered in Springfield in the middle of last week to conduct urgent business in the midst of the persisting pandemic, the Senate completed the state business early Sunday morning when it passed a $41 billion budget for next year.
It relies on expected COVID-19 relief from the federal government, as well as passage of a graduated income tax in a referendum that’s part of the November general election. Legislators are expected to revisit it in the fall after it’s clear how much aid states will receive from Congress and how well Illinois begins to snap back from the economic collapse brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
“The budget the General Assembly has sent to my desk … recognizes that massive economic disruption leads to difficult decisions,” Gov. 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.”
He added, “I will continue to advocate for a national program to support state and local governments to make up the difference in the revenues that fund the supports our families need during this difficult time, fund our children’s schools and public hospitals, and pay for the salaries of our teachers and first responders.”
On the subject of that November election, the first piece of business to get done by the General Assembly was expanded voting by mail, passed late Friday. It will send applications for a mail-in ballot to all voters who took part in elections over the last two years, with repeated reminders leading up to Election Day Nov. 3.
“The right to vote is the foundational pillar of our democracy — and, now, as our elected leaders are making some of the most consequential decisions of our lifetimes, it's more important than ever that people have every ability to make their voices heard,” Pritzker said. “I applaud Leader Kelly Burke, Sen. Julie Morrison, the Women’s Caucus, and leaders in the General Assembly for working to ensure Illinoisans can continue to exercise their right to vote during these unprecedented times. Sending vote-by-mail applications to residents who have participated in recent elections will allow more people to vote from the safety of their own homes and help reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our communities. I look forward to signing this legislation when it reaches my desk and I encourage all eligible voters to exercise their right to vote at every available opportunity.”
Pritzker also applauded reforms to the tax package granting Chicago the right to its own casino, after Mayor Lori Lightfoot insisted the city couldn’t get backers for the casino under the original tax package. The reforms — which included tweaks to Danville’s pitch for a casino — passed with bipartisan support, and the casino revenue is expected to eventually contribute to the Rebuild Illinois capital plan.
Although the Pritzker administration did not hold its daily coronavirus briefings over the three-day weekend, it repeated that all regions of the state are expected to move forward into the third phase of the Restore Illinois plan to reopen the economy on Friday. The administration did release guidelines for businesses to move on to the third phase over the weekend, for instance calling for social distancing wherever possible in manufacturing, for barbers and hairstylists to wear masks along with their customers, and allowing foursomes and carts for golfers, as well as outdoor dining, as laid out by the governor last week.
In every aspect of our pandemic response, and especially as we begin to safely reopen meaningful swaths of our economy, our No. 1 priority must be the health and safety of our workers, our customers, and Illinoisans at large,” Pritzker said. “The industry-specific baseline guidance for businesses the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity released … will help employers reopen their doors in Phase 3 in line with that priority. … You can’t build a strong economy if people aren’t comfortable being a part of it.”
“New guidance provided by the State today will help ensure a safe reopening for businesses, customers, and communities at large,” said Michael Negron, assistant director of the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, which issued the guidelines. “As Illinois works toward its recovery, DCEO is committed to providing businesses across our state clear and actionable guidance that will allow them to implement safe operations so they can get back on track.”
“The move to Phase 3 marks a milestone achievement in our efforts to protect all Illinois communities and overcome the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health. “IDPH will continue working closely with local public health departments, businesses, and communities across our state to refine our public health response based on the latest data, expand testing and contact tracing, and sustain our overall progress in overcoming COVID-19.”
On Monday, the state reported just 31 deaths from COVID-19, the lowest figure in seven weeks, since April 5. That brought the statewide toll to 4,884. Some 1,713 newly confirmed cases brought the state total to 112,017, but with almost 22,000 tests administered that produced a positivity rate over the last week of just 12 percent.
Pritzker was scheduled to conduct a daily coronavirus briefing Tuesday afternoon at the Thompson Center in Chicago.