Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s Office of Equity and Racial Justice published a survey asking city residents to submit feedback on the city’s Equity Statement of Principles. The latest draft of the principles is “the product of several months of listening to community stakeholders, processing the input with our partners, and revising based the feedback and insights shared with us,” according to a message from the mayor’s office. 

The Right to Recovery Coalition, which includes SEIU Healthcare, GoodKids MadCity, Ald. Daniel La Spata (1) and the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, will host a news conference in Daley Plaza at 9 a.m. Tuesday to tout what they call the “Chicago Rescue Plan” to spend the more than $1.8 billion in coming American Rescue Plan aid to “address the urgent needs of Chicagoans hit hardest by the pandemic,” according to a news release. The release pointed to an ordinance filed with 12 co-sponsors, but as of Monday night no ordinance was publicly posted. 

Organizations including the Kenwood Oakland Community Organization (KOCO) will join Ald. Jeanette Taylor (22) will hold a march down King Drive between 35th Street and 51st Street “demanding action in the unsolved deaths and disappearance of Black, mostly young women and girls in Chicago.” Taylor and KOCO leaders will host a news conference after the march concludes at 5 p.m. 

The Chicago Advisory Redistricting Commission announced it will host its first public hearings this month: a virtual meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, and an in-person meeting in Chinatown at 2:30 p.m. Saturday. 

The Neighborhood Building Owners Alliance will host two 12 p.m. webinars this week, starting with an event titled “The Housing Choice Voucher Program Best Practices” featuring Chicago Housing Authority officials. On Thursday, the alliance will host a conversation with Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart about evictions resuming. 

Rep. Lamont Robinson (D-Chicago) tweeted images from a Juneteenth voter registration drive he participated in over the weekend. 

Rep. Ann Williams (D-Chicago) tweeted an image of a Yoga in the Park event in her district.  

Sen. Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) tweeted a reminder about a June 23 a virtual legislative recap she is hosting with Williams and Rep. Margaret Croke (D-Chicago) 

Rep. Carol Ammons (D-Chicago) shared several tweets about Juneteenth, including saying “Making Juneteenth a federal holiday is a step forward toward equality, but by no means have we reached that mountain top. To achieve true freedom, we need policy change.” 

Sen. Michael Hastings (D-Tinley Park) on Friday halted his bid for Secretary of State. In a statement, Hastings said, “After much thoughtful reflection, however, it is with a heavy heart I am announcing the suspension of my campaign today.”

Ald. Raymond Lopez (15) tweeted, “It took Lightfoot’s BACP over six weeks to prepare legislation for a permit I approved in February. City Council isn’t the problem. The problem starts with Lightfoot’s City Hall.” 

Ald. Silvana Tabares (23) wrote in her latest newsletter that she “took the shoot-or-no-shoot use of force training simulator at the CPD Academy...My colleagues and anybody that has a disciplinary vote over CPD should be required to take this test, to get a taste on how they’d act to a split-second life or death decision with a glock in their hand.”

Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35) tweeted, “I don't know why Mayor Lightfoot has broken her campaign promise to enact meaningful civilian oversight, but I do know that we owe it to the people of the City of Chicago to enact this necessary police reform.” 

Ald. Brendan Reilly (42) wrote in his latest newsletter, “Renaming Lake Shore Drive would be cost-prohibitive and would create confusion for the Chicago Police Department when responding to 9-1-1 calls. I have received overwhelming public sentiment against changing the name of “Lake Shore Drive.” 

Ald. James Cappleman (46) tweeted that he has seen the music video for “Try” by Colbie Caillat “a minimum of 100 times. As a gay man, I've come to learn that the root of homophobia is sexism, and so it's so satisfying to see these women taking the needed step to accept themselves for who they are. 

Ald. Harry Osterman (48) wrote in his latest newsletter, “Mayor Lightfoot and some of my colleagues have continued to derail our efforts to strengthen civilian oversight of police, a critical need as dictated by the 2018 US Consent Decree, that becomes more urgent with every day that passes. I will continue to work to pass the ECPS ordinance and will keep you updated.” 

Ald. Maria Hadden (49) posted a 10-minute video to discuss Friday’s public safety committee meeting, when she said committee chair Ald. Chris Taliaferro (29) “clearly used his role as chairman to favor certain people’s motions and actions and voices over others...parliamentary procedures being used to thwart democracy is wrong.” 

Ald. Matt Martin (47) wrote in his latest newsletter that the “Chi Biz Strong” business relief package set for approval on Wednesday is “supported by all of our Ward’s chambers of commerce.”

House Majority Leader Chris Welch (D-Hillside) tweeted “as the product of an elected school board, I’m excited to see how students, parents and teachers benefit from this change,” referring to the bill to make Chicago’s school board an elected body.   

Rep. Lamont Robinson (D-Chicago) tweeted “I applaud @GovPritzker & Congress for recognizing #Juneteenth as a national holiday. Let’s use this moment to continue the fight against structural racism everywhere & to acknowledge the historical contributions of African American that built this country & are still felt today.” 

Sen. Laura Ellman (D-Naperville) and Rep. Janet Yang Rohr (D-Naperville) will hold a virtual town hall on Facebook on June 21.  

Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris) tweeted a video of a budget debate which she said was “another example of bad process leading to bad results.”  

Sen. Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield) tweeted a statement after Gov. JB Pritzker signed an omnibus elections bill on Thursday that expanded on an initiative she sponsored last year to expand access to voting.  

Gov. JB Pritzker said Thursday Deputy Gov. Dan Hynes will be leaving Pritzker's administration. Pritzker named Hynes, who previously served as the state’s comptroller, to the post after his 2018 election. He will be succeeded by former state Sen. Andy Manar, who joined the administration earlier this year. A spokesperson for Pritzker said Hynes will depart at the “end of summer.” 

Pritzker on Thursday named Brig. Gen. Rodney Boyd as the next Assistant Adjutant General of the state’s Army National Guard. Boyd will become the first African American to the lead the guard’s 10,000 soldiers.   

Pritzker on Thursday announced $3.3 million would be provided to 149 fire departments and districts and EMS providers throughout the state. The funding comes from the Small Equipment Grant Program, which provides grants of up to $26,000 for the purchase of small firefighting and ambulance equipment.  

Ald. Raymond Lopez (15) tweeted a copy of an order he and three other aldermen filed in December calling for the city’s law department to “drop sanctions and settle with Anjanette Young...Time for City Council to press harder,” Lopez wrote. 

Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez (33) retweeted a thread and wrote “More police doesn’t mean more safety.” 

Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35) tweeted “Mayor Lightfoot’s proposed Riverwalk commemoration of Du Sable is nice, but I doubt it'll have as big an impact as renaming our city's main lakefront road. Will Black youth be welcome at the Riverwalk? Or will their presence be criminalized like it is everywhere else in the Loop?” 

Ald. Michele Smith (43) in her latest newsletter wrote that she “will not” support the proposal to rename Lake Shore Drive after Jean Baptiste Point Du Sable if it is called for a vote during the June 23 City Council meeting. Smith wrote that she “trust[s] that City Council can find more appropriate ways to not simply recognize DuSable, but to do more to educate our citizens about this important part of our heritage.” 

The Metropolitan Planning Council will host an event at 1:30 p.m. July 13 titled “Accelerating Climate Action: The Power of Regional Planning and Municipal Implementation.” Speakers and panelists will include Mayor Lori Lightfoot, U.S. Rep. Bill Foster (D-Ill.), Rep. Sean Casten (D-Ill.) and Edith Makra of the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus. Online registration is required. 

Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Iris Martinez and the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Chicago sent a joint news release promoting that downtown buildings will be “lighting the Chicago skyline red” Thursday, Friday and Saturday for Juneteenth. BOMA is “proud to be a part of the growing recognition of Juneteenth,” executive director Farzin Parang wrote in the release. 

Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) tweeted “gun control measures have passed the Illinois House and now head to the Governor’s desk!” 

Rep. Tom Morrison (R-Palatine) tweeted a video from the House floor.  

Rep. Martin McLaughlin (R-Barrington Hills) tweeted “Well, the Speaker reconvened the House in Springfield today to consider an energy bill & we are all here waiting and no bill.”  

Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-Chicago) tweeted an image of the vote board on the elected school board bill, adding, “I can’t tell you how much effort and organizing and fight I’ve put into this over the last 10 years. So ready to see this happen!!” 

Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago) tweeted a video of him speaking on the House floor about the elected school board bill.  

Gov. JB Pritzker signed legislation Wednesday that would make June 19, known as Juneteenth, a state holiday. Under HB 3922, which takes effect Jan. 1, Juneteenth will be a paid holiday for state workers and public education employees. The first paid holiday for Juneteenth will be in 2023.

Ald. Raymond Lopez (15) tweeted “So all water projects have stopped because of ‘litigation;’ however, the state statute says [The Chicago Department of Water Management] could have continued under these exemptions. As a result, thousands of families have had to live & drive on incomplete & unsurfaced roads collapsing onto the previous work.” 

Ald. Brendan Reilly (42) tweeted “To those believing the false narrative Chicago has done “nothing” to properly honor DuSable, a friendly reminder: a High School, Museum, City Harbor, Park & Michigan Ave. Bridge have all been named in his honor. The site where he first settled is also a National Historic Landmark” 

Ald. Matt Martin (47) shared a Sun-Times story on the Illinois House passing the bill for a fully elected Chicago school board and tweeted, “Finally.” 

Ald. Harry Osterman (48) retweeted a tweet from Senn High School about its first Pride Walk and wrote, “Love to see it! Happy Pride to [Senn High School] and other students in the community.” 

Ald. Maria Hadden (49) tweeted “We need Community Oversight of the police - if you agree as well, sign up to speak or submit public comment for the Committee Meeting on Public Safety where there will be a vote this week. #ECPSNow” 

The Cook County Forest Preserve District will host a Juneteenth celebration at the Sand Ridge Nature Center in South Holland from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday. The event will include storytelling, “migration stories,” “Dances of West Africa” and a history lesson on Chicago’s Black history by TikTok historian Sherman “Dilla” Thomas. 

The Chicago Department of Planning and Development selected developer The Community Builders as the winner of its C40 Reinventing Cities competition to redevelop a city-owned property at the corner of Van Buren Street and Plymouth Court. The developer will build a 20-story, 207-unit affordable apartment building on the site, becoming the “first net-zero, all-affordable high-rise" in the city’s history, according to a Tuesday announcement. The Community Builders will buy the site from the city for $1 before undertaking the $102 million development. Designed by Studio Gang, the building will achieve LEED Zero Energy Certification. 

COVID-19 cases per capita dropped by half or more in most Midwest states between June 1 and June 15, the Chicago Department of Public Health announced Tuesday. New cases fell in Indiana from 7.9 per 100,000 residents to 4.8 during the two-week period. At the same time, the metric fell from 7.9 to 2.6 per 100,000 in Michigan, 7.3 to 2.7 in Illinois, from 4.3 to 1.8 in Wisconsin and from 3.7 to 2.5 in Iowa. The health department dropped all remaining states from its Emergency Travel Order earlier this month. 

Ald. Daniel La Spata (1) wrote in his most recent newsletter that he continues “to grieve the loss of Kevin Clark, a beloved actor, musician, and neighbor who was killed while cycling in a tragic crash at Western and Logan.” La Spata said hopes "years of inaction begin to end this week with an intergovernmental meeting...with the 32nd ward, as well as Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-Chicago), Sen. Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago) and [Cook County] Commissioner Bridget Degnen (D-12).” 

Ald. Susan Sadlowski Garza (10) tweeted in a thread “Today, as Chairwoman of the Committee on Workforce Development, I presided over sending the Worker Protection Ordinance and the Hotel Worker Right to Return to Work Ordinance to the floor of the City Council. These ordinances represent huge wins for Chicago workers...”

Ald. George Cardenas (12) shared a WBEZ article about Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s criticism of Chicago police for arresting people in possession of guns. “So if you are a felon with a previous gun rap does that count?” Cardenas tweeted. “Cause that’s what they been arresting. Possession of a weapon with a prior record of weapon use.” 

Ald. Andre Vasquez (40) tweeted “You don’t get to complain about the cost of changing signs for DuSable Drive yet stay silent on the $800,000,000 we have paid out in police misconduct settlements. #ECPSNow” 

Cook County Comm. Dennis Deer (D-2) wrote in his latest newsletter that he and his colleagues “have schedule events all week long, Virtual and In-Person, at Malcolm X College” in honor of Juneteenth. The schedule of events is on Juneteenth Illinois’ website. 

Comm. Kevin Morrison (D-15) announced he will host a virtual news conference at 11 a.m. next Monday, June 21 alongside Virginia state legislator Danica Roem to advocate Morrison’s proposed ordinance (21-2215) requiring gender-inclusive language to be printed on county documents.

House Speaker Chris Welch (D-Hillside) said Tuesday he had promoted Tiffany Moy to be his new chief of staff. Moy, who is the first person of color in her new post, most recently worked as Welch’s issues development director. Moy takes over for Jessica Basham, who served as former House Speaker Mike Madigan’s final chief of staff. 

Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris) tweeted a video update about the omnibus energy bill.  

Sen. Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) shared a video update on Facebook about the energy bill.  

Bryant also tweeted “As I entered the Capitol this morning there were 4 adult tourists trying to enter the north entrance. They were stopped by security and told admittance to the public will not be permitted until next Monday. Hello, we are in Phase 5.” 

Sen. Adriane Johnson (D-Riverwoods) tweeted an image from a Flag Day event she attended. 

Sen. Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago) tweeted images from a tour she did of a school in her district.  

Rep. Ann Williams (D-Chicago) tweeted images from a clean energy rally outside the Capitol.  

Rep. Bob Morgan (D-Deerfield) tweeted a poll asking people whether he should support “clean energy legislation” on Wednesday.

Sen. Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) tweeted images from over the weekend when she participated in an exhibition with the Japanese Culture Center.  

Sen. Mike Simmons (D-Chicago) tweeted images after he visited Uplift High School in his district.  

Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford (D-Maywood) tweeted images after she participated in a Juneteenth flag raising in Chicago.  

Sen. Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago) tweeted “mark your calendars” for Friday at 1 p.m., when a subject matter hearing on a bill to let undocumented parents vote in school board elections. 

Rep. Maura Hirschauer (D-Batavia) responded to a tweet by Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, saying “Everyday gun violence is a public health crisis. We must work together for strong, comprehensive, and meaningful policy change.”

Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago) tweeted “the fact that many opponents of #CriticalRaceTheory are just in 2021 finding out that #CriticalRaceTheory even exists, legitimizes the existence of #CriticalRaceTheory.”  

Ald. George Cardenas (12) tweeted “This week the Illinois legislature has the opportunity to pass a historic energy bill that prioritizes climate & equity for communities like mine, putting IL at the forefront of renewable energy generation. The time has come to move our state forward.” 

Ald. Raymond Lopez (15) retweeted a Sun-Times story about a proposal for the city to recognize Juneteenth as an official holiday next year and wrote, “City Council approves official city holidays, not the mayor.” 

Ald. Michael Rodriguez (22) tweeted a photo of himself with two 22nd Ward residents in Daley Plaza celebrating Juneteenth.  

Ald. Brendan Reilly (42) tweeted That feeling when the Red Line [CTA] sits idle for 35 minutes as a baseball game lets out. Total incompetence two nights in a row. Pathetic and wrong. Figure it out.” 

Ald. James Cappleman (46) in his most recent newsletter wrote that his ward office will resume in-person work June 21.  “We will be in person Monday through Thursday the week of the 21st, and begin in-person work Monday through Friday starting June 28th,” Cappleman wrote. 

Ald. Maria Hadden (49) tweeted a video of the Juneteenth Flag that was raised in Daley Plaza on Monday.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events on Monday announced a slew of new cultural events scheduled for this summer around the city. Included in the new events is a nine-part series called “House City” to celebrate the neighborhoods in which House music was created. Also on tap is one week’s worth of “Taste of Chicago To-Go” pop-up events, more than 25 “community meals,” and two celebrations for Latinx and World Music. Also set for this summer is “a unique mash-up of public art and dance at Lurie Garden in Millennium Park.” According to Lightfoot’s office, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events is lifting capacity restrictions for programs and advance registration will no longer be required. The full announcement is online.

The Shriver Center on Poverty Law will host a virtual roundtable discussion at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday to discuss the city's COVID-19 recovery and a proposed guaranteed income pilot program. The panel will be moderated by Shriver Center CEO Audra Wilson and will feature Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36), Equity and Transformation director Richard Wallace, Heartland Alliance president Evelyn Diaz and Economic Security for Illinois director Harish Patel. Viewers can access the Zoom meeting via this link.

The Chicago Community Trust has issued an "open call" for "ideas that can advance public policies to address systemic inequities contributing to the racial and ethnic wealth gap in the Chicago region." The "ongoing idea solicitation program," with no posted deadline, is looking for pitches that "build public knowledge and public will," "bolster the policy ecosystem" or "advance policy and systems change." Winning applicants could receive grants of between $25,000 and $75,000. Applications instructions and other information on the open call are listed on the Chicago Community Trust's website.