Rep. Chris Bos (R-Lake Zurich) on Wednesday announced House Minority Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) had appointed him to serve on the state’s Human Trafficking Task Force. Bos was officially named to the task force on Sept. 15, when Durkin also named Rep. David Friess (R-Red Bud). The two Republicans join Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago), Rep. Anne Stava-Murray (D-Naperville) and Rep. Denyse Stoneback (D-Skokie), who were appointed to the task force last month by House Speaker Chris Welch (D-Hillside). As of Wednesday, no members of the Senate had been named to the task force.  

Gov. JB Pritzker announced that he will appoint Kim King to the Children and Family Services Advisory Council, Channyn Parker to the Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes, Deborah Hagan to the Employment Security Board of Review and Michael Tarnoff to the State Board of Investment. King is the Senior Deputy Director of Case and Volunteer Management for Illinois Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Cook County, Parker is the Director of Strategic and Community Partnerships at Howard Brown Health, Hagan recently retired from her position as Secretary of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and Tarnoff retired in 2015 as the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago. All appointments must be confirmed by the Senate. 

Ald. Sophia King (4) tweeted information about a Hyde Park Cigars Follow-Up Community Meeting scheduled for 1 p.m. Sept. 30. "Join to express your concerns and have your voice heard,” King wrote.  

Ald. Matt O’Shea (19) tweeted “33 years ago today Chicago Police Officer Irma Ruiz was killed in a gun battle inside Moses Montefiore School protecting innocent children. She left behind a husband and four young children. God bless the Ruiz family & the men and women of the CPD.” 

Ald. Walter Burnett (27) tweeted a link to a photo gallery from First the “Women's Bank Ribbon Cutting & Grand Opening Event.” 

Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez (33) tweeted “Chicago has been yelling that we don’t want this man to hold any kind of public office. There has been plenty of noise. Rahm Emanuel is a disgrace and so is Biden for appointing him.”  

Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35) tweeted “CPS students in temporary living situations (lack of fixed/adequate residence, couch surfing due to economic hardship or staying in a shelter) can receive a $500 check to help with back-to-school and everyday household expenses. Applications are due 10/1” 

Ald. Harry Osterman (48) shared a Chicago Tribune editorial on lending equity and wrote “The @chicagotribune Editorial Board highlights the importance of lending equity in moving Chicago forward – and how the Lending Equity Ordinance is a step in that direction.”

Pamela Cassara has joined Cook County Health as its new Chief Financial Officer, giving the $3.4 billion agency its first permanent financial chief since previous Chief Financial Officer Ekerete Akpan was ousted by the health system’s Board of Directors in January 2020. Cassara previously oversaw finances for the Indiana-based Franciscan Alliance hospital system and MetroSouth Medical Center in Blue Island.

Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Iris Martinez’s office has restored e-filing, case lookup and ticket payment functionality to its website more than a month after the site was taken offline for cybersecurity upgrades, officials announced. “Our team has worked around the clock to make sure our most used tools are available online and safe to use,” Martinez wrote in a statement Wednesday afternoon. “Now that we have completed this important step, we will be moving forward to analyzing and revamping our website to better serve the public.  

Sen. Mike Simmons (D-Chicago) tweeted “Today, I met with leaders at the South-East Asia Center to talk about early childhood care and ways to support community based organizations. Happy #MidAutumnFestival to all of those who celebrate! So honored to celebrate and enjoy Mooncakes in community today!” 

Simmons also tweeted about an event he is co-hosting on Wednesday for a discussion on “what a future designed by BIPOC LGBTQ+ people looks like.”  

Rep. Lamont Robinson (D-Chicago) tweeted “I have seen firsthand how important our network of safety net hospitals are to our local families and communities. Thank you to St. Bernard Hospital for the tour of your facility and meeting with your senior leadership team about your challenges and opportunities ahead.  

Rep. Marcus Evans (D-Chicago) tweeted a video of himself discussing the recently enacted energy law.  

Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield) tweeted a link to a news story about the least tax-friendly states for middle-class families, adding, “Not the list we want to be number. There's a direct correlation between this and IL being one of three states to lose population the past decade.” 

Sen. Sally Turner (R-Beason) posted images on Facebook from “coffee and conversation” event she recently hosted in Sherman with Butler.  

Sen. Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) on Tuesday announced she will hold a free flu shot clinic in her district on Oct. 8 between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.

Ald. Matt O’Shea (19) in his latest newsletter included information on a “Community Blood Drive at Brother Rice High School (10001 S. Pulaski) in the north gym” from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Oct. 16. 

Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25) tweeted “Happy #MidAutumnFestival to all who celebrate in Chicago and across the world! Today is a wonderful day to enjoy a mooncake, some tea, and admire the Earth's favorite moon.” 

Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez (33) tweeted “I am the mother of an unvaccinated 6 year old CPS student. I am angry as hell.”  

Ald. Harry Osterman (48) in his latest newsletter included information on ward improvements funded with Aldermanic Menu money writing, “Streets will be resurfaced on or around the dates listed below: 1400 block of Glenlake - Between Glenwood and Greenview - 9/27; 900 block of Thorndale - Between the lake and Sheridan - 9/27; 1200 block of Bryn Mawr – Between Broadway and Wayne - 9/28; 5500 block of Wayne - Between Bryn Mawr and Catalpa - 9/29” 

The Chicago Department of Public Health took California and Puerto Rico off its COVID-19 Travel Advisory because average daily new cases there fell below 15 per 100,000 residents, officials announced Tuesday. Public health officials added Connecticut and Washington, D.C. to the travel advisory as cases in both locations during the past week moved back over 15 per 100,000 residents.

Sen. Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) issued a statement after business in her district received a $2 million state grant.  

Sen. Robert Peters (D-Chicago) tweeted “This afternoon I joined  @IllinoisDCEO , @RepKamBuckner, @LamontJRobinson , and Bronzeville Small Business leaders to push the Back to Business Grants and community navigator program.” 

Rep. Suzzane Ness (D-Crystal Lake) tweeted “On Monday, I held my first Citizen Advisory Committee meeting on issues pertaining to the Developmental Disability Community. Parents, Advocates, Service Organizations, and Educators all had a seat at the table. I left our meeting feeling energized and excited for what's next.” 

Rep. Stephanie Kifowit (D-Oswego) tweeted about an ongoing donation effort her office is leading to accept “new or gently used bras.”  

Rep. Maura Hirschauer (D-Batavia) tweeted “Across the nation, reproductive rights are under attack — which can have a devastating impact on reproductive health & will disproportionately affect people with low incomes & people of color. I will continue to stand up & defend every individual’s right to choose.”

Sen. Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights), Sen. Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines), Rep. Mark Walker (D-Arlington Heights) and other elected officials are co-hosting an event to discuss property tax assessment appeals with Cook County Comm. Michael Cabonargi (D-2) on Sept. 29 at 6:30 p.m. 

Ald. Brian Hopkins (2) wrote in his latest newsletter, “I remain opposed to the provision in this budget proposal that mandates an increase in property taxes for citizens based on a calculation of the rising property index, especially considering that so many residents are still recovering from the economic and financial fallout of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.”  

Ald. Raymond Lopez (15) tweeted “We are borrowing $300+ Million to pay for police back pay which nobody planned for. Debt taken on to be repaid over the next 30 years - a deferred tax hike Lightfoot doesn’t want to talk about” 

Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez (33) tweeted “Listening to the Mayor’s budget address today was kind of confusing. A lot of her speech was funding the needs of communities to prevent violence and recognizing it’s root causes. But she also introduced an ordinance to “sue gang members” against advice from civil rights orgs.”  

Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35) tweeted “Me to [Rodriguez-Sanchez] immediately following the mayor’s 2022 budget address: ‘Well, you got the mayor to say mental health 17 times.’” 

Ald. Andre Vasquez (40) tweeted “Glad to hear some inroads towards income-based fines and fees as our office has been working on since taking office. It’s not all that we need for this moment, but it’s a step in that direction.” 

Ald. Maria Hadden (49) in a thread about Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s budget proposal tweeted “I applaud the Mayor and her team for listening to City Council and proposing some good first drafts of what these investments could look like in 2022. Though she didn't involve any of us in this budget, I hope she'll work with us to fine tune these ideas.”

The Chicago Department of Planning and Development will host a virtual public meeting at 6 p.m. next Tuesday, Sept. 28 to discuss the two redevelopment proposals under consideration for the Pioneer Bank building in Humboldt Park. Details of the competing proposals were released on Tuesday. Online registration is required.

Rep. David Welter (R-Morris) tweeted “Congratulations Village of Coal City on the downtown renovations! Mayor Terry Halliday did a great job with his State of the Village address. #grundychamber #ribboncutting” 

Rep. Camille Lilly (D-Chicago) tweeted “By passing the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, we are advancing Illinois’ efforts to combat climate change by becoming carbon-free by 2045. We are investing in wind + solar projects and incentivizing electric vehicle use. This will put us on the right track to a brighter future.” 

House Speaker Chris Welch (D-Hillside) tweeted “Thanks to all of our volunteers today for assisting the @ILSecOfState mobile unit. It takes teamwork to make a dream work. Special shout our to Maywood Mayor Nathaniel Booker and Maywood Park District Commissioner Jeff Harris for stopping by to help.” 

Sen. Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) tweeted “With abortion rights on the line in other states, Illinois must continue to be a leader. Rise. Fight back. Pass the PNA repeal. #TexasAbortionLaw #AbortionIsHealthcare #RepealPNA 

Rep. Barbara Hernandez (D-Aurora) wrote on Facebook “Individuals who menstruate should be able to access the products they need, no matter their income level. In Illinois, recipients of SNAP, WIC, or TANF benefits will be able to purchase menstrual hygiene products with their respective public benefits under a new law I introduced.” 

Gov. JB Pritzker and officials from Boeing announced the company’s $200 million investment to build a “state-of-the-art facility” in the Metro East area that will produce the U.S. Navy’s first carrier-based unmanned aircraft, known as the MQ-25 Stingray. Construction of the new 291,000-square-foot facility will begin later this year, with 300 jobs expected to be created in the region over the next three years.  

Ald. Sophia King (4) tweeted “4th Ward staff did some shopping after work yesterday at Frontline Books & Crafts. We have one week to save this Black owned business from shutting down. Go visit them at 5206 S Harper this weekend for beautiful clothing, books, earrings, healing tools and more” 

Ald. Susan Sadlowski Garza (10) tweeted “The 10th Ward was alive yesterday, with SkyArt's 20th Anniversary celebration, Big Marsh's ‘Birds, Bikes, & Beats’ event, a mural unveiling at our South Chicago Learning Center, and the Meeting of the Styles at 100th and Ewing.” 

Ald. Raymond Lopez (15) shared an ABC 7 article about the city’s “Open Boulevards” initiative and tweeted, “I’m glad [the Chicago Department of Transportation] has finally reconsidered using boulevards as accessible spaces. Three years ago I proposed arts pop-ups, family areas and events along Garfield Blvd. I was told we could not because they were ‘historic open spaces.’”  

Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez (33) in a Twitter thread explaining her decision to accept a 5.5 percent pay increase for 2022 wrote: 1. We didn’t vote for it, it’s automatic and it was approved in 2006 when there were no Socialists in City Council. 2. Based on the CPI, salaries can go up or down. 3. It takes effect in Jan 2022 4. I will be using the increase to support organizations doing violence prevention and mental health work in my ward. 5. I will share the details as to how I will allocate these additional funds before the increase takes effect.”  

Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35) tweeted “When workers go on strike they win! Congratulations @BCTGM workers on winning a better contract! BCTGM workers at Nabisco are working-class heroes.” 

Ald. Brendan Reilly (42) wrote in his latest newsletter that he was “frustrated” with Mexican Independence Day caravans that have swarmed downtown: “In the past, the City of Chicago approved a planned parade to allow for this celebration to take place in other neighborhoods of the City. In 2019, the Mayor’s Administration decided to deny future permit applications for such events. Since then, unsanctioned celebrations have been held throughout the City, especially Downtown.” 

Ald. James Cappleman (46) tweeted a statement detailing the situation in which he was “assaulted by an individual in our community” Saturday night. “I am completely fine and my injuries were very minor,” Cappleman wrote, adding that he knows the person who assaulted him and has “sat with him numerous times to help to help him address his addiction issues that have also led to him being without a job and a home.” 

The City Council Latino Caucus will host a news conference at 8:30 a.m. Monday at City Hall to announce their “report card on Latino representation” under Mayor Lori Lightfoot. 

Groups including United Working Families and Southside Organized for Unity & Liberation will join Ald. Daniel La Spata (1), Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25) and Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez (33) to host a news conference at 9 a.m. Monday at City Hall to push for a 2022 budget that "reflects the full list of demands laid out in the Chicago Rescue Plan.” 

Chicago Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin will join Operation HOPE from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday to host "Building Wealth Today for Tomorrow 2021," a "free virtual financial empowerment summit tailored to residents, small businesses, and youth to provide access to capital, financial planning, and credit building seminars, keys to homeownership, and wealth-building opportunities." Online registration is required.

Sen. Christopher Belt (D-Cahokia) and Sen. Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) announced Thursday six projects totaling nearly $90 million to improve infrastructure in the Metro East area.  

Sen. Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) announced six transportation projects totaling nearly $30 million will be coming to the Rockford area.  

Sen. Tom Cullerton (D-Villa Park) shared a list of community events in his district.  

Rep. Maura Hirschauer (D-Batavia) tweeted “By passing the Climate & Equitable Jobs Act, we are advancing IL’s efforts to combat climate change by becoming carbon-free by 2045. We are investing in wind + solar projects & incentivizing electric vehicle use. All of this will put us on the right track to a brighter future.” 

Rep. Dave Vella (D-Rockford) tweeted a reminder about an Oct. 2 “ICash Mobile Services” event he is hosting with State Treasurer Michael Frerichs.

Rep. David Welter (R-Morris) tweeted a reminder about his Sept. 17 “coffee and conversation” event in his district.  

Officials from the Illinois Department of Insurance on Thursday announced 54,432 people signed up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act during a special enrollment period that ran from Feb. 15 to Aug. 15. By comparison, the state had 25,000 residents sign up during the enrollment period in 2020 and nearly 23,000 in 2019. In a statement, Gov. JB Pritzker said the “record-breaking” enrollment was a “testament to the need for accessible, affordable healthcare.”

Ald. Sophia King (4) shared a Block Club article and tweeted, “A 4th Ward favorite, Frontline Books & Crafts on 5206 S Harper Ave, is at risk of shutting down. Let's help this small business stay open by buying some books this weekend!”  

Ald. Matt O’Shea (19) tweeted “The Chicago Police Department has issued a Community Alert in regard to recent residential burglaries in the Beverly community.”  

Ald. Scott Waguespack (32) tweeted “This story on sexual violence at Parks is not about disenchantment by certain staff or sour grapes. The whole culture at Parks/Aquatics needs change, yet only one who has been publicly fired is the Deputy IG who wrote the first report.” 

Ald. Matt Martin (47) shared a Twitter poll and wrote, “In the next month, Chicago will vote on how to spend $2B in federal relief funds. Which investment is most important to you in helping us recover from the pandemic?”

Ald. Harry Osterman (48) in a Twitter thread wrote “The Committee on Housing & Real Estate will host a subject matter hearing on the Just Cause to Evict ordinance tomorrow at 10am... This ordinance was intro'd last summer. Since then I've met w/ advocates & hosted conversations b/w them & Committee Members. It is important to have a meaningful conversation about it to hear from @ChiHousingJL & from Alders as to how it will impact the communities they serve.” 

The Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection will host a series of webinars “geared towards the Hispanic business community” every Friday at 9:30 a.m. until Oct. 15. The webinars will “cover topics such as marketing, exporting, licensing, and business planning. BACP regularly hosts business education webinars to inform and empower business owners and entrepreneurs,” according to an announcement. The full schedule is available online.

Sen. Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) tweeted “Thank you to Chris Johnson with the Golden Torch Foundation for inviting me to visit Winks Iron Lot today to learn more about their mentoring program, Peoria's Real Steel. We are grateful to have so many dedicated mentors in our community making a positive impact on local kids.” 

Rep. Ann Williams (D-Chicago) tweeted “Today, @GovernorPritzker signed the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act into law. This nation-leading climate bill puts communities and consumers first, creating a solid decarbonization plan and a carbon-free power sector by 2045. #twill #fossilfreeIL.” 

Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris) tweeted “It’s official! This morning the Governor signed Senate Bill 2408, which ensures that our state’s nuclear fleet stay online and preserves thousands of jobs that they provide to our local communities! #NuclearIsCleanEnergy” 

Sen. Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) in a news release highlighted a series of new laws that she said will help Illinoisans “move forward” from the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Sen. Tom Cullerton (D-Villa Park) tweeted a reminder about an electronic recycling event he is hosting on Sept. 18.  

Sen. Sally Turner (R-Beason) shared a reminder on Facebook about her first-ever Kids Fishing Derby” event she is hosting on Sept. 18.