Illinois’ office of tourism, Enjoy Illinois, will be the sponsor of June’s NASCAR Cup Series race at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, just outside St. Louis, Gov. JB Pritzker announced Monday. The race will officially be known as the Enjoy Illinois 300. It’s the Cup Series’ first event at the Illinois track. The track also hosts a NASCAR Truck Series race and an IndyCar Series race. Illinois has not held a Cup Series race since 2019 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet.  

Members of the Asian American Caucus will host a day of remembrance on Wednesday to honor lives lost because of anti-Asian hate. The caucus will host a press conference in the morning and a virtual vigil at 7 p.m. Registration for the vigil can be found online.

Ald. Raymond Lopez (15) tweeted “Last week many of us asked for assurances from  

@chicagosmayor in writing on moving forward using all scientific metrics available, not just those that fit her narrative. In the days since we have been talked about but not part of the discussion. See y’all Wednesday!”  

Ald. Michael Scott (24) tweeted “The Town Hall for West Side communities has been rescheduled for Saturday, March 19th and will be IN-PERSON.”  

Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35) tweeted “Proud to have stood with @LSNAChicago this morning as we fight for policies that address displacement and bring us closer to housing as a human right. The 606 Demolition Impact Fee Ordinance that our community fought for must be extended and expanded.”  

Ald. Harry Osterman (48) tweeted “Happy Pi Day! If you're looking to celebrate with pie from a local baker, pre order a specialty pie from Honeypie Bake Shop to enjoy when they reopen on Wednesday.”  

Ald. Maria Hadden (49) tweeted “Elise Malary is an amazing advocate and person. She’s been missing for more than 2 days; her parents have filed a missing persons report with Evanston PD. She’s part of the RP community as well. Let’s help bring her home to safety. If you have any info, please call 773-991-8198.” 

Mayor Lori Lightfoot's office will host a “community safety town hall” event at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Garfield Park Gold Dome Field House, where attendees will be asked to “inform the city’s efforts to reduce violence and help us make our neighborhoods safer.” Information and registration are available online.  

The Northpoint Tenant Association will join Ald. Maria Hadden (49) to host a news conference at 10 a.m. Tuesday at 7717 N. Paulina St to draw attention to “the inhumane living conditions in affordable housing units at Northpoint Apartments.” The apartments are owned and managed by Related Midwest.

Rep. Bob Morgan (D-Deerfield) tweeted, “This week Florida’s senate passed the “Don’t Say Gay Bill” to ban discussion of gender identity & sexual orientation related topics in school. This also ends protection for LBTQ+ students. This shameful bill does nothing but hurt students who are already struggling & vulnerable.”  

Rep. Maura Hirschauer (D-Batavia) tweeted, “HB4729 (@repwillis77) has passed out of the House with overwhelming Bi-Partisan Support! Guns are the leading cause of death of Illinois children ages 1-17 years old. We are all safer when guns are safely stored and it is critical that we spread a safe storage message.”  

Sen. Tony Munoz (D-Chicago) tweeted, “Museums give people an experience to learn and understand our history which is why I'm pleased to announce that @ExploreNMMA is set to receive $750,000 to make improvements and create new exhibits.”  

Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) tweeted, “Members of the Jewish Caucus and President Harmon met with Israeli Consul General Yinam Cohen to discuss Israel-Illinois relations and how we are working to protect Jewish communities with rising anti-Semitism.”  

Sen. Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights) tweeted, “36 museums across IL will receive $19.7M to improve their facilities and expand their exhibits - including Arlington Heights' Banta House. The Banta House is an arts & crafts home and was the first architect-designed house in AH.”  

Sen. Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) tweeted, “I spoke with Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton and others at a conference on the importance of obtaining a professional license and how this process shouldn’t keep people waiting months in order to practice a profession.”  

Sen. Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake) tweeted, “Opioid overdoses have been occurring at alarming rates in Illinois. That's why I led SB 2535, to require pharmacists to inform the patient that opioids are addictive and offer to give the patient naloxone – a common opioid reversal medication.”  

Sen. Christopher Belt (D-Swansea) tweeted, “Support workers are essential workers. These individuals care for residents who rely on them to do basic day-to-day tasks that many of us do without thinking. It’s vital that these workers are taken care of and paid a fair wage.”  

Rep. Jonathon Carroll (D-Northbrook) tweeted, “Love the people I’ve met in Springfield. @staterepwest is my seat mate and one of my best friends. Blessed to have him in my life. #twill #ilgov" 

The University of Illinois-Springfield Public Affairs Reporting program will host an online conversation with Tribune reporter Ray Long at 12 p.m. on Thursday, March 17. Long will discuss his new book “The House that Madigan Built: The Record Run of Illinois’ Velvet Hammer.” Registration for the event can be found at https://go.UIS.edu/RayLong.  

The Illinois Attorney General’s office received a $750,000 federal grant to provide services to sexual assault victims. The Attorney General’s office says the grant will be used to support two programs in central Illinois.  

The Secretary of State’s office announced the expiration date for driver's licenses and IDs will be extended until July 31. The expiration date has been extended several times by the Secretary of State since the beginning of the pandemic.

Ald. Michael Scott (24) will host a virtual meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday to discuss the “project pipeline” for the Ogden Avenue Corridor with Department of Planning and Development Comm. Maurice Cox. Online registration is required.  

Ald. Silvana Tabares (23) tweeted, “The Archer Ave parade is raising money for police & Ofc. French is the Honorary Grand Marshal. My thoughts & prayers are with my CPD family today & my vow to keep fighting.”  

Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez (33) tweeted a Tribune article about carjackings and wrote, “Read this! We need massive investments in public structures of care. “before they were a shooter or a carjacker, they were likely some combination of hungry and poor and traumatized by the violence happening on the blocks where they are supposed to thrive”  

Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36) tweeted, “The City of Chicago helped to defeat the citizenship question on the 2010 census questionnaire. I am not surprised to see that Latinos were undercounted at more than three times the amount in 2010. #letthepeopledecide”  

Ald. Brendan Reilly (42) wrote in his latest newsletter, “Green & Bransford, LLC has filed a Special Use application to operate an Adult Use Cannabis Dispensary at 212 East Ontario Street. The Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) will hold a public hearing on a later date to consider this application.”  

Ald. Matt Martin (47) wrote in his latest newsletter, “This week and throughout the last several months, I’ve met with Angela Tovar, our city’s Chief Sustainability Officer, to discuss key components of the plan—which range from expanding electric vehicle charging infrastructure and reducing the carbon footprint of new and existing buildings, to providing community-wide composting services and building solar and wind infrastructure to scale—and how we can ensure the plan is implemented quickly and completely once it’s finalized.”  

Cook County Comm. Sean Morrison (R-17) wrote in a statement, ““Instead of holding Jussie Smollett accountable for devising a hate crime hoax, breaking the law, disregarding law enforcement officials and their time, and wasting taxpayer resources — Kim Foxx opted to use the authority of her elected office to provide favors for a political ally, and mislead the public, the press, and facilitate a cover-up for a politically connected celebrity.” 

Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Friday announced the appointment of Alexandra Antoine as the new artist-in-residence for Legler Regional Library. She is the library system’s first artist-in-residence. 

Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi will host historian Shermann “Dilla” Thomas at 6 p.m. Friday for a virtual event described as “a candid conversation that will focus on historical connections to the work of property tax reform and the challenges and opportunities of getting it right.” Online registration is required.  

The Chicago Area Public Affairs Group will host an event at 11:30 a.m. next Thursday at the Union League Club of Chicago titled “Chicago’s Water Advantage,” billed as an opportunity to “to learn about the supply of water to the Chicago region and its impact on economic growth.” Speakers will include Chicago Department of Water Management Comm. Andrea Cheng and Current Water executive director Alaina Harkness. Tickets are available online. 

Ald. Raymond Lopez (15) tweeted “Interesting that as the @CCLBA seeks an agreement with the City, signs declaring the bank’s ownership FINALLY appear in the community identifying who is responsible for maintenance.”  

Ald. Matt O’Shea (19) tweeted “The 19th Ward St. Patrick’s Day Donation Drive in support of the Maple Morgan Park Food Pantry was a huge success! Thanks for your generosity.”  

Ald. Silvana Tabares (23) tweeted a statement responding to Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson (D-1) and his “demands for the City Council to further Defund CPD Resources”  

Ald. Scott Waguespack (32) shared information about the city’s series of virtual community safety town halls and tweeted “City personnel at mtg answerd questions the length of the meeting. Still need county/state officials present to answer questions when it's out of city hands. Next mtg tonight. Register early, make sure you get Zoom link, not just Eventbrite email.”  

Ald. Andre Vasquez (40) tweeted “High school sophomores and juniors! Sign up now to be a Student Election Judge, learn about elections, & earn up to $230. To learn more about this program visit: https://tinyurl.com/Mikva-SJ”  

Ald. Matt Martin (47) in a thread tweeted “In the past five years, Lincoln Square and Northcenter have lost affordable homes at a faster rate than nearly every other neighborhood in Chicago. And the deconversion and demolition of small multi-unit buildings continues to contribute to that rapid loss of affordability. NEXT WEEK: Join us for the first in a series of community conversations about the impact of deconversions and demolitions of two- and three-flats.” 

Gov. JB Pritzker appointed Laura Daley to the Statewide 9-1-1 Advisory Board and TaLana Hughes, Timothy Cunniff and Susan Axelrod to the Rare Disease Commission.  

Monday is the last day for candidates running for office to file their nominating petitions with the State Board of Elections. Petitions must be submitted by 5 p.m. Those who submit petitions between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. Monday will be in a lottery to get placed in the last spot on the ballot.   

The Illinois Department of Employment Security announced the state’s unemployment rate in January declined by .1 percentage points to 5 percent. The state also added more than 8,600 non-farm jobs. The state’s labor force participation rate was also 1.5 percentage points higher than the national average.

Sen. Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) tweeted, “It is critical that the General Assembly acts immediately to provide some kind of relief to Illinoisans struggling to keep up with skyrocketing gas prices and surging inflation.”  

Sen. Michael Hastings (D-Frankfort) tweeted, “An unacceptable truth, over 260 expressway shootings in 2021, that was during a pandemic. Another one last week. I don’t care if your from the city or suburb, it’s wrong … and we’re going to do something about it.” 

Sen. Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago) tweeted, “The land of Chief Shab-eh-nay and his band was illegally sold. Recognition of this act of injustice by the federal government will begin to repair the harm and ensure that the land is recognized as reserved for the Potawatomi people in northern Illinois.”  

Rep. Maura Hirschauer (D-Batavia) tweeted, “Today, alongside @Tarver25th and @justice4all44, I presented HR649, to recognize June 3, 2022 as Gun Violence Awareness Day. Gun Violence Awareness Day began in tribute to Chicago teenager, Hadiya Pendleton. On 1/29/13 Hadiya was tragically shot and killed at the age of 15.”  

Rep. Marcus Evans (D-Chicago) tweeted, “Yesterday, the Illinois House Labor & Commerce Committee held a subject matter hearing to analyze the wages and working condition of our dedicated Direct Support Personnel (DSPs). @afscme31 @SEIU @SEIU73 State funding dollars need to make it to the pockets of the workers.”  

Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) tweeted, “What @fergieajenkins said. Mama needs baseball, stat.”  

Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-Chicago) tweeted, “It was great to see the folks from @ChiHomeless in Springfield during their day of action yesterday! Thanks for all the advocacy you do to prevent & end homelessness in Chicago— And thanks for sharing all the important work & goals you're championing this legislative session”  

Rep. Mike Zalewski (D-Riverside) tweeted, “Nature is healing. First Revenue & Finance in person hearing since that fateful day in 2020 in Bilandic when @hannahmeisel sneezed a few times and basically it was all downhill from there.” 

The Urban Land Institute will hold a virtual event at 6 p.m. on March 22 to present recommendations it has developed alongside the Chicago Department of Planning and Development and the Chicago Loop Alliance to “reposition LaSalle Street, from Wacker Drive to Jackson Boulevard, as a thriving, work-play-live corridor.” Online registration is required.  

The Chicago Department of Business and Consumer Protection will host a webinar titled “fighting fraud” at 9:30 a.m. on Friday “to help people understand their consumer rights and avoid fraud and scams.” Online registration is required. 

Ald. Daniel La Spata (1) tweeted “The City of Chicago is working on a Climate Action Plan, and a draft is now available for your review! This is your chance to be heard on issues of sustainability, resilience, and environmental justice.”  

Ald. Susan Sadlowski Garza (10) tweeted “Chicago's Annual Citywide Clean and Green is scheduled for Saturday April 23, 2022. The deadline for registration is Monday, April 18th. Call 311 for more info and to register!”  

Ald. Michael Scott (24) tweeted “The Chicago Aldermanic Black Caucus  is now accepting applications for their annual scholarship.”  

Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez (33) tweeted “Welcome back to our Ward Superintendent Alejandro who was out after suffering a back injury. We are happy that he received the medical care he needed to recover. As you know, his work is heavy & our Superintendent never stops! If you see him around, make sure to show him love.”  

Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35) shared a Block Club article and tweeted “It's always extremely cool when you hear someone talk about an awesome idea/vision, and then they make it happen. Kudos @ASchneider2008 & Logan @SqPres on this great event to bring new green space to #LoganSquare”  

Ald. Michele Smith (43) tweeted “Thanks to all the Gold Coast neighbors that came out to our safety walk this afternoon at State and Goethe! If you would like our office to participate in a safety walk on your block contact us at: [email protected].” 

Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) and Rep. Jen Gong-Gershowitz (D-Glenview) launched the General Assembly’s Assyrian Caucus Wednesday. The is dedicated to advocating for the state’s Assyrian community and creates a platform for discussing issues important to the community.  

Gov. JB Pritzker released another round of $250 million to fund projects as part of the Rebuild Illinois capital plan. The state has now released $1.25 billion for Rebuild Illinois projects.  

Sen. Chris Belt (D-Swansea) tweeted, “With hate crimes at their highest point in decades, all of us must take an active role in stamping out hate. Be an upstander, not a bystander – report hate crimes to local law enforcement and the Illinois Attorney General.”  

Sen. Adriane Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove) tweeted, “Today, my colleagues and I announced the formation of the Legislative Assyrian Caucus. As a Caucus, we want to make sure we lift everyone's voice by building on Illinois' legacy of being one of the most welcoming states in the nation.”  

Sen. Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) tweeted, “With more than 150 wineries statewide, Illinois is a leader in wine operations. To offer financial relief to struggling makers, I've advanced legislation to lower licensing fees for first-class manufacturers”  

Rep. Bob Morgan (D-Deerfield) tweeted, “Anti-Semitic flyers have recently been left on driveways near our community including images of prominent Jewish politicians and businesspeople from IL & the country. As we stay united against hate, education of hate crimes is going to take effort.”  

Rep. Jeff Keicher (R-Sycamore) tweeted, “Honored to get an update on the issues in Ukraine today from Gen Alessia and Gen Neeley from the Illinois National Guard”  

Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) tweeted, “I support local control in education and parents being able to choose the best school for their kids. Cindy and I attended the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools Legislative Reception last night.”  

Sen. Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) tweeted, “Three local museums will receive a combined $838,000 to make improvements and create new exhibits. The Department of Natural Resources announced three museums in Rockford that will be receiving grants.”  

Rep. Dagmara Avelar (D-Bolingbrook) tweeted, "Proud to join some great colleagues as a co-sponsor of HB4920 to create a state #ChildTaxCredit"  

Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago) tweeted, “Dear Florida. I'm proud that in Illinois we protect our LGBTQ families, teach our history and stand with our LGBTQ youth. I'm proud to be the LGBTQ House Majority Leader, from a district with a LGBTQ Senator, a city with a LGBTQ Mayor and a ward with a LGBTQ Alderman.” 

The Chicago Department of Public Health announced Tuesday that it was removing the following 12 states from its weekly COVID-19 Travel Advisory, as their average new caseloads have been below 15 per 100,000 residents for more than a week: Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Wisconsin, leaving 34 states and one territory in the travel advisory. But another 18 states have fallen below the threshold since last week and are due to come off the list next week: Oklahoma, Virginia, Washington, Minnesota, Arkansas, Massachusetts, Wyoming, Texas, Tennessee, Michigan, North Dakota, Missouri, Mississippi, Utah, Iowa, Kansas, Arizona and Louisiana. As of Tuesday, Illinois’ average daily new case rate was 11.8 per 100,000 residents, and Chicago’s rate was 7.1 per 100,000.  

Crain’s will host its Real Estate Forum at the downtown Blackstone Hotel at 7:45 a.m. on April 5, when reporter Alby Gallun will interview Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi. Tickets for the event can be purchased online.  

The group Business and Professional People for the Public Interest will host a virtual panel discussion at 12 p.m. on March 18 to discuss higher education programs in Illinois prisons. The panel will include BPI senior staff counsel Shareese Pryor, DePaul University political science professor Christina Rivers, Illinois Coalition for Higher Education in Prison project coordinator Angel Pantoja and Rep. Carol Ammons (D-Urbana). 

Ald. Matt O’Shea (19) tweeted “A big thanks to Tracy Spiridakos from Chicago P.D. Tracy participated in the Chicago Polar Plunge in support of Special Olympics and was so kind to our athletes."  

Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35) tweeted “Happy International Working Women's Day! Today our 35th Ward Office remembers one of our community's most world-renowned working-class women: Lucy Gonzalez Parsons. Lucy led the fight for the eight-hour work and was a founder of the @IWW union.”  

Ald. Harry Osterman (48) tweeted “Congrats to the DePaul College Prep men's basketball team (@DePaulPrepMBB) and Coach Tom Kleinschmidt on their thrilling Super-Sectional victory last night against the Leo Lions! Good luck downstate and go Rams!”  

Ald. Maria Hadden (49) tweeted “We are still requesting feedback from the community on the Wild Onion Market proposal before making a decision whether or not to lift the liquor moratorium. Please take a moment to fill out an online feedback form at https://buff.ly/3Cmt7p9. Submit by Sunday, March 13”  

Ald. Debra Silverstein (50) tweeted “Today is #InternationalWomensDay, when we come together to fight for gender equality. Help forge a world that is truly inclusive and equitable.” 

Gov. JB Pritzker announced he will appoint Roger Monroe to the Abaraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum Board of Trustees, Allison Powers as commissioner of the Executive Ethics Commission, Bennett Kaplan as commissioner of the Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission and Lisa Lee to the Illinois State Museum Board.

Sen. Mike Simmons (D-Chicago) tweeted, “I am happy to sponsor a bill with Rep. @RepLCollins that requires the Illinois Department of Public Health to follow up on lead inspections.”  

Rep. Ann Williams (D-Chicago) tweeted, “Thank you @GovPritzker for freezing the expenditure of taxpayer funds for capital projects closely tied to former Speaker Madigan. In light of last week’s indictment, additional review of these projects will ensure that taxpayer dollars were not used for improper purposes. #twill"  

Rep. Maura Hirschauer (D-Batavia) tweeted, “On this #InternationalWomensDay2022 I celebrate my strong, fiercely intelligent, hard working colleagues in the IL House of Representatives. It is a pleasure to work alongside and learn from these women each and every day. #WatchUsWork #ILWomen"  

Rep. Martin McLaughlin (R-Barrington Hills) tweeted, “Open our Pipelines Now! For over a year unnecessarily high energy prices due to bad Dem policies has cost us billions & have hurt working families the most. Ending Russian oil w/o increased domestic production causes higher gas prices. To quote our Inflator in Chief "C’mon Man!"”  

Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) tweeted, “The price of gas is insane and it’s made worse by Pritzker’s gas tax increase that was supported by weak-knee Republicans. It’s time to cut taxes and make Illinois more affordable for working families and taxpayers.”  

Rep. Stephanie Kifowit (D-Oswego) tweeted, “Celebrating #InternationalWomensDay2022 with some of the Women in the IL House of Representatives!💜” 

Manufacturing Renaissance Council and North Branch Works will host a “Manufacturing Summit” at 10 a.m. on March 24. Panelists will include Ald. Daniel La Spata (1), former Chicago Plan Commision chair Teresa Cordova, Manufacturing Renaissance Council executive director Erica Swinney Staley, KOVAL Distillery president Sonat Birnecker Hart, World Business Chicago director of business development Mary Kuhn and North Branch Works executive director Jonathan Snyder. Online registration is required.