Legislative Update

After a bit of turbulence, the first session of the 103rd General Assembly is in the books and we’re all back in our districts attempting to catch up on in-district work while also reacquainting ourselves with our families and digging out from weeks of coming home just long enough to drop off dirty clothes and pick up clean ones for the next week. I’m looking forward to getting caught up and starting the summer off right as we gear up for summer street fairs and farmers’ markets. To that end, in recognition of how much time the team spends at events in the evenings and weekends, we’ll be instituting summer hours at the office.

For the summer, starting June 9th, we will be fully remote all day on Fridays and from 9-12 on Mondays. During that remote time, we will all take turns monitoring the phones and email, so please bear with us as we work out the kinks so our staff can get some breathing time during this busy season.

I mentioned turbulence at the beginning of the message - we did go over our planned adjournment date of May 19 by a week after reports from the Department of Revenue noted lower-than-anticipated revenue after April’s tax receipts were calculated. This necessitated our Appropriations chairs and Budgeteers revisiting budget lines and negotiating adjusted spending levels with the Senate and Governor’s office. In the late (or early) hours of May 27, we passed a budget that balances our reduced revenue realities and pent-up demand for services as demand increases. It is by no means perfect - one example was the long-delayed raise for the hourly wages earned by Personal Care Providers who ultimately save money by keeping folks in their homes living independently longer being a $2.50/hour increase rather than the $4/hour raise sought. Constituents have rightly pointed out the difficulty in finding qualified and competent people to work in these roles when they can make $30/hour working for private agencies. We’re working on a deeper dive into the budget, but if there’s a particular item you’re curious about, give us a shout and we’ll track it down.

As a result of some prior year capital projects lapsing funds, we were also able to allocate some funds to local organizations to assist with projects in our neighborhoods. We were pleased to be able to allocate $600,000 to Care for Real towards their purchase of a new larger facility in Edgewater that will support their ongoing efforts to assist our neighbors in accessing food and other needs on-site as well as their continued work at their satellite site at the United Church of Rogers Park. Speaking of UCRP, we’re allocating $250,000 to rebuild the front steps of this iconic neighborhood spot. The Wild Onion Co-op will get $100,000 towards their buildout and Coughlin Playground in Lakewood-Balmoral (aka “The Big Playground” by the boys when they were playground age) rounds out the list with $50,000 towards their long-anticipated playground renovation. I believe it was last renovated when Josh was still in a stroller as I think about it.

There were several higher-profile bills that made their way across the finish line as well, for good and for ill.

HB2878 & HJR23 combined represent opening the door to a long debated expansion of I-55 in the southwest city and suburbs, allowing for a public/private partnership and private tolled lanes. In spite of forceful pushback from environmental justice organizations and the Green Caucus, the bill passed both chambers and heads to Gov. Pritzker for his signature. While this doesn’t guarantee such a project will happen, this critical first step puts those wheels in motion. I was a no vote on both of these bills.
HB2789 will make Illinois the first state in the nation to push back against book banning by withholding state funding from any of the state's public or school libraries that remove books from their shelves for censorship
HB3129 Brings another measure of pay equity to bear by requiring employers with 15 or more employees to include a pay scale in any job posting
HB2396 Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, Illinois schools will offer full day kindergarten
HB1286 Creates guidelines for construction of all-gender multi-occupancy restrooms. This bill was a lightning rod this session, with right wing groups spreading misinformation and colleagues inciting violence against the LGBTQ community so much so that the sponsor in the House had to cancel public events and close her office due to threats and harassment. In the Senate debate, Sen. Neil Anderson said he would “kick the piss” out of anyone he saw going into a bathroom with his daughter he didn’t think belonged there. Having been confronted in bathrooms when my hair was short and having a spouse who is often confronted, his irresponsible choice of words sends a message that it is open season on our LGBTQ family.
HB2450 Adds cultural competency training requirement for healthcare professionals for continuing medical education.

Yesterday, I was excited to join with colleagues and some of the various neighborhood chambers in our area for Pride Starts Here. It was a great day to see some old friends, meet some new folks, and kick off Pride Month with a reminder of the amazing treasure our queer and allied small business community is, especially as our more significant corporate “allies” are struggling to find the right words to say when they bail on us at the slightest push back from right-wing demagogues who use violence and intimidation to erase anything they don’t agree with.

I appreciate when large mainstream corporations speak up for us and admit it’s handy being able to buy Pride gear along with my kitty litter and paper towels purchases. But let’s be honest, this is marketing, not true allyship. True allyship means standing up to the bigots and the bullies when they attempt to intimidate us out of existence, not pulling merchandise and claiming it’s in the name of safety for customers and employees. Since when does capitulating to terrorist tactics make them stop? All Target and Anheuser-Busch have done in folding at the first sign of trouble is alienate paying customers. The screaming haters aren’t coming back because, in their minds, these businesses have already betrayed them. Even worse, they’re now on notice that violence and intimidation work, so we can expect more when they turn their ire on another segment of the population they hate.

So, this Pride Month, join me in patronizing businesses in our community who won’t turn and run when challenged by haters, because they’re of our community, not just pinkwashing to get our money.

The Ultimate Guide to LGBTQ Businesses in Chicago

Best LGBTQ Businesses - Yelp

Chicago LGBTQ Businesses

Next week, I’ll be welcoming a sizable chunk of our even more sizable family to town to celebrate the twins’ high school graduation, so I anticipate spending a fair bit of time preparing for that, so apologies in advance for missing some events around the district, many of which are listed in the newsletter!

Enjoy the first tastes of summer y’all. Be safe!

In the District

Kohoku-Ku Ramen Ribbon Cutting

This week, Alderwoman Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth, Rep. Kelly Cassidy's office and the Chamber helped Kohoku-Ku Ramen Chicago, 1136 W Thorndale Ave, celebrate its ribbon cutting! Owner, CHAIWARUT 'Wa' WONGKAMLAI chose Edgewater for his second location because he says the neighborhood was perfect for his restaurant. He opened his first location in New York City, right near Times Square.

Stepping into Kohoku-Ku you will instantly be transported to the Japanese city of Yokohama. The colorful, traditional decorations make you feel like you've traveled across the world to eat some delicious ramen. Wa's recipe calls for using an egg white noodle and letting the pork broth and chicken broth simmer for 48 hours. Stop by to try their many different types of ramen, including the house ramen, made with chicken & bonito fish broth, soft-shell crab, shrimp tempura, mushrooms, bok choy, scallions, a soft boiled egg and nori.

Andersonville Midsommarfest

Midsommarfest returns Foster to Gregory on June 9 from 5-10PM and June 10 and 11 from 12-10PM. On Sunday, June 11 we are thrilled to be able to offer early shopping from 11-12PM for with immunocompromised folks. Please note that the Swedish Stage has been moved from Foster to Farragut this year to allow for a safer entrance into the festival at Foster. For a list of stages click here. Please email info@andersonville.org with any questions you may have for this year's event.

Whether you're a pro or a beginner, Roller-skate Midsommarfest is open to everyone who loves to skate. There will be music playing the latest hits to keep you energized. Get Your Tickets Now because time slots are limited and walk-up tickets are only based on leftover availability. 1 -50 minute skate session is $20 for adults 12+ and over. Children under 12+ are free but must be accompanied by a chaperone 18+. Two children permitted under 12 with the purchase of an adult skate session.

Follow this link for the hours of operation, information on skate rentals, and safety protocols. Tickets are going fast so invite your friends and family to join us for this exciting event. Don't miss out on the chance to make unforgettable memories with the people you love. See you there!

30th Annual Artists of the Wall

The Loyola Park Advisory Council is pleased to share this year's 30th anniversary poster, designed by teen artist Maude Hovey-Bradshaw! You'll see this poster promoting the 30th annual Artists of the Wall Festival. Pre-order posters and t-shirts here!

REGISTRATION - Registration will open on May 1, 3, and 5 at 8AM at this link . Please only purchase one space per household. This year's event will be on June 17 and 18, 2023 from 9AM-3PM with music from 12-3 each day.

Important Loyola Park Dates

May 1 - Next LPAC meeting at the Loyola Park Fieldhouse at 6:30

May 20 - Loyola Dunes workday from 9:30am-12:30PM

June 3 - Join us from 10AM-12PM for It's Your Park Day!