25 May 2020

Some Things Shouldn’t Be Done by Remote Control, and That Includes Reporting

By Rich Miller

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.

18 May 2020

Pritzker’s Talent Throughout the Pandemic Has Been Following Others’ Maps, Not Drafting His Own

By Rich Miller

For many weeks after the beginning of this COVID-19 crisis, Governor JB Pritzker proved adept at telegraphing his every move.

11 May 2020

Are Municipalities Willing to Forfeit Their Insurance Coverage Should Their Premature Reopening Prove Precipitous?

By Rich Miller

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.

04 May 2020

Pritzker’s Handling of COVID-19 Is a Political Rail Only Down-State Die-Hards Seem Eager to Grab

By Rich Miller

A recent poll shows Illinoisans strongly approve of Governor JB Pritzker's handling of the COVID-19 outbreak in Illinois, and an even higher number supports his stay-at-home order.

27 Apr 2020

As Sartre and Camus Could Have Told You, Hell Is Other Reporters – Particularly During Pandemics

By Rich Miller
Governor JB Pritzker

The First Amendment to the US Constitution prevents government intrusion on journalists' rights to tell their stories and your rights to read or watch or listen to them.

But that means things can get messy. Some reporters can make everyone else look bad.

18 Apr 2020

Federal Intelligence Gaps and Glitch-Laden Gubernatorial Responses Hinder Illinois Efforts to Flatten the COVID-19 Curve

By Rich Miller

While short on details, the state and regional guidance finally issued by the White House last week gives us a set of pretty reasonable if difficult-to-achieve goals.

We all know why we need to contain and reduce our risk to the COVID-19 virus: Save lives, preserve health, and get people back to work.

13 Apr 2020

One Impolitic Post Is All It Takes to Kill Nascent Goodwill Between State Democrats and the Illinois Policy Institute

By Rich Miller

The libertarian-leaning Illinois Policy Institute (IPI) has tried reaching out more to Democratic legislators since Governor Bruce Rauner lost his reelection bid. Rauner at one point was so close to the group that he fired several of his longtime staffers and replaced some of them with IPI staff, which did not work out well, to say the least.

06 Apr 2020

Health Care Providers Granted Immunity from Civil Liability

By Rich Miller

Without fanfare last week, Governor JB Pritzker issued a sweeping executive order (2020-19) granting many health-care providers immunity from civil liability during the COVID-19 crisis.

30 Mar 2020

A Tale of Two Legislators

By Rich Miller

This is a story about two very different state legislators, representing very different districts with the same strong belief in hope during a time of anguish.

23 Mar 2020

Governor Pritzker Doesn’t Want to Die in a Steven Soderbergh Film, Either

By Rich Miller

"We know now, just the fact of community spread says that at least one percent, at the very least one percent of our population, is carrying this virus in Ohio today."

That was Ohio Department of Health Director Doctor Amy Acton speaking on March 12, when Ohio had only five confirmed COVID-19 cases. One percent of Ohio's population would be about 117,000 cases. "Community spread" means that the virus was transmitted by someone from inside the community, not someone who brought it in from outside.

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