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State Journal-Register: Redistricting hearing focuses on Springfield's east side; Senate GOP scrutinize testimony
Illinois state senators heard from members of Springfield’s east side community on what lawmakers should know about Springfield as they tackle the redistricting process.
The hearing was open to any members of the public wishing to share their thoughts with lawmakers. Four witnesses testified Friday asking lawmakers not to change the legislative boundaries in Springfield to protect communities of interest.
WBEZ: ‘Nobody Seemed To Know What To Do’: Blistering Report Outlines Illinois’ Failure To Protect Vets From Deadly COVID Outbreak
An internal watchdog report blamed “inadequate leadership” in Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration, including a former agency director who “abdicated” her duties, for a COVID-19 outbreak last fall at the state-run LaSalle Veterans’ Home that killed dozens of residents.
The long-awaited report by the acting inspector general of the Illinois Department of Human Services, Peter Neumer, revealed a lack of preparation, poor communication and training and an ignorance of proper infectious-disease protocols that combined to create one of the deadliest COVID-19 outbreaks in the state.
Chicago Tribune: Illinois attorney general’s office was warned about weak cybersecurity before ransomware attack
A state audit released earlier this year warned that Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office had a “weaknesses in cybersecurity” that potentially left sensitive information on the agency’s computer network “susceptible to cyberattacks and unauthorized disclosure.”
Three weeks ago, a hack resulted in data being stolen from the attorney’s office in a ransomware attack, Raoul acknowledged in a statement Thursday.
Injustice Watch: 3 takeaways from the state’s investigation into special ed at Chicago’s juvenile jail
In late March, the Illinois State Board of Education quietly completed a monthslong investigation into Chicago Public Schools’ alleged failure to provide required special education services to students inside the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center. Injustice Watch recently obtained a copy of a report detailing the state’s findings that gives a rare look at the experiences of special education students locked up in the facility during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The state’s 36-page report corroborates some of the allegations by attorneys at Equip for Equality and Legal Aid Chicago, who had filed a complaint alleging that services were “essentially halted” for special education students at Nancy B. Jefferson Alternative School during the pandemic.
NPR St. Louis: Here’s What Needs To Happen For Illinois To Move To The Next Reopening Phase
Gov. J.B. Pritkzer said Illinois could soon loosen COVID-19 restrictions if the state continues to see a drop in cases and hospitalizations.
To move into a “bridge phase” toward full reopening, the state needed to meet two measurements: 70% of residents 65 and older had to receive their first COVID-19 vaccine dose, and hospitalizations, COVID-19 illnesses and deaths had to see no significant increase over 28 days.