Public Health

• 32 Illinois Counties at ‘High’ Alert Level for COVID: “Thirty-two Illinois counties are now under a “high community level ” for COVID, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, marking a significant jump from last week as some Chicago-area counties return to the highest alert level. The number of counties at the “high ” level marks an increase from last week’s 19 as some Chicago-area counties that had dropped down to medium last week returned to the heightened level. Cook, Lake, DuPage and McHenry counties in the Chicago area all remain under the high category, where they have been for several weeks. ” From NBC Chicago.

Illinois

Pritzker administration announces next steps for cannabis dispensary license applicants

The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation today announced the next steps to issue 185 Conditional Adult Use Cannabis Dispensing Organization Licenses to applicants selected in three lotteries in 2021.

Applicants must finalize statutory compliance checks before Conditional Licenses can be issued. To accommodate these compliance checks, beginning June 16, 2022, IDFPR intends to issue Conditional Licenses to the applicants selected in the 2021 lotteries in three waves:

• Wave 1, on or before July 22, 2022. Naperville-Chicago-Elgin BLS Region.
• Wave 2, on or before August 5, 2022. Other BLS Regions with multiple licenses available.
• Wave 3, on or before August 19, 2022. BLS Regions with a single license available.

The pace of licensing will be determined by how quickly applicants ’ compliance checks can be verified.

More detailed information on next steps is available here. 

Illinois to establish Health Food Access Program to address food insecurity

Gov. J.B. Pritzker approved legislation this week establishing the Healthy Foods Access Program, which will provide grocery stores and other food sellers the financial support necessary to expand their operations into food deserts.

House Bill 2382 enables the Department of Human Services in coordination with the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to establish the Healthy Food Development Program to expand access to healthy foods in underserved areas. Grocery stores, corner stores, farmers’ markets, and other small retailers may receive assistance through grants, loans, equipment, or other financial assistance to be awarded on a competitive basis.

The legislation takes effect on January 1, 2023. More information is here.

Around the State

• Downstate farmer beating the crop out of GOP establishment in gov race:  “If the numbers hold, it would represent a brutal repudiation by Illinois ’ Republican voters of Irvin, his mainstream party endorsements and, pointedly, his $50 million benefactor, Chicago hedge fund tycoon Ken Griffin, ” the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
• Growing concern over energy prices, power supply for downstate Illinois communities:  “Although, the Clean Energy Jobs Act didn ’t automatically close coal and natural gas plants. Those closures will gradually happen over time, but central and southern Illinois customers are already facing the possibility of brownouts, ” by WGEM.
• Everything you need to know about Illinois ’ $4,000 electric vehicle rebate:  “The state incentive starts July 1. But it does not apply to plug-in hybrids and funding is limited, ” by WBEZ.
• How a new law will tackle health care shortages in rural Illinois counties:  “While large urban counties have 87.1 primary care physicians per 100,000 people, Illinois’ 62 rural counties have 45.5 primary care physicians, according to a 2018 report from the Illinois Rural Health Summit, a project of the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, ” by State Journal Register.
• Comptroller Susana Mendoza deposits $320M into the state ’s Rainy Day Fund,  via Vandalia.
• Another setback for Illinois weed businesses:  “A Rockford judge has put new licenses to grow marijuana on hold, granting a temporary restraining order to a dozen applicants for craft-grow licenses who claim the state isn’t following the marijuana law correctly, ” by Crain ’s Chicago Business.

Chicago

Deputy mayor for public safety to depart Lightfoot administration

John O ’Malley, Mayor Lori Lightfoot ’s deputy mayor for public safety, is leaving City Hall after just one year on the job — marking the position ’s fourth departure in three years.

O ’Malley is expected to be replaced by Elena Gottreich, deputy director of prosecutorial strategies for the Chicago Police Department.

More from City Hall

• City Council urged to create guaranteed income program for Black men: “The idea is that such a program, paying $600 to $800 a month, would remove some men from the streets, thereby reducing their dependence on an illegal economy driven by the drug trade, ” by the Chicago Sun-Times.
• Former watchdog launches venture to study Chicago ’s government structure:  “Joe Ferguson ’s 12-year run made him Chicago ’s longest-serving watchdog. Now he wants to take a deeper look at the mayor ’s office, city departments, the City Council, local government agencies under the mayor ’s control — all to show it is ‘different from everywhere else ’ and how those differences ‘tie to our chronic ills, ’” by the Chicago Sun-Times.
• Bernie Sanders in Chicago next week: Endorsing Jonathan Jackson, Delia Ramirez primary bids:  “Sanders hits Chicago on Thursday for a “Fighting Back Against Corporate Greed ” rally at Teamsters Local 705 plus a Friday keynote to the Labor Notes Conference in Rosemont, ” by the Chicago Sun-Times.
• The Chicago government pension hole is worse than we thought:  “Pension funds are now more than $48 billion in the hole. Digging out will be an expensive, long-term task, ” by Crain ’s Chicago Business.
• Asset sale could yield $1 billion gain for Chicago Skyway investors:  “2 firms that control the toll road on a 99-year lease reportedly are looking to sell their interests, ” by the Chicago Sun-Times.

Share

Share this...

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Linkedin