Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday announced 125 members of the Illinois National Guard will be sent to Chicago in anticipation of a verdict in the murder trial of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin. The activation of the guardsmen, who will support the Chicago Police Department, came at the request of Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot. The governor’s office said in a news release the National Guard will carry out a “limited mission,” including helping to manage street closures, and “will not interfere with peaceful protesters exercising their First Amendment rights.” Pritzker also directed the Illinois State Police to support the Chicago Police Department.

Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday named Gary Johnson as chair of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum Board. Johnson’s appointment is effective immediately and does not require approval by the state Senate.  

Sen. Tom Cullerton (D-Villa Park) tweeted an image after he met with representatives from the Ray Graham Association, which he said provides essential services for the disability community in his district.  

Sen. Adriane Johnson (D-Riverwoods) tweeted a reminder of an upcoming Eart Day cleanup effort in her district.  

Rep. LaToya Greenwood (D-East St. Louis) tweeted an image from Monday’s redistricting hearing, which was held in her district.  

Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield) tweeted about low attendance at a joint redistricting meeting in East Saint Louis. 

Rep. Ann Williams (D-Chicago) tweeted “in the wake of the sweeping ComEd bribery scandal, we must ensure that the strong utility accountability and ethics provisions contained in the Clean Energy Jobs Act are included in any clean energy legislative package considered by the General Assembly.” 

Rep. Avery Bourne (R-Morrisonville) touted a “groundbreaking zero-emission “Broadwing” facility,” which “has the potential to displace more than 1 million tons of CO2 per year released from existing generators” in her email newsletter.  

Rep. Jeff Keicher (R-Sycamore) posted to Facebook about HB316, which he is co-sponsoring. If passed, the measure would cut sales taxes on firearm equipment like gun safes and locks.  

Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago) tweeted, “my hope for Chicago in this season of pain is that we don’t allow distractions to lead to further destruction.” 

Ald. Pat Dowell (3) shared photos of a vaccination event she hosted alongside U.S. Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.) at XS Tennis. 

Ald. Sophia King (4) wrote in a tweet thread that “a story can be all innuendo, not researched or verified and still be a story.” 

Ald. Raymond Lopez (15) tweeted out a resolution he filed earlier this year expressing “no-confidence” in Chicago Police Supt. David Brown. 

Ald. Matt O’Shea (19) tweeted that a post suggesting he had confirmed Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s resignation was “Not true. Lies often spread faster than facts on social media.” 

Ald. Silvana Tabares (23) wrote in her latest newsletter that she “teamed up with 8th Dist Cmdr. Melean, Lt. Poppish, Sgt. Malloy and Officer McGann to canvass small businesses in West Lawn to talk public safety updates & strategies.” 

Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25) tweeted at Lightfoot: “I called you re: concerning incidents of police misconduct Friday night. Still waiting for a call back. I love this city too and we need to make sure it works better for our vulnerable city residents most burdened by an unaccountable police department.” 

Ald. James Cappleman (46) shared Lightfoot’s statement denying rumors on Sunday morning, adding: “A person's cause gets lost when they find the need to lie and slander a person's character in the process.”  

Ald. Brendan Reilly (42) wrote in his latest newsletter that he has asked city police and business affairs officials to “conduct task force investigations” of the Eurostar Hotel “because of the deleterious impact the business has had on the River North community.” 

Ald. Matt Martin (47) wrote in his latest newsletter: “Immediately, we must create a civilian oversight board for our police department and ban dangerous foot pursuits—both of which are reforms that should have been implemented years ago.”

House Speaker Chris Welch (D-Hillside) tweeted images after he and several House members climbed stairs at Solider Field to raise money to fight lung disease.   

Rep. Bob Morgan (D-Deerfield) tweeted “My legs might be a bit wobbly after all those stairs, but it was an honor to join my House colleagues this morning to raise money and awareness for @RespHealth!” 

Rep. Barbara Hernandez (D-Aurora) tweeted a reminder that COVID-19 vaccine appointments have expanded in her district and are available. 

Hernandez also tweeted an image of her getting her first dose of the vaccine.   

Rep. Maurice West (D-Rockford) tweeted images from an event in his district to announce the distribution of tablets and Chromebooks to students.  

Gov. JB Pritzker on Friday appointed Sekile M. Nzinga to serve as the administration's chief diversity officer. The governor also appointed Jason Rosenweig to the Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes and Michael Sutton to the Amusement Ride and Attraction Safety Board. Sutton and Rosenweig’s appointments must be confirmed by the state Senate.

All Chicago residents 18 and older are eligible starting Monday to receive COVID-19 vaccines through any of the city’s nine mass vaccination sites, which now include Loretto Hospital. Adult Chicagoans who have not been vaccinated are encouraged to sign up through Zocdoc for an appointment at Gallagher Way, Apostolic Faith Church, Chicago State University, Kennedy-King College, Malcolm X College, Richard J. Daley College, the United Center, Wilbur Wright College or Loretto. The city received 70,000 first-dose vaccines last week, of which 90 percent have already been administered, according to a Sunday announcement from the Chicago Department of Public Health. 

• Ald. Raymond Lopez (15) tweeted “Is [Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s] Budget team saying they want to use nearly $1B in fed $$$ to pay down debt, loss of revenue over helping our residents, businesses & communities?” 

• Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez (33) tweeted in support of La Casa Norte Union and wrote, “Those who carry the brunt of the pain and trauma of this city and care for the most vulnerable, must have what they need to remain whole and healthy. A Union allows workers to make collective demands for fair pay, benefits, democracy & more.” 

• Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35) tweeted “Our Workforce Committee approved an ordinance ensuring every Chicago worker has 4 hours of time off to get their COVID vaccine. I supported this ordinance because it's the bare minimum for public health and for workers’ rights.” 

• Ald. James Cappleman (46) tweeted a five-minute video of himself talking about “the different types of affordable housing that exists in the City of Chicago” and wrote, “we must work on all 3 different types to help forge workable solutions.” 

• Ald. Matt Martin (47) tweeted that Legal Aid Chicago is accepting cases on school discipline. “If you know a student being pushed out of school through expulsion, frequent suspensions, transfer to an ‘alternative school,’ or getting kicked out of class, they can contact Legal Aid at (312) 341-1070,” Martin wrote. 

• Ald. Maria Hadden (49) tweeted “The videos and recordings that captured the fatal police involved shooting of #AdamToledo will be made available via COPA's website tomorrow. My sincerest condolences go out to Adam's family and community - I'm so sorry for your tragic loss.”

• The Neighborhood Building Owners Alliance will host a webinar at noon Tuesday titled “The Case Against Rent Control – A National Perspective” featuring Roger Valdez, director of the group Seattle for Growth. Online registration is required. 

Ald. Brian Hopkins (2) included a recap in his latest newsletter of one-day vaccination clinic his office hosted alongside Jewel-Osco on Saturday, when 1,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine were administered. 

Ald. Sophia King (4) tweeted “Ramadan Mubarak, 4th ward! May this month be a prosperous one” 

Ald.Matt O’Shea(19) wrote in his latest newsletter that his office is hosting a “second-dose COVID-19 Pfizer Vaccine Clinic” at Mount Greenwood Park all day Tuesday. The event is open to residents who received their first doses through a similar ward-run clinic on March 23. 

Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25) tweeted “Our communities demand #TreatmentNotTrauma, communities demand that the $2 billion of dollars from Federal funds are invested to reopen our public mental health clinics so our constituents have access to life saving services. We need public first responses” 

Ald. Andre Vasquez (40) tweeted “Extremely disappointed with the lack of progress and action on Police Accountability. If [Mayor Lori Lightfoot] has an ordinance, she should introduce it. If she doesn’t then all she is doing is obstructing progress, after committing to pass something in the first 100 days in office.” 

Ald. Harry Osterman (48) in a tweet thread wrote, “While we continue to grieve George Floyd's murder during Derek Chauvin's trial & await footage of the shooting of 13 y.o. Adam Toledo by Chicago Police, Daunte's death & the pepper spraying of an Army Lieut by VA Police further point to the need for police accountability & reform” and that he is “committed to passing the Empowering Communities for Public Safety ordinance, a joint ordinance developed by leaders from the GAPA and CPAC coalitions.” 

Ald. Debra Silverstein (50) tweeted a video of herself during a Monday committee meeting speaking about a resolution she introduced condemning U.S. Rep. Mary Miller’s (R-Illinois) “inflammatory and hateful comments regarding Adolf Hitler" and wrote “I personally lost relatives in the Holocaust, and I represent a Ward that suffered greatly from the Nazi atrocities. I can say with certainty that nothing Hitler did was right, no matter what Rep. Miller says. The resolution passed the committee unanimously.” 

• Sen. Dave Syverson (R-Rockford) tweeted about the proposed People's Independent Maps Act, writing “under Illinois’ current broken system, politicians have the power to draw the district maps.” 

• Rep. Dave Vella (D-Rockford) tweeted about meeting with the Winnebago County and Boone County Farm Bureaus, writing “I learned so much about the farms and the farmers of my community.” 

• Rep. Anna Moeller (D-Elgin) shared a raft of pending legislation with constituents in her newsletter, ranging from bills to “expand access to affordable healthcare (HB1976, HB1820 and HB3867) reduce the cost of infrastructure to local governments (HB270), protect students who are the victim of sexual assault and harassment (HB3223), incentivize the development of clean energy technologies in Illinois (HB2659) and other issues.” 

• Rep. Denyse Stoneback (D-Skokie) tweeted a thank-you to the Aurora Police Department for demonstrating the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network for her and Rep. Maura Hirschauer. “It was a wonderful, hands on demonstration of their NIBIN system. My bill, HB 3788, will expand the use of the NIBIN System in Illinois,” Stoneback wrote. 

• Rep. Chris Bos (R-Lake Zurich) posted to Facebook about consolidating government: “Illinois leads the nation in units of government that hike tax bills and add layers of bureaucracy,” he wrote. “We have to tackle government inefficiency in Illinois to ensure every penny is spent wisely and that our citizens are getting the most out of state services.” 
• Rep. Camille Y. Lilly (D-Chicago) tweeted about Sikh appreciation month: “Sikh Awareness and Appreciation Month provides us with an opportunity to recognize and appreciate Sikhs as an integral part of communities throughout Illinois. This month and always, let’s celebrate the contributions made by Sikh Americans in our state!” she wrote.

Twitter List: IL State Senators | IL State Representatives 

• Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced the reopening of the Chicago Riverwalk and its concession program in a Friday news release. Community Marketplace, which spotlights women- and minority-owned businesses, will also reopen in May. COVID-19 mitigations, including social distancing and masking rules, will apply to the Riverwalk and Community Marketplace.  Lightfoot touted the economic benefits of the opening, writing in the release that “the Riverwalk is not only an important part of our city's economic engine, but it also adds to the liveliness of our iconic summers." Vendors will follow a “phased-in” resumption of services, beginning with Island Party Hut, Beat Kitchen on the River and City Winery. Other vendors slated to open include Northman Beer & Cider Garden, Chicago Brewhouse, Tiny Tapp & Café, Mercury Cruise Lines & Chicago’s First Lady Cruises, Downtown Docks, Chicago Electric Boats, Chicago Cycleboats, Sweet Home Gelato, O’Brien’s Riverwalk Café and Urban Kayaks. Pier 31 on the Riverwalk, an outpost of the café Pier 31, will open for the first time this May. 

• The Public Building Commission of Chicago put out an invitation for bids for construction of Belmont Cragin Elementary School. The school, located at 6112 West Fullerton Ave. In the 30th Ward, will be adjacent to the Riis Park Fieldhouse, which had $10 million in tax-increment financing allocated to it last month for improvements to the physical plant and the surrounding parkland. The school itself will have a multipurpose room, a gym and an auditorium. A non-mandatory pre-bid meeting will take place on April 15 at 1:00 p.m. and a non-mandatory technical review meeting will take place the same day at 1:30 p.m. Both meetings will be virtual.

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• Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford (D-Maywood) tweeted images from an event in her district that she participated in that was hosted by local mayors and police chiefs to discuss the recently approved criminal justice reform law. 
• Sen. Elgie Sims (D-Chicago) tweeted images from a recent food giveaway event in his district he attended.  
• Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris) tweeted a screenshot she captured during a recent virtual tourism update event she hosted.  
• Sen. Adriane Johnson (D-Riverwoods) tweeted images from when she dropped off breakfast to volunteers at a COVID-19 testing site in her district.  
• House Speaker Chris Welch (D-Hillside) tweeted a video of a recent town hall meeting he hosted. He also tweeted images from that same event.

• Ald. Daniel La Spata (1) tweeted “I introduced a resolution at last week's City Council meeting with several of my colleagues calling for a hearing on Transportation Network Providers (TNP) responses to driver safety. Support the call to action with the Independent Drivers Guild tomorrow!” 
• Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25) tweeted “Just leaving my meeting w/ local billionaires. Turns out its all a misunderstanding. They got rich on merit & good ideas — definitely not frm exploiting care work & the vulnerable. They also assured me there were no crimes against humanity during COVID so we can relax #AprilFools” 
• Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez (33) tweeted “CPD killed another child. We keep funding policing while communities are starved of resources and services. We need to protect our children and for that we need investment. All my love to this child’s family and community. We are tired of the pain.” 
• Ald. Michele Smith (43) tweeted about the forthcoming vaccination site at Wrigley Field saying “We are pleased that the City is opening a mass vaccination site on the North Side so that all eligible Chicagoans can have a more convenient access point for their doses.” 
• Ald. Maria Hadden (49) tweeted “City Council last week passed a resolution calling for hearings for a Guaranteed Basic Income pilot to provide families with a sense of stability from the economic impact of COVID-19. I will work closely with Chair. Villegas, Ald. King to make this a reality for our residents” 

• The CTA and Chicago Department of Public Health are piloting a “vaccination bus” program to deliver vaccine doses among the city’s “most vulnerable residents,” according to a Thursday announcement. Health officials held the first event on Wednesday, administering doses for 98 people at Atlas Senior Center in South Shore. The program is prioritizing seniors who live in ZIP codes with low vaccination rates, and anyone who helps a senior get a vaccine through the bus will also be eligible for a vaccine.  
• Chicago Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin is partnering with Operation Hope to host three financial literacy workshops this month, including a seminar on debt and credit on April 7, a workshop on fraud and identity theft on April 14 and an event on homeownership and rental assistance on April 21. Online registration is required. 

• Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday named Mario Treto Jr. to serve as the secretary of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Pritzker also named Laurie A. Murphy to serve as director of the agency’s division of real estate. Treto Jr.’s nomination must be confirmed by the state Senate.