Insight on Illinois

Clark Hill Illinois' Government and Regulatory Affairs team continues to actively monitor the de-escalation of COVID-19, continued anti-racism protests, and governmental budgets, among other issues. Amid these issues, the Illinois Department of Public Health released statistics on Monday revealing the lowest number of new coronavirus cases since March 30th and, Dr. Ngozi Ezike, the Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, believes that everyone’s actions have helped successfully “flatten the curve.”

Here is a snapshot of what is happening now:

Governor Pritzker Signed Illinois Budget

• On June 10th, Governor Pritzker signed the budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1st.

Illinois GOP State Convention

• The Illinois Republican Party held their state convention virtually on Saturday to nominate party officers and delegates to the national convention.

Open Meetings Act

• Chicago City Council is facing a lawsuit from the Better Government Association alleging that a leaked conference call the Mayor held with Chicago Alderman, as a briefing to discuss protests and looting, violated the Illinois Open Meetings Act.
• Gov. Pritzker signed SB 2135 on June 12th, which amends the Open Meetings Act to allow officials to hold meetings by audio or video conference, as long as they otherwise comply with the Open Meetings Act by providing a call-in number or link for the public to access meetings.

Chicago Moves Forward on Plan for CARES Act Funding

• Chicago will receive $1.1 billion in funding from the CARES Act.
• $189 million will be appropriated for public health and $376 million for the city’s two airports.
• The Committee on the Budget and Government Operations recommended the plan for approval on June 10th.

Upcoming Meetings

Wednesday, June 17th, 10 a.m. — Chicago City Council

Thursday, June 18th, 10 a.m. – Cook County Board of Commissioners

News of the Week

Gov. J.B. Pritzker signs $43 billion budget that relies on federal aid, borrowing to overcome holes left by pandemic – Chicago Tribune

Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday signed a roughly $43 billion state budget that relies heavily on federal aid and borrowing to plug holes created by the coronavirus pandemic. While spending in the operating budget remains essentially flat from last year, the total plan for the year that begins July 1 includes repaying $1.6 billion that was borrowed to fill a shortfall in the current budget and $2.2 billion in required transfers to other funds.

Pritzker signs $42.9B budget into law – State Journal-Register

With a ceremony shelved by the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. JB Pritzker Wednesday quietly signed into law the new state budget designed to help the state cope with the economic fallout caused by the virus. Pritzker signed the $42.9 billion general state budget that is built around borrowing up to $5 billion from the Federal Reserve to make ends meet in the new fiscal year that starts July 1.

At state GOP’s virtual convention, chairman hails Trump as ‘man for our time,’ and urges using Obama’s prescription for victory – Chicago Tribune

Illinois Republicans held a virtual state convention Saturday with Chairman Tim Schneider declaring President Donald Trump “a man for our time” and contending the COVID-19 pandemic has helped Democrats move the country toward socialism while trying to win the White House. Schneider also used an unorthodox Illinois symbol for seeking to rally Republicans, invoking what he called former Democratic President Barack Obama’s “prescription” for victory: organize, protest and vote.

Gov Pritzker signs SB2135 – Local Governments have new open meetings requirements – Edgar County Watchdogs

Today, Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker signed several Bills, including SB2135, which created the Governmental Administration Act (“GAA”). Within the GAA are new requirements when it comes to a local government’s compliance with the Open Meetings Act during declared emergencies.

Chicago City Council sued over conference calls where Mayor Lori Lightfoot and alderman exchanged profanities – Chicago Tribune

In a newly filed lawsuit, the Better Government Association alleges that the Chicago City Council violated the Illinois Open Meetings Act by hosting conference calls with aldermen and Mayor Lori Lightfoot. Under Lightfoot, the city has hosted several briefings for Chicago aldermen to detail her administration’s coronavirus response and discuss other matters such as the recent wave of protests and looting.

Blacks make up 75% of those charged with violating city curfew, data shows – Chicago Sun-Times

As protesters took to the city’s streets to highlight racial discrepancies in police enforcement, city data shows Chicago Police charged significantly more African Americans with violating a curfew imposed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot. Of more than 400 people charged, a Chicago Sun-Times review of the violations found, 75% were African American.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s $1.1 billion coronavirus spending plan advances, despite concerns – Chicago Tribune

Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s plan for $1.1 billion in federal CARES Act spending to help Chicago deal with mounting costs and community need due to the coronavirus pandemic moved forward Wednesday, though aldermen questioned whether her administration has set aside enough money to deal with a possible spike in cases locally later this year.

Budget Committee OKs Lightfoot plan on how to spend $1.1 billion windfall from federal stimulus – Chicago Sun-Times

Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s plan for how to spend a $1.1 billion infusion of federal stimulus funds cleared a City Council committee Wednesday amid concern that not enough money was being set aside for housing, violence prevention, or another spike in COVID-19 cases.

Aldermen Back Ordinance To Provide Tenants Hurt By COVID-19 Pandemic With New Protection From Eviction – CBS Chicago

Chicago renters who have lost income due to the COVID-19 pandemic would have a new measure of protection from eviction, requiring landlords to first give them a chance to negotiate an agreement on unpaid rent, under an ordinance advanced by the City Council Housing Committee on Monday.

Illinois, DuQuoin State Fairs canceled – State Journal-Register

In a move he had hinted at earlier, Gov. JB Pritzker Friday announced that by executive order, he was canceling the Illinois State Fair in Springfield and the DuQuoin State Fair. The fairs, which attracted more than 600,000 visitors combined in 2019, will return in August 2021.

Subpoena draws ex-Rep. Edward Acevedo into feds’ political corruption probe – Chicago Sun-Times

Former state Rep. Edward “Eddie” Acevedo has been drawn into the ongoing federal public corruption investigation that has gone quiet but not dormant amid the coronavirus pandemic. Days after Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued his stay-at-home order, federal prosecutors subpoenaed the Illinois secretary of state’s lobbyist division for all records related to Acevedo as well as Michael and Alexander Acevedo and the Acevedos’ lobbying company, Apex Strategy LLC, records show.