Phew! It’s Finally Friday!

This week has shaken me, and so many of our friends and neighbors, to the core. When news of the leaked draft decision in the Mississippi case (Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization) challenging Roe v Wade started to trickle in, I knew whatever plans I had had for the week were out the window. I shared information about our laws in Illinois and the impact of the pending decision in a special edition newsletter on Tuesday, but today I thought I’d share a little bit of the behind-the-scenes of one of the wildest weeks I’ve ever had in office.

Monday night was a whirlwind of emotion and activity. When Politico first broke the story, the initial reaction among the folks blowing up my phone tended to be questions about the authenticity of the decision since nobody I talked to had ever heard of a leak of this magnitude. It wasn’t long before our conversations moved into absorbing the details of the draft decision and trying to plan what should happen next. In spite of being in contact with seasoned Reproductive Rights leaders all over the country who had all talked many times about what was ahead and our anticipation of an eventual decision overturning Roe, what struck me most at that moment was that I hadn’t expected to feel as sad as I did. I figured since I’d known this was coming for years, I’d just absorb it and keep fighting. It turns out that it doesn’t matter how long you’ve known you’re about to get punched in the gut, it still really hurts when it happens.

By morning, I was more resolved and ready for what was to come. Which honestly, is an important lesson for everyone advocating on issues that are deeply personal: self-care matters. They don’t announce that airplane passengers should put their oxygen masks on first before helping others for nothing. With the sky as dark as my mood, I headed downtown, anxious to stand with my colleagues and partners in the battle for reproductive freedom and reassure the people of Illinois that while this decision is a disaster for so many, Illinois remains a haven for people seeking reproductive health care.

In my comments at Tuesday’s press conference, I talked about my mom and said that I was literally born on the front lines of this fight. My mom needed to cross state lines to give birth to me because the Catholic hospital in our then home state of New Jersey would not provide her with the hysterectomy she needed at the same time as my delivery. My Pennsylvania birth certificate is a reminder of the impact of patchwork laws. My mom was an amazing woman whose trailblazing life has always inspired me. In WWII, my mom wanted to serve and became one of the first women admitted to the Coast Guard as a member of the SPARS. She went on to build a successful small business with my dad while raising the 7 of us, becoming our family’s primary breadwinner when a workplace injury rendered my dad unable to work. Her life was tough, there’s no question, but she always found something to laugh about and faced everything the world threw at her with the same determination that led her to a life of service. She’s been gone for 8 years. I still miss her every day and wish she could see how amazing her grandsons are. This Mother’s Day, we will remember both of our moms. Further down, you’ll see one of my favorite pictures showing my mom and my oldest carrying on her extraordinary pie-making skills at a long-ago Thanksgiving.

The week continued with multiple calls, press conferences, and strategy meetings. Tuesday afternoon I stood with Mayor Lightfoot, Alderpeople Michelle Smith, and Gil Villegas, and members of our Congressional delegation Jan Schakowsky, Sean Casten, Marie Newman, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Brad Schneider, and Chuy Garcia at Planned Parenthood of Illinois headquarters (pictured below) to discuss the status of the Women’s Health Protection Act, Illinois’ Reproductive Health Act, and the need to provide supports to patients seeking care from states that have banned abortion. In my remarks, I pointed out that abortion is not the only health care being criminalized in other states and cited the bans on gender-affirming care that endangers trans youth and their families. I announced that I am working on a bill that will provide protection for patients, parents, and providers in these situations. I also got a chance to see the new headquarters and take an “ussie” with CEO Jennifer Welch in front of the office named for the Rogers Park clinic.

Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday brought more interviews as news outlets sought to bring clarity to what the decision will mean immediately for people here in Illinois. I had the pleasure to speak on Live From The Heartland which is our local neighborhood radio show. I am so thankful that we passed HB40, the RHA, and repealed PNA to create the force field that will protect people seeking care here in Illinois. To be able to provide some comfort and reassurance to people rightfully frightened by the news of the leaked draft decision was incredibly gratifying. Between media interviews and direct questions from constituents seeking clarity, I was able to reassure patients that abortion will remain legal here in Illinois as long as there is no federal ban passed. We have started hearing talk of an attempt to pass a national ban over the last several weeks, putting the lie to the standard line of leaving the question of abortion to the states.

We’ve also just learned that the US Senate has scheduled a vote on the Women’s Health Protection Act for next Wednesday. The House passed their version of the bill last year with all but one Democratic Congressman voting in support. The bill’s chances in the Senate are slim given the 60 vote threshold presented by the filibuster.

As we head into this Mother’s Day weekend, I’m hoping for the return of the sun and a little time to rest and reflect on the events of this week. I am so proud to represent this amazing community and thankful to have the opportunity to stand up for not just my constituents but everyone in Illinois impacted by access to safe and affordable reproductive health care. Below is a picture of my mother. Please hold on to your family members and friends tight during these times this weekend.

Happy Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. It's important to pay tribute to the generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders who have contributed greatly to our country. We have amazing local organizations in or near the district. Please seek to support these organizations below:

Chinese Mutual Aid is a community-based social services agency targeting the low-income immigrant and refugee community.

Vietnamese Association of Illinois is an organization that focuses on serving diverse communities and promoting Vietnamese American identity.

Asian-Human Services is an organization that provides a network of culturally comprehensive human services to enable Asian and all underserved immigrants a chance to thrive.

Our Northside Resource Day event was a huge success! Thanks to all who came out and joined that day as well as all the electeds that stopped by. I am so pleased that we were able to bring Secretary of State and City Key services closer into our neighborhood along with several other agencies from the area.

A huge shoutout to my team who put in the hard work and made this event possible. A special shoutout to Wade who was the chief organizer behind this whole thing!

Please read more about their work and commitment to our students at New Field by clicking CPS's website.

For tickets please click here.

The Jarvis Square Artisan Market will return to Jarvis Square (Greenview and Jarvis) for another season! The market brings local arts and craft vendors to the Jarvis Square Alfresco area where they can showcase and sell their creations. The market also has live music and food for patrons to enjoy. 

Vendors who are interested in participating should email charmersartisans@gmail.com. 

Chicago moves to the medium risk level of COVID-19 transmission. Hospitalizations and deaths however due continue to remain low in Chicago. At the Medium Community Level, people at risk of severe health outcomes are advised to take additional precautions to protect themselves from the virus, including masking up in indoor spaces. The CDC reported that 14 Illinois counties are now listed at the Medium Community Level including Cook. IDPH as shown below does continue to see an increase in cases and hospitalizations but statewide hospitalizations and deaths overall remain low.

The subvariant, known formally as BA.2.12.1, is 25% more transmissible than the BA.2 “stealth omicron” subvariant and accounts for a majority of new infections in the Northeast U.S. The virus continues to mutate. Again, we have been fortunate we have not seen a major uptick in hospitalizations but please continue to remain aware as we continue through this pandemic. We have treatments and vaccines now which are truly helpful.

The above graph highlights the 7-day rolling average for hospital admissions. Hospitalization rates are rising again. The state does feel prepared in the event of a surge 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.

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

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

Statewide Totals: 3,169,315 confirmed cases, 33,660 deaths and 22,018,536 vaccines administered

Hotline: 800-889-3931

Email: dph.sick@illinois.gov

Hotline: 312-746-4835

Email: coronavirus@chicago.gov

The website is live. Constituents living in eligible zip codes can go to www.AccessCovidTests.org to order a free test kit.

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) is offering different grants to allow communities to create or update regional or local economic plans to promote recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some grant applications close on May 9^th, so be sure to take advantage this last weekend! For more information on the grants and their deadlines, see below.

What: Local governments and regional economic development organizations can apply to create or update regional plans that accelerate economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Plans should outline specific initiatives or investments that would support robust and equitable economic growth, with priority given to plans that address an economically distressed community. Examples include plans to promote recovery in a local business district or a plan to promote recovery for the tourism industry across the region. Priority issues include shifting economic trends, housing, infrastructure, education, and healthcare. Each plan should include specific initiatives or capital investments to accelerate recovery. After the grants are awarded and plans are created, DCEO will offer grantees the opportunity to apply for funding for specific projects included in their plans.

Potential Applicants: Counties, municipalities, units of local government, and economic development organizations. Plans may cover an entire region.

How Much: Grant size ranges from $10,000 to $150,000. In total, $3.5 million is available for this opportunity.

Deadline: May 9^th, 2022

Apply: Information can be found HERE.

What: DCEO is seeking an organization to serve as an Intermediary to implement and administer this program. The Intermediary grantee must have the capacity to review applications, issue awards, and oversee capital grants to human services providers. The intermediary will be responsible for evaluating and selecting project applications, providing technical assistance, reviewing expenditures, disbursing grant funds, and overseeing these projects to ensure compliance with all applicable laws and program requirements.

Potential Applicants: Any organization that has demonstrated experience and capacity in administering construction grants.

How Much: The intermediary will be asked to manage at $15 million grant. Up to $1.5 million in administrative expenses may be incurred by the intermediary.

Deadline: May 16^th, 2022

Apply: Information can be found HERE.

What: Connect Illinois seeks to achieve ubiquitous broadband access for homes, businesses, and community anchor institutions. Applications should be classified under one of three categories: (a) Broadband Access for in unserved or underserved areas; (b) Broadband Innovation for economic development; or (c) Urban Broadband for expanded access and/or innovation in qualified Illinois cities. All Connect Illinois projects must include infrastructure expansion scalable to speeds of at least 100 Mbps download and 100 Mbps upload upon deployment. Allowable costs include network design, project planning, equipment, construction, and deployment of middle mile and/or last mile infrastructure.

Potential Applicants: Businesses, nonprofits, cooperatives, school districts, and local governments. Proposals covering unserved and/or underserved areas are eligible for Connect Illinois grant funding.

How Much: $350 million total, maximum grant size of $10 million. Preference given for a 50% match, but it is not required for an application to be competitive.

Deadline: Rolling through 2024, or until funds are depleted

Apply: Information can be found HERE.

More can be found on DCEO’s website.

What: B2S strives to increase the capacities of regions to support innovations, entrepreneurs, and startups that are growing technology-driven businesses, creating high-skill, high-wage jobs, and building the industries of the future. This opportunity includes two separate programs: 1) the Venture Challenge; and 2) the Capital Challenge. The Venture Challenge is to serve companies challenging the status quo of established markets or commercializing technologies, as well as furthering job creation within their businesses. The Capital Challenge is for the formation of investment funds that seek to raise equity-based capital to deploy in startups.

Potential Applicants: Local governments. Nonprofits, institutions of higher education, EDOs, laboratories may apply if they are supported by a local government.

How Much: 1:1 match required. For the Venture Challenge: $750,000. For the Capital Challenge, funding comes at 2 levels – “Form” and “Deploy”. Form is up to $300,00, and Deploy is between $300,000 to $750,000.

Deadline: 6/13/2022

Apply: Information can be found HERE.

What: Grants under these programs are designed to leverage existing regional assets and support the implementation of economic development strategies that advance new ideas and creative approaches to advance economic prosperity in distressed communities. These grants seek to promote critical, cutting-edge research and best practices with practitioners in the economic development field. They also support a small number of projects that provide technical assistance at a national scope.

Potential Applicants: Local governments, institutions of higher education, nonprofits, individuals, or for-profit organizations.

How Much: $1.5 million

Deadline: Rolling

Apply: Information can be found HERE.

The Chicago Resilient Communities Pilot is a $31.5 million dollar commitment from Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the City of Chicago’s Department of Family and Support Services as part of an effort to tackle poverty and put residents at the center of the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. 5,000 Chicagoans will be selected through an open application and a citywide lottery to receive $500 per month for twelve months, with no strings attached. That means that there are no limitations on how the money can be spent by recipients. The Mayor believes that people living with poverty simply do not have enough money to make ends meet. Cash assistance changes that circumstance and empowers residents to decide how to best meet their financial needs and goals.

Applications are now open, and close on Friday, May 13. Eligibility requirements and more information is available at chicago.gov/cashpilot.

The Illinois Homeowner Assistance Fund (ILHAF) program offers assistance to Illinois homeowners who have struggled to pay their mortgage due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ILHAF is funded through the U.S. Department of Treasury and starting today, they will begin accepting applications for grants of up to $30,000 to eliminate or reduce past-due mortgage and property tax payments.

For more information, visit the Illinois Housing Development Authority's website here.

Operating in partnership with the Community and Economic Development Association of Cook County (CEDA), who operates the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), the UBR program will utilize their expertise and extensive network of partner organizations to conduct outreach and enroll homeowners. For more information and how to apply, visit here.

Parents of children with special needs are invited to a free resource fair hosted by Chicago non-profit Neighborhood Parents Network. The fair works to bring together therapy providers, schools, camps and more resources for children with autism, ADHD, sensory processing disorder, Down syndrome and other developmental needs. Attend free workshops about IEPs, Medicaid and government grants, and fun enrichment activities. Register at npnparents.org/ddrf.

The Grassroots Alliance for Police Accountability (GAPA) is looking to hire an experienced Campaign Coordinator to lead the implementation effort of the historic Empowering Communities for Public Safety (ECPS) ordinance. As a Coordinator, responsibilities involved leading a coalition of dozens of community organizations and hundreds of supporters in efforts to make policing in Chicago more accountable and equitable. Visit tinyurl.com/coordinatorGAPA for more details on the job description.

Friends of the Forest Preserves is hiring for two high school summer programs - Forest Preserve Experience and Chicago Conservation Leadership Corps.

For more information on positions and job requirements, visit here.