Sen. Laura Ellman (D-Naperville) tweeted, “Today, the Americans with Disabilities Act turns 32! This year, the General Assembly passed SB 180 to make sure our Capitol complex was accessible to everyone, regardless of physical ability. I’m proud to stand for accessibility throughout our state! #ADA32"  

Rep. Mark Walker (D-Arlington Heights) tweeted, “I had the privilege of joining our local chapter of Moms Demand Action to discuss our work on greater gun control measures in our IL & learn from them more ways we can keep our children safe from guns. It was powerful to see many concerned about this deeply important issue.”  

Rep. Stephanie Kifowit (D-Oswego) tweeted, “Yesterday I had the pleasure of a Roundtable Discussion hosted by Congressman Bill Foster and lead by U.S. Secretary of Energy, Jennifer Granholm. @SenatorHolmes @ElectPierog @RepBillFoster" 

The state is launching an “I Got Love” campaign to encourage parents to enroll their children in early childhood education programs. The campaign will use $12.7 million to share more information about the state’s early childhood education program, Illinois Cares for Kids. 

Ald. Brendan Reilly (42) tweeted a photo of a vehicle blocking a bike lane and wrote “So we nailed this one this morning thanks to fast work by our friends @ChicagoDOT. Citations issued.”  

Ald. Tom Tunney (44) tweeted “Join State Rep. Margaret Croke and @SenatorSara6 

tomorrow for their gun violence prevention townhall. As gun violence plagues communities throughout Illinois our representatives are doing important work in the General Assembly to keep us all safe”  

Ald. Maria Hadden (49) tweeted “Congrats to members at @Local150 for winning your agreement! Your city stood in solidarity with you for these 7 weeks.”  

Ald. Debra Silverstein (50) tweeted “We had very successful Outdoor Office Hours at Lerner Park yesterday! Thank you to everyone who came for help with your city service needs. Look for us in neighborhood locations near you over the coming months. The next event will be on August 15 from 4-6 PM at Peterson & Drake.” 

The Chicago Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities announced the launch of a new disability employment center at 2102 W. Ogden Ave. That will “assist people with disabilities in gaining access to meaningful and sustainable job and career opportunities,” officials said. Services are available by telephone, remote meetings using video platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams, in-person meetings by appointment and limited walk-ins. To sign up for Career Center services, email [email protected], make an appointment by calling (312) 746-5773 and select prompt #3, make an in-person visit at 2102 W. Ogden, or visit the MOPD website here. 

Rep. Denyse Stoneback (D-Skokie) tweeted, “I spoke with @ABC7Chicago about Illinois' Red Flag laws or FROs & how they should be used in all situations. The lack of FROs being issued is due to a lack of awareness, which is why I fought for $1M in funding to educate the public on FROs.”  

Sen. Adriane Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove) tweeted, “With reports of shootings on a near daily basis throughout the district, my heart aches for the families who lose a loved one due to a formidable tragedy”  

Sen. Robert Peters (D-Chicago) tweeted, “Maybe I’m just annoyed but let the Bears go ask Arlington Heights for a giant corporate handout. It’s very on brand that such a conservative team is so blatantly mask off about what type of welfare they’re ok with.”  

Sen. Eric Mattson (D-Joliet) tweeted, “Don’t let back-to-school shopping stress you out this year! From Aug. 5-14, families and educators will see tax reductions on school supplies and other items in order to prepare them for the new year.”  

Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris) tweeted, “Had the pleasure of speaking with Kevin Schramm and Justin Ritz on @103pt1FM this morning about the new FOID rules filed by ISP and the impact the unemployment insurance trust fund debt will have on Illinois small businesses.” 

Sales tax revenue from recreation cannabis sales grew by 50 percent in Fiscal Year 2022, according to the governor’s office. Fiscal Year 2022 brought in $445.3 million from recreational cannabis sales while the total sales grew by $500 million. This also allowed local governments to bring in more revenue from recreational cannabis, as they received 77 percent more in Fiscal Year 2022 from the sales.   

House Speaker Chris Welch (D-Hillside) announced he is creating four new working groups in the House Democratic caucus “to take a balanced and research-driven approach to meaningfully reform our laws in Illinois” on key issues, according to a news release from the speaker’s office. Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) will lead the Reproductive Health and Dobbs Decision working group. Rep. Bob Morgan (D-Deerfield) will lead the Firearm Safety and Reform working group. Rep. Deb Conroy (D-Elmhurst) will lead the Mental Health working group. Rep. Jaime Andrade (D-Chicago) will lead the Social Media and Online Extremism working group. The Public Safety working group, which crafted several bills to fight crime during the spring session, will continue to be led by Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth (D-Peoria).

Ald. Pat Dowell (3) tweeted “Hard to believe, but my 3rd Ward Back to School Fest with the Chicago Urban League is coming up 8/6. Check today's eblast for event details, and info on other back to school events, the City Clerk's Mobile City Hall, CRR1919 bike tour and much more”  

Ald. Brendan Reilly (42) shared a Bloomberg CityLab tweet about potential legislation that would allow New York City to install bike lane cameras and wrote “Hopefully we’ll be just a few months behind New York City in implementing this here in Chicago.”  

Ald. Tom Tunney (44) tweeted “Own or manage a business in the 44th Ward? Tomorrow the Chicago Dept. of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection is hosting a monkeypox webinar so you can learn how to keep your employees and customers safe”  

Ald. Matt Martin (47) tweeted “Republicans split on whether LGBTQ Americans can… 

 ✔️ Maintain their partners’ health benefits 

✔️ Visit their spouse in the ICU 

✔️ Receive equal dignity and rights under the law   

 Shameful.” 

Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago will host an Englewood Housing Fair from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Saint John Evangelist Church on 63rd Street, the group announced. The event will include “interactive workshops,” a trolley tour and a raffle. Online registration is required.

Rep. Bob Morgan (D-Deerfield) tweeted, “Grateful to join the ⁦@WhiteHouse and colleagues in Illinois, and beyond, as we combat gun violence that has plagued #HighlandPark and so many others.”  

Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris) tweeted, “A passenger rail from Peoria to Chicago, which includes four stops within the 38th Senate District is now one step closer to becoming a reality as it heads to a Phase 1 study.”  

Rep. Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich) tweeted, “I wonder if Pritzker gave Biden Covid? Still a pandemic of the unvaccinated??”  

Rep. Dagmara Avelar (D-Bolingbrook) tweeted, “If you haven't bought school supplies yet, hold off until the School Supply Tax Holiday goes into effect from August 5-14! The tax on specific school supplies, clothes, and shoes will go from 6.25% to 1.25%.”  

Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago) tweeted, “Yesterday elected officials from across the North Side had a meet and greet for @HoanDHuynh our soon to be new State Rep. He will be part of a strong diverse team making our communities better!” 

The Department of Financial and Professional Regulation issued 149 conditional adult use dispensing organization licenses Friday. It is the first time the department has issued the licenses since recreational cannabis became legal in Illinois. All the licenses went to social equity applicants. Of the licenses issued, 41 percent went to majority Black-owned businesses, 7 percent went to majority white-owned businesses and 4 percent went to majority Latino-owned businesses.   

Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton was elected chair of the National Lieutenant Governors Association Friday during the association’s meeting in Chicago. Her term runs to August 2023. She is the first Black chair of the association.   

Secretary of State Jesse White announced Friday that expired drivers licenses and state IDs will remain valid until Dec. 1. White has extended the expiration date of IDs several times since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020 and Secretary of State facilities were temporarily forced to close their doors.  

The Chicago Department of Public Health was expecting on Friday to receive delivery of 15,440 monkeypox vaccine doses from the federal government and 2,600 from the state of Illinois’ allocation over the weekend, according to an announcement. The city had previously only received 5,400 total doses. As of Friday, 230 people had been reported positive for monkeypox in Illinois, including 202 in Chicago. Information on how to access vaccinations is available online. 

Ald. Raymond Lopez (15) tweeted, “What a gorgeous afternoon to join the South/North Lawndale Peace Party. Residents and community organizations are working hard to create a unified Lawndale community in between rain drops. That’s the Chicago I know and love”  

Ald. Silvana Tabares (23) wrote in her latest newsletter, “The Grand Opening for the West Lawn Office was a great success. Visit us at one or both locations. West Lawn Office 3954 W. 63rd St.; Garfield Ridge Office 6247 S. Archer Ave.”  

Ald. Brendan Reilly (42) wrote in his latest newseltter that he “introduced a new ordinance (O2022-2498), which repeals the automatic annual property tax increase of the lesser of the annual increase in the Consumer Price Index and 5% that was passed as a part of the 2021 Annual Budget.”  

Ald. Matt Martin (47) wrote in his latest newsletter, “At the...City Council meeting, I also introduced the following: 

• An ordinance establishing a public financing system for City elections.
• An ordinance providing greater protections for individuals receiving or providing reproductive or gender-affirming care in Chicago. 
• An ordinance giving electric vehicle owners greater ability to install charging stations in their condo and apartment building. 

Ald. Debra Silverstein (50) tweeted, “I was very pleased to join together with so many of my neighbors today to spread fresh woodchips over the playground at Lunt Playlot! Thank you to all of the volunteers and to Indian Boundary Park Supervisor Phil Martini for helping take care of one of our neighborhood parks!” 

Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago) tweeted, “Chicago’s Own! J.P. Massey Drafted by Pittsburgh Pirates”  

Rep. Dave Vella (D-Rockford) tweeted, “Thank you to the Ingersoll Team and Camozzi Machine Tools for inviting me to today's Grand Opening and Tour of the new manufacturing, assembly, and extended testing facility. I had an opportunity to see the future of manufacturing in our region!”  

Sen. Robert Peters (D-Chicago) tweeted, “I firmly believe that Chicago is in a unique position to be a model for the 21st century American city. We must take on the climate challenges, build vast affordable housing, reimagine our public safety policies, expand public transportation, and protect our beautiful lakefront.”  

Rep. Martin McLaughlin (R-Barrington Hills) tweeted, “Make Sound Fiscal Policy Matter Again! How are businesses doing in Illinois? Let’s see, before we are inundated with the political ads that will paint an overly rosy economic picture. Our poor anti-growth policies are killing our state. Compare our region. Vote wisely.”  

Rep. Bob Morgan (D-Deerfield) is asking residents to share stories about their experience during the Highland Park mass shooting by emailing [email protected] or filling out a Google form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfcSJG18ZRAM2wpg2Iz1ytkT0OT9L2A8Ul0DEiA2NXPto-Spg/viewform   

Sen. Adriane Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove) tweeted, “Earlier this week, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, Village of Buffalo Grove, Lake County Forest Preserves, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the completion for the Buffalo Creek Reservoir expansion.” 

Gov. JB Pritzker sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky asking the federal government to more aggressively fight the monkeypox outbreak by prioritizing vaccines for areas like Chicago that have been the epicenter of outbreaks. Pritzker wrote in the letter that Illinois and Chicago have a lack of vaccines despite having a high number of cases. “We know that a swift response is essential when confronting outbreaks of disease,” Pritzker said in a statement. “And we’ve learned in the last few years that most people are eager to protect themselves and their communities when given the tools to do so.”  

Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced Thursday three Cook County residents were arrested as part of probe into organized retail crime. According to a news release, the group stole a shipping container from Burlington North Santa Fe Railway with more than $300,000 of goods inside, including more than 200 TVs. The arrests are a result of several months of investigations by the attorney general’s office, BNSF Railway Police and Hodgkins Police. Raoul’s office has pursued organized crime efforts through a multijurisdictional Organized Retail Crime Task Force. “The Organized Retail Crime Task Force allows investigators and prosecutors in my office to better collaborate with our law enforcement partners and retailers to protect consumers and combat the rise in retail crime,” Raoul said in a statement.   

Illinois’ unemployment rate for June fell by .1 percentage points to 4.5 percent, the Department of Employment Security reported Thursday. The state added 18,800 nonfarm jobs in June.   

The Democratic State Central Committee will meet in Springfield on Saturday, July 30 to vote for a chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois. Current party chair U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly is the only person who has announced they are running for the seat so far. The meeting is open to the public, as required by state law.  

Ald. Silvana Tabares (23) tweeted “The streets of Chicago are dangerous enough for police. And the policies of the administration should not add to this burden but should instead equip officers to best protect the public.”  

Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez (33) tweeted “It will take all of us to make Chicago a sanctuary for bodily autonomy.  We are ready to win it.”  

Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36) tweeted “What an honor this morning to award two $5k scholarships to our future leaders. Congratulations Angelica and Miranda, good luck, we are rooting for you. @ChiLatinoCaucus”  

Ald. Brendan Reilly (42) tweeted “I’ll sleep well knowing that Matt Yglesias is not moving to Chicago. That’s like a narrow miss with an asteroid. As a native east coaster, I can call bullshit on his north east bias, prep school entitlement, Ivy League elitism & profound lack of respect for Midwesterners. Goof.”  

Ald. Matt Martin (47) tweeted “Yesterday, I introduced an ordinance to establish publicly financed elections in Chicago. We need fair elections funded by ordinary people, not just a few monied interests. If you agree, add your name”

The Cook County Commission on Human Rights is looking for applicants to fill three vacancies on its volunteer board. The county put out a call for “passionate, talented individuals who have a strong commitment to human rights and public service.” More information about the commission and application materials are available online. 

Sen. Dave Koheler (D-Peoria) tweeted, “I was honored to receive a 2022 Lawmaker of the Year award from the Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts. I am joined here by AISWCD Executive Director Grant Hammer & Jen Walling, Friend of the Association of Illinois Soil & Water Conservation Districts.”  

Sen. Adriane Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove) tweeted, “In the Fiscal Year 23 state budget, I secured $200,000 for Employee Connections in Waukegan. The not-for-profit employment education and training agency is in their 13th year helping the community find gainful employment in the Lake County area.”  

Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris) tweeted, “Congratulations Noah Schultz! The Chicago White Sox selected Noah, who is a graduate of Oswego East High School, with the 26th overall pick in this year’s draft. Looking forward to watching him play in the big leagues!”  

Sen. Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago) tweeted, “I'm excited to announce that I'm a member of @EriksonPolicy's Executive Fellows 2022 Cohort! This program uses an anti-racism approach to explore the benefits of quality early childhood experiences & policy opportunities to support children & families.”  

House Speaker Chris Welch (D-Hillside) tweeted, “Our founding fathers crafted a three-part government structure so that no one person, nor one faction could oppress or terrorize the great majority of our citizens. The Congress and the President must stand as a check on our extreme court. Let’s go!” 

The Legislative Audit Commission will hold a hearing Tuesday on an audit of the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) released in May that found the agency was not following up with children in the state’s care. Other problems included a lack of data being tracked by the department and improper healthcare for children. DCFS Director Marc Smith has been found in contempt of court 12 times since the beginning of the year for failing place children in proper care settings in a timely manner.  

Ald. Daniel La Spata (1) tweeted “A critical step in improving transit service across the CTA is hiring sufficient operators and mechanics for our buses. Starting wage of $24.63 plus benefits! Please share this with your networks, and register for this Saturday’s career fair at the link below!”  

Ald. Silvana Tabares (23) tweeted “Officer wellness IS officer safety; and officer safety IS public safety. Today I joined colleagues and families of fallen officers who unveil a package of reforms to force our police department back on track and provide families the support and respect they deserve.”  

Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35) tweeted “The Bodily Autonomy Sanctuary Ordinance will help protect from criminalization people seeking and providing abortion or gender affirming care. I look forward to refining this ordinance in collaboration with my colleagues, the administration, and organizations.”  

Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez (33) tweeted “Today I introduced three pieces of legislation that I worked very hard on the last few months: (1) a Bodily Autonomy Sanctuary ordinance to protect from criminalization people seeking or providing gender affirming care or reproductive care (2) an ordinance to allocate $1MM in 2023 to reproductive care and clinic defense – I’m grateful to my chief-co-sponsors on these measures, @CDRosa @AldMattMartin and @ChiAlderwoman, for working with me and all the advocacy groups who helped us think through the first steps to create meaningful and comprehensive legislation to protect bodily autonomy in our city.”  

Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36) tweeted “Today I voted to keep the camera speed limits at 6mph. The fact that peoples lives are being saved means they are working. However we have to ensure that we are using the proceeds from these cameras to help invest in our infrastructure. If Chicago wants to continue to be a World Class City, we need to take into account the micro mobility options that are available to the residents of Chicago and invest in safe roads, bike lanes, etc.”  

Ald. Andre Vasquez (40) tweeted “I want to commend all of the Chicago Cyclist and #SafeStreets groups for their organizing this weekend and into the City Council meeting. Once we knew the mission, they got to mobilizing and persuading. This win is yours - there are plenty of lives that will be saved.”  

Ald. Matt Martin (47) tweeted “I believe government works best when campaigns are funded by ordinary people — not just a few monied interests. That’s why today I am proud to introduce an ordinance that would establish publicly financed elections in Chicago.” 

The Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection will host its Small Business Expo at the Kennedy-King College U Building from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday, according to a Wednesday announcement. The expo “will feature an opportunity to connect with industry experts and government agencies in the exhibitor hall, educational workshops presented by local business service organizations, an inspiring keynote address, and a networking hour to meet with other current and aspiring business owners,” officials said.