Meetings & Agendas
- Chicago
- Springfield
The Cook County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a measure Thursday repurposing funds in the county’s recently created Disaster Response and Recovery Fund to help Chicago feed and care for migrants.
The Cook County Forest Preserve District Board of Commissioners approved a resolution to limit single-use plastics in the district on Tuesday.
The resolution (24-0209) declares a climate emergency within the county and directs the district to “limit the procurement of single-use plastics” except in health emergencies or for disability needs and include new “green purchasing guidelines” in the district’s procurement manual. The resolution also declares an intention to formally limit single-use plastics via ordinance by the end of the year.
The Cook County Finance Committee unanimously approved a proposed resolution modifying the allocation of the county’s Disaster Response and Recovery Fund on Wednesday. The resolution (24-2103) authorizes $70 million to be repurposed for food service and other costs for new migrant arrivals throughout the year, fulfilling the county’s share of a three-government deal to close a gap in funding.
In February, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Gov. JB Pritzker announced joint funding plans to assist the ongoing influx of thousands of migrants including asylum seekers arriving from Texas and close a $321 million gap in funding. The governor is seeking $182 million in funding for fiscal year 2025, and the county board president requested the board of commissioners reallocate previously approved funding for migrants.
The Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability held a forum with the Chicago Police Department (CPD) Supt. Larry Snelling on April 8. The meeting included a public comment portion for community members to provide Snelling and the commission with feedback and ask questions.
Snelling provided a brief introduction to start the forum, mentioning his roots in Englewood. After growing up in the neighborhood, he became an officer before serving as a lieutenant, eventually becoming district commander.
The chairs of the City Council’s budget and finance committees deferred final votes on new spending for migrant care and a massive bond authorization to fund housing, economic and cultural development programs citywide until a special council meeting scheduled for Friday.
During a news conference Wednesday, the mayor said the delay of the items by allies on the council was a “parliamentary tactic” to ensure alderpeople get all their questions answered before anything is approved and not a signal that he lacked the votes to pass the measures.
The mayor’s pick to lead the reconstituted Department of Technology and Innovation and an order to keep gunshot detection technology in individual wards were both deferred during the City Council meeting Wednesday, delaying votes to Friday at the earliest.
The City Council Committee on Finance reconvened its recessed meeting Wednesday morning and voted to recommend approval of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s $1.25 billion economic development and housing bond proposal, which was then deferred by the City Council later that day, postponing a final vote on the proposal until a special council meeting on Friday.
The City Council Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards approved the appointment of a new buildings department commissioner Tuesday without asking any questions about her role overseeing a demolition that went wrong.
A bill to pause school closures in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) made it through the House Thursday as accusations of racism were lobbed at the sponsor of the bill — a message most House Democrats rejected.
The House voted 81-25, with two voting present, on Thursday night to pass Gov. JB Pritzker’s plan to make major changes to health insurance regulations in Illinois with new limits on step therapy and prior authorization.
The House passed 71 bills on Wednesday as they move toward their Friday deadline to pass legislation to the Senate, including a bill cracking down on “ghost networks” referenced by Gov. JB Pritzker in his State of the State address.
The 2024 primary season was marked by expensive races to unseat incumbents along with several big-spending candidates who fell short of their bids to be their party’s nominees.
How much did candidates in top races for the General Assembly spend per vote in the first three months of 2024 and was it enough to win over voters on the March 19 primary?
The Illinois Senate voted unanimously on Thursday to pass a bill that would prevent credit reporting agencies from using medical debt in credit reports. The bill’s passage comes as Gov. JB Pritzker prioritizes a plan in his Fiscal Year 2025 budget proposal to eliminate medical debt for thousands of Illinoisians.