The beginning of a new General Assembly means new colleagues, new offices, new committees, and a new legislative agenda. I’m excited to once again serve as Chair of the Restorative Justice Committee, where we anticipate a robust agenda in concert with the Judiciary Criminal Law Committee where I have served as Vice-Chair for the last 6 years. The full list of committees and members will be released soon, which will allow us to begin our work in earnest.

While hard at work on not one, but two office moves (my Springfield office is also relocating as a normal part of the process of members leaving and new members coming in), we’ve been putting the final touches on bills for this session. I’m excited to get started on advancing some great policies. I’ll have a full list to share soon, but we’re pushing again for passage of our resentencing bill for criminalized survivors of gender-based violence that passed the House last year but wasn’t taken up in the Senate, continuing our work to make Illinois the 7th state to authorize Natural Organic Reduction aka Human Composting, and ensuring that survivors of domestic violence can access reconstructive procedures with insurance coverage, among others.

As we head into the snowy weekend, I’m struck by having spent the day hearing reports of the pending release of video of Tyre Nichols’ killing by police officers in Memphis and the preparations being made for possible violent reaction due to the horrific nature of what the video depicts. More than anything else, I can’t stop thinking about Mr. Nichols’ family and friends hearing this over and over today as a countdown to the release. I can not imagine hearing my loved one's death discussed like the next movie release.

Releasing the video is the right thing to do in the name of transparency, of course, and as a reminder of the injustices that occur in this country on a daily basis. I also think it’s important to find ways to avoid sensationalizing these tragedies and create space for those who, for whatever reason, can not bear witness to another killing. The officers, in this case, were fired and charged very quickly, suggesting that the descriptions of this video are not exaggerated. That said, the court process will take time and will require vigilance on the part of folks not just in Memphis, but nationwide to ensure justice is fully served for this family and the communities impacted who experience these traumas far too often and often with little or no recourse. We have much more work left to do in this country and it should not take tragedies like this to bring about meaningful change.

We are headed back to Springfield next week to begin our work with the first item of business being adopting our House Rules that govern how we conduct business. Once those are in place, we can start to move bills through the process. We have until the end of next week to submit bills to the Legislative Reference Bureau for drafting, with February 17th being the deadline to introduce House Bills. That same week brings us the Governor’s Budget Address which kicks off our budgeting process for the session.

New Office Location

With the start of the new 103rd General Assembly this month, our team is also making a fresh start with a new office! While the space we’ve shared with the 48th ward, 9th Congressional District, 10th County Board District, and 7th Senate district has been our home since long before I took office, our new space on Morse Avenue will allow us to work more efficiently and safely while conserving resources.

We’re excited to announce that our new space at 1507 W. Morse Avenue will be shared with our newly elected 13th District County Commissioner Josina Morita and will give our constituents a more effective space to seek assistance or services. We’re just down the block from Alderwoman Hadden’s office and will continue to conduct constituent outreach and service events with our former office mates on Broadway!

We are not currently open to the public at the Morse office. We expect to be up and running in the new office by February 6th. Until then, we’ll be operating virtually and hosting satellite service hours at 5533 N. Broadway each Wednesday from 9a-5p. Any changes will be posted on our social media and at repcassidy.com. Please continue to email us at repcassidy@gmail.com. 

Porkchop Edgewater Ribbon Cutting

I was thrilled to join Edgewater Chamber of Commerce along with Ald. Osterman & Sen. Simmons for a ribbon cutting at Porkchop in Edgewater on Friday. This will be the third location for Porkchop, which first opened its doors at 6341 N Broadway in early December. Owner, Jovanis Bouargouv says he chose Edgewater because he was looking for a fun northside neighborhood, and its proximity to Loyola University was an added benefit.

Winter Bryn Mawrkets

This weekend the Winter Bryn Mawrkets and Gallery will host more than 13 artists, makers and vendors inside two storefronts in the Historic Bryn Mawr District, 1040 & 1052 W. Bryn Mawr. Shop everything from art, clothes, beauty products, jewelry and home decor!

The Edgewater Chamber is partnering with the Chicago Puppet Lady to put on puppet shows on Saturday at the Mawrket. The puppet show will be geared toward kids ages 0-7. There will be mini puppet shows throughout the day and a main event at 2pm! It's a great opportunity to get the kids out of the house and allow you to shop from the makers, vendors and artists at the market! 

Andersonville Fika Festival

The Andersonville Fika Fest will be on February 3-5, 2023 that will host promotions throughout the Andersonville Shopping District for all things you want when it is cold outside sweaters, candles, warm eats that feed your soul, music, and fun games to play inside when it is too cold to play outdoors. For more information and to purchase tickets go here.

Two highlights are listed below happening during the Fika Festival.

Coffee Coco Crawl | February 4, 2023 | The Andersonville Coffee & Hot Cocoa Crawl returns as a part of Fika Fest! Each route invites you to explore specialty offerings that may include coffee, hot cocoa, bakery items, and more! Each paid attendee will receive a commemorative mug & a complimentary donut from Downstate Donuts.

The Great Andersonville Puzzle Exchange is back at a new location. Join us on Sunday, February 5 at the corner of Bryn Mawr and Clark inside 5601 N Clark. Puzzles may be dropped off prior to the event on Saturday, February 4 during the Coffee and Hot Cocoa Crawl from 9AM-1PM or during the event on Sunday. Bring a puzzle, take a puzzle. 

Howard Street Makers Studio

Howard Street Makers Studio provides a safe space for creativity and healing. Everyone is welcome to join during open studios where participants can explore different types of art mediums. Howard Street Makers Studio is located at 1609 W. Howard St. Dates and times are subject to change, please check the calendar to verify dates and times.

Kindred Open Studio is inspired by art therapist and author, Pat Allen’s Open Art Studio methods- where participants as well as the leader create art together as a community. Artists in residence will facilitate classes, community art workshops, spoken word/open mic, sip and paint, discussions and open art studio time with and for the community.

Mondays 11am - 3pm: Mindful Movements with Monimia “Mimi” Macbeth, LCPC, R-DMT

Wednesdays 6 - 9pm: Filipino Martial Arts with Crystle Dino, Chi-Pinayist, Tender Warrior, Folk Art Therapist

Fridays 11am - 3pm: Healing Justice Poetry Circle with Dorian A. Ortega, LCPC

Saturdays 3:30 - 6:30pm: Liberatory Art Studio with Jessica Juarez, M.Ed, LPC, NCC 

Clark/Ridge TIF

The Clark/Ridge TIF district will open the Small Business Improvement Fund (SBIF) applications beginning on February 1. SBIF promotes economic development by providing small businesses with reimbursable grants for permanent building improvement costs (interior or exterior) for businesses and commercial properties located in the TIF district. Residential projects are not eligible for the SBIF program, and residential developers should not apply. 

Program participants can receive grants for 30-90% of project costs, with a maximum grant of $150,000 for commercial properties and $250,000 for industrial properties. The grants are administered by SomerCor on the City's behalf and do not have to be repaid.

The Department of Development and Planning will host an informational webinar on February 1 at 1 1 PM. Click here to register to attend. To view recordings of previous webinars, click here. 

Township Officials of Illinois Highschool Scholarship

Each year Township Officials of Illinois award scholarships to departing seniors who are going to an Illinois College or University. The completed application must be postmarked no later than March 1, 2023. For more information including the application click here.

2023 Argyle Lunar New Year

Join Uptown United and 48th Ward Alderman Harry Osterman on Argyle Street in 2023 as Uptown continues its annual tradition going back 40+ years of celebrating the Lunar New Year! To welcome the Year of the Rabbit (and Cat), we’ll be hosting the Lunar New Year Parade on Saturday January 28th (kick-off at 1:00pm sharp at Argyle & Winthrop) featuring 20+ local community groups, cultural institutions, dancers and performers! In addition, a number of local organizations are planning pop-ups with family-friendly activities that day between 12:00-4:00pm.

COVID-19 Updates

Friday, January 27th Update:

• Total new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 IL residents: 85.7
• Daily new COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 IL residents 90
• Percent of staffed inpatient beds occupied by IL COVID-19 patients: 20%
• Statewide Totals: 4,019,768 confirmed cases and 36,091 deaths

For more details regarding the status of COVID in Illinois click here.

Please click here to see the status of COVID in our zip codes.

Being vaccinated and boosted is critical to limit the major impacts of future pandemic waves we are to face as new variants come along. Please be up to date with your vaccines and continue to test when needed.

To find a vaccine clinic within the City of Chicago click here.

For questions or info regarding COVID-19 testing click here.

If you have questions related to COVID-19 you can contact the

Illinois Department of Public Health:

Hotline: 800-889-3931

Email: dph.sick@illinois.gov

City of Chicago's Department of Public Health:

Hotline: 312-746-4835

Email: coronavirus@chicago.gov

SNAP Update

Free Tax Preparation

Registration is open for Chicago Park District's 2023 winter programs. The Chicago Park District offers an extensive array of programs for all ages this winter. You'll find a variety of in-person programming options along with its popular virtual programs. Browse available openings and register here. 

Senior Services

Chicago Methodist Senior Services

Job Resources

Tapestry 360 Health is hiring Medical Assistants ($500 hiring bonus), Medical Receptionists ($500 hiring bonus), Call Center Representatives ($500 hiring bonus), and Nurses ($3000 hiring bonus). 

Tapestry 360 Health, formerly known as Heartland Health Centers, is a federally qualified health center with 16 locations serving Chicago’s north side and nearby suburbs, offering affordable and comprehensive primary care, oral health care, and behavioral health care services. 

Sincerely,

Kelly Cassidy

State Representative, 14th District



Office of State Representative Kelly Cassidy

1507 W. Morse Ave

Chicago IL 60626