Officials from the Democratic Party of Illinois announced on Monday the hiring of Jake Lewis as deputy director and Maralea Negron as operations director. Lewis, who will also oversee the party’s communications, previously worked as the director of communications for the Chicago Federation of Labor. Negron previously worked as chief of staff to Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago). 

Ald. Brian Hopkins (2) tweeted “it’s not panic pedaling to ask ‘what if this virus continues evolving into something more severe, more transmissible, more deadly?’ Although frightening to contemplate it, we must imagine what that world would look like, and begin preparing now to live (or die) in it.” 

Ald. Pat Dowell (3) in her latest newsletter detailed components of the 2022 budget approved by City Council last week and wrote “Through Alderman Dowell's leadership, the 2022 City of Chicago Budget makes monumental investments in critical City initiatives, while also putting Chicago on a much more fiscally sustainable path.” 

Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez (33) tweeted “If there’s anyone who is ready to take on the hard and urgent work of the OIG with a wealth of knowledge experience, intelligence and integrity, that’s Deborah Witzburg.” 

Ald. Michele Smith (43) tweeted “Leftover pumpkins after Halloween? Don't trash them, smash them with University of Illinois Extension. Sites are located throughout Chicago. Help divert pumpkins from becoming landfill waste!” Smith included a link to collection sites.   

Ald. Harry Osterman (48) tweeted “Today I joined my fellow elected officials on the groundbreaking for the new Metra Station on Peterson and Ravenswood. New public transportation that has been 12 years in the making and that will spark economic development in our neighborhood.” 

Ald. Maria Hadden (49) shared a link to a conversation she had on WGN Radio and tweeted “Last Friday, I joined John Williams on @wgnradio to talk about the city’s $500 universal income pilot for low-income households and explained my hope that it will benefit these households in the long run.” 

Deborah Witzburg submitted her resignation on Monday as Chicago’s deputy inspector general for public safety, citing an intention to apply for the position of inspector general for the city writ large. “Because OIG’s Public Safety section oversees and makes recommendations to City departments including the Office of the Mayor, it is my responsibility to avoid any appearance or concern that the work of the section might be influenced by my candidacy for a mayoral appointment and that its independence might therefore be impaired,” Witzburg wrote in a letter Monday. An independent selection committee is working to compile a list of candidates for Mayor Lori Lightfoot to pick as the next inspector general to succeed former Inspector General Joseph Ferguson. Witzburg’s resignation is effective Nov. 12. 

Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans on Monday appointed Judge David Navarro as the new acting presiding judge of the court's Pretrial Division. Navarro had previously served as supervising judge for the division. Navarro was a Cook County assistant state's attorney and was chief of the Public Integrity Bureau at the Illinois Attorney General’s office before being appointed to the bench by the Illinois Supreme Court in 2017. Judge Mary C. Marubio has been named the new supervising judge of the Pretrial Division.

Good Government Illinois will host a virtual town hall at 7 p.m. Thursday with Ald. Scott Waguespack (32) and Ald. Matt Martin (47) to discuss the 2022 Chicago budget passed by the City Council last week. “What makes the budget so progressive? How did it pass so easily, and what were some of the behind-the-scenes negotiations? What caused the split in the new Socialist caucus, described as a “difference of philosophy” to the media?” the event description reads. Online registration is required.

Rep. Marcus Evans (D-Chicago) tweeted “I live in Avalon Park, district office at 85th & Stony I see the increase in reckless driving/speeding on Stony from 79th Street to 87th Street. @chicagosmayor @IDOT_Illinois @ChicagoDOT please help because more motorists and innocent pedestrians are going to die unnecessarily.” 

Rep. Jamie Andrade (D-Chicago) tweeted a video of a Ring camera, adding, “Another typical night in the neighborhood. This will keep happening as long as criminals feel there is no consequences for their actions. The only difference between the old Wild Wild West instead of horses they now use vehicles. 

Sen. Mike Simmons (D-Chicago) tweeted “fabulous day visiting Halloween celebrations across the 7th district!And congrats to Talman Av on your very first Halloween block party! The costumes rocked! Thank you all for creating community and please celebrate safely! Happy Halloween! 

Officials from the Illinois Department of Public Health on Friday updated the department's COVID-19-related public guidance ahead of the holiday season. The guidance includes a recommendation for people to delay travel until they are fully vaccinated or wait until after they receive a booster shot. For the unvaccinated, the recommendations call for testing to take place one to three days before and three to five days after traveling. Officials also encouraged the public to travel during “off-peak times” to avoid crowds, drive a private vehicle to reduce exposure and to wear masks while riding mass transit. State officials also encourage Illinoisans to keep their indoor gatherings small, arrange seating to allow physical distance, open windows and doors to increase air flow, avoid congregating in small areas and clean and sanitize areas like kitchen and bathrooms.

Ald. Pat Dowell (3) tweeted, “Thanks to the generosity of Black Men United, Proviso Leyden Council for Community Action, Chicago Football Classic and Christmas in the Wards our community is hosting a food giveaway at Metcalfe Park tomorrow morning for needy families in our area.”  

Ald. Raymond Lopez (15) tweeted, “@aldnapolitano41 and I both introduced ordinances to hold parents accountable for their children. His was derailed by a socialist, mine by the head of the Black Caucus.” 

Ald. Silvana Tabares (23) wrote in her latest newsletter, “If you think the city council doesn’t deserve input on policies that impact labor rights and public safety, then the City Council chambers might as well stand silent as they did during the shutdown. I know the mayor would like that. I know some aldermen would like that. But some of us are ready to stand up. Some of us aren’t going away.” 

Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez (33) quote-tweeted Lopez’s tweet and wrote, “And every time similar backwards measures that focus on punishing the poor instead of addressing root causes are introduced we will fight them with every tool we have.”  

Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36) tweeted, “Our inaugural 36th Ward Trunk or Treat event was a huge success! Thank you to Rep. EvaDina Delgado and Dignity Montclare Funeral Home for co-hosting.” 

Ald. Andre Vasquez (40) quote-tweeted Lopez’s tweet and wrote, “As the socialist being referred to in this tweet, I will proudly stand with poor and working families who are just trying to survive in a capitalist society over draconian, repressive, cynical strategies that don’t solve the problem. #anydayoftheweek #twiceonSundays” 

Ald. Matt Martin (47) wrote in his latest newsletter that “approaching this budget, my office and I centered the stories of scores of neighbors who have struggled throughout the pandemic, dealing with issues from record unemployment and unstable housing to the lack of childcare and mental health challenges. I am proud to say that the budget includes many of the priorities that my office has been advocating for based on those experiences.” 

Mayor Lori Lightfoot appointed Erin Harkey as the next acting commissioner of the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events following the retirement of Comm. Mark Kelly last week. Harkey is a former project administrator, commissioner for programming and deputy commissioner for the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. She was most recently senior policy adviser to the mayor on arts and culture. 

Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago) tweeted, “A good old fashioned “Springfield Surprise” greeted me this morning. I found language slipped into an amendment on a large bill that deals with the proposed #onecentral project. It essentially weakens the parameters and accountability for this $6.5B in state funding.” 

Sen. Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago) tweeted, “As an early childhood advocate, it warms my heart to witness legislative ideas from the field translate into law and follow the path of implementation. For one of my first projects in the Senate, I worked with [Sen. Kimberly Lightford] & @StartEarlyorg to bring up the effective date to January 2022 to extend services for 3 year olds with summer birthdays and preserve access to critical interventions while transitioning to school-based special education supports.” 

Sen. Jill Tracey (R-Quincy) released a statement saying that she “called a meeting” of the Legislative Ethics Commission she chairs “to select a new Legislative Inspector General, but a vote was stalled by several Democrat members.”  

Rep. Robyn Gabel (D-Evanston) tweeted, “After 20 years in the making, today we passed the Midwife Licensure Bill in Illinois giving women more birth choices including home births w/ certified professional midwives. Thank you to the Illinois Council of Certified Professional Midwives for their patience and perseverance.” 

Rep. La Shawn Ford (D-Chicago) tweeted, “Voting in Prison on postponed consideration. Justice in 2022” 

Rep. Denyse Stoneback (D-Skokie) tweeted, “I was honored to be part of an historic vote last night to pass HB370, the Youth Health and Safety Act, which included repealing the Parental Notification of Abortion law. The law passed and is headed to @GovPritzker for his signature.”

Sen. Laura Ellman (D-Naperville) and Sen. John Connor (D-Lockport) will participate in a virtual Facebook discussion hosted by U.S. Rep. Bill Foster (D-Ill.) at 1 p.m. Saturday on how to expand broadband access across the state. 

Ald. Raymond Lopez (15) tweeted “5,000 medical/religious exemptions applied for to city’s HR Department. Only a dozen employees reviewing each application manually. That means HR needs to review & decide roughly 80 applications a day, about 7 request daily per employee - all before the 12/31 vax deadline.” 

Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35) tweeted “TOMORROW: The 35th Ward office at 2934 N. Milwaukee will close at 12 PM on Friday, October 29th to staff Hermosa Halloween at Nixon Elementary (2121 N. Keeler). You are welcome to visit us at Nixon from 2pm to 6pm."  

Ald. Andre Vasquez (40) tweeted a video of the speech he gave from the council floor before voting on the 2022 budget.  

Ald. Tom Tunney (44) in his latest newsletter detailed his vote to approve the 2022 budget. “This was not a perfect budget and I had reservations in supporting it, my main objection being the modest property tax increase,” Tunney began. “Our city will be seeing a large influx of federal COVID relief funds this year, and I feel it is wrong to raise property taxes when there are federal funds that could prevent hiking taxes.” 

Ald. Matt Martin (47) tweeted “Proud this year's budget includes additional investment in our city's public mental health services. And now this Saturday, @ChiPublicHealth will be at our Health and Wellness Fair to share info on how to access those resources. Stop by Sulzer Library from 10 AM to 2 PM!”

Cook County Health and the Cook County Department of Public Health rolled out plans on Thursday to begin administering COVID-19 vaccines to children ages 5-11 as soon as it is approved by federal regulators. The full list of locations where the vaccine is offered, including schools, pharmacies and health clinics, is available online. 

Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas will participate in the Inter-American Conference on Cadastre and Property Registry in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic from Nov. 2-4, where she will “discuss how advancements in the Treasurer’s Office have increased transparency and efficiency while promoting social equity,” her office announced Thursday. 

Sen. Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago) issued a statement after the Senate approved a bill that would replace the state’s Parental Notification of Abortion with the Youth Health and Safety Act.  

Sen. Mike Simmons (D-Chicago) tweeted a video update about the Senate’s passage of the measure to repeal the Parental Notice of Abortion law.  

Sen. Christopher Belt (D-Cahokia) issued a statement after a bill he sponsored related to school employees and COVID-19 was approved by the Senate on Wednesday.  

Sen. Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) issued a statement after a bill he sponsored related to EMS workers was approved by the Senate on Wednesday.  

Rep. Bob Morgan (D-Deerfield) provided a video update on Facebook about the veto session.  

Sen. Laura Ellman (D-Naperville), along with the Illinois Department of Veteran Affairs, will host a discussion on Facebook on Nov. 10 at 4:30 p.m. about benefits available to veterans in Illinois.  

Ald. Daniel La Spata (1) tweeted “Thanks to the feedback that I received from residents like yourself about your priorities for the 2022 Budget, and thanks to the work of advocates around the City, the City of Chicago is on the right path to investing in every community.”  

Ald. George Cardenas (12) tweeted “Im all in for [Ald. Ariel Reboyras (30)] congressmen of NEW 3rd district.  He tells me WHY NOT???”  

Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25) tweeted a video of his remarks on the 2022 budget and wrote "We should not pass a budget that requires Public Relations gymnastics to justify why City Hall isn’t fully investing in our communities that need it the most." 

Ald. Andre Vasquez (40) tweeted a copy of a statement from the Chicago Democratic Socialists of America and wrote “feeling very proud of @ChicagoDSA for their political learning, year over year. Seeing the highlighted portion included in this year’s statement shows a recognition that comrades can disagree and still be in solidarity.” 

Ald. Harry Osterman (48) tweeted “This budget invests in Chicagoans most impacted by the pandemic & disinvestment. It funds housing, mental health, violence prevention, youth support & homelessness prevention at levels that should be a new standard. The work to ensure these funds make a difference begins now.” 

Ald. Maria Hadden (49) tweeted a copy of her official statement on her vote in favor of the 2022 budget and her vote against the 2021 budget amendment and wrote “Thank you to 49th Ward residents who helped me come to this decision and the community organizations who were instrumental in us winning so many investments for Chicagoans.” 

Applications close on Friday for the Cook County Emergency Rental Assistance Program, which will tap $75 million from the American Rescue Plan to provide rental assistance grants stretching back as far as 18 months. Applicants must live in suburban Cook County, fall below an income threshold and demonstrate proof of a “hardship” related to the pandemic. Applications are available online. 

Rep. Denyse Stoneback (D-Skokie) tweeted “I was excited to join the Illinois General Assembly in congratulating the  @chicagosky  2021  @WNBA championship team. It was particularly thrilling to meet superstar guard Dana Evans!” 

Rep. Robyn Gabel (D-Evanston) tweeted “The WNBA Champions came to Springfield today! Congrats to Dana Evans-point guard, James Wade-head coach, & to the entire team & org. The women of the Illinois House of Representatives salute you. #ChicagoSky 

Rep. Katie Stuart (D-Edwardsville) tweeted about her the upcoming office hours for her satellite office. 

Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie (R-Lake Zurich) tweeted “The Senate Executive Committee votes to repeal requirement that a parent be notified before an abortion provider performs an abortion on their minor child. This is the legislature saying that parents don’t matter. I completely disagree. I stand on the side of parents.”  

Sen. Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) shared a link on Facebook of Tuesday’s Senate Republican Caucus news conference. 

Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday appointed Bradley Zeller to the Illinois Finance Authority, Michelle McClendon to the Illinois International Port District Board, Karen McNaught to the Illinois State Police Merit Board, Niketa Brar to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission and Tonya Genovese to the Illinois State Board of Elections. All of the appointments must be confirmed by the state Senate.  

Ald. Daniel La Spata (1) tweeted information about a neighborhood cleanup set for 10 a.m. Nov. 6 at multiple locations in the 1st Ward.  

Ald. Raymond Lopez (15) shared a WTTW article about murals promoting vaccine awareness and tweeted a photo of a similar mural in his ward that had been damaged and wrote “This is the second mural located in West Englewood. Hopefully it can be fixed (or removed).” 

Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25) retweeted the “Fight For 15 Chicago” account which tweeted a photo of Sigcho-Lopez at a rally and wrote “thank you all for standing strong here today with [McDonald’s] workers in Chicago. Together, we will win.” 

Cook County Comm. Kevin Morrison (D-15) tweeted “On Friday, I met with @chicagonw’s board of directors at the Mecum Auctions at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel. The auction was a shining example of how tourism grows our local economy and helps our community thrive.” 

Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland and Mississippi have been removed from the city’s COVID-19 Travel Advisory list because they have maintained new caseloads below 15 per 100,000 residents for at least two weeks, the Chicago Department of Public Health announced Tuesday. Forty-one states and two territories remain on the list, meaning unvaccinated travelers to Chicago from those states are asked to quarantine or get tested. As of Tuesday, states and territories not on the Travel Advisory were: California, Connecticut, Washington, D.C., Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi and Puerto Rico. 

Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs) issued a statement highlighting several businesses in her district that received Back to Business grants.  

Sen. Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) issued a statement highlighting the businesses in her district that received Back to Business grants.  

Sen. Christopher Belt (D-Cahokia) issued a statement highlighting the businesses in his district that received Back to Business grants.  

Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) tweeted “I am proud to join Congressman Chuy Garcia and much of organized labor in standing with Alexi and his candidacy.” 

Rep. Martin McLaughlin (R-Barrington Hills) tweeted “What’s positive about #Illinois? The 2021 freshman class of GOP House members brought people from many professional backgrounds in private sector to serve the state. Their willingness to take time away from their jobs to fix IL is inspiring. We need a few more good people! #twill"