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2018 Archives: This Week's Bulletin: April 8 - April 14, 2019 CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 324-5555
Mayor Rahm Emanuel D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300
April 12: Criticized President Trump for his proposal to release migrants detained at the border into sanctuary cities, stating that “President Trump fails to understand is that America is a sanctuary country”
COOK COUNTY BOARD President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400
[No News]
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Curtis Tarver (D–District 25) ~ call your state rep!
[No News]
Senator Robert Peters (D–District 13) ~ call your state senator!
[No News]
Governor JB Pritzker (D–IL) ~ call your governor!
April 7: Signed a bill raising the legal age for purchasing tobacco products to 21
April 12: Signed a bill which bans local governments from establishing right to work zones,prohibiting legislation barring employers and labor organizations from signing contracts that require workers to join unions
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400
[No News]
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
April 10: Introduced the National Origin-Based Antidiscrimination for Nonimmigrants Act which would repeal the Trump administration ban on travel from six middle eastern and northern African nations
April 10: Announced $250,000 in federal funding to assist development of minority-owned businesses in Chicago
April 12: Introduced, along with Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), the Vaccines Save Lives resolution that recognizes the importance of vaccines in the United States
Senator Richard Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952
April 10: Joined 42 other senators in requesting at least $400 million in funding to support local law enforcement
April 11: Called on Amtrak to continue service to and from rural communities in Illinois, among proposed changes that could impact service in these communities
President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your president! (202) 456-1414
Apr 9: Refused to release his tax returns for Congressional review, citing an ongoing audit
Apr 10: Told reporters he plans to send more military personnel to the United States’ border with Mexico in an attempt to address rising number of illegal immigrant apprehensions
Apr 13: Asserted exclusive executive authority over pipelines and similar infrastructure in a series of executive orders aimed at supporting the Keystone XL pipeline and other similar projects
March 17 - April 7, 2019
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 324-5555
Apr 6: Leads challenger William Calloway by 151 votes with ballots still being counted
March 21: Pled guilty to one count of wire fraud; his sentencing will take place on June 20
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300
March 29: Cut the ribbon on the newly renovated Belmont CTA Blue Line station
April 4: Announced an expansion to the safe passage program, which aims to allow youth to safely travel to school and extracurricular programming, to year round service
April 5: Defended Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, arguing that she should not resign over her office’s decision to drop charges against Jussie Smollett
COOK COUNTY BOARD President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400
Apr 5: Lost all 50 wards to Lori Lightfoot in the runoff for Chicago Mayor
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Curtis Tarver (D–District 25) ~ call your state rep!
March 27: Voted against repealing the statewide ban on rent control
Senator Robert Peters (D–District 13) ~ call your state senator!
April 4: The Illinois Senate passed proposed bill to create a stipend program for apprenticeships--this plan would require the state to provide a stipend to people entering apprenticeship programs to defer some of the costs
Governor JB Pritzker (D–IL) ~ call your governor!
March 22: Announced, along with Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel, a Chicago expansion of full day pre-kindergarten as a part of increased state investment in childhood education
March 28: Released data predicting how his proposed progressive tax plan would impact taxpayers
April 1: Signed a bill that will allow most young adults serving long prison sentences to be eligible for a parole review after serving 10 years
April 5: Announced that Illinois’s medicaid policy will be changed to cover sex reassignment surgery
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400
April 4: Expressed his support of the passage of the Protecting Consumer Access to Generic Drugs Act of 2019, which would prevent drug companies from paying competitors to keep generic drugs off the market
April 6: Criticized Chicago’s Fraternal Order of Police, claiming that the union is “the sworn enemy of black people”
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
March 27: Sent a letter, along with Senator Durbin, to EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler requesting information on the EPA’s treatment of ethylene oxide (a carcinogen) emissions at the Illinois Sterigenics plant
April 4: Reintroduced three bills: a visa program that would allow deported veterans to return to the U.S. as permanent residents and provide them assistance to become U.S. citizens. Another would grant deported veterans with injuries sustained during their service permission to re-enter the U.S. for medical care from a VA facility. The last one would identify noncitizen members of the military and “fast track” their applications for naturalization.
April 7: Signed a letter condemning the President’s plan to cut national security funding to El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras
Senator Richard Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952
April 1: Introduced, along with 19 other Senators, the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit Enhancement Act which would expand the child and dependent care tax credit to include more households and increase the maximum tax credit provided
April 2: Introduced a constitutional amendment to abolish the electoral college and replace it with direct election through the popular vote
April 3: Voted, along with Senator Duckworth, in favor of a Senate resolution to maintain protections for people with pre-existing conditions under the Affordable Care Act
April 4: Introduced the Affordable College Textbook Act which would create a grant program to expand the creation of open use textbooks
President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your president! (202) 456-1414
March 21: Signed an executive order mandating that US colleges that receive federal research funding must support free speech on campus
March 26: Signed an executive order dedicated to improving national resilience to electromagnetic-pulses
March 30: Announced that the State Department is cutting off “stabilizing” aid to El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras
April 4: Recommended Herman Cain and Stephen Moore to fill the two vacancies on the Federal Reserve Board, while also calling on the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates
March 3 - March 10, 2019
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 324-5555
March 5: Scheduled to plead guilty on March 21 to 15 counts of federal corruption offenses
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300
March 7: Cut the ribbon the new Jewel Osco grocery store at 61st street and Cottage Grove
COOK COUNTY BOARD President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400
[No News]
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Curtis Tarver (D–District 25) ~ call your state rep!
[No News]
Senator Robert Peters (D–District 13) ~ call your state senator!
[No News]
Governor JB Pritzker (D–IL) ~ call your governor!
March 8: Released the new tax brackets for his proposal to replace the current 4.95 percent flat tax with a graduated income tax; his proposal would raise taxes for those earning above $250,000 to as high as 7.95 percent, increasing annual revenues by $3.4 billion
March 8: Signed a bill creating a $55 million fund for “critical access hospitals”
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400
March 6: Introduced a bill intended to increase access to medications by prohibiting a practice that can delay generic drugs from entering consumer markets
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
March 6: Vowed to push for reform that would improve the way that the Military handles sexual assault
March 8: Re-Introduced the Military Widow’s Tax elimination Act of 2019, which will help more the 65,000 military widows and widowers across the country access full survivor military benefits
March 8: Re-Introduced legislation aimed at overhauling the existing Child Tax Credit to support middle class families. The new bill would create a new $300 per month, per child credit for children under 6-years old and a $250 per-month, per-child credit for children under 17.
Senator Richard Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952
March 5: Called on the Federal Highway Administration to release new funding for risk-based bridge repair--this funding was secured in the recently passed appropriations bill
March 6: Reintroduced the Debt-Free College Act which would give states incentives to increase their investments in public higher education
March 7: Sent a letter to President Trump, along with twenty-three other senators, calling on him to designate Venezuela for Temporary Protected Status--this would ensure that Venezuelan nationals in the United States would not be forced to return to Venezuela for the time being
President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your president! (202) 456-1414
March 6:Signed an executive order removing Obama-era mandates for collecting statistics on drone strikes
March 6: Signed an executive order aimed at reducing suicides among veterans
February 24-March 3, 2019
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 324-5555
Feb 25: Announced that a Shop & Save Market will open at Jeffery Plaza, 2101 E. 71st St; bringing a full service grocery store to an area that has lacked one since 2013
Feb 26: Earned 48% of the vote in her bid for reelection against two other candidates; she will face a runoff against challenger Will Calloway
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300
Feb 27: Announced the final recommendations of the Mayoral Task Force on Employment and Economic Opportunity for People with Disabilities
March 1: Released statement on the appointment of independent monitor Maggie Hickey to oversee police reforms in accordance with the Chicago police consent decree
COOK COUNTY BOARD President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400
Feb 26: Placed second in the Chicago Mayoral election, putting her into an April 2 runoff against Lori Lightfoot
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Curtis Tarver (D–District 25) ~ call your state rep!
[No News]
Senator Robert Peters (D–District 13) ~ call your state senator!
[No News]
Governor JB Pritzker (D–IL) ~ call your governor!
Feb 25: Proposed ending a private school tax credit in follow-up to budget speech
Feb 26: Called for removing the cap on federal Salt and Local Tax deduction imposed by legislators as part of President Trump’s overall, joining a coalition of governors
Feb 27: Faced a threat of a possible credit downgrade for his proposed budget, which relies on instating a graduated-rate income tax, as well as legalizing and taxing marijuana
Feb 28: Appointed new members to the Illinois Tollway Board, including an engineer union leader
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400
Feb 27: Lauded House approval of firearm background check legislation
Feb 27: Lauded House approval of a measure to terminate President Trump’s US-Mexico border emergency declaration
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
Mar Feb 26: Introduced the Breast Cancer Patient Equity Act, which would expand medicare coverage to cover breast prosthetics for breast cancer patients and survivors
Feb 28: Re-Introduced the PROVE Act, which would allow 16 and 17 year old citizens to pre-register to vote so that they will automatically be added to voter rolls when they turn 18.
Mar 1: Penned a letter, along with Senator Durbin, calling on Amtrak to take steps to prevent equipment failures after a computer system failure created delays and overcrowding in Chicago’s Union Station.
Senator Richard Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952
Feb 26: Proposed legislation, along with Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), to address waste from excess prescription drug packaging
Feb 27: Voted against President Trump’s EPA nominee Andrew Wheeler
Feb 27: Succeeded in getting the Department of Education to withdraw funding from Argosy University, which had been defrauding students
President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your president! (202) 456-1414
March 3: Concluded a summit with Kim Jong Un in Vietnam without reaching an agreement on nuclear weapons reduction
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Week: February 17-24, 2019
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 324-5555 ELECTION 2/26 [running]
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300ELECTION 2/26 [retiring]
[No News]
COOK COUNTY BOARD President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400
[No News]
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Curtis Tarver (D–District 25) ~ call your state rep!
[No News]
Senator Robert Peters (D–District 13) ~ call your state senator!
[No News]
Governor JB Pritzker (D–IL) ~ call your governor!
Feb 19: Signed into law a $15 minimum wage increase that will take effect in 2025
Feb 20: Proposed legalizing sports betting and marijuana during his budget address
Feb 21: Urged the general assembly to pass graduated income tax legislation before the summer recess; the proposal would require voter approval in the 2020 election
Feb 22: Proposed a five-cent bag tax to help balance the budget
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400
[No News]
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
Feb 18: Declared her support forstriking Chicago charter school teachers who demanded pay raises, shorter work schedules and class-size limits
Feb 19: Introduced the Korematsu-Takai Civil Liberties Protection Act of 2019 which would prevent forcible incarceration based on race or religion
Feb 22: Called on the EPA to prevent a company in Southeast Chicago from releasing neurotoxic chemicals
Senator Richard Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952
Feb 19: Called on the Department of Education’s Office of Inspector General to investigate title IV funds which allegedly have not been paid to students
President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your president! (202) 456-1414
Feb 19: Signed an executive order supporting the development of artificial intelligence
Week: February 10-17, 2019
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 324-5555
Feb 12 --Secured an agreement from Shop and Save to build a grocery store in the South Shore lot vacated by a Dominick’s grocery store in 2013.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300
Feb 15 -- Announced plans for an expansion of Google operations in Chicago
Feb 14 -- Released ‘Resilient Chicago’ strategy plan featuring a commitment to 100% renewable energy for Chicago buildings by 2035
COOK COUNTY BOARD President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400
[No News]
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Curtis Tarver (D–District 25) ~ call your state rep!
Feb 14 -- Voted in favor of a bill that would raise the minimum wage in Illinois to $15 per hour; the bill passed the Illinois House; it will now head to Governor Pritzker’s desk
Senator Robert Peters (D–District 13) ~ call your state senator!
[No News]
Governor JB Pritzker (D–IL) ~ call your governor!
Feb 14 -- Published a plan to address Illinois’s $134 billion pension debt without reducing benefits; the plan includes selling state assets, among other measures
Feb 15 -- Ordered the shutdown of the Willowbrook Sterigenics plant over evidence of cancer-causing levels of Methylene-Oxide emissions
Feb 16 -- Appointed another person to lead the state veterans affairs agency following the resignation of his initial pick after just two weeks on the job
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400
[No News]
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
Feb 12 -- Introduced, along with senator Durbin, legislation to that would establish a paid medical and family leave program
Feb 12 -- Introduced, along with Senator Durbin, legislation that would fully reinstate the state and local tax deduction, which the 2017 tax law capped at $10,000
Feb 14 -- Voted in favor of legislation that would make lynching a federal crime
Feb 14 -- Voted against confirming William Barr as Attorney General
Feb 15 -- Criticized President Trump’s decision to declare a national emergency to secure funding for a border wall
Senator Richard Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952
Feb 11 -- Introduced the Forcing Limits on Abusive and Tumultuous (FLAT) Prices Act, which would shorten monopoly periods for drugs if their prices significantly increase
Feb 13-- Introduced, along with Senator Duckworth, the Medicare at 50 Act, which would allow people between the ages of 50 and 64 to voluntarily buy into medicare
Feb 14 -- Voted against confirming William Barr as Attorney General
Feb 15 -- Criticized President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency at the US-Mexican border
President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your president! (202) 456-1414
Feb 15 -- Signed a bipartisan spending compromise, averting a government shutdown; the compromise included $1.375 billion for fencing along 55 miles of the US-Mexico border
Feb 16 --Declared a national emergency at the US-Mexican border in order to repurpose billions of dollars in funding towards border wall construction, provoking legal challenges
Week: February 4-10, 2019
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 324-5555
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300
Feb 5 -- Announced a summer reading initiative for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students which will be founded by Success Bound, a non-profit, as well as private donors
Feb 6 -- Announced that over $14 million in investments will go towards libraries in the South and West sides of the city
COOK COUNTY BOARD President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400
[No News*]
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Curtis Tarver (D–District 25) ~ call your state rep!
Feb 6 -- Appointed to the Elementary and Secondary Education Appropriations Committee, as well as the Civil Judiciary Committee
Feb 8 -- Announced the creation of a youth advisory committee for residents between the ages of 18-24 to give input in policy decisions
Senator Robert Peters (D–District 13) ~ call your state senator!
Feb 4 -- Announced a listening tour within the 13th senate district to meet and speak with constituents
Feb 6 -- Appointed to the Criminal Law, Financial Institutions, and Veterans Affairs committees
Governor JB Pritzker (D–IL) ~ call your governor!
Feb 7-- Obtained approval of the Illinois senate on a bill enacting one of his key priorities: raising the state minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2025
Feb 8-- Initiated efforts to persuade Amazon to build a campus in Chicago
Feb 8 -- Published report indicating that the state’s FY 2020 budget deficit would be larger than expected, approximately $3.2 billion
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400
Feb 6 -- Appointed to the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the chairmanship of the Energy subcommittee
Feb 8 -- Lauded an energy jobs training bill that he hopes will pass
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
Feb 6 -- “Appointed to the Armed Services, Commerce, Science and Transportation, Environment and Public Works and Small Business and Entrepreneurship committees”
Feb 7 -- Introduced legislation which would expand tax credits for employers who hire disabled employees
Feb 8 -- Introduced bipartisan legislation which would provide more resources and care to survivors of military sexual trauma
Senator Richard Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952
Feb 6 -- Met with the top Venezuelan diplomat to the U.S. appointed under interim President Juan Guaidó, reaffirming his support for President Guaidó’s plans to hold open elections
Feb 8-- Appointed as ranking Democratic member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee
President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your president! (202) 456-1414
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300
Jan 30 --Used emergency powers to force landlords to repair broken heating systems amidst record-low temperatures
Feb 1 --Obtained approval from a federal judge for Chicago’s consent decree, which brings reform to the Chicago Police Department ; an independent monitor will be appointed to ensure it is implemented smoothly
COOK COUNTY BOARD President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400
[No News]*
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Curtis Tarver (D–District 25) ~ call your state rep!
[No News*]
Senator Robert Peters (D–District 13) ~ call your state senator!
[No News*]
Governor JB Pritzker (D–IL) ~ call your governor!
Jan 29 -- Declared a state of emergency as temperatures fell to record lows mid-week
Jan 31 -- Appointed new leaders for two state agencies whose purview includes the Quincy veterans home
Jan 31 -- Filled 5 vacant positions on the University of Illinois board with his appointees
Feb 1 -- Signed an executive order emphasizing state Health Department HIV prevention efforts
Feb 2 -- Announced that, in addition to raising the minimum wage, balancing the budget will be a top priority; this may be difficult to achieve without significant changes given Pritzker’s spending commitments
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
Jan 28 -- Joined 29 other Senators in a bipartisan letter urging the U.S. Office of Personnel Management to provide federal employees with back pay as soon as possible
Jan 29 -- Introduced, along with Senator Tom Carper (D-DE), the EPA Special Hiring Authority Transparency Act which would increase transparency in EPA hiring and salary raises
Jan 31 -- Voted with the majority of the senate to advance legislation that expresses disapproval of President Trump’s decision to remove military forces from Syria and Afghanistan
Senator Richard Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952
Jan 31 -- Introduced legislation to increase storage security requirements for federally-licensed gun dealers
Feb 1 --Penned an article in USA Today extolling the promise of Venezuela’s opposition government
Feb 1 -- Introduced legislation attempting to disincentivize prescription drug price spikes
President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your president! (202) 456-1414
Jan 31 -- Signed an executive order to strengthen “Buy American” requirements on infrastructure projects
Feb 2 -- Suspended the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty amidst a diplomatic stand-off with Russia; the INF treaty has prohibited nuclear-tipped cruise missiles on the European continent since 1987
Week: January 7-13, 2019
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 324-5555
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300
Jan 22 -- Condemned the Trump Administration ban on transgender troops serving in the military
Jan 25 -- Announced environmental protections targeting the handling of bulk solid materials like manganese
COOK COUNTY BOARD President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400
Jan 22 -- Removed prospective mayoral candidate (and current Circuit Court Clerk) Dorothy Brown from the ballot after successfully challenging the validity of the signatures on her petition to run
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Curtis Tarver (D–District 25) ~ call your state rep!
[No News*]
Senator Robert Peters (D–District 13) ~ call your state senator!
[No News*]
Governor JB Pritzker (D–IL) ~ call your governor!
Jan 23 -- Signed executive order committing Illinois to Paris Climate Agreement goals, pledging that Illinois will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 26-28% below 2005 levels by 2025
Jan 24-- Signed executive order expanding access to services for immigrants and asylum seekers
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400
[No News*]
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
Jan 22 -- Criticized the Supreme Court’s decision to lift the injunction against the Trump administration’s Transgender military ban
Jan 23 -- Announced that she will serve as the top Democrat of the Senate Subcommittee on Transportation and Safety
Jan 24 -- Voted in favor the a government spending bill which would have kept the government open until February 8th with no funding for a border wall
Senator Richard Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952
Jan 23 -- Spoke with a group of furloughed federal workers and called on President Trump to reopen the government
Jan 23 -- Requested that the State Department and the Department of Justice release information regarding the war in Yemen, particularly regarding the use of child soldiers
Jan 25 -- Announced his support for the interim president of Venezuela, Juan Guaidó, who declared the government of Nicolás Maduro to be illegitimate
Jan 25 -- Introduced the Patriot Employer Tax Credit Act which would provide tax credit to companies that pay their workers fairly and provide adequate benefits
President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your president! (202) 456-1414
Jan 24 -- Recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s legitimate leader, cutting diplomatic ties with Nicolás Maduro’s government
Jan 25 -- Signed a bill to fund the federal government through February 15, temporarily ending the record 35-day government shutdown without funding a border wall
Week: January 7-13, 2019
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 324-5555
Jan 3 -- Donated $20,000 received from Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s campaign to four community organizations
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300
Jan 12 -- Proposed new ethics reforms for City Hall
COOK COUNTY BOARD President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400
Jan 7 -- Returned over $100,000 in donations from Alderman Ed Burke, who faces federal corruption charges
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT˜ Representative Curtis Tarver (D–District 25) ~ call your state rep!
Jan 9 -- Was sworn into the Illinois House of Representatives
Senator Robert Peters (D–District 13) ~ call your state senator!
Jan 6 -- Sworn into state senate to fill Kwame Raoul’s seat after Roul was appointed state Attorney General; some called for a special election
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL) ~ call your governor!
Jan 11 -- Granted 30 clemency requests on his last full day as governor; he will be replaced by J.B. Pritzker on January 14
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400
Jan 9 -- Criticized President Trump’s border security demands
Jan 9 -- Saw the bill on civil rights cold cases he introduced, originally written by a group of high school students in his district, signed into law
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
Jan 4 -- Warned that the government shutdown may begin impacting farmers who will not receive payments which they were promised
Jan 9 -- Introduced legislation to ban the sale of assault weapons along with Senator Durbin and 38 other senators
Jan 11 -- Criticized President Trump for suggesting that he may declare a national emergency in order to fund the border wall
Senator Richard Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952
Jan 3 -- Announced his plans to run for re-election in 2020
Jan 8 -- Reintroduced, along with Senator Duckworth and 38 other senators, the “Background Check Expansion Act,” which would expand federal background checks to cover all gun sales
President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your president! (202) 456-1414
Jan 13-- Dismissed allegations that he had concealed details of meetings with Vladimir Putin
Jan 12-- Held to his threat to veto any government funding bill that does not include funds for a wall on the US-Mexico border; the ensuing government shutdown is now the longest in U.S. history
Week: November 12- December 2, 2018 CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 324-5555
Nov 21 — Accepted $20,000 in campaign donations from Mayor Emanuel, who is not running for re-election this February
Nov 28 — Rejected a plea deal which could have allowed him to avoid jail time for fraud charges; a federal public corruption trial is now scheduled for June
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300
Nov 14 — Passed an annual budget for the city which does not increase taxes, potentially protecting city council members from backlash during an election year and harming the city’s long-term financial prospects
Nov 16 — Announced the city is working with an engineering and design firm to develop plans for a police academy in West Garfield park
Nov 27 — Raised the possibility of a gasoline tax increase in order to fully fund capital projects
COOK COUNTY BOARD President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400
Nov 15 — Approved Cook County budget which increases healthcare spending following unexpected revenue increases
Nov 15 — Presented a “policy roadmap” for Cook County which prioritizes job growth in areas with affordable housing options and seeks to find public health solutions to the gun violence epidemic
Nov 21 — Released (following a public records request) a report which led to the dismissal of her security chief; the report was heavily redacted
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–District 25) ~ call your state rep! (773)-667-0550
Nov 27— Voted with the majority of the state house and senate to override Rauner’s veto, passing a bill that will eliminate the zero-tolerance policy on marijuana for Illinois State Police
Senator Kwame Raoul (D–District 13) ~ call your state senator! (773) 363-1996
Nov 14 — Failed to push through an override of Governor Rauner’s veto of a bill which would remove Illinois from a controversial multi-state voter registration system
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL) ~ call your governor! (312)-814-2121
Nov 28 — Survived an attempt to override his veto of a bill to raise the minimum smoking age to twenty-one
Nov 29 — Suffered an override of his veto of a bill to guarantee visas to immigrant crime victims who cooperate with the police
Nov 29 — Criticized AirBnB over its decision to ban listings in the West Bank, questioning if it violated an Illinois law against aiding movements to boycott Israel
Nov 29 — Failed to amend a bill raising the cap on damages for tort claims against the state (including Quincy Veterans’ Home deaths) from $100,000 to $2 million, following an override of his amendatory veto
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400
Nov 15 — Met with Target executives in an unsuccessful attempt to convince them not to close the Chatham and Morgan Park locations
Nov 23 — Led Black Friday picket lines outside of Target stores to protest closings
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
Nov 14 — Announced that she will co-chair Governor-elect J.B. Pritzker’s Veterans Transition Committee
Nov 15 — Introduced legislation along with Senator Durbin to prevent the dumping of untreated sewage into the Great Lakes
Week: November 5-11, 2018 Election Highlights: Toni Preckwinkle won re-election to Cook County Board President, State Senator Kwame Raoul (D) won the election for Illinois Attorney General, Governor Bruce Rauner (R) lost his reelection to JB Pritzker (D), and US Representative Bobby Rush (D) won reelection to US representative (IL-1). Nationally, Democrats gained over 30 seats to retake the House, while Republicans appear poised to expand their majority in the Senate, pending recounts and a special election.
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 324-5555
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300
Nov 5 – Racing to close deals on several large, TIF-funded economic development projects before his term ends
Nov 6 – Moved to challenge proposed immigration policy changes by the Trump administration regarding child immigrant detention
Nov 7 – Issued an executive order intended to prevent retailers from gaining city subsidies from opening locations in some parts of the city while closing locations in others
Nov 7– Announced that securing funding for CTA improvements would be a top priority when Governor-elect Pritzker takes office
COOK COUNTY BOARD President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400
Nov 5 – Fired security chief following a review of the events which led an SUV he frequently drove to be found abandoned and filled with illegally transported campaign materials
Nov 6 – Reelected as President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–District 25) ~ call your state rep! (773)-667-0550
[No News*]
Senator Kwame Raoul (D–District 13) ~ call your state senator! (773) 363-1996
Nov 6 – Elected to the office of Illinois state Attorney General
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL) ~ call your governor! (312)-814-2121
Nov 6 – Lost the governorship to Democratic nominee JB Pritzker
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400
Nov 8 – Plans to hold a rally in protest of Target closing a store in his district
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
Nov 5 – Called on Illinois Public Health Director, Nirav Shah, to resign over the state’s deficient response to the Legionnaires outbreak in the Quincy Veterans Home
Nov 7 – Released a statement saying “Congress must protect the special counsel immediately” after Jeff Sessions resigned as Attorney General
Senator Richard Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952
Nov 7 – Called for an investigation into the EPA’s decision to withhold information about cancer-causing ethylene oxide emissions from plants in Lake County
President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your president! (202) 456-1414
Nov 7 – Fired Attorney General Jeff Sessions, calling into question the fate of Robert Mueller’s election interference investigation
Nov 10 – Cancelled his appearance at a ceremony in France commemorating World War I due to bad weather—drawing criticism
Week: October 29 - November 4, 2018
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 324-5555
Oct 31 — Voted to approve the Obama Presidential Center and Museum in Jackson Park, passing the final hurdle for city approval of the project
Nov 1 — Stated that teen boredom is not an excuse to engage in criminal behavior in the wake of a series of incidents across Hyde Park on Halloween night
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300
Oct 31 — Announced that two ordinances have passed City Council that establish the terms and conditions of the land use and authorize roadway vacations related to the Obama Presidential Center
Oct 31 — Introduced key amendments to both the Chicago Human Rights Ordinance and the Chicago Fair Housing Ordinance
Nov 2 — Defended his administration’s handling of test results that found nearly 1 in 5 homes with city-installed water meters they checked had brain-damaging lead in the tap water
COOK COUNTY BOARD President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400
Oct 30 — Urged voters not to reelect a Democratic Circuit judge, in a break from party tradition
Oct 31 — Announced that Cook County has been released from federal oversight after it demonstrated compliance with a consent decree aimed at preventing political discrimination against county employees
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–District 25) ~ call your state rep! (773)-667-0550
[No News*]
Senator Kwame Raoul (D–District 13) ~ call your state senator! (773) 363-1996
[No News*]
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL) ~ call your governor! (312)-814-2121
Oct 30 — Praised his attorney general for acting on his administration’s recommendation last week and seeking a court order to temporarily stop operations at the Willowbrook Sterigenics plant until his administration receives more information about the dangers of its Ethylene Oxide emissions from the EPA (a recent Chicago Tribune article alleges that the Rauner and Trump administrations had known that these emissions were contributing to Willowbrook’s highest-in-the-nation cancer rates since December 2017)
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400
Nov 1 — Called Target’s decision to close a store in his district “morally criminal”, questioning Target’s stated reasoning that the Chatham location had been experiencing declining profits
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
Oct 31 — Met with veterans in Marion, IL, to discuss issues related to the misreading of radiology scans by doctors at the VA.
Nov 1 — Requested, along with Senator Durbin, that the Office of the Inspector General of the EPA investigate if the EPA complied with all rules when it withheld information regarding carcinogenic air pollution released from the Willowbrook Sterigenics plant
Senator Richard Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952
[No News]*
President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your president! (202) 456-1414
Oct 31 — Announced that he plans to abolish the constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship through executive order
Nov 2 — Deployed 7000-8000 troops to the US-Mexico border in anticipation of the arrival of a migrant caravan that is hundreds of miles away; Trump claims the caravan poses a threat to national security
Week: October 22-28, 2018 The Citizen Bulletin’s news highlights from this week include: --Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced the deployment of 107 new Chicago Police Department officers; --Senator Tammy Duckworth criticized Governor Rauner and the Trump administration after the Chicago Tribune revealed that they had waited eight months to disclose the release of carcinogenic chemicals into the air by the Willowbrook Sterigenics plant; --President Donald Trump has been adopting a series of energy policies that align with drilling industry preferences, leading to a large expansion of drilling and fracking on federal lands and an easing of related environmental regulations.
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 324-5555
Oct 22 — Questioned city officials about “disproportionate” enforcement of parking violations in African American and low-income wards, including the 5th ward
Oct 23 — Received the Henry L. English Award from the South Shore Chamber of Commerce in recognition of her work to develop a diverse business community in her ward
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300
Oct 24 — Announced the deployment of 107 new Chicago Police Department officers
Oct 26 — Announced 4,000 large vacant lots newly available for $1 in Chicago’s South, Southwest and West Sides
COOK COUNTY BOARD President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400
[No News*]
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–District 25) ~ call your state rep! (773)-667-0550
[No News*]
Senator Kwame Raoul (D–District 13) ~ call your state senator! (773) 363-1996
[No News*]
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL) ~ call your governor! (312)-814-2121
Oct 25 — Announced that Starved Rock and Matthiessen state parks will be expanded to include an extra 2,629 acres of land
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400
Oct 26 — Cited a newly released report by Illinois Democrats claiming that the 2017 GOP tax reforms are hurting Chicago homeowners
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
Oct 26 — Criticized Governor Rauner and the Trump administration after the Chicago Tribune revealed that they had waited eight months to disclose the release of carcinogenic chemicals into the air by the Willowbrook Sterigenics plant
Senator Richard Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952
[No News]*
President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your president! (202) 456-1414
Oct 22 — Issued, through the Treasury Department, new rules regarding the Opportunity Zones economic development program in an attempt to answer “lingering questions” from stakeholders
Oct 27 — Has been adopting a series of energy policies that align with drilling industry preferences, leading to a large expansion of drilling and fracking on federal lands and an easing of related environmental regulations
Week: October 15-21 The Citizen Bulletin's news highlights from this week include: Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced final budget, which includes no plans to raise taxes—ratings agencies raised some concerns; Governor Bruce Rauner unveiled a new building with a “state of the art water filtration system” at the state-run Quincy Veterans Home, which was recently beset by a lethal Legionella outbreak; President Donald Trump initiated efforts to legally redefine sex under Title IX as biologically determined at birth—the preexisting, Obama-era definition of sex formed the basis for many federal civil rights protections for transgender people.
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 324-5555
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300
Oct 17 — Announced his final budget, which includes no plans to raise taxes; ratings agencies raised some concerns
Oct 19 — Announced a $1.4 million investment in mental health as part of the 2019 Chicago budget
COOK COUNTY BOARD President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400
Oct 17 --Claimed a county vehicle found filled with campaign materials the morning after the November 2016 election was stolen, though the theft was never reported to the police
Oct 18 --Compromised with Cook County Commissioner Jesus “Chuy” Garcia to require county revenue estimates before each future budget is considered
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–District 25) ~ call your state rep! (773)-667-0550
[No News]*
Senator Kwame Raoul (D–District 13) ~ call your state senator! (773) 363-1996
Oct 19 --Stated that the lawsuit recently filed against gubernatorial candidate J.B. Pritzker alleging that African-American and Latino campaign staff are treated less favorably is “shoddily drafted”
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL) ~ call your governor! (312)-814-2121
Oct 15 --Unveiled a new building with a “state-of-the-art water filtration system” at the state-run Quincy Veterans Home, which was recently beset by a lethal Legionella outbreak
Oct 18 --Refused to release information on how often citizen requests for information are accepted
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400
[No News]*
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
Oct 16 --Announced$100,000 in funding towards research to find cleaner alternatives to diesel fuel engines in the agricultural industry
Oct 17 --Signed a letter, along with 10 other senators, demanding that President Trump reveal any business relationships with Saudi Arabia or members of its royal family in response to the assassination of Saudi-born journalist, Jamal Khashoggi
Senator Richard Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952
Oct 15 --Commended the Department of Health and Human Services for issuing regulations requiring pharmaceutical companies to disclose drug prices in ads
Oct 16 --Called on the EPA to limit the pollution that meat processing plants produced
Oct 17 --Urged President Trump to disclose all his business ties to Saudi Arabia, following the murder of a prominent critic of Saudi Arabia in Turkey
President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your president! (202) 456-1414
Oct 10 — Released a proposed rule to change “public charge” policies that govern the use of public benefits by non-citizens; the change would make it more difficult for non-citizens to apply for or renew their legal status
Oct 15 — Issued a presidential proclamation declaring October 15-21st “National Character Counts Week”
Oct 19 — Stated that the US will be pulling out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, a decades-old US-Russia nuclear arms reduction agreement
Oct 21 — Initiated efforts to legally redefine sex under Title IX as biologically determined at birth; the preexisting Obama-era definition of sex formed the basis for many federal civil rights protections for transgender people
Week: October 8-14 Our highlights from this week include: Alderman Leslie Hairston called the actions of Treasure Island Foods “disrespectful” and “hurtful” during a community meeting she hosted to discuss the impact of the store’s impending closure; Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced that his annual budget will set aside $25.7 million in funding for a long list of progressive police reforms and for the first year of a federal monitoring team to oversee the reform; President Donald Trump is considering a policy for separating families at the US-Mexico border.
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 324-5555
Oct 12 --Called the actions of Treasure Island Foods “disrespectful” and “hurtful” during a community meeting she hosted to discuss the impact of the store’s impending closure
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300
Oct 11 --Spoke at the release event for the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning’s comprehensive regional plan, emphasizing the importance of infrastructure and transport investments
Oct 12 --Announced that the city will file a second lawsuit against the US Department of Justice for withholding federal support of law enforcement due to Chicago’s sanctuary city policy
Oct 12 --Announced that his annual budget will set aside $25.7 million in funding for a long list of progressive police reforms and for the first year of a federal monitoring team to oversee the reform
COOK COUNTY BOARD President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400
Oct 10 — Proposed a county budget that would be both balanced and free of tax increases or layoffs; the budget was made possible by unexpected revenue increases
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–District 25) ~ call your state rep! (773)-667-0550
[No News]*
Senator Kwame Raoul (D–District 13) ~ call your state senator! (773) 363-1996
Oct 8 --Running for Attorney General of Illinois (election day is November 6)
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL) ~ call your governor! (312)-814-2121
Oct 11 --Clashed with Democratic gubernatorial nominee JB Pritzker in a series of debates
Oct 13 --Running for reelection (election day is November 6)
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400
Oct 13--Running for reelection (election day is November 6)
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
Oct 9 --Reaffirmed her support for the Get Lead out of Schools Act, which would increase funding for schools to reduce lead contamination in their water
Oct 9 --Expressed her happiness at the signing of the Friendly Airports for Mothers Act, which requires airports to provide private lactation rooms for mothers—a measure she first proposed in 2015
Oct 10 --Criticized Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ opposition to a Chicago Police Department consent decree
Oct 12 --Co-sponsored the Protecting American Votes and Elections Act, which would mandate that all states use paper ballots and conduct post-election audits in order to increase the accuracy of vote counts
Senator Richard Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952
Oct 10 --Called on Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to investigate accreditor’s findings of predatory practices by for-profit colleges
Oct 11 --Voted to approve his own election interference bill in the Senate Judiciary Committee, getting it through by a unanimous vote
Oct 12 --Criticized President Trump for continuing to provide military aid to countries that use child soldiers, which is forbidden under an act passed in 2008
President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your president! (202) 456-1414
Oct 13 --Considering a new policy that would separate families at the US-Mexico border
Week: May 21–27 Our highlights from this week include: Alderman Leslie Hairston skipped the City Council meeting at which the final plans for Obama Presidential Center were approved by a vote of 47–1; Illinois governor Bruce Rauner sent a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers expressing willingness to work with other Great Lakes states to restrict Asian carp, an invasive species that threatens to disrupt the Great Lakes ecosystem; President Donald Trump made contradictory statements about whether or not a summit with Kim Jong Un had been cancelled.
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 324-5555
May 23--Skipped the City Council meeting at which the final plans for Obama Presidential Center were approved by a vote of 47–1
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300
May 20--Announced that 600 high definition cameras will be installed at CTA train stations in order to increase security
May 21--Met with 100 new police recruits as a part of a larger plan to add 1,000 new officers to the Chicago Police Department ranks
COOK COUNTY BOARD President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400
May 22--Called on transit governance boards to more accurately reflect the demographics of their riders; today the boards are disproportionately white and male
May 25--Announced that the project to turn the old Cook County Hospital building into two hotels and several restaurants will begin as soon as adequate financing is secured
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–District 25) ~ call your state rep! (773)-667-0550
[No News]*
Senator Kwame Raoul (D–District 13) ~ call your state senator! (773) 363-1996
May 26--Argued that a 2015 law he helped pass that shields juvenile criminal records should not be used to prevent inquiries into police misconduct
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL) ~ call your governor! (312)-814-2121
May 21--Faced criticism from an independent watchdog organization for hiring practices that may violate anti-patronage rules
May 23--Sent a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers expressing willingness to work with other Great Lakes states to restrict Asian carp, an invasive species that threatens to disrupt the Great Lakes ecosystem
May 24--Offered, according to an aide, to sign hypothetical legislation standardizing firearm waiting periods to 72 hours or allowing school facility funds to be used for resource officers and mental health professionals; Rauner vetoed a gun control package two weeks ago
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400
May 22--Voted against the First Step Act, a prison reform bill that would include using an algorithm to determine which prisoners would be eligible to cash in “good behavior” credits; the bill, which is backed by the president, passed the House and awaits Senate approval
May 23--Joined renewed efforts to pass an update to the “Do Not Track Kids Act,” which would raise the minimum age at which a user’s information can be collected by internet companies without consent (from 13 to 16)
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
May 21--Sent a letter, cosigned by 17 other senators, to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, asking her to use the recent increase in Department of Education funding to help student parents access affordable child care.
May 24--Criticized President Trump, partly blaming his “erratic behavior” and “strategic naiveté” for the cancellation of his meeting with Kim Jong Un in Singapore.
May 24--Co-sponsored legislation to declare the month of June “National Gun Violence Awareness Month”
Senator Richard Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952
May 23--Criticized Trump administration for detaining children at southwest border who are seeking refugee protection in the U.S.
May 24--Condemned Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro for expelling U.S. diplomats
May 24--Voted yes on bill in Judiciary Committee that would limit the flow of opioids by adjusting quotas for DEA
President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your president! (202) 456-1414
May 24--Made contradictory statements about whether or not a summit with Kim Jong Un had been cancelled
May 25--Signed three executive orders that make it easier to fire federal workers; criticized as an attack on public-sector unions and workplace rights
May 25--Briefed Congress on a tentative agreement that would exempt ZTE, amid concerns about potential presidential conflicts of interest, from penalties for violating U.S. sanctions; the administration’s plans received bipartisan criticism, and the Senate is considering legislation to counter the President’s move
Week: May 14–20 Good morning. Our highlights from this week include: Alderman Leslie Hairston argued in favor of the Obama Presidential Center (OPC) before the Chicago Plan Commission, which unanimously approved the building plans; next, the OPC must obtain approval from the Zoning Committee and the City Council; Mayor Rahm Emanuel urged the Illinois state legislature to pass a controversial bill to increase carjacking penalties; Governor Bruce Rauner proposed reinstating the death penalty in Illinois.
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 324-5555
May 17--Argued in favor of the OPC before the Chicago Plan Commission, which unanimously approved the building plans; next, the OPC must obtain approval from the Zoning Committee and the City Council
May 18--Cited as an example of a fraudulent public official in a University of Illinois at Chicago report declaring Chicago the nation’s most corrupt city
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300
May 15--Criticized the lawsuit against the OPC as “frivolous”
May 16--Faced criticism from the policemen’s union for supporting a proposal that it claims would give “anti-police groups a role in police oversight”
May 17--Urged state lawmakers to pass a bill that would increase carjacking penalties; the bill would make it a felony to be in a stolen car, regardless of whether the defendant is aware that the car had been stolen
COOK COUNTY BOARD President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400
May 16--Claimed that the Cook County Health and Hospital System’s finances were in order while acknowledging problems with billing procedures at certain hospitals; an Inspector General’s report found $165 million in revenue losses over the past three years
May 18--Delivered an address at UNESCO’s Child and Family Center in Ireland to describe her work reforming the Cook County juvenile criminal justice system
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–District 25) ~ call your state rep! (773)-667-0550
May 14--Criticized Governor Rauner’s proposal to reinstate the death penalty as “a terrible idea”
May 16--Sponsored a package of legislation that would provide some relief to Illinois debtors
Senator Kwame Raoul (D–District 13) ~ call your state senator! (773) 363-1996
May 16--Criticized Governor Rauner’s proposal to reinstate the death penalty; the death penalty was repealed in 2011 by a bill Raoul sponsored
May 17--Sponsored a bill that would greatly expand the powers of the Illinois Attorney General, an office for which Raoul has received the 2018 Democratic nomination; Governor Rauner’s veto of the bill was overridden by the state senate, and now must be overridden by the state house in order to become law
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL) ~ call your governor! (312)-814-2121
May 14--Exercised his amendatory veto powers in order to add a provision legalizing the death penalty to gun control legislation that had been passed by the general assembly, sending the entire legislative package back to the general assembly for approval
May 18--Appointed Ken Dunkin, a close ally in the state legislature, to a paid position on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400
May 18--Joined an effort by House Democrats to pass legislation requiring the White House to disclose how much the federal government spends at Trump properties
May 18--Co-signed a discharge petition to force the Dream Act to the House floor for a vote
May 18--Penned a letter to Lyft, Uber, Airbnb, and several other companies requesting information on their privacy and data use practices
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
May 14--Penned an article condemning Trump’s nominee for CIA chief, Gina Haspel, for her role in “running a CIA black site” where detainees were tortured
May 16--Voted, along with Senator Durbin and 50 other senators, in favor of a Congressional Review Act measure repealing the FCC’s decision to end Net Neutrality; the measure must also pass the U.S. House in order to become law
May 17--Co-sponsored legislation to make attacking a rail employee a federal crime
Senator Richard Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952
May 15--Expressed openness to the idea of imposing work requirements for certain categories of food stamp recipients, but advised caution
May 17--Joined several influential Democrats in declaring opposition to a bipartisan prison reform bill
May 19--Co-signed a letter, along with 46 other Senators, urging President Trump to propose a nominee for the Special Envoy to Combat Anti-Semitism, a position that has been vacant for 15 months
President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your president! (202) 456-1414
May 16--Tweeted that he would take measures to make sure Chinese company ZTE was not hurt by U.S. trade sanctions
May 18--Proposed pulling all federal funds for services unrelated to abortions at clinics that provide abortions or provide referrals to abortion clinics
May 19--Urged AG Jeff Sessions to investigate Oakland Mayor Libby Schaff for warning residents about an immigration raid
May 19--Urged the Postmaster General, in personal conversations, to double the shipping rates charged on Amazon.com packages; the Postmaster General has resisted the President’s entreaties on the grounds that shipping rates are contractually determined and can only be altered through a regulatory review process
Week: May 7 – 13 Good morning. Our highlights from this week include: Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner proposed legislation that would harshen penalties imposed on public officials for engaging in corrupt practices; Governor Rauner also obtained federal approval for a state Medicaid waiver that unlocks federal funding for community mental health programs; U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. is exiting the Iran nuclear deal.
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 324-5555
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300
May 7--Attended the construction of the next segment of the lakefront trail separation project, which strives to relieve congestion on city roads by providing a new path for pedestrians and bikers
May 11--Opened, along with American Airlines CEO Doug Parker, five new gates for the airline at O’Hare International Airport
COOK COUNTY BOARD President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400
May 10--Spoke at the Construction Workforce Fair at Malcolm X College; the fair aimed to employ local construction employees in the renovation of the Old Cook County Hospital
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–District 25) ~ call your state rep! (773)-667-0550
[No News]*
Senator Kwame Raoul (D–District 13) ~ call your state senator! (773) 363-1996
[No News]*
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL) ~ call your governor! (312)-814-2121
May 7--Obtained federal approval for a state Medicaid waiver that unlocks federal funding for community mental health programs
May 11--Proposed legislation that would harshen penalties imposed on public officials for engaging in corrupt practices
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400
May 7--Joined Reverend Jesse Jackson’s renewed call to make lynching a federal crime; attempts to pass federal anti-lynching bills have failed nearly 200 times since 1918
May 8--Criticized President Trump’s decision to pull the U.S. out of the Iran nuclear deal
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
May 7--Announced, along with Dick Durbin (D–IL) and Cheri Bustos (D–IL17), that a $2 million grant by the U.S. Department of Transportation will be given to Channel Cat, water taxis that operate in the Quad Cities
May 8--Criticized President Trump’s decision to exit the Iran nuclear deal, calling his actions “reckless” and “alarming”
Senator Richard Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952
May 8--Condemned President Trump for pulling the U.S. out of the Iran nuclear deal
May 10--Introduced, along with Pat Roberts (R–KS), legislation to provide rural emergency medical services with increased support for training and equipment
May 11--Reintroduced legislation to curb over-production and over-prescribing of opioids
President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your president! (202) 456-1414
May 8--Announced that the U.S. is exiting the Iran nuclear deal
May 11--Rewrote Obama-era prison rules in order to instruct the Bureau of Prisons to use an inmate’s biological sex to determine the facilities to which they will be assigned
May 12--Called on the Senate to pass a spending package that includes funds for a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border
May 12--Issued a formal statement declaring the Hawaii volcanic eruptions a “major disaster” after volcanic eruptions, opening availability to additional federal funding for disaster relief.
Week: April 30 – May 6 Good morning. Our highlights from this week include: Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced that the Obama Presidential Center will also house a branch of the Chicago Public Library; Governor Rauner recommended, after a task force investigation, that the Quincy veterans home should be rebuilt at a cost of around $200 million; State Senator Kwame Raoul abstaining, the Illinois State Senate passed a bill proposed in the wake of the Las Vegas shooting that would allow police to use aerial drones to monitor large crowds in public spaces, a policy supported by Mayor Emanuel.
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 324-5555
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300
May 2--Voiced support for the Illinois State Senate passing a bill which would allow the use of drones to monitor crowds at large gatherings
May 2--Announced that the Obama Presidential Center will also house a branch of the Chicago Public Library
May 4--Announced that cameras on “booter vehicles”, which currently scan license plates to check for unpaid tickets, will now also scan to identify stolen vehicles
COOK COUNTY BOARD President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400
Apr 30--Attended Jan Schakowsky’s Ultimate Women’s Power Lunch to celebrate female political engagement and success
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–District 25) ~ call your state rep! (773)-667-0550
May 2--Argued in favor of Speaker Michael Madigan’s non-binding resolution supporting a progressive tax code; implementing a progressive tax code would have required proposing an amendment to the Illinois constitution at least six months prior to the next general election, a deadline which elapsed on May 5
Senator Kwame Raoul (D–District 13) ~ call your state senator! (773) 363-1996
May 2--Expressed concerns about “vague language” in a bill proposed in the wake of the Las Vegas shooting that would allow police to use aerial drones to monitor large crowds in public spaces; opposed by the American Civil Liberties Union, the bill has just passed the State Senate
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL) ~ call your governor! (312)-814-2121
May 1--Recommended, after a task force investigation, that the Quincy Veterans Home should be rebuilt at a cost of around $200 million
May 3--Proclaimed May as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
May 4--Called on legislators to hold a referendum which would allow people to vote on a proposal to add term limits to the state legislature
May 5--Spoke at the annual Polish Constitution Day Parade, cheering, “Go Polska!”
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400
May 3--Expressed satisfaction at Speaker Paul Ryan’s decision to desist from his attempts to oust House Chaplain Patrick Conroy
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
Apr. 29--Criticized President Trump’s remarks on the Paralympic Games, during which he stated that they are “tough to watch”
May 1--Announced her support for the “Choose Medicare Act”, which would greatly expand Medicare with a “Medicare Part E” plan available to those younger than 65
May 2--Criticized Governor Rauner’s slow response to the Quincy Veterans Home Legionnaires outbreak
Senator Richard Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952
May 1--Called for more regulation of e-cigarette products, proposing a ban on flavored e-cigarettes and standardized restrictions on purchasing
May 1--Claimed that the federal government will provide its share of funding for necessary changes at the Quincy Veterans Home in the wake of a Legionnaires disease outbreak
May 2--Sent a letter, with other Democratic senators, to EPA administrator Scott Pruitt urging him to avoid rolling back regulations on the disposal of coal-ash, a byproduct of coal-burning power plants
May 4--Visited Oak Lawn High School at the invitation of a student government representative to hold a town hall discussion on gun violence in schools
President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your president! (202) 456-1414
May 4--Considered scrapping the Iran Nuclear Deal; world leaders warned of geopolitical instability should this occur
May 4--Spoke at the annual NRA convention, drawing criticism from the French and British governments and French survivors of 2015 terrorist attacks due to his comments that recent attacks in those countries would have been prevented with looser gun laws
April 23–29 Good morning. Our highlights from this week include: Mayor Rahm Emanuel launched Chicago municipal identification card program despite fact-checker debunked claims by critics saying that this will lead to undocumented immigrants voting; Governor Bruce Rauner accepted the resignation of his Director of Veterans Affairs, the most recent flashpoint in the aftermath of a lethal legionella outbreak in the state-run Quincy Veterans’ Home; President Donald Trump terminated temporary protected status for nearly 9,000 Nepalese immigrants after the Trump administration determined Nepal had sufficiently recovered from the 2015 earthquake.
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 324-5555
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300
Apr 23--Warned Democrats against talking about impeaching President Trump before having the legal basis to do so
Apr 23--Began a sexual harassment awareness campaign with actor David Schwimmer
Apr 25--Launched Chicago municipal identification card program despite fact-checker debunked claims by critics saying that this will lead to undocumented immigrants voting
COOK COUNTY BOARD President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400
Apr 26--Predicted no new “revenue” in the County’s budget for next year, implying that the Board’s failure to preserve her “revenue-raising” soda tax precluded future support for similar measures
Apr 28--Proposed a settlement with Chief Circuit Court Judge Timothy Evans which would close “two small branch courthouses and a juvenile detention center building;” the measure is designed to reduce budget shortfalls following the repeal of the soda tax
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–District 25) ~ call your state rep! (773)-667-0550
[No News]*
Senator Kwame Raoul (D–District 13) ~ call your state senator! (773) 363-1996
Apr 26--Gained passage through the state senate for his bill to ban bump-stocks
Apr 28--Urged lawmakers to re-approve an expiring law that requires police departments to keep statistics on the race of traffic stop targets
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL) ~ call your governor! (312)-814-2121
Apr 26--Claimed that he secured commitments from foreign companies to bring jobs to Illinois during his Europe trip, but did not provide any specifics
Apr 27--Accepted the resignation of his Director of Veterans Affairs, the most recent flashpoint in the aftermath of a lethal legionella outbreak in the state-run Quincy Veterans’ Home
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400
Apr 27--Scrutinized the decisions of EPA Director Scott Pruitt to delay rules reducing lead levels in paint and drinking water, during a congressional hearing
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
Apr 25--Called on the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security to ensure that National Guard members receive pay after President Trump threatened to withhold funding
Apr 26--Criticized Secretary of State Mike Pompeo shortly after he was confirmed by the senate
Apr 27--Sent a letter, along with other congressional Democrats, to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, opposing the EPA’s re-write of the current climate plan
Senator Richard Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952
Apr 25--Continued to call on President Trump and congressional Republicans to support the bipartisan Dream Act to protect former DACA beneficiaries from deportation
Apr 26--Introduced, along with Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), an updated DETER Act which denies visas to foreign agents found to have interfered in our elections
Apr 27--Joined 14 members of the Senate Judiciary Committee in advancing a bill to protect Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in 2016 elections
President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your president! (202) 456-1414
Apr 24--Extended the public health emergency declaration for opioid crisis
Apr 27--Indicated that he was likely to extend steel and aluminum tariff before May 1st deadline. The tariff length will depend on progress each country has made in steel and aluminum trade talks
Apr 28--Terminated temporary protected status for nearly 9,000 Nepalese immigrants after the Trump administration determined Nepal had sufficiently recovered from the 2015 earthquake
Apr 29--Opted to re-write an Obama-era transgender rule, which previously banned discrimination in healthcare due to gender identity
April 16–22 Good morning. Our highlights from this week include: Mayor Rahm Emanuel passed an ordinance requiring vendors of non-cigarette tobacco products to display warning signs about their use; State Senator Kwame Raoul passed his bill in the State Senate to impose more disclosure and accountability regulations on changes to workers’ compensation plans; the Trump Administration stated that Native Americans might not be exempt from new Medicaid work requirements, potentially violating legal protections enshrined in centuries-old land cession treaties between the U.S. and tribal governments.
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 324-5555
Apr 19--Urged fellow City Council members to vote in favor of an amendment strengthening the Chicago Human Rights Ordinance on the issue of sexual harassment
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300
Apr 16--Awarded a five-year, $17.5 million contract to Advanced Data Processing to collect ambulance service fees
Apr 16--Passed an ordinance requiring vendors of non-cigarette tobacco products (such as electronic cigarettes) to display warning signs about their use
Apr 20--Attended a memorial service for Police Commander Paul Bauer and four other slain police officers
COOK COUNTY BOARD President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400
Apr 19--Elected chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party; she is the first woman and first African American to hold the position
Apr 20--Defended her revenue-raising soda tax in a meeting with the Cook County Board of Review, stating she had warned that the repeal of the tax would lead to layoffs
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–District 25) ~ call your state rep! (773)-667-0550
[No News]*
Senator Kwame Raoul (D–District 13) ~ call your state senator! (773) 363-1996
Apr 17--Passed his bill in the State Senate to impose more disclosure and accountability regulations on changes to workers’ compensation plans; an identical proposal was vetoed by Governor Rauner in 2017
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL) ~ call your governor! (312)-814-2121
Apr 20--Signed a bill to standardize the regulation of wireless cell service facilities; there was significant pushback from the Elmhurst City Council against the bill’s limits on local control
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400
Apr 19--Honored by the American Academy of Ophthalmology for his efforts on behalf of patient safety
Apr 19--Agreed to support the Local Radio Freedom Act, which opposes “any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge” on local radio stations
Apr 20--Co-sponsored the “Marijuana Justice Act,” a bill that would legalize marijuana at the federal level, expunge prior convictions for marijuana possession, and withhold funding from states whose rates for drug-related arrests are racially disproportionate beyond a certain threshold; the bill has been inactive since August
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
Apr 17--Called on EPA administrator Scott Pruitt to resign or be fired, claiming he had spent government funds on personal luxuries
Apr 19--Placed a hold on any new nominations for appointments in the Department of Housing and Urban Development after its failure to explain the shutdown of two affordable housing facilities in Thebes, Illinois
Apr 19--Voted against confirming Jim Bridenstine to lead NASA while holding her newborn daughter, marking a historic first; Bridenstine was ultimately confirmed
Senator Richard Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952
Apr 18--Criticized nicotine vaporizer products in letter to JUUL Labs and the FDA, calling for “kid-friendly” vaporizers and flavors to be removed from the market
Apr 18--Led bipartisan efforts to introduce legislation increasing efforts to map high-risk flooding areas, allowing FEMA to more accurately analyze risks in urban centers
Apr 20--Introduced, along with other Democratic senators, a bill to limit the use of solitary confinement in federal prisons
President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your president! (202) 456-1414
Apr 16--Declined to initiate new sanctions against Russia, contradicting the administration’s ambassador to the United Nations
Apr 21--Considered reversing Obama-era rules that prohibit doctors, hospitals, and health insurers from discriminating against transgender people
Apr 22--Stated, through the Department of Health and Human Services, that Native Americans might not be exempt from new Medicaid work requirements, potentially violating legal protections enshrined in centuries-old land cession treaties between the U.S. and tribal governments
April 9–15 Good morning. Our highlights from this week include: Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel remained silent regarding the recent tap water study which found lead concentrations above the FDA maximum in 3 out of every 10 houses surveyed; Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner urged legislators to moderate last year’s income tax hike, enact pension reform, and pass a budget without additional tax increases; President Donald Trump ordered new precision strikes on Syria that targeted facilities linked to Assad regime chemical weapons attacks; the British and French are joining the US in military action.
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 324-5555
Apr 9--Decided not to allow a car sharing service pilot program in her ward, citing parking concerns in the area which will only be exacerbated by the construction of the Obama Presidential Library
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300
Apr 10--Signed an executive order which prohibits many city departments from inquiring about the previous salaries of job applicants, calling it a “significant step towards closing the gender pay gap”
Apr 11--Announced that billionaire Kenneth C. Griffin will donate $10 million towards the Chicago Police Department’s use of technology to prevent crime
Apr 14--Remained silent regarding the recent tap water study which found lead concentrations above the FDA maximum 3 out of every 10 houses surveyed
COOK COUNTY BOARD President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400
Apr 9--Claimed that increased collection of a 1% tax on automobiles bought outside of Cook County results from increased auto sales in the area in addition to stricter enforcement
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–District 25) ~ call your state rep! (773)-667-0550
[No News*]
Senator Kwame Raoul (D–District 13) ~ call your state senator! (773) 363-1996
[No News*]
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL) ~ call your governor! (312)-814-2121
Apr 10--Urged legislators to moderate last year’s income tax hike, enact pension reform, and pass a budget without additional tax increases; an aide to Democratic legislative leader Mike Madigan called Rauner’s pension reform plan a “pipe dream”
Apr 12--Expressed optimism at the beginning of budget talks between his office and the Democratic legislature, despite their divergent visions
Apr 12--Traveled to Germany and Poland in order to convince foreigners to invest in Illinois
Apr 12--Requested federal assistance for dealing with flooding in several counties
Apr 14--Signed legislation to standardize cell service and provide for 5G installation
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400
Apr 11--Grilled Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg during congressional hearings, comparing Facebook’s practice of allowing advertisers to use race to target users and collect data to former FBI Director J Edgar Hoover’s notorious surveillance of civil rights activists in the 1960s
Apr 12--Opened the fiscal year hearing of the Energy Committee with a call for a diversity of communities receiving grant funds
Apr 12--Criticized GOP proposals to reduce spending on social safety net programs for senior citizens
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
Apr 9--Urged Congress to change the rules to allow her to bring her newborn daughter to floor votes
Apr 9--Demanded information from the Department of Housing and Urban Development regarding the shutdown of two public housing complexes in Thebes, Illinois
Apr 14--Criticized Trump for not seeking Congressional authorization prior to launching airstrikes on Syria
Senator Richard Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952
Apr 10--Questioned Mark Zuckerberg during Senate hearing, condemning Facebook’s apparent lack of concern for user’s privacy
Apr 11--Criticized the Trump administration for aggressive drug policy that he believes will be counterproductive to fighting the opioid epidemic
President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your president! (202) 456-1414
Apr 11--Suspended the General Legal Orientation program, a key source of legal advice for undocumented immigrants in deportation hearings
Apr 13--Pardoned Lewis “Scooter” Libby, a former Bush official convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice
Apr 13--Ordered new precision strikes on Syria that targeted facilities linked to Assad regime chemical weapons attacks; the British and French are joining the US in military action
Apr 14--Ordered the federal agencies to craft plans to impose work requirements on public assistance programs such as food stamps
Apr 15--Directed officials to look at re-entering the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade deal he withdrew the US from in his third day of office
April 2–8 Good morning. Our highlights from this week include: Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner convened a bipartisan “Public Safety Working Group” to brainstorm policy approaches to gun violence, a couple weeks after vetoing a gun licensing bill; U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth succeeded in gathering enough support from her colleagues to stymie GOP plans to scale back the Americans with Disabilities Act; President Donald Trump sent hundreds of national guard troops to the Mexican border to crack down on recently increased border crossings; the troops may only be used for surveillance and reconnaissance CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 324-5555
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300
Apr 5--Announced Chicago’s partnership with 15 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against the EPA for failing to properly control methane emissions
Apr 6--Nominated Sydney Roberts, Director of the Illinois Secretary of State Police, to be the head of the Civilian Office of Police Accountability
COOK COUNTY BOARD President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400
Apr 2--Attended 50th annual Hoffman Estates remembrance dinner to commemorate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Apr 6--Holding a series of “community conversations” to inform her policy agenda for her upcoming term
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–District 25) ~ call your state rep! (773)-667-0550
[No News]*
Senator Kwame Raoul (D–District 13) ~ call your state senator! (773) 363-1996
[No News]*
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL) ~ call your governor! (312)-814-2121
Apr 6--Convened a bipartisan “Public Safety Working Group” to brainstorm policy approaches to gun violence, a couple weeks after vetoing a gun licensing bill
Apr 7--Signed a bill that softens licensing rules for out-of-state teachers
Apr 7--Agreed to release $5 million to state soil and water conservation districts, less than the $13.5 million sought by legislators
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400
Apr 2--Criticized the Trump administration’s rollback of EPA automobile fuel efficiency standards, claiming it would negatively impact air quality and respiratory health
Apr 3--Condemned the Trump administration’s “militarization” of the US-Mexico border
Apr 6--Penned a letter to Facebook asking them to disclose which privacy standards they are willing to commit to following
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
Apr 3--Succeeded in gathering enough support from her colleagues to stymie GOP plans to scale back the Americans with Disabilities Act
Apr 3--Urged the Trump administration, along with 20 other Senate Democrats, to not remove LGBTQ-related questions on evaluation surveys used to assess the effectiveness of government programs
Senator Richard Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952
Apr 4--Condemned President Trump’s tariffs on Chinese goods which led to Chinese tariffs on U.S. soybeans and pork; Illinois is a top producer of these commodities
Apr 7--Met with Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, urging him to ensure fairness in the upcoming presidential election and attempting to initiate dialogue between the US and Venezuela
President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your president! (202) 456-1414
Apr 5--Approved a $1.3 billion sale of U.S. artillery to Saudi Arabia
Apr 6--Imposed new sanctions on seven Russian oligarchs and 17 Russian government officials, barring them from traveling to the U.S. and from conducting business with major Western companies
Apr 7--Sought authority to intercept drone communications to help prevent domestic attacks
Apr 7--Deployed hundreds of national guard troops to the Mexican border to crack down on recently increased border crossings; the troops may only be used for surveillance and reconnaissance
Apr 7--Granted the license needed to sell submarine technology to Taiwan, allowing the nation to build its own submarines
March 5 - April 1 Good morning. Our highlights include: Mayor Rahm Emanuel proposed a plan for a police civilian oversight board which angered The Grassroots Alliance for Police Accountability because the plan does not give the board sufficient power; Governor Bruce Rauner vetoed a bill that would have imposed additional licensing regulations on firearm dealers, claiming that it would not actually increase safety; U.S. Representative Bobby Rush voted against the $1.3 trillion federal spending bill --supported by Illinois’s two Democratic senators and signed into law by President Trump-- on the basis that it did not provide stability for Dreamers but achieved other Democratic priorities. CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 324-5555
Mar 19--Asked Mayor Rahm Emanuel to provide higher tax incentives to support Shop & Save, which has signed a contract to move into a vacant Dominick’s store in Jeffery Plaza
Mar 26--Promised to vote against the O’Hare modernization bond package unless city officials are shown a list of small, minority-owned business which will be brought into the project
Mar 16--Demanded that his bribery and extortion charges be dropped, claiming that the key witnesses were pressured by the FBI to incriminate him
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300
Mar 13--Criticized Governor Rauner’s plan to veto gun control legislation, calling it “a slap in the face to crime victims, faith leaders, and police”
Mar 14--Negotiated a deal with American Airlines regarding the O’Hare airport expansion, agreeing to speed up construction of gates used by American Airlines at the airport
Mar 27--Declared his support for a plan to prevent Asian carp, an invasive species, from entering the Great Lakes
Mar 28--Proposed a plan for a police civilian oversight board which angered The Grassroots Alliance for Police Accountability because the plan does not give the board sufficient power
Mar 29--Announced the city’s goal of repaving 275 miles of streets this year
COOK COUNTY BOARD President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400
Mar 20--Won the Democratic primary for Cook County Board President, taking roughly 61% of the vote to opponent Bob Fioretti’s 39%
Mar 23--Announced her intention to run for the chairmanship of the Cook County Democratic Party following current chairman Joe Berrios’ primary election defeat
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–District 25) ~ call your state rep! (773)-667-0550
[No News]*
Senator Kwame Raoul (D–District 13) ~ call your state senator! (773) 363-1996
Mar 21--Defeated Ex-Governor Pat Quinn and six other candidates to secure the Democratic nomination for attorney general
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL) ~ call your governor! (312)-814-2121
Mar 15--Vetoed a bill that would have imposed additional licensing regulations on firearm dealers, claiming that it would not actually increase safety
Mar 20--Won the Republican primary for governor by a surprisingly small margin over social conservative Jeanne Ives; Rauner will face Democratic nominee J.B. Pritzker in the general election this November
Mar 29--Stated that Illinois would be able to fund “step increases” to the pay of unionized workers, in response to a court order
Mar 31--Encountered opposition to his plans to build a private park in the vacant lot across from his mansion, as community labor leaders are demanding a project labor agreement; this would require that workers be unionized and paid “prevailing wages”
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400
Mar 15--Had his wages garnished in order to pay down $1 million debt
Mar 20--Received the uncontested Democratic nomination for U.S. Representative for the first District of Illinois, a seat he has held since 1993
Mar 22--Introduced the Data Accountability and Trust Act, which would provide more rulemaking authority to the Federal Trade Commission regarding consumer data
Mar 22--Voted against the $1.3 trillion spending bill on the basis that it failed to provide stability for the Dreamers, although the bill satisfied most of his other priorities
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
Mar 6--Introduced bipartisan legislation to strengthen the background check system on firearms
Mar 8--Introduced a bill aimed at reducing recidivism rates by enabling more communication between prisoners and their families
Mar 16--Argued that a veteran who had served two tours in Afghanistan should not be deported to Mexico following a felony drug conviction and subsequent denial of his citizenship application
Mar 27--Announced $6.7 million in federal funding to combat HIV/AIDS in Chicago
Mar 27--Voted for $1.3 trillion dollar bipartisan spending bill, stating that the compromises in the bill were necessary for good governance
Senator Richard Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952
Mar 5--Expressed his support for the construction of the McCook reservoir in Illinois by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Mar 18--Urged Wells Fargo to stop plans to further expand into college campuses, citing sanctions by the Federal Reserve in retribution for the bank’s apparent abuses of its customers
Mar 15--Called on leaders of the the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committee to fund a CDC study about the public health effects of gun violence
Mar 22--Supported the Debt-Free College Act which provides grants to states which support public education and achieve debt-free college goals for their students
Mar 23— Criticized the successful omnibus spending bill for failing to address DACA concerns but supported it nonetheless for addressing other important economic issues
Mar 28--Demanded that the Justice Department commit to protecting Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s “integrity and independence” in his investigation into Russian election meddling
President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your president! (202) 456-1414
Mar 8--Signed a 25% tariff on steel and a 10% tariff on aluminum, while exempting Mexico and Canada
Mar 13--Fired Secretary of State Rex Tillerson; tapped CIA Director Mike Pompeo to replace him
Mar 18--Fired, through Attorney General Jeff Sessions, FBI Director Andrew McCabe less than 48 hours before he was eligible to retire with pension benefits
Mar 23--Fired Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster as his National Security Advisor, replacing him with foreign policy hawk John Bolton
Mar 26--Expelled 60 Russian diplomats after Vladimir Putin’s alleged use of nerve agent to assassinate an ex- Russian double agent in the U.K.
Mar 30--Revealed the first phase of the border wall plan, which includes $1.6 billion worth of congressional appropriations
Mar 30--Tightened immigration standards, specifically choosing not to extend work permits for 840 Liberians and choosing to hold pregnant women in detention during immigration proceedings
Mar 31--Placed a hold on more than $200 million in recovery funds for Syria, demanding more transparency on how the money is being used
Mar 31--NamedApril as second chance month for convicts and sexual assault awareness and prevention month
February 26 –March 4 Good morning. Early voting for the 2018 primary election for governor and other state and local offices begins March 5 and ends March 19. The closest early voting site to UChicago is the Bessie Coleman Library at 731 E 63rd St. (Located adjacent to the Cottage Grove Green Line CTA station). Beginning March 5th, early voting sites are open Monday thru Saturday from 9am-5pm (closing time extended to 7pm on March 12-16) and Sundays from 10am-5pm. Check out UCDI’s 2018 primary election guide to learn how to vote and see who is on the Democratic ballot and Republican ballot.
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 324-5555
Feb 26--Defended city animal shelters against claims that they were infringing on standards of humane treatment, arguing that the shelters face difficult conditions and limited resources
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300
Feb 25--Proposed a plan to project art onto the facade of the Merchandise Mart, stating that it will “strengthen Chicago’s legacy of public art”
Feb 26--Called on state lawmakers to pass stricter gun control legislation, including a bill named after slain Chicago police commander Paul Bauer
Feb 28--Announced an $8.5 million plan to expand O’Hare International Airport, including a new terminal and a 25% increase in the number of gates, which became controversial after allegations that it favors some airlines over others
COOK COUNTY BOARD President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400
Feb 26--Defended bond overhaul measures which resulted in the release of more nonviolent gun-offense inmates from the Cook County Jail, claiming these inmates do not pose a safety risk
Mar 1--Announced results of an independent report on the Cook County Assessor’s Office, which claimed the assessment process serves to create a “wealth transfer from owners of lower-value homes to those of higher-value homes”
Mar 5-20--On the ballot for the contested Democratic nomination for Cook County Board President, seeking reelection to her third term; see UCDI’s election guide for more
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–District 25) ~ call your state rep! (773)-667-0550
Feb 28--Released a draft proposal of the House task force on sexual harassment, which includes an option to anonymously report harassment allegations and expands regulations to campaign staff and political action committees
Mar 5-20--Not running for reelection after representing Hyde Park as the majority leader of the IL State house for 39 years; check out UCDI’s election guide to learn about the crowded field of Democratic candidates on the ballot to fill her open seat
Senator Kwame Raoul (D–District 13) ~ call your state senator! (773) 363-1996
Mar 1--Introduced legislation to create a Survivors Bill of Rights for victims of sexual assault, which would update Illinois regulations to Federal standards
Mar 1--Voted for a bill that would allow the Attorney General to bypass the Department of Labor when enforcing employment and wage laws; the bill now heads to the governor’s desk for his signature
Mar 5-20--On the ballot for the hotly contested Democratic nomination for Illinois Attorney General; check out UCDI’s election guide to learn more about the state AG race
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL) ~ call your governor! (312)-814-2121
Feb 25--Issued a state of emergency declaration for Kankakee, Vermillion, and Iroquois counties following severe flooding this past week
Feb 26--Listened to oral arguments in the Janus v. AFSCME Supreme Court during a Washington D.C. trip; Rauner launched the Janus case in an attempt to limit the ability of public sector unions to mandate member dues
Feb 28--Stated he would veto any bill to legalize marijuana, a proposal currently being considered in both the Senate and House
Mar 1--Vetoed a bill proposed by the Chicago Public School system that would have curbed the authority of the Illinois State Charter School Commission, which previously reopened schools that were rejected or closed by CPS
Mar 5-20--On the ballot for the contested Republican nomination for governor, seeking reelection to his second term; check out UCDI’s election guide to learn more about the governor’s race
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400
Feb 27– Voiced support for designing a comprehensive infrastructure plan, while claiming that the President’s version falls short
Feb 27 – Commented on the Janus v. AFSCME ongoing supreme court case, expressing support for the unions and concern about legal efforts to restrict collective bargaining
March 5-20 – On the ballot uncontested for the Democratic nomination for U.S. House District IL-1, a seat he has held since 1993.
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
Feb 28 – Criticized a GOP-led bill that would repeal some of the accessibility protections put into place by the Americans with Disabilities Act
Mar 1 – Stated that she would not vote to “move forward” on the president’s infrastructure plan due to its insufficient commitment of federal funds
Senator Richard Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952
Feb 27 – Called on Republicans in Congress to consider gun control legislation preventing mentally unstable people from owning guns, after meeting with Stoneman Douglas school shooting survivors
Mar 1 – Introduced free-tuition legislation that would cover community colleges and two year programs at technical schools
President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your president! (202) 456-1414
Mar 1– Announced that the U.S. would levy tariffs on steel and aluminum
Mar 1 – Announced that Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf’s actions are “under review” after she gave residents advanced warning that an ICE raid would be taking place
Mar 1 – Met with an NRA lobbyist, a day after discussing gun control at a meeting with congressmen
February 19 – 25 Good morning. Our highlights from this week include: Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle sent aletter to the Department of Justice stating that the county is already in compliance with federal immigration regulations; the county is facing a federal investigation over its “sanctuary city” immigration policies and enforcement; Governor Bruce Rauner announced that his administration will re-evaluate the option to move patients out of a Quincy Veterans Home following controversy over the Legionnaires outbreak; Illinois’s senators issued statements calling for Congress to adopt stronger gun control measures.
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 324-5555
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300
Feb 18--Stated his support for a 15-cent tax on ride-hailing services
Feb 22--Expressed pride in the Chicago Public Schools being named top in the country for improving access to Advanced Placement exams
Feb 22--Criticized Trump’s suggestion to arm teachers in order to reduce mass shootings, dismissing this idea as “absurd”
COOK COUNTY BOARD President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400
Feb 23--Sent a letter to the Department of Justice stating that the county is already in compliance with federal immigration regulations; the county is facing a federal investigation over its “sanctuary city” immigration policies and enforcement
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–District 25) ~ call your state rep! (773)-667-0550
[No News]*
Senator Kwame Raoul (D–District 13) ~ call your state senator! (773) 363-1996
Feb 22--Co-sponsored a gun violence bill that will create a way for families to report high-risk individuals
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL) ~ call your governor! (312)-814-2121
Feb 21--Announced his administration will re-evaluate the option to move patients out of a Quincy Veterans Home following controversy over the Legionnaires outbreak
Feb 23--Issued disaster proclamation after floods bedeviled three counties
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400
[No News]*
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
Feb 21--Declared that she will work on securing federal aid for the Quincy Veterans Home, site of various recent Legionnaires disease outbreaks
Feb 23--Released a statement urging congress to act to regulate guns
Senator Richard Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952
Feb 21--Called on Congress to enact common sense gun reform to prevent future mass shootings
Feb 23--Urged Trump to pressure Russia and Syria to end bombing in Eastern Ghouta, describing the situation as a humanitarian crisis
President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your president! (202) 456-1414
Feb 23--Placed new sanctions on North Korea targeted at shipping companies and businesses
Feb 23--Extends Federal disaster assistance to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
February 12 – 18 Good morning. Our highlights from this week include: Trump proposed his presidential budget, which includes provisions for tax cuts, increased defense spending, funding for a border wall, funds for fighting the opioid epidemic, overhauls the federal student loan program, again suggests the repeal of Obamacare, and suggests a work requirement for collecting food stamps, and make cuts to a series of domestic discretionary programs; Governor Rauner released a controversial budget proposal, which calls for changes in the pension system and state-worker health insurance in order to cut taxes; Senator Richard Durbin claimed that Congress is not “doing enough” to protect American schools from gun violence, in the wake of a deadly shooting at a Florida school.
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 324-5555
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300
Feb 13--Announced a proposal to demolish the Crawford Coal power plant in the Little Village and replace it with a diesel-intensive logistics center, leading to mixed reactions from residents
Feb 16--Announced that Google will expand into Chicago, but did not provide any more details
Feb 17--Spoke at the funeral of slain police commander Paul Bauer, praising him as a man who “embodied the best of Chicago”
COOK COUNTY BOARD President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400
Feb 13--Attended Black Creativity Gala at the Museum of Science and Industry to fundraise for programs that support young people in STEM and arts fields
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–District 25) ~ call your state rep! (773)-667-0550
Feb 16--Defended State House Speaker Mike Madigan’s decision to fire a longtime aide over alleged sexual harassment
Senator Kwame Raoul (D–District 13) ~ call your state senator! (773) 363-1996
[No News]*
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL) ~ call your governor! (312)-814-2121
Feb 14--Introduced a controversial budget proposal which calls for changes in the pension system and state-worker health insurance in order to cut taxes
Feb 17--Granted 6 petitions for clemency, but denied 14 others
Feb 17--Spoke at the funeral of slain police commander Paul Bauer
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400
[No News]*
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
Feb 12--Criticized Trump’s infrastructure plan for its emphasis on private sector partnerships instead of public funds, claiming that the plan would lead to undue financial burdens on states and localities
Feb 13— Criticized the Governor’s inaction in regards to the legionella outbreak at veterans homes, despite his statement last month that his goal was “zero instances” of the disease.
Feb 15--Opposed a House measure that would alter the enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities act.
Senator Richard Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952
Feb 12--Condemned the Senate for not passing the latest in six bipartisan bills to protect Dreamers, since the deadline for DACA participants set by the Trump administration is in early March
Feb 15--Claimed that Congress is not “doing enough” to protect American schools from gun violence, in the wake of a deadly shooting at a Florida school
President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your president! (202) 456-1414
Feb 12--Rescinded, through an action of Betsy DeVos, the Department of Education’s policy of investigating civil rights complaints made by transgender students
Feb 12--Proposed his presidential budget, which includes provisions for tax cuts, increased defense spending, funding for a border wall, funds for fighting the opioid epidemic, overhauls the federal student loan program, again suggests the repeal of Obamacare, and suggests a work requirement for collecting food stamps, and make cuts to a series of domestic discretionary programs
Feb 18--Asserted, in response to Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s indictment of 13 Russian nationals with election meddling, that he “never said Russia did not meddle in the election”
Feb 12--Released his much-vaunted infrastructure plan, which expects that 70% of the $1.5 trillion funding will materialize from non-federal sources, giving the private sector an enlarged role and diminishing federal role in the prioritization of infrastructure projects, and potentially disadvantaging poor communities while saving federal funds
February 5 - 11 Good afternoon. Our highlights from this week include: Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced that Chicago Police Department officers will be equipped to provide naloxone, an opioid overdose antidote; State Senator Kwame Raoul announced a bill that would give individual citizens the right to legally challenge permits issued by state regulators, following controversy over a proposed silica sand mine in LaSalle County; President Donald Trump signed a bipartisan budget bill, averting a government shutdown and addressing some congressional spending concerns without providing a DACA fix.
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 324-5555
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300
Feb 6--Urged that President Trump not add a question about citizenship status to the 2020 U.S. Census
Feb 7--Met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and discussed trade issues before giving a talk at the University of Chicago Institute of Politics
Feb 8--Announced that CPD officers will be equipped to provide naloxone, an opioid overdose antidote
Feb 9--Introduced legislation before the City Council to close a loophole in Illinois car theft laws that lessens the charges given to those convicted of the crime
COOK COUNTY BOARD President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400
Feb 7--Issued a proclamation calling on the Trump administration to discourage Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers from making civil arrests in courthouses
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–District 25) ~ call your state rep! (773)-667-0550
[No News]*
Senator Kwame Raoul (D–District 13) ~ call your state senator! (773) 363-1996
Feb 6--Announced a bill that would give individual citizens the right to legally challenge permits issued by state regulators, following controversy over a proposed silica sand mine in LaSalle County
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL) ~ call your governor! (312)-814-2121
Feb 6--Condemned Arthur J. Jones, the Republican nominee for Illinois’s third congressional district, citing Jones’s denial of the Holocaust
Feb 8--Denied clemency for a veteran after ICE officials initiated deportation proceedings during the veteran’s drug felony sentence
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400
Feb 5--Co-sponsored a bill that would toughen anti-violence protections for journalists; backers claim that the Trump administration has created a “toxic atmosphere” for the news media
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
Feb 7--Criticised President Trump’s idea for a military parade, criticizing it as a waste of resources that could be used to protect soldiers abroad
Feb 9--Introduced legislation that would protect non-citizen veterans from deportation and give them a path to U.S. citizenship
Senator Richard Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952
Feb 6--Called on Congress to pass the Dream Act as soon as possible, before debating any comprehensive immigration reform
Feb 8--Demanded an explanation for the allegations that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau had stopped investigating the Equifax data breach
President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your president! (202) 456-1414
Feb 6--Ordered the Pentagon to begin planning a military parade
Feb 9--Signed a bipartisan budget bill, averting a government shutdown and addressing some Congressional spending concerns without providing a DACA fix
Feb 10--Declined to release the Democrats’ classified memo rebutting the GOP House Intelligence Committee report which had cast doubt on the impartiality of the FBI investigation into the president’s ties to Russia
Week: January 29–February 4 Good morning. Our highlights from this week include: Mayor Rahm Emanuel convinced Shop & Save Market to build a grocery store in South Shore’s Jeffery Plaza in exchange for a tax increment financing subsidy, four years after he promised to replace the Dominick’s grocery store that closed at that location; Representative Bobby Rush boycotted the State of the Union address; President Trump approved the release of a memo containing classified information, over the objections of senior intelligence officials, that sought to discredit the FBI investigation into the Trump campaign.
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 324-5555
Feb 2--Responded with “cautious optimism” about Shop & Save’s decision to move into Jeffrey Plaza in the South Shore neighborhood; she had been asking Mayor Emanuel to bring a grocery store to the area for four years
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300
Feb 2--Convinced Shop & Save to write a letter of intent to build a grocery store in the South Shore’s Jeffery Plaza in exchange for a tax increment financing subsidy, four years after he promised to replace the Dominick’s grocery store that closed at that location
COOK COUNTY BOARD President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400
Feb 1--Announced that 30 suburban Cook County police departments will be trained to administer opioid overdose antidote Narcan, through a partnership between Cook County and Loyola University
Feb 1--Stated that an independent property tax assessment survey she commissioned seven months ago is proceeding on schedule, despite claims that the study is a delay tactic to assist Cook County assessor Joe Berrios in the March primary election; independent studies have already found flaws in the assessments
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–District 25) ~ call your state rep! (773)-667-0550
Jan 30--Announced that the House Sexual Discrimination and Harassment Task Force she leads will complete a year-end report on deficiencies in the legislature’s harassment response procedures, including recommendations for improvement
Senator Kwame Raoul (D–District 13) ~ call your state senator! (773) 363-1996
Jan 29--Attended the State of the Union address as a guest of Illinois Congresswoman Robin Kelly, who invited him in order to highlight the value that immigrants bring to America
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL) ~ call your governor! (312)-814-2121
Jan 31--Delivered the annual State of the State Address, in which he highlighted accomplishments over the past year, called for property tax reform, term limits, income tax cuts, and announced his administration will introduce a balanced budget in February
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400
Jan 30--Boycotted Trump’s State of the Union address, condemning the Trump presidency as “built on racism, stupidity, and lies”
Feb 2--Criticized Trump and the GOP for releasing a memo containing classified information that sought to discredit the FBI investigation into the Trump campaign; Rush also called for action against Russian election interference
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
Jan 30--Introduced, with Senator Durbin, the Creating American Investment, Redevelopment, and Opportunity (CAIRO) Task Force Act which aims to solve health, economic, and housing problems in Cairo, Illinois
Jan 30--Brought a high school principal from Cairo, Illinois to the State of the Union address to highlight the negative impact of the Trump administration’s housing policies
Feb 2--Sponsored a bill to allow “captive insurance companies” into the Federal Home Loan Bank system following their exclusion by the Federal Housing Finance Agency in 2016
Senator Richard Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952
Jan 30--Hostedan undocumented medical student, brought to the U.S. as a child, as a guest for Trump’s State of the Union address
Jan 30--UrgedCongress to address predatory practices of for-profit universities when debating reauthorization of the Higher Education Act
President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your president! (202) 456-1414
Jan 31--Withdrew Victor Cha as the candidate for U.S. ambassador to South Korea after Cha warned about the consequences of a hypothetical preemptive strike on North Korea; the ambassador position remains vacant
Feb 2--Approved the release of a memo containing classified information, over the objections of senior intelligence officials, that sought to discredit the FBI investigation into the Trump campaign
Feb 4--Withdrew his nominee for Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality, following controversy over the nominee’s skepticism of climate science
Week: January 22–28 Good morning. Our highlights from this week include: Alderman Willie Cochran hosted a Woodlawn community meeting to discuss the construction of UChicago’s Woodlawn Residential Commons; Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced that a $2.1 billion modernization project for the red and purple lines will begin in mid-2019; Congressman Bobby Rush voted no and Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth voted yes on a short term funding bill that ended the government shutdown, with all three Democrats expressing concerns about the GOP's pledge to hold a vote on a DACA fix.
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 324-5555
Jan 25--Hosted University of Chicago representatives and local business leaders at a Woodlawn community meeting to discuss the construction of the Woodlawn Residential Commons
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300
Jan 24--Announced that a $2.1 billion modernization project for the red and purple lines will begin in mid-2019
Jan 24--Supported the city of Chicago’s decision to sue U.S. Steel over dumping toxic material into Lake Michigan
Jan 24--Rejected an invitation from President Trump to attend a meeting with him and various other mayors
COOK COUNTY BOARD President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400
Jan 22--Testified in support of the legalization of recreational marijuana before an Illinois House-Senate committee, citing concerns about racially discriminatory drug enforcement
Jan 24--Confirmed her support for Cook County Assessor Joe Berrios despite allegations that his assessments unfairly burdened low-income homeowners
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–District 25) ~ call your state rep! (773)-667-0550
[No News]*
Senator Kwame Raoul (D–District 13) ~ call your state senator! (773) 363-1996
Jan 24--Reassured voters that campaign contributions will not affect his decisions if he is elected Attorney General, after receiving criticism for receiving contributions from Tobacco companies that allegedly skirted campaign finance laws
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL) ~ call your governor! (312)-814-2121
Jan 23--Plans to announce a budget proposal that includes rollback a 2017 increase in state income tax, which would be paid for over the next few years
Jan 27--Reached a compromise with lawmakers on a school funding bill that would redistribute funding to schools with the greatest financial aid need, fixing a technicality that made private schools ineligible for scholarship programs
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400
Jan 22--Voted no on a short term funding bill that successfully ended the government shutdown, claiming that he did not believe the GOP would follow through on its promise to hold a vote on a DACA fix
Jan 23--Cosigned a letter to the Government Accountability Office requesting a review of the FCC’s implementation of the “Lifeline National Verifier” program
Jan 25--Introduced the Connecting Broadband Deserts Act
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
Jan 22--Voted yes on a short-term budget bill to end the government shutdown, despite saying the deal is “not ideal” for Dreamers and armed forces
Jan 25--Introduced a resolution to officially designate January 25th as Women’s Health Research Day
Senator Richard Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952
Jan 22--Voted yes on a short-term budget bill to end the government shutdown
Jan 24--Introduced the bipartisan Music Modernization Act, which would update music copyright laws to be more compatible with modern internet streaming services
Jan 26--Condemned President Trump’s demand that Congress authorize construction of a border wall in return for support for a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers
President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your president! (202) 456-1414
Jan 24--Imposed new sanctions on North Korea aimed at curbing their nuclear weapons program
Jan 26--Announced plans, through the EPA, to end a decades-old air emissions policy, allowing coal plants more flexibility for emission standards
Jan 26--Cancelled a detailed report on an Obama-era mining policy that restricted the amount of mining near Minnesota wilderness
January 15 - 21 Good morning. Our highlights from this week include: Mayor Rahm Emanuel reaffirmed his commitment to convincing Amazon to open their second headquarters in Chicago after it was announced that Chicago is on the Amazon headquarters shortlist; Democratic congressmen criticized congressional Republicans and President Trump for the government shutdown and called for a deal on DACA; President Trump announced that his administration would revoke an Obama-era guidance that made it more difficult for states to defund Planned Parenthood.
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 324-5555
Jan 17--Criticized Mayor Rahm Emanuel for proposing subsidies for Catholic healthcare provider Presence Health over the objections of ‘right to choose’ campaigners
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300
Jan 15— Defended the new director of the Water Department after employees testified that the Department’s “racist culture” has not shifted since the leadership change six months ago
Jan 17--Won city council approval for $5.6 million in subsidies for Catholic healthcare provider Presence Health, and gave a speech criticizing the dissenters
Jan 18--Announced that Chicago will bid to have Apple build their new campus in Chicago
Jan 18--Reaffirmed his commitment to convincing Amazon to open their second headquarters in Chicago after it was announced that Chicago is on the Amazon headquarters shortlist
COOK COUNTY BOARD President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400
[No News]*
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–District 25) ~ call your state rep! (773)-667-0550
[No News]*
Senator Kwame Raoul (D–District 13) ~ call your state senator! (773) 363-1996
[No News]*
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL) ~ call your governor! (312)-814-2121
Jan 18— Signed an executive order preventing lawmakers from from appealing state tax assessments on behalf of constituents
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400
Jan 19-- Introduced the Child Marriage Prevention Act, which would “clarify” federal child marriage laws
Jan 19— Introduced legislation directing the Department of the Interior to conduct a study on the possibility of Fort Pillow becoming a national park
Jan 20-- Issued press statements blaming President Trump and GOP Congressional leaders for the government shutdown, calling for a deal on DACA
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
Jan 16--Warned, in accordance with past support of legislation restricting presidential access to nuclear warheads, against the potential costs of war with North Korea
Jan 19-- Criticized the DHS for its long delay in releasing a report detailing an investigation on the constitutionality of the implementation of the President’s first travel ban, in which the DHS allegedly violated multiple court orders
Jan 20— Called out the President for Friday’s government shutdown, citing, among other problems, potential danger to deployed military personnel
Senator Richard Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952
Jan 16-- Questioned the DHS Secretary about the President’s plans for Dreamers, as well as for her apparent denial of his “vulgar” comments about African nations last week
Jan 19-- Criticized Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell and other Senate Republicans for refusing to vote on the bipartisan DREAM Act
President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your president! (202) 456-1414
Jan 16— Suspended, through the State Department, more than half of US funding for a UN humanitarian agency that supports Palestinians, two weeks after tweeting that he would do so
Jan 19— Extended, through the HHS, the emergency declaration for the opioid crisis, allowing federal health agencies to quickly hire more treatment specialists and reallocate money to strengthen the response to the epidemic
Jan 19— Announced that his administration would revoke an Obama-era guidance that made it more difficult for states to defund Planned Parenthood
Jan 19-- Requested the Supreme Court’s intervention in a federal case to allow him to terminate DACA
Jan 20--Signed the FISA Amendments Reauthorization Act of 2017 into law, which permits the Director of National Intelligence and Attorney General to gather information on anyone outside of the country
January 8 - 14 Good morning. Our highlights from this week include: Governor Rauner vetoed a bill to distribute state education funding under a new formula, citing a technicality involving private school scholarships; Senator Dick Durbin confirmed that President Trump referred to Haiti and several African nations as “shithole countries”; President Trump nixed the prospects of a comprehensive bipartisan immigration deal that would have shielded young immigrants from deportation.
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 324-5555
Jan 12--Abstained from a City Council Finance Committee vote to allow the city to subsidize a Catholic health system that has an “anti-abortion policy”
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300
Jan 7--Announced that 53 new police officers have been deployed as part of a plan to eventually add 1000 new officers to the police force
Jan 8--Finalized a labor contract with unionized city workers in the building trades, agreeing to pay them the “prevailing wage” in their respective private industry, while cutting their healthcare benefits
Jan 9--Confirmed that the city is engaged in talks with Google to open a new center of operations in Chicago
COOK COUNTY BOARD President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400
[No News]*
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–District 25) ~ call your state rep! (773)-667-0550
[No News]*
Senator Kwame Raoul (D–District 13) ~ call your state senator! (773) 363-1996
Jan 11--Expressed outrage at the President’s recent description of Haiti and several African nations as “shithole countries”, citing his Haitian heritage
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL) ~ call your governor! (312)-814-2121
Jan 9--Vetoed a bill to distribute state education funding under a new formula emphasizing high-poverty schools, citing a technicality that would have prevented private schools from being eligible for state scholarship programs
Jan 10--Announced plans to replace the plumbing and other utilities in the Quincy Veterans’ Home, which suffered a Legionnaires bacterial outbreak that killed 13
Jan 12--Expressed support for the Trump administration’s guidance allowing states to require able-bodied Medicaid recipients to be employed
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400
Jan 10--Spoke at a press conference urging economic investment in South Side neighborhoods to reduce gun violence
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
Jan 8--Criticized Governor Rauner’s response to the Quincy veterans home Legionnaires’ outbreak, urging the administration to do more
Jan 10--Condemned the recent ruling on net neutrality, saying the FCC’s reversal of the protection will hurt students and small-businesses
Senator Dick Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952
Jan 8--Fileda legal brief, along with 12 other senators and 33 members of the House, over the DOJ attempt to deny some federal funds to local law enforcement violence prevention efforts in “sanctuary cities”
Jan 12--Condemned President Trump’s remarks about “shithole countries”, saying he heard them in person
President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your president! (202) 456-1414
Jan 9--Banned oil and gas drilling off the coast of Florida after the Florida governor pleaded to protect the tourism-reliant coast
Jan 11--Allowed states to adopt Medicaid work requirements, which means states will be able to use work requirements as a condition for able-bodied adults obtaining health insurance through Medicaid
Jan 12--Extended waivers of economic sanctions against Iran, while also delivering an ultimatum to America’s European allies to “fix” the Iranian nuclear deal or face a U.S. withdrawal from the agreement
Jan 13--Resumed accepting renewal applications for individuals eligible for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program
Jan 14--Nixed the prospects of a comprehensive bipartisan immigration deal that would have shielded young immigrants from deportation
November 20th 2017 - January 7th 2018 Good morning. Our highlights from this week include: The Cook County Board voted to include an advisory referendum on legalizing recreational marijuana on Cook County primary ballots; Governor Rauner received criticism for his handling of a lethal Legionnaires’ outbreak in the state-run Quincy Veterans Home; President Trump signed the GOP tax reform plan into law amid controversy over its effects on the deficit and on income inequality.
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 324-5555
Dec 13--Voted in favor of a $31 million settlement from the city to four black males for their wrongful conviction and imprisonment on charges of rape and murder
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300
Dec 8--Defended ex-CPS Instructor General Forrest Claypool’s actions in covering up an ethics investigation
Dec 13--Attributed the upcoming 25 cent increase in bus and train fare to a $33 million cut to state funding for the CTA
Dec 26--Announced plans to prevent the buildup of potentially dangerous Manganese dust from two material handling facilities on the city’s southeast side
Jan 4--Stated that “at least” five more ambulances will be added to the Chicago emergency response fleet
COOK COUNTY BOARD
Dec 13--Voted to include an advisory referendum on legalizing recreational marijuana on Cook County primary ballots
President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400
Dec 29--Announced, in conjunction with State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, that Cook County has filed a lawsuit against leading pharmaceutical companies over their role in the ongoing opioid crisis
Jan 5--Laid off more Cook County employees to offset revenue loss from the repeal of the sweetened beverage tax; 77 Cook County employees have been let go in the past month
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–district 25) ~ call your state rep! (773)-667-0550
Nov 29--Led the first meeting of the Sexual Harassment Task Force, created last year to address a series of harassment allegations within the legislature
Senator Kwame Raoul (D–district 13) ~ call your state senator! (773) 363-1996
Dec 1--Sponsored legislation to end state participation in the “crosscheck” voter verification tool used to prevent invalid votes, citing cybersecurity concerns
Dec 13--Confirmed his spot on the 2018 ballot for Illinois Attorney General
Dec 15--Urged for an investigation into the deaths of 13 veterans in the state-run Quincy Veterans Home, following revelations about an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease at the facility
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL) ~ call your governor! (312)-814-2121
Dec 11--Called for the resignation of Cook County Assessor Joseph Berrios, following an investigation by the Chicago Tribune alleging that certain, “politically connected” property-owners were able to reduce their tax assessments
Dec 13--Signed a bill intended to reduce fraudulent opioid prescriptions by mandating the use of the Illinois Prescription Monitoring Program, a database that tracks prescription histories across pharmacies and doctors
Dec 29--Vetoed a bill meant to expand in-home service for the elderly, arguing the legislation would reduce quality service to those with disabilities
Jan 3--Criticized the Republican federal tax reform plan passed in December, calling it “punishing” for Illinois, highlighting the plan’s cap on state and local tax deductions
Jan 4--Resided temporarily at the state-run Quincy Veterans Home, following revelations about a Legionella bacteria outbreak that killed 13 at the facility
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400
Nov 27--Ordered by a court to pay $1.1 million to settle a loan on behalf of a now-defunct Englewood church, which he had founded and financed in order to revitalize the community
Dec 4--Filed to run reelection for what would be his 14th term in office
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
Nov 27--Announced, along with Senator Dick Durbin, a $9 million federal grant to expand broadband access in central Illinois
Dec 8--Endorsed, along with Senator Durbin, fellow Democrat J.B. Pritzker’s bid for governor
Dec 18--Introduced, along with Senator Mazie Hirono, the Korematsu-Takai Civil Liberties Protection Act, which intends to prevent human rights violations similar to the incarceration of thousands of Japanese Americans in World War II
Dec 19--Joined every single House and Senate Democrat in voting against the GOP tax bill
Senator Dick Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952
Dec 12--Criticized the FCC plan to reverse the Open Internet Order of 2015, widely termed as “net neutrality”
Jan 3--Called on Republicans in congress to vote on the bipartisan Dream Act, which would secure a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who grew up in the United States
Jan 4--Urged DOJ to scrutinize the Sinclair-Tribune merger, which he has strongly opposed in the past
Jan 5--Visited the Quincy Veterans’ Home to investigate living conditions after the deadly Legionnaires’ outbreak there, challenging Governor Rauner to improve conditions
President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your president! (202) 456-1414
Nov 20--Ended a humanitarian program that has allowed 59,000 Haitians to live and work in the United states since the 2012 earthquake in Haiti
Dec 6--Recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and initiated plans to move the US embassy to that city, a controversial declaration amidst the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Dec 22--Signed a bill enacting the GOP tax reform plan, the first major tax overhaul in over 30 years, amid concerns about its effects on the deficit and on income inequality
Jan 3--Signed an executive order to disband his controversial voter fraud commision
Jan 4--Repealed, through an action of the DOJ, an Obama-era marijuana policy that prevented federal agents from enforcing marijuana laws in states where the drug had been legalized
2017 Archives:
Special Edition: The GOP Tax Plan: On November 16th 2017, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 227-205 to pass the GOP leadership’s tax reform plan (See the official 86 page summary of the tax plan here). This is how the plan will affect students:
NEW TAX ON UNIVERSITY ENDOWMENTS
Income from college endowments with total assets greater than $250,000 per student will be subject to a 1.4% excise tax (The University of Chicago’s endowment will also be subject to this tax).
STUDENT DEDUCTIONS REPEALED Definition: A deduction of a certain amount means that this amount of a taxpayer’s income will not be taxed. The tax plan passed by the House GOP includes the following changes:
Student Loans: Repeals a $2,500 deduction for interest payments on student loans.
Student Tuition: Repeals a $4,000 deduction for tuition and related expenses.
STUDENT EXEMPTIONS REPEALED Definition: An exemption on a type of income means that this type of income will not be taxed. The tax plan passed by the House GOP includes the following changes:
Faculty Tuition Aid: Repeals exemption of tuition discounts provided by educational institutions to their employees, spouses, or dependents. With the new tax plan, university employees and their family members must now pay taxes on the tuition aid they receive from the university.
Employee Tuition Aid: Repeals exemption of educational aid provided by a business to its employees. In the past, the IRS allowed employees to not pay taxes on up to $5,250 of this educational aid. However, the new tax plan would include all employer-provided educational assistance as taxable income.
NEW EXEMPTIONS
Debt Forgiveness: The House GOP tax plan exempts student-loan debt forgiveness due to death or total disability.
STUDENT CREDITS REPEALED Definition: A credit means that the final amount a taxpayer owes is reduced by a certain amount.
Tuition & Related Expenses: repeals the Lifetime Learning Credit (LLC) but leaves intact the American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC). In the past, students could use either of these two credits to offset tuition or other educational expenses.
Comparison of the AOTC (left intact by GOP plan), and the LLC (eliminated by GOP plan)
Who qualifies for the credit? AOTC: People earning under $90,000 LLC: People earning under $66,000
How much educational expense does the credit offset per year, and for how many years can it be claimed? AOTC: Up to $2500 per year for up to 4 years (and $500 for 5th year with the GOP plan) LLC: Up to $2000 per year for an indefinite number of years
Who typically claims this credit? AOTC: Typically claimed by people going to college for 4 years or fewer LLC: Typically claimed by graduate students and people attending college for more than 4 years
*Produced November 19th, 2017
November 13 - November 19 Good morning. Our highlights from this week include: Alderman Willie Cochran announced he will not run for reelection; Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle proposed nearly 600 layoffs and spending cuts to fill the budget gap caused by the repeal of the soda tax; The GOP-led tax plan passed the House of Representatives. *See our Special Edition to learn how the House GOP Tax Plan will affect you as a student*
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 324-5555
Nov 15--Partnered with artists Eric Williams and Rob McKay to help curate ‘Connect South Shore,’ a pop-up marketplace open November 24 – 26
Nov 15--Joined four other alderman to cast the sole dissenting votes against a measure designed to reduce “prostitution-related loitering,” stating she felt the law would create racial profiling
Nov 13--Announced he will not run for the office of alderman again, citing his commitment to term limits and denying that his 15-count federal indictment factored into his decision
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300
Nov 15--Stated that the CTA will not implement service cuts to balance its budget, but did not dismiss the possibility of fare increases
Nov 16--Announced that Chicago will reach 55 million visitors by the end of this year
COOK COUNTY BOARD
Nov 15--Voted to hold a hearing on water rate disparities and excessive water loss across Cook County
Nov 17--Agreed to support Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s plan to plug a $200 million budget hole through spending cuts and layoffs to various departments including County hospitals, the sheriff’s office, and the Cook County jail
President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400
Nov 14--Proposed nearly 600 county employee layoffs and spending cuts to address loss of revenue from soda tax
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–district 25) ~ call your state rep! (773)-667-0550
[No news]*
Senator Kwame Raoul (D–district 13) ~ call your state senator! (773) 363-1996
[No news]*
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL) ~ call your governor! (312)-814-2121
Nov 15--Defended the Trust Act, a bill signed by the Governor to protect the status of undocumented immigrants, as the Justice Department threatened to cut funding to Illinois
Nov 16--Signed two bills aimed at reducing sexual assault and enforcing ethics codes within Illinois state government, including mandating sexual harassment prevention training for lawmakers and lobbyists and lifting a one-year statute of limitations that had impeded investigations of old complaints
Nov 16--Signed the Flood Victim Tax Credit into law, which will provide flood victims of Lake County up to $750 to cover damages
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400
Nov 14--Penned a letter to President Trump inquiring into why the NIH discontinued its gun violence research program
Nov 16--Voted against the GOP tax plan, which passed in the House
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
Nov 13--Called for an investigation into alleged violations of immigration policy meant to protect people coming into the country, such as a reported refusal to allow a girl with cerebral palsy into the country for surgery
Nov 14--Condemned the Senate confirmation of “torture memo” author Steven Bradbury for General Counsel of Department of Transportation
Nov 15--Announced, along with Sen. Durbin (D-IL), $600,000 in increased federal Fair Housing Initiatives Program funding for Chicago
Senator Dick Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952
Nov 14--Discussed continued federal investment in Chicago Rockford International Airport with the airport’s director
Nov 14--Released a report, along with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), claiming that Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos did not sufficiently help students defrauded by predatory colleges
Nov 16--Criticized the GOP tax plan for including tax cuts for the wealthy and tax hikes on some middle-income families, among other issues
Nov 16--Introduced the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act, in order to “address the growing threat of white supremacist groups and other violent domestic extremists”
President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your president! (202) 456-1414
Nov 13--Met with Rodrigo Duterte, President of the Philippines
Nov 17--Reversed his administration’s decision to roll back a ban on importing big game trophies from Zimbabwe and Zambia
November 6 - November 12
Good morning. Our highlights from this week include: Mayor Rahm Emanuel walked out of a City Council meeting after Chance the Rapper criticized the mayor’s plan to construct a new police academy; The Cook County Board announced plans to deliberate on holding an advisory referendum on recreational marijuana legalization; President Donald Trump ended a special immigration status program for 5,300 Nicaraguans.
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 324-5555
Nov 7--Called a protest demanding a Community Benefits Agreement for the Obama Library “counterproductive” and reaffirmed her commitment to support the Library
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300
Nov 7--Cut the ribbon to the Army Research Laboratory at the University of Chicago’s Polsky Center
Nov 8--Walked out of a City Council meeting after Chance the Rapper criticized the mayor’s plan, later approved 48-1, to construct a new police academy training facility in West Garfield Park. The mayor claimed he was taking an unrelated phonecall.
Nov 11--Thanked and honored veterans for their service in a Veterans Day speech given at Soldier Field
COOK COUNTY BOARD
Nov 7--Announced plans to deliberate on holding an advisory referendum on recreational marijuana legalization
Nov 7--Discussed cutting hospital funding in order to reduce the budget deficit
President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400
Nov 6--Penned a Chicago Sun Times article advocating for a gun licensing system
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–district 25) ~ call your state rep! (773)-667-0550
[No news]*
Senator Kwame Raoul (D–district 13) ~ call your state senator! (773) 363-1996
[No news]*
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL) ~ call your governor! (312)-814-2121
Nov 5--Declared a statewide harvest emergency, citing late rain and crop delays that have created a backlog in produce shipping; the declaration allows farmers to add higher payloads to trucks, relieving delays but adding stress to roads
Nov 7--Highlighted his administration's’ pro-business initiatives at the opening of a new General Mills distribution center in Wilmington, IL
Nov 8--Preserved his veto on a bill banning cities from establishing right-to-work zones, blocking an override effort from House Democrats
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400
Nov 6--Urged fellow lawmakers to oppose Energy Secretary Rick Perry’s plan to reform the energy grid, which would include increased funding to coal and nuclear plants
Nov 8--Criticized the passage of a bill easing the approval process for hydroelectric power plants, citing environmental concerns
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
Nov 6--Urged the President, along with fellow veteran legislators, to stop making “provocative statements” in regards to North Korea, citing the potential dangers of a war
Nov 8--Introduced, along with other senators, legislation to ban the sale, transfer, manufacture, and importation of “military style” assault weapons
Nov 9--Called on Congress, along with fellow Illinois senator Dick Durbin, to pass the Dream Act and protect DACA recipients from deportation
Senator Dick Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952
Nov 8--Joined fellow senators to reintroduce legislation that would raise the smoking age to 21
Nov 9--Helped reintroduce the Military And Veterans Education Protection Act, which will close a loophole that was causing for-profit colleges and universities to heavily recruit servicemembers and veterans
President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your president! (202) 456-1414
Nov 6--Reimposed sanctions on Cuba that Obama had lifted, specifically banning travel based on educational purposes
Nov 6--Withdrew a proposed biotechnology regulation that would have streamlined GMO rule enforcement
Nov 7--Ended a special immigration status program for 5,300 Nicaraguans giving them until January 2019 to leave, while also announcing a 6 month extension for the protected immigration status of 86,000 Hondurans
Nov 11--Met one-on-one with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit
Nov 12--Landed in the Philippines for his final stop on his Asia trip
Week: October 30 - November 5
Good morning. Our highlights from this week include: The Cook County Board held public hearings on how to close the budget gap resulting from the repeal of the soda tax; Illinois State Representative Barbara Flynn Currie was appointed to lead House Speaker Madigan’s task force to combat sexual harassment; and President Donald Trump nominated Jerome H. Powell to chair the Federal Reserve.
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 324-5555
Oct 31--Criticized Chicago Aviation Commissioner Ginger Evans for failing to award contracts to minority-owned businesses
Nov 1--Despite her efforts to draw local teens to a party on the Midway Plaisance, nearly 400 teens engaged in property damage, brawls, and egg throwing on 53rd Street, resulting in multiple arrests, but fewer specific incidents than last year
Nov 2--Collapsed at a budget meeting in City Hall and was transported to Northwestern Medical Center and was later declared to be in stable condition
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300
Oct 30--Announced that the shipping company DHL will build a 54,000 square foot facility at Chicago O’Hare International Airport to allow for faster customs processing
Oct 30--Unveiled an ordinance which would allow city employees who are victims of domestic or sexual violence one month of paid leave
Nov 2--Designated 2018 as the “Year of Creative Youth”, putting aside $2 million for the city to invest in a youth art program
Nov 3--Announced a scholarship from Robert Morris University for 100 graduating high school students each year from 2018 to 2022
COOK COUNTY BOARD
Nov 1--Held public hearings on closing the budget gap resulting from the repeal of the soda tax
President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400
[No news]*
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–district 25) ~ call your state rep! (773)-667-0550
Oct 31--Appointed to lead House Speaker Madigan’s task force to combat sexual harassment in the wake of testimony from Denise Rotheimer, who accused Senator Ira Silverstein of harassment
Senator Kwame Raoul (D–district 13) ~ call your state senator! (773) 363-1996
[No News]*
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL) ~ call your governor! (312)-814-2121
Nov 4--Sent 150 Illinois National Guard members to Puerto Rico to assist with hurricane relief
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400
[No News]*
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
Oct 31--Announced, along with two other Senators, a bill that would limit executive power to use funds for lethal force military operations without congressional authorization
Nov 1--Wrote a letter to President Trump urging him to be clear with the public on the potential risks and effects of a war with North Korea
Nov 2--Issued a statement opposing House Republicans’ tax reform plan
Senator Dick Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952
Oct 30--Wrote a letter to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai condemning the proposed acquisition of the Tribune Media Company by Sinclair Broadcast Group, citing concerns with Sinclair’s policy of mandating content to local stations as well as concerns about decreased competition as a result of the merger
Oct 30--Criticized GOP tax plan for eliminating the state and local tax deduction
Oct 31--Questioned executives from social media companies about Russian interference in the 2016 election through the use of false advertisements and bots
President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your president! (202) 456-1414
Nov 2--Nominated Jerome H. Powell to chair the Federal Reserve, bypassing current chair Janet L. Yellen
Nov 2--Released his plan to reform the tax code in concert with House Republican leadership
Nov 3--Declined to block the release of the National Climate Assessment, which cited human activity as the dominant cause of global warming
Nov 5--Arrived in Japan to begin 13-day trip through Asia
Week: October 23 - October 29
Good morning. Our highlights from this week include: Leslie Hairston took steps to avoid a repeat of last year’s Halloween “purge” on 53rd Street; Illinois Senators voted against successful efforts to block the CFPB’s ban on forced arbitration clauses; President Trump imposed new rules for vetting refugees coming from an undisclosed list of 11 countries deemed high risk.
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 324-5555
Oct 23--Set up a community group to discuss development along 71st Street in an effort to promote growth similar to the University of Chicago-backed development of 53rd Street
Oct 24--Organized a Halloween party on the Midway Plaisance to prevent a repeat of last year’s Halloween “purge” on 53rd street
Oct 24--Cut ribbon for new multi-story affordable housing development in Washington Park
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300
Oct 23--Opened the new $203 million Wilson ‘L’ station, serving the red and purple lines
Oct 25--Announced that the online grocery delivery service Peapod will be relocating its headquarters to Chicago
Oct 26--Expressed his continued support for the use of predictive crime fighting technology and announced the expansion of this technology into the Ogden police district
Oct 27--Announced a plan to showcase more artwork in public places
COOK COUNTY BOARD President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400
Oct 23--Presented a 10% cut of the small portion of county spending which she directly controls
Oct 23--Praised the environmental and economic benefits of the Community Solar Project following the completion of the first assessment for viable sites
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–district 25) ~ call your state representative! (773)-667-0550
[No News]*
Senator Kwame Raoul (D–district 13) ~ call your state senator! (773) 363-1996
Oct 24--Voted to override the Governor Rauner’s veto of a bill that would ban local governments from establishing right-to-work zones; the veto override effort later failed in the House
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL) ~ call your governor! (312)-814-2121
Oct 23--Announced he is running for a second term as Governor
Oct 23--Offered with Mayor Emanuel approximately $2 billion in tax credits, property tax relief, and infrastructure spending to Amazon to incentivize them to locate their headquarters in Chicago
Oct 25--Sold $4.5 billion in bonds, despite high interest rates, reducing the State’s backlog of unpaid bills
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your Congressional representative! (773) 779-2400
Oct 26––Participated in a Gun Violence Forum hosted by members of the Congressional Committee on Energy and Commerce to address public health solutions to gun violence
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
Oct 24––Voted against blocking a new Consumer Finance Protection Bureau rule that would prevent corporations from creating “forced arbitration agreements” to settle disputes with consumers who are victims of fraud and scams out of court
Oct 25––Joined Senator Durbin and other Democratic Senators in announcing the Background Check Expansion Act which will expand background check requirements to all private parties and unlicensed sellers
Senator Dick Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952
Oct 24--Introduced a bill to protect minority communities from discrimination through pollution and public health issues
Oct 24--Met with Department of Veteran Affairs to discuss for-profit colleges’ record of targeting financially struggling veterans
Oct 25--Condemned GOP Senators for voting to repeal a rule banning forced arbitration clauses in consumer contracts with large banks and credit reporting agencies
Oct 27––Led Senators in demanding greater coordination of FEMA relief efforts in Puerto Rico to protect certain islands’ food and water sources from contamination
President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your president! (202) 456-1414
Oct 26--Declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency, which intends to expand access to health services but does not appropriate additional funds without congressional approval
Oct 27--Relaxed medical privacy rules, enabling health care providers to share information with the patient’s family if the patient is in crisis
Oct 28--Ordered new rules for vetting refugees coming from an undisclosed list of 11 nations deemed high risk, following the expiration of his four-month travel ban
Oct 30--Denied collusion between his campaign and the Russian government in response to Special Counsel Robert Mueller indicting Paul Manafort, Rick Gates, and George Papadopoulos, who pled guilty to charges of making a false statement to the FBI
Week: October 16 - October 22
Good morning. Our highlights from this week include: Mayor Emanuel proposed a budget that increases fees to fund additional spending, Governor Rauner used his executive authority to cut $200 million from state spending, and President Trump appealed a ruling striking down a revised version of his travel ban.
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 324-5555
Oct 17--Offered free flu shots to the public at her office
Oct 21--Hosted a public discussion on the history and the future development of 71st street
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300
Oct 18--Proposed a budget that increases the amusement tax, fees on rideshare services, and fees on phone bills in order to raise revenue that will improve the CTA, the 911 dispatch system, and that will fund an expansion of the CPD and Chicago Public Schools security force
Oct 18--Suggested increasing the use of police body cameras and analytic and predictive tools in his 2018 budget proposal
Oct 19--Declared that he will run for reelection when his term ends in 2019
Oct 20--Announced potential locations for Amazon’s second headquarters as part of his efforts to land the company in Chicago
COOK COUNTY BOARD President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400
Oct 16--Expressed dismay over the repeal of the unpopular soda tax, stating that she will look for new ways to close the $200 million gap in the fiscal 2018 budget
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–district 25) ~ call your state rep! (773)-667-0550
Oct 19--Criticized ICE officers for racial profiling
Senator Kwame Raoul (D–district 13) ~ call your state senator! (773) 363-1996
[No News]*
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL) ~ call your governor! (312)-814-2121
Oct 17--Issued $1.5 billion in bonds intended to help reduce the $16 billion backlog of unpaid bills
Oct 18--Enacted $200 million of budget cuts through executive action, including reductions in homelessness prevention, addiction treatment, immigrant navigation services, and youth counseling funding. The governor’s office estimates the budget now has $1.5 billion shortfall
Oct 19--Announced a new University of Illinois campus in the South Loop, with Mayor Rahm Emanuel, that has yet to be funded
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400
Oct 18--Hosted a Military Academy Day to inform constituents of educational opportunities available to them in the U.S. Service Academies
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
Oct 16--Joined other Senate Democrats in calling for a hearing on President Trump’s interactions with the media
Oct 18--Introduced legislation requiring airlines to obtain pilots’ motor vehicle driving records before allowing them to fly
Oct 18--Placed a hold on two of President Trump’s nominees for positions in the EPA
Oct 19--Urged the DoD to “rethink” its support relationship with Kurdish forces in Iraq
Oct 21--Met with the Elmwood Park Village President to discuss the need for infrastructure in that community
Senator Dick Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952
Oct 16--Denounced a GOP proposal that would eliminate the state and local tax deduction
Oct 17--Criticized Education Secretary DeVos for her legally-contested refusal to enforce the “Gainful Employment Rule”, a regulation on for-profit colleges
Oct 18--Criticized US Attorney General Jeff Sessions’s threats to withdraw gun violence prevention funds from sanctuary cities such as Chicago as well as for his stance on DACA
Oct 19--Introduced, along with Senator Duckworth and others, a bill that would require gun store owners to use increased security methods to prevent gun thefts
Oct 19--Co-sponsored a bill that would strengthen the Drug Enforcement Agency’s ability to investigate pharmaceutical companies for not taking necessary steps to prevent abuse of prescription opioids
President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your president! (202) 456-1414
Oct 17--Announced, through the DoJ, his intent to appeal a court ruling that struck down Trump’s travel ban, which restricts entry into the U.S for individuals from certain nations
Oct 20--Initiated a rush of outreach to Gold Star families, following controversy stemming from his condolence comments to a Gold Star mother
Oct 21--Promised to set aside $430,000 of his own personal funds to pay for the legal defense of his staff implicated in the Russia probe
Oct 21--Announced he will release a final set of classified documents related to the Kennedy assassination
Oct 2--Rescinded, through an action of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, 72 documents outlining the rights of students with disabilities on the grounds that they were “outdated, unnecessary, and ineffective”
Week: October 9-15
Good morning. Our highlights from this week include: Rahm Emanuel presented a budget for 2018 which includes $27 million for police reform and training and a $114 million shortfall;the Cook County board passed the repeal of the soda tax; President Trump declined to recertify the Iran Deal
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 324-5555
Oct 11--Cast one of five dissenting votes against a refinancing deal designed to reduce city borrowing costs, demanding that the aldermen take responsibility for Chicago's large debt burden.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300
Oct 12--Announced plans to rebuild and modernize the State/Lake L station with $60 million in federal funding
Oct 13--Proposed a $1 million plan to rid the city of diseased rodents by increasing the number of “rat-fighting crews” and buying heavy-duty garbage carts that rats would be unable to chew through
Oct 13--Presented a budget for 2018 which includes $27 million for police reform and training and a $114 million shortfall
COOK COUNTY BOARD
Oct 11--Passed the repeal of the soda tax in a 15 to 2 vote, effective Dec 1st, at the start of the new fiscal year
President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400
Oct 11--Responded after the repeal of the soda tax that she respected “the commissioners who believe that repealing this tax was the right thing to do” and suggested future difficulty of filling the hole in the budget
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–district 25) ~ call your state rep! (773)-667-0550
[No news]*
Senator Kwame Raoul (D–district 13) ~ call your state senator! (773) 363-1996
[No news]*
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL) ~ call your governor! (312)-814-2121
Oct 12--Placed $4.45 million of his personal money into state GOP campaign fund to oppose Democrats in the 2018 election
Oct 13--Named Patty Schuh, former press secretary for several Illinois Senate leaders, as new communications director amid staff overhaul
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400
[No news]*
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
Oct 12--Announced, along with Senator Durbin, $3.9 million in funding for rural electric and water infrastructure development in several Southern Illinois counties
Oct 13--Expressed, along with Senator Durbin, concern at the possible consequences of the President’s refusal to recertify the Iran nuclear deal, agreeing with Secretary of Defense James Matthis’ and senior military officer General Dunford’s pro-Iran deal
Senator Richard Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952
Oct 10--Visited the Marion Veteran Affairs center to receive updates on mismanagement and nepotism charges, and again called for an independent investigation by US department of veterans affairs
Oct 12--Condemned Trump’s executive order ending cost-sharing subsidies to the private health insurance exchanges, calling it a “sabotage” of the Affordable Care Act after his attempts at repealing the law failed
President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your president! (202) 456-1414
Oct 12--Tweeted about potentially withdrawing federal hurricane aid from Puerto Rico, even as hurricane relief efforts are incomplete
Oct 13--Declined to recertify the Iran nuclear deal, a legal procedural move that prompts congress to clarify the law without technically withdrawing the US from the deal, opening a range of possible scenarios
Oct 13--Terminated health insurer cost-sharing subsidies, which keep premiums down in Affordable Care Act health insurance marketplaces
Oct 14--Blocked by a federal judge in his attempts to defund sanctuary cities through the Justice Department public safety grants
Week: October 2-8
Good morning. Our highlights from this week include: Amid efforts to repeal soda tax, Cook County Board President Preckwinkle warned of potential cuts in her proposed budget plan, Illinois’s senators proposed gun control legislation in the wake of the Las Vegas shooting, and President Trump amended Affordable Care Act rules to no longer require employers to provide free birth control coverage.
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 324-5555
Oct 5--Helped create partnership between MAC Properties and the Coalition for Equitable Community Development to build affordable apartment housing at 5528-5532 S. Cornell Ave.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300
Oct 3--Assured that the city is prepared to handle the possible security risks of the upcoming Chicago Marathon and MLB playoffs after the Las Vegas shooting
Oct 4--Announced plans to redo the Cottage Grove green line station, stating that work would begin early next year
Oct 5--Welcomed the large influx of Puerto Rican immigrants expected to arrive in Chicago due to damagescaused by hurricane Maria
Oct 6--Announced the deadline for applications for community development grants intended for the south and west sides
COOK COUNTY BOARD
Oct 4--Received a $1.85 million grant for the Cook County justice system from the MacArthur Foundation to reduce its prison population
Oct 6--Discussed willingness to repeal the sweetened beverage tax
President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400
Oct 5--Unveiled a budget proposal for the fiscal year 2018 which would rely on the soda tax revenue to prevent cuts to community health centers and public health and safety workers.
Oct 5--Warned that revenue lost from repealing the soda tax would require the board to make an 11% cut to the budget
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–district 25) ~ call your state rep! (773)-667-0550
[No News]*
Senator Kwame Raoul (D–district 13) ~ call your state senator! (773) 363-1996
[No News]*
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL) ~ call your governor! (312)-814-2121
Oct 5--Expressed doubt on securing road and infrastructure funding for Obama Library construction.
Oct 6--Announced Rodger Heaton, previously a federal prosecutor, as his third chief of staff since July.
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400
Oct 2--Penned an article about the importance of franchising to expand opportunity in minority communities
Oct 5--Praised the passing of his amendment to the Champion Act, which allows community health centers to participate in National Institutes of Health research initiatives
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
Oct 1--Co-sponsored legislation to help cities with maintenance of decommissioned nuclear waste sites
Oct 5--Authored four amendments that successfully passed the Senate Commerce Committee focused on increasing the safety and efficiency of self-driving cars
Oct 5--Criticized Trump’s nominee for the 2nd highest position at the EPA, Dr. Michael Dourson, who has previously penned a study claiming that petroleum coke is safe
Oct 5--Co-sponsored legislation to ban the sale of bump stocks, which can make a semi-automatic weapon into an automatic firearm
Senator Dick Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952
Oct 4--Reintroduced criminal justice reform legislation narrowing the scope and length of mandatory minimum prison sentences for nonviolent drug offenders
Oct 4--Urged Equifax to cover any credit freeze fees incurred by the 145.5 million consumers affected by Equifax’s major data breach
Oct 5--Co-sponsored legislation, along with Sen Duckworth and others, that prevents consumers who have not completed a background check from purchasing guns from federally licensed sellers
President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your president! (202) 456-1414
Oct 6––Amended Affordable Care Act rules to no longer require employers to provide free birth control coverage
Oct 7––Drafting a proposal, through the EPA, to repeal the Clean Power Plan regulations
Week: September 24 - October 1
Good morning. Our highlights from this week include: Governor Bruce Rauner signs a bill expanding state funding for abortion; Senator Durbin introduces legislation designed to bring awareness to the secretive opioid drug approval process; President Trump threatened North Korea through a tweet, criticizing his own Secretary of State for engaging in talks with the regime.
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 324-5555
Sept 29–--Declined to require the Obama presidential library to commit to a written community benefits agreement
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300
Sept 26--Attempting to attract the new Amazon headquarters to Chicago as a part of a push for a Chicago tech center
Sept 27--Expressed mixed sentiments on UCPD officers kneeling in protest of police violence
Sept 28--Launched a lawsuit against Equifax in response to its data security breach
COOK COUNTY BOARD President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400
[No news]*
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–district 25) ~ call your state rep! (773)-667-0550
[No news]*
Senator Kwame Raoul (D–district 13) ~ call your state senator! (773) 363-1996
[No news]*
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL) ~ call your governor! (312)-814-2121
Sept 25–--Criticized the Pittsburgh Steelers’ players for participating in a protest action during the playing of the National Anthem at a game. Rauner is a partial-owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers
Sept 26--Signed ‘Conor’s Law’ package, requiring the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board to create and implement guidelines for intoxicated youth following an arrest
Sept 28--Signed bill expanding state funding for abortion, including through Medicaid and other state insurance programs
Sept 29--Vetoed bill which would ban local governments from creating “right-to-work” zones
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400
[No news]*
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
Sept 26--Criticized to the Graham-Cassidy healthcare bill for its effects on millions of Americans’ healthcare coverage
Sept 26--Joined 10 of her colleagues in writing to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Speaker Paul Ryan urging them to take immediate action on disaster relief legislation for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands following devastation caused by Hurricanes Irma and Maria
Sept 27--Urged congress to pass a bipartisan tax reform plan prioritizing small businesses and middle-class families, claiming Trump’s plan doesn’t achieve this
Sept 28--Joins Rep. Doris Matsui to introduce legislation to achieve hunger reduction and improve health through community gardening
Senator Dick Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952
Sept 25--Criticized the Succeed Act, bipartisan immigration legislation that gives a path to citizenship to Dreamers, for jeopardizing DACA recipients’ due process rights
Sept 26--Introduced bicameral legislation designed to help students manage costs by making free, high quality textbooks easily accessible to students, professors, and the public
Sept 27--Called it “unconscionable” that the Trump administration is only admitting 45,000 refugees, the lowest amount in history, amid a global refugee crisis
Sept 28--Pressed the EPA and SunCoke Energy to address SunCoke Energy’s Indiana Harbor pollution problems
Sept 28--Introduced transparency legislation targeting the secretive opioid painkiller approval process for its role in the U.S. opioid crisis view the bill here
President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your president! (202) 456-1414
Sept 25--Tweeted that “[North Korea] won’t be along much longer.” The North Korean Ambassador responded that the tweet amounted to a declaration of war, and criticized his own Secretary of State for “wasting his time” by engaging in bilateral talks with North Korea
Sept 29--Announced details of his tax reform plan, including reductions in corporate and individual tax rates
Sept 30--Criticized San Juan’s mayor amid hurricane relief efforts in Puerto Rico
Summer 2017, Jun-Sept Good morning. Our highlights from this summer include: Illinois state legislature overrode Governor Rauner’s veto of a bipartisan budget compromise, ending Illinois’s 2 year budget crisis; Congressional Republicans failed to repeal the Affordable Care Act; President Trump rescinded the DACA program protecting ‘Dreamers’ from deportation.
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 324-5555
Jul 3--Withdrew ordinance to change commercial zoning on a section of 71st Street, ending an effort to limit monopolies by convenience and beauty stores
Sep 7--Threatened to file lawsuit to force the city to reevaluate the status of independent contractors, arguing that contractors paid less than $100,000 per year should not have to file city employee ethics statements
Jun 9--Asked federal court to remove electronic records from evidence against him, claiming that the records were gained using search warrants that were either too broad or nonexistent
Aug 17--Supported city review of plan to expand Blackstone Bike Works and other Experimental Station programs into nearby vacant firehouse
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300
Jun 5--Submitted memorandum to the Department of Justice agreeing to allow an independent monitor to oversee reform efforts in the Chicago Police Department
Jul 26--Introduced ordinance requiring sellers of used cell phones to clear phones against a database of stolen phones before reselling
Aug 4--Filed federal lawsuit arguing that the federal government cannot withhold funding from sanctuary cities
COOK COUNTY BOARD
Sept 15--Sent a measure to repeal the sweetened beverages tax, which was enacted August 2 after being put on holdby a judge, to committee
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–district 25) ~ call your state rep! (773)-667-0550
Jun 27--Agreed to a four year property tax freeze as part of a proposed budget compromise, a major Democratic concession that was later rejected by Republicans
Aug 9--Clarified that she sponsored Rauner’s SB1 bill but was not a “fan of the bill.” The SB1 bill makes payment for elementary schools and secondary schools contingent on a new funding formula being in place
Sept 15--Announced retirement from state General Assembly, will not seek re-election in 2018
Senator Kwame Raoul (D–district 13) ~ call your state senator! (773) 363-1996
Jun 27--Proposed legislation to restrict repeat offenders’ ability to obtain firearms, legislation that was later passed
Sept 20--Announced candidacy for Illinois State Attorney General
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL) ~ call your governor! (312)-814-2121
July 2--Vetoed Illinois Income Tax Hike bill, a bipartisan budget compromise that would have reversed tax cuts and ended a record 2 year budget standoff. The legislature voted to override Rauner’s veto
Aug 25--Signed a series of criminal justice reforms, designed to help offenders a fresh start to enter society
Aug 28--Signed a bill to protect undocumented immigrants from being detained due to their immigration status
Aug 28— Signed a bill that would automatically register many Illinoisans to vote
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400
Jun 19––Endorsed Chris Kennedy for Illinois governor, praising the candidate’s “radical approach to the state government”
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
Jun 25––Criticized a failed Republican Affordable Care Act repeal bill that would “gut Medicaid” and cause 385,000 Illinois residents to lose health insurance
July 19––Condemned President Trump for being “derelict in his duty” because of his inaction toward Russian cyberattack during election and his meeting with the Russian foreign minister in the Oval office
Aug 3––Proposed legislation that would stop deportation of military veterans convicted of nonviolent offenses and give non-U.S.-citizen soldiers opportunity to obtain citizenship
Aug 30––Called on the FBI to investigate billionaire investor Carl Icahn, accusing him of attempting to use his role as an adviser to President Trump to benefit his oil refinery, CVR Energy
Senator Dick Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952
June 16––Warned that President Trump would put the country “at brink of a constitutional crisis” if he fired Robert Mueller, who was appointed to investigate Russia’s interference in the 2016 U.S. election
July 12––Criticized President Trump’s and his sons’ ties with the Russian government, proposed stronger sanctions against Russia, and demanded an investigation in Russian election intervention
July 20––Introduced “Dream Act” legislation that would grant permanent legal status to 1 million young people who arrived in the U.S. before they turned 18, passed security checks, and met other necessary criteria
President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your president! (202) 456-1414
Aug 25––Banned transgender individuals from serving in the U.S. military
Sept 5––Ended the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program
Sept 25––Banned certain classes of people from several Muslim-majority countries and from various other countries from entering the United States
2016 Archives Citizen Bulletin Week: April 24–May 1
Good morning! Our highlights from this week include: Rahm announces pilot program designed to address chronic homelessness in Chicago, Gov. Rauner visit to UIUC cut short by students’ protesting the state higher-ed funding crisis, and Obama speaks at Annual White House Correspondents Dinner. `
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward)
Apr. 25--Blocked Spring Awakening Festival from using Jackson Park as its location after learning that the University of Chicago convocation is the same day
Apr. 26—Held monthly ward meeting at Parkside Community Academy
Apr. 27--Asked Chicago Park District to convene a community process to overview Project 120’s (a plan to revitalize Chicago's South Parks) proposals for Jackson Park
Apr. 26--Delivered a presentation to the Southwest Federation Block Clubs of Greater Englewood about structuring and chartering a block club through the ward office
Apr. 26--Offered an estate planning workshop for the local community on wills, probate, and homeowner services
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D)
Apr. 24--Announced pilot program designed to address chronic homelessness by providing residents with viable long-term housing
Apr. 25--Announced city’s first comprehensive trades program, the Construction Trades Campus at Dunbar High School
Apr. 27--Applauded work of state and federal legislators to address lead levels in water and announced addition of new measures to Chicago’s monitoring systems
COOK COUNTY BOARD
[no news]*
Note: The Board’s last meeting was April 13; next meeting will be May 11
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–district 25)
Apr. 27--Showed interest in holding another hearing for state, city, and CPS officials to comment on interest rate swaps
Apr. 25--Commented on higher education funding bill, signed Monday, saying it “doesn’t fully do what’s needed for the fiscal year for Chicago State or for the other universities”
Apr. 28--Sponsored bill to allow juveniles to apply for expungement of records before turning eighteen
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL)
Apr. 27--Visited Auburn High School to discuss "school funding, structural reforms and recent bipartisan momentum”
Apr. 28--Visited University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; however, the visit was cut short by students protesting the state higher-ed funding crisis
Apr. 29--Signed Executive Order 16-06 to begin a pilot program in an effort to reduce and eliminate the backlog of administrative hearings in Illinois
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1)
Apr. 25--Spoke at Dunbar High School alongside Mayor Emanuel in Construction Trades Campus announcement
Apr. 27--Wrote a letter requesting the FTC investigate Amazon’s same day delivery service for discriminatory practices in the South Side of Chicago
Senator Mark Kirk (R–IL)
Apr. 26--Released a statement urging his colleagues to pass the Water Resources Development Act of 2016 (WRDA)
Apr. 28--Joined a bipartisan group of Senators to announce the new provisions and cosponsors of the criminal justice reform bill which intends to fight notable gangs in Chicago
Apr. 28--Sent a letter to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) last week to demand answers about allegations that food service operations at the Edward Hines, Jr., VA Hospital are plagued by cockroaches
Senator Dick Durbin (D–IL)
Apr. 25--Called for passage of legislation he introduced with U.S. Representative Jackie Speier (D-CA) to address the rising number of poisonings in children due to laundry detergent packets
Apr. 26--Renewed call for the FDA to ban the retail sale and marketing of pure, bulk powdered caffeine
Apr. 27--Met with members of the Will County Board to discuss local economic development issues and transportation priorities during their annual trip to Washington D.C.
Apr. 28--Announced revisions to the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act with Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) which intends to broaden bipartisan support for criminal justice reform
President Barack Obama (D)
Apr. 26--Announced that the US is preparing 'shield' to counter North Korea
Apr. 28--Rebukes Sanders on breaking up big banks, calling it economic “fantasy”
Apr. 28--Vows to 'speed up' efforts to admit Syrian refugees
Apr. 30--Scolds GOP over Supreme Court vacancy in weekly address
Apr. 30--Makes push on federal level for research and implementation of “Smart Gun” technology
Apr. 30--Spoke at the Annual White House Correspondents Dinner
Citizen Bulletin Week: April 17 - April 24
Good morning! Our highlights from this week include: Obama says Black Lives Matter should work within the political system, Rahm announces implementation of Police Accountability Task Force recommendations, and Gov. Rauner supports bill that would provide emergency assistance to state colleges.
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward)
Apr. 21--Dismissed reforms recently proposed by the Police Accountability Task Force as matters “that have already been agreed upon,” calling instead for the dismantling of the Independent Police Review Authority as a real investment towards reform
Apr. 23--Honoured as an “Unsung Hero” at the 27th Annual Scholarship Luncheon of the Chicago Chapter of National Women of Achievement, Inc.
Apr. 17--Launched initiative to replace over 270,000 streetlights in Chicago with brighter and more efficient LED lights
Apr. 21--Announced immediate implementation of a third of the Police Accountability Task Force’s recommendations for greater transparency, oversight, and accountability of the CPD
COOK COUNTY BOARD
Apr. 18— Medical Examiner's Office reported a sharp increase in deaths due to fentanyl opiate overdoses
Apr. 19--Announced an intergovernmental agreement with Northern Illinois University to assist the County in technology-related initiatives
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–district 25)
Apr. 18--Commented on comptroller’s delaying of lawmaker paychecks, saying “there will be some lawmakers for whom this will be a terrible burden”
Apr. 21--Delayed vote on higher education funding bill from Thursday night, as originally intended, until Friday, when the bill passed
Apr. 20--Sponsored a bill to regulate fantasy sports in Illinois
Apr. 21--Sponsored a redistricting proposal that keeps the senate involved in the process, other proposals have been to allow an independent commission alone to redistrict
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL)
Apr. 22––Issued a statement in support of a bill passed in the Illinois General Assembly that will provide emergency assistance for higher education, ensuring universities and community colleges remain open and low-income students can pay for school
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1)
Apr. 22--Supported the “UP Initiative” with other members of the Illinois delegation and the Congressional Black Caucus which intends to curb gun violence and increase economic development
Senator Mark Kirk (R–IL)
Apr. 19--Introduced with 32 other senators a resolution which blocks a federal regulation that intends to impose new regulations on financial advisors
Apr. 23--Issued a statement calling on the administration to recognize Armenian massacres as a genocide
Apr. 21--Voted for Transportation Bill that invests in Illinois highways, transit systems, airports including $100 million for CTA upgrades
Apr. 21--Applauded the Senate Appropriations Committee’s passage of the fiscal year 2017 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations bill
Senator Dick Durbin (D–IL)
Apr. 18--Joined 41 other senators in sending a letter to Senate Republican leaders calling for immediate passage of President Obama’s emergency supplemental funding request of $1.9 billion for prevention and treatment of the Zika virus outbreak
Apr. 18--Called on Kemper Corporation to disavow the practice of withholding life insurance payouts to beneficiaries that do not directly file claims with the insurance company
Apr. 20--Hosted a bipartisan meeting with other government officials in southwestern Illinois to discuss the site selection process for the new National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) facility
Apr. 21--Wrote to Airlines of America President Nicholas Calio to ask for information about what airlines are doing to prevent discrimination against Muslim and Arab Americans on flights
President Barack Obama (D)
Apr 21.--Traveled to Saudi Arabia to ‘cleared the air'
Apr. 21--Called on Britain to vote “no” on exiting the Eurozone
Apr. 22--Said that Mississippi and North Carolina anti-LGBT laws “should be overturned”
Apr. 23--Called on Black Lives Matter and other activists to not only raise awareness for their issues, but to work within the political system as well
Citizen Bulletin Week: April 10- April 17
Good morning! Our highlights from this week include: Mayor Emanuel appoints new 4th Ward Alderman, Gov. Rauner issues call to action to cut prison population by 25% over next decade, and Sen. Durbin calls on Dept. of Education to ban mandatory arbitration clauses from higher education enrollment contracts
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward)
Apr. 12--Announced new rodent control measures, including creation of a Rodent Task Force and the addition of 10 new crews to the Bureau of Rodent Control
Apr. 13--Named Susan Russell Executive Director of the Commission on Animal Care and Control
COOK COUNTY BOARD
Apr. 11--Proposed measures to halt business with North Carolina and Mississippi in response to legislation widely described as “anti-LGBT”
Apr. 17--Approved paying out $1.4 million for alleged mistreatment of detainees at a county jail
President Toni Preckwinkle
Apr. 11--Endorsed Raja Krishnamoorthi to succeed Tammy Duckworth in Congress for the 8th District of Illinois House of Representatives seat, which includes northwestern Chicago suburbs
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–district 25)
Apr. 12--Commented on the lack of spending bills in Illinois, calling the defunding of programs a “shame”
Apr. 12--Proposed a new school funding formula to Illinois Senate that would fully fund the general state aid to schools and give more state money to school districts with large numbers of low-income students
Apr. 12--Reviewed the idea to install devices in cars that tax driving by the mile in order to fund road infrastructure
Apr. 13--Vetoed bill that passed both the Illinois House and Senate that would have sent $3.89 billion in funding to the state’s universities and social service agencies
Apr. 16--Called on members of the State Commission on Criminal Justice and Sentencing Reform to come up with a plan to cut the prison population by one-quarter in a decade
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1)
Apr. 13--Said in an interview that he was “ashamed” of his vote on 1994 crime bill
Apr. 13--Called, along with five other senators, on NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to move the 2017 NBA All-Star Game from Charlotte to protest a state law banning anti-discrimination protections for gay and transgender people
Apr. 14--Applauded the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs of his bipartisan fiscal year (FY) 2017 appropriations bill
Senator Dick Durbin (D–IL)
Apr. 13--Called on the Department of Education to ban mandatory arbitration clauses from higher education enrollment contracts
Apr. 14--Called on the FDA to address the rapid increase of teenage use of e-cigarettes along with Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)
Apr. 15--Criticized Chicago-based Abbott Laboratories which forced 150 laid-off employees to sign a gag order preventing them from discussing the layoffs with federal agencies, as they are legally entitled to do
President Barack Obama (D)
Apr. 13--Hosted the largest-ever White House Science Fair
Apr. 13--Claimed momentum in the fight against ISIL
Apr. 15--Called on the FEC to open up cable boxes to spur competition
Apr. 15--Defended SCOTUS nominee Merrick Garland from criticism by Sen. Bernie Sanders
Citizen Bulletin Week: April 3 - April 10
Good morning! Our highlights from this week include: POTUS speaks at the University of Chicago Law School, Gov. Rauner suspends $26 million in social service programs, and Sen. Kirk introduces bill with Sen. Rubio.
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward)
Apr. 5--Called for Mayor Emanuel to relinquish his power over the Independent Police Review Authority, replacing him with a candidate selected by a committee of community members
Apr. 5--Criticized the Mayor for not hiring a thousand new police officers, as Mayor Emanuel previously said he planned to do, in wake of record officer overtime
Apr. 5--Commented that inspector general probe into NOBLE police study groups is unfair because study groups have always been organized by race
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D)
Apr.. 4--Announced plan to review and improve land use policy in Chicago’s industrial corridors, with the plan of creating jobs and driving neighborhood investment
Apr. 7--Named Barrett Murphy as new Commissioner of the Department of Water Management
COOK COUNTY BOARD
Apr. 5--Commissioner Richard Boykin proposed a gasoline tax hike to pay for a program to create jobs for teens and young adults in troubled parts of the county, with the aim of reducing street violence
Apr. 10--Announced a proposal for construction of the Central Campus Health Center, a new state-of-the-art outpatient facility, at its meeting April 13
President Toni Preckwinkle
Apr. 10--Spoke on criminal justice reform in a free and public discussion in Northfield
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–district 25)
Apr. 6--Addressed concerns on developments in Hyde Park, stating that “it will be hard to tell the outcome” based on current information
Apr. 6--Supported bill that would assist workers in wage recovery, describing wage theft as a “systemic problem”; the bill would make wages available up front to workers while they deal with the lengthy court process
Apr. 6— Commented on concerns that new developments in Hyde Park will create problems for commuters, saying issues can be “mitigated”
Apr. 7--Voted against bill allowing for drone training for law enforcement, expressing concerns about improper evidence gathering during training exercises; Raoul was the only no vote in an 8-1 panel vote
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL)
Apr. 4––Suspended $26 million in social services, public health grants used to to pay for the funerals and burials of public-assistance recipients, smoking cessation, teen programs, autism, and HIV and AIDS programs, among other thing
Apr. 4––Suspended $3.4 million in funding for immigrant integration programs used to pay for services that the Illinois Department of Human Services describe as “helping to facilitate relocation and give economic self-sufficiency to people who are victims of political and religious persecution”
Apr. 5––Issued a statement regarding legislation giving Chicago 15 more years to ramp up to a 90 percent funding level for police and fire pensions saying “he will consider this legislation as part of a broader package of structural reforms that help taxpayers across the state”
Apr. 8––Appealed Federal Denial of State’s request for Flood Assistance to Local Governments after costs for state and local governments related to December flooding reach $16.8 million
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1)
Apr. 7––Attended President Obama’s discussion at the University of Chicago Law School
Senator Mark Kirk (R–IL)
Apr. 4––Introduced a bill which intends to prohibit prisoners from Guantanamo Bay from being transferred to certain “unstable countries”
Apr. 5––Named Senate Legislator of the Year by Disabled American Veterans of America
Apr. 6––Introduced a bill with Senator Marco Rubio which intents to prevent Iranian access to the US dollar
Apr. 7––Introduced an amendment to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act which intents to increase the presence of canine units trained to detect explosives at airports like Chicago's O’Hare and Midway
Senator Dick Durbin (D–IL)
Apr. 4––Applauded the Department of the Treasury’s actions which intend to curb corporate inversions and earnings stripping
Apr. 6––Met with the Secretary of the VA to discuss wait times at Hines VA hospital
Apr. 6––Met with Supreme Court Justice Nominee Merrick Garland
President Barack Obama (D)
Apr. 5--Called for further steps to make it more difficult for companies to exploit the corporate inversion tax loophole in light of the Panama Papers release
Apr. 8--Returned to the University of Chicago Law School to make the case for Merrick Garland as his SCOTUS nominee
Apr. 10--Defended Secretary Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server amid investigation in a Fox News interview at the University of Chicago Law School
Citizen Bulletin Week: March 27- April 3
Good morning. Our highlights from this week include: Senator Kirk meets with Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland; Kirk, Durbin, and Rauner call for federal funding to Christian and Iroquois County small businesses; and Emanuel and Rauner take stance on CTU strike.
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward)
Apr. 1—Announced a 5th Ward Shredding Event in her weekly newsletter
Apr. 1--Reminded residents to sign up for annual Citywide Clean and Green event
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D)
Mar. 31--Launched city-wide task force to reduce homelessness
Mar. 31--Issued an executive order blocking nonessential travel to North Carolina by city employees because of NC’s HB2 “bathroom” bill, which he said promotes values of “exclusion and intolerance”
Apr. 1--Spoke about Friday’s CTU strike, saying “While I believe there is a legitimate point to be made, it should not be taken out at the expense of our children and their education”
Apr. 2--Asked for a federal probe into racist slurs spoken on police radio by an unauthorized user
COOK COUNTY BOARD
[No news]*
The last Cook County Board meeting was on March 23, and the next one is on April 13
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–district 25)
Mar. 28--Commented on the lack of awareness about the critical services impacted by the ongoing budget crisis, such as "rape crisis centers, social services, even scholarships for needy students"
Apr. 1--Asked Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan to weigh in on the State’s influence on Chicago Public School finances, AG says State authority is limited
Mar. 28--Boycotted the Unity Breakfast for Tammy Duckworth, Democratic nominee for Senate, stating that he intends to withhold support, and that “I want to hear that she has at least thought about the black community”
Mar. 29--Preparing to propose amendment to Illinois’ Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission, which only addresses cases involving former Chicago Police Commander Jon Burge and officers working under him
Apr. 2--Commented on the Illinois pension crisis, saying the answer is the Illinois legislature’s responsibility
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL)
Mar. 29--Called a U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing labor unions to collect fees from nonmembers who benefit from collective bargaining agreements “tragic” and said he’ll keep working to ban the practice in Illinois
Mar. 30--Announced plans to create the Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology to "lead digital transformation, increase inter-agency efficiency and improve delivery of services”
Apr. 1--Requested for U.S. Small Business Administration assistance to help people and businesses in Christian and Iroquois Counties to recover from severe storms that occurred in late December
Apr. 1--Issued a statement condemning the ongoing Chicago Teachers Union Strike
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1)
[No news]*
Senator Mark Kirk (R–IL)
Mar. 29--Met with Supreme Court Justice nominee Merrick Garland becoming the first Republican senator to do so
Mar. 31--Wrote a letter with Senator Marco Rubio urging the treasury to block Iranian access to U.S. dollars
Apr. 1--Wrotea letter with Durbin and the Illinois Delegation to President Obama asking him to issue federal relief for small businesses in Christian and Iroquois Counties that were affected by late December winter storms
Senator Dick Durbin (D–IL)
Mar. 29--Applauded President Obama’s new plan which intends to address the heroin and opium epidemic
President Barack Obama (D)
Mar. 30--Announced 61 new grants of commutation to individuals serving years in prison under outdated and unduly harsh sentencing laws
Apr. 1--Announced that he will return to University of Chicago Law School to push for Garland
Apr. 2--Spoke from the Nuclear Security Summit on one of the greatest threats to global security, terrorists getting their hands on a weapon of mass destruction
Citizen Bulletin Weeks: March 7th-27th
Good morning! We are back from a three-week hiatus. Our highlights from this week include: Chicago bans tobacco sales to people under 21 and eliminates the “tampon tax,” Rush and Durbin accompany President Obama to Cuba, and President Obama nominates Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court.
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward)
Mar. 16--Succeeded in passing an ordinance removing the 1.25% sales tax on tampons, which she and Ald. Edward Burke (14th) proposed in February
Mar. 9--Spoke out against the lack of regulation for ridesharing services, comparing the situation to the deregulation of the mortgage industry
Mar. 17--Spoke in support of CPD veteran Gene Williams for Police Superintendent
Mar. 22--Held a ward Town Hall meeting and Shred-A-Thon
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D)
Mar. 16--Named Anna Valencia as Director of Legislative Counsel and Government Affairs, an office which serves as liaison between elected officials, government agencies, and community groups at various levels of government
Mar. 16--Succeeded in passing through City Council an ordinance raising the tobacco purchase age to 21, taxing other tobacco products at the same rate as cigarettes, and cracking down on illegal tobacco sales
Mar. 16--Succeeded in passing through City Council an agreement authorizing the Department of Water Management to commit $15 million to build more green spaces in Chicago Public Schools
Mar. 16--Succeeded in passing through City Council the Home Buyer Assistance Program, which will provide financial support for down payments and closing costs for qualified buyers
Mar. 16--Succeeded in passing through City Council an initiative which will incentivize vendors and contractors to hire more minority and female workers
Mar. 18--Invited Chicago residents to Chicago Resident Service Fairs, which aim to “connect residents across Chicago with the wide variety of resources available through the city”
Mar. 22--Announced Building on Burnham, a comprehensive plan to invest in the lakefront, the Chicago River, natural areas, and recreational opportunities
Mar. 27--Named Eddie Johnson as interim Superintendent of Police, ignoring three candidates recommended by the Chicago Police Board
COOK COUNTY BOARD
Mar. 11--Urged pet owners to prepare and protect their pets from the distemper virus and the canine flu after an increase in confirmed cases
Mar. 21--Encouraged residents call (708)-865-6177 to buy a discounted kit to poison-proof their homes in recognition of National Poison Prevention Week
Mar. 22 --Held a hearing about the increase of youth unemployment in minority communities
Mar. 23 --Passed legislation, along with Chicago City Council, removing the “tampon tax” and reclassifying feminine hygiene products from “luxury items” to “items of medical necessity”
President Toni Preckwinkle
Mar. 8--Announced her 2016 public safety legislative agenda which aims to reform the criminal and juvenile justice system
Mar. 23--Appointed former Director of the Illinois Dept. of Revenue Brian Hamer as her new Chief of Staff
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–district 25)
Mar. 7--Supported $3.7 billion higher education spending bill passed by the house
Mar. 7--Recognized as longest serving woman in Illinois General Assembly, inaugurated in 1979
Mar. 8--Co-Wrote editorial in the Chicago Sun Times commenting on the imprisonment of youths, calling for a parole review board which will “work exclusively with juveniles”
Mar. 25--Spoke in support of new UCPD body cameras, calling the choice a sign of a “healthy” law enforcement agency, and calling the cameras a “valuable tool for law enforcement”
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL)
Mar. 22--Announced support for Fairgrounds Foundation Bill to set up a foundation to solicit private donations to improve Illinois State Fairgrounds without using taxpayer dollars
Mar. 25--Granted eight and denied 152 clemency petitions; however, about 650 petitions remain from previous administrations
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1)
Mar. 8--Hosted an information session on federal grant opportunities at Chicago State University
Mar. 15--Won the Democratic Party primary in the race for his 13th term
Mar. 20--Traveled in President Obama’s delegation to Havana, Cuba
Senator Mark Kirk (R–IL)
Mar. 7--Announced resolution to recognize March 8, 2016 as International Women’s Day
Mar. 10--Announced a resolution with 12 other senators which would detain ISIL fighters in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
Mar. 16--Introducedthe REGROW Act which aims to reduce barriers to medical innovation and accelerate the development of new regenerative medicine treatments
Mar. 18--Called for the full funding of U.S.-Israel cooperative missile defense programs in the Defense Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2017
Senator Dick Durbin (D–IL)
Mar. 9--Announced $1.6 Million in HUD grant funding for Illinois Housing And Community Development
Mar. 15--Announced travel plans with President Obama’s delegation to Havana, Cuba
Mar. 15--Introduced the Mental Health on Campus Improvement Act which would provide funding that intends to help colleges focus on outreach and treatment of students with mental health needs
Mar. 15— Introducedthe In the Red Act which will allow student loan borrowers to refinance outstanding debt at lower rates, increase Pell Grants to keep pace with rising costs and make a new investment in community college
President Barack Obama (D)
Mar. 16--Nominated Judge Merrick Garland to fill the Supreme Court seat vacated by the death of Antonin Scalia
Mar. 21--Made an official visit to Cuba, becoming the first US President to do so since 1928
Mar. 25--Announced assassination of ISIS’s second in command in Syria
Mar. 25— Signed a disaster declaration after severe storms in Mississippi, which allocates federal aid for recovery
Mar. 28--Endorsed Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, chair of the Democratic National Committee, for her sixth term as representative of Florida’s 23rd Congressional District
Citizen Bulletin Week: February 28–March 5
Good morning! Our highlights from this week include: Rauner announces criminal justice reform sponsored by Raoul, Rush bill passes House and moves to Senate. Also of note—IL House Spkr. endorses Rush primary challenger. Citizen Bulletin will return after Spring Break.
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward)
Feb. 29--Presented the first Key to Hyde Park to retiring jeweler Michael McGuire, who has served the community for 56 years
Mar. 2--Accepting gently used prom dresses and new accessories at ward office for MBoutique (until April 2), which provides underprivileged girls with outfits for the upcoming prom season
Mar. 4--Announced that, starting in April, consumers will receive the new “unified utility bill,” which will include charges for garbage, water, and sewer services
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D)
Mar. 2--Announced new theater space at Navy Pier, set to open in 2017
Mar. 2--Announced donation of a new building in northwest Chicago neighborhood Belmont Cragin to be dedicated to after-school and summer programming
Mar. 2--Applauded efforts by Democratic state legislators to override of Governor Rauner’s veto of the Monetary Award Program, which provides grants to Illinois residents who attend an approved Illinois college and demonstrate financial need
COOK COUNTY BOARD
Feb. 29--Announced selection of Chicago Regional Growth Initiatives to develop a regional plan to attract foreign direct investment
Mar. 2--Approved $9 million in loans for affordable housing project in Ford Heights, Hines, LaGrange, and Park Forest
President Toni Preckwinkle
Mar. 2--Requested that all Cook County offices and agencies implement cost-savings due to continued state budget stalemate
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–district 25)
Mar. 2--Spoke in support of a proposal to provide more than $3.5 billion for higher education and other services, including violence prevention and mental health
Mar. 3--Voted against a bill calling for Chicago school board elections, citing concerns that, as voters, “we don’t know who we’re voting for or who we’re voting against” (Currie was one of four votes against)
Mar. 2--Sponsored a criminal justice reform bill to expand the use of electronic monitoring for recently released offenders to reduce recidivism, as part of a proposed bipartisan reform package announced this week
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL)
Mar. 2--Announced the proposal of bipartisan legislation on criminal justice and sentencing reform
Mar. 4--Called for revising the allocation of K–12 education funding statewide, during a visit to a southern Illinois public high school
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1)
Feb. 29--Sponsored 21st Century Workforce Bill, which passed the House this week, that intends to provide a pathway to employment for minorities in the energy sector
Senator Mark Kirk (R–IL)
Mar. 1--Called on the EPA to implement his provision to the FY16 omnibus funding bill, which would require municipal treatment works to notify the public when they dump sewage into the Great Lakes
Mar. 2--Introduced the American Discovery Trail (ADT) Act of 2016, which intends to provide national recognition of the ADT and increase its accessibility across the country
Mar. 3--Released a statement calling for the Obama administration to enforce recent sanctions against North Korea on after it launched six short-range missiles off its coast
Senator Dick Durbin (D–IL)
Feb. 29--Introduced legislation which intends to expand access to heroin and opioid treatment for Medicaid beneficiaries
Mar. 3--Introduced legislation which intends to protect children in affordable housing from lead poisoning
Mar. 4--Joined 23 other senators in calling on the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee to fully fund President Obama’s $1.9 billion emergency supplemental request to combat the Zika virus
President Barack Obama (D)
Feb. 29--Presented the Medal of Honor to Senior Chief Edward Byers Jr. of SEAL Team 6, who is reportedly the first living SEAL to receive this award since the Vietnam War
Mar. 3--Traveled to Milwaukee, where he said that 20 million Americans have health insurance in the six years since he signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Citizen Bulletin Week: February 21–27
Good morning. Our highlights from this week include: Rahm calls for diversity in CPD, Rauner requests flood assistance, Rush-Kirk-Durbin respond to POTUS plan to close Guantanamo.
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward)
Feb 23--Spoke out against the Mayor’s new tobacco proposal in a press conference on Tuesday at City Hall
Feb. 23--Urged the city to accept a ruling that questions the legality of red light and speed camera tickets in the city
Feb. 22--Spoke about the need for “a police force that represents the diversity of the entire City” in response to the announcement that 71% of applicants during the Chicago Police Department’s latest recruitment campaign were minorities
Feb. 24--Announced that Chicago Public Schools will become the first school district in the country where students are required to take computer science courses to graduate
Feb. 25--Announced a process to replace Fourth Ward Alderman Will Burns who is resigning to work for Airbnb
Feb. 26--Launched construction of an affordable supportive-living complex for seniors in North Lawndale as part of a 5 year plan to support public housing
Feb. 27--Expanded resources to aid veterans and appointed a director of the new Chicago Veterans Affairs Office
COOK COUNTY BOARD
[no news]*
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–District 25)
Feb. 24--Endorsed by Sierra Club for re-election as part of their first round of primary endorsements
Feb. 25--Met with organizers of Avanse’s Annual Believe in the Possible benefit, the proceeds of which go towards opening their outreach center in Haiti
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL)
Feb. 26--Issued an executive order aimed at strengthening state government ethics rules
Feb. 26--Requested federal assistance to boost flood aid aimed at recovery from December floods
Feb. 26--Appointed Tom Cross as the new head of the Illinois Board of Higher Education, coming at a time of heated controversy over the department in the state budget
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1)
Feb. 23--Supported President Obama’s plan to close Guantanamo Bay
Feb. 23--Called for continued attention to the water crisis in Flint, MI and the efforts to correct the problem
Feb. 24--Supported and called for the preservation of Job Corps
Feb. 27--Announced the opening of a new VA center which is ready to receive women in the 1st district
Senator Mark Kirk (R–IL)
Feb. 23--Commented on President Obama’s announced plans to close Guantanamo Bay: “Guantanamo prisoners belong in Guantanamo, not in the U.S.”
Feb.24--Released a statement supporting Dr. Robert Califf after he was approved as the new FDA Commissioner
Feb. 25--Introduced the Living Donor Protection Act of 2016, which intends to protect the rights of living organ donors
Feb. 26--Joined the Illinois Congressional Delegation in support of Governor Rauner’s request for federal assistance to help the counties that were among the hardest hit by post-winter flooding
Senator Dick Durbin (D–IL)
Feb. 23, 24, 25--Spoke on the Senate floor, calling on Republican colleagues to give President Obama’s nominee a “fair hearing and timely vote” (Durbin sits on Judiciary Committee)
Feb. 23--Released a statement supporting President Obama’s plan to close Guantanamo Bay
Feb. 25--Introduced new legislation, the Copper and Lead Evaluation, Assessment and Reporting Act of 2016 (CLEAR Act) which intends to better protect the American public from being poisoned by its drinking water supplies
Feb. 25--Urged U.S. Treasury to expedite rulemaking process limiting the use of tax evasion strategies by U.S. corporations after corporate inversion
President Barack Obama (D)
Feb. 23--Called for the closing of Guantanamo Bay: “keeping this facility open is contrary to our values. It undermines our standing in the world”—the Defense Department sent the Administration’s plan to Congress for approval
Feb. 24--Signed the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015, which provides resources for better enforcement of current trade laws
Feb. 25--Held a press conference where he said: “there will be absolutely no cease-fire in our fight against ISIL”
Citizen Bulletin Week: February 14–February 20
Good morning. Our highlights from this week include: Rush-Kirk-Durbin announce transportation grants, Gov. Rauner gives budget address, POTUS to Cuba next month.
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward)
Feb. 16--Met with architect David Adjaye and other community leaders, including UChicago representative Susan Sher, about the construction of the Obama Presidential Library
Feb. 19--Supports new apartment complex developed by MAC Properties that will create 400 jobs and 250 apartments
Feb. 16--Released statement endorsing the findings of the Task Force on Police Accountability, which recommended new policies on the release of evidence in police involved shootings
Feb. 18--Announced initiative to further neighborhood development, focusing on downtown construction projects and economic growth for underserved communities
Feb. 19--Questioned State Board of Elections President James Meeks’ involvement in an investigation of CPS and the politics behind the investigation
COOK COUNTY GOVERNMENT President Toni Preckwinkle (D)
Feb. 17--Warned of likely financial troubles because of “trickle-down” from state budget crisis
Note: The last Cook County Board meeting was on February 10, and the next one is on March 2
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT State Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–District 25)
Feb. 17--Heard competing opinions about distributing public education funding at first spring hearing of Education Funding Task Force
Feb. 16--Supported a petition requesting special prosecutor to replace Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez in the Laquan McDonald case
Feb. 18--Released statement emphasizing opportunity for bipartisan criminal justice reform during budget negotiations
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL)
Feb. 17--Delivered state budget address, reiterating need for “major structural reforms to grow more jobs and get more value for taxpayers” and emphasizing urgency to agree on a budget
Feb. 18--Signed Executive Order to establish Governor’s Cabinet on Children and Youth which intends to “streamline Illinois education and youth efforts across the state”
Feb. 19--Vetoed SB 2043, which would fund higher education while adding to the budget deficit
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT U.S. Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1)
Feb. 17--Recognizedsuburban mayors who attended the United States Department of Transportation Fixing America workshop
Feb. 18--Announced, along with U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL), a $1.25 million federal railroad safety for a grade separation project at 95th Street
U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R–IL)
Feb. 17--Released statement on report finding veterans who had called the VA Crisis Hotline were transferred to a voicemail box and never had their calls returned
Feb. 17--Issued a statement today after Reuters reported Iraqi officials are “searching for stolen radioactive materials that could fall into the hands of ISIS terrorists and be used in a dirty bomb or other radiological attack”
Feb. 19--Announced$118 million to help transform “blighted, vacant properties” in Illinois communities that have been among the “hardest-hit since the 2008 financial crisis”
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D–IL)
Feb. 18--Delivereda statement regarding the new aviation agreement with Japan over the Tokyo International Airport (Haneda)
Feb. 19--Releasedthe names of students whom he has nominated to attend four of the nation’s service academies
President Barack Obama (D)
Feb. 15--Traveled to Rancho Mirage, CA to meet with Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders
Feb. 16--Held a press conference in Rancho Mirage where he said he will nominate an “indisputably” qualified Supreme Court Justice
Feb. 18--Announced that he’ll travel to Cuba to “advance our progress and efforts that can improve the lives of the Cuban people”
Feb. 19--Visited Supreme Court to view the casket of Justice Antonin Scalia
UCHICAGO STUDENT GOVERNMENT College Council
[No news]*
CitizenBulletin Week: February 14–February 20
Good morning. Our highlights from this week include: Rush-Kirk-Durbin announce transportation grants, Gov. Rauner gives budget address, POTUS to Cuba next month.
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward)
Feb. 16--Met with architect David Adjaye and other community leaders, including UChicago representative Susan Sher, about the construction of the Obama Presidential Library
Feb. 19--Supports new apartment complex developed by MAC Properties that will create 400 jobs and 250 apartments
Feb. 16--Released statement endorsing the findings of the Task Force on Police Accountability, which recommended new policies on the release of evidence in police involved shootings
Feb. 18--Announced initiative to further neighborhood development, focusing on downtown construction projects and economic growth for underserved communities
Feb. 19--Questioned State Board of Elections President James Meeks’ involvement in an investigation of CPS and the politics behind the investigation
COOK COUNTY GOVERNMENT President Toni Preckwinkle (D)
Feb. 17--Warned of likely financial troubles because of “trickle-down” from state budget crisis
Note: The last Cook County Board meeting was on February 10, and the next one is on March 2
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT State Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–District 25)
Feb. 17--Heard competing opinions about distributing public education funding at first spring hearing of Education Funding Task Force
Feb. 16--Supported a petition requesting special prosecutor to replace Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez in the Laquan McDonald case
Feb. 18--Released statement emphasizing opportunity for bipartisan criminal justice reform during budget negotiations
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL)
Feb. 17--Delivered state budget address, reiterating need for “major structural reforms to grow more jobs and get more value for taxpayers” and emphasizing urgency to agree on a budget
Feb. 18--Signed Executive Order to establish Governor’s Cabinet on Children and Youth which intends to “streamline Illinois education and youth efforts across the state”
Feb. 19--Vetoed SB 2043, which would fund higher education while adding to the budget deficit
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT U.S. Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1)
Feb. 17--Recognizedsuburban mayors who attended the United States Department of Transportation Fixing America workshop
Feb. 18--Announced, along with U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL), a $1.25 million federal railroad safety for a grade separation project at 95th Street
U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R–IL)
Feb. 17--Released statement on report finding veterans who had called the VA Crisis Hotline were transferred to a voicemail box and never had their calls returned
Feb. 17--Issued a statement today after Reuters reported Iraqi officials are “searching for stolen radioactive materials that could fall into the hands of ISIS terrorists and be used in a dirty bomb or other radiological attack”
Feb. 19--Announced$118 million to help transform “blighted, vacant properties” in Illinois communities that have been among the “hardest-hit since the 2008 financial crisis”
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D–IL)
Feb. 18--Delivereda statement regarding the new aviation agreement with Japan over the Tokyo International Airport (Haneda)
Feb. 19--Releasedthe names of students whom he has nominated to attend four of the nation’s service academies
President Barack Obama (D)
Feb. 15--Traveled to Rancho Mirage, CA to meet with Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders
Feb. 16--Held a press conference in Rancho Mirage where he said he will nominate an “indisputably” qualified Supreme Court Justice
Feb. 18--Announced that he’ll travel to Cuba to “advance our progress and efforts that can improve the lives of the Cuban people”
Feb. 19--Visited Supreme Court to view the casket of Justice Antonin Scalia
UCHICAGO STUDENT GOVERNMENT College Council
[No news]*
*Our research process involves searching for press releases from the elected representatives, Google News stories, and any Twitter and Facebook posts. If no information is included in the CitizenBulletin, then our research process turned up nothing new from this past week.
Feb. 9--Voted to table the Tax Increment Financing Surplus Action Resolution, which would have allocated TIF funds to taxing bodies including CPS
Feb. 11--Voted FOR the same ethics bill that would grant City Inspector General oversight on aldermen’s actions and spending
Feb. 11--Backed incumbent State Rep. Christian Mitchell of the 26th District
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D)
Feb. 8--Streamlined Chicago Early Learning System by expanding access to full-day programs and simplifying enrollment
Feb. 9--Announced new 45-unit affordable housing community in Pilsen in conjunction with the Chicago Housing Authority
Feb. 10--Announced new initiative to hire more women and minority workers on Chicago city-funded construction sites
Feb. 10--Introduced a measure to increase the amount of green space in Chicago Public Schools as a part of the Space to Grow initiative
Feb. 10--Proposed $2 million of Tax Increment Financing to assist with mixed-use redevelopment of three vacant buildings in Portage Park’s shopping district
Feb. 11--Opened Wings Metro Shelter and Safe House for families touched by domestic violence
COOK COUNTY BOARD
Feb. 9--Announced that there may be potential layoffs of some cook county employees due to Springfield budget dispute
Feb. 11--Received approval to award a total of $700,000 in anti-violence grants to seven local organizations
Feb. 12--Announced that President Toni Preckwinkle will discuss issues facing the County at a free and public event at Benedictine University on March 1
ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT State Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–District 25)
Feb. 7–10--Tweeted about Daily Herald’s endorsement of Kim Foxx for Cook County State’s Attorney, President Obama’s speech to the Illinois legislature, and Super Bowl 50
Feb. 10--Recounted President Obama’s speech to the Illinois legislature—“[the President said] take time to reach across the aisle. Get to know your colleagues...We shouldn’t be as divided as, at least, we’re perceived to be right now.”
Feb. 12--Endorsed by Planned Parenthood Illinois Action and Equality Illinois PAC (LGBT advocacy group)
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL)
Feb. 7–9--Visited a host of cities in Illinois, speaking mostly of state government “reforms” needed
Feb. 10--Conversed with President Obama, during his trip to Illinois— Rauner: "We talked about bipartisanship and working together and how important it is to find common ground. And about how important it is to work on redistricting reform."
Feb. 11--Granted clemency to two, denied 98 petitions from state criminals
Feb. 12--Announced the closure of a youth detention center in Kewanee, IL (150 miles south of Chicago)
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT U.S. Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1)
Feb. 10--Advocated for keeping the jobs of Mondelēz workers who might lose their jobs when their company shuts down several production lines in Chicago
Feb. 11--Called for the Energy & Commerce Committee to increase funding for training for manufacturing and energy jobs for underrepresented groups and urged the Subcommittee on Energy & Power to move the 21st Century Workforce Development bill through Congress
Feb. 12--Requested a meeting with Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx to discuss a local hiring initiative for the expansion at O’Hare International Airport
U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R–IL)
Feb. 9--Introduced a bill that intends to grow the manufacturing industry across the country by designating local regions as “Manufacturing Communities”
Feb. 9--Introduced the Army Arsenal Revitalization Act (S. 2516) which intends to expand manufacturing opportunities for Army arsenals
Feb. 10--Introduced the Combating BDS Act of 2016 (S. 2531/H.R. 4514) which intends “to defend against the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement’s economic warfare against Israel”
Feb. 10--Worked with Sen. Durbin (D–IL) to lead “Members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation in a letter expressing their support for Scott Air Force Base’s bid to house the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency ”
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D–IL)
Feb. 9--Joined a bipartisan coalition to introduce a resolution designating February 2016 as American Heart Month, and February 5, 2016 as National Wear Red Day
Feb. 10--Asked the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to review the effectiveness of clean water regulations
Feb. 11--Joined a group of Senators to introduce the Stop Illegal Trafficking in Firearms Act of 2016, aiming to combat the practice of straw purchasing and illegal trafficking in firearms
Feb. 11--Called on the Department of Education to deny federal funding to colleges to universities that include contractual barriers to court access in their enrollment agreements
President Barack Obama (D)
Feb. 9--Announced final 2017 fiscal year budget including significant funding for modernization of the Chicago Transit Authority’s Red and Purple lines.
Feb. 10--Traveled to Springfield, IL to address the Illinois General Assembly on the topic of building a better political system and to speak briefly with the governor about bi-partisanship
Feb. 11--Traveled to California to attend a series of DNC events and appear on the Ellen DeGeneres Show
Feb. 12--Established the Castle Mountains, Sand to Snow, & Mojave Trails as National Monumentsand has protected more land than any president in history
Feb. 13--Offered condolences for the death of Justice Scalia and announced that he will nominate a justice to fill Justice Scalia’s seat
UCHICAGO STUDENT GOVERNMENT College Council
Feb. 9--Leading an effort to enhance University environmental sustainability practices, as UChicago received new bids for hybrid or electric shuttle service contracts
Week: January 31–February 6
CHICAGO CITY GOVERNMENT Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward)
Feb. 4--Attended an event in support of Juliana Stratton, who is challenging Rep. Ken Dunkin in the Democratic primaries for state representative in the 5th district (near South Side)
Feb. 3--Participated in a panel hosted by the Washington Park Chamber of Commerce meant to address topics such as crime, economic development, and the Obama Presidential Library
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D)
Feb. 1--A Chicago Tribune poll about the Mayor's performance was released: 63% of Chicagoans disapprove of the job he's doing as mayor, 59% say he is not honest and trustworthy, 75% of black voters think the mayor cannot relate to them
Jan. 31--Reiterated the policing and criminal justice reforms coming this year, including body camera standards, independent investigations of officer-related deaths, the expansion of law enforcement training, and more
Feb. 3--Tweeted support for candidate Kim Foxx for Cook County State’s Attorney while calling incumbent Anita Alvarez the “status quo” and other contender Donna Moore a “spoiler and obstacle to change”
Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL)
Feb. 3--Signed an executive order directing the Illinois Department of Commerce to work with the Illinois Business and Economic Development Corporation, a nonprofit organization, to “encourage job growth”
Feb. 3--Directed State Board of Education to conduct a financial review of Chicago Public Schools and look for a new superintendent—Democrats responded by saying Rauner doesn’t have that power
Feb. 4--Announced legislation to allow IL Dept. of Transportation to pursue adding lanes to Interstate 55
Feb. 5--Joined other elected officials to announce four pieces of bipartisan legislation aiming to “streamline local government delivering more control to local communities”
Feb. 5--Vetoed bill that would fund Illinois State Museum
U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT U.S. Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1)
Feb. 5--Wrote to V.A. Secretary Robert McDonald about complaints in Illinois and nationwide over the “Choice Act,” a new program allowing vets to access private care
Feb. 5 --Introduced legislation to prevent the Department of Labor’s proposed “fiduciary rule” from limiting consumers’ ability to choose their financial advisors
Feb. 2--Announced that his amendment to the Energy Policy Modernization Act was approved by the Senate—the amendment approves an additional $2.7 billion for the Department of Energy
Feb. 3--Delivered remarks at his first visit to an U.S. mosque in Baltimore: “And so if we’re serious about freedom of religion...we have to understand an attack on one faith is an attack on all faiths...none of us can be silent. We can’t be bystanders to bigotry. And together, we’ve got to show that America truly protects all faiths”
Feb. 5--Delivered a statement on the economy: “After reaching 10 percent in 2009, the unemployment rate has now fallen to 4.9 percent...this is the first time that the unemployment rate has dipped below 5 percent in almost eight years”
Jan. 27--Held a Dining Town Hall in Saieh Hall, at which UChicago’s Campus Dining Advisory Board the future of UChicago Dining after the expiration of Aramark’s contract