After state and Chicago public health administrators floated the idea of vaccination passports, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said it will not happen in the state. Chicago will offer the ‘Vax Pass’ for summer events to encourage COVID-19 immunizations.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker inaccurately identified students leaving for college as the reason for Illinois’ population decline. Illinoisans between the ages of 26 and 54 made up 64.5% of the net decline in population from 2017-2018, the most recent year of available data.
Earlier this week, Dr. Allison Arwady, Chicago’s public health commissioner, said the “Vax Pass” will be required to attend concerts and other summer events starting in May.
Former Chicago Ald. Ricardo Munoz, appointed by Richard M. Daley, faces federal charges stating he used campaign funds to pay for personal expenses and committed money laundering. Over 30 Chicago aldermen have been convicted or charged with corruption.
House Bill 253 would create data-driven process for selecting future infrastructure projects in an attempt to end wasteful and politically motivated spending.
Chicago Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson, related to both Mayor Daleys, faces federal charges stating he filed false tax returns and lied about $219,000 in payments from a neighborhood bank. Over 30 Chicago aldermen have been convicted or charged with corruption.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Illinois is close to starting the extra ‘bridge phase’ of mandates he added in March, but over a year into his COVID-19 restrictions it is another barricade to the state’s economy. States with fewer limits are seeing bigger declines in infections.
Legislation backed by teachers unions would require the Illinois Department of Public Health to create regulations before in-person instruction would be allowed at all public, private and parochial schools. State control would replace local control.
Chicago’s public health commissioner said residents are not required to get vaccinated against COVID-19 – unless they want to attend summer events. City spending nearly $10 million to reach more neighborhoods with vaccines and close racial gaps.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker promised on the campaign trail and repeatedly after that, including earlier this year, to end partisan gerrymandering of political maps. Now he says, ‘Nevermind.’ He trusts lawmakers.
Illinois was the nation’s fifth-largest state until 2020 census data was released. Now Pennsylvania’s population exceeds Illinois’ to take the No. 5 spot.
“It’s so unacceptable that people are sitting, waiting for money and starving. In the meantime, we also face the [second-highest] property taxes in the nation. We’re getting creamed on every aspect in Illinois.”