HERE IN THE NATION'S
COOLING, AND PLUMBING.
((KEVIN))
NOW ON WCIA 3 NEWS....
SPEAKER MICHAEL MADIGAN MAY
HAVE STEPPED ASIDE IN THE RACE
FOR RE- ELECTION -- FOR NOW.
WHO ELSE IS PUTTING THEIR HAT
INTO THE RING.
((PAUL)) POLICE ARE KEEPING
THEIR EYES ON ONE BILL DURING
THIS SESSION. WHERE CRIMINAL
JUSTICE REFORM STANDS WITH ONE
DAY LEFT.
((JENNIFER)) COVID VACCINES
DON'T MEAN FREEDOM TO THOSE IN
NURSING HOMES. AND THAT'S LEFT
LOVED ONES UPSET.
YOU'RE WATCHING YOUR LOCAL
THREE NEWS AT SIX.
"I GUESS HE DOESN'T HAVE THE
VOTES. I DON'T KNOW." ((PAUL))
WE COULD BE WITNESSING THE
FINAL HOURS OF MICHAEL
MADIGAN'S RECORD RUN AS
SPEAKER OF THE ILLINOIS HOUSE.
GOOD EVENING ... I'M PAUL
CICCHINI. AND I'M JENNIFER
ROSCOE. THE SPEAKER SUSPENDED
HIS CAMPAIGN FOR RE- ELECTION
YESTERDAY -- AND INVITED NEW
CANDIDATES TO JUMP INTO THE
RACE TO REPLACE HIM. OUR
CAPITOL BUREAU CHIEF MARK
MAXWELL IS COVERING THE LATEST
MARK, MADIGAN HAS BEEN THERE
SO LONG, IT'S ALMOST HARD TO
IMAGINE ILLINOIS POLITICS
WITHOUT HIM.
((MARK)) SPEAKER MADIGAN'S
STUNNING DECISION TO SUSPEND
HIS CAMPAIGN FOR RE ELECTION
STILL REVERBERATING THROUGHOUT
THE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS SHOWING
A DEEPENING DIVIDE AND
HEIGHTENED DRAMA RIGHT BEFORE
SPEAKER ON THE FLOOR TOMORROW.
WE'RE SEEING NEW CANDIDATES
EMERGE REPRESENTATIVE CHRIS
WELCH ALREADY JUMPING INTO THE
RACE WITH THE FULL WEIGHT OF
THE BLACK CAUCUS. BUT SPEAKER
MADIGAN'S MOVE TO STEP ASIDE,
JOIN PRAISE FOR MANY OF HIS
LOYAL FOLLOWERS AND SUPPORTERS
IN THE CAUCUS. THEY SAID HIS
MOVE TO PUT THE REST OF THE
PARTY BEFORE HIS OWN POLITICAL
AMBITION SHOWED LEADERSHIP,
SOMETHING THEY'RE LOOKING FOR,
AT THIS VERY MOMENT, PERHAPS
SHOWING THAT MADIGAN'S MOVE
MIGHT HAVE BOUGHT HIM SOME
TIME TO JUMP BACK INTO THE
RACE LATER ON.
REP. LASHAWN FORD (D) CHICAGO
I SAW A LEADER. AND THAT'S WHY
CAUCUS BECAUSE WE KNEW THAT
THE SPEAKER WOULD ALWAYS DO
WHAT'S BEST FOR THE PARTY.
REP. CAROL AMMONS (D) URBANA
IT'S A SIGN OF TRUE
LEADERSHIP. WHEN YOU SAY IF
THERE'S NO PATH FOR ME TO DO
STAND IN THE WAY OF THE
PROGRESS OF THIS CAUCUS.
SPEAKER MADIGAN THE MOST LOYAL
SUPPORTERS STILL RESENTFUL AT
SOME IN THEIR PARTY WHO FORCED
HIM OUT OF THIS RACE AT LEAST
FOR NOW, BUT IT'S GAME ON FOR
REPRESENTATIVE CHRIS WELCH --
WHO WAS SEEN ON THE FLOOR
TALKING WITH HIS ARRIVAL IN
THIS RACE AND WILLIAMS AS THEY
TRYING TO BUILD SUPPORT TO
MAKE THEIR CASE.
((MARK)) COULD ONE OF THEM CUT
A DEAL? COULD NEW CONTENDERS
JUMP IN? WE'RE WATCHING
CLOSED DOORS TONIGHT ONE OF
THEIR FINAL CHANCES BEFORE
WEDNESDAY'S BIG VOTE TO SEE IF
THEY CAN UNITE OR WILL THEY
DIVIDE AND FALL INTO DISARRAY?
REPORTING IN SPRINGFIELD MARK
MAXWELL THANKS MARK.
((JENNIFER)) AS A REMINDER --
MADIGAN HAS SERVED IN THE
ILLINOIS HOUSE SINCE 1971 --
AND HAS HELD THE SPEAKER'S
GAVEL SINCE 1983 -- EXCEPT FOR
TWO YEARS.
((JENNIFER)) THE GOVERNOR
ADDRESSED CONCERNS THIS WEEK
ABOUT POTENTIAL ARMED PROTESTS
F-B-I ISSUED A WARNING THAT
PROTESTS WERE PLANNED FOR ALL
50 STATE CAPITOLS LEADING UP
TO THE INAUGURATION. WHILE
GOVERNOR PRITZKER WOULDN'T GO
INTO DETAILS ABOUT SECURITY
MEASURES -- HE SAYS THEY ARE
PREPARED. "SUFFICE TO SAY THAT
THE THE ISP IS QUITE WELL
AWARE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT
MAY CROP UP, THEY'VE, YOU
KNOW, THEY'VE SEEN THEM, EVEN
LEADING INTO THE SESSION DAYS
HERE. AND THEY WILL WORK YOU
KNOW, WE HAVE A GREAT SECURITY
TEAM FOR THE STATE CONSISTING
OF ALL THREE AGENCY HEADS."
THE GOVERNOR IS SENDING AROUND
200 NATIONAL GUARD MEMBERS TO
WASHINGTON FOR THE
INAUGURATION. THEY'LL JOIN 10
THOUSAND NATIONAL GUARDS
MEMBERS ALREADY THERE. COMING
UP TONIGHT AT TEN -- WE'LL
HAVE MORE ON CONCERNS ABOUT
AT THE STATE CAPITOL -- BUT
AGAINST LAWMAKERS.
((PAUL)) THE LEGISLATIVE BLACK
CAUCUS IN SPRINGFIELD IS
TRYING TO PUSH THROUGH MAJOR
CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND POLICE
REFORMS. BUT WITH A DAY LEFT
IN THE LAME DUCK SESSION ...
THE BILL HAS NOT SEEN A VOTE.
W-C-I-A 3 CAPITOL REPORTER
COLE HENKE IS LIVE IN OUR
CAPITOL NEWSROOM. COLE -- THIS
BILL ISN'T VERY POPULAR WITH
POLICE.
((COLE)) LAW ENFORCEMENT AT
ALL LEVELS HAVE SPOKEN OUT
AGAINST THESE REFORMS FROM THE
BLACK CAUCUS. THEIR BIGGEST
MMUNITY IN THE STATE. THAT
WOULD MAKE OFFICERS
INDIVIDUALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR
THEIR ACTIONS IN THE LINE OF
THE BLACK CAUCUS TO HOLD OFF
ON PUSHING ALL OF THESE
REFORMS THROUGH UNTIL THE NEXT
LEGISLATIVE SESSION STARTS, SO
ABOUT THE ISSUES OUTSIDE
PARTIES HAVE. BUT DEMOCRATS
HAVE SHOWN NO SIGN OF SLOWING
DOWN.
THESE BILLS ARE NOT IN A GOOD
PLACE, AND MY INVITATION TO THE
BLACK CAUCUS THAT THEY HAVE A
WILLING PARTNER TO WORK WITH,
BUT THESE BILLS, SHOULD NOT BE
PASSED ALONG TO THE GOVERNOR
DURING A LAME DUCK SESSION.
THE MASSIVE LEGISLATION FULL
OF BOTH CRIMINAL JUSTICE FIXES
AND CHANGES TO THE WAY
POLICING IS CARRIED OUT IN THE
STATE ISN'T EVEN FINISHED YET.
IN COMMITTEES, MEMBERS OF THE
BLACK CAUCUS HAVE OPENLY
DISCUSSED PARTS OF THE BILL
THAT HAVEN'T BEEN FILED YET.
((COLE)) THOSE INCLUDE
DEFELONIZING THE POSSESSION OF
DRUGS, AND INSTEAD HELPING
PEOPLE FIND SOCIAL PROGRAMS TO
HELP THEM GET OVER ADDICTION.
THE MASSIVE LEGISLATION FULL
OF BOTH CRIMINAL JUSTICE FIXES
AND CHANGES TO THE WAY POLICING
IS CARRIED OUT IN THE STATE
ISN'T EVEN FINISHED YET. IN
BLACK CAUCUS HAVE OPENLY
DISCUSSED PARTS OF THE BILL
THAT HAVEN'T BEEN FILED YET.
((COLE)) THOSE INCLUDE
DEFELONIZING THE POSSESSION OF
DRUGS, AND INSTEAD HELPING
PEOPLE FIND SOCIAL PROGRAMS TO
HELP THEM GET OVER ADDICTION.
((PAUL)) ALSO OUT OF THE
STATEHOUSE... THE HOUSE AND
SENATE PASSED A BILL THAT
CHANGES RULES FOR SCHOOLS OVER
INCREASE GRADUATION
REQUIREMENTS FOR HIGH SCHOOL
STUDENTS TO INCLUDE CLASSES
THAT COLLEGES ARE LOOKING FOR,
LIKE FOREIGN LANGUAGE AND STEM
AND IT ADDS BLACK HISTORY TO
CURRICULUMS.
((PAUL)) DECATUR POLICE ARE
INVESTIGATING AFTER A MAN WAS
SHOT LAST NIGHT AT A GAS
STATION. IT HAPPENED AT EAST
WILLIAM NEAR NORTH LAKE SHORE
JUST BEFORE MIDNIGHT. POLICE
YEAR OLD MAN -- WAS A CUSTOMER
AT THE GAS DEPOT. HE WAS FOUND
INSIDE THE BUILDING WITH
SEVERAL GUNSHOT WOUNDS THAT
SENT HIM TO THE HOSPITAL. HIS
NAME HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED AND
A RANDOM SHOOTING. IF YOU HAVE
ANY INFORMATION -- CONTACT
CRIME STOPPERS.
((JENNIFER)) SWITCHING NOW TO
THE LATEST ON THE CORONAVIRUS
-- THE STATE'S POSITIVITY RATE
CONTINUES TO DROP. IT IS NOW
AT 8 POINT 6 PERCENT. BUT NEW
CASES ARE UP TODAY -- WITH
MORE THAN 66 HUNDRED REPORTED
-- INCLUDING 117 MORE DEATHS.
IN REGION THREE -- WEST OF
MACON COUNTY -- 74 PERCENT OF
I-C-U BEDS ARE BEING USED. IN
REGION SIX -- THE EASTERN PART
OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS-- IT'S AT
64 PERCENT.
((PAUL)) STUDENTS AT OAKWOOD
LEARNING UNTIL THE END OF THE
WEEK. AFTER A TEACHER RECEIVED
A POSITIVE COVID TEST ...
OTHER TEACHERS HAD TO
QUARANTINE. IT CAUSED A
TEACHER SHORTAGE. THE DISTRICT
HOPES STUDENTS CAN RETURN TO
THE CLASSROOM BY JANUARY 19TH.
"OUR STAFF I JUST COMMEND THEM
BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN VERY
DILIGENT ABOUT MAKING SURE
THAT WE'RE CONSISTENT AT
FOLLOWING THE GUIDELINES RIGHT
NOW." THE DISTRICT WILL
CONTINUE ITS FOOD DISTRIBUTION
FOR STUDENTS DURING THIS TIME.
((PAUL)) A SCHOOL DISTRICT IS
DELAYING ITS RETURN TO IN-
PUBLIC SCHOOLS SAID INSTEAD OF
GOING BACK JANUARY 19TH ...
THE DATE HAS BEEN PUSHED TO
FEBRUARY 8TH. THE DISTRICT
SAYS ... THE BUS SERVICE IT
USES DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH
DRIVERS TO SAFELY CARRY
STUDENTS.
((ROSCOE)) ONE SCHOOL ISN'T
CANCER ALONE. HOW THEY'RE
HELPING HER IN HER FIGHT.
((PAUL)) ALSO TONIGHT -- OLDER
PEOPLE ARE GETTING VACCINATED
AGAINST COVID-19. WHY SOME SAY
... THAT MEANS RULES NEED TO
((KEVIN))