Taylor Avery

Gov. J.B. Pritzker hasn’t held a news conference on COVID-19 in three months, but his office says the governor and his public health team remain on top of the situation. Experts aren’t sure more briefings would help, given how tired many are of hearing about the virus.
The optional buyouts — designed to save taxpayers money in the long haul — would be paid for by an additional $1 billion in general obligation bonds.
Last November — months before Irvin even entered the race — Griffin pledged to go “all in” to support a candidate who can beat the Democratic incumbent.
Republican foes blasted many of the measures that were approved by Democratic supermajorities, dismissing the package of mostly temporary tax cuts as an attempt to buy votes with one-time checks.
In their 16-minute news conference, Pritzker and the Democratic leaders never mentioned the amount of overall spending called for in the budget plan, which had not yet been filed. Late Thursday, the governor’s office said they expected it to fall between $46 billion and $47 billion.
The tax relief in the plan announced by Illinois House Majority Leader Greg Harris falls squarely in the middle of the $1 billion in cuts Gov. J.B. Pritzker highlighted in his February budget proposal and the $1.8 billion that state Senate Democrats pitched last week.
With just days before the General Assembly is set to adjourn, it was the latest Democratic effort meant to address rising crime — a problem prominent in many residents’ minds and in Republican campaign ads.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker had proposed $1 billion in tax relief when he outlined his ambitious $45.4 billion budget proposal in February. Citing unspecified “additional resources,” state Senate Democrats want to increase the election year largesse.
But does ballot position matter? Some experts say no. “It’s tradition. It’s part of the summer camp aspect of campaigning,” said political science professor Christopher Mooney. “But does it have an impact on average? No, it doesn’t. But again, in an individual case, who’s to say?”