It’s a year out from the Illinois gubernatorial election and Republicans vying for the job hope there’s momentum from the Republican victory in Virginia Tuesday.
Virginians elected their first Republican governor in 12 years by picking Glenn Youngkin over Democrat Terry McAuliffe. Analysts across the country say that could signal a trend giving Republicans an advantage heading into the November 2022 midterm elections. That’s also when Illinoisans cast votes for governor.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a first-term Democrat who unseated former Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner in 2018, is up for reelection next year.
Four Republicans are vying for the GOP nomination. The primary is in June.
State Sen. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia, said the outcome in Virginia signals changes.
“I think we saw parents that are sick and tired of government telling them how to protect their children, how to teach their children,” Bailey said.
One of the major issues in the Virginia race was how school districts are handling certain curriculum touching on issues of race and other school policies.
Businessman Gary Rabine said voters in Virginia rejected far-left policies and he expects Illinoisans will do the same next year.
“While Pritzker was not on the ballot in Virginia, his far-left views were,” Rabine said in a statement. “Voters in Virginia rejected woke politics and I am confident voters in Illinois will do the same.”
Former state Sen. Paul Schimpf, R-Waterloo, said Youngkin’s victory bolsters his proposed Illinois Parents’ Bill of Rights.
“Illinoisans are fed up with corrupt, partisan politics and the blue-red divide and just want to know that their communities are safe, the economy is strong, and they can give their kids the best possible future,” Schimpf said in a statement.
Venture capitalist Jesse Sullivan’s campaign said Youngkin’s win shows Illinoisans they can move beyond an era of high taxes, high crime and self-interested career politicians.
“[M]others and fathers and people from all walks of life stood up and spoke loudly against a government that has reached into their homes, their schools, and their lives,” a Sullivan spokesperson said in an email. “Leadership is about prioritization, and time and time again, J.B. Pritzker and the radical legislature has prioritized virtue signaling and personal aspirations over the lives and livelihoods of working people.”
And while Illinois’ gubernatorial election isn't for another 12 months, Bailey said the momentum from Youngkin's win in Virginia will persist, especially after the recent veto session where Illinois Democrats passed controversial legislation.
“I don’t think anyone is going to forget this anytime soon,” Bailey said. “I think momentum, yes, will build and it’s going to build even much more than it did in Virginia.”
Messages seeking reaction from Pritzker’s campaign and the Democratic Party of Illinois were not returned.
Illinois Colleges See Enrollment Dip
In what was expected to be a bounce back year for college enrollment in Illinois, more students opted out.
According to a report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, undergraduate enrollment is down 1.1% this fall compared to last year, and down 8.1% compared to the fall of 2019.
Nationwide, fewer students went back to school this year, dropping undergraduate enrollment down another 3.2% from last year. Combined with last autumn’s declines, the number of undergraduate students in college is now down 6.5% compared to two years ago making it the largest two-year enrollment drop in the last 50 years, the report found.
Some Illinois universities reported big numbers with the incoming freshman class, but many undergraduates decided not to come back to campus.
Northern Illinois University in DeKalb reported the largest year-over-year increase in freshman in more than 20 years. However, overall enrollment for the fall semester at NIU was down 3% from last year.
Sol Jensen, vice president for enrollment management at Northern Illinois University, said a lot of prospective sophomores didn’t come back.
“Those students who were first-year students last year were never really connected to the campus,” Jensen said. “They basically spent the entire first year of their NIU career virtual. They didn’t get a chance to meet with professors or meet with classmates.”
Jensen said the school has been making an effort to reconnect with those students and helping them re-enroll.
Eastern Illinois University saw enrollment gains for three years before the pandemic. With enrollment numbers down this year, the school has implemented the Local Scholars Program. Families that make less than $100,000 and live within a 50-mile radius of campus can qualify for free tuition for 4 years.
"What really makes this program special is that it does reach those middle class families and provides them with an avenue for an incredible education to be accessible,” said Josh Norman, associate vice president for enrollment at EIU.
It is a different story for the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. With a freshman enrollment of more 8,000, the total enrollment is now 56,299, the largest in school history. Now university officials are considering reducing enrollment in the future.
“Next year, in order to ensure that we are maintaining our undergraduate enrollment within the bounds of university resources, we are planning to intentionally reduce our target by approximately 600 students to be more in line with previous years,” Director of Undergraduate Admissions Andy Borst said in a statement.
Overall, community colleges in Illinois saw slight declines in enrollment numbers, although not as drastic as in 2020. The 2021 Fall Enrollment report for community colleges shows a total enrollment throughout Illinois was down 1.5% compared to close to a 14% drop in 2020.
The data showed 17 Illinois community colleges reported enrollment increases in Fall 2021 compared to just three for the 2020 fall semester.
Steve Fast, director of public information at Heartland Community College in Normal, said fall enrollment was up 2.5% in headcount and there was a 9.1% increase new students.
“To see an increase in new students following a challenging year dealing with COVID-19 is very encouraging,” Fast said. “Many community colleges throughout the country are still struggling with the impact that COVID has had on enrollment. We hope to see more new students in the Spring and Fall of 2022.”
Illinois Closer To Licensing Midwives
Midwives, who provide care to clients throughout a low-risk pregnancy, are on the verge on being licensed in Illinois.
Currently, only midwives with nursing degrees are legally permitted to practice in Illinois. Legislation would allow some certified professional midwives who are not nurses to apply for a license, a move that would allow them to provide care without fear of breaking the law.
Nurse-midwives who have dual certification can supervise births in Illinois, but the practice of midwifery has been illegal since 1992.
Rachel Wickersham, past president of the Illinois Council of Certified Professional Midwives, said she has been fighting for such recognition for two decades. She said if signed into law, the legislation will make at-home births safer.
“It also allows a professional midwife to fill out birth certificates and file legal documents,” Wickersham said. “It allows them to have access legally to things like oxygen and anti-hemorrhage medication, something that is part of what makes home births safe.”
But home births attended by midwives under the legislation would not be eligible for Medicaid coverage, as least for the time being. Wickersham said that stipulation may be rectified with a separate measure.
“It has always been our full intention because we recognize that the families who need this care the most are families who don’t necessarily have the means to pay out of pocket or do not have private insurance,” Wickersham said.
State Sen. Cristina Castro, D-Elgin, who sponsored the bill in the Senate, plans to push for Medicaid coverage when the legislature is back in session in the spring.
If Gov. J.B. Pritzker signs it into law, licensing will go into effect in October 2022.
WCHD Plans Mass Vaccination Clinics
The Wabash County Health Department is holding two mass COVID vaccination clinics this month at Parkview Christian Church to administer the Moderna booster. 700 individuals are scheduled to receive the booster shot during the first clinic next Tuesday. Because of the overwhelming response to the first clinic, a second clinic is set for November 16th starting at 8am. Administrator Judy Wissel said anyone wanting either the Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson and Johnson boosters, or the third dose for immunocompromised, can call the health department to schedule.
County Board Okays 5 Year Contract With FOP
The Wabash County Board of Commissioners has approved a new five year contract with the Fraternal Order of Police that covers the county’s deputies and corrections officers. Under terms of the new contract, the eight FOP members will receive a 3% raise in each of the 5 years, accumulated comp time will go from 32 to 40 hours, and $2,500 in COVID-related hazard pay for each of the next three years. Sheriff Derek Morgan said the contract was a good one for both the county and the FOP.
Wabash District #348 School Board Agenda
WABASH COMMUNITY UNIT SCHOOLS BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING
MT. CARMEL GRADE SCHOOL CAFETORIUM
Monday, November 8, 2021
Regular Board Meeting- 7:00 P.M.
Agenda
1. Call to order / Roll call
2. Pledge of Allegiance
3. Consent Agenda
a. Board Minutes
i. October 18, 2021 Regular Meeting
b. Monthly Bills
c. Financial Reports
d. Correspondence
e. Administrative Reports
4. Reports – Academic Pre-K
a. Jake Newkirk and the MCES Kindergarten Team
5. Executive Session pursuant to Section 2(c)(1) of the Open Meetings Act: “The appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees”.
6. New Business
a. Tax Levy 2021 Payable in 2022
b. Employment of Personnel
7. Adjournment
Princeton woman arrested for driving on a suspended license
On November 2, 2021, at 11:12 a.m. Gibson County Deputy Jennifer Robb conducted a traffic stop at Ohio and Prince Street on a Silver Ford Taurus after observing that the license plate did not match the vehicle. Upon approaching the vehicle Deputy Robb identified the driver as 48-year-old Nicole Settle of Princeton. During a roadside investigation Deputy Robb ran Ms. Settle through the Indiana Data And Communications System and discovered that her license status was listed suspended on a prior conviction. At that point Deputy Robb placed Ms. Settle into custody and transported her to the Gibson County Jail where she was charged with Driving While Suspended/Prior. She has since posted a $650 bond.
All Criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Ordinance Proposed To Hold Owners Responsible For Deteriorated Buildings
Mt. Carmel Mayor Joe Judge has introduced an ordinance that he hopes will help cut down the exposure the city faces when a commercial building fails to keep up their property. At yesterday’s city council meeting, Judge said the city has spent too much money demolishing dilapidated properties—specifically the former Market Street properties including the Walters buildings in the 500 block; the former Hadley’s Café in the 400 block, and the former Warren building in the 300 block. According to Judge, demolition of those buildings cost the city tens of thousands of dollars apiece. Under his proposal, the mayor said the city will no longer be responsible for buildings that either fall into disrepair or are the victim of a fire. He placed the blame on the issue on out of state insurance carriers who ultimately leave it up to the city to pay for the demolition. Judge said since there’s only so much money the city has at its’ disposal, it’s time for the council to take action to prevent future issues and expenditures. No details were offered on the parameters of the occupancy ordinance that Judge floated last night.
Mt. Carmel Road Work Update
Crews were busy yesterday paving the 100 blocks of East and West 5th Street as the FAU project ramped up. Mayor Joe Judge said the paving work will shift today to Oak Street beginning at the Oak Street and College Drive intersection and work south toward 9th Street. It’s hoped the Oak Street paving work can be completed this week. City Clerk Ryan Turner also said sewer work today on Pear Street will cause streets closures between 6th and 7th Streets.
Wabash County COVID Numbers Show Sharp Improvement In October
COVID numbers in Wabash County continue to improve. At yesterday’s Wabash County Board of Commissioners meeting, health department administrator Judy Wissel reported a total of 101 positive cases in Wabash County during the month of October. That’s about one-third of the 311 cases reported in September. Last month, there was one COVID positive death compared to 7 in September. Currently, Wissel said there are 9 individuals in isolation and 18 in quarantine. A month ago, there were 73 in isolation and 131 in quarantine. The county’s current positivity rate is down to 1.2%. She said the health department continues to test for COVID daily between 11 and 3.