Organizers of a Black Lives Matter protest in Anna, Illinois, figured 10 people might show up for their event on June 4. The organizers endured threats of violence for days leading up to the rally.

Hey, this is Anna we're talking about here. Excuse my bluntness, but they don't call Anna "Ain't No N------ Allowed" for nothing. Anyone who knows even a tiny bit about southern Illinois and race history knows that Anna is Illinois' most infamous "sundown town." To this day, some residents still wear that moniker as a badge of honor.

Last winter, a buddy of mine asked me if I thought I could cover state-legislative sessions from a remote, perhaps warmer, location.

I've been writing about Illinois politics and government for 30 years. Like many of my more-experienced colleagues, I've developed an extensive list of sources and contacts that I can reach out to. I can also watch General Assembly floor debates and many committee hearings on the Internet.

Governor JB Pritzker has repeatedly said he's delegating enforcement of his stay-at-home order to local governments.

That stance has frustrated some folks who want him to get tougher with violators (although he'd undoubtedly risk making martyrs out of them if he did crack down hard). And the governor's position seems to have emboldened some local officials to defy the governor's order and open up their economies on their own.