Quick hits: Illinois news in brief for Tuesday, May 11, 2021
State to get $13 billion from federal government
Illinois expects to get more than $13 billion from the federal government to be split between the state and local governments.
President Joe Biden announced the U.S. Treasury is sending out $350 billion to state and local governments as part of the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief measure enacted earlier this year. Illinois state government is in line for $7.5 billion.
Local governments will share $5.7 billion.
Vaccination teams head to Illinois workplaces
Vaccination teams will soon be dispatched to workplaces across Illinois.
The effort will begin this month with 10 sites in Chicago, Rockford and Schaumburg in the first wave of the program before branching out throughout Illinois.
The state is partnering with the Building Owners and Managers Association and local unions to encourage front desk staff, custodial workers, security personnel and other employees to sign up for an appointment in advance.
Chicago has top taxpayer burden, report finds
Of the nation’s ten largest cities, Chicago led a recent report for the most taxpayer burden.
Truth In Accounting’s City Combine Taxpayer Burden Report shows Chicago taxpayers each owe $126,600.
That’s more than $41,000 more than taxpayers owe in New York City.
Three men dead in explosion
Three men who died after apparently igniting an explosive powder near northern Illinois’ Starved Rock State Park appeared to have been fishing along a river before the blast killed them.
The LaSalle County coroner said the men were apparently relaxing Thursday evening before the “black powder substance” was ignited in a hole.
Officials believe the men either lit the fire for entertainment or, more likely, they were trying to light a fire to cook food that was found nearby.
Delgado seeks reimbursement for attorney fees
Democratic state Rep. Eva Dina Delgado is requesting taxpayers reimburse potentially tens of thousands of dollars in attorneys fees generated from qualifications challenge proceedings last year.
Delgado was appointed in 2019 to fill the seat vacated by former state Rep. Luis Arroyo who was charged with bribery. He had a hand in picking Delgado.
A House committee is taking the request under advisement.
Rezin seeks added oversight after deadly outbreak
A state Senator is pushing for legislation she says would correct failures discovered from last fall’s deadly COVID-19 outbreak at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home.
State Sen. Sue Rezin has several bills that would require outbreak preparedness drills, quicker site visits by state public health officials and an Auditor General review of the Pritzker administration’s handling of the outbreak.
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