Illinois State House District 41 issued the following announcement on April 3.
As we continue to navigate this health crisis, I want to personally thank the thousands of medical professionals and first responders who comprise the Naperville-Warrenville medical and public safety communities. I am so appreciative for the work they are doing to keep us healthy and safe. While the vast majority of us can remain inside our homes and distance ourselves from those who may be sick, these brave women and men are on the front lines battling the virus, saving lives, and ensuring public safety. Each of these individuals has my deepest gratitude and respect. To them, I say this: “Your selfless efforts are appreciated more than you could possibly know.”
I also want to thank other “essential” workforce members who are ensuring our supply chain for food and supplies remains strong and others who are still working in settings outside of their homes. These people are also putting themselves in harm’s way to help Illinois slow the spread of the virus.
As a reminder, I have added two COVID-19 information pages to my web site- one with general information and another with more localized information and resources. The general COVID-19 information and resource page can be accessed at https://ilcovid19info.com/, and the more localized information and resource page can be accessed at https://repwehrli.com/covid-19/.
41st District Stepping Up to Help During Crisis
Almost daily I hear positive stories about members of our community who are going above and beyond in their efforts to help Illinois through this health crisis. With each story, I am reminded of why Naperville and Warrenville are such wonderful places to live. People are supporting local restaurants offering curb-side and delivery options, and making purchases from local businesses through web sites. Individuals are stepping up to donate blood, donate or volunteer at local food pantries, or volunteer to deliver Meals on Wheels to seniors. Neighbors are checking in on elderly neighbors and offering to run errands so seniors can remain indoors. Every act of kindness is a reminder of the goodness found throughout our communities.
Just a few community organizations that are collectively stepping up to help include:
Girl Scouts from Steeple Run Elementary School in District 203 sent cookies and cards to the ICU patients and staff at Edward Hospital
Naperville District 203 has donated all junior high and high school Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) to Edward Hospital
BP employees from Naperville donated face shields, safety glasses and disposable protective clothing to Edward Hospital
The Naperville Chamber of Commerce is spearheading a collection drive of PPE for Edward Hospital
More than 1,000 medical professionals who left the field for a variety of reasons have agreed to come back and help in medical settings through the duration of the crisis
I know there are many more positive stories like these. If you have a positive story to share, please email my office at repwehrli@ilhousegop.org so I can share additional examples of the kindness and generosity coming out of the 41st District.
Deadline to Put Fair Maps Before Voters Approaches
While Governor Pritzker’s focus right now is on Illinois’ efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19, there is another very important issue that he must address- fair maps. The deadline by which a Constitutional Amendment can be approved for placement before voters this November is May 3. If we miss that critical deadline, efforts to end gerrymandering in Illinois will not occur prior to the drawing of new maps that will dictate legislative districts for 2022-2032.
For the current 101st General Assembly, I am the chief sponsor of HJRCA 09 and am the chief co-sponsor of HRJCA 10. Both would place a Constitutional Amendment question before voters that would, if approved, take the legislative map-drawing process out of the hands of lawmakers. My HJRCA 09 would replace today’s politically-driven process with a computerized process, and HJRCA 10 would replace today’s unfair system with an independent commission. Both were filed in January of 2019 at the very start of the 101st General Assembly, and both remain in Speaker Madigan’s House Rules Committee. A Democrat from our chamber filed a similar bill (HJRCA 41) more than a year later (Feb. of 2020) and it too remains in the Rules Committee. While I am not a co-sponsor of this latest bill, I whole-heartedly support it.
Make no mistake, I view fair maps as one of the most important issues pending in the General Assembly at this time. I implore the Speaker to allow any one of these three bills to move forward. I will support any of the fair maps bills, regardless of the sponsor.
Stay Home Order Extended to April 30
As you probably know, Governor JB Pritzker has extended the state’s disaster proclamation through April 30. The disaster proclamation provides the governor with the authority to sign additional executive orders, like extending the Stay at Home order and suspending on-site learning in K-12 schools through the month of April.
The extension of the Stay at Home order will continue to permit a range of essential activities that will allow Illinoisans to meet their necessities while maintaining social distance from others. Grocery stores, gas stations, pharmacies and other businesses providing services deemed essential will not close.
Staying at home and social distancing are the paramount strategies for minimizing the spread of COVID-19 in our communities. Every Illinoisan plays a role in ensuring our health care system remains fully operational to treat patients in need of urgent care.
Please remember that those experiencing symptoms should call a health care provider who will help arrange medical treatment without putting others at risk of exposure. Do NOT go straight to a hospital. The Illinois Department of Public Health has a statewide COVID-19 hotline and website to answer any questions from the public or to report a suspected case (1-800-889-3931 or visit IDPH.illinois.gov).
Illinois-Based Abbott Labs to Produce Coronavirus Test with Results in Five Minutes
Among the greatest challenges with slowing the spread of the coronavirus is the length of time it takes between when a test is administered and when results are delivered. Illinois-based Abbott Labs recently received emergency FDA approval for production of a point-of-care coronavirus test that can detect positive case in just five minutes, similar to the timeframe for the doctors’ office rapid strep test. Abbott Labs has the ability to produce 50,000 of these rapid-test kits every day. Click here to learn more about this private sector business that is stepping up in a big way!
Economic Relief Package Passes Congress, Signed into Law as CARES ACT
The President has signed into law a sweeping $2 trillion coronavirus relief package that will provide immediate assistance to many Americans, small businesses and major industries amid the ongoing pandemic.It is the largest economic relief package in U.S. history. To access a detailed Small Business Owner’s Guide to the CARES Act, click here.
A few highlights of what is included in the CARES Act:
Creates a $150 billion Coronavirus Relief Fund for state, local and tribal governments.
Provides $30 billion for an Education Stabilization Fund for states, school districts and institutions of higher education for costs related to the coronavirus.
Provides $45 billion for the Disaster Relief Fund for the immediate needs of state, local, tribal and territorial governments to protect citizens and help them respond and recover from the overwhelming effects of COVID-19.
Provides $1.4 billion for deployments of the National Guard. This level of funding will sustain up to 20,000 members of the National Guard, under the direction of the governors of each state, for the next six months in order to support state and local response efforts.
Provides an additional $4.3 billion, thorough the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to support federal, state and local public health agencies to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus.
Extends the Real ID implementation deadline to Oct. 1, 2021.
Provides $25 billion for transit systems. These funds would be distributed through existing formulas including the Urbanized Area Formula Grants and Formula Grants for Rural Areas using fiscal year 2020 apportionment formulas.
Provides $400 million in election security grants to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus in the 2020 federal election cycle. States must provide an accounting to the Election Assistance Commission of how the funds were spent within 20 days of any 2020 election.
Expands unemployment insurance from three to four months, and provides temporary unemployment compensation of $600 per week, which is in addition to and at the same time as regular state and federal UI benefits.
Establishes a $500 billion lending fund for businesses, cities and states.
Provides a $1,200 direct payment to many Americans and $500 for each dependent child.
Illinois’ share of the $150 billion Coronavirus Relief Fund is estimated to total $4.9 billion, with the State receiving $2.7 billion and local governments receiving $2.2 billion.
State and Federal Measures Provide Assistance and Relief to Small Businesses
There are a variety of low-interest loans and grants available to help offset the impact the coronavirus response is having on our businesses. There has been so much information released about programs and assistance measures, but most of it has been piecemeal. To assist our local small business owners and directors of non-profits, my staff has pulled together a comprehensive list of state and federal programs that have been put in place to provide help during this health crisis. I’m hoping that business leaders can review the list of what’s available, and seek remedies that are most appropriate for them. As always, my staff and I remain available to provide assistance in any way we can. Click here to view the combined list of state and federal small business relief measures.
Commission on Ethics & Lobbying Reform Delays Issuance of Final Report
Late last year I was selected to serve on the Joint Commission on Ethics & Lobbying Reform. As a bipartisan and bicameral group we have held six public meetings, gathered testimony from 38 witnesses (including the current and former Legislative Inspector Generals), and heard input from many stakeholders. Our last meeting was March 5 and at that time we felt we needed to meet as a group at least one more time so we could finalize our report, which was due March 31.
As we adjourned on March 5, none of us could have anticipated the extent to which COVID-19 would interrupt the work of our commission. Because we could not meet in person to finalize our work, we missed the March 31 report deadline. Everyone on the commission is committed to completing our work and producing a thorough document which includes recommendations for ethics reform measures that can be shared with the Governor and General Assembly. We are currently drafting documents and sharing them internally, but we cannot finalize our report until we can meet again as a group.
I will continue to push for a reasonable timeframe for the publication of our final report, and am determined that this commission’s work will not meet the same fate as so many other failed task forces that have come before it. Our Springfield schedule will undoubtedly be truncated this year, but I believe ethics reform must be included in the issues we address when we eventually return to the Capitol.
IDES Taking Steps to Address Unprecedented Volume of Unemployment Claims
Imagine you’re a business owner who relies on a web site and on a phone system to take orders. Now imagine your business experienced a 1,400% increase in web site and phone traffic over the same week the prior year. That’s the stress being felt by the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES), as the department attempts to accommodate unprecedented high numbers of Illinoisans seeking to apply for unemployment benefits.
My office is receiving phone calls and emails from frustrated Illinoisans who are having trouble getting their documents filled out and submitted. I understand that frustration and ask for patience as IDES seeks to accommodate every individual who wants to file a claim.
IDES is taking additional steps to address the unprecedented volume of unemployment benefit claims the department has fielded as a result of COVID-19. These steps include:
The website has been moved to new hardware infrastructure to handle the increased demand
Web, storage, and processing capacity has been increased to meet needs of increased traffic
Methods have been implemented to track COVID-19-related claims
Call center capacity has been increased
Daily call center hours have been extended to respond to those waiting in the queue after closure
Call center staff has been supplemented by 40% to cut down on wait times
Both the website and the call center will continue to be monitored for improvements in functions and abilities
In addition to these measures, IDES is now asking individuals to adhere to an alphabetized schedule when filing an unemployment benefit claim online and over the phone. This process mirrors other states, such as Colorado and New York, who are experiencing increased web traffic and high call volumes with their unemployment benefit systems.
Online Filing Schedule:
Those with last names beginning with letters A-M should file their claims on Sundays, Tuesdays, or Thursdays.
Those with last names beginning with letters N-Z should file their claims on Mondays, Wednesdays, or Fridays.
Saturdays will be available for anyone to accommodate those who could not file during their allotted window.
Call Center Filing Schedule:
Those with last names beginning with letters A-M should call on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 7:30am – 6pm.
Those with last names beginning with letters N-Z should call on Mondays and Wednesdays between 7:30am – 6pm.
Fridays (7:30am – 6pm) will be available for anyone to accommodate those who could not call during their allotted window.
The day or time of day in which a claim is filed will not impact whether you receive benefits or your benefit amount. Additionally, claims will be back-dated to reflect the date in which a claimant was laid-off or let go from their job due to COVID-19.
Illinois Income Tax Filing Deadline Extended
The Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) is following the federal government in providing special tax filing and payment relief to individuals and businesses. The filing deadline for Illinois income tax returns has been extended from April 15, 2020, to July 15, 2020.
These moves do not affect taxpayers who have already filed for tax year 2019. Early filers will be first in line for any tax refunds for which they are eligible. In addition, these moves do not affect that subset of individual income taxpayers who are required to make quarterly estimated payments. These estimated payments will continue to be due on April 15, 2020, and June 30, 2020.
Federal Government Extends REAL ID Deadline for a Year
Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White announced last week that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has extended the federal REAL ID deadline an additional year to Oct. 1, 2021.
Current Illinois driver’s licenses or ID cards will continue to be accepted at airports, military bases and secure federal facilities until Oct. 1, 2021. Once Driver Services facilities reopen, White is suggesting that people who want a REAL ID wait until their current driver’s license or ID card is about to expire before visiting a facility to apply for a REAL ID. For those whose driver’s license or ID card expires after Oct. 1, 2021, and want a REAL ID, they can use their valid U.S. passport or other TSA-acceptable documents to fly domestically until they can renew their current card.
Original source can be found here.
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